Ka – “A Martyr’s Reward” review

Ka is a 49 year old MC/producer & firefighter from Brooklyn, New York notable for his association with his Metal Clergy cohort Roc Marciano since 2008. He’s gone on to release 5 full-lengths in the last 13 years, my personal favorite of them being Honor Killed the Samurai back in 2016. But with the 1 year anniversary of Descendants of Cain passing by just a few months back, Ka is reemerging out of the dark for his 6th album.

“Everybody Up” is a guitar-driven opener about trying to make it from the bottom whereas “I Need All That” jumps on top of a piano saying he wants back everything they claim. “Peace, Peace, Peace” has a more atmospheric feel instrumentally talking about what he prays for just before reflecting on the hard life that he’s lived for “Sad to Say” & everything about it from the melancholic production to Ka’s passionate delivery makes it one of the most emotional songs he’s ever crafted.

Meanwhile with “P.W.H.”, we get some organ harmonies for Ka to explain how he got everything he needed leading into the frightening “I Notice” talking about going to Hell & back. “Like Me” has a bit of a triumphant feeling to it talking about making someone as resilient as him, but then “We Livin’ / Martyr” is a 2-parter with Navy Blue accompanying him for the entrancing first half about living fast & the other spaciously speaks on suffering no more.

Dr. Yen Lo reunites for the hypnotic “Subtle” addressing a woman lifting his spirits whereas “With All My Heart” mellowly lets you know you’re safe with him if he agrees to say “peace”. The song “Enough Praise / Recovering” starts out eerily talking about ass-kissers, but then goes into an ambient direction spending his whole life recovering. The penultimate track “Be Grateful” is a rock-flavored cut speaking for itself & then “Having Nothin’” lavishly talks about being broke gave him everything.

One of the most refreshing things about Ka is that whenever he puts out a new album, it always has a different concept to it & A Martyr’s Reward is amongst his most personal. This time around, he’s taking listeners through what it was like for him growing up & doing it with such raw emotion.

Score: 4/5

Chavo – “Chavo’s World 2” review

This is the sophomore album from Atlanta, Georgia raper Chavo. Breaking out a few years ago as a protege of Pi’erre Bourne, he would go on to become a flagship artist on the South Carolina superstar’s Interscope Records imprint Sosshouse Records. His first 2 mixtapes Hood Luva & Mixed Emotions both received positive feedback amongst listeners, but Chavo’s profile began to increase when his Pi’erre-produced full-length debut Chavo’s World came out last fall. And with a little over a month left with summer, he & his mentor are reuniting for the sequel Chavo’s World 2.

“Tweets” is an uptempo opener about putting a bitch in the air like a pterodactyl whereas “Packs” works in some heavy bass to get confrontational. His sister Coi LeRay tags along to say they ain’t the same no more for the luxurious piano ballad “American Deli” just before spaciously comparing his gun to that of a “Rari”.

Meanwhile on “Hennessy”, we get a psychedelic party stater leading into Pi’erre jumping on the mic with Chavo for the moody “Ryuk” talking about a woman living her best life as a youth. The “Had a Feeling” remix is pretty much the same as the OG except it has a new Pi’erre verse, but then “Paris” has a cloudier vibe talking about wanting to go back to the titular city in France.

“Messy” serves as a euphoric lust tune & much like the “Had a Feeling” remix, the “Michigan” remix is the same as the OG except Babyface Ray pops up to spit a new verse. The penultimate track “That’s It” brings in some keys saying he wants to help everyone but he’s not Superman, but then the closer “Mission Impossible” futuristically keeps it playa.

Even though I personally prefer the original Chavo’s World, this isn’t too far off for a sequel album. I like how he brought in some features to break up the monotony of the predecessor & his MC/producer chemistry with Pi’erre is like no other.

Score: 3.5/5

Boldy James – “Bo Jackson” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Detroit emcee Boldy James. Breaking out in 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set), he would land a contract with Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records for a little while before getting locked up. Uncle Al would help get Boldy’s name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China at the beginning of last year. This was followed up with the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols which was as equally fantastic, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. But with the 1-year anniversary of that project coming up this weekend, it’s only right for Boldy to reenlist Alchemist for Bo Jackson.

