Flee Lord – “Raised in the Sand” review

Queens, New York emcee Flee Lord is back with his 18th EP. Coming up in 2017 as protege of the late Prodigy, he has since become known for building up a massive discography for himself in the last 5 years. This includes the Loyalty or Death: Lord Talk trilogy produced by GodBlessBeatz, the Loyalty or Trust duology produced by 38 Spesh, the DJ Shay-produced Lucky 13 the Buckwild-produced Hand Me My Flowers, the Pete Rock-produced The People’s Champ & the Havoc-produced In the Name of Prodigy, the DJ Muggs-produced RAMM£LLZ££, the Roc Marciano produced Delgado. Last time I covered him was his 4th proper full-length album Ladies & Gentlemen which was followed by 2 more LPs 2-3 Zone & Full Court Press, but Raised in the Sand peaked my interest even more.

The title track starts off with a hypnotic boom bap instrumental talking about drawing a clear vision in the booth with his pen whereas “Hate When You Rich” produced by Harry Fraud works in a drearier loop with kicks & snares addressing those who envy his bread stacking up. “Snakes in Disguise” is an organ/boom bap crossover that DJ Green Lantern cooked up calling out those in the streets who’re literally snakes in disguise prior to “Pay the Price” swaps the organs out with a piano explaining that it takes to business with him.

V Don gives “Where’s the Love?” a soulful vibe telling y’all to get yours, lay low & stay out the way leading into “Ice Water 2” featuring Roc Marciano serving as a drumless sequel to “Ice Water” by Raekwon featuring Cappadonna & Ghostface Killah laced with the help of Mephux. Lord Mobb Music in-house producer Ghost Dave jumps behind the boards for the rap rock flavored “Lord’s Work” featuring Mummz & Trizz getting on their street shit just before “Brother 4 Life” soulfully talks about loyalty over Pounds440 sampling soul music.

“Skipping Out the Bank” featuring Pounds440 himself starts the final moments of Raised in the Sand by jumping on top of horns together literally skipping out the bank in the midst of everyone in their lives who’re jealous of them stressing out even further due to the fact & “Get Yours” ends the EP telling the homie to pass him a drink & given that he doesn’t do it very often, he’s in the mood to celebrate right now keeping the beat exuberant yet dusty at the exact same time.

Flee’s last couple albums were good, but I haven’t found myself enjoying a project from him this much since Delgado. Needless to say, what we have in front of us is the best EP that the guy has put out in 3 years. The production is a cut above 2-3 Zone & Full Court Press, I like that the amount of guests are toned down in comparison & Flee Lord himself tells everyone what it was like for him being Raised in the Sand.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Rakim – “G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH)” review

Rakim is a 56 year old MC/producer from Long Island, New York notable for being 1/2 of the seminal golden age duo Eric B. & Rakim. They put out 4 classic albums together from the mid-80s to the early 90s, with their debut Paid in Full & the sophomore effort Follow the Leader laying out the groundwork for future generations of hip hop to come. Kid Wizard eventually went solo in late ‘97 signing to Universal Music Group for an acclaimed debut The 18th Letter & the follow-up The Master while not as acclaimed still received positive feedback. Reception to The 7th Seal a decade after The Master was more mixed due to the lackluster production although the lyricism was certainly praised, but is returning after 15 years for a self-produced solo EP.

“Be Ill” featuring Kurupt & Masta Killa was a soulful boom bap choice of a lead single allowing the trio to talk about being down & real whereas “Now’s the Time” featuring B.G., Compton Menace & Hus Kingpin keeps it rugged explaining that the time is in fact now & they’re the last to know it. “Love’s the Message” featuring the late Nipsey Hu$$le, Planet Asia & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg takes the cloudy boom bap route instrumentally asking if you can see what they see while the symphonic “God’s Playground” featuring DMX, Fred the Godson, Skyzoo & 38 Spesh declares that the chase is on.

