Luhh Dyl – “Intrude” review

Luhh Dyl is a 21 year old recording artist from Detroit, Michigan who began to gain traction in the city putting out his debut EP The Ticket in the summer of 2023. It caught the attention of 300 Entertainment, who signed Dyl for his next EP Cart Music birthing his own subgenre of Detroit trap on his debut for the label. Only 7 months later, he’s looking to pick up right where he left off on his debut mixtape with half of the features getting the best of me in checking it out.

The sampling throughout “Chosen” caught my attention to open the tape thanking God for all his trials & tribulations while “Chance” hooks up this trap instrumental with some strings woven in talking about people hating him for never conforming. “Ski” jazzily flexes that everyone else has no other choice to watch him out here & having it better now ahead of the Detroit trap joint “Not a Rapper” talking about everyone else being actors compared to him.

“Be Foreal” shows off the way he be turning up & boasting they couldn’t rap like him if they even were him blending Detroit trap & jazz rap leading into “Fuck 12” featuring Tee Grizzley giving a finger to the feds. “Slow Down” featuring Veeze brings these synths in the fold chopping up the opps’ bodies as if they’re Ted Bundy while “R.I.P. Gang” produced by Four3va ahead of the underwhelming collab “Get Loose” featuring Lil Lik remembers everyone in his life who’re in prison or no longer with us.

I found it cool that “Kimbo Slice” takes it’s name after the late Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) fighter who temporarily fought in the UFC division of the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings planning to start Zuffa Boxing with تركي آل الشيخ for Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford on Netflix in September prior to the “Penny Pinchin’” remix featuring Sada Baby referencing the current 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker, who was also a former 2-time NXT Champion & a former NXT Tag Team Champion. “Sign NDA’s” featuring Lil Darius suggests they could’ve been with Druski, which is odd because his behavior at Diddy parties have recently been coming into question.

Loe Shimmy appears on the closer “Get Low” serving as another mediocre collaboration flexing that their chains he shining like chandelier just before “Done Smokin’” starts the deluxe run by talking about the only time people hating you is when you do something they can’t. Nino Paid’s appearance on “You Ready” is another guest spot that I can personally do without up until Baby Money making up for it with his “Fire Eyes” verse, but then final bonus track “10:20 in N.Y.” finishes by trapping in the City of Dreams.

The inventor of cart music showcases the breadth of his artistry during the course of Intrude’s runtime & regardless of me finding myself feeling sorta on the fence with it, there’s more positives for me to say about the mixtape than there are negatives. A notable criticism being only half of the guests delivering fiery performances, with the positives including a hint of unpredictability that you don’t get from other Detroit trap acts when unpacking Dyl’s own lyrics & the production.

Score: 3/5

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WTM Solid – “Imagine That” review

Detroit rapper WTM Solid putting out his long-awaited debut studio album. A member of the WRLD Tour Mafia, he also embarked on a solo career of his own beginning a couple years ago with the debut EP Originatour followed by both Matter of Time & What’s the Difference?. The most recent EP in his catalog Bigg dropped last spring shortly following Tourmania II & became my favorite of the 4 that Solid has put out. 9 months later, he’s ready to take his career to the next level on Imagine That.

“Nobody” sets the tone of what’s to come with a sample-driven trap opener flexing that no one can fuck with him whereas “Umbrella” maintains a prominent Detroit trap sound instrumentally talking about it being go-time after being pissed off. “Richer Than Them” featuring Warhol.Ss brings the 2 together so they can discuss working too hard to lose everything for nothing while the synth-based “Ballin’ a Bitch” talks about understanding the way shit get sometimes.

As for “Can’t Relate”, we have Solid maintaining the Detroit trap vibes breaking down the fact that nobody around him is fake & getting his shit together just before “Not My Hoe” talks about being a God & assuming that he probably got resurrected. “Joaquin Guzman” uncannily suggests to feed your family instead of that nonsense if you really wanna be gangsta leading into “Lani” confessing he wants to put Rick Owens on his daughter.

