Prodigy – ” The Hegelian Dialectic: The Book of Revelation” review

Almost 4 years after dropping the criminally slept-on Albert Einstein, Prodigy of the infamous Mobb Deep is finally returning with his 7th full-length album & it actually happens to be the first installment of a brand new trilogy of albums that is set to be completed by the end of the year. The album’s first song “Mystic” is the only track on here to be produced by The Alchemist (who entirely produced Prodigy’s last album) & not only do I love the flutes that he incorporates throughout the beat, but I really love how they fit Prodigy’s sincere rhymes about his talents like a glove. The next song “Broken Rappers” talks about how kids should be doing their homework on hip hop these days over an eerie beat & I feel like this track was very necessary considering all the recent mumble rap bullshit. The following song “Tyranny” talks about the current state of our government, but I’m actually indifferent towards the production on this joint. The song “As If” talks about Prodigy’s maturity which is definitely cool, but I wasn’t feeling the spacey production throughout this joint at all. The song “The Good Fight” talks about the things his family has taught him throughout his life & as much as I love Knxwledge, I don’t think the beat is one of the best he’s ever done but it’s definitely one of the better produced tracks on the album. Honestly as much as I love Mobb Deep as well as their solo work, I thought this was just ok. The rhymes are there, but the production comes off as generic to me for most of the time. Hopefully, the next 2 installments of the trilogy will have superior production while retaining the dope rhymes

Score: 2.5/5

Tech N9ne – “Dominion” review

Only 4 months after releasing his last album The Storm, Kansas City indie hip hop icon Tech N9ne is now returning with the first of 2 new Collabos albums that’re set to be released this year. Much like the last 2 Collabos albums Strangeulation & Strangeulation 2, Tech N9ne has the entire roster of his Strange Music record label solely featured on here & he has enlisted his label’s in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 to produce it in it’s entirety. The album’s first song “Drama” is a response to Missouri passing a bill that allows anyone to carry a handgun over a heavily sinister beat. The lyrics on the next song “Casket Music” with the CES Cru are definitely hardcore & the Wrekonize hook is on point, but the beat holds me back from fully enjoying it. The track “Put ‘Em On” with Stevie Stone & Darrein Safron is a bit self explanatory, as it talks about how they started out broke putting the listener onto their label over an eerie beat. The track “Wheels Like Hill” sees Tech solely talking about getting away from all the gold diggers out there & the production is just THUNDEROUS! The song “Some Good” with JL is a weed track & unsurprisingly, the instrumental has a relaxing tone to it. However, the finger snaps were unexpected & I actually didn’t mind them at all. The song “Salute”‘ with ¡MURSDAY! is basically telling the haters not to fuck with Strange over some catchy horns & a funky bassline. Even though Tech himself has said there are no plans for a 2nd ¡MURSDAY! album, this song actually gives me hope for it. While I really like how the next song “Fish in a Pita” sonically sounds like something from the 70’s, the content about vaginal odor is just really lame to me. The following track “Mo’Ammo” with MURS & Rittz has this decent guitar loop, but all 3 of them flow really well over it. I also really love the hilarious “gag reel” line during Rittz’ verse. The track “Jesus & a Pill” with Prozak & Krizz Kaliko talks about seeking inner peace & while the rap metal instrumental is mainly a down-tuned guitar with some drums, it predictably gets heavier during the hook. I understand that Tech N9ne wants to showcase every single person on his label & I think he achieved that with his last 3 Collabos albums (especially on my personal favorite Collabos album Welcome to Strangeland), but I would REALLY love it if he got a lot more non-Strange artists on the next Collabos album that he’s dropping later on in the year. Don’t get me wrong I like everyone that’s signed onto Strange, but solely hearing every signee being featured on there for the 3rd Collabos album in a row is actually getting tiring for me
Score: 3/5

MGK – “bloom” review

About a year & a half after the release of his mediocre sophomore album General Admission, Bad Boy Entertainment signee MGK is now putting out his 3rd full-length album. The opener “The Gunner” is decent with it’s piano/explosive drum instrumental & it’s ambitious lyrics, but the album takes a massive nosedive right after that. The next track “Wake + Bake” is a weed anthem with a cheesy psychedelic-esque instrumental & while his rags-to-riches story on “Go for Broke” isn’t too bad, but the instrumental & the James Arthur hook turn it into a generic radio-hit. I can also see where he’s getting at by talking about being imperfect & not giving up on “At My Best”, but the way he does it is so painfully corny. The gaudy beat & the Hailee Steinfeld hook exactly don’t help at all, either. The song “Kiss the Sky” has a bland instrumental, a tedious hook & sappy lyrics about not needing stars to grant wishes because he’s famous. The track “Golden God” talks about going from working at Chipotle to being a successful artist, but the beat is pretty boring. I can definitely see the song “Trap Paris” being a club banger, but the trap instrumental from Sonny Digital as well as the catchy Ty$ hook & the Quavo verse are really the only things about the track that make it worth vibing out to. The track “Moonwalkers” is another dumb weed anthem with a decent trap beat while the song “Can’t Walk” generically talks about being on pills over an plain electro instrumental. The lovey dovey “Bad Things” with Camila Cabello is probably the worst track on the entire album. Not that I have an issue with rappers making love songs but this one in particular is so sugary, that you might get diabetes after listening to it for the first time. The song “Rehab” cornily compares his love for this woman to drugs over an acoustic instrumental while the penultimate track “Let You Go” talks about an ex over an awkward rap rock instrumental. The torture finally ends with the decent “27”, where he talks about the 27 Club since he turned 27 a few weeks prior over a twangy guitar & some pianos. As a whole, this is definitely one of the worst things I’ve heard all year. There are very few tolerable moments on here but for the most part, it sounds way more commercial than ever & Machine Gun Kelly’s lyrics are at it’s corniest

