The Regulars are a new group consisting of some familiar faces, namely Bay Area veterans Otayo Dubb and Tahaj The First. While the two emcee/producers have known each other for a while and guest on each other’s projects, this marks their first endeavor as a duo. They now present their first album as The Regulars, Regular Rap.

Sometimes meeting expectations is all you need, especially when you’re getting an album from two artists who have consistently met a high bar over the course of their careers. Regular Rap isn’t doing anything unexpected, it’s just delivering the high quality hip hop these two have been making for years, only now as a duo. The album is chock full of laid back West Coast funk that you can groove to, and it immediately feels familiar and accessible. Fall might be turning into winter soon for most of us, but listen to this album and you’ll be right back in the middle of summer, driving around with your windows down. As emcees, Otayo and Tahaj have known each other for years, and they really sound comfortable sharing the mic on this album. They trade back and forth with the greatest of ease, and you often get the impression that the album was rooted in cypher sessions, where one emcee would hear what the other just rhymed and used that as a springboard to put their own lyrical spin on things. Over the course of the album, they talk their shit, get into their knowledge and experience as independent artists, and also stress the need for building community and getting involved. Speaking of community, they also use this album as a way to shine a light on a lot of their friends in the Bay who are also doing dope shit, getting J-Ro, Rasco, D-Wiz, Z-Man, L-Roneous, Sakima, Equipto, and White Mic to all hop on the mic over the course of eleven tracks. It all adds to how this album feels like a family affair, with community being one of the central themes of the album.

Regular Rap is a great album from a couple of artists who have been laying it down in the Bay for years. As a duo, they play together incredibly well, cooking up a funky good time as they hit on all the right notes. It’s exactly what you want out of some hip hop veterans like Otayo Dubb and Tahaj The First.