Lucki – “sx mney dr*gs” review

Lucki is a 27 year old rapper & occasional producer from Chicago, Illinois who began to turn heads in the summer of 2013 when he released his debut mixtape Alternative Trap to critical acclaim. He would later go on to give his fans 6 more tapes & a dozen EPs with the last one being the F1LTHY-produced Wake Up Lucki a week before my 25th birthday in December 2021 & eventually the full-length debut Flawless Like Me last fall. So when it was announced that the sophomore album was gonna start off the 2nd half of 2023 only 48 hours ago, to say I was anticipating it would be an understatement.

“Tunevert” is a top notch opener produced by YSL Records in-house producer Taurus with it’s twangy trap approach boasting that he bossed up a city girl whereas “No Bap” takes a cloudier route talking about being so geeked up. “Super Ski” works in some synthesizers & hi-hats thanks to Cxdy of Vanguard Music Group & Internet Money Records producer Rio Leyva describing his bitch as slimey that is until “Gemini Love” has more shimmery trap vibe talking about a chick who moves sloppy yet stays in shape.

The plugg beat from Cash Cobain on “2021 Vibes” was unexpected considering his sample drill roots & Lucki flows all over it well dropping lines like “Bentley’s talkin’ to myself, Ghazi said it’s sendin’ help” just before “Mubu” points out that he sealed the deal with a seal in hand over a peppily cloudy trap instrumental, but then “Almighty Tune” blends these vain horns & hi-hats boasting that he has different hoes who by different clothes.

“Str8 Syrup” has a depressing trap vibe to the beat so Luc can pour 4 to make it feel like ecstasy while “Purple Heart Ski” has these psychedelic guitar passages as well as claps & hi-hats telling the world that you can get it like him if you’re patient. “Karma a Bitch” fuses an operatic vocal sample with hi-hats & a booming bass-line admitting that he has to show the way & “Pop Star” is a standout from the futuristically spacious beat.

Veeze serves as the album’s only guest appearance on “Wholeworldslatt” joining forces with Luc to show everyone how slimey they both are & that they fit in while the song “Bby Pluto” is another favorite off the album paying homage to Future with Tay Keith & Cubeatz experimenting with rock guitars & elements of trillwave. The penultimate track “Chrome Denim” is a trap banger with synths & bells talking about still being too geeked & “New York” rounds out the album coming clean that he’s high on drugs in a S 580 as he was recording.

Between the 2 full-length albums under Lucki’s belt thus far, I feel like s*x m*ney dr*gs has to be a tad bit superior compared to the other & the best thing he’s done in a while. He returns to a form a bit as the production expands the style of his that came into it’s final form last fall alongside delivering better performances & keeping it at a reasonable length by including less filler cuts.

Score: 3.5/5

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Drumwork Music Group – “Drumwork: The Album” review

Drumwork Music Group is an independent hip hop record label based in Buffalo, New York founded by Conway the Machine in 2020 distributed by EMPIRE with Jae Skeese & 7xvethegenius as their first signings. La Maquina has since expanded the roster by bringing Goosebytheway, Lucky 7, SK da King & Shots Almigh all on board. So considering the squad is gradually growing, it only makes sense to conceive their very 1st showcase compilation.

“Hov Numbers” by Conway the Machine, Goosebytheway, Lucky 7, SK da King & 7xvethegenius is a 6 minute opener to the compilation with an airy trap instrumental from the label’s only in-house producer Unique declaring they’re still in their bag whereas “Lonely” by Jae Skeese, Lucky & SK dives right into boom bap turf sonically as the trio talk about getting it. “Lalo” by Conway featuring Benny the Butcher & 38 Spesh works in some woodwinds, kicks & snares from Graymatter as the trio discuss drug money leading into “City Grill” by Goose, Jae & 7xve has a slicker quality to the beat talking about how things get surprising because it’s mesmerizing.

