Flee Lord – “Loyalty & Trust” review

Flee Lord is a 36 year old rapper from New York that first came up in 2017 with the release of his debut EP Loyalty of Death: Lord Talk, which was followed up last year with his debut album I Want Out & his 2nd EP Loyalty of Death: Lord Talk 2. He just released his sophomore album Gets Greater Later this March & now just 3 months after his debut mixtape Later is Now, he’s continuing his hustle with a 9-track project as well as 38 Spesh producing it in it’s entirety.

The titular intro sees Flee pours his heart out over a boom bap beat that suits the vibe & then the next song “Contract Plus a Bag” with RJ Payne & Grafh pretty much speaks for itself over an amazing BADBADNOTGOOD sample. The track “Both Views” with Che Noir gets romantic over a smooth instrumental while the song “Kitchen Talk” of course gets on the drug dealing tip over a minimalist beat.

After the 20 second spoken word piece from Benny the Butcher, we go into the song “Perfect Plate”. Where Flee & Spesh get mafioso over a somewhat psychedelic boom bap beat. The track “Hoody Flee” is filled with gritty street bars over an alluring boom bap beat & while the song “Not for Fashion” with Termanology sees the 2 getting into some vivid storytelling, the instrumental on here might be the weakest on the entire project. The tape then ends with the titular outro, where Flee talks about his success over a haunting beat.

Despite the brevity of this project, it’s easily Flee’s magnum opus thus far. His lyricism is getting sharper & the production that 38 Spesh brings to the table is some of his best yet.

Score: 4/5

Tha Hav Knots – “Tha Low Budget EP” review

Tha Hav Knots are a hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Anybody Killa & Big Hoodoo. Since 2014, the two dropped a couple singles together & they even let Bonez Dubb of the Axe Murder Boyz temporarily join the group for a couple years before going AWOL at the start or 2017. But now with the 20th annual Gathering of the Juggalos officially wrapped up, they’re officially back with their debut EP.

The project kicks off with “Intro / Cruel Intentions”, where Hoodoo & Killa talk about ushering in a brand new era of wicked shit over a perfectly nocturnal beat. The next song “We Gonna Rock” of course brags about their skills over a vicious beat while the EP’s only single thus far “Watch the Evil” gets reckless over a somewhat druggy & ominous instrumental.

The track “Trigga Finga” not only gets murderous over an abrasive trap beat with a cool 2Pac sample for the hook, but Hoodoo’s flow at the beginning could very well be the best on the entire project. The penultimate track “Hard Headed” pretty much speaks for itself over an eerie beat & then the EP finishes with “Take Us Alive”, where Hoodoo & Killa get triumphant over a symphonic trap beat.

For the 5 year wait, it was well worth it & it definitely makes me hope they have a full-length debut album on the way. The production is grimy & Tha Hav Knots compliment each other very well, with Anybody Killa sounding a lot harder than he was on his latest comeback album Tampon Juice as well as Big Hoodoo continuing to step up both his pen game & his flows.

Score: 3.5/5

Black Milk – “DiVE” review

Black Milk is a 35 year old rapper, songwriter & producer from Detroit, Michigan that came up as a member of the B.R. Gunna production trio. He eventually went solo in 2005 with Sound of the City, which was followed up in 2007 with Popular Demand. The following year, he would dabble with electronic music on Tronic & would later start incorporating live instrumentation on Album of the Year in 2010. His next album No Poison No Paradise eventually became Black Milk’s darkest work yet & it would see a solid sequel If There’s a Hell Below the year after. We saw a comeback form him last year with the politically charged FEVER & a little over a year later, Black Milk’s delivering a sequel with his 4th EP.

It all starts with “Save Yourself”, where Black Milk talks about friendship over a mellow beat. The next song “Black NASA” talks about self-empowerment over an atmospheric beat while the track “If U Say” talks about staying true to yourself over a meditative beat. The song “Relate (Want 2 Know)” with sees Black Milk & his younger brother Mahd talking about depression over a somber instrumental while the track “Blame” gets romantic over a smooth instrumental.

The song “Swimm” is a meditative cut based around the idiom “sink or swim” while the track right after is an Flying Lotus influenced instrumental piece. The song “Don’t Say” talks about fake love over a druggy beat while the track “Out Loud” serves as a psychedelic instrumental interlude. The penultimate track “Tyme” talks about just that over a glitchy beat & then the EP finishes with the synth heavy “Now Begin” instrumental piece.

While only 35 minutes long, I think it’s a fantastic as FEVER. The lyrics are just as smart as the predecessor & the production is equally soothing.

