WRLD Tour Mafia – “Tourmania II” review

This is the 3rd mixtape from Detroit, Michigan trap group the WRLD Tour Mafia consisting of DaeMoney, Rafa, WTM Miles, WTM Re & WTM Solid. These guys originally formed in 2019 dropping their debut mixtape World Tour Mafia or Die a couple summers later followed by Tourmania the fall after that & most recently the Mob Ties EP from 7 months ago. However with Slae & Rafa coming fresh off Rockstar Lifestyle 2 & Good Girls Don’t Exist respectively, WRLD Tour’s getting back together for an official Tourmafia sequel as a way of celebrating 4/20.

“Tourmania” is a triumphant trap opener to the tape cautioning that trying their shit with them would be worst day flexing that they’re getting cake on a daily basis whereas “Pat Mahomes” gives me a psychedelic vibe instrumentally talking about their pockets looking like Teletubbies since the money coming in different colors. “WUTANG” might be my favorite on the project from the rage-inducing Carlo Anthony beat calling out everyone who be on some childish shit & keeping their heads up staying focused just before the cloudy Detroit trap cut “Citgo” talking about cracking back if you lackin’ in the field.

Luh Tyler joins WRLD Tour for the atmospheric “Money in the Bank” produced by LulRose getting in a different bag from what they had yesterday leading into “Halloween 2” serving as a sequel to a standout from the previous Tourmania almost a year & a half ago. “W.T.M.D.$.M. (WRLD Tour Mafia Dog $hit Militia)” featuring Babytron has a bit of a futuristic beat as WRLD Tour & Tron remind us why they’re amongst the best the D has seen in recent memory, but then “Jansport” fuses cloud rap with Detroit trap talking about grinding for everything you want.

“Degenerates” works in some guitars & hi-hats boasting that they run this shit while “Feel Like TC” hops over a hypertrap instrumental talking about the squad catching back-to-back dubs as if they’re the Golden State Warriors. The aggressively jumpy production on “SmackDown vs. Raw” named after the 2-main brands of the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE is really fun admitting to feelin’ like A$AP Rocky as they need them Pesos & that Slam A Slut Records got girls all over the world much like Lloyd & Lil Wayne while the appropriately titled “Life of Tour” gives you an otherworldly look into their lives.

WB Nutty of Los & Nutty appears on “Daisy World” bringing a bassy Detroit trap sound to the table throwing some bells in the picture on top of it bragging that they’ll teach you how to flip it while “Ed Reed” takes a more serious approach generally talking about having to get your own & that you can’t depend on anyone else out here. The sample flip throughout “Cross $tate Brothers” is astounding to get on another fuckin’ level while the operatic/trap crossover “Kill” talks about how this life chose them rather than the WRLD Tour Mafia choosing it themselves.

“Boo Thumper” featuring Brooks goes into a piano-driven direction flat out warning everyone that fuckin’ with them will find you layin’ in the dirt while “B.O.D. (Brothers of Destruction)” named after the 3-time WWE tag team champions serves as an introduction to the greatest gang sampling WWE Hall of Famer Kane’s entrance theme. “Wise Guys” has these cool ass horns throughout showing off their real mob ties while “Bigger Dreams” follows it up with an atmospherical mob meeting. “Trilogy” is another heartfelt moment talking about those not knowing what comes with this shit & “Lenny Kravitz” wraps things up rockin’ out over strings.

In the past couple years of familiarizing myself with the WRLD Tour Mafia, they’ve really been outdoing themselves both from a collective & individual standpoint further solidifying themselves as one of the most exciting groups to emerge from the Detroit trap scene as of lately. Tourmania II much like Rockstar Lifestyle 2 takes it a step above the predecessor. The last one had a tighter guest list but anyway, there are some interesting ideas within the production & there are significantly more wrestling references than last time that I admire as someone who grew up during the Attitude/Ruthless Aggression Era.

