Kurupt & Snoop Dogg – “The Hollow” review

New collaborative extended play between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania emcee, songwriter, actor & occasional producer Kurupt alongside Long Beach, California emcee, songwriter, media personality, actor, entrepreneur, record executive & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg. Both of whom met each other in the early 90s at the Roxy when they engaged in a 20 minute battle & signed to Death Row Records not too long afterwards, celebrating Halloween by taking their chemistry to new heights for The Hollow.

“Neighbors” after the ”Our Gang” intro kicks things off with this futuristically funky beat from Rick Rock telling us where they’re from & after “Priceless” takes a more luxurious route instrumentally thanks to Uncle Snoop himself talking about money not meaning shit when everything in life’s going the way it’s supposed to, “Get Yours On” featuring G Perico finds the trio goes full g-funk so they can tell everyone to get what’s rightfully theirs.

Soopafly appears during “Fuss About It” to commence the 2nd half refusing to complain of people building them up to tear them down while “A Dog Party” finds Snoop holding it down by himself calling for people from the suburbs to the slums to go crazy. “Survival” reunites with Young Gotti only to kill everything it had going for it by using AI for the final version of it when the original in May didn’t include that technology whatsoever until “Almost Broke My Collar” concludes The Hollow having Snoop rock it solo 1 last time.

It was telling Kurupt & Snoop Dogg were planning to have an entire collection of material when both singles came out within the span of 5 months almost 6, I completely understand why The Hollow arrived in preparation of Tha Kingpin linking up with Hus Kingpin this Christmas Eve for their own collab album Kingpin’s Theory & the Cuzznz’ eponymous LP over a decade earlier. Aside from ruining the lead single through AI usage, the classic west coast vibes & the boastful performances.

Score: 3.5/5

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Death Row Records – “The Vent” review

Beverly Hills, California label Death Row Records in founded by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C., Dick Griffey & Harry-O compiling a new 5 track extended play. A dominant force in the sunshine state during the early & mid 90s, the label began to decline due to Dre departing for starting up Aftermath Entertainment in addition to Master P signing WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg to No Limit Records & of course 2Pac’s murder currently investigating to see if disgraced Bad Boy Entertainment founder Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy was involved in. Snoop would buy Tha Row from MNRK Music Group the week of his Super Bowl LVI halftime show performance & has cleaned the label up by reviving it from the gamma. distribution deal to signing O.G.s like Tha Dogg Pound & Danny Boy or newcomers such as Merkules & D Smoke. The Vent however looks to showcase some of the R&B talent they’ve been developing.

“Together” by Charlie Bereal kicks things off with this soulfully jazzy intro navigating life with his lover whereas the self-produced “Come Up to My Room” by Tha Engineers finds the duo looking to get down to business with their partners. “Story of My Mistakes” by Flinstone featuring Lisa Santa Cruz links up for a duet themed around heartbreak & after the self-explanatory “Don’t Be Afraid of Love” by Jenn Em brings the funk, “Finish Line” by Point 5ve formerly known as Lil’ ½ Dead produced by Snoop Dogg ends the EP singing about a relationship that ran it’s course

Snoop himself said a little while ago that he’s been focusing more on R&B/pop acts which isn’t anything entirely new considering Michel’le’s 2nd & final album Hung Jury as well as Danny Boy’s full-length studio debut It’s About Time primarily produced by DJ Quik were both released under Death Row Records, but The Vent accompanies a short film released a week earlier on YouTube giving a glimpse of this next generation of artists in those respective styles whether it’s familiar names like Charlie Bereal & point 5ve or newcomers such as Tha Engineers & Jenn Em who have yet to put out a full-length debut of their own.

