Roy Wood$ – “Dark Nights” review

This is the 5th EP from Brampton, Ontario, Canada rapper & singer/songwriter Roy Wood$. Signing to Drake‘s very own OVO Sound a decade ago already, he has since gone on to release a total of 3 full-length studio LPs & 4 EPs, with the most notable of the handful being the 2015 debut EP Exis & of course the debut album Walking at Dawn the following winter. Rolling Stone back in December felt like a bunch of uninspired Weeknd runoff & is looking to take us on a journey through the Dark Nights nearly 2 months since Drizzy followed the current 4-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Liv Morgan on social media regardless of her on-screen relationship with the newest WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio.

“So Obvious” begins by talking about clearly seeing this woman in pain advising her to lay her problems out in front of him whereas “Stay with Me” after a brief interlude asks for his lover not to leave him & asking what he has to do for their love. “Whatchu Mean” comes off as another Weeknd bite addressing an individual who has no love for themselves just before “What I Used to Get Into” produced by Drumma Boy talks about being different as of late.

To start the 2nd half, “Like You” embraces an alternative R&B vibe continue to copy The Weeknd singing that he’s as fucked up as his romantic interest is while “You” asks how did he ever let this relationship go wrong. “Disrespectful” speaks on a woman who’s constantly talking over him & “Tell Me What I’m Living For” responds by saying respect isn’t hard to show.

Roy initially saying that Dark Nights was gonna mark a return had me hoping that he would improve from the lackluster reception his most recent output has been receiving, but it’s still the same ol’ generic alternative R&B & pop rap we’ve been getting from him in who knows how long at this point. I understand the situations of betrayal he’s been through are very much real, the execution of it is what leaves little to be desired.

Score: 2/5

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Salami Rose Joe Louis – “Lorings” review

This is the 6th studio LP from San Diego, California singer/songwriter & producer Salami Rose Joe Louis. Coming up almost a decade ago off her full-length debut Son of a Sauce!, the subsequent sophomore effort Zlaty Sauce Nephew caught the attention of Flying Lotus & he wound up signing her to Brainfeeder Records distributed by Ninja Tune. Her debut for the label Zdenka 2080 would become the most revered entry of her entire catalog, coming off Chapters of Zdenka & Akousmatikous to invite us all on a personal exploration of her own through Lorings.

“Inside” begins with a 2nd single fusing elements of neo-psychedelia, art pop, indietronica & space ambient singing about being lost inside this person’s love whereas “Motorway” finds Flanafi bringing in a guitar & some percussion to express hope of those roaming the unfamiliar streets having mercy on her. “That Must Be Hard for You” sticks out to me as a least favorite of mine & it has to do with the repetition than the subject matter until the 5th & final single “A Sauna Sized Pill” sings about Michael Caine hiding under a rock in plain sight.

Meanwhile on “I Dunno Ways”, we have Lindsay spending 72 seconds repeatedly singing about her being unable to play the game because she doesn’t know the way while the minimalistic “I’ll Never Say” finds herself refusing to show this person what’s really deep inside of her mind. “Crow, Friendship” sings about carrying a loaf of rye on here trying to befriend a group of birds she regularly sees outside of her apartment leading into “Hobbies” opening up regarding her stepfather telling her to find a pastime, which I’d have to assume is music.

“Basketball” ends the 1st half with this 2 & a half minute composition that feels bittersweet just before the lead single “Arm Fell Asleep” blends neo-psychedelia, art pop, indietronica & ambient pop sings about an experience she had when going boat sailing. The 4th single “Fill the Void” kinda reminds me of Toro y Moi in a way explaining that she likes to ride on faith until “Upstairs” relies itself upon its dreamy instrumentation.

One of my favorite tracks would be “Wet Log” simply because of the raw emotion packed into only a minute & a half while “Dribs & Drags” sings about getting up off the ground & wanting to see the person she’s addressing being content with life. After the melancholic “A Pool to Cry In”, the final song “Farewell” preceding the “ Fill the void // house by the lake // coda” outro ties up all loose ends confessing that she wants to start a family in addition to making her family proud & wanting her partner to be more stable.

Compared to Zdenka 2080 & Akousmatikous, I’m a bit disappointed to say Lorings could be the weakest opus of the 3 she’s dropped since signing to Brainfeeder since I’d rank it above it’s predecessor & place Zdenka 2080 above it. I have no issue with the vulnerably introspective approach to indietronica, neo-psychedelia, art pop, ambient pop, bedroom pop & glitch pop carving out her personality over the course of 43 minutes. That said: There are a handful of moments where it feels like I’m listening to half baked demos due to the amount of ideas that sound incomplete.

