City Girls – “R.A.W. (Real Ass Whores)” review

The City Girls are a duo from Miami, Florida consisting of Yung Miami & JT. Both of whom have put out 2 full-lengths & a mixtape under Quality Control Music throughout the past 6 years to mixed reception. JT would go on to become Lil Uzi Vert’s girlfriend with Yung Miami having a child with Southside & recently breaking up with Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy at the beginning of 2023. Nonetheless, the singles they’ve releasing leading up to their 3rd & final LP have actually been some of their best songs ever namely the improved production choices that their previous material lacked.

After the intro, the first song “Piñata” is a industrial no melody trap opener produced by Southsidetalking about how their significant others wanna hit it whereas “Static” featuring Lil Durk works in some pianos & hi-hats thanks to Tay Keith telling dirty bitches not to worry about them at all. “No Bars” by JT fuses hyphy with crunk & mobb music kickin’ it off top solo dolo just before “Line Up” pulls from ratchet music getting raunchy of course.

“Show Me the Money” gives me a bit of a Miami bass vibe instrumentally talking about the dollars leading into the pop rap ballad “Emotions” featuring Muni Long pleading not to let them fall in love for nothing when it’s all said & done. “Fancy Ass Bitch” featuring Juicy J samples “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” by UGK & OutKast showing off how fancy both of them are, but then “Good Love”featuring Usher draws inspiration from Atlanta bass detailing being freaked in the city.

The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” sample throughout the pointlessly minute & a half “Work for It” is ok even though the braggadocious lyrics are cool while “I Need a Thug” picks things back up from the bounce undertones that 30 Roc cooks up to the “I Need Love” interpolation looking to get with thugs. “Flashy” featuring Kim Petras dabbles with nu disco describing their ostentatious lifestyles while “Wigs” is a decent ode to the amount of wigs they own.

“Face Down” finds Mike WiLL Made-It cooking up an off-the-wall beat blending hyphy & ratchet music so Miami & JT look to be slutted out while the rubbery “What You Want” produced by Hitmaka & OG Parker talking about their lovers always getting them what they want. “Tonight” goes for a futuristic approach looking to do it all night while “Survive” hooks up a soul sample & hi-hats getting more personal. To close the album however, “Fuck the D to the A” ends things with a Detroit trap instrumental from Helluva bringing it hardcore.

You know I’ve never been big into the City Girls’ past material, but I gotta say that R.A.W. (Real Ass Whores) lived up to my expectations as the most well-crafted body of work in their discography. It’s refreshing to hear their production choices being stepped up with a variety of different sounds, the feature-list is tight & both of them delivering solid performances of their own. Pretty good note to end on for them as they embark on their solo careers.

Score: 3.5/5

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Naomi Sharon – “Obsidian” review

Naomi Sharon is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands who started out in 2018 with her debut single “Breeze”. She would go on to release 4 more singles until Toronto superstar Drake made her the newest signee to OVO Sound this past summer. So after building up some hype for this full-length debut LP over here in the form of a couple singles, we’re getting a proper introduction to her a couple weeks after For All the Dogs became the best thing Drizzy has done since 2015.

“Definition of Love” is a great opener drawing from sophisti-pop, alternative R&B, afrobeats & UK bass singing that her partner is exactly that whereas “If This Is Love” works in a smooth soul instrumental singing about this man’s beauty becoming strange to her. “Another Life” fuses alternative R&B with ambient house, ambient pop, downtempo & afro house confessing that her heart is aching even though she promised herself that she wouldn’t break it leading into the acoustic “Myrrh” passionately sings about an anciеnt love filling the room.

40’s production on maybe my favorite track here “Celestial” is absolutely dreamy with Naomi on top of it telling the person that she’s no longer seeing that she actually still adores him just before the moody, afro house infused “Time & Trust” advises that the 2 things don’t mix. “Push” featuring Omah Lay is an afrobeats duet with both singers tackling themes of intimacy, but then “Holding in Place” has a bit of a wavy chilled out EDM influence to the beat singing about times like this not lasting forever & doing the best she can to keep the most important person in her life with her.

