Ankhlejohn – “The Michelin Man” review

Washington, D.C. emcee/producer Ankhlejohn teaming with Cookin’ Soul for his 7th mixtape. Breaking out off his Big Ghost Ltd.-produced sophomore effort Van Ghost, he’s given the underground a total of 6 full-length studio albums as well as 27 EPs & his last 6 tapes in almost a decade. Other favorites of mine in his discography include the Navy Blue-produced As Above, So Below & the Rome Streetz collaborative effort effort Genesis 1:27. I was however interested in hearing The Michelin Man after his verse on Gangrene’s comeback effort Heads I Win, Tails You Lose.

“Landlord Member” sets the tone by hooking up this gospel sample to talk about being the kind of father that actually lives with his children whereas “Rump with Me” takes the boom bap route instrumentally asking if anyone out there wants smoke with him. “The Hell Pit” goes drumless talking about everyone already knowing the deal with him for these past several years leading into “Lance Vance” featuring Premo Rice praising God for keeping their affairs in order.

As for “Deuteronomy 28”, we have Cookin’ Soul continuing to strip the drums once again making way for Ankhlejohn feeling like Onyx telling everyone to do the knowledge just before “Seed of Chucky” featuring Tony Shhnow marks the soulful collaboration I never thought I needed to hear. “Sturgeon Eggs” returns to the boom bap putting his street life on full display lyrically while “Halfway” featuring Mike Shabb sees the 2 leaving y’all shot in the mouth.

“Riga Mortis” officially starts the final moments of The Michelin Man referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin following the premiere of Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s new developmental brand Evolve revived by EVOLVE Wrestling’s original founder Gabe Sapolsky showcasing talent under the WWE ID (Independent Development) program on tubi yesterday prior to “Feel the Breeze” finishing us off on a jazzier note making his mother proud with his words.

Some of LORDY’s output in the past 7 years has been hit-or-miss & heads I know who’ve been following him for the same amount of time as me have agreed on that when engaging in conversations of his discography, but The Michelin Man easily sticks out as Anhklejohn’s finest offering of the 2020s elevating Cookin’ Soul’s production run that began last year & the D.C. artist’s finest performances in a while.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Musalini – “Mackaroni” review

New York emcee & Jamla Records recording artist The Musalini teaming up with Cookin’ Soul for his 6th EP. Beginning to take the underground by storm since 2018 after dropping his debut mixtape Musalini Season, he went on to release 3 full-lengths & another tape before signing to TCF Music Group. Since then, he’s made himself home by dropping a few EPs & Return of the Oro in the early part of this decade. In God We Trust produced by 38 Spesh, The Don & Eye alongside its sequel fully produced 9th Wonder & Pure Izm produced by Khrysis have all quickly become his best material over the past 3 years. And with the run Cookin’ Soul’s been on these past couple months, I can say stakes for Mackaroni were pretty high personally.

“Say You Love Me” featuring Hus Kingpin & Reuben Vincent starts us off with the trio over a soulful admitting to their flings that can’t say they care whereas “Never Be a Stranger” takes the groovy boom bap route talking about being a pimp. “‘92 Olympics” featuring Tha God Fahim gives me a mafioso atmosphere a bit instrumentally likening themselves to the US men’s basketball team over 3 decades ago just before “I Want It All” featuring Planet Asia taking the luxurious route expressing their desire for everything.

MadeinTYO interestingly joins Mu$ on the luxurious boom bap cut “Mack of the Year” talking about being the pimp’s pimps of 2024 leading into “Got Her” showing a J Dilla influence to the beat getting in his romance shit. “1 Time” featuring Le$ works in these organ-synths with kicks & snares bringing that style for the block whilst turning it up a notch while “Fresh Air” featuring Raz Fresco & Skratch Bastid keeps it boom bap with lavish piano chords talking about mornings on the beach. “Lay Up” warmly looks to turn everything he touches into chicken & “Pay the Man” is a jazzy closer demanding to be paid what he is owed.

Despite the fact that some of of Mu$’ output can be a bit too overloaded with the amount guests, I’m not gonna deny that Mackaroni is the most I’ve enjoyed his music in a while. Cookin’ Soul goes on a 3-peat with the production since it’s on par with Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga’s & Bakin’ Soul’s, the performances from the features themselves are more consistent & Mu$’ is straight mackin’ for nearly 26 minutes.

