Asun Eastwood & Daniel Son – “Nom de Guerre” review

This is the 3rd collaborative LP from Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcees Asun Eastwood & Daniel Son produced by Futurewave. Notable for being members of the Brown Bag Money collective, they would originally unite in 2018 when teaching the Physics of Filth & ran it back during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when the previous album they did together Bite the Bullet dropped. So hearing they were doing Nom de Guerre nearly a month after former DPW Worlds Tag Team Champions, 新日本プロレスリングストロングオープン級タッグチームチャンピオン, RPW British Tag Team Champions & NXT Tag Team Champions the Grizzled Young Veterans ended 1st Faction’s reign as MLP Canadian Tag Team Champions.

After the intro, “MACV-SOG” breaks down the door with this hardcore boom bap opener likening themselves to the unconventional task force around the time of the Vietnam War whereas “Headcrack City” infuriatingly claps back at their detractors who thought they wouldn’t make it this far. “Plant the Flag” talks about claiming their turf since they’re standing on the hill prior to “Catch a Limit” dustily tuning out everyone who can’t play shit compared to them.

“Trump Towers” moves on from there depicting the gangsta lifestyle together over another boom bap instrumental while “Fassy Bwai” featuring Kardinal Offishall reaches the midway point of Nom de Guerre demolishing any coward who gets in their way. “Blood of the Irish” kicks off the 2nd half on some jazzier vibes talking about their desires of attempting to lay low for a bit just before “Clean Up Nice” details real life sob stories being fed up of being broke.

The song “Repugnant” blends a piano and the some kicks & snares talking about having an abundance of money & cocaine leading into “Riding Convey” featuring Wizdome Buntail & 36 Cypher finds the quartet sinisterly painting the walls using the blood of their opposition. “Dusty Particles” featuring Lord Juco brings an organ in the picture so all 3 of them can get in their hustler bags lyrically while the closer “Dirty Weaponry” chops up a drumless sample talking about showing the world beyond sight.

Sidelining my personal belief of Asun Eastwood’s output post-The S.O.U.L. (Science Of Understanding Life) being average at best, seeing him reuniting with Daniel Son for Nom de Guerre thankfully lived up to my expectations of becoming the strongest collab effort since he released 98 Miles with M.A.V. roughly 5 & a half years ago. Physics of Filth & Bite the Bullet are both superior with the latter having a superior guest list, but it’s refreshing to hear their chemistry hasn’t waned.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Autumn! – “Midnight Club 2” review

Here we have the 7th studio LP from Lafayette, Louisiana rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Autumn!. Gaining traction off a total of 22 EPs & a full-length debut on SoundCloud since 2018 prior to signing to Victor Victor Worldwide & Republic Records succeeding the Not Much Left EP, he made his major label debut 4 & a half years ago with his sophomore effort Antagonist! as well as following it up with the last 2 installments of the Golden Child trilogy & Midnight Club. However, he’s returning for a sequel to the latter after taking it Back 2 My Roots & breaking down the life of a Rolling Stone.

“12AM” begins with a mediocre pop rap intro talking about this woman trying to bring him too deep whereas the self-produced “Hallucinating” goes for a cloudier trap direction instrumentally telling his partner everything will be fine since he’s right by her. “Reflexion” brings a more hyper vibe to the table calling out people for acting tough online only to be shocked when being confronted in real life leading into “Beck” talking about money, power & respect.

The rock undertones throughout “Luster” were interesting to hear suggesting that everyone better post up whenever they see him in the paint just before “ILYIHY” ends the 1st leg sampling “ILoveUIHateU” by Playboi Carti talking about a lover who keeps fucking with his head. “Take 1 Song” kicks off the 2nd half callin’ bluff at an individual who be runnin’ their mouths without having anything to back it up while “Widebody Cullinan” talks about his closet costing people’s entire lives.

“Lefty” admits that there was point prior to “1 Way!” coming out where he forgot who he was although he knew he’d eventually make it while “Kennel of Life” talks about being outside with his dogs. “Know How Sojas Be” details him living life the way he feels like he should & after “Cash Shit” spends a couple minutes boasting his wealth, “Sometimes” produced by Goyxrd concludes Midnight Club 2 admitting there are days where he feels like he’s soaring & others where he’s in tears.

