Bktherula – “N5ON” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Bktherula back for her 4th studio LP. Beginning a decade ago as a pop/R&B singer, she eventually broke out in the plugg scene after dropping the single “Tweakin’ Together” produced by my lil homie Mars off her debut mixtape Love Santana. This resulted in her signing to Warner Records, following it up with her sophomore tape Nirvana along with the full-length debut Love Black & LVL5. Coming off LVL5 2 & Lucy however, she’s returning 16 months later for N5ON.

“I Go Punk” kicks things off with Whethan fusing grime, dubstep, pop rap & hybrid trap talking about killing the ego right then & there leading into “Activated” produced by iloveit! chaotically admitting she’ll be on her worst behavior once she’s finished with this cup in her hand. “Oh Yay” goes for an atmospheric direction instrumentally yearning to see her lover’s body moving in different ways while “Addicted2U” featuring underscores blends electropop, electro house, dance-pop, hyperpop & progressive house achieving their goal of making something generational.

Cade gets behind the boards during “2002” talking about the club playing her music in a room full of sexy women just before “2wice” confronts someone who walked passed her a couple times like they never shared a name. “Lost in a Rave” talks about her desire of hearing a bass drop until it cuts through the evening & once “Afterz” flexes her money being longer than a pterodactyl, “Drunk” finds herself wanting to get wasted with her partner.

“Wav” hops over a Keyon Christ beat admitting this feels more like a dream to her instead of sincere love while “Push Pull Method” talks about a lost friend of hers who she can’t stop thinking of saying she would marry her when the party ends only to marry some other guy. “Jevitas” lets ¥en Diezel handle the sole verse going full-blown Spanish for an anthem dedicated to all the youthfully attractive women in the function while “Alisha” ends N5ON advising the person addressed not to call her without humble intentions.

Both singles that’ve come out within the past several months were a clear indication of Bktherula making a stylistic departure with N5ON & unsurprisingly, it’s the most experimental thing she’s made thus far. The songwriting’s noticeably more repetitive than anything she’s done previously, but the largely EDM-oriented production contrasting the trap/rage sounds she became known for at the turn of the decade validates it.

Score: 3.5/5

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k-os – “BLackneck” review

k-os is a 54 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada whose full-length studio debut Exit alongside the sophomore effort Joyful Rebellion & Atlantis: Hymns for Disco cemented himself as a dominant force in the Canadian hip hop scene despite releasing his debut single in 1996. Yes! we well as BLack on BLonde & Can’t Fly Without Gravity would all be welcomed to mixed reception, returning over a decade after the latter to have Drake oversee the creation of his 2nd extended play.

The self-produced “Still #1” opens up with k-os over a boom bap instrumental making the observation of there being no blacks in power around his parts leading into “OK Corral” letting this woman know she’s not the only one who wants to shoot his firearm. “Eureka!” comes through with a cross between “Beat It” by the late Michael Jackson & “Hey Ya!” by André 3000 talking about being loved despite his ugliness just before flexing that he has the “Golden Touch”, leaning towards a Velvet Underground vibe.

“i would never.” winds down the last few moments of BLackneck amplifying the rock influences we heard moments ago, this time drawing inspiration from The Hives so he can make a promise to not even attempt at steal someone else’s girl because he believes there’s already too much beauty in the world as there is while the 2nd & final single “Guns&Roses” talks about cutting rappers up like it’s chop suey, throwing it back to the Joyful Rebellion days. The closing track “Hootenanny” sends off the EP with a 3 & a half outro reminiscent to De La Soul.

It really isn’t much of a surprise Drake financially backed BLackneck considering k-os has always been one of his biggest musical influences & the fact they did a song together back in 2011 called “Faith”. Even if Drizzy’s detractors choose to put his involvement as executive producer to the side, Kheaven made up for the lukewarm reception that’s defined his work since Atlantis: Hymns for Disco by reminding us all of his talents whether it’s his varied production style or him becoming the change he wants to see.

Score: 3.5/5

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Majik Ninja Entertainment – “Songs of Samhain V: Outside of Heaven” review

Here is the 7th showcase compilation from Detroit, Michigan underground hip hop label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Founded by Twiztid & their manager George Vlahakis in 2014 after departing from Psychopathic Records only 2 years before, they quickly built an empire or their own from bringing a few other PSY alumni along for the ride to help introduce G-Mo Skee & Alla Xul Elu to a much wider audience. The label’s first comp showing off their roster Year of the Sword has to be my personal favorite of the bunch thus far with all respect to Songs of Samhain as well as the Attack of the Ninjas compilation & Songs of Samhain 2: Haunted Record Player. However, they’re coming off Cult of Night & The Liminal Space to describe the Outside of Heaven.

After the “Pumpkin Boy” intro, “Glow in the Dark” by Jamie Madrox produced by DeadBoyGrim kicks things off with this trap opener talking about being crazy above intelligence whereas “Maybe I’m Dead” also by Madrox asks whether or not he really feels alive over a spooky Fritz the Cat beat. “Some Kinda Narcotic” by Bizarre, Jamie Madrox & LG talks about the music taking them to a hypnotic place over a boom bap instrumental from Stu Bangas leading into “W.W.W. (Wicked Worldwide)” by Anybody Killa & Twiztid dabbling with g-funk to clap back at their haters.

“Far from Ok” by Jamie Madrox, Krazy Attitude & Kryple finds the trio admitting they’re nowhere near being fine on top of a rock/trap fusion that Grady Finch cooked up while “Loser” by Hyro the Hero & Madrox talks about them not amounting to shit. “Pledge” by Blaze Ya Dead Homie, James Garcia or the artist formerly known as Young Wicked & Jamie Madrox links up so they can tell those who did them wrong to not do them the same just before “Blockin’ Out” by FJ Outlaw, Madrox & N*RAGED talks about cancelling out any negative energy.

Boondox joins Jamie Madrox for “Skin” so they can discuss their preference of being themselves instead of anyone else while “You Got Murdered” by James Garcia & Twiztid talks about what’ll happen if you speak ill of the wicked shit. “Pumpkin Pail” by Blaze Ya Dead Homie & Jamie Madrox explains how hollow they can be while “Just Outside” by Madrox & The R.O.C. preceding the “Pumpkin Boy No More” outro expresses hope of finding a way to get it.

I’ve enjoyed pretty much every single installment we’ve had in the Songs of Samhain series ever since MNE began dropping these comps when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shut the entire world down but if I had to choose my least favorite chapter in the saga, Outside of Heaven would hold the bragging rights for that title although it’s largely decent & that’s because it’s curator Jamie Madrox performs a bulk of these without Monoxide other than only a couple tracks.

Score: 3/5

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bleood – “Kill Your Idols” review

Floridian recording artist bleood at last putting out his full-length studio debut after several delays. Someone who’s debut extended play Seal of Memories came out in the fall of 2023 followed by a handful of a-side/b-side singles preceding the Rascal 51 as well as Pain & How Bleood Stole Xmas EPs respectively. Case in point: You Don’t Need Your Skin or the divisively received IDK I Can’t Say. Coming off the Kill of B Killd & Protagonist EPs however, Kill Your Idols looks to surpass Haunted Hills along with everything else he’s done.

“aw02 angel cry” sets the tone of what’s to come chaotically talking about how he can’t go anywhere because he’s been up & dissing 9 Vicious whereas “bite yoh neck” asks this woman who he can’t save whether or not she’d still love him if he passed. “flying dutchman” boasts his increasing popularity talking about having 2 hoes around him until “Lead Never Follow” featuring Pz’ flexing they were so stoned to the point where Medusa was their bitch.

The way “Onwards, Entrance Exams!” by あずまんが大王 gets sampled during “she loves me i hate her” was pretty neat, talking about bleood’s lifestyle along with guns & drugs just before “stupid b#@_h ruined my mood” airs out a chick who’s been getting under his skin. “i’m the king dracula” calls for the deaths of anyone who be sippin’ the lowest lean quality imaginable while “im a rascal surfer in a ocean of bleood” talks about trying to swim in the pussy.

