ApolloRed1 – “Demon Heart Radio” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper ApolloRed1 releasing his debut mixtape under Opium Records & Interscope Records. Starting out a couple years ago off his full-length debut The Summer I Turned Red, his first few extended plays Villain as well as Vamp Diary & Tantrum were enough to have his blood cousin Playboi Carti make him the newest member of the Opium roster by dropping a Midnight Blassic. ApolloRed1 vs. the World in October continued to make some more artistic improvements & Demon Heart Radio has finally arrived after months of delays.

“#Demon” produced by Cardo made for an entertaining single that came out last weekend addressing someone he facilitated all his love for whereas “Where I’m @“ works in some heavy 808s from Bakkwoods admitting that he’s so high off the drugs that he doesn’t know his exact location. “Pink!” hops over an Ayelavish! instrumental I really enjoyed talking about pulling his Glock out like it’s a shiv while “#SRT” pulls from plugg courtesy of SOULJASPIRITS likening himself to Deadpool.

Trgc gets behind the boards for the EDM-inspired “More Time” talking about the only thing he wants is to be with this woman more just before “Love You > Myself” gives off a more hyper tone altogether pondering what to do when the drugs won’t help & speaking of someone he loves more than himself over a rage beat from Clayco & OPM BABI. “Shell” maintains the hypertrap vibes instrumentally depicting imagery of the gangsta life until putting dollar signs “OnYoHead!” over a sinister Bugz Ronin beat.

“Codeine Shower” featuring Destroy Lonely finds the 2 reuniting to end the 1st half of Demon Heart Radio talking about treating drugs like probiotics while “Can’t Go” runs it back over another Ayelavish! instrumental for a couple minutes or so assuring that shit being real life to him. “Caution” has a playful rage aura to it catching those speaking ill on his name on offense while “Geeked Up” featuring OsamaSon talks about both of them seeing red.

We have ApolloRed on the rage-inducing “ARP My Bitch” likening his AR-15 pistol to romantic lover while “Drive u” embraces more of a pluggier sound thanks to F1LTHY of Working on Dying to talk about him being on top of the hill of the Atlanta scene with the rest of his Opium squad. “Tight Pants” featuring the Homixide Gang joins forces to express their disdain for those fuckin’ with rats & while “Pullup##” winds down the last few moments of Demon Heart Radio turning up the hypertrap elements courtesy of Ayelavish! talking about going crazy soon as he hits the stage.

“Hood-Made” explains that the streets made him the person he is today over an instrumental Zodiac of Vanguard Music Group made while the outro “Set You Free” sends off Apollo’s major label debut suggesting he might let go of an ex if they weren’t meant for each other. “Machete” talks about having hundreds of dollars coming in & having a book bag for it while “NoCrash” samples “Put on a Smile” by Silk Sonic to detail his no fucks given attitude.

Midnight Blassic & ApolloRed1 vs. the World have both proven that ApolloRed1 could potentially be the most underrated signing on the Opium roster considering both of those were big step-ups from his earlier output, but his major label debut Demon Heart Radio tops both of those in unveiling a tape packed with the highest quality of rage & plugg music I could’ve expected from him. Whether it’s the consistently fun production or the guests & Apollo himself, the latter’s making it known that he’s arrived.

Score: 4/5

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SheLovesMeechie – “Having a Blast” review

SheLovesMeechie is a 30 year old musician, dancer & media personality from Atlanta, Georgia by way of The Bronx, New York who dropped his first 3 extended plays SheLovesMee(not) along with Do You Love Me Now? & Fried Not Burntt preceding his full-length studio debut She Hates Me. The latter of which caught the attention of Playboi Carti, who was impressed enough to sign Meechie to Opium Records last summer & has now made his sophomore effort his official debut for the label.

“lingo brazy” begins with this 110 second plugg intro talking about rocking out with his Glock out & standing 10 toes down for his squad whereas “party kit” discusses everything going the way he wants it to. “bag of chips” continues to take inspiration from plugg music instrumentally talking about being high off Earth smoking only the finest flower & baggin’ bitches but once “I Miss Kobe” honors my 2nd favorite basketball player behind MJ, “clockout 6am” futuristically details the rockstar life.

