It's pretty safe to say that New York is undergoing a rap renaissance lately. Young dudes are appearing out of nowhere. Old dudes are getting less bitter about being old dudes and more excited to do whatever they want. There's still that daunting shadow of all of rap's history hanging over everything, but rather than be paralyzed by it, there's a joy that sits somewhere close to discovering a stash of your uncle's favorite records and realizing that they're exactly in line with your taste already. Children of the Night are the latest in a long line of dudes to take a steely New York rap formula and have a lot of fun with it. "Trust" is built on a spare tick that sounds like if GZA and RZA made "Liquid Swords" while lounging in a hammock, smoking way too much weed (maybe they did? I wasn't there,) instead of wandering around New York in the dead of winter. Like recent releases from Action Bronson and Roc Marciano (who appears on "’86 Mets") there's an endearing, somehow focused sloppiness at work here. It doesn't come off as lazy, so much as it just feels like some kids having fun making music. If you're into the tape, go see Children of the Night this Friday.
Download: Children of the Night, Queens...Revisited