Autumn!’s output for the past couple years has been hit or miss & although I did enjoy the original Midnight Club back in 2023 shifting away from the pluggnb sound, I wound up liking Midnight Club 2 less than both it’s predecessor & the Kickoff EP he gave us 9 months ago warming people up for this. Primarily because I don’t really find the production to be all that interesting other than Wick handling it 46% of it himself & Goyxrd doing the outro.

Score: 2.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Bizarre – “Don’t Cross the Street” review

New studio LP & the 10th overall from Detroit, Michigan emcee Bizarre. Emerging as an original member of D12 led by the late Proof, he was also among the first in the crew to put out solo efforts with his 1998 debut EP Attack of the Weirdos being a hometown classic in my eyes. Fast forward 7 years later, Biz followed it up with a worthy full-length debut Hannicap Circus & has continued to put out music on his own since. The Foul Mouth-produced He Got a Gun has since become an entire series of it’s own spanning 5 entries, coming off Basement Jazz to switch things up for Don’t Cross the Street.

After the intro, “Amityville” takes it all the way back to the Dirty Dozen’s stomping grounds accompanied by a boom bap instrumental whereas “Rise Up” continues from there with a 2-parter produced by Blizzard containing a dusty start unloading the shock value hardcore raps he’s known for & a trap switch up accompanied by an uncredited guest verse from a female rapper. “Garlic Sauce” featuring 1 Be Lo however makes up for it having both of them aggressively boasting their penmanship.

“Mercy” brings a more somber beat to the table advising everyone to stay their asses on the other side of the street just before “Get That Doe” featuring Trizz finds the pair joining forces for money making anthem instrumentally treading funkier territory. “Brightmoor” featuring Bareda & Dave Hill has the trio representing the neighborhood of the same near the northwestern border of the city while the title track featuring Chyna Baejing & Northside Lord grimly gets in their hardcore bags again.

The song “Beans” spends 120 seconds talking about always been a spot worker instead of a drug dealer & consuming a bunch of narcotics while “Sunday School” featuring Cory Gunz dismantles any opponents in a battle over a symphonic boom bap beat. “Blinking Light” featuring Dango Forlaine, D-Noe, Lokye, J-Classic, Nolaj & Tru Klassick concludes Don’t Cross the Street with a 6 & a half minute Motor City posse cut where Dango, Lokye & J-Classic deliver the hardest verses of the 7.

Some people have claimed that my appreciation for the He Got a Gun saga was ragebait when I really think it’s some of the best material Bizarre has done by himself, but Don’t Cross the Street doesn’t hit as hard mainly due to only a few guests punching under their weight midway through & Blizzard’s half of the production outshining Big Shaady’s despite appreciating both of them demonstrating their ability to create an entire sound together.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Hit-Boy – “The Chauncey Hollis Project II” review

Here is the 8th mixtape & 2nd of 2026 from Fontana, California producer, MC & singer/songwriter Hit-Boy. Emerging after Polow da Don took him under his wing by signing him to his Interscope Records imprint Zone 4 Records, his early production credits range from “Stronger” by Mary J. Blige to “Drop the World” by Lil Wayne & Eminem, but wasn’t until the winter following the last 2 jams where he would catch the attention of the Chicago jeen-yuhs himself Ye formerly known as Kanye West by producing his Christmas posse cut “Christmas in Harlem” & becoming an in-house producer for G.O.O.D. Music for 2 years approximately 5 months after that. It was there that he would cookup some notable bops such as “N****s in Paris” by The Throne as well as “Cold” by Ye & even “Backseat Freestyle” off Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album albeit major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d. City. He then launched his now defunct Interscope imprint HS87 Music as his tenure under Kanye’s wing was coming to a close, continuing to build a reputation for himself by working with the likes of Beyoncé or Drake & Travis Scott. But it’s no secret that this decade has easily been Hit-Boy’s most prolific yet considering his work with Big Sean, Benny the Butcher & of course Nas. His own solo debut Surf or Drown would arrive in 2023, coming off HITStory 2: Success is a Dirty Word earlier this summer to drop a sequel to The Chauncey Hollis Project.

“On a Streak” begins with an R&B sample so he can lay some braggadocio on top of it whereas “Politickin’” talks about his success & his refusal to rest on his honors. “Lunch Line” featuring The Alchemist brings back those Goldfish vibes they gave us 52 weeks earlier over this summery beat & after “It’s Over” clocks another $1M, we have Hit fondly looking back at childhood memories during “Cannonball” remembering those who were later murdered in cold blood.

