Lil Uzi Vert – “Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2” review

This is the surprise 5th mixtape from Philadelphia sensation Lil Uzi Vert, who solidified himself as a forefront in the modern trap scene with his 2015 mixtape LUV is Rage & then Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World the year after. Since the release of his 2017 debut album LUV is Rage 2, Uzi had been entangled with a nasty legal battle with his label & it was just earlier this month that he was able to put out his sophomore effort Eternal Atake with the help of Roc Nation. Fast forward to a week & here we are with Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2.

The album kicks off with “Myron”, where Uzi talks about biters over a joyous Oogie Mane & Supah Mario beat. The next song “Lotus” shows off over a trap beat from Don Cannon with what sounds like an old video game sample while the track “Bean (Kobe)” with Chief Keef sees the 2 of course paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant over a signature instrumental from Pi’erre Bourne. The song “Yesssirskii” with 21 Savage sees the 2 charismatically getting materialistic over a blissful instrumental while the track “Wassup” with Future sees the 2 talking about winning over an atmospheric instrumental.

“Strawberry Peels” with Gunna & Young Thug sees the 3 talking about partying over an abrasive Wheezy beat while the track “I Can Show You” energetically flexing over an orchestral trap beat. The song “Moon Relate” talks about how women are all the same over a cavernous instrumental from Danny Wolf while the track “Come This Way” talks about how fly he is over a calming beat.

The song “Trap This Way (This Way)” talks about his crew over a cloudy instrumental while the track “No Auto” with Durkio Krazy sees the 3 getting confrontational over a grimy instrumental from none other than DY. The song “Money Spread” with Young Nudy talks about their current lifestyles over a Pi’erre beat that sounds like it was made in the year 3020.

“Got the Guap” featuring Young Thug sees the 2 talking about being rich over a ethereal Outtatown instrumental & then there’s the closer “Leaders”, where Uzi & ΠΔV of all people compare themselves to Jim Jones of the People’s Temple over a psychedelic trap beat from Brandon Finessin’ of Working on Dying.

Honestly, this is better than Eternal Atake. It sounds more focused, the songwriting has improved as have the performances & production choices have improved, almost all the features really come together & Uzi recaptures the aura that made the first Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World so special.

Score: 4/5

Lil Uzi Vert – “Eternal Atake” review

Lil Uzi Vert is a 25 year old rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that became a household name in the trap scene with his 2015 mixtape LUV is Rage & then Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World the following year. Since the release of his 2017 debut album LUV is Rage 2, Uzi has been entangled with a nasty legal battle with his label. But with the help of Roc Nation, he’s finally putting out his long-awaited sophomore album.

Things kick off with “Baby Pluto”, where Uzi energetically introduces a new alter ego over a trap beat from Brandon Finessin’ of Working on Dying & Bugz Ronin with some twinkling keyboards. The next song “Lo Mein” flexes referencing Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder & Neuralink founder Elon Musk over a spacious beat while the track “Silly Watch” continues to brag over a rubbery Supah Mario beat. The song “POP” awkwardly gets raunchy over a bassy Oogie Mane beat with a strange synth lead as well as a part during the final verse where the word “balenci” gets repeated to the point of annoyance, while the track “You Better Move” tells his naysayers to back up over a flawless sample of the Microsoft pinball game.

The song “Homecoming” talks about how much of a boss he is over a bouncy beat while the track “I’m Sorry” sends a message to Brittany Byrd over an atmospheric instrumental. The song “Celebration Station” triumphantly talks about where he is now over a dystopian Outtatown instrumental while the track “Bigger Than Life” talks about his success over a trap beat with a harmonious vocal sample throughout.

The song “Chrome Heart Tags” continues to talk about Brittany over a hypnotic Chief Keef instrumental while the track “Bust Me” is a catchy sex anthem. The song “Prices” shows off Uzi’s wealth over an amazing sample of Travis Scott’s “way back” while the track “Urgency” is an moody lovey dovey duet with Syd that goes better than I had anticipated.

