Klokwerk E – “Rent a Friend” review

This is the 4th EP from Columbus, Ohio horrorcore duo Klokwerk E. Consisting of Billy D & Kyle Kombs, they introduced themselves a couple years ago off their debut EP Will Boof 4 Rent & later the full-length debut The Emerald Tablets. These guys would also form the supergroup Mighty Morphin’ Wackness with the Super Famous Fun Time Guys over 14 months ago, dropping Santa Claus Fukked My Dog as well as an acclaimed sophomore effort Anubis & their previous EP Bukkake Mukbang Extravaganza this summer. In preparation for Hallowicked weekend however, Rent a Friend has been slowly revealing itself to be their most interesting extended play yet.

It’s only appropriate for the title track produced by Kyle Kombs to set the tone of things talking about making new best friends & looks to “Have Some Fun” after a long day over a trap instrumental. “Bad Influence” humorously asks if you’d ride & die for them but after the “What’s Your Name?” skit, the synth-funk inspired “Johnny Bravo” references the classic Discovery Global-owned Cartoon Network series of the same name.

After the “Do You Remember?” skit, the penultimate song “Homeboys” officially winds down on Rent a Friend with a chill ballad dedicated to chillin’ with some good friends & “Together” sends off the EP with one of the greatest Klokwerk E songs ever heartwarmingly telling everyone listening that they won’t ever be alone hoping some of us live life more, find love & that it gets people through whatever hardships they’re facing.

The 3rd project from Klokwerk E in 2025 feels like a forgotten VHS tape from another era offering a 1-on-1 friendship experience that you’ll never forget, rivaling Anubis for some of the Silver Boof Brothers’ greatest material & exemplifying their popularity in the underground. Kyle Kombs’ production has been continuously getting better as he & Billy conceptually engage in a late-night conversation full of joy, melancholy & grief.

Score: 4/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 18” review

48 hours later & the 4th collaborative EP between Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim has arrived. Both of whom have worked with each other countless times in the past several years, teaming up for the collab album Strictly 4 My D.U.M.P.E.R.Z. during the spring of 2018 & the Bloodspiller EP almost 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven became their greatest joint offering yet & fresh off the 17th chapter this weekend, installment #18 is here.

“Better Days” opens with Fahim holding the mic down by himself over a calming boom bap instrumental getting on some mental health shit whereas the soulfully jazzy “Everyday” talks about doing this shit no matter what. Jay NiCE finally appears during “Lay Punishment” setting wack rappers on fire on top of a sample just before “Lands Trapped” lets their words echo through nature.

The song “Well Done” continues the 2nd half of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 18talking about being eager to make an other bag drop while Tha God Fahim’s final solo joint “Soo True” discusses protecting your heart. “Gumbo” finishes the EP with both MCs teaming up 1 last time for a soulful outro including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer, the shortest reigning WWE Champion & former WWE Tag Team Champion André the Giant.

Reserving my praise towards Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12, the predecessor on Sunday wasn’t on par with the season 2 premiere or the 16th entry in saga & I can pretty much confirm that Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17 fits in the same category. Jay NiCE’s contributions decreased from 71% to 57% but other than that, there isn’t really a whole lot to be said that hasn’t been sent already from their chemistry to the production.

Score: 3.5/5

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Misery Coast – Self-Titled review

Misery Coast is a horrorcore & production duo consisting of Grand Rapids, Michigan rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & Dirtcore Music founder Crossworm and Windsor, Ontario, Canada rapper/producer J Reno. These guys have already been established within the underground wicked shit scene individually for over a decade or 2 already, forming last Christmas after having a couple tracks land on the Dirtcore showcase compilation. Some of the label’s acts had the honor of performing at the Gathering of Legends or the 25th annual Gathering of the Juggalos this summer & with Hallowicked festivities in a few days, Misery Coast’s looking to introduce themselves by releasing a brand new EP.

After the “Coast is Cursed” intro, the first song “Dance with the Devil” begins with a cold-blooded boom bap instrumental talking about sitting beside a fire where the lost souls go whereas “I Fuckin’ Do” takes a rap rock approach to the beat flexing they have the keys to a dead city. “Feed the Fear” talks about death always being nearby no matter how far any one tries to run from it & a haunted heartbeat stealing sleep leading into the “Coast is Clear” interlude.

