Ari Lennox – “Vacancy” review

Ari Lennox is a 34 year old singer/songwriter from Washington, D.C. introducing herself off her debut mixtape 5 Finger Discount & the debut EP Ariography. The latter of which resulted in J. Cole signing her to his Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records, where she would put out 2 more extended plays Pho & Away Message as well as the debut album Shea Butter Baby. Fulfilling her Dreamville obligations with her sophomore effort age/sex/location, she’s dropping off her 3rd studio LP to begin this new era of her career.

“Mobbin’ in D.C.” begins with this neo-soul intro produced by Elite singing that she’d cut off everybody around her for this guy she’s been talking to whereas the title track combines hip hop soul & contemporary R&B thanks to Jermaine Dupri & BoogzDaBeast wanting her partner to fill this gap in her heart. “Pretzel” goes for a laidback vibe courtesy of both Cardiak & Wu10 singing for her man to flip & fold her in bed just before “Under the Moon” fuses pop soul, neo-soul, doo woo & the Motown sound magnificently sampling “I Only Have Eyes for You” by The Flamingos.

Moving on from there, “High Key” gives off some trap soul undertones yearning to be this guy’s freaky lullaby leading into the contemporary R&B/trap crossover “Twin Flame” asking the person Ari’s with if he loves her the way she does him. JD flips “You’re What I’m All About” by New Birth during “Soft Girl Era” wanting to embrace the youth subculture aesthetics popularized that Ariana Grande popularized until singing about how “Deep Strokes” through her soul gets her high.

“24 Seconds” gets the 2nd half going luxuriously letting her romantic interest know he has that much time left to come get her ass while “Cool Down” heads for a more atmospheric direction instrumentally singing about showing her appreciation for whenever the person she’s been romantically involved with touches her patiently. “Horoscope” packs a bunch of clever zodiac sign wordplay into this tropical 4 & a half minute trap soul cut while “Wake Up” gets back on her bullshit after discovering her man has been seeing another woman behind her back, lying that he was alone when he’s been texting the other hoe.

The song “Company” featuring Buju Banton nears Vacancy’s final moments teaming up experimenting with reggae & R&B expressing a desire for their respective lovers to comfort them while “Dreaming” sings about seeing an ex of hers whenever she has dreams in the evening, wishing she could see him again so they can hold hands sitting on top of a roof & hitting a jacuzzi later. “Hocus Pocus” containing co-production from DJ Camper finishes the album confessing it’s too soon for her to want this man to be hers as much as she does.

I’m very happy Ari Lennox was finally able to get out of her Dreamville deal considering that she was constantly airing out her grievances towards them for shelving her music & Vacancy makes it’s case for being Ari’s greatest body of work yet, making it worth the 34 month gap between this & age/sex/location. The smooth contemporary R&B & neo-soul production feels reminiscent of Shea Butter Baby’s & the constant theme throughout Ari’s career of new beginnings or starting over takes on a whole new meaning of itself.

Score: 3.5/5

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Julian Lage – “Scenes from Above” review

Here we have the 10th solo LP from Santa Rosa, California guitarist Julian Lage. Introducing himself in 2009 off his debut Sounding Point, he would go on to drop 8 more albums with the most notable being the sophomore effort Gladwell or Modern Lore & Squint. Making his debut under Blue Note Records a couple years ago off Speak to Me, he’s coming off Her Melodious Lay & Lamentations, he’s back on the greatest jazz label of all-time depicting Scenes from Above.

“Opal” recruits pianist John Medeski, double bassist Jorge Roeder & drummer Kenny Wollesen for a lead single that gives off a heavy summertime vibe whether it be the guitar or the Hammond B3 whereas the improvised “Red Elm” experiments with soul jazz starting with some bass licks preceding the guitar, drums & organ. “Talking Drum” appropriately takes inspiration from the avant-groove trio Medeski, Martin & Wood for a jazz-funk tinged 2nd single leading into “Havens” shining some light on Kenny & John for almost 5 minutes, feeling like the beginning of a Sunday service.

