Behemoth is an extreme metal band from Gdańsk, Poland consisting of guitarist Seth, bassist Orion, drummer Inferno & frontman Nergal. Their 10th album The Satanist back in my junior year of high school under Nuclear Blast Records was my introduction to them despite being around for over 2 decades at that point & became a fan of theirs ever since, following it up with the positively received I Loved You at Your Darkest in 2018. The Shit ov God last spring was welcomed to more lukewarm responses, coming back only 16 months later for a new extended play.
The title track sets the tone with this black metal intro recorded for The Shit ov God only to be scrapped because Nergal felt like it outshine the rest of it declaring the sculptor of eons & worlds doesn’t rest for anything whereas “Lord ov the Horizons” interestingly dates all the way back to the Opvs Contra Natvram sessions, although it almost made The Shit ov God until being excluded for not suiting the concept. “Begotten” concludes the EP with 1 last Shit ov God outtake detailing being all but divine.
Excluding the 2 re-recordings of their early demo cuts “Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil” & “In Thy Pandemaeternum” as well as the covers of “In League with Satan” by Venom and “The Return of Darkness & Evil” by Bathory respectively, Nergal & company pretty much warm their fans up in preparation for their upcoming 14th studio LP by digging up 3 respectively solid black metal tacks that were recorded for the last couple of full-lengths they’ve done taking it back to their roots & honoring those who came before them.
Sleep is a revered stoner metal band from San Jose, California consisting of drummer Dale Crover, guitarist Bubba Dupree & their only constant member in co-founding bassist/frontman Al Cisneros. Their 1991 full-length debut Volume 1 was solid, but Holy Mountain along with Jerusalem & Dopesmoker have all become stoner metal landmarks of their own. Returning in 2018 with their highly acclaimed 3rd Man Records debut The Sciences, they’re back again almost a decade later for their 6th studio LP albeit 2nd for Jack White’s indie label.
“Have Spacesuit Will Travel” conceptually inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s novel of the same name left me torn as both a lead single & and intro because I didn’t feel like it pushed the stoner metal, space rock or stoner rock sounds forward in any way until “The Morrisist” comes through with another take on those styles that I’d consider decent at best except there’s a noticeably heavier Om influence than before & it’s brevity makes a good justification for being the 2nd & final single. However, Dale’s drumming left me equally unimpressed as Bubba’s guitar work.
The messy stoner title track would easily be my lest favorite if I had to pick one largely in part of the guitar tones being ripped out of the Kyuss playbook hence why it makes for my least favorite song here & once the 11-minute jam session “Arrival of the Industry Ships” delivers some of Al’s finest singing performances although his bass is blown out to the point where it can be distracting for some listeners, the closer “Whole Wheat Mountain / Well Baked” finishes Hempispheres oddly saving some of Bubba’s finest shredding for last.
This being Sleep’s being first album without co-founding guitarist Matt Pike was a huge concern of mine going in & although I still hold these guys in high regards, Hempispheres has the most likelihood of becoming the weakest entry in their discography yet unfortunately. I don’t mind Al Cisneros’ subdued vocals or the heavy psych undertones & even Dale Crodder’s drumming as someone who appreciates the Melvins, my issue lies with a great deal of Bubba Dupree’s riffs feeling thin compared to Matt’s & that’s why the stoner metal outfit’s newest incarnation leaves me on the fence. Either Bubba steps his game up or Al & brings Matt back.
The Hierogylphics are an alternative hip hop collective from Oakland, California comprised of de facto leader Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, the Souls of Mischief, DJ Toure & producer/manager Domino. Making their full-length studio debut in 1998 with 3rd Eye Vision independently through Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings to widespread praise, their 2003 sophomore effort Full Circle was also welcomed positively although their follow-up a decade later The Kitchen generally left audiences divided. 13 years later & they’re warming up for the crew’s annual Hiero Day festival this weekend with their 4th studio LP.
“Mosaico: Suite 1” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Opio & Tajai produced by Domino talks about hip hop respecting liars in 2026 & having no expecting of their albums becoming fire whereas “Eyes Wide Shut” by A-Plus, Del & Pep Love finds the trio confronting all the fraudulent hate over an A-Plus instrumental. “Hieroglyphics Faction” by A-Plus, Del & Opio representing their crew over a boom bap beat from DJ Toure while “Hard Numbers” by Casual, Del, Opio, Pep Love & Phesto expresses hope of having their numbers correctly.
