Flying Lotus returns as his rap alter ego, Captain Murphy, to deliver the kind of sequel to last year’s “Between Friends” appropriately titled, “Between Villains.” The cut features MCs that are no strangers to wicked rhymes–both in the figurative and literal senses–in Earl Sweatshirt and DOOM (here as his alter ego, Viktor Vaughn), and the record manages to seamlessly incorporates the stylings of Flying Lotus affiliate Thundercat. This is probably what posse-cuts sound like in hell.
“Between Villains” is exactly what you would want of song of this billing to be: dark, sinister, and filled with intricate wordplay. Despite being Captain Murphy’s song officially, it feels like DOOM has the home field advantage–after all, he has been doing this for some time now–and his off kilter flow catches the ear when spread over the lush, but gloomy instrumental. Earl and the Captain make considerable contributions, though, and the song is an eerie, harmonious master collaboration. Stream “Between Villains” below, and download the song as a part of the Adult Swim single series on Monday.
Captain Murphy
Between Villains (Feat. Earl Sweatshirt, Viktor Vaughn, & Thundercat
- Williams Street Records
- August 16, 2013