Alemeda – “But What the Hell Do I Know?” review

Phoenix, Arizona singer/songwriter of Sudanese-Ethiopian descent Alemeda returning for her 2nd EP. Appearing on the Hit-Boy produced highlight “Fallacy” off Ab-Soul’s 5th album Herbert at the end of 2022, she would eventually sign to Top Dawg Entertainment under an exclusive distribution deal with Warner Records for a positively received pop rock/bedroom pop debut EP Fuck It last fall. 14 months have passed & she’s looking to further her establish her by releasing But What the Hell Do I Know?.

Things begin with the pop rock intro “Happy with You” singing about being in disbelief that she can feel contented by a romantic figure whereas “Beat a Bitch Up!” featuring Doechii fuses alternative rock, post-punk revival, indie rock, pop rap, pop punk & shoegaze for a ventilation of resorting to physical violence. “Losing Myself” sings about feeling like she’s falling into a metaphorical abyss while the indie/pop rock & bedroom pop lead single “Chameleon” featuring Rachel Chinouriri cautions that karma’s coming to manipulators.

“1-800-FUCK-YOU” starts the 2nd half of But What the Hell Do I Know? with a pop rock/post-punk revival single confidently standing up to any bullshit hurled at her while the self-produced “Stupid Little Bitch” asks why she wastes her days crying over someone in her life worth deeming that very title. “I’m Over It” lately sends off the EP with 1 more pop rock track singing about how things started in this relationship she’s describing wound up being the same way things were lost, being on the verge of giving up trying to fix it.

Expanding the predominant pop rock & bedroom pop sounds of Fuck It almost 14 months ago including it’s secondary post-punk revival influences, Alemeda comes to the realization that she didn’t know everything like she always thought & takes a more vulnerable approach than she did on But What Do I Know?’s predecessor. Her whole entire style that makes her differ from her labelmates is being distilled right in front of us for 17 minutes additionally pulling from alternative rock, indie rock, pop rap, pop punk & shoegaze.

Score: 4/5

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Insecure Men – “A Man for All Seasons” review

Insecure Men is a neo-psychedelia duo from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of bassist Ben Romans-Hopcraft & vocalist/guitarist Saul Adamczewski. Originally a trio with Nathan Saoudi, they would go on to sign to Fat Possum Records & made their eponymous full-length studio debut in 2018 establishing themselves in the windmill scene by additionally pulling from psychedelic hypnagogic pop, returning for a sophomore effort after almost 8 years since properly introducing themselves.

The psychedelic pop intro “Love Again” sings about the horizons not always signify a new beginning whereas the 3rd & final single “Cleaning Bricks” takes inspiration from an old job they had. “Krab” feels like somewhat of a spiritual successor to “The Drones” by The Fat White Family left off their 2016 sophomore effort Songs for Our Mothers while the 2nd single “Time’s a Healer” sings about a hallucinatory narcotic dream that occurred this summer to conclude the 1st act.

“Tulse Hill Station” starts the 2nd half with an ode to the London railway station of the same name prior to the lead single “Alien” comes across as being envious that the woman of interest is seeing other dudes & feels like he’s a complete outsider to her. “Butter” asks what’s left for a person who lost their dream summer job while “Graveyard (Of Our Love)” sings about a relationship that didn’t last & the protagonist hoping he isn’t as stupid as he was. “Weak” concludes the LP with a folkier note pleading to have a hole drank inside their heads due to feebleness.

Focusing less around the hypnagogic pop elements of self-titled, A Man for All Seasons conceptually builds itself around Saul Adamczewski’s hospitalization for severe psychosis & opioid addiction sparking an entire artistic rebirth that includes 2 more albums exploring country & dub music to the fullest extent. The neo-psychedelic pop production of Insecure Men’s debut has matured greatly in the last 7 years since we’ve heard them together exemplified by some of the indie folk elements, taking a more confessionally escapist approach to the lyrics.

Score: 4/5

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Aaron Parks – “By All Means!!” review

Aaron Parks is a 42 year old pianist from Seattle, Washington making his debut in the late 90s, putting out 4 full-lengths as a leader until making his Blue Note Records solo debut the following decade with his magnum opus Invisible Cinema. He would go on to put out 9 more LPs until returning to Blue Note last summer for the final chapter of the Little Big trilogy, which marked my personal favorite installment of the 3 & his 16th album has arrived 13 months since coming back to the greatest jazz label.

