KanKan – “F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY)” review

Finally getting the 3rd studio LP from Dallas, Texas recording artist & producer KanKan. Emerging in 2019 as a member of Slayworld & by landing production credits for a wide range of artists from Summrs to even Little Pimp, he’s also dropped an eponymous debut mixtape as well as 21 EPs & a couple full-lengths. Although it’s already been a few years since we last heard from Kan, he’s returning over 25 months following his sophomore effort Way2Geeked by releasing F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) only less than 24 hours since it was even announced.

“Fuk What U Sayin’” begins the comeback with a plugg instrumental talking about the old version of him being history whereas “Make No Sense” flexes that he counts racks & hits the border immediately after. “All Typa Shit” has one of my favorite beats on the entire album talking about luxurious materials just before the exuberant “Thru da Storm” floors it when everyone chooses to take off.

As for “Redeye Flight”, we have Kan talking about spraying mags & having a brand new stash while “Group Home” boasts that he counts new money on a daily basis like it’s some kind of cycle. “3Skii” goes for a more sinister atmosphere carrying ice around his neck & his cup after being away for so long while “Overtime” tells the coach to put him in the game since it’s going past regulation.

“Told” continues to finish up the first half of F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) with some synthesizers talking about him keeping everything P while “Fuk How They Feel” accidentally spills lean all over his Rick Owens jeans, raising his prices as a result of the whole mishap. “It Get Scary” talks about having absolutely 0 love for the other side leading into “Yellow Taped” boasting that he & his friends have made millions with one another.

Moving on from there, “Real Solja” talks about only poppin’ out for a check & whacking artists instead of trying to collaborate with them while “Wet ‘Em Up” flexes that he’s so high in the sky the point where he’s gonna have to need a parachute. “BMG (Long Live Scooter)” gives his flowers to the late Young Scooter who tragically lost his life on his birthday this spring while “Ain’t No Turnin’ Back” refuses to waste any more of his time.

“Can’t Wait Up” talks about his big dog status with new money coming at an impressively consistent rate while the pluggnb-driven “Bringin’ Me Back” tackles the concept of drug addiction, always relapsing whenever he attempts at kickin’ the habit. “Can’t Go Back” finds himself unwilling to climb back at the top since it can be lonely at times while “So Many Nights” talks about having dreams of his death.

The song “Outta Town” produced by thr6x gets ready to conclude F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) by leaving the city with a freak hoe getting geeked up with one another while “All Black” talks about his outfit preferences treating the Wock like it’s some kind of trophy. “RR P.R.E.” featuring Summrs however reunites both Slayworld alumni to finish things off calling for all their homies who’re locked behind bars at the moment slidin’ to the function with black trucks & masks up.

Some of you may remember me condemning the series of transphobic disses Dave Blunts hurled towards KanKan’s way during the same weekend as the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s WrestleMania XLI when You Can’t Say That was released & to the surprise of absolutely nobody, F.E.B. (FUK EVRY BDY) clears it by taking it back to the prominently heavy plugg leanings of self-titled down to it’s secondary influences of cloud rap & trap.

Score: 4/5

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BNYX – “Loading…” review

BNYX is a 30 year old producer, songwriter & occasional rapper from Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania mentored by Jean Baptiste & joining the Working on Dying production team known for pioneering tread music. He’s also known for being an extensive collaborator of Yeat, signing to the latter’s Lyfestyle Corporation imprint under Field Trip Recordings & Capitol Records distributed by Universal Music Group. In preparation for his upcoming full-length solo debut Genesis FM, he’s dropping off a taste of what’s to come with a debut EP.

“Room of Smiles” by Dayne Jordan & UHMEER co-produced by BNYX’s brother BEAUTIFULMVN begins by talking about meeting a woman who happens to be incredibly fashionable & once the sample drill-influenced “Telepathy Love” by Clara La San describes a kind of love that feels telepathic hence the title, “Interstellar” by George Clanton & Jahvor finds the pair talking about a man & a woman being unified by yearning for one another.

