Dizzee Rascal – “We Want Bass” review

Dizzee Rascal is a 41 year old MC, songwriter & producer from Bow, East London, England, United Kingdom who’s often considered a pioneer of the grime subgenre. His 2003 full-length debut Boy in da Corner under XL Recordings has been hailed as some of the best UK hip hop this millennium although Showtime & Maths + English were mildly received in comparison. Tongue ‘n Cheek launched his own label Big Dirtee Records formerly Dirtee Stank Recordings in tandem with Island Records, following it with The 5th as well as Raskit & E3 AF respectively. Don’t Take It Personal upon his Island departure was a modest declaration of independence & was intrigued by what his 9th studio LP had to offer almost a week after FTR, Kanji, Connor Mills, the current CMLL Mundial Femenil Campeon Persephone, Swerve Strickland alongside The New Level, The Brawling Birds, Mercedes Moné, Will Ospreay, La Parka, Kelani Jordan, Jackson Drake & Grayson Waller all respectively became the new RPW British Tag Team Champions, RPW British Women’s Champion, RPW British Heavyweight Champion, AEW tbs Champion, AEW World Trios Champions, AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions, AEW Women’s World Champion, AEW World Champion, AAA Latinoamericano Campeon, NXT Women’s Champion, NXT North American Champion & NXT Champion.

“Foxtrot Oscar” opens up taking inspiration from electronic dance music instrumentally talking about doing whatever he wants because he’s a rockstar whereas “VIP” hooks up a rubbery bass-line so he can boast of not having to show ID when pulling up to the club. “Hit the Spot” leans towards a house vibe for a raunchier approach topically including a cringey sample of “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent until the 3rd single “So Hot” serves a weird blend of hip house, jackin’ house, Euro house & Brazilian bass sampling “Hot in Herre” by Nelly.

Continuing from there with “On Rpt”, we have more romantic lyricism over house beats containing a bit of an R&B twist to it just before the 2nd single “C U Dance” talks about wanting to watch a woman’s dance moves over a self-produced hip house instrumental. “Don’t Say a Word” further combines hip hop & house suggesting for people to listen & follow rather than merely speaking while the grime standout “Muy Bien” aggressively gets on his hardcore shit.

“All Night” began the whole rollout in the form of this uninspired lead single talking about letting the bass blast until sunrise while the 4th & final single “What U Need” treads the bassline waters promising to give his lover whatever it is she desires. “The Baddest” goes back to the hip house side of things talking about a lean-bodied woman being the best thing he’s seen all evening while “Oh Why” rattles off a list of questions he’s had for some time.

The song “Look Twice” prepares to wrap up We Want Bass speaking of a lady who’s so beautiful that Dizzee had to double check by looking at her a 2nd time while the delightfully surprising “Ridin’ Round Slow” featuring Bun B finds the pair talking about driving around in their whips slowly so all the pussies can see them. Another favorite would be the closing track “Tell Me Why” because he’s really taking these final minutes to get some serious shit off his chest.

Would’ve never imagined Dizzee Rascal making something almost as bad as The 5th if not worse since Raskit, E3 AF & Don’t Take It Personal we’re all average at best but here we are with another low point in the grime pioneer’s discography. I completely understand the hip house, bassline, UK bass, tech house, techno bass, jackin’ house, Euro house & Brazilian bass production was meant to homage the UK club scene except it all feels repetitive & the hardcore joints all outshine the sexually charged cuts.

Score: 1.5/5

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Sleep – “Hempispheres” review

Sleep is a revered stoner metal band from San Jose, California consisting of drummer Dale Crover, guitarist Bubba Dupree & their only constant member in co-founding bassist/frontman Al Cisneros. Their 1991 full-length debut Volume 1 was solid, but Holy Mountain along with Jerusalem & Dopesmoker have all become stoner metal landmarks of their own. Returning in 2018 with their highly acclaimed 3rd Man Records debut The Sciences, they’re back again almost a decade later for their 6th studio LP albeit 2nd for Jack White’s indie label.

