André 3000 – “7 Piano Sketches” review

Brand new surprise 3rd EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee, singer/songwriter, producer, actor & the Prince of hip hop André 3000. Coming up as 1/2 of the greatest hip hop duo of all-time OutKast with Big Boi whom he met at Lenox Square Mall when they were both 16, they were also a part of the Dungeon Family collective & released some of my favorite music EVER! This includes ATLiens, Aquemini, Stankonia & Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. The 2nd disc of which was basically the closest thing we got to a solo album from 3 Stacks up to this point. However after what would eventually be their final album Idlewild serving as a soundtrack to the movie of the same name, they would focus on their solo careers. Francis the Savannah Chitlin’ Pimp mostly notably putting out 3 full-length LPs of his own as well as an eponymous EP as Big Grams & an eponymous debut album as Big Sleepover too. André 3000 however stuck to doing features & pursuing an acting career, putting out an avant-garde jazz EP on Mother’s Day 2018 called Look Ma No Hands & signing to Epic Records for the new age ambient-driven solo debut New Blue Sun to critical acclaim. Moving Day was a fine collection of 2 outtakes from the New Blue Sun sessions & has laid out 7 Piano Sketches out of nowhere.

“Bluffing in the Snow” was a great intro to the EP showing off his keyboardist abilities for 3 minutes whereas “& Then One Day You’ll…” works in some more cumbersome tone to the notes he’s playing further assuming “die” to be the missing word in the title of the composition prior to the 34 second “When You’re a Ant & You Wake Up in an Awesome Mood About to Drive Your Son to School Only to Discover You Left the Lights on in the Car Last Night, So Your Battery is Drained” interlude.

The name “Hotel Lobby Pianos” goes for that exact vibe feeling like I’m walking into Circa Resort & Casino or any other high quality resort on the verge of checking in just before “Blueberry Mansions” turns it up on the luxuriousness for almost a couple minutes. “Off Rhythm Laughter” lives up to its name playing the piano overlapping a laughing sample that’s not on rhythm. “I Spend All Day Waiting for the Night” finishes by adding some drums in the fold for a climatic closer that I can hear at the end of a show or a movie.

Not too shocked to see people complaining about him doing anything except dropping a whole hip hop album but like I said when I reviewed New Blue Sun: André 3000 is literally one of those guys who can do just about anything & can find a way to pull it off. Instead of him using woodwinds like he did on that LP & the previous EP Moving Day, he’s playing the piano with hints of spoken word because of every track starting with the track number & title being said out loud for an easy listening experience.

Score: 3.5/5

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Future – “Mixtape Pluto” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future finally giving us his 14th mixtape. Coming up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize, he officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). However since 2017, Future has mostly been painting himself in a corner & prioritizing quantity over quality. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable, High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself in the midst of trying new things & I Never Liked You put the toxicity claims about him to rest. Metro Boomin’ reunited with Future for We Don’t Trust You & We Still Don’t Trust You, refining Pluto’s previous double album FUTURE HNDRXX & becoming his best since D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). 5 months later, Pluto’s continuing his best run in a decade with what DY said was originally a 56 Nights sequel.

“Teflon Don” is this trap opener produced by both Southside & London on da Track talking about beating the 1st case like John Gotti & being the boss calling shots whereas “Lil Demon” flexes his bitch a princess cut over a synths & hi-hats. “Ski” gives off a psychedelic trap vibe thanks to Smatt Sertified with co-production from his mentor Southside to talk about being ready to slide while “Ready to Cook” makes it clear that he’s prepared to make some dope over this solemn Wheezy instrumental.

Meanwhile on “Plutoski” we have Future trappin’ out the trap itself over this suspenseful ass trap beat just before DJ Champ & Taurus help him get personal with the highlight “Too Fast” discussing moving quicker in life than he should be. “Ocean” instrumentally radiates a haunting atmosphere in time for Halloween next month courtesy of Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & Dez Wright admitting he has enough tears to fill the ocean for all these losses took in this shit, but then the grisly “Press the Button” gets back on the road with the thangs & in the cut with the gang.

