Danny Brown & JPEGMAFIA – “Scaring the Hoes” review

This is the brand new collaborative album between Danny Brown & JPEGMAFIA. One being an MC out of my hometown Detroit, Michigan & the other is a Baltimore-based MC, singer/songwriter & producer. Both of whom have cemented themselves as trailblazers in the experimental hip hop scene with albums like XXX & Atrocity Exhibition to All My Heroes are Cornballs & LP!. They first crossed paths when Peggy produced “3 Tearz” & delivered a remarkable impersonation of one of my idols Pharrell with his feature on “Negro Spiritual, both songs eventually wound up appearing on Danny’s previous album uknowhatimsayin¿ a few months before COVID shut the world down. But as the latter gears up to drop Quaranta on May 26 apparently, Danny & Peggy are uniting for the highly anticipated Scaring the Hoes.

“Lean Beef Patty” was a great choice for a lead single as it sets the tone of what’s to come with a glitchy hardcore hip hop opener also pulling from footwork jungle, chipmunk soul, hybrid trap & industrial music as JPEGMAFIA starts & ends his verse by dissing the Tesla CEO, Neuralink founder & SpaceX founder Elon Musk who bought Twitter almost a year ago further referencing Papa John’s founder John Schnatter’s racism, WWE Hall of Famer and former WWE Champion The Iron Sheik who recently passed away & even All Elite Wrestling (AEW) founder/current Ring of Honor (ROH) Wrestling owner Tony Khan in between until Danny Brown boasts about living in this chick’s head rent free prior to “Steppa Pig” almost having a bit of an EDM groove to it instrumentally as they discuss doing it for their legacies & calling out those who feel entitled. The title track pulls from avant-garde jazz advising that playing this will have the hoes touch they toes leading into the soulful boom bap jam “Garbage Pail Kids” belittling their opposition.

Moving on from there, we have “Fentanyl Tester” drawing from drum & bass music sampling the classic Kelis single “Milkshake” as Danny & Peggy warn y’all to hide as nobody’s safe at all leading into the triumphant yet monstrous trap banger “Burfict!” as they talk about being cliqued up & my favorite line has to be when Peggy said “cover his face, that bitch Mach-Hommy” in the middle of his verse. “Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up” brings back the glitch hop vibes as Danny does figure 8s on motherfuckers until “Muddy Waters” switches into a more trippier groove to the beat as JPEGMAFIA asks God to forgive him for slayin’.

“Orange Juice Jones” returns to a more soulful sound as both MCs take their significant others to space on autopilot just before Maryland up-&-comer redveil drops the album’s only feature on “Kingdom Hearts Key” as they air out those who think they know him referencing UFC Hall of Famer & former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping over an angelic trap beat. The gospel sample throughout “God Loves You” is well flipped as Danny & Peggy get in a raunchier bag lyrically until “Run the Jewels” delivers a 1-minute drum & bass glitch hop hybrid saying most sorry-ass bitches won’t be like the titularly acclaimed superduo.

The song “Jack Harlow Combo Meal” kicks things off with some remarkably jazzy piano chords as Danny Brown promises to run up on you, take your spot & to take your business until JPEGMAFIA telling those who want action with him ain’t into actin’ while the penultimate track “H.O.E. (Heaven On Earth)” is a gospel rap ballad dedicated to the baddest bitches in their lives. “Where Ya Get Ya Coke From?” sends off the album with a chaotically cloudy fatality as Devon Hendryx talks about being off top on your bitch like 2-time AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin until Danny calls himself a failed chemistry experiment with a clever reference to Jimi Hendrix’s debut album Are You Experienced? shortly after.

“Guess What Bitch, We Back Hoe!” is a chipmunk soul-inspired start to the deluxe run talking about being gone off that strong pack & to simply leave them alone while the song “Hermanos” gives off more of a sample-inflicted boom bap flare flexing that Scaring the Hoes in fact ended up terrifying everyone across the spectrum both women AND men accompanied by an insane instrumental outro & a reference to Bob’s Burgers on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property.

