Evidence – “Unlearning” review

Evidence is a 44 year old MC/producer & former graffiti artist from Venice, California coming up in the early 90’s as part of the trio Dilated Peoples alongside Rakaa & DJ Babu. He’s also established himself as a solo artist along the way, dropping his debut album The Weatherman under ABB Records in 2007 & making himself at home with the renown Minneapolis powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment since ‘09. Last time we heard from him was at the beginning of 2018 when he dropped Weather or Not & now after putting out 3 singles throughout this spring, Ev’s making his return by putting out his 4th full-length album.

“Better You” kicks things off as a grimy ode to self improvement with The Alchemist on the boards whereas “Start the Day with a Beat” jumps on a jazzy boom bap instrumental from the weatherman himself to say he’s a rare breed. Ev tells listeners to sink or swim on the guitar-laced “Sharks Smell Blood” courtesy of Sebb Bash just before addressing the shit he’s been dealing with on the Animoss-produced “Pardon Me”. Boldy James tags along to reminisce on where they started for the psychedelic “All of That Said” & then going on to speak about someone whose heart has gone south on the forlorn “Won’t Give Up the Danger” with Mr. Green on the boards.

Things go back into boom bap territory with the help of Daringer on “Moving on Up” as he & Conway the Machine talk about how they’ll never stop chasing their dreams leading into the stripped back, sincere “Talking to the Audience” produced by Khrysis. Meanwhile on “All Money 1983”, we get a soulful look-back on when Ev met Al Pacino almost 40 years ago before bringing in a vintage sample on “Pray with an A” for him & Navy Blue to look back on their past.

Lost in Time (Park Jams)” speaks on smoking weed at a park over a heavenly instrumental from Nottz while the Fly Anakin-assisted “Delay the Issue” is a luxurious reminder that life is too short. The penultimate track “Taylor Made Suit” is a bluesy cut produced by V Don about how his funeral suit is the same as his wedding suit & the the album ends with the churchy “Where We Going From Here…”, which is about how it’s the first day in a while where he woke up on the right side of the bed.

From front to back, this is a really dope album in my book. It’s refreshing to hear him move away from the weather-theme of his previous solo output, his writing is clever than ever & the production is on point as well.

Score: 4/5

Bolt Seminar – Self-Titled review

Bolt Seminar is a newly formed duo consisting of Switzerland producer John Sarastro & Brooklyn emcee Dell Wells, the latter of whom dropped his full-length debut Clandestine Picnic last summer. Now I’m not exactly sure how these guys’ paths crossed with one another, but was morbidly curious to hear what they would bring to the table on this self-titled album of theirs.

“The Gnawing” starts out the album with a warping boom bap instrumental & lyrics proclaiming himself as “the nightmare with no end” before encouraging listeners to be appalled on “Tone Def”, which goes for a more psychedelic sound. “Cuckold Manifest” is a spacious cut addressing how the world’s in love with hip hop whereas the CRF-assisted “Kurplunk 2” finds the pair going on saying that MCing is the only life they’ve ever known with a cavernous beat.

Meanwhile with “Bloody Shoelaces”, we get a dark tribute to his fallen homies leading into the dusty yet synth-laced “Cellular Diaries” that tells a story of him falling in love with an Android in which Bliss portrays in the song. Dell showcases his lyrical prowess with the futuristic “Gargle” prior to him expressing to be shown something greater on the saxophone-induced “Taming of the Shrewd”.

Amazing July tags along for the apocalyptic albeit atmospheric “Abandonment Issues” while opening up on talking endlessly with shadows for the dancy “Chatterbox”. The penultimate track “Succubus” on top of a grungy instrumental & finally there’s “One”, which is a endearing tribute to all the children in the world who’re suffering from cancer.

Coming away from Bolt Seminar, I’m pretty impressed. John’s production is kinda reminiscent to that of El-P’s & the dystopian imagery that Dell paints through his songwriting fits like a glove. If this truly is the first of many musical journeys to come from the duo, then I’m all here for it.

Score: 4/5

The HRSMN – “The Last Ride” review

The HRSMN is a hip hop supergroup consisting of Canibus, Killah Priest, Kurupt & Ras Kass. These 4 have made a name for themselves as some of the most underrated lyricists the culture has ever seen & first formed a little over 20 years ago with a couple of collabs. A mixtape called The Horsemen Project even emerged in late 2003, which was followed up with the Historic EP just 11 years later. Fast forward to present day, they’re coming back together for their official full-length album.together for what they say is their first & only official full-length album.

After the “Sintro”, the Bronze Nazareth-produced “Centaurs” is an organ-inflicted boom bap kickstarter to the album where the 4 lyricists compare themselves to that of the Greek mythology creature whereas “This Shit Right Here” is a rugged hip hop quotable fest. As for “Champion” with Planet Asia & Chino XL, I appreciate the content about being victors but the instrumental is just so minimal. However, “Morticians” is a theatrical banger comparing themselves to that of the grim reaper.

Meanwhile on “1 Second”, we have The HRSMN & Hus Kingpin hopping aboard a trap beat saying they spit sicker than COVID-19 before “Love n War” takes a turn into awkward romance ballad territory. “Believer” is a symphonic anthem about celebrating Passover by meeting death & after the “False Profits” skit, we go into a more luxurious sound whilst speaking on their longevity on “Apocalips Now”.

“Impossible” gets on their battle rap shit over a sly instrumental leading up Phil Da Agony, El Gant, Al Tejada & Fokis accompanying the quartet on the keyboard heavy “Burger King” telling anyone to bring the beef to them. Finally there’s the title track, which has occultist vibes in the beat & the supergroup is bidding everyone farewell given the fact that they said this was gonna be their only album.

It took these guys 2 decades to finally put out an LP together & I’m not mad at it being their only one as a unit because I enjoyed quite a bit of it. All 4 emcees sound great with each other & most importantly, the mixing/mastering on here is a lot more cleaner than it was on The Horsemen Project.

Score: 4/5

Unfoonk – “My Struggle” review

Unfoonk is a 31 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being the brother HiDoraah, Dolly White & trap trailblazer Young Thug. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2008, but was released 11 years later with Thugger’s help & was given a deal with YSL Records pretty much immediately. However that doesn’t mean Unfoonk is new to making music, as the dude already has 4 mixtapes under his belt since 2019. But after his fiery performances on Slime Language II a couple months back, it’s only right for Thugger to put him at bat for a full-length debut.

“Temperature” is a short yet emotional opener about how Unfoonk has a lot to lose whereas the piano-tinged “Trial” addresses the charges that he was facing 13 years back. Lil Keed tags along for the celebratory, trap rock infused “Bait ‘Em In” just before Gunna tags in on the wavy, braggadocious “I Had”.

Meanwhile on “Private”, we get some keys & guitar with Unfoonk telling this woman he don’t do second chances leading into him saying how everything ain’t what it seems on the jangly “Smoke n Mirrors”. As for “Hit Different”, I like the sample but FN da Dealer easily has the weakest feature on the entire album. Fortunately for us, Future makes up for it on the exuberant yet self-explanatory “Running Out of Patience”.

“911” featuring Young Thug continues to build off the chemistry of “Real” while the wavy “Ape Shit” with G Herbo opens about some people they happen to know. The penultimate track “Streets Don’t Love Nobody” with Lil Duke finds the 2 talking about how cold it is in the hood over a spacious instrumental & then the album ends with “My Pain”, which is Unfoonk at his most vulnerable.

And that pretty much sums up my thoughts on this album, I liked this more than I thought I would. The dude gets a lot off his chest through the pen & I like how detailed the production is rather than being a clone of his brother. If he keeps it up, he could probably reach the same level of popularity as Gunna & Keed.

Score: 3.5/5

Gucci Mane – “Ice Daddy” review

This is the 15th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia’s very own Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s, he would go on to receive legend status for being one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of last year revamping 1017 Global, signing a bunch of acts (the most notable one being Pooh Shiesty) & putting out a couple showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. But after having a kid with his wife Keyshia almost 6 months ago, Wizzop is officially returning by dropping Ice Daddy.

The opener “Poppin’” incorporates some piano & strings as Gucci is pretty much showcasing 1017’s newest signee BigWalkDog while the Mike WiLL Made-It produced “Posse on Bouldercrest” with Pooh Shiesty is a dope lil homage to the classic Sir Mix-a-Lot joint “Posse on Broadway”. I love the ominousness that 30 Roc provides for “Shit Crazy”, but the Big30 feature is so wack. Luckily we have Pooh Shiesty reappearing on “Like 34 & 8” to make up for it.