Canibus, Chino XL in what would be the final feature of his lifetime, KXNG CROOKED & La the Darkman all join The God for “Pendulum Swing” hooking up kicks, snares & strings looking to make a major change in the game together referencing Neuralink founded by Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder & Twitter owner Elon Musk leading into “International” featuring Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap & TriState nearing the conclusion of G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH) on some piano/boom bap shit wanting the money as opposed to violence. “Sign of 7” featuring Big Twins, Method Man, the late Prodigy & X-Raided finally ends the EP with the quintet luxuriously talking about being the mob including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne.

This man has to be in my top 3 with Nas & Kendrick Lamar, so it makes me more than thrilled that hear that his “G.O.D.” status extends to more than just lyricism by showing Rakim’s chops as a producer & resulting in one of the best EPs of what’s already been a prolific year in hip hop culture. The God hasn’t lost a step lyrically, the production is WAY better than The 7th Seal & a majority of the guests hold their own weight on the mic being some of the best that the east, west & south have to offer.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Raz Fresco – “The Eternal Now” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcee/producer Raz Fresco enlisting west coast veteran DJ Muggs for what I’m pretty sure is his 16th proper full-length solo LP. I’ve been familiar with the guy since my high school years at this point whether it be some of his features or his own extensive discography including the Magneto Was Right mixtape series, the Futurewave-produced Gorgeous Polo Sportsmen album, the Nicholas Craven-produced Boulangerie album, the Cake beat tapes, the Gia…À La Carte collab EP with Estee Nack or more recently the Cookin’ Soul produced Bakin’ Soul & the Daniel Son collab effort Northside. Further continuing the acclaim of the latter 3 received, The Eternal Now seemed like there was a high chance it could surpass them since Muggs been on a roll producing projects for other artists in recent memory & helping bring the best out of them.

The title track sets the tone of what’s to come from the jazzy instrumental to the lyrics letting everyone know exactly what they’re living in at this very moment whereas luxuriously “Memory Lane” talks about people spending too much time reflecting & being nostalgic, which I wholeheartedly agree with. “Look What You Made Me Do” goes full-blown boom bap examining the darkest side of Raz’ mind prior to the orchestral “Smoke & Mirrors” talking about the game being as cold as it is.

“Blood Money” strips the drums completely feeling alive whenever the sun touches him just before the “Ghost of Garvey” featuring Gritfall & The 6th Letter finds the trio over a crooning sample flexing that they brought back Marcus Garvey’s spirit. “King Tubby” makes a turn into drumless territory once again feeling like he wants to cry for the people sometimes due to the cruelness of the world leading into “Blow Up the Spot” returning to the boom bap talking about hitting the lottery if he had a nickel for every time he called out a poser for trying to be official.

Starting the 2nd leg, “Fake Beef” ruggedly warns that y’all can catch the smoker similarly to Terrell Owens & keeping the gates of Hell open reserving Heaven for the best while the dustily jazzy hybrid “World Peace” talks about the game plan trying to be taking land with their names on the building. “Pan’s Labyrinth” strips the drums once more discussing a trapped king trapped in faun’s elaborate & confusing structure while “Big Soul Assassins” returns to the boom bap representing the titular Soul Assassins collective.

“Staircase Stories” nears the end of The Eternal Now if you couldn’t tell by the title unearths his own tales from the staircases over a raw beat with an acoustic-sounding drum pattern & I found the rock sampling throughout “50 Bop” to be quite interesting allowing Raz to spaz the fuck out on the mic to the point where I can say it’s my favorite track here. “Spooky” closes the LP hopping on top of a drumless jazz sample calling himself Professor X with his mind.

