Ghostface Killah – “Set the Tone (Guns & Roses)” review

This is the 16th full-length solo LP from New York veteran Ghostface Killah of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. One of hip hop’s most prolific storytellers & easily the most consistent member of the Clan exemplified by Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die & Sour Soul just to name a few. Ghost’s last album Ghostface Killahs in the fall of 2019 stands as one of the only few duds in his discography along with More Fish & went into his Mass Appeal Records debut Set the Tone (Guns & Roses) here hoping he would make up for that.

Wu-Block links up for the opener “6 Minutes” featuring Jim Jones jumping over a lavish instrumental giving competitors that exact amount of time whereas “Pair of Hammers” featuring Method Man works in some horns cautioning that they throw people in comas & make vegetables in the process. The self-produced “Skate Odyssey” featuring Raekwon with October London on the hook takes a smoother route overall talking about no one comparing to them, but then “Scar Tissue” featuring Nas ruggedly talks the about sun rising to break the day & lifts for a while to give us warmth.

“Kilo in the Safe” chaotically gets in his hustler bag & after the first skit, “No Face” featuring Ye or formerly known as Kanye West returns to the boom bap during the DONDA 2 sessions so both of them can talk about having the ability to take down your whole entire squadron. “Champion Sound” featuring Beniton picks up from there with a decent reggae fusion being able to tell by one’s persona that their mommas used to keep them in the house a lot when they were growing up just before “Cape Fear” featuring Fat Joe brings back the keys, kicks & snares calling themselves the finest in New York.

After the 2nd skit, “Plan B” comes with more of an atmospheric vibe instrumentally to pretty much say on wax that Ghost is done having kids at this point in his life while “Bad Bitch” featuring Ja Rule might be my least favorite song on the album coming off as a tacky pop rap ballad. “Locked In” featuring AZ gets the ball rolling once again smoothly talking about being connected for life & after the final skit, “Touch You” featuring Shaun Wiah fusees pop rap with R&B showing a romantic side to Starks once more.

“Shots” featuring Busta Rhymes & Serani mixes hip hop with dancehall resulting in an average club banger while another weak song on the album “Trap Phone” featuring Chucky Hollywood goes for a cloudier trap atmosphere asking their significant others who else loves them the way they do. After the outro skit, the bonus track “Yupp!” featuring Remy Ma was a lead single that I had mixed feelings over from the mediocre beat to the hardcore lyricism.

Wu-Tang is my favorite group of all-time & anyone who’s been following my platform long enough can back me up on it. That said. Set the Tone is only a couple steps above the previous LP we got from him 5 years ago. There are moments where the production can be commercial, but there are others where it’s sticking to the signature hardcore vibes the Wu is known for. Ghost noticeably sounds more focused than he did last time & the guests perform on his level although a couple of them are lackluster.

Score: 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Chief Keef – “Almighty So 2” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Chief Keef finally releasing his highly anticipated 5th LP after numerous delays. Rising to stardom in 2012 off his 6th mixtape Back from the Dead & the full-length debut Finally Rich, he would go on to become a progenitor for drill music popularizing it in the Windy City inspiring the likes of Lil Uzi Vert & 21 Savage or even Billie Eilish. Other standouts in Keef’s discography include Bang 2, Almighty So, Back from the Dead 2, Glotoven, 4NEM & more recently the Mike WiLL Made-It produced Dirty Nachos from a couple months ago. But when it seemed like it was never coming off, Almighty So 2 has finally seen the light of day.

“Almighty” with co-production from The Legendary Traxster is this apocalyptic opener referring to himself as a rapper’s dream & that everyone knows what he’s been through whereas the self-produced “Neph Nem” featuring Ballout & G Herbo works in a grander atmosphere going Chicago drill to flex. “Treat Myself” is a dedication to self care lighting a blunt in the morning & being himself going for a bit of a calmer approach instrumentally & after the “Jesus” skit, the song “Jesus” featuring Lil Gnar turns the aggression up calling their blicks Optimus Prime the way it transforms people’s brains.

