Atlanta, Georgia up-&-comer Zukenee following up his debut Player Slayer with a 4th extended play. Starting in the spring of 2021 off his debut EP Undiscovered, he would continue to make a name for himself in the underground by putting out a couple more EPs in Castle & Playful alongside the debut mixtape Stop Playing last summer. Subsequent exclusive singles like “OJAYS” & “Chest” would later become amongst his best since both of them were released in the span of a year & a half until Player Slayer came this spring. Interestingly enough, Cade’s being brought in to produce Guillotine.
“Dungeon Detour” has a quirky trap feeling to get us started warning that the roundabout route to the dungeon has begun & to prepare for imminent battle whereas the vibrant “Dragons” talks about catching plays & running shit now. “Village” comes through with a rubbery dedication for all the slayers out there while “Trap Candle” flexes that he got money bustin’ out both of his pockets.
Meanwhile on “Checkmate”, Zukenee aggressively explains to u that you have to choose between the 2 sides of life being a boy or a slayer just before the synth-trap crossover “Warplay” declaring that he’s ready for war. “Bend” has an acoustic trap quality to it reworking a brick & a bitch, but then the rage-inducing “Trimlewinsky” balls hard. The trippy “Por Favor” warns he might fuck around & rinse you leading into “Blow Up” ending the EP by keeping the Glock hot.
If you weren’t feeling Player Slayer when it was first given to us over 4 months ago like a couple people were, you might find yourself enjoying Guillotine more & that for me personally has quickly established itself as the crown jewel of Zukenee’s discography. Cade’s takes him to a brand new level in a consistent fashion & the medieval theme during the 19 minute run stays pretty consistent.
San Francisco, California emcee Ramirez following up From tha Guttah to tha Grave by surprise releasingas his 12th EP. Coming up in 2014 as a longtime affiliate of the $uicideboy$, he would go on to co-found to the New Orleans-based indie label G*59 Record$ with them & build himself as an artist by dropping 8 mixtapes, his last 10 EPs & 4 full-lengths in the span of nearly a decade. Tha Playa$ Manual was his best LP yet with it’s g-funk production from Rocci & The Tragedy of a Clown was a good comeback from a year & a half ago, From tha Guttah to tha Grave back in March was good & this new one had me especially intrigued since he said it was to hold us off until his upcoming 5th album Tha Playa$ Manual II.
After the titular intro, the first song “Stackin’ Ends” featuring Soulzay has a slick Memphis vibe instrumentally to officially begin letting us know that’s exactly what both of them be doing whereas the cloudy trap banger “Carti Frames” continues forward talking about cold blooded pimpin’ going through his veins. “Window” featuring Shakewell has an eerier atmosphere to Flexatelli’s beat almost like it’s something out of a horror flick flexing their gangsta ties & “The Depths” hellishly talks about looking to blast someone in the deepest pits with the shotty.
“Crocodile Skin” builds the concept around the infamous “interior crocodile alligator” line from King Chip of The Almighty GloryUS blending a soul sample with hi-hats while the jazz/trap hybrid on “Medusa Packs” blew me away getting returning to his pimpin’ shit. “Casket Dreamz” featuring Pouya talks only having their brothers over a solemn trap instrumental leading into the west coast-flavored “International Waters” featuring Jay Worthy find the 2 gettin’ fly. “It Ain’t My Fault” featuring Shakewell lastly ends with a homage to Silkk the Shocker’s biggest hit.
In what would turn out to be Ramirez’ final release on G*59, The Warlock & The Gorilla surpasses From tha Guttah to tha Grave as the best of the 2 EPs that he’s put out this year alone. Stronger feature list, the production expanding beyond from trap as well as g-funk, the Memphis scene, cloud rap & jazz rap & the Lil Homewrecker delivering performances that go considerably harder.
Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & record executive Polo G returning for his 5th LP. Rising to prominence in 2019 off his debut album Die a Legend which I personally found it to be decent, it wasn’t until the sophomore effort The GOAT the subsequent spring where I noticed some significant improvements. Hall of Fame & it’s sequel on the contrary were both released to mixed reception in 201 & is looking to redeem himself as the H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. or He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma.
