Nation of Language – “Dance Called Memory” review

Nation of Language is a synthpop & new/minimal wave band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of synthesizer player Aidan Noell, bassist Alex MacKay & frontman/guitarist/percussionist Ian Richard Devaney. Releasing their full-length debut during the COVID-19 pandemic in May of 2020 in the form of Introduction, Presence followed by A Way Forward & Strange Discipline, they would sign to Sub Pop Records earlier this spring & are making their official debut for the label with their 4th studio album.

“Can’t Face Another One” opens with an indie synthpop intro bleakly singing about Ian not wanting to take on another day that has only begun whereas “In Another Life” throws it back to the sounds of 2000s electronic music instrumentally feeling like love’s a waste of time. “Silhouette” moves forward by pleading for an outline on the wall to give itself up just before “Now That You’re Gone” takes a moment to remembers Ian’s late godfather, who succumbed to ALS the year prior.

Synthpop, new wave, dream pop & shoegaze all collide during the lead single “I’m Not Ready for the Change” taking up the halfway point to examine a group of old friends who’ve all gone their separate ways just before “Can You Reach Me?” sings about not knowing it was possibly for serendipity to frown upon him & going into complete retreat mode.

“Inept Apollo” combines synthpop & new wave together for an exploration of the complex relationship between creative work & emotional healing while the gorgeously pulsating “Under the Water” assures that Ian’s not turning into anything that he isn’t whilst paying homage to the 80s synthpop era.

The final single “In Your Head” nears Dance Called Memory’s conclusion by carrying over the aesthetics of the previous song tackling intrusive thoughts one may have in the process until the closer “Nights of Weight” sends off the LP singing about the human condition as we know & addressing the concerns most of society has with the technological advancements we’ve seen in AI this past year or 2.

Ditching the minimal wave elements of their previous work entirely, the Nation of Language’s inaugural opus under Sub Pop Records feels more spectral & spacious compared to the band’s earlier material. Their synthpop production pulls heavier from new wave in addition to indie pop, post-punk revival, art pop, shoegaze, indietronica, dream pop & alternative dance achieving their goal of expanding what their music can evoke whilst hoping to distract us from our depression when we’re feeling down on our luck.

Score: 4/5

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Cardi B – “Am I the Drama?” review

The sophomore effort from New York City rapper, actress, the hostess of the Endeavor owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s SummerSlam XXXVIII last month Cardi B has seen the light of day. Signing to Atlantic Records in early 2017 off both the Gangsta Bitch Music tapes, neither those or her full-length studio debut Invasion of Privacy would win me over on her musically although her success certainly can’t be denied. Her ex-husband Offset formerly of the Migos released the introspective Kiari last month & wants to ask Am I the Drama? the weekend after the current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio ended former The Crash Pesocompleto Campeon El Hijo del Vikingo’s 2nd reign as AAA Mega Campeon at Worlds Collide V promoted with the WWE’s newly acquired Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) subsidiary to win his 1st world championship & Terence Crawford taking the undisputed super middleweight titles off of Canelo Álvarez during TKO’s newest division Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural event.

“Dead” starts Cardi’s return with a cinematic trap instrumental talking about wanting all these hating bitches 6 feet deep in the ground whereas “Hello” boastfully finds herself geekin’ out & turning up at the party. “Magnet” produced by Pooh Beatz simultaneously takes a few jabs at Offset alongside a horrid dig towards Lil Uzi Vert & JT while the tropical “Pick It Up” featuring Selena Gomez compares the love they have for their current partners to a drug.

The way “Imaginary Players” by JAY-Z gets sampled during the boom bap/g-funk single “Imaginary Playerz” is ok although the celebratory verses are merely average to me leading into the bilingual “Bodega Baddie” talking about the borough that made her. “Salute” hops over a TM88 beat to give props to the real bitches that have her back just before “Safe” featuring Kehlani dedicates itself to Stefon Diggs.

“Man of Your Word” atmospherically delves deeper into Cardi’s divorce from Offset as does the bittersweet “What’s Goin’ On?”, except the latter goes for a bounce vibe & the AI Lizzo feature was unnecessary. “Shower Tears” blends cloud rap & trap to talk about Offset cheating on her while “Outside” takes further shots at her ex-husband over a Charlie Heat instrumental borrowing from the Detroit sound & bounce.

