Tayo – “Farewell” review

Brand new extended play & the 9th overall from Seattle, Washington up-&-coming rapper & producer Tayo. Originally starting under the moniker ByeTayo, he started on SoundCloud close around Halloween 2021 off his first few EPs Crash on Purpose as well as Inside Voices & PM the following year. He would later go on applying pressure with couple more EPs in wintr & a sequel to PM, coming off Thank You Tayo taking himself to newer levels both artistically & personally on both Bye & Goodbye. The latter of which is the most refined he’s ever sounded, returning 6 months later to end the trilogy Bye began & Goodbye bridged with Farewell.

“rainbow 6 2” begins with an enjoyable plugg sequel to a Bye highlight nearly 13 months earlier whereas “proud of you” hops over a more upbeat instrumental to tell his bae how happy he is for her & watching himself on YouTube smoking weed. “window” incorporates another blissful plugg beat encouraging someone flexing on their own to do the same thing to these hoes while “cancer” talks about not believing this woman who wants him back.

As for “3am”, we have Tayo turning up the plugg influences so he can tell his lover that he’ll be right here waiting for her while “bailey” produced by Pi’erre Bourne tells his lover to show her patience for him. After a sequel to the Tooly? interlude, “burn” featuring Tooly? finds the 2 talking about each of their pockets staying crowed & the closer “thing about it” sends off Farewell with a 2 minute outro admitting that he gets high out of nervousness.

I may have not loved Farewell as much as I did Goodbye last fall, but I still believe that Tayo’s one of the most interesting plugg artists I’ve heard within the past couple years & would consider this to be on par with Bye around this time 12 months earlier. His knack for catchy songwriting has changed & it’s still rooted in plugg & pluggnb stylistically, although I’d like to hear him working with producers in that vein who I’m a fan of like SOULJASPIRITS or Ayelavish! for example.

Score: 4/5

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

A-F-R-O – “Blood Rain” review

Los Angeles, California emcee/producer A-F-R-O back with his 16th extended play. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo under Duck Down Music Inc. 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 and No More Patience… to let Blood Rain.

The self-produced “No H.E. Double Hockey Sticks” begins talking about him being a man of God hence why he stays away from the pits of Hell whereas “The Hangman” goes for a symphonic boom bap vibe instrumentally assuring that he ain’t the one to fuck with. Highway Robbery” featuring 4-Ize finds the 2 speaking of winning the lottery & no one taking them alive while “No Talk” flexes of being more legitimate than someone who regularly stays silent.

“Saints Row” kicks off the 2nd half of Blood Rain taking a funkier approach to the beat advising for those nearby not to make a move unless he says it’s alright to while “Antagonist hooks up an organ flip to talk about becoming more villainous the older he got. “Burn It Up” has a more ghostly boom bap flare to it staying gold because he’s always outside with his squad & the title track finishes up talking about there eventually being a sunny time.

I’m sure his full-length debut will be coming within the next 7 months or so like the No More Patience… outro last winter promised, but Blood Rain will suffice for those who’re ok with going on a quick 20 minute journey through his mind. Compared to a great deal of his earlier output, the boom bap production’s more experimentally darker even if I felt like the self-produced half of it was stronger & he sounds significantly angrier.

Score: 3.5/5

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

BVNGS – “Only Crying Because I’m Drunk Too” review

New York City emcee BVNGS has returned for her 9th extended play. Beginning over a decade ago off the strength of her debut EP Not Available, she would follow it up with 7 Dutches & a Sweet Tea, Brown Girls & Bubble Coats, Lula & Only Crying Because I’m Drunk respectively. She later blew up off her 6th EP LaQuisha in the spring of 2021 & only 4 months later, I had the privilege of meeting her at a Catch 1 show in Los Angeles & was impressed by her set. Coming off Mary Mack & Twice a Day w/ Food however, she’s admitting to Only Crying Because I’m Drunk Too.

After the “Statistics Show” intro, the opening song “In Love Again” hooks up a soul sample to get things going talking about her falling for someone whereas “Crazy” embraces a smoother sound instrumentally describing the way this person drives her insane. “Opal” takes a more melodic approach in terms of delivery asking her lover if they’d write her if she was incarcerated while “Reaction” turns up the alternative R&B influences singing about trying to relax.

