Fuego Base – “Still the Biggest” review

Hartford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base releasing a sequel to his full-length studio debut in the form of a sophomore effort. Getting his start a few years ago off his debut EP Tell My Momma Imma Rapper, he would continue to build up his catalog by going on to drop another EP called Tell My Momma Imma Rapper Still & the Say Dat mixtape trilogy prior to Buffalo’s very own Benny the Butcher signed Fuego to Black Soprano Family Records. Coming off Biggest Since Camby as well as Say Dat 4: Proof of What God Do & Tell My Momma I’m Still a Rapper, he wants the world to know he’s Still the Biggest.

“Barbour St” strips the drums to open up shop talking about being in the hood because he’s a product of it instead of being poverty stricken whereas “Hartford” takes the boom bap route instrumentally for an ode to his hometown. The title track featuring Benny the Butcher finds the pair linking up to talk about how Fuego’s spot as the hottest prospect in his city hasn’t changed while ‘“93” discusses not knowing who one is until life tests you.

Sule appears for “T.E.I.O.” (To Each Is Own)” talking about making the bail & running along with rappers being 40 not doing shit with their careers leading into “Open Book” kicks off the 2nd half explaining the very reason he gives fans all of himself in his music. “Getting Out” talks about death, prison or copping a bigger house being the only choices possible of escaping the streets while “Rejoice” preaches hymns for his kinfolk somehow emerging where throats stay slit.

“Thank God 2” talks about touching people whenever he opens his mouth to speak & having an addiction to the game as bad as the junkies he served dope to while “Honda 2 Rari” cavernously admits he wouldn’t know where his mental state would’ve been if his squad wasn’t there for him when his mother passed away. The outro “Survivor’s Remorse 2” sends off Still the Biggest talking about not changing anything if he had the opportunity of rewriting his story.

3 & a half years since Fuego Base declared himself the Biggest Since Camby after signing to B$F, he’s continuing to let the work he’s putting in speak for itself several months since he & Benny linked up for their Ashes in the $afe collaborative extended play to deliver an exceptional sequel to his full-length studio debut. Was somewhat disappointed with the production lacking the same heavy hitters that made Still the Biggest’s counterpart so impressive, but there’s no denying his status within Hartford hasn’t changed since.

Score: 3.5/5

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Skaiwater – “femme fatale” review

Nottingham, England, United Kingdom rapper & producer Skaiwater celebrating their birthday with their 4th studio LP. Beginning in 2019 off their debut EP After God Fear Eve, the 4ersona member would go on to put out 7 more EPs along with a mixtape & a couple albums, the most notable being their 2024 sophomore effort #Gigi under GoodTalk Records & Capitol Records fully realizing on the potential that was shown on their earlier material. wonderful was the most rage-inducing entry of their catalog & they’re ending the month giving fans what they’ve wanted for a long time: femme fatale.

The self-produced “vampires, zombies” drumlessly kicks things off confessing to their astrological girlfriend that they feel like their relationship’s beginning to move backwards whereas the single “Hitunes” blends plugg & Asian rock thanks to BenjiCold making attempts at fucking the lights outta this Texas woman. “delilah” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran vibrantly talks about getting drunk on the weekends prior to “ella” hooking up this pitched vocal sample so they can get their girl anything she wants.

“WEVERSE” talks about him sobering up from alcohol as a result of a hangover that fucked their whole entire life up while “nana” concludes the 1st leg confronting a chick for playing them like some kinda fool. “angels” begins the 2nd half asking his baby girl if she forgot where she came from & needing her by their side because their love doesn’t go to waste just before “sophia” featuring Sophie Gray comes through with a duet about a couple feeling better around each other.

Meanwhile with “BAITFACE”, we have the tiger lily running it back with BenjiCold telling a hoe to cut off her friends & acknowledging her love for cocaine while “radar, radar” talks about having their eyes locked on this wealthy baddie in a club. “foreigner” winds down the last few moments of femme fatale flexing they’ve been rich since 19 & being with someone whose father doesn’t mind them being British over a dancehall beat while the closing track “JUMP” concludes the half hour wearing Rick Owens boots when servin’ pack.

Originally set to come out at last Christmas following the artwork being unveiled nearly 12 months ago until getting scraped in favor of wonderful back in February, I couldn’t think of a better way for Skaiwater to commemorate their day than to finish the most anticipated album of their entire career largely handling the pop rap, Afroswing, pop reggae, dancehall, zouk, coupé-décalé, trap, plugg & Asian rock production by themself other than BenjiCold & Nico Baran making some unparalleled contributions of their own expressing their appreciation for the female divine energy.

