Tha God Fahim – “Lethal Weapon 5” review

Yes, we have a new extended play & the 76th overall from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records & being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. He’s been putting out amongst his best material in the past few years like the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull, the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King tetralogy, the Oh No-produced Berserko, the Mike Shabb-produced Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth, Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul, Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz, Slam Dump alongside it’s sequel, the self-produced Ultimate Rapper 5000 Guillotine & of course the historic Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap anthology. However, he’s running it back with Drega33 for a 5th installment of the Lethal Weapon series.

“Lethal Weapon” hooks up a sample-driven boom bap instrumental talking about haters trying to decline the mastermind now that he’s been reactivated whereas “Vega” strips the drums to explain his whole function being leaving deathtrap in both the rap game & the trap. “All I Know” expresses his desire of trying to make millions & the wrong move resulting in facing time while “Times of War” soulfully talks about harmony coming before conflict sometimes.

Kicking off the 2nd half, “Verses N Curses” continues the sampling so Fahim can sling lightning while “New Life” featuring Jay NiCE jazzily talks about doing this shit for the next generation. “Stimulate the Mind” treads the drumlessly jazzy, soulful waters speaking of keeping his head high because he’s the chosen one until “Wear Fear n Love” concludes Lethal Weapon 5 talking about defining greatness as opposed to it defining him.

It’ll be almost 7 months since I last covered Tha God Fahim when Slam Dump 2 came out, which I’m not gonna beat around the bush admitting the reasons for being because neither The Blacker the Berry or Tha Nighthawk Chapter impressed me like his past material AND I felt like a break having reviewed him literally dozens of times in only a few years. Lethal Weapon 5 on the contrary has me more optimistic of his output ahead of Fanonmenal later this month from the improved production to the focused performances.

Score: 4/5

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WRLD Tour Mafia – “For the Fans” review

New surprise extended play from Detroit trap outfit the WRLD Tour Mafia consisting of Rafa, DaeMoney, WTM Solid, WTM Miles, WTM Re, WTM Amex & WTM Bankroll. Originally forming in 2019, they dropped their debut mixtape World Tour Mafia or Die a couple summers later followed by Tourmania the fall after that & the Mob Ties EP. Tourmania II marked DaeMoney’s final appearance as a member until his initial departure, returning after Blood, Sweat, Tours & C.$.B. (Cross $tate Boys) strictly For the Fans.

“Common Name” by Rafa & WTM Solid starts us off with both of them trading bars with each other whereas “Tour Signs” by DaeMoney, Rafa & WTM Miles produced by the latter alongside LulRose gets back to basics reppin’ the team. “Never Seen B4” by WTM Re & WTM Solid talks about pulling off shit they haven’t done previously but once “Quarter Zip” by Rafa & WTM Amex gets on their gangsta shit together, “Goated” ends the EP with a proper posse cut.

These guys’ last couple of full-lengths each have their fair share of tracks I still revisit even if I wouldn’t rank either of them in the same category as the Tourmania series & For the Fans dethrones the original Mob Ties to become the WRLD Tour Mafia’s greatest EP, putting all the bullshit Rafa had with Slae aside for a celebratory reunion over this tight collection of beats catered to none other than the Detroit sound giving the world only a taste of what we can expect from them hereon out.

Score: 4/5

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vax – “B4VXN” review

This is the 8th extended play from West Palm Beach, Florida rapper/producer vax. Someone who would eventually go on to drop his last 7 EPs since 2023 after beginning to make music at the age of 12 including New Jazz as well as Forgive My Sins & Pyramid Scheme, with Is This You? following my personal favorite of the bunch Throne. Coming off #B4BlueDawn along with the full-length debut Blue Dawn & more recently Steeze, a sophomore effort called Vaxination has begun being teased with B4VXN.