Score: 3.5/5

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October London – “Love Me for Me” review

South Bend, Indiana singer/songwriter & producer October London returning for his 4th studio LP. Coming up in 2013 off his debut EP The Introduction & both installments of the Color Blind series, he eventually caught the attention of WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg & signed to Doggystyle Records for his 4th EP Please Leave a Message before moving over to Death Row Records not too long after Snoop bought the label he started out at & teamed with gamma. for a new distribution deal. October Nights has since become his most celebrated material & he’s asking his partner to Love Me for Me coming off the holiday-themed For You, My Love nearly 8 months ago.

“Your Girl” passionately sings about temptation knocking at his door over a buttery beat from both Uncle Snoop & Soopafly whereas “My Favorite Song” works in some finger snaps showing off his crooning chops. “Silent Treatment” works in a funky groove & some pianos to sing about a woman who ain’t saying shit to him but once the title track wants his girl to love him for who he is, “Family Ties” reaches the halfway point explaining he makes music for this loved ones.

Meanwhile on “Hooked (A Cougar’s Anthem)”, we have October coming through with a mediocre ode to cougars just before “Dance & Mingle” takes a peppier approach instrumentally making something the audience can move to. “Body Talk” & after “Like a Canvas” incorporates some pianos to compare the love his partner has to woven fabric surface stretched over a wooden frame, the closer “Pencil Me In” concludes Love Me for Me singing about trying to get with a woman with children upstarting her business.

There weren’t any real concerns I had going into Love Me for Me since For You, My Love was created specifically for the most wonderful time of the year & October Nights remains October London’s most celebrated collection of material although I ended up enjoying this album as much as it’s predecessor nearly a couple years earlier. Snoop Dogg & Soopafly’s production is heavily rooted in the neo-soul sound exploring topics including love, commitment, vulnerability & self-discovery in only a half hour.

Score: 4/5

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Kurupt – “Tales from My Hood” review

Kurupt is a 53 year old MC, songwriter, actor & occasional producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who relocated to Hawthorne, California to comprise 1/2 of Tha Dogg Pound with Daz Dillinger. He eventually made his double solo debut Kuruption! under A&M Records almost 3 decades earlier, following it up with a widely praised sophomore effort Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha & Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey until dropping Against tha Grain through Death Row Records in tandem with MNRK Music Group to mixed reception. Same Day, Different Shit produced by Daz & his previous full-length Streetlights each left audiences further divided even if the latter helped launch Young Gotti’s own imprint Penagon Records, remaining on Tha Row now distributed by gamma. following Daz’s departure to have DJ Battlecat solely produce his 7th studio LP.

After the intro, Sneacc Attacc” featuring Charlie Bereal & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg begins spitting that gangsta shit over a g-funk instrumental whereas “Me N the Boyz” samples “Mothership Connection (Star Child)” by Parliament to talk about getting money. “Special” featuring Jane Handcock finds the pair getting romantic over a smooth beat while the summery “Mystic River” represents the D.P.G.C. even after Daz & Snoop fell out.

D Smoke & Snoop Dogg appear on “Wat U Do to Me” bringing back the g-funk vibes instrumentally to kick off the 2nd half of the album talking about him & his Death Row inmate being unable to fake how they do things but after “Love Letter” featuring Jane Handcock soulfully addresses the people in their lives who were made for them, “West Coast Muzik” once again shifts towards a g-funk direction representing the west coast hip hop scene altogether.

“Mindstate” featuring Ill Camille gets the Tales from My Hood’s final act going embracing a jazzier sound & some grown man subject matter Tha Kingpin’s delivering while “I Don’t Luv Her” featuring Akeem Ali & Soopafly brings the trio together so they can promise their soulmates that they’re not in love with anyone else over a g-funk beat. The closing track “Gunna” sends it all off suggesting for people to duck whenever he’s out in public.

Considering how much of a superiorly skilled performer Kurupt has always been on the microphone, I found myself being more excited for Tales from My Hood than I have been with Daz’s last few solo efforts & it sure enough makes up for Against tha Grain’s mediocrity by surpassing Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha to become Young Gotti’s finest hour by himself. DJ Battlecat’s g-funk production paired with one of the most underrated lyricists of all-time who also became 1/2 of the Gotti Mob & 1/4 of The HRSMN makes for possibly the strongest album Death Row’s dropped this year.

