La Reezy – “Leader of da Uth” review

This is the 6th EP from New Orleans, Louisiana based emcee/producer La Reezy. Introducing himself in 2023 off the full-length studio debut Reeborn, he would go on to follow it up with the debut EP We All Need Help as well as both Welcome to La Reezyana & Pardon Me, I’m Different preceding the self-produced Lareezyana Shakedown this past September. The latter I would personally tell you is the greatest thing he’s made so far. Coming off Free99$ however, the Leader of da Uth isn’t looking to slow down.

“Potna” comes off the rip with a boisterous dirty south instrumental talking about him getting ready to flip in this bitch while “Respect da Yungin’” once again throws it back to late 90s era No Limit & Cash Money Records demanding some due regards put on his name. “Da Coldest Prophet” leans towards a more soulful vibe talking about striving for greatness & after the “You Got It” skit, the final song “Man of da Hour” finishes his proclamation as Leader of da Uth by speaking of being the holy one.

Whether it’s the co-signs from Tyler, The Creator & J. Cole or spitting a verse during that Rap’s New Class cypher On the Radar recently put out, La Reezy has been continuously making case after case as to why he’s one of New Orleans’ most interesting artists on the rise & Leader of da Uth will most likely make up for anyone who found themselves on the fence with Free99$. The production here is stronger than the latter, fluctuating between the dirty south vibes from almost 3 decades prior & sampling chops to keep dropping the playful yet mature subject matter he’s been known for.

Score: 4/5

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Nettspend – “Early Life Crisis” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Richmond, Virginia rapper Nettspend. Blowing up in 2023 off his debut EP Kickdoor, he would also team up with Hooligan Lou for the poorly received collab EP 3rd Knock preceding him signing to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records a few months afterwards. His debut mixtape Badass Fucking Kid was welcomed to divisive feedback although I personally enjoyed it more than Kickdoor or Nettgenes’ eponymous debut EP. I also can’t forget to mention the beef he had with fakemink, squashing it in the middle of delaying Early Life Crisis last weekend.

“you ready?” produced by CXO begins with this rage-inducing lowend intro getting the audience prepared for what’s to time whereas “ce” named after his childhood friend Connor talks about not wanting to pull up because of the Gucci he’s dripped in. “pain talk” featuring OsamaSon finds the pair over a gyro instrumental flexing that their Black Range Rover shoots flames leading into “crack” talking about taking his time with this woman prior to calling her back.

Moving on from there, “still standing” keeps the hypertrap vibes going boasting that he hasn’t been knocked off his axis because of the bands he’s making just before “who tf is u?” talks about using his stick to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. “trap house 2016” discusses burning the trap house down to ashes whenever the cops come out & the Glock being too big for his lap while “masked up” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again links up for a decent rage-inducing gangsta rap track.

“stab” talks about feeling paranoid due to the way he’s living & his way of thinking being altered by the drugs & money that come with the fame while “halftime” references his past feud with fakemink that was recently put to rest whilst describing what he does during the late night hours. “meet me in richmond” kicks off the 2nd half talking about how nobody else is doing shit the way he is while “no sleep” expresses a desire to keep speaking to this woman he’s attracted to.

As for “<3”, we have Nettspend talking about feeling like his state’s version of the grim reaper after trying to love while “paris hilton” addresses the photo of him with the polarizing socialite that was taken a few months earlier. “sick” wants to know what this bitch will do if she ain’t having shit & putting his competition in flu season while “cross ‘em out” talks about being a Badass Fucking Kid instead of a pacifist, copping new guns with switches.

“shades” samples “23” by Juicy J, Miley Cyrus & Wiz Khalifa so he can describe being in the club high off Percocets wearing sunglasses while “plan b” talks about being a rebel with the right clientele. “make it bleed” breaks down living tax-free & modeling for Miu Miu while “hey, hello” confronts a hoe that he’s been communicating with regarding her being jealous of his other girl. “lil bieber” sends off the LP by talking about his desire to take no more Ls & the bridges he burns lighting the way he cruises.

