KnowMads continue their KnowMadic voyage with Complex Animals. Their sixth studio album (not including free mixtapes and a dozen or so singles) comes at a time when many of us are confused by the reality surrounding us in 2018. At a time when information moves at the blink of an eye and the news cycles become shorter and shorter, KnowMads philosophize over our collective millennial madness with the help of Jester Judd and Pete The Genius on the beats.
“Smile for the camera pain on ice
the world is a bad bitch who wanna to be liked
the world is a sad boy sippin on sprite
livin in a trap house flippin that white
Don’t tell me that’s all you could do with your life
Ima keep it real I don’t need you to like me
Say what I feel for the one’s just like me”
-Smile For The Camera
KnowMads remain unapologetically true to their message that has been the centerpiece of their music for years. More love, less hate, more honesty, less hypocrisy. KnowMads don’t make music for club hoppers and hype-beasts. They make music to think on, ponder existence, and question humanity on a level that many shallow Soundcloud artists couldn’t dream of.
“Forget about the clicks and the media likes, and all that other shit you don’t need in your life”
Pepe and Cheef hit their stride as lyricists throughout this album. The rhyme schemes are tight and clever with lines like “To be a fuck boy seems so tempting, I’m trying to explain the Iliad to Homer Simpson” and “movin weight like sumo running numbers like sudoku,” Pepe and Cheef showcase their writing styles without taking away the album’s symmetry.
Neither MC outshines the other, each one brings a different vibe and message to the album that is blended together beautifully. Pepe’s sobriety never interferes with Wilson’s Cheef Willy Wonka alter ego as the two spit together effortlessly, jumping in and out of verses like they’re jumping rope.
Traveling the world on tour has only given the KnowMads more strength as they spread their message of dream seeking positivity across the world and back to Seattle.