“God’s Favorite” was a decently thunderous trap opener produced by Nick Papz & Allen Ritter starting us off letting us know that’s exactly what he’s feeling like right now whereas “No Recruits” featuring G Herbo has a stronger instrumental that Southside & Smatt Sertified cook up together going Chicago drill telling us how wicked it gets in Chiraq. “Barely Holdin’ On” with co-production from former G.O.O.D. Music in-house producer Noah Goldstein & unfortunately Dr. Luke was a emo pop rap fusion that goes over decently, but then the cloudy/trap crossover “Only Gang” featuring 42 Dugg talks about not fucking with these newer guys.
Fridayy gives “Same Me” a moodier feeling reassuring everyone that he’s still the same guy as he was when he first blew up leading into the twangy trap vibes of “Detox” talking about falling in love with the Glock & needing to do exactly that after taking in too much fake love in recent years. “Thorns” has a catchier trap flare generally needing a light for his dark soul just before “G63” featuring Offset heading for a psychedelic direction pullin’ up jumpin’ out the titular whip.
“We Uh Shoot” featuring Lil Durk fusing gangsta rap & trap together reaffirming that both of them stay carrying sticks while “Rain Fallin’” featuring The Kid Laroi stands as one of the weaker moments on the album further embracing the emo influences from earlier although Kid Laroi’s take on it still rubs off as tacky. “Distraction” picks things back up with what I thought was an incredible lead single from the acoustic trap production to Polo calling out those discrediting his talent & “No Turning Back” featuring Hunxho cavernously explains making it this far.
Easily the weakest single of the rollout has to be “Angels in the Sky” due to it’s horrendous mixing, which is a shame because the overall theme of it comes from a good place & “Darkside” once again makes up for it this time by telling us his mental state in 2020 when both installments of the Hall of Fame series came over pianos & hi-hats. “Bad Kids” featuring Glorilla keeps the keys together swapping the hi-hats out in favor of 808s telling us who they hung around growing up while “Survival of the Fittest” featuring Future goes drill saying that’s what it’s like in the trenches.
“Father’s Day” nears the final moments of H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. (He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma) with Cubeatz helping Allen Ritter & Southside provide a delicate trap atmosphere serving as an open letter to Polo’s own father knowing that he’s forever here for him that is until “From the Heart” ends Polo’s return-to-form hopping over a roomy beat telling the world that from this point forward, he’s only writing songs if it comes from the heart rather than ego. I even like the reference to the greatest WWE superstar ever; Hall of Famer, 7-time world champion & 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker.
Right when people had already started assuming he had fallen off, Polo G returns to the fore with more life experience & rededicated to spitting about what he knows best: unflinching narratives of pain & pleasure, hood parables & romantic woes. The production has gradually improved from the 2 offerings from 4 years ago, most of the features nailed their contributions & Polo’s own versatility game has gradually stepped up.
This is a brand new producer album from Amityville, New York beatsmith BP Infinite. In the last 19 years or so, he’s found himself working with underground veterans from K-Rino to Diabolic, Ill Bill, the Black Market Militia & Uncle Murda. His first producer album TimelessMusic was released in the fall of 2017 followed by an EP called The Supreme 7, so I was interested in hearing Kill or Be Killed since the list of performers compared to the last couple solo efforts looked grander & jam packed on paper.
After the “Tournament of Champions” intro, the title track by RJ Payne & Skyzoo sets the tone with its organ/boom bap instrumental explaining that you either kill or be killed in this game called life whereas “Street Vengeance” by Nature & Tragedy Khadafi has a mafioso flare to the beat getting in their hardcore bag lyrically. “We Out of Here” by Elucid & Gudda Vell soulfully unites the pair flexing that they runnin’ on their last legs prior to “They Know Who It Is” by E-Class & Nature keeping the soul samples in tact comparing themselves to Steph & Klay or Kobe & Shaq.
“Kill Squad” by Redman gives one of the hardest performances on the album over horns although my biggest complaint is that it’s a shorter than I imagined just before the vocal sampling returns on “Love & War” by Bub Rock, Eddie Kaine & J. Arrr talking about wanting to see their brothers ballin’ & keeping it 100 being law to them. “Raise Your Glass” by Bunchy Cartier, Shabaam Sahdeeq & 9th Prince strips the drums to make a toast while “Can’t Fuck with Me” by Mooch & Tragedy Khadafi ruggedly talks life being different for them now.
Gudda Vell & the Intelligent Hoodlum express their desire of being great on “No Replay” further marking a return to the boom bap, but then “The End” by E Murda & Shots hops over a crooning sample to make money & put others in their place. “Screwface” by Dunbar has a suspenseful vibe instrumentally putting the listeners in his shoes while “Deep in My Heart” by Cory Gunz, eLZhi & Tragedy Khadafi hooks up a gospel flip flexing their lyrical prowesses.
