Scatz – “F.T.O.S. II (Fuck the Other Side II)” review

This is the 8th EP from Flint, Michigan rapper Scatz. Introducing himself 3 years ago with his debut EP Kyriee Krazy followed by the debut mixtape Yung N***a World, his next 5 EPs SharkLoto, Gift of Gab, Yung Dirty Bastard, The Biggest & Yung Dirty Bastard all the following year caught the attention of Rio da Yung O.G. & signed the 6 Ward Lord to M.I.N.E. Entertainment behind bars. F.T.O.S. (Fuck the Other Side) celebrated its 1-year anniversary last month, so it makes sense for him to drop a sequel on Halloween.

“Talkin’ Dumb” featuring Rio da Yung O.G. starts with both them over a Flint trap instrumental spitting a whole bunch of gang shit whereas “Jog” works in some 808s & pianos referencing the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s secondary flagship program Friday Night SmackDown. “1 of 1” flexes that the body he hit with the switch has become unique in it’s own way just before “Can’t Forget” featuring 2800 Twin decently trades verses with one another.

We have Scatz understandably representing his squad on “It’s M.I.N.E.” for a good 2 minutes while “Cheddar Bob” references DJ Rec, who inspired the popular 8 Mile character of the same name. “Fluffy” featuring Baby TR delves deeper into the gangsta lifestyle taking 2 blocks & keeping only 1 while “Lulu” featuring Doonie talks about both of them having more stripes than the British luxury fashion house Burberry.

“Make a Bet” featuring FTOS Swan promises to walk victims down in Rick Owens instead of wearing Prada while “King of the Hill” give a nod to the Hulu serves of the same name set to premiere season 15 in 2026 in light of seasons 16 & 17 being ordered. “Facts” wraps up F.T.O.S. II (Fuck the Other Side) II with him talking about shooting up a crib every single week with the sole purpose of testing his groove.

Gotta be honest: As much as I enjoy the original F.T.O.S. (Fuck the Other Side) last fall, its spiritual successor feels a bit mediocre in comparison. I don’t mind the production nor do I have any criticisms with Scatz’ own performances, but the guest list is more inconsistent with only 1 of the 5 sticking out & that being none other than Rio.

Score: 3/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19” review

Isn’t too surprising the 66th EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim would arrive on Halloween. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records & being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. He’s been putting out amongst his best material in the past few years like the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull, the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, the Mike Shabb-produced Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth, Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. Lethal Weapon 4 produced by Drega33 was the last time we heard Fahim on his own, making Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19 the first since the season 2 premiere to be a solo effort.

“Not Ez” featuring Jay NiCE cautions that going against them will only backfire over a chipmunk soul instrumental whereas “Take the High Road” also featuring Jay NiCE works in some pianos to talk about being the new rulers of the game. “Grimsong” featuring Jay NiCE references WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson’s coke addiction prior to “Enchanted” setting the tone for the rest of the EP talking about immature styles not being a fraction of his power.

The song “Hexproof” nears Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19’s conclusion cautioning not to ignore the factual combat found when dissecting tracks while “Mill 2” soulfully talks about this ongoing saga only being the tip of the iceberg as far as he’s concerned. “How Does It Feel?” finishes the EP by using some sampling technique a 1 last time looking to make a great impression whenever hits the stage.

Not too surprised that Jay NiCE appears during the 1st half or so of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 19, but I could definitely say that this is the most that I’ve enjoyed an entry from the series ever since season 2 began over 4 weeks earlier. The production is prominently more drumless than Tha God Fahim’s last couple collaborative extended plays with the NiCEst of Immobilaire making boom bap a secondary influence & getting more abstract lyrically.

Score: 3.5/5

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730atMorning – “I Can’t STFU” review

This is the 9th extended play from Minneapolis, Minnesota rapper 730atMorning. Someone who would drop 3 EPs in 2022 including Pots*, untitled & Hi, I’m Alive. He would later follow it up with the Creeper EP, the 7:30* EP, the full-length debut Asphalt, the Guarded EP, the sophomore effort albeit Virgin Music debut Under the Bridge, the Rotten Fruit EP, his previous full-length Save Your Grievance & the almost inside EP. Coming off the Insiders tape however, he’s celebrating Halloween by admitting I Can’t STFU.

