I’m not tuned-in to the Spokane rap scene, so it was cool when someone tipped me to check out The Escape Plan, a 2016 release from ExZac Change & Matisse. This one’s a concept record about two dudes escaping the rat race, trying to find a life that’s more than just living from paycheck to paycheck. The overarching story is told through a series of classic rap skits, which frames their journey perhaps more as a “quitting our crap jobs to become famous rappers and smoke hella weed” plan. The album fittingly ends with an ode to watching TV, which may be the reality of these characters’ jobless future. But I kid: The verses and the beats here are solid, often ping-ponging between two talented MCs. I enjoyed this record quite a lot. Hopefully, these guys venture westward sometime soon.

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