Wiki – “Ancient History” review

Here is the 6th studio LP from New York City emcee, songwriter & producer Wiki. Formerly a member of the Ratking trio, he would go on to drop his solo debut No Mountains in Manhattan in 2017 under XL Recordings not too long after their disbandment followed by the sophomore effort OOFIE that next fall & Telephonebooth through his own label Wikset Enterprises. Coming off the Navy Blue-produced Half God & the Tony Seltzer-produced 14K Figaro however, he’s looking to dig up some Ancient History.

“G.T.F.O.H. (Get The Fuck Outta Here)” begins with this drumlessly soulful intro admitting that he feels like he isn’t missing out in 2026 whereas “Right Away” gets a little more optimistic over sample-based trap instrumental catching himself on a good day. “1 Time” chefs towards a boom bap direction talking about people not knowing how much power he truly has while “Park” psychedelically spends the early hours of the day sitting in the grass.

Navy Blue gets behind the boards for one of my personal favorite tracks “I.H.N.Y. (I Hate New York)” from the opulent boom bap beat to the lyrics detailing the love/hate relationship Wiki has with the city that made him the very person who he’s become but after “Bloom” featuring duendita & produced by Lil Ugly Mane raps & sings about people knowing where to find them right when the sun rises every morning, “Old Gods” reaches the halfway point solely spitting heat over a Tony Seltzer instrumental.

“Bourbon” kicks off the 2nd half of the album talking about being the cornerstore’s biggest clientele while “All in the Lining” featuring Your Old Droog finds the pair joining forces for another abstract boom bap standout Navy Blue cooked up once again. “Marm Era” soulfully describes memories he can recall like they happened yesterday while “Had Your Fun” continues the sampling to let everyone who thought he was done know that he’s still here.

Salimata joins Wiki for the romantic “Something New” talking about giving up their bullshit for each other over a MIKE beat to wind down the last few moments of Ancient History while the song “7 Deadly Sins” gives us a moody description of Christianity’s capital vices. The title track spends the last 5 minutes of the full-length with a symphonic instrumental from one of my top 10 producers of all-time The Alchemist talking about his shorty being sick of him.

Although I’d still consider Half God to be the most essential statement in Wiki’s solo catalog with 14K Figaro likely becoming a close 2nd at this point & of course placing the spectacular Faith is a Rock collaborative album he did with MIKE a few years ago on that same pedestal, I still liked a good chunk of Ancient History for it’s departure from the predominant trap production & conscious subject matter of it’s 2023 predecessor for a more drumless sound & getting more cryptic with his songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

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Kain Cole – “Khronicles of Kain” review

This is the sophomore effort from Belleville, Michigan emcee Kain Cole. Coming up artistically as a teenager, he would unfortunately wind up incarcerated for 8 years until signing to Detroit independent powerhouse Middle Finger Music almost immediately after coming home & showed us how much he perfected his craft by having the label’s co-founder Foul Mouth producing his 2022 debut album S.U.M.P. (Surviving Under Major Pressure). Following a string of guest appearances for his fellow MFM alumni Bizarre & Isaac Castor, the time for the Khronicles of Kain to be told as finally come.

“Gotta Have It” begins with this soulfully jazzy intro thanking all of his haters whether it be past or present whereas “It’s Up to You” embraces more jazzier vibes taking a more motivational approach to his songwriting for a couple minutes. “Heavyweight” switches things up with a boom bap instrumental & the gritty penmanship leading into “I.Y.K.Y.K. (If You Know You Know)” reminds the world that he’s been doing this prior to his incarceration.

Meanwhile on “Uno”, we have Kain over some strings mixed with kicks & snares flexing that he kills muhfuckas in silence despite him constantly smoking loud while “Blue Check” chops up more soul samples talking about how some will literally sell themselves out for money. “Foolish” ends the 1st half on some chipmunk soul shit admitting that it’s been hard for him to change because he loves this shit while “I Know” talks about people being inept of telling him what he’s already aware of.

