Quest Mcody – “Smoker’s Alley” review

Detroit, Michigan battle rapper, poet, actor & filmmaker Quest Mcody releasing a brand new EP. Notable for being the right hand man to Marv Won of the world famous Fat Killahz, he would goon to release both installments of the Ctrl+Alt+Delete mixtape series along with the King Cody & The Conquest tapes & his full-length debut The Light Project. A sophomore effort followed in 2018 called Th3 Gospel & is taking everyone down to Smoker’s Alley.

“I Just Wanna Smoke” makes for a cloudy trap intro talking about wanting to inhale some of that good kush whereas “Safe” goes for a soulful boom bap route instrumentally taking shots at those selling drugs to only include it in their raps. The self-produced “Duly Noted” expresses his desire to be quoted when he’s gone leading into “Seems Like It” talking about sinking the ship for showboating.

The song “Covered” starts the final leg of Smoker’s Alley on a cloudy drumless vibe flexing that he’s got money all over him while “Pray for the Prey” works in a reversed sample from Quest himself thanking his mom for the blessings & apologizing for making her stress. “Bring You Back” finished up the EP with Marv’s hype man looking at old pictures reminiscing over someone who can’t be here with him anymore.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t have to wait very long for Quest Mcody to put out another body of work because I’d put him in the same ranks as his partner in rhyme when it comes to the battle rap scene & even with Smoker’s Alley hitting harder if you’re a stoner like myself, nonsmokers will even come away from this EP impressed by the production & sharp lyricism that has already established the seasoned Detroit native.

Score: 4/5

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Matt Phoenix – “Still Dreaming” review

Kansas City, Missouri rapper, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, DJ & audio engineer Matt Phoenix releasing his full-length solo debut. Formerly a frontman for Anti-Crew & Sage N Sour, he has since become an in-house producer for Strange Music in recent years & later signed to King Iso’s newly Project Be Well Inc. distributed by the Strange subsidiary It Goes Up Entertainment as a recording artist. Interestingly enough, Matt wants to make it clear he’s Still Dreaming only 24 hours from It Goes Up finally making up for the new Saigon album Paint the World Black produced by Buckwild getting continuously delayed.

After the “Awakening” intro, the self-produced title track fuses industrial hip hop with pop rap talking about him trying to keep a smile on his face when it’s harder than it seems whereas “Meltdown” switches things up with an explosive trap metal song & the screamed vocals can’t help but remind me of the late LINKIN PARK frontman Chester Bennington. “Let Me Be” featuring King Iso finds the 2 looking to do it their own way over a piano instrumental while “Primetime” featuring Joey Cool & Ubiquitous talks about being on their grind dabbling with trap.

“Sacrifice” wraps up the first leg of Still Dreaming giving off more pop rap energy talking about rather facing destiny than live off of someone else’s time leading into “Sober” featuring King Iso reunites for a poppy trap metal crossover hoping that they’ll kick the habit of drinking alcohol some day. “Unconditional” raps about criticisms of him writing for the Hell of it when he’s clearing his vision while “Lost” sings over some crescendoing guitar work that he feels stray.

The most surprising feature on Still Dreaming is none other than the Snake & Bat original and Ear House Inc. co-founder Krizz Kaliko during the poppy “I’m Not a Robot” exploring the struggle of feeling inadequate in a relationship filled with all kind of technological metaphors while “Identity” finishes Matt’s debut album with a synthpop button singing about him feeling like he’s a completely different person than he once was & that he’s ready to open his eyes.

From producing for the likes of former Strange Music acts like the previously mentioned Krizz Kaliko or the CES Cru to some or their current signees like Joey Cool or Jehry Robinson, it’s been shaping up to be a huge month for the Kansas City indie major & Still Dreaming emphasizes Matt Phoenix’s artistry to newer heights whether be his vocals fluctuating between rapping, singing & screaming or the eclectic production.

Score: 4/5

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Read the PDF – “Listen, It’s Too Late. The Jig’s Up!” review

Read the PDF is an MC/production trio consisting of mR. pOrTeR, Focus… & Dem Jointz. One of whom is Eminem’s current hypeman originally known as Kon Artis of D12 & the other 2 are known for being in-house producers for the Quincy Jones of hip hop Dr. Dre’s very own Interscope Records imprint Aftermath Entertainment. dEnAuN would eventually become an in-house producer for the label & some point, releasing their debut EP a year after their full-length studio debut By the Time You Look Up N.C. What We Doin’.

“Listen” starts with a hardcore hip hop intro with incredibly sequenced beat switches from all 3 members basically hopping over their own instrumentals dismantling their opponents whereas “It’s Too Late” finds the trio talking about how 2026’s gonna be different for them. “The Jig’s Up” wraps up Read the PDF’s inaugural EP with them taking shots at those tricking them structures similarly to the opener.

