Kota the Friend – “To See a Sunset” review

This is the 9th full-length album from Brooklyn emcee Kota the Friend. Breaking out in 2016 off his debut EP Palm Tree Liquor, he would go on to follow it up with 2 more EPs before dropping his debut album FOTO in 2019. Kota has since dropped 7 more under his belt, with my favorite To Kill a Sunrise fully produced by Statik Selektah celebrating it’s 2 year anniversary just last weekend. So with that in mind, he & the established Boston producer are reuniting To See a Sunset.

“High Noon” is a warm, soulful boom bap opener to the album looking back on the people praying on his decimation & Kota’s current view being tropical whereas “Real Ones” works in some bluesy guitars, strings, kicks & snares talking about life being good. “Elevator” takes a jazzier approach as he makes it clear that he ain’t got time for no dumb motherfucker prior to “Go Brooklyn” is an atmospheric boom bap cut representing his hometown.

Moving on to “Maybe So”, we have Statik bringing back the jazz as Kota talks about staying ahead of things just before “1 Life” laces some pianos so he can encourage everyone to do it right with the short time we have here. “Valleys” has a more lavish approach telling listeners everything’s gonna be ok & you’re gonna make it leading into the wavy pop rap ballad “Eye See U” addressing fakes. The penultimate track “Free Not Woke” brings back the blues guitars as Kota speaks on doing as you please & “Thank You” is an appropriate victory lap from the peppy beat to the gracious lyrics.

Truthfully, the last 3 albums that Kota’s dropped since I’ve last covered his music were all average at best respectively & To See a Sunset reveals itself to be a more than worthy sequel to what I consider to be the crown jewel of his discography. Statik’s production is as rich as it was on the predecessor except it’s jazzier as the theme turning your dream into a reality & being present with the realization that you’re living your best life is inspiring.

Score: 4.5/5

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Navy Blue – “Ways of Knowing” review

Navy Blue is a 26 year old skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model from Brooklyn, New York who came up in 2015 off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer. He has since continued to turn heads in the underground scene by dropping 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings about a month ago. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time until he dropped his 7th album albeit major label debut fully produced by Budgie.

“The Medium” is a drumless opener with some pianos & choir vocals as Navy admitting that learning patience has made sense for him as of late whereas “Chosen” has a more abstract, jazzy approach to it talking about being a prodigy. “The One” seeks eternal love with a silky yet sensual beat until “To Fall in Love” takes a more tropical route instrumentally talking about fucking up a real blessing like his significant other.

Zeroh comes into the picture on “Life’s Terms” to let it be known that all it takes for them just to be in love & that simply being the way it goes just before “Phases” dives into more soulful turf talking about being unable to stay the same with gratitude & living day to day. “Kill Switch” has a more dejecting sound to it as Navy acknowledges that he ain’t self righteous leading into the Kelly Moonstone-assisted “Window to the Soul” declaring themselves as ballroom stars returning to the boom bap.

“Freehold” opens up about despising his opponents & being unable to do this shit by his lonely on top of a slow yet syrupy beat while “Embers” with Liv.e delivers some jazzy piano chords as they talk about where they wanna be in life. The song “Pillars” is wavy ode to his family while the groovy penultimate track “Look in My Eyes” talks about seeing the pain he’s lived through. “Shadow’s Shield” however comes through with a drumless closer being unable to complain & thinking that everything will be straight in the end.

Between this & Maxo’s latest Def Jam debut Even God Has a Sense of Humor that just came out last month, it seems as if one of the most iconic labels in the history of our culture is continuing to help bring the underground to the mainstream by giving these artists the push they deserve. The lyrics are more personal which is great for those who’re new to him with the batch of instrumentals that Budgie whips up being amongst his strongest to date pulling from jazz rap, drumless & chipmunk soul.

