Rich Amiri – “Grit & Grace” review

Here is the 5th studio LP from Boston, Massachusetts rapper & singer/songwriter Rich Amiri. Turning heads for 4 years now off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal, the 4ersona member would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records & introducing himself to a wider audience on the aptly titled Evolution followed by the sophomore effort Ghetto Fabulous. He landed a spot in last year’s XXL Freshman Class, coming off War Ready last winter to spread Grit & Grace.

“So Long” kick things off with Amiri talking about having to cut a few people off in order for him to blow up & having no regrets whereas “Lights Out” apologizes in advance if he’s been too serious since he dislikes young hoes until the buzzkill outro. “I Don’t Mind” assures that this chick will wish she picked him in a matter of time prior to “Flex N Finesse” talking about the 2 things that he likes to do.

The beat switch on “See Us Now” was enjoyable living like a player until he waits for karma gets him for all the bad he’s done in his life while the lead single “Paranoid” asks if the world’s against him or if Amiri’s buggin’. “Twin Flame” talks about feeling like he’s back in 2016 wondering how he lost his sauce when he’s the one who made it just before “Hoes Mad” turns up 1 time out of spite of these bitches.

“Homesick” starts the 2nd half with another highlight moment minimally diving into his spirituality while the final single “In & Out”responds to 9 Vicious wanting to beef with him, assuring that it had nothing to do with a woman. “Moving Dumb” talks about not fucking around with his payroll since he’s a $1M man & being made for this while “In That Mode” compares himself to a punk rockstar, cautioning that you don’t want smoke with him.

We have some cool sampling chops for the couple minutes “Never Had I” has to offer talking about focusing on stacking his cheddar & keeping his head to when his homie died since it always gets better while the rage-inducing “Brick Brick” confidently assures he’ll be fine. “Party Rock” produced by Synthetic could easily be my favorite track here dismissing a female calling him her Romeo while the closer “Code Red” talks about not coming to fuck around.

In no way am I trying to discredit Rich Amiri’s passion to expand by taking a different approach to Grit & Grace as well as taking heavy inspiration from one of my top 10 producers of all-time Ye or formerly Kanye West regardless of having to take a step back from the fandom because of his inexcusable behavior during the first half of the year, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as Evolution & Ghetto Fabulous or even War Ready mostly because the production isn’t as interesting.

Score: 3/5

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Dro Kenji – “The End of Nothing 2” review

Summerville, South Carolina rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Dro Kenji is back for his 3rd EP. Signing to both Internet Money Records & 10K Projects not even 365 days after he began making music, he has since put out 7 full-length studio LPs along with a couple EPs & a mixtape. The End of Nothing earlier this summer marked a return to form after experimenting with rage beats & a sequel’s here 6 weeks later.

“Fade” made for an emo rap intro confessing to his lover that he feels as if his heart’s beating I it of frame & the fear of showing how he feels whereas “Stay Focused” finds himself maintaining his concentration asking if he does too much when he’s off the drugs. “Outlandish” talks about never leaving his romantic interest stranded & wanting her to fall in love while “Plug’s House” poses the question of his authenticity being legit or not.

The End of Nothing 2’s final leg starts with “Joggin’”, where Dro hops over a melancholic guitar with more hi-hats talking about running to the bread. “Hookup 4 Anything” looks to start a catastrophe with his partner & realizes he possibly knows her more strongly than himself prior to “Annoying” getting to the bottom of whether or not he’s aggravating her.

Dro Kenji’s previous EP at the beginning of the summer welcomingly took it back to his emo pop rap/trap roots after experimenting with rage beats on Valentine’s Day, but I came away from The End of Nothing 2 liking it only slightly less than I did the predecessor. He’s topically sticking to his bread & butter which isn’t a criticism, except the production on here compared to the original End of Nothing doesn’t catch my attention similarly.

Score: 3/5

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Dro Kenji – “The End of Nothing” review

Dro Kenji is a 22 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Summerville, South Carolina signing to both Internet Money Records & 10K Projects not even 365 days after he began making music. He has since put out 7 full-length studio LPs along with an EP & a mixtape, the latter of which being his most recent body of work coinciding with Valentine’s Day departing from the emo pop rap style he’s known for in favor of rage. 4 months later, he’s preluding his 8th album with his 2nd EP & the 2nd body of work from him in 2025.

