BIA – “Bianca” review

BIA is a 34 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Medford, Massachusetts whom Pharrell signed to i am OTHER Entertainment & RCA Records when I was in high school. Her debut mixtape & her debut EP #CholaSeason & Nice Girls Finish Last: Cuidado marked her only releases for the labels, signing to Epic Records for For Certain & Really Her. Cardi B dissed her on her sophomore effort Am I the Problem? couple weeks ago & BIA’s responding with her full-length studio debut.

“October” sings for 106 seconds over some humming background vocals about refusing to make herself believe she doesn’t feel a thing at all whereas “Dade” featuring Key Glock finds the 2 teaming up to declare themselves as shapeshifters. A$AP Ferg & Denzel Curry both appear for a sequel of “We On Go” that’s energetic as the original version produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. while “Sad Party” talks about how people want to see each other party with someone else.

Moving on from there, “1 Thing” pays homage to Lauryn Hill with a breezily tropical hip hop single making it known that she doesn’t trust any man with 0 experience leading into “Pray for You” featuring Khalil Harrison makes for a decent attempt at ampiano. “Hard Way” featuring Becky G teams up for a bilingual Latin trap crossover looking to party tonight while “Bad Guy” seemingly responds to Cardi B’s jabs directed at her over a Turbo instrumental.

“+44” starts the 2nd half of Bianca taking the sample drill route talking about seeing face that’s unlike any other person she’s ever met while the Afrobeats-inflicted “Ready Set” runs the paper up until everyone else keeps pace with her. “Birthday Behavior” featuring Young Miko samples “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira talking about what they be doing on their birthdays while “Guava” hops over some horns to get unruly.

The song “N.W.F.A. (N****s Will Fuck Anything)” sets off the 4th quarter playfully talking about men being overly horny while “Awake” blends pop rap & boom bap to ask who told them that life would be easy when that’s a clear lie. “Crazy” featuring Ty$ puts a bigger emphasis on the pop rap style talking about going crazy for one another & “Trifling” was a surprisingly lush outro warning that the next bitch her man finds won’t be his next problem.

Starting the deluxe run, we’re treated to the original “We On Go” justifying the inclusion of a follow-up during the 1st half while the TiaCorine/Young Thug- inspired no melody pop rap single “Pissed Off” featuring Lil Yachty talks about being disrespected. “Lights Out” featuring J.I.D swaps out the no melody undertones in favor of electropop continuing to shine with the lights are dimmed while “Dirty Bitch” talks about getting nasty for her man over a hip house beat.

“Twin” exuberantly admits to doing this shit without trying when it can be telling at points while “Rollin’” featuring Cash Cobain samples “R.I.C. 4 Life” by Lil Jyule to talk about the enjoyment they get outta living life on the edge. “Free Mason” hops over a Marshmello instrumental flexing her new Margiela while “Carpet” featuring Rio da Yung O.G. talks about being racked up over a beat Rogét Chahayed made with Earl on the Beat. “Private” suggests not to switch up if she’s locked in & the final bonus track “Carbone” concludes with an average freestyle.

Contrasting the question of if anyone can name 5 songs in BIA’s whole discography: I’ve been paying attention to her since my adolescence when the Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream founder & future Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director brought her on board to a major label hoping that she’d release a whole body of work that exemplified the potential of singles like “Whip It” or more recently “We On It”. And even though I do appreciate the guests & the fact that she tried to give us the clearest version of herself, some of the production lacks in my opinion.

Score: 2.5/5

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TiaCorine – “Corinian” review

Winston-Salem, North Carolina rapper & songwriter TiaCorine coming off some of her biggest singles with an official sophomore effort. Blowing up earlier this decade with her debut mixtape The Saga of 34Corine as well as the debut EP & full-length debut I Can’t Wait, her last EP Almost There marked Tia’s major label debut after signing to Interscope Records & is looking to make her biggest waves yet with Corinian following a couple successful teasers.

Saweetie appears for the decent pop rap/trap intro “Pretty” talking about their bank accounts saying heavy as well as having too many men & bitches wanting to end them because of it whereas the 3rd & my favorite single “Ironic” makes up for it from the pluggy Kenny Beats instrumental to the more deadly lyricism. “Buttercup” crosses over some synthesizers & guitars from Kenny talking about being a pop star prior to “Lotion” featuring Flo Milli letting those who don’t know how shit goes around their parts.

