DJ Paul – “Goat of All Goats” review

This is the 9th solo LP from Memphis, Tennessee rapper, producer, DJ, entrepreneur & record executive DJ Paul. The co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia alongside Juicy J, he would eventually carve a path of his own in the early 2000s with Underground Vol. 16: For da Summa followed by Scale-A-Ton & A Person of Interest. Then came Master of Evil under Psychopathic Records on Devil’s Night 2015, which is my personal favorite of his a decade later. Year of the 6 & Year of the 6, Pt. 2 through Slumerican Records were both enjoyable too although the Power, Pleasure & Painful Things EP was overloaded with skits. 6 years later, the Goat of all Goats is back.

After the “Goat Welcomes You” intro, the self-produced opener “Straight Out the Jets” talking about having extra homies looking after his other extra of friends in every city whereas “I Beat the Odds” speaks of overcoming every obstacle in his life. “Throw Some Money” featuring the Seed of 6 & Too $hort finds the quartet teaming up for a playful strip club anthem while “Find Out” featuring Freddie Gibbs talks about shooting faces off anyone who dares to fuck with them.

“Stupid Ass Bitch” featuring the late Lord Infamous & Snow Tha Product continues Memphis vibes so all 3 of them dismantle all of these dumb hoes leading into “12 at Night” talking about his rims being so black, that one would presume it’s the evening already. “Bad Motherfucker” featuring the Seed of 6 reunites the trio so they can discuss having motion in the streets while “I’m From the M” represents his hometown to the fullest, talking about the fact that it’s hard ever safe around those parts.

Lyfe Jennings joins Paul on “Free My Dog” calling for each of their friends who’re currently behind bars to come back home while “She Gone Up” featuring Duke Deuce & the Seed of 6 decently talks about hoes throwing it back for a couple of thugs. “Fading” featuring Lord Infamous comes at the throats of all these pussies & the line at the end of the latter’s verse accepting his death might send chills down your spine, but then “Popped Out of a Slingshot” featuring RiFF RAFF reaches the halfway point getting boastful over a trap instrumental.

“Wellness Check” kicks off the 3rd quarter to checkup on his haters who’re constantly dying for attention while “From the Bottom of the Bottom” feels a lot like an interlude considering how heavy “Robbers” by the late Koopsta Knicca is being sampled. “3 the Hardest Way” featuring Yelawolf & Young Buck co-produced by TWhy flips “Knock tha Black Off Yo Ass” for a southern hardcore hip hop banger while “Uhaulin” shifts it’s appeal back to the clubs so all the women listening can shake ass & hit the poles.

Akon & Krayzie Bone both appear for “We Made It”talking about the amount of people who didn’t think either of them would have their own individually established legacies while “Came from Nothing”featuring Krayzie Bone & the Seed of 6 describes going from rags to riches. “Drugs in Me on Cielo Drive” featuring Lil Wyte talks about both of them being under the influence of recreational drugs hence why they’re moving slow while “Munyun” featuring Jucee Froot observes the amount of individuals who claim to have bread when they don’t.

“Every City Got Gangstas” featuring Lil Wyte reunites both Hypnotize Camp Posse members 1 more time pondering if one’s running the streets or their mouths while the final song “OMG!” by Yelawolf & Young Buck preceding a spoken word outro finishes the album with Paul taking a backseat vocally, let both of his guests spit a cutthroat verse of their own sampling “Murder (Killin’ Spree)” by Tommy Wright III talking about each of them being born to raise Hell & not giving up on anything.

Power, Pleasure & Painful Things still has some of DJ Paul’s greatest material in recent memory despite all of the excessive intermissions & Goat of all Goats reintroduces himself by making a statement regarding his longevity & the lasting impact the rest of the Three 6 Mafia has had on hip hop culture 3 decades since Mystic Stylez became the Memphis scene’s groundbreaking masterpiece. He’s still got it behind the boards & on the mic, furthermore amassing a list of local newcomers & his most notable collaborators who mostly stick the landing.

Score: 3.5/5

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Trae tha Truth – “Farewell” review

Brand new extended play from Houston, Texas veteran Trae tha Truth. A member of the Screwed Up Click collective, he would go on to join the Guerilla Maab & ABN with over a dozen solo efforts under his belt. Restless being widely considered to be the crown jewel of his discography. Stuck in Motion & Crowd Control were both received mixed-to-negatively within the past couple years, coming off the tribute to his daughter Angel last summer by hinting at retirement with Farewell.

