New York underground duo Armand Hammer signing to Rhymesayers Entertainment for their 7th LP. Consisting of billy woods & Elucid, they formed together a decade ago already off their only mixtape Half Measures & the debut album Race Music. The pair would go on to release an EP & 4 more albums worth of abstract political hip hop, with the last one Haram fully produced by The Alchemist becoming the most critically acclaimed within their discography. We Buy Diabetic Test Strips quickly became the greatest musical statement in Fat Possum Records’ entire discography, reuniting with Uncle Al for the Haram sequel Mercy & switching labels from Fat Possum to Rhymesayers.
“Laraaji” comes out the gate hooking up an uncanny sample saving a reference to the late Ka’s 9th & final album The Thief Next to Jesus for billy’s verse whereas “Peshawar” trades the mic with one another over a piano talking about the technological advancements in AI with the “thou shall not make a machine in the likeness of a human” line. “Calypso Gene” embraces a jazzier vibe instrumentally using water as a metaphor for spiritual cleansing just before “Glue Traps” featuring Quelle Chris topically finds the trio addressing more economic issues.
We get some heavy pianos throughout “Scandinavia” talking about life being filtered through white curtains being stranger than the northern European subregion while “Nil by Mouth” continues to put Alchemist’s ear for sampling on full display comparing their flows to remote control lightning. “Dogeared” ends the 1st half with a drumless beat talking about their love running deep until “Crisis Phone” addresses the type of people who don’t know what it means to bleed.
“Moonbow” continues the 2nd leg of Mercy by incorporating a chipmunk soul instrumental hoping all shine through until the end of their days while “No Grabba” combines elements of boom bap & cloud rap talking about their preference of smoking weed without mixing tobacco with it. “U Know My Body” feels more like a brief billy woods solo track going on a complete massacre while “Longjohns” featuring Quelle Chris talks about seeing it all.
The 3rd & final single “California Games” featuring Earl Sweatshirt samples “Rehearse with Ornette” to continue the abstract brilliance of their previous collaborations “Falling Out the Sky” & of course “Tabula Rasa” while “Super Nintendo” wraps things up with a lead single that combines drumless, neo-psychedelia & chiptune using that very console as a metaphor for childhood memories fleeting away.
Despite being confirmed by both billy woods & Elucid that the creative processes behind Haram & Mercy were similar, you’d be disappointed to expect Armand Hammer’s debut under the triennal Rhymesayers Entertainment to sound much like it’s predecessor because that isn’t the case whatsoever. Obviously less experimental than We Buy Diabetic Test Strips was over 25 months earlier, the drumless & jazz rap influences of Haram still remain behind the revered abstract hip hop duo to test out more back-&-forth flows.
Rosalía is a 33 year old atypical pop star from Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain introducing herself in 2017 with the new flamenco full-length debut Los Ángeles. Her sophomore effort El Mal Querer under Columbia Records would catapult her into stardom for embracing a more experimental flamenco sound & Motomami conceptually built itself around the way she was feeling during the 17-month studio sessions that conceived it. Preparing for a deeply personal return, her 4th studio album & it’s only single unsurprisingly marked a stylistic change of pace.
Rosalía es una estrella del pop atípica de 33 años, originaria de Sant Cugat del Vallès, Cataluña, España, que se dio a conocer en 2017 con su primer álbum de flamenco, Los Ángeles. Su segundo trabajo, El Mal Querer, con Columbia Records, la catapultó al estrellato por adoptar un sonido flamenco más experimental, y Motomami se construyó conceptualmente en torno a cómo se sentía durante las 17 meses de sesiones de estudio en las que lo concibió. Preparándose para un regreso profundamente personal, su cuarto álbum de estudio y su único sencillo marcaron, como era de esperar, un cambio de ritmo estilístico.
“Sexo, Violencia y Llantas” starts with some strings & pianos dichotomizing the physical & spiritual worlds that we’ve all become too familiar with while “Reliquia” works in more keys & violins to sing about wanting this person to take a piece of her with them as an heirloom. “Divinize” embraces a heavy art pop sound feeling more alive than she ever has whereas “Porcelana” tells the story of a 17th century Japanese nun named 良年幻象.