“MJ” woozily ends the first half of the tape getting activated from the monkey juice on the verge of going crazy the way she take the sex with the help of Romil Hemnani prior to DY helping Southside embrace his distinctly known gangster, bombastic, gritty, rambunctious & menacing trap sound for “Brazzier” throwing up gang signs & going brazy. “South of France” featuring Travis Scott on the remix hard-hittingly details his expensive lifestyle & drug use while the ethereal “Surfing a Tsunami” that Che Pope co-produced advises not to be careless with this rich behavior.

The sampling of “The Hills” by The Weeknd mixed with hi-hats throughout “Made My Hoe Faint” are pretty distinct recounting his numerous monetary achievements & shows of wealth while the druggy “Told My” talks feeling higher than Jesus. “Oath” hooks up background vocals & hi-hats breaking the law while “Lost My Dog” finds FNZ & ATL Jacob stripping the drums for a Rico Wade tribute. “Aye Say Gang” ends Mixtape Pluto with a bassy trap joint motivating the young homies.

Continuing his best run since the mid-2010s, Future comes off the 2 best albums in his discography in almost a decade We Don’t Trust You & We Still Don’t Trust You for a tribute to his late uncle & mentor alongside the era from which he emerged sounding like André 3000 under the Meathead stage name. The production mostly handled by Southside is much darker than his So Icey Boyz counterpart Metro allowing Plutoski to take it back to his roots.

Score: 4.5/5

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Killer Mike – “Songs for Sinners & Saints” review

Here we have the 7th solo album from Atlanta, Georgia emcee, songwriter, actor & activist Killer Mike. Brought into the limelight due to his feature on “The Whole World” off of OutKast’s eponymous greatest his collection, he eventually signed to Columbia Records& put out the full-length debut Monster in the spring of 2003 & following it up with the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind trilogy through his self-owned Grind Time Official Records with the exception of Grand Hustle Records helping distribute the final installment. His future Run the Jewels cohort El-P fully produced the critically acclaimed R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music through the [adult swim]-owned Williams Street Records alongside GTO & Grand Hustle of course returning last summer to sign a new solo deal with Loma Vista Recordings for the personal Michael that went on to win 3 Grammys. However, he’s delivering Songs for Sinners & Saints as an epilogue to the Michael era.

“Bussin’ Bricks” samples “Shout Bamalama” by Mickey Murray to talk about hustling whereas “Nobody Knows” shifts gears into sumptuous boom bap territory explaining that his transformation is still undergoing & it’s still showing itself. “Humble Me” gives off a predominant southern political hip hop vibe asking God to make him humble referencing WWE Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali & “Higher Level” returns to trap turf instrumentally refusing to give up on the mission to be taken to a new level.

Offset joins Mike for the piano-driven “Exit 9” hoping those listening can feel their pain leading into “Lord Prepare Me” featuring Belly Gang Kushington & Jane Handcock blending gospel & trap together asking God to forgive them for their wrongs since they wanna do right. The damn-near 10 & a half minute “Slummer 4 Junkies” remixes both “Slummer” & “Something for Junkies” from Michael just before “Had to Go Get It” is another gospel/trap hybrid asking to be granted better days.

The “‘97 3-6 Freestyle” rips up an apocalyptic trap beat to shreds off-the-dome paying homage to the Three 6 Mafia during the seminal Memphis group’s Chapter 2: World Domination era & finally, “Still Talk’n That Shit” concludes the epilogue of Killer Mike’s most personal offering to date with a sequel to the highlight track “Talk’n That Shit” featuring both Key Glock & Project Pat. I should further mention “Detonator” featuring Rock D the Legend with El-P behind the boards made for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 & later becoming the official WWE Backlash XX theme song.

Songs for Sinners & Saints thanks all of Killer Mike’s supporters for this journey he’s been for helping him see so many of his dreams come true & the support I’ve received this past year has been so beautiful & inspiring, he realized wasn’t finished with the sound & wanted to do something with the people who’ve been bringing it to life every night performing it with him. I still prefer Michael & R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music, but these 10 tracks still very much come from a genuine place landing itself a spot for being one of his top 5 albums.

