Benny the Butcher – “Summertime Butch” review

Buffalo, New York emcee Benny the Butcher putting out his 7th EP full of summer anthems. Being in the game for 2 decades already, it wouldn’t be until 2016 where he alongside his cousins Westside Gunn & Conway the Machine would take the culture by storm off projects like Tana Talk 3 & The Plugs I Met. Harry Fraud came in for a sequel to the latter following the mature Burden of Proof & finally, Tana Talk 4 took it back to the basement a couple years back. Coming off having Hit-Boy produce half of it & leaving the other half to The Alchemist produce his Def Jam Recordings debut & my album of the year so far Everybody Can’t Go, we’re now being treated to Summertime Butch.

“1 Verse Butch” starts us off with the Butcher over a piano/boom bap hybrid speaking that slick, street, intellectual drug shit whereas the soulfully dusty “The Most” talks about making it out of the hood alive & taking a lot for him for that to even happen. After the “Sundress & Sandle Season” interlude, “Knightfall” keeps the kicks & snares in tact advising not to let any static stop your business & the only single “Summer ‘24” gives off a symphonic boom bap flare instrumentally looking to shut the block down.

My favorite track here “Kitchen Table” hops over a smooth Harry Fraud beat continuing to discuss the dope game & after the “Peachtree” interlude, “The Blue Building” brings the soul vibes back in the fold mixed with hi-hats from STREETRUNNER playing more than simply a distributor role. “The Warehouse 3” featuring Elcamino, Fuego Base & Rick Hyde is this guitar-laced successor to both “Warehouse” tracks off Fuego’s debut Biggest Since Camby & “Higher” luxuriously ends the EP taking y’all to a greater level.

Everybody Can’t Go still remains my album of the year so far 8 months later & yet, Summertime Butch still stands out on its own going for a completely different vibe than the Def Jam debut did at the very beginning of 2024 telling us the biggest lesson Benny’s learned. The balance between boom bap & trap remains prevalent, he’s simply giving us 24 minutes & 8 songs for you to enjoy with only little time left of summer itself.

Score: 3.5/5

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Logic – “Ultra 85” review

Maryland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, author & Twitch streamer Logic releasing his long-awaited 10th & final LP that he’s been working on since 2018. Emerging just over a decade ago off the strength of the first 3 installments of the Young Sinatra mixtape series. His potential would continually be shown on his first 2 albums Under Pressure & The Incredible True Story. However, it’s no secret that the quality of his music took a nosedive from Bobby Tarantino to Supermarket or the unlikeable bitterness of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. No Pressure however was a mature sequel to his full-length debut & I also thought the Doc D concept mixtape Planetory Destruction was decent too, but Bobby Tarantino III was pretty underwhelming. His final offering for Def Jam Recordings that dropped couple summers ago Vinyl Days happened to be his most artistically definitive yet & College Park was just ok, so hearing Ultra 85 finally coming out had me hoping it’d be his best in a couple years.

“Paul Rodriguez” is a 9 minute, jazzy boom bap opener produced by Logic himself alongside Bobby Boy Records in-house producer 6 & Beat Butcha sampling “Love So Fine” by Roger Nichols including standout wordplay mentioning the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal owned DreamWorks Animation Studios along with The Walt Disney Company owned Pixar Animation Studios whereas “Mission Control” puts a dusty flip on the iconic Gucci Mane single “Lemonade” cooking without even being in the kitchen at all. “Deja Vu” has a predominantly conscious, east coast tone serving as a sequel to “Fade Away” off The Incredible True Story & after the “Glorious Ultra Panavision” skit, “Fear” blends pop rap & hip house with neo-soul & conscious jazz rap shedding fears of judgement from others & becoming the person he truly wants to be.

The cloudier boom bap aesthetics of “Favela” are a nice touch tryna challenge anyone who wants to step up to him on the mic referencing Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner Elon Musk while “Gardens III” hooks up some kicks & snares with an alluring vocal sample going off the grid. “Ghost in the Machine” featuring ADÉ & Robert Ivory samples “Going in Circles” by The Friends of Distinction takes it back to the basement still representing the Ratt Pack, but then “Interstellar” returns to the jazzy boom bap tip talking about those who never understood what Bobby’s been through.