“Welcome to” starts the 2nd half of the extended play with Crossworm & J Reno by dabbling with trap advising to disregard all the corpses beneath them looking to cause more than simply disorderly conduct while “The Ghost of Who I Used to Be” returns to the boom bap with some sampling talking about seeing part versions of themselves. “Is It Even Halloween?” celebrates the upcoming holiday with a 2 & a half minute wicked shit heater while “1 Last Cloud” finishes by talking about being born with violent cores.

Similarly to what Bodies Below Sea Level did with their eponymous debut album at the very beginning of November immediately following the previous Hallowicked season, it’s Misery Coast turn to properly introduce themselves as a group with a 21 minute EP providing depressive wicked shit for the hopeless & J Reno continuing to bring Crossworm right back to his hip hop roots in time for this weekend.

Score: 4/5

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Aesop Rock – “I Heard It’s a Mess There Too” review

New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock surprise-releasing his 12th studio LP almost 5 months since Black Hole Superette. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd under Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop has made himself home with for over a decade strong. Blockhead had fully produced Garbology to acclaim & Integrated Tech Solutions has quickly received the same love The Impossible Kid, coming off the most complexly-produced opus of his career to put I Heard It’s a Mess There Too on YouTube & his website.

“Crystals & Herbs” starts us off with a quirky, self-produced boom bap intro abstractly explaining that you can’t blame the rigged system for not being able to defend yourself whereas “The Cut” takes an eerier route to the beat talking about being in a secluded location. “Full House Pinball” advises to remember what a little fresh air can do for us all just before “Bag Lunch” talks about having whole blocks on lockdown instead of avenues.

Meanwhile on “Spin to Win”, we have Aes over a funkier beat whipping around the woods & rattling the limbs of those nearby leading into “Opossum” instrumentally reminding me a little of Griselda running circles around instead of running in circles. “Oh My Stars” begins the 2nd half sharing donuts with crows whenever he finds himself unsure as to where to go while “Potato Leek Soup” talks about playing in the streets all day & encouraging bystanders to be scared.

“Pay the Man” begins the 3rd & final act of I Heard It’s a Mess There Too by working in a boom bap beat with some chimes feeling confident that he could throw a playing card that would land between one’s praying hands while “Poly Cotton Blend” shows off his sampling techniques forever hittin’ the ground runnin’ with the bum rush. “Fall Home” tells all of his friends he hopes they find what they need to become the people they were meant to be & the closer “Sherbert” advising one could be the likes of which we ain’t seen.

Rather than expanding the complexity of Black Hole Superette’s production earlier this spring, Aesop Rock makes a conscious shift in approach when making I Heard It’s a Mess There Too using newer tools to make his sound cleaner & more minimal because he felt like he’s been making music similarly for quite some time embracing a detailed concept around keeping up with long-distance friendships & the ways social media’s being used to document tragedies & political uprisings.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17” review

Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim reuniting for their 3rd collaborative EP. Both of whom have worked with each other countless times in the past several years, teaming up for the collab album Strictly 4 My D.U.M.P.E.R.Z. during the spring of 2018 & the Bloodspiller EP almost 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven was the last time we heard them joining forces & they’re doing it again for the 17th installment.

“At Worst I’m Legend” starts with both of them over a bare soul sample turning their opposition into bloodbaths while “Swift N Effective” by Tha God Fahim soulfully talks about his mind continuously wondering as the cash flow picks up. “Wolves N Sheep” continues the sampling flexing that both of them are the coldest in their respective fields leading into the jazzy “Organize Power” talking about being brutally ruthless.

The song “1,000 Lashes” starts nears the conclusion of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17 by incorporating more vocal chops promising they won’t be granting safe passages just before “Divine Smite” marks Jay NiCE’s final appearance talking about needing sharpness & heart to battle them. “Ruthless Lawbringer” sends off the EP with a 2nd & final solo cut from Fahim advising to look at the bigger picture along with the small details.

Wasn’t expecting to get another collab project out of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga this quickly let alone a 2nd one with Jay NiCE but since Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 became his & Tha God Fahim’s greatest joint offering yet, you’re probably gonna enjoy the 2nd entry of this ongoing season equally although I prefer the latter. Nicholas Craven’s production is mostly boom bap centered like the predecessor last month was with the exception of the drumless influences being emphasized & the evident chemistry of both lyricists.

