Domo Genesis – “World Gone Mad” review

Inglewood, California emcee & songwriter Domo Genesis linking back up with Graymatter for his 2nd EP. Starting in mid-2009 as a member of the now defunct Odd Future collective, he’s gone on to give us 2 studio albums accompanied by 4 mixtapes & an EP excluding the Facade Records trilogy within the last dozen years, my personal favorites of which being his debut mixtape Rolling Papers, The Alchemist-produced 3rd mixtape No Idols, the Evidence-produced debut EP Aren’t U Glad You’re U? and sophomore effort Intros, Outros & Interludes. Doms’ last LP What You Don’t Get!? had a more drumless sound & they look to recapture that feeling in a World Gone Mad.

After the intro, “Weezy Face” is a jazzily drumless opener with a hint of a rock music talking about being the underrated greatest whereas “Church’s Chicken” gives off an orchestral boom bap vibe talking about having belief in half of what he’s seen. The title track strips the drums again explaining that he’s exactly what he sells because it’s his real life & “Rough Diamonds” soulfully ends with Domo talking about still drawing pictures in the sand.

What You Don’t Get!? to me was a solid continuation of the drumless sound he went with on Intros, Outros & Interludes even if I still have that as my favorite solo album of the 3 that Domo Genesis has dropped. World Gone Mad regardless maintains the jazz elements of What You Don’t Get!? aside from Graymatter occasionally venturing out in favor of chipmunk soul, boom bap or a small dosage of rap rock & Doms spitting heat for 10 minutes.

Score: 4/5

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Percaso & Tezzus – “SØUFSIDE” review

Orlando, Florida rapper Percaso & Atlanta, Georgia rapper Tezzus teaming up for a new collaborative EP. One of whom I was recently introduced to this spring off his Fast Car Music mixtape & the other on The XA Tape during this past Super Bowl Weekend. Crossing paths on previous songs like “Brazy Brazy” or “Roll 1” & “NUN2SUM” during the course of this year, it was interesting for me to hear these guys taking their chemistry to newer heights on Søufside.

“LikeDaMoon” is a cloudy trap intro flexing the respective runs each one of them have been on as of late wanting to high off shrooms whereas “Hallelujah” claps back at the pussies who don’t know the game & talks about previously being broke to the point where they used to sleep on floors. “Hard Body” has a more menacing trap vibe to it taking the lyricism from the perspective of gangsters & “UnknownSlut” turns the 808s up high as Hell so they can talk about fiends calling their phones.

The self-produced “THØT HOE” featuring ShawtyRokk shows resentment against a woman who’s apparently ran through the whole gang while the rage-inducing “TexasDølla” talks about the fact they’ve been making money for a while outside where they havin’ racks the old way. “Skrt” featuring Diorvsyou finds the trio boasting that they’ll pull off stealing your bitches while “Brand New” featuring diamond* talks about cutting throats if they don’t get their paychecks.

“Gøat” also featuring diamond* has got to be my favorite collaboration of the 2 from the plugg instrumental to the lyrics wearing their success on their sleeves while “Wish U Well” featuring Diorvsyou wraps up our damn near 22 minute journey down the Søufside with all 3 of them talking about getting high to cope with their stresses & kicking women out of the hotels they’re staying at, wishing the best for them nevertheless

When it comes to the underground trap scene, Percaso & Tezzus have given us the best collab EP in that style since Glokk40Spaz & OsamaSon’s collab EP 3vil Reflection last spring. Taking cues from trap to rage & plugg throughout the production, 2 of the best southern hip hop up-&-comers flow well with one another & both guests towards the end going back-to-back regarding their performances.

Score: 4/5

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Action Figure 973 – “Dark Side of the Ring 3” review

Belleville, New Jersey emcee/producer Action Figure 973 releasing his 8th EP to coincide with SummerSlam XXXVIII this weekend. For a couple years already, his first 2 mixtapes followed by his last 7 EPs & the full-length studio debut DOOM Was Right merely 3 months ago giving flowers to one of my all-time personal favorite albums Madvillainy. Sam Rothskeem’s now producing the latest entry of the Dark Side of the Ring trilogy on the day of former BJW認定デスマッチヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time BJW認定タッグチャンピオン, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, 2-time JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion & 3-time JCW World Juggalo Tag Team Champion, Mad Man Pondo and XPW Women’s Champion Mickie Knuckles’ final match for Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) at Powder Keg.

“R.I.P. Sabu” appropriately opens with a tribute former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, FTW Champion, ECW World Television Champion, 3 time ECW World Tag Team Champion, JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン & the longest reigning XPW World Heavyweight Champion whereas “Christopher Nowinski” references the former 2-time WWE Hardcore Champion himself.