We go into a vibrant trap vibe for “Too Trim” of course boasting about how trim he is just before “Runner” samples “Streetrunner” by Nancy Wilson telling y’all to watch your damn back because his crew be running the streets out here. “Banded Up” featuring Tierra Whack brings some bells into the fold flexing their wealth, but then the grim drill banger “Grape Trees” featuring Sexyy Red up to the party as players.

“1,2,3” flips “And I Love Her” by Bobby Womack detailing his lifestyle while “Drifting Away” pretty much talks about being zooted in addition to referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8 time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン & The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon Rey Mysterio whose son Dominik is a former 2-time NXT North American Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion mixing trap, pop rap, hyphy & Chicago drill all in 1. “Never Fly Here” featuring Quavo demands respect on their names like Lil Baby & the “Told the bitch I don’t want her pussy, the bitch proceeded to rape me” line during the first verse was an eyebrow-raising moment obviously because it’s a fucked up situation that Sosa & no other person deserve to go through.

Beginning the last leg of Almighty So 2, the majestic drill-infused “Prince Charming” addresses a woman who’s been thinking of him recently while the 7-minute “Believe” gives off a psychedelic mood altogether refusing to put on someone else if you ain’t puttin’ on your mans. “Tony Montana Flow” crosses gangsta rap & Chicago drill over one another advising not to come over to his turf cause it’s crowded unless it’s Master P or you’re ’bout it ’bout it. “I’m Tryna Sleep” ends the album passionately attempting to rest after making $1M the week previously.

Almighty So is one of my top 5 mixtapes in Chief Keef’s discography, so my expectations for it were a bit higher than Dirty Nachos earlier this year. Lo & behold, Almighty So 2 surpasses the high level of quality Chicago drill music that made his previous tape amongst his best & the most I had enjoyed from him in a while. The instrumentals are all articulately conceived, Sosa recaptures the energetic performances from the classic we got over a decade ago & we have a tight guest list similar to Dirty Nachos’.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Copywrite – “T.H.E. Last Supper” review

Copywrite is a 45 year old MC from Columbus, Ohio notable for being a member of MHz Legacy & formerly of The Weathermen. His 2001 solo debut The High Exhaulted became an underground classic, but returned at the turn of the new decade on The Life & Times of Peter Nelson. His 3rd album God Save the King has always been my 2nd favorite of his behind his debut, following that up with Murderland produced by Surock and Blood, Bath & Beyond. C just dropped his 2nd EP The High Exhaulted II couple years ago which is far superior to Ultrasound: The Rebirth & I maintained that going into his 6th full-length LP.

“2nd Coming” begins with some organs, kicks & snares so Copywrite getting in his battle shit lyrically whereas the bluesy boom bap hybrid “Bad Motherfucker” talks about being destined to be legendary. “Vibe Injection” flexes that he’s flowing through the reefer one minute & then the through the speakers the next over kicks, snares & strings that is until “Weight 4 It” produced by DJ Mighty Mi soulfully admits that he’s been low-key bored over this shit like space bar.

Swab kills it with the sampling & cuts throughout “Spanish Mambo” likening themselves to to the squad as warriors in their last days, but then “Sinatra” featuring Breeze Brewin’ brings the pair together stripping the drums on top of a Frank Sinatra sample appropriately enough paying homage to the Chairman of the Board himself. “Diamond Bukowski” featuring Bless Picasso, Nino Is & Ras Kass has this dirty jazz flip bringing it hardcore just before “Mixtapes in My Sleep” featuring Mickey Factz is a dusty tribute to the DJs.

“Green Screen” draws near the end of the album by delivering 3 minutes of pure venom with Evidence behind the boards while “Jeah 2” is the sequel to a highlight track off the Eastern Conference Records compilation Eastern Conference All-Stars III. “God Particle” talks about being airborne over an eerie sample while the jazzy “Iris” gets conscious. “Turning the Page” featuring Slug ends the LP grieving over lost ones & the pain that comes with it.