03 Greedo appears for “P.O.P. (Purpose Over Pride)” so they can talk about putting motives above ego while Don’t Let Them Stress You” by Half-a-Mil links up over a boom bap instrumental to talk about not allowing anyone bring you down. “Tech Decks” advises those who ain’t tryna face him to get the fuck up out his way & “Overdid It” ends The Chauncey Hollis Project II on a more layered note that starts off with some melodic piano chords suggesting maybe he could change the ending.

Scaling back the number of catchy hooks & radio friendliness, The Chauncey Hollis Project II does feel like an extension of sorts to it’s 2020 predecessor telling us what’s been going through Hit-Boy’s mind instead of looking to pack up the dance floors. There’s more variation to the production bringing secondary influences of chipmunk soul & jazz rap into the picture although HITStory 2: Success is a Dirty Word’s balance between boom bap & trap doesn’t lose itself as Hit gets some stuff of his chest.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Laila! – “We’ll Never Be This Young Again” review

Brand new sophomore effort albeit major label debut from New York rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Laila!. The daughter of Yasiin Bey formerly known as Mos Def, I myself was introduced to her artistry when she had one of the best features on the single “Problem!” off of Cash Cobain’s 6th mixtape Play Cash Cobain. Her full-length studio debut Gap Year! following the debut extended play In CTRL! impressively distinguished herself from her father, signing to Warner Records for We’ll Never Be This Young Again.

The self-produced “Apartment 419” begins with this drumless orchestral loop singing about being too young to be this upset & feelin’ like she’s losin’ time whereas “Bitch I Love You” goes for an alternative R&B vibe instrumentally explaining that they can’t make her hate the person she’s addressing. “So Much, So Much” brings a bit of a psychedelic flare to the table singing about feeling fresh as fuck leading into “Around the World” explaining the reason this guy won’t ever know another lover is because of her traveling the globe with him.

Teezo Touchdown makes the only guest appearance during “Angel” to sing about their search for a messenger of God’s who they consider extraordinary just before the psychedelic alternative R&B/neo-soul single “Ms. Mango”concludes the 1st act of We’ll Never Be This Young Again telling a tale of lost love & revenge. Kicking off the 2nd half, we have Laila! questioning how one can be the “Greatest Teacher” when they can’t even take care of themselves while the electronic-tinged “Anything Could Happen” sings about what can occur in a changing world.

“Woo! Woo!” smoothly gets the album’s final act going singing about what her romantic interest says whenever she puts that lil’ thing on while “JELL-O” harmonizes over a piano instrumental for 94 seconds comparing herself to gelatin whenever she & her partner lock eyes. “Better Days” blends a guitar & some synthesizers so she can ask herself the possibly of loving this individual when she feels so sad while the title track lets her soulmate know they make everything seem like summer to her.

Presenting her unfiltered self throughout a bulk of Gap Year! detailing the chaos of adolescence & her transition into adulthood, We’ll Never Be This Young Again pretty much spends most of the time extending the latter showing the world how much Laila!’s grown up & recapping everything that’s been going on in her life since her previous full-length came out 25 months earlier due to her having to find what she wants to say confident. Her production expands the alternative R&B sound her previous LP predominantly embraced & provides her own take what growing up’s all about.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

406ahmad – “Life of Ahmad 3” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Kuwait producer 406ahmad. Releasing his full-length debut Life of Ahmad & the sequel in 2024, he would go on to follow it up with the Life of Ahmad 2.5 & 40.6FM® ‎#Tuned Back In extended plays respectively prior to becoming one of trap music’s most in-demand producers after working with the likes of Diorvsyou& most notably 9 Vicious. Coming off B4LOA3 a couple weeks ago, the final chapter of the Life of Ahmad trilogy has been uploaded onto his SoundCloud page.

“Love in the Air” by 9 Vicious kicks things off wanting to get to know this female over a regalia instrumental asking for her name & number whereas “Church Chicken” by Nosaint continues to blend these lush orchestral arrangements with trap percussion talking about feeling like O.J. Simpson despite feeling like the latter’s guilty of his crimes. “So in Love” by 9 Vicious samples “look, dont touch” by revivle throwing shots at YSL Recordstowards the end claiming he’s richer than the whole roster while “Pray for Me” by NDO D talks about too many people nowadays fakin’ shit.

