Rich Brian – “The Sailor” review

Rich Brian is a 19 year old rapper from Indonesia known for being a member of the 88rising collective. He made his debut last year with Amen & now, he’s back with his sophomore album.

It all starts with the title track, where Brian gets introspective over a grimy boom bap beat. The next song “Rapapapa” with RZA of all people sees the 2 getting romantic over a harmonious trap beat while the track “Yellow” vents about Brian’s personal issues over a church-esque instrumental. The song “Kids” talks about Brian’s background over a triumphant boom bap beat while the track “Drive Safe” tells the story of a long distance relationship over some somber guitar chords.

The song “Confetti” brags over a monstrous instrumental while the track “Vacant” sees Brian telling this girl why he’s better for her over an intoxicating instrumental. The song “No Worries” talks about how he’s socially awkward over a piano-inflicted trap beat while the track “100°” is a fun summer anthem. The song “Slow Down Turbo” talks about how life’s moving too fast for him over an instrumental that starts off with a Godly atmosphere, but then switches into something more spacey. The penultimate track “Curious” ponders his biggest questions over an acoustic instrumental & then the album ends with “Where Does the Time Go?”, where Brian & Joji talk about hoes over another acoustic instrumental.

Never been a big fan of this dude in the past, but this has me officially sold on him. The production is a lot more versatile & Brian’s personality shines a lot brighter through the songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

Anybody Killa – “Tampon Juice” review

Anybody Killa is a 43 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who started out as a member of the Krazy Klan with his childhood friend Lavel. He eventually went solo in 2000 with Rain from the Sun, but it wouldn’t be until 2002 that he would make his big break in the underground when the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records & released his sophomore album Hatchet Warrior. This was followed up in 2004 with Dirty History & the Road Fools EP a year after, but ABK decided to form his own label Native World Inc. in 2006 & he even left Psychopathic temporarily so he could focus on building his own brand. His 2008 comeback Mudface ended up being a total mess on all fronts, but he would eventually team up with Brian Kuma in 2010 to make up for it with Medicine Bag. Almost a decade later, he’s back on the scene with his long-awaited 6th full-length album.

After the “You Got the Juice” intro, we go into the first song “Good Times”. Essentially a celebratory anthem with a funky beat. The next track “Cobra Moves” is filled with battle bars with an Middle Eastern trap beat while the track “Ima Let It Go” spits that gun talk over a sporadic instrumental. The song “What Should I Get Into?” has a great concept, but ABK’s vocals are mixed so low. The track “Where da Hype At?” gets victorious over a triumphant trap beat while the song “My Significant Other” is a tribute to ABK’s special lady with a settle instrumental.

The track “Finally” gets into fight mode with a menacing beat while the song “Deadly Addictions” talks about internal conflict over a spacious beat. The track “So Far Gone” talks about being insane over a generic trap beat while the song “I Tell the Truth” talks about going into beast mode over a rowdy beat. The penultimate track “Upside Ya Head” gets into fight mode once again this time over a decent rap rock instrumental & then the album ends with “Flying High”, where ABK talks about his success over an uplifting beat.

For the 9 year wait, this was a decent comeback. The production could’ve been better at points & it could’ve used a couple features to break up the monotony, but the Hatchet Warrior shows that he’s still got it because he sounds very refreshed on here.

Score: 3/5

The Underground Avengers – “Dark Matter” review

The Underground Avengers are a southern hip hop supergroup consisting of Arlington, Texas emcee Claas as well as Covington, Georgia & Louisville, Kentucky duo The Horde a.k.a. Boondox & Bukshot. They first assembled in 2012 with their self-titled EP, but then disappeared shortly after. Then with the help of Majik Ninja Entertainment late last August, they reformed to drop their debut album Anomaly 88. Now 11 months later, they’re back with their sophomore album & have enlisted Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 to produce it from front to back.

After the “Dragonfly 44” intro, we go into the first song “Black Summer”. Where the trio get vicious over a haunting trap beat. The track “Tribulation” attacks fake people over a symphonic trap beat while the song “1 More Night” of course talks about partying over a rap rock beat. The title track is pretty much a decent spoken word interlude & then the next song “Chimera” talks about internal conflict over a nocturnal beat.

