This is a brand new collaborative EP between Glokk40Spaz & OsamaSon. Both of whom have collaborated with one another in the past on the track “Codeine Dreamz”, but have individually made a name for themselves as 2 of the biggest up-&-comers that trap music has to offer with projects like Took the Biggest Risk or Flex Musix. However, they are linking up to surprise-drop 3vil Reflection on SoundCloud.
To start the EP, “2X” finds the 2 vividly portraying the gangsta lifestyles they live backed by an atmospheric trap instrumental whereas “Movie” works in some rage beats talking about having sticks on them & throwing their Dracos up in the air. “Blame Dem Drugz” might be my favorite track on 3vil Reflection diving into pluggnb territory going dummy that is until “Bankroll” brings back the hypertrap influences turning the bass up to 11 & counting their pesos.
“No Rules” has a straight up plugg vibe to it instrumentally taking out everyone who tries to get in their way just before the synthesizer-heavy “ADHD” talks about going to hit that kid since they actually have ADHD itself. The rage-inducing “Jungle” boasts that they just spent about $10K & “Wicked” shoots for a dark plugg sound popping out with the potato barrels on their glizzys, but then “Vixen” finishes the EP with 1 last hypertrap cut not giving a fuck no more.
Both of these guys have been dominating the plugg/rage scenes in their own distinctive fashions, so hearing them coming together on 3vil Reflection is a momentous occasion considering each artists’ rightfully increasing popularity & they give us the tightest collaborative effort in their discographies. Its production mostly has a hypertrap tone throughout with additional elements of dark plugg & pluggnb as 2 of their hottest artists in that field match their intensities.
Virginia Beach, Virginia producer, singer/songwriter, rapper, fashion designer, film composer, entrepreneur, Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream founder & Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell. Cementing his legacy as 1/2 of the greatest production duo of all-time The Neptunes alongside Chad Hugo, they would eventually form the side project N*E*R*D with their debut album In Search Of… going on to become a classic inspiring Tyler, The Creator amongst others. Even his 2006 solo debut In My Mind would become one of the most underrated albums ever made, even though he’s discredited it himself as “being written out of ego”. G I R L during my junior year of high school received mixed reception although I personally still enjoy the pop soul/contemporary R&B vibe of it pay tribute to all the women in his life (Case in point: “Lost Queen / Freq”). But to celebrate his 51st birthday in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit with Chad over the Neptunes trademark, Skateboard P is releasing Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access on an exclusive website possibly in response to James Blake’s recent comments in regards to streaming.
“Richard Millie” is a guitar-driven opener singing about having it all behind him & not making him wait whereas the summery “Dandy Lying” discusses a woman who keeps the night alive. “Come On Donna” warmly sings about how the other type of dude just be the same leading into “Just for Fun” dabbling with funk-rock melodically makes it clear that the work must be done or the rest of this talk is simply for the fun of it. Meanwhile, “Caged Bird Free” brings a tropical atmosphere to the table welcoming you to a silver lining just before the mellow “Ball” sings about hittin’ it off with this romantic interest from the very second that they so happened to meet each other. “11:11” psychedelically admits to hating surprise since he never enjoyed surprise birthdays, but then “Who Needs Rest?” continues the slick pop rock influenced by smoother R&B styles singing about a woman who needs the night. The penultimate track “Cheryl” warmly asks not to break his spirit prior to “Going Back to VA” ending the album by catchily returning to his home state.
Anyone who truly knows me well can tell you how much I’ve always looked up to Pharrell since he’s one of the very few people out there that I can consider an idol because he really is a musical & fashionable visionary in my eyes. It’s also noteworthy that I actually get a handful of people telling me that they love how I acknowledge Chad as much as I do with P & to be quite honest, that’s because I consider him to be just as musically talented as Pharrell. The whole Neptunes trademark lawsuit as someone who has them as his top 5 producers of all-time is a real shitty situation, with Pusha T rightfully pointing out that there isn’t a dollar involved in the stupidity & that it’s really a lawyer looking to drain Chad’s pockets. Now is Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access a way to distract everyone from the lawsuit? Maybe not since the recording for it began almost 3 weeks ago & the suit was filed at the beginning of the week. As far as the quality though: It’s definitely one of the best albums outside of hip hop. P’s production is inspired by psychedelic pop, contemporary R&B, the west coast sound of yacht rock, neo-soul & neo-psychedelia, he has more than enough vocal chops & the songwriting abilities to pull off performances that you’ll find winding up stuck in your head.