Score: 3/5

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M.M.M.F.D. – “Horrorcore” review

M.M.M.F.D. or Make My Muthafuckin’ Day is a horrorcore superduo consisting of Los Angeles, California wicked shit pioneer Cyco a.k.a. Insane Poetry alongside Denver, Colorado emcee & Lyrikal Snuff Productionz founder Scum. Introducing themselves off Random Acts of Violence as well as Unsubs & Butcher Brothaz, they would later begin the Deadly Drug trilogy with the 1st entry & the sequel Overdoze. Preluding the final chapter, they’re diverting from the concepts of both predecessors on their 6th studio LP.

“Then It Gets All Quiet” kicks it all off with a dark trap instrumental showcasing a back-&-forth deliver from both members suggesting to turn down the sobbing that only they can hear whereas “Monsters Among Us” works in some pianos talking about the inside of a book potentially being worse than it’s cover. “Devil’s Trident” by the trio of same name finds them fucking people up with no mercy prior to “On That Sick Shit” keeps it wicked.

As for “Vengeance”, we have M.M.M.F.D. getting back on a trap vibe to get their revenge just before “Corpse of a Foe” heads for a boom bap direction suggesting that their enemies should’ve never tried to come at them in the beginning. “D.W.T.D (Dance with the Devil)” maintains a dusty edge to the beat telling everyone to observe them & Satans dancing in the pale moonlight, but then “Never Be the Same” talks about your chances of survival changing you forever.

“Brazen Bull” produced by Gibby Stites gets the 2nd half of Horrorcore started with another boom bap instrumental proclaiming that they’ve come to commit torture & the flames being hot while “In & Out” solemnly talks about punchin’ muhfuckas in the face in the middle of stab ‘em. “Soon” promises those being kept to rest will awaken & most will not survive while “Obey” brings a trap flare back to the table wanting a hostage to tell them what they know.

Hitting the final leg of the album, “2 Pumps & a Black Mask” assures they still have the Deadly Drug secured in a black bag & overdosing off the sick while “Let the Beasts Out” unleashes the demons from within to leave their opps hangin’ from a hook. “Head on a Spike” cautions their competition to stay away from them if they know what’s best & the closer “Stampede” puts the final nail in the coffin by talking about seeing only red.

Continuing to celebrate 25 years of Snuff, M.M.M.F.D. comes off this past Easter weekend by delivering what I consider to be the best offering from the LSP camp thus far this year & hope whatever they have planned to drop in 2025 maintains this caliber of gore hop. The production is generally a mix of boom bap & trap except the lyricism from the duo truly is Horrorcore at it’s purest in response to people now watering down the style & trying to pass it off as such.

Score: 4/5

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Cappo – “Houses” review

Here is the 9th studio LP from Nottingham, East Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Cappo. Known for being 1/2 of Oblique Strategies & 1/3 of VVV, he also has all 8 of his previous full-lengths as well as 8 extended plays & the YNR Productions-backed Fortune Cookie mixtape under his belt over the course of his career spanning a quarter of a century. S.T.A.R.V.E. (Striving To Achieve Real Values Everywhere) came out 8 months earlier conceptually building itself around the idea of isolation & Houses looks to mark a new chapter in the CAPStone trilogy.

The self-produced “Ghosts” asks whether one would blame him for his flaws or stay with him if he bared his soul whereas “Lyfe” produced by Sam Zircon discusses laying wide awake after lying to himself & hibernating. “HMRC” recalls a letter he got from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs when he was in the middle of cleaning his kid’s room just before “Neutral” drumlessly talks about needing a minute or 2 so he can weigh the options he has.

“Funeral” moves on from there explaining that the more we move backwards, the more we’ll dwell upon it leading into “Unborn Seed” pens an open letter to an embryonic sibling to our protagonist’s children who would’ve looked similar to either his son or daughter. “Will We?” ends the 1st leg of Houses on some psychedelic trap vibes combining hi-hats & a pitched vocal sample suggesting to say how you really feel when the chance comes while “Sessy Lu” talks about trying to keep tabs of wheee he came from.

