After the sudden passing of Lorde Jones Scorcese, I wondered if we’d hear any more EHPB works, since he and producer Panels made up the duo. Thankfully, the late rhymesayer had more in the works. Winter Catalogue, the long-awaited sequel to 2020’s Summer Catalogue, picks up where Panels and Scorcese left off. That is, the duo proceed to continue mixing wrestling bars and lavish soundscapes and dope bars (both dope as in smooth and dope as in hustling) to create one hell of a project.

For me, it’s refreshing to hear Scorcese on beats again, though also a bit surreal. It’s a thing of wonder, if we’re being real. When an artist passes (especially one you knew personally), you get to a point where you want to hear more from them. Usually, it’s not just because they’re dope lyricists. Instead, there’s that feeling of “if they’re still dropping bars, their legacy will never fade and people will be able to see what I saw.” Scorcese and I weren’t the best of friends (it’d be disrespectful for me to say we were), but I always respected his lyricism and respected him as a person.

His bars are as sharp here as they’ve ever been and the production is gritty but smooth as well. The guest features, including Zilla Rocca and Rahiem Supreme, add a new wrinkle to the project. We’re given a lot of different styles that mesh so well together to create a mix between Smoke DZA and Pusha T that sounds original and fresh.

This one takes me back to the first few times I heard him. In a few words, the project is beautiful and opens a window while closing a door in some ways. However, the beauty is a bit bittersweet, as we’re always going to wonder what could’ve been had we had more time with Scorcese. I’m sure his team has a slew of outtakes and leftover tracks. But I wish I could’ve hit him up after listening to this one like “damn bruh you killed it.” Check out the music and give people their flowers all the time while they’re still here. And, as always, support dope music in all its forms.