When you crave a dose of streetwise braggadocio, your best choice is to tune in to the Gully Gang. Hailing from the rap juggernaut that is Divine’s Gully Gang, MC Altaf (aka Altaf Shaikh) and Sammohit (Mohit Pandey) have been honing their craft alongside some of hip-hop’s most formidable talents, polishing off the neo-rap fusions they have worked on since participating in local hip-hop cyphers.

Both emcees are widely regarded as future superstars due to their jack-of-all-trades nature. While MC Altaf has quietly developed one of the strongest rosters of street rap, the Aavrutti flag-bearer hasn’t departed from his synapse-popping flows and pulsating chants that have since proliferated throughout his career. These artists are champions of conscious street rap that depicts a realistic reflection of their hood and describes societal conduct.

The results of the fanfare from their previous collaboration together propelled them to create ‘Robin Hood,’ a 6-track EP. Where some joint efforts benefit from the competitive nature between rappers, Altaf and Sammohit work towards complementing each other through contrast. Overall, It feels like a homage to hood life — take the EP’s musicality — thanks to beat magicians such as Stunnah Beatz, Hashbass, Umair, and Zero Chill, could well sow the seeds for more collaborative projects from these Mumbai maestros.

Celebrating the ostentatious bounce of 808s with the genre’s two most promising stars, the title track sees the pair prove that they can play in the same field as the mainstream stars of their hometown. MC Altaf’s documenting tales from the road and cleverly textured bars become a palette cleanser from Sammohit’s ice-cold, rapid-fire delivery, and vice versa. It’s a sweet spot between the goated slick-talk of Mumbai and the guttural production of New Delhi that ties together through a mutual understanding of a universal code of the streets.

Hashbass gets you bouncing off the walls with his adrenaline-pumping, raw production style. What truly sets the music apart is the clever use of meme samples, especially in ‘Baatcheet.’ This ultra-conscious track continues the run with a powerful message. Against a laid-back piano backdrop, you witness the classic MC Altaf taking a macro approach to social consciousness, focusing on the current societal woes — it’s Altaf’s return to his roots. Meanwhile, the song evolves into a spoken-word conclusion where they discuss government plots.

Being fairly consistent with the theme, ‘Koi Nahi Puchta’ sees Sammohit and MC Altaf going toe-to-toe with Umair’s haunting beat, blending trap elements with their trademark style. It’s out-of-the-box, innovative, and really shows off their pens as they share decorative verses about life’s trials. Although, the truest reflection of their musical prowess appears on ‘Ashtray’, as Sammohit’s blunt, truth bombs make way for Altaf’s analysis on love: “Milta saccha pyaar khaali family ke pass mein/Main toh rakhta unko pehle, baaki sab hain baad mein.” In this song, MC Altaf doesn’t try to match the technical aspects of rap. Instead, he tones it down in his singing to sync with the mellow vibes. It makes you wonder if the hook might have sounded even sweeter in Altaf’s voice.

While both artists are truly in their stride when they blend the more traditional hip-hop styles with suave melodies or intense beats, tracks like ‘Pocket Money’ suggest they might need more work on mastering trap music. ‘Butterfly’ is another example where they wade into new waters, guided by a low-toned, melodic drill beat crafted by Zero Chill. While the elements, the sample, and the rap don’t quite blend in perfect harmony, the pure chemistry they conjure in the track upholds the standard they’ve set with past collaborations. Still, you can’t ignore the noticeable gap between their verses and the beat, made all the more obvious by their monotonous deliveries.

Apart from a few tracks, this isn’t a casual project — something you can simply toss on and forget. Multiple spins are required to effectively unpack the ideas that MC Altaf and Sammohit attempt to relay throughout the EP, and although it probably isn’t the most fun music to throw on the aux, ‘Robin Hood’ is a record that listeners should take some time to live with. Both men bring fierce lyrical prowess to the table. Sammohit, at times, rips through verses with a newfound hunger, rapping in a quicker, more urgent cadence than usual. While Altaf maintains his signature laid-back approach, there’s an undeniable uptick in his lyrical dexterity.

‘Robin Hood’ sounds like the work of a team accustomed to each other’s strengths, and thus, knows how to avoid stepping on each other’s toes. The producers have meticulously crafted sonic landscapes, highlighting the emcees’ skills, culminating in some of the freshest street rap I’ve heard in a minute. There’s no feeling of big industry collusion or machinations, but rather the vision of some musicians who legitimately enjoy each other’s work, and came together as a united front to channel the spirit of the ‘Robin Hood’ in the industry.

Listen to the EP Here