NxWorries – “Why Lawd?” review

NxWorries is an MC/producer duo consisting of Oxnard recording artist Anderson .Paak as well as Los Angeles producer Knxwledge. Signing to Stones Throw Records in 2015, their debut EP Link Up & Suede that same winter was an impressively lo-fi neo-soul outing & the full-length debut LP Yes Lawd! built upon those 2 sounds venturing out in contemporary R&B, west coast hip hop & smooth soul too. After an 8 year hiatus however, they’re linking back up for a highly anticipated sophomore effort.

Following the “ThankU” intro, the first song “86Sentra” is a jazzy lo-fi hip hop opener reminding that he did the Super Bowl LVI halftime show with some of the best to ever do it whereas “MoveOn” takes the smooth soul route to discuss being unable to do things that he used to. “KeepHer” featuring Thundercat brings the trio together singing about money being unable to keep their romantic interests over some funky guitar licks just before “Distractions” has a bit of a stripped-back feeling to it refusing to let anything slow him down.

H.E.R. joins NxWorries on “Where I Go” after the “Lookin’” interlude fusing neo-soul, smooth soul & contemporary R&B for a duet as to where .Paak & Knxwledge have been leading into “Daydreaming” crossing over psychedelic soul, neo-soul, smooth soul & hypnagogic pop to fantasize about meeting a woman he’s never met previously. “FromHere” featuring WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & Death Row Records signee October London mixes neo-soul & west coast hip hop pondering where they go from this point forward, but then “Fall Thru” brings a contemporary R&B flare telling his partner she gon’ have to quit her job.

“Battlefield” sides with those who’re one of a kind or no one else like .Paak rapping his ass off over a slick beat to begin the 2nd half of Why Lawd? while “HereIAm” dabbles with gospel by incorporating organs admitting he ain’t doing shit when it seem like he might be doing things. “OutTheWay” featuring Rae Khalil is a syrupy-synth ballad about starting to think all they need is each other prior to “SheUsed” jumps over guitars singing about the pain taking it’s toll on his heart.

Meanwhile on “MoreOfIt”, we have NxWorries giving off an orchestral hip hop vibe paying off their mommas’ mortgages while the “NVR.RMX” featuring Charlie Wilson on the hook feels like a soulful passing of the torch if you will especially since they lock in near the end of the 2nd & final hook. “DistantSpace” sensually asks if it’s too late with a former partner & ahead of the “EvnMore” outro, the west coast hip hop/neo-soul hybrid “WalkOnBy” featuring Earl Sweatshirt ends the album perfectly showing vulnerability within them.

Almost a decade in & the MC/producer duo in those 2 styles of music mentioned in the final song return after an 8-year hiatus to prove that they haven’t lost a step whatsoever. Knxwledge & Anderson .Paak refine their distinctive combination of soul with the rhythmic percussion & groove of hip hop music that makes nu soul stand out expanding beyond that even on occasions in favor of jazz rap, contemporary R&B, west coast hip hop & smooth soul.

Score: 4.5/5

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Lucki – “Gemini” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper & occasional producer Lucki coming off his birthday from a couple weeks ago to release his 3rd LP. Beginning to turn heads in the summer of 2013 when he released his debut mixtape Alternative Trap to critical acclaim, he would later go on to give his fans 6 more tapes & a dozen EPs with the last one being the F1LTHY-produced Wake Up Lucki a week before my 25th birthday in December 2021. The full-length debut Flawless Like Me saw Lucki finding his style & the sophomore effort s*x mon*y dr*gs was the most I enjoyed Tune’s music in a while, so maintained optimism that Gemini would continue to make those improvements.

To start us off, “On They Way” works in synths & hi-hats from Vanguard Music Group & Internet Money Records in-house producer Cxdy to talk about money turning him into a villain whereas “Courtesy Of” takes the luxurious trap route instrumentally boasting that you can’t play it the way he does out here. “CTA 2 Bach” brings a psychedelic flare to the table talking about cash making everything go his way just before the upbeat “All Love” asks why wouldn’t he bring his gun to the function since he don’t like nobody.

