Onyx – “SnowMads” review

Onyx is a revered hip hop duo from Queens, New York consisting of Sticky Fingaz & Fredro Starr. Their first 3 albums Bacdafucup, All We Got Iz Us & Shut ‘Em Down are rightfully considered by many to be East Coast classics. They went on to release 2 mediocre albums in the early 2000s before going AWOL, returning in 2014 with the Snowgoons produced #WAKEDAFUCUP. This was followed up early last year with the long-lost Black Rock but with Thanksgiving around the corner, they’re getting back with the Snowgoons to deliver a follow-up to the album that returned them to form.

After the intro, the first song “Who da Fuc?” finds Sticky & Fredro challenging their opponents over a boom bap beat with some suspenseful string sections. The next track “Robbing Hip Hop” with Bumpy Knuckles & NEMS sees the 4 comparing taking the game back to a burglary over a frightening instrumental while the song “Monsters Gorillas” with V Knuckles sees the 3 talking about being stone-cold killers over a suspenseful boom bap beat. The track “Rat Tat Tat” of course talks about guns which is cool, but the Quadro & UFO Fev features don’t do anything for me.

The song “Hoodies Down” finds Sticky & Fredro talking shit over an adrenaline pumping beat while the track “Kill da Mic” shows that their lyricism is still grittier than ever over mafiosi-like instrumental. The song “Street Art” with SickFlo sees the 3 showing y’all how hardcore hip hop should be done over a boom bap beat with a fantastic organ lead while the track “Trolling” with V Knuckles is an actually decent diss track towards Charlamagne tha God & 6ix9ine. The song “Ringolevio” flawlessly goes back & forth over a bloodcurdling instrumental while the track “Built Like That” talks from the heart about their courage & strength over an upbeat instrumental.

The song “Mad Shoot Outs” with Flee Lord lyrically needs no further explanation & the lugubrious instrumental fits very well whereas the track “I Got the Tec-9” continues the themes of the previous joint over a boom bap beat with some keyboards. The standard edition closer “Ain’t No Time to Rest” feels like a leftover from Onyx’s Shotgunz in Hell collab album with Dope D.O.D. & then the album finishes with the bonus cut “Good Fight”, which is an energetic crowd mover.

I’ve been wanting a #WAKEDAFUCUP follow-up for a while now & I’m finally glad they did it. Some of the features I could do without, but the Snowgoons‘ raw production yet again fits the duo’s cutthroat lyricism like a glove.

Score: 4/5

Dave East – “Survival” review

Dave East is a 31 year old rapper from Harlem, New York who first caught my attention as a part of the 2016 XXL Freshman Class. This earned him a contract with Mass Appeal Records/Def Jam Recordings & now after 3 years of mixtapes leading up, Dave is finally fulfilling fans’ hopes for his full-length debut.

The opener “They Wanna Kill You” talks about being glad that he never got shelved over a bland Swizz Beatz instrumental then the next song “Penthouse” talks about making it over an uneventful beat. The track “Godfather IV” with Nas sees the 2 trading verses over a classy DJ Green Lantern instrumental while the song “Need a Sign” talks about people acting cool with him now that Dave’s famous over a somber instrumental from araabMUZIK.

The track “On My Way 2 School” reflects on his time in school over a moody instrumental while the song “17” looks back at his adolescence over a woozy trap beat from Timbaland. The track “Mama I Made It” needs no further explanation over an orchestral instrumental while the song “OG” with Rick Ross gets sensual over a luxurious instrumental.

The track “What’s Goin’ On?” with Fabolous sees the 2 spitting charismatic bars over a synth-funk instrumental while the song “Baby” talks about his ride or die woman over a soul sample-inflicted trap beat. The track “Alone” is a trite reiteration of JoDeCi’s “Feenin’” while the song “Everyday” with Gunna sees the 2 talking about their new lifestyles over a dime a dozen trap beat.

The track “Devil Eyes” with E-40 & Mozzy sees the 3 talks about the life in the streets over a grim instrumental while the song “Night Shift” with Lil Baby sees the 2 flexing over a vibrant Murda Beatz instrumental. The track “Wanna Be a G” with Max B finds the 2 talking about a kid who wants to gangbang over slow yet rhythmic instrumental while the song “Me & Mines” talks a homie of his over a jazzy beat.

The track “Daddy Knows” is a touching tribute to his daughter Kairi with a neo-soul flavored instrumental while the song “What You Mad At?” finds Dave angrily going at his haters over a churchy sample that later switches up into a tense boom bap beat. The penultimate track “On Sight” is a decent club banger & then the closer “The Marathon Continues” of course pays tribute to Nipsey Hu$$le over a boom bap beat with some keys.

As much as I love Dave, this was just decent. He’s definitely still a great lyricist, but it’s longer than it needed to be & a bit too focus-grouped for me. Nonetheless, he’s earned the right to make it as far as he has & I hope the album’s gonna do well on the charts.

Score: 2.5/5

Maez301 – Self-titled review

Maez301 is a 26 year old rapper from Gaithersburg, Maryland that first got his start in 2017 with his debut mixtape Nowhere. The project eventually caught the attention of Ervin Pope & Jerome Taylor, both of whom helped Maez get a record contract with Strange Music last year. And as the label closes out 2019, they’re letting Maez shine with his self-titled debut entirely produced by Ervin.

The intro “Change” finds Maez pouring his heart out over a mellow instrumental while the next song “Advance” starts bragging over a nocturnal trap beat. The track “On One” talks about his newfound success over an instrumental with a chill West Coast feel to it while the song “Ay” with Tech N9ne sees the 2 talking about being on top of the game over a colorful instrumental.

The track “Rider” with Infinite E sees the 2 talking about their main chicks over a dream-like instrumental while the song “Fuck No” with Nef the Pharaoh sees the 2 talking about not loving hoes over a galactic instrumental. The track “Fake Love” with Leila sees the 2 talking about a chick frontin’ over a smooth trap beat while the song “Get ‘Em” goes at his competition over a minimalist instrumental. The track “Emoji” is a sensual R&B tune while the song “Watch Me” angrily raps about his haters over a suiting instrumental.

The track “Fucked Up for You” vents about an ex over a chilled out instrumental while the song “No Rest” finds Maez pouring his heart out over a vibrant instrumental & I absolutely love the Travis Scott homage in the hook. The track “Dream” with Black Jesus talks about chasing their lifelong goals over a relaxing beat with this prominent acoustic guitar while the song “Made It” of course continues to brag about Maez’ success over a rich instrumental. The track “Dogg’n These Hoes” gets back with Infinite E to talk about just that over a trap beat with some Neptunes inspired piano chords & the song “Grab a Bag” while repetitive is a catchy club banger.

The track “Switch” talks about how he came a long way over a moody instrumental while the song “Break Your Heart” talks about making it right with his girl over a funky beat. The penultimate track “Real Bitch” talks about needing a good woman over a futuristic sounding trap beat & then the album ends with “Momma”, where Maez pens an endearing tribute to the woman who gave him life over a spacey beat.

To me, this kid is the future of Strange Music alongside King Iso. The features were hit or miss for me personally with my favorites being Tech & Nef, but Maez has a lot versatility & I really think Ervin’s production really helps hone that in. Really excited to see him grow as an artist & what the label has in store for him next.

Score: 3.5/5

Brother Ali – “Secrets & Escapes” review

This is the surprise 7th full-length album from Minneapolis, Minnesota veteran Brother Ali, the activist/battle emcee that first exploded in the underground with his 2003 sophomore album Shadows in the Sun along with his 2007 follow-up The Undisputed Truth. He just made a fantastic comeback in 2017 with All the Beauty in This Whole Life & with the Halloween season being over, he has teamed up with Evidence for Secrets & Escapes.

The opener “Abu Enzo” talks about where he comes from over a lush instrumental while the next song “Situated” with Pharoahe Monch finds the 2 spitting battle bars over a boom bap beat with a soul sample cutting in & out. The “Greatest That Never Lived” charismatically brags over a spooky instrumental while the song “Father Figures” talks about the people Ali looks up to over a reclining beat. The very short “Apple Tree Me” gets threatening over a ghostly instrumental while the song “Red” finds both Ali & Evidence showing off their own levels of lyricism over a suspenseful beat.

The title track talks about internal conflict over a chilling instrumental while the song “De La Kufi” with Talib Kweli of course sees the 2 kicking knowledge over savory soul sample. The track “Red Light Zone” disses those who be clout chasing on the internet over a funky beat & even though “The Idhin” is brief, Ali comes through with some vivid bars over an almost ambient-like instrumental. Then there’s the closer “They Shot Ricky”, where Ali shows off his storytelling talents over this jazzy instrumental.