“To the Max” featuring Rafa & Samuel Shabazz finds the trio joining forces to dabble with plugg a bit interestingly taking shots at people tryna be them when they can be themselves while “Girls Around the WRLD” puts a heavy chopped & screwed effect on his vocals even with the Detroit trap beat. “Krusty Krab” asks what the fuck $20k is when he’s a trillionare while “Best of You” featuring WTM Re clarifying that they can’t tell you of the shit they involved in.

To get Imagine That’s final leg going, “Now You Get It” wants to know why every song that wins of these muhfuckas be making lately be about a specific opp in mind referring to himself as rightfully being fresher while “No Tomatoes” talks about keeping your shit away from him since he don’t fuck with flukes. “Venom” laughs off the stupidity of people nowadays calling them wack on the mic anyway & “Toast Up” featuring CL4Y ends the album talking about being a different breed.

All 4 of the EPs in WTM Solid’s discography has all been building up to this point & with Bigg showing considerable improvement above its predecessors, I was confident that Imagine That was going to take it even higher & that’s exactly what it does. I find the production to be on par with the EP that came out last spring & lyrically, Solid goes even harder than he did 9 months ago although a couple of the guests missed the landing.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Punchline Academy – “The Punchline Playbook” review

The Punchline Academy is a collective formed by The Bronx, New York producer, videographer, entrepreneur & Sirius XM host Da Inphamus Amadeuz. Exemplifying what it means to be a modern hip hop mogul, he brings together a powerhouse roster featuring iconic names & underground talents to bridge hip hop’s golden era with its evolving modern landscape on the Academy’s first lesson being taught through their full-length debut studio album entirely produced by none other than it’s leader.

Onyx & Ricky Bats get together for a 5 minute freestyle as the intro with Onyx outshining Ricky over a horn-heavy boom bap instrumental whereas “Delay the Drama” by Styles P & Blazin was a great choice of a lead single as they get together telling y’all to come fuck with the real. “It’s Like a Jungle” by Blazin, Kiko Medina, Rah tha Ruler, Shortee Sha, Spittin Image & Tahmell brings the sextet together to showcase their punchline abilities in 3 & a half minutes, but then “Another Day” by Amber Simone & Tahmell heads for a jazzy boom bap direction giving a look at another day in their lives.

“Can’t Do Nothing Right” by G. Dep showcases how much he still has it lyrically even if one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye formerly known as Kanye West is demanding that disgraced Bad Boy Entertainment founder Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy should be freed from federal custody & even going as low as to release Free Puff merch on his Yeezy webstore in a 50/50 collaboration with Diddy’s own fashion-line Sean John when his abuse of women has been well documented at this point just before “ICU” gives Rah tha Ruler a chance to shine on his own.

Kiko Medina & Tahmell link back up with each other on “Dope Spot” refusing to stop until they run the whole block while “Keeping the Culture” by Da Inphamus Amadeus himself reminds the world of his MCing skills coming off The Diam Piece 3: Duo last month. “Character” by Rah tha Ruler, SOS Bishop & Spittin Image addressing those who wanna know if they feel the pressure while “Air Traffic Control” by Canibus & Tahmell flexes how fly they are. “I Don’t Like That” by Blazin, Kiko Medina, Rah tha Ruler & Tahmell ends the colelctive’s debut expressing their dislikes in people.

This guy has proven himself as a driving force both on stage & behind the scenes moving hip hop culture forward, so for him to come together by naming this new collective after his weekly show on SiriusXM’s Shade 45 only makes sense. His production is primarily based in the traditional boom bap sound & all the guests showcasing their punchline abilities. If there’s an ever another lesson in The Punchline Playbook as its title suggests, I think the saga could get even better as it is with time.

