A-F-R-O – “The Bad & the Ugly II” review

Los Angeles, California emcee/producer A-F-R-O running it back with Stu Bangas for his latest LP. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his Duck Down Music Inc.-backed 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo introduced himself as a promising up-&-comer within the underground. The Drawing Board alongside The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First and Crimson Fury have all testified to his vengeful return in recent memory, preluding his upcoming 14th EP No More Patience with The Bad & the Ugly II.

A sequel to “Lost Souls” off the original Bad & the Ugly begins assuring that he still sees the finer things despite having glaucoma whereas “Pack It In” mixes sampling with kicks & snares calling back to the House of Pain single “Jump Around” in that battling him’s a sin. “Bring Ya Best Army 2” featuring One Be Lo dustily picks up where the predecessor left off last Halloween leading into “Mastermind” featuring Wordsworth talking about life ain’t a game to them.

“Use Your Brain” pushes towards the end of the 1st half advising one to think prior to stepping up to the microphone just before “Conductor” hops over an organ-inflicted boom bap instrumental to talk about conducting poetry whenever he’s in the booth. “Man of God” featuring Motion+ finds the 2 speaking being beyond blessed with their lives & having no tolerance towards disrespect while “My Saloon” talks about pouring up lyrical brew & not allowing any punk muhfuckas in his bar.

We get some pianos & a drum machine on “The Quick & The Dead” addressing the type of rappers who think they slick by busting their rhymes with speed when they’re really not while “No Regrets” featuring 4-IZE talks about living life without any remorse. “D’Amalfi” produced by Young Bangas marks the only track that Stu didn’t produce soulfully discussing being on this grind, but never thought he’d still be dreaming.

“Pandemic Posse” featuring Blaq Poet, EKYM1536, Emsee Prospekt, Horror City, Motion+ & Pulse Reaction takes up the next 6 minutes properly introducing themselves collectively while “Glistening” asks all the party people if they’re still listening to him rock the stage. “Stairway 2 Heaven” finishes with some rap rock undertones explaining that God told him to use his mind as a weapon.

The Bad & The Ugly II might be a little more heavier on the features compared to the original that came out last Halloween, but I’d certainly put it above Crimson Fury by only slight margin as much as I highly enjoyed that conceptual self produced extend extended play 5 months ago. The production almost entirely handled by Stu Bangas of course recaptures the flawlessly raw energy of The Bad & The Ugly, with A-F-R-O’s pen leveling up in terms of gruesomeness.

Score: 4/5

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Crimeapple – “Hanzai” review

Brand new full-length LP & the 19th overall from Hackensack, New Jersey lyricist Crimeapple. Becoming a fan of his in the fall of 2017 with his 4th EP Sweet Dreams along with the Big Ghost Ltd. produced full-length debut Aguardiente that next spring, his profile in the underground grew exponentially from there. Discography standouts include the DJ Skizz-produced Wet Dirt, the DJ Muggs-produced Medallo, Cartagena, Breakfast in Hradec, Sin Cortar, the Preservation-produced El León, the official Aguardiente sequel Bazuko, the Mello Music Group-backed This, Is Not That produced by Apollo Brown, Rose Gold & more recently the V Don produced Bulletproof Chicken. Almost 3 months since the latter, Hanzai has arrived in time for Black Friday.

“Mastery” kicks the door down by hooking up a drumless beat recalling a time where he was deemed more than worthy following a performance in Tokyo, Japan & with by the blade whereas “Cocainerose” cloudily talks about rising out the coke game to having his neck froze. “14hrflight” takes the boom bap route instrumentally going to get what’s his right off the payload just before “Talmbout” featuring RLX go at the throats of the type of people who have no business discussing smoke.

As for “Forever” produced by Billy Loman, we have Crime ominously talking about traveling around the world doing the most trying to motivate leading into “Zipfile” ruggedly making guap with the ziplock bags of dope that he’s been whipping up where his homie’s girlfriend stays at. “Bajo” strips the drums again lighting a black & mild over some sumptuous piano chords but after “Sayonara” reunites with DJ Skizz talks about leaving a hoe who loves toxicity way too much, “Madamewoo” advises to picture him running the game without using his legs.