Former AJPWオール・アジア・タッグチャンピオン, 世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, KO-Dタッグチャンピオン, FMWインディペンデントワールド世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン & GHCジュニアヘビー級タッグチャンピオンタカみちのく and former 2-time WWE tag team champion Scotty 2 Hotty get references on “Rubber Match” as does former World Heavyweight Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & 10-time WWE tag team champion “Jey Uso” of YEETC and former 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time AEW World Champion, inaugural ROH Hall of Fame inductee, ROH World Champion, 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion & 5-time IWA World Champion CM Punk.

“Southern Philly Nights” last but not least sends off the EP with a boom bap closer referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time WCW World Television Champion, 3-time WCW World Tag Team Champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion Lex Luger appearing on Nitro created by WCW founder alongside WWE Hall of Famer, former WCW Hardcore Champion & Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) CFO Eric Bischoff during the Monday Night Wars.

Only less than a couple weeks since the current NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne became the new TNA Knockouts World Champion at Slammiversary XXI & hours after the oldest AEW TNT Champion Dustin Rhodes getting dethroned by Kyle Fletcher on this week’s episode of Collision, my favorite installment of Action Figure 973’s Dark Side of the Ring series come in the form of this most recent one remembering the man who former 3-time CZW Wired Champion, DDT極端なチャンピオン, 5-time アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, 2-time GCW World Champion, 2-time GCW World Tag Team Champion & HoG Tag Team Champion Joey Janela retired this spring.

Score: 4/5

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Blizzard – “Devilish Killer” review

This is the 2nd EP from Detroit, Michigan producer & rapper Blizzard. Aside from the 3 instrumental projects he’s already put out, his 2021 full-length debut from the Yung Fam Mafia co-founder Duel with Death had a few moments where the Middle Finger Music in-house producer hopped on the mic in contrast to letting a cast of guests handle the performances & Iron Tiger of Shaolin capitalized more on that last spring. A whole year later & Devilish Killer looks to take it a few steps further.

After the intro, the self-produced title track compares himself to the nuke following a 25 kill-streak in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 whereas “Shadowboxing” carries over the boom bap vibes talking about catching hands or the blade from him. “Midas” observes those tryna get on his same level when it’s a difficult within itself & after Foul Mouth chops up a soul sample for “Deadly Venom” talking about being a walking guillotine, “The Executioner” closes the EP by grabbing the sticks & tearing shit up.

Iron Tiger of Shaolin was the most we’ve ever heard Blizzard on the MCing side of things & instead of fully producing Devilish Killer all by himself, he takes a backseat from behind the boards except for a couple songs & holds the fort on his own disregarding the need for any features to hone in deeper on his lyricism. The sample-lenient boom bap production is still there, but it’s refreshing to hear him at his best as a performer & I’m happy he’s showing this side of him more.

Score: 4/5

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Rx Papi – “Where I’m From” review

Montréal, Québec, Canada producer Nicholas Craven fully producing a 5 track EP for Rochester, New York rapper Rx Papi. Beginning his music career when he was 9, Lil Meechy has since build up a solo discography consisting of 6 proper full-length studio LPs as well as his last 17 EPs & 13 mixtapes on top of a dozen collaborative projects. Essentials of Papi’s include the sophomore effort Numbers Tell a Different Story, his 13th EP Foreign Exchange, his 10th mixtape 100 Miles & Walkin’ and lastly the Pack a Punch EP with Smokingskul. I even enjoyed Raheem Dead, Somebody Shot ‘Em & his eponymous collab EP with 1600J last spring, with Where I’m From becoming highly anticipated for me as fan of both Papi & Craven.

“2 5th Rick” drumlessly samples a church organ to talk about the east side of the Roc & not wanting anyone to get that fucked up whereas “2am on the Eastside” switches it up for a chipmunk soul direction wanting to chill in the late night hours with a cup & a pill. “Walked Me Into the Wild” is a drumless sequel to the Raheem Dead, Somebody Shot ‘Em track that I prefer over the original while “Groovy Lou” works in a jazz-funk sample getting in his penthouse bag. The closer happens to be the 8th installment of the “Fay” saga, joining the last couple entries to go on a 3-peat speaking straight from the heart.

The singles teased in the Where I’m From rollout were already amongst his best 2020s output, but what we get out of these 15 in a half minutes is a drumless gangsta rap EP with minor boom bap & chipmunk soul influences that I’d have to put behind Foreign Exchange as my favorite one in Rx Papi’s whole entire discography. Obviously they’re different in sound because Foreign Exchange’s more cloudier & pluggier, I just mean in a way that compliments his range artistic range pulling off all those styles.

