Babytron – “Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming” review

Babytron is a 21 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan who came up just a few years ago as part of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records. Along the way, he’s also built up a solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. The kid just dropped Luka Trončić on his birthday over the summer & with Halloween approaching this weekend, the Dog $hit Militia general will be celebrating by dropping a sequel to his debut tape Bin Reaper.

“Half-Blood Prince” kicks the tape off with Danny G sampling the Harry Potter theme getting on that gangsta shit whereas “Next Level” weaves in a soul sample talking about elevating. “Paul Bearer” named after the titular WWE Hall of Famer who managed both members of former 3-time WWE Tag Team Champions The Brothers of Destruction consisting of fellow WWE Hall of Famer Kane & The Undertaker individually works in a flute to get braggadocious, but then “Euro-Stepper” has a more minimalistic sound to it with him going at his competition.

Meanwhile on “Day in Ferndale”, we have Babytron displaying some intriguing storytelling despite its weak instrumental just before the bassy “007” talks about creeping up with the strap. “Pissed Off” has a bit of a early-2000’s era Dr. Dre influence to the production declaring himself as a 1-man army leading into Lil Yachty tagging along for “Turtle Pie” to show some amazing chemistry even though it’s criminally short giving Twist of Fates like former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, 2-time ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion & ROH World Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy.

“Monkey D. Luffy” has a hypnotic vocal loop buried in the bass comparing himself to the 1 Piece character of the same name while the soulful “It Is What It Is” looks back on not having all the shit he has now. “Pink Runtz” resurrects the hi-nrg vibes of Luka Trončić calling himself the drip god & dissing those who say yes to hoes like future AEW World Champion, former 5-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, GHCジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time PWG World Champion, ROH World Champion & ROH Pure Champion Bryan Danielson. The flutes on “Monsters & Mobsters” are a nice touch letting cats know beef with them ain’t the best decision whereas “On the Bible” shows off lyrically over an instrumental that sounds straight from a kung fu flick.

Krispylife Kidd comes into the picture for “Tag Team Champs” to deliver a more fleshed out version of “Turtle Pie” leading into the glossy yet romantic “Jesse Owens”. The late night cruiser “How?” calls out his haters as crackheads & the more mellow “Heart Break Kid” taking it’s title from the nickname of WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development, NXT Head of Creative, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, 4-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion Shawn Michaels spills out some $1M thoughts.

I like how minimal yet detailed “Superstar” sounds addressing his rising fame just before the ShittyBoyz come together for the hi-NRG “Young Goats” talking about being future legends in the making buying rockets from SpaceX founded by Tesla CEO & Neuralink founder Elon Musk. “Blankman” grimly details living better days as of late & “Pimp My Ride” pays homage to the show that overshadowed Xzibit’s music career down to the sample.

“Green Lantern” takes a funkier approach dissing those faking the funk, but then Helluva provides a techno vibe for “Frankenstein”, which is about how Wockhardt got him moving slow including a bar referring to WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle.

The Everybody Hates Chris theme gets flipped during “Everybody Hates Tron” to throw in a bar referring to former IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン as well as 10-time WWE world champion & former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar while the bell-heavy “No Jumper” speaks on blowing weed on Adam22’s podcast of the same name. “Lavar Ball” with RTB MB is another flute-woven cut that Jakesand cooked up talking about turning the party up whenever they walk in & to finish the whole tape off, “Sith Lord” flips the iconic Darth Vader theme to basically call himself the rap game equivalent to that of one of the greatest villains ever.

Not a lot of sequel projects in hip hop can live up to the expectations set by the predecessor, but Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming is a solid example of that. It’s a little long-winded running at 27 tracks total, but I genuinely think Babytron’s punchline game is one of the best in the current hip hop landscape & how he along with the rest of the ShittyBoyz break free from how repetitive Detroit trap can be.

