Fort Ancient Records is not only a record label out of Cincinnati, but also a collective of producers that includes Homage (CVG), Phonophage, Dren AD, Grocery Choppin’, and Waldo From Cincinnati. The last time we heard from them as a whole was back in August of 2017, when they dropped their themed EP, Gatsby. Now they are back with an EP called First Team.

While the last EP had a clearly defined theme, First Team is a little more loose in it’s construction. Fort Ancient are all talented producers that work well together, and on this EP they’ve delivered some really great beats that push your classic boom bap just left of center, leaving it accessible and just a little bit weird and interesting. This is perfect, because alongside their instrumental tracks, they’ve brought in a bunch of talented young artists from Cincinnati to showcase how great the up-and-coming generation is. We get contributions from Xzela, Luna Bruja, CJ The Cynic, GrandAce, Monty C. Benjamin, Devin Burgess, and D-Eight. They each get a chance to add their own unique flavor to their tracks, but also have the connecting elements from Fort Ancient to put them all in dialogue with each other. The real testament to the talent that Fort Ancient assembled is that each time I listen to this EP, I have a new favorite guest artist.

First Team isn’t too complicated of a formula, but it’s not as easy to pull of in practice as it might seem. Fortunately, Fort Ancient makes it looks easy because they are all so good at their jobs, and they come together to make some really compelling beats. On top of that, they let a lot of unsung talent from Cincinnati shine. They get a lot done in a short amount of time.