Score: 4/5

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DaeMoney – “Good N***a + Bad Habits” review

New extended play & the 3rd overall from Detroit, Michigan trap star DaeMoney. Coming up as the nephew of one of the 2 biggest artists in the city right now Babyface Ray as well as a now former member of the WRLD Tour Mafia collective, he broke out on his own by dropping his debut mixtape Young Sexual Misconduct & his debut EP Slae Season accompanied by his 2nd EP Rockstar Lifestyle & then his previous tape Slae Season 2. Slae went on to sign to EMPIRE Distribution couple summers ago & celebrated in the form of his most recent EP Slayer’s Coming fully produced by Trees shortly after as well as a 3rd installment of the Slae Season series & a sequel to Rockstar Lifestyle. He was surprisingly dismissed from WRLD Tour in 2024 due to a brief falling out until recently reconciling, coming off the 4th installment of the Slae Season saga this past February to drop Good N***a + Bad Habits.

The title track kicks things off this cloudy trap intro using auto-tune to discuss having the greatest intentions despite having some poor practices whereas “Crazy World” already hits the midway point of the EP talking about cleaning up his act, which explains why he was in the studio with both Rafa & WTM Scoob recently. “True Story” begins the 2nd half discussing him chasing his dreams & taking risks preceding the outro “Stuck in My Ways” talking about his inability of change.

Seeing him & Scoob squashing their issues with Rafa & working on new music on social media earlier this month was awesome considering all 3 of those guys were apart of WRLD Tour since Day 1 but whatever DaeMoney has planned going forward, Good N***a + Bad Habits preludes this new era with a 10 minute EP containing some of the most ear-grabbing production in Pwillvolair’s career & Slae handling the verses by himself breaking down the kind of person he is.

Score: 3.5/5

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YSL Records – “Slime Language III” review

Atlanta, Georgia record label YSL Records founded by Young Thug dropping their 3rd showcase compilation & their first since going independent. Releasing both Slime Language & it’s sequel in tandem with 300 Entertainment & Atlantic Records, the whole roster has since been revamped after Thug came home including the Tezzus as well as his Uy Scuti Bøyz cohort diamond* & more recently iyrus. However coming off The Resurrectiøn & Bling Slime this summer, Slime Language III looks to conclude the trilogy with a double disc chapter.

“Gotta Love Us” by Young Thug & diamond* featuring BSlime & Pz’ produced by Wheezy talks about laying out everyone going against them whereas “ØWAYSL” by Thug & Tezzus featuring BSlime, Rob49 & Sk8star references the greatest QB of all-time Tom Brady over a PROJECT4PLAY instrumental. “What’s Up Mami” by Thug featuring Biggs Money finds the pair hideously taking a more seductive approach in terms of subject matter while “Mob Guys” by Biggs Money, Lil Unky & Quavo talks about being gangstas.

Lil Unky sticks around with Young Thug on “Function” talking about pulling up to 10 hoes at the spot just before “Club Outside” by Thug featuring Lil Baby gets London on da Track with Southside discussing transforming the trap house into a studio since making music’s more fun anyway. “Wait for It” by BSlime & Papito El Franklins was a moment I could’ve done without delivering a boring pop rap/trap crossover talking about their success until “Eaters” by Thug & Tezzus featuring Future, Travis Scott & Yeat unites for an ode to sex.

“Grandma’s Baby” by Young Thug featuring Veeze links up so they can talk about their grandmothers’ raising them in the projects of the ATL & Detroit respectively over a sample-driven trap beat leading into “Black Friday” by Thug featuring Lito the Plug boasting that bitches love when they’re in their gangsta bags. “Myself” by Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about preferring being rich instead of not having food for a day over a Mike WiLL Made-It instrumental while “Ønly ØWay” by Tezzus featuring Skrilla quenches for blood whilst standing on business.

The Uy Scuti Bøyz accompany Young Thug for the single “Hood of Atlanta” representing their hometown over a Feardorian beat while “YSL” by Yume featuring Thug shifts towards a largely melodic direction for a trap soul duet repping their set. “Crocodile Skin” by BSlime brings a more playful aura to the table instrumentally only knowing these Ws they’re catching regardless of the average performances while “Tezzus & diamond*” by the Uy Scuti Bøyz featuring Cash Cobain & Quavo talks about all 4 artists living their lives like stoners.

