EARTHGANG – “EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm 3: Perfect Fantasy” review

Olu & WowGr8 also known as the Atlanta, Georgia duo the EARTHGANG closing out the EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm trilogy with their 7th EP. Starting out a little over a decade ago dropping 3 mixtapes along with 2 albums & an EP independently, this resulted in J. Cole signing them to his Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records in 2017. This resulted in a trilogy of EPs leading up to their major label debut Mirrorland, which revealed themselves to be one of the best artists that the label has to offer. They went on to give their Spillage Village collective some shine by dropping their 4th album Spilligion on Dreamville the next year & Ghetto Gods further cemented them as the 2nd best signing on the roster behind J.I.D of course. EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm: R.I.P. Human Art last fall severed ties with Interscope to solely stay with Dreamville & gave insight on EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm 2: Robophobia about the technological advancements we’ve seen in recent years, but Perfect Fantasy is all trying it in together.

“Godly” starts off on some relaxing boom bap shit courtesy of Blur frontman & Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn alongside Olu himself encouraging to never see yourself through someone else’s lenses & dancing with the devil feeling all up in their element whereas the psychedelically cavernous duet “Deep Blue” featuring Little Dragon shows a melodic side to the EARTHGANG singing about not wanting to implode on the ocean floor. “U Gotta” produced by The Neptunes is easily my favorite song on here even if it was made in 2021 telling their partners to get theirs & after the pop rap single “Love You More” featuring T-Pain, the sample-driven “Zone” talks being here 1 day & gone the next.

Cochise joins Dr. Dot & Johnny Venus on “Electric” dabbling with rage beats likening themselves to Pikachu or Zeus zapping muhfuckas leading into the inebriating club banger “In My Mind” talking about liquid sunshine trickling through their blinds & having magic in their fingertips putting a couple galaxies in a clip. After the “Robophobia” skit, the final song “Red Flag” finishes the EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm saga reflecting on bad relationships over this psychedelic guitar for nearly 5 minutes.

Informed by their passion for Japanese culture, EARTHGANG vs. the Algorithm 3: Perfect Fantasy combines these 9 new songs with the last couple EPs paying homage to a lot of different eras. All 3 installments as a whole cohesively explores the effects of AI on society by questioning the ways advanced technologies are consuming our lives & dreaming of an alternate universe where humans could live more freely.

Score: 3.5/5

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Tyler, The Creator – “Chromakopia” review

Ladera Heights emcee, singer/songwriter, producer, actor, visual artist, designer & comedian Tyler, The Creator releasing his 7th full-length studio LP on a Monday to start off the Halloween 2024 week. Blowing up about 15 years ago as the de facto leader of Odd Future, his evolution both artistically & personally since the collective’s disbandment in 2015 has truly been amongst the most fascinating ones I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime going from the bratty edginess of Bastard & Goblin to the undeniable maturity & versatility shown on Flower Boy & Igor. T’s last album Call Me If You Get Lost happened to be his best lyrically and a year & a half after The Estate Sale EP, we’re now entering Chromakopia.

“St. Chroma” produced with Inflo introduces us to the titular character representing where Tyler’s at personally & artistically pulling from experimental hip hop, west coast hip hop, industrial hip hop, neo-soul & neo-psychedelia whereas “Rah Tah Tah” throws it back to the Cherry Bomb era instrumentally talking about how she ain’t ever meet anyone like him. “Noid” mixes experimental hip hop, psychedelic rock, west coast hip hop, zamrock, rap rock, neo-soul, hardcore hip hop, psychedelic soul & neo-psychedelia tackling themes of paranoia prior to “Darling, I” sampling “Vivrant Thing” by Q-Tip to talk about him continuing to fall in love.

As for “Hey Jane”, we have T over this calming beat imagining what it would be like if his romantic partner Jane got pregnant even though neither of them were anticipating the pregnancy just before the colorful “I Killed You” breaks free from external pressures, toxic relationships, or outdated versions of himself. “Judge Judy” breaks down the story of a fleeting relationship with a woman named Judy bringing a nostalgic summer atmosphere to the table just before “Sticky” featuring Glorilla, Lil Wayne & Sexyy Red flips “Get Buck” by Young Buck explaining how shit’s getting out here.