From what I understand, DJ Mighty Mi will be fully producing a new EP for C later on in the year & T.H.E. Last Supper continues the trajectory that The High Exhaulted II headed towards couple years ago. Definitely one of the best full-lengths that Copywrite has had to offer so far too. It’s denser, instrumentally on par with his last EP, heavier not too much in the feature department & Cwrite’s reignited passion continues to reveal itself.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Knocked Loose – “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To” review

Knocked Loose is a metalcore band from Louisville, Kentucky consisting of frontman Bryan Garris, lead guitarist Isaac Hale, bassist Kevin Otten, drummer Kevin Kaine & rhythm guitarist Nicko Calderon. Breaking out a decade ago off their debut EP Pop Culture, their eponymous 2nd EP followed by their last couple full-lengths Laugh Tracks & A Different Shade of Blue all received similar acclaim. Their 4th EP in 2021 however A Tear in the Fabric of Life has become amongst the best metalcore of this decade, so it raised the stakes exponentially for the band’s 3rd album.

The head-bashing metallic hardcore opener “Thirst” screaming about being sickened by a desire for change & to remove the canvas resulting in Bryan wanting to start again whereas “Piece by Piece” works in more drop-tuned guitar riffs & constant double kick drumming to make it known that the truth is something that one can absolutely not hide from. “Suffocate” featuring Poppy mixes metalcore & mathcore as they dig until they find the root that is until “Don’t Reach for Me” swaps out the mathcore undertones with beatdown hardcore taking down someone who fucked around & found out.

“Moss Covers All” talks about a house swallowing them on top of wind & rain forcing decay pulling influences from the deathcore scene while the bloodcurdlingly haunting “Take Me Home” screaming that the dark eventually finds out in the end no matter what. “Slaughterhouse 2” featuring Motionless in White frontman Chris Motionless whom I’m familiar with after MiW opened for Twiztid on top of performing for former 2-time WWE women’s world champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion & NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania XL last month is a sequel to a song off Scoring the End of the World that’s better than the original & “The Calm That Keeps You Awake” goes straight metalcore sacrificing peace to make all the voices stay out.

Nearing it’s conclusion, the lead single “Blinding Faith” dissonantly fuses metallic hardcore with tough guy hardcore & deathcore feeling haunted by a familiar spirit tackling the hypocrisy of the mean-spirited hivemind that sits at the center of numerous religious communities while “Sit & Mourn” couldn’t have been a better choice of a closer & one of the best songs in the band’s discography internally taking a look at what it is to lose & not know what to believe about where that loss leaves you.

I generally think of Between the Buried & Me, Code Orange, Converge or The Dillinger Escape Plan & when it comes to metalcore yet Knocked Loose has to be the fusion genre’s best band in recent memory. They hone in on a diverse, cohesive & savagely aggressive metallic hardcore record with additional beatdown hardcore & deathcore undertones summing up the massive strides they’ve taken during their decade-long tenure & asserts their boundless potential going forward, furthermore challenging themselves as songwriters & retaining the merciless intensity & unflinching honesty they’re known for.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Baby Money – “H.I.M. (Hustle In Me)” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper Baby Money returning 11 months after his 3rd mixtape Young N***a Old Soul 2 to release a 3rd full-length studio LP. Breaking out in the local trap scene during the COVID lockdowns off his first 2 EPs Blank Checc & Young N***a Old Soul, he would catch the attention of Quality Control Music & eventually signed with the Atlanta label introducing himself to a wider audience off his first couple albums Easy Money & New Money to mixed reception. Looking to bounce back from the less favorably received sequel to Y.N.O.S. however, I decided to give H.I.M. (Hustle In Me) a fair chance.

After the intro, the title track flexes that he drops work in your town & gives a reminder that what goes around comes around over a Detroit trap instrumental whereas “We Getting Money” talks about making the paper accompanied by bells & hi-hats. “Chances Make Champions” mixes a rubbery bass-line with strings living up to it’s name providing motivational wisdom on the lyrical front, but then “This That Typa” featuring Peezy thunderously brings the pair together discussing their preference of women.

