Only in Austin could a white rapper “talk that talk” about cooking up crack cocaine without an ounce of irony. Nonetheless, T$O or Trill Shit Only – a duo consisting of League of Extraordinary Gz member Stephan “Dot” Sweeney and esteemed producer Eric Dingus – delivers a sharp, uncompromising eponymous effort loaded with brag/coke rap over Dingus’ cloudy, sub-heavy signatures. Anthemic thumper “GangSigns” features strong showing from fellow LOEGz members Dowrong and Dominican Jay. On “Salute,” Dot wields genuine lyrical faculty through measured hostility, showing off in the pocket: “Had to get it on my own time/ I don’t need a fucking cosign/ Quarterbacking at the goal line/ I send the Mac when it’s showtime.” The concise “Juice,” an album standout, features Dingus’ moodiness at its height. Closer “Quiet Time” illuminates the LP’s principal strength: Dot’s impressive ability to stem and then cut through Dingus’ ominous atmospherics.

***.5



This article appears in April 12 • 2019.

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Kahron Spearman is a journalist and writer with bylines including The Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Consequence of Sound, Texas Highways, and the London-based journal The Break-Down. He currently serves as Senior Editor at Atmosphere TV.