We Flatbush Zombies fans have had a difficult time keeping peace with the fact that the mixtape we were promised in the springtime has yet to see the light of day; despite this frustration however, proper salutations are needed to be given to the architect of it all, Mr. Erick Arc Elliot. He is 1/3 of the acid-laden rap trio and the producer of many of their hits, and he turned just turned a sprightly 25 years old. 

In honor of this celebration, he has released “Number 25.” The track is produced by himself, and like always, he manages to keep the beat an accessory and ally to the poet instead of overbearing the listener. I’d never considered him the strongest lyrically of the three, but he depends heavily on his rhyming skills here and this time shows what he’s truly capable of. He seems to be the most straight-forward thinking of the group, and he exhibits that even further in this track. Overall, this just makes me more excited for the day the mixtape actually comes out, even though I might be a hundred years old by then. 

All jokes aside (in all seriousness I’m just an eagerly-anticipating fan), they seem to have finally set the release date for their second mixtape, Better Off Dead, at September 11, and they are still making stops at various festivals throughout the country, including Rock the Bells