Aesop Rock – “I Heard It’s a Mess There Too” review

New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock surprise-releasing his 12th studio LP almost 5 months since Black Hole Superette. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd under Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop has made himself home with for over a decade strong. Blockhead had fully produced Garbology to acclaim & Integrated Tech Solutions has quickly received the same love The Impossible Kid, coming off the most complexly-produced opus of his career to put I Heard It’s a Mess There Too on YouTube & his website.

“Crystals & Herbs” starts us off with a quirky, self-produced boom bap intro abstractly explaining that you can’t blame the rigged system for not being able to defend yourself whereas “The Cut” takes an eerier route to the beat talking about being in a secluded location. “Full House Pinball” advises to remember what a little fresh air can do for us all just before “Bag Lunch” talks about having whole blocks on lockdown instead of avenues.

Meanwhile on “Spin to Win”, we have Aes over a funkier beat whipping around the woods & rattling the limbs of those nearby leading into “Opossum” instrumentally reminding me a little of Griselda running circles around instead of running in circles. “Oh My Stars” begins the 2nd half sharing donuts with crows whenever he finds himself unsure as to where to go while “Potato Leek Soup” talks about playing in the streets all day & encouraging bystanders to be scared.

“Pay the Man” begins the 3rd & final act of I Heard It’s a Mess There Too by working in a boom bap beat with some chimes feeling confident that he could throw a playing card that would land between one’s praying hands while “Poly Cotton Blend” shows off his sampling techniques forever hittin’ the ground runnin’ with the bum rush. “Fall Home” tells all of his friends he hopes they find what they need to become the people they were meant to be & the closer “Sherbert” advising one could be the likes of which we ain’t seen.

Rather than expanding the complexity of Black Hole Superette’s production earlier this spring, Aesop Rock makes a conscious shift in approach when making I Heard It’s a Mess There Too using newer tools to make his sound cleaner & more minimal because he felt like he’s been making music similarly for quite some time embracing a detailed concept around keeping up with long-distance friendships & the ways social media’s being used to document tragedies & political uprisings.

Score: 4.5/5

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Misery Coast – Self-Titled review

Misery Coast is a horrorcore & production duo consisting of Grand Rapids, Michigan rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & Dirtcore Music founder Crossworm and Windsor, Ontario, Canada rapper/producer J Reno. These guys have already been established within the underground wicked shit scene individually for over a decade or 2 already, forming last Christmas after having a couple tracks land on the Dirtcore showcase compilation. Some of the label’s acts had the honor of performing at the Gathering of Legends or the 25th annual Gathering of the Juggalos this summer & with Hallowicked festivities in a few days, Misery Coast’s looking to introduce themselves by releasing a brand new EP.

After the “Coast is Cursed” intro, the first song “Dance with the Devil” begins with a cold-blooded boom bap instrumental talking about sitting beside a fire where the lost souls go whereas “I Fuckin’ Do” takes a rap rock approach to the beat flexing they have the keys to a dead city. “Feed the Fear” talks about death always being nearby no matter how far any one tries to run from it & a haunted heartbeat stealing sleep leading into the “Coast is Clear” interlude.

“Welcome to” starts the 2nd half of the extended play with Crossworm & J Reno by dabbling with trap advising to disregard all the corpses beneath them looking to cause more than simply disorderly conduct while “The Ghost of Who I Used to Be” returns to the boom bap with some sampling talking about seeing part versions of themselves. “Is It Even Halloween?” celebrates the upcoming holiday with a 2 & a half minute wicked shit heater while “1 Last Cloud” finishes by talking about being born with violent cores.

Similarly to what Bodies Below Sea Level did with their eponymous debut album at the very beginning of November immediately following the previous Hallowicked season, it’s Misery Coast turn to properly introduce themselves as a group with a 21 minute EP providing depressive wicked shit for the hopeless & J Reno continuing to bring Crossworm right back to his hip hop roots in time for this weekend.

Score: 4/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17” review

Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim reuniting for their 3rd 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 was the last time we heard them joining forces & they’re doing it again for the 17th installment.

“At Worst I’m Legend” starts with both of them over a bare soul sample turning their opposition into bloodbaths while “Swift N Effective” by Tha God Fahim soulfully talks about his mind continuously wondering as the cash flow picks up. “Wolves N Sheep” continues the sampling flexing that both of them are the coldest in their respective fields leading into the jazzy “Organize Power” talking about being brutally ruthless.

