Sy ShacklefordFrom the early days of Duck Down to becoming the Cocoa Brovaz to finally getting Reloaded, the Brooklyn duo known as Smif-N-Wessun (Tek & Steele) have continuously evolved. They began as raw NYC boom-bap and have progressed into a more polished, yet still rugged form. With the release of their seventh album “Infinity”, Smif-N-Wessun have returned after a six-year hiatus. Though this effort is slightly less hard-hitting as “The All”, the Brooklynites have not lost their knack for hard-hitting raps that catch wreck. Also, this latest outing is once again produced by 9th Wonder & The Soul Council (for this album, said Council consists of 9th himself, Khrysis, Nottz, Kash, SNDTRK, and Mu’aath).
Since their last album, the guest appearances the duo have enlisted are a homogenous mix of hip-hop and R&B artists. “Infinity” follows suit. Starting off with the Khrysis-produced title-track, Tek and Steele waste no time in letting the world know that their verses aren’t “forever”, but rather instead as the title indicates. “Mic therapy my specialty” is a standout line on top of the smooth sample-based beat. For “Moses Promise”, Khrysis taps into his earlier days with a vintage soul sample and strong snares. Lyrically, Smif-N-Wessun rap about bearing seeds, never chasing, enjoying profits. “Namaste” features Sweata on the hook and has Tek & Steele rapping separate “grown & sexy” narratives about not wasting time with women. Over Kash’s production, Tek drops this gem to start things off: “To get different results, you gotta do different things.”
On the SNDTRK-produced “Medina” the production makes use of a multi-track choir of children’s voices both in the beginning and on the hook. Pharoahe Monch guest stars and shows why he’s still one of the most technically skilled emcees in the game, helming the third verse with a bag of tricks to bend the English language to his will. Mobb Deep’s Prodigy is the first of two posthumous appearances on the album, making his presence felt on “Black Eminence” over Mu’aath’s smooth beat with jazzy piano keys. “Beautiful Trip” is as psychedelic as it reads, with the added bonus of an airy beat and psychedelic lyrics attributed to taking ‘shrooms. “Chuuuch” has a gospel atmosphere, with soul crooner Jalisa singing words of encouragement on the hook. The lyrics are in the format of a sermon, with Tek & Steele giving social commentary and introspection in their verses.
“Enjoy Ya Life” and “Shine” are back-to-back 9th Wonder productions. The former is instantly recognizable as one of his with the trademark sampling, consisting of very chill smooth jazz with “I Want You” repeated throughout. For the latter, New Edition’s Ralph Tresvant makes his voice heard over the more layered production. In “Just Stay!”, Khrysis laces the toughest beat, which is appropriate considering lyrical muscle such as Conway the Machine makes an appearance, addressing the Tek & Steele as his big brothers in his verse. “Elephant in the Room” is the album’s first single. All I can say is, this is that classic “Smif-N-Wessun”:
The next two tracks are very enjoyable: “On My Soul” is SNDTRK lacing sounds to induce that head-nodding mean-mug face in listeners. Duck Down head honcho Buckshot has the last verse and what’s noticeable is that his voice is deeper than usual. “Heard About Me” features Maverick Saber and a posthumous Sean Price verse. While Tek boasts that he’s “the kingpin of the ink pen”, Sean has the final verse, making me wish for more posthumous Sean Price material. “Bad Guy” from Nottz Raw closes the out the album. His manipulation of the drums gives Smif-N-Wessun a challenge to destroy the beat. They end with an armor-piercing question: “You want the ugly truth or a pretty lie?” For that question, I’d rather deliver the former: “Infinity” is a decent listen with several good tracks, though it lacks the much of the enjoyable sonic roughness of their previous albums.