Necro – “The Notorious Goriest” review

Necro is a 42 year old rapper & producer from Brooklyn, New York who started out playing in a death metal band called Injustice in 1987 with his older brother Ill Bill. He then transitioned over into hip hop the following year after being inspired by Bill & both have made quite the names for themselves in the underground. Especially with classics like Gory Days, The Pre-Fix for Death, the self-titled Circle of Tyrants album, What’s Wrong with Bill? & The Hour of Reprisal just to name a few. But at the beginning of the decade, they began distancing themselves from each other with Bill regularly putting out music under his own name as well as with La Coka Nostra. Necro on the other hand has been pretty quiet with the exceptions of his 2010 album Die!, his Murder Murder Kill Kill EP, a handful of singles & a criminally underrated slept-on collab album with the legendary Kool G Rap under the name The Godfathers. However, he’s now making his full comeback with his 7th full-length album after appearing in the A24 Films crime thriller Good Time.

After the intro, we go into the first song “Murder Obscene”. Here, Necro spits his signature death bars over a gloomy boom bap beat. After the “H.N.A. (Head Neck Apartheid)” prelude, we go into the actual song with the same name. Where Necro spits more clever murder bars over a spacious boom bap beat. The track “My Precious” brags about his rapping skills over an ominous instrumental with a killer guitar riff during the hook while the song “Know Con-Science” returns to the witty yet filthy lyricism over a boom bap beat with a sinister piano lead. After the “W.T.W.C.T. (What’s This World Coming To?)” prelude, we go into the actual song with the same name. The hook is kinda annoying, but the soul sample is a nice touch & Necro’s confrontational lyricism suits it pretty well.

The track “Deaded” compares himself to Michael Myers over a boom bap beat with some sinister strings while the song “Caught Up!” talks about how violent he is over a punchy beat with some Halloween-esque bells. “The Love & Terror Cult” tells his competition to step back over a boom bap beat with some somber piano chords while the song “Party Killer” gets raunchy over an electro instrumental. The title track cleverly describes his disgusting antics over an eerie beat while the song “Gat O’ 9 Tales” is filled with battle bars over an instrumental with a prominent piano lead & a beautiful soul sample during the hook.

After the prelude to “The Master of Ruckus”, we go into the actual song with the same name. Here, Necro talks about killing you when you’re sleeping over a boom bap beat with a funky bass-line. The track “Grave Ol World” goes back to the raunchiness over a symphonic beat while “The Stories of the Almost Dead” vividly describes the protagonist’s life of crime over another boom bap beat with a piano lead & soul sample for the hook. And before things end off with the outro, the final song “The Dawn of a Dead Day” goes back to taking aim at his competition over a beat inspired by a blaxpoitation film.

I was wondering if Necro would ever drop an album again, but this is a strong comeback for him. Despite the lack of features & the song preludes bogging it down, Necro continues to prove that he’s one of the best producers that the underground has to offer with soundscapes on here being darker than ever & his horrorcore lyricism being as creative as it’s been in the past.

Score: 4/5

Meek Mill – “Championships” review

Meek Mill is a 31 year old rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who started out as a battle rapper & then became a Rick Ross protege at the beginning of the decade. He’s had a series of ups & downs throughout his career from his critically acclaimed Dreamchasers mixtapes to his beef with Drake & an unjustful conviction last November (for which he was freed in April of this year). Meek made his official return to the music scene with his 5th EP Legends of the Summer but as the end of November has approached, he’s coming back with his 4th full-length album.

The intro cut on here ferociously claps back at those who prayed on his downfall over a flawless sample of the classic Phil Collins song “In the Air Tonight” while the next track “Trauma” touches down on racial injustice over an ambitious trap beat. The song “Uptown Vibes” with Fabolous & Anuel AA talks about people who try to steal their waves over a latin-infused beat while the track “On Me” with Cardi B gets raunchy over a generic trap beat. The song “What’s Free?” sees Meek alongside Ross & JAY-Z explaining what freedom is to them over some strings & hi-hats while the track “Respect the Game” is essentially about how becoming rich has impacted him personally over a trap beat with a prominent piano sample.

