Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin: $mokebreak | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Colour me surprised that it only took five months for Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin to follow up their collab record FlySiifu’s - one of the best projects of last year and one that was sadly overlooked, too. Their new EP $mokebreak acts as a deluxe addition to that record but rather than compile a few leftovers, Siifu & Anakin have elected to create a smaller project that flows by itself. Packed with a slew of rising rappers, $mokebreak continues the growing trend of the deluxe, spillover experience from artists whose best work cannot be contained in a fifteen song format.

Despite not originally hailing from Los Angeles, Siifu has had clear influence from the city, as demonstrated on opening track Oatmeal, produced by Chuck Strangers. Working almost as a To Pimp a Butterfly interlude with classic Dr Dre like synths and slight female vocals, the production should be the first thing heard in the morning with its warm and groggy atmosphere. It’s also surprising that Anakin isn’t a New Yorker, since he delivers each verse in a manner reminiscent of Westside Gunn, though he is undeniably more subtle. The flows are laid back as Siifu and Anakin discuss clear hardships and poverty in their life, the stuff which they’ve fought to survive.

The first half of the EP remains mostly solid with 3 Dope Boys borrowing clear influence from Outkast’s Atliens record: its looping spacey female vocals and a certain swagger are very reminiscent of the Atlanta duo. The following track, Shawty, doesn’t completely work for me -despite the solid verses from the duo- with a two minute intro that meanders over looping dark production.

The Divide might be my track of the year so far despite being a lengthy cut with five excellent but long and intricate verses. Shining over sunny production that sounds like a love letter to Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Siifu and Anakin elect underground favourites ZelooperZ, MAVI and Koncept Jack$on to spit joyous yet boastful verses with several weed references (or more) from each. It’s hard to pick a favourite verse but my money is probably on MAVI, with a special mention for Anakin describing himself as “bulletproof since Rugrats.”

Following the excellent Remote Relocation, with its gorgeous Motown-esk backing female vocals, Siifu and Anakin take soul samples to a darker place on lead single Blame, produced by Black Noi$e. Both rappers have been through the end of a relationship and seem to be in a desolate place as they wander the streets, searching for even the smallest sign of happiness. The sample asks “Who’s to Blame?” as if it all ended suddenly with Siifu and Anakin left wondering what’s next. The end of the track slows the production down, drifting ominously and closing on a remorseful note.

$mokebreak shows Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin have lost almost none of the features that made their collaboration so good five months ago. The combination of old and modern rap with heavy lyricism and chemistry leave the two in a lane of their own, delivering exactly what hardcore hip-hop fans want from the underground. With leftovers as good as these, it’s hard to see how the duo won’t continue to deliver in the future.

- James Chadwick.
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