“Molly” incorporates this digicore instrumental to kick things off talking about stealing bitches & doing ecstasy with them prior to “Tony Montana” named after Scarface’s main character shouting out DC Studios CEO & Coyote vs. Acme producer/writer James Gunn. Hitting the midway point, “Sorry” hops over a rage beat so he can talk about knowing how to apologize while “AWOL”combines digicore & free car music admitting to being under the influence. “Dirty Ride” expresses his desires of becoming a wealthy corporate titan preceding “Trinity” featuring Westwood talks about wasting their time & ability on women who don’t love ‘em

Vaxination isn’t coming out until 2027 from what I understand so if this is the last time we’ll hear vax for the rest of the year, I’d say B4VXN gives us another brief dosage of decent rage/digicore similarly to the previous EP he put out earlier this summer. A large portion of the production other than the single was more uninteresting than Steeze a couple months ago but either way, I’ll give this the benefit of the doubt since I know he can make something that will turn more heads than Blue Dawn did this spring.

Score: 3/5

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Valid – “The Bronko Tape 2” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee Valid surprise-dropping his 2nd mixtape. Introducing himself properly over a decade ago with Reach High, he would follow it up in 2019 getting more personal on the sophomore effort Mihajlo which I personally would recommend to anyone as the best place to start for anyone who wants to get up on Valid’s music & eventually the Plum Brandy EP only 9 months later. Coming off The Bronko Tape & Peach Brandy, he’s preluding this next chapter of his career with a Bronko Tape sequel.

“See It Twice” hops over a synth-driven boom bap beat Pig Pen cooked up talking about the rap game making him fatter than he’s ever been whereas “Gitchya Money” produced by Big Tone continues from there with a funky 2 & a half minute ode to making bread. “Riverwalk” embraces a smoother yet spacier vibe instrumentally talking about chillin’ close to the river staying fresh while “Debt Free” asks the world if anyone has the luxury of having no debts to pay off.

Huey 11 appears on “Champaign Knights” taking a more seductive approach from the subject matter to the Simple Cuts beat just before “Once in a Blue” featuring Kool Keith hits midway point admitting to smoking weed occasionally. “Live My Life” featuring eLZhi & Mikri Maus acknowledges those envious of the trio’s lifestyles while “Matter of Respect” featuring Jon Connor feels like the Michigan version of former NWA World Tag Team Champions, 2-time IWGPタッグチャンピオン, inaugural 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champions, WWE Hall of Famers & former 18-time WWE tag team champions The Dudley Boyz.

“The Town” begins off the 4th quarter of The Bronko Tape 2 combining kicks, snares & vibraphone taking through the Motor City where nothing’s unheard of while “Burying You” shows off Peace of Mind’s ear for sampling talking about a someone smacking up a hoe at 4 in the morning after learning she was fucking someone else until she slits his throat in self-defense. “Pašteta” featuring Noti Limun once again takes a few moments to show more love towards Valid’s Balkan heritage while “Passing Down” advises against being like him losing the ones you love the most.

Valid takes it back to what made The Bronko Tape such an exciting listen coming up almost 3 years ago in preparation for his upcoming European tour set to kick off at the end of the month making further comparisons to to Bronko Lubich who competed in the Billy Corgan owned National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the Hart family-owned Stampede Wrestling, the WWE Hall of Famers Von Erich family-owned WCCW, the Crockett family-owned JCP & WWE Hall of Famer Verne Gagne-owned AWA from the early 50s to the early 70s considering their Serbian background & building their reputation behind the scenes.

Score: 4/5

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Mi$tuh G – “Bird’s Eye View” review

Here we have the 2nd extended play from Sacramento, California emcee/producer Mi$tuh G. Emerging within the underground at the beginning of this current ongoing decade off the strength of his full-length debut G Files, I myself was subsequently introduced to his music in the summer of 2020 back when the whole world shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic through his debut EP G.W.O. (G-World Order) conceptually revolving around all the events that had transpired at that point. He & Mak7teen brought Your Worst Nightmare to life a year later & coming off Keep It G back in 2024, he’s looking at things from a Bird’s Eye View.

“Thought It Was Over” after the titular intro hops on top of this nervous instrumental talking about shutting down any & all opposition whereas “Hatin’ on My Name” continues from there firing back at everyone who’s been disrespecting him. “Go” featuring Rayven Justice links up to talk about their desires of parting with naughty women while “B.T.A. (Bounce That Ass)” properly concludes the 1st half of Bird’s Eye View cooking up a decent strip club ballad.

