Mirrorland by EARTHGANG

There’s nothing less useful than writing about a widely acclaimed album that came out about a year ago or comparing a rap duo from Atlanta to OutKast, but I’m about to do both. Groundbreaking.

EARTHGANG’s Mirrorland really captures all of the things that are great about this moment in rap. At times fun and eccentric, at others sober and somber, there’s no filler on this 55 minute journey. That is impressive.

EARTHGANG is a true and worthy heir to the legacy of OutKast, and not for their sound as much as their feel. The dynamic duo from Atlanta, makes genre bending music that doesn’t really fit nicely into any of hip-hop’s established bins. Songs like LaLa Challenge do call us back to Big Boi and 3K but there’s more than that. On Mirrorland, they mix modern southern flavors, sensibilities spanning rap eras, and international influences creating a rich experience that is always interesting. Olu and WowGr8 truly lay out what it means to be musically artistic in a landscape dominated by weak lyrical content. Mirrorland serves as a great reminder that, at a time when SmokePurrp’s horrendous “Moonlight Freestyle” is circulating the internet, the genre is still full of creatives doing more than cashing a paycheck. Go listen right meow!