Back in 2016, Detroit emcee Guilty Simpson went to Auckland on tour. While in the city, a producer named Leonard Charles reached out to him. The two connected immediately and made plans to work together on an EP. Before they knew it, they had gotten into deep and emerged with a full length album. Now the results of their collaboration are finally here with LSD.

When you’ve been making music as long as Guilty Simpson has, sometimes finding someone new to collaborate with can provide your career with a shot in the arm and get those creative juices flowing. Simpson may or may not feel that way, but as a listener, hearing him interact with Charles’ production was exciting. Perhaps that’s because Charles’ production is exciting any way you slice it, as he covers everything from synth pop to psychedelic rock to smooth R&B to straight ahead hip hop with his beats. All the energy and constant gear switching forces Simpson to be creative with his flows and match the energy of the beats with his delivery. It also doesn’t hurt that we get some of Simpson’s most personal lyricism to date, addressing everything from his love life to his music with the mature perspective of an emcee that’s a couple of decades deep into his career. Of course, he’s also going to talk his shit, since that’s his bread and butter, and he can still cut down anyone who doesn’t come correct. The whole thing comes together to create an album that is exciting to listen to, always keeping you on your toes and surprising you with musical and lyrical nuance. At the same time, you can also enjoy on the most basic level, turning your stereo up and just rocking to a good funky time.

The Leonard Simpson Duo might be an unlikely pairing, but Guilty Simpson and Leonard Charles have excellent chemistry together. They’ve challenged and encouraged each other in just the right ways, delivering a debut album that already places them a step ahead of most hip hop acts today.