Drake – “For All the Dogs” review

This is the 8th full-length album from Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor, producer & entrepreneur Drake. Skyrocketing to fame in 2009 off his 3rd mixtape So Far Gone, the success of this groundbreaking project resulted in a contract with both Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records & they helped put out the man’s underrated full-length debut Thank Me Later the next summer. His sophomore effort Take Care the year after would be even better & I enjoyed Nothing Was the Same too but after If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & then What a Time to Be Alive with Future (both of which came out in 2015), that’s when the quality in Drake’s music really began to take a nosedive. VIEWS was a terrible foray into dancehall, More Life was mediocre despite being stylistically eclectic, his YM/CM swan song Scorpion was a disappointingly failed attempt at making a double disc album showcasing his hip hop/R&B sides of his music respectively, Care Package is decent collection of 17 loosies from 2010-2016 that we’ve all heard before, Dark Lane Demo Tapes tried to experiment with new sounds only to miss the landing & Certified Lover Boy just felt like the same old shit we’ve heard from him before. Honestly, Nevermind was basically Drake’s own version of Renaissance by foraying into house music a month ahead to mixed reception until the Her Loss collab album with 21 Savage easily became the best thing he’s done in 8 years & that’s a 6/10 at best because 21 felt like a featured artist on there. So considering that, I went into For All the Dogs expecting something interesting. Especially since he said he was going to throw it back to his roots musically.

“Virginia Beach” begins it all with 40 sampling “Wiseman” by Frank Ocean accompanied by some hi-hats dedicating this to everyone from the titular city in Virginia whereas “Amen” featuring Teezo Touchdown is a piano/trap hybrid that Budgie hooked up with both of them talking about gratefulness. “Calling You” with an underwhelming 21 Savage feature & co-production from Cash Cobain starts off by layering an electro loop over hi-hats until a soulful switch-up needing to be held until the inevitable, but then the synth-laced “Fear of Heights” produced by BNYX of Working on Dying, Pooh Beatz & xynothing makes various references to travelling abroad.

Meanwhile, “Daylight” with Adonis goes for a shimmery trap vibe courtesy of Southside & Smatt Sertified talking about shooting them in broad day leading into “First Person Shooter” starting off with a slowed down sample prior to a heavenly beat switch with co-production from Boi-1da, FNZ, Tay Keith & Vinylz comparing this to the Super Bowl as J. Cole delivers one of the best features on the LP making this the first time the 6 God & the King of Dreamville have crossed paths in about a decade. Yeat’s verse on “IDGAF” has to be another standout guest appearance as he & Drizzy join forces over a rage beat talking about their nonchalant-like personalities.

“7969 Santa” primarily has a woozier vibe to it instrumentally referencing a Delilah restaurant located out in Santa Monica Boulevard looking to get someone off his mind while “Slime You Out” featuring SZA is a disappointingly mediocre alternative R&B duet basically saying they slimin’ each other for them kid choices they made as corny as it sounds. After the superiorly chilled out R&B-inflicted “Bahamas Promises” reflecting on a troubled relationship, the wavy “Tried Our Best” talks about treating this woman right & has been growing on me over the last couple months that is until the mid atmospheric trap 2-parter “Drew a Picasso” right after another interlude “Screw the World” paying homage to DJ Screw telling this chick she ain’t gon’ find no one better & possibly making it work again.

PARTYNEXTDOOR’s chemistry with his mentor shown on the minimally moody “Members Only” is pretty tight saying these bitches are too down with the gangy even though lines like “Feel like I’m bi ’cause you’re one of the guys, girl” are total cringe while “What Would Pluto Do?” subliminally disses Future over a piano/trap beat. “All the Parties” is an airy 2-parter with reflecting on his success, distance from others in the music industry & paints a vivid image of his fortune & close-knit crew until Conductor Williams gives “8am in Charlotte” a dustier edge rapping his ass off for 4 & a half minutes. I seriously don’t even care about the supposed Ye diss either.

