Bronze Nazareth – “Bundle Raps” review

Bronze Nazareth is a 41 year old MC/producer from Grand Rapids, Michigan who started out as a member of the group Wisemen alongside his late brother Kevlaar 7 & later became a member of the Wu-Elements, the in-house production team for the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. He also has 2 solo albums under belt with The Great Migration & School for the Blindman but after a little over 7 years, Bronze is ready to hop back on the mic in a full-length capacity & has enlisted London, England, United Kingdom producer Leaf Dog of The 4 Owls as well as the Brothers of Stone & the 3 Amigos produce it from front to back.

After the “Think Carefully” intro, the first song “Theatre Speak” talks about striving for perfection over some foreboding string sections whereas the next track “It’s On” featuring Leaf Dog finds the 2 getting cocky over a bare sample of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s “If This World Were Mine”. The song “Madman” featuring Recognize Ali sees the 2 talking about trying to make it out the ghetto over a high-pitched vocal sample & ominous horns then after the “Wise Wakening” interlude, “The War on Us” gets conscious over a twangy beat.

“Lisbon Dinners” gets on the mafioso side of things over a funky instrumental with some wind-blowing samples & after the “Burnt Leaf” interlude, the track “Get It Myself” talks about hustling on his own over a boom bap beat with some triumphant horns. The song “Lyrical Wars” featuring BVA & Leaf Dog finds the trio challenging their opposition over an instrumental kin to Wu-Tang Forever while “The Deranged” is a full-blown Wisemen reunion talking about how it only takes 1 shot to leave your clothes stained in blood over a weepy beat.

The track “Grime Lords” featuring June Megalodon sees the 2 declaring themselves as such over a fuzzy instrumental with some vinyl cracking while the song “J My Man!” talks about being ruthless over some thunderous drums. Then before finishing off with the “No Turning Back” outro, the final song “The Immaculate” boasts his prowess about over a boom bap beat with some trumpets.

I was wondering when or if Bronze would drop another solo album, but I’m glad he did because this is a dope body of work under his own label Black Day in July Productions in tandem with the Glastonbury, Sommerset underground imprint Real Life Drama Records. His lyricism is still as good as his production-skills & then Leaf Dog on the other hand continues to remind listeners that he’s one of the best producers the UK has to offer.

Score: 3.5/5

Dolenz – “Electric Fence” review

This is the 3rd EP from London, England, United Kingdom producer Dolenz. Introducing himself in off his debut EP Evesdrop during the fall of 2017, he would go on to follow it up with a moderately received debut album Lingua Franca exploring halftime as well as IDM & glitch hop. His last EP Golden Spike came out almost 7 months ago when the entire world was under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, signing to Potent Funk Records & making his debut for the label with Electric Fence.

“Jody Banks” after the intro begins with this ominous boom bap instrumental whereas “Wankers” embraces an experimental vibe heavily building itself around synthesizers for a little over 3 minutes. “Blak Helicopter” by Dabbla talks about feeing like a battle rapper without having anyone to battle while “Howzer” returns to a more compositional approach continuing the experimentations. After a skit, the titular beat goes for a psychedelic 1 last time & the closer performed by Black Josh talks about how “Nasty” he’s been.

This & Golden Spike both remind me of Pitch 92’s debut EP Lost in Space in terms of all 3 projects spending a bulk of the time capturing each producer’s talents behind the boards other than a couple moments where an MC takes the microphone to do what they do best although Electric Fence could be Dolenz’ most deeply personal collection of solo material thus far. Mixing 90s music & media with forward-thinking, electronic production, he flips his 90s schooldays into 4 compositions & 2 hip hop tracks that cohesively feels like a ripped collage of childhood nostalgia.

Score: 3.5/5

Jypsy – “Born wit It” review

Jypsy is a 38 year old MC from Inkster, Michigan who came up as a member of the trio Street Justice. He eventually branched out solo in 2017 off the single “Gotta Go” & signed to Middle Finger Music a couple years later. But as the first month of 2021 draws to a close, Jypsy is finally coming through with his debut album.