“A Way” starts us off bringing bassist Ben Street, tenor saxophonist Ben Solomon & drummer Billy Hart all on board for a post-bop intro whereas the lead single “Parks Lope” shows a bit of a John Coltrane influence bringing a bluesier vibe for only a minute shorter than the opener. The 2nd single “For Maria José” serves as a compositional love letter to Aaron‘s wife that she’s surely adore prior to “Dense Phantasy” pulling inspiration from the late Bill Evans.

The song “Anywhere Together” begins the 2nd half of By Any Means!! with a post-bop jam reminiscent of the late Wayne Shorter’s early output (Juju & See No Evil in particular) while “Little River” publicly expresses the love he has for his son Lucas during the 3rd & final single. Of course I can’t for get to mention “Raincoat”, which so ends the last 6 & a half minutes on a succulent note colliding the piano & tenor sax with some cymbals.

Distancing himself from the jazz fusions that’ve defined a great deal of his output since the late 2010s or so, Aaron Parks reunites the very same trio who brought us Find the Way to embrace a rootsier post-bop approach throughout By Any Means!! as opposed to Invisible Cinema’s lenience towards the ECM style. It may even be his greatest musical statement of his career, celebrating his family & the traditions of jazz music as a whole.

Score: 4/5

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BigBabyGucci – “& When I’m Alone” review

Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci finally releasing his 3rd mixtape. Starting almost a decade ago off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 19 more EPs as well as 6 full-lengths & his last couple tapes along the way. When U Wake Up, When You Go to Sleep, Baby 5 & the heavily alternative ANTI have all become his strongest material of this decade although I can’t the same for Isolation 2.5 a month after the latter. Internet Explorer was a fun redemption for himself & 5 months later, And When I’m Alone looks to keep his foot on the necks of his competition.

“Geeski” opens with an industrial hip hop intro talking about not knowing who the fuck he is anymore after coppin’ Plain Jane whereas “Earth” carries over the industrial vibes immensely sticking to the point because he can’t switch up on himself. “Life of the Party” instrumentally feels reminiscent of Indicud down to the utilization of auto-tuned vocals talking about being sociably lively while “Always Sunny” hopes his girl gives him another chance.

Austin Skinner makes the 1st of 2 guest appearances on “Pipe Down” talking about life seeming like a dream to them whenever they’re high just before “Blue in the Mouth” embraces a rage-inducing atmosphere flexing that his trap’s so crazy that he had to open up his own store. “Gangy” confesses that he isn’t trying to get out of his element anytime soon since he’s not in the usual mood leading into the 808s & Heartbreak-inspired “How Many Shots?” talks about puttin’ muhfuckas back in place.

“Talk to Me” hooks up some sampling chops boasting that a baddie has been watching him shine out here & trying to shoot her shot with him while “Smoke Break” appropriately embraces a slower direction in sound to kick off the 2nd half talking about getting high. “777 Angel Business” featuring Austin Skinner pulls from industrial hip hop once again dripped up in camo ア・ベイシング・エイプ until singing over some synthesizers that his girl wants to meet “By the Lake”.

Moving on from there, “In Sync” distortedly suggesting he better be cautious of how things are becoming all bad while “Death Note” talks about leaving anyone who pulls up on him resting with the dead. “Toonami” co-produced by Nico Baran of Internet Money Records gets reminiscent of the days watching the titular [adult swim] block of the Discovery Global subsidiary Cartoon Network while “Deep Dive” (3AM at Isabelles)” talks about the real ones always shining in the dark.

“No Molly” starts the final leg of & When I’m Alone running up his bands since he’s been grindin’ like the rent’s due while “All Me” talks about a lot being on his mind to the point where sometimes he wishes he’d pass away in his sleep, to which I say God forbid anything like that happens. “Saint Laurent Don” featuring Alois sends off BBG’s 2nd solo effort of 2025 with an outro reminiscent of the pairing’s collab EP Pastel earlier this spring while “Percs & LSD” begins the deluxe run talking about tripping off those 2 drugs specifically.

