Since debuting nearly 20 years ago, Planet Asia has continued to cement himself as one of the best to ever touch the mic. And that’s become especially apparent these past few years as the Fresno, CA rapper has dropped one distinguished project after the next. That trend only continues with Seventy Nine, a tightly constructed and ambitious new concept album from Planet Asia and Long Island producer, DJ Concept.The West Coast emcee makes his intentions clear from the jump on the sample-fueled intro/title track where he spits, “Ni**as thought they had the throne, but they were seat-warmin’.” It’s that hunger that keeps his music fresh and forever relevant as Planet Asia and DJ Concept buck trends throughout Seventy Nine to create timeless Boom bap.Their collective effort helped structure the framework heard throughout Seventy Nine, which is that of a classic ‘79 Seville that narrates their journey. Each track crackles and fades into the next like you’re moving the radio dial, which allows for the smooth transitions within the album. That goes for whether your trunk’s being rattled by bangers like “Valuable Metals” or “Gold Vases,” or out cruising to summery anthems like “Fresh (feat. Blu & Agallah),” which follows the grim tale of police brutality that’s exposed towards the conclusion of “The Festival,” which features the late Sean Price. “I took a lot of time after we completed the joints to piece the story together and make the album one cohesive piece,” Concept explains. Planet Asia echoed those thoughts, noting how crucial it was for them to record together and that it took “a collective effort to make this great painting of sound.” Seventy Nine also demonstrates a balance of science and soul; “79” being the scientific number for gold (which has played an integral part of PA’s brand over the years), and Concept’s soulful production style. Both play a significant role in shaping the record, which also boasts an impressive lineup of guest features which include TriState, Marvelous Mag, Sean Price, Blu, Agallah, John Robinson, SmooVth, DJ Revolution, DJ Pain 1, and DJ Devastate (RIP). Tracklist: A1 Seventy Nine (Intro)A2 Valuable MetalsA3 The ExpoA4 InternationalA5 This Is Fresno (Interlude)B1 The FestivalB2 Gold VasesB3 FreshB4 Gold Chain WinnersB5 Sacred Sermons
