“The Harder The Better, Just Holla Whenever”
Mista Books & Teck Zilla’s New EP Is Straight To The Point
On “The Harder The Better”, Nigerian-based duo Mista Books & Teck-Zilla fuse Jazz & Soul with classic boom-bap and deliver a memorable front-to-back experience over the course of seven expertly crafted tracks.
Tracklist:
01. The Harder The Better (Intro)
02. Try Angles
03. Guilty by Rhyme
04. Unapologetic (feat. Phlow)
05. Black Muscle (feat. Mack Gee)
06. Prophylactic
07. Everyday Thang (feat. Ex-O, Prophecy)
“Unapologetic” is a standout among standouts. Phlow, a collaborator of mine (on a record produced by Teck himself), continues to get more surgical by the day. The selective layering of her vocals in her verse sits just right while providing some extra pop. Mista Books rises to the occasion, meeting Phlow at the bar she set with the precision and confidence of a well-seasoned emcee. Teck’s piano flip here is one of the most beautiful I’ve heard in a while and cuts reverberating with the rasp of Jada, and The Ghost of Christopher Wallace make for what feels like a classic record that I know I’ll return to rather frequently. The Ali soundbites on a record entitled “Unapologetic” were also a nice touch.
The features throughout (whether soundbite or guest emcee) are thoughtful and placed perfectly. Teck-Zilla continues to show us that if he’s at the helm, the finished product will be cohesive and effortlessly cinematic. He referred to Mista Books’ pen as “no-nonsense”, and I’d have to agree. In saying “Beautiful struggle, Black Muscle, Brass Knuckles,” he somehow sounds menacing and sagacious at the same time: “The Harder The Better” indeed. Something tells me that’s exactly what they were going for.
Go Get The Harder The Better.
Follow Teck-Zilla on IG & Twitter
Follow Mista Books on IG & Twitter
I’m your friendly neighborhood MC Bravado; many thanks for reading. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and/or your favorite place to grab music. Please remember to be kind to one another and that “Michael Jordan is the GOAT” is a fact and not an opinion.