The 3rd & final single “Night Shade” gives us a rush of organ melodies & guitar solos during a great bulk of the longest composition here just before “Solid Air” takes a more atmospherically meditative approach than all the other tracks once again recapturing the mood of sitting in a church prior to the pastor starts an hour long sermon. “Ocala” primarily builds itself around John playing the Hammond B3 once more & some bluesy guitar riffs from Julian but after the loosely structured “Storyville” achieves his goal of having something to talk about once he gets together with his bandmates, “Something More” finished in the form of this 4-part prayer wishing brighter days ahead for us all.

Understandably opting against making a Speak to Me sequel, Julian Lage’s sophomore effort for Blue Note Records minimizes the prominent post-bop direction Scenes from Above’s predecessor took in favor of prioritizing it’s secondary influences of jazz fusion & chamber jazz with hints of soul jazz appearing occasionally. I can’t blame him for putting us inside the shoes of his experiences being a band member considering he already made his grandest statement regarding his capability of bandleading, creating a separate character of it’s own depicting themes of freedom & trust.

Score: /5

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Megadeth – Self-Titled review

Megadeth is a thrash metal band consisting of bassist James LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari & frontman Dave Mustaine. Making their debut over 4 decades ago off Killing’s My Business…& Business is Good!, the sophomore effort Peace Sells…but Who’s Buying? would become a thrash landmark as would Rust in Peace. They’ve had some albums I’ve liked since such as Countdown to Extinction & The System Has Failed, but have dropped some unbearable stinkers too like Risk & Super Collider to name a couple. However, they’re commemorating a decade of Dystopiaby making the band’s 17th album their last.

“Tipping Point” was actually a solid technical thrash metal single singing about making people fear the sound of voices that aren’t even there until “I Don’t Care” fails at crossing over heavy metal, punk rock, thrash metal & crossover thrash making his point clear that he gives no fucks. “Hey God?!” continues to go for a traditional heavy metal sound feeling insecure as he walks these streets alone just before “Let There Be Shred” embraces some speed metal vibes singing about being born with a guitar in his hands.

Reaching the halfway point, “Puppet Parade” pulls from standard heavy metal once again describing a mundane lifestyle while a favorite of mine “Another Bad Day” puts ourselves inside the shoes of those in our country who’re down on their luck. “Made to Kill” taps back into the band’s thrash origins singing about profits growing where children die while the heavy metal-tinged “Obey the Call” discusses marching down the path where all reason dies. “I’m War” spends almost 4 minutes personifying themselves as an actual war itself & “The Last Note” concludes with an open letter to the public.

In my personal opinion: A great deal of Megadeth’s output since Endgame has been hit or miss, despite always acknowledging their status amongst the big 4 thrash metal bands nor can I take away the impact they’ve had over the course of several decades giving us a couple masterpieces along the way. That said: I can appreciate Dave Mustaine coming to his senses & calling it day after making 1 more studio LP although I’m a bit on the fence with it. Much like Dystopia: The heavy & thrash metal instrumentation’s fine for what it is, although Dave’s vocals aren’t as commanding like they once were.

Score: 2.5/5

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Hardrock – “Off the Planet” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Hardrock resolving his ongoing label issues with his 8th extended play. Getting his start over in 2021 off his debut EP Y.N.S. (Young N***a Shit), he would continue to build up anticipation by delivering 5 more EPs ahead of the commercial debut LP Next! & the breakout sophomore effort 808 Speaker Knockerz. The latter of which contains some of his best tracks to date like “H.Y.L.M.N.? (How You Like Me Now)”, “Madonna”, “New WRLD” & “Luigi Mansion”. 1of1 matched the caliber of it’s predecessor, his Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic Records debut My Gift to You was a solid prelude to Slimyfella despite the latter dividing fans last summer & he’s ready to go Off the Planet.

“UFO” begins with a playful plugg intro talking about shooting down clowns like they’re doors & giving 0 fucks whereas “Mayday” produced by Cade atmospherically discusses him bossing up & getting a raise financially. “Money Dance” gives off a range-inducing vibe figuring out how much he can stack up inside his bag while “Hndrxx” goes back to a pluggier vibe staying dripped no matter what. “Lurkin’” cloudily speaks of his lifestyle once again & the hypertrap-tinged “Diditagain” concludes Off the Planet talking about fucking up the spot.