Dragnutz handles the performances for the 2-parter “& 1 / 100 Sum” talking about everybody tryna get something outta him now that he’s gaining popularity & moving fast while “Whore” by 9 Vicious wasting a flip of “Pissy Pamper” by Young Nudy featuring Playboi Carti on Lil Trey’s horny lyrics. “Production Deal” by 9 Vicious oddly disses Nosaint when they’ve collated a few times already while “Don’t Got the Answers” by 1oneam cloudily talks about hopping inside a phantom.

“My Dog Ate My Homework” by Protect begins the Life of Ahmad 3’s other half flowing over this calming trap beat explaining that he can’t bitch because everything’s perfect timing to him while “Only Time” by 9 Vicious luxuriously talks about a hoe who solely hits up his line whenever she gets faded. “Lawyer” by Nosaint hooks up these hi-hats & gorgeous piano chords bragging his legal practitioner’s Jewish ethnicity while “Ms. Zombie” by BabyBartier talks about no one doing what he can over a plugg instrumental.

9 Vicious makes his final appearances during “Flaat” & “Everything Written”, where he spends 84 seconds ruining a sample of “Long Ride” by Young Nudy rambling about labels munchin’ on his dick until the latter embraces a smoother pop rap direction admitting he’s been cheating on the woman he’s addressing. “Real” by Lil Tyh & Yungzayy talks about being more authentic than everyone who stays cappin’ & the “Different Fashion” outro by Lil Tyh concludes the album spitting decent romance bars.

If you didn’t know already: 406ahmad played a HUGE role in helping 9 Vicious blow up considering his ear for sampling often carries the latter’s performances & the fact Ahmad’s produced a great deal of 9’s discography. However, I did enjoy Life of Ahmad 3 more than the 3 EPs or other 2 albums he’s done in the past couple years even if I’m somewhat torn by the final results because I’d love to hear him expand his resume including more artists he hasn’t worked with who’d compliment his sounds going forward.

Score: 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

John Legend – “Muse” review

This is the 10th studio LP from Springfield, Ohio singer/songwriter, pianist, producer & actor John Legend. Becoming the very 1st artist one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye formerly known as Kanye West signed to G.O.O.D. Music in 2004 & released his debut Get Lifted in tandem with Columbia Records on his 26th birthday, his sophomore effort Once Again as well as Evolver & Love in the Future each have some of his best material too. Making himself home at Republic Records right after Darkness & Light came out. A Legendary Christmas alongside Bigger Love & Legend were all mediocre in their own rights, coming off My Favorite Dream to have Pharrell produce Muse.

The title track opens up with this swaggering intro singing about a woman who knows she can’t take any Ls whereas “Pray for Ya” hooks up a rubbery bassline & some horns arranged by Terrace Martin looking to ask God to help this person who can’t even help themself regardless of the money they have, presumably referring to Ye when it looks like he’s been medicated & getting help. After the “Her” introduction skit, the actual “Her” song itself passionately sings about doing anything for his wife.

“Daylight” blends contemporary R&B, dancehall & reggaetón for the lead single professing that he’s emotionally invested into the love of his life just before “Get Back” sings about this chick becoming fed up of telling people the bullshit she has to put up with & playing it off whenever something goes down. “Are You Ok?” finds John trying to figure out why this woman he’s addressing has become so infuriated & after the “Under the Bridge” introduction skit, “Under the Bridge” kicks off the 2nd half apologizing for any wrongdoing.

We have John promising his partner he’ll get things right with her “Next Time” & after the “Taps” skit, the 3rd & final single “Bodies on the Floor” featuring Clipse proclaims they’re in the middle of a war they no longer wish to fight fusing gospel & hip hop. “Doing Me” however brings back the symphonic elements that’ve heavily showcased itself across Muse singing about how he’s been focusing towards his grind & not having any patience left.

“Fireflies” winds down the album’s final act looking back at his & Pharrell’s respective upbringings honoring those in their lives who didn’t make it out of those troubling times in their youth while “Everything” sings about losing our monarchs over some bouncy bass & pianos, having nowhere to go or anywhere to be. “Sail Off” passionately wraps it all up loving this person like it’s all John has left in him in the midst of them leaving the day behind.