Would I consider Early Life Crisis to be an equally groundbreaking rage album as Psykotic or Rest in Bass? No, but Badass Fucking Kid’s mixed reception got & the beef with fakemink had people quick to say that Nettspend was beginning to fall off or that his 15 minutes of fame are up when there are some considerable upgrades made here compared to that previous tape. The production for this style of trap makes some great usage of samples & the biggest change would be the more personal approach that was taken in terms of songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Scythe – “Strictly 4 the Scythe” review

The Scythe is a Memphis rap/trap collective consisting of Denzel Curry, A$AP Ferg, Bktherula, Key Nyata, TiaCorine, iloveit!, BEAUTIFULMVN, Oogie Mane, ilykimchi & Swaggyono. All of whom had appeared on Zel’s most recent mixtape King of the Mischievous South 2 & the best example of that being the “Hot One” single despite everyone having their own individually established histories of making music already. Loma Vista Recordings would go on to sign them as a unit right when 2026 began & are looking to make their official debut with a new mixtape succeeding nearly half of it being already released as singles.

BEAUTIFULMVN produces the group’s eponymous intro with TiaCorine & Ferg talking about slicing anyone who fucks with the crew whereas “Lit Effect” by Zel featuring Lazer Dim 700 hops over a murky instrumental from BNYX of Working on Dying to speak of people beefing on the internet because they’re broke. “Phony” with Ferg & Key Nyata featuring Juicy J goes for a Memphis vibe thanks to iloveit!, ilykimchi & Oogie Mane talking about being numbers only, but then “Mutt That Bitch” featuring 1900Rugrat was the only single of the 3 that I wasn’t head over heels for.

“Hoopty” by TiaCorine featuring Smino gets the 2nd half of the tape going by making all the girls going crazy until switching up in favor of a lyrically repetitive outro while the Miami bass-influenced “You Ain’t Gotta Lie” by Denzel Curry featuring Luh Tyler & 454 finds the trio showing off their wealth. “Tan” gives Bktherula & TiaCorine a few minutes for them to shine together talking about heading out for a trip to Hawaii while “Up” by A$AP Ferg featuring Rich the Kid ends with the 2 asking their type of women if they wanna roll with them.

Putting aside the couple underwhelming guest appearances here & there, The Scythe’s inaugural mixtape expands on the creative chemistry each of the 5 artists & 5 producers all bonded over a couple summers ago when King of the Mischievous South 2 dropped & have confidence of them possibly outdoing themselves if they ever came out with a full-length debut. From the Memphis-style trap production that the Working on Dying members/affiliates cook up to every single rapper having a distinctive personality of their own, one of the newest & most popular hip hop crews today have made their arrival.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ty$ – “Girl Music” review

Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter, rapper, musician, producer & EZMNY Records founder Ty$ is back for a brand new extended play of material. Becoming popular during my 1st half of high school when his 3rd mixtape Beach House dropped. Signing to both Atlantic Records & Taylor Gang Entertainment, his full-length debut Free TC in the fall of 2015 was welcomed to warm reception although Beach House 3 & Featuring Ty$ were both merely average compared to it’s predecessor. He’s also a part of the duos MihTy with Jeremiah & of course ¥$ alongside one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye formerly known as Kanye West, the latter making their debut with Vultures during Super Bowl LVII weekend & dropping a widely panned sequel almost 6 months later. Tycoon would become the biggest entry in his solo career thus far & has decided to make some Girl Music.

“Nobody Has to Know” blends R&B & trap soul to get things going singing for the woman he’s with to take his soul whereas “3,000,000,000” produced by DJ Camper & Wax Motif tells this female that she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places. “Bad Bitch Alert” hooks up a guitar & some finger snaps to sing about how stunning his partner is while “Intention” featuring Brandy finds the wanting to know each other’s plans. “Miss U 2” featuring Leon Thomas III was a solid alternative R&B/trap soul single telling their lovers how much they miss them & “Good to Me” ends by singing about the one he needs over a piano.

From what I understand: Airplane Mode 2 & Purple Moon are still coming out, but an evening out in New York where Ty$ was at a restaurant where the DJ was playing all the right music had him constantly thinking of what kind of music women would like to hear & leans heavier towards the R&B side of his versatility throughout Girl Music than Tycoon & he’s already hinting at more installments going forward. Instrumentally, it’s a natural return to his R&B origins & to hear where he’ll take it on the next few entries does have me intrigued.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jae Skeese – “The Good Part” review

Here is the 5th extended play from Buffalo, New York emcee Jae Skeese. Starting in 2010 off his debut mixtape W.A.C.K. (Women, Alcohol, Cash & Kicks), it wasn’t until a decade later where he & 7xvethegenius gained wide exposure as the very first signees to Conway the Machine’s very own Drumwork Music Group. The Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd EP Authenticity Check & the sophomore effort Abolished Uncertainties both elevated Skeese’s popularity in the last couple years. Coming off the Superior-produced Testament of the Times & elevating from Ground Level though, Ill Tone’s producing The Good Part succeeding 40 Hours.

