Bryson Tiller – Self-Titled review

This is the eponymous 4th full-length LP from Louisville, Kentucky singer/songwriter & rapper Bryson Tiller. Beginning over a decade ago off his debut mixtape Killer Instinct, he would eventually sign to RCA Records & release the ground breaking debut T R A P S O U L celebrating it’s 9-year anniversary this fall. The sophomore effort True to Self was underwhelming & A N N I V E R S A R Y proved to be a step in the right direction but coming off 4 more tapes & EP since (more recently the Slum Tiller trilogy, Bryson’s looking reintroduce himself & show the world what he’s capable of.

After the “http://” intro, the first song “Attention” is a spacey R&B opener singing about being drawn by a captivating woman whereas “Stay Gold” clashes the pop rap & R&B styles together to address the value of the relationship & willingness to make things work. “Persuasion” featuring Victoria Monét is a trap soul duet detailing a flirtatious encounter between 2 people, but then the standout “Ciao!” sings about being finically taken advantage of over a laid-back instrumental from Charlie Heat, FNZ & Leon Thomas III.

“Peace” continues to mix passionate vocals derived from contemporary R&B with nocturnal & atmospheric trap production to admit his need for peace just before another favorite “Rich Boy” finds Vinylz, Boi-1da, Ging & Allen Ritter sampling “Throw Some D’s” by Rich Boy himself spending everything on his romantic interest qfrom the night. “R.A.M. (Random Access Memory)” brings some heavy synthesizers into the fold wanting the old him back that is until “No Thank You” blends hi-hats & lower register synths talking about an endured bond.

The summery guitars on “Find My Way” singing that believe in love except the problem is that he doesn’t know what else to call it while yet another highlight “Prize” fuses alternative R&B & pop rap to tell the woman in his life that no one ends can do it the way that she does. “Waterfalls” brings a psychedelic flare to the beat to sing about paintin’ waterfalls in his woman while “ÆON L U S T” goes afrobeats thanks to KAYTRANADA telling the story of being fascinated by someone special.

“Calypso” was a mediocre contemporary R&B choice of a single with additional elements of afrobeats & dancehall likening her body to Carribean music altogether while the cloudy albeit snappy “Outside” expresses his sexual desire to a freshly single woman who was unable to escape a disastrous previous relationship. “Undertow” strips things back saying he can feel her heartbeat in his chest while “F4U” flips ”Feenin’” by JoDeCi rapping his ass off. “Assume the Position” goes for a groovier approach telling her to put both her hands where he can see them prior to Whatever $he Wants” ending self-titled with a flavorful hybrid of pop rap, Detroit trap, alternative R&B & even hyphy music.

Decent album altogether, but the highs are high enough to the point where I’d actually put this eponymous effort right behind A N N I V E R S A R Y as my 3rd favorite LP of his. The production matches the caliber of that previous full-length combining contemporary R&B & none other than of course the trap soul sound he pioneered with pop rap, afrobeats, alternative R&B & electropop as Bryson invites listeners into a world where genre boundaries are not only crossed but reimagined in vignettes of his love life.

Score: 2.5/5

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Stetsasonic – “Here We Go Again” review

Stetsasonic is the first ever hip hop band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of Daddy-O, MC Delite, Wise & Bobby Simmons. They would only put out 3 full-length albums together during the late 80s/early 90s, but remained inactive as a unit although what they did would eventually pave the way for The Roots. But after teasing a comeback by releasing singles over the past 3 years, the band is getting back together for their 4th LP signing to SpitSLAM Records.

“Message in Our Music” is an old school-inspired opener produced with C-Doc talking about the message in their music has always been clear asking if you have what it takes to escape & change your fate whereas “(Now Y’all Giving Up) Love” works in these triumphant horns to boasting their return after over 3 long decades. Mala Reignz & Smoothe da Hustler both join Stet on the first part of a “Cypher” with Smoothe having my personal favorite of the 2 features, but then “Lolita” gets into their storytelling bag a bit over heavy sampling talking about the titular character.