This is the 8th full-length LP from Houston, Texas singer/songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, businesswoman & director Beyoncé. Rising to fame in the late-90’s as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, she eventually began her career as a solo artist in the summer of 2003 with the slept-on Dangerously in Love, but found both B’Day & I Am…Sasha Fierce to be average at best. 4 though was her best since her full-length debut, paving the way for a self-titled effort & Lemonade to become her most critically acclaimed bodies of work yet. She began a new trilogy couple summers ago by foraying into house music on Renaissance & is shooting for a new direction on the sequel Cowboy Carter.
“AMERIICAN REQUIEM” is this empowering opener asking if you can hear her or if you fear her whereas “BLACKBIIRD” featuring Tanner Adell finds the 2 over acoustics covering The Beatles joint of the same name. “16 CARRIAGES” mixes contemporary country & country soul with additional elements of Americana & country rock traversing the emotions & experiences caused by sudden uprooting due to losing innocence at an early age just before the stripped-back “PROTECTOR” featuring Rumi Carter encourages that you’ll shine on your own one day.
The a capella “MY ROSE” asks bow many times have you let yourself get you down & after the “SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON” interlude, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM fuses country pop & contemporary country with stomp & holler advising to lay your cards down. “BODYGUARD” brings an upbeat approach talking about being your lifeguard on top of her being the one to ride shotgun but after the “DOLLY P” interlude, “JOLENE” serves as a homage to one of Dolly Parton’s biggest hits.
“DAUGHTER” asks God to save her from from these fantasies in my head that ain’t ever been safe ones over this haunting acoustic passages while the fiddle/trap hybrid “SPAGHETTII” featuring Shaboozey finds the 2 talking about having shooters even though they ain’t part of a gang. “ALLIIGATOR TEARS” brings a country soul vibe to the table asking how it feels to be adored & after the “SMOKE HOUR II” skit, “JUST FOR FUN” mixes guitars & symphonics talking about time healing all.
Meanwhile, “II MOST WANTED” featuring Miley Cyrus is this country pop duet riding for their partners until the very end while LEVII’S JEANS” featuring Post Malone is this warm guitar ballad that I can definitely imagine going big once summer start rolling around getting sexy a bit topically. “FLAMENCO” goes acoustic once more talking about her mind telling her to settle right now & after “THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW” skit, “YA YA” is this incredibly groovy party starter clappin’ & drummin’.
After the “OH LOUISIANA” interlude, the downtuned “DESERT EAGLE” explains that she has the titler pistol in the backseat of her car because everything really is bigger out in Texas while the country soul “RIIVERDANCE” advises to pounce on that shit. “II HANDS II HEAVEN” cloudily talks about putting the whiskey up high with only God knowing why while “TYRANT” is this dynamic 2-parter d.a. got that dope helped put together showing off her tyranny. “SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’” featuring Shaboozey has to be another favorite off the album from the fun Pharrell instrumental split in 3 sections to buckin’ like a mechanical bull & “AMEN” passionately ends the middle chapter of the trilogy by asking to have mercy on here.
Country is one of those genres that I’m not the biggest fan of altogether with a few exceptions like Johnny Cash being one of the biggest badasses to ever walk God’s green Earth or even Kacey Musgraves & Wheeler Walker Jr. as modern examples, but Cowboy Carter is a welcoming tribute to Bey’s grandfather much like Renaissance was to her grandmother. The production is mostly rooted in contemporary country & country pop with additional elements of country soul, singer-songwriter, contemporary folk music, & Americana music meshed with songwriting & performances better than most country music in the mainstream today.
The Kid Laroi is a 20 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia who emerged as a protege of the late Juice WRLD. Subsequently, he signed to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records. He eventually introduced himself to a wider audience on his debut mixtape Fuck Love receiving mixed-to-negative reviews & even going on to release not 1 but 2 deluxe EPs off it for whatever reason over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for his debut full-length LP over here, Laroi has since jumped ship to Columbia Records interestingly enough.
“Sorry” is this airy opener produced by FNZ & BoogzDaBeast apologizing for getting stuck while high whereas “Bleed” dabbles with alt-pop & indie pop this time around tackily asking how others’ hearts mend so easily when his is still bleeding. “I Thought That I Needed You” has one of the better instrumentals throughout the LP thanks to both BNYX & F1LTHY of Working on Dying singing about a love that was lost nearly a year ago, but then “Where Do You Sleep?” mixes some synthesizers & even a soul sample with co-production from Dez Wright asking a nameless ex partner where she be staying these days.