Fortunately the 2nd half is where things start to pick up, with Johnny Yukon delivering an alternative R&B banger called “Water” hoping the door’s open when comes back once he picks up motion while my favorite track “Proud of Me” by Earl Sweatshirt talks about hoping his mother Cheryl Harris is happy for him, which meant a lot as someone who was around during the Odd Future era in light of Twitter trying to cancel Tyler, The Creator. As for the closer “Switch It” by Yeat & Zukenee, both of them unite for an outro staying more dangerous than ever.

Some of you may remember that I praised BNYX near the end of 2023 as the best mainstream producer of that year & as happy as I am for him getting a label dark, his inaugural EP preluding his upcoming debut LP gives the impression that it could be average at best. I don’t have any complaints in terms of the trap, cloud rap, pop rap & rage production. However, my biggest criticism regarding Loading… is easily the consistency amongst the guest performers & sometimes that tends to be the case with producer albums.

Score: 3/5

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Leon Thomas III – “Pholks” review

This is the 2nd EP from New York singer/songwriter, producer & actor Leon Thomas III. Beginning as the singing voice of Tyrone on The Backyardigans as well as Andre Harris on Victorious for the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Nickelodeon, he later started making music of his own by releasing 3 mixtapes & an EP until Ty$ signed him to his Motown Records imprint EZMNY Records. His full-length debut album Electric Dusk & the sophomore effort Mutt were both highly acclaimed, coming off Tycoon last weekend to drop Pholks.

“Just How You Are” starts us off with a peppy single singing about loving that special woman in his life exactly the way she is whereas “My Muse” dedicates itself to the female who stays inspiring him the most over some classy strings. “5MoreMinutes” takes a funkier approach instrumentally singing about being homesick from his lover while “Trapped” expands on the funk influences with a hint of rock added to the mix.

The song “Baccarat” pushes further towards the end of Pholks with Leon fusing rock & soul explaining that he doesn’t ask for much except the attention of this fine-ass walking contradiction while “Feel Alive” sings to be taken away from all of his troubles by a romantic interest he’s been waiting on for a while. “Lone Wolf” featuring 4Batz closes the EP with a successor to “she ain’t no angel” off Still Shinin’ that I like as much if not more than the last collab.

Showcasing his command as a multi-instrumentalist & visionary, Leon Thomas III adventurously doubles down on the raw creativity of Mutt that cemented him his a generational R&B force nearly 13 months ago throughout the duration of Pholks fusing the groove of funk with the golden age of R&B & the raw defiance of classic rock sparking a whole entire movement of it’s own in preparation of his forthcoming 3rd LP presumably dropping next year.

Score: 4/5

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Hannah Jadagu – “Describe” review

Hannah Jadagu is 23 year old indie/bedroom pop artist from Mesquite, Texas introducing herself in the spring of 2021 by signing to Sub Pop Records & putting out her debut EP What’s Going On? to moderate reception followed by the full-length studio debut Aperture roughly 25 months later, receiving more favorable feedback. Teasing a return during the summer, she’s coming off 4 teasers with her official sophomore effort a couple weeks succeeding Flock of Dimes’ greatest album The Life You Save.

The alt-pop title track & final single begins with Hannah singing about trying her best to be the one who never leaves your mind whereas the 3rd single “Gimme Time” blends bedroom pop & indie rock to tackle the struggles of self-discovery & personal growth in a relationship. “More” sings about the emotional toll being physically distant from a lover takes on their relationship over a a dream pop instrumental just before “D.I.A.A. (Do It All Again)” tackles self-reflection & personal growth.

“Perfect” embraces a bedroom pop vibe assuring her lover that their relationship doesn’t have to be exactly flawless prior to the lead single “My Love” combining indie rock, dream pop & shoegaze to sing about the feelings that can arise when you’re apart from someone you love. “Couldn’t Call” begins the 2nd half with what feels like a repetitively penned a cappella interlude while “Tell Me That!!!” sings that she wants to be told that he really want her to be his now.

Starting the concluding act of the LP, we have Hannah fusing bedroom & alt-pop with breakbeat during the 4th single “Normal Today” feeling distracted by a loved one while the 2nd single “Doing Now” swaps out the alt-pop & breakbeat elements in favor of indie rock sings about reluctancy. “Miracles” continues the final moments by expressing her belief in wonders & the closer “Bergamont” sings about the bittersweetness of a love that has since faded away.

