The Game – “Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind” review

The Game is a 42 year old MC from Compton, California who was initially taken under the wing of JT the Bigga Figga. His 2002 debut mixtape You Know What It Is would catch the attention of Dr. Dre & 50 Cent. Both of whom signed Game to a joint venture to their individually respective labels Aftermath Entertainment & G-Unit Records distributed by Interscope Records. With their help, his debut album The Documentary the following year would go on to become a West Coast essential. However, a falling out between Game & 50 just months after the album’s release would result in Game moving over to Geffen Records to complete his 5-album contract. His next 4 albums Dr.’s Advocate, LAX, The RE.D. (RE-Dedication) Album & Je5us PiecE all showed that Game didn’t need Dre or 50 to make quality music. Once fulfilling his major label obligations, he went the independent route by founding his own label Numinati Records & showcasing the artists with a compilation entitled Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf in 2014. Game then put out an overloaded yet decent sequel to his debut with The Documentary 2+2.5 the next year as well as 1992 the year after & his previous effort Born 2 Rap on his 40th birthday. But with the help of Hit-Boy, Game’s returning from “retirement” yet again in the form is his 10th album.

“1 Time” kicks off the album with a plucky guitar & Game talking about being a nightmare walking whereas “Eazy” with Kanye West samples the late Eazy-E thanks to Hit-Boy himself alongside Mike Dean & even DJ Premier confessing that their lives were never a breeze. Fivio Foreign tags along for the drill-infused “Burnin’ Checks” talking about being real ones, but then “Voodoo” incorporates a swooning trap instrumental detailing being a menace.

Meanwhile on “Home Invasion”, we have Game chaotically telling the story of his life just before YoungBoy Never Broke Again comes into the picture for the DJ Paul-produced “Opp” expressing their dislike for the feds. “Outside” with YG has a more ghostly aesthetic from S1 calling out those who claim Compton that didn’t grow up there just before “La La Land” goes into jazzier turf showing his love for Los Angeles.

“Change the Game” goes full-blown g-funk talking about never switching up while the piano-driven “How Far I’ve Came” says it all. “Heart vs. Mind” has a drearier tone to it thanks to DJ Mustard with the lyrics talking about his heart & mind being at war with one another while “No Smoke at the Polo Lounge” returns to soulful territory looking for smoke.

Following that, “No Man Falls” with Pusha T & 2 Chainz has a more drumless vibe talking about how they all crutches while the London on da Track laced “Chrome Slugs-n-Harmony” with G Herbo & Lil Wayne is a fantastic ode to the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from the sample to London on da Track tapping into the the g-funk sounds that made E. 1999 Eternal the beloved masterpiece it is. “Start from Scratch II” is a sequel to one of my favorite cuts off The Documentary also being an emotional tribute to Prodigy while “What We Not Gon’ Do” dives into a more futuristic vibe talking about not going to war or calling the cops.

Ye & Dreezy accompany Game for the Middle Eastern-inspired “Fortunate” produced by Timbaland bragging that they’re doing it big whole “Rubi’s Rose” starts off with Twista rapping about fucking over an acoustic guitar prior to the beat switching up to a slower groove & Game elaborating on. After the “Drake with the Braids” interlude, “Nikki Beach” with French Montana comes through with a phoned in advertisement for DJ Khaled’s upcoming 13th album God Did dropping in a couple of weeks while the Meek Mill/Moneybagg Yo-assisted “Talk to Me Nice” playfully confesses being too big-headed for other’s advice.

Continuing from there, the Mike Zombie/Swizz Beatz-laced “Money Cash Clothes” with A$AP Rocky embraces the boom bap sound to flex how fly both of them are while “Killas” comes through with a tribute to The Diplomats’ de facto leader himself Cam’ron & I’m happy to hear him give love to the Brooklyn drill sound considering the purists’ distaste for it. Then there’s “The Black Slim Shady”, which is a 10-minute diss track towards Eminem with some well sequenced beat switches throughout & mimicking his flows. I’d much rather listen to this than “Rap Devil”, but the best Em diss has always been “Searching 4 Bobby Fisher” by Evidence in my opinion.