Score: 3.5/5

Jae Skeese – “Revolver Ocelot” review

Jae Skeese is a 31 year old MC from Buffalo, New York who first emerged in 2010 off his debut mixtape W.A.C.K. (Women, Alcohol, Cash & Kicks). However, it wasn’t until a decade later where he & 7xvethegenius got their biggest break thus far after the very first signees to Conway the Machine’s very own EMPIRE Distribution imprint Drumwork Music Group. But with only a few dates left on the Love Will Get You Killed Tour, he’s dropping a precursor to his upcoming sophomore effort Abolished Uncertainties in the form of his 7th mixtape.

“Seek/Find” is a soulful, jazzy boom bap opener about how he translates what he sees into music whereas “No Bricks, No Airs, No Rimmys” works in some vibraphones & harmonizing to look for the perfect shot on his opponents. Conway the Machine & OG Sole come into the picture for the vibrant, shit-talking trap banger “Chessmen” leading into the Loveboat Luciano-assisted “Calm Bapes” which Cartune Beatz helps make feel like something out of a perfect crime flick.

Meanwhile on “Stolen Benz”, we have Toney Boi joining Jae Skeese on top of a smooth instrumental to call out those who weren’t there for them when they needed it just before “EKIN” brings in a bare vocal loop from EYEKETYSON to flex his lyrical prowess for a minute & a half. “Grindin’” serves as an ode to his dedication with a psychedelic Camoflauge Monk beat while the song “She Threw Her 4’s Up” tells the story of a woman he met & I love the enticing sample throughout.

The penultimate track “Mandarin Manuscript” has a bit of a futuristic boom bap sound with the help of none other than JR Swiftz as Jae comparing his music to that of fine art & “All In” with 7xvethegenius is a jazzy finisher to the tape motivating the listener by reminding them it’s either all or nothing. Conway only pops up at the end delivering a spoken word bit about Drumwork taking over the industry which I wasn’t expecting, but it’s still really cool.

If you loved his verses on “Crack in the 90’s” & “Sister Abigail”, then I think you’re really gonna dig this tape. It’s a proper way to reintroduce himself to the new fans as he basically guides you through as to who he is personally & artistically. At this rate, Abolished Uncertainties is destined to be the crown jewel of Jae Skeese’s discography.

Score: 3.5/5

Westside Gunn – “Hitler Wears Hermes IX” review

This is the 9th mixtape from Buffalo emcee, songwriter & entrepreneur Westside Gunn. At this point, what can be said about the guy now that hasn’t been said already? From running one of the hottest hip hop labels in recent memory to his first 2 full-lengths FLYGOD & Supreme Blientele, you’d be lying to yourself if you said he & the rest of the Griselda crew haven’t had the culture on lock for the last 5-6 years. Dude’s been laying low throughout a good portion of 2021 so far,, but dropped the 8th installment of the Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series & is already dropping a 9th one.

It technically starts off with the “Brodie Lee” instrumental opener named after the former AEW TNT Champion as well as former WWE Intercontinental Champion and 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion & the “End How You Start” intro, but things really don’t get rolling until Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher tag along for “Hell on Earth, Pt. 2” for some eerie boom bap coke slanger shit. Jay Electronica assists West for the jazzy “Free Kutter” calling for his homie to be released from the pen, but then “Richies” is a Gunnlib reunion reusing same sample as “Ontheway!” by Earl Sweatshirt asking if you’ve ever seen a corpse.

“Julia Lang” despite it’s brevity gets back on that yay shit with a grimy Camoflauge Monk instrumental leading into Chase Fetti, Flee Lord & Heem aligning for the disgusting 2-parter “Celine Dion” including a dope reference to the late WWE Hall of Famer Nick Bockwinkel. Following this, Mach-Hommy pops up on “Best Dressed Demons” with a dusty Daringer beat declaring themselves as rolling stones just before Armani Caesar & 2 Chainz help morbidly declare that they’ll take their words to their graves for “Forest Lawn”.

