Recognize Ali is a Ghanaian emcee who’s been shaking up the underground for the past several years now off projects like Back 2 Mecca, The Shining, I.S.L.A.M. (I Self Lord And Master) & Guerilla Dynasty. Dude’s previous effort Recognition just dropped back in August & for his 9th full-length outing, Ali has enlisted Bronze Nazareth of the Wu-Elements to produce the whole thing from front to back.
After the “Motown Connection” intro, the first actual song “God Aura” incorporates some horns as Ali spits about the champ being here whereas “Hand Count the Cake” is a dope money ode & the vocal loop was well-picked out. The orchestral-tinged “Tear Drops in the Sky” connects with his Dueling Experts cohort Verbal Kent alongside former Army of the Pharaohs member King Magnetic to rap about catching bodies while “Street Gospel” is a soulful tune about “bringing Terror to your Squad like Big Pun”.
After the “Knew Legends” skit, the song “Silver Spear Promise” seems like a homage to the iconic Jay Electronica joint “Exhibit C” from some of Ali’s rhyme schemes down to the sample of “Cross My Heart” by Billy Stewart while the gospel-tinged “Olympic Gold Medalists” taps in TriState & Willie the Kid to get on the spiritual side of things lyrically.
After the “Find It in Him” skit, the title track has a plinky piano loop throughout with lyrics about greatness whereas “How Many Times” finds Bronze hopping on the mic with Ali as the 2 pondering about a number of things on top of an elegant beat.
“Rivers in the Basement of Truth” taps in Napoleon da Legend & Lord Jessiah to spit the battle bars over a piano & some vocal harmonies while the track “How We Roll” brings in a boom bap beat with some harmonization in the background as Ali spits about being on the corner until the AM. I also like the Money Miz shoutout at the end of the first verse as well.
“Camouflage Dons” is a cool homage to the Wu-Tang Clan & the Killa Beez as Ali jumps on an instrumental that has the Wu sound alongside Dom Pachino & before the “Outro to Detroit” outro that finishes off the album, “The Grind” is a symphonic coda about his hustle.
In my opinion, this is one of the best albums that Recognize Ali has ever done. Dude continues to further demonstrate as to why he’s one of the most thought-provoking MCs to emerge from the underground in recent years & Bronze Nazareth comes correct on the production per usual.
Conway the Machine is a 39 year old MC & entrepreneur from Buffalo, New York who blew up in late 2015 as part of the 3 OGs of Griselda Records alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their cousin Benny the Butcher. Ever since the trio have rose to prominence, they’ve had hip hop on lock by their constant work ethic balancing quality & quality as well as vividly detailing their lives in the streets on top of boom bap production kin to that of RZA & Havoc in their music. Con’s full-length debut From King to a God was my Album of the Year for 2020 & his sophomore effort with Big Ghost Ltd. that just came out a couple months ago If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed is a worthy sequel to No One Mourns the Wicked. But just when even thought we were getting the Shady Records-backed God Don’t Make Mistakes next, we’re getting another prelude album out of the woodwork.
“Bruiser Brody” named after the WWE Hall of Famer is a grimy opener from the boom bap production from JR Swiftz to the lyrics calling out those who pray on his downfall whereas the Bangladesh-produced “6:30 Tip Off” is a jazz-trap fusion speaking on his profit. The song “Blood Roses” is about how “I came to prove I came improved” with a spiritual beat from Cardiak, but then “Clarity” opens up on how he spares “no feelings when my pen is movin’” on top of a soulful trap instrumental from Don Cannon.
The track “KD” has a weepy trap instrumental from Murda Beatz with lyrics talks about those speaking on Conway’s legacy while “200 Pies” with 2 Chainz of course gets on that pusher shit & the bare loop that The Alchemist comes through with is hypnotic as fuck. “Sister Abigail” is a dusty boom bap tune named where The Machine recruits his new protégés Jae Skeese & 7xvethegenius for a homage to to former 3-time WWE world champion & 2-time WWE tag team champion Bray Wyatt’s signature move of the same name, but then Jae returns on the peppily-produced “Grace” to talk about how they don’t live in disguise to get their blessings.
