Lil Shine – “Get Rich or Die Sippin’” review

Lil Shine is a 21 year old recording artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota who introduced himself off his first couple of extended plays Sh!ne & Heavenly Ascension respectively. He would go on to follow these up with the full-length debut Losing Myself as well as the Lovesick & Tearscape EPs. Coming off the sophomore effort Shine Forever though, his 3rd album here has been clamored to be superior to his debut & I had to see for myself whether or not that’s the case.

“Nobody” gives us a taste of what’s to come from the pluggnb instrumental to the lyrics about the inability to feel love or the drugs he consumes whereas “Way 2 Up” tells his bitch his infatuation with the drank & her showing him tough love. “Got Down” has a more standard plugg vibe in general talking about his girl wanting to fight prior to “Dam, Dam” compares the strength of the lean in his cup to mace & telling anyone who wants to live like him to take risks.

As for “Like What”, we have Shine making it clear that you can’t ask him for drugs because he’s not the plug & bringing a firearm inside of a store while “Still Sippin’” featuring Summrs finds the 2 entertainingly linking up to talk about codeine once again. “Forever” admits to the thoughts of this woman keeping him up at night sampling the iconic single by Drake, Eminem, Lil Wayne & Ye just before the self-produced “I Can’t Go 4 Dat” talks about a hoe wanting drunk love.

“So High” wraps up the 1st leg of Get Rich or Die Sippin’ describing the rush he feels whenever he doubles his cup while “Just Me N’ My Cup” kicks off the 2nd half continuing to talk about his love for lean & Perc 10s, the latter of which he calls his favorite drug. “You + Me” hops on top of this blissful pluggnb beat being upfront regarding a chick telling him they’ve been over while “Aye Malice, Where the Bass @?” combines pop rap & pluggnb talking about being outside.

Moving on from there, “Jump Back In” details a scenario where he put everything to the side for someone he liked until she fucked it up & it’s all for her while “Loud” issues a warning to anyone trying to fuck with him that they’ll each wind up in caskets carrying over the plugg elements instrumentally. “All Love” on the other hand talks about having bitches outside of the trap house & doing things legitimately instead of merely doing it for social media reels.

“Red Dot” featuring KanKan joins forces for an outstanding 2-parter where both of them are trading verses keeping that same energy when the beat switches while “5 Star” talks about heading out to a luxurious hotel for the weekend & making his time out there count. The closing track “Finally (The End)” finishes Shine’s most defining material of his career giving it all for this individual to trust him & asking if he can call them back 1 last time.

Unfortunately because of Lil Shine’s being convicted on 5 federal charges, Get Rich or Die Sippin’ has the possibility of becoming the last time we could hear new music from him for the next 3 years & this couldn’t have been a higher note to end on if this is it until then. The pluggnb, Asian rock, pop rap & plugg production is all tastefully textured & he provides what I’d say ranks amongst the most versatile performances of his career so far joined by a couple high profile guests.

Score: 4.5/5

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Genesis Owusu – “Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge” review

Genesis Owusu is a 28 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Canberra, Australia by way of Koforidua, Ghana who broke out in 2021 off the widely praised full-length debut Smiling with No Teeth. He would on to follow this up in the form of a sophomore called Struggler, which was still great although not as much as it’s predecessor. His 3rd studio album however has been shaping up to be more defining than the one that introduced us to him at the earlier portions of this decade based off the teasers & I had to give it a chance.

“Pirate Radio” begins with him dissing Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Nazi Elon Musk for a politically experimental hip hop, synth punk, hardcore hip hop, new beat, conscious hip hop, dance-punk revival, electro-industrial & industrial hip hop intro whereas “Stampede” blends dance-punk revival, alternative dance, coldwave, synth punk, chillwave & synthpop to explain that we’re all in this together.

DUCKWRTH appears on “Hellstar” so they can search for love in a hateful place leading into “Falling Both Ways” featuring Ladyhawke finds the pair singing about wanting to know the difference between the 2 places one goes in the afterlife. “The Worldwide Scourge” explains how the US voted for a Nazi sympathizer during the previous election when the fascism backs it up just before “Blessed Are the Meek” references WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson & talks about now not being the time to hide.

“Life Keeps Going” combines experimental hip hop, neo-soul, synth punk, neo-grime & alternative dance for the final single revisiting a theme the late 2Pac had once explored 3 decades earlier on the track “Life Goes On” until we get a depiction of the “Most Normal American Voter:” being misinformed, which is also factual. “Death Cult Zombie” later collides the styles of post-punk revival, new wave, rap rock, dance-punk revival, garage rock revival & pub rock to push the 2nd half forward calling out FOX News.

Meanwhile on “Situations”, we have Genesis talking about being prepared in case of any scenario where his life’s at risk while “4Life” depressively looks back at the life he & his friends once had. “Runnin’ Outta Time” talks about him following his gut instinct after seeing guts on his timeline & once “Big Dog” dismisses those trying to start beef with him ahead of summer, “One4all” ends the album assuring everyone things will work out in the end.

Channeling his frustrations after watching everything unfold for the last year & a half, Genesis Owusu has finally outdone himself by making Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge the greatest achievement in his musical career surpassing both Struggler & especially Smiling with No Teeth. The production is a tasteful melting pot of experimental hip hop, synth punk, dance-punk revival, post-punk revival, alternative dance, neo-soul, deep funk & Brit rock and the lyrics are far more political than anything Genesis has done previously.

Score: 4.5/5

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Drake – “Maid of Honour” review

Continuing our coverage of Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor, producer & entrepreneur Drake with his 10th LP. Skyrocketing to fame in 2009 off his 3rd mixtape So Far Gone, the success of this groundbreaking project resulted in a contract with both Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records & they helped put out the man’s underrated full-length debut Thank Me Later the next summer. His sophomore effort Take Care the year after would be even better & I enjoyed Nothing Was the Same too but after If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & then What a Time to Be Alive with Future (both of which came out in 2015), that’s when the quality in Drake’s music really began to take a nosedive. VIEWS was a terrible foray into dancehall, More Life was mediocre despite being stylistically eclectic, his YM/CM swan song Scorpion was a disappointingly failed attempt at making a double disc album showcasing the hip hop/R&B sides of the OVO Sound founder’s music respectively, Care Package is decent collection of 17 loosies from 2010-2016 that we’ve all heard before, Dark Lane Demo Tapes tried to experiment with new sounds only to miss the landing & Certified Lover Boy just felt like the same old shit we’ve heard from him before. Honestly, Nevermind was basically Drake’s own version of Renaissance by foraying into house music a month ahead to mixed reception until Her Loss with 21 Savage was a 6/10 at best because 21 felt like a featured artist on there. For All the Dogs was the most I’ve enjoyed Drake’s music since If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR last Valentine’s Day would become his worst collaborative project yet, coming off getting destroyed by Kendrick Lamar in a rap beef to drop Habibti, Maid of Honour & Iceman.

“Hoe Phase” begins with a club-inspired intro reminiscent of Honestly, Nevermind butchering a sample of “It’s Like That” by Run-D.M.C. whereas “Road Trips” goes for more of an R&B vibe singing about relationships falling apart. Stunna Sandy helps him take it back to 2016 during “Outside Tweaking” with the dancehall beat & “Cheetah Print” featuring Sexyy Red could not only be the worst track here, but also one of the worst songs Drake has ever career sampling “(It Goes Like) Nanana” by Peggy Gou

Central C appears on the tiring pop rap, dancehall, hip house, funk brasileiro, zess & dembow single “Which 1?” asking if one wants success or friends leading into “Amazing Shape” featuring Popcaan turns up the dancehall influences to describe women who’re built like an hourglass. “BBW” reaches the halfway point with a body positivity anthem that feels subpar until “True Bestie” samples “PSA” by Iconic Savvy to break down the chemistry between him & women when he’s out.

After the “Where’s Your Stuff?” interlude, “New Bestie” delivers a boring dancehall 2-parter expressing his gratitude towards Vybz Kartel while “Q&A” feels an egotistically insecure breakdown on wax. “Stuck” produced by Gordo & Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran talking about taking Pamelor because of a breakup but once “Goose & the Juice” makes himself an escape route for someone trapped in a stagnant long-term relationship, “Princess” experiments with pop punk undertones for an underwhelming outro.

Thankfully this bridging entry of Drake’s trilogy Habibti began & Iceman concludes is the 2nd & last installment that I can say I flat out didn’t like even if Maid of Honour’s only a slight cut above the predecessor. The pop rap, dance, hip house, miami bass, electro, jersey club rap, dancehall, contemporary R&B & afrobeats production makes it feel like a cross between Views & Honestly, Nevermind except both of those are more tolerable even if they’re not necessarily great either.

Score: 1.5/5

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Nick Grant – “Smile” review

This is the 5th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee Nick Grant. Blowing up a decade ago off his debut mixtape ’88 along with the Epic Records-backed full-length debut Return of the Cool, his next tape Dreamin’ Out Loud would prelude the acclaimed God Bless the Child produced by Tae Beast of the Top Dawg Entertainment in-house production team Digi+Phonics followed by Carolina Diaries & Welcome to Loveland. I did like Sunday Dinner & I Took It Personal was a great perspective on the industry itself, but he’s returning with a Smile on his face.

“Another Classic” hops over an orchestral boom bap beat from the Trackmasters to talk about the realest stepping on business for as long as he lives whereas “Money Problems” works in a chipmunk soul sample so he can break down his experiences with financial issues. “The Algorhythm” featuring Punch incorporates a flute so they can talk about some of these people dancing to the same song over & over leading into the gospel-influenced “Back Up” sending a warning to those who want to put him down.

Westside Gunn & Young Chris join Nick on “Price Tag” sampling “Love (I Guess That’s the Fool in Me)” by City Limits so they can talk about nothing being free in this world to end the 1st leg while “Bullsh!t” featuring CyHi the Prynce & Ransom references the late アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WCW World Television Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall.

“Generational Runs / No Shortcuts” kicks off the last leg of Smile with a 2-parter expressing his desire or being placed amongst the greatest when his run’s up just before “Dope Bitch” talks about the girl he’s with being awesome in her own ways. “Sensitive Gangsta” spends a couple minutes poking fun at these so-called street dudes who’re overly in their feelings & “Everyday I Wake” concludes Smile by spitting pain some wouldn’t understand over a soul sample.

Agreeably considered to be one of the most slept-on lyricists of this decade, Nick Grant continues to validate those claims with Smile striving to become a timeless artist. He’s trying prove to his audience that anything’s possible now that he’s at a place where he doesn’t want people to forget who he is & learning that our experiences are the true meaning of life, bringing a handful of guests who’re all on their own plateaus of potency rather than continuing to spit verses by himself over a varied batch of production.

Score: 3.5/5

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Isaac Castor – “Lost in Transit” review

New surprise LP & the 4th altogether from Detroit, Michigan emcee Isaac Castor. Coming up in 2010 under the original moniker Gameboi, he would go on drop 4 mixtapes & 3 EPs prior to signing to the local underground hip hop powerhouse Middle Finger Music following its formation 8 years later. He then enlisted the label’s co-founder Foul Mouth behind the boards for his full-length debut The Rabbit Hole as well as the sequel & the final chapter Smoking Caterpillar, switching it up by having Machacha produce Lost in Transit.

“Bullet Train” begins with this 92 second drumless intro talking about needing a credit card replacement the way this game be scamming whereas “All Love” works him some bare guitars calling out the jokers faking to be tough when they ain’t. “Poet Dog” brings in some drums to talk about being made to reach the top just before “Canadian Wildfire” ditches them once again so he can explain the reason why the clouds have gotten so gloomy.

Things take a turn towards a boom bap vibe on “Get Serious” talking about staying mysterious in part of the sheep trying to follow the herd but after “Hopeless” featuring Miz Korona soulfully addresses an individual who’s so vain that they’ll consider this to be a diss directed at them, “What’s in the Box?” featuring Jalen Frazier continues the sample-driven boom bap instrumentation making people line up for this designer drug they’ve concocted.

