This is the 19th EP from Dallas, Texas artist/producer KanKan. Coming up in 2019 as a member of Slayworld, he also got his name out there by producing for a wide range of artists from Summrs to even Little Pimp. Dude just dropped a sequel to B4 AMGs & SRTs last month not even & has decided to not slow down anytime soon putting out ##B4RR in just a short matter of time.
“We Get High” is an electro-tinged opener about using drugs before going at those who’re inferior to him on the Pi’erre Bourne-influenced “Under Us”. Meanwhile on “RedEye”, we get these incredible synth passages & KanKan going on about his newfound famous lifestyle.
The song “Mad at Me” is a dystopian shot at his haters while the penultimate track “Broad Day” takes shots at his biters over a nocturnal instrumental. The EP then rounds out with “Wicked”, where KanKan & ssgkobe hop on some monstrous bass for a whole lotta fuckery in their words.
For those who’re looking to get into this kid’s discography, ##B4RR isn’t a bad place to start at all. The ideas he brings to the table in terms of sound are really interesting & he still sounds hungry as Hell despite his popularity continuously growing.
This is the sophomore album from South Carolina producer, rapper, songwriter & engineer Pi’erre Bourne. Becoming one of the most in demand beatsmiths in hip hop today off Playboi Carti’’s “Magnolia”, he’s also made a name for himself on the mic by dropping 5 mixtapes as well as 2 EPs & a full-length debut. But after much anticipation, Pi’erre is continuing his recent tradition of dropping in June with the 5th & final installment of The Life of Pi’erre series.
After the intro, “Switchin’ Lanes” is a wavy opener featuring Playboi Carti rapping about going into a different pace whereas the next track “Hulu” taking it’s name after the subscription streaming service owned by The Walt Disney Company is a cloudy homage to Jay P. Meanwhile on “Couch”, we have Pi’erre incorporating an organ as he details his rags to riches story before saying she don’t want this hoe who’s addicted to him on the accordion-heavy “42”.
“Biology 101” is a smoky homage to the classic Cassidy joint “Hotel” while the spacey “Y.N.S. (Young N***a Shit)” needs no explanation lyrically. Lil Uzi Vert pretty much carries the bassy & braggadocious “Sossboy 2”, but Pi’erre bounces back to flex his hustle on the psychedelic “Practice”. “40 Clip” later expresses his desire for some new shit referencing the greatest WWE superstar ever; 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker backed by some synth-strings while “Retroville” is a cool homage to the Jimmy Neutron franchise & the chords on here are so gorgeous.
Sosshouse Records signee Sharc tags along for the moody club banger “Drunk & Nasty” leading up to the minimally-produced “Amen”, which expresses his gratefulness for where he’s at now. The song “Groceries” shows listeners how to get money like him while the penultimate track “Butterfly” is a glitchy tribute to Kobe Bryant. Finally there’s “4U”, which is an infectiously catcher closer about consoling his girl like a PlayStation.
This to me is a solid finisher to The Life of Pi’erre series & easily the best one of the 5. His unique production style is always a warm welcome as are the transitions at the end of every song, but the features break up the monotony of the other installments & I feel like Pi’erre is stepping up as a performer & songwriter.
Polo G is a 22 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & record executive from Chicago, Illinois rising to prominence a couple years ago off his full-length studio debut Die a Legend. I personally found it to be decent as a whole, but heard major improvements on the sophomore effort The GOAT last spring. And now with 13 months passing since that acclaimed predecessor, Polo’s coming through with his highly anticipated 3rd album.
“Painting Pictures” starts the album off as an endearing homage to Lil Wooski whereas the Einer Bankz-produced “Rapstar” works in a ukulele as Polo talks about his newfound fame. Lil Durk tags along to help say they ain’t ever going back to being broke on the weepy “No Return” even though The Kid Laroi’s hook is wimpy as fuck but on “Toxic”, the instrumental from Taz Taylor has a grungier feel to it as he tells his girl he prefers the streets over her.
Meanwhile on “Epidemic”, we get a glistening piano loop with Polo rapping about how he bleeds mob ties before he & Lil Wayne talk about having the game on lock for the euphorically-produced “Gang Gang”. We go into a more atmospheric direction on the braggadocious “Boom” while the twangy “Black Hearted” speaks on disloyalty.
