Prodigy – “The Hegelian Dialectic 2: The Book of Heroine” review

Prodigy was a 42 year old MC, songwriter & record executive from Hempstead, New York who emerged as 1/2 of the seminal duo Mobb Deep. He’s also cemented himself as a solo artist by dropping 8 solo albums, with my favorites being H.N.i.C. (Head N***a in Charge) & the Alchemist-produced Albert Einstein. Unfortunately, Bandana P would pass away after choking on an egg in the summer of 2017 & his estate is commemorating him by putting out a sequel to the last full-length he put out The Hegelian Dialectic: The Book of Revelation. It was his most political solo effort that he’s done up to that point, but the production was lacking in my opinion. That being said: I did go into Prodigy’s first posthumous outing hoping that it’d be an improvement over the predecessor considering the singles we got over the summer.

“You Will See” kicks off the album with a spacious yet groovy banger talking about crashing your face with the Henny Rock whereas “Walk Out” takes a more boom bap route thanks to DJ Premier talking about bringing smoke to him. “Opium Poppy” dives into ghoulish territory sonically to deliver some mid sex bars just before the luxurious “Angel” is R&B/hip hop duet with Faith Evans about his widow Kiki.

Meanwhile on “We Shine”, we have a piano trap ballad with an awkward auto-tuned hook telling the story of getting a text from his girl at 11:30pm saying they going out & balling out when they pull up to the spot at 1am leading into the vibrant & celebratory “Dope”. It all returns to the boom bap as Big Daddy Kane comes into the picture for “You Don’t Want It” to spit some hardcore bars leading into “I Heart You” embracing the spacey trap sound to talk about Kiki once again.

Remit Ma tags along for the eerie trap banger “Overdose” making them catch the Holy Ghost while the song “Escapism” is a dustier cut talking about getting the fuck outta his face if you ain’t talking real shit to him. The penultimate track “Flirting with Death” with Big Noyd finds the 2 getting flirtatious over a synth-heavy beat & “The Other Side” is bittersweet to say the less with it’s solemn trap instrumental along with the lyrics about dying together.

The Hegelian Dialectic: The Book of Revelation was one of the weaker albums in Prodigy’s catalog in my opinion but as far as the sequel goes, I happen to like it just a bit more. Some of the lovey dovey trap shit can be hit or miss with me personally with all respect to Bandana P, but love how they kept the guests to a minimum as opposed to being on nearly every track & none of the the boom bap cuts miss whatsoever.

Score: 3/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Songs of Samhain 3: Cult of Night” review

This is a brand new showcase compilation from Detroit underground label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Founded in 2014 by Twiztid & their manager George Vlahakis only 2 years following the demented duo’s departure from Psychopathic Records, they quickly built an empire of their own from bringing a few other PSY alumni along for the ride to help introduce G-Mo Skee & Alla Xul Elu to a much wider audience. The label’s first showcase comp Year of the Sword is easily the best one they’ve put out so far given the strength of the roster at the time as solid as Songs of Samhain, the Attack of the Ninjas compilation & Songs of Samhain 2: Haunted Record Player all were. But ahead of the 18th annual Fright Fest a month from now, MNE’s warming everyone up in the form of Songs of Samhain 3: Cult of Night.

After the “Moon Glow is Upon Us” intro, the first song “Gospel” by the demented duo themselves Twiztid kicks off the comp by rapping about bringing you back to life over some rap rock production whereas “10-31” by Oh! The Horror & Twiztid is a creepy trap ballad paying tribute to the titular day. “Terrified No Fear” by Venomous 5 finds the quintent spitting the wicked shit over some a boom bap instrumental just before “My Head” by Triple Threat has a more upbeat sound to it talking about what’s inside the heads of I.S.I..

Meanwhile on “Curse of the Jack-O-Lantern” we have Boondox & the House of Krazees linking up over a dusty beat reminding everyone that nobody’s safe when the sun goes down leading into “Unclear” by Oh! The Horror & Twiztid following the “Nursery Rhyme from a Luminescent Time” skit for a trap rock ballad about being broken mentally. “P3.1” by the Axe Murder Boyz, Bukshot, Cody Manson, Insane E & Jamie Madrox sees the sexiest ruggedly confesses the things that they’ve been told that’ve fucked with their heads, but then “Parasite Paradise” by Venomous 5 works in a macabre trap instrumental talking about hating everything.