“Amaze Ya” hops over a sample-based trap instrumental to talk about not needing a cast because he’s the motion picture itself whereas the title track explains that sometimes we have to leave when we don’t want to. “4:16am” strips the drums so he can talk about his presence being heavy while “My N****z” flips a guitar to shout out all of his homies. “Heartbreak” soulfully talks about nobody picking him up when he falls & “All for You” woozily finishes by speaking of going crazy in the jungle.

Part of me doesn’t believe that Trae tha Truth will actually retire from making music considering the ever-growing list of artists who make that claim only for them to continue dropping afterwards, including Z-Ro. Either way: I wish him all the best in whatever he does beyond this point & would consider Farewell to be a solid batch of material to end on if that were to be the case even if it had to be pushed back a couple weeks, flowing all over these beats without a single guest needed.

Score: 3.5/5

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Doggystyleeee – “Calm Before Riches” review

Here is the 8th EP from San Bernardino, California emcee Doggystyleeee reemerging for his 6th EP. Coming up 7 years ago off his full-length debut Into Somethin’, he would go on to put out his last 7 EPs as well as 5 mixtapes & a couple more albums garnering interest to the point where WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg almost signed him to Death Row Records not too long after purchasing the label from MNRK Music Group to revive it. Blame It on My Crippin’ & Split Personality produced by AC3Beats as well as & Music with Substance were all welcomed to divisive reception although I enjoyed them personally, reaching the Calm Before Riches.

“Gangsta” samples quite possibly Tha Dogg Pound’s greatest song “Let’s Play House” coming to the realization that his girl ain’t ever been with a g before whereas “Play Yo Part” sends some subtle advise over a cloudy Mobb beat. “Over You” goes for a g-funk vibe instrumentally talking about his refusal to waste any time on a desperate ass bitch while “Let’s Play House” puts a soulful spin on the 90s west coast sound so he can talk about driving hoes crazy.

The song “Majestics” luxuriously kicks off Calm Before Riches’ celebrating SoCal altogether while “Don’t Make Me Trip” warns not to push him over the edge because he stays about that gangsta shit in addition to getting money & staying out the way being the only 2 concerns of his. “Different Flavors” lastly sends off the EP with 1 last Mobb instrumental assuring he could be considered a kingpin the way he slangin’ & getting it out the mud.

Caught in tha Moment a few months earlier was catered more to the ladies because of a desire Doggystyleeee had to increase his female audience & I completely respect it despite not enjoying it as much as the other handful of EPs that came out last year, but he preludes The Reawakening by taking it back to basics for Calm Before Riches. I like the fact he selected only a few producers on board instead of a singular beatsmith to recapture that 90s west coast hip hop aura & tell stories of the gangsta life.

Score: 4/5

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La Reezy – “Leader of da Uth” review

This is the 6th EP from New Orleans, Louisiana based emcee/producer La Reezy. Introducing himself in 2023 off the full-length studio debut Reeborn, he would go on to follow it up with the debut EP We All Need Help as well as both Welcome to La Reezyana & Pardon Me, I’m Different preceding the self-produced Lareezyana Shakedown this past September. The latter I would personally tell you is the greatest thing he’s made so far. Coming off Free99$ however, the Leader of da Uth isn’t looking to slow down.

“Potna” comes off the rip with a boisterous dirty south instrumental talking about him getting ready to flip in this bitch while “Respect da Yungin’” once again throws it back to late 90s era No Limit & Cash Money Records demanding some due regards put on his name. “Da Coldest Prophet” leans towards a more soulful vibe talking about striving for greatness & after the “You Got It” skit, the final song “Man of da Hour” finishes his proclamation as Leader of da Uth by speaking of being the holy one.

Whether it’s the co-signs from Tyler, The Creator & J. Cole or spitting a verse during that Rap’s New Class cypher On the Radar recently put out, La Reezy has been continuously making case after case as to why he’s one of New Orleans’ most interesting artists on the rise & Leader of da Uth will most likely make up for anyone who found themselves on the fence with Free99$. The production here is stronger than the latter, fluctuating between the dirty south vibes from almost 3 decades prior & sampling chops to keep dropping the playful yet mature subject matter he’s been known for.

Score: 4/5

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Nettspend – “Early Life Crisis” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Richmond, Virginia rapper Nettspend. Blowing up in 2023 off his debut EP Kickdoor, he would also team up with Hooligan Lou for the poorly received collab EP 3rd Knock preceding him signing to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records a few months afterwards. His debut mixtape Badass Fucking Kid was welcomed to divisive feedback although I personally enjoyed it more than Kickdoor or Nettgenes’ eponymous debut EP. I also can’t forget to mention the beef he had with fakemink, squashing it in the middle of delaying Early Life Crisis last weekend.