Hearing an excerpt of Malcolm X’s historic “Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?” speech sampled at the beginning of “Pray for Me” was dope confidently ready to hit a new level while “Passenger” talks about being untouchable. “Chasing the Moon” confesses to getting high because he doesn’t like the way he feels sometimes while “Cherry Red Seats” talks about being more toxic than he is lit. The final bonus track “Fear the Enemy” officially concludes with him responding to those claiming he peaked by keeping his mouth shut.

In preparation of House of Mirrors and Soda & Syrup 2 both coming within the next 52 weeks, & When I’m Alone embodies the blend of pop rap & trap that has made BigBabyGucci stick out for almost a decade. Coming off the heels of bbno$ biting him or most notably Drake on the Pusha T sneak diss “That’s Just How I Feel” off Drizzy’s upcoming 9th album Iceman, the North Carolina rapper/producer sticks to his guns except it’s more influenced by both members of KIDS SEE GHOSTS.

Score: 4/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 20” review

Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim are back for their 5th collaborative EP. Both of whom have worked with each other countless times in the past several years, teaming up for the collab album Strictly 4 My D.U.M.P.E.R.Z. during the spring of 2018 & the Bloodspiller EP almost 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven became their greatest joint offering yet, coming off the 17th & 18th chapters to run it back for the 20th.

“Panamera” soulfully sets the tone with both of them talking about their flows leading to streams & income whereas “The Yolk” takes a funkier approach instrumentally bodying MCs in a gruesome manner. “Take It on the Chin” calls out those with phony actin’ over some pianos just before the colorful “Destruction Ability” discusses the crowd of people shittin’ on their consistency.

The song “Abandon Ship” counts down Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 20’s last 6 minutes or so with a soul sample talking about thriving in their current positions while “Deadlifts” hops on top of a flute to brag that nobody can do it hotter than them. “Cold Steel” finishes up the EP using some sampling techniques 1 last time talking about their cosmic influence.

5 episodes deep into season 2 of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga, 60% of them including this latest entry have all been collaborations with Jay NiCE except this one might be the best since 12 when speaking of his & Tha God Fahim’s shared output. Of course you can’t go wrong with Nicholas Craven’s production, but both southern hip hop artists that’re on the mic together step up their chemistry compared 17 & 18.

Score: 4/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19” review

Isn’t too surprising the 66th EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim would arrive on Halloween. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records & 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’s been putting out amongst his best material in the past few years like the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull, the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, the Mike Shabb-produced Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth, Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. Lethal Weapon 4 produced by Drega33 was the last time we heard Fahim on his own, making Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19 the first since the season 2 premiere to be a solo effort.

“Not Ez” featuring Jay NiCE cautions that going against them will only backfire over a chipmunk soul instrumental whereas “Take the High Road” also featuring Jay NiCE works in some pianos to talk about being the new rulers of the game. “Grimsong” featuring Jay NiCE references WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson’s coke addiction prior to “Enchanted” setting the tone for the rest of the EP talking about immature styles not being a fraction of his power.

The song “Hexproof” nears Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19’s conclusion cautioning not to ignore the factual combat found when dissecting tracks while “Mill 2” soulfully talks about this ongoing saga only being the tip of the iceberg as far as he’s concerned. “How Does It Feel?” finishes the EP by using some sampling technique a 1 last time looking to make a great impression whenever hits the stage.

Not too surprised that Jay NiCE appears during the 1st half or so of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19, but I could definitely say that this is the most that I’ve enjoyed an entry from the series ever since season 2 began over 4 weeks earlier. The production is prominently more drumless than Tha God Fahim’s last couple collaborative extended plays with the NiCEst of Immobilaire making boom bap a secondary influence & getting more abstract lyrically.

Score: 3.5/5

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Scatz – “F.T.O.S. II (Fuck the Other Side II)” review

This is the 8th EP from Flint, Michigan rapper Scatz. Introducing himself 3 years ago with his debut EP Kyriee Krazy followed by the debut mixtape Yung N***a World, his next 5 EPs SharkLoto, Gift of Gab, Yung Dirty Bastard, The Biggest & Yung Dirty Bastard all the following year caught the attention of Rio da Yung O.G. & signed the 6 Ward Lord to M.I.N.E. Entertainment behind bars. F.T.O.S. (Fuck the Other Side) celebrated its 1-year anniversary last month, so it makes sense for him to drop a sequel on Halloween.