Score: 4/5

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Larry June & 2 Chainz – “Life is Beautiful” review

Vallejo, California rapper & songwriter Larry June joining forces with Atlanta, Georgia rapper, actor & songwriter 2 Chainz for a brand new collaborative studio LP. Both of whom have already crossed paths with one another a couple times in recent years on the tracks “Still Boomin’” & “Ocean Cuisine”, ultimately deciding to get together with one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist to entirely produce Life is Beautiful after being teased on Twitter a couple months ago sparking interest even further by letting off a couple singles the previous month & 2 Chainz appearing on WWE’s flagship program Monday Night RAW on Netflix a couple weeks ago.

“Munyon Canyon” is a drumless intro with both of them talking about needing everything whereas “Colossal” works in a reversed sample to admit they find it therapeutic counting it up referencing WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger & calling it exactly the way they see it. “I Been” continues to strip the drums as they discuss minding their own business leading into “LLC” talking about how there’s so much money to get bringing a boom bap flare to the table instrumentally.

The jazzy, drumless & boom bap lead single “Bad Choices” was one to begin the rollout perfectly wanting to know where all the good women who make bad decisions are at in the building while the title track has a flute sample that I really enjoy as they discuss the beauties of life. “Generation” dabbles with trap again talking about being the ones getting kids doing drugs, but then “Any Day” strips the drums to talk about giving their all.

“Epiphany” begins the final leg of Life is Beautiful on a mellow note flexing that their cribs be looking exactly like an Airbnb & “Tru Organics” continues to keep the drums out the equation talking about money being the motivator. “Jean Prouvé” psychedelically comes to the realization of them getting their minds right while “Days Like This” starts the deluxe run praising God daily for their blessings. The final bonus track “Spy Hunter” featuring The Alchemist ends with the trio chillin’ on a yacht & staying forever hungry.

Larry has brought the best out of 2 Chainz in the past throwing it back to his Tity Boi days & even though I initially thought that Jay Worthy was gonna be on here a couple months ago, the former Playaz Circle member taps in with The Freeminded Records founder to take their chemistry to the next level. Alchemist’s production is mostly drumless other than some hints of boom bap & trap for both of them to drop their signature luxurious raps.

Score: 4.5/5

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Yung Fazo – “Zo” review

Yung Fazo is a 19 year old up-&-coming recording artist from New York City notable for making waves in the plugg & rage subgenres of trap music by releasing a total of 2 EPs & a full-length debut studio album only halfway through the current decade. He dropped off a couplet of tracks last spring & granted it’s only been 9 months since, he’s back with a sophomore effort a little over 26 months after he broke down the internal conflict he was prominently portraying during the course of the last LP.

“B4U” kicks the door down with this rage-inducing opener produced by Ginseng telling his romantic interest exactly how much he adores her whereas “Ed Hardy” references the current TNA World Tag Team Champion in his 3rd reign & inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy of The Hardy Boyz. “Bang Bang” cautions to be careful if you ever step around his parts since he’ll let the chopper sing, but then “All in Motion” electronically switches up his flow to talk about ambition, heartbreak & self-discovery.

Moving on from there, “Bring It Back” works in some catchy synthesizers to discuss the woman he’s currently seeing being different & that he’s been fighting demons trying to move on while “Fuk Love” gets back on the hypertrap vibes pondering if the drugs are really fucking up his soul leading into “Moving On” telling his ex he doesn’t want to do her wrong.

“Me, Myself & I” tells a hoe that he’s gonna blow telling her that he wishes he could love except he’s off that drank while the synth-heavy “Psycho” talks about being insane after a girl that he was seeing observed his psychosis. “Run” throws it back to “Headlines” by Drake acknowledging that he knew he would make bands while “Geeked Up” brings back the rage talking about being geeked.

The penultimate track “Rip My Soul” begins the final moments of Yung Fazo’s full-length studio debut coming clean of the biggest mistake in his life being him giving his heart away being on the go as of late with n9ck & the closer “Kurt Cobain” takes it’s name after the iconic Nirvana frontman feeling exactly like him after a bitch has fucked him up leaving a couple scars after stabbing him in the back in the end.

