Boldy James – “Criminally Attached” review

It’s been 4 months & Detroit veteran Boldy James has finally returned to make his Roc Nation Records debut in the form of his 17th LP. Breaking out in the fall of 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set), there was a point where Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records had them on their roster for a little while before getting locked up. Once coming home, Uncle Al would help get his name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China. Manger on McNichols produced by Sterling Toles was as equally fantastic & the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. Bo Jackson though would become his most critically acclaimed work to date & Super Tecmo Bo was almost as great for an EP. Fair Exchange No Robbery produced by Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership, Mr. 10-08 produced by Futurewave, the Conductor Williams-produced Across the Tracks the Harry Fraud-produced The Bricktionary & the Carlo Anthony-produced Hidden in Plain Sight were all welcomed to warm reception additionally. Token of Appreciation produced by Chuck Strangers was much better than both Murder During Drug Traffic & Permanent Ink, the Antt Beatz produced Hommage left people divided although I didn’t mind it, coming off the V Don-produced Alphabet Highway & the Killing Nothing sequel Conversational Pieces respectively by showing up Late to His Own Funeral. Signing to Roc Nation not too long ago, he & Craven have decided to run it back with Criminally Attached.

“Walnut Grove” comes out the gate with a vocal sample talking about making money for a long time putting it on his grandmother Mary Lou whereas “No Blemishes soulfully explains that a membership of the gang he’s in cannot be simply claimed.“Infrared.com” talks about still being in the ghetto with all of his Zs getting calls that shouldn’t be answered on speaker just before “Fully Smack” runs up a check quickly to the point where he doesn’t have to wait in a line.

David Hill & 50 Gwuap Taj join Boldy on the soulful “Trifecta” talking about the way they see themselves livin’ leading into “Thumb of Craven” starting the 2nd half continuing the drumless chipmunk soul vibes telling the heavyweights throw up against to walk a little lighter. “Mr. Quaker Oats” featuring Poppy Bricks embraces a jazzier vibe talking about being more Richie than Lionel while “Thread the Needle” suggests you know he came from the bands the way he marches in.

“2 Left Feet” begins Criminally Attached last several minutes talking about not missing a single beat when he’s hustling in the streets over a chipmunk soul instrumental & lastly, “1st Time Around” ends with a vocal jazz flip admitting that he isn’t referring to blank disc when he mentions CDs & advising that one shouldn’t get to acquainted with the 227 Concreatures because of all the excessive gang shit that stays surrounding them.

Hard to say whether or not we’ll still get The Pop Catcher either next month or in 2026 but either way, Boldy James’ official Roc Nation Records debut & his 4th album to be entirely produced by one of my personal favorite producers of this ongoing decade joins Late to My Own Funeral alongside Token of Appreciation & Alphabet Highway for the strongest out of the handful of albums the Motor City’s finest has had to offer in 2025. Gearing up for a Super Tecmo Bowl follow-up next year also, Nicholas Craven’s drumlessly soulful production is unparalleled compared to it’s predecessor 4 months earlier & the same can be said regarding the gangsta-themed lyrics.

Score: 4.5/5

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Swapa – “CLRBLND” review

Swapa is a 21 year old recording artist & producer from Harlem, New York introducing himself in 2021 off his poorly received debut EP To Each It’s Own. He would gradually improve himself from there whether it be New Harmony, Bannon, Ollo, Eigen, Island or his most recent extended play as of me writing this Armageddon celebrating it’s 1-year anniversary last month. In regards to his full-length studio debut album CLRBLND, seeing a couple notable producers that I’m a fan of making some contributions to it had me intrigued & I thought I’d give it a shot.

“tap in” starts us off by introducing a new mind of swag to the world since he’s in his bag differently whereas the experimental “fully chop” talks about nobody being able to fuck with him because of his boss status. “redinyoeyes” appreciatively throws it back to the Bannon era a little for those who’re fond of that point in his career leading into the self-produced “skull” talking about the type of guy he is compared to some of these lames.

