I Guess U Had To Be There

Description

Two turntables and a microphone. The simplicity of that statement holds a profound truth, proving the vast possibilities it contains. Sometimes, you have to remember that simplicity. I Guess U Had To Be There, the new album from New York rapper ELUCID and seasoned producer Sebb Bash, is one of those projects so fresh it feels like it was created tomorrow. Yet, you could have played it in 1989 and made heads nod. There are moments in music where masters meet at the peak of their respective arts: albums like Madvillainy, Liquid Swords, Dr. Octagonecologyst, and Hell Hath No Fury, whose result surpasses the sum of their parts. ELUCID and Sebb Bash find themselves in that intoxicating and fleeting atmosphere of apparent simplicity with the album I Guess U Had To Be There. Everything about it is both familiar and revolutionary. The rhythms shift and contort under ELUCID's direction, with surprising agility, his flow as nimble as a chamois. Producer and rapper move in perfect sync. A few stars make memorable appearances: billy woods, Breezly Brewin, Estee Nack, Shabaka Hutchings. But it is first and foremost a duo, and they remain the center of attention. "I Guess U Had To Be There" is a captivating and nonconformist listen, a peak for two of the genre's best artists.