Mac Miller – “Circles” review

This is the 1st posthumous outing & 6th full-length album overall from Pittsburgh’s very own Mac Miller. The man exploded onto the scene in the 2010s with a handful of projects including K.I.D.S. (Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Shit), Macadelic, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, Faces & GO:OD AM. Last time we heard from Mac was in August 2018 with Swimming, an album inspired by his breakup with Ariana Grande. However, Mac unexpectedly & tragically passed away just a month later. A sequel to Swimming was already in the works at the time of his death with the very album we see here, as Jon Brion was brought forward to complete what Mac had started.

It all begins with the title track, where Mac vents about being lost over a mellow instrumental. The next song “Complicated” vents about depression over a Neptunes inspired instrumental while the track “Blue World” talks about Ariana Grande over a glitchy instrumental. The song “Good News” talks about wanting to suppress any negative thoughts over a tropical instrumental while the track “I Can See” makes a bunch of gorgeous spiritual references over a dystopian instrumental.

The song “Everybody” is a decent cover of Arthur Lee’s “Everybody Gotta Love” while the track “Woods” wonders if he can get enough love over a woozy beat. The song “Hand Me Downs” talks about needing someone to keep him sane over a soothing instrumental while the track “That’s on Me” finds Mac blaming himself for his Ariana breakup over a blissful instrumental. The song “Hands” is a positivity anthem with a slow beat while the penultimate track “Surf” talks about growing over an acoustic guitar. The album then finishes with “Once a Day”, where Mac provides wisdom over a minimalist instrumental.

While I’m not a big fan of posthumous albums, this was bittersweet. There are a few weak moments, but it really sounds like a complete product from Mac’s vocals down to Jon’s stellar production. If this is the last we’ll ever hear from the man in a full capacity, then it’s a beautiful swan song.

Score: 4/5

Eminem – “MUSIC TO BE MURDERƎD BY” review

This is the surprise 11th full-length album from Detroit icon Eminem. His first 3 major label albums The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP & The Eminem Show are considered by many to be the holy trinity in discography. The last few years have been rough for Marshall though, as Revival is widely considered to be one of the worst albums of the 2010s. The follow-up Kamikaze was actually a solid return to form & he’s continuing that with Music to Be Murdered By.

The opener “Premonition” sees Em taking a jab at his critics over a surprisingly haunting trap beat from his mentor Dr. Dre while the next song “Unaccommodating” with Young M.A. of all people sees the 2 discussing their titular attitude referencing WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg over a generic trap beat & a very cringey hook. A lot of people are complaining about the Ariana Grande line too, but let’s not forget when Em referenced Columbine on The Marshall Mathers LP. The track “You Gon’ Learn” is a Bad Meets Ǝvil reunion where Em & his partner in rhyme Royce da 5’9″ discuss some of their internal conflicts over a boom bap beat with a mesmerizing soul sample. After the “Alfred” interlude, the song “Those Kinda Nights” reflects on his golden years over a bouncy d.a. got that dope/Fred again.. beat & a needless Ed Sheeran hook while the track “In Too Deep” is packed with relationship melodrama & the beat is pretty uneventful too.

The song “Godzilla” talks about how much of a monster Em is referencing the late WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan over a vibrant trap beat & while I’m surprised to hear the late Juice WRLD on the hook, it’s not bad. The track “Darkness” talks about depression over a bleak instrumental while the song “Leaving Heaven” talks about who he is now over a guitar & some drums going off like gunshots. Also, Skylar Grey’s performance on here is tasteless as she usually is. The track “Yah Yah” sees Bad Meets Ǝvil getting with Black Thought to remind us of their places in the culture as elite MCs over a cluttered beat from dEnAuN.

After the “Stepdad” intro, we get into the actual song “Stepdad”. Where Marshall disses a man who was abusive to him & his mother Debbie when he was younger over a grimy beat from The Alchemist. I get where he’s coming from, but the hook on here is patience testing. The track “Marsh” talks about being out of this world over a trap beat with some plinky keys while the song “Never Love Again” is a sappy breakup song backed-up by a mediocre Dre beat.

The track “Little Engine” talks about losing control over an eerier Dre & Blu2th instrumental while the song “Lock It Up” with Anderson .Paak sees the 2 talking about almost losing it & it sounds like there’s a Chinese sample in the beat. The track “Farewell” talks about his ex-wife Kim over a punchy beat while the song “No Regrets” talks about his come-up over an abrasive beat. Before the “Alfred” outro, the final song “I Will” finds Marshall reuniting Slaughterhouse sans Joe Budden to talk about homicide over a boom bap beat with a haunting organ.

Personally, this is a step-up from Kamikaze. The hooks & the mixing could’ve been better at points, but it’s like a modern day update of the criminally underrated Relapse just 11 years back from Dr. Dre returning behind the boards to the Aflred Hitchcock homages throughout. Hope Marshall continues to go down this path towards redemption.

Score: 3.5/5

Onoe Caponoe – “Invisible War” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Onoe Caponoe. Introducing himself in the early 2010s off his debut mixtape Central Control as well as Willows Midnight Gallery & Holy Mountain, it wasn’t until The Staircase to Nowhere caught the attention of High Focus Records & made his full-length debut for the label with Voices from Planet Cattele during my senior year of high school. Spells from the Cyclops would continue Onoe’s evolution & Surf or Die has become the most celebrated work of his yet, looking to fight an Invisible War succeeding it.

After the “Awakening” intro, the first song “Jungle” featuring L-Zee Roselli begins with the 2 over this dark 808-heavy beat & Caponoe having the more lively verse of them both in my opinion whereas “Starlight Lady” takes the boom bap route instrumentally to talk about the kind of woman who left his heart blazing on fire. “Wild in the Streets” goes for a Memphis vibe in general running laps around listeners with his flow just before “Ur Killing Me” shifts gears in the form of a primarily compositional piece.

“Ghost Castle” maintains a naturally killer chopper delivery & embracing a fittingly spookier atmosphere to the beat just before “Lamp of Lust” talks about being lustful kind of Genie hitting us with some of that good old fashioned funk in the midst of it. “Escape from Darkness” comes through with another instrumental bridge sonically reminiscent to 70s blaxploitation movies while the rage-inducing “Ghosts in Ma Alleyway” talks about not fucking with jokes because he has spirits inside in his head.

After the “Walking Thru the Forest” skit, “Breaking Out the Mist (Into the Light)” featuring Miles Dare pushes the 2nd half forward pairing the 2 over a flute-tinged boom bap beat confessing it’s like the world has both of them stressing lately while “Exorcist” also featuring Miles Dare after the self-produced “Battle of Self (I Love You Gurl)” intermission sticks together for a shift towards a Memphis-influenced direction homaging one of the greatest horror movies ever made.

“The Nothing” somberly asks where the time has gone demanding an answer for one of life’s biggest mysteries while “A Talking Cat” preceding the “Lost in Limbo” spoken word bit talks about painting his Mona Lisa with Surf or Die & constantly staying elevated artistically. “I’m Golden” radiates some rap rock undertones start to finish flexing his greatness, marking the last official song since both “The Message” & “Crying Cat” end in the form of a couple cohesively tied instrumental passages.

Ultimately I wouldn’t say that Invisible War has that same definitively complete feeling Surf or Die had, but I’m still happy this album exists because it’s another appreciable entry in the experimentally abstract Onoe Caponoe’s discography. The production is a menacing fusion of jazz rap, cloud rap, trap, hypnagogic pop & Memphis rap respectively opening a portal to an alternative universe where it feels like he’s taking lesser risks than he did on Surf or Die & in no way am I saying that’s a bad thing. It can be necessary.

Score: 3.5/5

Big Ghost Ltd. – “Carpe Noctem” review

Big Ghost Ltd. is an anonymous online personality who blew up in 2011 as a blogger. He eventually started making beats in 2015, going on to produce projects for Hall ‘N Nash, Vic Spencer, Hus Kingpin, Crimeapple & even Ghostface Killah just to name a few. The man has started 2020 strong by releasing 3 singles in the past week & continuing the grind with his full-length debut.

After the “Division 1” intro by Lukey Cage, we get into the first song “Murder at the Opera”. Where Estee Nack, Recognize Ali, Mooch, Rigz, Asun Eastwood & Crimeapple go at people who act tough over a boom bap beat with a mesmerizing vocal sample. The next track “Goon Etiquette” by Rome Streetz, Asun & Recognize speaks for itself over a grim instrumental while “The Elegy” by Rahiem Supreme, Mooch, Rigz & Rome gets homicidal over a funereal instrumental. After the “Iz Real” interlude, the song “Fake My Death” by Recognize, Rahiem, Rome & Estee sees the 4 bragging over an Alchemist-inspired instrumental.

The track “Paper Plane Lords” by Estee, Recognize & Asun although still solid could’ve been stretched out a bit longer while the song “Gladiator School” is an epic 6 & a half minute barfest. The track “Benghazi Emporium” by Al.Divino, Estee & Rahiem gets mafioso over a dire instrumental while the song “Clyde Frazier Minks” by Crimeapple, Estee, Recognize, Rahiem, Asun, Rome, Rigz & Mooch is another epic posse cut in vein of “Gladiator School”. The song “Hate to Love” is a reminder of how impeccable Mooch & Rigz’ chemistry is similar to their latest collab album The Only Way Out & before “The Abyss” outro, the final song “Bricks in the Futon” by Asun, Recognize, Mooch, Rigz & Rome talks about pushing coke over a spiritual-like instrumental.

Of all the recent producer-curated projects, this is easily one of the best ones out right now. Big Ghost manages to fantastically showcase some of the illest lyricists in the underground currently & his production is becoming grimier with each release. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re gonna be getting more music from him later on in the year as he said on Instagram that “this is only the beginning” & this is a great way to kick off 2020.

Score: 4/5

Ty Farris – “No Cosign Just Cocaine 3” review

Ty Farris is a veteran MC from Detroit, Michigan that originally started under the name T-Flame. Despite being featured a lot throughout the mid-2000’s, it wouldn’t be until 2009 that he would start putting out solo stuff at a prolific rate. This includes Tyrant, The Barcode, Room 39, Ramen Noodle Nights & No Cosign, Just Cocaine (to which this new project serves the latest installment of).

After the “Addiction, Crime & Death” intro, the first song “1 of 1” talks about pushing over some prominent horns. The track “Ride Thru the Jungle” describes life in Detroit over an eerie instrumental while the song “No Receipt, No Return” recalls his adolescence over a ghostly instrumental. The track “Black Mamba Venom” finds Ty talking about how lethal his pen-game & even though Stu Bangas’ production gives me somewhat of a Hawaiian feeling, it’s still very dope. The track “Money Outta the Ziplock” with Eddie Kaine sees the 2 getting combative over a demented boom bap beat while the song “Killing Fields” details his upbringings over a grisly Sebb Bash instrumental.

The track “Sunday with Dirty Diggs” with Eto sees the 2 briefly fusing their gritty lyricism with this calming instrumental from none other than Dirty Diggs while the song “Had to Scheme” with Flee Lord sees the 2 talking about finding a way to make money over a super grimy instrumental. The track “I Pray” talks about hoping to have a better day referencing 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair over a somber instrumental while “The War” with M.A.V. sees the 2 comparing & contrasting them & their competition over some horns & a soul sample. The song “Truth Be Told” gets confessional over an atmospheric Stu Bangas beat while the penultimate track “Made My Grandmomma Cry” talks about the life he lives over a spacey beat. The tape then finishes with “Who I Am”, where Ty talks about the person he has become today over a chilled-out instrumental.

If this is the final installment of the NCJC trilogy, then it’s a solid conclusion & I think it serves as a reminder that Ty is one of the illest MCs in the Detroit underground. I really enjoy how he fused together elements of it’s 2 predecessors into just 1.

Score: 3.5/5

Sunday Service – “Jesus is Born” review

Sunday Service is a gospel outfit lead by Chicago, Illinois’ very own Kanye West. The group was put together earlier this year when the latter became a born-again Christian & he has been going all around the world with them for his weekend live performances of the same name. Kanye just released his gospel debut Jesus is King exactly 2 months ago to polarizing reception & even I myself felt like it was his 2nd weakest album thus far, right behind Yeezus. Reason being because the music on that album was fine, but the mixing was just so horrendous. And just when we thought he wouldn’t drop Jesus is Born over here when it was announced the day before Jesus is King came out, Ye actually stood by his word this time around.

The album starts off with “Count Your Blessings”, where a choir sings about being more positive in your life. The song right after “Excellent” is about how great God is over an organ while the track “Revelations 19:1” is a musical version of the titular Bible passage over some settle piano passages. The song “Rain” completely ruins the SWV joint of the same name & while the track “Balm in Gilead” has a calming instrumental, it sounds like Kanye & company wrote it in less than a minute.

The next 3 songs are all redundant Christianized versions of “Father Stretch My Hands”, “Fade” & “Ultralight Beam” off of Kanye’s 2016 album The Life of Pablo whereas the track “Lift Up Your Voices” talks about giving praises over some low-pitched keyboards as well as handclaps. The song “More Than Anything” speaks on how the only person they love most in life is God & I actually love how the instrumental gets more layered as it progresses.

The track “Weak” talks about how strong their love for God is over some horns later transitioning into an smooth instrumental while the song “That’s How the Good Lord Works” touches down on not questioning God over a beautiful piano instrumental. The track “Sunshine” is all about how Jesus makes their day over some plinky piano chords & intense live drumming & despite the song “Back to Life” having an upbeat instrumental & that I actually like, there’s not much for me to write home about lyrically.

The track “Souls Anchored” talks about being set free over a skeletal instrumental while the song “Sweet Grace” talks about how great His glory is over a more lush instrumental. The track “Paradise” is a ballad about how accepting God will make you at peace while the song “Satan, We’re Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down” is a decent anti-Hell anthem. The album finally ends with “Total Praise”, where the choir predominantly sings the word “Amen” for 3 & a half minutes.

I was really hoping that Kanye would refine what he did on Jesus is King for this new album, but boy I was wrong. In fact, I’d argue that this actually worse than his last album was. I have nothing against gospel music whatsoever & I’m happy that Ye is at peace with himself, but it just seems rushed & that everyone involved threw in as many tracks as they could.

Score: 2/5

Cam’ron – “Purple Haze 2” review

This is the 7th & allegedly final album from Harlem veteran Cam’ron. Coming up as a member of the Children of the Corn, he eventually signed to Epic Records for a solo career in the late 90’s/early 2000s with his first 2 albums Confessions of Fire & S.D.E. (Sports, Drugs & Entertainment). Once the contract expired, then came Cam’s biggest exposure: forming his own group The Diplomats as a well as signing to Roc-A-Fella Records & Def Jam Recordings in 2001. His next 2 albums Come Home with Me & Purple Haze would become his most sought out bodies of work, but Cam would leave The Roc & sign to Asylum Records in ‘05 due to the poor promotion of Purple Haze. Cam would yet again release 2 albums with Asylum before parting ways, Killa Season & Crime Pays. Since then he’s only put 2 mixtapes but to end the 2010s, he’s delivering the long-awaited sequel to what I believe to be his magnum opus.

The opener “Toast to Me” gets celebratory over a Heatmakerz instrumental filled with high-pitched vocal samples whereas the next song “Medellin” talks about still being the man over a spacious trap beat. The track “Losin’ Weight 3” is a touching conclusion to the titular trilogy of the same name & even though the song “K.O.P.” has a cool synth-heavy boom bap instrumental, Cam’s melodic delivery is horrendous. The track “I Don’t Know” with Wale sees the 2 getting playfully flirtatious over a sensual beat while the song “Big Deal” pays tribute to Hud 6 & Bloodshed over a grand instrumental.

