Twiztid – “Electric Lettuce” review

This is the 12th EP from Detroit duo & Astronomicon founders Twiztid. Consisting of Jamie Madrox & Monoxide, the pair 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 the demented duo 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 5 albums, with my favorites being The Darkness at the top of 2015 & then /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/ from this past Black Friday. But being big stoners for as long as they’ve been around, Jamie & Mono have decided to drop Electric Lettuce just 3 days after Alla Xul Elu’s new album Necronomichron 2: Dead by Bong.

After the “Safe Place” intro, the first song “We All Float” encourages the listeners to “come down here” with them since the weed hits harder than former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou & the trap instrumental Young Wicked cooks up is totally off the wall. After the “Get Matt Nipps” skit, the following song “Light It Up” goes into a more west coast direction I almost wanna say as they talk about “rollin’ rappers up”. After the “Get Blaze” skit, the song “No Smoke” is a MNE posse cut sans Lex the Hex Master & The R.O.C. threatening their opposition with a piano-instrumental from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 that really helps kick up the grimy tone of it.

The track “High ‘Til I Die” goes back into that trap direction as they talk about always being lifted & Lee Carver just shows why he’s my favorite Alla Xul Elu member. Especially when he said “Breaking up weed on the case of The Green Book”. I’m kinda disappointed that “Right Here Ninja” makes no reference or homage to “Here I Am” off of Blaze’s classic debut 1 Less G n da Hood, but the futuristic sound is fresh. “Feeling Stuck” is a great way to finish the EP, as it’s a guitar-trap driven cut about how COVID has effected everyone.

“420 Premium Quality” rawly starts the deluxe run telling all y’all muthafuckas to sing along lighting that shit up while “Wasted 3” by the Samhain Witch Killaz featuring G-Mo Skee, King Gordy, Redd, Rittz & Young Wicked matches the caliber of “Wasted 2 featuring Chris Webby, Kung Fu Vampire, R.A. the Rugged Man, the Three 6 Mafia & Whitney Peyton off of Twiztid’s 8th EP Get Twiztid along with “Wasted 3” featuring Anybody Killa & the Axe Murder Boyz off of their 13th album Mad Season as the best installments of the “Wasted” series. “It’s Been a Long Time” serves as the final bonus track going rap rock to admit they haven’t been this high in forever.

Despite my expectations not being super high given that this is a holiday-themed EP, I actually like it more than that short Songs of Samhain compilation that MNE put out this past fall. It continues to stray away from the wicked shit in favor of a more traditional hardcore hip hop vibe much like /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/, except most of the songs are weed-related.

Score: 3.5/5

Vinnie Paz – “Burn Everything That Bears Your Name” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Philadelphia underground mainstay Vinnie Paz. Coming up as the MC for Jedi Mind Tricks & the leader of the Army of the Pharaohs collective, he also started building an impressive solo career off his 2010 debut Season of the Assassin & the 2012 sophomore effort God of the Serengeti. His previous album as above so below just came out last Valentine’s Day & a little over a year later, we’re already being treated to Burn Everything That Bears Your Name.

“Socrates Drinking the Hemlock” is a 2-minute opener with Boxcutter Pazzy spitting that disrespectful shit over an old west-sounding instrumental & then Billy Danze joins him for the horn/boom bap infused “Machine Gun Etiquette”, where both of them comparing their lyricism to that of LMGs. “Body Bag Philosopher” brings out the horror vibes from C-Lance’s piano instrumental to Vinnie’s lyrics about a rat going rogue whereas the Stu Bangas-produced “Papi Wardrobe” talks about letting the TEC spray over what I assume to be a 70’s sample.

We later have the Heavy Metal Kings & Lord Goathop on the orchestra-laced “Witches Teeth” courtesy of Illinformed while the song “Latka Bravas” talks about murder over some trumpets loops. Things go into a more jazzy direction on the Oh No-produced “Danger’s My Business” with lyrics detailing a war going on outside, but then Vinnie details his woman having an abortion on the track “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” & the way Farma G flips “Don’t You Ever Dare” by Dean Friedman is immaculate.

