Conway the Machine is an emcee that blew up as 1/3 of the trio Griselda with Westside Gunn & Benny the Butcher. Last year we saw him droping a total of 3 short projects last year & now with the 1st quarter of 2020 coming to a close, he’s enlisting West Coast veteran The Alchemist to produce his 6th EP in it’s entirety.
After the intro, we get into the first song “14 KI’s”. Where Conway of course talks about pushing coke over an ominous beat. “The Contract” speaks on how nobody’s on his level over an orchestral instrumental while the song “Shoot Sideways” with ScHoolboy Q sees the 2 talking about murder over a boom bap beat. The track “Calvin” talks about being the big homie over a demented beat while the song “They Got Sunny” with Cormega sees the 2 going at wack rappers over a grimy boom bap beat. The EP finishes off with “Gold BBS’s”, where La Maquina talks about gunning down those who oppose him over a boom bap beat with a spooky vocal sample.
To me, this is easily one of the best things Conway has ever put out. He sounds a lot more focused than he did on the 3 projects that he dropped last year & the production is more consistent too because you can’t really go wrong with The Alchemist.
This is the 3rd EP from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania veteran Vanderslice. A man that made a name for himself by producing for the Army of the Pharaohs on numerous occasions since the mid/late 2000s & just last spring, he produced Diabolic’s 3rd album Collusion in it’s entirety & that has quickly become my 2nd favorite release of his. But as the 2nd quarter of the year is starting to begin, Vansleazy’s hitting us with Trendsetter.
After the intro, the first song “ Cold Winter” by Vic Spencer is a minute & a half of witty battle bars over a grimy instrumental. The next track “Christmas Night Heist” by Ty Farris talks about being from Detroit over a tense boom bap beat while the song “Barry White Shit” by G Perico talks about ballin’ over an organ. The penultimate track “Puzzles” by Daniel Son gets on the mafioso too over an intoxicating beat & then before the outro, the closer “Shell Casings” by Capo talks about killing his competition over an suspenseful instrumental.
Vanderslice has always been one of the illest underground producers of all-time & this just solidifies it. It’s only 10 minutes long, but the sound on here is like no other & the guests fit in very well on top of his production.
This is the full-length debut from Worcester, Massachusetts rapper & singer/songwriter Joyner Lucas. A man who first came to my attention in late 2016 with an incredible verse on “Sriracha” off of Tech N9ne’s 17th album The Storm. His exposure would increase the following year with the single “I’m Not Racist” along with a verse on “Lucky You” off of Eminem’s 10th album KAMIKAZƎ the year after that. But after spending 2019 dropping singles, he’s now giving fans the main course with ADHD.
After the “Screening Evaluation” intro, we get into the first song “I Lied”. Where Joyner admits that money has changed him over a demented instrumental. The next track “ISIS” with Logic sees the 2 getting into a contest to see who‘s cornier while “The War” with Young Thug sees the 2 talking about hoes over an instrumental kin to Beautiful Thugger Girls.
After a cringey Chris Rock skit, the song “I Love” talks about his passion for hip hop over an airy trap beat & an annoying ass hook. The track “Devil’s Work” is probably the best off the entire album as he pays tribute to famous celebrities that’ve lost their lives over a psychedelic rock beat & while the song “Lotto” insipidly boasts over a bland beat.
After the Kevin Hart skit which isn’t any better than Chris Rock’s, the track “Gold Mine” finds Joyner doing a shockingly dead on impression of Gunna on the hook & the acoustic trap beat adds to that while the song “Finally” with Chris Brown is a gross & pillowy expression about freedom. The track “10 Bands” gets materialistic over the worst Timbaland beat I’ve ever heard while the track “Revenge” talks about getting back over a decently hypnotic trap beat.
After the “Comprehensive Evaluation” skit, the title track tries to hop on the emo rap bandwagon over some piano chords that later transitions into a generically cloudy beat while the song “Still Can’t Love” whines about being single alongside King OSF & Fabolous over an instrumental that could’ve landed on any Lil Uzi Vert project. The penultimate track “Will” is a redundant tribute to Will Smith as much as I & everyone else loves him over a flute & some punchy ass drums whereas the closer “Broke & Stupid” is a fake woke reiteration or a Jim Rohn speech over a very classy Weldon Irvine sample.
For waiting a little over 3 years, it’s really sad for me to see him squandering his potential like this. The man certainly has lyrical talent don’t get me wrong at all, but the topics he chose to touch base on really doesn’t resonate with me & it’s sound as a whole is so directionless.