After the “Hecatomb” interlude, we go another interlude with with “Protocol”. We finally get back into the music with “Invasion”, where the Avengers get with Young Wicked & The Jokerr to compare themselves to aliens over a sinister trap beat. The penultimate track “God Particle” is a fantastically gritty sequel to the equally star-studded “Thanos” off of the Avengers’ previous effort & then album ends with the “Coda” spoken word piece.

This is yet another solid effort from the Avengers. There are a little too many interludes/skits for me, but the chemistry between the trio is still strong & 7’s production suits them fantastically.

Score: 3.5/5

Crimeapple – “Medallo” review

Crimeapple is an MC from New Jersey who first garnered my attention in 2017 with his 4th EP Sweet Dreams that dropped on a couple years ago on Halloween along with his Big Ghost Ltd. produced debut album Aguardiente last March. He released a fantastic sophomore album Wet Dirt with DJ Skizz earlier this year & if that’s not enough, he’s coming back with the help of DJ Muggs to deliver his 3rd full-length album.

After the titular intro, we go into the first song “En Vivo Desde Manrique”. Where Crimeapple delivers some gritty battle bars over a haunting beat. The track “Tiburones” then flaunts over a grimy boom bap beat while the song “Camisas” continues to brag over a piano-inflicted boom bap beat. The track “Prescription” reflects on his drug dealing days over a alluring sample while the song “Villa Hermosa” gets reflective over a classy sample.

The track “Crazy Eddie’s” talks about how sharp he is over a boom beat with an ominous bass-line while the song “Just Because” compares his music to drugs over some strings. The track “Acetone Wash” with Conway the Machine sees the 2 gets bloodthirsty over an eerie sample & while the song “22 Blue 2s” has a nice boom bap/rock fusion in the instrumental, the Primo Profit verse at the start does nothing for me.

The track “No More 2 for 5” has a beautifully horror-esque vibe to it as Crimeapple’s voice sounding like it’s coming from a walkie talkie while the song “Aguas Profundas” gets mafioso over a minimalist instrumental. The penultimate track “Bloodtype” gets back on the battle tip over a nightmarish instrumental & then the album ends with “Tellin’ Me Lies”, where Crimeapple gets sensual over a soulful beat.

Yet again, Crimeapple outdoes himself & reveals himself as one of the best in the underground right now. His lyricism keeps getting sharper & DJ Muggs’ signature sound suits him near perfectly.

Score: 4.5/5

Cordae – “The Lost Boy” review

Cordae is 21 year old MC from Suitland, Maryland that came up as a member of the YBN collective just a few years ago. He first came on my radar last year with “Old N****s”, an immensely well written response to “1985” off of J. Cole’s last album KOD. That single alone earned Cordae a HUGE co-sign from none other than Dr. Dre as well as a deal with Atlantic Records. The kid even made it on this year’s XXL Freshman Class last month, so it’s only right for him to keep the hype for him going with his full-length debut over here.

The album starts off with “Wintertime”, where Cordae gives the listener a proper introduction to himself over a funky Cardiak & Terrace Martin beat. The next song “Have Mercy” talks about the struggles of life referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson over a flute-inflicted trap beat & after the “Sweet Lawd” skit, the next track “Bad Idea” with Chance the Rapper sees the 2 making a modern version of the iconic Scarface cut “My Block”.

The song “Thanksgiving” talks about bringing a girl home for the titular holiday over a mellow trap beat while the track “R.N.P. (Rich N***a Problems)” with Anderson .Paak sees the 2 over a bouncy J. Cole instrumental. The song “Broke as Fuck” angrily recalls his rough past over a piano-inflicted trap beat while the track “1,000 Words” talks about people who cap over a smooth beat. The song “Way Back Home” talks about being yourself over an intoxicating trap beat & after the “Grandma’s House” skit, the song “Been Around” is a tribute to those who’ve stuck by Cordae’s side since Day 1 over a summery instrumental.

The track “Nightmares are Real” with Pusha T sees the 2 talking about how the good guy always wins over a haunting instrumental while the song “Family Matters” is an heartwarming tribute to his loved ones with a relaxing beat. The penultimate track “We Gon’ Make It” with Meek Mill sees the 2 getting motivational over a chilled out instrumental & then the album ends with “Lost & Found”, where Cordae tells his rags to riches story over a blissful trap beat.

