Eric the Red – “The Red Alert” review

Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Eric the Red starting 2025 with his 3rd studio LP. Known for being the brother of Illinformed & Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog of The Four Owls, he would also become 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP in addition to forming his own label Lost Scroll Records almost a decade ago. His compositional solo EP Basement Blues dropped in 2016 & the In My Element beat tape followed as did the Illinformed-produced debut album Caught Red Handed. Coming off Broken Ear Drum & more recently the sophomore effort Painting da Town Red under Illin’ for Meds Records, he’s having Leaf fully produce The Red Alert a few weeks after Michael Oku became a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion.

“Wins & Sins” begins with a symphonic boom bap instrumental talking about having to risk yourself in part of making your dreams come true whereas “The Good, the Bad & the Druggies” works in some pianos speaking of benefiting his by pushing buggies or moving weight for baby necessities. “Place of the Lost” featuring Verbz finds the 2 dismissing their competition’s reputation for being a parody of itself just before the crooning “Champagne” featuring Leaf Dog talks about delivering Christmas presents via a spaceship in 2021.

“Candies”, we have Leaf flipping organs mixing some kicks & snares in the picture for Eric to get more sexual lyrically leading into “Black Hole Wisdom” featuring Killah Priest soulfully linking the 2 up so they individually hold their own composure dissecting the track together. “The Fish Scale Tale” chops up more soul samples talking about the downsides of cocaine addiction while the jazzy boom bap fusion “Bentley” talks about people becoming envious of Lost Scroll’s success.

“Bad Luck” reaches the halfway point of The Red Alert hauntingly shrugging off the idea that he’d look back at his past feeling remorseful while the 109 second “Asgard” featuring Leaf Dog jazzily reunites the 2 siblings on the mic to drop lyrical braggadocio. “Shut It All Down” also featuring Leaf Dog sticks around so both of the Leigh Brothers can talk about being professionals with the mic while “Don’t Be Scared” features Leaf Dog again likening themselves to sleeping giants.

Eric holds the fort down by himself again for “Duck & Dive” hopping over a violin-infused beat talking about conquering the whole entire map with Leaf but after “Takes Practice” carries over the orchestral boom bap aesthetics explaining that it takes preparation to acquire the kind of skills has, “Sepia” soulfully advises those looking for a sign to hold their loved ones closely & grief doesn’t become easier the more time passes.

“Pappa’s Brothers” featuring Leaf Dog kicks off The Red Alert’s final moments talking about burning weed tags by the numbers & laughing at undercover cops driving past them due to them being so wild while “3 Kings” featuring Leaf Dog & Sonnyjim hops over a prominent woodwind for all 3 of them to flex their royalty status. “Last Lesson” finishes with Eric talking about smoking kush to help him sleep at night & his squad being a bunch of baboons hopping off the balcony spraying up houses.

I’ve been hoping for Eric the Red to have Leaf Dog produce an entire body of work for a minute now & since The Red Alert has arrived, I’d comfortably rank it in the top 3 amongst the Lost Scroll CEO’s discography alongside Caught Red Handed & Painting da Town Red. Leaf’s boom bap production is more rawer than Illinformed’s jazzier sound obviously, his 6 guest appearances all combined make a great showcasing at both Leigh’s’ performative chemistry & Eric going as hard as he did a year earlier.

Score: 4/5

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Sean Peng – “Insomniac’s Dream” review

Here we have the sophomore effort from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Sean Peng. Known for being 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP, he made his solo debut Crazed Conductor in 2016 under Lost Scroll Records & is coming off his Creatures brethren Illinformed fully producing his 2019 debut album Trips to the Medicine Cabinet succeeding the Controlled Experiment extended play preluding it in 2017 to run it back for a dissection of an Insomniac’s Dream through Illin’ for Meds Records.

“Inebriated Halfwits” featuring Jack Jetson starts with both of them over a jazzy boom bap talking about not seeing clearly regarding what they wanna do whereas “Stranger Than Fiction” stays in the basement instrumentally addressing the people who’re afraid to face the truth. “Broken English” takes a moment to represent the crowd of people who feel broken down leading into “Better the Devil” featuring Crossbow T marking my least favorite guest appearance despite the theme of Satan being a cloak within the mirrors & smoke.

