Readers' Review: Half-A-Mil's 'Courtesy of Half-A-Mil'

If you’ve been paying attention to the West Coast in the past decade, you’d be hip to the thriving beat scene, and if you aren’t, you can’t deny the steady flow of genre-bending, trunk-rattling, hip-hop coming from the West Coast. This is a producers’ market, and an emcee’s playground. Out of this flourishing community comes two of the best, and most prolific creators in California, Hit-Boy and Dom Kennedy. Test my words by looking through the discography of both artists. It’s safe to say Hit-Boy has the sound on lock through the early 2010s, even grabbing a Grammy for “N**gas in Paris,” while Dom Kennedy has been pumping out all kinds of records, effectively running the LA indie scene with an iron fist. Of course, an iron fist dressed in a Gucci oven mitt, because Dom makes what I affectionately call “Barbecue Music.” You know what barbecue music is, that smooth vibe that also keeps the party going at peak pace. If you aren’t catching my drift right now, I’m not sure I want to be at your next cookout.

Half-A-Mil (stylized as half-a-mil), is the brainchild of Hit-Boy and Kennedy’s unique nonchalance. The beats are hazy, futuristic, and most importantly smooth. The production feels like a suede bomber in the fall; it’s heavy and deep, but also very textured, with clean synths and basslines stuck on cruise control. The album’s opener, “Tony Fontana,” is a great example of this dreamy tone, with crisp, skipping hi-hats as its sole percussion, and the two trading dreamy, almost lucid flows. The tempo ramps up immediately, with the futuristic grittiness of “Fix Me A Plate” and the mid-90s head knock of “Don’t Know Me,” where Dom delivers the cool menace he’s known for, proclaiming:

“You don’t know me for doing sh** except/ rappin’ better than these n***as/ dressin’ better than these n***as/ finessin’ better than these n***as//”

After reminding the few who needed it, the boys settle into a cooler vibe, with the classic Crenshaw sound of “500 Band Clique” and “Le Parc Suites.” Here is where you really feel Dom’s soulful influence. There’s a DJ Quik vibe on “500 Band,” and it doesn’t sound nostalgic, or like an homage. These records are made from scratch, by two West Coast Millennials. You have to tip your fitted with respect to the way Cali hip-hop artists have preserved their sonic heritage.

The album rounds out with some introspection on the songs “Full Circle,” and “Bottled Water.” This is where I feel Hit-Boy shines the most, zoning out on the road he traveled to make it here. On “Full Circle,” Hit reminisces on the grind:

“Should I do the V-12 or the Turbo?/ Just got a new check from Universal/ I see it in your face, my success, it hurts you/ You could get it too, patience is a virtue!//”

While Dom floats on the track:

“Started with the CornFlakes, with a side of wonderbread/ Can’t push me off the ledge, in the field like Dez/ In them black Cortez/ I’m for sure, y’all hopin’, got her legs wide open//”

Closing the album is “Too Many Ways,” which actually feels like the flyest posse cut of 2017, even though it’s technically Half-A-Mil featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The three trade verses over another pimpish, sparkling track from Hit. This album is about two men that grew up in the game, and their vision to transcend it. New records from Dom Kennedy feel like getting a visit from your big brother after he leaves home, so I was sold from the plastic wrap. Half-A-Mil has been slowly dropping hints of their presence, let’s see what develops from here. All in all, Courtesy of Half-A-Mil is a great launching pad.