When you step into Tenzoe's new album, "Eremition," it doesn't feel like you're entering a hip-hop record. It feels more like you're entering a quiet, disciplined monastery hidden away in the stormy city of Chicago. Over 22 tracks and a full hour of sharp-edged boom bap, philosophical grit, and meditative focus, Tenzoe sees hip-hop as a ritual, a way to clean out the ego, repeat, and become an expert at something. The album strikes a balance between tough street smarts and spiritual clarity, making it so that every bar feels like it was meant to be there and every beat sounds like it belongs to a larger, evolving scroll of self-discovery.
"Chop Wood Carry Water" lays the groundwork with a calmness that is almost like a monk's. The production leans toward dusty drums and warm, simple loops that move like a steady breath. Tenzoe approaches the beat with an energy that is both humble and unyielding, showing the track's philosophy through rhythm and control. The album's main idea is that enlightenment comes from doing things over and over again, not from having a sudden realization. This is a great way to start a project that is all about discipline and self-reflection.
"House of Flying Daggers" builds on that grounded energy and adds a sense of urgency to the tone. Cambatta is on the track, and it turns into a lyrical sparring match where both emcees hit each other with perfect timing. The production is full of life, featuring slicing percussion, mystical accents, and a sense of motion that fits the title. This song stands out because it changes the album's spiritual lens into something more aggressive. Here, enlightenment isn't quiet reflection; it's the sharpening of steel through lyrical confrontation. It's one of the best parts of the album, showing that Tenzoe can hold his own next to a big-name guest.
"Hazzia Alley" goes deeper into the dark hallways, with Tenzoe's steady focus and 7Rinth's presence leading the way. The beat feels heavier, like it's stuck in a fog, and the textures make me think of narrow backstreets and quiet thoughts. This song makes the album go from being strict to being open to new ideas. It goes from the temple to the back streets, where real-life problems and inner battles mix. Tenzoe stays focused in the fog, which gives the song a strong sense of purpose, and 7Rinth's part makes the spiritual landscape bigger. They provide the song a meditative feel, like you're walking through the unknown, which fits the album's unfolding scroll perfectly.
"Subcutaneous," which seems like the album's introspective center, adds to that meditative tension. The music becomes deep, subtle, and almost anatomical, as if it were taking apart the layers of identity and ego. Tenzoe talks to the beat in a way that is similar to how he thinks about himself. He speaks slowly and with purpose, as if the beat is a quiet room in his mind. The song fits perfectly into the way the album is set up to be a ritual. It shows that deep thinking can be just as difficult as fighting. Tenzoe's music is based on his philosophy, which makes people think more deeply about who they are.
By the end of "Eremition," the vision is clear: Tenzoe has built a lyrical temple, cleaning the floors with discipline and carving his ideas into the walls beat by beat. He combines boom bap tradition with spiritual asceticism over 22 tracks, turning hip-hop into a meditative practice based on purpose and mastery. This is their first album, and it doesn't follow trends; it makes a safe place. In that space, Tenzoe is both a student and a teacher. He invites listeners to join him on the path, step by step.