Wasn’t expecting this, but it’s one of his best efforts yet. Even though it’s a little over a half hour long, there’s a prominently fantastic chemistry between Evidence’s top notch production & Brother Ali’s intelligent lyricism. If you wanna hear 2 underrated titans from the midwest & the west coast, then PLEASE give this a listen.

Score: 4/5

Yelawolf – “Ghetto Cowboy” review

Yelawolf is a 39 year old rapper, singer & producer from Gadsden, Alabama who first came onto the scene in 2005 with an honestly mediocre debut album Creekwater. He eventually broke out onto the mainstream in 2010 with his Trunk Muzik mixtape & eventually signed to Shady Records/Interscope Records & releasing his sophomore album Radioactive: Amazing & Mystifying Chemical Tricks the following year. A focused grouped, yet still fun major label debut. He then returned in 2015 with Love Story, where he started to incorporate country & rock music into his style. But when his childhood friend Shawty Fatt passed away at the tail-end of 2016, it caused him to disappear from the scene for a while. The man fortunately returned with Trial by Fire, a self-produced & refined sequel to Love Story. Yelawolf just fulfilled his contract with Shady/Interscope this past March with Trunk Muzik III & a little over 7 months later, we’re now getting his 6th full-length album.

After the “Mama Wolf” intro, we go into the first song “Unnatural Born Killer”. Where Yela claims himself as just that over an abrasive instrumental. The track “Opie Taylor” finds Catfish Billy comparing himself to the famous Ron Howard character of the same name over a relaxing instrumental from DJ Klever while “Box Chevy VII” is another banging installment of Yelawolf’s titular song series.

The song “Here I Am” talks about whooping someones ass referencing Facebook founder & Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg over a sweet guitar line while the track “Still Ridin’” talks about leaving Shady/Interscope over a funky bass-line & some keys. The song “Lightning” tells the story of Tommy over a horror-esque instrumental while the track “Renegades” is taken off of Yelawolf’s 2016 EP H.O.T.E.L. (House Of The Endless Life).

The song “So Long” is a decent country rap anthem about relationship issues while the track “You & Me” is a cool follow-up. After the DJ Paul skit, he actually gets with Yelawolf on “Country Rich” to talk about being a rich hip hop artist from the south over an acoustic guitar co-produced by TWhy. The penultimate track “Keep on Rollin’” with Big Henry & Cub da CookUpBoss is an average sequel to the song they did on Trunk Muzik III. The album then finishes off with the titular song, where Yelawolf declares himself as such over a druggy beat.

For this being his first release off Shady/Interscope, I enjoy this. It’s like a mixture between the Trunk Muzik era as well as the Love Story & Trial by Fire eras. If this is the road he wants to keep traveling down in the future, then I’m all for it.

Score: 3.5/5

Gang Starr – “One of the Best Yet” review

Gang Starr is a revered East Coast hip hop duo consisting of Guru & DJ Premier. Before disbanding in 2006 as well as Guru’s death in 2010, the 2 have made a name of themselves with arguably one of the greatest discographies in hip hop history. But with the 10 year anniversary of Guru’s passing coming up in 5 months, Premier has decided to commemorate him with 1 last album under the Gang Starr name.

After the “Sure Shot” intro, we go into the first song “Lights Out”. Where Guru & M.O.P. get bloodthirsty over an explosive piano-inflicted beat. The track “Bad Name” disses wack rappers over a soulful boom bap beat while the song “Hit Man” with Q-Tip sees the 2 comparing themselves to assassins over a gritty beat.

The track “What’s Real” with PRhyme finds both Guru & Royce da 5’9″ defining their versions of real over an instrumental that sounds like Moment of Truth era Gang Starr & after the “Keith Casim Elam” interlude, the song “From a Distance” with Jeru the Damaja sees the 2 reclaiming their prowesses over an orchestral boom bap beat.

The track “Family & Loyalty” with J. Cole finds the 2 talking about diamonds over a luxurious beat while the song “Get Together” with Nitty Scott sees the 2 getting romantic over a slow instrumental. After the “NYGz/GS 183rd” interlude, the song “So Many Rappers” talks about the rap game over a tense instrumental.