“BBL Love” strips the drums completely tackily comparing love to a Brazilian Butt Lift in the sense that “you won’t know if it’s real until you feel one” making it the worst song on the album ironically right after the best while “Gently” featuring Bad Bunny goes into Latin trap turf with the help of Gordo talking about living like The Sopranos from the Warner Bros.-owned HBO which is one of my top 3 shows of all-time behind Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad on amc respectively. However, I don’t see myself listening to it ever again. “Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red mixes elements of Jersey Club with trap providing a decent anthem for the strip clubs while “Another Late Night” featuring Lil Yachty picks up the pace fusing pop rap & rage chilling with women during the evening & Drake fuckin’ FINALLY addressing the rumors about him with Millie Bobby Brown.

As we continue to the encore of the album, the penultimate track “Away from Home” confesses that it doesn’t feel like a home to him anymore more rather just simply wall, doors & floors that only he can afford & lastly “Polar Opposites” ties up this 23 song album clocking in at 85 minutes in the form of an average spacey slow jam singing about how immature it is for Mariana to block him on everything in an unprovoked manner without exactly knowing why whatsoever. As he had legitimately plans to understand her a bit more, but obviously that’s not going to happen anymore because she broke his faith.

Now the Scary Hours deluxe version of this album contains 6 new bonus cuts & I’ll go over them right now. “Red Button” produced by ovrkast. & Lil Yachty starts off the deluxe run shouting out Taylor Swift, mentioning his truce with Kanye West & promising to find out wherever his opposition is celebratin’ to see who really crazy & after “Stories About My Brother” goes into jazzy boom bap territory with the help of Conductor calling this “the storm before the calm, we’ll get to the vacation later” including a Joe Budden diss, “The Shoe Fits” works in a woodwind addressing the ladies wonderin’ why Drake can’t rap like the same old guy answering he doesn’t know how anymore.

“Wick Man” has to be my favorite bonus track of the 6-pack comparing himself to John Wick & starting off by taking a laughable jab at Pusha T calling him “broke” over a reversed loop from one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist that’s later made up with a reference to 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena while “Evil Ways” featuring J. Cole displays a back & forth chemistry between the 2 with a soulful trap sound this time. Finally, the last bonus cut “You Broke My Heart” is easily the most melodic of the bunch singing over pianos about a woman who broke his heart. Want to mention him, BNYX, the latter’s brother BEAUTIFULMVN, Lil Yachty & 40 failing miserably with the standalone trap, pop rap, alternative R&B, cloud rap, emo rap single “Search & Rescue” too.

Look: I haven’t enjoyed a Drake project consistently in 8 years up to this point, but I’ll always give him his credit where it’s due because his place in hip hop has been cemented by the impact he’s had on it & the music industry at large. With all of that being said: I genuinely think For All the Dogs is a step in the right direction for him compared to his last couple albums Certified Lover Boy & Honestly, Nevermind. Easily his most consistent solo effort since If You’re Reading This in my respectful opinion. He mainly returns to his trappy pop rap roots also dabbling with trap soul, chipmunk soul, contemporary R&B & even Latin music in the process with slightly more hits & than misses.

Score: 3.5/5

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Elcamino – “They Spit on Jesus” review

This is the 5th full-length LP from Buffalo emcee & singer Elcamino. Blowing up in 2017 off his self-titled EP with Griselda Records, his profile increasingly grew after being followed up by Walking on Watermixtape in the summer of 2018 along with dropped 2 studio albums & a few EPs the year after that. Now it’s been quite a while since I’ve last covered Camino, with the last project of his that I reviewed being his 10th EP On the 3rd Day. Since then he’s put out 4 more EPs alongside a couple additional LPs with Walk by Faith & Not by Sight and Let There Be Light. But after signing to Black Soprano Family Records not too long ago, he’s finally making his debut under Benny the Butcher’s very own MNRK Music Group imprint in the form They Spit on Jesus.

