Jersey City wordsmith Ransom is back for his 12th EP & the 2nd of 2024. Emerging as 1/2 of the short-lived duo A-Team alongside Hitchcock, he branched out on his own in 2008 following their disbandment beginning with the full-length debut Street Cinema & the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort The Proposal. But it’s been safe to say these last couple years have been his biggest so far whether it be the 5 EPs that he put out produced by Nicholas Craven, 7 based around the 7 deadly sins or Heavy’s the Head produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Rome Streetz collab album Coup de Grâce or even his last couple projects Chaos is My Ladder, Director’s Cut 4 & Deleted Scenes 2. Lavish Misery produced by Harry Fraud was a step above Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child & hearing that MadeinTYO was producing Smoke & Mirrors.

The title track starts off with a bare guitar loop talking about the time coming to fight the good fight & he was never suited for the bottom at any point his career whatsoever while “Antebellum” gives off a bit of a soulful vibe instrumentally delving further into drumless territory telling a woman not to put a bandage over her permanent flaws & Che Noir countering Ransom’s verse by lacing the best feature of the 2 on the EP. The closer “Human Nature” featuring J. Arrr subsequently wraps up the 3 track, 9 minute listening experience working in lavish piano chords to discuss history choosing a victor.

I wouldn’t say that Smoke & Mirrors is as near-flawless as Lavish Misery was 4 months back, but there’s no denying as someone who’s never considered himself a fan of MadeinTYO other than maybe “Uber Everywhere” that I genuinely didn’t know what to get out of this EP going in & am impressed with what he had to offer. His production is more drumless than Harry Fraud’s was on Ransom’s previous EP & the lyricism from the latter as well as both guests do it justice. I just wish they could’ve gotten a couple more tracks outta it.

Score: 7/10