Hexxx – “Suerte” review

Los Angeles, California emcee Hexxx making a comeback after 2 years with his 3rd EP. First emerging in the underground back in the fall of 2016 off his debut EP Samhain, he would go on to follow it up 3 years later with his 2nd EP West Coast Wicked Shit prior to his full-length debut studio album Demon Season & the sophomore effort Tales of a Cursed G becoming west coast wicked shit classics in their own rights. 22 months have passed & he’s putting out Suerte without any warning preluding his upcoming 3rd LP. Also in time for the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s upcoming Worlds Collide V event with their new subsidiary Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) purchased from the Peña–Roldán family last month featuring performers from their Anthem Sports & Entertainment-owned partner promotion Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling. Hoping that the 2nd reign of the longest reigning AAA Mega Campeon El Hijo del Vikingo doesn’t get ended so quickly by the current WWE Speed Champion Chad Gable over a week after former 2-time NXT Champion & NXT North American Champion Trick Williams became the new TNA World Champion shockingly ending Joe Hendry’s reign.

“High Noon” was a Memphis/trap intro with some lyrical content built upon the gangsta lifestyle Hexxx has made a name of himself off of whereas “Payback” works in a trap instrumental with a vocal sample to talk about the concept of revenge. “Drama Under Palm Trees” eerily keeps the trap vibes going always keeping a hammer by his side while “Street Lights” talks about what it was like for him growing up in the dark.

After an interlude from Zach Holmes of the Paramount Skydance Corporation subsidiary MTV-owned Jackass franchise, “Switchblade” pulls from the early 90s g-funk scene tryna get high & paid simultaneously while “Shoot2kill” talks about his state of mind being to hustle forever leavin’ opps flatlined. “Jin” officially concludes Suerte with 1 more trap joint assuring that he’ll crush your skull.

It’s been so long since Tales of a Cursed G came out & whatever the west coast wicked shit trailblazer has in store on his next full-length body of work, Suerte reaffirms he hasn’t lost a step after taking a year off to tour. It’s more trap-based in terms of production other than minor influences of g-funk & Memphis rap, but Hexxx is still very much embracing the gangsta rap themes only a tad bit heavier than he did on the last couple albums he put out in the earlier parts of the current decade.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Beno – “Out on Bond” review

Beno is a 28 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for being 1/2 of the duo Drego & Beno. His partner in rhyme already has a couple solo LPs & 3 EPs under his belt already with the latest EP Krazy Man 2 coming out over a couple months ago. On the other hand, Beno has yet to put out any projects by himself up until this point & felt his debut EP had my wondering how he would sound by himself during an entire project since we’ve heard so many from his counterpart.

“BJ” opens with a flute, some 808s & string sections sticking to the g code whereas “B.T.A. (Beat That Ass)” featuring Lil Mello works in some pianos & 808s referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time WWE world champion, ECW World Television Champion, 6-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 4-time & the final WWE Hardcore Champion, TNA World Champion & TNA X Division Champion Rob Van Dam.

Moving on from there, “Possible” finds himself optimistically feeling like anything’s a possibility over a decent Detroit trap instrumental prior to “Hmm Hmmmm” going for a darker vibe to the beat talking about catching an opp tossing his body in the trunk. “Ouuu Ouuuu” featuring Babytron & produced by Danny G finds the 2 likening themselves to heavyweights in a group of middleweights just before “Ballin’ is a Habit, Not a Crime” explains that the way he balls doesn’t involve illegal activity.

“Dead Wrong” featuring M.I.N.E. Entertainment signee 3200 Tre brings some pianos & 808s back in the fold talking about the only 2 types of people they know being either real or fake while the title track by Drego & Beno telling us what it was like for them growing up selling dope & getting money. “I Got the Urge” ties up any loose ends during the EP refusing to snitch on his squad, remaining the same as he was prior to making it.

Because of the announcement the previous weekend regarding Drego getting ready to serve a 1-year prison stint, it’s not hard to see why Beno wouldn’t take the opportunity to focus on a solo career until his better half comes home & Out on Bond brings it full circle from when Krazy Man initially dropped several years ago. Production’s better than I had initially anticipated & Beno holds the mic finely by himself with a tight guest list.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Beannskii – “Green Bean” review

Here is the 3rd studio LP from Michigan rapper Beannskii. Following his 2023 studio debut Geek Up!, revered Detroit trap trio the ShittyBoyz would catch wind of him & make him a member of their Dog $hit Militia collective signed to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records putting out his sophomore effort Beanjamin Franklin last Black Friday weekend. Coming off MJPaid & Fordio’s respective full-length debuts Paid Ponzi & Fordi Milligrams, the Green Bean seeks to continue the D$M squad’s run they’ve been on from the start of 2025 taking the plate at 3rd.