Moving on from there, “heavy metal” continues to display Swapa’s production talents assuring that he’s in it similarly to the titular genre of music just before the 808-heavy “steve kerr” talks about being richer than the Golden State Warriors’ head coach himself. “nah” stylistically feels like some new age Future shit getting fried while “sir scale” produced by Whyceg & Goxan works in more 808s talking about everything he says eventually selling.

“rigged” reaches the halfway point of the LP subtly referencing the NBA’s ongoing illegal gambling scandal involving Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones & Terry Rozier while “old habits” sticks out with one of my favorite flows throughout CLRBLND asking if one wants to die now that he gave his bitch a Glock to carry for protection. “nother level” speaks of wanting to murder their opps & throw their corpses in the river while “again” talks about it only being him & his bands in the end.

Things take a more rage-inducing vibe on “troll” considering himself a threat while “ykisshme” leans heavier towards a synth-based sound thanks to Clayco promising y’all gonna know it’s him when he pulls up. “marni” much like “old habits” shines as a moment where he shows off what he can do with his flows while the piano-heavy “why not?” talks about doing this music shit for himself. “alien” finishes Swapa’s debut with him psychedelically arriving to the function looking extraterrestrial.

Impressed with his verse on Devstacks’ sophomore effort 4SouljasOnly earlier this spring, it only made sense for me to find out if CLRBLND would be capable of topping Armageddon in addition to some of the other EPs he has under his belt that I don’t find myself going back to very often like Island for instance. Surely enough, all 5 tracks he produced by himself along with “sir scale” & “ykisshme” to name a couple all make for the finer moments over the course of Swapa’s proper introduction.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ty Farris – “Run Toward the Monster” review

Detroit veteran Ty Farris teaming up with Apollo Brown to produce his 12th LP. Emerging up up under the name T-Flame being featuring on a lot of projects throughout the mid-2000’s until the very end of the decade, it was at that point where he started to put out solo stuff at a prolific rate by dropping 11 mixtapes, all 11 of his previous albums & 4 EPs. Standouts include the Room 39 duology & the No Cosign Just Cocaine series, the Machacha-produced Malice at the Palace & the Graymatter produced Sounds That Never Left My Soul. Coming off Enigma with an Attitude & Timing of a Tarantula, we have 2 of the Motor City’s finest joining forces suggesting you Run Toward the Monster.

After the “Run” intro, the first song “Follow My Soul” makes for a passionate boom bap intro talking about listening to his intuitions in this cold game whereas the 2nd & final single “No Celebrations” speaks of the relentless grind it takes to reach the top. “Details” disses wankstas who portray fictitious crime they’ve committed in their music while “Authenticity” featuring Mickey Diamond finds 2 talking about their legitimacies.

“Ctrl Alt Delete” brings a bit of a psychedelic, boom, bad vibe instrumentally proclaiming his 3rd eye doesn’t ever sleep leading into “Beautiful Struggle” talks about the journey to where he is now wasn’t an easy one, but he wouldn’t have changed shit. “Sacred” works in some sampling for Ty to explain the way he feels every time he’s in front of a microphone just before “Cold is the Gun” talks about never buckling under pressure.

Kicking off the final leg, “Street Patriots” speaks of another day in the battlefield for his kind of people chopping up a vocal sample while “Traffic” talks about still going although most who were hustling beside him have fallen off. The lead single “Flawless Victory” featuring Top Hooter teams up over a flute warning of what their results will be in any beef until finishing up by asking God to have mercy for the “Young Rebels” trying to survive the fight.

A fitting soundtrack for the cold months & colder realities, Run Toward the Monster reserves the arguable right of possibly becoming the greatest musical statement of Ty Farris’ entire career for it’s grittily emotional & unapologetically honest. Apollo Brown’s production has a heavily grimy, soul-drenched grit to it compared to Funeral for a Dream earlier this summer & T-Flame’s lyrics are amongst the most mature he’s ever penned, tackling issues like survival or self-awareness & standing your ground.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tee Grizzley – “Street Psalms” review

Here is the 6th studio LP from Detroit rapper & singer/songwriter Tee Grizzley. Originally a member of the quartet ASBH, it wouldn’t be until 2016 where he would blow up off his first solo single “First Day Out” & earned a contract with 300 Entertainment. His profile would continue to grow by dropping projects like his debut mixtape My Moment, the debut album Activated, his 2nd tape, Still My Moment, the Timbaland exec-produced sophomore effort Scriptures or my personal favorite: his 3rd mixtape The Smartest. Built for Whatever, Chapters of the Trenches, Half Tee, Half Beast & Tee’s Coney Islandwere generally mixed, coming off the sonically diverse Post Traumatic & declaring it’s Forever My Moment by spitting Street Psalms.