Score: 4/5

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Duckman – “Black Soprano Eskimo” review

Anchorage, Alaska rapper Duckman releasing his debut mixtape through Black Soprano Family Records after making a name for himself in the Alaskan hip hop scene by putting out the full-length debut A Bag Boy Story: Welcome to the East in the summer of 2016 followed by the sophomore effort A Bag Boy Story II: Back to da East only 11 months later & his 3rd album The Slim Show the Christmas after that. He would subsequently put out 3 more LPs in The Adventures of Quack Poppa, Off the Grid & Off the Grid 2 until signing to B$F at the beginning of 2024 & is coming off of B.A.R.S. Murre’s comeback effort Jewelry Store Shootouts by introducing himself as the Black Soprano Eskimo.

The intro gets us started with a symphonic trap instrumental tellin’ those who’ve never been to Alaska not experiencing 20 hours of darkness & that he isn’t your average $1M person whereas “Ghetto Gospel” featuring Elcamino works in a ghostly sample mixed with hi-hats to talk about being on the brinks of being heirs to the throne. “Karma” takes the soulful trap route instrumentally talking about trying to get some paper out it leading into “Cost to Be the Boss” vibrantly getting boastful.

“I Did” has a bit of a Detroit trap flare to it admitting that he isn’t proud of a lot of the shit he’s done although he was standing on business just before the tape’s sole single “M.C.M. (Money Counter Music)” featuring Skilla Baby is a decent ode to counting your bread. “Cullinan” featuring Sauce Walka continues the soul sampling talks about losing it all only to get it right back while the cloudy trap fusion “Vlad TV” featuring Bonni Drip continues to run it up advising to stay out of the mix.

Fuego Base & Heem both join the Duckman for the penultimate track “High Noon” goes head-on boom bap telling a true story of violence & brutality revolving around the true Sopranos, but then “Locked” featuring Benny the Butcher & Rowdy Rebel properly concludes Black Soprano Eskimo with the trio over this exuberant Brooklyn drill beat talking about knowing people who eventually landed behind bars for making that dope money with the Butcher’s verse during the middle being my favorite amongst the 2 guests.

Quite probably the most exciting artist that I’ve ever heard out of the Alaskan hip hop scene has to be Duckman by far & his official B$F debut here takes himself to a higher level as an artist. Black Soprano Eskimo has a bit of a prominent trap sound to it with additional elements of Detroit trap, Brooklyn drill & a hint of boom bap discussing where he is now as well as his life involved in the biggest cocaine bust in Alaska history.

Score: 3.5/5

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Sugie – “#FreeMySlime” review

This is the 2nd mixtape from up-&-coming Atlanta, Georgia rapper Sugie. Introducing himself in the off his debut single “Numb” on SoundCloud in 2018, he would continue make waves in the underground by dropping more tracks until he saw fit to release his debut mixtape Second2None last summer. He just put out an EP In the Wind at the end of this past January & over 2 months later, the leader of the DarkHeartedWorld is looking to slow down anytime soon continuing to apply pressure in the form of #FreeMySlime.

“Life of Sins” starts off the mixtape with a booming trap instrumental talking about the life he lives & trying to win whereas “HTX” brings more of a rage-inducing vibe to the table spending all his racks on a fly hoe at the drug party. “Fashion Killa” works in a jangly guitar, explosive bass & hi-hats deflecting that he’s right back in his element just before “France” the psychedelic trap highlight flexes with this French model.

Meanwhile, “UK” has a trippy drill atmosphere talking about a bitch who’s been calling his phone & telling her that he simply doesn’t have time for no feelings leading into the title track brings back the rage beats to talk about the shit that he’s poppin’ being real & the streets being hotter than Hell at times. “Way2Slime” starts the 2nd leg of the tape staying in the hypertrap lane showing off just how slime he really is, but then the otherworldly “Sleep” talks about being unable to sleep at night without drugs.