Raz has already been having a Hell of a 2024 from Bakin’ Soul to Northside & surely enough, The Eternal Now reaches past Bakin’ Soul as the best full-length album in his entire discography yet. DJ Muggs’ production ranges from boom bap to drumless, jazz rap & rap rock giving a glimpse of the Toronto emcee keeping the same energy lyrically that he’s kept since the last couple projects of his that I previously covered.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

DJ Mustard – “Faith of a Mustard Seed” review

DJ Mustard is a 34 year old producer, DJ, songwriter, record executive & rapper from Los Angeles, California known for being a pioneer of the ratchet music scene. He sure enough embarked on a solo career almost a decade ago by releasing 10 Summers through Roc Nation Records & Republic Records, both of whom would also put out the sophomore effort Cold Summer. Mustard later departed following the mixed reception that his first couple LPs to form his own label 10 Summers Records & enlisted Interscope Records to distribute the more well-received Perfect 10 & considering that he produced one of the biggest singles of the year “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar a few months ago, it raised the anticipation for his 4th album higher.

“Show Me the Way” by Kirk Franklin is a gospel opener advising not letting anything take your faith in God from you whereas “Up Now” by the BlueBucksClan, Lil Yachty & 42 Dugg works in synths & hi-hats to talk about making it out of the trenches. “Pressured Up” by ScHoolboy Q & Vince Staples with co-production from Terrace Martin gives off a bit of a futuristic mobb vibe for those looking to let loose during ghetto parties, but then “One of Them Ones” by Quavo & Rob49 hops over a violin-laced trap beat so both of them get boastful.

Meanwhile on “Parking Lot”, we have Travis Scott on some soulful trap shit talking about being as hard as Scott La Rock leading into “A Song for Mom” by Ty$ following the “7 to 7” skit for an R&B jam dedicated to all the mothers out in the world. “Worth a Heartbreak” by A Boogie wit da Hoodie & Blxst returns for a symphonic trap flare to the beat discussing that they both deserve nothing less than real just before the lavish “Truth Is” by Roddy Ricch rides through the night with his high beams ons.

“Mines” by Future melodically refuses to share his partner with anyone else taking her on vacation while “1 Bad Decision” by Ella Mai & Roddy Ricch crosses over pop rap & R&B firing rounds to the point where 911 has to be called. “Yak’s Prayer” by Kodak Black is this soulful/trap hybrid talking about the streets scarring people while the laidback “Ghetto” by Lil Durk & Young Thug talks about the being hood nearly every day of the week. “Pray for Me” ends Faith of a Mustard Seed with DJ Mustard himself giving a jab at rapping for 10 whole minutes.

15 years in the game & numerous hits under his belt spanning present day, what DJ Mustard has given us in Faith of a Mustard Seed has become an inspiring & deeply personal project that encapsulates his growth & dedication since. His sound being the ratchet scene has certainly expanded in that span of time from pop rap to R&B, gospel music, soul music, trap, orchestral music & mobb music allowing a consistent guest list to handle the performances up until the closer.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Big B – “Wellness Check” review

Everyone’s favorite Las Vegas, Nevada hooligan Big B is back for his 8th LP. Starting out as the frontman for 187, he would go on to join OPM following the demise of 187 & become a household name for the infamous California powerhouse Suburban Noize Records just a couple years later. His first 3 solo albums High Class White Trash, White Trash Renegade & More to Hate would become some of my favorite releases that the label has ever put out. Last we heard from B was during the pandemic when he dropped his comeback album Welcome to the Club & since reuniting with Michael Bradford on Members Only roughly 16 months ago, it’s only right for a Wellness Check.

After the titular intro, the first song “Time” is a fun boom bap opener to the Vegas Hooligan’s first full-length in 4 talking about life moving as fast as it is whereas the lead single “Sidecar” featuring G. Love, Peachole & Special Sauce goes reggae-pop embracing the boundless journey of life & extends the invitation to like-minded souls to partake in joy & fulfillment. “Loser” takes the pop rap route aesthetically explaining that someone’s gotta lose in order for someone else to win prior to the stripped-back “Further” talking about being unsure as to where he’s going & that it can’t be like last time.

