Lefty Gunplay – “Can’t Get Right” review

This is the 5th studio LP from Baldwin Park’s hottest artist currently Lefty Gunplay entirely produced by Compton, California emcee/producer Jason Martin formerly known as Problem. One of whom has been putting it down for the west coast for nearly 2 decades & the other has been blowing up since last summer later appearing on Kendrick Lamar’s 6th album GNX already 6 months ago. After putting out a few singles, Jason & Lefty are teaming up on Can’t Get Right.

“Lord Forgive Me” produced by Scott Storch & Jason fuses west coast trap & gospel music asking why these éses ain’t out yet here without no gun homaging the iconic Boogie Down Productions song “9mm Go Bang” during the hook whereas the title track produced by Mike & Keys and Sndtrak lets everyone know exactly how he got his stage name. “Scary Movie” takes a bit of a nervous vibe talking about the streets making him realizing. Shit out here ain’t as scary as he thought he would be just before “Gangsters Get Scared” featuring Cactus Jack Records’ newest signee Wallie the Sensei & YS talks bout even the realest of G’s taking on fear.

Meanwhile on “Heavens Above (My Angel)”, we have Lefty talking about being pussywhipped to the point where he’ll start listening good & he God sending him angels from above the pearly gates of Heaven to watch him & “Hotel Party” lives up to its name from its horn-heavy beat to the celebratory lyricism partying in his hotel room. “Menace” featuring The Game finds the 2 talking about they way both of them having become to being threats to the societies that raise them while “Cracks in the Ceilings” talks about sitting in the country jail counting the amount of cracks that’re present on the roof.

After the “Tales from the Schu” interlude, “123456” featuring RJmrLA turns the traffic music influences all way the up so both of them can talk about the hustle being hereditary while “1 Day at a Time” featuring Ty$ talks about every single one of us tryna figuring it out taking it day-by-day. “Grey Goose” featuring Kiing Khash & Osbe Chill unites the trio over a Terrace Martin beat trying to become billionaires while “Me, My Gun & You” featuring Storm DeBarge talks about it only those 3 things in the end. After the “It’s Time” interlude, the closer “Through the Fire” ends with a soulful flare claiming the rap game revolves around redemption.

My introduction to Lefty was his feature on Coyote’s breakout sophomore effort last summer L.Aliens & roughly 10 months later, Jason taps in with him to fully produce what could very well be the strongest body of work in his discography yet. The production is a lot stronger than what Lefty has put out previously & aside from a few guests not sticking the landing in terms of their performances, you can very much tell that he was locked in laser-focused by the way his pen has been sharpened.

Score: 4/5

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Brandon Woody – “For the Love of It All” review

Brandon Woody is a 26 year old trumpeter from Baltimore, Maryland who picked up the instrument for the very first time when he was only 7. Once he graduated from high school over a decade later, he would go on to study under the mentorship of Ambrose Akinmusire & recently signed to the greatest jazz label of all time Blue Note Records this past fall. Almost 6 months to the day, he’s finally ready to make a wider introduction to the world as a composer with his full-length debut studio album.

“Never Gonna Run Away” begins with a jazzy gospel intro clocking in at almost 7 minutes thematically paying tribute to the concept of faith & after “Beyond the Reach of Our Eyes” embraces a more unconventional structuring after being inspired by feeling the movement an unseen energy, “Wisdom; Terrace on St. Paul St.” reflects on hitting rock bottom when dropping out of college.

The composition “Perseverance” starts the 2nd half of For the Love of It All with what could possibly be the finest example of Brandon’s synergetic chemistry with pianist Troy Lon & after “We, Ota Benga” remembers the Mbuti man who was featured in an exhibit at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the closer “Real Love” officially sends off the LP with 1 last post-bop jam inspired by trumpeter & pianist’s bond.

Wrapping the collective intensity of early ’70s post-bop into pieces that feel both driving & remarkably smooth, Brandon Woody’s debut positions himself as both an innovator & a griot balancing technical mastery with a reverence for his roots. Surging with love as an elemental force channeled through sound, it’s his insistent statement that survival is it’s own form of artistry powered by the knowledge of love in all its dimensions binding us across generations.

