Gucci Mane – “Episodes” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper, record executive & entrepreneur Gucci Mane celebrating 1017 Day with his 17th album. Notable for being one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy, of course you can’t forget to mention him having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. Breath of Fresh Air exactly 2 years ago was a decent 2-disc offering & to coincide with his new memoir, the 1017 Global founder has recorded a companion soundtrack to Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Madman.

The title track produced by Pooh Beatz works in some pianos, hi-hats & a 2 Chainz vocal sample to talk about going crazy until taking the soulful trap route instrumentally so he can reflect going from bad dreams to “Beautiful Nightmares”. We get some more pitched sampling during “Voices” talking about dropping all of his artists besides Pooh Shiesty & Foogiano leading into “Psycho” questioning if his mental health has been declining.

“Gucci Special” vibrantly talks about leaving the whole parking lot annoyed after pulling up to kill that bitch while “Only Time” cautions at the last time someone tried to fuck with him, he almost caught a murder case. “Still So Icy” playfully talks about feeling like WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson with 2 tigers in his crib just before “Rich N***a Problems” breaks down the cons that come with being wealthy from his own personal experiences.

The chipmunk soul/trap fusions from earlier carry their way onto “I Need You” throwing a hint of pop rap into the mix paying tribute to his wife Keyshia while “Cold” swaps out the soul elements in favor of acoustics talking about going from the bed to the floor with his wife. “In Common” discusses the similarities between him & women who don’t take shit from anyone while “Savages” flexes that your favorite actress is on her knees kissing his ring.

“Money” locks in with Murda Beatz to talk about his children loving to spend their bread & him falling asleep with stacks in bed while “Forest” with co-production from Bricks da Mane boasts of him moving invincibly because of the invulnerability he’s had throughout his whole career. “Record Deal” talks about his way of life being waking up while chasing bags while “Real” discusses his boss status & 2 decade plus longevity over synthesizers & hi-hats.

OJ da Juiceman appears for the nostalgic “Back Cooking” taking it back to the mid/late 2000s whipping work again while “Preference” talks about not having any kind of favorite hoes over Honorable C.N.O.T.E. incorporating some pianos. “You Don’t Love Me” featuring Sexyy Red samples “I Think I Love Her” playing off one another’s verses perfectly while “Hit” featuring Bossman DLow didn’t need to be included whatsoever since it originally appeared on DLow Curry.

“Heard” starts the final leg of Episodes by talking about hearing all kinds of crazy regarding a hoe he’s familiar with whether it be the sex causing men to break the law & not having a car as a result of low income while the soulful trap hybrid “Lust or Love” asks the woman he has in mind what her intentions with him. “Just Like Me” finishes it all of with 1 final trap song talking about spending money like it grows on trees.

I‘m still pretty in different towards Breath of Fresh Air, but Episodes surpasses what very few expectations I had going into it with the most enjoyable Gucci Mane album since Ice Daddy excluding the So Icy Boyz compilation. The production Pooh Beatz primarily handles is significantly more interesting than it was 104 weeks previously & thematically, he’s basically giving the world a look at his own struggles with mental health.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers)” review

I believe this is the 56th mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia rapper as well as record executive & entrepreneur Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy, he also has one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s previous solo effort Breath of Fresh Air last fall was just a middle-of-the-road double disc experience & is having DJ Drama host the long-awaited G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers).

The title track gets us started by referring to himself as the Greatest Of All Trappers over a bouncy trap instrumental whereas “Rich Niggaz” has a more playful atmosphere to the beat from Zaytoven talking about starting to become rich 18 years ago. “Kicked In” produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. energetically explains that you can’t get high without these hoes because they’ll give you herpes leading into “Questions” grittily observing all these broke muhfuckas lookin’ sad out here.

“Leak” humorously talks about a hoe as fine as Kim Kardashian the night before & waking up the next morning lookin’ like Chief Keef without makeup while “Hypocrites” calling out those sayin’ it ain’t about the money on their bullshit knowing good & well that it really is. The sequel to “Making Love to the Money” picks up where The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted highlight left off just before “4 Lifers” triumphantly gets his flowers since Wop gave life to the culture.

