$uicideboy$ – “Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation” review

This is the 3rd studio album from New Orleans duo $uicideboy$. Consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim, the released a plethora of projects within the last 8 years whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even the full-length debut I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$ recently dropped their sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering last summer & are ringing in another one in the form of Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation.

“Genesis” kicks off the album sampling the greatest Mario game of all-time Super Mario World with Ruby & $crim talking about reinventing themselves whereas “Matte Black” takes a cloudier route to rep the ever-growing G*59 Record$ that they founded from their inception. Fucking Your Culture” shoots for a darker aesthetic to flex just before “1,000 Blunts” works in a vocal sample talking about not giving in & relapsing on drugs.

Meanwhile on “In Constant Sorrow”, have the boy$ over some jazzy production tackling their depression leading into “Escape from BABYLON” returning to cloudier territory talking about finding love in the wrong places. “Ashes of Luxury” comes through with a mellow weed-smoking anthem, but then “Resistance is Useless” flips the late Koopsta Knicca talking about stacking up addictions & the only thing that’s changed is that they cut off one of their homies.

“Eulogy” has a mystical feel to it asking to play this song at their funerals while “No Matter Which Direction I’m Going In, I Never Chase These Hoes” atmospherically opens up about troubled relationships. The song “$uicideboy$ Were Better in 2015” is a piano-laced diss towards those who preferred their music when they were on drugs while the penultimate track “Unlucky Me” is an impressive sequel to “Lucky Me” down to the SWV sample. “THE_EVIL_THAT_MEN_DO” ends the album on a boom bap note addressing trust issues & being away from the public eye.

For the people who keep complaining that the $uicideboy$ sound the same every time they put a project out together, this is another reminder for them to shut the fuck up. The production that $crim cooks up is some of his most versatile that he’s ever made with him & Ruby giving the listeners a wide range of emotions from braggadocio to heartbreak, anger & even anticipation about their reinvention.

Score: 4/5

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Domo Genesis – “Intros, Outros & Interludes” review

Domo Genesis is a 31 year old MC & songwriter from Inglewood, California who got his start in mid-2009 as a member of the now defunct Odd Future collective. He’s gone on to give us a full-length debut accompanied by 4 mixtapes & 4 EPs within the last dozen years, my personal favorites of which being his debut mixtape Rolling Papers as well as his Alchemist-produced 3rd mixtape No Idols & his Evidence-produced debut EP Aren’t U Glad You’re U?. Last we heard from Domo was when he dropped the Just in Case duology with Mike & Keys last summer but now after signing to Bigger Picture Recordings not too long ago, he’s re-emerging in the form of a sophomore album with the label’s founder Ev returning behind the boards.

“Don’t Believe Half” is a drumless, jazzy opener with Domo talking about no realness being left & only him that’s exempt whereas “Skeletons” with Navy Blue finds the 2 over an upbeat instrumental talking about the skeletons in their closets piling up. “Trust the Process” takes a soulful route sampling Freda Payne with the subject matter pretty much speaking for itself, but then “Reverse Card” shoots for a more dejecting aesthetic to talk about turning tables is his favorite part.

Meanwhile on “Stay 1 More Day”, we have Doms over another soul sample hoping to stay optimistic just before Remy Banks tags along for the settle “Campfire” to flex their respective styles. “Running, Running” weaves a crooning vocal loop into the mix to talk about lanes switching as life goes on, but then “Victories & Losses” with Evidence is a piano/boom bap banger talking about all the highs & lows they’ve encountered.

The song “Going Rate” brings back the jazz admitting that he doesn’t cry tears & he’s on a God tier while the penultimate track “December Coming” with Boldy James sees the 2 over a mystic beat to provide introspection for the listeners out there. “Tallulah” on the other end closes out the album with Domo talking about doing it for the love even though the love ain’t there over a dismal instrumental.

It should go without saying that this is Domo’s best solo effort in a while & a much more consistent full-length than GENESiS & that album was just ok in my opinion. Evidence’s production is much more interesting, Domo gets a lot off his chest lyrically & I really enjoy the natural progression of their chemistry although I still love Aren’t U Glad You’re U? as much as I did 3 & a half years back.

Score: 4/5

Wiked Wood – Self-Titled review

Wiked Wood is a horrorcore duo from Atlantic City, New Jersey consisting of Cray-Z & Grave-Bait. The pair first emerged in the spring of 2013 off their full-length debut Red Carpet, which was followed on Halloween 2016 with their sophomore effort Dubs Up & then their debut EP Simulated Reality a week before Christmas couple years back. However with them making their 2nd consecutive appearance at the Gathering of the Juggalos next week, they’re dropping off an eponymous 3rd album for all of those who’re new to their music.