Score: 4/5

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Point 5ve – “Take a Look at Me Now” review

Point 5ve formerly known as Lil’ ½ Dead is a 51 year old singer/songwriter & former rapper from Los Angeles, California who dropped his full-length debut The Dead Has Arisen & the sophomore effort Steel on a Mission under Priority Records back in the mid-90s. He returned in 2012 for his 3rd album Dead Serious to generally more mixed reception compared to his major label output & over a decade later, WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg has signed him to Death Row Records distributed by gamma. to reinvent himself for a new extended play stylistically departing from the g-funk sound in favor of an R&B direction.

“Grown Man Business” featuring October London on the remix finds the pair singing about maturity while the funky “Unseen Life” produced by Uncle Snoop explains half of his life is nothing more than a film to him. The title track ends the 1st half singing about not being the same as he was while “Now or Never” encourages to wing it & not look back. “Finish Line” describes a relationship falling apart & “Keep It Warm” featuring Kanobby finishes with a duet about companionship.

Dead Serious came out back when I was in high school & regardless of that still not holding up compared to Point 5ve’s earlier material back in the day, Take a Look at Me Now marks a welcoming celebration of this new era in his career. The production’s obviously much smoother than his earlier material & I’m sure some will find themselves disappointed with the lack of rapping on here, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear how well he could sing.

Score: 3.5/5

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Rick Ross – “Set in Stone” review

Miami, Florida rapper, entrepreneur & record executive Rick Ross going solo for the first time in 5 years with his 12th studio LP. Making his debut on wax in 2000 on Erick Sermon’s 3rd album Erick Onasis, he would go on to drop Port of Miami & Trilla under Def Jam Recordings until forming his own label Maybach Music Group. Deeper Than Rap, Teflon Don, God Forgives, I Don’t & Mastermind are all rightfully regarded as his best bodies of work. Rather You Than Me as well as Port of Miami 2 & Rather You Than Me through Epic Records each had their moments, but Rozay’s independent debut Set in Stone seemed appealing considering the fact gamma.’s been distributing Maybach since 2023.

“Caviar Bumps” featuring Don Toliver on the remix produced by Fuse of the 808 Mafia talking about being the Miami version of Martin Scorsese whereas “Mahogany Caskets” featuring T.I. finds both of 50 Cent’s rivals trading verses with each other over a sample-based instrumental from Neff-U. The worst single by far was “Minks in Miami” featuring French Montana talking about elevating when it kills the vibes until “Face Down” featuring Rich the Kid gets sexual behind a captivating Metro Boomin’ & Mike Dean beat.

YFN Lucci’s appearance on “Ring Around the Rolls” was unnecessary despite the reference to the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, record-tying 3-time WWE Hall of Famer, Real American Beer founder, Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) co-founder & known racist Hulk Hogan who passed away around this time last summer until “Camel Meat” recalls an event detailed in The Renaissance of a Boss over a STREETRUNNER instrumental.

“Maybach Music VII” featuring Jeezy marks the return of Rozay’s beloved series dedicated to anyone who owns a Maybach while “Living Large” featuring BigXthaPlug comes through with an uninspired anthem about their pockets getting bigger. “Purple Fentanyl” ends the 1st leg of Set in Stone hopping over an uncanny trap beat to discuss racing for millions while “#23” likens himself to the greatest basketball player of all-time: Michael Jordan.

Continuing the 2nd half, “Porsche GT3 (RS)” talks about sending a prayer to God every single morning he wakes up even if the beat doesn’t do much for me while the pop rap-flavored “City Lights” wasn’t any better because of them trying WAY too hard of chasing a radio hit. “Chain of Command” featuring Big Tony & Nino Breeze further commences the mediocrity trading underwhelming gangsta rap verses while “Remarkable Hu$$le” featuring Leon Thomas III remembers the late Nipsey Hu$$le over a Cardiak instrumental.