The title track featuring Fuego Base finds the 2 over a mobster-like boom bap instrumental from Ill Tone talking about how they would do the worst whereas “New Bills” featuring Benny works in some strings, kicks & snares detailing life in Buffalo for them. “Victory” featuring Inspectah Deck takes a more soulful boom bap approach getting on the celebratory side of things, but then “For the Streets” switches it up with a spacey trap banger dedicated to the hoods.

“Neva Gon’ Change” dives headfirst into chipmunk soul talking about refusing to ever switch up just before “Tap In” featuring Armani Caesar returns to a trap-based sound as both of them charismatically set out to hook you up. “Cry with Me” gives off a summery boom bap flare getting incredibly personal on the mic leading into the groovy “All I Know” talking about representing the very city that he came from.

Meanwhile, the appropriately titled minute & a half “Ballad” finds Elcamino singing over some horns that is until the delicately produced “Started from Nothing” featuring Loveboat Luciano spits about coming up not having shit. The song “80 Bills” featuring Benny the Butcher is an eerie trap cut reminding y’all that B$F be that mob while “War Ruckas featuring Havoc with Camino’s brother King Ralph & even over a soulful boom bap beat talking about bringing war. “The Best of Me” is an orchestral-tinged closer refusing to let people get to him.

I enjoyed Walk by Faith & Not by Sight and Elcamino 3, but No Weapon Formed Against Me was a significant improvement over some the other projects that he’s put out in these last 2 years so I had high expectations for They Spit on Jesus & it lived up to them. The production’s consistent, the guests are all on par & his versatility is on full display.

Score: 4/5

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Ty Farris – “Sounds That Never Left My Soul” review

This is the 10th full-length LP from Detroit veteran Ty Farris. Emerging up up under the name T-Flame being featuring on a lot of projects throughout the mid-2000’s until the very end of the decade, it was at that point where he started to put out solo stuff at a prolific rate by dropping 11 mixtapes, all 9 of his previous albums & 3 EPs. Standouts include the Room 39 duology & the No Cosign Just Cocaineseries, the 5th & final installment of which finally arrived earlier this year followed by the Machacha-produced Malice at the Palace a month later. However, Ty’s returning 7 months later by letting y’all hear some Sounds That Never Left My Soul with the help of Graymatter.

“The Vortex” is a 2-minute rap rock opener clocking in at almost 2 minutes staying humble with the help of God himself whereas an early standout “Everything They Not” continues forward on a more rugged note talking about how he’s everything that these motherfuckers wish they were. “Box of Bullets” goes for a psychedelic sound detailing that more problems arise when you earn more money just before another favorite “Lifetime of Misery” is a dreary boom bap follow-up feeling the menacing vibrations as their souls demise.

On the other hand, “Samples of My Soul” weaves a woodwind flip into the picture cautioning that he has a heart of gold although it then cold if you bringing danger his way while the eerie “Death Over Disagreements” talking about keeping his name out your mouth in funny ways since he’s from the 313. The solemn “Splashes of Tragedy” admits that part of his meditation process is polishing the heaters that he owns while the luxurious title track asks to close your eyes & envision. 

The song “Light the Corners of Ya Mind” hops on top of a soul sample to get into his specialty of giving haters to show their jealousy while the penultimate track “Kavanah” hauntingly talks about a soul with a hole in it. To round out the album though, we have T-Flame over a dark instrumental sending a clear message to all the “People Who Dead & Don’t Know It”.

Ty’s been known for his consistency, but he’s really been stepping up each year because dude just went on a threepeat here. Graymatter’s production is a slight step above Machacha’s on the last album Malice at the Palace that I found myself enjoying as much earlier this year & some of the concepts that T-Flame addresses resonated with me in relatability.

Score: 4.5/5

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Alla Xul Elu & Super Famous Fun Time Guys – “Lost Lake Estates” review

This is a brand new collaborative LP between Ohio horrorcore groups Alla Xul Elu & the Super Famous Fun Time Guys. One of them is a trio consisting of Billy Obey as well as Joey Black & Lee Carver with the other being a duo composed of Mr. 8 Legz & Whipstick, but have been taking over the wicked shit scene for the past 5 years after their chemistry has been reminiscent of the Insane Clown Posse & Twiztid before both parties fell out with one another. But after signing to S.O.N. to Long Live Evil over the summer, Xul & the Fun Time Gang are taking us through Lost Lake Estates.

