Ransom – “Smoke & Mirrors” review

Jersey City wordsmith Ransom is back for his 12th EP & the 2nd of 2024. Coming up as 1/2 of the short-lived duo A-Team alongside Hitchcock, he branched out on his own in 2008 following their disbandment beginning with the full-length debut Street Cinema & the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort The Proposal. But it’s been safe to say these last couple years have been his biggest so far whether it be the 5 EPs that he put out produced by Nicholas Craven, 7 based around the 7 deadly sins, Heavy’s the Head produced by Big Ghost Ltd., the Rome Streetz collab album Coup de Grâce, or even his last couple albums Chaos is My Ladder, Director’s Cut 4 & Deleted Scenes 2. Lavish Misery produced by Harry Fraud was a step above Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child & hearing that MadeinTYO was producing Smoke & Mirrors.

The title track starts off with a bare guitar loop talking about the time coming to fight the good fight & he was never suited for the bottom at any point his career whatsoever while “Antebellum” gives off a bit of a soulful vibe instrumentally delving further into drumless territory telling a woman not to put a bandage over her permanent flaws & Che Noircountering Ransom’s verse by lacing the best feature of the 2 on the EP. The closer “Human Nature” featuring J. Arrr subsequently wraps up the 3 track, 9 minute listening experience working in lavish piano chords to discuss history choosing a victor.

I wouldn’t say that Smoke & Mirrors is as near-flawless as Lavish Misery was 4 months back, but there’s no denying as someone who’s never considered himself a fan of MadeinTYO other than maybe “Uber Everywhere” that I genuinely didn’t know what to get out of this EP going in & am impressed with what he had to offer. His production is more drumless than Harry Fraud’s was on Ransom’s previous EP & the lyricism from the latter as well as both guests do it justice. I just wish they could’ve gotten a couple more tracks outta it.

Score: 3.5/5

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Autumn! – “You Never Was Mine” review

Here we have the 21st EP from Louisiana rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Autumn!. Gaining traction off all 20 of his previous EPs & a full-length debut on SoundCloud since 2018 prior to signing to Victor Victor Worldwide & Republic Records succeeding the Not Much Left EP, he made his major label debut nearly 2 years ago with his sophomore effort Antagonist! as well as following it up with the last 2 installments of the Golden Child trilogy & Midnight Club. Wick just delivered a sequel to Solitary in the spring & is back for You Never Was Mine.

“Now They Shocked!” is a vibrant plugg opener telling y’all to best believe whereas “F My Wrist!” keeps working synthesizers & hi-hats talking about what happens when your pockets start getting heftier. “Take Her Phone!” takes the cloudier route instrumentally brushing off the bullshit & going in at those who thought it was over for him, but then the synth-driven “Force His Hand!” addresses everyone that lost their minds.

The rage-inducing “Scammers Jackboys Robbers!” rounds out the first half of the EP discussing the type of people he hangs around while the beat on “Rose Gold Patek!” kinda gives me Detroit trap vibes showing off his new luxury watch you can’t find anywhere else. “Passionfruit Lemonade!” talks about being rich forever over synths & hi-hats just before the piano/trap hybrid “How You Mad!” shows off 30 bitches in his crib.

“Undercover!” nears the conclusion of You Never Was Mine blending a psychedelic loop with his-hats bragging that he made a total of $200K in only the span of 11 days & finally, “Backcourt!” officially ends the 2nd EP that Wick’s given us this year talking about knowing someone that chose the wrong side asking God for only bad bitches & fast cars explaining that at least he got his bread up regardless if he might not be happy yet at this point in his life.

What was supposed to be R5 and Pretty Girls & Fast Cars wound up becoming the first installment of a trilogy that makes me curious as to where he’ll go from here on the other 2 installments later once that time comes. His production maintains the trap/pop rap sounds of Solitary 2 except Autumn!’s swapping out the Chicago drill undertones of that previous EP in favor of rage & pairing it with additional elements of plugg.

