Eto & Flee Lord – “RocAmeriKKKa III” review

Rochester, New York emcee/producer Eto teaming with Queens emcee Flee Lord for their 3rd collaborative studio LP. Both of whom have become prolific in the modern day east coast underground hip hop scene & crossed paths with each other on several occasions over the course of time, most notably on RocAmeriKKKa in the fall of 2019 & RocAmeriKKKa II on Devil’s Night the following year. They’ve both spent the next 3 & half years continuing to carve their own paths with their solo careers, finally linking back up to finish the RocAmeriKKKa trilogy.

The intro is mostly Flee Lord hopping over a slowed down instrumental with a hint of psychedelia sprinkled in talking about coming from the state where you’re either wearing it or you’re buying it whereas “Cash Conversion” bring the pair together over a mellow yet dusty beat that Eto cooked up himself blasting anyone with no questions asked. “Digi Scales” featuring Conway the Machine works in some pianos to talk about their days moving weight while “Broken Phone Deals” hooks up a funky organ flip admitting the fast life didn’t change them.

“Kitchen” featuring NEMS maintains a boom bap vibe continuing to talk that Pyrex shit just before “Power” ominously boasting that they stay gettin’ litty without a chaperone. “Zip of Badu” featuring Vel 9 unites the trio so they can dustily talk about keeping the lips sealed during convos regarding money while “Moral of Struggle” featuring Starz Coleman takes on the message of hardships. “Self Crowned” featuring Mummz has one of my favorite instrumentals from godBLESSbeatz making the backdoor the entrance & “The Ones That Stayed” produced by DJ Green Lantern shouts out the people who never switched up.

Rather than having Eto fully handle the production by himself like he did on RocAmeriKKKa II over 4 & a half years ago, RocAmeriKKKa III takes it back the essence of the original RocAmeriKKKa by enlisting other producers to handle the musical soundscapes for a vast majority of it setting the bar of their chemistry as high as they’ve set it for their own solo careers presently when you think of them individually leveling up their craft since turning heads in the late 2010s. Be sure to catch them live at The Paramount in Los Angeles on July 18 for an exciting night for RocAmeriKKKa fans.

Score: 4/5

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Sada Baby – “The Black Tape: nWo” review

Sada Baby is a 32 year old rapper & singer from Detroit, Michigan becoming amongst Detroit trap’s biggest names in 2017 off his first couple mixtapes Skuba Sada & D.O.N. (Day One N***a). Fast forward to the beginning of 2019, he signs to Asylum Records for his 4th tape & major label debut Bartier Bounty to widespread praise. He has since put out 11 more mixtapes, with my favorites of the being being Skuba Sada 2 along with his final Asylum offering Bartier Bounty 2 & Bartier Bounty 3. A good potion of Sada’s output in recent memory since the evolution of the subgenre he helped popularize has left most divided & his 16th tape albeit Hitmaker Music Group debut had me hopeful that it would make up for some of the lackluster additions to his discography.

“nWo” named after the WWE Hall of Famers hops over a Detroit trap instrumental to talk about not having the opps in mind because he doesn’t have any whereas “Bloxkside” turns up the bass a bit flexing that he’s too real in the field to be faking shit. “Klip Hamilton” works in some bells so he can compare himself to Rip Hamilton with the stick until “Chuck Money” featuring Kamaiyah talks about knowing those who’ll die by the bankroll.

As for Konjunction Junction”, we have Sada over some pianos & hi-hats suggesting you better hit the road if you don’t pull up the show or studio if he invites you just before “Blood Kristie” refuses to fuck with the lame shit everyone else around him be celebrating. “Bitch” might have to be my least favorite track on the tape with the way he continuously repeats the word throughout leading into “Bloodmerikan Idol” keeping a gun on him since he won’t even budge to do shit the same way he did it.

