't Hof van Commerce

Talent always surfaces sooner or later. A towering cliché, but Alois & VLB prove that there is truth in those words. The Ghent duo has been steadily working their way up the ladder for years and showed on two previously released EPs that the incipient hype surrounding their name was justified. A story of eternal promises, or would the twosome also manage to deliver on them, doing what many in their field fail to do? We don't have a crystal ball, but Alois & VLB are different. Difference has to be there and they make it so in every way imaginable. Content-wise, by not shying away from any theme, fighting despair with an open mind and putting urgency in every word they rap. And musically by the epic and layered productions by Alois, possibly the best producer of his generation. Is all that talent a curse or a blessing? Perhaps both, but it does provide a clear final destination. The top, nothing more and nothing less. For the past two years, the duo has been patiently working on a dike of a debut album, on which their talent would be fully unleashed. It promises to be a coming-of-age record, where listeners can witness from the front row how the young rappers of yesteryear will suddenly play along with the big boys. The compelling first single “Love” (out on 30/8) already makes it clear that Alois & VLB have come to be here for a while.

There is a French expression: reculer pour mieux sauter. Which means: to retreat for a while and then come back fully charged. You could apply it to the Hof Van Commerce. Although they never really disappeared from the stage. Last year they confirmed their status as Belgian hip-hop kings once again when they left Kortrijk crushed after two shows in honor of 25 years of their debut album 'En in Izzegem...'. They did work in the lee for the past few years on new material, 'LP6', their - yes - sixth record.

Back again, and with a lot of enthusiasm, it seems. LP6' is genuine 't Hof Van Commerce, an album that takes Buyse and Kowlier back to when they first stuck their nose in the hip-hop window. Not a nostalgic trip, but rather picking up again the vibe with which Buyse and Kowlier once started making music. It's like seeing their first sweetheart again after a long time and showering her with compliments. 'LP6' is straightforward hip-hop, a collection of tracks built on a foundation of fat beats on which Buyse and Kowlier drape their lyrics. And those who listen intently will hear some raunchy insights in between the great eagerness.