After the intro, the opener “Gotta Keep It Wiked” is a spooky boom bap opener produced by Devereaux to my surprise taking about remaining true to their horrorcore roots whereas “Spaceship” comes through with a Tech N9ne-inspired party anthem. “Petrified” shoots for a more futuristic approach to boast leading into the guitar-driven “Icarus” to talk about the minor character in Greek mythology not flying close to the sun with a cool “legends never die” line during the hook.

Meanwhile on “New Shit”, we have Lyte & Project Born joining Wiked Wood over a piano-laced instrumental to show their haters how they’re doing leading into Bernz & Ouija Macc tagging along for the nocturnal “Neck of the Woodz” to talk about being good with them as long as you pat your respects to them. “Spell It Wrong” works in some bells thanks to Shaggytheairhead saying they don’t need no fuckin’ C, but then “You Better Run” puts an EDM spin on the fucking Halloween theme to spit the wiked shit.

Blahzay Roze comes into the picture for the acoustic-flavored “Tomorrow” talking about scars healing & carrying on while the Androponix remix of “Paper” just seems a little pointless in my personal opinion. After the “Free Wawa Gift Card” skit, “What You Think’s Real” is a rap rock banger with both MCs gruesomely talking about certain interactions. being capable of shattering your mind while the “O.W.T.H. (Off With The Head)” remix being superior to the original. The penultimate song “See Me Shine” calls out those who wanted them to fail over a sunny beat & after the “Tom Wood Please” skit, “This is a Tribute” happens to be an odd choice for a closer as it’s an EDM-influenced juggalo ode.

I was pretty impressed with Wiked Wood’s set at last year’s Gathering, so it definitely made me curious to hear a full-length of theirs & I happen to think that it’s their most consistent body of work to date. Their lyricism has gotten better & do a solid job at refining their style for all of those who’re new to them.

Score: 3.5/5

Beyoncé – “RENAISSANCE” review

Beyoncé is a 40 year old singer/songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, businesswoman & director from Houston, Texas who rose to fame in the late-90’s as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child. She eventually began her career as a solo artist in the summer of 2003 with the slept-on Dangerously in Love, but found both B’Day & I Am…Sasha Fierce to be average at best. 4 though was her best since her full-length debut, paving the way for a self-titled effort & Lemonade to become her most critically acclaimed bodies of work yet. But as a way to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, Bey’s returning with her 7th album & the first in a new trilogy.

The opener “I’m That Girl” sets it all off talking about how no one can fuck with her over an instrumental featuring co-production from Mike Dean & S1 flipping “Still Pimpin’” by Tommy Wright III whereas “Cozy” comes through with a more housier vibe encouraging one to be comfortable with their own skin. The intergalactic aesthetics of “Alien Superstar” makes it a highlight for my personal as she talks about being too classy, but then “Cuff It” goes into disco territory confessing that she feels like fucking shit up.

Meanwhile on “Energy”, we have Beyoncé returning to house turf thanks to Skrillex getting rebellious rightfully calling out Karens turning into terrorists leading into “Break My Soul” pulling from Euro house sampling “Show Me Love” by Robin S. telling everyone that she’s unbreakable. “Church Girl” pulls from ballroom music with the help of Tricky Stewart & No I.D. with a Clark Sisters flip to further confirm that women who regularly attend church are super freaky just before “Plastic Off the Sofa” is a contemporary R&B ballad produced with Syd of course getting on the more romantic side of things.

“Virgo’s Groove” returns to a more dance-pop sound encouraging her lover to come over while “Move” pulls from hip house & afrobeats advising everyone to get the fuck out her way. “Heated” embraces afro house to talk about fanning off while “Thique” reveals itself to be another favorite of mine from Hit-Boy’s infectious production to the lyrics about body positivity & even bragging that her bread’s getting bigger.

Following that, “All Up in Your Mind” bombastically warns to be careful what you ask for because she could comply while the song “America Has a Problem” heavily samplez the Kilo Ali cut of the same name basically declaring herself to be the Tony Montana of sex appeal. The penultimate track “Pure / Honey” is a ballroom-inspired 2 parter talking about feeling her technique & getting people stuck to her love as “Summer Renaissance” finishes the album with 1-last house banger to describe a gangster growing on her.