Moving on from there, “Handled” brings the horns back into the fold reminding y’all they’re known for handling styles that others simply can’t leading into what is probably & with all respect here the weakest track on the album “Stet Dreams Come True” featuring Calvin III being this awkward reggae/pop rap fusion about being the Biggie to her Lil’ Kim. The soulful title track makes their case as being old school like Melle Mel without the disgruntled bitterness he’s shown in recent years while “Notes of Impression” featuring Ruste Juxx hooks up a crooning loop with hi-hats bringing you non fiction.

“Stetsa Anniversary” switches from trap to full-blown g-funk continuing to delve more into their comeback while the song “People in Your Neighborhood” goes for a humorous approach beatboxing & talking about drugs. The penultimate track “Hanging on a String” sonically pays homage to Zapp for a charming club banger rap & “Fallen Soldiers” concludes Here We Go Again by paying tribute to all of those who can’t be with us today.

I was hoping Prince Paul was gonna have at least some involvement behind the boards with this album, but I’m still very happy with what we got on Here We Go Again because it’s similar in a way to one of my personal favorite groups A Tribe Called Quest releasing We Got It From Here…Thank You Your Service nearly 2 decades after The Love Movement. It’s still very much a return to form for the band from the production to everyone sounding genuinely happy to be back doing what they do.

Score: 3.5/5

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Pharrell – “Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access” review

Virginia Beach, Virginia producer, singer/songwriter, rapper, fashion designer, film composer, entrepreneur, Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream founder & Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell. Cementing his legacy as 1/2 of the greatest production duo of all-time The Neptunes alongside Chad Hugo, they would eventually form the side project N*E*R*D with their debut album In Search Of… going on to become a classic inspiring Tyler, The Creator amongst others. Even his 2006 solo debut In My Mind would become one of the most underrated albums ever made, even though he’s discredited it himself as “being written out of ego”. G I R L during my junior year of high school received mixed reception although I personally still enjoy the pop soul/contemporary R&B vibe of it pay tribute to all the women in his life (Case in point: “Lost Queen / Freq”). But to celebrate his 51st birthday in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit with Chad over the Neptunes trademark, Skateboard P is releasing Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access on an exclusive website possibly in response to James Blake’s recent comments in regards to streaming.

“Richard Millie” is a guitar-driven opener singing about having it all behind him & not making him wait whereas the summery “Dandy Lying” discusses a woman who keeps the night alive. “Come On Donna” warmly sings about how the other type of dude just be the same leading into “Just for Fun” dabbling with funk-rock melodically makes it clear that the work must be done or the rest of this talk is simply for the fun of it. Meanwhile, “Caged Bird Free” brings a tropical atmosphere to the table welcoming you to a silver lining just before the mellow “Ball” sings about hittin’ it off with this romantic interest from the very second that they so happened to meet each other. “11:11” psychedelically admits to hating surprise since he never enjoyed surprise birthdays, but then “Who Needs Rest?” continues the slick pop rock influenced by smoother R&B styles singing about a woman who needs the night. The penultimate track “Cheryl” warmly asks not to break his spirit prior to “Going Back to VA” ending the album by catchily returning to his home state.

Anyone who truly knows me well can tell you how much I’ve always looked up to Pharrell since he’s one of the very few people out there that I can consider an idol because he really is a musical & fashionable visionary in my eyes. It’s also noteworthy that I actually get a handful of people telling me that they love how I acknowledge Chad as much as I do with P & to be quite honest, that’s because I consider him to be just as musically talented as Pharrell. The whole Neptunes trademark lawsuit as someone who has them as his top 5 producers of all-time is a real shitty situation, with Pusha T rightfully pointing out that there isn’t a dollar involved in the stupidity & that it’s really a lawyer looking to drain Chad’s pockets. Now is Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access a way to distract everyone from the lawsuit? Maybe not since the recording for it began almost 3 weeks ago & the suit was filed at the beginning of the week. As far as the quality though: It’s definitely one of the best albums outside of hip hop. P’s production is inspired by psychedelic pop, contemporary R&B, the west coast sound of yacht rock, neo-soul & neo-psychedelia, he has more than enough vocal chops & the songwriting abilities to pull off performances that you’ll find winding up stuck in your head.

