Kofi Stone – “The Last Flower to Bloom” review

This is the 4th studio LP from Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee Kofi Stone. Making his full-length debut in 2019 with the jazzy yet lo-fi Nobody Cares ‘Till Everybody Does, the sophomore effort 5 years later A Man After God’s Own Heart retained the sounds of it’s predecessor receiving similar praise & All the Flowers Have Bloomed last fall incorporated more contemporary R&B elements. Somewhat ironic since he officially announced this was since announced as The Last Flower to Bloom almost a week since the tragic passing of the inaugural AEW International Champion, former 2-time AEW World Trios Champion, オープン・ザ・ドリームゲートチャンピオン, オープン・ザ・ブレイブゲートチャンピオン, オープン・ザ・ツインゲートチャンピオン, 3-time オープン・ザ・トライアングルゲートチャンピオン, PWG World Tag Team Champion, 2-time NXT Cruiserweight Champion & 2-time NXT Tag Team Champion Pac.

The title track recalls going from a joyful child to an adult filled with emotional suffering over a soulful boom bap beat whereas “Through My Pain” goes for a more drumless vibe instrumentally hoping this person finds common ground some day over some bare pianos. “Dandelions” produced by Joe Corfield bares his soul on top of this lo-fi beat talking about needing to become free while “Sicily” discusses a trip he & his partner took to Italy.

“Baby Love” continues from there with this laidback dedication to Kofi’s ride or die leading into the 2nd & my personal favorite single “No Way!” hooking up a soulful boom bap instrumental from Pitch 92 so he can ask why people want to break his soul. “Dozen Roses” featuring Wiki links up over a string sample desiring to get acquainted with their lovers’ families just before the self-produced “Kofi Says” soulfully talks about simply making it through the day.

Meanwhile on “Soufflé”, we have Kofi over an organ & some crooning vocals pleading for this woman to give him 1 more chance while the luxuriously soulful boom bap pleaser “Ghostflower” that Pitch 92 cooked up talks about hopes of being everything his date likes. “Where Did We Go Wrong?” posed the very question in the aftermath of a breakup until he tells the story of a 28 year old meeting an Instagram model named “Alissa”.

“Little Flower” ends The Last Flower to Bloomtalking about his worries of running out of time despite God knowing everything will sort itself out when it’s all said & done prior to “Gardener Flow” starting a brief deluxe run with a lead single containing 1 last Pitch 92 beat groovily declaring himself the realest of the realest. The other bonus track “Mary’s Gold” properly concludes the album runs it back with Joe Corfield for a jazzy boom bap outro talking about falling in love during the first date.

Becoming one of the UK hip hop scene’s most consistent artists in the last decade, The Last Flower to Bloom celebrates almost an entire year of All the Flowers Have Bloomed with an epilogue that’d go right behind the latter as my 3rd favorite in Kofi Stone’s discography with the debut taking up the #1 spot. The production feels like a combination of the R&B undertones explored throughout the predecessor along with the jazzy, lo-fi boom bap sounds of Nobody Cares ‘Till Everybody Does & A Man After God’s Own Heart, consciously confronting topics like introspection & love from a place of sincerity.

Score: 4/5

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730atMorning – “Antione’s Son” review

Here is the 3rd studio LP from Minneapolis, Minnesota rapper 730atMorning. Someone who would drop 3 extended plays in 2022 including Pots*, untitled & Hi, I’m Alive. He would later follow it up with the Creeper EP, the 7:30* EP, the full-length debut Asphalt, the Guarded EP, the sophomore effort Under the Bridge, the Rotten Fruit EP, his previous full-length Save Your Grievance, the almost inside EP & the Insiders tape. Coming off both I Can’t STFU & 1 Man Band, Antione’s Son has the world waiting a bit longer until Context.

“habitat” opens up with this pop rap intro talking about him staying up in the woods whereas the bouncy “high life” incorporates some heavy synthesizers so he can boast his tastefulness. “Done For” produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Rio Leyva ranks amongst my top 3 tracks talking about moving slow off lean while “vr” suggests that the people trying to be like him shouldn’t hate themselves for it because it’s no way to live.

southsidesilhouette & Tezzus both save the strongest features for the rage-inducing “foolish” throwing shots at all these dumb muhfuckas leading into “also” talking about this woman he holds dear to his heart always running back to him since she knows they have something. “timeline” suggests for those working dayjobs to clock in & that he isn’t on that type of shit just before another favorite “geeked until the day” hops over a plugg instrumental from Feardorian to talk about his lifestyle.