Future, Roddy Ricch & Young Thug appear for nondescript party anthem “Splash Warning” while the title track talks about beating the system over a jazzy beat. The song “Going Bad” with Drake sees the 2 flexing for old times sake over a bass-heavy keyboard instrumental from Wheezy while the track “Almost Slipped” is an awkward ballad about how he almost fell in love with a hoe. The song “Tic Tac Toe” sees Meek charismatically bragging over a triumphant Tay Keith instrumental while the track “24/7” is a smooth sex anthem with a clever sample of Beyoncé’s “Me, Myself & I” throughout.

“Oodles O’ Noodles Babies” recalls his upbringings over a soulful beat while the track “Pay You Back” with 21 Savage sees the 2 talking about how they have shooters referencing WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger over an apocalyptic Wheezy beat. The song “100 Summers” talks about his mother & his friends over a mellow Hit-Boy instrumental while the track “W.T.S. (With The Shits)” with Melii is a concept joint about this girl frontin’ on him over an instrumental that sounds like it could’ve landed on Lil Pump’s self-titled debut.

The song “Stuck in My Ways” talks about how he’ll always be chasing that paper over a spacious trap beat from Cardo while the penultimate track “Dangerous” with Jeremih originally appeared on Legends of the Summer & it still sounds as corny as it did when I originally heard it back in July. The album then finishes with “Cold Hearted II”, which serves as a fantastic sequel to the closing track off of Meek’s 2015 sophomore album Dreams Worth More Than Money with a sample of “I Was Never There” off of The Weeknd’s latest EP My Dear Melancholy,.

I’ve been a little harsh on Meek’s recent output for the past couple years or so, but I have to be fair & say that Championships has to be the most consistent project I be heard from him in quite a while. Probably his 2nd best album behind Dreams & Nightmares. He’s at his most mature for the good amount of the time on here telling the world about his experiences & issues with social justice, even if there are only a small handful of moments that felt completely unnecessary.

Score: 3.5/5

Ski Mask the Slump God – “Stokeley” review

Ski Mask the Slump God is a 22 year old rapper from Orlando, Florida who came up as the co-founder of Members Only alongside XXXTENTACION. He then dropped a couple EPs & a great mixtape called Drown in Designer in 2016 before signing to Republic Records the following year with his 2nd mixtape called YouWillRegret being his first outing on a major label. He then put out his 3rd tape Beware the Book of Eli earlier this year but now, he’s putting out his long-awaited debut album.

Things kick off with “So High”, where he’s crooning over this generically moody beat. The next track “Nuketown” gets viciously boastful over a murky trap beat with Juice WRLD unexpectedly screaming his brains out on the hook while the song “Foot Fungus” charismatically talks about the famous life over a bouncy Kenny Beats instrumental with a clever interpolation of the classic Snoop Dogg joint “Drop It Like It’s Hot” during the hook. The track “LA LA” talks about his sexual exploits over a sinister trap beat from Ronny J while the song “Unbothered” talks about how he doesn’t give a fuck about taking L’s over a druggy trap instrumental. The track “Save Me, Pt. 2” is a mediocre sequel to the song off of X’s debut album 17 & while the song “Adults Swim” gets more insightful over some bass & hand claps, I wish it was longer.

The track “Far Gone” with Lil Baby sees the 2 talking about being trapped in their mind on a date over an atmospheric Murda Beatz instrumental while the song “Get Geeked” is a unfinished joint for the clubs. The track “Reborn to Rebel” talks about revolution over a banger beat while the song “Faucet Failure” gets braggadocious over an infectious instrumental. The penultimate track “U & I” is a heartfelt tribute to XXXTENTACION over a decent beat & then the closer “Cat Piss” with Lil Yachty sees the 2 talking about how they’re better than their competition over a somber beat.

