Stu Bangas – “Death Wish II” review

Boston underground producer Stu Bangas is back again for a sophomore full-length LP solely under his own name. For over the last 15 years, the dude’s résumé is an ever-growing list of veterans ranging from members of the Army of the Pharaohs collective to the late Sean Price. But since 2019, he’s been steadily grinding his ass off producing projects for the likes of Ill Bill & Recognize Ali. However with the 2-year anniversary of his official full-length debut Death Wish approaches next month, Stu’s returning for a sequel.

After the intro, the first song “Inhumans” by Apathy couldn’t have started off the album any better with it’s to boom bap instrumental the lyrics that take everyone who’s tuning in on a trip through the underground whereas “Sus” by Ras Kass works in some twinkling chimes as well as kicks & snares to talk about hating it when people act suspect. “Of Course It’s Me” by Ty Farris happens to be synthesizer/boom bap crossover boasting that both of them be unstoppable leading into “Hooligan Music” by Da Flyy Hooligan hooks up a flute over kicks & snares providing a theme song for the hoodlums.

“Y’all Clowns” by Celph Titled & Psycho Les after an interlude finds the 2 getting in their hardcore bags over a quirky boom bap beat just before “Gracious” by SmooVth cooking up more synths with kicks & snares explaining that his state of mind is hurtful. “The Garden” by Timbo King keeps it rugged clarifying this that different taste but after another interlude, “Feeling Brolic” by Recognize Ali & Vangarde takes the symphonic boom bap route feeling like they have a extremely muscular physique. The final “Deity” by Raze the Ratchet prior to the outro ends the album heinously calls for him rappers to face scrutiny.

Almost 2 years later & Death Wish is still one of my favorite producer curated LPs that I’ve heard in recent memory, so that was more than enough to have me anticipate hearing what Stu was gonna do with the sequel & I enjoy it as much as the predecessor. Only a couple weak guest performances like last time, but the boom bap production still hits hard & a majority of those who take the mic rip it up.

Score: 4/5

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City Girls – “R.A.W. (Real Ass Whores)” review

The City Girls are a duo from Miami, Florida consisting of Yung Miami & JT. Both of whom have put out 2 full-lengths & a mixtape under Quality Control Music throughout the past 6 years to mixed reception. JT would go on to become Lil Uzi Vert’s girlfriend with Yung Miami having a child with Southside & recently breaking up with Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy at the beginning of 2023. Nonetheless, the singles they’ve releasing leading up to their 3rd & final LP have actually been some of their best songs ever namely the improved production choices that their previous material lacked.

After the intro, the first song “Piñata” is a industrial no melody trap opener produced by Southsidetalking about how their significant others wanna hit it whereas “Static” featuring Lil Durk works in some pianos & hi-hats thanks to Tay Keith telling dirty bitches not to worry about them at all. “No Bars” by JT fuses hyphy with crunk & mobb music kickin’ it off top solo dolo just before “Line Up” pulls from ratchet music getting raunchy of course.

“Show Me the Money” gives me a bit of a Miami bass vibe instrumentally talking about the dollars leading into the pop rap ballad “Emotions” featuring Muni Long pleading not to let them fall in love for nothing when it’s all said & done. “Fancy Ass Bitch” featuring Juicy J samples “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” by UGK & OutKast showing off how fancy both of them are, but then “Good Love”featuring Usher draws inspiration from Atlanta bass detailing being freaked in the city.

The “Drop It Like It’s Hot” sample throughout the pointlessly minute & a half “Work for It” is ok even though the braggadocious lyrics are cool while “I Need a Thug” picks things back up from the bounce undertones that 30 Roc cooks up to the “I Need Love” interpolation looking to get with thugs. “Flashy” featuring Kim Petras dabbles with nu disco describing their ostentatious lifestyles while “Wigs” is a decent ode to the amount of wigs they own.

