The Inner Realmz – “Omnipotent” review

The Inner Realmz are a production duo from the Mojave desert of California consisting of Masta Cypher Devine & Goomson. Since the beginning of the current decade, they’ve been making waves in the west coast underground scene off their first 2 beat tapes SP 1000 and Build & Destroy followed by Low End Wizards as well as it’s sequel & Digital Chains. Goomson so happened to team up with Broke last summer for a collaborative beat tape Heavy Wreck displaying Broke’s talents behind the boards for Side A & of course Goomson on Side B except for Masta Cypher Devine doing the closer. I was however interested in their 6th beat tape since I personally found the cover art to be reminiscent of black metal music.

“Digest Culture” sets the tone of what’s to come with a 47 second spoken word intro accompanied by kicks & snares whereas “Cymatics” works in some pianos whilst keeping it dusty with the drum patterns. “Recognize Absence” mixes funk & boom bap together with a prominent flute also but after the “Therapeutics” skit, “Mighty Healthy” starts by weaving these summery guitar licks ahead of the kicks & snares coming in later on.

After the “Emulators” interlude blending spoken word & keys, “Pantheon” returns to the boom bap keeping the pianos untouched while “Neural Dust” gives off more of a hypnotically raw vibe generally. “Renowned” finishes the first half of the tape with some masterful pianism just before “Aspersion” adds the kicks & snares in the picture again that when I hear, I can’t help imagine a rainy day in Times Square or any other big city.

“Desirous” starts with a vocal intro from Guru from one of the greatest duos in the history of hip hop culture Gang Starr until we get another boom bap beat except the tone of the chords set off a somber atmosphere leading into “Radio Silence!” taking a darker, eerier turn aesthetically as the kicks & snares remain in tact. The keys on “Daily Commute” seem a tidbit peppier ahead of the downbeat/upbeat drums while “Back to Source” turns the jazz influences back up significantly.

After the “Imitators” skit, “Vesica Piscis” is another piano/boom bap crossover while “Ruggedness & Knowledge” has to be one of my favorites on the whole tape. Especially the 4-start count reminiscent of my favorite production duo of all-time The Neptunes, who unfortunately are at the opposite ends of one another over the trademark of the very name Pharrell & Chad Hugo are known as. Even the closing track “3rd Eye Spies” is a standout concluding Omnipotent aggressively.

Said it when I reviewed Stretch Money’s new EP To the West…with Love few weeks ago & I’ll say it again right now: Los Angeles will always be my 2nd homie since I myself am from Detroit & I gotta say that The Inner Realmz have a promising future as an unstoppable production duo in the underground. Each track masterfully selected and arranged jazz samples sends the brain on a mellow, trippy journey down memory lane with each hiss & crackle.

Score: 4/5

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The Avett Brothers – Self-Titled review

Scott & Seth Avett aka The Avett Brothers are back for an eponymous 11th full-length studio album of material. Not only is it their first new music in 5 years since Closer Than Together, but it’s also their 6th under American Recordings & to be fully produced by the label’s founder Rick Rubin. Their 6th LP albeit major label debut I & Love & You turning 15 this fall is their crowning achievement in my opinion. The Carpenter as well as Magpie & the Dandelion also got some rotation during half of my high school years. And nevertheless of True Sadness & Closer Than Tougher being the weakest efforts that Seth & Scott have done with Rick, I was still interested in hearing what they’ve been up to after all this time.

“Never Apart” is a folk rock opener talking about not having to miss one another because nothing can separate them whereas “Lover of a Girl” kinda gives of a funk rock vibe finding meaning in the every day struggles of their life being over the romantic attraction they have to women. “Cheap Coffee” stands out as the best on the album working in some pianos & electric guitars singing about feel the warmth of their partners’ love light shining on them prior to the blissful “Forever Now” asking how long is now & expresses their desire to live forever now within.

Meanwhile on “Country Kid”, we have The Avett Brothers taking on the contemporary country sound as they discuss growing up in North Carolina leading into “Orion’s Belt” starring the 2nd half with a boring take on country pop. “2020 Regret” sings over pianos about never regretting any time they had with their previous romantic interests. “Same Broken Bones” has a delicate sound to it altogether as they discuss someone waiting for them & “We Are Loved” acoustically finishes by reminding that everyone is loved even when they’re lonely.

