Maez301 – “HASAAN” review

This is the sophomore album from Maryland‘s very own Maez301. Setting his foot in the industry a few years ago with his debut mixtape Nowhere, the project eventually caught the attention of Ervin Pope & Jerome Taylor. Both of whom helped Maez sign with Strange Music in 2018 & just last fall, they put his self-titled debut showcasing versatility. And as the 1 year anniversary of that album approaches in a couple months, Maez & Ervin are back at it again with Hasaan.

The album kicks off with “Thank You”, where Maez talks about living how he wants now over a graceful beat. The next song “Eff U Thought” with Lex Bratcher sees the 2 clapping back at their detractors over a hard trap instrumental while the track “Like It” with E-40 finds both of them charmingly bragging about themselves over a hyphy beat. The song “R.I.P.” with Infinite E sees the 2 talking about women doing them dirty over a slow instrumental while the track “Back in a Minute” flexes over a playful trap beat.

The song “Sick” vents about almost taking his own life over a mellow instrumental while the track “Orange Blood” talks about wanting to be taken back to when life for him was sample over a trap beat from some luscious keyboards. The song “Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once)” talks about turning up over a vigorous instrumental while the track “Lately” tells this woman not to fuck with him over a punchy yet somewhat atmospheric beat.

The song “Don’t Go” with Leila is a decent R&B/trap fused duet about heartbreak while the track “She Say” talks about sex over a moody beat. The song “Never Go” talks about a bitch switching on him over a gentle boom bappy instrumental while the track “Stride” talks about a woman running back to him over a nocturnal beat.

The song “20879” with Ducemd & Infinite E sees the 3 boasting over a vibrant instrumental while the track “90047” with Bad Lucc finds the 2 showing the listeners how to get bread over a euphoric beat with a bit of a West Coast feel to it. The song “Destiny” talks about being made for this rap shit over an instrumental cooler than the ocean breeze while the track “Let U Go” is an acoustic ballad about moving on from this woman.

The song “Up” with Infinite E sees the 2 talking about how they’re on top over a glamorous instrumental while the track “Instagram Famous” is pretty much both of them getting back together again to talk about hoes with large social media followings over a plain beat. The closer “Real Real Love” repetitively talks about wanting an actually romantic bond over an unexpected synth-funk instrumental & then the bonus cut “Higher” gives thanks to the higher power over a synthy boom bap beat.

This is just as dope as the self-titled album & it’s another reminder of how talented Maez can be. The lyrics are a lot more personal this time around in comparison to previous efforts & Ervin Pope’s production continues to bring the best out of him.

Score: 3.5/5

Conway the Machine – “From King to a God” review

Conway the Machine is a 38 year old MC from Buffalo, New York who’s risen to prominence as a co-founder of Griselda Records with his brother Westside Gunn. The label has put out a lot of the most essential releases from the East Coast within the past 5 years & have quickly become one of the most well-respected crews in hip hop today. Although everyone on the team has always been working their asses off (especially as of late), Conway has definitely stood out the most in 2020. He dropped 2 damn-near perfect EPs in the spring with LULU & No One Mourns the Wicked but as the release of his long-awaited Shady Records debut God Don’t Make Mistakes approaches, La Maquina is finally delivering the highly anticipated prelude album From King to a God.

“From King…” starts by speaking on how Conway has become a brand, taking his demeanor from former 5-time WWE world champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Kevin Nash along with joking about newly inducted WWE Hall of Famers nWo over a grimy Daringer beat whereas the next song “Fear of God” with DeJ Loaf sees the 2 talking about how far they’ve come over an empowering Hit-Boy instrumental. The track “Lemon” with Method Man finds both wordsmiths talking about over a creepy beat while the song “Dough & Damani” is pretty much Conway’s equivalent to “‘97 Hov” off of Benny the Butcher’s 2018 magnum opus Tana Talk 3 down to the switch-ups in the instrumental. The track “Juvenile Hell” with Flee Lord & Lloyd Banks sees the 3 over a dusty Havoc beat & after the “Words from Shay interlude, the song “Front Lines” is a well written response to the murder of George Floyd backed by a demented Beat Butcha instrumental.

