The Underachievers are a duo from Flatbush, New York consisting of AKTHESAVIOR & Issa Gold of the Beast Coast collective & the Clockwork Indigo sub-unit. They’ve put together a total of 4 mixtapes & 4 albums in the past 15 years, with my personal favorites being the Brainfeeder Records-backed Indigoism & the full-length debut Cellar Door: Terminus ut Exordium. Taking 6 years off to pursue their solo careers, The Underachievers are reuniting for a brand new EP of material clocking in at not even 24 minutes.
After the intro, the prominent organ all over the first song “Losing Feathers” produced by Issa Gold is a great way to set off their comeback effort touching the sky for the sole purpose of making themselves feel alive whereas the acoustic-boom bap crossover “Vices” talks about feeling like the world against us sometimes. “Brand New” shifts into trap turf a bit speaking the way they feel giving a fuck less who gets offended while the grisly “Wisher” expresses anger towards someone who thought he was slick.
“Megatron” works in this crooning instrumental explaining that you have to find your own way this day in age while “Sweepers” dabbles with trap again talking about cleaning shit up very well with the heaters they’re carrying on them. “Have Nots” returns to the boom bap keeping their ears to the block & having to switch up the load prior to “What is This Place?” rounding everything out realizing the enemy inside is the demons we try to hide.
Focusing on establishing themselves individually, The Underachievers have finally come back to where it all started & one that many longtime fans of the Beast Coast members will find themselves enjoying. The reflective themes & complex lyricism these guys became known for are in full effect, the production is stronger then Lords of Flatbush 3 was when they were last together & they ultimately sound happy to be returning to form.
Los Angeles, California gangsta rapper G Perico enlisting Larrance Dopson of 1500 or Nothin’ to produce his 5th mixtape & having DJ Drama hosting it. In the past 13 years, his last 4 tapes along with over a dozen EPs & 5 studio LPs. The last time Drama hosted a project was Hot Shot celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary last month & I found that to be pretty decent like a good portion of Perico’s output in recent memory, except L.A. Gangster could surpass the predecessor & maybe become an important entry in the dude’s whole entire discography.
After the “Go Shop” intro, the first song “Street Lights” is this west coast trap opener with lyrics painting images of the gangsta lifestyle whereas “Gangsta” featuring E-40 finds the 2 coming together to discuss being a whole different pedigree. “Commas” brings a jazzier vibe to the table assuring it’s all about the checks just before “Resume” featuring Kamaiyah basically gives middle fingers to anyone no good tryna hang with them.
“L.A. Real Estate” gets back on the trap tip instrumentally explaining what people out in the west be gangbangin’ for leading into “Lil Homies” featuring Dody6 giving their kudos to all their friends on the come-up at this moment. “L.A. Takeover” conceptually needs no further explanation since the Innerprize’s statement is being made loud & clear while “Hey” talks about people living their lives & ain’t ever getting it.
The song “Sold Out” kicks off the final leg of L.A. Gangster with a nervous flare buying out everything in his path while “No Interruptions” talks about people giving him fake love only because of his wealth. “Lost Time” works in some fingersnaps & a guitar refusing to lose any more valuable time in his hands, but then “Thankful” featuring Keith Rice ends the tape with both of them expressing their gratitude for a myriad of things.
Building on both artists’ previous individual successes, L.A. Gangster surpasses Hot Shot as a sequel & I could even make the case of it being the best thing I’ve heard from G Perico in recent memory. Larrance Dopson’s production throughout is the most consistently well-crafted batch of beats that he’s rapped on in a while delving into themes of persistence on L.A.’s streets, personal victories & hurdles.
Keri Hilson is a 42 year old singer/songwriter, producer & actress from Decatur, Georgia breaking out in the contemporary R&B world when Timbaland signed her to Mosley Music Group & Interscope Records in the late 2000s for her full-length studio debut In a Perfect World… & the sophomore effort No Boys Allowed. Making her comeback after 15 years, her 3rd LP right in front of us marks the beginning of a new trilogy & her independent debut since she’s not on a major label anymore.
