by Dan O

Smooth isn’t a good enough word for Chung Shui II. A rap album full of nasty punch lines while also delivering 80’s saxophone (You Know I Gotta) and dancehall reggae (The Drum Sound) all enacted with an other worldly confidence. The ease with which Chung goes from threatening your life to cracking jokes is something to marvel at. If you listen to You Know I Gotta, you can’t help but feel how much fun she is having. My favorite Chung brag is on Rubber Gloves & Oven Mitts (which features a truly dynamic performance by Pro Dillinger) where she self ascribes as “Careful and cautious, chocolate and cosmic.” Delivered in that hush it reaffirms the pace of Chung Shui II. Sweet Dreams is my favorite song, that Def Loaf moment where that chocolate cosmic voice turns steely eyed menace, talking about who she doesn’t trust and threatening to burn all enemies. She laughs at trash rap albums with great covers as the sample hook comes in. My favorite line in the song is “Rose like a phoenix out the concrete B*! Made from different fibers, just to remind ya. Here’s to more success and getting finer.” You get the sense that the game won’t rush Chung into anything she doesn’t want to do. When she gets control she’ll make the very most of it and set her own pace, dictate all the terms. As she toasts to the come up, I can’t wait to come along for the ride.