“withdrawals > betrayal” hits the midway point of Antione’s Son explaining that he doesn’t feel any pain since he’s off percocets, xanax & codeine while “instincts” brings these psychedelic synth melodies in the picture asking figuring out why he makes himself go insane. “sick kid” flexes he’ll pour up 80 like my 2nd favorite basketball player of all-time behind Michael Jordan: the late, great Kobe Bryant while “the king of the fall” talks about love meaning more to him than any amount of money.

Baby Cute appears for the atmospheric “shooting deep” talking about making it to the top together & staying afloat while “feelin’ good” featuring kels!refuses to invest in people who truly don’t support them. “souls attached” talks about being richer than he’s ever been while “amanda” discusses being as smart as the person who this is named after. “don’t get hurt +” realizes he shouldn’t have fucked to give a bitch another chance & “the great escape” ends Antione’s Son professing his love for this person.

Presuming Context will come out at some point in the new year, Antione’s Son distinguishes itself from 1 Man Band rather than expanding the world of that previous EP with a completely separate entity of it’s own & one I enjoy less than the predecessor albeit equally to last Halloween’s I Can’t STFU. It’d be more interesting if he got more interesting names handling the production, but that doesn’t take away the fact 730atMorning’s getting more introspective topically.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mickey Diamond – “B.I.L.L.Y.” review

Detroit, Michigan emcee Mickey Diamond wasting no time to get the 4th quarter going with his 19th studio LP. Emerging at the beginning of this decade off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the dude has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 18 albums alongside 8 EPs & a mixtape. Since 2022 however, Mickey has been consistent putting out some of the best material of his career thus far. This includes the Gucci Ghost series produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Ral Duke-produced Oroku Saki EP, the Sadhugold-produced Death Threat$ album, the Camoflauge Monk-produced Capital Gains album, the outstanding Oroku Saki sequel Super Shredder & Gucci Gambinos. A new trilogy called The Wolf, The Sheep & The Goat comprised of Wolf Tickets as well as Black Sheep & Blood of the Lamb has spanned across the last 10 months & B.I.L.L.Y. officially ends the saga with an epilogue.

The title track opens up shop with a boom bap intro talking about anyone going against him losing their lives right then & there whereas “Missed Calls II” comes through with a sequel to the highlight off Wolf Tickets. “That’s Diamond” goes for more of a rap rock/boom bap vibe instrumentally so he can tell us what type of guy he is leading into “Higher Steaks” featuring Cise Greeny finds the pair talking about doing this shit legitimately.

“Pat Sayjack” moves on from there with this gritty piano-inflicted beat talking about knocking the heads off your favorite rappers because they’re pussy while the irate yet rugged “D.A.R.E.” confronts these bum ass dudes asking what they want from him. “Lamb Chops” takes a more soulful yet jazzier approach to the instrumental talking about the life of a hustler just before “Goat Cheese” heads for a lavish boom bap direction musically, explaining that money doesn’t make a man.

As for “Invisible Enemies”, we have Diamond talking about his style being too addicting to shake off & people pretending to be authentic when that isn’t the case while “U-Tang Forever” featuring Method Man links up over a crooning beat flexing that they close rappers instead of opening for them. “Ocean Prime” drearily talks about being the friend one can call whenever times get tough while “Statute of Limitations” discusses always playing in the field instead of getting sidelined.

“William” kicks off the other half talking about being the greatest on some eerie boom bap shit while the symphonically raw “Takin’ Respect” cautions not to ever step against him & not finding anyone else who can carry the weight he does. “To Whom It May Concern” talks about still being the same as he was when he began making music despite having over a dozen full-lengths under his belt already while “7 Day Theory” boast the fact everything he writes turns out ill.

Crimeapple appears during the tense “Servin’ & Swervin’” getting in their mafioso bag together pushing dope while “Forbidden Fruit” blends some keys mixed with kicks & snares to talk about him searching for the hidden truth back when he was a kid. “Hallelujah (Amen)” featuring Big Trip kinda has a funkier instrumental combining themes of religion & the gangsta life to it while “School House Rock” ruggedly talks about the realest always selling.