I’ve been waiting a minute for this & at the end, the kid really delivered. It’s focused, it’s well produced & I really feel like the listener really gets to know Cordae as a person.

Score: 3.5/5

Nas – “The Lost Tapes II” review

Nas. What can be said now about the renown Queensbridge, New York MC that hasn’t been said already? From his first 2 studio albums illmatic & It Was Written to The Lost Tapes & Life is Good, the man has really cemented himself as one of the greatest spitters in all of hip hop. He is fresh off his overhated Kanye West produced comeback NASIR last summer & now, he’s back with the sequel to his iconic rarities compilation.

The comp starts off with “No Bad Energy”, which is of course a positivity anthem with a Swizz Beatz instrumental with some beautiful background vocals. The next track “Vernon Family” talks about being rich over a funky instrumental from Pharrell & despite the decent braggadocio on “Jarreau of Rap”, the jazzy instrumental is absolutely HIDEOUS! The track “Lost” proclaims himself as a prophet over a lavish boom bap beat from Statik Selektah while the song “Tanasia” talks about a woman over this orchestral RZA beat.

The track “Royalty” is a mediocre dedication to this young queen over a decent Hit-Boy beat while the song “Who Are You?” brags over some keyboards. The track “Adult Film” needs no further explanation & the piano instrumental from Swizz Beatz is pretty while the song “War Against Love” is an ode to Africa with a relaxing instrumental.

The track “The Art of It” talks about smoking weed over a funky boom bap beat from Pete Rock while the song “Highly Flavored” talks about his fate & the sample that RZA uses is very creative. The track “Queens Wolf” talks about his evolution over a DJ Toomp instrumental with some prominent keyboards & strings while the song “It Never Ends” talks about ongoing violence in the hood over an ominous piano instrumental from The Alchemist.

The track “You Mean the World to Me” is a corny story about a woman that leaves her partner just to be with Nasir over a Kanye instrumental that samples “Don’t It Make You Feel Good?” by Leroy Hudson while the penultimate song “Queensbridge Politics” pays tribute to Prodigy over a boom bap beat from Pete Rock with some dark piano keys. The album then finishes with Beautiful Life”, where Nas addresses Kelis’ slander towards him over a luxurious No I.D. instrumental.

Been a long time waiting on this album & at the end, I think it’s pretty dope. The production is better than half of the albums that they were originally made for & Nas’ pen game overall is a step up from NASIR.

Score: 4/5

Ronnie Bosh – “All People Expect” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Ronnie Bosh ready to embark on a new chapter of his career with a solo debut. An original member of the quintet Contact Play, he would go on to make multiple guest appearances for a multitude of projects over the course of the 2010s from Rag’n’Bone Man’s 3rd EP Put That Soul on Me to Dirty Dike’s 5th album Acrylic Snail as a more recent example. The latter of whom was announced to be fully producing All People Expect, which is welcoming considering the history they’ve had with one another for a decade.

“100%” opens up shop with this boom bap intro talking about him having no reasons to pretend when he’s got his swagger fully loaded whereas “Nothing” ruggedly speaks of dunces bluffing like it ain’t shit & the pigs using high breams to see more clearly. “Explain” featuring Jam Baxter takes a more soulful approach to the beat talking about monstrous flesh covered in rat’s skin just before the title track thematically shifts towards some conscious subject matter.

The 2nd & final single “You Know” goes for an old school vibe instrumentally talking about doing this shit so he can make jaws click instead of seeking praise from others while “Funghi” featuring Jam Baxter & Lee Scott sees the trio finding humor in the future, hence why they’ve been on this wave of spending a bunch of cash. “Get Out” combines elements of jazz rap & boom bap sending a message to the people who ain’t fucking with him prior to “1” showing a soulfully sensual side of himself.

“Do You Ever Think?” begins the album’s final act hooking up an organ flip asking this person with a shitty attitude if they’ve ever thought of the way they conduct themselves being the very reason Ronnie’s respect for them has slowly begun to deteriorate while the bluesy “Honorable Death” vividly tells the story of a man getting shot 21 times succumbing to his injuries. Contact Play reforms during the outro “Pulp”, hopefully planting the seeds for a reunion under High Focus Records when the time’s right.

