Latto – “Big Mama” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Latto. Winning the very first season of The Rap Game & eventually turned down a deal with So So Def Recordings because it wasn’t enough money, she eventually broke through a few summers back after signing to RCA Records & putting out a decent full-length debut Queen of da Souf. The sophomore effort 777 in 2022 sure enough won me over & her previous album Sugar Honey Iced Tea a couple years earlier was alright, welcoming this era of her career as the Big Mama with open arms

“Business & Personal” produced by Coupe & Pooh Beatz begins talking about motherhood slowing nothing down but the horsepower but once “Get Money Girl” recalls people initially thinking she wasn’t serious regarding her music career until declining the So So Def contract, “G.O.M.F. (Get Out My Face)” featuring Glorilla samples “Yahhh by Soulja Boy & Arab for a crunk single individually addressing some rumors that’ve been made about them.

Former PWG World Champion, 2-time WWE world champion & the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther retiring 17-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion & 4-time WWE tag team champion John Cena by gets referenced on “Chrome Heart Diaper Bag” once again talking about becoming a mother just before “Okayyy” featuring Doja Cat unites for a passable pop rap single.

“Hostage” featuring the father of her child 21 Savage disses Washington Wizards point guard Trae Young for some reason sampling “For the Love of You” by The Isley Brothers prior to “Death Row” talking about real bitches staying 10 toes down. “Onnat” flips “Kryptonite (I’m On It)” by the Purple Ribbon All-Stars discussing the typa shit she’s on lately while “Gimme Dat” ends the 1st half of Big Mama taking a jab at Cardi B after their Twitter spat back in October.

We have “Fallin’” kicking off the 2nd leg of the album opening up more regarding her relationship with 21 while “Need Luv 2” featuring Sexyy Red finds the 2 talking about gangsta bitches needing love as much as the male Gs do. “Make Me” featuring Mariah the Scientist blends alternative R&B & pop rap for a duet where they’re telling their respective partners to make them shut up while “Naked” continues the lustful themes talking about wanting to see the real 21.

“Anxious” featuring Wizkid takes inspiration from Afrobeats asking their lovers if their hearts ever skip a beat when they’re with both artists while “4L” talks about 21 Savage helping her get out of her comfort zone. After the “Daddy’s Little Girl” interlude details her upbringings, “Mama” featuring Jelly Roll links up for an ode to Latto’s mother while “Somebody” concludes with an interpolation of “Are You That Somebody?” by the late Aaliyah over a sample of “Give It to Me Baby” by the late Rick James.

I truly couldn’t tell you if this will be the last we’ll ever heard from Latto musically especially since she later admitted that her retirement was fueled by post-partum depression, but she still hasn’t topped 777 & would consider Big Mama to be a mild note to end on if she’s really done. The production mostly handled by Coupe & Pooh Beatz was an improvement over Sugar Honey Ice Tea’s, although the subject matter from the main artist & the guests themselves are mostly average outside of some profound moments.

Score: 3/5

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$crim – “Runaway” review

Brand new solo LP & the 5th overall from New Orleans rapper, producer & deejay $crim of the $uicideboy$. The first of the boy$ to branch out on his own by dropping the solo debut A Man Rose to the Dead during the COVID-19 pandemic to mixed-to-negative reception including from myself. Lonely Boy was a solid introduction to $crim’s alter-ego even though you can tell it was inspired by Destroy Lonely’s debut album If Looks Could Kill & the sequel Lonely Boy 2 was more of a thank you, coming off Via Crucis for the 3-hour Runaway.

“a nightmare worth pursuing” produced by both $crim & G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox begins with Budd Dwyer asking God gives him a peace of mind prior to “claymore” admitting that he’s feeling dead as of late & pouring a bottle up for the shit he bottles up now. “is this really it?” poses the question whether or not there truly is an afterlife when we all die or if it’s lights out while “fort wayne” talks about getting psyched the fuck out.

We have $crim dropping a single verse for “deus vult” preceding an instrumental break & a spoken word outro sampling “Small Café” by the late Leon Ware leading into “broken boy” talking about his struggles with mental health from overdosing on pills to possibly shooting himself as part of suicidal ideation. “range (i don’t show it)” confesses to him waiting all evening got a woman he’s infatuated with just before “bleak midwinter” talks about having no one to call, hence the Lonely Boy nickname.