“Face Down” finds Mike WiLL Made-It cooking up an off-the-wall beat blending hyphy & ratchet music so Miami & JT look to be slutted out while the rubbery “What You Want” produced by Hitmaka & OG Parker talking about their lovers always getting them what they want. “Tonight” goes for a futuristic approach looking to do it all night while “Survive” hooks up a soul sample & hi-hats getting more personal. To close the album however, “Fuck the D to the A” ends things with a Detroit trap instrumental from Helluva bringing it hardcore.

You know I’ve never been big into the City Girls’ past material, but I gotta say that R.A.W. (Real Ass Whores) lived up to my expectations as the most well-crafted body of work in their discography. It’s refreshing to hear their production choices being stepped up with a variety of different sounds, the feature-list is tight & both of them delivering solid performances of their own. Pretty good note to end on for them as they embark on their solo careers.

Score: 3.5/5

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H.A.R.D. – “Prosper” review

Hardcore super-duo H.A.R.D. returning for their 3rd full-length LP. Consisting of Joell Ortiz & KXNG CROOKED, both of whom have had notorious label issues at the start of their careers, but would go on 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 along with 2 full-lengths last year: The Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse and Harbor City. But coming off JFKLAX, they’re now looking to Prosper.

“The Tale of 2 Cities” is a groovy boom bap opener talking about coming from Brooklyn & Long Beach respectively whereas “Still” smoothly makes it known that both parties are out here grinding. “Dodgers 2” works in a sample, kicks & snares for a sequel to “Dodgers” off their latest EP just before & “War Outside” blends these strings with hi-hats to describing the harsh realities of the streets.

Moving on from there, “Sunroof” hooks up this alluring vocal chops from The Heatmakerz explaining why be so calm in the booth leading into the soulful title track as Crook & Yaowa come from a more introspective side of things looking live on & live long. “Wife Her (Snipe Her)” groovily gets romantic promising that no man could compete with them while “W.I.F.E.” blends these jazzy horns & crooning samples talking about having no one to grow with ‘cause they don’t know shit.

“Black Tie Affair” continues to push towards the end of the Housing Authority Rap District’s 3rd album returning to the boom bap boasting their top dog mentalities sipping champagne & lighting a cigar up until the soulful “No More” ends the album no longer staying humble paying homage to “Back in the Day” by Ahmed during the hook.

Harbor City & JFKLAX are still both enjoyable projects, but I know both of these guys can put out another body of work that’s on par with self-titled or Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse because they continue to show it a year & a half later. They’re both veterans & still have chemistry that’s no question, I just think they need more consistent production much like how Signature was better than Autograph itself.

Score: 3.5/5

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Naomi Sharon – “Obsidian” review

Naomi Sharon is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands who started out in 2018 with her debut single “Breeze”. She would go on to release 4 more singles until Toronto superstar Drake made her the newest signee to OVO Sound this past summer. So after building up some hype for this full-length debut LP over here in the form of a couple singles, we’re getting a proper introduction to her a couple weeks after For All the Dogs became the best thing Drizzy has done since 2015.

“Definition of Love” is a great opener drawing from sophisti-pop, alternative R&B, afrobeats & UK bass singing that her partner is exactly that whereas “If This Is Love” works in a smooth soul instrumental singing about this man’s beauty becoming strange to her. “Another Life” fuses alternative R&B with ambient house, ambient pop, downtempo & afro house confessing that her heart is aching even though she promised herself that she wouldn’t break it leading into the acoustic “Myrrh” passionately sings about an anciеnt love filling the room.

40’s production on maybe my favorite track here “Celestial” is absolutely dreamy with Naomi on top of it telling the person that she’s no longer seeing that she actually still adores him just before the moody, afro house infused “Time & Trust” advises that the 2 things don’t mix. “Push” featuring Omah Lay is an afrobeats duet with both singers tackling themes of intimacy, but then “Holding in Place” has a bit of a wavy chilled out EDM influence to the beat singing about times like this not lasting forever & doing the best she can to keep the most important person in her life with her.

