waterbaby – “Memory Be a Blade” review

Kendra Egerbladh a.k.a. waterbaby is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden whom the Seattle, Washington indie label Sub Pop Records signed in the summer of 2023. Her debut extended play Foam followed right away later & left a great deal of listeners divided, although I could see the artistic potential she had fusing alt-pop as well as bedroom pop & alternative R&B. She has since released half of her 2nd EP as singles between last May & the previous month, looking to outdo herself nearly 33 months afterwards.

We get some pianos all over the intro “Sink” singing about the steady waters asking her to either leave or believe whereas the title track blends chamber pop, bedroom pop & bossa nova expresses her desire to be seen as someone worthy. “Clay” featuring her brother ttoh combines art pop, chamber pop, chamber folk, folktronica & bedroom pop to look back at a past break-up while “Beck n Call” also featuring ttoh fuses sophisti-pop, bedroom pop, jazz pop, pop rap & neo-soul so they can talk about their hearts being on lock.

“Minnie” starts the 2nd half of Memory Be a Blade by incorporating some strings singing about not wanting to disappoint all the people she made into believers just before “Minnie Too” goes for a jazzier vibe yearning to get away. The art rock, chamber pop, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop lead single “Amiss” asks all sorts of questions regarding love while “Srs Ice” finishes the EP suggesting that she should build an attic inside of her own mind over some horns.

Even I would say Foam was a pretty average alt-pop/bedroom pop EP when it dropped a few summers ago, but the teasers building up towards Memory Be a Blade had me hoping waterbaby would display some artistic growth & I hope she capitalizes that whenever her debut album comes. The production’s noticeably darker take on the styles of chamber pop, bedroom pop, bossa nova, art pop, chamber folk, folktronica, sophisti-pop, jazz pop, pop rap, neo-soul, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop improving her songwriting by using a previous breakup as a base to make the lyrics hit deeper.

Score: 3.5/5

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DJ Paul – “Goat of All Goats” review

This is the 9th solo LP from Memphis, Tennessee rapper, producer, DJ, entrepreneur & record executive DJ Paul. The co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia alongside Juicy J, he would eventually carve a path of his own in the early 2000s with Underground Vol. 16: For da Summa followed by Scale-A-Ton & A Person of Interest. Then came Master of Evil under Psychopathic Records on Devil’s Night 2015, which is my personal favorite of his a decade later. Year of the 6 & Year of the 6, Pt. 2 through Slumerican Records were both enjoyable too although the Power, Pleasure & Painful Things EP was overloaded with skits. 6 years later, the Goat of all Goats is back 3 weeks after Arianna Grace became the new TNA Knockouts World Champion.

After the “Goat Welcomes You” intro, the self-produced opener “Straight Out the Jets” talking about having extra homies looking after his other extra of friends in every city whereas “I Beat the Odds” speaks of overcoming every obstacle in his life. “Throw Some Money” featuring the Seed of 6 & Too $hort finds the quartet teaming up for a playful strip club anthem while “Find Out” featuring Freddie Gibbs talks about shooting faces off anyone who dares to fuck with them.

“Stupid Ass Bitch” featuring the late Lord Infamous & Snow Tha Product continues Memphis vibes so all 3 of them dismantle all of these dumb hoes leading into “12 at Night” talking about his rims being so black, that one would presume it’s the evening already. “Bad Motherfucker” featuring the Seed of 6 reunites the trio so they can discuss having motion in the streets while “I’m From the M” represents his hometown to the fullest, talking about the fact that it’s hard ever safe around those parts.

Lyfe Jennings joins Paul on “Free My Dog” calling for each of their friends who’re currently behind bars to come back home while “She Gone Up” featuring Duke Deuce & the Seed of 6 decently talks about hoes throwing it back for a couple of thugs. “Fading” featuring Lord Infamous comes at the throats of all these pussies & the line at the end of the latter’s verse accepting his death might send chills down your spine, but then “Popped Out of a Slingshot” featuring RiFF RAFF reaches the halfway point getting boastful over a trap instrumental.

“Wellness Check” kicks off the 3rd quarter to checkup on his haters who’re constantly dying for attention while “From the Bottom of the Bottom” feels a lot like an interlude considering how heavy “Robbers” by the late Koopsta Knicca is being sampled. “3 the Hardest Way” featuring Yelawolf & Young Buck co-produced by TWhy flips “Knock tha Black Off Yo Ass” for a southern hardcore hip hop banger while “Uhaulin” shifts it’s appeal back to the clubs so all the women listening can shake ass & hit the poles.

