Ghost – “Skeletà” review

Ghost is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Linköping, Östergötlands län, Sweden consisting of percussionist Olivia Morreale, keyboardist/percussionist Mad Gallica, keyboardist/percussionist Laura Scarborough, baritone guitarist/percussionist Jutty Taylor, drummer Hayden Scott, bassist Cos Sylvan, rhythm guitarist Randy Moore, lead guitarist Per Eriksson & of course frontman Tobias Forge. Breaking out nearly 15 years ago off their debut Opus Eponymous, their sophomore effort Infestissumam marked their debut on Loma Vista Recordings to initially mixed reception although it’s viewed more favorably in retrospect. Meliora came out after I graduated high school was my introduction to them, seeing the band on the tour they did for it & put on a theatrically superb performance. Prequelle toned it down on the heaviness although “Dance Macabre” got the stamp of approval from former NXT Champion, AEW World Trios Champion & PWG World Tag Team Champion Aleister Black married to the new WWE Women’s United States Champion Zelina Vega in addition to the inaugural AEW World Champion, FTW Champion, 2-time ROH World Champion, ECW World Television Champion, IWGPインターコンチネンタル王座, WCW World Television Champion, 6-time WWE world champion, record 9-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 7-time WWE tag team champion, 4-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Chris Jericho and Impera is widely regarded as their weakest effort so far, taking 3 years off to focus on the band’s 6th studio LP.

“Peacefield” sets the tone of what’s to come with it’s prominent AOR & hard rock influences with additional elements of heavy metal dashed in describing at present a state of chaos & despair whilst instructing how to achieve renewal whereas “Lachryma” talks about being done crying over the restrictions of religion. “Satanized” maintains a hard rock/AOR vibe sprinkling a couple heavy metal & glam metal undertones asking to be saved from the monster eating inside of him, but then “Guiding Light” continues with a soul searching epic ballad.

To end Skeletà’s first half, “De Profundis Borealis” pays homage to one of the most important bands in the Norwegian black metal scene Immortal while “Cenotaph” receives affirmation of eternal presence of the memory of a loved one who has passed away. “Missilia Amori” sings about someone excited to be his demise just before “Marks of the Evil One” references the antichrist further including a line that had me think of the Death Riders led by the current 4-time AEW World Champion, former AEW International Champion, 2-time CZW World Heavyweight Champion, GCW World Champion, IWGP世界ヘビー級王座, 2-time IWGP USヘビー級王座, WWE Champion, 3-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 2-time WWE tag team champion Jon Moxley. “Umbra” puts their love in the darker shadows & “Excelsis” embraces us all meeting or demise 1 day.

Nevertheless of Impera’s mixed reception, Ghost recovers by delivering their most unflinchingly introspective work to date including lyricism of the newly instated Perpetua & showcasing a variety of distinct individual emotional vistas embracing the sounds of hard rock, occult rock, AOR, pop rock, heavy metal & glam metal. Almost a decade this summer since I became a fan & I’m only happy they made up for the predecessor’s mixed discourse.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Killer Mike – “Songs for Sinners & Saints” review

Here we have the 7th solo album from Atlanta, Georgia emcee, songwriter, actor & activist Killer Mike. Brought into the limelight due to his feature on “The Whole World” off of OutKast’s eponymous greatest his collection, he eventually signed to Columbia Records& put out the full-length debut Monster in the spring of 2003 & following it up with the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind trilogy through his self-owned Grind Time Official Records with the exception of Grand Hustle Records helping distribute the final installment. His future Run the Jewels cohort El-P fully produced the critically acclaimed R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music through the [adult swim]-owned Williams Street Records alongside GTO & Grand Hustle of course returning last summer to sign a new solo deal with Loma Vista Recordings for the personal Michael that went on to win 3 Grammys. However, he’s delivering Songs for Sinners & Saints as an epilogue to the Michael era.

“Bussin’ Bricks” samples “Shout Bamalama” by Mickey Murray to talk about hustling whereas “Nobody Knows” shifts gears into sumptuous boom bap territory explaining that his transformation is still undergoing & it’s still showing itself. “Humble Me” gives off a predominant southern political hip hop vibe asking God to make him humble referencing WWE Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali & “Higher Level” returns to trap turf instrumentally refusing to give up on the mission to be taken to a new level.

