Tierra Whack – “Whack’s Museum” review

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania rapper & singer/songwriter Tierra Whack has returned for her 2nd mixtape in time for the summer. Breaking out in 2018 off the strength of her debut tape Whack World after signing to Interscope Records, she would go on to drop a trilogy of EPs showcasing her artistry: Rap? as well as Pop? & R&B?. Her full-length debut Worldwide Whack was more moderately received compared to Whack World although I appreciated it for what it was, taking us through Whack’s Museum a couple years later.

“Whack Job” produced by Chris Keys & Conductor Williams breaks the door down responding to the people saying she should rap more whereas “Wax Paper” takes the boom bap route instrumentally talking about feeling too generous at times. “Brazilian Wax” soulfully asks herself why some are intimidated by her presence until “Wiggidy Whack” runs it back with Conductor talking about leaving any & all competitors scorched.

As for “Totem”, we have Tierra embracing some trap vibes so she can discuss getting what she wants leading into “Godda” ending the 1st half returning to the boom bap courtesy of Swaggyono from Working on Dying talking about making some money. “Siren” kicks off the 2nd leg of Whack’s Museum so she can let get a bit more goofier & joyous with her wordplay while “Candle Wax” strips the drums to talk about her going out being herself: Amongst the greatest to ever do it musically.

“Queen’s Crown” retains her signature sense of humor dropping 4 straight verses without a hook over a soul sample while “Earwax” talks about choosing not to play the game despite her knowledge of it over another drumless loop. “215” shouts out the city that made her the person she’s becoming once again getting humorous with her pen & the outro “Flowers” ends Whack’s Museum demanding her props from those who ain’t giving ‘em to her.

Little Simz & Doechii have been widely regarded as some of the greatest women to touch a microphone in recent memory, but Tierra Whack has already proven herself to be in that same category from her Lil Boat 3 feature to her recent appearance on Jill Scott’s latest album To Whom This May Concern several months earlier. Her lyrics are more abstract & occasionally conscious than usual with the production varying between boom bap, jazz rap & pop rap.

Score: 4/5

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ApolloRed1 – “Demon Heart Radio” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper ApolloRed1 releasing his debut mixtape under Opium Records & Interscope Records. Starting out a couple years ago off his full-length debut The Summer I Turned Red, his first few extended plays Villain as well as Vamp Diary & Tantrum were enough to have his blood cousin Playboi Carti make him the newest member of the Opium roster by dropping a Midnight Blassic. ApolloRed1 vs. the World in October continued to make some more artistic improvements & Demon Heart Radio has finally arrived after months of delays.

“#Demon” produced by Cardo made for an entertaining single that came out last weekend addressing someone he facilitated all his love for whereas “Where I’m @“ works in some heavy 808s from Bakkwoods admitting that he’s so high off the drugs that he doesn’t know his exact location. “Pink!” hops over an Ayelavish! instrumental I really enjoyed talking about pulling his Glock out like it’s a shiv while “#SRT” pulls from plugg courtesy of SOULJASPIRITS likening himself to Deadpool.

Trgc gets behind the boards for the EDM-inspired “More Time” talking about the only thing he wants is to be with this woman more just before “Love You > Myself” gives off a more hyper tone altogether pondering what to do when the drugs won’t help & speaking of someone he loves more than himself over a rage beat from Clayco & OPM BABI. “Shell” maintains the hypertrap vibes instrumentally depicting imagery of the gangsta life until putting dollar signs “OnYoHead!” over a sinister Bugz Ronin beat.

“Codeine Shower” featuring Destroy Lonely finds the 2 reuniting to end the 1st half of Demon Heart Radio talking about treating drugs like probiotics while “Can’t Go” runs it back over another Ayelavish! instrumental for a couple minutes or so assuring that shit being real life to him. “Caution” has a playful rage aura to it catching those speaking ill on his name on offense while “Geeked Up” featuring OsamaSon talks about both of them seeing red.