“Bebe’s Kid” continues the 2nd leg of the LP taking a jazzy boom bap route instrumentally making it clear that he actually lives what he writes instead of merely yapping & after “Break a Leg” swaps out the jazz elements in favor of some orchestral undertones getting in his shit-talking bag for a bit, “We Get It In” featuring Bang Belushi finds the pair boasting that they’re so raw to the point where their intensities are felt across 10 different cities.

The song “Pesto” winds down the Khronicles of Kain coasting a piano-driven boom bap beat asking who the fuck these cornballs think they’re talking crazy to & rollin’ 100 deep with his squad while “Seasoned” featuring Bad News Brown joins forces with the MC/producer duo named after the late WWE Hall of Famer to discuss their own experience in the game. “How Did I Survive?” lastly finishes things up explaining his way of escaping the terror he’s seen.

Almost 4 & a half years since his debut, Kain Cole makes it clear to anyone that he didn’t go anywhere which I think his feature run justifies that & I might have to put Khronicles of Kain above S.U.M.P. (Surviving Under Major Pressure) because of the growth shown compared to it’s predecessor. Foul Mouth’s production varies between drumless, boom bap, jazz rap & chipmunk soul backing Kain’s introspective lyrics & a couple appearances from his MFM brethren.

Score: 4/5

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Mickey Diamond – “Blood of the Lamb” review

New surprise LP & the 19th overall Detroit, Michigan emcee Mickey Diamond. Emerging at the beginning of this decade off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the dude has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 18 albums alongside 7 EPs & a mixtape. Since 2022 however, Mickey has been consistent putting out some of the best material of his career thus far. This includes the Gucci Ghost series produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Ral Duke-produced Oroku Saki EP, the Sadhugold-produced Death Threat$ album, the Camoflauge Monk-produced Capital Gains album, the outstanding Oroku Saki sequel Super Shredder & Gucci Gambinos. Coming off both Wolf Tickets & Black Sheep however, the Blood of the Lamb has arrived without any prior announcement.

“Stigmata” begins with this soulful boom bap beat talking about his preference of being wealthy instead of having all the fame whereas “Cold Sweats” takes an eerier route instrumentally explaining that karma catches up to all in the end. “Break Bread” brings some pianos into the fold so Diamond can talk about killing the greedy just before “Practice What You Preach” hooks up some sampling chops spitting more hardcore lyricism.

Meanwhile on “Communion”, we have Mickey over this gospel-inflicted boom bap beat explaining that he speaks from the heart rather than making himself sound good leading into “Have Mercy” grittily talking about still surviving when the backstabbers tried to take him down. “Collection Plates” starts the 2nd half on some more piano-driven boom bap instrumentals boasting that he’s been like this entire life while “Wormwood” sinisterly takes a more conscious approach to the songwriting.

“PREYers” featuring Daniel Son references the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, 3-time WWE Hall of Famer, Real American Beer founder, Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) co-founder & known racist Hulk Hogan while “Lamb’s Blood” brings another gospel flip to the table gives us some observations of his even if he including myself isn’t the kind of guy who knows the bible by heart.

The penultimate song winds down Blood of the Lamb’s final moments on some drumless gospel vibes giving all praises to God for having his back & that being the reason why he won’t ever forsake Him while the outro “Erick’s Sermon” soulfully concludes The Wolf, The Lamb, The Goat trilogy talking about a vow he made to his his father that he won’t ever let him down. Especially since he was the one who made sure he had food on the table when Diamond was younger.

Wolf Tickets made for an introspectively spiritual detour from Gucci Gambinos or the Gucci Ghost saga & Black Sheep focused more on Mickey Diamond’s capabilities of telling stories, but what makes Blood of the Lamb an interesting conclusion to this series he & Big Ghost Ltd. have been doing for 6 months already is the production could likely be more sample-heavy than it’s predecessors & the likelihood of it being Diamond at his most religious topically.

Score: 4.5/5

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Slift – “Fantasia” review

Slift is a heavy psych trio from Toulouse, Occitanie, France consisting of guitarist/vocalist Jean Fossat, bassist/vocalist Rémi Fossat & drummer Canek Flores. Emerging in 2017 off the band’s debut extended play Space is the Key as well as their 2018 full-length debut La Planète Inexplorée & the widely praised 2020 sophomore effort Ummon, they returned 4 years later by dropping an equally celebrated Sub Pop Records debut Ilion & are looking to outdo both of those with their 4th studio LP.