To kick off the 2nd half, “safe sex” talks about being outside with a box cutter warning not to try him leading into the pluggy “walk on dis beat” flexing that he pulls up to parties carrying a stick on him. “vcmh” hooks up more synthesizers talking about going Van Cleef for his hoe & once “what we doing” demands to tell him if one wants to life his lifestyle, the outro “can’t handle it” ends the LP admitting there being way too many vibes than he had anticipated.

Regardless of me enjoying Having a Blast less than SheLovesMeechie’s debut album, I still think his Opium debut will satisfy anyone looking for them to stray away from a predominant rage sound. The cloudy trap & plugg production is a a bit of a downgrade compared to it’s predecessor & there are occasional moments where it can feel repetitive although I can see him eventually glowing up down the road similarly to both of ApolloRed1’s latest material since being signed.

ApolloRed1 – “ApolloRed1 vs. the World” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper ApolloRed1 preluding his debut mixtape with his 3rd EP. Starting out a year ago off his full-length debut The Summer I Turned Red along with his first couple EPs Villain & Vamp Diary, his last EP Tantrum in March was enough to have his cousin Playboi Carti make him the newest member of the Opium Records roster & dropping a Midnight Blassic this spring. In preparation for his debut mixtape Demon Heart Radio, he’s preluding it with ApolloRed1 vs. the World.

“No Running” is a rage-inducing opener produced by Clayco talking about having whole rounds for their opps whereas “Benz Muhfucka” featuring Protect with co-production from OPM BABI & n9ck finds the pair assuring you won’t catch them leaving the house strapped. “Riot” continues to rep the hypertrap influences thanks to Goxan for an ode to the New York stop of Opium’s upcoming Antagonist Tour while “Contraband” talks about putting it this shit on command over a 16yrold, Bakkwoods & Rafmade instrumental.

Meanwhile on “Loaded Diper”, we have ApolloRed1 over more rage beats to discuss him still poppin’ pills & hopping out the van leading into “ARP” talks about the rifle doing exactly what he tells it to do over an Ayelavish! beat. “Profit” uses a flow reminiscent to Future’s confessing to fucking up the financial gain just before “Bad Bitch Fetish” featuring 9 Vicious teases their upcoming collab tape YVLFN.

“10:03” starts the final leg of ApolloRed1 vs. the World by talking about not wasting his money at the Magic City strip club Jermaine Dupri named his comeback album from last month after prior to “headed2thesky” promising to put the world in his girl’s hands over a Trgc instrumental. “Vamp Language” featuring Destroy Lonely was the perfect choice of a last minute guest appearance as they get on top this Bugz Ronin beat to talk about speaking in vampire.

Putting a bigger emphasis on the Chicago drill & plugg styles than Midnight Blassic did earlier this spring, ApolloRed1 vs. the World might seem like a homage of Lil Uzi Vert’s greatest tape on the surface only to get a collection of trap & rage tracks that rival ApolloRed1’s inaugural release under Opium several months ago. The production expands on the artistic potential that began flourishing post-Tantrum giving more reasons to validate his signing.

Score: 4/5

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Destroy Lonely – “</3³” review

The 3rd mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Destroy Lonely finally arriving in time for fall. The son of former Disturbing tha Peace Records signee I-20, he’s released a total of 9 EPs & a couple mixtapes since originally breaking out through SoundCloud in 2019 prior to Playboi Carti signing alone to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records to surprise drop his last tape No Stylist in light of his ongoing tour with fellow label-mate Ken Carson last summer followed by the full-length debut If Looks Could Kill. Love Lasts Forever was disappointing in comparison & See U Soon </3 would make great improvements paving the way for </3³.

“ain’t hard” starts the tape with Lone & Bugz Ronin telling us that it ain’t that hard to be a boss & that the rest of his crew is merely getting started whereas “risk” flexes that he doesn’t need a stylist to this very day, hence the project that made him popular amongst Opium fans alike. “see no evil” produced by Cxdy of Internet Money Records & Vanguard Music Group boasts of him living the Top Floor life while “no pressure” flexes that he keeps 2 hands on the steering wheel.