“Turn Me Up” delves further for a tenser trap approach to the beat refusing to slow down just before “Countdown” laces some pianos & hi-hats talking about the fact that it took him a decade to be in the position he’s in currently. “Notha Level” featuring GT presents back-&-forth chemistry between both artists bringing a sinister Detroit trap flare instrumentally leading into the bouncy “Shinin’” showin’ y’all what real ice is.

Meanwhile on “Drip Check”, we have Baby Money over a sample-laced trap beat comparing & contrasting wealth & outfits prior to “Starter Kit” featuring Veeze reaching a spacey Detroit trap vibe goin’ ghost & poppin’ up to see if they miss ‘em. “I Need You” featuring Skilla Baby tells their romantic interests they’ll fly ‘em anywhere sampling soul music that is until “Wallah” clashes 808s & strings encouraging to come get the rope.

“Rapper Weed” nears the conclusion of H.I.M. (Hustle In Me) on a celebratory note talking about getting the finest kush for cheap since he already knows the plug & lastly, “Rose Gold” enlists Tee Grizzley to finish the album with 1 last Detroit trap banger shrugging off any worries about any price on top of pulling up to an all-white party in black range rovers & knowin’ that both artists are runnin’ the local trap scene in their own rights.

The last few projects Baby Money has given us ever since the Quality Control deal a couple years ago have all been incredibly average & as the first Detroit artist they’ve ever signed, it seemed to me that being under Coach K & P’s wings was a good fit in consideration of “Moncler Bubble” going viral. Either way, this is his best major label offering thus far. He sharply lets listeners inside of his hustler mentality with a mostly solid guest-list & decent Motor City trap production.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Darby O’Trill & Shaggytheairhead – “10 Bandz” review

Key Largo, Florida emcee Darby O’Trill as well as Las Vegas, Nevada producer, emcee & fashion designer Shaggytheairhead teaming up for a new collaborative LP only a month after Darby had dropped Anemoia with Chapter 17 Records founder/Psychopathic Records recording artist Ouija Macc to significant acclaim. These guys have done numerous songs with each other in the past such as “Street Trash” & “Greaper Shorts” to only name a couple, so it was really a matter of time before they took it to the next level & got together to release 10 Bandz produced by none other than Devereaux.

“It’s Dem Again” gets the ball rolling with this off-the-wall trap opener talking about both of them being back in this bitch whereas “B U L L S H I T” works in a murky backdrop & hi-hats brushing off any nonsense that people try to bring their way. “Put ‘Em in the Dump Truck” has a bouncier flare instrumentally telling everyone else to simply shut the fuck up leading into “The Box” looking to put all their opps in a coffin. “Neva Mine” menacingly looks to take your whip & bitch at the same time since they caught you lackin’, but then the morbid “Fuck Shit” talks about admittedly trying to get themselves involved in some shit.

Meanwhile on “Perpetually Drifting Through the Void”, we have Darby & Shaggy hauntingly portrays what it’s like on the other side just before “Street Trash 3” serves as the final installment in the titular trilogy that Piecemeal began and Lazy & Crazy continued. “S Q U A D” draws near the end of the LP by aggressively talking about how some would never understand since they ain’t with the shit whatsoever prior to “F.U.T.G.” (Fuck Up The Game)” closing out 10 Bands with a misty trap vibe instrumentally as both MCs set out continuing to fuck up the game.

10 Bandz marks the first collaborative project to come out on C17 where Ouija isn’t one of the 2 artists performing together, opting for the label’s only other artist currently & even giving a chance for one of their in-house producers to shine on the mic with him. Needless to say: I highly enjoyed it as much as Anemoia last month. Darby O’Trill & Shaggytheairhead have always pinged off one another excellently over the years, they’re just bringing in one of the underground’s hottest producers Devereaux to elevate their chemistry.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Conway the Machine – “S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah)” review

Buffalo, New York emcee Conway the Machine is back with his 4th LP. Blowing up in late 2015 as part of the 3 OGs of Griselda Records alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their cousin Benny the Butcher, the trio have had hip hop in a headlock ever since their arrival by their constant work ethic balancing quality & quality as well as vividly detailing their lives in the streets. Con’s full-length debut From King to a Godwas my Album of the Year for 2020 & the Shady Records-backed sophomore effort God Don’t Make Mistakes is the most personal he’s ever been. Won’t He Do It just celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary last weekend & coming fresh off the Conductor Williams-produced Conductor Machine from last winter, Won’t He Do It 2 is now being scrapped in favor of S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah).