Spending a lot of the time trying to figure out how to express ideas that aren’t always so concrete & searching is for the words to describe the truth on Hannah Jadagu’s terms whilst relishing in the uncertainty in that journey, Describe embraces an expansive shift toward a heavier alt-pop & bedroom pop sound compared to prominently indie/dream stylings of her debut although the dream pop influences are being used to a lesser extent & the indie rock undertones of Aperture are being maintained well enough too conceptually based on her learning the hard way that distance is relative.

Score: 3.5/5

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Halle – “love?…or something like it” review

Halle is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & actress from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being 1/2 of Chloe x Halle with her older sister Chlöe. Signing to Beyoncé’s very own Columbia Records imprint Parkwood Entertainment a decade earlier, they would put out 2 full-lengths together until taking a hiatus to focus on their solo careers. Chlöe’s sophomore effort Trouble in Paradise came out 24 months ago to warmer reception than In Pieces & the time has finally come for her eldest sibling to make her official solo debut.

After the intro, the first song “overtime” truly begins with Halle singing about having men putting in extra hours & not trusting anyone because of her ex-partner DDG whereas “know bout me” featuring Glorilla takes the trap soul route instrumentally admitting that neither of them are innocent. “his type” sings about a man who makes her feel secure & on top of the world leading into “heaven” produced by Bongo asking if her new man can go to the pearly gates with her.

Mariah the Scientist appears on “alone” immediately after an interlude singing about working by themselves following the confirmation from Young Thug that Mariah recently broke up with him recently the Valentine’s Day single “back & forth” admits to liking it when her partner gets angry in light of her & DDG’s custody battle over their son Halo. Another single “braveface” reflects where she’s at in her life from a mental standpoint now that she’s a mother while “so I can feel again” by Chloe x Halle reunites the siblings for a sultry duet.

“in your hands” works in some pianos & electric guitars describing a couple with a deep connection between one another while “no warning” featuring H.E.R. sings about their enjoyment of driving their lovers crazy & making them feel afraid. “bite your lip” yearns to be held for an evening over a Dem Jointz & Blu2th beat and after “Angel” sings about the beauty of African American women on top of a Neff-U instrumental, “because I love you” finishes with an ode to the people there for her at her worst.

In the midst of her restraining order against DDG being extended to early next month, Halle’s long-awaited introduction as a solo artist cohesively tells a story of first love as well as the heartbreak & everything that comes afterwards culminating in self-discovery. Assuring that it’s perfectly normal to pour so much of yourself into someone as long as people are giving that same love back to themselves, the star of The Little Mermaid remake meshes her jazz & trap influences with R&B/pop sensibilities for the most intimate work of her career.

Score: 3.5/5

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1oneam – “Sin Ever After” review

1oneam is a 21 year old rapper & producer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who’s released a couple mixtapes as well as an untitled full-length debut & 10 EPs since the beginning of this ongoing decade. House Party dropped exactly 104 weeks ago & elevated his popularity in the plugg scene, something that he would capitalize on 7 months later when 1 Life came out. With only a week away from Halloween, the cr3stfallen & requiem member has returned for a sophomore effort.

“Tags” produced by TDF immediately caught my attention soon as I began playing the album flexing his wealth prior to “Marriott” talking about moving at the same speed of life itself with no intentions of stopping. “Stuck to Him” gives a shoutout to all his haters simply because he gets to stomp on them now that he’s chillin’ on rooftops while the self-produced “Up to Something” blocks anyone asking for a handout.

Moving on from there, “I Can Fly” thanks all his Day 1 supporters for always believing in him & staying locked in while “Outside” talks about sending shots to the head soon as he steps off the porch with his twin. “Match My Vibe” asks the chick that he’s seeing if she can has the same level of aura as him after a long day while “Who Am I?” talks about maturing & betting himself right.

