TR Dee – “Trapped in My Bag 4ever” review

Detroit rapper TR Dee hitting us with his 8th mixtape. Notable for being 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz alongside Babytron & Stanwill signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he also began carving a path for himself as a solo artist off his first couple mixtapes Trapped in My Bag & Made for This ahead of his debut album M.I.P. (Most Improved Player). He has since given us 5 more tapes in Trapped in My Bag 2, Crunch Time, Ice Trae, Trapped in My Bag 3 & Early Mornings, Late Nights followed by the sophomore effort The Greatest. His Evolution revealed itself last September & the Dog $hit Militia member is finding himself Trapped in My Bag 4ever.

“In My Bag 4Ever” was the most aptly picked choice of an intro talking about popping bottles because he’s scratching off goals whereas “Generational Wealth” cautioning that the reaper will come for any person who chooses to cross him. “Jabbawockee” goes for a cloudier direction instrumentally flexing that he’s hot enough to burn people’s eyes while “Hypnotized” talks about a woman not leaving him alone.

Meanwhile on “Death Note”, we have TR Dee talking about his days looking sunnier than they were prior to his music career taking off leading into “Island Vibes” knowing if one’s really from the trenches based on whether or not they’ve stolen a bike. “Larry Byrd” by the Dookie Brothers finds the pair giving a nod to the hick from French Lick himself just before “Saiyan” talks about always being in his bag because he’s stuck in it.

“Woosah” featuring Sada Baby & Stanwill takes the lowend route thanks to Certified Trapper promising that they won’t take back anyone who winds up leaving them while “Hawaiian Punch” talks about ignoring anyone who brings negativity his way. “Overtime” produced by Danny G speaks of never going against the grain & being the one who does the stuntin’ while “Mona Lisa” talks about tracking his whip if it’s stolen.

The 2nd act of Trapped in My Bag 4Ever begins to wind down on “Missed My Flight” venting his frustrations of a plane he was supposed to get on taking off without him because he was up the entire evening previously grinding until taking aim at everybody that stays talking shit about him & the squad, suggesting they should “Back It Up” since their flips won’t stop flapping.

“Pork & Beans” hooks up some pianos & 808s advises to run the tape up in preparation for an upcoming tour & the closer “Stone Cold Stunner” references 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Starting the deluxe run, “Not Gonna Learn” jumps over a Danny G & Jakesand instrumental talking about waking up those sleeping on him as if a thunderstorm’s occurring while “1 Man Army” featuring Org 6 suggests selling their catalog to prevent going broke. “Wake Up” hooks up some bells to talk about his jewelry dancing wherever he goes while “Icey Plunger” by the ShittyBoyz excitingly tosses the mic back-&-forth with each other.

“Durantula” was a welcoming attempt at Danny experimenting with lowend & TR Dee talking about D$M not being the ones to fuck with while “Let ‘Em Cook” compares himself to a chef the way he be cookin’. Roll Call” talks about possibly engaging in money fights even if it’ll last the entire evening while “Above the Rim” refuses to slide his mans let alone the people who gave him a hand when he needed it the most.

The song “Make It Quick” talks about not having any competition because they’ll all wind up getting lyrically slain by him & not going Hollywood because he isn’t done with music while the final bonus track “Kidz Bop” technically wraps things up wishing he had eyes in the back of his head to see who’s speaking ill of him when he’s not looking or who wouldn’t care if God forbid something happened to him.

You can’t go wrong with the first 3 installments of the Trapped in My Bag series although Crunch Time sticks out as my favorite TR Dee tape but anyway, I didn’t mind Evolution as others because his growth after 5 now 6 years in the game was right in front of us & that very much carries itself over onto Trapped in My Bag 4Ever. It’s like the same energy from the previous Trapped in My Bag entries is being recaptured with a different perspective.

Score: 4/5

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Tony Shhnow – “Self Portrait” review

Here is the 8th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia plugg pioneer Tony Shhnow. Being introduced to his music after my younger brother J$zpiech showed me his 4th mixtape Black Billionaires Club & the song “Vet” off the full-length debut Da World’s Ours 3, he then continued to turn heads with his 8th mixtape Reflexions to critical acclaim & I honestly wish I covered it considering that some of his best songs are on there like “Finessin’” or “Forgive Don’t Forget”. He would return to his plugg roots on the BeatPluggzproduced Plug Motivation, Love Streak showed a more sensual side to him, Shadowbanned 2 dabbled with new sounds, the self-produced #NoOneElse was a step above Out the Woods & looks to paint a Self Portrait fresh off the 3rd chapter of the Shadowbanned series.

