Detroit, Michigan veteran Finale returns for his 4th studio LP & his first in over a decade. Making his debut in 2007 with Develop, the sophomore effort A Pipe Dream & A Promise would later result in him signing to Mello Music Group for Odds & Evens preceded by the Bits & Pieces mixtape the summer I graduated high school. This winter will mark 7 years since the 62 extended play & looking at some of the names involved with The Good gave me hope of it improving above that previous EP.
The titular intro starts things off on a soulful boom bap note talking about trying to make music people can enjoy & maintain a good name until sequencing into “Whatever’s Left” during the last 90 seconds or so incorporating a beat switch to give us the remaining amount in the tank. “Take the Time” continues from there talking about being remembered than simply existing prior to it’s final minute dubbed “Mirrors” speaks his mind without trying to offend.
“Thanks 2 Hip Hop” produced by Trox is a highlight for me personally from the instrumental to the lyrics about what the culture has done for him while “District 12” was my favorite single from the vocal sample Nottz brings to the table to Finale rapping his ass off without a hook. “Gunna’s Lament” sends a message to all the rappers tryna eat out here warning them to be careful just before “Self Checks & Balances” preceding “Roses” talks about looking within yourself to find the good.
Meanwhile on “Job’s Not Finished”, we’re getting hit a cinematic boom bap atmosphere throughout a great bulk of it clarifying that his mission’s far from complete until “Bread & Butter” humorously talks about taking labels to the bank instead of having them perceive him as a joke. “Honor the Code” featuring the Twin Towers pleads for artists to quit scheming & looking hard while “Patience” has a jazzier vibe thanks to yU talking about the very thing some lack.
“Wishing” brings the sampling back in effect courtesy of none other than Apollo Brown, soulfully explaining that he simply can’t sit back & chill while “Luther Stickell” makes a comparison to the Mission: Impossible character of the same name. “Enough” talks about being on & off for years when there’s no lies told there over a Jamil Honesty beat until linking up with Guilty Simpson, IAMGAWD & Phat Kat to fire off “4 Rounds” whilst maintaining the ruggedness.
The final 2-parter “D.W.M.B. (Drink Water, Mind Your Business) / Know It All” talks about having bigger fish to fry with a different plate to try & learning a lot albeit not enough to say he knows everything. DJ Jewels turns up the soulfulness on “A Good Time to Go” confessing he feels like he’s been in a head-on collision with reality while “Just Rap” featuring Homeboy Sandman & yU finishes up the album refusing to believe everyone walked away from the trap.
If you were to ask me who I consider to be amongst the most underrated hip hop artists to come out of the Motor City, I’d always throw out Finale’s name in there so for him to come back & drop The Good had me anticipating it all year & I’d have to put it behind A Pipe Dream & A Promise as his 2nd best full-length. I personally tend to prefer the production here more than 62’s, the guests all come correct with their performances & the man himself’s making his late grandfather proud.
Score: 8/10