Ghostface Killah – “Set the Tone (Guns & Roses)” review

This is the 16th full-length solo LP from New York veteran Ghostface Killah of the almighty Wu-Tang Clan. One of hip hop’s most prolific storytellers & easily the most consistent member of the Clan exemplified by Ironman, Supreme Clientele, FishScale, Apollo Kids, 12 Reasons to Die & Sour Soul just to name a few. Ghost’s last album Ghostface Killahs in the fall of 2019 stands as one of the only few duds in his discography along with More Fish & went into his Mass Appeal Records debut Set the Tone (Guns & Roses) here hoping he would make up for that.

Wu-Block links up for the opener “6 Minutes” featuring Jim Jones jumping over a lavish instrumental giving competitors that exact amount of time whereas “Pair of Hammers” featuring Method Man works in some horns cautioning that they throw people in comas & make vegetables in the process. The self-produced “Skate Odyssey” featuring Raekwon with October London on the hook takes a smoother route overall talking about no one comparing to them, but then “Scar Tissue” featuring Nas ruggedly talks the about sun rising to break the day & lifts for a while to give us warmth.

“Kilo in the Safe” chaotically gets in his hustler bag & after the first skit, “No Face” featuring Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West returns to the boom bap during the DONDA 2 sessions so both of them can talk about having the ability to take down your whole entire squadron. “Champion Sound” featuring Beniton picks up from there with a decent reggae fusion being able to tell by one’s persona that their mommas used to keep them in the house a lot when they were growing up just before “Cape Fear” featuring Fat Joe brings back the keys, kicks & snares calling themselves the finest in New York.

After the 2nd skit, “Plan B” comes with more of an atmospheric vibe instrumentally to pretty much say on wax that Ghost is done having kids at this point in his life while “Bad Bitch” featuring Ja Rule might be my least favorite song on the album coming off as a tacky pop rap ballad. “Locked In” featuring AZ gets the ball rolling once again smoothly talking about being connected for life & after the final skit, “Touch You” featuring Shaun Wiah fusees pop rap with R&B showing a romantic side to Starks once more.

“Shots” featuring Busta Rhymes & Serani mixes hip hop with dancehall resulting in an average club banger while another weak song on the album “Trap Phone” featuring Chucky Hollywood goes for a cloudier trap atmosphere asking their significant others who else loves them the way they do. After the outro skit, the bonus track “Yupp!” featuring Remy Ma was a lead single that I had mixed feelings over from the mediocre beat to the hardcore lyricism.

Wu-Tang is my favorite group of all-time & anyone who’s been following my platform long enough can back me up on it. That said. Set the Tone is only a couple steps above the previous LP we got from him 5 years ago. There are moments where the production can be commercial, but there are others where it’s sticking to the signature hardcore vibes the Wu is known for. Ghost noticeably sounds more focused than he did last time & the guests perform on his level although a couple of them are lackluster.

Score: 3/5

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Mez – “Loading” review

Raleigh, North Carolina emcee Mez celebrating his 34th birthday by releasing his 5th EP. Emerging in 2010 off his debut mixtape The Paraplegics, he continued to build a name for himself with the Khrysis-produced debut EP The King’s Khrysis as well as the full-length debut My Everlasting Zeal & the sophomore tape Long Live the King. Following a few feature placements on Dr. Dre’s 3rd & final album Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre, he released a trilogy of 2-track EPs called Data Plan & is returning by signing to Mass Appeal Records to put out Loading.

“Yeah Yeah” begins with a downtrodden sample & later these drums that hit you in the face like a ton of bricks talking about simply wanting a happy home whereas “Humma Time” featuring Childish Major takes the bassy trap route flexing that you can’t diss their drip & to get your own. “Call On” shifts gears into boom bap territory thanks to Tae Beast telling his significant other she’s still who he calls on just before the soulful “Hot Spot” featuring Isaiah Rashad talking about still being connected when they’re gone.

