Roc Marciano – “Marciology” review

Long Island emcee/producer Roc Marciano has returned with his 11th full-length studio album. Starting out in the very late 90’s as a member of the Flipmode Squad, he then went solo in 2008 to drop classic albums that would pave the way for those like Griselda such as Marcberg & Reloaded. He would begin focusing on producing projects for other artists like Flee Lord & Bronze Nazareth following Mt. Marci but after enlisting The Alchemist to produce The Elephant Man’s Bones which I gave a perfect score, we’re being taught Marciology.

The self-produced title track is this ominous opener reminding that he done brought game to the rap game whereas “Goyard God” works in these luxurious piano chords thanks to Animoss so he can shit on everything. “Gold Crossbow” keeps the exuberant boom bap vibes going boasting he has more style in his small toe than your whole torso leading into “True Love” going into soulful turf for a dedication to all his ghetto homies.

“BeBe’s Kids” brings a groovier approach instrumentally talking about others not digging your style because shit’s foul while the crooning “Bad JuJu” featuring Larry June strips the drums courtesy of Uncle Al breaking down to the rich lifestyles that they both live. “Tapeworm” brings a symphonic vibe to the beat talking about being too high class to work with purse snatchers & he is if we’re being honest with ourselves here, but then “Killin’ Spree” featuring Crimeapple brings the 2 together over a rock sample painting images of the gangsta life.

Meanwhile on “Went Diamond”, we have Marci over more strings teaching those who don’t know by now that their worst enemies be their own pride & ego just before “Higher Self” featuring Flee Lord & T.F. yet again builds itself on operatic sampling talking about leaving bullets flying even through your grandma’s room referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE United States Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WCW World Tag Team Champion Rick Rude. “LeFlair” ruggedly breaks down doing everything from scramblin’ to pimpin’ & panderin’ while “On the Run” featuring Jay Worthy having this infectious vocal flip talking about always being on the lamb.

“Larry Bird” featuring GREA8GAWD & Knowledge the Pirate draws near the end of our Marciology lesson with these jazzy woodwinds throughout referencing the titularly iconic Boston Celtics player of the same name that is until “Floxxx” concludes the album toning down the jazz influences talking about never losing his touch, which he hasn’t.

Marc always comes correct whenever he puts out new music and although Marciology isn’t flawless like The Elephant Man’s Bones was, anyone who’s familiar with his discography should know what they’re getting themselves into by now. The production is mostly drumless with additional undertones of boom bap & jazz rap very much like the predecessor charismatically spitting that illustrious pimpire shit.

Score: 4.5/5

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Busta Rhymes – “Blockbusta” review

Brooklyn emcee, songwriter, producer & actor Busta Rhymes has returned for his 11th full-length solo LP. Coming up as a member of the Leaders of the New School, he would go on to turn heads in the spring of ‘92 off the strength of his verse on “Scenario” off of A Tribe Called Quest’s iconic sophomore album The Low End Theory. The dragon would see greater success as a solo artist with full-lengths like The Coming, When Disaster Strikes…, E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, Anarchy, Genesis & The Big Bang. However when E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God dropped a couple Devil’s Nights back, it would find Busta returning to form considering the mixed to subpar reception of B.O.M.B.S. (Back On My Bullshit) & the Cash Money Records-backed Year of the Dragon. However after preluding Blockbusta last year by putting out The Fuse is Lit to mixed responses, Busta’s ringing in Black Friday put unveiling his Epic Records debut.

“The Statement” asks how many times does Busta have to remind everyone that he’s one of the greatest over a cloudy trap beat from Timbaland whereas “Remind ‘Em” featuring Quavo finds the 2 talking about running it up over some hi-hats attached to a loop with this Godly aura surrounding it. “Beach Ball” featuring BIA draws inspiration from snap music thanks to Hitmaka boasting that they blow money faster than Rozay just before “OK” featuring Young Thug details both of their lifestyles over a celebratory Cool & Dre instrumental.

Moving forward, “Could It Be You” featuring Yung Bleu brings the 2 together on top of a bass guitar explaining that the way they live is different & the bag chase is consistent leading into the funky “Luxury Life” featuring Coi Leray laced by Swizz Beatz displaying a back-&-forth chemistry from both artists getting lavish. “Big Everything” featuring DaBaby breaks down the big money & dreams that they both envision even though the instrumental doesn’t catch my interest, but then “Roboshotta” featuring Burna Boy talks about fucking everything up & Pharrell bringing a tropical vibe musically.

“Tings” aesthetically picks up where the last cut left off keeping it equatorial so Busta can boast his lyrical abilities while “The Return of Mansa Musa” gets in his warrior bag over a tribal beat that I personally find to be appropriately fitting. “Stand Up” featuring JNR CHOI dabbles with drill music a bit sampling “Gangsta’s Paradise” by the late Coolio as both of them call out those whom they initially thought were loyal individuals while “Open Wide” featuring Shenseea fuses elements of dancehall with hip hop tackling themes of romance.