“Broke AF” featuring the Common Kings dabbles into pop punk territory explaining that it really isn’t that much of a crime to enjoy yourself every once & a while leading into the electronic dance/hip hop hybrid “Fuck You” revolves itself around a breakup being done with a woman who wasn’t by his side giving him nothing but broken promises. “Slow Down” featuring The Aggrolites & The Debonaires assures over horns that they ain’t got time for nobody’s bullshit whatsoever just before the rap rock joint “F.2.T.F. (Foot 2 the Floor)” talks about doing the best with the cards he was dealt.

Peachole returns for the upbeat track inspired “Shinjuku Hotel” providing a dedication for his people rather than his peers while the summery “Drugs & Alcohol” reminds y’all exactly how he feels about both of those things. “2 Choices” featuring Merkules was a fun, party-starting choice of a 2nd single explaining that there’s no time for excuses since the bullshit will be useless in the end while “Fallin’” dabbling with trap acknowledging that he’s said he’ll never change, but he just might have to.

“Sparks” nears the end of the Wellness Check mixing hip hop & reggae explaining that everything will be ok & not wanting to see this person run away tonight sticking by their sides putting in as much effort to making it right as possible while the final single “Pretend” featuring Killer Mike embraces rap rock once again telling people to live their lives as much as they can due to the fact that some really don’t know what happens when we’re not here anymore. “Simple Song” concludes B’s first album in 4 years throwing it back to the Welcome to the Club having a duct-taped broken heart & a 5th of whiskey when it falls apart.

Surrounded by organic inspiration, Big B lets the world who knows him as a recording artist that he’s doing great & for those who wrote him off, he’s here again to say a few things & celebrate where he is now. Not only does it serve as a multi-dimensional narrative about B’s current station in life intentionally crafting a hodgepodge of musical styles dipping into realms of hip hop, punk, acoustic songwriting, ska & harkens to a signature SoCal sound that simultaneously evokes a sense of ease, nostalgia & forward motion.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Ice Spice – “Y2K!” review

This is the 2nd EP from Bronx, New York rapper Ice Spice. Growing up with a hard knock life at the Hudson Street Orphanage ran by Agatha Hannigan & later being adopted by Oliver Warbucks (kidding), she grew up to pursue a music career in 2022 after uploading a couple viral music videos & landing a Capitol Records contract. Drake eventually flew her out to join him at OVO Fest not too long after & unfollowed her on Instagram rather quickly once the festival concluded, with him calling her “a 10 trying to rap” & that her music is “good on mute” on the highlight track “BackOutsideBoyz” off their collab album with 21 Savage later that fall Her Loss. Ice Spice’s debut EP Like…? a year & a half ago was greeted to mixed reception & is looking to make a bigger breakthrough on Y2K!.

“Phat Butt” was a mediocrely experimental hardcore New York Drill opener sampling “Oh I Think Dey Like Me” by Dem Franchize Boyz talking about women biting her flows & poses whereas “Oh Shit” featuring Travis Scott takes a bouncier drill route instrumentally courtesy of Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic so both of them can look to turn up the spot. “Popa” dabbles a bit into rage territory to talk about getting super lit out here since she from the trenches, but then “Bitch I’m Packin’” featuring Gunna fuses drill & hypertrap explaining they got what they need.

Finishing the EP’s first half, “Plenty Sun” goes for a futuristic drill approach explaining that she don’t know how to do shit leading into “Did It First” featuring Central C fusing Jersey Club & cloud rap addressing themes of infidelity. “BB Belt” murkily declares herself as Ms. Poopie even though she doesn’t smell while “Think U the Shit (Fart)” swaps out the trillwave elements in favor of Miami Bass & new jazz courtesy of venny belittling her competition.

“Gimme a Light” nears the final moments of Y2K! with an underwhelming crossover between sample drill & dancehall flipping both “Gimme the Light” by Sean Paul & “Hazard Lights 4” by Blockwork featuring ShotBy O.A telling them to pass the dro to her prior to the bell-driven closer “T.T.Y.L. (Talk To You Later)” going out for the paper from the very moment that she first wakes up in the morning.

