Doja Cat – “Vie” review

Los Angeles, California recording artist Doja Cat ending the month with her 4th LP. Blowing up in 2018 off her viral novelty single “MOOO!” under Kemosabe Records & RCA Records, this was followed up the next year with her debut mixtape Hot Pink which was decent as a whole despite the fact that “Say So” solidified that she wasn’t going away anytime soon. Planet Her showed some improvement compared to her previous works by delivering a pop rap/R&B concept album based around a self-originated world, coming off Scarlet to release Vie.

“Cards” kicks it all off with a mixture of synthpop & synth-funk music singing to make best use of your assets whereas “Jealous Type” produced by Jack Antonoff blends dance-pop, synth-funk, freestyle music, the Minneapolis sound & pop rap talking about struggling with insecurity during an impatient relationship. “AAAHH MEN!” samples the Knight Rider theme song to make way for some boastfully charming raps while “Couples Therapy” sings that all she wants his for her lover to be involved.

Moving on from there, we have the aptly titled “Gorgeous” that Sounwave co-produced giving off a summery vibe with a secondary pop rap influence explaining that it’s crime to be very attractive just before “Stranger” goes back to a dance-pop direction with minor jazz undertones sings about her & her partner being weird with each other. “All Mine” pulls from the Minneapolis sound again to get possessive over her new romantic interest while “Take Me Dancing” featuring SZA playfully says it all.

“Lipstain” continues Vie’s other half not wanting to dance around the idea of the love she & this person have for each other being easy to talk about while the R&B throwback “Silly! Fun!” tackles the concept of romantic delusion. “Acts of Service” hypnotically poses the question of what would it mean if she found her person when that’s her love language while “Make It Up” talks about turning a wrong into a right.

The song “1 More Time” borrows from the Minneapolis sound to start the final act of Doja Cat’s most enjoyable body of work yet not needing anyone to save her by any means while “Happy”asks if her lover is genuinely contented. The pop rap closer “Come Back” ends the LP by confirming to an ex that she’s not the person for him & taking her advice that he will eventually find someone when the time’s right & the star’s align.

Returning to a poppier sound as opposed to Scarlet putting Doja Cat’s hip hop side on full display, Vie takes a more playful approach than anything she’s done previous & I come away from it getting her best pop material ever. The production mostly handled by Jack Antonoff masterfully fluctuates between contemporary R&B, dance-pop, po rap, synthpop, synth-funk, freestyle music, trap music, sophisti-pop & the Minneapolis sound and the prominently dishy subject matter.

Score: 4.5/5

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Verbz – “The Way FWD” review

Croydon, South London, England, United Kingdom emcee Verbz reuniting with Brighton, East Sussex producer Mr. Slipz for his 3rd studio LP. Introducing themselves in 2017 off the full-length debut Lessons of Adolescence, he would later put out the debut mixtape Pathways & make his High Focus Records debut with the sophomore effort Radio Waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming off The Low as well as Where It Started & more recently In Time this past spring, he & Slipz have decided to lead The Way FWD in celebration of the current TNA X Division Champion Leon Slater’s birthday weekend.

The title track opens by hooking up a boom bap instrumental with a string sample talking about facing facts in a matter of time comes whereas “Seen a Lot of Change” featuring Cam Thomas takes the boom bap route reflecting on seeing a lot of things in this game not being what it used to be compared to when they started. “Mémoires de Perte” keeps things dusty talking about the realizations he’s experienced in the midst of life moving rather quickly just before “What You Reckon?” speaks of having nothing to lose & everything to gain.

“Switch Lanes” blends these pianos chords with some kicks & snares talking about him accelerating at a different pace in contrast to everybody else leading into “S.O.T.S.” ruggedly explaining that he ain’t stumbling because it’s only up from hereon out the way he looks at it. “Each Hurdle” featuring Cappo talks about how both of them used to go around in circles & time running out for what it’s worth while “Keep On” dustily remains confident of getting what’s his.

Starting the 3rd & final act, “Got It Myself” shifts towards a spookier boom bap vibe talking about carrying around the ghost of his younger self while “It’s Raining Again” comes through with a downtrodden sequel to “The Rain” off Radio Waves advising the world to stay where it shines. “Turn the Page” maintains the raw instrumentation talking about searching for a better tomorrow & his intuition telling him brighter days are ahead while the outro “Came Close” raises a toast to everything he never did that he was on the verge of doing.

Paying respect to the sample-driven boom bap soundscapes & introspective lyricism that’ve been synonymous with Verbz & Mr. Slipz’ output for almost a decade, The Way FWD basically recapturing the aura of Radio Waves except they’re taking the classic feeling of their earlier material & pushing it forward a month after Sha Samuels became a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion. The production’s a lot rawer than it was 5 years ago & a lot has changed in regards to Verbz’ style of songwriting, prioritizing evolution as we get ready to start the 2nd half of the 2020s in only a few months.

Score: 4/5

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Cardo – “Sigan Viendo” review

St. Paul, Minnesota producer & rapper Cardo celebrating his birthday week with a sophomore effort. Notable for lacing a couple standout tracks on Wiz Khalifa’s best mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, he would later go on to become one of the most in-demand beatsmiths in recent memory producing hits ranging from “THat Part” by ScHoolboy Q featuring Ye formerly known as Kanye West to “goosebumps” by Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar or more recently “euphoria”, the latter serving as the first of 4 Drake disses. MADeMAN put his lyrical abilities to full display last fall & he’s looking to do it again with Sigan Viendo.

The intro by Nutso Thugn’ was an ok single mainly because I think the instrumental outshines Nutso’s performances while “texture” by born bad! has the same issues, most notably sampling “Knuck If You Buck” by the Crime Mob at a few points of the song that give it a dirty south vibe. “bad posture” by born bad! & YoDogg fuses cloud rap & trap to talk about not standing on what you speak on giving them that exact kind of energy while “hotr” by YoDogg angrily flexes that he’s a 1 man rumble.

“1st Chamber” by Skufl has this woozy approach to the beat speaking of working hard for his paper while the Mobb-influenced “Lately” by Nasaan & 21 Lil Harold was an unexpected pairing & 1 that I felt where Nasaan smoked Lil Harold. A favorite track of mine is easily “know he dead” by Rio da Yung O.G. tapping into the Flint sound & making it look easy while “gwfyn!” by born bad! samples “Make ‘Em Say UHH!” by Master P featuring Fiend, Mia X, Mystikal & Silkk the Shocker.

2025 XXL Freshman Samara Cyn getting her on track with “spooky” makes me happy since I highly enjoyed her Backroads EP earlier this summer delivering some of the best flows on the LP while “bonkerz” by Count Faces & Mathias Young sums up the way I felt soon as the beat dropped. “Came from Nothin’” by Oodaredevil will go down as amongst of the greatest songs the Texas Tycoon has ever done while “lemmehavit” by BBYKOBE heads for a hypnotic direction instrumentally.

“Free 5” by Redd Cold Hearted starts the final leg with the Atlanta rapper at her hardest since her appearance on “Middle of the Summer” off Playboi Carti’s full-length debut Die Lit while “board games” by Zukenee gives us a taste of what’s to come from his upcoming Zudo project, which already sounds like his most important body of work to date. Lil Yachty’s contribution to “beans” concludes Sigan Viendo by going harder than he did on the 5$tarCrete EP that Concrete Rekordz put out last month.

The idea of Cardo taking a backseat vocally throughout Sigan Viendo to focus on his production talents & recruit a myriad of guests taking up the mic needless to say seems like a refreshing change of pace on paper as a longtime fan of his talents behind the boards. However, I find myself enjoying this less than I did MADeMAN exactly 365 days ago. There’s nothing wrong with the beats, although I’m more on the fence with the list of performers.