“MetroPCS” starts the final leg of Hanzaiexplaining that raising fingers at his crew isn’t the way he does things around here while “1,000,000 Miles” talks about running laps around the entire city. “Brownbutter” including an uncredited feature incorporates a drumless soul sample clarifying that they only bang bitches & bank accounts while the V Don-laced closer “Tippytoes” sends it all off talking about doing his time acting humble, advising one should’ve taken advantage at that point.

Can’t say I came away from Hanzai enjoying it on the same caliber as Rose Gold or Bulletproof Chicken, but the 4th & likely final project from Crimeapple this year excluding the Escama collaborative EP with Primo Profit contains plenty of highs that make it worth your time. Some of the production may not stick out to me as much as his last couple albums & both guest performances were passable, although his lyricism remains gratifying.

Score: 3.5/5

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Von Pea – “Putcha Weight on It” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer Von Pea reuniting with The Other Guys for his 4th solo LP. Currently 1/2 of Tanya Morgan with Donwill, he would later embark on a solo career with 2007 debut mixtape Grand Vonye as well as it’s follow-up So Motivational: The Most Skullduggery of Mixtapes & the full-length debut Pea’s Gotta Have It. Right after the Duly Noted. EP was when Mighty Joe & Isaiahstarted working with Von however, producing the To: You EP along with the sophomore effort The Fiasco & the I’m Good Luv, Enjoy EP respectively. Last we heard from Von by himself was his previous album City for Sale & Duly Noted 2, running it back with The Other Guys suggesting to Putcha Weight on It.

“More Johnny” opens up with a boom bap instrumental explain it that his legendary status will continue to be spoken of even when he’s gone whereas “Roadblock” featuring Che Noir finds the pair talking about people clapping at barriers & trying to rap with Black Thought. The title track by Tanya Morgan featuring Skyzoo gives off a dusty jazz rap vibe coming in stronger than initially said while “Lights On” talking about phase 4 being the type of shit that keeps the power on.

Meanwhile on “Slide Off with Her Homie”, we have Von continuing to bring that old school boom bap style to the table telling us what he’ll do to a skeezer if she doesn’t see how dope he is until “Hains Point” heads for a jazzier direction once more spitting like they gave him some kind of bribe. “Knew It All” featuring Oddisee crosses over elements of jazz rap & boom bap responding to the people who act like they know everything just before “Love Over Like” soulfully talks about romance.

“Shown Up Me” begins Putcha Weight on It’s final moments by having the drums constantly fading in & out like ocean waves flexing that be doesn’t need more than 7 people whenever he makes an album leading into “Bway & Myrtle”talking about trying to get on during the off-season sampling an organ. “Root for the Villain” sends it all off with a funky outro remembering one of hip hop’s greatest lyricists & producers, which happen to be none other than the late MF DOOM.

The Fiasco up until this point has been my favorite Von Pea solo effort & to commemorate it’s 8-year anniversary passing yesterday, Putcha Weight on It improves from the divisive feedback I’m Good Luv, Enjoy received although I personally didn’t mind when it came 10 months succeeding the album that preceded City of Sale. He & The Other Guys liken their chemistry to the late King of Pop himself Michael Jackson & the revolutionary composer Quincy Jones linking back up after 7 whole years for a collection of jazzy boom bap hits.

Score: 4/5

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Daz Dillinger – “Rowtation” review

This is the 23rd solo LP & 3rd of 2025 from Long Beach, California rapper, producer & songwriter Daz Dillinger. Some of his cousins include Brandy & her brother Ray J, WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & the current AEW tbs Champion, CMLL Mundial Femenil Campeon, RPW British Women’s Champion and the new ROH Women’s World Television Champion Mercedes Moné. He eventually signed to Death Row Records & became an original in-house producer under the guidance of it’s co-founder Dr. Dre, forming Tha Dogg Pound with Kurupt not too long afterwards. Daz finally made his solo debut on ‘98 by putting out Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back on Death Row until departing rather quickly to put out 20 more albums of his own with almost 3 decades of experience in the game. Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 2 took it back to the essence of his debut earlier this summer and Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back 3 a couple months ago found some clarity regarding his complicated history with Tha Row. In preparation for Kurupt’s upcoming 7th album said to be fully produced by DJ Battlecat though, Dilly’s gonna make sure the west coast keeps him in Rowtation.