A-Plus & Pep Love team up for the summery “Something in the Air” talking about wanting their legacies to reflect integrity when the time comes for them to hang it up leading into “Drum Talk” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Phesto & Tajai discusses letting the drums do the speaking in preparation for their slick rhymes being laid out. “The Way That It Be” by Casual, Phesto & Tajai talks about being stuck in their ways that pay ‘em leading into “Gods & Goats” by A-Plus, Opio & Pep Love ending the 1st leg likening themselves to bishops making proclamations.
The title track kicks off the 2nd half uniting A-Plus, Pep Love & Phesto expressing that they’d rather have a small piece of something in the end instead of absolutely nothing while “Uplifted” by A-Plus, Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Opio & Tajai tackles the subject of optimism. “Helicopter Barrel Roll” by A-Plus, Opio & Pep Love regroups so they can explain themselves as hip hop’s gasoline & every mic being a matchstick while “3rd Eye Robot (Kill ‘Em All)” by A-Plus, Pep Love, Phesto & Tajai talks about the rise of AI within the past couple years.
“Hiero on the Scrolls” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien & Tajai opens the 4th quarter suggests seeing past the streets & the meager mouths while the groovy “Mosaico: Suite 2” by A-Plus, Pep Love & Phesto dismisses all theatrics coming around them. “Everyday Shit” by Casual, Opio, Pep Love & Tajai talks about kickin’ it with each other all the way back to their childhood whole “Crescent Moon, Velvet Sky” by Casual & the Souls of Mischief sends off All Said & Done taking their play amongst hip hop excellence.
It’s not very often where all 9 members of the Hieroglyphics get together in the studio for an entire project but if I had to rank the 4 LPs in their catalog, All Said & Done would be placed above The Kitchen & Full Circle as my 2nd favorite of theirs collectively behind none other than 3rd Eye Vision. The boom bap production’s less receptive than The Kitchen’s was back when I had finished my sophomore year of high school & the consciously abstract bars from the Bay Area’s finest MCs feel more memorable, pretty much looking back at the legacy they’ve left behind.
2nd studio LP of 2026 & the 16th overall from Chicago, Illinois emcee Novatore. Breaking out as a member of the Infamous Crew, he’s also built up an impressive solo career over nearly a decade by dropping 4 EPs & an acclaimed collaborative effort with A.M. Early Morning produced by Stu Bangas called Kingdom of Criminality & it’s recent sequel produced by Johnny Slash. Other highlights include Louie, Louie II, Embrace the Darkness, Portrait of a Madman, Embrace the Darkness II: Explorers of Experience, Master of Morbid Creations, Living in the End Times, Alchemy & Black Magic, his Goon MuSick debut The 87 Arsonist & the Brenx-produced Agoraphobia. Embrace the Darkness III became his greatest material since signing to the label, coming off Pale Horse of the Apocalypse to run it back with C-Lance on Machines.
After the intro, “Metal Hands” flows over a boom bap instrumental to kick things off talking about being the man whereas the 2nd single “Apple Pie” featuring Copywrite finds the 2 linking up so they can get in their battle rap bags lyrically. “Casket” talked about considering death a beautiful escape in a paranoid state of mind & once the title track featuring Merkules joins forces to wipe out any team threatening them, “Terminator ‘91” ends the 1st half discussing his love for horror films.
“Devil in the Pale Moon” begins the 2nd half pulling the curtain back on artists who claim murder rap when it’s nothing more than suburban rap leading into “Action Stars” featuring A.M. Early Morning talks about neither one of them needing a stunt double. “Lords of Chaos” featuring Lord Goat provides the pinnacle of hardcore hip hop for only a couple minutes while the 3rd & final single “Message from Beyond” appropriately concludes Machines talking about the end being nearer than initially believed.
Retaining the dark tradition of Novatore’s whole sound, C-Lance runs it back with him to further reveal how much he’s evolved artistically since Louie II & the Embrace the Darkness trilogy Pale Horse of the Apocalypse in becoming my favorite of the 2 full-lengths the Chi-Town artist has dropped this year. His hardcore lyricism & C-Lance’s production have come a long way since the turn of the decade, but I was happy to see a condensed guest list.