Score: 3/5

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ZelooperZ – “Dali Ain’t Dead” review

ZelooperZ is a 32 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan notable for being a member of the Bruiser Brigade collective. Since the early 2010s, he’s come a long way from his solo debut Bothic by artistically evolving on both Valley of Life & Van Gogh’s Left Ear respectively. In preparation for Bruiser Wolf’s upcoming 4th album Made by Dope produced by Harry Fraud next month & Danny Brown’s upcoming 7th album Stardust the month after, ZelooperZ & Dilip are reuniting to explain why Dali Ain’t Dead.

The drumless chipmunk soul intro “1st Instrument” talks about having cheese in collateral amounts & life being an uphill battle for him whereas the early favorite “Mona Lisa Left Eye” is packed with references to some of his influences. “Bebe Kids” works in some quirky synthesizers expressing resentment towards his early years due to the pain he endured while “Push Me Around” featuring Zack Fox angrily talks about no one fucking with them.

“Hypnagogia” hooks up an interesting string sample within the first 30 seconds & a switchup during the final 30 seconds referencing WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger while “NDA” featuring Paris Texas makes for my favorite guest appearance on the entire album talking about them not coming to fuck around. “Fuck Cigarettes” expresses his dislike for the popular type of tobacco & I agree because weed is far better prior to a soulful diss towards the “Broke Ass Hoes”.

Starting the 2nd half, “Opposite Sex” works in some heavy horns to talk about the difficulty of getting rest because of the run he’s been on while “Describe” gives off a cloudier trap vibe smoothly telling us the kind of guy he is for the woman of his dreams. “I Mac” experiments with synthwave and atmospheric drum & bass continuing to tackle themes of love while “Shrooms” talks about the consumption of psilocybin.

“Take Me I’m Drugs” heavily samples more strings to kick off the final leg of Dali Ain’t Dead carrying over the topic of drug use from the previous track while “Lebanon James” boisterously talks about going crazier than the greatest talk show host of all-time Eric André of The Eric André Show fire to on the Discovery Global division Cartoon Network owned [adult swim]. “Art of Seduction” goes for a smoother approach to master the idea of temptation & “Play with Your Pride” ends the LP by advising not to mess with one’s self-esteem.

Only less than 2 months away from his set at the 11th annual Camp Flog Gnaw, we get a look at ZelooperZ’ life after becoming sober last summer over the course of the 36 minutes that Dali Ain’t Dead has to offer & it. Dilip’s production has grown a lot in the past 5 years blending elements of experimental hip hop, trap, cloud rap & drumless to back the abstract lyricism inspired by this newfound perspective since getting clean dedicating itself to Salvador Dalí.

Score: 4.5/5

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Cardi B – “Am I the Drama?” review

The sophomore effort from New York City rapper, actress, the hostess of the Endeavor owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s SummerSlam XXXVIII last month Cardi B has seen the light of day. Signing to Atlantic Records in early 2017 off both the Gangsta Bitch Music tapes, neither those or her full-length studio debut Invasion of Privacy would win me over on her musically although her success certainly can’t be denied. Her ex-husband Offset formerly of the Migos released the introspective Kiari last month & wants to ask Am I the Drama? the weekend after the current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio ended former The Crash Pesocompleto Campeon El Hijo del Vikingo’s 2nd reign as AAA Mega Campeon at Worlds Collide V promoted with the WWE’s newly acquired Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) subsidiary to win his 1st world championship & Terence Crawford taking the undisputed super middleweight titles off of Canelo Álvarez during TKO’s newest division Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural event.

“Dead” starts Cardi’s return with a cinematic trap instrumental talking about wanting all these hating bitches 6 feet deep in the ground whereas “Hello” boastfully finds herself geekin’ out & turning up at the party. “Magnet” produced by Pooh Beatz simultaneously takes a few jabs at Offset alongside a horrid dig towards Lil Uzi Vert & JT while the tropical “Pick It Up” featuring Selena Gomez compares the love they have for their current partners to a drug.

