Darby O’Trill & Shaggytheairhead – “10 Bandz” review

Key Largo, Florida emcee Darby O’Trill as well as Las Vegas, Nevada producer, emcee & fashion designer Shaggytheairhead teaming up for a new collaborative LP only a month after Darby had dropped Anemoia with Chapter 17 Records founder/Psychopathic Records recording artist Ouija Macc to significant acclaim. These guys have done numerous songs with each other in the past such as “Street Trash” & “Greaper Shorts” to only name a couple, so it was really a matter of time before they took it to the next level & got together to release 10 Bandz produced by none other than Devereaux.

“It’s Dem Again” gets the ball rolling with this off-the-wall trap opener talking about both of them being back in this bitch whereas “B U L L S H I T” works in a murky backdrop & hi-hats brushing off any nonsense that people try to bring their way. “Put ‘Em in the Dump Truck” has a bouncier flare instrumentally telling everyone else to simply shut the fuck up leading into “The Box” looking to put all their opps in a coffin. “Neva Mine” menacingly looks to take your whip & bitch at the same time since they caught you lackin’, but then the morbid “Fuck Shit” talks about admittedly trying to get themselves involved in some shit.

Meanwhile on “Perpetually Drifting Through the Void”, we have Darby & Shaggy hauntingly portrays what it’s like on the other side just before “Street Trash 3” serves as the final installment in the titular trilogy that Piecemeal began and Lazy & Crazy continued. “S Q U A D” draws near the end of the LP by aggressively talking about how some would never understand since they ain’t with the shit whatsoever prior to “F.U.T.G.” (Fuck Up The Game)” closing out 10 Bands with a misty trap vibe instrumentally as both MCs set out continuing to fuck up the game.

10 Bandz marks the first collaborative project to come out on C17 where Ouija isn’t one of the 2 artists performing together, opting for the label’s only other artist currently & even giving a chance for one of their in-house producers to shine on the mic with him. Needless to say: I highly enjoyed it as much as Anemoia last month. Darby O’Trill & Shaggytheairhead have always pinged off one another excellently over the years, they’re just bringing in one of the underground’s hottest producers Devereaux to elevate their chemistry.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Conway the Machine – “S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah)” review

Buffalo, New York emcee Conway the Machine is back with his 4th LP. Blowing up in late 2015 as part of the 3 OGs of Griselda Records alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their cousin Benny the Butcher, the trio have had hip hop in a headlock ever since their arrival by their constant work ethic balancing quality & quality as well as vividly detailing their lives in the streets. Con’s full-length debut From King to a Godwas my Album of the Year for 2020 & the Shady Records-backed sophomore effort God Don’t Make Mistakes is the most personal he’s ever been. Won’t He Do It just celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary last weekend & coming fresh off the Conductor Williams-produced Conductor Machine from last winter, Won’t He Do It 2 is now being scrapped in favor of S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah).

After the “Despertar” intro, the first song “Mutty” featuring Stove God Cook$ is a dusty boom bap opener produced by Conductor Williams explaining that those who fucked with them ain’t here to talk about it whereas “Give & Give” takes the soulful route instrumentally thanks to Cool & Dre needing something to hold on to. “Milano Nights, Pt. 1” works in some pianos, kicks & snares to break down overcoming all trials & tribulations just before “Kin Xpress” featuring Larry June psychedelically strips the drums talking about being unfuckwitable.

“Meth Back!” featuring Flee Lord, Method Man & SK da King brings the quartet together returns to the boom bap thanks to Daringer talking about this being a stickup leading into “Ninja Man” going into a luxurious direction courtesy of Swizz Beatz addressing those out here who stay talking. Joey Bada$$ joins Conway for the grimy 2nd single “Vertino” with Camoflauge Monk & Sadhugold behind the boards boasting how raw they are, but then “10 / Rya” featuring Key Glock is this 2-part trap joint that Don Cannon laced talking about being on 10.

“Dasani” throws these pianos & hi-hats into the picture talking about having this bitch running while “Raw!” featuring Tech N9ne finds Cardo pulling inspiration from the Memphis scene boasting their lyrical ferocity. “Surf & Turf” featuring Ab-Soul, Jay Worthy, T.F & 2-11 brings everyone together for some jazzy gangsta shit referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin while “Karimi” comes with a hazy boom bap flare talking about wanting the bread. “The Red Moon in 大阪” ends the album with climactic closer produced by The Alchemist including a bar referring to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter/pitcher 大谷翔平.

Won’t He Do It had its high points despite not being one of my favorite projects in Con’s discography, but what was supposed to a sequel tot get previous LP we got from La Maquina over a year ago makes improvements in the departments where it was lacking. The production is a mix of boom bap & trap generally, we have an interestingly versatile guest-list & the Drumwork founder passionately explains why they call him the S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah).