Offset joins Mike for the piano-driven “Exit 9” hoping those listening can feel their pain leading into “Lord Prepare Me” featuring Belly Gang Kushington & Jane Handcock blending gospel & trap together asking God to forgive them for their wrongs since they wanna do right. The damn-near 10 & a half minute “Slummer 4 Junkies” remixes both “Slummer” & “Something for Junkies” from Michael just before “Had to Go Get It” is another gospel/trap hybrid asking to be granted better days.

The “‘97 3-6 Freestyle” rips up an apocalyptic trap beat to shreds off-the-dome paying homage to the Three 6 Mafia during the seminal Memphis group’s Chapter 2: World Domination era & finally, “Still Talk’n That Shit” concludes the epilogue of Killer Mike’s most personal offering to date with a sequel to the highlight track “Talk’n That Shit” featuring both Key Glock & Project Pat. I should further mention “Detonator” featuring Rock D the Legend with El-P behind the boards made for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 & later becoming the official WWE Backlash XX theme song.

Songs for Sinners & Saints thanks all of Killer Mike’s supporters for this journey he’s been for helping him see so many of his dreams come true & the support I’ve received this past year has been so beautiful & inspiring, he realized wasn’t finished with the sound & wanted to do something with the people who’ve been bringing it to life every night performing it with him. I still prefer Michael & R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music, but these 10 tracks still very much come from a genuine place landing itself a spot for being one of his top 5 albums.

Score: 4/5

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

Denzel Curry – “King of the Mischievous South 2: Ultraground” review

Floridian emcee Denzel Curry gearing up for his upcoming 6th album by releasing his 5th mixtape ahead of it. Coming up as a member of the SpaceGhostPurrp-founded Raider Klan a little over a decade ago. He then left in 2013 & has seen quite the success on his own off projects like Nostalgia 64, 32 Zel (Planet Shrooms), imperial, TA13OO, Zuu & the Kenny Beats-produced UNLOCKED. Melt My Eyez, See Your Future went on to become his most mature & acclaimed body of work to date & I had no problem in him making Ultraground a sequel to his best mixtape King of the Mischievous South.

After the intro, the first song “Ultra Shxt” featuring Key Nyata is a Memphis inspired opener with both of them talking about never folding whereas “Set It” featuring Maxo Kream has an eerie trap direction that Oogie Mane of Working on Dying goes for telling everyone to run it right there. “Hot One” featuring A$AP Ferg & TiaCorine produced by FNZ mixes Memphis rap & trillwave together making money from the comfort of their sofas just before “Black Flag” featuring That Mexican O.T. continues to pull inspiration from the Memphis scene smoking on bitter motherfuckers & calling it sour.

After the “Headcrack” interlude, “G’z Up” featuring Mike Dimes & 2 Chainz has more of a symphonic trap flare to the beat refusing to hear shit until they get paid leading into the bombastic “Sked” featuring Kenny Mason & Project Pat following the “Lunatic” interlude explaining they about family, God, business & bread. After the “Choose Wisely” interlude, “Cole Pimp” featuring Juicy J luxuriously paints themselves as big players while “Wishlist” featuring Armani White charmingly shows the lames how to do this.

“Hit the Floor” featuring Ski Mask the Slump Godnears the end of the tape on some rage shit dropping bodies 1-by-1 & the final song “Hoodlumz” featuring A$AP Rocky & PlayThatBoiZay ahead of the outro officially wraps up King of the Mischievous South 2: Ultraground with 1 last cloudy Memphis joint & all 3 of them painting images of the lifestyles that each one of themselves live. “Act a Damn Fool” featuring Duke Deuce & Slim Guerilla is a decently trippy start to the deluxe run wylin’ out while “Got Me Geeked” makes up for it from the Powers Pleasant instrumental to the carefree lyricism.