The song “Scatterbrain” brings in J.I.D & Ludacris to get murderous on top of a frigid instrumental, but then Elcamino & Shots Almigh hop on Had to Hustle” to speak on what they had to do to get where they are now. The closer “S.E. Gang” serves as a response to those who said Conway was leaving Griselda earlier this year as he, Westside Gunn & Benny the Butcher spit that mafioso shit over a flute sample from Daringer.
Not what I was expecting from Conway, but still a dope album regardless. In comparison to him returning to a more grimier sound on If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed, I like how he continues to build off the the versatility that From King to a God brought. Whenever the time for God Don’t Make Mistakes comes, I’ll be more than ready to hear where he takes it.
This is the 2nd showcase compilation from Atlanta, Georgia record label YSL Records. Founded in 2010 by trap trailblazer Young Thug & having been distributed by 300 Entertainment since 2016, the label has built up quite a promising roster within the last 5 years. Their most notable acts being of course Gunna & Lil Keed. The crew’s first showcase compilation Slime Language came out in 2018 to mixed reviews & as the 3 year anniversary of that original project creeps up this summer, Thugger & the gang are taking another jab at it on Slime Language II.
“Slatty” is a great way to kick off the comp as Young Thug, Gunna, Yak Gotti & Lil Duke get together over a siren induced beat from Southside & Pvlace whereas “Ski” shows off the chemistry between Thugger & Gunna over a string-heavy instrumental from Wheezy & Outtatown. The duo’s dominance continues as they pair up with Travis Scott on “Diamonds Dancing” to show off their expensive lifestyles over a piano trap fusion from Turbo, but then Drake & Gunna get together for the spacious party anthem “Solid”.
Meanwhile on “Came & Saw”, we have Young Thug bringing Rowdy Rebel on for a short verse & a lengthy hook to speak on how “you can’t put dirt on someone that’s clean” on top of a Viking-esque instrumental. He later goes on to to trade bars charmingly back & forth with Gunna on the dystopian-sounding “Paid the Fine” that Cubeatz helped put together, but the Lil Baby verse at the beginning starts it off strong & YTB Trench’s finishes it off mediocrely.
“Proud of You” is clearly a remixed leftover from the Eternal Atake sessions Bugz Ronin handles that I actually enjoy, but then Thug & his brother Unfoonk hop on the country trap-flavored “Real” to talk about seeing their haters on the sideline. Karlae & Coi LeRay join forces for the cloudy R&B-tinged “I Like”, but then Lil Keed & T-Shyne manage to get Big Sean on the mystical-sounding “Warriors” to proclaim themselves as such.
“Pots & Pans” has a synth-heavy instrumental that I really enjoy & Lil Duke really shines on here, but ΠΔV comes in & delivers a flat robotic verse that throws the vibe off. The song “WokStar” goes into a more ominous direction as Strick & Skepta speak on their celebrity status, but then “Superstar” marks Young Thug’s return as he & Future talk about how everyone wants to be famous these days over an acoustic instrumental with some rubbery bass.
“Came Out” incorporates a xylophone in the production as Gunna & Keed vaunt but then YNW Melly, BSlime & FN DaDealer come together on “Really Be Slime”, which is easily the most generic song on the entire compilation. “Take It to Trial” was a fun choice for a lead single & I like it even more in the context of the album, but then “Trance” by Karlae & Yung Bleu is a super redundant sex tune even with Dez Wright behind the boards.
Sheck Wes, Yak Gotti & Yung Kayo deliver some underwhelming bars about drug/alcohol usage on top of a Taurus instrumental with a bit of a chopped & screwed influence to it during “G.F.U. (Get Fucked Up)”, but then the psychedelically-produced “Moon Man” finds Thugger & KiD CuDi getting together to compare life to a buffet. I prefer HiDoraah’s solo track “Como Te Llama” over the one she had on the first Slime Language as she melodically goes into detail about wanting to know more about her partner & the Dolly White solo cut “Reckless” is even better as she goes into a more grittier direction both lyrically & sonically for 92 seconds.
The penultimate track “That Go” by Meek Mill, T-Shyne & Young Thug is a hedonism ode with some prominent synthesizers & the album ends with a boring remix to “My City” by YTB Trench. The deluxe run makes up for it starting with “Slam the Door” by Young Thug & Gunna talking about the millions coming with a name while “Litty” by Young Thug & DaBaby proves to be less exciting even with the reference to WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle.
