By Martin Castro (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 29, 2014
Flatbush Zombies and Underachievers are two hip-hop groups that hail from the neighbourhood of Flatbush, located in Brooklyn. Underachievers is a duo consisting of Issa Gold and AK, while Flatbush Zombies is a trio made up of MCs Erick “Arc” Elliot (who also serves as the group’s producer), Zombie Juice, and Meechy Darko. (Note: Meech also answers to the hilariously appropriate moniker of Fleezus Christ.) Performing as Clockwork Indigo, FBZ and UA released the Clockwork Indigo EP in the midst of their North American tour.
The first track — “Butterfly Effect,” a seven-minute epic featuring verses by the whole gang — exemplifies how well these lyricists work together. Over production that can only be described as eerily haunting, all five rappers spit verses that are highly indicative of their personal styles, yet work very well together. Erick delivers the first verse, speaking on everything from getting used to touring to his childhood and aspirations in music, all while keeping his cadence and rhymes consistent. Juice then adds his verse, which isn’t by any means weak, but it doesn’t necessarily live up to Erick’s. Issa’s verse is distinctly his own — fluid, passionate, and possessing a spiritual aesthetic — while AK’s verse is more thematically grounded.
The best verse on this song is definitely saved for last, as Meech’s verse speaks on own mortality, spirituality, and intellectual progression, as well as being rhythmically sublime, especially towards the last half:
“The chosen one, my tongue’s a sword for ya, I brought my loaded gun / I got this ongoin’ battle with this shit, depression / The pressure is buildin’ up but fuck it, I ain’t givin’ up / And even if I did, so what?”
“LUAM” follows, featuring more mainstream production. Issa opens up the track with a hypnotic tidal wave of lyrics, and as always, Meech is on-point, although he could have done more with his verse. He gives way to AK, whose cadence really shines in this track.
“XYNO” kicks off with a short chorus performed by the Architect, followed by a verse from Fleezus Christ and his trademark gritty-as-all-shit delivery: “Pass me the OE, pass me a tab / Pass me a blunt, I won’t pass that shit back / Pass me a gat, and a ski mask / I click-clack rat-tat-tat give me that cash.” However, both Erick and AK follow up with equally impressive verses, which are in turn followed Juice and Issa’s more fluid verses. If anything, the track boasts consistently impressive verses from all five members across the board.
“Benefit Concert,” the last song on the EP, does a great job of closing up the project, while at the same time instilling in the listener a sense of excitement at the prospect of future collaborations between Flatbush Zombies and the Underachievers (although Issa will most likely be missing, as he’s dropping out of Underachievers to finish his studies). Overall, Clockwork Indigo manages to be a solid collection of tracks, and although it feels too short, it’s more than a satisfying experience throughout.