Score: 4/5

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Artur – “T.H.O.T.H. (The Harmonizing of The Hemispheres)” review

Artur is a 42 year old Polish-American recording artist & sculptor based out of Atlanta, Georgia who started to write lyrics when he was 16 after being denied entry into a club because of his Polish passport. He wound also go on to found Living Angles & #UplineCreations after diving into sculptural art and into making frequency emitting permission-slips and art installations. But as a way of properly introducing himself in the music industry, Artur is presenting a brand new style of hip hop of his own that he refers to “ascension rap” on his full-length debut.

After the “Intergrate” intro, the first song “2023” sets off the album by opting in for an open contract over some bells & hi-hats whereas “Alien Abduction (Spiritual Induction)” works in some guitar licks talking about how some will view this as an omen & to follow the directions given. “Every Day” hooks up these synths with kicks & snares encouraging that each day in your life is a new beginning just before “Starseeds Activate” talks about the time being here & now accompanied by a glistening instrumental.

“We the Bring the Magic” has a more futuristic boom bap approach as The Swim’n Bird tags along to discuss that you are in fact the mystery, the bridge, the divinity & the magic that you seek in life leading into the title track attaches some more kicks & snares to an orchestral loop talking about healing the heart. “Architects of Consciousness” is a 2-minute atmospheric trap ballad building momentum of a potential that goes back all the way to the beginnings of Atlantis, but then “The Embodiment of 9” returns to the boom bap talking about the embodiment of the awakened human being.

Meanwhile on “Moving On Up (Level Up Now)”, we have Artur leveling up with a more cloudier instrumental backing him while “The Arcturian Gate” brings in the horns as he discusses the helping hand of Arcturus that is being stretched out towards mankind. Yung Kemmo coming into the picture for the rap rock inspired “Host of Rhythm” paying homage to the great spirit while “In the Flow” returns to trap territory to deliver an invocation of the spiritualization of Earth’s humanity.

The song “Know Thyself” brings back the rock vibes as he provides an anthem touching on being honest with yourself & self-investigation with Nathaniel Yost on the hook while the penultimate track “Perfect Resonance” dives back into the basement as far as sound goes talking about aligning oneself with the soul’s original blueprint. And to finish the album off, “Mahas Saham” addresses the one & infinite mind that’s immortal.

If anyone out there is looking for a product that represents the Golden Pages of Ascension in a playful & poetic manner, then T.H.O.T.H. (The Harmonizing of The Hemispheres) is definitely the album for you & it makes me excited to see him elevate his ascension rap style even further from hereon out. The teachings spread throughout it’s 50 minute course most certainly have the power to help one through the dimensional shift & the production fits the ascendant themes quite well.

Score: 3.5/5

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Estee Nack – “B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties)” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Boston emcee Estee Nack. Coming up as a member of the Tragic Allies, he also branched out on his own my junior year of high school of his Purpose-produced solo debut 14 Forms: The Book of Estee Nack & has since built a lengthy yet impressive discography for himself. Other highlights include the Sadhugold-produced Surfinongold.wav alongside it’s sequel The Order of the Golden Fleece, the Giallo Point-produced Papitas, his collab efforts with al.divinowith the #MiniMansionDust series. But as Estee makes up for his Griselda Records debut Nacksaw Jim Duggan being delayed, he’s enlisting V Don to fully produce B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties).

“Opening Statements” is a grand drumless opener with Estee talking about going from riding a train to a truck & those trying to reach for his charm whereas “Penny Pinchin’” goes right into sinister boom bap attacking the type of motherfucker to play games with you. “Paperchasing” takes a more soulful route with some bass guitar to go after the bread, but then The Hidden Character tags along for the rugged “Gatpackin’” talking about guns of course.

As for “Devils Can’t Fool God”, we have Mr. Rose over a bare string instrumental to address those who still be trying to get on his good side even after the fact that a bunch of weak shit about them was confirmed leading into Primo Profit tagging along for “The Uncanny” accompanied by a blaring yet raw ass beat advising to check your own posture. “Who to Trust” has a bluesy, drumless approach to it with the Nackman talking about being unsure as to who he can genuinely trust leading into “Sang Tsung” is a attaches these synthesizers to some more kicks & snares to talk about those who ain’t got cake to blow waiting ‘til you’re famous.

