New York underground duo Armand Hammer signing to Rhymesayers Entertainment for their 7th LP. Consisting of billy woods & Elucid, they formed together a decade ago already off their only mixtape Half Measures & the debut album Race Music. The pair would go on to release an EP & 4 more albums worth of abstract political hip hop, with the last one Haram fully produced by The Alchemist becoming the most critically acclaimed within their discography. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips quickly became the greatest musical statement in Fat Possum Records’ entire discography, reuniting with Uncle Al for the Haram sequel Mercy & switching labels from Fat Possum to Rhymesayers.
“Laraaji” comes out the gate hooking up an uncanny sample saving a reference to the late Ka’s 9th & final album The Thief Next to Jesus for billy’s verse whereas “Peshawar” trades the mic with one another over a piano talking about the technological advancements in AI with the “thou shall not make a machine in the likeness of a human” line. “Calypso Gene” embraces a jazzier vibe instrumentally using water as a metaphor for spiritual cleansing just before “Glue Traps” featuring Quelle Chris topically finds the trio addressing more economic issues.
We get some heavy pianos throughout “Scandinavia” talking about life being filtered through white curtains being stranger than the northern European subregion while “Nil by Mouth” continues to put Alchemist’s ear for sampling on full display comparing their flows to remote control lightning. “Dogeared” ends the 1st half with a drumless beat talking about their love running deep until “Crisis Phone” addresses the type of people who don’t know what it means to bleed.
“Moonbow” continues the 2nd leg of Mercy by incorporating a chipmunk soul instrumental hoping all shine through until the end of their days while “No Grabba” combines elements of boom bap & cloud rap talking about their preference of smoking weed without mixing tobacco with it. “U Know My Body” feels more like a brief billy woods solo track going on a complete massacre while “Longjohns” featuring Quelle Chris talks about seeing it all.
The 3rd & final single “California Games” featuring Earl Sweatshirt samples “Rehearse with Ornette” to continue the abstract brilliance of their previous collaborations “Falling Out the Sky” & of course “Tabula Rasa” while “Super Nintendo” wraps things up with a lead single that combines drumless, neo-psychedelia & chiptune using that very console as a metaphor for childhood memories fleeting away.
Despite being confirmed by both billy woods & Elucid that the creative processes behind Haram & Mercy were similar, you’d be disappointed to expect Armand Hammer’s debut under the triennal Rhymesayers Entertainment to sound much like it’s predecessor because that isn’t the case whatsoever. Obviously less experimental than We Buy Diabetic Test Strips was over 25 months earlier, the drumless & jazz rap influences of Haram still remain behind the revered abstract hip hop duo to test out more back-&-forth flows.
Rosalía is a 33 year old atypical pop star from Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain introducing herself in 2017 with the new flamenco full-length debut Los Ángeles. Her sophomore effort El Mal Querer under Columbia Records would catapult her into stardom for embracing a more experimental flamenco sound & Motomami conceptually built itself around the way she was feeling during the 17-month studio sessions that conceived it. Preparing for a deeply personal return, her 4th studio album & it’s only single unsurprisingly marked a stylistic change of pace.
Rosalía es una estrella del pop atípica de 33 años, originaria de Sant Cugat del Vallès, Cataluña, España, que se dio a conocer en 2017 con su primer álbum de flamenco, Los Ángeles. Su segundo trabajo, El Mal Querer, con Columbia Records, la catapultó al estrellato por adoptar un sonido flamenco más experimental, y Motomami se construyó conceptualmente en torno a cómo se sentía durante las 17 meses de sesiones de estudio en las que lo concibió. Preparándose para un regreso profundamente personal, su cuarto álbum de estudio y su único sencillo marcaron, como era de esperar, un cambio de ritmo estilístico.
“Sexo, Violencia y Llantas” starts with some strings & pianos dichotomizing the physical & spiritual worlds that we’ve all become too familiar with while “Reliquia” works in more keys & violins to sing about wanting this person to take a piece of her with them as an heirloom. “Divinize” embraces a heavy art pop sound feeling more alive than she ever has whereas “Porcelana” tells the story of a 17th century Japanese nun named 良年幻象.
«Sexo, Violencia y Llantas» comienza con unos acordes de cuerda y piano que dicotomizan los mundos físico y espiritual con los que todos estamos tan familiarizados, mientras que «Reliquia» utiliza más teclados y violines para cantar sobre el deseo de que esa persona se lleve un pedazo de ella como reliquia. «Divinize» adopta un sonido art pop pesado que la hace sentir más viva que nunca, mientras que «Porcelana» cuenta la historia de una monja japonesa del siglo XVII llamada Ryōnen Gensō.