The way “Imaginary Players” by JAY-Z gets sampled during the boom bap/g-funk single “Imaginary Playerz” is ok although the celebratory verses are merely average to me leading into the bilingual “Bodega Baddie” talking about the borough that made her. “Salute” hops over a TM88 beat to give props to the real bitches that have her back just before “Safe” featuring Kehlani dedicates itself to Stefon Diggs.

“Man of Your Word” atmospherically delves deeper into Cardi’s divorce from Offset as does the bittersweet “What’s Goin’ On?”, except the latter goes for a bounce vibe & the AI Lizzo feature was unnecessary. “Shower Tears” blends cloud rap & trap to talk about Offset cheating on her while “Outside” takes further shots at her ex-husband over a Charlie Heat instrumental borrowing from the Detroit sound & bounce.

As for “Pretty & Petty”, we have Cardi B responding to BIA dissing her on “Sue Me?” over a west coast-tinged beat while “Better Than You” featuring Cash Cobain taps in with FNZ & Vinylz to spit braggadocio together. “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” by Janet Jackson gets sampled for the sultry “On My Back” showing an R&B influence while “Errtime” featuring Jeezy & Latto on the remix talks about being the baddest.

“Check Please” speaks of wanting more money than problems in 2025 while “Principal” butchers “The Pleasure Principle”, which has actually been one of my all-time favorite Janet Jackson songs for as long as I can remember. “Trophies” talks about hoes being sore losers & dismisses all excuses while “Nice Guy” featuring Tyla goes Afrobeats thanks to London on da Track, Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic & venny portraying modern love.

The song “Killin’ You Hoes” winds down the last several minutes of Am I the Drama? by taking aim at her detractors while the no melody “Up” caps off Cardi’s sophomore effort officially by getting cockier than the next cut. “W.A.P. (Wet Ass Pussy)” featuring Megan Thee Stallion starts the deluxe run with the controversially raunchy 2020 hit while “Don’t Do Too Much” experiments with New York Drill talking about showing ‘em how to be sexy.

An average reflection of Cardi’s success after her full-length debut can be the best said regarding “Money” while “Please Me” featuring Bruno Mars mutates contemporary R&B, pop rap, synth-funk & trap for a 2019 Valentine’s Day celebration. The superior “Press” takes shots at the media coverage around that time over a KeY Wane beat while “Bongos” featuring Megan Thee Stallion collides pop rap, dembow, zess & funk brasileiro for an underwhelming “W.A.P. (Wet Ass Pussy)” spiritual successor.

“Like What” heavily samples “She’s a Bitch” by Missy Elliott talking about being classy & intolerable at the same time while OG Parker’s dirty south-inspired instrumental on “Enough (Miami)” sticks out to me tackling themes of self-assured resilience. After the “Dear Bardi Gang” spoken word bit, the final bonus track “Hot Shit” featuring Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West & Lil Durk serves up something masculine for their blocks over a no melody Tay Keith beat.

Only 24 hours prior to Stephanie Vaquer defeating イヨ・スカイ to become the new Women’s World Champion at WWE’s inaugural main roster pay-per-view on The Walt Disney Company subsidiary ESPN Wrestlepalooza V or former AEW tbs Champion Kris Statlander becoming the new AEW Women’s World Champion at All Out VII & former AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express reuniting, the seemingly mythical follow-up to Invasion of Privacy has arrived & I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would although I’m left on the fence with it. A little too long, but the production has improved slightly & I don’t mind Cardi B’s own performances all that much outside of a few cringey lines.

Score: 2.5/5

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Joell Ortiz – “Love, Peace & Trauma” review

Yes, here is the 10th solo LP from Brooklyn, New York veteran Joell Ortiz. Emerging after being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source over 2 decades ago, he went on to sign to Aftermath Entertainment for a brief period of time before leaving to drop his official debut The Brick: Bodega Chronicles under MNRK Music Group. I also can’t forget to mention when Slaughterhouse rose to prominence off their self-titled debut, which led Eminem signing the supergroup to Shady Records a decade ago already. Sadly, their major label debut welcome to: OUR HOUSE that came out the next summer would unfortunately end up being their last & everyone has been doing their own thing since. The Heatmakerz producing W.A.R. (With All Respect) became my favorite solo effort of his in a while and was hoping the same for Love, Peace & Trauma.