“In My Life” was a decent Detroit trap intro talking about not getting adjusted to being broke even though it took him a long time to get things right whereas “Walk” produced by Chopsquad DJ makes up for it from the the instrumental to Grizzley’s lyrics explaining that he balls late at night so he can party in the trenches. “Lou’s Deli” continues to head down that same trajectory in terms of quality explaining that he’s walking in the streets & stepping in the booth while “Seen Enough” featuring Polo G talks about being too deep in the water with the sharks.

As for “Make ‘Em See”, we have Helluva jumping behind the boards making it clear that he ain’t got no time to wait because he got a toddler & an infant when he’s not wrong there leading into “Chicken Different” suggest that this bitch changes her mind frame if she can’t handle what comes with the game. “Slow Me Down” makes it clear that he knows what it’s like to pray for something & then it ends up falling at your heels while “Voicemail” featuring [Rod Wave] talks about not getting sleep because of bitches abusing their numbers.

“Breath of Fresh Air” pushes towards the first half conclusion by assuring his girl that his emotions are safe with her & that he can’t wait to see her while “Van Nuys Aviation” recalling when people weren’t helping him when he needed it & wanting to take pictures with him now that he’s big. “Emotionally Intelligent” let the love of his life know that he’s constantly thinking of her & misses her dearly while “Trials & Tribulations” talks about the street shit being watered down to the point where they need to cut it out.

Continuing the 2nd half, I found the sampling on “Made It That Way” to be pretty interesting forcing himself to trap on days when he doesn’t even wanna do a damn thing while “In My Headphones” continues to show off some cool sample techniques talking about being quiet unless he means it. “Brain Cells” reunites with Helluva to hook some bells talking about the dumb shit he’s done lowering his intelligence while “Chase People” maintains the Detroit sound dismissing those calling even with him when he kept it going & they gave up.

“Back to Michigan” kicks off the final leg of Street Psalms with him & Helluva getting back together publicly admitting that 300 has given him a $20M offer in exchange for his penmanship while “Internet Detectives” takes a shot at that specific group of people. “Baby Teeski” pushes towards the end, talking about his family reasonably missing him & “New Chapter” finishes with a gospel influence speaking of having only God’s presence left.

Admittedly: As much as I liked Post Traumatic & Forever My Moment, I came away from Street Psalms enjoying it less than either or and it could be one of the weaker installments in Tee Grizzley’s discography. I appreciate the approach she took in terms of songwriting, although I don’t think the Detroit trap production was as enjoyable as the last couple projects that I previously had mentioned.

Score: 3/5

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Foul Mouth – “Everybody Goes Crazy Once” review

Foul Mouth is a 42 year old producer & MC from Detroit, Michigan coming up as 1/2 of Da Bash Brotherz with the late PHD & 1/3 of JFK with Jake Knew & King Juke. He would also form the duos Bad News Brown & Speak of the Devil with Ketch P & DJ Skyrah respectively after starting his own label Middle Finger Music in 2018, producing albums for the likes of Fatt Father & Isaac Castor to name a couple. His most notable work has been with Bizarre of prior D12 fame, whether it be his work with King Gordy as L.A.R.S. or the He Got a Gun series & the final moments of “Antichrist” off Eminem’s 13th album THE DƎATH OF SLIM SHADY (COUP DE GRÂCE). However, he’s finally to make his full-length studio debut as lyricist.