“if life was fair, ducks would have shotguns” asks if one has ever been killed in a mosh pit & boasting that he’s more eastbound than Danny McBride while “2ndworldvagrant” suggests for everyone to stay the fuck away from him. “country boy” hits us with a freestyle talking about the Devil picking the wrong person to tempt & not being with the drama while “unbelief” confesses to being numb after his grandfather passed as a teenager.

Dynox gets behind the boards once again for “blood knife” asking God to have mercy on a sinner like him while “clairaudience” talks about the nights growing longer & the days becoming shorter, suggesting the reaper’s close if he isn’t here already. “dead eyes ent” likens him & his brother $lim Gucci to the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champions & current 2-time HoG Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz while “broken vessels” addresses the children who only know goodbyes.

“moments of nothing & bridges to nowhere” asks himself if anyone would ever noticed if something were to happen to him when I’m sure the G*59 fanbase would while “calabasas” issues a response to the people who claim he doesn’t act Christian, claiming he found God in the middle of a smokey meeting. “tears of war” references his squad’s health & wellness coach Jewel Scott while “get behind me, Satan!” talks about the way he be swervin’ the coupe.

Things make a turn for bombastic territory during “north like korea” looking to shake up the entire block by staying where the schemes are at while “american spirits” flips “Right My Wrongs” by Bryson Tiller talking about the voices in his head that won’t go away until his time comes. “jose alvarado” aims to walk more people down than the New York Knicks’ point guard of the same name while “maybe you’re right…” co-produced by ReidMD of Internet Money Records & Vanguard Music Group talks about him going from his mother kicking him out the house to being a millionaire.

“cortisol” for being Runaway’s only single didn’t really make me any more or less excited for it regardless of him describing the stress hormones taking over while “the narrow door” samples “Changes” by Black Sabbath talking about counting his nights after wasting half his life. “weep for me, for i whither away” explains that his road’s already been chosen & being too far gone to return while “nightmare on the northside 4” continues the saga containing 5 different musical sections of it’s own.

My 2nd favorite Ye single “Runaway” gets interpolated on “trackstar” to end the 1st leg of the full-length realizing there’s no escaping nothing no matter where he goes while “another man” confronts a woman demanding to know whether or not she’d still love him if he was a regular guy. “heaven 4 a fiend” shows optimism regarding there possibly being a paradise for drug addicts while “freestyle courtesy of trauma” has a more cutthroat approach in terms of lyrics & delivery.

“hourglasses” gives the world a glimpse inside of his diary instead of chasing for hits & others being completely unaware that he’s terrified in the inside while “i don’t go outside anymore” talks about being alone in his room convinced that he’s unworthy of healing. “silent floods” admits to the fear he has of losing his life & crying when he’s driving by himself while “color me dead” talks about none of these pussies wanting smoke with his team.

The soul sample Wetto chops up “for the love of the game” was pretty impressive boasting that he’s already popped off more than he could count while “bleeding ghosts” tried to figure out how some people perceive him. “widow voice note 48” splits itself in 2 separate halves admitting that he hates the life he has as much as his own family does & becoming a dad himself while “screw tape letters” suggests for his girl to backstab him in the chest if that’s what she intends to do.

“baptized in ash” talks about him never giving any fucks over the course of his career & demanding for all the sick pedophiles in the world to be executed while “wojak” interestingly flips “Bossier City Kidnap Victims” firmly confident of these lame ass dudes eventually phasing out because they don’t phase him even a little. “skrt cobain” comes through with another 2-parter detailing what he would say was amongst the loneliest days of his life while “saint maximilian kolbe” talks about consuming 20 pills.

One of the more melodic moments easily has to be “lest i die because of her” encouraging a woman he’s been interacting with to stop doubting herself & for all the fuckboys to hit the bricks while the “starlight freestyle” cloudily talks about having to play his cards right. “lord, i’m tired” much like “broken boy” contemplates suicide except he’s asking for God to take the pain away while “dirty realism” calling for those who’re truly about it to raise their guns up.

“sans deur” discusses his murderous tendencies & every day growing colder than the winter while the rage-inducing “bust down keanu reeves” tries to figure out what everyone else be talking about exactly. “a mother’s burden” assures a woman whose face is painted with regret that he’ll literally starve to death for her while “is it worse to live as a monster or die a good man?” pleads for this person to make a reservation for their expectations.

There’s a bit of an emo influence to “comfortably numb”, singing over a guitar about getting an individual to no longer hurt him again since he feels the need for a companion while “swan song” raps of him being forever trapped inside of the hero they demand. “credo” flexes that his girl won’t ever need a full-time job unlike some of these other rappers while “millionaires vow of poverty” talks about hustling for the fuck of it & disassociating because of life feeling like a trance.

