Lunar C – “Most High” review

Lunar C is a 33 year old MC from Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom making his debut in 2010 with The Lunar CD. He would go on to drop 3 more full-lengths as well as 4 mixtapes & a couple of EPs, also becoming 1/2 of Off World Vehicle & 1/6 of the Fly Tippers. However, he’s signed to Blah Records & is ready to make his debut for the popular London imprint in the form of his 6th studio album with Jack Chard from Nobodies Home & Jack Danz behind the boards.

After the into, the first song “Rasputin” begins with him talking about moving backwards ever since his parents went 2 on a bastard whereas “Contact High” featuring the Antiheroes finds the trio linking up to speak of smoking weed & making the same mistakes daily. “Kill the Rich” talks about there being no need to talk to him if it ain’t a G or more prior to “In the House” yearning for him to stay inside with his girl for a whole entire day.

“Cursed” nears the end of the 1st half talking about being sent to do their devil’s work just before “Troubled Mind” featuring Black Josh & Stinkin’ Slumrok dismantling rappers who sound dishonest to them & only taking their bitches if they’re down for it. The title track gets the 3rd quarter talking about praising God & being stoned to the point where he can’t make up his own mind while “Any Given Wednesday” featuring Jehst discusses not bragging of their greatness because they’re better than that.

Jack Danz joins Lunar C on the mic for “Never Lose” referencing WWE CBO & former WWE Women’s Champion Stephanie McMahon but after “Hit Me Up” tells the people who need anything from him to call him anytime they want unless you don’t offer him shit, “Y.M.S.R.I.T.B. (Your Mom Smokes Rollies In The Bath)” featuring Lee Scott brings the pair together so they can talk about sitting on their own throne in the clouds & smacking people harder than Joe Jackson for moving incorrectly.

“Nate Diazepam” featuring Lefty & P Solja nears the Most High’s conclusion with the trio can get in their Fly Tipper bags & refusing to sell out for “Proud” talks about taking pride in who he is despite him changing your life for the worst if you let him. “Switch Up” however spends the last couple minutes of the LP dropping a whole entire verse describing the bud in his joint to be fruitier than Lil Uzi Vert on top of doing this for his comrades, compadres & for himself to help through the dark days.

Blah Records warned us in advanced that his fan would be wondering why one of the biggest UK hip hop labels in recent memory hadn’t bring them on board their roster sooner & they weren’t kidding considering Most High makes a huge leap in quality compared to all of his independent material. Jack Chard & Jack Danz’ production covers a lot of different ground stylistically & C brings a mix of Tipper Gang brethren & Blah labelmates to help recapture his signature blend of cutthroat humor & abstract bars.

Score: 3.5/5

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Stinkin’ Slumrok – “Stink-O-Vision” review

This is the sophomore effort from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Stinkin’ Slumrok. A member of the Cult of the Damned collective as well as 1/2 of the duos Swamp Harbour & Morrstinkin’, he would eventually sign to the London imprint Blah Records in the summer of 2015 after I had graduated from high school & make his full-length debut with Don Pong. He has since shifted his focus towards Swamp Harbour & Morrstinkin’ whilst making a handful of guest appearances, returning to his solo endeavors by turning on the Stink-O-Vision globally for all to view.

Nobodies Home hits us with a jazzy boom bap instrumental on the intro “Yeayeayea” responding to a woman saying he needs to change his ways that he’ll take it slow whereas “SAS” featuring Black Josh finds the 2 teaming up to rip it hardcore together. “Burst” takes a piano flip & throws some kicks & snares in the mix talking about now being the time to get wrecked instead of split open prior to “Botany Bay” featuring King Grubb & Lee Scott finding the trio talking about keeping it going until they hit kingdom come.

“Why Slummy?” reaches the halfway point of the album addressing the people who question him for the way he is leading into “Whodafuckisthis? leaning towards the trap side of things so Swamp Harbour can talk about people giving no fucks regarding them whatsoever. “Show Me” has a moodier boom bap sound altogether tackling themes of lust just before “Some Things” hooks up a prominent vibraphone talking about spending an entire 24 hours not doing shit.

