Ty Farris – “No Cosign, Just Cocaine 5: The Final Sniff” review

This is the 11th mixtape from Detroit emcee Ty Farris. Coming up under the name T-Flame, he was featured on a lot of projects throughout the mid-2000’s until the very end of the decade where he started to put out solo stuff at a prolific rate from Tyrant to Room 39. But coming fresh off his 3rd EP Moments of Mayhem alongside his last 2 albums Fluorescent Mud & Pain for Ya Vein respectively, Ty’s returning for the 5th & final installment of the No Cosign Just Cocaine series.

After the “80’s Cocaine” intro, the first song “The Coca Leaf” works in a drumless loop from Graymatter as T-Flame spits about that cocaína prior to Jae Skeese tagging along for the gritty “We Never Backing Down” talking about refusing to fold. “Alejandro Sosa” has a slicker yet cinematic groove to the production courtesy of Trox speaking on the man only concerned about the quota, but then “Dean Smith” takes a more soulful with it’s bare sample & the lyrics concerning the rap game’s dean’s list.

As for “Dope Speak 4 Itself”, we have J. Arrr & Vega7 the Ronin joining Ty over a cavernous boom bap instrumental provided by Stu Bangas to show off their lyrical prowesses just before “The Thoughts of Ghost” comes through with a standout from the horror flick-inspired beat that Big Ghost Ltd. cooks up to the bars about being a hot boy before Lil Wayne could start to curse in his music. Flames Dot Malik drops a husky verse on “The Twilight Zone” as they continue to son motherfuckers on the mic over what is possibly the darkest Wino Willy beat I’ve ever heard leading into “Underestimate Me” weaving some synths, kicks & snares speaking to those who underrate him.

“The Most Feared Threat” with Mickey Diamond & The Steiner Brothers finds the quartet over a shimmering boom bap beat from Finn referring to themselves as problems in the game while “Critically Acclaimed” has a richer quality to it taking a dive into his dark mind. The song “Brown Bags Over Revolvers” with Daniel Son sees the pair on top of some pianos, kicks & snares to live lawless while the penultimate track “Never Lose Respect” returns to soulful turf declaring himself as the Jesus of this rap shit. “The Most High” concludes the tape & the NCJC series with a downtrodden Bozack Morris instrumental living for today.

I’ve been anticipating this project for quite some time now & even had the honor of seeing the artwork only a few months before the final product was even announced earlier this week. From that moment on, I knew I wasn’t gonna be disappointed it & it couldn’t have been a better conclusion to the saga now that we got it in full. Ty lyrically continues to cement himself as one of the best in underground today, the guest list is nearly as on point as the last installment’s was & the production is consistently raw.

Score: 4.5/5

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Babytron – “Bin Reaper 3: New Testament” review

This is the 8th mixtape from Detroit emcee Babytron. Coming up as a member of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he also branched out on impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But the last couple years was probably his biggest yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone following the release of Luka Trončić a couple summers prior to signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & then Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming that same fall. But now coming off Megatron last spring & a spot in the 2022 XXL Freshman Class a couple months later, he’s dropping the other half of the final installment of the Bin Reaper trilogy.

“Forever $cams” is a suspenseful hyphy opener with Tron talking about never stopping whereas “Next Level 2” works in multiple beat switches as he welcomes everyone to the next chapter. “Michigan Ave” has a bit of a catchy groove or rhythm to the instrumental advising to meet him on the titular road, but then “#FREEUNKY” comes through with a more uncanny sound courtesy of Detroit trap veteran Helluva shouting out his uncle that’s currently incarcerated.

Meanwhile on “Gimme Dat”, we have Lil Yachty coming into the picture with Babytron for an explosively raw trap hit as they talk about popping out that cut prior to “CatDog” with Babyface Ray finds 2 of the best rappers in Detroit at the moment calling out those who be talking shit online & backing down in person over some triumphant Bay Area inspired production. Cordae tags along for the mellow “Beetleborgs” getting on some category 5 type shit leading into “Mr. Hanky” referring to himself as the shit over a trap instrumental with a menacing loop.

