Who are they? Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell if you don't know who P-Money is you must be pretty stupid so don't bother. Buckshot is a Brooklyn native and a bit of a veteran in this hip hop game, he's been pushing rhymes for a while now but he's kept it underground and grimey throughout his career. They share the same independent label - Duck Down Records which also houses David Dallas, a pretty good reason to team up and give the masses some pure hip hop.

You can probably tell by the name Backpack Travels that Buckshot and P-Money would be taking it back to classic New York hip hop and they do, but they also give a little bit more. Buckshot's rhyme style is set in stone, he gives you hard, unfiltered and clever bars that preach the underground. Rhyming is all about telling stories or sharing your thoughts in a better way than everyone else, whether it be with your flow, delivery or just simply saying it in a style that others would struggle to replicate. Buckshot does a pretty good job of this on the intro track 'Crown'...

"Even though I raised bail a couple of times, it was true jail niggas who said fuck with the rhymes

I hear you, cos you ain't trying to hear me saying I did the same shit you did in 83

No way, you telling me son don't play, you invest your time in crooks but crime don't pay

Of course, do me a favour and get lost, find yourself on that business course then be a boss."

Buckshot's lyrical ability isn't anything new and he really is a pleasure to listen to given that he's combines years of experience with an adaptation to today. He doesn't sound bitter about anything with that grumpy grandpa vibe, nah he's just spitting and having fun. Songs like 'The Choice' are up tempo and Buckshot flows through with ease while 'Killuminati' is similar with the beat and their ability to stay within a concept. 

I don't wanna breeze over Buckshot cos the dude is pretty awesome on Backpack Travels with his strong independent mindset + mic skills, but I'm from New Zealand and so is P-Money. You'd have to expect that there a whole bunch of DJ/producer guys that Buckshot could call upon to work with on this project - given his history with labelmate 9th Wonder and that Statik Selektah is also a Duck Down homie, just to name a few. Instead he's teamed up with our man P-Money.

And P-Money responds in full. Many people would know of P-Money thanks to the many chart topping songs he's had in NZ, he's kind of NZ's Dr Dre. While Buckshot's skills are on display, his flow is nice and he spits a variety of topics, it's all over beats which not only encapsulate a distinct backpack type of sound but add a little bit of flavour. P-Money gives listeners a bunch of sounds over the top of his near perfect boom-bap to keep it interesting and fun. 

There's an irresistible flute on the song 'Flute', funny that. It's a pretty simple beat with the drums and flute, but P-Money ability to provide enough twists and turns within the simple nature of the beat to allow flow switch ups. In fact it kind of demonstrates the subtle nature of what makes Backpack Travels funky as fuck. P-Money not only lays a platform for the rappers involved to shine, but his beats also stand on their own.  Buckshot is joined by Joey Bada$$ and CJ Fly on 'Flute', and they all have different flows and patterns within their rhymes as the share their accounts of Brooklyn life. It's awesome to have P-Money laying the foundation for a passing of the torch in some respect.

It's a bit of a Brooklyn part to be honest with two of the best female verses to grace my eardrums coming from Brooklyn native Chelsea Reject - 'Clear Light' and T'Nah Apex - 'Sweetest Thing' (also from Pro Era). All the features fit the album perfectly with no one trying to outshine the other rapper, they just jump on the track and keep the vibe and high standard flowing.

Of course, I can't forget the one and only David Dallas (Duck Down homie) who features on 'We In Here'. It's a testament to D Dot, that he fits right in. He doesn't look out of place on a project that has it's roots entrenched in New York's hip hop culture. He follows up a Buckshot verse which begins with "Start the revolution" and keeps the independent feel of the song alive in a verse that any Kiwi hip hop fan should hear...

There's only one word to describe Backpack Travels - pride. Here's a dude from NZ laying down some near perfect hip hop beats for Buckshot, who clearly doesn't mess around with busters. If you didn't know, P-Money is doing his thing world wide and Backpack Travels clearly demonstrates it. When listening to it, you just feel good. You feel good about hip hop which in turn makes you feel pretty awesome that a Kiwi made you feel good about hip hop.