“Granted” solemnly calls out someone Sugie knew that eventually took him for granted in the end while the sinisterly yet party-starting “Function” shrugging off those who’ve tried to do him dirty in the past. The rage-inducing penultimate track “Night Owl” talks about being a night owl himself which I can relate to since I myself can be the same way prior to “Southside” properly concluding the tape with a sample-laced trap instrumental boasting that he’s with a bitch from the south side of the ATL.

If you enjoy artists like Brezzo or even Sk8star & Zukenee (both of whom I’ve covered in the past. Most recently: the latter’s debut album Player Slayer the weekend before), then I don’t see how you wouldn’t come away from #FreeMySlime without getting Sugie’s best material to date out of it. The raging trap production is gradually refining itself, he sounds more focused & gives his strongest performances as a result of that.

Score: 3.5/5

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Pharrell – “Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access” review

Virginia Beach, Virginia producer, singer/songwriter, rapper, fashion designer, film composer, entrepreneur, Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream founder & Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell. Cementing his legacy as 1/2 of the greatest production duo of all-time The Neptunes alongside Chad Hugo, they would eventually form the side project N*E*R*D with their debut album In Search Of… going on to become a classic inspiring Tyler, The Creator amongst others. Even his 2006 solo debut In My Mind would become one of the most underrated albums ever made, even though he’s discredited it himself as “being written out of ego”. G I R L during my junior year of high school received mixed reception although I personally still enjoy the pop soul/contemporary R&B vibe of it pay tribute to all the women in his life (Case in point: “Lost Queen / Freq”). But to celebrate his 51st birthday in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit with Chad over the Neptunes trademark, Skateboard P is releasing Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access on an exclusive website possibly in response to James Blake’s recent comments in regards to streaming.

“Richard Millie” is a guitar-driven opener singing about having it all behind him & not making him wait whereas the summery “Dandy Lying” discusses a woman who keeps the night alive. “Come On Donna” warmly sings about how the other type of dude just be the same leading into “Just for Fun” dabbling with funk-rock melodically makes it clear that the work must be done or the rest of this talk is simply for the fun of it. Meanwhile, “Caged Bird Free” brings a tropical atmosphere to the table welcoming you to a silver lining just before the mellow “Ball” sings about hittin’ it off with this romantic interest from the very second that they so happened to meet each other. “11:11” psychedelically admits to hating surprise since he never enjoyed surprise birthdays, but then “Who Needs Rest?” continues the slick pop rock influenced by smoother R&B styles singing about a woman who needs the night. The penultimate track “Cheryl” warmly asks not to break his spirit prior to “Going Back to VA” ending the album by catchily returning to his home state.

Anyone who truly knows me well can tell you how much I’ve always looked up to Pharrell since he’s one of the very few people out there that I can consider an idol because he really is a musical & fashionable visionary in my eyes. It’s also noteworthy that I actually get a handful of people telling me that they love how I acknowledge Chad as much as I do with P & to be quite honest, that’s because I consider him to be just as musically talented as Pharrell. The whole Neptunes trademark lawsuit as someone who has them as his top 5 producers of all-time is a real shitty situation, with Pusha T rightfully pointing out that there isn’t a dollar involved in the stupidity & that it’s really a lawyer looking to drain Chad’s pockets. Now is Black Yacht Rock: City of Limitless Access a way to distract everyone from the lawsuit? Maybe not since the recording for it began almost 3 weeks ago & the suit was filed at the beginning of the week. As far as the quality though: It’s definitely one of the best albums outside of hip hop. P’s production is inspired by psychedelic pop, contemporary R&B, the west coast sound of yacht rock, neo-soul & neo-psychedelia, he has more than enough vocal chops & the songwriting abilities to pull off performances that you’ll find winding up stuck in your head.