It’s hard to tell whether or not Hardrock’s planning to drop a new album later on in 2026, but what I can say is that I enjoyed Off the Planet a bit more than Slimyfella almost 8 months ago. I can’t make any complaints regarding the production or his performances, although I give him all the props in the world for not overloading the backend of it with filler like he did the previous summer & it makes me confident his next LP won’t make that same mistake whenever he’s ready to put it out.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jon Connor – “The Artist Yahn Freeman” review

Brand new EP & the 1st of an ongoing 12-part series from Flint, Michigan emcee/producer Jon Connor. Someone who’s steadily been holding it down for the last 2 decades including The Calling, Vinnie Chase & S.O.S. trilogies along with the Best in the World saga paying homage to some of Jon’s influences, Salvation, While You Were Sleeping & Unconscious State. He was even signed to Aftermath Entertainment for 6 years before departing after Vehicle City wound up being shelved, coming off Food for the Soul & 24 produced by KLC of the No Limit Records in-house production team Beats by the Pound to have Smitti Boi produce I a few days after Jetset Rodeo became the new AEW World Trios Champions.

“Pray” opens up with a gospel sample talking about everyone around him wanting smoke because they don’t have any money & advising them to speak with God whereas “Holy Holy” goes for a trap vibe instrumentally asking the Lord to bless the child who can hold his own. “The System” takes the boom bap route admitting he didn’t think he needed to find support to keep the real alive while “Drowning in Chaos” featuring Jarren Benton finds the 2 talking about mental stress.

Emilio Rojas & MRK SX join Jon on “Hello from Miami” starting the 2nd half soulfully asking the bartender to not treat them like beginners when both of them have been catching Ws of their own for over a decade just before “Live Your Truth” passionately thanks the Man above for all the lessons He gave him during his younger days. “The People’s Anthem” winds down I’s final minutes talking about doing this music shit for the youth & the closer wishes everyone a “Happy New Year”, wishing prosperity & growth to his loved ones.

At the release party for Foul Mouth’s solo debut Everybody Goes Crazy Once a couple months ago, Jon Connor had told me roughly a half hour prior to his set he would be releasing a new project every month over over the course of 2026 & I marks an exciting beginning to the rest of this series we’re gonna watch play out until next winter. Smitti Boi’s production needless to say distances itself from the dirty south sounds of 24’s & the subject matter’s more spiritual than that previous LP’s was the previous summer.

Score: 4/5

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Fashawn – “Lost Pages” review

This is the 5th extended play from Fresno, California emcee Fashawn. Breaking out in ‘09 his 7th mixtape The Antidote, his profile would begin to increase from there whether it be the Exile-produced debut album Boy Meets World or The Alchemist-produced debut EP FASH-ionably Late & the Mass Appeal Records-backed sophomore effort The Ecology during my senior year of high school. Although his music since for me personally has been hit or miss such as You Owe Us with Interest for example, I did enjoy Carte Blanche fully produced by Little Vic & expected no different out of Lost Pages after finding out about Drega33’s involvement behind the boards.

“Gimme Your Love” chops up a drumless soul sample to get things going by letting everyone who’s sleeping on him know to stay ignorant to his artistic talents whereas “Ma Chérie” turns up the chipmunk soul vibes talking about catching wins with the kind of women he has around him. “Perfect” incorporates a prominent woodwind to ball harder than Allen Iverson while “Shoebox of Rhymes 2” continues with a sequel to his “Book of Rhymes” freestyle off his 5th mixtape 1 Shot 1 Kill.

The song “Missing U” instrumentally takes the chipmunk soul route so he can talk about liquor being the only remedy to this pain he’s been feeling regarding someone in his life who’s no longer here with us & numbing the memories of this person that come with it while “Eastside Gunn” demands his flowers over some bare pianos & reminding us he was carrying big hammers until Pro Tools came into his life. “Mascot” however spends the last couple minutes of Lost Pages talking about his dangerous lifestyle.

Capital & All Hail the King 2 were both ok, but Drega33 solely handling Lost Pages was the most I’ve been excited for Fashawn’s music in a couple years considering the handful of EPs Drega has done with the likes of Tha God Fahim to RJ Payne & FlyG have been elevating him as quite possibly my favorite producer to come out of France recently. Surely enough, I’d put it above Manna & below FASH-ionably Late for a spot amongst the top 3 EPs the Fresno artist has ever made from the drumless sampling to the needed lack of features.