“Cloud 9” reaches the halfway point of Sin Ever After giving that very response to the people asking him where he’s been lately leading into “Golden Token” talking about his whole squad being with the shits. “Just Like Me” suggests that he might sip the lean a little slower than usual & giving 0 fucks if anyone likes him until “Understand Me” splits itself into 2 halves feeling as if he’s misunderstood.

gyro jumps behind the boards for the rage-inducing “Let It Go” telling his girl not to worry over something insignificant & after “Fuck the Talk” references the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan, we have 1oneam talking about his preference of having a strong team beside him on “call me” in addition to getting the bag before some of his former friends betrayed him.

“Ain’t My Life” gets the final moments of the LP rollin’ talking about a hoe wanting him to save here even though that’s not a part of his lifestyle at all & once “Did You Mean It?” promises the girl who’s been having him go crazy that he’s gonna get her right by buying her the Mercedes she’s been wanting, “No New Friends” sends it all off by talking about a 1 man team due to the fact all these other people are like zombies while “Agent 47” starts the deluxe run comparing himself to the main protagonist of the Hitman series of stealth video games.

The man from the same city as the longest reigning 4-time JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion & 2-time IWA World Champion Corporal Robinson uses “Lifestyle (How Can You)” as a moment to shout out all the homies who look up to him while “5G” samples one of Future’s greatest singles “March Madness” talking about being richer & older now. “Everyday” assures that his closest friends can call him whenever he’s needed while “Make Her Dance” recaptures the energy of “Bandz a Make Her Dance” by Juicy J featuring ColleGrove.

“Petrol” talks about carrying a stick around at him at all times as if he’s the late Tom Clancy while “Chainsmoker” boasts that he’ll flex up anywhere with no fucks given. “Hope You Know” talks about spending $100K on his brand new whip leaving all the women geeking hard while “Who’s You?” clarifies he’s tryna have some fun with the chick he has in mind that he can’t save regardless of him being unable to save anyone. The final bonus track “Calm B4 Storm” tries to defuse his girl’s frustrations promising he can buy anything when he’s in the store.

Glimpses of 1oneam’s potential in the plugg scene have already revealed itself all over some his previous projects like 1 Life & 1 Death, but Sin Ever After somewhat reminds me of Devstacks’ most recent album 4SOULJASONLY in the sense of Dev putting his signature regalia sound to the side so he can embrace more traditional trap production except that the secondary influences of regalia are being replaced with plugg & crafting his greatest LP as a result.

Score: 4/5

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Miguel – “Caos” review

Miguel is a 40 year old singer/songwriter, actor & producer from Los Angeles, California introducing himself in 2010 off his moderate full-length debut All I Want is You. His sophomore effort albeit RCA Records debut Kaleidoscope Dream & Wildheart would both go on to become some of the most beloved alternative R&B of the previous decade, although War & Leisure towards the end of 2017 was moderately received. However, he’s finally making a return to music with his 5th studio album to celebrate his birthday.

The title track & final single begins by showing off his bilingual singing chops over an apocalyptic instrumental whereas “The Killing” works in a psychedelic guitar reminiscent of “PRIDE.” by Kendrick Lamar for a nod to the Outlawz single “Hail Mary”. We get breakbeats, deep house & alternative R&B colliding during the self-produced single “RIP” trying to figure out if he’s in heaven or hell leading into the psychedelic soul-inspired “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” asking his new lover if she’s with it or not.

“Triggered” sings about how beautiful it is to him for this woman he has in mind explodes & loves him in her rage leading into the Spanish neo/psychedelic soul single “El Pleito” co-produced by DJ Dahi ponders the idea of going dark because he’s been in his feeling lately. We get some more silky guitar riffs during “Perderme” desiring to mate with his new lover until they face into eternity while “Oscillate” seductively sings about wanting this female to come heal these thoughts of his & make him feel indestructible.

Starting the final leg, “Nearsight (SID)” ethereally advises for this woman to slow it down because he’s certain that he won’t feel the way he is ever again while “Angel’s Song” brings the psychedelic guitars for a tribute to his son Angelito. “Always Time” nears the end of the Caos with some grungier elements thanks to Jeff Bhasker & Jerry Duplessis reflecting on his marriage to his long-time partner Nazanin Mandi since their divorce was finalized in 2023 & “Comma / Karma” featuring Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton sends off the LP with a 2-parter.

