Lee Scott – “Lou Reed 2000” review

This is the 7th studio LP from Runcorn, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom emcee, producer & author Lee Scott. Introducing himself through The Wrong Bootleg Demo & the full-length debut Put on the Glasses over a decade ago under his own label Blah Records, some may even recognize him for his memberships with the Antiheroes, the B-Movie Millionaires, the Children of the Damned, Cult Mountain, the Cult of the Damned, Group, HAPPYPPL, Hock Tu Down, the Mcabre Brothers & Nobodies Home. Peppered Mouth Soup & Happy Sellout Shit were ok, but the sophomore effort Stupid Poignant Shit produced by Illinformed would become his most celebrated work following it up with Tin Foil Fronts as well as CactusOwlMoonGoat & the High Focus Records-backed Butter Fly being another favorite of mine. Nice Swan would become as beloved although Supergod5000plus & Oh, the Fun We’re Having were alright. He’s wrapping up 2018 however producing a great deal of Lou Reed 2000 homaging The Velvet Underground’s late frontman of the same name.

After the “Lou Lives” intro, the self-produced title track begins with him talking about turning negatives into positives despite everything in his life being shit whereas “Rocket Fuel” produced by Nobodies Home talks about today not being great yet it’s alright because there’s always yesterday. “Bad Foot Forward” featuring King Grubb finds the pair asking why people are pushing them around & flippin’ a cough on this battery operated machine while “Me Alone” talks about starting a riot because the damage is done.

“Mid Afternoon” continues the 2nd half of the album talking about not having a dream & occasionally waking up in the middle of the afternoon looking to get some food inside him sooner rather than later if after “Foneline ‘06” featuring King Grubb expresses a desire to call someone who doesn’t even call them anymore, “Colossal Jones” featuring Jam Baxter talks about confusing people’s 6th senses & it taking more than a stretch of marble pillars to hold their tongues.

The track “Next Stop” opens up about him constantly thinking of all the things he doesn’t want to do & sending the whole world on a “fuck you” note while the final song “Fuck U Save Me” featuring Sadhugold the “Lou Lives II” outro spends the last few minutes of the full-length with both of them lyrically getting in their hardcore bags, commending some for impressing them the way they take this joke called life so seriously & being nothing like the artists comparing themselves to him.

All 3 of the extended plays Lee Scott has dropped post-Butter Fly still have their share of notable moments despite not considering them to be on par, but Lou Reed 2000 is definitely the most I’ve enjoyed his solo material in a couple years. The production primarily handled by Lee himself with live instrumentation from his Nobodies Home companion Jack Chard occasionally chops up some samples to spend a bulk of the half hour exploring a varied range of sounds from jazz rap to lo-fi hip hop & boom bap cutting down the guest appearances to only a select few for a 30 minute collection of thought provokingly sad philosophical ignorant rap.

Score: 4/5

Hock Tu Down – “Hock Tu 3” review

Hock Tu Down are a duo from Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom consisting of producer Reklews alongside Runcorn, Cheshire, emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott. Forming in the late 2000s, both members of the Children of the Damned & it’s successor the Cult of the Damned would drop their full-length Prozium Peddlin’ at the end of 2009 & followed it up 9 months later with their debut EP Something Strange. It’s been over 8 years since the latter & these guys are reuniting for a sophomore effort.

“Breakfast” talks about having so much fun in the sun to the point where he might cry over a raw boom bap instrumental whereas “Fanks” takes a more personal approach to Lee’s songwriting speaking of both his parents. “Glenn’s Eye” has a slower vibe to the beat talking about being the ones to explain how shit’s gonna go down leading into “Kit Bag” featuring Milkavelli reunites the Mcabre Brothers referencing former UFC Featherweight Champion & UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor.

As for “Deus Ex Machina”, we have Hock Tu Down giving a fuck less if they impress or disrespect anyone surrounding them working in more kicks & snares with some jazzier undertones just before “1 Tu” talks about reality being what you make of it whether someone’s there cooperating or not. “Game On” featuring Jehst finds the Group talking about life being unfair on top of this slow boom bap instrumental & “Black Hoodie Season” after the “Bengal Tiger” skit moves forward with an autumn ode.

“Yarbles Mahoney” continues the 2nd half of Hock Tu 3 ruggedly talking about being a rare 1-of-1 edition sitting on a lonely shelf while “Honest Daze” featuring Nickelus F & Quelle Chris sees the trio confessing every mistake they made caused them to run & gun more. “Sun D” dustily talks about having nothing to do like it’s a Sunday while “Zip” takes a couple minutes so he can discuss today being a great day to rebel in Hell.

