Grindset – Self-Titled review

Grindset is a MC/producer duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Fatt Father on the mic & DJ Jewels behind the boards. Both of whom have been putting it down for the city for a little over 2 decades now & have actually worked with each other a little bit in the past, but are now forming like Voltron & delivering a self-titled debut.

“Mindset = Grindset” kicks off the album with some strings & a vocal sample to spit that organic boss talk whereas “Get ‘Em” takes a grimier route keeping them shook. “Welcome to the Eastside” goes into soulful territory describing what it’s like in titular part of Detroit, but then “Bar After Bars” flips “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” by Wendy Rene urging everyone to watch how he does it right lyrically.

Meanwhile on “I’m the One You Call”, we have Fatts over some more crooning samples calling out people who be shit-talking 1 minute & needing something the next leading into Twin Towers coming together along with Trick-Trick for the solemn “Used to Be” talking about being used. Finale comes into the picture for the rugged “Tried & True” talking logistics just before the vibrant “These Heaux” talks about not having time for such.

“I’m Not the One” shoots for a more tranquil aesthetic describing how crazy the love of his life can be while “NoMoe” atmospherically talks about not letting stress consume him any longer. The song “Son & Eye” with DJ Oreeyo marks a return to the boom bap to tag team ‘em lyrically like father, like son while the penultimate track “Go Mode” with Oba Rowland is a grim trap banger talking about the titular headspace. “Tops New Tenant” then sends off the album by declaring himself as such over a lounging instrumental.

If this is just the beginning of Grindset, then I’m very much looking forward to hearing what they have in store down the road because this is a highly impressive debut from the duo. I admire how they give off a more traditional hip hop sound & coat it with a modern texture along with the range of moods that each cut puts me in.

Score: 4.5/5

Fatt Father – “Soccer Dad” review

This is the 5th full-length outing from Detroit emcee Fatt Father. Coming up as 1/4 of the world famous Fat Killahz, he eventually went solo in 2006 off his debut mixtape Tales of the Childless Father. Going on to release 3 more tapes along with 4 albums, it’s only right for Fatts to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of his previous effort King Father by dropping the long-awaited

The “Raging Angel” intro kicks off with a gospel sample as Fatt Father celebrates being reinstated whereas “The Commute” details being pulled over by a cop taking his son to a soccer game over a boom bap beat with a heavy guitar. The title track is a grimy follow-up that let’s the listener know who they be fucking with while the soul sample-laced “Stick to the Script” comes through with that grown man spiritual street corner material”.

The song “Head Shot” in pirates some organs as the Twin Towers & Tone Plummer go at those running they mouths while “Papa Free” is simply just Fatts getting a lot of shit off his chest for 3-minutes backed by a relaying vocal sample. “The Price of Freedom” of course gets on the conscious side of things with a fitting rock loop whereas “Smoke” is an up-tempo banger about how you ain’t want beef with him.

Meanwhile on “Underground Ballin’”, we get a charismatic anthem about how underground MCs can ball as much as the mainstream cats can whereas “Party of 1” talks about taking off heads over a deadly instrumental. The song “Do Better” is a cinematic cut tackling daily self-improvement while “#1” goes into a more trap direction with lyrics about failure not being an option. The song “In All Fairness” brings in some hi-hats & catchy vocal harmonies to say he ain’t do nobody wrong, but then “Truth” serves as a well-written response to those people with a dusty boom bap beat incorporating icy keyboard melodies.

I’ve been waiting on this album for almost 2 years now & I’m glad the day has finally come because this could very well be the best thing Fatt Father has ever done. A lot of the same reasons I enjoyed Bang Belushi’s latest album Rudy make it’s way onto here, especially the personal lyricism & the eclectic sounds Foul Mouth uses throughout.

Score: 9/10

Fatt Father – “King Father” review

Fatt Father is an emcee from Detroit, Michigan who came up as a member of the world famous Fat Killahz. He eventually started building a solo discography in the mid/late 2000s with projects like Tales of the Childless Father, his eponymous full-length debut, You Are the Father!, Fatherly Advice (The Legend Of James Evans Sr.) & Fatherhood. Last we heard from him was in 2016 with Veteran’s Day but with his Middle Finger Music debut Soccer Dad on the way, he’s preluding it with his 4th full-length album.

After the “Defined” intro, we dive straight into the first song “King Talk”. Where Fatts reclaims the throne over a rowdy boom bap beat from Blizzard. The next track “We Go Hard” with DJ Oreeyo is a father/son cut about how no one can do it like them over an infectiously rhythmic instrumental while the song “Look At Me Now” talks about the person he has become over a wavy beat from Marv Won. The track “Growth” speaks on his evolution over a sorrowful instrumental while the song “When It Goes Down” with Sugarae & A-Minus sees the 3 talking about throwing hands over a rugged instrumental.

The track “Bundle Up” talks about being prepared for whatever over a melancholic instrumental while the song “Burn Sumthin'” comes through with some menacing battle bars over a settle yet bleak instrumental. The track “Ok Wit That” brushes off his haters over a moody instrumental while the song “Old Future” with Isaac Castor sees the 2 talking venting about their stresses over a despairing boom bap beat from Foul Mouth. The penultimate track “Dreamin'” with Finale & Quelle Chris finds the 3 getting on the conscious tip over a preachy instrumental that enhances the mood fantastically & then there’s the closer “Keep Living”, which talks about looking forward to better days over a calming instrumental.

Fathero made a pretty solid comeback on here if you ask me. Could’ve been a little bit longer as it only runs at about 34 minutes but it’s mature, he sounds refreshed & really does manage to remind us all of his rightful place in the Detroit hip hop scene as one of the city’s most skilled MCs. Can’t wait to see where he & Foul Mouth take it next on Soccer Dad.

Score: 3.5/5