Ramson Badbonez joins Sean on the jazzy “Sick Society” talking about people losing themselves all for a hit of notoriety just before “Hidden Messages” soulfully speaks of not stressing regarding the end because he’s already see the signs & symbols. “House of the Dead” spends 92 talking about being surrounded by zombies over more prominent kicks & snares while “Raw Syllabics” featuring O.A.B. soulfully compares their minds to timeless relics off psychedelics.

“Squid Games” featuring Jack Jetson references the popular Netflix series of the same name set to end after 2 more seasons in 2025 while “Rise of the Underground by the Creatures of Habit talks about underground hip hop becoming popular due to acts like Griselda being accepted by the mainstream for example. “The Abyss” brings a ghostly boom bap atmosphere to the table putting us inside the shoes of a person residing inside the pits & “Is This Real?” wraps things up asking himself if he’ll wait to leave behind the sadness in his life.

Almost 3 months after his Creatures of Habit partner-in-rhyme Eric the Red had made his Illin’ for Meds Records debut with his 4th album Painting da Town Red, it makes sense for Sean Peng to follow suit putting out a Trips to the Medicine Cabinet follow-up reaching the same bar it’s predecessor made still residing behind Caught Red Handed regarding Lost Scroll’s top 2 projects. Illinformed’s jazzy boom bap production feels unparalleled putting it against Sean’s last full-length, but it’s refreshing the latter moved on to newer concepts rather than still dissecting prescription drug abuse.

Score: 4/5

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Eric the Red – “Painting da Town Red” review

Here we have the sophomore effort from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Eric the Red. Known for being the brother of Illinformed & Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog of The 4 Owls, he would also become 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP in addition to forming his own label Lost Scroll Records almost a decade ago. His compositional solo EP Basement Blues dropped in 2016 & the In My Element beat followed as did the Illinformed-produced debut album Caught Red Handed. Coming off Broken Ear Drum, he’s releasing Painting da Town Red under Illin’ for Meds Records.

“Need in Your Life” sets up shop with a jazzy boom bap instrumental reaffirming that his biggest goal is to be the highest man alive whereas “Same Day” featuring Jack Jetson works in some vibraphones suggesting they’re addicts for narcotics still carrying them in their pockets now. “DNA” featuring Leaf Dog finds the 2 siblings over a grungy boom bap beat talking about hip hop being in all 3 of the Leigh’s blood when that can’t be disputed while “Again & Again” jazzily flexes he’s on his grind again.

As for “Krylon”, we have Eric & Illinformed keeping it in the basement stylistically talking about how he’s still looking for a rooftop to climb on leading into “Day Shifting” ominously recalling him growing up around shoplifting. “Mind’s Gone” turns up the eeriness talking about the drugs filled a gap despite him losing his mind in the process while “Route 66” featuring Smellington Piff brings the pair together warns of the long way back from Hell’s gates.

“Danger” kicks off the final leg of Painting da Town Red darkly advising not to be a threat to your own health dismembering crews while “Lock & Key” featuring Crossbow T links up so they can cook up something monstrous although it’s not a favorite of mine personally. “Super Fiends” references the alter ego of the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment-owned Batman franchise until “Switching the Keys” finishes up by flying to the future using a hoverboard & cutting snakes in the grass.

Broken Ear Drum certainly has a good share of moments that’re absolutely worth going back to, but Painting da Town Red joins the same ranks as Caught Red Handed in being amongst Eric the Red’s greatest solo material & simultaneously could become one of my favorite projects to come out of Illinformed’s own label named after his solo debut album. The latter’s jazzy boom bap production here is a lot stronger than Broken Ear Drum, the guest list is kept to a minimum & Eric lyrically continues to set himself apart from Leaf exceptionally.

Score: 4/5

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Illinformed – “Illin’ for Meds” review

London, England, United Kingdom producer Illinformed compiling a couple dozen tracks together for his official full-length solo debut. Forming multiple groups throughout the last decade like Babylon Dead or the Brothers of the Stone & the Creatures of Habit as well as being the brother of Leaf Dog & Eric the Red, he’s crossed paths with some of the local scene’s biggest underground labels from High Focus Records to Real Life Drama Records & Lost Scroll Records in addition to dropping The Mould Tape in the fall of 2015. However, he’s putting together a collection of songs for Real Life Drama where other artists are performing over his beats named after his own imprint he launched a year earlier: Illin’ for Meds.