“Remote Control” finds Tron doing his thing with some beat switches sampling shows ranging from Kenan & Kel to Samurai Jack just before “R.I.P. Hutch” with Rico Nasty & Remble has more vibrant tone to it as the trio deliver a party anthem. “Mike Amiri Monster” is a 2-parter with a piano-trap crossover during the first half & some background vocals for the other referring to himself as such while “Golden Child” mixes some hi-hats & saxes talking about feeling like an Egyptian with all the ice he is referencing former UFC BMF Champion Justin Gaethje.

Following that, “Euphoria 2” has a more dramatic approach in terms of sound reminding that tomorrow’s price isn’t the same as today’s whatsoever while “Sunday School” produced by Danny G & Jakesand samples Resident Evil 2 calling out another for having the sauce yet it’s far from marinated. “Dirty Draco” with KanKan keeps the pianos in tact as both artists speak on sipping Faygo & staying strapped while Certified Trapper’s feature on “Zap Zone” is one of the weakest on the tape despite the whistling loop & the claps within the beat & the lyrics talking about having a game to win.

“Ricky Henderson” compares his lil brodie to that of the titular baseball player accompanied by a wavy trap instrumental while “Waffle House” by the ShittyBoyz, Drego & Beno, RMC Mike, Babyfxce E, J1Hunnit & Prince Jefe is a decent 3 & a half minute Detroit posse cut. “Mainstream Tron 2” has a cloudy aesthetic to it talking about how it’s all rah-rah with the yacht & the Glock.

As for “100 OVR”, the beat blends these strings & bells as Babytron explains that his crew still sin because all dogs go to heaven as well as referencing former 3-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8 time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン & The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon Rey Mysterio while “Za Morant” returns to a more atmospheric vibe talking about him balling. “You Would’ve Thought” with DaBoii pulls from nu disco as they both flaunt their success to those who didn’t believe in them while “Animorph” gives off a more saddening feel expressing the pain of watching someone he once respected turning into a snake.

The instrumental throughout the “2 Ea$y” is more horn-laced talking about being the early birdie while the penultimate track “Tronalation 28:27” is a synth/hyphy crossover as Tron confesses that he can’t trust what some fraud has to say to him. “I Can’t Call It” with $camaurion closes out the tape admitting that they don’t know what they be on these days with a thumping bass-line, some chords & hi-hats.

Although I’d still say that Old Testament is my favorite between both parts of the Bin Reaper finale, that’s not to say New Testament isn’t worth the time of anyone who’s been following him up to this beat Other than it being a little longer than it should’ve, the 2 things that really wowed me the most about it was the fact that the feature-list is more consistent in comparison to Babytron’s past efforts & the insane punchlines that he endlessly comes up with

Score: 3.5/5

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Choco Valens – “Hollywood Burns” review

Choco Valens is a 33 year old MC from Miami, Florida who came up in 2018 off his full-length debut Kill Politics. This was followed up with his sophomore effort The Night Before the Fight the next summer & then his 3rd full-length album Wolfenstein a couple years later. But as the 2-year anniversary of the latter approaches next month, Choco has seen fit to return in the form of his debut mixtape following the 2-year schedule set by his last 2 efforts.

“Broken Bones” kicks things off with a 3 minute spoken word piece until we get a jazzy boom bap beat & Choco dropping some hard battle bars during the 2 half whereas “No Mercy” perfectly lives up to it’s title to the murderous lyricism to the funereal production. “7 Chakras” comes through with one of my favorite performances on the tape with it’s intricate rhyme schemes & flow switch-ups over an Alchemist instrumental that has kinda sounds like it was originally made for Griselda, but then “Blood Sport” has a more occult atmosphere to it comparing the rap game to such.

Meanwhile on “Heart of Evil”, we have Choco returning to the boom bap spitting the wicked shit to my surprise & pulling it off wonderfully leading into “Mad Villain” comes through with a 7-minute tribute to the late MF DOOM that I think any hip hop head would come to appreciate. Especially with all the multiple beat-switches. Serum, Duivan, King Tetrus, 8ch20wins & Lejnd all come into the picture for the 7-minute posse cut “Born Killers” produced by DJ Pain 1 declaring themselves to be such prior to the bombastic “Rage” encouraging that now’s the time to riot.

