NEMS – “Gorilla Monsoon” review

NEMS is an MC from Brooklyn, New York who first gained attention in the battle rap field. He made his debut in 2010 with Prezident’s Day & followed it up in 2012 with Coney Soprano but now after years of mixtapes, he’s coming back with his 3rd album.

The album kicks off “Step Aside”, where NEMS is spitting battle bars over a sinister boom bap beat from JAZZSOON (who happens to be the sole producer of the project). The next song “Where You Know Me From?” with Conway the Machine details the gritty street life over a nightmarish instrumental while the track “Timb Boots” gets into fight mode over a funky beat.

“Gahbage” is a ruthless diss towards wack rappers who shove their music down everyone’s throats while the track “Kings” is a dedication to how good NEMS is living over a soulful beat. The song “Lil Niggas” gets back on the battle bar tip over a grimy boom bap beat while the track “Who Got Ya?” brags about his prowess over a piano driven boom bap beat.

After the “Intermission”, the song “200” with Spit Gemz sees the 2 bodying off their competition & their families like disgraced IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WWE tag team champion & 3-time WCW World Television Champion Chris Benoit over a beat that sounds inspired by a horror film. The track “Heavy Metal” reflects on his past over some prominent drums while the song “Leave Me Alone” gets motivational over a punchy beat.

The penultimate track “No Reggaeton” with Al Doe & Axel Leon is an intriguing Puerto Rican flavored cut & then the album ends with “Token of My Gratitude”, which is essentially a beautiful 3 & a half minute song combined with a 13 minute spoken word outro.

Personally, this is easily NEMS’ magnum opus. There are a couple tracks I could’ve done without but for the most part: JAZZSOON’s beats are hardcore, the rhymes are deadly & it really seems like he put his heart into it.

Score: 4/5

Jim Jones – “El Capo” review

Jim Jones is a legendary rapper from the Bronx who came up as a member of The Diplomats at the beginning of the decade. He released a few albums throughout the 2000s, but he went off the radar after 2011’s Capo. It wasn’t until last year’s Wasted Talent that he would make his comeback & now a year later, he’s delivering his 7th full-length album with The Heatmakerz producing it in it’s entirety.

The album kicks off with “Cristal Ocassions”, where he talks about his rise from nothing to fame over a soulful boom bap beat. The next track “Love of the Hustle” minimalistically recalls his drug dealing deals whereas “Make No Issues of It” brushes off ignorance over some harmonious background vocals. The track “NYC” with Fat Joe pays tribute to their hometown referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson over a joyous beat while the song “Good Die Young” is a tribute to all of the homies he lost over a beautiful soul sample.

The track “State of the Union” with Rick Ross sees the 2 getting conscious over a mellow beat while the song “Pity in the Summer” with Cam’ron & Fred the Godson is a decent club banger. The track “My Era” with Maino reflects on their pasts over some prominent drums with a soul sample in the background while the song “Nothing Lasts” with Fabolous vents on some life issues over an infectious beat.

The track “Cocaine Dreamin'” with Dave East talks about how their lives a like a movie over a boom bap beat with a sped-up vocal sample. The track “Mama I Made It” with Cam is of course a triumphant success anthem with a nice church choir while the song “To Whom It May Concern” is a fantastic Dipset/Griselda posse cut.

The track “Sports Cars” is all about just that with a decent beat & a perfect Curren$y verse & while “Song Boxing” is short, it’s very cutthroat. The penultimate track “Bread Right” boasts about his money over a dreamy beat & then the album finishes with “Don’t Know What They Took Him For”, where Jim gets with Jadakiss & Philthy Rich to talk about death over a soulful beat.

Overall, this is easily Jim’s best work yet & really the album that I’ve always wanted to hear from him. There are way too many features, but a good chunk of them do their thing. And on top of that, Jim steps his pen-game up continuing the elevation shown on Wasted Talent & The Heatmakerz as Dipset’s in-house production team show why they’re one of the most underrated producers ever.