Central C & Jung Kook both join Laroi for the contemporary R&B/pop rap hybrid “Too Much” that Emile helped cook up asking if those they’re no longer seeing would wanna kick it with them again leading into “Tear Me Apart” melodramatically apologizing for hurting this woman over some acoustics from John Cunningham. Clams Casino brings a psychedelic vibe to “Nights Like This” after the “Strangers” interlude even though I don’t care for the lyrics about him needing the love of his life with him just before “What’s the Move” featuring BabyDrill & Future brings the trio together over a soulful trap beat telling the significant others to marry them.
After another “Strangers” interlude, “Call Me Instead” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again goes into a piano-driven direction addressing lovers whose heart they no longer have full grasp on while “Deserve You” brings more soul samples & hi-hats together singing that this chick doesn’t deserve him whatsoever. “What Went Wrong???” gives off a more hard hitting instrumental reminiscing on a previous relationship that came to an end while “The Line” featuring future teenage murderer d4vd turns into stripped back territory as the duo take a trip down memory lane tackling the themes of past relationships.
“What Just Happened?” switches gears in flavor for an alt/pop-rock cut admitting he doesn’t know if they just crossed the line ‘cause he don’t even know what just happened while “You” is peppier joint with keys, kicks & snares talking about how they weren’t workin’ out ‘til we ended up workin’ out. “Love Again” tediously paints the image of a toxic-love hate relationship although I appreciate the folk pop instrumental while “Where Does Your Spirit Go?” is this average adult contemporary singer/songwriter jam dedicated to his late mentor.
After the “You Never Forget Your First Time…” interlude, the closer “Kids Are Growing Up”actually ends Kid Laroi’s debut album on a profoundly mature note opening up to the world on top of displaying his personal growth & vulnerability over an aquatic beat. He does this by namely addressing the loss of his uncle Wayne, dropping out of school in 9th grade & expresses gratitude to his mother for her resilience during difficult times.
“Baby I’m Back” produced by Rogét Chahayed starts the deluxe run sampling “Baby Come Back” by Player reflecting on the past year whereas “Stick with Me” further butchers “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” by P.M. Dawn expressing his grievances over an imbalanced relationship. The synth-heavy “Pick Sides” expresses jealousy over his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend & questions if she still thinks about their time together while the sequel to “Nights Like This” starts out as much as the predecessor.
Lil Yachty joins Kid Laroi for the pop rap/trap cut “Hatred” opening up about their love lives while “Girls” was a cool pop rap, hip hop soul, hyphy & contemporary R&B single exploring themes of freedom & fun in relationships. “1,000 Miles” acoustically sings about his journey through recent relationships, sharing troubles he has with them & the final bonus track “Heaven” was an underwhelming finish to the deluxe mutating pop & singer/songwriter with adult contemporary & soft rock reminiscing on a journey of change.
14 with a Dream, Fuck Love & even both of the deluxe EPs that followed suit have all done very little to win me over on Kid Laroi’s music up to this point. The First Time however is a slight improvement over those previous bodies of work. Although it’s quite possibly the most well-produced I’ve heard him sound fusing alt-pop as well as folk pop & chipmunk soul into his pop rap stylings, the features are ok & I still find Laroi to be an underwhelming performer.
This is the 3rd full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Glokk40Spaz. Emerging off the Don’t Get Took Off mixtape trilogy & the debut EP Spaz&B, he would also go on to drop his very first LP 2 Glokks followed by the sophomore effort Baby Whoa with both of them receiving quite a bit of acclaim. But now in light of the EBG Records founder signing to Columbia Records, I was anticipating to hear what hear how his major label debut Took the Biggest Risk would play out.
“Enough Ammo” opens the LP with synthesizers & hi-hats advising to take precaution when you step in his trap house whereas “Forgot My Manners” works in a piano-trap instrumental some bells talking about growing up on some Adam “Pacman” Jones shit gangbanging in his city. “3rd World” embraces the plugg sound flexing that he be high as Hell just before “Different Goals” works in some hi-hats & low at synthesizers pointing out the difference in goals between him & everyone else.