After the “Inmates Run The…” intro, the first song “Rhyme Asylum” is a ghoulish boom bap opener talking about having the speakers at full blast in the padded rooms encouraging to kick it with Satan himself whereas works in a cavernous loop admitting that no amount of medicine can medicate them whatsoever. “Anthem” keeps it rolling with a grimy dedication to LLE itself leading into “Kill ‘Em with Kindness” keeps it dusty talking about what you gotta do if you’re gonna end up killing them.

“Midian” weaves more kicks & snares into the fold leaving them dead inside fiendin’ for bodies like former 3-time WWE world champion & 2-time WWE tag team champion Bray Wyatt who recently passed away just before “No Body” is a somber boom bap ballad about all 5 of these guys being nobodies referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young. “Pour Another” moves forward by whipping up a fun tune dedicated to all the drinkers out there, but then “King of Quit” ends the first half of the album with pianos as well as kicks & snares talking about being pieces of shit.

Meanwhile to start the 2nd leg, “FUNeral” makes it clear that the quintet puts thе “fun” in funeral over a jazzy boom bap beat reminiscent to that of the 90s while the psychedelic “Song of the Dead” lives up to it’s name with it’s morbid subject matter. “Why You Mad?” instrumentally reminds me of RZA’s basement-like production style 3 decades ago asking why people be salty towards them referencing the current TNA Digital Media Champion Tommy Dreamer who was also a former 2-time アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 3-time ECW World Tag Team Champion & 14-time WWE Hardcore Champion while the dreary “Hang in There” talks about there being nothing left to say.

After the “REC Room” skit, the song “SciCo Screwjob” cautions that shit’s similar to a deathmatch with former 4-time GCW World Champion, GCW Tag Team Champion, IWA World Champion, the inaugural 4-time CZW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time CZW Iron Man Champion, 2-time CZW Ultraviolent Underground Champion, 5-time CZW World Tag Team Champion & BJW認定タッグチャンピオン Nick Gage mixing industrial hip hop & boom bap puking in faces like former 3-time AJPW三冠ヘビー級チャンピオン, 5-time AJPW世界タッグチャンピオン, 4-time IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, 6-time IWGPタッグチャンピオン, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, GHCヘビー級チャンピオン, GHCタッグチャンピオン, WCW World Television Champion, WCW World Tag Team Champion & WWE Hall of Famer ザ・グレート・ムタ while “Underground” hooks up some kicks, snares & keys using the the term for music outside the general commercial canon as a metaphor of becoming one with the Earth. The 8-minute title track rounds it all out with a boom bap beat with blaring horns taking y’all with them on a trip to the titular location.

It was only a matter of time until these dudes came together with their own Dark Lotus-style collaborative effort because the way everyone pings off one another is certainly reminiscent to that of the 5 petals ICP & Triple Threat. The production is primarily based in the traditional boom bap sound with some industrial/jazz rap undertones with everyone skillfully spitting the wicked shit.

Score: 4.5/5

Rome Streetz – “Noise Kandy 5” review

This is the 8th mixtape from New York lyricist Rome Streetz. Emerging in 2016 off his debut mixtape I Been Thru Mad Shit, this was followed up by a plethora of projects with the most notable being the Noise Kandy tetralogy & Headcrack. These past couple years however we’re probably his biggest ones yet, as he dropped some of the best work of his career from the DJ Muggs-produced Death & the Magician or the Futurewave-produced Razor’s Edgeto the Ransom-assisted collab effort Coup de Grâce& the Griselda Records deal that followed. His debut with the Buffalo powerhouse Kiss the Ring came in at the #9 spot on my Best Albums of 2022 list & coming off the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Wasn’t Built in a Day, Rome’s now looking to close out the Noise Kandy series.