“Extacy” discusses losing empathy & parts of her are already starting to move on over a luscious instrumental while the cavernously produced “Lucid Dreamer” explains that there’s no luxury worth living. “Regardless” assures this guy that she’ll stick around even if she’s brokenhearted accompanied by some acoustics & after the “If This Is Love” outro, the bonus track “Hills” truly ends Naomi’s debut album with a tropical vibe singing about having a dude loving love that wasn’t for them.

Starting the deluxe run officially, “Nothing Sweeter” balances between contemporary R&B & neo-soul with a hint of singer/songwriter explaining that nothing else hits different for her than the first kiss from the love of her live while “Goodbyes (Myrrh)” experiments with deep house & garage house with the help of DJ Snake for a reimagined successor to “Myrrh” & one that I find myself enjoying significantly compared to the original version of it.

OVO as a label generally tends to be mid in what they have to offer alternative R&B alongside trap & pop rap, but I can definitely see why Drake signed Naomi Sharon to begin & am interested in hearing her blossom artistically going forward. She incorporates elements of afrobeats, downtempo, sophisti-pop & afro house into the PBR&B sound that October’s Very Own specializes in with an additionally clear Sade influence.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “Breath of Fresh Air” review

Gucci Mane is a 43 year old rapper, record executive & entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s last solo effort Ice Daddy in 2021 was a solid commemoration to fatherhood & he’s looking to return in the form of his 16th album following former 5-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, former PWG World Champion & WWE’s Director of Live Events Adam Pearce’s first night as the GM of the Monday Night RAW brand on USA Network.

“Must Be Me” is a soulful, jazzy trap opener talking about how he’s seeing something that everyone else doesn’t whereas “Bluffin’” featuring Lil Baby hooks up these synthesizers & hi-hats together so both of them can call for some of these people out here to throw their hand in & stop all that cap. “Thank Me” featuring the late Young Dolph gives off a manic atmosphere musically boasting they got blue cheese in their pockets leading into “Trap Money” with underwhelming features from Li Rye & Sett hopping over a classy sample & more hi-hats flexing that they still got paper from their hustling days.

Dolph returns for the rubbery “Pretty Girls” produced by Mike WiLL Made-It showing off all the baddies that they have surrounding them just before “Glizock & Wizop” featuring Key Glock happens to be a decent introduction to the titular trio of the same name from the synth-woven trap beat to the boastfully icy lyrics. “Internet Chatter” makes it known that he isn’t phased by all the things they say about him online accompanied by a minimal trap sound that Dez Wright & Murda Beatz cooked up just before the shimmery “Talkin to the Streets” featuring Mac Critter drops off decent braggadocio.

“There I Go” featuring J. Cole has these cavernous undertones to the beat that Mike WiLL brings to the table here knowing that the hoes jump out the gym for both of them while “Mr. & Ms. Perfect” feels like a spiritual successor to a highlight off Wop’s 8th mixtape Mr. Perfect over 15 years ago. “I Know” vigorously produced by Tay Keith declares his awareness off how much it hurts people knowing he’s doing well while the piano-driven “Stomach Grumbling” ends the first half of the LP explaining that they want to be him despite the difficulty of doing so.

To start the 2nd leg, “Business Not Personal” gives off a theatrical edge instrumentally advising not to get emotional over any business matters as it has nothing to do with you personally while the cloudy “King Snipe”featuring Kodak Black & Richie Souf talks about being real from the jump. “06 Gucci” featuring DaBaby & 21 Savage finds the trio paying homage to Chicken Talk/Hard to Kill-era Gucci delving into the gangsta lifestyle accompanied by strings & hi-hats while the spacious “Pissy” featuring Nardo Wick & Roddy Ricch shows off their yellow gold.