“Goldie Mack” winds down the final act of B.I.L.L.Y. addressing a bitch who introduced herself to him as a lame & wanting her to give him another chance while “X’s & O’s” talks about not being afraid to spend a lot of money considering it’s forever coming & going. “Wire Tap” though wraps up the album alongside The Wolf, The Sheep & The Goat saga altogether with the 3rd & final chapter of the “Missed Calls” trilogy pleading to stop hitting his line in a sketchy manner.

Big Ghost Ltd. has helped Mickey Diamond craft some of his most personal & thoughtful material of his career this past year whether he’s pouring his heart out, reopening wounds, provoking thoughts, looking back at some his own mistakes, challenging the norms of society or making serious conversations with both his loved ones & God. B.I.L.L.Y. closes the book on The Wolf, The Sheep & The Goat story once & for all in the form of a 2-part postscript simultaneously celebrating most of the 7 deadly sins when they’re not glorifying sex, drugs & money since all of it played their own roles in making America what it is presently.

Score: 4.5/5

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Lee Brice – “Sunriser” review

Lee Brice is a 47 singer/songwriter from Sumter, South Carolina who I was introduced to almost a decade ago when Slumerican Records founder Yelawolf had him featured his finest Shady Records album Trial by Fire. Can’t say I’m big on his own music other than the sophomore effort Hard 2 Love, which was alright compared to the mediocrity of his debut Love Like Crazy & I Don’t Dance or self-titled & Hey World. His 6th studio LP however has been shaping up to become the most embarrassing entry in his discography based off some of the teasers.

The title track kicks things off with a country intro singing about the day coming at you at 500,000,000 miles per hour whereas “Killed the Man” tritely whines over a woman who he claimed murdered the person he once was. “Me & Whiskey” continues to cry about an ex whose heart he broke & one of the absolute worst singles of 2026 goes to “Country Nowadays” for it spewing the same hateful ideology the right-wing has become known for.

“Devil’s at It Again” unfortauntely continues from there singing about Satan always looking for a dance with him just before “She Wasn’t Like That” describes a female who he likens to “an angel raining heaven’s tears” & not being anything similarly to other girls. “Bury the Dead” sings about his wishes of taking a day off from burying those who’re no longer with us 6 feet deep leading into “Truck Bed Mixtape” encourages some lady to hop up in his truck so they can make out.

Meanwhile on “What You Know About That?”, we have Lee annoyingly testing people’s knowledge of the country life in general while “Said No Country Boy Ever” featuring The Traler Park feels like a more uninteresting version of the Keith Urban single “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”. “All the Way Down” sings about falling to the very bottom if that’s how it’ll be preceding the irritating bar anthem “Drinkin’ Buddies” featuring Hailey Whitters & Nate Smith.

“Old Men” winds down the last leg of Sunriser’s core sings about someone he thought he would grow old with smoking cigars & playing guitars while “Cry” responds to everyone claiming that men don’t shed tears, envisioning taillights fading away in the Georgia sky in his dreams at night. “Daddy Don’t Care” expresses his experiences of fathering a daughter while “When the Kingdom Comes” sings about there being nothing left except love being the outcome of the latter.

Starting the deluxe run, “Dogs Are Barking” portrays himself walking over to the bank to take some money out & waving at Sheriff Hughes whom he considers a dead man walking while “Never Meet Your Heroes” featuring Vince Gill reminds us that those who idolize ain’t who we hope they are once we peak behind the curtains. “That’s Where You Come In” sings about a chick yearning for a guy go pour her some wine & trace the lines on her hands while “Money Made the Music” recalls growing up listening to the late Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson of The Highwaymen.

“Cornbread” sings about how things move significantly slower around the countryside where he & his family live together until “While We Didn’t Last” looks back at a breakup, suggesting “just because it ended don’t mean it’s over” & realizing they were the heartbreak love should’ve never had. “Country Alone” featuring Chase Rice & Kelsey Hart finds the trio singing about pulling an all-damn-nighter putting in some work right down to the country bone while “A Lotta That” assures he loves his partner the way she does him.

Continuing from there, “Summer of Us” recalls a summer when he was younger partying all night with his girlfriend & that it didn’t last long enough when that can be applied to every summer when you think of it while “That’s All I Know” sings about not knowing everything despite telling us what he knows based upon his experiences. “Best Friend” realizes that a dog would be a country boy’s greatest companion since he hunts & fish with his pet canine while “All the Whiskey in the World” sings about his love for the alcoholic beverage although I wouldn’t play it if I drank bourbon around anyone.