“I Survived” by Eddie Kaine & Shots further pushes towards the end of the LP going chipmunk soul looking to stay high where they reside witnessing someone pass away in front of them at 16 & “Listen Up, Pt. II” by Bunchy Cartier & Pillz wraps up by working in pianos clarifying that the only thing on their minds is the money both of them stay stackin’ up.
Kill or Be Killed is the hip hop equivalent of a roundhouse kick to the face from both the beatsmith & his incredible cast of collaborators, almost like the movie Bloodsport with a tournament of diverse & unique talent. To make all of it possible, BP spent 18 months of fleshed out all the production that he thought specifically matched the artists he wanted to work with & it’s finally paid off.
Vallejo, California emcee Larry June back with his 11th LP. Steadily grinding his ass off since dropping out of high school by dropping his last 10 studio efforts as well as 14 EPs & 7 mixtapes with the highlights of his ever-growing discography including the Lex Luger-produced Trap Larry, the Cardo-produced Cruise USA& it’s sequel Into the Late Night, the Harry Fraud-produced Keep Going & more recently the mobb music-influenced Jay Worthy collab effort 2 P’z in a Pod, The Alchemist-produced The Great Escape & The Night Shift. 9 months after the latter, Larry’s reassuring that he’s Doing it for Me.
After the “Free Uncle Herm 5” intro, the first song “Magnum P.I.” is a futuristically slick west coast opener flexing that he’s hopping out the whip looking like the titular TV show character whereas “Morning Calculations” produced by Harry Fraud was an early standout from the soulful instrumental to the lyrics advising to check that bitch instead of checking him. “A Little While” has a spacious vibe thanks to Jake One & DJ Khalil telling his romantic interest that she sure looks good to him just before “Stinson Beach” keeps it going with a funky ode to not having your day fucked up.
“Real Talk, Pt. 2” gives Detroit trap a shot detailing the gangsta lifestyle he involves himself in leading into Cardo bringing the synths in the fold for another favorite of mine “3 Piece” shrugging off any hate that comes his way since he be ridin’. “Where I’m Going” resurrects the Detroit trap vibe cautioning that nobody wants war with him, but then “Meet Me in Napa” was a decently spacious single discussing his desire of wanting to meet a woman in the titular California valley.
The orchestrally jazzy boom bap flare of “Breakfast in Gold Coast” is a nice change of pace talking to his sunshine while “Imported Couches” keeps the strings, kicks & snares together not giving a fuck about being 1 hit away rather focusing his attention on doing his thing. “Cleaning My Spot” keeps the jazz influences & strips the drums going so hard working towards his goals while “Like a Mack” makes trap music for pimps.
“Dreams” pushes towards the final moments of Doing it for Me telling everyone who’s tired of the sucka shit to come fuck with the big dogs headed for a dystopian direction to the beat & the closer “Money Bag” that Cookin’ Soul laced ends by hooking up a soul sample telling the world your own people will snake you, others might turn on you & hoes will play you out here for the paper.
Something amazing worth noting is that I found a lot of Doing it for Me’s singles to be average enough that it had me anticipating it less then The Great Escape & The Night Shift when I found myself enjoying a lot of the songs off this new album more than I had initially anticipated. The glitz & glamour from guest stars are being completely tossed out the window in favor of delivering lovesick bars over classic West Coast funk beats, reestablishing his status as one of the smoothest voices in hip hop today.
This is the 4th EP from Arlington, Texas emcee Claas. For about 2 decades, this guy’s been steadily putting in work for the underground whether it be on it his own or as a member of groups like The Underground Avengers as well as VLNC & the Caarnivorz. He teased his previous LP albeit 3 with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz by dropping a trilogy of EPs leading up to it much like Strange Music used to do in 2019/2020 right before the COVID pandemic, culminating in This is Revenge being released in full 2 & a half years ago. He has since decided to take listeners In My Head over a month after UGA’s 3rd & final album Oblivion & 3 weeks since former AAA Mega Campeon, AAA Mundial Parejas Campeon, AEW International Champion, AEW World Tag Team Champion, AEW World Trios Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion, MLW World Tag Team Champion, PWG World Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Rey Fénix had his final AEW match in Claas’ city.