It would be amazing if Rick encouraged them step out of their comfort zone stylistically a little, but I’ll still take The Avett Brothers’ self-titled effort over their last couple albums. They respond to those saying they don’t know when to hold back by sticking to their signature sound giving the audience a glimpse of independently studied spirituality; questions & considerations in the interest of the divine unknowable seek the sacred in the commonplace reveling in the fun & surrender of what we cannot understand.

Score: 3.5/5

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Rapsody – “Please Don’t Cry” review

This is the long-awaited & highly anticipated 4th full-length studio LP from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina emcee Rapsody. Rising to prominence last decade with a handful of mixtapes & EPs, he 2012 debut album The Idea of Beautiful continued to show her potential until the Roc Nation Records backed Laila’s Wisdom in 2017 truly refined her style & sound almost perfectly. 2 years later, she signed to Def Jam Recordings releasing EVE to similar acclaim, but is returning after 5 long years with Please Don’t Cry.

After the “She’s Expecting You” intro, the first song “Marlanna” produced by Sndtrak mixes boom bap & trap together so she can remind everyone exactly who she is whereas “Asteroids” takes a luxurious route instrumentally thanks to Hit-Boy hurling back at everyone that threw rocks at her. “Look What You’ve Done” brings an angelic vibe to the beat giving you what you need & that you can chase the bag just before “DND (It’s Not Personal)” funkily talks having one of those days of being left alone.

“Black Popstar” puts a bigger emphasis on the trap sound charismatically boasting on the lyrical tip leading into Eric G. giving “Stand Tall” some jazzy undertones refusing to let anyone trigger her & being true to bounce back on the days that she eventually does. “That One Time” talks about learning to be okay with your imperfections over some woodwinds & that life is a process every single one of us goes through, but then “3:AM” addresses a lover who makes her feel like a new person on top of S1 & Lonestarrmuzik drawing inspiration from neo-soul behind the boards together.

Meanwhile on “Loose Rocks”, we have Rapsody over a cloudier instrumental asking where her future lies if she doesn’t know the truth already by now prior to the S1 & Wu10 guitar-laced “Diary of a Mad Bitch” portrays an angrier side to as she takes this time to call out an ex who doesn’t deserve her. “Never Enough” featuring Keznamdi brings the pair together over a reggae/trap fusion talking about how everyone has wants & needs as well as being unable to find peace in Babylon while “He Shot Me” returning to the boom bap interpolating “I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley during the hook tackling racially charged gun violence.

“God’s Light” marks a groovier turn within the instrumental talking about forever shining in the eternal light of the High Power himself while “Back in My Bag” hooks up these prominent horns & hi-hats so she can passionately getting back in her zone as if she never took a few years off to begin with. After the Niko Brim interlude showcasing his talents for a whole minute laying a verse on top of a classy beat, “Raw” featuring Lil Wayne fresh off performing for former 10-time WWE tag team champion Jey Uso’s entrance at WrestleMania XL last month against his former 9-time WWE tag team champion brother Jimmy unites both MCs over kicks & snares flexing their lyrical prowesses while “Lonely Woman” psychedelically encourages lonely women to love themselves.

Baby Tate joins Rapsody on “A Ballad for the Homegirls” smoothly talking about becoming more & more like their mothers the older they become & after the titular interlude, “Faith” nears the conclusion of Please Don’t Cry telling everyone to maintain their faith over pianos & a chipmunk soulful hook that is until the closer “Forget Me Not” officially closes up shop by fittingly talking about not wanting to say goodbye & acknowledging that we love too deep to really ever be at peace with the ones that have passed despite the world being so bad.

Rapsody much like Sa-Roc has always been one of the very first people who come to mind when I hear out-of-touch heads bitching & moaning over women in hip hop this day in age severely lacking & Please Don’t Cry proves my point yet again. We get an artist who’s unafraid to draw on lifelong influences to find their true voice & pulling back the curtain on who she is off-stage as a person. She even reconciles with the past to empower her future, exploring the depth of her technical dexterity with more vulnerability than she has been previously.

Score: 4.5/5

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BVA – “The Dam Builder” review

This is the 3rd full-length LP from Glastonbury, Somerset, England, United Kingdom emcee BVA. Coming up as a member of The 4 Owls as well as Brothers of the Stone & the 3 Amigos, he’s also given us a couple albums & EPs of his own over the course of this past decade with the 2021 sophomore effort Lex Neville under his own label Real Life Drama Records & his first EP BVA MC standing out the most of the few solo efforts under his belt. However after learning that Leaf Dog was fully producing The Dam Builder after dropping When Sleeping Giants Wake a month ago, I went into it expecting to surpass everything BVA had done previously.