The 2nd half of the album continues with “Undigested Sweetcorn” incorporating a woodwind instrumental discussing him being free to focus on his intellect without any mental burdens getting in the way of it & after “Forces” talks about trying to shake off the pessimistic negatives he’s experience throughout his life, “Sprt Lvls” brings some ominous keyboards in the picture looking to move quickly due to him running out of time.

“Solitaire” pushes further towards the conclusion of Houses returning to the boom bap talking about prioritizing his own steez & him not co-signing anyone for money while “Lay Your Head Down” talks about him accepting that he & a polar opposite will forever be strangers to each other. The closing track “While You Sleep” brings Sam Zircon behind the boards 1 last time assuring a loved one who’s asleep that he’ll always be there for them.

Houses leaps 2 decades forward from it’s predecessor telling the story of a working-class early-middle-aged father of 2 struggling to come to terms with the societal restrictions, conformities & benefits of fatherhood in addition to making some commentary on the state of contemporary British society as opposed to continuing S.T.A.R.V.E. (Striving To Achieve Real Values Everywhere)’s portrayals of alienation informed by other depictions of the issue.

Score: 4/5

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Double Dragon – “Big Trouble with Double Dragon” review

This is the sophomore effort from underground superduo Double Dragon. Consisting of Louisville, Kentucky emcee & Mobstyle Music founder Bukshot as well as San Jose, California goth hop pioneer Kung Fu Vampire respectively, these guys made their eponymous debut as a unit in the beginning of 2021 taking their chemistry to new heights after making a name for themselves individually for the past few decades & collaborating with one another on several instances. 3 years later, they’re reforming to break down the Big Trouble with Double Dragon.

After the “Dragons of the Black Pool” intro, the first song “Big Trouble” produced by MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 works in a Chinese sample & elements of horrorcore getting pleasure of tasting blood whereas “Ruthless” ominously talked about the ruthlessness of the duo that has been absent for 4 long years. “Out the Mud” featuring C-Mob reflects making it after coming from absolutely nothing just before “Creatures” talks about leaving the Double Dragon imprint in your forehead when it’s all said & done.

“Nemesis Me” hooks up a prominent vocal sample during the hook breaking down the concept of being your own worst enemy leading into “Mushroom Clouds” talking about having a blast & turning the speakers all the way up loud. “Gods of War” featuring Str8jaket dabbles with trap metal letting it be known we’re in the middle of the apocalypse while “Lurkers” talks about Double Dragon being creators & advising to respect the shooter.

As for “In the Void”, we have Bukshot & Kung Fu Vampire wickedly discussing the clouds turning black & hearing white noise until “Where the Pieces Fit” brings Buk Norris at the altar looking for forgiveness figuring put the placements of these metaphorical puzzle pieces. “Sun Don’t Shine” featuring Gorilla Voltage brings both duos together to bring karma on your doorstep, but then “Cooler in a Coffin” suggests one would look better off dead.

“Never Say Die” hooks up these pianos & bells throughout that I find to be pretty infectious asking to be taken back during the days of Saturday morning cartoons during the 1980s & the Golden Era of the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE coming off WrestleMania XLI with John Cena defeating Cody Rhodes to surpass Ric Flair as a 17-time WWE world champion & the current TNA World Champion Joe Hendry being 14-time WWE world champion Randy Orton’s mystery opponent.

The song “Black Smoke” warns where those who’ll be disrespecting the Double Dragon will be taken & the closer “Stranger Things” featuring Joey Cool wraps up the final moments of Big Trouble with Double Dragon by homaging the hit Netflix sci-fi, horror, drama, mystery & coming-of-age series created by The Duffer Brothers currently finishing & gearing up the release of its upcoming 5th & final season at some point later on in the year.

When you look at the fact that both members of Double Dragon grew up in the 80s, it only makes sense for them to do a sophomore effort inspired by the film Big Trouble with Little China because the listening experience will be enhanced for anyone who’s seen that movie. Any huge fan of 1980s pop culture & hidden Easter eggs can say it does a little extra for you if you familiarize yourself with the movie on top of 7’s quality production & the chemistry feeling tighter.

Score: 4/5

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Fly Anakin – “(The) Forever Dream” review

This is the sophomore effort from Richmond, Virginia emcee Fly Anakin. Starting out roughly a decade ago, he first caught my attention in 2018 after being featured on Ankhlejohn’s magnum opus Van Ghost & started to gain even more exposure when he & Pink Siifu dropped their collaborative effort FlySiifu’s. His full-length debut studio album Frank that celebrated its 3-year anniversary last month was a great way of him honoring his father & is coming back to address (The) Forever Dream.