«Sexo, Violencia y Llantas» comienza con unos acordes de cuerda y piano que dicotomizan los mundos físico y espiritual con los que todos estamos tan familiarizados, mientras que «Reliquia» utiliza más teclados y violines para cantar sobre el deseo de que esa persona se lleve un pedazo de ella como reliquia. «Divinize» adopta un sonido art pop pesado que la hace sentir más viva que nunca, mientras que «Porcelana» cuenta la historia de una monja japonesa del siglo XVII llamada Ryōnen Gensō.
We get an art pop/classical crossover with “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti” to conclude the 1st quarter singing about a friendship considered contemplative until the only single “Berghain” fuses those 2 previously mentioned genres with orchestral music, opera, choral & romanticism referencing the famous Berlin techno club. “La Perla” featuring Yahritza Y Su Esencia conceptually feels reminiscent of “Promesa” off RR’s eponymous debut EP leading into “Mundo Nueveo” reinterpreting “Quisiera Yo Renegar” by La Niña de los Peines to renounce the world entirely.
Con «Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti» obtenemos una mezcla de art pop y música clásica que concluye el primer cuarto, cantando sobre una amistad considerada contemplativa, hasta que el único sencillo, «Berghain», fusiona los dos géneros mencionados anteriormente con música orquestal, ópera, coros y romanticismo, haciendo referencia al famoso club techno de Berlín. «La Perla», con Yahritza Y Su Esencia, recuerda conceptualmente a «Promesa», del EP homónimo debut de RR, que da paso a «Mundo Nueveo», una reinterpretación de «Quisiera Yo Renegar», de La Niña de los Peines, para renunciar por completo al mundo.
“De Madrugá” produced by Pharrell & former G.O.O.D. Music in-house producer Noah Goldstein hooks up these violins for Rosalía to conclude the 1st half assuring that revenge’s seeking her & having 1,000 tongues of fire in her hair prior to “Dios Es un Stalker” topically stalking a man that she has her eyes on to make him fall in love with her. “La Yugular” goes bilingual singing in Spanish & Arabic promising that she’ll tear down the sky & destroy Hell for the love she has for this man while “Focu ‘Ranni” takes inspiration from Santa Rosalía de Palermo.
«De Madrugá», producida por Pharrell y el antiguo productor interno de G.O.O.D. Music, Noah Goldstein, acompaña a Rosalía con violines para concluir la primera mitad, asegurando que la venganza la busca y que tiene mil lenguas de fuego en su cabello antes de «Dios Es un Stalker», que acosa temáticamente a un hombre al que le ha echado el ojo para que se enamore de ella. «La Yugular» es una canción bilingüe, cantada en español y árabe, en la que promete que derribará el cielo y destruirá el infierno por el amor que siente por este hombre, mientras que «Focu ‘Ranni» se inspira en Santa Rosalía de Palermo.
The desire of purging all things materialistic creeps up during “Sauvignon Blanc” no longer being afraid of the past over a piano while “Jeanne” bases itself around the Joan of Arc, entrusting herself to God’s wishes. “Novia Robot” takes a jab at the men who prefer their women to be pliantly emotionless while “La Rumba del Perdón” sings about a stereotypical dad leaves for cigarettes & doesn’t come back situation without making it sound cliche.
El deseo de purgar todo lo materialista se apodera de nosotros durante «Sauvignon Blanc», en la que ya no tememos al pasado acompañados por un piano, mientras que «Jeanne» se basa en Juana de Arco, que se entrega a los designios de Dios. «Novia Robot» critica a los hombres que prefieren que sus mujeres sean dóciles y sin emociones, mientras que «La Rumba del Perdón» canta sobre la situación estereotipada de un padre que sale a comprar cigarrillos y no vuelve, sin que suene a cliché.
“Memória” featuring Carminho pushes further towards the final moments of Lux combining art pop & fudo pondering if anybody will remember who they are after enough time has passed sharing the microphone together while “Magnolias” finishes up the LP by summing up her own funeral, singing to be honored with delicacy & love when she’s not here anymore having the flowers that symbolize the presence of Christ in the deceased thrown at her grave.