Things take a funkier direction on “Tell Me Where to Go” asking where to head when your heart exactly isn’t in it anymore & “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!” wraps it all up with a preachier sound refusing to turn back. After their individual solo tracks “Manic!” by JPEGMAFIA & “Child’s Play” by Danny Brown respectively, “Roaches” saves a 2-parter for the final bonus track talking about the environments that shaped them.

As someone who’s been a fan of both these guys for a minute now, I had very high expectations going into Scaring the Hoes & it’s on par with LP! as amongst the greatest experimental hip hop albums of the current decade. Peggy’s ever-so experimental take on hardcore hip hop expands to industrial hip hop, glitch hop, drum & bass, jazz rap & trap as he & Detroit veteran both clash with one another excellently on the mic with dropping their respectively uniquely ear-grabbing lyricism. Rome Streetz’ latest album Wasn’t Built in a Day is my 2023 Album of the Year so far, but Scaring the Hoes is unquestionably up in the ranks too.

Score: 4.5/5

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Sparkz – “Overload” review

Manchester, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sparkz dropping his 4th extended play under High Focus Records. A member of the LEVELZ collective & co-fronting The Mouse Outfit, he would later make appearances on projects like Verb T’s 8th album Good Evening & Pitch 92’s debut EP Lost in Space until Fliptrix signed Sparkz to his historic Hove, East Sussex underground imprint dropping Overload following the Angle trilogy of EPs in preparation of his own debut album.

“Buzzin’” kicks it all off with self-produced boom bap intro reminiscent of Yasiin Bey or A Tribe Called Quest talking about doing his thing whereas the 2nd & final single “Mean It” doesn’t shy away of keeping it sincere with his words. The title track & lead single blends boom bap with grime putting his lyrical proficiency in the limelight & after “Kidda” goes a little hardcore pulling shit out the basement to show audiences what the deal is, “Quit” blends wonky & boom bap to end the EP suggesting people to give up whatever they’re trying for.

Testifying to the years Sparkz has spent honing his wide range of talents from the mic to behind the boards, his inaugural solo release brings the heat with this 5-pack of unforgettable bangers that’re guaranteed to brighten up even the dreariest of places. High Focus brings him on board the label’s roster giving him a new sense of creative freedom, exemplified by his production sounding a bit wonkier unlike everything he’s done previously matched with the buoyant flows & sharp penmanship.

Score: 4/5

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Navy Blue – “Ways of Knowing” review

Navy Blue is a 26 year old skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model from Brooklyn, New York who came up in 2015 off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer. He has since continued to turn heads in the underground scene by dropping 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings about a month ago. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time until he dropped his 7th album albeit major label debut fully produced by Budgie.

“The Medium” is a drumless opener with some pianos & choir vocals as Navy admitting that learning patience has made sense for him as of late whereas “Chosen” has a more abstract, jazzy approach to it talking about being a prodigy. “The One” seeks eternal love with a silky yet sensual beat until “To Fall in Love” takes a more tropical route instrumentally talking about fucking up a real blessing like his significant other.

Zeroh comes into the picture on “Life’s Terms” to let it be known that all it takes for them just to be in love & that simply being the way it goes just before “Phases” dives into more soulful turf talking about being unable to stay the same with gratitude & living day to day. “Kill Switch” has a more dejecting sound to it as Navy acknowledges that he ain’t self righteous leading into the Kelly Moonstone-assisted “Window to the Soul” declaring themselves as ballroom stars returning to the boom bap.

“Freehold” opens up about despising his opponents & being unable to do this shit by his lonely on top of a slow yet syrupy beat while “Embers” with Liv.e delivers some jazzy piano chords as they talk about where they wanna be in life. The song “Pillars” is wavy ode to his family while the groovy penultimate track “Look in My Eyes” talks about seeing the pain he’s lived through. “Shadow’s Shield” however comes through with a drumless closer being unable to complain & thinking that everything will be straight in the end.

Between this & Maxo’s latest Def Jam debut Even God Has a Sense of Humor that just came out last month, it seems as if one of the most iconic labels in the history of our culture is continuing to help bring the underground to the mainstream by giving these artists the push they deserve. The lyrics are more personal which is great for those who’re new to him with the batch of instrumentals that Budgie whips up being amongst his strongest to date pulling from jazz rap, drumless & chipmunk soul.