“Have Spacesuit Will Travel” conceptually inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s novel of the same name left me torn as both a lead single & and intro because I didn’t feel like it pushed the stoner metal, space rock or stoner rock sounds forward in any way until “The Morrisist” comes through with another take on those styles that I’d consider decent at best except there’s a noticeably heavier Om influence than before & it’s brevity makes a good justification for being the 2nd & final single. However, Dale’s drumming left me equally unimpressed as Bubba’s guitar work.

The messy stoner title track would easily be my lest favorite if I had to pick one largely in part of the guitar tones being ripped out of the Kyuss playbook hence why it makes for my least favorite song here & once the 11-minute jam session “Arrival of the Industry Ships” delivers some of Al’s finest singing performances although his bass is blown out to the point where it can be distracting for some listeners, the closer “Whole Wheat Mountain / Well Baked” finishes Hempispheres oddly saving some of Bubba’s finest shredding for last.

This being Sleep’s being first album without co-founding guitarist Matt Pike was a huge concern of mine going in & although I still hold these guys in high regards, Hempispheres has the most likelihood of becoming the weakest entry in their discography yet unfortunately. I don’t mind Al Cisneros’ subdued vocals or the heavy psych undertones & even Dale Crodder’s drumming as someone who appreciates the Melvins, my issue lies with a great deal of Bubba Dupree’s riffs feeling thin compared to Matt’s & that’s why the stoner metal outfit’s newest incarnation leaves me on the fence. Either Bubba steps his game up or Al & brings Matt back.

Score: 3/5

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Hieroglyphics – “All Said & Done” review

The Hierogylphics are an alternative hip hop collective from Oakland, California comprised of de facto leader Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, the Souls of Mischief, DJ Toure & producer/manager Domino. Making their full-length studio debut in 1998 with 3rd Eye Vision independently through Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings to widespread praise, their 2003 sophomore effort Full Circle was also welcomed positively although their follow-up a decade later The Kitchen generally left audiences divided. 13 years later & they’re warming up for the crew’s annual Hiero Day festival this weekend with their 4th studio LP.

“Mosaico: Suite 1” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Opio & Tajai produced by Domino talks about hip hop respecting liars in 2026 & having no expecting of their albums becoming fire whereas “Eyes Wide Shut” by A-Plus, Del & Pep Love finds the trio confronting all the fraudulent hate over an A-Plus instrumental. “Hieroglyphics Faction” by A-Plus, Del & Opio representing their crew over a boom bap beat from DJ Toure while “Hard Numbers” by Casual, Del, Opio, Pep Love & Phesto expresses hope of having their numbers correctly.

A-Plus & Pep Love team up for the summery “Something in the Air” talking about wanting their legacies to reflect integrity when the time comes for them to hang it up leading into “Drum Talk” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Phesto & Tajai discusses letting the drums do the speaking in preparation for their slick rhymes being laid out. “The Way That It Be” by Casual, Phesto & Tajai talks about being stuck in their ways that pay ‘em leading into “Gods & Goats” by A-Plus, Opio & Pep Love ending the 1st leg likening themselves to bishops making proclamations.

The title track kicks off the 2nd half uniting A-Plus, Pep Love & Phesto expressing that they’d rather have a small piece of something in the end instead of absolutely nothing while “Uplifted” by A-Plus, Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Opio & Tajai tackles the subject of optimism. “Helicopter Barrel Roll” by A-Plus, Opio & Pep Love regroups so they can explain themselves as hip hop’s gasoline & every mic being a matchstick while “3rd Eye Robot (Kill ‘Em All)” by A-Plus, Pep Love, Phesto & Tajai talks about the rise of AI within the past couple years.

“Hiero on the Scrolls” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien & Tajai opens the 4th quarter suggests seeing past the streets & the meager mouths while the groovy “Mosaico: Suite 2” by A-Plus, Pep Love & Phesto dismisses all theatrics coming around them. “Everyday Shit” by Casual, Opio, Pep Love & Tajai talks about kickin’ it with each other all the way back to their childhood whole “Crescent Moon, Velvet Sky” by Casual & the Souls of Mischief sends off All Said & Done taking their play amongst hip hop excellence.

