Fraction has been making hip hop for quite some time up in Canada, but the Kitchener, Ontario emcee hasn’t really made much noise in the States. Hopefully, this will change with his latest album, Extra Science, done in collaboration with Toronto/Halifax producer Fresh Kils. Kils has been on a tear over the last few years, whether it’s his work as part of the Extremities or Backburner, winning Sound Battle Royale competitions, or producing tracks for numerous artists. The two have come together to make their first full length record together, and it’s a good one.

The first thing that hit me about Extra Science is just how effortless the record sounds. This speaks to both the talent levels of Fraction and Fresh Kils as individuals, and to their chemistry working together. They’re both obviously students of New York hip hop of the early ‘90s, with a sound that has roots in the music of Gang Starr and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. Fraction has a strong delivery on the mic, with a low, resonant voice and confident flow that really push the lyrics to the forefront. He does a great job of coming up with interesting rhyme schemes and cadences that fit the beat perfectly, but not always in the most obvious way. He’s also a good story teller, with the lone exception of “Another One Forgotten.” It’s a song that surely means well, but the list of bad things happening to the characters in the story pile up quickly, and the song lacks the subtlety required to pull off such a story successfully, leaving it too over-the-top to really impact the listeners. Some of the brightest points of the album come from moments of introspection in songs like “The Balance,” “Change,” or “This Is My Life.” While much of the album is laid back and rocks some slower grooves, they do switch it up on occasion. Fresh Kils raises the energy and brings some urgent funk on “That’s a Rap,” with Mister E, and Fraction responds with some high energy battle rhymes. Spicing up the album even more is the West Coast G-Funk R&B of “Hold On,” with Specks, Justis, and Mantis of the Get By. Many attempts at replicating this style come up short, especially when it comes to approximating a Nate Dogg hook, but Kils, Frac, and company nail it on this track. It certainly helps that all of the verses from each emcee are strong and compliment each other quite nicely. “All For The Unseen” ends the album on a great discussion of religion and government.

Extra Science uses a simple formula, pairing a veteran emcee like Fraction with a talented producer like Fresh Kils, but you can’t always guarantee that two artists will have chemistry. As it turns out, though, these two work great together, making an album that sounds immediately familiar and inviting. It’s smart, thoughtful, musical, and keeps drawing me back in for more listens. I’m glad these two got together.