Nelson Dialect & Verbz – “Sight Beyond Sight” review

This is the collaborative LP between Adelaide, Australia emcee Nelson Dialect alongside Croydon, South London, England, United Kingdom emcee Verbz. The latter of whom made his High Focus Records debut in November 2020 off his sophomore effort Radio Waves & the other introducing himself to the Hove, East Sussex imprint’s roster 15 months ago with his 5th album Ever Since. And what to both of those as well as Where It Started all have in common? Mr. Slipz fully produced all of those projects, so it makes perfect sense for him to get both Nelson & Verbz together so they can elevate their chemistry with Sight Beyond Sight weeks after Connor Mills ended Robbie X’s reign as RPW British Cruiserweight Champion.

These guys make their “Arrival” with an atmospheric boom bap instrumental guaranteeing that shit won’t ever be the same after this whereas the lead single “Strike Back” incorporates some pianos mixed with kicks & snares talking about how it’s either do or die with them. The 3rd single “Beside Me” ghostly suggests for people to stay by them because that’s what all the real ones do just before “Movements” talks about neither of the 2 wanting to hit a dead end.

“Not My Nature” goes for a mellower, somewhat jazzier boom bap vibe assuring they’re still breathing life into those tainted lungs of theirs achieving to escape a place they see whenever they feel glum while the title track marked the 4th & final single teased talking about how the sky isn’t the limit for them anymore, keeping their minds elevated. “Cause & Effect” takes a more conscious approach to their songwriting over a lo-fi boom bap beat while “Regardless” prioritizes progress over paychecks.

Continuing the 2nd half, “Don’t Cry” talks about them writing their longevities down in addition to providing positive energy & death being a certainty. “Set Sail” embraces a funkier sound confessing they’ve lost the plot & haven’t found it since, further advising that listening to the Don should be rule #1 while “Homecoming” soulfully gets too serious for it to be played in the clubs, declaring they’re heading back to the their respective homes after traveling this long road they’ve been going down

“Infinite Avenues” gets back on the jazzy boom bap tip talking about times being hard & watching the way you live because of the high stakes that come with the territory while “Edge of Oblivion” eerily explains that both MCs have been trying to live & learn from past versions of themselves. “Starting 5” featuring King Kashmere, Nuphzed & Renelle 893 concludes Sight Beyond Sight comparing themselves to the starting lineup of a basketball team, with Chuck Enzo & Renelle having my favorite guest verses here.

Considering the fact we’ve heard Nelson Dialect & Verbz cross paths with each other a couple times with tracks like “Hope” or “Oxford Scholars”, I completely understand why they locked in to give us Sight Beyond Sight since I’d tell you I enjoyed it as much as both projects Verbz has done under High Focus within the past few years & more than Ever Since. The jazzy boom bap production Slipz has become known for compliments the introspective themes Nelson & Verbz tackle using the full-length’s title as a metaphor for both escapism & meditation.

Score: 4/5

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Valee – “Virtuoso” review

Valee is a 34 year old rapper from Chicago, Illinois making waves by releasing 3 mixtapes & a couple EPs from the span of 2015-2018 until one of my top 10 producers of all-time Kanye West signed him to a joint deal with G.O.O.D. Music & Def Jam Recordings. The next 2 EPs G.O.O.D. Job, You Found Me & Runnin’ Rich helped spread plugg music to a mainstream audience despite both receiving mixed reception to the point where he would go his own way from Thersday onward. It should also be noted that Valee additionally has 2 EPs with AYOCHILLMANN as the duo The TrAppiEst as well as 2 more with ChaseTheMoney as the duo VTM & 1 with Stan Lane as the duo Vlane. But coming off the Vacabularee mixtape this past winter, Harry Fraud’s now being brought in to produce Valee’s official full-length debut from top to bottom & it actually had me looking forward to it. On top of that: His manager is now Andrew Barber of Fake Shore Drive, who has one of the most resourceful Twitter pages ever.