Speaking of Big Sean, he shows up for the organ/boom bap hybrid “Stupid” boasting how hard both of them go on the mic while the bluesy “.38 Special” talking about every day being Cripmas. “Twisted” takes it back to the trap confessing that the liquor he sippin on got his guy fucked up while “World Tours” with the late Nipsey Hu$$le is a spacey ode to their self-made hustle.

The luxurious “Save the Best for Last” with Rick Ross cooked up by G. Ry & OG Parker expresses their gratitude to still be walking on this planet Earth today while the penultimate track “A Father’s Prayer” blends a gospel sample with some dusty drums for an open letter to his daughter. “Universal Love” sends off the album with a warm pea that love is everything.

Dude can be an attention whore, but goddamn it I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind makes up for how mid Born 2 Rap was on the final Thanksgiving before COVID-19 changed the world forever. There is some filler, but Game sounds like he has a fire under his ass lyrically & Hit-Boy’s ear for production is just what was needed.

Score: 4/5

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Dangerous Thoughts – “Cheat Codes” review

Dangerous Thoughts is an MC/producer duo consisting of Danger Mouse behind the boards & Black Thought on the mic. 1 has an impressive resume of artists he’s worked with in the past ranging from Prince Po to the late MF DOOM & the other is one of the most acclaimed lyricists in all of hip hop. They initially formed in 2006 & when it seemed like we were never gonna get a full-length debut from them, the day has now come 16 years later.

“Sometimes” is a symphonic, soulful opener talking about thinking of a master plan à la The God MC himself Rakim Allah whereas the title track is a robotic boom bap cut boasting that he’s playing unlimited free throws referencing WWE Hall of Famer Pete Rose. Raekwon tags along for the piano/soul-tinged “The Darkest Part” to talk about being in another echelon just before “No Gold Teeth” samples “Stop” by Hugh Masakela promising to never retire.

Meanwhile on “Because”, we have Joey Bada$$ & Russ accompanying Thought in describing the harsh realities of America with a guitar driven instrumental as well as a passionate Dylan Cartlidge hook leading into the rugged “Belize” seeing DANGERDOOM coming together potentially for the last time to assist in some battle raps including a reference to the A24 Films absurdist black comedy drama The Lobster along with the inaugural IWGPヘビーチャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. “Aquamarine” blends abstract with neo-soul confessing the conflict between him as a person & his status in hip hop, but then “Identical Deaths” brings some xylophones to the table talking about living many lives.

A$AP Rocky & Run the Jewels come into the picture for the hardcore “Strangers” to call out the bluff of those who dare to step up to them lyrically while the song “Close to Famous” almost gives me J Dilla vibes sonically talking about that’s how everyone be nowadays. The penultimate track “Saltwater” with Conway the Machine is a tense boom bap heater delivering some rugged ass bars only for the organ-laced “Violas & Lupitas” ending the album talking about doing God’s work.

For this being 16 years in the making & finally having it in the palm of our hands, it was much well worth it. Danger Mouse’s production is more sample-based than Sean Cane’s was on Streams of Thought 3: Cain & Able, the features all come correct (I don’t even mind Russ on “Because”) & Thought lyrically is just doing what he’s been doing best from the very moment he picked up a mic.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Musalini – “Pure Izm” review

This is the 6th full-length album from New York emcee The Musalini. Beginning to take the underground by storm since 2018 after dropping his debut mixtape Musalini Season, would go on to release 3 full-lengths & another tape before signing to TCF Music Group. Since then, he’s made himself home by dropping a few EPs & Return of the Oro in the early part of this decade. Last we heard from Mus was at the very beginning of 2022 when he dropped my favorite album of his yet The Don & Eye fully produced 9th Wonder to produce his 5th album from beginning to end & has decided to recruit Khrysis for Pure Izm.

