The Harlemite known for plenty of kush smoke and Rugby flavor is back with more music. Never really taking a break, he has had four or five releases in the span of a year and a half. Then again, my counting may be off. Regardless, Dza hasn’t taken a break. He stays motivated by the love of his fans, family, and the lack of love from many of these so called “magazines”. With that said, Rugby Thompson is a culmination of Dza flexing his skills over Harry Fraud’s production.

 

Taking note of what his detractors have mentioned, Dza made sure to sling more stories, concepts, and tangible lyrics. “Rugby Thompson” kicks the album off with lyrics like “…mastered the art of sh*ttin/ now I teach my son to potty/Harlem stuntin’/RL somethin’/these garbage men got no swag/ Charles S. Dutton…”. “Playground Legend” tells tomes of tribulation when those chosen for greatness falter greatly. “Prelude to Judgment Day” has him flowing only to be broken up by vocal samples. For the most part, Smoke Dza brings his typical rhymes with more effort.

 

Harry Fraud’s production almost perfectly matches Dza’s flow and thematic approach. “Ash Tray” presents the chopped and screwed music with much success. “F*ck Ya Mother”, with its melodic flute sample, hard hitting strings, vocal samples, and drum kicks plays the perfect foil for Sean Price and Smoke Dza to express their urban aggression. Yet, Fraud avoids auditory boredom by having throwback hip hop joints like “Kenny Powers” and the ominous sounding “Rivermonts”.  Keeping the tracks diverse, Harry Fraud makes sure that listeners never surrender to dullness.

 

Combining forces has brought another solid release from the Rugby Representative. Smoke Dza will probably be chastised for his urban tailored flow and emphasis on street values. However, people should know what to expect. What they need to take note of is the cohesion between Dza and Fraud. They quickly made an album filled with nice music. In the end, this is another quality addition to the catalogue of the Rugby King.

 

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