Albums
Special Herbs + Spices Volume One
Not to be confused with Doom's similarly titled instrumental collections, this is a completely different project, with the super villain's charismatic compositions backing up rugged rhymes from MF Grimm (a.k.a. Superstar Jet Jaguar a.k.a. GM Grimm). The two had teamed up before on various endeavors, and their distinct styles mesh here perfectly. An immensely skilled rapper with a lengthy pedigree, Grimm is not afraid to get autobiographical, touching on his storied history that includes drug sales, incarceration, and a near-death shooting. Despite his felonious past, he doesn't dwell on it, and instead focuses on the current task of staying positive and building up his Day By Day Entertainment empire, interspersed with the type of unrestrained bravado that comes from a foundation of intense battling, both on the microphone and in the streets of NYC. Most of the tracks here are rock solid, but a few are really stellar; check out "Shifting Lanes" featuring Kurious, the K.M.D.-channeling "War Paint," and "Superhero." Followers of chant-along dance routines and 'ringtone rap' will be completely bewildered by both the rhymes and beats on display here, but those looking for something raw and uncut are in for a treat.