Score: 4/5

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Knowledge the Pirate – “The Round Table” review

This is the 6th studio LP from New York emcee Knowledge the Pirate. Discovered by Will Smith’s former bodyguard Charlie Mack, he would sign to Interscope Records for a brief amount of time before leaving the game temporarily & re-emerging in the 2010s as a close Roc Marciano affiliate. His full-length debut Flintlock eventually saw the light of day in the summer of 2018, which was followed up with the sophomore effort Black Cesar as well as the debut EP Family Jewels & his 3rd album Hidden Treasures. My favorite in his discography would be the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Wolves Don’t Eat With Shepherds & having Marci producing The Round Table raised the stacks exponentially coming off of 5lbs of Pressure.

“Eating Etiquette” was a great drumless single to start the rollout giving the ultimate fine dining experience whereas “Golden Rules” works in a boom bap instrumental with a prominent vocal sample talking about trying to keep his team together. “Takes a 10” has a significantly funkier vibe telling us what it was like for him in the grittiest parts of the City of Dreams leading into “The Outfit” stripping the drums again to talk about keeping the flame on the stove.

As for “Magic & Kareem”, we have Knowledge comparing him & Marc to Los Angeles Lakers icons Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar respectively continuing the pitched sampling just before “Addicted to Danger” maintains a drumless flare altogether so he can talk about his devotion to peril. “Ride wit a P” slickly describes himself as a pimp stealing everyone’s girl in his car while the chipmunk soul infused “Food for Thought” talks about playing.

“Forks & Knives” hooks up a dope gospel flip making way for him & his crew sitting at The Round Table chopping up birds protecting & serving when it comes to the paper, but then the soulful “Gut Feeling” advises that you can’t love every bitch you fuck. “1 on Me” has this quirky synthesizer behind him taking over all the open spots on the block while “Young Thugs” cautions not to talk with your mouth full around him.

The song “Servitude” pushes towards the last several minutes of Knowledge’s best friend work on almost 3 years getting back on the chipmunk soul tip going federal with the love if it’s a crime hittin’ us with a significantly calmer flow & “Receipts” ends album with a crooning sample mixed with some strings talking about the fact that nobody wants smoke with him or the rest of the illustrious pimpire.

Many hardcore Roc Marciano fans, including myself have been waiting a very long time for this day to come and now that it’s finally here it’s very much safe to say The Round Table joins Wolves Don’t Eat with Shepherds as some of Knowledge the Pirate’s strongest material in addition to one of my LPs of the year. Marci’s production here is prominently drumless with the exception of boom bap & chipmunk soul being secondary influences outstandingly soundtracking Knowledge’s mafioso lyrics.

Score: 4.5/5

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André 3000 – “7 Piano Sketches” review

Brand new surprise 3rd EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee, singer/songwriter, producer, actor & the Prince of hip hop André 3000. Coming up as 1/2 of the greatest hip hop duo of all-time OutKast with Big Boi whom he met at Lenox Square Mall when they were both 16, they were also a part of the Dungeon Family collective & released some of my favorite music EVER! This includes ATLiens, Aquemini, Stankonia & Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. The 2nd disc of which was basically the closest thing we got to a solo album from 3 Stacks up to this point. However after what would eventually be their final album Idlewild serving as a soundtrack to the movie of the same name, they would focus on their solo careers. Francis the Savannah Chitlin’ Pimp mostly notably putting out 3 full-length LPs of his own as well as an eponymous EP as Big Grams & an eponymous debut album as Big Sleepover too. André 3000 however stuck to doing features & pursuing an acting career, putting out an avant-garde jazz EP on Mother’s Day 2018 called Look Ma No Hands & signing to Epic Records for the new age ambient-driven solo debut New Blue Sun to critical acclaim. Moving Day was a fine collection of 2 outtakes from the New Blue Sun sessions & has laid out 7 Piano Sketches out of nowhere.