“Kevin Nash” gives his flowers to the 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 5-time WWE world champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion bringing a funereal Detroit trap vibe to the table instrumentally while “Speed Run” talks about your death winding up on Google. “Spint” produced by Helluva sticks out as a highlight heavily basing itself around the concept of “slimes” being fake pieces of shit while “Eastside Orkhestra” talks about smoking a pussy with his dog.

The song “Tokyo Drift” sets of the encore of Black Tape nWo showing some Mobb undertones meshing that with the Detroit trap style he’s become widely known for bucking anyone around him who be tryna act tough when they really ain’t & after “No Lies Told” swaps out the secondary Mobb influences in favor of cloud rap counting up $150k until his phone blows up, “Malcolm Mays” atmospherically finishes with a comparison to Lou-Lou from Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

Couldn’t tell you when or if Sada plans to make a full-length debut studio album when you look at his mixtape catalog extending with the course of time, but Black Tape nWo improves on the average feedback Bridge Kard Blessings got over 2 months ago & contains some of the better material I’ve heard from the Detroit trap sensation in quite a while. The 1 guest he got compared to the 3 on the predecessor was all he really needed & he sounds the hungriest he’s been since leaving Asylum.

Score: 3.5/5

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Destroy Lonely – “See U Soon </3” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Destroy Lonely preluding his 2nd mixtape </3³ with his 12th EP. The son of former Disturbing tha Peace Records signee I-20, he’s released a total of 11 EPs since originally breaking out through SoundCloud in 2019 prior to Playboi Carti signing alone to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records to surprise drop his last tape No Stylist in light of his ongoing tour with fellow label-mate Ken Carson last summer followed by the full-length debut If Looks Could Kill. Love Lasts Forever was disappointing in comparison & hoped See U Soon </3 would at least surpass it.

“Nylon” produced by Clayco throws it back to Lone’s early days for an intro preluding his upcoming 3rd album Drop Dead Gorgeous whereas the cloudy “SDP” courtesy of Cade homages an interlude off Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight that I personally find the original version of being far superior to the shortened final version you can hear on whatever streaming platform you use.

The instrumental on “See Ur Face” kinda feels reminiscent of “Tryna Get Down” by Carti despite the themes of love while “Super Serum” keeps his head up after some personal stuff he dealt with in 2024 unbeknownst to the public. “SRTBBL” featuring Ken Carson finishes by showing a back-&-forth chemistry over a beat from F1LTHY of Working on Dying ahead of the 00pium Twins’ upcoming collab tape.

Some feel that Lone’s output since his label deal hasn’t really lived up to the hype </3 & most of those in his fanbase will find themselves satisfied with what See U Soon </3 has to offer giving a taste of what </3³ will sound like when he feels the time is right for him to put out the tape: A return to his roots musically except he has a new perspective of things since he’s gotten older & the popularity continually growing.

Score: 3.5/5

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Niko B – “people” review

Brand new EP from Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom recording artist Niko B. Starting at the very beginning of this current decade off the strength of his debut single “Marry Berry”, he popularity began to grow exponentially a few months later after putting out his next track “Who’s That What’s That” & the full-length debut album dog eat dog food world last spring being well received enough where people were recommending it to me. A whole year later, Niko’s preluding an upcoming sophomore effort by holding fans off with people.

“Hairclips” was a tight hip house intro telling this woman he’s hitting on how much he loves her hair being able to tell she doesn’t give a fuck by the way she cuts it while “I Like the Way You Talk Looking at Me” fuses hip hop with house & funk music asking if his partner enjoys how he speaks when they’re making eye contact with one another. “What Am I to Do?” rounds out peoplewith 1 more hip house jam talking about optimism being amazing from his perspective.

You know? It’s actually pretty awesome that people dropped on the same day as Little Simz’ brand new album Lotus because Niko B a lot like Simz sticks out to me as one of my favorite UK hip hop artists of the current decade. The production on this one is prominently centered around the hip house sound & you get to see a more optimistic side of Niko.