As for “stfu”, we have Lone advising everyone around to him to keep their mouths shut entirely leading into “show u how” askin’ if he’s putting up whatever he’s gonna put down. “top flo” reunites with Clayco for a successor to “ss” off of A Great Chaos leading into “kansas” talking about moving like a demon & sending anyone who tries to snatch his chain to God.

“screwed up” ends the first half of </3³ with a homage to the late DJ Screw while “party n get high” gets the 2nd act of the tape going by talking about wanting to do those 2 things. “leash” finds Lone trying to put his ego to the side for a woman who can’t be tamed over a Toom instrumental while the single “jumanji” talks about moving so quickly to the point where everyone else behind him finishes last.

Meanwhile on “not the mayor”, we have Destroy Lonely flexing that he’s counting up green as if he went to Yale prior to “blowin’ smoke” linking up with Rafmade to talk about smoking weed in a black & white Maybach in addition to being overly locked in with his team. “kool on ya” makes it known that he’s cool with anyone who’s cool with him while the 2-parter “soooo high” talks about the way his money makes him feel.

“open it up” featuring Ken Carson gives us a taste of what’s to come from their collaborative mixtape calling for the mosh pits to be opened whilst paying respects to the late Black Sabbath frontman & WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne while “leave u out 2 dry” caps off the tape with Lone talking about being too good for this chick he’s been speaking to. Serving as an epilogue, “what’s it gon take?” samples “The Way That Wind Moves” by Sons of the Morning telling all his homies he misses them.

Starting the deluxe run, “with my bitch” talks about riding around the whip with his girl while “sipped too much” admits to consuming more lean than he should’ve. “hide it” talks about going days without eating & sleeping searching for peace & after “exorcist” with Nosaint compares his chick to Sexyy Red, the final bonus track “rose gold ice” once again gets back to the habit of sippin’ on some sizzurp.

For me: The biggest flaw Love Lasts Forever had going for it was easily the production was more lackluster than If Looks Could Kill & No Stylist. Fortunately for us, </3³ resolves that issue & lands behind Music for the best project we’ve gotten from the Opium camp all year. Mostly because it’s a return to the sound of Destroy Lonely’s earliest material & it’s topics take on an introspective tone.

Score: 4/5

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Homixide Gang – “Homixide Lifestyle 2” review

Homixide Beno! & Homixide Meechie known together as the Atlanta, Georgia duo the Homixide Gang releasing their 4th LP. Bringing to turn heads off their debut EP Snotty World to the point where trap trailblazer/rage pioneer Playboi Carti made them the 3rd act to sign to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records following Ken Carson & Ken Destroy Lonely respectively, Homixide Lifestyle was a solid debut & Snot or Not wound up being a mixed bag of a sophomore effort. Their debut mixtape 5th AMNDMNT & their previous album I5U5WE5 were both received more favorably, looking to revisit the Homixide Lifestyle for a sequel.

“PC5” is a bombastic trap intro shows love to their homie Problem Child 5 presently incarcerated on murder charges whereas “Redrag” produced by Maaly Raw talks about shooting a lame in his face with the Glock. “1-800-555-OPIUM” blends trap & rock together so they can discuss the money callin’ them just before “Call in Me” links with Toom of Vanguard Music Group so they can compare themselves to walkie talkies being only a call away.

The way “Cherub Rock” by The Smashing Pumpkins was sampled on “5G” was pretty rad refusing to sell their souls while “PB&J” featuring Ken Carson finds the trio talking about their dangerous tendencies & trying to score as opposed to goaltending. “Soul-Fly” works in an unexpected soul sample to discuss their past leading into “Vice City” talking about having bitches go crazy over a Pi’erre Bourne beat.

“Frank Matthews” reflects over a Clayco & OPM BABI instrumental of wanting to become drug lords their whole entire lives while “Red Tails” references the greatest QB of all-time & 7-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. “Villain” conceptually dissects the Dark Knight quote “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” prior to F1LTHY of Working on Dying sampling “Downtown” by SWV during the highlight “Facet!me”.