“Rory Joint” by Jae Skeese & 7xvethegenius finds the label’s first 2 signings returning to the boom bap promising to leave y’all painted on some art shit just before Shots Almigh joins Jae & Goosebytheway for “Blue Glass” layering these kicks & snares on top of a vocal loop talking about having to get the bands to survive. “Take It Back” by Goose, Lucky 7, SK da King & 7xve has these crooning vocals in the background that I like with the 4 talking about throwing it back to the old days prior to “Elephant Man” by Conway the Machine, Goose, Heem, Rome Streetz & SK brings the quintet together over a cinematic boom bap beat admitting their minds are made up.

Goosebytheway, Jae Skeese, Lucky 7 & SK da King the final leg of the comp by linking up for “This is War” returns to a more soulful quality to the instrumental making it clear that none of them can be another casualty while the song “Crown for Queens” is an empowering 7xvethegenius solo cut about no one being able to stop her. The song “Andre 3000” by Conway the Machine & D Smoke goes into jazzier boom bap territory thanks to Bangladesh telling y’all to look how far they’ve been brought while the penultimate track “Sudan” by Con, Goose, Lo Profile & Shots Almigh intimidatingly talks about not playing around where they’re from. “Far Away” by Con & Elcamino is a minimally produced closer with Beat Butcha behind the boards discussing the game they play.

I’m sure we’re gonna get more showcase comps from the Drumwork camp in the near future, but their first over here definitely makes it seem like that it’s only the beginning of their dominance. The production’s tight, the features from their affiliates/outside collaborators are all well picked out & each artist on the label’s current roster all have their own distinctive characteristics that they each display with the hunger that continues to grow from within everyone.

Score: 4/5

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The Alchemist – “Flying High” review

This is the 10th EP from Beverly Hills producer, DJ & rapper The Alchemist. Beginning as 1/2 of the duo The Whooliganz in 1993 with Scott Caan, they would only disband a year later after recording a debut album that eventually got shelved & Scott went onto acting like his late father. Mudfoot on other end quickly established himself as one of the greatest producers in hip hop history with a resume including ranging names from Mobb Deep to even Eminem. But as the 2 year anniversary of his last solo EP This Thing of Ours 2 approached this fall, Uncle Al is Flying High back with another brief offering.

“RIP Tracy” by billy woods & Earl Sweatshirt is a soulful opener to the EP with both MCs wanting everyone to know exactly who the fuck they are & what they represent while the song “Trouble Man” by Boldy James & T.F. has a grimier approach instrumentally so they can talk that gang shit. The penultimate track “Bless” my MIKE & Sideshow has a more soothing sound to it talking about touching briefs & splitting it with their dogs, but then “Midnight Oil” featuring Jay Worthy & Larry June ends the EP with the trio over a sample-based beat acknowledging that everyone knows they’re top tier.

It’s always exciting when Alchemist comes through with an EP showcasing his talents behind the boards bringing along some of the finest MCs that he can assemble to tear his beats to shreds because the Flying High series is off to a solid start here. Al’s signature sound remains in tact so everyone can bring their own unique delivery styles to the table, even Mudfoot himself on the closer.

Score: 4/5

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Big Hit & Hit-Boy – “Surf or Drown 2” review

This is the brand new collaborative album between California producer, emcee & singer/songwriter Hit-Boy & his father Big Hit. Coming up as a Polow da Don protege signing to his Interscope Records imprint Zone 4 Records with early production credits ranging from “Stronger” by Mary J. Blige to “Drop the World” by Lil Wayne & Eminem, it wasn’t until the winter following the last 2 jams where Hit-Boy would catch the attention of Ye or formerly known as Kanye West by producing his Christmas posse cut “Christmas in Harlem” & becoming an in-house producer for G.O.O.D. Music for 2 years approximately 5 months after that. It was there that he would cookup some notable bops such as “N****s in Paris” by The Throne as well as “Cold” by Ye & even “Backseat Freestyle” off Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album albeit major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d. City. He then launched his now defunct Interscope imprint HS87 Music as his tenure under Kanye’s wing was coming to a close, continuing to build a reputation for himself by working with the likes of Beyoncé or Drake & Travis Scott for the remainder of the decade. But it’s no secret that these past few years have easily been amongst Hit-Boy’s most prolific yet considering his recent work with Big Sean, Benny the Butcher & more specifically Nas. But after demonstrating his talents on the mic this past spring by dropping his full-length debut Surf or Drown is through his newly founded EMPIRE Distribution imprint Surf Club Inc., it’s only right to celebrate Big Hit’s release from prison by dropping a sequel on Father’s Day Weekend.