Meanwhile on “Why I Do ‘Em Like That?”, we have Westside Gunn & Billie Essco jumping on top of a luxurious boom bap instrumental getting criminal minded whereas “RIP Bergdorf” finds him & Mach going back & forth nonchalantly on top of a mesmerizing vocal loop from Nicholas Craven. He later shouts out his boys Sly & J Batters on the perilous “TV Boy” while the orchestral “Survivor Series ‘95” with Jay Worthy, Larry June & T.F. declares Griselda as the new Roc-A-Fella taking it’s name after the event where 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart became a 3-time WWE Champion

Rome Streetz comes in for the JR Swiftz-produced “Eddie Kingston” named after the titular AEW star who formerly held the CZW World Heavyweight Championship, CZW World Tag Team Championship and アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン saying life’s lavish & they’re beyond greatness & “Ostertag by Stove God Cook$ makes reference to the late WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion & 2-time WCW World Television Champion “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

“Munch” with Tiona Deniece has a bit of an R&B flare telling listeners to love how you want, but of course the AZ-assisted “99 Avirex” works in a melodic instrumental getting on their mafioso shit. “The Fly Who Couldn’t Fly Straight” with Tyler, The Creator takes a soulful route flexing on motherfuckers while the final song “Big Al” with Rome Streetz is a depressing tribute to MF DOOM. However, the actual closer “BYE BYE” starts off with a jazz sample & then a brief spoken word passage from none other than Keisha Plum.

As much as I enjoyed VIII last month, I gravitate towards IX more & consider it to be amongst the best in the series. There are just as many features that all come correct as the first disc did, West solidifies his icon status & I like how he went with a more varied list of producers rather than sticking with The Heartbreakers again.

Score: 4/5

Westside Gunn – “Hitler Wears Hermes VIII: Sincerely, Adolf” review

This is the 8th mixtape from Buffalo emcee, songwriter & entrepreneur Westside Gunn. At this point, what can be said about the guy now that hasn’t been said already? From running one of the hottest hip hop labels in recent memory to his first 2 full-lengths FLYGOD & Supreme Blientele, you’d be lying to yourself if you said he & the rest of the Griselda crew haven’t had the culture on lock for the last 5-6 years. Dude’s been laying low throughout a good portion of 2021 so far, but is deciding to finish the Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series in the form of the 2-disc Sincerely, Adolf. The first disc given to us now & the other most likely on Halloween

After the “Murders in Marfield” intro & the “Blessed Times” interlude by AA Rashid, the first actual song “Mariota” with Stove God Cook$ kicks things off with a soulful beat & them saying you ain’t gotta worry whereas “Vogue Cover” is somewhat similar instrumentally except the 2 are talking about birds going fast. Mach-Hommy tags along for the jazzy “Margiela Split Toes” to spit that fly shit referencing the longest reigning 4-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, former 2-time ECW World Television Champion, the shortest-reigning NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, the inaugural MLW World Heavyweight Champion, WWE United States Champion, 2-time WCW World Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, XPW World Heavyweight Champion & WCW Hardcore Champion Shane Douglas alongside WWE Hall of Famers & former WWE Tag Team Champions The Brain Busters just before the dusty boom bap cut “Draymond” with Rome Streetz & Stove God includes a bar referring to the current 2-time WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as well as WWE Hall of Famer, the 2nd longest reigning WWE Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion Bob Backlund whose first reign began after Vince McMahon Sr. had him defeat WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion & CWA World Heavyweight Champion “Superstar” Billy Graham.

Meanwhile on “Peri Peri”, we have West & Rome sticking around to jump on top of some keys & dusty drums to talk their shit leading into the Jadakiss-assisted “Right Now” working in another jazzy beat to get on their pyrex shit. “Westheimer” by Boldy James alongside Sauce Walka & Stove God Cook$ find the trio hopping on top of an old time loop saying they had no choice but to commit murder, but then West & Lil Wayne come together for the grimy “Bash Money” to brag about their riches with Weezy making a great lucha libre line popularized by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) owned by the Lutteroth family & it’s rival promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) owned by Peña–Roldán family.

