Newark, New Jersey by way of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Wyclef Jean continuing the Quantum Leap series with his 4th extended play. Beginning his career as 1/3 of the Fugees, he has since spent the last 3 decades following their initial disbandment carving a path for himself as a solo artist dropping a couple of extended plays along with 8 full-length studio albums & 3 mixtapes. Kicking off the 7-part Quantum Leap saga with Clef Notes taking it back to Clef’s hip hop roots in addition to announcing a Fugees reunion this summer, Quantum Leap 2: Q Theory looks to tread jazzier waters instrumentally.
“Rocinha” featuring saxophonist Godwin Louis, pianist Robert Glasper & organist Patrick Pelissier opens up with a 6 minute intro that feels infectiously rhythmic whereas “Lady Havana” featuring pianist Axel Tosca, trumpeter Theo Croker, drummer Yussef Dayes & percussionist Yiyi Sanchez finds the quintet that has a more calmer vibe than the previous track. “Silk & Sand” featuring trumpeter Jean Caze & djembefola Weedie Braimah takes a more tropical approach in terms of style just before “French Quarter” featuring Niia with drums supplied Harvey Mason comes through with a passable vocal duet.
Bradford Hayes plays the saxophone during “Pegasus” once again shifting focus towards the compositional side of things for a laidback tune while “Farafina” featuring pianist Arden Altino & flautist Elena Pinderhughes brings Robert Glasper back on the keys for a more tender jam. “Sugarcane & Watermelon” might be my least favorite track here since the percussion takes up a bulk of the spotlight but after “Harlem Nights” turns up the grooviness with some melodic background vocals, “Touissant Louverture” finishes Quantum Leap 2: Q Theory with a 4 minute outro inspired by the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution.
This whole saga was said to explore a different genre with each installment & I completely understand why Wyclef Jean took it back to the first language he knew before anyone knew who he was for the Clef Notes sequel since the inaugural entry was hip hop-oriented: Jazz music. Introducing the world to his jazz fusion band Rara Jazz comprised of veterans & newer voices, Quantum Leap 2: Q Theory versatilely continues to slowly but surely remind everyone of his artistic range setting up for wherever the next chapter goes.
New quadruple 20th solo LP from Vallejo, California emcee, songwriter, entrepreneur, actor & Sick Wid It Records founder E-40. However: It’s his 27th album if you count Revenue Retrievin’: Day Shift & Night Shift, Revenue Retrievin’: Overtime Shift & Graveyard Shift, The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil, Vols. 1-3 & subsequently Vols. 4-6, Sharp On All 4 Corners & The D-Boy Diaries all as individual albums. Anyway some heads like to disrespect him, but he’s been putting it down for the Bay Area for over 3 decades at this point. My favorites in his catalog include In a Major Way, The Mail Man, The Element of Surprise, Charlie Hu$tle: The Blueprint of a Self Made Millionaire, My Ghetto Report Card & The Block Brochure series to name a few. Coming off Rule of Thumb being his most focused statement since, he’s not wasting any time Turning My Money Over.
“Cuttin’ Up” featuring Jason Martin formerly known as Problem kicks things off talking about staying sharper than a blade all day whereas “Car Dance” produced by Rick Rock shifts towards a hyphy vibe instrumentally looking to make people’s whips jump. “She Just Wanna Party” continues from there talking about a woman who merely likes to stay lit just before “Game Been Missing” featuring Larry June links up so they can give us what they feel like hip hop’s been lacking.
The 2nd single “Sum’n Ain’t Right” goes for a trap vibe instrumentally getting the feeling that something’s off leading into “Over Came ‘Em” featuring Celly Cel finds the pair on some Mobb shit talking about overcoming every obstacle thrown at them. “On Here Trippin’” discusses livin’ it up to the max & his belief of family extending broader than merely kin while “Keep Runnin’” featuring Peezy treads the rap rock waters talking about maintaining the grind.
