Reuben Vincent – “Welcome Home” review

Here is the highly anticipated 3rd album from Charlotte, North Carolina emcee Reuben Vincent. Emerging under the original moniker Esau, his debut tape IDOL.escent would catch the attention of 9th Wonder & would sign Reuben to Jamla Records in 2016. His debut album Myers Park would be released the next fall followed by the previous EP Boy Meets World, the latter of which resulted in Roc Nation Records handling distribution for Reuben’s future output much like fellow Jamla signee Rapsody beginning with the sophomore effort Love is War almost 3 years ago continuing to elevate his popularity. General Admission was ok in comparison, coming off the well received Hit Me When You Get Here earlier this spring to finally drop Welcome Home.

“Homecoming” promises over a slick boom bap instrumental that the blood, sweat & tears he puts into his music won’t be in vein whereas “Day by Day” works in a soul sample to send praises to the most high on the daily. “God’s Children” featuring Ab-Soul finds the 2 nostalgically homaging Ahmad’s hit single “Back in the Day” just before the charming “Gotta Get It” talks about getting paid.

As for “Queen City”, we have Reuben observes the excessive wannabes out nowadays in addition to dismissing the crowd who stays in his ear telling him what he can & can’t leading into the triumphantly funky “Get Up (Get Down)” talking about being here to flip the pages. “Issa Dee” takes a summery approach to the beat facing the concept of insecurity directly leading into “Anything” talking about doing whatever makes his partner happy.

“So I Pray” featuring Heather Victoria teams up for a luxurious ode to both Jamla artists’ spirituality while “Dre & Sydney” finds himself trying to figure out how this man & woman are so close yet so far sampling soul music once again. “Get It Girl” featuring Wale shows a flirtatious side to themselves over some synthesizers while “Sweet & Good” continues the theme of love over an orchestral boom bap instrumental.

Jourden Cox joins Reuben on the soulful “Just 4 Me” talking about God making their soulmates solely for them while “Cup of Love (Fools)” explains his preference of living like a country boy instead of winning awards. “I’m Good” featuring Marco+ links up for 5 & a half minutes assuring everyone concerned of them that they’re doing well while “In My Life” wraps things up with a line referring to my favorite Roy Ayers track “Searching”.

Taking it back to the foundation of Reuben Vincent’s artistry, Welcome Home represents a full-circle moment from the standpoint of 9th Wonder being the person to give him 1st chance in this game & they back to where it all began for them simultaneously elevating their artistic bond. He might’ve lost friends & family to get to where he is presently, but he gained things worth more than living in the process finally seeing the fruits after remaining focused.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Monie Love – “Love Notes” review

Monie Love is a 55 year old MC, actress & radio host from London, England, United Kingdom making her full-length debut on Devil’s Night 1990 under Warner Records with Down to Earth. Her sophomore effort In a Word or 2 produced by Marley Marl & surprisingly the late Prince would leave fans divided over 3 decades ago although I personally like it more than Down to Earth. Returning to music 10 days ago after appearing on 7xvethegenius’ new album Self 7xve 3, the Native Tongues member looks to take her comeback to newer heights by dropping off a brand new EP of material a day prior to former AEW Women’s World Champion Blake Monroe becoming the new NXT Women’s North American Champion.

“Sho Luv” produced by Baby Paul formerly of Da Beatminerz bestowing the new level that she’s elevated herself to after over 3 decades of being gone whereas “Cape Vinny” takes the soulful boom bap route instrumentally to talk about clarity settling in because of her thoughts getting crowded. “Jus We” featuring Ruste Juxx & T3 continues the sampling of soul for a romantic direction topically while the lead single “Divine” featuring Skyzoo & Tuff talks about memories taking center stage onstage of fading.

The 3rd & final single “Mo’ Skillz” featuring Amil starts the backend of Love Notes marking the return of Roc-A-Fella Records’ 1st Lady herself joining Monie in ripping it over a sample of “Shadows” by The Mysterious Flying Orchestra for a nod to the Gang Starr single “Skills” leading into “Atonement” incorporating strings & synthesizers talking about reparations along with handing people the same rope she was given. The 2nd single “1 People” featuring Nana Fofie to me serves as the official closer excluding the “Sho Luv” remix experimenting with dancehall.

