BlueBucksClan – “Biggest Out the West” review

The BlueBucksClan are a duo from Los Angeles, California consisting of DJ & Jeeezy who’ve been making themselves known in the nervous music scene by putting out a couple mixtapes & EPs alongside 3 full-length studio albums of material. All of which so far if I’m being honest ranges from ok at best to obnoxiously annoying at worst, but my interest in their 4th & subsequently final LP over here peaked since it was announced that Hit-Boy was going to be behind the boards throughout the entire duration of it.

“Forever” is a 2-minute hyphy opener calling out those who haven’t run it up yet & that nothing lasts eternally in the end whereas “Open Slot” works in a dark, sinister & menacing sound with heavy sub-basses, simple melodies & slow, sparse & slamming drums boasting that they could’ve opened up a mom & pop shop. “World Tour” goes into a synth-based direction talking about having bitches all over the globe that is until “Safe Space” brings a vibraphone-trap flare to the table telling their hoes to go do their thang.

2 Chainz joins the BlueBucksClan on the playful “Scroll” talking about driving the Lamborghini slow rockin’ designer clothes to the floor in the midst of looking for your hoe just before “Useless” takes a cloudier approach as they make it clear that even their ex-girlfriends will tell people that they’re real ones out here. “Made for the People” was a fun choice of a single suited for all the clubs out in the west coast, but then “Color Purple” gives me a bit of a psychedelic trap vibe putting their shit on huddle since they ballin’ so hard.

“Ship & Handle” has this gritty trap approach to the beat refusing to fuck with haters & that the duo done told y’all they run the globe leading into “Soul Taker” featuring Half-a-Mil has a bouncy yet somber groove instrumentally talking about bitches texting them. “Standing Tall” hooks up an organ with hi-hats hanging with some made people out here while “Fantastic” carelessly talks about their pockets big flexing these days.

The song “Don’t Count Me Out” featuring Kalan.FrFr & Ty$ is an ok banger to keep the parties going advising that none of them should be counted out at this point in their careers while the piano-drive penultimate track “Dog a Bitch” talks about knowing who the biggest dogs are around here. “Momentum” rounds out the album with 1-last nervous cut calling themselves Dodgers since they got pockets full of blue.

Artists that come to mind when talking about the nervous scene include the late Drakeo the Ruler or even Mozzy, but Biggest Out the West if anything takes the BlueBucksClan to the next level. The production is more consistent than what they’ve done previously since Hit-Boy completely refines their whole style on top of their performances improving & a minimal guest-list.

Score: 4/5

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Gibby Stites – “Pariah” review

Millville, New Jersey emcee/producer Gibby Stites coming off the 4th installment of the Family Tree series with a new EP. Getting his start in the music industry over a decade ago off his first 2 mixtapes Gillmatic & Broke n Local, he wouldn’t catch my attention until performing a set during Netfest On Your Couch during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Later that fall, he signed to Majik Ninja Entertainment & I had the honor of interviewing him shortly after the deal was made public. The 13th Wonder pretty much showcased Gibby to the juggalos as Jamie Madrox’ protégé & Welcome to iLLViLLE several months later took listeners through exactly where he comes from, but decided not to renew his MNE contract to form his own label iLLViLLE Worldwide shortly after. Off Air from last summer marked his return behind the boards after 5 years & is so far my favorite thing he’s done since leaving Majik Ninja, so I was interested in Pariah after being announced a couple months ago.

The title track gets the ball rolling with a somberly self-produced trap instrumental talking about why he sets it off & that they won’t ever stop him whereas “Memory Card” works in a guitar & hi-hats admitting that he really doesn’t give a fuck about a brand. “Swerve” keeps the dreary trap vibes going hittin’ ‘em with the cold facts prior to “Real Life” featuring Lingo brings a summery atmosphere to the table talking about layin’ down more personal subject matter.

“The Business” featuring EnzoHard incorporates this orchestral sample from DJ Emaculate with kicks & snares as both of them discuss going up in the music industry essentially just before “Eastside 3.0” ominously represents the East Coast for 3 minutes. “Suffocate” closes Pariah by fusing trap & rock confessing that it doesn’t hurt him to say the space in his heart nowadays has turned vacant.

Juggalos are generally divided when it comes to Gibby Stites, yet it’s undeniable to me that this EP has to be one of the most meaningful entries in his discography. The production altogether is generally more mellow than anything he’s put out in the past & it has an interesting mental health concept throughout except it’s coming from his own perspective.