“In Retrospect”’s instrumental kinda radiates a jangly boom bap energy to end Ultra 85’s first half refusing to come down from where is at life currently while “44ever” was a decent continuation of “44 Bars” & “44 More” off the first 2 installments of the Bobby Tarantino trilogy. “Love Me” flips “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons wanting the light to be given to him so he can shine & after the “Planet Death” skit, “Teleport” spaciously shows off speedier flows reflecting on many memories & harsh moments in his life.

After the “Chess” skit, “Antidote” featuring ZeelooperZ goes head-on trap flexing that the art they make goes over people’s heads while the boom bap heavy “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” recognizes Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie to date as the best of his career although I’d say Pulp Fiction. “Peace, Love & Positivity” richly advising that listeners never give up their dreams. “City in the Stars” by Robert Ivory is a sequel to “City of Stars” & “Thank You for Believing in Me” ends singing over a guitar dedicating it to his fans.

Regardless if I still have Vinyl Days as my favorite album of Logic’s career, Ultra 85 takes a step above College Park as the best one Logic has done since leaving Def Jam to go independent & it’s certainly an incredible way for him to go out so he can focus on producing full-time. The production goes from boom bap to jazz rap, trap, cloud rap, pop rap, hip house, conscious hip hop & neo-soul showing how much he’s grown in nearly 2 decades with performances as consistent as they were couple years back feeling reminiscent to Cowboy Bebop.

Score: 4/5

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Latto – “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper Latto returning for her 3rd LP. Winning the very first season of The Rap Game & eventually turned down a deal with So So Def Recordings because it wasn’t enough money, she eventually broke through a few summers back after signing to RCA Records & putting out a decent full-length debut Queen of da Souf. The sophomore effort 777 sure enough won me over & Sugar Honey Iced Tea named after a highlight track off Kelis’ 3rd album Tasty had me hoping she’d continue towards that trajectory.

“Georgia Peach” comes straight out the gate going drumless thanks to Pooh Beatz dedicated to all the baddies out in Georgia whereas the incredibly structured 2-parter “Big Mama” is a strong anthem from which self-assurance & success breathe & women show the clear capacity for self-support pulling from trap, hardcore hip hop, New York dril, pop rap, contemporary R&B & sample drill. “Blick Sumn” featuring Playboi Carti on the remix works in some synths & hi-hats letting it be known she don’t trust a man without his heater while “Settle Down” talks about the possibility of that happening & minding her business as opposed to bitches worrying over her.

Young Nudy joins Latto for “Shrimp & Grits” radiating a more enticing vibe from the beat paying homage to all the women in their city who be country thick prior to “There She Go” talking about going from being broke in the ATL to being on an island boasting that a real one has stepped in the building. “Brokey” hooks up chimes & hi-hats explaining that you supposed to drown when a real one hold you down & after the “Mimi” interlude, “H&M (Hurt & Miserable)” charismatically discusses the way hoes be envious of her.

“Copper Cove” featuring Hunxho has more of a mellow trap groove to it for a slut-me-out-spit-on-my-tongue song & the angelically produced “Ear Candy” with Coco Jones supplying one of my favorite hooks on Sugar Honey Iced Tea talks all the sweet things her partner says to her. Earl on the Beat laces Latto up with seductive instrumental for “Liquor” confessing that the harder alcohol turns her into an absolute freak while “Squeeze” featuring Megan Thee Stallion follows it up with a club banger for all the baddies that wanna get freaky.

Ciara levels up the chorus game on “Good 2 You” with it’s uptempo production & the romantic subject matter addressing those who they feel are the ones for them as does Mariah the Scientist on “Look What You Did” serving as a short but grand dedication to Latto’s bae. “Prized Possession” featuring Teezo Touchdown intoxicatingly talks feelin’ out their minds while “S/O to Me” is a soulful boom bap cut showing pride in herself.

The first of 3 bonus tracks “Put it on da Floor” featuring Cardi B on the remix brings the pair together has some cool Detroit trap undertones start to finish saying both of them have done done it all at this point in their respective careers & the other “Sunday Service” featuring Flo Milli & Megan Thee Stallion on the remix gets on their hardcore, Memphis, dirty south trap tip giving middle fingers to hoes because their men perfect. “Chicken Grease” ends the deluxe run on some dark trap shit refusing to fuck with broke guys.