“Come with Me” hooks up a woodwind-infused beat from none other than 40’s son Droop-E speaking of needing to be protected at all cost & having only a crumb at the early stages of his career while “Quicksand” featuring Havoc talks about making it out the struggles they faced in their respective hometowns of Vallejo & Queens. “Blessed” takes the hyphy route to express his gratitude for the hustler lifestyle while “Must Be the Lingo” talks about his unique slang.
As for “Certified”, we have 40 Water over another hyphy beat so he can confess to being souped up while “Talkin’ Crazy” challenges anyone to say something slick to him. “Trunk’s Alive” featuring B-Legit & Too $hort teams up so the trio can talk about the speakers in their rides making it seem like the cars they’re driving are floating while “Paint Where It Ain’t” boasts his pockets being swollen up in addition to smoking the dankest weed & painting up the town.
“Play If You Want” featuring Busta Rhymes talks about being the greatest for their own separate reasons over an energetic Murda Beatz instrumental while “Night in the Bay” featuring Anderson .Paak takes a smoother approach yearning to drive around the Bay Area with their significant others. “Stand Down” featuring G Perico & Puablo15 gets on some gangsta shit together over a Hit-Boy beat while “Soul of Vallejo” featuring DaBoii, LaRussell, Nef the Pharaoh & NyNy ends the 1st half of Turning My Money Over with a posse cut repping their city.
Kicking off the 2nd half, “Make the Speakers Go” fuses elements of hyphy & g-funk talking about having to work all his way up to the top while “Mastermind” made for a decent lead single likening him to a genius & having the block jumpin’ similarly to the combine. “On Top” featuring Kokane talks about their paper staying long after going from the bottom of the barrel to the highest point while “Show You How to Love Me” gets romantic over a Mike & Keys beat.
“Baptized” featuring D-Shot talks about keeping heat by their sides since it gets cold around their parts with a slapping hyphy instrumental accompanying them while “You See It” moderately flexes his materialistic riches. “Need That” featuring Hitta Slim reassures they’ll talk back if one ever mentions money in a conversation while “The Woo Wop” turns up the hyphy influences promising all his haters they’ll eventually meet their fate.
AzChike appears during the Mobb-inspired “Dreams & Shadows” talking about being the kind to take everything only to ask for more over some sampling chops while one of the weaker tracks “High Kickin’ In” hooks up this goofy reggae beat for stoner raps I’d consider average at best. “Trenches” aggressively tells us stories of what the streets of Vallejo are like while “Double Back” featuring Cousin Fik returns to a Mobb sound talking about neither of them acting right.
“Gamed Up University” takes us to a fictional campus he claims to be spooky & murky maintaining the Mobb scene’s core components in tact while “The Work” talks about him knowing who’s gonna win or fail & merely playing for keeps. “Hope I Lose” sends an eerily Mobb-flavored message to all the people who want you to fail than succeed while “Look at That” was another skipper since it sounds like a bland strip club anthem.
DJ Daryl gets behind the boards for “Sucka Ducking” featuring P-Lo talking about avoiding any cornball who attempts approaching them while “What Would 40 Say?” brings some g-funk undertones in the picture responding to that very question. “Get High” featuring Killer Mike was a far more entertaining weed smokers’s theme than “High Kickin’ In” was while “Lift You Up” wraps up the 4-disc experience reminding the world they’re dealing with a pro.
I do remember E-40 saying a Rule of Thumb 2 was gonna happen but regardless of whether or not it’s been scrapped like Parts 3 & 4 of Sharp On All 4 Corners were, Turning My Money Over was less enjoyable than it’s predecessor although by a slight margin. There is a fair share of impressive production, guest performances & 40 Water verses although I felt like the songs containing weaker instrumental palettes or features would make me want to come back to it as much as I’d like.
Here we have the 4th studio LP albeit his 3rd under the $uicideboy$‘ very own G*59 Record$ from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada rapper, songwriter & producer Night Lovell. Emerging in 2014 when he dropped his debut EP I’ll Be Back & then following it up 4 months later with his debut mixtape Concept Vague, heads continued to turn in 2016 off the sophomore tape Red Teenage Melody & the 2019 full-length debut Goodnight Lovell. His sophomore effort & G*59 debut Just Say You Don’t Care was a step above the album before that, coming off I Hope You’re Happy to use My Blood as the Ink for his return.
