Sweatshirt, Quelle Chris, Cleo Reed, Pink Siifu, Silka and Kapwani all collaborated on their new LP “Mercy” to equally show the talent they have.

Consisting of 14 songs and roughly 40 minutes in run time, “Mercy’s” beginning track, “Laraaji,” starts with a psychedelic-like beat from The Alchemist that is instantly followed by exactly what makes the conscious rap genre. The rap duo drops bars like “Should have killed me when you had the chance/now it’s out your hands,” setting a mental stage for the listener.

I see the album as a creative genius move made by multiple artists. It’s an album with two meanings that are simultaneously true. The songs describe power imbalances, injustices, power and the acceptance of good and bad in life. Only power can give mercy, those with power will decide who receives this mercy.

Songs like “Calypso Gene” open on sensitive topics such as inequality, social injustice and socioeconomic issues. Using water as a metaphor for all of these things, Sillka and Cleo Reed start the song with a soft, soulful tone, which is a stark contrast to the meaning of what’s being sung.

I find the album very interesting yet still I expected a little more. General reviews have the same criticisms I had over the production. What I and many others noticed is that The Alchemist produces each song in a certain mood or tone that he tries to perfect throughout the song, which leaves the album’s production to fall flat compared to the 2021 collab album “Haram.”

Overall, the album really landed with heavy hitters. My top three songs off the album were definitely “Calypso Gene,” “Laraaji” and “Dogeared.” While each song slightly suffers from said issues, they are great introductions for the duo. These three are the most widely appealing for new people interested in conscious rap. It’s an introduction album to the genre.

10/10 overall