After the “Mr. Shhnow” intro, the first song “I Can’t” produced by Mike & Keys sets up shop with a ratchet instrumental talking about making money from making music & trappin’ whereas “Die 4 Me” poses the question if anyone would still ride for him if life took a turn. “Think Again” talks about there being plenty of people who’d kill for you & spending with your lifespan just before “Beat da Odds” flexes that he stays quiet even if his money don’t.

“Thank God That I’m a Real N***a” obviously gives his praises to the most high that He made the Shhnowman as legitimate as they come & after the “Ion Wanna Talk” skit, “Voicemails” talks about all the O.G.s saluting him like he’s in the service. “Devotion” flexes that he’s on the incline & not fucking with swine despite going H•A•M while “Tush Push” featuring Chrisnxtdoor talks about metaphorically being identical twins with money.

Luh Tyler joins Tony on “Bank Statements” to smoke competition while “Infest” talks about having so much work that he could possibly supervise. “Burnt Out” featuring Marco+ explains that they stay strapped because they don’t know what other people be on & once “Boss Up” dismisses the hate from lames because it’s not worth it, “Understand” ends the Self Portrait with a self-produced throwback to his plugg origins.

Starring the deluxe run, “Cobb to Cabo” talks about seeing past the fake through a blindfold & his bitch snapping harder than Thanos while “D.Y.T.A.M. (Did You Think About Me)?” featuring 03 Greedo poses that very question over some sampling from Bakkwoods. The final bonus track “Certified” however finished with these sinister 808 patterns talking about the inability to take his homies anywhere since they all sell drugs & keep handguns close to them.

Been waiting for Tony Shhnow to drop another album for a while now & Self Portrait will easily go down as some of his best material joining Black Billionaires Club, Reflexions or #NoOneElse as a more recent example. Mike & Keys’ production on almost the entirety of it is easily amongst their most experimentally cutting-edge & the Shhnowman paints a clever image of who he is generally.

Score: 4.5/5

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Guerilla Toss – “You’re Weird Now” review

Guerilla Toss is an indie rock band from Boston, Massachusetts consisting of drummer Peter Negroponte, guitarist Arian Shafiee, keyboardist Jake Lichter, bassist Zach Lewellyn & frontwoman Kassie Carlson. Following their first couple full-lengths Gay Disco & Eraser Stargazer, they would sign to DFA Records for the well received GT Ultra & Twisted Crystal until making their Sub Pop Records debut Famously Alive in 2022 experimenting with a neo-psychedelic indietronic sound. Few years later, they’re following it up with their 6th album.

“Krystal Ball” starts with a neo-psychedelic indie rock/synth-punk hybrid apologizing for coming to party whereas “Psychosis is Just a Number” blends dance-punk, zolo, mutant disco, dance-punk revival, neo-psychedelia, progressive rock & funk rock singing about staying present in the chaos.

The final single “CEO of Personal & Pleasure” finds Kassie taking control of her own happiness taking some time to reclaim herself from all the pressure leading into “Life’s a Zoo” fusing experimental rock, zolo, sound collage & synth-punk to take on the theme of overstimulation, which I understand as an autistic person.

“Red Flag to an Angry Bull” was my least favorite single of the 4 culminating in neo-psychedelia, indie rock, indie pop, psychedelic pop, piano rock, synthpop & psychedelic rock singing about feeling as if a rubber tongue’s coming right for her just before “Panglossian Mannequin” conceptually takes heavy inspiration from the 1759 satire The Optimist written by Voltaire.

We get some more doses of dance-punk revival on “Deep Sight” to start the final leg of You’re Weird Now containing some of the most commanding vocal performances from Kassie especially towards the backend of it while “When Dogs Bark” sings about mutts wanting to be seen. “Crocodile Cloud” taps back into the synth-punk influences 1 last time with some occasional shouted vocals popping in building up ahead of the space punk outro “Favorite Sun”.