Daniel Son is an emcee from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who’s been going at it since 2016 with his debut mixtape The Gunners. His sophomore album Yenaldooshi that came out last summer would go onto become his magnum opus & it was followed up 4 months later with Moonshine Mix 2. But to kick off his 2020, he’s teaming up with Finn for Dirty Dishes.
The album kicks off with “Fly Decorum”, where Daniel talks about being a legend over an instrumental kin to a blaxploitation film. The next song “Hit the Switch” with Asun Eastwood sees the 2 talking about those “trying to replace what we stole” over a spooky instrumental while the track “Foreign Chauffeur” with Rome Streetz sees the 2 reminiscing on growing up in the hood referencing 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair over a mournful boom bap beat.
The song “All Nighter” with Rob Gates sees the 2 getting mafioso over a mellow instrumental while the track “Cherry Beach” talks about his team being hungry over a somber piano instrumental. The song “Money Train” is really touching despite it’s 63 second runtime while the track “Lemon Hill” is another short yet gritty cut about how ill he is.
The song “Chasing Ghosts” with Jay Royale sees the 2 making a gruesome tribute to the heathens while the track “Burnt Thumbs” gets back on the drug dealing tip over a boom bap beat with a whimsical sounding flute. The song “Dirty Dozen” with Raz Fresco, Rigz & Saipher Soze is an eerie barfest while the penultimate track “Shorty from the West” with Family Gang Black sees the 2 talking about losing this woman to the streets over a settle instrumental with a guitar echoing in the back. The album then finishes with “Boat Trips”, where Daniel gets introspective over an unbeat instrumental.
Daniel has been one of the most consistent dudes in the underground within the past few years & this is easily one of the best projects he’s ever put out. His lyricism has been getting more razor sharp with each release & Finn continue to reveal himself as one of the best producers Canada has to offer.
This is the surprise 4th full-length album from California actor, writer, rapper, comedian, singer, DJ, director, producer & former FX hit series Atlanta creator Childish Gambino a.k.a. Donald Glover. His 2011 debut album Camp was pretty mediocre, but he would show his artistic growth on his next 2 projects R O Y A L T Y & Because of the Internet. Last time we heard from Donald in a full-length capacity was in 2016 with “Awaken, My Love!”, which was an awesome throwback to the days of Parliament-Funkadelic. But after leaking Atavista as 3.15.20 on his website in its entirety just a week ago, he’s now officially putting it out on all streaming services.
After the “0.00” intro, the self-produced title track gives off a bit of a Weeknd vibe singing that the high is low if the drug is faint whereas “Algorythm” finds Donald talks about partying over an enticing instrumental. The track “Time” with Ariana Grande sees the 2 talking about how life is moving fast over a synth-heavy beat from Jai Paul, Donald himself, Ludwig Göransson, DJ Dahi just before the 6 & a half minute “Psilocybae (Millennial Love)” featuring 21 Savage inspired by The Neptunes instrumentally gets romantic.
“To Be Hunter” industrially talks about what it is to be beautiful leading into the shimmery “Sweet Thang” getting flirtatious. The country-inspired “Little Foot Big Foot” featuring Young Nudy tells the story of a young drug dealer referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, but then “Why Go to the Party” is just Donald harmoniously singing a capella. “The Violence” funkily talks about how cruel the world can be & “Final Church” euphorically ends Atavista with Donald talking about finding love.
Starting the deluxe run, “32.22” finds Donald whispering & then singing in auto-tune over an instrumental kin to Kanye West’s 6th album Yeezus & the final bonus track “Feels Like Summer” fuses contemporary R&B, neo-psychedelia, smooth soul, alternative R&B, chillwave, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic soul, bossa nova & downtempo covering various issues facing our world today.
If this is truly the 2nd to last Gambino album like he’s been saying over the past few years, then I’m not mad because it’s his most esoteric body of work to date. I can see why some other people may not like it because of how weird it can be but I like that the production draws from neo-soul, contemporary R&B, psychedelic soul, experimental hip hop, art pop, funk music, alternative R&B, neo-psychedelia, synth-funk & his vocals have continued to get better over time.
The Weeknd is a 30 year old singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada that rose to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence. He then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land, which was followed up in 2015 with Beauty Behind the Madness & then Starboy the year after. Last we heard from Abel was in 2018 with his debut EP My Dear Melancholy, & almost 2 years later now, he’s back with his 4th full-length album following a cameo in the A24 Films crime thriller Uncut Gems.
The opener “Alone Again” finds Abel sings about substance abuse over a glimmering instrumental from Ging & Illangelo, but then the drums kick in around the 2nd half & just hit you hard. The next track “Too Late” talks about how he & Bella Hadid are on their own now over a cool UK garage instrumental while the song “Hardest to Love” talks about how it isn’t easy for his past lovers to let him go over a liquid drum & bass instrumental.