The track “Business or Art” with Talib Kweli sees the 2 talking about the industry over a haunting beat, but the next song “Bring It Back Here” is so short that it really shouldn’t have been placed on here. After the titular interlude, the penultimate track “Take Flight” is a cutthroat installment of Gang Starr’s “Militia” series. Then the closer “Bless the Mic” finds Guru flawlessly showing off his skills 1 last time.

I’m not a big fan of posthumous albums, but this is one of the better ones out there. Guru’s unreleased verses are well incorporated as are the features & DJ Premier continues to show that he’s one of the best producers in hip hop history.

Score: 4/5

Kanye West – “Jesus is King” review

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Kanye West is a Chicago, Illinois icon that really needs no introduction at this point. From his polarizing public image to his damn near flawless discography, the man has really made a continuous & undeniable impact on hip hop within the past 15 years. However throughout 2019, Kanye has been going around the world with his newly formed gospel-rap outfit Sunday Service performing gospel songs & covers of his discography for an hour. But after teasing fans with listening parties for his 9th full-length album for the past month, he’s actually dropping it worldwide.

The album begins with “Every Hour”, where the Sunday Service choir sing about how we always need God over a bare piano instrumental. The next song the track “Selah” talks about looking back & reflecting upon over an organ while the track Follow God” finds Ye encouraging the listener to find a higher power over a College Dropout-esque instrumental.

“Closed on Sunday” makes painfully corny references to Chick-fil-A over a Timbaland instrumental starting off with an acoustic guitar & later switching up into something more minimalist & ominous while the track “On God” uses the titular expression to address his current well-being along with his past comments on the 13th amendment over a Graduation-inspired instrumental from Pi’erre Bourne.

The song “Everything We Need” by ¥$ & Ant Clemons sees the 3 talking about switching their attitudes over an trap beat co-produced by FNZ, Ronny J & Mike Dean with an organ in the background while the track “Water” with Ant finds the 2 talking about purity over a somewhat funky instrumental co-produced by Timbaland. The song “God Is” sings about how the Lord is victorious & gives him power over a soulful instrumental while the track “Hands On” talks about religion being more prominent in Ye’s life over an intoxicating instrumental.

“Use This Gospel” is pretty much a full blown Clipse reunion as Kanye only does the hook, but I’ll take it. Pusha T & No Malice both talk about seeking forgiveness like they never left over some plinky keys, but the sax solo from Kenny G was unexpectedly good. The album then finishes off with “Jesus is Lord”, where Kanye of course sings about his newfound love for Christ himself over some horns.

While I myself am not the biggest fan of gospel music, this is an underwhelming experience. Kanye truly sounds like he’s legitimately happy & finally at peace with himself in comparison to his last 3 albums, but the mixing is absolutely terrible. The closest he did to patching it up like he did with The Life of Pablo back in 2016 was the Dr. Dre remix of the album & that’s significantly better.

Score: 2/5

Black Moon – “Rise of da Moon” review

Black Moon is a highly regarded hip hop trio consisting of Buckshot, 5ft & DJ Evil D. Their 1993 debut Enta da Stage would go on to become a hip hop essential & despite their 1999 sophomore effort War Zone not being as acclaimed, it was still solid. Last time we heard from the group was in 2003 with Total Eclipse & all these years later, they’re making a comeback with their 4th full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Creep wit Me”, where Buckshot & 5ft both go at their competition over a piano-inflicted boom bap beat. “Da Don Flow” reclaims Buckshot’s prowess over a slaughterous instrumental while the track “Ahaaa” talks about cops over a g-funk/boom bap fusion. The song “Pop Off” flexes their skills over a boom bap beat with some gloomy horns throughout while the track “Ease Back” with Method Man & Steele go at their naysayers over a vibraphone inflicted boom bap beat.

The song “Impossible” with Smif-n-Wessun talks about how they can’t be stopped over a gritty instrumental while the track “Black Moon Rise” talks about their comeback over a funky beat. The song “Children of the Night” with Rock talks about what goes on during the midnight hours of the hood over orchestral boom bap beat while the track “Glory” makes numerous references to the color black over a mellow instrumental.

The song “General Feva” is a vicious 5ft solo cut while the track “Look at Them” talks about people tryna rob the group over a rhythmic bass-like & some haunting strings. The song “At Night” finds Buckshot & 5ft trading bars back & forth over a somber organ-inflicted beat while the song “Payback” talks about getting money over a funky beat. The penultimate track “Roll wit Me” with Tek gets romantic over a slick boom bap beat & then the closer “Time Flys” gets reflective over a jazzy instrumental.

