Jermiside is an emcee and producer from Cincinnati that’s put out a few releases on HipNott Records, and also contributed to the supergroup Lessondary. One of the many other members in Lessondary was a producer also from Cincinnati, Brickbeats. The two actually met back in 2003, and released their first collaborative project, a self-titled album, back in 2006. As long as they’ve known each other and have been working together, it’s been six years since we got a release from the duo by themselves. They’ve finally come back with a new EP, The Shade EP.

There’s no secret formula to what makes Jermiside and Brickbeats work together. Brickbeats is throwing down some really sweet soul-sampling boom bap, and Jermiside is just sitting back in the pocket of the groove and spitting his rhymes. That said, people keep returning to the formula because it works, and I’m certainly not one to complain as long as it’s down well. Brickbeats can cook up some really good midtempo grooves, and Jermiside has an easy-going swing to his delivery on the mic that makes his lyrics sound really conversational. The only thing with an EP like this is that it does take a little something extra to make the music stand out. Brickbeats is delivering a bunch of really solid beats, but there’s not necessarily one that especially stands out – there’s no hook or sample flip that really caught my ear or made me do a double take. That puts the pressure on Jermiside to add some lyrical flair to the proceedings, and unfortunately, it’s a little up and down. There’s nothing bad on the EP, but you do notice the difference between the moments when he’s really inspired and has something to say, and the moments when he’s just falling back on some more generic trash talk. I mean, when you hear a song like “Child Souldier,” which feaures SHA, you can hear how good Jermiside can be when he has something to say, as he spins these narratives about how we fail our youth and let them fall into violence. It’s very captivating and moving, and it shows how good Jermiside and Brickbeats can be when the inspiration hits. Other times, such as “Dick Dasterdley,” it just feels like we’re going through the motions and just becomes a little bit cliché as Jermiside talks some shit, but doesn’t come up with anything you haven’t heard before.

The Shade EP is some solid hip hop from two veterans who know each other well, but after six years you might want just a little bit more from them. They give you a few glimpses of how good they can be, but then they give you moments that are just good enough. Let’s hope they push each other harder next time out.