“No Slime” by Young Thug, Don Toliver & BSlime warns that the trio might get too comfortable although they assure everything will be ok while “Mil in Vegas” by Young Thug & ΠΔV offers a glimpse of both artists’ respectively lavish lifestyles. “Explosion” by Gunna, FN da Dealer & Yak Gotti acknowledges that everyone in their city knows that’s exactly what they be dropping while “Yessirskii” by Thug’s daughter Mego talks about fashion. The final bonus track “Mack Truck” by Young Thug & Jim Jones unites the ByrdGang & YSL for a generational trap heater spittin’ that g shit.
I was hoping for Slime Language II to be a step up above the predecessor, but it’s just as mediocre. Despite the label’s roster growing & improving, there are a handful of songs that should’ve been left on the cutting room floor. If YSL ever decides to do a Slime Language III at some point down the road, I hope it’s more well-curated.
Big Scarr is a 21 year old rapper from Memphis, Tennessee that broke out in 2019 off his debut single “Make a Play”. This would catch the attention of Atlanta trap pioneer Gucci Mane, who signed Scarr to his revived Atlantic Records imprint 1017 Global last year. The kid has gone on to release 6 singles since being taken under Wop’s wing & with the commercial success of Pooh Shiesty’s debut tape Shiesty Season that came out a couple months back, Scarr is next up at bat.
“Grim Reaper” is a to-the-point opener as Scarr hops on some sinister piano melodies & hi-hats to spit about being a murder, but then the next song “Get It In” is a violin-heavy follow-up about being a young legend. “Poppin’” is a doomy ode to his newfound fame whereas the braggadocio-induced “Frozone” goes into a more wintry direction sonically.
The track “Ballin’ in LA” links up with Gucci Mane & Pooh Shiesty to deliver a dark yet infectious dedication to the sunshine state while “Joe Dirt” goes into a more uptempo direction beat-wide as the lyrics detail going from the apartments to the mansion. “SoIcyBoyz3” re-enlists Shiesty & Wop alongside Foogiano to send a warning to their detractors over a glistening Tay Keith instrumental & the Baby K-featured “No Ball” literally has nothing going for it other than the Middle Eastern-inspired production.
Scarr returns to a more darker sound on the track “Don’t Stop” as he raps about beef, but then “IDL” showcases a cool lil chemistry between him & Enchanting as they paint an oxymoronic love story. The woefully produced “Pay Me” details being crossed so many times & on the contrary, “Traphouse” is a stern look-back on his days before rapping.
Meanwhile on “I Would Keep Goin’”, we have have Big Scarr detailing how heartless he is in a petrifying fashion referencing WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle before he & Gucci Mane detail how they live life on the Zaytoven-produced “In Color”. The track “From the Jump” details about his greatness over a plentiful instrumental & the tape ends with the first 2 installments of the “SoIcyBoyz” series. The first one is kinda underwhelming & the 2nd one is much more improved.
Even though I came away from Big Grim Reaper with mixed feelings, I’m still very much looking forward to hearing what Big Scarr has to offer. The overall sound is middle-of-the-road, but I’m not gonna deny the ambition in his voice throughout a good bulk of the tape.
BROCKHAMPTON is a hip hop boy band that originated in San Marcos, Texas in 2010 via the “KanyeToTheForum under the original name AliveSinceForever. But when things started to look good for them after they released the SATURATION trilogy to universal acclaim in 2017, one of their founding members Ameer Vann was kicked out midway through the following year due to sexual misconduct. The boys’ next 2 albums following iridescence & GINGER were both released to moderate reception & after taking 2020 off, Kevin Abstract & the gang are returning from the shadows by dropping their 6th & allegedly penultimate album.
“BUZZCUT” is a off-the-wall opener as Kevin & Danny Brown come through with some conscious undertones through their lyrics backed by a psychedelic instrumental from Jabari Manwa. The next song “Chain On” goes into a more cloud rap direction as Kevin connects with JPEGMAFIA to speak out against police brutality whereas “Count on Me” is a summery anthem about how everything will be ok regardless of what they say & even though I think Matt Champion & A$AP Rocky both kill their verses, I can’t say the same for SoGoneSoFlexy.