The track “Anza” with Armani Caesar finds the 2 talking about how their crew has the most money over a trap beat from Murda Beatz while the song “Seen Everything But Jesus” with Freddie Gibbs finds the 2 talking about their regrets over a boom bap instrumental with some fancy keyboard embellishments. After the “Words from Shay 2” interlude, the song “Spurs 3” with Westside Gunn & Benny the Butcher get on their pyrex shit over a somber instrumental while the song “Forever Dropping Tears” talks about how no one can deceive him a smooth beat from none other than Erick Sermon & Rockwilder. The penultimate song “Jesus Khrysis” talks about being in rare form over a cinematic instrumental from Khrysis whereas the closer “Nothin’ Less or More” talks about how he’ll forever keep it raw over a funky boom bap beat from none other than DJ Premier.

“Raw Oysters” is a raw kickoff to the deluxe run starting with O’s & ending with ki’s ahead of Cardiak & Hitmaka giving “Ameenah’s Van” a soulful boom bap flare talking about being different & the streets needing this gospel. “Crack in the 90s” featuring Jae Skeese & 7xvethegenius hopping over a gritty Roc Marciano instrumental for a flawless Drumwork posse cut while 9th Wonder samples “Wistful Dreams” by Paul Williams for “Serena vs. Venus” acknowledging it feels good to know you fuckin’ with a real g. The final bonus track “Stefon Diggs” featuring Jae Skeese hops over a flute telling their experiences in the streets.

After years of hype, this album certainly lived up to my expectations & only enhances my excitement for God Don’t Make Mistakes. Not only is Conway the most versatile he’s ever been before, but you can really hear how much he’s grown both as an artist & as a person throughout the years.

Score: 4.5/5

YoungBoy Never Broke Again – “Top” review

YoungBoy Never Broke Again is a 20 year old rapper from Baton Rogue, Louisiana with a plethora of mixtapes under his belt throughout the last 5 years of his career. However it wouldn’t be until 2017 when he dropped his full-length debut Until Death Called My Name which was not only pretty decent, but arguably his best work. But after a 6 month hiatus, YoungBoy is back with his sophomore effort.

The album starts off with “Drug Addiction”, where YoungBoy talks about being the life of the party over a bassy instrumental with some keyboards. The next song “Cross Roads” talks about being too rich for drama over a trap rock beat while “The Last Backyard…” talks about catching his haters in person over a menacing instrumental. The track “Right Foot Creep” talks about how he walks with a gun over an instrumental that doesn’t really have anything to it with an genuinely catchy bass-line while the song “Dirty Stick” talks about passing hollows to dudes over an dramatic instrumental.

The track “Kacey Talks” is actually a profound dedication to YoungBoy’s 1-year old daughter while the song “My Window” with Lil Wayne sees the 2 talking about collectin’ them dollars over a bouncy beat. The track “I’m Up” talks about how he’s still thuggin’ despite his fame that over an acoustic trap instrumental from Wheezy while the song “Off Season” is a painful love ballad with a buttery beat.

The track “All In” talks about making it out of the dirt pile over another acoustic guitar-tinged instrumental while the song “Dead Trollz” talks about catchin’ a body over an abrasive instrumental. The track “Fuck Ya!” talks about him shining over an uneventful instrumental while the song “Big Bankroll” redundantly flexes his wealth over a bland beat.

The track “Boom” boasts about how he gets places poppin’ over a dull instrumental the song “Reaper’s Child” pretty much says fuck how people be feel towards him over a dreary instrumental. The track “Murder Business” of course talks about killing people over a shadowy instrumental while the song “Sticks with Me” talks about all he ever needs over a mundane beat.

The track “House Arrest Tingz” talks about being damaged over a completely unexpected Buckethead sample while the song “To My Lowest” tries so hard to impersonate Young Thug down to the hook. The penultimate track “Peace Hardly” talks about his recent mental struggles over a beat with a slick guitar passage & then the album ends with “Callin’”, where YoungBoy gets on his gangsta shit with WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & they both coast on top of the instrumental finely.