Score: 4/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King 4” review

This is the 41st EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim. Coming up as an affiliate of Griselda Records alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, he’s also built up an incredibly vast discography with a couple of standouts being Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. Now the last time I covered Fahim’s work was when he dropped his 19th full-length album 6 Ring Champ & the final installment of the Shot Clock King trilogy of EPs produced by Nicholas Craven shortly after last spring. But coming off of 3 EPs since 2023 started with Dark Shogunn Assassin & Iron Bull being my favorites so far, Fahim & Craven are back together for a 4th installment in the Shot Clock King saga.

Jay NiCE’s appearance on the opener “Area of Effect” is the only feature on the EP as he & Fahim jump on top of a soulful boom bap instrumental referring to themselves as heavy dumpers boasting how terrific they are prior to “Nice to Know” going into drumless turf as he puts up points as much as Carmelo Anthony does. The sample on “Damage Over Time” is fascinatingly delicate with Fahim going out for revenge while the song “Defense” has a bit of a psychedelic rock route talking about being unable to give or let up. The penultimate track “Mentally Prepared” has a catchy vocal loop touching on nonstop dominance & “Work Hard Play Hard” is a crooning boom bap closer paying tribute to those who came before him & continuing the glory.

I still enjoy Dark Shogunn Assassin & Iron Bull as much as I do when both of those EPs dropped not too long ago, but the Shot Clock King series is amongst Fahim’s strongest work & the latest installment here sure enough has quickly become my favorite project that he’s given us this year as of me reviewing this. Nicholas Craven’s production is more prominently drumless much like the first installment & the way the Dump Gawd lyrically continues to float on top of these bare sample flips is as fresh as always.

Score: 4.5/5

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Artur – “T.H.O.T.H. (The Harmonizing of The Hemispheres)” review

Artur is a 42 year old Polish-American recording artist & sculptor based out of Atlanta, Georgia who started to write lyrics when he was 16 after being denied entry into a club because of his Polish passport. He wound also go on to found Living Angles & #UplineCreations after diving into sculptural art and into making frequency emitting permission-slips and art installations. But as a way of properly introducing himself in the music industry, Artur is presenting a brand new style of hip hop of his own that he refers to “ascension rap” on his full-length debut.

After the “Intergrate” intro, the first song “2023” sets off the album by opting in for an open contract over some bells & hi-hats whereas “Alien Abduction (Spiritual Induction)” works in some guitar licks talking about how some will view this as an omen & to follow the directions given. “Every Day” hooks up these synths with kicks & snares encouraging that each day in your life is a new beginning just before “Starseeds Activate” talks about the time being here & now accompanied by a glistening instrumental.

“We the Bring the Magic” has a more futuristic boom bap approach as The Swim’n Bird tags along to discuss that you are in fact the mystery, the bridge, the divinity & the magic that you seek in life leading into the title track attaches some more kicks & snares to an orchestral loop talking about healing the heart. “Architects of Consciousness” is a 2-minute atmospheric trap ballad building momentum of a potential that goes back all the way to the beginnings of Atlantis, but then “The Embodiment of 9” returns to the boom bap talking about the embodiment of the awakened human being.

Meanwhile on “Moving On Up (Level Up Now)”, we have Artur leveling up with a more cloudier instrumental backing him while “The Arcturian Gate” brings in the horns as he discusses the helping hand of Arcturus that is being stretched out towards mankind. Yung Kemmo coming into the picture for the rap rock inspired “Host of Rhythm” paying homage to the great spirit while “In the Flow” returns to trap territory to deliver an invocation of the spiritualization of Earth’s humanity.

The song “Know Thyself” brings back the rock vibes as he provides an anthem touching on being honest with yourself & self-investigation with Nathaniel Yost on the hook while the penultimate track “Perfect Resonance” dives back into the basement as far as sound goes talking about aligning oneself with the soul’s original blueprint. And to finish the album off, “Mahas Saham” addresses the one & infinite mind that’s immortal.

If anyone out there is looking for a product that represents the Golden Pages of Ascension in a playful & poetic manner, then T.H.O.T.H. (The Harmonizing of The Hemispheres) is definitely the album for you & it makes me excited to see him elevate his ascension rap style even further from hereon out. The teachings spread throughout it’s 50 minute course most certainly have the power to help one through the dimensional shift & the production fits the ascendant themes quite well.