The organ/trap hybrid that Zaytoven gives “Say No Mo” is interestingly distinct talking about not wanting to hear another word from anyone that doesn’t want to talk money while the fittingly lavish “Married with Millions” details the life of having a family as a millionaire. “Woppenheimer” goes for a suspenseful vibe pointing out that people like bringin’ up the past talkin’ recently while “Now It’s Real” talks about life being as beautiful as Pharrell & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg over keys & hi-hats.

“Broken Hearted” airily asks if anyone can cure the heartbreak that he’s experiencing while “Hurt People” remains in trillwave turf once more uniquely examining why everyone likes to cause harm to one another in our daily lives. “By the Water” sees Zaytoven lacing Wop with a synth-trap beat expressing for his desire to cop a house that has an ocean view & the closer “Big Boy Diamonds” is taken from WOPTOBER II. Better than “King Snipe” but much like “Mr. & Mrs. Perfect”, it’s an older cut that has no purpose of reappearing here.

I was interested in hearing that Breath of Fresh Air was going to be a double-disc LP considering the World War 3 mixtape that celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary over the summer happens to be one of my favorite projects from the trap pioneer. With that said: It’s not as solid as Ice Daddy was over 2 & a half years ago. Although I like that he took a different direction with it after the deaths & incarcerations of some of his friends, the production is a mixed bag & a few features punch under their weight other than a couple older tracks being rehashed.

Score: 3/5

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The Streets – “The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light” review

Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom rapper, singer/songwriter, musician & producer Mike Skinner a.k.a. The Streets has returned with his 6th full-length album & over a decade since his last one Computers & Blues. His debut Original Pirate Material is widely considered to be a landmark recording in the UK hip hop scene with the follow-up $1K Don’t Come for Free also receiving acclaim, but his output under the Streets moniker since has been hit or miss. So when it was announced that he was returning after putting out the below average mixtape None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, I went into The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light a little optimistic.

“Too Much Yayo” is a boring house rap opener to start the LP asking why he never learns backed by a blobby electronic instrumental whereas “Money Isn’t Everything” works in some synthesizers & hi-hats so Mike can talk about how wealth really isn’t your whole world. “Walk of Shame” jangly tells everyone what exactly his daily commute happens to be leading into “Something to Hide” is literally recycled from the previous album that Mike had dropped a decade prior. It’s not bad, just feels lazy to put it on another record.

However, “Shake Hands with Shadows” blends UK drill with cloud rap admitting that he doesn’t see it as really anybody’s business but his own before the hip house infused “Not a Good Idea” talking about the Devil himself being on his shoulders. “Bright Sunny Day” has a feel-good vibe to the beat looking forward to another positivity-filled day ahead, but then the title track confesses to feeling reincarnated since this disaster started ripping off Doop a little bit.

“Funny Dream” wonkily opens up about a dream that he had that made him change the way he feels while the sonically terrifying “Gonna Hurt When This Is Over” pointing out that everything’s in slow motion for him personally. “Kick the Can” advises that the road to success is always under construction with a playful instrumental while the mediocre final single “Each Day Gives” mixes these strings & hi-hats reminding that every new day has no mistakes in it.

The song “Someone Else’s Tune” talks about someone Mike’s known for so long that he can rely on their memory over another hip house beat prior to the drum & bass inspired “Troubled Waters” provides a profound message to those who be in the struggle right now including Mike himself. “Good Old Daze” warmly ties up The Streets’ decade plus return talking to those who think the future is not what it used to be.

If anyone thinks the None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive tape is the worst thing that Mike’s ever done, I’m pretty sure that The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light just took over that spot. The production’s more centered around house/wonky music in contrast to the UK Garage sound that The Streets is known for, it’s really Mike’s performances on here that leave little to be desired which is a huge shame since how much I’ll always love his first 2 albums.

Score: 2/5

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DJ Oreeyo – “Freshman Year” review

DJ Oreeyo is a 15 year old MC/producer/DJ from Detroit, Michigan who happens to be the son of local veteran & Middle Finger Music recording artist Fatt Father previously of the world famous Fat Killahz. He eventually followed his dad’s footsteps by making music himself, properly introducing himself last summer by dropping a debut single. Now that it’s been only 14 months since then, everything makes sense for Oreeyo to returning on Friday the 13th in an effort to bring his musical introduction to the world to next level by releasing a full-length debut LP.