“Pinnochio” kicks off The End of Nothing with a moody pop rap/trap intro wanting his bae at 2am & telling her how much she inspires him whereas “Tylenol” moodily talks about his drug addiction helping him. “Way Back in August” works in some acoustics from Census, Nico Baran & Niketaz asking why he & his ex keep crossing paths when his life’s goin’ the hardest while the woozy “Rude Girl” finds himself obsessed with that exact type of woman. Lastly, the acoustic trap closer “Unstoppable” caps off the EP by telling an ex who constantly lies to get away from him.

The stylistic departure of Love Kills left a handful of Dro Kenji’s fans divided on it but thankfully if you’re one of those people who missed hearing him over the emo rap sound he came up off of mixed with pop rap & trap, you’re most likely gonna come away from The End of Nothing looking at it is the most enjoyable thing he’s done since Wish You Were Here & it may even raise your expectations for his next album. Even if that tape was a passable experimentation from my perspective, it’s always great to hear artists get back to the basics of what got them this far in the game & he does it with ease.

Score: 3.5/5

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Rich Amiri – “War Ready” review

Boston, Massachusetts up-&-comer Rich Amiri returning for the final month of 2024 with his 3rd full-length studio album. Beginning to turn heads since the fall of 2021 off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal, the 4ersona member would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records & introducing himself to a wider audience on the aptly titled Evolution followed by the sophomore effort Ghetto Fabulous. He landed a spot in this year’s XXL Freshman Class over the summer & is now War Ready roughly 6 months later.

“Amiri Trendsetter” featuring OsamaSon finds the pair kickin’ things off with this psychedelic trap instrumental talkin’ about people bitin’ their styles & that life can’t be any better in 2025 whereas “Oh Myy” has a bit of a rage influence living life as if it’s a movie. “Don’t Make Me” hazily suggests that he can show y’all how to move & finesse thanks to Internet Money in-house producer Synthetic & venny just before “U Want That?” flexes that he’s at Maggianos with a baddie over a siren & hi-hats courtesy of Rio Leyva.

OsamaSon & Amiri link back up on the futuristic trap joint “I’m wit It” explaining that shit’s getting gnarly in addition to showing off their new sticks & everyone else’s glitching while “Touché” works in a hypertrap beat talking about bitches tryna fuck him for his paper being outta their minds. “Count My Bandz” with co-production from Taz Taylor triumphantly clarifies that the world don’t owe you shit, but then the hypnotic “That’s It” boasts his lifestyle.

“Hunchos” ends the first half of War Ready expressing his fear of telling a bitch that he loves her because he’ll feel completely stupid if she ends up cheating on him while “Same Old Me” samples “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” by Tame Impala to talk about those thinkin’ shit’s sweet being goners. “I’m Gone” admits that he doesn’t want to choose violence & he’ll dead any beef if they bring it to him over a rage-inducing instrumental while “Stormi Daniels” likens his girl to the titular pornstar.

Meanwhile on “Keep It Cool”, we have Amiri maintaining the hypertrap vibes saying y’all better keep it cool ’cause shit could get ugly at any point while the carefree “So Easy” talks about having his way. “Gutta Gutta” promises that he won’t ever switch on his Day 1s shell shocking people & leaving them wrapped up while “G23” turns the bass up staying focused off the adderrall.

“U Like?” reaches further towards the backend of War Ready turning the distortion up a bit addressing a mischievous bitch who doesn’t love him at all & actually wants to beef him coming to the apparent realization that he doesn’t think he can save himself anymore while “Day After Day” finishes the LP with a cavernous trap cut knowing he’s been making it look like a breeze as a result of doing it from the very beginning.

Starting the deluxe run with a bang, “Heavy Steps” that Toom of Vanguard Music Group helped laced asks how you saying you have a check when you can’t even afford your rent while the intergalactic trap cut “New Celine” talks about him refusing to cop a plea deal. “Ray Charles” happens to be the final bonus track of the 3, treating a bitch as if she’s the rhythm & blues icon not seeing shit alluding to his blindness when he was still here.