As for “Pretty & Petty”, we have Cardi B responding to BIA dissing her on “Sue Me?” over a west coast-tinged beat while “Better Than You” featuring Cash Cobain taps in with FNZ & Vinylz to spit braggadocio together. “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” by Janet Jackson gets sampled for the sultry “On My Back” showing an R&B influence while “Errtime” featuring Jeezy & Latto on the remix talks about being the baddest.

“Check Please” speaks of wanting more money than problems in 2025 while “Principal” butchers “The Pleasure Principle”, which has actually been one of my all-time favorite Janet Jackson songs for as long as I can remember. “Trophies” talks about hoes being sore losers & dismisses all excuses while “Nice Guy” featuring Tyla goes Afrobeats thanks to London on da Track, Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic & venny portraying modern love.

The song “Killin’ You Hoes” winds down the last several minutes of Am I the Drama? by taking aim at her detractors while the no melody “Up” caps off Cardi’s sophomore effort officially by getting cockier than the next cut. “W.A.P. (Wet Ass Pussy)” featuring Megan Thee Stallion starts the deluxe run with the controversially raunchy 2020 hit while “Don’t Do Too Much” experiments with New York Drill talking about showing ‘em how to be sexy.

An average reflection of Cardi’s success after her full-length debut can be the best said regarding “Money” while “Please Me” featuring Bruno Mars mutates contemporary R&B, pop rap, synth-funk & trap for a 2019 Valentine’s Day celebration. The superior “Press” takes shots at the media coverage around that time over a KeY Wane beat while “Bongos” featuring Megan Thee Stallion collides pop rap, dembow, zess & funk brasileiro for an underwhelming “W.A.P. (Wet Ass Pussy)” spiritual successor.

“Like What” heavily samples “She’s a Bitch” by Missy Elliott talking about being classy & intolerable at the same time while OG Parker’s dirty south-inspired instrumental on “Enough (Miami)” sticks out to me tackling themes of self-assured resilience. After the “Dear Bardi Gang” spoken word bit, the final bonus track “Hot Shit” featuring Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West & Lil Durk serves up something masculine for their blocks over a no melody Tay Keith beat.

Only 24 hours prior to Stephanie Vaquer defeating イヨ・スカイ to become the new Women’s World Champion at WWE’s inaugural main roster pay-per-view on The Walt Disney Company subsidiary ESPN Wrestlepalooza V or former AEW tbs Champion Kris Statlander becoming the new AEW Women’s World Champion at All Out VII & former AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express reuniting, the seemingly mythical follow-up to Invasion of Privacy has arrived & I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would although I’m left on the fence with it. A little too long, but the production has improved slightly & I don’t mind Cardi B’s own performances all that much outside of a few cringey lines.

Score: 2.5/5

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Joell Ortiz – “Love, Peace & Trauma” review

Yes, here is the 10th solo LP from Brooklyn, New York veteran Joell Ortiz. Emerging after being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source over 2 decades ago, he went on to sign to Aftermath Entertainment for a brief period of time before leaving to drop his official debut The Brick: Bodega Chronicles under MNRK Music Group. I also can’t forget to mention when Slaughterhouse rose to prominence off their self-titled debut, which led Eminem signing the supergroup to Shady Records a decade ago already. Sadly, their major label debut welcome to: OUR HOUSE that came out the next summer would unfortunately end up being their last & everyone has been doing their own thing since. The Heatmakerz producing W.A.R. (With All Respect) became my favorite solo effort of his in a while and was hoping the same for Love, Peace & Trauma.

“PTSD” produced by The Heatmakerz opens the album by never looking back on where Yaowa suggests everyone who come around the same neck of the woods as him to look back & never forget where they came from whereas “Ambidextrous” picks up by telling us where he stands before us to this very day. “Undefeated” soulfully talks about looking up to the sky to God he’s all in while “Make It By” takes off a chipmunk soul route looking back on the way he’s been coping with trauma since he was a baby.

The Housing Authority Rap District a.k.a. H.A.R.D. reunites alongside Grafh during “On My Own” talking about the game being full of bums & jokes these days while “The Crosswalk” admits to today being one of those days where he’d pinch himself to see if he’s actually still here living in the moment when he is. “Never Forget” featuring Locksmith suggests not to speak out the neck while “Thy Neighbor” featuring Nucci Reyo talks about the world hating them.

