Donnie Menace – “Chainsaws & Boomsticks II” review

This is the 4th full-length studio LP from Stratford, Connecticut emcee/producer Donnie Menace. Emerging in 2008 off his debut mixtape The Threat & the leader of the Nitebreed collective, he would later continue to establish himself with the full-length debut Wrath of a Menace followed by his 2nd tape The Threat 2: Audio Sickness & his sophomore effort Bonded by Chaos. However over a year & a half ago by now, Donnie’s last album & his Lyrikal Snuff Productionz debut Chainsaws & Boomsticks was met with significant acclaim compared to his previous material joining the likes of Gully & E=MC Skelter. But for his LSP sophomore effort, Donnie’s returning with a sequel to his debut for the Denver gore hop label.

“The Boomsticks Reloaded” is a grimy, 2-minute self-produced boom bap opener unloading lethal battle bars on y’all whereas “Talk to the Chainsaw” keeps the kicks & snares in tact for a follow-up to the joint “Talk to the Boomstick” off Donnie’s last album with a reference to the late WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, ECW Television Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, the oldest JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion & 3-time WCW Hardcore Champion Terry Funk. “Take ‘Em Out” featuring White Cheddar looks to take out all competition over an organ-laced boom bap instrumental just before “Omen” samples “Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness” by Ann Peebles spitting the wicked shit.

M.M.M.F.D. joins Donnie for the bloodthirsty “Let Them All Rot” setting out to bring pain & destruction leading into “Run It Back” going completely drumless bringing it hardcore lyrically. “Another Scumbag Anthem” by Nitebreed pretty much lives up to the name conceptually returning to the boom bap, but then “Watch You Suffer” shifts gears into trap territory tackling more horrorcore themes.

“Where You At?” featuring Lex the Hex Master finds the 2 east coast lyricists joining forces for a hardcore anthem assuring everyone that they ain’t going nowhere while “Catchin’ the Bullets” gives me mafioso vibes from the instrumental to the subject matter from a gangster’s perspective. “S.M.B.T.M.D. (Suck My Balls Through My Drawers)” featuring the Super Famous Fun Time Guys says it all going for an old school vibe while “Body Shop” properly ends the album if you don’t count the “Lair of the Cenobites” remix with a ghoulish boom bap joint about dead corpses.

The first Chainsaws & Boomsticks was easily the most refined body of work compared to his previous material & the sequel here is as equally enjoyable as the predecessor from a year & a half ago. The production is primarily centered around boom bap with some trap undertones & a tight guest-list on top of the lyricism going from being boastful to straight gangsta & even murderous.

Score: 4/5

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

Truth – “Nostalgia ThEraPy” review

Queens emcee Truth formerly of the trio Gods’Illa teaming up with Da Beatminerz for his solo debut EP. The year after the group’s full-length debut Believe in Gods’Illa however, he would start to build up a solo discography for himself with From Ashes to Kingdom Come. He then followed it up 3 years later by dropping the sophomore effort The Fight for Survival as well as For All Intents & Purposes. The latter of which was also produced by Da Beatminerz fully & was not only my personal introduction to Truth’s music, but one that I found myself enjoying more than his previous work too. So with that in mind, I was sure I was gong to enjoy Nostalgia ThEraPy as much if not more than that previous LP.

“Truth Is” really sets the tone of what‘s to come by laying battle bars down over dusty boom bap production whereas “Lock & Load” works in an eerie loop with kicks & snares aiming for the kill. “Spit It” featuring Al Skratch & Kurious finds the trio over a bloodcurdling boom bap beat encouraging to speak your thoughts just before “Here & Now” brings in the horns boasting that he’ll tear down any stage anywhere.

To start the 2nd leg of the EP, “Da Beatminerz Sound” has to be my personal favorite track off the whole thing as Truth reminds that him matched with Mr. Walt & DJ Evil D is a deadly combo on top of this raw ass instrumental that they’re known for prior to “Won By One’s Will” taking the symphonic route telling y’all to kneel down to the pharaoh. “Queens Carnivores” featuring Royal Flush begins the encore with this bluesy sample repping their stomping grounds & “Calling” ties everything up with a soulful flip by getting busy.

Even as a 9-song EP running at 27 & only 3 features, Da Beatminerz continue to bring the best out of Truth because this is another pretty impressive body of work from them. It’s like a warm dish of hip hop comfort food that just so happens to incorporate some new herbs & spices courtesy of the chefs involved, all by design as Truth continues to evolve lyrically over the traditional east coast boom bap sound.