MAVI & SAINt JHN join Mez on the song “Bat Phone” brings back the kicks & snares mixed with a crooning sample explaining just how they got rich referencing UFC Hall of Famer & former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell leading into “Devil is a Judge” keeping it boom bap pondering if Satan himself really is the judge or not. Finally, the closing track “Around the World” finishes Loading on a smoother note dedicating it to every southside all across the globe.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Loading will only lead to an upcoming sophomore LP especially after returning from a 4-year hiatus to land the Mass Appeal deal & I’m confident that it’ll be Mez’ strongest studio album to date, especially now you have Loading being nearly as good as The King’s Khrysis. He joins forces with both guests & producers that share his playful sense of soulful musicality & his dedication to the grind preluding something bigger coming down the pipe.

Score: 3.5/5

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Heems – “Lafandar” review | हीम्स – “लफ़ंदर” समीक्षा

Heems is a 38 year old MC from Queens, New York emerging in 2008 as 1/3 of the alternative hip hop group Das Racist. Following their disbandment in 2012, he put out a couple mixtapes Nehru Jackets & Wild Water Kingdom as well as the full-length debut album Eat Pray Thug. However coming back from a 9-year sabbatical, Hima has started up his own Mass Appeal Records imprint Veena Sounds & is joining forces with the new label’s in-house producer Lapgan on the sophomore effort.

क्वींस, न्यूयॉर्क से 38 वर्षीय एमसी हीम्स 2008 में वैकल्पिक हिप हॉप समूह दास रेसिस्ट के 1/3 के रूप में उभरे। 2012 में उनके विघटन के बाद, उन्होंने कुछ मिक्सटेप नेहरू जैकेट्स और वाइल्ड वॉटर किंगडम के साथ-साथ पूर्ण लंबाई वाला पहला एल्बम ईट प्रेयर ठग निकाला। हालाँकि, 9 साल के विश्राम से वापस आकर, हिमा ने अपना स्वयं का मास अपील रिकॉर्ड्स इंप्रेशन वीना साउंड्स शुरू किया है और द्वितीयक प्रयास में नए लेबल के इन-हाउस निर्माता लैपगन के साथ जुड़ रही हैं।

To start us off, “Stupid Dumb Illiterate” admits to being a little bit of an idiot over a Middle Eastern instrumental whereas “I’m Pretty Cool” gives off more of a psychedelic flare talking about how everyone loves him. The album’s 2nd & final single “Sri Lanka” featuring Your Old Droog speak on doing well in the titular country over these woodwinds that is until the jazzy “Accent” featuring Saul Williams from a couple weeks prior to that gets on the conscious tip lyrically.

हमें शुरू करने के लिए, “स्टूपिड डंब अनलिट्रेट” एक मध्य पूर्वी वाद्य यंत्र के मामले में थोड़ा-सा बेवकूफ होने की बात स्वीकार करता है, जबकि “आई एम प्रिटी कूल” एक साइकेडेलिक फ्लेयर की तरह इस बारे में बात करता है कि हर कोई उससे कैसे प्यार करता है। एल्बम का दूसरा और अंतिम एकल “श्रीलंका” जिसमें योर ओल्ड ड्रूग शामिल है, इन वुडविंड्स पर टाइटैनिक देश में अच्छा प्रदर्शन करने के बारे में बात करता है, जो कि कुछ हफ़्ते पहले शाऊल विलियम्स की विशेषता वाले जैज़ी “एक्सेंट” के गीतात्मक रूप से सचेत टिप पर आने तक है।

“Going for 6” featuring Abhi the Nomad & SonnyJim finds the trio draws inspiration from Daringer with it’s boom bap beat boasting that they keep the coke at the crib & the 6 people who’re rolling alongside them have sticks just before “Baba Ganoush” featuring Cool Calm Pete & Lee Scott has these eerily plucky sitar tones getting in their battle rap shit. “Obi Toppin’ (Darling)” featuring Kool Keith looks to hijack this soul sample & that’s exactly what both of them get done, but then “Kala Tika” shifts into drill territory talking about being the man in Long Island.