“Heart Pine (The Ballad of Mr. Bill)” featuring Diamond Rio unites so they can sing about people not being hand cut from hard times anymore when there are people struggling to afford groceries because of the economy while “Words” observes the positive & negative consequences of the way we word stuff. “Rollin’ 7s” acknowledges the feeling where he’s headed being hardwares to beat this life he’s living now while the final bonus track “You, Me & My Guitar” sings about what he believes was the perfect combination.

It hasn’t even been an entire week since Wheeler Walker Jr. put out his swan song Pullin’ Out & to begin the 4th quarter of the year, Lee Brice drops what’s easily the worst full-length he’s ever made primarily due to him overloading it much like Morgan Wallen’s last couple albums 1 Thing at a Time & I’m the Problem or of course Post Malone’s country debut F-1,000,000,000 in addition to the fact he’s spent the last 13 months embracing & defending the rise of authoritarianism in what’s always been the land of the free.

Score: 1/5

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Quavo – “Qrömelife” review

Here is the long-awaited 3rd studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Quavo. Rising to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew Takeoff & Offset, he would also form the duo Huncho Jack in late 2016 with Travis Scott & drop their only album thus far Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho to mixed reception. Quavo Huncho left audiences divided even I still enjoy “Workin’ Me” although Rocket Power remembered his fallen Unc & Phew cohort Takeoff following his tragic murder few weeks after the release of their only album Only Built for Infinity Links. Virginia producer, singer/songwriter, rapper, fashion designer, film composer, entrepreneur, Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream founder & Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell fully producing Qrömelife however had me hoping it would surpass the 2023 predecessor.

“Backward$” featuring T.I. premiering a week prior to Sami Zayn becoming a 2-time WWE Champion begins hopping over a trap instrumental with some heavy 808s for a “Welcome to Atlanta” sequel whereas “B.A. (Bernard Arnault)” featuring Future works in some synthesizers to talk about their wealth. “Hit-A-Lik” brings in the horns so he can discuss making it out of the streets while “Away” featuring Offset comes through with a spiritual successor to “Stir Fry” talking about escapism & each of them being far away from the ghetto these days.

Pharrell & WANG$AP appear for “Baby Breath” so they can get boastful even if Tyler, The Creator was clearly trolling in terms of his verse being the best of his career while the club-catered pop rap/trap 2nd single “Trance (Walk It Down)” talks about Huncho’s luxurious ways of living channeling the 80s freestyle era. “Factory Trim” reaches the halfway point flipping the bird at everyone who doubted him & yearning to crowd-surf while “Sweep” kicks off the 2nd leg talking about making money.

“Ball My Love” featuring Lil Baby finds both artists telling their lovers that time seems to always speed up whenever they’re spending time with them & after “Hayou Dewdat” featuring Yung Miami interpolates “How You Do Dat?” by the late Young Bleed featuring C-Loc & Master P for a braggadocious anthem over an Atlanta bass beat, the 4th & final single “House Music” featuring Justin Timberlake however throws it back to the days of synthwave for a pop/hip hop duet providing a soundtrack for those looking to purchase a home.

The song “Thick in the Mirror” continues the album’s final moments talking about the way his girl’s built & promising her entire life will change if she goes out for the evening but once the lead single “HAAVIN’” experiments with rage for a look back at all the success he’s experience whether it’s with the Migos or his individual output, “Destined” wraps up a look at the Qrömelife refusing to apologize for any more blessings that come his way past this point & confidently talking about his fame all being apart of his plan.

Honoring the healing process of Takeoff’s death, Pharrell still manages to produce the best Quavo solo album of the 3 he’s dropped in nearly a decade taking a more experimentally upbeat approach than either of Qrömelife’s predecessors. Although I wouldn’t put it on the same pedestal as Clipse’s comeback Let God Sort ‘Em Out the previous summer in absolutely no way shape or form, I still appreciate Skateboard P bridging the gap between the dirty south & funk music along with the consistent peeformances Huncho & company mostly deliver.

