underscores – “u” review

underscores is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & producer from San Francisco, California who dropped 6 extended plays between 2015-2020 including Trust Exercises, Grawlix, Air Freshener, Skin Purifying Treatment, We Never Got Strawberry Cake & Character Development!. Her full-length debut Fishmonger would follow as would Boneyard a.k.a. Fearmonger & the sophomore effort Wallsocket, the latter 2 being widely considered as her greatest work. Coming off the Covergirl: Originally by Sonny EP in 2024 & of course producing a few tracks for Danny Brown’s 7th album Stardust this past fall though, she’s signing to Mom + Pop Music her 3rd studio LP.

“Tell Me (U Want It)” begins with a self-produced electropop, dance-pop, hyperpop, complextro & slimepunk single that she considers “Music for my iPhone spy movie” singing about direct communication in a relationship whereas “Music”blends electropop, hybrid trap, hyperpop future bass, bubblegum bass, colour bass & pop rap sampling “Gunk” off Fishmonger singing about feeling the harmony. “Hollywood Forever” issues a clear statement that she doesn’t want to be buried in the titular cemetery while “The Peace” goes a capella to talk about not speaking unless spoken to.

The late SOPHIE & Arca are both key inspirations of “Innuendo (I Get U)” confessing to part of her hope she can understand this person she’s addressing leading into “Lovefield” hypnotically mourns a type of love that was unrewarded. “Do It” combines electropop, dance-pop, contemporary R&B, complextro & electro house singing about not committing to a relationship due to the riskiness of it but once she sensss a “Bodyfeeling” she doesn’t tell her partner of, “Wish U Well” ends the album wanting nothing the best out of a woman who moved on.

Expanding the intricately high impact world continuing to be built by its own creator, Mom + Pop introduces underscores as part of their roster by presenting the most accessible entry in her entire catalog & what I’m sure will be amongst 2026’s most lauded opuses. Her songwriting’s more emotionally charged than everything she’s done previously & the electropop production culminates many different era of career. More specifically the styles of electronic dance music, dance-pop, alt-pop, future bass, bubblegum bass, hybrid trap & hyperpop.

Score: 4.5/5

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BTS – “Arirang” review

BTS is a boy band from Seoul, South Korea consisting of RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jin, Jung Kook, V & Jimin. Their full-length debut Dark & Wild under Bighit Music & the HYBE Corporation was moderately received although Wake Up & Youth both proved to be less favorable, bouncing back with Wings & dividing audiences again by dropping Face Yourself a couple years later. Love Yourself: Tear as well as Map of the Soul: 7 & BE would continue to polarize the musical spectrum, reuniting following the completion of their military service for their 9th album.

“Body to Body” gets things going with this k-pop/pop rap intro expressing the lustful desires towards their romantic interests whereas “Hooligan” talks about acting a fool again & wanting everyone to watch these beat go crazy. “Aliens” fuses trap with the k-pop & pop rap sounds thanks to Mike WiLL Made-It confidently assuring the world that this’ll be one of the biggest jams of the year just before “FYA” produced by Diplo & Flume sings about a woman willing to dance on fire.

Pluss & Mike WiLL run it back with BTS on “2.0” pulling inspiration from trap once again so they can remind everyone of how they do but after the “#29” interlude, “Swim” sings to their lovers about spending their lives watching them & how they’d only want to be beside them. Tame Impala gives “Merry Go Round” a bit a synthpop vibe realizing their lives are broken rollercoasters only they themselves can blame for it while “Normal” sings about what they would like to consider the usual

“Like Animals” continues the 2nd half of Arirang with this atmospheric pop ballad assuring the love of their lives to eat this life until their hearts are full while “they don’t know ‘bout us” combines elements of trap along with pop rap & k-pop singing about people not knowing shit regarding them. After asking “1 More Night” to stay with their partners, “Please” makes it clear to them that they’ll take another step closer when the world falls apart & the final song preceding the “Armyrang” outro ends by singing about following their loved ones “Into the Sun”

It was funny to see the “Dynamite” music video being included during season 10 of MTV’s hit series Beavis & Butt-head on Paramount+ preceding their move to Comedy Central, but I’ve never considered myself a fan of BTS’ music outside of that & Arirang achieves the expectations of becoming the most enjoyably consisting LP they’ve ever made. Their k-pop style secondarily explores the sounds of pop rap, alt-pop, trap, synthpop, pop, experimental hip hop & contemporary R&B for a reunion that offers a glimpse of new perspectives.

