Once upon a time, Psybo was an emcee in the London, Ontario group known as Toolshed, alongside Timbuktu and Chokeules. The group released three albums before Psybo started to work on his solo album. It was at that time, around 2006, that with the album just finished that he decided to pack things up, move to Vancouver, and start a family. Over the years, only a select few actually got to hear the album. Now, after all these years, Hand’Solo finally gets to release his album, Wherewithal.

While this album has been tucked away in the vaults for over a decade, when you listen to it, it will immediately sound familiar. Part of the reason is that while Psybo opted out a while ago, all of his collaborators on the album are names that you’re familiar with. Fresh Kils and Timbuktu lay down the beats, Fester and DJ Dubble lay down the cuts, and Timbuktu and Chokeules hop on the mic to join their Toolshed buddy on a couple of tracks. These guys all know each other well, and the formula for success here isn’t too complicated – fun boom bap beats and clever wordplay on the mic. Psybo finds moments across the album to work in some more personal and substantive lyrics here and there, which gives you enough to feel like you’re getting to know him and feel a connection as a listener. Those moments are spread out, though, because the majority of this album is all about rocking the crowd and having fun. It’s full of big beats that sound great when you pump up the volume on your speakers, and Psybo entertains with plenty of shit talking and clever wordplay. It will make a great addition to your party playlists as we enter the dog days of summer.

Wherewithal might have been recorded twelve years ago, but it feels timeless. It could have been recorded this year or twenty years ago, and it wouldn’t really matter. That’s because this is just about great boom bap and clever rhymes, and Psybo does the style justice and has fun while doing it. I don’t know if we’ll ever get another album from him, but I’m glad this is finally seeing the light of day.