Intrinzik – “Lasers & Poison” review

Intrinzik is a 43 year old rapper from Phoenix, Arizona most notable for being the founder of Underground Hustlin’. Aside from that, the dude has put out a total of 9 albums & 3 EPs through his own label Intrinz Ink Records since 2004. But for his 10th full-length effort, Intrinzik is getting it backed by none other than the Majik Ninja Entertainment sub-label Welcome to the Underground.

The album kicks off with the title track, where Intrinzik talks about commercial sponsors feasting on inhibitions over a rap metal beat. The next song “Dinosaurs” talks about devouring these other rappers over some heavy guitars while the track “Force Fed Famine” talks about watching the market collapse like skyscrapers over a dreary backdrop fused with some hard rock instrumentation. The song “Chemicals” talks about paying it forward genetically over a punky beat while the track “Lizard Tongues” talks about overdosing on power over some live drumming & chugging guitars.

The song “Heart of the Table” with Dienasty the Mexican Thuggalo sees the 2 talking about the 3rd world over an instrumental that almost has a bit of a nu metal influence to it while the track “Lied To” ponders what’s real & fantasy over a riot-inducing beat. The song “Amphetamine Suicide” talks about drug usage over some thick instrumentation while the track “Broadcast the Apocalypse” takes aim at television as a whole over some Hellish riffs.

The song “Losing My Mind” with Twiztid finds the trio talking about insanity over a robotic instrumental while the track “Built for This” talks about annihilating anything that comes after him over a chaotic beat. The song “Try to Stay Alive” with Skeptik sees the 2 talking about survival over some more punk rock flavored production while the track “End of the World” with McNastee finds the duo talking about living in the apocalypse over a hard rock instrumental.

The song “First World Problems” with Krypto Man sees the 2 talking about that very issue over a somewhat thrash-esque instrumental while the penultimate track “The Right to Vote” with Bisshop & Raw-D finds the trio talking about how they use music as their weapon & I love how the build-up in the production. The album finishes off with “Toy Gory 2”, which is a decent 8-minute Underground Hustlin’ posse cut.

If you wanna get into Intrinzik, I would recommend starting with this because I find it to be his best work to date. Not just because of how the sound of the album continuously bounces from metal & punk to straight up hip hop, but his songwriting on here in comparison to his previous material is a lot more conscious this time around.

Score: 3.5/5

Sylvan LaCue – “Young Sylvan” review

Sylvan LaCue is a 30 year old rapper from Miami, Florida who got his start in 2008 under the name QuESt. However, it wouldn’t be until a decade later when he dropped his critically sophomore album Apologies in Advance under his own label WiseUp & Co. with distribution by INgrooves Music Group. We haven’t heard much from Sylvan since then but after a 3-year hiatus, he’s marking his return by dropping his 2nd EP.

The EP kicks off with “Young Sylvan Back”, where the Floridian rips it up like he never left over a trunk-knocking trap beat. The next song “First 48” talks about trying to escape jumping from one trap house to the other over a euphoric instrumental before switching up into a more orchestral vibe. The track “Clam Chowda” talks about not feeling trauma coming over a spine-tingling beat while the song “M J” with Merlaku Ra sees the 2 talking about having hearts full of rage over an instrumental with some snares & bells. The closer “Backseat 2012” talks about being fresh out this bitch over a skeletal beat referencing 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & $7 Productions co-founder The Rock.

Not as good as Apologies in Advance, but still a decent EP in my book. The blatantly heavy Kendrick Lamar influence from that previous album makes it’s way onto here & it’s very distracting. I really Sylvan shakes that off & comes into his own whenever he puts out his next full-length effort, because the dude’s talent is undeniably there.

Score: 3/5

Bernz – “Sorry for the Mess” review

Bernz is a 42 year old MC from Miami, Florida most notable for being a co-founder of the band ¡MAYDAY! alongside Plex Luthor in 2003. But after bringing a co-frontman & 3 other instrumentalists into the fold by the end of the decade, Kansas City icon Tech N9ne signed the group to his evergrowing independent powerhouse Strange Music in 2011 & have remained on the label since. However, it wouldn’t be until 2016 where Bernz branched out into a solo career & dropped See You on the Other Side. Fast forward 4 years later, he’s enlisting MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 to produce his sophomore effort in it’s entirety.