Score: 4/5

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Jalen Frazier – “The Drop” review

This is the full-length debut studio LP from up-&-coming Detroit emcee Jalen Frazier. Getting his footing in during the fall of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Expressions of the Neglected, he would continue to turn heads in the local underground scene last summer with the follow-up God Bless My Chalice. But for his first proper album, Middle Finger Music co-founder as well as one of the most in-demand producers that the Motor City has seen in recent memory Foul Mouth is being brought in for The Drop.

“Run In Packs” gets things rolling with this grimy ass boom bap instrumental & Jalen talking about talking about all he knows out here in Detroit is to attack whereas “Curbside Service” fuses vibraphones & boom bap drums detailing the street life. The groovy “Soul Check” asking for God to forgive him for the sinning that he’s been committing just before “Prince of a Brick” featuring Bizarre formerly of D12 was a dustily hardcore choice of a single detailing the savage lifestyles that they live.

Moving on from there, “Braille” has this drumless soul flip acknowledging that motherfuckers be moving funny and that they shouldn’t be getting it confused prior to “Profit $ee” featuring Chubs & Dango Forlaine bringing the trio together bringing back the kicks & snares so they can collectively get on their battle shit lyrically. The piano/boom bap hybrid “Sworn Enemy” looks to shed blood if you fuck with what he loves, but then the cloudy yet dusty “Effervescence” talks about being out here grinding.

“21 Grams” rawly looks to isolate himself so he can just chop it up with his conscious while “Choppin’ Block” lavishly talks about done, doing everything the shit y’all on. “Code of the Street” mixes a guitar with kicks & snares spittin’ real talk while “Murder” begins the encore of The Drop by bringing these strings, kicks & snares together rubbing it in your face that he & his crew have done mastered everything you’ve wanted to attempt out here. “Even Keel” wraps up the album on a rap rock note saying that this pussy done lost him the moment that he tried to test him.

I’ll just come out & say that Jalen’s voice kinda sounds like Westside Gunn’s a bit but once you get past that, he does have some dope bars & Foul Mouth helped bring the bus out of him on this album. It’s more well produced than what Jalen has done previously being more introspective & socially conscious than before touching on a vast range of topics from personal struggles & triumphs to commentary on the state of the world.

Score: 4/5

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Matt Champion – “Mika’s Laundry” review

Woodlands, Texas rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Matt Champion releasing his full-length solo debut LP. Someone you may know for being a founding member of the now defunct BROCKHAMPTON collective alongside Kevin Abstract, Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood & JOBA. He also released a solo EP Harley in the spring of 2017 right before the classic SATURATION trilogy but now that the best boy band since 1 Direction broke up a couple years ago already, Matt’s stepping up to the plate by releasing Mika’s Laundry following Slime in the Ice Machine & Blanket.

The self-produced “Green” starts us off smoothly talking about that Alabama blue whereas “Aphid” featuring Dijonfuses neo-soul & alternative R&B with additional elements of pop rap, psychedelic soul & even bedroom pop asking if one can say hallelujah for him to know they’re wild. “Steel” featuring Dora Jar brings a funkier groove to the table instrumentally not minding if his lover asks him to hurry, but then the vibrant albeit woodwind-driven “Gbiv” talking about blowing the paint like a piston.

Meanwhile, “Purify” groovily asks if he can trust this individual just before “Dogfish” mixes indie rock, art pop, slowcore, neo-soul & experimental hip hop all into 1 talking about the kind of smile people say he has. “Code Red” gives off a melodic trap flare thanks to Jabari Manwa hoping his lover is ready to go leading into the synth-heavy “Aren’t You Excited?” talking about wanting to be a part of her world except that he’s stuck inside a video screen.

“Slug” crosses over electro-disco, neo-soul boogie, synth-funk, synthpop & psychedelic soul desiring someone he’d never leave no matter what he does while the summery “Everybody Likes You” asks his partner what they do when no one else is around. “Project” acoustically gets reminded why he let an ex of his go while “Slow Motion” featuring JENNIE dabbles with atmospheric liquid drum fusing that with adult contemporary, art pop & alt-pop talking about moving slowly. The delicately-produced closer “Meetin’ You” finishes Matt’s first solo album never needing another thing.

