He never
really went anywhere, but it certainly seems like we’re witnessing the second
coming of Lawrence “DJ Muggs” Muggerud. Since “returning” to the hip hop scene
in 2017, he’s had a prolific and entertaining run, releasing projects with
Meyhem Lauren (two of them, to be exact), Roc Marciano (ugh), his own group
Cypress Hill (Elephants On Acid, which I’ll get around to reviewing eventually,
was really fucking good from what I remember after listening to it), and even
dropping another entry in his Soul Assassins series. Five albums fully produced
by Muggs within a two-year timespan is nothing to laugh at: the man may have
spent a significant chunk of this decade focusing on side projects in the realm
of trip hop, rock, dubstep (which was an unfortunate detour, but whatever), and
offering occasional production to Die Antwoord, but he hasn’t stopped working since
Meyhem Lauren’s Gems From the Equinox was announced.
His Vs.
series features some of my favorite works from Muggs, as he teams up with
various artists to provide them with a soundscape that helps them tell their
story, all while challenging himself to adapt his sound with each environment. So
far he’s aligned himself with the likes of GZA/Genius, Sick Jacken, Planet Asia,
Ill Bill, and the aforementioned Lauren and Roc Marcy, with more promised in
the coming months. Having rediscovered his love of hip hop, apparently, he’s
also started paying much more attention to fringe artists who haven’t yet
broken out of their box, but are deserving of a wider audience. That brings us
to the subject of today’s post, Hells Roof, Muggerud’s collaboration with
rapper Eto.