Key Nyata & Sauce Walka join Denzel on “P.O.P. (Paper Over Pussy)” heads for a smooth trap direction prioritizing money instead of bitches while the cloudy “Anotha Late Night” featuring 454 finds both of them teaming up to talk about shawties wanting to test the pimp in them. The final bonus track “Still in the Paint” featuring Bktherula & Lazer Dim 700 samples the iconic Waka Flocka Flame single “Hard in da Paint” capturing the raw energy & reality of life in the streets by conveying themes of loyalty, resilience & authenticity.

Everything that made King of the Mischievous South my favorite tape that Zel has offered us yet has been brought to a whole new level over a decade after a predecessor. He went harder on the features than he did on his mature magnum opus 2 & a half years ago, the reference points from which he draws has expanded significantly. He still has a hypnotic ear even though no longer cakes his music in warped cassette grime, it’s just that he’s seeing Memphis with new eyes now that he’s older & has a decade of experimentation under his belt.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Common – “The Auditorium” review

Here we have the highly anticipated 14th studio LP from Chicago, Illinois veteran Common. Emerging 3 decades back after being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source back in the publication’s heyday, this resulted in a 3-album deal with Relativity Records shortly after & Can I Borrow a Dollar? was a solid debut even though you can tell that he still hadn’t come into his own yet. Com embraced the conscious hip hop that became universally known for with his next 2 albums Resurrection & One Day It’ll All Make Sense. Once we entered the new millennium, Common ended up signing to MCA Records for 2 albums: his magnum opus Like Water for Chocolate & the experimental Electric Circus. The label then dissolved at the beginning of 2003 & he jumped ship to G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen Records. Common’s debut under Ye formerly known as Kanye West’s then-newly formed label Be received universal acclaim, but Finding Forever was a respectable follow-up & I can’t really say the same for the hip house-centered Universal Mind Control. After his contract with G.O.O.D./Geffen was fulfilled, he decided to reunite with No I.D. & drop The Dreamer/The Believer under Warner Records before Immenslope was granted his own Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. Nobody’s Smiling was a great response to the ever-increasing crime rate in his hometown & the Karriem Riggins-produced Black America Again was even greater given that it was revolves around the 2016 presidential election. But it’s safe to say that Common has been making himself home at Loma Vista Recordings & sticking with Karriem on the production end of things these last couple years, as proven on Let Love alongside his debut EP A Beautiful Revolution & it’s sequel. Now, one of my top 5 producers of all-time Pete Rock is being brought in to produce The Auditorium looking to become the best we’ve heard from the executive producer of The Chi on the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Showtime network in nearly 2 decades.

“Dreamin’” samples “Day Dreaming” by the late Aretha Franklin & “People Moving” by Azar Lawrenceto get the ball rollin’ namedropping his influences whereas “Chi-Town Does It” smoothly represents his hometown of Chicago topped by the Ye single “All Falls Down” during the scratch hook, which was an excellent touch. “This Man” is a horn/boom bap hybrid explaining that the game is safe in his very arms leading into the groovy “We’re On Our Way” talking about the destination being constant elevation.

Pete’s sampling of “Guarde nos Olhos” by Ivan Lins throughout “Fortunate” kinda gives me J Dilla vibes which we already know Pete was a huge influence to the Detroit producer & Com’s lyricism expressing his gratitude for being alive to this day feels heartwarming just before “So Many People” soulfully talks about the fact that a lot seek him especially. “Wise Up” heads for a hardcore boom bap direction so he can show everyone in the place his philosophical prowess, but then the gospel rap inspired “A GOD (There Is)” makes tons of religious references that don’t come off tacky or forced.

“Stellar” starts the 2nd leg of The Auditorium on a summery boom bap note talking about shining & rising simultaneously while “Lonesome” mixes a vocal sample with kicks & snares asking if one is feeling rather lonely. “All Kind of Ideas” featuring Pete Rock himself keeps it in the basement instrumentally flipping “Last Night Changed It All (I Really Had a Ball)” by Esther Williams as they rip up the mic together while “When the Sun Shines Again” featuring Pete Rock once again accompanied by Posdnuos of De La Soul luxuriously talks about everyone shining. “Everything’s So Grand” fuses jazz with soul & boom bap assuring the listeners that everything will be good in the end while the final song “Now & Then” prior to the outro ending the LP with fireworks still stepping to the mound occasionally.

