L-Z Roselli – “Angels Cry & Demons Lurk” review

This is the 2nd extended play from West London, England, United Kingdom rapper L-Z Roselli. Dropping his debut single “My Sharp Bride” in 2018, the guest appearances on Surf or Die as well as Invisible War & Tears of the Dragon when Onoe Caponoe initially dropped those full-lengths under High Focus Records world be my introduction to him although reception towards Unforgivable Sins was generally mixed New Years Day 2025. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I had hoped that Angels Cry & Demons Lurk would be superior.

“War Cry” begins with a UK drill intro screaming during his verses about being ready for combat whereas the trap-influenced “Jealous Ghosts” featuring Janset reaches the halfway point referencing Wembley Stadium, where record 2-time AEW International Champion Will Ospreay is set to end Kenny Omega’s ongoing 2nd reign as AEW World Champion next month at All In V that’ll mark the 3rd bout between the 2 following Wrestle Kingdom 19 & Forbidden Door IV.

To get the 2nd half of Angels Cry & Demon Lurk going, we have L-Z taking it back to the UK drill sounds from earlier with “Launch & Attack” once again with some blobby bass breaking down his militant mindset 1 last time while the closing track “Angels Cry” ties up all loose ends by spending the last 4 minutes of the EP combining piano with some 808s & bells talking about taking muhfuckas through crimes that’re legitimately violent in every sense of the word.

Angels Cry & Demons Lurk eschews the secondary influences of drift phonk, Memphis rap & Chicago drill to put a bigger emphasis on the horrorcore side of its predecessor. The end result was L-Z Roselli something far removed from mainstream hip hop by blending cinematically dark production with raw lyricism & a horror inspired atmosphere, proving why he deserves to be in the conversations Central C’s being put in regarding modern UK drill.

Score: 4/5

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slayr – “Avant Nova” review

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper/producer slayr preluding Fabula Nova & 7th Heaven with his 12th extended play after signing to Columbia Records. Recording music since he was only 11, he’s already dropped his last 11 EPs along with a full-length studio debut & a couple mixtapes. The most notable being Half Blood, which I’d rank amongst the greatest tapes of this decade due to it’s boundary pushing take on rage as well as digicore & pop rap. Earning a spot on the 2026 XXL Freshman Class however, he’s striking while the iron’s hot by dropping Avant Nova.

The self-produced “promise” samples “The Peace” by underscores shouting her out for clearing it & asking if his lover wants his heart whereas “switch my swag” featuring prettifun finds the pair talking about not switching their swag for shit. “nova” reaches the halfway point fucking up his brain & after “i got taste” rehashes his XXL freestyle, “having anxiety is annoying” delves into the relatable feeling of anxiousness. “raise my voice” ends the EP with a 2-parter.

It’s already been made clear of how proud I was of slayr for being a part of this year’s XXL Freshman Class alongside Chris Patrick & La Reezy, the latter of whom dropped his debut album Skiddle Bandana earlier this week. But even it doesn’t surprise me that Avant Nova only maintains the pop rap & rage components of his style since he’s now on a major label, I’m still adamant of Fabula Nova being another riveting entry in his discography.

Score: 4/5

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O.G.C. – “3:30” review

O.G.C. or the Originoo Gunn Clappaz are a trio from Brooklyn, New York consisting of Louieville Sluggah, Starang Wondah & Top Dog. Their 1996 debut Da Storm is widely regarded was one of the greatest albums Duck Down Music Inc. has ever put out although their 2nd & to date final full-length The MPire Shrikez Back was more moderately received. 3 decades later & the Boot Camp Clik subunit who also formed The Fab 5 with Heltah Skeltah are finally returning to drop off a 3-pack in celebration of their debut’s anniversary.

“I Don’t Need You” kicks things off with a dusty 3 & a half minute intro with some sampling chops talking about making money independently while “Make Peace” instrumentally embraces a boom bap vibe advising all low budget muhfuckas to sit down. The closer “Still Starang” produced by Rockwilder finishes the EP with my favorite track here, spending the final moments of 3:30 looking back at their careers going from touring the world to kicking it with Joey Bada$$.