“Good Clothes” starts by talking about getting his mind right around the time of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 & not needing to ask for forgiveness since he’s been taking what’s his whereas “Teen Summit” strips the drums thanks to Quelle Chris so he can try to build before going back. “My N***a” featuring Big Kahuna O.G. & $ilkMoney samples “Awaking of Our Senses” by Argo for a dedication to brotherhood while “Lil One” addresses an individual who wants something when he already owes something over a Micall Parknsun beat.

Lojii appears with Fly Anakin on the drumless chipmunk soul track “Check on Me” courtesy of August Fanon asking for their romantic interests to check & see how both of them are doing just before “Not Too Shabby” featuring Nickelus F, Quelle Chris & $ilkMoney brings the quartet together to talk about being closer to their dreams. “Lord Forgives, I Hold Grudges” featuring Denmark Vessey & Pink Siifu is pretty much their way of saying “god forgives, I don’t” leading into the string-laced “The Times” talks about his squad having most of their heads screwed on.

“Forever Dream” takes the drums out of the equation again painting a picture as if he’s Vincent Van Gogh while “Corner Pocket” featuring BBYMutha produced by The Alchemist gives a shoutout to themselves since they got money on the way. “YOUGOTME!!” after the “Dr. Phil” skit discusses being heartbroken after giving this woman everything & after the “Foreverever Dream” interlude, the soulful closer ”Say Thank You” featuring Pink Siifu & Turich Benjy ends by poignantly giving all praise to God.

Starting the deluxe run, “Happiness” featuring Henny L.O. & $ilkMoney after the “Clock Intro” spits individual verses of their own over a soul sample without the need of a hook while “Sayless” featuring NoGum Hundo gets on some jazzy boom bap shit staying about their cheddar. “I Need Those” featuring $ilkMoney strips the drums taking it back to when their mothers worked days while “Big Fat Jelly Got a Word For Us” comes through with a skit.

“Sadatay” featuring billy woods takes a more abstract approach to their songwriting over a Graymatter beat while “Bloodletting” featuring Domo Genesis & Quelle Chris wouldn’t be surprising if it was recorded around the same time as World Gone Mad or Scram! although everyone very much kills it. After the “Cauldron Coochie Lucy-lude”, we have BBYMutha returning for “A Twerk Song” although the jazzy instrumental suggests anything but.

The self-produced “Got a Gun” talks about setting shit in motion while “SSX Tricky” soulfully asks how one wages war without leverage. “Socks Over the Smoke Detector” featuring Fatima, Quelle Chris & $ilkMoney hits us with a jazzily drumless posse cut rapping for 6 minutes straight while the final bonus track “Sandwich Bag Boys” featuring Domo Genesis preceding the “Clock Outro” hops over some strings to talk about counting all day.

Some of the most experimentally ambitious material of Fly Anakin’s career winds up on (The) Forever Dream bringing together a collection of bright, diverse & downright gorgeous underground hop hop hip hop that’s so light-on-its-feet to the point where it can sometimes feel like it’s sweeping you off yours. I prefer the production here a little more than Frank because of the way utilizes relentlessly sunny & imaginative instrumental flourishes tilting its tracks from laid-back to cocksure to thoughtful with the elegance of a well-executed magic trick.

Score: 3.5/5

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Kardashev – “Alunea” review

Kardashev is a deathcore & deathgaze band from Tempe, Arizona consisting of drummer The Great Filter, bassist Alex Rieth, guitarist Nico Mirolla & frontman Mark Garrett. Introducing themselves a decade ago off their full-length debut Peripety, they returned in 2022 by signing with Metal Blade Records for their sophomore effort Liminal Rite putting a bigger emphasis on post-metal. However, they’re linking back up for their 3rd studio LP & the 2nd since Metal Blade brought them onto the label.

“A Precipice. A Door” explores themes of loss, memory & the search for identity in a post-apocalyptic setting to kick off their sophomore effort under the high profile indie label whereas “Reunion” fuses deathcore, post-metal, post-rock, shoegaze, progressive metal, technical death metal & doomgaze singing about responsibility & the ethics of creation.

The final single “Seed of Night” works in elements of progressive metal, post-metal shoegaze, post-rock, deathcore reclaiming all what is gone from their perspective leading into “Speak Silence” featuring Genital Shame brings in these clean vocals at the start ahead of the breakdown asking what came before the sounds of silence did leading into “Truth to Form” sings about finding identity & morality during the human experience.

