Tame and Del are on their Back To the Future shit here. That said, if you’ve been rapping since the late 80s, you don’ have too many other options. The issue really is that it’s surprising that either of these elder statesmen have it in them. Both Del the Funky Homosapien and Tame One are of a certain age, and both have released disappointing material in the past couple of years. Those recent flubs are forgotten here, though. Parallel Uni-verses is a delight.
Parallel Thoughts’ beats are a part of the equation: interesting enough to enjoy, straightforward enough to dance to. That said, the magic comes from the men behind the microphone. Tame has never sounded as confident. When he asks as “as a lyricist, what the fuck did I miss?â€, we’re inclined to give him the answer he wants. Similarly, when Del informs us that his “flow is too dynamic… to imitateâ€, it’s a statement we’re left with no option but to agree with him.
It’s not all well executed clichés and solid beats, though. There’ something wonderfully alchemical here too. Both rappers show their age, sure, but no one actually raps like this anymore. No one has for a while. Parallel Uni-verses ends up as a triumph of experience over innocence, a victory of veterans over freshness. So, despite the sense of déjà vu, and Tame’ inexhaustible and occasionally hilarious braggadocio (“then again, on a scale of one to ten, you’ a twoâ€), Parrallel Uni-verses is a breath of fresh air.
James d’Apice
