click to enlarge - Courtesy
- ToadStool & Rico James, The Outskirts of Dreamland
(self-released, digital)
On paper, the combination of these two artists makes good business sense. Rhode Island rapper ToadStool had a big year in 2023, delivering a slew of head-turning projects and establishing himself as a regional force of nature. Vermonter Rico James has been on a similar arc, leveraging his years of local success into a growing profile on the larger East Coast scene.
All that aside: If you love wordy, creative rap music over authentically dirty boom-bap beats, you are in luck. The Outskirts of Dreamland is a strong contribution to the subculture from two uncompromisingly unique genre purists.
Rico James is in peak form here, delivering lushly melodic beats that also happen to bang without mercy. ToadStool has an admirably nimble flow, a laid-back but animated delivery and a real gift for stacking syllable patterns.
No need for features, in other words. Opener "Broken Ceilings" makes that case immediately, delivering a playful, lyrical workout over breezy summer funk. Yet it's also a dark, brooding lament, the manifesto of an artist sick of starving.
That somber note carries into the title track. "I've never been grinding harder," ToadStool humbly observes, but the nature of that grind is anything but ordinary. Between his dense spirals of allusions and references and his machine-gun staccato cadence, his performance makes zero concessions to casual listeners.
The feel changes up again on "You Know What You Know," a slow-marching anthem with a double-time hook. ToadStool makes the most of the spacious pocket here, often pushing ahead of the tempo with his intricate bars. Doing that over a beat that could easily have been a Dipset mixtape single back in 2002 is hella weird, but I have to respect his conviction.
Closing cut "One Long Bad Day" is perhaps the strongest single of the batch. A driving '90s throwback built over a perfect horn loop and some skittering guitar chops, this song is a flawless victory. The hook manages to nail that Aesop Rock sweet spot of being simultaneously catchy and inscrutable.
This is an EP that demands a sequel, if not a full LP — though we should temper our hopes, given that these are two busy dudes hustling their way through a thriving era for underground hip-hop. No matter what the future holds, The Outskirts of Dreamland is a crown jewel for both collaborators.
It's also a testament to how ephemeral even the best releases are in a post-digital era of constant content. If you enjoy this, I highly recommend seeking out ToadStool's anarchic 2023 album Aye yoU!: Side A and the Rico James project Language of Spirits, a knockout producer compilation packed with underground legends.
First, though, hit rewind and run this whole EP again. Even as a lifelong aficionado of wild-style lyricism, I missed a ton of great lines the first time around.
The Outskirts of Dreamland is available at soundsofrico.bandcamp.com.