“PTSD” produced by The Heatmakerz opens the album by never looking back on where Yaowa suggests everyone who come around the same neck of the woods as him to look back & never forget where they came from whereas “Ambidextrous” picks up by telling us where he stands before us to this very day. “Undefeated” soulfully talks about looking up to the sky to God he’s all in while “Make It By” takes off a chipmunk soul route looking back on the way he’s been coping with trauma since he was a baby.

The Housing Authority Rap District a.k.a. H.A.R.D. reunites alongside Grafh during “On My Own” talking about the game being full of bums & jokes these days while “The Crosswalk” admits to today being one of those days where he’d pinch himself to see if he’s actually still here living in the moment when he is. “Never Forget” featuring Locksmith suggests not to speak out the neck while “Thy Neighbor” featuring Nucci Reyo talks about the world hating them.

“Can’t Live Without Your Love” references WWE Hall of Famer & former WWE Tag Team Champion Brutus Beefcake leading into “The Yaowa” embracing a chipmunk soul vibe to discuss catching up to himself as he gets older & wiser leading into “Wandering” talking about anxiety making you learn or keeping you attentive. “Smile” soulfully speaks of being built of love while “Pen, Pad & a Dream” reflects on all he had.

Some were disappointed by W.A.R. (With All Respect) last fall because of the amount of guests on it although I still consider it to be a high point in Joell Ortiz, but I guarantee that most of those people are gonna be gravitating towards Love, Peace & Trauma in comparison. It should be noted that The Heatmakerz only handle 70% of the production as opposed to the entire thing, yet it’s very much on par with the previous full-length & the same can be said regarding Yaowa’s pen.

Score: 4/5

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Atmosphere – “Jestures” review

Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere are back for their 14th album. Consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards, they started as a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast! building an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9. So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously became their best in a while a couple years ago & Jestures looks to become more ambitious both thematically and it’s pacing sequenced in order of the alphabet.

“Asshole” begins by advising not to mistake his circle for repetition over a luxurious boom bap instrumental whereas “Baby” finds himself feeling drunk off a woman pleading for her not to play him. “Caddy” talks about personifying his cars in a personal way even though he’s not an enthusiast for motor vehicles just before “Daley” gives a daily dose of the Holy Ghost.

Evidence joins Atmosphere on “Effortless” talking about their fans wanting to see them do exactly what they do best as if they didn’t have to put any effort into it while “Furthermore” explains that people still have nightmares when they’re living in their dreams. “Grateful” brings a funkier vibe to the beat talking about the subject of gratitude while “Heavy Lifting” featuring Haphduzn suggests to let their legs do the hard work.

After the 127 second “Instrument” compositional interlude, “Jester” cloudily talks about the way Slug will possibly identify himself for all of eternity while “Kilowatts” featuring Kurious abstractly heads for the farthest limits together. “Locusts” talks about keeping his head up not trying to drown in the rain while “Mash” featuring Mike the Martyr, Musab & Muja Messiah brings the quintet together where the cops aren’t at.

“Neptune” starts the 2nd half of Jestures with some sampling to talk about nobody getting the message of Atmosphere’s music unless a connection is felt while the drumless “Ophidiophobia” dismisses the idea of a moral in favor of hope. “Past” talks about your future being nothing like the way it was previously while the experimental “Quicksand” admits to feeling like he’s sinking deeper the more he fights this trap.

We get a more tropical vibe on “Really” talking about having nothing better to do while the 78 second “Sean” reveals that Slug’s father named him after the late Sean Connery from the James Bond franchise. “Trying” soulfully sends a dedication to everyone who’re giving it all of their effort while the crooning “Used To” talks about moving like he’s driving on track these days.