Score: 3.5/5

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Tony Shhnow – “#NoOneElse” review

Atlanta, Georgia plugg pioneer Tony Shhnow following up his 7th album Out the Woods with his self-produced 14th EP. Being introduced to his music after my younger brother J$zpiech showed me his 4th mixtape Black Billionaires Club & the song “Vet” off the full-length debut Da World’s Ours 3, he then continued to turn heads with his 8th mixtape Reflexions to critical acclaim last summer & I honestly wish I covered it considering that some of his best songs are on there like “Finessin’” or “Forgive Don’t Forget”. He then returned to his plugg roots on the BeatPluggz produced Plug Motivation, Love Streak showed a more sensual side to him, Shadowbanned 2 dabbled with new sounds & is starting the 2nd half of 2024 explaining there’s #NoOneElse like him 4 months after coming Out the Woods.

“Fort Myers to Atlanta” featuring SB Nunkk starts off with synths & hi-hats talking about catching them in both titular areas of Florida & Georgia that they represent whereas “Everything Match” kinda has a pluggier tone to the instrumental to flex that his whole outfit matches entirely. “Yale” talks about how good the brain is over a rubbery trap beat with some bells just before the grittier “1 of Dem 1’s” explains the fact that the Shnnowman built different, which is facts.

After the “Rap” skit, “Fall Down” nears the conclusion of the EP working in more synthesizers & hi-hats talking about being around once everything collapses in the end while “Check” moves on from there with a peppy ballad dedicate to those who be fresh to death out here. “Yeen Got Deez” featuring 10 Dunkin ends #NoOneElse pointing out that ain’t nobody else got it the way both of them do.

Out the Woods was a solid album of it’s own, but I have to admit here that I’m leaning more towards this new EP here in terms of quality. Best project of the 2 he’s given us in 2024 & will go down as one of the strongest EPs of his entire career. He really flourishes behind the boards cooking up production better than the last LP all by himself & validating that he’s genuinely 1 of a kind veteran in the underground scene.

Score: 4/5

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Boldy James – “Across the Tracks” review

Detroit veteran Boldy James linking up with Conductor Williams for his 7th EP. Breaking out in the fall of 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set). He would later go on to land a contract with Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records for a little while before getting locked up but once Boldy came home, Uncle Al would help get his name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China. This was followed up with the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols which was as equally fantastic, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. Bo Jackson though would become his most critically acclaimed work to date & Super Tecmo Bo was almost as great for an EP. Fair Exchange No Robbery produced by Nicholas Craven also became an essential until Penalty of Leadership surpassed it & Mr. 10-08 produced by Futurewave is up there too, so hearing that Conductor was producing Across the Tracks sounded as thrilling of an idea on paper.

“Terms & Services” starts off with a soulful boom bap beat talking about the first brick he ever touched being the worst one whereas “All Madden” featuring Bo Jack goes for a cloudier approach instrumentally referring to themselves as the real apex predators. “Flying Trapeze Act” brings back the soul samples flexing the way his youngin’ be catching bodies leading into “The Ol’ Switcharoo” unsettlingly talking about the all-nighters giving him vertigo.

Meanwhile on “Undisputed”, we have Conductor dabbling with more of a trap sound so Boldy can remind everyone he got the right mix just before “Lamp Shade” goes drumless talking about them coming to confiscate his onions sooner than later. “St. Juliana” soulfully moves on from there staying 2 commas in & 7 figures strong, but then “Permission” featuring Double D keeps the sampling going talking about needing the ok from them to make the hit.

“Offwhite Lumberjack” nears the conclusion of Across the Tracks on some lo-fi rap rock shit acknowledging that he’s been fucked up in the head ever since they took Tonya from him later referencing the late アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Tag Team Champion, WCW World Television Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, 4-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall prior to “Stamps in the Middle” wrapping up the EP jumping on top of victorious horns talking grey squares keeping the stamps dead in the middle of them & comparing the Cuban on his neck to that of a whole trophy made out of diamonds.

Boldy already dropped a top 10 album of 2024 in Penalty of Leadership right when it began & now he’s concluded the first half of the year by putting out an EP that’s as highly enjoyable. His lyricism is rawer than the previous LP’s personal themes & Conductor Williams’ spot as one of the most in-demand producers in hip hop today as well as the standout member of Griselda’s in-house production trio The Heartbreakers is reaffirmed demonstrating his range more.

