Stezo was a 52 year old MC/producer from New Haven, Connecticut who broke out in 1989 off his full-length debut Crazy Noise. This was followed up with the Where’s the Funk At? EP & C.T. (The Lost State) but now with his unexpected death a little over a year ago, Fat Beats is dropping a 3rd & final album containing his last recordings.
After the “Main Event” intro, “Keep the Grove” with Johnny Famous is a somewhat minimal opener calling out the industry. After the “Hip Hop Eulogy 1” interlude, we get a decent remix to the 1996 joint “Where the Funk At?” just before the cinematic “Opera House” goes at those who can’t flow.
Following the “Hip Hop Eulogy 2” interlude, Ed O.G. tags along with Masta Ace & Craig G for the grim “Psychopathic Maniac” declaring themselves as such. After the “Hip Hop Eulogy 3” interlude, we got Chubb Rock & Grand Puba coming in for the jazzy boom bap banger “Check 1, 2” flexing their lyricism.
“Rapzone” with Special Ed & Tash has a more futuristic sound taking listeners down a dimension of penmanship & after the the “Hip Hop Eulogy 4” interlude, “Lucky Me” is a gorgeous declaration of how grateful he was.
After the “Hip Hop Eulogy 5” interlude, Stezo & the late Biz Markie show an immaculate chemistry on “Steve N the Biz”. He later reflects on the hard times of his life for the airy “Homeless Stevie” & then the “It’s My Turn” sequel is just alright, as much I fuck with the original. Hakim Green & Tall T help flex their prowess on “Bring the Horns” with despite it’s title is heavy on some live drumming.
After the 6th & final “Hip Hop Eulogy” interlude, the penultimate track “Ruff N Rugged” is a dusty ode to the underground & the closer “4 Stezo” is basically a Shomari song given that Stezo himself isn’t on it at all. However, it’s a touching tribute to the man.
For a posthumous album, I think it’s pretty respectable. I think the remixes to older joints & the interludes are a bit unnecessary, but Chris Lowe’s production is raw as Hell & the guests do a great job at complimenting Stezo rather than just being there for a paycheck.
Pasto Flocco is a 17 year old rapper from Queens, New York notable for being formerly being associated with Lil Tecca. However since their falling out, he’s been seeing quite the success off his own with the Surf Gang collective dropping his first 2 albums March Madness & Dreams 2 Reality during the first leg of last year. This was followed up last winter with his debut mixtape Surf to Kill (SGBSTK) but in light of him opening up for the final show of Lucki’s most recent tour, Pasto is dropping his 3rd full-length outing in the midst of it all.
“Lieutenant” starts out the album with Pasto telling people to refer to himself as such over a mystical trap beat from Evilgiane whereas “L.A.T.O. (Laugh At The Ops)” is a spacey follow-up that J6 laced saying he’s got the world like the coronavirus. “7K on Rodeo” has a more uptempo instrumental talking about ballin’ just before the CashMoneyAP & YoungKio produced “Process” tells an unnamed person that he better be grateful that Pasto gave him a chance.
Meanwhile on “That’s Cap”, we have Pasto jumping on top of a moody trap instrumental to call a motherfucker out on his bluff leading into the woodwind-infused “NoFeds” remind listeners that he’s up next. “Emo” has a more eerie & cavernous sound saying he’s had swag since middle school, but “R2” is more of a 22Gz cut given that Pasto only handles the hook at the start & end of the cut.
“NBA80s” has a more nocturnal sound teaching listeners that cats start hating on you when they want your position while “Swisher” is a woozier cut saying his gang is looking for some for sauce. Following this, we have a gorgeous sequel to “Illiterate Luv” just before the pillowy “NBA Baby” talks about never being broke again.
“Penthouse” euphorically speaks on a feeling that he’s fallen in love with whereas “Boonk Gang” takes a bit of an electronic turn detailing the lavish lifestyle. The song “First Met Me” lusciously details a bitch he knew while the penultimate track tells us that his “Only Real Duty” is getting them racks with Harrison behind the boards. “Sandbox” then ends the album luxuriously declares that he ain’t worried about bullshit.