If anyone has paid attention to my reviews in the past, then you should already know that I’m very accepting of trap music. That being said: Top is just as boring as almost every other project I’ve ever heard from NBA YoungBoy. I wish him well in his ongoing mental health struggles, but absolutely nothing about this dude’s music interests me whether it be the basic production or his lowbrow presence on the mic

Score: 1/5

Big Sean – “Detroit 2” review

Big Sean is a 32 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Detroit, Michigan coming up as a protege of Chicago icon Kanye West & signing to his Def Jam Recordings imprint G.O.O.D. Music. He generated some buzz in the late 2000s by dropping the Finally Famous mixtape trilogy, but it wouldn’t be until 2011 when his profile significantly increased when Sean dropped a 4th installment as his full-length debut. This was followed up the next year with the highly acclaimed Detroit mixtape & then a sophomore album the year after that entitled Hall of Fame. However, his next 2 full-lengths Dark Sky Paradise & I Decided. were both mediocre in comparison to all those past efforts. Now the last time Big Sean dropped a project was in late 2017 with Double or Nothing which had INCREDIBLE production from Metro Boomin’ top to bottom, but Sean himself was SEVERELY lacking. But after a couple years of speculation, he’s returning with a sequel to Detroit as his 6th full-length album.

The opener “Why Would I Stop?” speaks on where he is now come over an abrasive instrumental from Hit-Boy & Rogét Chahayed, who had a huge hand in overseeing the whole album. The next song “Lucky Me” opens up on things he’s never talked about over a relaxing beat before a dope switch-up during the 2nd half referencing the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan while the track “Deep Reverence” with Nipsey Hu$$le sees the 2 talking about being legends in the streets over a spacious beat. The song “Wolves” with Post Malone finds the 2 looking back on how they grew up over a cavernous instrumental while the track “Body Language” is a TWENTY88 reunion about lust over a moody KeY Wane beat.

After the Dave Chappelle story, the track “Harder Than My Demons” talks about how Sean thanks God for everything over a Mike WiLL Made-It & DJ Khalil instrumental sampling the classic Michael Jackson joint “Human Nature” while the song “Everything That’s Missing” talks about heartbreak over a bare piano instrumental. The track “Z.T.F.O. (Zen The Fuck Out)” talks about canceling bad energy over an ghostly Cool & Dre instrumental with co-production from No I.D. while the song “Guard Your Heart” with Wale & Anderson .Paak finds the 3 getting on the conscious side of things over a luxurious boom bap beat.

The track “Respect It” with Young Thug sees the 2 talking about how no one will do them dirty over a vibrant instrumental while the song “Lithuania” with Travis Scott finds 2 boasting over a psychedelic trap beat. The track “Full Circle” with KeY Wane sees the 2 about how everything in their lives/careers have come together over an uplifting instrumental while the song “Time In” by TWENTY88 gets back on the romantic tip over a wavy beat & with what is EASILY the worst hook on the entire album. After the Erykah Badu story, the track “FEED” talks about time moving fast over a murky beat from Boi-1da while “The Baddest” tells his significant other she’s just that over a heavy instrumental with some menacing horns.

The track “Don Life” with Lil Wayne finds the 2 talking about being top dogs over a futuristic instrumental whereas the Friday Night Cypher” is an epic posse cut with constant, perfectly transitioned beat changes featuring a handful of Detroit spitters ranging from Sada Baby & Tee Grizzley to Boldy James & even Bad Meets Ǝvil. Then after the Stevie Wonder story, the closer “Still I Rise” gets on the motivational side of things over a victorious instrumental co-produced by DJ Camper.

The singles leading up had me excited & as for the final product, this album definitely Big Sean’s best work in a while. Not only has the production improved compared to Dark Sky Paradise & I Decided., but you can definitely hear how much he’s matured in the past 13 years & it does a good job of recapturing the essence of that original Detroit tape.

Score: 3.5/5

Ketch P – “Out of Nowhere” review

This is the new surprise album from Inkster emcee Ketch P. Starting off as part of the quartet Street Justice, he eventually went solo & put out 3 mixtapes in the late 2000s. However, Ketch took a hiatus in 2013 & returned last fall by dropping the fantastic comeback tape Gift Certificate under Middle Finger Music. But almost 10 months since, he’s returning from the shadows with Out of Nowhere.