The track “Breathe 101” winds down the album’s final minutes jumping over a gully beat reminding us to take deep breathes regularly & the final song “I Made Some Shit” preceding the compositional 60 second outro sends it all off treading intergalactic boom bap waters instrumentally talking about making more music with the money that Lee’s made off his previous material & tripping on the 12th stair when he was on his way to the pearly gates of heaven.

Prozium Peddlin’ was an outstanding debut for Hock Tu Down & I felt like Something Strange in comparison was ok, but Hock Tu 3 wedges itself in middle behind their inaugural LP almost a decade ago & above the extended play they gave us prior to their hiatus. Waiting for the right time to make a return, Lee Scott takes a batch of boom bap production he’s had from Reklews for some time in middle of him hanging around family & using them as inspiration to write the final product.

Score: 4/5

King Grubb – “Droopy.” review

Lancashire, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer King Grubb making his full-length studio debut. Known for being a former member the Children of the Damned & currently apart of it’s successor the Cult of the Damned, he would make his solo debut in the summer of 2007 by dropping the Mega Dumb Cheap Shit extended play under his original moniker Flash 4dem & fully produced by Blah Records founder Lee Scott. A little over a decade later, he’s bringing in Nobodies Home to produce Droopy. in it’s entirety.

“No Introduction” made for a perfectly synth-driven boom bap opener referencing my favorite WWE superstar in 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker whereas “Taglietelle Sandwich” take some more greater approach instrumental talking about nobody fucking with his squad. “Didn’t You Know?” takes the hypnotic boom bap route advising for fanboys to get their pom-poms out while “Hot Dogs” featuring Lee Scott trams up for another jab at wack rappers, furthermore applying the latter subject to the 112 second “Blue Green”.

Getting the 3rd quarter started, we have Grubb comparing his life to “Broke Dice” over an unsettlingly gritty boom bap beat leading into “Bad Samaritan” combines more synthesizers with kicks & snares talking about being the opposite of a charitable person going 0 fucks. “Oui Sag” featuring Sniff heads for a cloudier trap direction going harder than the feelings they harbor if money’s involved & after “No Hands” orchestrally talks about time waiting for no man, “Bud Be Good” finishes with a woozy ode to smoking the finest weed.

Making up for the long gap between this & Mega Dumb Cheap Shit, one of Blah Records’ original signings from its inception returns for an album I wound up enjoying as much as the latter as much as people sleep on that extended play now. Nobodies Home’s production here is a bit more experimental compared to Lee’s on the predecessor 11 years earlier & having both MCs of the trio as the only guest appearances seems appropriate, complimenting King Grubb’s wordplay buoyantly.

Score: 4/5

Cult of the Damned – “Cult of the Damned 2: Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate” review

This is the full-length studio debut from England, United Kingdom collective the Cult of the Damned 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. Introducing themselves as the Children of the Damned’s spiritual successor in 2015 with an eponymous debut EP, they’re picking up right where they left off on Brick Pelican Posse Crew Gang Syndicate.

“Part 2” begins with a boom bap sequel to the intro of the Cult’s self-titled extended play produced by Dr. Zygote where most of the members are asking if one knows which way to take at an intersection whereas “Salt Water” by the B-Movie Millionaires, Salar & Swamp Harbour references WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE United States Champion, 14-time WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hardcore Champion, RoW Tag Team Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Booker T over a Sam Zircon instrumental.

BeTheGun, Lee Scott, Sly Moon & the Super Sag Bros all appear on “No Explanation” demanding everyone respects them just before Bill Shakes & Tony Broke trade verses over a Reklews beat during “The Usual” referencing UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer. “From the Depths” has an eerier boom bap vibe instrumentally dismantling anyone who wants to step up to them in a battle leading into “Never No” brings Bill Shakes, Hock Tu Down, King Grubb, Milkavelli & Salar together talk about those who don’t know the deal with the Cult by now never knowing.

“Nicole” gets the other half of the LP going making their own version of “Triumph” dropping 7 verses without the need of a hook while “Civilized” dustily talks about waiting at the top. “Connect 4” finds the Antiheroes joining Bill Shakes & King Grubb for a chorus-less hardcore hip hop track but after “Coffee” has Bisk tagging in for Grubb & the Mcabre Brothers replacing the Antiheroes cautioning people will learn who they are once they start smoking again, “Bad Card” spends the last 4 minutes giving straight bars over a rugged boom bap beat.

Making a broader extension of their self-titled debut EP after I had graduated from high school, the Cult of the Damned dives deeper into their universe making sure all of the wide range of side projects that’ve formed before & after the Children of the Damned’s merger with Cult Mountain are included. The boom bap production contains more elements of grime than their 2015 introduction did albeit to a much lesser extent & lyrically, they’re cementing themselves as one of the most unstoppable forces in all of UK hip hop.

Score: 4.5/5

B-Movie Millionaires – “Attack of the 50,000ft Sweg Lawds from Outer Space” review

The B-Movie Millionaires are a duo from the United Kingdom consisting of Manchester, England emcee Black Josh alongside Runcorn, Cheshire emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott. Known for being members of the Cult of the Damned collective, these guys would make their eponymous debut in 2015 with an extended play containing guest appearances from their Cult brethren. However, they’ve decided to hold off on having features for their full-length studio debut & I felt like that was an appropriate move as much as I enjoyed self-titled.

After the intro, the first song “Coool Like Dat” breaks the door down with a boom bap instrumental talking about no one being to blame although it ain’t their fault whereas “Chicken Pill” works in a bell sample speaking of the real always recognizing real & those who know staying aware. “Sw£g Level 9000” talks about them being superhuman leading into “Cult Ho£gun” referencing the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion & WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan.

“Camouflage Money” gets the 2nd half going talking about being miles away while “Hawaii” gives off a tropical boom bap vibe to the beat wanting everyone to put their hands in the air. “Whatchusayin” brings back the grit advising anyone approaching them to get to the point & after “River Phoenix” demonstrates some insane cinema wordplay, “Social Media” ends the Millionaires’ full-length debut talking about the negative effects sites like the Meta Platforms-owned Facebook has had on society as a whole.

Between this & of course the B-Movie Millionaires’ introductory EP, I’d say these guys slightly outdid themselves & believe they could make their best work if Black Josh & Lee Scott take some elements from both of their projects & combined them all for a potential sophomore effort. Sam Zircon’s production leans towards the traditional boom bap sound enhanced by Telemachus’ engineering & you get a better look at the chemistry between both members throughout Attack of the 50,000ft Sweg Lawds from Outer Space.

Score: 3.5/5

Super Sag Bros – Self-Titled review

The Super Sag Bros are a duo from Manchester, England, United Kingdom consisting of emcee/producer Black Josh & emcee Sleazy F Baby. Both of whom are members of the Cult of the Damned collective & have crossed paths with each other several times on tracks like “Ohana” or “Gucci Glasses” & “Gang Gvng” to name a few. Looking to elevate themselves to the next level, it doesn’t surprise me that Blah Records is putting out their eponymous debut EP through the London imprint.

We get a cloudy trap instrumental during the intro “28 Grams” talking about levitating in the middle of them getting blazed so much that they’re walking on air & the whole crew looking fresh whereas “Burner” suggests not to call their phones if there isn’t a job for either of the Super Sag Brothers who always stay 1 step ahead. “Paranoia” gets the 2nd half of the EP going by talking about staying stoned on a daily basis while the closer “10 Bud” passes it to the left fusing jazz rap & trap.

Commemorating the process of weed becoming legalized in both the UK & the United States respectively, Black Josh & Sleazy F Baby whip up a 14 minute extended play trading verses over trap production taking secondary influences from jazz rap & cloud rap in time for Black Friday. I might even prefer it a bit more than the B-Movie Millionaires’ eponymous debut EP a few years earlier partly due to the Super Sag Bros having no guest appearances at all despite enjoying nearly ever feature on there.

Score: 4/5

Antiheroes – “Disasterpiece” review

The Antiheroes are a duo consisting of Runcorn, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott alongside Sari, Iran emcee/producer Salar. Introducing themselves in 2003 off their debut mixtape Middle Finger Salute, they wouldn’t return until almost a decade later when they dropped their full-length studio debut Flows for the Contemporary Urban Gentleman. However after taking a 6 year hiatus, Lee & Salar have reuniting for an extended play produced by Farma G & having Telemachus handle the engineering process of it all.

“Godnose” dustily begins advising to not stress over anything & to do your thing since they got your back whereas the title track encourages all to follow them on this path towards searching peace. We get some pianos mixed with kicks & snares promising to throw boulders at a “Glass House” just before “No Sleep ‘Till Mars” finishes this Disasterpiece with a quirky boom bap instrumental talking about both of them not losing a step after another lengthy period of inactivity.

It’s not very often where the Antiheroes release new music & almost 15 years since their formation, but I could debate Disasterpiece for only an EP places itself above Flows for the Contemporary Urban Gentleman & Middle Finger Salute in becoming the greatest thing Lee Scott & Salar have ever made together. Farma G’s production here sounds a lot rawer than both of its predecessors & for 4 tracks clocking at over 10 minutes, both of them sure deliver in that short amount of time.