“Sick & Tired” was a simply modest 2nd & final single talking about being fed up with people acting like they fuck with him when they really don’t amongst other issues like haters waiting for him to fold whereas “This Ain’t K-Pop” bombastically claps back at the artists who weren’t build for this shit. “Stranger” goes for a murkier trap vibe instrumentally talking about a solid muhfucka being hard to come by until explaining he sheds a “Gangsta Tear” every time he looks at the mirror.
We have Lovell over another dark trap beat during “Pawn Shop” talking about turning fuckboys into ghosts & people tryna take his spot just before the slower “Cigarette” admits there have been several times he’s considered callin’ it quits from music. “Fight Night at Gitanes” kicks off the 2nd half frighteningly talking about waking up every day to a whole different side of himself while “Bleed” discusses being trained to kill over a cloudier instrumental.
“Flip the Switch” nears closer towards the conclusion of My Blood as the Ink talking about people not understanding what he’s been through & exactly what it does to him but the “Message to You” skit, “Piñata” further embraces the trillwave aesthetics confessing he’s been learning to better himself in addition to life occasionally having it’s duller moments. “Run” wraps it all up with a cloudy trap lead single talking about having no time to focus on his own life.
I Hope You’re Happy was more positively received than Just Say You Don’t Care despite my personally appreciating it for the G*59 debut it was, but I feel like My Blood as the Ink could be Night Lovell’s weakest offering since joining the label. His songwriting & performances are there except I find the production largely uninteresting. If he hunkered down with someone like $crim or Dynox & even Chetta, then I believe he could make some of the most important music of his decade-plus career.
Everlast is a 57 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, California by way of Long Island, New York who originally came up in the early 90s as the frontman of House of Pain & a founding member of La Coka Nostra. He would eventually go on to drop 8 solo efforts, with the Tommy Boy Records-backed sophomore effort Whitey Ford Sings the Blues being my personal favorite of the bunch. I was however excited to learn the Martyr Inc. Records founder 9th solo LP & first in a decade would be fully produced by Yelawolf.
“Losing Man’s Game” kicks things off with an Americana intro asking himself why he can’t walk away from this game he keeps playing where he never wins whereas “Never Coming Home” sings about being on the run over a country rock beat. “Mistaken Identity” takes a more somber approach instrumentally finding himself all alone in the streets of Los Angeles just before “My Hollywood” sings about being fed up with the small town life over some acoustics.
Meanwhile on “Broken Heart for Hire”, we have Whitey Ford detailing a kind of love that doesn’t work like it used to leading into “Stones” singing about the self-awareness of being fed up with & acknowledging it by claiming he’s sick of himself also. “Out of Your Way” kinda has this singer/songwriter flare to it putting us inside the shoes of a single, simple, lonely man who maintains a heart of gold & a broken soul while “Lies” sings about tightly holding his lover until the break of dawn.
“Rubber Bullets” gets the 2nd half of Embers to Ashes going making a country-flavored comparison between kinetic impact projectiles & real ammunition while the country rock-tinged “Every Dog Has It’s Day” sings about riding off in the sun because he was born to lose. “Ain’t Coming Home Tonight” finds himself callin’ a woman he argued with at 4 in the morning only for her to send him to voicemail while “Love Don’t Heal” sings about his heart being unfixable & trying to do so would be a waste of time.
The title track recalls going from champagne & crystal glasses to drinking cheap whiskey out of plastic while “1987” looks back at the times when nothing else mattered nearly 4 decades earlier going to house parties broke as fuck. “Happy it’s Can Cry” sings about every dark night meeting its dawn & after protecting his “Peace of Mind” instead of buying some time selling his soul, the outro “Young Man” ends Embers to Ashes singing of living this fast life getting old.