“Edge of Forever” & “We Could Fold the Stars” featuring Pawel J.J. Przybysz starts the final portion of Alunea by taking Kardashev’s ability to create massively soaring moments & crank them all the way up to 11 that is until the closing track “Below Sun & Soil” found them challenged to keep the spirit of the 2012 track “Pillars of Creation’s” spacey emptiness & turn it into a story closer humanizing it’s characters & indulgers alike

A direct sequel to the events of The Almanac & picks up right where the song “Beyond Sun & Moon” leaves off, Alunea tells the story of the main character from The Almanac meeting a being created in the song “Continuum” from Excipio that becomes a philosophical examination of where responsibility & duty intersect. Kardashev doesn’t explicitly attempt to answer those questions, yet rather examine them deeply.

Score: 4/5

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Harry Shotta – “Odyssey” review

Essex, England, United Kingdom emcee Harry Shotta of SaSaSaS signing to High Focus Records for his 5th solo LP. Making his solo debut in 2010 off 8 Days a Week followed by the debut EP Xtravagence & debut mixtape 12 Months, he would go on to follow those up with Back 4 More as well as It’s Showtime & Screaming at the Skies until having Erb n Dub & Xyphon producing Spanner in the Works & Year of the Lyricist respectively. Possessed by the DNB came in the summer of 2020, making his debut for High Focus to embark on an Odyssey following the death of Skibadee.

After the intro, “Put My Feet Up” starts off jumping over a sample-driven boom bap instrumental from King Kashmere talking about feeling like his younger self in the booth whereas the lead single “It Wasn’t Easy” produced by Leaf Dog discusses being a product of hip hop culture. “Final Results” featuring Grafh joins forces to dismantle any opposition over a Farma G beat sampling a piano just before “Different Fabric” talks about the type of cloth he was cut from with Wundrop behind the boards.

MC Spyda & P Money both join Harry for the bass heavy 3rd & final single “Imposter” airing out those who be cappin’ in their lyrics leading into “Bad Boy Sound” featuring Eksman & Shabba D embraces a jungle drum & bass sound thanks to Telemachus homaging that popular style emerging out of the UK rave scene. “Labor of Love” featuring Scrufizzer talks about what this music shit mean to the both of them while the drum & bass “Motion Picture” compares his scriptures to movies.

“Stay Defiant” ends the 1st half of this audio Odyssey instrumentally taking it’s cues from the grime scene while the 2nd single “Legendary” featuring Fliptrix & Verb T comes together over a soulful DJ Jazz T & Illinformed beat talking about their respective legacies. “Wild Bunch” featuring Leaf Dog asking for everyone to put their hands in the sky although it ain’t a robbery while “Chasing a Buzz” returns to the boom bap talking about becoming a better version of himself after sobering up & firing back in the midst of the world becoming colder.

As for “New Breed”, we have Harry over this uncanny trap instrumental showing an eagerness of raising the bar & switching things up while grim-influenced “Overthinking” talks about the requirement of finding peace if one truly wants to get to the end of their journey. “Lazy Days” brings the kicks & snares back in full gear celebrating a fun evening out prior to Pitch 92 jumping behind the boards for “You Deserve It”, endearingly gives his flowers to his wife ahead of a whole decade being married coming up later this summer.

“Breathing Under Water” starts Odyssey’s final moments with a chipmunk soul beat talking about hiding out of fear while “Salute” dustily pens a passionate love letter to hip hop itself. The title track combines cloud rap with drum & bass talking about life changing since nothing stays the same while the closer “No Competition” featuring Westman sends off the full-length shrugging off the haters who keep both of them rent free inside their heads.

Taking it back to his roots in the wake of Skibadee’s passing, Harry Shotta’s introduction as part of the High Focus Records roster surpasses everything he’s done by himself within the last decade plus breaking down his adventures in music & the significance hip hop has had in every chapter of his life. The production’s more innovative compared to what the label normally puts out from going from grime to jungle, drum & bass, boom bap and chipmunk soul for an reflective Odyssey themed around Harry’s life both artistically & personally.