Score: 3.5/5

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KiD CuDi – “Have U BN 2 Heaven @ Nite?” review

Brand new extended play from Cleveland, Ohio rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, actor, fashion designer, model, director & filmmaker KiD CuDi. Blowing up in 2008 off his debut mixtape A KiD Named CuDi as well as his songwriting credits on his mentor Ye formerly known as Kanye West’s 4th album 808s & Heartbreak, his profile from there would increasingly grow off his groundbreaking debut & sophomore albums Man on the Moon: The End of the Day & Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. But following the self-produced & overlooked Indicud, CuDi would leave G.O.O.D. Music amicably to form his own Republic Records imprint Wicked Awesome Records. Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon though was mediocre at best & who could forget when CuDi attempted to go alt-rock on the critically panned Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven? Luckily he would redeem himself on his next effort Pain & Demon Slayin’ in 2016 along with the self-titled album from him & Ye as the duo KIDS SEE GHOSTS couple summers later & even Man on the Moon III: The Chosen the day after my 24th birthday despite it’s blatantly heavy Travis Scott influence. Entergalactic was released mixed reviews as was INSANO, but I enjoyed how both LPs took it back to his roots along with mixing old & new sounds together respectively. INSANO 2: NITRO MEGA continued the energy of its predecessor. Free came out last summer & found myself disappointed by it although I appreciate him going for a poppier sound, posing the question of Have U BN 2 Heaven @ Nite? a month after Trey Miguel defeated Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo to become the new TNA International Champion.

“Real Ones Never Die” starts us off with some wavy synthesizers & acoustics remind us all of the legitimate lasting for eternity whereas “Drown” produced by BNYX of Working on Dying goes full pop rock singing about an evil awaiting him. “Halos & Angels” reunites with his WZRD cohort Dot da Genius blending neo-psychedelia & alternative R&B looking to get his mind right while “Ride Ride” ends with a peacefully climatic outro he self-produced culminating in the styles of alternative R&B, neo-psychedelia & pop rap.

75% of this EP was already released as singles & considering that all 3 of them were bangers to me anyway, I knew I’d come away from Have U BN 2 Heaven @ Nite? enjoying it more than Free & it makes me anticipate his upcoming 12th album more than I initially was prior to listening to this although I’d love for BNYX to do an entire project with him eventually. The production’s a huge improvement above the latter album mixing alternative R&B, neo-psychedelia, pop rap & pop rock capturing his range as an artist rather than sticking to 1 particular sound & we get a look at where he is now that he’s no longer on a major label.

Score: 3.5/5

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17&18 – “OuttaWack” review

17&18 are a duo from Detroit Michigan consisting of C.R.I.M. & Forever Foy. One of whom I met in 2021 at the release party for Fatt Father’s 5th album Soccer Dad produced by Middle Finger Music co-founder Foul Mouth & the other began his career a year later, starting up his own label Forever & a Day Entertainment too. Crossing paths with each other at a show towards the backend of 2024, they’ve since been plotting to make their introduction & have dropped their full-length studio debut to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

“No Direction” starts us off having both members trading cutthroat bars with each other over a piano instrumental whereas “Higher Than You” moves on from there on some eerier shit, with C.R.I.M. talking about working for everything she has & Foy confessing to being a manic depressive since an adolescent. “Not Rain” hooks up a cumbersome boom bap beat speaking of manifesting everything that draws to them prior to the ghostly “DNT CRY” advising not to shed any tears for them.

Reaching the halfway point, “The Bad Guy” instrumentally kinda has a funkier vibe to it talking about being in their villain eras for their own betterment while “Please Dont Roll Up My Window” greatly explains that they’re staying underground because the mainstream’s too compact these days. “Nobody Cares” however goes drumless so they can make it clear that people really don’t give a shit about how much others complain or pray.

“Total Annihilation” became the very moment that 17&18 were born spitting hardcore verses over this bloodcurdling beat while “RapCamp Retreat” featuring Beezy Brown, Blizzard & Jay Hemlock as well as “We Gotta Be Close” featuring J. Santino, Jenn Foy, Lyric Bell & SongByrd finishes OuttaWack with 2 different posse cuts. 1 clocking at 5 minutes taking a more hard of approach & the other at 6, except it ties everything together on a more endearing note.

I haven’t really heard much of Forever Foy’s material up to this point but knowing C.R.I.M. for almost 5 years already, I wanted to give OuttaWack a chance & it gives me an understanding regarding why they formed 17&18 since this isn’t too far behind from Bill & Isiah’s eponymous 2023 debut in terms of recent Motor City pairings. Both of them team up in the studio dismissing anything what either of them would consider a bad idea without judgement or sense of feeling embarrassed.