The song “Unreal” by Boondox & Triple Threat finds the quartet over a rubbery trap beat describing the way they’re feeling as such while the penultimate track “Mother Witch” by the House of Krazees having a more cinematic vibe to the production talking about a poltergeist. The closer “Soggy Pumpkin” is basically a melodic Jamie solo cut getting on his emo shit pretty much.

Of the 3 installments of the Songs of Samhain trilogy, I think Cult of Night has to be my favorite one thus far. I like how they minimized the amount of affiliates featured on here so the whole roster can make one another stand out in their own way providing the soundtrack to a juggalo’s Halloween.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

YG – “I Got Issues” review

YG is a 32 year old MC from Compton, California who came up in 2009 off his debut mixtape 4Fingaz. This was followed up with 4 more tapes prior to Jeezy discovering him in 2013 & landing him a deal with his Def Jam Recordings imprint CTE World. YG’s potential would begin to show in the form of his full-length debut My Krazy Life & came into his own on the sophomore effort Still Brazy launching his own label 400 Records around that same time period, but the next 3 albums Stay Dangerous as well as 4Real 4Real & My Life 400 all received mixed to poor responses to the point where even YG himself has publicly acknowledged I Got Issues to be his official 3rd album & that increased the optimism I already had going into it considering how much I enjoyed “Sign Language” even though it was only a loosie & even “Alone”.

“Issues” is a glossy yet bassy opener to the album with YG boasting whereas “Baby Momma” is a bitter ex-boyfriend temper tantrum with a piano instrumental. “Toxic” samples the Mary J. Blige joint “Be Happy” talking about that’s all they wants in life prior to the deranging “Maniac” produced by Hit-Boy calling out those who say he lost his mind. Meanwhile on “How to Rob a Rapper”, we have Mozzy & D3SZN coming into the picture over some g-funk production that Terrace Martin helped put together teaching y’all the titular subject leading into the reggaeton/rap fusion “I Dance” with Duki talking about dancing. J. Cole & Moneybagg Yo tag along for the mediocre trap cut “Scared Money” flexing their wealth, but then “Go Dumb” is a decent R&B durt with H.E.R..

“No Love” returns to the g-funk interpolating “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” by Bobby Bland & some fresh spoken word pieces from Suga Free while “Sober” with Post Malone & Roddy Ricch feels like an uninspired rap anthem. “Drink to This” reps the westside over a smooth beat while the song “No Weapon” with Nas finds the 2 over some horns talking about how the streets don’t love nobody. The penultimate track “Alone” was a thoughtful, ghostly-produced, conscious-laced choice for the 2nd to final single prior to the album & “Killa Cali” ends the album with a chill ode to the titular state.

As underwhelming as his material post-Still Brazy has been, I think that I Got Issues is a pretty decent listen from start to finish & a step in the right direction for him. Some of the more mainstream cuts don’t really do it for me, but the g-funk/gangsta rap joints á la Still Brazy are more up my alley.

Score: 2.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Bronze Nazareth – “If You’re Worried, You Should Be” review

Bronze Nazareth is a 42 year old producer/MC from Grand Rapids, Michigan who came up as a member of the group Wisemen alongside his late brother Kevlaar 7 & eventually the Wu-Tang Clan’s in-house production team the Wu-Elements. He would also go on to build a solo career for himself beginning with The Great Migration in ‘06 & then School for the Blindman only 5 years later. But after returning from a decade-long hiatus a year & a half ago by enlisting The 4 Owls’ very own Leaf Dog to produce Bundle Raps alongside Ekphrasis produced entirely by New York titan & current Album of the Year holder Roc Marciano last fall, he’s bringing Apollo Brown & Roll Blunt with him to help produce his 5th album.

“Ducks” is a classy boom bap opener to the album as Bronze boasting that he’s rare as fuck whereas “Contact Sport” takes a more soulful route talking about that’s exactly what business is to him. Killah Priest & Recognize Ali tag along for the triumphant “Guard Your Food” taking a shot at the vultures, but then Ty Farris & Illah Dayz both come into the picture for the dusty yet symphonic “Cold Canvas” spitting some braggadocio.

Meanwhile on “Heart Full of Misery”, we have a more vulnerable look at Bronze talking about heartbreak over a piano/boom bap hybrid leading into the soulfully produced Wisemen reunion “You’ll Never Know” following the “Scars” interlude referencing WWE Hall of Famer & former Tag Team Champion Brutus Beefcake. “Snub Nose” with Hus Kingpin weaves a relaying sample into the fold talking about needing the whole pie & the plate just before “Talk My Shit” returns to the boom bap with the title saying it all as far as subject matter goes.