For a full-length debut, this was ok. Ski Mask definitely has one of the most interesting flows in hip hop today, but the production on this album kinda bland & many songs on here are short to the point where it becomes annoying. I’ll say it again like I did in my Beware the Book of Eli review: If Ski Mask takes more time into his songs & gets better production, I truly think it’ll show his true potential a lot more because this barely does it.

Score: 3/5

J.I.D – “DiCaprio 2” review

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J.I.D is a 28 year old MC from Atlanta, Georgia who released his 1st mixtape Cakewalk in 2010 & joined EARTHGANG’s Spillage Village collective that same year. He dropped 2 more mixtapes as well as then an EP (to which this serves as a sequel to) after that & signed to J. Cole’s Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records last year, dropping his full-length debut The Never Story just a few weeks after the deal. But now as we reach the end of November, he’s delivering his highly anticipated sophomore album: a sequel to his 2015 EP.

After the “Frequency Change” intro, we go into the first song “Slick Talk”. Here, J.I.D brags about his skills over a haunting beat. The track “Westbrook with A$AP Ferg is a charismatic club banger with some nocturnal bells throughout while the song “Off Deez” with J. Cole sees the 2 viciously attacking their critics over a decent trap beat. The track “151 Rum” vividly describes life in the streets over a trap beat with a prominent vocal sample while the song “Off da Zoinkys” is an anti-drug anthem with a wavy instrumental. The track “Workin’ Out” vents about depression even with his newfound success over a prominently beautiful sample of Helen Merrill’s 1954 rendition of “Don’t Explain” while the song “Tiiied” with 6LACK & Ella Mai is a drab & corny love ballad.

However, the track “Skrawberries (For da Ladies)” does a better job at being romantic than the previous cut does. Especially with the mesmerizing instrumental from J. Cole & the late Mac Miller. The song “Hotbox” with Joey Bada$$ & Method Man is about smoking weed over a punchy piano instrumental rap while the track “Mounted Up” celebrates where he is now over a boom bap beat with some sinister piano chords.

The song “Just da Other Day” discusses his rise in the game over a bland trap beat while penultimate track “Despacito Too” angrily talks about being whatever he wants over this murky boom bap beat. The album then finishes with “Hasta Luego”, where J.I.D lets go or his painful past to become the artist he is know over a nocturnal beat from WondaGurl & Cubeatz.

Overall, this is just as solid as The Never Story & I’ll even say it’s better than the first DiCaprio. The production has stepped up for the most part & lyrically, J.I.D continues to prove each & every single one of us that he truly is the future of Dreamville Records.

Score: 3.5/5

6ix9ine – “DUMMY BOY” review

6ix9ine is a 22 year old rapper from Brooklyn, New York who has become arguably the most polarizing figure in hip hop today from his guilty plea for using a minor in a sexual performance to his beefs with The Game & Chief Keef. He dropped his 1st mixtape DAY69 at the beginning of the year, which showed how 1-dimensional he truly is. He has since been teasing his full-length debut over here with a handful of singles.

The album kicks off with “STOOPID”, which is an confrontational anthem carried by the Bobby Shmurda verse & the trap production from Tay Keith. The next track “FEFE” is a hideous attempt at going pop rap wasting a pretty great Murda Beatz instrumental & with an awkward Nicki Minaj verse. The song “TIC TOC” gets boastful, but the beautiful Scott Storch instrumental with some laid-back guitar strings & even Lil Baby are the only things that make it a fun listen. The track “KIKA” is a tropical-tinged banger referencing 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena while the song “MAMA” is pretty much an awful sequel to “FEFE” except with a Kanye West verse in the middle.