Meanwhile, “Fuck Sum” has these organ-like synth melodies promising to look in the eyes of his enemies as they die referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson leading into “Whatchu Sayin’?” making it clear that he can meet up & have a shootout with any opposition whatsoever. The trap beat from SenseiATL on “Facecard” gives me an UFO inspired feeling showing off big chopsticks that’ll make motherfuckers doing backflips, but the “Blame Us” brings back the synthesizers once more talking about potentially being coupled with a bitch that has mob ties.
“I Got an Army” layers an aggressively passionate delivery over a plugg beat acknowledging that he’s got a militant force in full effect ready to go to war for him while “Tailor Made” hooks up these wavy synth melodies & hi-hats talking about having the mind of a psychotic. “Levels 2” detours into pluggnb territory courtesy of Dylvinci delivering a sequel to one of the best cuts off the Spaz&B EP that is until “Backdoor” mixes some synthesizers & hi-hats talking about busting through the back entrance all for the bag.
Lastly, “All Black” featuring BabySolid recaptures the chemistry that made their collab tape GONE M.A.D for a dark plugg cut on their vampire shit while “8 Mile” has a more straight-up plugg groove daring these pussies to drop a diss on his squad. “Yung Killa Camp” shoots for a chilled out atmosphere taking 2 minutes out of his time to rep EBG while the pluggy “Get Wicked” looks to see what’s mobbin’ when he pops out. “Take a Risk” ties up his major label debut being more talking about risk taking over keys & hi-hats needing all the bread up front.
The deluxe has 9 bonus tracks & I’ll go over them right now. “Ace of Spades” starts with a distorted trap instrumental flipping everyone while the “Enough Ammo” remix featuring Young Nudy is actually superior to the original. “Glokk’$ on Me” goes head-on rage talking about having sticks on him while “See You Again” returns to the plugg sound making it clear that he ain’t even have to reload the Glock in his pocket.
“Open Cases” hops over ominous, sinister synth pads & lead melodies, skittering hi-hats & fast percussion & snare rolls detailing the gangsta lifestyle while the grisly “Good 2 Go” calls out those actin’ all hard when they really soft as shit. “How 2 Drive” talks about risking his life in East Atlanta over a booming beat while the trippy “Codeine Dreamz” featuring OsamaSon says it all. “4 Walls on an Island” ends the deluxe by rapping over the prison cell phone mixed with this cloudy instrumental.
The final installment of the Don’t Get Took Off trilogy solidified GL4Spaz as one of my 2 favorite artists in the evil plugg scene next to Smokingskul & the risks that he took on this album here will only elevate him to the next level. He continues to deliver lyrics from a gangster’s perspective whilst sonically refining the trap sounds & subgenres that he made waves off of
This is the 2nd EP from Ladera Heights MC, singer/songwriter, producer, actor, visual artist, designer & comedian Tyler, The Creator. Blowing up about 15 years ago as the de facto leader of Odd Future, his evolution both artistically & personally since the collective’s disbandment in 2015 has truly been amongst the most fascinating ones I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime going from the bratty edginess of Bastard & Goblin to the undeniable maturity & versatility shown on Flower Boy & IGOR. Even Tyler’s last album Call Me If You Get Lost happened to be his best lyrically & as he gears up for his next one this summer continuing the 2-year schedule that he started on, he’s giving fans a collection of outtakes from the CMIYLG outtakes in the form of The Estate Sale.
After the “EVERYTHING MUST GO” intro, the first song “STUNTMAN” with Vince Staples is an energetic trap banger to the EP as they pay homage to “Swagger International” by Pharrell essentially whereas “WHAT A DAY” has a more colorful tone to it thanks to Madlib as Tyler talks about being your biggest cheerleader. WANG$AP reunites for the synth-laced “WHARF TALK” discussing getting lost together with their significant others just before “DOGTOOTH” is a jazzy, dirty south/neo-soul hybrid expresses Tyler’s desire for a woman that he can satisfy. The song “HEAVEN TO ME” details what his version of the pearly gates is over a boom bap instrumental while the penultimate track “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND” with YG is a funky pop rap ode to love. “SORRY NOT SORRY” however ends the EP with a bare sample of “He Made You Mine” by Brighter Side of Darkness wavering between apologizing both sarcastically & genuinely.
Given the ending of the closer’s music video where the authentic Tyler kills off all his past eras, it’s clear that he’s getting ready to drop his 7th album this summer & I think The Estate Sale is an excitingly short offering that’ll keep everyone satisfied until then. Tyler’s production plays into the mix of styles that Call Me If You Get Lost revealed to have sonically & his still bringing his A-game with the pen. Here’s to the new chapter from hip hop’s most beloved unique personalities in just a few months.