“Candy Flip” featuring Aztek the Barfly, Fatboi Sharif & Foul Mouth brings the quartet together for a gritty hardcore hip hop anthem where each artist drops a cutthroat verse without the need of a hook while “Americano” jazzily talks about needing sativa & coffee soon as he gets up every single morning. “1 Way Ticket” takes up the last few minutes of Lost in Transit with a boom bap outro talking about people treating him like he’s normal until they realize he writes songs.

A great deal of the projects Machacha’s produced for other artists for at least 6 months following Eye of the Beholder have either been hit or miss, but Lost in Transit in my opinion ranks amongst Isaac Castor’s greatest material outside of The Rabbit Hole trilogy. You’re always gonna get quality production from Machacha & that’s no different here, the biggest difference however is the improved performances from both the main artist AND the guests.

Score: 4/5

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Law & Disorder – Self-Titled review

Law & Disorder is an east coast superduo consisting of Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer D-Dot alongside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by way of Buffalo emcee & lawyer Tracey Lee. They’ve already crossed paths a few times already with D-Dot producing some tracks off Tracey’s slept-on solo debut Many Facez under Universal Music Group almost 3 decades ago, so hearing that they were joining forces for a full-length debut of their own at the beginning of the year peaked my curiosity.

After the “Court Day” intro, the opener “Be Warned” begins issuing a cautionary statement over a boom bap instrumental about them still being beasts with the pen whereas “Let’s Get It On” hooks up a quirkier beat to talk about their flows being hard to follow. “Like This” turns up the dustiness boasting the surgical abilities they have with the pen leading into “What’s Missin’?” talking about being the product of 2 turntables & a mic.

“The Bop” after the “Need a Lawyer?” skit nears closers to the halfway point bringing us the rawness some have been looking for just before the funky “Boss” comes through with some lyrical braggadocio. “Oooweee Owwweeee” featuring the late Black Rob finds the trio bringing it hardcore over a jazzy instrumental prior to D-Dot getting a solo joint of his own with “D-Dot Wins” for a couple minutes, turning up the aggressiveness.

Preceding the “Act Now!!!” skit, we have Law & Disorder talking about the “Brotherly Love” they have for each other while “King-Dome” keeps dissecting all opponents who dare to step up against them. “Seen It All” takes a few moments to look back at the pair’s individually historical careers & once “It’s a Flex” talks about being better than everyone else, “You Know Who We Are” ends the album by having both parties dropping battle bars 1 last time.

I initially went into Law & Disorder expecting it to be a Tracey Lee solo album fully produced by D-Dot, but I had no issue with The Madd Rapper himself joining Tracey on nearly every track since he began in the late 80s as 1/2 of 2 Kings in a Cipher. The boom bap production’s a huge upgrade compared to a great deal of the LLeft Entertainment founder’s output since returning to music after getting his bar admission & proves that neither of them are bound by the past.

Score: 4/5

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Action Bronson – “Planet Frog” review

Yes, we have a brand new LP & the 9th altogether from New York City emcee, songwriter, chef, wrestler & television host Action Bronson. Blowing up with release of his debut album Dr. Lecter in 2011, he then landed a joint venture with VICE Music & Atlantic Records while following up his debut with a couple EPs & mixtapes. The most notable being the Blue Chips duology, Saab Stories & my personal favorite: Rare Chandeliers. He then put out his major label debut Mr. Wonderful in 2015 & it has some of his best songs on there, but the end result would be a more glitzy mixed bag. He fulfilled his contracts by dropping Blue Chips 7000 & celebrated his freedom the next year in the form of White Bronco which were both solid, but didn’t reach the caliber of Lamb Over Rice the Thanksgiving after. Only for Dolphins though was pretty mid given that some of the production choices were questionable & Cocodrillo Turbo was a bounce back. Coming off having Daringer & The Alchemist producing Johan Sebastian Bachlava the Doctor in 2024, he’s taking us all to Planet Frog.