After the “Grateful” intro, the first song “Naked (Love)” passionately starts with a spacious R&B singing about having to find herself since 2010 whereas “Searchin’” featuring Method Man mixes hip hop & R&B from the boom bap instrumental to the romantic lyrics. “Somethin (‘Bout U)” continues with this 6-minute R&B ballad about finding something fascinating regarding the person she’s seeing currently & the lead single “Bae” gives off a trap soul vibe singing about what she loves her partner to call her.
“Scream” blends together trap soul & pop music for a single revolving around intercourse leading into “Whatever” promising to show her lover exactly what she’s made of & all she can do. “Weigh Me Down” has somewhat of a dancehall flare to the beat keeping her head in the clouds & her feet on the ground, but then “Say That” finishes We Need to Talk by making it clear that you have to tell her if you want her heart.
Being somebody who highly enjoyed Keri’s first 2 albums more than others did, We Need to Talk marks her highly-anticipated return with the 1st entry of a brand new trilogy that has me eager regarding the next 2 installments. The production pulling from trap soul, contemporary R&B, pop music & a hint of hip hop music well enough proving that she doesn’t need Timbo exploring themes of love, drama & redemption.
Tunde Adebimpe is a 50 year old musician, singer/songwriter & actor from St. Louis, Missouri known for being the co-frontman of TV on the Radio as well as his roles in the 16th Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: Homecoming & the brief animated series Lazer Wulf on the Discovery Global-owned Cartoon Network late night block [adult swim]. However, he’s looking to embark on a solo career by signing to Sub Pop Records & putting together a debut album solely under his own name.
After the titular intro, the first song “Magnetic” was a post-punk revival & alternative dance lead single that suits the beginning of the LP rollout singing about thinking of his time & space whereas “Ate the Moon” takes the industrial dance route instrumentally suggesting to call the doctors, preachers & lawyers. “Pinstack” hooks up a prominent electric guitar so he can ask if you’d like to live in a dream, but then “Drop” blends indie pop & neo-soul into 1 singing about rising into the night.
“ILY” gives off a prominent acoustic vibe for a tribute to his wife & French cartoonist Domitille Collardey leading into “The Most” dabbling with synthpop suggesting that the love will live on even if the lover is a liar. “God Knows” delves into the complexities of a bittersweet breakup capturing his vulnerability just before “Blue” might be my least favorite track despite its electronic influences.“Somebody New” throws it back to the 80s bringing indie pop & indietronica together while the minimal “Streetlight Nuevo” wraps it up by riding this rupture until the break of day.
In a lot of ways, the excitement of doing something on his own for the first time ignited a similar spark in him as TV on the Radio’s earlier days. Wilder Zoby’s production prominently goes for an indie rock, art pop & indie pop flare with further influences of indie folk, dance-punk revival, synthpop, indietronica, alternative dance & singer/songwriter addressing themes of the human condition in all its forms under all its stressors both big & small. For this to be his proper introduction as a solo act, Tunde surely desperate grasps onto small moments of joy amidst the dissonance & sadness in any way he could possibly can.
Atlanta, Georgia producer, audio engineer & recording artist Whyceg releasing his sophomore effort under his Sony Music imprint Cegular Records. Properly introducing himself to the underground in the summer of 2022 off his debut EP Grey Areas alongside the superior follow-up Cegular over a year later & of course the debut mixtape Yin & Yang a couple months later, his full-length studio debut Ceg Year would arrive in the previous February, signing both Babystaydown & Pradabagshawty to Cegular afterwards with each of them becoming successful in their own unique ways this past fall. Unlike their mentor’s previous solo efforts however, he chooses to take a backseat vocally approaching Cegregation & a list of guest performers to do what they do best over his production.