“Take Your Mask Off” hooks up these prominent synthesizers & pianos hoping listeners find themselves while “Tomorrow” goes for a minimal sound altogether addressing his fear of aging. “Thought I Was Dead” featuring ScHoolboy Q & additional mixing from Romil Hemnani fuses hardcore hip hop, west coast hip hop, experimental hip hop, industrial hip hop, aquacrunk, fanfare & grime for a boisterous manifesto of his mentality later addressing people criticizing him for what he said about Columbia Records labelmate Ian during his SpringHill interview although the mixed reception of Goodbye Horses proved his point.

The pianos that start “Like Him” ahead of the psychedelic influences kicking in during the other half are stunning feeling like he’s chasing a ghost & wanting to know if he looks like his father while “Balloon” featuring Doechii samples “I Wanna Rock (Boo Boo)” by 2 Live Crew leader Uncle Luke so they can air this bitch out since both of them are at the top of the room. “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” finishes Tyler’s 4th consecutive classic by talking about vulnerability, self-awareness & personal growth over more synths & pianos while the deluxe run’s sole bonus track “Mother” recalls stories of his mom.

Breaking his traditional 2-year cycle of releasing music, Chromakopia to me is pretty much a mature refinement of Cherry Bomb. The experimentation within his production ventures beyond west coast hip hop in favor of neo-soul, hardcore hip hop, synth-funk, neo-psychedelia, progressive soul, rap rock, zamrock, industrial hip hop, aquacrunk, fanfare & grime so he can battle with the shades of maturity as the once colorful glee of ambition & youth withers away with his maturity. His mother Bonita Smith’s advice throughout keeps Tyler’s “light” alive, guiding him through the greatest hurdles in adulthood.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Tha Myth Who Never Quit 3” review

Tha God Fahim dumpin’ his 46th EP not even 48 hours after Tha Myth Who Never Quit 2. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as 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. But dude has been on a CRAZY ass EP run in 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike Shabb, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth. Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & more recently Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. It’s been 5 years since Tha Myth Who Never Quit & to hear a trilogy chapter was coming had me hoping it’d reach the bar that the predecessor from earlier in the week had set.

“Becareful What You Wish For” samples a woodwind to kick off Tha Myth Who Never Quit 3 telling everyone to be careful what they wish for because they just might get it whereas “Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap” adds another victory to his winning streak over a raw boom bap instrumental. “Genki Dama” soulfully lets it known that the only way to come at him his correct while “Tha Deadzone” works in more kicks & snares making the ground break with his power level.

As for “A Lot on My Mind”, we have Fahim talking about this life shit being something going for a mellow boom bap vibe to the beat just before “100 Proof” drops new school jewels sampling soul music once again. “Absolute” hooks up some crooning vocals going all out & not because he grew up struggling, but then “It Ain’t Free” rawly yet atmospherically creates memories in the form of him dumpin’.

“Tha Legend Continues” pushes towards the final moments of the latest entry in Tha Myth Who Never Quit series crossing over chipmunk soul & boom bap warning that the studio isn’t a safe place whatsoever as soon as he steps in the booth & lastly, “Whippersnapper” finishes Breadrick Douglas’ 2nd body of work this week on the hardcore tip flexing no one can catch up with him & he’s etched in history.

3 albums in a whole month & I came away from Tha Myth Who Never Quit 3 enjoying it almost as much as Tha Myth Who Never Quit 2 since it reached my expectations, maybe a tad bit more since they’re both neck-&-neck for Fahim’s best offering of 2024. Nicholas Craven’s soul-heavy boom bap production matched with the hungry lyricism from the previous chapters are carried over & elevated even further.

Score: 4.5/5

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Lyrics Born – “Goodbye, Sticky Rice” review

Lyrics Born is a 52 year old MC, songwriter & producer born in Tokyo, Japan & raised in Berkeley, California notable for being a member of the Quannum Projects collective under the original moniker Asia Born for nearly 3 decades. His 2003 solo debut Later That Day… became an underground classic within the west coast hip hop scene, following it up with the Epitaph Records-backed sophomore effort Everywhere at Once & 6 more albums through his own label Mobile Home Recordings since. However, he’s looking to move on to the next chapter by dropping his 9th & final album.

