The fifth studio album of the rapper and producer Gustavo, released after a long break, was awaited with great impatience – not so much because more than ten years have passed since the previous studio album, but because in his comeback big concert “Arena Rīga” at the end of November, Gustavo proved that the powder of the old master of Latvian rap is still dry (and suitable for detonation).
It should be reminded that Gustavo’s discography included four studio albums so far (arstarulsmirus gaitas are not counted this time…): “Beidzot!” (2004), “A couple of verses / Party at the hotel” (2006), “3. breath” (2010) and “City Portal” (2011). “When I started writing the material for ‘It’s Just Begun’, I was aware that it would be Gustavo’s fifth studio album. But the break since the last project was so big that I decided to make the new record as if it were my debut. I wanted to put myself in front of my listeners anew with this performance. In terms of content, I included personal, self-deprecating stories in the album, interwoven with reflections on creative self-expression as the cornerstone of my life. Judging by the reviews of the colleagues involved in the album, the wittiest, most direct and densest in terms of wordplay Gustavo’s album has come together. Musically, I tried to make the songs sound diverse, but at the same time, so that they form a unified whole with a readable dramatic development,” says Gustavo.
The album was recorded between June 2022 and February 2023 and contains 13 tracks. The author of the music, arrangements and lyrics of all songs is Gustavs Butelis himself, with the exception of the compositions in which Ozols (Ęirts Rozentāls), Čižiks (Aivars Čivželis) and Ansis (Ansis Kolmanis) can be heard as guest soloists – in those, as is usual in rap records, performers are the authors of the words of their own vocal parts.
Arnis Rachinskis, Sanda Dejus, Laima Dimanta, Rihards Bērziņš, Jānis Krīvēns, roland če, xantikvariāts, Prusax, Steps, She (the last six are only the comeback hit “We need Gustavo back”), etc. The scratch parts are performed by Dj Monsta as guest artists on the album. – who else?! Gustavo’s long-time friend and colleague Sergejs Laletins is responsible for the sound direction of the recording. It should be noted that the album “Tagad tikki kalsini” is available not only on the most popular streaming and download platforms, but also in CD format, in addition to a beautiful book or booklet, which contains the lyrics of all the songs and also elegant works of photo art. Like in the good old days.
PAR. Gustavo has quality in everything, from the exquisitely ironic and thought-provoking lyrics to the tactile format of the reel and its polygraphic execution. At the album presentation event, the lyrics were shown on a big screen, which is the most recommended format for listening to this work, but the other option is reading the CD booklet – Gustavo’s lyrics require you to dig deep into it. It seems that he has not forgotten anyone – not even his second “I”, that is, Arstarulsmirus (“Writing lines that warm Riga again / It’s natural, no, but – two natures / But there was a time when I felt like I was half dead / Because I was kicked out by my own punch – Arstarulsmirus”), nor other rappers (“That ode to cheburek – so fine, delicious / I was already eating it in my mind, while the words were eating my imagination / There was a juice that behaved loudly like thunder / She tried to tap dance in a satin skirt / As a dot on the “i” a whirlwind began that mosquitoes and cockroaches / Blown away, the fact, I wanted to be somewhere quieter”), not everyone else. Listen, read – you won’t regret it!
About songs. The introductory piece “Saradīts” fulfills its direct function well, that is, to warm up the listener for the following sound material and explain what to expect. The two hit songs “It’s Just Started” (with colleagues from the group “Fact” Ozol and Chizhik) and “We need Gustavo back” – no comments, five stars out of five. If the “Grand Prix” is awarded to these pieces, then the reviewer would put the stylish song “Serviss” in the first place after them, where the great master of scratch Dj Monsta (Uldis Cīrulis) played, in the second place – the collaboration with Ansi “Efects”, where he has already “pumped up” an excellent rhythm. mentioned Dj Monsta, but the third step of the podium goes to “Between the lines”, which most reminds of “that time” Gustavo. Honorary diploma or letter of appreciation for the song “Skip”, which was sung by Arnis Rachinskis.
AGAINST. Gustavo contradicts himself a bit – if “I decided to make the new record as if this were my debut”, then why are the motivations of the comeback so insistently explained in almost every song? At times, it seems that Gustavo wants to convince himself that he is still welcome in hip-hop circles and that his return was justified, but did anyone doubt that?! As for the sound material included in the album, the songs “Paštaišitas svetės” and “G komats” are confusing, which somehow do not catch on subjectively. And also – the skit “Talking about progress” is good for dividing the album into conditional two parts (the second one starts with “Tagad just started”), it’s also always nice to hear the second acting person of this dialogue, Sanda Dejus, however, this “plug” seems like… silly .