Score: 4.5/5

100 gecs – “1,000 gecs” review

100 gecs is a hyperpop duo from St. Louis, Missouri consisting of singer/songwriters & producers Dylan Brady & Laura Les. Initially meeting at a high school rodeo, they reunited in 2015 & dropped an eponymous extended play the following year to moderate reception although glimpses of their potential were shown. However, they’ve been getting a lot of attention for the singles preceding their brief full-length debut that they’ve decided to put out through Dylan’s own independent label Dog Show Records.

The remix Parker Corey of Injury Reserve did for the intro “745 Sticky” combines industrial hip hop, glitch hop, deconstructed club, trap, wonky & hybrid trap to talk about the paper whereas their breakout single “money machine” takes a more humorous approach to their songwriting with PC Music founder A.G. Cook’s remix blending bubblegum bass, deconstructed club, industrial hip hop, hyperpop, emo rap & sound collage.

“800db cloud” mixes hyperpop, industrial hip hop, industrial rock, deconstructed club, cyber metal, sludge metal & emo rap asking where the weed’s at while “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx” after the “stupid horse” interlude interpolates “Kiss Me Through the Phone” by Soulja Boy exploring vocal trance. “ringtone” featuring Charli XCX & Rico Nasty on the remix talks about their partners calling them using different responses over a pop rap, hyperpop, electropop, bubblegum bass, emo rap & digicore instrumental just before “gecgecgec” lets Laura shine on her own for a couple minutes.

Hyperpop, EDM trap, digicore, standard trap, emo rap, hands up, nightcore, bubblegum bass, vocal trance & pop rap all collide for what could be my favorite track they’ve ever done “hand crushed by a mallet” included in WWE 2K24 describing a fight that occurred during a studio session where one of them left & the other one was upset regarding the whole thing while “gec 2 Ü” featuring Dorian Electra on the remix joins forces for a hyperpop, brostep, hands up, glitch & deconstructed club outro talking about their own relationships.

In the mist of all the polarizing reception this album’s been getting, I’d have to strongly disagree with the crowd who’s been calling 1,000 gecsunlistenable & lean more towards the other half of people who’ve been praising 100 gecs for it’s creative amalgamation of multiple genres. Dylan Brady & Laura Les’ production improved their signature hyperpop sound adding elements of deconstructed club, electropop, emo rap, trap, digicore, pop rap, bubblegum bass, industrial hip hop, glitch hop, wonky, hybrid trap, sound collage, industrial rock, cyber metal, sludge metal, electropop, EDM trap, hands up, nightcore, vocal trance, brostep, glitch & deconstructed club to popularize the electropop subgenre.

Score: 4/5

Supergang – Self-Titled review

The Supergang are a quartet from England, United Kingdom consisting of Runcorn, Cheshire, emcee/producer Lee Scott, London emcee Milkavelli, Sheffield emcee Sniff & finally London producer Sumgii. All of whom have cross paths with each other several times over the courses of each member’s careers, so them forming & introducing themselves as a unit by dropping an eponymous debut EP under Blah Records was understandable given the founder of the label’s involvement in many different side projects.

The g-funk instrumental on the intro “Zap” was a welcoming way to get the extended play started having each of them spitting hardcore verses without the need of a hook whereas “Yellow x Green” goes for a lo-fi boom bap vibe talking about dreaming in only those 2 colors. “GNGLVD” keeps the beats dusty making it clear the Devil Gang’s retaliation has begun while “Do It Twice” rawly yet slowly talks about living life do or die because of the rush they get out of it.

“I Confess” starts the backend of the Supergang’s self-titled debut admitting to pushing drugs on their Twitter feeds & being happier than a kid on Christmas Eve once they’re caught instrumentally experimenting with trap leading into the “Unofficial Anthem” coming through with their own 5 & a half minute theme song. “Bubblewrap” closes up shop with 1 last boom bap beat subduing it so all 3 lyricists can fire off 1 last hardcore verse of their own.

