Skyzoo – “Views of a Lifetime” review

Brand new extended play & the 6th overall from Brooklyn, New York veteran Skyzoo. Emerging in the underground off the 9th Wonder produced Cloud 9: The 3 Day High, he continued to make a name for himself with a consistent discography. Highlights include The Salvation, the !llmind produced Live from the Tape Deck, A Dream Deferred, Music for My Friends, the Apollo Brown produced The Easy Truth, In Celebration of Us & my personal favorite: the Pete Rock produced Retropolitan dedicated to his home state. All the Brilliant Things built itself around gentrification & The Mind of a Saint was dedicated one of my favorite shows Snowfall, coming off the Old Soul Music-backed Keep Me Company to discuss the Views of a Lifetime.

“Tags at the Moma” produced by Camoflauge Monk talks about scheming for 20 cans a day over a boom bap instrumental whereas “Pardon Me” flexing that he was cut from a more Godly cloth. “The Wager” takes a drumless approach thanks to Cartune Beatz asking for the specifics of a bet & once “Sky is Like” homages one of Nas’ greatest singles ahead of Light-Years next weekend, “Devotion” talks about finishing the school of hard knocks with honors over a crooning Conductor Williams beat.

Thelonious Martin jumps behind the boards for “Love Day” incorporating a flute & a soul sample comparing himself to Gil Scott-Heron wearing a Carmelo Anthony jersey while “Hope & Pray” takes a few minutes talking about wishing nothing but the best for the person he has mind. “The Soloist” blends jazz rap & boom bap courtesy of The Other Guys suggesting he might be better off by himself while “Half Bloom” strips the drums talking about taking on more than he had to.

Picking up where Keep Me Company left off last Black Friday, this new extended play 53 weeks later deals with looking back on what was after you’ve settled into this new world of the growth Skyzoo’s last album explored & I’d actually say I’d prefer Views of a Lifetime over it’s predecessor. I feel like the production’s stronger & the 1st Generation Rich Inc. founder reflects on how his previous life has changed drastically & it got him where he is currently.

Score: 4.5/5

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Von Pea – “Putcha Weight on It” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer Von Pea reuniting with The Other Guys for his 4th solo LP. Currently 1/2 of Tanya Morgan with Donwill, he would later embark on a solo career with 2007 debut mixtape Grand Vonye as well as it’s follow-up So Motivational: The Most Skullduggery of Mixtapes & the full-length debut Pea’s Gotta Have It. Right after the Duly Noted. EP was when Mighty Joe & Isaiahstarted working with Von however, producing the To: You EP along with the sophomore effort The Fiasco & the I’m Good Luv, Enjoy EP respectively. Last we heard from Von by himself was his previous album City for Sale & Duly Noted 2, running it back with The Other Guys suggesting to Putcha Weight on It.

“More Johnny” opens up with a boom bap instrumental explain it that his legendary status will continue to be spoken of even when he’s gone whereas “Roadblock” featuring Che Noir finds the pair talking about people clapping at barriers & trying to rap with Black Thought. The title track by Tanya Morgan featuring Skyzoo gives off a dusty jazz rap vibe coming in stronger than initially said while “Lights On” talking about phase 4 being the type of shit that keeps the power on.

Meanwhile on “Slide Off with Her Homie”, we have Von continuing to bring that old school boom bap style to the table telling us what he’ll do to a skeezer if she doesn’t see how dope he is until “Hains Point” heads for a jazzier direction once more spitting like they gave him some kind of bribe. “Knew It All” featuring Oddisee crosses over elements of jazz rap & boom bap responding to the people who act like they know everything just before “Love Over Like” soulfully talks about romance.

“Shown Up Me” begins Putcha Weight on It’s final moments by having the drums constantly fading in & out like ocean waves flexing that be doesn’t need more than 7 people whenever he makes an album leading into “Bway & Myrtle”talking about trying to get on during the off-season sampling an organ. “Root for the Villain” sends it all off with a funky outro remembering one of hip hop’s greatest lyricists & producers, which happen to be none other than the late MF DOOM.

The Fiasco up until this point has been my favorite Von Pea solo effort & to commemorate it’s 8-year anniversary passing yesterday, Putcha Weight on It improves from the divisive feedback I’m Good Luv, Enjoy received although I personally didn’t mind when it came 10 months succeeding the album that preceded City of Sale. He & The Other Guys liken their chemistry to the late King of Pop himself Michael Jackson & the revolutionary composer Quincy Jones linking back up after 7 whole years for a collection of jazzy boom bap hits.

