This is the 5th full-length album from New York veteran Milano Constantine. Coming up in the early 2000s as a D.I.T.C. affiliate, it wouldn’t be until 2008 when he dropped his debut Sidewalk Stories & returned in 2015 with his debut mixtape The Believers. This was followed up with the Drum Majors-produced sophomore album The Way We Were along with the Oh Jay-produced Attache Case & the Showbiz-produced Boulevard Author, which is some of his best work in my opinion. However, I did enjoy his 2nd EP Eating But Still Hungry quite a bit when it came out a year & a half ago. So when it was announced that the revered underground producer Big Ghost Ltd. was hopping behind the boards for Pay the Ghost following up Milano’s last EP Block Work, anticipation going into it was very high for me personally.
“Church Service” is a bout of an uncanny way to start off the album lettin’ y’all know where you can see ‘em servin’ whereas “Target Practice” sonically feels like something out of a horror flick with Milano talking about painting the whole town red. The title track takes a more cinematic route saying that’s exactly what you gotta do sometimes, but then “Judge Mathis” itself is a piano/boom bap hybrid delivering some grimy criminology rap.
Continuing from there with “Parmigiano”, we have Crimeapple tagging along with Milano on top of some synthesizers & similar drums to the previous cut boasting their skills leading into the futuristic yet raw “Ghost Photo” getting on his gully shit lyrically. “Firewater” returns to the boom bap comparing his dialogue to such while the song “Lose You” dives into soulful turf with it’s sample along with some incredible wordplay referencing the likes of Sam Cooke & Al Green.
The penultimate track “Apex Predator” blends some pianos & synths bragging that he’s on the top of the food chain while Daniel Son & Rigz both come into the picture for “Mental Health”, which is a rugged closer to the album from the rugged beat to the vivid lyricism that all 3 MCs on the mic each have to offer individually.
Compared to the 2 EPs that Milano put out last year, Pay the Ghost is the best thing he’s put out in the 2020s thus far & a new favorite of mine in his ever-growing discography. Lyrically, the murals that Milano describes are extremely intricate & I really admire how Big Ghost decided to pull from both horror & 70s/80s sci-fi movies as far as production goes.
New York City & Cali come together with Milano Constantine & BodyBagBen as they release their new album titled “Write It In Blood“. The album cover reminded me of an old Hollywood Gangsta film with the blood red overtone and trigger happy host! The classic Hip Hop sound caught me by surprise, the quality of the mixes made each song resonate even more. The Dj scratches were all on point and fell right into the pockets of quality production, adding a full spectrum of elements we all know to expect when it comes to an excellent Hip Hop album.
The 1st song on the album “Hell Or High Water” was smooth at the roots, reminding me of the slick storytelling styles compared to the Griselda Records camp. The production sounds very east coast born, with the hi-hats and drum hitting super hard. The chant style hook screams New York, influenced by the true origins of Hip Hop culture. “Jesus Pieces” was all about bars and full of substance, I especially liked the Biggie sample used in the hook, it made the record much more fuller. The 2nd verse is gritty and raw, stays repetitive, but again this song is more focused on bars anyways.
“The Hearse” Production felt a lot like the previous song but the bells changed a bit. We see the Dj scratch formula is used time after time in the arrangement of the songs. Each artist came out swinging on this one like piranhas sniffing blood. “Sparks Steak house” Was one of those confidence boosting songs, you see the story of a don learning to move and finesse the streets. I get a NAS influence from the overall terminology, also to be noted, the DJ scratch is a major element to this album too, giving it a respectable dated golden-era feel.
“Jazz Cafe” Gave use exactly that feel, The Conway style delivery hits hard on this one with massive punch lines! Jazz sounds merge with the gangsta style approach and horror, which can be an exciting Halloween video or short horror film. “Sobre” was crazy raw too, demanding you to bop your head with passion, its like the production commands your attention. “Primavera” was dope lyrical content, the “2 greats dodging the pearly gates” line/verse really blew me away, literally making me “think twice” about my rap ability, as I myself am a Hip Hop artist. They are making me realize that Milano Constantine and BodyBagBen are truly influencing the underground Hip Hop scene by the masses.