Hartford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base releasing a sequel to his full-length studio debut in the form of a sophomore effort. Getting his start a few years ago off his debut EP Tell My Momma Imma Rapper, he would continue to build up his catalog by going on to drop another EP called Tell My Momma Imma Rapper Still & the Say Dat mixtape trilogy prior to Buffalo’s very own Benny the Butcher signed Fuego to Black Soprano Family Records. Coming off Biggest Since Camby as well as Say Dat 4: Proof of What God Do & Tell My Momma I’m Still a Rapper, he wants the world to know he’s Still the Biggest.
“Barbour St” strips the drums to open up shop talking about being in the hood because he’s a product of it instead of being poverty stricken whereas “Hartford” takes the boom bap route instrumentally for an ode to his hometown. The title track featuring Benny the Butcher finds the pair linking up to talk about how Fuego’s spot as the hottest prospect in his city hasn’t changed while ‘“93” discusses not knowing who one is until life tests you.
Sule appears for “T.E.I.O.” (To Each Is Own)” talking about making the bail & running along with rappers being 40 not doing shit with their careers leading into “Open Book” kicks off the 2nd half explaining the very reason he gives fans all of himself in his music. “Getting Out” talks about death, prison or copping a bigger house being the only choices possible of escaping the streets while “Rejoice” preaches hymns for his kinfolk somehow emerging where throats stay slit.
“Thank God 2” talks about touching people whenever he opens his mouth to speak & having an addiction to the game as bad as the junkies he served dope to while “Honda 2 Rari” cavernously admits he wouldn’t know where his mental state would’ve been if his squad wasn’t there for him when his mother passed away. The outro “Survivor’s Remorse 2” sends off Still the Biggest talking about not changing anything if he had the opportunity of rewriting his story.
3 & a half years since Fuego Base declared himself the Biggest Since Camby after signing to B$F, he’s continuing to let the work he’s putting in speak for itself several months since he & Benny linked up for their Ashes in the $afe collaborative extended play to deliver an exceptional sequel to his full-length studio debut. Was somewhat disappointed with the production lacking the same heavy hitters that made Still the Biggest’s counterpart so impressive, but there’s no denying his status within Hartford hasn’t changed since.
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom rapper & producer Skaiwater celebrating their birthday with their 4th studio LP. Beginning in 2019 off their debut EP After God Fear Eve, the 4ersona member would go on to put out 7 more EPs along with a mixtape & a couple albums, the most notable being their 2024 sophomore effort #Gigi under GoodTalk Records & Capitol Records fully realizing on the potential that was shown on their earlier material. wonderful was the most rage-inducing entry of their catalog & they’re ending the month giving fans what they’ve wanted for a long time: femme fatale.
The self-produced “vampires, zombies” drumlessly kicks things off confessing to their astrological girlfriend that they feel like their relationship’s beginning to move backwards whereas the single “Hitunes” blends plugg & Asian rock thanks to BenjiCold making attempts at fucking the lights outta this Texas woman. “delilah” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran vibrantly talks about getting drunk on the weekends prior to “ella” hooking up this pitched vocal sample so they can get their girl anything she wants.
“WEVERSE” talks about him sobering up from alcohol as a result of a hangover that fucked their whole entire life up while “nana” concludes the 1st leg confronting a chick for playing them like some kinda fool. “angels” begins the 2nd half asking his baby girl if she forgot where she came from & needing her by their side because their love doesn’t go to waste just before “sophia” featuring Sophie Gray comes through with a duet about a couple feeling better around each other.
Meanwhile with “BAITFACE”, we have the tiger lily running it back with BenjiCold telling a hoe to cut off her friends & acknowledging her love for cocaine while “radar, radar” talks about having their eyes locked on this wealthy baddie in a club. “foreigner” winds down the last few moments of femme fatale flexing they’ve been rich since 19 & being with someone whose father doesn’t mind them being British over a dancehall beat while the closing track “JUMP” concludes the half hour wearing Rick Owens boots when servin’ pack.
Originally set to come out at last Christmas following the artwork being unveiled nearly 12 months ago until getting scraped in favor of wonderful back in February, I couldn’t think of a better way for Skaiwater to commemorate their day than to finish the most anticipated album of their entire career largely handling the pop rap, Afroswing, pop reggae, dancehall, zouk, coupé-décalé, trap, plugg & Asian rock production by themself other than BenjiCold & Nico Baran making some unparalleled contributions of their own expressing their appreciation for the female divine energy.