Score: 4.5/5

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J. Cole – “Might Delete Later” review

North Carolina rapper, singer/songwriter & producer J. Cole surprise-releasing his 4th mixtape. At this point, I’m pretty sure everyone & their mom knows who dude is. Especially given the universal acclaim of projects like The Warm Up, Friday Night Lights, Born Sinner & my personal favorite: 2014 Forest Hills Drive. However, his last 2 albums 4 Your Eyez Only & K.O.D. were both released to mixed reception. Matter of fact: my review for K.O.D. is amongst my most controversial. I don’t get shit for it anymore but at the time when I gave it a 6/10, Cole stans were on my ass for the next 2-3 weeks. Even to this day: my opinions on that & 4YEO haven’t changed at all but that’s not the point. The Off-Season was the most I’ve enjoyed a Cole project since FHD, so Might Delete Later was an interesting surprise to me.

“Pricey” featuring Gucci Mane & Young Dro is a symphonic boom bap opener produced with T-Minus & Wu10 whereas “Crocodile Tearz” works in some pianos & hi-hats talking about The Fall-Off being like JAY-Z droppin’ Reasonable Doubtlast. “Ready ‘24” featuring Cam’ron flips I’m Ready by The Diplomats fittingly enough to get on their shit again just before the trap-inflicted “Huntin’ Wabbitz” with co-production from Charlie Heat references Elmer Fudd of the longtime Warner Bros. franchise Looney Tunes.

Central C joins Cole on the acoustic trap/pop rap crossover “H.Y.B. (Hide Your Bitch)” with FNZ behind the boards advising to hide your significant others from them leading into “Fever” continuing the pop rap vibes except it’s much more groovier courtesy of ATL Jacob talking about a woman he loves & needs. “Stickz N Stonez” is my favorite on the tape bouncing back from the 2 worst whether it be the dusty Alchemist instrumental or the lyricism declaring that no one wants smoke with him, but then “Pi” featuring Ab-Soul & Daylyt goes drumless to drop straight bars for 6-minutes other than the trans line.

“Stealth Mode” featuring Bas on the bridge talks about got a lot to get off their sternums over a summery drill beat while “3001” finds Mike WiLL Made-It & Pluss of all people dabbling with boom bap dedicated I was listening less than 1000 years from now. “Trae tha Truth in Ibiza” soulfully discusses his work ethic & the now deleted “7 Minute Drill” ends the tape with Conductor Williams sampling “Energy” by Drake so Cole can come through with an admittedly weak response to Kendrick’s verse on Future’s latest album We Don’t Trust You saying he’s “washed like The Simpsons” on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property albeit trademarked by The Walt Disney Company & he has since apologized for it officially backing out of the beef.

I’m just gonna come straight out the gate by saying both J. Cole & Drake don’t have an album better than good kid m.A.A.d. city or To Pimp a Butterfly, but I think Might Delete Later is a pretty solid tape for the most part. The overall sound is more trap oriented with some jazzy undertones and J. Cole actually does sound pretty hungry here as much as he did on the previous album a couple years ago other than a few unfortunate lows. Still very excited for The Fall-Off.

Score: 2/5

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100GrandRoyce – “The Fix” review

This is the 10th EP from Harlem emcee 100GrandRoyce. Starting as a member The Stackboys, he eventually went solo in 2011 although it wasn’t until the release of his 5th EP Prodigal Sun produced by 183rd in the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic where he caught my attention. The Return, Triple Crown & Unfinished Business would all reach the bar that Prodigal Sun had set & The Fix here produced by Dame Grease really peaked my interest.

“Shine” gets the ball rolling by incorporating claps into a cloudy instrumental with an interpolation of the “Wu-Gambinos” hook & grinding until the A.M. whereas “Above the Clouds” talks about having nightmares of ending up like everyone else out here working in a flute along with kicks & snares. “Cheri Amor” goes into soulful turf paying tribute to his sweet love just before “On Me” returns to the boom bap refusing to chase a chicken since they call him sometimes.

Starting the 2nd leg of the EP, “The Last Gone Be First” brings these exuberant piano chords into the fold talking about being cool as long as the bag right leading into “Block to the Bank” featuring BerryA bringing a jazzier flare to the beat going for dollars. “One of a Kind” bringing back the kicks & snares talking about being unique, but then “My Just Due” finishes The Fix on some straight up grimy shit boasting that he got the key to the city from the players.