Score: 4/5

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

Mickey Diamond – “Gucci Ghost 4” review

This is the 11th full-length studio album from one of the illest Detroit emcees in the underground currently: Mickey Diamond. Emerging at the beginning of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the dude has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 9 albums alongside 7 EPs & a mixtape. But for the past year, Mickey has been consistent putting out some of the best material of his career thus far. This includes the Gucci Ghost album & it’s sequel produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Ral Duke-produced Oroku Saki EP, the Sadhugold-produced Death Threat$ album, the Camoflauge Monk-produced Capital Gains album & more recently Gucci Ghost 3 only last weekend. But as we approach Christmas weekend, Diamond & Big Ghost are keeping the series going by unleashing a 4th installment to the Gucci Ghost saga with only a few days’ notice.

After the “Cut the Check” intro, the first song “Gucci North Face” is a sample-based opener referring to WWE Hall of Famer, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion Rikishi whose nephew Jacob Fatu is the longest reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion & a former HoG Heavyweight Champion whereas “Ice Caps” gives off a somber boom bap edge talking about being in the last days. “Maurizio’s Funeral” has this drumless soul flip declaring himself as a hitman for hire rocking luxurious attire prior to “Giverny Frames” bringing back the kicks & snares so he can get on his mobster shit to round out the first half of the album referencing 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion, United Football League (UFL) co-founder & $7 Productions co-founder The Rock.

After the “Gucci Boycott” interlude, “Yachts n Boycotts” starts the 2nd leg of the LP by jumping over a suspensefully dark boom bap instrumental asking to be forgiven for his sins along with reminding that there’s a thin line between family & friends just before “Godzilla Mac 10s” keeps it raw talking about being a certified killa. “Murder for Hire” morbidly gets in his outlaw bag leading into “The Last Supper” featuring Big Trip, Bori Rock, Shaykh Hanif, Snotty & Ty Farris closing out Gucci Ghost 4 in the form an 8-minute posse cut with my favorite verses going to Diamond as well as Big Trip, Snotty & T-Flame. I also loved the line Ty had regarding Dana White, who is now the CEO & President of the UFC after Endeavor merged Zuffa with the WWE to form TKO Group Holdings this fall.

You know since the first Gucci Ghost came out at the beginning of December last year & then 2 followed only 3 weeks later, I should’ve figured that a 4th installment was on the horizon at some point & I actually happen to love it as much as the predecessor that we got only the previous weekend. Big Ghost Ltd.‘s production is predominantly in that boom bap style with more drumless undertones, Mickey still remains as one of the sharpest lyricists in the Umbrella collective & I love how there’s more features except they all pop up in the backend of it.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Big Hit – “The Truth’s in My Eyes” review

Big Hit is a 52 year old rapper from Los Angeles, California notable for being the father of one of hip hop’s most in-demand producers that we’ve seen in recent memory: Hit-Boy. He was found guilty & convicted of a hit & run resulting in great bodily injury almost a decade ago, unlawfully being sentenced to 12 years & 4 months in prison including a 5-year GBI enhancement connected to Count 1. This February, his petition for a writ of habeas corpus was granted & became a free man few weeks ahead of his son’s 36th birthday. Hit would have his father join forces by making Surf or Drown 2 a collab effort tailored for Father’s Day Weekend & now only less than a couple weeks until Christmas, they’re keeping it rolling except Hit-Boy is fully producing his dad’s official full-length solo debut album.

The title track is a symphonic opener to the album talking about keeping it gangsta so I ain’t got shit to hide whereas “Red Lotion” featuring Jay Worthy & RJ finds the trio boasting that they’re flamed up & burning forever on top of a drumless soul sample. “Load ‘Em Up” featuring the Baby Stone Gorillas sets out to load it the sticks, spin the block, load ‘em up & pull off in the Lotus truck leading into “Take Some Off of That” going into trap turf with co-production from Rogét Chahayed calling out those who ain’t cut from the same cloth as him.

“Extra Clips” gives off a smoother edge to the instrumental describing the way he lived in the streets proclaiming the LA County Sheriffs to be worse than the feds just before “Wigglin’” featuring Mozzy shifts gears by lacing a chill backdrop with hi-hats & even a g-funk beat switch during the end of it as both of them admitting they’re trappin’ again, but then “Broke the Mold” luxuriously disses all the copycats out here these days.