Truth be told: I went into Renaissance expecting it to be average at best considering my initial reaction to “Break My Soul” when it came out last month was moderate & I have to inevitably mention the new Drake album Honestly, Nevermind being a decent homage to the late Virgil Abloh. Since it’s finally here however & I got to marinate with it for a while, I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought & find it to be as great as IDK’s latest EP Simple. that just came out a couple months ago. The dance-tinged production is a sweet homage to her late uncle Johnny & her performances are incredibly empowering.

Score: 4/5

Fatlip – “Torpor” review

Fatlip is a 53 year old MC from Los Angeles, California who came up in the late 80s as a member of The Pharcyde. He eventually branched out with a solo debut of his own The Loneliest Punk the day after Halloween in 2005 & now coming fresh off his recent collab album with Blu this past spring called Live From the End of the World, he’s enlisting Sccit & Siavash the Grouch to produce a majority of his long-awaited sophomore album right here.

After the titular intro, M.O 99 & & RBX tag along for the first song “Wake Up” to jump on top of a funky beat talking about how partying so much to the point where they couldn’t get out of bed whereas “February” takes a more acoustic route getting on a more conscious tip lyrically. Sccit comes into the picture for the trap-laced “Energy” talking about being built to last & after the “Message #1” skit, “Dust in the Wind” dives into more jazzier territory thanks to Chris “The Glove” Taylor with Krayzie Bone joining Lip spitting some life shit.

“My Bad” by The Pharcyde goes into cloudier turf confessing that frustration got them going blind & after the “Message #2” skit, Sccit & Krazyie return for “The Way” to explain how it’s supposed to be over an upbeat instrumental. “DC” brings back the synthesizers talking about still being free & after the final “Message” skit, The Pharcyde returns for the wavy penultimate track “30 Minutes Late” confessing being a half hour late for rehearsal. “Fulla Flava” though is a rich closer talking about never being a fake mobster.

Now I know The Pharcyde has been celebrating the 30 year anniversary of their iconic debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde throughout 2022 & hopefully the trio puts out a new album through Rhymesayers Entertainment in the near future but if you enjoyed The Loneliest Punk like I did, then you’re gonna want to check out Torpor. Lip sounds recharged on the mic after his 17-year break from the spotlight & the production throughout is impressively slick.

Score: 3.5/5

Joey Bada$$ – “2000” review

Joey Bada$$ is a 27 year old MC, singer & actor from New York City who came up as a founding member of the Pro Era & Beast Coast collectives. His debut mixtape 1999 just celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary last month & has gone on to become a classic, but Rejex was a decent collection of leftovers & Summer Knights was an solid prelude to his full-length debut. B4.DA.$$ eventually came on his 20th birthday & lived up it to it’s expectations by expanding on the vibes of 1999, but Joey’s sophomore effort ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ revealed it be unquestionably the most political he’s ever been. 5 long years later, Joey’s officially giving us a sequel in the form of his 3rd album.

“The Baddest” is a piano-tinged opener produced Erick the Architect with Joey referring to himself as the baddest motherfucker in all of NY whereas “Make Me Feel” goes into boom bap turf thanks to Statik Selektah confessing that the haters made him take a hiatus for a bit. “Where I Belong” keeps the dustiness going taking about takin’ risks every time he hits the door leading into Westside Gunn coming into the picture for “Brand New 911” to bring in a jazzy instrumental that Chuck Strangers has cooked up getting on their fly shit.

Meanwhile on “Cruise Control”, we have Joey over a cloudy trap beat from Mike WiLL Made-It & Cardiak talking about staying 10 toes down just before “Eulogy” returns to the boom bap shouting out all his homies that’re sittin’ on the big wheels. “Zipcodes” has yet another jazzier tone to the production provided by Kirk Knight talking about doing this with ease, but then “One of Us” with Larry June finds the 2 shooting for a smoother aesthetic calling out the people who wish they were them.

“Welcome Back” on the other hand is definitely the weakest cut on the album from the bland trap instrumental to the Chris Brown verse & the tepid subject matter while “Show Me” returns to a boom bap aesthetic talking about wanting to be proven that his lover cares for her. “Wanna Be Loved” with J.I.D has a more nocturnal sound to it expressing their desire to be appreciated while the song “Head High” is a jazz-inflicted ode to those who’re no longer here. The penultimate track “Survivor’s Guilt” comes through with a heart-wrenching tribute to Capital STEEZ & “Written in the Stars” sends off the album in glory rightfully talking about being a legend.

Some people tried to write Joey off because of “THE REV3NGE” & even I’ll admit myself that it was a Great Value version of the J. Cole single “Middle Child”, but I don’t see how anyone who loves 1999 as much as I do can dislike 2000. He really does an excellent job at recapturing the magic that made his debut mixtape one of the best of the 2010s & puts a more mature twist on it.

