Back in 2009, Sean Price, Black Milk and Guilty Simpson formed a lyrically vicious and sonically strong outfit, known as Random Axe, when they released “Monster Babies.” Two years later, their completely Black Milk produced self-titled opus finally hits eardrums, offering forceful lyrics over light flutes, choppy keys and thumping bass.

The project feels unified, and the three artists mesh well with one another throughout. “Everybody Nobody Somebody” is a conceptually strong creation, which finds Sean P beginning each line of his hard-hitting verse with “Everybody,” while Black does the same with “Nobody” and his second verse; Guilty, of course, brings the track home with the third verse, kicking each bar off with “Somebody.”

Later, the eerie “Karate Kid” lasts just over a minute, but proves to be an album standout, as Sean Price attacks the track dolo with such unapologetic force he deserves a black belt. Black Milk has some consistent fun on the boards, as he often flips the beat for the last half minute or so of songs—giving a taste of his capabilities.

A thoroughly threatening cohesion, the D-Town meets NYC wiring sparks a stimulating raw rap record. Be warned, though, that the trio’s witty manhandling of beats like “The Hex” and “Monster Babies” may trigger aggressive tendencies. —Nate Santos

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