Redd – “Symphony of Sympathy” review

Redd is a 26 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his association with local underground powerhouse Majik Ninja Entertainment. Given that, it was only right for Twiztid to sign Redd to their new sub-label Welcome to the Underground & give a hand in pushing his full-length debut.

After the melodic piano-inflicted intro, the next song “Followers” with Twiztid finds the trio talking about those who only care about how big they are on social media over a tropical beat whereas the track “Vulnerable” talks about being just that over a bare acoustic instrumental. The song “Smile” ponders what it takes to be happy over a cloudy beat while the track “2 Signs” with Blaze Ya Dead Homie & KYNE sees the 3 awkwardly going full blown country rap.

The song “Good Morning, Goodbye” with Illy Maine finds the 2 talking about cheddar chasing over a upbeat-trap instrumental while the track “Real Talk” with The R.O.C. sees the 2 boasting over a mellow beat from Mvc Mowl. The song “Love” is a melodramatic story about being drawn into this woman he first started talking to on Facebook while the track “Hello Stranger” talks about going it through it all over another country-flavored instrumental.

The song “Banana Clip” with Polo Frost sees the 2 talking about groupies over some claps while the track “Gameboy Color” with Gibby Stites finds the duo making multiple video game references about over a suiting instrumental. The song “Summit” talks about climbing to the peak over a woodwind infused trap beat while the penultimate track “Sleep on Me” talks about being underappreciated in the rap game over a nocturnal instrumental. The album finishes off with “Bounce”, which is a club banger backed by an beat kin to D4L’s “Laffy Taffy”.

I was curious to see where Redd would take things on this album (especially with one of the freshest underground labels in recent years backing it) & honestly, Symphony of Sympathy is pretty solid. The features are either hit or miss with me personally, but I really appreciate how versatile it is throughout.

Score: 3.5/5

2 Chainz – “So Help Me God!” review

This is the 5th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia veteran 2 Chainz. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Playaz Circle, they eventually signed to Disturbing tha Peace Records/Def Jam Recordings in the 2000s & only released 2 albums before venturing off into solo careers. His last 2 outings Pretty Girls 👍 TRΛP MUSIC & Rap or Go to the League have truly become staples in Tity Boi’s career as both of them excellently showcasing his maturity. But after being hyped all year, here we are with the man’s 5th full-length album.

The album starts with “Lambo Wrist”, where 2 Chainz boasts over a wavy instrumental from STREETRUNNER & LilJu. The next song “Grey Area” talks about being old enough to be & do a number of things over a jazzy beat while the track “Save Me” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again sees the 2 talking about being their own worst enemies over a soulful instrumental from Mike WiLL Made-It. The song “Money Maker” finds ColleGrove reuniting to make a decent strip club banger backed by an awesome sample of “Piece of My Love” by Guy while the track “Can’t Go for That” ponders where to draw the line with this woman over an instrumental sampling The Bird & the Bee.

The song “Feel a Way” with Kanye West finds the 2 talking about how God don’t make no mistakes over a nightly beat from Boi-1da & Mike Dean while the track “Quarantine Thick” with Latto sees the 2 paying tribute to all the sexy ladies in the world over an instrumental with a dope piano-loop. The song “Ziploc” with Kevin Gates finds the 2 talking about drug dealing over a monstrous beat while the track “Free Lighter” with Chief Keef & Lil Uzi Vert sees the trio talking about getting hooked up with their dope over a rowdy instrumental from Keef himself.

The song “Toni” talks about how ill this bitch by the same name is over a TM88 beat with some prominent bells while the track “Southside Hov” if you couldn’t tell by the title compares himself to JAY-Z over a climatic instrumental. The song “Vampire” talks about keeping a gun by his car seat over a lavish beat from Cool & Dre while the track “Y.R.B. (Young, Rich & Black)” with Rick Ross finds the 2 talking about what it means to be such over an orchestral instrumental. The penultimate song “Wait for You to Die” talks about how no one cares about you until you’re gone over a David Banner beat with an Alan Lomax sample & then the closer “55 Times” talks about how he’s doing something right over a chilled out instrumental from Dem Jointz.

A lot of cats put out their best work when they’re younger, but 2 Chainz is one of the few instances of an artist getting better as they get older & it’s undeniable. There are a few features in the tracklisting that I could’ve done without, but the personal lyrics are compelling & the production choices are very consistent as well.

Score: 3.5/5

Vangarde – Self-Titled review

Vangarde is a newly formed MC/producer duo from Boston, Massachusetts consisting of veterans Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas. They first united at the beginning of the year after appearing on Stu’s latest EP Beats & Blood but fast forward 10 months later, they’re coming together for an official full-length debut.