Mind you that I haven’t enjoyed a great deal of John Legend’s music since Love is the Future came out when I began my junior year of high school, so the teasers building up towards Muse had me hoping it would be his greatest musical statement since leaving G.O.O.D. Music to sign to Republic Records & I can gladly confirm that’s what we got. Pharrell’s production sprinkles refreshingly incorporated elements of orchestral, dancehall, reggaetón, funk, gospel, Afrobeats & hip hop music into John’s contemporary R&B style to back his smoothly commanding vocals.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Yung Miami – “Watch Dis!” review

Yung Miami is a 32 year old rapper & songwriter from Miami, Florida who broke out as 1/2 of the City Girls. They would drop a mixtape & 3 full-lengths under Quality Control Music prior to their disbandment with JT becoming the first of the duo to go solo in 2024 when the City Cinderella mixtape preluding Club Cheetah came out although it left audiences divided. However, I was more interested in Miami’s own solo debut coming out through Uptown Records & Republic Records especially since she was always the nicest of the 2.

“Fuck Shit Up” wasn’t exactly the strongest note to open up on asking whether or not all these other bitches got the memo whereas “Fuck You” produced by London on da Track throws up middle fingers declaring she’s still the same as she was when she was in the gutter. The 3rd & final single “2008” throws it back to when Jeezy was a dominant force in the mixtape scene giving the mood motivation while “Spend Dat” featuring Davido, Kodak Black, Lil Baby, Shenseea & Vybz Kartel on the remix unites for a strip club anthem.

G Herbo & Quavo both appear during “T.M.T.C. (Take Me To Chanel)” so they can talk about their desires of shopping at the French luxury fashion house leading into Miami suggesting to “Blink Twice” if one loves being with here at the club. After an interlude, “Put Together” brings some synthesizers in the picture to talk about staying well dressed from the top of her head to her feet leading into “Dade County” featuring Rick Ross, Trick Daddy & Trina repping their home turf.

After another interlude, “Freak Like Me” continues the 2nd half of Watch Dis! getting raunchy over a Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental while “Just Might Go” featuring Travis Scott chops up a sample to make way for both of them talking about alcohol. “Old Time Sake” embraces a bit of a pop rap vibe confronting a man who she’s well aware of him missing her while “Letter to My Mwah” following the last interlude talks about treating her pussy better.

“Baby” wraps up the last leg of the LP with a pop rap cut reminiscent of T-Pain’s earlier output turning up the horniness topically while “Ride for You” featuring Summer Walker combines trap soul & pop rap to talk about hoping their partners stay by their sides. “Chasing Sunsets” explains how she doesn’t stress about anything because of her boss lifestyle over an OG Parker beat & “Dear JT” finishes the album sampling “Missing You” by Diana Ross for an open letter to her former partner-in-rhyme.

Next weekend will already be half a decade since Yung Miami put out her solo debut single “Rap Freaks” to divisive reception & regardless of there being some moments where Watch Dis!’s production can be uninteresting at times similarly to City Cinderella’s, I’d most likely revisit Watch Dis! more of the 2 due to the way she takes it back to her dirty south origins along with her dedicating it to those who’ve ever counted her out & confidently clapping back at everyone who claimed she’s failed at everything in life.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Ghostemane – “AM:FM” review

Ghostemane is a 35 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, musician & producer from West Palm Beach, Florida who’s dropped 8 full-lengths as well as a handful of mixtapes & extended plays under his belt since 2010 including N / O / I / S / E & it’s 2020 predecessor Anti-Icon despite coming up as the guitarist for a hardcore punk band called Nemesis. He has since spent the remainder of the ongoing decade up until this point taking a hiatus from making music, returning for his 9th studio LP in time for Halloween next weekend.

“Alive!” kicks things off what an intro that’s primarily compositional other than a horribly underwritten verse & chorus whereas “Deus Ex Machina” instrumentally takes more of an industrial trap route talking about feeling like a false hope. “Miazma” lyrically treads the horrorcore waters admitting he’s on the verge of losing his shit whilst turning up the bass just before “0 Day” produced by Kenny Beats blends nu metal, rap metal, trap metal & industrial hip hop to talk about now being the time to do something violent.

