Fulcrum – “All at Once” review

Fulcrum is a 24 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & YouTuber from Walnut Creek, California emerging off the strength of his debut single “Fucking Nothing”. He then began to turn heads in the fall of 2021 off the banger “My Way Out” & his YouTube momentum taking off this past fall by getting faded than hoe all over public places on Yodie Land spreading positivity to the yodie gang. But to celebrate his born day, he’s giving the yodie gang his 4th EP following up Identity as well as abundance & self-titled.

“Fly Around” sets off the EP with a plugg instrumental from none other than Goyxrd telling y’all he is nowhere to be found in your area whereas “Further” takes the mellow trap route talking about how he keeps it pushing. “Japanese” has a more happier tone to the instrumental describing a woman in his life that he considers to be unforgettable just before “Back Then” calls out those who didn’t want to fuck with them until he blew up over another pluggy beat.

Moving on to the self-produced Fed Hoe”, we have Fulcrum asking why his girl lied to him by his side over some keyboards & hi-hats leading into the title track talking about smoking a whole pack of good kush at once over some more plugg instrumentals. “Driving to the Moon” has a more cloudier vibe as he continues to run it up, but then “Faded than a Hoe” comes through with a more delicate sound delivering an anthem based on one of his catchphrases. The penultimate track “Someone 2 Luv” returns to a pluggier aesthetic tackling romance until the closer “Lovely” ends it all with some hi-hats & pianos talking about feeling lucky.

Even though I enjoy this dude’s videos & some of his songs, one of my biggest critiques in the past was that you can blatantly hear a huge Pi’erre Bourne influence on some of his early material & it was a little distracting at times. However, I think Fulcrum shakes that off with All at Once because this is quickly becoming my favorite EP of his yet. It’s interesting to hear him take a backseat on the production side of things & stepping up his songwriting, thus coming into his own. Need I say more?

Score: 3.5/5

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United Grind – “Grind or Die” review

This is the full-length debut from Midwest underground collective United Grind. Consisting of Ohio duo Play Havoc alongside Detroit quartet GameChangers, the crew initially formed about a decade ago with all 6 members putting in work throughout the independent hip hop scene both individually & as a unit. So in order for the crew to take their profile up to the next level, the sextet is getting together for an official full-length debut collectively.

“Step Lively” opens the album with some kicks, snares & pianos as HiJinks, Lee Harvey & R.E.D. all belittle anyone who dares to step up to them on the mic whereas “Give It Back” finds everybody over some dusty boom bap production obliterating all wack emcees. Vice Souletric & GameChangers stick around for “Got Somethin’” talking about being the illest spitting without even trying to front over a sample-based instrumental, but then “Ambush Ballad” by HiJinks & Lena Jackson says it all very well down to the cavernous boom bap beat as well as the warmongering lyrics.

Moving on to “Similar”, we have Play Havoc on top of a trap instrumental with a vocal loop delivering that signature O State tempature just before the GameChangers shine on their own with “Doin’ This All Night” returning to the boom bap with his mood being treating every single joint he hops on as food leading into the aptly titled Juggernaut June solo cut “Cut Throat” fusing some horns & keys. The energizing “M.A.M.N. (Me & My Neighbors)” by Benny the Butcher, G. Huff & HiJinks makes it clear you don’t want issue with them while the Vice Souletric solo cut “Real Wild” aggressively let’s y’all in on how they keep it.

“Grimey Love” by GameChangers has a more vibrant tone getting on his fly shit while “The Order” by Play Havoc, G. Huff, Che Noir weave some more pianos talking about how it be like another hobby bar for bar. The penultimate track “Undercover Goons” HiJinks & Juggernaut June keeps the well-flipped samples going declaring themselves to be such with HiJinks ending the album on his own throughout “Body Bag” making it clear that United Grind be a problem.