A large portion of Everlast’s material since the turn of the millennium already has either been average at best or underwhelming at worst, so Embers to Ashes seemed like it had all the right reasons of becoming his finest late-career statement & it’s certainly a comeback that makes the absolute most sense. Yelawolf’s production bases itself around Americana & bluesy roots-rock for passionate tales of glory grasped & lost, the sudden swerves that change a life’s trajectory & hard-earned wisdom & warnings.
DJ Dahi is a 43 year old DJ, producer & singer/songwriter from Inglewood, California who’s worked with likes of Dom Kennedy as well as Dr. Dre & Vince Staples to only name a few. He was also signed to ARTium Recordings in tandem with Def Jam Recordings for a period of time but over a decade into the game already, he felt like now was the time to make his independent solo debut bringing an interesting list of hip hop & R&B guests on board to perform over his beats catered to those styles.
“Who’re You?” by Channel Tres & Vince Staples mellowly encourages everyone to wake up & get serious about the lives we’re livin’ now whereas “Find Me” by Mez & Moses Sumney finds the pair linking up for a neo-soul single singing of getting stuck in the middle. “How to Pray” by Kendrick Lamar keeps the laidback vibes rollin’ responding to a bar Drake had on “Plot Twist” a little over 3 months ago while “Running” by Childish Gambino combines contemporary R&B, neo-soul, jazz fusion & psychedelic soul for an ode to Dahi’s heritage.
Obongjayar takes the microphone for “Love Me” singing for his partner to be gentle, easy & careful with him because we all eventually fall just before “They Don’t Know Me” by Mez has a repetitive kickoff preceding a beat switch & a verse reflecting on life & the pain he’s experienced to wrap up the midway point. “The Night” by Kurtis Wells sings about the latter’s preparation for the evening to kick off the 2nd half of Black Boy (Alternative) until the lead single“Rest of Your Life” assuring Dahi’s partner to take her time falling in love.
“Stand for Something” by Ant Clemons, Baby Rose & Jesse Boykins III finds the trio teaming up to sing of upholding a set of principles while the 4th & final single “Square Up” by Fousheé cautions the world will fuck you up with an uppercut if one’s searching for trouble they’re bound to find. “Drowning” by Elmiene & Ravyn Lenae finishes up Black Boy (Alternative) with a neo-soul duet about raising a child without care & sell the world a lie without fear.
Becoming a fan of his as a teenager, DJ Dahi created Black Boy (Alternative) as a love letter to his younger self obsessed with rock along with soul & West African music prior to knowing any of that would result in what he’s doing today after spending so much time pouring himself into everyone else’s visions. Fusing rock’s grittiness & soul’s heart with West African rhythms for 40 minutes, the extraordinaire gives the world a more honest yet playful look at the kind of music he grew up on & one that paves the way for an exciting solo career.
Mike D is a 60 year old MC, musician, songwriter & producer from Manhattan, New York who blew up back in the 80s as 1/3 of the Beastie Boys alongside Ad-Rock & of course the late MCA. They would go on to drop 8 consistently praised full-lengths together preceding their disbandment towards the conclusion of my freshman year of high school following MCA’s death. Nobody in the group has ever put out any solo material until this point, so for Mike to recording a full-length studio debut under Capitol Records peaked my curiosity.
“Switch Up” combines breakbeat, experimental hip hop & experimental rock for a lead single talking about changing things every now & then whereas “What We Got” goes for a more standard east coast hip hop vibe speaking of self-doubt & having a backup plan once he retires from music. “True Colors” fuses breakbeat & neo-psychedelia for a reflection of when the Beastie Boys were younger just before “That’s Right” embraced an electro vibe talking about receiving confused looks regardless of what he does.
Continuing from there with “Secrets”, we have Mike D coming through with a 2-parter with a danceable opening & a lyrically repetitive counterpart revealing little to no secrets whatsoever leading into “I Don’t Care” taking a swampier approach instrumentally talking about being the guy to count on. “Make It Stop” speaks of our worlds being filled with drama because of everyone having their own traumatic experiences while the 4th & final single “Crypto” satirically pokes fun at greed.