Score: 4/5

Saint Dog – “Bozo” review

Saint Dog is a 43 year old rapper from Chisholm, Minnesota that came up as a member of the trio P.T.B. with D-Loc & Johnny Richter, all 3 of whom would later form the Kottonmouth Kings with Daddy X in 1996. He would eventually leave KMK in 1999, but would remain on Suburban Noize Records & make his solo debut 5 years later with Ghetto Guide. This would be followed up in 2006 with U.S.A. (Unconformable Social Amputees) but after rejoining Kottonmouth recently, he’s coming back with his 3rd full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Sounds of the Underground”, where Saint Dog talks about the things people say about him over a instrumental that’s perfect for the clubs. The title track sings about the things he sees in this person over a laidback instrumental while the song “I’m Living Life (Right Now)” with Danny Diablo & Syniister sees the 3 talking down to their competition over an instrumental that sounds like something Dr. Dre & Scott Storch would’ve made together in the 2000s.

The track ”West Side” with Kung Fu Vampire & Mars of course details the gritty life in California over an eerie beat while the song “Bar Door Sign” with The DRP & Prolifik is of course an alcohol banger with a thumping beat. The track “Same Ol’ Screaming” charismatically brags over an electronic beat with some live drumming while the song “She Be Wifey” talks about how fine this woman is over a trap beat with some plinky keys.

The track “Pixie Girl” is a stripper anthem with an unexpected EDM influenced beat from UnderRated while the song “Gangsta Ways” needs no further explanation over an acoustic instrumental. The track “Bang Bang” with Skribbal sees the 2 getting vicious over an instrumental with a prominent piano & some g-funk synthesizers that pop up during the hook while the song “Already Dude” gets reflective over another instrumental that kinda has a Dr. Dre/Scott Storch influence to it.

The track “Love (Is What I Got)” is a clumsily delivered romance tune with some great acoustic guitar passages while the song “Lay Low” with Big Hoss & Jaysin Logik sends a warning to those who oppose them over some keyboards. The penultimate track “Where I Stay” with Lil Jerry is a dedication to California with a summery beat & then the album ends with “Stir It Up”, which is a killer rap rock cut.

Overall, this was a pretty solid comeback for the O.G. Kottonmouth King who was kicked out of the group after their classic debut album Royal Highness by Daddy X. The production is decent as were most of the features, but Saint Dog sounds very focused & passionate to be back on the mic.

Score: 3.5/5

Chance the Rapper – “The Big Day” review

Chance the Rapper is a 26 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, actor & activist from Chicago, Illinois that became an overnight sensation in 2012 with his debut mixtape 10 Day & he would eventually follow it up the next year with one of the best mixtapes of this decade: Acid Rap. Last time we heard from Chance was in 2016 with Coloring Book which had an more admirably Christian message to his music, but was weighed down by an abundance of features. 3 years have passed & he’s now making his return with his full-length debut following a role in the A24 Films horror comedy Slice.

The album kicks off with “All Day Long”, where Chance talks about feeling grateful over a blissful instrumental from none other than The Social Experiment. The next song “Do You Remember?” gets nostalgic over a buttery instrumental while the track “Eternal” with Smino sees the 2 talking about wanting a lifetime relationship over a funky beat. The song “Hot Shower” with DaBaby & MadeinTYO sees the 3 rambling about this chick over a nondescript trap beat while the track “We Go High” pays tribute to his wife over a J Dilla inspired instrumental.

“I Got You (Always & Forever)” is a hideous 1-night stand anthem & after the “Photo Ops” skit, the song “Roo” with Taylor Bennett sees the 2 getting motivational on some WWE tag team shit over a cavernous beat. The title track talks about his wedding over a beautiful acoustic instrumental while the song “Let’s Go on the Run” with Knox Fortune sees the 2 pretty much simping over a sunny beat.

The track “Handsome” with Megan Thee Stallion sees the 2 boasting about how beautiful they are over an simplistic trap beat while the song “Big Fish” with Gucci Mane sees the 2 charismatically bragging over a settle trap beat. “Ballin’ Flossin’” is basically a Christianized version of Drake’s “Ratchet Happy Birthday” & after the “4 Quarters in the Black” skit, the song “5 Year Plan” talks about his goals over a bare piano instrumental.

The track “Get a Bag” with CalBoy pretty much speaks for itself over a tropical instrumental while the song “Slide Around” with Nicki Minaj & Lil Durk sees the 3 flaunting over an ambient/trap beat from Pi’erre Bourne. The track “Sun Come Down” vents about his insecurities over an atmospheric beat while the song “Found a Good One (Single No More)” is of course another dedication to his wife over an upbeat instrumental. The track “Town on the Hill” gets spiritual over a moody beat & after the “Our House” skit, the closer “Zanies & Fools” with Nicki Minaj is an annoying love song with a tribal-esque instrumental.