“Can’t Live Without Your Love” references WWE Hall of Famer & former WWE Tag Team Champion Brutus Beefcake leading into “The Yaowa” embracing a chipmunk soul vibe to discuss catching up to himself as he gets older & wiser leading into “Wandering” talking about anxiety making you learn or keeping you attentive. “Smile” soulfully speaks of being built of love while “Pen, Pad & a Dream” reflects on all he had.

Some were disappointed by W.A.R. (With All Respect) last fall because of the amount of guests on it although I still consider it to be a high point in Joell Ortiz, but I guarantee that most of those people are gonna be gravitating towards Love, Peace & Trauma in comparison. It should be noted that The Heatmakerz only handle 70% of the production as opposed to the entire thing, yet it’s very much on par with the previous full-length & the same can be said regarding Yaowa’s pen.

Score: 4/5

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Atmosphere – “Jestures” review

Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere are back for their 14th album. Consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards, they started as a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast! building an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously became their best in a while a couple years ago & Jestures looks to become more ambitious both thematically and it’s pacing sequenced in order of the alphabet.

“Asshole” begins by advising not to mistake his circle for repetition over a luxurious boom bap instrumental whereas “Baby” finds himself feeling drunk off a woman pleading for her not to play him. “Caddy” talks about personifying his cars in a personal way even though he’s not an enthusiast for motor vehicles just before “Daley” gives a daily dose of the Holy Ghost.

Evidence joins Atmosphere on “Effortless” talking about their fans wanting to see them do exactly what they do best as if they didn’t have to put any effort into it while “Furthermore” explains that people still have nightmares when they’re living in their dreams. “Grateful” brings a funkier vibe to the beat talking about the subject of gratitude while “Heavy Lifting” featuring Haphduzn suggests to let their legs do the hard work.

After the 127 second “Instrument” compositional interlude, “Jester” cloudily talks about the way Slug will possibly identify himself for all of eternity while “Kilowatts” featuring Kurious abstractly heads for the farthest limits together. “Locusts” talks about keeping his head up not trying to drown in the rain while “Mash” featuring Mike the Martyr, Musab & Muja Messiah brings the quintet together where the cops aren’t at.

“Neptune” starts the 2nd half of Jestures with some sampling to talk about nobody getting the message of Atmosphere’s music unless a connection is felt while the drumless “Ophidiophobia” dismisses the idea of a moral in favor of hope. “Past” talks about your future being nothing like the way it was previously while the experimental “Quicksand” admits to feeling like he’s sinking deeper the more he fights this trap.

We get a more tropical vibe on “Really” talking about having nothing better to do while the 78 second “Sean” reveals that Slug’s father named him after the late Sean Connery from the James Bond franchise. “Trying” soulfully sends a dedication to everyone who’re giving it all of their effort while the crooning “Used To” talks about moving like he’s driving on track these days.

“Velour” kicks off the final leg of the LP by recalling a series of conversations Slug has with a chick he can’t wait to see as soon as tour ends until traveling “Westbound” to go back in time over a rap rock instrumental. “XXX” talks about Rhymesayers being around for 3 decades already while the single “Yearning” tackles the universal ache for belonging. “Zorro” featuring Zoodeville finishes up with both parties confident of their own heartbeats making a mark.

Contemplating the way time shapes society & that even the dullest can be transformative, Atmosphere gets to the root of life’s complexities throughout Jestures capturing personal evolution without romanticizing the past or fearing the future. Ant’s rich production shifts from electro-glitch to somber drones & playful twang soundtracking Slug’s story of progress & building toward a future defined by resilience & creative clarity.

Score: 4/5

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Destroy Lonely – “</3³” review

The 3rd mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Destroy Lonely finally arriving in time for fall. The son of former Disturbing tha Peace Records signee I-20, he’s released a total of 9 EPs & a couple mixtapes since originally breaking out through SoundCloud in 2019 prior to Playboi Carti signing alone to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records to surprise drop his last tape No Stylist in light of his ongoing tour with fellow label-mate Ken Carson last summer followed by the full-length debut If Looks Could KillLove Lasts Forever was disappointing in comparison & See U Soon </3 would make great improvements paving the way for </3³.

“ain’t hard” starts the tape with Lone & Bugz Ronin telling us that it ain’t that hard to be a boss & that the rest of his crew is merely getting started whereas “risk” flexes that he doesn’t need a stylist to this very day, hence the project that made him popular amongst Opium fans alike. “see no evil” produced by Cxdy of Internet Money Records & Vanguard Music Group boasts of him living the Top Floor life while “no pressure” flexes that he keeps 2 hands on the steering wheel.