“Double Hockey Sticks” starts out with a haunting boom bap instrumental getting on his pyrex shit, but then has a hazy switch up talking about beating a case. The next song “Turpentine” has a more chipmunk soul vibe speaking on hard times whereas “Brickmile to Montana” with Benny the Butcher serves as a rugged sequel to “Scrape the Bowl”. The pianos on “E.P.M.D. (Everybody Plotting My Demise)” are eerie as fuck with Boldy calling out those who want to see him fail just before declaring that nobody is cut from his cloth for the airy “Steel Wool”.

Meanwhile on “Photographic Memories”, we have Earl Sweatshirt & Roc Marciano jump on top of a vocal loop saying they never forget faces leading into the demented storytelling “Speed Trap” provides. He later talks about taking the pot & going gold for the piano-laced “Diamond Dallas”, but then “Flight Risk” puts heavy reverb on the sample getting in his mafioso bag.

“Illegal Seizure & Search” gets back on the soulful tip talking about 5-0 whereas “Fake Flowers” with Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs viciously calls out those who be faking the funk with them. The song “3rd Person” has a more rock feel to it pondering how many times you can get away with murder while the penultimate track “First 48” is a cold blooded freestyle going on for 3 minutes. Then there’s “Drug Zone”, which ends the album with Boldy comparing himself to such.

If you happen to like Bo Jackson more than M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set) or even The Price of Tea in China, I wouldn’t be mad at it at all because this is the 3rd damn near perfect album they’ve done together. Boldy’s raw lyricism never fails to amuse me & the production is much better than The Versace Tape although I do respect Jay Versace.

Score: 4.5/5

$uicideboy$ – “Long Term Effects of Suffering” review

The $uicideboy$ are a duo from New Orleans, Louisiana consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim. They’ve released a plethora of projects within the last 7 years like the Kill Your$elf saga, Eternal Gray, the debut album I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker/produced Live Fast, Die Whenever EP. The boy$’ last project together Stop Staring at the Shadows came out last Valentine’s Day & now for Friday the 13th, they’re reuniting for a sophomore effort.

“Degeneration in the Key of A Minor” is a mind-altering opener comparing Earth to Hell whereas “If Self-Destruction was an Olympic Event, I’d be Tonya Harding” ghostly reflects on their career up to this point. “Life is a Stream~” is a guitar/trap ballad about wasting your life & drug abuse just before “5 Grand at 8 to 1” brings in some jazzy undertones comparing & contrasting their lives then & now.

Meanwhile on “WE ENVY NOTHING IN THE WORLD”, we have the boy$ coming through with an abrasive riot starter leading into them
somberly comin’ straight out of the dark for “Lighting the Flames of My Own Personal Hell”. They once again speak on addiction while shit-talking at the same time on the dreary “New Profile Pic” prior to the duo calling out those who tell them what to think for the devilish “Bleach”.

“Forget It” is a spacey breakup theme whereas “Avalon” spookily talk about being dons. The song “Materialism as a Means to an End” nocturnally speaks on being full of hate while the penultimate track “Ugliest” rounds out the trilogy “Ugly” started 6 years back. “The Number You Have Dialed is Not in Service” ends things by somberly telling fans to keep marching when life gets hard.

I really enjoyed the singles leading up to this album & as a whole, Long Term Effects of SUFFERING didn’t let me down at all. I admire how the boy$ challenge themselves to new sounds & opening up on their lives within the last few years.

Score: 4/5

Politicize – “Riot” review

Politicize is a 38 year old MC/producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who came up in 2014 off his debut mixtape Codename: Assassin. This was followed up the next fall with the Jason Porter-produced Grimy tape & now after a 6-year hiatus, he’s re-emerging from the shadows with his very first full-length album with some very notable features.

The intro starts things off with a synth-laced instrumental striving for victory whereas “Jelosy” almost has a bit of a trap metal flare going at the throat of a nonessential character acting famous. “Kill Karen” with Scum then gets in their wicked shit bag with a shrilling beat, but then the Blind Fury-assisted “Fury & Enlightenment” gets into battle rap mode with a tension-building instrumental. Shaggy 2 Dope comes into picture for the trap banger “We Do It” speaking on the crazy shit they do just before the keyboard-infused “Make a Nightmare” with Kung Fu Vampire gets back on the horrorcore tip.

“Anxiety” eerily addresses his mental health struggles & despite the skeletal production on “Night Walkers”, I do enjoy the dark verses from Politicize & Mastamind. The penultimate track “Ring of Fire” is an electro-trap fused moshpit starter & finally, Shoto Khan tags along for the theatrical closer “Cartel King” proclaiming they won’t die slow.

In comparison to his early mixtapes, I think it’s safe to say that Riot is a significant improvement in terms of both production & lyricism. However, there are a few cuts in here where his flow is blatantly similar to Ouija Macc’s & it can be pretty distracting.

Score: 3.5/5

Nas – “King’s Disease II” review

If you know a single thing about hip hop, then you should know who Nas is. His first 2 albums illmatic & It Was Written are widely acknowledged as some of the greatest in hip hop history, but I wanna remind everyone that those aren’t the only 2 good albums he’s ever made. I also highly enjoyed stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then there was the Kanye West-produced NASIR & The Lost Tapes II, both which received polarizing responses even though I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue. Then came the Hit-Boy-produced King’s Disease last summer, which I maintain is what the untitled album should’ve been. However after winning his first Grammy back in March, the pair are reuniting for Nas’ 14th full-length album.

“The Pressure” is an airy boom bap opener saying he has to inspire people like he hasn’t already whereas “Death Row East” recalls his run-ins with Suge & the instrumental has a bit of a Middle Eastern flare to it. “40 Side” goes into more trap territory recalling the place where he saw it all while “EPMD 2” serves as a sequel to “EPMD” off the Judas & the Black Messiah soundtrack, except Eminem & EPMD themselves actually pop up.

Meanwhile on “Rare”, we go back into boom bap turf saying he’s in the zone just before he & A Boogie wit da Hoodie talk about getting places poppin’ off when they pop up on the trap banger “YKTV”. The soul sample “Store Run” works in is sweet as Nas pays homage to those we’ve lost in the last 8 months leading into the nostalgic “Moments”.

“Nobody” has a bit of a jazzy feel in the production with him & Lauryn Hill about a place that you wouldn’t know problems whereas “No Phony Love” is a mediocre sex cut if you couldn’t tell by the title. “Brunch on Sunday’s” works in some keyboard melodies getting in his Esco bag whereas “Count Me In” drearily exposes who the fake really are.

The song “Composure” with Hit-Boy himself finds the 2 jumping on top of a jazzy beat co-produced with Rogét Chahayed talking about them raising the totem while the penultimate track “My Bible” gets spiritual from the lyrics to the gospel-tinged instrumental. Lastly, the closer “Nas is Good” brings back another soul sample to lyrically annihilate everything in his path.

I was a bit worried about this going into it because sequel albums usually don’t live up to the hype of the predecessor, but that is NOT the case for King’s Disease II. Hit-Boy shows his versatility as a producer, Nas sounds more sharper lyrically & it doesn’t seem like a bunch of leftovers from previous sessions.

Score: 4/5

Bang Belushi – “Belushi on Ghawd” review

Bang Belushi is a 43 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan emerging as as 1/4 of the world famous Fat Killahz. However, it wouldn’t be until 2011 when the veteran branched out solo by releasing his debut EP The Bridgecard. This was followed up with help yourself. in 2017, but then he signed to Middle Finger Music & put out his Foul Mouth-produced debut album The Adventures of Bang Belushi at the tail-end of the following year. The pair reunited for Rudy back in March & now Bango is enlisting Wavy da Ghawd for his 3rd full-length outing right here.

The intro kicks things off with grimy instrumental & with him saying you’ll go crazy hearing this whereas “Barz” works in a fresh reggae sample to flex his lyrical prowess. “Radio Flow” has some great horn loops to get on his fly shit just before J-Classic & Marv Won come into the picture on the flute heavy “New Pac” saying they feelin’ like the iconic MC of the same name.

Meanwhile with “Run Shit”, we go into more orchestral territory for Bango proclaiming he’s taking over the rap game leading into “$1” working in an organ-heavy instrumental. “Knuckle Up” with Ketch P & Rim is of course a gully moshpit starter whereas “Here We Go” enlists Kain Cole to ominously get on the battle tip.

The song “Shoe Game Crazy” is a slick ode to Bang’s documented love for sneakers while the penultimate track “Hardcore” with Pro Dillinger finds the 2 calling out those puttin’ on a front over a funky beat. “Lights, Camera Action” then serves as a touching closer with it’s string samples & the reflective lyrics.

Didn’t expect Bango to put out a follow-up this quickly, but I’m glad he did because I enjoyed this almost as much as his first 2 albums. He sounds focused, the songwriting is as witty as ever & Wavy’s production is a good fit given the fact that a good portion of Middle Finger Music’s output goes for that New York boom bap sound.

Score: 3.5/5

Creatures of Habit – “Parasite’s Paradise” review

The Creatures of Habit are a boom bap trio consisting of Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcees Eric the Red & Sean Peng alongside London producer Illinformed. Introducing themselves collectively in the fall of 2016 off their debut album Test Subjects under Real Life Drama Records, these guys would go on to spend the next 5 years focusing towards their own individual endeavors & have decided to make a comeback in the form of a sophomore effort through the Glastonbury, Somerset underground imprint for old time’s sake.

“Faking No Moves” cooks up a horror-inspired boom bap instrumental to start us off talking about having 0 time to be doing that bullshit whereas “Still Buggin’” works in some pianos mixed with kicks & snares to describe courts wanting to search on top of the police duckin’ ‘em. “I Keep It Me” featuring Datkid goes for a jazzier vibe talking about staying true to themselves just before “No Smoke” ruggedly dismantles anyone wanting beef with them.

Leaf Dog & Pertrelli join the Creatures on “Won’t Lie” combining more keys, kicks & snares to talk about always blowing out speakers in addition to rocking out guest appearances leading into “2 Tokes” featuring BVA links up for a playfully jazzy weed smoker’s anthem. “Bug’s Life” sounds more like a brief Eric the Red solo cut clocking at only 66 seconds in length while the soulful “Alone” featuring Leaf Dog regroups to talk about loneliness.

“Deadly Techniques” continues the 2nd half of Parasite’s Paradise trading hardcore verses with one another over a rigged boom bap beat regarding their lyricism still being gruesome as it was when they initially formed & after “The Devil’s Hands” talking about crime paying although those committing them eventually taking responsibility for their actions in due time, “Strange Trip” featuring Jack Jetson crosses paths with one another to drop 3 verses of speaking of their status amongst an endangered species of MCs.

The song “Brain Surgery” by Sean Peng counters Eric’s solo joint “Bug’s Life” earlier on turning the jazz influences to instrumentally leaving the people who fall in traps right where they are while “Wormhole” brings both spitters back together on the mic so they can take a few minutes to talk about the world becoming more dystopian than science fiction. “Hands of Time” finishes the Creatures’ return wraps things up with 1 last jazz rap/boom bap fusion confessing that there are moments in their lives where they wish they’d go back & fix which I do to, but we can’t.

It’s not very often when the Creatures of Habit appear on a song or make a musical statement of their own considering the gap between this & Test Subjects, but what I can say regarding their 2nd album is that I like it a lot more than it’s predecessor 6 years prior. Illinformed’s boom bap production is a lot more jazzier than Test Subjects’ was for fans of jazz rap like myself, there’s a respectably shorter guest list & the chemistry between Eric the Red and Sean Peng continues to elevate one another in terms of performances.