Kevin went for a completely different sound on Blanket last fall & for anyone who liked the alternative R&B/neo-soul direction that Harley took months before BROCKHAMPTON’s popularity skyrocketed, you should know what you’re getting yourself into on Mika’s Laundry. Matt’s continuing to reveal his artistic range with his passionate songwriting/vocals generally going for a predominant alt-pop feeling with undertones of alternative R&B, neo-soul, pop rap, art pop.

Score: 4/5

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Joyner Lucas – “Not Now, I’m Busy” review

Worcester, Massachusetts rapper & singer/songwriter Joyner Lucas back with his sophomore full-length LP nearly 4 years to the day of his debut ADHD. Somebody who first came to my attention in late 2016 with an incredible verse on “Sriracha” off of Tech N9ne’s 17th album The Storm, he exposure would increase the following year with the single “I’m Not Racist” along with a verse on “Lucky You” off of Eminem’s 10th album KAMIKAZƎ the year after that & ADHD was released during the COVID lockdowns to negative feedback from both critics & fans. Not Now, I’m Busy was said to be cancelled last summer & is releasing it now that spring’s approaching.

The cloudy trap intro “Put Me On” bites the “turned your bird into a ex, I feel like Elon” line from Freddie Gibbs’ verse on “Back to Me” off of ¥$’ debut album Vultures whereas the instrumental on “I’m Ill” sounds like some generic club shit looking to get in his zone. “Waiting on This” works in horns & hi-hats much like “Trophies” or “Laugh Now, Cry Later” by Drake telling y’all “The day that you bastards’ll play me will be thе same day me & Jennifer Lopez announce that we gon’ be havin’ a baby” just before “Broski” is a decent conscious hip hop/contemporary R&B crossover talking about a childhood friend of his.

“Fake Promises” advises to separate yourself from all the noise stripping the drums completely over an atmospheric backdrop while “When I Need Love” heavily samples “Who Can I Run To?” by Xscape to deliver a trite pop rap ballad. “Cut U Off” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again gives off this blandly eerie trap vibe getting boastful with YoungBoy having the better performances of the 2 leading into “What’s That?” dropping cringey bars like “I gotta lift the weight, tell all my bench to press” or “It’s a wrap that’s word to Chipotle” over a decently dynamic trap beat.

Conway the Machine murders Joyner on his own shit with the boom bap/chipmunk soul crossover “Sticks & Stones”, but then “Best for Me” featuring Jelly Roll on the hook sends a profoundly touching message to someone in his life that he really cares about being caught up in drug addiction. “I Didn’t Go” featuring the late DMX & Symba finds the trio discussing getting rich being their only plan over a dreamy boom bap instrumental while “3 Little Pigs” talks about 3 cops & the beat here kinda sounds Daringer-influenced.

“24 Hours to Live” overdramatically explains what he would do if he only had a day left on Earth shifting gears back into trap territory mixing some pianos into the fold while “Still Alright” featuring Logic & Twista shoots for a dreamier approach sonically showcasing speedier flows. “17” ruins one of my favorite Mac Miller songs “Donald Trump” previously praying for times like this while “How Much Do You Love Me?” prior to the titular outro gets back in his annoying pop rap bag.

I really did see the potential in Joyner almost a decade ago when he first started getting more exposure, but waiting 4 years in-between every album & releasing half of it as singles building up to release day still isn’t quite the solution to rolling out a significant body of work. Much like ADHD, what we have from him is another disappointment. The features are ok, but the production feels flat & every some of the lyrics at times also.

Score: 2/5

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Future – “We Don’t Trust You” review

This is the 10th full-length LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future. Coming up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize, he officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). However since 2017, Future has mostly been painting himself in a corner & prioritizing quantity over quality. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable, High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself in the midst of trying new things & I Never Liked You put the toxicity claims about him to rest. That said: Metro Boomin’ reuniting for Future’s first double album since FUTURE HNDRXX was surely going to surpass them both when you think about the history between the 2.

The title track is a cloudy trap opener with some synthesizers talking about having hate written all over you leading into “Young Metro” taking them into church with co-production from Mike Dean & even The Weeknd supplying additional vocals. “Ice Attack” finds the So Icey Boyz takes the dynamic route instrumentally cautioning not to put too much jewelry on, but then the bell-driven “Type Shit” featuring Playboi Carti & Travis Scott is essentially the new “Carnival” finds the trio making it known that they do NOT fuck with rats out here referencing WCW founder Ted Turner.