“Moroccan Hash” throws a drumless, crooning loop into the mix talking about what he’s smoking on while “Dome Windows” brings back the soul to speak from the heart. “The Guv’nor” compares himself to that of a Wolverine over some organs & horns while the penultimate track “Rest” with Hollywood Dots the Oncelor, Kurt Solid & Kurupt to drop a barfest on top of strings & a vocal loop. The bonus cut is just a decent “Moroccan Hash” remix with heavy drums.

Ekphrasis ended up being one of my favorite Nazareth albums yet, so it had me intrigued to hear what he was gonna do next. Needless to say, this is a solid follow-up. Couple features I could’ve done without, but the production that he manages to cook-up with Apollo Brown & Roll Blunt sticks to their signature sounds very well dropping giving a wide range of emotions lyrically.

Score: 3.5/5

Smellington Piff – “Roma Supreme” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Southwest England, United Kingdom emcee Smellington Piff, Introducing himself in 2013 off an eponymous debut EP under Real Life Drama Records, the NLP member would go on to follow this up a year later with the debut album Notice of Eviction produced by Leaf Dog & have both of the Leigh Brothers jumping behind the boards to produce his sophomore effort N.F.A. (No Fixed Abode) other than the intro. Commemorating almost a whole entire decade of becoming a solo artist, Illinformed has decided to fully produce Roma Supreme in its entirety.

After the ”Hippies” intro, the first song “Chase the Devil” begins with a piano-driven boom bap instrumental talking about those thinking he was done musically being sorely mistaken whereas “Who Got the Skunk?” swaps out the keys in favor of some strings so he can speak of his love for smoking weed. “Hard Times” takes a soulfully jazzier vibe talking about the world going against every turn he makes leading into “Around Here” featuring Runt Dawg depicting what happens when the sun goes down.

“Few Things” hands out middle fingers to a myriad of things whether it be the radio or the previous President of the United States over this quirky boom bap beat just before “Tooth for a Tooth” talks about how he can’t be kicked out of the scene because his foot’s in the middle of the door & puffing blunts so he can calm his nerves. “Class A” featuring Datkid finds the pair joining forces to boast the type of music they make while “The Alcohol’s Talking” featuring Bizarre links up for an ode to those who like to get their drink on.

Reaching the halfway point, the jazzily dusty “To the Left” talks about rolling up cheddar until it’s time for him to move on to better things & responding the crowd who wants the old Piff back while “Bailiffs” talks about his flow being more fluid than the blood pumping in our veins. “Information Overload” dismisses the need of him watching the news since everything around him’s been going to shite & confessing that he’s going mad while “Wolves” shouts out his real ones protecting his pack at all costs, leaving any opposition dead on the tracks.

“UFO” featuring the Creatures of Habit & Jack Jetson flips some strings to talk about feeling like aliens to everyone else around them while “Breathe” featuring The 4 Owls soulfully speaks of their love always outweighing hate in any situation. “Play My Part” featuring MysDiggi calls back to the OutKast single “Git Up, Git Out” featuring Goodie Mob. The outro “Poor Man’s Swag” finishes up by looking at the upsides of getting women even if one doesn’t have much money.

It’s completely understandable to have Illinformed handle all of Roma Supreme’s production considering that he did half of N.F.A. (No Fixed Abode) with his brother Leaf Dog after the latter fully produced Smellington Piff’s self-titled EP & Notice of Eviction, arguably surpassing all 3 of those projects to become his finest statement as a solo artist. Fans already know what they can expect from the quality boom bap instrumentation & Piff’s witty penmanship, but I furthermore note the respectable attempt at minimizing guest appearances.

Score: 4/5

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

Lucki – “Flawless Like Me” review

This is the highly anticipated full-length debut from Chicago, Illinois rapper & occasional producer Lucki. Beginning to turn heads in the summer of 2013 when he released his debut mixtape Alternative Trap to critical acclaim, he would later go on to give his fans 6 more tapes & a dozen EPs with the last one being the F1LTHY-produced Wake Up Lucki a week before my 25th birthday. But after 4 years in the making, Lucki’s finally giving the world Flawless Like Me.

“Made My Day” is a psychedelic yet bassy opener confessing that he’s been looking for this bitch all over Chiraq over whereas “Geeked n Blessed” takes a more triumphant route talking about how he’s feeling exactly. “Kapitol Denim” on the other hand dives into cloudier territory boasting the lifestyle that he lives over a just before “Coincidence” is an airier ballad reconnecting with a significant other.