Score: 4/5

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D2X – “Boy in the Blue Hoodie” review

Chicago, Illinois emcee D2X coming off his first EP The Hunger Era last summer to put out a 2nd one. Releasing his full-length studio debut album The Color Blue in the spring of 2021 & later the sophomore effort Hotel 1105 a couple summers later. Like I said earlier: The Hunger Era was essentially a love letter to the Windy City that made him sending bigger shockwaves in the underground than his first couple LPs did & was wondering if Boy in the Blue Hoodie could reach or surpass that same level.

The harps at the start of “‘Twas the Day” are pleasant to the ear until the chipmunk soul instrumental comes in full effect making way for the Chicago MC to tell the story of a young boy’s dream & finding his peace in mine for the next album whereas “Light Up the Lake” takes a jazzier approach with the horns & a soulful sample making a love letter to a better version of himself. After the spoken word jazz “Miles Away” interlude, “Blue Ocean Water” sends off the tale of the Boy in the Blue Hoodie with a beat kin reminiscent of The Heatmakerz calling himself a future hall of famer.

Understandably, D2X’s continuation of The Hunger Era goes from paying homage to the City that made him giving the world an idea of where he’s from to a more introspective side of himself letting people inside of who he is as a person & his background. One of the coolest things Boy in the Blue Hoodie is that he balances the jazz rap sound he’s always been known for with the chipmunk soul style of production that RZA, Ye or formerly Kanye West, Just Blaze & as I mentioned earlier The Heatmakerz have all pioneered & popularized retelling his life’s story.

Score: 4.5/5

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SK da King – “No More Mr. Nice Guy” review

Baltimore, Maryland emcee SK da King returning after almost 2 years for his 3rd EP. Emerging as a member of the Checkered Flag Boyz under the original moniker Paul Skola, it wasn’t until a few years ago where he signed to Conway the Machine’s very own Drumwork Music Group as a solo act as announced by his debut single “Actions” & would go on to introduce himself to the Drumwork fanbase that fall in the form of the debut EP Horus. His full-length debut studio album Made 4 This came after Before the Album & is back once again to put his foot down saying No More Mr. Guy.

“Fuck Being Humble” was exactly how I could’ve imagined it starting off from the boom bap instrumental to the confidentially boastful lyrics never selling out unless it’s weight whereas the title track goes for a darker atmosphere so he can take the gloves off on being generous. “Not at All” switches it up in favor of a trap direction talking about putting rubber bands on the cash like lobster claws while “Hustle or Starve” grittily takes on the familiar theme of survival of the fittest.

The drums get stripped on The New King” stepping up his rhyme schemes off the dome until SK drops dime on what he’s learned in the streets & the music industry in general during “The Game 101” giving advice from his own personal experiences. “They Don’t Love You” finishes No More Mr. Nice Guy with 1 last boom bap track talking about there being nothing worse than receiving fake love from fake thugs you for everything you’ve got.

Gearing up for an upcoming sophomore effort since last summer when SK da King’s last EP Guns N Butter came out, No More Mr. Nice Guy gives me a strong feeling it could surpass Made 4 This & hopefully get more attention from heads in the underground whenever the next LP is ready. Holding the fort by himself unlike the predecessor having a few features, the penmanship of the Checkered Flag Boyz’ strongest link feels notably sharpened from when he initially signed in 2021 & the boom bap production packs a bigger punch.

Score: 3.5/5

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Masta Killa – “Balance” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee Masta Killa of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan dropping his 5th studio LP almost a decade after his last one. Becoming the final member to branch out on his own 21 years ago this weekend, No Said Date today remains the most underrated solo debut from any swordsmen with Made in Brooklyn & Selling My Soul becoming more moderately received. Loyalty is Royalty came in the fall of 2017 following numerous delays & is finding Balance ahead of the Wu’s upcoming farewell tour this summer.

