YG – “The Gentlemen’s Club” review

Compton, California emcee YG back for his 4th LP & 10K Projects debut. Coming up in 2009 off his debut mixtape 4Fingaz, this was followed up with 4 more tapes prior to Jeezy discovering him in 2013 & landing him a deal with his Def Jam Recordings imprint CTE World. YG’s potential would begin to show in the form of his full-length debut My Krazy Life & came into his own on the sophomore effort Still Brazy launching his own label 400 Records around that same time period, but the next 4 tapes Stay Dangerous as well as 4Real 4Real, My Life 400 & I Got Issues all received mixed to poor responses as did the 3rd installment of the Just Re’d Up series. However, he’s opening up The Gentleman’s Club to celebrate the summer.

After the intro, “OMG” featuring Pusha T begins with both of them over a sinister beat although there’s a questionable line during Push’s verse whereas “Kudos” incorporates a harp instrumental talking about saying goodbye to everything to made him. “Hitman” has a more aggressive vibe in general promising to be the last one standing while “Simon Says” featuring Isaiah Falls & Odeal derails it with a hideous pop rap cut.

“On the Low” featuring Tyler, The Creator & produced by Ty$ was highly anticipated by me talking about dressing like Vogue models just before the nervous “We Know the Truth” confesses to not having Drakeo the Ruler murdered. “Hollywood” featuring the Shoreline Mafia finds the trio hitting us with more traffic music detailing their gangsta upbringings while “Gang Bizness” featuring PayGotti kicks off the 2nd half with a gangsta rap single that I found myself enjoying less than the one prior.

We have YG responding to the “Hitman” who tried to claim his life on “Ready to Die” hooking up some prominent pianos & capitalizing on his ability of telling stories but after “Writing My Wrongs” leans towards a more cavernous vibe instrumentally talking about all the mistakes he’s made in his life, “Dinner Dates & Heartbreaks” has a cloudier approach to the beat lividly airing out a bitch for lying to him & demanding that she gives him the truth for once.

“Tiffany” splits itself into 2 separate portions recalling an encounter Chris had with the titular character whom he met at the club who happened to be transgender while “Insecure” featuring Ab-Soul & J.I.D was my favorite single of the bunch, talking about their own personal insecurities. The closing track “Mid Life Crisis” spends The Gentlemen’s Club’s final minutes hopping over a Jay Versace beat looking to get all the bullshit off his mind.

The Gentlemen’s Club is noticeably more conceptual than a lot of YG’s recent material & I’m happy that he came to the realization of throwing shit at the wall to see if it sticks wasn’t entirely the best way to get out of his contract since his discography suffered as a result. Some of the contemporary R&B/pop rap-flavored cuts still don’t do it for me although the elements of hardcore hip hop, conscious hip hop, gangsta rap & nervous music are all higher quality material.

Score: 3/5

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Chlöe – “Resurrection” review

Atlanta, Georgia singer/songwriter, producer & actress Chlöe enlisting Norfolk, Virginia producer Timbaland to handle all of her debut solo mixtape’s production. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Chlöe x Halle with Halle Bailey, they introduced themselves in 2018 when Beyoncé signed them to Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records for their decent full-length debut The Kids Are Alright. The sophomore effort Ungodly Hour in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns would prove to be their most acclaimed body of work yet but coming off In Pieces & Trouble in Paradise, I went into Resurrection hoping Timbo wouldn’t be using any AI on it.

“Talking Dirty” begins with a sultry R&B intro singing about her lustful intentions whereas “Hold It” gives off a catchier vibe altogether from the instrumental to the lyrics of being drawn into someone. “Priorities” shifts towards an alternative R&B direction stylistically airing out the people who think she’s breakable for misunderstanding her leading into “World on Fire” singing about feeling safe with her partner even if the globe’s in turmoil.

Meanwhile on “Caught”, we have Chlöe over a seductive R&B beat realizing that maybe you lose ’em how you get ’em just before “Sensitive” lusciously addresses an ex-boyfriend telling him to move on already. “Better Than She Can” leans towards a dance-pop direction trying to convince a guy to leave his current girlfriend for her to reach the halfway point while “On Your Own” slows down the pace singing about her keeping a close eye out for a specific individual.