Akon & Krayzie Bone both appear for “We Made It”talking about the amount of people who didn’t think either of them would have their own individually established legacies while “Came from Nothing”featuring Krayzie Bone & the Seed of 6 describes going from rags to riches. “Drugs in Me on Cielo Drive” featuring Lil Wyte talks about both of them being under the influence of recreational drugs hence why they’re moving slow while “Munyun” featuring Jucee Froot observes the amount of individuals who claim to have bread when they don’t.

“Every City Got Gangstas” featuring Lil Wyte reunites both Hypnotize Camp Posse members 1 more time pondering if one’s running the streets or their mouths while the final song “OMG!” by Yelawolf & Young Buck preceding a spoken word outro finishes the album with Paul taking a backseat vocally, let both of his guests spit a cutthroat verse of their own sampling “Murder (Killin’ Spree)” by Tommy Wright III talking about each of them being born to raise Hell & not giving up on anything.

Power, Pleasure & Painful Things still has some of DJ Paul’s greatest material in recent memory despite all of the excessive intermissions & Goat of all Goats reintroduces himself by making a statement regarding his longevity & the lasting impact the rest of the Three 6 Mafia has had on hip hop culture 3 decades since Mystic Stylez became the Memphis scene’s groundbreaking masterpiece. He’s still got it behind the boards & on the mic, furthermore amassing a list of local newcomers & his most notable collaborators who mostly stick the landing.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gnarls Barkley – “Atlanta” review

Gnarls Barkley is a neo-soul duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of producer Danger Mouse & singer/songwriter Cee-Lo Green. Both of whom met each other in the late 90s when Cee-Lo was performing at the University of Georgia & Danger Mouse won a contest to DJ the show. Their debut single “Crazy” celebrating its 2-decade anniversary next weekend would become one of the biggest hits of the 2000s, later dropping the full-length debut St. Elsewhere & a sophomore effort The Odd Couple under Warner Records. However in the wake of Goodie Mob’s disbandment & the Dungeon Family preparing for a follow-up to Even in Darkness in which Cee-Lo teased to be their “farewell album”, he & Danger Mouse are making a victory lap of their own releasing what they’ve been calling their 3rd & final LP through 10K Projects.

“Tomorrow Died Today” passionately begins with this atmospheric instrumental singing about how we’re all the same in death whereas “I Amnesia” soulfully asks if anyone would remember him if he came back to life from the grave. The only single “Pictures” blends neo-soul & country soul nostalgically remembering when they used to take the MARTA train system in the 8th grade just before “Line Dance” shifts towards a funkier vibe singing about thinking outside the box to get in his bag.

As for “Turn Your Heart Back On”, we have Cee-Lo over a peppier beat wondering if anyone’s listening or simply hearing leading into “Let Me Be” suggesting everyone to leave him alone so he can have some time & understanding. “Cyberbully (Yayo)” starts the 2nd half on a more futuristic note suggesting the possibility of a cyborg being inside of him while “Perfect Time” turns up the psychedelia singing about now being our greatest opportunity to do everything we want until our demise comes.

“Sweet Evil” confesses that he feels like a God in some earthly form while “Boy Genius” sings about everything being fine if someone doesn’t understand you because it might mean you’re a genius. “The Be Be King” expresses a desire of staying true to himself rather than wanting to be someone else like the rest & after “Sorry” issues an apology for losing the war of peace, the final song “Accept It” sends off the coda singing about Heaven being out there on the dance floor tonight in addition to the Devil hitting some moves when he has the chance.

There were always plans for Gnarls Barkley to make 1 last LP after The Odd Couple, but wound up going on hiatus until last Thursday due to other creative endeavors & have finishing what they started by making an entire full-length dedicated to the city that made them. Danger Mouse’s production incorporating contemporary R&B, pop soul, smooth soul & psychedelic soul paired with Cee-Lo Green’s introspective songwriting join the likes of Jill Scott’s independent comeback To Whom This May Concern & more recently GENA’s debut The Pleasure is Yours in terms of neo-soul thriving in 2026.