The title track opens up with an epic 9 minute intro taking some inspiration from doom metal signing about rising above our pain & finding a fire for our souls whereas “Corrupted Sky” describes a fictional town plagued by a sense of xenophobic unknowing. “The Village” continues the story finding this bigoted city welcoming an outsider like poison over progressive instrumentation just before the lead single “A Storm of Wings” blends stoner metal, progressive rock & heavy psych so our protagonist can depict the town’s downfall.

“Orbius Tertius” kicks off the 2nd half taking heavy inspiration from the late Jorge Louis Borges’ short story of the same name using idealism to ask a multitude of questions while “Waiting Man” feels like a mix of Pink Floyd & Masters of Reality-era Black Sabbath, realizing the world our hero was committed to was a lie. The 2nd & final single “The Day of Execution” again bases itself in the styles of stoner metal, progressive rock & heavy psych singing about time passing all of us prior to “Secret Mirror” sending off Fantasia with an astounding space rock outro.

Ditching the sci-fi narrative of their Sub Pop debut a couple years earlier, Slift’s follow-up ironically bares it’s name after a description of the band’s previous output for their leanest statement yet improving above Ilion & dethroning Ummon for their magnum opus. The production captures their versatility eclectically varying between space rock, stoner rock, stoner metal, heavy psych, post-metal, progressive rock, progressive metal, post-rock, doom metal & post-hardcore for a tale of overcoming international upheaval.

Score: 4.5/5

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Converge – “Hum of Hurt” review

This is the 12th studio LP from Salem, Massachusetts metalcore band Converge consisting of drummer Ben Koller, bassist Nate Newton, guitarist Kurt Ballou and finally frontman & Deathwish Inc. co-founder Jacob Bannon. Although their 1994 full-length debut Halo in a Haystack was moderately received, nearly everything they’ve done since has cemented them as quite possibly the greatest metallic hardcore band of all-time. Petitioning the Empty Sky, When Forever Comes Crashing, my personal favorite Jane Doe, their Epitaph Records debut You Fail Me, No Heroes, Axe to Fall, All We Love We Leave Behind when I was a sophomore in high school, The Dusk in Us & Love Is Not Enough have all been widely praised for the own individual reasons & are back with Hum of Hurt.

“Slip the Noose” begins with a metalcore intro reminiscent of the Jane Doe era directly tackling generational trauma whereas “Doom in Bloom”combines post-hardcore & sludge metal exploring how Jacob’s middle-aged introspection doesn’t always bring a brighter light. “It Only Gets Worse” spends a couple minutes angrily realizing the world’s indifference towards him & after the intimidating “Detonator” encourages one not to be blown apart by their mistakes, “I Won’t Let You Go” ends the 1st leg with the official Cyberpunk 2077theme.

Kicking off the 2nd half, “It’s Not Up to Us” made for another aggressive moment explaining there’s no end in sight without a will to fight while the doomy “Dream Debris” starts with a simple bass note that builds to a booming crescendo detailing the deception of being led to believe we could be anything we wanted to be. The post-hardcore, metalcore, neocrust & post-metal title track after the “It Used to Matter” composition emotionally examines the price of the lives we pursue & the outro “Nothing’s Over” ends on a sludgier note saying we must rage for the dying light.

Love Is Not Enough made for a great comeback for the greatest metalcore band & following a sense of urgency, Converge have outdone themselves by delivering a raw counterpart retaining the unpredictable potency of their last album. Their signature sound’s still being fused with elements of mathcore & sludge metal similarly to it’s predecessor aside from the hardcore punk undertones being swapped out for post-hardcore for another bleak yet empathetic assessment of the human condition & it’s ongoing deterioration.

Score: 4.5/5

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Navy Blue – “Sir Render” review

This is the 9th studio LP from Brooklyn, New York skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model Navy Blue. Breaking out a decade ago off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer, he would go on to drop 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths preceding the Def Jam Recordings-backed Ways of Knowing produced by Budgie to critical acclaim. Coming off the Memoirs in Armour EP along with The Sword & The Soaring however, he’s refusing to slow down giving us Sir Render almost 7 months later.