“The Intro(vert)” that kicks the album off is him venting about a number of things over a jazzy beat from Foul Mouth whereas the next song “The Greatest” talks about wanting to better than just average over a Peace of Mind instrumental that almost has a Bollywood feel to it. The track “Son of a Preacher Son” talks about being a monster over a diabolical boom bap beat while the song “Cigar Lounge” with Isaac Castor finds the 2 talking about weed over a drumless yet tranquil instrumental.

“The Crown” by 2 Door Coupé sees the duo talking about gossipers over a lo-fi beat from Nolan the Ninja while the song “Gelato #41” with Bub Rock finds the 2 getting sexual over a Jimbo Slice instrumental that samples “You Can’t Turn Me Away” by Sylvia Striplin. The track “Never Hesitant” talks about being a king over a nefarious beat while “The Sleeper” sees 2 Door Coupé teaming up with Bang Belushi & Kain to spit battle bars over a sole whistling loop.

The song “Warriors” with Fatt Father & Kid Vishis finds the trio continuing to shit-talk over a demonic beat while the penultimate track “Heavy D” talks about keeping his circle small over a spacious trap instrumental. The album ends with “Restless”, where Jypsy talks about taking his own way to get where he’s going over an uneasy boom bap beat.

I’ve been wanting to hear how Jyp would sound on an album of his own given his features throughout the past year or so & now that we finally got it, I’m impressed. He’s at his best lyrically & I really dig how the sound ranges from jazz samples to trap.

Score: 4/5

Lil Skies – “Unbothered” review

Lil Skies is a 22 year old rapper from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania who came onto my radar in 2018 off his 4th mixtape Life of a Dark Rose. This was followed up the next year with his full-length debut Shelby & with the 2 year anniversary of that album approaching in a couple of months, Lil Skies is celebrating by dropping a sophomore effort.

The album kicks off with “Fade Away”, where Skies spends his time impersonating ΠΔV for God knows what reason & even the beat is generic as Hell. The next song “Take 5” talks about having real money over a nondescript instrumental while the track “Excite Me” with Wiz Khalifa sees the 2 talking about freaky hoes over a euphoric beat. The song “Havin’ My Way” with Lil Durk finds the 2 talking about flexin’ & stuntin’ over an acoustic trap instrumental we’ve heard a million times already while the track “OK” proclaims himself as a big boss over a paranormal beat from Buddah Bless.

The song “Dead Broke” talks about a woman he had to let go over a rubbery beat while the track “On Sight” talks about having 30 shooters over a bland beat. The song “Think Deep Don’t Sink” talks about being iced out over a cavernous instrumental while the track “Red Wine & JoDeCi” talks about a manipulative ex over a skeletal beat.

The song “Locked Up” talks about being that dude over another acoustic/trap flavored instrumental while the track “Trust Nobody” talks about the fear of being set up over a dull beat. The song “Riot” compares himself to Freddy Krueger over a hyphy instrumental while the penultimate track “Sky High” talks about the love he has for this woman over an atmospheric beat from Danny Wolf. The album ends with “Mhmmm”, where Lil Skies talks about a down bad thotty over a T-Minus instrumental that almost has a Middle Eastern flare to it.

Outside of a couple flashes in the pan, I personally didn’t get that much enjoyment out of this album. Lil Skies’ music continues to decline further as the lyrics are vapid, the flows are subpar, the production is dime a dozen for a good majority of the time.

Score: 1.5/5

Th1rt3en – “A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism” review

Th1rt3en is an East Coast hip hop trio consisting of Marcus Machado on guitar, Daru Jones on drums & Pharoahe Monch on the mic. The trio have been working together for a little over a year now but with Joe Biden being inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States earlier this week, it’s only right for them to come together for their full-length debut.

Things kick off with “Cult 45”, where Monch takes a well-written dig at the Trump administration over a dingey boom bap beat from Nottz. The next song “Triskaidekaphobia” gets on the horrorcore tip over a bloodcurdling instrumental from Monch himself alongside Parks of The Joe Budden Podcast while “The Magician” compares himself to such over a rap rock beat. The song “666 (3-6 Word Stories)” is a unexpected & decent recreation of the Black Sabbath joint “Hand of Doom” while the track “Goat’s Head” reminds listeners of his lyrical prowess over a beat with a crunchy ass guitar line.

