Tag: Da Bash Brotherz

Foul Mouth – “Everybody Goes Crazy Once” review

Foul Mouth is a 42 year old producer & MC from Detroit, Michigan coming up as 1/2 of Da Bash Brotherz with the late PHD & 1/3 of JFK with Jake Knew & King Juke. He would also form the duos Bad News Brown & Speak of the Devil with Ketch P & DJ Skyrah respectively after starting his own label Middle Finger Music in 2018, producing albums for the likes of Fatt Father & Isaac Castor to name a couple. His most notable work has been with Bizarre of prior D12 fame, whether it be his work with King Gordy as L.A.R.S. or the He Got a Gun series & the final moments of “Antichrist” off Eminem’s 13th album THE DƎATH OF SLIM SHADY (COUP DE GRÂCE). However, he’s finally to make his full-length studio debut as lyricist.

The intro breaks the door down with a gritty self-produced instrumental advising all the people ripping off Griselda to get lost whereas “Only the Right” jazzily talks about taking a break from rapping for a decade to focus on his successes producing for some of the biggest names in music. “From Above” featuring Isaac Castor & Jalen Frazier dustily boasts that nobody can ever be anything like them while “Code Red” featuring Bizarre & Fatboi Sharif eerily finds the trio staying in their hardcore bags lyrically.

“Louis Tripp” works in a drumless sample admitting that he’s been feeling lonely as of late even though he’s one of the most in-demand beatsmiths throughout the entire state leading into “Lucky Number” featuring Choke Uno, DJ Clay, Isaac Castor, J-Classic, Metasyons & Tru Klassick coming through with a 3 minute posse cut. “Discharge it to the Game” shows off Foul’s ear for sampling referencing former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WCW World Tag Team Champion & 2-time WCW World Television Champion Disco Inferno just before the crooning “Bah Say” featuring J-Classic & Kain Cole talks about their boss mentalities.

To begin Everybody Goes Crazy Once’s final act, “Bombs Away (4XL Beefcake)” speaks of being the only attraction down river that hasn’t failed while “The Salton Sea” drumlessly talks about music being his only passion & for has-beens to blame themselves for their own downfall. “All Jokes Aside” confesses that all he ever wanted was to be normal until his soul got sucked through a portal & the title track appropriately sends things off losing it over a boom bap beat.

Knowing this guy personally for almost a decade, Foul Mouth’s always told people that he could freestyle better than he could make beats & Everybody Goes Crazy Once certainly proves his point that I had already figured out from the moment I heard his hooks on “Savage Life” by L.A.R.S. when they dropped their debut EP Foul World after Twiztid had signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment. I feel like there isn’t much that hasn’t been said already regarding his production which is mostly self-produced but lyrically, his pen has sharpened significantly from his days with his late Bash Brother PHD & the guests that he brings on board all maintain their own weight.

Score: 4/5

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P.H.D. – “P.H.D. (Poor, Hungry, Determined)” review

P.H.D. was a 41 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who started as 1/2 of Da Bash Brotherz with local MC/producer Foul Mouth. They would put out a mixtape together in the spring of 2010 & Foul would go on to become one of the city’s most in-demand beatsmith as well as co-founding Middle Finger Music with Pat Deegan. P.H.D. however tragically passed away in the spring of 2020 a couple months after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began. But when it was announced a week ago that Foul would be joining Jimbo Slice & Pig Pen in producing his posthumous solo debut over here, I knew it was gonna be a genuine thing as opposed to how other posthumous albums get handled these days.

“The Check’s in the Mail” kicks things off with an angelic boom bap beat from Pig Pen & the late Motor City emcee tearing up adversaries from beyond the grave whereas “Time 2 Shine” takes the mellower route thanks to Jimbo Slice talking about how far he had come until his passing. “Beware” works in some organs, kicks & snares continuing to body rappers like it ain’t nothing just before the groovy boom bap infused title track explains the significance of P.H.D.’s moniker.

B-Side comes into the picture for the heartfelt “Gold” so both of them can stay determined leading into “Money, Money, Money” featuring his niece Vae Vanilla finds 2 discussing family affairs over an orchestral boom bap instrumental. “Zoo Gang” featuring Guaranteed pulls from jazz rap this time around doing it big, but then “Psychopath Talking” featuring Dagda & Spit the Supreme Being sees the trio getting aggressive over a darker beat.

“I’m OK” featuring Jake Knew hooks up a vocal sample assuring the ones they love that they’ll be home soon & they’re doing well while “4 MCs, 1 Fam” by Da Bash Brotherz featuring Aztek the Barfly & Joey Beeps gives off a hardcore flare talking about being family. The symphonic “Questions” featuring Drunken calls out someone who was plotting against him from the very start & after the interlude, “MASH Unit” featuring Lee Harvey shoots for a cloudier feeling promising to never entertain their foes again.

To start the final leg of the LP, “Gotta Move On” has to be one of the most introspective moments on the album seeking to stay strong in the end while the soulful “One of Them” vulnerably talking about how he never thought the love of his life would replace him with another man. The penultimate track “I Know” advises to never start a war you can’t finish like Viet Cong over a luxurious boom bap instrumental & “If You See Me, Pt. 2” closes out the posthumous effort with a sick Detroit posse cut.

Back Again was such a solid tape from the beginning of the previous decade & it’s unfortunate that P.H.D. passed away during a scary time even though some look back on it weirdly & understandably so. That being said: I was sure there had to be some music he made before his untimely death & this posthumous debut is a good look as to who he was. The production is remarkable & the features are tight, appropriately telling the story of the Poor, Hungry, Determined.

Score: 4/5

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