Making it their mission to become the UK hip hop scene’s next unstoppable force, the Supergang’s inaugural musical statement certainly does what everyone involved had set out to do & those who enjoy the Mcabre Brothers’ output or Nobodies Home’s debut EP ADHD Concerto 77 wouldn’t deny it. Sumgii’s production here sticks out amongst the funkiest he’s ever made & Lee handles the verse with both Milkavelli & Sniff by his side rather than either or.

Score: 4/5

Ouija Macc – “Resistance: The Walk to Wasteland” review

Ouija Macc is a rapper from Las Vegas, Nevada who came up as the latest signee to the Insane Clown Posse’s label that runs beneath the streets Psychopathic Records in 2017. He made a pretty solid debut last May with Gutterwater, following it up not too long after 2 mixtapes: Waterdamage & 50 Shades of Dead. However to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of his debut, he’s continuing his grind with his 3rd mixtape & longtime collaborator Devereaux producing it in it’s entirety.

The album kicks off with “Controller 17,” where Ouija is dissing an unknown rapper over an eerie beat. The next track “Infinight” talks about shooting out the sun over a druggy trap beat while the song “Lil Monster” gets murderous over a nocturnal trap beat. The track “1700 MPH” has a decent beat, but I love how Ouija disses his haters & that he speeds up his flow during the hook. The song “Dead Diary” is a horrific trap metal fusion & while the track “Randall’s Law” gets murderous, it sounds unfinished. The song “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” continues the lyrical themes of the previous cut over a haunting trap beat & while the track “Hater Exterminator” pretty much speaks for itself over an ominous trap beat, the hook is annoying.

The song “Gary in the Gravedigger” talks about hustling over an alluring trap beat while the track “Benz Boys” with R I L E Y showcases a pretty decent chemistry between the 2 over a Halloween-esque trap beat. The song “Friends” talks about being lonesome over bass-heavy trap beat with a haunting bell throughout while the track “Toxic Nephilim” talks about being a heathen over an atmospheric beat. The song “Jujitsu” gets boastful over a moody beat while the track “Error 404” is a short yet catchy banger where Ouija continues to brag. The song “Sonar Sizzle” talks about the things he’s seen over the course of his life over a somber beat & then “Chaos Spell” is an adrenaline pumping way to close out the tape.

This was a major improvement over Ouija’s last 2 tapes & it’s on par with Gutterwater for his magnum opus. Devereaux’s producer tags can get annoying after a while as they’re placed on every single track, but his chemistry with Ouija is stronger than ever on this one & I like how they kept features to a minimum. It’s not for everyone though, as they continue to put an old fashioned horrorcore spin on the trap sound that’s ever so popular right now.

Score: 3.5/5

Beast Coast – “Escape from New York” review

The Beast Coast are a New York hip hop collective consisting of Pro Era & Clockwork Indigo (the Flatbush ZOMBiES & The Underachievers). All 3 subgroups blew throughout the decade with the strengths of Joey Bada$$’ debut mixtape 1999, Flatbush’s sophomore tape BetterOffDead & The Underachievers’ sophomore album Evermore: The Art of Duality. Now after all these years of making names for themselves, they’re finally teaming up for their full-length debut as a collective.

The opener “It Ain’t Easy, It Ain’t Easy” by AK, CJ Fly, the Flatbush ZOMBiES & Nyck @ Knight talks about their rise to fame over a bland beat while the next track “Left Hand” by CJ, Clockwork Indigo, Joey Bada$$ & Nyck @ Knight takes a jab at their enemies over a druggy trap beat. The song “Problemz” by CJ, Erick the Architect, Nyck Caution, The Underachievers & Zombie Juice talks about their own issues over a mellow beat while the track “Far Away” by Erick Joey, Meechy Darko & Nyck @ Knight gets romantic over a mellow beat from Powers Pleasant. The song “Snow in the Stadium” by CJ, Erick, Joey, Issa Gold, Kirk Knight & Meechy talks about defeating the best over a cloudy trap beat while the track “Rubberband” sees Flatbush & Joey talks about making dough over a gloomy trap beat.