“Lessthan Lessthan” begins with a new jazz intro talking about his ego disintegrating whenever he looks at himself in the mirror whereas “Coastal” leans towards a heavy free car vibe instrumentally talking about being with a Mobile, Alabama woman. “Parasite” comes to the realization of him needing to start keeping his word more & after “Eek” talks about chasing money by refusing to sleep, “Dream” ends the 1st half experimenting with trap metal a bit.

As for “Roll”, we have 730 over a more synth-driven beat comparing his opps to DoodleBob & being booted up while “Check Touched” comes through with a 2-parter talking about being paid what was due. “Blank Face” was an exciting single realizing some things making more sense to him after mapping it out but once “U Don’t Love Like Me” splits itself into 2 separate sections speaking to a hot commodity, “Roket” ends the EP assuring that y’all don’t need to pray for his pockets.

Noticeably less cloudier & experimental than Insiders over the summer, 730atMorning still retains a prominent trap sound secondarily exploring the styles of rage, free car music, jerk & new jazz to result in what I’d say is debatably his 2nd greatest EP yet although it’s not better then either Insiders or Save Your Grievance for his finest 2025 opus. Nevertheless, I firmly believe the possibility of 1 Man Band & Context making bigger waves for him the following year continue to grow more likely.

Score: 3.5/5

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SABA – “C0FFEE!” review

Chicago, Illinois emcee/producer SABA celebrating Devil’s Night with a brand new EP. The co-founder of the Pivot Gang collective a decade back, he broke out in the fall of 2016 off the solo debut Bucket List Project & the follow-up CARE FOR ME was where his potential would be put on a much more broader display. Few Good Things was a better version of Cordae’s sophomore effort From a Bird’s Eye View coming off From the Private Collection produced by No I.D., he’s grabbing himself a cup of C0FFEE!.

“How Many X?” begins by asking all sorts of questions like the amount of times this woman had broken his heart or if she even wants give his love a chance & after the “don’t be long” interlude, “my bro” featuring Senite jazzily talks about charming a woman he fell for more than once. The self-produced “Looking for Parking” shows off his singing abilities hoping his girl ain’t tired after pulling up to her complex while “Today Years Old” talks about not being like others.

Starting the 2nd half, “high tides” discusses all the hues in his life get so bright for the moment just before “itachi” after the “supplier” interlude talks about trying to stay sane despite that not being so easy because of the turmoil unraveling in front of us these past 9 months. “TICTACTOE” lastly finishes the EP with him starting to miss phone calls & texts from a female he’s no longer on speaking terms with realizing that some shit is better off being let go of.

It doesn’t really surprise me that coming off the most beloved full-length of SABA’s career this spring, C0FFEE! would embrace an experimental sound & get more abstract with his songwriting. However even with all these interesting creative ideas floating around, I don’t find myself coming back to it as much as From the Private Collection because there are a few key moments where some of these tracks don’t feel fully fleshed out.

Score: 3/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 18” review

48 hours later & the 4th collaborative EP between Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim has arrived. 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 EP almost 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven became their greatest joint offering yet & fresh off the 17th chapter this weekend, installment #18 is here.

“Better Days” opens with Fahim holding the mic down by himself over a calming boom bap instrumental getting on some mental health shit whereas the soulfully jazzy “Everyday” talks about doing this shit no matter what. Jay NiCE finally appears during “Lay Punishment” setting wack rappers on fire on top of a sample just before “Lands Trapped” lets their words echo through nature.

The song “Well Done” continues the 2nd half of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 18talking about being eager to make an other bag drop while Tha God Fahim’s final solo joint “Soo True” discusses protecting your heart. “Gumbo” finishes the EP with both MCs teaming up 1 last time for a soulful outro including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer, the shortest reigning WWE Champion & former WWE Tag Team Champion André the Giant.

Reserving my praise towards Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12, the predecessor on Sunday wasn’t on par with the season 2 premiere or the 16th entry in saga & I can pretty much confirm that Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17 fits in the same category. Jay NiCE’s contributions decreased from 71% to 57% but other than that, there isn’t really a whole lot to be said that hasn’t been sent already from their chemistry to the production.

Score: 3.5/5

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Klokwerk E – “Rent a Friend” review

This is the 4th EP from Columbus, Ohio horrorcore duo Klokwerk E. Consisting of Billy D & Kyle Kombs, they introduced themselves a couple years ago off their debut EP Will Boof 4 Rent & later the full-length debut The Emerald Tablets. These guys would also form the supergroup Mighty Morphin’ Wackness with the Super Famous Fun Time Guys over 14 months ago, dropping Santa Claus Fukked My Dog as well as an acclaimed sophomore effort Anubis & their previous EP Bukkake Mukbang Extravaganza this summer. In preparation for Hallowicked weekend however, Rent a Friend has been slowly revealing itself to be their most interesting extended play yet.