The sequel to “Grindin’ My Whole Life” is an uncanny trap opener with co-production from Rogét Chahayed reminding that g’s don’t cry whereas Y.K.W.S.F. (You Know What’s So Funny?)” featuring Big Sean works in these horn sections & hi-hats calling out those who think they stressed out when they stretched out in reality. “Sunrise” pushes forwards as a warm Hit-Boy solo cut talking about seeing everything coming from the top floor leading into “Monte Carlo” pairs Big Hit with [Half-a-Mil] going for a more sample-based sound declaring to be the hosts for the evening.

“Reckless & Ratchet” gives off a vintage west coast groove to the beat so they can talk about just wanting to fuck prior to “Show Me” delves future into that with a groovy ballad dedicated to all the freaks out there. The 4th installment of the “Tony Fontana” series fuses jazz rap with trap & these g-funk synthesizers discussing their Scarface inspired lifestyle while the song “Police” weaves some organs into the fold talking about he should’ve been a cop to be above the law with a license to kill. The piano trap driven penultimate track “Wake Your Game Up” apologizes to all the women they’ve disrespected & “More 4 Me” is a boom bap flavored sendoff to the album as they talk about wanting more.

Surf or Drown is still a solid debut showcasing of Hit-Boy’s abilities on the microphone, but for him to do the sequel with Big Hit fresh out of the pen as a Father’s Day gift alongside paying homage to all the solid ones out there is truly inspiring to me. The natural father/son chemistry throughout is entertaining as Big Hit’s pen-game is on par with Hit-Boy’s as the latter continues to draw rom all sorts of different sounds on the production end.

Score: 3.5/5

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Big Cezze – “Cezzerland” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper Big Cezze putting out her full-length studio debut under Lando Bando’s own EMPIRE Distribution imprint The Hip Hop Lab Records. Her debut single “Bitcoin” single came in 2019 & it wasn’t until the fall of 2021 when she put out her debut EP No More Breaks & looks to make the biggest waves of her career thus far by welcoming everyone to Cezzerland the week after former CZW World Jr. Heavyweight Champion, GCW World Tag Team Champion, 3-time IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, 新日本プロレス強い無差別級タッグチャンピオン, ROH World Tag Team Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 3-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Alex Shelley became the new TNA World Champion at Against All Odds XII.

“Bestfriend” sets it off by brushing off any need for an introduction over a cloudy Detroit trap instrumental & being the same kids who grew up in the hood whereas “Toxic” blasts all the hoes running their mouths for not being on shit. “Strike a Pose” featuring Stanwill finds the 2 promising to fuck the city up if a bitch puts hands on them while “Boss” talks about the kind of man that she needs in her life.

We get some Bay Area influences seeping in during the halfway point “Heavy Likes” pressing bitches again now that she’s off probation & after “Southside” featuring J1Hunnit teaming up for a danceable Detroit trap collaboration portraying themes of sex, “Scottie Pippen” produced by Danny G & Jakesand gives a nod to the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan’s right-hand man during the 90s.

“Fuck You Better” featuring Prince Jefe begins the final minutes in Cezzerland talking about being in love with a stepped while “Whole Lotta Yeah” finds herself feeling like that nobody can fuck with the youngest female in the whole Detroit sound scene over some bells & 808s. The final song “Year Ago” featuring Jazmin Re’Nae caps off the LP with both of them lighting the Motor City up in flames.

Finally arriving almost 2 weeks from it’s initial release date earlier this month, Cezzerland invites anyone who happens to be new to Big Cezze’s music into her own world for 27 minutes pushing her artistic boundaries further than No More Breaks did. Whatever’s next for her, the production is a considerable improvement over that previous EP & the increased number of guests compliment her better than the sole appearance of Vae Vanilla merely 20 months ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jay Worthy – “Nothing Bigger Than the Picture” review

Jay Worthy is a 37 year old MC born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada & raised in Compton, California who caught my attention in 2017 after The Alchemist produced his debut EP Fantasy Island from top to bottom. He would go onto drop 5 more EPs & just put out a fantastic collab album with Larry June over a year ago called 2 P’z in a Pod even though initial plans of putting it out through Griselda Records fell through for whatever reason. But Jay’s looking to come off the Harry Fraud-produced You Take the Credit, We’ll Take the Check & the DJ Muggs-produced sophomore effort What They Hittin’ 4 by enlisting Long Island veteran Roc Marciano behind the boards throughout the duration of his 3rd mixtape.

After the intro, the first song “Underground Legends” featuring Bun B kicks things off rightfully declaring themselves as such with a drumless loop accompanying them in the background whereas the title track with A$ton Matthews calling this the shit you see only in gangsta movies with a slicker instrumental. “The Field” featuring Jay 305 brings in the drums & a Middle Eastern sample as they both pray for those still in the trenches until “The Plug” featuring Ab-Soul jumps on top of some pianos & choir vocals talking about being resources for obtaining something valuable that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

Marc joins Jay on the mic for “Wake Up” spitting that fly shit with a luxurious beat just before “My Own 2” featuring A$AP Ant & former 2x NBA All-Star Baron Davis has a soulful, jazzier flare to it as they bring to you a day in their lives. “How?” keeps the soul in tact addressing those who always want to know his background & how he reps the CPT even though he was born in Vancouver by telling them not to worry about it since it really doesn’t concern them whatsoever, but then “Players Only” has a triumphantly wavier feel to it talking about how life been different.

The song “Simple Man” featuring Kurupt make it clear to understand that they only want the money with a glossy, drumless instrumental backing them while the penultimate track “The Huddle” featuring Baron Davis brings back the horns & soul sample so all the real ones can click up declaring trouble for all the fakes out there. “Fur Coat Talk” featuring Da$h on the other hand sends off the album on a jazzier note as they discuss minks if you couldn’t already tell by the title of the closer.

I’ve been hearing some people online still calling Jay a boring MC oddly enough considering that he’s been at his best for the past year after putting out 2 P’z in a Pod with Larry alongside his previous couple solo albums & Nothing Bigger Than the Program continues that trajectory if you ask me. Sure one can complain about the amount of features & their performances kinda being 50/50, but the bars from Jay himself continue to elevate solidly over Marci’s signature production style.

Score: 3.5/5

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TR Dee – “Trapped in My Bag 3” review

Here is the 6th mixtape from Ypsilanti, Michigan rapper TR Dee. Notable for being 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz alongside Babytron & Stanwill signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he also began carving a path for himself as a solo artist off his first couple mixtapes Trapped in My Bag & Made for This ahead of his debut album M.I.P. (Most Improved Player). He has since given us 3 more tapes in Trapped in My Bag 2 as well as Crunch Time & Ice Trae, he’s finding himself Trapped in My Bag for a 3rd time.

The title track kicks it all off with a Detroit trap opener talking about nobody being able to fuck with him whereas “Uncle Drew” demands that the Dog $hit Militia gets respect out on their name collectively. “Chaka Khan” by the Dookie Brothers references WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE world champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage while “Final Boss” gives a nod to 14-time WWE world champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & current WWE CCO Triple H.

Stanwill trades the mic back-&-forth with TR Dee on “Fuck the Booth” for 2 & a half minutes just before “Goin’ Harder” talks about haters motivating him to raise the bar whenever he hears them running their mouths. “Slow Dance” makes a promise that he won’t ever let the fame change him or switch up on the squad he came up with while “ShittyBoy” talks about there not being many in the game like him & that he doesn’t take threats too kindly.