Score: 4.5/5

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Seth Narley – “Oceans: Mondrian” review

South Bronx, New York emcee Seth Narley releasing his 9th EP & the 2nd one this year alone. Dropping his debut EP 5am on Crosby in 2019, he would later follow it up by putting out the Trissland trilogy & drop 3 more EPs last year; Night at the Roxy, A Millbrook Story & S.A.L.Y. (Still Ain’t Lie Yet). My favorite EP of his so far The American Dream: Son of a Dealer came out this past spring & only 4 months later, he’s continuing to stay busy with Oceans: Mondrian.

“Alton Road” was a drumless rap rock intro talking about moving on the low because he’s afraid of heights whereas the jazzy “Bob Costas” references the Discovery Global-owned CNN commentator. “Pussy & Paper” kicks the synthesizers into full gear talking about being hotter than the bread on the scale just before “Versace Mansion Memoirs” soulfully explains how deep shit gets when you got hood ties.

Hus Kingpin joins Seth for the jazzily drumless “Playa or Red” to talk about drawing the line once the fence got fucked with leading into “Sade at Carbone” sampling none other than Sade making the beginning of the week feel like the weekend. “What You Say” brings a guitar into the picture reflecting on the times he was on the 7 with that pure raw while “AB on DMP” keeps the drums out of the fold to talk about the rap game not being what it used to be.

“From Denmark” starts the final act of Oceans: Mondrian with a smoother vibe altogether flexing that nobody out here talking the way he is while the drumless “Los Muchachos” hits the back of a Rolls Royce to wish upon a dead. “Check Out Time (Mondrian)” wraps up the EP with Seth hopping over a bare guitar instrumental to admit that he might as well say his vows if he & this chick double fuck in the whip.

The former A$AP Mob affiliate comes off a unique tribute to former 3-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, NWA National Heavyweight Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, WWE United States Champion, 2-time WCW World Tag Team Champion & 3-time WCW World Television Champion Dusty Rhodes by taking a calmer & relaxed approach to his rapping style over primarily drumless production & the sole guest appearance outperforming the one we got last time.

Score: 4/5

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Boldy James & Rome Streetz – “Manhunt” review

Griselda Records signees Boldy James & Rome Streetz teaming up for a brand new collaborative EP. One of whom hails from Detroit, Michigan & the other was born in London, England, United Kingdom albeit raised in Brooklyn, New York. We’ve gotten hear both of these guys cross paths on several instances over the years on tracks like “Open Door” or “Serving”, but they’re looking to go on a Manhunt with one another as a way of elevating their chemistry coinciding Ricky Knight Jr. becoming a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion.

After the intro, the first song “Hot Plate” works in a drumless sample from Denny LaFlare to start the EP talking about everything they touch being high grade whereas “Like Biggie Did” takes the chipmunk soul route instrumentally thanks to Nichole Craven becoming richer than ever after betting it all. “Tricky” is a Rome Streetz solo cut with a boom bap flare speedin’ in an AMG because of the wave he caught while “Only 1” soulfully talks about God knowing their come up wasn’t easy for them.

“Cheat the Grind” by Boldy James produced by Chuck Strangers could’ve been an outtake from Token of Appreciation & I wouldn’t mind if that’s the case at all as a a fan of that album, advising that the hustle cannot be cheated & the title track finishes up the EP with both of them getting together 1 last time for a mafioso heater about everyone else not having the drive they possess.

2 of the most consistent artists in the GxFR camp these recent years have joined forces coming off Trainspotting & Late to My Own Funeral respectively for an EP full of drumless chipmunk soul & hardcore gangsta lyricism enhancing the speed they’re individually known for running circles around. Boldy James & Rome Streetz have always been deadly MCs separately & combining them makes it significantly lethal.

Score: 4/5

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Insane E – “E.A.R.T.H. (Energy, Alchemy, Reality, Technology, History)” review

East Palestine, Ohio emcee & graphic designer Insane E celebrating his birthday with a brand new EP. Starting out as 1/4 of the No Clue Crew in the early 2000s, he branched out in favor of a solo career releasing The Fine Line at the very end of that decade & subsequently became the Head of Graphic Design for Majik Ninja Entertainment & a graphic designer for the label’s founders Twiztid in November 2013 only 11 months after the demented duo had departed from Psychopathic Records to do it themselves. Scales came a decade after The Art of Blaowww & became the Astronomicon graphic designer’s most fleshed out work, looking to speak on the E.A.R.T.H. as we know it today from a conceptual standpoint.