“Here We Are” wraps up the final moments of Thank You talking about being lost in the dark looking for the door while “Back to Start” strips things back singing not to pass go if one’s looking to return to where they began. “It’s Time” talks about there being so much shit he wants to do despite all these things he needs to complete & the title track spends the remaining moments of Mike’s solo debut looking back at his youthful days 1 last time.
If anyone’s expecting Thank You to sound anything like what the Beastie Boys have done as a trio, then you’re probably not gonna get a kick outta this album so much but I applaud Mike D for trying something different with the help of his sons. The breakbeat, experimental hip hop, experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, electro & swamp rock production paired with his vulnerable lyrics feels like a bridge between the gap that was left when MCA passed & this new creative direction he’s following.
Lancey Foux is a 30 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, model & designer from Stratford, London, England, United Kingdom who made his full-length debut Pink back in 2015. He has since dropped 6 more full-lengths along with 5 mixtapes & an EP, with both Friend or Foux & Life in Hell each being singled out as his most widely celebrated material. However now that he’s signed to RCA Records, I had a good feeling his 8th studio LP & major label debut would be a huge milestone for him.
“Reap What You Sow” begins talking about the fast life feeling slow to him as well as being out of control & being soulless whereas the rage-inducing “Seeing to It” discusses his wealth. “To the Money” featuring Finessekid finds the pair poppin’ out to see if the women they’re romantically involved with truly love them or not leading into “Lingo Bingo” treads the hypertrap waters once again talking about keeping 1 in the hat for him & holdin’ a check for him.
Bugz Ronin & skaiwater cook up one of my favorite instrumentals on the album with “Who Do You Love?” talking about being the one this female wants while “Change Your Mind” talks about having the ability of making a chick reconsider riding for him until the wheels fall off since she can’t take her eyes off him. “Naked on a Yacht” takes the plugg route speaking of having a girl & her friend in their birthday suits on a boat while “All My Girls” talks about every single one of his hoes doing the most for him.
“Rockstar Rider” hops over a self-produced rage/jerk beat playin’ it cool whilst stacking up money once again while “All the Time” comes through with a celebratory 2-parter because he’s always catching Ws & betting this baddie she won’t wait for the sun to come up. “Wait for the Sun (Sugar)” appropriately continues from there asking his partner why she has to leave while “I Don’t Wanna Know” kicks off the 2nd leg deciding he has no interest in hearing lies.
As for “Miss the Night”, we have Lancey confessing of thinking about an ex accepting he’s been so lost ever since the breakup along with figuring out where they went wrong while “Body” combines pop rap & alternative R&B with synth-funk talking about a woman he can’t stop dealing with. The energizing “Tell ‘Em Who It Is” proclaims himself “Mr. Never Miss” for a boss bitch he takes charge for while “Therapist” talks about not needing therapy because he’s in the mirror with the truth.
“When It Rains It Pours” admits he had to learn the game the hard way & being a made man while “Trying My Best” talks about attempting to find himself again when he feels dead inside. “Everything Works Out” assures all problems will eventually sort itself out when they’re all sidelined & after “A Whole Lot” talks about everything he has going for him, the outro “Porsche Poet” sends off The Time of Our Lives sampling “Soul Mates” by Q.T. Hush featuring the late Teena Marie planning this out from the get go.
Sometimes whenever an artist signs to a major label, they end up not seeing the same success of being independent because their entire style gets watered down but thankfully The Time of Our Lives simultaneously stays true to who Lancey Foux has always been & steps out of his comfort zone more than he has in the past. The captivatingly creative production explores some new sounds & the songwriting’s some of his most honest, detailing his lived experiences & asking whether or not his 20s were enjoyable.
Abi & Alan are a superduo consisting of Dallas, Texas singer/songwriter, producer, DJ & actress Erykah Badualongside Beverly Hills, California producer, DJ & emcee The Alchemist. One of whom because the Queen of Neo-Soul off Baduizm & Mama’s Gun while the other is one of my top 10 producers of all-time. They haven’t worked directly with one another until now, but Badu’s independent debut following Control Freaq Records’ new distribution deal with Young Recordings coming in the form of their full-length studio debut was a more than welcoming celebration of her freedom from Motown Records.