ATL Jacob hops behind the boards for “Johnny Cage” referencing the character from the Warner Bros.-owned Mortal Kombat franchise prior to Homixide Mali appearing for “Sober” so the trio can get loaded. “Breeze” has a more laidback approach than what Homixide normally does boasting that they have more stripes on their backs than referees while “Watch Out!” bombastically talks about needing to stay geeked up.

“Going On” heads for a trap metal direction instrumentally to flex the kinda shit that pops off around them while “Headtap” talks about slangin’ the sticks with no aim & leaving blood everywhere. “Free Agents” touches base regarding their lifestyle & after “Shopping Bags” talks about hitting the store with them since they got everything y’all need, “State Property” playfully sees the pair getting money hungry.

To start Homixide Lifestyle 2’s final leg, “$$$ Problems” talks about having no issues regarding their finances returning to a trap metal sound while ”Nun 2 It” assures their respective girlfriends that they’ll go global effective immediately. “Gvnganati” talks about the subject of loyalty remembering the late R5 Homixide & “Nintend0” wraps up the LP with both of them playing the gamble of life using all cash.

Aside from Carti unsurprisingly not clearing his “Chopshop” verse hence why it didn’t make the final cut & Destroy Lonely only doing a hook for “Shopping Bag” instead of a verse, the Homixide Gang’s successor to their debut has a more general hardcore hip hop approach instead of gangsta rap although it very much expands on it’s rage/trap metal production minus the industrial hip hop elements.

Score: 3.5/5

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Destroy Lonely – “See U Soon </3” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Destroy Lonely preluding his 2nd mixtape </3³ with his 12th EP. The son of former Disturbing tha Peace Records signee I-20, he’s released a total of 11 EPs since originally breaking out through SoundCloud in 2019 prior to Playboi Carti signing alone to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records to surprise drop his last tape No Stylist in light of his ongoing tour with fellow label-mate Ken Carson last summer followed by the full-length debut If Looks Could Kill. Love Lasts Forever was disappointing in comparison & hoped See U Soon </3 would at least surpass it.

“Nylon” produced by Clayco throws it back to Lone’s early days for an intro preluding his upcoming 3rd album Drop Dead Gorgeous whereas the cloudy “SDP” courtesy of Cade homages an interlude off Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight that I personally find the original version of being far superior to the shortened final version you can hear on whatever streaming platform you use.

The instrumental on “See Ur Face” kinda feels reminiscent of “Tryna Get Down” by Carti despite the themes of love while “Super Serum” keeps his head up after some personal stuff he dealt with in 2024 unbeknownst to the public. “SRTBBL” featuring Ken Carson finishes by showing a back-&-forth chemistry over a beat from F1LTHY of Working on Dying ahead of the 00pium Twins’ upcoming collab tape.

Some feel that Lone’s output since his label deal hasn’t really lived up to the hype </3 & most of those in his fanbase will find themselves satisfied with what See U Soon </3 has to offer giving a taste of what </3³ will sound like when he feels the time is right for him to put out the tape: A return to his roots musically except he has a new perspective of things since he’s gotten older & the popularity continually growing.

Score: 3.5/5

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ApolloRed1 – “Midnight Blassic” review

This is the sophomore effort & Opium Records debut from Atlanta, Georgia rapper ApolloRed1. Starting out a year ago off his full-length debut The Summer I Turned Red along with his first couple EPs Villain & Vamp Diary, his last EP Tantrum a couple months ago was enough to have his blood cousin Playboi Carti make him the newest member of the Opium roster by putting out a Midnight Blassic ahead of his upcoming collaborative project YVLFN with one of the newest YSL Records artists 9 Vicious at some point.

“PBrazy” produced by Clayco & OPM BABI felt like a promising start talking about the whole squad getting brazy with it now that he got a label deal whereas “Beauty Pageant” links up with Ayelavish!to rejects the news for an accountant since he’s been stacking bread since he was young. “Georgia Boy” turns up the rage a bit courtesy of none other than F1LTHY from Working on Dying getting on his bullshit since he’s from the ATL, but then “Ready2Purge” gives off a plugg vibe suggesting people listen & learn from him.