Score: 4/5

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J Reno – “The Dirttape” review

J Reno is a 39 year old MC/producer from Windsor, Ontario, Canada introducing himself over 2 decades ago off his debut mixtape Ground 0 as well as the full-length debut Unleashed & the sophomore effort The Lunatic’s Back. He would follow it up with 6 more albums preceding Crossworm signing him to Dirtcore Music: Lost in the Dark, Politikilla, Into the Fire, Welcome Home, Blood, Guts & Boom Bap and Me & My Demons. Coming off Misery Coast’s eponymous debut EP this previous Hallowicked weekend, he’s making his official debut under Dirtcore with the inaugural entry of The Dirttape trilogy.

After the “Meet the Maker” intro, the self-produced “Exhumed” begins with an eerie boom bap opener talking about this whole saga of tapes coming with a curse whereas “Kill Flow 2” works in some strings & pianos for a sequel to one of the finishing moments off Lost in the Dark. “In the Ring” featuring Sleep Lyrical embraces the darker vibes even further talking about being undefeated for a reason while “The Juice” shrugs off him receiving hate because he’s got motion when they don’t.

“City of Fiends” talks about a once promising town shaping into it’s current form inhabited by zombies while “Should’ve Been” hints at him committing crimes instead of having a music career because we’re pitiful slaves to the rich. “NBT4LYFE” featuring Krimmy Van Skull decently combines boom bap & horrorcore lyricism despite Krimmy’s verse being alright to me personally while “Kill at Will” talks about acquiring a set of skills throughout the course of time that allow him to murder anyone at anytime.

After the “Voicemail” skit, “FU” contains what could most likely be my favorite beat here sounding like some 90s east coast shit explaining that rappers & their opinions are the only 2 things in the underground that haven’t changed at all while “Stand on Biz” featuring Bukshot finds the pair warning those who don’t take responsibility for themselves they’ll take everything plus interest. “What You Fighting For” goes full-blown rap rock talking about oligarchy prior to him discussing the kind of people who don’t know what it’s like to be “The Man”.

Shaping up to be the most ambitious body of work in J Reno’s solo discography with almost 26 more tracks spread across The Dirttape & assuming the next couple installments are gonna divide those songs, the beginning of this new era in his career makes some major improvements over Me & My Demons almost a couple years ago and it’s a great way for Dirtcore Music to kick off 2026 wiping a clean slate after a difficult 12 months. The production’s mostly boom bap centered other than a couple hints of rap rock & trap, there are fewer guests & the lyrics conceptually introduces us to a character named the Tape Keeper.

Score: 4.5/5

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iyrus – “II” review

Here we have the 3rd EP from up-&-coming Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper & producer of Nigerian descent iyrus. Emerging in the summer of 2024 after doing an On the Radar freestyle, he would later introduce himself more properly last spring off his debut EP Resurgence & followed it up 8 months afterwards with his previous EP I. A couple months later, he’s looking to continue where he left off less than a couple weeks from Thanksgiving, the east coast trap rapper looks to pick up right where he left off preluding a debut album with II.

“2hollis” is a rage-inducing intro talking about tucking a switch inside his jeans similarly to the Chicago underground sensation of the same name whereas “Everyday” thunderously flexes that he runs up bags on a daily basis. The self-produced “I Luv Botched Bodies” talks about stealing women so he can get his rocks off & after the hypertrap-tinged “Butt Naked Nasty” continues to address themes of lust, “Lead da Way” reaches the halfway point cashing checks at Dolce & Gabbana.

Continuing the 2nd leg of II, the song “S.I.S.” (See I’m Saying)” energetically talks about making waves as well as changing the game while “Habibi” shits all over DDG & Blueface’s latest single they dropped the weekend earlier. “Das Strange” has a pluggier atmosphere to it trying to figure out how many bitches he could fit inside his Range Rover just before the closer “Erd Tee” talks about dressing a woman he’s known since childhood who sees the vision now that both of them have grown up.

So far throughout this whole trilogy of extended plays, II expands beyond the predecessor 8 weeks ago & it wouldn’t surprise me if iyrus was eventually signed to Lil Uzi Vert’s newly founded Cor(e) imprint soon as he gains enough traction within the next year or so. The trap, rage, plugg & cloud rap production’s starting to become increasingly more detailed & he makes his best case so far in terms of why he should be mentioned amongst the greatest to come from the City of Brotherly Love.