Originally teased in the fall of 2021 under the title Lovestruck, we finally got Baby Paul convincing one of hip hop’s pioneering women in Monie Love to come back after pursuing a radio career since In a Word or 2 because of surface pressure that a lot of artists can undergo now & the shape of the forever evolving industry we’ve all come to cherish so greatly. Together, their attempt at a grassroots level extended play makes up for it’s lengthy delays speaking from the heart with a handful of well-picked guests having 0 worries regarding who’s gonna stream or buy it.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

The Alchemist & Hit-Boy – “Goldfish” review

Beverly Hills producer, DJ & rapper The Alchemist joining forces with Fontana producer, rapper & singer/songwriter Hit-Boy for their long-awaited collaborative LP. Both of whom have respectively become amongst the most in-demand beatsmiths, with Uncle Al ranking amongst my top 10 producers ever. They’ve crossed paths with each other on multiple instances whether it be producing Benny the Butcher’s 4th album Everybody Can’t Go or Big Hit’s sophomore Blacks & Whites, but are finally dropping Goldfish a little over a couple years in the making.

“Doing My Best” finds the 2 trading bars with one another over a sumptuous Hit-Boy beat they cooked up together to begin while the jazzy single “Business Merger” turns up the watts whilst beating up the pots. “Show Me the Way” takes the drumless chipmunk soul route instrumentally thanks to Uncle Al feeling confident they won’t ever be the same people they once were prior leading into the Conway the Machine solo track “Mick & Cooley”.

Alchemist & Hit-Boy get back on the mic during the soulful “Ask for Me” talking about being on the low with the only thing you gotta do is simply ask while “Ricky” hooks up an pretty orchestral sample so Uncle Al can reflect that a 2-parent household is all he & his siblings ever knew. “Groupie Love” brings back the drumless chipmunk soul vibes getting rotation on the radio after doing a freestyle just before “Celebration Moments” talks about wanting the crown now.

“Home Improvement” primarily has a smooth drumless sound until the drums come in full gear near the end of both verses delivered from a deeply introspective place while “Recent Memory” talks about their only competition being themselves. “Walk in Faith” continues the sampling until a switch-up during Hit-Boy’s part freezing because of the cold world we’re in & “Not Much” featuring Boldy James soulfully flexes their own individual spaces as MCs.

Continuing to holding it down by themselves “Drawing Bridges” talks about there being nothing to take because nothing was given in the beginning while “All Gas No Breaks” featuring Big Hit & Jay Worthy finds the quartet applying pressure to the pedal. “God’s Great” officially ends Goldfish giving praise to the most high over a pitched sample while “Morrissey” starts the deluxe run comparing their lives to theatrical films.

“The Main Event” structurally is built a lot similarly to “Slipping Into Darkness” where Hit-Boy’s rhyming over an Alchemist instrumental & vice versa with the exception Johnathan Hulett’s briefly sung verse following Uncle Al’s & the final bonus track “Don’t Be Gone” flips a Chicago Gangsters deep cut going back-&-forth with each other on top of drumless sampling for a little over 3 minutes.

Goldfish isn’t really any different from what The Alchemist has done with Oh No under the Gangrene moniker for the past 15 years aside from the Conway joint & that’s not a criticism because Hit-Boy has already proven himself to be a capable MC on Surf or Drown alongside it’s sequel. The west coast veterans gel with one another exceptionally on the mic as they have in the past producing for other artists.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Slaine – “A New State of Grace” review

Boston, Massachusetts veteran Slaine has returned with his 6th LP. Most notable for being a member of La Coka Nostra, he released an EP & a total of 4 mixtapes before coming through with his debut album A World with No Skies in 2011 under Suburban Noize Records. This was followed up with The Boston Project in 2013 as well as The King of Everything the year after that, but the man went took a 3-year hiatus following the release of the Slaine is Dead EP in 2016 & returned by dropping the mature 1 Day in 2019. It’s been a while since The Things We Can’t Forgive, but he’s locking in with Statik Selektah to enter A New State of Grace.

The title track opens up by jumping over some synthesizers & a vocal sample talking about going places there usually isn’t any coming back from whereas “Cancel Culture” by La Coka Nostra tackles that very subject on top of a boom bap instrumental. “Listen Up” meshes these quirky synths with kicks & snares for a b-boy anthem just before “Ambition of the Crown” featuring Millyz talks about playing with fire being a dangerous thing when aiming at the king.