Being a midwesterner myself, the United Grind really got something going on with this debut album here & to see the outfit continuing to elevate musically from here is definitely worth keeping an eye on. It’s really fresh to hear every single member getting a chance to shine as they each have something that makes them stand out in their own unique ways & make it clear that they’re living proof of hip hop always evolving over tight production.

Score: 3.5/5

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Motown Priest – “Hawthorne” review

Motown Priest is a 37 year old MC from Queens, New York by the way of Detroit, Michigan who first emerged in almost a decade ago off his the strength of his debut EP This Thing of Ours followed by the full-length debut Art of Urban Warfare only nearly 16 months afterwards. But after an 8-year hiatus, the Motown Priest is signing to the historic Boston label Brick Records to help make a comeback on his sophomore album.

“Great Depression” is a jazzy opener asking what you know about pacing in a prison cell depressed out of your mind whereas “Pandora’s Box” goes full blown rap rock with a conscious take on the paper. “The Calogero Effect” works in a bare soul sample as dude talks about needing a closet to hide his skeletons in when he was a child just before “Farewell to Welfare” asks how much is a dollar worth over a boom bap instrumental with some unsettling pianos.

Meanwhile on “Employee of the Month”, we have the Motown Priest delivering a scathing & engaging takedown of the American Dream leading into the raw, grungy “New Religion” talking about the gangsta lifestyle. “Nathaniel’s Mask” returns to jazzier turf discussing power being a powerful drug in a city full of cowards & thugs, but then “For Sale” hope on top of some swooning vocal chops & string sections saying everyone’s for sale because everybody for self.

“Alphabeta” is a bluesy boom bap cut wanting to have a conversation with his people while the song “Trials” fuse some kicks, snares & a guitar loop to heartbreakingly looks back on the people he’s lost to the gang life. The penultimate track “Dreams & Stories to Tell” brings back the jazz 1 last time talking about that being exactly what he has to offer until “Drug Money Theory” ties things up with a conscious rap rock ballad.

For a debut, Hawthorne definitely gives new listeners a look at at the Motown Priest is capable of doing on the mic & is surely destined to continually grow as an artist from hereon out. The production is fascinatingly eclectic, it’s cohesive & the narratives give a searing look at the world we all live in today in such a gripping fashion by connecting the unique worlds of both music & film.

Score: 4/5

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Bill & Isiah – Self-Titled review

Bill & Isiah are a Detroit hip hop duo consisting of Valid & Stretch Money. Although both of them have already established names for themselves individually in the local hip hop scene at this point, the pair first joined forces a couple years ago on the songs “5 Fingers of Death, “Like This” & even “Sentimental” only a few months back. So considering their past history together, both of them are gonna take it to the next level on their eponymous full-length debut by letting it be known as to who the modern day Bill Laimbeer & Isiah Thomas of the rap game really are.

“‘89 Cadillacs” is a smooth opener you can blast in the whip when driving around late at night welcoming y’all to the Palace whereas “You Know I Like It” dives into soulful turf instrumentally thanks to Pig Penn including a reference to former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WCW World Television Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall. “Revenge” takes a more melodic, somewhat funkier route making it clear that they will have their vengeance in the end just before “Game Film” shifts gears into a more trap-based sound paying tribute to all the classic 80s movies that raised them.

Meanwhile on “Sentimental”, we have Bill & Isiah incorporating elements of 80s pop into their sound so they continue to get nostalgic about the decade they came up in leading into “The Girls” keeps it funky & brings back the synths to express their taste in women who love to party referencing 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair. “Commentate” almost gives me a J Dilla vibe with the beat as both lyricists give y’all something to talk about, but then “Eastern Conference Finals” provides more of a rap rock flare getting on their battle shit.

The song “Drink with Me” weaves a bluesy guitar in the fold as Valid & Stretch ask the bartender for more shots while the penultimate track “So Divine” comes through with a more shimmery approach referring to WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle. “Like This” however ties things up with a feel good anthem for people to have fun to with some crazy interpolations of the timeless Dr. Dre single “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” featuring Snoop Dogg throughout.