It’s not very often where all 9 members of the Hieroglyphics get together in the studio for an entire project but if I had to rank the 4 LPs in their catalog, All Said & Done would be placed above The Kitchen & Full Circle as my 2nd favorite of theirs collectively behind none other than 3rd Eye Vision. The boom bap production’s less receptive than The Kitchen’s was back when I had finished my sophomore year of high school & the consciously abstract bars from the Bay Area’s finest MCs feel more memorable, pretty much looking back at the legacy they’ve left behind.

Score: 4/5

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Novatore – “Machines” review

2nd studio LP of 2026 & the 16th overall from Chicago, Illinois emcee Novatore. Breaking out as a member of the Infamous Crew, he’s also built up an impressive solo career over nearly a decade by dropping 4 EPs & an acclaimed collaborative effort with A.M. Early Morning produced by Stu Bangas called Kingdom of Criminality & it’s recent sequel produced by Johnny Slash. Other highlights include Louie, Louie II, Embrace the Darkness, Portrait of a Madman, Embrace the Darkness II: Explorers of Experience, Master of Morbid Creations, Living in the End Times, Alchemy & Black Magic, his Goon MuSick debut The 87 Arsonist & the Brenx-produced Agoraphobia. Embrace the Darkness III became his greatest material since signing to the label, coming off Pale Horse of the Apocalypse to run it back with C-Lance on Machines.

After the intro, “Metal Hands” flows over a boom bap instrumental to kick things off talking about being the man whereas the 2nd single “Apple Pie” featuring Copywrite finds the 2 linking up so they can get in their battle rap bags lyrically. “Casket” talked about considering death a beautiful escape in a paranoid state of mind & once the title track featuring Merkules joins forces to wipe out any team threatening them, “Terminator ‘91” ends the 1st half discussing his love for horror films.

“Devil in the Pale Moon” begins the 2nd half pulling the curtain back on artists who claim murder rap when it’s nothing more than suburban rap leading into “Action Stars” featuring A.M. Early Morning talks about neither one of them needing a stunt double. “Lords of Chaos” featuring Lord Goat provides the pinnacle of hardcore hip hop for only a couple minutes while the 3rd & final single “Message from Beyond” appropriately concludes Machines talking about the end being nearer than initially believed.

Retaining the dark tradition of Novatore’s whole sound, C-Lance runs it back with him to further reveal how much he’s evolved artistically since Louie II & the Embrace the Darkness trilogy Pale Horse of the Apocalypse in becoming my favorite of the 2 full-lengths the Chi-Town artist has dropped this year. His hardcore lyricism & C-Lance’s production have come a long way since the turn of the decade, but I was happy to see a condensed guest list.

Score: 4.5/5

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Fuego Base – “Still the Biggest” review

Hartford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base releasing a sequel to his full-length studio debut in the form of a sophomore effort. Getting his start a few years ago off his debut EP Tell My Momma Imma Rapper, he would continue to build up his catalog by going on to drop another EP called Tell My Momma Imma Rapper Still & the Say Dat mixtape trilogy prior to Buffalo’s very own Benny the Butcher signed Fuego to Black Soprano Family Records. Coming off Biggest Since Camby as well as Say Dat 4: Proof of What God Do & Tell My Momma I’m Still a Rapper, he wants the world to know he’s Still the Biggest.

“Barbour St” strips the drums to open up shop talking about being in the hood because he’s a product of it instead of being poverty stricken whereas “Hartford” takes the boom bap route instrumentally for an ode to his hometown. The title track featuring Benny the Butcher finds the pair linking up to talk about how Fuego’s spot as the hottest prospect in his city hasn’t changed while ‘“93” discusses not knowing who one is until life tests you.

Sule appears for “T.E.I.O.” (To Each Is Own)” talking about making the bail & running along with rappers being 40 not doing shit with their careers leading into “Open Book” kicks off the 2nd half explaining the very reason he gives fans all of himself in his music. “Getting Out” talks about death, prison or copping a bigger house being the only choices possible of escaping the streets while “Rejoice” preaches hymns for his kinfolk somehow emerging where throats stay slit.

“Thank God 2” talks about touching people whenever he opens his mouth to speak & having an addiction to the game as bad as the junkies he served dope to while “Honda 2 Rari” cavernously admits he wouldn’t know where his mental state would’ve been if his squad wasn’t there for him when his mother passed away. The outro “Survivor’s Remorse 2” sends off Still the Biggest talking about not changing anything if he had the opportunity of rewriting his story.