The track “Bankroll” is a hazy trap banger with Merlyn Wood, Jabari & A$AP Ferg to show off their wealth while “The Light” is pretty much JOBA & Kevin venting about something being missing deep inside them over an ominous boom bap instrumental. The song “Windows” everyone reuniting with SoGoneSoFlexy to talk about how crazy they are with an icier instrumental than the previous cut & then “I’ll Take You On” finds Charlie Wilson joining Matt & bearface to cook up an gorgeous alternative R&B joint.
The instrumental on “Old News” kinda reminds me of Baby Bash’s “Suga Suga” for some odd reason as the boys tap in Baird to address the games their lovers put them through, but then Matt & JOBA get together on “What’s the Occasion?” to vent about how “a million little pieces all add up to nothing lately” on top of an acoustic/boom bap instrumental with some occasional synths. Chad Hugo laces the piano ballad “When I Ball” that sees Matt & Dom McLennon looking back on their younger days whereas the chaotically-produced “Don’t Shoot Up the Party” finds Kevin & Matt speaking against the bigotry in America. The track “Dear Lord” is a short, a capella bearface solo cut about his brother needing help & then “The Light, Pt. II” is an optimistic, almost gospel-flavored closer from Kevin & JOBA.
If anyone’s been turned off by these guys given the moderate reception of their last 2 albums, then I highly recommend giving this a shot because this is their most consistent effort since SATURATION III. I really dig how they started to incorporate more outside collaborators even though not all of them stick the landing & the boys do a great job at showing listeners what’s been going on in their world ever since GINGER came out.
This is a brand new collaborative EP between Houston, Texas rapper RiFF RAFF along with Gadsen, Alabama rapper, singer/songwriter, fashion designer & entrepreneur Yelawolf. Both of whom came up in 2011, except one of them was a former reality star & the other being an Eminem protege. Even though Catfish Billy saw much success with Shady Records (most notably the albums Radioactive: Amazing & Mystifying Chemical Tricks as well as Love Story & Trial by Fire), it wasn’t until 2014 when JODY HiGHROLLER dropped his full-length debut NEON iCON under Mad Decent. Their paths first crossed last summer when Yelawolf was featured on RiFF RAFF’s previous album VåNiLLå GöRiLLå but they’re trying to take it to the next level by joining forces for TURQUOiSE TORNADO.
“MOSSY OAK” is an ass-kicking opener as both parties express their fondness for the outdoor lifestyle company of the same name & the DJ Paul instrumental is the epitome of evil. The next track “HUMAN LAMBORGHiNi” has a plinky trap instrumental with the duo comparing themselves to the titular luxury car, but the Danny Swift verse is wack & Peso Peso’s verse at the beginning of “MONCLER JACKET” is no better. Except on here, he joins RiFF RAFF & Yelawolf to talk about making $1M over some hi-hats & a slick bass-line.
The song “ALCOHOL & WEED” is of course a party anthem with a Struggle Jennings verse that makes up for the features we heard on the last 2 cuts & an atmospheric trap instrumental whereas the title track taps in Paul Wall to freestyle about materialism with a somewhat quirky beat. The penultimate track is a mediocre 4th installment to “TiP TOE WiNG iN MY JAWWDiNZ” with an awkward 80’s synth-wave instrumental but then the EP finishes off strong with “MiLLiON DOLLAR MULLET”, which contains some of the flashiest lyricism on the entire thing & the Ronny J production is so gargantuan.
Even though I like TURQUOiSE TORNADO more than I did Yelawolf Blacksheep, it isn’t by a whole lot. I think Yelawolf has a much better chemistry with RiFF RAFF than he did with Caskey, but they kinda overdid it on the features & they can be hit or miss.
Milano Constantine is an MC from New York City originally coming up in the early 2000s as a D.I.T.C. affiliate. However, it wouldn’t be until 2015 when he dropped his official debut album The Believers. Since then, Milano had built up an impressive solo catalogue by putting out a total of 4 albums & an EP. But coming fresh off his collab album with Body Bag Ben entitled Write It In Blood, the East Coast vet is tapping in Showbiz for his 2nd EP.
“Cavili Champ” is a great way to kick the whole thing off with it’s blaxploitation-like instrumental as well as Milano’s bars about “only giving soul music like Donny Hath”, but then the next song “Bank Stopper” incorporates some horns into the beat as he proclaims his magnificence. The track “Come On” goes into detail about the streets not playing fair on top of a heavenly vocal loop whereas “Gin Rummy” contains a triumphant beat & delving into why it ain’t it safe to play in the streets.