“Write it in Blood” featuring Planet Asia was my favorite song on the album, as the bar arrangement and chemistry on this record is unmatched! I cant wait to see a visual on this one if they ever plan on making one. Planet Asia came so gritty and raw showing why he holds a legendary spot in the underground Hip Hop community. “Brutus” sounds in compliance with the rest of the album, the high bell influence made it a bit annoying, but overall its pretty average compared to the other tracks. “Vicious” featuring Supreme Cerebral was hot, I really digged the lyrical words chosen along with delivery intensity. Supreme is definitely one SoCal based artist that is hitting the underground scene super hard, separating himself from the pack for sure! The super hero vibe makes it dope, but I would like a larger variety of direct artist hooks, other than all sampled Dj Scratches hooks. But as a closing outro track, this song did its due justice. Stay updated with Body Bag Ben & Milano Constantine on social media for news music and new visuals.
– How did you first connect? And was it always the intention of collaborating for a body of work? Please detail the process of how, “Write It in Blood“ came to fruition.
Milano: We actually worked before on a joint called “Don’t Become a Victim” off my collab EP with Planet Asia. Peace to my Brothers DJ Enyoutee, Jay Royal And Planet Asia. That’s when I First Heard about BBB on the production side.
Body Bag Ben: Yah, after “Don’t Become a Victim” it was a no-brainer to collab for a full body of work.
– What prompted you both to lead off with the album single, “The Hearse” back in February? And how has the track/video been received?
Milano: We wanted to drop something for the people. Plus It’s metaphorical…we’re really going to come body the competition [laughs].
Body Bag Ben: We just wanted to get something out there for the people and start getting the ball rolling.
– Upon release of “The Hearse” the album was announced with the working title, 2 Kings. What prompted the title change, and how did you come up with the idea for the new album title?
Milano: I produced a track called “Write It in Blood.” It was only right we went with that title. It’s It sums up the passion we write with through all the blood, sweat and tears.
Body Bag Ben: Yah after that track was completed, it just felt right for that to be the album title. We both really tapped in with the pen on this one.
– Body Bag Ben, for those unfamiliar, please shed some light on your background. Considering your multi-faceted skill set, did you begin your foray into hip-hop first as a deejay, emcee or producer? And at what point did you decide to collaborate with other emcees? Please detail.
You know what’s funny about that is I started deejaying when I was like 12-13. Shit just stuck with me. I got into beat boxing, break dancing and emceeing not to long afterwards, probably around 14. I started playing instruments at a young age as well, and producing kind of just came natural to me. I’ve always had a passion for working with other artists to create some wild shit. I was in multiple bands growing up, we were signed to a record label, toured all over and all that stuff, so having that collaborative spirit has always been a thing for me.
– Milano, your career has had a strong second wind over the past few years. Do you find most of your fanbase familiar with you from your D.I.T.C. affiliation, or do you feel that you’ve been discovered in recent years more so on the merit of your music. Please detail.
I believe it’s a 50/50 split. I’m Heavily ingrained in D.I.T.C’s history and have been featured on their albumsWorldwide (2000) and Street Talk (2005), records like “Where You At?” featuring Big Pun & Big L (RIP) as well as “Hey Luv” from OC And Cuban Link. Since 2016 I’ve dropped verses for Hus Kingpin, SmooVth and many other dope emcees to branch out. In 2017 my brothers DJ Skizz, Marco Polo and I gave the people, The Way We Were LP. In 2018 I dropped Attaché Case, produced entirely by Oh Jay. Being consistent is key, so in 2019 I dropped two more projects; Boulevard Author, produced entirely by Showbiz, and DJ Enyoutee Presents: The Planet Asia & Milano Constantine EP, which Is Insane.