Score: 4.5/5

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slayr – “Half Blood” review

slayr is an 18 year old recording artist & producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania introducing himself in 2022 off the Lost Files, Destruction & B34 My Creation extended plays. Chaos: B4Gaia, the entire Gaia series, Stay Safe, 17, Enter My Mind for a Second & the debut album HeavenTunes all followed. The latter of which up until this point was considered to be the finest entry in his discography. However, his 2nd mixtape has been getting a lot of love compared to his previous material & a couple of noteworthy guests made me want to give it a shot.

“Love Blur” gets things going with this self-produced digicore intro describing a love blur he had experienced yearning to be the one she wants forever whereas “Demigod” talks about being the son of Zeus over a rage beat & opposing everyone. “Sloppy Joe” colorfully breaks down the nickname for his love interest the way she gives him brain leading into “Never Go Down” shifting towards a sonically quirkier vibe talking about Nicki Minaj being his dream hoe, which isn’t the best look considering she’s been actively protecting predators & more recently burning bridges with the LGBTQ+ community when they’ve literally supported her from Day 1.

ezcodylee appears on “Wipe Yo Nose” so they can serve crack like it’s the ‘80s combining both rage & digicore while “24/7” interpolates the Playboi Carti outtake “XTC (Cartier Lens)” from the Whole Lotta Red sessions talking about a woman who’s in his sights every day & hour of the week. “Phone” feels like more of a TJAYY song despite the Graduation/808s & Heartbreak vibes considering that slayr only appears during the hook, but “Power 4” boldly flips “What I Believe” by Skillet to break down all the things that come with fame.

“Holding” references the Warner Bros.-owned DC Entertainment franchise Hellblazer in the midst of the Paramount Skydance Corporation outbidding Netflix regarding the monopolizing purchase of WB while “Death by MP3” fuses digicore & hypertrap once again talking about making the 808s lose their minds. “The Sky” confesses to his partner that he wants her to focus on her own goals rather than piggybacking or gold digging while “Set in Stone” explores pop rap, rage, rap rock, 16-bit, digicore & new jazz referencing former 17-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion & 4-time WWE tag team champion John Cena.

After the “If I Ever” outro, “Brain Fog” starts the deluxe run talking about his indecisiveness while “Hard Knock” interpolates both “On That Time” from Whole Lotta Red itself & “Holding” getting high whilst staying fashionably sharp. My only complaint regarding “Flashout” however would be him using a fascist regime when talking about the presidents in his pockets, which I suppose adds more context to the Nicki line near Half Blood’s opening moments. “Daytona” featuring Lucy Bedroque entertainingly unites 2 of digicore’s biggest artists within the last year to talk about their luxurious ways of living while “Toxic” comes through with a 2-parter admitting he has too big of a heart to fuck with the poisonous type of women.

“Eyesight” melodically reflects on his continued popularity & talking about following your heart while “Brand New” addresses someone who had him in his feelings for far too long as well as switching their energy now that he’s been going up. “Racks” produced by prettifun expresses his desire to see the light before it all gets worse for him & after “Paint a Picture” holds himself accountable for a previous breakup, the final bonus track “Died But Came Back” energetically sends off the tape taking inspiration from EDM to talk about his struggles with relationships & drugs.

HeavenTunes indicated a huge point in slayr’s career where his true artistic potential began to reveal itself & Half Blood takes it even further by crafting what will most likely be considered amongst the greatest mixtapes of this entire decade. The production refines his artistic range making rage, pop rap, digicore, electronic dance music, rap rock, new jazz & 16-bit transitioning into 1 another rather intricately & simultaneously upgrades his performing abilities whether it be the songwriting or vocally. Much like iyrus, it wouldn’t surprise me if Lil Uzi Vert signs this guy to their newly formed Roc Nation imprint Cor(e) when the time’s right.

Score: 4.5/5

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Joey Cool – “Time Will Tell” review

This is the 9th studio LP from Kansas City, Missouri emcee Joey Cool. Starting out as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music dropping a total of 4 mixtapes & a studio album on his own until Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to the Snake & Bat in 2017, he then dropped an eponymous sophomore effort the next spring followed by Old Habits Die Hard as well as Coolie High & I Tried to Be Normal Once. Coming off the break he took last year following The Chairman of the Board as well as the Mario Casalini-produced Enjoy the View & Roller Coaster, he’s making a return by saying Time Will Tell.

