A meticulously grand, transparent and soulfully cinematic audio masterpiece. That includes some of the most grand emceeing, lyricism, storytelling and production you will ever hear. That is how you can best describe Philmore Greene’s newest album, The Grand Design. Which may be arguably his best work to date in an already very diverse and grand discography of such masterclass work. Which is why the title fits the album so perfectly too.
Like with his other album’s the intro perfectly setups the theme of the album. As the soulfully grand chants and keys of the Phantem-produced backdrop finds Phantem defining what both the words, grand and design mean and how that is how you get, “Philmore Greene.” Which is how they likely came up with the album title. That then perfectly seguing into the first actual track that is the title track and continues that same soulfully grand-like chants and keys production from Phantem. As Philmore immediately starts going in with such stellar grand lyricism and storytelling as, “What was the weather on the day I was born? Was it sunny, muggy or foggy? Was it ready to storm? It was torn, they taught us to go and shot for the sky. It’s the Chi. The only place where the sun and moon would collide. Views would collide, words is thrown. Shooters will ride. The real ones dead or locked up ‘cuz you can choose your demise. Pac said it best, feed a man just to views from ya eyes. The whole world is Judas disguised. The city stay heated. How could Philly trust one soul on this earth? Even Judas betrayed Jesus. Greed was the main reason – via money and temptation. You ain’t got ‘A’ then everything is teasing. I saw a man bleeding, struggling fighting for life. The light from Christ he sure as hell seen it. The whole world was grieving. To live and die a moment in time. The art of life. What’s the grand design?” That lets you know from the very first actual track what a grand and masterclass of lyricism, storytelling, beats and rhymes you are in store for over the rest of this 16-track album. The Grand Design then perfectly seguing into the very triumphant horns of the Syer-produced, High Supreme Philly. That sees Greene with such standout bars as, “Where I’m from you the man if you turn the block into Trader Joe’s. Fiends organically pay for blows. In the hood since we were born we were stepping on Satan’s toes. Every stroke of the pen I save a soul. I know what it’s like to be counted out with tainted goals.” That lets others know why Philmore Greene is not only arguably the best emcee and lyricist’s in Chicago now or the past several years, but one of really the top emcees and lyricist’s in all of Hip-Hop. Who has one of the sharpest pens you will find. The grand drums and horns of the Slot-A-produced next track, Street Lights. Yet another highlight that really highlights not only Greene’s very great and grand lyricism, but storytelling as well. As he raps about all the street activities from moving drugs to hustling and trying to dodge cops. That him and/or so many others in the areas of Chicago grew up in had to try avoiding before, “The street lights come on.” Like Slot sings on part of the hook.
As we are then already about a quarter of the way through the album. The very cinematic production from Sir Williams for previously released single, Magic. Provides the perfect backdrop for Greene’s very aggressive flow and bars of, “Everything is Magic, black passion filled with fabrics. Cut from a cloth of kings raised in madness. Taxes divide the city, put em in brackets. Fight for ten decades never bury the hatchet.” As well as, “Racism hidden through the badges. Guns in packages, delivered to the youth now they savages. God’s gift, blasphemous. It’s money in crime so you get the ass to kiss. I was born in too, we ain’t ask for this. Everything is gone. Hustle to my casket dip. It’s Magic!” While guest feature RJ Payne with such bars as, “I never seen ‘em pull a rabbit out of a hat. But I seen em pull out a semi automatic out the back. I’m focused I see the roaches they be traveling with rats. I mean, look what they did to cousin Harold with the strap.” As well as, “Let me tell you ‘bout the gutta we live. It ain’t no way it’s safe enough for having mothers and kids. Ain’t no fathers in the house and ain’t no grub in the fridge. And ain’t gon change it always was what it is. It’s Magic!” Lets it be known why he is also one of the top emcees and lyricist’s in Hip-Hop alive right now. Magic then perfectly seguing into the Jay P-produced, OMG. Which finds Greene over the perfectly sampled head-nodding backdrop spit raps that make you go, “Oh my god.” Like part of the sampled breakbeat chorus says. Next up we then get the very cinematically eeirie and perfectly Tye Hill-produced, Welcome To The Chi. That appears to have what seems to be a perfectly sampled breakbeat of Chuck D or someone that sounds very similar to Chuck saying, “Welcome, welcome to the Chi” on the hook. The track itself really lettingPhilly go in with such standout lyrics as, “It’s a blessing every day to see the sun. Momma never see her son. Before he graduated he’ll see a gun. And everybody’s hustling tryna see the funds. And you better do some budgeting if you see a run. The streets don’t love nobody up in the city. The county jail’s infested inmates is gritty. Buss down h**s sip Remy. Back in the 90’s every chief wore Pelle’s and Buck 50’s. (Facts) Today it’s ‘bout a page fvck knowin’ ya lit. He put his homie in the grave for a 4 and a split.” That also once again shows off his very stellar storytelling as well. That then perfectly seguing into the very soulfully piano-laden Rashid Hadee-produced standout track, Money Over Vegas. That is another very great storytelling track from Philmore. As he raps about a very crazy twist-turning story about a time he was in Vegas that involved money and a woman.
