Jack Jetson – “Winter Forever” review

Here we have the 7th studio LP from Nottingham, East Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee Jack Jetson. Introducing himself in 2012 off his debut EP High 5 & subsequent debut album The Adventures of Johnny Strange under Real Life Drama Records, he would go on to follow these up with his 2nd EP Lo 5 preceding Eric the Red from the Creatures of Habit & NLP signing Jack to his own label Lost Scroll Records in addition to having his brother Illinformed produce Strange Cinema in it’s entirety. Fountainhead, the Sofiamaniac EP & Umbrellahead were all poorly received although the Qway EP was tolerable. Reuniting with Illinformed for Camogodskin & Kobayashi Porcelain through Illin’ for Meds Records to stronger feedback, he’s following up the Alien Rehabilitation Technology EP with Winter Forever.

The title track starts off sampling a set of violins sprinkling kicks & snares in the fold talking about being born inside the coldest season of the year whereas “Auditoriums” featuring Leaf Dog finds the 2 breaking down their terroristic tendencies when it comes to the pen. “Newton” soulfully talks about his lyrical precision & has a bar honoring the late Nipsey Hu$$le prior to “No Mistakes” featuring Datkid boasts that no one’s moving the way they are.

“Pray” chops up more crooning samples airing out the idiots who think he stays saying random shit in his music leading into “Static” featuring BVA joining forces so they can talk about being ready for war. “Outside” gives off a luxurious boom bap vibe advising that shit ain’t what it seems looking in from an external perspective just before “Reality” featuring Datkid & Leaf Dog finds the trio talking about putting a lot more time & energy in real world situations.

To begin Winter Forever’s final act, the song “Broke Brain” ruggedly boasts that he’s still blowing more smoke than an old train while the soulful “Thug’s Passion” featuring 1jack cinematically cautions of leaving any & all threats in a past tense. The orchestral boom bap crossover “Frozen North” featuring Luso addresses so called friends who wind up snitching to the feds when it was the ones they least suspected & “Nothing Weird” soulfully finishes by talking about apocalyptic visions in his terrordome.

If I had to name my top 3 albums in Jack Jetson’s discography, I’d frankly have to put Winter Forever it above Strange Cinema & The Adventures of Johnny Strange since it’s replay value slips in the same discussions as those earlier full-lengths on top of it being the greatest thing to come out Illin’ for Meds Records so far. From the sharp lyricism Jack’s spitting to Illinformed’s boom bap production, it feels like a huge elevation compared to Camogodskin as well as Kobayashi Porcelain & Alien Rehabilitation Technology.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Fliptrix – “Dragonfly” review

Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom emcee Fliptrix teaming up with the Leigh Brothers consisting of Illinformed & Leaf Dog to have them produce his 10th solo LP. The founder of High Focus Records as well as a member of The 4 Owls, he made his debut in 2007 off Force Fed Imagery followed by Theory of Rhyme and later 3rd Eye of the Storm & The Road to the Interdimensional Piff Highway. Out the Box & Polyhymnia both came couple years later as did Patterns of Escapism & Inexhale, but is coming off Light Work & Mantra #9 to unleash the Dragonfly less than a couple weeks away from 白川未奈 & Luke Jacobs becoming the new RPW British Women’s Champion & RPW British Heavyweight Champion respectively.

“Striving” starts by stripping the drums completely hooking up a bare orchestral loop forever making great efforts to achieve or obtain more whereas “Forever” has a bit of a soulful boom bap flare instrumentally talking about having springs in their steps representing that. The acoustic “Keep Going On” wants to know if they can continue to go on with their lives since they’re unsure of it, but then “Dragonfly Steeze” works the kicks & snares back in flexing his titular style.

Moving on from there, “See it in the Clouds” delivers a cloudier boom bap flare forecasting rain that’ll be coming down feeling it in his bones leading into “Make It Rain” hopping over a soul sample for a minute discussing the importance of rain itself. “Funky Microphone” blends a piano with kicks & snares getting hardcore lyrically just before the jazzy “Cosmic Scenes” assuring that the sweet sound of birds can be heard though sirens.