Score: 4/5

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Raz Fresco – “Bakin’ Soul” review

If I’m not mistaken, I believe this is the 15th proper full-length LP from Toronto emcee/producer Raz Fresco. Someone who I’ve been familiar with since high school whether it be some of his features or his own extensive discography including the Magneto Was Right mixtape series, the Futurewave-produced Gorgeous Polo Sportsmen album, the Nicholas Craven-produced Boulangerie album, the Cake beat tapes or more recently the Gia…À La Carte collab EP with Estee Nack from last summer. But with Cookin’ Soul coming off producing the acclaimed Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga for Tha God Fahim last month, Bakin’ Soul here seemed more than promising to me going into it.

“360°” starts with a lo-fi boom bap instrumental refusing to let the mean city take your smile whereas “The Pure” featuring Dano & Lil Supa takes a funkier approach talking about how all that frontin’ will leave you fucked up in the end. The drumlessly jazzy “Receipts” goes after the loot prior to Estee Nack & Lord Apex joining Raz on “Kodak Moment” bringing back the kicks & snares referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin alongside WWE Hall of Famer, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion Rikishi.

Moving forward, “Snakes & Ladders” goes for a symphonic approach confessing he learned life for the first time after playing the titular game that is until “Keep on Pushing” featuring The Musalini returns to the boom bap making it all money when they spit. Life Lessons” gets introspective over a crooning sample with kicks & snares while “Regrets” featuring Tha God Fahim teaches the youth not to make the same mistakes that they did. “Marvelous Fabrics” reminds that the hood’s still starving even after giving favor to Ukraine, but then “No Cap” featuring Gritfall closes up shop with a cloudy beat calling out labels for paying ads selling backwards lifestyles.

I personally was introduced to Raz a little after I started my freshman year of high school hearing his feature on “Why Bother” off of Ace Hashimoto’s 5th mixtape All Day DeShay: AM since it’s no secret that I was an Odd Future kid during my adolescence & Bakin’ Soul most definitely stands as some of his best work primarily because of how organic the chemistry he has with Big Size feels.

Score: 4/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga” review

Tha Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim from Atlanta, Georgia beginning the 2nd month of 2024 by linking up with Cookin’ Soul for the 21st full-length LP in his ever-growing discography. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY ass EP run in 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King 4, the Oh No-produced Berserko, Fahim’s last EP Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike Shabb & even the previous album Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth. So hearing that Big Size would be behind the boards to begin the Soul Cook Saga of the Supreme Dump Legend series, I was certain it had to be the best body of worked they’ve ever produced for another MC.

After the intro, the first song “Blood Sport” starts things off with this cinematic boom bap instrumental likening himself & his squad to champions whereas “Get Ur Weight Up” takes a more lo-fi route working in thee kicks & snares so tha Dump Gawd speaking on some advice that was given to him. “Economics” featuring The Musalini who signed to Jamla Records last year talks about turning rhymes into heavy cash over a boom bap beat with this infectious sample, but then “Guillotine” hooking up more kicks & snares with this psychedelic backdrop referencing 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion, United Football League (UFL) co-owner, the newest member of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings’ board of directors & $7 Productions co-founder The Rock whose daughter Ava is now the GM for WWE’s developmental NXT brand.

“Shark Biting Vampires” featuring Dano makes it clear that they don’t want anyone sounding like them on top of some woodwinds & just before “Heavy” featuring Raz Fresco makes up for Dano’s guest appearance on the previous cut which might be the weakest feature on the album. Here though, Raz & Fahim discusses the heaviness of words sometimes over this spacious boom bap instrumental. “Pedal to the Floor” kinda gives me a bluesier vibe making it clear he ain’t new to this leading into the dusty “Safe Hands” looking to make other rappers look bad. The orchestral sendoff “The Way of the Samurai” lastly portrays another day in the Shogunn saga.

Breadrick Douglas is said to be have Dump Goat II, 3 more projects with Monk, 3 with Craven, another one with Cookin’ Soul presumably titled Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga 2 & a self-produced one all coming down the pipe in the future & Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga. Cookin’ Soul’s boom bap production is consistent top to bottom, I enjoyed nearly every feature & Fahim indeed cementing himself as the strongest performer Size has worked with on a full project to date.

Score: 4.5/5

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