When it comes to the Justus League, we all know the star players. They have made themselves known throughout the 2000's as some of the undergrounds strongest acts. Coming those stars are a group of talented emcees and producers who have been featured around their LP's and mixtapes. L.E.G.A.C.Y. and Khrysis [click to read] are among those who have been featured, making the most of their time.
The two decided to clique up together and create L.E.G.A.C.Y.'s sophomore album, Suicide Music. It features Khrysis production all the way, and sans one track, just L.E.G.A.C.Y. spitting bars on his own. While this results in some bright spots, they are sandwiched between forgetful tracks. It gives Suicide Music certain bright spots, but its imbalance ends up letting it miss the mark.
L.E.G.A.C.Y. has the ability to deliver over the beat. "The Connector" is a quick shot of his delivery and mic presence. Over the subtle beat, L.E.G.A.C.Y. spends two minutes spitting some of his most solid bars on the album. Even if he stumbles at times, he certainly shows the ability to push emotion and power through his lyrics.
Even though L.E.G.A.C.Y. can handle himself, the star of the show is Khrysis. Those who love his style should find themselves right at home here. Heavy sampling and strong procession is wrapped all around Suicide Music. This is on display on the title track, "Suicide Music," which opens up the album and displays Khrysis' knack to find a certain piece of a sample to set himself apart. This is shown best on "Fly So High" where the sample that's laced with a rhythmic piano, mixes with the sample on the hook that leaves the listeners head rocking.
The pride of this album has to come from "TKO." It features L.E.G.A.C.Y., Chaundon, and Sean Price [click to read] who deliver some of their best verses in 2009 over Khrysis' beautifully uneven beat. However, the most memorable verse on the song and album happens to fall on Phonte [click to read]. Within the beat breaks he discusses the Foreign Exchange, his rapping, and his current situation with music all in one sixteen. The verse is full of the emotion and veracity we have come to appreciate. It's the raw Phonte that many of us haven't seen too much of this year.
Even featuring that track, Suicide Music never seems to match that intensity or momentum on a consistent basis. "Policia" has L.E.G.A.C.Y. spitting some decent bars and trying to weave story into the production, but he can never seem to find his two feet. By the time he does, it's time to proceed into the next selection. Khrysis seems to phone in a beat or two himself, like on "Looking Glass." It leaves you scratching your head when you hear some very solid production from the New Jersey native, and it seems to lose its speed just a few tracks later.
Even with the amount of backlog of material these two have racked up, Suicide Music still feels like L.E.G.A.C.Y. and Khrysis are finding each other. There is some seriously good music to dig into here, however sometimes it just doesn't mesh, which leaves much more to be desired. It leaves the feeling that while this one could have blown you away, it simply settles for letting you go quietly.
