Historically, New York rap duos have always shared a connection, whether it be their music influences growing up, the content and style for which they ascribe to, or past events in their youth. Lone Ninja and June Marx, who make up Twin Perils, are no different. Both Brooklyn-based, where they initially crossed paths at a Masta Killa show in 2005, Ninja and Marx focus their lyricism on various tactics of war and combat (coincidently, Marx served as a Marine in Iraq for two years) emphasizing the demise of anyone who stands in their way. Titling their debut album Dark Alliance, Twin Perils look to hit their listeners with a demolishing one-two strike of raw lyrics mixed with hard-knocking beats.
The album starts off with the menacing “Unauthorized.” Delivering a slow yet complex 24 bar verse, Lone Ninja kicks rhymes of ambushing and wreaking havoc on his opponents, showing no remorse. Without a hook, Marx comes in matching his partner with an abundance of metaphors that set the tone for the album. Though this beginning track is convincing, the following ones provide similar content and formulas of delivery which in turn cause a daunting misstep in the flow of the album. For instance, having no hook on an introduction is somewhat acceptable, but Twin Perils attempt to take the unconventional route and leave one off of nearly every track. Then, even when they do attempt to drop a hook for transition between verses, like on “Birth of Assassins” or “Waterfalls of Blood,” it feels forced rather than fluid.
Then there’s the case of Lone Ninja‘s flow. As stated before, Ninja takes his time unveiling metaphor after metaphor. Though this style of delivery could be used to a rappers advantage, Ninja‘s monotone voice and off beat pattern of rhymes clash, causing the sound of an emcee that lacks passion to truly catch the listener with his words. His best attempt at rectifying a memorable verse comes on “Rare Specimen.” Riding the beat with a more focused intent, Lone Ninja forewarns challengers; “Bring havoc to front page / It’s tragic I must say / I siege and assault / I creep and I stalk / Best heed what I speak or get beat to a pulp.” Directly afterwards on “Slow Death,” however, it becomes painstakingly evident that Ninja will not back down from his Mortal Kombat-like flow; “Slightly draw the weapon / I precisely slaughter the henchman / For the record / I’m like a Chinese torture method.”
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One area that Dark Alliance does excel in is its beat selection, though this is clearly thanks to June Marx as he boasts full production for the album. Tracks like “Surgical Strike” and “Liquid Maneuvers” provide a melodically solid base for which to rap over. Likewise, on “Essence of Annihilation,” Marx layers down a haunting piano triad over a bass-booming cut that serves as his finest work. With a knack for beat making, Marx has the potential to be a go-to producer for other underground rappers looking for creatively dark tracks. On the flipside, Marx‘s lyrical abilities are a half step behind his production skills, but they are still more listenable in comparison to Lone Ninja‘s.
As their first project together, it would be more appropriate to treat Dark Alliance as a work-in-progress rather than a full-on performance. Though they manage to obtain a drive throughout the album, 39-minutes spanning 16 tracks just isn’t enough substance to grasp the true potential that Lone Ninja and June Marx may have in store for the future. In the mean time, Twin Perils don’t live up to their name, but have a ways to go.