“Go Far” by 2sdxrt3all begins with a plugg intro talking about being disappointed by people tearing his heart in half whenever he shows them love whereas “Creep” by B6 decently blends gangsta rap lyrics & a dark plugg instrumental together for a passable single if you’re a fan of those styles. “In the Blind” by FBLMANNY talks about others hating to play a game they don’t want him to win leading into a personal favorite of mine “Old Lady Purse” by RRoxket co-produced by Goxan admitting to getting nervous around the feds.
Big Yavo gets a song of his own with the pluggy “Yay Ball” pulling out a stick & he’s not referring to chicken when he says that just before “Jetson” by Lil Tony fuses these trippy synthesizers & hi-hats shouting out one of the 2020s’ most popular trap beatsmiths: JetsonMade. “Dominoes” by Lazer Dim 700 & 2sdxrt3all finds the 2 teaming up for a dark plugg track cautioning to not choke if you don’t want smoke while “No Mental” by Yhapojj talks about giving a fuck less regarding his haters.
“IRL” by Lil Dre6o reaches the halfway point of Cegregation poking fun at people who be actin’ hard on the Meta Platforms-owned Instagram only to be scared shitless of him when running into each other while “Dead Ppl” by NDO D & Pradabagshawty kicks off the 2nd act on some dark plugg shit once again talking about smelling corpses near them, the latter having the strongest verse compared to the other. “Need Shells” by iam3hard moves forward continuing to mesh themes of the gangsta lifestyle & plugg instrumentation looking to reload his guns with more ammo while “Claim You Rich” by Jripey takes jabs at anybody who says they’re wealthier than they really are.
Zone1eriic takes the mic during “Clock It” & once another highlight “Undercover” by Babystaydown takes 111 seconds so he can talk about the woman he’s seeing possibly being the one yet simultaneously feeling like he can’t trust her for whatever reason he’s still trying to figure out, 2sdxrt3all returns 1 last time so he can make a sequel to “Crazy Dxrt3all Flow” off his 2nd EP Stop Holdin’ Nuts that recaptures everything that made the original version of it so special.
“OhYeah” by Rx Yp uses a flow reminiscent of Lucki’s using the gat to make muhfuckas dance like it’s the music video to “Thriller” by the late King of Pop himself Michael Jackon while “TF You Goin’?” by luhbrod7 promises to never leave his Heat similarly to how LeBron James did. Ending the album on a high note, “Riches” by diamond* clarifies to his girlfriend that he handles mafia business making others go missing.
I’d recommend checking out the Cegular EP for those curious of Whyceg’s abilities as a rapper, but I’d still take it over Cegregation for the finest entry in his discography so far & it has me hoping I’ll enjoy the next time the CEO of Cegular Records decides to let other artists rock his signature plugg sound throughout the duration of an entire LP a lot more than the averageness of this. This guy’s amongst my favorites in the plugg/dark plugg subgenres of trap & he really has something special going for his imprint, my main criticism with the album’s that the guest-list feels inconsistent.
This is the 58th EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as 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, Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike Shabb, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth. Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. We just got Lethal Weapon 2 over a week ago & Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 10 has arrived after a week-long delay.
“Rapid Succession” featuring Jay NiCE is this chipmunk soul intro talking about being in a space where everyone around them is eating whereas “Tha Highest Caliber” likens every word he says to a bullet & wack MCs becoming a part of his highlight footage. “Massive Proportions” brings the crooning soul samples back in the fold references Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy owned by The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel just before the orchestral “Rejuvenation” talks about making up for the slackin’
The song “Lord of Rhyme” gets the 2nd leg of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 10 going by shining sublimely & categorizing the techniques he demonstrates as flawless leading into “Flow Sick No Vaccine” making his competition malfunction because of the destruction & corruption he brings forth. “Dark Dojo” gets back on the chipmunk soul tip 1 last time to talk about the pen being forbidden in addition to breaking down why he walks the lonely path he takes.
Craven recently took to Twitter a day or 2 ago hinting that we could potentially get 90 more installments in the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga & since all 10 that’ve seen the light of day maintain a specific level of quality, I wouldn’t mind it at this point. I’m happy that they pushed this back a whole weekend so the proper adjustments could be made whether it be the production showing influences of drumless, chipmunk soul & jazz rap or Fahim focusing on his pen a bit more slowly bringing guests on the mic with him.
