Isaac Castor – “Lost in Transit” review

New surprise LP & the 4th altogether from Detroit, Michigan emcee Isaac Castor. Coming up in 2010 under the original moniker Gameboi, he would go on drop 4 mixtapes & 3 EPs prior to signing to the local underground hip hop powerhouse Middle Finger Music following its formation 8 years later. He then enlisted the label’s co-founder Foul Mouth behind the boards for his full-length debut The Rabbit Hole as well as the sequel & the final chapter Smoking Caterpillar, switching it up by having Machacha produce Lost in Transit.

“Bullet Train” begins with this 92 second drumless intro talking about needing a credit card replacement the way this game be scamming whereas “All Love” works him some bare guitars calling out the jokers faking to be tough when they ain’t. “Poet Dog” brings in some drums to talk about being made to reach the top just before “Canadian Wildfire” ditches them once again so he can explain the reason why the clouds have gotten so gloomy.

Things take a turn towards a boom bap vibe on “Get Serious” talking about staying mysterious in part of the sheep trying to follow the herd but after “Hopeless” featuring Miz Korona soulfully addresses an individual who’s so vain that they’ll consider this to be a diss directed at them, “What’s in the Box?” featuring Jalen Frazier continues the sample-driven boom bap instrumentation making people line up for this designer drug they’ve concocted.

“Candy Flip” featuring Aztek the Barfly, Fatboi Sharif & Foul Mouth brings the quartet together for a gritty hardcore hip hop anthem where each artist drops a cutthroat verse without the need of a hook while “Americano” jazzily talks about needing sativa & coffee soon as he gets up every single morning. “1 Way Ticket” takes up the last few minutes of Lost in Transit with a boom bap outro talking about people treating him like he’s normal until they realize he writes songs.

A great deal of the projects Machacha’s produced for other artists for at least 6 months following Eye of the Beholder have either been hit or miss, but Lost in Transit in my opinion ranks amongst Isaac Castor’s greatest material outside of The Rabbit Hole trilogy. You’re always gonna get quality production from Machacha & that’s no different here, the biggest difference however is the improved performances from both the main artist AND the guests.

Score: 4/5

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Jalen Frazier – “Eye of the Beholder” review

Here is the 5th EP from Detroit, Michigan emcee Jalen Frazier. Getting his footing in during the fall of 2020 off the strength of his debut EP Expressions of the Neglected, he would continue to turn heads in the local underground scene last summer with the follow-up God Bless My Chalice. His debut album The Drop produced by Foul Mouth & Ethics of War produced by godBLESSbeatz elevated himself from both of its predecessors, aiming for a 3-peat with Eye of the Beholder produced by Machacha.

“The Luz” opens up with a somber boom bap instrumental trying to make a profit overnight & aiming guns at nosy muhfuckas whereas “Dolphins” soulfully talks about emptying clips on whole entire regimes. “Tale of the Streets”works in a guitar mixed with kicks & snares masterfully showing off his storytelling abilities for 111 seconds while “God Forbid” talks about needing a ticket to hear these thoughts.

J-Classic joins Jalen on the song “Duffel Bag Written” winding up the 2nd half of Eye of the Beholder with a crazy Crash Bandicoot reference in light of Netflix producing an upcoming animated series based on the iconic franchise while “Conflict Resolution” hooks up a reversed sample shouting out all his homies locked down behind prison walls. “Political Theater” featuring Isaac Castor finishes with both of them talking about there being 2 sides of America.

A tribute to those who carry the weight of being authentic in the world full of imitators & searching for meaning amongst the misunderstood, Jalen Frazier continues to put out some of the most essential material of his whole entire career throughout Eye of the Beholder continuing to improve above All Love Until It’s Not roughly 8 months ago. Machacha’s production is on par with The Most Interesting Man in the World’s & each verse feels like a testimony.

