in love with hip hop, justice, and the sunday review

Vicious raps, ambiguous hymns, and promises of enlightenment may all seem apart from one another, however on their sophomore album - Evermore: The Art of Duality, The Unachievers mesh the features together flawlessly.

The young duo, AK and Issa Gold, have already made a strong presence in the underground rap game; particularly in New York as part of the “Beast Coast” collective which includes other well-known artists such as Pro Era and Flatbush Zombies. Yet from their own partnership The Underachievers caught everyone’s attention after releasing their first, much awaited mixtape, Indigoism in 2013. Gold and AK had formed a sound of their own and became branded by their ability to produce “conscious trap” music - records fans could bump partying with their friends while simultaneously being schooled about knowledge of self and the paths to enlightenment.

The duo kept the momentum going releasing Lords of Flatbush later that summer, followed by their debut album, Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium out the following year. With much heightened anticipation, the debut was enjoyable and consistent with their sound however the projects’ ideas were somewhat scattered and many felt the album did not hit their full potential.

Now, a year later, Issa and AK have tightened their ideologies forming a solid work of art on Evermore: The Art of Duality. The project is an exact representation of its’ title - a balance of duality between the light and darkness found in all of us. Collective producers Nick León, Ashton Benz, and Lucas Savo help create an atypical hodgepodge of sounds throughout the album to reflect the entire spectrum of good and bad.

On “Rain Dance (Phase 1 Intro),” fairytale like melodies help open the first half of the album, marked by themes of positivity, inspiration, self-reflection, and hope. However once AK begins to spit, he redirects listeners back on track to the duo’s main goal which is to wake up “the youth.” As the two begin to open up about their struggles a perfect transition is made into one of the projects most personal and therapeutic tracks, “Shine All Gold.” Here listeners learn more indepthly about The Underachiever’s inner struggles with drugs, schools, and the streets of Flatbush where the young men grew up. Albeit the pain of all these obstacles, the song finishes with an element of hope remaining true to the first half’s theme - “But despite all the demons tryna bring me down low, I just rise like a phoenix and shine all gold.”   

It is no surprise the first four tracks are produced solely by Nick León as each one’s beginning is more beautiful and peaceful than the prior. Melodies and rhymes alone may not sound like a special combination but for The Underachievers, that is their unique standout sound. It is for this reason tracks such as, “Chasing Faith” are so difficult to describe as they cannot be compared to any other products in the rap scene. As the album continues, hooks play a common role of resonation and motivation for their audience.

Countless contradictions and jazzy MF Doom like beats make up their fifth record, “Dualist.” Instead of being brainwashed by reality television and other forms of materialism AK and Gold spit to remind young fans to stay faithful both to themselves and one another.

“I'm gifted, but still a crucial part of me missing

But I'm a believer that if we come to a union

It'll be easy to change all of the things we've been doing

Because we creatures just follow what everybody is choosing

So more people who do it, is sure to make a movement

And if we get into it, then fucker we not gonna lose it

The kids loving the music, I think that's how we gonna do it”

It’s between “Illusions” and “Allusions” that the stark difference between light and dark on the project is most evident. The chorus of “Illusions” is a favorite from the way Issa creates abrupt raps from graceful lyricsm, creating the ultimate verse. After soaring through the cheerful finish, “Brooklyn Way,” Evermore makes a swift transition into part two, “Reincarnation (Phase 2 Intro).”

Treacherous sounds only heard when preparing for war carry the project into a more menacing direction. Essentially, the proceeding tracks speak to the evil inside all of us - no matter the vices, sins, or bad habits we are all tempted with, The Underachievers take their time in spelling out the negativity they wrestle with daily - “Heart is large and my bars is dark, but my mind is sharp, [watch them] synthesize.”  

“Take Your Place” features non-stop bars over creeping, distant voices. The record could pass as theme music for classic thrillers like “Requiem For A Dream,” where melodies are haunting and hopeless. Aside from the murkiness though, the duo still brings us straight bangers like, “Generation Z.” The use of synthesizers and back and forth rhythms of the track create that trap sound The Underachievers are known for.    

It’s here in “Allusions” AK and Issa revel in their sinning, bragging about how much partying is done or how much weed and women they possess. The record is truly a place for their egos, the same ones the duo are fearful of. Someone could argue whether follow up tracks, “We The Hope” and “Stay The Same,” were entirely needed as they sound more like a long prelude into the album’s outro.

Inspired by Aziz Ansari as usual, some lessons from his newest book, Modern Romance