“Swank Lord Back” produced by Mario Casalini begins with an skit until the beat kicks in during the 2nd half of it talking about the Swankiest of Strangeland being in action again after taking a year off whereas “Talk That Shit” flexes that he’s completed his contact with Strange over a C-Lance instrumental. “International Coolie Anthem” boisterously shrugs off the fact that life can be a little busy at times leading into the rap rock-inflicted “Known Associates” thanks to Burna Music addressing someone he considered a brother.

We get a fusion of R&B, pop rap & trap on “Work of Art” talks about a woman that he firmly believes is the one for him just before “Yam Jam” featuring Kstylis & Roblo Dastar moves on from there with a tedious strip club anthem. ReadyRockDee & Richie Evans both appear so they & Joey can give off some of that “Main Character Energy” over a Wyshmaster beat prior to him asking how can he “Carry On” living in a world he can’t change, losing his mind because of the pressure.

“You Feel It” wraps up the 1st half of Time Will Tell going for an upbeat direction courtesy of Lowkey tha Wizard confident he’ll be earning more as long as he’s still breathing while “Set It Off” featuring King Iso, Rittz, Tech N9ne & X-Raided after “Tracker (Swanky’s Saloon)” interlude finds all 5 of them talking about Strange being the best in the business. “Moonwalking Under Glass” featuring Ubiquitous fuses jazz & trap to continue the 2nd leg explaining that they’re not gonna get the full picture if there are some pieces missing.

Saigon & X-Raided join Coolie in grittily reminding anyone who “Must’ve Forgot” all the bullshit when they didn’t while “Go Fast!” talks about the urge he gets to run a couple laps whenever things get too slow for him. “Brunch in SoHo” combines a vocal sample with some hi-hats recalling going from the hood to sippin’ mimosas while “Franchise” takes a more energetic approach in general talking about nobody has to wish him any sort of luck because he’s only gonna get a lot bigger going forward.

“Midnight in the Town” featuring G Watts & Kye Colors moderately brings all 3 of them together over a cloudy Matt Phoenix instrumental to drop territorially hardcore verses although The Chairman of the Board saves the best for last while “This is My Love Song” stylistically departs from the hip hop sound he became known for in favor of experimenting with R&B, doing it better than I could’ve imagined. “Swanktified” ends the album talking about continuing to scorch shit because those of importance know his name fusing rap & gospel.

There are moments on Roller Coaster that I still enjoy almost a year & a half later, but I can’t argue if anyone would have Time Will Tell as their favorite thing Joey Cool has ever made. Especially since I personally would put it up there with self-titled, Old Habits Die Hard & Enjoy the View. This & the latter both make the finest examples of how far he’s come since those earlier projects in terms of versatility & songwriting regardless of a few guest performances lacking.

Score: 4/5

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Santana Fox – “Gunmetal” review

New York emcee/producer Santana Fox is back for her sophomore effort. The daughter of the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame, she eventually followed in her father’s footsteps making music of her own couple years after his untimely passing putting out a handful of singles up until the full-length debut Girl Next Door. Eye Candy was a crucial moment in her career not only for her producing it all by herself, but her improved lyricism too. She’s a Rebel! wasn’t necessarily as great for it’s own set of highlight tracks & has returned to drop Gunmetal.

After the intro, “Lovesick” whispers over a self-produced instrumental about how her romantic interest got her addicted whereas “Control Me” shows a bit of a rock influenced expressing that she gives no fucks. “Sigils” featuring Vicious Vampira aggressively responds to all the bitches who think they’re sweet just before “Hourglass” darkly talks about only gaining to collect & always getting the job done.

“Grasshopper” embraces a trap metal sound assuring that she’ll keep the lights on while the title track heavily addresses the people wondering how it feels to be on her level of success or notoriety. “Neuroscience” confesses to an inability of taming herself whenever the person she’s addressing speaks to her while “POV” sings about wishing she could show her partner all the tricks she has up her sleeve & what her love feels like.

Rounding out 3rd, the song “Sweat It Out” has a psychedelic soul feeling to it wanting to be taken to a higher level while “Fly on the Wall” talks about the way it’s gonna be with a person who’s dead wrong once again leaning towards her trap metal influences. “Lost Ya Mind” takes the drumless chipmunk soul route talking about her unwillingness to lose everything she’s ever built for over a dumb muhfucka while “Mr. Hyde” ends by talking about learning from the best when there isn’t any lies told there.