The Wu-Tang Clan are the greatest hip hop group of all-time from Staten Island, New York consisting of one of my top 10 producers the RZA, the GZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard & their deejay Mathematics. Originally a trio under the All in Together Now moniker, their 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) became an east coast hip hop landmark & their 1997 sophomore effort Wu-Tang Forever is the greatest double disc hip hop album ever. The W was significantly less polished than most of what came of that era in the Clan & Iron Flag divisively revisited old sounds. 8 Diagrams stirred more controversy due to RZA embracing a experimental, orchestral & more universal production style with A Better Tomorrow during my senior year of high school being regarded as their worst even if “Pioneer the Frontier” has always stood out to me personally. Mathematics would fully produce The Saga Continues… & is doing so again for the Wu’s 8th album preluding their upcoming farewell tour. Not even gonna waste my breath on Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
After the “Sucker Free City” intro, the first song “Mandigo” is this boom bap opener with 4 of the 9 remaining swordsmen talking about their style taking a strong back & total breath control whereas “Roar of a Lion (The Lion’s Pit)” by RZA & U-God featuring Kool G Rap finds the trio giving middle fingers to all their enemies. “Claudine” by Ghostface Killah & Method Man featuring Nicole Bus crosses over hip hop & soul trying to fight for love while “Shaolin vs. Lama” by Inspectah Deck & Raekwon talks about holding your head.
“Executioners from Shaolin” keeps it rolling by sinisterly cautioning that nobody want smoke with them in a battle just before “Cleopatra Jones” by Masta Killa & Raekwon sees the pair breaking down the affection each of them have a woman who goes by that name. “Warriors 2, Cooley High” by Method Man featuring Benny the Butcher absolutely delivers as a big fan of both Wu-Tang & Griselda just before “Let’s Do It Again” by RZA following his role as Bobby in the A24 Films surrealist comedy drama Problemista featuring RJ Payne, Willie the Kid& 38 Spesh talks about getting stronger as life becomes more difficult.
Cappadonna, Masta Killa & U-God all link on up “Dolomite” for another hardcore boom bap track justifiably boasting that you can’t tell ‘em shit since they’ve been around longer than the 80s crack epidemic & going deep enough in the projects where no one else can go, but then the “Trouble Man” outro shows off Kameron Corvet’s skills through a brief verse. “Charleston Blue, Legend of a Fighter” by Cappadonna featuring KXNG CROOKED officially ends the album with the latter talking about fatherhood & Cappa penning an open letter to his mother while the bonus track “Sinners (Mo’ Better Blues)” by the Def Squad was a cool reunion minus Redman.
7 & a half years since The Saga Continues…, the Clan homages the blaxploitation & martial arts genres of films that shaped them 5 decades ago. I appreciate that all 9 members were able to contribute lyrically testing each other’s swords unlike U-God being the only absentee on the predecessor & some of the finest in the underground today joining them felt like a rewarding passing-of-the-torch moment. 1 final noteworthy mention has to be Mathematics displaying his growth & development as a producer with the selection of beats he’s arranged.
This is the 3rd EP from San Francisco, California rapper, songwriter & entrepreneur Berner. Beginning as a battle rapper in high school, he would go on to drop 16 LPs along with a few mixtapes & a couple EPs in addition to the plethora of collaborative projects he has with numerous artists. Hoffa was a Gotti sequel that recaptured the essence of its predecessor from a new perspective & the Cookies founder is back 5th months later to put out Carbon teasing his next studio album.
“Mid Flight” soulfully talks about everything you need if you want to get right whereas “Envy” strips the drums to discuss themes of jealousy. “Fuck ‘Em” featuring Mando works in a rock sample to give everyone the middle finger while “1,000,000 Bags Sold” featuring Ohgeesy & Yung Chowder finds the trio talking about pushing that many bags of dope. The title track goes for a dreary trap vibe embarking on an endless paper chase & “Corporate Thuggin’” featuring Chevy Woods smoothly ends with them tryna get paid.