After the intro, “I’m Daz Dillinger” begins by properly reintroducing himself over a self-produced g-funk beat whereas “I’m a Dogg from Tha Dogg Pound” keeps that same vibe talking about coming up from the underground. The only single “DPGC” dabbles with trap maintaining the lowest prices ever when he touches the plug while “Indictment” soulfully looks for the line between the truth & divinity.

“Snitches” nears closer towards the end of Rowtation’s first half expressing his disdain for rats leading into “Fresh Outta Jail” talking about changing his fate now that he’s home from the penitentiary teaching the young shooters how to move right. “BangBang” once again takes the trap route instrumentally to spit that gangsta shit although I personally don’t care for the auto-tuned hook just before “Smokin’ on the Best” talks about the type of weed he stays puffin’.

As for “The Streets Will Miss You”, we have Daz reminiscing over a big homie of his who passed away while “When a Gangsta Loves a Woman” talks a out knowing when a G is lovestruck. “Superstition” fuses soul & g-funk speaking of chasing shadows regularly while “West Coast Legend” talks about his legacy over some synthesizers & hi-hats. The title track happens to be the actual song excluding the outro assuring that both coasts been known the deal with him.

Confirming in a recent interview with Da Inphamus Amadeuz that he’s no longer signed to Death Row as a solo artist because of him & Snoop getting into a catalog dispute, Daz Dillinger gears up to fully produce The LOX’s upcoming 5th full-length set to drop in 2026 by taking a more introspective approach conceptually for Rowtation exemplified with the inclusion of some of his family members throughout only hours following Mark Briscoe ending Kyle Fletcher’s reign as AEW TNT Champion & of course FTR defeating Brodido to become record 3-time AEW World Tag Team Champions & Samoa Joe becoming a 2-time AEW World Champion at Full Gear VII.

Score: 4/5

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SoFaygo – “Mania” review

Here is the sophomore effort from Cobb County, Georgia rapper SoFaygo. Cementing himself as one of the biggest faces in the plugg/pluggnB & rage scenes in recent memory, he’s since gone on to drop over a dozen EPs & it’s even resulted in Houston trap trailblazer Travis Scott signing him signed to Cactus Jack Records for his long awaited full-length debut Pink Heartz couple years back even though reception towards it was generally mixed. He coincided with the 1-year anniversary of both him making it on the XXL Freshman Class & the release of B4Pink with Go+, ready for some Mania roughly 54 weeks since applying Pressure.

“Open It Up” starts off by atmospherically talking about losing his appetite & getting his paper situation corrected whereas “Bankrolls” hazier trap approach instrumentally thanks to BryceUnknwn promising that he’ll be keeping stacks on him until the very end. “Outside” produced by Cardo could be my favorite of the bunch from the ethereal beat to the lyrics about being in a different dimension prior to “Back in the Mix” discussing his return a bit more over a glitchy sample.

Faygo’s plugg origins talking about every single day being a new payday for him just before the rage-inducing “Notice Me” courtesy of Ginseng referencing my 2nd favorite basketball player of all-time Kobe Bryant although I wish Hardrock had a verse. “Relocate” boisterously talks about female rockstars being his type & getting more geeked up than a zombie until thr6x brings back the rage during “Extreme” feeling like he’s running out of time.

“Challenge” yearns to take his lovers to where the millions are over these fuzzy, grungy synthesizers telling his girl that he understands that people are jealous of him because he’s on a whole different level while the trippy “Monster” kicks off the 2nd act by asking his partner if she loves the madness & the action. “Figure Me Out” cloudily talks about a woman intrigued by his lifestyle while “Mission” makes reference to my all-time favorite basketball player Michael Jordan over an Ayelavish! beat.

