ALBUM REVIEW: We Get What We Deserve – Guerrilla Ghost

GUERRILLA GHOST‘s We Get What We Deserve is experimental hip-hop in the theme of HO99O9, JPEGMAFIA and cult heroes DEATH GRIPS. Completed during COVID-19 this record is clearly a product of its time, with song titles as far ranging like Onlyfans, Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man and If It Don’t Make Dollars It Don’t Mike Pence. Fronted by Bad Graphics Ghost who is backed up by producer Tron Jovi, the duo combine hard-hit flow with synth, bass and other electronics to produce something that is discordant but still flows. Ghost’s voice often helps sooth some of Jovi’s more acrimonious sounds, however it is when the two combine that this album really comes alive.

With a backing score that sounds like it was lifted straight from an 80s sci-fi film, ‘Onlyfans’ is a pro-sex work track where Ghost expresses his admiration of girls who manage to monetise their body. With a shouted chorus that simply repeats “Sex work,” he wonders if he could find the bag by showing his genitals online, before ending by coming to the conclusion that he’ll be keeping his naughty bits to himself – but expressing his support of all sex workers. It’s rare to hear a song about sex workers that isn’t disparaging, and this is a refreshing change of pace.

Blade actor Wesley Snipes is a recurring character in We Get What We Deserve, as the second song is titled Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man, whilst the third from last song on this almost hour long record is Wesley Snipes in Jungle Fever. Popular culture is rife throughout this album, with some of GUERRILLA GHOST’s background in rock and punk culture coming through with nods to LED ZEPPELIN (The Immigrant Song) – which tackles racism and segregation – and THE ROLLING STONES, with penultimate song Sympathy for the Devil. There also several screams from Bad Graphics Ghost throughout that would not be out of place in a hardcore band. This is a record that on its surface is just pure hip-hop, but upon digging deeper the experimental nature of GUERRILLA GHOST shines through. Whilst Ghost himself is usually quite abrasive, there are multiple cleaner female vocals throughout, which serve as a fantastic contrast to Ghost’s angrily spat vocals or screams.

Alongside the aforementioned Onlyfans, this is clearly a contemporary album, with various topics of modern life tackled throughout. Algorithm Nation 181 that features legendary rapper Kool Keith, tackles the dangers of the internet with a lack of critical thinking. The screamed chorus “free thinkers are dangerous” are clear riffs on modern internet conspiracy culture that has grown up around such things as the believe that the Earth is flat, and the QAnon movement in the United States – that believes there is an international ring of paedophiles connected to the most influential in society, and that Trump will unmask this.

This is not an album for everyone, and even those with a cursory interest in hip-hop might be put off by the eclectic nature of Tron Jovi’s beats, but for fans of other experimental hip-hop groups this will be another one to add to the collection. Indeed this should also appeal to metal and punk fans too – with screamed vocals and fast beats the structure of each song is not far off a big metalcore song with breakdowns. If nothing else, Bad Graphics Ghost has one of the best voices in hip-hop today, and to hear him break out a proper scream before returning to spit bars is an incredible feat, and really adds to the immersion of this album. Check this out before GUERRILLA GHOST are the next DEATH GRIPS.

Rating: 8/10

We Get What We Deserve is out now via Triple Eye Industries. 

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