Hoffa was the most that I personally have found myself enjoying a project from Berner in some time since his most recent output has been generally treated to mixed reception & sadly to say, Carbon feels like a step or 2 back after taking a few steps forward last fall. His verses & the production are both, but I feel like the performances from the features primarily don’t really hold up to the Bern 1 Entertainment founder’s other than both Ohgeesy & Chevy Woods.
Pretty sure this has to be the 17th studio LP from Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcee/producer Raz Fresco. I’ve been familiar with the guy since my high school years at this point whether it be some of his features or his own extensive discography including the Magneto Was Right mixtape series, the Futurewave-produced Gorgeous Polo Sportsmen album, the Nicholas Craven-produced Boulangerie album, the Cake beat tapes, the Gia…À La Carte collab EP with Estee Nack or more recently the Cookin’ Soul produced Bakin’ Soul, the Daniel Son collab effort Northside & the DJ Muggs-produced The Eternal Now. Merely 9 months later, Futurewave’s coming back for the return of the Stadium Lo Champions.
After the intro, the first song “Mind Light” is a boom bap intro with a calming vocal sample talking about everyone seeing him shine both day & night whereas “Ok Let’s Go” finds him ready to get the show going. “Tesla Tower Power” strips the drums talking about being cold-hearted since they’re Canadian while “Steve Austin” featuring Daniel Son homages the WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion set to appear on former WWE Women’s Champion Stephanie McMahon’s new ESPN+ reality show Stephanie’s Places next week.
“Lauren Story” tells everyone to gather around he can vividly paint the image of a woman he met a week ago named Lauren over some vibraphones leading into “Cyanide” returning to the boom bap cautioning everyone to fasten their seats & steer away living your days fast. “Earth Spin” featuring Gritfall & Sonnyjim finds the trio addressing the people who feel as if the world revolves solely around them prior to “Olympic Flame” talking about working for either Satan or God.
Moving on from there, “What’s the Word?” those for a jazzier boom bap vibe instrumentally asking what’s good with the people he’s around just before “Alpaca” featuring al.divino & Estee Nack sees all 3 of them talking about certain individuals needing to get back out their & making the money they’re owed. “Honestly” expresses his desire for the whole world over a jazz rap beat prior to “Mortal Kombat” featuring The 6th Letter referencing the Warner Bros.-owned fighting game franchise that the WB CEO David Zaslav is considering selling.
“In My Lifetime” reaches the final moments of Stadium Lo Champions in some lo-Fi boom bap shit suggesting the things Raz has seen during his life will take everyone out their right minds & ahead of the “Lo Champion” outro, the final song “Sam Never Was My Uncle” concludes the album with 1 more drumless track pretty much talking about the United States of America’s current position it’s been taking for nearly 3 months already.
This summer will mark 2 years since Raz began churning out amongst the most important material of his 15 year career, taking it further by returning with Futurewave to display the growth within their chemistry together halfway through the current decade. The latter’s production is mainly built around boom bap, drumless, jazz rap & lo-fi hip hop as we’re treated to an evolution Gorgeous Polo Sportsmen they once were to becoming Stadium Lo Champions.
Merkules is a 32 year old rapper from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada who began rhyming at age 15 under the name Merk Mikz. He later became Snak the Ripper’s hype man to get his career kickstarted over a decade ago, dropping a total of 7 albums & 3 EPs of his own since 2011 or so. Following the acquisition of Death Row Records by one of the label’s original artists & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg at the start of 2022, the very 1st artist to sign under the revived umbrella was Merkules & he’s brought C-Lance to produce a vast majority of his Death Row debut albeit his 8th studio LP.
