Alan Sparhawk – “With Trampled by Turtles” review

Duluth, Minnesota singer/songwriter Alan Sparhawk recruiting local band Trampled by Turtles to produce his sophomore effort. One of whom was the lead singer of the slowcore band Low breaking up in 2022 & the other is a bluegrass folk sextet with 9 full-lengths under their belt already. Alan signed to Sub Pop Records for his solo effort White Roses, My God met with mixed reception due to its leanings towards alt-pop, indietronica, alternative R&B, trap, minimal wave & cloud rap compared to the ambient inspired Solo Guitar turning 20 next summer. With Trampled by Turtles based on the singles had me thinking it could outdo both of them & that’s why I dove right into it.

The lead single “Stranger” was a great Americana/indie folk intro further pulling from progressive bluegrass singing about having to go through some dangerous things than you thought you’d have to whereas “Too High” addressed a part of this person that nobody knows other than Alan acknowledging their blindness instead of imbecility. “Heaven” sings of the pearly gates being a lonely place if you’re alone prior to the alt-country/chamber folk hybrid “Not Broken”eventually learning something I’ve potentially heard.

“Screaming Song” works in some prominent acoustics feeling like he’d never stop screaming this individual’s name when they flew out the window & into the sunset but after a remixed version of “Get Still” from Alan’s debut, “Princess Road Surgery” asks what this girl see in adversity stripping back the sound further. “Don’t Take Your Light” tells God he can be patient & hopeful with an alt-country flare until “Torn & in Ashes” wants to know when the last word will be as the first because of getting the same answer repeatedly.

When you think of the fact Low had mentored Trampled by Turtles & had performed with each other several times, there’s no doubt in my mind Alan’s follow-up to his debut last fall feels like a more collective, communal, fraternal & empathetic entry in his catalog than it’s predecessor. His friends & loved ones who’ve always been beside him make his sentiments drenched in Americana, indie folk, progressive bluegrass, alt-country & chamber folk seem as if they aren’t his alone regardless of Alan being the primary vocalist.

Score: 4.5/5

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ovrkast. – “While the Iron’s Hot” review

Oakland, California emcee/producer ovrkast. with his official full-length studio debut album. In almost a decade, he’s been making waves by releasing a couple mixtapes on top of 13 EPs in his discography later landing production credits ranging from MAVI to Earl Sweatshirt & even Drake. KastGotWings produced by Cardo became my new favorite EP of his last fall even if some would say it’s too early since it’s the most recent one as of me writing this & he’s finally striking While the Iron’s Hot for an LP.

After the jazzy “HOT!” intro, the first song “truth?” is drumless sample-heavy intro talking about shaking shit up and originally came away from “Small Talk” featuring Samara Cyn a little mixed on it even if I appreciate it more in the context of While the Iron’s Hot. “I’m On” shows a boastful side of kast with a laidback instrumental backing him just before the groovy “Stumblin’” talks about clumsiness showing when he’s trying to get a way.

“MAVKAST!” featuring MAVI after the “NewPowers” skit marks the official formation of a duo comprised of 2 of underground hip hop’s biggest artists in recent memory while “Spike Lee homages one of my favorite directors ahead of A24 Films putting out Highest 2 Lowest next month. “6AM” radiates intoxicating energy from the beat melodically talking about staying up late leading into “Strange Ways” featuring Vince Staples addressing the type of crowd with those uncommon tendencies.

The song “New Era” continues to travel down the final moments of ovrkast.’s debut hooking up a woodwind & a high-pitched vocal sample entering a new chapter in his life similarly to the way I myself did last summer while “Dog Days” featuring Frsh Waters & SABA talking about the hottest time of the year on top of some cumbersome piano chords. “On TIME!” closes the album with more keys wanting everyone to know he’s arrived exactly when he should’ve.

