There is certainly a reason that the
Super Chron Flight Brothers are named as such: their debut full-length,
Emergency Powers, is laced heavily with drug references, many of which are not particularly hidden (songs are called "Dirtweed" and "Panama Red," for example). But the duo is much, much more than a couple of stoners stumbling lazily over beats. Instead, Priviledge and
Billy Woods prove themselves to be talented rappers, able to write and deliver intricate, intelligent rhymes that reference pop culture, societal and political problems as well as weed. In "A Million Little Pieces," which alludes to the James Frey book and features verses from fellow
Reaver Keith Masters, the lines use titles from literature and film ("I'm an unlikely love like Benny and Joon/So you can ask what's eating Gil") to help emphasize the song's theme: creating one's own reality. "To a million little pieces how the story broke down/A lot of fake scenarios for me to kick round/Get down on whichever one sounds the best/...So when I think about it that's how I remember it now," goes the hook, winding its way around over G-Funk-inspired beats by Bond (who produces most of
Emergency Powers). The whole album continues as such, approaching often-serious topics with wit and irony. "Little Johnny thanking God a lot for his health and his sanity/He'll need 'em since he lost his left arm in a calamity/Hefty price to pay for tuition assistance/Recruiters went fishing and my man took the bait, hook, line and sinker," Priviledge rhymes in "Love & War in October," while
Woods expresses his own opinions on "Rent Control," spitting out the lines, "Gentrification word of the day/Here comes that court order/Move 'em in, move 'em out...," his sarcasm clearly evident. The rappers' styles and voices work well together, and both are inclined to fill their rhymes with extra syllables and textbook vocabulary, like
Aesop Rock or
El-P, but they never comes across as pretentious or even erudite. Because even though the
Super Chron Flight Brothers' hip-hop is more concerned with the message than the hooks, with wordplay than braggadocio, they're still careful to make sure all of these things are included, which makes
Emergency Powers fun yet provocative, catchy yet smart, and an overall fantastic accomplishment. ~ Marisa Brown