Score: 4.5/5

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Esham – “Amuse-Bouche” review

Detroit emcee/producer & Reel Life Productions founder Esham back for his 8th EP ahead of his 24th full-length. Widely acknowledged as the godfather of horrorcore alongside his former Natas cohorts Mastamind & the late TNT, his run from 1989-2005 (particularly the albums KKKill the Fetus, Closed Casket & Doubelievengod?) would go on to lay out the groundwork for subsequent horrorcore acts such as the Insane Clown Posse & even Eminem. His output from Sacrificial Lambz onwards (essentially after his 2-album deal with Psychopathic Records from 02-05) has been a little hit or miss even though I love the single “S.S.M.D. (Stop Selling Me Drugs)” & Dichotomy respectively. Psyops however was creative detour for Esham as he self-produced the whole thing for the first time in a while conceptually revolving around what it was like for him living in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the George Floyd protests & a more rap rock inspired sound. But coming fresh off escaping Purgatory last summer, East Side Hoes & Money is looking to serve the appetizer before the main entree on Amuse-Bouche.

The first song “Détroit (De-twah)” is a grimy self-produced trap opener to the EP talking about being stuck in the trap trying to get this cheese & after the first “French Lesson” interlude, “Back 2 Detroit” goes straight up boom bap charismatically telling the story of The Unholy himself. After the “Ahmooz-Boosh” interlude, Stretch Money went from growing up listening to his uncle playing Dead Flowerz & KKKill the Fetus to teaming up with the acid rap inventor himself on the single “Transmission Fluid” with it’s cloudy atmosphere & hi-hats repping 2 different generations of the east side, but then we’re treated to a surprising sequel to the title track of Esham’s first EP Erotic Poetry.

“Death by Snu Snu” named after a quote from one of the best Futurama episodes advising that “they don’t take sex styles back broken” & after another “French Lesson” interlude, “X-Men” featuring Jack Frost & Mastamind gives me a jazzy boom bap vibe instrumentally thanks to Dead Heat nearing the conclusion of the EP by having all 3 MCs explaining that some of y’all out here need to learn how to keep a different hoe & “I.G.S.O.I.D. (I Gotta Stop Or I’ll Die)” officially wraps up Amuse-Bouche talking about drug addiction & having to actually try to break the habit or else he’ll lose his own life.

Keeping in mind that Esham has a whole new LP coming down the pipe at some point in the near future, I completely understand why put banged out 7 new songs & sprinkling only 3 interludes in-between until then. In fact, this EP makes me excited for the new album since it further continues towards the trajectory that Psyops started & Purgatory traveled further down in the sense he’s gradually making better projects again. His production balances old & new sounds, the very few guests are fine represent different generations of motor city & the godfather of the wicked proves he’s still very much a capable storyteller.

Score: 3.5/5

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King Krule – “SHHHHHHH!” review

Archy Marshall also known by his stage name King Krule is a 29 year old musician, singer/songwriter, rapper & producer from London, England, United Kingdom introducing himself in 2011 off the strength of an eponymous EP inspired by singer/songwriter, bedroom pop, art pop & neo-psychedelia. XL Recordings caught on to it, signing him & putting out his full-length debut 6 Feet Beneath the Moon primarily basing itself around singer/songwriter, art rock & indie rock. His 2015 sophomore effort A New Place 2 Drown released on my 19th birthday had more of an experimentally abstract hip hop vibe than his previous work, The Ooz made a lot of people including myself into fans returning, Man Alive! incorporated more neo-psychedelic post-punk influences & Space Heavy swapped the post-punk elements out in favor of slowcore. But preparation for his 6th album, Archy’s following up Hey World! by releasing his 3rd EP.

“Achtung!” starts by mixing gothic rock, neo-psychedelia, dream pop & post-punk refusing to turn back whereas “Time for Slurp” leans heavier towards post-punk with additional elements of goth rock & deathrock apologizing for his bad communication. “Whaleshark” crosses over bedroom pop, singer/songwriter, bossa nova, lounge & jazz-rock singing about waiting for his lover all day & all night that is until “It’s All Soup Now” ends the EP pulling from a slacker rock, slowcore, jazz-rock & post-punk reflecting on the complexities & absurdities of life. The bonus track “Flimsier” fuses neo-psychedelia, slowcore, slacker rocker & post-rock overwhelmed by the weight of the world on our shoulders.

