Buckshot – “The Package” review

Here is the 3rd solo LP from Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer Buckshot. Emerging as the frontman of the trio Black Moon & the Boot Camp Clik’s de facto leader along with founding one of the most beloved record labels in all of hip hop Duck Down Music with the assistance of his business partner Dru Ha, his debut The B.D.I. Thug as well as Backpack Travels become the only 2 albums he’s put out & he’s coming off the I’m the Boss EP a few years earlier to drop off The Package.

The self-produced “We Have Arrived” begins with a jazzy 3 & a half minute intro to get things going whereas “Good Day” continues the jazz rap vibes explaining about how rather pleasantly this day has been panning out in his hood. “What I Bring to the Table” shifts towards a hardcore boom bap direction talking about getting his & breakin’ ‘em all off leading into “Sounds of the Subway” brings the horns back for another jazz rap cut getting on his New York shit.

“Just Stop” moves on from there with a more mellow boom bap atmosphere providing some advice for the kinda people who don’t know when to shut the fuck up until “Make Moves” reaches the halfway point of the full-length responding to those saying he ain’t the hardest. “High Tech Low Life” kicks off the 2nd leg of The Package ruggedly talking about going nowhere as long as he has is notepad & pen in his backpack while “All Fans” expresses his increasing appetite over some strings.

To get the 4th quarter started, “Beware Now” jazzily advises to realize where one stands & spraying up blocks while “Band on Break” brings some pianos into the fold responding to the people wondering where he’s been for so long. “Night Stress” featuring Steele talks about everyone having their own right to rebel & scoffing at these muhfuckas playing crash dummies while the title track spends the LP’s final minutes embracing a celebratory atmosphere confident of taking it to the top with him.

The B.D.I. Thug has been widely considered to be one of the most disappointing debut albums in hip hop & Backpack Travels was alright for what it was but if it takes another decade or so for Buckshot to go solo again, then I wouldn’t complain because I truly believe The Package is musically superior than both it’s predecessors. I think it’s great for those who’ve been wanting him to produce an entire body of work for himself & the Duck Down co-founder lyrically sounds as sharp as he did on Rise of da Moon back in 2019.

Score: 4/5

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Future – “The Real Me” review

Here we have the 12th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future. Coming up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize, he officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). With that said: A great deal of his material for the past decade has primarily been hit or miss. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable. High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself in the midst of trying new things & I Never Liked You put the toxicity claims about him to rest. Metro reunited with Future for We Don’t Trust You & We Still Don’t Trust You, refining Pluto’s previous double album FUTURE HNDRXX & becoming his best since D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). Coming off Mixtape Pluto however, we’re getting a glimpse of The Real Me.

“Fukk a Interview” hooks up a synthesizer-based trap beat produced by ATL Jacob, FNZ & Wheezy talking his shit for his whole entire family for the intro whereas “1 2” gets his gangsta rap shit for a couple minutes over a Smatt Sertified instrumental. “No Misery” puts some odd effects on his vocals talking about trying to tie a bitch like an ace until “California Girls” takes a stripped-back trap approach talking about having bitches around the world.

Meanwhile on “Tank Top Pluto”, we have Future flexing his lifestyle over a boisterous beat from DY prior to the latter’s fellow 808 Mafia brethren TM88 getting behind the boards for “Weight Up” so he can talk about getting his cake up combing an opulent backdrop with some hi-hats. “Konnichiwa” instrumentally makes me feel like I’ve been teleported a couple centuries forward boasting his exotic hoes while “Trench Coat” continues the gangsta themes talking about his grandmother’s house being a drug store.

“Snowing in Skyami” to dig up an outtake from the Mixtape Pluto sessions that Taurus cooked up including a hilarious line regarding him having more women than Nick Cannon while “Build a Bitch” goes for a drumless direction although the repetitive lyricism can get tiring after a bit. The only single “Radio” explores the tension between humility & success over a Dez Wright beat eschewing any mainstream appeal in the process while “2018” brings back the raspy voice he infamously used for the “King’s Dead” single the same year over a DJ Spinz instrumental.