I think it should go without saying, but I truly believe that Pasto Flocco is much better than Tecca artistically & probably my favorite member of the Surf Gang crew. He’s a better songwriter, a more distinct vocalist & his production choices are a lot more detailed. Best believe he’ll continue to go places from hereon out
Little Simz is a 27 year old MC, singer & actress from Islington, London, England, United Kingdom who’s been making music for a little over a decade now. She put out a total of 4 mixtapes & 5 EPs leading up to her full-length debut A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons in the fall of 2015, which has been followed up with a couple more albums & EPs since then. But just a year & a half after showing her artistic evolution on GREY Area, she’s back in effect in the form of S.I.M.B.I. (Sometimes I Might Be Introvert).
“Introvert” is an extravagant opener taking you on a journey of what it takes to be a woman whereas “Woman” has a bit of a jazzy, neo-soul vibe paying homage to her female idols. “2 Worlds Apart” has a beautiful soul sample basically telling this man that they’re not the same just before detailing her relationship with her father on the neo-classical “I Love You, I Hate You”.
After the Little Q” interlude, the actual “Little Q” song itself is a harmonious declaration that her journey has just begun & after the “Gems”, interlude, “Speed” takes a more dancier turn talking about how influential she is. “Standing Ovation” takes a turn back into symphonic territory saying she’s blessed leading into “I See You” having a more stripped back sound asking her man all these serious questions.
Following the “Rapper That Came to Tea” interlude, “Rollin’ Stone” has a more boastful tone into a more grime/trap sound whereas “Protect My Energy” explains why she loves being alone & the instrumental is a bit of 80’s throwback. After the “Never Make Promises” interlude, “Point & Kill” has a bit of a minimal yet funky sound saying that you can’t stop her.
The song “Fear No Man” shifts into tribal territory telling cats to leave her alone today & after the “Garden” interlude, the penultimate track “How Did You Get Here?” serves as a piano ballad reflecting on where she is now. “Miss Understood” is a lush closer telling herself to keep pushing through no matter what.
For those who’re still unfamiliar with Little Simz, I think S.I.M.B.I. (Sometimes I Might Be Introvert) would be the perfect gateway into her discography. The lyrics are her most personal yet & it’s really great to hear her expanding her versatility in terms of the overall sound of the album.
IAMGAWD is a 35 year old MC from Chicago, Illinois who first emerged last summer when he dropped his eponymous debut album produced entirely by Max Julien. However, I personally didn’t get put onto him until the big homie Mike Sears of the Speak Ya Clout Podcast recommended me his sophomore effort The Eternal Reflection in the spring of this year. I was very impressed with Custom Made’s production & the way IAMGAWD vividly portrayed the conditions of his hometown now, so to hear that he’s tapping in Doc da Mindbenda for a 3rd album had me excited to say the least.
The title track that opens up the album has a hypnotic vocal sample with IAMGAWD delivering some incredibly deep bars whereas “Dreadhead Zombies” takes an icy boom bap route perfectly painting a picture of his upbringings. “Gotham Gangways” melancholically toys with the concept of death just before “Blessings” is of course a more uptempo cut talking about his gratefulness.
Meanwhile on “Honor Me”, we have a more soulful instrumental as IAMGAWD asks for his flowers leading into H.H.W.N.D. (Hip Hop Will Never Die)” has a dustier beat talking about carrying the culture on. “Common Sense” works in an orchestral loop continuing to flex his prowess, but then “Do ‘Em Filthē” is a decent little 7 & a half minute posse cut.
“A Father’s Love” passionately reflects on growing up without a dad & being one himself while the song “Bulletproof Dreams” somberly reminds us we aren’t promised tomorrow. The penultimate track “Same Shit, Different Day” works in a flute with some dusty drums to tell us he ain’t what he used to be, but the closer “On My Soul” has a bit of an orchestral/jazzy vibe showcasing his hunger.
The Eternal Reflection is a tad bit better to me, but this is still an incredible follow-up nonetheless. Doc da Mindbenda cooks some of his best production to date with IAMGAWD’s lyricism becoming more & more intricate each time he drops. Whatever he does next, I’ll absolutely be on the lookout for it.
Xtra Overdoze is a 29 year old MC from The Bronx, New York breaking out a few years ago off his first 2 mixtape W.T.F.I.X.O.? (Who the Fuck is Xtra Overdoze)? & Goody Bag. This was followed up with the full-length debut Viral Injection in March of 2019 but after 2 & a half years with much anticipation, he’s tapping in one of my favorite producers within the last decade Foul Mouth to lace his sophomore album from front to back &
After the “Beginning” intro, the first song “This is It” demonically let’s listeners know of his return whereas “66Sick Shit” takes a turn into trap territory talking his shit. “Lose Control” is a more rock centered cut encouraging the crowd to get crazy just before “The Plague” aggressively looks for the smoke.