Score: 3.5/5

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WowGr8 – “Howl at da Moon” review

WowGr8 is a 35 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being 1/2 of the EARTHGANG with Olu. They would later form the Spillage Village collective together, which J. Cole signing the EARTHGANG as well as J.I.D & the rest of the crew to his Dreamville Records imprint. He also has a solo mixtape & an extended play of his own on SoundCloud at this point, celebrating his birthday weekend by dropping an official solo debut in preparation for his partner-in-rhyme’s Earth 2 Olu.

After the “Red Band Trailer” intro, the first song “Keep It in Da Fam” sets up shop with a soulful trap instrumental talking about people only hating on him & his crew because they’re unstoppable whereas “Dirty Job” featuring Chris Patrick takes a jazzier approach explaining that they’re doing the tough work because someone has to. “Dumbass” dabbles with trap talking about learning the hard way sometimes leading into “Avant Garde” featuring Flvme explaining that they had to switch up their approach.

“Ya Woah” incorporates some sampling to suggest that any children around his vicinity should head home because he’s got a fully loaded clip on him just before “Debo” featuring Bigg Cup & Deante’ Hitchcock homage Tiny Lister’s character from the Friday franchise. Marco+ later joins WowGr8 for 3 minutes of “Pure Debauchery” prior to “Labrador” talking about not being with the back-&-forth shit.

After the “Doc Deescalates” skit, “At the Same Time” featuring Mick Jenkins takes a psychedelic trap turn describing their partners loving & hating them simultaneously while “Right Now” featuring Nicki Jupiter could have my favorite beat on the LP produced by Powers Pleasant, colorfully fuses pop rap with trap soul. “Alley” featuring MediSun embraces a bit of a reggae vibe continuing the themes of romance while “Flamingo” featuring Tonye Ayeba embraces a heavier R&B direction stylistically.

“Too Much Ass” talking about being a young entrepreneur trying to get a check & run a business experimenting with a neo-psychedelic trap sound while “P.N.C. (Post-Nut Clarity)” themed around the idea of being mentally reset after sex could be the most awkward moment on Howl at da Moon coming out the gate with a PornHub intro sample. “Uh Oh” meshes soul & gospel singing about his partner fucking but after the “N***a Pop” interlude, “Meow” featuring Benji makes playful feline references over a funky beat.

Starting the album’s final leg, “The Equation / Chuck Town Freestyle” divides itself in 2 halves with an EDM instrumental during the 1st & spitting off-the-top with a cloudy trap beat backing him during the other while “Swim” featuring Chaz French talks about needing more time & patience. “Throwbike” samples a flit & throws some hi-hats in the equation promising he’ll always give things his all while “Howl at the Moonlight” finishes by talking about everything coming with a price as a part of life.

It’s most likely safe to assume at this point that Earth 2 Olu will be more lenient towards an R&B style based on all 3 singles we’ve gotten from Olu these past 8 months & Howl at da Moon on the contrary stays rooted in hip hop telling the story of WowGr8’s life these past 3 & a half decades. Aside from a few lackluster tracks, I do appreciate him being more vulnerable & dramatic than normally compared to both EARTHGANG & Spillage Village’s own output as their own units.

Score: 3.5/5

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Reuben Vincent – “Welcome Home” review

Here is the highly anticipated 3rd album from Charlotte, North Carolina emcee Reuben Vincent. Emerging under the original moniker Esau, his debut tape IDOL.escent would catch the attention of 9th Wonder & would sign Reuben to Jamla Records in 2016. His debut album Myers Park would be released the next fall followed by the previous EP Boy Meets World, the latter of which resulted in Roc Nation Records handling distribution for Reuben’s future output much like fellow Jamla signee Rapsody beginning with the sophomore effort Love is War almost 3 years ago continuing to elevate his popularity. General Admission was ok in comparison, coming off the well received Hit Me When You Get Here earlier this spring to finally drop Welcome Home.

“Homecoming” promises over a slick boom bap instrumental that the blood, sweat & tears he puts into his music won’t be in vein whereas “Day by Day” works in a soul sample to send praises to the most high on the daily. “God’s Children” featuring Ab-Soul finds the 2 nostalgically homaging Ahmad’s hit single “Back in the Day” just before the charming “Gotta Get It” talks about getting paid.

As for “Queen City”, we have Reuben observes the excessive wannabes out nowadays in addition to dismissing the crowd who stays in his ear telling him what he can & can’t leading into the triumphantly funky “Get Up (Get Down)” talking about being here to flip the pages. “Issa Dee” takes a summery approach to the beat facing the concept of insecurity directly leading into “Anything” talking about doing whatever makes his partner happy.