We get back on the hypertrap vibes a bit on “Hallucinating” putting money over everything & handing out bounties by throwing out prices on muhfuckas’ heads just before “Face Tattoos” reunites with F1LTHY to continue the rage beats talking about his girl wanting Chanel when she’s flat out broke. “Gotta B” breaks down the way he feels like he has to be for 2 & a half minutes leading into “XO Tourlyfe” responds to his chick hitting his phone in the midst of him being on the road.

“Rick Addiction” kicks off the 2nd half of Midnight Blassic with him, BryceUnknwn & Clayco linking up again to publicly address his fascination for Rick Owens while “Delta” cloudily talks about his chick promising that she’ll ride with him until the very end even if she drives him crazy & Clayco sticking around. “Tom Holland” makes a witty reference to the actor who plays Spider-Man in The Walt Disney Company-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) over a Rafmade/Trgc instrumental while “Halo” skeletally calls out people who ain’t really saying shit.

To get the encore of Apollo’s debut with Opium going, “Honest” brings a bit of a robotic trap flare to the table coming clean with having too many close calls while “Chanel Shooter” talks about not needing to call any backup because of him being his own person. “Drug Love Demo 2” serves as a spiritual successor to a loosie single he put out at the beginning of February leveling up compared to the original & the closer “Back to That” finds him unwilling to be a nobody again.

Looking at all 4 of the other artists Opium has to offer, it’s not too hard for me or really anyone else familiar with them to see why they would want to bring ApolloRed1 on board as the most recent addition to the label roster since it takes the potential displayed on Tantrum & turns it up a few volumes. The trap, rage & plugg production in only 35 minutes feels more cultivated than what I’ve heard from him previously & holds the fort down by himself in an effort to elevate himself.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ken Carson – “More Chaos” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Ken Carson celebrating his 25th birthday with his 4th studio LP. Breaking out in the SoundCloud scene & becoming a protege of local trailblazer Playboi Carti as one of the first artists to sign to the latter’s Opium Records, he would go on to drop a total of 5 EPs prior to his full-length debut Project X & coming off the mature sophomore effort X which Anthony Fantano infamously gave a 0. A Great Chaos came in the fall of 2023 & is looking to stir up More Chaos.

“Lord of Chaos” featuring Ty$ on the remix starts it off with a rage-inducing instrumental from Outtatown talking about being a master of disorder whereas “Xposed” maintains a hypertrap flare shouting out the 808 Mafia since some forget the fact of him starting out as a member of the prolific trap production team. “Money Spread” blends glitch hop & trap to talk about his paper getting bigger while “Root of All Evil” locks in with 16yrold to discuss his current run he’s on bringing back the rage in the process.

Moving on with “K Hole”, we have Ken over a rattling bass-heavy beat with some horns making a nod to “K Pop” off Carti’s 4th album MUSIC that finally dropped month ago just before “Trap Jump” talks about getting the trap crazier than the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan himself. The 2-parter “Blakk Rokkstar” produced by F1LTHY of Working on Dying dismisses the need for a diamond tester since his ice be blinging out leading into another 2-part song “LiveLeak” that Noah Mejia cooked up making a reference to the current TNA World Tag Team Champion in his 3rd reign & the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy of The Hardy Boyz.

“Diamonds” keeps the 2-parters going refusing to trip over hoes who don’t reciprocate his energy while “Dismantled” gives those same bitches a middle finger since he’s getting money regardless. “200 Kash” with Four3va ends the first half of More Chaos airing out a supposed Blood he saw rollin’ with a rival Atlanta gang called the 60 Crips, but then “Down2Earth” talks about vacationing in Japan with a woman he’s sleeping with & encouraging her to bring a friend.

The rage continues to be turned up to higher levels on “Confetti” upping a million times on everyone else who look at him as competition while “Naked” talks about a wack relationship he found himself involved in & preferring to be solo since it’s that stale. “Kryptonite” displays a raunchier side to Ken feeling he & his girl the only 2 people in the world when they link up while “Psycho” opens up about him being as crazy as he is.

“Inferno” reunites with F1LTHY to stay true to himself & not fucking with too many people other than his Opium family while “Thx” confesses his fear of having his heart broken. “2000” represents the year he was came in this world on his 25th born day while “Evolution” talks about the overall growth in Ken since he began making music. Pi’erre Bourne saves another standout beat for last on the uncannily dark “Ghoul” homaging my 2nd favorite basketball player of all-time Kobe Bryant when he hits a buck while “Off the Meter” featuring Destroy Lonely & Playboi Carti serves as an Opium posse cut referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Originally said to come out last Halloween & unsurprisingly being delayed 6 months later since that’s how the whole Opium roster has been moving when you really think about it in the grand scheme of things, More Chaos carries over the ethos of it’s year & a half old predecessor. The prominent rage production showcasing additional influences of pop
rap, hardcore hip hop, Chicago drill, digicore, industrial hip hop & experimental hip hop feels as if it’s a cut above the previous installment & Ken holds off from having any guests to hold the fort down on the day of his Silver Jubilee.

Score: 3.5/5

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Playboi Carti – “MUSIC” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper, singer/songwriter, model & Opium Records founder Playboi Carti at long last releasing his 3rd full-length studio LP. Putting out 3 mixtapes & an EP under the original Sir Cartier moniker, he would become an affiliate of the A$AP Mob & sign to Interscope Records for an eponymous 4th mixtape & a groundbreaking debut album Die Lit that became some of the best trap music of the previous decade. Whole Lotta Red on Christmas 2020 birthed the rage scene, signing Ken Carson alongside Destroy Lonely & the Homixide Gang to Opium since. Ahead of Rolling Loud this weekend however, I AM MUSIC is here after it was initially set to be released last year as said in the “2024” single.

“Pop Out” is this rage-inducing opener talking about pulling up to the party only to fuck you up whereas “Crush” featuring honorary WWE Hardcore Champion Travis Scott fresh off giving the current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes a black eye couple weeks ago accompanying The Rock ‘n’ Soul Connection & produced by F1LTHY of Working on Dying works in some synths & hi-hats boasting that a hoe gonna let them smash. “K Pop” originally called “Ketamine” brings this suspenseful atmosphere to the table flexing he stays running checks & holding a knife since it’s a sport while “EVIL J0RDAN” discusses his lifestyle being out of control & referring to himself as an emo thug rather than a rockstar over a Cardo beat.

Moving on from there, “Mojo Jojo” takes it’s name after the primary PowerPuff Girls antagonist saying the only reason everyone’s nice to him now is because of his wealth leading into “Philly” featuring Travis Scott talking about having brand news eyes & noses. “Radar” brings a triumphant flare to the table courtesy of Metro Boomin’ discussing that he should be swaggin’ up just before “Rather Lie” featuring The Weeknd on the hook with co-production from Mike Dean talks about lying to his girl instead of losing her.

“Fine Shit” co-produced by Cash Cobain shows off how bad his bitch is to the point where she can’t even go outside anymore nor can she post online leading into Ye formerly known as Kanye West fusing trap & chipmunk soul during “BACKD00R” talking about raising some Dons with all 3 artists he currently has on the Opium roster & the title referencing his infamous Adin Ross stream. “Toxic” featuring Skepta ominously links both of them up observing the poisonous state of a mosh pit & them having too much profit these days prior to “Munyun” rightfully talking about those being unfamiliar with his voice living under a rock.

As for “Crank”, we have Carti telling a lil freak hoe to slow it up for him due to her having a free throat sampling “Fuck Taylor Gang” by SpaceGhostPurpp while “Charge Dem Hoes a Fee” featuring Future & Travis Scott teams up on top of a Wheezy, Dez Wright, Southside & Smatt Sertified instrumental so they can talk about charging these bitches some money. “Good Credit” featuring Kendrick Lamar has these prominent rage undertones cautioning of the hate only getting realer, making fun of A$AP Relli for snitching, addressing the Drake lawsuit & mentioning Los Angeles Lakers player Luka Dončić while the futuristic “I Seeeeee You Baby Boi” talks about his girl wanting to be the one to lie to him.