The song “Scarecrow” talks about being on the yellow brick road over an anarchic instrumental from Shylow while the track “Fight” talks about racial injustice over a rock/boom bap fusion. The song “Racist” compares the skinheads to Satanists over an infernal beat while the track “Oxygen” talks about needing this woman in his life over a supernatural instrumental from Marco Polo.

The song “Kill ‘Em All Again” talks about those who can’t see the bigger picture over an impassioned beat while “The Exorcist” makes numerous references to the apocalypse & Medusa over yet another boom bap/rock fusion. The penultimate track “Amnesia” expresses his desire to hold this woman in his arms over a more unwinding instrumental & then the albums ends with “Kill Kill Kill”, where Monch talks about losing his mind some fast drumming along with a guitar & a organ.

When artists make an album stylistically departing from their signature sound, it can turn out 50/50. However, Th1rt3en knocks it out of the park. Not only do Marcus & Daru do a good job with the live instrumentation, but Pharoahe Monch comes through with some of his most political lyrics yet reflecting on all the hardships we faced in 2020.

Score: 4.5/5

Doc D – “Planetory Destruction” review

Doc D is a new pitch-voiced alter ego of Maryland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & author Logic. The character was announced a little over a week ago & to celebrate Bobby’s 31st birthday this weekend, we’re already being treated to it’s debut mixtape.

After the intro, the title track with Big Lenbo sees the 2 talking about how they ain’t playing this year over a dust boom bap beat whereas the next song “Better Text Back” talks about having nuclear codes over an tranquil instrumental. The track “Green Juices” flexes his lyrical prowess over a hypnotic beat & after the first “Cosmos 105.7” skit, the “Double Sample” interlude heavily revolves around a sample of the classic Gil-Scott Heron joint “We Almost Lost Detroit”.

The song “Backstory” talks about doing this rap shit differently over an instrumental that I can’t help Joey Bada$$ rapping on top of on 1999 & after the second “Cosmos 105.7” skit, the track “Back to the Basement” with Silas, Tony Tone, Big Lenbo & Castro finds the quintent rapping about returning to their roots over a boom bap beat with a weepy loop. The song “Outer Space Gang” with J Mars & Like sees the 3 talking shit over a luxurious instrumental while the track “Butt Ass Naked” with Marc Rebillet & Black_Chocolate finds the trio talking about sex over a funky beat.

The song “Ready Player Gun” with Buddy & Like sees the 3 talking about smoking weed over a dreamy instrumental & after the third “Cosmos 105.7” skit, the track “20,000,000 Woolongs” is a solo Punch joint a introducing the listener to a bounty hunter over a jazzy beat. The penultimate song “Bounty Law” with Del the Funky Homosapien & Ghostface Killah finds the trio talking about being villains over an old school instrumental & after the final “Cosmos 105.7” skit, the closer “Death of Destruction” is a spoken word bit where the DJ tells the listener that the album is over.

From start to finish, it’s a decent tape. The features don’t really do much for me other then Del & Ghostface, but the sci-fi themed story is told well & the production on here is some of Logic’s best yet.

Score: 3/5

C-Lance – “The Demon of Hiroshima” review

C-Lance is a 33 year old producer from Boston, Massachusetts who broke out in 2010 after becoming an in-house producer for Vinnie Paz. He would go on to become one of the underground’s most prominent names for the likes of the Army of the Pharaohs, La Coka Nostra, Swollen Members, R.A. the Rugged Man & G-Mo Skee throughout the last decade. However, C-Lance has decided to drop a new album every month throughout 2021 & is kicking it off with a sequel to his previous instrumental album The Ghosts of Mt. Fuji.

Things kick off with the title track, which has these dusty boom bap drums & some horns that kinda remind me of the classic Pharoahe Monch joint “Simon Says” for some reason. The next instrumental “Duel Under Autumn Leaves” has a sound kin to that of Visions of Gandhi while “The Ghost of Yarikawa” gets back on the boom bap rip albeit with a more alluring loop attached to it. The “Bamboo Forest” instrumental has these string sections throughout that give it a cinematic feel to it while “The Hannya Mask” sounds like it was originally made for Chaly & the Filth Factory.

The “Curse of the Snow Woman” instrumental perfectly lives up to it’s name with it’s spooky vocal harmonies & icy keys whereas “Oni & Yurei” dives right back into that Vinnie/JMT sound. The “Haunting in Kawasaki” kinda reminds of me C-Lance’s first instrumental album House of 1,000 Beats with its horror movie quality while “Shrine of Kobe” stands out as the most uptempo beat on the entire project without question.

