Roddy Ricch is a 23 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Compton, California who came up in the fall of 2017 off his debut mixtape Feed tha Streets. He would follow it up with a sequel almost a year later & signed to Atlantic Records shortly after, who put out his full-length debut Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial the year after that to moderate reception. His sophomore effort Live Live Fast came out this past winter & even though a lot of people found it to be a disappointment, I personally consider it to be his best work yet. So given that, I was curious to hear this debut EP of his ahead of his upcoming 3rd mixtape Feed tha Streets III.
“Real Talk” is a solid introduction to the EP with it’s twangy trap production from DJ Mustard on top of Roddy’s lyricism touching on loyalty & brotherhood, but the penultimate track “Tootsie’s” has to easily be my least favorite of the 3 with it’s nondescript instrumental & bland braggadocio. I do however find “No Mop” to be a sensual conclusion from the misty trap beat from London on da Track to Roddy’s raunchy pen-game.
I know I’m in the minority for liking Live Life Fast more than most people, but I really hope Feed tha Streets III is better than The Big 3 because it’s an average appetizer before the main course. You got a great way to start it off, but then you get a miss & a mid closer. Hopefully the tape will be a moment of redemption for Roddy.
French Montana is a 38 year old rapper from Casablanca, Morocco who came up as a close Max B associate. He would then go on to drop 9 mixtapes & temporarily join Konvict Muzik until Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy signed him to Bad Boy Entertainment in late 2011, where French has made himself home ever since dropping 4 albums & 6 more tapes. Every album he’s put out thus far haven’t been as well received as his mixtapes, but I was very intrigued to hear that Harry Fraud would be fully producing French’s 5th album in it’s entirety given how well the producer/rapper pair have worked with one another in the past.
“Blue Chills” opens up the album with some hi-hats & a Skylar Gudasz sample as French declares that he’s coming for those who’re trying to escape him whereas “Rushmore Pack” works in a soulful instrumental talking about how lies don’t faze him & that he ain’t the same Montana as before. The hottest rapper in Detroit right now Babyface Ray for “Drive By” flipping “Swan” by Ionna Gika explaining that everything they do is mega leading into EST G. coming into the picture for the energized “Keep It Real” telling their shorties that keeping it 100 is better than being perfect.
Meanwhile on “Kind of Girl”, we have French & Rick Ross on top of a Lou Courtney sample describing their taste in woman just before “Higher” flips Everton Blender to talk about dying for the paper. “Bricks & Bags” with Benny the Butcher & Jadakiss finds the trio over a grittier beat detailing their d-boy lifestyles, but then “Poetic with No Justice” embraces a symphony to talk about dreaming filthy.
“Drop Top” with Quavo incorporates a chilling vocal sample so they can get materialistic while the song “Shorty So Bad” is just an annoyingly airy love ballad. The penultimate track “Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts” with the late Chinx goes full-blown boom bap throwing some piano chords into the mix talking about how no one can fuck with them & “Bronx Mecca” closes it all out by flipping There’s a Ghost” by Fleurie with French getting vulnerable lyrically.
A lot of people like to reasonably clown this dude for his most recent output, but I seriously don’t see how anyone can come away from Montega looking at it as his most consistent body of work in a very long time. Harry Fraud’s sample heavy production is a breath of fresh air considering that his last 4 albums were just chockfull of generic pop rap & the performances from French’s performances himself actually sound decent.
This is the 20th EP from Dallas, Texas recording artist & producer KanKan. Emerging in 2019 as a member of the Slayworld collective as well as landing production credits for a wide range of artists from Summrs to even Little Pimp, he would also go on to drop an eponymous debut mixtape accompanied by 19 EPs & a full-length debut in that short amount of time. But to warm everyone up for his upcoming sophomore effort Way 2 Geeked, it’s only right for KanKan to give the fans ##B4W2G as a way to hold us over until then.