Score: 3.5/5

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Genevieve Artadi – “Forever Forever” review

Los Angeles, California musician, singer/songwriter & video producer Genevieve Artadi following up her Brainfeeder Records debut with her 3rd studio album. Known for being the vocalist of the duo KNOWER with producer Louis Cole, she would go on to make her solo debut with Genevieve Lalala in the spring of 2015 a couple months prior to my high school graduation. Flying Lotus would eventually sign her to Brainfeeder distributed by Ninja Tune & the sophomore effort Dizzy Strange Summer would become more positively received, following it up a few years later with Forever Forever.

After the “A Romantic Interlude Will Soon Come Your Way” intro, the first song “Visionary” begins by crossing over elements of art pop, psychedelic pop, progressive pop, jazz pop & jazz fusion for a celebration of love whereas the title track embraces a Stereolab vibe singing about how her mind stays chasing. “I Know”brings in a mini-moog & a guitar telling this person she went so far & changed herself for them leading into “Message to Self” takes inspiration from Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson making an audio voice memo for herself.

“Nice” ends the 1st half of Forever Forever singing about self-assurance over throwing it back to the days of 80s pop music just before “Black Shirts” by KNOWER addresses a person who’s absence is her malfunction blending house & jazz music. “To Tell How I Adore” has it’s moments reminiscent of Gentle Giant promising this person to express the way she cherishes them while “Plate” brings some incredible drumming to the picture singing about making some meaning out of her night.

The song ‘From Avalanche’ uses metaphors to depict the struggles & challenges that come with a relationship to wind down the album’s final moments while “Change Stays” sings about embracing the inevitable. “Watch for the View” however spends the final 3 minutes finding the inner strength to overcome all the challenges of her life, instrumentally feeling like a cross between Stereolab as well as Joni Mitchell & the late Frank Zappa.

Listening to jazz’s greats from the late Duke Ellington to the late Gil Evans & the late Miles Davis in pursuit of a creative spark, Genevieve Artadi returns after expressing who she is outside of her side projects during the COVID-19 lockdowns minimizing the progressive pop influences of her previous full-length to expand her art pop style successfully exploring jazz fusion, nu jazz, jazz pop & psychedelic pop to express the love she has for all the people who’re in her life.

Score: 4/5

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100 gecs – “10,000 gecs” review

This is the sophomore effort & major label debut from St. Louis, Missouri hyperpop duo 100 gecs. Consisting of singer/songwriters & producers Dylan Brady & Laura Les, they got together in 2015 after meeting at a high school rodeo & dropped an eponymous extended play the following year to moderate reception. Their debut 1,000 gecs polarized the musical spectrum with some calling it unlistenable & others like me who appreciate it for playfully demonstrating their creativity. Dog Show Records has since signed a new distribution deal with Atlantic Records & are turning it up from 1,000 & to 10,000 gecs.

“Dumbest Girl Alive” gets things going fusing hyperpop, alternative rock, digicore, nu metal, industrial hip hop & trap talking about Laura’s experiences of transitioning whereas “757” comes through with a decent cover of “1.7” by Quentin Lovejoy. The final single “Hollywood Baby” blends alternative rock, power pop, hyperpop & pop punk singing about them going insane due to most of the LP being written during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic leading into “Frog on the Floor” averagely covering Isaa Corva & 16inMono’s track of the same name.

Dance-punk, dance-punk revival, zolo, ska punk, new wave, geek rock & comedy rock all collide for “Doritos & Fritos” singing about eating burritos with Danny DeVito while “Billy Knows Jamie” covers “Alex Knows Stevie” by Quintin Lovejoy & puts a nu metal spin on it. “The Most Wanted Person in the United States” after the “$1M” interlude samples “Insane in the Brain” by Cypress Hill talking about being killers while “I Got a My Tooth Removed” pokes fun at the dental work Laura needed a year earlier. “mememe” ends with a fusion of hyperpop, power pop, ska punk, bitpop, pop punk, geek rock, alternative rock, new tone & neon pop punk singing about people not knowing shit regarding them.