Score: 3.5/5

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Bernadette Price & Terror Van Poo – “Kissing the Ground for Sinners” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee & Ruck Down Records CEO Bernadette Price teaming up with local artist Terror Van Poo & Boston, Massachusetts producer Stu Bangas for a new collaborative extended play. The widow of the late Sean Price of the Boot Camp Clik & Heltah Skeltah, she’s made a few appearances on songs in the past whether it be her late husband’s posthumous offering Imperius Rex or even with the likes of RJ Payne, Rim, the Snowgoons, Ruste Juxx & Vic Spencer. She finally made her solo debut last spring with A Widow’s Cry & to commemorate what would’ve been Ruck’s 54th birthday, it only makes sense for her & Terror to drop Kissing the Ground for Sinners.

After the intro, “Burden of Proof” starts with both of them hopping over a boom bap instrumental to talk about these rappers being bitches & masking it by claiming they’re real whereas “Big Trouble” eerily cautions that they got the gunplay as well as the street credit. “Trust in God” has a creepier vibe to the beat talking about having more faith in Higher Power & their guns more than people leading into “Food” featuring Leanah Cane aggressively proclaiming there to be no one nicer than them.

“Fuck You” gets the 2nd half of the EP going by giving middle fingers to everybody & instrumentally embracing a somber tone just before “Gunn Butt” jazzily talks about them having the ability to change perceptions overnight. The title track finds both of them looking to smoke any & all clowns who come in their direction while “Brownsville O.G.” blends a piano sample with some kicks & snares representing their stomping grounds to end the EP.

Terror Van Poo already had a few appearances on A Widow’s Cry almost a year earlier, so the idea of him doing an entire EP with Bernadette Price rapping over Stu Bangas production to honor her late husband’s legacy seemed like it could that LP & it sure enough does. Stu’s beats here hit significantly harder than Kissing the Ground for Sinners’ predecessor & we get a look at the artistic chemistry between both New Yorkers rather than continuing to present what Sean’s widow can offer as a solo artist.

Score: 4.5/5

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SHVMIRE – “Eyes Wide Shut” review

This is the 4th extended play from Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer SHVMIRE. Dropping his debut EP 333 ❤ as well as a full-length debut Reclusive Poet he primarily self-produced and the Saxophones & Sex EP in 2024, he would eventually make his return this past Christmas Eve releasing his previous EP Grinch’n. Almost 3 months later, he’s continuing to take a backseat behind the boards & tell more stories of the masked hooded figure with a blue face & a closed yellow eye named ANU by putting out Eyes Wide Shut.

“Broadway & Canal St.” begins with this drumlessly jazzy beat explaining that everyone having the right to brag because it’s all facts whereas “Fidelio” featuring Nuemoney718 soulfully talks about what happens when pussy’s at stake. “Black Gatsby” chops up more chipmunk soul samples suggesting that everyone listening finds their passion while “Press Play” featuring Action Figure 973 talks about how shit gets real in the east coast.

Nuemoney returns for “The Shining” using proper grammar to speak of money continuing to rely on sampling instrumentally & “Mota y Platanos” also featuring Nuemoney references the current 4-time TNA World Tag Team Champion, 2-time HoG Tag Team Champion & the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy. “Auntie Margaret’s Soul Food” soulfully talks about how he’s only warming up while “Uncle Elroy’s Pie” welcomes anyone looking for a fix to his humble spot.

“Broken Mirrors” winds down Eyes Wide Shut’s last few moments clarifying that he’s in his 4th season who’s still commencing his reclusive style of hip hop rather than being a rookie & the beat feels like something out of a improvised jazz band session while “Follow the Light” is ties it all up with this celebratory closer firing off rapid flows talking about him thinking in double time these days & that he’s closer to God after stepping towards this brightness he’s referring to.

Known for blending gritty hip hop with jazz-influenced textures & surreal film-like energy, Eyes Wide Shut leans fully into that vision by pairing music with darkly immersive visuals inspired by secrecy as well as power & hidden worlds. The end result is SHVMIRE’s greatest solo material thus far. He uses ANU as both an alter ego much like what one of my top 10 producers of all-time Madlib has previously done with Quasimoto & a storytelling device where everything connects, which is exemplified by the cohesive transitions.