Score: 4/5

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Action Figure 973 – “The Most Interesting Man in the World” review

Danish producer Machacha fully producing the official sophomore effort of Belleville, New Jersey emcee/producer Action Figure 973. For a while at this point, Act-Lo’s first 2 mixtapes followed by 9 EPs & the full-length debut DOOM Was Right merely 5 months ago giving flowers to one of my all-time personal favorite albums Madvillainy have all established himself as a promisingly skilled luchador who so happens to rap. It’s almost been a couple months since he taught us some Ring Psychology & is making his case in being The Most Interesting Man in the World.

“2 Ships Passing at Night” after the intro works in some drumless sampling to talk about his next move leaving people shook whereas “Here Comes the Money” featuring Pinnland Empire references former WWE Hardcore Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion Shane McMahon. “You Can’t Teach That” hooks up a piano talking about his shit being high level art while “Twin Towers” featuring Andre DeSaint gives a nod to the former WWE tag team of the same name consisting of former WWE United States Champion 1 Man Gang alongside the late WWE Hall of Famer, 4-time WWE Hardcore Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion Big Boss Man.

AEW commentator, former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, the inaugural 2-time FTW Champion, 2-time ECW World Television Champion, 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion & 4-time WWE tag team champion Taz gets sampled at the very beginning of “Non-Title Match” leading into “Toys “R” Us” referencing former GCW World Champion, NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Champion, 2-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, PWG Tag Team Champion, ROH World Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, TNA World Tag Team Champion & TNA X Division Champion Homicide.

“Omar’s Cafe” featuring SHVMIRE starts the final leg of The Most Interesting Man in the World needing love & money playing with a chip on his shoulder while “Meadowlands Horse Races” featuring Heartbreak Julio & Jalen Frazier references 6-time WWE world champion Seth Rollins set to face the current 2-time WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel VII next weekend. “Lincoln Theater” finishes the LP by thanking God for helping him get out of the sunken place he was in for a while.

In preparation for the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champions & current 4-time TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz looking to defeat DarkState for their 10th WWE tag team championship at Tuesday’s upcoming NXTNA Showdown or former HoG Heavyweight Champion Mike Santana ending Trick Williams’ reign as TNA World Champion & the current TNA Knockouts World Champion Kelani Jordan retaining her title against the current HoG Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell at Bound for Glory XXI, the finest producer in Denmark produces another exhilarating entry to start the final quarter of Action Figure 973’s most prolific year.

Score: 4/5

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Vega7 the Ronin – “The Ghost Orchid” review

Here we have the 5th studio LP from Queens, New York emcee Vega7 the Ronin. Emerging after enlisting Danish beatsmith Machacha to produce his debut EP The Lead Lined Wall, he would go on to land feature placement on the 5th & final entry of Ty Farris’ historic No Cosign Just Cocaine mixtape series & tap in with Superior for his debut Sleep’s the Cousin. I equally enjoyed the Body Bag Ben-produced Kawasaki Killers, reuniting with Machacha for The Ghost Orchid after a mixtape along with an EP & the previous album album Griotes of the 3rd Rail.

After the “Floating Secret” intro, the first song “Quoth the Raven” references 14-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Randy Orton and WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time WWE world champion, ECW World Television Champion, 6-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 4-time & the final WWE Hardcore Champion, TNA World Champion & TNA X Division Champion Rob Van Dam whereas the sample-driven “Toast the Spiritz” talks about hearing a ghost in his liver staying nice & stylized in the Karl Kanis with the gats.