Atlantic has a long history of doing their artists dirty from Apathy to Lupe Fiasco & more recently Lil Uzi Vert, but I was relieved to come away from 10,000 gecs enjoying as much as 100 gecs’ previous album. Their production’s a bit more accessible than 1000 gecs’ prominently leaning towards the alternative rock side of things although we do get hints of the hyperpop sound they popularized, ska punk, power pop, pop punk, geek rock, new tone, nu metal, bitpop, new tone, neon pop punk, dance-punk, dance-punk revival, zolo, new wave & comedy rock throughout the half hour retaining the humorous songwriting of it’s predecessor.

Score: 4/5

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Estee Nack – “B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties)” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Boston emcee Estee Nack. Coming up as a member of the Tragic Allies, he also branched out on his own my junior year of high school of his Purpose-produced solo debut 14 Forms: The Book of Estee Nack & has since built a lengthy yet impressive discography for himself. Other highlights include the Sadhugold-produced Surfinongold.wav alongside it’s sequel The Order of the Golden Fleece, the Giallo Point-produced Papitas, his collab efforts with al.divinowith the #MiniMansionDust series. But as Estee makes up for his Griselda Records debut Nacksaw Jim Duggan being delayed, he’s enlisting V Don to fully produce B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties).

“Opening Statements” is a grand drumless opener with Estee talking about going from riding a train to a truck & those trying to reach for his charm whereas “Penny Pinchin’” goes right into sinister boom bap attacking the type of motherfucker to play games with you. “Paperchasing” takes a more soulful route with some bass guitar to go after the bread, but then The Hidden Character tags along for the rugged “Gatpackin’” talking about guns of course.

As for “Devils Can’t Fool God”, we have Mr. Rose over a bare string instrumental to address those who still be trying to get on his good side even after the fact that a bunch of weak shit about them was confirmed leading into Primo Profit tagging along for “The Uncanny” accompanied by a blaring yet raw ass beat advising to check your own posture. “Who to Trust” has a bluesy, drumless approach to it with the Nackman talking about being unsure as to who he can genuinely trust leading into “Sang Tsung” is a attaches these synthesizers to some more kicks & snares to talk about those who ain’t got cake to blow waiting ‘til you’re famous.

The song “Vivir triumfar y morir Pt. 2” comes through with a bare orchestral loop to deliver a sequel to a joint off Joan Manuel Serrap expand on the themes of living, succeeding & eventually death while the penultimate track “Rules & Regulations” has one of the stronger feature performances from Rigz from Da Cloth as they hop on a beat with a rich boom bap quality to it talking about how it be where they come from. The closer “Exodus” has another great guest verse from Eto this time with both them sending off the album with a hypnotically psychedelic instrumental addressing being from the streets & trying to make it with their feet pressed against the sand.

Although it’s certainly disappointing that Nacksaw Jim Duggan got pushed back, that’s just how it goes sometimes. As for the album before the album right here, it’s quickly becoming amongst my favorites in Estee’s discography & reassures me that his Griselda debut will be on par if not superior to what B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties) brought to the table. He’s always been my favorite Tragic Allies member & I’m truthfully 50/50 on the 4 features, but V Don continues to further reveal himself as an in-demand producer in the underground with his production here being the most consistent we’ve heard the Nackman spit over in a while.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Horde – “The End is Nigh” review

The Horde is a southern horrorcore superduo consisting of Boondox & Bukshot. One hailing from Covington, Georgia signing to the Insane Clown Posse’s notorious Psychopathic Records in the mid-late 2000s & the other puttin’ it down for Louisville, Kentucky since ‘97 by founding the independent hip hop label Mobstyle Music. The pair started worked with each other for over a decade now continuing to do so after the scarecrow left PSY to form his very own Crimson Krow Entertainment following his 4th album Abaddon eventually signing to Majik Ninja Entertainment couple years later whether it be their first 2 mixtapes Hell’s Kitchen & Paradigm Shift as well as their debut EP Overdrive or even their work with Claas as The Underground Avengers. So considering their long history together, it was only right for them to enlist MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards to deliver a full-length debut.