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Gunna – “One of Wun” review

College Park, Georgia rapper Gunna is back with the 4th studio LP in his discography. Beginning back in 2013 off his debut mixtape Hard Body. He would eventually catch the attention of local phenomenon Young Thug just 3 years later & would go on to sign to his 300 Entertainment imprint YSL Records. However it wasn’t until the release of his debut EP Drip or Drown & his 4th mixtape Drip Season 3 in late 2017 & early 2018 respectively where Gunna’s profile increased significantly. Drip or Drown 2 though was a mediocre full-length debut & W.U.N.N.A. (Wealthy Unapologetic N***a Naturally Authentic) wound up being one of the best trap albums of 2020, but the 4th & final installment of the Drip Season mixtape series aged like milk. Last summer’s A Gift & A Curse was a tad bit better, so I’m hoping that One of Wun would be his best since the sophomore effort.

“collage” gets us started with a cloudy trap opener refusing to stop floating like a ghost whenever he’s in the whip whereas the title track keeps things atmospheric talking about how they all wanted him to lose. “neck on a yacht” has to be one of my favorites on One of Wun from the Turbo instrumental to the braggadocio itself & “whatsap (wassam)” was the best single going for an orchestral trap flare to the beat talking about things getting pushed back even though shit changed.

Meanwhile on “hakuna matata”, we have Gunna psychedelically talking about coming from the bottom & that he’s worth $1M just before “prada dem” featuring Offset links the pair together with some trillwave undertones showing off their swag. “treesh” brings a colorful tone instrumentally describing bad bitches, but then “on one tonight” hooks up a calming backdrop with hi-hats from Nash of Internet Money Records talking about people hating on him for way too long.

“back in the a” kinda has this summery trap tone throughout the beat to discuss returning home while the heavenly “trio” talks about being able to go for 3 referencing the multinational automotive & clean energy company Tesla along with it’s CEO Elon Musk, who bought Twitter couple years ago. To begin the 2nd half of the LP, the cloudy trap flavored “still prevail” assures that he will always remain undefeated & on top while the otherworldly “blackjack” likens the game of life to a gamble & assuring everyone listening that money doesn’t make you legitimate.

Normani pops up for “$$$” mixing pop rap, trap & R&B talking about having the paper on their minds while “clear my rain” overall has a significantly more smoother vibe to it asking his lover if she can be his sunshine. “conscience” clashes some synths & hi-hats together interestingly reassuring everyone that he absolutely did not flip on Thug while “the time” dreamily gets confessional on the lyrical side of things.

“let it breathe” featuring Roddy Rich exuberantly talks about both of them applying pressure the hard way while “life’s changing” cloudily gets on some grown man shit subject-wise. “today i did good” spaciously tells everyone listening right now to open their 3rd eyes so they can see the clearer picture that is until “time reveals, be careful what you wish for” ends on a 2-parter by saying you should be thanking God & your loved ones.

Business is Business always stood out to me more than A Gift & A Curse since Business is Business was the closest thing that we’re gonna get to a Metro Thuggin’ album for right now, but I’ll even take it over One of Wun because what we have from him is another mediocre trap album with some pop rap elements thrown in. I maintain that Lil Baby doesn’t have a project better than Drip Season 3 or W.U.N.N.A. (Wealthy Unapologetic N***a Naturally Authentic), it just sucks that the 3 projects Gunna has given is in the last 2 years has been mid due to the production quality downgrading.

Score: 2/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

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

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

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

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

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

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Masamoon – “B.I.D.S. (Beautifully Ignorant Disrespectful Shit)” review

Masamoon is an underground hip hop supergroup consisting of Big Left, Aztek the Barfly, Billy NoJokes & Frankie Fadeless. You may remember Big Left as an original member of La Coka Nostra or perhaps Aztek the Barfly for his 3rd album Line King beginning Middle Finger Music’s dominance in the Detroit hip hop scene. Billy NoJokes just teamed up with Admiral Atlas last spring to properly introduce themselves as the MC/producer duo Billy Atlas & Frankie’s been doing singles/features for the past few years. The group made their debut on the closer “Get It” off Big Left’s comeback effort Slaughter of the Innocents, which I have now infamously called beautifully ignorant disrespectful shit. 2 & a half years later, the group recorded an entire full-length debut LP named after my breakdown of that track.

“Call ‘Em Out” is a soulful boom bap opener dropping aggressively hardcore bars for 4 straight minutes whereas “Born Killa (You Lack Damage)” works in some kicks, snares & ominous horns from Stu Bangas talking about all 4 of them being bred to be killers. Ill Bill joins Masamoon for “52 Steak” ruggedly breaks down every studio session becoming a battle of swordplay leading into a sequel to the “Shook Me” remix that was uploaded onto their YouTube channel in the fall of 2021.

