They Liv3 is an underground trio from Milwaukee, Wisconsin consisting of Jaysin Logik, King Relik & Prolifik. All of whom have collaborated with one another extensively since signing to Force 5 Records as solo artists before forming a group together over a year ago & properly introducing themselves as a unit on their eponymous full-length debut. However with the first quarter of 2024 coming to a close on Easter weekend, They Liv3 are linking back up for a debut EP.
“TCOB” begins by hooking up horns, kicks and snares so everyone can go back & forth with each other on the mic whereas “Galvanized” goes rap rock to talk about being the real deal. “Evil Wayz” brings a Memphis trap atmosphere instrumentally to get in their wicked shit bags & after an interlude, “Hollow” featuring Rick Dogg works in these summery guitar passages going where the wind blows while the trap-driven “Killaz” talks about drinking. “Crazy” featuring their deejay Danny Diablo sends off Obey with a 2-minute hardcore jam.
Self-titled was a solid showcasing of They Liv3’s chemistry & Obey continues to further establish themselves as one of the most integrating groups that the Milwaukee hip hop scene has to offer right now. The production goes from boom bap to rap rock, Memphis rap, trap & even a bit of hardcore punk as they all continue to ping off each other impressively just like they did on the debut from 13 months ago.
King Relik is a 38 year old MC from Long Beach, California emerging on Valentine’s Day 2017 off his debut EP 12:45 produced entirely by Klepto K. However, he ended up signing to Wisconsin-based underground label Force 5 Records last February & is finally delivering his full-length debut just in time for 4/20.
The opener “Vilynz” connects with Skribbal & Radek to declare themselves as bad guys on top of an organ-laced beat whereas the next song “Sl33p” goes into a more electronic direction as Relik talks about being an insomniac. “Syko” reads as a 1-minute bipolar episode on wax as the overall sound of it keeps jumping all over the place, but then “Yogurl (Rollyaeyez)” goes into detail about this hoe over a minimal instrumental.
The song “Nayzay” dives into a more glitchy, industrial-sounding as he spits that wicked shit while “Grynd” is a chaotic punk rock anthem that I’m sure will get the pits going. The song “P.O.S. (Piece Of Shit)” talks about working on himself over an organ & some hi-hats, but then “Read the Note” is a spectrally-produced storytelling joint about Relik pulling off a robbery.
The track “Spacevan” dives into a more piano-boom bap direction with lyrics about hotboxing whereas “Pimpin’” is a more ill-lit vibe in the production as Relik & Lima Beans paint themselves as actual pimps. The penultimate song “Rabidbaboon” incorporates some synth-horns with lyrics about how wild dude is & then the album ends with “Handles”, which feels like a 1-minute homage to bands like Green Day & blink-182.
Been curious to hear how King Relik would sound on his own & I think DEMENT3D is actually a pretty solid album. It’s cool to hear the wide rage of sounds that the producers bring to the table & the guy has never sounded better lyrically.
Force 5 Records is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based hip hop record label founded in 2002 by The DRP. However, it wasn’t until 2017 after returning from a 3-4 year hiatus where the label became the powerhouse that it is today by bringing a handful of big underground names on board from Bay Area horrorcore veteran Mars to the late Saint Dog of Kottonmouth Kings fame. They put out a showcase mixtape that same year called The Ruckus Mixtape but as Force 5’s roster continues to grow over time, it’s only right for them to drop a sequel.
After the intro, we get into the first song “$1,000 Quartet”. Which is pretty much The DRP, Jaysin Logik, Prolifik & Rick Dogg spitting over the instrumental of Gang Starr‘s “Full Clip” for 2 minutes. The next track “Crystal Meth” by Danny Diablo, The DRP, Jaysin Logik, Prolifik & Skribbal sees the 5 comparing their bars to drugs over a beat that I can kinda picture hearing on a Jedi Mind Tricks album while the song “Fuck Fame” by Big Left, The DRP & Jaysin Logik talks about living this shit over a heavy boom bap instrumental. The track “It’s a Revolution” by Danny Diablo, The DRP, Jaysin Logik, King Relik & Prolifik calls to end killing & violence over a futuristic beat while the song “Intelligence” by Jaysin Logik & Prolifik finds the duo spitting food for thought over an instrumental with a vintage feel to it.
The track “Charut” by Danny Diablo & The DRP is a invigorating moshpit anthem with an eerie trap beat while the song “One” is a Jaysin Logik solo cut about feeling empty over a piano & some fast-tempo drums. The track “Murderific” is a King Relik solo cut getting on the horrorcore tip over some funky bass & string sections while the song “Get Up 2020” by Prolifik & Rick Dogg is a fun, rap-rock flavored party starter.
The track “Make It Look Easy” by Big Hoss & Danny Diablo finds the 2 talking about being the illest in the underground over a victorious beat while the song “Cudahy Girl” is a Rick Dogg solo cut getting flirtatious over a country flavored instrumental. The track “Pervert” is a Prolifik solo cut that perfectly lives up to it’s name as he rocks it over a jazzy beat while the song “Dem Hoes 2020” by The DRP, R.A. the Rugged Man & Skribbal goes in detail as to how fine these certain group of hoes are over a grimy instrumental.
The track “Fuck Rick Dogg” is a 45 second, rock-tinged King Relik solo cut where he jokingly takes shots at Rick while the song “How You Like Me Now?” is a DRP solo cut about being the best MC on his block over a dusty boom bap beat. The penultimate track “Like You Do” is a dope leftover from Saint Dog’s final album Bozo discussing this woman in his life being heaven sent over an instrumental with some prominent bells whereas the closer “Walk the Walk” finds The DRP teaming up with the The Night Crawlers to take aim at the mainstream over a deranged beat.
I think Force 5 Records has been killing in the underground for a while now & if anyone reading this review is looking to get into them, this tape isn’t a bad place to start at all. Every signee they have to offer sticks out in their own unique way & the amount of diversity in the production is sweet too. I’m really looking forward to watching the label grow from hereon out.
Legends Will Never Die 