Sy ShacklefordThe first “Connecticut Casual” album by emcee/producer Apathy was loosely a lyrical tour guide through the dark underbelly of his titular home state and that of greater New England. Because some of the state’s regions are part of the New York City Tri-State area, Connecticut is often derided as being New England’s bastard stepchild. Nearly entirely self-produced, Apathy took listeners around New England from the Long Island Sound to Cape Cod. The sequel, “Connecticut Casual: Chapter 2”, was mostly produced by Boston-based DJ/produced Playa Haze and sees Apathy’s lyrics being more autobiographical and less of an exposé.
Through storytelling, extended metaphors, and his customary battle rhymes, Apathy begins the album with “Connecticut Formal”. Filled with festive horn samples, Apathy chronicles his own experiences and comes full circle bringing it back to his state. On the vintage rock-sampling “Hammond Court Kids”, Apathy drops a narrative about his childhood neighborhood and his evolution from there into his present state. Dusty drums, strings, and a haunting female vocal sample make up “No One Can Hear You Scream In Space” which lyrically makes use of astronomical imagery for a love tale.
The Alcapella-produced “Vacation” is highlighted by the vinyl crackling of the sample reflecting the escapist theme of the lyrics. The dreamy “Jackie O” is a loose sequel to what I call the “Kennedy trilogy“ (“The Curse of the Kennedys”, “Martha Moxley (RIP)”, “Jack Ruby”) from the 2014’s “Connecticut Casual”. Apathy utilizes First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and related Kennedy imagery for a yarn about unrequited love. “Fenwick” is named for a Connecticut borough and features fellow CT rapper Kappa Gamma on the hook while being capped off with a jazz sample.
NY rapper Little Vic provides both the beat and a mic assist on “Never Change” as he and Apathy drop just straight battle rhymes aimed to destroy mics. Apathy assumes his sole production credit on “Eazy $” and uses aquatic imagery and samples from newscasts on Connecticut floods. The first single “Around the Planet” is less battle-oriented and more braggadocious. At this point, it’s clear that while Playa Haze doesn’t have a signature to his sound just yet, his productions show the versatility in his ability to manipulate samples across genres:
Working backwards, the album closer “Tick Tock Tick” contains clock ticking noises to coincide with the theme of limited time. “Kingdom of the Coroner” has a lo-fi guitar sample comprising the beat for the first verse before converting into a boisterous boom-bap beat for the second verse. The second single features partner-in-rhyme Celph Titled on “Todd McFarlane”, named after the famed comic book artist. With the accompanying video taking place in a comic book store and making references to McFarlane’s comic creations, Ap and Celph show that their chemistry hasn’t been lost:
Whether solo or in a supergroup, Apathy proves to be consistent. Like its predecessor, this iteration of “Connecticut Casual” also evokes the sounds of his debut given the mid-90’s east coast feel of the record. And like that album, it’s somewhat rooted in urban nostalgia. Though not the first glimpse he’s provided into himself and his home state, “Connecticut Casual: Chapter 2” does make the lens on both just a bit wider.