The title track marks his introduction as a member of the untouchable Death Row with a drumless piano instrumental talking about feeling remorse after surviving a near-death experience or traumatic event when others perished whereas “Loser” takes the boom bap route instrumentally to discuss being a failure of a person. “Grew Up” was the only track that didn’t have C-Lance behind the boards & one of the only 5 skippers here, but then the acoustic-trap hybrid “Blast Off” runs from the past as if it’s erased.
“Mama Tried” keeps the downtuned guitars in the fold favoring more of a boom bap flare to the beat talking how his mother tried her best raising him leading into the g-funk influenced “Wassup” featuring NHale linking up with the son of an original from Tha Row & the late King of Hooks himself Nate Dogg refusing to fuck around since they’ve experienced the ups & downs. “Out Here” featuring Classified was a decently dusty chipmunk soul collab hustlin’ on the daily, but then “Glory to God” gets derailed by Dax’ corny ass dropping the worst guest verse on the whole thing.
Elements of rock & trap get blended once more on “Inside Out” admitting to that being exactly how he mentally feels at the moment & “On Guard” featuring Shaquille O’Neal heads for a cloudier direction so they can talk about bringing it to the doorsteps of anyone who wants beef with either of them. “Bawse” featuring Prof sees both MCs returning to the boom bap saying they the type to smack muhfuckas through the element of surprise while “Forgive Me” asks God to forgive him for all the sins he’s committed in his life up until this very moment in his career.
“Smoke To” featuring Afroman cloudily comes together for a dedication to all the stoners out there since 4/20’s coming up on Easter weekend & Day 2 of WrestleMania XLI just before “Pair of Chucks” featuring Daz Dillinger shows off the brand new kicks they copped over a predominately west coast-flavored instrumental. “Fight Music” featuring Brotha Lynch Hung & X-Raided shows the trio on the verge of being ready to throw hands while the crooning “All I Know” featuring Evil Ebenezer talks about the only thing they’re familiar of & knowing they gotta change.
Detroit veterans Kuniva & Swifty McVay of prior D12 fame both join Merkules for the boom bap-tinged “Big Bad Bullies” refusing to fake the funk while “Assholes” featuring Chris Webby talks about always keeping ammo on them & only speaking practice when they shoot. “Safety Off” embraces a rap rock vibe only needing some kush & his wife beside him while “Deserve You” shows gratitude towards his ride-or-die chick.
“R.W.T.R. (Riding with the Reaper)” featuring B-Real chops up the soul samples again talking about driving around past midnight with Death beside them while “Mirrors” featuring Ricky Hil speaks of having conversations with mere reflections of themselves. “Championship Rings” brings October London on the hook to talk about coming from the bottom & “Runnin’ Away” featuring DIZZYISDEAD finishes Merk’s debut under the untouchable Death Row on some emo rap shit.
Starting the deluxe run, “Inside My Head” acoustically airs out those in his life who’ve become envious of his success while “Twisted” featuring Jelly Roll talks being sick to their stomachs & drinking alcohol to numb it. “LowKey” featuring Twista intensely shows off their chopper abilities & Merk keeping up with the Chicago vet while the Mobb-infused “Yeah Yeah Yeah” featuring Too $hort talks about another day in the lives of real ones.
“Time” passionately shows 0 tolerance for anyone tryna bring him down while “Voices” featuring Struggle Jennings talks about hearing shit inside their heads. “Homicide” featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony angrily warns a murder or 2 will take place if you fuck around with them while “6:00 News” featuring Chris Webby feels as if both of them are losing their minds getting shade from artists who are now washed & past their prime.
Caskey pops out to a lay a verse during “Revenge” so they can tell everyone to get the fuck out their faces & give them the space they need while “Better Myself” featuring Rittz tackles mental health talking about improving themselves as people & everything seeming like they’re drowning in the deep end. “Not Like You” featuring Hopsin reflects on everyone who’s told them that neither artist wouldn’t be in the positions they’re in currently while “In Your Feelings” talks about never falling off.