Orion Brass tags along for the bluesy “No Days Off” as the 2 talk about having no time to rest while “Free Country” is a short but sweet boom bap joint produced by Evidence & it’s just incredible how much charisma Choco puts on display with his delivery. “Bad Guy” has a more luxurious approach to the instrumental continuing to belittle his competition while the song “Scarface” with Wolf-gang finds the pair jumping on top of some prominent hi-hats to talk about not giving a fuck. The penultimate track “Blue Print” is basically a freestyle over “U Don’t Know” by JAY-Z until “Miami Estate” is a triumphant closer à la Maybach Music Group letting y’all know where you can find him.

It most definitely feels more like a mixtape compared to Choco’s last 3 albums to me, but it’s still a dope way for dude to ring in the new year. It’s cool to hear him pay homage to some of his influences by jumping on top of beats that we’ve already heard before as well as simply hearing how much he’s evolved as an MC within the last 5 years from the flow switch-ups to the passionate execution in his delivery.

Score: 3.5/5

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Juicy J – “Crypto Business” review

This is the 13th mixtape from Memphis, Tennessee rapper, songwriter, producer & record executive Juicy J. Rising to stardom in the 90s as the co-founder of the seminal Three 6 Mafia alongside his Tear Da Club Up Thugs cohorts DJ Paul & the late Lord Infamous, he also had the most successful solo career out of everyone in the Mafia whether it be the Taylor Gang Entertainment/Columbia Records-backed Stay Trippy & Rubba Band Business: The Album or even his last full-length The Hustle Continues under his new MNRK Music Group imprint Trippy Music. He just dropped Stoner’s Night with Wiz Khalifa at the beginning of the year & then Space Age Pimpin’ with Pi’erre Bourne over the summer, but is reuniting with longtime collaborator Lex Luger to surprise drop Crypto Business.

“Night at the Club” is an insane trap opener with Juicy describing the lavish lifestyle that he lives whereas “‘Cause I Live It” with Wiz works in some pianos & hi-hats talking about why they never talk it. Finesse2tymes’ verse on “Be Careful” is a little underwhelming to me despite the themes of watching out who you consider to be friends over more hi-hats & a creepy loop but after the “Big Triece Talk” skit, “Hit the Smoke” works in a soul sample talking about getting higher than a motherfucker.

Moving onto “Coinbase”, we have Juicy over a trap instrumental with some keys & horns calling money his league leading into the Lil Keke-assisted “Kill dat Shit” jumping on top of a repetitive “murder” vocal chop & heavy bass co-produced with BeatKing to get nasty lyrically suggesting they should be in the WME Group-owned UFC. “Respectfully” laced some strings & hi-hats from Hitkidd admitting he can’t give bitches anything as well as giving a middle finger to those who be hating, but then “R.I.P.” gives condolences to a number of things ranging from Michael Jackson to the clothes he’s ‘bout to fuck up & the beat here has an uneasy quality to it that I like.

“I Got” however admits he has issues accompanied by some rattling hi-hats while “Send Her Down” returns to a more dramatic approach in sound talking about still being here in spite of those who want him dead for whatever their reasons may be. “Shrooms” with LXST CXNTURY finds the 2 tweaking out on the titular recreational drug with a more darker quality to the production while “Clap” with Trey Dizzle is basically an inferior successor to “Kill da Shit” down the raunchy lyricism.

La Chat though reunites with her former mentor on the self-produced “Mind Yo Business” warning not to stick your nose where it don’t belong over a misty trap instrumental while the bell-laced “Let It Go” betting that a sucka isn’t gonna play with him. The chopped & screwed sample through “Hot Sauce” is a really nice touch talking about being posted on the curb where he used to get rocks off & the final song until the outro “Know What’s In It” truly the ends the tape by charmingly detailing the shit that he got inside of his turn-up cup.