“Sea Bass” is a cloudy trap opener to the album talking about the lifestyle that he lives whereas “About That” featuring 03 Greedo goes into even spacier territory sampling Geno Smith’s iconic line they wrote me off but I ain’t write back though” asking how they supposed to feel about bullshit. “Yea But Um” brings in some wavy synthesizers & hi-hats admitting he forgets the brands when he walks in the store, but then “Vibrant” featuring Action Bronson is a more soulful cut showing off the fresh outfits they walked out with.

Meanwhile, the Z Money feature on “Uppity” is one of his best verses post-1017 Global as he & Valee jump on top of a piano trap instrumental describing their bitches as exactly that leading into “Dutty Laundry” giving off a more psychedelic edge boasting that he’s in Gucci like a mixtape, humorously referencing Gucci Mane’s historically endless mixtape catalog. The woodwinds & synths blended throughout “Not Right Now” work so pleasantly targeting it towards his lover on top of RXKNephew’s invigorating guest appearance truthfully making me a fan of his leading into the quirkily-produced “WTF” featuring Twista talking about their bitches once more & it makes sense considering Kanye had a hand in 2 of the Tung Twista’s biggest hits “Slow Jamz” alongside “Overnight Celebrity”.

The song “Washington Wizard” dives into trillwave turf once more telling his girl he needs space with these luscious synthesizer patterns while the penultimate track/final single “Watermelon Automobile” was actually what prompted me into wanting to reviewing this album especially since MAVI & SABA both appear together for the first time I believe over some keys & hi-hats flexing that they switched the paint. To wrap things up here, “Ufillme” sees the former G.O.O.D. Music artist sets to find out if any of us can feel him on everything that says accompanied by an intoxicating beat.

G.O.O.D. Job, You Found Me was an incredibly underwhelming for a lot of people including myself & here we are 5 years later with Harry Fraud behind the boards for his full-length debut album that completely surpassed all expectations I had going into it. Easily the most well-crafted body of work in Valee’s discography. He has some dope lines, but I can understand that his LUCKI-inspired delivery/flow isn’t for everyone & the vibes from the production are mostly similar to that of one of my favorite Playboi Carti cuts “Location”.

Score: 4/5

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Nas – “Magic 2” review

This is the 16th full-length album from Queensbridge veteran Nas. The son of jazz cornetist/guitarist Olu Dara, the breakout debut illmatic & & the equally classic sophomore effort It Was Written are widely acknowledged as some of the greatest in hip hop history. I also enjoy stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then there was the Kanye West-produced NASIR & The Lost Tapes II, which I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue even though the overall consensuses were polarizing. But for almost 3 years now, Nas has been working exclusively with Hit-Boy & both of them are a good fit for each other. King’s Disease earned Esco his first Grammy, but the sequel as well as Magic & the 3rd installment of the King’s Disease trilogy each took their chemistry to new heights. But ahead of KDIV, we’re preluded by a sequel to Magic.

After the intro, the first song “Abracadabra” is a glistening trap opener with Nasty Nas promising to do those who want to try him grimy whereas “Office Hours” featuring 50 Cent finds the 2 former rivals joining forces over a soulful boom bap instrumental seeing a bunch of Fredos referencing The Godfather II of course. 50’s verse however could’ve been longer unfortunately. “Black Magic” works in some pianos asking God to protect the G’s, ladies & children just before “Motion” brings back the kicks & snares adding some bells & strings into the fold havin’ exactly that.

“Bokeem Woodbine” keeps it dusty swapping out the bells & strings with more keys providing motivation for the trappers livin’ ounce-to-ounce leading into “Earvin Magic Johnson” assuring to enterprise over a horn-inflicted trap beat. “What This All Really Means” looks back on the first time he ever saw his name on a flyer with lavish instrumentation, but then “Slow It Down” confesses he needs money everyday returning to the boom bap.

