Detroit rapper and producer Black Milk might not yet have broken into the mainstream, but his work has consistently earned the Slum Village associate respect within the hip-hop world. This has largely been down to the rich production skills of the artist, real name Curtis Cross. But while his smooth beat-making has seen him credited as the greatest J Dilla disciple, Black Milk’s delivery is haphazard at best, flat and uninspiring at worst (though at least his unpretentious delivery isn’t distracting).
On Fever, his sixth solo effort, it’s Cross’s production that stands out. The vibe is gorgeous, featuring guttural but lithe bass and airy whispers of beats, with tracks such as Drown all-engulfing. As with his previous release, 2014’s If There’s a Hell Below, it would be unfair to ignore Cross’s growing storytelling abilities. Politics finds its way into the narrative, and the slow, deliberate way he discusses race over trills of sax on Laugh Now, Cry Later is striking. Sonically this is, unsurprisingly, a masterful album: echoey, soulful and old-school. What’s more, it finally feels as if Black Milk’s rapping is catching up.
