Few producers in the game have enough of the gift of rhyming to seriously toe the line between emcee and beatsmith. Some hire ghostwriters. Others simply try to make up for their lyrical deficiencies in other ways. Black Milk is the rare specimen that, especially lately, has come to know his game so well that he both emcees and produces with ease. The Detroit board hero has been honing his lyrical abilities since the beginning, and his progress is more evident with each album he drops.
If There’s a Hell Below is Black Milk’s seventh studio album. It also comes roughly a year after his sixth LP No Poison No Paradise. If There’s a Hell Below is a product of crisp, meticulous engineering. The production is, as always, an aural feast. But the ebb and flow of the album is what makes it deeply profound and loaded with replay value.
Twelve longer-than-average tracks beautifully interweave with interludes and audio samples. Lyrically Black Milk is as on point as ever. He uses a variety of flows to nudge you through first-person narratives, macarbe missions of verse, and his powerful visual prose. Alongside Blu on “Leave The Bones Behind,” he goes in and holds his own: “Used to grab the pencil with money on my mental / Now I think about my kinfolk with every pen stroke / Takin’ in all the stars was our vision / The only thing that helped us get through hard livin’ / Blowin’ pot, grandpops wishin’ we would listen / Screamin’ bout how we don’t got a pot to piss in.” These rhymes showcase all three of the aforementioned writing talents, and the acrobatic flow is delivered with confidence.
The production is both rousing and superb. Each beat is specifically catered for the listener, and no two tracks sound the same. In most every instance, the drums dictate the tempo and the instruments are layered in accordingly. “Detroit’s New Dance Show” is an instant club banger that fuses elements of ‘80s Pop and Drum & Bass, while “Hell Below” is instrumental only, stylistically reminiscent of Madlib’s Shades of Blue. On the latter, thanks to his extensive knowledge of live instrumentation and engineering prowess, the beat is a demonstration of Black Milk’s ability to make a complex instrumental track that transcends traditional notions of Hip Hop.
One of the more significant moments of If There’s A Hell Below comes on the track “Quarter Water,” a power collaboration featuring Pete Rock. This meeting of the minds is a gift for fans of both artists; one of the best producers to ever do it, and one of the best currently doing it. It’s also an homage to Rock, whose inspiration is palpable on the album as a whole. Many of the songs segway into others via instrumental interludes, a technique frequented by soul brother number one back in the early ‘90s. Track sequencing on If There’s A Hell Below is seamless, due in large part to the interludes.
If There’s A Hell Below is an amalgam of different sounds flawlessly arranged and sequenced; a fine work of artistic micromanagement. The album captures a swath of moods and tastes, and Black Milk’s lyrics are both imaginative and well-executed. The production is on the money, and he continues to make big strides lyrically. As for future works, this one will be difficult to surpass.
Black Milk has finally done it again. I can’t enough of listening to it because the album is fire.
Ain’t no if…There definately is a HELL below and most you lost niggas going there. Y’all need to repent and change from you sinful lifestyles… God bless
Nigga shut the fuck up
LOL
yeah pal eat a bible
Wow its amazing how I copped Run the Jewels and Black Milks last album all in the same week and here they are with their sequel both released in the same week again!
Black Milk is the shit! His beats are dope and his MC skills are nun to fuck with.
a breath of fresh air
4/5 is fair. maybe 4.5 due to intricacy of the production and creativity. not an easily digestible album for those who need a quick fix . it’s work of art that takes a few listens to grasp the depth of and becomes addictive. The sort of album where you might not catch certain sounds that are layered in the beat until the 3rd or even 4th listen. As god or better than run the jewels 2- just not as in your face.
^^co sign
I find it weird how none of the reviews of this I’ve seen yet has mentioned Curtis Mayfield even though the title is clearly a reference.
Rap Reviews mentioned it mate!
Better than logics new album, top 3 of the year with piata & run the jewels
Black Milk is the top producer in Detroit, sorry Apollo Brown. Apollo is dope, but he isn’t 1/2 as creative as Black Milk. This album is fucking awesome, and like the comment said below it may take a few listens to truly grasp the dopeness of this album. It has to go down as one of the best of the year alongside Cocaine Pinata, and maybe RTJ2. The thing is Black Milk is getting better and better.
Don’t you fuckin talk shit about apollo
I guess it’s aight
Glad DX did this justice, even though its like a week or two late. I think 4.5/5 wouldve been more accurate.
my neighbor’s aunt makes an hour on the internet . She has been fired for 9 months but last month her income was just working on the internet for a few hours.
more info here………
============================
www,netjob10.com
============================
Your Aunt MADE an hour? She made it on the internet? This is fascinating! We now have 25 hours thanks to your Aunt!
One of the greatest albums ever made, literally. J-Dilla is Socrates. Black Milk is Aristotle
nice analogy
Black milk is a poor mans version of JDilla.
So smooth and melodic.. just copped on Itunes to support. The brotha is seriously underrated, but will have a dedicated fan base for life.
Underrated?? If anything, he’s OVERRATED, bro.
The replay value on this is crazy.. no weak tracks and the interludes are butter. Salute Detroit’s finest.
the album is cool but production wise its nowhere near beats from Tronic/Album of the Year era…the sound doesn’t have that power anymore
listen to it again.
He’s right. It’s missing the old Black Milk thump
Totally agree on this one. I guess he is trying to hard to explore different sound which does not come out that well
Just cause you can hear what hes doing on old albums and now cant does mean he took a step back. Production is much more mature than older albums. Listen again.
this dude is heavely talented,if hiphop was on its finer times then black milk would def get the reputation for his creativity.Amazing producer/artist
Subtle dopeness, in the vein of “No Poison…”
Want shallow bangers, cop Milk’s “Glitches…”
1/5
dude never disappoints.
Everyday Was! Enough said.