Germ – “Stay Gold” review

This is the 4th extended play from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Germ. Signing to G*59 Record$ in mid-2018, he would drop his debut EP Bad Shit a couple years earlier followed by the Badshit (Bootleg) EP along with the debut mixtape Germ Has a Deathwish as well as The Hijinx Tape & the Cold Summer EP. Last we heard from him was almost 2 & a half years ago when he dropped his full-length studio debut Every Dog Has It’s Day, celebrating his birthday by dropping Stay Gold entirely produced by Cosh.

The title track incorporates some heavy bass to get things going talking about moving with the wicked whereas “Out My Top” gives off a funkier vibe instrumentally explaining that he has tons of pain inside his heart. “Fasho Fasho” brings a more laidback beat to the table talking about the money calling him & after “Space Face” embraces a darker atmosphere to get on gangsta shit lyrically, the outro “Heart Went Cold” ends the EP looking to run the racks back up.

Every Dog Has It’s Day at this point has already surpassed Germ Has a Deathwish to become my favorite entry in Germ’s whole discography & if we’re gonna get a sophomore effort down the line, then I’d say Stay Gold would be an acceptable prelude to it. I was already familiar with Cosh since he produced the intro of that Mental Trillness 2 mixtape Juicy J did a couple years ago & it’s appropriate considering G*59’s heavily inspired by Three 6.

Score: 3.5/5

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Tierra Whack – “Whack’s Museum” review

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper & singer/songwriter Tierra Whack has returned for her 2nd mixtape in time for the summer. Breaking out in 2018 off the strength of her debut tape Whack World after signing to Interscope Records, she would go on to drop a trilogy of EPs showcasing her artistry: Rap? as well as Pop? & R&B?. Her full-length debut Worldwide Whack was more moderately received compared to Whack World although I appreciated it for what it was, taking us through Whack’s Museum a couple years later.

“Whack Job” produced by Chris Keys & Conductor Williams breaks the door down responding to the people saying she should rap more whereas “Wax Paper” takes the boom bap route instrumentally talking about feeling too generous at times. “Brazilian Wax” soulfully asks herself why some are intimidated by her presence until “Wiggidy Whack” runs it back with Conductor talking about leaving any & all competitors scorched.

As for “Totem”, we have Tierra embracing some trap vibes so she can discuss getting what she wants leading into “Godda” ending the 1st half returning to the boom bap courtesy of Swaggyono from Working on Dying talking about making some money. “Siren” kicks off the 2nd leg of Whack’s Museum so she can let get a bit more goofier & joyous with her wordplay while “Candle Wax” strips the drums to talk about her going out being herself: Amongst the greatest to ever do it musically.

“Queen’s Crown” retains her signature sense of humor dropping 4 straight verses without a hook over a soul sample while “Earwax” talks about choosing not to play the game despite her knowledge of it over another drumless loop. “215” shouts out the city that made her the person she’s becoming once again getting humorous with her pen & the outro “Flowers” ends Whack’s Museum demanding her props from those who ain’t giving ‘em to her.

Little Simz & Doechii have been widely regarded as some of the greatest women to touch a microphone in recent memory, but Tierra Whack has already proven herself to be in that same category from her Lil Boat 3 feature to her recent appearance on Jill Scott’s latest album To Whom This May Concern several months earlier. Her lyrics are more abstract & occasionally conscious than usual with the production varying between boom bap, jazz rap & pop rap.

Score: 4/5

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vax – “Steeze” review

West Palm Beach, Florida rapper/producer vax staying busy with his 7th extended play. Someone who’s eventually go on to drop his last 6 EPs since 2023 after beginning to make music at the age of 12 including New Jazz as well as Forgive My Sins & Pyramid Scheme, with Is This You? following my personal favorite of the bunch Throne. Coming off #B4BlueDawn & the full-length debut Blue Dawn merely 8 weeks earlier & he’s applying more pressure by releasing Steeze.

“Parade” kicks things off with a rage-inducing intro talking about being with slayr in his hometown & looking for all the hoes back in the South shaking ass at a local parade while “Hetereo” bridges Steeze boasting that nobody can do this music shit the way he does it. “Screamer” spends the final minutes of the EP with 1 last hypertrap instrumental talking about going dumb whenever he’s on stage & making sure his bitch can’t walk for a week after sex.

Ditching the primary digicore influences of Blue Dawn along with the cloud/pop rap undertones, vax gets ready for the next era of his career dropping of a 6 minute 3-pack that I find to be average in comparison. The rage production doesn’t make a lasting impression on me as much as the debut a couple months ago & maybe a track or 2 could’ve been more fully fleshed out, but you can definitely still hear the hunger in his performances.