The title track has a morbid trap atmosphere to get the 3 song, 11 minute offering started demonically talks about demons following him with no end in sight while “In This Box” drearily acknowledges death at the door encouraging to let him in. “A Part of Me” ends the EP with a guitar & hi-hats talking about searching, but being unable to find.
Very much outside his norm, what we have is a culmination of the roughest stretch in Claas’ life dealing with everything that has happened over a 2 year span & finding a way to put all that into words. He tells a story of himself battling the thoughts in my head & finally coming to grips with the biggest tragedy in his life happening, slowing falling into the depths of dark thoughts in his head.
Southside is a 35 year old producer, rapper & songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia notable for co-founding the 808 Mafia with Lex Luger as well as being 1/2 of the duo So Icey Boyz with Metro Boomin’ in addition to the 7 solo mixtapes of his discography. Most notably the Free Agent trilogy & both Trap Ye installments. However for Sizzle’s official full-length solo debut album Break the Silence, he’s having it backed by Epic Records.
“Switch” is a 2-part trap opener with a mostly cloudy sound until the regalia influences come up during the last minute or so flexing that he’s been going strong from the start whereas “Uber” has more of a rage-inducing vibe overall talking about moving on to for a new bitch because he “got bored as shit”. “Bape” hooks up some bells & hi-hats paying homage to one of my all-time favorite clothing brands A Bathing Ape, but then “Excite Me” goes for a grimmer atmosphere saying that the bread excites him.
Meanwhile on “Drive Thru”, we have Southside bringing a psychedelic trap flare to the table cautioning that he can make muhfuckas disappear telling it how it is with everyone on the sidelines hating just before “Hoes” goes hypertrap thanks to TM88 talking about how his new girl being little rather than a hoe. “Break a Promise” works in bells & hi-hats admitting that he promised one of his exes the world only for him to break it leading into the 2 minute “In This Bih” findin’ him stuntin’ in the spot.
“Topp” heads for a cloudier direction instrumentally from it’s titular producer suggesting those who lost their smell of money should be called COVID while the atmospheric trap joint “Broadway” lets the world know that he’s living with his heart again. The rattling “Blockstar” that Smatt Sertified laced with his monitor obviously given the title discusses his status in the hood & shit getting wicked prior to “Run a Mile” drawing from rage scene again feelin’ like people changed on him ever since his bread went up.
Starting the final leg of Break the Silence, the song “Vette Pass By” gives off a morbid flare to the beat to call most out here pussy while the 90 second “Ain’t Nothin’” talks about not seeing numbers first & that makes me happy because neither do I myself. “My Kitchen” is another 2-parter with a Hellish first half going hypertrap for the other declaring that no one knows how to fuck with him out here & finally “No Disguise” interestingly ends on some drumless chipmunk soul shit advising that you ain’t cool ‘cause you rich.
We haven’t heard from Sizzle since the Southside & ChaseTheMoney EP fully produced by the latter & I’d suggest listening to both Trap Ye tapes if you really want to hear what the 808 Mafia co-founder at his best on the mic. As for his first proper solo LP, it’s alright. His distinctly known gangster, bombastic, gritty, rambunctious & menacing trap sound compared to that of his collaborators takes a backseat sticking to regular trap additionally pulling from the rage subgenre which funny enough takes cues from Pi’erre Bourne’s production style & I prefer Pi’erre as a rapper than Southside although both are on the Mt. Rushmore of trap producers with Metro & Zaytoven.
Brooklyn, New York emcee Ja’king the Divine retuning a year & a half after his 3rd album Parables of the Sower with his 5th EP. Introducing himself off his first 3 EPs Growing Pains as well as The Marvelous R7ght Wrist & Pray for New York, his last one Paint Chips came in April 2021 & he released his full-length debut Delusions of Grandeur 4 months later. The sophomore effort 手术: Black Sun Tzu the next summer would receive significant acclaim giving him wider exposure within the underground, raising the stakes for Children of the Scorned.
“Minstrel Show” is a soulful boom bap kickstarter talking about this shit being as different as it is whereas “Negro Spiritual” continues the soul sampling thrown in with kicks & snares refusing to lose or give up. “Aim at the Embassy” gives off a tenser boom bap vibe flexing that he’ll disgrace the American flag for the sole purpose of choking a skinhead & “A Shape of Things to Come” hops over another soul sample talking about change on the rise.