«Memória», con la colaboración de Carminho, avanza hacia los momentos finales de Lux, combinando art pop y fudo, reflexionando sobre si alguien recordará quiénes son después de que haya pasado el tiempo suficiente, compartiendo el micrófono juntos, mientras que «Magnolias» cierra el LP resumiendo su propio funeral, cantando para ser honrada con delicadeza y amor cuando ya no esté aquí, con las flores que simbolizan la presencia de Cristo en los difuntos arrojadas sobre su tumba.
To enhance the classical crossover experience she was aiming for, Rosalía brought the London Symphony Orchestra in ensuring Lux would become the most universal listening experience of her career split in 4 different movements performed in 14 different languages to stick out in the divided world we’ve come to know. The production eschews the reggaeton influences of Motomami to additionally pull from orchestral music, flamenco pop & singer/songwriter for a conceptual look at her relationships both from a romantic & a religious standpoint.
Para mejorar la experiencia de fusión clásica que buscaba, Rosalía contó con la London Symphony Orchestra para garantizar que Lux se convirtiera en la experiencia auditiva más universal de su carrera, dividida en cuatro movimientos diferentes interpretados en catorce idiomas distintos para destacar en el mundo dividido que conocemos. La producción evita las influencias del reguetón de Motomami para inspirarse adicionalmente en la música orquestal, el pop flamenco y los cantautores, con el fin de ofrecer una visión conceptual de sus relaciones tanto desde un punto de vista romántico como religioso.
Score: 4.5/5
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Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci finally releasing his 3rd mixtape. Starting almost a decade ago off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 19 more EPs as well as 6 full-lengths & his last couple tapes along the way. When U Wake Up, When You Go to Sleep, Baby 5 & the heavily alternative ANTI have all become his strongest material of this decade although I can’t the same for Isolation 2.5 a month after the latter. Internet Explorer was a fun redemption for himself & 5 months later, And When I’m Alone looks to keep his foot on the necks of his competition.
“Geeski” opens with an industrial hip hop intro talking about not knowing who the fuck he is anymore after coppin’ Plain Jane whereas “Earth” carries over the industrial vibes immensely sticking to the point because he can’t switch up on himself. “Life of the Party” instrumentally feels reminiscent of Indicud down to the utilization of auto-tuned vocals talking about being sociably lively while “Always Sunny” hopes his girl gives him another chance.
Austin Skinner makes the 1st of 2 guest appearances on “Pipe Down” talking about life seeming like a dream to them whenever they’re high just before “Blue in the Mouth” embraces a rage-inducing atmosphere flexing that his trap’s so crazy that he had to open up his own store. “Gangy” confesses that he isn’t trying to get out of his element anytime soon since he’s not in the usual mood leading into the 808s & Heartbreak-inspired “How Many Shots?” talks about puttin’ muhfuckas back in place.
“Talk to Me” hooks up some sampling chops boasting that a baddie has been watching him shine out here & trying to shoot her shot with him while “Smoke Break” appropriately embraces a slower direction in sound to kick off the 2nd half talking about getting high. “777 Angel Business” featuring Austin Skinner pulls from industrial hip hop once again dripped up in camo ア・ベイシング・エイプ until singing over some synthesizers that his girl wants to meet “By the Lake”.
Moving on from there, “In Sync” distortedly suggesting he better be cautious of how things are becoming all bad while “Death Note” talks about leaving anyone who pulls up on him resting with the dead. “Toonami” co-produced by Nico Baran of Internet Money Records gets reminiscent of the days watching the titular [adult swim] block of the Discovery Global subsidiary Cartoon Network while “Deep Dive” (3AM at Isabelles)” talks about the real ones always shining in the dark.