“Big Fish” featuring Gucci Mane links up for a disappointing ode to their wealth & after “Diamonds Never Die” featuring Ball Greezy & Kodak Black does a worse job at talking about hedonism, “She’s My Star” featuring Yung Miami makes up for it getting romantic over a J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League beat. “Do It 1 Time” featuring Young Breed reunites both Triple C’s members for an ode to the 305 & once “The Algorithm” spends the concluding minutes wanting to go to Mars with his lover to escape, “For the Money” courtesy of Pharrell divisively experiments with reggaetón & Afropiano talking about the paper.

To celebrate 2 decades of his debut, Rick Ross returns almost 5 years after leaving a major label making an statement of independence that I found myself to be largely indifferent towards & the amount of delays Set in Stone suffered didn’t exactly help. You get the usual luxurious subject matter the MMG founder has become known for despite the production side of things falling apart midway through & overloading it with guest appearances that either stick the landing or miss it entirely, which is why I can only see myself revisiting the portion I enjoyed & hope the next full-length has more consistency.

Score: 2.5/5

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Tonio Armani – “Outside for the Summer” review

Columbus, Georgia singer/songwriter Tonio Armani enlisting Atlanta producer, DJ, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur & crunk progenitor Lil Jon to produce his brand new extended play. Dropping his full-length studio debut Love & Relationships along with the sophomore effort The Soul Train in 2019, he would go on to release Believe the following year & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg would sign him to Death Row Records distributed by gamma. following Intimacy. Making his debut for the label, it’s only right he steps Outside for the Summer.

The Ying Yang Twins appear on the intro “B.O.B. (Big Ole Butt)” joining forces over a vibrant beat so all 3 of them can talk about their love of women who have cake whereas “Walk That Line” instrumentally goes for more of a crunk&B vibe to describe a woman that he can’t seem to get enough of. “Donkey” soulfully sings about wanting all the ladies to get on down to the dance floor leading into “Line Dancer” ending the 1st leg of EP with a carefree R&B jam recalling this woman giving him a show.

“Temptation” gets the 2nd half going singing about a temptress trying to seduce Tonio when he’s already in a relationship & after “That’s My “Lady” soulfully dedicates itself to his soulmate he was referring to earlier, “Jam with Us” sings to those who’re unable to party with him that they can’t do so at all if that’s the case. “Bad Mamma” featuring Snoop Dogg finds the pair talking about women who’re well put together & the closing track “Superman Lover” featuring Nila Milan sends it all off with a laidback R&B duet with a summertime feeling to it.

Looking to celebrate his Georgian roots for our country’s semiquincentennial, Tonio Armani enlists a founding father of the crunk subgenre of hip hop to produce Outside for the Summer since he helped make some crunk&b hits back in the 2000s & would consider it to be gratifying debut for Tha Row as well as Tonio’s finest statement yet. He’s passionately honoring the people who made him the man he become today & Lil Jon’s production is more R&B-oriented compared to LaRussell’s 32nd EP Something’s in the Water.

Score: 4/5

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North West – “n0rth4evr” review

North West is a 12 year old producer, singer/songwriter, rapper, actress & music video director from Los Angeles, California known for being the eldest child of one of my top 10 producers of all-time: Ye formerly known as Kanye West. She would make her musical debut on “Talking / Once Again” & “Bomb” off ¥$’ full-length debut Vultures & it’s sequel respectively, the latter being my least favorite track on Vultures 2 personally. I did however enjoy her appearance on “Childlike Things” off FKA twigs’ 3rd album Eusexua & the “blink twice” interlude she produced for Skaiwater’s 3rd album wonderful, signing to gamma. briefly after announcing it’s distribution deal with YZY SND to drop her debut extended play ahead of her own full-length studio debut The Elementary School Dropout.

