Brand new LP & the 6th overall from Rochester, New York producer/emcee 38 Spesh. Known for being the leader of the Trust Army collective & founder of TCF Music Group, he’s been steadily busy throughout the last decade or so whether it be him producing projects for the likes of Planet Asia to Elcamino & Grafh or his own solo output. Last time we heard Spesh by himself as a penman was the intimate Mother & Gun nearly a couple summers ago, firing off 8 Shots to end the month of May.
“Free Game” hops over a drumless, crooning loop to spend the opening 105 seconds talking about rappers taking his life story & making competition out of it whereas “The Main Line” aggressively discusses the reaper being at one’s door with Jesus trying to call. “Used 2” featuring Rome Streetz finds the pair talking about how having 1 gun simply isn’t enough prior to “Be the Best” soulfully speaks against being a small-time individual.
Che Noir appears alongside Spesh to poignantly address some “Mental Health” struggles & I wouldn’t really consider the self-produced “Speshal” to be that much of an interlude, promising those who fuck with him that the’ll eat because of him. “Trust Us” featuring Ransom & Smooth Haynes gets the 2nd half going dropping verses of their own without the need of a hook over strings while “Heavy Burden” featuring Dave East turns up the soulfulness talking about carrying a weighty load for petty individuals.
“Great Wall” featuring Curtis Coke nears towards 8 Shots’ final moments responding to the crowd of people who were expecting Spesh to stay put even if Curtis’ verse left me on the fence while “Renovations” talks about selling everything from weed to shrooms back then. Busta Rhymes comes into the picture to help Spesh recall a “Cold War” survived 2 decades earlier & “Everything” sends off the album talking about his desire to have it all.
Carrying forward the tradition of street-certified storytelling & razor-sharp lyricism, 8 Shots further cements 38 Spesh’s place as one of hip hop’s most underappreciated multi-hyphenates pushing his evolution even further by showcasing ability to bridge generations of elite lyricists whilst continuing to sharpen his own voice from the standpoint of both an MC & a producer. The subject matter takes it back to the grit that made the other Shots installments so well received.
This is the 5th studio LP from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom duo The Bug Club. Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Sam Willmett & bassist/vocalist Tilly Harris, they emerged earlier in the decade off 3 extended plays & a couple albums preceding Sub Pop Records signing them a few years ago already. Their debut for the label On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System & the pairing previous full-length Very Human Features were both positively received, returning 12 months since the latter for Every Single Muscle.
“Miss Wales 2012” begins with this chugging garage punk intro referencing a competition both Tilly & Sam have actually won whereas “A Good Day for Dying” made for an apathetically humorous 3rd & final single. “Make It Count” finds the pair trading lines with each other over indie rock instrumentation depicting 2 lovers who have absolutely no idea what to do just before “Cut to Black” takes inspiration from both NEU! & Sparks for 90 seconds.
Meanwhile on “Full Range of Motion”, we have The Bug Club taking a page out of the Minutemen playbook for a post-punk revival tune with some occasional slacker rock undertones while “Pretty as a Magazine” bemoans the fact people don’t know what to do with their own bodies a lot similarly to what “Make It Count” did earlier. “Look Like Me” sings about each member’s own appearance while on “How Can We Be Friends” explains that both members are preoccupied with others.
The title track ends the 1st half of Every Single Muscle on some egg punk vibes singing about feeling strong in all ligaments of their bodies while “Shiny & Wet” experiments with a bit of a blues rock sound wanting to see one’s organs since apologies don’t mean shit to them. “Semi-Automatic” treads garage punk territory explaining that they only play guitars & give 0 fucks while “In My Short Life” sings about them using chart toes in times of distress.
“Watching the Omnibus” hits us with a a garage rock-tinged lead single filled with self-deprecating lyrics & after “It’s Our Manager David” shrugs off literally every single question their manager asks the band regarding what they’ve been doing with their day, the 2nd single “Yours (If You Want Me)” gives off a more introspectively tender & anxious approach singing about how neither one of them necessarily want to be adored.
The song “All My Clothes Fell Off” winds down the last moments of Every Single Muscle slowing down the pacing to build up towards a crescendo reminiscent of classic rock music while the penultimate track “3rd Best Friend” sings about an individual they loved like a close colleague. The outro “My Uncle Warren Drives a Passat” switches things up replacing the guitars with pianos singing about how if all of us were made for dying alone, then neither one of them belong here.
Looking at themselves more in a way an alien might probe a captive specimen on an intergalactic gurney instead of introspection, The Bug Club’s 3rd opus under the Sub Pop banner improves above both it’s predecessors sounding noticeably punkier than their previous output. The human form & condition are both prodded & inspected from every angle throughout the course of Every Single Muscle blending indie rock garage punk, garage rock revival, egg punk, post-punk revival & slacker rock.
