Consisting of Sheisty Khrist and CunninLynguists members Deacon the Villain and Natti, the Off Daze released their ten-track debut (“Couple’s Skate”) in 2018. Though acclaimed in reputable hip-hop circles for its buoyant lyrics and upbeat sound, “Couple’s Skate” largely went under the radar. The inspiration for their second album eight years later had innocent beginnings. All three emcees are from Kentucky and decided to take a nosedive into the musical history of their home state. From New Birth to Midnight Star to Cage the Elephant, their immersion in different eras and genres of Kentucky’s musical scene triggered an evolution for the group. Under a challenge to re-interpret songs from KKKY, the Off Daze released a thirteen-track concept album entitled “These Old Kentucky Roads”. Natti and Deacon are no strangers to applying high concepts to their albums, the group’s sophomore album begins with a late-night drive and radio broadcasting transmissions throughout. The transmissions manifest as the twelve subsequent tracks, tracks which pay homage to their home state but with their own spin. Entirely produced by Deacon the Villain, the music blends live instrumentation and includes several local Kentucky acts like Rob Jackson and Black Coffey.
“Static Signal” is the aforementioned intro with the radio broadcast. The audio is cinematic, complete with elements of pouring rain, a moving vehicle, and a driver searching through radio stations for some road tunes. It ends with “The old Kentucky roads lead everywhere, you found the signal…” and that’s the cue for the music to drop, starting with “Follow Me”. Featuring crooning vocals of Black Coffey, Natti begins the first rapped verse, using his deep south flow filled with wordplay, Kentucky references, and observations. Sheisty Khrist has a greater faculty for multis and comes with them with seemingly no effort: “Mama a fuckin’ saint, daddy a dope fiend/ If mom was a heroine, guess daddy got morphine / And not the Mighty Morphin shot up nightly watchin’ fight endorphins / the night engulfed us / some figured that we might be orphans.” Rob Jackson helms the third verse and laces it with local social commentary.
“No Parking on the Dance Floor” is mood music, danceable mood music with melodic horns, synth keys, and multi-tracked vocals from Deacon. As far as the raps go, it’s a solo track with just Natti. He employs a double-time flow for his verse which consists of spitting game at women on the dance floor in night clubs. “All Your’n” has Deacon on the hook with Natti and Sheisty giving a rapped re-interpretation of the Tyler Childers song of the same name. On “Come a Little Closer”, there’s an almost boom-bap sound to the beat and it also incorporates vocals from a children’s choir for the hook. It’s also noted for being the first time on the album that Deacon grabs the mic. His flow has a church-trained melody that adds to the poignancy of his bars: “If man escaped time, would he escape death? / Or are we all dying because we all take breaths / We closer to apes than we are to our apex.” Deacon goes solo on “Don’t”, largely singing rhymed lyrics of love and connection.
A Niggaz With Latitude reunion occurs on “Higher” with just Deacon and Sheisty, the latter even refers to it as part three to their 2010 track “Ascension”. Lyrically, it’s made of a verse from Sheisty and background vocals from Deacon. This combo continues on “Cheers 2 U”, with rapped bars from both men and Sheisty hilariously boasting “every time I hit it from the back, call GEICO”. The soulful “It’s Been a Long Time” has several vocals interspersed throughout the song. Some are sampled, some are live such as Goldblooded’s singing. The song functions as something of duet between Goldblooded and Natti, highlighting the ups and downs of an intense relationship:
“Good Day (Dawn)” is comprised of airy vocals and music. Deacon has a verse and handles the hook with positive lyrics full of optimism and free of drama. “Good Day (Dusk)” is solely Natti, spitting rapid fire bars of violent acts that create a contrasting dichotomy with the previous track. “Remember to Breathe” is a “buddy” song, filled with late night sexual rendezvous energy in both the music and the lyrics. Last up is “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Part 2”, consisting of all three Off Daze members. Natti and Sheisty are trading tag-teaming bars while Deacon lends his voice to the hook. “These Old Kentucky Roads” ends with a concluding radio broadcast and the DJ signing off. For a long time, Deacon the Villain has been an underrated producer, but he knows how to meld head-nodding sampled beats with live instruments and vocals for a palatable sound. If hip-hop were to have sub-section for “adult contemporary”, this album would fall under that header. Eight years ago, I thought the Off Daze was a one-shot side project. Clearly, I was wrong considering all that’s led to the advent of this album, an album that serves as a love letter to both the Off Daze’s home and, pun intended, the unsung music of their native Bluegrass State.
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