The self-produced intro “H0w Sh0uld ! f33l” opens with this rage-inducing beat sampling “Monster” by Meg & Dia to talk about everyone only seeing her appeal because who her parents are whereas “D!e” fuses hypertrap & pop rap to discuss her rockstar lifestyle. The title track shifts gears with a full metal instrumental to end the 1st half of the EP, talking about having so much people around her except she feels like it’s all fake because of their shadiness.

“Th!s tim3” gets the 2nd leg of n0rth4evr going by embracing a more industrial sound taking accountability for fumbling when this person’s heart was on the line & having no one by her side other than some bands while “W0ah” gets on a kawaii trap metal vibe talking about signing autographs in elementary school as well as running the world. “Aishite (愛して)” ends the EP with a hypertrap ode to 愛して愛して愛して by きくお featuring 初音ミク.

It can a bit blatantly obvious that North West shows us who some of her artistic influences are like Playboi Carti as well as Molly Santana & Bktherula to only name a few, but I’d consider n0rth4evr to be a decent beginning to her musical career even if I think it won’t be until she’s a bit older when her full artistic potential fully reveals itself & gives us something more groundbreaking. Her production’s more rage, pop rap, rap metal, hardstyle & Jersey club rap oriented than the chipmunk soul direction she went for on “Punch Drunk” off her father’s latest album Bully & the boastful teenage angst throughout the lyrics was somewhat expected.

Score: 3/5

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Akon – “Beautiful Day” review

Akon is a 53 year old singer/songwriter, producer, businessman & philanthropist from Newark, New Jersey who blew up in 2004 off his Universal Music Group-backed full-length debut Trouble. His sophomore effort Konvicted under his own imprint Konvict Muzik in tandem with SRC Records would easily become his best & Freedom left people divided. El Negreeto & Akonda on the contrary were more negatively received even if the latter was the beginning of Konvict becoming the first label gamma. signed a distribution deal with. The Ain’t No Peace extended play was a mediocre response to the Big Floyd protests & wasn’t so sure what I could’ve possibly expected out of his 6th studio LP.

The title track produced by J.R. Rotem wasn’t that bad of a contemporary R&B/pop reggae intro in the context of the rest of the material here graciously thanking God for the sunshine & hoping to bring people together during these troubling times whereas “Never Really Mattered” featuring SIMIEN makes me wanna listen to “Don’t Matter” instead, butchering a sample of “Love You Down” by Ready for the World.

“Ringtone” goes for a heavy dancehall vibe singing for his lover to hit his line whenever she pleases while “Way Up Der” makes a turn into Afrobeats territory promising that everything will be alright in spite of the world falling apart. “Huawei” featuring Nektunez finds the 2 coming together for a horridly outdated attempt at afro house & the same applies to “Long Road” stylistically, which wasn’t any better.

The self-produced “Sorry” for being the halfway point of Beautiful Day that gives me déjà vu of “Sorry, Blame It on Me” while “Que Calor” featuring Ochok begins with this boring attempt at going Latin & would be better off listening to Bad Bunny instead. “Mean the Same” takes a more stripped-back approach promising to always stay true while “Let You Go” featuring Tears of Joy sings about nobody wanting to leave or drown.

“Konflicted” featuring RMR advises listeners over more house production to stay strong & face the pain while “Keys” sings about having this woman’s heart on lock. “So Ruff” featuring Jahvor mediocrely breaks down having it hard growing up & after “Your Body” featuring Ozuna yearns to be the person his lover can trust, “Just a Man” featuring Stephen Marley finally puts things to an end with a reggae outro that I’d say would be one of the better tracks here.