“Bell Work” is a drumless, stripped back opener looking back on the days when he didn’t know how to cook in the lab & having the hang of it at this point whereas “O.M.W. (On My Way)” dives into trap territory talking about getting the paycheck & a chick who wants him bad. After the spoken word “Peddling Purpose” interlude, “Good Day” gives off a warmer feeling having a positive feeling on how today’s gonna go just before “All My Life” talks about how there ain’t no slipping over a cloudy beat with some hi-hats.

Fatts shows up with his son for “TBT 1” pulls more from the Detroit trap scene stylistically showing off their Ws leading into the piano-driven “Grind” melodically talking about the hustle that never ends. “New Life” draws near the end of the album by mixing these guitar kicks on top of hi-hats needing peace & after the “Mama’s Note” skit, “Head Up” wraps up the album on the atmospheric tip showing optimism in the midst of hardships.

We’ve heard Oreeyo with his pops in the past, so it only made sense for him to cook up an entire project by himself & Freshman Year gives us a glimpse at the potential he has because there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s only gonna evolve artistically as time goes on. His production’s more rooted in the trap sound compared to the dusty boom bap Fatt Father is known for, but his songwriting isn’t too bad for his age at all & certainly shows passion in his delivery.

Score: 3.5/5

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Smiff – “Virginia Native” review

Roanoke, Virginia emcee Smiff is returning with a 3rd full-length effort. Properly introducing myself in the summer of 2018 off his debut To Whom It May Concern, he would follow this up 3 years later by releasing Flowers & is now returning to provide the listener a better look at who he is both artistically & personally as a Virginia Native even though he’s now based in our nation’s capital.

“Purgatory” starts the LP on a cloudy note talking about the city where young homies get clapped up whereas “Fallin’” works in a sample heavier sound looking to take a leap of faith. “Early Morning” takes a soulful approach instrumentally admitting that he’s coming fresh off the late night even though he gets up early regardless, but then the triumphant “Back in My Mode” hooks up another soul flip except this time they’re swapping out the kicks & snares for hi-hats getting back in his element.

To close out the first half of the album, “Hazard Pay” featuring Richie Rich shoots for a groovier vibe with the beat reminding that what goes up must come down leading into “Hell Raiser” featuring 4Lo Drilla starting the 2nd leg over a slowly morbid instrumental advising to keep a heater around you if you don’t have family that supports you. “Find My Way” says it all topically accompanied by airy production just before the cloudy” I Promise” featuring Jabb refuses to stop.

“Ode to My City” featuring Heroux nears the end of the album by paying homage to Roanoke backed by a woozy trap beat & as for the title title track that ends the album, we have Smiff on top of a boom bap instrumental so he can take pride in being a product in the titular state fittingly wrapping it all up on a sincerely heartfelt moment.

Virginia Native marks a moment of reflection for Smiff acknowledging his promise, maturity & healthy progress toward his ambitions because the growth compared to the first album is noteworthy. Tight feature list, improved production & you get a more introspective side of Smiff compared to the debut.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ken Carson – “A Great Chaos” review

Ken Carson is a 23 year old recording artist from Atlanta, Georgia breaking out in the SoundCloud scene & becoming a protege of local trailblazer Playboi Carti as one of the first artists to sign to the latter’s newly founded Opium Records. He would go on to drop a total of 5 EPs prior to his full-length debut Project X couple summers back & coming off the mature sophomore effort X over a year ago already which Anthony Fantano infamously gave a 0. However to commemorate Friday the 13th being in October this year, Ken’s unleashing his 3rd full-length LP.

“green room” is a rage-inducing highlight produced by F1LTHY of Working on Dying to start everything off calling out half of these motherfuckers out here that ain’t never seen shit whereas “jennifer’s body” talking about his bitch being a hottie interpolating “Good Riddance” by Green Day over some hi-hats & fuzzy synths. “fighting my demons” keeps it rolling with a hypertrap, cloudy 2-parter from Outtatown smokin’ on kush & looking to triumph mentally, but then “singapore” featuring Destroy Lonely keeps the rage beats in tact flexing in the titular country.

