Big L – “Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King” review

Big L was a 24 year old MC from Harlem, New York known for his freestyling abilities & having some of the greatest punchlines in hip hop history. Making his debut under Columbia Records in the spring of 1995 with Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, the Children of the Corn & D.I.T.C. member would go on to start up his own label Flamboyant Entertainment & almost signed to Roc-A-Fella Records until he was murdered in 1999. The next summer, Rawkus Records would distribute The Big Picture (1974-1999) for Flamboyant & it would be equally beloved as the only LP of his lifetime to this very day. 139 & Lenox came out independently and RBC Records distributed The Danger Zone, but Mass Appeal Records is giving him a proper sendoff with his 5th & officially final album executive produced by Royce da 5’9 & the 5th entry of the Legend Has It series.

“Harlem Universal” featuring Herb McGruff produced by G Koop starts with a soulfully funky beat representing their hometown whereas the only single “U Ain’t Gotta Chance” featuring Nas finds the 2 talking about nobody standing a chance against them in lyrical battle. The first half of “R.H.N. (Real Harlem N****s)” is taken from one of my favorite Children of the Corn songs “Harlem Nights”, but then “Fred Samuel Playground” featuring Method Man shouts out the location of L’s mural over a Conductor Williams instrumental.

After an interlude during the first 45 seconds of “Big Lee & Reg”, we’re treated to a brief verse from Errol Holden, the luxurious beat that Lord Finesse cooks up on “All Alone” sticks out in being amongst my favorite throughout the LP talking about looking for a place to call his own while “Forever” featuring Mac Miller bittersweetly unites 2 greats who were taken from us way too soon. There’s also the “7 Minute Freestyle” featuring JAY-Z, which is still her in today as one of the greatest freestyles in the history of hip hop.

Joe Budden only provides a spoken word intro to kick off the “Doo-Wop ‘99 Freestyle” making way for L Corleone to flow all over a beat that gives me a bit of a Halloween atmosphere but after the “Don & Satcha” skit, the “Stretch & Bobbito ‘98 Freestyle” angrily promises to take competitors out their misery while “Grants Tomb ‘97 (JazzMobile)” featuring BVNGS & Joey Bada$$ historically pairs the trio to talk about the need to get back on a roll.

“Live @ Rock N Will ‘92” starts the final leg sampling some pianos flexing that people are hiding in protective custody because he can’t be fucked with while “How Will Make It? (I Won’t)” gets remixed from the Return of the Devil’s Son compilation. After the “Don & Sacha @ Inwood Hill Park” outro, the bonus track “Put the Mic Down” featuring Fergie Baby & the late Party Arty finishes L’s coda with them over a Showbiz & Ron Browz instrumental.

Although I can’t say I’m not too surprised that there are some moments throughout Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King that I’ve already heard because neither Big L or Biggie a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. had the same work ethic 2Pac had, I did enjoy this better than I thought I would. Primarily since it does the Flamboyant Entertainment CEO’s memory & legacy better than some of these compilations we’ve been getting out of his camp for the last quarter of a century, which is all I asked & could’ve hoped.

Score: 3.5/5

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Dirtcore Music – “Overkill” review

This is the 2nd showcase compilation from Grand Rapids, Michigan independent record label Dirtcore Music founded by local rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Crossworm. The latter of whom was sole artist officially signed for its first 2 decades of existence until bringing Samson Samson whom he formed Bodies Below Sea Level with, Madd Maxxx, Mumm Ra, Sleep Lyrical, J Reno whom he formed Misery Coast with & Grounds all on board. Others such as Gavyn Gunn & Oblivia have spent a brief amount of time signed to Dirtcore with Gavyn’s debut EP Malevolent being a great start to his ongoing trilogy, celebrating Devil’s Night with Overkill.

Crossworm eerily starts with a self-produced intro “Halloween Sucks” talking about him spraying mace at anyone who knocks on his door whereas “The Veil” by J Reno takes the trap route instrumentally discussing the boundary between life & death. “Mask On” by Sleep Lyrical shows a bit of a Memphis influence being in the kitchen with evil eyes every Halloween while “Agree to Disappear” by Madd Maxxx speaks to his therapist on wax.