Starting the deluxe run, “Gyat” is a Jersey Club rap joint telling the haters to back up & the baddies to throw their asses back while “Hannah Montana” featuring DaBaby & NLE Choppa includes a dope line referencing “Tweakin’ Together” by Bktherula offering nothing else exciting than the drumless beat. “So What?” is this generic trap number talking about being spoiled & the final bonus track “Like” wants to know why everyone coming for her.

My thing with Ice Spice has always been the fact that I’ve heard the styles that she presents done better as said previously when I reviewed Like…? about 2 & a half years ago, which still stands of this very moment. Examples include Don Toliver’s 4th album Hardstone Psycho coming into his own through the help of new jazz, Yeat’s early stuff when it comes to rage, RealYungPhil’s 7th EP Dr. Phil regarding New York/sample drill & the Moh Baretta mixtape Unorthodox in terms of Jersey club rap. I don’t mind her trying out sounds, it’s just not as interesting as some of her contemporaries.

Score: 2.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Valid – “Peach Brandy” review

This is the 3rd full-length solo LP from Detroit emcee Valid. Introducing himself properly in 2015 with Reach High, he would follow it up in 2019 getting more personal on the sophomore effort Mihajlo which I personally would recommend to anyone as the best place to start for anyone who wants to get up on Valid’s music & eventually the Plum Brandy EP only 9 months later. He would go on to make an entrance theme for the current WWE NXT Champion Ethan Page during his AEW run, later forming Bill & Isiah with Stretch Money over a year ago & putting out an acclaimed eponymous debut. Only 5 months since his debut mixtape The Bronko Tape, we’re now being treated to Peach Brandy as the main course.

“Peach Killer” is a classy boom bap opener to the album talking about letting the cosmos control his destiny whereas “There He Is” works in pianos along with more kicks & snares referring to himself as the motherfucker that those doubted most. “1 of a Kind” kinda has a jazzier boom bap quality to the beat so he can talk about the life he living ain’t like anything else just before “Places” hooks up a solemn sample setting out to reinvent in the renaissance city.

Bill & Isiah link back up for “9 to 5” hopping over a vocal flip to brag that it be looking like they selling dope when their music careers are taking off in actuality leading into the celebratory “May 6” talking about how his circle wasn’t even supposed to make it & engaging in a gangsta ass tradition. “Never Question” goes into pop rap territory tackling themes of romance, but then “The One Who Decides” brings some strings in the picture & some of his most captivating storytelling yet.

“Plush” featuring Boog Brown gives off a more playful tone aesthetically encouraging everyone to put ‘em up high while “Sci-Non-Fi” turns the jazz influences back up confessing that he feels like he’s in a weird place making it look like he in space. “Cigareta” featuring Jon Connor & Philmore Greene returns to the boom bap reminiscing as they smoke up remembering those who can’t be here while “Stara Škola” featuring BARS, Frenkie, Ghet, LD Pistolero, Random & Struka comes through with a Serbian hip hop posse cut.

Starting the encore of Peach Brandy, the song “Nirdala” groovily talks about everyone chasing cash & success in the the midst of the never-ending battle between good & evil while the penultimate track “This Day” blends vibraphones along with kicks & snares trying to stay optimistic even when he isn’t in the best place mentally. “Graycious” lastly ends the LP with a bit of a west coast homage from the funky instrumental to the Zapp-inspired background vocals feeling gracious.

