I’m not sure if this comes off as a critique, praise or just plain observation but in reference to the beginning of the liner notes (specifically the paragraph before the ‘Intro’ and the ‘Intro’ itself) I came to notice things about Tanya Morgan. Firstly, Tanya Morgan is really more than just CD’s and these tracks we listen to, y’all have created a brand and a style.
The creative direction you took both musically and as artists with creating cassettes, ideas for DVD cases, survival kits/maps & 3-ring binders solidifies the fact that Tanya Morgan really are artists and not just rappers. Y’all are oft mentioned as descendents of the De La Soul sound which is high praise since De La was significant during (what I consider) the Golden Era of Hip-Hop.
Sometimes however, I think some of those artistic ideas overshadow the projects themselves. The idea of concept albums are terrific, it’s a great outlet and probably allows for a ton of inspiration and ideas to seep in but again, the concept itself may overshadow the music itself.
For example, I think Brooklynati was amazing, classic in every right. You managed to execute the concept of an imaginary town and the music itself didn’t suffer and in fact was probably enhanced by the entire theme. On the flip side, I think certain parts of PGHI & High Fidelity had miscues in order to stick with their respective themes.
But we get to You & What Army. Before everything, the Intro is incredibly dope! I was actually out in Brooklyn listening to the album and it struck me that the Intro was actually a metaphor. It honestly made me feel some sort of way, it was a mixture of departure, rebirth and new direction. If I had to rate ARMY’s songs one by one, the Intro gets a 10/10. It was executed perfectly from Ilyas sayin’ he had things to take care of, “keep drivin’”, and Don saying “if we get lost, its on us.” Absolute perfection.
And the execution and idea and timeliness of You & What Army is exactly what I needed from Tanya Morgan. I can imagine the whole process of Moonlighting, Brooklynati, High Fidelity & PGHI was stressful but fun and satisfying especially considering the bonuses/extras that came with each. BUT I think you have come to a realization that while all that stuff is fun and fans appreciate it (I definitely do) that you had to get back to the music.
Again, I’m speaking from a fan’s perspective but I’ve been waiting for Tanya Morgan to take off the gloves and just GO IN. Ya know? And I think Army is just the beginning of that. Both you and Don and the rest of the Lessondary seem to have this focus now, this inspiration and determination to rap your asses off, produce quality beats and work off one another’s ability to spit.
The EP itself is absolute flames, but it’s not just an album, it’s a whole new mindset, a new chapter in the story of Tanya Morgan (which is why the Intro is ridiculously meaningful). In all honesty, this seems like what Tanya Morgan needed. Everything seems to headed towards the right direction, right now.
Much success to you guys, it’s been a long time coming.
