Group is a superduo consisting of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom graffiti writer, MC & producer Jehst alongside Runcorn, Cheshire emcee/producer Lee Scott. Both of whom have stood out in the UK hip hop scene for decades, starting their own labels YNR Productions & Blah Records respectively. They’ve also crossed paths with one another on several tracks over the past decade or so, kicking off a 2-part series of extended plays by dropping half of it in the middle of a global pandemic.
The self-produced “1 2” starts with this lo-fi boom bap instrumental setting it all off checking their microphones whereas “Everything I Know” featuring Lord Apex brings all 3 of them together talking about not wanting to know why this individual would like to dissect the knowledge each of them posses. “See Thru” takes a dustier approach to the beat keeping 12-gauge shotguns at point-blank ranges & the closer “José” assures everything will be around no matter what’s said.
If this is only the beginning for Group, then it has me excited to hear what else Jehst & Lee Scott could do now that they’ve combined their musical powers for an entire extended play that I have no doubts would satisfy a great deal of UK hip hop fans. Regardless of when or if the planned sequel will ever see the light of day, putting both England heavyweights over boom bap production for a dozen minutes with only 1 guest to heighten their chemistry.
This is the brand new surprise EP from New Jersey rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Russ. After releasing a total of 11 mixtapes on SoundCloud from 2011 up to 2014, he wound up signing Columbia Records in 2016 & made his full-length debut the next year with There’s Really a Wolf. However, the dude became one of hip hop’s most polarizing figures in recent memory because of being a “fake activist” against drugs & then there’s his infamous 2016 interview with DJ Vlad the culture vulture where he literally said “we need to blame producers for all the wack music today”. His 2018 follow-up ZOO kinda caught my interest due to “The Flute Song”, but the end result of it being taken over by this annoyingly bitter demeanor. This was followed up at the beginning of the year with Shake the Snowglobe which was SLIGHTLY better but now, he’s celebrating his freedom from Columbia by dropping CHOMP.
The EP begins with “Stockholm Syndrome”, where Russ & KXNG CROOKED talk about how they’re playing a whole nother game over a dreary string-laced beat. The next song “Who Wants What?” with Ab-Soul sees the 2 looking for people to challenge them over a ghostly beat while the track “Inside Job” gets in an ugly egocentric mood over a luxurious beat from DJ Premier. The song “Line ‘Em Up” with Busta Rhymes finds the 2 talking about knocking out their competition over a boom bap instrumental from The Alchemist with a hypnotic sample while the closer “Momentum” with Black Thought & Benny the Butcher sees the trio talking about how far they’ve all come over a soulful beat from 9th Wonder.
I can honestly say this EP is the best thing Russ has done yet. However, it’s still very much a mixed bag in my personal opinion. He is consistently outshined by the amount of legendary features & guest producers on every single joint throughout, as Russ’ own rapping & production are all still mediocre at best. All the Mountain Dew chugging “real hip hop” elitists & out-of-touch old heads will probably eat this up though because to them, getting all these iconic names whom I respect A LOT automatically makes it a “classic”
This is the 3rd EP from Baltimore emcee & producer JPEGMAFIA. Making his mark in 2016 with the release of his full-length debut Black Ben Carson, it wouldn’t be until the man’s next 2 albums Veteran at the beginning of 2018 & then All My Heroes are Cornballs last fall where he would earn respect across the board & reveal himself as one of the most creative minds in hip hop today. However after spending 2020 dropping a slew of singles, Peggy is compiling some of them together in the form of EP.
The opener “BALD!” gets on the battle bar tip over a cloudy instrumental whereas the next song “Covered in Money!” gets braggadocious over a glitch hop beat. The track “BODYGUARD!” is a full-blown alternative R&B cut about not wanting to go to war with his lover over a lusciously slow piano instrumental & then the song right after is a “BALD!” remix with a new Denzel Curry verse that I actually prefer more than the OG version.