“What Dreams are Made Of” starts with a g-funk instrumental from Lench Mob Records in-house producers Hallway Productionz telling everyone to remember who they are instead of who they used to be whereas “Take It 2 Far” talks about being unable to quit smoking & drinking keeping the gangsta funk vibes rollin’. “Smokin’ with My Lady” is another g-funk banger that’s dedicated to puffin’ zaza with his wife Joyo Velarde, but then “Gyrlz” featuring The Egyptian Lover discusses their love for women over som funky bass-licks.

Latyrx gets together on the smooth “It Might Not Be Love” telling their romantic interests that there’s something in-between them just before the synth-driven “Shades of Jade” admits to struggling with loneliness. “Beautiful DJ” fuses reggae & hip hop telling a female DJ to play that 1 song for him while the spacey “If Ur Down, I’m Down” talks about Joyo checking off all the boxes in his eyes. “Can We Still Be Friends?” hops over another g-funk asking this woman if they can remain cordial & “Live Your Life (Without Permission)” ends with him staying true.

To cap off his solo career, Lyrics Born throws a funky & messy going-away party for himself pulling good-time ’80s R&B & funk music that brought him comfort as a youth & during the pandemic ahead of him shifting his focus to bettering his health. He’s having fun lyrically & Hallway Productionz during the 35 minute listening experience cohesively recaptures the essence of the west coast g-funk subgenre that dominated the ‘90s.

Score: 4/5

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Kembe X – “It’s Not That Deep” review

This is the 3rd EP from Chicago, Illinois emcee & Top Dawg Entertainment affiliate Kembe X. Getting his start over a decade ago with the debut EP Soundtrack II Armageddon & the debut mixtape Self Rule, his profile would continue to grow off the strength of the debut LP Talk Back as well as an eponymously titled 2nd EP & the sophomore effort I Was Depressed Until I Made This. His comeback effort from this spring Sleep Paralysis produced by Hippie Sabotage became his most acclaimed work & raised expectations for It’s Not That Deep.

“national anthem” starts with some guitars that transitions into a trap instrumental talking about everyone wanting to see him fall whereas “Death & Taxxxes” works in this dynamic beat with a Drill-influenced at the start ahead of a trap direction during the other explaining that you don’t need shrooms to trip with him. “i’m kool” psychedelically gets as smooth as he wants to while the standout “Introverted Extrovert” featuring Ab-Soul discusses the exact characteristic.

Moving on from there, the bombastic “Air Bae” flexes he’s been everywhere just before “British” featuring T.F woozily find both of them clowning everyone else for being as sweet as they are. “spilled milk” has a upbeat trap vibe assuring he’s got ya & “Neck on the Loose” aggressively promises to clap this adversary next time they link. “arizona summer Hope” ends the EP on an acoustic note singing that chick be seeing ghosts.

Sleep Paralysis noticeably stood out amongst the rest of his discography for taking a more personal approach than some of his previous work & It’s Not That Deep continues towards that trajectory since he used to resent the fact he’s always been the type of person that’s always tryna make shit deep except he’s now at a point where he’s having fun with it. Even if it’s only for a brief moment.

Score: 3.5/5

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Tha Eastsidaz – “Still Easty” review

Tha Eastsidaz are a trio from Long Beach, California consisting of Big Tray Deee, Goldie Loc & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg. At the beginning of the current millennium, they would put out a classic eponymous full-length debut album through Doggystyle Records & TVT Records followed by Duces ‘n Trayz: The Old Fashioned Way & That’s My Work 4. A decade after the previously mentioned debut mixtape, they’re reuniting for a 2nd time to sign with Death Row Records now distributed by gamma. for a debut EP.

After the “Passport” intro, the first song “Hood Been Good starts with a smooth ass west coast opener talking about how great the streets of Long Beach have been to them whereas “Groove Bacc” featuring October London takes the g-funk route instrumentally so Tha Eastsidaz can get back in their bags. “Rag Tied” produced by Rick Rock reps the group’s Crip ties just before DJ Battlecat gives “Going Down” some rap rock undertones talking about changing the game. “Watch & Chillin’” funkily classifies themselves as a lyrical threat while “Gangstafied” ends the EP detailing the gangsta life.

Tha Dogg Pound’s latest album W.A.W.G. (We All We Got) marked a return to form for the duo after the commercial-heavy vibes of DPG 4 Life & Danny Boy announced a few months ago that he had returned to Death Row, so it was only a matter of time until Tha Eastsidaz did & they gave us a bangin’ EP ahead of their upcoming LP on the label. The production sticks with the prominent west coast sound of their previous material & I like they didn’t have any guests other than Snoop on 4 cuts.