“Shawty Shawty” by Young Thug featuring HittMan bogs the quality down again uneventfully calling for their goes to come to the spot & drop it for them while “Biggest Since Mike Jack” pairs Jorjiana, Lito the Plug & Sk8star talking about being the most popular Indiana celebrity since the late King of Pop when Tyrese Haliburton’s had that spot for some time. “We Dead” by Thug featuring Trippie Redd spends a couple minutes getting materialistic while “Bvlgari” by iyrus & Yung Kayo featuring Biggs Money, Lil Unky, Lito the Plug concludes Disc 1 chartering shit for 8 minutes with iyrus & Kayo each spitting the hardest verses.

iyrus & Young Thug kick off Disc 2 having Lil Unky & Pz’ joining them during the playful sounding “Believe That” talking about YSL being the hottest imprint out in the streets while “Cha Ney Ney” by Thug & the Uy Scuti Bøyz looks to go high top with the Balenciaga over a rage beat. Another single “Consummate” by Tezzus & Thug maintains the hypertrap elements talking about wanting to fuck their partners while “Tonight” by diamond* & 1300SAINT hops over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental speaking of the team rockin’ red for an evening.

“NaNaNa” chiefly feels like a diamond* solo joint since he’s handling both the verses by himself other than Sk8star providing a few lines towards the 2nd & final one while “Say Dat” by iyrus, Young Thug & 1300SAINT talks about the trio originating in the belly of the beast. “Baddies” by Biggs Money & Cash Cobain got a chuckle outta me since it’s that bad of an attempt at going sexy drill while the 2-parter “Birthday” by Thug featuring Bay Swag & once again Cash Cobain was only a slight improvement in comparison.

Taurus gets behind the boards for “Switch Up” by Young Thug featuring BSlime talking about betrayal over some acoustics & hi-hats while “Weird” by Thug featuring Biggs Money & Lil Unky confronts individuals for acting stranger than usual around them. “Freaky Girl” by diamond* hooks up an iyrus beat that reminds me of GTA VI talking about being with a bad bitch who likes to get wild behind closed doors while “Bounce It” by Biggs Money & YKNIECE whips up a blandly redundant ass-shaker.

“Snakes on My Collar” by diamond* & the late Lil Keed was actually a profoundly bittersweet moment like having both of YSL’s past & present generations colliding while “Stole It from Us” by iyrus & the Uy Scuti Bøyz talks about people stealing their swag over a pluggy Pi’erre Bourne instrumental. “Fernando Mendoza” by Tezzus featuring Lil Unky & Sk8star shouts out the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie QB of the same name while “Countin’ Up” by Young Thug featuring Lil Righteous talks about thumbin’ through stacks.

Tezzus & Yung Kayo have Lito the Plug joining them for the bell-woven “Skyami” boasting they kill shit similarly to a theatrical film whole “Lil Bruh” by Young Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about winding up dead if one even dares of testing them. “Losing Sleep” by diamond* & Yume goes full alternative R&B/trap soul promising to make each others’ dreams become reality while “What It Do” by Thug & his brother Unfoonk at last puts an end to Slime Language III with a conflicted country trap outro.

This Halloween will be 2 whole years since Young Thug came home & considering the amount of time he’s spent since to rebuild YSL Records now they’ve gone independent signing some of the biggest trap artists in recent memory, it gave me the impression of Slime Language III possibly surpassing both it’s predecessors to become the saga’s finest entry. There are several instances where I liked the performances & production, but it overstays it’s welcome after a bit as a result of being ridiculously bloated & would imagine myself revisiting it more if all the needless filler was removed.

Score: 2/5

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Mike D – “Thank You” review

Mike D is a 60 year old MC, musician, songwriter & producer from Manhattan, New York who blew up back in the 80s as 1/3 of the Beastie Boys alongside Ad-Rock & of course the late MCA. They would go on to drop 8 consistently praised full-lengths together preceding their disbandment towards the conclusion of my freshman year of high school following MCA’s death. Nobody in the group has ever put out any solo material until this point, so for Mike to recording a full-length studio debut under Capitol Records peaked my curiosity.

