Audiopile Review: The hip-hop underground has arguably never been healthier. If you’re prepared to dig, a sound that mixes the rough sophistication of early-90s boom bap with the bookish abstraction of early-noughties indie rap is everywhere. And it’s proliferating through a network of here-today-gone-tomorrow vinyl releases. You could go crazy (and, frankly, broke) just trying to keep up with Billy Woods. Such releases should never be slept on, especially when they feature legendary producer Preservation. This genius came to our attention way back in 1999, with Sonic Sum’s undie classic ‘The Sanity Annex’. More recently, he wowed us collaborating with Ka as Dr. Yen Lo and Billy Woods on ‘Aethiopes’. Now, he’s back bumping ‘El León’, a collaboration with Columbian-American emcee Crimeapple. And, of course, you know it’s dooope. Preservation is a master of soulful, cinematic sound collages. Fans of Roc Marciano’s near-drumless blacksploitation beats will find much to enjoy here. And Marci is a great point of reference for Crimeapple’s rhyming too. It’s smart, witty, irreverent, and often downright narsty. Among the many, many excellent records the scene is throwing out there, this is a clear stand-out.

Prepare to embark on a sonic odyssey as CRIMEAPPLE and PRESERVATION unveil the inaugural chapter of their groundbreaking trilogy with “EL LEÓN”. The album’s title, a nod to the undisputed king of the jungle, serves as a metaphorical beacon for the unyielding hunger that the lyrical predator has always shown.

On this audio hunting expedition, CRIMEAPPLE, the lyrical monarch, roars with an intensity that mirrors the lion’s ferocity over a wild musical tapestry provided by PRESERVATION, with each track being a testament to the insatiable appetite and predatory instincts needed to navigate the wilderness of today’s music industry, a game that both artists have never bowed down to but always dominated from the outside in.

CRIMEAPPLE has always proven to be a leader of the pride, with the non-stop grind he’s been putting into his MANTECA imprint and with legendary collaborations with producers such as DJ Muggs and DJ Skizz carving his name as one of the prominent stars in the game today.

On the production side, PRESERVATION’s musical journey, whether with long-time collaborator Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def), or as one half of Dr. Yen Lo with Brooklyn emcee Ka, or through legendary collaborations with the likes of billy woods, MF DOOM, Roc Marci, RZA, Sean Price, Raekwon and countless others, have made him an iconic name in musical alchemy.

As the trilogy begins, “EL LEÓN” stands as the beginning of a new hunting season for the two, where CRIMEAPPLE and PRESERVATION are sure to transcend boundaries and reign supreme.