Going through an immense amount of change alongside loss & again to receive the clarity & focus in order for this day to come, ovrkast.’s debut feels refreshingly modern as a result of it’s contemporary & referential approach. Taking its cues from the sample-based production & lyric-centric approach that defined hip hop’s golden age, it’s not hard to blame him for having this as his favorite body of work ever.

Score: 4/5

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Molly Santana – “Molly & Her Week of Wonders” review

Los Angeles, California up-&-comer Molly Santana with her sophomore effort. Originally a streetwear influencer, the Fontana native began making music in 2021 by releasing her debut EP Molly’s World as well as her debut mixtape Neptune & her 2nd EP Mélange. Her eponymous full-length debut studio album resulted in her signing a joint deal with Victor Victor Worldwide & Capitol Records despite the moderate reception, which Masonic Musik made up for. Fast forward 8 months, Molly & Her Week of Wonders looks to continue solidifying herself on the Victor Victor/Capitol labels.

“No Rules” produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic is this rage-inducing intro rapping about her gratitude towards living without any restrictions whereas “Piss Me Off” melodically looks to get what’s hers for the cause & a triumphant vibe to the instrumental. “Cayenne” blends hypertrap & electronic music boastfully cashing out with the drop top while “Unstoppable” featuring che joins forces with CXO for a highly enjoyable rage collab.

Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group gives “Handle It” an industrial trap flare promising her pistol will make anyone famous homaging the late Freda Santana just before “BRB” featuring Showjoe teams up for a pluggnb/drill hybrid talking returning to the people who count on them. The single “Not Regular” shuns the individuals who want to test her over a poppy & cloudy trap beat until “Been Did That” featuring labelmate Hardrock advising all these hoes to sit back.

“Acting Nice” asserts Molly’s dominance & shutting down any hate that’s thrown in her direction while “Globe” fuses rap rock & trap talking about life moving quicker than ever carrying the show on for those who can’t be here with us & the increase of hate speech. “Honest” makes it a point to be the only one in a circle of loved ones who keeps it 100 rather than lying to them while “When I’m Gone” instrumentally reminds me of Yeezus wanting to be remembered & leaving a mark on the industry.

Moving on from there, “I Know” taps in with Supah Mario asking her lover to hold her down apologizing for fucking up a night out while “Life I Chose (Ms. Americana)” homages “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey. The song “Set Up” finds herself running back to her old ways continuously while “Stupid Money” cloudily talks about it being time to up the scores. Lastly, the closer “Weekend” advises everyone to stay high chasing their dreams & getting the bag.

“Everybody Knows” starts the deluxe run sampling “Backstabber” by Ke$ha talking about everyone around her accepting the fact she’s becoming richer than she ever would’ve suppose she would while “1/1” suggesting it’ll be a long time until her exes find another woman like her in their lives. The final bonus track “Find a Way” strips the drums completely feeling confident that her day will come promising she won’t change.

Inspired by the film Valerie & Her Week of Wonders, Molly speaks a lot on what it feels like to be like a woman in the type of business she’s working with & in her world feeling like the movie’s plot translates what the world in general & the music industry feels like to most women. She’s pulling out all the stops with this more frequently & broader than Mansion Musik going crazy with her culminations of the rage, pop rap, cloud rap & trap styles she’s known for.

Score: 4/5

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Aesop Rock – “Black Hole Superette” review

Here we have the 11th studio LP from New York emcee/producer Aesop Rock. Universally revered for his massive vocabulary, the man has put out a handful of underground hip hop essentials throughout the decades whether it be his solo catalogue or his membership of groups like Hail Mary Mallon or Malibu Ken. As far as his solo stuff: I recommend his sophomore effort & Definitive Jux Records debut Labor Day alongside The Impossible Kid, which was his 2nd album with Rhymesayers Entertainment whom Aesop had made himself home with for over a decade at this point. Blockhead had fully produced Garbology to acclaim & Integrated Tech Solutions has quickly received the same love The Impossible Kid, returning for a trip to the Black Hole Superette.