The penultimate track yet official closer “Pistols On Your Album Cover” hooks up these kicks & snares with a mellow loop reminding that he can still murder anyone on wax & forget where they’re buried chockfull of clever references that is until the bonus cut “1 Mic, 1 Gun” featuring 21 Savage blends trap & jazz together so both of them flexing that they still gonna do what they did then in the present. Not only was a great way to squash all the drama surrounding 21 & Nas last fall, but I think everyone deluded by the hip hop generation gap can learn something from it too.

Hit-Boy’s run with Nas has been absolutely special & Magic 2 continues to cement that by progressively improving on what made the predecessor alongside the 3rd installment of the KD series the best albums they’ve done together. The eclectic production demonstrates his range & with the pen, Esco feels as if he’s been reborn even though he continues to make history almost 3 decades in.

Score: 4/5

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Darby O’Trill – “Creek” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Key Largo, Floridian emcee Darby O’Trill. Emerging in the fall of 2018 off his full-length debut Blood, Guts & a Whole Lotta Love, would go on to follow it with Fester almost a year later & has extensively been working with Chapter 17/Psychopathic Records in-house producer Devereaux by bringing him into the cut to fully produce his 3rd album Piecemeal to critical acclaim during the COVID-19 pandemic. Darby’s eventually signed a 1-album deal with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz & fulfilled it over a year ago with Gully, which is a modern day wicked shit classic. Amputate was a solid prelude to The Tomb & the latter was even better, but is sticking with Devereaux once more for his C17 debut Creek.

“The Secret of the Mud” begins our journey with a shimmery trap instrumental & Darb bringing up the fact that pussies get stomped on only to have their bodies dumped in the swamp referencing the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal owned Universal Orlando Resort whereas “Spinal Fluid Smoothie” works in a mystic loop & hi-hats talking about being a piece of shit. “Red Stain on a White Robe” featuring HEXXX has a grungier trap groove declaring no one’s safe with their hatchets on them, but then “A Sense of Entitlement Doesnt Make Up for a Lack of Happiness” morbidly wakes up to scream fuck positivity.

Meanwhile, “The Return of the Paperboy” goes head-on trap metal as he freshly throws it back to his Paperboy days just before “A Moon Fit For Building Castles Under” featuring Ouija Macc has a trippier flare to the beat talking about having hope in death after fearing it for so long. “Whispers From the Medicine Cabinet” experiments with boom bap detailing his degenerate lifestyle leading into the ghoulish trap cut “I Hate People Who Don’t Know When to Shut Up” talking about death surrounding him.

“Within the Realm of Misery” admits that all he’s ever known is misery on top of a moody backdrop & hi-hats while “Neverending Ball Itch” humorously talks about his nuts itching hoping that it’ll go away over a plinky trap beat. “Massive Moron Mode” brings in the heavy guitars & hi-hats yet again having no time for any fuck shit while “The Shaman Requires a Sacrifice for His Services” gives me a woozier vibe talking about dark magic.

Sagan Ummo’s verse during the backend of “Poison in the Junta” is easily the most distinctive feature on the album as they discuss feeling slightly stupid off the loud pack with an aggressive instrumental, but the glitchy “Put a Bullet in the Head of Every Bigot on the Planet” picks things up a bit by setting out to murder every prejudiced person alive prior to the song “Room with a Moose” talks about breaking bodies down into pieces over cloud trap beat.

The penultimate track “All Day I Dream About Suffering” says it all subject matter-wise referencing the KoЯn single “A.D.I.D.A.S. (All Day I Dream About Sex)” on top of a spacious instrumental with hi-hats that is until “I Use Roach Guts to Sweeten My Coffee” rounds out Darby’s official Chapter 17 debut with a distorted trap heater talking about the only way he’ll feel alive is if he crawls in a hole & dies.

Amputate & The Tomb were both phat in their own rights, but Creek over here is right behind Gully for Darby’s strongest album to date & his 2nd modern day wicked shit classic. Devereaux’s production is still rooted into the trap sound for the most part with the exception of a couple stylistic detours, Maezi666’s engineering is top notch & the Key Largo emcee cohesively takes us through what awaits beneath the surface.