“Echos” begins with a powerful ode to black resilience over this hypnotic instrumental backing her whereas “I Just Play a Part” featuring Creole Princess continues the atmospheric soundscapes so both of them can discuss being who others wish they were. “Crossfade” gives off a smoky neo-soul vibe singing for this guy to no longer seek love from her just before the 2nd single “Witch Doctor” blends neo-soul with psychedelic soul, progressive soul, tribal ambient & bend-skin to portray herself as a natural healer.
D.R.A.M. appears on “Valentine” describing a woman who’s attracted to a fuckboy in disguise until the lead single “Next 2 U” samples “The Realest” by Mobb Deep featuring Kool G Rap which a lot of people hated even though I didn’t seem to care because Uncle Al produced that too. “Love Me Not” lusciously comes through asking her partner if their relationship was a game to him while “Breezy” reaches the halfway point describing a lady who enjoys parting by herself.
“To the Moon / Plan C” featuring Steve Lacy after the “Abracadabra” interlude kicks off the 2nd leg with an astonishing 2-parter finding 2 lovers settling down since life will always come by quickly while “They Ain’t You” pretty much sings about sticking out amongst the other fish in the sea. “What the People Say (Apostle 1)” hops over a colorful boom bap beat dismissing whatever opinions others hold regarding her while “Hot BiBi (Apostle 2)” picks up where the previous track left off raising the pitch of her voice for a couple minutes.
Westside Gunn pops out during “No I.D.” shouting out the Chicago veteran himself, his mentee Ye formerly known as Kanye West, Pharrell, the late J Dilla, DJ Premier & Dr. Dre in case neither of them can get a hold of Uncle Al while “I Know That Man” by Earl Sweatshirt talks about desiring to be seen as good in the eyes of that which created us. “Black Box” sends off up Before the World Blows with this jazzy closer taking a spoken word approach in terms of delivery.
Originally announced last summer, Abi & Alan finally make up for the delays their debut suffered because of their initial distribution deal with EMPIRE falling apart uniting 2 of the greatest in their friends for the first time ever making some of the most potent R&B music of 2026. Alchemist’s production fuses neo-soul, hip hop, conscious hip hop, psychedelic soul, progressive soul, tribal ambient & bend-skin contemplating which parts of ourselves & our stories are worth protecting Before the World Blows.
Alex Warren is a 25 year old singer/songwriter, YouTuber & influencer from Carlsbad, California known for co-founding the Hype House collective of TikTokers. He eventually signed to with Atlantic Records in 2022 & wouldn’t drop his double full-length studio debut You’ll Be Alright, Kid until last summer. One of the most unpleasant listening experiences I had the previous year despite the hit single “Ordinary” embodying what the Billboard charts have become, so him coming back 13 months later for a sophomore effort until the beginning of fall next month unsurprisingly doesn’t raise my expectations or had me expecting a whole lot outta it.
“Emerald Eyes” experiments with disco to kick things off singing about hopes of this woman never letting him go whereas “Same Stars” hooks up some pianos asking “How the same stars over my head are the same stars from the night that you left?”. The 3rd single “Passenger” falls flat at a pop rock, dance-pop & new wave cut describing the feeling of helplessness in a 1-sided relationship just before the final single “Rescuer” blends alt-pop & folk pop thanking this female for pulling him out of an emotional darkness.
We get hints of gospel on “Cry Wolf” singing about a fire igniting in his veins whenever he hears someone mentioning an ex-girlfriend who wound up hurting him while the 2nd single “Fine Place to Die” depicts the apocalypse mixing adult contemporary & pop soul. After the “Are You Having Fun, Alex?” skit, “I Miss You More” sings about an individual in his life who’s been away for some time & pondering the idea of fathering a girl while “Only Thing Left” assures his partner they’re out of fight instead of love.