The song “Vivir triumfar y morir Pt. 2” comes through with a bare orchestral loop to deliver a sequel to a joint off Joan Manuel Serrap expand on the themes of living, succeeding & eventually death while the penultimate track “Rules & Regulations” has one of the stronger feature performances from Rigz from Da Cloth as they hop on a beat with a rich boom bap quality to it talking about how it be where they come from. The closer “Exodus” has another great guest verse from Eto this time with both them sending off the album with a hypnotically psychedelic instrumental addressing being from the streets & trying to make it with their feet pressed against the sand.

Although it’s certainly disappointing that Nacksaw Jim Duggan got pushed back, that’s just how it goes sometimes. As for the album before the album right here, it’s quickly becoming amongst my favorites in Estee’s discography & reassures me that his Griselda debut will be on par if not superior to what B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties) brought to the table. He’s always been my favorite Tragic Allies member & I’m truthfully 50/50 on the 4 features, but V Don continues to further reveal himself as an in-demand producer in the underground with his production here being the most consistent we’ve heard the Nackman spit over in a while.

Score: 4.5/5

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100 gecs – “10,000 gecs” review

This is the sophomore effort & major label debut from St. Louis, Missouri hyperpop duo 100 gecs. Consisting of singer/songwriters & producers Dylan Brady & Laura Les, they got together in 2015 after meeting at a high school rodeo & dropped an eponymous extended play the following year to moderate reception. Their debut 1,000 gecs polarized the musical spectrum with some calling it unlistenable & others like me who appreciate it for playfully demonstrating their creativity. Dog Show Records has since signed a new distribution deal with Atlantic Records & are turning it up from 1,000 & to 10,000 gecs.

“Dumbest Girl Alive” gets things going fusing hyperpop, alternative rock, digicore, nu metal, industrial hip hop & trap talking about Laura’s experiences of transitioning whereas “757” comes through with a decent cover of “1.7” by Quentin Lovejoy. The final single “Hollywood Baby” blends alternative rock, power pop, hyperpop & pop punk singing about them going insane due to most of the LP being written during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic leading into “Frog on the Floor” averagely covering Isaa Corva & 16inMono’s track of the same name.

Dance-punk, dance-punk revival, zolo, ska punk, new wave, geek rock & comedy rock all collide for “Doritos & Fritos” singing about eating burritos with Danny DeVito while “Billy Knows Jamie” covers “Alex Knows Stevie” by Quintin Lovejoy & puts a nu metal spin on it. “The Most Wanted Person in the United States” after the “$1M” interlude samples “Insane in the Brain” by Cypress Hill talking about being killers while “I Got a My Tooth Removed” pokes fun at the dental work Laura needed a year earlier. “mememe” ends with a fusion of hyperpop, power pop, ska punk, bitpop, pop punk, geek rock, alternative rock, new tone & neon pop punk singing about people not knowing shit regarding them.

Atlantic has a long history of doing their artists dirty from Apathy to Lupe Fiasco & more recently Lil Uzi Vert, but I was relieved to come away from 10,000 gecs enjoying as much as 100 gecs’ previous album. Their production’s a bit more accessible than 1000 gecs’ prominently leaning towards the alternative rock side of things although we do get hints of the hyperpop sound they popularized, ska punk, power pop, pop punk, geek rock, new tone, nu metal, bitpop, new tone, neon pop punk, dance-punk, dance-punk revival, zolo, new wave & comedy rock throughout the half hour retaining the humorous songwriting of it’s predecessor.

Score: 4/5

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Genevieve Artadi – “Forever Forever” review

Los Angeles, California musician, singer/songwriter & video producer Genevieve Artadi following up her Brainfeeder Records debut with her 3rd studio album. Known for being the vocalist of the duo KNOWER with producer Louis Cole, she would go on to make her solo debut with Genevieve Lalala in the spring of 2015 a couple months prior to my high school graduation. Flying Lotus would eventually sign her to Brainfeeder distributed by Ninja Tune & the sophomore effort Dizzy Strange Summer would become more positively received, following it up a few years later with Forever Forever.

