Even during a pandemic, creativity cannot be stopped! Not allowing COVID-19 to slow them down, legendary producer Statik Selektah linked up with his fellow Massachusetts native Termanology. Since 2010, the pair have gone under the duo name ‘1982,’ leading up to their best effort yet for The Quarantine, which is a ten track album entirely crafted in the span of eleven hours. Even more impressive is the fact that the making of the entire album was live-streamed, due to the respective artists having to self-isolate in light of the coronavirus. Beyond being an incredible producer and DJ, Statik Selektah seems to always get the absolute best out of the artists he works with, blessing them with his crisp boom-bap influenced sound. Moreover, Statik undoubtedly has a keen sense of who is legit, having worked with numerous greats that were largely underground at the time of their collaboration. Examples include Joey Bada$$/Pro Era, Mac Miller, Freddie Gibbs, Flatbush Zombies, Logic and Ab-Soul. Furthermore, Statik has always received acknowledgement from established hip-hop legends, ranging from Black Thought, Raekwon, Snopp Dogg, Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli, Styles P, Crooked I, Blu, Royce Da 5’9, and more. Split by A and B sides, The Qurantine is no different, featuring promising artists such as Kota The Friend, Marlon Craft, CJ Fly, Allan Kingdom, and more. Rapping on every track, Termanology ensures that he is never overshadowed, matching his highly skilled peers. Lasting just twenty-nine minutes and forty-four seconds, the album will leave you head-nodding until the very end, combining the exceptional lyricism and added vocals with Statik’s signature production.
My favorite tracks off the project are ironically back to back, beginning with “Relatable,” and followed by “Another Day.” The former features Kota the Friend and Pro Era affiliate CJ Fly; whereas, the latter recruits New York emcees Marlon Craft and UFO Fev. On “Relatable,” Termanology, Kota, and CJ seemingly engage in a versus battle for who can flow the longest without pausing, (minus the hook sung by Kota) making the four minute song seem as if it lasts half as long. Production wise, the polished drums are accompanied by heavy-hitting bass overtones, making it a strong replay value record. Relevant to the title, a notable bar from CJ properly showcases the shared confidence (and perhaps justifiable brashness) between the three: “This quarantine ain’t nothing new, I’m used to being the illest / I stay away from all these parasites that stay trying to kill us.” As for “Another Day,” the track is much more mellow, aligning itself with the certified chill instrumentals one would expect from Selektah. While everyone commits a perfect murder, my favorite verse is undoubtedly from Marlon Craft, who makes wordplay seem effortless. A prime example can be illustrated through Marlon’s opening line: “Superior flows, Craft got that fu** you disease like venereal goes, take the fight to where they’re comfortable and set up shop there I got imperial goals, homie I ain’t even near to my goals, that sh*t put fear in your soul.” Overall, this project should be highly regarded because of the legitimate barriers to its creation. Stream 1982’s The Quarantine below, which is available to stream on all services, including for (physical or digital) purchase on Bandcamp. For more of Statik Selektah, I highly recommend following him on Instagram, where he currently DJ’s on every ‘soulful’ Sunday.
Words by Brandon Washington