“Broken Guitars” has an ambitious trap rock fusion in the beat despite the horrible Scorey verse near the end while “Give No Fuck (OKOKOK)” is a drill banger detailing life as a gang member. G Herbo goes back & forth with Polo about wishing for a hero on the icy “Go” while the Rod Wave-featured “Heart of a Giant” has a luxurious instrumental with the 2 talk about being big-hearted people.
Moving on from there, “Zooted” is an off-the-top freestyle with a polished beat whereas “Party Lyfe” with DaBaby is a perfect summertime theme. Wheezy comes through with a reversed loop on the Young Thug-assisted “Losses” as both of them remind listeners that they were cut from a different cloth referencing the greatest WWE superstar ever in former 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker while “So Real” is a country trap joint showing Polo’s vulnerability.
The song “Fame & Riches” with Roddy Ricch is an acoustic tune about them living lawless & “For the Love of New York” is a horrendously tropical romance duet with Nicki Minaj. The penultimate track “Clueless” with Fivio Foreign & the late Pop Smoke goes back into drill territory with the lyrics being about staying true to themselves, but then the closer “Bloody Canvas” vividly details a 14 year old named Ced getting involved in criminal activity & getting 25 years in prison.
Although I don’t think it’s as great as The GOAT was 12 months ago, Hall of Fame still has some high points of it’s own & makes for a decent follow-up to the greatest work of Polo G’s entire career that may not ever be topped if we’re being honest with ourselves. Some production moments feel a bit run-of-the-mill & a few guests don’t stick the landing, although I can understand him finding a new way to reiterate the idea of his status in the Windy City.
The Migos are a trio from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of blood relatives Quavo, Offset & Takeoff. They’ve proved themselves as one of the biggest trap acts in recent memory ever since their 2013 smash hit “Versace” & this was exemplified with their 2017 sophomore album C U L T U R E, which is undoubtedly one of the best trap projects of the previous decade whether you like them or not. However, the sequel C U L T U R E II was a bloated rushjob & their solo debuts weren’t all that well received either other than Offset’s Father of 4. But after this 3 year gap, the Migos are reuniting to finish out the C U L T U R E trilogy.
“Avalanche” starts things out with DJ Durel & Quavo sampling “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations as the Migos look back on their early days but then there’s “Havin’ Our Way” with Drake, which has an symphonic instrumental from Kane Beatz as the quartet talk about getting theirs. The official WWE Day 1 theme song “Straightenin’” has an eerie instrumental with the lyrics detailing how “you don’t get shit straight if you don’t straighten it” while the Murda Beatz-produced “Type Shit” with Cardi B is a vigorous anthem about how this song might make you feel.
Meanwhile on “Malibu”, we have Polo G accompanying the Migos on top of a synth-horn loop detailing their adventures in the titular California city & I almost wanna say that the beat OG Parker whips up for “Birthday” has a west coast trap feel to it, backing the trio calling out a bitch lying to them about it being her birthday. “Modern Day” is a mystical banger that tells listeners to put respect on the trio’s name whereas the victorious “Vaccine” details them making money during the pandemic referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson.
Future tags along for the guitar-driven “Picasso” comparing themselves to the iconic painter of the same name leading up to them getting on some drug dealer shit for “Roadrunner”, in which the Zaytoven instrumental is tension-building as Hell. Following this, we have Danny Wolf taking the Migos into acoustic territory on the sensual “What You See”, but then “Jane” details the titular character working it for a Birkin bag with stellar Latin trap production from both Tay Keith & Gordo.
I thought the late Juice WRLD’s hook on the cavernous “Antisocial” is perfect given the lyrical concept of the track while “Why Not” finds the trio talking about getting money for fuck’s sake & the beat kinda has that cloud rap quality to it. The instrumental on “Mahomes” is incredibly dramatic as the Migos express their gratitude while OZ works in some synths & keys for them to “Handle My Business”.
The song “Time for Me” is an atmospheric cut about their bando days while the penultimate track “Light It Up” with the late Pop Smoke feels like a leftover from Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon given that it’s in Pop’s signature drill sound down to 808 Melo’s production. To finish it off, “Need It” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again touches down on self-defense & the way Buddah Bless absolutely killed it flipping “Get In My Car” by 50 Cent.