“So I Pray” featuring Heather Victoria teams up for a luxurious ode to both Jamla artists’ spirituality while “Dre & Sydney” finds himself trying to figure out how this man & woman are so close yet so far sampling soul music once again. “Get It Girl” featuring Wale shows a flirtatious side to themselves over some synthesizers while “Sweet & Good” continues the theme of love over an orchestral boom bap instrumental.

Jourden Cox joins Reuben on the soulful “Just 4 Me” talking about God making their soulmates solely for them while “Cup of Love (Fools)” explains his preference of living like a country boy instead of winning awards. “I’m Good” featuring Marco+ links up for 5 & a half minutes assuring everyone concerned of them that they’re doing well while “In My Life” wraps things up with a line referring to my favorite Roy Ayers track “Searching”.

Taking it back to the foundation of Reuben Vincent’s artistry, Welcome Home represents a full-circle moment from the standpoint of 9th Wonder being the person to give him 1st chance in this game & they back to where it all began for them simultaneously elevating their artistic bond. He might’ve lost friends & family to get to where he is presently, but he gained things worth more than living in the process finally seeing the fruits after remaining focused.

Score: 4/5

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Monie Love – “Love Notes” review

Monie Love is a 55 year old MC, actress & radio host from London, England, United Kingdom making her full-length debut on Devil’s Night 1990 under Warner Records with Down to Earth. Her sophomore effort In a Word or 2 produced by Marley Marl & surprisingly the late Prince would leave fans divided over 3 decades ago although I personally like it more than Down to Earth. Returning to music 10 days ago after appearing on 7xvethegenius’ new album Self 7xve 3, the Native Tongues member looks to take her comeback to newer heights by dropping off a brand new EP of material a day prior to former AEW Women’s World Champion Blake Monroe becoming the new NXT Women’s North American Champion.

“Sho Luv” produced by Baby Paul formerly of Da Beatminerz bestowing the new level that she’s elevated herself to after over 3 decades of being gone whereas “Cape Vinny” takes the soulful boom bap route instrumentally to talk about clarity settling in because of her thoughts getting crowded. “Jus We” featuring Ruste Juxx & T3 continues the sampling of soul for a romantic direction topically while the lead single “Divine” featuring Skyzoo & Tuff talks about memories taking center stage onstage of fading.

The 3rd & final single “Mo’ Skillz” featuring Amil starts the backend of Love Notes marking the return of Roc-A-Fella Records’ 1st Lady herself joining Monie in ripping it over a sample of “Shadows” by The Mysterious Flying Orchestra for a nod to the Gang Starr single “Skills” leading into “Atonement” incorporating strings & synthesizers talking about reparations along with handing people the same rope she was given. The 2nd single “1 People” featuring Nana Fofie to me serves as the official closer excluding the “Sho Luv” remix experimenting with dancehall.

Originally teased in the fall of 2021 under the title Lovestruck, we finally got Baby Paul convincing one of hip hop’s pioneering women in Monie Love to come back after pursuing a radio career since In a Word or 2 because of surface pressure that a lot of artists can undergo now & the shape of the forever evolving industry we’ve all come to cherish so greatly. Together, their attempt at a grassroots level extended play makes up for it’s lengthy delays speaking from the heart with a handful of well-picked guests having 0 worries regarding who’s gonna stream or buy it.

Score: 4/5

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The Alchemist & Hit-Boy – “Goldfish” review

Beverly Hills producer, DJ & rapper The Alchemist joining forces with Fontana producer, rapper & singer/songwriter Hit-Boy for their long-awaited collaborative LP. Both of whom have respectively become amongst the most in-demand beatsmiths, with Uncle Al ranking amongst my top 10 producers ever. They’ve crossed paths with each other on multiple instances whether it be producing Benny the Butcher’s 4th album Everybody Can’t Go or Big Hit’s sophomore Blacks & Whites, but are finally dropping Goldfish a little over a couple years in the making.

“Doing My Best” finds the 2 trading bars with one another over a sumptuous Hit-Boy beat they cooked up together to begin while the jazzy single “Business Merger” turns up the watts whilst beating up the pots. “Show Me the Way” takes the drumless chipmunk soul route instrumentally thanks to Uncle Al feeling confident they won’t ever be the same people they once were prior leading into the Conway the Machine solo track “Mick & Cooley”.