The self-produced “Bucketlist” combines trap, trap metal & hyphy lashing out at everyone who has a fucked up perception of him leading into “Jupiter” reaching the midway point running it back with Kenny to talk about looking for a place that he can finally call home. “Hyperdrive” begins the 2nd half dabbling with electronic dance music for a few minutes sampling Jovi Whitney during the drop while “Mean Girls” wants to know why those type of women love him the most.

“Cyberia” incorporates some jungle influences for Ghoste to talk about feeling like his own worst enemy while “Get Gone” asks if one will leave him alone if he gives them what they want. “NSFW” includes a hilarious jab at MGK when he says “I’m never gonna let go of thе machine gun & no I don’t mean the poser with the name Machine Gun” but once “Noose Knot” wickedly talks about being diseased, “A Fire in the Skye” ends AM:FM hoping his wife Skye Whitney realizes she meant everything to him.

Becoming a fan of his when N / O / I / S / E came out & performing at the 20th annual Gathering of the Juggalos prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Blackmage Records founder’s comeback following a lengthy hiatus with what might be the most experimental thing Ghostemane has ever made. His own production alongside each of Kenny Beats’ contributions explore beyond trap metal in favor of nu metal, rap metal, industrial hip hop, trap, hyphy, jerk & EDM to deliver a bloodthirsty half hour’s worth of lyrical performances.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Darby O’Trill – “GATOR LaKE” review

Key Largo, Florida emcee Darby O’Trill dropping his 8th studio LP in preparation for Hallowicked. A close collaborator of Chapter 17/Psychopathic Records in-house producer Devereaux, their debut on wax Piecemeal received critical acclaim during the COVID-19 pandemic & signed Lyrikal Snuff Productionz & fulfilled it over 3 years ago with Gully, which is a modern day wicked shit classic. Amputate was a solid prelude to The Tomb, the latter was even better. Darby’s official C17 debut Creek became his best since Gully as did GARDeN, coming off WIL(low) to take us to GATOR LaKE.

“The gator lake visitor center” produced by none other than Devereaux cooks up this murky trap instrumental to kick things off creeping through the fog with the spirits of the swamp accompanying him whereas “Mask made from a lampshade” talks about this voice in his head getting louder over a cold trap beat from Shaggytheairhead. “I played baseball when I was a jit” goes for a trap metal vibe instrumentally talking about being the nuisance he is leading into “Irregular Puzzle Pieces” featuring Shaggytheairhead throwing it back to that 10 Bandz freshness.

As for “Doctor my dick has teeth & chewed a hole in my leg”, we have Darby over a Mobb-like beat throughout the 3rd single talking about nobody being safe from this toxic waste just before “Jezt n death” featuring Klokwerk E talks about heckles & macabre considering they’re laughing at their victims bleeding out to their deaths. “Flannel full of bullet holes” continues from there advising that it’s good to speak the unspoken sometimes while “Ranidaphobia” describes about the fear of frogs.

“Bologna flavored bong water” hits the midway point of GATOR LaKE with the 4th & final single talking about living like a scrub until the end & having no regrets while “I like your hands, may I have them?” professes that he’s fed up with this endless loneliness he’s been feeling. The lead single “Shitstorm” featuring Ouija Macc cautions not to tell them they’ll be fine when they know they won’t while the 2nd single “The trialz & tribulationz ov apeboy” talking about splitting skulls of those who fuck around.

The trap metal influences make their way back around for “Making Out with the Floor Again” asking whether or not one would be pissed off or cherish him more if anyone found him like that but after “Stop smiling you look stupid” airs his grievances towards someone he knows who he wishes the absolute worst upon over a shimmery instrumental, “Smell ya later loser!” runs it back with Devereaux talking about being near death despite looking zombified.

“Meet me at GATOR LaKE” winds down the last few moments of the album turning up the trap metal elements to find blood soaked all over his clothes once again & considering his blade to be his closest friend while the final song “The Proto cat bluez” preceding “The interview” out skit finishes GATOR LaKE at it’s core retaining the trap metal influences for a 3 minute outro talking about how the sun will shine even when the day of our demise comes around.

Anyone who’s already followed the CReEK through the GARDeN & past the WIL(low) will eventually find themselves at GATOR LaKE, which has been said to be the finest Darby O’Trill has ever sounded in his entire career & I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment as someone who’s been paying attention to him since the pandemic. The production almost entirely handled by Devereaux strengthens Darby’s distinct mix of trap metal & the wicked shit cautioning those who dares to enter the waters won’t ever leave.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!