“Hip Hop Forever” is a boom bap intro that Easy Mo Bee laced talking about the culture we’ve all come to know & love living eternally due to it’s global connection whereas “Eagle Claw” featuring Cappadonna & Raekwon keeps it in the basement instrumentally seeing whose sword is the sharpest. “BK Harlem” was a dope homage to 2 of the 5 boroughs of their state regardless if I wasn’t too big on Head I.C.E.’s performance, but then “Building with the Abbott” featuring & produced by RZA takes it back to Prince Rakeem’s chipmunk soul roots speaking wisdom.

As for “City”, we have Jamel Irief telling us that he’s still here doing it for what the late Guru of Gang Starr used to call “The Planet” over 3 decades ago while “Glad to Meet You” featuring Method Man & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg charmingly links up talking about catching rides instead of feelings. “It’s Been a Long Time” feels reminiscent of “Queen” off No Said Date with its romantic content leading into “Trumpets” featuring AZ, N.O.R.E. & Uncle Murda bringing some mafioso vibes.

“King Custom” continues the 2nd leg of Balance with a weird reggae/hip hop crossover that feels off-the-cuff & Jamel slightly using a fake patois almost like Drake used to on Views almost a decade ago with the only exception of it not sounding commercialized thanks to PF Cuttin’ behind the boards. The closer “Again” featuring AB Money & Big Bub is even worse, giving me flashbacks of “Trap Phone” off of Ghostface Killah’s latest album Set the Tone (Guns & Roses).

Arguably the swordsmen with the most refined flow of the entire Clan, the wise words Jamel offers with a diverse cast of MCs by his side further proves his sword is sharper than ever giving what the world & the musical universe desperately needs. The production is vintage New York hip hop at its finest & even if a couple features punch under their weight, Killa still consistently captures a wide spectrum of moods & content in a half hour.

Score: 4/5

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Rivers of Nihil – Self-Titled review

Reading, Pennsylvania progressive tech-death metal band Rivers of Nihil consisting of lead guitarist/keyboardist/programmer Brody Uttley, drummer/backing vocalist Jared Klein, rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Andy Thomas & bassist/frontman Adam Biggs returning after 4 years with an eponymous 5th LP. Signing to Metal Blade Records on my 16th birthday in 2012, their full-length debut the next fall The Conscious Seed of Light & their sophomore effort Monarchy broke their ground as a progressive tech-death outfit until Where Owls Know My Name became notable for it’s secondary djent & jazz fusion influences. The Work toned it down on the death metal elements in favor of standard prog metal & had a feeling this self-titled body of work would delve further down that rabbit hole.

“The Sub-Orbital Blues” was a tolerable progressive death metal single singing about the dichotomy of living in a 21st century society rife with scientific & technological advancements whereas “Dustman” asks if you believe what you see & being nothing but dust. “Criminals” had to be my least favorite single due to it’s meat & potatoes take on death metal, melodic metalcore & deathcore preying on innocent men while “Despair Church” promises to take the whole world away.

To end the first half, “Water & Time” encourages to let those 2 things disintegrate it leaves you alone lost in space going for a progressively melodic death metal direction just before “House of Light” ditching the melodic elements of the previously mentioned single asking for a sign to be set free told no lies. “Evidence” turns up the hostility talking about dangerous games being played with a cage, waiting at the end, but then “American Death” refuses to believe a word said & calls themselves the American Dream itself.

“The Logical End” keeps the progressive death metal hybrids going singing about building another empire right where they’re standing due to them never having to see a logical end for as long as they live the rest of their days & not fading away while the title track appropriately finishes the album asking not to breathe in a disease born from the flowers of despair, encouraging to wake up or you’ll bе swept away because of another day being lost wasted.

Setting out to bring the sounds of their previous material with all the fat cut away, Rivers of Nihil complete their mission successfully with a body of work reminiscent of The Conscious Seed of Light & Monarchy in terms of technicality with the only exception being these guys having a mature understanding of pacing or bringing a more refreshed perspective of the experimentation throughout Where Owls Know My Name & The Work respectively.