It’s only appropriate for the title track produced by Kyle Kombs to set the tone of things talking about making new best friends & looks to “Have Some Fun” after a long day over a trap instrumental. “Bad Influence” humorously asks if you’d ride & die for them but after the “What’s Your Name?” skit, the synth-funk inspired “Johnny Bravo” references the classic Discovery Global-owned Cartoon Network series of the same name.

After the “Do You Remember?” skit, the penultimate song “Homeboys” officially winds down on Rent a Friend with a chill ballad dedicated to chillin’ with some good friends & “Together” sends off the EP with one of the greatest Klokwerk E songs ever heartwarmingly telling everyone listening that they won’t ever be alone hoping some of us live life more, find love & that it gets people through whatever hardships they’re facing.

The 3rd project from Klokwerk E in 2025 feels like a forgotten VHS tape from another era offering a 1-on-1 friendship experience that you’ll never forget, rivaling Anubis for some of the Silver Boof Brothers’ greatest material & exemplifying their popularity in the underground. Kyle Kombs’ production has been continuously getting better as he & Billy conceptually engage in a late-night conversation full of joy, melancholy & grief.

Score: 4/5

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Misery Coast – Self-Titled review

Misery Coast is a horrorcore & production duo consisting of Grand Rapids, Michigan rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & Dirtcore Music founder Crossworm and Windsor, Ontario, Canada rapper/producer J Reno. These guys have already been established within the underground wicked shit scene individually for over a decade or 2 already, forming last Christmas after having a couple tracks land on the Dirtcore showcase compilation. Some of the label’s acts had the honor of performing at the Gathering of Legends or the 25th annual Gathering of the Juggalos this summer & with Hallowicked festivities in a few days, Misery Coast’s looking to introduce themselves by releasing a brand new EP.

After the “Coast is Cursed” intro, the first song “Dance with the Devil” begins with a cold-blooded boom bap instrumental talking about sitting beside a fire where the lost souls go whereas “I Fuckin’ Do” takes a rap rock approach to the beat flexing they have the keys to a dead city. “Feed the Fear” talks about death always being nearby no matter how far any one tries to run from it & a haunted heartbeat stealing sleep leading into the “Coast is Clear” interlude.

“Welcome to” starts the 2nd half of the extended play with Crossworm & J Reno by dabbling with trap advising to disregard all the corpses beneath them looking to cause more than simply disorderly conduct while “The Ghost of Who I Used to Be” returns to the boom bap with some sampling talking about seeing part versions of themselves. “Is It Even Halloween?” celebrates the upcoming holiday with a 2 & a half minute wicked shit heater while “1 Last Cloud” finishes by talking about being born with violent cores.

Similarly to what Bodies Below Sea Level did with their eponymous debut album at the very beginning of November immediately following the previous Hallowicked season, it’s Misery Coast turn to properly introduce themselves as a group with a 21 minute EP providing depressive wicked shit for the hopeless & J Reno continuing to bring Crossworm right back to his hip hop roots in time for this weekend.

Score: 4/5

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Jay NiCE & Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17” review

Atlanta, Georgia emcee Jay NiCE & the local Dump Gawd himself Tha God Fahim reuniting for their 3rd collaborative EP. 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 EP almost 3 years ago. Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 produced by Nicholas Craven was the last time we heard them joining forces & they’re doing it again for the 17th installment.

“At Worst I’m Legend” starts with both of them over a bare soul sample turning their opposition into bloodbaths while “Swift N Effective” by Tha God Fahim soulfully talks about his mind continuously wondering as the cash flow picks up. “Wolves N Sheep” continues the sampling flexing that both of them are the coldest in their respective fields leading into the jazzy “Organize Power” talking about being brutally ruthless.

The song “1,000 Lashes” starts nears the conclusion of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 17 by incorporating more vocal chops promising they won’t be granting safe passages just before “Divine Smite” marks Jay NiCE’s final appearance talking about needing sharpness & heart to battle them. “Ruthless Lawbringer” sends off the EP with a 2nd & final solo cut from Fahim advising to look at the bigger picture along with the small details.