Internet Money Records in-house producer Rio Leyva jumps behind the boards for mind-altering “Count Up Fast” poppin’ tags with more rocks than the Warner Bros.-owned Flintstones franchise while “Wasted” runs it back with thr6x to talking about consuming lean to the point of feeling numb. The only single “Money & Clothes” explains that those’re the only 2 things he knows while “Grow” talks about prioritizing his career & counting bread daily.

The song “Crash Out” begins Mania’s last 7 minutes incorporating more synths popping out in a Rick Owens fit & calling out the frauds pretending they solid when they’re disloyal in actuality while the cloudy “Safe” gets on demon time thumbin’ through his bills chillin’. “See Me Shine” finishes with another throwback to SoFaygo’s pre-Cactus Jack sound advising to not waste one’s time on how he’s been doing.

Go+ quickly silence the crowd that thought SoFaygo had become washed after signing to Cactus Jack Records & if the divisive reception of Pressure had anybody thinking that we were in for a sophomore slump, you’d be sorely mistaken because this is the best he sounded since he got a label deal & his strongest full-length of the 2. The production is a mix of old & new sounds he’s explored throughout his career, recapturing the energy of “MM3” off Jackboys II.

Score: 4/5

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1300SAINT – “Savior” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist 1300SAINT finally releasing his 3rd LP. Known for staying out of the box with a versatile sound & style drawing in listeners from all walks of life painting pictures of all colors & shapes to create a true experience for his audience, the heavy 808 based instrumentals he lays his smooth vocals over on his full-length debut Noir makes you feel every song a little more than usual & led to Young Thug signing him to YSL Records not too long after he came home last Halloween. All Hail marked his debut for the label, preluding Savior with Saint Season as well as 4 & NewDrug. respectively. However, the main course has arrived.

We get some background vocals & hi-hats colliding all over the intro “Bigger Than Life” so 1300 can describe how he’s been feeling this whole entire year to the world whereas “Kyoto” talks about being posted up in the capital city of the 京都 prefecture of 日本. “Stop Playin” finds himself refusing to go back-&-forth with these clowns online including a jab at his former labelmate 9 Vicious just before the cloudy “Slitherin’” talks about having his way.

Lil Gotit fresh off his new collaborative album with his late brother Lil Keed this past Halloween appears on “R.I.P. Pope” so they can sell swag & discuss the way both of them are living while “Heard It All” embraces a hazier trap vibe talking about how that bro shit don’t work with him anymore. “Divine” luxuriously breaks down his expensive habits & assuring the racks don’t speak for him while the flute-tinged “Mona Lisa” talk about possibly needing money counseling.

“Palm Springs” starts the 2nd half of 1300SAVIOR’s sophomore effort for YSL repping his squad for eternity & promising this fine woman that he’s been speaking to that he’ll buy her anything she wants leading into “Slimier > You” boisterously talking about how slimy he is. “Bounty” gives off a shimmery trap atmosphere suggesting you might need another engine to catch up with him while “Soulties” talks about not giving a fuck regarding all these broke ass rapper & not regressing to his past self.

Yung Heir makes the 2nd & final guest appearance of Savior on “Chainz & “Corvettez” decently clarifies they ain’t ever lonely because of the cash flow while “Flaws” talks about getting his killstreak back up. “Return You” likens himself to a pilot the way he make these muhfuckas flying while the “Interlude” feels more like a 3 & a half minutes song talking about going through it all. “Savior Solitude” spaciously concludes by showing off his singing chops over a beat kin to Yeezus.

Now it was confirmed yesterday that 9 Vicious is officially no longer on YSL Records despite Young Thug initially saying he was the weekend Uy Scuti dropped due to Tezzus recently joining the rebuilding label & 9 Vicious having beef with him, 1300SAINT has already paving the way for a new generation of YSL since late February & this could be my favorite project of the 5 he’s dropped since he got signed. The production is more detailed than NewDrug. a few months ago & despite Yung Heir’s feature being the weakest of the 2, I do admire that he & Gotit’s verses make Savior feel less monotonous than All Hail.