3 & a half years since Fuego Base declared himself the Biggest Since Camby after signing to B$F, he’s continuing to let the work he’s putting in speak for itself several months since he & Benny linked up for their Ashes in the $afe collaborative extended play to deliver an exceptional sequel to his full-length studio debut. Was somewhat disappointed with the production lacking the same heavy hitters that made Still the Biggest’s counterpart so impressive, but there’s no denying his status within Hartford hasn’t changed since.

Score: 3.5/5

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Skaiwater – “femme fatale” review

Nottingham, England, United Kingdom rapper & producer Skaiwater celebrating their birthday with their 4th studio LP. Beginning in 2019 off their debut EP After God Fear Eve, the 4ersona member would go on to put out 7 more EPs along with a mixtape & a couple albums, the most notable being their 2024 sophomore effort #Gigi under GoodTalk Records & Capitol Records fully realizing on the potential that was shown on their earlier material. wonderful was the most rage-inducing entry of their catalog & they’re ending the month giving fans what they’ve wanted for a long time: femme fatale.

The self-produced “vampires, zombies” drumlessly kicks things off confessing to their astrological girlfriend that they feel like their relationship’s beginning to move backwards whereas the single “Hitunes” blends plugg & Asian rock thanks to BenjiCold making attempts at fucking the lights outta this Texas woman. “delilah” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran vibrantly talks about getting drunk on the weekends prior to “ella” hooking up this pitched vocal sample so they can get their girl anything she wants.

“WEVERSE” talks about him sobering up from alcohol as a result of a hangover that fucked their whole entire life up while “nana” concludes the 1st leg confronting a chick for playing them like some kinda fool. “angels” begins the 2nd half asking his baby girl if she forgot where she came from & needing her by their side because their love doesn’t go to waste just before “sophia” featuring Sophie Gray comes through with a duet about a couple feeling better around each other.

Meanwhile with “BAITFACE”, we have the tiger lily running it back with BenjiCold telling a hoe to cut off her friends & acknowledging her love for cocaine while “radar, radar” talks about having their eyes locked on this wealthy baddie in a club. “foreigner” winds down the last few moments of femme fatale flexing they’ve been rich since 19 & being with someone whose father doesn’t mind them being British over a dancehall beat while the closing track “JUMP” concludes the half hour wearing Rick Owens boots when servin’ pack.

Originally set to come out at last Christmas following the artwork being unveiled nearly 12 months ago until getting scraped in favor of wonderful back in February, I couldn’t think of a better way for Skaiwater to commemorate their day than to finish the most anticipated album of their entire career largely handling the pop rap, Afroswing, pop reggae, dancehall, zouk, coupé-décalé, trap, plugg & Asian rock production by themself other than BenjiCold & Nico Baran making some unparalleled contributions of their own expressing their appreciation for the female divine energy.

Score: 4/5

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YSL Records – “Slime Language III” review

Atlanta, Georgia record label YSL Records founded by Young Thug dropping their 3rd showcase compilation & their first since going independent. Releasing both Slime Language & it’s sequel in tandem with 300 Entertainment & Atlantic Records, the whole roster has since been revamped after Thug came home including the Tezzus as well as his Uy Scuti Bøyz cohort diamond* & more recently iyrus. However coming off The Resurrectiøn & Bling Slime this summer, Slime Language III looks to conclude the trilogy with a double disc chapter.

“Gotta Love Us” by Young Thug & diamond* featuring BSlime & Pz’ produced by Wheezy talks about laying out everyone going against them whereas “ØWAYSL” by Thug & Tezzus featuring BSlime, Rob49 & Sk8star references the greatest QB of all-time Tom Brady over a PROJECT4PLAY instrumental. “What’s Up Mami” by Thug featuring Biggs Money finds the pair hideously taking a more seductive approach in terms of subject matter while “Mob Guys” by Biggs Money, Lil Unky & Quavo talks about being gangstas.