Meanwhile on “Gunpowder”, we have Masamoon likening their level of lyricism to that of the titular chemical explosive over a grimy ass boom bap beat that Aztek the Barfly cooked up just before “Wasabi Wolf” keeps it dusty instrumentally thanks to Pig Pen showing off their flows. “No Answers” produced by Billy NoJokes has to be one of the most cutthroat moments on the album talking about not having the answers & that neither do y’all, but then the neck-snapping “100lbs” brings that exact amount of pain & pressure staying ready for it.

“Shadow Soldiers” goes for an eerier boom bap atmosphere talking being being the shadow soldiers themselves while “Doké” incorporates a Moog synthesizer with kicks & snares asking exactly just how many operations you’ve really seen & that you can take it to the streets or the both if you have a problem with them. “The Enemy Within (Arch Nem)” brings more of a spacious boom bap vibe talking about shooting up those talking gun shit & running while “Reveal the Snakes” leaves them busted & disgusted.

Starting the LP’s last leg, “Metaphysical Fly Shit” hops on top of a guitar sample with kicks & snares woven in so they can stay in their lane while “Ready” menacingly talks about Karma being a bitch that looks pretty damn sexy. The song “Dive Bar Dojo” aptly lives up to it’s name as a banger for everyone to get drunk to while “88 Assassins” finds the 4 delivering 1 grisly verse after another for about 3 & a half minutes. The closing track “Jimmy Conway” ends the group’s debut with 1 last boom bap cut about being taking the way of the samurai.

Chances are that if you would’ve told me a decade ago when I was on the verge of graduating high school beginning to write music reviews that at least someone out there would’ve made a whole album inspired by one of my breakdowns of their songs, I would’ve never believed you. As for Masamoon’s debut, it’s one of the grimiest LPs of this year & reveals themselves as an unstoppable force in the underground. Everything about it lyrically & in terms of production choices are all embodied by its title: B.I.D.S. (Beautifully Ignorant Disrespectful Shit).

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Slum Village – “F.U.N.” review

Slum Village is a duo from Detroit, Michigan now consisting of T3 & Young RJ. Originally a trio with the late J Dilla & Baatin, their debut Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1 was bootlegged in the summer of 1997 only to be revamped & re-conceived on Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 2 only 3 years later. Dilla left the group a year later to pursue a solo career & eLZhi filled in for him in the midst of them signing to Capitol Records for their next 2 albums Trinity (Past, Present & Future) & Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit). Following their eponymous full-length, Dilla & Baatin both passed away prompting RJ & even Dilla’s younger brother Illa J to join for what was set to be their final offering Villa Manifesto. What really ended up happening though was eLZhi leaving the group due to what he said was a falling out with Young RJ & interestingly, Illa J followed suit after Evolution & Yes!. After almost a decade though, T3 & RJ are getting back together for their 9th studio LP.

“Welcome” by Brittney Carter is this atmospheric opener with hi-hats provided by none other than Young RJ welcoming y’all to a name that you heard about & never had the guts to touch whereas “All Live” picks up from there with a funky ass instrumental so SV can get the party started. “All Live 2” by Phat Kat works in some pianos talking about calling him Ronnie S. Truman since he be buyin’ ‘em all first that is until “To the Disco” takes a groovier route to the beat continuing to settin’ it off & describing themselves as warlords.

Moving forward, “Yeah Yeah” co-produced with Karriem Riggins brings back the funk a bit so the duo can talk about being the foundation & for everyone else to get in line leading into “Just Like You” featuring Larry June works in more disco influences instrumentally so all 3 MCs tell their significant others that they wanna be with them. The rhythmic title track boasting that the Detroit cats are at it again, but then “Request” groovily talks about giving what they need.

Cordae joins Slum Village on the mellow “So Superb” making way for everyone to boast their superiority while “Keep Dreaming” featuring Fat Ray is this funky/boom bap crossover telling everyone to open their minds & realizing they’re still dreaming. The penultimate track “Factor” soulfully talks about factoring in all the good times to spend just before “Since 92” ends the album with kicks, snares & pianos from Robert Glasper reminding that they’ve been putting it down for over 3 decades.