Meanwhile on “Goblet”, we have Bang On! joining Slummy getting ready wrap up the broadcast on the Stink-O-Vision needing their paper pronto due to the fact of time waiting for nobody while “Rah Rah Rah” featuring the B-Movie Millionaires alongside Bill Shakes & King Grubb spends the full-length’s last 4 minutes or so representing the Cult each of them have memberships in over synthesizers combined with kicks & snares.

Sticking out amongst the other Cult of the Damned members for his style bridging younger & older hip hop fans alike, the follow-up to Stinkin’ Slumrok’s debut could be a cut above his debut 7 years earlier although some could dispute that opinion. Nobodies Home’s production kinda reminds of King Grubb’s debut album Droopy. in the sense that it’s experimental, except it’s catered towards the jazz rap style & Grubb’s wordplay has been swapped out in favor of Slummy getting waved & smoking weed with baby mamas despite him not having any children.

Score: 4/5

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Jam Baxter – “Fetch the Poison” review

Here we have the 7th studio LP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Jam Baxter of the Dead Players & Contact Play. Initially signed to High Focus Records, his 2010 solo debut Rinse Out Friday / Spack Out Monday was received positively & the sophomore effort The Gruesome Features would see a lot more critical acclaim. …So We Ate Them Whole in 2014 remains amongst High Focus’ most celebrated releases ever, fulfilling his obligations with the Hove, East Sussex imprint with Mansion 38 as well as Touching Scenes & Off Piste respectively. Obscure Liqueurs marked his official Blah Records debut & has been looking to Fetch the Poison since.

“Bright & Shiny Things” makes a meticulously spooky intro produced by Telemachus talking about craving another crown & waking up to find an earthquake shaking the ground whereas “Ulidjani Minajali Manze” asks for his candour to be excused since he won’t be able to flatter anyone’s problems with their grandeur. “Blink Twice for Yes” talks about every one of us being meant to eventually burst & after the spoken word “Mama Cuishe” interlude, “Cherry Red Paint Job” pleads for everyone to keep their hands off the precious materials.

As for “Go On”, we have Jam talking about thieves around us stealing souls from people & being told what to do by them just before “Every Pool of Stagnant Water” confesses to feeling like someone woke him up from this strange dream he’s been having leaving plastic body-doubles standing on every corner. “Stand Back Little Timmy” hops over a Wundrop beat talking about being here to watch the stars burn out without blinking & consume alcohol while “All Sprawled Out in the City” boasts of him stepping out of the offices grinning.

“Flickers on the 4th Floor” continues the 2nd half of Fetch the Poison going for a boom bap direction instrumentally hogging up all the high ground to himself & after “The Infamous Gatwick Meltdown of 2026” vividly tells the story of someone who’s been banned from the London Gatwick Airport out in West Sussex after leaving their minds at a drug dealer’s place out in South London, were treated to the 2nd & final spoken word interlude “I Belong Elsewhere” looking to take his business somewhere else.

The song “Sundown Sundown” featuring Black Alien, Black Josh, Jehst, Nog & Xamã brings the sextet together on top of this trap instrumental from Ghosttown for a bilingual crossover between English & Portuguese while the title track talks about needing the 3 CCs. The lead single “Blood Red Cheese Wire” ends the album with him making it clear that he doesn’t need anyone’s hollow thoughts or pocket change.

Conceived during a state-wide alcohol ban in Mexico, the inaugural full-length to be created after Jam Baxter became sober makes its comfortable behind Touching Scenes & …So We Ate Them Whole amongst the top 3 entries in his solo discography. He retains the abstractly hallucinatory style of storytelling we’ve all come to know him for & the production mostly handled by Telemachus ditches Obscure Liqueurs’ industrial elements in favor of balancing both the boom bap & trap subgenres of hip hop.