Although I had my doubts going into this album, I’ll argue that it’s what C U L T U R E II should’ve been because the Migos are back in full form on here. It’s only a half hour shorter than their last album was, you can tell the thing actually feels complete rather than spending 15 minutes to make each song & a good portion of them were fun to listen to.
Skyzoo is a 38 year old MC from Brooklyn, New York rising in the underground off l the 9th Wonder produced Cloud 9: The 3 Day High. He continued to make a name for himself with a lengthy yet very consistent discography that includes the full-length debut The Salvation, the !llmind produced Live from the Tape Deck, A Dream Deferred, Music for My Friends, the Apollo Brown produced The Easy Truth, In Celebration of Us & my personal favorite: the Pete Rock-produced Retropolitan. Last time we heard from Sky was a year ago with the Father’s Day-themed EP Milestones & knowing his grind, he’s back at it with his 7th album.
“Free Jewelry” starts the album off by sampling Gap Mangione’s “Diana in the Autumn Wind” & lyrics looking back on Sky’s career whereas “St. James Liquor” is a celebratory boom bap banger. Al Skratch of all people appears on the jazzy “A Tour of the Neighborhood”, is which literally a look into the area they grew up in. “Rich Rhetoric” is a intricate breakdown of the wealthy backed by a dusty beat while “Bodega Flowers” incorporates some kick-drums & a somewhat funky bass-line accompanying lyrics about appreciation.
Meanwhile on “Something to Believe In”, we get a sample of the iconic Roy Ayers joint “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” along with the concept of being blessed even when Satan is testing him & even though “Humble Brag” speaks for itself conceptually, the vocals in the background are pleasant to the ear. “I Was Supposed to Be a Trap Rapper” takes a look at Skyzoo’s past with JR Swiftz’ production constantly switching from gritty to jazzy while “Plugs & Connections” has rich instrumental & the theme of this is: “ain’t nobody tell nobody what’s to be expected”.
“The Scrimmage” has a hypnotic vocal sample as well as lyrics about minding your limits while we go back to into jazz territory for “Culture-Ish”, which is about passing it down until the baton’s gone. The song “Bed-Stuy’s Burning” speaks on the gentrification of the titular neighborhood accompanied by a live band while the self-produced penultimate track “What Money Taught Us” tells us just that over some keyboards. The album then ends with “Soft Eyes”, which is a glossy romance tune.
It’s always a rejoicing thing whenever this dude drops a project & this is no different from that. Not just because the production has some jazzy undertones to it & some great sample choices, but the whole concept ofnew era of cultural appropriation is well executed.
RastaBwoyKell is a 26 year old MC/producer from Chicago, Illinois notable for fusing together reggae & trap. He’s gone on to release 4 albums & an EP in the last 2 years but after taking a drum class, he’s setting out to change the frequency of music on his 5th full-length outing right here.
After the intro, the first song “Enoch” takes things into an atmospheric trap direction with Kell taking about moving silent before working into a flute & expressing his desire for success on “Prosperous”. We go into a more bassier sound for the braggadocious “Excuse Me” whereas on “Mau Mau”, it’s a lot more darker & violent.
Meanwhile on “Holy Ghost”, the instrumental has a more tribal vibe with the lyrics talking about how his words will live on forever leading into the pure evil that is “Knife n Gun”. Then there’s the Legacy Freedom-assisted “Rituals”, which is a meditative cut about being born again & born in sin.
The song “Jungle” with MasoTheRebel is a reggae/hip hop fusion about how they’re gon’ get it while the penultimate track “Circle of Life” is an empowering anthem about equal rights. For the closer “As Above So Below”, which works in some heavy snares & speaking on being down to earth.
If you ask me, Kell is one of the most unique MCs that I’ve heard in a while & 6/8 could very well be the best project he’s attached is name onto yet. His sound is completely unlike any other & the songwriting really hits listeners in the soul.
Ransom is a 42 year old MC from Jersey City who came up as 1/2 of the short-lived duo A-Team alongside Hitchcock. After their disbandment, he branched out on his own beginning with his 2008 full-length debut Street Cinema & the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore album The Proposal. But it’s safe to say 2020 was his biggest year yet so far, dropping a total of 5 EPs produced entirely by Nicholas Craven & all of them being equally stellar. And now to warm us up for Ransom’s upcoming albums with Rome Streetz as well as Big Ghost Ltd. & Pete Rock respectively, we’re getting a concept EP revolving around the 7 deadly sins.