“2nd Seizure” starts the finale with a haunting loop boasting that no one’s as slick as him whereas “Hell Backwards” goes into cavernous boom bap territory thanks to Wavy da Ghawd talking about having fire in his eye & the pistol right by him. “Clutchin’” goes for an eerier atmosphere keeping the kicks & snares in tact making it known his lifestyle still illegal, but then “Stunna” featuring Boldy James & Double D finds the trio over a groovy Denny LaFlare beat talking about only recognizing dollar signs.

Meanwhile, “Chrome Magnum” flexed that he’s still eating dinner off the same plate he was bagging over an uncanny Conductor Williams instrumental just before the sample-based “Go Raw” produced by Sovren talks about being a born leader until the death of him. “Accurate” featuring Curren$y returns to the boom bap accompanied by Evidence behind the boards discussing their lives as they know it leading into “Fire At Ya Idle Mind” featuring Joey Bada$$ proves they have no time for lack of progress or engagement backed by more dusty production.

“Pocket Full of Beans” dives into trap turf a bit this time around talking his shit kicking up his flow a bit while Sadhugold brings a drumless, jazzy vibe to “Black Magic” seeking to do motherfuckers as if he never even knew them from the start. “Shake & Bake” continues to pull inspiration from jazz music instrumentally talking about being on the road to gold all gas no brakes while the symphonic “Fastactionvenom” featuring Rigz as they shine the brightest in the dark. The keyboard-driven penultimate track “Heart Break Hotel” talking about selling hoes Molly out the metaphorical location & “Procall” rounds out the Noise Kandy saga by hoping over a shimmery boom bap beat justifiably declaring that the product is potent & popular.

The Noise Kandy series contains amongst Rome’s most prolific cuts like “Hot Pistol Heart Frozen” or “World in My Palm” & “My Destiny”, so it makes sense for him to round out the iconic mixtape series much like Westside Gunn did on Hitler Wears Hermes X last fall. Couldn’t have ended it better. Futurewave’s engineering is remarkable, Rome’s articulate pen-game never fails & almost all the guests match his caliber.

Score: 4/5

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Lørd Skø – “United Palace” review

This is the sophomore full-length LP from New York up-&-comer Lørd Skø. Getting his start in the fall of 2020 off his debut EP 13th Angel, his profile would grow from there eventually hiring one of the greatest A&Rs in the industry Dante Ross as his manager & showing the world of what he’s capable of doing last summer when he put out his debut album Museum. Now that fall started a week ago, Skø’s looking to take everyone through the United Palace.

“Headcrack” is a triumphant opener cautioning to cut the attitude since he’s been the man in his section whereas “Kush & OJ” takes a jazzier approach thanks to Graymatter admitting that he’s been falling back in his old ways as of late. “Yellow Tape” works in some kicks, snares & a whimsical loop wanting his flowers by the time the sun rises in the morning just before the horn-inflicted “Riddles in the Sand” talks about catching him at east 80 degrees next destination.

Da$h joins Skø on the drumless “St. Nicholas” getting in their hardcore bag lyrically leading into the soulful “Finder’s Fee” talking about defying the odds & being able to do the impossible not once but twice. “Enterprise” continues to chop up some soul samples comparing his raps to that of watching the greatest quarterback of all-time & 7-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady playing, but then “Mescaline Leaves” featuring Meyhem Lauren finds the 2 over more dusty boom bap production from Statik Selektah making reference to former former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, FTW Champion, ECW World Television Champion, 3 time ECW World Tag Team Champion, JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン & the longest reigning XPW World Heavyweight Champion Sabu.

“James Worthy Goggles” has a heavy woodwind groove to it referencing former 14-time WWE world champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division’s CCO Triple H while “500” makes a 180° from the trap beat to the flow-change so he can swerve a hoe who wanted to fuck & get paid. “Malice at the Palace” has a funk/boom bap quality to it telling y’all to catch him with a bitch that looks like Richard Pryor’s wife while “G.W.B. (Good Weed Burning) featuring Wiseboy Jeremy sees the duo jumping on top of a classy instrumental talking about actually smiling the next time they snatch chains.

