So let’s get my bias out of the way: I loooooooooove golden age-style hip hop.

I constantly preach about how we, as artists, need to stop copying what our music heroes are doing and actually make an effort to blend our influences together into something novel. I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again: the world does not need any more shitty Led Zeppelin clones. With that said, I will admit that I tend to fawn over certain genres and styles over others, to the point where I may fall in love with something that the rest of the world sees as “just another ____________ album”. For me that bias tends to fall into certain metal genres, like death metal, but I certainly have other areas in which I show unfair favor.

With that said, after listening to Old Swords a number of times, I truly believe that I can see through my bias. Do I tend to enjoy 90’s east coast-style hip hop more than other offerings from the genre? Sure, but that doesn’t mean that I mindlessly love everything. If an MC sounds a bit too much like Nas, then I will get bored. And yeah, much like the longevity of Led Zeppelin clones, Nas wannabes have inhabited our planet since the day Illmatic was released. What allows an artist to successfully lean into an older, more played-out style is when this artist manages to establish their own identity. In pretty much any subgenre there is still ground to be covered if the artist can masterfully navigate that thin line between “retro” and “played-out”.

Maybe I should actually talk about this album…. okay so Old Swords is a really great album from start to finish. It beckons back to the days when an MC would be side-by-side with their trusty DJ. Eric B and Rakim, the GZA and the RZA, and, of course, the never corny GOATs of hip hop: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (I do unironically love many of their tracks, as dated as they are.) Much like these classic combos, Earthworm & Nate Kiz weave their bars and beats together seamlessly. At no point in these 24 minutes does it start to feel like one might be overpowering the other. In fact, I would argue the opposite: each member is far better off by having the other at his side. Isn’t that the point of collaboration: to be greater than the sum of the individual parts?

If I had to choose a favorite track it would probably be “Flippant”. This tune sounds like it was on a compilation album in 1995 with Eric B & Rakim’s “Know the Ledge” and the GZA’s “Liquid Swords”. I get that beats featuring an upright bass are probably a relic of the beat production styles from three decades ago, but my god does it sound so smooth. Again, the beat is taken up a notch by Earthworm’s smooth, effortless flow. For Earthworm’s finest moments we can take a look at the following track “Alphabet Soup”. I mean, just read these lyrics (I am transcribing, apologies for any mistakes):

Take my time when I direct my thoughts into a piece
Because every beat deserves its place between when I pause and when I speak
Used to wanna rock a sold-out show
Lately tryin’ to play one for 20 people max
Back then I’d rather burn quick than go out slow
What’s left of you when your dream collapses?

I truly believe that it is impossible to fully connect with people via your music if you are not willing to show vulnerability, and man…Earthworm is saying what every musician has thought at some point. Of course the album contains plenty of lyrics about rolling joints and doing some sort of physical harm to uncreative MCs, which are, by all measures, staple subject matter in hip hop. What makes those lyrics effective is their juxtaposition with the raw bars that you hear in songs like “Alphabet Soup” and “Find the Light”. When you think these guys are going to hang on an idea for just a little too long… they throw you a curveball to keep things fresh and interesting. I HIGHLY recommend this strategy to any aspiring songwriter, especially those with a penchant for 5+ minute long songs.

“Old Swords” is an album that I can listen to over and over again with ease. I’ve actually proven this fact to myself over the past week! Do I simply enjoy the aesthetic and call-back to the era of samples and boom bap beats? Sure, that’s part of it, but sometimes an album is just really good. I have always enjoyed “smooth” hip hop with MCs who have almost an “ASMR” satisfying quality to their flow; Earthworm has been added to the list. And again, the combination of Earthworm’s lyrics and delivery with Nate Kiz’s old-school beats and production style combine to constantly better each other and get that “1+1=3” magic that you hear from the greatest musical collaborations.

Upon each listen my brain kept waiting to hear Nas’s “The World Is Yours” kick on after the album finished, and I mean this as the greatest compliment that I could possibly give to Earthworm & Nate Kiz.

Joe H