Score: 3.5/5

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BigBabyGucci – “Serotonin” review

Brand new LP & the 7th altogether from Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci. Starting almost a decade ago off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 19 more EPs as well as 6 full-lengths & his last couple tapes along the way. When U Wake Up, When You Go to Sleep, Baby 5 & the heavily alternative ANTI have all become his strongest material of the 2020s although I can’t the same for Isolation 2.5 a month after the latter. Internet Explorer was a fun redemption for himself & 5 months later, following up And When I’m Alone a couple months ago supplying a dose of Serotonin.

“The Biggest Opp” starts off with a synth-trap instrumental talking about making it to the top of an enemies list for being what they aspire of becoming whereas “Crew Love” goes for a funkier vibe asking his lover what she wants to do. “Waymo” continues to embrace a futuristic trap vibe talking about righting all of his wrongs leading into “Hate Me So Bad” taking inspiration from synth-funk a bit trying to figure why some hold resentment towards him.

Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran co-produces “Molasses” getting back in his mode addressing a sweet talker who he deems to be slow just before “Pay 4 Love” atmospherically tells his lover he’s hoping they can take off together. “Upside Down” has a more playful tone to it talking about knowing what this bad bitch who came across his path needs while “Broke as Fuck” tropically boasts his chains come in all different colors similarly to a box of crayons.

“Heartbreak Hotel” kicks off the final act of Serotonin asking if it’s a problem that he likes to get high daily & whipping up a pot soon as he gets out of bed at the crack of dawn while “Fall Out” stylistically feels like a cross between Graduation and 808s & Heartbreak flexing that he’ll pull up with all the swag. “Soul Cry” finishes by continuing to take inspiration from those previously mentioned albums seeing his future in the distance whenever he goes to sleep at night.

Continuing to hold off a little longer until House of Mirrors or Soda & Syrup 2 and now Dopamine arrive, BigBabyGucci further capitalizes on the success of And When I’m Alone hitting the studio again for nearly a dozen new songs of audio Serotonin clocking at almost a half hour marking the beginning of what’s looking like a stronger year for him. The production’s a lot more synth-based than some of his recent output & maintains the hunger he had a couple months ago, complimenting the sound with fun pop rap performances.

Score: 3.5/5

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Recognize Ali – “All Shall Perish” review

Here we have the 19th proper solo album from Ghanan emcee Recognize Ali. This guy has been a dominant force in the underground from his vast discography of LPs, mixtapes & EPs within the last decade or so to the stellar feature performances that he’s provided for numerous artists. Some standouts in his ever-growing catalog to me personally include the Giallo Point-produced Back 2 Mecca, the Stu Bangas-produced Guerrilla Dynasty trilogy & the Bronze Nazareth-produced Season of the 7 to only name a few. Coming off Back to M3cca this fall, DJ D-Styles has been brought in to fully produce All Shall Perish.

“Realest” comes out the gate with this gritty boom bap opener advising that it wouldn’t be clever to go to war with him whereas “Killing Birds” featuring Bub Styles eerily talks about shattering dreams emptying full clip magazines at their opps. “Perpetual Stew” maintains a hardcore boom bap vibe reminding the world he’s been that dude with the repertoire that says it all while “Give ‘Em Hell” blends some pianos & saxophones with kicks & snares warning one could get murked for crossing him.

Boob Bronx & Chubs join Ali on the title track boasting that everything they touch becomes monumental leading into “Bad Mon” talking about not fucking around because of the size of his stick & the possibility of lives being lost. “Soft Ones” featuring Sage Infinite finds the 2 speaking of loading up when it’s war time & after taking a moment to talk about how “Sometimes the Predator is the Prey”, the final song “Real Recognize” wraps up All Shall Perish issuing a statement demanding his authenticity gets acknowledged.

Guerilla Dynasty III was a great conclusion to an outstanding trilogy & I thought Back to M3cca was cool although I didn’t enjoy it as much. All Shall Perish on the other hand improves from it’s predecessor a few months earlier & it’s easily Recognize Ali’s best solo effort in a while. The guest list can be 50/50, but DJ D-Styles’ production representing the signature Beat Junkie Sound & the Greenfield Music founder’s penmanship combined outweighs what very few criticisms I have towards it.

Score: 4/5

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