Many have criticized Amiri for having a supposed “lack of authenticity” & he pretty much takes the opportunity to silence those individuals by putting out an album that reinforces why he landed a spot the 2024 XXL Freshman Class nearly 6 months ago. Although he’s been experimenting with his music for a while now, he’s trying out more new sounds on here & it results in his most eclectic offering.

Score: 3.5/5

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Rich Amiri – “Ghetto Fabulous” review

This is the sophomore full-length album from Boston up-&-comer Rich Amiri of the 4ersona collective. Beginning to turn heads since the fall of 2021 off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal, he would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records & introducing himself to a wider audience this past spring on the aptly titled Evolution earlier this past spring. And with only a month left of fall to go, Amiri’s returning halfway through the 4th quarter to show off how Ghetto Fabulous he is.

“No Handouts” is a cloudy trap opener co-produced by Rio Leyva talking about bossing up becoming the man now simply tryna play it safe previously whereas “I Want Everything” expresses his desire to have it all over a cloudy backdrop with some hi-hats worked in also. “Quartermill” happens to be another atmospheric trap cut flexing that he’s got $250k on him prior to “Outta There” talking about rockin’ out the show & collect the check afterwards over a glossy trap beat from solely Rio.

The rage vibes throughout “1 Call” are pretty interesting as Amiri let’s it be known he doesn’t trust anyone just before the horn-inflicted “Illuminati” addresses the claims that some of these idiots out here have been making that he’s a part of the titular secret society. “Sticks on Ready” boasts that his whole team’s too rich ‘cause someone put on his guys accompanied by a futuristic trap instrumental, but then “Troops” acknowledges that everyone knows he ain’t a fool & I love the angelic trap vibes to the beat.

“Forza” continues the 2nd half of Ghetto Fabulous by bragging about racing just like the titular video game franchise over more horns & hi-hats while the vibrant “Codeine Crazy” produced by Taz Taylor & ReidMD from Vanguard Music Group is a dedication to the lifestyle that he’s found himself involved in since making music. “Ain’t Nothing” shows off how crazy he’s been going resurrecting the trillwave aesthetics of some of the previous joints that is until “Paper Bag Tags” goes for a playful approach showing a sensual side to Amiri.

The bassy penultimate track “What It Cost” draws near the end confessing he doesn’t know anything about old money even though he’s got a whole lot of new money these days & “Kurt Cobain” wraps it all up by hooking up a trap instrumental reminiscent to that of a retro video game breaking down the ways of him livin’ large now that his music career is taking off alongside his profile continuing to increase as a result of that.

Evolution showed a lot of growth in Amiri earlier this year & as a way of possibly ending his 2023, he’s giving everyone a glimpse into his Ghetto Fabulous lifestyle & making it as consistent as the previous body of work from him. Internet Money’s production continues to bring the best out of him as he flexes his newfound fame & fortune.

Score: 3.5/5

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Rich Amiri – “Evolution” review

Rich Amiri is an 18 year old recording artist from Boston, Massachusetts who’s been turning heads since the fall of 2021 off the strength of his debut EP Ethereal. The 4ersona member would go on to follow it up with 6 more EPs before signing to Internet Money Records not too long ago. So considering a new label deal, it’s only right for Amiri to shake things up harder than normal in the form of a 12-track/25 minute full-length debut.

“Mention” is a spacey trap opener produced by Taz Taylor, Nick Mira & Rio Leyva referring to himself as a top dog & telling this chick he genuinely loves her whereas “Don’t Feel Ya” works in some synths & hi-hats talking about drawing a million as well as being the one taking risks whippin’ bricks. “Best Friend” keeps things in atmospheric trap territory detailing a hoe trying hard to get close to him just before the wavy “Friend of Mine” talks about hitting the lottery.

Moving onto “Salty”, we have a bassy yet hazy banger showing off his sticks until Lil Tecca tags along for the vibrant pop rap cut “Poppin’” that eventually became the album’s 3rd single to talk about the famous lifestyle that both of them are living these days. “Ballin’” finds him telling his girl that he wants to have fun with her tonight on top of a minimal yet rubbery beat, but then “Don’t Exist” comes through with a vulnerable letter to his ex.

