Qwel & Meaty Ogre 'Freezer Burner' album

Galapogos4 returns with aesthetically advanced hip-hop straight out of Chicago. Qwel and Meaty Ogre are the kind of MC/Producer dynamic duo that forms the backbone of the best hip-hop albums. Like Gang Starr and Soul Position before them, Qwel and Meaty Ogre connect as a unit with Qwel bringing an enormously literate flow reminiscent of Sole and Aesop Rock and Meaty Ogre providing some break-heavy beats that could easily score the next neo-noire classic. In a nutshell, Freezerburner has the sample panache of RJD2's most moody soundscapes with the avant-textures of classic Company Flow. The record has a flawless consistency that belies the glut of overstuffed hip-hop full-lengths that clutter the market with needless skits and filler. Freezerburner stands tall and proud as an all-around solid and compelling journey into hip-hop that pulls no punches and never demeans itself to popular trends.

Ever since Qwel and Meaty Ogre first collaborated on 2000's "The Manhattan Project" on the Typical Cats LP, heads have taken serious notice. The "Freezerburner" project has been in the minds of these two artists since they first worked together, and now it will finally see the light of day. Those familiar with the project know that it is well worth the wait.

This album marks the 2nd installment in Qwel's "Four Seasons" series, the first of which was the highly acclaimed "The Harvest" with producer Maker (Glue). This, the winter war horse LP, is slightly darker than The Harvest, just as winter is darker than the fall. Qwel and Meaty Ogre have captured the feeling of winter, the feeling of being isolated and trapped with only your thoughts with the "Freezerburner". Qwel continues to break down controversial issues on tracks like "Saved" and "Machinegun Monkey", and brings back some of the crushing braggadocio style that helped make his name known on tracks like "Id Glue" and "Who's the Boogieman?"

Meaty Ogre has garnered critical success from his LP "Leo vs. Pisces" (Galapagos4, 2003) as well as his productions on releases by Typical Cats, Robust, Offwhyte, Mestizo, Sage Francis & more. He is also a well-known Chicago record collector and has produced several sought-after instrumental 7inch releases on labels like Memphix & Heardrums.

With Qwel's master wordsmith skills and delivery he shows us with the "Freezerburner" that his abilities are only expanding. Meaty Ogre strings together beats that fit the album's theme while keeping them banging. This album has a range, balance, and coherency between darkness and hope that only Qwel and Meaty Ogre could deliver.

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Qwel & Meaty Ogre - Freezer Burner