The “RKO” intro boasts about how Ketch made the album in a week over an upbeat boom bap instrumental from his Bad News Brown cohort Foul Mouth whereas the next song “9th Letter Flow” talks about being competitive on the mic over a Slum Village-inspired beat from Chanes. The track “My Addiction” talks about his flame over a classy instrumental from Simple Cuts while the song “Belle Isle Cookout” sees 2 Door Coupé getting together for a fun summertime bop. The track “Big Slick Energy” shows off his charisma over a boom bap instrumental with a faint sample while the song “Wildstyle” with A-Minus & King Bub Rock finds the 3 spitting some vicious battle bars over a fuzzy beat from Nolan the Ninja.

The track “Chugga Bounce” speaks on all the shit that’s happened to him in 2020 over a funky instrumental while the song “Get Money Organically” speaks for itself lyrically over a boom bap beat with a soothing loop. The track “Dazed Mind” spits pure pain over a meditatively jazzy beat while the song “Barry Sanders” with Rim sees the 2 getting rowdy over a dark beat from Blizzard. The closer “Legend Killers” then finds Bad News Brown hooking up with Bang Belushi, Jypsy & King Bub Rock to deliver that anti-radio rap over a trunk-knocking beat.

For a veteran, I think Ketch has only gotten better with time because this is neck-&-neck with Gift Certificate for his magnum opus His pen-game just keeps elevating nonchalantly & the production is as grimy as you’d expect from Middle Finger Music at this point.

Score: 4/5

Babylon Dead – “Book of the Dead” review

This is the sophomore effort from England, United Kingdom boom bap, political hip hop & ragga duo Babylon Dead. Consisting of Bristol emcee Jman alongside London producer Illinformed, these guys initially got together for The Mould Tape’s outro “Gettin’ Mouldly” & have signed to the Glastonbury, Somerset imprint Real Life Drama Records for their full-length debut 2000 B.D. near the end of 2017. Precisely 35 months later, they’re reuniting in the midst of a global pandemic to open up the Book at the Dead.

After the “Babylon” intro, the first song “GHTQ” gives a giant middle finger directed at the crooked racists & sick fucks who’re in power over a boom bap whereas “The Underworld” works in a soul sample as well as a piano & some kicks & snares talking about the future of those he’s assisting on their journey to Hell looking like the bottom of a well. The lead single “1984” fuses boom bap & ragga for a statement addressing the world elite while “Burning” featuring Daddy Freddy & Jamalski leans towards the ragga side of things watching Babylon fall.

“This Likkle Piggy” returns to the boom bap condemning law enforcement who abuse their power while the 2nd & final single “Resistance” brings back the secondary ragga influences talking about standing up to the kind of people who want to incite fear on everyone else. “Shellings” featuring Killa P finds the pair embracing a slower & grittier atmosphere looking to shut the place down with the vibes being the only thing they care for leading into “Revenga” dustily talking about the kind who’re power hungry for some kind of leadership.

Beginning the 2nd half, the title track talks about the right-wing having a hatred for the poor when that’s been made clear for a long time & the time to militantly march in protest being now just before the ghostly “Fucked” featuring Warrior Queen airs out their own respective grievances towards the system. “Revolting” hooks up these sinister piano chords talking about rebelling against corrupt swine & “That’s BD” heads back to the basement instrumentally reminding the world exactly who they are during a turbulent 6 months.

“Bun Brexit” featuring Irah sees the 2 openly criticizing their country for withdrawing from the European Union in January while “Ransom” has a bit of a Bollywood-inflicted boom bap flare talking about doing what they do for the nations who’re experiencing sleaziness within their own government. “Hung, Drawn & Quartered” pulls from rap rock again attacking officers under the impression that they’re above the law while “Finished” featuring Badness & Devilman preceding the “Dead” outro ends with all 3 rappers aggressively retaliating against tyranny 1 last time.