“CR4V3 M3” by Samson Samson embraces a funky industrial direction talking about a woman who’s yearning for him just before “The Old Man” by J Reno returns to the boom bap vividly describes a house usually skipped during trick-or-treating being the only 1 in town this year. “The Warning” by Mumm Ra aggressively asks if anyone wants smoke with him because he ain’t got shit to lost leading into “The Dead Can’t Die” by Crossworm industrially talking about the undead being immortal.

Misery Coast comes off their eponymous debut EP earlier this week with the dusty “Never Woulda Guessed” confessing they didn’t imagine themselves winding up 6 feet in the ground while the horrorcore/industrial “Scream” by Samson Samson talks about making innocent victims shriek when walking in the room. “Demon Me” by Madd Maxxx & Sleep Lyrical bodies a trap beat together feeling lost out their minds while the outro “Nobody” by Grounds sends off the compilation with a metal closer kin to his debut EP Walking into Tragedy.

Dirtcore last Christmas finished 2024 with Dirtcore Music by compiling a collection of songs that’ll get the average listener who hasn’t heard of with the label familiarized with who everyone is from an artistic standpoint & a little bit as people. As far as Overkill’s concerned, they’re switching it up by having the entire roster penning songs that celebrate Samhain through a mix of styles from horrorcore & industrial music to metal & a small dosage of spoken word.

Score: 4/5

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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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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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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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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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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 ElizabitchEphorize & 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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Halle – “love?…or something like it” review

Halle is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & actress from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being 1/2 of Chloe x Halle with her older sister Chlöe. Signing to Beyoncé’s very own Columbia Records imprint Parkwood Entertainment a decade earlier, they would put out 2 full-lengths together until taking a hiatus to focus on their solo careers. Chlöe’s sophomore effort Trouble in Paradise came out 24 months ago to warmer reception than In Pieces & the time has finally come for her eldest sibling to make her official solo debut.

After the intro, the first song “overtime” truly begins with Halle singing about having men putting in extra hours & not trusting anyone because of her ex-partner DDG whereas “know bout me” featuring Glorilla takes the trap soul route instrumentally admitting that neither of them are innocent. “his type” sings about a man who makes her feel secure & on top of the world leading into “heaven” produced by Bongo asking if her new man can go to the pearly gates with her.

Mariah the Scientist appears on “alone” immediately after an interlude singing about working by themselves following the confirmation from Young Thug that Mariah recently broke up with him recently the Valentine’s Day single “back & forth” admits to liking it when her partner gets angry in light of her & DDG’s custody battle over their son Halo. Another single “braveface” reflects where she’s at in her life from a mental standpoint now that she’s a mother while “so I can feel again” by Chloe x Halle reunites the siblings for a sultry duet.

“in your hands” works in some pianos & electric guitars describing a couple with a deep connection between one another while “no warning” featuring H.E.R. sings about their enjoyment of driving their lovers crazy & making them feel afraid. “bite your lip” yearns to be held for an evening over a Dem Jointz & Blu2th beat and after “Angel” sings about the beauty of African American women on top of a Neff-U instrumental, “because I love you” finishes with an ode to the people there for her at her worst.

In the midst of her restraining order against DDG being extended to early next month, Halle’s long-awaited introduction as a solo artist cohesively tells a story of first love as well as the heartbreak & everything that comes afterwards culminating in self-discovery. Assuring that it’s perfectly normal to pour so much of yourself into someone as long as people are giving that same love back to themselves, the star of The Little Mermaid remake meshes her jazz & trap influences with R&B/pop sensibilities for the most intimate work of her career.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mike Shabb – “Fight the Power!” review

Montréal, Québec, Canada emcee, producer & engineer Mike Shabb returning with his 3rd studio LP. Coming up in the spring of 2018 off his full-length debut Northwave, he would continue to make his presence known by putting out 6 EPs & his last couple of mixtapes before gaining notoriety for engineering Boldy James’ 5th album Fair Exchange No Robbery along with producing “Switches on Everything” off Hitler Wears Hermes X & enlisting his mentor Nicholas Craven to fully produce his 5th EP Shadow Moses from top to bottom. Hood OlympicsSewaside III were both solid in their own rights, following up this spring’s Shabb Van Gogh to Fight the Power! ahead of Hood Olympics 2.