“Talkin’ Dumb” featuring Rio da Yung O.G. starts with both them over a Flint trap instrumental spitting a whole bunch of gang shit whereas “Jog” works in some 808s & pianos referencing the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s secondary flagship program Friday Night SmackDown. “1 of 1” flexes that the body he hit with the switch has become unique in it’s own way just before “Can’t Forget” featuring 2800 Twin decently trades verses with one another.

We have Scatz understandably representing his squad on “It’s M.I.N.E.” for a good 2 minutes while “Cheddar Bob” references DJ Rec, who inspired the popular 8 Mile character of the same name. “Fluffy” featuring Baby TR delves deeper into the gangsta lifestyle taking 2 blocks & keeping only 1 while “Lulu” featuring Doonie talks about both of them having more stripes than the British luxury fashion house Burberry.

“Make a Bet” featuring FTOS Swan promises to walk victims down in Rick Owens instead of wearing Prada while “King of the Hill” give a nod to the Hulu serves of the same name set to premiere season 15 in 2026 in light of seasons 16 & 17 being ordered. “Facts” wraps up F.T.O.S. II (Fuck the Other Side) II with him talking about shooting up a crib every single week with the sole purpose of testing his groove.

Gotta be honest: As much as I enjoy the original F.T.O.S. (Fuck the Other Side) last fall, its spiritual successor feels a bit mediocre in comparison. I don’t mind the production nor do I have any criticisms with Scatz’ own performances, but the guest list is more inconsistent with only 1 of the 5 sticking out & that being none other than Rio.

Score: 3/5

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The Doppelgangaz – “Bet on Black Cloak” review

Orange County, New York duo The Doppelgangaz back with their 13th EP on Halloween. Consisting of MCs/producers Matter ov Fact & EP, they’ve gone on to make waves in the underground by dropping a total of 8 full-length albums as well as a dozen EPs & 6 beat tapes. Standouts include their breakout sophomore effort Lone Sharks, the follow-up Hark, their 5th album Dopp Hopp, Aaaaggghh, Black Cloak Lifestyle & Went Left. The latter of which got a sequel this summer, assuring that you can Bet on Black Coat a few months later.

“Dopp Gang Thang” starts off with a piano-boom bap instrumental talking about being the game never being the same again whereas “6 Ways 2 Sunday” dustily flexes that they do things the dumb way. “Wacky Wild Crazy” works in some pianos to talk about acting that way sometimes while “Don’t Mess with Them Sharks” advises that you don’t wanna fuck with them. “Whatchu Wanna Do?” soulfully asks their partners that very question for the evening & “Live 2 Regret It” ends with a message to the hardheaded.

The ghastly duo continue to warm up for their forthcoming 9th LP by taking it back to the traditional boom bap sound that made The Doppelgangaz so popular in the underground after taking a quick g-funk detour with a rawer, more rugged, dustier & dirtier extended play than the slept-on Groggy Pack Entertainment founders have ever sounded almost 2 decades in the game.

Score: 4/5

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Lil Bushwick – Self-Titled review

Lil Bushwick is a 29 year old rapper from Houston, Texas notable for being the son of the late Bushwick Bill of the seminal horrorcore group the Geto Boys. Interestingly, Sid Wilson from one of the greatest nu metal bands of all-time Slipknot recently signed the artist formerly known as Yung Knxw to his Soulspazm Records imprint Vomit Face Records founded with J57 earlier this month & has decided to produce Lil Bushwick’s full-length debut studio album to appropriately celebrate Halloween being on a Friday.

After the “Fell on a Weekend” skit & the “Apple Tree” skit back-to-back, “Born to Die” open a with a rap rock intro produced by Sid Wilson talking about reaping what he’s sowed whereas “Pussy Ass N***a” works in some guitars to shit all over those exact type of people. After the “Moments” skit, “Prepare” talks about knowing his life’s goal from when he was a kid while “Got 2 Go Thru” admits to the feeling of love flowing over some pianos.

