Tee Grizzley – “The Smartest” review

Tee Grizzley is a 26 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan coming up as a member of the quartet ASBH. However, it wouldn’t be until 2016 where he would blow up off his first solo single “First Day Out” & earn a contract with 300 Entertainment. His profile would continue to grow by dropping projects like My Moment, Activated, Still My Moment & the Timbaland exec-produced Scriptures. But just a few days ago, it was announced that Grizzley would put out his 3rd mixtape just in time for Juneteenth.

Things kick off with the title track, where Grizzley talks about family over a DJ Mustard instrumental with some luxurious keyboards. The next song “I Apologize” takes a look at the real side of him over a ghostly beat from Hit-Boy while the track “Trenches” with Big Sean sees the 2 talking about people praying on their downfall over a piano-inflicted trap beat. The song “Rap a Lot” makes a bunch of clever references to famous hip hop icons over a intergalactic-sounding beat whereas “The Funeral” talks about ratchets & I really dig the atmosphere that longtime collaborator Helluva provides in the instrumental.

The song “Lions & Eagles” with Meek Mill finds both MCs flexing over a gritty beat while the track “No Witness” sends a warning to people not to play with him over a bouncy instrumental. The song “Picture of My City” talks about growing up in The 313 over a more West Coast instrumental from none other than Scott Storch instrumental while the track “COVID” with Lil Baby sees the 2 talking about being quarantined over an energized beat

The song “Timeless” continues to brag over yet another instrumental with a West Coast feel to while the track “Slime” with Lil Keed discusses brotherhood over a spacious beat. The song “Everything” reflects on his younger days over an eerie instrumental while the track “Double Standards” talks about catching a bad bitch over a moody beat.

The song “Daylight” talks about trappin’ over a somber instrumental while the track “Winning” talks about going for yours over an abrasive beat. The song “Satish” is a tearjerking tribute to his aunt/manager JB & even though I found the George Floyd tribute “Mr. Officer” to be decent at first because literally everyone’s doing it right now, it does stand out a lot more to me in the context of the album.

Tee Grizzley is one of the best MCs to come out of my hometown in recent memory & I really think this could be the best thing he’s ever put out. The production continues to get better overtime & we get to hear the man at his most mature yet.

Score: 4/5

Rome Streetz – “Noise Kandy 4: The Relapse” review

Rome Streetz is a 33 year old MC from New York who broke out in 2016 with his debut mixtape I Been Thru Mad Shit. This was followed up with Streetz Keep Calling Me, Street Farmacy, the Noise Kandy trilogy, Headcrack & Joyeria. He just dropped an EP earlier this year entitled The Residue but as we approach the halfway point of 2020, Rome is continuing the grind with the 4th installment of his Noise Kandy series.

The project kicks off with “Relapse”, where Rome talks about being the new Benny Blanco over a cavernous organ instrumental. The next song “Prophet & a Pusher” talks about being on a level no one can fuck with over a demented boom bap beat while the track “Higher Self” with Estee Nack sees the 2 talking about elevation over a killer flute instrumental. The song “My Destiny” talks about hip hop being in his blood over a peaceful Futurewave instrumental while the track “Mommy’s Seed” shows off how he kills shit over a jazzy instrumental.

The song “Favorite” with Bub Rock sees the 2 getting romantic over a sensual instrumental while the track “My Reality” talks about how he lives over a cavernous Sebb Bash beat. The song “Sell Itself” talks about pushing drugs over a nightly boom bap beat while the track “Toxic” tells the story of Rome breaking this woman’s heart over a suspenseful instrumental from DJ Skizz.

The song “Normal Shit” talks about having the world in his palm over a chimpmunked-soul sample while the penultimate track “NY Fitted” talks about how authentic his crew is over a symphonic beat. “The Ugliest” ends referencing lucha libre popularized by the Lutteroth family-owned Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) & it’s rival promotion in the Peña–Roldán family-owned Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA).

The Noise Kandy trilogy contains some of Rome’s best material & this is a fine addition to the series. It’s a lot more well-produced than The Residue was & Rome continues to prove that he’s one of the illest spitters out of New York right now.

Score: 4/5

Lex the Hex Master – “Party Castle” review

Lex the Hex Master is an MC from Queens, New York who broke out in 2015 with his independent debut album Born in Hell. The demented Detroit hip hop duo Twiztid would him to their label Majik Ninja Entertainment shortly after & he has put out a plethora of releases since. This includes The Black Season, Contact, the Mr. Ugly duology, Beyond Redemption & Shadow King. However despite showcasing a bunch of lesser-known MCs on the Strictly 4 My N.I.N.J.A.S. mixtape this past fall, Lex pretty much payed on the down-low for most of last year. But to kick off a new era, he’s delivering the 1st installment in a series of 4 EPs.

