Mr. Grey – “Operation: Delirium” review

Mr. Grey is a 42 year old MC from Gilroy, California who came up as 1/2 of the duo Gorilla Voltage alongside ClockworC. However, he would drop his first 2 solo efforts Lost Soul in the fall of 2012 & then Remain Raw a couple summers later prior followed by The Damn Dirty Apes the year after Remain Raw. Gorilla Voltage then signed to Majik Ninja Entertainment on Christmas Day 2016 & manage to dropped 2 more full-lengths together, but quietly disbanded following their final album Gods & Claws which is a bit of a shame considering that I consider it to be their best work musically. That being said, Grey dropped his 3rd album Vicious Vendetta a little bit after the pandemic started & celebrated last year’s Valentine’s Day to go fully acoustic rock on the Righteous Devil mixtape. Few months later, he formed the trio Cabal with Philly horrorcore pioneer Lo Key alongside Louisville veteran Bukshot released their debut The Watchers to widespread acclaim within the underground. Considering that, it was only right for Buk to sign Grey to Mobstyle Music for his debut EP fully produced by MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7.

After the titular intro, the opener “Into the Wasteland” sets off the album with an occult instrumental talking about being born for this just before Gorilla Voltage reunite for the somewhat industrial “Outrage da Jour” asking why people are mad at them. “Justice?” works in a creepy ass beat to call out the system leading into “American Meat Grinder” embracing a trap metal sound talking about fiending for blood.

“The Day the Angels Day” frantically confesses all he sees now is the darkness that came from the fog while the penultimate song “Zerk!” finds Boondox joining The Berzerkers for an uncanny prelude to their upcoming debut EP. And prior to the “Codicil” outro, “Winter Soldier” truly ends the EP with some strings & hi-hats declaring himself as such.

Compared to his earlier work, Operation: Delirium is easily the best solo effort that Grey has put out yet in my opinion. The apocalyptic concept is well conceived & 7’s production is dark, yet comes through with a range of interesting ideas from trap metal to industrial hip hop. He’s a great addition to Mobstyle in my opinion & have high expectations for the Berzerkers EP.

Score: 4.5/5

The Berzerkers – Self-Titled review

The Berzerkers are a newly formed underground duo consisting Louisville, Kentucky veteran Bukshot & Gilroy, California’s very own Mr. Grey. First time they worked with each other was a decade ago when Buk hopped on “Ruthless” off of Grey’s solo debut Remain Raw alongside the latter’s former Gorilla Voltage cohort ClockworC as well as Insane Loc. They’re also 2/3 of the trio Cabal with Lo Key, whose well received full-length debut The Watchers just celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary recently & The Berzerkers are properly introducing themselves in the form of a debut EP.

After the “Solomon Says” intro, “Death Circus” is a cavernous opener daring listeners to step inside whereas “Oxygen Thieves” morbidly talks about those not deserving to breathe the same air as them. “Dark Path” has a more futuristic sound to it confessing that the road they’re traveling is deep underground while the track “Bottomless” by Cabal is a deranged prelude to the trio’s sophomore effort The Bottomless Pit coming next summer. The penultimate song “Red Team” returns to a more daunting route talking about how no one can fuck with them & prior to the “Upon Activation” outro, “Bullet Catcher” ends the EP with a petrifying trap banger getting murderous lyrically.

My expectations for this were very high considering how much I enjoyed Operation: Delirium & even though you can’t go wrong with either one, I’d have to say The Berzerkers a tad bit more. Buk & Grey ping off each other very well lyrically with MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 going for a more rawer sound in comparison to the range of sounds he displayed on Grey’s latest EP.

Score: 4.5/5

DaeMoney – “Slayer’s Coming” review

DaeMoney is a 22 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan who also happens to be the nephew of one of the 2 biggest artists in the city right now Babyface Ray as well as member of the WRLD Tour Mafia collective. He dropped his debut mixtape Young Sexual Misconduct & his debut EP Slae Season, which was followed up last summer by his 2nd EP Rockstar Lifestyle & then his Slae Season 2 in the fall. Now in light of DaeMoney signing to EMPIRE Distribution recently, it’s only right for him to celebrate by delivering a 3rd EP.