“Velour” kicks off the final leg of the LP by recalling a series of conversations Slug has with a chick he can’t wait to see as soon as tour ends until traveling “Westbound” to go back in time over a rap rock instrumental. “XXX” talks about Rhymesayers being around for 3 decades already while the single “Yearning” tackles the universal ache for belonging. “Zorro” featuring Zoodeville finishes up with both parties confident of their own heartbeats making a mark.

Contemplating the way time shapes society & that even the dullest can be transformative, Atmosphere gets to the root of life’s complexities throughout Jestures capturing personal evolution without romanticizing the past or fearing the future. Ant’s rich production shifts from electro-glitch to somber drones & playful twang soundtracking Slug’s story of progress & building toward a future defined by resilience & creative clarity.

Score: 4/5

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Nation of Language – “Dance Called Memory” review

Nation of Language is a synthpop & new/minimal wave band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of synthesizer player Aidan Noell, bassist Alex MacKay & frontman/guitarist/percussionist Ian Richard Devaney. Releasing their full-length debut during the COVID-19 pandemic in May of 2020 in the form of Introduction, Presence followed by A Way Forward & Strange Discipline, they would sign to Sub Pop Records earlier this spring & are making their official debut for the label with their 4th studio album.

“Can’t Face Another One” opens with an indie synthpop intro bleakly singing about Ian not wanting to take on another day that has only begun whereas “In Another Life” throws it back to the sounds of 2000s electronic music instrumentally feeling like love’s a waste of time. “Silhouette” moves forward by pleading for an outline on the wall to give itself up just before “Now That You’re Gone” takes a moment to remembers Ian’s late godfather, who succumbed to ALS the year prior.

Synthpop, new wave, dream pop & shoegaze all collide during the lead single “I’m Not Ready for the Change” taking up the halfway point to examine a group of old friends who’ve all gone their separate ways just before “Can You Reach Me?” sings about not knowing it was possibly for serendipity to frown upon him & going into complete retreat mode.

“Inept Apollo” combines synthpop & new wave together for an exploration of the complex relationship between creative work & emotional healing while the gorgeously pulsating “Under the Water” assures that Ian’s not turning into anything that he isn’t whilst paying homage to the 80s synthpop era.

The final single “In Your Head” nears Dance Called Memory’s conclusion by carrying over the aesthetics of the previous song tackling intrusive thoughts one may have in the process until the closer “Nights of Weight” sends off the LP singing about the human condition as we know & addressing the concerns most of society has with the technological advancements we’ve seen in AI this past year or 2.

Ditching the minimal wave elements of their previous work entirely, the Nation of Language’s inaugural opus under Sub Pop Records feels more spectral & spacious compared to the band’s earlier material. Their synthpop production pulls heavier from new wave in addition to indie pop, post-punk revival, art pop, shoegaze, indietronica, dream pop & alternative dance achieving their goal of expanding what their music can evoke whilst hoping to distract us from our depression when we’re feeling down on our luck.

Score: 4/5

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Johnathan Blake – “My Life Matters” review

Johnathan Blake is a 39 year old drummer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania notable for being the son of the late John Blake. His full-length debut The 11th Hour & the sophomore effort But Not Forgotten in the early/mid 2010s would generate enough buzz to the point where the greatest jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records signed him to their historic roster in 2021. Making his debut for them that fall with Homeward Bound, he’s ready to follow up Passage in the form of his 5th full-length LP.

After the 96 second “Broken Drum Cycle for the Forsaken” intro, “Last Breath” recruits Fabian Almazan on piano alongside Jalen Baker to play the vibraphone for an ode to the late Eric Garner reverberating the Black Lives Matter message whereas “Requiem for Dreams Shattered” after the “A Prelude to An Unnecessary Yet Tragically Banal Oratorio” further displays Fabian’s talents with the keys remembers those whose dreams weren’t realized.

