As it became time to announce that he was working on a new project, he told fans through his Facebook that he had been deliberately listening to 2000's era rap music, particularity from D12 and G-Unit. That had me really excited for what kind of features he'd bring to honour that era of music and also had me curious about his instrumental choices. He released his first single in September of 2019 with the album dropping on November 1st. His second American tour also launched that same week.
We're introduced to the album through "Brand New Day". Glittering synths weave their way through some twittering trap percussion. Its a great tone setter with lines like "I dropped out of school at grade ten and I ain't proud of that shit/I knew I had a bigger purpose I was outta that bitch" This song is everything an album opener should be as he conveys the celebratory theme while taking stock of his competition and appreciates the hard work he's put in over the years. There's a spoken word piece playing through that opens and closes the song but it's not really audible through the mix. It's a weird choice considering we already have a recording of a live performance that carries us into that fade out and that seemed like a tasteful enough end. There's just too many things at the end of this song fighting for a spot in the mix. It's a decent way to open up though.
We get through my least favourite song early with "On Top". The beat isn't really anything special. LordQuest produces an average synth led piece of skeletal trap percussion. Jelly Roll kicks off the song but not with the same ferocity as we heard on last years "Survival Of The Fittest". Merkules has some great double time and so does Rittz afterwards, however, the real bone I have to pick with this song is in its themes and content. These three MCs are all so unique so for the three of them to just target critics and mumble rappers makes for a tiresome song subject. The underground scene already has so many songs like this and I had higher expectations.
Most of the ingredients of track two show up on the next song but, to a better effect. "Bass" was the second promotional single and I was kind of lukewarm on it when I first heard it but I appreciate it more now. Pops produces a dense serving of fast paced and 808 driven instrumentation. This time around, however, the beat is so much more visceral and all three verses deliver. Merkules opens the track as the hi hats and synths back his first couple of bars. Then after the fourth line we're introduced to punchy kicks and drums. Tech N9ne has a great vocabulary in lines like "Don't be rapping like you on a sedative/Have some mutha fuckin rapper etiquette". Hopsins finishing couple of lines allude to his earlier horror core output as he raps about storing dead rappers in his storage unit. For a triple MC song with them all tasked with rapping their asses off and nothing else, this song is everything it needed to be.
We touch on more personal and internal struggles with the fourth song "Losin' Sleep". C-Lance continues to produce amazing music for Merkules as we're blessed with strings and piano keys over heavy snares and beautiful drum breaks. This song has a similar vibe to "Fuck The World" as Merk recounts all the people befriending him for clout and their own egos. The difference here now is our song is much more catchy and not nearly as forlorn. Merkules expressed gratitude for his parents and girlfriend while letting any snakes in his circle know that he's wise to them. And I should compliment this hook more, seriously it's one of the best ear worms on the whole album.
On the most obnoxious cuts on the whole album is with Uncle Murda on "In The Field". C-Lance has another one of my favourite scores on the record from its echoing claps to wild synths and the stripped back keys that lead us into the chorus. Murda has an absolutely savage entry with him killing his opponents and recruiting their kids into his organization. Merks hook is equally threatening with my favourite line from him being "We ain't talking pocket rockets when we tuck the burner". Though I've heard this album half a dozen times for the sake of this review, I instantly knew in the first play through that this song was going on my gym playlist. Stupid hard.
"The Code" is a fun surprise as well. Centered around the theme of snitching and street codes it's quite pertinent to the news reports of this year. I can tell this was written in the midst of the 6ix 9ine trial as Merkules lays down his position on speaking to police. I love the Tim character he builds up in the second verse and this LordQuest beat has such rapid kick drums it's as if we're hearing a snitch get beat to the sound of Merks raps.
One of my favourite tracks turned out to be "Pull Up" featuring Paul Wall. Of all the trap flavoured instrumentals on Special Occasion, this one by ENG is my favourite. The snares alternate and the tempo in this beat goes through quite a few progressions. I can enjoy trap percussion as long as its being employed in a way that isn't conventional. A lot of the instrumental motifs I loved on Cole like the 808s and electric guitars are still being employed here in a way that sounds musical and luxurious. Paul and Merk have great chemistry as both of them bring flows that are laid back but also a little cocky. Its chill you can bump this song around a fire pit or roll down the the windows and make the whole neighbourhood hear it.
"Netflix & Chill" is actually better than I thought at first listen. It's pretty much tradition for Merkules to pen a ballad about his relationship on each album but, last year I was feeling somewhat fatigued about that as a song subject. This track makes up for it by just being impeccably catchy. From LordQuests grand instrumental swell that opens the track to the quick and melodic flow that Merkules rides the beat with. That together with a hook I can't get out of my head and this might be my favourite love song of his since the one he wrote for Scars.
Another fantastic story driven song is "The Same". This brings me back to some of his earlier works like "Close To The Edge" and Merkules tells a tale of a boy and his mother each struggling through their own addictions. There's great themes across this track like the way addiction is passed down through generations as well as the responsibility Merkules feels towards his fans. The beat from C-Lance and the additional guitar leads from Aaron Hiltz guide us through a song that's not only layered in its message but, tastefully written as well.