“Level Up” is a futuristic opener co-produced by LulRose talking about Dae’s success whereas “Wayne Perry” takes a wavier approach bragging that no one can touch him. “Andrew Wiggins” continues to work in some more synths & hi-hats talking about being tired of detailing his lifestyle leading into “Losses & Lessons” taking a more introspective approach from the subject matter to the glossy production. The song “Lemon Cherry” shoots for a mellower vibe talking his shit with the penultimate track “Do More” fusing trap & rock to tackle the concept of more problems coming as you get richer, but then “Congratulations” ends the EP with a meditative ode to the self made.

For those of you who’re familiar with Babyface Ray & are looking to get into DaeMoney, then give Slayer’s Coming a listen because it has to be my favorite effort from Dae thus far. Much like Ray, his sound is completely different in comparison to some Detroit trap rappers sounding the same & speaks from the heart about his life profoundly.

Score: 3.5/5

Nyce da Future – “Forever Mobbin’ review”

Nyce da Future is an MC from Queens, New York who came to my attention last spring with his Havoc-produced debut EP Future of the Streets that was pretty well received. But for his full-length debut over here, he’s enlisting Rochester’s very own Eto to produce the whole thing from top to bottom.

The titular intro is a piano-laced opener letting the world know that this is brotherly whereas “Head Shots” takes a solemn turn getting into boss mode. Reek da Villain tags along for the symphonic boom bap banger “Drillin’” to give off some murderous intentions just before the deranged “Close Range” to spit that gun talk.

Flee Lord comes into the picture for ”On God” to tug the heart strings from the subject matter to the sample-based instrumental leading into the dreary title track getting back on his gangsta shit. “Good Morning” returns to a sample-heavy sound talking about feeling blessed, but then the Big Twins-assisted “Fit for the War” perfectly lives up to it’s name from the combative bars to the cinematic beat.

Meanwhile on “Me”, we have Rob Gates joining Nyce to switch it up into trap territory talking about it doing it because of themselves while “It Ain’t Fair” marks a return to the boom bap declaring himself the hottest in Queens right now. After the “Reno Speaks” interlude, the song “Hoody Season” with Reno provides a gloomy anthem for the fall down to the dejecting instrumental while the penultimate track “Motivated” is a rich ode to his dedication. Reno returns again for the closer “Criminal Minded” for a grisly boom bap ode to the thugs.

If you enjoyed Future of the Streets as much as I did, then I highly recommend givin’ Forever Mobbin’ a listen because this is a very impressive full-length debut in my personal opinion. Couple of the features were lackluster, but it’s crazy to hear how much Eto’s production game has progressed within the last couple years & Nyce sounds just as hungry as he did 14 months prior.

Score: 4/5

ssgkobe – “RELAPSED” review

This is the 15th EP from Louisiana rapper ssgkobe. Emerging out of the SoundCloud scene just a few years back, it wasn’t until earlier last spring when he was featured on a bonus track off of BROCKHAMPTON’s final album to date ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE where I was introduced to him. His major label debut albeit 12th EP overall KO. that came out a couple months later wasn’t the best place to start diving into his discography at all, but I was genuinely intrigued by Night Before once I started listening to his earlier work. That being said: I went into RELAPSED hoping that ssgkobe would redeem himself.

“Hershey” is a rage-induced opener wanting to know what his purpose is whereas “Getcha” takes a symphonic trap route to start boasting. “Oh No!” goes into atmospheric territory reaching the epiphany that his bitch was a thot while the song “9” talking about walking around strapped over a misty trap instrumental. The penultimate track “Every Second” has a cavernous aesthetic to it brushing off those who’re bitter at his success & “Okay, What R U Saying?” ends the EP with kobe over a woozy instrumental calling out someone for capping.

Compared to KO., there’s no denying that Relapsed is like night & day in terms of quality. The production has improved sounding a bit more varied in comparison to the predecessor trying to reach an audience that doesn’t exist & I respect that ssgkobe’s wearing his heart on his sleeve a lot more this time around, but I’d love for U4EYA to be a melting pot of the new sounds he’s dabbling with now & his rage/plugg roots.

Score: 3.5/5

Ken Carson – “X” review

This is the sophomore album from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Ken Carson. Breaking out in the SoundCloud scene & becoming a protege of Playboi Carti as one of the first artists to sign to the latter’s newly founded Opium Records, he would go on to drop a total of 5 EPs prior to his full-length debut Project X last summer. But as he & Destroy Lonely gear up to hit the road next month, Ken’s re-emerging in the form of X.

The intro kicks off the album with some Atari-like synths & rattling hi-hats letting y’all know he ain’t stupid whereas “New” works in some rage beats to show off all the shit he has now. “Gems” stays in hypertrap territory talking about his evolution from Teen X to X Man, but then “Nobody” goes into a bassier direction confession all that he really needs is the bread & nothing else.

Meanwhile on “Go”, we have Ken coming through with an energetic ballad about running all your shit up just before Destroy Lonely tags along for the rage-induced “MDMA” produced by OPM BABI & Outtatown flexing their wealth. The title track continues to bury the Teen X persona deeper into the ground over some bombastic production just before “P.D.B.M.H. (Please Don’t Blow My High)” has a more uptempo flare to it asking not to blow his high as the title suggests.

The somewhat tropical vibe of “Money Hunt” is really cool as he expresses his joy of everything in his life going up while the blobby “South Beach” lets everyone know that he’s a real one. “Goin’ Schitz” psychedelically describes a bitch feeling of ecstasy while “Same Thing” has some incredibly dancy grooves to it talking about pulling up on you & your gang.

Following that, “Freestyle 1” dismisses any kind of discussion that doesn’t involve money keeping it in hypertrap turf prior to the F1LTHY of Working on Dying-produced “Freestyle 2” perfectly picking up whether the predecessor left off talking about how you shouldn’t have fucked with his crew. “Fuk 12” is a brief yet chaotic middle finger to the feds & Destroy Lonely returns yet again for “Murda Musik”, which goes 10x rawer than “MDMA” was.

The Homixide Gang come into the picture for the quasi-mystic “Delinquent” confessing they get high until they can’t think straight while the song “Get Rich or Die” gives off a futuristically fresh aesthetic to the instrumental talking about talking about going on vacation. The penultimate track “Turn Up” is of course a synth-laced riot starter & “The End” closes out the album with some poppy undertones calling out an ex for being unfaithful.

Project X showed a lot of room for growth in Ken & now that we got X, I think it has to be the one of the best rage albums I’ve heard all year so far right behind Fallen Raven & 2 Alivë of course. The production is a little bit better than the offering we got a few years ago & I’d actually have to say Destroy Lonely is my favorite Opium signee now that he just signed to the label a few months back, but Ken really shows some admirable maturity as well.

Score: 3.5/5

Westside Gunn – “Peace FLYGOD” review

Westside Gunn is a 39 year old emcee, songwriter & entrepreneur from Buffalo, New York who’s already proven his legend status at this point whether it running one of the hottest hip hop labels in recent memory to his first 2 full-lengths FLYGOD & Supreme Blientele. Last we heard from him was almost a year ago by now with the double disc conclusion to the Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series with Side B being superior to Side A but with his 40th birthday coming up at the end of the month, he’s celebrating a little early by dropping his 10th mixtape.

After the titular intro, “Jesus Crack” with Estee Nack & Stove God Cook$ sets off the album with drumless yet soulful & jazzy instrumental talking about making cake by the thousands whereas the Estee-assisted “Ritz Barlton” takes a lo-fi boom bap route comparing the halfway house to that of the titular hotel. “Big Ass Bracelet” with Stovey works in a bare soul sample to get on their fly shit, but then “Bobby Rhude” is basically an Estee solo cut talking about glory over more beautiful vocal chops taking it’s name after WWE producer, former NXT Champion, WWE United States Champion, 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Champion, 6-time TNA World Tag Team Champion & 2-time NWA World Tag Team Champion Bobby Roode.

Meanwhile on “Derrick Boleman”, we have Gunnlib & Stove God Cook$ on top of a classy loop referencing lucha libre popularized by the Lutteroth family-owned Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) & it’s rival promotion in the Peña–Roldán family-owned Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) leading into “Horses on Sunset” incorporates a smoky boom bap beat talking about how someone should’ve shot someone 7 times instead of 6.

The song “Open Praise” details love turning to envy ’cause Westside’s success over some pianos while “Danhausen” named after the titular AEW star who I met at Astronomicon this spring is a jazzy boom bap banger produced by Conductor Williams with West rightfully bragging. “Flip v. Phil” by Eastside Flip ends the album with a sample provided by Daringer reminding that he’ll put his competition to sleep.

I know he’s been teasing Michelle Records for a while now & for him to give us this as a prelude to warm everyone up for the main course, I’ll definitely take it. Stovey & Estee continue to take their lyrically chemistry with Westside to new heights with the production giving off some abstract undertones this time around.

Score: 3.5/5

Insane Poetry – “Violent Art” review

This is the 9th full-length album from Los Angeles horrorcore pioneer Insane Poetry. Originally composed of 6 members members from 1988-2003, the named would be carried on solely by their Day 1 frontman Cyco ever since. But since 2010, he’s made himself quite at home with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz. Especially his last album Wicked Killagraphy a year & a half ago, which is already being followed up by Violent Art in light of The Generations of Snuff Tour.

“Museum Stabbing” is a soulfully produced opener thanks to the homie Dead Heat with Insane Poetry talking about how there’s no limits to this kind of art which I respectfully agree with to a certain extent, but then “I Wrote a Book About It” works in a misty boom bap instrumental telling the listeners what he did to leave them under the Earth or to make your jugular squirt. Donnie Menace tags along for “I Spent a Whole Summer” shoots for a more cinematic approach in terms of sound to talk about strategizing whereas the Cody Manson assisted “8 Weeks” returns to soul territory confessing they hear this woman’s voice in their head even after she’s been dead for that long.

As far as “On Demon Time” goes, we have Lex the Hex Master accompanying Cyco over a beat with some rock undertones to it to belittle their lyrical competition leading into M.M.M.F.D. spitting that wicked shit on “What’s the Body Count” returning to the boom bap. “Out the Cage” with Claas switches onto the trap lane talking about their killer instincts being let loose while the song “Who” takes a dustier route revealing himself to be the one who has everyone tuned in his art of violence. “Lay ‘Em Down” brings in some attracting piano melodies promising to body you where you stand & “Mask Down” is a soulful closer telling the wankstas that this isn’t their vacation.

LSP’s been on a ROLL this year now that Darby O’Trill dropped his Devereaux-produced 4th album Gully & even Cody Manson putting out his sophomore effort E=MC Skelter last Friday. Now that we have Violent Art, it’s an equally great follow-up to Wicked Killagraphy. I think his production choices are still continuing to improve & the performances from not only him, but every feature deliver some consistently murderous verses.

Score: 4/5

Grindset – Self-Titled review

Grindset is a MC/producer duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Fatt Father on the mic & DJ Jewels behind the boards. Both of whom have been putting it down for the city for a little over 2 decades now & have actually worked with each other a little bit in the past, but are now forming like Voltron & delivering a self-titled debut.

“Mindset = Grindset” kicks off the album with some strings & a vocal sample to spit that organic boss talk whereas “Get ‘Em” takes a grimier route keeping them shook. “Welcome to the Eastside” goes into soulful territory describing what it’s like in titular part of Detroit, but then “Bar After Bars” flips “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” by Wendy Rene urging everyone to watch how he does it right lyrically.