After the “A Romantic Interlude Will Soon Come Your Way” intro, the first song “Visionary” begins by crossing over elements of art pop, psychedelic pop, progressive pop, jazz pop & jazz fusion for a celebration of love whereas the title track embraces a Stereolab vibe singing about how her mind stays chasing. “I Know”brings in a mini-moog & a guitar telling this person she went so far & changed herself for them leading into “Message to Self” takes inspiration from Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson making an audio voice memo for herself.

“Nice” ends the 1st half of Forever Forever singing about self-assurance over throwing it back to the days of 80s pop music just before “Black Shirts” by KNOWER addresses a person who’s absence is her malfunction blending house & jazz music. “To Tell How I Adore” has it’s moments reminiscent of Gentle Giant promising this person to express the way she cherishes them while “Plate” brings some incredible drumming to the picture singing about making some meaning out of her night.

The song ‘From Avalanche’ uses metaphors to depict the struggles & challenges that come with a relationship to wind down the album’s final moments while “Change Stays” sings about embracing the inevitable. “Watch for the View” however spends the final 3 minutes finding the inner strength to overcome all the challenges of her life, instrumentally feeling like a cross between Stereolab as well as Joni Mitchell & the late Frank Zappa.

Listening to jazz’s great from the late Duke Ellington to the late Gil Evans & the late Miles Davis in pursuit of a creative spark, Genevieve Artadi returns after expressing who she is outside of her side projects during the COVID-19 lockdowns minimizing the progressive pop influences of her previous full-length to expand her art pop style successfully exploring jazz fusion, nu jazz, jazz pop & psychedelic pop to express the love she has for all the people who’re in her life.

Score: 4/5

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Ty Farris – “Malice at the Palace” review

Ty Farris is a Detroit underground veteran who came up up under the name T-Flame & wound up being featuring on a lot of projects throughout the mid-2000’s until the very end of the decade. It was at that point where he started to put out solo stuff at a prolific rate by dropping 11 mixtapes, 8 full-length albums & 3 EPs. Standouts include the Room 39 duology & the No Cosign Just Cocaine series, the 5th & final installment of which finally arrived last month. But continuing to balance quality & quantity as always, Ty’s enlisting Danish producer Machacha behind the boards for his 9th album.

After the “Starting Lineup” intro, the first song “Dope Sales to Vinyl Deals” is a powerful opener to the album with T-Flame detailing how the long way that he came from whereas “Sign the Contract” has a more eerier route talking about a fine print on the street agreement. “Bleacher Report” has a spacey boom bap quality to it as the lyrics touch on trying to survive with suicidal thoughts with anonymous sources reporting live & direct leading into Dango Forlaine, Guilty Simpson & Marv Won all joining forces for “4 Point Play” as they really show y’all who the bad boys really are with a suspenseful beat backing them.

Moving on to “Coke in the Locker Room”, we have Ty on top of some more bluesy production with a clever reference to the sample whilst touching on poverty on the lyrical front just before “Flagrant Fouling” returns to the boom bap as he & Mickey Diamond comparing this rap shit to the layup line when it comes to bars. The song “Karma’s the Referee” returns to a bluesier vibe providing y’all the best of him while the penultimate track “Strong Arm Aggression” with Waterr goes into rap rock turf as their chemistry is as strong as it was on their collab EP Bulls vs. Pistons a few years ago. “Bloodstains on the Jersey” ends things with a groovy instrumental & Ty pointing out people wanting to see blood since the gladiator days.