After the “Global Shift” intro, the first song “Shelter in Place” enlists the help of Blacastan to discuss wanting America to do better over a noisy boom bap beat whereas the next track “Basquiat” boasts his lyricism over a dreary instrumental. The song “8:46” with Reef the Lost Cauze, Blueprint, MURS & Puma Ptah serves as a response to George Floyd’s murder over a funky boom bap beat & after the “Old World Brokeness” interlude, the track “Wave the Flag” talks about COVID-19 over an ominous instrumental.

The song “Sonar” finds The Perceptionists reuniting to get on the woke tip over a diabolical beat & after the “New World Adjustments” interlude, the track “Now’s Only Now” talks about not losing hope for the future over a monstrous boom bap beat with some keys & strings. “The New Normal” pays tribute to Gang Starr over a charismatic instrumental & then the closer “No Hitter” talks about being meant to rebel over a quasi-jazzy beat.

Stu Bangas has been having a Hell of a 2020 musically & Vangarde’s eponymous debut is no exception whatsoever. He continues to remind listeners of his place as one of the greatest producers that the underground has to offer & his sound meshes with Mr. Lif’s ever-thought provoking lyricism very well. Would love to see these 2 veterans work more with one another in the future.

Score: 4/5

Jehst – “Heathens” review

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom graffiti writer, MC & producer Jehst dropping his 4th EP. Introducing himself by releasing an EP called Premonitions through his own label YNR Productions based out of London. He would go on to drop High Plains Drifter along with his debut album The Return of the Drifter & the sophomore effort Falling Down under the Leeds imprint Low Life Records, following the latter up with the Mengi Bus mixtape & the Nuke Proof Suit extended play. Coming off The Dragon of an Ordinary Family as well as the experimental Billy Green’s Dead, he’s compiling 4 tracks ahead of his next LP.

The title track gives off a dusty boom bap suggesting the younger artists must’ve thought he was born yesterday whereas “420 Every Day” works in a horn sample to talk about smoking weed daily. “State of the Union” gets the 2nd half of Heathens going with my favorite track here, hopping over a boom bap instrumental from Pitch 92 to letting off shots using his pen & “Body Bag” wraps things up angrily asking if anyone’s looking for a war they can’t win.

I believe there’s a good chance High Plains Drifterwill always remain my favorite EP in Jehst’s discography, but I’d have to rank Heathens as the weakest of the 4 placing it behind Nuke Proof Suit & Premonitions. However, I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking I’m trying to call this wack when it’s one of the more average entries in his catalog. His penmanship isn’t an issue, although the production dividing itself between boom bap & the experimentations of Billy Green’s Dead could’ve been stronger than I hoped for.

Score: 3/5

JPEGMAFIA – “EP” review

This is the 3rd EP from Baltimore emcee & producer JPEGMAFIA. Making his mark in 2016 with the release of his full-length debut Black Ben Carson, it wouldn’t be until the man’s next 2 albums Veteran at the beginning of 2018 & then All My Heroes are Cornballs last fall where he would earn respect across the board & reveal himself as one of the most creative minds in hip hop today. However after spending 2020 dropping a slew of singles, Peggy is compiling some of them together in the form of EP.

The opener “BALD!” gets on the battle bar tip over a cloudy instrumental whereas the next song “Covered in Money!” gets braggadocious over a glitch hop beat. The track “BODYGUARD!” is a full-blown alternative R&B cut about not wanting to go to war with his lover over a lusciously slow piano instrumental & then the song right after is a “BALD!” remix with a new Denzel Curry verse that I actually prefer more than the OG version.

The track “Cutie Pie!” compares his haters to Milli Vanilli over a boom bappy instrumental while “The Bends!” takes aim at Donald Trump over a sparse, quirky beat. The penultimate track “Rough 7” with Tommy Genesis sees the 2 over an instrumental that heavily samples Brandy’s “Never Say Never” & then the closer “living single” talks about this woman who’ll always be a part of him over an ethereal trap beat.

Pretty sure we’ve all heard these singles 1-by-1 but as an EP experience, it just makes them even better in my personal opinion. Peggy does a great job at continuing to show how versatile he can be & his production is still cutting edge. Really looking forward to hear where he takes things on his next album, hopefully in 2021.

Score: 4/5

Wrekonize – “Pressure Point” review

Wrekonize is a 37 year old MC & producer based in Miami, Florida who’s been around for almost 20 years at this point. Starting out in the battle circuit, he eventually put out a total of 3 mixtapes throughout the 2000s before coming out with his full-length debut A Soiree for Skeptics in 2010. However, it wouldn’t be until the following year when he signed to Strange Music as a solo artist & as a member of the group ¡MAYDAY!. His 2013 sophomore effort The War Within would go onto receive critical acclaim & was followed up in 2017 with Into the Further. But as we approach near the end of 2020, Wrekonize is completing the trilogy by dropping his 4th full-length album.