“narco melody” finally winds down the last moments of Runaway asking why he feels alone & broken preceding the urges of taking his own life getting to him not too long following a beat switch while “memento mori” talks about his entire body itching from the drugs he’s been sippin’ along with losing what little pieces left of me with each day passing. “all death is certain” takes up the last 3 minutes hopping over a bare guitar to discuss life constantly breaking down.

Since 2018 already, I’ve primarily been positive whenever reviewing the $uicideboy$ & G*59 as a label other than an exception or maybe 2. That said: I do think Runaway has more enjoyable moments rooted in trap, emo rap, Christian hip hop, rage & bounce than A Man Rose to the Dead even if I’d have to say it’s the 2nd weakest entry in $crim’s solo catalog. Putting aside the fact that it’s 59 tracks as a nod to G*59, I would’ve enjoyed the album A LOT more if the amount of filler wasn’t a giant elephant in the room

Score: 2.5/5

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Seth Narley – “Prada Cups in the South of France” review

Here is the brand new extended play & the 10th in his discography overall from South Bronx, New York emcee Seth Narley. Dropping his debut EP 5am on Crosby in 2019, he would later follow it up by putting out the Trissland trilogy & drop 3 more EPs in 2024: Night at the RoxyA Millbrook Story & S.A.L.Y. (Still Ain’t Lie Yet). Coming off both The American Dream: Son of a Dealer & Oceans: Mondrian however, he’s copping Prada Cups in the South of France.

“Jordan on the Baseline” begins with a soulfully jazzy opener clocking at 109 seconds likening himself to my favorite basketball player of all-time whereas “$2K on the Knicks” chops up a gospel sample to talk about betting for his home team in the NBA Playoffs & not trippin’ live it because of his bias instinct. “Unplugged from Marsielle” kicks off the 2nd half of the EP admitting his brother took his own life over a drumless loop while “Celia Cruz & Gloria Estefan” ends on a jazzier note talking about being worth $1M.

Only a few days after getting to see Adam Copeland & Christian Cage end FTR’s record-tying 3rd reign as AEW World Tag Team Champions in person at Double or Nothing VIII this past weekend surpassing All Out III as the best PPV the company has ever put on, Seth Narley begins summer a few weeks early by coasting over a bunch of drumless sampling techniques Creestal has to offer ranging from jazz to soul music reminding us of the symbolism Luna Rossa’s commissioned sneakers have over in Marseille.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mr. Y.U.G. – “UrAmerica” review

Mr. Y.U.G. is a 46 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who would join his older brother The R.O.C. in becoming members of the Level Jumpers & The Howse respectively. He would eventually make his solo debut in the spring of 2009 with Weightin’, which he followed up with the sophomore effort Warning Shot as well as 18 Shots & Kill Flows. My favorite of his #48205Defcode came out in 2016 under Anybody Killa’s label Native World Inc. & ahead of next summer making it an entire decade since Thriller, he’s returning to music for his 7th studio LP.

“Introduce Yo Self” begins with an 85 second trap intro explaining that he’s gonna be talking on these tracks again because nobody’s paying him whereas “Keep Checking My Pockets (To Be Continued???)” gives off a more energetic vibe regardless of the uncredited feature taking up the 1st half of it. The title track goes for more of a boom bap vibe instrumentally & a hardcore approach to the lyrics just before “DOMoxic” dedicates itself to anyone who’s ever been in domestically toxic relationship over some guitars.

We have the “Eastside Shooter” freestyle ending the 1st half of Y.U.G.’s return getting on his gangsta rap shit topically over another boom bap beat while “Yesteryearz” kicks off the 2nd leg with a highlight telling us the origin story of Ragz dating back to 1989. “Yicked” continues talking about having people snitching on his name leading into “Can’t Feel My Face” embracing a jazzier sound for all the stoners out there who like to get high.

“Party Life” begins to wind down the final act of UnAmerica takes it back to the boom bap sound with an eerie twist talking about him hitting the club on a Tuesday night & once “Miss at U” featuring Carli “La Moure” hits us with what’s mainly a spoken word piece essentially recapping Mr. Y.U.G.’s entire life story additionally addressing the people who want to bring the bad side out of him out again when no one wants it, “MC Stick Faygo Flow / Knock Dat Shit Off” sends off the full-length with an interesting 2-parter.