Score: 4.5/5

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J. Cole – “Might Delete Later” review

North Carolina rapper, singer/songwriter & producer J. Cole surprise-releasing his 4th mixtape. 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. However, his last 2 albums 4 Your Eyez Only & K.O.D. 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. Even to this day: 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, so Might Delete Later was an interesting surprise to me.

“Pricey” featuring Gucci Mane & Young Dro is a symphonic boom bap opener produced with T-Minus & Wu10 whereas “Crocodile Tearz” works in some pianos & hi-hats talking about The Fall-Off being like JAY-Z droppin’ Reasonable Doubtlast. “Ready ‘24” featuring Cam’ron flips I’m Ready by The Diplomats fittingly enough to get on their shit again just before the trap-inflicted “Huntin’ Wabbitz” with co-production from Charlie Heat references Elmer Fudd of the longtime Warner Bros. franchise Looney Tunes.

Central C joins Cole on the acoustic trap/pop rap crossover “H.Y.B. (Hide Your Bitch)” with FNZ behind the boards advising to hide your significant others from them leading into “Fever” continuing the pop rap vibes except it’s much more groovier courtesy of ATL Jacob talking about a woman he loves & needs. “Stickz N Stonez” is my favorite on the tape bouncing back from the 2 worst whether it be the dusty Alchemist instrumental or the lyricism declaring that no one wants smoke with him, but then “Pi” featuring Ab-Soul & Daylyt goes drumless to drop straight bars for 6-minutes other than the trans line.

“Stealth Mode” featuring Bas on the bridge talks about got a lot to get off their sternums over a summery drill beat while “3001” finds Mike WiLL Made-It & Pluss of all people dabbling with boom bap dedicated I was listening less than 1000 years from now. “Trae tha Truth in Ibiza” soulfully discusses his work ethic & the now deleted “7 Minute Drill” ends the tape with Conductor Williams sampling “Energy” by Drake so Cole can come through with an admittedly weak response to Kendrick’s verse on Future’s latest album We Don’t Trust You saying he’s “washed like The Simpsons” on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property albeit trademarked by The Walt Disney Company & he has since apologized for it officially backing out of the beef.

I’m just gonna come straight out the gate by saying both J. Cole & Drake don’t have an album better than good kid m.A.A.d. city or To Pimp a Butterfly, but I think Might Delete Later is a pretty solid tape for the most part. The overall sound is more trap oriented with some jazzy undertones and J. Cole actually does sound pretty hungry here as much as he did on the previous album a couple years ago other than a few unfortunate lows. Still very excited for The Fall-Off.

Score: 2/5

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Young Wicked – “Young Wicked: The Mixtape 2” review

This is the 2nd mixtape from Denver emcee, singer/songwriter, producer, engineer & fashion designer James Garcia or the artist formerly known as Young Wicked. Coming up as 1/2 of the Axe Murder Boyz with his older brother Bonez Dubb in 1999, the duo put out 4 albums on their own before before the Insane Clown Posse signed them to Psychopathic Records in 2005 & making their debut on the label that following spring by dropping Blood In Blood Out to moderate reception. However, their next full-length outing God’s Hand is considered to by many (including myself) to be their best given how much both of them elevated their lyricism & Otis’ production. This resulted in him becoming Violent J’s protege many years later, dropping his solo debut Slaughter: It’s the Best Medicine in the fall of 2015. Fast forward a couple years later, Twiztid signed Young Wicked & eventually AMB to Majik Ninja Entertainment in the midst of their falling out with Psychopathic to put out an equally fantastic sophomore effort The Return of the Prodigal Son. But after rebranding himself 3 & a half years ago on Activated which had more of a mainstream sound to it, the initially scrapped sequel to Young Wicked: The Mixtape is finally seeing the light of day ahead of his upcoming Astronomicon appearance.