“Spooky Times” maintains the jazz influence crossing it over with boom bap to talk about how nice it is to let the beauty rise sometimes while “The Glow” keeps it raw so everyone listening is able to feel the sunshine. “Paradoxical” has a darker atmosphere to the beat coming to heal you while the flute-heavy “Making Waves” talks being on madness these days. “Grapevine” maintains the instrumental vibes from previously feeling happy & sad simultaneously while the title track jazzily ends the album showing unconditional love to his family.

A series of life-changing events compelled Fliptrix to hole up in the studio to capture the true essence of his recent experiences in real time, resulting in his most alive offering to date with the handbrake fully off as well as emotions & energies dialed up to 11. Each unpacking a tumultuous year which included the birth of his daughter & unexpected passing of his father who played in a 70s rock band that Dragonfly is named after, all this while navigating the ever-shifting music scene he has championed for so long.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Mr. Key – “Kez” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee Mr. Key enlisting local producer Illinformed to handle the beats all over the latter’s sophomore effort. A member of Contact Play, he would eventually sign to High Focus Records as a solo act & drop his solo debut Yesterday’s Futures in the summer of 2015 using the sounds of wonky & glitch hop with the help of Greenwood Sharps to back his abstract pen. Both of them reunited near the end of 2019 for an EP called Green & Gold, returning after nearly 5 whole years for the more conceptual Kez.

“Escape from Bene” sets the tone with a piano-driven boom bap instrumental advising to trust them since there’s more to discover going forward whereas “Wakey Wakey” featuring Smellington Piff finds the 2 over a funkier beat talking about them both being on a high platter killing swarm. “All Right Ok” takes a mellower yet dusty approach to the beat talking about him doing well since Green & Gold leading into “He Say She Say” featuring Dirty Dike after the “What’s this Place?” skit addressing detractors.

As for “John Connor High Lyf”, we have Mr. Key over this jazzy boom bap beat talking about his life not always being the best & him not having it any other way just before “Bury Me in Bene” featuring Leaf Dog carries over the same vibes of the previous cut asking for their wishes to be buried when the time of demise comes. “Why is It?” featuring BVA comes together to ask for the reason there cornballs haven’t done a charitable act while the piano-driven “I Dunno” uses it’s title to answer various questions for 5 minutes.

“No Time” starts Kez’s final moments blending a jazzy woodwind with some kicks & snares talking about himself for 2 & a half minutes living more pleasantly than he was in his previous situation but once “Yellow Tops” hooks up a prominent vibraphone to assure fans it isn’t their fault that he can be a bit of a dickhead, the outro “Isabell Allende” featuring Jam Baxter & Ronnie Bosh wraps things up with the Contact Play brethren soulfully repping their squads.

As much as I’ve enjoyed Greenwood Sharps’ contributions to Yesterday’s Futures and Green & Gold, hearing that Illinformed was handling all of Kez’s production gave me the impression it would surpass both of it’s predecessors. Lo & behold, Mr. Key has done it. He kaleidoscopically describes the rise of a plucky kestrel through an off-grid anarchist commune called Bene comprised of misfits, lost souls, drug dealers, new age healers & would be cult leaders after spending 5 years in Spain.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Sean Peng – “Insomniac’s Dream” review

Here we have the sophomore effort from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Sean Peng. Known for being 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP, he made his solo debut Crazed Conductor in 2016 under Lost Scroll Records & is coming off his Creatures brethren Illinformed fully producing his 2019 debut album Trips to the Medicine Cabinet succeeding the Controlled Experiment extended play preluding it in 2017 to run it back for a dissection of an Insomniac’s Dream through Illin’ for Meds Records.

“Inebriated Halfwits” featuring Jack Jetson starts with both of them over a jazzy boom bap talking about not seeing clearly regarding what they wanna do whereas “Stranger Than Fiction” stays in the basement instrumentally addressing the people who’re afraid to face the truth. “Broken English” takes a moment to represent the crowd of people who feel broken down leading into “Better the Devil” featuring Crossbow T marking my least favorite guest appearance despite the theme of Satan being a cloak within the mirrors & smoke.