“Spirits of Inunaki Tunnel” is laced with a heavenly vocal loop throughout while the penultimate beat “Shadow of the Samurai” is the complete opposite as the crooning samples sound evil & the trumpet is a nice touch as well. “Tears Falling in Tokyo” ends with a dusty flip fit for crying in the hometown of the current IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン in his 3rd reign & IWGPインターコンチネンタルチャンピオン in his 6th reign 内藤哲也.

This dude has been one of my favorite producers in recent memory & I can’t wait to hear everything else he has in store for the year. He does a good job at taking all these Japanese samples & putting his own grimy spin on them much like The Ghosts of Mt. Fuji providing a soundtrack to a trip out in the prefecture that made former CMLL Mundial Pesomedio Campeon, CMLL Mundial Parejas Campeon, オープン・ザ・ドリームゲートチャンピオン, 2-time NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Champion, 11-time IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, GHCジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, GHCジュニアヘビー級タッグチャンピオン & WWE Hall of Famer 獣神ライガー.

Score: 3.5/5

Various Artists – “Conflicted: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” review

This is a brand new soundtrack album brought to you in part by Buffalo hip hop labels Griselda Records & Black Soprano Family Records. Both of whom have been taking over hip hop with a plethora of high quality albums, EPs & mixtapes since late 2015. They just released their first feature-length film Conflicted this weekend & of course the movie had to be accompanied by songs from or inspired by it.

After the intro, the first song “Mobbin’” finds Benny the Butcher teaming up with Chase Fetti & Heem to talk about just that over a devilish instrumental while the track “Element of Surprise” by Lloyd Banks talks about being mindful of snitches over a supernatural beat. The song “Ain’t Hit Nobody” by Westside Gunn, Flee Lord & Eto sees the trio coming together for the brick buyers over a grim, drumless instrumental from Daringer while the track “Pride” by Ransom triumphantly talks about his success over a soulful beat from the man himself.

“Welcome Home DMX” by Dave East & Jonesy finds the 2 comparing themselves to Sam Giancana & John Gotti over a weepy trap instrumental from the late DJ Shay & the 808 Mafia while the track “Squaaaaad” by Elcamino, Rick Hyde & Smoke DZA sees the 3 talking about being baptized by the streets over a victorious beat. The song “3:30 in Houston” by Benny the Butcher addresses being shot a few months back over a despondent instrumental while the track “Voices” by Boldy James, Chase Fetti & Heem finds the trio telling their opposition to run over a bloodcurdling beat.

The song “Rank” by YN Billy gets braggadocious over a mediocre trap instrumental & after the “I’m Not the Enemy” skit, the track “Nerve of You” by Armani Caesar talks about someone doing her dirty over a Camouflage Monk beat with some plinky keys. The song “Conflicted” by Flee Lord talks about the hustler lifestyle over a dreary instrumental from GhostDave while the penultimate track “Mission Accomplished” by Armani Caesar, Benny the Butcher & Westside Gunn sees the 3 talking about turning to the boss life. “The Hurt Business” by Westside Gunn, Smoke DZA & Wale named after the titular WWE faction then talks about being the flyest in the game over a thunderous instrumental including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE United States Champion, 9-time WWE Tag Team Champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine.

I was curious to hear how this would turn out given how cheesy a lot of soundtrack albums turn out nowadays, but I’m actually pretty impressed with what we got here & it has me even more curious to watch the movie when it comes out next weekend. Much like Griselda’s collective debut W.W.C.D. (What Would Chinegun Do?) that was released under Shady Records a couple years back, everyone involved manages to stay true to themselves & not whip up a focusgrouped product.

Score: 3.5/5

R.A.P. Ferreira – “Bob’s Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the Garden Level Cafe of the Scallops Hotel” review

R.A.P. Ferreira is a 28 year old MC/producer from Kenosha, Wisconsin who’s been making music for a little over a decade now. However, I personally have had him on my radar since his 2015 sophomore effort So the Flies Don’t Come. His last album Purple Moonlight Pages that came out almost a year ago at this point was not only his most reflective work yet, but one of my favorites of 2020 too. Fast forward to New Year’s Day, we’re already being treated with a follow-up.