The song “Firestarter” featuring LIFEOFTHOM returns to a soulful-inspired direction talking about being harder than arsenic & setting fire to their dreams before starting them but after the Kurious interlude, “Pimp Socks” closes out Skø’s sophomore effort on a bluesy boom bap note saying that he doesn’t even feel like these are the golden years of his career which is true considering the insane potential Museum showed & how much he’s grown in the last year.

With that being said: United Palace continues to elevate Lørd Skø to prominence within the underground because this album right here is stronger than the one he introduced us with the previous summer. Even though the feature list is more consistent, he most importantly delivers a thorough expression of classic & modern New York culture all from his perspective. Between this & Museum, it’s only the beginning.

Score: 4/5

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Twiztid – “Odyssey” review

This is the 16th EP from the Detroit demented duo & Astronomicon founders Twiztid. Consisting of Jamie Madrox & Monoxide, both of whom originally started out as part of the House of Krazees alongside childhood friend The R.O.C. in 1992 before their initial disbandment 5 years later. Almost immediately after, the Insane Clown Posse took Jamie & Mono under their wings by signing them to Psychopathic Records as who they’re known as today. They would become the label’s 2nd biggest act being their mentors off projects like Mostasteless, Freek Show, Mirror Mirror, The Green Book, W.I.C.K.E.D. (Wish I Could Kill Every Day & Abominationz. Shortly after the latter was released, Twiztid left Psychopathic to form Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2014. Since then they’ve released 7 albums & 8 EPs on their own label, my favorites of which being /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/ & even their last full-length Glyph that they dropped over the fall. But coming off the Stir Crazy-produced Echoes from Dimension X this past spring, DJ Godzila’s being brought in to fully produce a new 7-track Odyssey.

“Pot Snob” starts things off with a Jamie Madrox solo cut drawing blending trap & old school hip hop for all the weed heads out there whereas “It’s About to Go Down” has a bit of a thunderous boom bap quality to the instrumental talking about everyone getting smoked out. “6 Feet Deep” is another Jamie solo joint working in some ominous keys saying everything will all repeat until you’re dead in the ground leading into “Smoke Headed Monster” by Madrox & Blaze Ya Dead Homie finds the 2 over a funk/boom bap hybrid encouraging to smoke your kush if you got it. To start the final leg of the EP, the entrancing “Astro Planin’” by the Multiple Man talks about an out of body experience while the penultimate track “Lifestyles” is a glamorous look of what it’s like for Jamie & Mono to be as stoned & high as they are. “This 4 U” by Madrox rounds out the Odyssey with an energizing dedication to those in life who’re sick & tired of feeling like they’re useless.

Some juggalos were trying to write this off as a 3-Headed Monster bite & I don’t really see it since 3HM contains 3 generations of the wicked shit in 1 & Odyssey finds Twiztid delivering a stoner-heavy concept although it’s predominantly Jamie Madrox on top of DJ Godzila’s production giving the demented duo a completely different sound from some of their past material from Glyph returning to their wicked shit roots to the hardcore hip hop approach of /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/ & who could forget their rock debut Unlikely Prescription? The follow-up to the latter Welcome to Your Funeral is said to be more wicked, feature more rapping from them & fully produced by Zeuss so I expect them to deliver what Unlikely Prescription should’ve been

Score: 3/5

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Alecs DeLarge – “Alecs in Wonderland” review

Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Alecs DeLarge signing to High Focus Records for a brand new extended play of solo material. Somebody who’s spent the last several years dropping a plethora of beat tapes from Earth Seeds to S950 Bumps as well as Astro Livin’ & Bubble Goose Loops. He recently got with King Kashmere producing The Album to End All Alien Abductions in its entirety over the summer, stepping up to the mic for Alecs in Wonderland getting a chance to shine in the spotlight lyrically.