After the intro, the first song “Charge It to the Game” officially begins the album with a soulful boom bap instrumental talking about being heartless in the face yet the calmest in his lane whereas “New Days” featuring Verb T takes the jazzier route explaining that it ain’t ever same as older days. “Out Here” featuring Benny the Butcher & Leaf Dog returns to the boom bap so they can talk about being raised outside leading into Leaf sticking around on the mic for “8 Bit Tales” dustily telling freaky tales like Too $hort.

“Desire” brings a whimsical boom bap vibe to the beat talking about there still a fire even when it’s cold ahead of Leaf Dog returning inside the booth once again for the orchestral “Take It Easy” likening the instrumental hitting like a wake & bake. “Nice n Crispy” works in more kicks, snares & orchestra elements to say shit like this is what makes them say these type of days be some of the best just before “1 in the Ashtray” talking about getting stoned during the day pretty much as soon as he wakes up.

Meanwhile on “Flying Daggers”, we have BVA over more classical flavored boom bap production refusing to allow anyone to burst his bubble while the solemnly “Dreamer” talking about how it don’t cost shit to be nice & people having their heads up in the clouds rather than in their vices. “Lost” has a soulful boom bap flare instrumentally explaining that every one of us is lost looking for a way out while “Over the Edge” takes a second checking what he knows in his head over more kicks & snares.

“Couple Clues” luxuriously observes the humor in these kids being told they were special & reality cutting them like sharp metal as they grew up while the organ-laced “Curse of the Liquor” insightfully breaking down the cons of alcoholism. “Still Rowing” soulfully talks about your respect owing while “Mightier Than the Sword” mixed a crooning sample with kicks & snares likening himself to a beast in his lair calling the feeling home sweet home.

Ramson Badbonez joins BVA on “Hiding in Plain Sight” continuing the sampling of soul music cautioning not to trust the government, the lawmakers or pharmaceuticals while the track “The Medecine” featuring Leaf Dog brings back the strings throwing kicks & snares on top of them explaining that it was never about anything else. And prior to the outro, the final song “Always Something” featuring Leaf Dog ends the LP brushing bad things off like nothing over organs.

His last couple albums have been a tad bit overloaded with the guests, but BVA really tones it down for The Dam Builder resulting in living up to my expectations outdoing B.V.A. (Be Very Aware) under High Focus Records & Lex Neville in becoming my new favorite solo effort in his discography a couple months after the Grizzled Young Veterans became the new RPW British Tag Team Champions. Leaf Dog’s production fuses the raw drum patterns of the traditional boom bap sound with samples along with strings & organs so BVA provides some of his most focused performances.

Score: 4/5

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Daniel Son & Raz Fresco – “Northside” review

Here we have a brand new collaborative LP between Toronto, Ontario, Canada emcees Daniel Son & Raz Fresco. The latter of whom I was introduced to during my freshman year of high school off the strength of his feature on former Odd Future member Ace Hashimoto’s 5th mixtape All Day DeShay: AM & the other coming to my radar at the tail-end of 2019 linking up with Futurewave for his classic sophomore effort Yenaldooshi. We’ve heard both these guys together on numerous occasions such as the songs “Dirty Dozens” & “Big Bird”, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that they’re turning things up a couple notches on Northside.

To get us started, “Ice Water” works in a sample with kicks & snares talking about how cold it is where they’re from going back & forth with one another whereas the title track serves as a dusty ode to all the lock-breakers & Glock bleeders from where people get even instead of getting old. “W.C.H.M.F. (Who Can’t Hear Must Feel)” incorporates a string sample explaining that somebody eventually gonna get burned wherever there’s smoke while “Lawyer Fees” soulfully makes some noise in the studio.

“Rusty” featuring Gritfall brings a groovier flare to the beat talking about trying to get rich, but then “Frostbite” goes into soulfully drumless turf referring to themselves as trailblazers where the path is empty. “Last Minute” returns to the boom bap so both of them can bring you a different flavor on some court-side shit just before “What’s the Mission?” comes through with an atmospheric albeit dusty vibe explaining that the mission both of them are on is to get paid.

Nearing the conclusion of Northside, the calmingly drumless penultimate track “Watch Ya Mouth” flips the iconic Jeru the Damaja single “Ya Playin’ Yaself” warning everyone near their vicinities to watch what comes out their mouths that is until “Forks on the Road” closes up shop returning to the boom bap using the titular metaphor to talk about being unsure which way to take & that they must keep going.