“Believer” feels like a throwback to Timbo’s early 2000s output admitting that she didn’t mean to come off too strong while “Main Attraction” sings about wanting to get sexually active. “Mama’s Boy” sends shots a cornball whining to his mother of her being the problem in their relationship & after “Belong to You” confronts her soulmate telling him that they were meant for each other, “Jittery” ends Resurrection taking accountability for the way things panned out.

Considering that Timbaland’s recent production placements on Conway the Machine’s 5th album You Can’t Kill God with Bullets & more recently Juvenile’s 12th album Boiling Point didn’t really warrant a lot of criticism out of me, I’m happy to say that he keeps that same energy throughout the greatest achievement in Chlöe’s solo career providing her a consistently tasteful batch of R&B production & holding off on having any guest appearances compared to both of her previous LPs.

Score: 4/5

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Pz’ – “B4NTB” review

This is a brand new extended play of solo material from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & fashion model Pz’. Emerging a couple years ago off the strength of his debut single “Sun”, he would eventually blow up last summer when “Hedis Bussin’” came out & has since collaborated with the likes of billi0n for his debut mixtape Revenge as well as the Uy Scuti Bøyz’ eponymous tape earlier this spring. Only a few days away from No Turnin’ Back however, he’s dropping off B4NTB.

“Track Meet” hops over this colorful trap beat making it known to anyone who ain’t makin’ a profit that they can’t hang with him whereas “Seals & Tags” acknowledges the ØWay collective’s increasing popularity to end the 1st half. My favorite track here “Tamagochi” embraces a cloudier vibe instrumentally talking about puttin’ muhfuckas on dinner plates & “Keep It Tucked” produced by Noah Mejia finishes with an outro that I’d consider a close 2nd compared to the previous track.

It was already known since the very beginning of the month that Pz’ would finally begin building a discography for himself following his standout guest appearances & singles, but him dropping B4NTB literally 24 hours in advance increases what anticipation I’ve had for No Turnin’ Back tomorrow with an impressively brief collection of trap songs taking additional inspiration from rage, cloud rap, pop rap & futuristic swag in only under 10 minutes.

Score: 3.5/5

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Fimiguerrero – “The Statue of a Fool” review

London, England, United Kingdom rapper & producer Fimiguerrero preluding his upcoming 3rd album Lost City with his 7th extended play. Releasing his debut EP Human Anatomy in 2019, he would continue to build up a catalog for himself with his next EP Fuck Brex!t as well as the eponymous full-length debut & the No Way Out EP. kvnt, Black, the sophomore effort Immigrant & New World Order all followed & he’s decided to shock the world after unveiling  The Statue of a Fool without any prior announcement.

“Me Again” opens up with a jerk intro talking about his appetite being suppressed by taking some ecstasy whereas “Loser” keeps the hoodtrap vibes going clapping back at his haters doing the shit they wish they could do. “Good Girl” blends trap, emo rap & jerk so he can talk about his own struggles struggles with fame & trusting women leading into the self-produced “Cocaina” ending the 1st half touching on the subject of escapism & describing a kinda love that‘s addicting.

Kicking off the 2nd half, the song “Dutty” featuring Bassvictim takes an atmospherically darker approach instrumentally admitting to still feeling some sort of disconnect even after he started to gain popularity while “Skywalker” samples “Throw It In” by Lil Wayne addressing individuals who constantly have issues with him although I wish fakemink had a verse. “Mind the Gap” talks about repeating the same mistakes his own father had made & the cons of living in London while “Don’t Leave Me” ends the EP detailing a breakup.

Impressed by the guest appearances he had on both EsDeeKid’s debut EP Rebel & Jim Legxacy’s debut mixtape Black British Music last summer, Fimiguerrero gives us a glimpse of what we can expect out of Lost City in the guise of The Statue of a Fool which is a salvageable appetizer until the main course. I wouldn’t necessarily call it my favorite EP he’s done, but I do appreciate him experimenting a bit more outside of his signature jerk/rage sounds.