Lil Unky sticks around with Young Thug on “Function” talking about pulling up to 10 hoes at the spot just before “Club Outside” by Thug featuring Lil Baby gets London on da Track with Southside discussing transforming the trap house into a studio since making music’s more fun anyway. “Wait for It” by BSlime & Papito El Franklins was a moment I could’ve done without delivering a boring pop rap/trap crossover talking about their success until “Eaters” by Thug & Tezzus featuring Future, Travis Scott & Yeat unites for an ode to sex.

“Grandma’s Baby” by Young Thug featuring Veeze links up so they can talk about their grandmothers’ raising them in the projects of the ATL & Detroit respectively over a sample-driven trap beat leading into “Black Friday” by Thug featuring Lito the Plug boasting that bitches love when they’re in their gangsta bags. “Myself” by Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about preferring being rich instead of not having food for a day over a Mike WiLL Made-It instrumental while “Ønly ØWay” by Tezzus featuring Skrilla quenches for blood whilst standing on business.

The Uy Scuti Bøyz accompany Young Thug for the single “Hood of Atlanta” representing their hometown over a Feardorian beat while “YSL” by Yume featuring Thug shifts towards a largely melodic direction for a trap soul duet repping their set. “Crocodile Skin” by BSlime brings a more playful aura to the table instrumentally only knowing these Ws they’re catching regardless of the average performances while “Tezzus & diamond*” by the Uy Scuti Bøyz featuring Cash Cobain & Quavo talks about all 4 artists living their lives like stoners.

“Shawty Shawty” by Young Thug featuring HittMan bogs the quality down again uneventfully calling for their goes to come to the spot & drop it for them while “Biggest Since Mike Jack” pairs Jorjiana, Lito the Plug & Sk8star talking about being the most popular Indiana celebrity since the late King of Pop when Tyrese Haliburton’s had that spot for some time. “We Dead” by Thug featuring Trippie Redd spends a couple minutes getting materialistic while “Bvlgari” by iyrus & Yung Kayo featuring Biggs Money, Lil Unky, Lito the Plug concludes Disc 1 chartering shit for 8 minutes with iyrus & Kayo each spitting the hardest verses.

iyrus & Young Thug kick off Disc 2 having Lil Unky & Pz’ joining them during the playful sounding “Believe That” talking about YSL being the hottest imprint out in the streets while “Cha Ney Ney” by Thug & the Uy Scuti Bøyz looks to go high top with the Balenciaga over a rage beat. Another single “Consummate” by Tezzus & Thug maintains the hypertrap elements talking about wanting to fuck their partners while “Tonight” by diamond* & 1300SAINT hops over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental speaking of the team rockin’ red for an evening.

“NaNaNa” chiefly feels like a diamond* solo joint since he’s handling both the verses by himself other than Sk8star providing a few lines towards the 2nd & final one while “Say Dat” by iyrus, Young Thug & 1300SAINT talks about the trio originating in the belly of the beast. “Baddies” by Biggs Money & Cash Cobain got a chuckle outta me since it’s that bad of an attempt at going sexy drill while the 2-parter “Birthday” by Thug featuring Bay Swag & once again Cash Cobain was only a slight improvement in comparison.

Taurus gets behind the boards for “Switch Up” by Young Thug featuring BSlime talking about betrayal over some acoustics & hi-hats while “Weird” by Thug featuring Biggs Money & Lil Unky confronts individuals for acting stranger than usual around them. “Freaky Girl” by diamond* hooks up an iyrus beat that reminds me of GTA VI talking about being with a bad bitch who likes to get wild behind closed doors while “Bounce It” by Biggs Money & YKNIECE whips up a blandly redundant ass-shaker.

“Snakes on My Collar” by diamond* & the late Lil Keed was actually a profoundly bittersweet moment like having both of YSL’s past & present generations colliding while “Stole It from Us” by iyrus & the Uy Scuti Bøyz talks about people stealing their swag over a pluggy Pi’erre Bourne instrumental. “Fernando Mendoza” by Tezzus featuring Lil Unky & Sk8star shouts out the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie QB of the same name while “Countin’ Up” by Young Thug featuring Lil Righteous talks about thumbin’ through stacks.