The track “Cutie Pie!” compares his haters to Milli Vanilli over a boom bappy instrumental while “The Bends!” takes aim at Donald Trump over a sparse, quirky beat. The penultimate track “Rough 7” with Tommy Genesis sees the 2 over an instrumental that heavily samples Brandy’s “Never Say Never” & then the closer “living single” talks about this woman who’ll always be a part of him over an ethereal trap beat.
Pretty sure we’ve all heard these singles 1-by-1 but as an EP experience, it just makes them even better in my personal opinion. Peggy does a great job at continuing to show how versatile he can be & his production is still cutting edge. Really looking forward to hear where he takes things on his next album, hopefully in 2021.
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom graffiti writer, MC & producer Jehst dropping his 4th EP. Introducing himself by releasing an EP called Premonitions through his own label YNR Productions based out of London. He would go on to drop High Plains Drifter along with his debut album The Return of the Drifter & the sophomore effort Falling Down under the Leeds imprint Low Life Records, following the latter up with the Mengi Bus mixtape & the Nuke Proof Suit extended play. Coming off The Dragon of an Ordinary Family as well as the experimental Billy Green’s Dead, he’s compiling 4 tracks ahead of his next LP.
The title track gives off a dusty boom bap suggesting the younger artists must’ve thought he was born yesterday whereas “420 Every Day” works in a horn sample to talk about smoking weed daily. “State of the Union” gets the 2nd half of Heathens going with my favorite track here, hopping over a boom bap instrumental from Pitch 92 to letting off shots using his pen & “Body Bag” wraps things up angrily asking if anyone’s looking for a war they can’t win.
I believe there’s a good chance High Plains Drifterwill always remain my favorite EP in Jehst’s discography, but I’d have to rank Heathens as the weakest of the 4 placing it behind Nuke Proof Suit & Premonitions. However, I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking I’m trying to call this wack when it’s one of the more average entries in his catalog. His penmanship isn’t an issue, although the production dividing itself between boom bap & the experimentations of Billy Green’s Dead could’ve been stronger than I hoped for.
This is the brand new EP from Chicago, Illinois veteran Common. Coming up with off his first 3 albums in the 90’s produced entirely by No I.D., he then made his major label debut in 2000 with Like Water for Chocolate & followed up with the experimental Electric Circus in 2002. Then during the mid 2000s, he released a trilogy of albums with Kanye West’s GOOD Music beginning with Be, bridged by Finding Forever & then ending with Universal Mind Control. In the 2010s, we saw Com reuniting with No I.D. on The Dreamer/The Believer & Nobody’s Smiling. However, he started working closely with Karriem Riggins on Black America Again in 2016 as well as Let Love last summer. But with the presidential election coming up next week, Com & Karriem are back with A Beautiful Revolution.
After the intro, the first song “Fallin’” talks about how black people aren’t actually free over a mellow beat whereas the next track “Say Peace” with Black Thought sees the 2 talking about racism over a dub/boom bap fusion. The song “What Do You Say? (Move It Baby)” gets romantic over a funky beat while the track “Courageous” talks about meaning of such over a piano & live drums. The song “A Place in this World” gets optimistic over a luxurious beat while the track “A Riot in My Mind” talks about internal conflict over some live drums & guitars. The before the outro, the final song “Don’t Forget Who You Are” talks about self-worth over a joyous beat.
Personally, I think this is just what we needed to hear in light of the election. Karriem’s production is as beautiful as ever & the commentary that Common makes is very much relevant that what’s been going on all year.
Tech N9ne is a Kansas City, Missouri veteran who’s music I’ve covered countless times up to this point. From founding the independent powerhouse Strange Music alongside his manager Travis O’Guin to his insane work ethic & an incredibly lengthy discography, the man really has done a lot to the culture to solidify himself as one of the all-time greats. He just put out his 22nd album ENTERFEAR back in April, which was followed up by a great outtakes EP MORE FEAR just a couple months ago. However with the Halloween season approaching quickly, Tech is finishing the FEAR trilogy by releasing his 8th EP.