“LeBron Hennessy” after the titular intro begins with this soulfully drumless opener produced by Daringer calling out artists who go for the same old meal whereas “Olympic Vince Carter” has a funkier boom bap vibe talking about how to know when there’s trouble in the water. Harry Fraud blends & rap rock so Bronson can compare his life to a “VHS” flick while the lead single “Triceratops” featuring Lil Yachty & Paul Wall still feels like a fever dream.

Roc Marciano appears for the 2nd & final single “Peppers” so they can talk about taking it easy over a boom bap instrumental with a prominent woodwind prior to “Condor” kicking off the 2nd half stripping the drums again explaining that tomorrow’s another journey. “Mandem” featuring Meyhem Lauren emphasizes the rock influences a bit to get boastful with each other just before the 90 second “My Blue Heaven” heads towards jazz rap territory thanks to Kenny Beats referencing WWE Hall of Famers & former WWE Tag Team Champions The Natural Disasters.

“Iguana” references former AEW World Tag Team Champion, 2-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, TNA Hall of Famer, 4-time TNA World Champion, TNA World Tag Team Champion, 8-time WCW world champion, WCW World Television Champion, 3-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, WWE Hall of Famer & 2-time WWE United States Champion Sting while “Mutations” hops over a guitar to talk about taking the sword out the stone. After the compositional “Chutney” intermission, “Simoné” featuring Clovis Ochin sends it all off realizing that love changes.

Despite being thankful that the original AI artwork Action Bronson had posted on social media weeks earlier wasn’t used, I still feel like Planet Frog could’ve been better than what we wound up getting because I’d say this is the most average thing I’ve heard from him since Only for Dolphins. I respect the concept of it being this deep sea odyssey set in a dystopian world, but some of the production doesn’t impress me compared to Johan Sebastian Bachlava the Doctor & Cocodrillo Turbo.

Score: 3/5

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Black Milk – “Ceremonial” review

Detroit producer, MC & songwriter Black Milk back for his 9th LP after leaving Mass Appeal Records. Making his presence known as a member of the B.R. Gunna production trio, he eventually went solo 2 decades ago with Sound of the City & followed up on 313 Day 2007 with Popular Demand. The following year, he would dabble with electronic music on Tronic & would later start incorporating live instrumentation on Album of the Year in 2010. His next album No Poison No Paradise eventually became Black Milk’s darkest work yet & it would see a solid sequel If There’s a Hell Below the year after. FEVER became some of his most politically charged material & he’s looking to follow up Everybody Good? with a Ceremonial return.

After the “Fazes” intro, the first song “Feel Sum’n Heal Sum’n” begins by talking about either paying the standard price or double without bargaining over a self-produced instrumental whereas “In the Sky” brings a funkier vibe to describe feeling like the furnace has gone from hot to frozen. “Crash Test Dummy” has this summery boom bap flare so he can talk about slowing down prior to hitting the ground running just before “Dreams Not Only Made at Night” strips things back for a story that ends in people getting arrested.

“Act Like” after the compositional “Lift Off” interlude takes a few minutes to confront a woman who’s switching up on him & after “Never Never” talks about being made for the moment in addition to living a good life being the only thing that he’s ever wanted, “Ceremony” continues the 2nd half of the full-length in the form of this 3 minute instrumental jam session that blending this breezy guitar & drums for the soundtrack to a warm summer day.

Saba appears on the 2nd & final single “Ok…Nah” sending a direct message towards the people who thought they were safe or trying to escape from either artist prior to some rap rock undertones being hooked up so he can talk about waiting for the “Right Time” to come explaining that this shit’s bigger than merely accomplishments from his perspective. “YOUIT (Truth Be Told)” ends the album drumlessly talking about going from sitting on porches to sitting inside of Porsches.

Gearing up to fully produce Fat Ray’s upcoming 6th album Food From the Gods II set to drop somewhere between the next 7 months, Black Milk rocks the mic for the first time in 3 years for a Ceremonial reflection of how far he’s come as an artist since Sound of the City. Not only does his production exemplify this through displaying his creative evolution, but his subject matter’s more introspective than it is political this time around.