“Weed & Coffee” is a jazzy talking about life being beautiful whereas “Goldie in Town” takes a more sample-based boom bap route taking about he had to straighten up. Ian Kelly & Izzy Hott tag along for the soulful yet classy “Well Done” declaring themselves as the top dogs prior to Reuben Vincent coming into the picture for the piano-driven “$200 Pasta” to talk about that’s how they do.

Meanwhile on “Transmission”, we have Mus delivering a funky prelude to the next joint “2 Step on ‘Em” with King Draft embracing a dustier sound doing just that. “Off the Nest” mixes some pianos & an angelic vocal sample talking about doing this for the culture, but then “Nutella” with Planet Asia brings back the soul loop spitting braggadocio-infused lyricism.

The song “Crab Rangoon” with O-Finesse sonically feels like something ripped from a blaxploitation flick spitting that fly shit while the penultimate track “Ghost” with Izzy Hott shoots for a more solemn tone with the beat swearing that they’ll never go back to prison. “Panamanian Brunch” with Ice Lord is a classy sendoff to the album talking about being the big dogs.

Despite that I still maintain that The Don & Eye could very well be my favorite body of work that Mus has put out yet, this is still a solid follow-up in my eyes. The features are alright, but Khrysis’ sound suits Mus just as well as his mentor’s did with the MC continuing to put his lavish lifestyle on wax.

Score: 3.5/5

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Megan Thee Stallion – “Traumazine” review

This is the surprise sophomore album from Houston, Texas rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Rising to prominence in the spring of 2019 with the release of her debut mixtape Fever, I myself was very impressed with how it displayed Megan’s knack for catchy songwriting, dirty south/Memphis inspired production & a unique personality. Her popularity began to rapidly increase off her 3rd EP Suga & the full-length debut Good News, but Something for thee Hotties: From thee Archives was a bit underwhelming in my opinion. However, I was optimistic going into Traumazine over here given how much I genuinely enjoyed the singles she’s dropped recently.

“NDA” is a horn-laced opener asking where the real bitches at whereas “Ungrateful” with Key Glock calling out the fake shit over a piano/trap hybrid from BandPlay, which is just mild in my personal opinion. “Not Nice” takes a cloudier route getting on her fuck you shit just before Latto tags along for the OG Parker-produced “Budget” talking about upping their prices.

Meanwhile on “Her”, we have Megan embracing a dancier sound thanks to CashMoneyAP & YoungKio acknowledging that she’s pretty as fuck leading into “Gift & a Curse” weaves some keys back in provided by Murda Beatz talking about how fuckin’ with her is both a gift & a curse at the same time. “Ms. Nasty” is a cloudier cut declaring herself as such, but then the Pooh Shiesty-assisted “Who Me” has a more nocturnal trap vibe that Internet Money Records founder Taz Taylor brings to the table talking about fucking.

“Red Wine” shoots for a sensually glossy aesthetic asking to give her some time while “Scary” with Rico Nasty finds the 2 best females in the mainstream right now (not the best right now overall period. That would be Rapsody) over a spooky instrumental sending shots to the hoes they got beef with & even though “Anxiety” is a bit oxymoronic given the playful production & Megan’s lyrics about having bad days too, it’s good.

Moving on from there, “Flip Flop” throws in an incredible sample in the mix going on that she’s fightin’ tears behind her smile while “Consistency” with a clever Isley Brothers flip from Bongo getting romantic. “Star” is a funky ballad rightfully rubbing her superstar status in the noses of everyone while “Pressurelicious” has a weirdly mixed verse from Future despite the Memphis rap undertones & the subject matter about their affluence & shared toxicity.