Score: 4.5/5

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Cult of the Damned – “The Church Of” review

The Cult of the Damned are a hip hop collective from England, United Kingdom consisting of Blah Records founder Lee Scott, BeTheGun, Sly Moon, Salar, Bill Shakes, King Grubb, Tony Broke, Black Josh, Stinkin’ Slumrok, Bisk, Sleazy F Baby, Col. Mustard, Dr. Zygote, Sam Zircon & Reklews. Properly introducing themselves as a unit in 2015 off an eponymous debut EP, a sequel would come in the form of their full-length debut Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate & are getting back together for a sophomore effort.

“Ahem!” begins with this 5 minute posse cut asking over a guitar-driven boom bap instrumental from Nobodies Home if anyone listening has been picking this important signal whereas “Internal Error” talks about being the modern day No Limit Records & everyone else being their children. CLBRKS joins the Cult on “Worship” representing the crew with guns in their hands just before “WTH” finds the B-Movie Millionaires with BeTheGun & Milkavelli talking about them being sick in the head.

BeTheGun brings Sly Moon & Stinkin’ Slumrok besides him on the mic during the piano boom bap crossover “Rotation” realizing the has-beens they used to kick it with amounted up to nothing leading into “Norman’s Theme” talking about them being averagely normal as they come. “AB NO (Red Leicester)” dismantling little league MCs who want to battle them knowing they wouldn’t stand a chance while “W.Y.T.B. (What You Talkin’ ‘Bout?)” ends the 1st half with the Cult posing that very question to people flapping their lips.

“Gung Foo” hits us with another posse cut to start the 3rd quarter continuing to spit battle raps over a boom bap beat while “Skid Row” hilariously disses an adversary claiming to be all the knowledge when they don’t know a damn thing about them at all. “Step” featuring Danny Lover has a bit of a cloudier tone instrumentally talking about their need of succeeding & rewriting the whole game plan while “Good News” featuring Bang On! grittily obliterates rappers with basic penmanship.

To get The Church Of’s last leg going, “Castles” talks about being better off staying inside & smoking weed because of their bent-up whips while “Rear View” fuses jazz rap & boom bap so they can speak of seeing things a lot more clearer than they did previously. “Henny Shots” comes through with a 2-parter where the entire squad’s having a toast & “Brick Pelican’s Lament” finishes by having King Grubb holding down the outro for a solo track of his own.

Diminishing the grime undertones of Cult of the Damned 2: Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate significantly, the 2nd album from the Children of the Damned’s spiritual successor takes themselves beyond their self-titled EP & their previously mentioned debut for a great follow-up to the Cult of the Damned’s early output. The boom bap production’s darker than Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate’s, the inclusion of outside guest appearances was only a matter of time & every member’s verses remind me of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan in that they’re all unique swordsmen of their own category.

Score: 4/5

Swamp Harbour – Self-Titled review

Swamp Harbour is a duo from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of Bisk & Stinkin’ Slumrok. Both of whom are known for being members of the Cult of the Damned collective & have crossed paths with each other a handful of times over the years on tracks like “Catfish” or “Runt” to only name a couple. However after being signed to Blah Records as solo artists for quite some time, they’re ready to properly introduce themselves by joining the label & putting out an eponymous debut album entirely produced by Sam Zircon.

“No Response” featuring Jack Danz after the “Heads Roll” intro was a solid hardcore hip hop opener instrumentally reminiscent of the Wu-Tang Clan single “Can It All Be So Simple?” & after “Marsh Law” featuring HAPPYPPL references WWE Hall of Famer Mr. T talking about dumping bodies in the swamp, “Cantaloupe Island” has a jazzier vibe to the beat dismissing rappers who hit the ground as soon as shit goes down in a session.

King Grubb appears on “Pelican Beach” ruggedly talking about knowing when the Swamps call your name while “Indicity III” finishes a trilogy Morrstinkin’s debut started & Gutter City bridged. “Francs” hooks up a reversed string sample mixed with kicks & snares talking about wanting others’ money when they die & after “Wholegrain” eerily speaks of both artists finding their way up, “Zip Ties” concludes with a lo-fi boom bap outro speaking of keeping it g when shit gets deep.