“It’s All Good” continues with an apology for someone he hurt whilst thanking them for being a true friend of his while “Ain’t Been the Same” talks about waking up saying hello to his new life & adios to his old one. “Coka Grillz” by La Coka Nostra featuring Paul Wall was a great single with everyone spraying lyrical bullets at those looking to battle them while “Crumbled God” featuring Rasheed Chappell & 1982 takes a more conscious approach topically.

“The Real Shit” featuring Masta Ace & O.C. starts A New State of Grace’s final leg with the trio over a piano-tinged boom bap instrumental talking about times eternally changing while “Gusto” featuring O.T. the Real & Statik KXNG samples “In Memory Of…” by Gang Starr to see who can spit the illest verse. “World Don’t Stop” concludes with a heartfelt outro talking about the future making sense in hindsight.

Capturing the energy of A State of Grace original whilst carrying the weight as well as the wisdom & scars of everything that’s happened since, A New State of Grace seems like a homecoming of sorts regarding Slaine & Statik Selektah’s friendship dating back 2 decade. From the latter’s signature boom bap sound to the sharp lyricism balancing bravado with the maturity of 1 Day & The Things We Can’t Forgive, the sequel to Slaine’s most beloved tape raises the bar both it’s predecessors have set in the late 2010s/early 2020s.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

KanKan – “F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY)” review

Finally getting the 3rd studio LP from Dallas, Texas recording artist & producer KanKan. Emerging in 2019 as a member of Slayworld & by landing production credits for a wide range of artists from Summrs to even Little Pimp, he’s also dropped an eponymous debut mixtape as well as 21 EPs & a couple full-lengths. Although it’s already been a few years since we last heard from Kan, he’s returning over 25 months following his sophomore effort Way2Geeked by releasing F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) only less than 24 hours since it was even announced.

“Fuk What U Sayin’” begins the comeback with a plugg instrumental talking about the old version of him being history whereas “Make No Sense” flexes that he counts racks & hits the border immediately after. “All Typa Shit” has one of my favorite beats on the entire album talking about luxurious materials just before the exuberant “Thru da Storm” floors it when everyone chooses to take off.

As for “Redeye Flight”, we have Kan talking about spraying mags & having a brand new stash while “Group Home” boasts that he counts new money on a daily basis like it’s some kind of cycle. “3Skii” goes for a more sinister atmosphere carrying ice around his neck & his cup after being away for so long while “Overtime” tells the coach to put him in the game since it’s going past regulation.

“Told” continues to finish up the first half of F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) with some synthesizers talking about him keeping everything P while “Fuk How They Feel” accidentally spills lean all over his Rick Owens jeans, raising his prices as a result of the whole mishap. “It Get Scary” talks about having absolutely 0 love for the other side leading into “Yellow Taped” boasting that he & his friends have made millions with one another.

Moving on from there, “Real Solja” talks about only poppin’ out for a check & whacking artists instead of trying to collaborate with them while “Wet ‘Em Up” flexes that he’s so high in the sky the point where he’s gonna have to need a parachute. “BMG (Long Live Scooter)” gives his flowers to the late Young Scooter who tragically lost his life on his birthday this spring while “Ain’t No Turnin’ Back” refuses to waste any more of his time.

“Can’t Wait Up” talks about his big dog status with new money coming at an impressively consistent rate while the pluggnb-driven “Bringin’ Me Back” tackles the concept of drug addiction, always relapsing whenever he attempts at kickin’ the habit. “Can’t Go Back” finds himself unwilling to climb back at the top since it can be lonely at times while “So Many Nights” talks about having dreams of his death.

The song “Outta Town” gets ready to conclude F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) by leaving the city with a freak hoe getting geeked up with one another while “All Black” talks about his outfit preferences treating the Wock like it’s some kind of trophy. “RR P.R.E.” featuring Summrs however reunites both Slayworld alumni to finish things off calling for all their homies who’re locked behind bars at the moment slidin’ to the function with black trucks & masks up.

Some of you may remember me condemning the series of transphobic disses Dave Blunts hurled towards KanKan’s way during the same weekend as the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s WrestleMania XLI when You Can’t Say That was released & to the surprise of absolutely nobody, F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) clears it by taking it back to the prominently heavy plugg leanings of self-titled down to it’s secondary influences of cloud rap & trap.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

1oneam – “Sin Ever After” review

1oneam is a 21 year old rapper & producer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who’s released a couple mixtapes as well as an untitled full-length debut & 10 EPs since the beginning of this ongoing decade. House Party dropped exactly 104 weeks ago & elevated his popularity in the plugg scene, something that he would capitalize on 7 months later when 1 Life came out. With only a week away from Halloween, the cr3stfallen & requiem member has returned for a sophomore effort.