As a fan of Chance’s early work, this was a huge disappointment for me. Only a select few songs in this collection of pop rap, contemporary R&B, conscious hip hop, neo-soul, Christian hip hop, trap & chipmunk soul that feel like it’s from the heart and a vast majority of it wastes the production on amongst the absolute worst vocal performances of the SAVEMONEY member’s entire catalog.

Score: 1/5

ИF – “The Search” review

ИF is a 28 year old rapper from Gladwin, Michigan who started out in 2010 with his debut mixtape Moments. 4 years later, he signed to Capitol Records & made his full-length debut the following year with Mansion. This was followed up in 2016 with Therapy Session, but it wouldn’t be until 2017 where ИF would finally achieve mainstream success with Perception. He’s been laying low since then but now, he’s returning with his 4th full-length album.

It all kicks off with the title track, where ИF rambles about his newfound fame over an apocalyptic trap beat. The next song “Leave Me Alone” talks about his mental heath over an orchestral instrumental while the track “Change” simplistically talks about just that over a minimalist trap beat. The track “My Stress” pretty much sees him whining over a moody trap beat while the song “Nate” looks back on his younger self over a bland beat.

The next track is a pointlessly extended version of the closer while the song “Returns” hilariously tries to get confrontational over a dark beat. The track “When I Grow Up” talks about hip hop being his #1 passion over some plinky keys & strings while “Only” is a sappy love tune heavy revolving around the Sasha Sloan song with the same name.

The track “Let Me Go” moans about someone who won’t accept him over a nocturnal beat & after the interlude, the track “Hate Myself” talks about depression over some militant drums with a piano in the background. The song “I Miss the Days” reflects on his childhood over some keyboards while the track “No Excuses” is another attempt at being edgy with a generic trap beat.

The song “Like This” talks about going through the motions over an atmospheric beat while the track “Options” talks about how he has to make it over an eerily dime a dozen trap beat. The song “WHY?” is pretty much the same as the opener while the track “Thinking” gets reflective over a cavernous trap beat.

The song “Trauma” cries about someone who won’t love him back over a bare piano instrumental & then the torture finally ends with “Time”, which pays tribute to ИF’s wife over a nondescript beat.

There’s not much else for me to say beyond that, this was truly a painful listening experience. It sounds a bit more passionate than his previous work but the lyrics are cornier than ever, the production is uneventful, it’s 1-dimensional & it REALLY did not need to be 80 minutes long.

Score: 1.5/5

UBI – “U.B.I. (Under Bad Influence)” review

UBI is a 40 year old MC from Kansas City, Missouri who came up as a member of the CES Cru. A group that has had multiple members, but only he & Godemis have stuck around since it’s inception. They’ve made themselves at home with indie hip hop powerhouse Strange Music since 2012 & with Godemis recently talking a break from music due to personal issues, UBI has saw fit to deliver a full-length album on his own.

The album kicks off with “Gameshow”, where UBI talks about his prowess over a nocturnal boom bap beat from Kato. The next song “Lock Load Shoot” talks about his rise up over a trap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 with some very smart old school samples while the track “The Quill” with The Palmer Squares sees the 3 talking about being underdogs over a cavernous trap beat from Leonard DStroy. The song “Read ‘Em & Weep” talks about UBI’s grind over a symphonic beat while the track “What If?” ponders the biggest mysteries of life over a funky boom bap beat from 7.

The song “Light ‘Em Up” is a hard hitting CES Cru reunion while the track “Missing Somethin’” talks about depression over a boom bap beat with some somber piano keys. The song “Double Yous” with Maez301 talks about being successful over a banger trap beat while the track “The Good Guy” is an endearing positivity anthem. The song “What It Takes” takes the listener through the things he’s done to get him where he is today over a demented Kato instrumental while the track “Involved” takes a jab at the frauds over an apocalyptic 7 beat.

The song “Pharmacy” talks about fiendin’ over a druggy trap beat while the track “Way Down” reflects on his past over a wavily settle beat. The song “Prey” gets into battle bar mode over a militant beat while the track “Madness” with Breaking Bad News sees the 3 speaking on just that over a funky bass-line with some sinister horns. The song “Get Busy” with Locksmith, King Iso & Jarren Benton sees the 4 talking about hip hop being their religion over a gritty 7 beat while the penultimate track “Bitty Betty” with Joey Cool & Karma Knows sees the 3 is a decent alcohol anthem. The album then finishes with a “Madness” sequel with Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko & ¡MAYDAY! that’s just as a raw as the original on all fronts.

All that being said, I really think Ubiquitous has really solidified himself as a solo artist on this one. The production is a lot better than it was on his 2012 mixtape Matter Don’t Money & you can really tell the dude you really put his heart into it.

