Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott have always been in a lane of their own, desperate to challenge the classic New York hip hop sound. This rebellious trend is particularly evident on their debut LP, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, on which the psychedelic trio vent their dreams and nightmares through 12 tracks of LSD-fuelled lyricism. The collective change flows as often as one would change clothes as the Brooklyn outfit build spectacularly on their previous mixtapes, which date all the way back to 2012.
The album relays the raw, zany inner-workings of this group of rappers who are now a household name on the East Coast of America. Few record boast such a fit opener as Odyssey, anchored as it is with resounding drums and haunting keys.
The mood shifts between the heavy-hitting and the hypnotic on A Spike Lee Joint, with smooth, ethereal jazz notes there to slow things down. Good Grief and New Phone, Who Dis? are both rife with thick basslines and vocal echoes that highlight the warped, twisted nature of each individual.
Flatbush Zombies have gone above and beyond, managing to harness their tortured inner-fantasies and commercially courageous drive to create an unbridled piece of hip hop treasure.
BY BEN PEARCE
