PLANET GIZA’S [@PLANETGIZA] READY WHEN YOU ARE IS AN EXPERIMENTAL HIP-HOP LOVERS DREAM

Join GUAP as we review ‘Ready When You Are’, the highly anticipated second album from Montreal-based hip-hop trio Planet Giza. Representing a new wave of hip-hop that embraces the art of live instrumentation in a new and exhilarating way.

In a musical landscape that prioritises singles and charting over cohesive projects, the concept of an album that is designed to be listened to fully from start to finish is like finding an oasis in a desert. That is exactly what the Montreal-based hip-hop trio Planet Giza has served us with their highly anticipated second album ‘Ready When You Are’. Set to be released on the 7th of April, ‘Ready When You Are’ narrates the experience of Tony Stone, as he traverses through the hectic & hedonistic life of a rising rap star. 

To say this album has the potential to be one of the strongest hip-hop releases of 2023 would be an understatement. Imagine this, you’re piled into the back of a friend’s car on an average Friday in the summer, and what seems routine slowly unfolds into one of those unforgettable nights. If ‘Ready When You Are’ were a tangible physical experience it would be this. Their myriad of jazz, Hip-Hop, funk and electronica influences remain forever harmonious, always collaborating and never competing.

Working with every aspect of the melody, it’s as if each element speaks to the next. The album dives straight in with ‘Ready When You Are’ and a synth-heavy intro that sounds like Blade Runner took shrooms and was fed through crazy levels of reverb, even displaying hints of calypso rhythms. Planet Giza’s ability to interweave rhythm with lyricism makes for a full sensory takeover, moving between mellow cerebral harmonies to high-tempo staccato beats, what stands out most across the project is their flawless use of instruments. From pensive keys to heavy double bass, individual instruments are given space to mould the energy of the tracks alongside Tony Stone’s poetic lyricism. 

This principle also applies to their use of features on the album, folding in some of the best and brightest to grace the genre of soulful hip-hop including Kojey Radical, Venna, Mick Jenkins, Topaz Jones, Saba (who had one of 2022’s best received hip-hop releases) and more. Each feature feels like being introduced to a new member of the Planet Giza family, rather than a tactical slapping together of names for maximum clout. It’s clear they know how to adapt the flow of their sound to bring out the best in their collaborators, either a symptom of well-thought-out art or an unshakeable natural talent.

Stand-out tracks include the funk-infused ‘Think Of Me’, ‘Ships N Luv’ which melts in with all the energy of a New York jazz bar and ‘Fatal Attraction’ where Tony Stone’s impeccable bars shine at the forefront. Snippets of poetry and narration are peppered throughout, adding an extra layer of cohesion to the whole experience. The final song ‘Do Dat There’ stands like an aural homage to their previous EP ‘Don’t Throw Rocks At The Moon’.

Planet Giza undoubtedly represents the next wave of hip-hop, one that embraces the art of live instrumentation in a new and exhilarating way. ‘Ready When You Are’ takes all the best elements of their previous releases but this time with mature and refined energy added into the mix. A must-listen for those who love alternative and soulful hip hop.

listen to the full project below: