Grip – “I Died For This!?” review

Grip is a 32 year old MC from Atlanta, Georgia who came up in 2017 off his debut mixtape Porch. This was followed up a couple years later with the full-length debut Snubnose but after dropping 2 EPs in 2020 & signing to Eminem’s very own Interscope Records imprint Shady Records earlier this summer, he’s ready to make his major label debut by putting out his sophomore album to a wider audience.

After the “Enter Stage Right” intro, the first song “And the Eulogy Read!?” kicks things off with a boom bap banger recapping his career up to this point whereas “Hands Up!” serves as a spacey shot at the system. The title track takes a turn into trap territory saying he waited his whole life for this certain moment just before “Momma Told Me!” is a ghostly look back on his mother advising him to get that paper.

Meanwhile on “Placebo”, we have Grip & Royce da 5’9” jumping on top of a trap instrumental that later switches into boom bap turf to compare this song to a substance or treatment that has no therapeutic value leading into him proclaiming he’s larger than life for the chaotic “Gutter!”. Things take a much more melodic turn for “JDDTTINT!?” saying he doesn’t want to die, but then “A Soldier’s Story” has a psychedelic feel saying what he writes is like a zeitgeist for life’s highs & lows.

Eminem of course tags along for the bassy, organ-laced “Walkthrough!” saying they can’t save the world whereas “The Lox!” with Tate228 starts off with a nocturnal boom bap instrumental before switching up into a trap beat saying he wants a check. “Enem3” with Big Rube had a more settler tone telling their old friends to meet them at the middle just before “ConMan” is a piano ballad saying he has a date with destiny.

“Glenwood” serves as a synth-laced freestyle about the titular city in Georgia while the song “At What Cost!?” somberly opens up about depression. The penultimate track “Patterns?” harmoniously apologies for letting his partner down & finally, “Pennies / Exit Stage Left!?” ends the album apocalyptically asks if you’re not entertained.

Even though I still prefer Snubnose, that’s not to say I Died For This!? isn’t a bad entry point for anyone new to him. He manages to stay true to himself rather than selling out now that he’s on a major label & still manages to do a fine job at carrying the hunger from his previous efforts onto this.

Score: 3.5/5

Joey Cool – “I Tried to Be Normal Once” review

Joey Cool is a 35 year old MC from Kansas City, Missouri who first caught attention as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music. However after releasing 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 & now as the 1-year anniversary of Coolie High approaches this fall, Joey is following it up by dropping his 5th full-length album.

After the “Swanktastical” intro, the first song “Way Down” works in a pillowy trap beat asking to dim the lights whereas “Jumpin’” is an energetic crowd mover down the Kato production. “Strange Sinatra” declares himself as such on top of a glossy trap instrumental from Dominique Sanders just before going into rap rock territory for the Tech N9ne-assisted “Man on Fire”.

Meanwhile on “Protect Thine Energy”, we have Joey going back into trap turf talking about dominating every season leading into him & Kye Colors jumping on top of some pianos & finger snaps showing their new bag for “New Phone”. He later opens up about a party in the hills that’ll probably kill him on the quasi-boom bappy “Bad Dreams”, but then “Like I’m Supposed To” atmospherically opens up about never following suit & being him.

Jon Connor of all people tags along for the jingly “Thomas Shelby” comparing themselves to the Peaky Blinders character of the same name whereas “Don’t Touch Me” has a more minimal sound saying he’s not down with the fuckery. C-Mob, Rittz, Suli4Q & Whitney Peyton come together on the trap banger “It’s a Pity” saying they did it now while “Here We Are” is a moodier jam about how “we take it far”.

The penultimate track “Whiskey of the Day” with Jehry Robinson & Wrekonize finds the trio joining forces to deliver a catchy homage to Jack Daniels down to the stripped-back production & the closer “Coolie Time” is a just yet hyper dedication to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which is where his Strange Music contract was publicly revealed at.

Now I don’t know where Joey Cool is going from here because we all know a lot of artists have been leaving Strange to do their own thing throughout these last few months, but I’m gonna stick along for the ride because this is as solid as his previous efforts. I love the confidence in his voice & even though 7 usually produces the label’s output, they make it work without him.

Score: 3.5/5

Nelly – “Heartland” review

Nelly is a 46 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & entrepreneur from St. Louis, Missouri who skyrocketed to fame a little over 2 decades back by dropping his debut Country Grammar. His next 2 albums Nellyville & Sweatsuit were just as solid but since then, the quality of his music has taken a drastic nosedive. But after taking an 8 year hiatus following M.O., the dude is coming back in effect for his 7th full-length outing.