We have ApolloRed on the rage-inducing “ARP My Bitch” likening his AR-15 pistol to romantic lover while “Drive u” embraces more of a pluggier sound thanks to F1LTHY of Working on Dying to talk about him being on top of the hill of the Atlanta scene with the rest of his Opium squad. “Tight Pants” featuring the Homixide Gang joins forces to express their disdain for those fuckin’ with rats & while “Pullup##” winds down the last few moments of Demon Heart Radio turning up the hypertrap elements courtesy of Ayelavish! talking about going crazy soon as he hits the stage.

“Hood-Made” explains that the streets made him the person he is today over an instrumental Zodiac of Vanguard Music Group made while the outro “Set You Free” sends off Apollo’s major label debut suggesting he might let go of an ex if they weren’t meant for each other. “Machete” talks about having hundreds of dollars coming in & having a book bag for it while “NoCrash” samples “Put on a Smile” by Silk Sonic to detail his no fucks given attitude.

Midnight Blassic & ApolloRed1 vs. the World have both proven that ApolloRed1 could potentially be the most underrated signing on the Opium roster considering both of those were big step-ups from his earlier output, but his major label debut Demon Heart Radio tops both of those in unveiling a tape packed with the highest quality of rage & plugg music I could’ve expected from him. Whether it’s the consistently fun production or the guests & Apollo himself, the latter’s making it known that he’s arrived.

Score: 4/5

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Imani Imani – “Papercut” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Suriname-born albeit Amsterdam-raised singer/songwriter Imani Imani. Being introduced through her feature on the unreleased Kendrick Lamar track “I Feel Something” that was previewed at the beginning of 2024 in promotion of Chanel’s Spring-Summer Haute Couture Show a few months afterwards, she’s returning after almost 2 & a half years signing to pgLang & Interscope Records to surprise-drop Papercut in celebration of her new major label deal.

“Bet on Me” kicks things off with this passionate R&B intro singing about knowing what’s on her lover’s mind & feeling what he says without even knowing his name whereas “Come Together” peppily suggests that she & her lover need to make some improvements within their relationship. “Snatch” sings about a man who gets her high since she gives her dreams & lifestyle over pianos leading into “On Demand” leans towards a synth-funk direction assuring her partner she’ll be here waiting for him.

Moving on from there, “You’re Mine” delicately finishes the 1st leg of Imani’s debut singing about her preference of having men obsessed with her while the stripped-back “Mindgames” admits that she can’t lay her head down for too long when her romantic interest isn’t with her. “Slideee” gives off more of a dance-pop vibe yearning to put her waist on her soulmate’s body while “Chasing” incorporates more acoustics singing about trying to find peace regardless of rain never ceasing.

“1 of 1” nears closer towards the end of Imani’s debut embracing a more alternative R&B direction wanting to feel her muse’s love & pillow talk until the sunrise while the final song “Let Go (Wishes)” preceding the compositional “My Mistakes” outro croons about needing some time away from her own mind & asking if this individual would stay with her for a bit or run over an instrumental that had a bit of a minimalistic quality to it.

Considering that Baby Keem & Tanna Leone are both primarily rappers, I fully support the idea of Kendrick giving Imani Imani the right to call herself First Lady of pgLang & depart from the hip hop sound all 3 of the label’s other artists are primarily known for. The comparisons I’ve already seen made by Drake fans on social media to OVO Sound’s First Lady Naomi Sharon is stupid considering OVO’s been signing R&B acts in addition to Naomi being more rooted in the smooth soul side of things rather than Imani’s own style varying between contemporary & alternative R&B to dance-pop.

Score: 3.5/5

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Blog Era Boyz – Self-Titled review

The Blog Era Boyz are a superduo consisting of Cleveland, Ohio rapper, singer/songwriter, musician & actor MGK alongside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rapper, singer/songwriter, actor & entrepreneur Wiz Khalifa. Both of whom achieved their own individual levels of popularity during my adolescence even if I’ve always been more of a Wiz fan than MGK. However after initially crossing paths on “Mind of a Stoner” over a decade ago, they’re dropping an eponymous debut under Taylor Gang Entertainment & Interscope Records.