Valid’s been a good friend a mine for a few years now & I’ve heard him talk about this album to me for a while but since it’s finally available to listen to, it proves to me that he & Stretch Money both truly are the Bill & Isiah of hip hop and hopefully they continue to build up their discography as a duo down the road. I like how both of their styles gel so well with one another & it’s cool to hear the production pulling from the sounds of the very decade that’s referenced throughout.

Score: 4/5

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Grafh – “Art of Words” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from Queens emcee Grafh. Coming up in 2003 off his debut mixtape The Bang Out, he went on to release 7 more tapes before dropping his first full-length album Autografh only a few years later continuing that with a total of another 10 mixtapes & an EP. But as his sophomore effort Stop Calling Art Content produced entirely by the late DJ Shay & released through Benny the Butcher’s very own MNRK Music Group imprint Black Soprano Family Records turns 2 this fall, Grafh is enlisting 38 Spesh this time around to discuss the Art of Words backed by TCF Music Group

“Life’s the Same” is a symphonic boom bap opener with Grafh remind everyone of the fact that time’s passing us all by at an incredibly fast rate & it ain’t waiting on on a single soul out there whereas “Rain Falls” with Conway the Machine finds the 2 telling their mothers to pray for them. Bun B & Stove God Cook$ both come into the picture for the jazzy “Life’s Beautiful” to talk about the beautiful things that this life has to offer leading into Dave East tagging along for “Every Day” over some kicks & snares letting ‘em know this be daily shit for them.

Moving on to “Maggie Simpson”, we have Giggs accompanying Grafh over an operatic boom bap instrumental repping the sick out in Queens & the real ones Kingston just before “Already” weaves some pianos so dude can talk about how people already know what the deal is. “Goin’ Up” has a slicker tone sonically addressing the glow up, but then “Finesse” with Rome Streetz returns to the boom bap as both MCs let y’all know how bossy they are. The penultimate track “Dirty Work” has a despondent sound explaining someone’s gotta get their hands grubby & “36 Chambers” by grimily getting on his Wu-Tang shit.

Stop Calling Art Content quickly surpassed Autografh in quality to become my favorite body of work throughout Grafh’s ever-growing discography & there’s no way that anyone can tell me Art of Words isn’t up there too. Spesh’s production is as raw as the late DJ Shay’s was on the last album that we got from the Queens lyricist a year & a half ago on top of the man with the pen himself making hip hop meet art.

Score: 4.5/5

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Black Thought – “Glorious Game” review

This is the 2nd solo album from Philadelphia veteran Black Thought. Most notable for being the frontman of The Roots, he has since cemented himself as one of the most skilled & well respected lyricists in all of hip hop from his work with the band or his lengthy list of show-stopping features. However, it wouldn’t be until 2018 when he finally started putting out projects under his own name with the 9th Wonder-produced debut EP Streams of Thought before following up with the Salaam Remi-produced sequel Streams of Thought 2: Traxploitation & of course the Sean Cane produced full-length debut Streams of Thought 3: Cain & Abel that wrapped up the trilogy. Last time we heard from Thought was last summer when he & Danger Mouse finally released their Dangerous Thoughts debut Cheat Codes after 17 years in the making to universal acclaim, but is returning alongside El Michels Affair to spit some Glorious Game.

“Grateful” is a consciously abstract opener to the album with Black Thought encouraging the listeners to at least show some gratitude whereas the title track takes a more jazzier, psychedelic soul route to talk about how mackin’ & pimpin’ never died. “I’m Still Somehow” dives into spacier territory as far as sound goes confessing the heat he received from a friend & that black joy is rebellion, but then “Hollow Way” goes into boom bap turf asking if it’s the monster within or that causes black-on-black violence.