“you ready?” produced by CXO begins with this rage-inducing lowend intro getting the audience prepared for what’s to time whereas “ce” named after his childhood friend Connor talks about not wanting to pull up because of the Gucci he’s dripped in. “pain talk” featuring OsamaSon finds the pair over a gyro instrumental flexing that their Black Range Rover shoots flames leading into “crack” talking about taking his time with this woman prior to calling her back.

Moving on from there, “still standing” keeps the hypertrap vibes going boasting that he hasn’t been knocked off his axis because of the bands he’s making just before “who tf is u?” talks about using his stick to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. “trap house 2016” discusses burning the trap house down to ashes whenever the cops come out & the Glock being too big for his lap while “masked up” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again links up for a decent rage-inducing gangsta rap track.

“stab” talks about feeling paranoid due to the way he’s living & his way of thinking being altered by the drugs & money that come with the fame while “halftime” references his past feud with fakemink that was recently put to rest whilst describing what he does during the late night hours. “meet me in richmond” kicks off the 2nd half talking about how nobody else is doing shit the way he is while “no sleep” expresses a desire to keep speaking to this woman he’s attracted to.

As for “<3”, we have Nettspend talking about feeling like his state’s version of the grim reaper after trying to love while “paris hilton” addresses the photo of him with the polarizing socialite that was taken a few months earlier. “sick” wants to know what this bitch will do if she ain’t having shit & putting his competition in flu season while “cross ‘em out” talks about being a Badass Fucking Kid instead of a pacifist, copping new guns with switches.

“shades” samples “23” by Juicy J, Miley Cyrus & Wiz Khalifa so he can describe being in the club high off Percocets wearing sunglasses while “plan b” talks about being a rebel with the right clientele. “make it bleed” breaks down living tax-free & modeling for Miu Miu while “hey, hello” confronts a hoe that he’s been communicating with regarding her being jealous of his other girl. “lil bieber” sends off the LP by talking about his desire to take no more Ls & the bridges he burns lighting the way he cruises.

Would I consider Early Life Crisis to be an equally groundbreaking rage album as Psykotic or Rest in Bass? No, but Badass Fucking Kid’s mixed reception got & the beef with fakemink had people quick to say that Nettspend was beginning to fall off or that his 15 minutes of fame are up when there are some considerable upgrades made here compared to that previous tape. The production for this style of trap makes some great usage of samples & the biggest change would be the more personal approach that was taken in terms of songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Scythe – “Strictly 4 the Scythe” review

The Scythe is a Memphis rap/trap collective consisting of Denzel Curry, A$AP Ferg, Bktherula, Key Nyata, TiaCorine, iloveit!, BEAUTIFULMVN, Oogie Mane, ilykimchi & Swaggyono. All of whom had appeared on Zel’s most recent mixtape King of the Mischievous South 2 & the best example of that being the “Hot One” single despite everyone having their own individually established histories of making music already. Loma Vista Recordings would go on to sign them as a unit right when 2026 began & are looking to make their official debut with a new mixtape succeeding nearly half of it being already released as singles.

BEAUTIFULMVN & iloveit! produce the group’s eponymous intro with TiaCorine & Ferg talking about slicing anyone who fucks with the crew whereas “Lit Effect” by Zel featuring Lazer Dim 700 hops over a murky instrumental from BNYX of Working on Dying to speak of people beefing on the internet because they’re broke. “Phony” with Ferg & Key Nyata featuring Juicy J goes for a Memphis vibe talking about being numbers only, but then “Mutt That Bitch” featuring 1900Rugrat was the only single of the 3 that I wasn’t head over heels for.

“Hoopty” by TiaCorine featuring Smino gets the 2nd half of the tape going by making all the girls going crazy until switching up in favor of a lyrically repetitive outro while the Miami bass-influenced “You Ain’t Gotta Lie” by Denzel Curry featuring Luh Tyler & 454 finds the trio showing off their wealth. “Tan” gives Bktherula & TiaCorine a few minutes for them to shine together talking about heading out for a trip to Hawaii while “Up” by A$AP Ferg featuring Rich the Kid ends with the 2 asking their type of women if they wanna roll with them.

