From The Yard by Smoke Screen

From The Yard is the 4th Full Length Album from Cleveland Alternative Hip Hop duo Smoke Screen. The overall theme of the album is primarily centered on their upcoming move from Cleveland to Los Angeles (‘Make That Move’, ‘New Mug, New Pot’, ‘This Is Not A Test’) but there are also plenty of other topics covered in the album.

‘See You On Tuesday’ is about a weekly bike night the duo (plus a third friend) was hosting last Summer, while ‘Time Flies Pt. II’ is a sequel to a song from their first album that details the past 15 years of their career.

‘Operation Swirl’ is about various psychedelic experiences, and ‘Nighttime Plays’ is a song dedicated to nightfall (which is a recurring theme throughout the Smoke Screen catalog).

‘Inspiration Interlude’ is one verse from each emcee referencing an artist they consider an influence (Mooke’s verse is filled with Toro y Moi references and Broken Keys’ verse is packed
with Khruangbin references).

On the opening song Leave You Frozen, the hook interpolates lyrics from the first Smoke Screen song ever (Career Roulette) while the album closes with a fitting song called ‘New Years Eve’ which is about embracing the inevitable change that comes with each new year.
credits
released March 24, 2023

All tracks produced by Broken Keys except:
‘Inspiration Interlude’ Keys by Tall Black Guy
‘Operation Swirl’ Live Bass by DJ Geauga Lake
‘Roses Are Red’ Co-Produced by Mooke Da God

All tracks written by:
Mooke Da God and Broken Keys
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Broken Keys
at the Ecto Cooler in Cleveland Heights, OH
From November 2022 to January 2023

Artwork by Daniel Bortz
©2023