The song “1,000 Lashes” starts nears the conclusion of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17 by incorporating more vocal chops promising they won’t be granting safe passages just before “Divine Smite” marks Jay NiCE’s final appearance talking about needing sharpness & heart to battle them. “Ruthless Lawbringer” sends off the EP with a 2nd & final solo cut from Fahim advising to look at the bigger picture along with the small details.

Wasn’t expecting to get another collab project out of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga this quickly let alone a 2nd one with Jay NiCE but since Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 became his & Tha God Fahim’s greatest joint offering yet, you’re probably gonna enjoy the 2nd entry of this ongoing season equally although I prefer the latter. Nicholas Craven’s production is mostly boom bap centered like the predecessor last month was with the exception of the drumless influences being emphasized & the evident chemistry of both lyricists.

Score: 3.5/5

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WowGr8 – “Howl at da Moon” review

WowGr8 is a 35 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being 1/2 of the EARTHGANG with Olu. They would later form the Spillage Village collective together, which J. Cole signing the EARTHGANG as well as J.I.D & the rest of the crew to his Dreamville Records imprint. He also has a solo mixtape & an extended play of his own on SoundCloud at this point, celebrating his birthday weekend by dropping an official solo debut in preparation for his partner-in-rhyme’s Earth 2 Olu.

After the “Red Band Trailer” intro, the first song “Keep It in Da Fam” sets up shop with a soulful trap instrumental talking about people only hating on him & his crew because they’re unstoppable whereas “Dirty Job” featuring Chris Patrick takes a jazzier approach explaining that they’re doing the tough work because someone has to. “Dumbass” dabbles with trap talking about learning the hard way sometimes leading into “Avant Garde” featuring Flvme explaining that they had to switch up their approach.

“Ya Woah” incorporates some sampling to suggest that any children around his vicinity should head home because he’s got a fully loaded clip on him just before “Debo” featuring Bigg Cup & Deante’ Hitchcock homage Tiny Lister’s character from the Friday franchise. Marco+ later joins WowGr8 for 3 minutes of “Pure Debauchery” prior to “Labrador” talking about not being with the back-&-forth shit.

After the “Doc Deescalates” skit, “At the Same Time” featuring Mick Jenkins takes a psychedelic trap turn describing their partners loving & hating them simultaneously while “Right Now” featuring Nicki Jupiter could have my favorite beat on the LP produced by Powers Pleasant, colorfully fuses pop rap with trap soul. “Alley” featuring MediSun embraces a bit of a reggae vibe continuing the themes of romance while “Flamingo” featuring Tonye Ayeba embraces a heavier R&B direction stylistically.

“Too Much Ass” talking about being a young entrepreneur trying to get a check & run a business experimenting with a neo-psychedelic trap sound while “P.N.C. (Post-Nut Clarity)” themed around the idea of being mentally reset after sex could be the most awkward moment on Howl at da Moon coming out the gate with a PornHub intro sample. “Uh Oh” meshes soul & gospel singing about his partner fucking but after the “N***a Pop” interlude, “Meow” featuring Benji makes playful feline references over a funky beat.

Starting the album’s final leg, “The Equation / Chuck Town Freestyle” divides itself in 2 halves with an EDM instrumental during the 1st & spitting off-the-top with a cloudy trap beat backing him during the other while “Swim” featuring Chaz French talks about needing more time & patience. “Throwbike” samples a flit & throws some hi-hats in the equation promising he’ll always give things his all while “Howl at the Moonlight” finishes by talking about everything coming with a price as a part of life.

It’s most likely safe to assume at this point that Earth 2 Olu will be more lenient towards an R&B style based on all 3 singles we’ve gotten from Olu these past 8 months & Howl at da Moon on the contrary stays rooted in hip hop telling the story of WowGr8’s life these past 3 & a half decades. Aside from a few lackluster tracks, I do appreciate him being more vulnerable & dramatic than normally compared to both EARTHGANG & Spillage Village’s own output as their own units.

Score: 3.5/5

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JayaHadADream – “Happiness from Agony” review

This is the debut mixtape from Cambridge, England, United Kingdom rapper, singer/songwriter & producer of Jamaican-Irish descent JayaHadADream. Eventually moving to Nottingham, her debut single “Half Hearted Heart” wouldn’t come out until the spring of 2019 & her debut extended play Redemption Songs arrived a little over 5 years later. Despite it’s moderate reception, I still appreciated the jazzy sound her long-time collaborator Zoutr went for & felt Happiness from Agony would only improve from there.