“Paper Presidents” works in a guitar driven boom bap beat making it clear he only cares about family & the paper incorporating a bar referring to BJW認定デスマッチヘビー級チャンピオン & WWE Hall of Famer Abdullah the Butcher prior to bilingual “K.R.E.A.M.” featuring Trepac spits beat in both the English & Danish languages. “Ritual”, talks about being legitimate if he ever calls you his brother just before “Barefoot Contessa” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As for “Stained Glass Ghost”, we have Vega7 giving a middle finger to the pressure since he can bench & lift the weight up as if he’s a fitness trainer calling himself the demon in the church while “Hokage Mountain” featuring André DeSaint, Jamil Honesty & Shottie brings the quartet together over a rap rock instrumental to restore the feeling. “A Flower for Farewell” symphonically flexes his lyrics being a relic of the past while “The World’s Borough” featuring Book$ & Paddy Duke ahead of the “Anden Del” outro represents their stomping grounds Queens to the fullest.

3 years have already passed since The Lead Line Wall properly introduced the underground world to one of the best songwriters in the game today Vega7 the Ronin emerged with Denmark’s finest producer currently & they get back a week after the anniversary to see the growth in their chemistry since they last got together for a whole body of work. Machacha’s production stays prominently grounded in the traditional boom bap sound & Vega7’s lyricism blends elements of both hardcore & abstract hip hop.

Score: 4/5

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Josiah the Gift – “The Happening” review

This is the 7th full-length studio LP from Brooklyn, New York emcee Josiah the Gift. Emerging in the late 2010s by releasing his first 2 EPs Jack Johnson & Raw, he later broke out within the underground back in the summer of 2020 off his acclaimed debut album Iron Mic. His profile continued to elevate with the debut mixtape Remain Raw, the sophomore effort Mightier Than the Sword as well as the sequel, the True Cipher-produced TOGO, God’s Gracious, The Glorious Si’s eponymous debut & his previous album Lavish Language from last summer. Over 5 months later, Machacha’s being listed to fully produce The Happening.

“Jeux” featuring Vega7 the Ronin sets the tone of what’s to come with both of them over a drumless loop talking about the flowers they tried to water being hydrophobic whereas “Honor” featuring Willie the Kid taking the boom bap route showing off a savage psychiatry. “Guess Who” featuring Eddie Kaine reminds that they were the ones down with the drama & left in the end leading into “Thor” stripping the drums asking how you want it.

M.A.V. joins Josiah on “Royalties” returning to the boom bap talking about stacking up their dough & “Teflon” keeps it in the basement instrumentally showing us what his legend status has made out of. “The Lord is My Sheppard” aggressively makes it a mission for him to go hunting for dead meat while the flute-tinged “Heroes” talking about every single way that people could imagine a hero being refusing to get political in the process.

“When the Pen Hits” brings the woodwind-heavy boom bap sound back in the fold once again boasting his lyrical ability that’s been elevated, but then “The Reality” featuring Jamil Honesty talks about being prisoners feeling the conviction beforehand asking why they have to comprise themselves for their safety. “Trivial” finishes my new favorite Josiah project with him over a vocal sample turning shit into gold possibly only bodying your soul with his skills.

Familiarizing myself with the Gift of the Umbrella several years ago through several features he’s done, his first offering of 2025 & the Lavish Language follow-up surpasses his debut from 5 years ago as the strongest & most cohesive thing he’s ever done. Machacha’s production outstandingly balances drumless & boom bap on top of the well-assessed guest appearances leveling Josiah’s penmanship.

Score: 4.5/5

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Ty Farris – “Malice at the Palace” review

Ty Farris is a Detroit underground veteran who came up up under the name T-Flame & wound up being featuring on a lot of projects throughout the mid-2000’s until the very end of the decade. It was at that point where he started to put out solo stuff at a prolific rate by dropping 11 mixtapes, 8 full-length albums & 3 EPs. Standouts include the Room 39 duology & the No Cosign Just Cocaine series, the 5th & final installment of which finally arrived last month. But continuing to balance quality & quantity as always, Ty’s enlisting Danish producer Machacha behind the boards for his 9th album.