“Energy” opens with the trap metal experimentations that we got hear to Scales only 14 months ago pleading to feel again & be taken away whereas “Alchemy” finds Fritz the Cat instrumentally throwing it back to some of Twiztid’s earlier material talking about being out of his mind & from another time. “Reality” goes for a straightforward rap rock vibe thanks to Stir Crazy advising to stop & think of what you’re doing while “Technology” talks about humanity becoming infected by a disconnected system.

The song “History” hooks up a guitar passage & some occasional synthesizers appearing during the hook explaining that only love will remain with the past slowly fading away as time continues to slip faster as well as being open to the change once the system is broken while the closing track “With You” finishes E.A.R.T.H. (Energy, Alchemy, Reality, Technology, History) off with an acoustic boom bap crossover talking about being in his car riding with the windows unsure of where his destination is.

In preparation for Insane E’s upcoming 4th solo LP Neon Jesus & the No Clue Crew set to reunite with new music of their own, E.A.R.T.H. (Energy, Alchemy, Reality, Technology, History) offers a range of styles from the rap rock to trap metal influences within the production that we get on that previous album carrying itself over & holding down the microphone by himself for 23 & a half minutes or giving an open-minded or perhaps extra-terrestrial perspective on topics encompassing the state of our planet’s past, present & future.

Score: 4.5/5

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Keisha Plum – “Trouble” review

Buffalo, New York spoken word artist Keisha Plum now based in Atlanta, Georgia releasing her 2nd EP & the first in almost a decade. Notable for her spoken word poetry that you can easily find on a plethora of Griselda Records projects in the past decade of them taking over the underground, some may not know of her putting out an EP of her own in the spring of 2016 called Tears of Honey & is dropping Trouble only 48 hours after Benny the Butcher’s newest mixtape Summertime Butch 2.

“P.P.P. (Peaches, Plums, Pineapples)” was a soulful intro talking about being in tropical paradise & suggesting to look deep into her eyes to see the villain in her whereas “W.W.G.D. (What Would Griselda Do?”) answers the titular question over a chilled out instrumental by reaffirming that they’ll fire the sticks first before they shoot you. “All Blvvdy” moves on from there talking about leaving crisp White Forces covered in blood prior to the jazzy “Write Something” instrumental interlude.

Starting the 2nd half of Trouble, “AK Spray” gives me a grandiose vibe instrumentally to talk about being a Goddess by day & her poetry hitting y’all like an assault rifle while “Lamboramo” works in an orchestral sample admitting that Lil’ Kim of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. used to be her role model when she was younger & desiring a purple colored Lamborghini. The title track closes the EP with heavy pianos talking about her doing well these days knowing a few people she considers Lucifer in jest.

Trouble comes only 7 & a half months since that posthumous DMX spoken word EP Let Us Pray: Chapter X last winter & despite Warryn Campbell’s production on the latter being superior in comparison, there’s no question that Keisha’s recap on the past quarter of a century recalling the pain & struggle she endured is more appreciable giving hardcore Griselda fans a little of her story completely resetting herself in the process.

Score: 4/5

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BabyBartier – “Awe$ome” review

BabyBartier is a 20 year old rapper from Los Angeles, California introducing himself to the underground trap scene a few months back off his debut EP Baby Blanco & was followed up 7 weeks later with another EP Diablo, receiving co-signs from the likes of Internet Money Records founder Taz Taylor along with both of YSL Records’ newest artists 1300SAINT & 9 Vicious although they fell out with one another recently. Only a couple months have passed since Diablo & he doesn’t look to slow down dropping his 3rd EP.

The title track was a 72 second intro desiring to get so high that he won’t ever land whereas “4 da Gang” gives off a cloudy trap vibe instrumentally thanks to Patrick Garza talking about who he does this shit for. “The Plug” reaches the halfway point of Awe$ome flexin’ that he came in with a drum even though he’s not a rockstar while “No Hook” featuring Unitus pulls from the plugg scene dropping off a couple verses for 2 & a half minutes. “Off the Wall” turns up the rage a little talking about his eccentricity prior to “Heaven’s Gate” closing the EP by talking about being the king of the jungle.

For an up-&-coming west coast trap artist beginning to put out projects a few months ago after releasing his debut single in 2023, the BabyBoyRecords founder comes off both of Awe$ome’s predecessors from this spring by having more fun musically as we approach the halfway point of summer. Drawing inspiration from trap to plugg & rage regarding the production, BabyBartier’s got his own unique swag & a lot more than the new Justin Bieber album we got outta nowhere last weekend.

Score: 3.5/5

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