I already knew going into Crypto Business as soon as it was announced merely hours before it came out that it would be the best thing that would give us this year. Lo & behold, I like it more than both Stoner’s Night & Space Age Pimpin’ combined. There are most certainly a couple questionable features & production choices during it’s 47 minute run, but the joints with Juicy & Lex are some the highest points on the tape because of how well they continue to bring the best out of one a dozen years later.

Score: 3.5/5

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Babytron – “Bin Reaper 3: Old Testament” review

Babytron is a 22 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who came up as a member of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records. He also branched out on impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers, but it seems like last year was probably his biggest year yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone following the release of Luka Trončić last summer prior to signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & then Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming last fall. But now coming off Megatron this past spring & a spot in the 2022 XXL Freshman Class a couple months later, he’s ending the Bin Reaper trilogy in the form of his 7th mixtape.

“Genesis 1:1” opens the tape with Babytron reflecting on his life within the last 5 years over a trap instrumental with some bells whereas “Top 2 Not 2” taking a more futuristic yet triumphant turn with the help of Jakesand talking about being flier than a martian. “Myspace” dives into an airier direction acknowledging that he been had a status hearing voices as if he’s 14-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Randy Orton leading into “Silly Me”, which works in some synthesizers & a sample of the Tag Team hit “Whoomp! (There It Is)” talking about sliding in that Dawn until it’s dusk.

Continuing with “Wake the Fuck Up”, we have Tron bursting the bubbles of everyone who thought they were up with the beat flipping “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell just before Dougie B tags along for the string/trap-laced “Drake & Josh” talking about pulling out the strap out his BAPE & putting these goofies in their place. “‘15-‘16 Curry” returns a more synth-woven sound comparing himself to Stephen Curry during the mid-2010s, but then “8th Wonder of the World” has a more darker approach in sound declaring himself as such comparing the Dookie Brothers to former 11-time WWE Tag Team Champions, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champions, ROH World Tag Team Champions, HOG World Tag Team Champions & ΩCW Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz.

Icewear Vezzo comes into the picture for the Helluva-produced “Can You Swim?” to call out those who be burning a lot of bridges like it ain’t shit while “Awful Lot Yeah” talking about been heavy on the lean as of late even though the Enrgy beat is just ok. “1 Side of Things” blends electro/hyphy together saying he’s gonna bounce back from a tape flopping by scamming while “Rage Quit” produced by Danny G is a well-sequenced 2-parter with a beat switch during the last 47 seconds talking about making his competition give up if they check the scoreboard.

The song “Dog $hit Militia Cypher 2” by the ShittyBoyz, the recently departed $camaurion, JuSleaze, MJPaid, ScrumbleMan, Fordio, J3 & Donnie Bands is a decent little gangsta posse cut with some robotic trap production while the penultimate track “AirTron” makes a shit-ton of basketball references down to the producer sampling the Kurtis Blow single paying tribute to his favorite sport. “365 Day Grind” however finishes the tape wonderfully with a dedication to the never-ending hustle & a reference to former AJPWオール・アジア・タッグチャンピオン, 世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, KO-Dタッグチャンピオン, FMWインディペンデントワールド世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, GHCジュニアヘビー級タッグチャンピオン & current 新日本プロレス Jr. Heavyweight タカみちのく.

Now if Babytron is in fact closing the book on the Bin Reaper trilogy here, then I think it’s one that fans will certainly be satisfied with. I’m glad he didn’t overload the tracklisting like with his last couple tapes as he spits some incredibly witty punchlines accompanied by production with some more pluggier undertones than a lot of the stuff he’s given us in the past.

Score: 3.5/5

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Westside Gunn – “Hitler Wears Hermes X” review

This is the 11th mixtape from Buffalo emcee, songwriter & entrepreneur Westside Gunn. Whether it running one of the hottest hip hop labels in recent memory to his first 2 full-lengths FLYGOD & Supreme Blientele, he truly has proven his legend status & that he’s to be a force to be reckoned with all in only the span of 7 years. just put out his last tape PEACE FLYGOD over the summer & with in tradition to the Halloween season, West is dropping the true conclusion of the decade long Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series after originally dropping the 8th & 9th installments last fall.

