Your Old Droog – “YOD Serling” review

Ukrainian-American lyricist Your Old Droog’s dropping off his 11th EP albeit the 2nd & final one in 2025. Breaking out through his self-titled debut, many actually first thought he was an alter ego of Nas given that their voices are somewhat similar. He eventually became a legend in his own right off later projects such as Packs as well as It Wasn’t Even Close, TIME & the Nicholas Craven-produced YOD Wave. I didn’t think YOD Stewart, Yodney Dangerfield, The Yodfather & The Shining were as great in my opinion although they most certainly had their highlights & Movie the summer prior became a depiction of his life on wax. 4 whole weeks since anything‘s possible & YOD Serling has arrived only less than a week away from Christmas.

“Suspects” produced by Edan begins by chopping up a chipmunk soul sample so YOD can vividly tell the story of a robbery taking place & after “Pitstop” takes the boom bap route instrumentally talking about still enjoying the simpler things whenever he question why he came back in town, “Ghostwriter” goes drumless thanks to Edan once again recalling an artist who reached his apex & went on to use ghostwriters.

The song “Victims of the Streets” runs it back with Edan for the last time continuing to show off the latter’s ear for sampling & Droog remembers those who lost their lives in the hood because of poverty while “Freekazoid” sends off the EP going for a rugged boom bap vibe thanks to K-Nite 13 referencing the underrated mid-90s animated series Freakazoid! owned by Warner Bros. & Amblin Entertainment.

Originally announced in May of 2017, it could be considered a Christmas miracle by people like me who’ve been closely paying attention to Your Old Droog since my senior year of high school when his eponymous debut was made that YOD Serling has finally arrived & come to prefer it more than anything’s possible. 60% of the production preludes YOD’s next full-length set to be entirely produced by Edan & the lyricism focuses more around his abilities to tell stories.

Score: 4/5

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Mikahl Lawless – “Cult” review

Here we have the 5th EP from York, Pennsylvania rapper Mikahl Lawless. Introducing himself in the summer of 2019 off his debut EP Pen to Paper, he would go on to follow it up with Overture for the Ill & Broken Hearted as well as 13 & Kisses to Nowhere until Cody Manson made him a member of his Trife Life collective. Cody eventually introduced Mikahl to Scum, impressing The Gorefather enough to give him his own deal with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz & introduce himself as part of the roster on Gangri-La. Commemorating the 1-year anniversary of The Snuff Gremlin later this weekend, he’s ending LSP’s year by releasing Cult.

“Ash” starts with a trap metal intro talking about what‘s left of him being blackened whereas “Cold Snow” blends this cloudy backdrop & live drumming telling how he’s feeling on the inside. “Ghost” reaches the halfway point by throwing it back to LINKIN PARK’s earlier output while the title track embraces a synth-pop vibe singing to bleed out beside him. “Prey” shifts back in nu metal turf comparing himself amongst the hunted & the same can be said regarding the outro “In Absence”, singing about him wishing he found nothing.

Many of the previews sounded nothing like Gangri-La & The Snuff Gremlin whatsoever, which gave me the impression of Mikahl Lawless venturing out artistically throughout the duration of Cult & he does it well enough to the point where I can confidently say that it could be the boldest musical statement he’s ever made. The production’s more versatile exploring trap metal, nu metal & synthpop in addition to the horrorcore lyrics being primarily sung as opposed to rapped.

Score: 4/5

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A-F-R-O – “No More Patience…” review

Here we have the 15th EP from Los Angeles, California emcee/producer A-F-R-O. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his Duck Down Music Inc.-backed 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo introduced himself as a promising up-&-comer within the underground. The Drawing Board alongside the Stu Bangas-produced The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First and Crimson Fury have all testified to his vengeful return in recent memory, coming off The Bad & the Ugly II to declare he has No More Patience… left in him.

“Who’s Dat?” starts with a vintage boom bap instrumental talking about being that muhfucka & assuring those who ain’t with the flow won’t rock the same as him leading into “Cross da Line” referencing current AEW performer & commentator as well as former 7-time WWE world champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion Paul Wight.

Meanwhile on “N.B.N.A. (No Bitch N****s Allowed)”, we have A-F-R-O sharpening his pen so he can show off his wordplay abilities leading into “Hillz Have Eyes” featuring Illa Ghee & Rim uniting the trio so they can talk about committing mass murder. “U Ain’t” might be my favorite track here from the Erick Sermon beat to the confrontational lyricism while “Cyanide” featuring Johnny Smoke finds the 2 showing off their mean styles.