2000 B.D. has already become amongst the top 5 albums in Real Life Drama Records’ whole entire catalog & despite coming away from Book of the Dead enjoying it, I’d have to put the follow-up right behind the predecessor. Illinformed’s boom bap & ragga production matched with Jman’s politically hardcore lyricism are still the most captivating things this LP has going for it, but I wound up becoming a little divided towards the guest list comprised of ragga & grime acts although I did give it the benefit of the doubt because 2000 B.D. didn’t have any features whatsoever.

Score: 3.5/5

Ethemadassassin – “Bear Handz 4: Dark Side of the Mountain” review

ETheMadAssassin is an MC from Greensboro, North Carolina who’s been on the rise in the underground for about over 15 years now. He just dropped the 3rd installment of his Bear Handz series at the beginning of last year but after doing a couple of features since then, E’s returning with a 4th installment produced entirely by Twelvebit.

After the “Jungle” intro, the first song “Discipline” finds E talking about how he came up differently than others over a nightly instrumental while the track “Stay Paid” of course spits about making money over a dreary beat. The song “Gunsmoke” shit-talks the lames who approach his turf over a spine-tingling instrumental & after the “Reasons” interlude, the track “Children of the Night” talks about being an insomniac over an uncanny boom bap beat.

The song “Don’t Mix Ya Dishes” talks about how life’s a bitch over a depressive instrumental & after the “100 Reasons” interlude, the track “Shots of Gin” talks about drinking over a fittingly intoxicating beat. The song “10” talks about being deep rooted over an ominous instrumental & then the album ends with “How Many”, where E ponders a few questions over an icy instrumental.

Overall, it’s a solid album. I can definitely hear Ethemadassassin‘s growth on here as the dude continues to rap his ass off harder than he ever has before & Twelvebit’s production is a nice fit as well.

Score: 3.5/5

The LOX – “L.O.X. (Living Off Xperience)” review

The LOX are a renown hip hop trio from Yonkers, New York consisting of Jadakiss, Styles P & Sheek Louch. They made their full-length debut at the beginning of 1998 by dropping Money, Power & Respect under Bad Boy Entertainment & would outdo themselves in 2000 with the Ruff Ryders-backed We Are the Streets. Last we heard from the 3 was in 2016 when they dropped their comeback effort Filthy America… It’s Beautiful under their own label D-Block Records with distribution from Roc Nation Records but as summer draws to a close, The LOX are getting back together for their 4th full-length album.

Things start off with “Gave It to ‘Em”, where the trio talk about hooking cats up over an galactic-sounding instrumental fromaraabMUZIK. The next song “Move” brags back & forth with one another bragging over a dreary trap beat from Scott Storch while the track “‘Bout Shit” with DMX sees the 4 talking about going all out over a Scram Jones beat with an alluring sample. The song “Testify” prays for their friends over a climactic instrumental while the track “Miss You” is of course a heartbreak anthem with a lush beat.

The song “Story” might be my favorite on the entire album as The LOX of course get into their storytelling bag over a somewhat funky Nottz beat while the track “Do to Me” gets back on the romance tip over a moody Scott Storch beat. The song “Come Back” talk about their return to the rap game over a somber instrumental from Statik Selektah while the track “Think of The LOX” with Westside Gunn & Benny the Butcher sees the 5 talking about being the best over an unsettling boom bap beat from Large Professor.

The song “My America” talks about how the trio are tired of the racism in our country over a boom bap beat with some melancholic background vocals while the track “Net Worth” gets materialistic over a bland instrumental. The tracks “Dirty Dirty” & “Commitment” are the last ones on the album that’re on the lovey dovey side of things, but they’re easily the most excruciating ones in the tracklist. The album finishes off with “Loyalty & Love”, where The LOX talk about brotherhood over a luxurious boom bap beat.

If you ask me, this is WAY better than Jadakiss’ latest album Ignatius. Could’ve done without the redundant & corny radio cuts, but you can definitely hear how much The LOX have grown together as a group throughout the past 26 years of their career. Especially on the more grimier joints on here.