The intro breaks the door down with a gritty self-produced instrumental advising all the people ripping off Griselda to get lost whereas “Only the Right” jazzily talks about taking a break from rapping for a decade to focus on his successes producing for some of the biggest names in music. “From Above” featuring Isaac Castor & Jalen Frazier dustily boasts that nobody can ever be anything like them while “Code Red” featuring Bizarre & Fatboi Sharif eerily finds the trio staying in their hardcore bags lyrically.

“Louis Tripp” works in a drumless sample admitting that he’s been feeling lonely as of late even though he’s one of the most in-demand beatsmiths throughout the entire state leading into “Lucky Number” featuring Choke Uno, DJ Clay, Isaac Castor, J-Classic, Metasyons & Tru Klassick coming through with a 3 minute posse cut. “Discharge it to the Game” shows off Foul’s ear for sampling referencing former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WCW World Tag Team Champion & 2-time WCW World Television Champion Disco Inferno just before the crooning “Bah Say” featuring J-Classic & Kain Cole talks about their boss mentalities.

To begin Everybody Goes Crazy Once’s final act, “Bombs Away (4XL Beefcake)” speaks of being the only attraction down river that hasn’t failed while “The Salton Sea” drumlessly talks about music being his only passion & for has-beens to blame themselves for their own downfall. “All Jokes Aside” confesses that all he ever wanted was to be normal until his soul got sucked through a portal & the title track appropriately sends things off losing it over a boom bap beat.

Knowing this guy personally for almost a decade, Foul Mouth’s always told people that he could freestyle better than he could make beats & Everybody Goes Crazy Once certainly proves his point that I had already figured out from the moment I heard his hooks on “Savage Life” by L.A.R.S. when they dropped their debut EP Foul World after Twiztid had signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment. I feel like there isn’t much that hasn’t been said already regarding his production which is mostly self-produced but lyrically, his pen has sharpened significantly from his days with his late Bash Brother PHD & the guests that he brings on board all maintain their own weight.

Score: 4/5

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Wale – “Everything’s a Lot” review

Wale is a 41 year old rapper & songwriter from Washington, D.C. breaking out in 2008 after signing to Interscope Records & releasing his 4th mixtape The Mixtape About Nothing. He would go on to have 9th Wonder produce Back to the Feature as a prelude to his full-length debut Attention Deficit, signing to Maybach Music Group in 2011 & making debut for the label 9 months later with his sophomore effort Ambition to moderate reception. Folarin, The Gifted, The Album About Nothing, SHiNE (Still Here Ignoring Negative Energy), Wow…That’s Crazy & Folarin II all ranged from mediocre at best to some of his most tepid material at worst. Now that he’s signed to Def Jam Recordings, I was more optimistic heading towards his 8th studio album only a month away from the current WWE Intercontinental Champion John Cena’s retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII.

“Conundrum” hops over a chipmunk soul instrumental from STREETRUNNER asking this woman if she really loves him whereas the final single “Belly” samples “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)” by Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler to potently talk about heading deep into a dangerous situation. The 2nd single “Where to Start”flips “I’m So Into You” by SWV so he can reflect over the past to pave way for the future while the lead single “Blanco” talks about him starting to drink again.

After the “Michael Fredo” prelude, the actual “Michael Fredo” song itself works in a triumphantly boastful trap beat so he can count paper as opposed to everyone else counting favors despite the flow sounding reminiscent of Rick Ross’ at times just before “Power & Problems” talks about never being conquered. “Mirroronnabenz” produced by BNYX of Working on Dying was easily my favorite single of the 5 tackling themes of self-affirmation prior to “Watching Us” featuring Leon Thomas III sampling Goapele for a smooth pop rap ballad.

Seyi Vibez & Teni join Wale on “YSF” starting the 2nd half of his Def Jam debut experimenting with Afrobeats & it doing a lot better than he did almost a decade ago with SHiNE (Still Here Ignoring Negative Energy) considering that’s the weakest thing Wale has ever done personally, but “Tomorrow Today” continues by taking a smoother approach for a pop rap track that’s more average not wanting to bother the woman he’s seeing so late in the evening. “Big Head” featuring Odumodubvck finds the 2 talking about egotism while “City on Fire” soulfully advises to not become a casualty.