We get treated to a powerful reflection regarding Jaya’s views on the “State of the World” for the opening 4 & a half minutes whereas “The Bank” gives off some heavy festival vibes instrumentally talking about the pressures that come with fame. “Repackage” featuring Capo Lee finds the pair talking about sending the shots right back to the initial sender leading into “Hideout” featuring Frisco links up so they can dismiss those who’re lyrically inferior.

“Bug” ends the 1st leg of the LP letting Jaya hold the mic down myself again over a jazzy drill beat telling all of her haters to cry her a river just before “Yoga” featuring Keeya Keys kicks off the 2nd half spaciously talks about trusting no one. “Main Characters” featuring Big Zuu sees both artists calling out fake love when they see it until Coops saves my favorite guest appearance for last during “If It Ain’t”, coasting a boom bap instrumental to balance many emotional forces.

The song “I Know” tackles the familiar themes of heartbreak to wind down Happiness from Agony’s concluding moments while “At the Abbey” hits us with a beat reminiscent of something that my favorite group of all-time the almighty Wu-Tang Clan or the late, great MF DOOM would’ve killed, talking about the concept of identity. “Nothing’s Changed” sends off the tape balancing her increasing success in music & being a person who’s still searching for peace.

Receiving co-signs from the likes of Fred again.. & Giggs to name a couple, JayaHadADream continues to reveal herself amongst the most prominently rising voices in UK hip hop by becoming more self-aware throughout Happiness from Agony from a personal & political perspective. The jazz rap production incorporates elements of UK drill, grime & garage to expand Jaya’s sound & enlist a handful of guests for explore the dissonance between public success & private struggle.

Score: 4/5

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BabyBartier – “Terror” review

This is the 4th EP from Los Angeles, California rapper BabyBartier. Introducing himself to the underground trap scene off his debut EP Baby Blanco earlier this spring followed by Diablo a little over a month later, his popularity would continue to grow in the summer with Awe$ome receiving co-signs from the likes of Internet Money Records founder Taz Taylor along with both of YSL Records’ newest artists 1300SAINT & 9 Vicious although they fell out with one another recently. Almost a week away from Halloween, he’s looking to reek some Terror.

“Grave” starts off by hopping over a cloudy instrumental assuming that he’s suicidal the way his diamonds be cutting his wrists & once “Big Dope” locks in with Patrick Garza to talk about smoking the loudest of loud, the lead single “Marilyn Monroe” produced by Rio Leyva & Vendr reaches the halfway point comparing his girl to the iconic actress & model along with looking to up the score in Los Angeles with his homies beside him.

The 2nd & final single “New Age 2Pac” talks about himself being a madman although it’s titular comparison has become increasingly cliche over time & after “Maybach Minivan” spends the next 90 seconds detailing his lifestyle posting in Malibu on top of a Jwade beat, “Long Time No See” finishes up talking about a woman selling her soul for gold over a Cadeinstrumental.

Looking to get his scare on in preparation for the spookiest time of the year, Terror elevates BabyBartier’s artistry even further with the greatest EP of the 4 that he’s given us in these past 6 months & coming closer to the BabyBoyRecords founder’s full potential being realized. In only 10 minutes, the production is quite stronger than all 3 of its predecessors & the west coast artist lyrically steps his whole game up with ease.

Score: 4/5

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CupcakKe – “The BakKery” review

CupcakKe is a 28 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Chicago, Illinois releasing her first couple mixtapes Cum Cake & S.T.D (Shelters To Deltas) alongside her full-length debut Audacious almost a decade ago already. Queen Elizabitch, Ephorize & Eden were all welcomed to the same moderate reception as her 2016 material although Dauntless Manifesto last summer showed a lot of growth compared to her earlier output. Roughly 16 months later & she’s pushing herself even further creatively with her 6th album.

“The Silverback Wife” begins with an explosive diss track aimed towards the crowd of people who don’t take her seriously whereas the crunk-inspired “Ballerina Coupe” flexes that she was born legendary. “1 of My Bedbugs Ate My Pussy” blends pop rap, hip house, future house, phonk house, nursery rhymes & ghetto house using shock humor & comedically absurd imagery while “Fist Me” takes her kinkiness to whole new levels over a hip house instrumental.