The self-produced “Krown Me King” could most likely be my personal favorite track on the entire EP talking about never slowing down & taking the throne that’s rightfully his while “The 7th Letter” continues the 2nd leg proclaiming himself to be the big boss & never fallin’ off. “Kold as Me” winds down the last several minutes talking about nobody in his city being able to touch him lyrically just before “Family 1st” featuring Illa Jay & Mak7teen finds the trio rising above the dirt together.

A great bulk of this was conceived following Mi$tuh G’s recent experiences of backstabbing as well as broken loyalties & people smiling in his face despite praying on his downfall when he isn’t looking, which is why I’d consider Bird’s Eye View to be some of the most personal music he’s ever made. He’s painting a dark depicting of the price of elevation after realizing some of the closest people in our lives are the very reason some distance themselves out of necessity instead of making it personal.

Behemoth – “I, Scvlptor” review

Behemoth is an extreme metal band from Gdańsk, Poland consisting of guitarist Seth, bassist Orion, drummer Inferno & frontman Nergal. Their 10th album The Satanist back in my junior year of high school under Nuclear Blast Records was my introduction to them despite being around for over 2 decades at that point & became a fan of theirs ever since, following it up with the positively received I Loved You at Your Darkest in 2018. The Shit ov God last spring was welcomed to more lukewarm responses, coming back only 16 months later for a new extended play.

The title track sets the tone with this black metal intro recorded for The Shit ov God only to be scrapped because Nergal felt like it outshine the rest of it declaring the sculptor of eons & worlds doesn’t rest for anything whereas “Lord ov the Horizons” interestingly dates all the way back to the Opvs Contra Natvram sessions, although it almost made The Shit ov God until being excluded for not suiting the concept. “Begotten” concludes the EP with 1 last Shit ov God outtake detailing being all but divine.

Excluding the 2 re-recordings of their early demo cuts “Rise of the Blackstorm of Evil” & “In Thy Pandemaeternum” as well as the covers of “In League with Satan” by Venom and “The Return of Darkness & Evil” by Bathory respectively, Nergal & company pretty much warm their fans up in preparation for their upcoming 14th studio LP by digging up 3 respectively solid black metal tacks that were recorded for the last couple of full-lengths they’ve done taking it back to their roots & honoring those who came before them.

Score: 3.5/5

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Button Masher – “Super Button Masher” review

Baltimore, Maryland chiptune & jazz fusion producer Button Masher making his full-length studio debut. Since the turn of the decade, he’s dropped a total of 10 extended plays & 4 mixtapes including the Tracker Vision series. One of the most iconic names in the entire LA beat scene Flying Lotus signed him to Brainfeeder Records distributed by Ninja Tune earlier this summer & it was more than enough for me give the Super Button Masher a listen so I could get a better understanding of who he is artistically.

“Pastel Roses” beautifully sets the tone of what’s to come with this 3 minute intro blending jazz fusion & 16-bit whereas the lead single “Magic Dragon Ride” comes through with a tribute to 菊田裕樹 that feels reminiscent of the soundtrack to the iconic SNES RPG Chrono Trigger. “Tower Climb” brings saxophonist Nicole McCabe into the picture for another 16-bit/jazz fusion crossover further incorporating some wavy synth melodies & after the 2nd single “House Party” featuring Amanda Barise instrumentally treads funkier waters, “The Space Between Worlds” takes it back to the combination of jazz fusion & 16-bit reminding me of something outta the earlier Sonic the Hedgehog games.

Kicking off the 2nd half of his debut, “Dance of the Twin Bees” retains those 2 styles I had mentioned earlier for a colorful composition until “Hidden Power” hits us with a rush of synthesizers emphasizing the 16-bit side of things. The 3rd & final single “Tallinn Massage Chair” featuring nu jazz duo Sungazer was conceived after coming across a weirdly shaped massage chair at a hotel in Tallinn, Estonia when they were touring but once “EDBM” featuring drummer Dana Hawkins & bassist Evan Marien for a jazz fusion cut, the closer “Pause Menu for the Broken Hearted” finishes the Button Masher’s inaugural LP with 1 last 16-bit track.