Starting the tape’s final leg, “I Told Myself” talks looking like $500M every time you see him over a suspenseful trap instrumental while “1 Thing About It” vibrantly pushes towards the conclusion by getting with some of that paper. “Chanel Bag” featuring JT formerly of the City Girls has an eerier beat looking to maintain each other’s statuses as fly & “TakeDat” ends the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers) with a vicious diss aimed at Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy.

Gucci’s discography is large enough to the point where it’s accepted that he’s gonna have some misses & G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers) easily stands as the most I’ve enjoyed a project from him since Ice Daddy in the summer of 2021 commemorating him becoming a father. There’s obviously much less filler than there was on Breath of Fresh Air, the production has improved & the 1017 founder reassured his status in the trap subgenre.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “Breath of Fresh Air” review

Gucci Mane is a 43 year old rapper, record executive & entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s last solo effort Ice Daddy in 2021 was a solid commemoration to fatherhood & he’s looking to return in the form of his 16th album following former 5-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, former PWG World Champion & WWE’s Director of Live Events Adam Pearce’s first night as the GM of the Monday Night RAW brand on USA Network.

“Must Be Me” is a soulful, jazzy trap opener talking about how he’s seeing something that everyone else doesn’t whereas “Bluffin’” featuring Lil Baby hooks up these synthesizers & hi-hats together so both of them can call for some of these people out here to throw their hand in & stop all that cap. “Thank Me” featuring the late Young Dolph gives off a manic atmosphere musically boasting they got blue cheese in their pockets leading into “Trap Money” with underwhelming features from Li Rye & Sett hopping over a classy sample & more hi-hats flexing that they still got paper from their hustling days.

Dolph returns for the rubbery “Pretty Girls” produced by Mike WiLL Made-It showing off all the baddies that they have surrounding them just before “Glizock & Wizop” featuring Key Glock happens to be a decent introduction to the titular trio of the same name from the synth-woven trap beat to the boastfully icy lyrics. “Internet Chatter” makes it known that he isn’t phased by all the things they say about him online accompanied by a minimal trap sound that Dez Wright & Murda Beatz cooked up just before the shimmery “Talkin to the Streets” featuring Mac Critter drops off decent braggadocio.

“There I Go” featuring J. Cole has these cavernous undertones to the beat that Mike WiLL brings to the table here knowing that the hoes jump out the gym for both of them while “Mr. & Ms. Perfect” feels like a spiritual successor to a highlight off Wop’s 8th mixtape Mr. Perfect over 15 years ago. “I Know” vigorously produced by Tay Keith declares his awareness off how much it hurts people knowing he’s doing well while the piano-driven “Stomach Grumbling” ends the first half of the LP explaining that they want to be him despite the difficulty of doing so.

To start the 2nd leg, “Business Not Personal” gives off a theatrical edge instrumentally advising not to get emotional over any business matters as it has nothing to do with you personally while the cloudy “King Snipe”featuring Kodak Black & Richie Souf talks about being real from the jump. “06 Gucci” featuring DaBaby & 21 Savage finds the trio paying homage to Chicken Talk/Hard to Kill-era Gucci delving into the gangsta lifestyle accompanied by strings & hi-hats while the spacious “Pissy” featuring Nardo Wick & Roddy Ricch shows off their yellow gold.

The organ/trap hybrid that Zaytoven gives “Say No Mo” is interestingly distinct talking about not wanting to hear another word from anyone that doesn’t want to talk money while the fittingly lavish “Married with Millions” details the life of having a family as a millionaire. “Woppenheimer” goes for a suspenseful vibe pointing out that people like bringin’ up the past talkin’ recently while “Now It’s Real” talks about life being as beautiful as Pharrell & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg over keys & hi-hats.

“Broken Hearted” airily asks if anyone can cure the heartbreak that he’s experiencing while “Hurt People” remains in trillwave turf once more uniquely examining why everyone likes to cause harm to one another in our daily lives. “By the Water” sees Zaytoven lacing Wop with a synth-trap beat expressing for his desire to cop a house that has an ocean view & the closer “Big Boy Diamonds” is taken from WOPTOBER II. Better than “King Snipe” but much like “Mr. & Mrs. Perfect”, it’s an older cut that has no purpose of reappearing here.

