The Taurus and the Geek

Local hip hop duo, CoCec, tangles with reconciliation and reconnection in their new album ‘The

Colin Haviland is one half of the hip hop group CoCec, and he does not like to let things go untouched.

In the sixth grade, when his friend Mike Heffley introduced him to The Roots, that curious impulse invited him to explore the world of independent and mainstream hip hop, it allowed him to reach different cultures from the comfort of his Flagstaff home and encouraged him to confront the idea of white privilege—a concept that was foreign to him at the time. So, years later, when he stumbled upon an unused beat pad from 2014—the first one that was ever given to him— repurposing that and other untouched demos became of paramount importance.

This nagging penchant quickly became the guiding principle of CoCec’s newest album, “The Inimitable,” a joyful and cohesive work of artistic reconnection and personal reconciliation. Produced by Cecil P. Tso a.k.a. Tsoh Tso, the other half of CoCec, the album offers a crisp and contemporary sound that elevates the emotion of each track and crystallizes Haviland’s message, but the results that came from this production were hardly expected by either member of CoCec.

“So originally,” Tso explained, “[‘The Inimitable’] was just going to be like a B sides kind of thing because most of the beats … are old… So the original plan for this was just to put something out.”

“But it all came together,” Haviland added, “and by the time we tracked it out, it was like this cohesive piece. This feels right. This feels like an album. It’s so rare that that happens. Like, where it doesn’t just feel like a bunch of singles that stop and start.”

Tso chuckled, “It’s kind of a miracle.”

For CoCec, “The Inimitable” is a miracle that is well-earned after years of repeatedly stepping away from and revisiting the project, but for Haviland, specifically, the way this album has come together is an affirmation of his artistic goals and his attempts at critically examining himself to determine what he needs to be happy. The end result is introspective, authentic and ultimately, uplifting.

“It’s kind of self-serving in a way—as with most hip hop,” Haviland said, “It’s also a reminder to others of the same thing that I need to be reminded of, ‘Love yourself. It’s a hard world out there but know that other people are going through the struggle; especially in the last three years.’”

In many ways, “The Inimitable” is a COVID album without the COVID. It’s Haviland trying to address the mental and physical toll that the pandemic has taken without using the, oftentimes, triggering language that has been suffocating for so many. Some of the verses, he admits, are more personal than anything he’s ever written, but he’s not worried about anyone noticing.

“I’m not trying to get anyone’s attention,” he continued, “I’m just trying to vent. I’m really just trying to say those things that maybe I don’t get the chance to say often to the people I wish I could.”

From the golden-age intro “39” to the deeply personal mid-album track “The Taurus & The Geek” to the reflexive conclusion “Another 44,” Haviland and Tso have created a 10-track record that manages to be both thematically complex and stylistically unique with the help of the album’s featured artists.

Tré Orona and Carnage the Executioner bring flows that harken back to hip hop legends MF Doom and De La Soul while the hypnotic, indie interludes of Moltensky and Donivan Berube are reminiscent of artists like Modest Mouse and Phoebe Bridgers. This strange amalgam of genres works incredibly well, creating a sound that is, at once, contemporary and nostalgic.

“The Inimitable” is a supremely wellcrafted piece of work that pushes the listener to engage with their self; their impossible-to-replicate, perfectly matchless, inimitable self. It is a must-listen for locals and hip hop fans alike, and it is available now on Spotify or wherever you get your music.