Score: 4/5

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72 Reezy – “Slide or Get Slid On” review

New surprise mixtape from Detroit, Michigan underground trap musician, model & influencer 72 Reezy. Recording music when he was only 6 & becoming distinct in Detroit trap for his numerous flows, he caught the attention of the city’s biggest groups in recent memory the ShittyBoyz signed to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records & became a member of their Dog $hit Militia collective. His debut extended play Drop $hit Militia had its moments, but hearing Danny G was fully producing Slide or Get Slid On & Shadow Wizard Money Gang hosting it raised my expectations significantly almost a week after Izzi Dame became the new NXT Women’s North American Champion.

“Whole Lotta Bullets” featuring VampViolence starts us off by having both of them decently trading the mic back-&-forth with each other whereas “Coffee Cups” picks things back up with a Detroit trap instrumental talking about carrying that exact amount of cough syrup on him similarly to a canteen, which has never been my thing personally. “Get Yo Roll On” includes a great bar towards the halfway point honoring the late Detroit icon Blade Icewood leading into “Militia Bidness” featuring Babytron representing the D$M.

As for “CatDog”, we have Danny G bringing some bells into the picture for Reezy to talk about his preference for bisexual women because he’s a dog while “Chill Damon” featuring LOM Rudy decently brings both of them together to trade verses with each other. I wasn’t head over heels for “Whole Chirp” featuring Pooh Chedda & Plymouth WAN either although I do like the beat, but “Win Slow” picks things back up using some wordplay involving the Warner Bros.-owned Family Matters series.

“Gooner” wraps up Slide or Get Slid On’s last moments boasting that he has more chains than one of hip hop’s greatest storytellers in Slick Rick while “Fast Food” featuring $kid puts a psychedelic spin to the Detroit sound although $kid’s appearance would have to be my 2nd favorite right behind Tron of course. “Bambu” finishes the tape hopping over a rattling bassline talking about his joint being filled with dank & hearing that everyone else has been rolling swishers.

I stand by the praise I’ve given Danny G in the past for his production on TR Dee’s 4th mixtape Crunch Time and $weet-T’s 3rd album $weet & Silent Dan. That said: Slide or Get Slid On wound up leaving me on the fence a lot like WTF Daniel!? did this last Halloween. There’s nothing wrong with Danny’s production since he & Jakesand are amongst my personal favorite producers within the modern Detroit trap scene, although the features leave little to be desired for me other than a couple of them & Reezy’s performances have improved.

Score: 3/5

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billi0n – “Revenge” review

This is the debut mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia rapper billi0n. A member of the ØWay collective, he would properly himself last year off his debut EP Heavy after signing to 10K Projects, he would follow it up with both Bravo Bill & then Not Playin’ in the summer, dropping the other 2 extended plays a couple months apart from each other. I also enjoyed his appearances on The XA Tape, returning 7 months after Not Playin’ looking for some Revenge this Friday the 13th.

“Skyrim” begins with him hopping over a hypertrap instrumental referencing the greatest entry across the entire Elder Scrolls franchise whereas “Elite” fuses hypertrap & psychedelia talking about making the baddest bitch pray to God. “Nøt Guilty” continues to hit us with more rage beats talking about his daughter casually chopping shit up with the glizzy prior to “The Grudge” blending some synthesizers & 808s so he can boast that he’s out in New York City.

Meanwhile on “Sleigh Bells”, we have billi0n talking about how all these muhfuckas can get it & he isn’t referring to the bitches at all just before “Jordan Belført” featuring diamond* sees the 2 throwing red & blue tips out the dumper together. “Max It” featuring Yung Fazo leans towards a futuristic trap vibe instrumentally talking about doing whatever it is they’re charged for leading into “Elephant” wrapping up the 1st leg boisterously breaking down his entire lifestyle.

“Sex Symbol” starts the 2nd half talking about a woman who has some kind of twisted power over men & being at the point in his life where’s starting to get fed up with smoking weed while “Impressed” fuses trap & chipmunk soul to explain that his pockets lookin’ stereotypical in as well as having no time to be tender. “10 Floors Up” featuring Diorvsyou & Tezzus finds the trio mobbin’ over an industrial trap beat while “Conditions of Love” talks about being ready to fuck heads up.

To kick off the 4th quarter, “Daydreamin’” chops up a blissful vocal sample admitting that he fell asleep whilst sippin’ paint because he stays dirty while “Spendin’ a Ticket (Adin Ross)” energetically talks about having no problems smacking up anyone who snitches on his crew. “Bonus Freestyle” goes off the top for a minute & a half flexing that he copped a bag without checking the price of it while “Øn the Road” saves the tape’s final verse for Pz’, praying that all the mobsters & killers keep it legitimate with him.