Wasn’t anticipating O.G.C. to coincide Buckshot’s self-produced 3rd album The Payback dropping earlier today & despite having to pick the latter for being the best of the 2, I still think 3:30 makes for an average return for the Gunn Clappaz although I’d definitely say it’s better than The MPire Shrikez Back. All 3 members haven’t lost a step in terms of lyricism or chemistry, but I wish the production stood out more similarly to the outro since both of Francis McCracken’s contributions were merely passable in comparison.

Score: 3/5

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Tonio Armani – “Outside for the Summer” review

Columbus, Georgia singer/songwriter Tonio Armani enlisting Atlanta producer, DJ, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur & crunk progenitor Lil Jon to produce his brand new extended play. Dropping his full-length studio debut Love & Relationships along with the sophomore effort The Soul Train in 2019, he would go on to release Believe the following year & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg would sign him to Death Row Records distributed by gamma. following Intimacy. Making his debut for the label, it’s only right he steps Outside for the Summer.

The Ying Yang Twins appear on the intro “B.O.B. (Big Ole Butt)” joining forces over a vibrant beat so all 3 of them can talk about their love of women who have cake whereas “Walk That Line” instrumentally goes for more of a crunk&B vibe to describe a woman that he can’t seem to get enough of. “Donkey” soulfully sings about wanting all the ladies to get on down to the dance floor leading into “Line Dancer” ending the 1st leg of EP with a carefree R&B jam recalling this woman giving him a show.

“Temptation” gets the 2nd half going singing about a temptress trying to seduce Tonio when he’s already in a relationship & after “That’s My “Lady” soulfully dedicates itself to his soulmate he was referring to earlier, “Jam with Us” sings to those who’re unable to party with him that they can’t do so at all if that’s the case. “Bad Mamma” featuring Snoop Dogg finds the pair talking about women who’re well put together & the closing track “Superman Lover” featuring Nila Milan sends it all off with a laidback R&B duet with a summertime feeling to it.

Looking to celebrate his Georgian roots for our country’s semiquincentennial, Tonio Armani enlists a founding father of the crunk subgenre of hip hop to produce Outside for the Summer since he helped make some crunk&b hits back in the 2000s & would consider it to be gratifying debut for Tha Row as well as Tonio’s finest statement yet. He’s passionately honoring the people who made him the man he become today & Lil Jon’s production is more R&B-oriented compared to LaRussell’s 32nd EP Something’s in the Water.

Score: 4/5

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Wakko the Kidd – “The Kidd That Did” review

New extended play from Hollywood, California rapper & entrepreneur Wakko the Kidd. Introducing himself in the summer of 2018 off his debut single “Multiple Racks”, he would go on to launch his own strain of cannabis called Airheadz a year later. However in the summer of 2024, the Insane Clown Posse signed him to Psychopathic Records & has performed at many of their events like the Gathering of the Juggalos or Hallowicked. Coming off his full-length debut In Airheadz We Trust at the beginning of the year, The Kidd That Did’s back once more only 24 hours away from Choppa City & Father Bronson ending the jWo & Facade’s respective reigns as JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champions & JCW American Champion on the 90th episode of Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW)’s flagship series JCW Lunacy.

“Food 4 Less” starts us off with a coldblooded trap beat talking about paid crazy amounts of money for his live performances whereas “Go Crazy” boisterously dedicates itself to anyone who has a payroll. “I Had To” maintains a standard trap vibe instrumentally talking about going from breaking into houses to signing with the label beneath the streets leading into “Put in Work” fusing elements of trap, cloud rap & rock discussing his constant hustle.

Kicking off the 2nd half, “Motel 6” looks back at the times when he used to live at the titular motel chain because he was so down bad during that point in his life while “Spring Break” talks about linking up with a bitch he met on the middle of her vacation that she took for the Easter holiday. “F.W.M. (Fuck Wit Me)” nears the end of The Kidd That Did talking about coming from the gutter & “Coast to Coast” ends the EP discussing that he stays growin’ weed for his customers across the country.