We get an art pop/classical crossover with “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti” to conclude the 1st quarter singing about a friendship considered contemplative until the only single “Berghain” fuses those 2 previously mentioned genres with orchestral music, opera, choral & romanticism referencing the famous Berlin techno club. “La Perla” featuring Yahritza Y Su Esencia conceptually feels reminiscent of “Promesa” off RR’s eponymous debut EP leading into “Mundo Nueveo” reinterpreting “Quisiera Yo Renegar” by La Niña de los Peines to renounce the world entirely.
Con «Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti» obtenemos una mezcla de art pop y música clásica que concluye el primer cuarto, cantando sobre una amistad considerada contemplativa, hasta que el único sencillo, «Berghain», fusiona los dos géneros mencionados anteriormente con música orquestal, ópera, coros y romanticismo, haciendo referencia al famoso club techno de Berlín. «La Perla», con Yahritza Y Su Esencia, recuerda conceptualmente a «Promesa», del EP homónimo debut de RR, que da paso a «Mundo Nueveo», una reinterpretación de «Quisiera Yo Renegar», de La Niña de los Peines, para renunciar por completo al mundo.
“De Madrugá” produced by Pharrell & former G.O.O.D. Music in-house producer Noah Goldstein hooks up these violins for Rosalía to conclude the 1st half assuring that revenge’s seeking her & having 1,000 tongues of fire in her hair prior to “Dios Es un Stalker” topically stalking a man that she has her eyes on to make him fall in love with her. “La Yugular” goes bilingual singing in Spanish & Arabic promising that she’ll tear down the sky & destroy Hell for the love she has for this man while “Focu ‘Ranni” takes inspiration from Santa Rosalía de Palermo.
«De Madrugá», producida por Pharrell y el antiguo productor interno de G.O.O.D. Music, Noah Goldstein, acompaña a Rosalía con violines para concluir la primera mitad, asegurando que la venganza la busca y que tiene mil lenguas de fuego en su cabello antes de «Dios Es un Stalker», que acosa temáticamente a un hombre al que le ha echado el ojo para que se enamore de ella. «La Yugular» es una canción bilingüe, cantada en español y árabe, en la que promete que derribará el cielo y destruirá el infierno por el amor que siente por este hombre, mientras que «Focu ‘Ranni» se inspira en Santa Rosalía de Palermo.
The desire of purging all things materialistic creeps up during “Sauvignon Blanc” no longer being afraid of the past over a piano while “Jeanne” bases itself around the Joan of Arc, entrusting herself to God’s wishes. “Novia Robot” takes a jab at the men who prefer their women to be pliantly emotionless while “La Rumba del Perdón” sings about a stereotypical dad leaves for cigarettes & doesn’t come back situation without making it sound cliche.
El deseo de purgar todo lo materialista se apodera de nosotros durante «Sauvignon Blanc», en la que ya no tememos al pasado acompañados por un piano, mientras que «Jeanne» se basa en Juana de Arco, que se entrega a los designios de Dios. «Novia Robot» critica a los hombres que prefieren que sus mujeres sean dóciles y sin emociones, mientras que «La Rumba del Perdón» canta sobre la situación estereotipada de un padre que sale a comprar cigarrillos y no vuelve, sin que suene a cliché.
“Memória” featuring Carminho pushes further towards the final moments of Lux combining art pop & fudo pondering if anybody will remember who they are after enough time has passed sharing the microphone together while “Magnolias” finishes up the LP by summing up her own funeral, singing to be honored with delicacy & love when she’s not here anymore having the flowers that symbolize the presence of Christ in the deceased thrown at her grave.
«Memória», con la colaboración de Carminho, avanza hacia los momentos finales de Lux, combinando art pop y fudo, reflexionando sobre si alguien recordará quiénes son después de que haya pasado el tiempo suficiente, compartiendo el micrófono juntos, mientras que «Magnolias» cierra el LP resumiendo su propio funeral, cantando para ser honrada con delicadeza y amor cuando ya no esté aquí, con las flores que simbolizan la presencia de Cristo en los difuntos arrojadas sobre su tumba.