Tezzus & Yung Kayo have Lito the Plug joining them for the bell-woven “Skyami” boasting they kill shit similarly to a theatrical film whole “Lil Bruh” by Young Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about winding up dead if one even dares of testing them. “Losing Sleep” by diamond* & Yume goes full alternative R&B/trap soul promising to make each others’ dreams become reality while “What It Do” by Thug & his brother Unfoonk at last puts an end to Slime Language III with a conflicted country trap outro.

This Halloween will be 2 whole years since Young Thug came home & considering the amount of time he’s spent since to rebuild YSL Records now they’ve gone independent signing some of the biggest trap artists in recent memory, it gave me the impression of Slime Language III possibly surpassing both it’s predecessors to become the saga’s finest entry. There are several instances where I liked the performances & production, but it overstays it’s welcome after a bit as a result of being ridiculously bloated & would imagine myself revisiting it more if all the needless filler was removed.

Score: 2/5

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Alex Warren – “Wildchild” review

Alex Warren is a 25 year old singer/songwriter, YouTuber & influencer from Carlsbad, California known for co-founding the Hype House collective of TikTokers. He eventually signed to with Atlantic Records in 2022 & wouldn’t drop his double full-length studio debut You’ll Be Alright, Kid until last summer. One of the most unpleasant listening experiences I had the previous year despite the hit single “Ordinary” embodying what the Billboard charts have become, so him coming back 13 months later for a sophomore effort until the beginning of fall next month unsurprisingly doesn’t raise my expectations or had me expecting a whole lot outta it.

“Emerald Eyes” experiments with disco to kick things off singing about hopes of this woman never letting him go whereas “Same Stars” hooks up some pianos asking “How the same stars over my head are the same stars from the night that you left?”. The 3rd single “Passenger” falls flat at a pop rock, dance-pop & new wave cut describing the feeling of helplessness in a 1-sided relationship just before the final single “Rescuer” blends alt-pop & folk pop thanking this female for pulling him out of an emotional darkness.

We get hints of gospel on “Cry Wolf” singing about a fire igniting in his veins whenever he hears someone mentioning an ex-girlfriend who wound up hurting him while the 2nd single “Fine Place to Die” depicts the apocalypse mixing adult contemporary & pop soul. After the “Are You Having Fun, Alex?” skit, “I Miss You More” sings about an individual in his life who’s been away for some time & pondering the idea of fathering a girl while “Only Thing Left” assures his partner they’re out of fight instead of love.

“Fever Dream” weakly fuses pop rock, pop soul & stomp & holler for a lead single inspired by his wife while “Won’t Go Back Again” emphasizes the stomp & holler elements singing about being done with setting himself on fire for the sole purpose of keeping others up. “Last Time” has somewhat of an Americana flare to it wishing he would’ve sooner realized he’d see this person for the very last time & the title track ends Wildchild singing about not letting this cruel world take our light away.

In a way, I can actually commend Alex Warren for experimenting a lot more throughout his 2nd album than his debut did regardless of me liking it no better or worse than what he dropped 13 months earlier. The adult contemporary, pop rock, dance-pop, stomp & holler, new wave, disco, gospel, alt-pop & folk pop production’s somehow more uninteresting than You’ll Be Alright, Kid & the songwriting still doesn’t do much of captivating me despite him trying to turn up the intimacy in his music.

Score: 1/5

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Queen Herawin – “D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me)” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Bronx, New York emcee Queen Herawin. A member of the Juggaknots, she eventually went on to drop an EP The Space Between Things following her debut Metamorphosis & appeared on Vinnie Paz’ 5th album as above so below only a month away from the world changing forever because of the pandemic. Coming off the sophomore effort Awaken the Sleeping Giant distributed by Coalmine Records however, P.A. Dre’s being brought in to soundtrack D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me).

After the “Into the Water” intro, “Diver” featuring Helixx C. Armageddon spends the opening 7 minutes talking about the time of alchemizing the void finally arriving whereas “Torch” featuring Breeze Brewin’ embraces a cloudy boom bap vibe instrumentally so both of them can discuss the responsibilities of the rap game not being ready to passed down yet. “Lucid Dream” blends a flute with kicks & snares asking what it really means to be alive while “Daydreaming” mellowly reflects back upon a place she used to know.