“Claustrophobic” starts with pianos, strings, hi-hats & a spoken word Prodigy intro talking about feeling claustrophobic himself just before the horn-inflicted “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar finds the trio or quintet of you include ¥$ on the remix talking about poppin’ bottles & Kendrick recapturing that “Control” aura sayin’ “Fuck sneak dissin’, first person shooter, I hope they came with 3 switches I crash out like “Fuck rap,” diss Melle Mel if I had to. Got 2TEEZ with me, I’m snatchin’ chains & burnin’ tattoos” alongside “Motherfuck the big 3, n***a, it’s just big me” followed by “I’m really like that & your best work is a light pack, Prince outlived Mike Jack. ‘Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried that’s a K with all these 9s, he gon’ see Pet Sematary”.

The otherworldly atmosphere of “Slimed In” goes forward getting on his slime shit suggesting that y’all should be hittin’ him up through the Meta Platforms-owned WhatsApp & having additional Young Thug vocals on the pre-hook while “Magic Don Juan (Princess Diana)” is this off-the-wall 2-parter co-produced by Boi-1da & Honorable C.N.O.T.E. likening himself to Bishop Don Juan serving as the soundtrack to buying drip to.

Travis joins Pluto on the psychedelic “Cinderella” talking about their racks being stuck together while “Runnin’ Outta Time” has to be endearing moment on the album featuring co-production from Zaytoven admitting that he can’t trust nobody calling out everyone that has ever turned his back on him. “Fried (She a Vibe)” goes back into a cloudier direction talking about still being high from the other night while the symphonic/trap crossover “Ain’t No Love” co-produced by Outtatown clarifies that it isn’t love when motherfuckers be acting fake out here & that’s facts.

“Everyday Hustle” featuring Rick Ross has a more soulful flare to it as they both discuss hustling 24/7 while the WWE Bad Blood IV theme song “GTA” finds the So Icey Boyz & Wheezy hooking up keys & hi-hats looking to crash out. The song “Seen It All” flips “Quiet Storm” by Prodigy feeling like he truly has seen & done it all while the penultimate track “W.T.F.Y.M. (What The Fuck You Mean?)” kinda has this otherworldly tone to the beat going crazy in the trap. “Where My Twin @?” concludes Future’s best album since DS2 by paying tribute to Thug.

Future’s output in the last 7 years has generally been mid although I do enjoy the highlights off each album, but We Don’t Trust You is basically a refined version of self-titled & Future’s strongest LP in almost a decade. Metro has evolved tremendously behind the boards since they last worked with one another, the hidden features were a fun touch & Pluto is absolutely back in his element. We Still Don’t Trust You in a few weeks has pretty much been confirmed to be a spiritual successor to HNDRXX stylistically much like this & if anything, it’ll make you love We Don’t Trust You more.

Score: 4.5/5

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G-Mo Skee – “Filth City” review

Richmond, California lyricist G-Mo Skee enlisting Boston producer Stu Bangas for his 4th full-length LP & the first since returning to Majik Ninja Entertainment. Emerging as a member of the trio Stampede & later the Inf Gang. He would drop 2 official mixtapes Got Filth & Got Filth II: The Great Adventures of G-Mo independently before Twiztid signed him to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2016. His full-length debut My Filthy Spirit Bomb coming out that same winter to significant acclaim, but I personally think G’s sophomore effort Chaly & the Filth Factory is his best work so far because of it’s incredible concept & the instrumentals accompanying it (mostly handled by former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7). The previous album The Filth Element commemorated his 30th birthday by proving that he didn’t need MNE until returning to The Dojo on 8 Bit Filth II: Hero Hunter last fall & is now turning Filth City from an EP to an actual album ahead of his upcoming Astronomicon appearance.

After the soulful intro, the title track starts us off by advising not to come to Filth City since shit can go left over a boom bap instrumental whereas the grimy ass single “Work Magic” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley. “Jumped” hauntingly incorporates more kicks & snares obviously talking about not fighting fair with people who run up on him while “Evil Plans” sounds like something out of a horror flick keeping it dusty at the same time advising that you’re gonna see him act like an animal cleverly referencing The Animal.