“Fever Dream” weakly fuses pop rock, pop soul & stomp & holler for a lead single inspired by his wife while “Won’t Go Back Again” emphasizes the stomp & holler elements singing about being done with setting himself on fire for the sole purpose of keeping others up. “Last Time” has somewhat of an Americana flare to it wishing he would’ve sooner realized he’d see this person for the very last time & the title track ends Wildchild singing about not letting this cruel world take our light away.
In a way, I can actually commend Alex Warren for experimenting a lot more throughout his 2nd album than his debut did regardless of me liking it no better or worse than what he dropped 13 months earlier. The adult contemporary, pop rock, dance-pop, stomp & holler, new wave, disco, gospel, alt-pop & folk pop production’s somehow more uninteresting than You’ll Be Alright, Kid & the songwriting still doesn’t do much of captivating me despite him trying to turn up the intimacy in his music.
This is the long-delayed 12th studio LP from Brooklyn, New York emcee, songwriter, producer & actor Busta Rhymes. A member of the Leaders of the New School, he would go on to turn heads in the spring of ‘92 off the strength of his verse on “Scenario” off of A Tribe Called Quest’s flawless sophomore effort The Low End Theory. The dragon would see greater success as a solo artist with full-lengths like The Coming, When Disaster Strikes…, E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, Anarchy, Genesis & The Big Bang. However when E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God dropped Devil’s Night 2020, it would find Busta returning to form considering the mixed to subpar reception of B.O.M.B.S. (Back On My Bullshit) & the panned Year of the Dragon backed by Cash Money Records. Blockbusta preluded by The Fuse is Lit were both treated to mixed-to-negative responses, looking to redeem himself with Dillagence II.
After the “Ma Dukes Speak Again” intro, “How the Boss Will Deliver” opens up with a ferocious 81 second freestyle preceding “Entry” featuring La Reezy joining forces over a boom bap instrumental laughing off the dummies going up against them. The lead single “Spazzz” co-produced by Black Milk & Kev Brown splits itself in 3 different sections for more hardcore penmanship while “Back Pain, Chest Pain, Head Pain” climbs another mountain in the midst of traumatizing people.
“Royalty” featuring Cie & Trillian finds the trio talking about there never being another version of either of them over a colorful boom bap beat just before the subdued “This Woman” featuring a hook from the late D’Angelo takes a more romantic approach conceptually & does it without sounding forced. “Shoo” returns to the boom bap tellin’ all these wack rappers they straight up need to get the fuck out the culture leading into the soulfully jazzy “Drugs” solely produced by Karriem Riggins likens his music to that of an addictive substance.
After the “Story of the Old Man” interlude, “Run ‘Em Down” gets the 2nd half going reminding the world who he is while “Lay Down” featuring T3 has him & Busta in their energetic hardcore bag together. “Wait 4 U” featuring Big Sean & Honey Bxby gets back on the pop rap tip although it’s one of the weaker tracks in the few exploring that style while “Kingpin (Knock Ya Head Off) featuring Anderson .Paak & Ludacris necessarily turns the aggressiveness back up.
“How You Want It” winds down the final act of Dillagence II making sure everything remains raw both lyrically & instrumentally while “Love & War” featuring Talib Kweli freestyles over “I Must Love You” by Guilty Simpson off his 2008 debut Ode to the Ghetto. The 2nd & final single “Talk Shit”featuring Lil Wayne samples “I Know You Got Soul”by Bobby Byrd featuring James Brown for a superior “Nirvana (Hello)” remix while “What We Got in Common” featuring Common preceding the “Ma Dukes & J Dilla’s Closing Word” outro wraps it all up with a 6 & a half minute closer.
Confirming the rumors of J Dilla giving Busta Rhymes over 300 beats prior to his passing, I’m happy he makes up for the excessive commercialization that made Blockbusta so disappointing & his sequel to the Dillagence mixtape would be placed above it’s predecessor for the best in the series in addition to being a step in the right direction for him like E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God was 6 years earlier. He’s not trying too hard to appeal to a younger crowd like the previous album did, having a more consistent guest list joining him to bring their A-game over Dilla production.
Legends Will Never Die 