“Fall in Love” was probably my least favorite single of the 3 although I do appreciate the funk-soul sample approaching the concept of love the same way she always has in the past while “Cutting Ties” cloudily talks about switching sides like it’s a remix severing all associations with the person she has in mind. “High Demand” featuring Smino trades verses with each other for a romantic pop rap duet leading into “Was Hannin’?” featuring Wiz Khalifa advise us to put your money where your mouth is.

Meanwhile on “Booty”, we have Tia taking aim at a bitch who stays doing anything except minding her own business while the lead single “Different Color Stones” produced by Pooh Beatz talks about being stacked up nowadays & for anyone broke to back the fuck up. “La La La” attempts at pulling influences from Latin trap & resulting in one of Corinian’s weaker moments while the 2nd single “Ate” boisterously talks about nobody being able to take her spot.

“Backyard” featuring J.I.D was another single that I was highly impressed with whether it be Hit-Boy experimenting with trap metal or the sexually energetic chemistry between both MCs while the cloudy trap fusion “Crush” refuses to put anyone before her money. “Iced Out Kirby” minimally paints images of her materialistic lifestyle & once “Damn Right” featuring Pouya shuts down those who ain’t about it, “Impossible Girl” closes with her giving it all she’s got.

Finishing a trilogy that I Can’t Wait began & Almost There bridged, Corinian lets the world inside of TiaCorine’s very own metropolitan utopia balancing grit & vulnerability to realize her full-potential almost halfway through the decade. Showcasing her sharp lyricism & capturing her evolution since signing to a major label, she playfully yet powerfully steps fully into the artist she’s always envisioned herself to be amassing some notable guests & producers along the way.

Score: 4/5

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Princess Nokia – “Girls” review

New York City rapper, singer/songwriter & actress Princess Nokia following up her double sophomore effort Everything Sucks, Everything’s Beautiful with her 3rd studio LP. Introducing herself off the full-length debut Metallic Butterfly over a decade ago, her expanded 1992 extended play following her debut mixtape Honeysuckle broke her out into stardom & her 2nd EP A Girl Who Cried Red was a disappointing look at her emo influences. Everything Sucks, Everything’s Beautiful left people divided & her 4th EP I Love You, But This is Goodbye under Arista Records after Magnolia wasn’t any better. I was however optimistic going into Girls since it’s been a minute.

After the “Girl FM” intro, the first song “Blue Velvet” is a somber boom bap opener calling out her abusers/rapists whereas “Medusa” embraces an industrial trap metal vibe likening herself to the Gorgon known beyond Greek mythology. “Period Blood” awkwardly talks about finding something sexy regarding menstruation & her autism making her tick, which I as an autistic person myself never knew she had.

“Matcha Cherry” embraces a heavy pop rap sound for an ode to femininity just before “Drop Dead Gorgeous” blends electropop, dance-pop, electro hop, midtempo bass & pop rap to finish the 1st half of Girls talking about her preference in women who like scream queen & are beauty pageant killers. “Gossip Girl” references The CW’s teen drama series of the same name taking shots at other females who tend to be trash while “Beach Babe” hangs out by the pool desiring to be a mermaid.

The self-produced “Pink Bronco” sings about being fed up with trying to survive & wanting to take the soft girl life easy over some violins after another “Girl FM” interlude, “Phoebe Philo” gives her flowers to the English-French fashion designer of the same name who launched her own quiet luxury brand 24 months ago. “Art Star” closes Nokia’s comeback with a minimalistic hip hop approach talking about finally understanding herself & her process.

Celebrating this new phase of her life, Princess Nokia honors the part of her that always had her own things by making the newest entry in her discography Girls the most gratifying piece of music I’ve heard from her in quite some time because of it’s presentation as this perspectively unique guidebook of living a fulfilling life portraying the realistic duality of girlhood it be the highs of hanging out with all of her friends besides her or the lows of predators & the rise of misogyny.