“Deep” is an aggressive rap rock opener talking about the fact that they’ve been waiting for him to come out of the basement to show the underground who he really is whereas “Eternal” takes the trap metal route instrumentally admitting that he can’t rest in peace with these sick muthafuckas in the street although the heavy auto-tune on the hook just isn’t it. “No Masters (Shake da Shit)” works in these somber piano chords & sirens sayin’ y’all looking at a king coming for everything just before the rap metal-infused “Resurrected” admits to feeling darkness clouding his mind.

Meanwhile on “Shallow Grave”, we have Young Wicked on some boom bap shit taking everyone through the mind of a murderer leading into “Pushing On” blends some kicks & snares with guitars as he discusses trying to figure himself out as of lately. “Chrome” ruggedly pushin’ bars similar to the way they be pushin’ weight cautioning that you don’t want to get smoked by him, but then “Flowers” dabbles with the trap metal flare once more calling himself the goat having to be sacrificed in the blood.

The song “No Slackin’” goes for a vibrant trap approach that his pimpin’ doesn’t ever slow down while “Crucifix” returns to the boom bap reminding y’all that his last album was activism & he’s back to stabbin’ victims now. To conclude Young Wicked: The Mixtape 2, the closer “Keep Out the Cold” is this guitar ballad singing that he keeps the whiskey in his veins for the titular reason & “Coastin’” starts the deluxe run with some g-funk undertones repping MNE.

“Breathin’” cleverly references the inaugural AEW World Champion, former ROH World Champion, ECW World Television Champion, IWGPインターコンチネンタルチャンピオン, ROH World Champion, WCW World Television Champion, 6-time WWE world champion, 7-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 4-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, record-holding 9-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Chris Jericho.

James blends trap & rock for “Rage” unlock the door to my vision & telling everyone listening to step inside while “The Language” talks about only speaking in hustle not giving any fucks regarding being famous. “Unbroken” enlists ScatteredBrains behind the boards telling everyone that he’s still unbroken out here & the final bonus track “Stayin’ Lit” ends with him swinging as if he’s the soon to be inducted WWE Hall of Famer Muhammad Ali.

Activated has it’s moments even though a lot of juggalos I know weren’t feeling the more commercial-approach it took, but this to me is the best thing that James has done on his own since The Return of the Prodigal Son almost 7 summers ago. It’s much more rawer than the previous LP we got from him & we still get a glimpse of his artistic evolution in the last 25 years whether it be his bars, his singing, an evolving self-produced sound or the mixing/mastering.

Score: 4/5

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Santana Fox – “Eye Candy” review

Santana Fox is a 26 year old MC/producer from New York notable for being the daughter of the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame. She eventually followed in her father’s footsteps making music of her own couple years after his untimely passing putting out a handful of singles up until the full-length debut Girl Next Door celebrating it’s 2-year anniversary this summer. However after seeing that her debut mixtape over here would be fully self-produced, I went into it thinking that she would level up artistically since her potential has already been shown previously.

The first song “Space Cadet” after the the “Wicked Poet’s Prelude” intro begins with kicks, snares & pianos so she can flow like a UFO following the “Hotline” skit, “Vinyl Dust” keeps it grimy instrumentally talking about going viral to spite who used to be her favorite rapper snatching their sound back. “Fight Me” featuring Pohlosweater brings a synth/boom bap vibe to the fold boasting they ain’t seen or heard anything like them & after the “Hypnotherapy” interlude, “Tokyo Trippin’” lusciously clarifies that the drugs do her as apposed to her doing drugs herself & the consequences of her spoiled ways.

Mike Shabb joins Santana on the title track with the best feature on the tape incorporating a darker sound asking who do they become just to make them happy & after the “Sittin’ by the Lake” skit, “Pray4Mine” keeps it rugged talking about always praying for her n***a. After the “Cards Never Lie” skit, the penultimate track “Moment of Silence” featuring Prodigy himself pushes near the end of a rawly asking her father why they actin’ like they owe her something before he leaves & the closer “Count Me Out” closes up shop with some pianos brushing off those downplaying her.