To enhance the classical crossover experience she was aiming for, Rosalía brought the London Symphony Orchestra in ensuring Lux would become the most universal listening experience of her career split in 4 different movements performed in 14 different languages to stick out in the divided world we’ve come to know. The production eschews the reggaeton influences of Motomami to additionally pull from orchestral music, flamenco pop & singer/songwriter for a conceptual look at her relationships both from a romantic & a religious standpoint.
Para mejorar la experiencia de fusión clásica que buscaba, Rosalía contó con la London Symphony Orchestra para garantizar que Lux se convirtiera en la experiencia auditiva más universal de su carrera, dividida en cuatro movimientos diferentes interpretados en catorce idiomas distintos para destacar en el mundo dividido que conocemos. La producción evita las influencias del reguetón de Motomami para inspirarse adicionalmente en la música orquestal, el pop flamenco y los cantautores, con el fin de ofrecer una visión conceptual de sus relaciones tanto desde un punto de vista romántico como religioso.
Score: 4.5/5
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Aaron Parks is a 42 year old pianist from Seattle, Washington making his debut in the late 90s, putting out 4 full-lengths as a leader until making his Blue Note Records solo debut the following decade with his magnum opus Invisible Cinema. He would go on to put out 9 more LPs until returning to Blue Note last summer for the final chapter of the Little Big trilogy, which marked my personal favorite installment of the 3 & his 16th album has arrived 13 months since coming back to the greatest jazz label.
“A Way” starts us off bringing bassist Ben Street, tenor saxophonist Ben Solomon & drummer Billy Hart all on board for a post-bop intro whereas the lead single “Parks Lope” shows a bit of a John Coltrane influence bringing a bluesier vibe for only a minute shorter than the opener. The 2nd single “For Maria José” serves as a compositional love letter to Aaron‘s wife that she’s surely adore prior to “Dense Phantasy” pulling inspiration from the late Bill Evans.
The song “Anywhere Together” begins the 2nd half of By Any Means!! with a post-bop jam reminiscent of the late Wayne Shorter’s early output (Juju & See No Evil in particular) while “Little River” publicly expresses the love he has for his son Lucas during the 3rd & final single. Of course I can’t for get to mention “Raincoat”, which so ends the last 6 & a half minutes on a succulent note colliding the piano & tenor sax with some cymbals.
Distancing himself from the jazz fusions that’ve defined a great deal of his output since the late 2010s or so, Aaron Parks reunites the very same trio who brought us Find the Way to embrace a rootsier post-bop approach throughout By Any Means!! as opposed to Invisible Cinema’s lenience towards the ECM style. It may even be his greatest musical statement of his career, celebrating his family & the traditions of jazz music as a whole.
Insecure Men is a neo-psychedelia duo from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of bassist Ben Romans-Hopcraft & vocalist/guitarist Saul Adamczewski. Originally a trio with Nathan Saoudi, they would go on to sign to Fat Possum Records & made their eponymous full-length studio debut in 2018 establishing themselves in the windmill scene by additionally pulling from psychedelic hypnagogic pop, returning for a sophomore effort after almost 8 years since properly introducing themselves.
The psychedelic pop intro “Love Again” sings about the horizons not always signify a new beginning whereas the 3rd & final single “Cleaning Bricks” takes inspiration from an old job they had. “Krab” feels like somewhat of a spiritual successor to “The Drones” by The Fat White Family left off their 2016 sophomore effort Songs for Our Mothers while the 2nd single “Time’s a Healer” sings about a hallucinatory narcotic dream that occurred this summer to conclude the 1st act.
“Tulse Hill Station” starts the 2nd half with an ode to the London railway station of the same name prior to the lead single “Alien” comes across as being envious that the woman of interest is seeing other dudes & feels like he’s a complete outsider to her. “Butter” asks what’s left for a person who lost their dream summer job while “Graveyard (Of Our Love)” sings about a relationship that didn’t last & the protagonist hoping he isn’t as stupid as he was. “Weak” concludes the LP with a folkier note pleading to have a hole drank inside their heads due to feebleness.
Focusing less around the hypnagogic pop elements of self-titled, A Man for All Seasons conceptually builds itself around Saul Adamczewski’s hospitalization for severe psychosis & opioid addiction sparking an entire artistic rebirth that includes 2 more albums exploring country & dub music to the fullest extent. The neo-psychedelic pop production of Insecure Men’s debut has matured greatly in the last 7 years since we’ve heard them together exemplified by some of the indie folk elements, taking a more confessionally escapist approach to the lyrics.
