In some ways, it was only a matter of time before Nostrum Grocers, the collaboration between ELUCID and Milo, was an official thing. The two have toured together and have shown up on each other’s projects over the past couple of years. So when they officially announced their debut album as a duo, it only made sense when they revealed that this project actually started three years ago when they initially started recording some ideas, only to pick things up in a more official sense last fall, when they went into the studio to record the album that is now released.

The connection from these two artists make sense in a lot of ways, first and foremost because these two as emcees like to work in fluctuation with their lyricism, moving back and forth between these really esoteric and abstract philosophical ideas to some really cutting and critical social observations. While both ELUCID and Milo are both primarily known as emcees, both have shown themselves to be just as capable producers, and they team up to create a meditative soundscape for their first album as a duo. While a lot of this album is just as you’d expect given a working knowledge of the two, there is actually a lot more optimism to this project than their previous outputs. This is because as they were recording the album, both artists were going through some major positive life changes, with Milo moving to Maine to open up a record store called Soul Folks, and ELUCID becoming a father. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, as the two are more than aware of how the cards are stacked against two African American artists trying to build together, but there is definitely a hopeful edge to the album. The hooks and pop sensibility of the duo emerge here and there, but this is more a project about lyricism, meditation, free-association, and the dialogue of two emcees with a lot of tools in their kits. On top of everything else, the two compliment each other well sonically, with ELUCID’s low raspy voice serving in nice contrast to Milo’s smoother conversational flow coming through in the mid-range.

For those that have been following Milo and ELUCID over the past few years, Nostrum Grocers is exactly what you want out of their first collaboration. It’s interesting, abstract, challenging, and fun to listen to, packed with dense lyricism that rewards on repeat listens.