Travis Scott returns for the psychedelic “Wake Up F1LTHY” that BNYX helped laced with F1LTHY homaging the latter’s producer tag tryna to run some cake up with each other while the bouncy “Jumpin’” featuring Lil Uzi Vert talks about the way these drugs got them feeling. “Trim” featuring Future is a cloudy Mixtape Pluto outtake that he & Barti made with TM88 referring to themselves as the richest in their hoods until “Cocaine Nose” samples “Only U” by Ashanti to make a sick reference to WWE Hall of Famer, former SMW Tag Team Champion, 3-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 12-time WWE tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Kane.

“We Need All Da Vibes” featuring Young Thug & Ty$ finds the trio cloudily wants everyone listening to see the way that each of them be ballin’ while the sleeper-hit “Olympian” interestingly dabbles with glitch hop & trap wanting to know why he’s being stared at & shouting out Ricky Hil. Clayco gives “OPM BABI” a bit of a bombastic edge representing the very label that Carti launched 6 years ago & the in-house producer of the same name while “Twin Trim” featuring Lil Uzi Vert feels more like a back-&-forth interlude.

Carti gives his flowers to the New Orleans icon Lil Wayne on “Like Weezy” with a cool sample of “Bend Over” by the Rich Kidz showing up to this bitch off the rocks & fucking up his thumbs after counting so many hundreds while “Dis 1 Got It” mixes some hi-hats with a piano sample feeling like he’s invincible off the percocets. “Walk” homaging the late Bankroll Fresh wants all his Day 1s to know this’ll be a new beginning for them & the apocalypse for his opps while the Memphis-driven “H00DBYAIR” confronting hate he’s received throughout his career.

“Overly” continues to push further towards Music’s final moments with a simplistic Maaly Raw beat built around a piano likening the blue Bugatti he has to Sonic the Hedgehog stunning with the rest of the Opium squad by his side & “South Atlanta Baby” couldn’t have been a better choice of a closer whether it be DJ Swamp Izzo telling Carti that he’s in a whole new category when it comes to his artistry or the lyrics of growing up in the southern region of Atlanta.

Starting the deluxe run, “Different Day” shows ’em what the fuck he’s really been on going for a cloudy trap direction while “2024” was one of my top 10 singles of 2023 from Ye sampling “Jacob’s Ladder” by Yeo to Carti talking about putting anyone who poses as a threat to him on a mural & on the news. “BACKR00MS” featuring Travis Scott reunites the duo 1 more time to liken themselves as the quarterbacks of the rap game holdin’ bombs & throwin’ these hoes & the final bonus track “Fuck on My DJ” talks about women wanting to sleep with DJ Blak Boy.

Obviously it’s gonna be a while until we have the discussion of where this lands compared to both it’s predecessors, but I can easily tell you that Music was worth the continual delays since it feels like a mix of his old sounds & the new ones he’s been trying out since this era of his initially began. Some of the best collection of tracks in the trap & rage subgenres you’ll hear in 2025 showing influences of hardcore hip hop, cloud rap, pop rap & experimental hip hop assembling a high quality list of guests to join him.

Score: 4/5

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Destroy Lonely – “Love Lasts Forever” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Destroy Lonely returning for his sophomore effort. The son of former Disturbing tha Peace Records signee I-20, he’s released a total of 11 EPs since originally breaking out through SoundCloud in 2019 prior to Playboi Carti signing alone to his Interscope Records imprint Opium Records to surprise drop his last tape No Stylist in light of his ongoing tour with fellow label-mate Ken Carson last summer followed by the full-length debut If Looks Could Kill last summer. Another year passing & the most versatile Opium artist looks to remind us that Love Lasts Forever.

If you really think about it, “Forever” pretty much gets the ball rollin’ in the form of the title track telling us love as well as money & his particular lifestyle being eternal sampling All Saints whereas “Love Hurts” featuring Lil Uzi Vert finds the 2 telling us the downsides of romance going for an atmospheric trap instrumentally. “Luv 4 Ya” was a fine choice of a lead single waking up too rich while “Crystal Clear” goes for psychedelic approach admitting to not understanding that some of his homies ain’t here & bitches being unforgivable. The latter being odd considering the domestic abuse allegations couple months earlier & he responded by saying “hoes mad” & nothing more.