“No Molly” starts the final leg of & When I’m Alone running up his bands since he’s been grindin’ like the rent’s due while “All Me” talks about a lot being on his mind to the point where sometimes he wishes he’d pass away in his sleep, to which I say God forbid anything like that happens. “Saint Laurent Don” featuring Alois sends off BBG’s 2nd solo effort of 2025 with an outro reminiscent of the pairing’s collab EP Pastel earlier this spring while “Percs & LSD” begins the deluxe run talking about tripping off those 2 drugs specifically.
Hearing an excerpt of Malcolm X’s historic “Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?” speech sampled at the beginning of “Pray for Me” was dope confidently ready to hit a new level while “Passenger” talks about being untouchable. “Chasing the Moon” confesses to getting high because he doesn’t like the way he feels sometimes while “Cherry Red Seats” talks about being more toxic than he is lit. The final bonus track “Fear the Enemy” officially concludes with him responding to those claiming he peaked by keeping his mouth shut.
In preparation of House of Mirrors and Soda & Syrup 2 both coming within the next 52 weeks, & When I’m Alone embodies the blend of pop rap & trap that has made BigBabyGucci stick out for almost a decade. Coming off the heels of bbno$ biting him or most notably Drake on the Pusha T sneak diss “That’s Just How I Feel” off Drizzy’s upcoming 9th album Iceman, the North Carolina rapper/producer sticks to his guns except it’s more influenced by both members of KIDS SEE GHOSTS.
Florence + the Machine are an art/chamber pop & indie rock band from London, England, United Kingdom, consisting of drummer Loren Humphrey, violinist/rhythm guitarist Dionne Douglas, percussionist/keyboardist Aku Orraca-Tetteh, bassist Cyrus Bayandor, harpist/percussionist Tom Monger, lead guitarist Robert Ackroyd & frontwoman Florence Welch. Making their debut in the summer of 2009 under Island Records with Lungs, their sophomore effort Ceremonials during my freshman year of high school & their final Island offering How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful shortly after my graduation would both receive similar praise as did their Republic Records debut High as Hope. It’s already been over 3 years since Dance Fever & they’re celebrating the 14 year anniversary of Ceremonials with their 6th album.
The title track gives us a taste of what’s to come from the artsy, gothic & glam rock instrumentation asking how can she retire when people are shouting for her name whereas the 2nd single “1 of the Greats” blends art rock, alternative rock, gothic rock, singer/songwriter & post-punk sings about a 2023 near-death experience she had. “Witch Dance” works in some haunting choir vocals in the background using sex as a metaphor for her almost losing her life while the final single “Sympathy Magic” sings about the costs of fame pulling from art pop, indie rock & art rock.
“Perfume & Milk” leans heavier towards a singer/songwriter direction stylistically referring to the natural process of growing & returning to Earth just before the folkier “Buckle” finishes the first half of Everybody Scream with Florence singing about carrying the weight of memory & the beauty of moving on. “Kraken” begins the 2nd act with an indie/rock crossover searching for meaning while “The Old Religion” sings about the feeling of animal instinct starting up from within herself wounded so tightly to the point that she can hardly breath.
Starting the final leg, “Drink Deep” finds herself seeking the hidden folk through bramble & briar under ash & oak nightly realizing she drank of herself while “Music by Men” sings about her knowing how to fall in love because she does it constantly with everyone she meet for 10 seconds. “You Can Have It All” embraces an art pop vibe again admitting that she was wrong about her perception of sadness her whole entire life until these past couple years while “& Love” finishes by optimistically singing that peace is coming.
Returning to the spellbinding world-building that has defined Florence Welch’s entire creative universe, Everybody Scream channels her fascination with mysticism & folk horror in the wake of a life-changing surgery she had to undergo during the Dance Fever tour when she suffered a miscarriage. It’s more singer/songwriter & art rock oriented than what’s she’s done previously, getting more than that previous LP with secondary influences of art pop, alternative rock, gothic rock, post-punk & glam rock seeping through.
