Noname – “Room 25” review

Noname is a 26 year old rapper & poet from Chicago, Illinois who broke out onto the scene with her amazing 1st mixtape Telefone. She’s been laying low ever since but just a couple days before her 27th birthday, she is finally following it up with her full-length debut.

Things open with “Self”, where Noname is talking about the people who doubted her over a mellow beat from Phoelix (who produces the entire album by himself). The next track “Blaxpoitation” talks about the stereotypes of African Americans over a funky beat while the “Prayer Song” intellectually breaks down the common issues in America over a spacey instrumental. The track “Window” vents about how nobody knows the real her over an orchestral instrumental with a vibraphone in the back while the song “Don’t Forget About Me” is of course about how she wants to be remembered over an instrumental kin to J Dilla.

The track “Regal” sees Noname getting spiritual over an instrumental with a beautiful atmosphere to it while the song “Montego Bay” with Ravyn Lenae is a love tune with some prominently jazzy piano chords. The track “Ace” by Ghetto Sage sees the trio talking about life on the road over some beautiful background vocals while the song “Part of Me” vents about Noname not pretending to be herself over an acoustic guitar & live drumming. The penultimate track “With You” poetically talks about a failed relationship over a prominent psychedelic guitar while the closer “No Name” talks about nonexistence over a bare piano.

Overall, this might be better than Telefone. There are couple features I were indifferent towards but outside of that, Noname’s lyricism is just as thoughtful as is the jazzy neo-soul based production. Also, Noname’s calm & relaxing flow continues to enhance the vibe of each track for the better.

Score: 4/5

Chief Keef – “Mansion Musick” review

Chicago, Illinois drill pioneer Chief Keef is returning with his 20th mixtape a month after his Ottopsy EP. The opener “Belieber” talks about groupies over a beautiful yet unexpected set of piano chords while the next track “Rawlings” gets celebratory over some sub-bass & the hi-hats are going off like machine guns. The song “TV On (Big Boss)” gets charismatically braggadocious over a gritty instrumental while track “Uh Uh” is filled with gritty street bars over a druggy instrumental from Pi’erre Bourne. The song “Sky Say” talks about taking a vacation over a cloudy trap beat, but the Tadoe verse at the start doesn’t do anything for me.

The track “Hand Made” sees Keef bragging once again over a futuristic bass-heavy instrumental from Nard & B while the song “Get This Money” pretty much speaks for itself over a trap beat from some piano keys & plinky Atari-esque synthesizers. The track “Yet” gets sexual over an instrumental with strings & rubbery bass while the song “Part Ways” talks about flexin’ up over a gloomy beat. The penultimate track “Tragedies” talks about wealth over a chaotic instrumental from Keef himself & the closer “Letter” gets more introspective over some sole piano keys.

Overall, this was a solid tape. Some of the beats could’ve been better, but a lot of them are pretty hard & Chief Keef continues to sound more coherent with each recent project.

Score: 3.5/5

Future – “BEAST MODE 2” review

Aside from the soundtrack for the recent Superfly remake as well as dominating the recent DJ Esco album KOLORBLIND & a ton of features (most notably: his God awful bridge on “King’s Dead” off the Black Panther soundtrack), Atlanta, Georgia trap superstar Future hasn’t dropped a project in over a year. He spent 2017 dropping 2 albums back to back, the bloated self-titled album & the more pop/R&B inspired HNDRXX. Now, he is coming out of the blue with his 13th mixtape & it is a sequel to one of his most critically acclaimed tapes Beast Mode. Of course, Zaytoven is returning on the boards for it as well.

The opener “WIFI LIT” talks about being on “rich nigga shit” over an instrumental with a nice woodwind sample & it’s no “Mask Off”, but it is a solid way to start off the tape. The next track “CUDDLE MY WRIST” vents about having a monkey on his back over a laidback beat while the song “RACKS BLUE” of course about wealth over a trap beat with some gorgeous piano keys. The track “31 DAYS” talks about sex, but nothing about it sets the mood for me at all. It literally sounds like a bad leftover from HNDRXX.

The song “RED LIGHT” talks about going from sleeping on the floor at night to making millions over some somber piano chords & rubbery bass while the track “DOH DOH” with Young Scooter sees the 2 talking about counting up money over an eerie beat. “WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT” is a freestyle to “WEAK” by Larry League that is a lot better than the original song while the penultimate track “SOME MORE” is a mediocre ripoff of “Mo Reala”, which appeared on Zaytoven’s latest album Trap HoliZay. The tape finishes with “HATE THE REAL ME”, where he gets high & reminisces about the good times he had with Ciara over a cloudy beat.