Putting in the perspective that it’s been 8 whole long years since we last heard Slum Village together in a full-length capacity, I figured something had to be coming down the pipe sooner than later when they teased us with the singles & even performed at a halftime show during a Detroit Pistons game during this past season even though they didn’t play the best by any means. Needless to say: It’s like they never took a break. They seem very happy to be back in the lab keeping their signature sound alive occasionally joined by a couple of their homies in the D & co-signing some new blood.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Saigon – “The Jordan Era” review

This is the 5th full-length LP from Brooklyn emcee Saigon. Breaking out in the early 2000s off his debut mixtape Da Yardfather, it wouldn’t be until 2011 when he would make his full-length debut by dropping The Greatest Story Never Told under Suburban Noize Records. The album would spawn a sequel to fulfill his contract with the Spade the following year & then a final installment on his own imprint Squid Ink Squad Records in 2014. He returned from a 6 year hiatus in 2020 by signing to Strange Music’s new subsidiary It Goes Up Entertainment & dropping the STREETRUNNER-produced EP 777: The Resurrection & fulfilling that deal on Pain, Peace & Prosperity the next spring. However, he’s linking up with Swedish producer Fredro for produce The Jordan Era after signing a new contract with Payday Records.

After the intro, the first song “G Miller” instrumentally kinda has this old school hip hop flavor to it talking about dressing like a tiger & biting like a killer whereas “Lyrical Genius” featuring Grandmaster Caz works in this danceable groove so both MCs can boast their prowesses together. “Think Twice” featuring Grand Puba has this prominent organ sample throughout only giving the listener advice 1 times, but then “1 Foot in the Door” featuring Big Daddy Kane points out that there’s something about the name Big whether it be the Kane himself or even Biggie Smalls & Big Pun.

“The Mobbery” picks up from there by rawly admitting that he wants to stick up the mob while the rugged “3 Digits” featuring Rock brings the 2 together explaining that this life all about the drugs, money, weed, women & standing out from the rest. After the interlude, Kool G Rap joins Saigon on “Make Money” menacingly discussing stacking up their chips just before “Home of the Wild” featuring Al Skratch finds the pair dustily talking about the wildest coming from New York.

One of my top 5 producers of all-time Pete Rock hops in the booth for “Get Loose” getting on some funky boom bap shit to show their recklessness, but then “Stop Poppin’ Shit!” featuring Craig G jumping over pianos mixed with kicks & snares calling to cease gun violence. “We Were Stars” menacingly talks about how things were back then while “Dangerous” featuring Sadat X returns to the boom bap bringing it hardcore lyrically.

“Tournament” orchestrally breaks down a tournament of torment that you can enter in for only 64¢ while the album’s proper closer “The Era” shows everyone what the real meaning of fortified is over kicks & snares. The bonus track “Sveriges Regenter (Sweden All-Stars)” featuring ADL, Ayo, Petter & Timbuktu truly wraps things up by thunderously showcasing amongst the nicest MCs that the Swedish hip hop scene has to offer.

Pain, Peace & Prosperity had it’s highlights although I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did 777: The Resurrection, but The Jordan Era has revealed itself to be Saigon’s best full-length in about a decade & almost matching the bar that 777 as amongst the 2 strongest efforts of his in this current decade. We’re taken on a journey through the culture from 84-98 seen through eyes of a young Saigon, complimented by guest appearances from the pioneers & production from Fredro paying homage to hip hop’s roots.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

GUTTR – “Everything is…GUTTR” review

GUTTR is a newly formed supergroup consisting of Ras Kass, RJ Payne & Havoc. All 3 of whom have been established within hip hop whether it be the waterproof MC’s debut Soul on Ice, RJ decimating anyone in the battle circuit that dared to step up against him under the original moniker Reignman or last but not least Havoc being 1/2 of the greatest duos of all-time Mobb Deep alongside the late Prodigy. Ras & RJ have worked with each other a few times previously, but got one of the East Coast’s most underrated producers as their 3rd member in time to put out a full-length debut.

“Roll Call” featuring Lil’ Fame & Method Manis a grimy way to kick off the album asking where all the real ones at in this bitch whereas “Nostalgia” incorporates a soul sample for the trio to pour one out for all the fallen soldiers we’ve lost along the way. The title track featuring Kurupt & KXNG CROOKED takes the cavernous route talking about how it’s only right for them to get the cheese but after the “RNR Ep. 1” skit, “Once Again It’s On” featuring Twista ruggedly finds everyone in their battle rap shit.

On the other hand, “Different” kinda has a jazzier flare asking not to be compared to any other artists out here while “Lo-Fi” right after the “RNR Ep. 2” skit soulfully talks about liking the atmosphere gritty. “Stop Playin’” featuring Freeway & Raekwon brings back the pianos to tell everyone to not fuck around with them but after the “RNR Ep. 3” skit, the final song “Old Soul” ends GUTTR’s debut warning that gossiping to them will leave you with your head blown clear.

The hardcore hip hop fans are really gonna find themselves gravitating towards GUTTR’s introductory album & hopefully this is only the beginning of more to come from what is recognized as hip hop’s very first unionization. Primarily due to Ras Kass & RJ Payne paying homage to Prodigy by channeling that old Mobb Deep energy, Havoc setting the musical canvas on an entire album for both lyricists to paint their bars, the guests all matching their intensity

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!