Some began to question Wakko the Kidd’s ability of carrying an entire body of work on his own considering literally every track on In Airheadz We Trust had a guest appearance & I think he listened to those criticisms since The Kidd That Did makes some improvements above it’s predecessor although I’d consider it to be on the same level of quality. The trap production is passable, but I applaud him for not having any features to shut down the detractors dismissing him doubting his pen.

Score: 3.5/5

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ilykimchi – “I Love You Kimchi” review

This is the 3rd extended play of solo material from Los Angeles, California producer, singer/songwriter & model ilykimchi. A member of The Scythe collective & the pioneering tread production team Working on Dying, her moderately received debut EP agony would come out in the fall of 2023 establishing herself in the future garage & alternative R&B scenes respectively. She followed it up this past April with prenup & the reception for that was generally mild too, but I remained optimistic going into her eponymous offering.

“Hello Baby” sets the tone with an electro/dance-pop intro singing about an individual who’s constantly on her mind whereas “Party in My Head” confesses that she won’t be understood until the person addressed dances with her. The lead single “Poser” combines electropop, electro house & electroclash confronting some loser about him pretending like he doesn’t know who she is while “Fendi Prada” expresses her desire of throwing it back to 2010.

binx joins Kimchi on another electropop, electro house & electroclash single “Crashout” that I found underwhelming until “What the Fuck Were We On?” spends 74 seconds wanting an ex to know that she’ll always be with him if he’s feeling lonely. “Green Room” hits us with a decent track catered to EDM festivals while the final single “Every Day a Movie” fuses electropop, dance-pop & bubblegum bass to sing about everything being different. The closer “Thank You” lastly sends off the EP with an open letter to someone she’ll never forget.

prenup this past spring found ilykimchi bringing other producers on board to handle all of the beats in comparison to her only self-producing 2 songs on agony & although I appreciate that risk being taken once again, this self-titled EP still leaves me on the fence & I say that respectfully because I truly think she has the potential to make something better. I also applaud her for departing from the alternative R&B sounds of her earlier output for a confident collection of electropop, dance-pop, bubblegum bass & electroclash jams for all the ladies looking to party this summer even if I wouldn’t consider it superior to Slayyyter’s major label debut WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA.

Score: 3/5

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Diorvsyou – “Pre Gamé 2” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Diorvsyou continuing to prelude his debut album Soirée with his 7th EP. Coming up in 2021 off his inaugural extended play Scoreboard, it wasn’t until I saw him open up for southsidesilhouette in Brooklyn the following November where I was personally introduced to his music & I was actually impressed with his set. w.t.f.i.dvy? (who the fuck is diorvsyou?) marked a bigger breakthrough for him artistically & returned up from the Ashes almost a year since Diorvsrxlvnd’s eponymous debut. The last several EPs Untitled EP.9 as well as So Cunt. & Paussus.99 have all been received positively, coming off Pre Gamé to drop a sequel under Geffen Records.

“Walk the Plank” produced by n9ck begins with Dior talking about taking both of his double cups on a date & every day being a party for him whereas “Praise the Lorde” gives off a more rage-inducing vibe speaking of buying a bitch & slutting her out. “Marilyn Monroe” hops over a thr6x instrumental talking about coming for the cash but after “Magnolia” detailing him mixing lean with percocets & dismissing copycats for imposters, “Fashion Week” brings some more rage beats in the picture talking about trying to make something rain

As for “Sick”, we’re being treated to a pluggier sound so Dior can discuss the possibility of shooting up a party off beans while “With da Munyun” talks about him acting a fool with all this money he’s earned & using it to break some rules. “Twin” finds himself getting psyched out for a couple minutes & “HoustonCaliLantaVegas” shows his gratitude towards all those cities over a LulRose beat, the closing track “Woke Up Like Dis” ends Pre Gamé 2 referencing the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champion & 2-time HoG Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy.