“Extacy” discusses losing empathy & parts of her are already starting to move on over a luscious instrumental while the cavernously produced “Lucid Dreamer” explains that there’s no luxury worth living. “Regardless” assures this guy that she’ll stick around even if she’s brokenhearted accompanied by some acoustics & after the “If This Is Love” outro, the bonus track “Hills” truly ends Naomi’s debut album with a tropical vibe singing about having a dude loving love that wasn’t for them.

Starting the deluxe run officially, “Nothing Sweeter” balances between contemporary R&B & neo-soul with a hint of singer/songwriter explaining that nothing else hits different for her than the first kiss from the love of her live while “Goodbyes (Myrrh)” experiments with deep house & garage house with the help of DJ Snake for a reimagined successor to “Myrrh” & one that I find myself enjoying significantly compared to the original version of it.

OVO as a label generally tends to be mid in what they have to offer alternative R&B alongside trap & pop rap, but I can definitely see why Drake signed Naomi Sharon to begin & am interested in hearing her blossom artistically going forward. She incorporates elements of afrobeats, downtempo, sophisti-pop & afro house into the PBR&B sound that October’s Very Own specializes in with an additionally clear Sade influence.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “Breath of Fresh Air” review

Gucci Mane is a 43 year old rapper, record executive & entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s last solo effort Ice Daddy in 2021 was a solid commemoration to fatherhood & he’s looking to return in the form of his 16th album following former 5-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, former PWG World Champion & WWE’s Director of Live Events Adam Pearce’s first night as the GM of the Monday Night RAW brand on USA Network.

“Must Be Me” is a soulful, jazzy trap opener talking about how he’s seeing something that everyone else doesn’t whereas “Bluffin’” featuring Lil Baby hooks up these synthesizers & hi-hats together so both of them can call for some of these people out here to throw their hand in & stop all that cap. “Thank Me” featuring the late Young Dolph gives off a manic atmosphere musically boasting they got blue cheese in their pockets leading into “Trap Money” with underwhelming features from Li Rye & Sett hopping over a classy sample & more hi-hats flexing that they still got paper from their hustling days.

Dolph returns for the rubbery “Pretty Girls” produced by Mike WiLL Made-It showing off all the baddies that they have surrounding them just before “Glizock & Wizop” featuring Key Glock happens to be a decent introduction to the titular trio of the same name from the synth-woven trap beat to the boastfully icy lyrics. “Internet Chatter” makes it known that he isn’t phased by all the things they say about him online accompanied by a minimal trap sound that Dez Wright & Murda Beatz cooked up just before the shimmery “Talkin to the Streets” featuring Mac Critter drops off decent braggadocio.

“There I Go” featuring J. Cole has these cavernous undertones to the beat that Mike WiLL brings to the table here knowing that the hoes jump out the gym for both of them while “Mr. & Ms. Perfect” feels like a spiritual successor to a highlight off Wop’s 8th mixtape Mr. Perfect over 15 years ago. “I Know” vigorously produced by Tay Keith declares his awareness off how much it hurts people knowing he’s doing well while the piano-driven “Stomach Grumbling” ends the first half of the LP explaining that they want to be him despite the difficulty of doing so.

To start the 2nd leg, “Business Not Personal” gives off a theatrical edge instrumentally advising not to get emotional over any business matters as it has nothing to do with you personally while the cloudy “King Snipe”featuring Kodak Black & Richie Souf talks about being real from the jump. “06 Gucci” featuring DaBaby & 21 Savage finds the trio paying homage to Chicken Talk/Hard to Kill-era Gucci delving into the gangsta lifestyle accompanied by strings & hi-hats while the spacious “Pissy” featuring Nardo Wick & Roddy Ricch shows off their yellow gold.

The organ/trap hybrid that Zaytoven gives “Say No Mo” is interestingly distinct talking about not wanting to hear another word from anyone that doesn’t want to talk money while the fittingly lavish “Married with Millions” details the life of having a family as a millionaire. “Woppenheimer” goes for a suspenseful vibe pointing out that people like bringin’ up the past talkin’ recently while “Now It’s Real” talks about life being as beautiful as Pharrell & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg over keys & hi-hats.