After the “We’ll Be Waiting for You” intro, we get into the first song “The Fallen”. Where Wrek talks about being in Hell over a settle trap beat from The Xtraordinaire$. The next song “Be Me” talks about uniqueness over a rock-flavored instrumental & after the “Tell Me Your Symptoms” skit, the track “Lights Off” talks about his mind always movin’ over a trap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 with a plinky xylophone.

The song “Wits’ Ends” talks about being more anxious than ever over a bleak instrumental while the track “For the Likes” takes aim at clout chasers over acoustic trap beat. After the “State of the World” skit, the song “Low Water” gets on the wisdom tip over an scary-sounding beat while the track “Sedentary Moments” talks about how he used to sit & dream as a kid over a laidback boom bap beat.

The track “Anyweigh” is literally a spousal argument on wax backed by a woozy instrumental from Leonard DStroy while the song “High Water” talks about breaking free from the cage of stress over a trap beat with some psychedelic guitar passages. The track “Simple Back Then” looks back on his childhood over a soothing instrumental while the song “Oakland” is a slow, R&B jam written towards his partner. After the “Separate Yourself” skit, the track “Zombies” talks about freeing the listeners’ minds over a foreboding trap instrumental while “The Man Under the Bridge” talks about homelessness over a funky beat.

The self-produced “Call for My Name” pays tribute to Valerie Ryan over some prominently knocking drums & after the “Couple Last Stories” skit, “The Coldest Dish” is a tearjerking tribute to Wrek’s parents & brother backed by a trap beat with some somber piano-chords. The closer “Still Around (Down) talks about his desire to live without fear over a grungy trap instrumental & then the bonus cut “Detonate” with Tech N9ne & UBI finds the trio talking about losing their minds over a full-blown dubstep beat.

Wrekonize has always been one of the most standout artists on Strange Music & to me, this is right behind The War Within for his magnum opus. The production choices have improved greatly in comparison to Into the Further, the concept is so articulately put together & does a fantastic job of showing the listener where he’s at right now mentally.

Score: 4.5/5

Ouija Macc – “Wasteland” review

Ouija Macc is a 35 year old rapper from Las Vegas, Nevada who I’ve covered multiple times up to this point. In 2017, the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records shortly after his debut EP Trashfire independently. Ouija has since proven himself as one of the most consistent & hard working dudes in the underground by dropping a full-length debut, a greatest hits compilation, 4 mixtapes & 3 EPs all in the span of 3 years. But after much anticipation, he’s finally delivering his sophomore album produced entirely by longtime collaborator Devereaux.

The opener “Destroyers” gets violent over a spooky trap beat whereas the next song “Jacc Shit” flexes over a nocturnal instrumental. The track “Bootlace” tells everyone to stay out of his lane over an ignorant beat (in a good way) while the song “Fee Fye Foe Fum” with Rozz Dyliams sees the 2 coming at all the suckas out there over a dreary instrumental.

The track “Daily Death” lyrically lives up to its concept perfectly on top of this melancholic ass beat while the song “Broken” dives into his mental health over an eerie instrumental. The track “When da Lights Out” with Rittz finds the 2 getting reckless over a devilish beat while the song “Hatchet Mode” talks about plotting revenge over a spacious instrumental.

The track “Juggalo” talks about the noise that they want you to fear over a trap/rock fusion while the song “Runnin’ Shit” talks about taking over the game over an Atari-esque instrumental. The track “Incantation” gets on the horrorcore tip over a cavernous beat with some heavy bass while the song “Yuh Yuh Yuh” is a fun, catchy celebratory anthem.

The track “Stand For” talks about how they won’t fall for shit over an atmospheric instrumental while the song “Critical Meltdown” talks about losing his shit over a devilish beat. The track “Inquisition” boasts over a cloudy beat while the song “Forks in the Pot” talks about how you can’t clone him over a rubbery instrumental. The closer “Dead Homies” pays tribute to those in his life who’re no longer here over an anguishing beat, but then the hidden track talks about being born in a nightmare over a psychotic instrumental.

For waiting as long as we did for Wasteland, it was very much well worth it in my personal opinion. Not only does Devereaux cook up some of his best production ever, but his sound continues to help bring the best out of Ouija as the songwriting & flows on here are just as fantastic.

Score: 4/5

ΠΔV – “Emergency Tsunami” review

This is the 5th mixtape from 30 year old Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter & producer ΠΔV. Coming onto my radar in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s Republic Records imprint X♥O Records along with his feature on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, he would go on to release a total of 4 mixtapes as well as 3 full-length albums & an EP. Now I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point because of his monotonous delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices. But once I found out Wheezy was producing Emergency Tsunami from top to bottom, my morbid curiosity got the best of me & I decided to go into it with an open mind.