Score: 4/5

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André 3000 – “New Blue Sun” review

It’s still surreal to me that I’m actually fucking saying this but this is the official solo debut album from Atlanta, Georgia emcee, singer/songwriter, producer, actor & visionary André 3000. Coming up as 1/2 of the greatest hip hop duo of all-time OutKast with Big Boiwhom he met at Lenox Square Mall when they were both 16, they were also a part of the Dungeon Family collective & released some of my favorite music EVER! This includes ATLiens, Aquemeni, Stankonia & Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. The 2nd disc of which was basically the closest thing we got to a solo album from 3 Stacks up to this point. However after what would eventually be their final album Idlewild serving as a soundtrack to the movie of the same name they would focus on their solo careers. Francis the Savannah Chitlin’ Pimp mostly notably putting out 3 full-length LPs of his own as well as an eponymous EP as Big Grams & an eponymous debut album as Big Sleepover too. André 3000 however stuck to doing features & pursuing an acting career most recently in the A24 Films comedy drama Showing Up, putting out an avant-garde jazz EP on Mother’s Day 2018 called Look Ma No Hands. So considering that, I’m not too surprised by New Blue Sun expanding on jazz music in a flute-heavy fashion because I like to consider Dré as the Prince of hip hop in the sense that he can do just about anything musically.

“I Swear I Really Wanted to Make a Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time” is a peaceful 12 & a half minute opener to the LP that I can imagine hearing after waking up on a beautiful morning whereas “The Slang Word Pussy Rolls Off the Tongue with Far Better Ease Than the Proper Word Vagina. Do You Agree?” takes the atmospheric route instrumentally & I absolutely agree with the question. “That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther & Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control…” makes me feel like I’m walking through a jungle for 10 & a half minutes in the best way possible, but then “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears a 3000® Button Down Embroidered” sounds like he made this 13-minute piece in the midst of watching The Mandalorian or something.

To start the 2nd half of the album, “93 ‘Til Infinity & Beyoncé” is the shortest cut on the entire LP yet still absolutely euphoric from start to finish just before “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer & John Wayne Gacy” keeps the peaceful vibes in tact. The penultimate “Ants to You, Gods to Who?” goes for a futuristic approach sonically & “Dreams Once Buried Beneath the Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens” is a magical 17 minute closer.

Like I said on Twitter at the beginning of the week: I’m not even mad at 3 Stacks for doing an ambient, new age spiritual jazz album because he’s just one of those guys who can do just about anything & it makes me very happy that this day has come as a long time OutKast fan because this is way better than Look Ma No Hands over 5 years ago. His production also showcases elements of progressive electronic, tribal ambient, Andean new age & Native American new age in the most soothing ways you can imagine.

Score: 4.5/5

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Killer Mike – “Michael” review

Killer Mike is a 48 year old MC, songwriter, actor & activist from Atlanta, Georgia who was brought into the limelight due to his feature on “The Whole World” off of OutKast’s eponymous greatest his collection. He eventually signed to Columbia Records & put out the full-length debut Monster in the spring of 2003, following it up with the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind trilogy through his self-owned Grind Time Official Records with the exception of Grand Hustle Records helping distribute the final installment. The last we heard from Mike on his own was over a decade ago when his future Run the Jewels cohort El-P fully produced the critically acclaimed R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music through the [adult swim] owned Williams Street Records alongside GTO & Grand Hustle of course, but is now enlisting Chicago veteran No I.D. behind the boards all throughout his 6th album after signing a new solo deal with Loma Vista Recordings last summer.

“Down by Law” is a soulful trap opener produced by Corey Mo with Michael talking about how nobody would’ve known who he was without the praise he’s received up throughout the years whereas “Sher Tears” featuring Mozzy takes the gospel route thanks to No I.D. declaring that today’s the day you’ll find rest in your soul. “Run” featuring Young Thug was a triumphant lead single to begin the rollout for the album making it clear that the race for freedom ain’t won just before “N***a Rich” featuring 6LACK has a heavenly instrumental from Cool & Dre talking about making your own rules.