Physics of Filth & Bite the Bullet with Asun Eastwood have been my favorites from Daniel Son when it comes to collaboration projects with another MC & now Northside has surpassed them both on top of being my new favorite Raz Fresco collab effort. The sound that the latter goes for like wearing a northface jacket in a snowstorm in the sense that it’s but with a feeling of warmth on the inside, but they also pay homage to the deep hip hop roots in Toronto & add on to that legacy with another solid contribution of art that continues to push the culture forward.

Score: 4.5/5

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Peter Sparker – “Who We Are” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Atlanta, Georgia emcee Peter Sparker. Introducing himself on Devil’s Night 2020 through his debut EP Chillin’ in the Matrixx despite starting out in the ‘80s, he would later form the duo Sparkerdero with producer K. Dero afterwards & drop a debut album of their own Bubba Smith a few months later followed by the sophomore effort 2nd Round merely 4 months prior. He has since joined the rising Croydon, South London, England, United Kingdom underground label Hidden Hobby Records & looks to make his debut by having Paisley, Scotland producer STS soundtrack Who We Are.

“Hi” jazzily begins by talking about using his God given talents to the highest abilities imaginable whereas “Stop & Look” takes a more laidback approach instrumentally explaining that nobody’s better than us because they’re wealthier. “Speak to Me” takes the cavernous boom bap route explaining that he still strives to make people feel like he’s amazing when most already do just before “Mr. Winter” talks about being the reason why his city has snow days.

HellzYeah joins Peter on “Sharks” discussing that they always get things done right because each of them always do it correctly leading into “Bars Over Bullshit” pensively talking about prioritizing lyricism above nonsense. “Bone Collector” brings back the jazz rap vibes for 90 seconds boasting how insane the bars he comes up with inside his head truly are just before “Shrapnel” hooks up a funky bassline to talk about doing this shit for almost 3 decades.

“Pathological Rhymer” starts the 2nd half eating STS’ beats like he’s serving whole entire meals while “Time Bandits” featuring PrevMarco finds the 2 talking about time eternally slipping to the future since we all should know that waits for no man. “Something We Do” breaks down the differences between hip hop culture & rap music, dismissing the false notion of of artists thinking they’re living this shit simply because they’re rapping now while “Backspin” dedicates the next 68 seconds to all the b-boys.

WWE Hall of Famer, the shortest reigning WWE Champion & former WWE Tag Team Champion André the Giant gets referenced on “The Brakes” talking about only dealing with the best of the best while “This is the Way…” declares himself to be the weapon needed to correct the perception of an MC’s essence. “Revolution” sends off the LP with a minute long outro talking about still providing Edutainment despite not being KRS-One & nobody having the ability of altering the way he spits.

Chillin’ in the Matrixx was the only actual entry in Peter Sparker’s solo catalog up to this point for me to judge his music upon excluding both of Sparkerdero’s full-lengths, but I can definitely say Who We Are surpasses that previous EP he released during the COVID-19 pandemic & proves to be a great international signing for Hidden Hobby Records from STS’ boom bap production to Peter’s wordplay simultaneously opening up to this new era of authentic lyricists whilst throwing it back to hip hop’s early days.

Score: 4/5

K.A.A.N. – “Delusions of Grandeur” review

Columbia, Maryland emcee/producer K.A.A.N. staying consistent by releasing his 25th album. Over the past decade or so Knowledge Above All Nonsense has been delivering numerous standouts in his ever-growing discography like Black Blood, the Ski Beatz-produced Requiem for a Dream Deferred, the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced All Praise is Due, Mission Hillz, The Death of a Rapper & The Nightly News both produced by former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 or even Peace of Minds from just a few months ago. Looking to continue to apply pressure though, Los Angeles producer/deejay DJ Hoppa is being brought in to produce Delusions of Grandeur.

The morbid boom bap opener “Can’t Help It” confesses to kidnapping other rappers only for the fun of it whereas “Insane” works in a flute with kicks & snares admitting he has conversations with the voices in his head quite a bit. “Nightmare” takes a darker route instrumentally taking a different path & being built to last, but then “What Can I Say?” dustily breaks down his process breaking down the beat & digesting since everyone else ran out of time.