After the “Despertar” intro, the first song “Mutty” featuring Stove God Cook$ is a dusty boom bap opener produced by Conductor Williams explaining that those who fucked with them ain’t here to talk about it whereas “Give & Give” takes the soulful route instrumentally thanks to Cool & Dre needing something to hold on to. “Milano Nights, Pt. 1” works in some pianos, kicks & snares to break down overcoming all trials & tribulations just before “Kin Xpress” featuring Larry June psychedelically strips the drums talking about being unfuckwitable.

“Meth Back!” featuring Flee Lord, Method Man & SK da King brings the quartet together returns to the boom bap thanks to Daringer talking about this being a stickup leading into “Ninja Man” going into a luxurious direction courtesy of Swizz Beatz addressing those out here who stay talking. Joey Bada$$ joins Conway for the grimy 2nd single “Vertino” with Camoflauge Monk & Sadhugold behind the boards boasting how raw they are, but then “10 / Rya” featuring Key Glock is this 2-part trap joint that Don Cannon laced talking about being on 10.

“Dasani” throws these pianos & hi-hats into the picture talking about having this bitch running while “Raw!” featuring Tech N9ne finds Cardo pulling inspiration from the Memphis scene boasting their lyrical ferocity. “Surf & Turf” featuring Ab-Soul, Jay Worthy, T.F & 2-11 brings everyone together for some jazzy gangsta shit referencing 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 Stone Cold Steve Austin while “Karimi” comes with a hazy boom bap flare talking about wanting the bread. “The Red Moon in 大阪” ends the album with climactic closer produced by The Alchemist including a bar referring to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter/pitcher 大谷翔平.

Won’t He Do It had its high points despite not being one of my favorite projects in Con’s discography, but what was supposed to a sequel tot get previous LP we got from La Maquina over a year ago makes improvements in the departments where it was lacking. The production is a mix of boom bap & trap generally, we have an interestingly versatile guest-list & the Drumwork founder passionately explains why they call him the S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah).

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Gunna – “One of Wun” review

College Park, Georgia rapper Gunna is back with the 4th studio LP in his discography. Beginning back in 2013 off his debut mixtape Hard Body. He would eventually catch the attention of local phenomenon Young Thug just 3 years later & would go on to sign to his 300 Entertainment imprint YSL Records. However it wasn’t until the release of his debut EP Drip or Drown & his 4th mixtape Drip Season 3 in late 2017 & early 2018 respectively where Gunna’s profile increased significantly. Drip or Drown 2 though was a mediocre full-length debut & W.U.N.N.A. (Wealthy Unapologetic N***a Naturally Authentic) wound up being one of the best trap albums of 2020, but the 4th & final installment of the Drip Season mixtape series aged like milk. Last summer’s A Gift & A Curse was a tad bit better, so I’m hoping that One of Wun would be his best since the sophomore effort.

“collage” gets us started with a cloudy trap opener refusing to stop floating like a ghost whenever he’s in the whip whereas the title track keeps things atmospheric talking about how they all wanted him to lose. “neck on a yacht” has to be one of my favorites on One of Wun from the Turbo instrumental to the braggadocio itself & “whatsap (wassam)” was the best single going for an orchestral trap flare to the beat talking about things getting pushed back even though shit changed.

Meanwhile on “hakuna matata”, we have Gunna psychedelically talking about coming from the bottom & that he’s worth $1M just before “prada dem” featuring Offset links the pair together with some trillwave undertones showing off their swag. “treesh” brings a colorful tone instrumentally describing bad bitches, but then “on one tonight” hooks up a calming backdrop with hi-hats from Nash of Internet Money Records talking about people hating on him for way too long.