“family > everything” wasn’t all that exciting of a cloudy trap intro despite talking about catching Ws for the sake of those they love whereas “everything tatted” goes for a more boastful vibe expressing the love both of them have for tattoos. “MPH” finds the Blog Era Boyz trying to “rock out like it’s heavy metal” over this generically atmospheric beat until “fill my pockets” ruins a sample of “Scar Tissue” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers to end the 1st half.

Kicking off the 2nd leg, “girl next door” comes through with this corny pop rap anthem sampling “KKMJ” by Sweet Trip just before “stoned” produced by FNZ & Jim Jonsin sings & raps about smoking weed. “passport” finds the 2 moderately going back-&-forth with each other doing it better than “fill my pockets” but after “grind everyday” talks about hustling daily over a Sledgren beat, “fiberglass” finishes with both members addressing those who ain’t on their side.

I tend to look back at the blog era very fondly since I was an adolescence during that timeframe, but MGK & Wiz Khalifa aren’t necessarily the first people who come to mind when I think of that specific period. Maybe to some it’ll make better sense as to why they formed the Blog Era Boyz since both of them came up primarily rooted in the pop rap style, except I can actually take Wiz seriously unlike MGK & would call it almost as bad as genre: sadboy.

Score: 1.5/5

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Nettspend – “him” review

Richmond, Virginia rapper & songwriter Nettspend surprise-releasing his 2nd mixtape on his SoundCloud. Blowing up in 2023 off his debut EP Kickdoor, he would also team up with Hooligan Lou for the poorly received collab EP 3rd Knock preceding him signing to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records a few months afterwards. His debut mixtape Badass Fucking Kid was welcomed to divisive feedback although I personally enjoyed it more than Kickdoor or Nettgenes’ eponymous debut EP. Coming off the introspective Early Life Crisis a couple months ago, him looks to prepare us for the next era.

“kriss kross” opens up with him talking about not having any friends & for his sidekick to slide back over a rage beat whereas “sumthin’ different” describes him taking 10s all day to the point where he feels like he’s spinnin’. “medicine taste like shit” produced by che sticks out amongst my personal favorites on the tape detailing his dislike of fentanyl & cocaine until “strong” samples “hey, hello” encouraging this person to take hard-hitting drugs with him over yet another hypertrap instrumental.

We get a cross between plugg & cloud rap on “bliss” suggesting the problem between him & this woman was him waking up & asking her which drugs he should take prior to “change on me” bringing the rage beats back into the picture talking about having the ability to steal hoes before becoming famous. “goin’ dumb” embraces a more prominent digicore sound discussing all the hoes knowing exactly how hard he’s been going while “team x” shifts towards a pluggier direction again getting on his gangsta shit.

“high off life” contains one of my favorite hypertrap instrumentals on the tape courtesy of gyro advising for this individual to never hit up his line again going forward & if I had to pick a least favorite track, “breesh breesh” takes the cake talking about having guns & drugs inside his bag. “$ MF” blends cloud rap & plugg again moderately flexing his cash flow while “H.Y.W.D.S. (How You Wanna Do Shit)?” goes full Chicago drill to talk about having no time for the power.

The rage lets itself loose once more during “young ho” detailing him being at the point in his life where he’s used to hearing gunfire & what he refers himself to be instead of an O.G. while the Early Life Crisis outtake “pocket bag” incorporates some jerk undertones confessing that he isn’t playing for keeps. “killin’” emphasizes the jerk influences with a bit of a plugg twist talking about being a real villain while “sallys” cooks up another outstanding hypertrap instrumental from CXO shouting out the place he dyes his hair.

“problems” spends almost a couple minutes colliding cloud rap cautioning for everyone near him not to test your luck since he has the ability to leave muhfuckas dead but after ”Snapchat” swaps out the cloudier elements in favor of standard trap music talking about women sending him nudes through the social media app itself, “sonder” experiments with mixing characteristics of emo rap & jerk asking if the chick he’s addressing meant what she said.