This is a fantastic return from one of the hardest East Coast groups of all-time. You can really tell the trio all seem really happy to be back together as it really sounds like they never left from the deadly lyricism to the grimy production. Here’s to them hopefully dropping more efforts together in the future.

Score: 4/5

clipping. – “There Existed an Addiction to Blood” review

clipping. is an experimental hip hop trio from Los Angeles, California consisting of Daveed Diggs on the mic as well as William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes both on production. They first came together in 2013 with their midcity mixtape, which eventually landed them a contract with Sub Pop Records & the label granting them a full-length debut the following year. However I didn’t completely hop on board with these guys until their Deathbomb Arc debut Splendor & Misery in 2016, which is a fantastic sci-fi odyssey. 3 years have since passed & the trio are coming back out of the shadows with their 3rd full-length album.

After the intro, we go into the first song “Nothing is Safe”. Where Daveed talks about the cops raiding a drug house over a darksynth beat that later incorporates some rattling hi-hats during the final hook. The track “He Dead” talks about being chased by the cops over a dark ambient instrumental & after the “Haunting” interlude, the song “La Mala Ordina” with Benny the Butcher & Elcamino of all people talks about the glorification of gangs in hip hop over an a dissonant beat.

The track “Club Down” talks about a venue being closed early over a paranormal instrumental & after the “Prophecy” interlude, the song “Run for Your Life” talks about being chased by a psychotic woman with La Chat providing a fantastic closing verse from her perspective over a beat that starts off minimal, but turns into a trunk knocker when La Chat comes in. The Show” paints a vivid picture of this red room that Daveed has found himself in over some electronics that tune in & out like a transmitter but after the “Possession” interlude, “All in Your Head” contains a great pimping/demonic possession metaphor in the lyrics albeit a pretty weak song structure.

The track “Blood of the Fang” speaks on racism over an industrial beat while the song “Story 7” tells the tale of a woman named Cynthia over a glitchy instrumental. The penultimate track “Attunement” provides food for thought over a chaotic instrumental & then the closer “Piano Burning” is literally the sound of a piano being engulfed in flames for 18 minutes.

This is a damn near perfect album just in time for the Halloween season. The interludes are just ok but the storytelling is vivid, the instrumentals are a lot darker & the guests are very well incorporated into the concept. Their best work to date, in my opinion.

Score: 4.5/5

Elcamino – “Where’s My Pyrex?” review

This is the sophomore album from 26 year old Buffalo, New York emcee & singer Elcamino. I first caught wind of him in November 2017 when he dropped his self-titled EP with Griselda Records. This was followed up by his debut mixtape Walking on Water last August along with his debut album Don’t Eat the Fruit & his DJ Shay produced sophomore EP Lott & Abraham, both of which dropped earlier this year. But if that wasn’t enough, Camino has decided to team up with Netherlands producer Oh Jay for his sophomore full-length album.

After the “We Can Never Die” intro, the first song “Back & Forth”. Where Camino & Duffel Bag Hottie show off a great chemistry over a sweet yet skeletal instrumental. The track “Bullets from Opps” brags over a haunting beat while the song “Bottom to Bottom” with Milano Constantine sees the 2 talking about coming from nothing over some vibraphones. The track “Crack on Broadway” talks about drug dealing over a boom bap beat with some pretty keyboards while “The Night Shift” gets back with Duffel Bag Hottie & while I like the smooth instrumental, the rapping from both MCs isn’t as captivating as it was on “Back & Forth”.

After the “I Know Him” interlude, the song “Change Spots” with 38 Spesh sees the 2 getting mafioso over a blaxploitation-esque instrumental & then the penultimate track “Ghetto Symphony” with Che Noir both talk about their experiences in the hood over a lush instrumental. The album then finishes off with “Wash My Sins Away”, where Elcamino continues to brag over a nondescript instrumental.

Compared to his previous projects, this was just alright to me. The instrumentals are a lot more mellower which isn’t necessarily a bad thing & even though there are some deadly verses on here, the rapping is pretty cumbersome this time around. That being said, I’m still looking forward to Elcamino 2 whenever it drops.

Score: 3/5