The track “WAKA” with A Boogie wit da Hoodie sees the 2 spitting bland bars about stealing your chick over a spacey instrumental that’s actually very chilling & even though I like Anuel AA’s performances as well as the reggaeton inflicted Ronny J production on the song “BEBE”, 6ix9ine’s delivery on here is hilariously awful. The track “MALA” is pretty much the exact same thing as ”BEBE” except worse while the song “FEEFA” with Kanye is another corny sex tune with a slow Murda Beatz instrumental. The track “KANGA” with Gunna sees the 2 getting more introspective over a somber beat while the song “TATI” returns to his signature style over an alluring Boi-1da instrumental. The penultimate track “WONDO” over a bass-heavy trap Scott Storch beat & then it finally finishes with “DUMMY”, where he & TrifeDrew come together for a painful auto-tune ballad with a spacey beat.

Even though the production on here is more dynamic than DAY69’s & the features are mostly ok, I can’t think of anything else to compliment on this album because literally nothing entertaining about it has anything to do with 6ix9ine. He does try to step out of his comfort zone occasionally, but he fails miserably at it each time. I legitimately don’t know where he goes from here because you can’t be constantly outshined by your guests & producers on damn near every song of your album.

Score: 1/5

Benny the Butcher – “Tana Talk 3” review

Benny the Butcher is an MC from Buffalo, New York known as the leader of the Black Soprano Family. He then signed to his cousin Westside Gunn’s label Griselda Records last year, with the Butcher on Steroids mixtape dropping on his birthday. But almost a year later, he’s ready to make his full-length debut on the label serving as the follow up to his 2005 mixtape Tana Talk 2.

The album starts off with “Babs”, where Benny & Keisha Plum talk about their hometown over an boom bap beat from Griselda’s in-house producer Daringer with some horns & a flute. The next song “Goodnight” gets murderous over an somber beat while the track “Scarface vs. Sosa 2” serves as a grimy sequel to the joint from the Tommy DeVito’s Breakfast EP that Benny dropped last year. The song “Rubber Bands & Weight” talks about the coke game over an Alchemist instrumental with some sinister guitar licking while the track “Fast Eddie” talks about how he’s the last person you wanna see over an alluring beat. The song “Broken Bottles” once again details the drug dealing life over a dark boom bap beat while the track “Echo Long” with Meyhem Lauren talks about loyalty in the streets over a sinister beat.

The song “‘97 Hov” is pretty much Benny charismatically comparing himself to the legendary JAY-Z back in his mafioso days over a boom bap beat with some gloomy piano chords while the track “Joe Pesci 38” sees Benny spitting battle bars over an eerie beat. The song “Who Are You?” with Royce da 5’9” sees the 2 getting introspective & Benny comparing himself to a mix of Marvin Hagler & WWE Hall of Famer as well as the 2nd longest reigning WWE Champion and WWE Tag Team Champion Bob Backlund over a bass guitar & background vocals while the track “51” with Westside see the 2 talk about life in the hood over a haunting beat. The song “Rick” talks wanting what’s his over a somber boom bap beat while the penultimate track “Langfield” is a dedication to his brother Machine Gun Black over an ominous beat. The album then finishes “All 70” with Conway the Machine, where the 2 talk about their grind over a killer guitar riff with some keyboards in the background.

As expected, this is Benny’s best work yet. His lyricism is grittier than ever with the production that both Daringer & The Alchemist bringing to the table suiting it near perfectly. If you wanna hear one of the rawest MCs from one of the illest camps out right now getting the shine that he finally deserves, then give this a listen.

Score: 4.5/5

Anderson .Paak – “Oxnard” review

Anderson .Paak is a 32 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Oxnard, California who first came onto the scene under the name Breezy Lovejoy at the beginning of the decade. He released 2 albums in 2012 but then after changing his moniker & releasing Venice in 2014, that’s when he started getting more recognition. He landed a handful of features on my all-time favorite producer Dr. Dre’s 3rd & final album Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre in 2015 as well as forming the duo NxWorries with Knxwledge & signing to Stones Throw Records together that same year. Then to kick off 2016, he dropped one of the best R&B albums of the decade with Malibu & that lead to him officially signing with Dre’s Interscope Records imprint Aftermath Entertainment as a solo act a couple weeks after it’s release. He would then link back up with Knxwledge to put out NxWorries’ debut album Yes Lawd! & now 2 years later, .Paak is delivering his long-awaited major label debut.