Meanwhile on “Rubik’s Cube”, we have CupcakKe comparing her heart to the popular 3D combination puzzle & addressing the ongoing Gaza genocide just before “New N***a Now” gives a shout out to the freedom of men suggesting that she doesn’t necessarily needs a guy to start a relationship. “UFO” stylistically gives her flowers to Charli XCX & the late SOPHIE humorously talking about abducting male genitalia leading into the halfway point “Go Get ‘Em” nicknaming bitch ass males The Simpsons after the iconic Fox Corporation’s flagship property’s long-running animated series.

“Moan-a Lisa” begins the 2nd half of The BakKery tour getting goosebumps all over her body simply from her lover while “Akeelah” takes it’s inspiration from the 2006 drama Akeelah & the Bee. The nursery rhyme interpolations that we heard during the single make their way back onto “Snowman” poking fun at a guy who isn’t exactly her type while “Cat in the Hat” does the exact same thing savagely comparing giving a cornball oral to sucking on a cotton swab.

The raunchiness gets turned up during “Rapunzel” talking about pubic hair the entire time while “Alcoholic” describes somebody who’s addicted to getting hammered & CupcakKe pretending to be drunk with them. “Sloppy Joe” winds down the final 6 minutes talking about being taken from the back & “Soccer Mom” finishes by experimenting with afrobeats a little describing a vicious kind of woman who chills on the side for the sole purpose of kickin’ it with the young male she’s been speaking to for a while now.

Dauntless Manifesto‘s secondary influences of Jersey club rap & funk brasileiro are being replaced with elements of hip house, electropop & dance-pop although the hardcore hip hop, pop rap, trap, experimental hip hop & contemporary R&B styles remain in tact all over what could be the most musically bold & hilariously written entry in CupcakKe’s discography so far acknowledging her city’s history of originating house music whilst sharpening her witty pen.

Score: 4/5

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Daniel Caesar – “Son of Spergy” review

Daniel Caesar is a 30 year old singer/songwriter from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada releasing his first few EPs Birds of Paradise as well as Praise Break & Pilgrim’s Paradise followed by his independently released debut Freudian through his own imprint Golden Child Recordings & a moderate sophomore effort Case Study 01 although “Frontal Lobe Muzik” remains a hidden gem. His previous album Never Enough marked his major label debut under Republic Records to widespread acclaim & his 4th studio LP looks to do the same.

Sampha joins Daniel for the gospel intro “Rain Down” asking for God to pour his blessings all over them whereas the singer/songwriter & neo-soul lead single “Have a Baby (With Me)” additionally pulls from smooth soul singing about impregnation. The next single “Call on Me” blends psychedelic neo-soul & indie rock advising to call him if one needs help getting by while “Baby Blue” featuring his father Norwill Simmons sings about his relationship with God.

“Root of All Evil” continues the heavy religious themes referencing 1 Timothy 6:10 just before “Who Knows?” reaches the halfway point singing about feeling like a total coward hiding in a disguise. The final single “Moon / Violence” featuring Bon Iver eclectically pulls from indie folk, psychedelic soul, singer/songwriter, bedroom pop, smooth soul & psychedelic folk asking who’s gonna be their Jesus while the bedroom pop inspired “Touching God” confesses to the feeling of worthlessness without the fame.

Nearing Son of Spergy‘s conclusion, Sign of the Times” sings that he’s stronger now than he ever was & remembering Frank Ocean’s brother Ryan Breaux who lost his life in a car accident while “Emily’s Song” dedicates itself to his ex-girlfriend that he was seeing in the late 2010s thanking her for helping him see clearer. “No More Loving (On Women I Don’t Love)” feels more like a 646yf4t track since his brother’s taking up a good chunk of it vocally contradicting the “Who Knows?” outro & “Sins of the Father” featuring Bon Iver closes Daniel’s 2nd major label project with a 2-parter singing about his relationship with his biological father & God.

Inspired by a reconciliation between himself & his own parents, Daniel Caesar embraces a prominent singer/songwriter & bedroom pop direction compared to Never Enough‘s heavy lenience towards contemporary R&B & neo-soul resulting in his most stripped-back body of work. You’re still getting hints of those previously mentioned styles to a lesser extent on Son of Purgy & it’s predecessor’s psychedelic/smooth soul undertones, but the alternative R&B elements get phased out in favor of indie folk & gospel tackling themes of masculinity along with faith & self-importance.