“Commencement” opens up with this drumless intro talking about capsizing & turning his life over to God afterwards whereas “Baron” produced by The Alchemist embraces a boom bap vibe instrumentally hitting us with more poetically abstract penmanship. The title track strips the drums once again talking about there being lessons in every move made while “Over” featuring Mike Shabb finds the pair bringing their A-game over a heavenly drumless loop from Shabbo himself, who kicks off that song with his verse.

We get some bare pianos explaining that his “Reflections” are the evidence of God he chose to revel in & talking about how he used to be suicidal while the self-produced “Residuum” featuring Armand Hammer joins forces for a symphonic boom bap heater filled with abstract lyricism that’ve defined each of them firing off 3 deadly verses. “Crux Ansata” drumlessly talks about his broken wings needing to heal while “Belladonna” featuring Earl Sweatshirt boasts of their successes over a somberly dusty Uncle Al beat.

“Aegis” continues the 2nd half of Sir Render remembering when he was 5 looking at his older brother’s casket asking himself whether he’ll wither or ride above it & be what fills the void in his dad’s eyes over a subdued instrumental & after “Circa” featuring the late Ka talks about being healed when we no longer hear from them despite still being here spiritually, “If God Had Legs” brings the keys back in effect describing him overcoming Ka’s sudden death a year & a half ago.

To get the album’s final act going, “Next Life” hops over yet another drumless loops talking about letting the tree falling & his exposing his roots while “The Birth of Medicine” discusses him praying for the transpiration of his grief along with the assurance of who he is isn’t who he’s perceived to be. “Bleeding Scarlet” offers a calmer atmosphere with a powerful verse to begin & the other half serving as more of an outro while “F.E.A.R. (Forgetting Everything And Running)” explains what fear is to him.

Sir Render makes for a satisfying conclusion to Navy Blue’s knighthood trilogy in which Memoirs in Armour began and The Sword & The Soaring bridged, picking up where both it’s predecessors left off & landing right behind the latter to become my 2nd favorite installment of this entire arc. Maybe surpassing it even. The production’s mostly drumless & jazzy like its counterparts other than a couple occasional moments, enlisting some of abstract hip hop’s finest past & present to make people grapple with their previous selves.

Score: 4.5/5

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Vince Staples – “Cry Baby” review

Here we have the 6th studio LP & Loma Vista Recordings debut from Compton, California rapper, singer/songwriter & actor Vince Staples Emerging as a close affiliate of the now defunct Odd Future collective, he would go on to release 4 mixtapes before signing a joint deal with Blacksmith Records & even No I.D.’s very own Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. My personal favorite of which being Stolen Youth, which was entirely produced by the late Mac Miller. His first major label outing Hell Can Wait was a dope little EP preluding the full-length debut Summertime ‘06, which became one of the best double disc albums of the previous decade. Vince later detailed the pitfalls that came with his success on the next EP Prima Donna & the dude’s sophomore effort Big Fish Theory was easily his most experimental work yet. He later teamed up with Kenny Beats for his 3rd EP FM! & his eponymous 3rd album but coming off Ramona Park Broke My Heart & some Dark Times, he’s ready to air out a Cry Baby.

The lead single “Blackberry Marmalade” blends conscious hip hop, post-punk, political hip hop, post-punk revival, rap rock, hardcore hip hop & experimental hip hop to talk about racism in the United States whereas “Go! Go! Gorilla” takes a funkier approach instrumentally explaining that the police have always been the strongest enemy African Americans have always had & having nobody to trust because of crooked cops abusing their power.

“White Flag” combines political hip hop, conscious hip hop, neo-soul, blues rock, rap rock, dub & post-punk for the 2nd single declaring his surrender of patience towards putting up with white supremacy just before “The Running Man” embraces more of a punk rap vibe talking about missing the days he used to aspire along with leaving his baggage behind since he didn’t feel like there was anything worthy of bringing & nobody being safe from the war that’s occurring outside.