Big Hit’s son joins his dad on the mic for the booming lead single “A$AP Chauncey” looking to run it up while “Boo Bop” works in these strings & later keys accompanied by hi-hats dropping braggadocio on the lyrical front. “Shoppin’ Monster” featuring WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg fuses elements of trap & g-funk so both of them can celebrate while the highlight “Man, I’m Rollin’” gives off a jazzier flare thanks to The Alchemist rockin’ shit that’s fresh off the showroom floor.

“Breaking the Ice” featuring Half-a-Mil & J. Stone weaves together pianos chords with kicks & snares so everyone can handle business while “The Pain is Deep” gives off a g-funk vibe once more admitting that if this is heaven, then he doesn’t even wanna see hell. “Inspiration” featuring Figg Newton & Killa Twan is a decent trap cut dedicated to everyone catching cases while “Speaking in Codes” featuring Benny the Butcher does that general sound significantly better advising that the sharks gotta learn to finesse around.

The penultimate track “Stay On” featuring Big Tray Deee formerly of the LBC Crew & Tha Eastsidaz finds the 2 joining forces over a funky boom bap beat as both of them make it known that they’ve paid their debts to society after spending time behind bars prior to “G’z Don’t Cry” closes out Big Hit’s debut LP that’s been almost a decade in the making by soulfully admitting that the titular rule is in fact a lie.

Now for those of you who just got into Big Hit this spring when he came home & put out Surf or Drown 2 with his son the next month for Father’s Day, there’s no way that you’re not gonna walk away from The Truth’s in My Eyes liking it more since you get a better look of who he is artistically & personally. Even though a few guests fall flat, the overall sound impressively ranges from boom bap to trap & g-funk on top of Big Hit’s passionate performances.

Score: 3.5/5

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

(həd) p.e. – “Detox” review

(həd) p.e. is a g-punk outfit from Huntington Beach, California masterminded by Jahred Gomes. From their first 2 albums under Jive to their first stint on Suburban Noize in the mid-2000s, these guys have truly been making a name for themselves for over 25 years whether that be their eclectic sound or the more political lyrics on some of their recent output. They returned to Subnoize in 2019 for their 11th album Stampede even though it wasn’t generally received that well by both critics & fans alike, but the Broke sequel Class of 2020 returned to their roots & the subsequent EP Sandmine wound up being angrier. However to come off the Califas Worldwide compilation & their covers album 70s Hits from the Pit, M.C.U.D. & company are ending Suburban Noize’s 25 year anniversary by detoxing their 13th full-length LP of all original material.

“No Way Out” is a skull-smashing trap metal opener to the album declaring that they’re back in black whereas the title track returns to their g-punk roots singing that he knows just what you want. “Waiting” gives off a bit of a rap rock vibe addressing someone who’s no good for him, but then “Too Late” goes into a straight-up nu metal direction talking about how you need to count your blessings. Moving on from there, “This Dream” takes it back to the g-punk sound that they created reminding that the dream they have isn’t for everyone just before “Compromise” fuse elements of reggae, punk rock & hip hop refusing to give & take. “Rat Race” embraces works in another trap metal beat so M.C.U.D. can paint the image of a nightmare leading into the rap rock “Going Nowhere” promising they ain’t leaving anytime soon. “Pour My Wine” draws near the end of the album with a rap metal groove encouraging to light the blunt up & fill up his cup or glass with wine prior to “PCH” closes the album for a funky rap rock dedication to those doing time as we all know that life’s too short & time is continuing to fly by.

Class of 2020 to me wasn’t that bad of a sequel to Broke, but the way Detox pays homage to their g-punk origins by capturing the frenetic energy & signature elements of their distinctive sound is more than enough to satisfy anyone who obviously loves these guys. Ulrich Wild’s masterful mix & master seamlessly melds raw aggression, hip-hop influences & hardcore vibes to deliver a sonically cohesive experience. If this is how the 25 year anniversary of Suburban Noize Records ends, it’s a pretty ass-kicking high note.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Bas – “We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up” review

Bas is a 36 year old Sudanese-American rapper & songwriter born in Paris, France & raised in Queens, New York who emerged in 2011 by putting out his debut mixtape Quarter Water Raised Me. The 2013 sequel Quarter Water Raised Me 2 would catch the attention of J. Cole, who shortly after helped Bas become the 2nd act after Omen other than Cole himself to sign to his Interscope Recordsimprint Dreamville Records. He would introduce himself more to the Dreamville fans the next spring on the moderately received full-length debut Last Winter & the sophomore effort Too High to Riot couple years later won them over, as it’s still the most critically acclaimed body of work in Bas’ discography to date. His previous LP Milky Way in 2018 was also treated to mild reception as were the couple of EPs that he’s given us since then Spilled Milk & [BUMP] Pick Me Up, but the highlights on those last few projects had me holding out hope that Bas would reach the heights that Too High to Riot did once again.