Continuing the 2nd half of The Real Me, “Money Over Everything” has somewhat of a distorted trap quality to it talking about the revenue being his to priority while “Off the Hinge” suggests to let him have his way since he has 5 vibes in his bedroom over a Southside beat. “If I Could” talks about how it wouldn’t be a sin for him to eventually rule the whole world & the difficulty of telling his loved ones how he feels while the bouncy “Big Moment” confronts his girl regarding her to take the stress outta her.

“Cast a Spell” once again delves deeper into the themes of romance raspily assuring this woman that he does shit better than her exes & after “Kick” combines electronics with trap to talk about him beginning to feel the effects of some drugs he took, “Hollywood” acknowledges him being crazy enough to know he’s groovy comparing himself to a pop star AND a rock star simultaneously containing what might be the most upbeat drums on the entire full-length.

The song “Feeling I Give” prepares to send off The Real Me willing to bet $1M on his doubts of any other artist being more toxic than him while “Alice” easily sticks amongst my top 3 cuts, referencing the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland over a playful instrumental that the Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell made. “Eye to Eye” spends the final minutes talking about being on another level with his money.

Mixtape Pluto still gets a divisive reputation over 9 months since it came out & although I couldn’t tell you why Future lied about having hidden features twice when he’s handling all the performances himself, I wouldn’t really consider The Real Me to be on par with the double LP he & Metro put out a couple years ago. It’s more in the same category as The WIZRD in that there are some tracks I can see myself revisiting, but it doesn’t necessarily evolve the sound he became synonymous with during my adolescence.

Score: 2.5/5

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slayr – “Avant Nova” review

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper/producer slayr preluding Fabula Nova & 7th Heaven with his 12th extended play after signing to Columbia Records. Recording music since he was only 11, he’s already dropped his last 11 EPs along with a full-length studio debut & a couple mixtapes. The most notable being Half Blood, which I’d rank amongst the greatest tapes of this decade due to it’s boundary pushing take on rage as well as digicore & pop rap. Earning a spot on the 2026 XXL Freshman Class however, he’s striking while the iron’s hot by dropping Avant Nova.

The self-produced “promise” samples “The Peace” by underscores shouting her out for clearing it & asking if his lover wants his heart whereas “switch my swag” featuring prettifun finds the pair talking about not switching their swag for shit. “nova” reaches the halfway point fucking up his brain & after “i got taste” rehashes his XXL freestyle, “having anxiety is annoying” delves into the relatable feeling of anxiousness. “raise my voice” ends the EP with a 2-parter.

It’s already been made clear of how proud I was of slayr for being a part of this year’s XXL Freshman Class alongside Chris Patrick & La Reezy, the latter of whom dropped his debut album Skiddle Bandana earlier this week. But even it doesn’t surprise me that Avant Nova only maintains the pop rap & rage components of his style since he’s now on a major label, I’m still adamant of Fabula Nova being another riveting entry in his discography.

Score: 4/5

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Jack White – “Frozen Charlotte” review

Jack White is a 51 year old musician, singer/songwriter, producer, businessman & actor from Detroit, Michigan known for being the frontman of the seminal garage rock revival duo The White Stripes. He would later drop his solo debut Blunderbuss under his own label 3rd Man Records in tandem with XL Recordings & Columbia Records in 2012, which was followed up with Lazaretto & Boarding House Reach prior to him declaring his independence in 2022 with Fear of the Dawn & Entering Heaven Alive respectively. His previous full-length No Name has quickly become his most beloved statement since The White Stripes’ disbandment & his 7th studio LP looks to dethrone it.