“Guilty Remnant Cigarettes” is a short yet effective cut about being out for blood over a more vintage instrumental from Esoteric & right after funny enough, The Czar-Keys cook up what could possibly be the darkest beat on the album as The Verbal Hologram references 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 on the song “Don Eladio”.

Meanwhile on the overawing “Warhead”, we have Chino XL coming through to help detail how dirty people are referencing former KO-D無差別級チャンピオン, ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time ECW World Tag Team Champion, 4-time FMWヘビー級チャンピオン, 3-time FMWタッグチャンピオン, 5-time FMW6人タッグチャンピオン, IWGPインターコンチネンタルチャンピオン, NEVER無差別級チャンピオン & GHCタッグチャンピオン 田中 将斗 before talking about bodies being stacked up on the sepulchral “Excuse All the Blood”.

The song “White on White Crime” kinda has some trap & rock undertones in the production as O.T. the Real & D-Boy Flowski come together with the Pazmanian Devil to talk about how they rap what they live, but D-Boy’s verse at the end doesn’t hit me like the first 2 did. This is followed up with the powerful Islamic ode “Battle of the Camel” featuring Willie the Kid & the sample Giallo Point uses is just so comely.

“Torch Bearer” takes shit back to boom bap territory thanks to Vic Grimes, which I think might be the Paz Man’s response to the diss tracks both King Magnetic & Doap Nixon put out towards him last year. The song “Affairs in Order” incorporates some synths as Jay Royale accompanies the mic to talk about how you don’t wanna be around when the feds start getting on your ass.

Lord Goat returns for “Tell Gold to Hold the Boneyard” alongside Crimeapple to deliver them gangsta bars over a guitar-driven instrumental from Hobgoblin before incorporating an organ & some sputtering drums tor the track “Duppy or Gunman”, where The Sicilian Shooter says anyone who wants it with him is out of their goddamn minds & rightfully so.

“Angels with Dirty Faces” is a gospel-like homage to everyone Vinnie’s family was enamored before he & Eto talk about acting right around them on “Murder Takes Time”. The penultimate track “Lloyds of London” is a bilious acknowledgement of telling when people don’t want the smoke, but the Boob Bronx verse is another low-point for me personally. Finally to round it off, M.A.V. tags along to get in battle rap mode for the flute-backed closer “Digital Veil”.

In comparison to as above so below, I actually happen to prefer Burn Everything That Bears Your Name a bit more. Did it need to be 22 songs? Not necessarily. However, the dude’s pen-game remains unmatched as does his ear for production almost a quarter of a century deep making music.

Score: 4/5

Cordae – “Just Until….” review

This is the debut EP from North Carolina emcee Cordae. Emerging in 2014 as a member of the now defunct YBN collective, the 23 year old released a total of 3 mixtapes under his original moniker Entendre before catching mainstream attention 4 years later by dropping the J. Cole response “Old N****s”. After landing a spot in the 2019 XXL Freshman Class, the kid continued to turn heads by dropping a potential-filled debut album The Lost Boy & is returning after 2 years with a 4-track prelude to his sophomore effort.

“More Life” is a funky, boom bap opener produced by Q-Tip as Cordae proclaims life being an antidote while the next song “Dream in Color” talks about his boldest dreams over some vocal harmonizing hanging behind him from Terrace Martin & Raphael Saadiq. Young Thug hops on the Take a Daytrip-laced “Wassup” for a flashy party starter & then the EP rounds out with “Thornton Street”, which returns to that boom bap sound as Cordae recalls his childhood.

I know he said on Twitter that none of these joints will appear on the upcoming album, but it has me excited for it nonetheless. With his artistry continuing to grow at a rate like this, I geniunely think his potential is being fully realized & he could possibly top The Lost Boy.