“Big O” featuring Tef Poe brings some rock undertones in the picture telling a hood romance story leading into the guitar-woven “Fever” passionately singing about 2 souls who yearn to be closer to each other. “Criminal” asks if she’s lying to herself from an opportunity of shifting towards something bigger just before “Sage” featuring Bernadette Price ends the 1st half having both ladies over a trap beat suggests sitting back & watching shit get crazy when the negative energy’s cleared.

After the “Soft” interlude, “Full Throttle” featuring King Jnus finds the pair getting the 2nd leg going hopping over a soulful trap instrumental depicting a couple nobody can fuck with while “Manifesto” featuring Ruste Juxx returns to the boom bap so they can lay out their policy statements on wax. “Together” featuring Rhymefest was unexpected considering the latter’s lack of musical activity in recent memory although I appreciated both of them talking about their immortality combined.

Unlearn the World appears on “Cook” talking about plucking the feathers outta every single one of these culture vultures prior to roasting them at the cookout while “Burn” featuring Nejma Nefertiti ruggedly speaks of having money to light on fire, which is why they even came in the first place. The closing track “Phoenix” spends the remaining minutes of D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me) telling her late mother she doesn’t have to fight anymore.

Awaken the Sleeping Giant faced all the emotions that she had turned a blind eye to & in contrast, D.O.T.O.M. (Death Of The Old Me) embraces a new era of Queen Herawin’s career with what I consider my favorite full-length of the 3 she’s given us in a decade spotlighting this new version of herself. There’s most consistency within P.A. Dre’s production than the predecessor tackling themes of release, renewal, transformation & the beauty that can emerge in the space between letting go & becoming.

Score: 4/5

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Majid Jordan – “2 Roads” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada alternative R&B duo Majid Jordan consisting of singer Majid Al Maskati & producer Jordan Ullman are back for their 5th studio LP. Forming in 2011, it wasn’t until a couple years later when 40 signed them to OVO Sound & was featured on their mentor Drake’s hit single “Hold On, We’re Going Home”. Their 2nd extended play A Place Like This stood tall as the best project in their catalog until their previous full-length Good People dropped in the fall of 2023, finding them stuck between 2 Roads hours after former 2-time TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Champion Maggie Lee became the inaugural TNA Knockouts Television Champion in Brampton.

“Have I Gone Too Far?” made for a cloudy alternative R&B intro singing about a woman giving Majid a broken heart in exchange for more than love whereas “Cold” blends PBR&B with synthpop demanding an answer regarding why he feels so alone. “Strangers” moodily sings about a couple being newcomers to each other in an alternate universe “Rich Man” expresses the desire of living in a crazy world & being in this woman’s arms makes him feel wealthy.

Continuing from there, “Rather Be with You” sings about wanting to cancel his plans & become a better man with his soulmate by his side just before “See You Again” goes for a more standard alternative R&B vibe promising to do anything to see this woman smiling again. “Dream” sings about only wanting what’s best for him & his lover leading into “Best Behaviour” featuring Clementine Douglas kicking off the 2nd half with a duet depicting a couple surrounding each other.

“Things Just Feel Better” maintains an atmospheric tone singing about everything improving around Majid when his partner’s around him while “The Reason” dabbles with trap soul letting this female know she’s exactly why he popped out for the evening. “Look What You’ve Done” confronts a girl who he believes is the cause of making him lose his entire sense of self while “Island Time” sings about making love in the evening like it’s all they know although I was disappointed at Naomi Sharon doing background vocals instead of having a verse.

The song “Every Last Bit of My Love” pens an open letter to someone he’s missing more & more by the day sending her all the affection he has in his might to make her feel like he’s there with her while “Thank You” sings about the gratitude he has for this person cherishing him, realizing this relationship was eternally meant to be. The harmoniously stripped-back title track ends 2 Roads assuring the limits you can bear & how to persevere will be learned sooner rather than later.

If Good People was the album Majid Jordan needed to rival the extended play they put out prior to being signed, then 2 Roads returns to the averageness that has defined a great bulk of the material they’ve made since joining the OVO roster over a decade earlier. Jordan Ullman’s production incorporates secondary influences of synthpop along with new jack swing & soft rock into the pairing’s signature alternative R&B sound with Majid Al Maskati either relishing in infatuation or wallowing in heartache.

Score: 3/5

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