Score: 3/5

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Key Glock – “Project X” review

Here is the 5th studio LP although his 2nd for a major label from Memphis, Tennessee rapper Key Glock. Notable for being the cousin of the late Young Dolph, he signed to Paper Route Empire in 2017 after his debut mixtape Whole Lotta Errthang & has since released 4 more tapes in addition to an EP & his last 4 full-lengths. The most notable being Glockoma 2 & his previous one Glockaveli. Over a year later since making his debut for Republic Records, Project X has arrived in time for summer.

“Mannish” produced by the late Tay Keith who unexpectedly passed yesterday afternoon opens up with a cloudy trap intro talking about having too many hoes whereas “50 Hoes” flexes that he has bitches in every state over some pianos & hi-hats. “Hardknock” talks about embracing the rockstar lifestyle now that he’s been blowing up over an eerier instrumental while “Face Down” runs it back with Tay Keith again for an effective club anthem.

As for “Big 5”, we have Glock slowing the pace for a groove-heavy cut talking about standing on business every single time leading into “6AM” discusses waking up early in the morning so he can make some bread. “Dummy” acknowledges his continued success over a boisterous Tay Keith beat with co-production from Cubeatz looking to add more commas to his bank account just before “Drug Luv” talks about women being in love with drugs & guys staying bitter.

“Work It” hits us with another club anthem although I don’t think it’s better than “Face Down”, but then “Faded” ends the 1st half of Project Xexperimenting with plugg to talk about getting fucked up. “Sick” kicks off the 2nd leg flexin’ without having to go to the gym over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental & making it clear that he ain’t nothing like these bitches while “SRT Muzik” talks about nobody being able to compete with him musically.

Tay Keith returns behind the boards once again for “Benzo” showing off this new Benz that he copped while “Cash Money” pays tribute to Mannie Fresh, who’s certainly underappreciated for architecting the titular Republic imprint’s signature sound 3 decades earlier. “Cherry on Top” talks about poppin’ his shit with confidence over a more psychedelic trap instrumental while “Loco” wasn’t that impressive of a single in my opinion.

“Go” winds down the last few moments of Project X talking about still being the same as he was prior to the fame while “Seeing Red” luxuriously becomes self-aware of needing his medication after fucking around & waking up on the wrong side of the bed. “Houston Flow” nears closer towards the end of the album showing his appreciation for the 713 & the outro “Reminiscing” couldn’t have finished off on a more introspectively reflective note.

Looking to further push himself artistically, Key Glock explores a broader range of southern hip hop styles without abandoning his trap roots & that’s what makes Project X my 2nd favorite entry in the Paper Route Empire’s flagship delegate’s whole discography. Tay Keith’s many contributions are bittersweet to hear considering his tragic death only 24 hours earlier & although I’d like to hear some guests who’re on his level lyrically, I appreciate him continuing to hold the fort down individually.

Score: 4/5

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D12 – “D12 Forever” review

D12 is a duo from Detroit, Michigan now consisting of Kuniva & Swifty McVay. Other members included B. Flatt, Bizarre, the late Bugz, the late Dirtty Ratt, the late Eye-Kyu, their late de facto leader Proof, Killa Hawk, DJ Head, Fuzz Scoota, mR. pOrTeR & most notably Eminem. Becoming the first act to sign with Shady Records after Interscope Records helped launch it, their full-length debut Devil’s Night has become a hometown classic & the sophomore effort D12 World went for a more commercial sound, carrying the legacy forward 2 decades after Proof’s murder by dropping their 3rd album under Compound Interest Entertainment.

“My Salsa” after the “Again, Another Public Service Announcement” intro produced by Jake Bass opens up sampling “My Band” talking about giving what the world’s been missing whereas “Tear It Down” featuring B-Real & Xzibit finds the quartet linking up for a hardcore hip hop single. “Proof & Eli” lets Derty Harry shine posthumously with his son Eli Ble$$ed for a couple minutes just before “Better Dayz” talks about having faith in God when times are hard.

As for “Kill the Engineer”, we have Swift & Kuniva trading bars over a boom bap instrumental talking about an audio engineer being murdered in their studio leading into “Tenderism” featuring Method Man finds all 4 of them getting back in their hardcore bag lyrically. “Dirty Nation” flips the Funkadelic single “1 Nation Under a Groove” for an carefree g-funk anthem while “Still Hating” featuring King Iso & Tech N9ne after the “Nick’s Coffee House” skit returns to a more hardcore hip hop sound.

“Bugz ‘98” pays homage to their fallen brethren in the vein of “Bugz ‘97” off D12 World while “Even Knights Kneel” talks about kings having to meet their Gods over a rap rock beat. “Nightmare Walking” featuring Xzibit includes a touching callback to “Kurt Kobain” off Searching for Jerry Garcia during Kuniva’s verse & after “What If?” takes a few minutes to paint vivid scenarios, “Forever” ends the D12 Forever talking about representing the team for life.