“Paralysis” chops up a soul sample to get things going talking about feeling like nobody’s above him whereas “Accelerant” featuring Conway the Machine & Stove God Cook$ finds the trio aggressively going at the throats of those who got the game wrong. “Curt Menafee” featuring Cory Gunz goes for a summery direction instrumentally talking about putting it all on the line leading into “S.W.G.M. (See It, Want It, Got It, Mines)” end the 1st half by speaking of taking what’s his.

Fuego Base & Sule appear on “Raiden” kicking off the 2nd leg with all 3 of them aggressively talking about wanting the finer things closer in reach just before “Worldwide” featuring Talib Kweli & T.F links up so they can discuss how far they wanna take it musically. “Mua” hops over a victorious beat to talk about getting his cake up & winning in the biggest ways while “No After No” featuring Brother Tom Sos & Consequence finishes with each artist explaining that they never stopped chasing their goals after being counted out.

I completely understood what Jae Skeese was doing trying give lesser known local artists a bigger platform although I’m still on the fence with that EP over an entire year later, but The Good Part has to be my personal favorite project of his since Testament of the Times. From the penmanship to the higher profile guest appearances & Ill Tone’s production, it’s already been implied that they’re gonna make an entire series out of this & this inaugural entry checks off every box regarding why they should.

Score: 4.5/5

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Flying Lotus – “Big Mama” review

Flying Lotus is a 42 year old producer, DJ, rapper, songwriter & filmmaker from Los Angeles, California who made his debut 2 decades earlier with the positively received 1983. He would later sign to Warp Records, dropping a string of acclaimed follow-ups from Los Angeles & Cosmogramma to Until the Quiet Comes & You’re Dead! throughout the course of my adolescence. Of course I’d be remised to forget the underrated DU∆LITY mixtape he dropped under the Captain Murphy alias. Flamagra in the spring of 2019 was the last time we heard FlyLo secularly, coming off the Yasuke & Ash soundtracks to drop his 7th extended play through his own label Brainfeeder Records in tandem with Ninja Tune.

The title track begins with this 36 second intro that will likely be used during an [adult swim] bumper at some point within the near future whereas “Captain Kernel” goes for a glitchier vibe instrumentally working in some additional synthesizers. “Antelope Onigri” throws it back to the IDM sound that defined Los Angeles & Cosmogramma over a decade earlier leading into “In the Forest: Day” hooking up some psychedelic synth melodies that feel like an acid trip.

“Brobobasher” continues the final leg of Big Mama blending elements of drum & bass as well as glitch and house music for almost a couple minutes while “Horse Nuke” starts off by heading for an ambient direction for the opening minute or so until combining both wonky & techno for the remaining 102 seconds. “Pink Dream” however sends off the EP by cooking up an animated beat that would remind some people of the 3rd generation of video games 4 decades earlier.

Considering that he’s signed a handful of artists I’ve liked in the past such as Kamasi Washington or Hiatus Kaiyote & Thundercat, it makes me happy to hear Flying Lotus making an independent return to his electronic roots over the course of Big Mama’s brief runtime & only a month away from Distracted. His production takes an experimentally maximalist approach to IDM, glitch hop, wonky, glitch, nu jazz, ambient, chiptune, drum & bass & techno almost like a machine malfunctioning right in front of our very eyes.

Score: 4/5

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Joey Cool – “Time Will Tell” review

This is the 9th studio LP from Kansas City, Missouri emcee Joey Cool. Starting out as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music dropping a total of 4 mixtapes & a studio album on his own until Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to the Snake & Bat in 2017, he then dropped an eponymous sophomore effort the next spring followed by Old Habits Die Hard as well as Coolie High & I Tried to Be Normal Once. Coming off the break he took last year following The Chairman of the Board as well as the Mario Casalini-produced Enjoy the View & Roller Coaster, he’s making a return by saying Time Will Tell.