“Rotten” by Eric the Red & Jack Jetson teams up over a raw boom bap instrumental talking about their fans fiending for new music like they’ve become addicted to crack whereas “Horror” by the Brothers of the Stone, Dirt Platoon & Ruste Juxx finds the quartet dropping off hardcore verses of their own without a hook. “Doctor” by the Creatures of Habit, Sk!nt, Smellington Piff, Verb T, Wish Master & 1Jack unites for a 3 minute UK posse cut just before “Doomed” by Babylon Dead & Jack Jetson talking about those being cursed from birth.

Bil Next, Bill Shakes & Datkid all get together during the dusty “On Peds” speaking of never making radio airwaves & fucking up ratios independently leading into “Nothin’ Else” by Gaza Glock talking about him solely doing this for the streets. “Graveyard” by Babylon Dead & Leaf Dog radiates a nostalgically vintage boom bap vibe recalling them working between the earliest hours of the morning while “On the Hunt” by Wyatt Earp ruggedly talks about him chasing for thousands of dollars that’ve yet to be made.

“Bun Dem” by Babylon Dead, BVA & Jack Jetson finds the trio joining forces so they can discuss lighting their competition ablaze while “Slippery Slope” by Sean Peng ends the 1st half maintaining the traditional boom bap sound talking about having bad dreams & trying to find his own inner peace. “Concern” by All Hail Y.T. & Chris Skillz soulfully offers wild aggression in hopes of altering the audience’s perceptions while “Scud” by Bisk, Jack Jetson & Pertrelli Purple talks about trying to escape the darkness following them.

As for “‘Till the End”, we have Left Lane Didon taking over the microphone confessing it’ll always be Doe or Die for him unless God decide to call him back home to the pearly gates while “Through Ya Door” by Crossbow T, Datkid & General ruggedly talks about people trying to bring them down although they refuse to express sadness because it’s what the detractors want. “The Omen” by Jay NiCE ominously promises to through hexes at those who dare to fuck with his clique while “I Need My Meds” by Inja, Smellington Piff & Wish Master talking about them having to be medicated individually.

“On the Edge” by BVA, Jack Jetson & Verb T rawly cautions to not be tricked by the laidback demeanors all 3 of them possess desiring for weed smoke to come out the speakers while “Illin’” by Datkid feels like it could’ve appeared anywhere throughout the latter’s 6th album Wakmo serving his usual crud. “Bad Times” by BVA, Eric the Red, Frek 1 & Verb T brings a dirtier boom bap flare to the table talking about the 4 making a killing while “Bukowski” by Bil Next, Datkid & Jack Jetson takes a few minutes dismantling opponents who can’t rap the way they do.

Nearing the conclusion of Illin’ for Meds, the track “Watch Out” by Chris Skillz & Lisaan’dro combines elements of boom bap & orchestral music sending a message to the crowd of idiots who wind up losing teeth for running their mouths while “Valerie Blue” by Res 1 gets in his storytelling bag a bit telling the world of an encounter he had meeting a woman who goes by that very name. “Still Cruddin’” by BVA, Datkid & Pertrelli Purple talks about continuing to thieve until there’s nothing left while “What For” by Tony Broke finishes on a funkier boom bap note looking for a new fix soon as the lights go out.

Needless to say: Producer-curated LPs have become historically known for being hit or miss regarding the level of quality & Illin’ for Meds lands right in the middle between good & bad although it has slightly more highs than lows. My biggest compliment is Illinformed’s production feeling a lot grimier than his usual jazz-influenced take on boom bap, although the enormous cast of artists can come cross there being too many cooks in the kitchen & some fat could’ve been trimmed down since I don’t think it should’ve been 74 minutes.

Score. 3/5

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Creatures of Habit – “Parasite’s Paradise” review

The Creatures of Habit are a boom bap trio consisting of Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcees Eric the Red & Sean Peng alongside London producer Illinformed. Introducing themselves collectively in the fall of 2016 off their debut album Test Subjects under Real Life Drama Records, these guys would go on to spend the next 5 years focusing towards their own individual endeavors & have decided to make a comeback in the form of a sophomore effort through the Glastonbury, Somerset underground imprint for old time’s sake.