Meanwhile on “Want It All”, we get a chaotic club banger on all fronts leading into the spooky trap cut “Runaway” saying he’s fucking a crazy bitch. “Inexorable” ruggedly depicts how ruthless he is, but “Reality” works in some creepy keyboard melodies saying everybody’s looking for something.
“Forever More” takes things into boom bap territory saying this music is so inviting whereas “What’cha Came For” is an aggressive sex cut. “Unordinary” hectically describes how this one bitch ain’t normal just before “Middle Fingers Up” is a dusty “fuck you” anthem.
Isaac Castor tags along for the EDM-inspired “Choose Death” getting murderous while the penultimate track “Horror Party” gets on that wicked shit & the trap instrumental is just off the wall. “The End is Near” finishes the album letting the world know this is for the record.
Personally, I think this is XO’s best work to date. I feel like his songwriting has stepped up tremendously in comparison to Viral Injection, but then Foul Mouth’s production is absolutely incredible in every sense of the word.
This is the sophomore album from New York rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Jehry Robinson. Coming up in 2016 off his self-titled mixtape then an EP the following year, his biggest breakthrough came around Christmas 2019 when he signed to Strange Music & put out his full-length debut 20/Twenty at the tail-end of that following summer. However, it looks like Jehry is already back with The Name’s Not Important & has enlisted Wyshmaster to produce the whole thing from start to finish.
“Out My Face” starts things off with Jehry & his mentor Tech N9ne telling their naysayers to leave them alone with Wyshmaster whipping up an energetic trap instrumental whereas “Scars in My Mind” is a piano ballad opening up about “we’re only holy when we hover inside”. “On Read” takes a more moodier turn airing out a woman ghosting him just before the acoustic “Everything’s on Fire” tells listeners that “you’re the only one that can be you”.
Meanwhile on “Weekend”, we get a tropical party theme leading into Krizz Kaliko & Matt Phoenix accompanying him on the bassy trap banger “Can’t Hold My Head Up” saying their lives are a mess. I think “Butterflies” has to be my favorite on the whole album with it’s boom bap production & Jehry showcasing his speedy flows, but “Take Me Home” works in some beautiful keys saying he’ll change some day.
“Cancellations” with Nani Layilaa is a harmonious cut looking back on the struggle whereas “24/8” is a short boom bap ballad saying he can’t believe he’s made it this far. “Full Moon” serves as a full-blown contemporary R&B cut that isn’t too bad, but “All These Colors” with Hi-Rez is a downtrodden trap cut talking about change.
“Full View” enlists Rose the Mermaid for a keyboard/boom bap cut saying they ain’t worried about the next man while the song “Another Round” with Justina Valentine serves as a fiery strip club banger. The penultimate track “Too Much” energetically talks about doing the most & for the closer “Living Proof”, we got Jehry & Joey Cool coming together for a summery tune hoping the good days will weigh the bad ones out.
20/Twenty is a tad bit better to me, but The Name’s Not Important is a worthy follow-up. I like how it picks up where the previous album left off introspectively delving into themes that’re more personal than the debut last summer & highlighting his lyrical prowess with Jehry once again showing that he’s one of if not the most versatile artist on Strange Music currently.
Moemaw Naedon is a 39 year old MC/producer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who made his full-length debut in the fall of 2014 with the Latebloomer-produced Circular Signals. This was followed up with Hard Head Mush Brain & Dr. Deadhorse but just a couple months after dropping a collab EP alongside Calig Kontra entitled Cult Theatre, he’s enlisting C. Scott to produce his 3rd album from start to finish.
After the “Pittsburgh Thril” intro, the first song “Awesome Environment” is a slick boom bap opener talking about having one too many drinks whereas “Space Log” has a more synth-funk vibe advising those not to kick the mic when they spit their last bar. After the “Midnight Rapper” interlude, JM the Poet tags along for the meditative “Owls in the Sun” to say they feel like they’re just getting starting just before Dinosaur Burps takes JM’s place on the aggressive “Summer in the Muck”.