After the psychedelic boom bap “Battle Report” intro, the first song “The Cough Bomber’s Return” talks about being the last of a dying breed over a meditative boom bap beat referencing former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, 2-time ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Champion, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion & The Crash Mundial Parejas Campeon Matt Hardy whereas the next track “Yamships, Flaxseed” with s.al sees the 2 talking about “pain coming in dreams” over a soulful instrumental with a piano-transition during the 2nd half.

“Diogenes on the Auction Block” talks about riding on when he was alone over a minimalist beat while the track “Redguard Snipers” with SB the Moor finds the 2 talking about people complaining about new verbs & sounds over an instrumental that starts with a upbeat vibe, but then transitions into something more deadpan in it’s final moments.

The song “Sips of Ripple Wine (No Stemware)” talks about having to level up over a funky beat with an acoustic switch-up while the track “Skrenth” talks about what it is to be a poet over an instrumental with some keys & bass guitar. The song “Bobby Digital’s Little Wings” talks about his father having a panic attack 2 weeks after he was born over a piano-inflicted boom bap beat while the track “Listening” talks about how he’s doing good in the end over jazzy instrumental.

“High Rise in Newark” talks about spirits clinging to theoretical lives over an abstract beat while the penultimate track “Rejoice” speaks for itself lyrically over a wavy instrumental. The album finishes off with “Abomunist Manifesto”, where R.A.P. Ferreira tackles abomunism as a whole over a bass guitar & an acoustic guitar.

Even though I didn’t think we’d get another album from him this quickly, I really enjoy it for what it is. I think it serves as a fantastic tribute to Bob Kaufman as his cryptic lyricism is always captivating & jazz-flavored production is once again well incorporated.

Score: 4/5

Lando Bando – “New Era” review

Lando Bando is a 25 year old record executive from Detroit, Michigan notable for founding The Hip Hop Lab Records & signing/managing some the biggest group in Detroit trap today the ShittyBoyz both as a trio & individually as solo acts. He also has a few solo LPs under his belt already with Don’t Let Your Bitch Hear This alongside The Hip Hop Lab & more recently I Knew This Would Happen merely 9 months ago, kicking off a New Era to end what has been an unkind 2020 to many of us.

The intro by Babytron & Icewear Vezzo pairs the 2 over a Detroit trap instrumental with some bells telling lames with no job to get a life whereas “Odd Ball” by Rio da Yung O.G. talks about not needing to show his money to prove it since he’s at a certain level of notoriety. “NBA Jam” by Babytron & GT finds both of them flexing the W streak they’ve been on lately while “Movie” by Stanwill & Talibando blends Detroit trap & jazz talking about leveling up in life.

Glockboyz Teejaee swaps out the jazzier elements in favor of Mobb music during “Him Not Them” boasting that he still be on the block instead of frontin’ over it just before “Go Inside” by Rack flips a chipmunk soul sample with some 808s thanking God for dodgin’ incarceration. “Glitch” by Babytron & Big Money Rich produced by Danny G delves into the world of crime for a few minutes leading into “Raw” by 6040 talking about how different that crew is compared to yours.

The title track by ShittyBoyz, the late Blade Icewood’s son Lil Blade & Cam Dinero unites the quintet for an 150 second collaboration representing the current generation of Detroit hip hop & after “Rocket Type” by Prince Jefe mixes some bells & rubbery bass rapping from a gangster’s perspective, “Wrong Type” by 6040 Kev Kash finds himself feeling like something’s off if he got too much time

It makes sense for the ShittyBoyz getting their own song with “RJ Always Trippin’” referencing WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle

“Serious All Caps” by Babytron references 14-time WWE world champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & current WWE COO Triple H until the outro by Prince Jefe & TillyHome ends the beginning of this new chapter with an average collaboration where I personally find Jefe’s verse to be more than Tilly’s.

In case you may not be familiar with Lando’s discography, the 4 albums he has so far including this newest one are basically their own collections of Detroit trap curations & when you take in consideration of The Hip Hop Lab’s rise in popularity this past year or 2, the most recent batch we have surpasses all 3 of it’s predecessors because it very much feels like his label will achieve wider success this decade.

Score: 3.5/5