“गोइंग फ़ॉर 6” में अभि द नोमैड और सन्नी को दिखाया गया है। जिम को लगता है कि यह तिकड़ी अपने बूम बैप बीट के साथ डेरिंगर से प्रेरणा लेती है, जिसमें दावा किया गया है कि वे पालने में कोक रखते हैं और जो 6 लोग उनके साथ चल रहे हैं, उनके पास “बाबा गनौश” के ठीक पहले लाठी है। कूल कैलम पीट और ली स्कॉट की विशेषता वाले ये शानदार साहसी सितार स्वर उनके बैटल रैप में शामिल हो रहे हैं। कूल कीथ की विशेषता वाला “ओबी टॉपपिन’ (डार्लिंग)” इस आत्मा के नमूने को हाईजैक करना चाहता है और वास्तव में वे दोनों यही करते हैं, लेकिन फिर “काला टीका” लॉन्ग आइलैंड में आदमी होने के बारे में बात करते हुए ड्रिल क्षेत्र में चला जाता है।

Open Mike Eagle & Sir Michael Rocks join Heems on “Yellow Chakra” over a Bollywood flip with kicks & snares likening their infectious bars to the COVID-19 pandemic while the raw “Porches” featuring Blu & Quelle Chris sees the trio talking about going from jumping off porches to passing torches in Porsches. The sedative penultimate track “Bukayo Saka” details the wild life he lives & “Yo Momma” featuring Fatboi Sharif ties up the LP over strings projecting their fears into their projects.

ओपन माइक ईगल और सर माइकल रॉक्स बॉलीवुड फ्लिप पर “येलो चक्र” पर हीम्स के साथ जुड़ते हैं, जिसमें किक और स्नेयर उनके संक्रामक बार की तुलना सीओवीआईडी -19 महामारी से करते हैं, जबकि ब्लू और क्वेले क्रिस की विशेषता वाले कच्चे “पोर्चेस” में तीनों आगे बढ़ने के बारे में बात करते हुए दिखाई देते हैं। पोर्श में मशालों को पार करने के लिए बरामदे से कूदना। शामक अंतिम ट्रैक “बुकायो साका” में उनके द्वारा जीते गए वन्य जीवन का विवरण दिया गया है और “यो मम्मा” में फतबोई शरीफ ने एलपी को उनके प्रोजेक्टों में उनके डर को पेश करने के लिए बांध दिया है।

Nehru Jackets always stood as my favorite Hima tape & the best solo effort in his discography up to this point, but Lafandar is a comeback with some notable improvements over the previous full-length he last gave us almost a decade ago. Lapgan’s production worthily introduces to a wider audience by giving them a look at how much he’s evolved behind the boards over the course of the last 5 years incorporating various cinematic South Asian samples top to bottom that entertainingly compliment Heems’ trademark laugh-out-loud wit & a consistent tight guest list.

नेहरू जैकेट हमेशा मेरी पसंदीदा हेमा टेप और इस बिंदु तक उनकी डिस्कोग्राफी में सर्वश्रेष्ठ एकल प्रयास के रूप में खड़ा रहा है, लेकिन लफ़ंदर पिछले पूर्ण-लंबाई में कुछ उल्लेखनीय सुधारों के साथ एक वापसी है जो उन्होंने हमें लगभग एक दशक पहले दी थी। लैपगन का प्रोडक्शन बड़े पैमाने पर दर्शकों को यह दिखाकर परिचय देता है कि पिछले 5 वर्षों के दौरान वह बोर्ड के पीछे कितना विकसित हुआ है, जिसमें ऊपर से नीचे तक विभिन्न सिनेमाई दक्षिण एशियाई नमूने शामिल हैं जो मनोरंजक रूप से हीम्स के ट्रेडमार्क हंसी-मजाक की प्रशंसा करते हैं। और एक सतत तंग अतिथि सूची।

Score: 4/5

स्कोर: 4/5

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DJ Shadow – “Action Adventure” review