Meanwhile on “Been a Minute”, we have Lucki over some woozy yet rubbery Tay Keith production advising not to hit up his phone whatsoever leading into Babyface Ray tagging along for the euphoric trap hit “White House” talking about being them dudes. “13” on the other end embraces a wavier sound bragging that he’ll “drop a 50 on that bitch like old Harden”, but then “Archive Celine” has a more uptempo vibe talking about a hoe out in Berlin with the same name.

“How Tf?” weaves some quirky synth leads & hi-hats into the fold opening up on his drug problems while “DNA” spaciously expands on the subject of the last cut, comparing himself to his aunt who also abuses drugs. Cash Cobain’s synthesizers throughout “Goodfellas” have a more chilled out feeling to them talking about having bodies in the trunk while the horn-laced “I Get It, Twin” confessing that he can’t help but love this pricy ass bitch.

Following that, “VVS Keyski” has a more cavernous tone to the instrumental describing the life of a rockstar while “Brazy Weekend” calling out a hoe for stalking everyone he’s around on top of a mystic trap beat from Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic. “Droughtski” however returns to a more mind-altering sound with the help of Bugz Ronin talking about being rich off stubbornness while the synth-based “Life Mocks Art” confesses that he raps what he lives.

“Noticed Ya” acknowledges that this person doesn’t want to change as much as he does on top of a glossy trap instrumental with the vibrant “10pm in London” calling out a gold digger for not actually loving him & using him for his wealth. “Out of Lve” has to be my least favorite cut on the album with it’s underwritten lyricism despite the synth-based beat & “On Point” basically suffers from the same problems even though the production here is more high-spirited.

The penultimate track “Free Sex!” throws some organs into the mix courtesy of Toom from Vanguard Music Group talking about being fucked up off ecstasy & lean whilst paying tribute to Atlanta trap trailblazer Young Thug while “My Way / Codeine Cowboy” starts off with an otherworldly banger of a 2-parter Clayco helped put together being on space time & then going on to discuss codeine usage yet again. The first bonus cut “Super Urus” is a solid trap/cloud rap hybrid admitting that he misses some hoe & the other “Y Not?” officially sends off the album with some plugg undertones talking about getting it out the mud.

Although I’d have to say Watch My Back & Freewave 3 are still my favorite projects from Lucki but nonetheless, Flawless Like Me still serves as a great full-length debut for Lucki & one that fans whether you’ve been with him since 2013 or now would both enjoy. I think the production is more varied than F1LTHY’s was as much as I enjoyed Wake Up Lucki last winter on top of some animated performances from the man himself. Curious to hear 2Neptune&Back whenever the time comes.

Score: 4/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

SmooVth – “Project Near You” review

This is the 14th full-length album from Hempstead emcee SmooVth. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Tha Connection alongside Hus Kingpin, he would also build an impressive solo discography for himself along the way with my personal favorites being just about everything that Giallo Point has ever done with him: Portrait of a Pimp, Medellin, the sequel to the latter Medellin II: Don Fabio & Amongst Wolves. But when it was revealed that Fredro Starr of the revered Queens duo Onyx was gonna behind the boards for Project Near You from beginning to end, my anticipation for it was very high considering that Q started making beats recently as well as Onyx vs. Everybody being the best thing that he & Sticky Fingaz have done together since the Snowgoons-produced SnowMads nearly 3 years back.

“Project” is a soulful opener vividly describing how it be in Hempstead whereas “The High” works in some pianos to talk about making a band. “That’z Us” brings some stellar vibraphones in the mix so that both parties can give it to you raw & uncut, but then Tha Connection links up for the piano/boom bap hybrid “Niggary” with both MCs spitting some gritty ass gangsta raps.

Meanwhile on “17 a Key”, we have SmooVth over a drumless loop getting on his pyrex shit leading into J.D. Era tagging along for the dreary “100 Up” talking about how no one can fuck with them even though J.D.’s verse has to be the weakest feature on the album with all respect. Fredro himself comes into the picture for the title track lacing some acoustics & dusty drums advising that they’ll be pulling up to a hood nearby just before “Straight A’s” brings back the keys looking back on being told he can’t get paid or laid.

The song “Imagine” shoots for a more tranquil aesthetic instrumentally providing food for thought while the penultimate track “Corner Pockets” returns to grimier territory talking about how ruff & rugged shit can get. “Sad & Blue” however ends the album with glossy beat & a sample of “La Di Da Di” by Slick Rick as SmooVth tells his audience that’s exactly how he’s feeling.