The song “Venetia” is another wealth anthem that’s just as energetic as “Prices” while the track “Secure the Bag” asks his opponents what they really about over a psychedelic beat. The song “P2” is a pointless sequel to “XO TOUR Llif3” down to the TM88 instrumental while the penultimate track “Futsal Shuffle” showcases a new dance move over an electro-trap beat. Then there’s the closer “That Way”, which is a modern take on the classic Backstreet Boys song “I Want It That Way”.

“New Patek” was a fun trap, pop rap, cloud rap & plugg single that was left off the final version for whatever reason there may be referencing former 2-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 8-time WWE tag team champion, 8 time WWE Cruiserweight Champion & アイアンマンヘビーメタル級王座 Rey Mysterio.

Despite not being on par with LUV is Rage or Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World, I think it delivers after the long wait. Could’ve used a couple more features & the concept kinda gets lost after a while, but Uzi sounds completely refreshed & the production is really colorful. Really glad to see him come back & rise above all the label drama the way he does on here.

Score: 3.5/5

Twiztid – “Generation Nightmare” review

Twiztid is a horrorcore duo from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Jamie Madrox & Monoxide. The duo started off as members of the House of Krazees with The R.O.C. before splitting off in 1997, eventually being taken under the wings of the Insane Clown Posse & signing to Psychopathic Records shortly after. They ended up staying with them for 15 years & sporadically wrestled during the first few years after Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) was formed, leaving the hatchet at the end of 2012 to form their own label Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2014. But now coming off the final Vans Warped Tour last summer as well as the 2nd year of their own annual pop culture convention a couple months ago, the demented duo & Astronomicon founders are back on the scene with their 12th full-length album.

After the “Live Forever” intro, we dive into the first song “Phlegm in the Windpipe”. A rap metal fusion where Jamie & Paul pretty much take a jab at society. The track “Speak Of” talks about being unique over an instrumental with some rubbery bass & a quirky synth while the song “Something New” speaks of changing the game over an abrasive beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7.

The track “Siamese Amazement” is a throwback to the punk sound that they dabbled with on Mutant, Vol. 2 while the song “Sick Mind” talks about being insane over a bass-heavy trap beat from Godsynth. The track “Here with the Dead” vents about their stresses over an empowering instrumental while the song “Disappear” talks about escaping drama & the chaotic beat is perfect.

“Bring Me Back” serves as an energetic companion to the previous joint while the song “Magic Spellz” is pretty much a refined sequel to Twiztid’s last attempt at going nu metal on “Nothing to You”, which landed on their previous album The Continuous Evilutions of Life’s ?’s. However I don’t know if it’s just me, but Monoxide kinda sounds like he’s impersonating Eddie Vedder on here.

The track “Livin’ @ the Bottom” talks about celebrating themselves over a Three 6 Mafia influenced trap beat & after the short but motivating Jamie solo cut “Skit 17”, the song “Let It Flow” boasts about their skills over a minimalist beat. The track “Don’t Be Hatin’” with Young Wicked pretty much speaks for itself over a bouncy instrumental while the song “Role Models” makes clever references to all of the celebrities who’ve committed heinous sexual acts lately over a gloomy beat.

“Wreck” to me sounds like a cliched rock song that you can find in a sports video game while the song “If It Matters What I Think Now” is a dedication to people who have their backs over an acoustic guitar passage with some drums thrown in. The track “4 the Nightmare Children” is a grimy ode to the outcasts & after the “End of the Beginning” outro, the final song “Strike” is a gruesome showcasing of Twiztid’s newly formed supergroup with Alla Xul Elu called the Venomous 5.

At first in felt that Generation Nightmare was better than Fearless Fred Fury because I was disappointed with it altogether even after the fact that parts of the “Fury!” video were filmed at my uncle’s store. However the more I’ve sat with it, I happen to find myself going back to Fearless Fred Fury & even it’s bonus EP Flip the Rat a lot more comparison. The production is kinda catered to that Warp Tour sound which makes sense considering that they performed as part of last year’s Warp Tour lineup & they previously performed in ‘03 Warp Tour, it’s that the results are decent.

Score: 3/5