Doe Boy tags along for the trap opener “FLYGOD Jr.” produced by West’s son hence the title after the intro to spit some gangsta-laced braggadocio whereas “Super Kick Party” works in a sample-based boom bap instrumental courtesy of Conductor Williams taking it’s name after the finisher of AEW EVPs, former 2-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, the inaugural AEW World Trios Champions, 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champions, 2-time ROH World 6-Man Tag Team Champions, HoG Tag Team Champions, AAA Parejas Campeons, 2-time IWGPタッグチャンピオン, 7-time IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, 3-time NEVER無差別級6人タッグチャンピオン & 4-time PWG World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks.

A$AP Rocky & Stove God Cook$ both come into the picture for the uncanny yet dusty “Shootouts in Soho” getting on their hustler shit including a bar referring to WWE Hall of Famer Mr. T, but then Black Star tags along for the heavily soulful “Peppas” to blend their conscious styles with Westside’s boasting including a reference to former 2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones & him using an excerpt of his appearance on the Discovery Global-owned TNT series AEW Rampage last month for the outro is the ultimate flex.

Meanwhile on “Nigo Louis”, we have West over a drumless yet groovy beat with a guitar talking about hitting shit in broad daylight leading into the Rome Streetz-assisted “BDP” spitting that fly gangsta shit hitting harder than UFC Hall of Famer, the inaugural UFC Women’s Batnamweight Champion, former WWE Women’s Champion & the current WWE Women’s World Champion in her 2nd reign Ronda Rousey accompanied by a crooning boom bap instrumental. The Margo Guryan flip from Swizz Beatz throughout “Science Class” with Busta Rhymes, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon & Stovey is remarkable as the 5 talk about being the plug just before “God is Love” weaves a drumless sample into the fold prior to a beat switch during the last minute & a half as Estee Nack & Stove God talking about how they done made this work.

The song “Switches on Everything” with Run the Jewels has a jazzier sound to it thanks to Mike Shabb admitting the only way to get them to leave the crib while the penultimate track “Mac Don’t Stop” turns the jazz levels up to 11 with the help of Pete Rock including a bar referring to lucha libre popularized by the Lutteroth family-owned Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) & it’s rival promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) owned by the Peña–Roldán family. “Red Death” however ends the tape with an epically grimy 10-minute Griselda cut produced by none other than The Alchemist showcasing the unique styles of everyone who laid & killed their verses.

Now as solid was Hitler VIII & IX both were in their own rights, X to me is a great note to end the iconic Halloween mixtape series on in light of Ye formerly known as Kanye West’s antisemitic comments at the beginning of the month & I wanna thank West for all the memories that it’s given me along the way. It’s more focused than PEACE FLYGOD as expected, the features all compliment him in their own respective fashion & the production throughout is just absolutely stellar.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jeezy – “Snofall” review

Jeezy is a 45 year old rapper, songwriter & actor from Atlanta, Georgia who came up in the early 2000s off his full-length debut T.U.I. (Thuggin’ Under the Influence) & the sophomore effort Come Shop wit Me. Both of which were mediocre, but his biggest breakthrough wouldn’t come until 2004 where he began a partnership with Def Jam Recordings that’s going on strong to this very day & dropped the classic Thug Motivation 101: Let’s Get It the following summer. Subsequent discography highlights would include Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration, The Recession, Thug Motivation 103: Hustler’z Ambition, Seen It All: The Autobiography & even The Recession 2 that came out the day after his Verzuz battle against longtime rival Gucci Mane during the COVID-19 pandemic. So when Jeezy announced that he was linking back up with DJ Drama & Don Cannon for his 14th mixtape right here, anticipation was pretty high from me.