SHHHHHHH! is pretty much an official collection of all the exclusive singles that Archy had put out 15 months ago when he was on tour, so for him to actually make an entire EP out of it & give these songs more exposure for any of his fans who have yet to hear them is amazing when you think about the consistency of his discography in the last dozen years or so. He has constantly proven himself as a man of many talents further exemplified by the collection of post-punk, neo-psychedelia, art rock, jazz-rock, singer/songwriter, slacker rock, slowcore, lounge, bossa nova, bedroom pop, goth rock, deathrock & dream pop tracks to start the summer.

Score: 4/5

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Fury & Tre Lb – “You Already Know” review

Bristol, Connecticut emcee Fury joined by Detroit, Michigan emcee/producer Tre Lb. The latter starting out accompanied by Southwest Sol as 1/2 of the Chop Shop being the younger brother of Psychopathic Records co-founder Shaggy 2 Dope of the Insane Clown Posse with the other being the founder of Leathal Wreckords, the organizer of the Leathal Weekend festival held in New Hampshire for almost 10 years & even 1/2 of Something Awful alongside Bizarre of prior D12 fame. We’ve never heard both parties on wax together previously but since Tre’s performed at Leathal Weekend 5 with his brother a couple years back, I was more than open about You Already Know heading into it.

“Burning Bridges” gets the EP going jumping over pianos & hi-hats explaining the bridge is burned so y’all can’t cross that river at all whereas “Rydin’ Though” produced by Tre Lb himself goes into a cloudy trap direction instrumentally to talk about taking shots & making the show pop soon as they hit the spot up. “Laughing to the Grave” featuring Dr. Gigglez brings a hellish tone to the beat finding humor in things that aren’t appropriate & “Stars” wraps it all up profoundly talking about flying away when looking at the sky during the evening.

1/12 & The Return of the Absent Minded Producer are great places to start for any underground head who isn’t already familiar with Fury or Tre Lb respectively, but to hear them crossing paths with one another for the duration of an EP wound up becoming my favorite project either one of them have done since the latter 2 I mentioned earlier. The production’s more trap-based, both MCs match each other’s intensity & gear fans up for the 7th installment of Leathal Weekend later this summer headlined by the newly reformed Kottonmouth Kings, Monday Night RAW Superstar/WWE World Tag Team Champion R-Truth of the Awesome Truth, Bizarre, Esham & Mastamind and King Gordy.

Score: 3.5/5

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Alla Xul Elu – “The Magic Xul Bus” review

This is the 3rd EP from Ohio horrorcore trio Alla Xul Elu. Consisting of Billy Obey as well as Joey Black & Lee Carver, they broke out in 2015 as a duo by releasing their first 2 albums Head of Horns & Sci-Co that same year. This was followed up with their 4/20-themed debut EP Necronomichron in 2017 & adding Carver into the fold shortly after, but it wasn’t until Twiztid signed them to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2018 when the Xul Boys’ music got increasingly better. Their MNE debut The Almighty is unquestionably the greatest horrorcore album of the 2010s, their 2019 sophomore EP Church of Xul took a much darker approach, Mauxuleum made it in the top 10 of my Best Releases of 2020 list despite them ditching their signature boom bap sound for a more industrial, trap metal direction & Necronomichron 2: Dead by Bong was a superior sequel to their 4/20 EP. Ahead of Camp Xul 4 weekend however, they’re getting the party started opening the doors to The Magic Xul Bus couple months after Astronomicon.

The title track is a grimy boom bap opener to start the EP with all 3 members trading the mic back-&-forth with one another taking the Xuligans on a journey on The Magic Xul Bus itself whereas “Smoke Stop” works in more kicks & snares on top of an ominous loop so they can talk about getting stoned. “Fucked Up” goes for an electronic trap direction instrumentally admitting they’ve been getting too wild at the party that is until “Buried Alive” ends the EP with pianos, kicks & snares getting on the wicked shit.