Score: 4/5

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OsamaSon – “Psykotic” review

Here is the 4th studio LP from Charleston, South Carolina star OsamaSon. Starting a few years ago, he would then start to pump out 3 EPs shortly after I’m da Man as well as Vengeance & Carnival respectively. He returned at the beginning of 2023 by dropping osamavrt, following it up in the form of slime & Bad Habits. Osama’s debut Osama Season & the follow-up Flex Musix increased his profile as did the 3vil Reflection collab EP with Glokk40Spaz. Jumpout came out at the beginning of 2025 & he’s looking to get a bit more Psykotic.

“Habits” opens with a distorted beat getting the mosh pits jumpin’ whereas “Worldwide” produced by gyro talks about the lifestyles of the rich & famous over a futuristic trap instrumental. The self-produced “Addicted” shifts back in rage territory to spit braggadocio while “Get Away” takes a more melodic approach so he can talk about never falling short like his competition are.

The Halloween vibes of “Maag Dump” are absolutely perfect with the holiday coming in 3 weeks flexing that his lil shooter hits shit for fun just before the chaotic “T193” references the late WWE Hall of Famer Paul Bearer. “FMJ” featuring che reunites the 2 & CXO nearly 3 months after “Hellraiser” for another exciting rage collaboration while the appropriately dark “Inferno” talks about being 20 when Atlantic signed him.

“She Woke Up” reaches the halfway point melodically boasting that he’s in this chick’s head rent free leading into him hyperactively making the “Function” jump to start the 2nd leg. “In It” gives off a more colorful rage mood tackling the theme of love & that same peppiness can be applied to “Yea I Kno” except he’s talking about his success.

gyro samples “Shirt Off” by Gucci Mane, Frenchie, OJ da Juiceman & Wooh da Kid during the chaotic “What’s Happening” & Lil O saving one of Psykotic’s best flows for his sole verse while “It’s a Party” talks about being fresh like every day his last & once “Gintama” homages the baby voice Playboi Carti used during the late 2010s, “Guap Man” takes almost 3 minutes to boast his wealth until the celebratory “Victory Lap”.

Joining the ranks of che’s newest album Rest in Bass or the recent Lucy Bedroque mixtape Unmusique & of course the new Jane Remover album Revengeseekerz, Psykotic in due time will certainly be regarded as the greatest work of OsamaSon’s entire career & amongst the most essential rage listenings of this ongoing decade from the mainly hardcore lyricism to the production’s undertones of experimental hip hop, industrial hip hop & trap.

Score: 4/5

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The Cool Kids – “Hi Top Fade” review

The Cool Kids are a midwestern duo from consisting of Chicago, Illinois rapper & songwriter Sir Michael Rocks and Mount Clemens, Michigan rapper, producer & songwriter Chuck Inglish. Releasing 6 mixtapes between the mid-late 2000s, they made their full length debut in the summer of 2011 with When Fish Ride Bicycles & reunited for the 2017 sophomore effort Special Edition Grand Master Deluxe. Last we heard from them was the Before Shit Got Weird & Baby Oil Staircase / Chillout triple disc trilogy in 2022, returning to Fools Gold Records for their 4th studio LP.

“Cigarello Helmets” is a 61 second Mobb intro produced by Chuck Inglish to flex that they’ve re-up’d whereas “We Got Clips” takes the psychedelic boom bap route instrumentally getting in their battle rap bags lyrically. “Dang!” talks about how other rappers want rain & start complaining soon as they get clout while “Rockbox” throws it back to the mid-school thanks to none other than A-Trak styling on everybody.

As for the single “Foil Bass”, we have Chuck & Sir Michael hopping over a Neptunes-inspired beat to talk about the pair poppin’ like they got jalapeños on ‘em just before “95 South” throws it back to when Atlanta bass was becoming popular 3 decades ago to boast the motion they still got. “Banana in the Tailpipe” featuring Seafood Sam unites the trio to pay their respects to the late Drakeo the Ruler while “Blade Runner” featuring Radamiz asks who’ll be seeing heaven first.

“Crunch Rap Supreme” returns to the boom bap with some of the hungriest performances on the entire album (no pun intended) prior to “Don’t Say My Name” wanting to know why some call them by their governments when out in public. Pink Siifu saves the best feature for “Clean Linen Satin Pillow” tackling the theme of betrayal while the silky “Tryin’ to Get Like You” talks about there being a lot to being fresh that nobody really tells us.