Lo & behold: The Fix is the most I’ve enjoyed a 100GrandRoyce project since Unfinished Business. The production gives it a timeless & captivating sound blends hard-hitting beats with soulful melodies, the chemistry is evident throughout as they effortlessly complement each other’s styles & it’s a testament to the power of storytelling as well as the resilience of the human spirit offering a glimpse into the realities of street life while also conveying messages of hope, perseverance & the pursuit of dreams.

Score: 4/5

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Ritchie with a T – “Triple Digits [112]” review

Ritchie with a T is a 29 year old MC from Phoenix, Arizona notable for emerging as 1/3 of Injury Reserve. The trio would release 3 mixtapes alongside a couple EP’s & albums, respectively until disbanding as a result of Stepa J. Groggs’ death, with Ritchie & Parker continuing to make music together as the duo By Storm introducing themselves the previous on the best single of 2023 in my opinion “Double Trio”. However to build up anticipation for By Storm’s upcoming debut album, Ritchie’s setting out to try something different & going solo.

The “Wings” intro sets the tone of the album with heavy synthesizers singing everyone knows there’s so much more to know whereas “W.Y.T.D.?!?! (What You Tryna Do?!?!)” fuses industrial hip hop & rap rock with industrial rock, synth punk & even post-punk abstractly asking the titular question. “RiTchie Valens” goes for a cloudier approach additionally pulling from trap, neo-psychedelia, glitch hop & pop rap responding to those who’re starting to feel a lot more like a tenant just before “The Keepers” nocturnally calls out people holding the gate as if he ain’t trying to blow past.

After the “Only You” interlude, the title track brings the glitch hop vibes back rollin’ up & steppin’ in similarly to if the place was his own while “Dizzy” featuring Aminé mixes neo-soul with boom bap & once again glitch hop telling y’all to look who it is that came through. “Looping” swaps out the dusty undertones in favor of footwork as well as nu jazz & jazz rap trying his best to chance but after the “Your Worst Nightmare” interlude, “How?!” featuring Niontay blends cloud rap & drill talking about many saying you gotta plan it out.

“Get a Fade” goes minimal instrumentally so Ritchie can sing with heavy auto-tune slathering his vocals paying homage to 808s & Heartbreak a bit while “The Thing” featuring Quelle Chris finds the 2 rapping about how much shit you gon’ let stop the flow & block the money from stacking up. Lastly prior to the “[Credits]” outro, the final song “5onthe.” by By Storm finishes Triple Digits [112] with a 5-minute teaser of their upcoming debut together.

As an Injury Reserve fan, it was only a matter of time after Stepa’s passing that Ritchie would venture into uncharted territory by breaking free from the confines of group expectations & personal barriers. He details his journey of self-discovery acknowledging the pressure to meet the standards set by his previous collaborations & shattering these constraints by delivering a diverse blend of experimental sounds & infectious production, showcasing his true essence.

Score: 4/5

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Marv Won – “I’m Fine, Thanks for Asking.” review

Detroit emcee/producer Marv Won returning for his 5th full-length solo LP albeit the first after signing to Mello Music Group. Coming up as a part of the world famous Fat Killahz, he has gone on to become well respected in the battle circuit & has released his last 4 albums alongside a few EPs. It’s been over 2 years since we last heard from Marv on his 3rd EP Hagler & he’s looking to respond to everyone asking about his well-being by simply saying I’m Fine, Thanks for Asking.

The title track is a self-produced boom bap opener expressing that his feeling aren’t allowed when they surely are & that they really be expecting him to save their asses whereas “Measuring Stick” by the Twin Towers featuring eLZhi brings the 3 Motor City titans coming together for a gritty, bass-laden anthem that reverberates with the city’s hard-knock life. “Roc Nation Brunch” featuring Freeway blends epic orchestration & Joe Louis drums that hit like Tommy Hearns to deliver a tableau of Black excellence while “Purple” talks about a woman being destroyed by a kind of love.

“It’s Ok” goes for a smoother approach instrumentally providing comfort food for those simply trying to get through today while “Higher” brings this ghostly vocal sample flip into the fold so Marv can reasonably talk about becoming a better person. “Say My Name” featuring Monica Blaire soulfully encourages to acknowledge them by saying their names out loud so they know who they fuckin’ with, but then “Nosy” featuring Rapper Big Pooh returns to the boom bap explaining why they couldn’t sell dope.