Richie Souf & Southside work in a flute for Wop to get in his drug dealer bag with “D-Boy Style” whereas the Lil Baby-assisted “Trap Shit” speaks on how everything they put on wax is official backed by a lavish Zaytoven instrumental. On “I Got It”, we have Lil Uzi Vert accompanying Gucci for a moody slow jam attempt & the energetic “Rich N***a Shit” needs no further explanation.

Meanwhile on the piano-inflicted “Top of Shit”, we have 2 Chainz tagging along to address their longevity just before E-40 fills in for the organ-laced paper anthem “Never Runnin’ Out of Money”. Then we have Project Pat helping Wop go back on the pusher tip for the synthy, bass-heavy “Fold Dat Money Up” leading up to the bloodthirsty “Gucci Coming for You” featuring these gun-cocking sounds in the production.

d.a. got that dope whips up a more somber sound for the boastful “Invoices” just before Gucci & PeeWee Longway start a bonfire on the rowdy “Live at the Red Carpet”. The song “Bust Down” is a nice throwback to dirty south strip club bangers while the penultimate track “Lately” is a spookily-produced confession about fake motherfuckers. The album then ends with “How I See It”, where Wop jumps on a rubbery instrumental to speak how he views things.

It’s been pretty clear that Father’s Day is approaching this weekend & Ice Daddy to me is a dope way for Gucci to celebrate. He sounds focused & charismatic on the mic once more with Mike WiLL, Zay & Southside helping to bring the best out of him as they usually do.

Score: 3.5/5

Oh! The Horror – “1692” review

This is the sophomore album from California trio Oh! The Horror. Emerging a couple years ago off their debut EP The Devil Made Me Do It, they gained even more exposure just last summer by becoming the very 1st act under Majik Ninja Entertainment’s new sub-label Welcome to the Underground & put out their full-length debut Halloween 365. And after a hot streak of singles throughout the first half of 2021, it was only right for Oh! The Horror to return with 1692.

“Strange” is a trap metal opener about how they’ll never change whereas “Let Me Be” is a vicious response to those who ever doubted them. “All’s Fair” goes into a punkier direction as they takes shots a deceitful woman before going emo on all fronts for “Dead Inside”.

Meanwhile on “Alive”, we get a fiery ballad about how thrilling murder is just before the explosive yet suicidal “Bodybag”. We go into an almost alternative direction on the possessive “If I Can’t Have You” leading into the trap metal/industrial fusion that is “Istilldontcare”, which is about giving no fucks.

“Groceries” takes things back into punk territory with them saying they’re always eating their girls’ asses while shifting gears into post-hardcore on “Eating Me Alive”. The song “Never Found” is a chugging ballad about a witch they knows & that leads into the penultimate track “Witch Bitch”, which is a freaky trap metal-flavored follow up. The album then ends with “Tears of Gold” which is a great cover of the Faouzia joint of the same name.

If you go back to my Halloween 365 review, I had stated that Oh! The Horror would start to grow more down the line. And that’s exactly what they just did on 1692. I feel like their sound is more refined, it’s more adventurous, the songwriting has improved & they feel more comfortable in their performances.

Score: 4/5

Sonnyjim – “Coke Le Roc” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP from Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sonnyjim. Making his debut in the summer of 2011 with The Psychonaut, he would go on to drop a couple more albums as well as his over a dozen EPs & a mixtape, most notably No Vi$ible Means of Income produced by Giallo Point or the Illinformed produced The Chemistry Must Be Respected & the Leaf Dog-produced How to Tame Lions to a name a few. D.I.T.C. member Buckwild however has been brought in to produce a full-length named after hip hop’s very 1st MC albeit misspelled: Coke La Rock.

“Cherry Red Beamer” sets the tone of what’s to come by hopping over a jazzy boom bap instrumental suggesting to watch out with him around your girl whereas “Double Green” featuring Crimeapple finds the 2 teaming up so they can talk about the gangsta lifestyle. “Free Freedom No Fear” blends a piano sample with some kicks & snares referencing former 7-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

The title track hooks up a violin flip to talk about being inspired to write the rhyme of the year if anyone fucks around with him, feeling like this music shit is the only thing he has going for him just before he expresses the love he & Lord Apex have for “The Process” making a reference to WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

“$3,500 for Some Fuckin’ Sushi” goes for a jazzier vibe once again talkin’ about going from hustling on the side of the road to globetrotting while “Sugar Ray” references former 2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. “Yola” takes an eerier boom bap approach instrumentally talking about having more Uncut Gems than the greatest Adam Sandler movie ever made by a landslide leading into “Maserati Rick” combines more kicks & snares with a trumpet sample assuring he’s gonna inevitably blow.