After the “Where You Wander” & “Scene Before” interludes, “Hardly New Havoc” speaks on how shit ain’t really new with a moodier instrumental leading into the psychedelic “Off the Path” as Moemaw & El Da Sensei deliver a lyrical onslaught. The song “Death Shots” is a guitar ballad with the Galactic Brethren reuniting like it’s nothing & after the “Weird Places Heavy Stories” interlude, the penultimate track “Ringing Bells” takes a jazzier direction saying the reflections in puddle are to muddy to tell. “Pardon Angels” later ends the album with a beautiful instrumental piece.
Of all of Moemaw’s solo efforts, I think River Rats could very well be his best one yet. I think the number of interludes are a tad bit annoying, but his lyrics are amongst his most thoughtful & C. Scott knocks it out of the park in terms of the production.
G-Mo Skee is a 30 year old MC from Richmond, California coming up as a member of the Inf Gang. He would drop 2 mixtapes Got Filth & Got Filth II: The Great Adventures of G-Mo independently before Twiztid signed him to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2016, his full-length debut My Filthy Spirit Bomb coming out that same winter. But I personally think G’s sophomore effort Chaly & the Filth Factory is his best work so far because of it’s incredible concept & the instrumentals accompanying it (mostly handled by former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7). But to celebrate his 30th born day & amicably leaving MNE to do his own thing, G-Mo is back on the scene for his highly anticipated 3rd album.
“Hate to Love” kicks things off with some plinky keys going at the throats of everyone who despises him whereas “Kick Rocks” shoots for somber boom bap sound referencing 2-time WWE tag team champion Scotty 2 Hotty. “Return of the Filth” has these heinous organ harmonies with the title speaking for itself in terms of content just before the eerie Stu Bangas joint “Geeloo” explains why the culture needs him.
Meanwhile on “B.A.M.F. (Badass Muthafucka)” we have Blind Fury assisting G-Mo over a somewhat Middle Eastern-tinged instrumental to reference WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin leading into him proclaiming himself as the “Underdog” with a beat that sounds just like the one from “Bully” by Eminem.
I can definitely see “Smash” being a moshpit starter whenever he starts performing live again given that everything about it makes you wanna punch someone in the face while “Pinkies Up” serves as an violin-induced ode to his team. “Take 2 Puffs” is a more depressive cut saying he’s afraid of the future & might need counseling, but then the Jae Harmony-assisted “Rich City” is a cinematic tribute to their hometown.
“You Know Who” compares himself to Voldermort with some hypnotic background vocals that C-Lance throws in the mix whereas “Prolapse” is a trap banger basically saying “fuck the world” & the Half Baked tribute at the beginning is hilarious. The title track has a bit of a horror flick vibe in terms of sound with G telling y’all haven’t heard anything like this, but then Tech N9ne & Trizz aggressively come in on “Fuck It All Up” to talk about taking over the game.
The song “Brody” is easily the most heart-wrenching on the entire album with G detailing the story of his brudda’s downward spiral & the perfect beat to kick the emotions up to over 9,000 while the penultimate track “Can’t Fuck With It” has a bit of a Bay Area sound opening up about the things he doesn’t like. Lastly, the Nobe/produced closer “Flying Cars” goes back into trap territory addressing his departure from MNE & almost quitting a couple Christmases back.
A lot of people (including myself) waited 3 long years for this day to come & it was absolutely worth it. This dude exemplifies why I truly believe he’s one of the best lyricists I’ve heard in the last decade & for it being the first time mixing his own shit, he did a fantastic job.
Tha God Fahim is a 25 year old MC/producer from Atlanta, Georgia notable for his affiliation with Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog. We also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. He just dropped the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King at the beginning of the month & now they’re ending it the way they started it: A sequel EP.
The opener “Shot Clock Legend” kicks things off with a soul sample & Fahim proclaiming himself as such whereas “Hard to Digest” works in a flute to start bragging. “Hall of Fame” has a bit of a more glossier feel musically to say he gives listeners a piece of his mind when he spits just before taking an ominous bap turn for “Megatron” saying he ain’t doing none less.
Meanwhile on “Sketch”, we have Fahim jumping on top of a moody boom bap instrumental saying he don’t wanna talk too much because of trust issues leading into the penultimate track “Wingz Logo” has an eargasmic loop opening up about the world being against him. The closer “Punishment” has some rich piano chords & dusty drums to declare that he’s milking the game until the well runs dry.
Now despite preferring the predecessor, I personally think we got a stellar sequel. Could’ve used a feature or 2 to break up the monotony, but it’s safe to say Fahim & Craven’s chemistry as an MC/producer duo is continually getting better with each project they whip up together.
