I’ve been a fan of Virginia emcee Fly Anakin for a hot minute, however it’s been close to impossible to keep up with the output that he and his other Mutant Academy family. The last project I got a chance to peep was the “Panama Plus” project Anakin did with Tuamie & Koncept Jack$on (another must listen), so to hear Fly Anakin & Ohbliv coming together in “Backyard Boogie” I was already in.
Off top Fly Anakin is an emcee’s emcee, his delivery is sharp, he demands the microphone in complete confidence. If another rapper were to even breathe in his direction, I’m expecting an instant fatality by the hands of Fly Anakin. His ability to paint pictures of his life whether in luxury or in “Faceplant in San Bernadino!” Anakin brings you on every single adventure he’s been on.
I can’t believe I even have to dedicate a paragraph to this, but this is an LP coming in around 45 minutes. When I heard “Backyard Boogie” was a real thing (and not a figment of my hip-hop collab imagination) I immediately expected this to be an EP. Of course that would’ve been fine because collaborations like this don’t come around often, seeing this being 16 tracks filled my heart with excitement. Ohbliv and Anakin keep the consistency through the entirety of this project, in fact a good number of tracks on this are split with two different beats, making “Backyard Boogie” a grimy underground roller coaster.
Ohbliv has always been one of my favorite producers, he’s never let us down and “Backyard Boogie” is no different. We get the vintage sounds and samples we’ve grown to love over the years. A beautiful soundscape for Fly Anakin to come in a rip it apart with his raw, cutthroat lyricism. My goodness and you want to know how I know this is a Mutant Academy project? Because there are MA members all over this thing. I love it. Cats claim all these affiliations but I never see them on tracks together. Anakin has no issue letting his peers flex tracks like “Schemin’ Plottin’” “Several Blunts Later” and the unbelievable finale “Stocking Cap” all show the unlimited talent that the Academy holds.
This is a hip-hop record. Some of you are going to hate me saying that, whatever. This is what I listened to before basketball practice, it’s not lyrical miracle stuff, it’s a polished emcee, coming together with a talented producer, bringing your friends and creating something special. Fly Anakin takes his music seriously and “Backyard Boogie” is one of my favorite projects of this year. Give “Backyard Boogie” a listen and then go back and do your research on all of Mutant Academy.