Isaiah Rashad – “The House’s Burning” review

Isaiah Rashad is a 30 year old rapper from Chattanooga, Tennessee emerging in 2013 by signing to Top Dawg Entertainment & dropping his 2nd EP cilvia demo to universal acclaim the following year. Then came the full-length debut The Sun’s Tirade in 2016, which received as much praise. But after 4 years in the making, TDE is finally letting Zaywop put out a follow-up with the help of Warner Records.

“Darkseid” starts things out with a melancholic ballad produced by Beat Butcha about how toddlers got Purple Hearts whereas “From the Garden” with Lil Uzi Vert is an energetic trap banger about them comin’ out bustin’ referencing former 3-time WWE world champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion, 3-time TNA World Champion, ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 9-time WWE Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, HOG Tag Team Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion & The Crash Mundial Parejas Campeon Jeff Hardy. “RIP Young” beautifully samples “Cheese & Dope” by Project Pat addressing his fame & although I love the vibe of “Lay Wit Ya” (especially the “Ridin’ n’ tha Chevy” sample), the Duke Deuce verse is fucking garbage.

Meanwhile on “Claymore”, we have Zaywop & Smino coming together for a tropical tune asking their lovers if they runnin’ or exercisin’ just before “Headshots (4r da Locals)” serving as an equally excellent sequel to “4r da Squaw”. He & Amindi jump on top of a boom bap instrumental on “All Herb” saying they all hurtin’ & you can’t seem them like 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena leading into the luscious “Hey Mista”, which is a nice lil off-the-top freestyle.

Jay Rock & Jay Worthy come into the picture to talk about smokin’ on the fumes yesterday with the slick banger “True Story” whereas “Wat U Sed” with Doechii is an atmospheric tribute to “Bunny Hop”. Zay details someone who says he ain’t got nothing to lose on the psychedelic “Don’t Shoot” while YGTUT-assisted “Chad” calls out “cats foldin’ like huns” & I really dig the guitar playing behind the snares.

“9-3” works in some keyboards & hi-hats to get a bit repetitive in terms of the lyricism, but then SZA & 6LACK come in for the Kenny Beats-produced slowjam “Score” without sounding forced or corny as fuck. The title track is a pillowy look at Zaywop’s struggles with addiction & the closer “HB2U” goes into a jazzier direction saying he did this all for his baby.

I didn’t think this day would ever come, but it goes without saying that The House is Burning is the best project that we’ve seen come out of the TDE camp since CTRL. It serves as a fantastic tribute to the dirty south in terms of the overall sound to the blatant references throughout the lyrics. I really hope we don’t have to wait another 5 years for this dude to drop.

Score: 4/5

Logic – “Bobby Tarantino III” review

This is the 8th mixtape from Maryland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, author & Twitch streamer Logic. Coming up just about a decade ago off the strength of the Young Sinatra mixtapes, he 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? Then he bounced back with No Pressure last summer, which was a mature sequel to his full-length debut. I also thought the Doc D concept mixtape Planetory Destruction was decent too, but now Logic is looking to close out the Bobby Tarantino trilogy with Bobby Tarantino III.

The intro is just him jumping on top of a self-produced boom bap instrumental admitting that his retirement didn’t last very long whereas “Vaccine” is a mediocre attempt at a vibrant trap anthem about going hard all year. “Get Up” takes a more melodic turn trying way too hard to get motivational, but then “My Way” is a HIDEOUS contemporary R&B/pop crossover despite the decent synth instrumental.

Meanwhile on “Call Me”, we get a moody sequel to “1-800-273-8255” just before the flute-tinged “Inside” that FNZ & of course Bobby Boy Records in-house producer 6 laced opens up about his depression. “Flawless” is forced sex song that’s really anything & after the admirably self-aware “Stupid Skit”, he addresses to the new generation on the short yet smoky boom bap-tinged “Theme for the People” except this time he isn’t dissing them like he & Eminem did a couple years back with “Homicide”.

The song “God Might Judge” sounds a lot more sincere than “Get Up” down to the instrumental being inspired by College Dropout-era Kanye like he says at the start while the penultimate track “See You Space Cowboy…” is a bassy trap cut about putting his city on the map. Finally there’s “Untitled”, which works in some vocal harmonies hanging in the background for him talking about being blessed.

Although this is a step down from No Pressure, I’m not saying it’s as unlistenable as Supermarket & Confessions of a Dangerous Mind were either if that makes any sense. Like half of these sound like they actually come from the heart, but then the other just seems as if he’s trying too hard to appeal to a mainstream audience.

