Manco Wilder: Phantom of The Corner Store
Brought to me by the legendary Painfully Optimistic as a joint project, Manco Wilder’s The Phantom Of The Corner Store is probably one of the best surprise albums I’ve had the pleasure to work on in a while. Thanks to Adam for the plug.
The trick for this one was developing an image or persona without a person behind it. Next to his talent, Manco’s key trait is his anonymity, and he leans into this unknown, mysterious angle with no regrets. Despite no real public photos of him or who he is, Wilder still managed to become one of the hottest MCs in the underground, snagging guest appearances from legends like Eddie Kaine and Billy Woods for this amazing debut. An easy win for everyone involved.
Yes, the hype is because it’s an ESPR project, but we also know that ESPR only takes on some of the best. This is a perfect example of great music that deserves your attention.