Craven slides through behind the boards for the soulful opener “Envy” touching down on how jealousy can corrupt oneself whereas V-Don infuses keyboards & dusty boom bap drums on “Gluttony”, where both Ransom & Lloyd Banks mix spiritualism with the street shit they’re known for. Meanwhile on “Greed”, we have Royce da 5’9” tagging along assisting on the theme of selfishness with Lord Sear bringing in some horns into the production before Chup goes into a more rock-tinged sound for the vengeful “Wrath”.
38 Spesh takes things into chipmunk soul territory on “Lust”, which is about how you can see the emotions when your life’s an open book. The penultimate track “Sloth” has a weak verse from J. Arrr at the tail end of it, but I do like the sluggish instrumental as well as Ransom’s lyrics about not letting your master confuse your view. And for the self-produced closer “Pride”, we’re treated to a soul sample much like the opener & a look into egoism.
I knew exactly what I was in for going into this EP & he delivered. Not just because the production is raw yet super diverse, but the concept is executed in a way that feels natural rather than hamfisted or corny. Beyond excited to hear where he’ll take it with Rome, Big Ghost & Pete Rock just before 2021 ends.
This is the 4th mixtape from Detroit rapper Babytron, who came up just a few years ago as part of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records. Along the way, he’s also built up a solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But to celebrate his 21st birthday, it’s only right for the general of the Dog $hit Militia collective to drop Luka Trončić.
It’s cool to hear him kick it off with a glossy, rubbery sequel to “Cheat Code” produced by Helluva as well as a dancy conclusion of the “Jugg Messiah” trilogy. Meanwhile on “Blitz”, we get some keyboards from Danny G as the recently released Peezy tags along to flex whereas “IG Captions” feels like a charming freestyle & the instrumental feels like something out of the 80’s.
“PunchGod 3” if you couldn’t tell by the title showcases his punchline abilities backed by an infectious high-pitched vocal sample while “Scam Stars” featuring Allstar JR gets on their scam rap shut over a piano-inflicted beat. We go into a more suspenseful sound on “Golden Ticket” as Babytron compares his rap career to such referencing the greatest WWE superstar ever; 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker before sounding off on his wealth on “$1M Thoughts” even though the instrumental is kinda plain.
The song “Where They At?” is more spacier cut where he says he feels like the late Blade Icewood, but then Stanwill & TR Dee unite for the electronic-tinged “Cold World” going at clout chasers. “Cowabunga” mixes some synth-strings & blobby bass for Babytron to start flexing lyrically & not only does he carry that topic onto “The Office”, but the way they sample the actual theme song from The Office is pure brilliance.
“Just In Case” is pretty much his own version of the Jahiem song of the same name while the synths on “Mr. Miyagi” sound off like laser guns as Babytron proclaims he has the magic touch. Since99’s verse on “Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy” is another weak spot on the album, but I do like how they compare themselves to the SpongeBob duo & actually sample their theme music much like on “The Office”.
The braggadocio continues on the entrancing “Playmaker” sampling “Since I Fell for You” by Apollonia including a reference to former IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion Owen Hart’s death at the latter promotion’s infamous 2nd & final Over the Edge pay-per-view prior to going back to that Bay Area sound for “Game Time” thanks to Jakesand, where Babytron raps about cranking the notch up just to prove a point since he’s phenomenal as current WWE World Tag Team Champion AJ Styles.
I love the haunting synth melodies accompanying the championing lyricism of “MVP Season” but then for the materialistic “$100 Rice Bowl”, the sound is like a cross between 80’s-like synths & hyphy. “Space Jam” has an EDM flare to it sonically as Babytron says he “got a Goon Sqwad like he’s Trick-Trick” while the eerie, bassy “Money Man” flashes his wealth.
The song “Untouchable” has a vintage sample throughout as well as lyrics about being that dude while the penultimate track “Bugs Bunny” is a glistening yet explosive cut about being up now. As for the closer “Early Bird”, there’s a plinky beat & Babytron rapping about how he can’t be fucked with.