Learning that transformation can be a violent process, Caos sonically bends said violence into a triumphant comeback for the alternative R&B trailblazer that lands directly in the middle of War & Leisure’s political & personal subject matter with the darkest musical opus of Miguel’s entire career since a lot has happened to him in both of those aspects of his life. His vision’s a lot clearer than it’s been previously, giving rare insight through music & visual storytelling while inviting listeners to confront & harness our own turmoils.

Score: 4/5

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Bruiser Wolf – “Made by Dope” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee Bruiser Wolf releasing his 4th studio LP. A member of the Bruiser Brigade collective, his 2021 solo debut Dope Game Stupid would become an experimentally gangsta & comedic gem although the sophomore effort My Story Got Stories was more moderately received 21 months ago. Potluck quickly became his most celebrated work back in May for good reasons & had higher expectations for Made by Dope due to Harry Fraud solely producing it himself.

“Tubi” named after the Fox Corporation’s streaming service of the same name airing new episodes of the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s new secondary developmental brand EVOLVE every Wednesday night with Jackson Drake, Cappucino Jones & Kendal Grey currently reigning as WWE EVOLVE Champion, WWE ID Champion & WWE EVOLVE Women’s Champion works in some soulful sampling to symbolize his diamonds of a rock & a hard place whereas the lead single “Raised by Dope” featuring Benny the Butcher talks about the dope fiends making them who they are today.

We get a bit of a drumlessly jazzy vibe on “Against the Odds” promising that the best from him has only yet to come prior to the 2nd & final single “Eye Owe You”talks about coming from the bottom & things being up from hereon out keeping the drums out of the equation once more. “The Money Say” featuring Mick Jenkins fuses soul & jazz being advised by the paper in their pockets to not play with opps while “My Whole Life” luxuriously talks about repping the 313 for as long as he can remember.

“Connect 4” featuring Curren$y finds the pair flexing that they send people out for cream like dermatologists while “Layup Lines” soulfully talks about getting used to this new world. “The Spaniard” featuring his fellow Bruiser Brigade brethren ZelooperZ refuses handouts because everyone has something to say & after “Boss Up” talks about improving your game, “Heart Broke” closes by saying that he’s enlisted in a 1-man army & that it saddens him whenever the paper comes slowly.

Stemmed from the Potluck sessions after working on “Air Fryer” & “Baby You” respectively, Made by Dope elevates the expansiveness of it’s predecessor 5 months earlier with one of my favorite albums of 2025 & the greatest entry of Bruiser Wolf’s discography yet. His unique flow reminds me of E-40 & Suga Free even though comparisons to the Warner Bros.-owned Quick Draw McGraw/Yogi Bear Show character Snagglepuss have been made on Twitter recently with Harry Fraud’s production perfecting the drumless, jazz rap & chipmunk soul elements from this spring.

Score: 4.5/5

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O.T. the Real – “The Wars I’ve Won” review

Brand new EP & the 9th altogether from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania emcee O.T. the Real. Getting his start in the underground almost a decade ago after coming home from prison & dropping his debut single “Papercuts”, his profile began to grow from there after showcasing his skills on radio stations or dropping 9 albums as well as a mixtape & his last 8 EPs. My favorites being the Heatmakerz-produced 3rd EP The Irishman & the DJ Green Lantern-produced 3rd album Broken Glass that dropped on my 25th birthday & the Statik Selektah produced Maxed Out. No Matter What, Desperation of December, It’s Almost Over & Red Summer were all hit or miss for me until O.T. finally signed to Black Soprano Family Records & enlisted araabMUZIK for Zombie to critical acclaim. Prepare for War & Pale Horse were ok, following up Moving Base O.T.’s eponymous debut showed improvement as did the Nickel Plated produced Cost of Living & The Devil You Know. 38 Spesh fully produced Possession with Intent a couple months ago & it’s my favorite of his in 2025, tapping in with Chop-La-Rok & Rare Scrilla to flex The Wars I’ve Won.