The soundtrack to what many including myself would the greatest Mario game of all-time Super Mario World has been universally accepted as the pinnacle of 16-bit, so for FlyLo to bring an artist in that vein on board the Brainfeeder roster was an exciting move & Super Button Masher definitely encapsulates Button Masher’s growth over the years. He essentially produced a half hour’s worth of jazz fusion & 16-bit mixtures taking us back to simpler times in the midst of merging nostalgia with all he’s learned throughout his career up until this point.

Score: 4/5

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Dizzee Rascal – “We Want Bass” review

Dizzee Rascal is a 41 year old MC, songwriter & producer from Bow, East London, England, United Kingdom who’s often considered a pioneer of the grime subgenre. His 2003 full-length debut Boy in da Corner under XL Recordings has been hailed as some of the best UK hip hop this millennium although Showtime & Maths + English were mildly received in comparison. Tongue ‘n Cheek launched his own label Big Dirtee Records formerly Dirtee Stank Recordings in tandem with Island Records, following it with The 5th as well as Raskit & E3 AF respectively. Don’t Take It Personal upon his Island departure was a modest declaration of independence & was intrigued by what his 9th studio LP had to offer almost a week after FTR, Kanji, Connor Mills, the current CMLL Mundial Femenil Campeon Persephone, Swerve Strickland alongside The New Level, The Brawling Birds, Mercedes Moné, Will Ospreay, La Parka, Kelani Jordan, Jackson Drake & Grayson Waller all respectively became the new RPW British Tag Team Champions, RPW British Women’s Champion, RPW British Heavyweight Champion, AEW tbs Champion, AEW World Trios Champions, AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions, AEW Women’s World Champion, AEW World Champion, AAA Latinoamericano Campeon, NXT Women’s Champion, NXT North American Champion & NXT Champion.

“Foxtrot Oscar” opens up taking inspiration from electronic dance music instrumentally talking about doing whatever he wants because he’s a rockstar whereas “VIP” hooks up a rubbery bass-line so he can boast of not having to show ID when pulling up to the club. “Hit the Spot” leans towards a house vibe for a raunchier approach topically including a cringey sample of “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent until the 3rd single “So Hot” serves a weird blend of hip house, jackin’ house, Euro house & Brazilian bass sampling “Hot in Herre” by Nelly.

Continuing from there with “On Rpt”, we have more romantic lyricism over house beats containing a bit of an R&B twist to it just before the 2nd single “C U Dance” talks about wanting to watch a woman’s dance moves over a self-produced hip house instrumental. “Don’t Say a Word” further combines hip hop & house suggesting for people to listen & follow rather than merely speaking while the grime standout “Muy Bien” aggressively gets on his hardcore shit.

“All Night” began the whole rollout in the form of this uninspired lead single talking about letting the bass blast until sunrise while the 4th & final single “What U Need” treads the bassline waters promising to give his lover whatever it is she desires. “The Baddest” goes back to the hip house side of things talking about a lean-bodied woman being the best thing he’s seen all evening while “Oh Why” rattles off a list of questions he’s had for some time.

The song “Look Twice” prepares to wrap up We Want Bass speaking of a lady who’s so beautiful that Dizzee had to double check by looking at her a 2nd time while the delightfully surprising “Ridin’ Round Slow” featuring Bun B finds the pair talking about driving around in their whips slowly so all the pussies can see them. Another favorite would be the closing track “Tell Me Why” because he’s really taking these final minutes to get some serious shit off his chest.

Would’ve never imagined Dizzee Rascal making something almost as bad as The 5th if not worse since Raskit, E3 AF & Don’t Take It Personal we’re all average at best but here we are with another low point in the grime pioneer’s discography. I completely understand the hip house, bassline, UK bass, tech house, techno bass, jackin’ house, Euro house & Brazilian bass production was meant to homage the UK club scene except it all feels repetitive & the hardcore joints all outshine the sexually charged cuts.

Score: 1.5/5

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KARRAHBOOO – “Not da 2” review

KARRAHBOOO is a 29 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who blew up in 2023 after former TNA World Champion, NXT Champion, NXT North American Champion & WWE United States Champion Trick Williams’ manager Lil Yachty signed her to Concrete Rekordz. Not only would she depart the label the following summer, but she was most notably the only artist in its brief existence who was actually talented other than Yachty himself of course. However coming off a string of guest appearances, she’s ready to make a broader introduction to the world with her official debut extended play.

