Coast Contra is the Philadelphia quartet that laces every track with charismatic deliveries and unconventional song structures. Apt. 505 is their debut project and is already lining up to be one of the best albums to come out this year. With a wide span of influences and life experiences, the four vocalists created a novel album that was meant to stand the test of time. 

At 17 tracks, each song is bursting with colorful charisma. The tracklisting seems like it is designed to keep you guessing. Switching between off-kilter instrumentals to grimy, drum-driven breakbeats, these 4 vocalists keep you guessing and amazed at the entire run time. Throwing in entertaining skits and interludes throughout the album, each track transitions with ease. 

Within the first few tracks, you can tell the chemistry between these four emcees is completely natural. Nothing about this project seems forced but every second is meticulously thought about and not one bar is wasted. A song like the infectious “Pimpin’ Benjamin” is a clinic on how to craft a song. A hook that buries itself in your ear combined with a smooth guitar riff and verses filled with gems on financial freedom. 

These guys create hooks like no one else. Unique delivery and concise lyrics team up for catchy courses that push the boundaries. The most electric hook doesn’t come until the final track, “Pangea”. In unison, the crew chants “That’s your favorite rapper? Put ‘em on a stretcher”. Ending Apt. 505 with a hook this brash is very fitting, this whole album feels like a warning shot to those who tried to box in the city of Philadelphia. 

Coast Contra’s songwriting shines throughout Apt. 505 but the instrumentals aren’t anything to dismiss. Throughout the project, the crew proves that they know exactly how to approach any and all instrumentals. The juxtaposition between songs like “Family” & “505” is a testament to the musicality that this group possesses. 

Apt. 505 is Coast Contra’s introduction to the world, a welcome mat that reads “Don’t fuck with us”. With their collective sonic pallet and ever-expanding pen game, Coast Contra is here to make a long-lasting impact on Hip-Hop.