Atlanta, Georgia rappers & siblings Lil Gotit & the late Lil Keed celebrating Halloween with a brand new collaborative project. The latter eventually became the most popular of the 2 in the late 2010s when Young Thug announced he has signed him to YSL Records & his younger brother would go on to put out a total of 5 full-lengths as well as a couple mixtapes under Alamo Records until his departure almost 3 years ago already. Keed unfortunately passed away in 2022 of eosinophilia & Gotit’s finally putting Fraternaltogether after teasing it with a couple singles throughout the entire month, making it Keed’s 2nd posthumous offering succeeding Keed Talk to ‘Em 2.
“Game Time” finds the Renders over a cloudy trap instrumental for 85 seconds talking about nobody being in their range artistically whereas “Cash Brothers” takes a few minutes to back out with each other & stack their bread. “Relapse Game” works in some strings & hi-hats so they can talk about loading up the sticks while “Red Eyes” conceived during for the Trapped in Cleveland 3 sessions has a new life of it’s breathed into it.
Tee Grizzley joins Gotit & Keed on the cloudy trap fusion “From the Heart” talking about how everything they do comes from a place of sincerity just before “Stupid Shit” produced by CashMoneyAP demands answers for all the stupidity around them recently. “How Bout You?” continues the 2nd half suggesting that people should be taking risks & trying to become rich while “Woah” lusciously getting higher than the rest thanks to Outtatown behind the boards.
“Young N***a” gets to the encore of Fraternal by digging up another outtake from the Trapped in Cleveland 3 sessions while “5 Star Residence” sticks out in being another favorite of mine personally from the Supah Mario instrumental to the Render siblings talking about the bankroll coming in all different types of colors. “Wild Life (I’m Higher)” closes Gotit & Keed’s joint effort with them reflecting on their crazy lifestyles while “What’s Up?” starts the deluxe run talking about wanting to get high.
As for “Give ‘Em Hell”, we have the Render brothers taking a few minutes to speak of sliding with their money in their pockets while “I’m So Sorry” apologizes in advances for the possibility of sending hits at the detractors who want nothing more than to see them both lose. “Boss Man” airs out the clones stealing their drip & getting pissed because they didn’t get co-signs from either one of them while “Cat Got His Tongue” speaks of cornballs pillow talkin’ to hoes on the phone over a Taurus beat.
“Minaj” featuring Ty$ with G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox behind the boards brings the trio together talking about the baddies they’re dating playing their parts while “Rappin’ Shit” guides listeners through the rap game itself. “Fierce” marks the last time both performers appear on the same song with each other since the last 3 bonus tracks “Disgust Me” & “5AM” are Lil Gotit solo joints & “Baby Boy” being a Lil Keed solo song, shrugging off all competition they might have for being weirdos.
Personally, I’ve always found myself listening to Lil Keed more than Lil Gotit although I’ve enjoyed a great deal with their collaboration so I had no problem going into Fraternal. Solid way of Gotit remembering his older brother & I’m pretty sure he would be happy with it if he were still here. The production’s ok but from beyond the grave, it’s bittersweet hearing Keed with his younger sibling carrying his legacy & doing so the right way.
This is the 4th studio LP from Manhattan, New York rapper SosMula. Coming up as 1/3 of the now defunct City Morgue alongside fellow emcee ZillaKami & producer Thraxx, they’ve released 2 full-length albums & an EP together up before branching out on their own for a little bit. Sos was the first to step up to the plate by dropping 13 Songs 2 Die 2, which was a bit of a disappointment in my opinion due to the features & production. ZillaKami followed it up a month later with HIS solo debut Dogboy & the duo reunited to drop Bottom of the Barrel the month after that, both of those I found much more tolerable. 2 High 2 Die was better than it’s predecessor & the Sleez Machine EP that fall was the worst solo effort of his yet. Signing to Limosa Nostra Records & Atlantic Records following the divisive reception of his final Republic Records offering Sleez Religion, it only makes to go to Kamp Krystl Lake on Halloween.
“Killa Season” begins with a bloodcurdling trap metal intro talking about shooting his opps on camera whereas “Mr. Anderson” bombastically flexes that his stick matches the kicks in his wardrobe. A favorite of mine “Kathedral” featuring Ricky Hil & produced by Thraxx blends a shredding guitar riff & some hi-hats to get on some gangsta rap shit lyrically leading into “Aaron Hernandez” referencing the disgraced New England Patriots tight end of the same name.