Score: 3.5/5

Ill Bill – “Pulp Phixion” review

Ill Bill is a legendary MC from Brooklyn, New York who rose to prominence as a member of Non Phixion. He eventually made his solo debut in 2004 with What’s Wrong with Bill? & would follow it up in 2008 with The Hour of Reprisal. 2 years later, he teamed up with DJ Muggs to deliver Kill Devil Hills & came back in 2013 with his magnum opus The Grimy Awards. He then took a break from music until Septagram in 2016 & now just 4 months after the release of the Stu Bangas produced Cannibal Hulk, he’s returning with his 2nd EP with Sunday producing it in it’s entirety.

The EP starts off with “Warlord”, where Bill compares himself to just that over a grimy beat. The next song “Axe of Abarxas” with Goretex & Sick Jacken sees the 3 getting confrontational over a Godly boom bap beat. The penultimate track “Debbie Abono” is a vicious Heavy Metal Kings reunion while the closer “Shoot First, Die Later” with Goretex sees the 2 getting bloodthirsty over a decent rap metal instrumental.

All & all, this is a decent EP from the cult leader. The production is just ok & Bill’s lyricism remains raw but much like that Cannbial Hulk album, there’s an overabundance of features. Nothing against everyone who was featured on the project AT ALL, but I’d just love to hear new Ill Bill joints where it’s just Bill. Regardless, it’s still a good listen.

Score: 3/5

Rich Brian – “The Sailor” review

Rich Brian is a 19 year old rapper from Indonesia known for being a member of the 88rising collective. He made his debut last year with Amen & now, he’s back with his sophomore album.

It all starts with the title track, where Brian gets introspective over a grimy boom bap beat. The next song “Rapapapa” with RZA of all people sees the 2 getting romantic over a harmonious trap beat while the track “Yellow” vents about Brian’s personal issues over a church-esque instrumental. The song “Kids” talks about Brian’s background over a triumphant boom bap beat while the track “Drive Safe” tells the story of a long distance relationship over some somber guitar chords.

The song “Confetti” brags over a monstrous instrumental while the track “Vacant” sees Brian telling this girl why he’s better for her over an intoxicating instrumental. The song “No Worries” talks about how he’s socially awkward over a piano-inflicted trap beat while the track “100°” is a fun summer anthem. The song “Slow Down Turbo” talks about how life’s moving too fast for him over an instrumental that starts off with a Godly atmosphere, but then switches into something more spacey. The penultimate track “Curious” ponders his biggest questions over an acoustic instrumental & then the album ends with “Where Does the Time Go?”, where Brian & Joji talk about hoes over another acoustic instrumental.

Never been a big fan of this dude in the past, but this has me officially sold on him. The production is a lot more versatile & Brian’s personality shines a lot brighter through the songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

Anybody Killa – “Tampon Juice” review

Anybody Killa is a 43 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who started out as a member of the Krazy Klan with his childhood friend Lavel. He eventually went solo in 2000 with Rain from the Sun, but it wouldn’t be until 2002 that he would make his big break in the underground when the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records & released his sophomore album Hatchet Warrior. This was followed up in 2004 with Dirty History & the Road Fools EP a year after, but ABK decided to form his own label Native World Inc. in 2006 & he even left Psychopathic temporarily so he could focus on building his own brand. His 2008 comeback Mudface ended up being a total mess on all fronts, but he would eventually team up with Brian Kuma in 2010 to make up for it with Medicine Bag. Almost a decade later, he’s back on the scene with his long-awaited 6th full-length album.

After the “You Got the Juice” intro, we go into the first song “Good Times”. Essentially a celebratory anthem with a funky beat. The next track “Cobra Moves” is filled with battle bars with an Middle Eastern trap beat while the track “Ima Let It Go” spits that gun talk over a sporadic instrumental. The song “What Should I Get Into?” has a great concept, but ABK’s vocals are mixed so low. The track “Where da Hype At?” gets victorious over a triumphant trap beat while the song “My Significant Other” is a tribute to ABK’s special lady with a settle instrumental.

The track “Finally” gets into fight mode with a menacing beat while the song “Deadly Addictions” talks about internal conflict over a spacious beat. The track “So Far Gone” talks about being insane over a generic trap beat while the song “I Tell the Truth” talks about going into beast mode over a rowdy beat. The penultimate track “Upside Ya Head” gets into fight mode once again this time over a decent rap rock instrumental & then the album ends with “Flying High”, where ABK talks about his success over an uplifting beat.

For the 9 year wait, this was a decent comeback. The production could’ve been better at points & it could’ve used a couple features to break up the monotony, but the Hatchet Warrior shows that he’s still got it because he sounds very refreshed on here.

Score: 3/5