Things kick off with the title track, where Bernz apologizes to the listener for what they’re about to hear over a dreary instrumental. The next song “Don’t Wait on Me” then tells this woman to walk out the door over a boom bap beat with an acoustic guitar while the track “On My Way” talks about how this woman makes him feel over a jam session-like instrumental. The track “Necessity” with his ¡MAYDAY! partner in rhyme Wrekonize sees the 2 getting confessional over a piano & some explosive drums while the song “Outchea” talks about keeping things on pace over some blissful guitar melodic & some handclaps.

The song “Limited Time” with Futuristic finds the 2 talking about out of town romance over a funky ass beat while the track “Done” talks about waking up from the wrong side & still feeling good over a tropical trap instrumental. The song “Slow Dance” is a beautiful foot tapper backed by a sensual beat with some heavy drums while the track “Old Cutler Drive” looks back on his younger days as a hungry artist over a trap instrumental that kinda has a jazzy flare to it.

The song “In My Mind” opens up on being epileptic over a lugubrious beat while the track “Party in My Room” talks about sex over a fast-tempo instrumental. The song “Lie to Me” talks about not wanting to hear any hard truths over a rhythmic beat while the track “Sunny Rain” talks about what it’s like for him to love this woman over a warm instrumental.

The song “Hold On” teams back up with Wrekonize as they tell their partners not to let go of them over a calming instrumental while the track “Double Down” talks about getting back up when you’re on the ground over a psychedelic beat. The closer “Let You Down” talks about getting lost in his thoughts over an acoustic instrumental & then the bonus cut “Late Checkout” is essentially Bernz doing dumb shit in the club over a beat that I almost wanna say is a bit Latin flavored.

Strange Music has been constantly staying busy all year & if this is the last full-length album we’re getting from them until 2021, then what a damn-near perfect way to finish it off because Bernz really took it to a whole nother level on here in comparison to [i]See You on the Other Side[/i]. The lyrics are most personal yet & his chemistry with 7 is just astounding, as the production on here is incredibly versatile.

Strange Music has been constantly staying busy all year & if this is the last full-length album we’re getting from them until 2021, then what a damn-near perfect way to finish it off because Bernz really took it to a whole nother level on here in comparison to See You on the Other Side. The lyrics are most personal yet & his chemistry with 7 is just astounding, as the production on here is incredibly versatile.

Score: 4.5/5

Redd – “Symphony of Sympathy” review

Redd is a 26 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his association with local underground powerhouse Majik Ninja Entertainment. Given that, it was only right for Twiztid to sign Redd to their new sub-label Welcome to the Underground & give a hand in pushing his full-length debut.

After the melodic piano-inflicted intro, the next song “Followers” with Twiztid finds the trio talking about those who only care about how big they are on social media over a tropical beat whereas the track “Vulnerable” talks about being just that over a bare acoustic instrumental. The song “Smile” ponders what it takes to be happy over a cloudy beat while the track “2 Signs” with Blaze Ya Dead Homie & KYNE sees the 3 awkwardly going full blown country rap.

The song “Good Morning, Goodbye” with Illy Maine finds the 2 talking about cheddar chasing over a upbeat-trap instrumental while the track “Real Talk” with The R.O.C. sees the 2 boasting over a mellow beat from Mvc Mowl. The song “Love” is a melodramatic story about being drawn into this woman he first started talking to on Facebook while the track “Hello Stranger” talks about going it through it all over another country-flavored instrumental.

The song “Banana Clip” with Polo Frost sees the 2 talking about groupies over some claps while the track “Gameboy Color” with Gibby Stites finds the duo making multiple video game references about over a suiting instrumental. The song “Summit” talks about climbing to the peak over a woodwind infused trap beat while the penultimate track “Sleep on Me” talks about being underappreciated in the rap game over a nocturnal instrumental. The album finishes off with “Bounce”, which is a club banger backed by an beat kin to D4L’s “Laffy Taffy”.

