Aceyalone

Collaborations seem to be all the rage in hip-hop right now and they have produced some amazing moments in recent years as MCs and producers pair up to exchange beats and rhymes. This time around Freestyle Fellowship founder Aceyalone has roped in RJD2 to man the production on Magnificent City, a record that has potential greatness given the pair’s back catalogue. Sadly, this effort isn’t as engaging as it should be and is quite boring at times, as though it was phoned in during moments such as the sleep-inducing "Solomon Jones” and "A Beautiful Mine,” which simply needs more spice. Things break out of the gate rather well as RJ does what he does best and fuels Acey’s rhymes with neck-snapping funk breaks, and the two seem to be having fun with the disco-laced "Fire.” It’s a shame more moments like that don’t exist rather than awful moments like "Mooore” and "Superhero,” which completely lack from both participants. There are nice moments of redemption such as "Caged Bird,” with that infamous sleigh-bell break, but overall Magnificent City just finds two fantastic figures in hip-hop not giving it their all.