Moving on from there, we get more trap metal production on “Blood of My Blood” showing a bit of a Marilyn Manson inflection in SosMula’s vocals during the hook just before “God’s Country” embraces a cloudier trap direction & pens a more nauseating chorus than earlier. The lead single “Trench Brazy” was an impressive 2-parter Lex Luger cooked up likening himself to a pimp while “House in the Trees” feels like God isn’t answering his prayers.
“Project Baby” was another exciting single reusing the same beat as “Deception” by Cameron Azi from 13 months ago except I feel like Mula suits it better down to the additionally included sampling of “Pop Out” by Playboi Carti while “Spiral” angrily talking about running up to houses to put his gun in the mouths of whoever opens it. “Preacher” speaks of hooking up with the reaper & gangbangers repping his set while “Mercedez Brazy” takes a slower approach than the other singles.
The song “Blakk Bootz” winds down Kamp Krystl Lake’s final 8 minutes with an industrial trap sound talking about his preference of rockin’ an all black got while “Outlaw Squad” contains some of the goofiest vocals throughout the album comparing himself to a fugitive. “Circus Roaches” lastly ends things experimenting with a grungy rock outro talking about him trying to figure out all this shit happening recently while “Excalibur” starts the deluxe run going to war over a trap metal beat.
“Spin Class (Fitness for Opps)” cloudily promises to gauge out the eyes of those going against him while “GTA VI” references Rockstar Games’ upcoming action-adventure game of the same name. “Death from Above” talks about the sky & eyes turning red over a rap rock instrumental while “Walk ‘Em Home” boasting all his stacks are chrome. “Barbellz” featuring Ricky Hil intriguingly trades the mic back-&-forth with one another the final bonus track “M. Bison” has a bar referring to WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson.
None of SosMula’s solo effort have come close to Dogboy but surprisingly, Kamp Krystl Lake gives pretty good reasons as to why Ricky Hil signed him to Limosa Nostra Records & Atlantic Records ahead of 10,000 Grams. Maybe even the best Sleezy has sounded on his own ever, stylistically drawing from the trap metal sound City Morgue pioneered to cloud rap & alternative rock taking it’s themes after the iconic Friday the 13th franchise.
Buffalo, New York emcee Heem closing the Bars & Noble trilogy with his 4th LP. Catching my attention in 2020 after becoming of a protege of Benny the Butcher & signing to Black Soprano Family Records, he also made a few appearances on the label’s showcase EP prior to dropping his debut mixtape Long Story Short & a debut EP High Art. His debut album From the Cradle to the Game came in the spring of 2023, coming off the sequel to Bars & Noble earlier this year to complete the final chapter.
The title track opens up with a boom bap instrumental talking about leaving anyone running their mouths on stretchers whereas “Bonettis” featuring Illy Foo finds the 2 discussing times getting harder trying right some wrongs. “Buffalo to Bompton” featuring Figg Newton joins forces for a moderate east coast/west coast collaboration with a bit of a small g-funk influence just before “$20 Stones” gets on his hustler shit over a sample.
“Redrum” moves forward by showing off his murderous tendencies advising that people near him better run for their lives when he pulls up to the spot while “Menace to Society 2” conceptually picks up where the Long Story Short highlight left off. “Foot Steps” featuring Z Baby finds the 2 expressing their desire to get up & grind leading into “$1 & a Dream” featuring Jamal Gasol optimistically talking about their day coming.
Jae Skeese joins Heem on the song “Graceful” starting the final leg of Bars & Noble 3 with my what could most likely by my favorite feature of the 5 in my personal opinion anyways asking to pray for them while “Family Tree” talks about his upbringings sampling soul music. “Warring Ave 2” finishes the trilogy with another sequel to a Long Story Short standout telling us more stories of him growing up in that very street of his hometown.
The original Bars & Noble was a solid dedication to all of the people in his circle who’ve been around since Day 1 & it’s sequel this spring at him at his wisest, but Bars & Noble 3 compared to it’s predecessors feels like a mix of both at times although the list of guests & some of the production doesn’t interest me all that much. By no means am I saying it’s wack, I simply prefer the earlier installments above this most recent one & that’s that.