New extended play & the 3rd overall from Detroit, Michigan trap star DaeMoney. Coming up as the nephew of one of the 2 biggest artists in the city right now Babyface Ray as well as a now former member of the WRLD Tour Mafia collective, he broke out on his own by dropping his debut mixtape Young Sexual Misconduct & his debut EP Slae Season accompanied by his 2nd EP Rockstar Lifestyle & then his previous tape Slae Season 2. Slae went on to sign to EMPIRE Distribution couple summers ago & celebrated in the form of his most recent EP Slayer’s Coming fully produced by Trees shortly after as well as a 3rd installment of the Slae Season series & a sequel to Rockstar Lifestyle. He was surprisingly dismissed from WRLD Tour in 2024 due to a brief falling out until recently reconciling, coming off the 4th installment of the Slae Season saga this past February to drop Good N***a + Bad Habits.
The title track kicks things off this cloudy trap intro using auto-tune to discuss having the greatest intentions despite having some poor practices whereas “Crazy World” already hits the midway point of the EP talking about cleaning up his act, which explains why he was in the studio with both Rafa & WTM Scoob recently. “True Story” begins the 2nd half discussing him chasing his dreams & taking risks preceding the outro “Stuck in My Ways” talking about his inability of change.
Seeing him & Scoob squashing their issues with Rafa & working on new music on social media earlier this month was awesome considering all 3 of those guys were apart of WRLD Tour since Day 1 but whatever DaeMoney has planned going forward, Good N***a + Bad Habits preludes this new era with a 10 minute EP containing some of the most ear-grabbing production in Pwillvolair’s career & Slae handling the verses by himself breaking down the kind of person he is.
Atlanta, Georgia record label YSL Records founded by Young Thug dropping their 3rd showcase compilation & their first since going independent. Releasing both Slime Language & it’s sequel in tandem with 300 Entertainment & Atlantic Records, the whole roster has since been revamped after Thug came home including the Tezzus as well as his Uy Scuti Bøyz cohort diamond* & more recently iyrus. However coming off The Resurrectiøn & Bling Slime this summer, Slime Language III looks to conclude the trilogy with a double disc chapter.
“Gotta Love Us” by Young Thug & diamond* featuring BSlime & Pz’ produced by Wheezy talks about laying out everyone going against them whereas “ØWAYSL” by Thug & Tezzus featuring BSlime, Rob49 & Sk8star references the greatest QB of all-time Tom Brady over a PROJECT4PLAY instrumental. “What’s Up Mami” by Thug featuring Biggs Money finds the pair hideously taking a more seductive approach in terms of subject matter while “Mob Guys” by Biggs Money, Lil Unky & Quavo talks about being gangstas.
Lil Unky sticks around with Young Thug on “Function” talking about pulling up to 10 hoes at the spot just before “Club Outside” by Thug featuring Lil Baby gets London on da Track with Southside discussing transforming the trap house into a studio since making music’s more fun anyway. “Wait for It” by BSlime & Papito El Franklins was a moment I could’ve done without delivering a boring pop rap/trap crossover talking about their success until “Eaters” by Thug & Tezzus featuring Future, Travis Scott & Yeat unites for an ode to sex.
“Grandma’s Baby” by Young Thug featuring Veeze links up so they can talk about their grandmothers’ raising them in the projects of the ATL & Detroit respectively over a sample-driven trap beat leading into “Black Friday” by Thug featuring Lito the Plug boasting that bitches love when they’re in their gangsta bags. “Myself” by Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about preferring being rich instead of not having food for a day over a Mike WiLL Made-It instrumental while “Ønly ØWay” by Tezzus featuring Skrilla quenches for blood whilst standing on business.
The Uy Scuti Bøyz accompany Young Thug for the single “Hood of Atlanta” representing their hometown over a Feardorian beat while “YSL” by Yume featuring Thug shifts towards a largely melodic direction for a trap soul duet repping their set. “Crocodile Skin” by BSlime brings a more playful aura to the table instrumentally only knowing these Ws they’re catching regardless of the average performances while “Tezzus & diamond*” by the Uy Scuti Bøyz featuring Cash Cobain & Quavo talks about all 4 artists living their lives like stoners.