After the “Breaking News” intro, the opener “Friends & Family” is a surprisingly compelling rags to riches story backed by a triumphant beat whereas the next track “Young Wheezy” with Gunna sees the duo paying tribute to the man behind the boards himself over a nondescript instrumental. The song “Nasty” of course gets raunchy over a buttery beat while the track “Repercussions” with Young Thug finds the 2 warning their opposition that they don’t want the smoke over a wavy instrumental.

The song “Vetement Socks” talks about how everything he buys is expensive over a tropical beat while the track “Don’t Need Friends” with Lil Baby sees the 2 talking about feeling relieved now that they’re getting money over an atmospheric instrumental. The song “Make It Right Back” over a woodwind-infused beat while the track “Trains” with Lil Keed finds the 2 talking about sleeping with hoes over an instrumental that sounds like it was made for Playboi Carti.

The song “Do Ya Deed” with SahBabii is a HIDEOUS ode to getting head despite the piano-inflicted production while the track “Droppin’ Tears” boasts over a wavy beat. The penultimate song “Modest” talks about being humble over a symphonic instrumental & before the “Breaking News” outro, the track “Turn & Twist” talks about going full throttle on top of an instrumental with some synthesizers & GORGEOUS background vocals.

Even though I don’t care for this mixtape, it’s actually safe for me to say to call it a cut above anything he’s done since Reckless. The features are cool & Wheezy’s production is top notch as is Mike Dean’s mastering, but I’ve come to terms that ΠΔV just doesn’t captivate me as a rapper. I mean I think his performances have improved a tad bit, but the songwriting is still pretty subpar

Score: 2/5

Common – “A Beautiful Revolution” review

This is the brand new EP from Chicago, Illinois veteran Common. Coming up with off his first 3 albums in the 90’s produced entirely by No I.D., he then made his major label debut in 2000 with Like Water for Chocolate & followed up with the experimental Electric Circus in 2002. Then during the mid 2000s, he released a trilogy of albums with Kanye West’s GOOD Music beginning with Be, bridged by Finding Forever & then ending with Universal Mind Control. In the 2010s, we saw Com reuniting with No I.D. on The Dreamer/The Believer & Nobody’s Smiling. However, he started working closely with Karriem Riggins on Black America Again in 2016 as well as Let Love last summer. But with the presidential election coming up next week, Com & Karriem are back with A Beautiful Revolution.

After the intro, the first song “Fallin’” talks about how black people aren’t actually free over a mellow beat whereas the next track “Say Peace” with Black Thought sees the 2 talking about racism over a dub/boom bap fusion. The song “What Do You Say? (Move It Baby)” gets romantic over a funky beat while the track “Courageous” talks about meaning of such over a piano & live drums. The song “A Place in this World” gets optimistic over a luxurious beat while the track “A Riot in My Mind” talks about internal conflict over some live drums & guitars. The before the outro, the final song “Don’t Forget Who You Are” talks about self-worth over a joyous beat.

Personally, I think this is just what we needed to hear in light of the election. Karriem’s production is as beautiful as ever & the commentary that Common makes is very much relevant that what’s been going on all year.

Score: 3.5/5

Atmosphere – “The Day Before Halloween” review

Atmosphere is an highly regarded duo from Minneapolis, Minnesota consisting of producer Ant & emcee Slug. They’ve released a handful of classics through their label Rhymesayers Entertainment including Lucy Ford, You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having, Sad Clown Bad Dub 9 & my personal favorite: God Loves Ugly. But for the past couple years now, Slug & Ant been grinding like crazy by dropping Mi Vida Local in 2018 & then Whenever last winter. They just put out Felt 4 U with MURS over the summer & now a couple months later, Atmosphere is back with their 11th full-length album.

The album starts off with “Where the Road Forks”, where Slug talks about how he knows he doesn’t articulate himself correctly over a synthesizer heavy instrumental. The next song “Space is Safe” addresses someone who thinks he’s suffering from depression over a demented beat while the track “She Loves My Not” talks about a woman who only misses him when she’s drunk over a frightening instrumental. “The New People” talks about someone who doesn’t give him a reason to live over an portentous beat while “The Future is Disgusting” talks about romance over an 80s-style instrumental.

The song “DoubleTown” discusses how everybody knows somebody, but nobody knows anybody over a grim beat while the track “Stardust” tells everyone to stop biting his rap style over a monstrous instrumental. The song “Blotter Acid Reflux Syndrome” talks about having trouble on his mind over a futuristic beat while the penultimate track “Party Crashers” speaks for itself over a synth-funk instrumental. The album finishes off with “Sleep Apnea”, where Slug talks about how he wouldn’t commit to this chick if he could over an eerie beat.

This is almost as enjoyable as Felt 4 U in my personal opinion. Ant’s production is very synth-heavy except with a darker edge to it & Slug’s paints some very dope imagery from start to finish. Can’t wait to hear where they take things going forward.

Score: 3.5/5