Port Arthur, Texas emcee & entrepreneur Bun B returning for his 7th studio LP. Coming up as 1/2 of the iconic duo UGK over 3 decade ago, he eventually released his solo debut Trill in the fall of 2005 & & began focusing towards his solo career a few months after UGK’s self-titled double album when his cohort Pimp C passed away. Bun went on to release 5 more albums, with the last one being the Cory Mo-produced Mo Trill & to which Way Mo Trill serves as an official sequel to ahead of it’s predecessor turning 4 in a few months.
“There He Go” featuring 8Ball & MJG starts with them forever staying on the grind every minute & every hour whereas the final single “Everywhere We Go” by UGK featuring Juicy J & Project Pat talks about representing the south regardless of where they’re at. “Better Believe It” featuring LaRussell co-produced by DJ Toomp pulls from gospel a bit flexing that they’re back bigger & better while “I Can’t Lie” featuring Monaleo & Scotty ATL after the “Queenie Keeping It Trill 2” skit finds the trio talking about not letting hoes ride with Ray Murray of Organized Noize handling co-production.
Killa Kyleon & Young Dro appear for the soulful lead single “Can’t Stop My Hustle” refusing to pump the brakes in terms of hustling while “Down in the South” featuring Akeem Ali & 24hrs talks about bumping country rap tunes in the ride driving around the city. Woodie Woo joins Bun in clarifying that they’re “Still Outside” & after “N****s Ain’t Right” featuring Z-Ro calls out the frauds, Jay Worthy alongside Legendary Baller & Scar get together with Bun to “Put You on Game”.
Starting the deluxe run, “Be About Some Bread” featuring Talib Kweli joins forces over sample-based trap instrumental advising to get the fuck out the game if you don’t even know how to play it when they’re absolutely correct about it while the final bonus track “Fight Music” featuring Grafh & Termanology finishes up with all 3 of them over some horns & hi-hats for a song either the WWE or the UFC divisions of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings would include in a future video game soundtrack.
Unfortunately as much as I enjoyed Mo Trill for it’s demonstration of Bun B & Cory Mo’s artistic chemistry approximately 3 & a half years earlier, I wouldn’t consider the sequel to be on par with the predecessor even though I’m very much torn coming away from it. Not because of Cory’s dirty south/trap production or the killer lyricism from the founder of II Trill Enterprises & Trill Burgers, but mainly due to the opinion that the list of guests subtly tones down in consistency.
This is the 4th studio LP from Inglewood, California emcee & songwriter Domo Genesis. Starting in mid-2009 as a member of the now defunct Odd Future collective, he’s gone on to give us 3 full-lengths accompanied by 4 mixtapes & an EP excluding the Facade Records trilogy within the last dozen years, my personal favorites of which being his debut mixtape Rolling Papers, The Alchemist-produced 3rd mixtape No Idols, the Evidence-produced debut EP Aren’t U Glad You’re U? and sophomore effort Intros, Outros & Interludes. Doms’ last album What You Don’t Get!? produced by Graymatter had a more drumless sound & coming off World Gone Mad this summer, they’re advising any & all competition to Scram!.
“Sheddingweight” begins with a delicately drumless beat talking about being paid in pounds & not needing any extra baggage whereas “Makemealilmoney” takes an orchestral route instrumentally looking to get paid. “Goodgracious” talks about time waving the long hand wondering how fast it’ll prior to “Clocking2u” featuring Evidence bodying a bare sample together.
Moving on from there, “Money” discusses the most important thing that builds his ego with a more suspenseful sound just before the calming “Dedication” talks about always staying on his feet even when he’s sleeping. “Kurtrambis” kicks off the 2nd half reminding that he’s been running up numbers & others being too afraid to call it the way it is while “Deyknow” talks about the pedigree being stronger than the complication.
“Plainface” brings some synths into the fold speaking of those trying to use his likeness while the heavenly “Tiresmoke” talks about letting bullshit breathe instead of drawing guns. “Buenosnachos” chops up a soul sample to advise that his latest efforts aren’t a tone else’s honors while “Everythingimnot” featuring 3wayslim talks about changing in many ways. “Pray4u” wraps things up with a message to a person he loves more than himself.