Rounding out 3rd, the song “Big Face Fly Lizard” returns to a grittier sound talking about everyone else performing during the undercard since he’s a main-eventer & the closing track “Frankie Lymon” succeeding the “1520” skit gives a nod to hip hop’s birthplace located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx, New York sends off Coke Le Rocfusing a soul sample & some keys talking about going from many people doubting him to hopping out of Benz’s after mastering the craft of his art.

Only a couple months since Sonnyjim fully produced the Sauvage EP for Vandal Savage, he & one of the greatest east coast hip hop producers team up to help him make his strongest collection of solo material since probably The Chemistry Must Be Respected & another must-listen for those looking for a gateway to his output. Buckwild’s production combined with Sonny’s luxurious style of songwriting honor the man who paved the way for many others other than DJ Kool Herc himself.

Score: 4.5/5

Datkid – “Wakmo” review

This is the 6th studio LP from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Datkid. Beginning as a part of the Split Prophets, he began embarking on a solo career in the summer of 2011 off Dkay n Gramma as well as a subsequent sophomore effort called Home by 8 a little over 8 months later & Teeth Ledger. Confessions of a Crud Lordproduced by Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog of The 4 Owls under High Focus Recordshas already become one of the label’s greatest releases, coming off Sleepless in Pinhoe to have Illinformed fully produce Wakmo.

“Take the Wheel” opens up shop incorporating this bloodcurdling boom bap instrumental talking about his mind state being all or nothing whereas “Thick Lip” hooks up a ghostly backdrop layered with kicks & snares speaking of him trying to upgrade his life. “1 Way or Another” talks about being so bucked to the point where he forgot what he got high off of & pressing for numbers when stressed leading into Bil Next & Wish Master helping him explain they get busy where it’s “Crooked”.

Sean Peng joins Datkid on “Look Up” telling all the lazy muhfuckas who stay hungry to get up off their asses & chase a bag just before “Nothing But” featuring Leaf Dog talks about driving cars like they stole ‘em when that’s most likely the case & refusing to let anyone sit near them if they have nothing to offer. “Where You At” keeps that crud packaged & delivered advising everyone who’s looking for him to come find him while “Aktive” talks about having too much game for pussy rappers to handle, later suggesting those nearby to keep it friendly & not tempt him because hems been keeping his composure.

“Thorn in Your Side” featuring Babylon Dead blends these strings with more kicks & snares seeing the jealousy in the eyes of people who hold envy towards Datkid & Jman for being the successful underground artists they’ve become while “Chitchat” featuring D£DW8 reaches the halfway point with the 2 talking about haters fearing their greatness. “Don’t Lie” featuring Crossbow T & Mistafire contemplates the idea of leaving the trio’s competition missing like Jimmy Hoffa while “Steve Harper” featuring Smellington Piff trades the mic back-&-forth for a few minutes.

Instrumentally, “Line It Up” somewhat reminds me of the Outsidaz joint “Get the Dick” off Bizarre’s solo debut EP Attack of the Weirdos! making wine out of everything he’s being hearing through the grapevine while “This Place” talks about making money to spending it frivolously. “Scrub Your Hands” featuring ManLikeMally speaks of being corrupted from the very beginning while “Fentanyl” featuring Babylon Dead, Bil Next, Eric the Red, Jack Jetson, Res 1, Tona Montona & Wyatt Earp made for a decent UK hip hop posse cut.

The title track ruggedly talks about catching cases on top of shutting down every spot he pulls up to while “Dole Benefit Claimers” featuring Res 1 links back up so they can get discuss always being up to shit giving a fuck less regarding who likes it or not. “Dunno” featuring BVA & Verb T samples “40 Oz.” by D12 during the hook talking about all 3 of them smoking weed & drinking alcohol while “Slime” finishes with him trying to stick to the game plan making money although it doesn’t go that way sometimes.

Sleepless in Pinhoe a couple months ago left me torn in comparison to Confessions of a Crud Lord & despite liking Wakmo more than it’s predecessor merely 7 weeks earlier, there’s a part of me that believes I could’ve enjoyed it way more because the singles that teased for it had me under the impression it would be my 2nd favorite Datkid solo project. Illinformed’s production takes it back to the traditional boom bap sound instead of continuing to experiment with trap music, but there is some occasional filler & he didn’t have to bring a guest performer besides throughout half of it.