“Scared to Live” is basically an apology to his exes over a gorgeous synth lead & some punchy drums while the song “Snowchild” talks about wanting to be famous at 16 & now he doesn’t want the fame anymore over a futuristic instrumental. The track “Escape from LA” talks about how Los Angeles will be the end of him over a melancholic beat from Metro Boomin’ while the song “Heartless” talks about being just that over a decent trap instrumental.
The track “Faith” talks about relapsing after being sober for a year over a hypnotic beat while the WWE WrestleMania XXXVII theme song “Blinding Lights” talks about how he can’t see clearly without Bella over a synthpop instrumental. The track “In Your Eyes” talks about how he sees something burning inside of this woman over a synthwave instrumental while the WWE WrestleMania XXXVIII theme song “Save Your Tears” pretty much tells Bella to cry another day over an 80s throwback instrumental.
“Repeat After Me” finds Abel telling her ex that he knows she really doesn’t love her new man over a euphoric instrumental from Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker alongside Oneohtrix Point Never while the title track is an open apology to all the women he’s hurt over an instrumental with some elements of future garage & progressive pop.
The closer “Until I Bleed Out” officially ends After Hours talks about not needing love or drugs anymore over an ambient pop instrumental while “Nothing Compares” complexly starts the deluxe run coming to terms with his feelings for his lover. “Missed You” realizes he still has feelings for a past love in his life & the final bonus track “Final Lullaby” sings to his lover helping them try to fall asleep.
When it comes to all 4 of The Weekend’s full-length albums, this is EASILY the best & I’d honestly put it on par with Trilogy. He artistically reinvents himself by expanding his alternative R&B sound in favor of synthpop, synthwave, future garage, ambient pop, trap soul, new wave & dream pop projecting the themes of loneliness, self-loathing & escapism.
ReachingNOVA & Teemonee are 2 rappers hailing from New York that’ve been active in the underground scene for a while now & this is their collaborative EP.
The EP kicks off with “KLMG”, where the duo go back & forth with each other repping their crew over a beat that sounds like the apocalypse is taking place. The next song “Thriller Music” sees the duo flexing over a bassy instrumental while “The Other Side” pays tribute to the loved ones they’ve lost over a cavernous beat. The track “Phoenix” talks about holding onto faith over a spacious instrumental while the penultimate song “Fusion” talks about backstabbers over a vibrant instrumental. The title track that closes out the EP finds the duo hoping that that the world remembers them & I love the atmosphere the instrumental gives off.
This is a pretty solid EP. The production is nice, both of their pen-games are witty & the chemistry between both parties is very natural. Really looking forward to seeing what they do from here.
This is the surprise 5th mixtape from Philadelphia sensation Lil Uzi Vert, who solidified himself as a forefront in the modern trap scene with his 2015 mixtape LUV is Rage & then Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World the year after. Since the release of his 2017 debut album LUV is Rage 2, Uzi had been entangled with a nasty legal battle with his label & it was just earlier this month that he was able to put out his sophomore effort Eternal Atake with the help of Roc Nation. Fast forward to a week & here we are with Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2.
The album kicks off with “Myron”, where Uzi talks about biters over a joyous Oogie Mane & Supah Mario beat. The next song “Lotus” shows off over a trap beat from Don Cannon with what sounds like an old video game sample while the track “Bean (Kobe)” with Chief Keef sees the 2 of course paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant over a signature instrumental from Pi’erre Bourne. The song “Yesssirskii” with 21 Savage sees the 2 charismatically getting materialistic over a blissful instrumental while the track “Wassup” with Future sees the 2 talking about winning over an atmospheric instrumental.
“Strawberry Peels” with Gunna & Young Thug sees the 3 talking about partying over an abrasive Wheezy beat while the track “I Can Show You” energetically flexing over an orchestral trap beat. The song “Moon Relate” talks about how women are all the same over a cavernous instrumental from Danny Wolf while the track “Come This Way” talks about how fly he is over a calming beat.
The song “Trap This Way (This Way)” talks about his crew over a cloudy instrumental while the track “No Auto” with Durkio Krazy sees the 3 getting confrontational over a grimy instrumental from none other than DY. The song “Money Spread” with Young Nudy talks about their current lifestyles over a Pi’erre beat that sounds like it was made in the year 3020.
“Got the Guap” featuring Young Thug sees the 2 talking about being rich over a ethereal Outtatown instrumental & then there’s the closer “Leaders”, where Uzi & ΠΔV of all people compare themselves to Jim Jones of the People’s Temple over a psychedelic trap beat from Brandon Finessin’ of Working on Dying.