As for “stfu”, we have Lone advising everyone around to him to keep their mouths shut entirely leading into “show u how” askin’ if he’s putting up whatever he’s gonna put down. “top flo” reunites with Clayco for a successor to “ss” off of A Great Chaos leading into “kansas” talking about moving like a demon & sending anyone who tries to snatch his chain to God.

“screwed up” ends the first half of </3³ with a homage to the late DJ Screw while “party n get high” gets the 2nd act of the tape going by talking about wanting to do those 2 things. “leash” finds Lone trying to put his ego to the side for a woman who can’t be tamed over a Toom instrumental while the single “jumanji” talks about moving so quickly to the point where everyone else behind him finishes last.

Meanwhile on “not the mayor”, we have Destroy Lonely flexing that he’s counting up green as if he went to Yale prior to “blowin’ smoke” linking up with Rafmade to talk about smoking weed in a black & white Maybach in addition to being overly locked in with his team. “kool on ya” makes it known that he’s cool with anyone who’s cool with him while the 2-parter “soooo high” talks about the way his money makes him feel.

“open it up” featuring Ken Carson gives us a taste of what’s to come from their collaborative mixtape calling for the mosh pits to be opened whilst paying respects to the late Black Sabbath frontman & WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne while “leave u out 2 dry” caps off the tape with Lone talking about being too good for this chick he’s been speaking to. Serving as an epilogue, “what’s it gon take?” samples “The Way That Wind Moves” by Sons of the Morning telling all his homies he misses them.

Starting the deluxe run, “with my bitch” talks about riding around the whip with his girl while “sipped too much” admits to consuming more lean than he should’ve. “hide it” talks about going days without eating & sleeping searching for peace & after “exorcist” with Nosaint compares his chick to Sexyy Red, the final bonus track “rose gold ice” once again gets back to the habit of sippin’ on some sizzurp.

For me: The biggest flaw Love Lasts Forever had going for it was easily the production was more lackluster than If Looks Could Kill & No Stylist. Fortunately for us, </3³ resolves that issue & lands behind Music for the best project we’ve gotten from the Opium camp all year. Mostly because it’s a return to the sound of Destroy Lonely’s earliest material & it’s topics take on an introspective tone.

Score: 4/5

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Johnathan Blake – “My Life Matters” review

Johnathan Blake is a 39 year old drummer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania notable for being the son of the late John Blake. His full-length debut The 11th Hour & the sophomore effort But Not Forgotten in the early/mid 2010s would generate enough buzz to the point where the greatest jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records signed him to their historic roster in 2021. Making his debut for them that fall with Homeward Bound, he’s ready to follow up Passage in the form of his 5th full-length LP.

After the 96 second “Broken Drum Cycle for the Forsaken” intro, “Last Breath” recruits Fabian Almazan on piano alongside Jalen Baker to play the vibraphone for an ode to the late Eric Garner reverberating the Black Lives Matter message whereas “Requiem for Dreams Shattered” after the “A Prelude to An Unnecessary Yet Tragically Banal Oratorio” further displays Fabian’s talents with the keys remembers those whose dreams weren’t realized.

“In a Brown Study” feels like yet another interlude albeit the upright bassist talents of Dezron Douglas get a chance to shine just before Muna Blake provides the spoken word piece “I Still Have a Dream” with Dezron playing behind her. The title track combines post-bop with a small dosage of nu jazz enlisting Dayna Stephens to add a synthesizer into the fold until “Can You Hear Me? (The Talking Drums Have Not Stopped)” continues the 2nd half with a drum solo.

DJ Jahi Sundance jumps behind the turntables during “Always the Wrong Color” combining the art of DJing with vibraphones & synths but once “That Which Kills Us Makes Us What?” shifts it’s focus solely towards Dayna for a couple minutes, “Can Tomorrow Be Brighter?” has to be the most tense moment throughout My Life Matters expressing optimism regarding the future in spite of all the turmoil that’s unraveled within our country these past 8 months.

“Lullaby for An Eternal Rest” puts the spotlight on Jalen’s vibraphonist skills crafting a gentle anthem for those who’re no longer with us in the physical form while “We’ll Never Know (They Didn’t Even Get to Try)” finds John’s son Johna accompanying him for a somber 7 & a half minute instrumental. “Prayer for A Brighter Tomorrow” serves as more of an outro blending soothing piano melodies & vocal harmonizations from local neo-soul veteran Bilal.