“back in the a” kinda has this summery trap tone throughout the beat to discuss returning home while the heavenly “trio” talks about being able to go for 3 referencing the multinational automotive & clean energy company Tesla along with it’s CEO Elon Musk, who bought Twitter couple years ago. To begin the 2nd half of the LP, the cloudy trap flavored “still prevail” assures that he will always remain undefeated & on top while the otherworldly “blackjack” likens the game of life to a gamble & assuring everyone listening that money doesn’t make you legitimate.

Normani pops up for “$$$” mixing pop rap, trap & R&B talking about having the paper on their minds while “clear my rain” overall has a significantly more smoother vibe to it asking his lover if she can be his sunshine. “conscience” clashes some synths & hi-hats together interestingly reassuring everyone that he absolutely did not flip on Thug while “the time” dreamily gets confessional on the lyrical side of things.

“let it breathe” featuring Roddy Rich exuberantly talks about both of them applying pressure the hard way while “life’s changing” cloudily gets on some grown man shit subject-wise. “today i did good” spaciously tells everyone listening right now to open their 3rd eyes so they can see the clearer picture that is until “time reveals, be careful what you wish for” ends on a 2-parter by saying you should be thanking God & your loved ones.

Business is Business always stood out to me more than A Gift & A Curse since Business is Business was the closest thing that we’re gonna get to a Metro Thuggin’ album for right now, but I’ll even take it over One of Wun because what we have from him is another mediocre trap album with some pop rap elements thrown in. I maintain that Lil Baby doesn’t have a project better than Drip Season 3 or W.U.N.N.A. (Wealthy Unapologetic N***a Naturally Authentic), it just sucks that the 3 projects Gunna has given is in the last 2 years has been mid due to the production quality downgrading.

Score: 2/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Masamoon – “B.I.D.S. (Beautifully Ignorant Disrespectful Shit)” review

Masamoon is an underground hip hop supergroup consisting of Big Left, Aztek the Barfly, Billy NoJokes & Frankie Fadeless. You may remember Big Left as an original member of La Coka Nostra or perhaps Aztek the Barfly for his 3rd album Line King beginning Middle Finger Music’s dominance in the Detroit hip hop scene. Billy NoJokes just teamed up with Admiral Atlas last spring to properly introduce themselves as the MC/producer duo Billy Atlas & Frankie’s been doing singles/features for the past few years. The group made their debut on the closer “Get It” off Big Left’s comeback effort Slaughter of the Innocents, which I have now infamously called beautifully ignorant disrespectful shit. 2 & a half years later, the group recorded an entire full-length debut LP named after my breakdown of that track.

“Call ‘Em Out” is a soulful boom bap opener dropping aggressively hardcore bars for 4 straight minutes whereas “Born Killa (You Lack Damage)” works in some kicks, snares & ominous horns from Stu Bangas talking about all 4 of them being bred to be killers. Ill Bill joins Masamoon for “52 Steak” ruggedly breaks down every studio session becoming a battle of swordplay leading into a sequel to the “Shook Me” remix that was uploaded onto their YouTube channel in the fall of 2021.

Meanwhile on “Gunpowder”, we have Masamoon likening their level of lyricism to that of the titular chemical explosive over a grimy ass boom bap beat that Aztek the Barfly cooked up just before “Wasabi Wolf” keeps it dusty instrumentally thanks to Pig Pen showing off their flows. “No Answers” produced by Billy NoJokes has to be one of the most cutthroat moments on the album talking about not having the answers & that neither do y’all, but then the neck-snapping “100lbs” brings that exact amount of pain & pressure staying ready for it.

“Shadow Soldiers” goes for an eerier boom bap atmosphere talking being being the shadow soldiers themselves while “Doké” incorporates a Moog synthesizer with kicks & snares asking exactly just how many operations you’ve really seen & that you can take it to the streets or the both if you have a problem with them. “The Enemy Within (Arch Nem)” brings more of a spacious boom bap vibe talking about shooting up those talking gun shit & running while “Reveal the Snakes” leaves them busted & disgusted.