Compared to 777, I came away from the follow-up liking it a little less than the predecessor although the highs outweigh the lows. I appreciate the fact that she elevates her work beyond “single-driven & club-driven” culture showcasing different sides & versions of her artistry recapping these last couple years of her life, I just think the production could’ve been a tad bit better.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ameer Vann – “WOOF” review

Here we have the 3rd EP from Houston, Texas rapper Ameer Vann. Coming up as one of the original members of the now defunct BROCKHAMPTON collective, he played a key-role in their 2017 SATURATION trilogy in until getting kicked out of the boyband for sexual misconduct allegations the following year. Ameer’s removal from the boyband was a decision that is still polarizing by many, but Emmanuel was treated to mixed reception & Ameerlyn’s debut EP Slime in the Ice Machine was a tad bit better. Woof however peaked my interest, especially in light of BROCKHAMPTON’s dissolvement in 2022.

To get us started, “Listen” jumps over a symphonic trap instrumental to call himself a living messiah whereas “In the Building” aggressively talks about feelin’ himself at the spot & his trap being for everything must go clearance over pianos & hi-hats. “Yeah” dabbles with rage beats standing on business & setting out to change the game much like the SATURATION trilogy did while “Good Boy” goes drumless breaking everything he touches albeit staying optimistic that he’ll be fine. 

“Medicine” has these impressive jazz influences throughout the beat talking about the shadows in the dark always following him just before “Gemini” starts with a drumless first half ahead of a dirty south switch-up always getting back up when he slips & falls poppin’ the trunk “Moving Slow” further embraces the chopped & screwed influences discussing cough medicine prior to the delicate trap joint “Shawty” serves as a dedication to his girl. 

Nearing the encore of Woof, the song “Choosing” hooks up a slowed down soul sample with hi-hats dying by the second to live for the moment & the final track “Genesis” prior to the g-funk outro finishes up the EP officially by mixing trap & blues letting the world know that he found his peace in the darkest of places & that his connection with infinity cannot be cloned in any way shape or form.

Even if I thought Emmanuel had better production, Woof is still a good 21 minute EP & makes me hope that Ameer continues to further improve himself from here because I like Ameer’s first solo effort since BROCKHAMPTON dissolved more than Slime in the Machine. The production ranges from trap to rage, drumless, jazz rap, g-funk, blues music, soul music, a hint of orchestral music or chopped & screwed allowing the SATURATION trilogy poster boy to tell us where he’s at currently.

Score: 3/5

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Larry June – “Doing it for Me” review

Vallejo, California emcee Larry June back with his 11th LP. Steadily grinding his ass off since dropping out of high school by dropping his last 10 studio efforts as well as 14 EPs & 7 mixtapes with the highlights of his ever-growing discography including the Lex Luger-produced Trap Larry, the Cardo-produced Cruise USA& it’s sequel Into the Late Night, the Harry Fraud-produced Keep Going & more recently the mobb music-influenced Jay Worthy collab effort 2 P’z in a Pod, The Alchemist-produced The Great Escape & The Night Shift. 9 months after the latter, Larry’s reassuring that he’s Doing it for Me.

After the “Free Uncle Herm 5” intro, the first song “Magnum P.I.” is a futuristically slick west coast opener flexing that he’s hopping out the whip looking like the titular TV show character whereas “Morning Calculations” produced by Harry Fraud was an early standout from the soulful instrumental to the lyrics advising to check that bitch instead of checking him. “A Little While” has a spacious vibe thanks to Jake One & DJ Khalil telling his romantic interest that she sure looks good to him just before “Stinson Beach” keeps it going with a funky ode to not having your day fucked up.

“Real Talk, Pt. 2” gives Detroit trap a shot detailing the gangsta lifestyle he involves himself in leading into Cardo bringing the synths in the fold for another favorite of mine “3 Piece” shrugging off any hate that comes his way since he be ridin’. “Where I’m Going” resurrects the Detroit trap vibe cautioning that nobody wants war with him, but then “Meet Me in Napa” was a decently spacious single discussing his desire of wanting to meet a woman in the titular California valley.