I was a little concerned about this given the “King’s Dead” feature, but it went beyond my expectations. It’s not perfect at all, but I do believe’s this is just as fun as the first Beast Mode from Zaytoven’s production to Future’s delivery

Score: 3.5/5

Freddie Gibbs – “Freddie” review

After making a strong comeback with his last full-length album album 2017’s You Only Live 2wice, Indiana MC Freddie Gibbs is now returning with his 10th mixtape.

The opener “Weight” of course talks about drugs over a decent trap beat while the next song “Automatic” gets confrontational over a murky beat. The song “Death Row” with 03 Greedo talks about criminal activity over some dinky keys & heavy bass while “Triple Threat” talks about how hot this chick is over a smooth trap beat. The song “2 Legit” gets braggadocious over an amazing sample of Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” & after the FML interlude, we go into the track “Set Set”. Here, Gangsta Gibbs gets lavish over some rattling hi-hats & an atmospheric backdrop. The track “Toe Tag” gets murderous over an eerie beat & the song “F.B.C. (Fendi Buckle Coat)” charismatically talks about how fly he is over a fun beat. Then we get the closer “Diamonds 2”, which serves as a heartwarming sequel to the song “Diamonds” off of his Pronto EP from 2015.

While I still prefer Freddie’s last 2 albums more, this is still solid. Despite Freddie’s gritty lyricism staying in tact & while I also adore the nod to the classic Teddy Pendergrass album Teddy in the artwork, some of the production could’ve been better & the 03 Greedo verse didn’t really do much for me admittedly. Regardless, I think this is still is an enjoyable treat to hold us off until MadGibbs drops Bandana

Score: 3.5/5

Ski Mask the Slump God – “Beware the Book of Eli” review

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After much anticipation, Floridian SoundCloud sensation Ski Mask the Slump God is finally releasing his 3rd mixtape to spite his former management. The tape starts off with “Lost Souls”, where he & Rich the Kid compare themselves to Elder Scrolls over a beat that reminds me of a Southern hip hop hit during the Early 2000s. The next song “Run” gets confrontational over a murky Timbaland beat & Ski Mask’s flow on here is insane! The track “SkiMeetsWorld” talks about sex over a clever Boy Meets World sample & not only is Timbaland’s production on “Worldwide” spacey, but Ski’s continuous references to the Nationwide insurance company is pretty funny.

The track “Throwaway” with Ronny J sounds unfinished & sonically, it gets really annoying quickly. Especially with the hook. The song “With Vengeance” with Offset gets braggadocious over an eerie Timbaland, but the hook is badly sung in my opinion. The track “CoolestMonkeyInTheJungle” with SahBabii gets sexual over a sinister Murda Beatz instrumental & it’s absolutely hilarious. Especially with the references to Quagmire & Honey Nut Cheerios. The next 2 songs “Suicide Season” & “DoIHaveTheSause? (The Bees Knees)” are filled with yet more sex bars, but the first of the 2 has a bland beat & the other has a tedious hook. The track “Geekin’” gets back to the braggadocious tip over an twangy guitar/trap beat & “Child’s Play” while short, is super abrasive & fun. The the penultimate track “Bukakke” with Rich the Kid is a fine display of their chemistry over a chaotic beat while the closer “Dapper Dan” rapidly flexes over a bass-heavy beat.

As a whole, this was just as average as his last mixtape YouWillRegret. The production is certainly better, his rapid-fire flow is even more exciting & he sounds as charismatic as ever. However, he REALLY needs to make some of his songs longer because it really comes off as rushed to me. If he takes more time with his next project, I truly think it could become his magnum opus

Score: 3/5

6ix9ine – “DAY69” review

6ix9ine is a 22 year old rapper from Brooklyn, New York who’s after gaining a lot of buzz in 2017. He’s also received a lot of controversy up to the release of his 1st mixtape right here from pleading guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor to canceling a show & getting jumped in Los Angeles. The album starts off with “BILLY”, where 6ix9ine gets confrontational over an eerie trap beat. The next track “GUMMO” ruins a beautifully haunting instrumental from P’ierre Bourne by emotionlessly yelling vapid street lyrics & the track “RONDO” with Tory Lanez & Young Thug talks about throwin’ money instead of fighting dudes over a spacey trap beat. The track “KEKE” with A Boogie wit a Hoodie & Fetty Wap vapidly about how gangsta they are over a decent instrumental & the song “93” gets confrontational once again over a gritty thunderous beat.

