Review: Mic Lanny and DeeJay Tone – Good Cop Bad Cop

Tonight marks the album release of local emcee Mic Lanny and producer DeeJay Tone, who have teamed up for their latest project, titled, “Good Cop Bad Cop.” Bogies will also play host to IB’s album release, “Isaac Berry”, alongside Chambers, and performances also from Reef The Lost Cauze with DJ Stress, AWAR with Vanderslice, Manifest and DJ Rawthreat.

“Good Cop Bad Cop” begins with a soundbite from 2010’s “The Other Guys”, with a dialogue from characters played by Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, that plays up to the theme of the title and opens the curtain for the album.

The first track, “It’s All Love”, is one of the stand-outs on the album for me, with themes of duality, opposites and an interplay reminiscent of the title in its narrative. The chorus’ simplicity balances well with the rhythmic patterns of Lanny’s bars throughout the song.

The production, cuts and use of sampling from DeeJay Tone is carefully done (and done well) and helps glue the tracks together as one coherent album, with a strong narrative behind it. This is an album you can listen to in one sitting without realizing 40 minutes have gone by. The two, Tone and Lanny, both of F Word Records, play good cop, bad cop well together, with their different styles, skills and individualism coming together with a brotherly compliment.

“Bad Man’s World” is another favorite of mine on the album, with a nostalgia-trigger sample throughout that brings me back to another time, picturesque of the 1920s or 40s. Love everything about this one.

The album also features a track that appears on Tone’s and Shyste’s album, “Climate Control: Winter Edition” with Shyste, Tone and Lanny teaming up with skillful ease. “Good Cop, Bad Cop” features guest appearances from Manifest, Shyste, Animal Cracker, Rick Whispers, Cody B Ware, Gorilla Tao and Dephyant, who all add their own vocal styling to the foundation that Tone and Lanny built for them mindfully.

Lanny’s lyricism is beyond witty – even just talking to him in person, some of the stuff he comes up with is too creative for a normal conversation – and this translates well in his music. His lyrics, delivery and range on this project has earned him another belt color for his career, (I believe this is the most material I’ve listened to from Lanny as one collection) and the best part is, I can feel the momentum that he’s just getting started.

You can pick up a copy of the album tonight at Bogies and stay up on FWordRecords for more information.