Alchemist & Hit-Boy get back on the mic during the soulful “Ask for Me” talking about being on the low with the only thing you gotta do is simply ask while “Ricky” hooks up an pretty orchestral sample so Uncle Al can reflect that a 2-parent household is all he & his siblings ever knew. “Groupie Love” brings back the drumless chipmunk soul vibes getting rotation on the radio after doing a freestyle just before “Celebration Moments” talks about wanting the crown now.

“Home Improvement” primarily has a smooth drumless sound until the drums come in full gear near the end of both verses delivered from a deeply introspective place while “Recent Memory” talks about their only competition being themselves. “Walk in Faith” continues the sampling until a switch-up during Hit-Boy’s part freezing because of the cold world we’re in & “Not Much” featuring Boldy James soulfully flexes their own individual spaces as MCs.

Continuing to holding it down by themselves “Drawing Bridges” talks about there being nothing to take because nothing was given in the beginning while “All Gas No Breaks” featuring Big Hit & Jay Worthy finds the quartet applying pressure to the pedal. “God’s Great” officially ends Goldfish giving praise to the most high over a pitched sample while “Morrissey” starts the deluxe run comparing their lives to theatrical films.

“The Main Event” structurally is built a lot similarly to “Slipping Into Darkness” where Hit-Boy’s rhyming over an Alchemist instrumental & vice versa with the exception Johnathan Hulett’s briefly sung verse following Uncle Al’s & the final bonus track “Don’t Be Gone” flips a Chicago Gangsters deep cut going back-&-forth with each other on top of drumless sampling for a little over 3 minutes.

Goldfish isn’t really any different from what The Alchemist has done with Oh No under the Gangrene moniker for the past 15 years aside from the Conway joint & that’s not a criticism because Hit-Boy has already proven himself to be a capable MC on Surf or Drown alongside it’s sequel. The west coast veterans gel with one another exceptionally on the mic as they have in the past producing for other artists.

Score: 4/5

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Slaine – “A New State of Grace” review

Boston, Massachusetts veteran Slaine has returned with his 6th LP. Most notable for being a member of La Coka Nostra, he released an EP & a total of 4 mixtapes before coming through with his debut album A World with No Skies in 2011 under Suburban Noize Records. This was followed up with The Boston Project in 2013 as well as The King of Everything the year after that, but the man went took a 3-year hiatus following the release of the Slaine is Dead EP in 2016 & returned by dropping the mature 1 Day in 2019. It’s been a while since The Things We Can’t Forgive, but he’s locking in with Statik Selektah to enter A New State of Grace.

The title track opens up by jumping over some synthesizers & a vocal sample talking about going places there usually isn’t any coming back from whereas “Cancel Culture” by La Coka Nostra tackles that very subject on top of a boom bap instrumental. “Listen Up” meshes these quirky synths with kicks & snares for a b-boy anthem just before “Ambition of the Crown” featuring Millyz talks about playing with fire being a dangerous thing when aiming at the king.

“It’s All Good” continues with an apology for someone he hurt whilst thanking them for being a true friend of his while “Ain’t Been the Same” talks about waking up saying hello to his new life & adios to his old one. “Coka Grillz” by La Coka Nostra featuring Paul Wall was a great single with everyone spraying lyrical bullets at those looking to battle them while “Crumbled God” featuring Rasheed Chappell & 1982 takes a more conscious approach topically.

“The Real Shit” featuring Masta Ace & O.C. starts A New State of Grace’s final leg with the trio over a piano-tinged boom bap instrumental talking about times eternally changing while “Gusto” featuring O.T. the Real & Statik KXNG samples “In Memory Of…” by Gang Starr to see who can spit the illest verse. “World Don’t Stop” concludes with a heartfelt outro talking about the future making sense in hindsight.

Capturing the energy of A State of Grace original whilst carrying the weight as well as the wisdom & scars of everything that’s happened since, A New State of Grace seems like a homecoming of sorts regarding Slaine & Statik Selektah’s friendship dating back 2 decade. From the latter’s signature boom bap sound to the sharp lyricism balancing bravado with the maturity of 1 Day & The Things We Can’t Forgive, the sequel to Slaine’s most beloved tape raises the bar both it’s predecessors have set in the late 2010s/early 2020s.

Score: 4.5/5

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