In case you didn’t know, everything that made Plum Brandy the heartfelt EP in Valid’s discography showcasing his Serbian roots with a heavy amount of ex-Yugoslavian samples makes it’s way onto Peach Brandy & even taking it a step further than the predecessor a month before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of his Serbian heritage is being re-explored in a bigger, full-length capacity allowing himself & the producers to do more with the cards that’re dealt in comparison to The Bronko Tape’s raw homage to Bronko Lubich.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Grafh – “God’s Timing” review

Queens, New York emcee Grafh linking back up with 38 Spesh for his 4th LP. Coming up in 2003 off his debut mixtape The Bang Out, he went on to release 7 more tapes before dropping his first full-length album Autografh only a few years later continuing that with a total of 10 mixtapes & an EP. The sophomore effort Stop Calling Art Content produced entirely by the late DJ Shay & released through Benny the Butcher’s very own MNRK Music Group imprint Black Soprano Family Records as well as his TCF Music Group debut Art of Words would become his most acclaimed material to date, so I didn’t expect less going into God’s Timing.

“Language” begins by jazzily calling out those who ain’t gang like they say they are whereas “Fight for Love” featuring Method Man takes the soulful boom bap route instrumentally getting in their hardcore shit lyrically. “Rock, Paper, Scissors” featuring 38 Spesh himself displays a back-&-forth chemistry between the 2 accompanied by a rugged beat just before “Roc-A-Fella Chain” featuring Freeway, Memphis Bleek & Peedi Crakk turns the jazz rap influences up paying homage to the Roc La Familia Dynasty.

Papoose joins Grafh for the grimy “Straight Shooter” reminding that you’re either legit out here or you’ve never had any losses whatsoever leading into “Take Risk” featuring Dre Island & Vado aggressively explaining that one has to take risks out where they from. “Glory” featuring Wretch 32 has possibly the weakest hook on the album despite the mature subject matter, but then “Remember Who You Are” featuring Jim Jones incorporates an organ talking about staying true.

“Coolin’” has a slicker vibe to the beat providing a calming & charming smoker’s anthem while the groovy “Poetry” touches on raunchier subject matter. “Right Now” featuring Talib Kweli returns to the boom bap not giving a fuck if the radio plays them due to their nasty styles while the rhythmically produced “Bullet Proof” featuring Don Paul & Dope Gang Porter talking about running this shit. “Give Praise” featuring Spesh again ends the LP with a dusty gospel flip talking about giving praise to God.

Even if I came away enjoying this a little less than I did Stop Calling Art Content & Art of Words, I can still say that I enjoyed a good amount of what I heard & hope that Spesh continues working with Grafh as much as possible. Only a select few of the guests miss the mark, but most of them throughout God’s Timing stick the landing & match Grafh’s level of penmanship scored by the mostly traditional boom bap production that made Spesh as big as he is of a beatsmith in the underground.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

BandGang Lonnie Bands – “Creature Thoughts” review

Here we have the 12th EP from Detroit rapper BandGang Lonnie Bands. A member of the BandGang collective, he has since solidified himself as my personal favorite member of the group by putting out a total of his last 9 EPs as well as 3 full-length studio albums & 6 mixtapes. It’s been over a month since we last heard from Lonnie on his previous EP Antimedia 2: Reloaded & is returning 5-6 weeks later celebrating his 29th birthday weekend by letting out some Creature Thoughts.

“Kill the Goat” puts a Detroit trap spin on the same sample used in “Quiet Storm” by the late Prodigy assuring the Devil is a lie because his throat slit whereas “Creature Thoughts 2.5” cloudily continues the series of loose singles that came out in the summer of 2022 & last winter respectively talking about getting back focused. “Heartflow” discusses divinely experiencing the highs & lows over more Detroit trap production that is until the symphonic trap crossover “Detroit River” talks about rapping his life.

Moving forward with “Tarzan”, we have Lonnie over a slick Detroit trap beat explaining that he made it out the jungle just fine leading into the cold-blooded “Jack of All Trades” talking about being able to do many different types of work in the streets. “Shapeshifter” has the most dynamic beat on the entire EP getting in his gangsta bag lyrically, but then the acoustic trap hybrid “Lion Kingdom” warning that they done let the lion out.

