UnderRated – “Room to Grow” review

UnderRated is a 40 year old MC/producer from Arcata, California notable for formerly being 1/2 of the revered Humboldt County duo Potluck. Ever since their disbandment at the beginning of 2017, he & 1 Ton have been focusing on their solo careers even though neither one of them have dropped an official project up to this point. However, it looks like UnderRated is finally preluding his Suburban Noize Records-backed solo debut Growing’s Always Good by premiering an EP on his YouTube channel.

“U Don’t Want It” is a piano trap ballad calling out those who try bringing the smoke to him whereas “Bow to Your Sensei” hypnotically shows you where he’s at right now. “Uppercut” meditatively gets on his weed shit just before the flute-tinged “All I Need” expressing his desire for love. The penultimate track “L.F.G. (Let’s Fucking Go)” has a more trap metal vibe talking about getting lit & to finish it off, we’re treated to a sequel to “What’s Your Purpose?” off the first Potluck album Humboldt County High.

I really think fans will enjoy Room to Grow as much as the Potluck shit, because UnderRated’s just snapping lyrically throughout it’s 17 minute run-time & it’s cool to hear him bringing outside producers into the fold. If he keeps it up, Growing’s Always Good will absolutely be worth the wait.

Score: 3.5/5

Ka – “A Martyr’s Reward” review

Ka is a 49 year old MC/producer & firefighter from Brooklyn, New York notable for his association with his Metal Clergy cohort Roc Marciano since 2008. He’s gone on to release 5 full-lengths in the last 13 years, my personal favorite of them being Honor Killed the Samurai back in 2016. But with the 1 year anniversary of Descendants of Cain passing by just a few months back, Ka is reemerging out of the dark for his 6th album.

“Everybody Up” is a guitar-driven opener about trying to make it from the bottom whereas “I Need All That” jumps on top of a piano saying he wants back everything they claim. “Peace, Peace, Peace” has a more atmospheric feel instrumentally talking about what he prays for just before reflecting on the hard life that he’s lived for “Sad to Say” & everything about it from the melancholic production to Ka’s passionate delivery makes it one of the most emotional songs he’s ever crafted.

Meanwhile with “P.W.H.”, we get some organ harmonies for Ka to explain how he got everything he needed leading into the frightening “I Notice” talking about going to Hell & back. “Like Me” has a bit of a triumphant feeling to it talking about making someone as resilient as him, but then “We Livin’ / Martyr” is a 2-parter with Navy Blue accompanying him for the entrancing first half about living fast & the other spaciously speaks on suffering no more.

Dr. Yen Lo reunites for the hypnotic “Subtle” addressing a woman lifting his spirits whereas “With All My Heart” mellowly lets you know you’re safe with him if he agrees to say “peace”. The song “Enough Praise / Recovering” starts out eerily talking about ass-kissers, but then goes into an ambient direction spending his whole life recovering. The penultimate track “Be Grateful” is a rock-flavored cut speaking for itself & then “Having Nothin’” lavishly talks about being broke gave him everything.

One of the most refreshing things about Ka is that whenever he puts out a new album, it always has a different concept to it & A Martyr’s Reward is amongst his most personal. This time around, he’s taking listeners through what it was like for him growing up & doing it with such raw emotion.

Score: 4/5

$uicideboy$ – “Long Term Effects of Suffering” review

The $uicideboy$ are a duo from New Orleans, Louisiana consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim. They’ve released a plethora of projects within the last 7 years like the Kill Your$elf saga, Eternal Gray, the debut album I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker/produced Live Fast, Die Whenever EP. The boy$’ last project together Stop Staring at the Shadows came out last Valentine’s Day & now for Friday the 13th, they’re reuniting for a sophomore effort.

“Degeneration in the Key of A Minor” is a mind-altering opener comparing Earth to Hell whereas “If Self-Destruction was an Olympic Event, I’d be Tonya Harding” ghostly reflects on their career up to this point. “Life is a Stream~” is a guitar/trap ballad about wasting your life & drug abuse just before “5 Grand at 8 to 1” brings in some jazzy undertones comparing & contrasting their lives then & now.

Meanwhile on “WE ENVY NOTHING IN THE WORLD”, we have the boy$ coming through with an abrasive riot starter leading into them
somberly comin’ straight out of the dark for “Lighting the Flames of My Own Personal Hell”. They once again speak on addiction while shit-talking at the same time on the dreary “New Profile Pic” prior to the duo calling out those who tell them what to think for the devilish “Bleach”.

“Forget It” is a spacey breakup theme whereas “Avalon” spookily talk about being dons. The song “Materialism as a Means to an End” nocturnally speaks on being full of hate while the penultimate track “Ugliest” rounds out the trilogy “Ugly” started 6 years back. “The Number You Have Dialed is Not in Service” ends things by somberly telling fans to keep marching when life gets hard.

I really enjoyed the singles leading up to this album & as a whole, Long Term Effects of SUFFERING didn’t let me down at all. I admire how the boy$ challenge themselves to new sounds & opening up on their lives within the last few years.