His 4th project with Loma Vista in the last 5 years & the Chicago veteran Common returns with the best one yet legitimately ranking in the S tier with Like Water for Chocolate, Be & Resurrection. Pete Rock’s production makes him & everyone else feel the spirit of what he always loved in hip hop & soul music, taking us to a place where he could just MC freely like he & the audience are home. They blend the past, present & future into a cohesively timeless & amazing musical journey being true to themselves doing what they love. If these 2 keep working with one another going forward, it would be more than welcoming.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Meechy Darko – “Doses” review

Brooklyn emcee Meechy Darko is returning with a brand new EP of solo material. Starting as 1/3 of the trio Flatbush ZOMBiES with his childhood friends Zombie Juice & Erick the Architect, they would go on to release a couple mixtapes & albums together throughout the previous decade all to critical acclaim before focusing on solo careers since their debut EP now, more than ɘver… came out a few summers back. Meech was the first up at bat with a full-length executive produced by Dot da Genius last summer called Gothic Luxury which es solid in it’s own right, but is looking to hold fans off until an upcoming sophomore effort with Doses.

“This is Doses” starts off the EP by promising to never overdose over a cloudy trap instrumental whereas “360° Resurrection” keeps things atmospheric stripping the hi-hats talking about trippin’ with drugs all in his system. “Falling…” gives off a psychedelic vibe instrumentally explaining that the good keeps dyin’ younger & all these evil motherfuckers continuing to live just before “No, Thyself (Paranoia)” featuring Nyck Caution finds the 2 over a drumless loop talking about how they know the message once the acid hits & Nyck hooking dude up with what could possibly be my favorite guest appearance on the project personally.

“The Slaughter” details calling Meechy’s grandma clutchin’ on the Bible over a jazzy ass beat leading into “HELLalujah” talking about being unable to serve money & God over an excellently crafted trap instrumental from Kirk Knight. “LASTNITE (Confessions of a Pussyholic)” featuring Anthony Flammia goes for a tranquil vibe thanks to Erick the Architect tackling the themes of sex while “That, I Could Live Wit” woozily talks about being different following his father’s passing. “TheWorldAlreadyEnded.” though happens to be a piano-driven closer burning money in the apocalypse.

I still prefer Gothic Luxury by a hair but regardless, Doses holds off finely until Meech is ready to unleash his sophomore effort into the world presumably another year from now. Yes the production on that previous LP is a bit stronger, it’s that the honesty Meechy showed throughout the predecessor which made it so enjoyable makes its way over here

Score: 3.5/5

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

Killer Mike – “Michael” review

Killer Mike is a 48 year old MC, songwriter, actor & activist from Atlanta, Georgia who was brought into the limelight due to his feature on “The Whole World” off of OutKast’s eponymous greatest his collection. He eventually signed to Columbia Records & put out the full-length debut Monster in the spring of 2003, following it up with the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind trilogy through his self-owned Grind Time Official Records with the exception of Grand Hustle Records helping distribute the final installment. The last we heard from Mike on his own was over a decade ago when his future Run the Jewels cohort El-P fully produced the critically acclaimed R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music through the [adult swim] owned Williams Street Records alongside GTO & Grand Hustle of course, but is now enlisting Chicago veteran No I.D. behind the boards all throughout his 6th album after signing a new solo deal with Loma Vista Recordings last summer.

“Down by Law” is a soulful trap opener produced by Corey Mo with Michael talking about how nobody would’ve known who he was without the praise he’s received up throughout the years whereas “Sher Tears” featuring Mozzy takes the gospel route thanks to No I.D. declaring that today’s the day you’ll find rest in your soul. “Run” featuring Young Thug was a triumphant lead single to begin the rollout for the album making it clear that the race for freedom ain’t won just before “N***a Rich” featuring 6LACK has a heavenly instrumental from Cool & Dre talking about making your own rules.