After the “$50M” intro, the first song “Scooby Snax” begins with a psychedelic self-produced opener talking about being more iconic than Cam’ron in the pink mink coat whereas & still being broke whereas “Green Goblin” takes the boom bap route instrumentally crumblin’ planets into spliffs. “Attaman!” goes for a drumless vibe talking about sending wack MCs out in space while the jazzy single “AM to AM” speaks of getting lifted 24 hours a day.

“Wonderland” continues to strip the drums talking about others suggesting he’s living the dream when he’s doing shows for drinks & some food leading into the funky “Megabus Dreams” featuring King Kashmere marking my favorite collaboration of the 2 looking at both sides of fame. “Empty Pocket Posse” featuring HPBLK hypnotically talks about both of them being poor & after the “Magic Scones” skit, “Muscle Head” drumlessly denies the possibility of slipping on an open trap ever happening.

The soulfully funky “Girl Joint” single starts Alecs in Wonderland’s final moments talking about the MPC 2000 while “Timbos x Pathfinders” jazzily finds himself seeing nothing’s changed around the block of flats that made him who he is since all the same people are there. “Far Out, Far Man” after the “Mushroom Hill” skit ends the EP taking a more melodic approach in terms of delivery singing for this woman to join him for the ride they’re gonna embark on right beside each other.

Heavily inspired by the Quasimoto alter-ego of one of my top 10 producers of all-time Madlib, the inaugural solo project in Alecs DeLarge’s career excluding all of his compositional tapes creates his own utopia to escape the one outside his council flat window idyllic living in Lynchian reality when he was exiled to a forgotten mining village. His production during Alecs in Wonderland’s course feels a lot stronger than that earlier instrumental output & he gets a couple of guests to join him in dissecting a lonely man’s soul.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mickey Diamond – “Capital Gains” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee Mickey Diamond linking up with Camoflauge Monk for his 9th studio LP. A member of the Umbrella collective, he emerged at the beginning of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous & has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 8 albums alongside 7 EPs & a mixtape. Gucci Ghost & its sequel produced by Big Ghost Ltd. on top of Ral Duke producing Oroku Saki in its entirety all became his strongest bodies of work to date. Couple months after the Sadhugold-produced Death Threat$, he’s looking to make Capital Gains.

“Nobody Moves” sets it off with this boom bap intro talking about nothing moving around his parts other than the money while the title track samples the remix of “Sleep for Dinner” by the Lords of the Underground boasting everyone knowing their names now referencing Key & Peele on the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Comedy Central. “Current Events” featuring Jamil Honesty finds the pair flippin’ through scriptures to get their minds right whereas “Nike Checks & New Balances” featuring Cise Greeny breaks down everything that makes their cypher complete referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE world champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage.

Big Trip gets his own solo cut with “Carbones” encouraging y’all to walk with him to new horizons on top of his time & heart both being cold for no reason at all just before “Army Jacker Lining” featuring Substance810 discusses their game being amazingly skilled including a reference to former WWE writer, WCW booker, TNA Wrestling booker & WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vince Russo. “Anything to Get to the Doe” talks doing anything he can in order for him to make some paper, but then “Cross the Line” featuring The Steiner Brothers finds the trio dismantling their competition.

“Tats on My Belly” by Mvck Nyce is a lot like “Carbones” in that Mickey Diamond doesn’t appear on the track at all making way for another member of the Umbrella collective to show off his lyrical abilities talking about the recklessness of his whole entire style & the closing track “Stocks x Bonds” finishes Capital Gains by talking about now being his time to shine when he’s actually been doing so ever since last winter along with a bar on top of hitting heavier than Tyson Fury.

Capital Gains has now joined it’s predecessor from a couple months ago Death Threat$ in addition to Oroku Saki & both Gucci Ghost albums in continuing Mickey’s dominance of the underground by dropping off his 5th classic over a week after the fall season began. Camoflauge Monk’s production maintains the boom bap edge of Death Threat$ except he swaps out the drumless undertones of the latter in favor of jazz rap & Diamond enlists his Umbrella brethren to lay out commanding gangsta-themed lyrics rather than not having any guests last time.