The song “Cinnamon Part 2” kicks off Hi Top Fade’s final act with a sequel to a standout from their Gone Fishing mixtape & once “Live Wire” hooks up some prominent synthesizers for a more romantic vibe talking about keeping each other up all night dancing until dawn, the closer “Back Up Off Me” nostalgically feels reminiscent of 80s R&B with a hip hop spin being put on in.

Special Edition Grand Master Deluxe along with the Before Shit Got Weird & Baby Oil Staircase / Chillout series all had songs that I liked, but Hi Top Fade has gotta be the most consistent full-length that I’ve heard from these guys in almost 15 years right when I had finished middle school & probably outdoing it in terms of quality. Even with When Fish Ride Bicycles having better guests, the main focus of both Chuck Inglish’s production & his chemistry with Sir Michael Rocks are the most exciting it’s been in a while ahead of when or if Mannie Fresh produces their next album.

Score: 4.5/5

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Mobb Deep – “Infinite” review

Queens, New York duo Mobb Deep consisting of Havoc & the late Prodigy teaming up with Mass Appeal Records for their 9th & final album. Releasing their debut Juvenile Hell under Island Records to mixed reception, The Infamous… & Hell on Earth through Loud Records & RCA Records would both become amongst the greatest east coast LPs ever. Murda Muzik distributed by Columbia Records would also be well received, but their final Loud offering Infamy as well as the Jive Records-backed Amerika’z Nightmare & of course Blood Money during a polarizing tenure on G-Unit Records/Interscope Records all left fans divided in the 2000s. Over a decade since The Infamous…Mobb Deep however, the 4th entry of Mass Appeal’s ongoing Legend Has It saga is now here preserving the Mobb’s Infinite legacy.

“Against the World” starts with Havoc sampling jazz & soul echoing the sentiments of former rival 2Pac’s magnum Me Against the World ending with Hav telling Bandana P that he’ll see him on the other side during the outro whereas “Gunfire” produced by The Alchemist takes the boom bap route to spit lyrical bullets at their competition. “Easy Bruh” stays in the basement instrumentally suggests to take things smoothly while “Look at Me” featuring Clipse unites 2 of the greatest gangsta rap duos of all-time.

Big Noyd joins forces with “The M. The O. The B. The B.” for a sinister dedication to the group itself leading into “Down for You” featuring Nas works in a string sample for the trio to show a romantic side to all 3 of them individually. “Taj Mahal” was another great single choice even if it’s pretty much Uncle Al remixing the 2011 leaked Prodigy track “Night Life” by flipping “[The Infamous Prelude]” & Havoc adding his own verse, but then “Mr. Magik” vividly compares themselves to magicians.

“Score Points” locks in with Alchemist for the 2nd to last time taking a luxurious approach to the beat trusting the process promising to make y’all disappear like rabbits in hat tricks referring to the previous song & “My Era” marks Uncle Al’s final contribution to Infinite, reminding that Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) & The Infamous… defined the east coast 3 decades ago. “Pour My Henny” featuring Nas links back up with each other for an ode to whiskey while “Clear Black Nights” featuring Ghostface Killah & Raekwon talks about being either with them or against them.

The song “Discontinued” winds down the LP’s final act by flexing that they don’t make ‘em like the Mobb anymore over a raw boom bap instrumental & unfortunately, “Love the Way” featuring Nas is a blatant remix of the final single “Down for You” that dropped yesterday. “We the Real Thing” however makes it up for it with them giving a middle finger to the idea of rap beef since they got real drama going on such as having people out in the streets plotting to put bounties on their heads.

Infinite thus far surpasses Victory, The Emperor’s New Clothes & Supreme Clientele 2 as the greatest entry of the Legend Has It series by making a full circle moment out of the batch of unreleased Prodigy verses Havoc & The Alchemist used all over Infinite. It additionally recaptures the classically raw, dark & genuine Mobb Deep energy & sound that shaped the beloved Queensbridge duo I was thankful to see live a decade ago whilst addressing the current state of the culture.

Score: 4.5/5

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Charles Lloyd – “Figure in Blue” review

Charles Lloyd is an 87 year old tenor saxophonist & flautist from Memphis, Tennessee with over 2 dozen full-lengths under his belt already since the late 50s. He has spent the last decade with my favorite jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records dropping exemplary late career material that includes I Long to See You as well as Tone Poem & The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow. However, he’s following up the latter with his 32nd full-length comprised of 2 discs containing 7 songs each.

