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Launched in 2011, Silk Road was an online black market that allowed users to purchase drugs and contraband using bitcoin, an anonymous digital currency. After three years and two iterations of the site, the FBI finally shut down the so-called Silk Road 2.0 site in November.
On Silk Road, a recently released album from Inner Loop producers J Scrilla, Grussle, and Casito, the trio navigates the dark recesses of the music underworld with ominous trap beats and menacing guest rhymes from K-BETA, Kingpen Slim, and Rob Regal (aka Lyriciss), among others. “Errything’s for sale, we all have a price/Shopping online, we all have a vice,” says Kingpen Slim on “Guns on Ya Tumblr.” On “40 Bag,” K-BETA unpacks a vulgar tale of rough sex; it comes off a bit crude, reminding us of how raw the MC can be.
To my ears, Silk Road feels like a concept album following a patron’s journey through the now-defunct website. From its bass-heavy instrumentals to its Internet theme, it’s the soundtrack for those looking for lewd shit, a zero-fucks-given compilation for those feeding their fetishes under the cover of night. Or during the day—-whatever you like.
Stream Silk Road after the jump.