The last 3 songs all have their own rage-inducing auras to them, except “10k ona dogg” talks about his savagery & making out of the rap shit off the rap shit itself while “beep beep” calls out the crowd of individuals who stay envious of him experiencing the lifestyles of the rich & famous from his Range Rover to his fit. “shootin’” finishes him by posing the question of why things have gotten worse for him in the midst of trying to find a way out of this dead end while “fuck tsa” starts the deluxe run dissing the TSA over a jerk beat.

“mona lisa” talks about having bitches who’re works of art the way he see thems & money making their worlds spin while “u not a demon” calls back to both “plan b” & “paris hilton” off the last album. “forever never” might be my favorite bonus track of them all talking about his plans of replacing everything that’s was built & ironically, the weakest of the bunch “maybach” reserve my least favorite for last bulletproofing his luxury car in case he runs into some haters.

Wasn’t anticipating Nettspend to drop again so soon, but I suppose it makes up for the delays Early Life Crisis faced taking a couple leftovers from those sessions & throwing some unreleased material in there ahead of his upcoming sophomore effort Slut vindicating why he’s been him. I’d even put him above 2slimey when it comes to that experimental rage style & there’s more variety between jerk, trap, cloud rap, plugg, digicore, Chicago drill & emo rap than the hardcore/pop raps of his debut.

Score: 3.5/5

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Swae Lee – “Same Difference” review

Swae Lee is a 32 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Tupelo, Missouri who began his career as part of Dem Outta St8 Boyz alongside Bobo Swae as well as Lil Pantz & Slim Jxmmi. The latter of whom would stick by him following the departure of the other 2 members & signed to Mike WiLL Made-It’s own label Ear Drummer Records in tandem with Interscope Records as the duo Rae Sremmurd not too long afterwards. His subsequently made his solo debut in 2018 dropping Swaecation to mixed reception, returning 8 years later for a sophomore effort.

Tomato/Tomáto” produced by 30 Roc wasn’t actually that bad of an intro referencing WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle whereas “No Call No Show” featuring ΠΔV continues with this mediocre pop rap cut.

Ging jumps behind the boards on “Everyone Wants” addressing someone who has what the rest desires while “The Gospel” hops over a cloudy Turbo instrumental to talk about being on autopilot. “Mural” featuring Jhené Aiko comes together for an R&B duet singing of their awareness regarding bad bitches needing someone to treat properly leading into “Side Eye” telling a woman he took to Santa Monica that she can’t expect him to ask her hand in marriage.

“E Off Emotion” locks in with both Mike WiLL Made-It & Pluss for a trap soul ballad singing that he’ll blow all the racks with his romantic interest while “Suitcase” featuring French Montana felt like an underwhelming note to end the 1st half on, addressing the type they’d put away. “Don’t Even Call” featuring Rich the Kid doesn’t start the other leg of the album any better despite the reference to UFC CEO Dana White, but “Flammable” kicked off the whole rollout experimenting with rage & missing the landing.

The tropical vibes of “FAV / ANNA” are merely passable even if I can’t say the same for this story he tells regarding a chick who he assumes left a man in shambles & after singing about a female who’s “Sneakier” than most leaving the final verse completely open over a Chopsquad DJ beat, “Raising Awareness” expressing his desire of dying with memories instead of dreams over London on da Track cooking up one of the finest instrumentals on the entire LP.

“Working Remote” by Rae Sremmurd reunites over a Mike WiLL beat to talk about shining in the dark while “Violet” explains to female he seemingly loved to death that he had to walk away so he could focus on his mental health. “Take My Heart” featuring Post Malone ends Same Difference with this synthpop outro advising their partners to put their hearts somewhere safe, although I don’t think it’s as cute as “Sunflower” was.

Most including myself weren’t head over heels for Swaecation or Jxmtro when SR3MM dropped in 2018, preferring the main course rather than either Swae Lee or Slim Jxmmi’s attempt at making their own versions of Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. I’ve since been hoping Swae would follow up Swaecation & artistically surpass it, except it’s somehow worse. He’s always been the most melodic Rae Sremmurd member of the 2 & that doesn’t change as many would expect, although the production’s more uninteresting.