Meanwhile, the sophomore single “Talkin’ That Shit!” draws from the Memphis scene courtesy of founding Three 6 Mafia member DJ Paul with co-production from TWhy belittling those on that hoe ass shit leading into “Slummer” showing some more gospel influences with the beat reflecting on a teenage love as Jagged Edge pulls off some marvelous vocal performances. “Scientists & Engineers” featuring fellow Dungeon Family members André 3000 & Future gives off a more experimental flare instrumentally talking about living forever prior to “2 Days” displaying Don Cannon blending these organs with guitars, kicks, snares & hi-hats feeling like the world against him.

“Spaceship Views” featuring Curren$y & 2 Chainz is a spacious trap banger that da Honorable C.N.O.T.E. laced dedicated to weed with Kaash Paige dropping some “yeah” adlibs à la Travis Scott that’re just distracting & annoying, but then “Exit 9” featuring Blxst on the hook sees Beat Butcha cooking up a slicker vibe getting on the more celebratory side lyrically. “Something For the Junkies” lives up to it’s name as a morbid trap ode to substance abusers while “Motherless” fuses pop rap with conscious hip hop & neo-soul talking about his deceased mother profoundly. The penultimate track “Don’t Let the Devil” gives us a taste of what’s to come from Run the Jewels 5 as El-P produces the chipmunk soul infused 3rd single & spits the final guest verse on the entire album towards the backend of it cautioning not to let Satan pressure you while “High & Holy” finishes off on a summery note so he can talk about his life being a testimony.

In honor of the album winning 3 Grammys, I’ve decided to finally cover the 4 bonus tracks since I never got around to it in the fall. The first of which “Yes!” begins by clashing gospel & boom bap discussing that he doesn’t cap about what he puts on wax while the solemn trap jam “Maynard Vignette” featuring J.I.D & T.I. gives a glimpse of the trio refusing to slow down. “Get Some Money” has to be my favorite bonus cut here encouraging to stack chips paying homage to the greatest H-Town duo ever UGK & lastly, “Act Up” featuring Young Nudy ends the deluxe on a triumphant note advising not to fuck with them when strapped up with the sticks.

As someone who considers OutKast to be the greatest duo in hip hop history & got put onto Killer Mike through them, what he delivers throughout Michael is 110% on par with if not superior to R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music because he just dropped another classic over a decade later like ain’t shit. It’s essentially an audio movie or like an August Wilson play telling the story & beautiful nuances of what it was like to be him growing up in the deeply religious westside of Atlanta with the features being unparalleled.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Meechy Darko – “Gothic Luxury” review

Meechy Darko is a 32 year old MC & songwriter from Brooklyn, New York who came up as part of the trio Flatbush ZOMBiES with his childhood friends Zombie Juice & Erick the Architect. They would go on to release a couple mixtapes & albums together throughout the previous decade all to critical acclaim, but have been focusing on solo careers since their debut EP now, more than ɘver… came out a couple summers back with Meech being the first up at bat with a full-length executive produced by Dot da Genius.

After the morbid “Genesis” intro, the first song “Cursed” with Kirk Knight sets off the album with some string sections talking about having their eyes wide open until they see $100M whereas “Never Forgettin’” dives into trap turf thanks to Dot himself calling this his destiny. “K.U.A. (Kill Us All)” is an uncanny yet genuinely livid shot at systematic racism just before “LAVÏ$H HABiTS (Gothika)” works in slowed down vocal sample courtesy of Denzel Curry talking about tripping on psilocybin.

Meanwhile on “Get Lit or Die Tryin’”, we have Meechy wickedly declaring that he ain’t just anybody leading into Freddie Gibbs tagging along for the piano-laced “On God” featuring co-production from Jay Versace talking about dying twice throughout his life. Black Thought comes into the picture for “The MoMA” to talk about being birthed at The Museum of Modern Art over a cold instrumental referencing 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & $7 Productions co-founder The Rock while “Prada U” throws some organs into the mix thanks to FNZ rightfully calling himself a rockstar.

“What If?” is a downtrodden trap cut asking about all these hypothetical scenarios while the song “Hennessy & Halos” demonically shows the world what a villain really is. The penultimate track “Lost Souls” with Busta Rhymes & Zel finds the trio over some airy production wanting an explanation from God as to why the real ones die & “BLK Magîc” is a piano/guitar-driven closer letting the listeners know such when they hear it.