DJ Shadow is a 51 year old DJ & producer from San Jose, California who came up as a member of the Quannum Projects collective. His 1996 full-length debut Endtroducing….. is a landmark in the instrumental hip hop scene & the sophomore effort The Private Press was well received too, but everything since then has been treated to moderate reception. Last we heard from Shadow was the 2-disc Our Pathetic Age, but is returning 4 years later by making a stylistic departure for his 7th LP & his 3rd under Mass Appeal Records

“Ozone Scraper” is an underwhelming choice of an opener setting the tone of what’s to come by pulling from synthwave and dancefloor drum & bass whereas “All My” draws inspiration from footwork musically although I’ve heard the late DJ Rashad do this style better on Double Cup. “Time & Space” is a longwinded IDM cut lasting at 8 & a half minutes even though it just makes me wanna listen to Aphex Twin after a while just before “Craig, Incels & Wrightson” goes back into a more synth-based groove.

Approaching near the end of the first leg of the album, “Witches vs. Warlocks” hooks up these synths & hi-hats coming off a little robotically dull leading into “A Narrow Escape” becoming one of the better tracks here going for a more energizing atmosphere this time around. “You Played Me” was the best single we got from the project drawing inspiration from synth-funk, but then “Free for All” fuses elements of wonky & rock that wind up with mixed results.

“The Prophecy” shoots for a ghoulish vibe clocking in at nearly 5 minutes while “Friend or Foe” brings the synthesizers & hi-hats back together once more with a crescendoing 2nd half. “Fleeting Youth (An Audible Life)” strips the drums completely incorporating a spacious atmosphere while the 8-minute “Reflecting Pool” feels a bit hollow to me personally. The penultimate track “Forever Changed” pushes towards near the end by giving a cloudier trap flare to the beat & “She’s Evolving” closes shop by cooking up 1 last synthwave cut.

For an album called Action Adventure, I didn’t really find it to have either of those as entertaining aspects disappointingly. There’s definitely some adventure in Shadow making a headfirst foray into electronic dance music, but it hurts me to say that it doesn’t hold a candle to previous material & could very well be the weakest thing he’s ever done. Compared to those who paved the way for EDM like Daft Punk or like I mentioned earlier Aphex Twin & DJ Rashad, his takes on synthwave alongside wonky or footwork & IDM feel very plain.

Score: 2/5

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Nas – “Magic 3” review

Nas is a 50 year old MC from Queensbridge, New York known for being the son of jazz cornetist/guitarist Olu Dara as well as his breakout debut illmatic & the equally classic sophomore effort It Was Written going on to be widely acknowledged as some of the greatest albums in hip hop history. I also enjoy stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then there was the Kanye West-produced NASIR & The Lost Tapes II, which I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue even though the overall consensuses were polarizing. But for the last 3 years, Nas has been working exclusively with Hit-Boy since the COVID-19 pandemic & both of them are a good fit for each other. King’s Disease earned Esco his first Grammy, but the sequel as well as Magic & the conclusion to the King’s Disease trilogy each took their chemistry to new heights. But coming off the incredibly solid Magic 2 over the summer, Nas is celebrating his born day by making his 17th album the final installment of the Magic trilogy & the last in his historic 3-year run with Hit-Boy behind the boards.

To open things up, “Fever” hops on top of a sample-based boom bap instrumental by declaring this to be prophecy & that he’s been fly for half a whole century by now whereas “TSK” works in some more kicks & snares with a gloomier loop talking about trying to stay humble yet he can take it back to Nasty if he wants to. “Superhero Status” moves forward with the art of sampling & keeps it boom bap so he can discuss how the way it’s goin’ down is simply a shame, but then “I Love This Feeling” goes for a jazzier yet soulful approach talking about outclassing people.

“No Tears” keeps it rolling by pointing out that it’s hard to find genuine lover over a tension-building beat prior to Lil Wayne coming into the picture for “Never Die” hoping over a soul-inflicted boom bap instrumental talking about both of their legacies in the culture. “Pretty Young Girl” mixes some horns with kicks & snares talking about a queen that has entered his life even though it might be the weakest cut on the album personally just before “Based on True Events” shoots for a triumphant boom bap vibe so Nas can get on his private investigator shit.