– Milano, What’s your favorite track off the EP, and why? And please reference your favorite bar from this song that highlights your elite level lyricism.
I love “Sparks Steak House” for the Emotion I put into the bars: “You hear that Dirt Cranking, this is God’s work, TD Jakes Kirk Franklin / $500 a plate at the Banquet / Silk handkerchiefs, Bally’s near my ankle shit”
Check out the world premiere of, “Sparks Steak House” right here courtesy of UGHHBLOG:
– Body Bag Ben, what’s your favorite beat that you produced on this EP that you feel really showcases your prowess as a producer? Please explain.
I like them all [laughs], but probably “Hell or High Water,” it just has that energy you know. *Peep an exlcusive snippet on Instagram.
– Body Bag Ben, when compared to other artists that you’ve collaborated with, what is it about Milano that stands out and makes him unique from the pack. Please detail.
On top of being a really dope emcee and producer he’s a stand up dude, that to me means more then anything when I’m working with people. This project turned into a friendship for sure.
– Milano, considering that BBB produced the lions share of the album, at what point was it decided to include your own production for the album cuts, “Sparks Steak House” and “Write It in Blood”?
We were probably about five or six songs deep. I know Ben was only going to give me that gritty shit. So I wanted to switch the mood with something soulful yet sinister on “Sparks Steak House.” Then I just went straight for the jugular when I chopped up, “Write it In Blood.”
– Body Bag Ben, due to the pandemic, I realize the opportunity to record together was not possible. That said, did you produce tracks for this album specifically with Milano in mind, or did you send him beats that you had already produced for him to choose from? And being that you’re on opposite coasts, please detail the recording process. Would you track your vocals first, and send ‘em off to Milano to add his verses, or visa versa? Please detail.
This year’s has been tough for everyone and to be honest this project was built so organically that it sounds like we recorded it together in a studio. We definitely played off each others energy; he would send his verses I would send him mine and it just worked out perfect man. I couldn’t be happier with the final product.”
– Now that the project is complete and ready to be delivered to the masses, please detail what you would like fans and listeners to take away from the project. Please detail.
Milano: I want the masses to walk through this musical art gallery of emotions and leave saying, “we just witnessed Basquiat and Rembrandt in the flesh”…audio art.
Body Bag Ben: I want people to break their neck rockin’ to these joints! I want people to say there’s not one track worth skipping. From top to the bottom we both worked hard on this and we did it for the listeners, word up.
– Please reference your forthcoming projects for 2021 that you’re at liberty to speak upon:
Milano: We have an album with Showbiz & D.I.T.C titled, Place Your Bets, a project with DJ Swet from Spain tentatively titled, Block Work. We working…God bless.
Body Bag Ben: I have an LP with J-Scienide, an EP with Chino XL and an EP with Rick Hyde. All have crazy features on them. And that’s just what I know is happening 100%. I’m always looking towards the future you know.
– And now for our infamous question. Body Bag Ben, what’s your definition of underground hip-hop?
Body Bag Ben: To me, underground hip-hop is a combination of a shared history, a brotherhood compartmentalized through love and pain. You can’t fake the feeling when it hits you. You know it’s real.
The East-meets-West Coast connection of Milano Constantine & Body Bag Ben share their snarling new single, “Write It In Blood,” alongside their frequent collaborator Planet Asia. It also serves as the focus track from the duo’s forthcoming album of the same name. Produced by Milano, the menacing track provides the fuel for all three emcees to go straight for the jugular. “Write It in Blood” is available now through all major digital retailers and streaming platforms, with their full length LP dropping the following Tues, Dec. 29.
Leading up to his new EP, “All Good” set to drop August 24th, French beat maker Ortist Music drops his self titled first single off the project this past weekend featuring Eto, Milano Constantine, and Ranson.
Subscribe To Our Weekly NewsletterStay Updated With Exclusive Content, News, & Events Straight To Your Inbox!