Score: 4.5/5

Mozzy – “Survivor’s Guilt” review

Mozzy is a 35 year old MC from Sacramento, California who I became a fan of in the summer of 2017 off his full-length debut 1 Up Top Akh. He would go on to be featured on the soundtrack for the incredible Marvel blockbuster Black Panther only 6 months later & drop 6 more albums through his EMPIRE-backed Mozzy Records but considering that Memphis veteran Yo Gotti signed him to his Interscope Records imprint Collective Music Group back in February, it was only a matter of time that Mozzy would drop his major label debut considering the fact that CMG’s been turning a lot of heads & getting a lot of coverage recently.

“Not the Same” is a introspective opener with it’s piano/sample infused trap beat along with the lyrics addressing those who say he’s changed whereas “If You Love Me” takes a more acoustic turn asking why he would change if people cared for him. EST. G tags along for the grim “Lurkin’” getting on their gangsta shit, but then Shordie Shordie comes into the picture for “Tell the Truth” to deliver one of the weakest features on the album despite the hyphy instrumental & the subject matter of wanting to be alone.

Continuing on with “Murder on My Mind”, we have Mozzy over some pianos & snares explaining why he can’t sleep without no slime leading into “Burrr” weaving in a twangy trap beat talking about how things are getting icy out here. “Wouldn’t Be Us” with YG shoots for a more cavernous aesthetic as both MCs telling their significant others it’s different then they’re thuggin’ just before “Smoke Nuffin’” bringing back the keys as 42 Dugg assists the mic to keep it 100.

“4Life” is a heavenly ode to Mozzy’s affiliation with the Bloods while the weepy “Make the News” with Blac Youngsta & Yo Gotti finds the trio calling out those who don’t actually love them like they said. “What You Hollin’” with his younger brother E-Mozzy & Celly Ru sees the 3 over some pianos & thumping drums getting on their mobb shit while “Ain’t Really Real” throws some strings in the mix talking about fake love.

The song “Open Arms” has a more smoother feel to the production as Mozzy talking about the streets welcoming him very kindly while the penultimate track “In My Face” with Saweetie & 2 Chainz shows a raunchier side to all 3 of them over a nervous DJ Mustard instrumental. “Real Ones” with Roddy Ricch however is a deadpan finisher to the album by showing love to those who’re no longer here with him.

Overall, I’d say that Survivor’s Guilt is one of the best major label debuts that I’ve heard in a while & most definitely a standout in Mozzy’s ever-growing discography. I could’ve done without a couple of the features, but a good portion of them proves that he fits in with CMG with the emotion throughout the 43 minutes is truly touching.

Score: 3.5/5

B.H. Tryggs & Black Canvas – “The Renaissance II” review

This is the 2nd collaborative album between Grand Rapids emcees B.H. Tryggs & Black Canvas. Coming up as members of the OxfordGang crew, the duo have most definitely worked with each other numerous of the times within the last 4 years dating back to the 2 features Tryggs had on Canvas’ debut EP Triple Hero. They even put out The Renaissance together last summer & are already keeping the series going by reuniting to dropping a sequel.

“Underworld” is a Black Canvas solo cut to kick off with a piano/boom bap instrumental talking about they gon’ respect the shooter whereas “Reefer Madness” finds the duo over some strings & dusty drums to express their love for weed. “B.C. Sniper” takes a more solemn route flexing their prowesses just before “Master Sword” is a synthesizer/boom bap combo talking about how much heart they have. Meanwhile on the orchestral “Kisses from Rogue”, we have these guys declaring themselves to be the best in the business leading into the shimmering “Godspeed” asking how one desires to live & be remembered.

“Genesis” is a Black Canvas solo cut with an organ, a vocal sample & some hi-hats pouring his heart out lyrically while the song “Kill Hercules” is another Canvas solo dolo moment except with a more morbid trap tone talking about how he can’t be stopped. Tryggs links back up for the penultimate track “90’s All-Stars” returning to the boom bap comparing life to a double-rim & to round it all off, “40 Love” details being on the road to glory backed by a trap instrumental with a medieval loop.

From what I’ve heard from both these dudes so far, I think The Renaissance II is a refinement of the predecessor. The Oracle comes up with some incredibly interesting ideas throughout the production he cooks up throughout this whole album with both MCs pinging off each other lyrically excellently showing the world how hungry they really are. Will we get a 3rd installment of The Renaissance series next summer? Only time will tell.