“Bird Flu” opens with a drumless rap rock instrumental advising to respect the chain of command whereas “Fishtown” work in a vocal sample talking about being quick to hit the highway since it’s a perfect plan to him. “Life+Life” featuring Benny the Butcher & T.F finds the trio over a boom bap beat ruthlessly attacking those who fucked around & woke the sleeping dogs up leading into “Soldiers” remembering a homie of his who got killed by a cop.

As for “Small Cars”, we have O.T. over more rap rock production talking about only smoking these days while “Floor Boat” asks God if he can get in Heaven still on top of a drumless guitar. “Everybody’s Gone” talks about the streets & fans adoring him maintaining a rap rock sound while “Mick Jagger” grittily boasts of him rolling with stones. “End of the Day” finishes The Wars I’ve Won giving a middle finger to beef since he’s eating better now.

Chop-La-Rok & Rare Scrilla’s production on Benny’s 6th EP Pyrex Picasso & Rick Hyde’s 10th EP Lupara are still enjoyable now than they were when both of them dropped, but them doing a new extended play with another skilled member from the B$F crew almost rivals O.T. the Real’s debut for TCF almost 3 months earlier. The jazzy boom bap styles of Possession with Intent are being carried over with hints of rap rock along with drumless & chipmunk soul added to the mix, soundtracking the descriptions of his battle victories.

Score: 4/5

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Babystaydown – “Art of War” review

Athens, Georgia up-&-comer Babystaydown dropping off his sophomore effort 5 months since his full-length studio debut. Somebody who already has 15 EPs under his belt including Intrusion, PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat & the Lost Files duology. However, his inaugural LP Born Anew this spring maintained the same level as all 3 of his extended plays on Cegular in terms of propelling his status in the underground & Art of War following his Red Flags & Roses appearance had me intrigued.

“Shoota” produced by Rafmade & SOULJASPIRITS opens by talking about pulling up to the spot with a bunch of gunmen surrounding him whereas “After All” pulls inspiration from Lil Uzi Vert & Lil Wayne suggesting to everyone around his premises to move the fuck out the way before he goes on a full rampage. “Switched My Tool” talks about having to swapping out the dot attached to his Glock because the firearm got too hot & spraying shit up without bluffin’ while “Cash Flow” promotes violence & money.

Whyceg jumps behind the boards for “Dead Wrong” cutting bitches off like fades leading “All Bad” talking about being rich as fuck along with quitting green lean to consume the purpler stuff over a cloudy Hariroc beat. “Don’t Fuck with T194” featuring Pradabagshawty finds the 2 labelmates teaming up so they can talk about not partaking in using acetaminophen or oxycodone hydrochloride leading into self-awareness settling in on “Luv Raging” knowing this bitch lying when she says she loves him.

“Goofy AF” featuring byarmyy joins forces over a Traiqo instrumental shrugging off all the lames who really ain’t be saying much of anything while “D.P.W.D. (Don’t Play Wit Dat)” talks about running up checks in his sleep & all of his hoes being freaks. “Babii Babii” embraces a pluggier vibe speaking of his life going brazy ever since he finally made it out of the pavement while “Lie” talks about saying whatever you want regarding him even if he & everyone else knows it’s false.

The song “Blumagic 15” begins Art of War’s final act with Babystaydown hopping over a plugg beat recalling being so high the night earlier to the point that he couldn’t see a thing & after “Same Faces” warns that if any of his friends wind up dead if they cross the line of betrayals, “Oh My Baby” finishes with an 112 second outro that mxrt4lity laced apologizing to a woman he’s no longer involved with romantically because him breaking her heart although he claims intention of doing so.

Hate da Way Um Livin marked a huge turning point in Babystaydown’s career as it seemed like the beginning of an artistic evolution further explored on Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat, both entries of the Lost Files series & Born Anew. Art of War brings that growth full circle joining B What You B & Home Invasions in becoming the most essential listening experiences in the Cegular Records catalog only a few months away from the 2 year anniversary of the plugg label’s founding.

Score: 4/5

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