Starting the LP’s last leg, “Metaphysical Fly Shit” hops on top of a guitar sample with kicks & snares woven in so they can stay in their lane while “Ready” menacingly talks about Karma being a bitch that looks pretty damn sexy. The song “Dive Bar Dojo” aptly lives up to it’s name as a banger for everyone to get drunk to while “88 Assassins” finds the 4 delivering 1 grisly verse after another for about 3 & a half minutes. The closing track “Jimmy Conway” ends the group’s debut with 1 last boom bap cut about being taking the way of the samurai.

Chances are that if you would’ve told me a decade ago when I was on the verge of graduating high school beginning to write music reviews that at least someone out there would’ve made a whole album inspired by one of my breakdowns of their songs, I would’ve never believed you. As for Masamoon’s debut, it’s one of the grimiest LPs of this year & reveals themselves as an unstoppable force in the underground. Everything about it lyrically & in terms of production choices are all embodied by its title: B.I.D.S. (Beautifully Ignorant Disrespectful Shit).

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Kamasi Washington – “Fearless Movement” review

Los Angeles, California tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington has returned for his 5th full-length LP & his 2nd with Young Recordings. Becoming a fan during my senior year of high school after signing to Brainfeeder Records, his 3rd album albeit his only one with the label The Epic went down as the best jazz record of the century so far proving the genre isn’t dead after all by embarking on an aptly titled 3 hour spiritual jazz experience. Kamasi’s last album Heaven & Earth was also 3 hours in length, expanding on the spiritual sounds from last time including the additional influences of jazz fusion or soul jazz & post-bop too. However after a 6-year gap, he’s making a comeback on Fearless Movement.

“Lesanu” begins with a 9 & a half minute spiritual jazz opener with horns, pianos & saxophones whereas “Asha the First” by Ras & Taj Austin of the group Coast Contraaccompanied by Thundercat on the hook fuses soul jazz & jazz rap together talking about light shining from the tree along with reassuring everyone their higher selves emitting & that nobody can run from impending doom. “Computer Love” performed by Patrice Quinn covers one of Zapp’s biggest hits & I understand given the rise in technology we’ve seen in recent memory, but then “The Visionary“ serves as a colorful 70 second instrumental breather with additional production from Terrace Martin.

D Smoke & Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton link up on “Get Lit” fusing jazz rap with jazz-funk & psychedelic soul referring to themselves as children of the light in the nighttime on top of a flame not losing any light by lighting another just before “Dream State” co-produced with André 3000 gets back to the spiritual jazz fusion bag additional pulling inspiration from nu jazz, ambient music & post-minimalism. “Together” by BJ the Chicago Kid brings back the soulfully jazzy vibes from earlier singing about ruing the days his lover would gain if they didn’t break up just before the progressive lead single “The Garden Path”crosses over jazz fusion & soul jazz in a technical fashion.

“Road to Self (K.O.)” begins the last leg of Fearless Movement in the form of a 13 & a half minute electric jazz roller coaster ride that makes you feel like you’ve taken shrooms or a tab of acid moments prior while “Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)” seems like the perfect fit to have playing in the background of the beginning of a sci-fi movie, particularly during the opening credits sequence. “Lines in the Sand” nears the LP’s conclusion with another astral/soul jazz hybrid referring to the sand-lines keeping everyone so far from the dream & that they can’t tell them what to thing that is until “Prologue” perfectly rounds everything out incorporating nu jazz & jazzstep undertones into this 1 final spiritual jazz/jazz fusion composition full of passionate, improvisational energy.

Heaven & Earth further proved that jazz music is very much alive with it’s larger-than-life compositions full of celestial grandeur & his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip hop & soul breaking ground for the genre’s present like The Epic. Fearless Movement offers something different with it’s terrestrial rhythms & collaborations from MCs, musical icons & even Kamasi Washington’s own daughter culminating in surpassing both DOMi & JD Beck’s debut Not Tight and even André 3000’s solo debut New Blue Sun as the best jazz album of this decade as of me writing this. You still get the predominant spiritual jazz fusion that Kamasi is known with additional elements of soul jazz, jazz rap, nu jazz, psychedelic soul jazz & jazzstep.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!