Score: 2.5/5

Scum – “Dyin’ World Chroniclez 2: Red Groundz” review

This is the 13th full-length album from Russian-American horrorcore veteran Scum. Coming up as the founder of the local independent powerhouse Lyrikal Snuff Productionz, the man has literally dropped dozens of projects either on his own or with side projects like M.M.M.F.D. & the 4 Horsemen. Dude just dropped Dyin’ World Chroniclez: Grey Skiez about 5 months ago & after a couple of new singles following that, we’re being treated to the sequel Dyin’ World Chroniclez 2: Red Groundz.

After the intro, the title track works in some violins for him & King Gordy portraying their own different versions of Hell whereas “Beyond Comprehension” is a trap banger talking about how his intentions are clear. S.O.S. reunites to let people know they’ll remain underground on the frosty “My Damnation” just before trapping cats into a “Lion’s Cage” with a demented instrumental.

Meanwhile on “We the Onez”, we have M.M.M.F.D. jumping on top of a skeletal trap beat to talk about parents warning their children of them leading into “Wonder” continuing to delve into that sound except it has more meat on the bone & Scum pondering what’s going through his victim’s mind. “Groundhog (Fri)day(13)” is an aggressive, high-tempo anthem to murder whereas “Intrauterine Cannibalistic” with Hex Rated goes into trap metal territory talking about making cats bleed when they catch ‘em.

The song “Humpty Dumpty” speaks on cracking people’s heads over a nocturnal instrumental while the penultimate track “Keep That Shit” works in some keyboards & hi-hats to admit that he’s sick in the head. Then it rounds out with “Nevaendin’ Story”, which is Scum talking about murder being addictive accompanied by a misty beat.

Scum has been putting it down for the underground wicked shit scene for a very long time at this point & the whole Dyin’ World Chroniclez series that he’s been doing lately turning out pretty hard. In comparison to the previous installment, I think this one sounds darker & rawer in terms of production choices & pen-game.

Score: 3.5/5

Skepta – “All In” review

Skepta is a 38 year old rapper, songwriter & producer from Tottenham, London, England, United Kingdom notable for co-founding the Boy Better Know collective just 16 years back. However, a lot of people in the state including myself didn’t hop on board with him until 2016 when he dropped his 4th album Konnichiwa to critical acclaim. This was followed up a couple years back with Ignorance is Bliss but after laying low throughout 2020, he’s preluding a new album by dropping a sophomore EP.

“Bellator” starts things out with a wavy tribute to Pop Smoke whereas “Peace of Mind” with KiD CuDi & Teezee is a clubbier tune about how fine their bitches are. The song “Nirvana” with J Balvin takes a turn into Latin territory saying they’re gonna take their women to a place of happiness while the penultimate track “Lit Like This” is just him flexing & the instrumental almost has a dancehall quality to it. Then there’s “Eyes on Me” which samples “Oi” by Platinum 45 & says no one can diss them.

Overall, I like All In a tad bit more than Ignorance is Bliss. Despite being an EP, I admire how he shoots for many different production styles & you can tell he really took his time with it, as he hadn’t recorded anything this year prior to. Hopefully this next full-length of his can reach the bar that Konnichiwa did.

Score: 3.5/5

Tha Dogg Pound – “DPG 4 Life” review

Tha Dogg Pound is a renown hip hop duo consisting of Long Beach emcee/producer Daz Dillinger & Philadelphia emcee Kurupt. I really shouldn’t have to say much about their 1995 full-length debut Dogg Food since it’s widely recognized as one of the last great albums that Death Row Records ever put out. They’ve gone on to release some music here & there since but just 11 years after their last album 100 Wayz, they’re reuniting for their 8th full-length album.

“Ghetto” kicks things off with a chilled out depiction of having bills to pay & them doing fine whereas “We Rollin’” goes into a funkier direction with them stuntin’. “Dissolution of Marriage” featuring October London is a calmer tune talking about a relationship that sadly results in divorce, but then “Used 2” follows it up going into a more depressive tone.

Meanwhile on “Bottom Bitch”, we get a classy theme for all the pimps out there right before WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg comes into the picture for spacey sex anthem “Nice & Slow”. The highnamic trio stick around for the g-funk thug anthem “Skip Skip” prior to going back to the romance tip on the atmospheric “Baby I Want U Bac”.

