Coi Leray – “Lemon Cars” review

New Jersey rapper & singer Coi Leray teaming with Mike WiLL Made-It for her 5th EP & Island Records debut. Growing up as the younger brother of Sosshouse Records signee Chavo & the daughter of Benzino, she began to carve a path of her own with her debut mixtape Everythingcoz along with her first 2 EPs Everythingcoz 2 & Now or Never even though they were mediocre to me personally. She then signed to Uptown Records last spring after being relaunched by Republic Records & put out her major label debut Trendsetter not too long after which had a few of her strongest tracks yet, but the bad mostly outweighed the good & the same applied to Coi considering “Self Love” off the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack could be my favorite song of hers yet. Lemon Cars on the other hand was destined to wipe both her LPs in terms of quality after announcing Mike WiLL’s heavy involvement.

The title track starts with a full fledged synthwave beat & Coi fucking around showing you what’s in store whereas “Can’t Come Back” is a futuristic pop rap jam talking about kicking her ex to the curb. “We Time” has an atmospheric trap flare to it expressing her need to spend more time with her new man while “Wanna Come Thru” goes into a bit of a psychedelic direction telling a guy who thinks he’s a psychic to put his pride to the side. “Coke Bottle Body” featuring Skilla Baby works in organs & hi-hats for a dedication to the slim baddies, but then “Poster Girl” kinda has this trippy rock edge to it talking about being the one her mans sees in his dreams

Coi most certainly has talent as proven by “Self Love” or her feature on Busta Rhymes’ latest album Blockbusta even though it was step down from E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God, but she really took me by surprise here much like the new Sexyy Red tape In Sexyy We Trust did earlier on in the weekend. Mike WiLL Made-It’s production is exactly what she needed since the overabundance of samples on Coi or the tackiness of Trendsetter’s & her performances are notably better too.

Score: 4/5

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Chief Keef – “Dirty Nachos” review

This is the 32nd mixtape from Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Chief Keef. Rising to stardom in 2012 off his 6th mixtape Back from the Dead & the full-length debut Finally Rich, he would go on to become a progenitor for drill music popularizing it in the Windy City inspiring the likes of Lil Uzi Vert & 21 Savage or even Billie Eilish. Other standouts in Keef’s discography include Bang 2, Almighty So, Back from the Dead 2, GloToven & 4NEM. But with Mike WiLL Made-It fully producing Dirty Nachos, expectations for it were very high for me personally.

After the intro, the first song “2 Times” is an energetic trap opener talking about having to steal a couple times in the past & seeing dollar signs when you look in his eyes whereas the title track encourages to get off the block & take a trip. “Doja” briefly yet bombastically flexes the kind of weed he be smoking leading into “Ridiculousness” featuring Ballout bringing a suspenseful atmosphere this time around talking about being on too much savagery.

2 Chainz’ feature on “Pull Up Ghost-Clan” is significantly stronger vibrantly boasting that they’ll be at the spot in a coupe just before dedicating “Damn Shorty” featuring Sexyy Red to all the strip clubs out there & I can definitely hear this being played at those kinda spots. “Why You Mad?” hops over strings & hi-hats asking haters the titular question prior to “Watch for the Pigs” menacingly calling out the feds.

“Charged Up” gives me a cloudy trap vibe instrumentally telling us that’s exactly how he be feelin’ while “Promenade” almost has a quirkier tone talking about the cops trying to get him on a daily basis. “Beware of Dog” might be my least favorite on the tape because it feels a little unfinished to me personally, but then “Girl Woo” although more fleshed out seems like a flat pop rap cut.

Meanwhile, “Player in Me” brings a trippier flare to the beat boasting his player status while “Love Don’t Live Here” comes through with aggressive braggadocio. “Status” chillingly sets out to fit 5 or 6 bitches in his car being on Saturn while “Harley Quinn” comparing his girl to the titular DC character over synth-horns. “Bang Bang” rounds out the tape by bringing Chicago drill undertones to the fold portraying images of the gangsta life 1 last time.

Almighty So 2 has been quickly turning into the modern day Detox by now, yet I’ll absolutely still take Dirty Nachos as a way of making up for the constant delays. Mike WiLL’s production is more refined than some of the O.G. versions Shawn Ferrari did, Keef gives some of his best performances I’ve heard from him in a while & the 3 features don’t bother me all that much.

