Adam WarRock and Tribe One are both emcees known to nerdcore fans, but on their latest project with producer Joules, we get an EP that steps outside the confines the subgenre. However, WarRock has often blurred the line between nerdcore and other styles of hip hop, so this should come as no surprise.

The production of Joules brings a mixtape sensibility to the EP, bringing in some obvious samples of Barry White and The Pixies, but also mixes in some classic early ‘90s soulful hip hop, most notably on “High Fidelity” and “Wayback.”

WarRock dominates the mic for the majority of the EP, laying down some great personal rhymes with a very natural flow and great feel for the groove. “High Fidelity,” “Wayback,” and “Maybe” all give great insight into his relationship with music, and “Bipolar” gives a nice anthem for anyone feeling down or angry for no discernible reason. Tribe One gets does get his moment to shine, though. “Different” is a beautiful and touching song dealing with children feeling worthless and bullied. In the first verse, it’s a young boy coming to terms with being queer and dealing with family and classmates who hate him for it. In the second verse, it’s a nerdy girl who was sexually harassed at school. In the third verse, Tribe One puts himself in the song, describing how he was picked on for being biracial. The chorus falls in line with the “It Gets Better,” campaign, which I know has its problems, but I’d be lying if I didn’t tear up a little when Tribe declares “You’re not different - you’re special. You’re sitting on the threshold of infinite potential. If you can just hold on a little bit more, you’ll get to see the reason you were given this for. You’re not different - you’re unique, and one day crowds will gather just to listen to you speak. And if you can hold on, it gets better. I promise it gets better.” I hope the song reaches the youth that need to hear it.

After this short collection of moving, personal songs, we get an odd bonus track in “Gundam Wings & Fries.” It features a guest verse from P. Longest, and it doesn’t fit with the rest of the music at all. For one, it sounds more like a Lil Wayne track in production style, which is a sharp departure musically from the rest of the EP. Even worse though, P. Longest drops some ridiculously sexist rhymes that usually make me turn off the song before I get to anybody else’s verses. It’s an odd note to end on, when the rest of the EP is so touching and well-crafted.