Compared to his 2022 debut, I find myself gravitating more towards Fazo’s highly-anticipated successor than a lot of what I’ve heard from him until now. The production is heavily built around the rage sound & by the title taking its name from an abbreviation of his moniker, he lets listeners in as to who he is personally.

Score: 3.5/5

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Xavier Anthony – “The XA Tape” review

Xavier Anthony is a clothing brand established in 2014 in Little Rock, Arkansas & currently based out of Atlanta, Georgia captivated by vision & gaining popularity by selling high quality garments adorned with the easily recognizable signature glasses & eye logos. Numerous up-&-coming artists in the plugg & rage subgenres of trap music have been endorsing the brand & they’ve ultimately decided to get a bunch of them together for a compilation mixtape & suggestively the first in a new series.

“XA Belt” by 10kDunkin opens the tape by jumping over a cloudy trap instrumental from SOULJASPIRITS not wanting to talk since he’s been on his payment whereas “Call the Trøøps” by Diorvsyou works in some synths & hi-hats suggesting everyone watches out with the amount of bitches he has. “Favorite!” by Zaan brings a self-produced plugg vibe to the table talking about his preferences in weed strains being blue & pink runtz while “Blood In, Blood Out” by Sk8star & Tezzus hooks up these luxurious piano chords that Rio Leyva brings to the table making no time for lies.

Rollinthrax gets his own song on “Certified Hood Classic” promising that he’ll be Rich indefinitely on top of the all black fits getting old to him just before “Decarnin” by southsidesilhouette talks about having swag all the way down to his socks & dissing those envious of him. “Spray Down” by billi0n & Tezzus goes for a psychedelic approach to the beat matching it with aggressive performances but after the “Drip Me Out” skit, “Ø” by southsidesilhouette talks putting hoes in anything without worrying of the price.

“4:59pm” by tana splits itself into 2 halves thanks to Whyceg & Ayelavish! so he can breakdown the lifestyle he lives while “Star in the Building” by Reezy X & Rollinthrax keeps the synthesizers in tact pointing out that they ain’t ever see the shit that everyone be cappin’ about in their raps. “Head @!!” by the Uy Scuti Bøyz likens themselves to the current 3-time TNA World Tag Team Champions & the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz or WWE Hall of Famers D-Generation X. “Dølla” by Diorvsyou & southsidesilhouette gets on the plugg tip again giving their partners whatever they ask while the rage-inducing “XA Inna X8” by ladé wants everyone to move out his way.

EA TJ & Lil Righteous get together for “Double Down” looking to fuck up the whole entire block while “Rules of Survival” by Diorvsyou, Reezy X & Sk8star finds the trio talking about them making the shit they do look easy waking up in the morning only to feel the fuck up. “Still on Asher” by 1100 Phats gives off these Detroit trap undertones that I admire wearing out the merch that XA gave him airin’ out all the opps while “50 Staterz” by Boofinese & billi0n rides around in a Bentley & advising not to talk crazy

“27 Klub” by Tezzus hits the backend of The XA Tape with him atmospherically shrugging off all these bitches coming up to him who think they’re special when he doesn’t whatsoever while “Onnat!” by Diorvsyou & Yung Fazo produced by Cxdy of Internet Money Records & Vanguard Music Group assuring that their lives aren’t boring over coming home from tour & putting their women in foreign whips. “XA” by tana & Tezzus wraps it all up with the pair talking about their girlfriends tryna argue with them when they could be saving their energy for something better.

Having previously reviewed most of the artists on this tape or seeing them perform live like Diorvsyou, Rollinthrax, Sk8star, southsidesilhouette, tana & most recently Yung Fazo fresh off his sophomore effort Zo was more than enough for me to invest my time & interest in The XA Tape & it’s a fun collection of tracks built around the modern sounds of trap music showcasing a consistent list of future stars in the Atlanta hip hop scene.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ralfy the Plug – “Grandmaster Ralfy 2” review

Los Angeles, California rapper Ralfy the Plug making his 11th mixtape a sequel to his previous one last Halloween. A member of the Stinc Team & the brother of the late nervous music pioneer Drakeo the Ruler, his discography includes a total of 5 albums as well as his last 11 tapes & a handful of collaborative projects with my favorites ranging from A Cold Day in Hell to Pastor Ralfy 2 & Old Ralfy vs. New Ralfy. It’s been a couple months after the 3-year anniversary of his brother’s murder & he’s looking to further continue the Grandmaster Ralfy saga.