Score: 3.5/5

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ZelooperZ – “Pin Breakers” review

This is the 2nd extended play from Detroit, Michigan emcee ZelooperZ. A member of the Bruiser Brigade collective & 1/2 of ZGTO, he has spent the last 15 years building up a solo catalog comprised of a dozen LPs along with another EP & a couple mixtapes. My personal favorites of which being the Black Noi$e-produced Dyn-o-mite & more recently, ZelooperZ’ most recent full-length Dalí Ain’t Dead, digging up all 11 of Pin Breakers’ tracks 9 months later & putting it up exclusively on his Bandcamp.

“Listen” starts us off with a 90 second intro talking about never dropping the ball similarly to Blake Griffin over some sampling in the background whereas “Pain T Wayne” hops over a psychedelic trap beat saying that he reminds himself of T-Pain & shit not changing. “Beautician” goes for a jazzier boom bap vibe instrumentally talking about working in any weather while “Mason’s Dispatch” feels like a minute & a half freestyle.

My least favorite track here might be “The Music” mostly because it sounds underdeveloped & so short where having it on here seems rather pointless while “Nostradamus” featuring Danny Brown makes up for it by giving us a boom bap banger that would’ve fit perfectly on Dyn-o-mite. “My Momma” continues the 2nd half of the EP showing gratitude towards his mother while “River Rogue” continues to chop up more samples talking about having this shit laced.

“Baby Bruisin’” nears closer towards the conclusion of Pin Breakers blending some strings & hi-hats discussing him spending a long time not having shit while “Sailing Seas” further elaborates on that recalling the days where he used to eat a bunch of Spam & sleep in the studio over a piano instrumental. The outro “Aha Aha” soulfully concludes the EP looking back at when he couldn’t walk around the hood because of a bounty placed on his stepfather’s head.

Considering that Pin Breakers was recorded in 2019 around the same time as Dyn-o-mite, it wouldn’t surprise me of these collection of previously unreleased tracks were meant to be on that album since ZelooperZ’ primarily abstract lyrics combined with Black Noi$e’s experimentally jazzy production were all key factors in making Dyn-o-mite so special to me even if there are some occasionally incomplete ideas floating around here & there.

Score: 4/5

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Mr. Green – “F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction)” review

Highland Park, New Jersey born producer Mr. Green now based out of New York City surprisingly taking the microphone for a new extended play of solo material. For nearly 2 decades already, this guy has produced for some of the most prolific artists across the entire underground hip hop spectrum from the Army of the Pharaohs to R.A. the Rugged Man & Westside Gunn. He also has multiple beat tapes under his belt & was interested in hearing what sort of directions he’d try taking for F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction).

After the soulful “ooo ooo ooo” intro, the first song “think about u” works in some pianos to sing about him not being able to get enough of a woman he’s fallen in love with whereas “make money” takes a mainly repetitive approach to his songwriting wanting to increase his revenue over more keys. “g thang” eventually reaches the halfway point soulfully covering WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg’s opening verse of “Nuthin’ But a G Thang”.

“u known me for years” kicks off the 2nd leg of F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction) hooking up a boom bap instrumental to spit an off-the-cuff freestyle talking about some wanting him to stay & others hoping he calls it quits but after a 21 second skit, the closing track beautiful life” preceding a Bandcamp exclusive outro spanning almost a minute spends the last 76 seconds of the EP repetitively singing about the beauty of existing.

Wouldn’t have ever imagined Mr. Green taking the risk of vocally performing over his own production for the duration of an entire project & although I appreciate gin doing so, I found a great deal of F.U. S.M.D. (For U, Some Musical Distraction) to be pretty average. There is some artistic range pulling inspiration from singer/songwriter as well as R&B & of course hip hop, but I was expecting more out of the songwriting considering the repetitiveness of multiple tracks & firmly believe he can make a few improvements.

Score: 2.5/5

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Kain Cole – “Khronicles of Kain” review

This is the sophomore effort from Belleville, Michigan emcee Kain Cole. Coming up artistically as a teenager, he would unfortunately wind up incarcerated for 8 years until signing to Detroit independent powerhouse Middle Finger Music almost immediately after coming home & showed us how much he perfected his craft by having the label’s co-founder Foul Mouth producing his 2022 debut album S.U.M.P. (Surviving Under Major Pressure). Following a string of guest appearances for his fellow MFM alumni Bizarre & Isaac Castor, the time for the Khronicles of Kain to be told as finally come.