Score: 4/5

Bisk – “Cream Soda” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Bisk enlisting Sam Zircon to produce his 5th EP in its entirety. A member of the Cult of the Damned collective as well as the duo Swamp Harbour, he would precede his full-length debut album Don’t Piss It Off! with Raw Sh!t under Blah Records as well as Free Morphine & Figaro3000 respectively. He recently put out Yasuke along with the sophomore effort XXXX & Gutter City, preluding Bsidegoose by using natural ingredients to make some Cream Soda.

The title track opens up talking about people he doesn’t even know claiming to be homies with him over a boom bap instrumental & after the “Bubblegum” skit, “Grape Juice” blends trap and chopped & screwed grinding for the P & remaining gangsta. “Parashoot” goes for a cloudy boom bap vibe telling clout chasers to go home & the final song “Snow” preceding the “Hasta Luego” outro talks about moving like royalty these days.

Gutter City remains my favorite LP of the Bisk has dropped so far, but Cream Soda could be another one of the strongest EPs he’s made in the past year & a half of embarking on a solo career. Sam Zircon’s eclectic production drawing inspiration from boom bap to trap, cloud rap and chopped & screwed paired with Bisk’s lyricism for almost 10 minutes can only make me imagine the amount of potential Bsidegoose has of dethroning Gutter City in 2 weeks.

Score: 4/5

Bisk – “Yasuke” review

This is the 4th EP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Bisk. Known for being a member of the Cult of the Damned collective as well as the duo Swamp Harbour, he would precede his full-length debut album Don’t Piss It Off! with Raw Sh!t under Blah Records as well as Free Morphine & Figaro3000 respectively. He recently put out the sophomore effort XXXX & has enlisted Lee Scott to fully produce Yasuke ahead of Gutter City, Cream Soda & Bsidegoose.

“Sensei” begins with a 93 second intro kickin’ back cold saggin’ swamp side over a nostalgic boom bap beat whereas “Nina” featuring Salar finds the 2 maintaining the dustiness instrumentally hitting us with a couple of hardcore verses. “The Art of Raw” continues the boom bap vibes rising up from the dead spitting blood with a gash on his head while “Ronin” ruggedly tells a funny muhfucka that shit ain’t a game to him out here since he stays ducking strays.

Salar joins Bisk again on “Tzunami” continuing the hardcore lyricism over jazzy boom bap beats while “Ravioli” advises against being caught slippin’ in the middle of the evening. “Sushi” featuring the Antiheroes & Milkavelli starts the deluxe run referencing Tuco Salamanca from my favorite show of all-time Breaking Bad & once the soulful “Kabuki” featuring Lee Scott advises not to push them swings they’re kinda crazy, the final bonus track “Noh” sends it off talking about robbing people if his music doesn’t sell.

Yasuke marks the 3rd solo project that Bisk has dropped through Blah Records succeeding Raw Sh!t & Don’t Piss It Off! respectively, surpassing both of them in becoming the Cult of the Damned’s greatest offering for the local label although he plans on putting out 3 more extended plays before 2017 ends. Lee Scott’s production is a huge improvement above Don’t Piss It Off!’s & lyrically, Bisk delivers some of his strongest performances in his individual catalog yet.

Score: 4/5

HAPPYPPL – “Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead” review

HAPPYPPL are a duo from England, United Kingdom consisting of Sheffield emcee Trellion alongside Runcorn, Cheshire, emcee/producer & Blah Records founder Lee Scott. Both of whom make up 2/4 of Cult Mountain, dropping an eponymous debut EP with Milkavelli & Sumgii as well as a sequel in only the span of 3 years. However to warm us up for The 616sons in a few months & the trilogy chapter of Cult Mountain’s eponymous saga, Sumgii’s soundtracking the Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead.

“Heart Shaped U” experimentally begins with both of them over this talking about not wanting to rap anymore because they’ve become bored with it giving middle fingers to everyone whereas “Tony Called” finds the 2 taking pride in being scumbags who’re out of their minds. “Hey Hoe” continues the experimental vibes instrumentally talking about feeling like they got the world in their palms just before “Manzell” by Cult Mountain shrugs off the bitches on their dicks talking shit.

Starting the other leg, “Swayze Point” talks about doing this music shit for each of their children rather than the money leading into “Timon Squared” declaring themselves to be the modern version of Kid n’ Play when I can’t even dispute that claim. “EBB Tide” continues the experimentations representing Earth 616 from The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel universe & “#Sad” ends Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Deadtalking about wanting to be joyous.

Giving fans something to hold them off until the next Cult Mountain EP when summer comes, Things to Do in Happy Land When You’re Dead introduces us to this newest side project from half of their lineup that would satisfy fans of either Lee Scott or Trellion. Sugmii’s production sounds more experimental than usual & both performers ironically take a more depressing approach to their songwriting in an ironic twist of the HAPPYPPL’s concept being laid out.

Score: 4.5/5