“yu broke me down i built myself up” kicks off the 2nd half asking if anyone wants to the ride this wraith he’s driving leading into “super nova” talking about dual-wielding the green-red beam like Christmas came earlier than expected. “peeley” samples “EARDRUMMER” by che to discuss guns, money & women while “No New Frens” talks about his wealth regardless of the kllhhr “feature” being so short that it’s inclusion felt rather pointless.

BenjiCold gets behind the boards during “diablo may cry” speaking of looking to make more money & wanting better out of this slut he’s addressing while “2k tip” featuring FullyChop & SlimeGetEm decently trades verses without the need of a hook. “shiro” talks about having different colored hair similar to the No Game, No Life character of the same name & once “Kat Lazer Eye Chain” talks about getting ready to splash everything, “last” concludes the album referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson.

Everything that bleood’s dropped in the past few years has all built up to this moment & now that Kill Your Idols has seen the light of day, I’d easily put it above the Pain tape as the most riveting entry in his discography. The experimental production varies between rage, drill, free car music, digicore, industrial hip hop & Chicago drill with the animated performances balancing lyrical themes of hardcore & horror regardless of Pz’ having the strongest guest appearance of the select few joining him.

Score: 4/5

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Dominic Fike – “How to Quit Smoking” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Naples, Florida musician, singer/songwriter & rapper Dominic Fike. Signing to Columbia Records in 2018 off his debut EP Don’t Forget About Me & later What Could Possibly Go Wrong? during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would later join the cast of the Skydance Corporation division Warner Bros.-owned HBO series Euphoria during it’s 2nd season & the sophomore effort Sunburn wound up being more well received than it’s predecessor. 14 Minutes preluded his debut mixtape Rocket to mixed feedback & looks to teach the world How to Quit Smoking.

“Wallflower” was a decent indie pop opener singing about the type of person who’s shy yet introverted whereas “Small Town” works in some bedroom pop influences so he can reminisce over a woman he once knew, hoping to rekindle their relationship even though she’s not who she once was. “Pangea” combines bedroom pop, neo-soul & pop rap to discuss a relationship that has some serious potential while “Casting Call” sings about feeling like he’s up against robots due to the rise of AI.

reggie joins Dominic for “Doomsday” to directly addressing the theme of them going cold turkey on smoking & letting their partners know they love them more than they did the day prior leading into “Honeylove” featuring Grace Ives singing about wanting to consume each other’s DNA. “White Keys” blends alt-pop & bedroom pop for an observation of the space around them changing negatively affecting his relationship just before “Squeeze” sings about wanting to feel his lover’s touch.

“Reno” featuring Hether continues the 2nd half of the album throwing it all the way back to the What Could Possibly Go Wrong? era stylistically while “Lily Was a Cavalier” sings about the titular character fucking him much better than any of his exes have. “Cabby” featuring Emma Ogier finds the pair admitting they’re at their worst when they forget the humanity of their love while “City of Steel” featuring Jorjiana originating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania talks about heartbreak.

Danny Brown’s appearance during “Not the Spirit” ranks amongst my personal favorites contemplating whether or not they’d break even if they had a dime for every time they went broke while “War Machine” sings about his regrets ranging from drug abuse to infidelity, including an interpolation of “Got Ya Money” by the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard when the hook comes around. “Spotlight / Innerchild” finishes How to Quit Smoking in the form of a 2-parter promising to do his best despite not knowing what’s next.

Originally announced a couple months ago right when the Comedy Tragedy Parody Tour was getting ready to commence, Dominic Fike finally drops How to Quit Smoking following 2 or 3 weeks of delays putting himself in a position where he had no other choice but to step his game up regardless of me still having Rocket as his finest statement yet. Primarily because the indie pop, pop rap, indie rock & bedroom pop production can feel repetitive after a bit although appreciate the themes of growing up are undeniably sincere.