Lil Yachty slides through for the Rio Leyva-produced “Biggavel” so he & Lucki Eck$ can discuss undebatably being on a high right now leading into the atmospheric “Gerskiway” featuring CBFW Records artists Rylo Rodriguez & Veeze going back & forth about their lifestyles. “BRAZY4real” continues to shoot for synth-trap vibe generally calling out those who ain’t letting loose as much as they say they do “Exotic” jumps over pianos & hi-hats living like John Gotti.

“BBY GOAT” featuring Future hooks the synthesizers back up talking about both of them being on a new level while “KYLIE!!!” ends the first half of Gemini by bragging that he’s bigger than Kylie Jenner over rage beats, which personally I would have to agree with since I’m more of a fan of Tuneski than Kylie anyway. “Dotted Line” has more of a futuristic trap approach generally in comparison starring the 2nd leg of the LP killing opponents out here & “Signed Up” atmospherically accepting that whatever comes & is.

Veeze pops back up for the lavish trap banger “Twin Flow” for a cut that I happen to find myself catering towards more than “Gerskiway” treating the paper like friends, but Rylo Rodriguez funny enough returns on “3 SMRS STR8” this time joined by CBFW labelmate 42 Dugg to get on some Detroit trap shit. “X6” defends that you can’t complain because they’re the same ones who made him the way he is continuing to build further upon the Motor City’s unique take on trap while “Hustler Muzik” takes aim at Lucki’s critics towards his newer material.

The song “Heavy on My Heart” samples “Do You Really Mean It?” by Jerry Knight thanks to Coupe suggesting Bossy Simpson made shit look simple when everybody knew that shit get hard while “Ski What It Be” throws the synths & hi-hats back in the picture leaving more than he came with. “RIP” has a chill ass beat that Bhristo cooked up leaving it up to the Deadboy to turn a straight-up hoe into pack & the 2-part outro featuring aadditional Veeze vocals officially closes up shop talking about how he ain’t got nobody.

Although I’d have to still say s*x m*ney dr*gs is be my favorite full-length of the 3 that LUCKI has already offered, Gemini for sure happens to be a solid offering from the influential underground Chi-Town artist either way you put it. He still maintains the cloudy trap production that the predecessor last summer except he’s swapping out the Chicago drill influences in favor of pulling from the Detroit trap scene representing the Midwest even further.

Score: 3.5/5

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jev. – “when angels cry.” review

jev. is a 24 year old underground MC from Ontario, Canada who initially made his mark at the beginning of 2021 by dropping the debut single “Jays”. Next winter saw the release of the debut EP The Color Grey. & eventually the follow-up LONERWRLD came last fall. He just delivered a couplet of singles a month ago & little did I know they were paired together in preparation for jev.’s full-length debut studio album.

“Alice” begins the LP with a soulful boom bap cut so the Congolese-Canadian up-&-comer can vow to show the weaknesses of anyone that tries to take shots at him whereas “The Art of War.” featuring Darion Harris takes the trap route with multiple switch-ups at one point sampling the iconic bell signifying the greatest WWE superstar ever; Hall of Famer, 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker continuing to drop hardcore lyricism. “Villains’ Theme” continues from there in the form of a heinous ode to those in the streets prior to the “FEEL$” interlude.

Meanwhile on “Famous.”, we have jev. heading for a symphonic trap direction instrumentally talking about a woman telling him that she wants the fame just before “Save a Spot for Me.”returns to the boom bap warning everyone to stop playing with him by the time he makes his way around the block again. “Wings in the Sky.” has this profound gospel flip throughout getting more personal topically, but then “Wipe My Tears.” featuring August Charles pushes the 2nd leg further jazzily providing optimism in the midst of heartbreak.

“Call Me Back.” featuring Raemi goes drumless for a hip hop/R&B crossover tackling the relatable theme of one’s partner not hitting you back up while “The Killer Shewolf.” sprinkles the pianos, kicks & snares back into the picture culminating in a homie of his getting popped. After the “Man on Fire” interlude, the penultimate song “Wonderland.” featuring Aero Austaire conjoins a rap rock track inspired by My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-era Kanye with a prominently melodic 2nd half & “The Samurai’s Monologue.” concludes when angels cry. by cooking up a playful trap joint putting the fear of God in people.

Few have summed jev.’s style up as a modern take on old school hip hop marrying the sample-based ethos of classics like Wu-Tang Clan & Nas with the preternatural proficiency of new-school standouts like Kendrick Lamar as well as SABA or Smino, which I can definitely hear throughout the Ontarian’s debut. He balances east coast boom bap, trap, jazz rap, pop rap & on occasion R&B laying his tectonic flows down further pushing him as an underground artist with mainstream appeal.

Score: 4/5

DJ Quik & Jason Martin – “Chupacabra” review

Compton, California producer/emcee DJ Quik reuniting with German-American emcee Jason Martin formerly known as Problem for their 2nd collaborative LP. One is amongst THE most underappreciated producers of all-time who I consider to be on the same level as the Quincy Jones of hip hop himself Dr. Dre behind the boards & the other started out in the mid-2000s crossing paths with QDT during the sessions for WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg’s 9th album Ego Trippin’. 9 years later, they linked up for the first time on Rosecrans in the spring of 2017 to significant acclaim & are reuniting 7 years later to put out Chupacabra.

The title track featuring The Game starts with pianos, kicks & snares stellarly portraying themselves as 2 versions of the monster even though I respectfully think Game is corny for dissing Rick Ross & siding with Drake in his beef with Kendrick Lamar on “Freeway’s Revenge” to spite Dr. Dre for not letting him perform the Super Bowl LVI halftime show exactly like he did when he made “The Black Slim Shady” off his last album Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind whereas “Dern & Spruce” uses the same sample Madlib did on “No More Parties in L.A.” by Ye formerly known as Kanye West featuring Kendrick talking about being back in this bitch.

“Eazy Call” by DJ Quik himself & Big Hit finds the 2 flipping “Heartz of Men” by 2Pac for an Eazy-E tribute while “Cold Ass 2 Step” works in these carefree horns & claps so Suga Free the pimp himself can handle the verses. Jay Worthy’s crew Meet the Whoops get their very own title track on Chupacabra with the quintet flowing over a boom bap beat for 2 & a half minutes approximately that is until we get a soulful sequel to “She’s Not Around” solely performed by The Game which is as solid as the titular intro & certainly better than the STB Entertainment compilation Time that he hosted last weekend.

Jason returns to the mic with Jay Worthy himself & Larry June for “Gurbs & Youngs” for a smooth ass dedication to both of those types of people while “Workout” heavily samples “U Don’t Hear Me Tho” by Rodney O & Joe Cooley so Jason can talk about expressing yourself by doing your thing in the mirror reminding that we all make mistakes. “Chupa’s Groove” serves as a this funky instrumental intermission that Quik & Thundercat cooked up together in the lab closing out the album’s first half until “Two Hi (Waves)” by Quik featuring Channel Tres & Wiz Khalifa is this fun summertime jam to start the other.

“Fresh White T” featuring D. Blake & Shiro prior to the “Quik Message” interlude from DJ Drama hooks up a guitar & hi-hats boasting that there ain’t too many like them while “Since I Was Lil” featuring Bun B, Curren$y & Jay Worthy kinda gives off a g-funk vibe talking about how long they’ve been doing this shit. Dom Kennedy lands a solo cut in the form of the bass guitar-infused “Money, Cars & Guns” speaking those 3 things & Jason returns again accompanied by Barney Bones on “AYO” for a KAYTRANADA joint that’ll rock the dance floors. “DITTO” by CeeLo Green, Shiro & Gwen Bunn finds the pair rapping & singing about needing time ahead of “Soul Circus” by Ab-Soul ends on a drumless note.

What Jason & Quik gave us on Chupacabra achieves the goal that both artists & its curator Jay Worthy had set out to do from the start restoring a feeling that’s been missing from California music as a whole. Just like they did on Rosecrans about 7 years ago, you have both Compton powerhouses joining forces 1 more time for the city showcasing their musical talents including a creative chemistry that date back over 15 years & how far they’ve come since ‘08. Just when one of the greatest west coast producers of all-time was gonna hang it up, Jason helped Quik find his passion in the process.