“Baby Money” moves on from there with an atmospheric trap flare to the beat flexing the newest nickname that he’s received prior to the quasi-pluggy “Say That” reuniting with Lone’s longtime collaborator Clayco telling it’s only life as opposed to a lifestyle of it’s own. The symphonic trap vibes of “Pimp Talk” happens to be a cool change of pace portraying himself as an actual pimp just before “Cadillac” shows off the 200 on his neck over a decent FNZ instrumental.

Nearing the end of Love Last Forever’s first half, “Syrup Sippin’” produced by Toom of Vanguard Music Group brags he got weed blowin’ strong similarly to that of a speaker & that he does in fact sip lean while “Lock In” talks about a bitch tryna skate all on his ice thinking she Frozone from The Incredibles trilogy. “Doubt It” refuses to a miss a single dollar further embracing the Baby Money persona, but then “Wish You Well” has one of my favorite beats on the album courtesy of Wheezy so he can talk about the legitimate trappin’ he does.

“Ship Her Off” once again portrays himself as a pimp droppin’ an entire check with his clothes refusing to switch up his flow reconnecting with Cxdy of Internet Money Records while “Honestly” opens up about a breakup wishing an ex-girlfriend of his was still here with him since shit’s been getting real & he’s been bigger than big lately. “Take a Trip” brings an energetic quality to the table getting in his young rich bag for 3 & a half minutes while “Extra High” talks about feeling safe once he’s higher than he normally is.

Meanwhile on “Amerika”, we have Lone over a somber trap sound making everything black & “Thrill” featuring Ken Carson reminds us of the strong chemistry between Opium’s first 2 artists. “About Money” starts the bonus track run making it clear he’s got his mind on the paper over rattling bass while the uncanny atmosphere of “No Worries” co-produced by Taurus shrugs off any concerns. “Pass Me the Keys” lastly closes shop talking about being high to the point where he shouldn’t be driving.

“The Bounce” officially starts the deluxe run rockin’ 5 star since stylin’ ain’t so hard for him over a cavernous trap instrumental from BryceUnknwn while the trippy “Make a Sound” talks about shawty fallin’ in love with Baby Money leaving $100s peakin’ out & his cross is upside down representing the Opium clique. “See You Tomorrow” cloudily sets out to pop a bottle & call up the models the next day since there ain’t no time for sorrow while “Meet the Boss” chaotically boasts that he doesn’t know another young dude out here like himself. “Bling” entrancingly shows off old school bling puttin’ on for the ’99 & 2000s paying homage to the Juvenile hit “Back That Azz Up” servin’ crack like the 80s named after the Cash Money Millionaires single “Bling Bling” off B.G.’s 4th & best album Chopper City in the Ghetto.

“Smoking” remains locked in with all his dogs rockstar trippin’ in a bassy, hallucinatory fashion while “Healing” turns the atmosphere back up referencing UFC Hall of Famer, the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, 3-time WWE women’s world champion & WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Ronda Rousey formerly of both TKO Group Holdings divisions. “Forgot My Name” hazily further continues expands on the theme of getting stoned while “LSD” with Y3rip energetically gets extra lit every single night without getting exhausted making bar mitzvah money. “Money Anthem” is a whole theme song dedicated to the bread wanting naysayers to say something leaving their main bitches mouth full unable to say shit & the physical exclusive “Bangaz” featuring Don Toliver otherworldly talks about liking the way their bitches twist their fingers. “Get Right” goes rage again standing tall & “Prettiest One” cavernously cops a Chanel bag for the prettiest bitches.

I’d like to start the final paragraph of this review by apologizing to all my Opium fans reading this because I’m well aware of the fact I’ve gained a following within their fanbase not too long after Anthony Fantano’s scathing criticism for my support of them & even if Love Lasts Forever has it’s highlights, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did No Stylist or even If Looks Could Kill. It’s understandable the most versatile signing on the Opium roster would want to take a break from having Clayco produce a large portion of the LP since they have that Metro & Future chemistry, it’s that a lot of this production feels repetitive as a result.

Score: 3/5

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