It’s no secret that Akon went from dominating the mid-late 2000s to putting out projects that were mid at best & unlistenable at worst, but watching his music become continuously worse ever since coming back in 2019 feels reminiscent of Katy Perry going from Teenage Dream to 143. Out of everything he’s made musically, Beautiful Day is the worst album he’s done. It has nothing to do with the Afrobeats, dancehall, pop & house influences nor does it pertain to him wanting to spread positivity in the midst of chaos. The problem is that he isn’t doing either of those ideas any justice & there being artists who’re doing it better.

Score: 1/5

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Sexyy Red – “Yo Favorite Trappa Favorite Rappa” review

St. Louis, Missouri rapper Sexyy Red celebrating her birthday with her 4th mixtape. One of the most polarizing, controversial & popular artists in hip hop today who dropped her debut single “1,000 Jugs” in 2018 & eventually her debut mixtape Ghetto Superstar on Christmas Eve 2021 to subpar reception. The follow-up Hood Hottest Princess after signing to gamma.received more mixed responses in the public eye including from myself on the contrary to Anthony Fantano giving it an 8, which was what I gave her previous tape In Sexyy We Trust around the time she started making appearances for the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s developmental brand NXT. A little over a week since Tony D’Angelo became the new NXT Champion however, Yo Favorite Trappa Favorite Rappa is here after a brief delay.

Shawn Ferrari produces the intro “Her Her Her” trying to argue that no other female being able to fuck with her when Doechii or Little Simz automatically come to mind whereas “Richer Then Alla My Opps” hops over a Lil Yachty beat so she can talk about having more money than her haters. “David Ruffin” is where the tape really starts to fall apart & it has more to do with the lackluster instrumental than comparing herself to The Temptations’ late lead singer until “It Bitches” talks about her homegirls being far from lame.

“Top Motch” boisterously expresses her desire for a guy of high quality & bringing Shawn back behind the boards in the process while “Attached” brings a more menacing vibe to the beat thanks to Maaly Raw, conceptually detailing a dude who’s trying to get all up in her pants. “Bitch I’m Awesome” talks about nobody having the capability of fucking with her because she’s so gnarly while “Team Lil Booty” featuring Pluto finds both of them teaming up for an anthem dedicated to women who have flat asses.

Ending the 1st half, “Rackies” attempts to recreate the classic D4L single “Laffy Taffy” & awkwardly misses the landing although ATL Jacob’s instrumental is the best thing going for it while “Hood Bitch 2” much like the predecessor details her upbringings except I prefer the sequel in this scenario. “Cut Like Us” produced by Tay Keith introduces us to the Blood Sustaz in the most underwhelming fashion just before “Tatted Asf” makes up for it by talking about her love of tattoos.

“If You Want It” butchers a sample of “Paradise” by LL Cool J to discuss her having the ability of turning this guy’s life up because of her hoodrat lifestyle & after “Hang Wit a Bad Bitch” featuring Key Glock proved to be the stronger single of the 2 talking about Sexyy upping the score in light of all the baddies continuing to win, “All Da Hoes” hits us with another mediocre track advising not to trust her around any man & not going broke because her hoes got her back.

Less than 10 minutes to go, the song “Stick to the Code” aggressively talks about abiding by the code of the streets & having 0 time for any goofy shit while “NDA” humorously suggests that one would have to sign a non disclosure agreement prior to smashing her since she’s had players from both the NBA & the NFL tryna hit it. “YOP (U Wit a Star)” sends off the tape tolerably acknowledging the real trappers over a Metro Boomin’ & Zaytoven beat.

My thing with Sexyy Red is: You can dislike her music &/or her public image, but I still admire the fact that gamma. allows her & everyone else they’ve signed full ownership of her masters when you had Prince in court 3 decades earlier with “Slave” written on his cheek fighting Warner Records in court for his. However, anyone who was surprised as I was at myself enjoying In Sexyy We Trust a couple years ago will most likely be happier to hear me say that Your Favorite Trappa Favorite Rappa was significantly mediocre & I’d place the blame for that on the subpar guest list as well as the weaker production.

Score: 2.5/5

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