One of my all-time favorite Maxwell songs “Pretty Wings” decently gets sampled throughout the trap soul/hip hop fusion “Fly Away” talking about wanting to escape with the woman of his life while “Corner Bottles” incorporates some synthesizers confessing to not being able to sleep at night because that’s how the love goes. “Like I” luxuriously asks a female who’s caught his eye if he can be her scripture & her script due to the infinite amount of potential they could have as a couple while “Survive” featuring Nino Paid talks about the difficulty of being faithful can be at times with Pooh Beatz behind the boards.

“Lonely” featuring Shabooezy concludes Wale’s return with them over a rock guitar comfortingly singing of loneliness while “Ghetto Speak” starts the deluxe run with him assuring that his wraith had only begun, warning that it’s these muhfuckas’ last chance to show him the way they be moving out here. “Mission Statement” could be the best of the 3 bonus tracks from the T-Minus instrumental to the hungry 58 second verse that references Def Jam: Vendetta while “What’s the Play?” featuring Chaz French ends the extra 5 & a half minutes of material with both artists trying to figure out the move for when it gets dark outside.

With all due respect to Wale because the guy’s been on my radar ever since he was a part of the All City Chess Club during my adolescence: I always felt that Maybach Music was a weird fit for him & his output post-The Gift pretty much says it all. However, I can say that Everything’s a Lot is easily the most I’ve enjoyed Wale’s music in a while although I’m still on the fence with it a little. It’s easily the most passionate that he sounded in a minute, although some of sample choices within the production don’t do it for me as much as I enjoy all of the original source materials that’re being repurposed.

Score: 3/5

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The Neighbourhood – “(((((ultraSOUND)))))” review

The Neighbourhood is an alternative rock & indie pop band from Newbury Park, California consisting of drummer/percussionist Brandon Fried, bassist Michael Margott, rhythm guitarist Jeremiah Freedman, lead guitarist Zachary Abels & frontman Jesse Rutherford. Signing to Columbia Records in 2012, they would go on to make their full-length debut the next spring with I Love You. & Wiped Out! celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary only a couple weeks ago. Hard to Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing would improve from both it’s predecessors while Chip Chrome & the Monotones would moderately fulfill their Columbia contract. They have since taken a hiatus between 2022 & this summer, joining the Warner Records roster for their 5th album.

“Hula Girl” sets up their return with a bit of a homage to Oasis singing about the feeling of being removed from his peers whereas “OMG” continues by blending elements of the Wiped Out! & Hard to Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing eras lyrically calling back to “You Get Me So High” & “No Grey” respectively, which is something I believe longtime fans will certainly admire. “Lovebomb” goes for a more nostalgic vibe altogether breaking the curse that all of Jesse’s previous relationships all have in common just before “Private” sings about the relationship he has with his current girlfriend Valentina Bilbao.

As for “Lil Ol’ Me”, we have The Neighbourhood continuing to pull inspiration from Oasis with a hint of Nirvana sprinkled in this time around singing about people wanting Jesse’s soul after putting a lease on it while “Planet” incorporates a bridge reminiscent of the late Michael Jackson yearning to take back a light that was stolen. “Holy Ghost” reaches the halfway point experimenting with alternative dance singing for Valentina to hold him close whenever he feels uncomfortable or wants to give up making music while “Rabbit” begins the 2nd act of (((((ultraSOUND))))) tackling themes of agony & despair.

“Tides” keeps it rolling by throwing it back to the Wiped Out! days once again depicting a relationship built around constantly fighting & asking if they can put their differences behind them while “Daisy Chain” shifts towards an indie rock direction stylistically singing about the topic of nostalgia. “Zombie” compares Jesse to the undead because of him staying up all night waiting for a woman he’s been in contact with as of late to answer his missed calls while “Mama Drama” thematically picks up where “Daddy Issues” left off a decade earlier.