“Options” begins with a piano & hi-hats talking about him & money going together promising to kill anyone who tries him whereas “Inevitable” takes a nervous route instrumentally guaranteeing he’ll stack his chips up. “Type Shit” admits to his brother’s death being worse than my 2nd favorite basketball player of all-time Kobe Bryant’s working in some sampling & a bass-line just before “I Understand It Now” points out that everyone hates you when you’re doin’ somethin’ right.

Ralfy portrays himself as a pimp on “Long Live the Mac” maintaining a nervous edge & likening his style of mackin’ to that of a coach while “Bikini Bottom” boasts his jewelry & coupe suggesting every rapper who’s still broke for a decade later needs to get a new hobby. “Simpsons” named after the longest running animated series on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property copyrighted by The Walt Disney Company reflects on him beatin’ a life sentence aspiring to be rich some day, prior to “Paw Patrol 2” continuing where the Pastor Ralfy 2 highlight left off talking about being a dog.

“Los Angeles, CA” continues the traffic music vibes representing his hometown cautioning that it can get janky out there while “Always Hating” wants to know why people are downplaying him since life’s going great for him & he’s still grinding as opposed to everyone thinking he made it already. “The Difference” observes his legitimacy compared to these lame frauds not making a dime while “Side Hustle” focuses on his mission of reaching the top.

The closer “Legal Money” hits the backend of Grandmaster Ralfy 2 by unloading a whole verse on top of a vocal sample advising that the first step in succeeding is to have a vision & goin’ against him being the end of you while the bonus track “40 with a Beam” ends the tape talking about his heart being cold in addition to letting it be known that you don’t get no award out here for keepin’ it real & praying all his demons go straight back to Hell.

Pastor Ralfy 2 & Old Ralfy vs. New Ralfy have both become my favorite entries in his discography thus far & Grandmaster Ralfy 2 surpasses it’s predecessor from over 3 months ago. You’ll probably already know what you’re getting yourself into terms of overall sound since the artists in the nervous subgenre of ratchet music tend to stick with that distinct style top-to-bottom, but Ralfy’s performances on the sequel are more enjoyable to me.

Score: 3.5/5

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Babytron – “Song Wars” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee Babytron preluding Luka Trončić 2 with his 5th EP. Coming up as a member of the ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he’s also built an impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But the last couple years was probably his biggest yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone following the release of Luka Trončić until signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming that same fall. Bin Reaper 3 ended the trilogy with a 2-disc effort, the bootleg Style EP wound up being disappointing, the full-length LP 6 made up for it as did his previous mixtape Megatron 2. His collab mixtape Mario & Luigi with Certified Trapper wasn’t all that great either & Tronicles was cool, whipping up 5 new tracks & compiling them into Song Wars.

“Xyla” was a decent Detroit trap intro with these bells & pianos talking about being immersed in the dangerous gangsta lifestyle & after “5 Star” finds himself feeling like he’s on Tattooine from The Walt Disney Company-owned Star Wars after consuming some psychedelic mushrooms, “Boogaloo (May God Be My Witness)” gets back on the gangsta tip lyrically.

16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena gets referenced on my favorite track here “2025” produced by Danny G prior to “Killas, Juggers & Robbers” peacing up the Song Wars by talking about his preference of being the kidnapper instead of the hostage or a killer rather than getting popped.

