Smif-n-Wessun, the dynamic Brooklyn duo consisting of Tek & Steele, delivers another rock-hard hit with their eighth studio album, "Infinity. These legends of the Boot Camp Clik join forces once again with Jamla Records' own maestros, The Soul Council. Their '95 debut, 'Dah Shinin',' is considered a true East Coast classic, and with their collaboration with Pete Rock on 'Monumental,' they already showed that they can still be taken seriously. And guess what? They maintain that high standard on 'Infinity,' six years after their collaboration on 'The All.'
With 'Infinity,' Khrysis kicks off and Tek and Steele promise us that they will stay in the game forever. 'Moses Promise' brings that soulful boom bap vibe and tells us they want to win with their crew, while 'Namaste' strikes the more romantic chord. Ka$h provides the smooth beats, and it grooves nicely over into 'Medina' where Pharoahe Monch has you bouncing over Sndtrak's sample with hard lyrics.
Then "Black Eminence" came on stage with the sadly deceased Prodigy. Man, what energy they put into that. They keep the pace up, while 'Chuuch' reminds us with a gospel vibe that life keeps going, whether good or bad. 'Beautiful Trip' proves that their influence can be felt worldwide for thirty years, and 'Enjoy Ya Life,' produced by none other than 9th Wonder, pushes you with soft piano tones to make the most of every moment you have here on earth.
Further down the album, with "Shine," Tek & Steele throw it over a funky tack and talk about how important it is to fight for who you care about. When Conway the Machine takes over the mic on "Just Stay!", entire squads are underfoot on a marble soft vocal sample. Along with Buckshot on 'On My Soul,' they tackle themes of loyalty and in 'Heard About Me,' they ask you if you've heard everything that's been said about them, assisted of course by the salty bars of the late Sean Price.
If there is another elephant in the room, it becomes clear in the track 'Elephant in the Room,' where they talk about being true to yourself and not being traitors. The closing 'Bad Guy,' produced by Nottz, asks everyone what they choose: the rock-hard truth or the sweetheart lie most people go for, because honesty can sometimes hurt.
After all these years with The Soul Council, Jamla ensures that "Infinity" sounds anything but old-fashioned. Smif-n-Wessun continues to innovate while staying true to their sound. The way they reflect on their experiences and stick to their roots while bringing rock-hard guest appearances and masterful productions deserves fat props. This album gets a fat 9/10 for a reason. Salty, man!
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