Score: 4/5

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Twiztid – “Nickel Bag 2” review

In front of us is the 17th EP from Detroit, Michigan’s demented duo Twiztid. Consisting of Jamie Madrox Madrox & Monoxide, both of whom originally started out as part of the House of Krazees alongside childhood friend The R.O.C. in 1992 before their initial disbandment 5 years later. Almost immediately after, the Insane Clown Posse took Jamie & Mono under their wings by signing them to Psychopathic Records as who they’re known as today. They would become the label’s 2nd biggest act being their mentors off projects like Mostasteless, Freek Show, Mirror Mirror, The Green Book, W.I.C.K.E.D. (Wish I Could Kill Every Day) & Abominationz. Shortly after the latter was released, Twiztid left Psychopathic to form Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2014. Since then they’ve released 7 albums & 9 EPs on their own label, my favorites of which being /ˌrevəˈlāSH⁽ᵊ⁾n/, Glyph & more recently the Zeuss-produced Unlikely Prescription sequel Welcome to Your Funeral. Their own pop culture convention Astronomicon had it’s 8th annual event at the beginning of the month with appearances from the current TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, former AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker and 5 WWE Hall of Famers; Sting, Lita, Trish Stratus, Kevin Nash & Bret Hart. However to coincide with 4/20 weekend, they’ve whipped up a Nickel Bag sequel.

“421” is this hardcore hip hop intro produced by Fritz the Cat talking about getting down every single whether there’s a party going on or not with absolutely 0 fucks given whereas “Tarantula” takes a slower route instrumentally suggesting to keep it pushing getting high on the daily. “422” goes for a glitchier trap vibe thanks to Grady Finch talking about losing hope & control at the same time until the closing track “By Myself” maintains a darker trap edge courtesy of James Garcia or the artist formerly known as Young Wicked asking not to let them smoke by themselves.

The original Nickel Bag was known for it’s collection of remixes & only a couple newly recorded songs, but the sequel here outdoes it’s predecessor by completely ditching the need for any remixes in favor of more refreshing compositions other than “420 Premium Quality” being included on the Electric Lettuce deluxe. Fritz handles the production again other than James & Grady’s individual contributions, marking a return to Twiztid’s hardcore hip hop style after the heavy rap metal/nu metal influences during Welcome to Your Funeral.

Score: 4/5

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Ilajide – “Pocket Jams 2” review

Here we have the 6th studio LP from Detroit, Michigan emcee/producer Ilajide. Formerly of the Clear Soul Forces, he’s put out a couple beat tapes along with 5 full-length albums & 7 EPs under his belt. It’s been 4 years since I covered Code 200 & that was the finest solo LP of his entire career, linking up with Seattle producer Def D for his best EP Tape Delay last summer. Continuing the 4/20 tradition of releasing music, Pocket Jams 2 announced on New Year’s Day is finally here on Night 2 of WrestleMania XLI merely hours after the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings acquired Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) from the Peña–Roldán family as a subsidiary of their WWE division in response their Tony Khan-owned competitors All Elite Wrestling (AEW) & Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH) both being involved with this year’s annual Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), 新日本プロレス (NJPW) & Revolution Pro Wrestling (RPW) co-promoted event Fantastica Mania this summer held at La Catedral de la Lucha Libre Arena México.

“Pimp Talk” sets the tone with this funky self-produced instrumental telling us what it’s like to be a playa in his shoes whereas the aptly-named “Issa Nice Day” keeps bringing the funk for a summertime anthem only 2 months ahead of time. “Stop Talkin’” works in some crooning vocals & synthesizers for a retro, carefree club banger prior to “Impress Me” groovily talking about women having to wow him to get his attention.

Moving on from there, “Backhand” goes for a bit of a psychedelic flare telling his girl to shake somethin’ for him while “Don’t Talk to Me” woozily talks about bossing up & feeling wavy as a result. “Don’t Play” keeps the dance vibes going cautioning everyone not to fuck with him just before the funky “Party in Her Pants” talks about themes of lust.

“Make Me Loose” begins the final leg of Pocket Jams 2 for a playful ode to loosening himself up off the alcohol while “Slide” comes through with another funky dance number encouraging all the party people on the place to move their bodies. “Stallion” featuring & produced by Radio Galaxy finishes the Pocket Jams sequel paying homage to Parliament-Funkadelic as far as influence goes.

Representing a deeper dive into Ilajide’s artistic identity, Pocket Jams 2 fuses hip hop & funk music together blending the vibe of the 70s with the sound of 2025. Think of it as a UFO Time Machine from the 70s crash-landing in the future. The main goal he had in mind during the studio sessions is to make people move while staying true to himself, the journey he’s been on, growth & lastly self reflection.

Score: 4/5

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