Score: 4/5

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Rae Sremmurd – “Sremm 4 Life” review

Rae Sremmurd are a trap duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of real life brothers Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi. However, many forget that they came up as a quartet in 2009 alongside Bobo Swae & Lil Pantz under the name Dem Outta St8 Boyz & dropped their only mixtape 3 Stooges with Lil Pantz would departing the group prior due to legal issues & Bobo following suit after to focus on his studies in Florida. P-Nazty would go on to introduce Swae & Jxmmi to revered trap producer Mike WiLL Made-It, who took the Brown brothers under his wing by making them the first act to sign to his Interscope Records imprint Ear Drummer Records rechristened as the names they’re known by today. After beginning to turn heads with hits like “No Type” & “Throw $um Mo” featuring Young Thug, it was enough for Rae Sremmurd to properly introduce themselves on the full-length debut SremmLife a month after the final single & the sophomore effort SremmLife 2 the following summer finding them to artistically expand more. Especially considering that “Black Beatles” featuring Gucci Mane is unquestionably the duo’s biggest hit to date. Their previous album however SR3MMLIFE in the spring of 2018 had a pretty strong start as it contains some of their best songs like “T’d Up” or even “CLOSE” featuring Travis Scott, but each of the Brown brothers’ respective solo debuts that were attached to it Swaecation & Jxmtro were both underwhelming at best which is a shame because I really was intrigued by the whole Speakerboxxx / The Love Below concept/homage except it’s 3 discs instead of simply 2 & the first one actually has new music from the titular duo. But after 5 long years, Swae & Jxm are returning with their 4th full-length outing.

“Origami (Hotties)” is a synth-trap opener produced by none other than Mike WiLL Made-it as the Brown brothers asking if you can see the others that’re surrounding them & to fold the paper whereas “Royal Flush” works in some horns & hi-hats courtesy of Chopsquad DJ as Thugger tags along so the trio can talk about dropping cash on land along with making grandmaster plans that’re complex. “Mississippi Slide” has a more shimmery approach sonically thanks to Zaytoven so Rae Sremmurd can pay homage to the titular state leading into the piano/trap “Not So Bad (Lean’s Gone Cold)” interpolating “Thank You” by Dido on the hook talking about the racks stacking up too tall.

On the other hand, “Tanisha (Pump That)” feels like a Slim Jxmmi solo cut featuring Swae on the hook despite the electro undertones throughout the instrumental & the lyrics describing how no one can do it the way she does just before the Murda Beatz co-produced “Bend Ya Knees” brings back the keys & hi-hats so they can ask their lovers to forgive them for their rich tendencies. Future joins Rae Sremmurd for the cloudy “Activate” talking about not being normal anymore, but then “Flaunt It / Cheap” delivers a well sequenced 2-parter encouraging the the party girls to get if started & nearly spending a dozen.

“Sexy” is an irresistibly catchy pop trap jam that 30 Roc helped Mike lace describing how physically attractive they both are while “YMCA” weaves some synth horns & hi-hats talking about how the conduct will quickly become disorderly now that they in the place. “Something I’m Not” has more acoustic groove to it as Rae Sremmurd gets more introspective on the lyrical front while Sonny Digital gives the song “Torpedo” a more atmospheric vibe so the duo can take off the the cash. The penultimate track “Diamonds Dancing” reminds everyone they’re here to stay over a trap beat from DJ Sremm with a reversed loop & “ADHD Anthem (Too Many Emotions)” sends off the album with some rage beats from Ronny J & Dynox of Internet Money Records talking about being misunderstood.

Considering the 5-year gap between this & Rae Sremmurd’s last album, I was intrigued to hear where both these guys would take it with the comeback effort & I think fans will find Sremm 4 Life to be more salvageable than SR3MM was. I admire how the approach & content are both a little different than before, Mike WiLL & company bring some consistent trap production to the table, Swae & Jxmmi both sound more focused than they did on their respective solo debuts that were attached to the predecessor & they didn’t go overboard with the features.

Score: 3.5/5

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