“The Crown” keeps things in the boom bap wheelhouse cautioning not to look down if you’re afraid of heights while the orchestrally dusty “Dark Night” finds him losing his own cool playing by his rules & being anti-social. “The Plot Thickens” kinda has some jazzy undertones to the instrumental talking about the bullshit not concerning him & moving with a sense of urgency like it’s an emergency, but then “Got One” shifts into trap territory to run it up.

Starting the album’s final leg, “Countdown” returns to the boom bap dancing with his demons at high noon while the song “Destiny” flips a vintage sample on top of kicks & snares to talk about being at war. The title track advises that what doesn’t break you makes you stronger & using his own experience of dark days to get his point across that is until “Kiss the Ring” finishes the album explaining this that shit that make ‘em go up.

K.A.A.N. has absolutely been on a ROLL with the output we’ve been receiving from him throughout the duration of these past 6 months & Delusions of Grandeur very much continues that momentum. DJ Hoppa’s production is primarily grounded in the traditional boom bap sound as opposed to Peace of Mind back in February balancing that with trap & the Maryland emcee bringing more of a hardcore tone lyrically.

Score: 4.5/5

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Napoleon da Legend – “Legmatic” review

Paris, France born albeit Brooklyn, New York based emcee Napoleon da Legend releasing his 28th studio LP. Heads in the underground should already be familiar with him due to the lengthy discography that he’s built up for himself for nearly the past decade including Coup D’État, it’s sequel, Street Universe, Dragon Ball G, the Sicknature-produced Colossus of GOATS, Buckets or the DJ D-Styles-produced Invincibl Rap Mislz. Much like the latter, this time we have another Beat Junkies member DJ Rhettmatic being enlisted to produce Legmatic.

After the titular intro, the title track sets us off with a horn-heavy boom bap instrumental referencing Evander Holyfield whereas “Legendary Legacy” works in more kicks & snares on top of some subsistier horn melodies & the title rightfully not needing any further explanation. “Midnight Madness” is this misty piano-boom bap hybrid talking about making your own destiny prior to “Pressure” featuring Innocent? ruggedly putting their feet on their necks.

“2 Step 2 the Bank” has a lavishly dusty flare to the beat providing an anthem for those built for this leading into “The King Walk” telling everyone running their mouth album to make it make sense over heavier kicks & snares. After the DJ D-Styles interlude, “Not Without a Heart” featuring Nejma Nefertiti finds the 2 backed by horns once again talking about gasoline running through their veins on the warpath & “We Don’t Know You” ends Legmatic going for a futuristic albeit grimy approach instrumentally rebelling until his last day on Earth.

Invincibl Rap Mislz became amongst Napoleon’s best material around this time last year & sure enough, Legmatic standa out as one of his strongest LPs in a while & most definitely a go-to for anyone who isn’t up on him by now already. Everything from Invincibl Rap Mislz whether it be the boom bap production or Napoleon’s hardcore lyricism is recaptured, but the founding Beat Junkies member himself DJ Rhettmatic takes it a whole new level completely.

Score: 4.5/5

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Ghostface Killah – “Set the Tone (Guns & Roses)” review

This is the 16th full-length solo LP from New York veteran Ghostface Killah of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. One of hip hop’s most prolific storytellers & easily the most consistent member of the Clan exemplified by Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die & Sour Soul just to name a few. Ghost’s last album Ghostface Killahs in the fall of 2019 stands as one of the only few duds in his discography along with More Fish & went into his Mass Appeal Records debut Set the Tone (Guns & Roses) here hoping he would make up for that.

Wu-Block links up for the opener “6 Minutes” featuring Jim Jones jumping over a lavish instrumental giving competitors that exact amount of time whereas “Pair of Hammers” featuring Method Man works in some horns cautioning that they throw people in comas & make vegetables in the process. The self-produced “Skate Odyssey” featuring Raekwon with October London on the hook takes a smoother route overall talking about no one comparing to them, but then “Scar Tissue” featuring Nas ruggedly talks the about sun rising to break the day & lifts for a while to give us warmth.

“Kilo in the Safe” chaotically gets in his hustler bag & after the first skit, “No Face” featuring Ye or formerly known as Kanye West returns to the boom bap during the DONDA 2 sessions so both of them can talk about having the ability to take down your whole entire squadron. “Champion Sound” featuring Beniton picks up from there with a decent reggae fusion being able to tell by one’s persona that their mommas used to keep them in the house a lot when they were growing up just before “Cape Fear” featuring Fat Joe brings back the keys, kicks & snares calling themselves the finest in New York.