I was curious to see where Redd would take things on this album (especially with one of the freshest underground labels in recent years backing it) & honestly, Symphony of Sympathy is pretty solid. The features are either hit or miss with me personally, but I really appreciate how versatile it is throughout.

Score: 3.5/5

Wrekonize – “Pressure Point” review

Wrekonize is a 37 year old MC & producer based in Miami, Florida who’s been around for almost 20 years at this point. Starting out in the battle circuit, he eventually put out a total of 3 mixtapes throughout the 2000s before coming out with his full-length debut A Soiree for Skeptics in 2010. However, it wouldn’t be until the following year when he signed to Strange Music as a solo artist & as a member of the group ¡MAYDAY!. His 2013 sophomore effort The War Within would go onto receive critical acclaim & was followed up in 2017 with Into the Further. But as we approach near the end of 2020, Wrekonize is completing the trilogy by dropping his 4th full-length album.

After the “We’ll Be Waiting for You” intro, we get into the first song “The Fallen”. Where Wrek talks about being in Hell over a settle trap beat from The Xtraordinaire$. The next song “Be Me” talks about uniqueness over a rock-flavored instrumental & after the “Tell Me Your Symptoms” skit, the track “Lights Off” talks about his mind always movin’ over a trap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 with a plinky xylophone.

The song “Wits’ Ends” talks about being more anxious than ever over a bleak instrumental while the track “For the Likes” takes aim at clout chasers over acoustic trap beat. After the “State of the World” skit, the song “Low Water” gets on the wisdom tip over an scary-sounding beat while the track “Sedentary Moments” talks about how he used to sit & dream as a kid over a laidback boom bap beat.

The track “Anyweigh” is literally a spousal argument on wax backed by a woozy instrumental from Leonard DStroy while the song “High Water” talks about breaking free from the cage of stress over a trap beat with some psychedelic guitar passages. The track “Simple Back Then” looks back on his childhood over a soothing instrumental while the song “Oakland” is a slow, R&B jam written towards his partner. After the “Separate Yourself” skit, the track “Zombies” talks about freeing the listeners’ minds over a foreboding trap instrumental while “The Man Under the Bridge” talks about homelessness over a funky beat.

The self-produced “Call for My Name” pays tribute to Valerie Ryan over some prominently knocking drums & after the “Couple Last Stories” skit, “The Coldest Dish” is a tearjerking tribute to Wrek’s parents & brother backed by a trap beat with some somber piano-chords. The closer “Still Around (Down) talks about his desire to live without fear over a grungy trap instrumental & then the bonus cut “Detonate” with Tech N9ne & UBI finds the trio talking about losing their minds over a full-blown dubstep beat.

Wrekonize has always been one of the most standout artists on Strange Music & to me, this is right behind The War Within for his magnum opus. The production choices have improved greatly in comparison to Into the Further, the concept is so articulately put together & does a fantastic job of showing the listener where he’s at right now mentally.

Score: 4.5/5

Joey Cool – “Coolie High” review

This is the brand new album from Kansas City rapper Joey Cool. Gaining attention as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music, he releasing a total of 4 mixtapes & a studio album on his own before Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to the Snake & Bat just about 3 years ago. He made his official Strange debut in 2018 with his self-titled sophomore effort & that was followed up last fall with Old Habits Die Hard. But with his birthday being earlier this week, Joey is celebrating by dropping Coolie High.

The opener “Black Magic” speaks on his prophecy over a trap instrumental from Dominique Sanders with a catchy rhythm to it & then the next track “It’s All Me” talks about the redundancy to talk shit over an icy boom bap beat. The song “You Ain’t Seen Shit” claps back at the naysayers over a militant trap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 while the track “I’m Fine” is a great humble brag backed by a rubbery Kato instrumental.