Finally accepting himself at face value, Scram! sorta feels like everything that makes Domo Genesis who he is combined into 1. Graymatter’s production more soulful than What You Don’t Get?! & World Gone Mad were, both guests were refreshing to hear as much as I enjoyed both predecessors for holding the fort individually & Doms pens what could very likely be the most abstract lyrics of his entire career accepting himself at face value.
Chicago, Illinois rapper & songwriter G Herbo making his Uptown Records debut with his 9th LP. Breaking out over a decade ago off his debut mixtape Welcome to Fazoland, the resulted in him earning a spot in the legendary 2016 XXL Freshman Class along with 8 full-length albums, the previous ones being the 2-disc Survivor’s Remorse & more recently Big Swerv. Almost 4 & a half years since making his Republic Records debut 25, the artist formerly known as Lil Herb had been moved over to the relaunched Uptown subsidiary so he can take it back to his origins.
“Every Night” begins with a soulful drill instrumental talking about reasonably crying nonstop when his brother passed away whereas “Reason” produced by Don Cannon made for a promising lead single flexing that he’s why people have left the block to become rich, only to return. “Longevity” finds himself feeling like no one can fuck with him although the beat doesn’t move me the same way Southside & Smatt Sertified’s on “Blitz” does, using it to show off his champion status.
We get some strings & 808s meshing with one another during “Radar” asking if anybody listening has ever lived through a nightmare leading into “Where Would I Be?” referencing No Limit Records, who whooped Cash Money Records’ asses at the Verzuz occurring at ComplexCon a couple weeks ago. “Win Again” talks about forever stickin’ to the code for a W just before “1 Chance” reaches the halfway point encouraging the world to not blow their shot.
“Emergency” featuring Wyclef Jean finds the unlikely pairing joining forces over a Turbo instrumental to talk about having bullets piercing through their hearts while “Fallen Soldiers” remembers Juice WRLD, King Von & Pop Smoke respectively. “Give It All” talks about trading the money & fame for a chance to see his brother again while “Whatever U Want” has to be one of the weaker moments of Lil Herb moderately dabbling with pop rap.
The song “Thank Me” featuring Anderson .Paak gets together over some horns sampling WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg’s historic Hollywood Walk of Fame speech right when you press play feeling grateful that neither of them went broke while “Colossal” credits staying on top of business & logistics to him going hard. “Went Legit” concludes the album telling his rags-to-riches story looking back at the days when he had nothing to his successes, but the “Lil Herb Freestyle” starts the deluxe run with that “Ether” flow.
“Ran Thru” talks about making a career out of his pain while “This n That 2” boasts that he was riding around in phantoms before he even got his driver’s license & proving the world isn’t bigger than him for the last 15 years. “Hold My Hand” makes classy usage of sampling to prefer being honest of having no love towards fake shit instead of keeping it to himself & the final bonus track “No Bap” talking about being the only one paying out the bill whenever it’s due.
Needless to say: G Herbo’s last couple of projects have ranged from being average at best to uninspired at worst, so his Uptown Records debut here seemed like he would go back to what made him so popular over a decade ago & it’s exactly what he does sure enough. The production is the most Chicago drill-oriented since possibly 25, which makes up for Survivor’s Remorse & Big Swervo’s mixed-to-negative reception due to the way they both distance from that very sound & the passion of Welcome to Fazoland has been revived in a new incarnation.
Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci finally releasing his 3rd mixtape. Starting almost a decade ago off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 19 more EPs as well as 6 full-lengths & his last couple tapes along the way. When U Wake Up, When You Go to Sleep, Baby 5 & the heavily alternative ANTI have all become his strongest material of this decade although I can’t the same for Isolation 2.5 a month after the latter. Internet Explorer was a fun redemption for himself & 5 months later, And When I’m Alone looks to keep his foot on the necks of his competition.
“Geeski” opens with an industrial hip hop intro talking about not knowing who the fuck he is anymore after coppin’ Plain Jane whereas “Earth” carries over the industrial vibes immensely sticking to the point because he can’t switch up on himself. “Life of the Party” instrumentally feels reminiscent of Indicud down to the utilization of auto-tuned vocals talking about being sociably lively while “Always Sunny” hopes his girl gives him another chance.
Austin Skinner makes the 1st of 2 guest appearances on “Pipe Down” talking about life seeming like a dream to them whenever they’re high just before “Blue in the Mouth” embraces a rage-inducing atmosphere flexing that his trap’s so crazy that he had to open up his own store. “Gangy” confesses that he isn’t trying to get out of his element anytime soon since he’s not in the usual mood leading into the 808s & Heartbreak-inspired “How Many Shots?” talks about puttin’ muhfuckas back in place.