Encouraging for everyone brave enough to let their freak flag wave high & stay true to their artistic vision, You’re Weird Now marks a significant point for Guerilla Toss’ career bringing new clarity to their confidently high energy performances reaching the same pedestal as Famously Alive & both their DFA full-lengths. The neo-psychedelic production here puts a bigger emphasis on art punk, zolo & new wave although the secondary influences include indie rock, indie pop, psychedelic pop, piano rock, synthpop, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, zolo, sound collage & synth-punk.

Score: 4/5

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twenty øne piløts – “Breach” review

This is the 8th full-length LP from Columbus, Ohio duo twenty øne piløts consisting of lead vocalist, pianist, ukulele player, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, programmer & percussionist Tyler Joseph alongside drummer, percussionist, trumpeter & backing vocals Josh Dun. Although their eponymous debut as well as Regional at Best & Vessel were decent, Blurryfacenear the end of my senior year of high school caught my attention since former Aftermath Entertainment in-house producer Mike Elizondo did a few tracks on there including what’s arguably Tyler & Josh’s biggest hit “Stressed Out”. Trench in the fall of 2018 went on to become their most acclaimed body of work yet although Scaled & Icy wasn’t that well received Clancy almost a year & a half ago recovered from the subpar reception of it’s predecessor, anticipating Breach to continue traveling down that same trajectory.

“City Walls” starts with a fusion between alternative rock, ambient pop, rap rock, emo-pop, art rock & singer/songwriter finishing the Dema storyline for good whereas “RAWFEAR” goes for a synthpop vibe singing about living in constant fear. “Drum Show” combines alt-rock, post-punk revival, emo-pop, post-hardcore & garage rock revival to represent Josh’s metaphoric coping mechanism while “Garbage” produced by Mike Elizondo about feeling like complete shit.

Alternative dance, breakbeat, rap rock, indietronica, alt-pop, pop rock & hyperpop all cross paths during the lead single “The Contract”becoming increasingly anxious of a necromancer just before “Downstairs” sings about hiding one’s beliefs from others & oneself in a metaphorical cellar. “Robot Dance” heavily interpolates “My Soft Spots My Robots” by Blanket Approval for a love song of its own while “Center Mass” sings about fragility & resilience.

“Cottonwood” delves deeper into the 2nd act of Breach with a tribute to Tyler’s grandfather who passed away earlier this year while “1 Way” sings about struggling with escapism & limitation. “Days Lie Dormant” was conceived from Tyler feeling homesick away from his wife Jenna on the road & once “Tally” openly addresses fears of the Clique being disappointed, “Intentions” ties up any loose ends with a spiritual successor to “Truce” off Vessel.

Breach resolves the cliffhanger that ended Clancy almost a year & a half ago concluding a decade-long series conceptual albums that began with Blurryface when I was first introduced to twenty øne piløts surpassing Clancy for their 2nd best rivaling Trench. Their production emphasizes alternative rock as much as they did alt-pop & indie rock pulling further inspiration from emo-pop, post-punk revival, pop rock & indietronica to take on themes of breaking free from the cycles of mental health struggles.

Score: 4.5/5

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4Batz – “Still Shinin’” review

The full-length studio debut from Dallas, Texas singer/songwriter 4Batz is finally here. Earning co-signs from one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West to even Drake, the latter of whom signed 4Batz to OVO Sound for a 1-EP deal although his debut EP U Made Me a St4r was released independently through gamma. last spring. Buvision Entertainment & 10K Projects later bought 4Batz out of his OVO deal once he landed a spot in the 2024 XXL Freshman Class & eagerly anticipating Still Shinin’ to clear both of Ian’s recent output on the label Valedictorian & Goodbye Horses.

“too dam young” kicks it all off with a drumless 67 second intro singing about not being old enough to become this chick’s “main one” whereas “n da mornin” made for a decent R&B single with the biggest criticism lying with the repetitive & songwriting. “she ain’t no angel” featuring Leon Thomas III finds the pair teaming up for a duet about their lovers tryna justify their ways while “big on u” expresses the love he has for Anycia, whom he married in secret last weekend.

We get some heavier alternative R&B vibes on “my lil shootah” asking if he & his soulmate can get it on leading into “twerksongggg” appropriately following through with a tack for the strip clubs. “could we last 4ever?” shows a prominent alternative R&B influence again singing about wanting to sleep with a woman he feel like he can’t trust while “247” featuring Flo unites the quartet for a collaboration where a couple makes each other feel like heaven every day & hour of the week.

