[Reaper16]

21.) Cunninglynguists – Oneierology


If you don’t know Cunninglynguists then this is the album to learn about ‘em. They’re a rap trio from Lexington, Kentucky (shout out to Idle Hour Farm!) and they specialize in spittin’. These guys are like Slaughterhouse, if Slaughterhouse could write coherent songs. Kno, Natti, and Deacon (who is also a producer) have a myriad of flows that they put to use. This album might just be their best work. Why? Because of its conceptual nature, of course. “Oneierology” is the study of dreams, and all of the lyrical content is about dreams of varying sorts and what can happen both in dreams and to them. The album’s opener features a repeating vocal sample of the Notorious B.I.G. rapping that famous line of his – “It was all a dream.” Listen to the metaphors on “Hard as they Come,” in which each verse is a dramatic monologue from a controlled substance. What ties the album together even more strongly is the lush, dream-like production. So many vocal samples all throughout the album make for a nearly ethereal atmosphere. This album nails the concept of dreaming way better than the movie Inception did.