It’s been rumored for a while now that the upcoming Xul album Gods of Evil Rise produced by Mike E. Clark will be the trio’s final MNE release & hopefully we get an official update on it from A.X.E. themselves during their event at the very end of the week but either way, The Magic Xul Bus is sure to satisfy the Xuligans who’ve been waiting a tad over 3 years to put out new material excluding the Lost Lakes Estates collab effort with their protégés the Super Famous Fun Time Guys about 9 months ago. In only 12 minutes, they return to their horrorcore/boom bap stylings occasionally expanding their sound beyond trap.

Score: 4/5

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Nasaan – “Error 404” review

Nasaan is a 25 year old MC/producer from Atltanta, Georgia by way of Detroit, Michigan notable for being the son of the late D12 de facto leader & in my opinion the greatest Detroit emcee of all-time Proof. Some of you may remember him for releasing the Def Jam-backed debut EP Kiss of Karma in July of 2019, which gave listeners a taste of what was to come from the promising Motor City up-&-comer. Now that he’s been signed to Atlantic Records since last summer, Nasaan’s further establishing himself by returning with a 2nd EP.

After the “ERROR” intro, the first song “Goated” featuring Royce da 5’9” on the intro is this off the wall trap banger talking about his greatness whereas “Devil to Atlanta” takes the futuristically bassy route instrumentally talking about bringing Satan himself to the ATL. “Top N****r” featuring Daniel Hex starts off melodically until aggressively transitioning & boasting his top dog status, but then the dynamic “It’s Giving…Leo” produced with mR. pOrTeR encouraging a bitch to tell him about himself.

“Key Up!” gives off a cloudy trap vibe thanks to Turbo & Pooh Beatz lifting the seat in his Maybach up prior to “Stepping on Shit” featuring SWAVAY taking a vibrant approach generally spitting braggadocio. “Lunchroom Freestyle” featuring Babytron shows off their charisma for a couple minutes while the atmospheric “Land of Cap” dedicates itself to his father. “Cullinan Gang” featuring Icewear Vezzo ends the EP smoothly exclaiming they don’t believe in relaxation.

On his Atlantic debut, Nasaan returns after 5 years telling listeners what it was like to grow up & live in Atlanta with every track stemming from an experience of his & bring it back home. He even invites guests from Detroit to this world in a successful attempt to blend the 2 worlds, continuing to build upon the trap sounds of Kiss of Karma & establishing an indentity of his own detailing the personal growth he’s gone through since.

Score: 3.5/5

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Big Trip – “Honestly Filthy” review

This is the 3rd EP from Detroit, Michigan emcee Big Trip. A member of The Umbrella collective, he introduced himself in 2021 off his first EP Bullet Tooth Tony followed by another one Crasseux of course the full-length debut album Filth Be Thy Name. All of which showed the underground what Big Trip was capable of doing on his own, but felt Honestly Filthy would elevate since Maryland emcee/producer Jamil Honesty was hopping behind the boards for it.

“And Now You Know” starts off ruggedly introducing y’all to his sound refined whereas “Death Wish” takes the boom bap route instrumentally talking about everyone out there who want him dead. “Serenade” works in a pleasant soul sample encouraging to get rich by being real ones doing real shit prior to “Underplays & Overlays” featuring Ty Farris hooking the kicks & snares back up talking about making plays.

Starting the EP’s latter half, “Major League” gives it to them ice cold over a jazzy boom bap beat while “Gillie & Wallo” featuring Jamil Honesty likens themselves to the $1M Worth of Game hosts of the same names. “Filthy Cabaray” gives a middle finger to the fame & the imposters only wanting the money & finally, “Life’s a Gamble” ends Honestly Filthy talking about on some cutthroat shit likening his squad to gorillas & whipping up in the tank like Master P.

Being the 4th project that Big Trip has released of his own in the span of 3 years since beginning to make waves in the underground, it now zips past everything that he’s done previously to quickly take the #1 spot as the crown jewel of his entire discography so far. The production that Jamil Honesty’s cooks up is an excellent refinement of what you’ve heard from Trip in the past & the Detroit emcee jots down some of the hardest bars of his career yet.

Score: 4.5/5

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