Meanwhile, the sophomore single “Talkin’ That Shit!” draws from the Memphis scene courtesy of founding Three 6 Mafia member DJ Paul with co-production from TWhy belittling those on that hoe ass shit leading into “Slummer” showing some more gospel influences with the beat reflecting on a teenage love as Jagged Edge pulls off some marvelous vocal performances. “Scientists & Engineers” featuring fellow Dungeon Family members André 3000 & Future gives off a more experimental flare instrumentally talking about living forever prior to “2 Days” displaying Don Cannon blending these organs with guitars, kicks, snares & hi-hats feeling like the world against him.

“Spaceship Views” featuring Curren$y & 2 Chainz is a spacious trap banger that da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. laced dedicated to weed with Kaash Paige dropping some “yeah” adlibs à la Travis Scott that’re just distracting & annoying, but then “Exit 9” featuring Blxst on the hook sees Beat Butcha cooking up a slicker vibe getting on the more celebratory side lyrically. “Something For the Junkies” lives up to it’s name as a morbid trap ode to substance abusers while “Motherless” fuses pop rap with conscious hip hop & neo-soul talking about his deceased mother profoundly. The penultimate track “Don’t Let the Devil” gives us a taste of what’s to come from Run the Jewels 5 as El-P produces the chipmunk soul infused 3rd single & spits the final guest verse on the entire album towards the backend of it cautioning not to let Satan pressure you while “High & Holy” finishes off on a summery note so he can talk about his life being a testimony.

In honor of the album winning 3 Grammys, I’ve decided to finally cover the 4 bonus tracks since I never got around to it in the fall. The first of which “Yes!” begins by clashing gospel & boom bap discussing that he doesn’t cap about what he puts on wax while the solemn trap jam “Maynard Vignette” featuring J.I.D & T.I. gives a glimpse of the trio refusing to slow down. “Get Some Money” has to be my favorite bonus cut here encouraging to stack chips paying homage to the greatest H-Town duo ever UGK & lastly, “Act Up” featuring Young Nudy ends the deluxe on a triumphant note advising not to fuck with them when strapped up with the sticks.

As someone who considers OutKast to be the greatest duo in hip hop history & got put onto Killer Mike through them, what he delivers throughout Michael is 110% on par with if not superior to R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music because he just dropped another classic over a decade later like ain’t shit. It’s essentially an audio movie or like an August Wilson play telling the story & beautiful nuances of what it was like to be him growing up in the deeply religious westside of Atlanta with the features being unparalleled.

Score: 4.5/5

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Future – “I Never Liked You” review

Future is a 38 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia who came up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize. He officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). However since 2017, Future has mostly been painting himself in a corner & prioritizing quantity over quality. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with the late Juice WRLD that same fall to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable yet versatile. However, his last album High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself & trying new things. But after spending 2021 doing features, he’s returning in the form of his 9th full-length album.

“7:12pm” opens up the album with some dramatic trap production from Wheezy talking about his ice & bitch pullin’ up his nickname from Google whereas “I’m Dat N****a” works in some suspenseful piano chords thanks to Southside & DY talking about being the shit even though the “Fucked in her ass, made her peepee” line is hilariously bad. Kanye West tags along for “Keep It Burnin’” encouraging to keep the city on fire over an atmospheric instrumental, but then Gunna & Young Thug join him on “For a Nut” to talk about bossing bitches up for such over some hi-hats & heavy bass.

Meanwhile on “Puffin’ on Zootiez”, we have Future coming through with a cloudy smoker’s ode produced by TM88 leading into the vibrant “Gold Stacks” talking about being a rich junkie. Drake comes into the picture for the guitar-driven “Wait for U” getting romantic just before “Love You Better” melodically confronts an ex over a spacious FNZ beat.

“Massaging Me” has a more energetic vibe to it talking about getting these millions persistent while “Chickens” with EST G. goes into more nocturnal territory saying that’s all they want. “We Jus Wanna Get High” shoots for a more eerie sound talking about being in love with the money while “Voodoo” incorporates some pitched-up vocals & pianos as well as a stellar hook from Kodak Black to tackle the idea of dancing with the devil.

