By Jaden Reynolds
I want to preface this review by saying this group, their work, and the events leading up to the release of this single have made an impact on me like no other piece of art ever has. Injury Reserve is another one of those groups that was crucial to growing my music taste. Their experimental rap sound captivated me like no other and I will forever be grateful for that.
The trio, comprised of members Stepa J. Groggs, Ritchie with a T, and Parker Corey, started making music together under the name ‘Injury Reserve’ in 2013. Throughout the years in between the start and 2019, the group constantly released critically acclaimed mixtapes that never seemed to catch on with bigger audiences. Because of the lack of mainstream appeal, the group started to gain a very strong underground fan base. The fruits of their labor seemed to culminate with the release of their first full-length LP titled ‘Injury Reserve’. While not mainstream by any means, they were able to get features from bigger artists, such as Aminé and Freddie Gibbs, while sticking to the niche, abstract sound. It finally felt like they had found themselves and perfected their style. All signs pointed to an incredibly bright future for the trio.
On June 30th, 2020, it was announced by the group that core member, Stepa J. Groggs, had passed away. This was a massive blow to the underground hip-hop community and left a lasting impact on me as a person. It was a reminder that anything can happen at any time. The bright future that everyone had envisioned for the group was taken away in an instant. Not only was the future of the music in jeopardy, but a father was dead.
After the tragic passing of Groggs, the group went radio silent for a while. This was until late 2021, when they announced the release of their new album ‘By the Time I Get to Pheonix’. I don’t say this lightly, this album changed my life and the way I view living. It explores grief in a way I had never seen before. Injury Reserve had created one of the most personal and heartbreaking rap records of all time. I got the pleasure to see this album preformed live in full in May of 2022 and even met Ritchie in the back of the venue.
The point I’m trying to make here is that there aren’t many groups I hold more dearly than Injury Reserve. Their music has been with me for about one-fourth of my life and has made me feel every emotion possible. Their future after ‘By the Time I Get to Pheonix’ was uncertain to say the least. So, when they announced that they would be continuing under a different name, I didn’t know how to feel.
‘By Storm’ is the new name that Ritchie with a T and Parker Corey announced they would be continuing under. Their first release under this name would be a track titled ‘Double Trio’ in honor of Groggs. They described it as being a send-off to Groggs and the Injury Reserve name as well as the start of something new. I’m going to be real, there was no way that I wasn’t going to love this. With their last album pretty much creating a new sub-genre of rap, I had no clue what to expect.
‘Double Trio’ takes the sound created on ‘By the Time I Get to Pheonix’ and puts a more inspiring spin onto it. The track starts off with a looped effect over Ritchie with a T’s whining vocals. This trance like instrumental and vocal performance creates a somber atmosphere that draws the listener in. After about two minutes, an uplifting piano loop bust through the soundscape in one of my favorite moments in music of all time. Over the piano, Ritchie raps one of the most gut-wrenching verses of his career. As the verse comes to a close, Ritchie’s vocals become more distant, creating what feels like the end of the track. Just as you think it’s going to be over, the last section of the track slaps you in the face with an electronic breakdown produced by Parker Corey. The melancholic nature of the track is a small glimpse into the heads of the two members.
Every part feels like a new beginning for the group. They have delt with the grief and trauma of the death of Groggs, taking the first step in a new direction. The release of this track is the most emotional I ever become about music. Not just because of the sound, but the journey they had to go through to get here. I don’t say things like this lightly. Not only is this my favorite track of the year, but one of my favorites of all time. While it’s sad to see the Injury Reserve era come to a close, I’m more excited than ever to see what these two guys can do.
Ten out of Ten.