Of all the tapes this cat has dropped, Luka Trončić could very well be his best one yet. I think the Hi-RNG undertones in the production is super unique in comparison to the more generic sounds you hear in modern day trap & Babytron’s continues to reveal himself as the most skilled ShittyBoy there is.
BL1GHT is a newly formed duo consisting of HU$H & Tech N9ne. One is a rapper/producer from Los Angeles known for his work in the EDM scene under numerous aliases & the latter being amongst the biggest independent hip hop artists of all-time. Now I’m not really sure exactly how these guys’ paths crossed, but my morbid curiosity for this eponymous debut EP of theirs got the best of me given how much of a N9na fan I’ve been since high school. Especially off the strength of albums like Anghellic, Absolute Power, Everready (The Religion), K.o.D. (King of Darkness), All 6’s & 7’s, Welcome to Strangeland and Special Effects.
”Let Lost Happen” starts the EP by going into a brostep direction as BL1GHT tell the listener that “false starts isn’t how they play” whereas the next joint “Noise Baby” sounds like a rehash of your generic EDM track from 2011 with it’s repetitive structuring. We go into a more glitchier sound on the lyrically aggressive “Move Back Right Now” before fusing elements of dubstep & trap metal with “Smiley”.
Meanwhile on “Wear U Down”, the instrumental for some reason sounds like the theme music you’d hear whenever a Blacklight: Retribution match would end as BL1GHT rap about the way they show love while the penultimate track “41 Days” is much more melodic & the lyrics are more depressing. The closer “Suffering” is a lot similar to “Smiley” in terms of the production with the duo rapping about wanting their opposition to suffer.
I have nothing against dubstep or EDM as an entire genre, but boy was it a struggle for me to sit through this entire EP for 22 minutes. The chemistry between the duo seems to be hamfisted rather than natural because as a performer, Tech N9ne is just washing HU$H on every song. On top of that, the latter’s production isn’t as invigorating as someone like Burial’s
This is a brand new collaborative effort between Atlanta, Georgia superstar Lil Baby & Chicago, Illinois rapper Lil Durk. The pair have come together on a handful of instances throughout the last few years whether it be “How I Know” off the latter’s 2016 mixtape Just Cause Y’all Waited or even a little over a month ago with “EVERY CHANCE I GET” on the latest DJ Khaled album Khaled Khaled but given their documented history with one another, they’ve decided to take it to the next level by declaring themselves as The Voice of the Heroes.
The title track is a cloudy kickstarter to the album & even though I appreciate the message “2040” being about balling forever, the instrumental is just middle of the road. Travis Scott tags along for the synth-heavy “Hats Off” as the trio shout out those who be keeping it real whereas the Wheezy-produced “Who I Want” brings in some rich piano melodies as they talk about running trains on bitches.
Meanwhile on “Still Hood”, we have Baby & Durk reminding listeners of where they came from backed by a mellow beat from London on da Track before incorporating strings on the loyalty themed “Man of My Word”. We have Nick Papz working in some flutes for the duo as they link up with Meek Mill for the braggaodious “Still Runnin’”, but then “Medical” is easily the saddest joint on the whole thing as they’re crying for help from drug addiction & signing up for the streets instead of the WME Group-owned UFC.
“How I Feel” doesn’t have much going on instrumentally despite the lyrics saying you’re not alone on feeling a certain way in certain situations while “Lying” angrily calls out wankstas on their bluff. The rapid keyboards on “Okay” are really cool as both parties talk about being stuck in their ways whereas the horn-inflicted “That’s Facts” finds them speaking their truths. The song “Please” is a more romantic cut down to the airy production from Turbo, but then Durk & Baby bring in Young Thug for the celebratory wealth anthem “Up the Side”.
They later acknowledge the fact that people look up to them on “If You Want To” & even though the guitars come in on occasion, they’re a really awesome touch. The song “Rich Off Pain” is a summery cut saying they became successful due to expressing their struggles while the penultimate track “Make It Out” expresses their desire to “rid this curse” over a dejected Murda Beatz instrumental. To round it out, “Bruised Up” is an emotional finisher pondering what they’d do if they got locked up.
A lot of mainstream collab albums this day in age tend to be hit or miss, but I think it’s safe to say The Voice of the Heroes is leagues better than Drip Harder was. Not just because the chemistry has improved, but the production choices are more refined too.
Legends Will Never Die 