Score: 4/5

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Ouija Macc – “America’s Most Wicked” review

3rd album from Las Vegas, Nevada emcee Ouija Macc in 2025 & his 9th overall. Breaking out when the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records shortly after putting out his debut EP Trashfire independently, Ouija has since proven himself as the hatchet’s biggest solo act dropping his last 8 full-lengths, 2 greatest hits compilations, 8 mixtapes & 5 EPs all in the span of nearly 8 years. He even started his own label Chapter 17 Records, with Darby O’Trill now being the only artist other than Ouija & teamed up with each other 13 months ago for the excellent collab effort Anemoia building up Darcc Planet to become the darccest material of his career last summer. Psycho Babbel came a couple months later, entering the Temple of Ash & Chlorine proved that he’ll always be a scrub no matter how clean he gets. Sunken Church however concluded the story that Darcc Planet began, declaring himself America’s Most Wicked a few weeks after Matt Cardona & The Outbreak became the new JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion & JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions respectively on episode 64 of JCW Lunacy. Can’t forget to mention the controversial WWE, WCW & TNA Wrestling writer and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vince Russo becoming the head writer of Lunacy’s either.

“Rigor Mortis” produced by Devereaux after the “John Walsh” intro begins talking about how juggalos don’t ever die & suggest that all the pussies knock it off with that shit whereas “Old Fashion Horror” locks in with DeadBoyGrim for response to the people asking what happened to traditional horror with a modern wicked shit banger he’s perfected up until this point. “Acqua Panna Tuscany” blends cloud rap & trap to talk about how you can’t fuck with the juggalo like him leading into “Offa Me” talking about giving 0 fucks whatsoever.

Moving on from there, “Stalker Jr.” talks about this woman blocking him & having 30 other different numbers so he can stay in contact with her while “Honky Tonk” boasts that he’ll buy a chainsaw off Amazon for the sole purpose of choppin’ up it’s CEO Jeff Bezos. “Phonky Homicidalyst” cleverly blends horrorcore & phonk music looking for cowards in a droptop until “Juggzilla” talks about being the juggalo version of ゴジラ.

“Let’s All Fly” continues with a ghostly trap vibe wanting the so as if there isn’t a fire blazing on the other side while the eerie lead single “Lil’ 1700” talks about creepin’ out the gutter ready to show the underground what the fuck it is. “Formaldehyde” pulls from the Memphis scene a bit making a dope reference to “Guts on the Ceiling” off Carnival of Carnage at the end of the 1st verse while “S.M.D.M.F.D. (Suck My Dick Muthafucka, Die!)” gives off that exact mentality.

Beginning the final leg of America’s Most Wicked, the cloudy trap crossover “Mama House” issues a warning that you don’t want to see him in Juggalo form while the psychedelic “Bong Rips” comes through with a stoner’s anthem for the playalos. “Cemetery Mane” cloudily talks about being haunted by an entity whispering his name while “Hypnotize” ethereally addresses those who have it out for him.

“Show & Tell” portrays himself as a teacher having the whole class yellin’ after swinging this hatchet & admitting that he likes to load a clip as much as choppin’ up bodies while “The Willows” talks about murdering sex offenders & bigots affiliated with all sorts of hate groups. “Build My Home” ends by suggesting he makes himself at home in a cemetery, unsure if God’s answering his prayers & realization the only thing left is the certainty of death.

Coming fresh off the news of Ouija Macc expecting his 3rd child & him buying a 17 acre farm that he calls Juggalo City, the CEO of the Psychopathic Records subsidiary Chapter 17 Records finishes his 2025 by rightfully claiming the title of America’s Most Wicked. Filled with 20 tracks of certified wicked shit with 3 of them not being on streaming due to their extremities, it’s basically a soundtrack to the hypothetical situation of the country burning to the ground.