The orchestrally jazzy boom bap flare of “Breakfast in Gold Coast” is a nice change of pace talking to his sunshine while “Imported Couches” keeps the strings, kicks & snares together not giving a fuck about being 1 hit away rather focusing his attention on doing his thing. “Cleaning My Spot” keeps the jazz influences & strips the drums going so hard working towards his goals while “Like a Mack” makes trap music for pimps.

“Dreams” pushes towards the final moments of Doing it for Me telling everyone who’s tired of the sucka shit to come fuck with the big dogs headed for a dystopian direction to the beat & the closer “Money Bag” that Cookin’ Soul laced ends by hooking up a soul sample telling the world your own people will snake you, others might turn on you & hoes will play you out here for the paper.

Something amazing worth noting is that I found a lot of Doing it for Me’s singles to be average enough that it had me anticipating it less then The Great Escape & The Night Shift when I found myself enjoying a lot of the songs off this new album more than I had initially anticipated. The glitz & glamour from guest stars are being completely tossed out the window in favor of delivering lovesick bars over classic West Coast funk beats, reestablishing his status as one of the smoothest voices in hip hop today.

Score: 3.5/5

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Polo G – “H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. (He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma)” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & record executive Polo G returning for his 5th LP. Rising to prominence in 2019 off his debut album Die a Legend which I personally found it to be decent, it wasn’t until the sophomore effort The GOAT the subsequent spring where I noticed some significant improvements. Hall of Fame & it’s sequel on the contrary were both released to mixed reception in 201 & is looking to redeem himself as the H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. or He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma.

“God’s Favorite” was a decently thunderous trap opener produced by Nick Papz & Allen Ritter starting us off letting us know that’s exactly what he’s feeling like right now whereas “No Recruits” featuring G Herbo has a stronger instrumental that Southside & Smatt Sertified cook up together going Chicago drill telling us how wicked it gets in Chiraq. “Barely Holdin’ On” with co-production from former G.O.O.D. Music in-house producer Noah Goldstein & unfortunately Dr. Luke was a emo pop rap fusion that goes over decently, but then the cloudy/trap crossover “Only Gang” featuring 42 Dugg talks about not fucking with these newer guys.

Fridayy gives “Same Me” a moodier feeling reassuring everyone that he’s still the same guy as he was when he first blew up leading into the twangy trap vibes of “Detox” talking about falling in love with the Glock & needing to do exactly that after taking in too much fake love in recent years. “Thorns” has a catchier trap flare generally needing a light for his dark soul just before “G63” featuring Offset heading for a psychedelic direction pullin’ up jumpin’ out the titular whip.

“We Uh Shoot” featuring Lil Durk fusing gangsta rap & trap together reaffirming that both of them stay carrying sticks while “Rain Fallin’” featuring The Kid Laroi stands as one of the weaker moments on the album further embracing the emo influences from earlier although Kid Laroi’s take on it still rubs off as tacky. “Distraction” picks things back up with what I thought was an incredible lead single from the acoustic trap production to Polo calling out those discrediting his talent & “No Turning Back” featuring Hunxho cavernously explains making it this far.

Easily the weakest single of the rollout has to be “Angels in the Sky” due to it’s horrendous mixing, which is a shame because the overall theme of it comes from a good place & “Darkside” once again makes up for it this time by telling us his mental state in 2020 when both installments of the Hall of Fame series came over pianos & hi-hats. “Bad Kids” featuring Glorilla keeps the keys together swapping the hi-hats out in favor of 808s telling us who they hung around growing up while “Survival of the Fittest” featuring Future goes drill saying that’s what it’s like in the trenches.

“Father’s Day” nears the final moments of H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. (He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma) with Cubeatz helping Allen Ritter & Southside provide a delicate trap atmosphere serving as an open letter to Polo’s own father knowing that he’s forever here for him that is until “From the Heart” ends Polo’s return-to-form hopping over a roomy beat telling the world that from this point forward, he’s only writing songs if it comes from the heart rather than ego. I even like the reference to the greatest WWE superstar ever; Hall of Famer, 7-time world champion & 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker.