“Ace” blends some pianos & hi-hats to brush off any & all nonsense that people try to send his way while the song “Casket” is a catchier jam about living lavish & running up the bag. The penultimate track albeit “Dirty Money” opens up on the benefits of his newfound success over a pluggy instrumental & to round things out, “Can’t Die” finishes the album with him over a rage beat talking about cutting off old friends & copping new bands.

TyFontaine was my favorite Internet Money signee up until he left the label quite some time ago, but Amiri most certainly continues to fulfill that roll with Evolution here. The production is as strong as it was on For the Better last summer & dude really does display how much he’s grown within the last couple years with some of his catchiest songwriting yet.

Score: 3.5/5

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Internet Money Records – “We All We Got” review

Internet Money Records is a record label & producer collective from Los Angeles, California founded by Taz Taylor. Their full-length debut B4 the Storm celebrates it’s 2 year anniversary at the end of the month & even though it was a disappointment for me personally, the singles they put out prior to their debut EP over here intrigued me enough to go into it optimistic that it would be better than their last effort.

“$2k in the Soda” by Lucki is a triumphant opener talking about only pulling up to Los Angeles for the drink whereas “She Want Some More” by Ken Carson & Lil Tecca takes a cloudier route thanks to Outtatown describing bitches who can’t get enough of them. “On Me” by Destroy Lonely works in a rage beat talking about staying strapped while the song “No Handoutz” by Yeat is a fun successor to “Twizzy Rich” off his full-length debut Up 2 Më. The penultimate track “Codeine Cowboy” by Lil Yachty incorporates some synthesizers thanks to Rio Leyva talking about how he hasn’t slept in a week & “Falsetto” by Tecca closes out the EP on a spacious note going into detail about his ride or die.

Coming away from We All We Got, it definitely lived up to my expectations & is without hesitation the best project that the Internet Money crew has put together yet. This time around, the production that they bring to the table dabbles with more modern sounds like hypertrap & the performances from the guests are a lot more consistent than they were almost 2 years ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ty Fontaine – “Ascension” review

Ty Fontaine is a 21 year old rapper from Washington, D.C. breaking out in 2018 off the debut EP Do Not Disturb. His profile continued to grow from there, especially when Taz Taylor signed him to Internet Money Records last spring. But to build off the hype as a potential nominee for the 2021 XXL Freshman Class this summer, Ty has to decided to drop his long-awaited 3rd mixtape.

“Glowin’ Up” is a touching opener as Ty hops on a cloudy, drumless instrumental to address his continuous rise to fame whereas “RIP Whitney” is a beautiful tribute to the late Whitney Houston that heavily samples “I Have Nothing”. Meanwhile on “Dummy”, we have Supah Mario help go into an electronic-tinged direction with lyrics about going hard just before Cactus Jack Records’ latest signee SoFaygo tags along for the atmospheric banger “Run It Up”.

The song “Right My Wrongs” is a psychedelic cut about forever stuntin’ while the Richie Souf-produced “Nelly Furtado” is a short, dancier joint about his girl. I thought “Inhale” was a dope single leading up to the tape with it’s stripped back-production & Ty’s melodic delivery about smoking weed as was “Pristine”, which is a pillowy ode to Goyard.

“I Can’t Feel My Face” is a drug anthem that almost has a Neptunes influence in the beat while “White Girl Benjamins” is a tropical tune about choosing money over bitches. The track “Celebration” is a cavernous yet bassy theme to his newfound fortune while the penultimate song “Addicted” assures his lover that they ain’t gon’ lose everything they started without getting too sugary with it. The tape ends with the title track, which is Ty rapping over a glistening instrumental saying it’s only up from here & rightfully so.

This kid is one of my favorite mainstream artists on the come-up & I think Ascension is really gonna increase his chances of going places because it’s his best work yet in my opinion. The production choices are much more refined in comparison to Ty’s previous efforts & his performances are infectiously catchy.

Score: 4/5