The track “Fast Lane” is Cam victoriously flexing over a celebratory instrumental while the song “The Right One” reflects on where he came from over a luxurious instrumental. The track “This is My City” with Max B sees the 2 paying tribute to NYC over blissful piano instrumental while the song “Keep Rising” talks about sex over a funky instrumental. “The Get Back” not only has a cheery instrumental, but Cam’s bars on here are really charming as well. Especially the one at the start of the song about this girl he slept with telling him that she has a yeast infection & he responds by saying he “doesn’t bake bread”.

The track “Just Be Honest” talks about keeping it real over an instrumental with an old school groove to it referencing the WWE while the song “Ride the Wave” gets raunchy over a slow instrumental that suits the mood. The track “Killa Bounce” talks about how he can’t keep the ladies off him over an hip house beat. The penultimate track “Believe in Flee” talks about being hopeful over a beat with a grim key-board lead & then there’s the closer “Straight Harlem”, where Cam gets with Jim Jones & Shooter to talk about how they’re the realest in their hometown over an instrumental with some ominous strings & horns.

If this truly is the last time we’ll ever hear the man, then I can’t be mad at it. Cam sounds focused, the features mostly compliment him & the production’s a lot harder than it was on Crime Pays. A lot of sequel albums fail to live up to the hype of the original, but this is definitely one of the more solid ones out there.

Score: 3.5/5

KXNG CROOKED – “Gravitas” review

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KXNG CROOKED is a West Coast veteran from Long Beach, California that got his start signing to the infamous Death Row Records in the early 2000’s. Eventually, he left the label in 2004 after they shelved his debut & released a handful of mixtapes that helped grow his profile. This was enhanced by his membership in the now defunct supergroup Slaughterhouse, who would go onto release their 2009 self-titled debut with E1 Music as well as their 2012 sophomore album welcome to: OUR HOUSE with Shady Records before imploding on themselves in 2015. He has gone on to release 4 studio albums since then & for this new one, Bronze Nazareth has been enlisted to produce it in it’s entirety.

The “Emperor’s Arrival” intro finds Crook comparing himself to royalty over some triumphant horns while the next song “Outer Limits” with Hus Kingpin & Killah Priest sees 3 flexing their pen-game over a grimy boom bap beat. The track “From Slavechains to Handcuffs” with Bishop Lamont, Compton Menance & Ras Kass sees the 4 getting conscious over a boom bap over an alluring sample & after the “Still” interlude, the song “I Can Still Remember…” talks about the struggles of the hood over an orchestral instrumental with an intense drum loop. The track “Westside Willie” with P.U.R.E. & Planet Asia sees the 3 interpolating the 1999 Nas joint “Hate Me Now” over an instrumental that enhances the overall charisma while the song ” Change Ur Beliefs” with Bronze & the late Kevlaar 7 sees the 3 getting triumphant over a blissful beat.

After the “Precious Moments” interlude with WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg, the song “French Connection” with Bronze, La the Darkman & TriState sees the 4 getting mafioso over a vintage soul sample. The track “Soul Drenched” talks about having his 3rd eye open over a soulful beat & then after the “Get Me Rich” outro, we are treated to 3 decent remixes to 3 different songs that’ve been previously released. First one being Ghostface Killah’s “Buckingham Palace” off that Lost Tapes album he did with Big Ghost Ltd. that came out last October, second one being “King Kong” off of Forever MC’s self-titled compilation with It’s Different from last March & then “Fresh from the Morgue” off of Bronze’s 2011 sophomore album School for the Blindman.

This is a solid effort from Crook overall. There’s way too many features & I can do without the remixes, but Crook reaffirms his status as of the illest MCs to come out of the LBC whereas Bronze Nazareth accompanies him with rich & colorful production.

Score: 3.5/5

Atmosphere – “Whenever” review

This is the surprise 10th full-length album from revered Minneapolis, Minnesota emcee/producer tag team Atmosphere. Who’ve released a handful of classics through their label Rhymesayers Entertainment including Lucy Ford, You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having, Sad Clown Bad Dub 9 & then of course God Loves Ugly. Last time we heard from them was with Mi Vida Local last October, but they’re finishing off the decade with Whenever.

The opener “Bde Maka Ska” finds Slug talking about serenity over a boom bap beat with a killer guitar lead whereas the next song “Push Play” tells the story of him meeting this chick over a tense instrumental. The track “Postal Lady” talks about a day in the life of Slug over a sensual funky beat while the song “Love Each Other” talks about if he was woman’s lover over a buttery instrumental. The track “Romance” talks about just that over a spacious instrumental while the song “Dearly Beloved” with Mujah Messiah as well as Rhymesayers co-founder Musab continues the themes of love over a smooth instrumental.

“The Hands of Time” vents about heartache over what I believe is a sitar sample while the titular song with Gifted Gab, Haphduzn & MURS is a decent 4 minute cypher with a warping instrumental. The track “Lovely” is another funky romance anthem while the song “Son of Abyss” talks about how he can’t believe he used to love this chick over a gloomy beat. The penultimate track “You’re Gonna Go” talks about this chick who he’s not afraid to admit he loved over a piano instrumental & then there’s the closer “The Ceiling”, where Slug talks about working his whole life over a ghostly instrumental.

This was a pretty solid effort from the duo. Ant’s production is really mellow & the album’s theme of reclamation is invigorating. Really looking forward to see what the 2 are gonna be doing going into the new decade.

Score: 3.5/5

City Morgue – “As Good as Dead” review

City Morgue is a trio from New York City consisting of ZillaKami & SosMula on the mic as well as Thraxx on production. I first caught wind of them last summer due to ZillaKami’s verse on Denzel Curry’s TA13OO, but the group’s full-length debut that followed shortly after Hell or High Water completely stopped me in my tracks. Mostly because prior to that album, I never heard anyone fuse trap with metal music in the way that they did. They’ve gone rogue since then, but they’re finally re-emerging with their sophomore effort over here.

It all starts with “Neck Brace”, where Zilla & Sos interpolate the classic Death Grips track “Guillotine” over an abrasive trap beat instrumental from Thraxx. The next song “Inferior” talks about how they’re better than their competition over an trap metal beat from Mike Dean while the song “DRAINO” with Denzel Curry sees the 3 talking about self-medication over a slower instrumental. “The Give Up” talks about suicide over a somber acoustic instrumental while the song “Thresh” goes out to everyone who be stuntin’ & the beat on this one sounds like something out of a horror flick

The track “Splinter” talks about killing snitches over an frightening instrumental while the song “Minimiyza” finds ZillaKami & IDK talking about their enemies over a slow guitar riff & some snares. “The Balloons” sees the duo reuniting to vent about their personal struggles over a druggy beat while the song “Soul Burn” is a SosMula solo cut about always being strapped over a distorted instrumental.

The track “16 Toes” is a ZillaKami solo cut about standing strong over a legitimate hard rock instrumental while the song “WOAH” finds Sos talking about his criminal past over a trap beat with some plinky keyboards. The track “DIRTNAP” of course talks about murdering people over another killer trap metal fusion while the song “C4” talks about rioting of the precious cut over a chaotic instrumental.

The track “Babywipes” touches down on violence over a dark, cavernous beat while the song “Mouthgard” talks about build & destroy over an eerie trap instrumental. The penultimate track “Screaming at the Rain” talks about depression over another trap beat with some downtuned guitars & then the album ends with “Peeling Scabs”, where ZillaKami talks about his family as SosMula talks about the system over a gloomy acoustic guitar lead.

To me, this is just as dope as the trio’s debut. It’s like 8 minutes longer & a lot of the beats are ok, but I like how they brought in a couple outside features to break up the monotony & Mike Dean’s mixing is absolutely phenomenal.

Score: 3.5/5