“Bluffing in the Snow” was a great intro to the EP showing off his keyboardist abilities for 3 minutes whereas “& Then One Day You’ll…” works in some more cumbersome tone to the notes he’s playing further assuming “die” to be the missing word in the title of the composition prior to the 34 second “When You’re a Ant & You Wake Up in an Awesome Mood About to Drive Your Son to School Only to Discover You Left the Lights on in the Car Last Night, So Your Battery is Drained” interlude.

The name “Hotel Lobby Pianos” goes for that exact vibe feeling like I’m walking into Circa Resort & Casino or any other high quality resort on the verge of checking in just before “Blueberry Mansions” turns it up on the luxuriousness for almost a couple minutes. “Off Rhythm Laughter” lives up to its name playing the piano overlapping a laughing sample that’s not on rhythm. “I Spend All Day Waiting for the Night” finishes by adding some drums in the fold for a climatic closer that I can hear at the end of a show or a movie.

Not too shocked to see people complaining about him doing anything except dropping a whole hip hop album but like I said when I reviewed New Blue Sun: André 3000 is literally one of those guys who can do just about anything & can find a way to pull it off. Instead of him using woodwinds like he did on that LP & the previous EP Moving Day, he’s playing the piano with hints of spoken word because of every track starting with the track number & title being said out loud for an easy listening experience.

Score: 3.5/5

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UFO Fev – “Pyramid Schemes” review

This gotta be the 11th studio LP from Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev. Coming up a little over a decade ago off his full-length debut Around My Way, it wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort eFresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all followed up with Magnum Opus along with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets in the Ghetto & of course the Finn-produced Blood on the Bills. Last time I covered Fev was last summer when Fredro Starr fully produced Strapped & Vansleazy coming back for Pyramid Schemes was a thrilling surprise.

After the intro, the first song “Snake Charmer” is a jazzy hardcore hip hop opener talking about his lane being him fusing street knowledge with the drug game whereas “Dynamite” featuring NEMS crosses over rap rock & boom bap boasting that they feel like $1B each. “Razor Keys” hooks up some prominent pianos talking about eating all these wack rappers for dinner retiring from pushing dope to rap until “Momotoro” gets back on the rap rock vibe refusing to dumb it down.

“Stunt Squad” featuring Red Inf could’ve been recorded around the same time as their Vanderslice-produced collaborative effort Chemistry last spring although it’s still hardbody & after the “Never Heard of You” skit, “Blue Face Hunnids” brings the keys back in the fold talking about times where he feels like he could’ve been greater. “Hit List” takes a soulful approach quenching for blood while “Money Man Jr.” featuring FLZY finds them exceeding & expanding.

The penultimate song “No Grant Hills” returns to the boom bap talkikg about grinding to the point where he hasn’t even slept in days constantly trapping out the Airbnb & prior to the outro, the closer “Free Sam Bankman” calls for the freedom of FTX CEO & Alameda Research co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried a.k.a. SBF after he was sentenced to 25 years for 2 counts of wire fraud, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud & conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Even if 1,000 Yard Stare produced by Body Bag Ben slipped through the cracks a little over a month ago & I didn’t make the time to cover it, I still thought it was a great way for him to start his 2025 & now he takes it to a new level with Pyramid Schemes. For the people BY the people, it’s guest list is stronger than that & Painting Houses 2 combined with Vanderslice’s gritty production pulling from boom bap & jazz rap to rap rock.

Score: 4.5/5

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Boldy James – “Conversational Pieces” review

Detroit veteran Boldy James continuing his monthly streak by having Real Bad Man produce his 15th studio LP. Breaking out in the fall of 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set), he would later go on to land a contract with Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records for a little while before getting locked up. Once coming home, Uncle Al would help get his name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China. This was followed up with the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols which was as equally fantastic, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. Bo Jackson though would become his most critically acclaimed work to date & Super Tecmo Bo was almost as great for an EP. Fair Exchange No Robbery produced by Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership, Mr. 10-08 produced by Futurewave, the Conductor Williams-produced Across the Tracks the Harry Fraud-produced The Bricktionary & the Carlo Anthony-produced Hidden in Plain Sight were all welcomed to warm reception additionally. Token of Appreciation produced by Chuck Strangers was much better than both Murder During Drug Traffic & Permanent Ink, the Antt Beatz produced Hommage left people divided although I didn’t mind it & is coming of the V Don-produced Alphabet Highway for a Killing Nothing sequel.