Score: 4/5

Boom Bap Project – “Return Flight” review

The Boom Bap Project are a trio from Seattle, Washington consisting of Destro, Karim & DJ Tre. They’re also apart of the Oldominion collective, dropping their full-length debut Circumstance Dictates only 2 decades back & then the Rhymesayers-backed sophomore effort Reprogram to even more critical acclaim 4 years later. Last time we heard the crew together was in 2007 with The Countdown, but have decided to reunite from their long hiatus for a debut EP.

“Been So Long” is a lush opener talking about their hiatus whereas “Don’t Follow Me Down” enlists Wordsworth to talk about being steady on their own with a harp loop throughout. “Deion Sanders” goes into more chilled out territory talking about the golden era just before saying they’ll always kill it on the rugged “Rain or Shine”.

The song “Hagler vs. Hearns” showcases their chemistry proclaiming their music as the real shit with a woozy instrumental while the penultimate track “Achilles” has a bit of a soulful feel to it showing them they way they do shit. “Ink Drips” then finishes off the EP with an emotional piano ballad.

I’ve been a fan of these cats since the Rhymesayers days, so to hear them come back albeit in a short capacity makes me happy as Hell. The production stays true to their name all these years later & in terms of chemistry, they haven’t lost a single step.

Score: 3.5/5

Fat Joe – “What Would Big Do?” review

Fat Joe is a 50 year old MC, songwriter & actor from The Bronx, New York who came up as a member of D.I.T.C. & the Terror Squad. His first 3 albums Represent, J.O.E. (Jealous Ones Envy) & Don Cartagena are considered by many to be the best in his discography. However, much of his output since then has been either hit or miss from the underrated The Elephant in the Room to the horrendous J.O.S.E. 2 (Jealous Ones Still Envy 2). Last we heard from him was in late 2019 when he & Dre dropped their collab effort Family Ties, but is now returning with a brand new EP produced by Cool & Dre.

The intro has a soulful vibe instrumentally with Joe flexing whereas “Michael” is a luscious romance anthem. “Honey” vibrantly talks about hustling just before he & Dre reunite for the fly shit that “Diamonds” delivers on top of a fucking Prince sample. “Demon Girl” serves as a spacious bad bitch theme, but then “Africa” with Lil Yachty bastardizes the iconic Toto song of the same name.

The song “Babyface” compares his sex game to Verzuz despite the sensual beat while
the penultimate track “Back Outside” with Remy Ma serves as a funky ass shaker. The closer “Sunshine (The Light)” then samples both Rihanna & Luther Vandross saying that his girl is everything to him.

I still stand on what I said earlier about Fat Joe’s discography in the last 20 years being hit or miss, but What Would Big Do? isn’t bad. Cool & Dre do a good job for the most part at flipping the classics as Joe gets on his grown man shit.

Score: 3.5/5

Chavo – “Chavo’s World 2” review

This is the sophomore album from Atlanta, Georgia raper Chavo. Breaking out a few years ago as a protege of Pi’erre Bourne, he would go on to become a flagship artist on the South Carolina superstar’s Interscope Records imprint Sosshouse Records. His first 2 mixtapes Hood Luva & Mixed Emotions both received positive feedback amongst listeners, but Chavo’s profile began to increase when his Pi’erre-produced full-length debut Chavo’s World came out last fall. And with a little over a month left with summer, he & his mentor are reuniting for the sequel Chavo’s World 2.

“Tweets” is an uptempo opener about putting a bitch in the air like a pterodactyl whereas “Packs” works in some heavy bass to get confrontational. His sister Coi LeRay tags along to say they ain’t the same no more for the luxurious piano ballad “American Deli” just before spaciously comparing his gun to that of a “Rari”.

Meanwhile on “Hennessy”, we get a psychedelic party stater leading into Pi’erre jumping on the mic with Chavo for the moody “Ryuk” talking about a woman living her best life as a youth. The “Had a Feeling” remix is pretty much the same as the OG except it has a new Pi’erre verse, but then “Paris” has a cloudier vibe talking about wanting to go back to the titular city in France.

“Messy” serves as a euphoric lust tune & much like the “Had a Feeling” remix, the “Michigan” remix is the same as the OG except Babyface Ray pops up to spit a new verse. The penultimate track “That’s It” brings in some keys saying he wants to help everyone but he’s not Superman, but then the closer “Mission Impossible” futuristically keeps it playa.

Even though I personally prefer the original Chavo’s World, this isn’t too far off for a sequel album. I like how he brought in some features to break up the monotony of the predecessor & his MC/producer chemistry with Pi’erre is like no other.

Score: 3.5/5

Boldy James – “Bo Jackson” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Detroit emcee Boldy James. Breaking out in 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set), he would land a contract with Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records for a little while before getting locked up. Uncle Al would help get Boldy’s name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China at the beginning of last year. This was followed up with the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols which was as equally fantastic, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. But with the 1-year anniversary of that project coming up this weekend, it’s only right for Boldy to reenlist Alchemist for Bo Jackson.