The song “Broadway Joe” reminisces about the material he’s killed over some horns & a guitar while “Night & Day” incorporates a classy instrumental as Milano gloats. The penultimate track “On My Father” is an impassioned anthem about fighting for democracy & then the closer “Save the Children” is a violin-induced banger about doing what he has to for his babies.
In my personal opinion, Eating But Still Hungry is up there with The Way We Were & Boulevard Author for Milano’s magnum opus. He & Showbiz bring the best out of each other by providing some old school, East Coast gang shit in terms of the pen game & overall sound.
Lil Tjay is a 19 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from The Bronx, New York that got his start by releasing singles on SoundCloud in 2017. This resulted in him signing to Columbia Records the following year & since then, Tjay has dropped a full-length debut as well as 3 EPs. But coming fresh off the 2020 XXL Freshman Class last summer, the kid is following it up by putting out a sophomore album.
The titular opener heavily samples “Who Gets Your Love?” by Margie Joseph as Tjay pretty much says he won’t stop until he comes out on top, but then the next song “Born 2 Be Great” is a dysphoric-sounding ballad about him not letting anyone say he ain’t shit. “Call My Phone” with 6LACK serves as a boring R&B crooner about them being unable to get these women off their mind whereas “What You Wanna Do?” opens up about being sick of playing games with his lover over an instrumental sampling “ONE MAN ARMY” by Melvoni.
The song “Hood Rich” is a piano trap banger with lyrics about his hopes of wanting to accomplish something while “Oh Well” continues to delve into the sounds of the previous cut except Tjay is spitting some gang shit. “Headshot” with Polo G & Fivio Foreign goes into a more violin/drill direction as the trio brag & get malevolent whereas “Gang Gang” piggybacks off keyboard loops as he reps his squad.
The track “Go Crazy” proclaims himself as a progressor over a signature 808 Melo instrumental while “Irregular Love” is a minimally-produced pop rap joint about how his relationship is abnormal. The song “Move” doesn’t sound too bad given the raunchy lyrics that Saweetie & Tyga deliver alongside the stripped-back trap beat from OG Parker & G. Ry, but it didn’t need to be on this album since Tjay hardly has any presence in it.
“Slow Down” expresses a desire to get to know your lover with a cloud rap instrumental from Cassius Jay, but then “Love Hurts” is a tedious anthem about making a relationship work & the Toosii verse doesn’t help either. The song “Run It Up” with Moneybagg Yo & Offset is of course a bland, materialism tune whereas the jangly “Part of the Plan” speaks about focusing on music.
“No Cap” speaks from the heart albeit the instrumental is comatose as Hell while “Life Changed” is an airily-produced joint about moving on to better things. “Nuf Said” sounds like a short, loose freestyle backed by a spacious beat from Jahaan Sweet while “Losses” is one of Tjay’s best songs ever as the pain he expresses throughout is so powerful.
The penultimate track “Move On” sounds like it was ripped off from the BEAUTIFUL THUGGER GIRLS playbook from it’s country/trap production to the lyrics about a relationship coming to an end & finally, the closer “None of Your Love” takes shots at his exes over a synth-laced instrumental from CashMoneyAP.
I haven’t been a big fan of Tjay’s work up to this point & Destined 2 Win doesn’t really help change that because to me, it’s just another mediocre album from him. His personality definitely shines a lot more than it did on previous efforts, but the production choices are very hit or miss & a good portion of the love songs fall flat on their face.
Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee Truemendous making her full-length studio debut. Introducing herself in 2015 off her debut EP Whoremonal Moodswings, she continued to build momentum with the trilogy P.S. This Is Your Mother Calling began & bridged by P.S. This is Your Father Calling. The final chapter P.S. This is Your Aunty Calling eventually caught the attention of High Focus Records, who dropped her 5th EP Huh? right when the COVID-19 pandemic began. However, she’s ready to take the next step in her evolution & is ready to start the 2nd quarter of the year dissecting The Misdiagnosis of Chyvonne Johnson a couple months succeeding Jamie Hayter becoming a 2-time RPW British Women’s Champion.