Score: 0.5/5

Westside Gunn – “FLYGOD” review

Westside Gunn is a 34 year emcee, songwriter, entrepreneur, curator from Buffalo, New York known for his controversial Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series followed by a couple EPs & founding one of the quickest rising labels I’ve seen in recent memory Griselda Records. Some of the singles building towards his official full-length debut studio album have been universally lauded by the hip hop community in the last several months, making the sky the only limit imaginable.

“Dunks” by Hall ‘N Nash samples “Omen” by Keith Mansfield thanks to Daringer so they can discuss being about that action whereas “Gustavo” references former 2-time CWA Heavyweight Champion, 2-time CWA World Tag Team Champion, 2-time SMW Heavyweight Champion & WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler. “Shower Shoe Lords” featuring Benny the Butcher flips “Baddy” by John Fiddy refusing to give a fuck like they always haven’t while “Vivian at the Art Basel” featuring Your Old Droog finds Camoflauge Monk sampling “Roberta” by Les McCann to assure the hardships of life.

Former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, WCW World Television Champion, WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champions & 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Scott Hall gets his flowers on the Roc Marciano-laced “Hall” prior to “Free Chapo” by Hall ‘N Nash displaying the back-&-forth chemistry between the duo while “Over Gold” featuring Meyhem Lauren throws in a bar referring to WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 4-time WCW World Television Champion Greg Valentine.

“Bodies on Fairfax” featuring Danny Brown samples “Rainbow Music” by SoLaRiS so they can address everyone who’s been asking for that fly shit from them while “Chine Gun” gives flowers to West’s late cousin who was tragically almost a decade. “King City” featuring Mach-Hommy finds the 2 talking about nobody fucking with them over a boom bap instrumental from Tha God Fahim leading into “Omar’s Coming” by Hall ‘N Nash featuring Roc Marciano uniting the trio to homage the protagonist of The Wire.

The soulful “Mr. T” produced by Apollo Brown changed my life since it was what sparked my loyalty for Griselda only needing 1 brick while “50 In. Zenith” featuring Skyzoo maintains a chipmunk soul vibe courtesy of Statik Selektah talking about a war going on outside. “Albright Knox” featuring Billie Essco returns to the boom bap & the final song excluding the outro “Dudley Boyz” featuring Action Bronson likening themselves to the former 2-time IWGPタッグチャンピオン, NWA World Tag Team Champions, the inaugural 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champions & 18-time WWE tag team champions over an Alchemist beat.

FLYGOD marks Griselda’s official takeover & has quickly become a modern day underground hip hop landmark setting a balance between the vanity, the grimy & occasionally thoughtful. The production primarily handled by GxFR’s in-house producer Daringer except for 7 cuts tends to be either jazzy or lo-fi & themes of griminess, self reflection, wealth, flossing, who West is as a person, his own experiences, what he lives through currently, what he’s had to live through in the past & how he can floss really well.

Score: 4.5/5

HAPPYPPL – “Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead” review

HAPPYPPL are a duo from England, United Kingdom consisting of Sheffield emcee Trellion alongside Runcorn, Cheshire, emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott. Both of whom make up 2/4 of Cult Mountain, dropping an eponymous debut EP with Milkavelli & Sumgii as well as a sequel in only the span of 3 years. However to warm us up for The 616sons in a few months & the trilogy chapter of Cult Mountain’s eponymous saga, Sumgii’s soundtracking the Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead.

“Heart Shaped U” experimentally begins with both of them over this talking about not wanting to rap anymore because they’ve become bored with it giving middle fingers to everyone whereas “Tony Called” finds the 2 taking pride in being scumbags who’re out of their minds. “Hey Hoe” references アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WCW World Television Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champion & 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Scott Hall just before “Manzell” by Cult Mountain shrugs off the bitches on their dicks talking shit.

Starting the other leg, “Swayze Point” talks about doing this music shit for each of their children rather than the money leading into “Timon Squared” declaring themselves to be the modern version of Kid n’ Play when I can’t even dispute that claim. “EBB Tide” continues the experimentations representing Earth 616 from The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel universe & “#Sad” ends Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Deadtalking about wanting to be joyous.

Giving fans something to hold them off until the next Cult Mountain EP when summer comes, Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead introduces us to this newest side project from half of their lineup that would satisfy fans of either Lee Scott or Trellion. Sugmii’s production sounds more experimental than usual & both performers ironically take a more depressing approach to their songwriting in an ironic twist of the HAPPYPPL’s concept being laid out.

Score: 4.5/5