People have been screaming for a Meechy solo album for the last 4-years & now that we finally got what we wanted, it’s a pretty interesting body of work & is most certainly worth the listen for any Flatbush fan. He’s more honest & cathartic on his own & the sounds that Dot da Genius helps bring to the table are a respectfully nice change of pace compared to Erick the Architect’s.

Score: 3.5/5

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

Action Bronson – “Cocodrillo Turbo” review

Action Bronson is a 38 year old MC from New York City who blew up with release of his debut album Dr. Lecter in 2011. He then landed a joint venture with VICE Music & Atlantic Records while following up his debut with a couple EPs & mixtapes. The most notable being the Blue Chips duology, Saab Stories & my personal favorite: Rare Chandeliers. He then put out his major label debut Mr. Wonderful in 2015 & it has some of his best songs on there, but the end result would be a more glitzy mixed bag. He fulfilled his contracts by dropping Blue Chips 7000 & celebrated his freedom the next year in the form of White Bronco which were both solid, but didn’t reach the caliber of Lamb Over Rice the Thanksgiving after. Only for Dolphins though was pretty mid given that some of the production choices were questionable, but I was more optimistic going into his 7th full-length album given the lead single earlier this month.

“Hound Dog” is a rock-tinged opener produced by Daringer declaring himself as such whereas the self-produced “Tongpo” with Conway the Machine goes into bluesier territory with both of them getting in their battle rap bag including a reference to WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley. Hologram tags along for the piano-laced “Estaciones” talking about estimation just before “Jaws” works in a flute & guitar so that Bronson can compare himself to that of a crocodile.

Meanwhile on “Sub0”, we have Bronson on top of some more jazzier production provided by The Alchemist delivering some sick punchlines leading into Meyhem Lauren coming into the picture for the dusty “Turkish” talking about needing the money on the table by this morning. “Jaguar” takes a more soulful route thanks to Roc Marciano spitting some witty braggadocio, but then “Zambezi” finds Marci jumping on the mic with Bronson on top of a beat with some rock undertones to it delivering mafioso bars.

The penultimate track “‘91” shoots for a more keyboard heavy sound addressing those who said he disappeared by explaining he was only practicing while “Storm of the Century” ends the album with a drumless instrumental mixing elements of rock & jazz as Bronson talks about doing things that only the devil happens to know of referencing the late WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 2-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 2-time ECW World Television Champion & AAA Mundial Parejas Campeon Eddie Guerrero.

I really didn’t know what to expect from Cocodrillo Turbo given the mediocrity of Only for Dolphins but much like Lamb Over Rice, I came away from this album looking at it as one of his best projects in a while. The production is a lot more consistent than it was 7 months ago & I really admire that Bronson decided to bring back the Dr. Baklava alter ego.

Score: 4/5

Denzel Curry – “Melt My Eyez, See Your Future” review

Denzel Curry is a 27 year old MC from Carol City, Florida who came up as a member of the SpaceGhostPurrp-founded Raider Klan a little over a decade ago. He then left in 2013 & has seen quite the success on his own off projects like Nostalgia 64, 32 Zel (Planet Shrooms), imperial, TA13OO, Zuu & the Kenny Beats-produced UNLOCKED. But given that the 2 year anniversary of the latter just passed a month ago, Zel’s following up the 2 singles he’s dropped within the last few months with his 5th album.

“Melt Session #1” kicks the album off with a jazzy boom bap instrumental from Robert Glasper talking about how Zel stays walkin’ whereas “Walkin’” follows it up by sampling “The Loving Touch” by Keith Mansfield tackling the struggles of life. “Worst Comes to Worst” keeps things in boom bap turf thanks to Dot da Genius talking about institutional issues in the United States leading into the smoky “John Wayne” produced by JPEGMAFIA comparing himself to [the titular actor] when walking around the hood.