Quelle Chris does the hook on the penultimate track “Good Thangs” crafting an auditory experience that feels like a voyage from the depths of darkness to the first light of dawn by orchestrates a narrative of resilience, guiding listeners through a transformation from enduring life’s hardships to savoring its most luminous moments & subtly reminds us of the virtue of humility, cautioning against the pitfalls of greed & encouraging us to keep our heads held high in adversity prior to “Grand Piano” ending the LP by stripping the drums to celebrate.

For his MMG debut, one of the Motor City’s most prolific battle MCs takes us on a soul-baring endeavor that weaves tales of struggle & triumph inspired by his storied life in his hometown. He brings a lyrical ferocity to his unapologetically raw & heartfelt rhymes by showcasing a seamless fusion of his word play & production with storytelling transcending mere verses that paint vivid portraits of life in the D. In a masterful blend of production & rap, this album is pure Detroit in it’s soul & sound reverberating with the city’s hard-knock life.

Score: 4.5/5

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Glorilla – “EhhThang EhhThang” review

This is the 2nd mixtape from Memphis, Tennessee rapper Glorilla. Breaking out off the viral & undeniably fun single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” couple years ago, the ultimately resulted in local veteran Yo Gotti signing her to his Interscope Records imprint Collective Music Group a little over a week before they dropped their 2nd showcase compilation Gangsta Art a few months later, making her the very 1st female recording artist on the label. Anyways, Life’s Great… continued to have her presence felt & I went into EhhThang EhhThang hoping it would take her to the next level since she’s amongst my favorite CMG signings personally.

“Yeah Glo!” was an incredible choice of a single & even the perfect opener to the tape whether it be the Memphis-influenced sound or Glo’s charismatic braggadocio whereas “All Dere” featuring Moneybagg Yo follows it up with a decent strip club anthem although I admire the Project Pat samples. “Nun of ‘Em” works in hi-hats & a rubbery bassline talking about how she ain’t like the rest of those bitches, but then “No Bih” is another standout for me givin’ a middle finger to all the haters out there over a vibraphone-inflicted trap instrumental from Chopsquad DJ.

Megan Thee Stallion joins Glo on “Wanna Be” for what is essentially the female counterpart to “Captain Save-a-Hoe” by The Click heavily sampling “Pretty Boy Swag” by the first rapper to do it all Soulja Boy just before “Opp Shit” brings back the Memphis trap vibes a bit talkin’ about fuckin’ with an opp essentially since her cousin smoked his brother, which is interesting because she’s confirmed that both Cardi B & Lil Uzi Vert are in fact her cousins in recent interviews not to say she’s referring to either one of them at all. “Aite” featuring Kevo Muney finds the 2 over a solemn vocal sample & hi-hats tackling loneliness on the road leading into “Bad Bih 4 Ya” featuring Boston Richey going trap metal & falling flat.

“Finesse da Flo” featuring Finesse2tymes isn’t any better trading verses with each other over a generic beat & Glo being the superior performer of the 2 while the “High AF” picks back in the form of a piano-trap crossover dedicating to being faded than a hoe. The penultimate track “G.M.F.U. 2 (Got Me Fucked Up 2)” draws near the end of the tape with a sequel to a song on her debut mixtape Most Likely Up Next that’s superior to the original & the futuristic closer “In Dat Mode” sends off the tape flexing it don’t get bigger than this.

All & all, this is yet another average body of work from Glo yet it’s better than her previous material much like the last EP was. The production is a mixed bag generally although there are some incredibly detailed ideas & the features are mostly underwhelming, but Glo can very much rap her ass off. If she can improve in the other 2 departments, I’m sure the full-length debut can really take herself to the next level because she really is amongst the best on CMG.

Score: 3/5

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Mickey Diamond – “Super Shredder” review

One of the illest Detroit emcees in the underground currently Mickey Diamond back with his 12th LP. Emerging at the beginning of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the dude has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 11 albums alongside 7 EPs & a mixtape. But for the past year, Mickey has been consistent putting out some of the best material of his career thus far. This includes the Gucci Ghost album & it’s sequelproduced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Ral Duke-produced Oroku Saki EP, the Sadhugold-produced Death Threat$ album, the Camoflauge Monk-produced Capital Gains album or more recently the 3rd & 4th installments to the Gucci Ghost saga this past winter. But to begin the 2nd quarter of the new year, Diamond & Ral Duke are getting back together for the Oroku Saki sequel Super Shredder.