“It Ain’t Nuthin’” is an auto-tune trap ballad talking about smoking in an old school Chevy while “I’m On It” with Soopafly works in some snares & squeaking synths to talk about being hustlas. The song “Let’s Roll” serves as a melodic cut talking about partying with their ladies while the penultimate track “Hood Girl” brings in some keys to talk about their taste in women. Then they put the feel-good West Coast tribute “LA Here’s to U” off of Kurupt’s 2013 sophomore mixtape Money, Bitches, Power for the closer.

We’ve had to wait a little over decade for Dillinger & Young Gotti to reunite in a full-length capacity. The end results are a bit of mixed bag for me personally. I think the lovey dovey shit sounds forced even though “Let’s Play House” is one of my all-time favorite DPG songs but when they’re on their g shit, it sounds more natural.

Score: 2.5/5

Melo Meezy – “Sol Food” review

Melo Meezy is a 26 year old MC/producer from Compton, California who first emerged in the fall of 2019 when he dropped his debut EP No Wolves in the Circus. However for this short follow-up right here, he’s enlisting local producer Ra to jump behind the boards from start to finish.

After the “Seek Out Life” Intro, the first song “Cruise Control” is a hazy opener talking about getting it on his own whereas “Yours Truly” has a jazzy yet soulful tone instrumentally saying he’s gonna take it all win or lose. “No Options” takes an atmospheric turn thanking God for his accomplishments while the penultimate track “The Games We Play” works in a slowed down vocal sample as Melo asks what the word is. Then there’s “From the Sol”, which is a peaceful closer saying he plays to win.

Coming away from this EP, I can definitely hear the potential in Melo. The hunger is undeniably there when you ready into his lyrics & Ra reveals himself as one of the most promising producers on the come up right now because he totally hones in on the smoky sound he goes for on here.

Score: 3.5/5

Ace the Legynd – “W.O.L.F. (What if Our Lives Failed?)” review

Ace the Legynd is a 23 year old MC from Hempstead, New York who came up a couple years back off his debut EP Lone Wolf Pack. He would follow it up a year & a half later with his 2nd EP Skar Tissue but to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of that project & his birthday being a couple days after, Ace is returning in the form of his full-length debut.

“Karasu” is a soulful opener talking about seeing devils & angels as the same whereas “Marvin” takes an upbeat trap route reflecting on why his hometown hasn’t been the same since he was 12 years old. “Dreams Come True” brings back the soul samples talking about dreaming he could buy his way to heaven leading into Cash Johnson tagging along for the funky “No Weapon” encouraging not to get slain.

Meanwhile on “Espionage”, we have Ace & Alpha Rellix grimly coming together to talk about being more focused than ever just before the F50-assisted “Wild Love” incorporates some chilling background vocals & hand claps calling out those trying to revoke his funds. “Medal of Honor” brings some pianos into the mix telling everyone to stay in their lane, but then “Sheep’s Clothing” cinematically opens up as to why he can’t lose.

“Post Traumatics” with Dre Smoove mixes some keys & soul samples to talk about how it’s been a minute while the song “Howlin’ at the Moon, Pt. 2” is a worthy sequel to my favorite joint off Lone Wolf Pack from the dusty production to the subject matter confessing he never thought he’d attend a funeral through Zoom. The penultimate track “Stained Glass” pulls some R&B influences confessing he’s living life too fast & “Red Tears” ends the album continues to delve deeper into the melodic side of things talking about having a bounty put onto his soul.

For a full-length debut, I’m very impressed with how W.O.L.F. (What if Our Lives Failed?) introduces the world to Ace as a person & am interested to hear where he goes from here. The production is incredibly detailed & I admire the way he acknowledges the struggles with mortality coming from the places that we do from his very own perspective.

Score: 3.5/5

Shoestring – “Da Pandemic” review

Shoestring is a 48 year old MC from Flint, Michigan who came up in the mid-90’s as a member of the trio The Dayton Family. However, it wasn’t until 1999 when he put out his solo debut Representin’ Till the World Ends under Tommy Boy Records & then followed it up 2 years later with the Reel Life Productions-backed Cross Addicted. Shortly after, Shoestring focused on DF for the next 15 years & eventually returned on his own in own in 2016/2017 by dropping Fix My City & Black Friday respectively. But as the 2 year anniversary of The Bake Up Boy came & went last month, he’s enlisting MonStar Entertainment in-house producer Lennon Smiley for his 6th full-length album.