This is the 10th full-length album from Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter, one of my top 10 producers of all-time, businessman, fashion designer & supposed politician Kanye West. What can be said now about this man that hasn’t been said already? Regardless of how you feel about his public image, you can’t deny his creativity nor the impact his discography has had on hip hop over the last 17 years. More specifically The College Dropout & My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The last time we heard him in secular form was back in 2018 with ye, which in my opinion doesn’t get enough appreciation for detailing his struggles with bipolar disorder even to this day. Kanye later became a born-again Christian & went into gospel rap territory for his previous album Jesus is King in which the music was fine, but the mix was absolutely horrendous. But now after a embarrassing attempt at becoming president of the United States last fall & divorcing his Hobbit ex-wife, one can only go into DONDA expecting Ye to get a lot off his chest.
After the tedious “Donda Chant” intro, the first song “Jail” is a rock-tinged kickstarter with The Throne returning saying God’s gonna post their bail with co-production from Mike Dean alongside Dem Jointz & 88-Keys whereas “God Breathed” featuring E*Vax helping behind the boards with some choir vocals hanging in the back encouraging the listener to put their faith in the higher power. Playboi Carti & Fivio Foreign tag along for the trap-tinged “Off the Grid” co-produced by with 30 Roc proclaiming they did everything for the crib just before the Lil Baby-assisted “Hurricane” brings in some organs & snares with co-production from DJ Khalil & Ronny J to tell God to hold them close.
Meanwhile on “Praise God”, we have Baby Keem & Travis Scott joining forces to say they’re gonna praise their way out the grave helping work in an organ & choir vocals leading into “Jonah” with Lil Durk & Vory having some hypnotizing production as well as lyrics about loneliness. “Ok Ok” is an atmospheric cut co-produced with Boi-1da linking up with Lil Yachty & Rooga to call out those who’ve betrayed them, but then ¥$ & Carti pay homage to Junya Watanabe on the organ-bass infused “Junya” assisted by Digital Nas.
“Believe What I Say” does a fine job at sampling the iconic Lauryn Hill joint “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” telling the listener not to let the lifestyle drag you down whereas “24” brings back in some organs to say God’s not finished. “Remote Control” with Young Thug satirizes society these days with an ambient backdrop & snares whereas “Moon” is the greatest interlude of the year hands down, with Don Toliver & KiD CuDi hitting every note perfectly as the guitars that’re wailing behind them.
The way “Heaven & Hell” samples Drum Broker’s “Arena” is really cool with Ye standing up to to the system & after the titular interlude co-produced by BoogzDaBeast, another standout “Keep My Spirit Alive” with Hall ‘N Nash finds the trio saying “you can take it all with the Lord on my side” over a cloudy instrumental & Ye should’ve NEVER fucked with KayCyy’s hook to begin with. Jay Electronica & The LOX come in for the gorgeous “Jesus Lord” co-produced by Swizz Beatz & Gesaffelstein wanting to know someone who needs God, but then “New Again” sounds like a throwback to the Graduation days production-wise talking about being born again.
“Tell the Vision” from the latest posthumous Pop Smoke album Faith feels out of place given that Ye has no presence on this version, but “Lord I Need You” makes up for it with it’s pillowy beat co-produced by FNZ & Wheezy as Ye asks God to wrap his arms around him whereas the Roddy Ricch-assisted “Pure Souls” fuses organs with bass & handclaps to say “The truth is only what you get away with”.
The penultimate track “Come to Life” with Jeff Bhasker is an luxurious ballad pondering if you’ve ever wished you had another life & finally, “No Child Left Behind” ends the album with a straight up gospel ballad saying God has done miracles on him. We are then treated to alternate versions of “Jail”, “Ok Ok”, “Junya” & “Jesus Lord” as bonus cuts.
It should really go without saying that DONDA is what Jesus is King should’ve been & it’s a respectable tribute to Ye’s mom. It would also turn out to be his l final LP under his Def Jam Recordings contract, ending his nearly 2 decade tenure for the major label. There are a tad bit of filler cuts running at nearly 2 hours, but the mix sounds so much better in comparison to Donda’s predecessor. Leave the redundant moments off & it’s a solid blend of Christian hip hop, experimental hip hop, pop rap, trap, gospel, alternative R&B, art pop & urban contemporary gospel.