Ramson Badbonez joins Sean on the jazzy “Sick Society” talking about people losing themselves all for a hit of notoriety just before “Hidden Messages” soulfully speaks of not stressing regarding the end because he’s already see the signs & symbols. “House of the Dead” spends 92 talking about being surrounded by zombies over more prominent kicks & snares while “Raw Syllabics” featuring O.A.B. soulfully compares their minds to timeless relics off psychedelics.

“Squid Games” featuring Jack Jetson references the popular Netflix series of the same name set to end after 2 more seasons in 2025 while “Rise of the Underground by the Creatures of Habit talks about underground hip hop becoming popular due to acts like Griselda being accepted by the mainstream for example. “The Abyss” brings a ghostly boom bap atmosphere to the table putting us inside the shoes of a person residing inside the pits & “Is This Real?” wraps things up asking himself if he’ll wait to leave behind the sadness in his life.

Almost 3 months after his Creatures of Habit partner-in-rhyme Eric the Red had made his Illin’ for Meds Records debut with his 4th album Painting da Town Red, it makes sense for Sean Peng to follow suit putting out a Trips to the Medicine Cabinet follow-up reaching the same bar it’s predecessor made still residing behind Caught Red Handed regarding Lost Scroll’s top 2 projects. Illinformed’s jazzy boom bap production feels unparalleled putting it against Sean’s last full-length, but it’s refreshing the latter moved on to newer concepts rather than still dissecting prescription drug abuse.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Eric the Red – “Painting da Town Red” review

Here we have the sophomore effort from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Eric the Red. Known for being the brother of Illinformed & Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog of The 4 Owls, he would also become 1/3 of the Creatures of Habit & 1/4 of NLP in addition to forming his own label Lost Scroll Records almost a decade ago. His compositional solo EP Basement Blues dropped in 2016 & the In My Element beat followed as did the Illinformed-produced debut album Caught Red Handed. Coming off Broken Ear Drum, he’s releasing Painting da Town Red under Illin’ for Meds Records.

“Need in Your Life” sets up shop with a jazzy boom bap instrumental reaffirming that his biggest goal is to be the highest man alive whereas “Same Day” featuring Jack Jetson works in some vibraphones suggesting they’re addicts for narcotics still carrying them in their pockets now. “DNA” featuring Leaf Dog finds the 2 siblings over a grungy boom bap beat talking about hip hop being in all 3 of the Leigh’s blood when that can’t be disputed while “Again & Again” jazzily flexes he’s on his grind again.

As for “Krylon”, we have Eric & Illinformed keeping it in the basement stylistically talking about how he’s still looking for a rooftop to climb on leading into “Day Shifting” ominously recalling him growing up around shoplifting. “Mind’s Gone” turns up the eeriness talking about the drugs filled a gap despite him losing his mind in the process while “Route 66” featuring Smellington Piff brings the pair together warns of the long way back from Hell’s gates.

“Danger” kicks off the final leg of Painting da Town Red darkly advising not to be a threat to your own health dismembering crews while “Lock & Key” featuring Crossbow T links up so they can cook up something monstrous although it’s not a favorite of mine personally. “Super Fiends” references the alter ego of the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment-owned Batman franchise until “Switching the Keys” finishes up by flying to the future using a hoverboard & cutting snakes in the grass.