Right when people had already started assuming he had fallen off, Polo G returns to the fore with more life experience & rededicated to spitting about what he knows best: unflinching narratives of pain & pleasure, hood parables & romantic woes. The production has gradually improved from the 2 offerings from 4 years ago, most of the features nailed their contributions & Polo’s own versatility game has gradually stepped up.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gibby Stites – “Echo Chamber” review

I believe this is the 12th EP from Millville, New Jersey emcee/producer Gibby Stites. Starting in the music industry over a decade ago off his first 2 mixtapes Gillmatic & Broke n Local, he wouldn’t catch my attention until performing a set during Netfest On Your Couch during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Later that fall, he signed to Majik Ninja Entertainment & I had the honor of interviewing him shortly after the deal was made public. The 13th Wonder pretty much showcased Gibby to the juggalos as Jamie Madrox’ protégé & Welcome to iLLViLLE several months later took listeners through exactly where he comes from, but decided not to renew his MNE contract to form his own label iLLViLLE Worldwide shortly after. Off Air from last summer marked his return behind the boards after 5 years & is so far my favorite thing he’s done since leaving Majik Ninja & Pariah earlier this year was centered around mental health, but is getting back with Charlie Beans to take us to the Echo Chamber.

“Wrapped Up” hops over a cutthroat boom bap beat to get us started kicking that iLL shit whereas “Work Ethic” keeps the kicks & snares in tact talking about his grind. “So Alone” featuring Charlie Beans himself finds the 2 sharing the mic together pointing out the loneliness that everyone’s been feeling these days just before the cavernous boom bap title tracks talks about being unable to hear a word.

Paradime joins Gibby for “Commotion” aggressively looking to both of their plans in motion leading into “Twist of Fate” throwing it back to the 90s instrumentally letting y’all know he’s chillin’ like he should be asking what’s good with you. “Durban Poison” psychedelically lets the listeners know exactly what type of shit he smokes & “To Whom It May Concern” ends the EP unbottling all the pain inside.

In comparison to STiLL iLL roughly 2 & a half years ago by now, Echo Chamber shows a significant amount of maturity from both Gibby Stites & Charlie Beans since each of them went through a lot of personal matters individually during the making of this & they channeled every single one of those hardships into a motivating 27 minute EP for the illvillains.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ja’king the Divine – “Children of the Scorned” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee Ja’king the Divine retuning a year & a half after his 3rd album Parables of the Sower with his 5th EP. Introducing himself off his first 3 EPs Growing Pains as well as The Marvelous R7ght Wrist & Pray for New York, his last one Paint Chips came in April 2021 & he released his full-length debut Delusions of Grandeur 4 months later. The sophomore effort 手术: Black Sun Tzu the next summer would receive significant acclaim giving him wider exposure within the underground, raising the stakes for Children of the Scorned.

“Minstrel Show” is a soulful boom bap kickstarter talking about this shit being as different as it is whereas “Negro Spiritual” continues the soul sampling thrown in with kicks & snares refusing to lose or give up. “Aim at the Embassy” gives off a tenser boom bap vibe flexing that he’ll disgrace the American flag for the sole purpose of choking a skinhead & “A Shape of Things to Come” hops over another soul sample talking about change on the rise.

Moving on from there, “Idiom” warns over strings that he’ll decapitate anyone who tempers with his crown while “Public Enemy” strips the drums completely talking about striking the eardrums with a death note & warning that he’ll sign treaties to blow your whole vicinity. “Ward of the State” soulfully cautioning that we’re nearing the end while “Bambi Redd” jazzily demonstrates how word made a powerful man. After the “Youngnturnt” interlude, “Killer’s of the Flower Moon” ends with a flute asking what’s an artist with no torch or soul.

Children of the Scorned on the contrary to 手术: Black Sun Tzu speaks directly towards the black diaspora & the angst among the youth culture in America. He details some of his own battles with love, trust, alienation, self deprivation, discipline, addiction, frustration with our culture & the wavering will to carry on the weight of the world as a black man with trauma in a scathing society backed by production that balances boom bap & drumless including samples of both jazz & soul music.

Score: 4/5

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Southside – “Break the Silence” review

Southside is a 35 year old producer, rapper & songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia notable for co-founding the 808 Mafia with Lex Luger as well as being 1/2 of the duo So Icey Boyz with Metro Boomin’ in addition to the 7 solo mixtapes of his discography. Most notably the Free Agent trilogy & both Trap Ye installments. However for Sizzle’s official full-length solo debut album Break the Silence, he’s having it backed by Epic Records.