Meanwhile on “The Last”, we have Zel jumping on top of a cloudy trap beat FNZ made talking about how tomorrow’s not promised just before Saul Williams tags along for “Mental” confessing their suicidal thoughts on top of a calming boom bap beat. T-Pain comes into the picture for the vibrant”Troubles” produced by DJ Khalil & Kenny Beats talking about problems that drugs can’t solve, but then the Rico Nasty/J.I.D assisted “Ain’t No Way” finds the trio back on some trap shit addressing those who still doubt them.

“X-Wing” mixes some strings & hi-hats talking about not wanting power except the delivery makes it the weakest track on the album even with the reference to former 3-time WWE world champion Rey Mysterio while “Angelz” works in some pianos & dusty drums thanks to Karriem Riggins confessing being sick of the bullshit. “The Smell of Death” sees Thundercat incorporating a heavy amount of synthesizers for Zel to spit streams of consciousness while the song “Sanjuro” shouts out those who say he ain’t deep enough over an explosive Cardo instrumental. The penultimate track “Zatoichi” with slowthai is a cool ode to the Japanese character of the same name over a drum & bass beat from Powers Pleasant while “The Ills” ends the album on a jazzy note talking about his illusions.

Even though I liked ZUU, I think this up there with imperial & TA13OO in being one of the best albums of Zel’s career. I really admire how he continues to expand on the risks he took on the latter as well as taking influence from what’s going on right now in the world & films by one of the greatest directors of all-time: Akira Kurosawa.

Score: 4.5/5

Common – “A Beautiful Revolution 2” review

Common is a 49 year old MC, actor & writer from Chicago, Illinois who first emerged 3 decades back by being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source back in the publication’s heyday & resulted in a 3-album deal with Relativity Records shortly after. Can I Borrow a Dollar? was a solid debut even though you can tell that he still hadn’t come into his own yet, but embraced the conscious hip hop that became universally known for with his next 2 albums Resurrection & One Day It’ll All Make Sense. However once we entered the new millennium, Common ended up signing to MCA Records for 2 albums: his magnum opus Like Water for Chocolate & the experimental Electric Circus. The label then dissolved at the beginning of 2003 & he jumped ship to G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen Records. His debut under Kanye West’s then-newly formed label Be received universal acclaim, but Finding Forever was a respectable follow-up & I can’t really say the same for the hip house-centered Universal Mind Control. After his contract with G.O.O.D./Geffen was fulfilled, he decided to reunite with No I.D. & drop The Dreamer/The Believer under Warner Records before Immenslope was granted his own Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. Nobody’s Smiling was a great response to the ever-increasing crime rate in his hometown & the Karriem Riggins-produced Black America Again was even greater given that it was revolves around the 2016 presidential election. But it’s safe to say that Common has been making himself home at Loma Vista Recordings & sticking with Karriem on the production end of things these last couple years, as proven on his previous album Let Love & his debut EP A Beautiful Revolution. However with the 1-year anniversary of the latter approaching at the end of next month, the Chicago/Detroit emcee/producer duo are dropping a sequel in the form of Com’s 13th full-length outing.

After the “Push Out the Noise” intro, the first song “A Beautiful Chicago Kid” is a funky kickstart to the album saying he manifests everything that you see whereas “When We Move” with Black Thought has a groovy instrumental talking about the world following their path. “Set It Free” has a more summery vibe talking about being you just before “Majesty (Where We Gonna Take It?)” serves as a seductive love tune.

Meanwhile on “Poetry”, we have these twangy guitar licks with Com advising to never question the motive leading into the boom bap-tinged “Saving Grace” with the lyrics of course getting spiritual. “Star of the Gang” keeps the dusty drums in motion saying he’s fortunate even though he’s been through a lot while the penultimate song “Imagine” speaks on a paradise over a sample of “Imaginary Playmates” by René & Angela. And before the “!” outro, “Get It Right” ends the album on an uptempo note saying be patient because good things happen in time.

As much as I enjoyed the predecessor, I think the sequel is better. In comparison to the EP tackling all the bullshit that transpired in 2020, the full-length sequel picks up right where things left off & provides the listeners optimism for a brighter day which is perfect given that states are opening back up completely.

Score: 4/5