The self-produced “Things I Do” starts the final moments of No More Patience… talking about always checking his surroundings because things in life are always changing while “Da Formula” cites the late Sean Price of Heltah Skeltah & the Boot Camp Clik amongst his biggest lyrical inspirations, going from being a student to a professor himself. “Sittin’ on Top ov da World” concludes the EP feeling alone at the top of the underground, announcing his full-length debut will come within the next 12 months.

Said to be the most aggressive work of his whole entire career, A-F-R-O’s 5th & final extended play of 2025 finishes up the west coast lyricist’s year with my 3rd favorite of the quintet placed in the middle between My Mind’s My Biggest Gun & the final chapter of the AFRODEEZEAK trilogy behind it and Fromage & Crimson Fury above. Most of the production doesn’t interest me the same way the latter did or The Bad & The Ugly II aside from a couple notable moments, but No More Patience…will still satisfy many hardcore hip hop fans who’ve stuck around for the past decade.

Score: 3.5/5

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Diorvsyou – “Pre Gamé” review

New surprise EP & the 6th overall from Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Diorvsyou. 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 few EPs Untitled EP.9 as well as So Cunt. & Paussus.99 have all been received positively, dropping Pre Gamé in the midst of his ongoing Twitter beef with Destroy Lonely alongside ApolloRed1 & 9 Vicious.

“Options” starts with a plugg instrumental from 406ahmad & an eyebrow-raising bar about wanting to sleep with this hoe’s friend despite being underage whereas “Pullup!” goes for a pluggier vibe thanks to n9ck telling all the hoes to come where he’s staying at. “H8 da Real Meh” heads for cloudier territory explaining that he drinks in the middle of the day because of self-hatred & after “Dope!” bodies a Pi’erre Bourne beat to send off the Pre Gamé talking about all his women doing drugs, “High Schøøl” featuring EAtj starts the deluxe run taking the rage-inducing route looking back at when they didn’t have shit during their adolescence.

EAtj sticks around 1 last time for “2 Shows” talking about the women they’re dating having their own styles while “Manual” has an angrier atmosphere generally responding to people saying he sold his soul after meeting with Interscope Records. “Fukitup!” featuring Reezy X & Tezzus talks about derailing their opps while “Hell of It” boasts of him having tons of hoe’s for fun. “Cannibal” compares the head he’s receiving to the act of cannibalism itself & the final bonus track “1st Off” goes back-to-back with Pi’erre.

I truly couldn’t tell you whether he’s being serious about the minor bar during the intro or if it’s a jab at the fact 9 Vicious put the worst song of his entire career “Clout Demons” on his YSL Records debut Tumblr Music at the end of March but either way, a great deal of this EP teases what’s to come of Diorvsyou’s forthcoming debut album Soirée a year from now putting out a 10 minute 4-pack improving from Paussus.99’s production & performing by himself for most of the time other than a few guests.

Score: 3.5/5

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Skyzoo – “Views of a Lifetime” review

Brand new extended play & the 6th overall from Brooklyn, New York veteran Skyzoo. Emerging in the underground off the 9th Wonder produced Cloud 9: The 3 Day High, he continued to make a name for himself with a consistent discography. Highlights include The Salvation, the !llmind produced Live from the Tape Deck, A Dream Deferred, Music for My Friends, the Apollo Brown produced The Easy Truth, In Celebration of Us & my personal favorite: the Pete Rock produced Retropolitan dedicated to his home state. All the Brilliant Things built itself around gentrification & The Mind of a Saint was dedicated one of my favorite shows Snowfall, coming off the Old Soul Music-backed Keep Me Company to discuss the Views of a Lifetime.

“Tags at the Moma” produced by Camoflauge Monk talks about scheming for 20 cans a day over a boom bap instrumental whereas “Pardon Me” flexing that he was cut from a more Godly cloth. “The Wager” takes a drumless approach thanks to Cartune Beatz asking for the specifics of a bet & once “Sky is Like” homages one of Nas’ greatest singles ahead of Light-Years next weekend, “Devotion” talks about finishing the school of hard knocks with honors over a crooning Conductor Williams beat.

Thelonious Martin jumps behind the boards for “Love Day” incorporating a flute & a soul sample comparing himself to Gil Scott-Heron wearing a Carmelo Anthony jersey while “Hope & Pray” takes a few minutes talking about wishing nothing but the best for the person he has mind. “The Soloist” blends jazz rap & boom bap courtesy of The Other Guys suggesting he might be better off by himself while “Half Bloom” strips the drums talking about taking on more than he had to.

Picking up where Keep Me Company left off last Black Friday, this new extended play 53 weeks later deals with looking back on what was after you’ve settled into this new world of the growth Skyzoo’s last album explored & I’d actually say I’d prefer Views of a Lifetime over it’s predecessor. I feel like the production’s stronger & the 1st Generation Rich Inc. founder reflects on how his previous life has changed drastically & it got him where he is currently.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jane Remover – “♡” review

This is the 5th EP from Newark, New Jersey musician Jane Remover. Known for pioneering the Dariacore microgenre, they made their breakout debut in the fall of 2021 with Frailty under deadAir Records & it wasn’t until exactly 24 months later when former BROCKHAMPTON leader Kevin Abstract called Jane Remover’s sophomore effort Census Designated his favorite album of that year where I personally got introduced to their music. Revengeseekerz came out in April to widespread acclaim, returning 8 months later with ♡.

“Magic I Want U” begins with an alternative R&B, glitch pop, breakbeat, Atlanta bass, alternative rock & digital cumbia loving the way this guy uses his hands & words whereas “So What?” was notably sampled throughout “All4U”, which was the stunning closer off Danny Brown’s latest album Stardust last month additionally interpolating their own singles “JRJRJR” & “Turn Up or Die” respectively.

To finish the 1st half, “Music Baby” contains probably the most repetitive songwriting structure throughout the entire extended play giving a fuck less of what people think of them while “Flash on the Pan” blends alternative R&B, emo rap, sexy drill, indie rock, shoegaze & dream pop basically remixing a cover they did of one of my personal favorite Britney Spears tracks “Hold It Against Me” back when I was in my final year of middle school.

“How to Teleport” starts the final moments of ♡with an extended version of a digital cumbia b-side to “Magic I Want U” pleading to not be awoken from this dream they’re experiencing because they can’t fall back in the fountain of youth again while the closer “Dream Sequence” & the b-side to “Flash in the Pan” covers “Aberdeen Dream Sequence”, which is widely considered to be the greatest slacker rock/slowcore singles that Jane Remover has ever made under the venturing moniker.

Serving as a prelude to their upcoming 4th album next year, Jane Remover compiles a brand new EP consisting of 3 covers & 3 newly recorded songs focusing more around alternative R&B as well as glitch pop & alt-pop as opposed to Revengeseekerz’ heavy digicore/EDM sound earlier this spring even if some of the material predates Jane’s biggest high in their career yet. The secondary influences within the production get shaken up in favor of alternative rock, breakbeat, sexy drill, east coast club, Atlanta bass, digital cumbia, emo rap, shoegaze & dream pop teasing another exciting artistic reinvention.

Score: 4.5/5

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PlaqueBoyMax – “Too Much Music” review

Here we have the 5th EP from West Orange, New Jersey recording artist, producer, audio engineer, media personality & streamer PlaqueBoyMax. Catching on to him at the beginning of the year after calling out DJ Akademiks for being a child groomer, he has since stayed busy by churning out 4 EPs in the quick amount of time he’s been in the spotlight signing with Field Trip Recordings & Capitol Records. 5 Forever a little over 6 months ago wasted some genuinely solid production on Max’s weakly performed raps & looks to end the year with Too Much Music.

“Instahoes” made for an underwhelming intro talking about women on Instagram fuckin’ around too much whereas “RealSpill” takes 88 seconds to get on his young & rich shit except his flow reminds me of Tony Shhnow, who’s far more entertaining lyrically. My favorite beat on the extended play goes to “InTheMorning” produced by Maajins telling his girl he’s coming home from Chicago soon while “WakeUp” talks about being a rockstar.

The song “MalibuTides” starts the 2nd leg of Too Much Music boasting that he’s out in the Los Angeles beach city catching a vibe by watching the ocean tides while “Do2Much” has another great instrumental from Four3va this time telling a woman he fumbled that he wishes she got to know him a lot better. “FellOff” sends it all off continuing the themes of heartbreak, wanting the chick he fucked things up with that he misses her.

I still think Atlanta is the best thing that PlaqueBoyMax has ever put together & it was a step-up from London in terms of showcasing what he can do as a curator, which I’d tell you is his strongest focal point musically because I didn’t really care for Too Much Music any more or less than 5 Forever & it doesn’t make me excited for the sophomore effort Prince in a couple months. It all goes back to my critiques of that inaugural LP: Great production with subpar rapping.

