Straight out of Kingston, Jamaica, comes an epic body of work from a group of lyricists who have upheld the essence of Hip Hop in their city for many years. The Council, formed in 2015 by long-time collaborators Inztinkz, Five Steez, Nomad Carlos and The Sickest Drama, has finally released the 16-track album Nothing Else Matters. Nothing Else Matters, produced and mixed by Inztinkz, with art direction by Jomé Anderson and Warren Buckle, features hard-hitting, neck-snapping drums and majestic instrumentation, matched by superb rapping, articulating an unheard ‘third world’ perspective, but a narrative similar to other cities globally. The album opens with the awe-inspiring Intro by poet, Simon the Writer, who urges that respect be paid to The Council. The project starts strong with the group’s first banger from 2015, Council Arts, followed by Lost in the Constellation, which has an introspective and reflective mood. On The Final Countdown, The Council shows what a New Year celebration with them is like – ‘yard style’. Being already referred to as the premier Hip Hop group and brand in Kingston, a close counterpart gives praise to The Council, but also a warning, over a musical backdrop fit for ‘The Godfather’, on Spado’s Words. Track six, All Eye See, depicts a grim outlook, taking a turn for the worse on Seven O’Clock News, which delves into Jamaica’s bloody history, cementing the connection with its current reality. The Council welcomes its first featured artist, Triple TR8, on the highly conceptual Time. Following that, Beast appears on One-der Years – a journey into the past, recalling experiences of growing up in the 1990s. Local Reggae artist, Kozmik Consciousnez, then checks in with the crew on an interlude named in his honour. Illicit King joins in after for Riding Around, where they have fun on the town. The ladies are not left out on Nothing Else Matters, as the crew playfully boasts on the dancehall-influenced Gyallis Ting. The highest level of verbal mastery may possibly be displayed on track 13, Pros N Cons. On Valhalla Doctrine, Tha God Fahim sits at the table and fits in perfectly with The Council. And on Promised Land, which features singer, J Militia, The Council members present the dichotomy of life in Jamaica – it being a perilous place, yet still a paradise. The album closes with the group’s fifth single, Misery, featuring Koro Fyah, Massy the Creator and Kabaka Pyramid, Hip Hop-flavoured Reggae artists with whom The Council has collaborated for years. Nothing Else Matters goes only a few minutes past the one-hour mark. The project showcases a variety of sounds and topics, tied in sonically and thematically, with a Jamaican perspective being the common thread. An album with such depth and diversity is rare in Hip Hop today, and is ground-breaking coming from Kingston. With this effort, The Council has proven its place in the upper echelon of MCs and has represented its city in a new and creative way. The Council is Kingston, Jamaica’s champion team for the Hip Hop culture, consistently releasing music as solo artists over the past decade and staging events in their city.