The song “Distance” by Erick, Issa & Joey talks about feeling free over some pretty keyboards & skittering snares while the track “Bones” by Clockwork Indigo & Nyck @ Knight gets confrontational over a perfectly fitting trap beat. The song “Puke” by AK, Erick, Joey, Meechy & Nyck looks back at when they were broke over some somber piano chords while the track “Desperado” by Joey, Kirk & the 2 Dead Boyz get at their haters over some hi-hats & an ominous acoustic guitar lead. The song “1 More Round” by Erick, Joey, Meechy & Nyck is a headache inducing alcohol anthem with a buttery instrumental while the penultimate track “Coast/Clear” by Flatbush, Issa, Joey & Nyck @ Knight is a horrifically executed friendship ode. The closer “Last Choir” by AK, Erick, Meechy & Nyck @ Knight then talks about being blessed to have made it in the rap game over a joyous instrumental.

While we’ve waited a long time for it, it’s pretty decent. Everyone all sounds great collectively & I love how they didn’t bring on any features as a way of showing that, but the production could’ve been better.

Score: 3/5

$uicideboy$ – “LIVE FAST, DIE WHENEVER” review

The $uicideboy$ are a hip hop duo from New Orleans, Louisiana consisting of G*59 Record$ founders Ruby da Cherry & $crim. They’ve been releasing a plethora of EPs & mixtapes since 2013, but it wasn’t until last September that they made their full-length debut with I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS. But now 8 months later, they’re delivering their 23rd EP & have enlisted the legendary blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to produce it in it’s entirety.

The EP kicks off with “Killing 2 Birds with 22 Stones”, where the duo get murderous over a grimy trap/metal fusion. The next song “Sour Grapes” calls out the music industry over an druggy instrumental while the track “DON’T TRUST ANYONE!” talks about paranoia over a noisy trap beat. The song “Individuality Was So Last Year” talks about wanting to be left alone over an atmospheric beat while the penultimate track “Aliens are Ghosts” brush off their naysayers over an eerie trap beat & I love how they incorporated samples of Anthony Fantano all over. The EP then finishes with “nothingleftnothingleft”, which is a dime a dozen digital hardcore cut about wanting to commit suicide.

All & all, this was a solid EP. The duo pretty much stick to their Three 6 Mafia influenced guns & Travis really helps enhance their aggression quite a bit. I also love how they got Munky from KoЯn to play guitar on half of the cuts to enhance the rock feeling to the project.

Score: 3.5/5

Tyler, The Creator – “IGOR” review

This is the 6th full-length album from California rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, music video director & designer: Tyler, The Creator. Who rose to international stardom at the beginning of the decade as the de facto leader of the now defunct collective Odd Future with the help of the music video of his breakout single “Yonkers”. Last time we heard Tyler in a long capacity was in 2017 with the release of Flower Boy. Easily his magnum opus & one of the greatest hip hop albums of this decade, where we saw his full artistic & personal evolution with personal lyrics & colorful production. Tyler even saw fit to drop an EP this past winter to coincide with The Grinch & while that was ok, it seems like he’s ready to deliver his long-awaited follow-up to Flower Boy.

The album kicks off with “IGOR’S THEME”, which is a repetitive yet entrancing piece with an instrumental that keeps making well-constructed turns left & right. The next song “EARFQUAKE” with Playboi Carti sees the 2 telling their significant others that they need them in their lives over a atmospheric beat while the track “I THINK” is a catchy love tune with a synth-funk instrumental. After the “EXACTLY WHAT YOU RUN FROM YOU END UP CHASING” skit, we go into the song “RUNNING OUT OF TIME”. Where Tyler calls out his ex’s true colors over a spacey beat. The track “NEW MAGIC WAND” sees Tyler begging his lover not to dump him over a noisy beat while the song “A BOY IS A GUN” is a soulful tune where Tyler is telling this person he’s here for them.