Big L was a 24 year old MC from Harlem, New York known for his freestyling abilities & having some of the greatest punchlines in hip hop history. Making his debut under Columbia Records in the spring of 1995 with Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, the Children of the Corn & D.I.T.C. member would go on to start up his own label Flamboyant Entertainment & almost signed to Roc-A-Fella Records until he was murdered in 1999. The next summer, Rawkus Records would distribute The Big Picture (1974-1999) for Flamboyant & it would be equally beloved as the only LP of his lifetime to this very day. 139 & Lenox came out independently and RBC Records distributed The Danger Zone, but Mass Appeal Records is giving him a proper sendoff with his 5th & officially final album executive produced by Royce da 5’9 & the 5th entry of the Legend Has It series.
“Harlem Universal” featuring Herb McGruff produced by G Koop starts with a soulfully funky beat representing their hometown whereas the only single “U Ain’t Gotta Chance” featuring Nas finds the 2 talking about nobody standing a chance against them in lyrical battle. The first half of “R.H.N. (Real Harlem N****s)” is taken from one of my favorite Children of the Corn songs “Harlem Nights”, but then “Fred Samuel Playground” featuring Method Man shouts out the location of L’s mural over a Conductor Williams instrumental.
After an interlude during the first 45 seconds of “Big Lee & Reg”, we’re treated to a brief verse from Errol Holden, the luxurious beat that Lord Finesse cooks up on “All Alone” sticks out in being amongst my favorite throughout the LP talking about looking for a place to call his own while “Forever” featuring Mac Miller bittersweetly unites 2 greats who were taken from us way too soon. There’s also the “7 Minute Freestyle” featuring JAY-Z, which is still her in today as one of the greatest freestyles in the history of hip hop.
Joe Budden only provides a spoken word intro to kick off the “Doo-Wop ‘99 Freestyle” making way for L Corleone to flow all over a beat that gives me a bit of a Halloween atmosphere but after the “Don & Satcha” skit, the “Stretch & Bobbito ‘98 Freestyle” angrily promises to take competitors out their misery while “Grants Tomb ‘97 (JazzMobile)” featuring BVNGS & Joey Bada$$ historically pairs the trio to talk about the need to get back on a roll.
“Live @ Rock N Will ‘92” starts the final leg sampling some pianos flexing that people are hiding in protective custody because he can’t be fucked with while “How Will Make It? (I Won’t)” gets remixed from the Return of the Devil’s Son compilation. After the “Don & Sacha @ Inwood Hill Park” outro, the bonus track “Put the Mic Down” featuring Fergie Baby & the late Party Arty finishes L’s coda with them over a Showbiz & Ron Browz instrumental.
Although I can’t say I’m not too surprised that there are some moments throughout Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King that I’ve already heard because neither Big L or Biggie a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G. had the same work ethic 2Pac had, I did enjoy this better than I thought I would. Primarily since it does the Flamboyant Entertainment CEO’s memory & legacy better than some of these compilations we’ve been getting out of his camp for the last quarter of a century, which is all I asked & could’ve hoped.
New surprise-EP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collaborative project with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ exactly 8 years ago to the very day called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. Set It Off wasn’t too bad either, coming off Kiari a couple months ago so he can take up the next 25 minutes or so confesing to being Haunted by Fame.
The soul sample on “Free Pick” was an attention-grabbing way to begin suggesting not to start anything with him & it won’t be any beef whereas the title track produced by Pooh Beatz talks about the cons that come with being a celebrity. “I Heard” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again isn’t that much better than “Pills” off Kiari earlier this summer until the Travis Scott vibes Coupe goes for during “No Sweat” makes up for it.
“Okay, Okay” easily has Haunted by Fame’s most annoying hook & the nondescript instrumental doesn’t really make it all that much better just before “Fashion Icon” reunites with DJ Durel that goes smoothly until the Labubu bar threw me off almost a minute in. “N.A.M.E.” featuring NoCap gives me a country trap vibe protecting their energy while “Another Problem” featuring Lil Dump mediocrely talks about getting to the bands in different ways.