“DOOWEE” has another grimy bass heavy trap beat, but the verses are redundant & the hook is annoying as fuck. The song “KOODA” disses Trippie Redd over a keyboard-trap beat & while the “BUBA” instrumental Internet Money Records founder Taz Taylor whips up isn’t too bad, it sounds underwritten. The track “MOOKY” is about stomping people out over a bland beat & the “Damn!” homage at one point really pissed me off.

THE “GUMMO” sequel is slightly better than the original, but that’s because the only 2 saving graces are (once again) the Pi’erre Bourne production & the Offset verse. The tape then finishes with “CHOCOLATÉ”, where he yells about how tough his crew is over a chaotic beat.

Honestly, this was just as bad as I expected it to be. The production is mostly decent as are the features, but 6ix9ine pretty much ruins every song with his annoying delivery & substanceless lyrics. Also, some of the tracks on here sound underwritten or even unfinished

Score: 1/5

Lonzo Ball – “Born 2 Ball” review

Lonzo Ball is a 20 year old rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers & this is his very 1st mixtape. The opener “Grind Mode” with DC the Don talks about working hard over an Atari-trap beat & the next track “Get Off” is filled with lame braggadocious lyrics over a piano-trap beat. The song “Z02” is basically him promoting his sneakers over an airy trap beat & the track “Puttin’ in Work” with Kenneth Paige & DC the Don brags about their alleged rapping prowesses over an eerie piano with rattling hi-hats. The song “Better” talks about the lavish life over an organ-trap beat & “L.A.M.L. (Look At My Life)” with Kenneth Paige is basically about success with a bass heavy instrumental.

The song “Super Saiyan” compares himself to the titular Dragon Ball Z transformation albeit in a corny fashion over a trap beat with some eerie keyboards. The track “Bring It Home” with Kenneth talks about doing it for their families & the production isn’t really anything special either. Both “Money Talks” & “Check” redundantly talk about making money, but the production on the latter is more describable with it’s keyboards & monstrous bass. The song “Day 1s” is a dedication to everyone who’ve stuck with him up to this point over an eerie keyboard trap-beat while the track “Livin’ Lavish” is basically another “Better” but with a spacey beat. The 2 & half minute freestyle is basically Lonzo & Kenneth Paige going back & forth about how big they are & while there is chemistry, it’s not good. The synth-trap production is pretty mediocre as well.

The track “Gotta Get It” is another boring money making anthem with a beat that knocks off something Dr. Dre would’ve produced in the Early 2000s & the song “What Is You Doin’?” touches down on how he’s doing his own thing over a bland instrumental. The penultimate track “BBB” is basically a promotional song for his dad Lavar’s Big Ball Brand over some grimy down-tuned synthesizers & the closer is a tribute to his dad over a spacey beat.

I don’t have a problem with basketball players trying to rap (case in point Shaquille O’Neal or even Damian Lillard), but this is a serious contender for Worst Release of 2018. The production is generic, it’s monotonous & the content gets super stale after a while. Just stick to basketball. Please

Score: 0/5

Conway the Machine – “G.O.A.T. (Grimiest Of All-Time)” review

Conway the Machine is an MC from Buffalo, New York who has been making a name with himself alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their label Griselda Records. They even signed to Eminem’s Interscope imprint Shady Records back in March of this year & after a long wait, he’s releasing his 8th mixtape (which is an abbreviation for Grimiest Of All-Time) & he has enlisted Griselda’s in-house producer Daringer to produce all but 1 track.

The album starts off with the title track, where he’s bragging about his rapping prowess over a killer guitar. The next song “Trump” gets murderous & the production from The Alchemist fits the vibe perfectly. The track “TH3RD F” gets mafioso over a prominent soul sample & the Raekwon verse fits like a glove. The song “Die on X-Mas” with Benny the Butcher sees the 2 getting confrontational over a super eerie instrumental & the track “Rodney Little” with Prodigy sees the 2 getting braggadocious over a haunting boom bap beat.