I remember watching the Malice at the Palace live on TV with my dad & my older brother as an 8 year old kid with all of us being in amazed by what was unfolding in front of our very eyes & if you love basketball the way you love hip hop, then you’re gonna want to give this a listen. The themes of the sport are incredibly cohesive as the Detroit wordsmith rips it on top of what I consider to be amongst Machacha’s strongest batch of production to date. Looking forward to seeing him open up for Rome Streetz on the first night of the Kiss the Ring tour this upcoming Wednesday.

Score: 4.5/5

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Rigz – “Heal In” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Rochester emcee Rigz. Getting his start as a member of Da Cloth, he eventually broke out solo in 2017 off his debut EP Calculated & then the debut mixtape I Got Samples. This was followed up with a sequel tape & then his 2nd EP A Piece of the Action until his popularity began to grow in 2019 off his Chup-produced 3rd mixtape Roach Gutta Slums & then the Big Ghost Ltd. produced collab effort with fellow Cloth member Mooch called The Only Way Out. Then he brought in Futurewave to produce his full-length debut Substance Abuse & the DJ Muggs-produced Gold, but is now returning in the form of Heal In after laying low since.

After the “Full Plate” intro, the first song “Somewhere” kicks off the album with Rigz over a synth-laced instrumental from Chup talking about how he’d rather die than be stuck in projects trying to survive prior to Bishop the Great & Shonyea tagging along for the raw “Pick Ya Poizon” to let y’all know that there ain’t no avoiding them. “Nobody” has a more lavish approach courtesy of Vanderslice admitting the loneliness that he’s felt, but then Rob Gates comes into the picture for the tense “Instacart” to compare their staged blicks to the titular grocery delivery/pickup service.

M.A.V. joins Rigz over a more sample-based beat on “Guide Me” to get 1 thing straight & after the “Revolving Credit” skit, “It’s Fuck Me But Love You” with Asun Eastwood finds the pair over a chilling loop talking about how they fell into themselves as opposed to falling out with others. “Parrying” with Jai Black blends some pianos, kicks & snares so they can flare shit just before the drumless “Masterpiece” talks about the stains his jeans sustained in the midst of making a work of art.

Meanwhile on the Mooch-assisted “Fundamentals”, we have both Rochester lyricists accompanied by a string-tinged boom bap instrumental to get in their gangsta bag whereas “Henny Shards” brings back the keys talking about the broken glass that he’s ran over. The track “Brand Ya Pain” with M.A.V. has a more jazzier tone as they deliver that soul music while the penultimate song “Exhibit R” reminding us of his roots in the dope game before music. The title track however closes out the album with introspective look at the stresses he’s faced within the last year.

Gold was amongst my favorite albums of last year & if anyone has been wondering what Rigz has been up to since then, you’re gonna have to check out Heal In because it’s a great comeback. Couple lackluster feature performances here & there, but most of them manage to come correct as the subject matter is more personal than dude’s previous efforts & combining that with the signatory raw production we all came to know & love Da Cloth for remains in tact.

Score: 4/5

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Rich Amiri – “Evolution” review

Rich Amiri is an 18 year old recording artist from Boston, Massachusetts who’s been turning heads since the fall of 2021 off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal. The 4ersona member would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records not too long ago. So considering a new label deal, it’s only right for Amiri to shake things up harder than normal in the form of a 12-track/25 minute full-length debut.

“Mention” is a spacey trap opener produced by Taz Taylor, Nick Mira & Rio Leyva referring to himself as a top dog & telling this chick he genuinely loves her whereas “Don’t Feel Ya” works in some synths & hi-hats from Vendr talking about drawing a million as well as being the one taking risks whippin’ bricks. “Best Friend” keeps things in atmospheric trap territory detailing a hoe trying hard to get close to him just before the wavy “Friend of Mine” talks about hitting the lottery.

Moving onto “Salty”, we have a bassy yet hazy banger showing off his sticks until Lil Tecca tags along for the vibrant pop rap cut “Poppin’” that eventually became the album’s 3rd single to talk about the famous lifestyle that both of them are living these days. “Ballin’” finds him telling his girl that he wants to have fun with her tonight on top of a minimal yet rubbery beat, but then “Don’t Exist” comes through with a vulnerable letter to his ex.