The intro begins with a Detroit trap instrumental showing off some occasional bells talking about people runnin’ they mouth on social media & hiding their tails afterwards whereas “Ball Game” incorporates some horns wishing death on anybody who clique up with his team’s opposition. “D$M” works in some pianos & 808s to talk about his crew for a minute & a half while “Wizard of Turkey Bags” favors of hitting targets instead of innocents.

“Barking” hits the grey hound the second he re-ups aiming for the face rather than going with a chest shot just before “All Hail Bean¡” brings a lowend beat from Certified Trapper with creatively chopped sample into the fold except the vocal mixing feels a little off. “Where Would I Be??” relies heavier on the bells telling everyone who be sending death threats to pull up on him leading into “Food Fight” featuring Ftos Twan talking about walking by shooting at y’all if they can’t get a ride.

Meanwhile on “Lost My Marbles”, we have Beann sliding off pucks as if he’s in the middle of a hockey game while “Hamas” talks about being in the bushes for so long that he got mosquito bites. “Tavon Austin” discusses being known for throwing back shots without any duckin’ or dodgin’ & promising you won’t take what’s his, but then “Don Don” talks about letting the stick fire off if they try to box him in on top of trying to get his pill addiction under control.

“Jolly Bean” lets the bells ring once more & sampling “How to Save a Life” by The Fray dumpin’ all the bodies he’s catchin’ in his backyard while “Kankakee” talks about sweeping those running from them off their feet. “Swanton Bombing” finds Beann pulling off the finishing move of the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy of The Hardy Boyz while “Alone” addresses his habits of treating pills like Tic Tacs.

The orchestral sample on “Let Me Be” speaks of having no fear in him after seeing & going through it all during his lifetime in addition to his pleas for help going ignored while “Poltergeist” talks about spinning the block all day like a fidget. The outro concludes Green Bean with a regalia/Detroit trap crossover boasting that he’s pouring wine into his pop to the point where it turns into Grape Welch.

Beanjamin Franklin found Beannskii elevating himself from his debut the previous year & on Green Bean, it extends the back-to-back run that the Dog $hit Militia members have been on widely introducing & establishing themselves as individuals. Yes I’m aware of this being his 2nd offering since joining the collective however, there wasn’t a whole lot to the guests that I found interesting or much exciting compared to the main performer.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Destroy Lonely – “See U Soon </3” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Destroy Lonely preluding his 2nd mixtape </3³ with his 12th EP. The son of former Disturbing tha Peace Records signee I-20, he’s released a total of 11 EPs since originally breaking out through SoundCloud in 2019 prior to Playboi Carti signing alone to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records to surprise drop his last tape No Stylist in light of his ongoing tour with fellow label-mate Ken Carson last summer followed by the full-length debut If Looks Could Kill. Love Lasts Forever was disappointing in comparison & hoped See U Soon </3 would at least surpass it.

“Nylon” produced by Clayco throws it back to Lone’s early days for an intro preluding his upcoming 3rd album Drop Dead Gorgeous whereas the cloudy “SDP” courtesy of Cade homages an interlude off Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight that I personally find the original version of being far superior to the shortened final version you can hear on whatever streaming platform you use.

The instrumental on “See Ur Face” kinda feels reminiscent of “Tryna Get Down” by Carti despite the themes of love while “Super Serum” keeps his head up after some personal stuff he dealt with in 2024 unbeknownst to the public. “SRTBBL” featuring Ken Carson finishes by showing a back-&-forth chemistry over a beat from F1LTHY of Working on Dying ahead of the 00pium Twins’ upcoming collab tape.

Some feel that Lone’s output since his label deal hasn’t really lived up to the hype </3 & most of those in his fanbase will find themselves satisfied with what See U Soon </3 has to offer giving a taste of what </3³ will sound like when he feels the time is right for him to put out the tape: A return to his roots musically except he has a new perspective of things since he’s gotten older & the popularity continually growing.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Niko B – “people” review

Brand new EP from Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom recording artist Niko B. Starting at the very beginning of this current decade off the strength of his debut single “Marry Berry”, he popularity began to grow exponentially a few months later after putting out his next track “Who’s That What’s That” & the full-length debut album dog eat dog food world last spring being well received enough where people were recommending it to me. A whole year later, Niko’s preluding an upcoming sophomore effort by holding fans off with people.

