indie-only purple & blue vinyl version - Marlowe — the name used for the duo of vocalist/writer Solemn Brigham and producer L’Orange — have come together for their third outing together… and, spoiler alert, it is one of the best rap records that 2022 has to offer.
L’Orange is a phenomenal producer, lifting ideas from all of hip-hop’s greatest producers whilst still holding to a style distinctly his own — he can lift from Madlib and MF DOOM’s work on Madvillainy for the album’s opening track before then seamlessly transitioning into these incredibly smooth jazz-rap beats that back the majority of the album… but can still go against this established sound for a surprising loop as on the song Astounding Science Fiction or for a more abstract and spacy beat like the one on Light Trip. The production is insanely good.
Solemn Brigham matches the intensity brought to the record by L’Orange — his ability to deliver lyrics as quickly as he does whilst sticking to the beat perfectly makes the album constantly exhilarating, and the carefully chosen featured artists also fit with the intense, fast-paced nature of the album too.
Marlowe 3 is a high energy listen with jaw-dropping flows and luscious, high quality production. It’s a must listen for hip-hop fans, boasting a 90s style in its flows and the grit of the beats whilst managing to push the genre forward at the same time with its more abstract and underground leanings at times. Hip-hop hasn’t sounded this futuristic and exciting since Deltron 3030 dropped their self-titled record almost a quarter of a century ago.