Score: 1.5/5

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Nettspend – “Early Life Crisis” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Richmond, Virginia rapper & songwriter Nettspend. Blowing up in 2023 off his debut EP Kickdoor, he would also team up with Hooligan Lou for the poorly received collab EP 3rd Knock preceding him signing to Grade A Productions & Interscope Records a few months afterwards. His debut mixtape Badass Fucking Kid was welcomed to divisive feedback although I personally enjoyed it more than Kickdoor or Nettgenes’ eponymous debut EP. I also can’t forget to mention the beef he had with fakemink, squashing it in the middle of delaying Early Life Crisis last weekend.

“you ready?” produced by CXO begins with this rage-inducing lowend intro getting the audience prepared for what’s to time whereas “ce” named after his childhood friend Connor talks about not wanting to pull up because of the Gucci he’s dripped in. “pain talk” featuring OsamaSon finds the pair over a gyro instrumental flexing that their Black Range Rover shoots flames leading into “crack” talking about taking his time with this woman prior to calling her back.

Moving on from there, “still standing” keeps the hypertrap vibes going boasting that he hasn’t been knocked off his axis because of the bands he’s making just before “who tf is u?” talks about using his stick to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. “trap house 2016” discusses burning the trap house down to ashes whenever the cops come out & the Glock being too big for his lap while “masked up” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again links up for a decent rage-inducing gangsta rap track.

“stab” talks about feeling paranoid due to the way he’s living & his way of thinking being altered by the drugs & money that come with the fame while “halftime” references his past feud with fakemink that was recently put to rest whilst describing what he does during the late night hours. “meet me in richmond” kicks off the 2nd half talking about how nobody else is doing shit the way he is while “no sleep” expresses a desire to keep speaking to this woman he’s attracted to.

As for “<3”, we have Nettspend talking about feeling like his state’s version of the grim reaper after trying to love while “paris hilton” addresses the photo of him with the polarizing socialite that was taken a few months earlier. “sick” wants to know what this bitch will do if she ain’t having shit & putting his competition in flu season while “cross ‘em out” talks about being a Badass Fucking Kid instead of a pacifist, copping new guns with switches.

“shades” samples “23” by Juicy J, Miley Cyrus & Wiz Khalifa so he can describe being in the club high off Percocets wearing sunglasses while “plan b” talks about being a rebel with the right clientele. “make it bleed” breaks down living tax-free & modeling for Miu Miu while “hey, hello” confronts a hoe that he’s been communicating with regarding her being jealous of his other girl. “lil bieber” sends off the LP by talking about his desire to take no more Ls & the bridges he burns lighting the way he cruises.

Would I consider Early Life Crisis to be an equally groundbreaking rage album as Psykotic or Rest in Bass? No, but Badass Fucking Kid’s mixed reception got & the beef with fakemink had people quick to say that Nettspend was beginning to fall off or that his 15 minutes of fame are up when there are some considerable upgrades made here compared to that previous tape. The production for this style of trap makes some great usage of samples & the biggest change would be the more personal approach that was taken in terms of songwriting.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ella Mai – “Do You Still Love Me?” review

Ella Mai is a 31 year old singer/songwriter from London, England, United Kingdom signing to DJ Mustard’s very own Interscope Records imprint 10 Summers Records over a decade ago. Her first few EPs Time as well as Change & Ready were all solid preludes ahead of her acclaimed eponymous full length debut, following up her sophomore effort Heart on My Sleeve & the most recent extended play 3 coinciding the end of her 20s with her 3rd studio album asking Do You Still Love Me?.

“There Goes My Heart” was a lavish R&B intro with some finger snaps advising Jayson Tatum to not look or touch because that’s the last thing she wants whereas “100” goes for a more atmospheric vibe instrumentally singing about love never being 50/50 & wanting to give this guy the best love imaginable. “My Mind” describes all the ways her man continues to impress her & things not being too risky with him while “Somebody’s Son” sings about being weak for an individual who gets anything he wants from her.

3’s trap soul outro “Little Things” reappears towards the end of the 1st half describing her willingness to do the simplest activities with Jayson by her side just before “Outside” exuberantly sings about the comfort of her own home being her favorite place to be since there isn’t shit out there for her the way she sees it. After the “Audio Message” interlude, “Luckiest Man” soothingly kicks off the 3rd quarter bragging that they don’t make women like her anymore leading into “Might Just” singing about burning the whole roof down.