The song “Claire’s Back” starts off with a boom bap joint & the FLYGOD referencing former 5-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, ECW World Tag Team Champion, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン & XPW King of the Deathmatch Champion The Sandman until going into rock territory for Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher to spit that mafioso shit. The penultimate track “Spoonz” finds Hall ‘N Nash going back & forth with a meditative Conductor Williams instrumental, but then “716 Mile” reenlists Boldy for a wavy closer getting in their gangsta rap bag.

Although I like what I’m hearing from Hitler 8 so far, I think I’m gonna enjoy it more in context with Disc 2 when it drops a couple months from now. He didn’t have to put a feature on every single cut on here even though they all killed it, but I can definitely commend West for coming correct as much as the guests do & not rushing it like he did FLYGOD is an Awesome God II.

Score: 3.5/5

Logic – “Bobby Tarantino III” review

This is the 8th mixtape from Maryland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, author & Twitch streamer Logic. Coming up just about a decade ago off the strength of the Young Sinatra mixtapes, he potential would continually be shown on his first 2 albums Under Pressure & The Incredible True Story. But it’s no secret that since the release of Bobby Tarantino in 2016, the dude’s discography has become a definition of inconsistent. ΞVERYBODY, Bobby Tarantino II & Young Sinatra IV were all mid at best, but who can forget the embarrassing attempt at going indie rock on Supermarket or the unlikeable bitterness of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind? Then he bounced back with No Pressure last summer, which was a mature sequel to his full-length debut. I also thought the Doc D concept mixtape Planetory Destruction was decent too, but now Logic is looking to close out the Bobby Tarantino trilogy with Bobby Tarantino III.

The intro is just him jumping on top of a self-produced boom bap instrumental admitting that his retirement didn’t last very long whereas “Vaccine” is a mediocre attempt at a vibrant trap anthem about going hard all year. “Get Up” takes a more melodic turn trying way too hard to get motivational, but then “My Way” is a HIDEOUS contemporary R&B/pop crossover despite the decent synth instrumental.

Meanwhile on “Call Me”, we get a moody sequel to “1-800-273-8255” just before the flute-tinged “Inside” that FNZ & of course Bobby Boy Records in-house producer 6 laced opens up about his depression. “Flawless” is forced sex song that’s really anything & after the admirably self-aware “Stupid Skit”, he addresses to the new generation on the short yet smoky boom bap-tinged “Theme for the People” except this time he isn’t dissing them like he & Eminem did a couple years back with “Homicide”.

The song “God Might Judge” sounds a lot more sincere than “Get Up” down to the instrumental being inspired by College Dropout-era Kanye like he says at the start while the penultimate track “See You Space Cowboy…” is a bassy trap cut about putting his city on the map. Finally there’s “Untitled”, which works in some vocal harmonies hanging in the background for him talking about being blessed.

Although this is a step down from No Pressure, I’m not saying it’s as unlistenable as Supermarket & Confessions of a Dangerous Mind were either if that makes any sense. Like half of these sound like they actually come from the heart, but then the other just seems as if he’s trying too hard to appeal to a mainstream audience.

Score: 2.5/5

Peezy – “Free Rio” review

This is the 8th mixtape from Detroit, Michigan rapper Peezy, Coming up as a part of the Team Eastside collective about a decade ago, he would later go on to release about a dozen solo projects beginning with Mud Muzik in 2014 & subsequently became one of the most prominent figures that the Motor City’s distinct trap scene has to offer. Dude just got out of prison back in February for racketeering & is now celebrating his freedom by dropping Free Rio.