After the intro, the first song “Last Night” talks about being under the influence over a woozy beat & then “The Count” gets on the shit-talking tip over a forlorn trap beat. The song “Hypnotized” vents about wanting his name to be remembered over a grimy instrumental from Poetics while the track “Back Up” talks about. The penultimate song “Chill Mode” gets on the more cool side of things down to the Godsynth instrumental & then the closer “Sleep at Night” is a remix of “Stay Woke” by HB the Grizzly that I actually like more than the original.

If anyone’s looking for some East Coast hip hop that’s lyrical & something you can vibe out to, I highly recommend checking this out & am looking forward to hearing how the other 3 installments of the Party Castle series turn out. The beats are a lot more trap-flavored than his previous efforts & Lex manages to remind fans why he’s one of the most menacing MCs that MNE has to offer.

Score: 4/5

Mi$tuh G – “G.W.O. (G World Order) review

Mi$tuh G is an up-&-coming MC/producer from Sacramento, California who just happened to drop his full-length debut G Files at the very beginning of 2020. But as we approach the halfway point of year, he’s continuing the grind with an 8-track EP.

After the titular intro, we go into the first song “Apokalypse”. Where G shows off his chopping skills touching down on 2020 in a nutshell over a gloomy instrumental. The next track “I Heard” finds him comparing & contrasting himself to anyone who opposes him over a trap beat with some plucky strings while the song “Kreep” with Twisted Insane sees the 2 getting on the horrorcore tip over a foreboding instrumental.

The track “G World Order” speaks on social distancing & quarantining during the COVID pandemic over a beat with some ominous keyboards while the song “Riot” with Lil Sicx sees the 2 talking about the riots that took place as a result of George Floyd’s murder over an unsettling instrumental. The penultimate track “Trap Drill” talks about finding a way to make money over an eerie beat & then the EP finishes off with “Disconnect the Doubt”, where G teams up with Mak7teen & Andre Elix to get on the conscious over a more atmospheric instrumental.

I highly recommend checking this EP out if you want to get into the dude because it’s a short yet solid body of work. The features are just ok, but I think Mi$tuh G does a really good job at tackling all the events that’ve been going on throughout the year & I can only see him going up in the future.

Score: 3.5/5

Flatbush ZOMBiES – “now, more than ɘver…” review

The Flatbush ZOMBiES are a Brooklyn trio consisting of Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice & Erick the Architect. Coming up as part of of the Beast Coast collective, the group broke out in the early 2010s off the strength of their 2 mixtapes D.R.U.G.S. & BetterOffDead. Shortly after they formed the quintet Clockwork Indigo with fellow Beast Coast members The Underachievers & put out an eponymous EP, but it wouldn’t be until 2016 when they put out their fantastic full-length debut 3001: A Laced Odyssey. Last we heard from then was in 2018 with their sophomore album Vacation in Hell but fast forward a couple years later, they’re back with their debut EP.

Things kick off with “herb”, where the trio of course talk about weed over a psychedelic instrumental from Erick as always. The next song “iamlegend” is about how they’ve hustled all their lives over a cloudy trap beat while the track “quicksand” is a Meechy solo cut about his demons over a manic instrumental.

The song “dirty elevator music” talks about how they have the world in their hands now over a boom bap beat while the penultimate track “blessings” talks about how life’s too short over a sedative instrumental. The EP finishes off with “when i’m gone”, where the trio talk about death & Meechy pays tribute to Mac Miller over a mournful beat.

Overall, it’s a solid EP for the most part. It‘s focused, Erick’s production continues to evolve over the course of time & the lyrical topics that’re being brought to the table are amongst the group’s most introspective ones to date.

Score: 3.5/5

Run the Jewels – “Run the Jewels 4” review

Run the Jewels are a super-duo consisting of Killer Mike & El-P. They first crossed paths with each other in 2012 when the latter produced Mike’s 5th album R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music in it’s entirety, but came together officially the following year with a self-titled debut. Their sophomore album in 2014 is my personal favorite though, as it’s a lot darker. Last we heard from Mike & El-Producto together in a full-length capacity was in 2016 with their much more political 3rd album but in classic Run the Jewels, they’re releasing their long awaited 4th album a couple days early.