Reaching the halfway point, “TV Guide” discusses the way television has been controlling the masses & them assuming everything they see on the news to be true prior to “The Big Bad Wolf” kicking off the 2nd half embracing a funk rock sound talking about a police officer shooting at an innocent bystander based on the color of his skin. “Only in America” once more takes a jab at the systematic racism & admits he’s been in search of a breakthrough after being hurt since last spring.

“Do You Know the Devil?” winds down the last moments of Cry Baby asking if one will find God or fall from grace life when gets hard & death gets way too close for one to be comfortable while the 3rd & final single “Cotton” crosses over elements of funk rock, psychedelic rock & conscious hip hop talking about black people’s stories of survival being exploited for money. “7 in the Morning” finishes the album channeling a more militant mindset pondering why some view the death of his people as entertainment.

It should go without saying that Vince Staples’ independent debut Cry Baby will easily become the most politically charged entry of his discography since the Hell Can Wait EP back when I was senior in high school, joining the likes of Summertime ‘06 & Big Fish Theory for a top 3 spot in his discography. The production is a rebellious melting pot of rap rock, funk rock, conscious hip hop, post-punk, post-punk revival, rap rock, hardcore hip hop, experimental hip hop, psychedelic rock, neo-soul, blues rock & dub music expressing the frustration of the rise of fascism.

Score: 4.5/5

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Cashus King – “Water to Wine” review

Here is the brand new studio LP & 13th overall from Los Angeles, California emcee Cashus King. Originally known under the monikers Co$$ & later Ca$hiu$ King until settling on his current name, most will recognize him for his long-standing affiliation with Blu & Exile in addition to him having 6 extended plays & 7 mixtapes aside from the previous dozen of full-lengths in his solo discography. 3 years have already passed since Lava Lamps & the London, England, United Kingdom producer Big O has been brought in to soundtrack a Water to Wine transformation.

After the “Barry Water” intro, “Likwid (Big Fish)” begins with this angelic boom bap opener talking about how both of them been floating through districts whereas “Precipitation” featuring Fashawn embraces a jazzier vibe instrumentally to spit streams of consciousness. “Cherry Cola” featuring L.O.U. & P-Rawb samples “Shake Your Booty” by Bunny Sigler to use it’s title as a metaphor for drinking water over soda prior to “Streams” featuring Blu, Frannie EL & Shari returning to a conscious approach to the lyrics.

“Drownin’” has a bright boom bap quality to it encouraging all to keep swimming forward when life throws you overboard just before “Hydration (Reign)” ends the 1st half talks about watering the plants of our imagination & tells the world to keep dreaming. “Drippin’ (Soakin’ Poems)” works in some synths so we can hear the Heaven in their skills to start the 2nd leg while “Potions” featuring G-Holy stylistically leans towards a more g-funk direction getting on their west coast shit.

Nearing the end of Water to Wine, the song “Swimmin’” brings a triumphant trap flare to the table talking about doing backstrokes while “Holy Water” hooks up some organs to make room for Cashus to get confessional on the mic. “Like Lava for Water” apologizes for having people fight their wars for the days they came up short & after “Dark Agua” featuring Big Tone offers food for thought, the outro “Wine” ends by asking who or what we’re living for.

Many including myself would consider Before I Awoke to be Cashus King’s finest collection of solo material, but this new one isn’t far behind it assuring the world we all have the ability to turn Water to Wine in the metaphorical sense of everyone having the capability of change. Big O cooks up some of the strongest production of his career & Co$$ lyrically takes audiences through an exploration of transformation at its deepest level with a handful of guests.

Score: 3.5/5

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Vybz Kartel – “God & Time” review

This is the latest studio LP from Kingston, Jamaica deejay, singer/songwriter, entrepreneur & businessman Vybz Kartel. Someone who’s widely crowned as the King of Dancehall subgenre of reggae similarly to roots reggae icon Bob Marley becoming recognized as the symbol of the entire genre that he helped pioneer. For over 3 decades, the Adidjahiem Records founder has released over a dozen EPs & full-lengths including during his decade long prison bid for Clive “Lizard” Williams’ murder. Coming off Heart & Soul last summer decently celebrating his engagement, God & Time looks to take a more personal approach.

