Amid new full-length efforts from Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson, Opium’s newest signees Homixide Gang continue 00*CTOBER with a tape of their own.
Sharing 5TH AMNDMENT on Friday (Oct. 26), the 19-track escapade further envelopes listeners in the label’s dark yet enigmatic soundscape. The duo’s lead single “What It Is?!” (Oct. 9) was an inkling to the new project, which featured production from prolific Carti-collaborator Pi’erre Bourne.
Beno and Meechie make strides in becoming the next face of the label, with prior records in SNOT or NOT (which they toured with Sid Shyne earlier this year) and their 00 debut Homixide Lifestyle evidently paving their way toward stardom. Tracks like “MW5” with currently-incarcerated Homixide member PROBLEM CHILD, “Road Rage” and “Addxcts” are indicative of the electric pair’s unmatched aesthetic.
Amid the trove of new songs, “What It Is?!” still remains as the album’s most tangible track. Beno opens the track with a cold-cut verse, rasping his voice over the animated, repetitive “what it is” hook. However, it’s Meechie that steals the show — ferociously tearing off his lines with both personality and lyrical poise: “We slidin’ in your window, it’s tinted (The tint) / We ride, we creep up with sticks (With sticks) / The draco got binary traits.” Bourne’s ominous, piano-led beat ceaselessly drones like a scary movie soundtrack — leaving enough room for Beno and Meechie’s flows to catch.
Homixide Gang’s affiliation with Playboi Carti runs deep, especially with Bourne handling the production of “What It Is?!”. Bourne and Carti’s relationship is heralded in recent hip-hop history, as the tandem crafted a slew of breakout hits on Carti’s self-titled debut album in 2017, most notably “Magnolia” (peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100).
Ahead of Opium’s rescheduled ANTAGONIST Tour, which will now run from Jan. 14-Feb. 29, 2024 in the US, Homixide Gang and OGM have partnered for a joint show on Oct. 27 at the Echoplex in Los Angeles. Featuring special guests in Rich Amiri, Highway and more, be sure to catch Meechie and Beno this Halloween weekend.
Listen to “5TH AMNDMENT” below!