Meanwhile, the woodwind-heavy “Hold Up” that Dez Wright helped Timbo cook up flexes that he be showing up on every single block while “The Hive” featuring Giggs returns to trap territory to warn everyone that’s tuning in that their killer bees do in fact sting. “Homage” featuring Kodak Black addresses going from Y.G.s to O.G.s. in the rap game with Wheezy supplying one of the best trap instrumentals on the album while “Legend” talks about everything being legendary letting her see the way he does it & the beat here is actually underwhelming.

The song “Slide” warns not to get caught up inside another trap & that he’s steppin’ over an infectiously catchy instrumental from DJ Ted Smooth while the penultimate track “Legacy” featuring his children Cacie, Mariah & Trillian is a family affair lavishly telling everyone to show them some love. Things end with a cutthroat sequel to “If You Don’t Know Now You Know” produced by Cardiak & Focus…, which was a bonus cut off B.O.M.B.S. (Back On My Bullshit.

Considering how great of a comeback E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God was & the 3 executive producers that Busta brought in for his first major label outing in almost a decade, I didn’t really have any reason to be concerned about Blockbusta. Now that the final product is in front of us, I’m admittedly torn on it unlike that previous LP that we got during the pandemic. He returns to a more commercial sound compared to the predecessor’s rawness which I completely understand, it’s just hit or miss sadly.

Score: 2.5/5

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Busta Rhymes – “The Fuse is Lit” review

This is the debut EP from Brooklyn emcee, songwriter, producer & actor Busta Rhymes. Coming up as a member of the Leaders of the New School, he would go on to turn heads in the spring of ‘92 off the strength of his verse on “Scenario” off of A Tribe Called Quest’s iconic sophomore album The Low End Theory. The dragon would see greater success as a solo artist with full-lengths like The Coming, When Disaster Strikes…, E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, Anarchy, Genesis & The Big Bang. However when E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God dropped a couple Devil’s Nights back, it would find Busta returning to form considering the mixed to subpar reception of B.O.M.B.S. (Back On My Bullshit & the Cash Money Records-backed Year of the Dragon. But to warm everyone up for his upcoming 11th album, Busta’s coming together with The Fuse is Lit.

“Break This Bitch Up” kicks off the album with a Middle Eastern instrumental from Swizz Beatz talking about how he can’t be stopped whereas “Slap” is a vintage boom bap cut produced by Marley Marl as Big Daddy Kane & Conway the Machine come into the picture to spit some hardcore bars tremendously. The song “Hot Sex, Pt. 2” has a more electronic quality to it courtesy of Aftermath Entertainment in-house producer Focus… with the lyrical themes being reminiscent of the Tribe Called Quest joint “Hot Sex” while the penultimate track “Bulletproof Skin” with Skillibeng is a decent dancehall/hip hop crossover. “Run It Up” though is a jazzy closer with Busta showing motherfuckers how it’s done.

E.L.E. 2 was an incredible return to form for the Dragon & for him to give us this as of way of holding people off until the next full-length, I wouldn’t say it’s as great but the high points on this EP are most definitely worth your time. The overall sound of it is eclectic from boom bap to dancehall & jazz rap with Busta remaining to be strong with the pen.

Score: 3.5/5

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Roc Marciano – “Mt. Marci” review

Roc Marciano is a 42 year old MC/producer from Long Island, New York who started out in the very late 90’s as a member of the Flipmode Squad. He then went solo in 2008 & has dropped 8 albums since, with the latest being Marcielago last December. Almost a year later, Marci is following it up by dropping his 9th full-length album.

After the “Allegories” intro, the first song “Downtown 81” talks about breaking bread at the penthouse over a savory Jake 1 instrumental while the track “COVID Cough” with ScHoolboy Q sees the 2 getting murderous over a perilous beat. The song “Wheat 40s” talks about not playing the hero role over some strings while the track “Spirit Cookin’” with Action Bronson finds the 2 on their mobster shit over a piano & a woodwind boasting their girls get busy like UFC Women’s Strawweight Chamlion Zhang Weili.

The song “Pimps Don’t Wear Rabbits” talks about those hating need to quit over a grimy beat while the track “Butterfly Effect” talks about trusting the process over a jazzy instrumental. “The Eye of the Whorus” with Stove God Cook$ sees the 2 talking about being paid to gloat referencing WWE Hall of Famer & 4-time WWE tag team champion Chief Jay Strongbow over a funky beat while the song “Steel Vagina” talks about this woman betraying him over a bare piano instrumental.

The track “Broadway Killa” with Kool Keith finds the 2 talking about being cold blooded over an instrumental with some frightening synths while the song “Baby Powder” is well played 2-parter as Marci talks about hustling drugs over an peaceful instrumental from Chuck Strangers, but then transitions into some triumphant horns. The track “Trench Coat Wars” talks about smoking weed in a g-wagon over an eerie instrumental while the song “Wicked Days” talks about how no angel can stop the bullets over a murky beat & the Trent Truce feature is wack as fuck.