“Lil Bit” with Florida Georgia Line kicks things off with a hideous bro-country tune that really sets the tone for the album if you really think about it in the grand scheme of things, because “High Horse” takes a dancier tone telling their ladies to drop it on them. “Grits & Glamour” with Kane Brown sappily proclaims being a mix of hood & country just before City Spud & Darius Rucker tag along to fuse acoustics & trap to tell the story of “Ms. Drive Me Crazy”.

Meanwhile on “Country Boy Do” with Tyler Hubbard is a guitar driven ballad about growing up in the south leading into “Someone Somewhere” with George Birge takes a summery turn saying “everybody’s gotta miss somebody”. The penultimate song 5 Drinks Ago” boringly opens up about having his phone taken away while being drunk & even though “Good Times Roll” with Jimmie Allen is technically a bonus cut, the actual closer “Follow Me” with Chris Bandi ends the album with a glossy anthem about a place where we all gon’ shine.

I’m not against country music at all because I happen to be a huge Johnny Cash fan & I don’t hate the country rap subgenre either, as I enjoyed projects like Trial by Fire or even Big B’s last album Welcome to the Club. That being said, Heartland is unquestionably the worst thing Nelly has ever done. Primarily because 95% of the country/hip hop fusions he tries to pull of seem forced.

Score: 1/5

Pitch 92 – “Intervals” review

Sophomore effort from Dublin, Ireland producer Pitch 92. Known for being the in-house beatsmith of The Mouse Outfit, he would go on to produce the group’s first couple full-lengths Escape Music & Step Steadier until getting to jump behind the boards throughout Verb T’s 8th album Good Evening. He eventually signed to Hove, East Sussex, United Kingdom imprint High Focus Records for the Lost in Space EP preluding 3rd Culture & is following it up by dropping Intervals.

“Iph-Ro” by King Kashmere takes 94 seconds to begin sampling gospel talking about how living life’s a gift whereas “Under the Sun” by Kofi Stone dustily cautions that we never know when one’s shine truly burns out. “Live from London” by Jehst maintains a boom bap vibe instrumentally sending his love straight outta his hometown leading into “All In” by Verb T talks about not taking word from fake sources.

Dr. Outer takes over the mic for “Wife of Odin” nearing the end of the 1st half with an ode to the love of his live just before “Comin’ Home” by Verbz ruggedly talks about there not being much he didn’t already know. After the compositional title track, “Lullaby” by Confucius MC woozily kicks off the 2nd leg explaining blind love is when you’re waiting in a mystery while the funky “365” by Manic MC talks about pulling out the riddim soon as he hits the stage to set microphones ablaze.

“Good with Me” by Jehst & Lord Apex starts Intervals’ final act with a west coast inspired banger dedicated to getting crossfaded while “Suttin in the Trunk” by Lord Apex fuses these strings with kicks & snares talking about him not owing anyone shit & keeping the bass bumpin’. “On & On” by Dr. Syntax suggests to slow your role & keepin’ it flowin’ until they’re done while “Sacred Path” by ASM prior to the “1992” outro finishes by talking about not going anywhere too quickly & raising another glass.

So far looking at Pitch 92’s entire trilogy of solo material under High Focus Records, I’d have to pick Intervals as my least favorite of the bunch although it’s more average than both of it’s predecessors. Of course I can’t make any complaints regarding The Mouse Outfit beatsmith’s boom bap production homaging the Champion Sound of Jaylib, but I can say the list of performers feels more inconsistent than Lost in Space was or 3rd Culture despite the few moments of filler it had a couple years earlier.

Score: 3/5

Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Attack of the Ninjas: The Album” review

This is a brand new showcase compilation from Detroit underground label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Founded in 2014 by Twiztid & their manager George Vlahakis only 2 years following the demented duo’s departure from Psychopathic Records, they quickly built an empire or their own from bringing a few other PSY alumni along for the ride to help introduce G-Mo Skee & Alla Xul Elu to a much wider audience. The label’s first showcase comp Year of the Sword is easily the best one they’ve put out so far given the strength of the roster at the time, but that’s not to say Songs of Samhain wasn’t a respectable Halloween-themed EP. But to celebrate the 5th annual Attack of the Ninjas, everyone on MNE right now & the 2 acts on their Welcome to the Underground sub-label are uniting as one alongside a couple outside collaborators for an exclusive compilation given away at the event.