“done sippin’” featuring Maxo Kream gets together for a track discouraging the usage of lean putting the cups down for good while “getUwet” sings about going crazy alongside his newlywed wife in the middle of the evening. “yo typical lovestory” opens up to feeling like he done hit the lottery bagging Anycia comparing her to a model while “u” sings about needing the love of his life by his side.

The song “can u” begins the final moments of Still Shinin’ to assure that he’ll get any woman right if they show him what they can do with the cake while “ms. walker” featuring Zillionaire Doe meshes R&B & hip hop to talk about how they love the way their partners move. “let’s press play” finishes 4Batz’ debut with him recalling the first time he saw Anycia in her wedding dress.

In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that 4Batz’ 1-EP deal with OVO fell through because songs like “there goes another vase” & “i hate to be alone” contradict Rolling Stone’s claim that U Made Me a St4r had no purpose of existing. The R&B/trap soul star is Still Shinin’ in the midst of all the pressure he’s been receiving since blowing up becoming prideful of his home state down to Chopstars co-founder OG Ron C’s mixtape-esque narrations in time for Mads Krügger ending Matt Riddle’s reign as MLW World Heavyweight Champion tomorrow at Fightland VII.

Score: 3.5/5

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Miz Korona – “…I Forgive Me” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee/producer Miz Korona returning after 3 & a half years with her 3rd EP. Releasing her debut album The Injection in 2010 produced by Chanes, she would return a decade later dropping her first EP The Virus during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic followed by The Healer & The Heartbreaker approximately 24 months later. Coinciding with her born day however, she’s releasing …I Forgive Me on her Bandcamp almost entirely producing the whole thing by herself except for the halfway point.

“Echoes of My Heart” featuring Neco Redd takes 3 & a half minutes to give everybody glimpses of their hearts real quick over a summery guitar instrumental whereas the title track asks God for self-forgiveness. “Space” takes the boom bap route stylistically feeling like she’s flying in a spaceship while “Last Goodbye” soulfully gets in her storytelling bag.

I felt threat “Melody of the Sun” was a highlight even for a single coming right out the gate back in her lane over more boom bap production & “Weather the Storm” featuring Na Bonsai & Neco Redd finishes with a stylistic departure from hip hop in favor over singing about nobody else being able to hold you down except yourself.

Said to be releasing a sequel EP called Travel in Peace dedicated to her mother later this weekend, Miz Korona celebrates her birthday with a more introspective side to herself than some of her previous material guaranteed to take itself further on Sunday & her growth as a producer since she made her first beat in the summer of 2021 is another key takeaway from it.

Score: 4/5

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Daz Dillinger – “Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 3” review

Long Beach, California rapper, producer & songwriter Daz Dillinger releasing his 22nd solo LP. Some of his cousins include Brandy & her brother Ray J, WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & the current AEW tbs Champion, CMLL Mundial Femenil Campeon and RPW British Women’s Champion Mercedes Moné. He eventually signed to Death Row Records & became an original in-house producer under the guidance of its co-founder Dr. Dre, forming Tha Dogg Pound with Kurupt not too long afterwards. Daz finally made his solo debut on ‘98 by putting out Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back on Death Row until departing rather quickly to put out 20 more LPs of his own with almost 3 decades of experience in the game. Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 2 took it back to the essence of his debut earlier this summer & is looking to recapture that feeling once more.

“It’s Automatic” starts with a hybrid between trap, rap rock & gangsta rap talking about staying strapped wherever he goes whereas “We Shoot Bacc” continues to portray the gangsta lifestyle assuring he’ll ship the bullets right back to it’s original sender. “Initiation” welcomes all to a battlefield where loyalty is law & love is weakness prior to “B4 I Let Go” throws it back to the g-funk era talking about having the west behind him.

The gospel direction of “Better Get It Right” suits the theme of having to keep one’s composure & offering a slice of a man who’s lost it all while “Glock 19z & Caskets” gives off a vintage west coast vibe talking about keeping his Glock on him until he gets buried 6 feet day. “It’s a Murder Rap” finds himself ready to go complete 187 on the whole rap game leading into “Kidnap, Robbery & Homicide” breaking down criminal activity over a g-funk instrumental.