“Shawty Shawty” by Young Thug featuring HittMan bogs the quality down again uneventfully calling for their goes to come to the spot & drop it for them while “Biggest Since Mike Jack” pairs Jorjiana, Lito the Plug & Sk8star talking about being the most popular Indiana celebrity since the late King of Pop when Tyrese Haliburton’s had that spot for some time. “We Dead” by Thug featuring Trippie Redd spends a couple minutes getting materialistic while “Bvlgari” by iyrus & Yung Kayo featuring Biggs Money, Lil Unky, Lito the Plug concludes Disc 1 chartering shit for 8 minutes with iyrus & Kayo each spitting the hardest verses.
iyrus & Young Thug kick off Disc 2 having Lil Unky & Pz’ joining them during the playful sounding “Believe That” talking about YSL being the hottest imprint out in the streets while “Cha Ney Ney” by Thug & the Uy Scuti Bøyz looks to go high top with the Balenciaga over a rage beat. Another single “Consummate” by Tezzus & Thug maintains the hypertrap elements talking about wanting to fuck their partners while “Tonight” by diamond* & 1300SAINT hops over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental speaking of the team rockin’ red for an evening.
“NaNaNa” chiefly feels like a diamond* solo joint since he’s handling both the verses by himself other than Sk8star providing a few lines towards the 2nd & final one while “Say Dat” by iyrus, Young Thug & 1300SAINT talks about the trio originating in the belly of the beast. “Baddies” by Biggs Money & Cash Cobain got a chuckle outta me since it’s that bad of an attempt at going sexy drill while the 2-parter “Birthday” by Thug featuring Bay Swag & once again Cash Cobain was only a slight improvement in comparison.
Taurus gets behind the boards for “Switch Up” by Young Thug featuring BSlime talking about betrayal over some acoustics & hi-hats while “Weird” by Thug featuring Biggs Money & Lil Unky confronts individuals for acting stranger than usual around them. “Freaky Girl” by diamond* hooks up an iyrus beat that reminds me of GTA VI talking about being with a bad bitch who likes to get wild behind closed doors while “Bounce It” by Biggs Money & YKNIECE whips up a blandly redundant ass-shaker.
“Snakes on My Collar” by diamond* & the late Lil Keed was actually a profoundly bittersweet moment like having both of YSL’s past & present generations colliding while “Stole It from Us” by iyrus & the Uy Scuti Bøyz talks about people stealing their swag over a pluggy Pi’erre Bourne instrumental. “Fernando Mendoza” by Tezzus featuring Lil Unky & Sk8star shouts out the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie QB of the same name while “Countin’ Up” by Young Thug featuring Lil Righteous talks about thumbin’ through stacks.
Tezzus & Yung Kayo have Lito the Plug joining them for the bell-woven “Skyami” boasting they kill shit similarly to a theatrical film whole “Lil Bruh” by Young Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about winding up dead if one even dares of testing them. “Losing Sleep” by diamond* & Yume goes full alternative R&B/trap soul promising to make each others’ dreams become reality while “What It Do” by Thug & his brother Unfoonk at last puts an end to Slime Language III with a conflicted country trap outro.
This Halloween will be 2 whole years since Young Thug came home & considering the amount of time he’s spent since to rebuild YSL Records now they’ve gone independent signing some of the biggest trap artists in recent memory, it gave me the impression of Slime Language III possibly surpassing both it’s predecessors to become the saga’s finest entry. There are several instances where I liked the performances & production, but it overstays it’s welcome after a bit as a result of being ridiculously bloated & would imagine myself revisiting it more if all the needless filler was removed.
Abi & Alan are a superduo consisting of Dallas, Texas singer/songwriter, producer, DJ & actress Erykah Badualongside Beverly Hills, California producer, DJ & emcee The Alchemist. One of whom because the Queen of Neo-Soul off Baduizm & Mama’s Gun while the other is one of my top 10 producers of all-time. They haven’t worked directly with one another until now, but Badu’s independent debut following Control Freaq Records’ new distribution deal with Young Recordings coming in the form of their full-length studio debut was a more than welcoming celebration of her freedom from Motown Records.
“Echos” begins with a powerful ode to black resilience over this hypnotic instrumental backing her whereas “I Just Play a Part” featuring Creole Princess continues the atmospheric soundscapes so both of them can discuss being who others wish they were. “Crossfade” gives off a smoky neo-soul vibe singing for this guy to no longer seek love from her just before the 2nd single “Witch Doctor” blends neo-soul with psychedelic soul, progressive soul, tribal ambient & bend-skin to portray herself as a natural healer.