Score: 4/5

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Hannah Jadagu – “Describe” review

Hannah Jadagu is 23 year old indie/bedroom pop artist from Mesquite, Texas introducing herself in the spring of 2021 by signing to Sub Pop Records & putting out her debut EP What’s Going On? to moderate reception followed by the full-length studio debut Aperture roughly 25 months later, receiving more favorable feedback. Teasing a return during the summer, she’s coming off 4 teasers with her official sophomore effort a couple weeks succeeding Flock of Dimes’ greatest album The Life You Save.

The alt-pop title track & final single begins with Hannah singing about trying her best to be the one who never leaves your mind whereas the 3rd single “Gimme Time” blends bedroom pop & indie rock to tackle the struggles of self-discovery & personal growth in a relationship. “More” sings about the emotional toll being physically distant from a lover takes on their relationship over a a dream pop instrumental just before “D.I.A.A. (Do It All Again)” tackles self-reflection & personal growth.

“Perfect” embraces a bedroom pop vibe assuring her lover that their relationship doesn’t have to be exactly flawless prior to the lead single “My Love” combining indie rock, dream pop & shoegaze to sing about the feelings that can arise when you’re apart from someone you love. “Couldn’t Call” begins the 2nd half with what feels like a repetitively penned a cappella interlude while “Tell Me That!!!” sings that she wants to be told that he really want her to be his now.

Starting the concluding act of the LP, we have Hannah fusing bedroom & alt-pop with breakbeat during the 4th single “Normal Today” feeling distracted by a loved one while the 2nd single “Doing Now” swaps out the alt-pop & breakbeat elements in favor of indie rock sings about reluctancy. “Miracles” continues the final moments by expressing her belief in wonders & the closer “Bergamont” sings about the bittersweetness of a love that has since faded away.

Spending a lot of the time trying to figure out how to express ideas that aren’t always so concrete & searching is for the words to describe the truth on Hannah Jadagu’s terms whilst relishing in the uncertainty in that journey, Describe embraces an expansive shift toward a heavier alt-pop & bedroom pop sound compared to prominently indie/dream stylings of her debut although the dream pop influences are being used to a lesser extent & the indie rock undertones of Aperture are being maintained well enough too conceptually based on her learning the hard way that distance is relative.

Score: 3.5/5

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BNYX – “Loading…” review

BNYX is a 30 year old producer, songwriter & occasional rapper from Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania mentored by Jean Baptiste & joining the Working on Dying production team known for pioneering tread music. He’s also known for being an extensive collaborator of Yeat, signing to the latter’s Lyfestyle Corporation imprint under Field Trip Recordings & Capitol Records distributed by Universal Music Group. In preparation for his upcoming full-length solo debut Genesis FM, he’s dropping off a taste of what’s to come with a debut EP.

“Room of Smiles” by Dayne Jordan & UHMEER co-produced by BNYX’s brother BEAUTIFULMVN begins by talking about meeting a woman who happens to be incredibly fashionable & once the sample drill-influenced “Telepathy Love” by Clara La San describes a kind of love that feels telepathic hence the title, “Interstellar” by George Clanton & Jahvor finds the pair talking about a man & a woman being unified by yearning for one another.

Fortunately the 2nd half is where things start to pick up, with Johnny Yukon delivering an alternative R&B banger called “Water” hoping the door’s open when comes back once he picks up motion while my favorite track “Proud of Me” by Earl Sweatshirt talks about hoping his mother Cheryl Harris is happy for him, which meant a lot as someone who was around during the Odd Future era in light of Twitter trying to cancel Tyler, The Creator. As for the closer “Switch It” by Yeat & Zukenee, both of them unite for an outro staying more dangerous than ever.

Some of you may remember that I praised BNYX near the end of 2023 as the best mainstream producer of that year & as happy as I am for him getting a label dark, his inaugural EP preluding his upcoming debut LP gives the impression that it could be average at best. I don’t have any complaints in terms of the trap, cloud rap, pop rap & rage production. However, my biggest criticism regarding Loading… is easily the consistency amongst the guest performers & sometimes that tends to be the case with producer albums.

Score: 3/5

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