Score: 3.5/5

(həd) p.e. – “Class of 2020” review

(həd) p.e. is a g-punk outfit from Huntington Beach, California masterminded by Jahred Gomes. From their first 2 albums under Jive to their first stint on Suburban Noize in the mid-2000s, these guys have truly been making a name for themselves for over 25 years whether that be their eclectic sound or the more political lyrics on their most recent output. They returned to Subnoize last year for their 11th album Stampede & to mark the 20th anniversary of their sophomore effort Broke this weekend, Jahred & company are celebrating with a sequel.

The album kicks off with “First Blood”, where Jahred angrily talks about how we’re all living in sin over some head-banging instrumentation. The next song “Watch It Burn” gets confrontational over some popping drums alongside a chugging guitar lead while the track “No Days Off” screams about putting his life on the line everyday & the soundscapes on here are electrifying. The song “Death Awaits” is sure to get the pits going whenever we can have live shows again from while the track “Last Call” is an enjoyable reggae/rock fusion.

The song “Ole Time Sake” is kind of a throwback to 80’s metal as the lyrics talk about being young at heart while the track “Greedy Girl” is a slow, melodic ballad expressing Jahred‘s affection for the titular character. The song “Nothing Lasts 4Ever (The Ballad of C19)” is an optimistic response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while the penultimate track “We the People” gets on the political side of things & the hellish instrumentation are absolutely perfect. The closer “Overdue” has a depressive & confessional tone to it that I really enjoy, but the hook is a bit too robotic for me personally.

Even though the quartet seems to be self-aware that Stampede didn’t resonate with hardcore fans due to it’s heavy usage of auto-tune, this is a great return to form for them. Jahred Gomes’ vocals are still remarkably commanding & the sound on here is a refreshing callback to (həd) p.e.’s early work.

Score: 4/5

Nas – “King’s Disease” review

This is the 12th full-length album from Queensbridge icon Nas. A man who really doesn’t need an introduction at this point because of the fact that his first 2 albums illmatic & It Was Written are widely acknowledged as some of the greatest in hip hop history. Other high points in Escobar’s discography include stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then after a 6-year hiatus, Nas returned in 2018 with the Kanye West-produced NASIR & then with The Lost Tapes II last summer. Both which received polarizing responses, but I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue. However after leaving Def Jam Recordings & to celebrate his newfound independence, Nas is teaming up with California producer Hit-Boy for King’s Disease.

Things start off with the title track, where Nas talks about how he’s gracefully aging over an angelic beat. The next song “Blue Benz” ponders the value & worth of the stuff we buy over a lavish instrumental co-produced by Rogét Chahayed while the track “Car #85” fondly reminisces on his younger days over a calming boom bap beat. The song “Ultra Black” is a full blown Black Lives Matter theme with an instrumental kin to Life is Good & even though I appreciate the call for more black CEOs on the track “27 Summers”, it just sounds unfinished to me.

The song “Replace Me” with Big Sean sees the 2 getting flirtatious over a lush beat while the track “‘Til the War is Won” with Lil Durk finds both of them talking about single mothers over an atmospheric instrumental. The song “All Bad” with Anderson .Paak sees the 2 talking about their significant others doing them dirty over a piano instrumental with a funky ass rhythm to it while “The Definition” dives into the meaning of the album’s title & I love the uplifting feel to the production.

The track “Full Circle” is an immaculate Firm reunion down to the eargasmic beat that G. Ry co-produced & the Dr. Dre outro while the song “10 Points” talks about the meaning of being a king over a jazzy beat & the drums just hit so hard, that they’re bound to blow some speakers out. “The Cure” has the most dynamic instrumental of the entire album as Nas pays tribute to Kobe Bryant & Nipsey Hu$$le, but then the closer “Spicy” with A$AP Ferg & Fivio Foreign finds the 3 bragging over a trap beat that has a bit of a luxurious feel to it.

Not only is this better than the last 2 albums Nas has put out, but I’ll even go as far to say that this is honestly what the 2008 untitled album should’ve been. Nas’ gets on his pro-black shit which is perfect given everything that’s been going on this year & Hit-Boy nails it behind on the boards.

Score: 4/5