Meanwhile, “lose it” goes for a bombastic approach instrumentally confesses that he feels like he’s going to snap at any moment leading into “hardcore” talking about going gore on top of this set of booming sub-bass & hi-hats. “Me n My Kup” gives off a psychedelically vibrant atmosphere making it known he’s the only one up in here with his cup by his side just before the shrilling trap banger “it’s over” talks about his pants falling because of carrying too many racks on him.

Lone returns alongside Lil Uzi Vert for “Like This” jumping over a futuristic instrumental with some hi-hats showing y’all how lit it can get while “succubus” goes for a distorted sound courtesy of a returning F1LTHY behind the boards talking about a bitch he knows that’s going straight to Hell without a doubt in his mind. “Paranoid” featuring Destroy Lonely wipes “singapore” from F1LTHY’s rage beat to discuss the paranoia that both of them face while the glitchy “pots” talks about curving someone’s girl until he saw the way she twerk.

“overtime” continues to scathingly diss those who be frontin’ that they killed people or having swag when they never did over some rattling hi-hats while “vampire hour” takes a cloudier approach sonically dedicating this one to all the vamps that’ve been in the building. “nightcore” perfectly lives up to it’s starting off with a nocturnal trap beat clarifying they ain’t shooting shit like Julius Randle, but the 2nd half has a cavernous tone to the instrumental talking about the way she move.

If you couldn’t already tell by the title of “rockstar lifestyle”, we have Ken giving everyone a look into how he’s living these days promising to never sell his soul whatsoever over a rubbery trap beat prior to the pop rap/rage hybrid “i need u” serving to be a good choice for a single & a closer exhibiting his unrequited love for his girl on top of continuing to brag about his lifestyle for the last time.

“loading” starts the deluxe run on some plugg shit to talk about the only thing he fears of is having his heart broken while “more chaos” keeps the icy synths & hi-hats in tact continuing the chaos. “toxic” has more of a hypertrap approach to talk about an evil bitch while the rage-inducing “leather jacket” likens himself to a biker. “mewtwo” jumps over synthesizers & hi-hats comparing his girl to the titular Pokémon while “s.s. (sydney sweeney)” energetically pays tribute to the titular actress. The glitching “overseas” serves as the final bonus track talking about beatin’ muhfuckas like Creed.

I’ve maintained that Lone is the most versatile Opium signing out of the 3 acts that Carti’s taken under his wing, but A Great Chaos happens to be an improvement over X as solid as that previous album was compared to his debut for it’s maturity. The production expands on the signature hypertrap sound that he’s made himself known for & another favorite thing about it for me is the simple fact that it’s significantly more darker than the previous LP was.

Score: 3.5/5

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O.T. the Real – “Zombie” review

This is the 5th full-length LP from Philadelphia emcee O.T. the Real. Starting up in 2016 after coming home from prison & dropping his debut single “Papercuts”, his profile began to grow from there after showcasing his skills on radio stations as well as his a discography currently consisting of 4 albums accompanied by a mixtape & 7 EPs up to this point. Standouts include the Heatmakerz-produced 3rd EP The Irishman, the DJ Green Lantern-produced 3rd album Broken Glass that dropped on my 25th birthday & his previous LP the Statik Selektah produced Maxed Out. I haven’t covered his music since then but he’s dropped his debut mixtape No Matter What & a total of 3 EPs: Desperation of December, It’s Almost Over & Red Summer. All of which were hit or miss for me personally so when it was announced that O.T. was finally signing to Black Soprano Family Records/MNRK Music Group & enlisting araabMUZIK to fully prelude his debut for the Buffalo indie label Zombie, it raised my expectations significantly.