“Secret Knock” opens up shop with a quirky & futuristic self-produced instrumental advising to walk with him & opting to not go on any signal taking it in his own hands whereas “Checkers” works in elements of abstract conscious subject matter, space ambient, boom bap & illbient that made for a promising lead single. “Movie Nights” turns up the boom bap influences even more talking about his blue eyed dog & his cat prior to the synth-driven “EWR – Terminal A, Gate 20” explaining that vandals are unordinary now.

Armand Hammer teams up with Aesop on the collab “1010WINS” taking their consciously abstract pens to newer grounds with one another over a rap rock/boom bap hybrid while “So Be It” featuring Open Mike Eagle finds the 2 advising to not look down, sitting still & letting things fall. “Send Help” takes a jazzier boom bap approach to his sound & going nerdcore at the same time just before “John Something” brings lounge music in the fold recalling a man named John he met 3 decades ago referencing WWE Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali.

“Ice Sold Here” intricately describes how cold he is in many different ways while the funky “Costco” talks about the chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores operated by the multinational corporation. “Bird School” puts a cloudy spin on boom bap boasting his witchcraft pops up in the Atmos & everyone else’s taking practice, but then “Snail 0” wants to know what the fuck he’s supposed to do with this bagful of snails he has.

Lice gets together with Lupe Fiasco on “Charlie Horse” warning that everyone in their path should stay as clear from the streets as they possibly can while “Steel Wool” reflects on going from pairing cereals & cartoons back in the 80s to panicking in a war room turning up the quirky boom bap vibes. “Black Plums” tackles the theme of gardening admiring the way his fruit is getting fatter each summer & becoming a minute quantity of matter while “The Red Phone” talks about being the keeper of the keys.

“Himalayan Yak Chew” pushes further down the last 10 minutes or so of the album describing fish jumping in his boat whenever he pushes off of the dock without even getting a single duck in a row in addition to having a horse in the way when he gets his car without having 1 in the race & “Unbelievable Shenanigans” featuring Hanni El Khatib on the outro recalls a hamster he had almost 4 decades ago named Elizabeth as well as talking about the universe nothing if not silver lining stuffed into compartments.

Delving into the invisible forces that shape our lives & psyches, Black Hole Superette will become amongst Aesop Rock’s most technically accomplished bodies of work in his entire discography. The experimentally complex structures of his beats drawing further inspiration from space ambient, boom bap, jazz rap, rap rock & illbient attribute to that as much as his consciously abstract & occasionally nerdy lyrics portrayed from the perspective of a mad scientist seeing bigger picture of the small moments in our lives that wind up overlooked.

Score: 4.5/5

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Rome Streetz – “Trainspotting” review

London, England, United Kingdom born & Brooklyn, New York raised lyricist Rome Streetz enlisting Conductor Williams for his 10th studio LP. Emerging in 2016 off his debut mixtape I Been Thru Mad Shit, this was followed up by a plethora of projects with the most notable being the Noise Kandy tetralogy & Headcrack. These past couple years however we’re probably his biggest ones yet, as he dropped some of the best work of his career from the DJ Muggs-produced Death & the Magician or the Futurewave-produced Razor’s Edge to the Ransom-assisted collab effort Coup de Grâce & the Griselda Records deal that followed. His debut with the Buffalo powerhouse Kiss the Ring alongside the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Wasn’t Built in a Day both made the top 10 spots of my last couple Best Of lists & Hatton Garden Holdup produced by Daringer became a flawless spot in my top 5 of 2024 last winter. Mass Appeal Records in the midst of their upcoming 7 album series has locked in with both GxFR acts to go Trainspotting.

“Andre Agassi” sets the tone with a gully boom bap instrumental making reference to one of the greatest tennis players of all-time whereas “M*A*S*H” homages the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned CBS sitcom of the same name holding the record for the most-watched series finale of any TV show. “Runny Nose” dustily gets in his pyrex bag talking about moving weight until “Ricky Bobby” featuring Method Man takes it’s name after the main character of the classic film Talladega Nights.