“G.O.D. & the Broken Ribs” accompanied by the b-side “Derecho Demonico” each get the ball rolling with a fusion of blues rock, alternative rock, punk blues, hard rock, garage rock revival & rap rock retelling the story of Adam & Eve in addition to breaking down is only rule of not starting what he can’t finish. “There’s Nobody Here” gives me some punk blues/garage punk vibes singing about sending smoke signals in the air with no one around while “Raising the Grain” commandingly heads for the catacombs where the river flows.

Meanwhile on “You’ll Never Fix Me”, we have Jack embracing a noisier sound encouraging to turn the lights off since he’s seen & heard enough just before “Nobody Knows” finds himself confused by all these questions until he suggests that it could be the human ego speaking to him. The final single “Dollar Bill” combines blues rock & garage rock revival with acid rock to sing about money & power while “I Can’t Believe What I’m Hearing” gives the impression that it was most likely conceived following his impending divorce from his 3rd wife Olivia Jean.

“Thick as Thieves” turns the blues punk influences back up singing about a loyal relationship where they fulfill each other’s needs while the bluesy “All Alone Again” explains that there isn’t an obstacle stronger than greed. “She’s in a Frenzy” continues from there exploring themes of envy & after “Making Contact” criticizes big tech for misinformation dominating social media these days, “Neighbors Blues” spends the last 5 minutes radiating some heavy Led Zeppelin vibes to vent that the people living next to him never have anything kind to say.

Carrying over the raucously frenetic energy of No Name a couple years ago, Frozen Charlotte doesn’t dethrone it’s predecessor to become my favorite of his since leaving Columbia although I do appreciate the intimacy. The hard & blues rock styles are being prioritized more than his previous outing although we still get hints of punk blues, garage punk, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, garage rock revival, rap rock & acid rock packing a punch that longtime fans will quickly recognize that additionally leaves an open door to anyone who’s been recently introduced to Jack through this.

Score: 4/5

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O.G.C. – “3:30” review

O.G.C. or the Originoo Gunn Clappaz are a trio from Brooklyn, New York consisting of Louieville Sluggah, Starang Wondah & Top Dog. Their 1996 debut Da Storm is widely regarded was one of the greatest albums Duck Down Music Inc. has ever put out although their 2nd & to date final full-length The MPire Shrikez Back was more moderately received. 3 decades later & the Boot Camp Clik subunit who also formed The Fab 5 with Heltah Skeltah are finally returning to drop off a 3-pack in celebration of their debut’s anniversary.

“I Don’t Need You” kicks things off with a dusty 3 & a half minute intro with some sampling chops talking about making money independently while “Make Peace” instrumentally embraces a boom bap vibe advising all low budget muhfuckas to sit down. The closer “Still Starang” produced by Rockwilder finishes the EP with my favorite track here, spending the final moments of 3:30 looking back at their careers going from touring the world to kicking it with Joey Bada$$.

Wasn’t anticipating O.G.C. to coincide Buckshot’s self-produced 3rd album The Payback dropping earlier today & despite having to pick the latter for being the best of the 2, I still think 3:30 makes for an average return for the Gunn Clappaz although I’d definitely say it’s better than The MPire Shrikez Back. All 3 members haven’t lost a step in terms of lyricism or chemistry, but I wish the production stood out more similarly to the outro since both of Francis McCracken’s contributions were merely passable in comparison.

Score: 3/5

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Kelela – “New Avatar” review

Kelela is a 43 year old singer/songwriter & producer from Washington, D.C. who signed to Warp Records following her debut extended play Cut 4 Me in the fall of 2013 She would go on to follow it up with the Hallucinogen mixtape 24 months afterwards as well as the critically revered full-length debut Take Me Apart almost a decade ago & returning for the sophomore effort Raven. For the past few months already, she’s been teasing her 3rd studio LP by dropping a handful of singles & the main course is here in time for summer.