Score: 4/5

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Heaven & Miztica – “Deathpression & Inhumanity” review

This is a brand new double disc collaborative album from Russian duo Heaven & Miztica. One of whom was already established within the European horrorcore scene by putting out a couple EPs alongside a full-length album as part of his solo discography in the early/mid 2010s & the other happened to be his close friend, music partner, a multi-talented vocalist & a highly skilled tattoo artist. Heaven sadly passed away in September 2021 due to COVID-19 complications & Scum signed the duo to Lyrikal Snuff Productionz exactly a year later, making them the label’s first international act. Deathpression & Inhumanity were later clarified to be Heaven’s final works, which made even more since when Miztica signed to LSP as a solo artist this spring.

“The Farm” starts in the form of this Hellish trap metal opener talking about the reason why both of them are alone whereas “Sorrow & Sadness” featuring Jakob Shaw finds the trio taking the boom bap route instrumentally discussing the only 2 things they have in this world. “On My Own” goes full-blown nu metal to talk about doing things themselves just before “Anger” fuses trap metal with nu metal showing off some angst.

As for “Close Your Eyes”, we have the duo returning with a nu metal edge with some hardcore rap verses leading into “Do Me a Favor” featuring Suburban Noize Records g-punk band (həd) p.e. gets everyone together for this killer rap rock/nu metal crossover throwing it back to the early 2000s. “Let Me Try” chaotically tackles the theme of death while “Where Are You?” sings about wanting to be remembered.

“No More Hell” works in some heavy guitars advising not to look at either one of them in the face since they’re ready to fly & the closer “While My Flame Burns” properly ties off the collaborative 2-disc experience with this heartfelt rap rock ballad that would not only make Heaven proud of, but Sick Jacken lays the best feature for the end on top of it.

In contrast to most of the artists on the LSP roster being known for putting a boom bap & trap spin on the horrorcore subgenre, Deathpression / Inhumanity sticks out as something completely unique blending trap metal with nu metal & rap rock during the span of a 2-disc body of work clocking in it a little over a half hour doing Heaven’s legacy justice & sparking interested in Miztica’s solo career going forward.

Score: 4/5

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Che Noir – “The Lotus Child” review

This is the 3rd full length studio LP from Buffalo emcee/producer Che Noir. Discovering her after 38 Spesh signed Che to TCF Music Group & fully produced her first 3 EPs, her Apollo Brown-produced full-length debut As God Intended & then her self-produced 4th EP After 12 during the 2nd half of 2020 where her potential began to blossom exponentially. She has since followed this up with the sophomore effort Food for Thought as well as The Last Remnants, the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Noir or Never & more recently The Color Chocolate. Almost 9 months to the day, The Lotus Child has finally arrived.

“Shadow Puppet” is a soulful, jazzy self-produced opener talking about being unable to appreciate the sun until being in the shadows whereas “Black Girl” featuring Rapsody takes the boom bap route instrumentally allowing them to uplift African American women as a whole. “Sister Act” maintains a dusty edge to the beat teaching lessons from a student of the game just before “Guns & Roses” featuring 38 Spesh keeps the sampling in tact rubbing clean money into the faces of doubters.

Starting the other half, “Jodie Landon” comes through with an angelic boom bap vibe to the beat talking about the light guiding us all while “Wis Love” shifts into a cloudier direction paying tribute to her husband. “Choices” has to be one of the most passionate moments on the entire EP reflecting on the days where she was sleeping in cars feeling hopeless, but then Statik Selektah fuses gospel & boom bap on the closer “Angels” remembering her brother & cousin who were both murdered.

It was smart of Che waiting until the timing was optimum to deliver something focusing on her growth & artistry, which The Lotus Child very much achieves being 3 years in the making. Easily the most I’ve enjoyed something from her since Noir or Never. Her lyrical prowess, storytelling abilities & dexterity as a producer are all being fully realized as she raises the stakes & leaving some of the most essential cuts of her entire career along the way.