Excluding a few songs that were previously released making their way onto here, Diorvsyou continues to prepare for Soirée by dropping what I’d consider to be Pre Gamé 2 containing some newly recorded material & some older stuff. I can only assume that’s because Pre Gamé 1.5 back in January was a SoundCloud exclusive & Geffen wanted to get paid for the streams, but it doesn’t wane any anticipation I have for the LP whether it comes out this year or not.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jungle Brothers – “Concrete Jungle” review

The Jungle Brothers are a golden age hip hop duo from Brooklyn, New York consisting of Afrika Baby Bam & Mike G. Originally a trio alongside DJ Sammy B, their 1988 debut Straight Out the Jungle & the sophomore effort Done by the Forces of Nature under Warner Records are considered to be some of the most important hip house albums ever created, although their music since then has generally been hit or miss. However, I still had interest for the Native Tongues subgroup’s 2nd extended play.

“Make the Party Rock” featuring TdiMuzik begins with a fun intro talking about 2-steppin’ on muhfuckas even if the TdiMuzik verse was alright whereas “Check This Out” takes it back to the group’s signature hip house sound calling for everyone on the dance floor to put their backs into it. “Special Request (Dancin’)” kicks off the 2nd half with a carefree party anthem while “Rocket” concludes the EP talking about them continuing to rock stages.

A great deal of the Jungle Brothers’ output for the past 3 decades has mostly been average at worst & I might not have Concrete Jungle on the very same pedestal as their first couple of LPs that were so groundbreaking, but I think it’s a decent return for them overall. The production shifts between the hip house sound that made them so unique & boom bap, although I wouldn’t go as far to say that they don’t really push either those styles forward.

Score: 3/5

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2slimey – “TotalBass” review

2slimey is a 20 year old rapper from Midwest City, Oklahoma who came up under the original moniker GGS making more traditional hip hop music until switching up his style. His debut extended play SsoMe wouldn’t come out until 19 months earlier & follow this up with his full-length studio debut High Anxiety. He has since been getting co-signs from North West to PlaqueBoyMax & Lil Uzi Vert, preluding a forthcoming sophomore effort with a 2nd EP & just in time for summer to officially commence.

“Left Right” made for an underwhelming intro talking about pulling up with a Glock whereas “Wine” discusses rolling at the top. “lobby” tediously talks about unloading an entire clip just before one of the few tracks I enjoyed “Bentleys & Lambs” disses ily2erk over a Noah Mejia instrumental. “Ballout” vapidly talks about doubling his revenue & after “Money Dumb” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic makes up for it with my favorite single, “Why You Wanna Hate on Meh?” ends with a response to his detractors.

For the past 4 months ever since I heard his UG Cypher verse, I’ve been saying that 2slimey in my personal opinion could likely be the most overhyped rapper today & TotalBass pretty much confirms that for me anyway since it’s less more enjoyable than his debut. The experimental trap production including secondary influences of rage & terror plugg are actually pretty decent, but I can’t say the same regarding his hardcore performances.

Score: 2/5

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Shakewell – “Slugeater” review

Los Angeles, California emcee Shakewell has returned for his 4th extended play. Coming up almost a decade ago off his debut EP Keystone Prince, he followed it up a year later with his 2nd EP Big Juice tha Sip resulting in the $uicideboy$ signing him to G*59 Record$ right when the pandemic started & releasing the full-length studio debut Pray 4 Shakewell. It’s already been a couple years since Dangerously Close & the Slugeater’s continuing to tease a sophomore effort.

“Smoke (I Want It All)” after “Tha Prologue” intro experiments with metal music to open up the EP talking about looking for trouble whereas “It Happened Again” featuring the Regional Justice Center heavily confronts someone who betrayed all of his dogs. “Year of tha Worm” featuring Raygunn Ethan has a cloudier Memphis sound to it talking about being the chosen one & after “Shameless Money Drain” featuring Drain brings the guitars back in so he can rip shit up, Slugeater finishes up with a 3 minute punk rock outro where he’s “Talkin’ My Shit” with Alpha & Omega.

It might come as a surprise to people that Shakewell was in a metalcore band called Betrayal before switched his style in for the Memphis-inspired trap sound G*59 has collectively become synonymous with, but that doesn’t necessarily excuse Slugeater for being as such of a mixed bag it is. Don’t get me wrong: I appreciate him taking it back to where it all began drawing inspiration from punk to metal & beatdown hardcore. Even if the features leave little to be desired.

Score: 2.5/5

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