The track “Garbage Pal Kids” talks about how this chick’s gonna run if he calls her over a guitar while the song “Crocket N Tubbs” talks about how real bad boys move in silence over an alluring beat. The album ends with the title track, where Marci spits about writing it in coke oil over some keys & a high-pitched vocal sample.

It’s no secret that Roc Marciano has paved the way for cats like Griselda throughout the previous decade & this is a great way for him to kick off his 2020s output. His gritty lyricism never fails to amuse me this deep into his career & the production is on point as always too.

Score: 4/5

Roc Marciano – “Marcielago” review

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This is the surprise 8th full-length album from Long Island heavyweight Roc Marciano, who started out as a member of the Flipmode Squad from the late 90s & early 2000s. He then went solo in 2008 & has dropped 7 critically acclaimed albums since, with his last 3 all coming out just last year. But after laying low throughout a good bulk of 2019, he’s finishing off his prolific decade with Marcielago.

After the “Select Few” intro, the first song “Molly Ringwald” finds Marci gets flirtatious over a lush instrumental from Animoss. The track “Choosin’ Fees” spits that drug game over a soulful beat while the song “Richard Gear” gets reflective over a lavish instrumental. The track “Ephesians” by Metal Clergy sees Marci getting mafioso whereas Ka gets conscious over a nocturnal instrumental while the song “Tom Chambers” with Knowledge the Pirate sees the 2 tells their competition not to get into their way over a jazzy beat.

The track “I.G.W.T. (In God We Trust)” talks about only having one another over a piano & a soul sample while the song “Puff Daddy” with Cook$ gets bloodthirsty over sinister instrumental. The track “Boosie Fade” with Westside Gunn sees the 2 spitting battle bars over a suspenseful beat while the song “Bomb Shelter” with Willie the Kid sees the 2 flexing over a soothing jazz sample.

The track “Saw” gets back on the mafioso tip lyrically over a haunting instrumental from The Alchemist while the song “SAYLAVI” is a clever play on the French phrase “c’est la vie“ & I like how trippy the Animoss beat is. The track “God Loves You” gets on the more motivational side & the church-like instrumental suits it fantastically, but the hook is just alright. Then before the “Legacy” outro, the final song “Joe Jackson” finds Marci bragging over a blaxploitation-esque instrumental.

Roc truly has been a leading figure in hip hop’s East Coast renaissance throughout the 2010s & this was a fantastic way for him to finish it off. There are a few spotty moments on here, but it feels like the musical equivalent to a crime film from the production to Roc’s lyricism getting sharper & sharper over time. Can’t wait to see what he’ll do going into the new decade.

Score: 4/5

Roc Marciano – “Behold a Dark Horse” review

Roc Marciano is a legendary underground MC/producer from Long Island, New York who started out in the very late 90’s as a member of the Flipmode Squad. He then went solo in 2008 & has dropped 5 albums since, with his last one Rosebudd’s Revenge 2: The Bitter Dose being released in February of this year. However, he has decided to drop his 6th full-length album out of nowhere exclusively on his website.

Things start off with “The Horse’s Mouth”, where Roc brags about how dope he is over an eerie beat from Preservation. The next song “Congo” contains some gritty street bars over a Roc instrumental that contains some punchy drums & a guitar while the song “1,000 Deaths” gets confrontational over some strings. The song “Diamond Cutters” with Black Thought sees the 2 spitting battle bars over a middle eastern instrumental referencing Mayweather Promotions founder Floyd Mayweather while the track “Amethyst” talks about being a threat in the streets over a somber instrumental from Animoss, but the hook halfway through was awkward.

The song “Sampson & Delilah” gets back on the battle bar tip including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson over a woodwind heavy instrumental from Doncee despite another wimpy hook while the track “No Love” with Knowledge the Pirate sees the 2 talking about trust over a beautiful soul sample from Roc himself.

“Trojan Horse” with Busta Rhymes sees the 2 getting mafioso over an instrumental that reminds of me “Wildflower” off of Ghostface Killah’s classic 1996 solo debut Ironman while the track “Fabio” goes at talentless rappers as well as bragging about himself over an instrumental from The Alchemist that starts off laidback, but then switches into something more eerie halfway through.

The song “Secrets” gets romantic over a spacey beat from Roc himself while the penultimate track “Whoolers” returns to the braggadocious tip over a soulful horn-induced beat from Animoss. The album then ends with “Consigliere”, where Roc gets into the lavish life once again as well as challenging his competition over an orchestral instrumental from Q-Tip.

As I expected, Roc didn’t disappoint at all. I don’t care for the parts where he’s singing at all, but the beats & the lyrical content are just as gritty as they’ve always been. If you wanna hear a horribly underrated vet sound rawer than ever before, then give this a listen.

Score: 4/5