Since the loss of Stepa J. Groggs, Arizona-based trio Injury Reserve, released their final chapter, By The Time I Get To Phoenix and renamed themselves By Storm. As a final gesture the group have released a box set of their complete discography.
For anyone along for the ride, it’s been a rewarding journey. Setting out in 2013, the trio’s flexible template meant each release coalesced around a favoured sound and 2015’s Live From The Dentist’s Office largely took a jazz-hop direction.
Wow had some serious De La Soul crossover hit potential encapsulating the trio’s chilled vibe, littered with hooks seemingly at the finger tips of producer Parker Corey. In fact, you can feel Corey rapidly moving through the gears at this stage with the coda of Snowmen (Ft. Glasspopcorn) signposting a more abstract direction.
Groggs and Ritchie with a T drain some of the testosterone from hip hop’s toxic masculinity with flows showing the prosaic truths of life using a playful braggadocio. Balance this with a trunk-load of humour and reflections of an ambitious artist: ‘’….where’s the real crafters? I’m tired of being put on the same pedestal as these half-assers, I’m tired of being boxed in, I’m tired of no profit.’’
Yes, To Pimp A Butterfly threw a hefty shadow across the hip hop world in 2015, but Injury Reserve were getting enough sunlight for some serious growth spurts.