Recorded for PlaqueBoyMax’s popular series on his Twitch channel where he invites rappers to compete against each other in a music competition & judged by a panel of guests, Song Wars still proves to be tolerable enough to satisfy fans of Babytron distinguishable punchlines until time for the sequel to my favorite tape in his catalog comes.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada singer/songwriter The Weeknd ending a 5 year trilogy with his 6th studio LP. Rising to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes, he then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land which was a decent attempt at symbolizing tour life forming his own Republic Records imprint X♥O Records after nearly signing to Drake’s label OVO Sound. The sophomore effort Beauty Behind the Madness proved to be even better as it started to incorporate elements of pop, although Starboy ended up being another mixed bag much like Kiss Land except he embraced a more electropop sound. Abel’s debut EP My Dear Melancholy, though was a solid return to his alternative R&B roots & let’s not forget After Hoursgoing on to becoming the best album of his career thus far in my opinion. Dawn FM picked up right where it left off & the final chapter Hurry Up Tomorrow is finally upon us.

“Wake Me Up” produced with Oneohtrix Point Never & Mike Dean is this epic 2-part intro to begin the end balancing synthwave & synth-funk started singing about his legacy being the only thing he has & it feels as if he’s dying whereas “Cry for Me” works in more synthesizers & hi-hats thanks to Metro Boomin’ interpolating “Within” by Daft Punk hoping that a woman I presume to be his ex Bella Hadid still cries for him. After the “I Can’t Fucking Sing” skit which I highly disagree with it’s title, “São Paulo” featuring Anitta was the weakest single of the 3 although I appreciate the fusion of funk mandelão, alternative R&B, synthwave, funk automotivo, mega funk & Brazilian phonk.

After the “Until We’re Skin & Bones” skit, the 3rd single “Baptized in Fear” dives into the feeling of being overwhelmed by guilt & regret going for more of a general alternative R&B vibe while “Open Hearts” explores themes of healing from heartbreak & learning to love again treats his love interest as an angel in disguise. The criminally short “Opening Night” sings over a futuristic instrumental to give him what I want & the show will start just before “Reflections Laughing” featuring a verse & drumless production from honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott fresh off appearing with former WWE Intercontinental Champion & 10-time WWE tag team champion Jey Uso at the Netflix premiere of Monday Night RAW made possible by TKO board of directors members WWE President Nick Khan alongside TKO President & COO Mark Shapiro brings the 2 together to talk about vulnerability, self-reflection & the pressures of fame.

“Enjoy the Show” featuring Future has a clever interpolation of “Can’t Feel My Face” making way for both of them coming together for a light R&B-inspired duet revolving around the concept of heartbreak leading into the 2-parter “Given Up on Me” asking God for his company preferring the final half more personally. “I Can’t Wait to Get There” brings a synth-funk flare to the table singing about the darkness keeping his romantic interest shining ahead of the official WrestleMania XLI theme song “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti with Doechii on the remix uniting over a Pharrell beat uniquely molding trap, pop rap, alternative R&B, synthwave, cloud rap, trap soul, wave music & plugg.

Meanwhile on “Niagara Falls”, we have another 2-part track portraying The Weeknd looking back on a woman he used to love & got to hold until the sun used to come up while “Take Me Back to LA” comes across as a official sequel to the After Hours highlight “Escape from LA” wanting to return to the very city that he wanted to escape from nearly 5 years ago. “Big Sleep” hooks up some prominent synths telling his lover that she knows she loves it when she’s angry while the synth-funk driven “Give Me Mercy” sings about wanting God to grant him leniency.

“Drive” starts the final leg of Hurry Up Tomorrow confessing fame being a disease & not wanting to waste others’ time while “The Abyss” describes the fleetingness of love between him & his partner in the midst of the world erupting into despair. “Red Terror” goes for an electro-pop direction showcasing a distanced relationship that never loses its primary spark while the synth-based “Without a Warning” hopes his fans will love him until his final day.