“Live Fast Die Old” pushes further towards the encore of Creature Thoughts talking about hopes of of his music career taking off since he doesn’t want to be out in the streets hustlin’ much longer cautioning that people don’t really wanna walk up in his shoes because they won’t even fit at the end of the day & “Creature Speaking” finishes the EP with a soothing Detroit trap vibe putting mind over matter talking about the streets being as deceptive as they are.

Starting the deluxe run, “All in 1” fuses cloud rap & trap wanting to see this woman smile while “UKnowIKnow” maintains both elements from earlier advising to let him give her what she wants. “Big Dog” shows off his titular status for a couple minutes while the atmospheric “Praying for a Wife” talks about wanting to get married. “Risk It All” dynamically discusses the possibility of risking everything & the final bonus track “Reap What You Sow” talks about your present actions shaping your future consequences.

Lonnie couldn’t have celebrated entering the final year of his 20s any better than releasing Creature Thoughts, which is a 10 track/23 minute offering dedicated to the real ones that’re by his side & definitely the most that I’ve enjoyed a project from him in quite a while. It’s more well produced than his last few efforts especially in this particular style of trap music that people complain for being repetitively 1-dimensional taking us through the creaturous mindset of the BandGang’s most prolific member.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

長谷川白紙 – 「魔法学校」レビュー

Hakushi Hasegawa is a 25 year old singer/songwriter from Tokyo, Japan who made their full-length studio debut in 2019 with Air Ni Ni following their first couple of extended plays: iPhone 6+ & Sōmoku Hōdō. The sophomore effort I’m Dead! would come out in 2023 & impressed the Los Angeles, California producer Flying Lotus so much to the point where he signed them to Brainfeeder Records distributed by Ninja Tune. Coming off a handful of teasers, they’re ready to make their official debut as part of the Brainfeeder roster with their 3rd album.

“Departed” begins fusing glitch pop, nu jazz, art pop, speedcore, breakcore, jazzstep & breakbeat singing about wanting to think that she’s gone whereas “Gone” featuring Kid Fresino goes full Japanese hip hop taking inspiration from experimental hip hop, experimental rock, glitch pop, math rock, industrial hip hop, abstract hip hop, flashcore, brutal prog, speedcore, avant-garde jazz & breakcore so they can compare themselves to ninjas in broad daylight.

Glitch pop, nu jazz, art pop, batucada & hard drum all collide on the lead single “Mouth Flash (Kuchinohanabi)” wanting a tricky person to confess their ways to them while “The Blossom & The Thunder” after the “Repeal (Tekkai)” interlude remixes KAF’s most popular single “Thunder in Bud”, which Hakushi was featured on. The 5th & final single “Kyōfunohoshi” ends the 1st half combining glitch pop, avant-garde jazz, nu jazz, art pop, deconstructed club, jazz fusion, breakcore & jazzstep singing about showing this person the light if they do the same.

After the “NENNEKOKOROMI” interlude, “Forbidden Thing (Kimmotsu)” gives off a neo-psychedelic chamber folktronica vibe explaining that the best season of sleep has come because it’s dark while “Boy’s Texture” after the “MAHO-Interview” skit explores folktronica, neo-psychedelia, freak folk, sound collage, indietronica & trip hop heavily relying on the usage of adlibs. The final song “Outside (Soto)” succeeding the “Enbami” interlude finishes the LP taking elements of deconstructed club, glitch & sound collage expressing a desire to explore the spacious outsides because they love the way the colors change during seasons.

Air Ni Ni still remains Hakushi Hasegawa’s most acclaimed body of work to date, but Mahōgakkō lands right behind it without a shadow of a doubt & I’m confident of their future under Brainfeeder Records will help give them wider exposure to the American independent music audience in the long run. Their production predominantly has a glitchy art pop vibe to it secondarily taking inspiration from nu jazz, deconstructed club, folktronica, neo-psychedelia, hardcore EDM, experimental music & progressive pop.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!