Bringing Rhyme and Reason to the Hip Hop Table Is the Midwest Duo of Castronovo and Cru Anew With Their Joint Mixtape, “Steel Sharpens Steel.”

Castronovo is a lyricist who hails from Rockford, Illinois. Cru Anew, on the other hand, is a hip-hop artist who hails from Chicago, Illinois. These two artists met in 2021 at a hip-hop collective gathering where instantaneous musical chemistry was developed, and they decided to blend their musical tastes and come up with one joint project; and that is how the 7-track mixtape, “Steel Sharpens Steel” was born!

As a hip hop purist myself, I am not gonna lie—I had a feast with this one! There is just a way these gentlemen own their performances here. There is that glamour, wit, and unsubdued stage presence supplemented by that undeniable chemistry between them that makes you think they have been doing this for years.

They just bounce off one another and I just hope this is the first of many projects together; in the track “Speak to Me”, I feel like Castronovo exudes a writing style and flow that is similar to Eminem & Logic- with a hint of southern bellow like J Cole. This track is peppered with 5-star rhyme scheme lyrical pattern and exudes that hypnotic street vibe. The shouting at some point also adds to its taste and likability in an inexpressibly unique way (you will just know it when you hear it!

In the track “Greater Later,”  Cru Anew recounts his experiences while incarcerated. Despite being in prison for close to 30 years, you can tell that Anew has developed a high degree of literacy that characterizes his rhymes. His delving into the street and flirting with danger make him the only one suitable for laying down a fiery verse like the one he does on this tune that is as entertaining as it is educational—you have to listen keenly to take home his empowering message!

Clearly, the wannabe rappers have to find new hobbies because their whack sh*t really ain’t selling anymore! Delivering a thought-inspiring lyrical masterclass, the duo gives a refined conscious performance on the track “Pop Yo Shit” in a no-holds-barred rap approach.

God bless them for what they did in “Summertime,” because there is indeed that summertime vibe on the Midwest coast. There is variety and splendor from the melodies that echo a Neo-funk melody with hints of pop and the guest artist IamLostTwo does magnificently well to add that R&B flavor with his arresting hooks. For a moment there, I thought SilkSonic had infiltrated their soundtrack!

I just love the consistency in the banger, “Tale of 2”; I actually tried to do a bar count and got lost in the middle. It’s just straight bars and no sideshows, with the scratches from turntables and other snares and synths adding to the sonic flavor. After listening to this masterpiece repeatedly I agree; “it’s hard to reach for the sky when the skyline’s only 12 stories high!”

“Summertime” and “Tale of 2” are my all-time favorites from this collection; I have been playing them on repeat, and each time I feel like Superman!

To find out what Castronovo and Cru Anew are made up of; follow the attached link and stream “Steel Sharpens Steel” in its entirety… your playlist could do with a facelift!

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