Moving on from there, “Idiom” warns over strings that he’ll decapitate anyone who tempers with his crown while “Public Enemy” strips the drums completely talking about striking the eardrums with a death note & warning that he’ll sign treaties to blow your whole vicinity. “Ward of the State” soulfully cautioning that we’re nearing the end while “Bambi Redd” jazzily demonstrates how word made a powerful man. After the “Youngnturnt” interlude, “Killer’s of the Flower Moon” ends with a flute asking what’s an artist with no torch or soul.
Children of the Scorned on the contrary to 手术: Black Sun Tzu speaks directly towards the black diaspora & the angst among the youth culture in America. He details some of his own battles with love, trust, alienation, self deprivation, discipline, addiction, frustration with our culture & the wavering will to carry on the weight of the world as a black man with trauma in a scathing society backed by production that balances boom bap & drumless including samples of both jazz & soul music.
I believe this is the 12th EP from Millville, New Jersey emcee/producer Gibby Stites. Starting in the music industry over a decade ago off his first 2 mixtapes Gillmatic & Broke n Local, he wouldn’t catch my attention until performing a set during Netfest On Your Couch during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Later that fall, he signed to Majik Ninja Entertainment & I had the honor of interviewing him shortly after the deal was made public. The 13th Wonder pretty much showcased Gibby to the juggalos as Jamie Madrox’ protégé & Welcome to iLLViLLE several months later took listeners through exactly where he comes from, but decided not to renew his MNE contract to form his own label iLLViLLE Worldwide shortly after. Off Air from last summer marked his return behind the boards after 5 years & is so far my favorite thing he’s done since leaving Majik Ninja & Pariah earlier this year was centered around mental health, but is getting back with Charlie Beans to take us to the Echo Chamber.
“Wrapped Up” hops over a cutthroat boom bap beat to get us started kicking that iLL shit whereas “Work Ethic” keeps the kicks & snares in tact talking about his grind. “So Alone” featuring Charlie Beans himself finds the 2 sharing the mic together pointing out the loneliness that everyone’s been feeling these days just before the cavernous boom bap title tracks talks about being unable to hear a word.
Paradime joins Gibby for “Commotion” aggressively looking to both of their plans in motion leading into “Twist of Fate” throwing it back to the 90s instrumentally letting y’all know he’s chillin’ like he should be asking what’s good with you. “Durban Poison” psychedelically lets the listeners know exactly what type of shit he smokes & “To Whom It May Concern” ends the EP unbottling all the pain inside.
In comparison to STiLL iLL roughly 2 & a half years ago by now, Echo Chamber shows a significant amount of maturity from both Gibby Stites & Charlie Beans since each of them went through a lot of personal matters individually during the making of this & they channeled every single one of those hardships into a motivating 27 minute EP for the illvillains.
Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Sk8star back for his 5th extended play. out in the spring of 2021 off Superstar Status, he would go on to follow it up a year later with both the B4NWØ EP & his debut mixtape New World Ørder respectively. The latter being my introduction to Sk8’s music after my lil brody UnreleasedSnip put me on, with songs like “Standin’ on Business” & “YSL Flow” being the standouts for me personally. Following his 3rd EP Mogul along with rebel at the beginning of 2023 & whole new meaning that same spring, Sk8’s addressing the Rebel in the Room.
“E Sex” is a futuristically smooth & romantic trap joint to start the EP cuffing his girl to the bed whereas “FlyLikeABird” takes a rage-inducing route instrumentally talking about his money getting longer. “Southside” has a cloudier vibe to it showing off his bitch from the titular part of the ATL leading into “fukyaface” ending Rebel in the Room’s first half restoring the hypertrap vibes thanks to Clayco & Y3rip of Vanguard Music Group boasting that he’s fly as shit in his own lane.
To start the 2nd leg, “SaidSome” turns the bass up to talk about doing what he wants shrugging off the broke ass muhfuckas around him while “Racks on Racks” vibrantly gets boastful. “KameFromNothin” starts the 4th quarter of the LP with a cloudy trap beat talking about not coming from shit similarly to local trap trailblazer Young Thug & “PlayNoGames” finishes the EP hopping on top of a cavernous instrumental letting it be known that he don’t fuck around.
As someone who’s been following Sk8star for a year & a half, the dude’s been getting progressively better with each project he’s put out & his statement as the Rebel in the Room has been made very much loud & clear. The production draws from rage to trap, cloud rap & pop rap serving as an eclectically cumulating backdrop for a recharged Sk8 to body.