Bisk & Stinkin’ Slumrok have individually spent the past several years making names for themselves whether you look at their own respective solo discographies or the appearances they’ve made on the Cult of the Damned’s self-titled EP & it’s sequel Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate, but Swamp Harbour’s introduction marks births exciting side project for the UK’s answer to the Army of the Pharaohs. Sam Zircon’s boom bap production is dark, the amount of guests are kept to minimum & we get a better look at the chemistry between both MCs than either of the Cult’s previous discography entries.

Score: 4/5

Bill Shakes – “Eh?” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Blackburn, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom emcee Bill Shakes. Formerly a member of the Children of the Damned collective & currently apart of it’s successor the Cult of the Damned, he would eventually sign to the London imprint Blah Records & have Reklews produce his 2011 solo debut EP For Goodness Shakes. However when I learned that Lee Scott would be handling all of Eh?’s beats by himself, I knew this return for Bill would be special.

The entrancing boom bap instrumental on “Chips ‘n’ Gravy” was a great way to grab listeners’ attention for an intro talking about taking everything he wants for free whereas “Smartprice” featuring King Grubb finds the 2 ruggedly speaking of being the kings of the most high regardless of the altitude. “Tugay Kerimoğlu” shouts out the retired Turkish soccer player of the same name alongside Black Sabbath frontman & WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne leading into “Once Upon a Time in Blackburn” telling a story taking place in his hometown.

“Yeah Yeah” ends the 1st half of the LP showing a more aggressive side to Bill from the raw beat to the aggressively confrontational lyricism while “Uvavu Kart 64” featuring King Grubb reunites the 2 so they can assure everything will be ok, but it wouldn’t be alright. “The Legend of B-Town” recalls a hot summer day in 2002 where he was hanging out with friends blending elements of funk & boom bap while “11:30” dustily talks about an assailant running from law enforcement after failing to apprehend him.

Jam Baxter appears on “Lost S07E01” making their own continuation of The Walt Disney Company-owned ABC hit sci-fi adventure drama series that ended back when I was in 7th grade while “Funkpellybrick” featuring Sly Moon hooks up a downtrodden piano sample keeping their mind on others’ money. “U What M8” wraps up Eh?experimenting with hip house & probably has the most repetitive songwriting out of another other track I mentioned previously.

Catching onto Bill Shakes through guest appearances on projects like Leaf Dog’s sophomore effort Dyslexic Disciple or Eric the Red’s debut Caught Red Handed, he makes his comeback nearly a decade later with the most personal material he’s ever conceived. The production’s significantly darker than For Goodness Shakes’ was during my final year of middle school & lyrically, Bill uses this opportunity to thematically gives flowers to the Lancashire town that made him the man we hear in front of us today.

Score: 4/5

Bang On! – “Defo Not Normal” review

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom emcee Bang On! dropping his 3rd EP fully produced by London beatsmith & audio engineer Reklews. Making his full-length studio debut in the spring of 2012 with the moderately received sic, he would go on to sign to Blah Records at the beginning of 2018 & make his debut for the label with The Power of Not Being Arsed. He only dropped Str8 2.mp3 a few weeks earlier & is continuing the summer by making it clear that he’s Defo Not Normal.

We get a cloudy hardcore opener in the form of “Fuck That Shit” suggesting people get with the program since there’s no plan B for him whereas “Girls” takes the boom bap route instrumentally basically doing his own take on the JAY-Z single “Girls, Girls, Girls” down it being sampled during the hook taking a more melodic approach to delivery after the 1st verse. “Smoking Weed” reaches the halfway point of the EP making up for the previous track by cooking up a stoner’s ode.

“No Graft, No Gain” gets the other leg of Defo Not Normal started by going for a grime vibe sonically talking about people not having any glory if the don’t have the guts leading into some rap rock influences seeping through so he can tell those anyone sleeping on him that they’re gonna “Find Out” rather quickly. “The Right Coat” spends the last few minutes talking about him feeling as if no one likes him, which resulted in him becoming emotionlessly cold as fuck.