Listen, It’s Too Late. The Jig’s Up! finds each member creating their own individual sonic universes & merging them together onto a single track for a rawly authentic 3-song hip hop EP becoming a uniquely conceptual meeting of 3 visions from a group of Aftermath Entertainment in-house producers who all have their own different experiences in the past as MCs.

Score: 4/5

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Crimeapple – “Bulletproof Chicken” review

Hackensack, New Jersey lyricist Crimeapple tapping in with V Don for his 18th studio LP. Becoming a fan of his in the fall of 2017 with his 4th EP Sweet Dreams along with the Big Ghost Ltd. produced full-length debut Aguardiente that following spring, his profile in the underground grew exponentially from there. Discography standouts include the DJ Skizz-produced Wet Dirt, the DJ Muggs-produced Medallo, Cartagena, Breakfast in Hradec, Sin Cortar, the Preservation-produced El León, the official Aguardiente sequel Bazuko, the Mello Music Group-backed This, Is Not That produced by Apollo Brown & more recently Rose Gold. Over 3 months later & Bulletproof Chicken has arrived only a few days into September.

“Scrape the Pot” sets the tone with a drumless piano sample flexing his knack for customer service resulting in fiends coming back for more whereas “Railroad Avenue” goes for a jazzier direction talking about his neck being like an arcade. “Victor Charlie” takes a luxurious boom bap approach getting in his mafioso bag lyrically & “4.99 Special” divides itself into 2 halves with a beat-switch in the middle asking what you have to floss after getting on his dignity.

T.F. & Crime link up on the drumless “Groundhog’s Day” talking about getting money repeatedly leading into “Brazil” featuring Primo Profit returning to the boom bap to show off their strict policy of keeping their potencies high. “Wings” featuring Bruiser Wolf eerily unites the 2 to talk about needing the chicken & needing to make the pay while “Ocean Drive” finds himself hitting the district to show what the wrist do.

The title track begins the final leg of Bulletproof Chicken by stacking bread to the ceiling over an exuberant boom bap instrumental while “Clientele” goes off-the-dome for 105 seconds sampling soul music & spitting mafioso lyrics on top of it. “Fluegame” rawly talks about not being bestowed from his position in the underground & “Scooby Sweaters” caps it all off with a boom bap beat mixed with vocal harmonization in the background getting real serious with it as if he already hasn’t been.

Over 3 months since Rose Gold completed the trilogy that Wet Dirt started & Breakfast in Hradec bridged, what has already been a prolific year for V Don continues since he can now add Crimeapple to the growing list of names he’s produced for after Boldy James & Estee Nack respectively. What the New York producer cooks up here is a healthy mix between boom bap, drumless, jazz rap & chipmunk soul to back Crime’s mafiosi pen-game.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jamil Honesty – “M.E.M.O.I.R.S. (Music Evokes Memories Offering Inspiration, Radiating thru Sound)” review

Here is the 5th studio LP from Staten Island, New York born albeit Baltimore, Maryland based emcee/producer Jamil Honesty. Getting his footing in off the strength of his debut mixtape Verses, he would go on to build a name for himself but putting out 3 EPs & a full-length debut serving as a sequel to one of the EPs that Hobgoblin produced. He would later release the Harbor Kidz’ self-titled debut, the Krazyfingaz-produced The God Honest Truth, the Machacha-produced Give Us Our Daily Bread, the final installment of the Martyr Musik trilogy & more recently Shots from the Soviet produced by Giallo Point. Almost 10 months later, JR Swiftz is getting brought in to fully produce M.E.M.O.I.R.S. (Music Evokes Memories Offering Inspiration, Radiating thru Sound).

After the “Foreword” intro, the first song “Chakra’s Cuts” refuses to worry about the future since what’s for everyone else is in the cards whereas “Follow Me” works in a boom bap instrumental to talk about being the living truth others speak of. “Real Rap” suggests that it’s carry-on if others aren’t carrying the culture & being out for legacy & wanting to be remembered as a lyrical paragon just before “‘94 Nas (The Chip Tooth Era)” featuring Jay Royale finds the 2 outclassing their competition like they’re substitutes.

“4evaNyce” starts the 2nd half with a jazzy boom bap beat talking about being nice with for all eternity leading into “Gold Teeth & Beepers” dustily advises to speak truthfully & giving fanatics what they’ve been craving. The title track works in a piano sample to tell ghetto stories with a plot twist while “Tennis Filas” featuring Awon, Blu, Kev Brown & Griot Noy turns the jazz influences back up for a 4 minute cypher. “Summer 90’s” finishes up by reflecting on what summer felt like to him 3 decades earlier.