“Class Clown” was a great drumless intro talking about putting a dunce cap on a sucka he had to lay out whereas “Tap the Breaks Twice” adds some drums into the equation so he can watching out for tiger sharks & great whites on the track during the late night. “ITT Tech” dabbles with trap working in some pianos & strings clarifying it’s all about the cheese for him while the quasi-jazzy “Fear of God” featuring Conway the Machine clarifies that all they do is trap.

dreamcastmoe’s hook on “Come Back Around” gives the song a soulful boom bap vibe talking about how people sometimes only get back up to eventually fall back down just before “Cutthroats” maintains a dusty flare getting in his hardcore bag lyrically. “Aspen” talks about there being more than 1 way to skin a cat & pull a hat trick keeping the boom bap flare in tact, but then “Triple Platinum” slows down a prominent vocal sample going ghetto gold in his city.

“Bag It Up” of course reflects on his time in the streets moving weight while “Burn in Hell” talks about needing to make it to heaven after all the Hell he’s been through. “It Factor” featuring El-P finds the 2 showing off their A1 abilities on the microphone over more sampling while “Say Less” takes it back to the basement instrumentally advising that’s all you really have to do around him & the title track finishes up Conversational Pieces dropping off much more personal topics.

The prominent gangsta rap themes that were prevalent during Killing Nothing & even Real Bad Boldy during the COVID-19 lockdowns at the mere end of 2020 make their way on the follow-up, except the boom bap elements in the production are being used to a lesser extent focusing more on drumless & jazz rap for secondary influences.

Score: 4/5

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Stanwill – “Stan Always Will” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper Stanwill starting the new month with his 4th studio LP. 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 off the debut EP $camwill as well as it’s successor Gifted & the debut mixtape Van Gundy. He also went Full Auto for his 3rd EP & 4ever $hittin’ after Still $hittin’ celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary last weekend trying out new sounds, he’s clarifying that Stan Always Will.

“No Lol” comes out the gate referencing current AEW performer & commentator as well as former 7-time WWE world champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion Paul Wight whereas “Power” talks about not being as sweet as some think he is. “Spring Fling” keeps it in the Detroit trap style instrumentally describing a girl he met named Summer while “4th Dimension” produced by Danny G treats beef like a shish kebab.

As for “Rocky Road”, we have Stan talking about taking the dirt path & coming out icier than he ever was leading into “Lime Light” featuring Nasaan uniting both of them so they can trade verses with each other talking about hittin’ muhfuckas with the fire soon as they catch ‘em. “50 Shots” throws in a cool bar referring to the Amazon-owned Fire TV Sticks turning any television set into a smart TV just before “Kung Pao” discusses having to do no talking & let the guns fire off.

“Kelly Olynyk” has a grittier Detroit trap flare to the beat comparing himself to the New Orleans Pelicans player of the same name prior to TR Dee joining Stan on “Pushing Daisies” to talk about the paper giving them butterflies soon as they see it cruising in a 45 except they feel like they pushin’ 80. “Run & Gun” boasts that his stash is 3x the size of whatever yours is providing the soundtrack for those who be spinning the block while “Rock Lee” featuring T Bone drops people similarly to the Naruto character.

The classy sample during “Bora Bora” was pleasant to the ears telling his girl that it’s normal for his competition to be punching under their weight in a battle with him while “Villain Arc” talks about people getting him in a time where he bounces back from a tragic event in his life. “Voila” likens the way he lives now to BMF co-founder Big Meech keeping only the pros in his mind these days while “Recipe” featuring Babyfxce E claps back at people claiming that have the sauce taking it up a notch.