Score: 3/5

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The Inner Realmz – “Beat Maker Ethics” review

California production team The Inner Realmz back for their 7th beat tape. Founded by Masta Cypher Devine & Goomson, they’ve been making waves in the west coast underground scene since the beginning of the current decade off their first 2 beat tapes SP 1000 and Build & Destroy followed by Low End Wizards as well as it’s sequel & Digital Chains. Goomson so happened to team up with Broke for a collaborative beat tape Heavy Wreck displaying Broke’s talents behind the boards for Side A & of course Goomson on Side B except for Masta Cypher Devine doing the closer. Omnipotent masterfully selected & arranged jazz samples catching my attention, coming off Mass Collide to reform & teach the world Beat Maker Ethics.

“Space & Time” spends the opening minutes drawing inspiration from 90s east coast boom bap/jazz rap reminiscent of a top 5 producer of mine Pete Rock whereas “The Math” works in an occasional vocal sample from the late Prodigy popping in & out keeping it raw. “No Destination” moves on from there fusing the traditional boom bap sound wiry elements of lounge music but once “Past Lives” swaps out the latter in favor of lo-fi hip hop, “Over & Over” ends the 1st half with another dusty 90s east coast throwback.

Kicking off the 2nd half, “Born Physical” retains the boom bap vibes with horns & a vocal sample right until letting the drums ride out while “Like This” brings somewhat of a psychedelic flare to the table whilst holding a tight grip on the ruggedness. “Nitro Fresh” kinda has an irresistible grooviness that I can’t get enough of & after “Bus Hoppin in ‘97” throws it back to the days of riding 1 bus after another 3 decades ago, “Afraid to Represent” concludes the tape with the crew’s de facto leader treading the boom bap/jazz rap waters 1 last time.

It’s cool to hear Goomson, Jon Deliz, Mike B & Ripe143 recruiting more up-&-coming producers to join The Inner Realmz because Beat Maker Ethics celebrates this new era in their career testifying the power of community & creativity by having newcomers Dexplorist, Roving Jewel, Cash Gordon, Sturks, Carlskee & Gizmo help the create a rawly authentic & unique presentation of their perspectives & styles bound together by a shared passion for underground hip hop.

Score: 4/5

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Ramson Badbonez – “Crystal Skull” review

Brand new studio LP & the 15th overall from Highbury, North London, England, United Kingdom emcee Ramson Badbonez. An underwing of the Task Force, he would eventually sign to Boot Records until making his High Focus Records debut in 2013 with A Year in the Life of Oscar the Slouch. Hypnodic, Jason Bonez, Mic Day the 13th, Death Mask, Fusion & the Leaf Dog-produced White Rabbit would all come out under the Hove, East Sussex imprint & has linked up with Illinformed for Crystal Skull.

After the “Psychic Channel” intro, the 2nd single “1 to 10” kicks things off with this soulful boom bap intro flexing the strength of his pen whereas the lead single “Animos City” talks about most having the inability of prevailing in this circular maze. “Lost Relic” takes the symphonic boom bap route instrumentally speaking of being heavenly suspenseful in mood until the 3rd single “Afterglow” talks about our light trying to be controlled whether it’s bright or not.

Farma G appears for the smooth yet dusty “True Colours” so they can discuss women revealing their real personalities to them after hiding it for some time just before the 4th & final single “Crime or Rhyme” hooks up a flute to talk about being intertwined by those 2 things since 1999 when he used to roll with the Task Force back in the day. “Code” gets the 2nd half narcissists displaying where their alliance truly lies while “Blue” passionately talks about his family life.

“Terrors” featuring Kakarot finds the pair discussing the fight or flight agenda while “Shots Fired” eerily gets in his battle rap bag lyrically. Blessing” featuring Leaf Dog hops over a soulful boom bap beat looking to hand out gratitude when one needs it & after “Guitar Case” cinematically shows off his storytelling abilities, “Spirit Science” featuring Mr. Rozzi wraps up Crystal Skull talking about the walls of time being quieter than inner silence.