After the interlude, “Diamond in the Dirt” links up with his Inf Gang brethren Jae Harmony & Nobe saying you’d have to time travel to beat them in a rhyme battle & to find them lurkin’ in the underground along with it being time for them to show ‘em what it’s worth on top of this eerie ass boom bap beat while “All in Your Head” featuring Linzy & Jaylin Skee on the intro & TheArtLawd on the outro brings these colorful vibraphones into the picture discussing fatherhood, worrying about shit that might happen & making good out of the bad he represents. “Autistic” featuring Kvng Moses has these sick ass synthesizers mixed with kicks & snares flexing that he eats more rappers than the ASTROWORLD Travis Scott entrance when they walk in it, but then the synths on “G-Mo University” feel like something out of a Sega Genesis game since it’s no secret that G’s a gamer talking about coming down to get a Filthication.

“Story to Tell” instrumentally goes for a dejecting approach telling a true story although he can’t say their names & that it gets messy while the rugged lead single “Postcards from Hell” talks about how he was raised with all the killers & dope fiends being on the frontline with everyone else in the nosebleeds. “2 the Side” featuring Young Zee of the Outsidaz aptly advises everyone to fall to the side over some Atari-like synths, kicks & snares calling your rap style more outdated than a payphone & that they’re more stuck-up than bitches are these days. And before the futuristic “Credits” outro, the final song on the album “Escape” serves as a climatic finish talking about the city to the point of no return & understandably looking to get the fuck outta there.

8 Bit Filth 2: Hero Hunter was a fun return to MNE for G, but I already knew Filth City would be a standout in his discography since his lyricism is unmatched & Stu Bangas is simply one of the absolute greatest underground producers ever. However after hearing that it wound up being an actual full-length after initially set to be an EP, my expectations increased immensely & we sure enough got one of the best albums of 2024 joining The Chainsmoker II from over a couple weeks ago in being a Hell of a way for Majik Ninja to start the year. Conceptually, the filthiest of them all takes us through what it’s like in Filth City as Stu gives G-Mo some of the coldest production he’s EVER murdered. I know it’s been a hard time for his family right now & I’d like to offer him my DEEPEST condolences, but this album is a special moment for him & I couldn’t be more proud of him. Be sure to catch him on tour with Rittz right now & at Attack of the Ninjas shortly after. I’m most certainly looking forward to the latter.

Score: 4.5/5

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Santana Fox – “Eye Candy” review

Santana Fox is a 26 year old MC/producer from New York notable for being the daughter of the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame. She eventually followed in her father’s footsteps making music of her own couple years after his untimely passing putting out a handful of singles up until the full-length debut Girl Next Door celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary this summer. However after seeing that her debut mixtape over here would be fully self-produced, I went into it thinking that she would level up artistically since her potential has already been shown previously.

The first song “Space Cadet” after the the “Wicked Poet’s Prelude” intro begins with kicks, snares & pianos so she can flow like a UFO following the “Hotline” skit, “Vinyl Dust” keeps it grimy instrumentally talking about going viral to spite who used to be her favorite rapper snatching their sound back. “Fight Me” featuring Pohlosweater brings a synth/boom bap vibe to the fold boasting they ain’t seen or heard anything like them & after the “Hypnotherapy” interlude, “Tokyo Trippin’” lusciously clarifies that the drugs do her as apposed to her doing drugs herself & the consequences of her spoiled ways.

Mike Shabb joins Santana on the title track with the best feature on the tape incorporating a darker sound asking who do they become just to make them happy & after the “Sittin’ by the Lake” skit, “Pray4Mine” keeps it rugged talking about always praying for her n***a. After the “Cards Never Lie” skit, the penultimate track “Moment of Silence” featuring Prodigy himself pushes near the end of a rawly asking her father why they actin’ like they owe her something before he leaves & the closer “Count Me Out” closes up shop with some pianos brushing off those downplaying her.

It sorta feels like an EP if you remove all 5 of the skits & interludes but at the same time when you keep them in, it’s more of a mixtape & one that I think any Mobb Deep fan like myself would find themselves enjoying because Santana’s very much carrying on her dad’s legacy in her own way & I’m sure he’s looking down on her proud of what a groundbreaking entry that Eye Candy is in her discography. Her production’s is a cut above Girl Next Door’s as are the couplet of features & her songwriting being kicked up a notch.

Score: 4.5/5

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Rafa – “Good Girls Don’t Exist” review

Detroit rapper Rafa is back with his 3rd EP. Coming up as a member of the WRLD Tour Mafia a couple years ago, he would also begin a solo career of his own starting on Thanksgiving 2020 with his debut EP Not for Household Use & followed it up in the form his full-length debut Dog$hit & Ammunition. Last we heard from him was almost a year & a half ago when he put out an eponymous EP that I still consider to be his strongest solo effort to this day, but is applying pressure with Good Girl’s Don’t Exist since DaeMoney dropped Rockstar Lifestyle 2 earlier this month.

