Wic Kids – Self-Titled review

The Wic Kids are a horrorcore supergroup consisting of emcees Donnie Menace, Grewsum, ILLtemper & King Gordy as well as producer Stir Crazy. All of whom have crossed paths with one another at some point since everyone’s pretty much established themselves in their own rights whether it be Donnie quickly becoming a Lyrikal Snuff Productionz mainstay, Grewsum being one of the most popular members of the Mission: Infect collective, Gordy & Illtemper forming the duo Even Heathens few years ago or Stir Crazy’s role as part of Majik Ninja Entertainment’s in-house production team. Now that they’ve officially joined forces, the Wic Kids are introducing themselves through an eponymous debut EP.

“Letum Know” starts the EP on some boom bap shit talking about living under the cold streets of your town rolling deep without any limitations whereas “Lightless” takes the symphonic trap route instrumentally discussing evil being everywhere around them. “Toxic” has this acoustic boom bap flare to the beat delving into toxic relationships while “Fried Wires” keeps the kicks & snares in tact explaining they’re wired differently. “DGAF” mixes boom bap with rock talking about giving 0 fucks & “Inhumane” ends the EP aggressively warning to stay clear of them.

Illtemper has been teasing this EP since March & if this is only the beginning for the Wic Kids, then it’s a more than welcoming debut for the supergroup. Stir Crazy’s production is mostly boom bap centered throwing a hint of trap in the mix & all 4 MCs each have their own different takes on the wicked shit like Donnie’s cutthroat wordplay or King of Van Dyke & Harper a.k.a. Blaxl Rose reaffirming his Last American Rock Star status, but hearing them together makes the lyricism much more devastating.

Score: 4/5

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Donnie Menace – “Chainsaws & Boomsticks II” review

This is the 4th full-length studio LP from Stratford, Connecticut emcee/producer Donnie Menace. Emerging in 2008 off his debut mixtape The Threat & the leader of the Nitebreed collective, he would later continue to establish himself with the full-length debut Wrath of a Menace followed by his 2nd tape The Threat 2: Audio Sickness & his sophomore effort Bonded by Chaos. However over a year & a half ago by now, Donnie’s last album & his Lyrikal Snuff Productionz debut Chainsaws & Boomsticks was met with significant acclaim compared to his previous material joining the likes of Gully & E=MC Skelter. But for his LSP sophomore effort, Donnie’s returning with a sequel to his debut for the Denver gore hop label.

“The Boomsticks Reloaded” is a grimy, 2-minute self-produced boom bap opener unloading lethal battle bars on y’all whereas “Talk to the Chainsaw” keeps the kicks & snares in tact for a follow-up to the joint “Talk to the Boomstick” off Donnie’s last album with a reference to the late WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, ECW Television Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, the oldest JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion & 3-time WCW Hardcore Champion Terry Funk. “Take ‘Em Out” featuring White Cheddar looks to take out all competition over an organ-laced boom bap instrumental just before “Omen” samples “Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness” by Ann Peebles spitting the wicked shit.

M.M.M.F.D. joins Donnie for the bloodthirsty “Let Them All Rot” setting out to bring pain & destruction leading into “Run It Back” going completely drumless bringing it hardcore lyrically. “Another Scumbag Anthem” by Nitebreed pretty much lives up to the name conceptually returning to the boom bap, but then “Watch You Suffer” shifts gears into trap territory tackling more horrorcore themes.

“Where You At?” featuring Lex the Hex Master finds the 2 east coast lyricists joining forces for a hardcore anthem assuring everyone that they ain’t going nowhere while “Catchin’ the Bullets” gives me mafioso vibes from the instrumental to the subject matter from a gangster’s perspective. “S.M.B.T.M.D. (Suck My Balls Through My Drawers)” featuring the Super Famous Fun Time Guys says it all going for an old school vibe while “Body Shop” properly ends the album if you don’t count the “Lair of the Cenobites” remix with a ghoulish boom bap joint about dead corpses.

The first Chainsaws & Boomsticks was easily the most refined body of work compared to his previous material & the sequel here is as equally enjoyable as the predecessor from a year & a half ago. The production is primarily centered around boom bap with some trap undertones & a tight guest-list on top of the lyricism going from being boastful to straight gangsta & even murderous.

Score: 4/5

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Donnie Menace – “Chainsaws & Boomsticks“ review

Donnie Menace is a 34 year old MC/producer from Stratford, Connecticut who emerged in 2008 off his debut mixtape The Threat & as the leader of the Nitebreed collective. Then came his full-length debut Wrath of a Menace a couple years later, which was followed up with his 2nd tape The Threat 2: Audio Sickness & his sophomore effort Bonded by Chaos. But considering that Russian-American horrorcore veteran Scum signed Donnie to Lyrikal Snuff Productionz & his mentor dropped the Blame Us collab effort with Smallz 1 last weekend, it was only right for him to deliver his highly anticipated LSP debut.

“Talk to the Boomstick” is an organ/boom bap infused opener mixing the wicked shit some some braggadocio whereas “Who Slashed Ya?” is a cool lil horrorcore rendition of the classic Biggie joint “Who Shot Ya?”. “Around Here” returns to the boom bap warning that you should’ve never popped up near his parts, but then the “Theatrikill” remix with J Reno & Lex the Hex Master has the same verses & a new instrumental from Donnie himself that lives up to the O.G.

Meanwhile on “Violating”, we have Donnie over some chilling production talking about people looking at him like he’s Satan himself just before the Nitebreed comes together for the dusty “Brude” to talk about how you’re gonna find out what really happens when titans clash likening themselves to The Brood consisting of Gangrel alongside WWE Hall of Famer, former 11-time WWE world champion, 14-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Adam Copeland and former 2-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, TNA World Champion, 4-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 9-time WWE tag team champion Christian Cage. “Do You Hear Me Now?” ruggedly calls out his detractors, but then Scum tags along for the grotesque “I’m Choppin’ ‘Em Up” talking about dismembering bodies.

“Low Life” brings back the organs & dusty drums to look back on his success thus far while “Devil in Me” with Claas & Smallz 1 goes into trap territory confessing they don’t know how much longer they can hold their stress inside them. “The Executioner” gets in his storytelling bag with a hair-raising beat while the penultimate track “I’m a Creep” by the Nitebreed is a rowdier cut confessing they can no longer deny being creeps. As for the “Luv 2 Kill” remix with Mr. Grey & M.M.M.F.D., it’s a great closer & my favorite remix of the 2 throughout the album

LSP’s been making a whole lotta noise in the underground this year & the Nitebreed leader’s debut with the label proves that he fits right in with everyone else over there. The production is a step up from his last outing, Donnie himself sounds hungrier than he’s ever been & the performances from the just about every feature that he takes with him for the ride are on par too.

Score: 4/5

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