I was interested in hearing that Breath of Fresh Air was going to be a double-disc LP considering the World War 3 mixtape that celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary over the summer happens to be one of my favorite projects from the trap pioneer. With that said: It’s not as solid as Ice Daddy was over 2 & a half years ago. Although I like that he took a different direction with it after the deaths & incarcerations of some of his friends, the production is a mixed bag & a few features punch under their weight other than a couple older tracks being rehashed.

Score: 3/5

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Offset – “Set It Off” review

This is the sophomore full-length solo LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collab album with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ on Halloween 2017 called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. But with Quavo showing significant improvements a couple months ago by dedicating Rocket Power, we now have Offset returning after nearly 5 years to Set It Off.

“On the River” is a minimal trap opener produced by Southside showing off his pen-game & fast-paced flows whereas “Say My Grace” featuring Travis Scott talks about making room on his plate only for them to pray before eating over dramatic instrumental from Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group, Vinylz & FNZ. “Worth It” featuring Don Toliver has a smoother vibe to it thanks to CHASETHEMONEY hoping they happy with their bitches making them work that is until Future pops up for “Broad Day” to reference their hometown NBA team the Atlanta Hawks in light of it’s CEO Steve Koonin becoming a TKO Group Holdings board of directors member on top of a Detroit trap inspired beat from from Nick Papz.

“Fan” is a 2-parter crossing over elements of Memphis rap & pop rap essentially giving a middle finger to pretty much everybody just before “Freaky” featuring Cardi B sees the power couple over a ratchet Tay Keith instrumental talking about how they like it. “Hop Out the Van” has one of the most awkward hooks on the album paying homage to the late Lil Keed on top of a mediocre beat looking to let off the heat, but then “Don’t You Lie” hooks up a crooning sample & hi-hats talking about how this shit ain’t bankroll.

Boi-1da gives off a cloudier feeling to “I’m On” flexing that he can meet a bitch & take her home on the same night while “Big Dawg” mixes these violins & hi-hats together cautioning that he’ll stomp you out. “Night Vision” has to be my favorite on the LP from sumptuous Metro Boomin’ instrumental to the lyrics exposing the opps when they hide while “Skyami” featuring Mango Foo has one of the weaker guest performances despite the atmospheric beat & discussing the penthouse life.

“Dissolve” shoots for a nocturnal groove that Dez Wright cooked up wanting this chick to tell him who she gon’ call when them pills dissolve while the glossy trap-tinged “Fine as Can Be” featuring Latto talks about a baddie fucking with a rich guy. Wheezy’s production on “Buss My Watch” is just absolutely beautiful with Set showing off his Maison Margiela alongside his girl while “Dope Boy” featuring Young Nudy flexes their statuses from their days in the streets over an eerie backdrop & hi-hats.

Chlöe assists the father of 5 on the pop rap/R&B duet “Princess Cut” promising to be smashed sound asleep, but Cardi returns for the aggressive “Jealousy” tackling the themes of envy. The piano/trap infused “Blame It On Set” which was the original name of the album clarifying that they can’t be too upset while the emotionally vulnerable “Upside Down” talks about how Takeoff’s murder has made him feel. “Healthy” though closes out the LP with acoustics & hi-hats praying for God to give him a sign.

“54321” not being on here is a bit disappointing on the other hand whether it be the plugg instrumental that Baby Keem & Mike Dean cook up or the reference to former 3-time WWE world champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion, 3-time TNA World Champion, ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 9-time WWE Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy.

Given how much I enjoyed Rocket Power over the summer, I went into Set It Off wondering where he would take things next since his own solo debut came from such a personal place & I enjoyed it as much as that previous album. He challenges himself to evolve more respectfully instead of resting on his laurels, the features are mostly solid & the trap production is nearly as tight as it was 4 & a half years ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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Quavo – “Rocket Power” review

This is the sophomore full-length solo album from Atlanta, Georgia rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Quavo. Rising to prominence in 2013 as 1/3 of the Migos with his nephew Takeoff & Offset, he would also form the duo Huncho Jack in late 2016 with Travis Scott & drop their only album thus far Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho to mixed reception. However with the 5 year anniversary of him becoming the first Migo to branch out on his own with a solo debut in the form of Quavo Huncho, he’s dedicating Rocket Power to his fallen Unc & Phew cohort Takeoff following his tragic murder few weeks after the release of their only album Only Built for Infinity Links last fall.