“Ace” blends some pianos & hi-hats to brush off any & all nonsense that people try to send his way while the song “Casket” is a catchier jam about living lavish & running up the bag. The penultimate track albeit “Dirty Money” opens up on the benefits of his newfound success over a pluggy instrumental & to round things out, “Can’t Die” finishes the album with him over a rage beat Cxdy made talking about cutting off old friends & copping new bands.

TyFontaine was my favorite Internet Money signee up until he left the label quite some time ago, but Amiri most certainly continues to fulfill that roll with Evolution here. The production is as strong as it was on For the Better last summer & dude really does display how much he’s grown within the last couple years with some of his catchiest songwriting yet.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Horde – “The End is Nigh” review

The Horde is a southern horrorcore superduo consisting of Boondox & Bukshot. One hailing from Covington, Georgia signing to the Insane Clown Posse’s notorious Psychopathic Records in the mid-late 2000s & the other puttin’ it down for Louisville, Kentucky since ‘97 by founding the independent hip hop label Mobstyle Music. The pair started worked with each other for over a decade now continuing to do so after the scarecrow left PSY to form his very own Crimson Krow Entertainment following his 4th album Abaddon eventually signing to Majik Ninja Entertainment couple years later whether it be their first 2 mixtapes Hell’s Kitchen & Paradigm Shift as well as their debut EP Overdrive or even their work with Claas as The Underground Avengers. So considering their long history together, it was only right for them to enlist MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards to deliver a full-length debut.

After the “From the Fog” intro, the first song “Black Lands” is an eerie trap opener about planning like mad men whereas the “Grimace” remix maintains the same beat & same lyrics from The Horde with a new verse from Jamie Madrox of the demented duo Twiztid that’s as hard as everything about the O.G. version of the track. “Night Falls” works in some pianos, kicks & snares to detail what wickedly deeds go down in the evening just before Lo Key tags along for the shrilling “Body Bags” to put motherfuckers in the grave & rockin’ like the juggalos they are.

Meanwhile on “Red Mirage”, we have Boondox & Bukshot aggressively speaking on hearing a voice that comes from within that’ll be blamed on the music calling out the pathetic people pointing fingers at art for the stupid shit others do leading into “The List” returns to the boom bap reminding those who want them to fade away that it ain’t happening anytime soon referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley ahead of “Rancid” bringing back the trap influencs asking what you gonna do when the darkness comes.

Kung Fu Vampire & Xshy361x alongside Buk’s Cabal cohorts Lo Key & Mr. Grey all assist The Horde for the gruesomely wicked posse cut “Blood of the Heartless” from the trap instrumental to all 6 killer verses despite KFV’s being my personal favorite of the bunch if I had to pick 1 while the cold blooded “Wrecking Ball” touching on their appetite for destruction. “Testaments” is a confrontation boom bap ballad getting into battle mode with Monoxide reminding me why he’s been my favorite of the demented duo since he started elevating his pen-game on Heartbroken & Homicidal with all respect to Jamie of course while the song “Butchery” has a more explosive trap groove welcoming y’all to the shop where death comes free.

The original version of “Grimace” makes it’s way to the backend of the album by serving as the penultimate track as both Buk & the Killer Scarecrow talking about being on the verse of catching a case & act up for a while alongside the way they both smile until the title track closes out the album with the titular duo properly introducing themselves for those who don’t know with Jamie doing his thing on the hook.

I’ve always felt that Boondox was amongst the most underrated acts that Psychopathic Records has ever put out as further solidified by his latest EP So Much Blood throwing it back to the PunkinHed era & not only has Bukshot been putting in work for the underground wicked shit scene for 26 years, but he & Turncoat Dirty have always helped bring the best out of one another & that’s what they did on The End is Nigh. 7’s production is incredibly dark as both southern veterans fuck shit up lyrically.

Score: 4.5/5

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