Becoming a permanent behind the scenes fixture of the UK hip hop movement, fans have waited a long time for Ronnie Bosh to begin carving his own individual path artistically & High Focus ends that wait by letting his larger than life personality shine brighter than it has in the past. Dirty Dike offers amongst the greatest boom bap/jazz rap production he’s ever cooked up & one can certainly respect Ronnie’s attempts at testing out new things like singing or switching up his flows for 47 minutes instead of sticking to his bread & butter.

Score: 4/5

Dorian Electra – “Flamboyant” review

Dorian Electra is a 27 year old singer/songwriter from Houston, Texas who began making music in the late 2000s/early 2010s after putting out a music video showing admiration for both Friedrich Hayek & Steven Horwitz. However, their biggest breakthrough came in 2017 when Dorian appeared alongside Mykki Blanco for “Femmebot” off Charli XCX’s 4th mixtape Pop 2 succeeding the Don Bogman’s Family Christmas & Magical Consciousness Conference EPs. Looking to make bigger waves, they’ve decided against signing to a label for their full-length studio debut.

“Mr. to You” properly introduces themself to the world with this fun, poppy intro singing about a person who wants to be referred to as “Mister” whereas “Career Boy” fuses hyperpop, bubblegum bass, future bass, synthpop & electropop poking fun at this masculine ideal of the manly-businessman-hero & tearing him apart. The 4th & final single “Daddy Like” combines electropop, dance-pop, hyperpop, contemporary R&B, synthpop, trap, bubblegum bass & pop rap giving the phrase “daddy” a new meaning while “Emasculate” produced by Dylan Brady describes their masculinity in a negative manner.

Synthpop, dance-pop, electropop, contemporary R&B, synth funk & alternative R&B all collide on the single “Man to Man” redefining the values that masculinity traditionally holds into a new & healthier context while “Musical Genius” tackles the myth of a so-called “genius” predominantly being a male working in isolation. The title track explores electropop, hyperpop, dance-pop, bubblegum bass, future bass, synthpop, ratchet, hyphy & contemporary R&B singing about their ostentatious personality while “Guyliner” shouts out all the men who’re passionate for makeup.

“Live by the Sword” gets the 2nd half going fusing hyperpop, industrial & rock singing about getting what’s yours if one uses the proverb derived from the Gospel of Matthew & applies it to their daily lives while “Adam & Steve” swaps out both of the previously mentioned genres of favor of electropop, bubblegum bass, EDM trap & deconstructed club criticizing homophobia. “fReAkY 4 Life” officially ends Flamboyant singing about being kinky for life while “Tool for You” starts the deluxe run by admitting they’ve become a fool for the person they’re romantically involved with.

The song “Under the Armor” exposes someone who’s trying to hide their true feelings for Dorian only for them to see through all the bullshit while “Guyliner 2” continues to express the love they have for men who like to wear a little eyeliner for themselves embracing elements of EDM trap. The final bonus track “Your Kinda Guy” sends it all off blending glitch & house music assuring tonight’s the night everything will turn out fine for them, getting away from the city lights & yearning to be romantically involved with this person.

Flamboyant isn’t too far behind 1,000 gecs in terms of being some of the greatest hyperpop I’ve ever heard & further proves the stranglehold it’s had on the 2019 musical landscape. The production advances the style of electropop 100 gecs popularized sprinkling hints of dance-pop, synthpop, contemporary r&b, bubblegum bass, synth funk, alternative R&B future bass, ratchet, hyphy, EDM trap & deconstructed club to conceptually parody the ideas of gender & masculinity.

Score: 4/5

Big K.R.I.T. – “K.R.I.T. Iz Here” review

Big K.R.I.T. is a 32 year old MC & producer from Meridian, Mississippi who started out by releasing a few mixtapes from the mid to late 2000s. He eventually signed to Cinematic Music Group in 2010 & his 6th mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here that same year landed him a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings & a spot in the XXL Freshman Class in 2011. His first 2 studio albums Live from the Underground & Cadillactica in 2012 & 2014 respectively continued to show his potential, but then he went on to form his own label Multi Alumni some time after. His first outing under the new independent label was his previous album 4eva’s a Mighty Long Time in October 2017, which is hands down the best double disc hip hop album of the decade. However after dropping his T.D.T. compilation of EPs at the jumpstart of this year, he’s back with the sequel to the tape that got Krizzle where he is today.