The song “Bandolera” with Bodega Bamz, J-Izzie & VG Legacy sees the 4 getting sexual over a Latin-flavored instrumental from longtime collaborator Burna Music while the track “Lifting Me Higher” vents about his inner struggles over a gospel-esque beat. The song “Lions” with JL & Tech N9ne is a deadly showcasing of their chopping skills while the track “Blame Coolie” talks about wanting all the smoke over a diabolical-sounding instrumental.

The song “F.S.U. (Fuck Shit Up)” is a monstrous moshpit starter while the track “Talk About It” ponders what he did to get people talking shit about him over a chaotic beat. The song “Poisoned” talks about how it’s a messed up world over a druggy instrumental while the track “Pirates” with Rittz finds the 2 boasting over a skeletal yet aggressive beat.

The song “Hold Up” with Landxn Fyre sees the 2 talking about those who act like they ain’t shit over a vibrant instrumental while the track “Systematic” with the late Info Gates finds the 2 diving into the meaning of such over a spacious boom bap beat. The song “Why Do You Love Me?” with Yung Scar is a decent romance ballad with some saloon-esque piano chords while the track “Go There” with Krizz Kaliko sees the 2 talking about looking to ease their minds over a full blown reggae beat.

The song “Wish I Was You” talks about those who want to be in Joey’s position over an uplifting beat while the track “Stuck” talks about someone who refuses to change over a moody instrumental while the song “Still Catchin’ Waves” talks about never looking back to the past. The titular closer gets celebratory over a rock influenced instrumental & then the bonus cut “Blessed” talks about accepting who he is over a synth heavy boom bap beat.

Man, it just seems like Joey just keeps getting better & better with each year he puts something out. There were a few features that I personally could’ve done without, but you get a really good look at how skilled Joey is as an MC throughout a good portion of this album’s 72 & a half minute runtime.

Score: 3.5/5

JL – “The Devil Hates Sundays” review

This is the brand new album from Missouri emcee JL, who started out as a member of the B. Hood crew before signing to Strange Music in 2015. His full-length debut on the label D.I.B.K.I.S. (Do It Big Keep It Strange) that came out a few years ago was a proper introduction to the Strange fanbase & I really liked that Kontra-Band collab effort he did with Stevie Stone in 2018 too. But after teasing new music for quite some time now, JL’s officially back with The Devil Hates Sundays.

After the intro, the first song “Silver” makes numerous references to the titular color over an organ-inflicted boom bap beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 (who produced about half the album) whereas the track “Sunday Morning” with Marley Young finds the 2 comparing them & their significant others to Adam & Eve over a euphoric beat. The song “Means to an End” with Tech N9ne sees both spitters talking about doing anything for better luck over a trap beat with some bells while the track “Ask for It” with LeezoSTG & Maez301 finds the trio talking about giving their significant others anything they want over a rubbery instrumental.

The song “Ahh Haa” talks about being high over a hyphy beat from Wyshmaster while the track “Who Raised You?” talks about how they don’t make ‘em like this over a beat with some bells & a background singer humming. The song “Flashing Out” is filled with clever Hollywood references over a cavernous instrumental from Dominique Sanders while the track “That’s Him” with Joey Cool displays an impeccable chemistry with one another over a monstrous beat.

The song “Sleep on Me” with Krizz Kaliko sees the 2 talking about being underrated over a bleak instrumental while the track “Petty Bop” does a good job of living up to it’s name both lyrically & sonically. The song “Common Sense” talks about him being one of a kind over a cloudy beat while the track “Coming Down” talks about being off of the high over a woodwind-infused beat.

The song “SOS” talks about being too far gone over a dense beat while the track “Voices” with Jehry Robinson sees the 2 talking about the internal conflict within them over a desolate beat. The song “MIA” talks about getting to the money over a woozy instrumental while the track “Moonwalker” links up with Suli4Q & the CES Cru finds the 4 talking about revenge over a somewhat quirky beat.

The song “If I Wasn’t” with Saigon & Starrz finds the 3 painting scenarios of where they’d be if they never made it in the rap game over an intoxicating instrumental while the penultimate track “Bat Shit Crazy” talks about his boo being as wild as him over a sensual beat. The album finishes with “Inner Demons”, where JL apologizes for how he is over an instrumental with some slick guitar-playing.