“Talk to Me” hooks up some sampling chops boasting that a baddie has been watching him shine out here & trying to shoot her shot with him while “Smoke Break” appropriately embraces a slower direction in sound to kick off the 2nd half talking about getting high. “777 Angel Business” featuring Austin Skinner pulls from industrial hip hop once again dripped up in camo ア・ベイシング・エイプ until singing over some synthesizers that his girl wants to meet “By the Lake”.
Moving on from there, “In Sync” distortedly suggesting he better be cautious of how things are becoming all bad while “Death Note” talks about leaving anyone who pulls up on him resting with the dead. “Toonami” co-produced by Nico Baran of Internet Money Records gets reminiscent of the days watching the titular [adult swim] block of the Discovery Global subsidiary Cartoon Network while “Deep Dive” (3AM at Isabelles)” talks about the real ones always shining in the dark.
“No Molly” starts the final leg of & When I’m Alone running up his bands since he’s been grindin’ like the rent’s due while “All Me” talks about a lot being on his mind to the point where sometimes he wishes he’d pass away in his sleep, to which I say God forbid anything like that happens. “Saint Laurent Don” featuring Alois sends off BBG’s 2nd solo effort of 2025 with an outro reminiscent of the pairing’s collab EP Pastel earlier this spring while “Percs & LSD” begins the deluxe run talking about tripping off those 2 drugs specifically.
Hearing an excerpt of Malcolm X’s historic “Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?” speech sampled at the beginning of “Pray for Me” was dope confidently ready to hit a new level while “Passenger” talks about being untouchable. “Chasing the Moon” confesses to getting high because he doesn’t like the way he feels sometimes while “Cherry Red Seats” talks about being more toxic than he is lit. The final bonus track “Fear the Enemy” officially concludes with him responding to those claiming he peaked by keeping his mouth shut.
In preparation of House of Mirrors and Soda & Syrup 2 both coming within the next 52 weeks, & When I’m Alone embodies the blend of pop rap & trap that has made BigBabyGucci stick out for almost a decade. Coming off the heels of bbno$ biting him or most notably Drake on the Pusha T sneak diss “That’s Just How I Feel” off Drizzy’s upcoming 9th album Iceman, the North Carolina rapper/producer sticks to his guns except it’s more influenced by both members of KIDS SEE GHOSTS.
Buffalo, New York emcee Heem closing the Bars & Noble trilogy with his 4th LP. Catching my attention in 2020 after becoming of a protege of Benny the Butcher & signing to Black Soprano Family Records, he also made a few appearances on the label’s showcase EP prior to dropping his debut mixtape Long Story Short & a debut EP High Art. His debut album From the Cradle to the Game came in the spring of 2023, coming off the sequel to Bars & Noble earlier this year to complete the final chapter.
The title track opens up with a boom bap instrumental talking about leaving anyone running their mouths on stretchers whereas “Bonettis” featuring Illy Foo finds the 2 discussing times getting harder trying right some wrongs. “Buffalo to Bompton” featuring Figg Newton joins forces for a moderate east coast/west coast collaboration with a bit of a small g-funk influence just before “$20 Stones” gets on his hustler shit over a sample.
“Redrum” moves forward by showing off his murderous tendencies advising that people near him better run for their lives when he pulls up to the spot while “Menace to Society 2” conceptually picks up where the Long Story Short highlight left off. “Foot Steps” featuring Z Baby finds the 2 expressing their desire to get up & grind leading into “$1 & a Dream” featuring Jamal Gasol optimistically talking about their day coming.
Jae Skeese joins Heem on the song “Graceful” starting the final leg of Bars & Noble 3 with my what could most likely by my favorite feature of the 5 in my personal opinion anyways asking to pray for them while “Family Tree” talks about his upbringings sampling soul music. “Warring Ave 2” finishes the trilogy with another sequel to a Long Story Short standout telling us more stories of him growing up in that very street of his hometown.
The original Bars & Noble was a solid dedication to all of the people in his circle who’ve been around since Day 1 & it’s sequel this spring at him at his wisest, but Bars & Noble 3 compared to it’s predecessors feels like a mix of both at times although the list of guests & some of the production doesn’t interest me all that much. By no means am I saying it’s wack, I simply prefer the earlier installments above this most recent one & that’s that.
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.
Legends Will Never Die 