Originally concieved as a one-off collaboration, Dual Odyssey is the sound of UK hip-hop veteran Verb T linking up with the Irish crew Outstraight, and the result was so natural and fun that it turned into a full-blown album and tour! Classic sample-based production that moves from smoky, slow-tempo stoner grooves to boisterous and punchy bangers. The lead single Spliffin leans into late-night jazz bar energy with warm pads and swung drums, whilst other tracks like Contrast go hard in the other direction. Verb T glides over the beats with the ease of someone who’s been doing this for decades, and you almost forget how many rhymes per minute he’s packing into these bars because it sounds like second nature at this point. The Outstraight crew smash it with thick Irish accents. Like Wu-Tang Clan or M.O.P. everyone has character and makes an impression. And with the world currently turning its ear toward Irish hip-hop, this is a golden moment.

You can hear how much fun they’re having, and how naturally it came together. It’s celebratory and warm with excellent bars and beats. You can’t fake chemistry like this. It’s the sound of a spontaneous link-up that worked and turned into something bigger. Instead of just stamping his name on a younger group’s project, Verb T joins them and slots right in, with no ego and no heirarchy, just seamless handovers and syllables tumbling over one another like a relay race from one MC to the next with no weak links. As a way of introducing a full new crew to the world, it’s kind of genius. It’s not part of some cynical algorithm-chasing campaign, standing in direct contrast to careerist manoeuvring. This is mates goofing around, vibing off each other, and egging one another on. The joy is real. Just a bunch of guys who got on so well that a single collab turned into a full-length album, the sound of creative sparks flying in real time. It’s organic, generous, and fun. This is a wave worth riding.