Score: 4/5

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Quadeca – “Life 1” review

Brand new LP & the 5th overall from Los Angeles, California singer/songwriter, producer, YouTuber & rapper Quadeca. His earlier tapes Work in Progress, Nostalgia for the Now, Bad Internet Rapper & Out of Order were all received negatively as was the full-length debut Voice Memos although his sophomore effort From Me to You proved to be decent, with both I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You & Scrapyard under deadAir Records garnering widespread praise for artistically reinventing himself. He would form his own label X8 Music distributed by Virgin Music for his previous full-length Vanisher, Horizon Scraper & following it up with Life 1 merely 14 months afterwards.

The self-produced title track subtitled “Where Did the Time Go?” blends art pop, folktronica, indietronica, glitch pop, neo-psychedelia & UK bass to sing about life flying past us all whereas the lead single “Dark Magic” fuses alternative R&B, pop rap, alt-pop, bedroom pop, indietronica, lowend & drone metal to describe the relationship he has with his audience. “The Hero Never Dies” combines art pop, indietronica, toypop, bedroom pop, chamber pop asking why this person’s too down to look straight in his eyes while “It Goes Like This” colorfully sings about this same person potentially getting the gist of things by now.

“Make You My What” featuring kmoe after the “Celery” interlude hits the midway point of Life 1 discussing romantic commitment over some drums & strings but if I had to pick a least favorite track, the 2-parter “Regular Guy” would take the cake which is disappointing considering the themes of wanting to become a new person. After the “Gambler” interlude, “Like You Always Do” prominently employs the default Logic Pro metronome singing about a cult leader feeling targeted prior to the folk pop, chamber pop, progressive folk, chamber folk, art pop, bossa nova & breakbeat single “Baby Steps” tackles adulthood.

Dance-pop, electro, indietronica, pop rap, 2-step, art pop all collide for the 3rd single “Hell of a Time” looking at a breakup from a more introspective lens expressing that he still enjoyed the moments they spent together regardless of everything not panning out they way they hoped while “Illusion of a Choice” sings about his own experiences of battling suicide ideation & encouraging all to fight those thoughts instead of letting them consume you. “Good grief” mourns the death of someone he knew who tragically took their own life & how much his life’s changed since while “In another life…” concludes the album singing about reincarnation.

Quadeca has said Life 1 was the truest thing he’s ever made & there’s no question in my mind that it deserves the same respect the last 3 projects he’s dropped all received. His indietronica, alt-pop, art pop, bedroom pop, folktronica, alternative R&B, singer/songwriter, glitch pop, neo-psychedelia, UK bass, pop rap, lowend, drone metal, toypop, folk pop, chamber pop, progressive folk, chamber folk, bossa nova, breakbeat, dance-pop, electro & 2-step production extends his evolution with the themes of life & death being stemmed from his own experiences unlike I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tee Grizzley – “They Forgot” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper & singer/songwriter Tee Grizzley ending the month with his 7th studio LP. Originally a member of the quartet ASBH, it wouldn’t be until 2016 where he would blow up off his first solo single “First Day Out” & earned a contract with 300 Entertainment. His profile would continue to grow by dropping projects like his debut mixtape My Moment, the debut album Activated, his 2nd tape Still My Moment, the Timbaland exec-produced sophomore effort Scriptures or my personal favorite: his 3rd mixtape The Smartest. Built for Whatever, Chapters of the Trenches, Half Tee, Half Beast & Tee’s Coney Island were generally mixed, coming off the sonically diverse Post Traumatic as well as Forever My Moment & the divisively received Street Psalms to admit he feels like They Forgot.

“99 Ovrall” sets the tone of what’s to come with this underwhelming intro getting on his gangsta shit whereas “Back ina Yams” made for a more uninteresting single confessing he doesn’t like being around these dudes who force his hand. “How” doesn’t make things any better trying to figure out the reason people don’t have any sort of appreciation towards him leading into “Locked Up in Mexico” talking about those he showed the road to paying no homage to him.

Meanwhile on “Orphan”, we have Grizzley comparing all these new Detroit rappers to his children even if I feel like it’s still lacking instrumentally just before “Snow Grass Leaves” talking about coming from a place where it he your own loved ones hurting you. “Detroit Public Schools” describes being overseas for an entire month & still turning out fine in the end until “Hard Times” featuring Hurricane Wisdom ends the 1st half talking about the struggles of poverty.