Score: 3.5/5

Your Old Droog – “TIME” review

This is the 7th full-length album from Ukrainian-American emcee/producer Your Old Droog. Emerging in the underground off his self-titled debut, many first thought he was an alter ego of Nas given that their voices are somewhat similar. Nonetheless, the cat has reached legend status at this point by proving that he was in his own lane off later projects such as Packs & It Wasn’t Even Close. But just a little over 4 months after letting his homie Tha God Fahim produce his 4th EP Tha Wolf on Wall St. from front to back, Droog is dropping TIME ahead of 2 singles in the last week

After the titular intro, the first song “The Magic Watch” speaks on finding a watch that will take you back to any moment in time over some strings & dusty drums whereas “Please Listen to My Jew Tape” is a mellowed out reflection of Droog’s career up to this point. The late MF DOOM comes along to advocate self-education on “Dropout Boogie” as Edan incorporates a pots & pans loop into boom bap production while “So High” is a summery weed smoking anthem.

Meanwhile on “Lost Time”, we have Droog hopping on a drumless instrumental explaining that he has the chips to prove that he’s a winner prior to flexing his lyrical prowess on the slyly-produced “You’re So Sick”. We go into a more guitar-driven direction for the depressive “Quiet Time” leading into Aesop Rock & eLZhi stopping through for the exuberant, pleasant “Field of Dreams”. Blu & Mick Jenkins later fill in on “One Move”, which is about the choices you make accompanied by a jazzy beat from Quelle Chris.

“The Other Way” is a dreary depiction of him avoiding negativity while “A Hip Hop Lullaby” is a smoky look back on riding the train with his mom. “Madson Ave” is a homage to the titular road in New York with slick guitar passages provided by 88-Keys & just before the “4:49” outro, the final song “No Time” taps in with Wiki for a meditative ballad about loving your family & friends when they’re still here.

Didn’t think Your Old Droog would drop another project on us this fast, but I’m glad he did because this has a very high chance of becoming the most celebrated album of his entire career. The production is a purist’s wet dream & lyrically, you get to hear YOD at his most personal conceptually stumbling upon a magic watch that allows him to go back in time & visit past versions of him.

Score: 4.5/5

Pi’erre Bourne – “The Life of Pi’erre 5” review

This is the sophomore album from South Carolina producer, rapper, songwriter & engineer Pi’erre Bourne. Becoming one of the most in demand beatsmiths in hip hop today off Playboi Carti’’s “Magnolia”, he’s also made a name for himself on the mic by dropping 5 mixtapes as well as 2 EPs & a full-length debut. But after much anticipation, Pi’erre is continuing his recent tradition of dropping in June with the 5th & final installment of The Life of Pi’erre series.

After the intro, “Switchin’ Lanes” is a wavy opener featuring Playboi Carti rapping about going into a different pace whereas the next track “Hulu” taking it’s name after the subscription streaming service owned by The Walt Disney Company is a cloudy homage to Jay P. Meanwhile on “Couch”, we have Pi’erre incorporating an organ as he details his rags to riches story before saying she don’t want this hoe who’s addicted to him on the accordion-heavy “42”.

“Biology 101” is a smoky homage to the classic Cassidy joint “Hotel” while the spacey “Y.N.S. (Young N***a Shit)” needs no explanation lyrically. Lil Uzi Vert pretty much carries the bassy & braggadocious “Sossboy 2”, but Pi’erre bounces back to flex his hustle on the psychedelic “Practice”. “40 Clip” later expresses his desire for some new shit referencing the greatest WWE superstar ever; 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker backed by some synth-strings while “Retroville” is a cool homage to the Jimmy Neutron franchise & the chords on here are so gorgeous.

Sosshouse Records signee Sharc tags along for the moody club banger “Drunk & Nasty” leading up to the minimally-produced “Amen”, which expresses his gratefulness for where he’s at now. The song “Groceries” shows listeners how to get money like him while the penultimate track “Butterfly” is a glitchy tribute to Kobe Bryant. Finally there’s “4U”, which is an infectiously catcher closer about consoling his girl like a PlayStation.

This to me is a solid finisher to The Life of Pi’erre series & easily the best one of the 5. His unique production style is always a warm welcome as are the transitions at the end of every song, but the features break up the monotony of the other installments & I feel like Pi’erre is stepping up as a performer & songwriter.

Score: 4/5