“In a Brown Study” feels like yet another interlude albeit the upright bassist talents of Dezron Douglas get a chance to shine just before Muna Blake provides the spoken word piece “I Still Have a Dream” with Dezron playing behind her. The title track combines post-bop with a small dosage of nu jazz enlisting Dayna Stephens to add a synthesizer into the fold until “Can You Hear Me? (The Talking Drums Have Not Stopped)” continues the 2nd half with a drum solo.

DJ Jahi Sundance jumps behind the turntables during “Always the Wrong Color” combining the art of DJing with vibraphones & synths but once “That Which Kills Us Makes Us What?” shifts it’s focus solely towards Dayna for a couple minutes, “Can Tomorrow Be Brighter?” has to be the most tense moment throughout My Life Matters expressing optimism regarding the future in spite of all the turmoil that’s unraveled within our country these past 8 months.

“Lullaby for An Eternal Rest” puts the spotlight on Jalen’s vibraphonist skills crafting a gentle anthem for those who’re no longer with us in the physical form while “We’ll Never Know (They Didn’t Even Get to Try)” finds John’s son Johna accompanying him for a somber 7 & a half minute instrumental. “Prayer for A Brighter Tomorrow” serves as more of an outro blending soothing piano melodies & vocal harmonizations from local neo-soul veteran Bilal.

Ditching the hard-bop undertones of Passage a couple summers ago, My Life Matters still maintains the post-bop & jazz fusion elements of Johnathan Blake’s predecessor for the most personal entry of his entire discography. A commentary on the importance of family values & the social imperative to stand up in the face of injustice, he takes the lesson his parents taught him growing up about being a part of the problem if they don’t stand up to the injustice African Americans have unfortunately dealt with for centuries.

Score: 4/5

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Locksmith – “Wine & Circus” review

Richmond, California emcee Locksmith teaming up with New York producers The Heatmakerz for his 7th studio LP. Getting introduced to him through his Ski Beatz-produced debut album Embedded as well as the sophomore effort 1,000 Cuts & later Lofty Goals during my adolescence, his 2nd EP No Question produced by Apollo Brown later came out under Mello Music Group after I turned 21 & have been wanting him to match the same caliber of all those projects since. And considering the singles building up towards Wine & Circus, I was certain we were finally gonna get it.

The chipmunk soul sound that made Rrsonist blow up with Thrilla in the early 2000s bleeds all over the intro as the former Frontline member welcomes the underground to “The Greatest Show on Earth” whereas “Death by Temptation” works in a boom bap instrumental with a gospel sample to talk about honest guys getting demonetized now. “Culture” featuring Styles P gives a middle finger to the 2-party system for being flawed, which is a conversation many don’t want to have unfortunately just before the optimistic “Beautiful Day” talks about how great it is to be alive.

Joell Ortiz joins Locksmith for the soulful boom bap single “Closed Caption” sending a message directly towards the people who’ve been capping on their names noting that it’s too late for any apologies & once the drumless “Cons & Prose” gets on the conscious side of things lyrically, the sequel to “America” takes it a step further recapping the political climate of this ongoing decade. Interesting timing too because of Charlie Kirk being fatally shot last Wednesday, who was parodied by Cartman in the newest season of the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Comedy Central hit series South Park last month.

“Under Pressure” delves deeper towards the final leg of Wine & Circus with some pianos taking shots at the type of people who’re scared to face their own issues because of power going to their heads & becoming increasingly arrogant while the title track talks about never being harmed once you understand your worth. Mysonne appears for the closing track “Culture 2” picks up right where the original highlight earlier during the first half with more drumless vibe than its predecessor retaining the politically charged lyricism.

For almost 15 years now, I’ve noticed that Locksmith is at his greatest form whenever he’s tapped in with a singular producer like he was on No Questions or even Embedded despite the latter’s generally mixed reception. As for Wine & Circus, there’s no question we’ll be speaking of it a long time from now when it’s all said & done ranking it amongst one of if not THE greatest album of his career. The Heatmakerz’ sample-heavy production is a breath of fresh air compared to some of Locksmith’s material since 2018 & the Bay Area lyricist’s words of wisdom hit much harder in light of recent events.

Score: 4.5/5

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