“Cuban Links” continues the 2nd half of Stan Always Will airing people out quicker than the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan while “GG” humorously suggests that he injures bitches the way he be smashin’ ‘em. “Mucinex” shows a bit of a Mobb influence calling anyone stupid to get in an altercation with the Dog $hit Militia while “Ding Dong” by the Dookie Brothers references former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, ECW World Television Champion, IWGPタッグチャンピオン, WCW Hardcore Champion & 2-time WCW World Tag Team Champion Bam Bam Bigelow.

The song “Powerball” reaches the album’s final moments feeling like the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment-owned Superman ahead of the DC Universe media franchise & shared universe beginning in a couple months while “2 Easy” talks about jackin’ people in the face wearing the honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott’s line of shoes. “By Any Means” finishes us off by hoping he runs into his enemies & cutting off people who ain’t did shit for him.

53 weeks since the most versatile body of work in Stan’s solo discography & he takes it back to a prominent Detroit trap style for this one spitting rapid fire verses on nearly every song in addition to him bringing on a more consistent guest list that delivers less misses than hits steadily keeping up with his pen. Whether he’s by himself or accompanied by either one or both of his ShittyBoyz cohorts, Stan Always Will deliver & come correct in terms of leveling up in terms of making the most exciting music in his style.

Score: 4/5

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Krispylife Kidd – “Why Me Worry?” review

This is the 15th mixtape from Flint, Michigan rapper Krispylife Kidd. Since 2019, his popularity in the local trap scene has been gradually increasing since 2019 going on to release a total of his previous 13 tapes & 4 EPs all in that span of time. Icewear Vezzo even signed him to Iced Up Records during the pandemic & Lil Yachty who appeared at WrestleMania XLI this year had him featured on Michigan Boy Boat. Now I’d start with Krispylife 2 & The Art of Spice Talk trilogy if you wanna dive into Krispylife’s music, although Juice & B.A.G. (Born A Goat) each had their own individual standouts last year & now asks Why Me Worry? merely 3 months after the Stunt Life EP.

After the “Goat” intro, the first song “Back 2 It” is a bell-heavy Detroit trap opener refusing to let anyone hang around him unless you’ve caught a body whereas “Bottle Girl Scam” hilariously assumes that those going out their way for clout are fans & he shouldn’t be rapping since there’s nothing left to gain. “President Run” featuring Babyfxce E & produced by The World Famous D-Boy samples “Creep” by TLC so they can pass the mic back-&-forth with one another just before the lowend “Home Blesser” talks about paying a bitch’s rent.

“Life as a Hustler” moves forward showing y’all how he used to run it up on the blocks explaining what it was like for him being a go-getter leading into “Dope Man” talking about moving weight in the streets & making $100k off the drugs he be sellin’ & “Mile Count” featuring Tay B once again displaying a back-&-forth chemistry from both of them, except I feel like it was done much better on “President Run” a while ago & I’ve never considered myself a big Babyfxce E fan.

After the “Off the Rope” interlude, “Hell in a Cell” takes it’s name after the prestigious steel cage-based matches in WWE that most recently ended former 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time AEW World Champion, inaugural ROH Hall of Fame inductee, ROH World Champion, 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion & former UFC fighter CM Punk’s feud with 4-time WWE world champion, NXT Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & TNA World Champion Drew McIntyre last fall.

“Like Triple H” compares himself to the 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, 14-time WWE world champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division’s CCO since 2022 but after “$100K Pallet” responds to a group of people dissing him by bodying every single one of them in a cypher, “Knock It Off” claps back at a dude who wants beef by getting his own father involved with it

2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair gets homaged on “Figure 4 Leg Lock” since he was the one who had popularized the maneuver with others following suit for years to come while “What Motion” wraps up Why Me Worry? by telling everyone at home what motion REALLY is since they don’t have it the way he does.

Looking to continue catching up with his mentor, quite possibly my favorite signing on the IUR imprint Krispylife Kidd takes an opportunity during Why Me Worry? to take the throne as a larger than life living legend & undisputed champion of the world by himself other than a couple average features. Aside from that & preferring Stuntman Beatz’ production on the last EP a bit more, his imaginative approach to songwriting remains strong during the half hour.

