CMDWN has been making waves in the underground Toronto scene for years. Whether it be because of their incredible blend of southern American trap music, or because of their public stunts, such as throwing smoke grenades into a McDonalds for the “HELLalujah” music video, the duo made of rappers Ca$tro Guapo and Fiji have been inescapable in the city. They have been at the centre of the Toronto scene for months, and ATLANADA 2, their latest project, proudly showcases that.
The project features some of Toronto’s biggest names including KILLY, Pressa, and Lil Berete. As the name of the project insinuates, ATLANADA 2 combines Guapo’s Atlanta background with Fiji’s hometown Toronto musical palette. The result is an energetic, entertaining project that does not sound quite like typical Toronto or Atlanta trap. The project consists of 14 tracks, and although not exclusively, the majority of production is handled by Dnny Phntm.
ATLANADA 2 unarguably finds its core sound in fundamental trap music surprisingly successfully. The formulas for the tracks may not be experimental but they have no reason to be. Instead CMDWN are incredible at making stripped down trap records with fantastically catchy hooks and interesting verses. “ROXANNE,” the second track on the album, is one of the best examples of this. On the track Guapo, alongside highlight feature Chief Keef, rap about drugs, girls and violence, yet the combination of ignorant lyrics alongside the undoubtedly infectious production create an amazing trap record.
“Hit and Run” features light, childish production, and contrasts perfectly with the duos dark, twisted lyrics. In the first verse Guapo raps, “Hit that ho and dip, dip, nigga, that’s a hit and run // Get your ass zip, zipped, paramedics pick him up.” Once again, as seen throughout the album, the production is handled by Dnny Phntm, and the result is an ignorant, yet catchy record. Furthermore, the track features Lil Wop, whose distinctive whispering style leaves one of the biggest impressions out of all the features on the album. The switch up from Guapo to Wop also provides variety within the track, yet Guapo instinctively changes his own cadence to ensure the the stylistic feature works with the rest of the project.
The three tracks that follow “Hit and Run” are by far the highlight of the entire project, filled with everything that makes CMDWN the explosive duo that they are. The run starts with “Icey.” Fiji raps “Why your wifey wanna wife me? // Is it ’cause a nigga icy?// Pull up stuntin’ in some Y-3 //Her eyes low, she need some Visine”, one of his personal highlights on the project. KILLY also has a verse on the track, and his signature flow comes off more desperate for success than ever before. The track does not divulge from expectations, it features two verses and the hook three times, yet it is this simplicity that makes “Icey,” and ATLANADA 2 as a whole so enjoyable.
“Die in Supreme” features Nessly, although the best part of the track is hands down Guapo singing about how he wants to wear Supreme when he dies. Lastly comes the track “Paul Walker,” with the record being just as insanely dark and hilarious as the title signifies. The duo rap about how their ignorant driving skills as simply pulling “Paul Walker shit,” but the track is more than just an edgy jab at the late Fast and Furious star. Dnny Phntm uses vocal chops and distorted 808’s to create one of the most interesting and alarming beats on the project.
Before ATLANADA 2 comes to an end, major Toronto artists like Pressa and Lil Berete make appearances alongside the Duo, and both of their features work well with the entire project. Ca$tro Guapo and Fiji also remain consistent on the last few tracks, overall remaining strong to finish off one of their best projects to date. On ATLANADA 2, CMDWN sounds like a rap duo ready to become overnight stars and hit the mainstream. Listen to the record in it’s entirety down below.