Broken Ear Drum certainly has a good share of moments that’re absolutely worth going back to, but Painting da Town Red joins the same ranks as Caught Red Handed in being amongst Eric the Red’s greatest solo material & simultaneously could become one of my favorite projects to come out of Illinformed’s own label named after his solo debut album. The latter’s jazzy boom bap production here is a lot stronger than Broken Ear Drum, the guest list is kept to a minimum & Eric lyrically continues to set himself apart from Leaf exceptionally.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Illinformed – “Illin’ for Meds” review

London, England, United Kingdom producer Illinformed compiling a couple dozen tracks together for his official full-length solo debut. Forming multiple groups throughout the last decade like Babylon Dead or the Brothers of the Stone & the Creatures of Habit as well as being the brother of Leaf Dog & Eric the Red, he’s crossed paths with some of the local scene’s biggest underground labels from High Focus Records to Real Life Drama Records & Lost Scroll Records in addition to dropping The Mould Tape in the fall of 2015. However, he’s putting together a collection of songs for Real Life Drama where other artists are performing over his beats named after his own imprint he launched a year earlier: Illin’ for Meds.

“Rotten” by Eric the Red & Jack Jetson teams up over a raw boom bap instrumental talking about their fans fiending for new music like they’ve become addicted to crack whereas “Horror” by the Brothers of the Stone, Dirt Platoon & Ruste Juxx finds the quartet dropping off hardcore verses of their own without a hook. “Doctor” by the Creatures of Habit, Sk!nt, Smellington Piff, Verb T, Wish Master & 1Jack unites for a 3 minute UK posse cut just before “Doomed” by Babylon Dead & Jack Jetson talking about those being cursed from birth.

Bil Next, Bill Shakes & Datkid all get together during the dusty “On Peds” speaking of never making radio airwaves & fucking up ratios independently leading into “Nothin’ Else” by Gaza Glock talking about him solely doing this for the streets. “Graveyard” by Babylon Dead & Leaf Dog radiates a nostalgically vintage boom bap vibe recalling them working between the earliest hours of the morning while “On the Hunt” by Wyatt Earp ruggedly talks about him chasing for thousands of dollars that’ve yet to be made.

“Bun Dem” by Babylon Dead, BVA & Jack Jetson finds the trio joining forces so they can discuss lighting their competition ablaze while “Slippery Slope” by Sean Peng ends the 1st half maintaining the traditional boom bap sound talking about having bad dreams & trying to find his own inner peace. “Concern” by All Hail Y.T. & Chris Skillz soulfully offers wild aggression in hopes of altering the audience’s perceptions while “Scud” by Bisk, Jack Jetson & Pertrelli Purple talks about trying to escape the darkness following them.

As for “‘Till the End”, we have Left Lane Didon taking over the microphone confessing it’ll always be Doe or Die for him unless God decide to call him back home to the pearly gates while “Through Ya Door” by Crossbow T, Datkid & General ruggedly talks about people trying to bring them down although they refuse to express sadness because it’s what the detractors want. “The Omen” by Jay NiCE ominously promises to through hexes at those who dare to fuck with his clique while “I Need My Meds” by Inja, Smellington Piff & Wish Master talking about them having to be medicated individually.

“On the Edge” by BVA, Jack Jetson & Verb T rawly cautions to not be tricked by the laidback demeanors all 3 of them possess desiring for weed smoke to come out the speakers while “Illin’” by Datkid feels like it could’ve appeared anywhere throughout the latter’s 6th album Wakmo serving his usual crud. “Bad Times” by BVA, Eric the Red, Frek 1 & Verb T brings a dirtier boom bap flare to the table talking about the 4 making a killing while “Bukowski” by Bil Next, Datkid & Jack Jetson takes a few minutes dismantling opponents who can’t rap the way they do.

Nearing the conclusion of Illin’ for Meds, the track “Watch Out” by Chris Skillz & Lisaan’dro combines elements of boom bap & orchestral music sending a message to the crowd of idiots who wind up losing teeth for running their mouths while “Valerie Blue” by Res 1 gets in his storytelling bag a bit telling the world of an encounter he had meeting a woman who goes by that very name. “Still Cruddin’” by BVA, Datkid & Pertrelli Purple talks about continuing to thieve until there’s nothing left while “What For” by Tony Broke finishes on a funkier boom bap note looking for a new fix soon as the lights go out.