Score: 4.5/5

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Don Toliver – “Hardstone Psycho” review

Here we have the 4th full-length LP from Houston, Texas rapper & singer/songwriter Don Toliver. Catching my attention in 2018 off his debut mixtape Donny Womack along with being featured on “Can’t Say” off his mentor Travis Scott’s 3rd album ASTROWORLD signing to Cactus Jack Records literally the very next day, his full-length debut Heaven or Hell is a bit underappreciated since it came out when the pandemic started in my opinion & the sophomore effort Life of a Don was solid yet not as good. Lovesick received mixed feedback a year & a half ago although I appreciated that it was more conceptual & had a feeling Hardstone Psycho could reach if not surpass the bar that Heaven or Hell set.

“Kryptonite” is this eclectic choice of an opener from the electric guitar instrumental from Bugz Ronin to the beat drop during the 2nd half explaining that he got what you need whereas “Tore Up” samples “Industry Sets In” by She Died Real Pretty talking about the fast life. “Brother Stone” featuring Kodak Black sees Diplo taking the psychedelic trap vibe instrumentally saying the birds in the trap gon’ stink by tomorrow prior to “Attitude” flipping “Beautiful” by WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg with tresillo-styled drill hi-hats & counter snares thanks to Cash Cobain, redeeming himself from giving us the worst J. Cole feature of all-time on “Grippy”.

Vanguard Music Group in-house producer ReidMD mixes trap, southern hip hop, pop rap, rap rock, rage & experimental hip hop on the lead single “Bandit” couldn’t have been a better choice for a track to begin the LP rollout doing legitimate damage leading into Tommy Parker shooting for a soulful vibe on “Glock” sampling “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston talking about letting the hammer off when he come around the block. “Ice Age” featuring Travis Scott with co-production from BNYX of Working on Dying has a trippier trap flare to it comparing themselves to H-Town vet & Ice Age Entertainment founder Mike Jones since these hoes know their numbers, but then the 2-parter “4×4” talks about being back for more.

“Purple Rain” featuring Future feels like it was made during the We Don’t Trust You/We Still Don’t Trust You sessions from the Metro Boomin’ beat that Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & Zaytoven both had an additional hand in to the codeine inspired lyricism that fits better in the context of Hardstone Psycho while “New Drop” talks about falling in love with 2 bitches in the cut over a dance inspired instrumental from Wheezy & Dez Wright. The stripped back “Backstreets” tells the story of a chick that he met last week in the minor street remote from a main road just before “Deep in the Water” fuses new jazz, alternative R&B & trap publicly addressing Kali Uchis’ pregnancy with their son.

Travis returns on the synth/hi-hat crossover “Inside” to start the final quarter of the album Promise Land with him & Don getting romantic with their partners while “5 to 10” up about his love for Harley motorcycles on top of a sample of “Drugs You Should Try It” off his mentor LaFlame’s 2nd & to date final mixtape Days Before Rodeo. “Last Laugh” nears the end of the LP by letting Vendr, Toom & Pilgrim give off the Internet Money Records sound since Vendr’s an in-house producer for the label talking about his success & “Hardstone National Anthem” ends the album with an ode to his new label Hardstone Records.

“Rockstar Girl” starts the deluxe run for a dedication to all the women out there living the rockstar life over synths & hi-hats while “Love is a Drug” has a bit of a psychedelic trap edge to it provided by both Rio Leyva & Taz Taylor boasting about putting his girl straight to sleep like it was melatonin. “Donny Darko” featuring Lil Uzi Vert goes full on rage so both of them can laugh their ways to the bank not giving a fuck what everyone else thinks & the final bonus track “Geeked Up” featuring Yeat gives trap metal a shot talking about being unable to sleep for that specific reason.

Even since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic began the day Heaven or Hell, I had it regarded as his best & the singles that Hardstone Psycho made it seem as if he was going to surpass that debut we got from him over 4 years ago. Lo & behold: He has come into his own artistically & given us what a lot of people including myself thought would be the crown jewel of his discography. We still get the experimentally southern trap/pop rap/alternative R&B stylings of before except he additional treads the waters of new jazz, trap soul, rage, sample drill & rap rock.