Similarly to how Shots from the Soviet has already cemented itself as Jamil Honesty’s finest EP, M.E.M.O.I.R.S. (Music Evokes Memories Offering Inspiration, Radiating thru Sound) has officially taken over the spot of the predecessor 10 months ago & I’d strongly recommend both if you’re still sleeping on him. JR Swiftz’ cinematic production matched with Jamil’s precise lyrics make the album feel more like a time capsule of an era that we all miss crafted with precision & soul for fans of uncompromising hip hop rooted in sincerity.

Score: 4.5/5

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Rakim – “The Re-Up” review

This is the 2nd EP from pioneering Long Island, New York emcee/producer Rakim. Notable for being 1/2 of the seminal golden age duo Eric B. & Rakim, they put out 4 classic albums together from the mid-80s to the early 90s, with their debut Paid in Full & the sophomore effort Follow the Leader laying out the groundwork for future generations of hip hop to come. Kid Wizard eventually went solo in late ‘97 signing to Universal Music Group for an acclaimed debut The 18th Letter & the follow-up The Master while not as acclaimed still received positive feedback. Reception to The 7th Seal a decade after The Master was more mixed due to the lackluster production although the lyricism was certainly praised & G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH) was a step in the right direction despite the heavy features, but Big Ghost Ltd. producing 2 new tracks on The Re-Up minus the 7 remixes raised my expectations greatly as a fan of both him & The God.

“I’m Good” makes for the only track of the 2 piece that doesn’t have a guest on it, but The God still delivers on the mic nonetheless over a boom bap instrumental from none other than the The Hands of Zeus himself whereas the final song consisting of brand new material & it’s sole single “Not to Be Defined” featuring Lazarus is also the sole moment that Big Ghost didn’t produce, leading it up to Dem Jointz showing the rhythm of the souls in both lyricists’ hearts.

I’m only gonna rate this purely based on the short batch of material that we got from The Re-Up because 1 thing that I wanna make clear is that the 5 remixes from G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH) rival the original versions from the previous EP that I prefer more since that was all new material. Nevertheless, I still believe that the 3 newly recorded cuts are worth mentioning because they continue to exemplify that Rakim is still The God almost 4 decades later. G.O.Ds Network (REB7RTH) 2 has been said to have lesser guests than the predecessor & if that’s true, it could be on The 18th Letter caliber.

Score: 3.5/5

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Pro Dillinger – “Dirtwave 3” review

Haverstraw, New York emcee Pro Dillinger completing the Dirtwave trilogy with his 9th LP. A member of the Umbrella collective as well as 1/2 of The Steiner Brothers, he has released a total of 5 mixtapes along with his last 8 albums & even 7 EPs. Favorites include the Finn-produced debut Pray for My Prey, the Machacha-produced Dirt Don’t Hurt, his 3rd EP MOSFoul, the Sting vs. Flair collab EP with Mickey Diamond & the Steiner Brothers’ eponymous debut. Dirty Work celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary earlier this summer & the dirtiest of the Umbrella brought Sean Kelly back to handle production for Reasonable Dirt much like Forever Foul & more recently the Futurewave produced Dirtwave alongside it’s sequel becoming his most acclaimed work to date. To finish the month of August, a 3rd installment arrives with eager anticipation.

“Follow the $$$” was a drumless chipmunk soul intro talking about the battery in his back getting charged up whereas “King” by The Steiner Brothers featuring Big Trip finds the trio coming together for a luxuriously hardcore boom bap track. “Never Going Broke” chops up a vocal sample to talk about the relatable goal of not losing it all financially while “Church St.” reflects on the days of doing whatever he wanted and on the titular street.

Meanwhile on “Scarface”, we have Pro Dillinger talking about how counting money is a habit for him & not needing any friends because he has a whole lot of enemies as it already is over a boom bap instrumental leading into “Road 2 Riches” breaking down the military minded mentality he & the rest of The Umbrella has. “Fentanyl” featuring Estee Nack links the pair up so they can talk about making it to the big leagues just before “Ain’t No Killer” calls out some bluff.

“Old Lungs” featuring Daniel Son nears the end of Dirtwave 3 with a jazzy boom bap beat talking about being the same despite their respective takeovers of the underground while “Dirtmusic” removes the jazzier elements for a dedication to his fam who got it out the mud. “Bread First” closes up shop with 1 last chipmunk soul cut explaining his prioritization of money coming first.

The original Dirtwave & Dirtwave 2 have been rivaling each other for the past 10 months or so in becoming Pro Dillinger’s finest opuses of his career, but Dirtwave 3 maintains the hardcore hip hop/boom bap fusions that made both it’s predecessors so acclaimed except the production leans heavier towards the jazz rap & drumless chipmunk soul styles in comparison.