Overall, I think this is JL’s best work date. There are a couple of features that I personally could’ve done without, but the lyrics on here are at his most introspective with the religious theme only enhancing it & the production fitting each cut like a glove.

Score: 3.5/5

Krizz Kaliko – “L.I.F.E. (Legend Immortal Forever Eternal)” review

Krizz Kaliko is a 46 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Kansas City, Missouri known for being a Day 1 signing to Strange Music along with Kutt Calhoun. He’s put out a total of 6 albums & 2 EPs through the label since, with the latest prior to this being G.O. (God’s Order) in 2016. And even though that record was predominantly R&B, it was still damn-near perfect. However after a nearly 5-year hiatus, Krizz is returning with his 7th full-length album.

Things start off with “21, where Krizz & Tech N9ne talk about celebrating their birthday over a lively beat from Wyshmaster. The next song “Little” with Stevie Stone sees the 2 talking about having trouble on their minds over a nocturnal trap instrumental while “The Recipe” tries to seek answers from God over a suspenseful beat. The track “S.O.B.” calls out the frauds over a druggy instrumental while the song “Get Chose” talks about him freaking out.

The track “Borrowed Time” talks about how life is catching up to him over a moody N4 instrumental while the song “Bitches I Know” talks about how he be popping over a beat with some plinky keyboards. The track “Follow the Drip” links back up with Tech talk about how to find them over a monstrous trap instrumental while the song “What Do You Mean?” with King Iso finds the 2 talking about their grind over a skeletal beat.

The track “You” talks about being bottled up over a forlorn instrumental while the song “Drunk White Girls” with CJ Hicks is a humorous club banger backed by an off-the-wall beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7. The track “Let You Tell It” talks about how he’ll never leave the rap game over a druggy beat while the song “Amen” talks about being 95% here over a beat with some tavern sounding piano chords.

The track “Didn’t Need Woes” looks back on his childhood over an instrumental that kinda has a jazzy feel to it while the song “Foolish” with Rittz sees the 2 getting reckless over a cavernous trap beat. The track “Avoiding Mirrors” with Jelly Roll & Merkules finds the trio talking about being all fucked up over a chaotic instrumental while the song “Mad” with JL sees the 2 clapping back at people talking shit behind their backs over a trap beat with some keys & a rubbery bass-line. The closer “Coloring Book” talks about how they can never get him right over a dim instrumental & then the bonus cut “Understood” with Tech finds the duo talking about how they don’t sleep over a violin-inflicted beat.

Been a long-time coming but at the end of the day, this is a great comeback effort for Krizz. It’s got everything you love about him: Great rapping, even greater singing, well-written verses/hooks, banging’ ass production suiting the tone of each song & some well-incorporated features. Legend definitely solidifies Krizz as an OG of the culture & here’s to more albums from him in the near future. Welcome back, Kali!

Score: 4/5

Maez301 – “HASAAN” review

This is the sophomore album from Maryland‘s very own Maez301. Setting his foot in the industry a few years ago with his debut mixtape Nowhere, the project eventually caught the attention of Ervin Pope & Jerome Taylor. Both of whom helped Maez sign with Strange Music in 2018 & just last fall, they put his self-titled debut showcasing versatility. And as the 1 year anniversary of that album approaches in a couple months, Maez & Ervin are back at it again with Hasaan.

The album kicks off with “Thank You”, where Maez talks about living how he wants now over a graceful beat. The next song “Eff U Thought” with Lex Bratcher sees the 2 clapping back at their detractors over a hard trap instrumental while the track “Like It” with E-40 finds both of them charmingly bragging about themselves over a hyphy beat. The song “R.I.P.” with Infinite E sees the 2 talking about women doing them dirty over a slow instrumental while the track “Back in a Minute” flexes over a playful trap beat.

The song “Sick” vents about almost taking his own life over a mellow instrumental while the track “Orange Blood” talks about wanting to be taken back to when life for him was sample over a trap beat from some luscious keyboards. The song “Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once)” talks about turning up over a vigorous instrumental while the track “Lately” tells this woman not to fuck with him over a punchy yet somewhat atmospheric beat.