“Broken Hearted” airily asks if anyone can cure the heartbreak that he’s experiencing while “Hurt People” remains in trillwave turf once more uniquely examining why everyone likes to cause harm to one another in our daily lives. “By the Water” sees Zaytoven lacing Wop with a synth-trap beat expressing for his desire to cop a house that has an ocean view & the closer “Big Boy Diamonds” is taken from WOPTOBER II. Better than “King Snipe” but much like “Mr. & Mrs. Perfect”, it’s an older cut that has no purpose of reappearing here.

I was interested in hearing that Breath of Fresh Air was going to be a double-disc LP considering the World War 3 mixtape that celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary over the summer happens to be one of my favorite projects from the trap pioneer. With that said: It’s not as solid as Ice Daddy was over 2 & a half years ago. Although I like that he took a different direction with it after the deaths & incarcerations of some of his friends, the production is a mixed bag & a few features punch under their weight other than a couple older tracks being rehashed.

Score: 3/5

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MIKE – “Burning Desire” review

This is the 5th full-length LP from Livingston, New Jersey emcee & 10k Global founder MIKE. Breaking out in 2015 off his debut mixtape Winter New York, he would continue to make a name for himself by churning out 4 more tapes as well as his previous 4 albums & 8 EPs full of amongst the finest abstract hip hop that you’ll hear within the last decade. Standouts include May God Bless Your Hustle, War in My Pen & even the collab effort with Wiki from last month Faith is a Rock entirely produced by The Alchemist. So considering the latter, I was highly looking forward to Burning Desire.

After the “Intro with Klein”, the first song “Dambe” truly sets off the album with a cloudily self-produced instrumental dreaming of taking over the city much like one of the greatest movies of all-time Scarface whereas “Zap!” works in a glossier sound so dude can show off his hypnotizing aura. “African Sex Freak Fantasy” goes into industrial turf for about 75 seconds talking about how there ain’t nothing like him talking tough on some g shit that us until “Snake Charms” hooks up a soul sample discussing the loneliness he feels after being unable to glow where he fit it.

Earl Sweatshirt’s guest appearance on “Plz Don’t Cut My Wings” is my favorite off the LP as they hop on top of a symphonic beat to pleading to not have their wings cut off at all but then after the “Real Love” interlude, “U Think Maybe?” fuses elements of soul & jazz getting on the romantic side of things conceptually. “Zombie” returns to the cloudy boom bap telling everyone that you can imitate his still even though they’ll never thank him for it, but then “Set the Mood” gives off a psychedelic edge to the beat getting the fun started.

“Billboards” has these incredible guitar licks throughout the instrumental talking about seeing how it is now that he’s made it to the charts these days hanging out with some bigger names while “‘98” dives back into jazz rap turf boasting that eyes stay dilated because of the za that he blazes. “Do You Believe?” though gives off a hazier sound declaring himself to be the outlet & that he be around while the title track gives off a mellower vibe musically looking back on those who used to say he was buggin’ & seein’ numbers now.

To start the 2nd leg album of the album, “They Don’t Stop in the Rain” gives off a warmer feeling to the beat talking about how people tried to switch up on him & betray him while “Baby Jesus” flips another soul cut calling out idle minds turning into demons after running around for a significant amount of time. “Ho-Rizin’” brings back the synths telling everyone of the kinda women he has while “Mussel Beach” featuring El Cousteau & Niontay cinematically talking about his heart broken realizing she only loved him for the paper.

“16s” has this melodic vocal loop staying yo to write verses nonstop & after the “Should Be!” interlude, the piano-driven “What U Say U Are” talking about how he needs to take a deep breath. Larry June has my 2nd favorite feature on the album with “Golden Hour” over a high-pitched flip both spitting charismatically. After the “Playtime” interlude, “Have a Ball” ends the LP in a bluesy fashion saying he doesn’t need to decide when not fighting fair.