It wasn’t too surprising to hear Ramson Badbonez reached out to Illinformed weeks after White Rabbit came out last spring to bring this sequel to life & sure enough, Crystal Skull will satisfy fans who resonated with it’s predecessor 19 months earlier ranking amongst the Silver Surfa’s finest material. He’s defiantly standing tall in spite of the world around him falling apart & Illinformed’s production feels unparalleled to Leaf’s, opening the door for the possibility of both Leigh Brothers getting behind the boards for the saga’s next chapter.

Score: 4/5

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Young Nudy – “Just Doin’ Me” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper Young Nudy returning for his 5th studio LP albeit Atlantic Records debut only days away until the Halloween weekend commences. Despite being cousins with 21 Savage, he eventually carved a lane of his own in the last decade with 10 mixtapes (the most notable ones being the Pi’erre Bourne-produced Sli’merre & it’s sequel) followed by his previous 4 full-lengths. However, he’s returning after taking a trip to Paradise explaining how he’s Just Doin’ Me.

“Hits” produced by FNZ was actually a pretty good note to start on talking about moving like the mafia whereas “Chicken Tender” expresses his frustration towards people acting like enemies instead of folks over a plugg instrumental from Coupe. “Let Me Show You” turns up the aggression so Nudy can talk about being on some Rick Owens shit daily just before the boastful 2nd single “Who Dat Is” running it back with Coupe to combine trap & Chicago drill.

Coupe sticks around for “Nonstop” pretty much reminding everyone that Nudy stays in the streets & flexing his wealth while “Stars in My Car” featuring Fatt Smaxk finds the pair decently talking about how far each of them have come. “Spinnin’” featuring 21 Savage moves on from there referencing one of my top 3 shows of all-time Better Call Saul leading into “War” talking about preparing to engage in combat against the type who act like they want beef.

“Spaghetti” kicks off the 2nd half of Just Doin’ Me hitting us with more gangsta imagery cautioning there’ll be issues if no one wants to ride for him while “F.B.G.M. (Fuck Bitches Get Money)” lets the world in regarding what motivates him. The 3rd & final single “Broke Bitch” airs out his grievances towards a woman who’s struggling financially while the lead single “Ya Dig” talks about riding with the type of people who kick doors down.

The song “Why Would I?” incorporates these haunting synth melodies making it clear that he’ll be in the cut if anyone wants to see him while “Judy” featuring J.I.D samples “My Life’s Alright” by Shira Small to talk about not fucking with lames. “Vibe Out” looks to show these muhfuckas the proper way of ballin’ & the prices not lowering for shit despite doing it all while the closing track “Cream Pie” spends the album’s remaining minutes talking about his girl eating up the dick.

A lot of people including myself would consider Young Nudy amongst the most consistent artists in trap, but I honestly wouldn’t rank Just Doin’ Me amongst his best material although I I certainly believe the positives outweigh the negatives. It’s always entertaining to hear him telling stories of what growing up in Zone 6 was like for him even if I was expecting more out of the production regardless of the appreciation I have for him trying to work with different producers.

Score: 3/5

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Asun Eastwood & Daniel Son – “Nom de Guerre” review

This is the 3rd collaborative LP from Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcees Asun Eastwood & Daniel Son produced by Futurewave. Notable for being members of the Brown Bag Money collective, they would originally unite in 2018 when teaching the Physics of Filth & ran it back during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when the previous album they did together Bite the Bullet dropped. So hearing they were doing Nom de Guerre nearly a month after former DPW Worlds Tag Team Champions, 新日本プロレスリングストロングオープン級タッグチームチャンピオン, RPW British Tag Team Champions & NXT Tag Team Champions the Grizzled Young Veterans ended 1st Faction’s reign as MLP Canadian Tag Team Champions.