“Fueled Up” is an atmospheric trap opener produced by Kenny Beats & Murda Beatz declaring that it’s all love as he goes back to his old ways whereas “Patty Cake” by Unc & Phew finds the duo over some horns & hi-hats provided by DJ Dureltalking about being heavyweights as opposed to lightweights. “Mama Told Me” follows this up in the form of a synth/string trap hybrid discussing everything his late mother Edna Parker told him throughout his life just before “Who wit Me” comes through with a more vigorous atmosphere thanks to BNYX of Working on Dying & his brother BEAUTIFULMVN wanting to know exactly who’s on his side here.

After the “Narkedo Speaks” interlude, “Hold Me” hooks up a solemn loop & hi-hats so Huncho can plead to everyone in his life who’s no longer here with him to keep him strong leading into “Where Can I Start?” gives off a more mystic trap groove talking about looking up & getting to the guap. “Wall to Wall” goes into more futuristic turf instrumentally discussing a lil bitch who think she can be bought, but then “Turn Yo Clic Up” featuring Future was a mediocre choice of a single largely due to the cut-rate beat.

Unc & Phew get back together 1 last time on “Back Where It Begins” with Future only handling the hook this time so Wheezy can shoot for a more atmospheric approach behind the boards taking everything back to where it all started for them both in the ATL while “11.11” reflects on the darker nights he’s been having throughout the past 9 months even though the instrumental here is just ok. Pooh Beatz gives “Galaxy” a more piano-driven vibe that I enjoy a bit discussing the feeling you get when you pull up & kill ’em while the cloudy “Disciples” talks about refusing to play with motherfuckers this year.

“Focused” featuring Young Thug finds the 2 jumping on top in these sweet organ harmonies & hi-hats from Buddah Bless refusing to keep their eyes off their bankrolls while “Stain” featuring BabyDrill & Hunxho aims for a more vibrant approach to the beat with one of if not the most repetitive hooks on the album comparing it to Modern Warfare when they hop out the Lambo although both guest verses punch under their weight unlike Huncho.

The song “Not Done Yet” speaks on living out the vision with no regrets & the end being nowhere in sight over a synth-woven trap instrumental while the 2-part title track produced by Murda, BNYX & Dez Wright reminisces on kickin’ doors bright & early thinking about his late nephew. “Greatness” though ends Quavo’s sophomore effort by mixing pop rap & trap with pop reggae interestingly enough explaining how legends are made.

Given everything that’s happened within the Migos camp throughout the last year & a half, I went into Rocket Power expecting it to come from a more genuine place than Quavo Huncho despite it’s share of highlights to this day like “Workin’ Me” & “Rerun”. In the end, that’s exactly what my personal favorite member of the trio delivers. The production’s as tight as it was when we last heard him 5 years ago & you can truly hear how devastated he still is over Takeoff’s untimely murder 9 months later.

Score: 3.5/5

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Lil Yachty – “Let’s Start Here.” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from Mableton, Georgia rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & actor Lil Yachty. Skyrocketing to fame in 2016 by bringing a unique sound & personality to the trap subgenre on his debut mixtape Lil Boat, his subsequent material since then has ranged from being mid at best like Summer Songs 2 or even his previous mixtape Michigan Boy Boat to absolute trash like Teenage Emotions & Nuthin’ 2 Prove. But when I heard that Let’s Start Herewas gonna be a complete stylistic departure for Yachty in contrast to one of my favorite singles of last year “Poland”, I was sold in checking it out.

“the BLACK seminole.” pretty much sets the tone for what’s to come as Yachty sings about his inner self & compares himself to the titular Native American-Africans part of the Seminole people over a Jimi Hendrix/Pink Floyd inspired psychedelic rock instrumental whereas “the ride-“ with Teezo Touchdown takes a more neo-soul route with the 2 singing about needing the special women in their lives by their sides. “running out of time” has a more summery twang to it addressing a relationship that pretty much ran it’s course at this point prior to Foushée tagging along for the atmospheric “pRETTy” singing about dying the pussy.