The song “Crushed” winds down (((((ultraSOUND)))))‘s final 11 minutes by taking a bit of a funkier approach in terms of sound singing about self-destruction while “Mute” apologizes in advance if Jesse’s been acting weird, attributing it to his desire of wanting to disappear & things inside his head becoming increasingly loud. “Stupid Boy” concludes the band’s comeback with a sequel to “Pretty Boy” off Chip Chrome & the Monotones, except the aesthetics of I Love You. happen to be more significantly prominent with his empathy increasing & his faith in humanity decreasing.

Up until this point: These guys to me personally have always been one of those acts where they’ll occasionally wow me by putting out tracks like “Prey” or “Roll Call”, but (((((ultraSOUND))))) changes everything for The Neighbourhood returning under Warner Records for what might be their strongest LP. The production has something that all fans can enjoy recapturing every style they’ve explored during their Columbia Records tenure from alternative rock to indie pop, indie rock, alternative dance & dream pop with it’s darker & moodier spin complimenting Jesse Rutherford’s intimately self-aware lyrics revolving around heartbreak, disillusionment & emotional vulnerability.

Score: 3.5/5

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Dave McMurray – “I Love Life Even When I’m Hurting” review

Here we have the 9th studio LP from Detroit, Michigan saxophonist & multi-instrumentalist Dave McMurray. Introducing himself in 1989 off his debut album The Secret Life & returning 7 years later with the sophomore effort The Dave McMurray Show under Warner Records, he would go on to put out Peace of Mind as well as Soul Searching & Nu Life Stories between the late 90s/early 2000s until returning in 2018 by signing to the greatest jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records & made Music is Life his debut for the home of the genre’s finest. Coming off Grateful Deadication & it’s sequel, he wants to make it clear that I Love Life Even When I’m Hurting.

After the spoken word intro “This Life” by Herschel Boone, “The Jungaleers” starts with Shady Records in-house producer Luis Resto alongside drummer Jeff Canady & percussionist Mahindi Masai joining Dave to pull from Afrobeats for a nod to the high school the latter had attended whereas “Just a Thought” dedicates itself to his wife & daughter. “7 Wishes 4 G” blends soul-jazz & deep house for a love letter to “Astral Traveling” by Pharaoh Sanders leading into him covering “We Got By” by Al Jarreau.

“The Plum Blossom” by Yusef Lateef gets covered to start the 2nd half while the title track recruits Blue Note president Don Was to play acoustic bass. “Find Your Peace (4 Tani)” gives his flowers to drummer Tani Tabbal bringing the soul-jazz influences back in full effect to endearing results. “The Wheel” finishes the LP with a cover of the Grateful Dead b-side of the same name & honoring Jerry Garcia’s legacy in his own fashion.

Celebrating the love he has for the Motor City & for the many musicians he’s collaborated with, Dave McMurray comes off the Grateful Deadication series to make his greatest musical statement since Music is Life. Consisting of 6 original compositions & 3 covers in the wake of a friend of Dave’s who succumbed to illness & passed away alone, it’s admirable for me hearing him using that energy to construct a full-length themed around positivity surrounded by the most special people in his life.

Score: 4/5

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Navy Blue – “The Sword & The Soaring” review

Brooklyn, New York skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model Navy Blue starting the week off with his 8th studio LP. Breaking out a decade ago off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer, he would go on to drop 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings for his previous album Ways of Knowing produced by Budgie to critical acclaim. Coming off last summer’s Memoirs in Armour EP however, The Sword & The Sword has arrived as we reach the halfway point of the month.

“The Bloodletter” begins by hooking up a drumless piano from Chris Keys advising that you don’t have to die in order to live again whereas the only single “Orchards” takes the boom bap route instrumentally with some strings to talk about being on an other journey of self-discovery. “God’s Kingdom” produced by Graymatter gets back on the drumless vibes finding himself unable to cry lately since his uncle Carl passed while “Sunlight of the Spirit” soulfully talks about life being to beautiful to hide the way he’s living.

Moving on from there, “Guardadas” keeps it drumless calmly desiring for peace & recognition just before “My Heartbeat” heads for a jazzier boom bap direction talking about not being defined by who he’s living for soaring through an existential war. “Tale of the Truth” strips the drums once again trying to tone down the voices depriving him of his patience leading into the self-produced “Fight On” talking about love being the very thing he’s fighting for.