After the intro, “MACV-SOG” breaks down the door with this hardcore boom bap opener likening themselves to the unconventional task force around the time of the Vietnam War whereas “Headcrack City” infuriatingly claps back at their detractors who thought they wouldn’t make it this far. “Plant the Flag” talks about claiming their turf since they’re standing on the hill prior to “Catch a Limit” dustily tuning out everyone who can’t play shit compared to them.

“Trump Towers” moves on from there depicting the gangsta lifestyle together over another boom bap instrumental while “Fassy Bwai” featuring Kardinal Offishall reaches the midway point of Nom de Guerre demolishing any coward who gets in their way. “Blood of the Irish” kicks off the 2nd half on some jazzier vibes talking about their desires of attempting to lay low for a bit just before “Clean Up Nice” details real life sob stories being fed up of being broke.

The song “Repugnant” blends a piano and the some kicks & snares talking about having an abundance of money & cocaine leading into “Riding Convey” featuring Wizdome Buntail & 36 Cypher finds the quartet sinisterly painting the walls using the blood of their opposition. “Dusty Particles” featuring Lord Juco brings an organ in the picture so all 3 of them can get in their hustler bags lyrically while the closer “Dirty Weaponry” chops up a drumless sample talking about showing the world beyond sight.

Sidelining my personal belief of Asun Eastwood’s output post-The S.O.U.L. (Science Of Understanding Life) being average at best, seeing him reuniting with Daniel Son for Nom de Guerre thankfully lived up to my expectations of becoming the strongest collab effort since he released 98 Miles with M.A.V. roughly 5 & a half years ago. Physics of Filth & Bite the Bullet are both superior with the latter having a superior guest list, but it’s refreshing to hear their chemistry hasn’t waned.

Score: 4/5

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Autumn! – “Midnight Club 2” review

Here we have the 7th studio LP from Lafayette, Louisiana rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Autumn!. Gaining traction off a total of 22 EPs & a full-length debut on SoundCloud since 2018 prior to signing to Victor Victor Worldwide & Republic Records succeeding the Not Much Left EP, he made his major label debut 4 & a half years ago with his sophomore effort Antagonist! as well as following it up with the last 2 installments of the Golden Child trilogy & Midnight Club. However, he’s returning for a sequel to the latter after taking it Back 2 My Roots & breaking down the life of a Rolling Stone.

“12AM” begins with a mediocre pop rap intro talking about this woman trying to bring him too deep whereas the self-produced “Hallucinating” goes for a cloudier trap direction instrumentally telling his partner everything will be fine since he’s right by her. “Reflexion” brings a more hyper vibe to the table calling out people for acting tough online only to be shocked when being confronted in real life leading into “Beck” talking about money, power & respect.

The rock undertones throughout “Luster” were interesting to hear suggesting that everyone better post up whenever they see him in the paint just before “ILYIHY” ends the 1st leg sampling “ILoveUIHateU” by Playboi Carti talking about a lover who keeps fucking with his head. “Take 1 Song” kicks off the 2nd half callin’ bluff at an individual who be runnin’ their mouths without having anything to back it up while “Widebody Cullinan” talks about his closet costing people’s entire lives.

“Lefty” admits that there was point prior to “1 Way!” coming out where he forgot who he was although he knew he’d eventually make it while “Kennel of Life” talks about being outside with his dogs. “Know How Sojas Be” details him living life the way he feels like he should & after “Cash Shit” spends a couple minutes boasting his wealth, “Sometimes” produced by Goyxrd concludes Midnight Club 2 admitting there are days where he feels like he’s soaring & others where he’s in tears.

Autumn!’s output for the past couple years has been hit or miss & although I did enjoy the original Midnight Club back in 2023 shifting away from the pluggnb sound, I wound up liking Midnight Club 2 less than both it’s predecessor & the Kickoff EP he gave us 9 months ago warming people up for this. Primarily because I don’t really find the production to be all that interesting other than Wick handling it 46% of it himself & Goyxrd doing the outro.

Score: 2.5/5

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