Score: 4.5/5

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A.M. Early Morning & Novatore – “Kingdom of Criminality II” review

This is the 2nd collaborative album between Chicago, Illinois emcees A.M. Early Morning & Novatore. Both of whom have been turning heads in the underground for a several years now, but didn’t actually connect with each other until “Looking Back” off the latter’s Embrace the Darkness II: Explorers of Experience produced by C-Lance. They teamed up on Kingdom of Criminality produced by Stu Bangas in 2021 & are back 4 years later with Johnny Slash producing the sequel.

“Rabbit & Elephant” opens Kingdom of Criminality II with a hardcore rap rock intro with some solemnly jazzy horns talking about their return as a duo whereas “VHS” takes the boom bap route instrumentally cautioning the apocalyptic vibes when the pistols come out. “Gore Hounds” makes a dope reference to the Prince of hip hop André 3000 making New Blue Sun a flute-heavy solo debut while “Circle of Goats II” featuring Lord Goat turns up the horrorcore influences all the way for a sequel to a standout on the predecessor.

Jarren Benton joins A.M. & Novatore on “Battleground” fuses orchestral & boom bap individually discussing the violent nature of all 3 of themselves & after “Hyenas” hooks up a soul sample likening themselves to assassins ready to take you out with snipers, “Twisted Metal” homages the video game franchise TV adaption with it’s upcoming 2nd season on the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal-owned peacock with the franchise’s mascot being played by Samoa Joe of the current AEW World Trios Champions The Opps.

“King of the Jungle” featuring Chubs angrily expresses the struggle each of them had to endure in their lives to get in the positions they’re at now while “Smurfs” obviously sounds grittier & cutthroat than the Paramount Skydance Corporation’s upcoming reboot of the franchise starring Rihanna later this summer. “Nocturnal Predators” finishes up the LP with the pair describing themselves as being those who come out during the night to attack their prey.

Looking back when I first got into these dudes individually around the same time period, Kingdom of Criminality II lives up to the expectations. I had set out for it in terms of being another great underground hip hop collab effort. It’s refreshing to hear their chemistry still flowing tightly as it did 4 years previously & Johnny Slash’s production style seamlessly compliments Stu Bangas’ on the predecessor when we had originally entered the Kingdom of Criminality.

Score: 4.5/5

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Vader – “Humanihility” review

Vader is a death metal band from Olszytn, Poland consisting of original rhythm guitarist Mauser, backup rhythm guitarist Spider, bassist Hal, drummer Michał Andrzejczyk & frontman Peter. Beginning as a more traditional heavy metal group until moving on to thrash as well as speed & finally the death metal style they’ve become known for today, their first couple albums The Ultimate Incantation & De Profundis would become the most beloved entries in their discography. MNRK Music Group signed them for Black to the Blind & joined Metal Blade Records in a 3-album deal: Litany, Revelations & The Beast. Since 2009 however, they’ve been making theirselves at home with Nuclear Blast Records by putting out their last 5 LPs Necropolis, Welcome to the Morbid Reich, Tibi et Igni, The Empire & Solitude in Madness in addition to their last 3 EPs Go to Hell!!!, Iron Times & Thy Messenger on the label. Almost 5 years since Solitude in Madness, they’re reuniting for their 9th EP & the 9th project overall since the Nuclear Blast deal.

“Genocide Designed” was a tight deathened thrash metal intro singing about being a parasitic humanoid & rotten thoughts born in the deepest pits of Hell whereas “Rampage” works in more blistering tempos, technically palm-muted riffs & rapidly shredding solos describing an eternal war. “Unbending” sends off the EP with a death metal single calling to be respected for the soul he’s become even if it’s a surrealistic plea from his perspective

For only being 3 songs & 9 minutes at length, Humanihility’s viciously old school thrash metal direction contains enough ferocity to match the traditionally neck-breaking tempos Vader has become known for in the last 4 decades. It has a more personal style to it than Solitude of Madness, fusing the death metal sound they’ve become known for in over 3 decades & mixing elements of thrash along the way to hold off fans whenever their 13th album comes.

Score: 3.5/5

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