The title track officially concludes The Weeknd’s swan song hoping he finds what he’s looking for being done with the lies & the loss genuinely hopping his confession of wanting to change is enough transitioning into “High for This” while “Dancing in the Flames” starts the deluxe run with a decent teaser of what was to come synthpop, dance-pop, synthwave, freestyle & Hi-NRG encapsulating the idea of a passionate love that endures through risks & chaos. “Runaway” acoustically assures all are safe in the afterlife while “Society” is a dance-pop number wanting to show his lover how it feels. The final bonus track “Closing Night” that the Swedish House Mafia & Wheezy laced together ends with a “Opening Night” sequel that’s more fleshed out than the predecessor.

Whatever’s next for Abel this point forward, the new trilogy of albums that he’s put out during the first half of this current decade shows how much he’s grown since House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence all put him in the forefront of alternative R&B & now pop music in general. The production culminates in alternative R&B, synthpop, synthwave, trap, progressive electronic, dance-pop, synth-funk, drumless, funk mandelão, funk automotivo, mega funk, Brazilian phonk, pop rap, cloud rap, trap soul, wave, plugg, synthpop, freestyle & Hi-NRG music reaching a point in his life where he wants to to shed skin & be reborn.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jamie Madrox – “More Music You Don’t Wanna Hear from Someone You Barely Like” review

This is the 4th solo LP from Detroit emcee, singer/songwriter, Astronomicon co-founder & former Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) commentator Jamie Madrox. His start as 1/3 of the House of Krazees alongside The R.O.C. & Monoxide, the latter of whom would join Mr. Bones in signing to Psychopathic Records in late 1997 as Twiztid & becoming one of the biggest acts to emerge out of the label that runs beneath the streets under the Insane Clown Posse’s wing for 15 years until forming Majik Ninja Entertainment to do it themselves. Jamie briefly went solo in the mid-90s off his debut EP The Demon Inside & the full-length debut Sacrifice, returning over a decade later for the Psychopathic-backed sophomore effort Phatso & a couple months ago on The November Brain. And with Twiztid getting ready to drop their 17th album Welcome to Your Funeral produced by Zeuss a couple weeks from now on Valentine’s Day & Juggalo Weekend, the multiple man has More Music You Don’t Wanna Hear from Someone You Barely Like.

“This Ain’t No Safe Space” is a solemn boom bap intro produced by Fritz the Cat welcoming y’all to the story of The Great Skull & the Graybow whereas “Man on the Edge” takes the trap route instrumentally courtesy of Grady Finch not giving a fuck what they gotta say. “Frazzled” fuses boom bap, rap rock & trap thanks to James Garcia or the artist formerly known as Young Wicked giving middle fingers to everyone above the criticism prior to the drum-&-bass “Free Fall” not wanting anyone to think he isn’t afraid because he is.

Moving on from there, “Sunny Always Forever” serves as another trap/rap rock hybrid talking about having enough problems being himself rather than wondering what it’s like being you while the only single “Fairy Tale” switches it up with a rock ballad singing that he wants things to go back to the way it used to be. “Am I Allowed 2B Me?” gets back on the hardcore hip hop vibe wanting to know if he can be himself just before “Fallin’ Out the Sky” returns to the boom bap talking about there being a lot of stories between here & greatness

“Rotate” begins the backend of More Music You Don’t Wanna Hear from Someone You Barely Like by experimenting with the Detroit trap sound explaining that it’s always the same fate when it’s him against them while “Until I Become Dirt” brings a morbid trap flare refusing to stop grindin’ until the wheels fall off. “☠️ Don’t Like Me ‘Cause I’m Already ☠️” ends the LP showing his versatility once again singing on top of this upbeat instrumental feeling alone.

It’s only been a couple months since The November Brain initially came out & despite me still enjoying it more than Phatso due to both the rawness of it & the amount of guests, More Music You Don’t Wanna Hear from Someone You Barely Like goes above & beyond the predecessor. The production mostly handled by Grady Finch & James Garcia is more consistent pulling from boom bap to hardcore hip hop, trap & rock music with Jamie showing his versatility as an artist by rapping stronger of even a couple tracks highlighting his singing abilities.

Score: 4.5/5

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