Meanwhile on “Blood in Boogers”, we have Rome running more laps around the whole game lyrically maintaining the traditional boom bap sound instrumentally while the single “Rule 4080” reiterates what A Tribe Called Quest taught everyone 3 decades ago. “Died 1,000 Times” aquatically suggests to stack more instead of spending the income quickly just before “Heartbreaker” chops up a soul sample to talk about breaking another hearts once again.

“10 Toes” featuring Jay Worthy psychedelically unites the pair to discuss their commitment to the game leading into “Connie’s Revenge” talking about putting your favorite rapper’s neck on the chopping blocks. “99 Attributes” soulfully gears up to smoke whole entire record labels comparing his bars to coke while “Joe Pesci” makes comparison to the actor & best friend of Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese classics Goodfellas, Casino & The Irishman.

The song “Electric Slide” works in a slickly drumless rap rock vibe talking about being in the best form he’s been at in his whole entire career & pushing the output in his discography to prove it, but then “Resource Room” finishes Trainspotting with a woozily jazzy reminding everyone that he’s been on for a grip & I can certainly confirm since I started reviewing him when Joyeria came out on my 23rd birthday 6 years ago already.

Verifying the reality of Rome being on the grasp of fully realizing his potential, Conductor directs the Trainspotting trip & it pushing him closer to a space where when spirited debates around “top 10 MCs lists” are being held. The Heartbreakers member’s production is heavily rooted in the boom bap sound with secondary influences of jazz rap, drumless & rap rock to make Rome’s distinct fashion of putting rhymes together the backdrop they couldn’t deserved more.

Score: 4.5/5

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Coyote – “yoteLAndia” review

Los Angeles, California duo Coyote ending the month with their 5th studio LP. Consisting of the Morales brothers LadiesLoveGuapo & Ricky Blanco, they went on to gain traction in late 2022 off their debut album Thicker than Water noted for its witty punchlines & East coast influences. Their sophomore effort L.Aliens last summer quickly became their breakout project to the point where people were recommending to me & easily understood the appeal, eagerly waiting to hear yoteLAndia coming off their feature on the new Reason mixtape I Love You Again.

“Sea of Darkness” is a sample-driven boom bap opener talking about being in the end days whereas “Dodging Bullets” kinda has a Memphis influence instrumentally showing off how violent both siblings can get when necessary. “SLAng” featuring B-Real & Zoe Osama samples “Deep Cover” by Dr. Dre marking the debut of WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg breaking down the west coast lingo until “Drop Top Down” featuring Doeman & & Paul Wall dedicates itself to those in the lowriders.

Ab-Soul teams up with Coyote on the lead single “Runnin’ All Fades” hopping over a cloudy trap instrumental with some notable switch-ups talking about a blizzard going on outside while “Face Tatts” featuring Lefty Gunplay finds the quartet over some drum breaks from Jason Martin formerly known as Problem and Mike & Keys to talk about hearing everyone caught a fade. “Goon” featuring Bizarre on the remix pulls from Latin jazz at the start prior to changing in favor of some bass-licks howling at the moon together just before “L.A. Verses Everybody” featuring Sirrealist feels like it’s their city against the world.

“Run a Muck” brings the Memphis undertones back in the fold & putting a dirtier south spin on it behaving in an disruptive, uncontrollable fashion leading into “Minor Setbacks” talking about relatively small or insignificant hindrances they’ve come across in their personal lives & their music career respectively. “Best Served Cold” featuring NEMS finds the trio over a boom bap beat discussing the way they prefer to serve revenge, but then “Who Want Problems” mercilessly asks if anyone wants beef with them.

