Danase & Tru Comers- Premium 98 (Album Stream)

Ever since the Zurich-based rapper Danase dropped the raw EP “Colt 45” back in 2019 with the Swiss producers Tru Comers, heads are kept in a heavy nod motion non-stop. Truth to be told, however, I didn’t expect a full album was in preparations, but considering what kind of an impact the EP had on their domestic scene 6 years ago, going with a full studio project should be considered as logical career progression. Now they’re at it again, traveling the path of razor-sharp bangers and jazzy vibes, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the complete product.

The “Colt 45” today is considered as one of the strongest releases in Switzerland (and beyond for that matter), and, as always, you have to put some extra effort in the next project in order not to get outshined by your flagship release. Knowing Tru Comers and their inexhaustible well of mighty good beats, it’s for certain they won’t go with anything mediocre. Following the EP with the single “August Money” in 2022, it has been shown they’re not keen on backing down and that the collab formula between the three of ’em is still working like a charm (even though there’s nothing charming about it).

As it’s said, this release isn’t a comeback but a strong statement as the trio brings the finest of the ‘classic’ sound with raw and direct beats, boom bap-styled samples, strong punchlines and flows, all supported by a confident attitude overly present throughout the whole project. If you ever thought what could possibly the Swiss present in the rap game, the “Premium 98” album is one of those releases that shows how easily the Swiss can box with the world hip-hop scene. The statement is, they’re not rolling with a usual BS that’s ruining the airwaves nowadays, but instead, providing top notch ish within the mileu of how real hip-hop should sound.

Lingering mostly in the dark and gritty setting, most of the album gives out the feeling of poorly lit back alleys with lots of shady actions going on. As I’m that kind of a guy that creates a perfect soundtrack for any daily occasion, this one definitely goes among the tunes for the moody nights and late city cruising. The beats really are creating a certain mood to vibe with, and whether you’re a sucker for creating a sound atmosphere like me or not, I can say with a 100% assurance that the head nods are unavoidable. As an example, I can extricate the tracks “Kilo” and “Dips” that feature a really dark and somewhat eerie feeling to it with its effects. On the other hand, for more jazzy vibes you can flow with the tracks like “UV” and “Job”, while the more ‘bouncy’ energy can be found in songs like “Premium”.

The album leans on boom bap, true, but it’s more than only that. Maybe the word ‘classic’ is a kind of an over-used word when describing a specific rap sound in the modern era, but due to the lack of concrete synonym term I’ll have to go with that. After all, as the name suggests, what’s provided is premium quality, and the ’98’ part in a way shows the influence of the late 90s in its sound, and then some. What’s interesting, the album starts real heavy and dark, but as it progresses, the overall sound softens bit by bit with each played track which creates a smooth flow like it’s telling a story. The listening enjoyment is also backed up by the album’s lenght, counting 14 tracks in total, which makes the album neither too long, neither too short. With the provided atmosphere and the number of songs, you can go through the whole thing without feeling there’s something missing or losing your focus because it’s lengthy. It’s obvious the work put in had concrete plans involved, so there’s not a bad thing one can say ’bout the lyrics, flows, atmosphere, arrangement, beats, and post-production. Everything is its rightful place and it sounds dope.

There’s a ton of people out there respecting the game and trying to pay hommage with recreating the 90s sound they love so much, but, realistically, not everybody able to do it within the borders of quality. Thankfully, we have peepz like Danase who are keeping hip-hop in check, and keeping it alive with the skills and talent they put in their creations. He, lyrically, does a marvelous job and with the already mentioned attitude and vocal abillities, along with the style and presence, leaves the listener satisfied. Not even the guests couldn’t take away the shine from him, keeping him under the spotlight all the way. Ever since I found out about the guy with the single “M.F.W.” just before the “Colt 45” EP was released, I kept him on my radar which, actually, help me dig many more outstanding artists from Europe. If that ain’t a proof of quality ish, I don’t know what is.

Did I mention my ever first written article here was “M.F.W.”? Pure class.

TRACKLIST:
01 • Quartz
02 • Fokus
03 • Kilo feat. Nichess One
04 • Suaheli
05 • Dips
06 • Denim feat. Z The Freshman
07 • UV
08 • August Money
09 • 98 Interlude feat. Buds
10 • Premium
11 • Job
12 • Tihai
13 • LP400
14 • Sorbet