Score: 4/5

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AZ – “Doe or Die III” review

Here we have the 11th studio LP & Mass Appeal Records debut from Brooklyn, New York veteran AZ. Most notable for his longtime association with Nas being the only feature on the latter’s iconic debut illmatic with the song “Life’s a Bitch”, he would later go to signing with EMI Records & drop a full-length of his own Doe or Die a little over a year later becoming one of the greatest mafioso hip hop albums of all-time. Other standouts in his discography include Pieces of a Man, Aziatic, A.W.O.L., The Format, Doe or Die II & the Buckwild-produced Truth Be Told. In light of Quiet Money Records’ new distribution deal with Mass Appeal however, Doe or Die III looks to complete the trilogy.

After the “Origin” intro, the opening track “No Need for Lactose” hooks up a boom bap instrumental from Ron Browz to get things going sending a shoutout to his hype homies & those serving 25 to life behind bars whereas “Gimme the World” demands what others can’t give back over a Large Professor instrumental. The 2nd & final single “Uniqueness” chops up a sample thanks to Mike & Keys questioning life while the lead single “So High” continues the reflective lyrics over a smooth Bink! beat.

“Still Jackie” after the “Hoe Happy” skit kicks off the 2nd half with a sequel to “Ho Happy Jackie” off the original Doe or Die accompanied by an exuberant Statik Selektah instrumental backing him but after “Surprise” featuring Nas teams up over a soulful Mike & Keys beat so they can talk about the mafioso shit they became known for 3 decades earlier, Bink! continues sampling soul music during “Fresh Water” for Sosa to preach some ghetto gospel.

The track “Winners Win” produced by Buckwild nears Doe or Die III’s backend cautioning for people not to get shit confused & simply do what you do over a laidback boom bap instrumental while “I Was Once There Too” jazzily talks about understanding the perspective of people who aren’t getting what’s due. The final song “Love My Life” preceding the “We Made It” outro takes up the album’s last couple minutes expressing the gratitude he has for the way his life turned out.

It’s surprising to me that AZ didn’t put anything out through Mass Appeal Records sooner considering the rich history between him & Nas, but Doe or Die III joins Truth Be Told & of course Doe or Die II in revitalizing his career 3 decades since his revolutionary debut as well as concluding one of hip hop’s most satisfying mafioso trilogies whether it be the cinematically polished boom bap production or the intricate storytelling.

Score: 4.5/5

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Royal Terms – Self-Titled review

Royal Terms is an east coast superduo consisting of Queens, New York emcee Royal Flush alongside Lawrence, Massachusetts emcee/producer Termanology. One of whom became the de facto leader of the ST. da Squad collective & the other’s debut Ghetto Millionaire became amongst the most underrated albums of the 90s. Neither of them have crossed paths with each other musically up until this point, so an eponymous full-length debut of their own as a fan of each artist only seemed fitting enough.

“Terms of Royalty” produced by Statik Selektah begins with this inspiring boom bap intro talking about the legendary statuses they’ve earned for themselves whereas “Baby Don’t Leave” soulfully explains how the trunk & rap games are both the same. “Legendary Blocks” featuring Tek & UFO Fev finds the quartet talking about growing up in their respective home states while “Crack Era Survivors” looks back at when cocaine flooded the streets in the 80s.

Dru Hoffa joins Royal Terms on “Angel Whispers” talking about them getting it out the gravel over an araabMUZIK beat leading into “Problem” describing hotel parties where the room gets turned upside down. “Bedtime” hops over a gritty Cartine Beatz instrumental to talk about protecting what’s theirs & the closing track “Impossible” takes up the last few minutes of the EP chopping up a soul sample discussing not needing a globe to show the world is theirs’.

Similarly to Teknology’s self-titled album a year & a half earlier, Royal Terms unites 2 veterans who’ve spent decades making names for themselves in their own separate lanes to make an introductory opus that’s guaranteed to satisfy fans of both Royal Flush & Termanology. Outside of a couple guests, they spend a majority of the EP trading hardcore verses over quality boom bap production & honing in on their artistic chemistry.

Score: 4/5

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