The song “Plan B” weaves a killer JoDeCi sample into the fold to deliver an passionate female empowerment anthem which is needed because of the Roe vs. Wade overturning while the Juicy J/Mr. Lee-laced “Southside Royalty” freestyle with Big Pokey, Lil’ Keke & Sauce Walka is an immaculate ode to H-Town. “Sweetest Pie” however ends the album on an Atlanta Bass note promising the ride of her man’s life.

If you were disappointed with Something for thee Hotties like I was, then I definitely think you’re gonna like Traumazine a bit more. The production is just as varied as Good News was almost 2 years ago at this point & how Megan decided to move on from the whole Tory drama to remind everyone that she’s gonna win regardless.

Score: 3.5/5

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S.O.S. – “Blame Us” review

This is the full-length studio debut from S.O.S. consisting of Russian-American horrorcore veteran Scum & his New Mexico-based protégé Smallz 1, who has been a longtime signee to Lyrikal Snuff Productionz for the last 15 years or so. Of course they’ve been working with one another for a long time & always killed it whenever they popped up together, so it was only a matter of time they dropped Blame Us a week after headline the first night of the Gathering of Dreams.

“Victim” kicks off the whole album with a symphonic boom bap beat attacking those with a victim’s mentality whereas the apocalyptic title track confessing to be the root of every issue. “Never” works in some rock undertones reminiscing on the times one had to lose it all just before the rebellious “March” talking about the Army of Beasts they have.

Meanwhile on “Blood”, we have Smallz & her mentor over some g-funk production detailing a bloodbath prior to “The Tab” embracing a funereal sound confessing to pay such in order for issues to be resolved. “That Kind of Shit” is a piano/string infused banger basically beeping the wicked shit leading into “Needful Things” asks about selling your soul over a glistening trap instrumental.

“Would That Be Alright?” shoots for a more deranging aesthetic expressing their desire to stab while “Rage” aggressively goes back & forth with one another stomping a motherfucker out. The song “What They Say” has a more jazzy, boom bap vibe talking about never giving a fuck about what others think of them while the penultimate track “Hate” is a livid diss towards all their enemies. “Off the Juice” however ends with a depressing tune about drinking & their inner demons.

I knew it was only a matter of time that they put this out on DSPs & if you love all the songs S.O.S. have done with one another over the years crossing paths, then I highly recommend listening to Blame Us for the Gore Hop fans who’ve come to love both artists. Scum & Smallz 1 bring the best out of each other lyrically accompanied by some gruesome production, refraining from having any guests to let their chemistry shine brighter.

Score: 4/5

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ShittyBoyz – “Trifecta 2” review

The ShittyBoyz are a trio from Detroit, Michigan consisting of BabyTron alongside Stanwill & TR Dee. Since putting out their debut mixtape 3-Peat under Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records in the summer of 2019, they would take the motor city by storm & following it up with another tape & 2 full-lengths with the last one being Trifecta during the first quarter of the year. But now with the PunchGod himself Babytron landing a spot on this year’s XXL Freshman Class & his performance at the Gathering of the Juggalos this weekend along with the rap metal band Motown Rage fronted by his father Mr. Sadistic (who were also once signed to Psychopathic Records in the late 2000s), the Boyz are back in town for album #3.

“Win or Lose” is an atmospheric hyphy opener talking about how you either take Ws or Ls in life leading into Tae Retro tagging along for “Zeke & Luther” to stay on the grind over a quasi-tropical beat. “WWE” works in some hi-hats & horns to show off some clever wrestling wordplay referencing those from former 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion, 6-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Chavo Guerrero to former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Champion, AAA Mega Campeon, AAA Latinoamericano Campeon, AAA Mundial Cruceropeso Campeon, MLW National Openweight Champion, 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 3-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & ECW World Heavyweight Champion John Morrison whereas “V8’s & V12’s” has a more West Coast flare to it cautioning that you may catch them speeding.

