Retro Sushi
Major Projects: Two-9 Presents: Kung Fu in Japan, The Retro Sushi EP
Notable Songs: “Mattress/They Know”; “Zonin (Feat. Rome Fortune)”; “Sigmund Freud Interlude”; “Toot$ (Feat. Damien Aidoo); “Fly Away (Feat. Lorine Chia)”; “Stayin True (Feat. Key! & Ricky Fontaine)”; “Thirty Seven Thirty Two (Feat. OJ Da Juiceman)”; “Who’s That (Feat. TheCoolisMac)”
Retro Sushi might sound like a cool nickname for that moldy leftover Japanese takeout filling your fridge with a toxic odor, but you should never judge a book by its cover—in this case by it’s name. The duo, comprised of emcee, Jace and rapper/producer, Ceej, should not be taken lightly. While they do posses an ability to fuse some light hearted humor into their work, their songs can tackle some really personal issues that other’s routinely ignore. On their debut mixtape, Kung Fu In Japan, tracks like “Mama I Been Crying,” “Diamonds Interlude,” “Fly Away,” and “Mattress/ They Know” incorporate anecdotes about their anxiety, fears, or misguided decisions that demonstrate their fearless maturity during the creation process. Rather than boasting about their ill gotten or invisible fortunes (which I love as well), they choose to discuss who they are and be transparent.
They aren’t all serious, all the time though. Jace and Ceej know how to have a good time and create those songs that make the club go nuts. For example, “Gang” and the song they have with OJ Da Juiceman, “Thirty Seven Thirty Two”. Like most party songs, both emcees take a step back from intense lyricism to ride the beat, but not too much. Their hooks are still creative and memorable…i.e“Thirty Seven Thirty Two’s” hook.
Jace’s and Ceej’s style are influenced by boom-bap and melodic music more than other members of Two-9. You will find hard booming drums on their tracks, although they will take a back seat to the sample or the melody. This aspect of their music really gives Retro Sushi a unique sound. It’s like a slight combination of trap and traditional hip-hop. Songs like “Toot$,” “Zonin,” and “Mattress/ They Know” exemplify this approach and they happen to be some of the standout tracks from their mixtape.