“Faking No Moves” cooks up a horror-inspired boom bap instrumental to start us off talking about having 0 time to be doing that bullshit whereas “Still Buggin’” works in some pianos mixed with kicks & snares to describe courts wanting to search on top of the police duckin’ ‘em. “I Keep It Me” featuring Datkid goes for a jazzier vibe talking about staying true to themselves just before “No Smoke” ruggedly dismantles anyone wanting beef with them.

Leaf Dog & Pertrelli join the Creatures on “Won’t Lie” combining more keys, kicks & snares to talk about always blowing out speakers in addition to rocking out guest appearances leading into “2 Tokes” featuring BVA links up for a playfully jazzy weed smoker’s anthem. “Bug’s Life” sounds more like a brief Eric the Red solo cut clocking at only 66 seconds in length while the soulful “Alone” featuring Leaf Dog regroups to talk about loneliness.

“Deadly Techniques” continues the 2nd half of Parasite’s Paradise trading hardcore verses with one another over a rigged boom bap beat regarding their lyricism still being gruesome as it was when they initially formed & after “The Devil’s Hands” talking about crime paying although those committing them eventually taking responsibility for their actions in due time, “Strange Trip” featuring Jack Jetson crosses paths with one another to drop 3 verses of speaking of their status amongst an endangered species of MCs.

The song “Brain Surgery” by Sean Peng counters Eric’s solo joint “Bug’s Life” earlier on turning the jazz influences to instrumentally leaving the people who fall in traps right where they are while “Wormhole” brings both spitters back together on the mic so they can take a few minutes to talk about the world becoming more dystopian than science fiction. “Hands of Time” finishes the Creatures’ return wraps things up with 1 last jazz rap/boom bap fusion confessing that there are moments in their lives where they wish they’d go back & fix which I do to, but we can’t.

It’s not very often when the Creatures of Habit appear on a song or make a musical statement of their own considering the gap between this & Test Subjects, but what I can say regarding their 2nd album is that I like it a lot more than it’s predecessor 6 years prior. Illinformed’s boom bap production is a lot more jazzier than Test Subjects’ was for fans of jazz rap like myself, there’s a respectably shorter guest list & the chemistry between Eric the Red and Sean Peng continues to elevate one another in terms of performances.

Score: 4.5/5

Sean Peng – “Trips to the Medicine Cabinet” review

This is the official full-length studio debut album from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Sean Peng. Known for being 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP, he would go on to drop the Crazed Conductor beat tape in 2016 preceding the formation of Lost Scroll Records. Coming off the Controlled Experiment extended play preluding Trips to the Medicine Cabinet a couple years earlier, locking in with his Creatures brethren Illinformed to have him produce this next chapter of Sean’s career raising my expectations compared to both of his earlier output.

“Danka Sean” opens with a jazzy boom bap instrumental reliant towards a vibraphone sample introducing us to the titular character himself whereas “Elixir” swaps out the vibraphones in favor of pianos chippin’ off a sip of his own medicine. “Cryostasis” keeps the same aesthetics of the previous track in play undergoing the experimental process of freezing himself for later resuscitation just before “Continuum” by NLP reunites the quartet for a heavy hitting boom bap face-melter.

I felt the opera sample throughout “Bug House” stood out amongst my favorite beats on the album talking about his only interest being him fucking up your funds while “Dr. Doctor” hooks the vibraphones back up pleading for help in fear that the drugs are gonna overcome him. “Green God” by the Creatures of Habit featuring People Without Shoes stands out coasting over boom bap instrumentation naturally leading into “Bitter Sweet” featuring Life MC jazzily demonstrates the power of positive messaging.

“3rd Eye” moves on making it his mission to elevate his fans to another plateau spiritually with his music instead of being fed propaganda while “Full Moon” offers a depressive glimpse at his battle with mood swings. “Deranged Halfwits” jumps over more piano flips talking about the kind of people he’s been living with while “Humming” featuring Datkid ruggedly speaks of both of them living in a whole different dream of their own individually.