The album begins with “Da Bomb Weed”, which works in some piano embellishments saying that’s what he chokes on. “Fuck Pop” is a grimy yet vibrant ode to stacking bread whereas “Get Rich” continues the themes of the previous cut except it takes a more hyphy direction. “Kill You” needs no further explanation with it’s combative lyrics or it’s baleful instrumental just before “Do Do Brown” works in these guitar licks & horns to spit that nickel bag hustler shit.

Meanwhile on “Ice Cold”, we get Shoestring bragging about himself over a Bollywood-influenced beat leading into gruesome trap cut that is “Murderers”. The song “Timbos” gets back on the hustler shit over a glum instrumental while the penultimate track “2020” formidably talks about getting back to business after COVID fucked everything up last year. Finally there’s the closer “Coka Cola”, is a piano trap ballad ode to that powder.

If you ask me, Da Pandemic is one of the best solo efforts Shoestring has put out to date. Whether he’s by himself or with Bootleg & Backstabba, dude’s always been a seminal part of the gangsta rap subgenre & his writing on here are no different. Lennon Smiley is also becoming amongst my favorite producers out of this reviewer’s home state right now because the wide range of sounds he brings to the table is fantastic.

Score: 4/5

(həd) p.e. – “Sandmine” review

This is the 6th EP from renown Huntington Beach g-punk outfit (həd) p.e., which has always been masterminded by Jahred Gomes despite it’s revolving door of members throughout the 27 years they’ve been together. Standouts in the crew’s discography include their self-titled debut, Broke, Back 2 Base X, Insomnia, New World Orphans, Truth Rising & even their previous album Class of 2020 that came out the day before Broke’s 20 year anniversary last summer. It was originally intended to be the group’s last effort for a while but due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the 2020 presidential election & the birth of Jahred’s daughter, (həd) p.e. is channeling all of their inspiration from all 3 of those events into Sandmine with the help of Suburban Noize Records backing it.

The title track is a thrashy opener quenching for blood whereas “False Prophets” serves as a punky jab at Donald Trump. The song “R.T.R. (Respect The Republic)” goes into rap rock territory talking about rebellion while the penultimate track “Deathtrip” is a skate punk joint with Jahred talking about risking his life. Finally there’s “Let Me Know”, which is a reggae rock cut trying to figure out what’s on his lovers’ mind.

Class of 2020 was a great throwback to (həd) p.e.’s roots & Sandmine is just as great to me personally. Once again, they’re taking it back to the basics except Jahred & company sound a lot more pissed off than they did when we last heard them 11 months prior.

Score: 4/5

Madchild – “Shane” review

Madchild is a 45 year old MC from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada coming up as part of the trio Swollen Members & the founder of Battle Axe Records, but would be until 2012 when he officially broke off solo with his Suburban Noize Records-backed debut album Dope Sick. He would later go on a hot streak of follow-ups including Lawnmower Man, Silver Tongue Devil, the Evidence-produced The Darkest Hour & Demons. But even though he went into a more trap direction on The Little Monster LP last winter, the results of that stylistic change weren’t all that interesting & the sequel he dropped back in the spring The Little Monster LP 2 were slightly better. Nonetheless, I was still very much interested in seeing what Madchild would pull off this double disc 8th full-length album of his.

“Alone” starts off the album with a downcast ballad produced by Jimmy Donn venting about never feeling so lonesome whereas “Boxed In” is a trap cut saying he feels brand new. “MVP” goes into boom bap territory with the help of C-Lance going on about how he “ain’t putting any food on anybody’s plate unless they’re on my team” before declaring himself as an alpha male on the vibraphone heavy “Suck It”.

Meanwhile with “Lone Wolf”, we get a Hellish ode to the 1 Man Gang movement just before jumping on top of a comatose trap beat saying he’s “Underrated”. Of course “Not in Control” addresses his past drug use on top of a post-&-pans instrumental whereas “Mental Hellth” is SLATHERED in auto-tune talking about being the Devil’s play-thing. “God’s Child” works in a symphony saying he was failing the higher power while “Evolved” goes back into that trap sound saying he’s a changed man.

The song “Why I’m Mad” is a misty warning saying you shouldn’t fall for bullshit while the penultimate track “Forgiveness” is a piano ballad apologizing to everyone he’s hurt. Finally there’s “Cojones”, which is an almost electronic-tinged closer talking about swimming with the sharks & dancing with the wolves.

Madchild been grinding hard all year & it’s really been paying off because I think this is a solid effort from him. Dude really takes you through how much he’s bettered himself in the last couple years & the production choices have improved also. I know he said Shane 2 is coming soon & I’m curious to hear where that goes.

Score: 3.5/5