The title track sets things off with a drumless yet triumphant instrumental from Cool & Dre as Jeezy talks about being in a billionaire’s mindset whereas “Bruh” takes a more horn-laced trap route talking about how we already know the deal. Lil Durk tags along for the boisterous “Most Hated” produced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (who did nearly half the album) to call out those who despise them prior to “Street Cred” blends some keys & hi-hats thanks to Don Cannon talking about the credibility that the Snowman has in the streets.

Meanwhile on “Kolors”, we have Jeezy returning to a more victorious sound to brag his riches to everyone that’s listening just before “MJ Jeezy” dives into cloudier territory courtesy of FNZ talking about handling his business & speaking that fluent trap shit. “Plug on ‘Em” has a more vibrant tone to it boasting that he does it best leading into the lead single “I Ain’t Gon’ Hold Ya” jumps on top of a rubbery trap instrumental from Helluva reminding us of his rightful place in this culture as one of what I like to call “the big 3” trap pioneers.

42 Dugg comes into the picture for “Put the Minks Down” to deliver a ratchet summer anthem while “King’s Crown” shoots for a more ghostly aesthetic paying tribute to all the fallen soldiers who couldn’t be here with us today. “Still Havin’” weaves some synthesizers into the fold talking about living right while “Scarface” with EST. G luxuriously finds the 2 watching the titular movie with the sound off, being bosses & showing off their girls being stronger than WWE Hall of Famer & 7-time women’s champion Trish Stratus.

Continuing from there, the vocal sample on “How Deep” was flipped very well if you ask me with Jeezy continuing to brag lyrically while “Grammy” fuses more horns & hi-hats together to talk about how he deserves the titular award at this point even though it’s the most rigged popularity contest ever. The song “My Accountant” cinematically rubs his wealth into everyone’s faces while the penultimate track “Big Sno” hooks up a high-pitched loop talking about his status. “100” though ends the tape with a victory lap encouraging to stay true.

If you’re of the few heads that I know who were disappointed with The Recession 2 even though I personally thought it was his best in a while, then I think you’re gonna like Snofall just as much if not better because Jeezy went back to back with it. He & Drama pretty much return to basics in an entertaining fashion from the production being as equally consistent to the return of the Snowman persona.

Score: 3.5/5

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TR Dee – “Crunch Time” review

Detroit rapper TR Dee tapping in with Danny G for his 4th mixtape. Notable for being 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz alongside Babytron & Stanwill signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he also began carving a path for himself as a solo artist off his first couple mixtapes Trapped in My Bag & Made for This ahead of his debut album M.I.P. (Most Improved Player). Coming fresh off Trapped in My Bag 2 several months ago, he & Danny are teaming up on Crunch Time.

“Zap Zone” comes out the gate with a stunning Detroit trap intro talking about the whole block having lasers on them whereas “Franklin Saint” co-produced by Jakesand references the main character of The Walt Disney Company-owned FX hit series Snowfall, which I’m a fan of. “Drunk in Love” talks about being addicted to money like it’s a drug while “Odd Future” by the Dookie Brothers gives a nod to one of my favorite hip hop collectives of my adolescence.

We have TR Dee talking about how nothing’s basic when it comes to him & the rest of his squad during “Take the Throne” rightfully boasting that they’re the greatest in the whole city while “My Glocky & My Chop” featuring MJPaid & $camaurion finds the trio trading verses with each other for 2 & a half minutes. “Glo Gang” crowns himself the lieutenant of the Dog $hit Militia while “Wizardry” pokes fun at people scouting & watching others play ball from the sidelines.

“Louie V” winds down the final minutes of Crunch Time talking about his materialistic lifestyle copping a duffel bag from the iconic French luxury fashion house whose men’s creative director, Off-White founder & RSVP Gallery founder Virgil Abloh passed away 11 months earlier while the closing track “6 & 0” discusses his preference of showing people what he does rather than giving them a whole explanation.

Contrary to many Detroit trap fans enjoying Crunch Time less than both installments of the Trapped in My Bag series or Made for This & M.I.P. (Most Improved Player), it’s another great example of what TR Dee can do by himself & having a singular producer by his side takes it to another level. Danny G’s production exemplifies why he’s one of the greatest beatsmiths in this style of trap & all 3 guest performers match TR’s level of lyrical proficiency.