“14” starts off the EP with a electronic/trap fusion talking about how the pussies can’t hit his za whereas “don’t @ me” takes a more uptempo route calling out those who think they’re better than him. The song “see u” shoots for a more atmospheric sound talking about treating every day like it’s a holiday while the penultimate track “after me” works in a rage beat confessing that he’s been geeked all summer. “taxbracket” closes things out with a fun braggadocio banger.
##RR was an impressive debut album for KanKan & for him to give us this in preparation for Way 2 Geeked, I’m really looking forward to hearing him continuing to artistically expand on there. I think the production of each cut gives off it’s own vibe & Kan’s songwriting is only getting catchier.
This is the 3rd EP from Nigerian born albeit Bakersfield raised emcee Goz. Coming up in 2017 off of Pre-SZN, he would go on to follow it up a couple years later with his last EP SZN 1: Gametime & has put out a handful of singles under his belt since then. But all of that has been leading up to Legendary over here, which is the first outing of his since 2019.
The title track sets off the EP with a horn-heavy trap instrumental talking about expectations not being a thing when you be who you are whereas “The Dream vs. The Odds” takes a more atmospheric approach with KXNG CROOKED tagging along acknowledging how hard it is to make it in hip hop. Ras Kass comes into the picture for song “Built Like That” to returning to trap territory talking about being the realest while the penultimate track “W.A.R. (We Always Ready)” with Planet Asia embraces a boom bap sound to look for the smoke. “Everywhere (The Comeback)” with Kurupt ends the EP on a triumphant note bragging about how far both of them have come.
Of the 3 EPs that GOZ has put out so far, LEGENDARY is absolutely my favorite one yet & I’d definitely recommend it to those who wanna get into him. He takes it back to basics as far as the lyricism goes, the features are all well picked out & things in the production department have stepped up as well.
This is the 5th mixtape from Inland Empire emcee PsiloSage. Coming up in 2013 of his debut EP Spore, he would go on to drop a total of 4 mixtapes & another EP PianoScribblez throughout the last 9 years. He just dropped his last tape Sirius C back in the spring & is kicking off summer in the form of HillzHavEyez
“Welcome 2 da Hillz” is a trap-influenced opener talking about where he comes from whereas “On Errrything” takes a more mystic route looking back on when he was underneath the scene. “Pasinogna” is a dark ode to the city of the same name leading into “Aerojet” incorporating some bells talking about how you might lose your mind.
Meanwhile on “SwayLikeTree”, we have PsiloSage on top of a vocal sample advising to keep the page just before the nocturnal title track talking about how he stays alive. “imEnligtebed” weaves some eerie pianos into the mix explaining that this is his last chance, but then “MshhKa!” is a futuristic trap banger describing himself as an angel & a devil.
“Vibe Lii Thaat” shoots for a more minimal sound talking about being blowed while “ZombieZ” brings back the pianos talking about being chased by the undead. “Ready2Bite” details coming out during the evening on top of a preternatural instrumental while “Feelin’ Like da Devil” turns into gloomier territory comparing himself to Satan.
Following that, “DigitizeMuyLife” brings back the pianos saying he don’t need that vibe anymore while “2RealBro” dives into bassier turf talking about bubbling up. “DifferentWayz” is a dark yet cloudier cut flexing his lyricism while “HappyHallowzEve comes through with a Devil’s Night ode even though the beat is very stripped back.
“Wingz & Hornz” goes into occult territory talking about going for the glory while “imLikeHelium” has a more vibrant tone to it comparing himself to that of the chemical element. “Hello!” takes it back to a bass-heavy sound talking about pulling up on your bitch while the piano/hi-hat infused “RackItUp” continues to deliver more braggadocious lyrics.
As for “Evrywhre”, things return to a cloudier aesthetic talking about moving all over the place while “Testament” drearily declares this as a attestation to his development. “Gettin’ Blurry” mixes some blobby bass & hi-hats to chef it up while “FckFakeBased” is a hazier joint talking about being the zone.