“If They Coulda, They Woulda” is a rugged 103 second boom bap opener having all the perfect samples of the dope that he be producing whereas “Turning Stones” shifts gears into trap territory dedicating this to all his homies who got it their own way. “The Crown” featuring an opening verse from Benny the Butcher & Elcamino on the hook lavishly talks about wearing the titular object on their rollies leading into the spacey trap flavored “Strong Survive” talking about only those who have strength will prosper.

Conway the Machine slides through on the jazzy “Just Different” cautioning that it ain’t the same when it’s you being the one to come & get, but then “Certain Things” featuring 38 Spesh addresses specific topics that they don’t even talk about over an eerie loop hooked up with these kicks & snares. “Ice Baby” takes a groovier route instrumentally working in some hi-hats too showing how he hits it with the ice just before “Blood Stains” featuring Rome Streetz drearily returns to the boom bap talking about having to wash the streets to remove the stains from it.

“Whole Shabang” featuring Amir Ali is an alluring trap start to the final leg of the LP comparing this music shit to the coke exchange prior to the trillwave-inducing “Anemic” featuring LIHTZ talking about how homie only had 1 life & he played with it rather than just staying with it. “JJ Reddick” picks things up comparing himself to the Orlando Magic player of the same name over a glamorous boom bap beat that is until “Fade Away” ends O.T.’s debut with B$F on a dreary note with kicks & snares talking about how you never know when death’s gonna aim your way.

As someone who started following O.T. about 2 & a half years ago when The Irishmen dropped, Zombie is his strongest project since Maxed Out & easily one of the best to come out of the Black Soprano Family camp this year as he is a more than welcoming addition to the roster. araabMUZIK’s production is noticeably more consistent than the mixtape & trilogy of EPs we’ve gotten from O.T. in the last couple years as they go down to the streets with one another to match their intensity.

Score: 4/5

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MIKE – “Burning Desire” review

This is the 5th full-length LP from Livingston, New Jersey emcee & 10k Global founder MIKE. Breaking out in 2015 off his debut mixtape Winter New York, he would continue to make a name for himself by churning out 4 more tapes as well as his previous 4 albums & 8 EPs full of amongst the finest abstract hip hop that you’ll hear within the last decade. Standouts include May God Bless Your Hustle, War in My Pen & even the collab effort with Wiki from last month Faith is a Rock entirely produced by The Alchemist. So considering the latter, I was highly looking forward to Burning Desire.

After the “Intro with Klein”, the first song “Dambe” truly sets off the album with a cloudily self-produced instrumental dreaming of taking over the city much like one of the greatest movies of all-time Scarface whereas “Zap!” works in a glossier sound so dude can show off his hypnotizing aura. “African Sex Freak Fantasy” goes into industrial turf for about 75 seconds talking about how there ain’t nothing like him talking tough on some g shit that us until “Snake Charms” hooks up a soul sample discussing the loneliness he feels after being unable to glow where he fit it.

Earl Sweatshirt’s guest appearance on “Plz Don’t Cut My Wings” is my favorite off the LP as they hop on top of a symphonic beat to pleading to not have their wings cut off at all but then after the “Real Love” interlude, “U Think Maybe?” fuses elements of soul & jazz getting on the romantic side of things conceptually. “Zombie” returns to the cloudy boom bap telling everyone that you can imitate his still even though they’ll never thank him for it, but then “Set the Mood” gives off a psychedelic edge to the beat getting the fun started.

“Billboards” has these incredible guitar licks throughout the instrumental talking about seeing how it is now that he’s made it to the charts these days hanging out with some bigger names while “‘98” dives back into jazz rap turf boasting that eyes stay dilated because of the za that he blazes. “Do You Believe?” though gives off a hazier sound declaring himself to be the outlet & that he be around while the title track gives off a mellower vibe musically looking back on those who used to say he was buggin’ & seein’ numbers now.

To start the 2nd leg album of the album, “They Don’t Stop in the Rain” gives off a warmer feeling to the beat talking about how people tried to switch up on him & betray him while “Baby Jesus” flips another soul cut calling out idle minds turning into demons after running around for a significant amount of time. “Ho-Rizin’” brings back the synths telling everyone of the kinda women he has while “Mussel Beach” featuring El Cousteau & Niontay cinematically talking about his heart broken realizing she only loved him for the paper.