Things kick off with “yankee & the brave (ep. 4)”, where the duo display their chemistry over an abstract chaotic instrumental. The next song “ooh la la” with Greg Nice sees the 3 talking about over a piano-inflicted boom bap beat while the track “out of sight” with 2 Chainz talks about being menaces over a vintage rap rock instrumental. The song “holy calamafuck” is a dark shit-talking anthem with a phenomenal beat switch about halfway through while the track “goonies vs. E.T.” talks about having another chance over an abrasive instrumental.

The song “walking in the snow” is pretty much a well-timed response George Floyd’s recent murder over a dynamic instrumental while the track “JU$T” with Zack de la Rocha of course talks about the industry over a Neptunes-influenced beat which is fitting because Pharrell kills it with his additional vocals. The song “never look back” talks about moving on from the past over a futuristic instrumental while “the ground below” talks about how love never meant much to them backed by an amazing sample of “Ether” by Gang of 4. The penultimate song “pulling the pin” cleverly uses grenades as a metaphor for their hearts over an instrumental with a cavernous instrumental with phenomenal guitar playing from Josh Homme & then the album finishes off with “a few words for the firing squad (radiation)”, where Killer Mike & El-P make an epic dedication to those whose voices were never heard over a more minimalist instrumental.

These guys now have 4 consecutive classics together, because this did not disappoint me at all. I love how they took all the elements of their first 3 albums & fused them all together into 1 near-perfect 39 minute album. The production is off the wall, their chemistry is unmatched at this point & the political commentary is perfect for everything that’s going in the world right now.

Score: 4.5/5

Freddie Gibbs – “Alfredo” review

Freddie Gibbs is a 37 year old emcee from Gary, Indiana that started out in 2004 with his debut mixtape Full Metal Jackit. Interscope Records would eventually sign him in 2006, but he left shortly after without releasing a full-length debut. This was made up for with the mixtapes The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs & Str8 Killa No Filla, which would catch the attention of Jeezy & land Freddie a contract with CTE World in 2011. This didn’t last long though, as Gibbs would leave CTE the following year after releasing the tapes Cold Day in Hell & B.F.K. (BabyFace Killa). In 2013, he decided to form his own label E$GN Records & finally dropped the full-length album, E.$.G.N. (Evil $eeds Grow Naturally). He & iconic Oxnard producer Madlib would drop their MadGibbs debut Piñata the year after that, which is EASILY one of the greatest hip hop albums of the previous decade. Gibbs continued to grow his profile after that with Shadow of a Doubt, You Only Live 2wice, Freddie, the Curren$y collab EP Fetti & of course there’s MadGibbs’ sophomore effort Bandana almost a year ago at this point. However, he’s returning out of the blue with his 3rd full-length album & The Alchemist producing it in it’s entirety.

Things kick off with “1985”, where Freddie talks about his flow being God level over a psychedelic guitar instrumental. The next song “God Is Perfect” talks about “Gangland shit” over a dreary instrumental while the track “Scottie Beam” finds Gibbs getting conscious & Rick Ross flexing over a dreamy instrumental. The song “Look At Me” talks about how he ain’t looking back over a soulful instrumental while the track “Frank Lucas” featuring Benny the Butcher sees the 2 talking that drug dealing over a grim boom bap beat.

“Something to Rap About” featuring Tyler, The Creator sees the 2 discussing rapping about crime & fame respectively over a tropical instrumental while the track “Baby $hit” talks about how soft dudes be nowadays. The song “Babies & Fools” with Conway the Machine sees the 2 reminiscing on their first & second loves over a gorgeously smooth instrumental while the penultimate track “Skinny Suge” opens up about feeling like someone’s tryin’ to kill him over a meditative beat. The album finishes off with “All Glass”, where Gangsta Gibbs gets on the gangsta tip over a hard hitting instrumental.

For this being the lyrical surprise album everyone was talking about dropping this week, it’s phenomenal. Probably Freddie’s best solo effort yet in my opinion. The production is phenomenal as we’d all expect from Uncle Al at this point culminating in jazz rap, boom bap & drumless with Freddie’s pen-game being just as gruesome as it was on Bandana depicting the gangsta lifestyle he’s experienced with guests that’re on the same level.

Score: 4.5/5

H.A.R.D. – Self-Titled review

This is the brand new collaborative EP from Brooklyn & Long Beach veterans Joell Ortiz & KXNG CROOKED. Both of whom have had notorious label issues at the start of their careers, but would go on to see success as members of the supergroup Slaughterhouse along with Royce da 5’9” & Joe Budden from the late 2000s up until the mid-2010s. The quartet had quietly disbanded in 2016 after Joe’s retirement from making music, but it wasn’t confirmed until 2 years later. However after the 3 remaining members got back together on “I Will” off of Eminem’s latest album MUSIC TO BE MURDERƎD BY, Yaowa & Crook are teaming up on H.A.R.D. (Housing Authority Rap District).