“Switch Up” combines breakbeat, experimental hip hop & experimental rock for a lead single talking about changing things every now & then whereas “What We Got” goes for a more standard east coast hip hop vibe speaking of self-doubt & having a backup plan once he retires from music. “True Colors” fuses breakbeat & neo-psychedelia for a reflection of when the Beastie Boys were younger just before “That’s Right” embraced an electro vibe talking about receiving confused looks regardless of what he does.

Continuing from there with “Secrets”, we have Mike D coming through with a 2-parter with a danceable opening & a lyrically repetitive counterpart revealing little to no secrets whatsoever leading into “I Don’t Care” taking a swampier approach instrumentally talking about being the guy to count on. “Make It Stop” speaks of our worlds being filled with drama because of everyone having their own traumatic experiences while the 4th & final single “Crypto” satirically pokes fun at greed.

“Here We Are” wraps up the final moments of Thank You talking about being lost in the dark looking for the door while “Back to Start” strips things back singing not to pass go if one’s looking to return to where they began. “It’s Time” talks about there being so much shit he wants to do despite all these things he needs to complete & the title track spends the remaining moments of Mike’s solo debut looking back at his youthful days 1 last time.

If anyone’s expecting Thank You to sound anything like what the Beastie Boys have done as a trio, then you’re probably not gonna get a kick outta this album so much but I applaud Mike D for trying something different with the help of his sons. The breakbeat, experimental hip hop, electronic dance music, experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, indietronica, electro & swamp rock production paired with his vulnerable lyrics feels like a bridge between the gap that was left when MCA passed & this new creative direction he’s following.

Score: 3.5/5

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Sera Cahoone – “I’ve Missed You All These Years” review

Sera Cahoone is a 51 year old singer/songwriter from Littleton, Colorado who introduced herself 2 decades ago with an eponymous full-length studio debut. She has since been signed to Sub Pop Records, who dropped the sophomore effort Only as the Day is Long & Deer Creek Canyon to wide praise. Last time we heard from her was in 2017 when From Where I Started came out under her own label Lady Muleskinner Records. Almost a decade later & she’s returning to Sub Pop to distribute her 5th studio LP.

“High & Low” kicks things off with an Americana opener singing about a relationship that feels like a rollercoaster the way it’s constantly going up & down whereas “Say Something” combines an electric guitar with some pianos admitting she hasn’t been herself in 2026 although she would very much to try. “No One Like You” goes for a singer/songwriter vibe depicts a couple sticking together through the roughest times while “Not How I Hoped” sings about the disappointment that comes with relationships.

Meanwhile on “Horse Runnin’”, we have Sera expressions her infatuation over someone she met going for a more contemporary country direction instrumentally just before “Pulling Up Roots” reminiscent of the late Loretta Lynn sings about overcoming all the bullshit life throws at you. “Supposed to Be” comes to terms with the past taking more inspiration from singer/songwriter leading into “Hits Right” singing about the relatable feeling of being out of place amongst a group of people going Americana.

“Tangled Nights” continues the remaining moments of this album’s final act yearning for intimacy over a guitar, bass, Hammond organ & accordion while “I’m No Fool” sings about feeling uncertain towards her partner spending a few minutes getting back in her Americana for the last time. The closing track “Something Good” wraps up I’ve Missed You All These Years with this 3 & a half minute singer/songwriter outro describing an unexpected love that brings fulfillment in her life.

A lot has happened to Sera Cahoone since From Where I Started whether it be the deaths of her best friend alongside her father & dog to developing her skills as a producer, coming back to Sub Pop after feeling like an impostor during her initial tenure for the label reintroducing fans to the truest version of herself artistically. Her production solidly combines elements of blues, folk, pop, Americana, alt-country & singer/songwriter to help the world find comfort in community & rediscovering ourselves by connecting with the people we love in the midst of the storm clearing.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jay Worthy – “Generation P” review

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada born albeit Compton, California raised emcee Jay Worthy showing some love to Parliament-Funkadelic with his 6th mixtape. Coming on my radar in 2017 after The Alchemist produced his debut EP Fantasy Island from top to bottom, he would go onto drop 5 more EPs & a fantastic collaborative effort with Larry June called 2 P’z in a Pod even though initial plans of putting it out through Griselda Records fell through for whatever reason. Harry Fraud produced You Take the Credit, We’ll Take the Check & DJ Muggs did What They Hittin’ 4 to significant acclaim, but the Roc Marciano-produced Nothing Bigger Than the Program was still good despite having too many features & the DāM-FunK produced Magic Hour improved on that as did The Tonite Show 2 produced by DJ Fresh. Coming off his double solo debut Once Upon a Time last fall, he’s taking it upon himself to shine a light on Generation P.