The album kicks off with “The Chase”, where .Paak talks about this girl being with him in spirit over a blaxploitation film-inspired instrumental. The next track “Headlow” talks about hanging out with this woman over a smooth instrumental while the song “Tints” sees .Paak teaming up with Kendrick Lamar to talk about fame over an infectious synth-funk instrumental while the track “Who R U?” is is a charismatic challenge to .Paak’s competition over a thunderous instrumental from the Quincy Jones of hip hop himself. Despite the fact that Dr. Dre’s made so much money off the headphones that he really doesn’t really need to be making music anymore, it’s very refreshing to hear him producing again with this joint. The track “6 Summers” gets conscious over a settle instrumental while the song “Saviers Road” tells the story of a drug dealer over a boom bap beat from 9th Wonder with some settle guitar licking. The track “Smile / Petty” is a 2-part odyssey about deceiving women over an instrumental that starts off slow, but then cleverly switches up into something more trunk knocking.

The song “Mansa Musa” vents the frustrations with the music industry today over a suiting instrumental & even though Cocoa Sarai’s verse at the start is just ok, the following verses from Dr. Dre & Anderson .Paak take it out the ballpark. The track “Brother’s Keeper” sees .Paak getting spiritual & Pusha T addressing the current status of Clipse over a guitar & these faint, skittering hi-hats while the song “Anywhere” with Snoop Dogg talks about ghetto love over an infectious funk instrumental. The track “Trippy” with J. Cole sees the 2 talking about how their significant others will always be somewhere in between over a settle instrumental & the song “Cheers” sees Paak paying an endearing tribute to Mac Miller while Q-Tip comforts the mothers of his now deceased friends over a luscious instrumental from Focus… with co-production from both Tip & Dre. The penultimate track “Sweet Chick” talks about hooking up with all kinds of women over some horns & then the closer “Left to Right” is an awkward tropical banger complete with .Paak employing a fake patois.

I’ve been waiting for this album all year & at the end, this is on the same level as Malibu. The personal stories are just as compelling, Anderson .Paak’s versatility is more present than ever & the production is almost more vibrant. We all know how much of a perfectionist Dr. Dre is & that’s resulted in multiple Aftermath artists leaving because of their albums being shelved, but I really think this is gonna give .Paak a lot more of the exposure that he truly deserves.

Score: 4.5/5

Jam Baxter – “Touching Scenes” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Jam Baxter of the Dead Players & Contact Play hitting us with his 5th studio LP. Signing to High Focus Records, his 2010 solo debut Rinse Out Friday / Spack Out Monday was received positively & the sophomore effort The Gruesome Features would see a lot more critical acclaim. …So We Ate Them Whole in 2014 remains amongst High Focus’ most celebrated releases ever, coming off Mansion 38 a year & a half earlier to make some Touching Scenes come to life musically a month after 石井智宏 won the RPW British Heavyweight Championship from 鈴木みのる.

“Guillotine” starts off with this abstract grime intro produced by Sumgii talking about the hotel staff being sick of his shit whereas “Gone” speaks of being his own boss & being remembered for eternity over a Telemachus beat. The lead single “Saliva” talks about his eyes being detached at 4am & conveying his disappointment over the woman he’s seeing being psychotic over a Ghosttown instrumental but after the titular skit, “Right Here” talks about immortalizing a deceased loved one as a cartoon playing in the dark.