Now, if you happen to be a fan of both of these guys like I am, then I highly recommend giving Project Near You a listen because it’s one of my favorite SmooVth albums to date. The lyricism from him & nearly every feature takes you through the harsh realities of the Big Apple with Fredro’s continuing to refine his production game, as the shit he cooks up here is even better than what I heard on the last Onyx EP.

Score: 4/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Milano Constantine – “Pay the Ghost” review

This is the 5th full-length album from New York veteran Milano Constantine. Coming up in the early 2000s as a D.I.T.C. affiliate, it wouldn’t be until 2008 when he dropped his debut Sidewalk Stories & returned in 2015 with his debut mixtape The Believers. This was followed up with the Drum Majors-produced sophomore album The Way We Were along with the Oh Jay-produced Attache Case & the Showbiz-produced Boulevard Author, which is some of his best work in my opinion. However, I did enjoy his 2nd EP Eating But Still Hungry quite a bit when it came out a year & a half ago. So when it was announced that the revered underground producer Big Ghost Ltd. was hopping behind the boards for Pay the Ghost following up Milano’s last EP Block Work, anticipation going into it was very high for me personally.

“Church Service” is a bout of an uncanny way to start off the album lettin’ y’all know where you can see ‘em servin’ whereas “Target Practice” sonically feels like something out of a horror flick with Milano talking about painting the whole town red. The title track takes a more cinematic route saying that’s exactly what you gotta do sometimes, but then “Judge Mathis” itself is a piano/boom bap hybrid delivering some grimy criminology rap.

Continuing from there with “Parmigiano”, we have Crimeapple tagging along with Milano on top of some synthesizers & similar drums to the previous cut boasting their skills leading into the futuristic yet raw “Ghost Photo” getting on his gully shit lyrically. “Firewater” returns to the boom bap comparing his dialogue to such while the song “Lose You” dives into soulful turf with it’s sample along with some incredible wordplay referencing the likes of Sam Cooke & Al Green.

The penultimate track “Apex Predator” blends some pianos & synths bragging that he’s on the top of the food chain while Daniel Son & Rigz both come into the picture for “Mental Health”, which is a rugged closer to the album from the rugged beat to the vivid lyricism that all 3 MCs on the mic each have to offer individually.

Compared to the 2 EPs that Milano put out last year, Pay the Ghost is the best thing he’s put out in the 2020s thus far & a new favorite of mine in his ever-growing discography. Lyrically, the murals that Milano describes are extremely intricate & I really admire how Big Ghost decided to pull from both horror & 70s/80s sci-fi movies as far as production goes.

Score: 4/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Trizz – “Baseline Cavi” review

Trizz is a 30 year old MC from Los Angeles, California who first picked up a microphone at the age of 9. But it wasn’t until his late teens where he properly introduced himself to a wider audience in the form of his debut mixtape Suicide with No Note, which was followed up with New West & The Right to Bear Arms before being taken under the wing of Sacramento horrorcore veteran Brotha Lynch Hung by signing to Madesicc Muzicc for a brief period of time. He would later go on to drop 5 more tapes, 4 full-lengths, 5 EPs, 5 collab projects with Chuuwee, 1 with Flashy B & another with Sahtyre all within the last decade. But for his 5th album over here, he’s decided to bring in former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 behind the boards from start to finish.

After the titular intro, “the inLAnd” kicks off the album with an incredible g-funk ode to Los Angeles whereas “Keep It a Buck” works in a trap instrumental with a weeping loop talking about being legit. “90210” comes through with a warm romance anthem with it’s acoustic instrumental & Bino Rideaux’s hook leading into the synth-funk “Shit Don’t Stop” flexing with an insane amount of charisma.

Meanwhile on “Summer Break”, we have Trizz delivering a mellow summertime bop just before “Tha Front Yard” brings back the g-funk talking about how people wanna be like him & the John Givez hook is pretty catchy. “Hollywood, Oh Hollywood” is a rich yet jazzy depiction of the titular city, but then “Red Headed Stepchild” kicks off with an eerie sample confessing he doesn’t even know how many time’s he’s been counted out.

T.F. & IceColdBishop both come into the picture for “Bless the Dead” with it’s soulful boom bap beat opening up about seeing their deceased colleagues looking at the sky tonight while the song “Crashed” fuses trap with rock spit reflecting on a car accident that he got into back when he had nothing. The penultimate track “Had to Do It Myself” is of course a spacey ode to self-hustle & to round it all off, XV tags along for the cloudy “On & On” talking about a walking a path that never ends.