The opener “Are You Scared?” by Oh! The Horror & Twiztid is a pop punk/rap crossover telling their haters to say their prayers whereas “Each & Every” by Bukshot, Jamie Madrox & Lex the Hex Master finds the trio jumping on top of a west coast instrumental from Fritz the Cat saying they’re broken & don’t feel fine. Buk & Jamie stick around as they enlist Boondox & Mr. Grey to spit the wicked shit on “Horror” down to the Godsynth & Stir Crazy production, but then Gibby Stites & Blaze Ya Dead Homie come in for the atmospheric “Come Up” saying ain’t nobody doing what they’re doing.

“Let ‘Em Burn” by Anybody Killa, the Axe Murder Boyz, Bukshot, Crucifix & Monoxide come together on top of a trap instrumental from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 to get in their arsonist bag just before the futuristic “Space Between Us” sees Zodiac MPrint reuniting to talk about a toxic relationship. “Kill” by Insane E, Jamie Madrox, Oh! The Horror & Redd goes into a rubbery direction with the help of Grady Finch saying no one’s on their level while “Chin Check” by Bukshot, Gibby Stites, Joey Black, Lee Carver & The R.O.C. encourages the listener to mosh despite the out-of-place forlorn production.

The track “We Are the Underground” by Boondox, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Gibby Stites & Oh! The Horror needs no further explanation lyrically diving into a trap/metal fusion whereas the final song “Boohoo” by Gibby Stites, Lex the Hex Master & The R.O.C. ends the comp with a boom bap-tinged shot at their detractors even though the hook is a bit tedious. The actual closer though is just a remix to “Maelstrom” off of Cabal’s most recent debut album The Watchers featuring the Super Famous Fun Time Guys & the Venomous 5.

I don’t expect all that much whenever a label puts out a project showcasing their artists & although I enjoyed the last 2 that MNE has put out, I’m a bit torn on this one. Some of the collabs on here come off to me as natural, but then there are others that seem hamfisted & in no way shape or form am I trying to be disrespectful to anyone because I’ve given a good share of positive feedback on the label’s output throughout the years like with /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/ & Krimson Crow.

Score: 3/5

SosMula – “13 Songs 2 Die 2” review

SosMula is a 33 year old rapper from Manhattan, New York who came up as 1/3 of the trio City Morgue alongside fellow emcee ZillaKami & producer Thraxx. They’ve released 2 full-length albums & an EP together up to this point, but have recently decided to amicably branch out solo with Sos being the first to do so & dropping an official full-length debut on his lonely.

“Gun Sport” is a unashamedly embarrassing Playboi Carti bite whereas the Nascar Aloe-assisted “Stain” works in some piano embellishments & hi-hats talking about their new ice. “No Heart” goes into acoustic trap territory saying he can’t give his love to any bitch just before Jasiah tags along for the distorted weed smoker’s theme “Can’t Feel My Face”. Meanwhile on “Death Wish”, we have Sos aggressively giving the finger to the opps leading into the poppy Michael Myers tribute “Lil Psychos” with Xanman.

Following this is the nocturnal “DOCTA” finding him & Fat Nick spitting that g shit, but then “Whip Parked” with Bizzy Banks goes into mistier turf going on about trapping. “WHERE MY STICK” apocalyptically spits that gun talk whereas “QUEEF” samples John Williams of all people to compare himself to Bruce Wayne.

The song “Boogaloo” disappointingly sounds like a microwaved leftover from City Morgue’s Toxic Boogaloo EP while the penultimate track “Favela” with Jovem Dex hideously goes into tropical territory talking about their women wanting their kids. “Vinny Rotten” though serves as a mediocre finish with it’s banger beat, the lyrics about being brazy & the annoying Kim Dracula verse

Now despite being a solo effort, I think 13 Songs 2 Die 2 is barely an improvement over Toxic Boogaloo & has me looking forward to what ZillaKami’s gonna do next month. I appreciate the fact that Sos tries to stray away from the trap metal sound City Morgue is known for, but it’s either hit or miss & almost every feature is weak as fuck.

Score: 2.5/5

Trippie Redd – “Trip at Knight” review

This is the 5th full-length album from Ohio rapper & singer/songwriter Trippie Redd. Coming up in the 2017 off the first 2 installments of the A Love Letter to You mixtape series, the kid would continue to grow after dropping his full-length debut Life’s a Trip & then A Love Letter to You 3 the following year. However, the quality of his music started to take a nosedive given the mediocrity of ! & A Love Letter to You 4. If you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Pegasus was a bloated mess & the Travis Barker-produced pop punk foray Neon Shark vs. Pegasus is barely better. 6 months later, Trippie is taking it back to basics with Trip at Knight.