Kruk 1 appears for “Not Done Yet” bringing a bit of a Mobb vibe to the table talking about putting it down for hip hop culture with no end in sight while “Product of Immigration” profoundly tackles their upbringings in light of the mass deportations & increased discrimination towards immigrants this year. “redruM Backwards” featuring Tash keeps it dusty thanks to DJ Lethal thirsting for blood while “Barrel of a 9” gets on the gangsta rap tip maintaining a boom bap flare.

“Strike a Pose” featuring Young Drummer Boy dabbles with a nervous sound pulling up to the spot with the main goal to leave with pretty, young women stealing them from their men while “Footang” talks about chopping bricks & to be paid if you want to try the product. The sampling of Latin music suits “Ni De Aqui Ni De Aya” perfectly so they can both get some shit off their chests & “Meet the Lambs” ends with their version of “Meet the Grahams” by Kendrick Lamar.

Starting the deluxe run, “Nasty Work” kicks down the door with a boom bap instrumental talking about being shameless while the doomsday trap aesthetic ms of “Don’t Be at the Club” takes a moment to call comfortability a luxury. “California” featuring Xzibit unites for a tribute to the sunshine state while “A.M.H.S.D. (All My Homies Slang Dope)” featuring Fre$h talks about their friends moving weight.

“Fly Guys” featuring JuJu Flaco reminds me of something The Neptunes would’ve produced in the late 90s while “The Scoop” talks about the slim chances of making it out the hood because kids be flexing trigger fingers. The final bonus track “Idiocracy” properly finishes with the Morales over a drumless sample to confess they’ve been losing their optimism because of the world falling apart & adults justifying killing children.

Over 10 months since they broke out after their freestyle on The Bootleg Kev Podcast, there wasn’t any better option for LadiesLoveGuapo & Ricky Blanco to capitalize on the success of their sophomore effort last summer than welcoming everyone to yoteLAndia. You still get palatable production like the predecessor whether it be boom bap, jazz rap, Mobb, nervous or trap in addition to the Yotes telling us their story & a list of guests joining them offering different perspectives in their world.

Score: 4/5

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Oddisee – “En Route” review

This is the 7th EP from Washington D.C. emcee/producer Oddisee. Getting introduced to him through his incredible 7th album & Mello Music Group debut The Good Fight a decade ago weeks before my high school graduation, I also happen to enjoy his work with Diamond District, the Odd Seasons mixtape series, his 4th EP Alwasta & The Good Fight’s successor The Iceberg. I happened to cover & Yet Still exactly a year ago feeling like it was a solid jazz rap EP, staying En Route for a follow-up.

“Tomorrow Can’t Be Borrowed” delivers streams of consciousness over some jazzy piano chords disputing the “borrowed time” notion whereas “A Rare Thing” works in a horn-tinged boom bap instrumental talking about it being uncommon to know love & couldn’t help but make me think of the increased hate speech on Twitter in the past few years. “Small Talk” heads for a funkier approach putting everyone’s better days of their career’s in the rear view mirror & “Natural Selection” ends by doing his thing with no one to save him.

Marking his return to Mello Music Group after putting out a couple projects independently, Oddisee’s follow-up to & Yet Still exactly 365 days later elevates it’s above the predecessor making music for whatever journey we as humans are heading in our lives today. His jazzy production compliments the reflection of physical, emotional & spiritual movements we may have all tying into each other conceptually for a soulful snapshot of motion & meaning.

Score: 4/5

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Daniel Son – “Baggage Claims” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcee Daniel Son with his 9th proper full-length album. A member of the Brown Bag Money collective, his profile began to rapidly increase in the underground off projects like the Giallo Point-produced debut mixtape The Gunners or the Futurewave-produced sophomore album Yenaldooshi. He just teamed up with Raz Fresco this spring for the spectacular collab album Northside paying homage to the roots of the Toronto hip hop scene & a few months after reuniting with Futurewave for the first time since Son Tzu & the Wav.God on Bushman Bodega last summer & the Finn-produced Hare Brained Schemes a few months later. He & Futurewave however are looking to make some Baggage Claims almost 3 weeks after Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling (MLP) founder Scott D’Amore crowned the longest reigning 2-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion & former PWG World Tag Team Champion Josh Alexander the inaugural MLP Canadian Champion and former 2-time RPW British Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw the inaugural MLP Women’s Canadian Champion.