“Idea 1” blends neo-psychedelia, ethereal wave, shoegaze, dream pop & post-rock singing about existing in this current political climate whereas “Point Blank” combines alternative R&B, UK bass, east coast club, atmospheric drum & bass, Baltimore club and post-dubstep confessing that she’s too spent to weep. “Goin Down” has a bit of an alternative rock flare to it singing about the feeling of there being no way out just before “Outta Time” fuses alternative R&B, neo-soul, neo-psychedelia, UK bass & psychedelic soul observing that time’s running out.

As for “Against Me”, we have Kelela focusing more on the alternative R&B side of things acknowledging the demise of a relationship unfolding in front of her while “Crystalize” concludes the 1st half of New Avatar asking this person why they can’t get things right when she loved them the most. “Retaliation Lullaby” delicately sings about avoiding the loss of sight while “Linknb” mixes neo-psychedelia, indie rock, trip hop, dream pop, baggy, Jersey club, bounce & alternative R&B embracing a new identity.

“Don’t Piss Me Off” brings the drum & bass elements back in the picture issuing a warning to anyone looking rain on her parade while “New Life Forms” featuring Fousheé finds the pair joining forces for a hypnotic alternative R&B duet. “The Bridge” featuring PinkPantheress links up for the ultimate alternative r&b, future garage, 2-step, post-dubstep & dark garage single while “If We Met Again” sings about giving up on this person lying to her.

For almost a decade already, Kelela has consistently proven herself to be an artist pushing the alternative R&B subgenre forward with a short discography. Take Me Apart was my favorite of hers until this point & now New Avatar has taken over that spot for it’s explorations of neo-psychedelia, alternative rock, future garage, dream pop, indie rock, ethereal wave, shoegaze, post-rock, UK bass, east coast club, atmospheric drum & bass, Baltimore club, post-dubstep, neo-soul, psychedelic soul, trip hop, baggy, Jersey club, bounce, 2-step & dark garage finding solace in confrontation.

Score: 4.5/5

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Show Me the Body – “Alone Together” review

Show Me the Body is a post-hardcore trio from New York consisting of drummer Jack McDermott, bassist Harlan Steed & frontman Julian Cashwan Pratt. For the past 17 years, they’ve dropped a total of 3 full-lengths as well as 3 extended plays & a couple mixtapes. A vast majority of which came out under Loma Vista Recordings other than Yellow Kidney in 2013, enlisting Connecticut producer Kenny Beats to produce their 4th studio LP in it’s entirety the same day FATHERS made their eponymous debut.

After the horn-heavy “Overture” intro, “Eat for Peace” blends post-hardcore with noise rock & hardcore punk talking about radical love compelling him to fight whereas “No God” combines post-hardcore & rap rock to discuss explaining that you gotta break down to realize what’s at stake. “Good Time” rebelliously expresses their desire of the band always lookin’ for some fun leading into “Dance in the USA” fusing post-hardcore, rap rock, industrial rock, noise rock & dance-punk encourages to embrace the struggle.

“Do What’s Right (Happy)” winds down the last half of Alone Together discussing the things that people do to keep them satisfied just before “See You Again” after an interlude militantly sings about no grave or cemetery being capable of missing the 2 friends they’ve recently lost. “Mileage” keeps hitting us with more hardcore vibes boasting that they’re fueled up while “New Line” sings about a woman running back to her man after a couple days.

The song “Trust” could potentially be the catchiest one here detailing the struggles of finding reliability in people while the “Finale” was really the 3rd & final spoken word intermission preceding the “Overture” intro & the interlude respectively. The title track spends Alone Together’s last minutes dabbling with industrial rock, posing the question of friend or foe since it’s either one or the other & sending blessings to the people who’re standing individually.

Dog Whistle often gets mentioned as Show Me the Body’s most celebrated album even if some would debate it was surpassed by Trouble the Water, but the NYHC outfit might’ve outdone both of those. Kenny Beats’ dichotic production soundtracks Julian Cashwan Pratt’s themes of putting belief in action more hardcore punk & noise rock-oriented although there are lesser influences of industrial rock, post-hardcore & rap rock being displayed.