“Bandits” featuring Babyfxce E & Grindhard Efinds the trio teaming up to break down their lifestyles even if the 2 guest appearances don’t do much for me compared to others while “Kobe’s Last Game” talks about going out the same way my favorite Los Angeles Lakers player of all-time did during the retirement game. “M.O.B. (Money Over Bitches) Life” tells us what it’s like for him prioritizing women more than hoes while “Catch a Bag” produced by Danny G & Jakesand talks about catching bags than feelings.

Certified Trapper & MariBoy Mula Mar both appear on “Kia Boyz” putting the whips in sports mode together while “Dame Time 2” picks up where his 3-Peat solo cut left off. “Hate on Me” finds himself asking why he got so many people counting him out trying to tell him what to do like he ain’t been doin’ this shit while “Rhude” featuring BandGang Biggs sees the pair unable to complain about their lives since it could get worse.

Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner “Elon Musk” gets referenced on a song named after him feeling like he’s in our solar system off the Backwoods while “Movie” featuring ScrumbleMan looks back on when things were fucked up despite living better financially these days. “Off-White Rug” talks about trying to make his money flip even though he knows nothing of gymnastics while “EA Sports” by the Dookie Brothers flexes that they’re in the game.

“Ball on You” gets on a Danny G beat to talk about being as deep in the game as he by now not shedding a single tear over some of the Ls he’s taken in the past while “Knockout” featuring Kasher Quon proves to be one of the weakest back-&-forth moments on the tape despite the instrumental of course. “Dog $hit” talks about the Dog $hit Militia lieutenant dismissing the idea of switching teams who’re tryna win a ring while “Y Not?” admits to wanting to shit on exes for the fuck of it.

The final time that both Danny G & Jakesand team up together behind the boards is “GLO” wanting it to be known that he doesn’t give a fuck about what other people once had because it’s a flashback as far as he’s concerned & “Dee You Made This?” finishes up the 3rd chapter of the Trapped in My Bag series with him thanking God every day when he wakes up for being alive feeling incredibly fresh after hopping out of the whip.

Trapped in My Bag & Trapped in My Bag 2 are both considered to be TR Dee’s finest solo tapes & I’ll argue with people calling this the weakest installment of the series that it can certainly hang with it’s predecessors although I still got a decent listening experience. It’s length is comparable to Trapped in My Bag 2’s, I’ll give them that including some of the guests here & the production stepping down compared to Crunch Time.

Score: 3/5

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Estee Nack – “Nacksaw Jim Duggan” review

Estee Nack is a 38 year old MC & producer from Boston, Massachusetts emerging as a member of the Tragic Allies. He also branched out on his own my junior year of high school of his Purpose-produced solo debut 14 Forms: The Book of Estee Nack & has since built a lengthy yet impressive discography for himself. Other highlights include the Sadhugold-produced Surfinongold.wav alongside it’s sequel The Order of the Golden Fleece, the Giallo Point-produced Papitas, his collab efforts with al.divino or more recently the V Don-produced B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties). But coming fresh off the 6th installment of the #MiniMansionDust series, he’s finally unveiling his 8th full-length album & Griselda Records debut executive produced by the FLYGOD himself Westside Gunn named after WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE United States Champion, WCW World Television Champion & the inaugural WWE Royal Rumble winner “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan.

“Nackman Coletrain” is a drumlessly jazzy opener to the album produced by Denny LaFlare already getting on his coke rap shit whereas “Mass Money Wires” featuring al.divino works in some pianos, kicks & snares so both of them talking about burning trees instead of bridges which as a weed smoker myself, I can absolutely relate to. “Bonductor We Have a Problem” obviously plays into Conductor Williams’ name as the KC beatsmith ditches the drums once more talking about refusing to fuck around with anyone today that is until “Angeldior” dives back into boom bap territory courtesy of JR Swiftz so Estee can make it clear that he’s been a dreamer encouraging to come get with a crowd pleaser.