After the “Rally the Troops” intro, the first song “EPOD” with JL sees the 2 talking about being the illest over a woozy trap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 whereas the next track “I Think” is a fresh showcase of the current Strange Music roster over a grimy instrumental. The song “Sprocket” with Krizz Kaliko is yet another addition to Tech’s long list of club bangers backed by a vigorous beat from N4 while the track “Tech’s Mex” talks about his originality over a spacious instrumental.
The penultimate song “Becoming Too Famous“ talks about the crazy amount of press coverage he’s received recent years over a settle trap beat & after the “Exodus” skit, the closer “Making a Killin’ (I Ain’t Scared of Shit)” talks about moving on from the FEAR trilogy as he announces his upcoming 23rd album Asin9ne dropping next year over a ghostly instrumental.
Man, what a good way to segway into the next chapter of Tech’s career. He gives listeners an introspective look at where’s at currently whereas 7 & N4 both continue to prove both of their own sounds compliment Tech the best. Beyond excited to hear where he takes things next year.
This is the new surprise EP from Detroit hip hop label Majik Ninja Entertainment. Founded by Twiztid in 2014, they’ve proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the underground with an all-star lineup of artists & a consistent work ethic. They dropped a fantastic showcase compilation in 2017 called Year of the Sword but almost 3 years later, the label’s coming together once more on Songs of Samhain.
After the “We Only Have So Much Time” intro, the first song “Wash” by the House of Krazees talk about murder over a somewhat quirky beat while the track “9lb. Hammer” by Twiztid is a full-blown rap rock moshpit starter. The song ” Murder Carnage” by Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox & Lex the Hex Master sees the 3 getting violent over a rubbery beat from Godsynth & Stir Crazy but after the “Nursery Rhyme from Another Time” interlude, the track “Die on Samhain” by Alla Xul Elu & the Axe Murder Boyz portrays themselves as serial killers over a nocturnal instrumental.
The track “Death Talk” by the House of Krazees talks about being lunatics over a rock-tinged beat while the song “Haddonfield 2 Crystal Lake” by Twiztid compares themselves to Michael Myers & Jason Voorhees over a somewhat funky beat. The EP finishes with “In My Head”, where Twiztid contemplate about whether or not they’re insane over a spooky instrumental.
Overall, this is a short but sweet surprise effort from one of my favorite hip hop labels in recent memory. All the artists stand out in their own unique way & given everyone’s history in the horrorcore subgenre, they all come together with a consistent batch of songs just in time for the Halloween season.
This is the brand new & highly anticipated album from London, England, United Kingdom born albeit Atlanta, Georgia raised rapper, songwriter & occasional producer 21 Savage. Coming on my radar by appearing on the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class list, he continued to make a household name for himself in the current trap landscape by dropping his 2nd EP Savage Mode with Metro Boomin’ producing it in it’s entirety shortly after. Then came his full-length debut Issa Album & an incredible collab album he did with Offset called Without Warning the following year, but it wouldn’t be until the end of 2018 where 21 dropped his most mature work to date with i am > i was. Fast forward a little over a month later, he was arrested by ICE after it was revealed that he was born in the UK & stayed in the US on an expired visa. Luckily, he was freed 10 days later & has been laying low for the most part since then. However, 21 is reuniting with Metro for a sequel to Savage Mode.
After the Morgan Freeman intro (who narrates the whole album), the first song “Runnin’” talks about buying a Hollywood bitch over a best sampling of Diana Ross’ “I Thought It Took a Little Time (But Today I Fell in Love)” while the track “Glock in My Lap” talks about being strapped everywhere saying y’all more pussy than Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder & Neuralink founder Elon Musk over a haunting instrumental from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & the So Icey Boyz. The song “Mr. Right Now” with Drake sees the 2 getting raunchy over a wavy beat while the track “Rich Nigga Shit” with Young Thug finds both of them getting materialistic over a spacious instrumental.