Needless to say: Producer-curated LPs have become historically known for being hit or miss regarding the level of quality & Illin’ for Meds lands right in the middle between good & bad although it has slightly more highs than lows. My biggest compliment is Illinformed’s production feeling a lot grimier than his usual jazz-influenced take on boom bap, although the enormous cast of artists can come cross there being too many cooks in the kitchen & some fat could’ve been trimmed down since I don’t think it should’ve been 74 minutes.

Score. 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Smellington Piff – “Roma Supreme” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Southwest England, United Kingdom emcee Smellington Piff, Introducing himself in 2013 off an eponymous debut EP under Real Life Drama Records, the NLP member would go on to follow this up a year later with the debut album Notice of Eviction produced by Leaf Dog & have both of the Leigh Brothers jumping behind the boards to produce his sophomore effort N.F.A. (No Fixed Abode) other than the intro. Commemorating almost a whole entire decade of becoming a solo artist, Illinformed has decided to fully produce Roma Supreme in its entirety.

After the ”Hippies” intro, the first song “Chase the Devil” begins with a piano-driven boom bap instrumental talking about those thinking he was done musically being sorely mistaken whereas “Who Got the Skunk?” swaps out the keys in favor of some strings so he can speak of his love for smoking weed. “Hard Times” takes a soulfully jazzier vibe talking about the world going against every turn he makes leading into “Around Here” featuring Runt Dawg depicting what happens when the sun goes down.

“Few Things” hands out middle fingers to a myriad of things whether it be the radio or the previous President of the United States over this quirky boom bap beat just before “Tooth for a Tooth” talks about how he can’t be kicked out of the scene because his foot’s in the middle of the door & puffing blunts so he can calm his nerves. “Class A” featuring Datkid finds the pair joining forces to boast the type of music they make while “The Alcohol’s Talking” featuring Bizarre links up for an ode to those who like to get their drink on.

Reaching the halfway point, the jazzily dusty “To the Left” talks about rolling up cheddar until it’s time for him to move on to better things & responding the crowd who wants the old Piff back while “Bailiffs” talks about his flow being more fluid than the blood pumping in our veins. “Information Overload” dismisses the need of him watching the news since everything around him’s been going to shite & confessing that he’s going mad while “Wolves” shouts out his real ones protecting his pack at all costs, leaving any opposition dead on the tracks.

“UFO” featuring the Creatures of Habit & Jack Jetson flips some strings to talk about feeling like aliens to everyone else around them while “Breathe” featuring The 4 Owls soulfully speaks of their love always outweighing hate in any situation. “Play My Part” featuring MysDiggi calls back to the OutKast single “Git Up, Git Out” featuring Goodie Mob. The outro “Poor Man’s Swag” finishes up by looking at the upsides of getting women even if one doesn’t have much money.

It’s completely understandable to have Illinformed handle all of Roma Supreme’s production considering that he did half of N.F.A. (No Fixed Abode) with his brother Leaf Dog after the latter fully produced Smellington Piff’s self-titled EP & Notice of Eviction, arguably surpassing all 3 of those projects to become his finest statement as a solo artist. Fans already know what they can expect from the quality boom bap instrumentation & Piff’s witty penmanship, but I furthermore note the respectable attempt at minimizing guest appearances.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Creatures of Habit – “Parasite’s Paradise” review

The Creatures of Habit are a boom bap trio consisting of Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcees Eric the Red & Sean Peng alongside London producer Illinformed. Introducing themselves collectively in the fall of 2016 off their debut album Test Subjects under Real Life Drama Records, these guys would go on to spend the next 5 years focusing towards their own individual endeavors & have decided to make a comeback in the form of a sophomore effort through the Glastonbury, Somerset underground imprint for old time’s sake.

“Faking No Moves” cooks up a horror-inspired boom bap instrumental to start us off talking about having 0 time to be doing that bullshit whereas “Still Buggin’” works in some pianos mixed with kicks & snares to describe courts wanting to search on top of the police duckin’ ‘em. “I Keep It Me” featuring Datkid goes for a jazzier vibe talking about staying true to themselves just before “No Smoke” ruggedly dismantles anyone wanting beef with them.