Score: 3.5/5

D-Loc – “25 to Life” review

D-Loc is a 43 year old rapper, producer & DJ from Placentia, California known for founding the rip hop outfit Kottonmouth Kings along with his childhood friends Saint Dog & Johnny Richter in 1996. Despite the revolving door of members within the last 25 years, the Kings would release a chockfull of material together. My personal favorites of which being Royal Highness, Hidden Stash, High Society, Hidden Stash II: The Kream of the Krop, Rollin’ Stoned, Fire It Up, Cloud 9, The Green Album & Mile High. However, it wouldn’t be until 2010 when Loc dropped his solo debut Made for Kings under Suburban Noize Records. This was followed up at the tail-end of 2018 with the sophomore effort Ripperside & now just 6-months after Saint Dog’s unexpected passing, we’re getting a new “Kottonmouth Kings” album that only D-Loc has been promoting for the past several months.

The first song following the intro “P.T.B. on the Creep” contains an instrumental kin to Dr. Dre & Scott Storch that I actually like, but it’s funny how D-Loc says anyone who thought the group is done is crazy when he’s actually continuing to bury the name himself by doing it solely. The next track “Orange County” is a short punk rock tribute to the SoCal region that raised him, but then Damn Dad himself is featured with Loc for the next 5 songs starting off with the rap metal-influenced “Fight Music”.

We go back into the punk shit on the fittingly titled “25th Anniversary” before taking a mellow detour on “Dance the Block”, which encourages the listener to be lifted brainlessly. The song “New Day” seems like they’re trying to recapture the spark of “Positive Vibes” except it has a more reggae influenced sound & then before Damn Dad hops back on the boards, he & D-Loc deliver the punky moshpit anthem “Kings of the Underground”.

The g-funk influenced “OG King” is pretty much Loc proclaiming himself as such, but then “Anarchy” is the definition of fake woke as the beat fuses together elements of trap & metal. After an interlude, the track “Away We Go” incorporates as a jangly guitar & some whistling with lyrics obviously being about smoking weed whereas “Time Flies” reminisces on his career over a hyphy instrumental.

“Paisley Grey” is a sincerely endearing tribute to D-Loc’s youngest daughter while the song “Home” goes into a more psychedelic trap sound as he details his family life. Damn Dad is featured 1-last time on “Web of Lies”, which is a garish punk/trap crossover about how KMK will never die. The track “Watch It Grow” is a stripped back anthem about weed being legalized nationwide & then “Legends Never Die” is a wavy tribute to Saint Dog. But before the outro, the final song “Don’t Forget Me” expresses his desire to be remembered over some acoustics & live drumming.

I don’t wanna sound like a hater at all because to this day, I still enjoy all of those past KMK albums I mentioned at the top of the review. However, this is nothing more than solo D-Loc album being marketed as a new Kottonmouth Kings group effort to make a quick buck. It’s like if the Fugees continued with just Wyclef as the only member. Obviously that won’t ever happen, but you get the idea. Even though I genuinely appreciate the fact that Damn Dad brought back the rip hop sound Kingdom Come was lacking, the performances & songwriting are both subpar for a good portion of the hour. I really hope Loc makes things right with Richter & the rest of the fans down the road.

Score: 1.5/5

Ilajide – “Code #200” review

Ilajide is a 30 year old MC/producer from Detroit, Michigan who blew up as part of [the Clear Soul Forces. He also has a total of 2 beat tapes, 3 albums & 6 EPs under his belt as a solo artist. But after much anticipation, Ilajide is dropping his 4th full-length outing just a little over a year since the group’s swan song Forceswithyou.

“Black Jesus” is an electronic-tinged opener as Ilajide goes in about that cheese & then the title track talks about robbing motherfuckers over a skittering instrumental. “Leave Wit It, Pt. 2” goes into a more J Dilla-influenced sound as he & Noveliss get together to rap about taking dude’s money & Benzos, but then “Hunnids” with Mic Phelps & L.A.Z. goes in about their wealth over a moody trap beat.

The instrumental on “Wait II” has a alien-like quality to it as Ilajide talks about how he has that bounce whereas “Know Money” recruits Belve for a insightful lesson on the paper & the drums on here just hit you in the chest. Meanwhile, the song “Wunsagin” goes into a more boom bappy direction with some swaggering lyricism & then the Clear Soul Forces make a surprising return on the Def D-produced “Arrival”.