The sequel to “Based on True Events” weaves a spacious backdrop in the fold on top of kicks & snares yet again popping someone at the place of a transaction while “Sitting with My Thoughts” dives headfirst into trap territory talking about bouncing back after every loss. “Blue Bentley” encourages you to say that his life ain’t lit over a bombastic instrumental with some hi-hats while “JoDeCi Member” returns to the boom bap telling anyone to try him.

The song “Speechless, Pt. 2” conceptually picks up where the first “Speechless” left off almost 2 years back accompanied by a flute-tinged beat making it clear that you can redo the voice, but you can never read his mind while the penultimate track “Japanese Soul Bar” is a 2-parter with a woozy kickstart & a luxurious switch-up drinking scotch in a bar until the daybreak prior to the drumless “1-800-Nas&Hit” ending an era by comparing all both trilogies to that of a greatest hits collection referencing the Star Wars franchise owned by The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Lucasfilm.

I’m sure Nas is gonna take a year off to prepare for the next chapter of his career, but to say it’s been exciting to hear his chemistry with Hit-Boy evolving from the first King’s Disease to literally every album they’ve done together would be an understatement & this could very well be my 2nd favorite installment of the Magic trilogy behind the one that started it all. The production’s more soulful in comparison to the last 5 LPs they’ve done in the last 3 years & the lyricism hits harder than the predecessor did earlier this summer.

Score: 4.5/5

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Nas – “Magic 2” review

This is the 16th full-length album from Queensbridge veteran Nas. The son of jazz cornetist/guitarist Olu Dara, the breakout debut illmatic & & the equally classic sophomore effort It Was Written are widely acknowledged as some of the greatest in hip hop history. I also enjoy stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then there was the Kanye West-produced NASIR & The Lost Tapes II, which I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue even though the overall consensuses were polarizing. But for almost 3 years now, Nas has been working exclusively with Hit-Boy & both of them are a good fit for each other. King’s Disease earned Esco his first Grammy, but the sequel as well as Magic & the 3rd installment of the King’s Disease trilogy each took their chemistry to new heights. But ahead of KDIV, we’re preluded by a sequel to Magic.

After the intro, the first song “Abracadabra” is a glistening trap opener with Nasty Nas promising to do those who want to try him grimy whereas “Office Hours” featuring 50 Cent finds the 2 former rivals joining forces over a soulful boom bap instrumental seeing a bunch of Fredos referencing The Godfather II of course. 50’s verse however could’ve been longer unfortunately. “Black Magic” works in some pianos asking God to protect the G’s, ladies & children just before “Motion” brings back the kicks & snares adding some bells & strings into the fold havin’ exactly that.

“Bokeem Woodbine” keeps it dusty swapping out the bells & strings with more keys providing motivation for the trappers livin’ ounce-to-ounce leading into “Earvin Magic Johnson” assuring to enterprise over a horn-inflicted trap beat. “What This All Really Means” looks back on the first time he ever saw his name on a flyer with lavish instrumentation, but then “Slow It Down” confesses he needs money everyday returning to the boom bap.

The penultimate track yet official closer “Pistols On Your Album Cover” hooks up these kicks & snares with a mellow loop reminding that he can still murder anyone on wax & forget where they’re buried chockfull of clever references that is until the bonus cut “1 Mic, 1 Gun” featuring 21 Savage blends trap & jazz together so both of them flexing that they still gonna do what they did then in the present. Not only was a great way to squash all the drama surrounding 21 & Nas last fall, but I think everyone deluded by the hip hop generation gap can learn something from it too.

Hit-Boy’s run with Nas has been absolutely special & Magic 2 continues to cement that by progressively improving on what made the predecessor alongside the 3rd installment of the KD series the best albums they’ve done together. The eclectic production demonstrates his range & with the pen, Esco feels as if he’s been reborn even though he continues to make history almost 3 decades in.