After the “:(failure(:” interlude, “THE zone~” to go into space rock territory admitting that Yachty feel at home up until he’s by his lonely with Justine Syke counter-parting him telling him she never meant to make him feel alone & asking if he’d put anyone else above her leading into “WE SAW THE SUN!” having a bit of a Tame Impala influence sonically singing about how shit don’t get better & to take picture for proof. The “drive ME crazy!” duet with Diane Gordon has a more synthpop flare to it as they profess their love for one another with Yachty dropping a cool reference to both Kanye’s “Jesus Lord” and later WWE Hall of Famer & unrecognized WWE Champion Ted DiBiase, but then “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON!!!!” is an otherworldly experience detailing a bad drug trip over an EPIC guitar riff.

“sAy sOMETHINg” brings back a more mellow vibe instrumentally living the dream & feeling like a teenager again while “paint THE sky” gives me a bit of an art pop feel to it singing about stalling for & overdosing on one’s love. The song “sHouLd i B?” treads the psychedelic pop waters admitting that he needs to do right by his lover & that he ain’t mad at what she did even though he’s unsure if he should be while the penultimate track “The Alchemist.” sings about living a good life over some warm rock production. “REACH THE SUNSHINE.” featuring Daniel Caesar is a 6 minute neo-psychedelic grand finale with them talking about filling a void.

If you told me 7 years ago that the same guy who made “1Night” & “Never Switch Up” would go on to drop a full-blown psychedelic rock album & actually manage to pull it off, I would’ve laughed at you. And if anyone can’t appreciate the artistic growth that Yachty shows throughout Let’s Start Here., then that’s your funeral because the most consistent body of work that I’ve heard from him in a grip. All the artists that he draws inspiration from mentioned throughout the review (i.e. Hendrix, Pink Floyd) have literally made some of my favorite music EVER & the fact that we got a body of work from him in those specific styles of music into his own after being called a “mumble rapper” early on in his career proves ANYTHING’s possible.

Score: 4.5/5

Unc & Phew – “Only Built for Infinity Links” review

Unc & Phew are a trap duo from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of Quavo & Takeoff. Both of whom came up as 2/3 of the Migos with their cousin Offset & would see huge success during the early/mid 2010s, most notably when Y.R.N. (Young Rich N****s) & C U L T U R E both dropped. But as Offset prepares for a follow-up to the best Migos solo effort to date Father of 4 next month, the other 2 members have seen fit to form a duo of their own & put out a full-length debut.

“2 Infinity Links” opens up the album with a horn-laced trap beat from Buddah Bless describing the strongest links in the world bonded by blood whereas “Tony Starks” takes a more cavernous route thanks to Murda Beatz talking about putting holes in your chest kin to that of Iron Man. “Hotel Lobby” has a more twangier vibe to it dropping some braggadocio just before “Bars into Captions” samples “So Fresh, So Clean” by OutKast welcoming y’all to the ATL.

Meanwhile on “See ‘Bout It”, we have Unc & Phew bragging about stealing hoes over a hyphy instrumental from DJ Mustard leading into YoungBoy Never Broke Again tagging along for the slick “To the Bone” describing how bad their bitches are. “Not Out” shoots for a cloudier sound provided by DJ Durel talking about popping out, but then Gunna & Young Thug both come into the picture for the acoustic/trap-laced “Chocolate” getting in their hustler bags.

“2.30” has a wavier sound to it even though the Percocet-heavy lyricism just doesn’t do it for me personally while “Look @ This” fuses trap with orchestral talking about all the shit they got. “Mixy” with Summer Walker is a moody little trap/R&B fusion with the trio of course tackling the themes of love while “Messy” talks about the main reason why not to let a bitch in their crib over a glitchy trap beat with Quavo apparently airing out Offset for fucking his ex Saweetie along with a reference to Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner Elon Musk.

Continuing from there, “Nothing Changed” was clearly made for Huncho Jack down to the psychedelic instrumental even though I don’t mind the subject matter addressing that ain’t shit change but the ice while the mellow “Integration” brags about having white everything. “Big Stunna” is a fun little boastful trap banger as Birdman comes through with a decent verse while the song “Us vs. Them” with Gucci Mane finds the trio aggressively talking about how it’s them against the world. The penultimate track “Hell Yeah” shoots got a more stripped back aesthetic as Unc & Phew chase a bag together with “Tools” though is a shimmering finisher encouraging you to spread the cash.