“Tell Her” cavernously advises her ex-boyfriend to let his new girl know that he still has feelings towards Ella while “Bonus” moodily goes back to the trap soul vibes singing about Jayson keeping her focused. “1st Day” has a more laidback sound to it telling her boyfriend that she’s fucking with him every day of the year & after “Chasing Circles” explains how she’d rather stay true to herself instead of faking the funk, “No Angels” blends R&B & gospel for the outro singing that we should be grateful until the time she & her partner have is up.

Do You Still Love Me? takes a more intentional approach than any of Ella Mai’s previous material in the past decade has done & it makes for the most intimate statement of her whole career. Using a myriad of perspectives for an intimate look at her life & a soulful journey through love, she delves into love’s complexities with a new outlook on that & life in general since she conceived a great deal of the album during after her pregnancy & postpartum with her mentor’s detailed production making big improvements above Heart on My Sleeve’s.

Score: 4/5

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J. Cole – “The Fall-Off” review

Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper, singer/songwriter & producer J. Cole finishing his career with his 7th & final album. At this point, I’m pretty sure everyone & their mom knows who dude is. Especially given the universal acclaim of projects like The Warm Up, Friday Night Lights, Born Sinner & my personal favorite: 2014 Forest Hills Drive. 4 Your Eyez Only & K.O.D. however were both released to mixed reception. Matter of fact: my review for K.O.D. is amongst my most controversial. I don’t get shit for it anymore but at the time when I gave it a 6/10, Cole stans were on my ass for the next 2-3 weeks. Almost a decade later: my opinions on that & 4YEO haven’t changed at all but that’s not the point. The Off-Season was the most I’ve enjoyed a Cole project since FHD & Might Delete Later was the worst tape he ever made, dropping The Fall-Off after a decade in the making.

After the “29” intro, the first song “2 6” gets the victory lap going with a boisterous trap beat produced by Omen & T-Minus talking about Cumberland County residents usually wylin’ out whereas “Safety” takes the boom bap route instrumentally thanks to Powers Pleasant & Wu10 telling all of his homies what’s changed with him since he left. “Run a Train” keeps the kicks & snares in the fold asking what anyone knows about him although the Future hook sounds like a bad impression of himself leading into the self-produced “Poor Thang” working in a sample & some hi-hats to speak of young pups playing war games.

“Legacy” has to be one of the weaker tracks here because the topic of commitment issues doesn’t do a whole lot for me personally, but “Bunce Road Blues” featuring Future & Tems makes up for it whether it be the nocturnally dusty beat from The Alchemist to Cole’s verse written in the form of a suicide note being countered by both guests’ melodic performances. “Who TF Iz U?” finds Vinylz sampling “Drop a Gem on ‘Em” by Mobb Deep talking about a real one coming through while “Drum n Bass” advises to stay inside because it ain’t safe out around his parts over a piano-inflicted trap instrumental.

We get some cheap guitars in the midst of Cole asking himself whether he’ll survive “The Let Out” or not prior to Boi-1da playing a role in the 2-parter “Bombs in the Ville / Hit the Gas” talking about life being a film that can’t be rewinded & staying violent at all times. “Lonely at the Top” returns to the boom bap admitting that he didn’t understand the meaning of that phrase in his late 20s until FNZ divides “39” in 2 halves providing some insight to his mindset making a similar trip back home except he’s a little closer to finding the peace he’s been seeking.

“The Fall-Off is Inevitable” continues Disc 2 telling the story of his life in reverse over this funky beat while “The Villest” flips “The Realest” by Mobb Deep & Kool G Rap wanting you to know dreams do come true. “Old Dog” talks about learning new tricks over an energetic trap instrumental while the summery “Life Sentence” declares itself to be the realest shit Cole has ever written in his whole entire career dedicating itself to anyone who knows what it’s like to do life with someone in a time where it could be easy to give up.