Honestly, this is better than Eternal Atake. It sounds more focused, the songwriting has improved as have the performances & production choices have improved, almost all the features really come together & Uzi recaptures the aura that made the first Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World so special.
King Iso is a 30 year old rapper & producer from Omaha, Nebraska that came up as a protege of San Diego chopper Twisted Insane, dropping his first 2 albums & The Insanity Plea & Autophobia under Brainsick Muzik. Shortly after, they had an unfortunate falling out & it prompted Iso to put out his next album DeMenTia independently in 2018. However, I was thrilled to see him sign with Strange Music last spring & couldn’t wait to see what would happen on his debut with the biggest independent hip hop label in the world.
The album kicks off with “Requiem”, where King Iso links up with Tech N9ne to deliver some vicious battle bars over a dark piano trap instrumental. The next song “Chopped Liver” talks about being on the rise over an ominous beat while the track “My 1st Body” talks about the first time he killed someone metaphorically over a funereal instrumental. The titular song vents about his inner demons over a bloodcurdling instrumental & after the “Pride” skit, the track “G.I.’so” compares himself to that of a soldier over a vibrant instrumental.
The song “T.F.B. (Training For Battle)” is a really cool gym anthem with a trap beat backed by a chilling choir sample while the track “I Declare War” talks about being at war with himself over a bassy yet supernatural sounding instrumental. After the “Gluttony/Greed” skit, the song “Manic” talks about being insane over a solemn instrumental while the track “Tally Bandz” talks about making paper over a nightly instrumental.
The song “War Zone” talks about surviving through anything over a buoyant instrumental while the track “AWOL” talks about being better off dead. The song “Dog Tags” is a cool take on DMX’s “Where My Dogs At?” over a trap beat with a luxurious piano lead while the track “Weakened Dad” talks about how he never really knew his father growing up over a cloudy instrumental.
The song “Apparent Absence” talks about children in the hood without parents over a grim instrumental while the track “Trippy Love” is a decent, intoxicating lust anthem. The song “Euthanamerica” is a insightful message to the youth in our country over an spacious beat while the track “Jealous” talks about the feeling of envy over an pretty acoustic instrumental. The penultimate song “Folded Flags” provides the listener with some knowledge over an instrumental with a godly atmosphere to it & then after the “Thank You” skit, the closer “Edicius” talks about ending a part of himself over a dreary trap beat.
As expected, this is King Iso’s best work to date & it shows why he’s a brilliant fit for Strange Music. His production skills are refined as is his pen-game & flows, but what I really love about the album most is that he provides a unique take on struggling with mental health & the lack of features truly cements that.
Don Toliver is a 25 year old rapper from Houston, Texas that gained national exposure for signing to Cactus Jack Records as well as his debut mixtape Donny Womack & his verse on “CAN’T STAND” off his mentor Travis Scott’s 3rd album ASTROWORLD, all of my which offering in August 2018. As much as I loved that track, I personally found Don’s nasally voice on there to be tedious on first listen. But after more listens, it eventually grew on me. The hype for Don was expanded just this past winter with the song “Had Enough”, which was one of the few highlights that the Cactus Jack showcase EP JACKBOYS had to offer. However with his full-length debut over here, my morbid curiosity got the best of me & I decided to give it a shot.
The album kicks off with the title track, where Don sums up his life up until this point over a cloudy instrumental from WondaGurl & Mike Dean. The next song “Euphoria” with Kaash Paige & Travis Scott finds the 3 getting romantic over a settle instrumental while the track “Cardigan” talks about his significant other over a trippy yet bouncy instrumental from Ging & Sonny Digital. The song “After Party” talks about wildin’ out over a woozy beat while the track “Wasted” is a hard hitting anthem about not throwing your time away.
The song “Can’t Feel My Legs” talks about this woman making him nervous over a dreary beat & despite the track “Candy” having peaceful instrumental, it’s so annoying lyrically. The song “Company” vents about missing this woman over a cavernous instrumental & “HAD ENOUGH” still sounds as great as it did on JACKBOYS. The song “Spaceship” with Sheck Wes is a psychedelic late night cruiser while the penultimate track “No Photos” talks about how he doesn’t allow pictures at the trap over a mesmerizing beat. The album then finishes with “No Idea”, where Don expresses his feelings towards this woman over a smooth instrumental.
I’m pretty impressed with what I heard on here for the most part & to me, it’s even better than Mudboy. It has it’s redundant moments, but Don shows us that he’s a refreshing new voice/face to take on this psychedelic trap sound & we get a closer look into his personality as well.