Score: 2/5

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October London – “For You, My Love” review

This is the 7th EP from South Bend, Indiana singer/songwriter & producer October London. starting out in 2013 off his debut EP The Introduction & both installments of the Color Blind series, he eventually caught the attention of Long Beach icon & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg by signing to Doggystyle Records for his 4th EP Please Leave a Message before moving over to Death Row Records not too long after Snoop bought the label he started out at. October has since released his first 2 albums & a couple more EPs through the revived west coast powerhouse with Crypto Winter, Technicolor, The Rebirth of Marvin & The Greatest Gift. His last LP October Nights refined his soulful contemporary R&B style & has dropped off For You, My Love to begin the final month of 2025.

“Christmas Gift” starts by singing over a drumless self-produced instrumental eager to kiss the love his life by the tree & after “Naughty List” works in some jazzy pianos wanting this chick to put him on her list, “Rudolph Guide Me Home” sings for the Red Nosed Reindeer to lead him back to the crib so he can see his woman. “Where You’ll Go for Christmas” hopes she winds up in his arms this holiday season. “Happy Holidays My Love” pulls from jazz music a bit singing that he was his lover for Christmas & “Frisky on Christmas” finishes with a 3 minute holiday experience.

I’ve already made it clear a couple times in the past by now that Christmas projects generally tend to be hit or miss for me, but I didn’t mind what October London was going for throughout For You, My Love because it’s a slight improvement over The Greatest Gift roughly 25 weeks ago. I commend him for penning the whole thing by himself & focusing more as a producer than he did on October Nights, celebrating the most wonderful time of the year better than he has previously.

Score: 3/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 22” review

This is the 7th collaborative EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim. Both of whom have worked with each other countless times in the past several years, teaming up for the collab album Strictly 4 My D.U.M.P.E.R.Z. during the spring of 2018 & the Bloodspiller extended play 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven became their greatest joint offering yet, locking back in for the 17th as well as the 18th & 20th chapters. Coming off the 21st earlier today, they’re giving us another one when we least expected it.

“Powerful Blast” come straight out the gate with a euphorically drumless instrumental from Craven talking about learning from the scholars in addition to getting their defense up & after “Soul” jazzily talks about the very thing they’re floating over sonics with, “Statement of the Day” works in some lavish piano chords & a chipmunk soul sample recalling when they had to survive the darkest of clouds.

To begin the 2nd half of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 22, “The Price is Right” takes a funkier approach to the beat talking about how y’all gotta be built for the type shit they on while “Your On Ya Own” blends jazz rap & boom bap flexing they have enough rhymes to go against mankind. “Assassin’s Hitlist” produced by Tha God Fahim himself finishes with blissful sampling to talk about not wanting to lose time, hence why they build.

It’s a bit jazzier than Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 21 was, but I didn’t enjoy this as much as the last couple installments of the endless saga & the previous one literally came out an hour earlier although it’s still very much a tight collection of hardcore hip hop tracks with influences of boom bap as well as chipmunk soul & drumless. Goes back to what I said in my review of the previous EP: None of the Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim collab EPs we’ve gotten are bad, I just prefer some more than others.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 21” review

Starting the final month of 2025 by diving into the first of 2 new collaborative EPs from Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim. Both of whom have worked with each other countless times in the past several years, teaming up for the collab album Strictly 4 My D.U.M.P.E.R.Z. during the spring of 2018 & the Bloodspiller extended play 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven became their greatest joint offering yet, coming off the 17th as well as thr 18th & 20th chapters going back-to-back with not 1 but 2 installments.

“Cultivating” begins with a soul sample referencing the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan 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 whereas “Deathtouched” likens their verses to The Jackson 5 & The Beatles combined.

We get some more chipmunk soul vibes on “I Kno What to Do” talking about nobody having the ability to dump like him regardless of how talented they are & once the drumlessly soulful “Let ‘Em Know” explains that the Dump Gawd remains destructive even in bunches, “Lucrative Offers” takes the boom bap route incorporating sampling into the fold so they can talk about meeting their competitors in the middle of the battlefield.

“Major League” gets the last few minutes of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 21 rollin’ with both MCs looking for payback on those from way back who hate seeing their money coming in haystacks & “Operation” sends it all off in the form of a crooning boom bap outro expanding on the topic of the cash flow, clarifying that it’s an everyday operation that requires patience & persistency.

Season 2 of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga has mostly been collaborative efforts with Jay NiCE & I want to let it be known that none of them are wack by any means, but I prefer some more than others if that makes any sense. And the 1st of 2 new entries that we’ve gotten 12 hours apart from one another via YouTube could be my favorite, focusing less around the drumless elements than the predecessor did last month & swapping out the conscious lyricism in favor of slight boom bap influences.

Score: 4/5

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