“Molly Hearts” kicks things off a synth-heavy instrumental from Cashmere Cat & Outtatown talking about ecstasy if you couldn’t tell by the title already whereas the SoFaygo- assisted “MP5” speaks on being strapped despite the generic ass Pi’erre Bourne type beat that you can probably find on YouTube. “Betrayal” with Drake is nothing more than a bitter Kanye diss produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Dynox, but “Finish Line” later serves as an electronic tinged-lust tune that Rafmade helped cook up just before Lil Uzi Vert tags along for the entrancing yet braggadocious “Holy Smokes”.

Meanwhile on “Super Cell”, we get a respectable tribute to the Dragon Ball Z series leading into the rowdy festival anthem “Miss the Rage” with Playboi Carti. “Supernatural” is a 2-parter starting out by psychedelically telling this bitch to take a chill pill, but then switches up to an aggressive ode to his gang. “Demon Time” reuses the “*Givenchy” beat for Trippie & Ski Mask the Slump God to talk about how they don’t play games “Matt Hardy 999” named after former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, 2-time ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion & The Crash Mundial Parejas Campeon Matt Hardy finds him & the late Juice WRLD going back & forth with each other backed by some Neptunes-inspired synthesizers.

“Vibes” has a bit of a retro video game feel to the best bragging about getting that paper whereas “New Money” continues the themes of wealth except it’s much more cloudier. “Danny Phantom” is a half-assed reworking of “Ghostbusters” trying to milk off the late XXXTENTACION just before the futuristic, 2-minute “Space Time” calling out those who’re mad at him. The keyboard melodies on “Baki” are nice change of pace with Trippie opening up about his rockstar lifestyle while the song “iPhone” named after the iconic Apple Inc. smartphones has one of the most skeletal instrumentals on the whole album referencing Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder & Neuralink founder Elon Musk.

The penultimate track “Rich Motherfucka” with Lil Durk & Polo G has a sinister piano loop with the trio showing off their wealth, but then “Captain Crunch” is a fiery finisher to the album getting on the gangsta rap tip with assistance from some of the hottest MCs my city has to offer right now: Babyface Ray, Icewear Vezzo & Sada Baby.

Now I much rather prefer Trip at Knight than Pegasus & Neon Shark vs. Pegasus, but by a very small margin. I feel like the production is very samey for a good 90% of it’s 47 minute runtime & a good majority of the features are outshining Trippie himself both lyrically & vocally.

Score: 2/5

Shaggytheairhead – “Wakin’ Up” review

Shaggytheairhead is a 27 year old producer, rapper & fashion designer from Las Vegas, Nevada who came to my attention after producing one of my all-time favorite Ouija Macc songs “Nardwuar Glocc” back in 2018. He would later go on to become an in-house producer for Psychopathic Records, allegedly having 9 beats on the Insane Clown Posse’s upcoming 16th album Yum Yum Bedlam. But with the 21st annual Gathering of the Juggalos going down this weekend, Shaggy’s dropping his full-length debut in the midst of his performances.

After the “Shaggythelegend” intro, the first song “The Gem / I Rap” is a bit of a jazzy boom bap kickstarter to the album with a murky switch up during the 2nd half saying it’s about time he snapped & turning losses into profit whereas the Trade Voorhees-produced “Reminisce” takes a cloudier direction speaking on getting older. “About Nothin’ / Bake It” is another 2-parter with a bit of a mystical vibe at the beginning saying he doesn’t have to brag at all, but then switches up into something trippier saying instrumental meditation is his only medication.

Meanwhile on “In the Road”, we have Shaggytheairhead enlisting Killatime to show off their lyrical abilities a boom bap beat inspired by the classic Joey Bada$$ tape 1999 leading into “Wakin’ Up / Steady Learnin’” starting off by atmospherically telling cats to catch him sleeping with his eyes open & then switching into a eerier tone proclaiming that he’s cursed. Darby O’Trill & Ouija Macc tag along for the riot-inducing “Act Up” produced by the homie Devereaux leading into “This Is Hell / Ceiling” somberly opening up about depression & later going into dark ambient turf comparing himself to the grim reaper.

“Vengeance” has a much quirkier beat as the wicked clowns Violent J & Shaggy 2 Dope themselves come in to talk about wanting revenge, but then he & Trade Voorhees follow it up by asking if they’ll miss them when they’re gone on the trap banger “Ghost”. He later calls out those who were hating on him for the cloudy “Jealously Woes I”, but then “Goin’ Goin’ Goin’” is an intoxicating cut about blowing up whether people like it or not.

“Rain Rain” works in some dusty drums & wavy synths to say his happiness has been gone while the song “Feel This Way” has a moodier tone sonically saying he’ll never change. The penultimate track “You Would Stay” is of course a funky love ballad & “Death to the Ego” psychedelically calls to humble himself.