“Woodstock ‘99” calls for everyone to go crazier than the festival that took place during the summer of 1999 & making it the best night of everyone’s lives while “Nerves” talks about him partying until it hurts as well as having blisters on his fingers because of blowing money. “Need Me Now” featuring Benny the Butcher observes those in their lives who respectively need them more than ever while “In My Sleep” featuring The Game rides around the city looking lavish.
Keeping the extra freshness going, “Hollywood Hills” lets everyone know where he can be found now that he’s signed to one of the absolute most notorious record labels in the entire music industry while “I’m Here” explains that he only fears God realistically. “Inferno” confesses to trippin’ as of late & simultaneously feeling larger than ever as an artistic while “The Title” asks what you’d expect after crossin’ a psycho like him.
“C’est la Vie” talks about the problems getting bigger as a result of the money growing & it hitting differently since he came form the bottom while “Pat Stay Forever” profoundly remembers the late battle rap standout Pat Stay. “DNA” featuring Conway the Machine talks about sleepless nights getting them to where they are in 2025 while “Do This to You” cautions of bodies dropping if you get too cocky around him.
Millyz makes the first of 2 appearances with “Nauseous” remembering when others said they wouldn’t be shit & them basically being afraid of the success coming their way while “Commas” talks about having a lot of problems & wanting to stack his paper even higher. “Cigarette” will be more enjoyable to anyone who enjoys smoking them even if I don’t since I don’t fuck with tobacco while “Still Him” talks about the hunger remaining inside himself.
“Distant” apologizes for not being as intimate as he usually is citing the reasoning for him suffering mentally & avoiding facing the fuck-ups he caused while “Middle of Nowhere” talks about being unsure as to where to go & feeling scared in the mental prison he’s inside of. “Run Away” featuring Phix contains a genuine theme of escapism even if Phix always stood out as being equally corny as Dax in my opinion that much for me personally while “Ha Ha Ha” gives a shot at trying to make more uptempo stuff.
As for “My Shoes”, we have Merkules talking about feeling unstoppable because of his Godly flow while “Ups & Downs” delves down the basement feeling worthless at rock bottom & seeing change soon as he accepted his flaws. “The West” gives even more flowers to the sunshine state shifting in favor of g-funk once more while the soulful boom bap crossover “Good Kid” looks back on not causing trouble during his childhood.
“No Favours” dismisses the notion of anyone doing him any favors since he doesn’t want to self destruct & wondering where everything went wrong in his life while “Lights Camera Action” exuberantly clarifies his success not happening overnight. “Give Me a $ign” talks about not trying to break & finding new ways of numbing his pain because there’s only being so much he can take while “10 Toes” promises to stay on top for eternity.
The longest reigning 2-time JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions the Insane Clown Posse showing up during the Shaggytheairhead-laced “Swish” only makes sense making way for Merk, the shortest reigning JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion Shaggy 2 Dope & the JCW Commissioner Violent J to tell these bitches they only mad since their girls plays both artists’ music while “Fill My Cup” gives a nod to anyone who’s going through hard times in their lives at this current moment. “Never Come Down” featuring Millyz talks being up way too high prolifically & never imagining they’d be making goodbyes while “Switch Lanes” pokes fun at other artists who’re bitch made.
“No Hooks” talks about the Death Row logo justifiably showing everyone who’s been paying attention to him in recent memory exactly who the fuck he rolls with while “Cory & Trevor” featuring Lil Windex of all fucking people likens themselves to both characters from Trailer Park Boys on Netflix. “Momma We Made It” publicly & assures his mother he’s finally become a successful artist in a heartfelt full circle moment & the final bonus track “Ego Intervention” comes off as more of a therapy session than a diss.
My introduction to Merk personally came right when he had a verse on the Tech N9ne album ENTERFEAR a month following the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns & all 24 songs on the final version of his Death Row debut combined with 46 outtakes that were left on the cutting room floor turned out to be better than I would’ve thought. C-Lance nails it at making Survivor’s Guilt the most well-produced offering in Merkules’ discography, giving more than enough room for him & most of the guests to enhance the enjoyability.
Legends Will Never Die 