Meanwhile on “Protocol”, we have Thought over a more summery instrumental explaining that he’s from another planet & takes shit for granted leading into “The Weather” continues to dive into mellower territory looking back on the crazy summers he’s lived through. “That Girl” is a heartfelt ode to his wife Michelle with a sample-based beat just before “I Would Never” blends returns to the boom bap with a soul sample unloading spiritual baggage & telling those who’re still here to do their job.

“Alone” continues to fuse kicks, snares & keys to make it clear to the listeners who can’t help but feel loneliness while the song “Miracle” has some jazzy undertones throughout the beat has Black Thought talks about never realizing how much he had to sacrifice to be in the position that he’s in now. Then after the “Glorious Game” reprise interlude, the closer “Alter Ego” incorporates some synthesizers so he can admit publicly that he he was starting to lose his drive 15 years ago.

I would say it’s better than Cheat Codes but if you admire Mr. Trotter’s lyrical talents as much as I do, then I think you’re gonna like Glorious Game almost as much & it increases my anticipation for the 4th installment of the Streams of Thought series that was announced earlier this week whenever the time comes. The subject matter here is more personal & transparent & El Michels Affair’s production here is more bottom-heavy yet soul-tinged as opposed to Danger Mouse’s.

Score: 4/5

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Mike Shabb – “Shadow Moses” review

This is the 5th EP from Montréal, Québec, Canada emcee, producer & engineer Mike Shabb. Coming up in the spring of 2018 off his full-length debut Northwave, he would continue to make his presence known by putting out his last 4 EPs & a couple of mixtapes before gaining notoriety for engineering Boldy James’ 5th album Fair Exchange No Robbery & producing “Switches on Everything” off Hitler Wears Hermes X this past fall. So to continue capitalizing off that, Mike’s bringing in his mentor & one of the most prolific beatsmiths that the underground has seen in recent memory Nicholas Craven to fully produce Shadow Moses from top to bottom.

“Smokin’ Samson” is an atmospherically drumless opener with Shabbo letting y’all know that he only smokes only the finest kush in the world whereas “All Greatness” takes a more soulful route to flex his lyrical prowess. “Play for Keeps” goes into a groovier direction advising to look around & tell him what you see while the song “Save the Joker” incorporates some crooning background vocals making it clear that not even God can save you. The penultimate track “Baskiat” has more delicate sound to it talking about how the repercussions will be felt & learning from his mistakes just before “Respectfully” comes through with a jazzy closer boasting that no one can do it the way he does it.

From the moment Craven himself introduced me to this guy by networking us through social media, I knew it was only a matter of time before his profile in the underground would grow & I highly recommend that the people who got introduced to Mike through “Switches on Everything” give Shadow Moses a listen because it’s my favorite solo effort of his to date. He really is at his best as an MC which should satisfy the new fans he’s already made & those he’ll continue bring in with his mentor also helping make it his most well-produced effort as well.

Score: 4.5/5

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Pi’erre Bourne – “Grails” review

Pi’erre Bourne is a 29 year old producer, rapper, songwriter & engineer from South Carolina who became one of the most in demand beatsmiths in hip hop today off amongst the biggest songs in Playboi Carti’s entire catalog “Magnolia”. He’s also made a name for himself on the mic by dropping 10 mixtapes as well as a couple EPs & 3 full-lengths albums, with the latest being Good Movie over last summer to mixed reception. However, Pi’erre’s looking to switch things up with his 3rd EP over here by officially releasing his biggest, most popular unreleased songs that were stashed in the vault.

“IG” sets the tone for what’s to come with it’s synthesizers & hi-hats as well as the lyrics addressing running into social media models at an Odell party whereas “Love Reeks” has a more playfully nocturnal vibe to it talking about how the grass is much greener after cutting hoes off. “Chicken & Waffles” for a TLoP4 leftover might be my favorite on the EP with it’s cloudy, bassy instrumental & the braggadocio throughout prior to “George Lopez” pulling together some synth-strings talking about feeling like Biggie with the more problems that arise when having more paper.