Following that, “Holy Ghost” confesses that nobody speaks the language he does over a bone-chilling instrumental down to the choir vocals while the song “The Way Things Going” is a piano ballad talking about how only family matters. Drake returns for the penultimate track “I’m on One” to brag that they’re built different referencing Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin over a cinematic beat even though Drizzy decided to pretend to be Blueface at the end of the hook for whatever reason. “Back to the Basics” finishes off the album by saying he doesn’t want to go back to such over a violin.

It’s been almost 2 years since the trap pioneer has made an artistic statement on his own, but I think this is a solid follow-up to High Off Life. Although I personally think the production on the latter album was better, I do admire that Future wanted to put himself out there more so he can learn how to become a better person & succeeded in doing so.

Score: 3.5/5

Goodie Mob – “Survival Kit” review

Goodie Mob is an Atlanta, Georgia quartet consisting of Cee-Lo Green, Big Gipp, Khujo & T-Mo. Their 1995 debut Soul Food is easily one of the greatest southern hip hop records ever made & their 1999 sophomore effort Still Standing is really good too, but the 3 albums that’ve followed have been either hit or miss. However after a 7 year hiatus, they’re reuniting with Ortanized Noize for their 6th full-length album.

Things kick off with “Are You Ready?”, where Goodie Mob talks about strengthening the Black community over a rock-flavored beat. The next song “Frontline” talks about anarchy over a rubbery instrumental while the track “Curry Goat” goes at the studio gangstas over a ghostly beat. The song “No Cigar” with André 3000 sees the 4 asking who wants the smoke over bouncy trap instrumental while the track “Prey 4 da Sheep” with Big Boi finds the 4 talking about those lost in the matrix over a laidback beat.

After the “DC Young Fly Crowe’s Nest Break” skit, the song “4 My Ppl” is an empowering tribute to African Americans over a rebellious instrumental with some occasional horns & then after the “Big Rube’s Road Break” skit, the track “Off Road” is a wonderful feel-good anthem that I can imagine being blasted at BBQs next spring/summer.

The song “Try We” gets confrontational over a cavernous beat while the track “Me Tyme” is them saying all they want to hear is that they’re thinking about over a smooth boom bap instrumental. The song “Back2Back” talks about getting flirtatious over symphonically sensual beat while the title track talks about talks about going to war over a instrumental with a well incorporated flute & guitar.

The penultimate song “Calm B4 da Storm” warns the listener that they haven’t seen nothing yet backed by multiple beat-switches & after the “Big Rube’s Amazing Break”, the closer “Amazing Grays” talks about making your time count over a chilling instrumental.

If you wanna hear a great comeback effort from one of the greatest southern hip hop groups of all-time, I HIGHLY recommend this album because I honestly think it’s their best since Still Standing. Organized Noize provides a fantastic musical backdrop for Goodie Mob as the quartet do a great job at tackling the social issues that we’ve been facing throughout this hectic year.

Score: 4/5

Future – “High Off Life” review

This is the 8th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future. Lot a people don’t know that he got his start being brought into the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize but he did become one of the leading figures in the trap subgenre with releases like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode, 56 Nights & my personal favorite: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). It’s been a little over a year since Future’s last album The WIZRD, but he’s now coming out of the shadows with High Off Life.

Things kick off with “Trapped in the Sun”, where Future talks about giving game to his sons over a tense instrumental. The next song “HiTek Tek” of course gets materialistic over a bland instrumental while the track “Touch the Sky” talks about how no one can finesse him referencing WWE Hall of Famer & the shortest reigning WWE Champion André the Giant over a cavernous Southside beat. The song “Solitaries” with Travis Scott sees the 2 getting boastful over a lively beat from Wheezy & Mike Dean while the track “Ridin’ Strikers” talks about sending shooters & the way that the So Icey Boyz’ instrumental on here transitions during the last minute or so is just jaw-dropping.