Now halfway through the album we get into the very thumping drums and very upbeat production of the Slot-A-produced standout track, Smoke Dat. Which sees Philmore Greene spitting such standout lyrics as, “Everything I spit is a Gem stone. Flintstone, we live through fire and brimstone. You gotta pray hard if you gone live long or get gone. Stand solid or you Joe Pistone. What went wrong? Switch up flows every beat I rip on. The best to do it since Hov, the flow don’t live long.” Before going into the very aggressive hook from both Philmore Greene and UFO Fev. Right before Fev starts ripping it with bars such as, “I built T-H-E off the THC. The B-I-G UFO call em F-E-V. I land in C-H-I fresh from NYC. So try to play with me and Phil you might just R-I-P.” That then transitioning so seamlessly into the Phantem-produced, World War Me. Another track where Philmore Greene just goes straight in rapping about the concept of war.
As we get to the latter part of the album we get two previously released singles in, Ghetto Babies and Whole Time. With Ghetto Babies a very soulfully emotional and introspective Apollo Brown-produced track featuring Bruiser Wolf. That sees Philmore Greene over the soulful keys backdrop getting really introspective about all the things people growing up in ghettos in the world go through. Bruiser Wolf halfway through providing the perfect spoken word piece to the track. The Rashid Hadee-produced, Whole Time, that also features Hadee on the hook. A very nostalgically grand old school sounding production that with its grand keys and chants on the production. Provides both Philmore Greene and Skyzoo, who is also featured on the track. The perfect backdrop to spit their stellar raps. Such as, “Philly lines is hitting like a voltage. Put my name in Tidal, press play and let it shock your body. Close your eyes and let me show you the ghetto. When the crack smoking stick, now your vision is foggy. She gave the pipe to her son. Now drilling is his hobby. And the FEDS came and dearly departed the posse. These ain’t rhymes, these ain’t lines. These are Persian death threats on the page, but I spit it in varsity.” While Skyzoo adds such standout bars as, “My neighborhood was for sale before we saw the signs. The yay been put on the scale and the city come alive. And everyone who is alive is getting underlined in the truck. Due to the truck having a help coming sign. Pause it. It is what it is. And putting the culture first. And when you really is who you is. It’s all unrehearsed, 16’s brung a hearst. I am here cause I want the purse. But the only thing over my shoulders is a sash with a Huey Newton flag. Not a cross body bag. So I never gotta worry about a pause being attached.” That once again shows not only the undeniably great chemistry between both emcees, but why they are two of the best and illest emcees and lyricist’s alive. That then perfectly seguing into the very soulfully grandboom-bap Apollo Brown-produced standout, Stay Gone. Where Philmore Greene provides another very stellar storytelling track. This time rapping about a Vietnam veteran who is trying to forget about the traumas both war, during and after brought him. Before then rapping in the second verses about the vices a man who is supposed to be getting married has that he has carried over from his own parents relationship.
The album then closes out with two of the best tracks on the whole album in the soulfully personal Kenny Keys-produced, ’94 Master P. That sees Philmore Greene go in right from the jump with such standout bars as, “My God I’ve transcended. I’ll take a rapper career it starts at the ended. It’s all finished, this industry nothing but frauds in it. They all know Philly is authentic. In my city n***as ride car tinted with a broad in it. Fully loaded Nina Ross in it. Look, man these dudes all gimmicks. See em’ in the streets and they move all timid.” While longtime collaborator, fellow Chicago native and friend of Philmore Greene, Rashid Hadee adds his own stellar guest verses. With such standout bars as, “Kill it from the trunk, gotta give ‘em what they want. Gotta get up out the slump not depending on no luck. Even in the winter months men and women living rough. No limit from the jump since living in the 601. Broads been wanting my ice cream since Master P. Not talking about no yay when I say I’ll hit you with that ghetto D.” The track ending with a voicemail from a woman taking to another woman about how Philmore Greene’s music is the Chicago she grew up on and him being a family man with kids. Before then perfectly seguing into the standout previously released Big Crown-produced single, Girl Dad. Which is a very soulfully personal record that Philmore Greene first released back in June during Father’s Day Weekend as a celebration and story of how important being a girl dad and father is for him. As well as how important being a dad and father is for those who don’t always get their just due for doing so. Especially when it comes to raising kids in a place as tough as the Chi. Just like the album opened with the soulfully grand keys and chants production from Phantem, it also once again closes the same way with the outro track. That is a bunch of family, friends and others who knew and grew up with Philmore Greene giving him his rightful flowers for not only what a great emcee, but person he is too and how much he has grown from when he first started up till now. The perfect way to close such a grand masterpiece album from not only one of the top emcees and lyricist’s in all of Chicago, but really one of the top artists regardless of genre hailing from the city of Chicago. That has produced so many great Chicago artists over the years and Philmore Greene just adding to that legacy with this album and all the continually great music he continues to deliver in such a grand fashion.