Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp, the debut commercial release from Florida MC/producer SpaceGhostPurrp, is without a doubt one of the most anticipated albums from the darker side of hip hop this year. The production aesthetic on each track winds the whole album together, overwhelmingly dark and ominous, the trademark of SpaceGhost’s work as a producer, of which his lyrics compliment remarkably. One of the most well known cult figures in hip-hop, recognised for his associations and work with ASAP Rocky and the entire ASAP mob, Mysterious Phonk offers a deep and dark track list filled with menacing atmosphere, smooth production and harsh lyrics.
‘Mystikal Maze’ sets off the record with a beat that belongs more in the early ’90s then it does in 2012, highlighting SpaceGhost’s strong musical influences. Utilizing aspects more common to current trends like rapid high hats and 808 clicks, the lyrics soon fall in with the typical misogynistic rhymes that we’ve come to expect from him.
‘The Black God’, a track that manages to lie in the same vain as the rest while presenting a much more confronting and bass filled beat, is a stand out. Resting on the same plucked string motif throughout, his vocal style fits perfectly with the sparse and haunting atmosphere.
One of the most interesting and best examples of his proffciency as an MC, ‘No Evidence’, is a seven minute long epic. With a repeated pattern of whispers and delayed vocals easing both in and out of the song, it typifies his creativity and strength as a figurehead of a new strain of throwback hip hop.
Perhaps not the most accessible album for fans new to this form of overtly dark and menacing hip-hop, Mysterious Phonk follows the hype and brings an extremely satisfying debut for fans of SpaceGhostPurrp and the like, landmarking a change in the diversity of current commercial hip-hop.
Joshua Millar