Score: 4/5

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Black Milk – “Everybody Good?” review

This is the 8th full-length album from Detroit producer, MC & songwriter Black Milk. Making his presence known as a member of the B.R. Gunnaproduction trio, he eventually went solo in 2005 with Sound of the City & followed up on 313 Day 2007 with Popular Demand. The following year, he would dabble with electronic music on Tronic & would later start incorporating live instrumentation on Album of the Year in 2010. His next album No Poison No Paradise eventually became Black Milk’s darkest work yet & it would see a solid sequel If There’s a Hell Below the year after. We saw a comeback from him in 2018 with the politically charged FEVER & is returning to ask if Everybody Good? ahead of the 4 year anniversary of DiVE less than a couple weeks.

“God Willing” starts things off is groovy opener with some angelic background vocals praying to the higher power that everything will be alright & that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel whereas “For How Much?” works in some uncanny synths talking about the prices on all the souls that you see. The instrumental on “Wait ‘Til Fate” has a heavy Neptunes influence to it that I really like reminding that he was told that he was made to be great, but then “Downs Got Up” is more of a synth-boom bap hybrid talking about standing like royalty fixing those crowns.

The lead single to the album “Is It Just Me?”sonically reminds me of Tronic a bit as Black Milk seeks to get his mind right leading into “The Black Surf (Everybody Good)?” featuring Quelle Chris has a wavier approach talking about trying to making it work comparing life to a tidal wave. The next single “Let Me Know” goes into pop rap turf telling his significant other she’s pressure just before the 3rd & final single “Ain’t Nobody Coming Down to Save You” conceptual is self-explanatory backed by some organs.

After the “Fews & Trues” interlude produced with Karriem Riggins, the song “Feelings Don’t Feel” featuring Phonte returns to the boom bap admitting that summer as you get older doesn’t feel the way that it used to while the penultimate track “No Wish” finds Percy Miracles sticking around 1 last time this time as Raphael Saadiq plays piano & hooks up some handclaps hammering home that there ain’t no genie in the bottle. “Yeah Really” ties up the album with a warm ode to this crazy life that he lives day & night.

His solo output has been getting progressively better as time goes on & his 2nd album with Mass Appeal albeit 3rd project overall further cements that. The concepts here are more personal & introspective in comparison to the streams of consciousness throughout Fever with the production being a melting pot of past sounds from the live instrumentation that Album of the Year began displaying to the jazz elements of his previous full-length & even the electronics of Tronic.

Score: 4/5

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Statik Selektah – “Round Trip” review

Statik Selektah is a 41 year old producer, DJ & radio personality from Boston, Massachusetts widely considered to be one of the most consistent & hard-working producers in all of hip hop for over a decade now whether it be his output as part of the producer/MC duo 1982 alongside fellow Boston native Termanology or entirely producing projects for the likes of Action Bronson & Paul Wall. Even his 9 solo albums have a chockfull of bangers on them, most notably Extended Play & #WhatGoesAround…. But as the 3 year anniversary of Statik’s last full-length outing The Balancing Act approaches in a couple of weeks, he’s making a Round Trip with the 10th.

The title track by Posdnuos is a heartbreaking boom bap opener paying tribute to the late Dave of De La Soul who tragically passed away 4 months ago of congestive heart failure whereas “Historic” by AZ & Ransom finds the pair delivering coming together for a jazz rap banger talking about this latest run. “Different League” by Benny the Butcher & 1982 gives off a spookier atmosphere making it clear they’re a different breed just before “Can’t Stop” by Stove God Cook$ & Symba is a more motivational boom bap joint talking about keeping it moving with Nina Sky on the hook.

“Unpredictable” by the greatest hip hop group of all-time Wu-Tang Clan pays homage to that old RZA sound as Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man & Raekwon spit 4 lethal verses leading into “Ain’t Too Much To It” by Ab-Soul, Bun B & Conway the Machine is a somber boom bap ballad with the title saying it all conceptually. “Life & Times” by Joey Bada$$ blends these rich keys with kicks & snares talking about being perfect even though he’s not always right, but then “Droppin’ Bodies” by Millyz has to be one of my favorite songs of his yet with the smooth boom bap instrumental & lyrics displaying his cinematic lifestyle.

