Westside Gunn – “FLYGOD” review

Westside Gunn is a 34 year emcee, songwriter, entrepreneur, curator from Buffalo, New York known for his controversial Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series followed by a couple EPs & founding one of the quickest rising labels I’ve seen in recent memory Griselda Records. Some of the singles building towards his official full-length debut studio album have been universally lauded by the hip hop community in the last several months, making the sky the only limit imaginable.

“Dunks” by Hall ‘N Nash samples “Omen” by Keith Mansfield thanks to Daringer so they can discuss being about that action whereas “Gustavo” references former 2-time CWA Heavyweight Champion, 2-time CWA World Tag Team Champion, 2-time SMW Heavyweight Champion & WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler. “Shower Shoe Lords” featuring Benny the Butcher flips “Baddy” by John Fiddy refusing to give a fuck like they always haven’t while “Vivian at the Art Basel” featuring Your Old Droog finds Camoflauge Monk sampling “Roberta” by Les McCann to assure the hardships of life.

Former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, WCW World Television Champion, WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champions & 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Scott Hall gets his flowers on the Roc Marciano-laced “Hall” prior to “Free Chapo” by Hall ‘N Nash displaying the back-&-forth chemistry between the duo while “Over Gold” featuring Meyhem Lauren throws in a bar referring to WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 4-time WCW World Television Champion Greg Valentine.

“Bodies on Fairfax” featuring Danny Brown samples “Rainbow Music” by SoLaRiS so they can address everyone who’s been asking for that fly shit from them while “Chine Gun” gives flowers to West’s late cousin who was tragically almost a decade. “King City” featuring Mach-Hommy finds the 2 talking about nobody fucking with them over a boom bap instrumental from Tha God Fahim leading into “Omar’s Coming” by Hall ‘N Nash featuring Roc Marciano uniting the trio to homage the protagonist of The Wire.

The soulful “Mr. T” produced by Apollo Brown changed my life since it was what sparked my loyalty for Griselda only needing 1 brick while “50 In. Zenith” featuring Skyzoo maintains a chipmunk soul vibe courtesy of Statik Selektah talking about a war going on outside. “Albright Knox” featuring Billie Essco returns to the boom bap & the final song excluding the outro “Dudley Boyz” featuring Action Bronson likening themselves to the former 2-time IWGPタッグチャンピオン, NWA World Tag Team Champions, the inaugural 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champions & 18-time WWE tag team champions over an Alchemist beat.

FLYGOD marks Griselda’s official takeover & has quickly become a modern day underground hip hop landmark setting a balance between the vanity, the grimy & occasionally thoughtful. The production primarily handled by GxFR’s in-house producer Daringer except for 7 cuts tends to be either jazzy or lo-fi & themes of griminess, self reflection, wealth, flossing, who West is as a person, his own experiences, what he lives through currently, what he’s had to live through in the past & how he can floss really well.

Score: 4.5/5

Kendrick Lamar – “To Pimp a Butterfly” review

3 years after his sophomore effort good kid, m.A.A.d. city, Black Hippy member Kendrick Lamar is back with his 3rd full-length album & it is the best thing I’ve listened to in this current decade. The beats are funky/jazz & the lyrics are politically relevant. The album opens with the track Wesley’s Theory, where Kendrick goes from reminiscing about getting signed to being confronted by a personified Uncle Sam over a funky ass beat from Flying Lotus. On Institutionalized, Kendrick goes in about the negatives of wealth. For the first minute the beat on here kinda reminds me of Come & Get it by eLZhi (from J Dilla’s solo debut Welcome 2 Detroit), but then it transitions to hard hitting drums and some beautiful keys. While the track i is a positivity jam, the track u is the exact opposite. The delivery on the first verse of u is menacing but when the 2nd verse kicks in, shit gets real. And I say that because he sounds like he’s gonna burst into tears & you can really hear the raw emotion in his voice on this verse. On Alright, K-Dot assures the listener that even though there’s police brutality going on in recent years, “We gon’ be alright”. On How Much a Dollar Cost, Kendrick tells a tale of being selfish to a crack addict who later reveals himself to be God. On the track Complexion (A Zulu Love), Kendrick & Rapsody both discuss the whole conception of everyone should respect each other despite the color of their skin very vividly. I never really hear people talking about that whole concept & for someone like Kendrick to speak on it just really gives me a lot more respect for the cat. On the track The Blacker the Berry, K-Dot discusses self-hatred induced by the racism African-Americans receive. The album closes with Mortal Man, which is pretty much K-Dot asking his own fans questions such as “Do you believe in me?” or “Can you be immortalized without your life being expired?”. After the 3 verses, we are treated with Kendrick “interviewing” Tupac Shakur & what they talk about together in this fictional interview really ties in with this whole album. Overall, this really is a flawless album from top to bottom & you NEED to hear/have it

Score: 5/5

HAPPYPPL – “Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead” review

HAPPYPPL are a duo from England, United Kingdom consisting of Sheffield emcee Trellion alongside Runcorn, Cheshire, emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott. Both of whom make up 2/4 of Cult Mountain, dropping an eponymous debut EP with Milkavelli & Sumgii as well as a sequel in only the span of 3 years. However to warm us up for The 616sons in a few months & the trilogy chapter of Cult Mountain’s eponymous saga, Sumgii’s soundtracking the Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead.

“Heart Shaped U” experimentally begins with both of them over this talking about not wanting to rap anymore because they’ve become bored with it giving middle fingers to everyone whereas “Tony Called” finds the 2 taking pride in being scumbags who’re out of their minds. “Hey Hoe” references アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WCW World Television Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champion & 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Scott Hall just before “Manzell” by Cult Mountain shrugs off the bitches on their dicks talking shit.

Starting the other leg, “Swayze Point” talks about doing this music shit for each of their children rather than the money leading into “Timon Squared” declaring themselves to be the modern version of Kid n’ Play when I can’t even dispute that claim. “EBB Tide” continues the experimentations representing Earth 616 from The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel universe & “#Sad” ends Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Deadtalking about wanting to be joyous.

Giving fans something to hold them off until the next Cult Mountain EP when summer comes, Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead introduces us to this newest side project from half of their lineup that would satisfy fans of either Lee Scott or Trellion. Sugmii’s production sounds more experimental than usual & both performers ironically take a more depressing approach to their songwriting in an ironic twist of the HAPPYPPL’s concept being laid out.

Score: 4.5/5