Score: 4.5/5

Ace the Legynd – “W.O.L.F. (What if Our Lives Failed?)” review

Ace the Legynd is a 23 year old MC from Hempstead, New York who came up a couple years back off his debut EP Lone Wolf Pack. He would follow it up a year & a half later with his 2nd EP Skar Tissue but to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of that project & his birthday being a couple days after, Ace is returning in the form of his full-length debut.

“Karasu” is a soulful opener talking about seeing devils & angels as the same whereas “Marvin” takes an upbeat trap route reflecting on why his hometown hasn’t been the same since he was 12 years old. “Dreams Come True” brings back the soul samples talking about dreaming he could buy his way to heaven leading into Cash Johnson tagging along for the funky “No Weapon” encouraging not to get slain.

Meanwhile on “Espionage”, we have Ace & Alpha Rellix grimly coming together to talk about being more focused than ever just before the F50-assisted “Wild Love” incorporates some chilling background vocals & hand claps calling out those trying to revoke his funds. “Medal of Honor” brings some pianos into the mix telling everyone to stay in their lane, but then “Sheep’s Clothing” cinematically opens up as to why he can’t lose.

“Post Traumatics” with Dre Smoove mixes some keys & soul samples to talk about how it’s been a minute while the song “Howlin’ at the Moon, Pt. 2” is a worthy sequel to my favorite joint off Lone Wolf Pack from the dusty production to the subject matter confessing he never thought he’d attend a funeral through Zoom. The penultimate track “Stained Glass” pulls some R&B influences confessing he’s living life too fast & “Red Tears” ends the album continues to delve deeper into the melodic side of things talking about having a bounty put onto his soul.

For a full-length debut, I’m very impressed with how W.O.L.F. (What if Our Lives Failed?) introduces the world to Ace as a person & am interested to hear where he goes from here. The production is incredibly detailed & I admire the way he acknowledges the struggles with mortality coming from the places that we do from his very own perspective.

Score: 3.5/5

Rome Streetz – “Razor’s Edge” review

This is the 6th full-length album from New York emcee Rome Streetz. Breaking out in 2016 off his debut mixtape I Been Thru Mad Shit, he would make his presence known as one of the most skilled lyricists in the underground today off projects like Headcrack & the Noise Kandy mixtape series. His last album Death & the Magician that came out back in February is not only Rome’s magnum opus, but one of the best albums that I’ve heard all year with DJ Muggs’ production being a damn-near perfect fit for dude’s acrobatic lyricism. But after a 5 month break, Rome is re-enlisting Futurewave for a Headcrack sequel entitled Razor’s Edge.

The opener “Mud to Moet” operatically looks back on when his pockets were frail whereas “Most High” goes into boom bap turf talking about being made in the image of God. His wife Chyna tags along for the hypnotic title track touching down on maturity leading him talking about going through some things on the luxurious “Same Way”.

Meanwhile with “Envy”, we have Rome & Daniel Son coming together for a morbid shot back at those who’re jealous of them just before he & Starker jump on top of an organ for “No Sample” to say they ain’t changing shit. “Dry Ice” opens up about having to learn the wrong turn burns on top of a tense instrumental prior to the bloodthirsty “Sage or Gunsmoke” with Ransom, which has some jazzy undertones in the beat.

“Bible or the Rifle” works in some heavy horns to say it’s game over for those who make the wrong moves while “Disconnected” jumps on top of a soulful instrumental to acknowledge how doubters wanna work with him now that his profile is increasing. The song “9 4 Judas” grimily proclaims the only thing you need to know is how to earn dough while the penultimate track “High Grand Strandz” with Plex Diamond devilishly calls out those who try to take shit from New York emcees. Then there’s “Rated R”, which works in a gospel sample to compare his life to the MPA rating of the same name.

If anyone puts Razor’s Edge over Death & the Magician, I wouldn’t be mad at it at all because this is just as spectacular. Wasn’t feeling a couple of the features, but everything about Headcrack from the pen-game to Futurewave’s production is being turned up to 11.

Score: 4.5/5