“Light of My Soul” starts the LP with a drumless loop from Boi-1da sampling “We’ve Got a Way Out Love” by The Originals confessing that he has a problem makin’ other people’s problems his own whereas “Black Jedi” likens himself to Mace Windu shifting gears with it’s trap instrumental. “Choppas” talks about going round like the helicopter working in a cloudy backdrop & hi-hats just before “Home Alone” featuring J. Cole produced by T-Minus & Cubeatz serves as a vibrant dedication to the people that switched up on them, the women they miss, the ones they I love, the ones that stayed & the seeds that we growin’ although Bas feels like he’s been featured on his own track.

Meanwhile, “Risk” takes a smoother approach sonically detailing a relationship with a woman in which he took a risk with because she was almost too perfect at first until distancing herself from him leading into “Decent” featuring Amaarae talking about being 100% the same as they were when they started over a spacious trap beat. “Ho Chi Minh” gives a look at Bas’ emotional & mental state as well as his experience with substance abuse over a solemn instrumental, but then “179 Deli” featuring AJ Tracey dabbles with the UK drill sound a bit telling y’all to stay with them for the ride.

Cole returns on “Passport Bros.” for a mediocre pop rap/dancehall fusion with some afrobeats undertones & I say it’s mediocre because my biggest problem with it personally is that both of Bas’ verses feel underwritten although I’ll still take it over “Testify” featuring Sha Sha since it continues to expand on that dancehall vibe singing that they’re gonna “fuck each other right”. The atmospheric “U-Turn” featuring A$AP Ferg & Blxckie breaks down a woman who had them running back with Ferg having the better of the 2 guest performances prior to the final J. Cole appearance on the album “Papers Cuts” groovily asking if you dumb.

“Diamonds” looks to take a leap as artist have to continually explore & give more of themselves to feed the insatiable appetite of the audience on top of some summery acoustic passages while “Yao Ming” boasts that he got racks as tall as the iconic Houston Rockets player of the same name over soulful background vocals. The song “Dr. O’blivion” is more stripped-back thanks to Cole himself explaining that “she don’t want none of the madness you come with” while the penultimate track “Khartoum” is a powerful ballad about the ongoing war in Sudan featuring Adekunle Gold on the hook. “Wait on Me” ends the LP on a melodic note singing that he loves the moments you spending with him.

I remember upsetting a couple Dreamville fans after the Milky Way review because I still believe it’s the most commercial body of work I’ve heard from Bas, but We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up happens to be the most I’ve enjoyed a project from the guy in about 7 & a half year. Those pop rap/trap elements from that previous album make their way over here once more except this time, he’s mixing them with some new sounds that he’s trying out like dancehall or afrobeats.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Mickey Diamond – “Gucci Ghost 3” review

Detroit emcee Mickey Diamond is back with his 10th full-length LP. Emerging at the beginning of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Bangkok Dangerous, the dude has since gone on to turn quite a few heads in the underground by building up the impressive discography for himself with his previous 9 albums alongside 7 EPs & a mixtape. But for the past year, Mickey has been consistent putting out some of the best material of his career thus far. This includes the Gucci Ghost album & it’s sequel produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Ral Duke-produced Oroku Saki EP, the Sadhugold-produced Death Threat$ album & the Camoflauge Monk-produced Capital Gains album. However to come off Gone in 60 Seconds & Bangkok Dangerous 4, he’s surprise-dropping a 3rd installment of Gucci Ghost.

The first song “Live Fast” after the “Maurizio’s Dead, Somebody Shot Em” intro sets off the LP with a piano-driven boom bap instrumental living in the fast lane & looking to die free whereas “Nauti by Nature” works in more pianos, kicks & snares talking about shooting ya. “Gucci Underwear” weaves another piano-boom bap hybrid into the fold firing shots at everyone who’s been lamed out up to this point prior to “Icebergs” shifting into more lavish turf reminding that there’s dark matter scattered over everything.

“Patrizia’s” starts the 2nd leg of the LP by returning to the boom bap assuring that he could do this shit forever if he wanted to just before “Reggiani’s Revenge” ruggedly calls these computer thugs Microsoft & seeing all the dead people a.k.a. dead presidents that he’s stacked up for himself by now. After the “Murder for Hire” interlude, “Designer Caskets” dustily compares his flow to hot lava & “Aldo’s Ghost” ties up the Gucci Ghost trilogy by eerily disappearing into the vapors RKOing everybody as if he’s 14-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Randy Orton.

Oroku Saki is the best EP that we’ve gotten from Mickey in 2023, but I firmly believe that Gucci Ghost 3 has now taken over Death Threat$’ spot for the best full-length he’s dropped this year & most certainly a late AOTY contender with only a couple weeks left until 2024 begins. Unlike the predecessor being more feature-heavy & the original Gucci Ghost only having a couple, it’s just Diamond & Big Ghost here continuing to elevate one another like they’ve been doing for the past year.

Score: 4.5/5

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

K-Rino – “7 Hour Block” review

K-Rino is a 53 year old MC from Houston, Texas notable for co-founding the South Park Coalition collective with Ganksta N-I-P now known as Brother NIP as well as his extensive discography. Highlights include Stories From the Black Book, Danger Zone, No Mercy, Solitary Confinement, Annihilation of the Evil Machine, The Maven & who could forget the 7-disc The Big 7? Anyway he just came off his 35th album Audio Optics last month & it was ok, but I was interested going into 7 Hour Block.

After the “Arrival” intro, the first song “Got the Game Twisted” is an incredibly chilling opener to the LP talks about witnessing people go mad for fast riches in front of his very eyes whereas “Bad Understanding” shifts into boom bap territory a bit admitting he has exactly that & absolutely no one can break the cycle. “Words 2 Live By” has to be a favorite of mine on the album working in more kicks & snares along with a soul sample breaking down that life ain’t life until you start living it through prior to “The Ghost Maker” gets in his hardcore bag over some pianos.

“Something Better” gives off a funkier groove explaining how sad it is for him to watch greatness reducing itself & being average musically ain’t something to be content with just before Lord Save Us” instrumentally kinda feels like a homage to Dr. Dre’s production style during the 2000s asking God to save everyone from all the war-makers & fraud capers. “Cut Throat” of course shoots for a more sinister atmosphere & confrontational lyricism, but then “Bout to Pop” mixes some piano chords & hi-hats explains that situations happen in life so your mind can adapt.

The track “Friend Zone” begins the encore of the album by drawing inspiration from jazz rap telling the story of a woman she met at a party with among a group that he was in while “If You Were Still Here” has this chugging guitar passage & weeping strings talking about the absence of the fallen weighing heavy & that you gotta make songs about this kinda topic time to time. “The Departure” wraps up Killer Rhymes Intellectually Nullifying Opponents’ 36th LP with an outro shouting out everyone who’s been rocking with him all this time.

This dude has been celebrating 4 decades of being in the rap game with a discography bigger than artists like KRS-One, E-40 & Tech N9ne. But in my opinion: 7 Hour Block has to be my favorite thing Rino has done since A Long Short Way nearly 3 years ago already. DJ Trajic’s production is consistently eclectic pulling from boom bap, trap & jazz rap with the H-Town veteran delivering a mixture of conscious & aggressive subject matter.

Score: 4/5

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

Team Demo – “It’s a Demo” review

Team Demo is a DMV-based production crew consisting of DJ Dialtone, J. Cosell & Mr. Wise. They’ve produced for the likes of 50 Cent, Tha Alkaholiks & even the late Sean Price to only name a few. They just compiled a collection of previously released tracks earlier this year, but are now coming together for a full-length producer album of original material with Wais P on most of it. Kinda like how Ghostface Killah was prominently featured on Raekwon’s solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & vice versa on Ironman.

“Quest Love Bounce” featuring Planet Asia & Skyzoo is a cinematic boom bap opener chockfull of hardcore lyricism whereas “Extras in the Pot” featuring Rome Streetz finds the 2 over some pianos, kicks & snares getting in their drug dealing bags. “5% Tint” featuring Che Noir & Hus Kingpin takes a soulful approach instrumentally wanting to take the lives of a couple opps leading into “Camera Flash” featuring Illa Ghee & Method Man finds the trio eerily talking about how you can pose like the flash of a camera itself.