“The Intro” opens up the tape by saying life is good on top of a synth-induced trap beat & some bells leading into the grim 6th installment of his ongoing “I’m Good” series. “I Don’t Know” is a hyphy banger about how he don’t miss whereas the Pooh Beatz-produced title track calls for Rio da Yung OG to be released from prison. Meanwhile on “Build a Bear”, we get an stripped back trap cut about making it out the jungle just before the lively d-boy anthem “We Don’t Scam”.

He continues on to declare himself as the “Million Dollar N***a” accompanied by a glossy instrumental, but then “Perc 10” works in some strings & rubbery bass to talk about sex. The penultimate track “Rio Flow” speaks on taking over the game attached to climatic production with the closer “Good & Bad” speaks on life shit & having a more lavish sound.

He’s pretty much a hometown O.G. at this point & Free Rio most definitely has to be amongst my favorite bodies of work that Peezy has released yet. You should already know what you’re getting yourself into in terms of the overall sound on here since the Detroit trap sound has it’s own ring to it, but dude’s bravado is charming as Hell & is paying homage to the very first artist that he ever took hunger his wing.

Score: 3.5/5

Babytron – “Luka Trončić” review

This is the 4th mixtape from Detroit rapper Babytron, who came up just a few years ago as part of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records. Along the way, he’s also built up a solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But to celebrate his 21st birthday, it’s only right for the general of the Dog $hit Militia collective to drop Luka Trončić.

It’s cool to hear him kick it off with a glossy, rubbery sequel to “Cheat Code” produced by Helluva as well as a dancy conclusion of the “Jugg Messiah” trilogy. Meanwhile on “Blitz”, we get some keyboards from Danny G as the recently released Peezy tags along to flex whereas “IG Captions” feels like a charming freestyle & the instrumental feels like something out of the 80’s.

“PunchGod 3” if you couldn’t tell by the title showcases his punchline abilities backed by an infectious high-pitched vocal sample & even though Allstar Jr. has one of the weaker features on “Scam Stars”, I do like the piano-inflicted beat quite a bit. We go into a more suspenseful sound on “Golden Ticket” as Babytron compares his rap career to such referencing the greatest WWE superstar ever; 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker before sounding off on his wealth on “$1M Thoughts” even though the instrumental is kinda plain.

The song “Where They At?” is more spacier cut where he says he feels like the late Blade Icewood, but then Stanwill & TR Dee unite for the electronic-tinged “Cold World” going at clout chasers. “Cowabunga” mixes some synth-strings & blobby bass for Babytron to start flexing lyrically & not only does he carry that topic onto “The Office”, but the way they sample the actual theme song from The Office is pure brilliance.

“Just In Case” is pretty much his own version of the Jahiem song of the same name while the synths on “Mr. Miyagi” sound off like laser guns as Babytron proclaims he has the magic touch. Since99’s verse on “Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy” is another weak spot on the album, but I do like how they compare themselves to the SpongeBob duo & actually sample their theme music much like on “The Office”.

The braggadocio continues on the entrancing “Playmaker” sampling “Since I Fell for You” By Apollonia including a reference to former IWGPジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 4-time WWE Tag Team Champion Owen Hart’s death at the latter promotion’s infamous 2nd & final Over the Edge pay-per-view prior to going back to that Bay Area sound for “Game Time” thanks to Jakesand, where Babytron raps about cranking the notch up just to prove a point since he’s phenomenal as current WWE World Tag Team Champion AJ Styles.

I love the haunting synth melodies accompanying the championing lyricism of “MVP Season” but then for the materialistic “$100 Rice Bowl”, the sound is like a cross between 80’s-like synths & hyphy. “Space Jam” has an EDM flare to it sonically as Babytron says he “got a Goon Sqwad like he’s Trick-Trick” while the eerie, bassy “Money Man” flashes his wealth.

The song “Untouchable” has a vintage sample throughout as well as lyrics about being that dude while the penultimate track “Bugs Bunny” is a glistening yet explosive cut about being up now. As for the closer “Early Bird”, there’s a plinky beat & Babytron rapping about how he can’t be fucked with.