Regardless of Eminem saying at the end of “Stepping Stone” that D12 was over, I have all the respect in the world for Swifty McVay & Kuniva keeping the group’s legacy alive even if it’s only them going forward. That said: If we’re gonna get a whole series out of this considering that sequel to D12 Forever is being hinted, I wouldn’t mind it & feel like fans would still appreciate it as a gift coinciding the 25 year anniversary of their debut. Jake Bass’ production reminds me of the Dirty Dozen’s earlier output, the guests are all carefully selected & the performances of both members are harder than the My Brother’s Keeper EP in comparison.

Score: 4/5

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Pz’ – “B4NTB” review

This is a brand new extended play of solo material from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & fashion model Pz’. Emerging a couple years ago off the strength of his debut single “Sun”, he would eventually blow up last summer when “Hedis Bussin’” came out & has since collaborated with the likes of billi0n for his debut mixtape Revenge as well as the Uy Scuti Bøyz’ eponymous tape earlier this spring. Only a few days away from No Turnin’ Back however, he’s dropping off B4NTB.

“Track Meet” hops over this colorful trap beat making it known to anyone who ain’t makin’ a profit that they can’t hang with him whereas “Seals & Tags” acknowledges the ØWay collective’s increasing popularity to end the 1st half. My favorite track here “Tamagochi” embraces a cloudier vibe instrumentally talking about puttin’ muhfuckas on dinner plates & “Keep It Tucked” produced by Noah Mejia finishes with an outro that I’d consider a close 2nd compared to the previous track.

It was already known since the very beginning of the month that Pz’ would finally begin building a discography for himself following his standout guest appearances & singles, but him dropping B4NTB literally 24 hours in advance increases what anticipation I’ve had for No Turnin’ Back tomorrow with an impressively brief collection of trap songs taking additional inspiration from rage, cloud rap, pop rap & futuristic swag in only under 10 minutes.

Score: 3.5/5

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Fimiguerrero – “The Statue of a Fool” review

London, England, United Kingdom rapper & producer Fimiguerrero preluding his upcoming 3rd album Lost City with his 7th extended play. Releasing his debut EP Human Anatomy in 2019, he would continue to build up a catalog for himself with his next EP Fuck Brex!t as well as the eponymous full-length debut & the No Way Out EP. kvnt, Black, the sophomore effort Immigrant & New World Order all followed & he’s decided to shock the world after unveiling The Statue of a Fool without any prior announcement.

“Me Again” opens up with a jerk intro talking about his appetite being suppressed by taking some ecstasy whereas “Loser” keeps the hoodtrap vibes going clapping back at his haters doing the shit they wish they could do. “Good Girl” blends trap, emo rap & jerk so he can talk about his own struggles struggles with fame & trusting women leading into the self-produced “Cocaina” ending the 1st half touching on the subject of escapism & describing a kinda love that‘s addicting.

Kicking off the 2nd half, the song “Dutty” featuring Bassvictim takes an atmospherically darker approach instrumentally admitting to still feeling some sort of disconnect even after he started to gain popularity while “Skywalker” samples “Throw It In” by Lil Wayne addressing individuals who constantly have issues with him although I wish fakemink had a verse. “Mind the Gap” talks about repeating the same mistakes his own father had made & the cons of living in London while “Don’t Leave Me” ends the EP detailing a breakup.

Impressed by the guest appearances he had on both EsDeeKid’s debut EP Rebel & Jim Legxacy’s debut mixtape Black British Music last summer, Fimiguerrero gives us a glimpse of what we can expect out of Lost City in the guise of The Statue of a Fool which is a salvageable appetizer until the main course. I wouldn’t necessarily call it my favorite EP he’s done, but I do appreciate him experimenting a bit more outside of his signature jerk/rage sounds.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mr. Green – “F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction)” review

Highland Park, New Jersey born producer Mr. Green now based out of New York City surprisingly taking the microphone for a new extended play of solo material. For nearly 2 decades already, this guy has produced for some of the most prolific artists across the entire underground hip hop spectrum from the Army of the Pharaohs to R.A. the Rugged Man & Westside Gunn. He also has multiple beat tapes under his belt & was interested in hearing what sort of directions he’d try taking for F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction).

After the soulful “ooo ooo ooo” intro, the first song “think about u” works in some pianos to sing about him not being able to get enough of a woman he’s fallen in love with whereas “make money” takes a mainly repetitive approach to his songwriting wanting to increase his revenue over more keys. “g thang” eventually reaches the halfway point soulfully covering WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg’s opening verse of “Nuthin’ But a G Thang”.

“u known me for years” kicks off the 2nd leg of F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction) hooking up a boom bap instrumental to spit an off-the-cuff freestyle talking about some wanting him to stay & others hoping he calls it quits but after a 21 second skit, the closing track beautiful life” preceding a Bandcamp exclusive outro spanning almost a minute spends the last 76 seconds of the EP repetitively singing about the beauty of existing.