Only a month after The Raps On Contact’s 4th album No Direction under Majik Ninja Entertainment made his return almost a decade after Digitial Voodoo excluding the 2019 extended play Monsters Ain’t Real & fellow Native World alumni Bake Lo refining himself with Spirals, The R.O.C.’s younger brother M.oney R.olls Y.oung U.known G.angsta’s own comeback could very well be a personal one considering how much heavy inspiration it takes from his autistic 4 year old son landing right behind #48205Defcode & is said to already be working on another album of his own by the end of the year called Park of Lyrics. Some criticisms I have being the feature on the 2nd track nor any of the producers being credited & the AI artwork.

Score: 3.5/5

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Veeze – “Y’all Won” review

New surprise mixtape & the CBFW Records debut from Detroit, Michigan rapper Veeze. Emerging back in 2019 off the strength of his debut extended play Navy Wavy, he would go on to blow up in the summer of 2023 after dropping his full-length debut Ganger under Warner Records. He has since spent the last few years making guest appearances for several projects & felt like Y’all Won only announced 24 hours prior through social media would cement Veeze as the greatest signing on the entire CBFW roster.

“Tesla Pill” begins with a cloudy trap instrumental talking about him not hanging it up until he becomes a billionaire whereas “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” embraces the Detroit sound so he can discuss keeping it lit for the city. “Bruce Wayne Coupe” talks about how there should be 1,000 people kissing his ring considering people take a lot from him just before “Malice in the Palace” sticks out as a favorite from the Taurus beat to the boastful lyrics.

Meanwhile on the significantly darker “New Clothes”, we have Veeze detailing him being rich without any problems prior to another highlight track explaining that he doesn’t talk about “Old Shit” & tana producing a cloudy instrumental that I’d consider to be amongst Y’all Won’s strongest. “Listen to Me” describes giving advice to bosses over this soulful trap beat while “Still Grinding” talks about this shit historically being in his blood.

“IDK” winds down the last act of the tape observing that the reason all these muhfuckas are broke is simply because they don’t have any aura & his main bitch being unapproachable while “Birdman” compares himself to the Cash Money Records co-founder of the same name way he stunts in addition to staying around shottas whenever he’s in the hood. The outro “Lose It All Today” takes up the last 4 minutes hopping over a sped-up vocal sample talking about making bands flip.

Ganger already made it pretty clear that Veeze ranks amongst the 2020’s finest Detroit trap artists alongside the likes of Lelo & Y’all Won marks Veeze’s comeback with a respectable half hour letting the world know what makes him more appealing than Rylo Rodriguez or Lil Dann & Noodah05. Not even gonna mention EST G & 42 Dugg because they’re both on CMG too, but I respect that he held it down without any guests even if some of the production could be better.

Score: 3.5/5

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A-F-R-O – “Blood Rain” review

Los Angeles, California emcee/producer A-F-R-O back with his 16th extended play. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo under Duck Down Music Inc. introduced himself as a promising up-&-comer within the underground. The Drawing Board alongside the Stu Bangas-produced The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First and Crimson Fury have all testified to his vengeful return in recent memory, coming off The Bad & the Ugly II and No More Patience… to let Blood Rain.

The self-produced “No H.E. Double Hockey Sticks” begins talking about him being a man of God hence why he stays away from the pits of Hell whereas “The Hangman” goes for a symphonic boom bap vibe instrumentally assuring that he ain’t the one to fuck with. Highway Robbery” featuring 4-Ize finds the 2 speaking of winning the lottery & no one taking them alive while “No Talk” flexes of being more legitimate than someone who regularly stays silent.

“Saints Row” kicks off the 2nd half of Blood Rain taking a funkier approach to the beat advising for those nearby not to make a move unless he says it’s alright to while “Antagonist hooks up an organ flip to talk about becoming more villainous the older he got. “Burn It Up” has a more ghostly boom bap flare to it staying gold because he’s always outside with his squad & the title track finishes up talking about there eventually being a sunny time.

I’m sure his full-length debut will be coming within the next 7 months or so like the No More Patience… outro last winter promised, but Blood Rain will suffice for those who’re ok with going on a quick 20 minute journey through his mind. Compared to a great deal of his earlier output, the boom bap production’s more experimentally darker even if I felt like the self-produced half of it was stronger & he sounds significantly angrier.