I didn’t know what to expect from Wakin’ Up given that we’ve only heard Shaggytheairhead rapping a few times prior, but I must admit that this was a pretty impressive debut. Easily the best batch of songs that he’s crafted yet in my opinion. His lyrical skills have gotten better since the early days & it’s really awesome to hear him taking on a diverse range of sounds.

Score: 4/5

NEMS – “Congo” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from New York emcee NEMS. Coming up in the battle rap circuit, he would go on to have a brief stint with Psycho+Logical-Records in the late 2000’s before dropping the debut Prezident’s Day under Creative Juices Music back in 2010. This was followed up almost 9 years later when he & JAZZSOON teamed up for the damn near flawless Gorilla Monsoon, but is now returning for Congo.

“Go Fish” is an empowering opener telling the listener they’re destined to do great things whereas “Grind Mode” with Black Savv & Richie Ricks almost has a bit of a soulful trap vibe talking about hustling. “Bing Bong!” finds Vinny Idol working in some violins & dusty drums for NEMS to get on his disrespectful shit just before the summery romance tune “You & I” with the Terror Squad’s very own Tony Sunshine

Meanwhile with “Gorilla Clip”, we have NEMS hopping on top of a heavy guitar to get on the battle tip leading into him & UFO Fev going back & forth with one another for the synth-laced “Body at the Dice Game”. The homie Johnny Slash takes things back to boom bap territory on the confrontational “Wow”, but then the Gorilla Twins enlist Stuyville to pay homage to “Tha Boro” over a piano instrumental. “Real Lyfe” goes back into that trap lane saying he doesn’t feel right if he doesn’t make a stack a night whereas the Charlie G-produced “Cousins” is a touching tribute to his family.

Spit Gemz & King Cardi tag along to ominously detail what it’s like “Downstate” while the song “You Don’t Exist” takes shots at clout chasers. The penultimate track “Highly Favorable” flexes his skills on top of a celebratory beat from JAZZSOON, but then “U Dumb” with Nrok Dinero & Dinero Daboss is an awkward closer with a drill instrumental sampling the iconic Kanye joint “Power”.

I was curious to hear where he would go after Gorilla Monsoon giving how amazing that album was, but this is a solid follow-up. It’s interesting to hear him dabbling with new sounds & being one of the very few battle rappers to actually carry over his nasty lyricism for a full-length capacity.

Score: 3.5/5

Rick Hyde – “Plates 2” review

Rick Hyde is a 31 year old emcee/producer from Buffalo, New York notable for being a flagship artist on Benny the Butcher’s very own E1 Music imprint Black Soprano Family Records. His debut album Plates that came out at the very beginning of 2019 was pretty solid & after a couple years of teasing a sequel, we’re finally getting it in the form of Ricky’s sophomore album & he’s pulling out all the big guns for it.

The intro with Tearz finds the 2 jumping on top of some keys & faint strings talking about being another product of the 80s whereas the Westside Gunn-assisted “Nova” speaks on their youngest shooters ‘til it’s all said & done backed by a smooth Daringer instrumental. Benny the Butcher & G Herbo tag along to tell motherfuckers to show their actions on the soulful trap banger “Alone” but after the “Booney on the Phone” interlude, the song “Hustler’s Prayer” enlists Heem to say they’re thankful for the paper & the holy vibe of the beat fits well.

Meanwhile on “Glorious Mourning”, we have Ricky jumping on top of a high-pitched vocal loop preparing for a mental funeral just before “Sarah” serves as an alluring 2-minute freestyle. Killa Kyleon comes in for the R&B-tinged “When I Go” produced by Sha Money XL talking about how people are still gonna love them when they’re both gone leading into “Momma Luv”, which is a crooning tribute to his Ma Dukes if you couldn’t tell by the title.

After the “Come Up” interlude, the Jay Worthy/Chase Fetti-assisted “Red Moon Rising” has a dope vocal loop throughout despite having some of the weaker performances on the album but then he & Meyhem Lauren make up for it by talking about making their homies bosses on the Harry Fraud-produced “Enrique” that comes up following the “Blasphemy” interlude.

The song “Skid Row” with Elcamino & T.F. finds the trio dramatically details their lives in the hood while the penultimate track “Slow Eddie” with Grafh & Skyzoo come together for some drug shit accompanied by a somber beat from the late DJ Shay. Then there’s “Black Sinatra”, where Benny & Heem join Rick to operatically compare themselves as such.

The first Plates is a bit better, but that’s not to say this isn’t a worthy follow-up. I think he overdid it on the features however, the production has improved & Ricky delivers a respectable thank you to Shay for help getting him where he is now.

Score: 3.5/5