Lord Have Mercy is a hard-hitting rap track that effortlessly blends together smart wordplay and a backing beat that highlights Overlord Gruff’s vocals at all the right points. Tha Baddest One is a crossover track, a banger that pulls some of the slinky California beats of late-1990s Snoop Dogg with the polished sound of a 50 Cent of The Game. The production is on point, allowing each syllable to be recognizable while having the drum track pop in listeners’ ears.
Put You On tha Hood is an unqualified hit; an inspired beat will get listeners on the dance floor while Overlord Gruff’s flow is gritty and catchy at the same time. While there are overtures to other rappers during this single, there is no denying that Overlord Gruff is creating something uniquely his own with each bar. The rapid-fire delivery that Gruff slides in to at the mid-point of Put You On tha Hood gives a greater urgency to the track.
Good on Top is a late-disc track that keeps things fresh; the more laid back sound of this single is reminiscent of a J. Dilla production. The narrative component of Good on Top will have fans hanging onto every syllable; this feels like a crossover track but works well with the rest of the efforts on Lord Have Mercy. Trigger Talk is the concluding cut on Lord Have Mercy; the track immediately hits listeners with a DJ Drama meets trap-styled production. Overlord Gruff’s flow here is intense and ends this album in an emphatic fashion. Hit after hit, Lord Have Mercy shatters the conception that rap albums have to include a number of weaker tracks among a few single-worthy efforts. Solid from beginning to end.
Top Tracks: Tha Baddest One, Put You On tha Hood
Rating: 8.0/10
Overlord Gruff – Lord Have Mercy / 2016 Guano Records / https://www.reverbnation.com/overlordgruff / https://soundcloud.com/overlord-gruff / https://twitter.com/overlordgruff
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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