Leaf Dog & Pertrelli join the Creatures on “Won’t Lie” combining more keys, kicks & snares to talk about always blowing out speakers in addition to rocking out guest appearances leading into “2 Tokes” featuring BVA links up for a playfully jazzy weed smoker’s anthem. “Bug’s Life” sounds more like a brief Eric the Red solo cut clocking at only 66 seconds in length while the soulful “Alone” featuring Leaf Dog regroups to talk about loneliness.

“Deadly Techniques” continues the 2nd half of Parasite’s Paradise trading hardcore verses with one another over a rigged boom bap beat regarding their lyricism still being gruesome as it was when they initially formed & after “The Devil’s Hands” talking about crime paying although those committing them eventually taking responsibility for their actions in due time, “Strange Trip” featuring Jack Jetson crosses paths with one another to drop 3 verses of speaking of their status amongst an endangered species of MCs.

The song “Brain Surgery” by Sean Peng counters Eric’s solo joint “Bug’s Life” earlier on turning the jazz influences to instrumentally leaving the people who fall in traps right where they are while “Wormhole” brings both spitters back together on the mic so they can take a few minutes to talk about the world becoming more dystopian than science fiction. “Hands of Time” finishes the Creatures’ return wraps things up with 1 last jazz rap/boom bap fusion confessing that there are moments in their lives where they wish they’d go back & fix which I do to, but we can’t.

It’s not very often when the Creatures of Habit appear on a song or make a musical statement of their own considering the gap between this & Test Subjects, but what I can say regarding their 2nd album is that I like it a lot more than it’s predecessor 6 years prior. Illinformed’s boom bap production is a lot more jazzier than Test Subjects’ was for fans of jazz rap like myself, there’s a respectably shorter guest list & the chemistry between Eric the Red and Sean Peng continues to elevate one another in terms of performances.

Score: 4.5/5

Datkid – “Wakmo” review

This is the 6th studio LP from Bristol, England, United Kingdom emcee Datkid. Beginning as a part of the Split Prophets, he began embarking on a solo career in the summer of 2011 off Dkay n Gramma as well as a subsequent sophomore effort called Home by 8 a little over 8 months later & Teeth Ledger. Confessions of a Crud Lordproduced by Real Life Drama Records co-founder Leaf Dog of The 4 Owls under High Focus Recordshas already become one of the label’s greatest releases, coming off Sleepless in Pinhoe to have Illinformed fully produce Wakmo.

“Take the Wheel” opens up shop incorporating this bloodcurdling boom bap instrumental talking about his mind state being all or nothing whereas “Thick Lip” hooks up a ghostly backdrop layered with kicks & snares speaking of him trying to upgrade his life. “1 Way or Another” talks about being so bucked to the point where he forgot what he got high off of & pressing for numbers when stressed leading into Bil Next & Wish Master helping him explain they get busy where it’s “Crooked”.

Sean Peng joins Datkid on “Look Up” telling all the lazy muhfuckas who stay hungry to get up off their asses & chase a bag just before “Nothing But” featuring Leaf Dog talks about driving cars like they stole ‘em when that’s most likely the case & refusing to let anyone sit near them if they have nothing to offer. “Where You At” keeps that crud packaged & delivered advising everyone who’s looking for him to come find him while “Aktive” talks about having too much game for pussy rappers to handle, later suggesting those nearby to keep it friendly & not tempt him because hems been keeping his composure.

“Thorn in Your Side” featuring Babylon Dead blends these strings with more kicks & snares seeing the jealousy in the eyes of people who hold envy towards Datkid & Jman for being the successful underground artists they’ve become while “Chitchat” featuring D£DW8 reaches the halfway point with the 2 talking about haters fearing their greatness. “Don’t Lie” featuring Crossbow T & Mistafire contemplates the idea of leaving the trio’s competition missing like Jimmy Hoffa while “Steve Harper” featuring Smellington Piff trades the mic back-&-forth for a few minutes.

