Album Review By Dan Weston
MOGz & VERSA have been making music for over seventeen years. The band mentions “We derive our style from the hip-hop culture but have never ourselves to any one genre of music, as a song defines a mood and not a way of life.” That’s certainly true and something you pick up on when listening to their release Bat L Skahrd. As for themes and process goes they mention “Our second independent album, and yes album not mixtape! This one is dedicated to life’s downs, the bumps in the road, the cuts before the scar.”
They open with “King (feat. Riz One & Element Crew)” and immediately they were locked onto the groove. I was somewhat reminded of Run the Jewels. The beat is high energy and the flow is fluid. There’s a nice array of instrumentation as well. The horns sounded great in the mix.
“Psycho” is a little more ominous sounding. A haunting piano melody is juxtaposed against a throbbing sub bass. There are choral style harmonies, innovative percussion and of course some rhymes that are delivered with a relaxed yet precise quality.
“Fight Me Now” is sort of smooth as well as sort of motivational in a low key way. The orchestral strings are subtle and provide a type of elegance to the mix. I also thought the female vocals on the hook were catchy and well delivered.
“Run Things (feat. Viv, 0 Crime & Baby Skin)” has an absolutely sick flow and is juxtaposed against this inventive beat. They incorporate other aspects. There’s some rapping in Spanish and multiple guests which contribute to the song.
The duo is just getting started. There’s a lot more to appreciate as the album progresses. “Like That Don’t You” has one of the most infectious hooks and the song is just clean and low-key lounge-like.
“Horns and backward effects have symbiotic relationship on “Questions” while “So Slow Trippin” takes you on a cosmic space mission that runs into some trouble. The album continues with a number of highlights including “Let It Rain” and “Unsung.”
The duo’s experience is evident. This album is very well produced and brings some exceptional songs that fans of hip-hop should love. Take a listen.