The track “PUPPET” with Kanye West talks about being controlled by a lover over a blissful instrumental while the song “WHAT’S GOOD” vents about depression over a beat that starts off eerie, but later switches into something more chaotic. The track “GONE, GONE / THANK YOU” starts off as a sunny R&B tune about how his love’s no longer here, but then it transitions into an interlude where Tyler is thanking this ex of his. The penultimate track “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” is of course a breakup anthem with a punchy yet meditative beat & then the album ends with “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?”, where Tyler & Pharrell team up to deliver a slow yet beautiful R&B cut with a fitting Al Green sample.

As I expected from the snippets, this a nice change of pace. Tyler’s going into a more neo-soul direction while fusing it with the sounds of his 2015 album Cherry Bomb. You could compare it to M.I.A.’s ΛΛ Λ Y Λ because Kala & Flower Boy were M.I.A. & Tyler’s most accessible albums & both of them turned around to deliver their most experimental efforts yet. Just another example of why T is the most creative recording artists of this decade. Here’s to whatever he has coming in 2021.

Score: 4.5/5

Injury Reserve – Self-Titled review

Injury Reserve is a hip hop trio from Tempe, Arizona consisting of Stepa J. Groggs, Ritchie With a T & Parker Corey. I first caught wind of them in 2016 with release of their 3rd mixtape Floss. They then followed it up with their 2nd EP Drive It Like It’s Stolen & while both were equally dope, I was really curious to see what they would do on their full-length debut over here.

It all kicks off with “Koruna & Lime”, where the trio reflect on all it took to get where they are today over an deconstructed club instrumental. The next song “Jawbreaker” with Rico Nasty gets conscious over a vibraphone & some handclaps while the track “G.T.F.U. (Get The Fuck Up)” with JPEGMAFIA & Cakes da Killa sees the 3 getting confrontational over a beat that starts off gritty, but then transitions into something smoother.

After the “QWERTY” interlude, we go into the song “Jailbreak the Tesla”. Where the trio team up with Aminé to make a dedication to the titular car brand over a bassy instrumental. The track “Gravy n Biscuits” talks about how everything’s alright with a mellow piano throughout while the “Rap Song Tutorial” is a repetitive yet very clever cut teaching those at home how to make a hip hop tune.

The track “Wax On” with Freddie Gibbs talks about getting their money up over a meditative beat while the song “What a Year It’s Been” reflects on their newfound success over a chaotic beat. The track “Hello?!” is more of a unfinished yet melodic interlude while the song “Best Spot in the House” gets introspective over a somber beat. The penultimate track “New Hawaii” with DRAM is a peaceful love ballad & then the album finishes with “3 Man Weave”, where the trio get triumphant over a jazzy beat.

Overall, this was just as solid as their last 2 releases & it gives the new listeners a good glimpse at who they are. The instrumentals are well-put together, it sounds passionate & they continue to solidify themselves as fresh faces in the experimental hip hop scene

Score: 4/5

Wu-Tang Clan – “Of Mics & Men” soundtrack review

The Wu-Tang Clan. What can be said now about the iconic New York hip hop outfit that hasn’t been said already? From their iconic first 2 albums Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) & Wu-Tang Forever to the countless classic solo debuts like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & Supreme Clientele, they’ve always been rightfully regarded as the greatest hip hop outfit of all-time. Last time we heard from them collectively in an album capacity was in 2014 with A Better Tomorrow & with a SHOWTIME documentary being recently released, they’re coming together with the help of Nas’ Mass Appeal Records to deliver the soundtrack for it.

The soundtrack kicks off with “On That Shit Again”, where Ghostface Killah & RZA sound vengeful over a piano & some drums. The next song “Seen a Lot of Things” with Ghost & Raekwon pretty much speaks for itself over a prominent electric guitar & after the “Project Kids” skit, we go into the RZA solo cut “Do the Same as My Brother Do”. Where the Abbott kicks some knowledge over a punchy yet orchestral beat. After the “Yo is you Cheo?” skit & before the “1 Rhyme” outro, the final song of the EP is the title track. Where RZA gets with Cappadonna & Masta Killa boast over some prominent drums.

As much as I loved the documentary, this was a decent soundtrack. Most of the performances are fantastic don’t get me wrong, but it sounds like the Clan could’ve fully fleshed it out.

Score: 3/5