The track “Boatload” starts off with a cool mid-tempo vibe, but then it amplifies during the last 2 minutes & the chopper flow doesn’t feel forced at all. “Real Quick, Pt. 2” is of course a sequel to “Do It Real Quick off #414971 that’s lot more jazz-flavored than the predecessor & then “Wait.” gets on his thug thizzle shit over a springy instrumental. And as far the closer goes, “Okay” is a charming way to go out as Ilajide jumps on a cloudy instrumental to spit about running it up.

Of all the solo albums I’ve heard from the cat up to this point, Code #200 has to be the best one yet. He’s definitely cemented himself amongst the greatest producers Detroit has ever seen & this is no exception, but let’s not forget how much his songwriting keeps leveling up.

Score: 4/5

Khrysis – “The Hour of Khrysis” review

Khrysis is a 39 year old producer & occasional MC from Durham, North Carolina coming up 1/2 of the duo The Away Team alongside Sean Boog. He’s also a key member of Jamla Records’ in-house production team The Soul Council, lacing a chockfull of albums for the label up to this point. But with 4 solo albums under his belt already, Khrysis is celebrating 4/20 by dropping a 5th one.

The opener “Never Change” is actually Khrysis himself spitting about always staying true over some bongos & a guitar, but then the next song “Granted” by Mumu Fresh is literally her expressing hope that she doesn’t get taken for granted over a funky instrumental with some popping drums. The song “Delta9” by Geechi Suede is of course about getting stoned & the instrumental has a trippier edge to it, but then “Mr. Big Mouth II” by De La Soul goes into a boom bap direction as the trio deliver a sequel to “Big Mouth” off their 2009 mixtape Are You In?.

The Away Team reunite like they haven’t stopped working together on the keyboard-laced “The Return” & then “Why?” by Jason Martin is about being clueless towards the haters he has on top of a soul sample & some militant drums. The song “Asylum” by Evidence is more synth-induced as he spits about being an original gentleman, but then “Colombian Necktie” returns to the boom bap sound as Niko Is delivers one of the more underwhelming performances on the album.

“The Code” by Chi-Ali is a jazzier cut that’s about him being happy to be released from prison after murdering his ex-girlfriend’s brother while “The Devil Wears Designer” by Reuben Vincent is about a deceitful woman over a horn-inflicted beat. “Negro Spiritual” finds Khrysis joining Busta Rhymes & Pharoahe Monch has a crooning vocal sample in the back as the trio spit that Black Power shit, but then “The Disrespect” by Rapsody & Sa-Roc goes into that College Dropout sound as the 2 go in about being disrespected.

The penultimate track “Keep on Walkin’” by Del the Funky Homosapien is a piano-boom bap banger about how nobody owes you shit & then the album finishes off with “Be Alright”, which is Khrysis himself hopping on top of a soul-tinged Eric G. instrumental to spit about working too hard for earn loyalty.

In comparison to his previous solo efforts, I think this is Khrysis’ best one yet. There are only a couple guests I could’ve done without, but almost every one of them delivery fiery performances as the dude presents a well-tuned showcasing of what he’s capable of doing behind the boards with a dash of his MC skills every here & there.

Score: 4/5

King Relik – “DEMENT3D” review

King Relik is a 38 year old MC from Long Beach, California emerging on Valentine’s Day 2017 off his debut EP 12:45 produced entirely by Klepto K. However, he ended up signing to Wisconsin-based underground label Force 5 Records last February & is finally delivering his full-length debut just in time for 4/20.

The opener “Vilynz” connects with Skribbal & Radek to declare themselves as bad guys on top of an organ-laced beat whereas the next song “Sl33p” goes into a more electronic direction as Relik talks about being an insomniac. “Syko” reads as a 1-minute bipolar episode on wax as the overall sound of it keeps jumping all over the place, but then “Yogurl (Rollyaeyez)” goes into detail about this hoe over a minimal instrumental.