Instrumentally, “Line It Up” somewhat reminds me of the Outsidaz joint “Get the Dick” off Bizarre’s solo debut EP Attack of the Weirdos! making wine out of everything he’s being hearing through the grapevine while “This Place” talks about making money to spending it frivolously. “Scrub Your Hands” featuring ManLikeMally speaks of being corrupted from the very beginning while “Fentanyl” featuring Babylon Dead, Bil Next, Eric the Red, Jack Jetson, Res 1, Tona Montona & Wyatt Earp made for a decent UK hip hop posse cut.

The title track ruggedly talks about catching cases on top of shutting down every spot he pulls up to while “Dole Benefit Claimers” featuring Res 1 links back up so they can get discuss always being up to shit giving a fuck less regarding who likes it or not. “Dunno” featuring BVA & Verb T samples “40 Oz.” by D12 during the hook talking about all 3 of them smoking weed & drinking alcohol while “Slime” finishes with him trying to stick to the game plan making money although it doesn’t go that way sometimes.

Sleepless in Pinhoe a couple months ago left me torn in comparison to Confessions of a Crud Lord& despite liking Wakmo more than it’s predecessor merely 7 weeks earlier, there’s a part of me that believes I could’ve enjoyed it way more because the singles that teased for it had me under the impression it would be my 2nd favorite Datkid solo project. Illinformed’s production takes it back to the traditional boom bap sound instead of continuing to experiment with trap music, but there is some occasional filler & he didn’t have to bring a guest performer besides throughout half of it.

Score: 3.5/5

BVA – “Lex Neville” review

Here is the sophomore effort from Glastonbury, Somerset, England, United Kingdom emcee & Real Life Drama Records co-founder BVA. A member of The 4 Owls as well as the Brothers of the Stone & the 3 Amigos, his solo debut B.V.A. (Be Very Aware) arrived in 2014 under High Focus Records roughly 3 years succeeding an eponymous debut extended play. Coming off Peep the EP produced by the Leigh Brothers a few years earlier, he & the latter duo are introducing the world to Lex Neville.

After the titular intro, the first song “Walk the Atlas” produced by Leaf Dog begins with a soulful boom bap opener talking over rappers to compensate for their wackness whereas “In the Grip” woke in an organ to caution that we’ve entered an age of ignorance. “End of Days” featuring Jack Jetson & King Kashmere talks about entering the apocalypse over an Illinformed instrumental prior to “Groundhog Day” featuring Datkid & Leaf Dog living life deliriously.

“No Model” continues by talking about the very person who used to always have his back becoming the reason he had to watch it himself & that he isn’t someone that others should be looking up to while “Bring Me Back” desires to be brought back from the place of no return. “The Oh Oh” featuring Leaf Dog reunites the pair so they can talk about smashing their competitors lyrically while the organ-heavy “Music Wot’s Real?” speaks of always keeping things legitimate.

Meanwhile on “Fear & Loathing”, we have BVA over a woodwind mixed with kicks & snares cautioning that he might piss in other’s potions while “Reach & Bong” featuring Leaf Dog finds the 2 talking about their love for smoking weed. “Rollin’” featuring Verb T comes together to stay holding it down goldenly while “Snake Eyes” featuring Leaf Dog & Smellington Piff links up so they can turn haters into weepers.

“Carving Tablets” begins to wrap up Lex Neville’s last leg going for a soulful boom bap direction instrumentally explaining that the only thing he’s ever given fuck about was making raw music while “Nothin’ Else” hooks up a harmonic gospel flip talking about there being no better feeling to him than this very moment. “Family” chops up a crooning sample sprinkling some kicks & snares in the mix to send off the LP suggesting haters to either suck a dick or to simply go home.

B.V.A. (Be Very Aware) remains a tight collection of tracks presenting BVA’s buoyant capability of holding down an entire project all by himself & the follow-up 7 years since makes big improvements over it’s predecessor. The Leigh Brothers’ boom bap production fully realizes the cohesive ideas in terms of sound Peep the EP had initially teased, hitting fans with more entertaining quotable accompanied by a consistent list of associated collaborators.

Score: 4/5