Putting aside the couple underwhelming guest appearances here & there, The Scythe’s inaugural mixtape expands on the creative chemistry each of the 5 artists & 5 producers all bonded over a couple summers ago when King of the Mischievous South 2 dropped & have confidence of them possibly outdoing themselves if they ever came out with a full-length debut. From the Memphis-style trap production that the Working on Dying members/affiliates cook up to every single rapper having a distinctive personality of their own, one of the newest & most popular hip hop crews today have made their arrival.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ty$ – “Girl Music” review

Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter, rapper, musician, producer & EZMNY Records founder Ty$ is back for a brand new extended play of material. Becoming popular during my 1st half of high school when his 3rd mixtape Beach House dropped. Signing to both Atlantic Records & Taylor Gang Entertainment, his full-length debut Free TC in the fall of 2015 was welcomed to warm reception although Beach House 3 & Featuring Ty$ were both merely average compared to it’s predecessor. He’s also a part of the duos MihTy with Jeremiah & of course ¥$ alongside one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye formerly known as Kanye West, the latter making their debut with Vultures during Super Bowl LVII weekend & dropping a widely panned sequel almost 6 months later. Tycoon would become the biggest entry in his solo career thus far & has decided to make some Girl Music.

“Nobody Has to Know” blends R&B & trap soul to get things going singing for the woman he’s with to take his soul whereas “3,000,000,000” tells this female that she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places. “Bad Bitch Alert” hooks up a guitar & some finger snaps to sing about how stunning his partner is while “Intention” featuring Brandy finds the wanting to know each other’s plans. “Miss U 2” featuring Leon Thomas III was a solid alternative R&B/trap soul single telling their lovers how much they miss them & “Good to Me” ends by singing about the one he needs over a piano.

From what I understand: Airplane Mode 2 & Purple Moon are still coming out, but an evening out in New York where Ty$ was at a restaurant where the DJ was playing all the right music had him constantly thinking of what kind of music women would like to hear & leans heavier towards the R&B side of his versatility throughout Girl Music than Tycoon & he’s already hinting at more installments going forward. Instrumentally, it’s a natural return to his R&B origins & to hear where he’ll take it on the next few entries does have me intrigued.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jae Skeese – “The Good Part” review

Here is the 5th extended play from Buffalo, New York emcee Jae Skeese. Starting in 2010 off his debut mixtape W.A.C.K. (Women, Alcohol, Cash & Kicks), it wasn’t until a decade later where he & 7xvethegenius gained wide exposure as the very first signees to Conway the Machine’s very own Drumwork Music Group. The Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd EP Authenticity Check & the sophomore effort Abolished Uncertainties both elevated Skeese’s popularity in the last couple years. Coming off the Superior-produced Testament of the Times & elevating from Ground Level though, Ill Tone’s producing The Good Part succeeding 40 Hours.

“Paralysis” chops up a soul sample to get things going talking about feeling like nobody’s above him whereas “Accelerant” featuring Conway the Machine & Stove God Cook$ finds the trio aggressively going at the throats of those who got the game wrong. “Curt Menafee” featuring Cory Gunz goes for a summery direction instrumentally talking about putting it all on the line leading into “S.W.G.M. (See It, Want It, Got It, Mines)” end the 1st half by speaking of taking what’s his.

Fuego Base & Sule appear on “Raiden” kicking off the 2nd leg with all 3 of them aggressively talking about wanting the finer things closer in reach just before “Worldwide” featuring Talib Kweli & T.F links up so they can discuss how far they wanna take it musically. “Mua” hops over a victorious beat to talk about getting his cake up & winning in the biggest ways while “No After No” featuring Brother Tom Sos & Consequence finishes with each artist explaining that they never stopped chasing their goals after being counted out.

I completely understood what Jae Skeese was doing trying give lesser known local artists a bigger platform although I’m still on the fence with that EP over an entire year later, but The Good Part has to be my personal favorite project of his since Testament of the Times. From the penmanship to the higher profile guest appearances & Ill Tone’s production, it’s already been implied that they’re gonna make an entire series out of this & this inaugural entry checks off every box regarding why they should.

Score: 4.5/5

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Flying Lotus – “Big Mama” review

Flying Lotus is a 42 year old producer, DJ, rapper, songwriter & filmmaker from Los Angeles, California who made his debut 2 decades earlier with the positively received 1983. He would later sign to Warp Records, dropping a string of acclaimed follow-ups from Los Angeles & Cosmogramma to Until the Quiet Comes & You’re Dead! throughout the course of my adolescence. Of course I’d be remised to forget the underrated DU∆LITY mixtape he dropped under the Captain Murphy alias. Flamagra in the spring of 2019 was the last time we heard FlyLo secularly, coming off the Yasuke & Ash soundtracks to drop his 7th extended play through his own label Brainfeeder Records in tandem with Ninja Tune.