After the “Starting Lineup” intro, the first song “Dope Sales to Vinyl Deals” is a powerful opener to the album with T-Flame detailing how the long way that he came from whereas “Sign the Contract” has a more eerier route talking about a fine print on the street agreement. “Bleacher Report” has a spacey boom bap quality to it as the lyrics touch on trying to survive with suicidal thoughts with anonymous sources reporting live & direct leading into Dango Forlaine, Guilty Simpson & Marv Won all joining forces for “4 Point Play” as they really show y’all who the bad boys really are with a suspenseful beat backing them.

Moving on to “Coke in the Locker Room”, we have Ty on top of some more bluesy production with a clever reference to the sample whilst touching on poverty on the lyrical front just before “Flagrant Fouling” returns to the boom bap as he & Mickey Diamond comparing this rap shit to the layup line when it comes to bars. The song “Karma’s the Referee” returns to a bluesier vibe providing y’all the best of him while the penultimate track “Strong Arm Aggression” with Waterr goes into rap rock turf as their chemistry is as strong as it was on their collab EP Bulls vs. Pistons a few years ago. “Bloodstains on the Jersey” ends things with a groovy instrumental & Ty pointing out people wanting to see blood since the gladiator days.

I remember watching the Malice at the Palace live on TV with my dad & my older brother as an 8 year old kid with all of us being in amazed by what was unfolding in front of our very eyes & if you love basketball the way you love hip hop, then you’re gonna want to give this a listen. The themes of the sport are incredibly cohesive as the Detroit wordsmith rips it on top of what I consider to be amongst Machacha’s strongest batch of production to date. Looking forward to seeing him open up for Rome Streetz on the first night of the Kiss the Ring tour this upcoming Wednesday.

Score: 4.5/5

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Vega7 the Ronin – “The Lead Lined Wall” review

Queens, New York emcee Vega7 the Ronin recruiting København, Hovedstaden, Denmark producer Machaha to produce his debut EP. Known for his multisyllabic rhymes & dense wordplay, Detroit veteran Ty Farris has seen fit to sign Vega7 to his rising indie label Bars Over B.S. Records to make a significantly bigger splash within the underground hip hop scene, treading along The Lead Lined Wall to make a broader introduction to everyone who might not be familiar with him yet since he’s never had an official body of work until now.

“Sage Mode” begins by referencing former 7-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart over a drumless instrumental whereas “Dakota Arms” takes a bit of an eerier boom bap turn to the beat talking about his lyricism being vulgar & the script being full of sulfur.

As for “Water Style” featuring Ja’king the Divine, we have both parties maintaining the hardcore vibes altogether showcasing their prowesses while “The Lost Knife of a Hunter” includes a reference to WWE Hall of Famer & former WWE Tag Team Champion Tony Atlas who mentored current AEW coach/commentator as well as fellow WWE Hall of Famer & 2-time WWE world champion holding the original World Heavyweight Championship & the ECW World Heavyweight Championship Mark Henry.

“Food & Medicine” featuring MTS Music strips the drums in favor of a prominent vocal sample showing off clever wordplay with the bar centered around Cordae’s breakout single “Old N****s” leading into “PAL Code” showing respect to former SMW Tag Team Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion Al Snow. “Akai Pads” references former NXT Women’s Champion, 6-time WWE women’s world champion & 2-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Mercedes Moné & the final song “GZA Chew Sticks” featuring Book$ ahead of the “Requiem” outro includes a bar referring to Bubbles from the Warner Bros.-owned HBO series The Wire.

The amount of buzz that this guy’s been generating in the underground up until this point makes it all worth it with one of the greatest hip hop EPs that I’ve heard in 2021 & establishes Veg7 the Ronin as a force to be reckoned with in the underground for years to come. Machacha’s production prominently goes for towards a minimalistically dark & drumless sound that near-perfectly helps enhance the display of Vega7’s penmanship showing off his technicality & wordplay abilities aside from a few guests showing up to add their own flavor to the table even if Ja’king delivers the hardest feature of the 3 in my respectfully personal opinion.

Score: 4.5/5

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