“Survival Skills” commences the 2nd leg of They Forgot speaking of having the expertise of surviving out in these Motor City streets while “Grizz They Need You” responds to those saying that the city needs him to talk to them regardless of the beat not being all that exciting. “No Effort 2” for a sequel to the My Moment track of the same name feels more half-assed than it’s predecessor while “Holding On” talks about problems only getting worse whenever money’s involved.

Winding down the last few moments of They Forgot, the song “It’s a Privilege” while “Robbery 10” contains one of the weaker entries in the titular series of tracks he’s been making since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when he should most likely hang it up here. “Rain” featuring Skilla Baby produced by Coupe & Hitmaka was easily the most gratifying instrumental here sampling “Rain on Me”by Ashanti for a pop rap single while “Finally Made It” ends the full-length talking about feeling like he’s become successful.

Street Psalms felt like a significant letdown compared to a great bulk of Tee Grizzley’s output throughout the course of the decade & I wouldn’t say They Forgot about him because he still has an impressive following, but rather than the quality of his music has been beginning to decline for the past year & this newest album makes another example of that containing the most uninteresting batch of production he’s ever rapped over.

Score: 2/5

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Your Old Droog – “Bread & Butter” review

In front of us the latest studio LP & the 10th overall from Ukrainian-American lyricist Your Old Droog. Breaking out through his self-titled debut, many actually first thought he was an alter ego of Nas given that their voices are somewhat similar. He eventually became a legend in his own right off later projects such as Packs as well as It Wasn’t Even Close, TIME & the Nicholas Craven-produced YOD Wave. The 4 extended plays he gave us afterwards YOD Stewart, Yodney Dangerfield, The Yodfather & The Shining weren’t as great in my opinion yet most certainly had their highlights at the same time. Coming off Movie along with the anything’s possible & YOD Serling EPs however, he’s sticking to his Bread & Butter.

“You Know How That Girl” kicks things off reminding the world of Droog’s flawless style whereas “Brighton Beach” featuring Evidence takes a more soulful approach instrumentally suggesting all these rappers who’re nowhere near their level are better off working jobs when there’s no lies told. The title track produced by Cartune Beatz gives off a nostalgic vibe talking about artists he grew up listening to becoming fans of his until the lead single “Pavlovian Effect” featuring A-Reece & Masta Ace goes for a conscious boom bap direction.

Oddisee appears for “Thinking” so they can talk about the only time where they don’t have something in their mind being when they go to sleep at night while “I Appreciate You” ends the 1st leg with this smooth dedication to YOD’s soulmate. “Symphony” begins the 2nd half of the album with an organ-inflicted beat talking about how great his life is leading into “Therapy” admitting he’s going through the motions & still not knowing who he is as a grown man.

“Schadenfreude” hooks up this dreamy Conductor Williams instrumental including a witty bar out the gate referring to Stove God Cook$’ issues with Babygrande Records while the 2nd & final single “I Don’t Care” blends jazz rap & neo-soul thanks to Flying Lotus shrugging off what anyone says of him. “Hunter Biden” drumlessly points out those around you hiding when shit ain’t perfect only to come back once it’s smoothened out just before “Impression Control” finishes Bread & Butter dissing the soft.

Providing some comfort food for fans of 90s east coast hip hop & simultaneously making a point regarding what makes that sound so perennial, Your Old Droog returns to Nature Sounds for the first time in 4 & a half years drawing a huge bulk of Bread & Butter’s inspiration from his youth when his family would thinly spread caviar across plain bread. There are some points where I feel like the production could’ve been better, but the lyrical balance between braggadocio & reflection makes the album worth listening.

Score: 3.5/5

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Raz Fresco – “Boulangerie II” review

Pretty sure this is the 19th studio LP from Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcee/producer Raz Fresco. Someone I’ve been familiar with 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, the Cookin’ Soul produced Bakin’ Soul, the Daniel Son collab effort Northside & the DJ Muggs-produced The Eternal Now. Coming off Stadium Lo Champions & the self-produced Y = Self however, Craven’s back behind the boards for a Boulangerie sequel over a week after Priscilla Kelly ended Gisele Shaw’s inaugural reign as MLP Canadian Women’s Champion.

“Blueberry” opens up with this 91 second intro where Craven’s chopping up a soul sample & Raz’s talking about now being his time whereas “Don’t Belong” takes a more drumless approach pulling hallmark cards for a couple minutes. “The Best of Me” further embraces a chipmunk soul vibe instrumentally talking about providing the strongest version of himself as be possibly could prior to “Yesterday” featuring Blu & Cavalier soulfully finding the trio pursuing the cause of all evil.