Now for those of you who’re new to MIKE coming fresh off Faith is a Rock, then there’s no doubt that you’ll come away from Burning Desire enjoying it as much if not more than that collaborative album we just got from him a month ago. He covers some new themes in the conscious abstract fashion that he’s known for with his production refining his experimental hip hop, jazz rap & cloud rap styles by incorporating elements of hypnagogic pop & even vaporwave.

Score: 4.5/5

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BigBabyGucci – “When U Wake Up” review

This is the 3rd full-length LP from Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci. Getting his start in the summer of 2016 off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 18 more EPs as well as his last couple albums & a mixtape along the way. But coming off both his last tape Homesick & the sophomore LP Colors during the first quarter of the year, BigBabyGucci’s returning in time for Friday the 13th to drop When U Wake Up almost a month after Je’Von Evans became the youngest DPW Worlds Champion.

“Stargaze (Maniac)” is an electro hop opener à la Ye or formerly known as Kanye West asking if he’s crazy as fuck comparing his cougar to the late WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 2-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 2-time ECW World Television Champion, IWA World Champion & AAA Mundial Parejas Campeon Eddie Guerrero whereas “No Favors” works in some pianos & hi-hats talking about being unable to do any sort of favor for anyone. “Drug Bender” goes into psychedelic trap territory to give those who like to get a little too fucked up something to vibe to, but then “Feel This Way” triumphantly admits to everyone listening that he truthfully hasn’t felt the way he does in quite a minute.

Continuing forward, “Pecan Pie” blends these horns & hi-hats looking back on the days when he used to have to rob just to get by & make it through the struggle alive leading into “Early Bird” draws from 808s & Heartbreak for an electropop ballad about talking about how he can’t trust anyone yet he never learns. “Kapitol” weaves these pianos & hi-hats for an 85 second cut repping the titular clothing brand just before the synth-laced trap “Like I’m Famous” talking about the way this chick treats him.

“Ken Doll” goes for a bassy, atmospheric approach asking this Barbie if she genuinely hates him while the wavy “Seance” talking about he how he just had to lay someone down really badly because he was snitching to the feds. “The Brand” hooks to a somber loop & hi-hats discussing the fact that people be spending all the money they have not saving any for themselves in the end at all while “Midnite” gives off a jazzier edge to the beat interestingly talking about being high late at night.

On the other hand, “Product of a Playa” gives off a rage-inducing vibe instrumentally telling what it’s like to be an artifact of a hustler while “The Rush Before the Fall” dives back into the electro hop sound talking about being unable to miss his shot if he were to take it. “Bombay” intoxicatingly describes this chick wanting a night off while “Codeine Love” is an energizing dedication to sippin’ lean in the midst of partying out with others.

“The Madness” happens to be the last before the closer nearing the end of the album hopping on top of a cloudy ass beat talking about being so high that he’s looking over at the insanity & to close out the LP, it’s only feature Sik-K joins BBG for “Graveyard” wrapping it all up on eerie dark synth hop note providing some wicked imagery appropriately since it’s Friday the 13th & Halloween’s coming up.

I’ve been hearing about dude since this past spring when Colors & I can definitely see why people have been telling me to check him out because I enjoyed When U Wake Up as an album. He’s incredibly versatile primarily basing himself in the pop rap/trap styles with an clearly obvious Kanye influence & some rage undertones with catchy songwriting/performances.

Score: 3.5/5

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Paul Wall & Termanology – “Start Finish Repeat” review

This is the 2nd collaborative LP between Paul Wall & Termanology. One hails from Houston, Texas & the other coming straight out of Boston, Massachusetts. However, both of them have been holding it down for the culture for the past 2 decades with their insane work ethics & albums like The People’s Champ or Politics as Usual. They’ve worked with one another a few times within the last couple years & are took their chemistry to new heights with Start 2 Finish, so it was enough to have me anticipate the sequel Start Finish Repeat.

“Wall Paper (No Chit Chat)” is an angelic boom bap opener produced by Statik Selektah getting on that grind time whereas “Palm Trees” featuring AZ takes a more summery route from the slick instrumental to the lyrics about being fresh out the coupe after traveling high. “It’s Magic” featuring CL Smooth goes into funkier territory doing this with no apologies whatsoever leading into “Houston BBQ” featuring Bun B returning to the boom bap thanks to Large Professor providing an anthem for you to cookout to in the 713.