Meanwhile, we have Cormega & M.O.P. linking up on the warmly produced “It’s Different” with some jazzy undertones making it clear that this is business while “Lion Hearted” by Boldy James & eLZhi finds the 2 motor city wordsmiths over a more spacious boom bap beat justifiably talking about having flows like no tomorrow. “The New Joe” by NEMS is more sample-based as the Fuck Ya Lyfe general dropping some cutthroat battle raps while “1 4 Ages” by Tha God Fahim whips up a colorful instrumental so the Dump Gawd can talk about not slowing down to chase greatness.

Kota the Friend & Marco Plus hop on top of some kicks, snares & sumptuous pianos for “Right Here” making sure they have shit on lock & even though the vibraphone-inflicted boom bap production on “Limbo” is gorgeous, Russ sounds like a Great Value J. Cole even though I genuinely appreciate him discussing trying to evolve like he did on CHOMP 2.5 last month as decent as that EP was. “The Code” by Lukah, Reuben Vincent & Rome Streetz talks about living & dying by exactly that over a cozy jazz hop beat while “Got 2 Give” by redveil speaks on giving everything that he has with a catchy sample & his infectious performances.

“Vanilla Sky” by G-Eazy has a bluesier boom bap flare to it saying it’s been a minute since he’s decided to chill having a dream of living wealthy while the song “Factory” by IDK has a groovier vibe to it telling y’all not to disrespect him with all that talk. The penultimate track “In the Pocket” by Logic goes chipmunk soul comparing his lyrics going at your dome like an 8 ball prior to “Full Circle” by the Showoff Crew ending the album talking about having their best friends in the end over another vibraphone heavy instrumental.

As someone who’s been listening to Statik since his adolescence, I have a strong feeling that Round Trip will quickly become one of my top 3 solo albums of his because I find myself really enjoying this more than his last few even though they most certainly had their highlights. The Boston veteran’s production gives off a more summer vibe to his signature jazzy boom bap sound & the guest list is incredibly tight although a couple punched under their weight.

Score: 4/5

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Swizz Beatz – “Hip Hop 50, Vol. 2” review

This is the debut EP from New York producer, “rapper”, DJ, songwriter, record executive & hype man Swizz Beatz. Emerging already a quarter of a century ago as the in-house producer for Ruff Ryders Entertainment, he later started his now defunct Full Surface Records in 2001 & dropped a decent compilation called G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories the following year on my 6th birthday. It wouldn’t be until 2007 however that he would try to officially go solo with 1 Man Band Man, a solidly produced album that was unfortunately weighed down by the lack of features & of course Swizz’ horrendous rapping on every song. He eventually took a backseat from the mic on the sophomore effort Poison over a decade later & is doing so on the Mass Appeal Records-backed Hip Hop 50, Vol. 2 following up the Hip Hop 50 EP that DJ Premier dropped through Nas’ indie label last summer.

“Runaway” by Nas starts off the whole thing with a soul sample & admitting that he’s still trapped in a box tryna clear his name whereas “This Shit Right Here” by Lil Wayne has a more celebratory vibe as Weezy F drops some fly braggadocio. “Take ‘Em Out” by Benny the Butcher, Jadakiss & ScarLip goes into boom bap turf making it clear that it’s all about the calls prior to “City Sound Like” by Fivio Foreign & Bandmanrill dives into synth territory paying homage to the Brooklyn drill scene with Fivio stealing the show. “Say Less” by A Boogie wit da Hoodie & Lil Durk finds the pair talking about they ain’t squashing shit over a cinematic trap instrumental, but then “Khalas” by Jay Electronica finishes the album with a drumless loop telling y’all about himself.