“Gotta Have It” begins with this soulfully jazzy intro thanking all of his haters whether it be past or present whereas “It’s Up to You” embraces more jazzier vibes taking a more motivational approach to his songwriting for a couple minutes. “Heavyweight” switches things up with a boom bap instrumental & the gritty penmanship leading into “I.Y.K.Y.K. (If You Know You Know)” reminds the world that he’s been doing this prior to his incarceration.

Meanwhile on “Uno”, we have Kain over some strings mixed with kicks & snares flexing that he kills muhfuckas in silence despite him constantly smoking loud while “Blue Check” chops up more soul samples talking about how some will literally sell themselves out for money. “Foolish” ends the 1st half on some chipmunk soul shit admitting that it’s been hard for him to change because he loves this shit while “I Know” talks about people being inept of telling him what he’s already aware of.

“Bebe’s Kid” continues the 2nd leg of the LP taking a jazzy boom bap route instrumentally making it clear that he actually lives what he writes instead of merely yapping & after “Break a Leg” swaps out the jazz elements in favor of some orchestral undertones getting in his shit-talking bag for a bit, “We Get It In” featuring Bang Belushi finds the pair boasting that they’re so raw to the point where their intensities are felt across 10 different cities.

The song “Pesto” winds down the Khronicles of Kain coasting a piano-driven boom bap beat asking who the fuck these cornballs think they’re talking crazy to & rollin’ 100 deep with his squad while “Seasoned” featuring Bad News Brown joins forces with the MC/producer duo named after the late WWE Hall of Famer to discuss their own experience in the game. “How Did I Survive?” lastly finishes things up explaining his way of escaping the terror he’s seen.

Almost 4 & a half years since his debut, Kain Cole makes it clear to anyone that he didn’t go anywhere which I think his feature run justifies that & I might have to put Khronicles of Kain above S.U.M.P. (Surviving Under Major Pressure) because of the growth shown compared to it’s predecessor. Foul Mouth’s production varies between drumless, boom bap, jazz rap & chipmunk soul backing Kain’s introspective lyrics & a couple appearances from his MFM brethren.

Score: 4/5

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Lee Carver – “A Night 2 Dismember” review

This is a brand new extended play from Dayton, Ohio emcee Lee Carver. Following his 2015 solo debut Massacre Mask, he later became the 3rd & final member to join the almighty Alla Xul Elu & the Long Live Evil founders have been sending shockwaves across the underground wicked shit scene since 2018 known for combining sharp horrorcore lyrics with boom bap & industrial hip hop instrumentation. His sophomore effort Meathead: Satanic Steakhouse came out this past winter & he’s back once more for A Night 2 Dismember.

After the “New Release” intro, “The House Demands a Host” opens up welcoming everyone back to the hellhole over a boom bap instrumental whereas “Serrated” expresses the hatred he has for humanity. “Mr. Meathook” has a quirkier vibe to the beat describing an individual who takes your wishes as his command while “Bump in the Night” featuring Mutanoid Underground Dwellers dedicate itself to the sickos who don’t give a fuck.

“Rotting Flesh Rewind” begins the 2nd half of the EP spitting some bloodcurdling wicked shit filled with gruesome imagery & after “Blood Shed” takes a slower yet morbid approach instrumentally so Carver can continue talking about murder, the final song Corpse Funnel” preceding the “Satanic Steakhouse Theme” outro takes it back to the traditional boom bap sound combining that with more horrorcore lyricism for 4 & a half minutes.

In preparation LLE’s medley set at the 26th annual Gathering of the Juggalos later this summer & the Skinner Family’s next member being introduced, my personal favorite Alla Xul Elu member Lee Carver continues the story of Meathead: Satanic Steakhouse titular character whom we were intended to 6 months earlier through A Night 2 Dismember as well as using it as an opportunity to flesh out his story & give it more context over dark production with a decent guest appearance.