Calvin Harris is a 38 year old DJ, producer & singer/songwriter from Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom who came in 2007 off his decent full-length debut I Created Disco. Ready for the Weekend & 18 Months both went on to receive moderate reception as well, but his 4th album Motion was easily his worst. However, the last album we got from Calvin was Funk Wav Bounces in the summer of 2017 & is widely acknowledged as his best one yet. So here we are 5 years later with a sequel & was anticipating it considering the singles leading up to it.
After the 40 second intro, the first song “New Money” is a disco/rap opener with 21 Savage flexing on the mic whereas “Potion” by Dua Lipa & Young Thug fuses contemporary R&B with dance-pop & synth funk to deliver an enticing slow jam. “Woman of the Year” by Chlöe & Coi Leray keeps the funk alive declaring themselves as such, but then “Obsessed” by Charlie Puth & Shenseea works in some cheery piano chords as they talk about missing 1 another.
“New to You” by Offset & Tinashe goes full-blown boogie confessing they want each other just before “Ready or Not” by Busta Rhymes brings back the keys to talk about taking this shit to the galaxy. “Stay with Me” by Justin Timberlake takes the nu disco route encouraging his lady to stick by him the whole night leading into the sequel which has a funky groove to it, but feels a bit redundant in the track listing.
Meanwhile on “Somebody Else”, we have these incredible bass-guitar licks as Jorja Smith & Lil Durk confess that both of them are in love with another person while “Nothing More to Say” by 6LACK is a groovy slow jam talking about getting the feeling right. The song “Live My Best Life” by Latto & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg has a more tropical aesthetic to it describing a place where the people have a good time while the penultimate track “Lean on Me” by Swae Lee is more synth-based talking about money following. “Day 1” by Pharrell & Pusha T ends the album with a warm ode to loyalty.
Like I said at the beginning of this review: I wasn’t really the biggest fan of Calvin prior to Funk Wav Bounces, but I’ve been wanting a sequel every since it initially came out & it’s just as much of a solid listen as the predecessor if you ask me. The production is colorful & the performances from the guests are pretty consistent for a good portion of the album.
Beyoncé is a 40 year old singer/songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, businesswoman & director from Houston, Texas who rose to fame in the late-90’s as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child. She eventually began her career as a solo artist in the summer of 2003 with the slept-on Dangerously in Love, but found both B’Day & I Am…Sasha Fierce to be average at best. 4 though was her best since her full-length debut, paving the way for a self-titled effort & Lemonade to become her most critically acclaimed bodies of work yet. But as a way to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, Bey’s returning with her 7th album & the first in a new trilogy.
The opener “I’m That Girl” sets it all off talking about how no one can fuck with her over an instrumental featuring co-production from Mike Dean & S1 flipping “Still Pimpin’” by Tommy Wright III whereas “Cozy” comes through with a more housier vibe encouraging one to be comfortable with their own skin. The intergalactic aesthetics of “Alien Superstar” makes it a highlight for my personal as she talks about being too classy, but then “Cuff It” goes into disco territory confessing that she feels like fucking shit up.
Meanwhile on “Energy”, we have Beyoncé returning to house turf thanks to Skrillex getting rebellious rightfully calling out Karens turning into terrorists leading into “Break My Soul” pulling from Euro house sampling “Show Me Love” by Robin S. telling everyone that she’s unbreakable. “Church Girl” pulls from ballroom music with the help of Tricky Stewart & No I.D. with a Clark Sisters flip to further confirm that women who regularly attend church are super freaky just before “Plastic Off the Sofa” is a contemporary R&B ballad produced with Syd of course getting on the more romantic side of things.
“Virgo’s Groove” returns to a more dance-pop sound encouraging her lover to come over while “Move” pulls from hip house & afrobeats advising everyone to get the fuck out her way. “Heated” embraces afro house to talk about fanning off while “Thique” reveals itself to be another favorite of mine from Hit-Boy’s infectious production to the lyrics about body positivity & even bragging that her bread’s getting bigger.
Following that, “All Up in Your Mind” bombastically warns to be careful what you ask for because she could comply while the song “America Has a Problem” heavily samplez the Kilo Ali cut of the same name basically declaring herself to be the Tony Montana of sex appeal. The penultimate track “Pure / Honey” is a ballroom-inspired 2 parter talking about feeling her technique & getting people stuck to her love as “Summer Renaissance” finishes the album with 1-last house banger to describe a gangster growing on her.