Score: 4/5

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Che Noir – “No Validation” review

Buffalo emcee/producer Che Noir staying busy with her 10th EP. Discovering her after 38 Spesh signed Che to TCF Music Group & fully produced her first 3 EPs, her Apollo Brown-produced full-length debut As God Intended & then her self-produced 4th EP After 12 during the 2nd half of 2020 was where her potential began to blossom exponentially. She has since followed this up with the sophomore effort Food for Thought as well as The Last Remnants, the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Noir or Never, The Color Chocolate, The Lotus Child & the Superior-produced Seeds of Babylon. The Color Chocolate 2 kicked summer off in full gear a couple months ago with a sequel that I liked more than the original & needs No Validation at this point.

“Incense Burning” kicks it all off with an angelic boom bap instrumental from The Other Guys feeling like she’s finally found her tempo whereas the jazzily dusty “Smooth Jazz” featuring 38 Spesh talks about their self-education regulating their street abilities. “Sugar Water” keeps the jazzy boom bap vibes going to speak on the real ones rising while “Moroccan Mint” featuring Jae Skeese talks about never folding because of the wisdom they teach.

Ransom & Skyzoo join Che on the crooning “Katastwof” explaining that it ain’t really a journey if there’s no specific destination intended leading into “Dollar Tree” featuring Skyzoo & Von Pea talking about having it all despite not needing much. “Ego Trips” keeps it in the basement instrumental not having it because she controls her destiny & “Susie” featuring Smoke DZA talks about a woman acting like the character from the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Nickelodeon series Rugrats.

Making a mission statement for those who know what they bring to the table with or without applause, Che Noir & the curated lineup of elite lyricists that joins her side navigate themes of legacy as well as resilience & self-worth over the soulfully signature analog rich production style that Mighty Joe & Isaiah or The Other Guys have become known for with each guest MC adding their own signature flavor to the Poetic Movement Records founder’s reflective world.

Score: 4.5/5

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Skyzoo – “The Mind of a Saint” review

This is the 8th full-length album from Brooklyn veteran Skyzoo. Emerging in the underground off the 9th Wonder produced Cloud 9: The 3 Day High, he continued to make a name for himself with a lengthy yet very consistent discography. Highlights include The Salvation, the !llmind produced Live from the Tape Deck, A Dream Deferred, Music for My Friends, the Apollo Brown produced The Easy Truth, In Celebration of Us & my personal favorite: the Pete Rock produced Retropolitan. Last time we heard from Sky was a year & a half ago when he dropped the gentrification-themed All the Brilliant Things, but is returning to dedicate The Mind of a Saint to one of my favorite shows ahead of it’s final season next month: Snowfall.

“Eminent Domain” is a jazzy boom bap opener produced by The Other Guys encouraging to picture opportunities by rewriting the rules whereas “Views from the Valley” takes a more soulful route in terms of sound acknowledging how the angels look different on the other side of the city. “Panthers & Powder” brings back the jazz with some kicks & snares admiring the beauty within all of it leading into the spacious “Straight Drop” talking about how it’s God levels in the town when they up.

Moving on from there with “100 to One”, we have Sky acknowledging that he has more to say than a few 16 bars & a hook on here saying it’s best to act like you ain’t know over a swooning beat with some trumpets leading into the piano-infused “Bodies!” opening up about everyone Franklin has killed so far deserved to die. “The Balancing Act” blends some horns & crooning vocals together talking about being the messiah type while “Brick by Brick” returns to the boom bap kicking that outside shit for the 1 time. The penultimate track “Apologies in Order” is an endearing open letter with the beat having a glistening quality to it & “Purity” is a solemn 7-minute closer with talking about becoming the oracle.

“Cold Kiss” starts the deluxe run on a soulful boom bap note calling the pallbearer “the right plug for you” while “Recipe for Desire” smoothly talks about making biblical money. “My Crescendo” returns to a jazzier vibe discussing redemption with a pistol out the window while “God Bless the King” hops over kicks, snares & horns seeing if he match the rain out in South Central even though it’s not a frequent occurrence. After the “People Pleaser” interlude, the 7-minute “Give You Anything” discusses Franklin’s mother going to prison for killing Teddy McDonald & “The Freedom Dance” ends the bonus track run seeing Franklin at rock bottom much like the series finale itself.

There’s always been a source of inspiration for every single body of work that Skyzoo has put out & it’s amazing how he continues to be consistent after all these years because I don’t see how anyone who has the sane amount of love for hip hop & Snowfall would dislike this album. He excellently captures what Franklin Saint’s innermost thoughts could be when dealing with the world he’s caught within & the production playing to the conventional jazz/boom bap hybrids we’ve come to know & love him for.

Score: 4/5

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