@redactednation Puts The Game On Notice With 'Security Clearance' Album

As far collab tapes go, let it be known that I am generally not a fan. Why? You may ask. It's simple. Very rarely can two, let alone three, artists find a middle ground that brings out the best in each artist and as much as I love the Redacted roster, I was sceptical about how this tape would play out. Unlike most 'roster' or collab albums, Redacted chose to lean into their unique sonic differences to create this album and each artist took the lead depending on the song and this resulted in a multi-genre album with an uncommon fluidity. 

There are bold songs like 'Intro(Que Pasa)' and 'The Code' that have an intense 'in your face' energy. A lot of artists will layer a song like that with filler lyrics about how dope they are but you don't get the feeling that they believe what they are saying and that's what separates Redacted from any other collectives out there. You can feel the energy in their music. I wasn't in the studio, but I can imagine they recorded songs like that on a day they were genuinely feeling themselves. 

Monelle was my introduction to the Redacted team so I expected to get top tier R&B songs on this album like 'Phoenix' and soulful joints like 'Return of the Vindicators' but I didn't expect songs like 'Dihelleng' and 'Inyembezi' which are a dark take on African traditional sounds which isn't all that common with the rise of dance culture across the globe. 

So with all of the different vibes on this album, you might wonder what type of sound comes to mind when I think of Redacted? I need to look no further than 'Hazardous'. That's the one song that brings out the very best in every single member of Redacted. IORDN serves as the glue of the trio by handling the chorus and that allowed Masilo The Healer and Monelle to focus on doing what they do best. The song puts me in a mood that no other artist in the country can and that is special.