The album kicks off with the title track, where K.R.I.T. reflects about his time with Def Jam over DJ Camper sampling of “Trust in God” by The Winans. After the “High End County” interlude, we then dive into the song “I Been Waitin’”. Where Krizzle is happy to talk smack over an eerily bland trap beat. The track “I Make Easy” brags about his skills over a boom bap beat with some beautiful background vocals while the song “Addiction” with Lil Wayne is of course a buttery lust tune.

The track “Energy” still sounds as smooth as it did on T.D.T. while the song “Obvious” serves a a pretty decent sequel to the previous cut. The track “I Made” talks about his success over a vibrant trap beat while the song “Everytime” is an empowering motivational anthem. The track “Believe” get conscious over a trap beat with a God-like atmosphere to it & while I do like how the song “Prove It” with J. Cole sees the 2 talking about loyalty, the spacious trap instrumental is just ok & K.R.I.T. awkwardly sounds like he’s doing his best Future impression on the hook.

The track “Family Matters” pretty much speaks for itself over a bland beat & after the “Blue Flame” interlude, the song “Blue Flame Ballet” is a sensual strip club banger. The track “Learned from Texas” is a chopped & screwed tribute that still sounds as great as it did on T.D.T. while the song “Outer Space” is a nocturnal weed anthem.

The track “High Beams” gets spiritual & the beat is pretty intoxicating, but the delivery sucks. The song “Life in the Sun” gets celebratory over a beautiful piano instrumental & then the album finishes with “Mississippi”, where K.R.I.T. pays tribute to his home state over a bass-heavy trap beat.

Yeah, this was just as decent as I expected. It’s more commercial than K.R.I.T.’s past material, but there are slightly more hits than there are misses.

Score: 3/5

Inspectah Deck – “Chamber #9” review

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Inspectah Deck is a renown MC & producer from Staten Island, New York that came up as a member of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. He’s delivered some of the group’s best verses ever from “Cold World” to “Triumph”, but it wasn’t until 1999 that he would make his solo debut with the underrated Uncontrolled Substance. His 2003 sophomore effort The Movement as well as his 2006 debut mixtape The Resident Patient were both solid in their own rights also but I can’t say the same for Manifesto back on 2010, Deck’s last full-length solo outing. The Rebel has since been focusing on CZARFACE with 7L & Esoteric throughout this decade but almost 5 months after the release of the CZAR’s collab album with Ghostface Killah entitled CZARFACE vs. Ghostface, we’re finally getting Rollie’s 4th full-length solo album.

It all kicks off with “Shaolin Rebel”, where Deck brags over an alluring beat. The next song “No Good” reflects on his criminal past over a luxurious beat while the track “Russell Jones” gets gutter over a perfectly grimy beat. The track “Can’t Stay Away” talks about his love for the culture over a soulful beat while the song “Na Na Na” is a mesmerizing party anthem with a hypnotic beat.

The title track boasts about his prowess with an epic beat while the song “Certified” is of course about his legacy over some strings & saxophones. The track “24K” with Cappadonna & Hellfire is filled with battle bars over a sinister beat while the song “What It Be Like” talks about the rough life in the streets over a somber beat.

The track “Game Don’t Change” is of course about drug dealing over a boom bap beat akin to the Wu’s signature sound & while I can appreciate the grinding dedication with the song “Dollar Signs”, the female vocals do get annoying after a while. The penultimate track “Who Run It?” with Hellfire & Streetlife see the 3 talking about their skills over a jazzy beat & then the album ends with “Fire”, where Deck & Trife Diesel spit just that over a boom bap beat with some plinky keys.

For a 9 year wait, it’s a pretty passable comeback. Inspectah Deck definitely proves that he’s still the best Clansmen in terms of lyricism & I can appreciate that he kept it at a respectable length in comparison to Manifesto, but the production (mostly handled by Danny Caiazzo) is just decent as is the feature choices.

Score: 3/5