As for “Feeding Frenzy”, we have Jam likening himself to a piranha devouring its own prey & seeing crimson faces flicker neon green with envy while the 3rd & final single “S.S.A. (Strong Swimmers Anonymous)” calls out hypocrites telling them what they do they’re not the ones back in their own people for tenners. After the “Burma” skit, “Know by Now” featuring Stinkin’ Slumrok finds the 2 joining forces to talk about being slum boys who keep it crunk just before “‘Bout U” begins the 2nd half giving a fuck less regarding others.

“Mask” featuring Durrty Goodz & Rag’n’Bone Man finds the trio coming together for a heavy-hitting UK hardcore hip hop track talking about wearing ski masks on stage because they’re getting old while the 2nd single “Vulture” sends a clear message to all the culture vultures swinging at their shoulder blades. “Guilty” talks about the relatable feeling of the whole world trying to take him for a fool over a Sam Zircon beat leading into “Unsubscribe” featuring Kae Tempest uniting the pair to discuss skinning oneself alive.

The song “Bodyslam” winds down Touching Scenes’ final moments referencing the wrestling move popularized by the inaugural IWGPヘビー級王座, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion & WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan while “Husk II (Tale of the Possessed Pinky)” finishes with a sequel to a song off the 2nd half of …So We Ate Them Whole, recapturing the same moods of it’s predecessor 4 years earlier listening to the screams of an individual seeking wonder.

Blurring the lines between grime & abstract hip hop lyrics taking inspiration from William S. Burroughs to Young Thug surprisingly, Jam Baxter’s final offering under his High Focus Records contract finishes 1 chapter & begins a new one with the most polished statement of his entire solo career. The production goes for a more high tempo direction in comparison to Mansion 38, sounding more evolved than that last album & further establishing Jam amongst the most gifted songwriters in the entire UK hip hop scene.

Score: 4.5/5

Lil Peep – “Come Over When You’re Sober 2” review

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Lil Peep was a 21 year old rapper & singer from Long Island, New York who blew up in late 2016 with the release of his 4th mixtape Hellboy & then following it with his debut album Come Over When You’re Sober last summer. Both projects were too melodramatic for my tastes, but I could see why it connected with a couple of my friends. But unfortunately, Lil Peep passed away last year just 2 weeks after his 21st birthday of an accidental fentanyl–xanax overdose right before a show in Tucson, Arizona. The rights of his unreleased music were then given to Columbia Records, who are now delivering the long-awaited follow-up to Come Over When You’re Sober a week after what would’ve been Peep’s 22nd birthday & a week before the 1 year anniversary of his untimely death.

The album kicks off with “Broken Smile (My All)”, where Peep vents about his hopes of getting back with this girl over a dark trap beat from his in-house producer smokeasac. The next track “Runaway” talks about getting away from fake people over a cloudy trap beat instrumental while the song “Sex with My Ex” truly lives up to it’s title with the instrumental containing a prominent guitar along with a heavy bass-line & rattling hi-hats. It’s ok. The track “Cry Alone” is a surprisingly solid alt rock ballad about loneliness & while the song “Leanin'” has a pretty acoustic instrumental with a cloudy backing, it’s legitimately upsetting to hear Lil Peep recalling a time where he survived what eventually killed him.

The track “16 Lines” is a drab explanation about how cocaine made him feel better over a murky instrumental with some down-tune guitar strumming while the song “Life is Beautiful” is probably his best song yet. It’s a completely unexpected positivity anthem & the hypnotic instrumental enhances the feeling of it. The track “Hate Me” has a nice bass guitar with some faint skittering hi-hats in background, but the take on his girl going off on him while he’s on the road is too melodramatic. The song “I.D.G.A.F. (I Don’t Give A Fuck)” continues the theme of the previous joint by talking about how he’s not gonna answer her calls, but it’s just boring & the instrumental doesn’t help either. The penultimate track “White Girl” is a chilling ballad about this girl who wants him back now that he’s famous over a trap beat with some sinister guitar licking & then the closer “Fingers” foresees his own death over a trap/alt rock fusion. As for the 2 bonus tracks: “Falling Down” with XXXTENTACION seems like a cash grab for the label since both Peep & X are no longer with us while the original version of that same song with iLoveMakonnen is just plain awkward.