Score: 4.5/5

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De La Soul – “Cabin in the Sky” review

One of the most beloved hip hop groups of all-time from Amityville, New York consisting of Posdnuos, Dave & DJ Maseo a.k.a. De La Soul. Their first few full-lengths 3 Feet High & Rising, De La Soul is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate & stakes is high under Tommy Boy Records would all become some of the greatest of the late 80s & early/mid 90s. Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump & Art Official Intelligence 2: Bionix were both solid although I wouldn’t call them classics like their earlier material, but The Grind Date might be the most underrated entry in their discography. 1st Serve came out during my sophomore year of high school through Duck Down Music Inc. & it was a fun conceptual listen, putting out & the Anonymous Nobody… under their own label AOI Records almost a decade ago next summer. Dave unfortunately passed away in 2023 of congestive heart failure & he still appears posthumously throughout De La’s 10th album, which marks their debut for Mass Appeal Records serving as the 6th & penultimate installment of their Legend Has It series.

After the “Cabin Talk” intro performed by Giancarlo Esposito from the Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul & The Boys/Gen V franchises, the first song “YUHDONTSTOP” beautifully opens up with the group assuring that the magic will forever come in 3 whereas “Sunny Storms” produced by DJ Premier takes a symphonic boom bap route instrumentally slowing down the sample he used during the final verse explaining there’s no need to grieve over the old you. “Good Health” keeps it dusty thanks to Supa Dave West for an ode to staying healthy in light of Plug 2’s death leading into “Will Be” colorfully talking about nobody stopping them.

Pete Rock flips both “7 Years” by The Impressions & “Uphill Peace of Mind” by Kid Dynamite during the lead single “The Package”for Posdnuos & Dave to trade verses with one another rightfully boasting their status amongst the finest in all of Long Island while “A Quick 16 for Mama” featuring Killer Mike talks about their respective mothers over a soulful Nottz beat. “Just How It Is (Sometimes)” turns up the funk so they can explain the way life goes occasionally until “Cruel Summers Bring FIRE LIFE!!” samples “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” by the late Roy Ayers fighting for love.

“Day in the Sun (Gettin’ Wit U)” featuring Q-Tip reaches the halfway point with the 2nd & final single talking about another day beginning with them having nothing to do while “Run It Back!!” featuring Nas joins forces over more sampling to get in their battle rap bags lyrically. “Different World” soulfully talks about being in a place in their career where they’re no longer tasting the grit that they were craving almost 4 decades earlier while “Patty Cake” heads for a conscious direction thematically over a soothing Jake One instrumental.

Meanwhile on “The Silent Life of a Truth”, we have Premier hooking up a gospel sample cautioning that parents will still push the harsh realities away from children to make sure the fairy tales stay in place & to stay vigilant while “EN EFF” featuring Black Thought jazzily suggests not to make them laugh because muhfuckas be funny out here. “Believe in Him” turns up the gospel influences a lot higher talking about spirituality while “Yours” featuring Common & Slick Rick advises to not to be left astray.

“Palm of His Hands” kicks off the final leg of Cabin in the Sky with some sumptuous pianos talking about not wanting to get any older & the truth being a little heavy to lift up at times while the title track remembers Trugoy the Dove on top of a Supa Dave beat that kinda reminds me of some of A Tribe Called Quest’s material. “Don’t Push Me” finishes De La’s debut for Mass Appeal with a bittersweet self-produced Dave solo joint homaging “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5 during the hook.

As we prepare for Nas & Premier to end the Legend Has It series in 3 weeks, De La Soul’s return after almost a decade could most likely become my favorite of theirs since The Grind Date & rivals Mobb Deep’s final album Infinite for the right of being called the best entry in this whole run Mass Appeal Records has been on. Posdnuos & DJ Maseo not on oh honor the legacy of Trugoy a.k.a. Dave, but they extending that tribute much further to all the loved ones they’ve lost along the way 24 hours after what would’ve been the late Phife Dawg’s born day.

Score: 4.5/5

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Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover – “What of Our Nature” review

Portland, Oregon singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx & Portland, Maine singer/songwriter Max García Conover reuniting for their 2nd collaborative project. Originally joining forces in the fall of 2018 for the final chapter of the Among Horses trilogy following Haley’s debut album I Need to Start a Garden, her sophomore effort Seed of a Seed celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary at the very beginning of the month & looks to recapture the late Woody Guthrie’s spirit from opposite corners of the country on What of Our Nature under Fat Possum Records.