It sorta feels like an EP if you remove all 5 of the skits & interludes but at the same time when you keep them in, it’s more of a mixtape & one that I think any Mobb Deep fan like myself would find themselves enjoying because Santana’s very much carrying on her dad’s legacy in her own way & I’m sure he’s looking down on her proud of what a groundbreaking entry that Eye Candy is in her discography. Her production’s is a cut above Girl Next Door’s as are the couplet of features & her songwriting being kicked up a notch.

Score: 4.5/5

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Chief Keef – “Dirty Nachos” review

This is the 32nd mixtape from Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Chief Keef. Rising to stardom in 2012 off his 6th mixtape Back from the Dead & the full-length debut Finally Rich, he would go on to become a progenitor for drill music popularizing it in the Windy City inspiring the likes of Lil Uzi Vert & 21 Savage or even Billie Eilish. Other standouts in Keef’s discography include Bang 2, Almighty So, Back from the Dead 2, GloToven & 4NEM. But with Mike WiLL Made-It fully producing Dirty Nachos, expectations for it were very high for me personally.

After the intro, the first song “2 Times” is an energetic trap opener talking about having to steal a couple times in the past & seeing dollar signs when you look in his eyes whereas the title track encourages to get off the block & take a trip. “Doja” briefly yet bombastically flexes the kind of weed he be smoking leading into “Ridiculousness” featuring Ballout bringing a suspenseful atmosphere this time around talking about being on too much savagery.

2 Chainz’ feature on “Pull Up Ghost-Clan” is significantly stronger vibrantly boasting that they’ll be at the spot in a coupe just before dedicating “Damn Shorty” featuring Sexyy Red to all the strip clubs out there & I can definitely hear this being played at those kinda spots. “Why You Mad?” hops over strings & hi-hats asking haters the titular question prior to “Watch for the Pigs” menacingly calling out the feds.

“Charged Up” gives me a cloudy trap vibe instrumentally telling us that’s exactly how he be feelin’ while “Promenade” almost has a quirkier tone talking about the cops trying to get him on a daily basis. “Beware of Dog” might be my least favorite on the tape because it feels a little unfinished to me personally, but then “Girl Woo” although more fleshed out seems like a flat pop rap cut.

Meanwhile, “Player in Me” brings a trippier flare to the beat boasting his player status while “Love Don’t Live Here” comes through with aggressive braggadocio. “Status” chillingly sets out to fit 5 or 6 bitches in his car being on Saturn while “Harley Quinn” comparing his girl to the titular DC character over synth-horns. “Bang Bang” rounds out the tape by bringing Chicago drill undertones to the fold portraying images of the gangsta life 1 last time.

Almighty So 2 has been quickly turning into the modern day Detox by now, yet I’ll absolutely still take Dirty Nachos as a way of making up for the constant delays. Mike WiLL’s production is more refined than some of the O.G. versions Shawn Ferrari did, Keef gives some of his best performances I’ve heard from him in a while & the 3 features don’t bother me all that much.

Score: 4/5

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Uncle Murda – “Lenny Grant Story” review

This is the 17th mixtape from New York emcee Uncle Murda. Being in the game for nearly 2 decades, he briefly signed to Roc-A-Fella Records/Def Jam Recordings in the mid/late 2000s but has since made himself home over at G-Unit Records for the past 8 years & doing his own take of the Rap Up series a decade ago inspired by Skillz. I can’t say I have a favorite tape of his since they’re pretty much moderately received, but the buildup to Lenny Grant Story got the best of me.

“If I Die” starts off with piano chords & hi-hats explaining that one of his opps is coming with him if he were to pass away whereas “The Projects” featuring Conway the Machine has a jazzy drill vibe talking about the trenches of their home state. “They Said” featuring Symba shifts back into trap territory telling y’all to look at them now leading into the soul/drill crossover “I’m Ok With That” talking about making his son into a king & fulfilling his promise.