The song “One of My” gets annoyingly repetitive over a dime a dozen trap beat while the track “Posted with Demons” talks about pimpin’ over a DJ Spinz beat with some luscious string sections. The song “Hard to Choose One” talks about having too many bitches over a keyboard heavy instrumental while the track “Trillionaire” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again sees the 2 vapidly talking about becoming richer than they already are over a comatose instrumental.

The track “Harlem Shake” with Young Thug sees the 2 talking about being trap stars over an Italian-flavored beat while the song “Up the River” pretty much addresses that he’s the one a lot of trap rappers got their styles from over an euphoric beat. The track “Pray for a Key” gets reflective over a cloudy TM88 beat with some occasional vinyl crackling if you listen very closely while the song “Too Comfortable” is a message to all the hoes that wanna fuck with him over an acoustic trap beat.

The track “All Bad” with Lil Uzi Vert sees the 2 talking about how fine the women around them are over a colorful instrumental from Brandon Finessin’ of Working on Dying & Outtatown while the song “Outer Space Bih” talks about over a DY beat with a piano-loop that’s sweet to the ear. The track “Accepting My Flaws” is a beautiful thank you to Lori Harvey backed by a heavenly instrumental while the song “Life is Good” with Drake is pretty much 2 mediocre solo songs from each artist combined into 1.

The track “Last Name” with Lil Durk sees the 2 talking about paranoia over a dismal beat while the song “Tycoon” talks about being a magnate over a sedating instrumental. The penultimate track “100 Shooters” with Doe Boy & Meek Mill sees the 3 talking about how street their are over a woodwind-infused Tay Keith beat & then the album finishes off with a pointless sequel to “Life is Good” except it’s Future on the first half then DaBaby & Lil Baby on the other.

You know I wasn’t really looking forward to this album given how hit or miss Future’s discography has been since 2017, but this is definitely one of his better releases within the past 3 years. Some tracks during the 70 minutes runtime definitely could’ve been left on the cutting room floor, but the production is a lot more interesting for the most part & the songwriting is a lot catchier too.

Score: 3.5/5

Future – “SAVE ME” review

Future is a 35 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia who came up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize. He officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). However since 2017, Future has mostly been painting himself in a corner & prioritizing quantity over quality. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD last fall to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of this year, Future’s previous album The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution WHATSOEVER. All that being said, I was curious in trying out his debut EP over here that he randomly decided to drop.

The opener “XANAX DAMAGE” is a mindnumbingly repetitive piece about venting to this chick over a trap beat with a depressing acoustic guitar passage while the next track “ST. LUCIA” produced by Fuse sounds like it could’ve been on Future’s last album, really. The song “PLEASE TELL ME” is a simp anthem a spacey beat from Richie Souf while the track “SHOTGUN” is a horrifically corny ballad with an annoying hook & a buttery instrumental.

The song “GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL” talks about the party life over a haunting trap beat & while the penultimate track “EXTRA” has an endearingly depressing tone to it, the producer FXXXXY sounds EXACTLY like Drake on the post-chorus & it’s SCARY. The EP then closes out with “LOVE THY ENEMIES”, where Future vents about his insecurities over an gloomy guitar passage.

I wasn’t expecting much from this & the end result was pretty average. It’s interesting to hear him going into a more emo direction on a few cuts, but the songs don’t sound fully complete to me. If we’re truly getting a HNDRXX 2 at some point, then I hope it’s better than this.

Score: 2.5/5

André 3000 – “Look Ma No Hands” review

With today being Mother’s Day, former OutKast member André 3000 is coming out of the blue with a 2 track EP. The first track “Me&My(To Bury Your Parents)”, where 3 Stacks sings about memories of being with his mom at a grocery store & driving to a football game with his dad over a somber piano from Kevin Kendrick. The other one is the title track, which is just a beautiful 17 minute free jazz instrumental.

I always thought The Love Below would be the closest thing we’d ever get to an André 3000 solo project, but this EP was a pleasant surprise. I wish it was more than just 2 tracks, but it goes to show that he’s still a very talented singer & producer to this very day

Score: 4/5