“Tags” produced by TDF immediately caught my attention soon as I began playing the album flexing his wealth prior to “Marriott” talking about moving at the same speed of life itself with no intentions of stopping. “Stuck to Him” gives a shoutout to all his haters simply because he gets to stomp on them now that he’s chillin’ on rooftops while the self-produced “Up to Something” blocks anyone asking for a handout.

Moving on from there, “I Can Fly” thanks all his Day 1 supporters for always believing in him & staying locked in while “Outside” talks about sending shots to the head soon as he steps off the porch with his twin. “Match My Vibe” asks the chick that he’s seeing if she can has the same level of aura as him after a long day while “Who Am I?” talks about maturing & betting himself right.

“Cloud 9” reaches the halfway point of Sin Ever After giving that very response to the people asking him where he’s been lately leading into “Golden Token” talking about his whole squad being with the shits. “Just Like Me” suggests that he might sip the lean a little slower than usual & giving 0 fucks if anyone likes him until “Understand Me” splits itself into 2 halves feeling as if he’s misunderstood.

gyro jumps behind the boards for the rage-inducing “Let It Go” telling his girl not to worry over something insignificant & after “Fuck the Talk” references the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan, we have 1oneam talking about his preference of having a strong team beside him on “call me” in addition to getting the bag before some of his former friends betrayed him.

“Ain’t My Life” gets the final moments of the LP rollin’ talking about a hoe wanting him to save here even though that’s not a part of his lifestyle at all & once “Did You Mean It?” promises the girl who’s been having him go crazy that he’s gonna get her right by buying her the Mercedes she’s been wanting, “No New Friends” sends it all off by talking about a 1 man team due to the fact all these other people are like zombies while “Agent 47” starts the deluxe run comparing himself to the main protagonist of the Hitman series of stealth video games.

The man from the same city as the longest reigning 4-time JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion Corporal Robinson uses “Lifestyle (How Can You)” as a moment to shout out all the homies who look up to him while “5G” samples one of Future’s greatest singles “March Madness” talking about being richer & older now. “Everyday” assures that his closest friends can call him whenever he’s needed while “Make Her Dance” recaptures the energy of “Bandz a Make Her Dance” by Juicy J featuring ColleGrove.

“Petrol” talks about carrying a stick around at him at all times as if he’s the late Tom Clancy while “Chainsmoker” boasts that he’ll flex up anywhere with no fucks given. “Hope You Know” talks about spending $100K on his brand new whip leaving all the women geeking hard while “Who’s You?” clarifies he’s tryna have some fun with the chick he has in mind that he can’t save regardless of him being unable to save anyone. The final bonus track “Calm B4 Storm” tries to defuse his girl’s frustrations promising he can buy anything when he’s in the store.

Glimpses of 1oneam’s potential in the plugg scene have already revealed itself all over some his previous projects like 1 Life & 1 Death, but Sin Ever After somewhat reminds me of Devstacks’ most recent album 4SOULJASONLY in the sense of Dev putting his signature regalia sound to the side so he can embrace more traditional trap production except that the secondary influences of regalia are being replaced with plugg & crafting his greatest LP as a result.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Miguel – “Caos” review

Miguel is a 40 year old singer/songwriter, actor & producer from Los Angeles, California introducing himself in 2010 off his moderate full-length debut All I Want is You. His sophomore effort albeit RCA Records debut Kaleidoscope Dream & Wildheart would both go on to become some of the most beloved alternative R&B of the previous decade, although War & Leisure towards the end of 2017 was moderately received. However, he’s finally making a return to music with his 5th studio album to celebrate his birthday.

The title track & final single begins by showing off his bilingual singing chops over an apocalyptic instrumental whereas “The Killing” works in a psychedelic guitar reminiscent of “PRIDE.” by Kendrick Lamar for a nod to the Outlawz single “Hail Mary”. We get breakbeats, deep house & alternative R&B colliding during the self-produced single “RIP” trying to figure out if he’s in heaven or hell leading into the psychedelic soul-inspired “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” asking his new lover if she’s with it or not.

