When I met Crooked I at a Slaugherhouse show at SOBs three years ago, he told me he wanted to hear an Eminem/Royce album. Not likely, I thought. Eminem was the best selling rapper of all time and Royce was releasing an indie battle rap album with a group that included Joe Budden. But Slaughterhouse has since signed to Shady and Interscope announced the Bad Meets Evil EP this week. Crooked got his wish and I once again failed as a rap prognosticator.
An EP is the right move for these two. A long player would just be exhausting, but 5 or 6 songs of rappity rap over decent beats could be fun. Royce and Em do an impressive job of building off each other on “Fast Lane,” kind of like “Brooklyn’s Finest” without any of the style or personality.
Perhaps the coolest project to come out of the LA beat scene is A Sufi and a Killer, Gonjasufi’s 2010 psychedelic masterstroke. Gonja, likely noticing a drought of screechy sepia-tinged moaning, posted “Bury Me” on MySpace. Listen at your own risk. This track is fucking haunted.