Meanwhile, “Creep” featuring Montage Øne & MC Eiht gives off more of a minimal west coast sound as all 3 lyricists spit that g shit just before “Odee” featuring Termanology talks about running through the streets with it & a suspenseful boom bap beat. “Poli with the Plug” featuring Kingpen Slim & Vado ominously gets back on their hustler shit while “Do You Believe?” featuring Sauce Money angrily looks to make believers out of those who aren’t already.

“What You Don’t See” featuring Lil’ Fame & NEMS draws near the end of the LP dustily declaring that the things you don’t see is what you get turning the tables on “What You See is What You Get” by Xzibit prior to “Hallelujah” featuring The Bad Seed, Planet Asia & Ras Kass truly tying things up here with a gospel sample & a guitar so everyone is able to let off rapid fire bars in their own distinctive fashions for nearly 4 minutes.

If anyone enjoyed the joint “Crime Wave” off of 50’s final Shady/Aftermath album Before I Self Destruct that celebrated it’s 14 year anniversary last month, then you’re gonna want to check out Team Demo’s official debut. The production is raw paying homage to both the east & west coast which makes sense considering the list of guests that they bring along with them for the ride is generally consistent.

Score: 3.5/5

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

OsamaSon – “Flex Musix” review

Charleston, South Carolina up-&-comer OsamaSon is back with a sophomore full-length album. Starting a couple years ago, he would then start to pump out 3 EPs shortly after I’m da Man as well as Vengeance & Carnival respectively. He returned at the beginning of 2023 by dropping osamavrt, following it up this past spring in the form of slime & Bad Habits. Osama’s debut Osama Season earlier this summer was some of the best dark plugg I’ve heard in a while, so it made sense for him to follow-up on that previous LP couple weeks after being delayed of it’s original Black Friday release.

“Blonde” is a rage-inducing opener booling on the East side with his fucking twin whereas “Baghdad” comparing his foreign bitch & his sticks to the capital of Iraq guaranteeing that your crew can’t fuck with whilst Ok mixes elements of electronic music with trap. “All Star” shifts back into the hypertrap sound to ball like an MVP with a bunch of checks all in his head just before “For da Flex” produced by gyro talks about giving no fucks as he & his slime go for the win over more rage beats.

Things take a turn into bombastic territory on “Worst Part” promising that you don’t want smoke with him at all leading into the bassy “Trenches” kicking shit with his manager Stef like it’s the NFL asking when Young Thug’s gonna be free & shopping at Lenox in Atlanta. “Nothing” returns to giving off a bit of a hypertrap edge instrumentally talking about running out of love & still having mud, but then “3x” saying all he needs is 3 percs over an explosive rage beat.

“Boss Up” talks about looking the best & making this far in the rap game already over these dense, buzzing synths with repetitive chord progressions on top of melodic synthesizer leads & hi-hats while “Kills” talks about falling in love & buying more drugs with more hypertrap production accompanying him. “Kome Thru” declares himself as the one turning the bass up high as Hell once more while the synth-heavy “Me When” talks about taking the trap to Los Angeles & that his bag got hella checks.

Meanwhile, I feel like “Uno” almost has this industrial trap vibe to it admitting all he does his flex while “Str8 Flexin’” continues to drop braggadocio over this chaotic ass instrumental. The song “Congrats” keeps things atmospheric talking about being congratulated on winning his shit while the penultimate track “Pop” admits that he’ll post up just to flex & to tell slime that he got bags on top of hi-hats woven into this “yeah” vocal sample. “Talking 2 a Ghost” ends the album by confessing over guitars from thr6x that he doesn’t know where he’s going, but that he’s gonna make it today.

“Cartel” is the first of 6 bonus tracks by flexing his mob ties over rage beats while “Rehhab” switches into a a slower flow & a more melodical approach although it’s still grounded into that hypertrap sound instrumentally. “Need It” has these icy synths & skittering hi-hats talking about being in the streets fuckin’ that shit up while “Alot” continues clashing dense, buzzing synthesizers with repetitive chord progressions melodic synth leads likening his whip to a GoKart. “Flxr” has a heavier sound using a different vocal delivery than Osama normally does looking to stack his chips & the rubbery “Freestyle” ends the deluxe by giving 1 last flex.

OsamaSeason quickly cemented OsamaSon as a fresh new face in the dark plugg scene for me, but he completely departs from that style & even plugg music in general on a sophomore effort that results in being a cut above the debut that we got from him earlier this summer. The rage undertones of the predecessor are being showcased more than they were last time, his confidence is off the charts & he sounds like he’s having fun with it.

Score: 4/5

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