Atlanta rappers Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot make up the genius rap anomaly and undeniable oddity that is EARTHGANG. The two emcees beautifully contrast each other, frequently drawing comparisons to Outkast due to Johnny Venus’s sharing Andre 3000’s over the top energy and style while Doctur Dot and Big Boy are known to provide insanely abnormal tracks with a more conventional style of rapping. With an established fan base and the strength of J. Cole’s label, Dreamville, the stars aligned for EARTHGANG in 2019 as they dropped their major-label debut Mirrorland leaving fans to decide if it would live up to the lofty expectations that the two creatives bestowed upon themselves through the steady release of high-quality music.

Photo via Colors Studio Twitter — *Photo via* *Colors Studio* *Twitter*

The duo has been slowly gaining traction since their debut EP The Better Party came out in 2010 while the two rap fanatics were attending Hampton University in Virginia, the southern hub where the group met fellow Dreamville signee J.I.D who was attending on a football scholarship. EARTHGANG went on to release a handful of mixtapes and singles leading up to their debut album Shallow Graves For Toys in 2014. Their growing buzz was greatly expedited in 2017 when the duo announced that they would be singing to J. Cole’s label, Dreamville. With an established fan base and the backing of Dreamville, the stars aligned for EARTHGANG in 2019 as they dropped their major-label debut Mirrorland leaving fans to decide if it would live up to the lofty expectations that the two creatives bestowed upon themselves through the steady release of high-quality music.

On September 6th, EARTHGANG released Mirrorland through Dreamville/Interscope Records. The album runs for just under an hour and boasts features from Young Thug, T-Pain, Kehlani, and others.

The album opens in epic fashion with the diverse and intriguing “LaLa Challenge”. The track slowly builds up throughout the entire song, bouncing back and forth between different instrumentation, until it finally climaxes in a loud and pacing outro. While the song certainly won’t get placed on any large playlists due to its deviation in energy and tempo, it is a perfect intro that introduces potential new listeners to the wide array of sounds and styles that EARTHGANG is capable of.

The second track “UP” is one of three pre-released singles on the album and is easily one of the best cuts on the album. Johnny Venus steals the show on this track delivering an absolutely captivating vocal performance frequently using fascinating inflections to keep listeners hooked for the entirety of the song. With this being said, I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the studio version of “UP” due to how fantastic their “A COLORS SHOW” version of the track is. While the album version is great, it just doesn’t contain the same high-octane energy that the two delivered on “A COLORS SHOW” over a year ago.

The transition between “UP” and the third track “Top Down” is excellent and gracefully leads us into potentially the best trap banger on the project. The hard-hitting yet minimalistic instrumental mixed with EARTHGANG’s tribal sounding background vocals creates a perfect soundscape for Doctur Dot’s best verse on the album where he raps about a conversation with an old flame and how it affected him.

The fifth track “Proud Of U” features Young Thug and is undoubtedly one of my favorite rap songs of 2019. The heartfelt cut showcases the three Atlanta MCs profess their gratitude for the women in their lives that make everything work. The song is incredibly fun and Doctur Dot’s third verse breakdown is maybe my favorite moment on the album. The track was released as a single back in February and despite seven months of frequent listening I have yet to get tired of this song.

“Blue Moon” is the tenth song on the album and my favorite relaxed bop on the impressive tape. The instrumental features bright horns that give this chill cut a bluesy feel that fits perfectly under the rappers's precise bars about hustling and making their dreams come true.

While Mirrorland was highly anticipated by fans and critics alike, it certainly did not disappoint. Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot both rap exceptionally while throughout the entirety of the project, weaving in stories and references that took me many listens to fully catch. The production on this album is awesome and perfectly fits the duo's fun and unpredictable style.

While all those elements are great, the best part about Mirrorland is its track diversity. Each track is unique to the point where a 55-minute album feels more like 30. This tape contains bangers for parties (“Proud Of U”), mellow songs for smoke seshes (“Blue Moon”), slow jams for time in the bedroom (“Trippin”), and a song for just about any other occasion you can think of.

With the release of Mirrorland it’s undeniable that EARTHGANG leveled up and while some long-term fans might disagree in terms of the quality of music, in terms of public reception and sales it’s not up for debate. The question is no longer if EARTHGANG will stick but rather what the dynamic duo will do next.

Favorite Tracks:

Top Down

Proud Of U (Feat. Young Thug)

Blue Moon

Rating: 8

Listen to Mirrorland here:

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get notified when we post: