Stanwill – “Big $hitter” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper Stanwill making his full-length studio debut. Coming up as 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz with Babytron & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he eventually branched out on his own during the COVID-19 pandemic as did the rest of the group off the debut EP $camwill as well as it’s successor Gifted & the debut mixtape Van Gundy. However, the Big $hitter of the Dog $hit Militia collective has revealed himself after going Full Auto.

“When You Dropping?” gets the ball rollin’ with him & the rest of his crew making it seem like they’re working out the way they be flexing whereas “Sandlot” talks about how his lil’ bro been swinging the sticks lately. “Rick Grimes” references the main character of the amc series The Walking Dead’s early seasons while “OMG” finds him & the rest of the squad trippin’ out at the Ritz-Carlton.

4-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion, PWG World Tag Team Champion, ROH World Champion & 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins gets referenced during “On i94” produced by Danny G leading into “Crash the Whip” talks about shopping with no limits, buying an outfit that cost as much as a whole pint.

“GoldenEye” named after the timeless Nintendo 64 game of the same name flexes that he’ll turn his entire opps into Ronald McDonald the way he be hittin’ ‘em with the Mac-10 leading into “Chemistry” talking about stealing bitches solely off his chain referencing the WME Group-owned UFC president Dana White. “Forever Active” featuring TR Dee finds the pair shit-talking over a Danny G beat while “Real Me” shows the most synthetic version of himself.

Meanwhile on “Tag Popper”, we have Stan describing the type of people he & the rest of the D$M are while “Glock on Stage” talks that he be hanging with the killers staying strapped when performing at shows. “Effortless” boasts that he doesn’t have to box because he keeps the Glock by his side daily prior to “Why the Fuck?” asking for the reason people think they’re part of the Dog $hit Militia.

“Fr Doe” featuring TRL trades the mic back-&-forth with each other decently over a Danny G instrumental while “Poetry” references the New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick the way he draws plays up for bills. “Cooper Kupp” gives a nod to the Los Angeles Rams WR of the same name while “No Lie” talks about him & his crew being sticked up at every single function they pop out at.

We get a cleverly chopped up string sample all over “Violin” looking back on coming from the dirt to the position that he’s in currently with the rest of his D$M family while “Limitless” by Lewis & Clark takes a couple minutes to trade brief verses with one another. “Shit Show” talks about chasing bags being the only thing he knows while “1st Class” explains that he keeps an X on him because he’s an Off-White enthusiast.

“Gladys Knight” winds down the last few minutes of Big $hitter by talking about the idea of becoming broke being exactly like a fish sinking & making the chopper sing while “No Way” featuring Tae Retro wraps up the LP with both parties breaking down the rebel mindset each of them have, refusing to work with anyone who doesn’t have anything to say to them from a financial position.

With 3 EPs & a mixtape under his belt already, Stanwill’s debut album Big $hitter will certainly appeal more tho those who got into him as a solo artist through $camwill or Van Gundy in comparison to the moderate reception of Full Auto although I certainly enjoyed it last fall for what it was. The secondary influences within the production puts an emphasis on more standard trap in addition to the Detroit sound we all know & it’s the most lyrically gangsta he’s been since Gifted.

Score: 4/5

Weiland – “Vices” review

Weiland is a 21 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & audio engineer from Tampa, Florida who came up in 2016 off his debut EP Insomnia. He would follow it up with his first 2 mixtapes Packrunner & Grimey Life but at the beginning of this current decade, Weiland wound up signing Victor Victor Worldwide & they backed his eponymous full-length debut that same fall. But for his sophomore effort over here, he’s decided to experiment with some new sounds & it immediately drew me in.

“Slipping Into the Void” opens up the album with a synthpop banger produced by Mike Dean asking why he’s still alive whereas “Can’t Save Her” tells the story of a hoe pretty much over some new wave production. “Broken Ego” works in some fast drumming with some synthesizers talking about suffering from such leading into “Dangerous Woman”, which has more of a Tame Impala influence to it describing the devil in designer clothes.

Meanwhile on “All the Same”, we have Weiland wishing for a change over some synthwave production just before “Still Chasing After Happiness” goes into coldwave territory asking his ex if she still thinks about him. “Better Place” keeps the synthpop going showing a side of him that’s never been shown before, but then “Hard Time” goes full-blown post-punk confessing that he’s been dealing with a breakup poorly. That being said, it is very catchy & you can hear the pain in his voice.

“Blaming Myself” fuses neo-psychedelia & hypnagogic pop together confessing his emotional dependence on a toxic relationship while the song “Wanted More” talks about the falling out of a relationship over some more synthwave beats. The penultimate track “Mellotron” perfectly lives up to it’s name with it’s colorful production expressing his love for the instrument of the same name & “Farewell” ends the album with 1-last coldwave cut detailing his drug abuse.

Given that his earlier work is deeply rooted into the trap/plugg sound, this wasn’t what I was expecting going into it. That being said, I’m blown away with what I heard & I’ll even go as far to say it’s Dawn FM on Steroids. No disrespect to Abel at all because I thought it was a great follow-up to After Hours, but Mike Dean was the perfect person to help Weiland go into that synthpop territory given the progressive electronic style of his 3 latest solo efforts only to go above & beyond in nearly every aspect.

Score: 4.5/5

Bukshot – “Never Safe” review

Bukshot is a 47 year old MC from Louisville, Kentucky who’s been around for a quarter of a century at this point whether it be his lengthy solo discography or groups/duos with some of the biggest names that the underground has to offer. The last we heard from him on his own was Night of the Zombie back in the fall & in light of his appearances at Astronomicon this weekend, he’s enlisting former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards for his 17th EP.

After the “Under the Surface” intro, the title track kicks off the EP in his wicked shit bag down the thrilling instrumental whereas “Asleep” works in some pianos to diss the woke. “Role Mode” goes into cloudier territory getting more vulnerable lyrically just before “Molotov” mixes keys with guitars showing motherfuckers that he’s a problem. The song “Hog-Tied” has a more dramatic aesthetic to it declaring his lack of respect for anyone who plots against him while the penultimate track “Round Here” ghoulishly cautions everyone not to stop coming around his turf. “Alright” then closes out the EP by incorporating elements of orchestral brushing off his haters.

Now 2021 had to be one of if not the biggest year in Mobstyle Music’s history & for this to be the label’s way of keeping the ball rollin’, I’m highly impressed. Buk sounds incredibly ferocious on the mic & on top of that, 7’s production is absolutely chilling & compliments the aggressive bars very well.

Score: 4/5

SosMula – “2 High 2 Die” review

This is the 2nd solo album from Manhattan’s very own SosMula. Coming up as 1/3 of the trio City Morgue alongside fellow emcee ZillaKami & producer Thraxx, they’ve released 2 full-length albums & an EP together up before branching out on their own for a little bit. Sos was the first to step up to the plate last summer by dropping 13 Songs 2 Die 2, which was a bit of a disappointment in my opinion due to the features & production. ZillaKami followed it up a month later with HIS solo debut Dogboy & the duo reunited to drop Bottom of the Barrel the month after that, both of those I found much more tolerable. Nonetheless, I still went into 2 High 2 Die with an open mind as I’m still very much a fan of City Morgue’s work.

“PARTY ON MY BLOCK” opens the album up with a hypertrap banger talking about partying of course whereas “GIMMIE DAT” keeps the rage beats going thanks to F1LTHY of Working on Dying talking about getting slumped as fuck. “HEAD TAP” follows it up with an obnoxious hook going further down the hypertrap rabbit hole spitting gang imagery just before “GET OUT” picks the energy back up with an off-the-wall bone breaker.

Meanwhile on “RICH BOI”, we have Mula over a heavy bass-line to flex his wealth leading into the manic “PULL UP” talking about how he already told us he was a star. “SNAP” returns to rage turf asking where his bands at, but then “BIG GUCCI” has a glitchier aesthetic to it talking about catching a body much like Gucci Mane.

“BIG NARCO” incorporates some crazy synth melodies providing an anthem for the heavy users while “WE SO UP!” energetically boasts his success. “SIERRA LEONE” throws some organs in the mix getting his murder bag while “MOLLY WATER” awkwardly describes getting his head knocked off by a bitch despite the futuristic production.

Following that, “PRESS A BUTTON” with Lil Tracy has to be the biggest mess of a song on the entire album talking about a hoe named Trish while “S.T.I.C.K.” follows it up with an unhinged ode to being strapped. “MAKK BALLA” has a more a rubbery tone to it talking about calling the shots while “MIX N MATCH” fuses some haunting piano melodies saying he can’t shop outside cause he’s too rich.

“YAZUKA 2000” goes into more ghostly turf talking about his body being different while the song “BODY PARTS” is a distorted horrorcore gorefest. The penultimate track “BITE DOWN” talks about getting fucked up off that syrup over a rattling instrumental & “CUTTIN’ SHIT” ends the album with 1 final ode to his shooters.

Now in comparison to Sos’ last album, 2 High 2 Die is definitely more tolerable. I once again appreciate him trying to stray away from the trap metal sound that City Morgue is known for, except this time he got rid of all the redundant features & it’ll be interesting to see him continuing to dabble into hypertrap alongside Kami at some point because it suits him fine here.

Score: 2.5/5

7xvethegenius – “Self 7xve 2” review

This is the 5th EP from Buffalo emcee 7xvethegenius. Breaking out a couple years ago off her first 2 EPs The Calm Before & Self 7xve as well as the full-length debut 7xve is Love, it wasn’t until she & Jae Skeese both became the first artists to sign with Conway the Machine’s very own EMPIRE Distribution imprint Drumwork Music Group where 7xve got her biggest break yet. Last we heard from her was over the summer when he dropped Thy Will Be Done during my first night at last year’s Gathering of the Juggalos & now in light of Skeese dropping his Big Ghost Ltd.-produced magnum opus Authenticity Check a little over a week ago, 7xve is stepping up to the plate with Self 7xve 2.

“Waves” kicks off the EP by cinematically talking about how crazy her life’s been up to this point whereas the bassy, yet flute-tinged “Affluence” follows it up by declaring that she’s cut from a different cloth. Trae tha Truth tags along for the wavy “Always Thank God” encouraging listeners to give their praise to the higher power, but then “Fluidity” brings back to the woodwinds thanks to EYEKETYSON to bring the smoke.

The song “Forecast” with Flee Lord sees the pair over some boom bap production from JR Swiftz advising to stay true to the game while the penultimate track “Back End” works in some jazzy undertones talking about fucking shit up with her partner. “Moxie” then ends the EP with a somber piano ballad putting her life up to this point on wax.

Of all the sequel projects in hip hop that have lived up to the hype set by the predecessor or even surpassed it, you can definitely add Self 7xve 2 onto that list. I really admire how she decided take it back to basics & enhance everything that I liked about the first one. Most notably also, the inclusion of features was actually a really nice move as they bring their on flavor to the tracklist.

Score: 3.5/5

Pusha T – “It’s Almost Dry” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Virginia Beach, Virginia emcee, songwriter & record executive Pusha T. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Clipse alongside his older brother No Malice about 3 decades ago, their debut Lord Willin’ & their sophomore effort Hell Hath No Fury would go on to become some of the best of the 2000s & essentials in the coke rap scene. But following the brothers’ final album together ‘Til the Casket Drops, they would disband after No Malice became a born again Christian & resulted in Push signing to Kanye West’s very own Def Jam Recordings imprint G.O.O.D. Music as a solo act. He has since made himself home under Ye’s wing by dropping 3 solo efforts, with the last one being the Kanye-produced DAYTONA in the spring of 2018 & one of the greatest diss tracks of all-time “The Story of Adidon” merely days later. But after 4 long years, Push is returning with It’s Almost Dry.

“Brambleton” opens up the album with a cloudy yet rubbery instrumental from longtime collaborator Pharrell & lyrics addressing Pusha’s relationship with his former manager Geesy whereas “Let the Smokers Shine the Coups” has a more triumphant tone to it saying he’s just here to find the truth. Kanye tags along for “Dreamin’ of the Past” sampling “Jealous Guy” by Donny Hathaway to belittle their competition referencing Amblin Partners which the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal has a minority stake in, but then JAY-Z comes into the picture for “Neck & Wrist” working in some experimental undertones talking about the rapstar life.

Meanwhile on “Just So You Remember”, we have Push reminding the whole world who they’re fucking with over a sample of “6 Day War” by Colonel Bagshot that Ye alongside BoogzDaBeast & FNZ bring to the table just before “Diet Coke” flips “Take the Time to Tell Her” by Jerry Butler taking jabs at those who be selling impure shit. KIDS SEE GHOSTS reunite 1 last time for “Rock n Roll” due to KiD CuDi & Kanye’s falling out talking about how this is their story over a sample of “1+1” by Beyoncé leading into the eerie “Call My Bluff” telling listeners that everything don’t need to be addressed.

“Scrape It Off the Top” has a more playful sound to it as Lil Uzi Vert helps Push spit them coke bars & “Hear Me Clearly” was one of my favorites off Nigo’s recent solo debut I Know Nigo, so I’m happy he put it on here. The penultimate track “Open Air” incorporates some flutes talking about slanging powder in an unenclosed space outdoors & “Labyrinth” ends the album with an organ-heavy Clipse reunion talking about all the people they pray for.

This has been one of my most anticipated albums of 2022 for a minute now & boy it did not disappoint. He continues to spit the gangsta rap we all know & love, except Kanye & Pharrell’s production is like yin & yang with the Chicago genius’ signature chipmunk soul sound that he came up on or the some of the pop rap undertones coming from some of the cuts that the Virginia visionary has to offer.

Score: 4.5/5

Nelson Dialect – “Ever Since” review

Adelaide, Australia emcee Nelson Dialect enlisting Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom producer Mr. Slipz to fully produce his 5th solo LP. Known for being 1/2 of Dialect & Despair, he would make his debut in 2008 off Rugged Uncut Project & follow it up with The Isolated Papers as well as the Ray West-produced Time Means Nothing & most recently Glorious Definitely a couple months ago. High Focus Records recently signed Nelson to their roster individually & he’s telling us how he’s been feeling Ever Since.

After the “Nobody Knows” intro, the 3rd & final single “Seance” begins wanting to communicate with the dead over a jazzy boom bap instrumental whereas “Smooth Ride” featuring Confucius MC & Jehst finds the trio starkly reminds the world that living life ain’t easy as it may seem. The 2nd single “Only Just Begun” goes for a laidback boom bap vibe to the beat achieving what others told him was unfeasible while the lead single “Oxford Scholars” featuring Verbz & Vitamin G finds the trio coming together for a 4 & a half minute barfest.

Cazeaux O.S.L.O. appears on the drumless “Myself” talking about both of them not feeling like their usual selves as of late while “Star of Sirius” speaks of his instinct telling him a close encounter’s lying down & following his heart these days. “Figure Out What’s Right” blends elements of soul & boom bap asking for God to not sell because he has a lot of stuff he’s gotta take care of personally & each moment being the only thing we get for free while “Open Book” smoothly talks about the familiar theme of romance.

“Association” suggests keeping it humble until his hindsight changes when he decides to become a father & after the “Lion’s Gate” interlude, “Trembling the Marrow” featuring A.G. links up for a conscious attack directed at corporal giants. “1st Date” tackles the subject of love once again using a beat reminiscent of Slum Village’s sophomore effort Fantastic Vol. 2 while “Row Your Boat” offers the advice of moving gently to pursue your dreams. The final song “The Revealer” featuring SickInTheHead preceding the “Portal” outro ends with both of them talking about the angel of death.

A great deal of Nelson Dialect’s solo material in the past decade plus so far has been pretty average to me personally other than Time Means Nothing, but I didn’t think we’d get another album from him almost 8 weeks succeeding his last one & I’d have to put his inaugural High Focus project Ever Since above Time Means Nothing for it being my favorite thing he’s ever made by himself. Mr. Slipz’ boom bap production hits a lot harder than Glorious Definitely’s & Nelson makes an urgently refreshing statement regarding the endless quest for a timeless sound whilst amassing a slew of guests.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Kaleidoscope Kid – Self-Titled review

This is the eponymous debut EP from Phoenix, Arizona rapper & singer/songwriter The Kaleidoscope Kid. Coming up a week prior to this the pandemic hitting off his full-length debut Quail Run, he would go on to follow it up with the ATC-produced Thank You Stranger & All Dogs Go to Heaven later that same exact year. However in light of him signing to Suburban Noize Records this past fall, The Kaleidoscope Kid has seen fit to reintroduce himself to a wider audience in the form of a self-titled effort.

“Hold Up” is a bluesy opener addressing those who say he lost it whereas “Watermelon Kisses” follows it up with an acoustic romance ballad for all the couples out there. “Stampede” goes full blown reggae rock cautioning a stampede on the run leading into the ska punk-influenced “Cause & Effect” talking about a chick who left her name & number on his phone.