The song “Nayzay” dives into a more glitchy, industrial-sounding as he spits that wicked shit while “Grynd” is a chaotic punk rock anthem that I’m sure will get the pits going. The song “P.O.S. (Piece Of Shit)” talks about working on himself over an organ & some hi-hats, but then “Read the Note” is a spectrally-produced storytelling joint about Relik pulling off a robbery.

The track “Spacevan” dives into a more piano-boom bap direction with lyrics about hotboxing whereas “Pimpin’” is a more ill-lit vibe in the production as Relik & Lima Beans paint themselves as actual pimps. The penultimate song “Rabidbaboon” incorporates some synth-horns with lyrics about how wild dude is & then the album ends with “Handles”, which feels like a 1-minute homage to bands like Green Day & blink-182.

Been curious to hear how King Relik would sound on his own & I think DEMENT3D is actually a pretty solid album. It’s cool to hear the wide rage of sounds that the producers bring to the table & the guy has never sounded better lyrically.

Score: 3.5/5

Alla Xul Elu – “Necronomichron 2: Dead by Bong” review

Alla Xul Elu is an Ohio-based horrorcore trio consisting of Billy Obey, Joey Black & Lee Carver. Originally breaking out in 2015 as a duo, Billy & Joe started out by releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co that same year. This was followed up with their 4/20-themed debut EP Necronomichron in 2017 & adding Carver into the fold shortly after. But it wasn’t until Twiztid signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2018 when the Xul Boys’ music got increasingly better. Their MNE debut The Almighty is unquestionably the greatest horrorcore album of the 2010s, their 2019 sophomore EP Church of Xul took a much darker approach & the trio’s previous album Mauxuleum made it in the top 10 of my Best Releases of 2020 list despite them ditching their signature boom bap sound for a more industrial, trap metal direction. But to celebrate the 4 year anniversary of the original Necronomichron, it’s only right for A.X.E. to celebrate by dropping their 5th full-length album as a sequel.

After the “Taking a Trip” intro, the first song “An Ominous Shack” has an unhinged boom bap beat from BAD MiND (who produced all but 3 tracks on the whole album) as the trio detail a fucked up vacation & then “Down in the Dark” goes into a more industrial direction with lyrics about making plans with Mary Jane. The song “Deja Vu” is a grimy sequel to the title track of the first Necronomichron while “Fire It Up” dives into that trap metal sound provided by the Zombie Aristocrats & of course the lyrics are about lighting up the weed.

“Smoke” is a chaotic anthem about not wanting their high to be blown & then “Dead by Bong” feels more like an interlude as the lyrics are very repetitive despite the electronic-influenced production. The song “Alternate Dimension” is a dusty sequel to “Another Dimension” with a stellar Blaze Ya Dead Homie verse while “Within the Trees” is a gruesome horrorcore cut detailing forest monsters.

After the “Necronomicream” skit, the track “Munchiez” is a sinister depiction about how they handle being hungry when stoned while “Pass Away” contains some ominous organ harmonies as they talk about staying High & avoiding daylight. The album finishes off with “Kandarian Dabber”, where the A.X.E. deliver a wicked anthem to dabbin’.

Necronomichron is one of my favorite projects that Xul has ever put out, but this is a rare instance where I prefer the sequel over the predecessor. It’s great to hear the trio returning to the very sound that they become known for & the marijuana-themed lyrics have evolved tremendously, teasing a potential trilogy chapter at some point down the road.

Score: 4.5/5

Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas – “Empires”

This is a brand new collab album between Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas. The latter is one of the underground’s most in-demand producers hauling from Boston, Massachusetts & the other notably being the percussionist for South Gate titans Cypress Hill. Despite being on different coasts, both parties developed a close friendship off similar interests & are joining forces for 4/20 to drop Empires.