Of all the tapes this cat has dropped, Luka Trončić could very well be his best one yet. I think the Hi-RNG undertones in the production is super unique in comparison to the more generic sounds you hear in modern day trap & Babytron’s continues to reveal himself as the most skilled ShittyBoy there is.

Score: 4.5/5

42 Dugg – “Free Dem Boyz” review

42 Dugg is a 26 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Detroit, Michigan breaking out a few summers back off the strength of his debut EP 11241 Wayburn. This would catch the attention of both Yo Gotti & Lil Baby, who jointly signed him to their respective labels Collective Music Group & CBFW Records shortly after. Dugg’s profile continued to grow in 2019 when he dropped his debut mixtape Young & Turnt, which was followed up last year by the sequel Young & Turnt 2. However, it’s all been leading up to his 3rd tape over here.

The intro is a short, violin-laced trap banger much tells all his homies to call him whenever they need anything whereas the next song “Turnest N***a in the City” goes into a more hyphy direction as Dugg proclaims himself as such. The bragging continues on the brief, keyboard-laced “We Know” before he & Roddy Ricch hop over a Scorpions sample for “4 da Gang”.

Future tags along up on the atmospheric “Maybach” to talk about putting it on for their respective hometowns & the Einer Bankz-produced “Bestfriends” returns to a more Bay Area sound with the lyrics paying tribute to Dugg’s childhood friends. Lil Durk pulls up on the dreary “Alone” to express falling outs & being street cats forever & even though I like the heartfelt subject matter on “Still Miss My N****s”, the Rylo Rodriguez verse is atrocious.

The song “Free Merey” is a guitar ballad about how he & Merey will always be together while the Antt Beatz-produced “Quez Free” is a thumping anthem about what Dugg’s been up to lately. Right after that, “Please” is a cloudier cut saying that he’s “still got shit down” & then EST. Gee helps him get on the drug dealer tip on the grim “Rose Gold” produced by Carlo Anthony.

“Judge Please” is a 2-minute hyphy banger crying out for help while the Fivio Foreign & Rowdy Rebel-featured “Still Catching Cases” feels like an off-the-cuff drill joint. Taz Taylor incorporates a piano & hi-hats on “It Get Deeper Pt. 2” as Dugg goes on about how he can’t be outscored & then the Murda Beatz-produced “And I Gangbang” is a lively gangsta rap cut.

The next 2 songs are all homages to 42 Dugg’s friends Woo & Skeet with the production sounding eerily similar to one another, but then we go into Bay territory one last time on the closer “Free Me” which is him showing y’all how life works.

I think to safe to say that Free Dem Boyz is without question Dugg’s most mature effort to date. Pretty sure we all knew he was gonna stick with that signature modern Detroit sound à la Sada Baby, but the lyrics are a lot more personal than they were on previous efforts.

Score: 3.5/5

Ouija Macc – “Dirtbag” review

This is the 5th mixtape from Las Vegas, Nevada rapper Ouija Macc. Originally breaking out in 2017 off the strength of his debut EP Trashfire, this resulted in the Insane Clown Posse making him the final act to ever sign with Psychopathic Records later that year. Ouija has since been holding it down for the hatchet by dropping 2 full-length albums, 3 EPs, 4 tape, a greatest hits compilation & a collab EP with Starfoxlaflare. But after forming his own label Chapter 17 Records & dropping a collaborative mixtape with Young Money Entertainment signee Baby E a couple months ago, Ouija is enlisting the Floridian production duo Mythic Mindz for Dirtbag.

“Ain’t No Savior” kicks the door down by encouraging the listener to crank the volume up super high over a sitar-laced trap beat from Devereaux whereas the next song “Demon Seed” is a cacophonous depiction of a ritual. Ouija goes on to do a good job at melodically opening up about depression on the grungy “Route 17” & then “Killing Spree” brings in a chiming instrumental as the lyrics take a turn into horrorcore turf.