Score: 4.5/5

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OsamaSon – “Osama Season” review

This is the official full-length debut album from Ohio born/South Carolina based recording artist & producer OsamaSon. Getting his start a couple years ago, he would then start to pump out 3 EPs shortly after I’m da Man as well as Vengeance & Carnival respectively. He returned at the beginning of 2023 by dropping osamavrt, following it up this past spring in the form of slime & Bad Habits However, the sextet of EPs have all been building up to Osama Season & I was intrigued going in because I’ve only heard a couple tracks from him up to this point.

“Leh Go” is a rage-inducing opener produced by Ok to set things off talking about slidin’ up whereas “Werkin’” goes into more synth-heavy turf calling out a whole entire crew for being virgins & floating on the highway speeding. “Vlone” has a dark plugg sound to it warning that those who run up him will get ‘lammed just before “Summer 16” takes the hypertrap route once again ballin’ like it was 2016 all over again, which is understandable considering how massive of a year that was for hip hop.

Meanwhile, “Anti” brings back the synths on top of some hi-hats having exactly in mind what he would do for the plus leading into “Lil O” pulling out another rage beat paying homage to the titular Houston emcee of the same name. “X & Sex” addresses the 2 things he loves the most with a bombastic beat, but then “Kutta” delves further into hypertrap flexing that he got racks & having the ability to do it all.

The synthesizers throughout “Lambtruck” are inebriating looking to take the whip to Japan while the song “Don’t Let Looks Fool” talks about the idea of not judging a book by it’s cover in his own way over a futuristic instrumental. The penultimate track “Pipeup” gives me a robotic trap vibe sonically thanks to boolymon coming through the back with the heater & “Troops” is a more psychedelic choice of a closer talking about being outside with the squad.

Although Smokingskul & Glokk4spazz have both my favorite dark plugg artists within the past 365 days almost, OsamaSon has quickly just entered the ranks on this album. The production is still grounded in his signature sound even though it shifts into rage beats every so often, his songwriting is a lot stronger & I don’t think I’ve ever heard him this hungry. Keep an eye out for him, he’s going places.

Score: 4/5

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Babyface Ray – “Summer’s Mine” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from Detroit rapper, songwriter & actor Babyface Ray. Starting in 2014 by joining the Team Eastside collective, he has since gone on to drop 5 mixtapes as well as 5 EPs & a well received debut within the last 6-7 years before turning heads worldwide & becoming one of the 2 biggest up-&-comers in the city next to Babytron, both of whom eventually landed spots in this year’s XXL Freshman Class over the summer. But coming off of Mob last winter, Face’s declaring that the summer’s his.

The opener “ScarFACE” starts off with these synthesizers & claps refusing to stop under any circumstances whereas “Donda Bag” hooks up these piano melodies & hi-hats talking about coming through black on black. “Bosses Linking With Bosses” featuring Veeze swaps the chords out for more synths as both of Detroit’s biggest new stars detail being the bosses they truly are that is until the cloudy “Leaving London” cleverly talking about coming through regulating as if he’s Warren G.

“All Star Team” clarified that he’s far from a rookie with a more danceable appeal to the instrumental just before “Luh Tyler Flow” featuring Los & Nutty reincorporated the synthesizers talking about keeping your guard up watching out for vultures. “I75” gives off a more nocturnal feeling to the beat admitting spending too much time on the titular interstate, but then the spacey “Racks N” flexes his wealth & calling a chick’s bestie so he can hit it.

Meanwhile, “Skateland” instrumentally throws it back to the 80s a little telling those who stay talking negatively about him to boss down leading into “Life Full of Lies” jumps on top of some hi-hats & horns asking why he’d listen to anyone when their whole life is cap. “I Can’t Rap Foreva” plans his escape with a cloudier flare that is until “Dancing with the Devil, Pt. 2” is a superior sequel to one of the weakest joints on Face.