The song “Don’t Go” with Leila is a decent R&B/trap fused duet about heartbreak while the track “She Say” talks about sex over a moody beat. The song “Never Go” talks about a bitch switching on him over a gentle boom bappy instrumental while the track “Stride” talks about a woman running back to him over a nocturnal beat.

The song “20879” with Ducemd & Infinite E sees the 3 boasting over a vibrant instrumental while the track “90047” with Bad Lucc finds the 2 showing the listeners how to get bread over a euphoric beat with a bit of a West Coast feel to it. The song “Destiny” talks about being made for this rap shit over an instrumental cooler than the ocean breeze while the track “Let U Go” is an acoustic ballad about moving on from this woman.

The song “Up” with Infinite E sees the 2 talking about how they’re on top over a glamorous instrumental while the track “Instagram Famous” is pretty much both of them getting back together again to talk about hoes with large social media followings over a plain beat. The closer “Real Real Love” repetitively talks about wanting an actually romantic bond over an unexpected synth-funk instrumental & then the bonus cut “Higher” gives thanks to the higher power over a synthy boom bap beat.

This is just as dope as the self-titled album & it’s another reminder of how talented Maez can be. The lyrics are a lot more personal this time around in comparison to previous efforts & Ervin Pope’s production continues to bring the best out of him.

Score: 3.5/5

Jehry Robinson – “20/20” review

Jehry Robinson is a 32 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Long Island, New York who came up in 2016 of his eponymous debut EP & the debut mixtape Pts. IV-VI few months later. His biggest breakthrough came around last Christmas after signing to Strange Music, establishing himself with the KC indie powerhouse by dropping his full-length debut in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic following a small handful of releases from the label’s artists & continuing to let more come down the pipe earlier this month.

The album kicks off with “Daylight”, where Jehry & Tech N9ne talk about being elites referencing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over a woozy beat from MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7. The next song “Follow My Lead” with King Iso sees the 2 talking about being uncontrollable over a cavernous trap beat while the track “No Refunds” goes full-blown reggae to talk about making your time in this world count. The song “Earthquakes” vents about missing home over an tropical beat from Wyshmaster while the track “Daddy Issues” talks about being there for his niece over an acoustic instrumental.

The song “In My Feels” opens up about his inner demons over a smooth beat while the track “Reseverations” telling this person the possibility of staying with him over some more reggae production. The song “Mind Your Business” pretty much speaks for itself over a cavernous instrumental while the track “Impatient” talks about being just that over a dreary beat. The song “Gas in the Tank” talks about going up from here now that he has a record deal over an aggressive trap beat while the track “Walk Away” talks about how life’s amazing & the empowering feel of the production fits just great.

The song “Michael” is a tearjerking tribute to Jehry’s cousin of the same name who passed away of a drug overdose while the track “Closer to the Sun” is a playful summertime bop. The song “Torture” talks about feeling like he’s underwater over an infectiously rhythmic instrumental while the track “Ego” talks about remaining humble over a tropical instrumental. The song “Ritual” with Joey Cool sees the 2 talking about spreading love over a triumphant beat while the track “Lights” is a touching ballad that seems to be written towards Jehry’s incredible manager/wife Tara Ennis.

The song “Backburner” talks about how he’s falling into place over a jazzy instrumental while the track “Disagree” with Cozzy Sutra sees the 2 telling their significant others that they both have their own issues over a boom bap beat with a piano-loop. The closer “Foresight” talks about how everyone’s messing with him now due to his new record deal over some plinky pianos from Matt Phoenix & then there’s the bonus cut “Say Less”, where Jehry links up with Justina Valentine of Wild’n Out fame to clap back at their nonbelievers over a bouncy beat that has a bit of a modern West Coast feel to it.

Strange Music has been staying consistent for several years now whether it be their signings or constantly working on new projects & Jehry Robinson is definitely a good fit for the label. This album really does a good job at giving listeners a deeper look into his personality along with displaying how versatile he can be.

Score: 3.5/5