Score: 3.5/5

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Tayo – “Bye” review

Seattle, Washington up-&-coming rapper & producer Tayo releasing his 7th EP. Originally starting under the moniker ByeTayo, he started on SoundCloud close around Halloween 2021 off his first few EPs Crash on Purpose as well as Inside Voices & PM the following year. He would later go on applying pressure with couple more EPs in wintr & a sequel to PM, coming off Thank You Tayo roughly 8 months ago so he can take himself to newer levels both artistically & personally on Bye.

The plugg-driven intro “19” talks about keeping a Glock on his hip & having a lot of money for not being in his 20s yet whereas “short dork” works in more synthesizers to suggest he’s thinking too much. “Tobacco Vanille” was a great choice of a plugg single suggesting he’d die if he can get any more flyer than he is now & “DJ Phat” gives his flowers to the iconic New Jersey deejay notable in modern trap.

“Rainbow 6” was another tight single building up the release of this EP talking about him needing somebody to lean on & having what others don’t just before the self-produced “wtf” gets even heavier with the synthesizers for a pluggnb track even if Tayo’s singing feels reminiscent to Lil Yachty at certain points. “pink 10” turns the distortion up a little to talk about doing pills while “text her” playfully contemplate hitting up his girl.

“nun (text her 2)” nears the end of the EP with some bubbly synth melodies taking a melancholic approach than he did on the predecessor while “me & you” reflects on him kickin’ it with a chick in a hotel room for 105 seconds approximately. “get up” continues the plugg vibes telling his girl that he doesn’t even wanna fuck & “matters” finishes Bye wondering if she leaving or not.

5 months ago when RRoxket put out his eponymous mixtape last Black Friday, I had mentioned him as somebody to watch out for in the plugg scene & Tayo makes it a point to insert himself in the conversation merely 4 weeks after Rixhie Rixh 2 came out. My favorite aspect of Bye easily has to be the plugg-heavy production & although the Seattle artist isn’t a bad performer by any means, he has more than enough time to gradually evolve going forward.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jimmie D – “Good Music Hypnotizes” review

This is the sophomore effort from Montréal, Québec, Canada rapper Jimmie D. Coming up off the Trout & Brussels Sprouts EP, he would later go on to put out a full-length debut alongside a mixtape & 3 more EPs all in almost a decade. A notable collaborator of his as of late would be one of my favorite producers of this current decade decade Nicholas Craven, who has decided to full produce Good Music Hypnotizes to the peaking interest of many, including myself personally.

“Notre Dame” stripped the drums to start off the album talking about having a couple close ones although he doesn’t trust anybody whereas “The Gout” featuring Tha God Fahim keeps it drumless doing this for the love instead of clout. “2 Sides” featuring Raz Fresco brings a soulful boom bap flare to the table talking about striving to win while “High Winds” featuring Koncept Jack$on boasts that they have more flow than excessive winds.

Meanwhile on “Porzingis”, we have Jimmie going for a chipmunk soul vibe lifting shit with scales as if he’s a python just before “Fallen” soulfully talks about feeling as if his people are cursed. “Commonwealth” featuring Sonnyjim continues the high quality sampling airing out everyone who’s never put in a long day’s worth of work, but then “Dead Cat Bounce” talks running shit for decades like a dictator.

“Spring” appropriately hits the backend of Good Music Hypnotizes with a drumless chipmunk soul cut in time for the current season we’re in the midst of until late next month while “Laser Focused” hooks up some cool jazz undertones feeling more concentrated than ever. “Digital Minds” featuring Juug Soe closes the LP with some horns liking themselves to art dealers the way they paint pictures.

Mainly hearing him on guest appearances spread throughout other artists’ projects, Good Music Hypnotizes has officially surpassed Good Man in being the most important offering in Jimmie’s discography because of the drumless sound he’s known for getting enhanced by Nicholas Craven & of course the local Montréal performer on the mic stepping up his pen-game.

Score: 4/5

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