“Inside the Booth” produced by Coupe talks about needing space from her clingy partner because she’s too high whereas “Pull a Luh Band Out” boisterously looks to walk her opps like dogs over a bell-driven trap instrumental. The lead single “No Hook” talks about being ready to drop for a minute & her past issues with Concrete embracing the Detroit sound just before the 2nd single “WYD?” hops on top of this cloudy Take a Daytrip beat describing a guy who’s constantly hitting her up.

Monaleo appears for the off-kilter “W.Y.O. (Whatever You Want)” taking shots at their completion over some buzzing synthesizers & hi-hats just before “Patched It Up” featuring Lil Yachty gets more in detail about their beef being squashed. “Make Her Dance” featuring k3 hits us with my least favorite guest appearance of the 4 which sucks because I don’t mind the sinister atmosphere while the 3rd &!final single “Keep Up w Me” featuring Zukenee makes up for it talking about learning from their mistakes & needing no pity.

“Swerve” wraps up the final moments of Not da 2 cautioning that anyone who fucks with her will wind up dead in the ocean & not being shy whenever money’s involved while “Understand Me” discusses being misunderstood, blocking out all the hate from the type of individuals who envy her & chasing the bag for her family’s sake. “Do U 1 Better” spends the remaining 115 seconds of the EP talking about upstaging everyone with her mother providing a sweet spoken word bit during the outro.

I’m fairly certain Mercury Records & Republic Records will do much more for KARRAHBOOO’s career than Concrete Rekordz ever did in the short amount of time she was signed to Yachty, but Not da 2 fell somewhat short of my expectations & hope for her full-length studio debut to be much grander statement in her discography. She does her part telling the world where she’s at in her life right now bringing a few guests on board who mostly kill it except the production choices could’ve been better.

Score: 2.5/5

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The Go – “Free Electricity” review

The Go was a garage rock revival band from Detroit, Michigan formed by frontman Bobby Harlow, guitarist/bassist John Krautner & drummer Marc Fellis. They would go on to release a total of 5 full-lengths including their 1999 debut Whatcha Doin’? under Sub Pop Records as well as the sophomore effort Supercuts& their eponymous 3rd album. Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride & Fiesta, disbanding after the latter. A 6th studio LP however dating all the way back to 2000 has been authorized by Sub Pop & hearing they initially shelved it for being too “uncommercial” at the turn of the millennium only to dig it out of the vaults was intriguing to hear.

The title track fires it all up with an intro reminiscent of proto-punk bands MC5 & The Stooges pleading for his partner to let out the love she has for him whereas “Secular Century Man” takes a more lo-fi garage rock approach singing about the trials awaiting beyond a set of gates. “All Dimensions Are Loose” continues to take heavier inspiration from MC5 & The Stooges making a statement regarding freedom of expression & after “Peacock’s Angel” sings over these buzzing guitar tones about ready to blow your mind with a great time, “Pharaoh’s Tomb” reaches the halfway point with a free jazz-influenced ode to the late Pharoah Sanders.

“Into Outer Space” kicks off the 2nd half of Free Electricity on a more tranquil note pleading for this woman to brought back home leading into “Turnin’ On” fusing glam & punk rock despite the subject matter heading towards a more sexual direction. “Blood Red Sun” would easily be my least favorite song here due to the unnecessary length on top of the repetitiveness but once “Muthers of the Earth” hooks up some psychedelic guitar tones for a peaceful Mother’s Day anthem, “Golden Dawn” concludes the album we should’ve gotten after Whatcha Doin’? with 1 last garage rock jam singing about a sunflower making you feel alright.

Supercuts & self-titled were ok largely because they didn’t really explore beyond the garage rock revival style when Free Electricity was shelved, so I really felt like things would’ve looked differently had Sub Pop Records let The Go release it as originally planned because it deserves it’s spot with the likes of Whatcha Doin’? & Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride as the top 3 most crucial offerings in their catalog. The production’s significantly jazzier compared to their debut although there are moments that have the same acid garage rock revival feeling as it’s predecessor, drawing additional inspiration from the late spiritual/free jazz icon Sun Ra.

Score: 4/5

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