“MP3s2NPCs” is a more guitar-driven track talking about how life isn’t fair while “Speak2Treez” surprisingly pulls from some ambient influences feeling like he can talk to nature. “ByDaWavz” layers some icy synths over some snares talking about chilling near the waters while the hazy “HardTimez” profoundly opens up about mental health.
Moving on from there, “AsleepAsWell” is a menacing shot at those who don’t honor him while “ThousandEyez” is just an interlude. “imBased” goes for a moodier vibe & the subject matter pretty much speaks for itself while “SpaceBoyz” is a cavernous trap anthem talks about riding through the void.
The song “Ready2Release” brings a chaotic beat to the table letting us know he’s ready to show & grow while the penultimate track “Ghosta” probably has the weakest performances on the tape in my opinion despite the abrasiveness in the instrumental. “WeAreDaHillz” ends the album with a grunge/trap fusion talking about feeling too real.
Coming away from this mixtape, I think it’s a good place to start for those of you who’re new to PsiloSage’s music. It’s a little bloated running at 35 tracks & 94 minutes long which is a reoccurring critique with some of his previous material, but his style would most definitely appeal to those who like $uicideboy$ or even Lil B.
This is the 4th collaborative EP between New York emcees NVY JONEZ LKR & D-Rell. The later coming straight out of Harlem & the other hauling from Brooklyn. The pair started working together a couple years ago during the pandemic by kicking off a series of EPs called The Chicken Spot & releasing the first 3 installments all that summer. But after 2 years, they’re returning for a 6 Piece.
“4 KILLAZ” is a boom bap-tinged opener with RTPBoat joining NVY & D-Rell to talk about their gangsta mentalities whereas “I.D.F.W. (I Don’t Fuck With)” with Mugga Wall shoots for a grimmer aesthetic confessing they don’t associate with people who associate themselves with people they dislike. “Street Politics 2” is a stellar yet raw sequel to the joint on 2 Piece & a Biscuit getting to the nitty gritty while the song “By Any Means” talking about doing it for their legacies over a cold instrumental. The penultimate track “G.D.2.D. (Good Day 2 Die)” incorporates some dusty drums & pianos quenching for blood & “Survive” is a triumphant closer talking about the real lasting in the end.
Although it’s almost been 2 years since the last time these guys have put out an EP with each other, 6 Piece is definitely my favorite of The Chicken Spot series thus far & I think it’s a good place to start for those who’re new to their catalogues. The chemistry from both MCs is still going strong than it was back in 2020 & the production impressively blends elements of today’s sounds with the culture’s gritty roots.
This is the sophomore album from Compton, California emcee Westside Boogie. Breaking out onto the scene in 2014 with his debut mixtape Thirst 48 as well as following it up with The Reach exactly a year later as well as Thirst 48, Pt. II the year after that, he would eventually catch the attention of Detroit icon Eminem by signing to his Interscope Records imprint Shady Records in late 2017. His full-length debut Everything’s for Sale at the beginning of 2019 was a solid way to introduce himself to a wider audience & he’s finally returning in the form of More Black Superheroes.
“KILLA MODE” opens up the album with an acoustic guitar & some crooning vocals as Westside Boogie warns everyone to stop playing with him whereas “STUCK” takes a more piano-trap route & show a more contemplative side of him. “NONCHALANT” has a more summery tone to it getting romantic just before “LOL SMH II” starts off with a more soulful tone talking about needing power to be present, but switches into somewhat of a funkier sound saying he’s as calm as can be.
Meanwhile on “CAN’T EVEN LIE”, we have Soulja Boy tagging along over some keys & hi-hats calling out the pussies leading into the smooth “PRIDEFUL II” asking his girl what she be getting into. “AIGHT” returns to trap territory to brush off all the cap people be telling him, but then Smino & Teezo Touchdown come into the picture for the sensual “CAN’T GET OVER YOU” talking about how they can’t get over their significant others.