“Abide with Me” begins with this calming intro working in a saxophone & Jason Moran playing piano whereas “Hina Hanta, The Way of Peace” moves forward by delivering a nearly 8 minute post-bop composition keeping the keys & sax in tact. “Figure in Blue, Memories of Duke” remembers the late Duke Ellington letting Jason shine more instrumentally just before “Desolation Sound” lets Charles take the spotlight with his saxophone once more.

Meanwhile on “Ruminations”, we have guitarist Marvin Sewell accompanying Charles Lloyd & Jason Moran for 10 & a half more minutes of peacefully improvisational post-bop leading into “Chulahoma” focusing more around the saxophone & guitar. Reaching the halfway point, “Song My Lady Sings” brings all 3 instrumentalists together for a serene 8 & a half minute post-bop jam while “The Ghost of Lady Day” starts the 2nd act with a Billie Holiday rendition.

“Blues for Langston” gives his flowers to the late Langston Hughes” until we’re treated to a couplet of Duke Ellington covers: “Heaven” & “Black Butterfly”. The song “Ancient Rain” takes up 111 seconds with a tenor saxophone while “Hymn to the Mother, for Zakir” takes a moment to remember the late Zakir Hussain. The closer “Somewhere” finishes Figure in Blue with Charles & Jason playing piano & tenor sax for the LP’s final 4 & a half minutes.

Spaciously travels wide expanses of musical terrain from beautiful ballads to raw Delta blues, the 4th full-length Charles Lloyd has created since signing to Blue Note Records could be the most heartfelt entry in his entire discography reflecting everything that’s defined his entire life. Combining original & re-recorded material for an autumnal double album, he salutes those who inspired him over 6 decades ago with an hour & a half long memoir.

Score: 3.5/5

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Taylor Swift – “The Life of a Showgirl” review

What can be said regarding West Reading, Pennsylvania singer/songwriter, actress, producer & director Taylor Swift that has been said already? From the successes of Red & 1989 as well as the superior Republic Records sophomore effort Folklore & it’s sequel Evermore to her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, there’s no denying Taylor’s status as a global icon. The Tortured Poets Department was widely panned a year & a half ago, to which I can’t blame Jack Antonoff for at all since my issues lied more with the writing on “So High School” & “I Hate It Here”. The same woman who used to babysit the children of former CWA Heavyweight Champion, 6-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, TNA Wrestling co-founder & AEW’s current Director of Business Development Jeff Jarrett said her 12th album was more lively than the bleak predecessor & I was wondering if that was the case.

“The Fate of Ophelia” in my opinion isn’t that bad of a dance-pop rock intro with cute little references to the Shakespeare play Hamlet while “Elizabeth Taylor” unfortunately marks the decline in quality not doing the late actress’ memory that much justice from the generic instrumental to the songwriting. On the contrary, “Opiate” was a decent dance-pop jam comparing the sky to opalescent glass & “Father Figure” botches the George Michael single of the same name.

We get some pianos all over “Eldest Daughter” singing about all the oldest daughters in families being the first lambs to be slaughtered just before “Ruin the Friendship” publicly addresses Jeff Lang. The worst song on The Life of a Showgirl by a landslide “Actually Romantic” oozes with bitterness over Charli XCX when brat singlehandedly clears Taylor’s discography & the derivative “Wi$h Li$t” somehow someway isn’t any better despite the topic of her dream life with Travis.

“Wood” starts the final leg of the LP with a sequel to “Out of the Woods” off 1989 that I can appreciate, although I can’t really say the same for my 2nd least favorite track here “Cancelled!” not living up to the “banger” Travis hyped it up to be whatsoever fumbling the cancel culture concept. “Honey” brings the keys back in the fold giving Travis a pass to call her by that nickname & the title track featuring Sabrina Carpenter thanks everyone for an unforgettable night.

Starting the deluxe run, “Patient 0” mutates alt-pop & contemporary R&B engaging in conversation with her ex’s new partner while “Cleveland!” sings about her engagement to Travis. “Pink Clouding” includes a cool nod to “cardigan” wondering if she wound up hurting her original muse when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was occurring & the final bonus track “Babylon” at last ends The Life of a Showgirl singing about one not knowing what paradise was when they had it.

