In September of 2021, longtime Strange Famous artist Prolyphic made his return under a new name, Mopes, releasing a self-titled EP. On that EP, we were introduced to the two newest members of the Strange Famous family, Jesse the Tree and BlackLiq. As it turned out, Mopes and BlackLiq had already been collaborating, and just one month later we got the album Time is the Price, featuring BlackLiq on the mic and Mopes on the beats. Since that time, we got a solo album from Mopes, Unwound, and BlackLiq made an EP with Ohbliv, What Will It Take. Now the two have reunited for their sophomore album as a duo, Choice is a Chance.

Anytime someone makes an album like Time is the Price, where BlackLiq made his label debut and laid out so much of his personal and emotional life story, it can be expected that the artist might need a little while to regroup and figure out their next move. However, in the case of BlackLiq, he had been self-releasing projects for a few years before joining up with Strange Famous, and his raw emotional style of hip hop is just who he is. As we jump back in with Mopes on Choice is a Chance, it only takes a few seconds into the opening track, “Strange Famous,” to know that we are in good hands. Mopes is throwing down a funky beat with some really crisp drums and funky bass line that will get your head nodding, and BlackLiq starts to talk his shit. Now, if BlackLiq just decided to keep this shit talking on the generic side, no one would have really minded, as long it was fun and playful. It would have been completely enjoyable and a fine way to start an album. However, BlackLiq keeps finding all of these interesting moments to subvert you expectations, especially when he moves into the second verse and flips the script back on himself and starts going in about his own difficultly in talking about his feelings. It’s at that moment that you know you’re in for something that is going to connect with you on a deeper level than most. As we continue to move through the album, Mopes and BlackLiq keep delivering on all sorts of different levels. They can come hard, they can make it funky, and they can have fun and drop some hooks that will stay with you, but there is also plenty of room for these really raw emotional and personal moments to land. This could be the deconstruction of Black masculinity on “Therapy,” or the story behind his mom’s dental problems on “The Tooth,” which hit me like a ton of bricks the first time I listened to it. Lest you think this album is just about these heavy moments, there is also room for fun and classic hip hop, like on the upbeat “Dogs That Bark But Don’t Bite,” with it’s huge horn hits and BlackLiq’s list of grievances that is delivered with a wink and a smile and a sense of humor.

Mopes and BlackLiq have amazing chemistry together, and for their second go around on Choice is a Chance, they have improved on everything. They didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, they were just themselves and trusted the process to deliver an album that is both fun to listen to and emotionally vulnerable. It’s soulful, playful, honest, and just an incredibly well-rounded album that hits on all the right notes.