“RATCHET BOOG” is an aggressive introduction to one of the 3 alter egos that Westside Boogie has with a cool beat-switch towards the end while “SOMETHIN’ STRANGE” seems a little out of place given the fact that Kalan.FrFr has the most presence on it out of everyone. The penultimate track “WINDOWS DOWN” with WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg finds the 2 talking about smoking weed over a tranquilizing instrumental & “ANTHONY (WAR)” finishes the album with a well sequenced 2-parter admitting he thinks he’s too bougie now.
We’ve waited 3 long years for this one to come out & I think I happen like it a tad bit better than Everything’s for Sale. I admire the whole concept of embracing your powers as well as how much Westside Boogie has grown both creatively & personally since the last time we heard from him.
Logic is a 32 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, author & Twitch streamer from Rockville, Maryland who came up just about a decade ago off the strength of the first 3 installments of the Young Sinatra mixtape series. His potential would continually be shown on his first 2 albums Under Pressure & The Incredible True Story but it’s no secret that since the release of Bobby Tarantino in 2016, the dude’s discography has become a definition of inconsistent. ΞVERYBODY, Bobby Tarantino II & Young Sinatra IV were all mid at best, but who can forget the embarrassing attempt at going indie rock on Supermarket or the unlikeable bitterness of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind?No Pressure however was a mature sequel to his full-length debut & I also thought the Doc D concept mixtape Planetory Destruction was decent too, but Bobby Tarantino III was pretty underwhelming. That being said, almost every single he dropped leading up to this 8th album of his albeit his last with Def Jam Recordings has been incredible & had me very excited going into it.
After the “Danger” intro, “Tetris” kicks off the album with a soulful boom bap note spitting some braggadocio whereas “In My Lifetime” with Action Bronson has a more energetic tone to it warning their competition to be concerned. “Decades” flips “Oh How You Hurt Me” by The Fabulous Performers talking about how money isn’t everything & after the “J.J. Abrahams” skit, “BLACKWHITEBOY” comes through with a visceral shot at everyone who’s ever doubted him.
Meanwhile on “Quasi”, we have Logic asking Madlib to start rapping again with an instrumental that’s clearly influenced by The Beat Konducta just before “Bleed It” heavily samples the Beastie Boys looking back on his childhood. “LaDonda” has a bit of a J Dilla influence to the production with Logic looking back on his career up to this point & after the “Aaron Judge” skit, “Clouds” with Langston Bristol serves as a decent prelude to College Park with the beat-switching up during the last minute so Curren$y can steal the show.
After the “Michael Rap” skit, “Therapy Music” was the only single that I didn’t like prior to the album’s release due to how similar Russ & Logic both sound. However, I do like the jazzy instrumental & the reference Russ had to Game of Thrones on the Warner Bros.-owned HBO. After the “Tony Revolori” skit, “Rogue 1” works in some dusty drums & a whistling teapot kettle to talk about how he had to take a step back leading into “Breath Control” sampling “I Really Really Love You” by Father’s Children as he & Wiz Khalifa tell anyone who wants to set up to them not to try them.
After the “NEMS” skit, “Nardwuar” marks the return of Logic’s alter-ego Doc D accompanied by a fuzzy boom bap beat while “Kickstyle” is just a decent Ratt Pack reunion & I’m disappointed that Bobby doesn’t have a verse on here at all because Big Lenbo & IamJMARS’ are both just mid. After the “EarlyBird” skit, Royce da 5’9” tags along for the raw “10 Years” to celebrate their accomplishments in the previous decade while RZA comes into the picture for the basement-sounding “Porta 1” to spit some hardcore bars.
After the “NeedleDrop” skit, “Introducing Nezi” is basically Logic’s way of showing Nezi Momodu to a wider audience with a siren-laced instrumental while “Orville” with Blu & Exile and Like has a chipmunk soul flare to it letting y’all know how they get down. “Carnival” with AZ finds the 2 over some horns to creep up on them lyrically referencing 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & $7 Productions co-founder The Rock while the title track after the “Lena’s Insight” skit goes into a more symphonic direction talking about wanting the ESPN division of The Walt Disney Company to get their shit right.