“Everything That You Do” following “Apple Pie (Bianco’s Interlude)” winds down the last leg of Only Crying Because I’m Drunk Too cavernously addressing someone in her life who makes her feel complete while the syrupy Me Too” gets in her R&B bag again singing about her lover’s body calling her. The outro “Delusional” takes up the EP’s final 135 seconds on an atmospherically alternative R&B note asking this person if she’s a loss to them or if they’d miss her.

Only Crying Because I’m Drunk still remains one of the most vulnerable entries throughout BVNGS’ whole discography, but this sequel takes it up a few notches in terms of vulnerability & capitalizes on her versatility taking more inspiration from R&B music although there are moments where she’s very much rapping. I appreciate Only Crying Because I’m Drunk Too for displaying her artistic range more coming off her appearance on the late Big L’s posthumous 5th & final album Harlem’s Finest: Return of the King.

Score: 3.5/5

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

GILLtemper – Self-Titled review

GILLtemper is an east coast underground hip hop duo consisting of Millville, New Jersey rapper & producer Gibby Stites alongside Trevose, Pennsylvania rapper ILLtemper. Both of whom have already made themselves known whether it be Gibby briefly signing to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2021 or the other being 1/2 of the Even Heathens, making his Lyrikal Snuff Productionz debut last fall with Paxil Rose. However after linking up on songs like “MayNeedAxe” or “April Showers”, they’re linking up for an eponymous extended play.

After the intro, “Save Us” begins with an opener produced by Gibby where he hooks up a gospel sample & both of them are pleading to be saved whereas “Lost Puppy” takes a more darker approach talking about darkness constantly following them. “Doing Fine” works in some pianos & strings to explain that nobody’s gonna get in either of their way leading into “Violence” ending the 1st leg talking about the enjoyment they get outta watching brutality unfold.

“Song” begins the 2nd half by being intentionally unserious for 3 minutes over an orchestral boom bap beat even if I’d say it’s my least favorite track here, but then “Cruise Dread” gives off a summery vibe instrumentally talking about a murder mystery on a boat. “Misogyny” asks themselves what kind of rappers they’d be without bringing up prejudice against women & “Manic” concludes with a boom bap outro feeling like they don’t have much left.

Excluding both remixes & the intro, I’d say that GILLtemper feels more like an EP than a full-length LP although I very much appreciate what both Gibby Stites & ILLtemper were trying to do blending humor & stealth-horror with hip hop over the course of their self-titled debut. There are a couple moments I don’t see myself revisiting especially like “Song” or “Misogyny”, but I do enjoy a great bulk of the production & each performer compliments one another.

Score: 3/5

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

Lelo – “Pink Tiles” review

Another extended play & the 8th overall from Detroit, Michigan rapper Lelo. Signing to 10K Projects a couple years ago, he would make his presence known more widely in the local trap scene by putting out his 4th EP Nightingale not too long after landing a record deal & gained even more exposure a month later by dropping the single “No Contempt” on SoundCloud. LifeAfterDogshit along with When It’s Over & New Detroit would further increase his profile, coming off Mastiff earlier this month to drop Pink Tiles.

The self-produced “Mo Betta” hooks up a sped-up vocal sample to talk about turning a bitch out whereas “Get Geeked” experiments with Detroit techno to speak of getting no sleep during the weekends. “White Russian” take a more soulful approach instrumentally to discuss hustlers receiving no love while “End of the World” suggests to worry about tonight over a pluggier beat. “All I Want” embraces a dancier sound talking about making this woman feel good & “I Just Wanna” ends by admitting he wants to fuck.

I respect Mastiff’s counterpart being more musically fun than it’s was 2 weeks earlier experimenting with secondary influences of Detroit techno as well as ghettohouse & juke, but I’m admittedly on the fence with Pink Tiles since I wouldn’t put it in the same ranks as the predecessor or New Detroit & When It’s Over. His performances & songwriting both validate him as one of the best Detroit trap artists in recent memory even if the production can feel repetitive, certainly doing more justice for dance music than Drake’s 10th album Maid of Honour tried to do.