Score: 4/5

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Wiki – “Ancient History” review

Here is the 6th studio LP from New York City emcee, songwriter & producer Wiki. Formerly a member of the Ratking trio, he would go on to drop his solo debut No Mountains in Manhattan in 2017 under XL Recordings not too long after their disbandment followed by the sophomore effort OOFIE that next fall & Telephonebooth through his own label Wikset Enterprises. Coming off the Navy Blue-produced Half God & the Tony Seltzer-produced 14K Figaro however, he’s looking to dig up some Ancient History.

“G.T.F.O.H. (Get The Fuck Outta Here)” begins with this drumlessly soulful intro admitting that he feels like he isn’t missing out in 2026 whereas “Right Away” gets a little more optimistic over sample-based trap instrumental catching himself on a good day. “1 Time” chefs towards a boom bap direction talking about people not knowing how much power he truly has while “Park” psychedelically spends the early hours of the day sitting in the grass.

Navy Blue gets behind the boards for one of my personal favorite tracks “I.H.N.Y. (I Hate New York)” from the opulent boom bap beat to the lyrics detailing the love/hate relationship Wiki has with the city that made him the very person who he’s become but after “Bloom” featuring duendita & produced by Lil Ugly Mane raps & sings about people knowing where to find them right when the sun rises every morning, “Old Gods” reaches the halfway point solely spitting heat over a Tony Seltzer instrumental.

“Bourbon” kicks off the 2nd half of the album talking about being the cornerstore’s biggest clientele while “All in the Lining” featuring Your Old Droog finds the pair joining forces for another abstract boom bap standout Navy Blue cooked up once again. “Marm Era” soulfully describes memories he can recall like they happened yesterday while “Had Your Fun” continues the sampling to let everyone who thought he was done know that he’s still here.

Salimata joins Wiki for the romantic “Something New” talking about giving up their bullshit for each other over a MIKE beat to wind down the last few moments of Ancient History while the song “7 Deadly Sins” gives us a moody description of Christianity’s capital vices. The title track spends the last 5 minutes of the full-length with a symphonic instrumental from one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist talking about his shorty being sick of him.

Although I’d still consider Half God to be the most essential statement in Wiki’s solo catalog with 14K Figaro likely becoming a close 2nd at this point & of course placing the spectacular Faith is a Rock collaborative album he did with MIKE a few years ago on that same pedestal, I still liked a good chunk of Ancient History for it’s departure from the predominant trap production & conscious subject matter of it’s 2023 predecessor for a more drumless sound & getting more cryptic with his songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “Daily Reminders to Repent from Sin” review

Brand new extended play & the 4th overall from New Orleans, Louisiana emcee/producer Ruby da Cherry. Blowing up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography over the last decade & even have their own label G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists. Tragic Love Songs to Study to & Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma were both enjoyably carefree punk EPs from Ruby, coming off last spring’s Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm to give Daily Reminders to Repent from Sin.

“Away from Me, Satan!” after the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” intro screams over some speedy guitars & drumming about people pissing the day away when they could’ve done significantly more with it whereas “when there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth” after the “where y’at, duckboy?” skit made for an exciting single blending easycore, post-hardcore, metalcore & emo-pop asking for the Holy Ghost to show him hope & the end being near.

After the “where y’at, duckboy??” skit, “the inevitable fall & decline of myself” starts the 2nd half of Daily Reminders to Repent from Sin dissing Moloch just before the post-hardcore “a love as strong as death” after the “where y’at, duckboy???” skit encourages a love interest to hold his hand so they can stay for as long as they can. After the “where y’at, duckboy????” skit, the final song “high tide in the snake’s nest” finishes things off with a metalcore outro.

I still believe Runaway a couple weeks earlier would’ve been a lot more enjoyable if $crim had removed all the unnecessary filler on there & despite enjoying Daily Reminders to Repent from Sin a tad more, it’s my least favorite punk EP that Ruby da Cherry has done. The songs itself are fine since he’s going beyond easycore to dabble with metalcore, post-hardcore & emo pop. However, the voicemails in-between every single track are starting to get annoying.

Score: 3/5

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