The track “Domino” brings in a bit of a country twang in the production to talk how this is the way it has to be while we get a bass-heavy ode to the kinky motherfuckers out there on “Nympho”. For “Did It Myself”, we get a Bollywood-flavored anthem about his grind before the Shaggytheairhead provides a dinky beat for Ouija to acknowledge his weirdness on “Walking WTF”.

Meanwhile on “La Cienega”, we get a quirky instrumental & Ouija bringing his speediest flows imaginable without making it sound cliche whereas “Thuggalo Slide” is a bassy anthem for the thuggalos to ride to. The song “Monster vs. Man” continues to bring in guitars as the lyrics tackle inner turmoil while “Not Enough” is Ouija talking about wanting more sex & drugs on top of a wailing trap beat.

The adrenaline-inducing “Die Like This” takes aim at his detractors whereas the electronic-influenced “Understand Us” is about how misunderstood juggalos are in the hip hop world. “I Don’t Know” doesn’t sound too bad for a cloudy love song while the penultimate track is a trap/rock fusion about burning it all down. As for the closer, “I’m Nowhere” talks about being a ghost over a sludgy instrumental.

This dude is just reaffirming his status as one of the most consistent artists in the underground today. He makes a great return to his normal style after the more commercial We Never Forgot & it’s cool to hear Mythic Mindz helping him out dabbling into new sounds.

Score: 4/5

Lil Yachty – “Michigan Boy Boat” review

This is the 5th mixtape from Mableton rapper & songwriter Lil Yachty. Skyrocketing to fame in 2016 by bringing a unique sound & personality to the trap subgenre on his debut mixtape Lil Boat, his subsequent pretty much took a nosedive from there. Why? Because he made a song on that breakout tape about never switching up & that’s EXACTLY what he did. But to pay homage to this reviewer’s home state, Yachty has amassed together some of the hottest rappers Detroit has to offer currently for Michigan Boy Boat.

“Final Form” is a ruthless opener with a hyphy instrumental from Helluva, but then Tee Grizzley tags along for the airy “Dynamic Duo” to talk about how his chemistry with Yachty is unmatched. The harp on “Concrete Goonies” shortly after is pretty cool except the fact that it’s a tad bit offputting hearing him start it off by saying he wants to fuck Kali Uchis. Meanwhile, we have Veeze & Baby Smoove jumping on a piano instrumental to brush off those who wanna fight for a print on “Don’t Even Bother” referencing WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson whereas the song “G.I. Joe” with Louie Ray finds the 2 talking about being young cats who got it over a colorful beat from Buddah Bless.

“Never Did Coke” is one of my favorites on the project with it’s bongo & string-laced instrumental as well as Yachty’s chemistry with Swae Lee, but that same back-&-forth magic on the RMC Mike-featured “Ghetto Boy Shit” falls flat for me even though I like the grubby Carlo Anthony instrumental. Icewear Vezzo & Rio da Yung OG help him go into gangsta rap territory for “Plastic” while the track “Fight Night Round 3” with Babyface Ray & Veeze does it’s title justice by providing a lethal moshpit joint.

Sada Baby’s feature on the braggadocious “SB 2021” is cool, but his performances on the 30 Roc-produced “SB5” are much better if you ask me. Rio comes back into the fold for the glassily-produced “Stunt Double”, except his feature on here doesn’t stick the landing like it did on “Plastic”. The penultimate track “Hybrid” has these inauspicious keyboard melodies Yachty & Babytron both give flashy performances before bringing in some bells for the “This That One” cypher to finish things off with everyone except Slap Savage going off. YN Jay’s verse at the end referencing former 4-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion & the current WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was worth mentioning.

Coming from someone who’s lived in The Mitten his entire life, I’m a bit torn coming away from this. Even though Yachty doesn’t do the modern Detroit style all that much justice, I still admire the fact he took some of the hottest rappers the city currently has to offer & brought them all together.

Score: 2.5/5