The Tortured Poets Department was easily the messiest full-length in Taylor Swift’s entire discography & I’m very much happy for her & Travis Kelce’s engagement, but The Life of a Showgirl for a conceptual opus themed around being an entertainer doesn’t compel me like The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars or The Wall. I prefer what Jack was going for last time as opposed to the pop, pop rock, contemporary R&B, alt-pop, dance-pop & urban cowboy production Max Martin & Shellback go for coming off bland.

Score: 1.5/5

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Joker Starr – “Sidenote” review

Slough, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Joker Starr making his Boot Records debut with his 7th studio LP. Dropping his debut mixtape Raw Spittage in 2011, he would go on to follow it up with all 6 of his previous full-lengths as well as 3 extended plays & a beat tape. My personal favorite being G.A.W.D. (God And Wisdom Driven) mostly produced by Micall Parknsun & of course Gawd Status’ debut Firmamentum. Both of which came out in 2019, conceiving Sidenote during the COVID-19 pandemic the next year.

“Same Old Flow” featuring Chima Anya finds the 2 joining forces to dismantle rappers who can’t switch shit up whereas “Don’t Try to Test” featuring Anyway tha God & produced by Micall Parknsun goes for a boom bap vibe talking about not being the ones to fuck with. “Stop Acting Like a Pussy” featuring Micall Parknsun turns up the aggressiveness flaming dudes for being spineless leading into “Let’s Be in Love” featuring Anyway tha God soulfully getting romantic.

Big Cakes appears on “Cold So Bold” to kick off the 2nd half spitting hardcore lyricism over a boom bap instrumental until “For the Legacy” & “Divine Blessings” both feature Anyway tha God over more Micall Parknsun instrumentals, talking about why they still make music & expressing their own gratitude. The raw yet lo-fi title track featuring Marv Won spends the final minutes of Sidenote calling out people for moving with their eyes closed.

Regardless of putting Boot Records in the same conversations as YNR Productions regarding both labels being around for decades yet neither of them have released a lot of music in recent years as opposed to High Focus Records or Blah Records constantly staying busy, Sidenote was more enjoyable than Gawd’s Children although I would’ve loved to hear a song where Joker Starr’s rapping by himself even if a majority of the guests are revered in their own fields.

Score: 4/5

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13° – “Black Fridayz” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper 13° making his full-length studio debut. Starting out a couple years ago off his first couple mixtapes Urban Junkie & Metropolitan respectively, he would go on to follow both of those up with Uptown Dropout as well as Clique City & it’s sequel. His debut EP Cyber Sundayz a little over a couple months ago caught the attention of Island Records, who recently signed the Chi-Town up-&-comer to make a wider exposure on Black Fridayz.

“Intercontinental” was a boisterous trap intro produced by longtime collaborator Gyant advising that anyone who doesn’t give a fuck about up should from hereon out whereas “Rooftopz” hooks up some synthesizers to talk about the love this woman is giving him makes him feel right at home. The title track lets everyone in on exactly how chaotic his mind can be just before “Fake Killa” talks about nobody saving him if he goes the wrong way.

Pop rap, trap & future bass all collide during the single “Champain” feeling like a king when he steps in the room while “Lil Mama” encourages the apple of his eye to put on the dress he got her & get geeked. “Chiraq Child” featuring lil2posh finds the pair coming together to talk about growing up in the Windy City leading into the standout “Palace” produced by BNYX of Working on Dying flexing his current status.

“Spike Snapback” starts the final leg of Black Fridayz by keeping a firm grip on the gas pedal while “I’m Turnt” psychedelically talks about his life being lit these days. “Exotic Strippaz” throws it back to the Clique City era while “Ghetto Hipster” talks about being fashionable & hood at the same time. The closer “Drive Safe” finishes 13’s debut pleading to stop telling him to be patient when he’s losing patience.

Allegedly his final hip hop project, it’s hard for me to say what’s next for 13° but what I can tell you is that Black Fridayz maintains the trap/pop rap fusions that made Clique City 2 so special & turns it up to 11 now that he’s got Island Records supporting him. The production feels modern & nostalgic at the same time, taking up the half hour of his major label debut to reach a wider crowd using distinctive flows.

Score: 3.5/5

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