Of the 2 extended plays that’ve come out in less than month, I had higher expectations for Defo Not Normal & would consider it to be an improvement above it’s predecessor. Reklews’ production is more versatile than the traditional boom bap sound that the Children of the Damned or it’s successor the Cult of the Damned & Hock Tu Down have all become known for & Bang On! gets more serious topically rather than continuing Str8 2.mp3‘s satirical commentary.

Score: 4/5

Supergang – Self-Titled review

The Supergang are a quartet from England, United Kingdom consisting of Runcorn, Cheshire, emcee/producer Lee Scott, London emcee Milkavelli, Sheffield emcee Sniff & finally London producer Sumgii. All of whom have cross paths with each other several times over the courses of each member’s careers, so them forming & introducing themselves as a unit by dropping an eponymous debut EP under Blah Records was understandable given the founder of the label’s involvement in many different side projects.

The g-funk instrumental on the intro “Zap” was a welcoming way to get the extended play started having each of them spitting hardcore verses without the need of a hook whereas “Yellow x Green” goes for a lo-fi boom bap vibe talking about dreaming in only those 2 colors. “GNGLVD” keeps the beats dusty making it clear the Devil Gang’s retaliation has begun while “Do It Twice” rawly yet slowly talks about living life do or die because of the rush they get out of it.

“I Confess” starts the backend of the Supergang’s self-titled debut admitting to pushing drugs on their Twitter feeds & being happier than a kid on Christmas Eve once they’re caught instrumentally experimenting with trap leading into the “Unofficial Anthem” coming through with their own 5 & a half minute theme song. “Bubblewrap” closes up shop with 1 last boom bap beat subduing it so all 3 lyricists can fire off 1 last hardcore verse of their own.

Making it their mission to become the UK hip hop scene’s next unstoppable force, the Supergang’s inaugural musical statement certainly does what everyone involved had set out to do & those who enjoy the Mcabre Brothers’ output or Nobodies Home’s debut EP ADHD Concerto 77 wouldn’t deny it. Sumgii’s production here sticks out amongst the funkiest he’s ever made & Lee handles the verse with both Milkavelli & Sniff by his side rather than either or.

Score: 4/5

Mcabre Brothers – “Tell a Friend” review

The Mcabre Brothers are a duo from the United Kingdom consisting of Runcorn, Cheshire, England emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott alongside London emcee Milkavelli. Known for being members of Cult Mountain & the Children of the Damned, these guys made their eponymous debut in 2009 & followed it up with their debut EP Merry Critmass. Their sophomore effort Gonzo Lyricism was the last time we heard from the brothers & are back nearly a decade later with their 2nd extended play.

The title track sets the tone with a boom bap instrumental encouraging everyone to let their friends know the Mcabre Brothers are in effect again & after “Tie Die Sky” ruggedly talks about keeping it going until the job’s done, “Ring Back” featuring Black Josh works in more kicks & snares ending the 1st half comparing acid trips to an episode of the Discovery Global subsidiary Cartoon Network late night block [adult swim] hit series Rick & Morty.

“64 Bit” featuring Salar starts off the other leg of Tell a Friend with all 3 off them giving us witty video game wordplay over this industrial beat while “Flush” humorously talking about discarding mixtapes wack rappers are always passing out by making it go down the toilet. “No Chance” however wraps things up with this coldblooded boom bap instrumental dismissing the idea of any crew having the possibility of defeating them in a battle.

Ending the longest gap in-between releases so far, the Mcabre Brothers return after nearly 8 years for an EP making it clear as day for anyone listening to Tell a Friend they’ve returned & hopefully it won’t be the last time we hear them again. I’d still say their self-titled debut has the best production of all 4 projects Lee Scott & Milkavelli have done although I can appreciate the depiction of their style evolving over the course of an entire decade.

Score: 3.5/5