On the other hand, “Green Celophane” works in a drumless rock instrumental from Camoflauge Monk talking about being in the jungle with creatures just before “Fetty Guerrero” by al.divino has a more minimal albeit morbid vibe discussing watch what they do when the torch is passed down to them. “Strawberry Milk” has a more cheerful tone sonically calling out those trying to copy the formula who simply don’t get it leading into “We Made History” following the “Knowledge Wisdom” interlude having a more shimmery quality to it courtesy of the big homie CG with the title saying it all subject matter-wise.

“Mini Mansion Bartel” dives into drearier turf saying that his homies go to war for him as if he’s the son of Chapo alongside paying the price since he got stripes like Waldo while “Tal Commando” gives off a more tense vibe this time around talking about turning into WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger in the jungle. The song “Vanilla Skies” returns to the boom bap cautioning that it’s gonna be a hot summer while the penultimate track “SpaceX” takes it’s name after Tesla CEO, Twitter owner & Neuralink founder Elon Musk’s space technology company. “Old NackDonald Had a Farm” featuring West is a cold boom bap closer dissing those for growing shit that ain’t as half as strong as theirs.

Considering that Ester’s lengthy history of working with Griselda, it was only a matter of time he put out an album of his own through them & it sure enough happens to be amongst the strongest in his discography. The production is rooted into the label’s signature sound & Mr. Rose’s performances throughout are on par if not stronger than B.R.A.P. (Born Rewards & Penalties)’s, which should be more than enough to satisfy longtime fans & has me anticipating his future with the Buffalo powerhouse even more

Score: 4.5/5

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Conway the Machine – “Won’t He Do It” review

Conway the Machine is a 41 year old MC & entrepreneur from Buffalo, New York who blew up in late 2015 as part of the 3 OGs of Griselda Records alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their cousin Benny the Butcher. Ever since the trio have rose to prominence, they’ve had hip hop on lock by their constant work ethic balancing quality & quality as well as vividly detailing their lives in the streets on top of boom bap production kin to that of RZA & Havoc in their music. Con’s full-length debut From King to a God was my Album of the Year for 2020 & the Shady Records-backed sophomore effort God Don’t Make Mistakes is the most personal he’s ever been. But coming off Organized Grime 2 & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed, the Machine is now making up for the delays surrounding his long-awaited 3rd album by dropping it ahead of a sequel later this month supposedly.

“Quarters” lets it off with a boom bap instrumental courtesy of Khrysis talking about how everyone knows the way they rock & catch you comin’ out your bitch spot whereas “Brucifix” gets on some good ol’ Hall ‘N Nash shit with Daringer dabbling with drumless bare loops talking about how neither he or West don’t rock with any of these industry motherfuckers. “Monogram” has a more luxurious approach to it expressing his desire to sell cocaine forever just before Ransom comes into the picture for “Stab Out” to smoke everybody over some pianos, kicks & snares courtesy of JR Swiftz:

Moving on to “Flesh of My Flesh”, we have La Maquina confessing it’s still hard to fathom what over done with Daringer pulling from rock music a bit with the beat leading into “Kanye” literally gives everyone something to talk about considering Hall ‘N Nash’s stellar feature on “Keep My Spirit Alive” (the original KayCyy version all day. He should’ve never fucked with it) off DONDA a couple summers ago & both of them in the studio with Dr. Dre last August around the 1-year anniversary saying he had some convos with the my 6th favorite producer of all-time that he’ll simply keep to myself over a piano instrumental from the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

Jae Skeese comes into the picture for “The Chosen” sampling “Above & Below” by Charlie Steinnman displaying the strong chemistry that we got a couple months ago on their recent collab EP Pain Provided Profit prior to GooseByTheWay & Dave East sliding through for “Water to Wine”, which is an exquisite ballad that E. Jones laced for the girls that just wanna have fun. “After the “Kill Judas” interlude, “Brick Fare” acknowledges that he’s been a shooter comparing his lyricism to former 2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic alongside 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair over a spooky boom bap beat while “Brooklyn Chop House” with Benny the Butcher & Fabolous ditches the drums for a bare string instrumental talking about their progress being impossible to stifle.