“Big Meech Holiday” featuring King Hendrick$ produced by Cardo & Dez Wright moodily calls to give a holiday for infamous Detroit drug trafficker Big Meech while the song “Jackboys” cautions to play this dirty game safe over a groovy beat. The crooning loop throughout “Fly Gods” is well flipped as well as Westside Gunn spits the best guest verse on the entire album talking about being old school & the 4th installment of “My Thoughts” sends of Face’s 3rd album on a more personal note.

Unlike Face seeing him stepping out of his comfort zone to experiment with new sounds & Mob showing a more introspective side to Ray, he pulled a 180° on Summer’s Mine & it’s one that I’m sure fans will keep in rotation until autumn comes around the corner in a couple months. Other than a hit or miss feature list, he goes for a warmer climate appropriately enough & the adamant confidence in his voice is as clear as it could possibly be.

Score: 3.5/5

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Mickey Diamond – “Death Threat$” review

This is the 8th full-length album from Detroit emcee Mickey Diamond. Emerging at the beginning of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the dude has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 6 albums alongside 7 EPs & a mixtape. Gucci Ghost & it’s sequel produced by Big Ghost Ltd. on top of Ral Duke producing Oroku Saki in it’s entirety all became his strongest bodies of work to date. But coming off the Smoke Face EP & the last full-length Nobody Bleeds Like Flair, the hot streak is going by enlisting Sadhugold behind the boards for Death Threat$.

“When a Stranger Calls” is an eerie boom bap opener to party like it’s Mardi Gras whereas “2412” works in an hair-raising loop on top of some kicks & snares referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time WWE Champion & 2-time WWE Tag Team Champion Yokozuna. “Sleepers” instrumentally is reminiscent to RZA’s production work in the 90’s looking to make & break rules at the same time leading into alarm-ring “Pen Diesel” obviously referring to himself as Vin Diesel with the lyricism only seeing money like WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion, 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 2-time NWA National Heavyweight Champion & AJPW世界タッグチャンピオン Ted DiBiase.

Things get drumless on “Tokyo Tea” stretching anyone who dares to fuck around with him, but then the piano sample throughout “Def Leppard” is really nice as he talks about those who choose to be disrespectful getting battered & bruised. “Prime Time Deon” hooks up a bare soul sample cautioning not to press your luck with him just before “Sir Smoke a Lot” gives off an unsettling groove to the beat talking about stepping aside to let him cook.

The penultimate song “Racer X” takes a hazier route sonically to bring on a samurai showdown & shortly after the “Disturbia” interlude, the closer “Death Threats” ends what I personally consider to be Mickey’s best full-length album in 7 months (Oroku Saki was an EP mind you) by returning to the boom bap 1 last time with a groovy guitar passage wailing behind him asking if music nowadays is considered as art or simply something to buy.

Smoke Face & Nobody Bleeds Like Flair both had their highlights, but they didn’t give me the same feeling that both Gucci Ghosts or Oroku Saki as consistent bodies of work. Death Threat$, I can say does. As a matter of fact: I might like it more than the Ral Duke EP by a hair. Sadhugold’s production does more than a fine job at teetering between boom bap & drumless so Diamond can spit some of hardest bars that he’s jotted down all year.

Score: 4.5/5

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Madopelli – “Stories from the Sanctum” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from California City horrorcore duo Madopelli. Consisting of M.A.D & Ant Dog, the pair have also gone on to drop a couple of mixtapes & EPs ever since forming in 2016. But their Lyrikal Snuff Productionz debut albeit sophomore effort from last fall No Bluffin’ proved itself to be Madopelli’s most refined work to date both lyrically & sonically to the point where they were instantly accepted within the Gorehop realm. However as they get ready to hit the road on the Shadow Snuff tour next week, they’re returning to tell Stories from the Sanctum.

“Welcome to the Sanctum” really sets the tone of what’s to come with some pianos & hi-hats greeting those who dare to enter the sacred place whereas “O Yea” takes a more synth-based route instrumentally talking about being gone with the top rolled down & a blunt in hand. “Cali Grown” has a funkier boom bap flare to it as they pay tribute to their west coast roots leading into “Been Straight” featuring Cody Manson jumping on top of hi-hats as well as sub-bass & twinkling keys getting on their California snuff shit.