Score: 4/5

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The Rolling Stones – “Foreign Tongues” review

The Rolling Stones are a blues rock trio from London, England, United Kingdom comprised of rhythm guitarist Ronnie Wood, lead guitarist Keith Richards & frontman Mick Jagger. A band who dropped some of the greatest rock music recorded throughout the late 60s-early 70s like Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. & Some Girls. Their previous full-length Hackney Diamonds under Geffen Records made for a tolerable comeback after 2 decades & the Stones joining Capitol Records for their 24th studio LP had me intrigued since the material dates back to 2019.

“Rough & Twisted” begins with a blues rock single incorporating further elements of electric blues & boogie rock singing about flashing jewelry being a false pretense to them whereas “In the Stars” takes the pop rock route stylistically with some bluesy undertones admitting to feeling a heavy hand meddling with their plans. “Jealous Lover” goes completely smooth soul singing about a relationship going sour while “Mr. Charm” starkly reminding the world of life being as short as it is.

Meanwhile on “Divine Intervention”, we have the Stones singing about our existence being a gamble within it side just before “Ringing Hollow” brings a bit of a country twang into the fold observing all the political turmoil in the United States for a year & a half. “Never Wanna Lose You” reaches the halfway point of the full-length taking back to the pop rock style not wanting to lose the love of their lives whiles “Hit Me in the Head” has a more traditional rock flare acknowledging they won’t be here eternally.

“You Know I’m No Good” takes back to their blues rock origins reminding this woman who’s interested in them cautioning that they were trouble from the very beginning & after “Some of Us” brings a summery atmosphere to the table singing about all of us needing some love in troubling times like these, “Covered in You” continues to make it clear that they’re fed up with the rise of fascist autocracy. More specifically Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder, Twitter owner & Nazi Elon Musk.

The song “Side Effects” hits us with a powerful rock ballad singing about there being a price to pay for literally everything pondering whether if it’s the drugs fucking with their mood or not while the 6 minute “Back in Your Life” treads the Americana waters a bit singing about doing whatever it takes to for this individual to let them in their good graces once more. The closer “Beautiful Delilah” sends off the album with a passable cover of the late Chuck Berry’s track of the same name.

If I have to be serious with myself, Hackney Diamonds still remains a decent comeback for The Rolling Stones after nearly 2 decades exclude the Blue & Lonesome covers but I came away from Foreign Tongues confident that it could be the most gratifying entry in their extensive catalog since Tattoo You. The bluesy pop rock production refines what they tried to do 3 years earlier mixing elements of electric blues, boogie rock, smooth soul & hard rock for a politically charged hour.

Score: 4/5

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FATHERS – Self-Titled review

FATHERS is a jazz quartet from Los Angeles, California comprised of keyboardist Kiefer Shackelford, bassist Ben Carr, drummer Nate Smith & producer Kenny Beats. Almost everyone has an established background in the instrumental hip hop field except from Nate, whose output generally ranges from jazz fusion to jazz-funk & neo-soul. The greatest jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records have decided to bring the band on board for their eponymous full-length debut & only a couple weeks away from Kenny fully producing Rico Nasty’s upcoming 3rd album RX finally seeing the light of day later this month.

“Eye Level” sets things off with a 3 minute intro working in some synthesizers, pianos, drums & bass giving off heavy instrumental hip hop vibes whereas “Patchwork” brings alto saxophonist Nicole McCabe on board for an infectiously bright jazz track that I can imagine hearing at opulent hotel from a complimentary standpoint. The only single “Pearl” experiments with Brazilian pop-jazz & I admire the way they gave it a modern luster just before “Stub” kinda has hypnotically quirkier approach compositionally.