Pop rap & pop reggae get fused on “Only You” featuring Burna Boy for an ode to Cole’s wife Melissa Heholt while “Man Up Above” samples “Never Would’ve Made It” by Marvin Sapp giving all his praises to God. One of my all-time favorite Common tracks “The Light” gets flipped on “I Love Her Again” courtesy of Jake One talking about the renewed passion he had for hip hop after apologizing for “7 Minute Drill” a lot like “I Used to Love H.E.R.” & addressing Kendrick Lamar’s beef with Drake.

2 of the most iconic hip hop artists of all-time 2Pac & The Notorious B.I.G. fictitiously apologize to each other for the 90s east coast/west coast beef over the course of Beat Butcha & Tae Beast dustily producing “What If” preceding the drumless “Quik Stop” talking about changing our ways based on the differences we make. “& the Whole World is the Ville” samples “Love Put Me in the Corner” by The Isley Brothers with the help of BoogzDaBeast representing Dreamville & the closer “Ocean Way” uses the same Sekou sample Kevin Abstract did for “Text Me” comparing love to a candle wick in the rain.

The Fall-Off has been said for the past decade to be the greatest achievement in J. Cole’s discography & I wouldn’t be mad if anyone puts it above 2014 Forest Hills Drive even if I’d put this behind the latter for right now. The concept of Cole World: The Sideline Story gets bridged full circle regardless of myself leaning more towards Disc 2 than Disc 1 in terms of consistency, depicting himself traveling back to his hometown when he had accomplished the impossible in New York & when he had backed out of the Kendrick/Drake feud once it started escalating.

Score: 4/5

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Jordan Ward – “Backward” review

Jordan Ward is a 29 year old singer/songwriter & dancer from St. Louis, Missouri introducing himself in 2017 off his debut EP A Peak at the Summit, signing to ARTium Recordings & Interscope Records for his debut mixtape Valley Hopefuls as well as another extended play called Remain Calm. His debut album Forward elevated himself beyond his earlier material capturing his potential in the styles of contemporary & alternative R&B, ending the 1st month of 2026 with a sophomore effort.

“Stranger” singing about feeling like a newcomer in his own life with a rush of strings behind him whereas “Smokin’ Potna” featuring SAILORR finds the 2 linking up over a groovier instrumental for a soothing weed smoker’s ode. “High Functioning” sings about how robust he’s coming across being high at the function taking a funkier approach to the beat & after the “BWD” interlude, “Ross Fit” keeps the groovy vibes rolling confessing he has way too much motion.

Things go for more stripped back approach instrumentally during “Noisy Neighbors” praying that his landlord does him right & all of us having our own internal struggles while “Change of Scenery” sings about feeling inspired again over more acoustics suggesting a landscape switch up would mean everything to him. “Juicy” reaches the halfway point advising this woman to forget him since he doesn’t have to be her favorite while “Themselves” sings about turning your passion into your hustle.

“Take-Out” feels like 97 second interlude yearning in the midst of ordering food to go that he’ll return home to his lover some day when he’s touring but after “Til Then” takes a more significantly personal approach to his songwriting singing about saving it all & breaking the cycle, the final single “Champion Sound” dedicates itself to Jordan’s mother calling her a warrior & asking if she’s been cheering him on already after all the success he’s been seeing.

The piano-driven “Y” tells his partner who seeks reassurance that she’ll come with him for the next run of shows praying he’ll find her again if there’s more to this life we all live while “Cutti” featuring Smino finds the pair coming together for a 2-parter combining elements of trap as well as R&B & pop rap. “Carsex” featuring TiaCorine finishes Backward with another track stylistically similar to the previous one advising his lover impatiently desiring to sleep with him in his ride to slow things down due to him touring.

Tyler, The Creator co-signing Jordan Ward prior to Forward coming was what made me a fan of his music Backward continues where the predecessor left off exploring the darker sides of his fame whilst channeling some of music’s most celebrated greats from the late Donny Hathaway to Bob Marley & Joni Mitchell throughout his songwriting. The production’s a bit funkier than Jordan’s debut was a few years earlier assuringly tackling subjects like growth, nostalgia & self-discovery.

Score: 3.5/5

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