This was honestly better than I had anticipated, but it’s still decent. I do hear an improvement on Lil Peep’s vocals, but only half of the melodrama of his last 2 projects are still present through his lyrics. The production’s just as decent as the last album too with the few incorporations of rock elements on here being the most creative move, but there are some points where the beats tend to be too overproduced. The fans will definitely love this more than me but if this is the last we’ll ever hear from the kid, then it’s a real shame we never got to hear him fully evolve as an artist because the potential of that is clearly shown on here a lot more. May he Rest In Peace.

Score: 3/5

Masta Ace – “A Breukelen Story” review

Masta Ace is a 51 year old MC who started out as a member of the Juice Crew. He released his criminally underrated debut Take a Look Around in the summer of 1990 & then after the Juice Crew’s disbandment the following year, he went on to sign to Delicious Vinyl & release 2 albums under the name Masta Ace Incorporated] He then disappeared from the music industry, returning in 2001 with one of the greatest concept albums in all of hip hop Disposable Arts. The closer on that album “No Regrets” sparked rumors that it would be Ace’s final album until he returned with A Long Hot Summer in 2004, which was a near perfect prequel to Disposable Arts. He then started focusing on his eMC crew up until 2012, when he released MA_Doom: Son of Yvonne. An album where Ace took a bunch of instrumentals from MF DOOM’s Special Herbs series of instrumental albums & made a tribute to his departed mother out of it. His last album The Falling Season in 2016 told a story of Masta Ace’s high school years, but was weighed down by an overabundance of skits. He has since been teasing his 8th full-length album over here with Marco Polo producing it in it’s entirety, a concept album about his hometown of Brooklyn.

The album kicks off with “Kings”, where Ace talks about unity & how the older generation’s parents were telling them the same thing they’ve been saying to the new generation these days over a punchy piano instrumental. After the “Dad’s Talk” skit, we go into the next song “Breukelen “Brooklyn””. Here, Ace links up with Smif-n-Wessun of the Boot Camp Clik to pay tribute to their hometown & all of the greats to come from there over a boom bap beat with some somber piano chords. The track “Get Shot” of course gets confrontational over a boom bap beat with a funky bass-line, keyboards, & some harmonious female background vocals while the song “Still Love Her” is a vivid yet mellow dedication to this woman from Ace’s teenage years.

The track “Man Law” with Styles P sees the 2 talking about counting your blessings over an orchestral boom bap beat while the song “You & I” is a dedication to Ace’s wife with some smooth guitar passages. After the “Gotta Go” skit, we go into the song “Sunken Place”. Here, Ace talks about being raised in the ghetto over some drums & a fair vocal sample. The track “Corporal Punishment” with eLZhi takes a jab at the industry over an eerie beat & after the “Landlord of the Flies” skit, we go into the song “Count ‘Em Up”. Here, Ace link’s up with Lil’ Fame tell the story of a raid that occurred in their neighborhood & the one sample on here where a bunch of kids are saying “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” is just flawless.

The track “American Me” talks about the current state of the United States over a soulful boom bap beat & after “The Cutting Room” skit, the song “God Bodies” is a continuation of the conscious themes of the previous joint over a druggy beat. The track “Wanna Be” with Marlon Craft talks about copycats over a chilled out boom bap beat while the song “3” is a perfect eMC reunion over a flute-heavy instrumental. Then before things finish off with the “Mom’s Talk” skit, the final song “The Fight Song” with Pharoahe Monch pretty much speaks for itself over a grimy instrumental with some angelic choir vocals.

I’ve been waiting on this for a little over a year now & the end result is one of the best albums Masta Ace has ever made. He‘s always been one of the most underrated lyricists in the history of the culture & he continues to prove that as Marco Polo’s production suits his storytelling near perfectly.

Score: 4.5/5