Score: 4.5/5

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Armand Hammer – “We Buy Diabetic Test Strips” review

This is the 6th full-length LP from New York underground duo Armand Hammer. Consisting of Billy Woods & Elucid, they formed together a decade ago already off their only mixtape Half Measures & the debut album Race Music. The pair would go on to release an EP & 4 more albums worth of abstract political hip hop, with the last one Haram fully produced by The Alchemist becoming the most critically acclaimed within their discography. But after signing to Fat Possum Records recently, these guys are commemorating a decade as a unit in the form of We Buy Diabetic Test Strips.

“Landlines” starts off Armand Hammer’s debut with Fat Possum with JPEGMAFIA behind the boards sampling “No Sleep Tonight” by Mýa clarifying that life’s basically tomorrow’s breakfast & they’re doing ok whereas “Woke Up & Asked Siri How I’m Gonna Die” works in elements of cloud rap as well as wonky & vaportrap talking about not seeing the bottom yet. “The Flexible Unreliability of Time & Memory” goes for a more stripped back sound thanks to Child Actor refusing to believe that certainty is a circle leading into “When It Doesn’t Start With a Kiss” brings Peggy back on the boards yet again delivering a tropical boom bap 2-parter asking how it feels.

Cavalier joins billy & Elucid on “Keep a Mirror in My Pocket” to tell those who don’t know their place to get up out of their grills over some heavy vibraphones & horns from Preservation & one of my favorite Elucid lines on the entire album “I like Forrest Whitaker, Triple X my signature” just before the lead single “Trauma Mic” featuring Pink Siifu is an industrial, noise rock crossover cooked up by DJ Haram airing out all motherfuckers who don’t keep they word. “N****rdly (Blocked Call)” gives off a cavernous boom bap edge to the beat thanks to August Fanon pumping ketamine through their hearts, but then “The Gods Must Be Crazy”gets a glimpse of El-P mixing elements of glitch hop & noise rap talking about money being no good here.

“Y’all Can’t Stand Right Here” featuring Junglepussy & Moneynicca finds Messiah Musikstripping the drums with co-production from Steel Tipped Dove encouraging y’all to follow the flow paying homage to the late great MF DOOM flipping a line from “Rhymes Like Dimes” while “Total Recall” weaves some woodwinds, kicks & snares into the fold courtesy of Kenny Segal referencing “Nuclear War” by jazz visionary Sun Ra on the hook & billy woods saying there ain’t no father to his style like the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard himself. Junglepussy returns with Curly Castro for “Empire BLVD” as Willie Green whips up a ghostly boom bap groove telling y’all to watch them go down prior to Black Noi$e giving “Don’t Lose Your Job” featuring Moor Mother & Pink Siifu a mellower sonic approach talking about gas being as high as it is. billy though comes out swinging by saying “Break up weed on one phone, FaceTime on the other. Break up with me? I’m a G, I stay friends with your mother.”

The song “Supermooned” is a piano-trap hybrid that Elucid himself produced alongside DJ Haram asking if it’s ok or if it’s over while the penultimate track “Switchboard” talking about knowing that something’s coming even though they can’t see it yet over a trippy Sebb Bash instrumental. On the other hand, “The Key’s Under the Mat” closes out Armand Hammer’s official Fat Possum debut by enlisting JPEGMAFIA back on the beats once more except this one’s probably the darkest of his batch talking about how that security deposit ain’t comin’ back after all.

Despite still highly recommending Haram for anyone that isn’t caught up on these guys’ discography yet, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips legitimately happens to be a spiritual successor to Shrines & one that I find myself leaning more towards in comparison to the predecessor. billy & Elucid both examine the way people are navigating through this collapsing system with the production being cohesively gritty yet denser than some of their previous material.

Score: 4.5/5

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