We have FATHERS incorporating some organs for “The Leak” to kick off the 2nd half of their self-titled debut while “Tomorrow, Again” concludes the 3rd quarter bringing a more tropical flare to the table instrumentally enlisting violinist Yasmeen Al-Mazeedi to handle the strings. “Front Yard” comes through with some colorfully rich keys & drums that have a boom bap quality to them while the closer “Figure 8” brings Yasmeen back 1 last time provide a heavenly outro fusing jazz & instrumental hip hop.

I can’t deny Kenny Beats taking the risk of expanding his clientele outside of hip hop by producing Geese’s 4th album Getting Killed last fall & Weezer’s next full-length The Gold Album later this August, so it was interesting to hear him forming FATHERS with 3 other jazz-rooted instrumentalists who’ve already established themselves & I hope this is only the beginning for the band since they improvised a tastefully jazzy instrumental hip hop debut with some occasional funk influences.

Score: 4/5

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SosMula – “Yung Plane Krash” review

Manhattan, New York rapper SosMula enlisting Shadow Wizard Money Gang to host his 2nd mixtape. Coming up as 1/3 of the now defunct City Morgue alongside fellow emcee ZillaKami & producer Thraxx, they’ve released 2 full-lengths & an EP together up before branching out on their own for a little bit. Sos was the first to step up to the plate by dropping 13 Songs 2 Die 2, which was a bit of a disappointment in my opinion due to the features & production. ZillaKami followed it up a month later with HIS solo debut Dogboy & the duo reunited to drop Bottom of the Barrel the month after that, both of those I found much more tolerable. 2 High 2 Die was better than its predecessor & the Sleez Machine EP that fall was the worst solo effort of his yet. Signing to Limosa Nostra Records & Atlantic Records succeeding the divisive reception of his final Republic Records offering Sleez Religion, he made it out of Kamp Krystl Lake last Halloween & has dropped Yung Plane Krash hot off some mediocre teasers.

“‘Till the Last Star Dies” pledges his heart to the dark lord declares that he stands with the shadows over a trap beat with some 808s whereas the lead single “Running Man” talks a him dashing through the trap & the racks even if the instrumental still doesn’t blow me away. “Sportmode” embraces a ghostlier vibe about throwin’ bullets at car doors until “Flash Gordon” hits us with some of tight rhyme schemes despite more below average beats.

Moving on from there, “St. Peter” spends a couple minutes aggressively flipping birds at both Republicans & Democrats just before “Goodyear” featuring Ricky Hil finds the pair linking up so they can talk about maintaining legendary status when both artists eventually pass away. “Cocaine” hits us with a 3 minute freestyle recalling his days of selling crack prior to making music while “Bloodsport” featuring Lil Speedy reaches the halfway point talking about killing their opps.

“Bangout” cautions not to press him since he’ll pull out the stick & unloading clips over the course of the final single while the 2nd single “Krakk Star” featuring Rocket Rese references former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rampage Jackson in the midst of their coke-fueled bars. “Hiccups” featuring Lil Speedy reunites both of them chaotically dropping cringey lines like “Making bitches bleed like maxipads” while “My Face Off” talks about being a renegade.

Ricky Hil returns for the trap metal-infused “Hate Me” produced by Thraxx surpassing “Goodyear” to become their best collaboration throughout Yung Plane Krash while “Purified” keeps the heavy guitars & hi-hats coming talking about sacrificial scriptures of slaughter. “Chrome Spikes” featuring Dialryckx links up for a bilingual industrial trap song boasting of everything they own being chrome & the trap metal outro “Blood Bath McGrath” talks about wanting to see bloodshed.

I still maintain that Kamp Krystl Lake was a highly enjoyable Limosa Nostra debut for SosMula, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for Yung Plane Krash since I’d consider it to be his worst offering on the label thus far. The backend of it contains some of the hardest hitting tracks on the whole thing thanks to Thraxx’s production, which makes me hope that he’ll produce an entire album for Sleezy at some point whenever the timing’s right.

Score: 2/5

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