Moving on from there, “Talk About It” weaves this groovy sample with kicks & snares dropping smooth braggadocio just before “Positive Vibes” featuring Tony Sunshine of the Terror Squad gives off a glossy boom bap edge to the beat getting in their positivity bags. “Do It for the Ghetto” featuring Big K.R.I.T. works in some pianos & hi-hats so all 3 of them can join forces to write a ballad dedicated to the streets, but then “Got It Made” featuring Peedi Crakk of State Property discusses the way they living over an airy instrumental from Diamond D of the Diggin’ In The Crates collective.

“Blue Bill Bandit” compared themselves to thieves when it comes take $100s over a flute-tinged boom bap beat from Buckwild while “Smoke Somethin’” featuring Sheek Louch incorporates a soul sample courtesy of JR Swiftz talking about smoking weed of course. “Leather Recliner” is a synth-laced late night cruiser to bump riding with the top down while “No Apologies” brings back the Trill O.G. Bun B for a glamorously dusty joint about how they gon’ have to bring an army to take theirs.

To start the final leg of the duo’s 2nd collaborative effort, the penultimate song “Real Life” gives off a jazzier flare musically giving y’all a look into their actual lives & the title track featuring NEMS fresh off his Scram Jones-produced major label debut Rise of the Silverback rounds it all out with Cartune Beatz keeping the jazz influences in the picture bringing some kicks & snares into the fold so all 3 emcees can make it known to everyone listening with only minutes left that they back at it.

Start 2 Finish was a cool look at the Boston & Houston emcees gelling with one another, but this sequel over here is on par & even has it’s highs that’re higher than the last collab album was a year & a half ago. The production is generally based in Term’s east coast boom bap roots, but he & Paul are both spittin’ at an exceptional caliber together & the feature list is consistent on top of it

Score: 4/5

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Guilty Simpson – “Escalation” review

This is the 7th full-length LP from one of Detroit’s greatest MCs: Guilty Simpson. Coming up as a member of the Almighty Dreadnaughtz collective & a frequent collaborator of the late J Dilla, it wasn’t until late March of 2008 where he officially branched out on a solo career by having Stones Throw Records back his incredible full-length debut Ode to the Ghetto. He has since followed it up with a handful of equally great projects including his Madlib-produced sophomore album O.J. Simpson, the Apollo Brown-produced Dice Game; the Oh No-produced Simpson Tape & more recently the Gensu Dean-produced EGO just to name a few. But coming off the Guilt EP the previous summer, we’re looking at an Escalation assisted by Staten Island producer Uncommon Nasa.

“Spillage” is a dusty synth-laced opener with Guilty talking about how it’s like the realest shit ever to him when he’s poolin’ in a chill setup whereas “Fast Talk Maturity” takes a more cavernous approach instrumentally refusing to pit stop whilst in the middle of being in a paper race. “Smoker’s Guilt” works in a vocal sample boasting that he’s in the corner with the bud lit just before “The Devil” returns to the boom bap reminding everyone that Satan’s a lie.

Meanwhile, Guillotine Crowns & Short Fuze join Guilt for “The Era That Doesn’t Know” over mind-altering beat with some kicks & snares talking about how it’s like a trip to his city with his verse planned leading into the grim “S.T.F.U. (Shut The Fuck Up)” telling everyone that revenge is a heavy load. “Easy” is a synth/boom bap crossover talking about how he makes it look simple as Hell, but then the groovy “Can’t Trust Them” featuring Shortrock discussing people that he’s unable to trust.

To start the final leg of the album, Quelle Chris has it’s best feature on the morbidly produced “Stakeouts” getting in their storytelling bag vividly painting the imagery of a stakeout in place while “Ratz” gives off an electro influence to the beat talking about snitches. The woodwind/boom bap hybrid “Rumble” flexing that the formula was perfected in a matter of seconds & “Storm’s Coming” rounds out the LP by thunderously cautioning that something bigger’s coming on the horizon.