Score: 3.5/5

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Struggle Mike – “Muerte” review

This is the 10th & possibly final studio LP from Buffalo, New York producer, curator, record executive & audio engineer Struggle Mike. Introducing himself at the end of 2019 off the strength of his full-length debut Great Escape followed by Next Up as well as Wall & Progress, he eventually kept his consistency going on Ties & Struggles until signing to Black Soprano Family Records as an artist after becoming an A&R of theirs. IYKYKIYDK & Honor would all come out through the label & he’s back 24 months later for Muerte.

“Bandits” by Benny the Butcher, ItsHOLY & Moon after the “Bandidos” intro welcomes everyone to the land of the robbers over a boom bap beat to get things going whereas “Solid” by Party G the Humble works in some violins so he can talk about staying loyal. “La Commission” by Heist Da Profit, YaH-Ra & 448 Brad finds the trio linking up to get on their mafioso shit leading into “Brick James” by Fuego Base & Mark 4ord talking about the country feeling like it’s end days are nearing.

B.A.R.S. Murre & Speedie da Icon both appear on the primarily drumless “Good Boy” up until the final 45 seconds talking about well-behaved children becoming hustlers while “It’s a Lifestyle” by Jess Classic discusses the way he lives over a bare guitar loop. Eto joins B.A.R.S. Murre for “Hell”, spending a couple minutes bodying a flute instrumental from DJ Benoit just before “Anything Goes” by The Hoodies finds E-Class & Young Poppa talking about there being no restrictions.

“Get to the Money” by Heist da Profit, Joxiel & Smoke Bulga after the “Locked Up” interlude Boons 153rd kicks off the 2nd half of Muerte talking about making some paper over a decent trap beat prior to Gunny H discussing his “Deals with God” on top of a vocal sample & mixed with hi-hats. “Violins” by Lo Profile & Rick Hyde embraces an eerier boom bap sound talking about making people go to sleep when the strings cease while “Take a Risk” by B$F Tone 066, Mike Major & Miles A aim to step out their comfort zones.

After the “Smoke Break” by D Les comes through with a quick drumless freestyle, “What’s Real?” by O.T. the Real & 067Red talks about not knowing what’s legit until it falls in the cooking bag while “Old NY” by Ockz & Spiderdagod explains that they’ve always liked being underdogs. “Southside” by Balistic Man, Chop the Father & Speedie da Icon brings everyone together to hustle until daylight while “The End” by Conway the Machine & Lefty Gunplay excluding the “Just Like That” outro finishes with an outstanding east/west coast boom bap closer.

Confirming in a recent interview that he’s fulfilled all of his contractual obligations for Black Soprano Family, this new era of Struggle Mike’s career collides some of the underground’s biggest artists as well as those who’re a part of his Mike’s own Struggle Cartel collective & a few of Steve Lobel’s clients for what could potentially be the last time we might hear from musically due to some legal issues. When he comes back, he did say he plans to capitalize on his squad over at the Struggle Compound.

Score: 3.5/5

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doPE – “no country for old men” review

doPE is a superduo consisting of Los Angeles, California musician, songwriter, author & actor John Densmore alongside Hempstead, New York emcee, songwriter & producer Chuck D. The latter of whom gained notoriety for being the frontman of the seminal political hip hop outfit Public Enemy & the other broke out as the drummer for one of rock music’s most celebrated bands: The Doors. Both members announced their formation a few months earlier & are dropping a debut album under SpitSLAM Records.

“every tick tick tick” begins with a funky rap rock intro produced by C-Doc where Chuck’s talking about ageism, sexism & racism being in the way of people living their daily lives whereas the title track discusses elders being the roof that shelters the youth. “doomsay” returns to a rap rock sound for a gritty description of the apocalypse & after a recitation of “The Bone of my Father” by Etheridge Knight, we have “i love that i don’t love” soulfully ending the 1st half speaking of The Rhyme Animal’s relevancy.

As for “people are strangers”, we have doPE suggesting not to even try at being friends with them if you only know of them while “breakthru” spends 115 seconds talking about the rise of technology over the course of their lives. “ops3ssion” does it’s job masterfully fusing Public Enemy’s politically charged lyrics with 70s rock instrumentation while “everyone dies” following a reading of “Djali II” by Kamau Daáood concludes no country for old men by providing 1 last crucial message for the younger generations listening.

Originally released as a Record Store Day exclusive last month, doPE’s full-length studio debut finally arrives streaming services a month later & would say no country for old men joins Radio Armageddon & Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025 in terms of the run Chuck D has musically been on for the past 12 months. The production impressively mixes hip hop with funk & rock, sprinkling hints of spoken word along the way to provide some social commentary many need to hear.