“Triggered” sings about how beautiful it is to him for this woman he has in mind explodes & loves him in her rage leading into the Spanish neo/psychedelic soul single “El Pleito” co-produced by DJ Dahi ponders the idea of going dark because he’s been in his feeling lately. We get some more silky guitar riffs during “Perderme” desiring to mate with his new lover until they face into eternity while “Oscillate” seductively sings about wanting this female to come heal these thoughts of his & make him feel indestructible.

Starting the final leg, “Nearsight (SID)” ethereally advises for this woman to slow it down because he’s certain that he won’t feel the way he is ever again while “Angel’s Song” brings the psychedelic guitars for a tribute to his son Angelito. “Always Time” nears the end of the Caos with some grungier elements thanks to Jeff Bhasker & Jerry Duplessis reflecting on his marriage to his long-time partner Nazanin Mandi since their divorce was finalized in 2023 & “Comma / Karma” featuring Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton sends off the LP with a 2-parter.

Learning that transformation can be a violent process, Caos sonically bends said violence into a triumphant comeback for the alternative R&B trailblazer that lands directly in the middle of War & Leisure’s political & personal subject matter with the darkest musical opus of Miguel’s entire career since a lot has happened to him in both of those aspects of his life. His vision’s a lot clearer than it’s been previously, giving rare insight through music & visual storytelling while inviting listeners to confront & harness our own turmoils.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Bruiser Wolf – “Made by Dope” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee Bruiser Wolf releasing his 4th studio LP. A member of the Bruiser Brigade collective, his 2021 solo debut Dope Game Stupid would become an experimentally gangsta & comedic gem although the sophomore effort My Story Got Stories was more moderately received 21 months ago. Potluck quickly became his most celebrated work back in May for good reasons & had higher expectations for Made by Dope due to Harry Fraud solely producing it himself.

“Tubi” named after the Fox Corporation’s streaming service of the same name airing new episodes of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s new secondary developmental brand EVOLVE every Wednesday night with Jackson Drake, Cappucino Jones & Kendal Grey currently reigning as WWE EVOLVE Champion, WWE ID Champion & WWE EVOLVE Women’s Champion works in some soulful sampling to symbolize his diamonds of a rock & a hard place whereas the lead single “Raised by Dope” featuring Benny the Butcher talks about the dope fiends making them who they are today.

We get a bit of a drumlessly jazzy vibe on “Against the Odds” promising that the best from him has only yet to come prior to the 2nd & final single “Eye Owe You”talks about coming from the bottom & things being up from hereon out keeping the drums out of the equation once more. “The Money Say” featuring Mick Jenkins fuses soul & jazz being advised by the paper in their pockets to not play with opps while “My Whole Life” luxuriously talks about repping the 313 for as long as he can remember.

“Connect 4” featuring Curren$y finds the pair flexing that they send people out for cream like dermatologists while “Layup Lines” soulfully talks about getting used to this new world. “The Spaniard” featuring his fellow Bruiser Brigade brethren ZelooperZ refuses handouts because everyone has something to say & after “Boss Up” talks about improving your game, “Heart Broke” closes by saying that he’s enlisted in a 1-man army & that it saddens him whenever the paper comes slowly.

Stemmed from the Potluck sessions after working on “Air Fryer” & “Baby You” respectively, Made by Dope elevates the expansiveness of it’s predecessor 5 months earlier with one of my favorite albums of 2025 & the greatest entry of Bruiser Wolf’s discography yet. His unique flow reminds me of E-40 & Suga Free even though comparisons to the Warner Bros.-owned Quick Draw McGraw/Yogi Bear Show character Snagglepuss have been made on Twitter recently with Harry Fraud’s production perfecting the drumless, jazz rap & chipmunk soul elements from this spring.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

O.T. the Real – “The Wars I’ve Won” review

Brand new EP & the 9th altogether from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania emcee O.T. the Real. Getting his start in the underground almost a decade ago after coming home from prison & dropping his debut single “Papercuts”, his profile began to grow from there after showcasing his skills on radio stations or dropping 9 albums as well as a mixtape & his last 8 EPs. My favorites being the Heatmakerz-produced 3rd EP The Irishman & the DJ Green Lantern-produced 3rd album Broken Glass that dropped on my 25th birthday & the Statik Selektah produced Maxed Out. No Matter What, Desperation of December, It’s Almost Over & Red Summer were all hit or miss for me until O.T. finally signed to Black Soprano Family Records & enlisted araabMUZIK for Zombie to critical acclaim. Prepare for War & Pale Horse were ok, following up Moving Base O.T.’s eponymous debut showed improvement as did the Nickel Plated produced Cost of Living & The Devil You Know. 38 Spesh fully produced Possession with Intent a couple months ago & it’s my favorite of his in 2025, tapping in with Chop-La-Rok & Rare Scrilla to flex The Wars I’ve Won.