Going forward from there, “They Don’t Know” gives me a bit of a Memphis rap feel to the beat addressing those who don’t know a goddamn thing about them whatsoever just before “Reflectionz” is a cannier groove asking how they got this far letting & go of the past. “Lost” is more guitar driven getting on some more depressive subject matter, but then “Dark Souls Creep in the Swamp” featuring former LSP alumni & Chapter 17 Records’ newest signee Darby O’Trill goes into rap metal turf bringing it to you hardcore.

“Warning Ya” featuring the Beastmode Warriors goes into cavernous trap territory cautioning that they gon’ find your ass if you slip up while “Pain is Real featuring J Dunja shifts gears by dabbling with a cloudier sound choosing to be something instead of nothing. “Bitch We Smoking” comes through with a euphoric weed smoking banger produced by C17/Psychopathic Records in-house producer Shaggytheairhead while “Look What You Made Me Do” fuses these strings & hi-hats blaming others for their own lives being fucked.

The Gorefather himself Scum reserves his guest verse for last on the minimal trap cut “Chances We Take” pleading not to let your opportunities pass you by while “Problem to the Game” returns to the trillwave by talking about hip hop being unsafe with them around. The final song “Smile Through the Pain” keeps it atmospheric surviving the hard times while the M.A.D. solo cut “Gutted When You See a Scrub” pondering why people feel the way they do over a chill boom bap instrumental. Ant Dog then ties up the album with his own solo joint “Sadistic Symphony” switching up into the trap lane declaring that black magic’s in the wrong hands.

LSP went on one of their most prolific runs ever last year & No Bluffin’ was really a fresh ass way to round it out, but Stories from the Sanctum really takes Madopelli’s artistry to another level & those who have yet to give these guys a shot should be pretty impressed by what they did on their Gorehop sophomore effort. Only a couple features that underperformed, but the stories Ant Dog & M.A.D. tell are more personal than last time as they brought a whole new sound of their own to the underground wicked shit scene.

Score: 4/5

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Black Milk – “Everybody Good?” review

This is the 8th full-length album from Detroit producer, MC & songwriter Black Milk. Making his presence known as a member of the B.R. Gunnaproduction trio, he eventually went solo in 2005 with Sound of the City & followed up on 313 Day 2007 with Popular Demand. The following year, he would dabble with electronic music on Tronic & would later start incorporating live instrumentation on Album of the Year in 2010. His next album No Poison No Paradise eventually became Black Milk’s darkest work yet & it would see a solid sequel If There’s a Hell Below the year after. We saw a comeback from him in 2018 with the politically charged FEVER & is returning to ask if Everybody Good? ahead of the 4 year anniversary of DiVE less than a couple weeks.

“God Willing” starts things off is groovy opener with some angelic background vocals praying to the higher power that everything will be alright & that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel whereas “For How Much?” works in some uncanny synths talking about the prices on all the souls that you see. The instrumental on “Wait ‘Til Fate” has a heavy Neptunes influence to it that I really like reminding that he was told that he was made to be great, but then “Downs Got Up” is more of a synth-boom bap hybrid talking about standing like royalty fixing those crowns.

The lead single to the album “Is It Just Me?”sonically reminds me of Tronic a bit as Black Milk seeks to get his mind right leading into “The Black Surf (Everybody Good)?” featuring Quelle Chris has a wavier approach talking about trying to making it work comparing life to a tidal wave. The next single “Let Me Know” goes into pop rap turf telling his significant other she’s pressure just before the 3rd & final single “Ain’t Nobody Coming Down to Save You” conceptual is self-explanatory backed by some organs.

After the “Fews & Trues” interlude produced with Karriem Riggins, the song “Feelings Don’t Feel” featuring Phonte returns to the boom bap admitting that summer as you get older doesn’t feel the way that it used to while the penultimate track “No Wish” finds Percy Miracles sticking around 1 last time this time as Raphael Saadiq plays piano & hooks up some handclaps hammering home that there ain’t no genie in the bottle. “Yeah Really” ties up the album with a warm ode to this crazy life that he lives day & night.