Wasn’t expecting to get another collab project out of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga this quickly let alone a 2nd one with Jay NiCE but since Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 12 became his & Tha God Fahim’s greatest joint offering yet, you’re probably gonna enjoy the 2nd entry of this ongoing season equally although I prefer the latter. Nicholas Craven’s production is mostly boom bap centered like the predecessor last month was with the exception of the drumless influences being emphasized & the evident chemistry of both lyricists.

Score: 3.5/5

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Leon Thomas III – “Pholks” review

This is the 2nd EP from New York singer/songwriter, producer & actor Leon Thomas III. Beginning as the singing voice of Tyrone on The Backyardigans as well as Andre Harris on Victorious for the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Nickelodeon, he later started making music of his own by releasing 3 mixtapes & an EP until Ty$ signed him to his Motown Records imprint EZMNY Records. His full-length debut album Electric Dusk & the sophomore effort Mutt were both highly acclaimed, coming off Tycoon last weekend to drop Pholks.

“Just How You Are” starts us off with a peppy single singing about loving that special woman in his life exactly the way she is whereas “My Muse” dedicates itself to the female who stays inspiring him the most over some classy strings. “5MoreMinutes” takes a funkier approach instrumentally singing about being homesick from his lover while “Trapped” expands on the funk influences with a hint of rock added to the mix.

The song “Baccarat” pushes further towards the end of Pholks with Leon fusing rock & soul explaining that he doesn’t ask for much except the attention of this fine-ass walking contradiction while “Feel Alive” sings to be taken away from all of his troubles by a romantic interest he’s been waiting on for a while. “Lone Wolf” featuring 4Batz closes the EP with a successor to “she ain’t no angel” off Still Shinin’ that I like as much if not more than the last collab.

Showcasing his command as a multi-instrumentalist & visionary, Leon Thomas III adventurously doubles down on the raw creativity of Mutt that cemented him his a generational R&B force nearly 13 months ago throughout the duration of Pholks fusing the groove of funk with the golden age of R&B & the raw defiance of classic rock sparking a whole entire movement of it’s own in preparation of his forthcoming 3rd LP presumably dropping next year.

Score: 4/5

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Ian – “2005” review

St. Louis, Missouri rapper/producer Ian is back after 12 whole months for his sophomore effort, 5th EP or debut mixtape. A member of the D1shonorable collective, he got his start in 2019 producing the single “Know That” by Izaya Tiji before going on to release 3 EPs of his own: Only for a While, Remembrance & the gyo-produced Empty Suit. Akon’s brother Bu Thiam signed him to his Columbia Records imprint Buvision Entertainment this spring for his previous EP Valedictorian, which received mixed responses although I personally found to have it’s highlights like “Chauncey” & “Magic Johnson”. Goodbye Horses even had its own highs like “3.5” or “Out West”, surprise-releasing 2005 only 53 weeks later.

We get some colorfully peppy synthesizers during the intro “Go Ian” taking a boastful approach to the lyrics feeling like that people have a bad impression on him ever since signing to a major label whereas the rage-inducing “Aw Shit” talks about keeping it 100 even if he isn’t perfect. The self-produced “You Told Me” reserves the drums for the final minute or so not making any plans because he’s vibing while the mediocre trap/pop rap single “I Ain’t Coming Back” prior to the Bhad Bhabie interlude talks about being good all by himself, having a lot of questions for his ex-girlfriend & even more for her mother.

“Talk About It” brings the synths back in effect thanks to Internet Money Records in-house producer NASH so he can reflect over a relationship prior to “Remember Me” continuing to delve deeper into the topic of love accompanied by a piano instrumental. “Have My Back” proves a comparison Tyler, The Creator had made between Ian & Future clear as day, although “Soul Provider” produced by FNZ could be his most emotional track ever & “Friends from Everywhere” ends with Ian shouting out his homies all around the world over a beat from Swaggyono of Working on Dying.

Serving as a prelude to Valedictorian 2 coming out a couple months ago as revealed via an Easter egg in the artwork, 2005 finds Ian returning behind the boards since he didn’t produce anything on the original Valedictorian or Goodbye Horses & I can appreciate that to the highest extent because Ian can be likened to ΠΔV in the sense that I enjoy his production work more than a good chunk of the major label material. Will he capitalize on his production skills more a couple months from now? Only time will tell.

Score: 2.5/5

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