“Bird Flu” opens with a drumless rap rock instrumental advising to respect the chain of command whereas “Fishtown” work in a vocal sample talking about being quick to hit the highway since it’s a perfect plan to him. “Life+Life” featuring Benny the Butcher & T.F finds the trio over a boom bap beat ruthlessly attacking those who fucked around & woke the sleeping dogs up leading into “Soldiers” remembering a homie of his who got killed by a cop.

As for “Small Cars”, we have O.T. over more rap rock production talking about only smoking these days while “Floor Boat” asks God if he can get in Heaven still on top of a drumless guitar. “Everybody’s Gone” talks about the streets & fans adoring him maintaining a rap rock sound while “Mick Jagger” grittily boasts of him rolling with stones. “End of the Day” finishes The Wars I’ve Won giving a middle finger to beef since he’s eating better now.

Chop-La-Rok & Rare Scrilla’s production on Benny’s 6th EP Pyrex Picasso & Rick Hyde’s 10th EP Lupara are still enjoyable now than they were when both of them dropped, but them doing a new extended play with another skilled member from the B$F crew almost rivals O.T. the Real’s debut for TCF almost 3 months earlier. The jazzy boom bap styles of Possession with Intent are being carried over with hints of rap rock along with drumless & chipmunk soul added to the mix, soundtracking the descriptions of his battle victories.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Babystaydown – “Art of War” review

Athens, Georgia up-&-comer Babystaydown dropping off his sophomore effort 5 months since his full-length studio debut. Somebody who already has 15 EPs under his belt including Intrusion, PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat & the Lost Files duology. However, his inaugural LP Born Anew this spring maintained the same level as all 3 of his extended plays on Cegular in terms of propelling his status in the underground & Art of War following his Red Flags & Roses appearance had me intrigued.

“Shoota” produced by Rafmade & SOULJASPIRITS opens by talking about pulling up to the spot with a bunch of gunmen surrounding him whereas “After All” pulls inspiration from Lil Uzi Vert & Lil Wayne suggesting to everyone around his premises to move the fuck out the way before he goes on a full rampage. “Switched My Tool” talks about having to swapping out the dot attached to his Glock because the firearm got too hot & spraying shit up without bluffin’ while “Cash Flow” promotes violence & money.

Whyceg jumps behind the boards for “Dead Wrong” cutting bitches off like fades leading “All Bad” talking about being rich as fuck along with quitting green lean to consume the purpler stuff over a cloudy Hariroc beat. “Don’t Fuck with T194” featuring Pradabagshawty finds the 2 labelmates teaming up so they can talk about not partaking in using acetaminophen or oxycodone hydrochloride leading into self-awareness settling in on “Luv Raging” knowing this bitch lying when she says she loves him.

“Goofy AF” featuring byarmyy joins forces over a Traiqo instrumental shrugging off all the lames who really ain’t be saying much of anything while “D.P.W.D. (Don’t Play Wit Dat)” talks about running up checks in his sleep & all of his hoes being freaks. “Babii Babii” embraces a pluggier vibe speaking of his life going brazy ever since he finally made it out of the pavement while “Lie” talks about saying whatever you want regarding him even if he & everyone else knows it’s false.

The song “Blumagic 15” begins Art of War’s final act with Babystaydown hopping over a plugg beat recalling being so high the night earlier to the point that he couldn’t see a thing & after “Same Faces” warns that if any of his friends wind up dead if they cross the line of betrayals, “Oh My Baby” finishes with an 112 second outro that mxrt4lity laced apologizing to a woman he’s no longer involved with romantically because him breaking her heart although he claims intention of doing so.

Hate da Way Um Livin marked a huge turning point in Babystaydown’s career as it seemed like the beginning of an artistic evolution further explored on Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat, both entries of the Lost Files series & Born Anew. Art of War brings that growth full circle joining B What You B & Home Invasions in becoming the most essential listening experiences in the Cegular Records catalog only a few months away from the 2 year anniversary of the plugg label’s founding.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!