“I Can’t Fucc wit U” begins the 2nd half of the album with a shot at all these suckas who did it for the paper having the nerve of snitching on each other while “What U Really Want” talking about the people asking for something not getting shit outta him. “Get Money on a Bad Day” optimistically speaks of making a paycheck regardless of how his day’s going while “In My 64” serves as an ode to his impala.

The song “Fucc Y’all” packs up Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 3’s final leg with him giving a middle finger to the haters who don’t want him to shine & after the Beefy Loc skit, “We Gangsta” properly finishes up the RR&GB trilogy with a g-funk/gangsta rap outro talking making causing static on every block because of the environment he came from where the shots were always ringing loud.

Contrary to the reports a couple weeks ago claiming Daz Dillinger had fallen out with Snoop Dogg & that this was gonna be a whole project dissing him, he has since confirmed a couple days ago that isn’t the case & clarified his issues lie more with Death Row Records’ past when Suge Knight was at the helm of things & his own complicated history with the label instead of Snoop himself. Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 3 feels more aggressive than Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 2 was a few months earlier with the exception of him looking for closure instead of conflict.

Score: 4/5

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Ho99o9 – “Tomorrow We Escape” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Newark, New Jersey punk rap trio Ho99o9. Consisting of theOGM & Eaddy, they originally emerged on the scene over a decade ago off their debut EP Mutant Freax & have since gone on to follow it up with 3 more EPs as well as 3 mixtapes & even a full-length debut. blink-182 drummer Travis Barker would sign them to his Elekta Records imprint DTA Records entirely producing Skin & their MNRK Music Group debut Tomorrow We Escape is here 3 years later.

“I Miss Home” featuring Moruf begins with a Yeezus influenced industrial hip hop opener talking about shit never changing if one doesn’t ever take risks whereas “Escape” embraces a complete hardcore punk vibe with hints of melodic hardcore during the first verse & punk rap during the other. “Target Practice” blends rap rock & industrial hip hop together to talk about not fucking around in the jungles while “Ok, I’m Reloaded” makes for an energetic hardcore hip hop/EDM experimentation.

We get some psychedelic synthesizers all throughout “Psychic Jumper” talking about trying to keep their heads up prior to the experimental hardcore hip hop single “Incline” featuring Pink Siifu further pulling from big beat, industrial hip hop & trip hop advising that no one wants to find out with them. “Upside Down” combines alt-metal, rap rock, industrial metal & post-hardcore talking about people being meant to sin prior to “Tapeworm” featuring Greg Puciato fusing drum & bass, alternative metal & hip hop together seamlessly.

“Immortal” featuring Chelsea Wolfe nears the conclusion of Tomorrow We Escape by colliding the sounds of gothic rock, industrial hip hop & trap talking love starting to hurt when it leaves a trial along with healing now that the weight’s off their shoulders while the commanding punk rap song “LA Riots” addresses the protests that took place in the west coast earlier this summer. “Godflesh” finishes up the album with double bass drums & punky guitar riffs talks about seeing nothing but fire.

Wanting to take a more honest approach lyrically, Ho99o9’s inaugural release under MNRK Music Group focuses less regarding the political aspect of their lyrics for the most intimate opus they’ve ever put their names on. Tomorrow We Escape’s range of old & new sounds varying from digital hardcore to rap rock, rap metal, industrial hip hop, trap metal, industrial metal, hardcore punk, nu metal, horrorcore & trap offers something for everyone whether regardless of when one started listening to them.

Score: 4/5

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Justin Bieber – “Swag II” review

London, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter Justin Bieber returning for his 8th LP. Signing to Island Records during my time in middle school to put out My Worlds & Under the Mistletoe only to fulfill his obligations with them on Believe & Journals. He has since been on Def Jam Recordings for the past decade & Purpose marked a divisive debut for the label, although Changes & Justice was equally as bad as a great deal of his Island output. Swag coincided with Clipse’s comeback Let God Sort ‘Em Out couple months ago & a sequel has surprisingly arrived over 2 weeks away from former 7-time WWE tag team champions Adam Copeland & Christian Cage taking on former 2-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, 6-time WWE tag team champions, ROH World Tag Team Champions & IWGPタッグチャンピオン FTR at All Out V.

