MUSIC MUST-HAVE: CasMetah & Wonder Brown – The Darke Bros.
CasMetah and wonder Brown have teamed up to bring us an eclectic offering which boast of a classic hip-hop sound. The album is called “The Darke Bros.” and it is a must-have for your collection.
I have to admit that my familiarity with Cas and Wonder is relatively new. I mean, I knew that they were members of Scribling Idiots; however, it was not until Cas released “Guest Room” that I realized that I had been sleeping on these cats.
Because I keep Guest Room in constant rotation on my music player, I had pretty high expectations for The Darke Bros. Well, three days in and I have listened to the whole thing several times. Here’s what I have to say about it:
- Nan Knew – What a nice way to start things off! The sample gives this track a Sunday afternoon kung-fu theater type of vibe. It is also evident from the start that Cas and Wonder play nicely off of each other stylistically.
- The Way I Cry featuring Ruffian – Immediately, I think of the ‘70’s cult-classic movie “The Warriors” when I hear this track. Add the lyrical content and now I can clearly experience the range of emotion that is embedded in this song.
- Mind Bender – Definitely a favorite. This is story telling in classic form! I could not help but to get drawn in as the duo embark on a mission to track down the culprit that violated their crib. Again, this one is a favorite for sure.
- The Same State – This is an interlude intended to display their intense love and loyalty to their home state of Ohio. Very much a nice fill in.
- I Know featuring Lyriz – This track has commercial crossover appeal. It reminds me of something I might hear on the radio if I were to tune in right now. The one outstanding feature of this song, however, is the fact that it is lyrically sound.
- In or Out featuring Soul P – I like the ‘90’s vibe of this track. It’s reminiscent of The Group Home with their back-and-forth rhyme scheme.
- Back And Forth – Speaking of back-and-forth . . . This track has a vintage appeal to it; yet, I can’t quite put my finger on what era/style it reminds me of . . . I listened to this one several tomes back-to-back; and, the more I listened, the more I liked it.
- Over And Over – For an interlude, I fell in love with the composition of this track! The sample is classic and the chops are spot on!
- She’s Gone – It is so refreshing to hear a hip-hop song giving much respect to women as opposed to dehumanizing them. I have to give props to Cas and Wonder for their thoughtfulness on this one.
- The Struggle featuring Freddie Bruno and Homeskillet – I think the appeal of this album, for me, is the vintage hip-hop feel of it. This track, featuring Freddie Bruno and Homeskillet, reminds me of why hip-hop was such a key element of my young life.
- Hurt featuring JustMe and EF Cuttin – probably my third favorite track on the able behind Mind Bender and Drowning Man. I absolutely love the snares, the simpleness of the sample and the fluidness of the rhyme flow.
- Famous Lovers Pt. II featuring Mouth Warren – This is one of those tracks that immediately spark a visual image in my head! I would love to see a video for this one. The hook on this is so surreal, BTW.
- Bros. On The Run – Yet another nice interlude-this one produced by my man Theory Hazit. I was so busy anticipating the rhyme to drop that I didn’t even realize that it was an interlude.
- Hold On 2012 featuring Homeskillet – Worthy of heavy rotation. This is a mellow track – kind of like chilling at the lounge taking in a cypha. It’s head-noddic with a lyrical flow and composition that will keep you on your toes.
- Drowning Man featuring Copywrite and Elias – This one is the stand out favorite on the album! The production is on point. The features are on point. And the message and flow is straight bananas! This one touches a place in my soul because I have personally been there-done that.
- Winding Down featuring Homeskillet – The placement and title of this track are so appropriate. After you have been fed a heaping helping of home-cooked hip-hop, this track serves as the after dinner cup of coffee – soothing and relaxing . . .
- The Yah And The Yang – Col 2:9-10 is the basis of the message on this outro track. I absolutely love how the Christian theme remains evident throughout this album. This final track serves to wrap it all up into a final, neat package.
As I have previously stated, the appeal in this project, for me, is the vintage feeling that it has. This album feels of the “golden era” of hip-hop; yet, it is relevant and just as at home in today’s landscape.
No matter your taste, I believe The Darke Bros. has a little something for everyone. It is definitely worth adding to your collection. I would rate this one overall at 4/5.