“Hairclips” was a tight hip house intro telling this woman he’s hitting on how much he loves her hair being able to tell she doesn’t give a fuck by the way she cuts it while “I Like the Way You Talk Looking at Me” fuses hip hop with house & funk music asking if his partner enjoys how he speaks when they’re making eye contact with one another. “What Am I to Do?” rounds out peoplewith 1 more hip house jam talking about optimism being amazing from his perspective.

You know? It’s actually pretty awesome that people dropped on the same day as Little Simz’ brand new album Lotus because Niko B a lot like Simz sticks out to me as one of my favorite UK hip hop artists of the current decade. The production on this one is prominently centered around the hip house sound & you get to see a more optimistic side of Niko.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

D2X – “Boy in the Blue Hoodie” review

Chicago, Illinois emcee D2X coming off his first EP The Hunger Era last summer to put out a 2nd one. Releasing his full-length studio debut album The Color Blue in the spring of 2021 & later the sophomore effort Hotel 1105 a couple summers later. Like I said earlier: The Hunger Era was essentially a love letter to the Windy City that made him sending bigger shockwaves in the underground than his first couple LPs did & was wondering if Boy in the Blue Hoodie could reach or surpass that same level.

The harps at the start of “‘Twas the Day” are pleasant to the ear until the chipmunk soul instrumental comes in full effect making way for the Chicago MC to tell the story of a young boy’s dream & finding his peace in mine for the next album whereas “Light Up the Lake” takes a jazzier approach with the horns & a soulful sample making a love letter to a better version of himself. After the spoken word jazz “Miles Away” interlude, “Blue Ocean Water” sends off the tale of the Boy in the Blue Hoodie with a beat kin reminiscent of The Heatmakerz calling himself a future hall of famer.

Understandably, D2X’s continuation of The Hunger Era goes from paying homage to the City that made him giving the world an idea of where he’s from to a more introspective side of himself letting people inside of who he is as a person & his background. One of the coolest things Boy in the Blue Hoodie is that he balances the jazz rap sound he’s always been known for with the chipmunk soul style of production that RZA, Ye or formerly Kanye West, Just Blaze & as I mentioned earlier The Heatmakerz have all pioneered & popularized retelling his life’s story.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

SK da King – “No More Mr. Nice Guy” review

Baltimore, Maryland emcee SK da King returning after almost 2 years for his 3rd EP. Emerging as a member of the Checkered Flag Boyz under the original moniker Paul Skola, it wasn’t until a few years ago where he signed to Conway the Machine’s very own Drumwork Music Group as a solo act as announced by his debut single “Actions” & would go on to introduce himself to the Drumwork fanbase that fall in the form of the debut EP Horus. His full-length debut studio album Made 4 This came after Before the Album & is back once again to put his foot down saying No More Mr. Guy.

“Fuck Being Humble” was exactly how I could’ve imagined it starting off from the boom bap instrumental to the confidentially boastful lyrics never selling out unless it’s weight whereas the title track goes for a darker atmosphere so he can take the gloves off on being generous. “Not at All” switches it up in favor of a trap direction talking about putting rubber bands on the cash like lobster claws while “Hustle or Starve” grittily takes on the familiar theme of survival of the fittest.

The drums get stripped on The New King” stepping up his rhyme schemes off the dome until SK drops dime on what he’s learned in the streets & the music industry in general during “The Game 101” giving advice from his own personal experiences. “They Don’t Love You” finishes No More Mr. Nice Guy with 1 last boom bap track talking about there being nothing worse than receiving fake love from fake thugs you for everything you’ve got.

Gearing up for an upcoming sophomore effort since last summer when SK da King’s last EP Guns N Butter came out, No More Mr. Nice Guy gives me a strong feeling it could surpass Made 4 This & hopefully get more attention from heads in the underground whenever the next LP is ready. Holding the fort by himself unlike the predecessor having a few features, the penmanship of the Checkered Flag Boyz’ strongest link feels notably sharpened from when he initially signed in 2021 & the boom bap production packs a bigger punch.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Vader – “Humanihility” review

Vader is a death metal band from Olszytn, Poland consisting of original rhythm guitarist Mauser, backup rhythm guitarist Spider, bassist Hal, drummer Michał Andrzejczyk & frontman Peter. Beginning as a more traditional heavy metal group until moving on to thrash as well as speed & finally the death metal style they’ve become known for today, their first couple albums The Ultimate Incantation & De Profundis would become the most beloved entries in their discography. MNRK Music Group signed them for Black to the Blind & joined Metal Blade Records in a 3-album deal: Litany, Revelations & The Beast. Since 2009 however, they’ve been making theirselves at home with Nuclear Blast Records by putting out their last 5 LPs Necropolis, Welcome to the Morbid Reich, Tibi et Igni, The Empire & Solitude in Madness in addition to their last 3 EPs Go to Hell!!!, Iron Times & Thy Messenger on the label. Almost 5 years since Solitude in Madness, they’re reuniting for their 9th EP & the 9th project overall since the Nuclear Blast deal.

