Swedish Producer DW Underground and Madison, Wisconsin emcee Urban Legend from the CyphaDen Music crew have teamed up to bring us their latest collaborative project titled Superfly. The 8-track body of work is a mix of thumping soundscapes, conscious lyrics that dwell on true life experiences and relatable topics that listeners can gravitate towards.

“In god i trust” is the opening track and starts with a classic sample that music lovers would recognize. The anthemic track is underpinned by Urban Legend’s bravado raps that center on his growth as a young man and artist in a not-so-glorious environment. Lines like “Without a cord, they bungee jumping over the bridge/So I know I had a reason to rhyme, reason to live/depart from wisdom/I was too stubborn to listen” give listeners a glimpse and taste of what to come. This is followed by “Be right”, a soulful tune made up of cinematic brass stands, vocal samples and punchy drums. Here, Urban Legend talks about real-time issues ranging from police brutality to racism. He is joined by  Rambunxious and Tayamo Denku who add their perspective to the record.

In the aptly titled “Sick and tired”, Urban Legend pours his frustrations on Wax about the state of affairs of the industry. From the daily struggles, underhanded activities that aim to undermine talented artists and the oversaturation of the art. “If these walls could talk” is the next track and continues in a similar vein to the previous one with its reflective message as  Urban Legend reminds us of his tribulations lines like “I’ve been shot at, spit on, burn, punched and kick/I’ve seen fiends OD after a couple of hits/Been pissed on by many, thought about by few/Respect me, earned my stripes and paid my dues”. On “Hustler’s ambition”  he teams up with fellow rappers Opal Ellyse and Dash D.U.B. and the trio delivers an aspirational message that listeners can relate to. In summary, it’s a reminder that life’s a hustle and no matter what you do, just keep grinding. The next track “Holy matrimony” is a heartfelt and reflective tune that sees Urban Legend pouring adulations on the special someone in his life. He is joined by vocalist Mr Kirkland who adds a soulful touch to the track.

The project closes out with the solemn track “A mother’s pain”, where he teams up Rambunxious with to talk about the daily struggles of single mothers across the globe and “In these times”, an insightful piece that explores the modern era we live in and the craziness we all have to endure to keep on the right path.

Overall, Superfly plays out like a short movie and lives up to its title with vivid and engaging songwriting, impassioned flows and hard-hitting beats that capture the essence of 90s boombap rap.