The song “Too Many Lines” begins Trips to the Medicine Cabinet’s final leg sampling soul music advising to make the most out of thing since there’s no turning back the clock while “Rotten Seeds” featuring Mothman & Scott Lark finds the trio laughing off the idea of haters not getting what they can’t have despite not having my favorite guest appearances. “Paradigm” wraps up the full-length officially in the form of 1 last boom bap track describing another day inside his own personal paradise.

Compared to the highlights both Crazed Conductor & Controlled Experiment had, Trips to the Medicine Cabinet lands right behind Eric the Red’s sophomore effort Caught Red Handed in being my 2nd favorite LP in the Lost Scroll Records canon. Illinformed’s jazzy boom bap production hits a lot harder than either one of those previous entries in Sean’s discography & the latter makes a cohesively told story themed around prescription drug abuse.

Score: 4/5

Eric the Red – “Caught Red Handed” review

This is the full-length debut album from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Eric the Red. Known for being the brother of Illinformed & Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog of The 4 Owls, he would also become 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP in addition to forming his own label Lost Scroll Records on Halloween 2016. His compositional solo EP Basement Blues dropped in 2016 & the In My Element beat tape followed, teaming with Illinformed in getting Caught Red Handed.

“Redrum” opens up with a jazz rap intro talking about his liver getting fucked up from drinking too much alcohol whereas “Eyes Open” featuring Datkid & Paro of the Split Prophets brings the trio together so they can aggressively play the upper hand. “Mr. Paranoid” goes for a boom bap vibe instrumentally talking about his own personal experiences of paranoia leading into the crooning “Lift Off” speaking of going around the galaxy & nebula.

Bill Shakes joins Eric on “Lah Lah Lah” ruggedly suggesting to run far if both of them come walking down your street & after the “Raid” skit, “Omen” embraces a bluesy boom bap atmosphere talking about him watching shit unfold from the blinds when they weren’t expecting it. “Limbo” keeps the kicks & snares in tact speaking of being in a state of intermediate uncertainty showing some occasionally jazzy undertones while “Sleepless Nights” soulfully gets in his bag as a storyteller describing an evening around his parts.

“Burning” featuring Leaf Dog links up over a violin observing the state of the world while “Mankind” talks about never knowing what you’ll find awaiting your fate. “Track & Walls” dedicates itself to hip hop’s oldest element in graffiti writing while “Year of the Snake” blends jazz rap & boom bap suggesting maybe it’s time for him to break out because of what he initially perceived 2018 to be. “Analogy” ends the LP incorporating heavy organs talking about returning with a new similarity.

In My Element proved to be a solid introduction to Eric the Red’s artistic dexterity since he fully produced that project all by himself, but Illinformed has already built up an impressive repertoire behind the boards throughout the 2010s & unsurprisingly helps his brother surpass that tape. Illinformed remains amongst the most consistent beatsmiths in the jazz rap/boom bap fields of the decade & Eric lyrically goes a lot harder than he did 7 months prior.

Score: 4/5

Sean Peng – “Controlled Experiment” review

Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Sean Peng preluding his debut solo album with an extended play of written material. Known for being 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP, he would go on to drop the Crazed Conductor beat tape a year earlier preceding the formation of Lost Scroll Records. In preparation of an upcoming debut album, we’re getting a taste of what the UK hip hop movement can expect from it with a Controlled Experiment coinciding Sean signing to the previously mentioned label.

“Devolution” produced by Illinformed starts with a glistening boom bap intro wanting to know where the evolution’s at whereas “Crooked Luck” by the Creatures of Habit featuring El Grobbo talks about poverty as well as keeping it raw. “Snakes & Ladders” basically takes a few minutes to observe the game of life over a Micall Parknsun instrumental while “Addicts” featuring Glacia dustily talks about being junkies for beats to rhyme over. “The Industry” finishes up the EP at artist slaughtering themselves down for success.

So far looking at this extended play compared to his full-length debut, i’ve been finding myself leaning towards Controlled Experiment between the 2 projects & it gives me a feeling that this next album Sean Peng has in the works could make more waves than anything here or Crazed Conductor already has. Illinformed nails his 60% portion of the production & I’m clearly happy Sean’s actually rapping unlike Crazed Conductor, but I feel like he has the capability of pushing himself further from a songwriter’s point of view.

Score: 3.5/5