After the 2nd skit, “Plan B” comes with more of an atmospheric vibe instrumentally to pretty much say on wax that Ghost is done having kids at this point in his life while “Bad Bitch” featuring Ja Rule might be my least favorite song on the album coming off as a tacky pop rap ballad. “Locked In” featuring AZ gets the ball rolling once again smoothly talking about being connected for life & after the final skit, “Touch You” featuring Shaun Wiah fusees pop rap with R&B showing a romantic side to Starks once more.

“Shots” featuring Busta Rhymes & Serani mixes hip hop with dancehall resulting in an average club banger while another weak song on the album “Trap Phone” featuring Chucky Hollywood goes for a cloudier trap atmosphere asking their significant others who else loves them the way they do. After the outro skit, the bonus track “Yupp!” featuring Remy Ma was a lead single that I had mixed feelings over from the mediocre beat to the hardcore lyricism.

Wu-Tang is my favorite group of all-time & anyone who’s been following my platform long enough can back me up on it. That said. Set the Tone is only a couple steps above the previous LP we got from him 5 years ago. There are moments where the production can be commercial, but there are others where it’s sticking to the signature hardcore vibes the Wu is known for. Ghost noticeably sounds more focused than he did last time & the guests perform on his level although a couple of them are lackluster.

Score: 3/5

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Chief Keef – “Almighty So 2” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Chief Keef finally releasing his highly anticipated 5th LP after numerous delays. Rising to stardom in 2012 off his 6th mixtape Back from the Dead & the full-length debut Finally Rich, he would go on to become a progenitor for drill music popularizing it in the Windy City inspiring the likes of Lil Uzi Vert & 21 Savage or even Billie Eilish. Other standouts in Keef’s discography include Bang 2, Almighty So, Back from the Dead 2, Glotoven, 4NEM & more recently the Mike WiLL Made-It produced Dirty Nachos from a couple months ago. But when it seemed like it was never coming off, Almighty So 2 has finally seen the light of day.

“Almighty” with co-production from The Legendary Traxster is this apocalyptic opener referring to himself as a rapper’s dream & that everyone knows what he’s been through whereas the self-produced “Neph Nem” featuring Ballout & G Herbo works in a grander atmosphere going Chicago drill to flex. “Treat Myself” is a dedication to self care lighting a blunt in the morning & being himself going for a bit of a calmer approach instrumentally & after the “Jesus” skit, the song “Jesus” featuring Lil Gnar turns the aggression up calling their blicks Optimus Prime the way it transforms people’s brains.

We go into a vibrant trap vibe for “Too Trim” of course boasting about how trim he is just before “Runner” samples “Streetrunner” by Nancy Wilson telling y’all to watch your damn back because his crew be running the streets out here. “Banded Up” featuring Tierra Whack brings some bells into the fold flexing their wealth, but then the grim drill banger “Grape Trees” featuring Sexyy Red up to the party as players.

“1,2,3” flips “And I Love Her” by Bobby Womack detailing his lifestyle while “Drifting Away” pretty much talks about being zooted in addition to referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8 time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン & The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon Rey Mysterio whose son Dominik is a former 2-time NXT North American Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion mixing trap, pop rap, hyphy & Chicago drill all in 1. “Never Fly Here” featuring Quavo demands respect on their names like Lil Baby & the “Told the bitch I don’t want her pussy, the bitch proceeded to rape me” line during the first verse was an eyebrow-raising moment obviously because it’s a fucked up situation that Sosa & no other person deserve to go through.

Beginning the last leg of Almighty So 2, the majestic drill-infused “Prince Charming” addresses a woman who’s been thinking of him recently while the 7-minute “Believe” gives off a psychedelic mood altogether refusing to put on someone else if you ain’t puttin’ on your mans. “Tony Montana Flow” crosses gangsta rap & Chicago drill over one another advising not to come over to his turf cause it’s crowded unless it’s Master P or you’re ’bout it ’bout it. “I’m Tryna Sleep” ends the album passionately attempting to rest after making $1M the week previously.

Almighty So is one of my top 5 mixtapes in Chief Keef’s discography, so my expectations for it were a bit higher than Dirty Nachos earlier this year. Lo & behold, Almighty So 2 surpasses the high level of quality Chicago drill music that made his previous tape amongst his best & the most I had enjoyed from him in a while. The instrumentals are all articulately conceived, Sosa recaptures the energetic performances from the classic we got over a decade ago & we have a tight guest list similar to Dirty Nachos’.

Score: 4.5/5

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