Sy ShacklefordMoka Only and Switch have yet to team up for a full-length LP. But separately, they’ve been giving fans enough to whet their appetites. Beginning with their first collaboration, 2020’s “Skeletons”, the Canadian duo have recently released a six-track EP entitled “The Mothership”. Described as dark and gloomy, the EP evokes feelings of a television mini-series given both its brevity and usage of such samples. While both Moka and Switch share similar flows and rhyme schemes, it’s their voices which differentiate them: Moka has a Guru-esque monotone voice while Switch has the noticeably nasal voice.
They weren’t joking when they described the record as ‘gloomy’ and the EP’s opening song bears such an atmosphere. With “Drastic”, there’s an ominous backdrop with urban saxophone notes and deep piano keys. Moka handles the hook and the first verse while he and Switch rap circles around listeners’ heads with their back-to-back multis. The battle rhymes of “War” don’t entirely match the beat, even with the deep bass. The lead single, “Who Are We”, contains some menacing piano keys and boom-bap drums:
“The Mothership” has the most cinematic feel, with production reminiscent of a 1960’s b-movie score. Lyrically, both emcees rap more braggadocious rhymes with a loose alien lifeform theme. “Loading…” is about the therapeutic aspect of rapping with many electronic ‘loading’ sounds in the background. The EP closer, “Put Work In”, has the best production with many layered samples and trash can snares. Lastly, it ties in with the earlier Guru comparison with a direct Gang Starr vocal sample in the hook.
“The Mothership” has no filler. The production and TV samples made it analogous to a six-part anthology, but the recurring story arc of two rappers’ wordplay/battle-oriented rhymes is what ties the EP together. Moka Only and Switch have a consistency to their style and music. If a full album is in the works, hopefully it’ll be consistent with they’re known for or consistent in its variation. “The Mothership” meets the former.