Score: 3/5

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

GRPPLNG – “H’s All Around” review

GRPPLNG is a punk band from Detroit, Michigan founded by former DPW World’s Tag Team Champions, GCW World Tag Team Champions, IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 新日本プロレス強力オープンウェイトタッグチームチャンピオン, ROH World Tag Team Champions, 3-time TNA World Tag Team Champions & WWE Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns. The full lineup however includes drummer Adam Tatro, guitarist Chris Plumb, guitarist Adam Cline, former TNA World Champion & record 10-time TNA X Division Champion Chris Sabin playing bass and lastly former TNA World Champion & TNA X Division Champion Alex Shelley performing lead vocals. However ahead of Alex & Chris signing to AEW in a couple months, they’re dropping off a debut extended play.

“Hovering” finds Alex singing about cutting his gateway drugs into 2 with all the things he does over pop punk instrumentation while “Held Out” reaches the midway point of H’s All Around pleading to let him move along. Hollowed” kicks off the 2nd half of the EP singing about being laid to rest in the graveyard of Alex’s dreams & the closing track “Hellbound” spends the final minutes suggesting for an ex to claim a spot with the bereaved if she breaks up with him.

The Motor City Machine Guns were already apart of another band called The High Crusade with former 2-time TNA X Division Champion Petey Williams back in the late 2000s so this isn’t really anything entirely new for them, but H’s All Arounddoesn’t sound anything like It’s Not What You Think even I prefer the latter. GRPPLNG eschews the alt-rock style of The High Crusade’s only album in favor of embracing a more pop punk sound exploring themes of heartache, happenstance, hubris & hope.

Score: 3/5

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

Hexxx – “Endless Night” review

The 4th extended play from Los Angeles, California emcee Hexxx has finally arrived. Coming up a decade ago off his debut extended play 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 Demon Season & the sophomore effort Tales of a Cursed G becoming west coast wicked shit classics in their own rights. Coming off the Suerte EP last summer, he’s coming back for an audio description of an Endless Night over 2 months after Persephone ended Mercedes Moné’s reign as CMLL Mundial Femenil Campeon & a couple weeks since Templario became a 2-time MLW World Middleweight Champion.

“Rock, Paper, Cemetery” reemerges out the dusk to talk about this shit being hereditary to him whereas “Crash Out” goes for a trap vibe admitting that he’s been feeling like a ghost drowning his pain away. After an interlude, “The Real” talks about his future plans of staying independent & shouting out the legitimate who’re still with him just before things take a darker turn instrumentally to discuss feeling like a “Freight Train” as of late.

After the “Ghost Dog” interlude, “Westside Samurai” keeps the west coast wicked shit coming talking about it taking a lot of pain for him to get the kinda shine he has while “Loco” gets on his g shit over a ratchet beat. “Entrance Theme” kinda has a Memphis-inspired atmosphere dedicating itself to all his fellow gangstas & once “Chrome Clouds” talks about keeping the wave moving, “Friday” sends it all off with a jazzy west coast outro for a weekend celebration anthem.

Despite putting out Suerte almost a whole year ago next month, Hexxx spent a great deal of 2025 taking a break from touring so he could dedicate all of this time towards making Endless Night the greatest thing he’s ever done in his career yet & I can definitely say it’s not too far behind the predecessor regarding his EPs. The production ranges from jazz rap to ratchet to Memphis rap & lyrically, the procurator of west coast wicked shit answers a few questions he’s had bubbling in his mind.

Score: 4/5

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

Chip Fu – “Invisible Footsteps” review

This is the 2nd solo extended play from Brooklyn, New York veteran Chip Fu. A member of the Fu-Schnickens, he would eventually put out a solo mixtape of his own 16 years earlier called Stop Playing & the sequel arrived roughly 32 months later. The Beginning of the Reckoning under Blaq Ink Entertainment in tandem with Fat Beats Records was a solid EP last summer & the highlights it had made me eager of where Invisible Footsteps would go next.