The title track finds the duo talk about being humble for too long over a Heatmakerz instrumental with some beautiful background vocals whereas the next song “Get Ya Money” talks about how there’s 6,000,000 ways to make bread over a boom bap beat from Erick Sermon. The track “Caddy Bump (LBC)” is a Crook solo joint about growing up in the eastside with a ghostly instrumental from !llmind while the song “Catchin’ Bodies” sees the 2 getting back together for some vicious battle bars over a grand instrumental from Apollo Brown.

The track “Lose My Mind” talks about growing up where they come from over a lone acoustic instrumental while the song “Wolves (BRKLYN)” is a solo Joell joint where he totally airs someone out over bloodcurdling beat from the J.U.ST.I.C.E. League. The penultimate track “Lovely” talks about waking up to the same thing over a shadowy beat & then the EP finishes with “Memorial Day”, where Crook & Yaowa pay tribute to those who’ve passed away this year.

If this is the closest we’ll ever get to a new Slaughterhouse project then coming from someone who used to be a huge fan of the supergroup back in the day, then I’d be totally ok with it. The production is grimy as Hell & the chemistry between both MCs is fantastic as well.

Score: 4/5

Axe Murder Boyz – “Fatality” review

The Axe Murder Boyz are a duo from Denver, Colorado consisting of brothers Young Wicked & Bonez Dubb. The 2 have been making music together since the late 90s, but didn’t make their breakthrough until the mid-2000s when the Insane Clown Posse signed them to Psychopathic Records. They went on to release 3 albums & an EP with them before signing to Twiztid‘s label Majik Ninja Entertainment on New Year’s Eve 2016. Last we heard from the siblings was in 2018 with their 8th album Muerte & as we get close to the halfway point of this year, they’re back with their 6th EP following their Astronomicon debut.

After the intro, we get right into the title track. Where Young Wicked & Bonez Dubb talk about killing their competition over a bassy trap beat from Young Wicked himself. The song “Cantfxckwittus” with Jamie Madrox sees the 3 talking about how MNE’s running the underground over a morbid instrumental while the track “Nothin’ 4 Free” talks about how nothing in hip hop is ever granted to you over a flute-inflicted trap beat.

The song “Murda Shit” gets on the horrorcore tip over over a trap beat with some creepy bells while the penultimate track “Runnitup” is a celebratory banger about their hustle. The EP finishes off with “We Up”, where the siblings talk about their success over a punchy beat with haunting piano loop.

AMB’s been one of my favorites out of Colorado for a while now & this EP just goes to show it. Young Wicked’s production continues to elevate over time as does the chemistry with his brother Bonez Dubb. If they have a new album together in the chamber & this is just a taste of what’s to come, then I’m really looking forward to see what they do on there.

Score: 4/5

Flee Lord – “Hand Me My Flowers” review

This is the 8th EP from Queens emcee Flee Lord. The man has proven himself as one of the most most hard-working dudes out today by constantly dropping projects like Loyalty or Death: Lord Talk, it’s superior sequel Loyalty or Death: Lord Talk 2, Gets Greater Later, Later is Now and Loyalty & Trust. He just dropped an EP with DJ Shay a month ago entitled Lucky 13 & now he’s tapping Buckwild in for Hand Me My Flowers.

After a jazzy intro, we get right into the first song “Plug Talk”. Where Flee obviously discusses dope slangin’ over a bleak instrumental. The song “Beethoven Wit a Stick” with TF sees the 2 talking about going bar for bar over an uncanny instrumental while the track “10 From This Clip” talks about reaching top dog status over an orchestral beat. The song “Can’t Fuck Wit Flee” might have the weakest beat on the entire EP despite Lord showing off his rapping prowess very well while the track “On My Deen” talks about going from selling drugs to touring over a boom bap beat with a faint string loop.

The song “Toast to My Neighbor” is full of vicious shit-talking over a boom bap beat with some horns & even though the track “Gathering My Thoughts” is only a minute long, I really enjoy how gritty it is over. The penultimate song “From the Change Jar” talks about being the people’s champ over a set of strings & then the EP finishes with “Shooter Tappin’ on Ya Window”, where Flee talks about being happy with his life now over a luxurious instrumental.

Of all the projects the dude has put out in 2020, this is easily my favorite so far. I wish he would drop something more full-length, but he maintains himself as one of New York’s dopest MCs whereas Buckwild reminds us that he’s one of the greatest producers of all-time.

Score: 4.5/5