“XXXTRAS” vividly reflects on his days as a hustler over some horns & militant drums while the track “Bishop Shot Steel” takes a shot at the snakes over a gloomy beat. The track “Mandatory” with Royce da 5’9” sees the 2 taking a jab at their haters over a somber yet menacing beat while the penultimate track “Arabian Sam’s” with Styles P gets murderous over a grimy boom bap beat. “Bullet Klub” featuring Benny the Butcher & Lloyd Banks takes it’s name after the popular 新日本プロレス unit バレットクラブ to tell the studio gangsters what life’s really like in the streets over an ominous instrumental.

Personally, this is Conway’s magnum opus. His lyricism is grittier than ever as is the production & the features are all on point. Griselda is one of my favorite labels right now & this is yet another example of why that is

Score: 4.5/5

L.A.R.S. – “Foul World” review

L.A.R.S. is a Detroit horrorcore duo consisting of childhood friends & longtime collaborators Bizarre of D12 fame & King Gordy of the Fat Killahz. The duo originally formed & debuted as The Davidians on Esham’s Butcher Shop mixtape back in 2008, but now they’re re-emerging with a new name along with a recent record deal with Twiztid’s Majik Ninja Entertainment & this 7 track mixtape preluding their upcoming debut album.

The opener “L.A.R.S. (Last American Rock Stars)”, sees the duo talking about partying over a decent rap rock instrumental from their DJ & honorary 3rd member Foul Mouth, who produced all but 1 song on the entire project. The next track “Put Me Thru” has a very surprising soul sample throughout & the way Gordy talks about this woman who’s being physically abused is super vivid. Also, there’s one line during Bizarre‘s verse where he accidentally mixes up Conway the Machine with his brother Westside Gunn (both of whom got signed to Shady Records earlier this year).

“Fuck Yo Baby Daddy” featuring Big T shittalks an unnamed baby daddy over a decent trap beat from Rooq, but I think both Gordy & T’s verses at the beginning & the end respectively fit the concept a lot better than Bizarre’s verse in the middle. The track “Lose Your Mind” gets gangsta over a sinister boom bap beat & the way they go back & forth with each other just goes to show how strong their chemistry still is. The song “Mother’s Best Friend” is a hilarious sex tune over a jazzy instrumental & then the penultimate track “Savage Life” talks about how insane Gordy & Bizzy are over a fittingly sinister instrumental. The closer “I’m a Celebrity” then boasts about the lavish life & the rap rock instrumental here sounds a lot more exciting than the one we heard during the opener.

I personally think Majik Ninja is one of the rawest labels out right now & I think this latest mixtape from their newest sign act is no exception. Sure it feels like an EP given that’s only 7 tracks & 23 minutes long, but Foul Mouth’s production is on point & both King Gordy & Bizarre sound as crazy as they’ve ever been. Here’s to their upcoming debut album & hopefully some solo albums from both MCs at some point in the future

Score: 4/5

$ki Mask “The $lump God” – “YouWillRegret” review

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In light of fellow Members Only co-founder XXXTENTACION exploding into stardom, $ki Mask “The $lump God” is releasing his 2nd mixtape with Republic Records. The opener “Rambo” has an obnoxious hook, but the way he gets braggadocious over this abrasive trap beat is so animated. The next song “JustLikeMyPiss” with MadeinTYO sees the 2 talking about how attractive their ladies are & the trap instrumental here compared to the opener is much more eerie. The track “Bird is the Word” is a sinister gangster anthem & the Surfin’ Bird reference during the hook was unexpected, yet cool. The song “BabyWipe” could very well be $ki Mask’s best song yet, as it has an energetic instrumental & the way he flows over it is just deadly! The track “Gone” talks about getting intoxicated, but it just overall sounds unfinished. The song “Adventure Time” has a decent beat, but the verses don’t really do anything for me. The track “EverTookATab?” talks about drugs & the bass is THUNDEROUS! The song “Winnie” has a great rapid-delivery, but the hook is super corny hook & he’s just repeating himself. The penultimate track “Energy” has a guitar-tinged trap beat that’s actually pretty cool, but the hook is bitten off of “Pornography” by Travi$ Scott & it sounds underwritten. The tape then closes out with the hard hatting almost chopper-like XXXTENTACION duet “H2O”, which was taken from the Members Only 3 mixtape. As his first release with a major label, this was a decent mixtape. $ki Mask’s energy & flow are definitely there, but a lot of the tracks seem unfinished. I definitely hope his upcoming tape with Timbaland will be much more superior

Score: 3/5