When a hip-hop artist retires there can be two problems.
One is whether or not they have retired, to often a “retirement” announcement is made null and void two years later when an artist returns with a mediocre release.
The second problem is the “party album” phenomenon where each song features five artists and you can’t tell who you’re supposed to be listening to.
Thankfully Aussie hip-hop star and music mogul Pegz seems to have bucked both these trends with his latest and last album, Burn City.
With his focus now on running Australia’s biggest hip-hop label, Obese Records, it’s unlikely that Pegz would have the time to release another album and aside from a few verses from some Australian hip-hop stalwarts, Pegz owns Burn City.
From the outset you can tell that Burn City is going to be an up-tempo record.
The first track, Know comes in under a minute and a half and Pegz uses it to tell us what’s coming up:
"No synthy synth no singy sing,
Just hip-hop on the gritty tip,
Strictly hardcore no ifs or buts"
From there on, the next 14 songs stick to this formula, a gritty urban sound with simple beats and hooks that let the lyrics take the main stage.
The albums title track explains to the listener why Pegz is quitting recording.
He raps a about working 60 hours a week in a dull city and feeling burnt out, it appears managing Australia's biggest urbna record label and pursuing a recording career has taken its toll.
Though if the next track, "7 Days 6 Nights" is anything to go by, maybe it's Pegz's social life that has bought him undone.
"7 Days 6 Nights of animal instincts
A one way ticket traveling business
Random acts of passion and kinship
Backpacking through Paris in winter
Damage your liver with a Japanese stripper
And wake up in a national geographical picture"
"Block to Block" with the Funkoars and "No Attachments" follow this and keep the up tempo style going, both songs being about partying and living life, what most Australian hip - hop artists rap about really well.
The back end of the album is a bit of let down.
"I Don't Need Your Judgments" and "The Fight" are skippable tracks, but the witty back and forth with Muph on "Just Married" is excellent.
"Ali Shuffle", "Diligent Music" and "Before I Leave" round out an overall good album.
Any rap artist would be proud to produce an album of this quality any time in their career.
8 out of 10.
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