Score: 4/5

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Kottonmouth Kings – “California Burning” review

The Kottonmouth Kings are a Placentia, California rip hop outfit now consisting of D-Loc, Chucky Chuck, Judge D & The Taxman. The original marquee act of Suburban Noize Records, their full-length debut Royal Highness distributed by Capitol Records was easily the rawest entry of their discography & the sophomore effort High Society embraced a more futuristic sound preceding Hidden Stash II: The Kream of the Krop & Rollin’ Stoned stylistically bringing KMK to their own. The last time we heard these guys as a group was when the late Saint Dog & Johnny Richter got with Loc for their 14th album Kingdom Come on 4/20 2018, excluding 25 to Life which is essentially D-Loc’s 3rd solo album. To celebrate 3 decades since their formation however, they’re signing to Virgin Music for a brand new extended play of material.

“Red Eye” produced by Mike Kumagai thunderously begins talking about people everywhere knowing the Kings got the best flow whereas the title track goes for more of a reggae vibe to discuss Americans struggling these past 16 months. “Break the Chains” shifts towards punkier territory talking about rebelling against the system & once “Move Along” encourages all to overcome the odds, “Raise Up” finishes off with a celebratory heater.

I recently got to see the Kottonmouth Kings live the day before Mother’s Day earlier this month since both Motown Rage & Kung Fu Vampire opened for them, but this new lineup’s inaugural collection of music was what 25 to Life should’ve been & makes me more optimistic of where things will go for them hereon out. It’ll be a delightful surprise for fans to hear Kumagai reuniting behind the boards & taking it back to the rip hop sound he helped perfect almost a quarter of a century earlier, mixing political rebellion & stoner raps they’ve become synonymous with.

Score: 4/5

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fakemink – “Terrified” review

Basildon, Essex, England, United Kingdom recording artist & producer fakemink is back with his full-length studio debut. Introducing himself in 2021 off his debut EP Dog Heater, he would go on to drop 7 more extended plays in 90,900Real Hospitality, London’s SaviourWild OneFureverDisco Biscuit & Galaxy Pavillion Club until getting co-signs from music’s biggest names like André 3000 & Clipse.  “Music & Me” would also become one of my favorite singles of 2025, coming off The Boy Who Cried Terrified almost 4 months earlier to serve the main course.

After the titular intro, the noisily self-produced “All Eyes on Me” talks about killing shit because it’s what he must do whereas “Playlist” gives off a more hypnotic vibe instrumentally detailing an innocent angel becoming a whore. “Creep” talks about him moving slowly & putting in work so he can spend all the money he makes while “Like a Virgin” reminds everyone that he’s been getting paid since the 9090gate phase of his career.

“51 Ttashpel Pony Ave.” after the “Jungle-Affair” interlude has a more tone in terms of lyrics sampling “Now” by Julia Wolf to talk about others making paper for his future children’s sake & other never seeing large amounts of cash in their lives while “Hard Candy” details him being allergic to broke shit. “Rewind” ends the 1st half wanting this woman to recognize that she’s his while “Essex Girls” talks about showing a woman what real affection is.

Pop rap, electropop, hip house, euro house & electro hop all collide on the single “Night, Blooming Jasmine” discussing that his objective has now become waking up daily & living his life now that he’s rich & famous while “Wrong Relief” talks about staying lit after setting himself on fire. “Kiss of Death” after the “Fire on Ice” interlude boasts that he bagged the baddest bitch alive while “Creed” talks about the pain that comes with the life he chose.

“Tell Me What You’re Missing” begins the final moments of Terrified asking his lover to let him know what she misses regarding her old life while “Forget Me Not” talks about him winning because he didn’t listen to what everyone else has told him. The final song “Rétard Angel” preceding the “Etna” outro finishes the LP advising not to let his wealth fool anything into thinking that he’s lucky when it’s the complete opposite the way he looks at it.

Taking more inspiration from 2018-2020 drill as opposed to grime music, fakemink’s debut album was conceived as this crude caricature of Los Angeles after returning home to London after a trip out to the west coast & lands behind the London’s Saviour EP for his 2nd best opus. His cloudy production includes elements of jerk, witch house, experimental hip hop & ambient music to lesser extents for a creepy California noir where models try to steal your soul & vampires drive Wraiths down Hollywood Boulevard.

Score: 4/5

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