Spending the last 5 months finding her own sound, Santana Fox’s latest album continues to capture her artistic self-sufficiency a lot similarly to Eye Candy except this surpasses the predecessor in terms of her greatest body of work. Her production versatilely blends alternative hip hop, nu metal, boom bap, trip hop, jazz, drumless, chipmunk soul, psychedelic soul & trap metal and I appreciate her dialing it back with the features so she could focus on her range as a vocalist. I said her dad’s looking down on her proud of the musician she’s become when Eye Candy dropped & it couldn’t be truer presently.

Score: 4.5/5

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Flying Lotus – “Big Mama” review

Flying Lotus is a 42 year old producer, DJ, rapper, songwriter & filmmaker from Los Angeles, California who made his debut 2 decades earlier with the positively received 1983. He would later sign to Warp Records, dropping a string of acclaimed follow-ups from Los Angeles & Cosmogramma to Until the Quiet Comes & You’re Dead! throughout the course of my adolescence. Of course I’d be remised to forget the underrated DU∆LITY mixtape he dropped under the Captain Murphy alias. Flamagra in the spring of 2019 was the last time we heard FlyLo secularly, coming off the Yasuke & Ash soundtracks to drop his 7th extended play through his own label Brainfeeder Records in tandem with Ninja Tune.

The title track begins with this 36 second intro that will likely be used during an [adult swim] bumper at some point within the near future whereas “Captain Kernel” goes for a glitchier vibe instrumentally working in some additional synthesizers. “Antelope Onigri” throws it back to the IDM sound that defined Los Angeles & Cosmogramma over a decade earlier leading into “In the Forest: Day” hooking up some psychedelic synth melodies that feel like an acid trip.

“Brobobasher” continues the final leg of Big Mama blending elements of drum & bass as well as glitch and house music for almost a couple minutes while “Horse Nuke” starts off by heading for an ambient direction for the opening minute or so until combining IDM, wonky & techno for the remaining 102 seconds. “Pink Dream” however sends off the EP by cooking up an animated beat that would remind some people of the 3rd generation of video games 4 decades earlier.

Considering that he’s signed a handful of artists I’ve liked in the past such as Kamasi Washington or Hiatus Kaiyote & Thundercat, it makes me happy to hear Flying Lotus making an independent return to his electronic roots over the course of Big Mama’s brief runtime & only a month away from Distracted. His production takes an experimentally maximalist approach to IDM, glitch hop, wonky, glitch, nu jazz, ambient, chiptune, drum & bass & techno almost like a machine malfunctioning right in front of our very eyes.

Score: 4/5

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Jae Skeese – “The Good Part” review

Here is the 5th extended play from Buffalo, New York emcee Jae Skeese. Starting in 2010 off his debut mixtape W.A.C.K. (Women, Alcohol, Cash & Kicks), it wasn’t until a decade later where he & 7xvethegenius gained wide exposure as the very first signees to Conway the Machine’s very own Drumwork Music Group. The Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd EP Authenticity Check & the sophomore effort Abolished Uncertainties both elevated Skeese’s popularity in the last couple years. Coming off the Superior-produced Testament of the Times & elevating from Ground Level though, Ill Tone’s producing The Good Part succeeding 40 Hours.

“Paralysis” chops up a soul sample to get things going talking about feeling like nobody’s above him whereas “Accelerant” featuring Conway the Machine & Stove God Cook$ finds the trio aggressively going at the throats of those who got the game wrong. “Curt Menafee” featuring Cory Gunz goes for a summery direction instrumentally talking about putting it all on the line leading into “S.W.G.M. (See It, Want It, Got It, Mines)” end the 1st half by speaking of taking what’s his.

Fuego Base & Sule appear on “Raiden” kicking off the 2nd leg with all 3 of them aggressively talking about wanting the finer things closer in reach just before “Worldwide” featuring Talib Kweli & T.F links up so they can discuss how far they wanna take it musically. “Mua” hops over a victorious beat to talk about getting his cake up & winning in the biggest ways while “No After No” featuring Brother Tom Sos & Consequence finishes with each artist explaining that they never stopped chasing their goals after being counted out.