The song “Ya Digg” starts the final leg of the EP with Offset jumping over a beat that reminds me a little of Future’s output boasting of him pulling up looking trim while “No Regrets” disses his ex-wife Cardi B, who was the hostess of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s SummerSlam XXXVIII almost 3 months earlier. “Headhunter” finishes with a moderate outro talking about only seeing money at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately as much as I was looking forward to this since hasn’t Offset dropped anything on Halloween since Without Warning almost a decade earlier, I came away from Haunted by Fame liking it less than the most introspective album of his career earlier this summer. I can appreciate the concept of him cautioning of the downsides that come with fame, but the production’s a lot weaker.
Danny G is a producer, DJ & occasional rapper from Detroit, Michigan notable for being an in-house producer for Lando Bando’s very own EMPIRE Distribution imprint The Hip Hop Lab Records. He’s gone on to produce some of the biggest names in the Detroit/Flint trap scenes from the ShittyBoyz to Rio da Yung O.G. & RMC Mike, expanding his production rapport greatly all of 2025 from Bruiser Wolf to most recently Icewear Vezzo yesterday. However, Danny’s celebrating Halloween with a debut album of his own after announcing it 12 hours earlier.
“Dynaco” by Babytron made for a promising intro talking about tripling his net worth as opposed to what Google will say whereas “Larry Bird” by DJ Lucas co-produced by Jakesand decently references the former 3-time NBA champion of the same name. “Gotta Have It” by Kasher Quon talks about trying to put someone afraid of taking risks on just before the cold-blooded “Roomba” by Joeyy that Danny & Carlo Anthony cooked up likens his Glock to a lightsaber.
$kid & Danny share a moment together trading bars with “Newsport” talking about puffin’ Newports in a brand new 2-door whip leading into “Heat Streak” by Krispylife Kidd embracing a Flint sound flexing that Danny paid him a reasonable $54K for his appearance. “Kpop” by Certified Trapper works in a vibraphone talking about flaming people with the blick while “Kith” by Since99 & $weet-T trades the mic back-&-forth with each other.
“Starbury” by Babytron & ZelooperZ pairs the 2 so they can go hard until they’re cremated in urns while “The Yoyer in the Froyer” by Big Bye feels more like a spoken word interlude rather than carrying over that Paper Plates energy, which disappoints me. “Shottas Music” by Louie Ray, RMC Mike & YN Jay links up with each of her for a Flint trap ode to the gangsters around their parts while “Alpha Bay” by Danny G himself featuring LG Deno Skeno & $weet-T serves base that will melt faces off.
Ankith Woods’ performance on “Guitar Hero” was alright despite the nod to the popular series of rhythm games celebrating it’s 2-decade anniversary while “F&N” by $weet-T surpasses “Kith” & “Alpha Bay” in my opinion, recapturing the $weet & Silent Dan aura with Helluva’s asistance. Since99 returns by $weet-T’s side during “Marquis Chris” causing pandemonium & madness while “I Want It All” by Big Quis talks about desiring the finer things in life
Finishing up Danny’s debut, he hops back on the mic 1 last time for the song “Darius Rucker” featuring ChoppaLee turning up the Northern California influences referencing Hootie & the Blowfish’s frontman of the same name while “It’s Funny” by Stanwill talks about not giving a fuck who’s fake because he’s surrounded by real ones. “Back Talk” by Fordio & MJPaid recaptures the chemistry of their Made & $tyle collab tape while “Sometimes” by Babytron finishes things the way he started it.
One of my personal favorite producers in the Detroit/Flint sound subgenres of trap, Danny G’s full-length studio debut was an exciting surprise to me although I didn’t enjoy it as much as Jakesand’s 2nd EP Sandbox last summer. Although I have no complaints regarding Danny’s production, one of my biggest criticisms regarding WTF Daniel!? boils down to the list of performers over his beats being some what inconsistent.
Legends Will Never Die 