The previous Hip Hop 50 EP that Mass Appeal dropped last summer is still my favorite of the 2 that we’ve gotten so far, but I’d still say that the new installment here is worth checking out if you liked Poison as much as I did. Even though a couple of the guests punched under their weight with their performances, most of them manage to hit the mark as they rock it over Swizz’ signature production style. Curious to hear as to who’s producing the next installment of this series celebrating this culture we all know & love.

Score: 3.5/5

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Nas – “King’s Disease III” review

Nas is a 49 year old MC from Queens, New York who happens to be the son of jazz cornetist/guitarist Olu Dara. His first 2 full-lengths illmatic & It Was Written are widely acknowledged as some of the greatest in hip hop history even though I also really enjoy stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then there was the Kanye West-produced NASIR & The Lost Tapes II, which I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue even though the overall consensuses were polarizing. But for almost 3 years now, Nas has been working exclusively with Hit-Boy & both of them are a good fit for each other. King’s Disease earned Esco his first Grammy, but the sequel & Magic would continue to elevate their chemistry to new heights. However, Hit-Boy & my 2nd favorite MC of all-time behind The God Rakim are now looking to end the King’s Disease trilogy with his 15th album.

“Ghetto Reporter” kicks off the album with a piano sample & Nasty Nas talking about evolving from King’s Disease at some point in time whereas “Legit” samples Eddie Cain declaring to be blacker than the new Black Panther movie that just came out today. “Thun” has a more orchestral groove to it representing Queensbridge along with the best line on the entire album. Ring halfway through the verse which is “No beef or rivals, they playin’ “Ether” on TIDAL. Brothers can do anythin’ when they decide to in a Range Rover, dissectin’ bars from “Takeover”. Sometimes I text Hova like “N***a, this ain’t over” laughin’” just before “Michael & Quincy” goes into boom bap turf with a trap switch-up during the last minute comparing him & Hit-Boy to the late Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones respectively.

Continuing from there with “30”, we have Nas over a dramatic trap beat reminding everyone how many summers he’s been doing this shit as well as teasing Light-Years & responding to his falling out with Pete Rock leading into the futuristically produced “Hood2Hood” repping a lot of cities from Canarsie to Compton & even Detroit. “Recession Proof” dives into funnier territory talking about feeling like a superhero, but then “Reminisce” blends soul & boom bap together until an amazing Brooklyn drill switch-up at the end admitting that he doesn’t like to look back on the past because what he’s doin’ right now is really lit which I think needed to be said because I’ve seen some bitter & disgruntled heads complaining about Nas working with Hit-Boy over the last couple years for whatever their reasons may be.

“Serious” is less of an interlude & more of a song about serious situations everyone eventually goes through over some harps until “I’m on Fire” returns to the soulful boom bap telling everyone he still has the same flame behind him from the “Hate Me Now” video which is such a hard flex in my opinion. “WTF / SMH” starts off on a trap note talking about riders ever get cancelled until the beat switch into a drumless loop & addressing how everybody’s so quick to turn while “Once a Man, Twice a Child” gives off a more dreamy boom bap vibe basically giving his thoughts on growing old which I needed to hear since I personally became an uncle last Thursday.

Following that, “Get Light” comes through with a jazzy party anthem while the swooning boom bap jam “1st Time” talks about hoping that this is your introduction to him & I really loved the bar at the beginning of the final verse acknowledging that people used to say he was the worst beat picker ever even though I myself never really agreed with it personally. The penultimate track “Beef” finds Nas remarkably personifying rap beefs themselves further reminding everyone how great of a storyteller he is with darker atmosphere to the instrumental while “Don’t Shoot” is powerful 2-parter cautioning not to kill thе messenger. The bonus cut “‘Til My Last Breath” though ends the album is a jazzy trap banger promising to be steppin’ until he’s gone.

Earlier on in the review I mentioned the fact that some people don’t like working with Nas & Hit-Boy, but I genuinely don’t understand how anyone can dislike King’s Disease III because it’s the best of the 4 albums that they’ve done so far. The production is more versatile in sound & God’s Son is still very much rapping his motherfucking ass off on the mic all these decades later.

Score: 4.5/5

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