Truth be told: I went into Renaissance expecting it to be average at best considering my initial reaction to “Break My Soul” when it came out last month was moderate & I have to inevitably mention the new Drake album Honestly, Nevermind being a decent homage to the late Virgil Abloh. Since it’s finally here however & I got to marinate with it for a while, I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought & find it to be as great as IDK’s latest EP Simple. that just came out a couple months ago. The dance-tinged production is a sweet homage to her late uncle Johnny & her performances are incredibly empowering.
Joey Bada$$ is a 27 year old MC, singer & actor from New York City who came up as a founding member of the Pro Era & Beast Coast collectives. His debut mixtape 1999 just celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary last month & has gone on to become a classic, but Rejex was a decent collection of leftovers & Summer Knights was an solid prelude to his full-length debut. B4.DA.$$ eventually came on his 20th birthday & lived up it to it’s expectations by expanding on the vibes of 1999, but Joey’s sophomore effort ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ revealed it be unquestionably the most political he’s ever been. 5 long years later, Joey’s officially giving us a sequel in the form of his 3rd album.
“The Baddest” is a piano-tinged opener produced Erick the Architect with Joey referring to himself as the baddest motherfucker in all of NY whereas “Make Me Feel” goes into boom bap turf thanks to Statik Selektah confessing that the haters made him take a hiatus for a bit. “Where I Belong” keeps the dustiness going taking about takin’ risks every time he hits the door leading into Westside Gunn coming into the picture for “Brand New 911” to bring in a jazzy instrumental that Chuck Strangers has cooked up getting on their fly shit.
Meanwhile on “Cruise Control”, we have Joey over a cloudy trap beat from Mike WiLL Made-It & Cardiak talking about staying 10 toes down just before “Eulogy” returns to the boom bap shouting out all his homies that’re sittin’ on the big wheels. “Zipcodes” has yet another jazzier tone to the production provided by Kirk Knight talking about doing this with ease, but then “One of Us” with Larry June finds the 2 shooting for a smoother aesthetic calling out the people who wish they were them.
“Welcome Back” on the other hand is definitely the weakest cut on the album from the bland trap instrumental to the Chris Brown verse & the tepid subject matter while “Show Me” returns to a boom bap aesthetic talking about wanting to be proven that his lover cares for her. “Wanna Be Loved” with J.I.D has a more nocturnal sound to it expressing their desire to be appreciated while the song “Head High” is a jazz-inflicted ode to those who’re no longer here. The penultimate track “Survivor’s Guilt” comes through with a heart-wrenching tribute to Capital STEEZ & “Written in the Stars” sends off the album in glory rightfully talking about being a legend.
Some people tried to write Joey off because of “THE REV3NGE” & even I’ll admit myself that it was a Great Value version of the J. Cole single “Middle Child”, but I don’t see how anyone who loves 1999 as much as I do can dislike 2000. He really does an excellent job at recapturing the magic that made his debut mixtape one of the best of the 2010s & puts a more mature twist on it.
This is the 15th EP from Louisiana rapper ssgkobe. Emerging out of the SoundCloud scene just a few years back, it wasn’t until earlier last spring when he was featured on a bonus track off of BROCKHAMPTON’s final album to date ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE where I was introduced to him. His major label debut albeit 12th EP overall KO. that came out a couple months later wasn’t the best place to start diving into his discography at all, but I was genuinely intrigued by Night Before once I started listening to his earlier work. That being said: I went into RELAPSED hoping that ssgkobe would redeem himself.
“Hershey” is a rage-induced opener wanting to know what his purpose is whereas “Getcha” takes a symphonic trap route to start boasting. “Oh No!” goes into atmospheric territory reaching the epiphany that his bitch was a thot while the song “9” talking about walking around strapped over a misty trap instrumental. The penultimate track “Every Second” has a cavernous aesthetic to it brushing off those who’re bitter at his success & “Okay, What R U Saying?” ends the EP with kobe over a woozy instrumental calling out someone for capping.
Compared to KO., there’s no denying that Relapsed is like night & day in terms of quality. The production has improved sounding a bit more varied in comparison to the predecessor trying to reach an audience that doesn’t exist & I respect that ssgkobe’s wearing his heart on his sleeve a lot more this time around, but I’d love for U4EYA to be a melting pot of the new sounds he’s dabbling with now & his rage/plugg roots.
Legends Will Never Die 