Score: 4.5/5

Rejjie Snow – “Peace 2 da World” review

Here we have the 3rd full-length studio LP from Dublin, Ireland emcee & singer/songwriter Rejjie Snow. Starting out a little over a decade ago, he went on to release the debut EP Rejovich and the debut mixtape The Moon & You ahead of the acclaimed 300 Entertainment-backed debut album Dear Annie. The sophomore effort Baw Baw Black Sheep was more moderately received in comparison & had interest in where Rejjie was gonna take it on Peace 2 da World.

“Africa” happens to be this 1-minute jazz rap opener saluting Mother Earth whereas “Karen” takes the luxurious boom bap route instrumentally referring to a middle-class woman perceived to be entitled or excessively demanding. The title track calmly advises everyone to not choose violence leading into the mellowly dusty “Tokyo Drift” addressing someone he thought came to party.

In regards to “Peekaboo”, we have Rejjie stripping the drums altogether melodically professing his love to his partner just before “I’m Yours” continuing the themes of romance offering more of a dancehall flare this time around. “Rio de Janeiro” is a pen-pal letter in the form of this dedication to the the titular Brazilian city, but then “Monkey in the Room” works in some background vocals talking about the pressure weighing on him heavy.

“Flight to Brazil” heads for trap territory playfully addressing his favorite woman while “Poofy Leaves” goes drumless again getting in tune with nature now it’s fall. “Mask On, Off” tells everyone to jump out the way & this ain’t propagated while “Grandma’s Hands” returns to the boom bap remembering his grandmother. “Snow White” closes Peace 2 da World praising the reasons for his looks over a vintage sample.

Since he’s a nomadic person, this album as a whole is a representative soundtrack to those days & the places Rejjie Snow has roamed in addition to themes of self-discovery & slowing down to focus on the important things in life. Speaking to his favorite person in the world & marking the very first time he’s made something for someone specifically, it improves on Baw Baw Black Sheep by forcing honor & challenge upon himself in ways he’s never done up until this point in his career.

Score: 3.5/5

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King Magnetic – “3rd Time’s a Charm” review

King Magnetic is a 46 year old MC from Allentown, Pennsylvania known for being 1/2 of the duo King & The Lost Cauze as well as a former member of the Army of the Pharaohs collective. Branching out in his own with the Everything’s a Gamble mixtape trilogy, he made his solo debut in the summer of 2015 with Timing is Everything which holds a special place in my heart since it came shortly following my high school graduation. Everything Happens 4 a Reason came in the spring of 2017 followed by the debut mixtape Back in the Trap & the Tone Spliff-produced sophomore tape Nobody’s Safe, the latter of which came after Magnetic’s departure from AotP due to a falling out with Vinnie Paz. Last we heard from him was a few summers ago when he dropped a 4th installment of the Everything’s a Gamble series & is returning for his 3rd album.

The title track produced by Tone Spliff is this boom bap opener starting a new building for the next floor of rap whereas “Money Call” maintains a dusty edge instrumentally delving into his business ties. “Keep One on Me” featuring Big Remo brings a soulfully raw vibe to the table courtesy of Khrysis explaining why they stay strapped while “Every Single Day” jazzily tackles the hardships of each passing day giving thanks to God.

“Rah Rah” featuring Kool G Rap brings the 2 together over this grimy beat bringing it hardcore together just before “POS” throws it back to the Back in the Trap era & I don’t mind since it’s a reminder that Mag can murder trap instrumentals too. “Where You From?” featuring Ill Conscious heads for a summery approach representing their respective home turfs, but then “Warrants” featuring John Jigg$ flexes they still out here over a soul sample.

After the Jake Palumbo remix of “Gun Charge” which I like more than the original, “Good Day” featuring Tug McGraw & Twin Gambit returns to the boom bap telling listeners that every day is good in their books while “Trust Issues” featuring Twin Gambit addresses the topic at hand over a piano flip. After the “Family Discussion” interlude, “Slow Motion” ends with Ka$h sampling some dirty south shit throwing kicks & snares in the fold getting it how he lives it.

Nobody’s Safe as a mixtape has to be right behind his first solo LP from almost a decade ago as my personal favorite in his discography although I’m sure anyone who is familiar with King Magnetic will find themselves enjoying 3rd Time’s a Charm. The guest-list is fine including a few standouts, the production is versatile whether it be boom bap or trap and dirty south & the Pennsylvania lyricist keeps it rockin’ for 40 minutes.

Score: 3.5/5

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