Ditching the hard-bop undertones of Passage a couple summers ago, My Life Matters still maintains the post-bop & jazz fusion elements of Johnathan Blake’s predecessor for the most personal entry of his entire discography. A commentary on the importance of family values & the social imperative to stand up in the face of injustice, he takes the lesson his parents taught him growing up about being a part of the problem if they don’t stand up to the injustice African Americans have unfortunately dealt with for centuries.

Score: 4/5

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Chris Webby – “88 Milligrams” review

Norwalk, Connecticut emcee Chris Webby tapping in with The Roots’ original keyboardist & former Aftermath Entertainment in-house producer Scott Storch for his 4th EP. Getting introduced to him during my senior year of high school when his full-length studio debut album Chemically Imbalanced under his own label 80HD Music in tandem with MNRK Music Group, he would go on to spend the late 2010s & the 2020s up until last Christmas doing the Wednesday series of mixtapes. 88 Milligrams linking up with one of my personal favorite producers had me thinking it was gonna be his finest extended play of his career.

After the “ASMR” intro, “Perfect Storm” begins the EP by pushing the hands on the doomsday clock over an instrumental that Scott Storch would’ve made in the 2000s during & succeeding his time with Aftermath whereas “In My Baggie” works in some pianos to talk about taking pills off the shelf at 12. “Put ‘Em High” cinematically cautions that no one wants to be a hero tonight while the trap-influenced “Running Scared” talks about playing the cards until they hit.

“Pyro” nears the end of 88 Milligrams with a beat throwing it back to either “Candy Shop” or “Just a Lil Bit” off of 50 Cent’s sophomore effort The Massacre celebrating it’s 2 decade anniversary earlier this spring talking about coming up in the spot to burn the place down leading into the cloudy “Rollercoaster” sending off the EP with Chris comparing life to a ride the way it goes up & down for roughly 5 & a half minutes.

As somebody who got introduced to him over a decade ago, Chris Webby has come a long way from his frat rap days in the past 15 years & 88 Milligrams comes right off the conclusion of the 80HD Music founder’s prolific Wednesday tapes with the most I’ve enjoyed his music in a while & easily his most cohesive EP on my opinion. Scott Storch’s production takes a nostalgic turn to when he was all over the airwaves as an opposed to adapting to modern sounds or techniques like having a producer tag on Dummy Boy & Chris gets in his baggie lyrically.

Score: 4.5/5

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Locksmith – “Wine & Circus” review

Richmond, California emcee Locksmith teaming up with New York producers The Heatmakerz for his 7th studio LP. Getting introduced to him through his Ski Beatz-produced debut album Embedded as well as the sophomore effort 1,000 Cuts & later Lofty Goals during my adolescence, his 2nd EP No Question produced by Apollo Brown later came out under Mello Music Group after I turned 21 & have been wanting him to match the same caliber of all those projects since. And considering the singles building up towards Wine & Circus, I was certain we were finally gonna get it.

The chipmunk soul sound that made Rrsonist blow up with Thrilla in the early 2000s bleeds all over the intro as the former Frontline member welcomes the underground to “The Greatest Show on Earth” whereas “Death by Temptation” works in a boom bap instrumental with a gospel sample to talk about honest guys getting demonetized now. “Culture” featuring Styles P gives a middle finger to the 2-party system for being flawed, which is a conversation many don’t want to have unfortunately just before the optimistic “Beautiful Day” talks about how great it is to be alive.

Joell Ortiz joins Locksmith for the soulful boom bap single “Closed Caption” sending a message directly towards the people who’ve been capping on their names noting that it’s too late for any apologies & once the drumless “Cons & Prose” gets on the conscious side of things lyrically, the sequel to “America” takes it a step further recapping the political climate of this ongoing decade. Interesting timing too because of Charlie Kirk being fatally shot last Wednesday, who was parodied by Cartman in the newest season of the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Comedy Central hit series South Park last month.

“Under Pressure” delves deeper towards the final leg of Wine & Circus with some pianos taking shots at the type of people who’re scared to face their own issues because of power going to their heads & becoming increasingly arrogant while the title track talks about never being harmed once you understand your worth. Mysonne appears for the closing track “Culture 2” picks up right where the original highlight earlier during the first half with more drumless vibe than its predecessor retaining the politically charged lyricism.

