Over the last six years or so there’s been a lot of big weeks in Chicago music, but this one is shaping up to be up there as far as most memorable go. Packed in amongst several talented releases is the two years-in-the-making follow up to the critically acclaimed iiiDrops project from Joey Purp who gave listeners a new batch of music with his QUARTERTHING project which
The opening track is reminiscent to the beginning of iiiDrops, allowing room for Joey’s storytelling before they really turn the page by letting the oversized vocals of Ravyn Lenae and Jabari Rayford go absolutely crazy. It definitely feels as though Peter CottonTale has his hands on those stacks somewhere. That moment acts as a sort of gateway though, things aren’t the same after and the next voice we hear is none other than RZA on “Godbody Pt. 2” and Joey’s settled right back into the off-the-hip spitter we’ve come to know and love. The big, banging backing tracks provide the perfect road from which he delivers one bar after the next. Going regarded as one of the best wordsmiths the city has seen, him over these big drums alongside one of the east coast’s legends is wholly appropriate. The fact that he bookends the other side of the album with another feature from GZA is just silly to be honest. CDot Honcho and Queen Key make appearances, and it’s honestly nice to see him eschew SaveMoney help here, instead standing on his own and bringing others along for the ride.
If iiiDrops was Joey’s first matured entrance to the national stage as a standalone artist, QUARTERTHING is his testament to being consistent, and being able to establish himself as an act to be recognized. Every song goes hard here, and Purp’s voice can carry just about any song, but we’ll still have to see what emerges as the true single here. Get into this one ASAP, you’ll certainly be hearing it across the city and beyond very soon.