Meanwhile on “Senzu Bean”, what’ve the ShittyBoyz over a symphonic trap instrumental calling out some shooters who said they’d pop them similar to the object in Dragon Ball Z that recoups a fighter’s strength & help them recover from incredibly from severe injuries just before “Video Games” samples a wide range of classic from San Andreas to the startup sound of a GameCube to flaunt their lifestyles. “Lion-Hearted” incorporates a muffled sample & hi-hats from Jakesand so they can ball, but then “Going Hyphy” is self-explanatory as far as sound goes except the braggadocious lyricism.

“Slam Dunk Contestants” weaves some keyboards into the fold comparing themselves to the Avengers while the TRL-assisted “Turnt Shit 2” is a decent sequel to a loosie the quartet put out couple years back. “Cheers B!tch” revives the Hi-NRG sound with a chilling switch-up during the last 50 seconds talking about having double cups while the song “Getaway” is a jazz/trap hybrid boasting yet again.

The penultimate track “Most Wanted” mixes some guitar plucks, trumpets, synths & hi-hats together confessing that they feel like they’re on the run with “GGG” finishing off the album with another Hi-NRG hit talking about punching shit online similar to that of Gennady Golovkin.

I’ve made it pretty clear that the ShittyBoyz & Babyface Ray both have Detroit in a chokehold at the moment & Trifecta 2 is just another example of that. The bars that they come up together never fail to grab me in an amusing way & with the production continuing to redefine the group by going with completely different sounds.

Score 3.5/5

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Jay Worthy – “You Take the Credit, We’ll Take the Check” review

Jay Worthy is a 36 year old MC born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada & raised in Compton, California who caught my attention in 2017 after The Alchemist produced his debut EP Fantasy Island from top to bottom. He would go onto drop 5 more EPs & just put out a fantastic collab album with Larry June back in March called 2 P’z in a Pod even though initial plans of putting it out through Griselda Records fell through for whatever reason, but is now reuniting with Harry Fraud for his 2nd mixtape.

“Believe” is a classy opener talking about how he did it whereas the soulful “Pacific Coast Highway” with Larry June confessing that they’re married to the hustle. “Good Lookin’” takes a funkier route as Kamaiyah tags along to talk about how you have to pay for their time just before the Conway the Machine-assisted “Helicopter Homicide” works in some lush guitar licks so both MCs can kill shit lyrically.

Meanwhile on “Tonight”, we have Harry taking back to the 80s instrumentally with Jay verbally harassing all the peons out there leading into Curren$y coming into the picture for “Editorials” talking about the rebirth of Max Julien & gunning your spot over a well-flipped sample. “Daytons” featuring Ramirez layers a harmonica on some crooning vocals expressing their desire to take trips & break hoes, but then “Almighty” returns to soulful turf talking about how he been through it.

The vibraphone/boom bap combo throughout “Stickup Kids” is a nice touch with Detroit’s very own BandGang Lonnie Bands joining Jay in recalling them knocking people down before getting involved with hip hop while “Earth Sky” with MadeinTYO talking about all their homies who’re not here with them anymore. “Monday Motivation” has a funkier flare to it providing words of wisdom going into the new week while the song “Winnipeg Winters” with A$AP 12vy brings in a harmonious loop talking about being them dudes homing t. The penultimate track “6 Figure Strolls” with $ha Hef brags that they made $100k off 1 hoe over a shimmery instrumental & to finish off the album, the sound of “St. Nick the P” is more guitar-heavy talking about being worldwide.

Anticipation for this tape was very high for me personally considering that Eat When You’re Hungry, Sleep When You’re Tired has to be one of my favorite EPs that Jay has put out & I think this is yet another example of a sequel that living up to or surpassing the expectations set by the original. Harry Fraud’s production is more varied compared to the mobb-inspired 2 P’z in a Pod, the features are fantastically consistent & Jay himself comes through with some of his hardest verses he’s ever laid.