“Swank Lord Back” produced by Mario Casalini begins with an skit until the beat kicks in during the 2nd half of it talking about the Swankiest of Strangeland being in action again after taking a year off whereas “Talk That Shit” flexes that he’s completed his contact with Strange over a C-Lance instrumental. “International Coolie Anthem” boisterously shrugs off the fact that life can be a little busy at times leading into the rap rock-inflicted “Known Associates” thanks to Burna Music addressing someone he considered a brother.

We get a fusion of R&B, pop rap & trap on “Work of Art” talks about a woman that he firmly believes is the one for him just before “Yam Jam” featuring Kstylis & Roblo Dastar moves on from there with a tedious strip club anthem. ReadyRockDee & Richie Evans both appear so they & Joey can give off some of that “Main Character Energy” over a Wyshmaster beat prior to him asking how can he “Carry On” living in a world he can’t change, losing his mind because of the pressure.

“You Feel It” wraps up the 1st half of Time Will Tell going for an upbeat direction courtesy of Lowkey tha Wizard confident he’ll be earning more as long as he’s still breathing while “Set It Off” featuring King Iso, Rittz, Tech N9ne & X-Raided after “Tracker (Swanky’s Saloon)” interlude finds all 5 of them talking about Strange being the best in the business. “Moonwalking Under Glass” featuring Ubiquitous fuses jazz & trap to continue the 2nd leg explaining that they’re not gonna get the full picture if there are some pieces missing.

Saigon & X-Raided join Coolie in grittily reminding anyone who “Must’ve Forgot” all the bullshit when they didn’t while “Go Fast!” talks about the urge he gets to run a couple laps whenever things get too slow for him. “Brunch in SoHo” combines a vocal sample with some hi-hats recalling going from the hood to sippin’ mimosas while “Franchise” takes a more energetic approach in general talking about nobody has to wish him any sort of luck because he’s only gonna get a lot bigger going forward.

“Midnight in the Town” featuring G Watts & Kye Colors moderately brings all 3 of them together over a cloudy Matt Phoenix instrumental to drop territorially hardcore verses although The Chairman of the Board saves the best for last while “This is My Love Song” stylistically departs from the hip hop sound he became known for in favor of experimenting with R&B, doing it better than I could’ve imagined. “Swanktified” ends the album talking about continuing to scorch shit because those of importance know his name fusing rap & gospel.

There are moments on Roller Coaster that I still enjoy almost a year & a half later, but I can’t argue if anyone would have Time Will Tell as their favorite thing Joey Cool has ever made. Especially since I personally would put it up there with self-titled, Old Habits Die Hard & Enjoy the View. This & the latter both make the finest examples of how far he’s come since those earlier projects in terms of versatility & songwriting regardless of a few guest performances lacking.

Score: 4/5

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Gnarls Barkley – “Atlanta” review

Gnarls Barkley is a neo-soul duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of producer Danger Mouse & singer/songwriter Cee-Lo Green. Both of whom met each other in the late 90s when Cee-Lo was performing at the University of Georgia & Danger Mouse won a contest to DJ the show. Their debut single “Crazy” celebrating its 2-decade anniversary next weekend would become one of the biggest hits of the 2000s, later dropping the full-length debut St. Elsewhere & a sophomore effort The Odd Couple under Warner Records. However in the wake of Goodie Mob’s disbandment & the Dungeon Family preparing for a follow-up to Even in Darkness in which Cee-Lo teased to be their “farewell album”, he & Danger Mouse are making a victory lap of their own releasing what they’ve been calling their 3rd & final LP through 10K Projects.

“Tomorrow Died Today” passionately begins with this atmospheric instrumental singing about how we’re all the same in death whereas “I Amnesia” soulfully asks if anyone would remember him if he came back to life from the grave. The only single “Pictures” blends neo-soul & country soul nostalgically remembering when they used to take the MARTA train system in the 8th grade just before “Line Dance” shifts towards a funkier vibe singing about thinking outside the box to get in his bag.

As for “Turn Your Heart Back On”, we have Cee-Lo over a peppier beat wondering if anyone’s listening or simply hearing leading into “Let Me Be” suggesting everyone to leave him alone so he can have some time & understanding. “Cyberbully (Yayo)” starts the 2nd half on a more futuristic note suggesting the possibility of a cyborg being inside of him while “Perfect Time” turns up the psychedelia singing about now being our greatest opportunity to do everything we want until our demise comes.