Score: 4/5

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KAYTRANADA – “Timeless” review

KAYTRANADA is a 31 year old DJ, producer, singer/songwriter & rapper born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti albeit raised in Montréal, Québec, Canada starting as 1/2 of The Celestics alongside his younger brother Lou Phelps. For the past decade, he’s has been widely recognized as being amongst the most popular & in-demand producers in all of music working with everyone from Mobb Deep to Mach-Hommy. KAYTRA even has 2 solo efforts under his belt in the debut 99.9% through XL Recordings & the RCA Records-backed Bubba as well as the eponymous debut from KAYTRAMINÉ last summer. KAYTRADAMUS gained more exposure after opening for The Weeknd during the After Hours ‘til Dawn Tour & is capitalizing by releasing a 3rd album.

“Pressure” is an instrumental opener to the LP with synthesizers & danceable groove whereas “Spit It Out” by Rochelle Jordan sings about reflecting on what she had with a former partner of hers over a spacious beat. The Celestics team up on the tropical “Call U Up” admitting that they don’t wanna hit up their current romantic interests in fear of falling in love with them, but then the funky “Weird” by Durand Bernarr confronts his lover for acting strange around him.

We get some hip house vibes on “Dance Dance Dance Dance” for a couple minutes prior to Don Toliver poppin’ in for the atmospherically smooth “Feel a Way” confessing to being caught up in his ways & guarding one’s love. “Still” by Charlotte Day Wilson luxuriously & passionately professes the attraction that she still feels towards a man that she cries thinking of while “Video” by Ravyn Lenae brings the synths back into the fold telling her partner to show her which way he wants her to go & recording it.

“Seemingly” nears the end of Timeless’ first half sampling Don Blackmon just before “Drip Sweat” by Channel Tres turns the house music influences back up singing about a man who thinks he can come in the night telling him to jump off the ledge. “Hold On” by Dawn Richard asks if we go back to days when lights use to dance & when love wasn’t scared yet over a house beat ahead of the hypnotically entrancing “Please Babe”.

Meanwhile on “Stepped On”, we have KAYTRA going for a synth-based direction instrumentally so he himself can demonstrate his singing chops addressing something wrong with him while “More Than a Little Bit” by Tinashe has a dreamy alternative R&B flare to it talking about her heart being frozen. “Do 2 Me” by Anderson .Paak & SiR links the pair up for a charming pop rap/R&B hybrid that is until the summery “Witchy” by Childish Gambino sings his heart out about missing something for a while.

“Lover/Friend” by Rochelle Jordan was a solid deep house/R&B single head-on asking if this person really wants a relationship with her while the mellow “Wasted Words” by Thundercat starts the deluxe run encouraging to rise above it all. The song “Snap My Finger” by PinkPantheress is this danceable R&B jam getting an ex of her’s off her mind while the penultimate track “Stuntin’” by Channel Tres goes contemporary R&B feeling the best. “Out of Luck” by Mariah the Scientist ends the album futuristically singing about having no luck left.

Much has changed since Bubba nearly 5 years ago representing a shift in collaborations & his RCA sophomore effort here marks a superior return along with my new 2nd favorite full-length of his behind the debut. Primarily because Timeless has a stronger guest-list, the overall feeling of it takes inspiration from 80s new wave, he’s using newer equipment & expands his house/R&B sound to newer heights.

Score: 4/5

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Yelawolf – “War Story” review

Alabama rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, fashion designer & entrepreneur Yelawolf returning for a double disc 9th LP. Coming up as a contestant on The Road to Stardom in 2005, his full-length debut album Creekwater that same year & didn’t catch the mainstream’s attention until New Year’s Day 2010 off the strength of his 4th mixtape Trunk Muzik. This caught the attention of Detroit icon Eminem, who signed Catfish Billy to his Interscope Records imprint Shady Records the following year. Yelawolf went on to release 4 albums under his contract with Slim, leaving in Spring 2019 to focus on continuing to build his own label Slumerican Records. Shooter Jennings helped him go country rock on Sometimes Y last time we heard from the Slumerican Shitizen couple years ago & is showing his artistic range altogether for War Story, a sequel to Love Story.

“Trailer in the Sky” featuring Jelly Roll on the hook begins Disc 1: Michael Wayne with a moody rap cut produced by Malay hoping to get high one day whereas “Glasses Up” kinda has a syrupy tone instrumentally talking about never stepping away from music anytime soon. “Make You Love Me” has a funkier flare to the beat this time around, singing about a romantic interest that caught his eye while “Juliana” solemnly tells the titular character who bites like a piranha that she needs to get a grip & looking to get ahead of her.

On the other hand, “Marijuana” works in some hair-raising piano chords likening his life as an artist being the war of a soldier leading into “Goodbye Mornin’” taking the dark boom bap route welcoming the evening & talking about LSD being a Hell of a drug as it is. “Cars” works in some militant drums expressing his desire for fancier whips prior to “Lookin’ Over” featuring DJ Paul going country rap to talk about being watched over when times get rough.

“Farewell” featuring Struggle Jennings goes for a triumphant trap vibe advising to tell the truth when you speak of them promising to return home with dinner on their backs ahead of the fierily passionate “Talkin’” addressing those who only listen when they’re speaking themselves. “Cookin’ Cocaine” psychedelically makes magic over holy water & “Legend” ends the Michael Wayne portion explaining how legends are made.

To start Disc 2: Trunk Muzik 4ever, the first song “New Me” has this bouncy trap vibe to it thanks to WLPWR going back to his old ways just before “Bad News” featuring Caskey menacingly cautions that going against them won’t end well. “Box Chevy VIII” featuring Bub Styles & Killer Mike is the 8th installment of Yelawolf’s well-known series of tracks showing his love for Chevrolets, but then “Another Drink” goes rap rock to talk about consuming alcohol.

“Barn Fire” embraces the trap metal sound to get in his Catfish Billy bag while “Flashlight” takes on a more haunting atmosphere in favor of turning pain into art illuminating his heart similarly to the titular object. “Bang Bang Bobby” jumps over pianos explaining that everyone has an uncle, cousin or a wild ass friend you can’t do shit with while the synth-driven “Tonight” talks about being a traveling spirit.

Meanwhile on “Everything”, we have Yelawolf returning to the boom bap boasting that he has it all while the electronic-infused “Bad Motherfucker” talks about this woman having a perfect body & knowing how to wear it. The synth-trap banger “Work” tackles his genius while the distorted country rap “Ticket” nears the end of War Story forever chasing the dream. “Put ‘Em Up” rowdily ends the LP explaining Trunk Muzik don’t quit.

Regardless of what heads think of the guy, Yelawolf surely has more than enough versatility to pull off a double album & gave us a worthy sequel to his Shady Records sophomore effort celebrating it’s 10-year anniversary next spring. The first disc Michael Wayne has to be amongst the most introspectively intimate music of his career yet & the other Trunk Muzik 4ever continues the legacy of the Trunk Muzik series that resonate with the signature style that fans have come to love.

Score: 4/5

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Ski Mask the Slump God – “11th Dimension” review

Orlando, Florida rapper Ski Mask the Slump God returning for a sophomore LP. Coming up as the co-founder of Members Only alongside the late XXXTENTACION, he then dropped a couple EPs & a great mixtape called Drown in Designer in 2016 before signing to Republic Records the following year with his 2nd tape called YouWillRegret being his first outing on a major label. This was followed up with Beware the Book of Eli, the full-length debut Stokeley in 2018 & Sin City about 3 years later. Fast forward another 3 years, Ski’s returning to take us to the 11th Dimension almost 5 months since Moose became a 3-time TNA World Champion at Hard to Kill V.

“DragonTooth” opens up the LP with rage beats from Trgc only needing 1 shot whereas “Monsters Inc.” featuring Future named after the classic Pixar film works in a bassy trap instrumental from ATL Jacob putting their gang over everything else referencing the National Geographic subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. “By Myself” talks about moving in stealth with Synthetic of Internet Money Records returning to the hypertrap sound just before “Earwax” works in a vocal sample, a rubbery bass-line & hi-hats provided by Swaggyono of Working on Dying feelin’ like he’s going to lose control.

Things take the chaotic trap route for “Full Moon” likening himself to a werewolf when the clock strikes midnight leading into “Part the Sea” talks about dying in a mosh pit over a monstrous rage beat from BEAUTIFULMVN. After “Jah’s Interlude” reusing X’s verse from the “Hope” freestyle off the ? deluxe, “WDYM” picks up from there calmly asking his romantic interest to stay for a bit longer while “Tuk-Tuk” produced by DJ Scheme is this fun braggadocious banger.

“Wake Up!” featuring the late Juice WRLD demonstrates speedier flows from both of them accompanied by minimal trap production talking about being mutants, but then “Hulk” ends the first half of 11th Dimension with ilykimchi & Oogie Mane of Working on Dying going for a hypertrap direction once more drawing comparisons to the iconic Marvel hero. “Headrush” is this skull-smashing trap metal banger to start the 2nd leg of the album to talk about being up prior to the rubbery albeit cloudy “Frozen One” talking about being chosen.

Meanwhile on “Killstreak”, we have Ski boasting that he’s hard to find over a quirky trap instrumental with bells while “From Yard” featuring Skillibeng comes through with a decently blaring anthem paying homage to his Jamaican background. “Him Jung Un” mixes the sounds of pots & pans with hi-hats so he can pop tags while “Let It Breathe” psychedelically talks about being cerebral.

“Mandalorian” takes it back to his roots thanks to Ronny J going huntin’ on the mic while the cacophonous “Jump” feels like a modern homage to “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” by Busta Rhymes & Puff Daddy, which as good of a song is bad timing since P. Diddy & later Diddy has gone down quicker than TKO Group Holdings co-founder Vince McMahon. Especially after the security footage of him assaulting Cassie premiered on national television & subsequently got arrested. The penultimate track “Shibuya” is this rage/pop rap hybrid showing his appreciation for the titular city in Japan & finally, “Go!” featuring Corbin ends 11th Dimension awkwardly singing over synthesizers.

I’ll still maintain that I was unsure of where Ski was gonna take it after Sin City when you think about the hardships he’s faced in the last 6 years, but 11th Dimension officially marks his return in the form of his most ambitious project to date. It revolves around a loose concept centering multiple characters that he created himself representing the man in each dimension & the production ranging from rage to even alternative rock.

Score: 3/5

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Charli XCX – “brat” review

Charli XCX is a 31 year old singer/songwriter from Cambridge, England, United Kingdom who one might remember for her feature on Iggy Azalea’s biggest hit “Fancy” a decade ago. Her solo material would go on to step leaps & bounds beyond hers with highlights including her 3rd & 4th mixtapes #1 Angel & Pop 2 respectively alongside her 4th & 5th LPs Charli & How I’m Feeling Now. Her previous full-length Crash was the last to be released through Asylum Records about 27 months ago & a decent one at that, so I most certainly had high hopes for Charli’s 7th album backed by Atlantic Records.

PC Music co-founder A.G. Cook mixes bubblegum bass, electropop, pop rap, Atlanta bass & dance-pop into 1 on “360” starting us off singing about going her own way whereas “Club Classics” maintains the primary bubblegum bass sound of the opener with additional elements of bassline, new beat, Jersey Club, fidget house & acid house talking about that being all she wants to hear. “Sympathy is a Knife” takes the hyerpop route instrumentally to tackle themes of self-doubt ahead of “I Might Say Something Stupid” singing over bare pianos thanks to Gesaffelstein about being unsure if she belongs here anymore. Former G.O.O.D. Music in-house producer Hudson Mohawke of TNGHT jumps behind the boards for the undeniably catchy electropop jam “Talk Talk” asking for this man to talk to her that is until the electro house, electropop, dance-pop, Dutch house & electroclash-flavored “Von Dutch” later becoming the official theme song for WWE Royal Rumble XXXVIIII assures that it’s ok to simply admit of one’s jealousy/envy of her.

“Everything’s Romantic” continues to go for an EDM vibe for the beat discussing endlessly falling in love prior to “Rewind” goes electropop once more wishing that she could turn back certain moments of her life. “So I” continues the 2nd half of Brat in the form of a profound dedication to Charli’s late collaborator SOPHIE just before “Girl, So Confusing” featuring Lorde on the remix turns the electronic dance music influences back up opening up about the confusion it is to be a woman at points. “Apple” keeps the upbeat grooves going reminding that the apple certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree whatsoever, but then “B2B” futuristically talks about going back to back.

