Good friends since middle school, The Underachievers, consisting of Issa Gold and AK, were persuaded by Juice and Meechy Darko of Flatbush Zombies to start rapping together. Since then, the duo has proven they’re no longer simply a couple of aspiring SoundCloud artists.
Their first project in early 2013, Indigoism, was met with positive reviews. They amassed a small but loyal fanbase and released another project, The Lords of Flatbush, later that year. But, the quality in this project dropped significantly — they made their beats quickly, their vocals sounded choppy and the production value was overall low.
The next year, they released their first full length album, Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium, a celestial album which they assembled far more diligently. But, even this was ill-received and unwelcomed.
Finally, after three projects, the duo has found an identity in Evermore: The Art of Duality.
The Underachievers have always been known for their infatuation with psychedelics and spirituality, but until this project, it wasn’t evident they actually knew much about the topics.
The lyrics contained vague themes concerning the “third eye” humans supposedly have, and how the duo was on a higher plane than the uninspired masses. In Evermore, it’s clear the pair has done their research, going far more in-depth into what it means to be “enlightened.”
The album is split into two parts — the former features a relaxed, uplifting sound, while the latter has a darker, gloomier aura. They’ve cleaned up the disorganized feel of their previous works, making it clear that, instead of either completely flying high or sinking in groundless pessimism, they lie somewhere in between.
In the album’s first half, the two contemplate their troubled upbringing in Flatbush, New York. In “Star Signs,” Issa raps, “A young teen, depressed and my mind stressed / Had no dreams, at best, was tryna find death.” While at times sounding a bit repetitive, the rhymes are without question an authentic portrayal of their rocky past.
Their inability to find a direction in their lives explains their inability to find a direction in their earlier music. But in this album, it seems they’ve discovered that a lack of direction doesn’t necessarily mean they’re lost.
They were clearly unremitting in the preparation of this section, delivering line upon line of well structured, smooth lyrics. The creative rhyme schemes help hide the fact that neither of the two switches up their flow frequently.
The second half begins with “Reincarnation,” a heavy, ethereal track that could easily be the beginning of a new album.
The two still share several life experiences in this new section, but instead of reminiscing on the past, they return to the present. They transition from rapping about their dysfunctional childhood to their now-heavy cash flow, dank weed and loyal crew Beast Coast.
While both artists have ventured into new themes, their habit of spitting out the same rhythms quickly becomes tiring. Their lyrics hold immense meaning, but it seems the group is trying to cram a dictionary’s worth of information into listeners’ heads in just over an hour — it’s not pleasant.
The Underachievers have forcibly turned the spotlight on themselves with this album. The unique themes and solid production have catapulted the duo nearly out of the underground. Still, quite a few hurdles remain if they’re looking to make it into the rap history books.