“Song for Alicia” begins with a singer/songwriter intro telling the story of Alicia Rodríguez whilst further explaining that the Proud Boys & the Puerto Ricans are the only 2 groups convicted of American sedition. “Mr. Marketer” goes for a folkier vibe singing about Haley being told she was destined to grow a bold-hearted woman she thought she’d never know just before the stripped-back “Boars” feels optimistic of hipping through the cat grass living like the biggest little sluggers on the farm.

As for “Cowboying”, we have Haley & Max carrying the folky singer/songwriter sound over to sing about being unable to get these horses out of their heads & not being so sure as to what they want to eat while “In Bulosan’s Words” remembers the late Carlos Bulosan to end the 1st half. “This Morning, I’m Born Again” kicks off the 2nd leg with more acoustics singing that there’s only this emptiness against them while “Fluorescent Light” explains that the kind of lighting we’re living under is absorbing electromagnetic radiation.

“Buffalo, 1981” starts What of Our Nature’s final moments seeing about how this country hates the poor when that couldn’t be more relevant because of the whole SNAP benefits situation occurring during the new longest government shutdown while “To Each Their Dot” sings about humanity’s best interest being circular & simply making money off of us fighting the good fight. “Red River Dry” finishes by looking at Haley’s lineage like “Buffalo, 1981” did with Max’s.

Spending the last 12 months sharing creative ideas in the midst of reading Woody Gunthrie’s biographies & slowly exploring a patchwork of Americanism to see where their stories fit, Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover find themselves with this collection of music Woody left behind channeling the union of spontaneity as well as sweetness & defiance that made him one of the most important figures in all of American folk music over guitars & percussion, carrying on his legacy with a singer/songwriter & indie folk LP that raises the stakes of their creative chemistry.

Score: 4/5

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Awich – “Okinawan Wuman” review | エイウィッチ – 「沖縄のウーマン」レビュー

Awich is a 38 year old rapper from Naha, Okinawa, Japan introducing herself almost 2 decades ago off her debut EP Inner Research & Asian Wish Child respectively. She returned in 2017 with the full-length debut 8, which she would follow up by putting out Beat & Heart as well as her sophomore effort Kujaku & Partition. Queendom was fine for what it was & United Queens was a decent prelude to The Union, enlisting one of my top 10 producers of all-time RZA from the almighty Wu-Tang Clan for her 5th studio LP.

After the “Lotus” introductory skit, the lead single “Butcher Shop” featuring A$AP Ferg sets it all off with a boom bap opener giving it to y’all as raw as desired whereas “Fear Us” featuring Joey Bada$$ & RZA after the “Kaiju of Okinawa” skit finds the trio coming together to talk about those afraid of the truth. “Wax On Wax Off” by A$AP Ferg & Lupe Fiasco samples “Jeans Blues” by Meiko Kaji referencing The Karate Kid but after the “Flexin’ in Shibuya” skit, “Shibuya Flex” featuring MIKE & 454 talks about them having to lose it all.

“Hold It Down” featuring Westside Gunn starts the 2nd half referencing the current AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada set to retire New Japan Pro-Wrestling president Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 20 while “A Woman Hung Up” talks about being the finest out of Okinawa with a dollar & a dream. “Ghosts of the East” takes the trap route instrumentally looking to haunt the world to their bones & prior to the “Full Circle” outro, the final song “Noble Lies” talks about the very thing that makes the world go around.

To make up for the Juice Crew’s reunion EP getting pushed back, Okinawan Wuman kinda reminds me of Anarchy’s 2nd EP My Mind produced by Statik Selektah celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary last month in the sense that both are fine examples of the traditional boom bap sound originating in New York refined for a Japanese emcee who’s been around for a couple of decades already. Not only that, but I can’t forget to mention the stellar guest list either.

Score: 4/5

スコア: 4/5

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