“Speed Demon” was an upbeat pop intro singing about him feeling as if he’s only getting better with each album & “checking these chickens” whereas “Better Man” goes for an alternative R&B vibe promising his wife Hailey no bitterness when he holds her hand. “Love Song” produced by Mk.gee colorfully sings about time only getting prettier with his soulmate leading into “I Do” venting over these feelings that won’t wash away.

Meanwhile on “I Think You’re Special”, we have JB atmospherically singing about breaking all the rules with Hailey & their love being unlike any other just before “Mother in You” observes that his son Jack looks a lot like his mom over a bedroom pop instrumental. “Witchya” vents about the feeling of being stuck in place staying by his wife if she needs him while “Eye Candy” encourages his partner to enjoy the moment with him.

“Don’t Wanna” featuring Bakar has a bit of a funkier direction to the beat from Mike WiLL Made-It singing about not wanting to give any fucks while “Bad Honey” expressed Biebs’ desire of wanting to dance with Hailey & making a scene out of it simultaneously. “Need It” moodily sings about wanting his wife to let him know if she’s feeling emotional likening her to cinnamon sugar while “Oh Man” opens up regarding him & the love of his life igniting one another.

Hurricane Chris appears for a bulk of “Poppin’ My Shit” blending pop rap & trap talking about their lil’ mamas wanting to be right beside them acting exactly the way they do while “All the Way” taps in with DJ Camper to promise Justin’s wife that he won’t ever let go of her. “Petting Zoo” finds himself drunk not wanting to fight with Hailey by any means asking why they’re arguing when he never said he was wrong or right while the indie folk-influenced “Moving Fast” sings about slowing down the ride & rollin’ the windows down for her.

“Safe Space” professes JB’s desire to take all of Hailey’s pain away from her & protect her from anything while “Lyin’” kicks the funk back in a little to sing about him telling the truth when he said he loved his wife. “Dotted Line” puts a lo-fi aesthetic on the bedroom pop style taking it slow & going back to basics while “Open Up Your Heart” featuring Eddie Benjamin pleads for their partners to tell them the way they really feel.

The song “When It’s Over” pushes towards the end of Swag II getting in over his head every time they go blow for blow, which results in his words ricocheting & cutting straight through him while “Everything Hallelujah” prior to the 8 minute spoken word outro “Story of God” praises God for everything from the Sun being out to the affection he’s consistently showering Hailee with.

Swag was one of the more admirable offerings in Justin Bieber’s discography even if I still didn’t care for it & the follow-up was as equally uninteresting than the predecessor earlier this summer. The musical palette’s similar to last time from contemporary R&B to bedroom pop, pop, pop soul, alternative R&B & alt-pop expanding on the original themes of marriage & fatherhood that still doesn’t grab me the same way as Earl Sweatshirt’s new album Live Laugh Love or Dominic Fike’s recent mixtape Rocket did.

Score: 2/5

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Quest Mcody – “Smoker’s Alley” review

Detroit, Michigan battle rapper, poet, actor & filmmaker Quest Mcody releasing a brand new EP. Notable for being the right hand man to Marv Won of the world famous Fat Killahz, he would goon to release both installments of the Ctrl+Alt+Delete mixtape series along with the King Cody & The Conquest tapes & his full-length debut The Light Project. A sophomore effort followed in 2018 called Th3 Gospel & is taking everyone down to Smoker’s Alley.

“I Just Wanna Smoke” makes for a cloudy trap intro talking about wanting to inhale some of that good kush whereas “Safe” goes for a soulful boom bap route instrumentally taking shots at those selling drugs to only include it in their raps. The self-produced “Duly Noted” expresses his desire to be quoted when he’s gone leading into “Seems Like It” talking about sinking the ship for showboating.

The song “Covered” starts the final leg of Smoker’s Alley on a cloudy drumless vibe flexing that he’s got money all over him while “Pray for the Prey” works in a reversed sample from Quest himself thanking his mom for the blessings & apologizing for making her stress. “Bring You Back” finished up the EP with Marv’s hype man looking at old pictures reminiscing over someone who can’t be here with him anymore.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t have to wait very long for Quest Mcody to put out another body of work because I’d put him in the same ranks as his partner in rhyme when it comes to the battle rap scene & even with Smoker’s Alley hitting harder if you’re a stoner like myself, nonsmokers will even come away from this EP impressed by the production & sharp lyricism that has already established the seasoned Detroit native.

Score: 4/5

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