“Genocide Designed” was a tight deathened thrash metal intro singing about being a parasitic humanoid & rotten thoughts born in the deepest pits of Hell whereas “Rampage” works in more blistering tempos, technically palm-muted riffs & rapidly shredding solos describing an eternal war. “Unbending” sends off the EP with a death metal single calling to be respected for the soul he’s become even if it’s a surrealistic plea from his perspective

For only being 3 songs & 9 minutes at length, Humanihility’s viciously old school thrash metal direction contains enough ferocity to match the traditionally neck-breaking tempos Vader has become known for in the last 4 decades. It has a more personal style to it than Solitude of Madness, fusing the death metal sound they’ve become known for in over 3 decades & mixing elements of thrash along the way to hold off fans whenever their 13th album comes.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Benji Blue Bills – “Out the Blue” review

Atlanta, Georgia gangsta rapper Benji Blue Bills recruiting Working on Dying member BNYX to produce his 3rd EP. Introducing himself in 2018 off his debut EP Before the Storm, his last EP Blue saw him taking 3 years off only to return for the full-length debut Campaign Blue & a sophomore effort 500k Degrees showing significant growth compared to his earlier material. BNYX has undeniably become an in-demand producer of this decade & hearing him behind the boards throughout the duration of Benji’s official Atlantic Records debut Out the Blue had a lot of promising potential.

“I Wonder” co-produced by BNYX’s brother BEAUTIFULMVN starts with a soulful trap vibe instrumentally talking about the hunger that’s always been inside him finally coming out whereas “1-2 Step” heavily samples “1, 2 Step” by Ciara & Missy Elliott explaining that murder dancing is legitimately the only thing he knows how to do. “Feels CoreCore” heads towards a calmer, cloudier trap direction relating to what it’s like to lose a bitch leading into the rage-inducing “Morgan” finding himself going crazy.

Moving on from there, “Taco Shells” has to be my least favorite track if I had to pick one mainly due to it being one of the more repetitive moments lyrically just before the futuristically bell-woven “All the Way” talks about everything falling in place. “Aye Rage” gives new jazz a shot so he can throw shade towards jace! & “Right Key” gets on his pluggnb bag for a brief minute keeping his heart in a safe. “Down Girl” featuring Duki rounds out the EP with a bilingual romance duet doing anything if one or the other is down.

His name has come up on my radar a few times in the current decade because of his ties with DJ Phat or singles like “I’m Right Here”, but BNYX really locks in with 3B on Out the Blue enough where I can call it the greatest body of work the latter has ever conceived. BNYX’s production backs 3B’s gangsta heavy themes channeling the sounds of chipmunk soul, trap, pluggnb, rage & new jazz elevating the Atlanta artist’s whole style to coincide with his major label deal.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

A-F-R-O – “Crimson Fury” review

Right here is the 12th 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. I got to cover his self-produced 9th EP The Drawing Board last spring & of course the Stu Bangas-produced The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First surpassing it as his best material. Another spring later & Crimson Fury comes out on Bandcamp exclusively.

After a titular intro, The Cell” opens the EP with a villainously self-produced boom bap opener talking about the protagonist being trapped in a high security prison where the absolute worst occurs whereas “Brawl in Cell Block 29” keeps it in the basement instrumentally painting the image of a riot breaking out within the facility. “Shoot the Messenger” maintains a dusty vibe thanks to C-Lance talking about being ambushed right when he identifies as a free man leading into “Ricochet” featuring Percee P & Pulse Reaction bringing the trio together making their enemies sleep with the fishes.

“At All Costs” works in a jazz sample to point out the fact he sacrificed his freedom to get revenge on the very person who set him up while “The Gauntlet” featuring EYKM1536 & Motion+ over another boom bap instrumental so all 3 of them could sign up for an open challenge ready for any war when they get on their bloodsport. “No Escape” reunites with Stu Bangas evading captivity by switching uniforms safely making it out with the penitentiary exploding behind him & “Dinner with Death” marks a climactic point in the tale getting the vengeance he’s wanted.

Prominently conceptual than most of A-F-R-O’s earlier material, he portrays the role of a man named Archie who becomes incarcerated after killing the men who murdered his best friend when he was completely innocent. Once finding out another friend orchestrated the murder & framed Archie, he vows to break out of prison so he can finish the job himself & succeeding in the end. Every track ties into one another cohesively & the plot is exceptionally mapped out with the traditional boom bap sound backdropping the tale.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!