“16s” has this melodic vocal loop staying yo to write verses nonstop & after the “Should Be!” interlude, the piano-driven “What U Say U Are” talking about how he needs to take a deep breath. Larry June has my 2nd favorite feature on the album with “Golden Hour” over a high-pitched flip both spitting charismatically. After the “Playtime” interlude, “Have a Ball” ends the LP in a bluesy fashion saying he doesn’t need to decide when not fighting fair.

Now for those of you who’re new to MIKE coming fresh off Faith is a Rock, then there’s no doubt that you’ll come away from Burning Desire enjoying it as much if not more than that collaborative album we just got from him a month ago. He covers some new themes in the conscious abstract fashion that he’s known for with his production refining his experimental hip hop, jazz rap & cloud rap styles by incorporating elements of hypnagogic pop & even vaporwave.

Score: 4.5/5

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BigBabyGucci – “When U Wake Up” review

This is the 3rd full-length LP from Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci. Getting his start in the summer of 2016 off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 18 more EPs as well as his last couple albums & a mixtape along the way. But coming off both his last tape Homesick & the sophomore LP Colors during the first quarter of the year, BigBabyGucci’s returning in time for Friday the 13th to drop When U Wake Up almost a month after Je’Von Evans became the youngest DPW Worlds Champion.

“Stargaze (Maniac)” is an electro hop opener à la Ye or formerly known as Kanye West asking if he’s crazy as fuck comparing his cougar to the late WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 2-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 2-time ECW World Television Champion, IWA World Champion & AAA Mundial Parejas Campeon Eddie Guerrero whereas “No Favors” works in some pianos & hi-hats talking about being unable to do any sort of favor for anyone. “Drug Bender” goes into psychedelic trap territory to give those who like to get a little too fucked up something to vibe to, but then “Feel This Way” triumphantly admits to everyone listening that he truthfully hasn’t felt the way he does in quite a minute.

Continuing forward, “Pecan Pie” blends these horns & hi-hats looking back on the days when he used to have to rob just to get by & make it through the struggle alive leading into “Early Bird” draws from 808s & Heartbreak for an electropop ballad about talking about how he can’t trust anyone yet he never learns. “Kapitol” weaves these pianos & hi-hats for an 85 second cut repping the titular clothing brand just before the synth-laced trap “Like I’m Famous” talking about the way this chick treats him.

“Ken Doll” goes for a bassy, atmospheric approach asking this Barbie if she genuinely hates him while the wavy “Seance” talking about he how he just had to lay someone down really badly because he was snitching to the feds. “The Brand” hooks to a somber loop & hi-hats discussing the fact that people be spending all the money they have not saving any for themselves in the end at all while “Midnite” gives off a jazzier edge to the beat interestingly talking about being high late at night.

On the other hand, “Product of a Playa” gives off a rage-inducing vibe instrumentally telling what it’s like to be an artifact of a hustler while “The Rush Before the Fall” dives back into the electro hop sound talking about being unable to miss his shot if he were to take it. “Bombay” intoxicatingly describes this chick wanting a night off while “Codeine Love” is an energizing dedication to sippin’ lean in the midst of partying out with others.

“The Madness” happens to be the last before the closer nearing the end of the album hopping on top of a cloudy ass beat talking about being so high that he’s looking over at the insanity & to close out the LP, it’s only feature Sik-K joins BBG for “Graveyard” wrapping it all up on eerie dark synth hop note providing some wicked imagery appropriately since it’s Friday the 13th & Halloween’s coming up.

I’ve been hearing about dude since this past spring when Colors & I can definitely see why people have been telling me to check him out because I enjoyed When U Wake Up as an album. He’s incredibly versatile primarily basing himself in the pop rap/trap styles with an clearly obvious Kanye influence & some rage undertones with catchy songwriting/performances.

Score: 3.5/5

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