D.R.A.M. appears on “Valentine” describing a woman who’s attracted to a fuckboy in disguise until the lead single “Next 2 U” samples “The Realest” by Mobb Deep featuring Kool G Rap which a lot of people hated even though I didn’t seem to care because Uncle Al produced that too. “Love Me Not” lusciously comes through asking her partner if their relationship was a game to him while “Breezy” reaches the halfway point describing a lady who enjoys parting by herself.
“To the Moon / Plan C” featuring Steve Lacy after the “Abracadabra” interlude kicks off the 2nd leg with an astonishing 2-parter finding 2 lovers settling down since life will always come by quickly while “They Ain’t You” pretty much sings about sticking out amongst the other fish in the sea. “What the People Say (Apostle 1)” hops over a colorful boom bap beat dismissing whatever opinions others hold regarding her while “Hot BiBi (Apostle 2)” picks up where the previous track left off raising the pitch of her voice for a couple minutes.
Westside Gunn pops out during “No I.D.” shouting out the Chicago veteran himself, his mentee Ye formerly known as Kanye West, Pharrell, the late J Dilla, DJ Premier & Dr. Dre in case neither of them can get a hold of Uncle Al while “I Know That Man” by Earl Sweatshirt talks about desiring to be seen as good in the eyes of that which created us. “Black Box” sends off up Before the World Blows with this jazzy closer taking a spoken word approach in terms of delivery.
Originally announced last summer, Abi & Alan finally make up for the delays their debut suffered because of their initial distribution deal with EMPIRE falling apart uniting 2 of the greatest in their friends for the first time ever making some of the most potent R&B music of 2026. Alchemist’s production fuses neo-soul, hip hop, conscious hip hop, psychedelic soul, progressive soul, tribal ambient & bend-skin contemplating which parts of ourselves & our stories are worth protecting Before the World Blows.
This is the 3rd studio LP from Bronx, New York emcee Queen Herawin. A member of the Juggaknots, she eventually went on to drop an EP The Space Between Things following her debut Metamorphosis & appeared on Vinnie Paz’ 5th album as above so below only a month away from the world changing forever because of the pandemic. Coming off the sophomore effort Awaken the Sleeping Giant distributed by Coalmine Records however, P.A. Dre’s being brought in to soundtrack D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me).
After the “Into the Water” intro, “Diver” featuring Helixx C. Armageddon spends the opening 7 minutes talking about the time of alchemizing the void finally arriving whereas “Torch” featuring Breeze Brewin’ embraces a cloudy boom bap vibe instrumentally so both of them can discuss the responsibilities of the rap game not being ready to passed down yet. “Lucid Dream” blends a flute with kicks & snares asking what it really means to be alive while “Daydreaming” mellowly reflects back upon a place she used to know.
“Big O” featuring Tef Poe brings some rock undertones in the picture telling a hood romance story leading into the guitar-woven “Fever” passionately singing about 2 souls who yearn to be closer to each other. “Criminal” asks if she’s lying to herself from an opportunity of shifting towards something bigger just before “Sage” featuring Bernadette Price ends the 1st half having both ladies over a trap beat suggests sitting back & watching shit get crazy when the negative energy’s cleared.
After the “Soft” interlude, “Full Throttle” featuring King Jnus finds the pair getting the 2nd leg going hopping over a soulful trap instrumental depicting a couple nobody can fuck with while “Manifesto” featuring Ruste Juxx returns to the boom bap so they can lay out their policy statements on wax. “Together” featuring Rhymefest was unexpected considering the latter’s lack of musical activity in recent memory although I appreciated both of them talking about their immortality combined.
Unlearn the World appears on “Cook” talking about plucking the feathers outta every single one of these culture vultures prior to roasting them at the cookout while “Burn” featuring Nejma Nefertiti ruggedly speaks of having money to light on fire, which is why they even came in the first place. The closing track “Phoenix” spends the remaining minutes of D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me) telling her late mother she doesn’t have to fight anymore.
Awaken the Sleeping Giant faced all the emotions that she had turned a blind eye to & in contrast, D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me) embraces a new era of Queen Herawin’s career with what I consider my favorite full-length of the 3 she’s given us in a decade spotlighting this new version of herself. There’s most consistency within P.A. Dre’s production than the predecessor tackling themes of release, renewal, transformation & the beauty that can emerge in the space between letting go & becoming.
Legends Will Never Die 