The hyperpop song “Mean Girls” takes inspiration from Dasha Nekrasova exploring societies’ fascination with mean women worshipping Lana Del Rey in her wireless Apple Inc. Bluetooth earbuds AirPods while the penultimate track “I Think About It All the Time” brings a dance-pop flare to the instrumental fearing that she’s running out of time. Finally, the closer “365” ends Brat hypnotically alluding to the never ending cycle of partying. “Hello goodbye” begins the deluxe embarrassing herself in the midst of introducing herself to a potential partner sticking to the PC Music sound while “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish on the remix has that signature electroclash style The Dare is known for expressing Charli’s sexual desires. “Spring breakers” concludes the bonus track run sampling “Everytime” by Britney Spears chockfull of references to the 2012 film of the same name.

Crash was an average way for Charli to fulfill her Asylum contract couple years back & as we enter further into the summer, Brat reveals to be the most aggressive & confrontational yet most vulnerable album in her discography so far. The production is mainly club-centered evoking & channeling the illegal London rave scene through electropop, EDM, bubblegum bass, electro house, dance-pop, electroclash, pop rap, Atlanta bass, bassline, new beat, Jersey Club, fidget house, acid house & hyperpop providing introspection that might come to you in the midst of a party or the insurmountable dread of the morning after.

Score: 4.5/5

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Homixide Gang – “I5U5WE5” review

These guys are a duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of Homixide Beno! & Homixide Meechie who began to turn heads a couple years ago after dropping their debut EP Snotty World to the point where trap trailblazer/rage pioneer Playboi Carti made them the 3rd act to sign to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records following Ken Carson & Destroy Lonely respectively. Homixide Lifestyle was a solid debut, Snot or Not wound up being a mixed bag of a sophomore effort & their debut mixtape 5th AMNDMNT proved to be significantly rawer. Now that we’re nearing closer to the beginning of summer, Homixide’s stepping up first for Opium in 2024 to release I5U5WE5.

“Sharp Sh00ter” is a horn-inflicted opener homaging former 7-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart’s finisher whereas “VersionF!VE” works in the rage beats pulling up in all black with fat ass racks. Lil Yachty makes I5U5WE5’s only guest appearance on “SIDE EFFExT” has one of the best instrumentals on the album from F1LTHY of Working on Dying as the trio talk about their bitches being rockstars & “FA5EBUSTER” mixes a guitar with hi-hats looking to breaking faces.

Meanwhile on “SRT”, we have Homixide over more atmospheric trap production talking about being undefeated referencing WWE’s 2nd flagship program Friday Night SmackDown just before “SwanTon BOMB” is this insane 2-parter named after Jeff Hardy’s iconic finisher. “FiGure5” experiments with a quirky drill beat talking about how they can’t be making the wrong moves out here leading into “R50” going trap metal with Cxdy help boasting that you can’t see them. “DeathLOK” fuses rock & trap together courtesy of Galactic Records signee tana so they can talk about having nightmares with the demons while “2xTREME” finds Vendr of Internet Money Records, Toom of Vanguard Music Group & Dreamr keeping the guitars & hi-hats into the fold boasting their levels of extremity.

“00-MEGA” brings an ominous trap flare to the table admitting they have no feelings & can’t show love while “Hi-Voltage” showcases elements of gangsta rap & hypertrap with the help of Cxdy swerving through traffic with their foot on the gas. The bassy penultimate track “SMAKDWN” turns the rage back up to 11 talking about being as lit as they are & “TABLESandLATTER5” finishes the LP in favor of being on a whole different wave than everyone else in their field is over ethereal production that Census, Spaceman & Zodiac provide.

Have to clarify that although Beno & Meechie was already signed to Opium for a year & a half now, their 4th offering under Carti’s imprint also happens to be their major label debut as their last 3 didn’t have Interscope Records handling distribution like they’re doing here this time. The end result being in Homixide growing beyond the raging gangsta rap sound they artistically became known for keeping it in the wheelhouse on the occasions of venturing out into cloud rap, trap metal & rap rock.

Score: 3.5/5

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