Score: 4.5/5

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WTM Solid – “Touropean” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper WTM Solid releasing his 6th EP. A member of the WRLD Tour Mafia, he also embarked on a solo career of his own beginning a few years back with the debut EP Originatour followed by both Matter of Time & What’s the Difference?. Bigg as well as the full-length studio debut album Imagine That at the start of this year elevated himself as an individual amongst the rest of WRLD Tour, following up Killa $eason by taking us through the day of a life of a Touropean.

“Black Eminem” opens with some horns & 808s asking if you’re with it or not so can make sure of it whereas “Better Than Yesterday” carries over the Detroit sound to talk about grabbing whatever he wants when he goes shopping. “Emote :p” has a bit of a hazier vibe instrumentally flexing that the gang never goes out of bonds just before “Aggravated <:” vents about how we haven’t seen him at his best yet.

As for “Kash Doll Skirt”, we have Solid going for a cloudier Detroit trap vibe thanks to Niketech talking about having nothing left to prove at this point in his career leading into “Crucified +” advises those hitting the road for the first time to strap up from another country. “Japan in Paris” talks about running out of paper more than hoes & not letting money change you while “‘25 Finals MVP” shows love to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“Support > Hate” winds the clock down regarding the 4th quarter of Touropean with a cloudy Detroit sound courtesy of WTM Miles feeling like Bruce Wayne from the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment-owned Batman franchise whenever he logs into his bank account & “Break My Arms, Break My Legs” finishes the EP continuing to shed Blood, Sweat & Tours for this shit.

Inspired by spending the last month overseas, WTM Solid comes over 4 weeks after Money Man Miles saved the rap game & the road once he took up the Shortstop position by cooking up an EP that’s only 8 minutes longer than the last one he put out earlier this summer repping the motor city whilst living the WRLD Tour life over in Europe.

Score: 4/5

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Skepta – “Skepta .. Fred” review

London, England, United Kingdom rapper, songwriter & producer Skepta teaming up with local producer Fred again.. for his 3rd EP. A co-founder the Boy Better Know collective, a lot of people in the state including myself didn’t hop on board with him until almost a decade ago when he dropped his 4th album Konnichiwa to critical acclaim. This was followed up a couple years back with both Ignorance is Bliss & All In being welcomed to moderate reception, but the Skepta .. Fred singles had me anticipating this much more.

“Back 2 Back” fuses grime & dubstep together so he can talk about the recognition he’s gotten throughout his career whereas “London” carries over the styles of the previous track preferring to play the villain than the victim. “Last 1s Left” turns the dubstep influences up to talk about being the last of a dying breed while the soulful “21 Years” reflects on these past couple decades. “Victory Lap” co-produced by PlaqueBoyMax ends with a nod to the local community platform of the same name.

Both teasers that we’ve gotten these past few months confirms the speculation I had regarding Skepta doing a whole EP with Fred again.. & as I would’ve thought, it reveals itself to be the most cutting edge project he’s put out since Konnichiwa celebrating it’s 10-year anniversary next spring. Fred’s production plays well into the Boy Better Know co-founder’s grime style that he helped lay out the foundation for & simultaneously places electronic dance music as a secondary influence.

Score: 4.5/5

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Merlyn Wood – “Velvet” review

Merlyn Wood is a 29 year old Ghanaian-American rapper & songwriter born in Accra, Ghana, Africa & raised in Texas known for being a member of the now defunct BROCKHAMPTON collective. He also has a couple EPs under his belt with Teen Virgyn & Dirty Thunder, both of which where released to mixed reception as was Ameerlyn’s debut EP Slime in the Ice Machine under Blacksmith Recordings. Almost 23 months since Dirty Thunder, the Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the best boyband since 1 Direction is back by himself for his 3rd EP.

“Peace” was a stripped back choice of an intro singing over acoustics to ask when things are gonna get easier for him whereas “Ashes” embraces more of a pop rap/trap vibe talking about watching the crazy world we live in burn down. “Eater” pulls a bit of inspiration from rap rock for a description of those exact type of women & after “Nympho” continues to rap about lustful themes over a cloudy instrumental, “Backseat” finishes up with a trap outro getting down to business in the back of a car.

Dirty Thunder has gotta be my least favorite EP of the 3 that we have in the Merlyn Wood solo discography thus far, but Velvet’s the most versatile he’s sounded by himself since Teen Virgyn & a cut above that alongside it’s successor for his best solo material. The pop rap & cloud rap styles of that introductory EP are reincorporated fluidly except the secondary influences of wonky, alt-pop & alternative R&B are being replaced with the trap sounds of it’s follow-up along with rap rock & singer/songwriter.

Score: 3.5/5

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