“TGRI” begins with a cold boom bap instrumental treating the sewers like his 2nd home calling himself a bonafide villain with the chrome mask referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE United States Champion, WCW World Television Champion & the inaugural WWE Royal Rumble winner “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan whereas “Shredder Loves April” goes for a soulful approach instrumental likening his romantic interest to April O’Neil. “Foot Clan Party” comes through with a cinematic sample talking about his name ringing bells from the Motor City all the way to Baltimore, but then “Cartoon Car Tunes” takes the uncanny boom bap route to cook in Dex’s lab in hazmat suits & protective masks declaring to be the face of true terror.

Moving on from there, “Coffee Beans” hooks up kicks & snares with a melodic vocal chop grinds on the office scene as well as people not knowing shit about high fashion until you saw him prior to “Rocksteady” ruggedly cautioning to get the fuck out the way since the Umbrella making their way in this bitch including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer, 7-time WWE women’s champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Trish Stratus. “The Masked Man” menacingly talks about Diamond’s competition knowing the deal with him by now but after the “Feudal Japan” interlude, “Tin Can Assassin” hops over strings discussing his style.

After the “Oozey” interlude, “Technodrome” continues the symphonic boom bap vibes to brush off anyone who steps up to him on the mic as “old news” while “Hyperstone Heist” heinously talks about being a killer. After the “Shredder’s Hideout” interlude, “They Took Splinter” dustily tells everyone else to say their prayers for God’s sake & after the “Anchovies” interlude, the final song “Shell Shock” finishes the album with a fun track for the party people.

4 months after dropping 2 last-minute additions to my Best of 2023 list, Diamond has done it again by taking everything that made Oroku Saki his best EP & translating it for the duration of an entire full-length. Ral Duke’s production is grimier even though he’s still somewhat new to being behind the boards for others’ projects, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles concept remains untouched for any fan of the franchise & Mickey’s lyricism goes harder.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Musalini – “Mackaroni” review

New York emcee & Jamla Records recording artist The Musalini teaming up with Cookin’ Soul for his 6th EP. Beginning to take the underground by storm since 2018 after dropping his debut mixtape Musalini Season, he went on to release 3 full-lengths & another tape before signing to TCF Music Group. Since then, he’s made himself home by dropping a few EPs & Return of the Oro in the early part of this decade. In God We Trust produced by 38 Spesh, The Don & Eye alongside its sequel fully produced 9th Wonder & Pure Izm produced by Khrysis have all quickly become his best material over the past 3 years. And with the run Cookin’ Soul’s been on these past couple months, I can say stakes for Mackaroni were pretty high personally.

“Say You Love Me” featuring Hus Kingpin & Reuben Vincent starts us off with the trio over a soulful admitting to their flings that can’t say they care whereas “Never Be a Stranger” takes the groovy boom bap route talking about being a pimp. “‘92 Olympics” featuring Tha God Fahim gives me a mafioso atmosphere a bit instrumentally likening themselves to the US men’s basketball team over 3 decades ago just before “I Want It All” featuring Planet Asia taking the luxurious route expressing their desire for everything.

MadeinTYO interestingly joins Mu$ on the luxurious boom bap cut “Mack of the Year” talking about being the pimp’s pimps of 2024 leading into “Got Her” showing a J Dilla influence to the beat getting in his romance shit. “1 Time” featuring Le$ works in these organ-synths with kicks & snares bringing that style for the block whilst turning it up a notch while “Fresh Air” featuring Raz Fresco & Skratch Bastid keeps it boom bap with lavish piano chords talking about mornings on the beach. “Lay Up” warmly looks to turn everything he touches into chicken & “Pay the Man” is a jazzy closer demanding to be paid what he is owed.

Despite the fact that some of of Mu$’ output can be a bit too overloaded with the amount guests, I’m not gonna deny that Mackaroni is the most I’ve enjoyed his music in a while. Cookin’ Soul goes on a 3-peat with the production since it’s on par with Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga’s & Bakin’ Soul’s, the performances from the features themselves are more consistent & Mu$’ is straight mackin’ for nearly 26 minutes.

Score: 4/5

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