"Trust Issues" is a solid song as well. It's probably got my second favourite beat from C-Lance & Hiltz. This beat is just all the tried and true aesthetics of a C-Lance beat with vocal chops, grand cymbal crashes and thick snares. Merkules' chorus opens the track atop string sections and keys before his verses serve us with an even blend of game and punchlines. In his verse he launches warning shots at rappers hollering at him for clout with some of my favourite punchlines of the whole record like "I spot the ops behind closed doors now I'm the locksmith." He's also got a couple of lines in this one alluding to his rising stance in the Canadian scene and I love hearing any line that reminds listeners of the talent pool and culture we have here.
The only song really competing with "In The Field" in terms of how badly it influences my affinity for speeding tickets is this next one with DMX. "Who Want What" is produced by Dame Grease who's been one of the providers of New York hardcore for over twenty years. Something I've always wished for on a Merkules album is a big ticket producer guest. I'm still consistently surprised by the team that normally backs him but hearing star power on the production side is an exciting thing too. Minor keys and impactful snares have me scowling in the first ten seconds as the DMX enters his verse shredding it off the first line. His classic growling and shouting are present as well leading into a great chorus and Merk still holds his own with great lines like "My shooters jump out of Ubers with bazookas they don't miss." It's one of those songs that you have to spin back every time. Hard as nails and well worth the wait as Merkules sat on this song for almost two years.
"On The Run" is a great track as well. Merk and Evil have numerous collaborations this decade but this one stands out for a few reasons. Number one, its structure. This isn't a basic one rappers raps and the other one goes as they both open the first half of the song singing and close te song rapping. It's similar in style to "Live This" off of Merks 2017 record but this time the recording is much more raw. Merkules and Evil do a great job of conveying emotion as their voices strain to hold notes and reach different registers and, in my opinion, the flaws in their voices move me a lot more that any reverb ever could. The beat from ENG is laid back and gets your head nodding right away to its electirc guitar leads and knocking snares too. Despite the lyrics being pretty general I think this track stands as my favourite collaboration from the two of them since "Ski Mask Way".
As we start approaching the end of the record we get the first promotional single, "All Night Long". I love the slick trap percussion and spacey guitar leads from C-Lance and Hiltz. This track does a great job of setting the tone of the record by bringing some of my favourite instrumental motifs of his last album back to a more colourful and brighter effect. Though the wordplay isn't super crazy I do think some of the albums more important lyrical moments land on this song especially the line "I know that a whole lot can change in a year/So I gotta thank God and be thankful I'm here." It's an appreciated allusion to the mental space he had to have been in last year to write some of the darker moments on Cole. Other lines about him focusing on a positive outlook and learning to block out the hate. It's a great single that kicked of the celebratory tone of this album pretty effectively.
The only other song I don't care for a whole lot is "In My Heart" for a number of reasons. Despite my love for the transparency here as Merkules spends the track delineating a cross section of his relationship with alcohol, I can't stomach the delivery he brings here. He's like half growling through all three verses while tackling this struggle from the perspective of it being a relationship. These types of songs that depict, in grave detail, the detriment alcoholism has against his life both personal and professional are getting to be just as routine as his love songs. Though, unlike "Netflix & Chill" the vocal performance is just not as tasteful this time around. Instrumentally, ENG has a beat that I can take or leave as well. The resonating bass hit are fun and the drums slap but again, it's also just slow and really over dramatic.
Closing out the album is "Time Go By" produced by C-Lance and featuring Young Buck. Despite the snares being a little thin for my taste, I still love the combination of string leads with the percussion pattern. Merkules and Buck have great chemistry especially on the fade out. I like how Merkules references Bucks previous output on his final lines while Buck alludes to his major label debut on 50's first album. Leaving us with one last banger is always a smart choice.
Merkules has always consistently made my top ten for the past couple of years but, despite that, I've always struggled to settle on which record of his is the most consistent example of what I love about him. I think with Special Occasion we finally reach that. The guitar driven trap beats I loved from last year return with an equal serving of boom bap and this record features the most solid guests on a Merkules project yet. It's like he looked at all of his catalog from this decade and took what worked the most from each album resulting in a record that is worthy of its title.
Pros: This record shines with its equal balance of trap and boom bap production. The instrumentals glow with guitars, keys and synths while Merkules delivers some of his best hooks and verses to date. The features are more than solid too from the legends like DMX and Buck to the usual suspects like Tech and Evil. I should also note that this album is easily the most consistent tonally out of Merkules' output as well
Cons: Despite his hooks and singing being catchy as usual, I think I'm finally starting to feel fatigue with Merkules vocal range. He isn't as bold or as forceful as some his contemporaries like Hopsin or Krizz Kaliko when it comes to his singing so if I had any wish list for the next album it would be to see more range from his singing. The other thing is some of the usual song subjects like romance and alcoholism are getting close to being exhausting.
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