“Money N Da Foes” after the “Geto Boy 4 Life” skit asks if the cost if your soul is worth the game & gold while “Still Have Faith” talks about going through Hell & back. “We Gone” featuring Sid Wilson finds the 2 talking about having every floor on lock & after the “Better Version” skit, “Take It Back” featuring Bushwick Bill sends off the album with a father-son collab that feels like a bittersweet passing of the torch moment.

The eponymous debut of Lil Bushwick honors the spirit of a hip hop pioneer while forging a bold, new path forward, an emotional and daring journey through grief, heritage & growth. Blending Houston’s hip-hop roots with experimentally hardcore production & narrations from Yung Knxw’s father, he’s pushing the envelope musically & tries new sounds he would’ve never thought he’d be rapping over although there are too many skits.

Score: 4/5

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Danny G – “WTF Daniel!?” review

Danny G is a producer, DJ & occasional rapper from Detroit, Michigan notable for being an in-house producer for Lando Bando’s very own EMPIRE Distribution imprint The Hip Hop Lab Records. He’s gone on to produce some of the biggest names in the Detroit/Flint trap scenes from the ShittyBoyz to Rio da Yung O.G. & RMC Mike, expanding his production rapport greatly all of 2025 from Bruiser Wolf to most recently Icewear Vezzo yesterday. However, Danny’s celebrating Halloween with a debut album of his own after announcing it 12 hours earlier.

“Dynaco” by Babytron made for a promising intro talking about tripling his net worth as opposed to what Google will say whereas “Larry Bird” by DJ Lucas co-produced by Jakesand decently references the former 3-time NBA champion of the same name. “Gotta Have It” by Kasher Quon talks about trying to put someone afraid of taking risks on just before the cold-blooded “Roomba” by Joeyy that Danny & Carlo Anthony cooked up likens his Glock to a lightsaber.

$kid & Danny share a moment together trading bars with “Newsport” talking about puffin’ Newports in a brand new 2-door whip leading into “Heat Streak” by Krispylife Kidd embracing a Flint sound flexing that Danny paid him a reasonable $54K for his appearance. “Kpop” by Certified Trapper works in a vibraphone talking about flaming people with the blick while “Kith” by Since99 & $weet-T trades the mic back-&-forth with each other.

“Starbury” by Babytron & ZelooperZ pairs the 2 so they can go hard until they’re cremated in urns while “The Yoyer in the Froyer” by Big Bye feels more like a spoken word interlude rather than carrying over that Paper Plates energy, which disappoints me. “Shottas Music” by Louie Ray, RMC Mike & YN Jay links up with each of her for a Flint trap ode to the gangsters around their parts while “Alpha Bay” by Danny G himself featuring LG Deno Skeno & $weet-T serves base that will melt faces off.

Ankith Woods’ performance on “Guitar Hero” was alright despite the nod to the popular series of rhythm games celebrating it’s 2-decade anniversary while “F&N” by $weet-T surpasses “Kith” & “Alpha Bay” in my opinion, recapturing the $weet & Silent Dan aura with Helluva’s asistance. Since99 returns by $weet-T’s side during “Marquis Chris” causing pandemonium & madness while “I Want It All” by Big Quis talks about desiring the finer things in life

Finishing up Danny’s debut, he hops back on the mic 1 last time for the song “Darius Rucker” featuring ChoppaLee turning up the Northern California influences referencing Hootie & the Blowfish’s frontman of the same name while “It’s Funny” by Stanwill talks about not giving a fuck who’s fake because he’s surrounded by real ones. “Back Talk” by Fordio & MJPaid recaptures the chemistry of their Made & $tyle collab tape while “Sometimes” by Babytron finishes things the way he started it.

One of my personal favorite producers in the Detroit/Flint sound subgenres of trap, Danny G’s full-length studio debut was an exciting surprise to me although I didn’t enjoy it as much as Jakesand’s 2nd EP Sandbox last summer. Although I have no complaints regarding Danny’s production, one of my biggest criticisms regarding WTF Daniel!? boils down to the list of performers over his beats being some what inconsistent.

Score: 3/5

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