The title track is a cloudy opener clarifying that there are no such thing as good girls to him whereas “Waste No Time” is an acoustic trap hybrid ripping his heart out & putting it on display. “Luv a Do” dives into the Detroit trap sound throwing some synthesizers into the fold going ape shit like he was hanging around Nigo just before “Money Virus” melancholically admits he don’t know how to live & is unable to trust his homie.

“Cash Rules” fuses rock with trap saying he’s never met another woman like the one he wrote this song for while the “Interlude” takes the atmospheric route hoping to be a billionaire like one of my top 10 producers Ye since making money is a hobby for him. “200 Days (Malala)” talks about coming a long way & previously doing stuff ass-backwards over a dreamy trap instrumental prior to “On Me” featuring Rally & Samuel Shabazz dabbles with plugg being able to tell the love ain’t there.

The untitled penultimate song continues to draw near the end of the EP by bringing rage beats into the picture acknowledging that there are so many things for him to figure out, but then “A$AP & Riri” finishes Good Girls Don’t Exist by talking about being too busy getting rich & refusing to let a hoe have his kid going for an entrancing vibe instrumentally. “Matchin’ Tracks” cloudily starts the deluxe advising to stay down until you up while “Understanding” hops over a sample-woven trap beat addressing someone he can’t live life without.

“I Luv WRLD Tour” psychedelically bridges the halfway point of the bonus track run representing the crew that he stay running with while “Rafa Bieber” pulls inspiration from the trillwave scene once more talking about handling the trials & tribulations by his lonely. The final bonus cut “Surf Gang” featuring Rally wraps up the deluxe on some plugg shit bragging over being more lit than propane itself.

It’s only a couple weeks after Slae put out Rockstar Lifestyle 2 & here we have Rafa continuing to elevate the WRLD Tour Mafia by putting out an an EP that I actually believe tops Not for Household Use almost 3 & a half years ago by now. His sound is growing & lyrically, he has to be right behind DaeMoney as my favorite member of what has to be one of the most exciting up-&-coming groups in the Detroit trap scene.

Score: 3.5/5

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Bktherula – “LVL5 2” review

Atlanta, Georgia up-&-comer Bktherula returning with a sophomore LP & a sequel to her previous EP LVL5. Coming up 7 years back as a pop/R&B singer, she eventually broke out in the plugg scene after dropping the single “Tweakin’ Together” produced by my lil homie Premiere Maxx off her debut mixtape Love Santana. This resulted in her signing to Warner Records, following it up with her sophomore tape Nirvana along with the full-length debut Love Black & the previously mentioned LVL5. So over a year later, it makes total sense to put out the next installment.

“Code” is this rage-inducing opener admitting she hasn’t been in the studio in almost a week & it’s been taking a toll on her personally whereas “Nun” works in a cloudy trap instrumental asking why this person’s hitting her phone up when they ain’t even doing shit. “Tatti” brings some hypertrap undertones into the fold discussing self-confidence, empowerment & sexual liberation prior to “Boi” taking the spacious trap boasting that she kissed your favorite bitch.

Cash Cobain hooks Bk up with his signature sample drill on sound “Shakin’ It” bragging that she’s having it, making it & breaking it while the otherworldly “Just Make Sure” saves the drums for the last 30 seconds so she can demonstrate her range showing her singing chops for a couple minutes. “Wishuwasdacrew” gives me a quasi-industrial vibe airing out who was supposed to her down bitch, but then “Insane” produced by Ayelavish! vibrantly talks about going crazy with it.

“Crayon” expresses her desire for the lace front with the brown at the top & the teal at the bottom over a synth-trap beat just before “Woman” featuring J.I.D talks about exes backed by a high-pitched sample. “Feathers” keeps the industrial influences going flying to the top & losing the feathers of her wings in the process while “The Way” dabbles with alternative R&B once more telling her significant other how much she loves the way they light up the room. “Racks Up” ends the album by singing over a guitar about her pockets getting bigger.

The first installment had a relatable theme of tapping in with your spiritual side, but the follow-up portrays a significant evolution in her artistic & spiritual journey. It’s significantly more mature than what she’s released in the past by fearlessly conveying the message that there’s no such thing as being blacklisted/blackballed & you don’t have to follow the same blueprint as everyone else.

Score: 3.5/5

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