The title track by Vangarde is a baneful opener about painting pictures with Mr. Lif’s mind, but then the next song “Chemtrails” by RJ Payne, Vinnie Paz & Xzibit wastes no time jumping on that boom bap as the trio start shit-talking. “Get With This One” incorporates some percussion & a Godzilla-like horn section as B-Real & Pharoahe Monch get together for a homage to the classic Black Sheep joint “The Choice is Yours”, but then “Total Kaos” by Psycho Les is a spooky recap of 2020.

The song “Move Weight” by Khujo, Lonnie Lyle & The Wordsmith is a downcast look into being street-smart while “Red Dot” incorporates some chilly keyboards as Rob Markman details how every rhyme he writes is 25 to life. The song “No Survivors” by Nowaah the Flood and Watson & Holmes is a cold-blooded depiction of the streets, but then “Pass the Fire” by Demrick is a classy weed-smoking anthem. Meanwhile on “Call It Like I See It, we have Reverie hopping on a weary albeit funky instrumental to insult her competition & then we have Lord Goat teaming up with Krazy Race for the horrorcore-themed “Dark Mind”.

The song “City of Angels” by Blu & Rakaa is g-funk homage to their hometown of LA, but then “Another One for the Books” by Apathy & Celph Titled is a disgusting look (in a good way) at the things they’ve done. The penultimate track “Street Smarts” by Ill Bill & O.C. is one of the most lethal cuts on the album as they talk about “hittin’ ’em at point blank range”, but then “The Reset” by Sick Jacken & Huero Diablo is a feel-good tune about living their lives to the fullest.

I know this album has been in the works for the past couple of years now, but man is the end result a wild ride. The list of guest MCs that got to hop on board is damn near-stellar & it’s really cool to hear both of Eric & Stu’s signature sounds mesh in with each other seamlessly.

Score: 3.5/5

Snoop Dogg – “From tha Streets 2 tha Suites” review

This is the 18th full-length album from Long Beach icon & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg. His 1993 debut Doggystyle is widely regarded as a west coast essential, but his output since has been hit or miss whether it be Tha Last Meal & Tha Blue Carpet Treatment almost reaching the same caliber of his debut or Da Game is to be Sold, Not to be Told & Bible of Love falling flat on their faces. Uncle Snoop’s previous outing I Wanna Thank Me came out a couple summers ago & that was a decent listen but after dropping a small handful of singles throughout last year, it’s only right for one of hip hop’s notorious tokers to take listeners From tha Streets 2 tha Suites on stoners’ favorite holiday.

“CEO” jumps on a hyphy beat from Rick Rock as he shows off his longevity in the rap fame while the next song “Roaches in My Ashtray” returns to his g-funk roots with lyrics about getting high of course. “Gang Signs” taps in Mozzy to reminisce on their life as Bloods & Crips respectively over a spacious, bass-heavy instrumental prior to “Talk Dat Shit to Me” responding to Eminem’s jab on “Zeus” as he goes back on the g-funk tip with the help of DJ Battlecat.

As for “Sittin’ on Blades”, we dive into boom bap territory is as Snoop is singing from beginning to end with heavy talk-box usage à la Roger Troutman while “Say It Witcha Booty” is an awkward attempt at making a strip club theme. Larry June appears on “Get Your Bread Up” for a Bay Area-influence money anthem & Tha Eastsidaz make an unexpected return on “Fetty in the Bag” to talk about being amplified over some synths & hand-claps.

“Look Around” produced by Nottz gets taken straight from Tha Blue Carpet Treatment Mixtape back in 2006 & it still sounds as gangsta as it did 15 years ago when the world had initially heard it for the very 1st time until the closer “Left My Weed” featuring Devin the Dude comes off as a more seductive cut that I find myself reluctant towards in terms of it finishing the celebratory 4/20 offering.

Regardless of some older cuts making it feel more like a mixtape due to their resurging presence, this has gotta be the best Snoop Dogg album I’ve heard since Coolaid. I like the fact that he didn’t overload it like he did on I Wanna Thank Me & how it primarily takes listeners back to the g-funk sounds that skyrocketed him from an up-&-comer signing with Tha Row to the entrepreneur he has become in light of his 50th birthday in 6 months.

Score: 3.5/5