I completely understood what Jae Skeese was doing trying give lesser known local artists a bigger platform although I’m still on the fence with that EP over an entire year later, but The Good Part has to be my personal favorite project of his since Testament of the Times. From the penmanship to the higher profile guest appearances & Ill Tone’s production, it’s already been implied that they’re gonna make an entire series out of this & this inaugural entry checks off every box regarding why they should.

Score: 4.5/5

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Ty$ – “Girl Music” review

Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter, rapper, musician, producer & EZMNY Records founder Ty$ is back for a brand new extended play of material. Becoming popular during my 1st half of high school when his 3rd mixtape Beach House dropped. Signing to both Atlantic Records & Taylor Gang Entertainment, his full-length debut Free TC in the fall of 2015 was welcomed to warm reception although Beach House 3 & Featuring Ty$ were both merely average compared to it’s predecessor. He’s also a part of the duos MihTy with Jeremiah & of course ¥$ alongside one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye formerly known as Kanye West, the latter making their debut with Vultures during Super Bowl LVII weekend & dropping a widely panned sequel almost 6 months later. Tycoon would become the biggest entry in his solo career thus far & has decided to make some Girl Music.

“Nobody Has to Know” blends R&B & trap soul to get things going singing for the woman he’s with to take his soul whereas “3,000,000,000” produced by DJ Camper & Wax Motif tells this female that she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places. “Bad Bitch Alert” hooks up a guitar & some finger snaps to sing about how stunning his partner is while “Intention” featuring Brandy finds the wanting to know each other’s plans. “Miss U 2” featuring Leon Thomas III was a solid alternative R&B/trap soul single telling their lovers how much they miss them & “Good to Me” ends by singing about the one he needs over a piano.

From what I understand: Airplane Mode 2 & Purple Moon are still coming out, but an evening out in New York where Ty$ was at a restaurant where the DJ was playing all the right music had him constantly thinking of what kind of music women would like to hear & leans heavier towards the R&B side of his versatility throughout Girl Music than Tycoon & he’s already hinting at more installments going forward. Instrumentally, it’s a natural return to his R&B origins & to hear where he’ll take it on the next few entries does have me intrigued.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Scythe – “Strictly 4 the Scythe” review

The Scythe is a Memphis rap/trap collective consisting of Denzel Curry, A$AP Ferg, Bktherula, Key Nyata, TiaCorine, iloveit!, BEAUTIFULMVN, Oogie Mane, ilykimchi & Swaggyono. All of whom had appeared on Zel’s most recent mixtape King of the Mischievous South 2 & the best example of that being the “Hot One” single despite everyone having their own individually established histories of making music already. Loma Vista Recordings would go on to sign them as a unit right when 2026 began & are looking to make their official debut with a new mixtape succeeding nearly half of it being already released as singles.

BEAUTIFULMVN produces the group’s eponymous intro with TiaCorine & Ferg talking about slicing anyone who fucks with the crew whereas “Lit Effect” by Zel featuring Lazer Dim 700 hops over a murky instrumental from BNYX of Working on Dying to speak of people beefing on the internet because they’re broke. “Phony” with Ferg & Key Nyata featuring Juicy J goes for a Memphis vibe thanks to iloveit!, ilykimchi & Oogie Mane talking about being numbers only, but then “Mutt That Bitch” featuring 1900Rugrat was the only single of the 3 that I wasn’t head over heels for.

“Hoopty” by TiaCorine featuring Smino gets the 2nd half of the tape going by making all the girls going crazy until switching up in favor of a lyrically repetitive outro while the Miami bass-influenced “You Ain’t Gotta Lie” by Denzel Curry featuring Luh Tyler & 454 finds the trio showing off their wealth. “Tan” gives Bktherula & TiaCorine a few minutes for them to shine together talking about heading out for a trip to Hawaii while “Up” by A$AP Ferg featuring Rich the Kid ends with the 2 asking their type of women if they wanna roll with them.

Putting aside the couple underwhelming guest appearances here & there, The Scythe’s inaugural mixtape expands on the creative chemistry each of the 5 artists & 5 producers all bonded over a couple summers ago when King of the Mischievous South 2 dropped & have confidence of them possibly outdoing themselves if they ever came out with a full-length debut. From the Memphis-style trap production that the Working on Dying members/affiliates cook up to every single rapper having a distinctive personality of their own, one of the newest & most popular hip hop crews today have made their arrival.

Score: 3.5/5

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