Score: 4/5

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Calvin Harris – “Funk Wav Bounces 2” review

Calvin Harris is a 38 year old DJ, producer & singer/songwriter from Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom who came in 2007 off his decent full-length debut I Created Disco. Ready for the Weekend & 18 Months both went on to receive moderate reception as well, but his 4th album Motion was easily his worst. However, the last album we got from Calvin was Funk Wav Bounces in the summer of 2017 & is widely acknowledged as his best one yet. So here we are 5 years later with a sequel & was anticipating it considering the singles leading up to it.

After the 40 second intro, the first song “New Money” is a disco/rap opener with 21 Savage flexing on the mic whereas “Potion” by Dua Lipa & Young Thug fuses contemporary R&B with dance-pop & synth funk to deliver an enticing slow jam. “Woman of the Year” by Chlöe & Coi Leray keeps the funk alive declaring themselves as such, but then “Obsessed” by Charlie Puth & Shenseea works in some cheery piano chords as they talk about missing 1 another.

“New to You” by Offset & Tinashe goes full-blown boogie confessing they want each other just before “Ready or Not” by Busta Rhymes brings back the keys to talk about taking this shit to the galaxy. “Stay with Me” by Justin Timberlake takes the nu disco route encouraging his lady to stick by him the whole night leading into the sequel which has a funky groove to it, but feels a bit redundant in the track listing.

Meanwhile on “Somebody Else”, we have these incredible bass-guitar licks as Jorja Smith & Lil Durk confess that both of them are in love with another person while “Nothing More to Say” by 6LACK is a groovy slow jam talking about getting the feeling right. The song “Live My Best Life” by Latto & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg has a more tropical aesthetic to it describing a place where the people have a good time while the penultimate track “Lean on Me” by Swae Lee is more synth-based talking about money following. “Day 1” by Pharrell & Pusha T ends the album with a warm ode to loyalty.

Like I said at the beginning of this review: I wasn’t really the biggest fan of Calvin prior to Funk Wav Bounces, but I’ve been wanting a sequel every since it initially came out & it’s just as much of a solid listen as the predecessor if you ask me. The production is colorful & the performances from the guests are pretty consistent for a good portion of the album.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ouija Macc – “Stalewind” review

Ouija Macc is a 36 year old MC from Las Vegas, Nevada who started to turn heads in the fall of 2017 after the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records shortly after putting out his debut EP Trashfire independently. Ouija has since proven himself as one of the most consistent & hard working dudes in the underground by dropping 2 full-lengths, 2 greatest hits compilations, 6 mixtapes & 4 EPs all in the span of 5 years. He just dropped Fallen Angelic this past spring & is now commemorating the Gathering of Dreams this weekend by delivering his 3rd album.

After the “Portal” intro, the first song “Wake Up” is blaring trap opener produced by Devereaux talking about being baptized in the gutter whereas “6 Foot Hatchet” manically promises to put a nightmare on that movie screen. “Fill the Space” works in some bells to deliver a weed smoking anthem just before “9MM Suppository” shoots for a more morbid aesthetic talking about detailing his shooter-mentality with an excellent chopped & screwed hook.

Meanwhile on “Boiler Room”, we have Gizmo accompanying Ouija to talk about stomping out their competition over a sickly trap beat leading into “Return of the Murder Go Round”, which is a catchy yet wicked sequel to “Murder Go Round” off the Wicked Clowns’ sophomore album Ringmaster down to the sample during the hook. Chapter 17 Records’ very 1st signee HEXXX comes into the picture for “Beast in Dior” to display some great back & forth chemistry with 1 another calling out those who’ve never surrounded themselves with demons over some hi-hats & retro video game-like synths, but then “Killa Like” talks about what he woke up feeling like with a bass-heavy instrumental from Billy Martin of fucking Good Charlotte with some rock undertones to it.