The final leg of the EP starts off with the cloudy “NY in June” telling his lover to simply follow him while the song “Tabloid” talks about a bitch that’s all up in him kin to the titular newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet accompanied by a psychedelic trap beat. The penultimate track is [a sequel] to “Honeyberry” with an instrumental that gives me 8-bit video game vibes discussing an ancient love & the wavy “Lessons” ends the EP talking about fucking bad hoes for practice.

I know some people like to dismiss Pi’erre as an MC as distinct of a producer he is but as someone who’s been following him for the past 6 years, Grails is easily the best EP he’s ever put out for a collection of previously unreleased leaks in contrast to the mediocrity of Good Movie & will keep everyone satisfied until Made in Paris drops. His improved songwriting is more catchier as opposed to the excessive horny subject matter throughout the previous album that gets annoying rather quickly & his production game remains unmatched.

Score: 4/5

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halfBREED – “3P” review

halfBREED is an east coast hip hop duo consisting of Virginia rapper C Dot Castro as well as Maryland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, author & Twitch streamer Logic. These guys have been longtime collaborators & friends dating back to the Young Sinatra days, but reunited last summer on Vinyl Days & even a couple months ago on Bobby’s latest album College Park. So considering their decade plus history of working with one another, they’re now announcing the formation of halfBREED & releasing a 3-track debut EP.

“Vroom Vroom” sets it all off with a booming trap instrumental from Bobby Boy Records in-house producer 6 & Logic even giving own producer tag at the beginning even though it’s a blatant ripoff of Tay Keith’s as the duo warn any crew who wants to step up to them of their impending doom whereas “That’s What She Said” is a horrid indie pop ballad throwing it back to Supermarket about being fools for love. “Game 6” however closes the EP with a decent boom bap jam getting over the sickness like they MJ & Pippen.

The first thing that came to mind to me personally when C Dot & Logic announced the formation of halfBREED was actually the now-disbanded Detroit duo HaLFBrEED consisting of The R.O.C. & Skrapz since their 2nd & final album kontamiNATION is such a horrorcore classic, but what a mediocre debut EP from the new halfBREED here. The production is ok as is Bobby Boy’s performances for the most part, but C Dot Castro’s were pretty average.

Score: 2.5/5

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Supah Sayin – “Neo-Lizard King” review

Supah Sayin is a 25 year old MC from Fort Worth, Texas who began to make his presence known over the fall after signing to Broken Record Music Club as well as dropping his debut EP Oblivion // Elysium & then going on to follow it up with Tatarus on Christmas Eve a little over 3 months later. But with the 2nd quarter of 2023 already kicking off at the beginning of the month, the Dallas up-&-comer is back on the spot with his 3rd EP at 7 joints running 19 & a half minutes long fresh off 2 singles that were teased a couple months back.

“Fear & Loathing” has a dramatically bare loop as he makes it clear that nobody can stop him prior to the grungy trap hybrid “Encanto” asking his lover if she has his back. “ParselTongue” jumps on top of some hi-hats to talk about how he been at the bottom in the past leading into the briefly woozy trap ballad “Spirit Bomb” declaring himself to be a bad ass & having shit that can only be learned. The song “Double Dutch” discusses trying to keep it cool even though he wants to move on over a distressing instrumental while the penultimate track “1:12am in Tejas” has a more melodic, synth-based sound to it talking about the type of guy he is. “Afterglow” on the other hand finishes the EP with a chill ballad saying he ain’t even gotta flex.

It feels more like an EP rather than an official full-length debut & I’ll even admit that Neo-Lizard King happens to be my introduction to Supah Sayin’s music, but the results that we got out of it will definitely start to turn more heads because what we have is his most well-crafted effort to date. The production tastefully fuses hip hop with psychedelic rock with the Dallas emcee proposing imagery on the level of the great Jim Morrison himself providing audio enlightenment on the world we live in & the path to self-acceptance.

Score: 3.5/5

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