The aptly titled intro “Genesis” is a mellow and cinematic piece that serves as an introduction to who Awkward Groove is and it is ripe with vivid lyricism like “Memoirs of an awkward nigga, I’m telling my business/Good bad and ugly, fuck John Wayne, I’m riding out on town on this one”. Overall the record is well-crafted and its layered scenic production is top-notch. Also joining him on the track is LRK Chronicle. The next track is the soulful “Arthur” featuring Rashad Hawkins. and it’s possibly a reference to King Arthur but in essence, it’s a bravado-filled jam that showcases Awkward Groove’s knack for gripping songwriting with emotional depth. He digs deep into his past and battles his demons on wax with all his might and caps it with lines like “I wasn’t built to be a servant, I mastered my art and I mastered this Earth shift”. The energy changes on “5:30 Am”, a mid-tempo dark trap tune that sees Awkward reflecting on the daily struggles when moving through these mean streets.

“Turn the Other Cheek (Fuck That)” features Freddy Bricks and shifts back into the soulful sample-driven style that has been the focus of the project. Awkward leaves no stone unturned as he delivers a no-holds-barred performance, taking the opposition to the cleaners while Freddy comes through with the verbal assist to complete the mission. “Know Love” is an introspective and heartfelt track that centers on self-love and finding one’s true North. Here, Awkward gets the weight off his shoulders with lines like “I be isolating, medicating trying to numb the pain/Bury me so deep, don’t think I’d ever see that life again” He is joined by Rab G and Ebonique who add their perspective on the record. This is followed by the Cartier Cole-assisted “Paradise (Late Nights)” which flips a classic soul sample and sees the rappers basking in the glory of their labour while “Early Flights” featuring $teep has a dark and urgent feel of a man on a mission.

The project closes out with “Reflections”, a heartfelt and laidback track that summarises Awkward’s journey thus far and he doesn’t shy away from throwing not-so-subtle darts at the detractors and “Hereditary”, a drumless track made up of vocal samples underpinned by the rapper’s rich vocal tone and graphic lines like “Deadpool with these lyrics, I am natural selection/Go against me, I have your head stomped pre-selected”.

Overall, Arthur the Great & Terrible is cohesive and straddles the line between conscious and street-savvy savvy raps with an edge. Awkward Groove knows his onions and sticks to what he knows on this one.