Remarkably, this soul and funk infused hip-hop tour de force arrives two decades after its creation and the duo's debut LP, Ghetto Pop Life, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Enthused by the response to Ghetto Pop Life, soon after, Danger Mouse and Jemini began to tour and to write and record Born Again. Finally, having been recorded two decades ago and indefinitely shelved until now, Born Again is finally released to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Ghetto Pop Life. The previously unheard record retains many of the elements of Danger Mouse and Jemini's debut; the fun-loving, shit-talking innocence, but also adopts a noticeably more introspective and confessional tone. This time, in addition to light-hearted topics such as being an incredible artist ("Knuckle Sandwich II", "Brooklyn Basquiat"), living large and being a magnet for attention ("Me"), Jemini also delivers highly personal and occasionally devastating lyrics about missed opportunities and redemption ("All I", "Born Again"), his time in prison ("Locked Up"), and complicated relationship with his father ("Dear Poppa"). His effortless free-flowing cadence and indelible sing-song delivery elevate each track with a melodic infectiousness, while Danger Mouse exhibits an affinity for resonant instrumentals built from sampled organ, vibraphone, or guitar loops and infused with his trademark minor key magic. The result is a classic, timeless hip-hop record.