“Cause a Scene” comes out the gate with an aggressive boom bap intro talking about her being on the verge of drumming up a disturbance within the UK hip hop scene whereas “Probably Right (Too)” pens a cavernous open letter that Telemachus cooked up to her lover suggesting his parents are right in regards of her being too good for him. “Y” featuring Kofi Stone goes for a jazzy boom bap vibe thanks to Illinformed tackling themes of heartbreak while “Worst Child” asks if one loves themselves over a rich yet dusty beat.
As for “Selfish Behavior”, we have Truemendous spending 9 minutes fusing boom bap as well as neo-soul & a hint of trap telling her partner that she’s coming with whenever he decides to leave her just before “You Don’t Wanna” gives off a cloudier trap vibe instrumentally courtesy of Wundrop so she can give some shine to the unique flow that got her a label deal 13 months earlier for 100 seconds. “You Don’t Like Me Because” takes the jazzy boom bap route with the help of Dirty Dike for a message directed at all the people who doubted her while “Free Food” moodily talks about only being somewhere she didn’t want to be because of the complimentary nourishments.
“Crying of Laughter” begins the 2nd half with an atmospheric trap beat explaining that she’s only shedding tears of amusement because she wants to cry over the very person she has in mind while she was writing this while “Spirit & Breanna” celebrates the impression of her having no competition whatsoever. “Mood Ring” incorporates some synthesizers to talk doing people wrong or right depending on how she’s feeling while the J Dilla-inspired “Browkeee” celebrates entrepreneurship.
The sequel to “Tick the Box” jumps over a quirky beat so she can keep moving intrusively while “Emmett Till” featuring Masta Ace returns to the boom bap to talk about the system being rigged in their favor. “Viral” featuring Obi Rundo gets back on the eerie trap tip dismantling the crowd who downplays their work ethics but once “Petty You, Petty Me” cohesively talks about the concept of pettiness itself, it only makes sense for “Yvonne’s Daughter” to finish the LP with an endearing tribute to her mother.
Inspired by Lauryn Hill’s only solo effort The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Truemendous’ own debut album under High Focus Records offers the underground at large a complete representation of who she is by capturing every dimension of her musically. The songwriting’s a lot more fiercely heavier than both of her earlier projects were with the production honing in on the eclectic crossovers between boom bap, neo-soul, jazz rap & trap that were heard over a year ago.
This is the 15th EP from Queensbridge emcee Flee Lord. Blowing up in 2017 off his debut EP Loyalty or Death: Lord Talk & it’s 2018 sequel, the Prodigy protege continued to grow from there by dropping subsequent projects like Gets Greater Later & Loyalty & Trust. But after dropping every month last year (the most notable ones being Hand Me My Flowers as well as The People’s Champ & In the Name of Prodigy), Flee is teaming up with DJ Muggs to drop RAMM£LLZ££.
The titular intro is a cool little skit that I had expected going in, but then the first song “Eating Never Stressing” talks about how your life will be great if you work as hard as him over a bare organ loop. The next track “SA Mobbin’” talks about holding his block down over a doleful piano instrumental while the song “Driver’s Seat” pays tribute to Capone-N-N.O.R.E. over a misty boom bap beat.
The track “Wallabies & Gucci Loafers” with Ghostface Kilah & Roc Marciano finds the trio on their fly shit over a soul-tinged instrumental while the song “Mansions in the Ghetto” with Crimeapple sees the 2 talking about giving back to their people over some guitar-picking & horns. The track “45 in My Pocket” talks about how going back to the hood is stressful for him over a rich boom bap instrumental while the song “Daleon & Delgado” with TF finds the duo talking about shooting rounds at the sky over a beat kin to Daringer.
“The Equation” talks about hoping people follow his path when he’s gone over a deranged instrumental & while the penultimate track “Queens Get the $$$” with Meyhem Lauren sees the 2 talking about all being psychos over a boom bap beat with some rapid piano-playing throughout. The titular outro talks about going from having bad to making good paper over a sample of “I’m Alive” by Johnny Thunder.
Even though 2020 was the Year of the Lord, it’s starting to look like 2021 will be the Year of Muggs because this is a damn near perfect EP. Death & the Magician is still my Album of the Year as of me writing this review, but RAMM£LLZ££ is just as enjoyable because both parties manage to bring their A-game on here lyrically & sonically.