“Massacre” has a more frightful sound to it with co-production from DJ Chunk warning that nobody’s walking out their bitch alive on Ouija’s watch while “Mo Murda” ghoulishly talks about pulling up to a murder scene to make a scene. “F.U.R.N. (Fucked Up Right Now)” is a sweet trap/rock fusion detailing being under the influence even though F.J. Outlaw’s verse is respectfully one of the weaker features on the album with “In the Ha” serving as a cloudy sequel to “In the Haughhh!” off my favorite EP that ICP has ever put out: Beverly Kills 50187.

Continuing from there: “Go Head On” encourages not to hold back on shit over an occult bet while “Christian Mingle” continues to mix trap & rock together to talk about walking up in that bitch with a glock & a hatchet. “You’re Dead” with the Duke of Wicked himself Violent J has a futuristic yet grimy flare to quench for blood while the song “Do It Like This” talks about how he gets it done over a somber Shaggytheairhead beat. The closer “Take Me Home” comes through confessing his suicidal thoughts which is fitting considering his story of the Stillwind/Stalewind shift along with how hard these past few months have been for this reviewer personally & the bonus cut “Juggalo Radio” ends the album with an electronic/trap infused banger promoting JUGG FM.

If you’ve been following Ouija for as long as I have, then you should know how important this final element is & this conclusion to a 5-year long saga happens to be the most important album of his career yet in my personal opinion. I’ve noted that some his more recents efforts have shown that quite the artistic evolution from Ouija’s pen-game to the projection but on Stalewind, it all comes full circle so excellently.

Score: 4.5/5

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Zitro – “Nain Rouge” review

Zitro is a 33 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who started making music when he was in the 7th grade. But it wasn’t until February 2020 where he would put out his full-length debut A New Beginning & followed it up last summer with the debut EP Black Diamondz + Long Islandz following a set at the Gathering of the Juggalos, which eventually led the Insane Clown Posse signing him to Psychopathic Records a couple months later as announced the booklet of the 5th Joker’s Card in the 2nd deck Yum Yum Bedlam. So considering that the Gathering of Dreams is going down this week, it’s only fitting for Zitro to put out a sophomore album.

After the “Who or What is Nain Rogue?” intro, “The Arrival” is a bombastic trap opener threatening his opposition whereas the Bake Lo-assisted “God StatuZ” grimly finds the 2 declaring themselves as Gods. “Monster” shoots for a more demonic aesthetic talking about being a killer, but then “Thuggalo” is a sprightly ode to every single juggalo that grew up in the hood.

Meanwhile on “Becoming a Problem”, we have Zitro over a bell-infused trap beat calling out the haters who wanna be just like him just before “Here to Kill (I Ain’t Trick-R-Treatin’)” is a pop rap cut getting on his serial killer shit. “Look in My EyeZ” is a spacey trap banger talking about seeing the pain inside him just before “Long Dark Road” comes through as a favorite of mine on the album from Godsynth’s production to Zitro’s lyrics deciding whether or not to head into the light.

“Loco (Because of You)” takes a rubberier route talking about how deranged he is prior to Histio coming into the picture for “I’m Good” to chillingly describe the only way for them to cope with their depression is. “With the Tint” has a more cloudier vibe to it talking about everything being black while the keyboard-laced “Wicked Whippin’” with Tierre Diaz to get whatever’s on their minds.

The song “Nightmare Walkin’” with Geno Live & R.U.C.K.I.S.S. sees the trio over a sinister trap instrumental talking about their violent urges while the penultimate track “Move It” follows that up with an off-the-wall club banger. “Who You Want?” however ends the album with a Middle Eastern-influenced jam bringing the Demon out.

Compared to Black Diamondz + Long Islandz & A New Beginning, the amount of creative growth provided throughout Nain Rouge is pretty impressive. I really like how the production happens to be more versatile in terms of overall sound & the whole concept of Zitro being the Demon of the Strait in the living flesh is well-detailed.

Score: 3.5/5