JUSTO & SHOWBIZ – BLACK OPS [ALBUM STREAM]

Despite dealing with turbulence in his life, Brooklyn rapper Justo pushed forward and is proud to release his latest project, ‘Black Ops.’ The 11-track effort arrives with two very specific goals: to pay homage to the greatest to ever do it, and to showcase that he’s not playing around. One listen reveals that he’s not only reached his goals but greatly exceeded them, in part because he was blessed with a batch of instrumentals from none other than D.I.T.C. heavyweight, Showbiz.

With the Bronx producer’s work as his canvas, Justo demonstrates time and time again his ability to blend mafioso-rap stylings with clever battle-rap bars. These show up on a number of Black Ops standouts, including the hard-hitting opening track “The Council,” the revealing “Hood Politics,” and Justo’s personal favorite track off the project, “Can’t Take Y’all Seriously.”

For the BK rapper, that song in particular exhibits his M.O. as an emcee. “The beat is insane, and the message is consistent with how I feel everyday about most of these so-called ‘industry artists,’” he explains. “I love any track of mine when I’m straight chewing up the beat, and that’s one of them for sure.”

‘Black Ops’ also follows Justo’s tendency to collaborate with a single producer on a project, including 2015’s great 7-1-Ocho with Mexican beatsmith, Ocho Vazquez. The one-rapper, one-producer approach is one of Hip-Hop’s greatest traditions, and Justo honors it with vigor and tenacity here throughout every track.

For Justo, flowing over Showbiz’s raw, gritty instrumentals came naturally, but it also opened the door for experimentation. He saw an opportunity to get loose and just straight-up spit, leaving listeners with one of the hardest rap releases to drop so far this year. The eleven track project is now available through all major digital outlets and streaming platforms, via Black Jewel Entertainment.