Receiving a co-sign from local trap trailblazer Young Thug yesterday & considering the fact that he’s already signed the Uy Scuti Boyz a.k.a. diamond* & Tezzus to YSL Records already, it wouldn’t surprise me if billi0n joins the label once he fulfills his 10K Projects contract & surpasses all of his early EPs he’s given us prior to this tape in terms of quality. He’s said to drop another LP later this year called Metalhead & if he continues to refine himself artistically like he did after getting his Revenge, then it could be a superior sophomore effort.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mickey Factz – “The Plague” review

Mickey Factz is a 33 year old MC/producer from The Bronx, New York who broke out 2 decades ago off his debut mixtape In Search of the N*E*R*D. He would go on to drop 14 more tapes until Nottz produced his full-length debut The Achievement: Circa ‘82 under Soulspazm Records celebrating it’s 10-year anniversary this fall, dropping a few more full-lengths & mixtapes afterwards. Coming off 1 Above All & the Tru Crime trilogy of disses directed at Tru Life however, he’s returning for his 4th EP.

“Verbalize” hops over a gritty rap rock instrumental dissing Aye Verb whereas “Shutter Island” goes for a jazzier boom bap vibe explaining how much of an issue mental health is today, hoping those who need help see a psychiatrist. “Ong Bak” works in more guitars mixed with kicks & snares talking about leaving this kinfolk with grievances just before “Letter from Hitman” hops over another boom bap beat reading a message Hitman Holla sent him.

The song “All Set” continues the 2nd half of The Plague on some soulfully dusty shit talking about setting his sights on becoming the MVP leading into the celebratory “Accolades” suggesting that he should let every accomplishment over the course of his career speak for themselves. “Genesis 3:14” spends the last 3 & a half minutes speaking directly to Aye Verb, wanting him to know that he believes he’s struggling with mental health issues & hopes the dude gets the help he truly needs.

Some people may know this guy for beefing with the likes of Wale or former Slaughterhouse members Joe Budden & Royce da 5’9”, but Mickey Factz dedicates The Plague to taking shots at Aye Verb & it makes for some of his most enjoyable material that I’ve heard from him in years. Even if the production isn’t necessarily the best as far as boom bap goes, Mickey’s disses towards Aye Verb all transition into 1 another cohesively & makes the extended play feel like 27 minute diatribe sticking to battle rap’s traditions.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Horde – “Rydas Rebels: Gone Rogue” review

Southern horrorcore superduo The Horde consisting of Boondox & Bukshot are back with a new extended play. One hailing from Covington, Georgia signing to the Insane Clown Posse’s own Psychopathic Records in the mid-late 2000s & the other puttin’ it down for Louisville, Kentucky since ‘97 by founding the independent hip hop label Mobstyle Music. The pair started worked with each other for over a decade now continuing to do so after the scarecrow left PSY to form his very own Krimson Crow Entertainment following his 4th album Abaddon eventually signing to Majik Ninja Entertainment couple years later whether it be their first 2 mixtapes Hell’s Kitchen & Paradigm Shift as well as their debut EP Overdrive or even their work with Claas as The Underground Avengers. Their debut album The End is Nigh celebrates its 3-year anniversary in a few days, coming off Paradigm Sync! to declare that a couple of Rydas Rebels have Gone Rogue a couple weeks after The Irresistible Forces became the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

“Mobsta Party” featuring Zodiac MPrint brings all 4 of them together freestyling over the instrumental of the classic 2Pac single “2 of Amerika’z Most Wanted” featuring WWE Hall of Famer & current Death Row Records owner Snoop Dogg whereas “Headshots” featuring Siamese Goat God takes a funkier approach to the beat spitting that gangsta shit. After “In Tha Mud” & “Bout It” freestyle over “In da Club” by 50 Cent & I’m Bout It, Bout It” by Master P featuring Mia X respectively, “True to the Way” featuring St8jaket & 9 Millz ends with them freestyling over “Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem.

If you’re familiar with the Psychopathic Rydas’ output back when Boondox was signed to the label that runs beneath the streets with the Eastside Ninjas, then you should probably know what you’re getting yourself into with Rydas Rebels: Gone Rogue & would argue at it’s on par with that 1-off Rydas album that MNE dropped at the beginning of 2020 in terms of averageness. Boondox & Bukshot continue the gangsta rap themes of Paradigm Sync! except that the guest list isn’t all that impressive & the beats they’re rapping over make me wanna listen to the original versions of them.

Score: 2.5/5

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