The title track is this grisly boom bap intro assuring shit ain’t always glamorous on his end & showing everyone the progression whereas “Sweet Peppers” soulfully wastes no time whatsoever to reach the penthouse views he desires. “French River” keeps it in the basement instrumentally venting over the visions he’s had ingrained in his mind as of late just before “Euthanize” featuring al.divino refuses to stop the bread income all because of hits getting put out.

“How It Goes” suggests over a flute-tinged boom bap beat to go the way it already is nowadays cheffing up the product & serving it leading into “1973” featuring Raspy teaming up for a lullaby dedicated to everyone laying their heads in the street. “Bleed the Shark” ruggedly explains that he can catch a rat from him being all the way in the field refining his chef skills at night, but then “The Fume” featuring Bito Slime cloudily yet rawly talks about moving in rare fashion.

Meanwhile on “Cold Chicken”, we have Daniel over a drumless instrumental talking about dying for what’s his & acknowledging the old fashioned tendencies he shares while “Need More Paper” returns to the boom bap expresses the necessity of making his bread stack up continuously higher. “Baylor” kicks the horns out trying to make it known to this girl he’s seeing that all he knows is the filth while “Fly the Pigeon” featuring King Bliss gives the finger to the entire world.

al.divino comes back for the dusty “Sun Lo” talking about never peaking & making sure their competition never eats again while “Crushed Stones” hooks up a vocal flip experiencing the same shit others warned him he’d experience in the rap game. “Sweet & Sour Duck” strips the drums learning to keep his mouth closed at an early age while “Run the Shop” featuring Recognize Ali finds the duo wanting to be loved for their ambition.

The jazzy “Pin Stripe” featuring Asun Eastwood feels reminiscent of the previous collaborative efforts Psychics of Filth & Bite the Bullet promises that everything they’re saying shouldn’t be taken in a metaphorical sense by any means while “Villains” talks about pushing coke. “Regular” concludes Baggage Claims on a rawly vintage note teasing more music with Futurewave to come since they’ve been cooking normally as of late.

Commemorating the 7-year anniversary of Pressure Cooker earlier this month, the Brown Bag Money standout & his go-to producer unearth 18 outtakes that were made during those sessions & compile them into a sequel of it’s own sounding like they recorded it recently. I can very much tell that Futurewave’s boom bap production was recorded during that era, except that & Daniel Son’s pen make an exciting throwback to their dual breakthrough.

Score: 4/5

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Masta Killa – “Balance” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee Masta Killa of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan dropping his 5th studio LP almost a decade after his last one. Becoming the final member to branch out on his own 21 years ago this weekend, No Said Date today remains the most underrated solo debut from any swordsmen with Made in Brooklyn & Selling My Soul becoming more moderately received. Loyalty is Royalty came in the fall of 2017 following numerous delays & is finding Balance ahead of the Wu’s upcoming farewell tour this summer.

“Hip Hop Forever” is a boom bap intro that Easy Mo Bee laced talking about the culture we’ve all come to know & love living eternally due to it’s global connection whereas “Eagle Claw” featuring Cappadonna & Raekwon keeps it in the basement instrumentally seeing whose sword is the sharpest. “BK Harlem” was a dope homage to 2 of the 5 boroughs of their state regardless if I wasn’t too big on Head I.C.E.’s performance, but then “Building with the Abbott” featuring & produced by RZA takes it back to Prince Rakeem’s chipmunk soul roots speaking wisdom.