The title track begins with this dancehall opener talking about him telling us the many lessons & blessings he’s experienced in his life whereas “Soft Girl Era” seductively tells his partner to open up her love because he’s falling right in. “Some Days” sings about the Worl’ Boss’ desire of wanting to love a woman better than the next guy leading into “Geenie” asking his lover if she would abuse his powers if he had the ability to grant wishes.

Spice appears for “Confessions” so both the King & Queen of the Dancehall can each take their rightful places at the throne just before “Stay for the Night” featuring Wizkid incorporates some Afrobeats influences so both of them can encourage their romantic interests to spend an evening with them. “Casi Casi” featuring Farruko joins forces for an atmospherically bilingual duet that I could truthfully care less for while “Panic” featuring Shenseea makes up for it bridging 2 different generations of dancehall.

“Round & Round” continues the 2nd half getting more sexual in terms of lyrics & stylistically throwing it back to his early 2010s output while “Try Again” featuring Skillibeng might be my least favorite collaboration The King & The Prince have done yet because I felt like it could’ve been somewhat longer. “Hype Life” on the other hand was quite possibly my favorite single of the bunch celebrating di Teacha’s wealth even if I wish his rival-turned-ally Mavado had a verse instead of handling the hook.

The song “Dancehall Ting” nears God & Time’s conclusion talking about the rest of the artists in this style of reggae merely being sheep compared to his greatness but once “Big Business” further embraces bashment’s main components at it’s core boasting that he’s purchasing apartments instead of blowing it all on liquor, “Watch Over Me” finishes the album on the highest note I can think of talking about themes of faith.

During his incarceration, Vybz Kartel’s lawyer would say God & Time to the Worl’ Boss so frequently to the point where he began applying it to his own life & the follow-up to his previous album over 9 months ago could likely be the most I’ve enjoyed di Teacha’s music since coming home. The dancehall production’s a considerable improvement over the predecessor mixing some trap dancehall undertones into the fold & bringing some of the genres’ biggest artists past & present on board for a well-rounded experience.

Score: 3.5/5

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Imani Imani – “Papercut” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Suriname-born albeit Amsterdam-raised singer/songwriter Imani Imani. Being introduced through her feature on the unreleased Kendrick Lamar track “I Feel Something” that was previewed at the beginning of 2024 in promotion of Chanel’s Spring-Summer Haute Couture Show a few months afterwards, she’s returning after almost 2 & a half years signing to pgLang & Interscope Records to surprise-drop Papercut in celebration of her new major label deal.

“Bet on Me” kicks things off with this passionate R&B intro singing about knowing what’s on her lover’s mind & feeling what he says without even knowing his name whereas “Come Together” peppily suggests that she & her lover need to make some improvements within their relationship. “Snatch” sings about a man who gets her high since she gives her dreams & lifestyle over pianos leading into “On Demand” leans towards a synth-funk direction assuring her partner she’ll be here waiting for him.

Moving on from there, “You’re Mine” delicately finishes the 1st leg of Imani’s debut singing about her preference of having men obsessed with her while the stripped-back “Mindgames” admits that she can’t lay her head down for too long when her romantic interest isn’t with her. “Slideee” gives off more of a dance-pop vibe yearning to put her waist on her soulmate’s body while “Chasing” incorporates more acoustics singing about trying to find peace regardless of rain never ceasing.

“1 of 1” nears closer towards the end of Imani’s debut embracing a more alternative R&B direction wanting to feel her muse’s love & pillow talk until the sunrise while the final song “Let Go (Wishes)” preceding the compositional “My Mistakes” outro croons about needing some time away from her own mind & asking if this individual would stay with her for a bit or run over an instrumental that had a bit of a minimalistic quality to it.

Considering that Baby Keem & Tanna Leone are both primarily rappers, I fully support the idea of Kendrick giving Imani Imani the right to call herself First Lady of pgLang & depart from the hip hop sound all 3 of the label’s other artists are primarily known for. The comparisons I’ve already seen made by Drake fans on social media to OVO Sound’s First Lady Naomi Sharon is stupid considering OVO’s been signing R&B acts in addition to Naomi being more rooted in the smooth soul side of things rather than Imani’s own style varying between contemporary & alternative R&B to dance-pop.

Score: 3.5/5

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