The underground scene in Chicago is making its presence felt once again! A.M. Early Morning and Novatore, two formidable emcees from the city, hit the studio again to bring us part two of their collaborative adventure, *Kingdom of Criminality II*. This time they managed to enlist none other than Johnny Slash for production, and man, this is pure salt.
Their musical bromance actually came about when they collaborated on "Looking Back" on Embrace the Darkness II: Explorers of Experience, produced by C-Lance. Since then, they've stayed on steam with their first joint project, *Kingdom of Criminality*, produced by Stu Bangas in 2021. Now, four years later, they are back and saltier than ever.
The new album kicks off with "Rabbit & Elephant," which immediately throws in that raw raprock vibe and emphasizes that this duo is back with power. Next we have "VHS" featuring Nightwalker, a track that embraces boombap and sets an apocalyptic tone as the nines are pulled. In "Gore Hounds," they throw a reference toward hip-hop prince André 3000 and his solo debut, complete with flute-driven vibes.
Lord Goat lets his voice reverberate on "Circle of Goats II," a track that cranks up the horrorcore straight-up, a sequel that honors its predecessor. As if that weren't enough, Jarren Benton joins the gentlemen on "Battleground." Here they mix orchestral and boombap elements to dissect their violent nature as if they were kidz on a field trip.
Then you have "Hyenas," a track in which they take a soul sample and portray themselves as assassins. *Twisted Metal* hears like a nod to the video game franchise, with references to last summer's TV adaptation on the peacock. With Chubs' collaboration in "King of the Jungle," the rappers assert their battle hearts, all the struggles that got them where they are today.
But let's not forget "Smurfs," a track that sounds more villainous than the upcoming Paramount Skydance reboot in which none other than Rihanna does the voice of Smurffin. The album closes with "Nocturnal Predators," a shoutout to the night in which they move through the streets like predators.
Looking back to when I first discovered A.M and Novatore, I can only say that this sequel to their *Kingdom of Criminality* makes all expectations worthwhile. It just proves once again that their chemistry remains as salty as ever. Johnny Slash adds his own spice to the mix, perfectly complementing what Stu Bangas did in the past. A big 9/10 for this masterpiece!
#hhz #houhet salt #hiphop #am #novatore #kingdom #criminality