“Neighborhood Sniper!” opens with a drumless soul sample talking about sniping white supremacists whereas “Supercat!” gives his flowers to the dancehall icon of the same name. “Ol’ Dirty!” chops up a psychedelic guitar passage talking about being a completely different breed while the drumless “Kool G!” villainously discusses catching toe tags with a firearm dropping bodies 1-by-1.

Meanwhile on “World’s Mine!”, we have Shabbo passionately flexing that he’s been rockin’ mics since he was back in high school leading into the 2-parter “Lord in the Sky! + Nightmares!” talking about staying the same even after the cash flow picked up. “Tank!” blends a vocal sample & hi-hats so he can get in dumpin’ mode beyond rap just before “Crickets!” talks about staying in the bushes.

“Gotti!” starts the final leg of Fight the Power! with heavier sampling boasting that he’s validated everywhere he goes & bagging himself a stallion while “Rock Steady!” featuring 12kgotti finds the pair joining forces for an ode to the Rock Steady Crew of b-boys. The title track talks about looking to make the most out the plans he sticks to & “Terminator X” sends off the album with an instrumental outro.

Needless to say that we’re most likely gonna have to wait until 2026 for Hood Olympics 2 to come, Fight the Power! still presents itself as the most militant musical opus of Mike Shabb’s entire career. Cooking up some of his most creative batch of drumless beats yet, he takes up a good bulk of the half hour justifying that he’s the top underdog of this rap shit & he won’t ever kiss ass to be apart of “the industry” since he is his own industry.

Score: 4.5/5

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Planet Asia – “King’s Dominion” review

Celebrating the birthday of Fresno, California veteran Planet Asia with either his 27th full-length studio LP. Emerging as 1/2 of the duo Cali Agents, he would also go on to have a very successful solo career & has made a lengthy yet consistent discography for himself. This includes The Grand OpeningThe Medicine, the DJ Muggs-produced Pain LanguageAbrasions, the Apollo Brown-produced Anchovies & Sardines backed by Mello Music Group, the 38 Spesh-produced Trust the Chain & it’s sequel, the Evidence-produced Rule of 3rds and the Snowgoons-produced U.Z.I. (Universal Zeitgeist Intelligence). It’s already been 14 months since Trust the Chain II & my anticipation for King’s Dominion increased once it was announced DJ Scratch was fully producing the whole thing.

“Not Allowed” aggressively opens by talking about sucka shit not being permitted around his premises while the title track works in some strings to compare his rhymes to words sent from an angel. “Big Guns” talks about sending his shooter at anyone who speaks badly on his name & after the spoken word “Knowledge is Power” interlude, he doesn’t waste a split second “Coming for the Title” with his authenticity.

Starting the 2nd half, “You All Know” soulfully talks about possibly charging for reflections leading into “Produce a Seed Through You” chops up more soul samples & discussing wanting to knock up a Hispanic woman. “St. John’s Park” brings some rap rock undertones to the table murdering mics while Rigz & Rome Streetz appear for the closer dropping off some “Ghetto Gospel”.

Reminding the world of what a hip hop project’s supposed to sound like, Planet Asia teams up with the former disc jokey of EPMD & the Flipmode Squad for an album coinciding with celebrating the west coast lyricist turning 49 that rivals Trust the Chain II last summer. DJ Scratch’s production exemplifies why he’s considered amongst the most underappreciated beatsmith within the culture today & lyrically, the Fresno penman makes another example of his own getting sharper with time.

Score: 4.5/5

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