After the intro, we have the man himself welcoming us to the “Shell Down” except I feel like the trap instrumental is merely ok compared to the enjoyable lyricism whereas “Double Dutch” hooks up a more thunderous beat & flows that would make the heads of those unfamiliar with start spinning. Busta Rhymes later appears on “Have Mercy”, where both lyricists join forces over a boom bap instrumental so they can ask God to grant them lenience.

“MI-JOI” might be my least favorite track on Invisible Footsteps & that’s disappointing because I appreciate the positive messaging despite the execution of the dancehall sound while “Warning” featuring Shaquille O’Neal finds the 2 linking up to talk about those thinking they can fuck with them, assuring them they’re all sorely mistaken. “More Amor (Love)” finishes the EP fusing jazz rap, boom bap & pop rap for an ode to affection.

With all due respect to Chip Fu because I did enjoy his previous EP alongside his output with the Fu-Schnickens or guest appearances, Invisible Footsteps does have moments that I can see myself going back to since the verses as well as the flows & both guest appearances are on point. My main criticism I have towards this newer batch of material is that the production’s somewhat more inconsistent at times, which I find disappointing.

Score: 2.5/5

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

bleood – “Protagonist” review

bleood is a 21 year old recording artist from Florida whose debut EP Seal of Memories came out in the fall of 2023 followed by a handful of a-side/b-side singles preceding the Rascal 51 as well as Pain & How Bleood Stole Xmas EPs respectively. Case in point: You Don’t Need Your Skin or the divisively received IDK I Can’t Say. Coming off the Kill of B Killd EP last month however, he’s dropping his 5th extended play out of nowhere ahead of the 1c member’s full-length debut album Kill Ur Idols coming in October.

“maybach key fob” talks about popping out while he pops xanax & having as many pills as Pouya does leading into “chrome dinosaur” dissing both che & Tana along with him mentioning his beef with rexv2. “codeine tears” talks about his cup being more pink than the main character of the classic Cartoon Network series Courage the Cowardly Dog leading into “rub my belly” produced by Patrick Garza making it clear to either che or rexv2 that neither of them are in the same lane as him.

As for “on E”, we have bleood going hard at those who have no money in their pockets whatsoever just before “push” talks about punching any cornball who comes around his parts. “i aint start making money till i started doing drugs” pretty much says it all there & after “ding dong” talks about a whole Seal Team 6 running a train on a hoe who belongs to the streets, “friend or foe” concludes Protagonist airs out a bitch who treats him like a coupon.

Making up for all the delays Kill Ur Idols has gone through recently, I completely understand why bleood proceeded to drop protagonist out of nowhere almost a week since former AEW World Trios Champion Mark Davis ended Jack Perry’s reign as AEW National Champion & the lasting impression I have of it would be that I’m expecting his debut album to take himself farther from here. The experimental production has some interesting ideas built upon the sounds of rage, digicore, drill & free car music although I feel like there’s a decline in quality towards the 2nd half.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Memphis Bleek & Smoke DZA – “Trees Open Doors” review

New collaborative extended play between Brooklyn emcee & songwriter Memphis Bleek alongside Manhattan, New York emcee Smoke DZA. The latter of whom has been putting it down for over a decade dating back to when I was in high school & the other blew up in the late ‘90s signing to Roc-A-Fella Records/Def Jam Recordings. These guys have only crossed paths with each other couple times on songs like “Selling Smoke” or most notably “3 Kings” at the beginning of 2025, linking up so they can let everyone know Trees Open Doors.

“Blockbuster Night” begins with this jazzy boom bap beat talking about having a plethora of women in the room & poppin’ bottles from the throne whereas “Lock In” goes for a drumless chipmunk soul vibe instrumentally so both parties can discuss staying determined to finish the 1st half. “Slide” embraces a funkier sound aiming to get the dance floors moving & “Party of 5” featuring Christian d’Or saves my least favorite track for last, ending on a mediocre note.

This one’s definitely gonna appeal more to the most loyal fans of both Memphis Bleek & Smoke DZA because regardless of the guest appearance on the closer, I do think both east coast veterans compliment each other well over production ranging from boom bap to jazz rap & drumless, except I’m not sure who produced what because of there being no credits listed whatsoever, which isn’t new but it’s irritating when it happens.

Score: 3/5

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