After the “Holly Wants to Go” intro, the 2nd single “Knee Deep” featuring WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg kicks things off with a g-funk opener talking about both of them being freaky whereas the 3rd & final single “P of the Week” featuring Larry June finds the pair on their playa shit. The lead single “Atomic P” tells us the story of nasty street dogs who happen to be famous while “1 Nation” featuring The Game & YG on the remix flips the Funkadelic track of the same name seeing nothing other than bankroll.

“Oh I” goes for a soulfully jazzy direction thanks to Terrace Martin asking this person who never learns from their mistakes how they’re comin’ & goin’ just before “Allegiance” looks back at idolizing O.G.s when he was a kid. “Adolescent” featuring Curren$y talks about making it after choosing their own paths but once “Chasers” featuring 03 Greedo discusses making flower children smile, “What It P Like?” featuring Aceyalone & Del the Funky Homosapien preceding the “Holly Wants to Leave” outro talks about having class.

P-funk’s forefather George Clinton narrating Generation P to me is only the bow on top of the present because what really makes this such a lovely tape for me is the performances from both Jay Worthy himself & the multitude of west coast veterans joining him for a half hour celebration of the very style of funk music that subsequently birthed the west coast’s g-funk era in the early 90s, which the production strictly caters to rather than containing various different sounds.

Score: 3.5/5

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DJ Dahi – “Black Boy (Alternative)” review

DJ Dahi is a 43 year old DJ, producer & singer/songwriter from Inglewood, California who’s worked with likes of Dom Kennedy as well as Dr. Dre & Vince Staples to only name a few. He was also signed to ARTium Recordings in tandem with Def Jam Recordings for a period of time but over a decade into the game already, he felt like now was the time to make his independent solo debut bringing an interesting list of hip hop & R&B guests on board to perform over his beats catered to those styles.

“Who’re You?” by Channel Tres & Vince Staples mellowly encourages everyone to wake up & get serious about the lives we’re livin’ now whereas “Find Me” by Mez & Moses Sumney finds the pair linking up for a neo-soul single singing of getting stuck in the middle. “How to Pray” by Kendrick Lamar keeps the laidback vibes rollin’ responding to a bar Drake had on “Plot Twist” a little over 3 months ago while “Running” by Childish Gambino combines contemporary R&B, neo-soul, jazz fusion & psychedelic soul for an ode to Dahi’s heritage.

Obongjayar takes the microphone for “Love Me” singing for his partner to be gentle, easy & careful with him because we all eventually fall just before “They Don’t Know Me” by Mez has a repetitive kickoff preceding a beat switch & a verse reflecting on life & the pain he’s experienced to wrap up the midway point. “The Night” by Kurtis Wells sings about the latter’s preparation for the evening to kick off the 2nd half of Black Boy (Alternative) until the lead single“Rest of Your Life” assuring Dahi’s partner to take her time falling in love.

“Stand for Something” by Ant Clemons, Baby Rose & Jesse Boykins III finds the trio teaming up to sing of upholding a set of principles while the 4th & final single “Square Up” by Fousheé cautions the world will fuck you up with an uppercut if one’s searching for trouble they’re bound to find. “Drowning” by Elmiene & Ravyn Lenae finishes up Black Boy (Alternative) with a neo-soul duet about  raising a child without care & sell the world a lie without fear.

Becoming a fan of his as a teenager, DJ Dahi created Black Boy (Alternative) as a love letter to his younger self obsessed with rock along with soul & West African music prior to knowing any of that would result in what he’s doing today after spending so much time pouring himself into everyone else’s visions. Fusing rock’s grittiness & soul’s heart with West African rhythms for 40 minutes, the extraordinaire gives the world a more honest yet playful look at the kind of music he grew up on & one that paves the way for an exciting solo career.

Score: 3.5/5

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Everlast – “Embers to Ashes” review

Everlast is a 57 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, & producer from Los Angeles, California by way of Long Island, New York who originally came up in the early 90s as the frontman of House of Pain & a founding member of La Coka Nostra. He would eventually go on to drop 8 solo efforts, with the Tommy Boy Records-backed sophomore effort Whitey Ford Sings the Blues being my personal favorite of the bunch. I was however excited to learn the Martyr Inc. Records founder 9th solo LP & first in a decade would be fully produced by Yelawolf.

