Harlem Heat – Self-Titled review

New collaborative EP from Buffalo, New York emcee & singer Elcamino alongside Stamford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base. Both of whom have already been establishing themselves with Mino putting out an eponymous EP under Griselda Records in 2017 & of course Base garnering traction off the Say Dat trilogy. Being on Black Soprano Family Records together for a couple years at this point, they’ve decided to team up & take their duo name after WWE Hall of Famers as well as record 10-time WCW World Tag Team Champions & former RoW Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat.

“Promise” kicks it all off with a crooning sample boasting of not having to worry about the neighbors since they don’t even have any whereas “Hunger Games” shrugs off each & every one of the fools speculation of being in bad deals aside from a questionable Diddy line. “Free Griselda Ticket” works in a heavy piano sample to talk about being in the moving business before rap while “Luxury Dope” featuring Jay Worthy finds the trio guaranteeing the lean coming if a fiend standing straight. “Protect Me” strips the drums to get God to keep watching over them going forward & “Gave ‘Em Hope” ends by talking about holding hate not being an ideal way for them to live.

Figured we would’ve gotten a sequel to Moving Base O.T. since it came around this exact time a year ago, but Harlem Heat leaves enough of a lasting impression regarding what both parties can do together when paired. Fuego Base’s comparison of himself to current NXT commentator, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE United States Champion, 14-time WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hardcore Champion, RoW Tag Team Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Booker T is validated & the way Elcamino’s delivery compliments Fuego’s feels reminiscent of former RoW Tag Team Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, WCW World Television Champion & 10-time WCW World Tag Team Champion Stevie Ray.

Score: 3.5/5

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Moving Base O.T. – Self-Titled review

Moving Base O.T. is an east coast hip hop duo consisting of Fuego Base & O.T. the Real. The latter of whom has been making noise in the underground for the past several years now whether it be The Irishmanor Maxed Out & the other made his debut over a year ago signing to Black Soprano Family Records & becoming Hartford, Connecticut’s Biggest Since Camby. O.T. eventually signed to B$F, enlisting araabMUZIK to produce his debut for the label Zombie last fall. Fast forward 8 months later, he & Fuego are teaming up to put out their debut together.

After the “Real Sopranos” intro, the first song “Arithmetic” starts off the album jumping over a raw boom bap instrumental talking about every dummy wanting to be an earner as well as 2 rappers getting stuck 1 night & it wasn’t them whereas “Battle Scars” featuring Benny the Butcher finds the trio morbidly cautioning that those who think they’re safe are done in actuality. “Hometeam” keeps it boom bap talking about jumping bail & breaking the bond while everyone else was playing Pokémon, but then “Bodies” goes rap rock to catch 1 body after another.

“Overpass” featuring Rick Hyde tensely advises to let the junkies free since it’s already rampant out here leading into “Pirouette” featuring Allstar da Great grimily talking about a brick that’s all natural & a bitch breaking her neck after taking a sniff. “John Doe” featuring Sule brings the trio together over kicks & snares airing out dudes driving their girls’ cars like they own it themselves just before “BrownStone” aggressively tells the listener it’s either us or them & to pick a side. “Keith Sweat” ends the LP ruggedly detailing how strong the coke is.

These guys have always crossed paths with one another since obviously they’re both signed to the same label, so I wasn’t opposed to the idea of bringing both of them together throughout the duration of an entire album & hopefully Moving Base O.T.’s debut here is the first of more to come. The production is consistently centered around the traditional east coast boom bap sound, 75% of the features bring their own flavor to the table & each MC elevates one another lyrically.

Score: 4/5

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Fuego Base – “Biggest Since Camby” review

This is the proper full-length debut from Hartford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base. Getting his start a few years ago off his debut EP Tell My Momma Imma Rapper, he would continue to build up his catalog by going on to drop another EP called Tell My Momma Imma Rapper Still & the Say Dat mixtape trilogy before Buffalo’s very own Benny the Butcher signed Fuego to his ever-growing MNRK Music Group imprint Black Soprano Family Records last year. So considering this new label deal of his, dude’s making it clear that he’s the Biggest Since Camby to come out of the forgotten place of Hartford.

After the intro, the title track opens up the album by letting everyone know who’s running the city now over a dusty boom bap instrumental with some bass licks prior to Elcamino & 38 Spesh both coming into the picture for “Blocked” produced by the latter as the trio talk about the only thing on their mind being the paper & wealth over a more synth-based sound. “Heavy D” brings back the kicks & snares with a piano loop getting on his hustler shit just before the warm “Chest Pains” talks about having to get his people right.

Meanwhile with “Holding On”, we have Heem tagging along so both MCs make it clear that they stay strapped when cruising down the city with an atmospheric Rick Hyde beat leading into “Quality” with O.T. the Real returns to the boom bap orchestral style making it clear that excellence is the standard. “House Phone” fuses some kicks, snares & a crooning sample making it clear they’ve been running it for a grip until “Take a Look” dives into trap turf as Benny the Butcher, Lo Pro, Ricky & Uncle Murda discuss pushin’ weight.

“The Warehouse” with Benny & O.T. was a great choice for a single making their great escape from off the corner over some hi-hats & strings until the sequel with Benny, Camino & Heem keeping the string sections in tact swapping out the hi-hats with more kicks & snares talking about being the bosses they are. The solemnly produced “Tommy Brown” with Rick Hyde & Sheek Louch finds the trio asking where the fire in their eyes went while the penultimate track “White Lives Matter” featuring another recent Black Soprano Family signing Sule takes it back to the basement courtesy of Havoc admitting he’s too comfy in this music shit. “Ron Francis” though is a powerful closer to the album making it clear that they love the residue more than hoes.

You can most definitely hear the hunger in Fuego on his early material, but he really takes it to another level on Biggest Since Camby to the point where I can most definitely see it being the album that renews the public eye’s interest in the Connecticut hip hop scene & one to reveal him to be a welcoming addition to the ever-growing BSF roster. He sounds more focused than ever, it’s more well-produced & it’s really interesting to hear how well he gels with his fellow labelmates as well as their affiliates.

Score: 3.5/5

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