Tag: Armani Caesar

Armani Caesar – “The Liz 2” review

This is the official full-length debut album from Buffalo emcee Armani Caesar. Coming up in 2011 by dropping her debut mixtape Hand Bag Addict under Buff City Records, she would go on to follow it up with her sophomore tape Caesar’s Palace in the fall of 2015 & her debut EP Pretty Girls Get Played Too a few years later. Then when the whole world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, she signed to Griselda Records & totally refined her style on her last project The Liz that same fall. But as the 2-year anniversary of that EP approaches this weekend, Mani’s back in the cut for a sequel.

After the intro, Westside Gunn comes into the picture for the guitar-woven boom bap opener “Paula Deen” produced by Camoflauge Monk referencing former 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time WCW World Television Champion, 3-time WCW World Tag Team Champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion Lex Luger whereas “Diana” takes a more lavish route to spit that raunchy shit & the Kodak Black verse was completely unexpected yet I don’t mind it at all much like both of his appearances on Kendrick’s latest album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers this past spring. After the skit, “Mel Gibson” dives into dustier turf thanks to Daringer so Mani can charismatically flex just before Benny the Butcher & Stove God Cook$ come into the picture for the grimy “$100 Hiccup” reminding everyone how nice all 3 of them are in their own rights.

Continuing from there with “Survival of the Littest”, we have Mani over some boom bap production from Sovren justifiably explaining why she’s different than these other bitches in the game right now since a lot of females in the mainstream get a lot of unjust hate this day in age prior to the cloudy yet organ-laced “Queen City” admiring that she’s all about money this year. “Liz Claiborne Jr.” is a remarkably well structured 2 parter comparing herself to the late fashion designer, but then “Meth & Mary” picks it up from there with a sumptuous ballad about wanting a love like Method Man & Mary J. Blige in “I’ll Be There for You (You’re All I Need to Get By”.

“Ice Age” has a more colder tone to the instrumental fittingly expressing her love for all the finer things in this life while “1st Wives Club” brings a more jazzy boom bap flare as Mani’s just singing her ass off telling her man that he doesn’t own her. “Big Mood” talks about having stacks on deck over a more groovier instrumental while the symphonic “El Puro” links up with Conway the Machine so that they can both warn everyone to stay the fuck out of their lines.

The song “That Money Maka” speaks on using what she gots over a bare loop that’s calming to the ear while the penultimate track “Snowfall” resurrects the R&B sounds of “1st Wives Club” except this time she’s singing on top of some piano chords singing that she’s in beast mode & counting her Ms. However, I find “Sike” with Queendom Come to be a bit of a mediocre closer to the album as it’s basically a generically mediocre ass-shaker’s anthem.

The Liz was an impressive departure from the styles of Mani’s pre-Griselda work, but I recommend that those who’re still sleeping on her better wake the fuck up because this sequel right here as a full-length debut sees the 1st Lady of the Buffalo empire coming into her own stylistically. She‘s becoming versatile than before from the strip-club hit at the end to the more R&B & hardcore boom bap cuts on here with the lyricism coming from a more personal place.

Score: 4/5

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Armani Caesar – “The Liz” review

Armani Caesar is a 31 year old rapper from Buffalo, New York with a couple of mixtapes under her belt already. She just signed with Griselda Records at the beginning of 2020 after being featured on Westside Gunn’s FLYGOD is an Awesome God II, Armani is now making her debut on the label with a brand new EP.

After the “Sissy Intro”, the first song “Countdown” takes aim at those who think they can double-cross her over a boom bap beat from JR Swiftz with an old timey piano sample whereas the track right after “Macs 10s for Everybody” looks back on when she used to struggle over a sumptuous instrumental. The titular song shows off some clever wordplay over a lush beat while the track “Gucci Casket” with Conway the Machine sees the 2 rightfully proclaiming themselves as bosses referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE world champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage over a boom bap beat with some twinkling keyboard arpeggios.

The song “Drillarama” with Benny the Butcher finds them flexing over a vibrant trap beat from the 808 Mafia, but then they hook back up on the track right after “Simply Done” to give the listener some facts over some nostalgic DJ Premier production. The song “Yum Yum” gets raunchy over a rubbery beat while the track “Palm Angels” talks about how her new man makes her ex look like shit over a sensual instrumental from Animoss. The song “Ginger Rothstein” charmingly brags over a glamorous instrumental & then the EP finishes off with a short freestyle on top of the instrumental to one of my personal favorite songs of all-time: “Searching” by Roy Ayers.

I was curious to hear what Griselda would do bringing a female spitter on the roster & Armani manages to hold it on her own pretty well. In contrast to her previous efforts, the sound on here is a lot more boom bappy as to be expected from the camp & her lyricism has improved as well. She can only go up from here if you ask me.

Score: 3.5/5