“Losing Man’s Game” kicks things off with an Americana intro asking himself why he can’t walk away from this game he keeps playing where he never wins whereas “Never Coming Home” sings about being on the run over a country rock beat. “Mistaken Identity” takes a more somber approach instrumentally finding himself all alone in the streets of Los Angeles just before “My Hollywood” sings about being fed up with the small town life over some acoustics.

Meanwhile on “Broken Heart for Hire”, we have Whitey Ford detailing a kind of love that doesn’t work like it used to leading into “Stones” singing about the self-awareness of being fed up with & acknowledging it by claiming he’s sick of himself also. “Out of Your Way” kinda has this singer/songwriter flare to it putting us inside the shoes of a single, simple, lonely man who maintains a heart of gold & a broken soul while “Lies” sings about tightly holding his lover until the break of dawn.

“Rubber Bullets” gets the 2nd half of Embers to Ashes going making a country-flavored comparison between kinetic impact projectiles & real ammunition while the country rock-tinged “Every Dog Has It’s Day” sings about riding off in the sun because he was born to lose. “Ain’t Coming Home Tonight” finds himself callin’ a woman he argued with at 4 in the morning only for her to send him to voicemail while “Love Don’t Heal” sings about his heart being unfixable & trying to do so would be a waste of time.

The title track recalls going from champagne & crystal glasses to drinking cheap whiskey out of plastic while “1987” looks back at the times when nothing else mattered nearly 4 decades earlier going to house parties broke as fuck. “Happy it’s Can Cry” sings about every dark night meeting its dawn & after protecting his “Peace of Mind” instead of buying some time selling his soul, the outro “Young Man” ends Embers to Ashes singing of living this fast life getting old.

A large portion of Everlast’s material since the turn of the millennium already has either been average at best or underwhelming at worst, so Embers to Ashes seemed like it had all the right reasons of becoming his finest late-career statement & it’s certainly a comeback that makes the absolute most sense. Yelawolf’s production bases itself around Americana & bluesy roots-rock for passionate tales of glory grasped & lost, the sudden swerves that change a life’s trajectory & hard-earned wisdom & warnings. Listen to this instead of Stella Lefty’s awful debut Long Way Push.

Score: 4/5

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Night Lovell – “My Blood as the Ink” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP albeit his 3rd under the $uicideboy$‘ very own G*59 Record$ from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada rapper, songwriter & producer Night Lovell. Emerging in 2014 when he dropped his debut EP I’ll Be Back & then following it up 4 months later with his debut mixtape Concept Vague, heads continued to turn in 2016 off the sophomore tape Red Teenage Melody & the 2019 full-length debut Goodnight Lovell. His sophomore effort & G*59 debut Just Say You Don’t Care was a step above the album before that, coming off I Hope You’re Happy to use My Blood as the Ink for his return.

“Sick & Tired” was a simply modest 2nd & final single talking about being fed up with people acting like they fuck with him when they really don’t amongst other issues like haters waiting for him to fold whereas “This Ain’t K-Pop” bombastically claps back at the artists who weren’t build for this shit. “Stranger” goes for a murkier trap vibe instrumentally talking about a solid muhfucka being hard to come by until explaining he sheds a “Gangsta Tear” every time he looks at the mirror.

We have Lovell over another dark trap beat during “Pawn Shop” talking about turning fuckboys into ghosts & people tryna take his spot just before the slower “Cigarette” admits there have been several times he’s considered callin’ it quits from music. “Fight Night at Gitanes” kicks off the 2nd half frighteningly talking about waking up every day to a whole different side of himself while “Bleed” discusses being trained to kill over a cloudier instrumental.

“Flip the Switch” nears closer towards the conclusion of My Blood as the Ink talking about people not understanding what he’s been through & exactly what it does to him but the “Message to You” skit, “Piñata” further embraces the trillwave aesthetics confessing he’s been learning to better himself in addition to life occasionally having it’s duller moments. “Run” wraps it all up with a cloudy trap lead single talking about having no time to focus on his own life.

I Hope You’re Happy was more positively received than Just Say You Don’t Care despite my personally appreciating it for the G*59 debut it was, but I feel like My Blood as the Ink could be Night Lovell’s weakest offering since joining the label. His songwriting & performances are there except I find the production largely uninteresting. If he hunkered down with someone like $crim or Dynox & even Chetta, then I believe he could make some of the most important music of his decade-plus career.

Score: 3/5

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