Long after the divergence of hip-hop music and its swing-centric instrumental arrangements, both lyricists and producers find themselves coming back around to their time-tested partnership of songwriting and studio finesse, with a few choice sets of creatives finding their stride with contemporary flavor. Continuing their gradual dive into the murky waters of lyricism and bass music, Rasp-5 and Tygris follow up their rambunctious Cheap Thrills EP with a dual serving of brackish low-end and sauntering wordplay, with The Gradient Perspective hosting their latest release, Smash & Grab.

“Duck & Cover” cracks the seal on the EP with a sharp bite, with every word and stab of synthesis cutting hardest on each successive downbeat. Dipping the intensity and raising the intrigue, “Get The Money” glides across a potent, tightly-wound neuro-hop beat that props up a tale of territorial paper acquisition, with both ends of the spectrum dovetailing into a choice breakdown. Instead of reinventing the wheel, they choose to lean into the syncretic relationship of broken-beat electronic music and its lyrical forebear, and Smash & Grab feels right at home with the bouncy, driving hip-hop compositions of the 90s and early aughts.

With a growing body of work between the two artists, and clear musical relationship on their own merits, Rasp-5 and Tygris never miss the mark when they emerge from the lab. Doubling down on that relationship, they’re a frequent pairing on the stage, often times as a last minute combination as well as a prepared performance, and the chemistry between the two has never failed to make pure sparks. Keep your ears perked and your eyes peeled as 2023 comes to a close and 2024 comes into focus, as we’re sure to see these two intrepid ne’er-do-wells pop up again on plenty of occasions.

FOLLOW Rasp-5: Soundcloud / Spotify / Instagram

FOLLOW Tygris: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Instagram