“MF Menace” aptly starts the deluxe run talking about being as unbelievable as he is while “Red Hyundai” featuring 2-11 finds the both getting aggressive over a bluesy sample. “Why Lie?” luxuriously advises to tell the truth around him while “Street Clientele” featuring Traffic looks to crash the function backed by a g-funk instrumental. “Uknowutt!” featuring Sahtyre with co-production from Left Brain details the balance of rapping & hustling over kicks & snares while the final bonus cut “Based on a True Story” featuring EDIDON & T.F with 1 last west coast boom bap joint talking about the ones who live that g life.

As someone who’s been rocking with Trizz for about a decade now, this is his most well-rounded body of work to date & one of the best West Coast albums I’ve heard all year. He gets a lot of his chest detailing his life in the City of Angels as far as lyricism goes with 7’s production being incredibly versatile pulling from g-funk, boom bap, rock, trap, synth-funk & jazz rap.

Score: 4.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

H.A.R.D. – “Harbor City” review

This is the sophomore album from hardcore hip hop super-duo H.A.R.D. a.k.a. the Housing Authority Rap District. Consisting of Joell Ortiz & KXNG CROOKED, both these guys had notorious label issues at the start of their careers only to see success as members of the supergroup Slaughterhouse along with Royce da 5’9” & Joe Budden from the late 2000s up until the mid-2010s. The quartet had quietly disbanded in 2016 after Joe’s retirement from making music even though it wasn’t confirmed until 2 years later, but the other 3 members have been keeping themselves busy ever since. H.A.R.D. introduced themselves a couple months after the pandemic hit with an incredible eponymous debut EP followed by their full-length debut The Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse earlier this spring. But as the 3rd quarter of the year draws to a close in a couple weeks, Crook & Joell are taking the world through Harbor City.

After the “Rookie’s 1st Dead Body” intro, the first song “Heat Wave” kicks off the album with a gospel-tinged instrumental to get into their hardcore bag whereas “Welcome to Harbor City” takes a more airier route thanks to DJ Silk talking about the titular California location. “Energy” works in a deadpan beat to describe how they walked out of the projects, but then “Drip Club” fuses a piano & a hi-hat for a party anthem.

Meanwhile on “Holy Water”, we have H.A.R.D. officer a flute-heavy trap instrumental talking about having permission to take a higher road leading into AZ tagging along for “Vibrate Higher” over some crooning boom bap production provided by The Heatmakerz dodging all the bullshit. “Brooklyn” is a rock-flavored Joell solo cut paying tribute to one of the biggest cities in NY & after the “BK LB Blend” interlude, “Community Center” blends some strings & congo drums reflecting on the days where you used to find them.

“Long Beach Blvd.” is of course a rugged KXNG CROOKED solo joint talking about his neck of the woods while “Pawnshop Jewelry” shoots for a jazzier aesthetic bragging that they have a waterfall full of diamonds. After the “Officer Pirelli Schools the Rookie” interlude, “911” has a more chaotic vibe airing out the biggest gang in America while “1-800-Get-Hard” & “Stop Playin’ with Kim” are 2 skits going up back-to-back with each other.Continuing from there with “Don’t Forget About Her”, H.A.R.D. jumps on top of a high-pitched sample vividly describing a woman who’s unforgettable while “Dead Body” following the “Nahdeadassyo” interlude ghoulishly paints the image of a corpse floating besides themselves.

After the “Pirelli Doesn’t Like Us!” interlude, “Underground” is a soulful Yaowa solo cut talking about getting what you gotta get & staying clear while the track “Ocean Terminal” with Lin-Manuel Miranda dives into calmer yet melodic territory providing inspirational lyricism. And prior to the “Who Shot Ya?” outro, “Game Over” is a gully finisher calling for everyone to quit snitching on themselves.

Now if you loved H.A.R.D.’s self-titled EP & their full-length debut like I did as someone who was a big fan of Slaughterhouse back in my teen years, then you’re gonna wanna check Harbor City out because it’s their 3rd consecutive banger together. I think the production on here is a bit better than Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse, but I do admire that they took it back to the basics of self-titled as far as lyricism goes & I like how they bring in more features than they did on their earlier work. Also, I feel like the amount of “commercials” & “dialogues” were a bit excessive.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!