Wouldn’t have ever imagined Mr. Green taking the risk of vocally performing over his own production for the duration of an entire project & although I appreciate gin doing so, I found a great deal of F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction) to be pretty average. There is some artistic range pulling inspiration from singer/songwriter as well as R&B & of course hip hop, but I was expecting more out of the songwriting considering the repetitiveness of multiple tracks & firmly believe he can make a few improvements.

Score: 2.5/5

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ZelooperZ – “Pin Breakers” review

This is the 2nd extended play from Detroit, Michigan emcee ZelooperZ. A member of the Bruiser Brigade collective & 1/2 of ZGTO, he has spent the last 15 years building up a solo catalog comprised of a dozen LPs along with another EP & a couple mixtapes. My personal favorites of which being the Black Noi$e-produced Dyn-o-mite & more recently, ZelooperZ’ most recent full-length Dalí Ain’t Dead, digging up all 11 of Pin Breakers’ tracks 9 months later & putting it up exclusively on his Bandcamp.

“Listen” starts us off with a 90 second intro talking about never dropping the ball similarly to Blake Griffin over some sampling in the background whereas “Pain T Wayne” hops over a psychedelic trap beat saying that he reminds himself of T-Pain & shit not changing. “Beautician” goes for a jazzier boom bap vibe instrumentally talking about working in any weather while “Mason’s Dispatch” feels like a minute & a half freestyle.

My least favorite track here might be “The Music” mostly because it sounds underdeveloped & so short where having it on here seems rather pointless while “Nostradamus” featuring Danny Brown makes up for it by giving us a boom bap banger that would’ve fit perfectly on Dyn-o-mite. “My Momma” continues the 2nd half of the EP showing gratitude towards his mother while “River Rogue” continues to chop up more samples talking about having this shit laced.

“Baby Bruisin’” nears closer towards the conclusion of Pin Breakers blending some strings & hi-hats discussing him spending a long time not having shit while “Sailing Seas” further elaborates on that recalling the days where he used to eat a bunch of Spam & sleep in the studio over a piano instrumental. The outro “Aha Aha” soulfully concludes the EP looking back at when he couldn’t walk around the hood because of a bounty placed on his stepfather’s head.

Considering that Pin Breakers was recorded in 2019 around the same time as Dyn-o-mite, it wouldn’t surprise me of these collection of previously unreleased tracks were meant to be on that album since ZelooperZ’ primarily abstract lyrics combined with Black Noi$e’s experimentally jazzy production were all key factors in making Dyn-o-mite so special to me even if there are some occasionally incomplete ideas floating around here & there.

Score: 4/5

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Olivia Rodrigo – “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” review

Olivia Rodrigo is a 23 year old singer/songwriter & actress from Murrieta, California who began acting for The Walt Disney Company in the late 2010s prior to focusing on a musical career & signing to Geffen Records. Her full-length debut Sour solidly explored the perils & discoveries she made when she was 17 & the sophomore effort Guts reflect the process of maturity she experienced toward the end of her adolescence, looking to make a departure with her 3rd album compared to both of it’s predecessors.

The intro “Drop Dead” fuses pop rock, synthpop, new wave, big music & indie pop daydreaming over someone she’s crushing on whereas “stupid song” takes inspiration from Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux singing about wanting this guy more than anything she could write. “honeybee” continues from there assuring she has love for this person even if she can’t quite describe it while the rock-driven “maggots for brains” thematically bases itself around Miranda from Sex & the City.

“u + me = <3” nears the conclusion of you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love singing about being optimistic of a new relationship beginning leading into “my way” gives off some Gwen Stefani vibes furiously calling out a woman for crossing her relationship boundaries. “purple” marks a turning point where things start to unravel just before my favorite single “the cure” experiments with pop rock, singer/songwriter, acoustic rock, post-Britpop, big music & chamber pop coming to terms with her flaws.

Meanwhile on “begged”, we have Olivia giving a more nuanced take of wanting more affection from her boyfriend “what’s wrong with me” featuring Robert Smith finds pair joining forces to help her realizes that this guy she’s dating is the cause of her sadness. “less” makes her last attempts at saving their relationship from collapsing & after “expectations” refuses to settle for someone with a fake job, she spends the final minutes likening her ex to “cigarette smoke” regretting the time she spent with him.

Guts was a huge improvement above Sour & you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love completely embraces Olivia Rodrigo’s full artistic potential by dropping the best music I’ve heard from her. Dan Nigro’s production almost perfects her pop rock sound incorporating some additional elements of singer/songwriter, new wave, alternative rock, indie rock, acoustic rock, post-Britpop, big music, jangle pop, chamber pop, adult contemporary & traditional pop portaging a relationship from beginning to end.

Score: 4.5/5

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