The title track begins with this 36 second intro that will likely be used during an [adult swim] bumper at some point within the near future whereas “Captain Kernel” goes for a glitchier vibe instrumentally working in some additional synthesizers. “Antelope Onigri” throws it back to the IDM sound that defined Los Angeles & Cosmogramma over a decade earlier leading into “In the Forest: Day” hooking up some psychedelic synth melodies that feel like an acid trip.

“Brobobasher” continues the final leg of Big Mama blending elements of drum & bass as well as glitch and house music for almost a couple minutes while “Horse Nuke” starts off by heading for an ambient direction for the opening minute or so until combining both wonky & techno for the remaining 102 seconds. “Pink Dream” however sends off the EP by cooking up an animated beat that would remind some people of the 3rd generation of video games 4 decades earlier.

Considering that he’s signed a handful of artists I’ve liked in the past such as Kamasi Washington or Hiatus Kaiyote & Thundercat, it makes me happy to hear Flying Lotus making a return to his electronic roots over the course of Big Mama’s brief runtime & only a month away from Distracted. His production takes an experimentally maximalist approach to IDM, glitch hop, wonky, glitch, nu jazz, ambient & chiptune almost like a machine malfunctioning right in front of our very eyes.

Score: 4/5

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Joey Cool – “Time Will Tell” review

This is the 9th studio LP from Kansas City, Missouri emcee Joey Cool. Starting out as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music dropping a total of 4 mixtapes & a studio album on his own until Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to the Snake & Bat in 2017, he then dropped an eponymous sophomore effort the next spring followed by Old Habits Die Hard as well as Coolie High & I Tried to Be Normal Once. Coming off the break he took last year following The Chairman of the Board as well as the Mario Casalini-produced Enjoy the View & Roller Coaster, he’s making a return by saying Time Will Tell.

“Swank Lord Back” produced by Mario Casalini begins with an skit until the beat kicks in during the 2nd half of it talking about the Swankiest of Strangeland being in action again after taking a year off whereas “Talk That Shit” flexes that he’s completed his contact with Strange over a C-Lance instrumental. “International Coolie Anthem” boisterously shrugs off the fact that life can be a little busy at times leading into the rap rock-inflicted “Known Associates” thanks to Burna Music addressing someone he considered a brother.

We get a fusion of R&B, pop rap & trap on “Work of Art” talks about a woman that he firmly believes is the one for him just before “Yam Jam” featuring Kstylis & Roblo Dastar moves on from there with a tedious strip club anthem. ReadyRockDee & Richie Evans both appear so they & Joey can give off some of that “Main Character Energy” over a Wyshmaster beat prior to him asking how can he “Carry On” living in a world he can’t change, losing his mind because of the pressure.

“You Feel It” wraps up the 1st half of Time Will Tell going for an upbeat direction courtesy of Lowkey tha Wizard confident he’ll be earning more as long as he’s still breathing while “Set It Off” featuring King Iso, Rittz, Tech N9ne & X-Raided after “Tracker (Swanky’s Saloon)” interlude finds all 5 of them talking about Strange being the best in the business. “Moonwalking Under Glass” featuring Ubiquitous fuses jazz & trap to continue the 2nd leg explaining that they’re not gonna get the full picture if there are some pieces missing.

Saigon & X-Raided join Coolie in grittily reminding anyone who “Must’ve Forgot” all the bullshit when they didn’t while “Go Fast!” talks about the urge he gets to run a couple laps whenever things get too slow for him. “Brunch in SoHo” combines a vocal sample with some hi-hats recalling going from the hood to sippin’ mimosas while “Franchise” takes a more energetic approach in general talking about nobody has to wish him any sort of luck because he’s only gonna get a lot bigger going forward.

“Midnight in the Town” featuring G Watts & Kye Colors moderately brings all 3 of them together over a cloudy Matt Phoenix instrumental to drop territorially hardcore verses although The Chairman of the Board saves the best for last while “This is My Love Song” stylistically departs from the hip hop sound he became known for in favor of experimenting with R&B, doing it better than I could’ve imagined. “Swanktified” ends the album talking about continuing to scorch shit because those of importance know his name fusing rap & gospel.

There are moments on Roller Coaster that I still enjoy almost a year & a half later, but I can’t argue if anyone would have Time Will Tell as their favorite thing Joey Cool has ever made. Especially since I personally would put it up there with self-titled, Old Habits Die Hard & Enjoy the View. This & the latter both make the finest examples of how far he’s come since those earlier projects in terms of versatility & songwriting regardless of a few guest performances lacking.

Score: 4/5

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