Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcee and producer Raz Fresco has returned with his 18th studio LP, Y = Self. Having established himself as a staple of the underground scene since his early features and mixtapes, Fresco continues to demonstrate his remarkable dexterity. Following a prolific run that includes collaborations with Futurewave, Nicholas Craven, Estee Nack, and DJ Muggs, Y = Self arrives just 15 months after his previous effort, Stadium Lo Champions.
The album opens with the rugged, mellow tones of “It Don’t Stop,” setting a reflective tone that carries through the project. Tracks like “Borders” utilize a drumless production style to explore themes of generational madness, while “The Living Light” showcases Fresco’s ability to balance warm boom-bap aesthetics with sharp lyrical precision. Throughout the first half, he tackles complex subjects, from the soul-searching “Can’t Let Go” to the questioning of hip-hop authenticity on “What’s Really Real?”
The second half of the project maintains this momentum. “Mayday” serves as a stark warning about the finality of one’s choices, while “Memoires” features the album’s sole guest appearance from The 6th Letter. Fresco’s production remains a highlight, particularly on “PlzTllMe,” where he masterfully flips a soul sample to create a backdrop for his commentary on the craft. The project concludes with “Euphoria’s Formula,” a soulful outro that feels like a direct transmission from the artist to his listeners.
Having last produced an entire project for himself on 2023’s Pocket Operations III: Breakfast in Berlin, Fresco’s return to the boards for Y = Self feels both timely and necessary. It is an introspective opus that further cements his legacy as one of the underground’s most consistent and respected voices, over 15 years after his initial breakthrough on Ace Hashimoto’s “Super Smash Bros.”
Score: 8/10