Score: 4.5/5

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Grip – “5 & a Fuck You” review

This is the 2nd mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia emcee Grip. Coming up in 2017 of his debut mixtape Porch, he would go on to drop his full-length debut Snubnose along with 2 EPs Halo & Proboscidea prior to Detroit veteran Eminem signing Grip to his very own Interscope Records imprint Shady Records last summer. His sophomore effort I Died For This?! the following month was an impressive major label debut showing his potential, so I was excited going into 5 & a Fuck You when he announced it out of the blue a couple nights ago.

“Cook Up” is a booming yet dark trap opener with Grip talking about needing a week to do exactly just that whereas “‘94 Flow” takes the boom bap route to spit some aggressive battle bars. Marco+ tags along for trap-laced “Static” calling out those who don’t want smoke with them, but then “Popular Demand” returns to the boom bap with an organ sample laced with the help of DJ Khalil addressing his return.

Moving on from there with “Da Benzo”, we have Grip delivering a shrilling trap ode to Mercedes-Benz leading into “The F Word” switching it back into boom bap turf talking about giving no fucks. “Value Mall” has a more atmospheric vibe to it explaining how you can ball on a budget just before Tate228 tags comes into the picture for “Cory ‘N Mel” telling the story of 2 robbers of the same name with some chilling soundscapes.

The song “Good” is a soulful celebration of how far we’ve come in this life while the penultimate track “Many Thanks” has a more twangier aesthetic to it with Grip sincerely expressing his gratitude to everyone listening for being the reason why he’s even here for a little over 8 minutes. “Ain’t Ok” though happens to be a solemn closer to the tape talking about the kids not being alright.

If this is something to warm people up for his next full-length, then I think it’ll be even bigger splashes than I Died For This?! as impressive of a major label debut was when it came out a little over a year ago. It’s a lot more rawer in sound, his penmanship is continuing to get better & he’s starting to come into his own artistically.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ramirez – “The Tragedy of a Clown” review

This is the 8th mixtape from San Francisco, California emcee Ramirez. Coming up in 2014 as a longtime affiliate of the $uicideboy$, he would go on to co-found to the New Orleans-based indie label G*59 Record$ with them & build himself as an artist by dropping his last 7 tapes, 10 EPs & 4 full-lengths in the span of nearly a decade. The last album Tha Playa$ Manual was his best yet with it’s g-funk production from Rocci & the gangsta rap lyricism, so that definitely intrigued me to check out The Tragedy of a Clown over here.

After the intro, the first song “Return of the Corpse” kicks off the tape with some heavy bass & a plucky loop asking if there’s a problem whereas the Pouya-assisted “Bacon, Eggs & Grits” finds the 2 over trap beat with a violin sample belittling everyone who be on their balls. “The Dungeon” dives into boom bap territory declaring himself to be the motherfucker you better run from, but then Germ tags along for the quirky yet alien-like trap banger “Carthart Vest” spitting aggressive braggadocio.

Meanwhile on “What the Hook Gon’ Be?”, we have Shakewell & Fat Nick joining Ramirez for an energetic Memphis gangsta rap heater just before “6 Feet Under” shoots for a more haunting aesthetic talking about being in rehab. “The Root of Demise” follows it up with a twangy trap ballad detailing depression leading into the misty yet rowdy “Murdered Out Vehicles” spitting some wicked shit.

“The Gallows Wait” has a more psychedelic quality to the production especially with the chopped & the screwed sample at the start & finish talking about being 1 gangsta ass ghost with Shakewell returning for the closer “Shameless Gorilla” boasting that there’s no shame in their game” with some morbid production from Mikey the Magician.

For him to give us this coming off his most critically acclaimed work to date, I think G*59 fans like myself are gonna be more than satisfied with it considering how consistent they’ve been. Ramirez takes it back to a more Memphis rap emphasis as far as sound goes with the lyricism being a bit more darker 2 & a half years later.

Score: 3.5/5

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