For almost 15 years now, I’ve noticed that Locksmith is at his greatest form whenever he’s tapped in with a singular producer like he was on No Questions or even Embedded despite the latter’s generally mixed reception. As for Wine & Circus, there’s no question we’ll be speaking of it a long time from now when it’s all said & done ranking it amongst one of if not THE greatest album of his career. The Heatmakerz’ sample-heavy production is a breath of fresh air compared to some of Locksmith’s material since 2018 & the Bay Area lyricist’s words of wisdom hit much harder in light of recent events.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tezzus – “Tezzy Pendergrass” review

Here is the 7th EP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Tezzus. Introducing himself with his first few EPs Hard2Kill as well as Hellraiser & Everyday’s Halløween, his debut mixtape Tezzus Khrist last holiday season would significantly elevate his profile locally as did the handful of appearances he made on The XA Tape earlier this year. Coming off his new Søufside collaborative EP with Percaso as well as Backrooms & more recently King Phønk, we’re finally being tested to Tezzy Pendergrass a couple weeks following the I Phønk, U Phønk prelude.

“Gøtham Løve Støry” gets the EP going with a cloudy pop rap/trap intro confessing that he wants this woman’s affection & continuously making the money whereas “Permanently Stained” talks about shedding tears when looking back at how far he’s come. “Cadillac Whipping” produced by Feardorian flexes that he switches lanes more than his homies switch bitches leading into “Cøme Øn”, which is one of the more lyrically repetitive moments.

Yung Fazo links up with Tezzus on “High Fashiøn” giving a middle finger to the pigs confident that they won’t ever catch the 2 slipping just before “Main Høe” featuring Sk8star & tana finds the trio coming together for a cloudy pop rap/trap crossover talking about the way fame goes. “I See” expresses a desire for all of his opps to drop dead & thanking his mom for raising a star while the pluggy “Gangsta” featuring Pz’ talks about people doing shit for tends.

“By Yøu” starts the final leg of Tezzy Pendergrass heading for an atmospheric direction once again admitting that love never felt so real until he stood by the woman he had in mind writing this while “2night” advises the female she has in mind to stay away from snitches & that he stays strapped in the streets. I Løve U” appropriately sends off the EP by longing for his partner to be right beside him in bed. 

Eschewing the rage subgenre of trap from a lot of his earlier material & more specifically the other 3 extended plays that he’s given us in the past 6-7 weeks or so, Tezzus puts his artistic range in the forefront for 25 minutes so he can reveal a sensual side to himself. It was a no brainer Tezzy Pendergrass would embrace a heavier pop rap vibe stylistically & the same goes for the romantic subject matter, but it feels authentically sincere rather than coming off as forced.

Score: 4/5

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Forgiato Blow & Stitches – “Make America White Again” review

Miami, Florida rappers Forgiato Blow & Stitches teaming up for a new collaborative EP. One of whom has been getting the same attention that the far-right has been giving Tom MacDonald these past several years & the other gained notoriety for beefing with The Game almost a decade ago this upcoming winter. These guys have crossed paths with one another a few times & are linking back up for one of the most tasteless music offerings of the year.

The title track is a grating trap opener endorsing white supremacy whereas “Pink Tusie” takes on the Detroit sound with some heavy bells talking about bringing the illegal drug cocktail to the function. “Chop ‘Em Down” rehashes the themes of the previous song vapidly portraying themselves as drug dealers while “Casino 1724” spews more delusional gangsta raps about how they be serving fiends

“Cocaine Cowboys” starts the 2nd leg of the EP by repping their titular statuses even if “it may not mean nothing to y’all” when they couldn’t be more right while “Get Money” borrows from the Detroit trap scene again insipidly talking about making paper. “Fidel” gloats of themselves selling bricks in Miami throughout the whole summer & “Plug Cried Tears” ends the torture by talking about never folding through their struggles.

Forgiato Blow already has some of the worst singles of this ongoing decade under his belt from “Boycott Target” or the most recent example being “Good vs. Evil” earlier this month & Stitches was the only bad thing about that “8 Ways to Die” single the Insane Clown Posse put out in 2019, but the crossover between both parties results in shameless promotion of fascism along with nationalism & white supremacy. None of which are acceptable or tolerated in hip hop culture.

Score: 0/5

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