Meanwhile on “Fight or Flight”, we have The Kaleidoscope Kid on top of a down-tuned guitar tackling the phrase “crash & burn” leading into the boom bap-heavy title track reintroducing himself to the Subnoize crowd. The song “It’s All Love” goes full-blown reggae confessing his girl’s loving being on his mind while the penultimate track “Hell or High Water” mixes some acoustics with handclaps asking God to give him a sign. Big B then tags along for the guitar-driven closer “Maniac” advising to fasten your seat-belts.

Now it wasn’t until The Kaleidoscope Kid signed to Suburban Noize where I would go back & check out his whole catalog in preparation for this self-titled EP, but I have to say that his debut for the notorious Malibu-based underground label has to be his most well-conceived body of work yet. He has a lot of versatility, the songwriting is catchy & the range of sounds in his production is a great match given Subnoize’s history.

Score: 4/5

redveil – “learn 2 swim” review

redveil is an 18 year old MC/producer from PG County, Maryland who came up at the tail-end of 2019 off his debut mixtape Bittersweet Cry. But I wouldn’t get introduced to his music until 8 months after when a short-lived Twitter beef between him & the internet’s busiest music nerd himself Anthony Fantano broke out merely days after dropping Niagara. It prompted me to check the tape out & I was actually pretty impressed with the amount of potential he was showing as an artist. So for his 18th birthday, he’s celebrating by dropping his debut mixtape.

“together” opens up the tape with some keys & saxes talking about running it whereas “diving board” takes a jazzier route addressing his come up. “pg baby” works in a soul sample talking about what growing up in Maryland was like for him just before “new info” incorporates a crooning vocal loop declaring his energy as his biggest weapon.

Meanwhile on “shoulder”, we have Mekdelawit & Renaissance Mic accompanying redveil on top of a euphoric boom bap instrumental talking about watching their youth wash away leading into Sam Truth tagging along for the melodic “better” advising that shit gets better when you give it time. “sky” lusciously talks about being a star, but then “morphine (da ways)” returns to soulful territory expressing his desire to win.

Fly Anakin & ovrkast. come into the picture for the trap-tinged “automatic” talking about how you can’t break them while the song “home” vents everything that’s been on his mind these days. The penultimate track “mars” mixes some background vocals, pianos & even a guitar solo talking about seeing the light a mile away & “working on it” ends the tape with a powerful ballad confessing that he doesn’t wanna run anymore.

If anyone liked Niagara as much as I did, then you’re gonna love learn 2 swim just as much if not more & I recommend all of those who’re still not up in redveil to check this tape out because it’s just most mature body of work thus far. On top of that, I admire how much he demonstrates his artistic growth with his refined lyrics & production game.

Score: 4/5

Bas – “[BUMP] Pick Me Up” review

This is the 2nd EP from Paris, France born albeit Queen, New York raised emcee Bas. Breaking out onto the scene with his debut mixtape Quarter Water Raised Me a little over a decade ago, he eventually signed to J. Cole’s very own Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records at the beginning of 2014 & his full-length debut Last Winter a couple months after. His sophomore effort Too High to Riot would go on to become one of the best albums that Dreamville has ever put out, but his last album Milky Way wound up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. That being said, I was very much looking forward to [BUMP] Pick Me Up given the singles he teased us with.

“[Eyes on You]” with Galimatias is a decently spacey R&B duet that kicks off the EP taking about being entranced by one another while the song “[Admire Her]” with Gunna of course goes into rubbery trap territory describing their admiration for bitches who be fully loaded & it’s slightly better than what we heard at the beginning. The penultimate track “[The Jackie]” with J. Cole & Lil Tjay finds the trio over a melodic yet bouncy instrumental from T-Minus telling motherfuckers to stop playing with them sharpshooting like former 7-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart while “[The Others]” ends the EP with a peppy ballad encouraging listeners to be grateful for all they have.

Even though [BUMP] Pick Me Up happens to be significantly shorter than Milky Way, I happen to think it’s a tad bit more superior than Bas’ last album & certainly fits as a short batch of summertime jams. The production is a lot more fun & the performances from the features alongside Bas himself are a lot more catchier.

Score: 3.5/5