Meanwhile on “I’m the One You Call”, we have Fatts over some more crooning samples calling out people who be shit-talking 1 minute & needing something the next leading into Twin Towers coming together along with Trick-Trick for the solemn “Used to Be” talking about being used. Finale comes into the picture for the rugged “Tried & True” talking logistics just before the vibrant “These Heaux” talks about not having time for such.

“I’m Not the One” shoots for a more tranquil aesthetic describing how crazy the love of his life can be while “NoMoe” atmospherically talks about not letting stress consume him any longer. The song “Son & Eye” with DJ Oreeyo marks a return to the boom bap to tag team ‘em lyrically like father, like son while the penultimate track “Go Mode” with Oba Rowland is a grim trap banger talking about the titular headspace. “Tops New Tenant” then sends off the album by declaring himself as such over a lounging instrumental.

If this is just the beginning of Grindset, then I’m very much looking forward to hearing what they have in store down the road because this is a highly impressive debut from the duo. I admire how they give off a more traditional hip hop sound & coat it with a modern texture along with the range of moods that each cut puts me in.

Score: 4.5/5

CMPND – “Eagle Court II: Long Live the Court” review

Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom trio CMPND consisting of Kemastry, Wundrop & Vitamin G back for a sophomore effort. All 3 of which are lyricists in their own right & Wundrop in particular being their in-house producer. The historic Hove underground imprint High Focus Records signed them & their debut album Eagle Court named after the residential flats these guys grew up together. It has since been demolished, reforming to make a sequel saying Long Live the Court.

“Ain’t Gonna Fold” produced by none other than Wundrop begins with this uncanny trap instrumental talking about never backing down from anything whereas “Weaintplayin” works in some strings & hi-hats cautioning that they ain’t fucking around with anybody. “Court in Session” radiates a psychedelic trap vibe assuring that they ain’t bitches begging for sympathy while “Acid Reign” asks why live life on a timer when the money winds up evaporating.

Meanwhile regarding “Nice Riot”, we have CMPND over this unsettling beat homaging the song “Riot Akt” off Gang Starr’s penultimate album The Ownerz prior to Hutch joining the 3 for “Illeagle Court II” following up the themes of it’s predecessor Hutch also made an appearance on off the original Eagle Court album. “D.I.T.D. (Down In The Dumps)” shifts in favor of an ominous atmosphere dissing rappers relying on clout while “The Culprit” talks about fucking up their lives to finish the 2nd quarter.

“Pick a Card” starts the 2nd half passionately speaking of the only thing they can do is being themselves & do what they do grippin’ mics until “Skrewed” featuring Bil Next finds the quartet getting back to the killstreak they’ve been needing for a bit. “Guaranteed Wins” dustily talks about indifference being a bigger disease than death itself than just before “Tiny Violin” featuring Datkid & PAV4N viciously boasts of their own grind.

The soulfulness of “Playinu” hits quite perfectly talking about their best their be the greatest versions of themselves doing his things daily and it’s The Truman Show while “Suh Quelle” hypnotically acknowledges a comparison between Vitamin G & Danny Brown, which I can’t argue being a Detroiter myself. “Went There” on the other hand carries forward talking about taking it to lengths others didn’t think they could when Eagle Court exists.

“Bojangles Jesus” embraces a cavernously woozy atmosphere instrumentally advising to stay clever with everything you do until the due respect comes while “Crazy Town” returns to the boom bap talking about still pursuing the dream despite it not being what it used to be because of the culture forever evolving. “Griezmann” featuring Truemendous finishes Eagle Court II: Long Live the Court with both High Focus labelmates rightfully boasting their status amongst the best around their necks of the woods.

I’d still prefer Eagle Court between the 2 full-lengths CMPND has given us so far, but the successor Long Live the Court will still satisfy fans of the group for it’s solid testament of staying true to themselves. Kemastry, Vitamin G & Wundrop pick up right where they left off 3 years earlier mixing insanity, debauchery, pain, pleasure, introspection & surrealism into a deludamolic delicacy of raucously depraved antics admirably carrying the former housing flats’ spirit gracefully.

Score: 3.5/5

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