The song “Slidin’” spits that gun talk over a ghostly beat while the track “Many Men” is pretty much his own version of 50 Cent’s “Many Men (Wish Death)” down to sampling the actual joint itself. After the “Snitches & Rats” interlude, the actual “Snitches & Rats” song itself Young Nudy take aim at 6ix9ine then the track “My Dawg” pays tribute to Nipsey Hu$$le over a trap beat with some melancholic keyboard passages.
The song “Steppin’ on N****s” gets bloodthirsty over a beat that kinda has a dirty south feel to it while the track “Brand New Draco” gets boastful over a vibrant beat. The song “No Opp Left Behind” talks about corrupt cops over an instrumental with an apocalyptic atmosphere to it while the penultimate track “RIP Luv” talks about giving up on romance backed by a mournful beat with some co-production from Zaytoven. The album finishes with “San N Done”, where 21 ponders if this new chick is gonna ride for him over a nightly instrumental.
We all know that many sequel projects don’t exactly live up to the hype of the predecessor, but this is definitely an exception. 21’s maturity is very much present on here as it was on his last full-length album about 2 years ago & Metro Boomin’ manages to remind listeners of his place as one of the greatest producers in the trap subgenre.
Lord Goat is 46 year old MC most known for being a member of the seminal New York underground quartet Non Phixion. His 2004 solo debut The Art of Dying is a certified underground classic & it wouldn’t be until 9 years later when it was followed up with Electric Lucifer. He just dropped Coffin Syrup back in March & now 7 months later, here we are with a brand new EP produced entirely by Stu Bangas.
The opener “Red Asphalt” talks about murder over an icy instrumental whereas the next song “Infernal Majesty” with Vinnie Paz sees the 2 talking about being top notch spitters over an unsettling boom bap beat. The track “Devious” talks about how psycho he is over an ominous instrumental while the song “Mystics in Bali” with Ill Bill finds the 2 talking about Satanic antics over a grimy beat.
The track “AGC” with NEMS sees the 2 bragging & talking their shit over a demented instrumental while the song “Live from Mexico” with Blizz, Ill Bill & Spit Gemz finds the 4 talking about mobbing on dudes over an frightening beat. “The Neighborhood” with Apathy sees the 2 talking about what it was like growing up in their hometown over an hair-raising instrumental while the penultimate track “John Stamos” talks about engaging in criminal activity over a spooky beat. The EP finishes with “Glasses Onion”, where Lord Goat & Recognize Ali talk about carving up their competition over a heinous instrumental.
I think Final Expenses is the best thing that Lord Goat has put out ever since he returned to the rap game & I’ll even say it’s right behind The Art of Dying for his magnum opus. He sounds as relentless as ever on the mic & Stu Bangas does a great job at providing a great musical backdrop for him as well.
This is the 4th EP from Las Vegas, Nevada rapper Ouija Macc. Coming up in 2017 as a protege of the Insane Clown Posse & signing him to their label Psychopathic Records, his 2018 full-length debut Gutterwater saw him putting his own spin on the SoundCloud aesthetics & has consistently been grinding since with videos as well as mixtapes like Waterdamage & Resistance: The Walk to Wasteland, he just dropped Resistance II: Hell’s Holotape back in May & now after putting out PRETTY/UGLY just a couple months ago, Ouija is teaming up with Ayshon for Zodiac.
The opener “Fucc Face” is a moshpit anthem with rambunctious instrumental while the next track “Pussy Murda” gets sexual over a skeletal beat. The song “Pew Pew” taunts his haters over a plinky instrumental while the title track talks about receiving head from a Cancer bitch over a druggy beat.The song “Vertigo” continues the shit-talking while the track “Something New” talks about how he’s been working like crazy over a beat with a dark atmosphere to it. The song “Trash Can” talks about being built as if he was a dumpster over a demented instrumental & then the closer “Can’t Even Tell” talks about those who he thought were on his side over a cloudy beat.
Even though I prefer Resistance II: Hell’s Holotape & PRETTY/UGLY, this EP is still enjoyable. It’s refreshing to hear Ouija work with a different producer again & he continues to present himself as a unique face on the Psychopathic roster.