After the “From the Fog” intro, the first song “Black Lands” is an eerie trap opener about planning like mad men whereas the “Grimace” remix maintains the same beat & same lyrics from The Horde with a new verse from Jamie Madrox of the demented duo Twiztid that’s as hard as everything about the O.G. version of the track. “Night Falls” works in some pianos, kicks & snares to detail what wickedly deeds go down in the evening just before Lo Key tags along for the shrilling “Body Bags” to put motherfuckers in the grave & rockin’ like the juggalos they are.

Meanwhile on “Red Mirage”, we have Boondox & Bukshot aggressively speaking on hearing a voice that comes from within that’ll be blamed on the music calling out the pathetic people pointing fingers at art for the stupid shit others do leading into “The List” returns to the boom bap reminding those who want them to fade away that it ain’t happening anytime soon referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley ahead of “Rancid” bringing back the trap influencs asking what you gonna do when the darkness comes.

Kung Fu Vampire & Xshy361x alongside Buk’s Cabal cohorts Lo Key & Mr. Grey all assist The Horde for the gruesomely wicked posse cut “Blood of the Heartless” from the trap instrumental to all 6 killer verses despite KFV’s being my personal favorite of the bunch if I had to pick 1 while the cold blooded “Wrecking Ball” touching on their appetite for destruction. “Testaments” is a confrontation boom bap ballad getting into battle mode with Monoxide reminding me why he’s been my favorite of the demented duo since he started elevating his pen-game on Heartbroken & Homicidal with all respect to Jamie of course while the song “Butchery” has a more explosive trap groove welcoming y’all to the shop where death comes free.

The original version of “Grimace” makes it’s way to the backend of the album by serving as the penultimate track as both Buk & the Killer Scarecrow talking about being on the verse of catching a case & act up for a while alongside the way they both smile until the title track closes out the album with the titular duo properly introducing themselves for those who don’t know with Jamie doing his thing on the hook.

I’ve always felt that Boondox was amongst the most underrated acts that Psychopathic Records has ever put out as further solidified by his latest EP So Much Blood throwing it back to the PunkinHed era & not only has Bukshot been putting in work for the underground wicked shit scene for 26 years, but he & Turncoat Dirty have always helped bring the best out of one another & that’s what they did on The End is Nigh. 7’s production is incredibly dark as both southern veterans fuck shit up lyrically.

Score: 4.5/5

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Rich Amiri – “Evolution” review

Rich Amiri is an 18 year old recording artist from Boston, Massachusetts who’s been turning heads since the fall of 2021 off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal. The 4ersona member would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records not too long ago. So considering a new label deal, it’s only right for Amiri to shake things up harder than normal in the form of a 12-track/25 minute full-length debut.

“Mention” is a spacey trap opener produced by Taz Taylor, Nick Mira & Rio Leyva referring to himself as a top dog & telling this chick he genuinely loves her whereas “Don’t Feel Ya” works in some synths & hi-hats from Vendr talking about drawing a million as well as being the one taking risks whippin’ bricks. “Best Friend” keeps things in atmospheric trap territory detailing a hoe trying hard to get close to him just before the wavy “Friend of Mine” talks about hitting the lottery.

Moving onto “Salty”, we have a bassy yet hazy banger showing off his sticks until Lil Tecca tags along for the vibrant pop rap cut “Poppin’” that eventually became the album’s 3rd single to talk about the famous lifestyle that both of them are living these days. “Ballin’” finds him telling his girl that he wants to have fun with her tonight on top of a minimal yet rubbery beat, but then “Don’t Exist” comes through with a vulnerable letter to his ex.

“Ace” blends some pianos & hi-hats to brush off any & all nonsense that people try to send his way while the song “Casket” is a catchier jam about living lavish & running up the bag. The penultimate track albeit “Dirty Money” opens up on the benefits of his newfound success over a pluggy instrumental & to round things out, “Can’t Die” finishes the album with him over a rage beat Cxdy made talking about cutting off old friends & copping new bands.

TyFontaine was my favorite Internet Money signee up until he left the label quite some time ago, but Amiri most certainly continues to fulfill that roll with Evolution here. The production is as strong as it was on For the Better last summer & dude really does display how much he’s grown within the last couple years with some of his catchiest songwriting yet.

Score: 3.5/5

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