“Kindred Spirit” starts the 2nd half remembering the late Ka in light of his tragic passing 13 months earlier over a saxophone while “If Only…” brings a bluesy guitar in the fold apologizing for not returning calls due to falling back. “Illusions” maintains a drumless sound talking about looking high & low when he was high & low while “24 Gospel” featuring Earl Sweatshirt finds the 2 abstractly bodying a gospel sample that Animoss flipped.

To kick off The Sword & The Soaring’s final quarter, “Here & Now” jumps over a sampled piano for a couple minutes explaining his pain is where his day resides while Sebb Bash gives “Soul Investments” an appropriately soulful edge to it asks why he’s on with keeping lesser if he has more to gain. “Sharing Life blends these luscious keys & a flute talking about fatherhood while “The Phoenix” comes to the realization that the trials & tribulations have taught him he’s worthy of affection.

Navy Blue’s entire discography has been defined by his introspectively abstract lyricism & drumless production, but his newest album takes his use of music as a therapeutic outlet to newer territories having The Sword thematically representing an earthly tool used for the battle he’s cohesively describing or in this case grief & The Soaring symbolizing the heavenly council. The production on this one is soothingly peaceful handling only 25% of it himself & Ka would certainly be proud of the way he’s being honored if he was still here.

Score: 4.5/5

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Hatch Wiseguy – “Dirt & Diamonds” review

Hatch Wiseguy is a 37 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan making his full-length debut 2 decades ago with Wise Guy & following it up with an EP called Likewise. He would later go on to receive co-signs from local veterans like Royce da 5’9″ & Trick-Trick to established icons like The LOX & the late DMX, even forming a duo with Pony Evans called Role Idols. I also thought that he had the best performance of the 3 on the track he contributed to off Blizzard’s debut album Duel with Death, so hearing that he was returning for a sophomore effort felt long overdue in my personal opinion.

“To Whom It May Concern” produced by Foul Mouth starts off by hooking up a piano-based boom bap instrumental playing with fiery Hell like 2 magnums whereas “Pop Off” featuring Astray & Paradime finds the trio over a more jazzily soulful instrumental from Blizzard talking about needing head doctors since they’re so crazy. “Prolific” flexes his status with the pen continuing to demonstrate Foul’s ear for sampling just before “Foreigner” lavishly talks about popping overseas with his Gs.

38 Spesh joins the Wiseguy on the grimy boom bap collaboration “Yikes” giving no fucks as to what these pussies are like out here these days leading into “Snakes” featuring Astray reuniting the 2 to call out those exact kind of people scheming behind their backs over a dusty beat. “We Outside” featuring Bizarre gets together to give the audience that raw shit prior to “Leap Frog” featuring Marv Won talking about both of them hurdling over all these bitches, with Hatch referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson alongside the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan & the late king of pop Michael Jackson.

“It’s Not Ok” featuring KXNG CROOKED begins the 2nd half with both artists looking to keep angels by their side whenever they’re out because of devils following them while the drumless “Make You Proud” talks about having to learn some lessons the hard way & seeing his father pass away in front of him. “Seeing is Believing” brings the kicks & snares back in the fold humbly living his dreams until “Chill” scoffs at these group of people acting like bitches. “Bare My Soul” featuring Astray explains that he made this album because there’s not enough love being spread these days & “Nincompoop” wraps things up with some shit-talking.

Intentionally making this a niche boom bap project for those who truly appreciate the craft & artistry of lyricism & hip hop at it’s most traditional instead of the casual rap listener or a sing-a-long crowd, Dirt & Diamonds checks all the boxes in regards of making it a triumphant comeback from very personal moments to bangers, stories, lyrical exercises & some good ol’ bops. Pulling a lot of strings to include some of the top talents in the genre from features to production & even live instrumentation, it’s like he’s catching up with all of us as to what’s been going on with him & his growth since the last time he dropped forever ago.

Score: 4/5

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