“Double Hockey Sticks” starts out with a haunting boom bap instrumental getting on his pyrex shit, but then has a hazy switch up talking about beating a case. The next song “Turpentine” has a more chipmunk soul vibe speaking on hard times whereas “Brickmile to Montana” with Benny the Butcher serves as a rugged sequel to “Scrape the Bowl”. The pianos on “E.P.M.D. (Everybody Plotting My Demise)” are eerie as fuck with Boldy calling out those who want to see him fail just before declaring that nobody is cut from his cloth for the airy “Steel Wool”.

Meanwhile on “Photographic Memories”, we have Earl Sweatshirt & Roc Marciano jump on top of a vocal loop saying they never forget faces leading into the demented storytelling “Speed Trap” provides. He later talks about taking the pot & going gold for the piano-laced “Diamond Dallas”, but then “Flight Risk” puts heavy reverb on the sample getting in his mafioso bag.

“Illegal Seizure & Search” gets back on the soulful tip talking about 5-0 whereas “Fake Flowers” with Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs viciously calls out those who be faking the funk with them. The song “3rd Person” has a more rock feel to it pondering how many times you can get away with murder while the penultimate track “First 48” is a cold blooded freestyle going on for 3 minutes. Then there’s “Drug Zone”, which ends the album with Boldy comparing himself to such.

If you happen to like Bo Jackson more than M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set) or even The Price of Tea in China, I wouldn’t be mad at it at all because this is the 3rd damn near perfect album they’ve done together. Boldy’s raw lyricism never fails to amuse me & the production is much better than The Versace Tape although I do respect Jay Versace.

Score: 4.5/5

Benny the Butcher – “Pyrex Picasso” review

This is the 6th EP from Buffalo emcee Benny the Butcher. Getting his start in 2004 off his debut mixtape Tana Talk, it wasn’t until 2018 when he dropped his Daringer/Alchemist-produced debut album Tana Talk 3 under his cousin Westside Gunn’s independent powerhouse Griselda Records. This was followed up with The Plugs I Met & the Hit-Boy-produced Burden of Proof but just 5 months after teaming up with Harry Fraud for The Plugs I Met II, the butcher is now proclaiming himself as the Pyrex Picasso.

After the “1st Name Basis” intro, “Flood the Block” is a bit of a celebratory kickstarter talking about drugs & clocking dollars whereas “PWRDRL” with Elcamino has a bit of a rock feel getting on their mafioso shit. The title track with Conway the Machine works in some keyboards & dusty drums talking about getting rich just before Elcamino returns with Rick Hyde for the symphonic “‘73”, saying their competitors will never be them. “The Iron Curtain” works in some haunting organs spitting that street gospel & the closer “Fly with Me” with Conway the Machine has a soulful vibe talking about being hustlers.

It’s no secret this dude has been working hard on the Tana Talk 4 double album for a while now & I think Pyrex Picasso serves as a fresh lil’ appetizer before the main course despite being recorded 3 years back. Chop La Rok & Rare Scilla do their thing behind the boards for The Butcher to let his flashy lyricism come in to play as it usually does.

Score: 3.5/5

Autumn! – “Not Much Longer” review

This is the 15th EP from Louisiana rapper/producer Autumn!. Within the last 3 years, the kid has become a household name in the plugg scene off projects ranging from the ##RETRIBUTION series to the full-length debut Ils Verront last fall. He just dropped Golden Child a couple months back & that’s probably his most introspective work to date so given that, I was definitely curious to hear where he would go on Not Much Longer.

“Incase!” is a minimal yet rowdy opener talking about doing “rich n***a shit” whereas “Dancin’ with the Stars!” goes into cloudier territory with him flexing. “WANTS!” sounds like something out of an old school video game talking about a girl whose heart he broke still texting him just before the woozy albeit self-explanatory “F.T.S.! (FUCK THAT SHIT!)”. The penultimate track “VICTORIOUS!” celebrates his dubs on top of a bass-heavy instrumental & then “MURCIELAGO!” atmospherically tells his naysayers to get out of his life.

I was hoping we were getting Golden Child 2 because I have a tendency to enjoy music that personal, but nonetheless I’m happy with Not Much Longer. I like the more braggadocious tone of the lyricism & the way he makes pluggier beats remains unmatched.

Score: 3.5/5

BBKnight – “Knight Awakens” review

BBKnight is a 24 year old rapper from Las Vegas, Nevada getting his start in the spring of 2018 by dropping his debut EP Knight’s Hive. This was followed up with 4 more EPs but after dropping the debut mixtape Beautiful Boy at the beginning of the year, it’s only right for him to returning with a 6th EP ahead of his 25th birthday that’s coming up this weekend.

“Permanent” starts things off by talking about how this life is forever with a synth-induced trap instrumental whereas “Rick Owens” is a short yet entrancing tribute to the clothing company of the same name. The retro video game sample throughout “On the Flo” is pretty cool as he boasts about himself leading into the catchy party starter “Codeine Sippin’”. The penultimate track “Tired of Yo Shit!” aggressively gets on his shit-talking bag & then “Sap’d Out” is a cloudy finisher talking about not letting these lames around him.

Of all the projects BBKnight has dropped so far, Knight Awakens could very well be my favorite of the handful & I can only see him growing going further. The production is hypnotic as fuck & his performances are at their catchiest as is the songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5