Brownsville Ka and Roc Marciano have a ton in common. These two sparse New York City spitters have been riding together for years, two veteran underdogs, who helped each other make a penetrating comeback into Rap’s digital era. Each are skilled MCs who can cook up their tracks. Within the lyrics and the sounds, these men seem to hear a different pulse to the city, and are able to express movements and occurrences that many image-driven MCs miss.

“Day 81” continues The Manchurian Candidate-inspired Days Of Yen Lo series between Ka & Preservation. Mos Def’s onetime producer heats up an abstract, avant-garde beat as Ka and Roc Marci hit the streets of Chinatown in the twilight. Under dim light, in Ka’s signature black&white aesthetic, the two men write what they know. When the mic gets to Roc, look out for one of the finest verses in the Hempstead Long Islander’s run since Marcberg:

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