His solo output has been getting progressively better as time goes on & his last album for Mass Appeal albeit 3rd project overall further cements that. The concepts here are more personal & introspective in comparison to the streams of consciousness throughout Fever with the production being a melting pot of past sounds from the live instrumentation that Album of the Year began displaying to the jazz elements of his previous full-length & even the electronics of Tronic.

Score: 4/5

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Dave East – “Fortune Favors the Bold” review

Dave East is a 35 year old MC from Harlem, New York breaking out in 2014 off his 8th mixtape Black Rose. This resulted in the man signing a joint deal with Def Jam Recordings & even Nas’ independently owned Mass Appeal Records as well as a spot in the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class. However, his full-length debut Survival wouldn’t come out until 3 years later & was very disappointing in the sense that he tried appealing to a more mainstream audience that just didn’t exist. But as the 2 year anniversary of the superior Harry Fraud-produced sophomore effort Hoffa approaches at the end of the month, Dave’s dropping off his 3rd album.

After the “Here I Go” intro, the first song “Come 2 Far” is a soulful trap opener produced by Cool & Drealongside 808-Ray asking why he would turn around & walk away from the rap game at this point whereas “Still Here” after the “Pops” interlude gives off a wavier boom bap feeling this time making it known that he ain’t going nowhere anytime soon. “Long Way” featuring Cordae reflects on how far they’ve both come over a bassy, sample-based instrumental just before “DAMN” takes a smoother route thanks to DJ Khalil with co-production from Mike & Keys talking about eating as of late.

“Sex So Good” featuring Coi Leray goes into a more pop rap direction courtesy of Don Cannon going back & forth with one another about how great the intercourse is leading into “Good Good Good” featuring Ghostface Killah finding themselves diving into spacious trap territory with the help of Scram Jones as they find their way out. After the 2nd & final “Pops” interlude, Tyga spits one of the weaker features on “Hustlers” despite the fun beat that the Cannon laced & the lyrics about staying on the grind.

The G-Eazy feature on “WDGAF” is no better although I appreciate the eerie trap instrumental from Mike WiLL Made-It & certainly the whole theme of giving 0 fucks but after the “Kairi” interlude, the mellowly produced “Can’t Make This Up” reflects on when he started with a nickel bag of regular green that is until “Dope Boy” right after the “Still Outside” interlude pays homage to the Brooklyn drill scene a bit talking about of course slanging drugs.

“$1M Off Rap” almost gives off a west coast-flavored groove to the beat boasting that he’s young & fly while the tranquil trap joint “Good Things” with additional vocals performed by Ty$ gets on some Bonnie & Clyde shit for a couple minutes. “Rich Problems” turns into more lavish territory instrumentally venting about the cons of wealth prior to araabMUZIK returning it to the boom bap for “Weirdos” featuring Jadakiss so both N.Y. lyricists can come through by dissing those who be on some weird shit in a cutthroat fashion.

Getting to the final leg of the album, “From the Mud” gives off a morbid tone sonically telling those who want his life to take it from him while Sap makes “It’s a Lot” more piano-driven so Dave can vent about everything that’s been going on. “Like a Rose” is a warmer ballad produced by 1500 or Nothin’promising to grow while “Letter 2 Kobi” sends a profound message to his toughest daughter of the same name. The bonus cut “Hallway Piss” though truly ends the album by saving the best for last from the solemn RZA beat to concept that shit’s bigger than rap.

Despite the fact that I thought Dave’s last EP H.D.I.G.H. (How Did I Get Here?) & even the DJ Drama-hosted Book of David mixtape were both pretty average, I can’t deny that Fortune Favors the Bold surpassed my expectations a bit. Somewhat too long & a couple stale feature performances, but the production’s mostly tight & I do enjoy the concept of recognizing the hustle to stay in real time. If he condensed the tracklist down to half, I’d most likely give it the same rating I gave Hoffa.

Score: 3.5/5

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