Score: 4/5

Knowledge the Pirate – “Wolves Don’t Eat with Shepherds” review

Knowledge the Pirate is a 40 year old MC from New York City who’s came into the music biz since the 90’s & was discovered by Will Smith’s former bodyguard Charlie Mack. He then signed to Interscope Records for a brief amount of time before leaving the game temporarily & re-emerging in the 2010s as a close Roc Marciano affiliate. His full-length debut Flintlock eventually saw the light of day in the summer of 2018, which was followed up with the sophomore effort Black Cesar as well as the debut EP Family Jewels & his 3rd album Hidden Treasures. But for his 4th full-length outing here, Knowledge is bringing Big Ghost Ltd. into the picture to produce the whole thing.

“Pull Up” is a string-laced opener talking about hopping out on those running their mouths whereas “Devotion” takes a funky, soulful route giving his flowers to all the people who’ve sacrificed a lot out in the streets. “Heavy Crown” shoots for a rawer aesthetic addressing street politics just before “Trenches” is a boom bap heater talking about making a $100k a month.

Meanwhile on “Young n Dumb”, we have Knowledge on top of a crooning sample expressing his desire to be the man in the slums leading into “Russian Sable” is a brooding eye-opener for those who don’t understand the dope game. “The Tombs” is a grisly shot at the people who be talking slick until the real G’s pop out, but then Flee Lord tags along for the guitar-laced “Bad Boys” to declare themselves as such.

“Wolves Eat” returns to the boom bap with some more chopped vocal flips saying he got service while the song “Know God” takes a soulful approach looking back on forming a team to make bread during his adolescence. The penultimate track “Treasure Chest” with Ty Farris finds the 2 over a another guitar-driven beat talking about balling like MJ & Dr. J with “Sweetwater” serving as a bluesy closer advising not to be found floating in the Hudson River.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Knowledge’s work in the past, Wolves Don’t Eat with Shepherds could very well be my favorite of the 4 albums that he’s put out yet. You can never go wrong with Big Ghost Ltd.’s production & lyrically, it really does cemented Knowledge’s status as a wolf in the rap game.

Score: 4.5/5

Joey Cool – “The Chairman of the Board” review

This is the 6th full-length album from Kansas City, Missouri emcee Joey Cool. Catching attention as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music dropping a total of 4 mixtapes & a studio album on his own, Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to the Snake & Bat in 2017 & dropping his eponymous sophomore album the next year. This was followed up with Old Habits Die Hard as well as Coolie High & I Tried to Be Normal Once, but is ringing in another summer by delivering The Chairman of the Board.

After the “Moonlight” intro, the first song “Bumpy Johnson Back” is a boom bap opener with Joey returning to his roots whereas “The Chairman” takes a hazier route talking about being on deck. “Kingsman” shoots for a symphonic aesthetic detailing coming from a long line of hustlers just before Tech N9ne comes into the picture for the trap-tinged “Mega Grit” to talk about how they’ve been immortalized in this rap game.

Meanwhile on “Havana Conference”, we have Joey over a dusty instrumental advising not to call him lucky leading into King Iso tagging along for “Idle Hands” to return to trap territory thanks to Wyshmaster talking about eyeing a demon dancing. “Iceberg” with the legendary X-Raided who just happened to sign to Strange Music a couple months ago is a cloudy boom bap banger with both of them describing how cold blooded they are, but then “Hoodoo” incorporates a sped-up blues sample talking about staying at the bottom of the sea.

“Casper Holstein” mixes some pianos & snares comparing him to that of the Harlem monster of the same name & even though Tay Diggs’ verse on “Lansky” is probably the weakest feature on the album, I do like the plucky boom bap beat as well as the Meyer Lansky-influenced subject matter. X-Raided returns 1 last time for “We Got ‘Em Now” keeping it boom bap talking about doing it bigger than ever while “Troubled Waters” weaves some pianos & handclaps addressing the ones that made it through the hardships.

The song “My Boy” elaborates about his homie Frankie saying the best revenge is massive success over a flute-heavy instrumental while the penultimate track “Teremana” comes through with an aggressive ode to the titular brand of tequila. “The Best is Yet to Come” closes out the album with a chill boom bap anthem produced by Dominique Sanders talking about being far from done.

I’ve enjoyed just about every album that Joey has dropped since signing to Strange, but The Chairman of the Board stands as one of my favorites in his whole discography. I think the production’s a little bitter than the one he dropped last summer & he sounds a lot more confident on here as he leaves no room for questions regarding his current status.

Score: 3.5/5