“Sweet Evil” confesses that he feels like a God in some earthly form while “Boy Genius” sings about everything being fine if someone doesn’t understand you because it might mean you’re a genius. “The Be Be King” expresses a desire of staying true to himself rather than wanting to be someone else like the rest & after “Sorry” issues an apology for losing the war of peace, the final song “Accept It” sends off the coda singing about Heaven being out there on the dance floor tonight in addition to the Devil hitting some moves when he has the chance.

There were always plans for Gnarls Barkley to make 1 last LP after The Odd Couple, but wound up going on hiatus until last Thursday due to other creative endeavors & have finishing what they started by making an entire full-length dedicated to the city that made them. Danger Mouse’s production incorporating contemporary R&B, pop soul, smooth soul & psychedelic soul paired with Cee-Lo Green’s introspective songwriting join the likes of Jill Scott’s independent comeback To Whom This May Concern & more recently GENA’s debut The Pleasure is Yours in terms of neo-soul thriving in 2026.

Score: 4.5/5

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waterbaby – “Memory Be a Blade” review

Kendra Egerbladh a.k.a. waterbaby is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden whom the Seattle, Washington indie label Sub Pop Records signed in the summer of 2023. Her debut extended play Foam followed right away later & left a great deal of listeners divided, although I could see the artistic potential she had fusing alt-pop as well as bedroom pop & alternative R&B. She has since released half of her 2nd EP as singles between last May & the previous month, looking to outdo herself nearly 33 months afterwards.

We get some pianos all over the intro “Sink” singing about the steady waters asking her to either leave or believe whereas the title track blends chamber pop, bedroom pop & bossa nova expresses her desire to be seen as someone worthy. “Clay” featuring her brother ttoh combines art pop, chamber pop, chamber folk, folktronica & bedroom pop to look back at a past break-up while “Beck n Call” also featuring ttoh fuses sophisti-pop, bedroom pop, jazz pop, pop rap & neo-soul so they can talk about their hearts being on lock.

“Minnie” starts the 2nd half of Memory Be a Blade by incorporating some strings singing about not wanting to disappoint all the people she made into believers just before “Minnie Too” goes for a jazzier vibe yearning to get away. The art rock, chamber pop, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop lead single “Amiss” asks all sorts of questions regarding love while “Srs Ice” finishes the EP suggesting that she should build an attic inside of her own mind over some horns.

Even I would say Foam was a pretty average alt-pop/bedroom pop EP when it dropped a few summers ago, but the teasers building up towards Memory Be a Blade had me hoping waterbaby would display some artistic growth & I hope she capitalizes that whenever her debut album comes. The production’s noticeably darker take on the styles of chamber pop, bedroom pop, bossa nova, art pop, chamber folk, folktronica, sophisti-pop, jazz pop, pop rap, neo-soul, indie folk, neo-psychedelia, folk rock & post-Britpop improving her songwriting by using a previous breakup as a base to make the lyrics hit deeper.

Score: 3.5/5

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Dutch Interior – “It’s Glass” review

Long Beach, California indie rock band Dutch Interior comprised of guitarist/vocalist Jack Nugent, guitarist/vocalist Conner Reeves, keyboardist/vocalist Shane Barton, drummer Hayden Barton, bassist/vocalist Davis Stewart & guitarist/vocalist Noah Kurtz celebrating a whole year of Moneyball with their 2nd EP. Their introductory extended play Kindergarten in 2021 would prelude their widely praised debut album Blinded by Fame, later making their Fat Possum Records debut with Moneyball around this time 365 days prior. As they get ready for a new era, they’re offering a brief extension of their most recent LP in the form of It’s Glass.

“Ground Scores” begins with alt-country & slowcore-tinged 2nd single singing about finding beauty within the chaos whereas the 3rd & final single “Go Fuck Yourself” incorporates these pianos to explain all the things they don’t like regarding their hometown. “Say Anything” kicks off the 2nd half going for a lo-fi direction so Davis can tell his partner that he knows what it’s worth but once the lead single “Play the Song”  by their love of repetition & memory, the acoustic “I Have No Clue” ends by singing about a woman Conner doesn’t even know on top of some acoustics.

In a way, It’s Glass feels like a short extension of Moneyball considering that Dutch Interior are taking the very same ideas they had for their Fat Possum debut over a year ago & evolving them in ways that sound intimately bigger than when they demonstrated their tendency to connect the dots. It can be a bit shapeless compared to its predecessor at times but nevertheless, these guys make it clear that the only constant of their career is the band’s consistent artistic evolution.

Score: 3.5/5

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