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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Amyl & the Sniffers – “Cartoon Darkness” review

Amyl & the Sniffers are a pub/punk rock band from Melbourne, Australia consisting of drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Declan Martens, bassist Gus Romer & frontwoman Amy Taylor. Breaking out in the mid-2010s off their first couple EPs Giddy Up & Big Attraction, this resulted in them signing with ATO Records for their eponymous full-length debut & Comfort to Me. The latter of which became my introduction to them since it came out not long after current Monday Night RAW superstar, former 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time AEW World Champion, inaugural ROH Hall of Fame inductee, ROH World Champion, 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion & 5-time IWA World Champion CM Punk who later albeit unsuccessfully competed in the UFC division of the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings made his in-ring return at the greatest AEW pay-per-view of all-time All Out III & he was giving it heavy props. Should further mention his role in being the guest referee when the current NXT Champion Trick Williams began his ongoing 2nd reign. B2B Records not too long ago signed a distribution deal with Virgin Music & are celebrating with their 3rd album.

The garage rock revival “Jerkin’” was a mediocre choice of a single telling obsessed losers who’re chronically online that Amy’s more successful than them & they’ll never get with her whereas “Chewing Gum” heads for a garage punk direction singing about being stuck to her new romantic interest. “Tiny Bikini” dabbles with hard rock discussing themes of feminism wanting to wear nothing but a bikini, but then “Big Dreams” forays into hard rock to sing about never being the dull one.

“It’s Mine” goes head-on riot grrrl come and clean it if she likes it it’ll eventually become her’s while the appropriately titled “Motorbike Song” serves as this rebellious head-banging anthem that I can most definitely hear Harley Davidson riders blasting as they’re driving around the city. “Doing In Me Head” admits that she’s sick of promising everyone that she’s the same as others embracing the hard rock vibes once again just before “Pigs” explaining that she doesn’t like the idea of conformity.

Meanwhile on “Bailing on Me”, we have Amy & company showing a bit of a White Stripes influence expressing the too familiar feeling of heartbreak prior to “U Should Not Be Doing That” fusing garage punk with garage rock revival alongside dance-punk & glam punk sings about knowing her worth. “Do It Do It” asks her lover all these questions maintaining a punk edge while “Going Somewhere” asks to turn off your phone & your thoughts altogether. “Me & the Girls” finishes by telling a story of her & her friends being wasted at the airport.

Cartoon Darkness in the grand scheme of things happens to be a conceptual LP revolving around the fact that our generation is spoon-fed information in addition to climate crisis, war, A.I., tiptoeing on the eggshells of politics & people feeling like they’re helping by having a voice online when we’re all just feeding the data beast of Big Tech. They drive headfirst into the unknown into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible despite that it doesn’t even exist yet by expanding their garage punk sound beyond post-punk, hardcore punk, riot grrrl, glam punk, garage rock revival & hard rock.

Score: 4.5/5

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Skuff – “Fathom” review

Cambridge, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Skuff making his Melonskin Records debut with his 4th LP. Coming up as a member of the Delegates of Culture collective in addition to being 1/2 of Skuff & Inja, he would eventually introduce himself as a solo artist in 2005 with The End of the World News followed by the debut mixtape Smash Everything & the sophomore effort Destroy Everything in 2012 respectively. It’s been almost 8 years since Level & was highly intrigued after learning Melonskin’s co-founder Dirty Dike of Contact Play would fully produce Fathom.

The title track hops over a flute-tinged boom bap instrumental talking about having to step away from music for a bit because he was looking for a challenge whereas “Sly Flute” keeps the jazz rap vibes going speaking of his penmanship bordering between tenuous & genius. “Krimson” gives off some electronic undertones talking about trying to get the whole place jumping to his music leading into the soulful “Freedom” begs for the audience not to follow anyone’s lead.

“Mood Swing” hooks up a sample-driven boom bap beat suggesting for everybody to step their lives up & comparing life to an open wound that doesn’t heal just before “Doozie” rawly dedicates itself to all the goonies smoking doobies out in the streets during warm weather playing music. “Eddie” brings the horns back in the mix talking about life being a whole ride of its own while “Labrador” pushes the 2nd half forward reminding that shit’s deep out here now matter how strong our limited heartbeats are.

Nearing the end of Fathom, the song “Wizzkid” blends a guitar with some kicks & snares talking about the younger generation seeming so stranger to the older folks while “Trinkets” continues the sampling to observe everything becoming so basic in recent memory. “Waiting” welcomes us to his end of days over a boom bap instrumental with synthesizers & after “Cresh” soulfully talks about the excessive amount of fake news, “Endo” ends with a mostly drumless piano looking to make invincible marks in UK hip hop history.

Originally announced at the beginning of 2014, all 3 artists Melonskin Records have signed since forming the label has had their own different sound whether it be Sleazy F Baby’s most recent album Blaxploitation embracing a more trap-oriented direction than his 2016 debut or be Eva Lazarus’ sophomore effort Brandy Kisses fusing contemporary R&B & neo-soul. That said: Fathom represents a new era of Skuff’s career introspectively recapping the last 10 years of his life over boom bap production & bringing his long-standing affiliation with Dirty Dike since the latter’s solo debut Bogies & Alcohol full circle.

Score: 4/5

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