Meanwhile on “L’ouvre”, we have Fresco over a jazzier beat with some secondary influences of chipmunk soul going within to get the truth just before “New Flavours” comes through with a vibraphone-inflicted stoner’s anthem. “Tip of My Mind” reached the midway point soulfully talking about someone who’s become a shell of their former self while “Things We Do” featuring Estee Nack gets the 2nd half of Boulangerie II going recapturing what made Gia…À La Carte so distinct.

“Golden Brown” compares his prestige to that of WWE Hall of Famer & former SMW Heavyweight Champion Jake “The Snake” Roberts leading into “Checkmate” hooks up some strings to talk about leaving bread spread across the table on some mobster type shit. “Mr. Bean” featuring Jimmie D & The 6th Letter links up so they can bring it hardcore over a synth instrumental while “Offerings” treads the chipmunks soul waters once again letting the world see how it goes around his parts.

Jimmie D & Mike Shabb both appear for the drumless “Old Port Party”, which I’d place above over “Mr. Bean” because of the way they aggressively set out to even the score while “Frogs in the Water” jazzily talks about everyone being in a different maze looking for the exit “More Colour Money” featuring Boldy James finishes Boulangerie II with 1 last chipmunk soul track where he & Boldy can discuss going from underbosses to overlords.

The original Boulangerie ranks amongst the most drumless, jazzy & lyrically abstract material Raz Fresco has recorded & this sequel 4 & a half years later dethrones Y = Self by a hair to become my new favorite album of the 2 he’s dropped in 2026. Nicholas Craven’s drumless production feels more soulful despite him still incorporating elements of jazz rap, there’s more consistency from the guests & it’s another outstanding representation of the authentic artistic exchange between Toronto & Montreal.

Score: 4.5/5

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Skyzoo – “Luxury Tax” review

Brooklyn, New York veteran Skyzoo reuniting with Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown for his 10th solo LP. Emerging in the underground off the 9th Wonder produced Cloud 9: The 3 Day High, he continued to make a name for himself with a consistent discography. Highlights include The Salvation, the !llmind produced Live from the Tape Deck, A Dream Deferred, Music for My Friends, The Easy Truth, In Celebration of Us & my personal favorite: the Pete Rock produced Retropolitan dedicated to his home state. All the Brilliant Things built itself around gentrification & The Mind of a Saint was dedicated one of my favorite shows Snowfall, coming off the Old Soul Music-backed Keep Me Company & the superior Views of a Lifetime counterpart EP to celebrate a decade of The Easy Truth with a proper sequel.

After the “Soapbox 2” intro, the opener “Abundance” kicks things off with a boom bap instrumental talking about there being no typos regarding what one’s type is whereas “Detours” keeps the dusty vibes rollin’ so he can shout out all the alternative roads he had to take “God Given” retains the traditional boom bap sound talking about his discography being stronger than it was when he began 2 decades earlier while “Keep It Close” expresses a desire of being someone this person can spend their days with.

“Table Manners” confesses to being up in here feeling like he’s got 2 plates on him & for those who have his back to stay by him just before “Learned Behavior” ends the 1st half talking about his people looking at him like an exodus & that ringing true today. “Rose Tinted” leans towards a jazzier direction instrumentally depicting a part-time trapper & activist while the crooning “Scrape the Bowl” flexes his vinyl collection could buy him a condo.

Meanwhile on “No Discounts”, we have Skyzoo soulfully talking about the prices remaining long as he’s still here while “Hear Me Out” discusses bringing everyone around him. “The Blind Spot” featuring Blu & eLZhi finds all 3 lyricists talking about being around eternally but once “Under the Lights” assures the illumination’s bright enough, “The Rearview” sends off Luxury Tax advising one can’t be afraid of the corners if they need their own bouquet of flowers.

The Easy Truth has always been one of my favorite entries in Skyzoo’s discography, so the idea of them running it back an entire decade later for Luxury Tax had me more excited than I was for some of his recent material & am overjoyed to say it’s certainly the finest album he’s made since Retropolitan. Apollo Brown’s soulful production matches the consistency of the extended play Sky gave us 9 months earlier for a cultural celebration rooted in duality & evolution.

Score: 4.5/5

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