The penultimate track “I Guess I Love It” with The Game brings back the jazz to admit that it’s funny how their feet been on the beach lookin’ at the sky & the stars above with “Sayonara” ending the album with a 10-minute open letter to Def Jam since Vinyl Days fulfills his contract with the label after being signed to them for the past decade.
Going into this, I had a strong feeling that this would be the best album of Logic’s career given how much I loved almost every single that he put out prior & that ended up being the case here. Granted there are WAY too many skits & some of the “mumble rap” lines are outdated as Hell but once you get past that, the actual music on here is actually his most artistically definitive yet.
Will Gates is a 20 year old MC from Traverse City, Michigan who’s been catching my attention for the last year or so by dropping singles like “Juggalo Rage” or more recently “Clown Town”. However with the 1-year anniversary of his debut mixtape Trashboy passing a couple months ago, he’s returning by dropping his debut EP under his own label Trashboy Entertainment.
“Dedication” kicks off the EP with a hi-hat heavy tribute to his homie Ashton whereas “Undisputed” is a fresh ass ode to Detroit down the hyphy sound that some of the younger acts out here be bearing in the music. “Reppin’” takes it back to the trap route to talk about being underground just before the title track brings back the Detroit trap flavor of “Undisputed” to remind everyone he’s obtaining the wicked shit.
The track “Fuccin’ wit da Oppz” works in some pianos to so he can spit that gangsta shit while the final song “I Keep That Hachet on Me” is a keyboard, hi-hat infused juggalo anthem. “Gratitude” ends the album with a 2-minute spoken word cut giving shoutouts to all the people he’s grateful for including myself, which I’m very honored by.
If any of y’all still aren’t hip to Will yet, then I recommend you give Procuring the Wicced a listen because it’s my favorite body of work that he’s put out thus far. The sound of this EP is very refreshing considering that I don’t think I’ve ever heard many people or anyone really put a horrorcore spin on the Detroit trap style & he’s at his hungriest lyrically.
This is the 11th EP from Buffalo emcee & entrepreneur Conway the Machine. Blowing up in late 2015 as part of the 3 OGs of Griselda Records alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their cousin Benny the Butcher. Ever since the trio have rose to prominence, they’ve had hip hop on lock by their constant work ethic balancing quality & quality as well as vividly detailing their lives in the streets on top of boom bap production kin to that of RZA & Havoc in their music. Con’s full-length debut From King to a God was my Album of the Year for 2020 & just dropped his Shady Records-backed sophomore effort God Don’t Make Mistakes back in February, which is the most personal he’s ever been. He just dropped Organized Grime 2 a few weeks ago & is reuniting with Big Ghost Ltd. for What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed.
“Salutations” is a grim opener talking about whacking motherfuckers whereas “It’s a Green Light works in a piano & a harp admitting that he’s more confident than ever. “Bodie Broadus” takes a richer albeit drumless route calling out those who waited until he blew up to reach out to him leading into Jae Skeese tagging along for bloodcurdling “In My Soul” talking about people wanting them gone. “Y.B.C.M. (Your Bitch Chose Me)” goes into more soulful territory saying they know the game just before “Why You Ain’t Move on Me?” eerily gets on his murder shit.
Meanwhile on “Sunday Sermon”, we have Conway reuniting with Jae Skeese to go back & forth with each other over yet another soul sample bragging about their legendary status while the song “Scared II Death” with Method Man is a ghoulish boom bap banger taking a shot at those who be afraid of them. The final song “Big Drum” comes through with yet another Drumwork posse cut except he’s showcasing damn new the full roster at this point & “Dog Food” ends the EP with an outro from the skit gawd himself Lukey Cage.
No One Mourns the Wicked & If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed have quickly become some of the best EPs that Con have put out yet, so I had very high hopes going into into What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed & I’m very satisfied with it. As raw as Organized Grime 2 was, the production from Big Ghost Ltd. is much spookier & Con’s lyricism remains unmatched in today’s hip hop climate.
Legends Will Never Die 