For as much shit that C U L T U R E III got last summer, I still think it was a more enjoyable listen than C U L T U R E II & that it would’ve been more well received if you got rid of 4-5 cuts. As for Only Built for Infinity Links, it’s a solid debut from Unc & Phew. Both Quavo & Takeoff manage to take it back to the basics are some more interesting ideas with the production this time around. Here’s to Blame It on Set next month!

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “Ice Daddy” review

This is the 15th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia’s very own Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s, he would go on to receive legend status for being one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of last year revamping 1017 Global, signing a bunch of acts (the most notable one being Pooh Shiesty) & putting out a couple showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. But after having a kid with his wife Keyshia almost 6 months ago, Wizzop is officially returning by dropping Ice Daddy.

The opener “Poppin’” incorporates some piano & strings as Gucci is pretty much showcasing 1017’s newest signee BigWalkDog while the Mike WiLL Made-It produced “Posse on Bouldercrest” with Pooh Shiesty is a dope lil homage to the classic Sir Mix-a-Lot joint “Posse on Broadway”. I love the ominousness that 30 Roc provides for “Shit Crazy”, but the Big30 feature is so wack. Luckily we have Pooh Shiesty reappearing on “Like 34 & 8” to make up for it.

Richie Souf & Southside work in a flute for Wop to get in his drug dealer bag with “D-Boy Style” whereas the Lil Baby-assisted “Trap Shit” speaks on how everything they put on wax is official backed by a lavish Zaytoven instrumental. On “I Got It”, we have Lil Uzi Vert accompanying Gucci for a moody slow jam attempt & the energetic “Rich N***a Shit” needs no further explanation.

Meanwhile on the piano-inflicted “Top of Shit”, we have 2 Chainz tagging along to address their longevity just before E-40 fills in for the organ-laced paper anthem “Never Runnin’ Out of Money”. Then we have Project Pat helping Wop go back on the pusher tip for the synthy, bass-heavy “Fold Dat Money Up” leading up to the bloodthirsty “Gucci Coming for You” featuring these gun-cocking sounds in the production.

d.a. got that dope whips up a more somber sound for the boastful “Invoices” just before Gucci & PeeWee Longway start a bonfire on the rowdy “Live at the Red Carpet”. The song “Bust Down” is a nice throwback to dirty south strip club bangers while the penultimate track “Lately” is a spookily-produced confession about fake motherfuckers. The album then ends with “How I See It”, where Wop jumps on a rubbery instrumental to speak how he views things.

It’s been pretty clear that Father’s Day is approaching this weekend & Ice Daddy to me is a dope way for Gucci to celebrate. He sounds focused & charismatic on the mic once more with Mike WiLL, Zay & Southside helping to bring the best out of him as they usually do.

Score: 3.5/5

Migos – “C U L T U R E III” review

The Migos are a trio from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of blood relatives Quavo, Offset & Takeoff. They’ve proved themselves as one of the biggest trap acts in recent memory ever since their 2013 smash hit “Versace” & this was exemplified with their 2017 sophomore album C U L T U R E, which is undoubtedly one of the best trap projects of the previous decade whether you like them or not. However, the sequel C U L T U R E II was a bloated rushjob & their solo debuts weren’t all that well received either other than Offset’s Father of 4. But after this 3 year gap, the Migos are reuniting to finish out the C U L T U R E trilogy.

“Avalanche” starts things out with DJ Durel & Quavo sampling “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations as the Migos look back on their early days but then there’s “Havin’ Our Way” with Drake, which has an symphonic instrumental from Kane Beatz as the quartet talk about getting theirs. The official WWE Day 1 theme song “Straightenin’” has an eerie instrumental with the lyrics detailing how “you don’t get shit straight if you don’t straighten it” while the Murda Beatz-produced “Type Shit” with Cardi B is a vigorous anthem about how this song might make you feel.

Meanwhile on “Malibu”, we have Polo G accompanying the Migos on top of a synth-horn loop detailing their adventures in the titular California city & I almost wanna say that the beat OG Parker whips up for “Birthday” has a west coast trap feel to it, backing the trio calling out a bitch lying to them about it being her birthday. “Modern Day” is a mystical banger that tells listeners to put respect on the trio’s name whereas the victorious “Vaccine” details them making money during the pandemic referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson.

