Black Milk

Rapper and producer Curtis Cross, known by his stage name Black Milk, is like a bag of Fritos chips.

There is no argument that there is top-notch production behind Fritos, like there is great production from this first rate producer. However, like Fritos, Black Milk is not a good first choice if you are shopping for something to indulge in. The end product is bland and standard. Nothing sets Black Milk apart from any other budding rapper.

His new album, “No Poison No Paradise,” is his first album in three years. His first four albums were released practically a year apart from each other, and the three-year gap for his most recent project was not very beneficial.

The best songs on the album are the ones where there is no rapping at all. Black Milk intersperses his lackluster attempt at a rap album with really good instrumentals that are eerily reminiscent of Black Milk’s major influence, A Tribe Called Quest.

Black Milk has been known to feature many up-and-coming Detroit rappers, Danny Brown in particular. However, this album failed to produce any standout performances by the featured unknown artists.

Musically, this album is somewhat spectacular and every song on the album is enjoyable to listen to, even though you end up wishing someone else would have rapped on them.

Black Milk has set another standard with this album, establishing himself as a notable producer. Nonetheless, like Diddy, he should stick to producing and leave the rapping to actual rappers.