As for “City”, we have Jamel Irief telling us that he’s still here doing it for what the late Guru of Gang Starr used to call “The Planet” over 3 decades ago while “Glad to Meet You” featuring Method Man & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg charmingly links up talking about catching rides instead of feelings. “It’s Been a Long Time” feels reminiscent of “Queen” off No Said Date with its romantic content leading into “Trumpets” featuring AZ, N.O.R.E. & Uncle Murda bringing some mafioso vibes.

“King Custom” continues the 2nd leg of Balance with a weird reggae/hip hop crossover that feels off-the-cuff & Jamel slightly using a fake patois almost like Drake used to on Views almost a decade ago with the only exception of it not sounding commercialized thanks to PF Cuttin’ behind the boards. The closer “Again” featuring AB Money & Big Bub is even worse, giving me flashbacks of “Trap Phone” off of Ghostface Killah’s latest album Set the Tone (Guns & Roses).

Arguably the swordsmen with the most refined flow of the entire Clan, the wise words Jamel offers with a diverse cast of MCs by his side further proves his sword is sharper than ever giving what the world & the musical universe desperately needs. The production is vintage New York hip hop at its finest & even if a couple features punch under their weight, Killa still consistently captures a wide spectrum of moods & content in a half hour.

Score: 4/5

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Bruiser Wolf – “Potluck” review

This is the 3rd full-length studio album from Detroit, Michigan emcee Bruiser Wolf. A member of the Bruiser Brigade collective, his 2021 solo debut Dope Game Stupid would become an experimentally gangsta & comedic gem although the sophomore effort My Story Got Stories was more moderately received 16 months ago. “Rope Chain” last summer is already one of my favorite songs in Bruiser’s whole discography & even if it’s not on Potluck, some of the teasers from it held their own weight.

“Say No More” produced by Knxwledge was a groovy opener that sets the tone of what’s to come talking about this being the reason he’s hated & giving the audience what they’ve been waiting for whereas “Write or Wrong” turns up the funkiness thanking God for the microphone in his hand. “Air Fryer” takes a cloudier, sample-based trap approach thanks to Harry Fraud talking about using that very object to cook up dope while “Beat the Charge” brings a soulful flare to the table courtesy of Nicholas Craven likening his life to a movie.

Jake One hooks up a cloudy trap instrumental during “Lock In” so Bruiser can talk about having to focus leading into “Pee-wee Herman” featuring Chilly Gonzales bringing the 2 together over a quirkier beat flexing that both of them are always grindin’ & servin’. “Offer I Couldn’t Refuse” was a great cloudy trap single that F1LTHY of Working on Dying laced explaining that the street made him a deal so good to the point where he couldn’t turn it down prior to the soulful “Trust Issues” talking about trusting someone who eventually snitched.

“Baby You” shows off his equity & discusses a woman who desires to fuck with a real one over a bare chipmunk soul instrumental from both Harry Fraud & Danny G while “Guns & Squares” featuring Sir Michael Rocks finds the pair talking about fuckin’ with those 2 things in the past until ditching ‘em in favor of boom bap on top of prominent bass-licks. “Fancy” featuring Fat Ray crosses over synth-funk & hip hop referencing The Walt Disney Company-owned FX series Snowfall while “Whippin’” featuring Nebr, The Tiger jazzily talks about the drug game.

The song “Confusing” begins the final moments of Potluck stripping the drums once again venting over the perplexing nature of bitches that’re usually around him & lastly, “Over Looks” luxuriously finishes up the LP telling this women that she’s so much more than looks on top of pointing out the shallow nature of society these days & hoping the message he’s trying to convey doesn’t get disregarded.

Potluck exemplifies of how nobody in the game cooks like Bruiser Wolf as he invites us to a world where truth, absurdity & wisdom are doled out in even portions. Known for his signature voice along with vivid street narratives & off-kilter humor, Bruiser carves out his own space & singular voice further than before with the most expansive album in his discography taking on the sounds of drumless, jazz rap, Detroit trap & chipmunk soul telling the gangsta life.

Score: 4/5

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