Now whatever it is that Guilt has for us in the pipeline has me highly anticipating it & Escalation shows a significant elevation in sound for this reviewer’s hometown veteran. The production draws inspiration from Guilt’s past collaborators Jaylib, Apollo Brown, Gensu Dean, Black Milk & Katalyst with the Detroit emcee himself pulling from his late friend Dilla also & even the late Sean Price of the Boot Camp Clik.

Score: 3.5/5

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Offset – “Set It Off” review

This is the sophomore full-length solo LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collab album with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ on Halloween 2017 called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. But with Quavo showing significant improvements a couple months ago by dedicating Rocket Power, we now have Offset returning after nearly 5 years to Set It Off.

“On the River” is a minimal trap opener produced by Southside showing off his pen-game & fast-paced flows whereas “Say My Grace” featuring Travis Scott talks about making room on his plate only for them to pray before eating over dramatic instrumental from Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group, Vinylz & FNZ. “Worth It” featuring Don Toliver has a smoother vibe to it thanks to CHASETHEMONEY hoping they happy with their bitches making them work that is until Future pops up for “Broad Day” to reference their hometown NBA team the Atlanta Hawks in light of it’s CEO Steve Koonin becoming a TKO Group Holdings board of directors member on top of a Detroit trap inspired beat from from Nick Papz.

“Fan” is a 2-parter crossing over elements of Memphis rap & pop rap essentially giving a middle finger to pretty much everybody just before “Freaky” featuring Cardi B sees the power couple over a ratchet Tay Keith instrumental talking about how they like it. “Hop Out the Van” has one of the most awkward hooks on the album paying homage to the late Lil Keed on top of a mediocre beat looking to let off the heat, but then “Don’t You Lie” hooks up a crooning sample & hi-hats talking about how this shit ain’t bankroll.

Boi-1da gives off a cloudier feeling to “I’m On” flexing that he can meet a bitch & take her home on the same night while “Big Dawg” mixes these violins & hi-hats together cautioning that he’ll stomp you out. “Night Vision” has to be my favorite on the LP from sumptuous Metro Boomin’ instrumental to the lyrics exposing the opps when they hide while “Skyami” featuring Mango Foo has one of the weaker guest performances despite the atmospheric beat & discussing the penthouse life.

“Dissolve” shoots for a nocturnal groove that Dez Wright cooked up wanting this chick to tell him who she gon’ call when them pills dissolve while the glossy trap-tinged “Fine as Can Be” featuring Latto talks about a baddie fucking with a rich guy. Wheezy’s production on “Buss My Watch” is just absolutely beautiful with Set showing off his Maison Margiela alongside his girl while “Dope Boy” featuring Young Nudy flexes their statuses from their days in the streets over an eerie backdrop & hi-hats.

Chlöe assists the father of 5 on the pop rap/R&B duet “Princess Cut” promising to be smashed sound asleep, but Cardi returns for the aggressive “Jealousy” tackling the themes of envy. The piano/trap infused “Blame It On Set” which was the original name of the album clarifying that they can’t be too upset while the emotionally vulnerable “Upside Down” talks about how Takeoff’s murder has made him feel. “Healthy” though closes out the LP with acoustics & hi-hats praying for God to give him a sign.

“54321” not being on here is a bit disappointing on the other hand whether it be the plugg instrumental that Baby Keem & Mike Dean cook up or the reference to former 3-time WWE world champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion, 3-time TNA World Champion, ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 9-time WWE Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion & The Crash Mundial Parejas Campeon Jeff Hardy.

Given how much I enjoyed Rocket Power over the summer, I went into Set It Off wondering where he would take things next since his own solo debut came from such a personal place & I enjoyed it as much as that previous album. He challenges himself to evolve more respectfully instead of resting on his laurels, the features are mostly solid & the trap production is nearly as tight as it was 4 & a half years ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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