Chxrry is a 29 year old singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who made a wider musical introduction for herself in the fall of 2022 when she dropped her debut extended play The Other Side shortly after The Weeknd made her the First Lady of his Republic Records imprint X♥O Records. She would later follow it up 13 months later with her 2nd EP Siren & has since dropped a handful of singles building up anticipation for her full-length studio debut elevating beyond those early EPs.
“Blockstar” opens up with an intro clashing elements of industrial music & trap singing about her making this guy fall in love with her whereas the title track takes a more atmospheric approach instrumentally cautioning what’s gonna happen when she & her man tie the knot. “Hall of Fame” blends electropop, jook, synthpop, Atlanta bass & contemporary R&B to sing about being too sexy to go home while “Bible” likens this guy’s words to the gospel.
Reaching the halfway point of the album, “Call Security” comes through with an anthem dedicated to all the crazy women who’ve gone from being angels to criminals while “Boring” sings about her willingness of lowering her standards as long as her partner isn’t tedious. Cash Cobain makes the 1st of 2 guest appearances on “Badness” where he & Chxrry are detailing the possibility of finding love in the late night although Cash’s verse was the weakest of the 2.
“Bottles & Lights” featuring Mariah the Scientist winds down the last leg of U, Me & My Ego with an empowering alternative R&B duet looking back at previous relationships they were in where their exes constantly disrespected them while “Groupie” conceptually portrays the irrational obsession that hits when you begin to develop feelings for somebody. “Main Character” though ends with her breakout single fusing pop rap, contemporary R&B, trap, futuristic swag, trap soul & pluggnb.
Most people would say that The Other Side & Siren were both average at best which I can agree with despite the introspectively sultry approach made me understand why Abel signed Chxrry earlier this decade. U, Me & My Ego on the contrary achieved my expectations of outdoing herself embracing her more toxic alter-ego over production combining influences of pop, industrial music, trap, electropop, jook, synthpop, Atlanta bass, pop rap, futuristic swag, trap soul & pluggnb with her contemporary/alternative R&B style.
The Boards of Canada are an IDM/downtempo duo from Cullen, Moray, Scotland consisting of brothers Marcus Eoin & Mike Sandison. Their 1998 full-length debut Music Has the Right to Children under Warp Records would quickly become amongst the most celebrated releases throughout the label’s canon with the sophomore effort Geogaddi & The Campfire Headphase both receiving similar praise. Over a decade later however, the Music70 founders are reforming for their 4th studio LP & what could easily become the darkest collection of material they’ve ever conceived.
“Prophecy at 1420 MHz” after the “Introit” intro begins with a stellar opener mixing downtempo, synthwave, progressive electronic, darkwave, hauntology, ambient & gothic rock whereas “Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan” makes me feel like I’m watching the introduction of an apocalyptic sci-fi flick. “Age of Capricorn” gives off a more majestically optimistic sound to it incorporating some elements of spoken word just before “Father & Son” gives off early Aphex Twin vibes.
As for “Somewhere Right Now in the Future”, we have the Boards of Canada reminding everyone they haven’t lost a step bearing the response Sean Booth of Autechre had when he was asked about Inferno leading into “Naraka” calling back to “Come to Dust” off Tomorrow’s Harvest at a few certain point. “Memory Death” after the “Acts of Magic” interlude however reminds me of something I would’ve heard on 9 Inch Иails’ soundtrack for Gone Girl when I was in high school.
“The World Becomes Flash” ends the 1st leg of the album taking it back to BoC’s earlier output with the sampling & increasing the layers of musical ideas for 5 minutes while “Into the Magic Land” kicks off the 2nd half with a composition reminiscent of The Campfire Headphase era. “Blood in the Labyrinth” sensationally continues by taking every characteristic of Geogaddi & evolving them while “Tape 05” combines ambient, hauntology, progressive electronic, drone, new age, chamber music & dark ambient.
Influences of Aphex Twin as well as 9 Inch Иails & Andy Stott all get blended for “All Reason Departs” up until an infernal arpeggio while “Arena Americanada” takes it back to the mid/late 80s when Miami Vice was one of the most popular crime dramas on television. “The Process” hits us with the musical equivalent of passing through death into heaven & after “You Retreat in Time & Space” makes one’s life flash in front of them, “I Saw Through Platonia” sends it off in the most breathtaking way conceivable.
Up until this point, I’ve made it clear a couple times already that Flying Lotus’ 7th EP Big Mama was the best IDM I’ve heard in 2026 & the Boards of Canada have already topped it nearly 3 months later with an album that I would put in the top 3 of their discography with Music Has the Right to Children & Geogaddi. Their signature IDM & downtempo sounds are being retained except there’s an increased use of samples, hints of live-instrumentation & masterful secondary influences of ambient, hauntology, neo-psychedelia, progressive electronic & synthwave.
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.
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
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 Roxy, A 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.
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.
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.
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. IYKYK, IYDK & 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.
Legends Will Never Die 