Jadakiss accompanies Murda on the atmospheric “Money” dropping braggadocio just before cavernously hazy “No Safety” featuring Benny the Butcher acknowledges that it’s safe to say that ties have been cut. “10 Toes Down” has a spacious quality to the instrumental tackling themes of commitment, but then “Spin the Block” featuring Styles P & 50 Cent finds the trio looking to simply that on top of a ghoulish vocal sample.

“Grimey” weaves a rich boom bap beat in the fold reflecting on the welfare days while the song “Ride Out” featuring Peezy is an acoustic trap cut clearing out any place their opposition is at. The penultimate track “I Changed” soulfully breaks down how he’s become a different person as he’s gotten older & “2 Hurt 2 Cry” rounds out the tape in an upbeat fashion explaining they reason you don’t see no tears from him.

Once again: I’m not big on Uncle Murda’s previous material & I’ve heard numerous features from him across a multitude of projects over the years that I’ve actually enjoyed. Surprisingly, I was impressed to come away from Lenny Grant Story liking it more than I initially thought I would’ve. I’ll even say it’s the best thing he’s done ever since 50 signed him in the first place. The guest-list is impressive, Murda himself sounds concentrated & the production represents both past & present sounds of the New York hip hop scene.

Score: 3.5/5

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ssgkobe – “HORCRUX” review

Lafayette, Louisiana rapper ssgkobe releasing his 2nd mixtape ahead of the upcoming full-length debut U4. Emerging out of the SoundCloud scene just a few years back, it wasn’t until earlier last spring when he was featured on a bonus track off of BROCKHAMPTON’s ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINEwhere I was introduced to him. His major label debut albeit 12th EP overall KO. that came out a couple months later wasn’t the best place to start diving into his discography at all, but I was genuinely intrigued by Night Before once I started listening to his earlier work. RELAPSED showed some improvements as did the prequel to U4, so I was interested in hearing the direction HORCRUX was going to take.

After the heavenly “INTRODUCTION”, the first song “KEEPIN’ IT REAL” begins the tape by cooking up a lo-fi trap instrumental flexing that his crew stay giving no fucks whereas “FUKITWATCH” gives off more of a psychedelic approach telling all broke motherfuckers to get their own businesses. “WHAT CAN I SAY” asking for some more lean being going off 3 styrofoam cups of it over an airy beat with hi-hats just before the cloudy “COWARD” talks about those sneak-dissing frontin’ in regards to that life.

“ONLY TIME” hooks up these bare piano chords so ssgkobe addressing someone who doesn’t have to lie to him & try to keep fuckin’ with him while “THROUGH MY MIND” featuring Kaash Paige cavernously talks about the evil thoughts that often pop in both of their heads. “ELLA” actually goes for a rock vibe kinda looking to jump right in & possibly see the Eiffel Tower leading into the warm, melodic “URTHEONE” dedicated to that special woman in his life.

Moving forward with the 2nd half of the tape, “WHEN I TURN” brings in the rage beats boasting that he’s cutting up a check while “C” continues to expand the hypertrap influences breaking down the lifestyle that he’s living catching bodies & dealing with bitches who think they be running game. “1227” talks about having shit to prove over a Godzilla-like instrumental while the cloudy, bombastic “13 GATES” dissing those who think he can’t do what they can do.

“FRIGHT” begins the final moments of HORCRUX by continuing to induce the rage looking to pull up on his opposition in order to leave them all intimidated & “WEHADMET” closes up shop with 1 final psychedelically, melodic joint running at nearly 2 & a half minutes talking about making the relationship with his current partner work.

Admittedly, Willows was an underwhelming note to leave off on last summer & HORCRUX happens to be a good step on the right direction for ssgkobe since it’s a better way for him to hold off his audience until he decides it’s time for the debut album. The elements of rage, pop rap & trap from some of his latest material in recent years make their way back over here flowing solidly as I hope U4 will help him come fully into his own.

Score: 3.5/5

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