Future tags along for the guitar-driven “Picasso” comparing themselves to the iconic painter of the same name leading up to them getting on some drug dealer shit for “Roadrunner”, in which the Zaytoven instrumental is tension-building as Hell. Following this, we have Danny Wolf taking the Migos into acoustic territory on the sensual “What You See”, but then “Jane” details the titular character working it for a Birkin bag with stellar Latin trap production from both Tay Keith & Gordo.

I thought the late Juice WRLD’s hook on the cavernous “Antisocial” is perfect given the lyrical concept of the track while “Why Not” finds the trio talking about getting money for fuck’s sake & the beat kinda has that cloud rap quality to it. The instrumental on “Mahomes” is incredibly dramatic as the Migos express their gratitude while OZ works in some synths & keys for them to “Handle My Business”.

The song “Time for Me” is an atmospheric cut about their bando days while the penultimate track “Light It Up” with the late Pop Smoke feels like a leftover from Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon given that it’s in Pop’s signature drill sound down to 808 Melo’s production. To finish it off, “Need It” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again touches down on self-defense & the way Buddah Bless absolutely killed it flipping “Get In My Car” by 50 Cent.

Although I had my doubts going into this album, I’ll argue that it’s what C U L T U R E II should’ve been because the Migos are back in full form on here. It’s only a half hour shorter than their last album was, you can tell the thing actually feels complete rather than spending 15 minutes to make each song & a good portion of them were fun to listen to.

Score: 3.5/5

Lil Yachty – “Michigan Boy Boat” review

This is the 5th mixtape from Mableton rapper & songwriter Lil Yachty. Skyrocketing to fame in 2016 by bringing a unique sound & personality to the trap subgenre on his debut mixtape Lil Boat, his subsequent pretty much took a nosedive from there. Why? Because he made a song on that breakout tape about never switching up & that’s EXACTLY what he did. But to pay homage to this reviewer’s home state, Yachty has amassed together some of the hottest rappers Detroit has to offer currently for Michigan Boy Boat.

“Final Form” is a ruthless opener with a hyphy instrumental from Helluva, but then Tee Grizzley tags along for the airy “Dynamic Duo” to talk about how his chemistry with Yachty is unmatched. The harp on “Concrete Goonies” shortly after is pretty cool except the fact that it’s a tad bit offputting hearing him start it off by saying he wants to fuck Kali Uchis. Meanwhile, we have Veeze & Baby Smoove jumping on a piano instrumental to brush off those who wanna fight for a print on “Don’t Even Bother” referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson whereas the song “G.I. Joe” with Louie Ray finds the 2 talking about being young cats who got it over a colorful beat from Buddah Bless.

“Never Did Coke” is one of my favorites on the project with it’s bongo & string-laced instrumental as well as Yachty’s chemistry with Swae Lee, but that same back-&-forth magic on the RMC Mike-featured “Ghetto Boy Shit” falls flat for me even though I like the grubby Carlo Anthony instrumental. Icewear Vezzo & Rio da Yung OG help him go into gangsta rap territory for “Plastic” while the track “Fight Night Round 3” with Babyface Ray & Veeze does it’s title justice by providing a lethal moshpit joint.

Sada Baby’s feature on the braggadocious “SB 2021” is cool, but his performances on the 30 Roc-produced “SB5” are much better if you ask me. Rio comes back into the fold for the glassily-produced “Stunt Double”, except his feature on here doesn’t stick the landing like it did on “Plastic”. The penultimate track “Hybrid” has these inauspicious keyboard melodies Yachty & Babytron both give flashy performances before bringing in some bells for the “This That One” cypher to finish things off with everyone except Slap Savage going off. YN Jay’s verse at the end referencing former 4-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion & the current WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was worth mentioning.

Coming from someone who’s lived in The Mitten his entire life, I’m a bit torn coming away from this. Even though Yachty doesn’t do the modern Detroit style all that much justice, I still admire the fact he took some of the hottest rappers the city currently has to offer & brought them all together.

Score: 2.5/5