“Switch” is a 2-part trap opener with a mostly cloudy sound until the regalia influences come up during the last minute or so flexing that he’s been going strong from the start whereas “Uber” has more of a rage-inducing vibe overall talking about moving on to for a new bitch because he “got bored as shit”. “Bape” hooks up some bells & hi-hats paying homage to one of my all-time favorite clothing brands A Bathing Ape, but then “Excite Me” goes for a grimmer atmosphere saying that the bread excites him.

Meanwhile on “Drive Thru”, we have Southside bringing a psychedelic trap flare to the table cautioning that he can make muhfuckas disappear telling it how it is with everyone on the sidelines hating just before “Hoes” goes hypertrap thanks to TM88 talking about how his new girl being little rather than a hoe. “Break a Promise” works in bells & hi-hats admitting that he promised one of his exes the world only for him to break it leading into the 2 minute “In This Bih” findin’ him stuntin’ in the spot.

“Topp” heads for a cloudier direction instrumentally from it’s titular producer suggesting those who lost their smell of money should be called COVID while the atmospheric trap joint “Broadway” lets the world know that he’s living with his heart again. The rattling “Blockstar” that Smatt Sertified laced with his monitor obviously given the title discusses his status in the hood & shit getting wicked prior to “Run a Mile” drawing from rage scene again feelin’ like people changed on him ever since his bread went up.

Starting the final leg of Break the Silence, the song “Vette Pass By” gives off a morbid flare to the beat to call most out here pussy while the 90 second “Ain’t Nothin’” talks about not seeing numbers first & that makes me happy because neither do I myself. “My Kitchen” is another 2-parter with a Hellish first half going hypertrap for the other declaring that no one knows how to fuck with him out here & finally “No Disguise” interestingly ends on some drumless chipmunk soul shit advising that you ain’t cool ‘cause you rich.

We haven’t heard from Sizzle since the Southside & ChaseTheMoney EP fully produced by the latter & I’d suggest listening to both Trap Ye tapes if you really want to hear what the 808 Mafia co-founder at his best on the mic. As for his first proper solo LP, it’s alright. His distinctly known gangster, bombastic, gritty, rambunctious & menacing trap sound compared to that of his collaborators takes a backseat sticking to regular trap additionally pulling from the rage subgenre which funny enough takes cues from Pi’erre Bourne’s production style & I prefer Pi’erre as a rapper than Southside although both are on the Mt. Rushmore of trap producers with Metro & Zaytoven.

Score: 2.5/5

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Sk8star – “Rebel in the Room” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Sk8star back for his 5th extended play. out in the spring of 2021 off Superstar Status, he would go on to follow it up a year later with both the B4NWØ EP & his debut mixtape New World Ørder respectively. The latter being my introduction to Sk8’s music after my lil brody UnreleasedSnip put me on, with songs like “Standin’ on Business” & “YSL Flow” being the standouts for me personally. Following his 3rd EP Mogul along with rebel at the beginning of 2023 & whole new meaning that same spring, Sk8’s addressing the Rebel in the Room.

“E Sex” is a futuristically smooth & romantic trap joint to start the EP cuffing his girl to the bed whereas “FlyLikeABird” takes a rage-inducing route instrumentally talking about his money getting longer. “Southside” has a cloudier vibe to it showing off his bitch from the titular part of the ATL leading into “fukyaface” ending Rebel in the Room’s first half restoring the hypertrap vibes thanks to Clayco & Y3rip of Vanguard Music Group boasting that he’s fly as shit in his own lane.

To start the 2nd leg, “SaidSome” turns the bass up to talk about doing what he wants shrugging off the broke ass muhfuckas around him while “Racks on Racks” vibrantly gets boastful. “KameFromNothin” starts the 4th quarter of the LP with a cloudy trap beat talking about not coming from shit similarly to local trap trailblazer Young Thug & “PlayNoGames” finishes the EP hopping on top of a cavernous instrumental letting it be known that he don’t fuck around.

As someone who’s been following Sk8star for a year & a half, the dude’s been getting progressively better with each project he’s put out & his statement as the Rebel in the Room has been made very much loud & clear. The production draws from rage to trap, cloud rap & pop rap serving as an eclectically cumulating backdrop for a recharged Sk8 to body.

Score: 4/5

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