The song “Tween Cross Tween” works in some kicks, snares & a flute from Graymatter saying you can play all you want as he stays grinding while the title track with 7xvethegenius comes through with a buried sample from Cozmo & G Koop talking about trying to get more cheddar even though people are envious of them. “Super Bowl” featuring Sauce Walka was the lead single to this album & ends the album with a decent trap banger produced by Juicy J dropping braggadocio.

God Don’t Make Mistakes happens to serve as the bridge to the next phase of his already decorated career that begins with Won’t He Do It & it’s a super solid look into what the future holds for him even though he never disappoints to begin with. The hooks are kinda iffy, but the production is a fine melting pot of the sounds he’s dabbled with up to this point & Con’s bars absolutely make up for it.

Score: 4/5

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Lloyd Banks – “The Course of the Inevitable 3: Pieces of My Pain” review

Lloyd Banks is a 40 year old MC from Queens, New York City gaining notoriety in the 2000s for his witty punchlines along as well as being an original member of G-Unit alongside childhood friends 50 Cent & Tony Yayo. After the group’s silent disbandment in 2015, he kept himself busy for a little while by releasing A.O.N. 2 (All Or Nothing 2): L.I.U. (Live It Up) & Halloween Havoc 3: 4 Days of Fury just before taking on a 5-year hiatus that really lasted until he received a song placement on the soundtrack for Griselda Records’ theatrical debut Conflicted already 2 & a half years prior. He eventually made a grand return by dropping The Course of the Inevitable & a sequel, but is rounding out the trilogy in the form of his 6th full-length album.

“Pieces of My Pain” starts things off with some pianos, kicks & snares from Cartune Beatz as Lloyd asks how they supposed to change as well as having to see it 20/20 whereas “Onyx AMG” looks back when he used to be down as opposed to being on top now over a glistening boom bap instrumental. “Money Machine” keeps it raw thanks to Haas Almahdi as he watches the green grow just before the suspenseful “Cliffhanger” laced by V Don talks about how friends change & all that he has is himself.

Meanwhile on “101 Razors”, we have Method Mantagging along professing that money won’t ever change them keeping it in the basement as far as sound goes leading into “Movie Scenes” talking about being a big timer on top of a ghostly beat. “Opened Gates” weaves in a sample with some kicks & snares asking what would you do to be remembered, but then “LSD” with Vado makes it clear they ain’t showing love to anyone over a raw boom bap instrumental.

“Voices” flips another sample throughout layering more kicks & snares admitting he still hears voices in his head telling him they’ll never let him lay down while “Red Alert” with Tony Yayo & 38 Speshsomberly talks about hitting them right where it hurts. “Keys to Success” comes through with a shimmering boom bap beat telling y’all what it takes to be successful in life while “Automatic Pilot” by The Council couldn’t prelude the supergroup’s upcoming full-length debut any better.

The final leg of the album starts off with “Invisible” goes chipmunk soul acknowledging that he won’t see the ones he can count on to call whatsoever as soon as he makes it happen while the song “Daddy’s Little Girl” is a heartfelt ode to his daughter. The penultimate track “Showers” is a somber boom bap ballad talking about the love making the outcome better & “Deceitful Intentions” with Cormega is a sample based closer airing out those who be fraudulent.

The whole Course of the Inevitable trilogy has caused everyone to renew interest in Lloyd once again & I can definitely see why the final installment here is his favorite of the 3 personally. Cartune Beatz gets his shine with most of the production & the lyrics are more personal than the last 2 albums. Whether it’s a 4th Course of the Inevitable or something different, the most skilled lyricist in 50’s old crew is further revealing himself to be the most consistent.

Score: 3.5/5

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