Internet Money Records – “We All We Needed” review

This is the sophomore effort from Los Angeles, California label & producer collective Internet Money Records founded by Taz Taylor. Releasing their full-length debut B4 the Storm to moderate reception in the summer of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, they would later drop an extended play a couple years later called We All We Got which I found myself enjoying more than majority of people generally did. BabyBartier, ladé, Sir Untre & unitus have all signed to Taz since & he’s having all 4 of them coming to they’re for We All We Needed under their new distribution deal with Mercury Records & Republic Records.

“Lambo, Maybach & Black Truck” by BabyBartier, Sir Untre & unitus produced by Nash opens up with the trio boasting the luxurious whips they’re hopping out of whereas “Helly” finds all 3 of them sticking together over a Cxdy instrumental dedicating this to all the rebels who’re staying down. “Flexed Up” by BabyBartier & Sir Untre combines some synthesizers & 808s so they can talk about being too geeked prior to BabyBartier getting a track of his own with “No Problems” clarifying that he doesn’t have any issues.

As for “Tellin’ Lies”, we have unitus talking about walking with the bag differently than everyone else while “Monster” by BabyBartier & Sir Untre impressively trades verses with one another on top of a rage beat. “Home” by Sir Untre gives the latter a chance to shine talking about not being broke anymore while “Medusa” by BabyBartier & Sir Untre runs it back over a PROJECT4PLAY instrumental so they can topically get some gangsta shit together.

“Yellow” by BabyBartier talks about being up in the club all night sippin’ lean while “Pop Tags” by BabyBartier & unitus reaches the midway point of We All We Needed explaining that they be fuckin’ so many bad hoes boiling down to them having that swag when walking around over synthesizers & hi-hats. “Ceiling” by BabyBartier hooks up some bells to talk about stacking money higher than it can go while “Steve Nash” by BabyBartier references the Phoenix Suns’ senior advisor of the same name.

Sir Untre joins Bartier for the only single “556” explaining their precise caliber over a Maaly Raw beat while “Do the Most” by unitus talks about the very reason his hoe loves him & putting her in Chanel. “Sing” by ladé marks one of the latter’s only 2 appearances & giving him a solo cut to spit that gangsta shit preceding “Down” by BabyBartier, Sir Untre & unitus was only right until the 3 talking about breaking it off with bitches who have no swag over a Zaan instrumental.

“Words Don’t Hurt, Bullets Do” by Sir Untre winds down We All We Needed’s final moments discussing his preference of letting the stick leave everyone in pain since he’s so pissed that he doesn’t even wanna talk while “Whole Lot” by BabyBartier talks about having so much product where he straight up asks what one would like to buy. “I Love” by Sir Untre expresses the gratification he gets outta hearing gunfire while “Mojo” by BabyBartier & ladé concludes the album talking about getting drugs off a boat.

To my knowledge: Rich Amiri has been primarily holding it down for Internet Money Records within the past couple years so it overdue for Taz to bring some fresh new faces on board & We All We Needed certainly offers a promising future for the imprint. BabyBartier, ladé, Sir Untre & unitus all deliver some of their hungriest performances on wax & I found myself enjoying more out of the production than I did when Bartier made his major label debut this spring.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ariana Grande – “petal” review

Boca Raton, Florida singer/songwriter & actress Ariana Grande launching her own imprint Babydoll Music distributed by Republic Records for her 8th studio LP. The very same label who signed her in 2013 after breaking out through the Nickelodeon series Victorious alongside Leon Thomas III & has gradually become one of the biggest pop stars in the entire world since, dropping my personal favorite in her discography sweetener following the moderate reception of Yours Truly as well as My Everything & Dangerous Woman. I also enjoyed thank u, next for what it was following her engagement to Pete Davidson being broke off & Mac Miller’s tragic death even if Positions took it back to the mild feedback of her earlier output, coming off Eternal Sunshine to give us petal in time for July ending.

“kiss me” opens up yearning to be kissed like it could potentially be her final goodbye until “hate that i made you love me” averagely blends alt-pop, contemporary R&B, alternative R&B, synthpop & chillwave for a lead single venting about her divorce from her now ex-husband Dalton Gomez. The title track serves as a metaphor for how flowers can still bloom in the most rigid places just before “stay” detailing yet another corrective experience she had.

As for “oh well”, we have Ariana telling Dalton that more breakup songs about him are on the way & wishing all of the toxic people in her life the best luck traveling to Hell leading into “big feelings” reaching the midway point wanting this person to promise they’ll handle her properly & providing the kind of sex that can make grown men cry. “freak” sings about distancing herself from someone who doesn’t want to get to know her from a personal standpoint but after the “warning signs” interlude, “like i do” gets tongue-in-cheek for a sassy self-confidence ode.

“never get over me” embraces some R&B influenced to finish up petal’s concluding act singing about a unique kind of intimacy with a bridge calling back to “Thinking ‘Bout You” off Dangerous Woman while “bad thing (bunny hop)” finds herself rediscovering her feelings towards photographer & dancer Ricky Alvarez. The closing track “nowhere, nobody” sends off the album choosing to stay present in love regardless of the uncertainty of whether or not it’ll last in the end.

Despite coming away from petal with mixed feelings towards it, I can certainly see myself coming back to it more than I do Positions & Eternal Sunshine since it does have more high points than lows. I think Ariana Grande breaking up with all different kinds of negative attachments throughout her life comes from a sincere place although the alt-pop, contemporary R&B, alternative R&B, synthpop & chillwave production was merely ok. Would love for her to work with someone like Jermaine Dupri.

Score: 3/5

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MexikoDro – “Stayed Down” review

This is the 5th extended play from Atlanta, Georgia producer & rapper MexikoDro. A member of the BeatPluggz, he would later embark on a solo career with Down Bad as well as De Mayo & Quatro respectively. In almost a decade he’s also produced tracks for the likes of Maxo Kream, Drake, Bktherula, Smokingskul, Tony Shhnow & Diorvsyou. His full-length debut Still Goin’ under Republic Records last November was widely praised as his finest material yet & Stayed Down looks to continue the momentum.

“Loser” begins with a cloudy trap beat talking about spending his free time these days trying to heal from past trauma whereas “Rest” gives off a dirty south vibe instrumentally explaining that he’s nothing like the rest. “Knuckle” works in some synthesizers talking about how he had to quit so much since he used to struggle just before “To Go” featuring Key Glock finds the pair speaking of picking up the phone whenever money calls them.

Meanwhile on “Down”, we have Dro looking back at the days when no one wanted to help him when he was at his lowest over a plugg beat leading into the triumphant “My Girl” featuring ManMan Savage talking about the women they’re dating being independent since they have their own shit. “Free Flight” admits that he’s been going through some mental health shit lately while “Letter” recalls when his mother used to write him back when he was incarcerated.

“Mail” wraps up the final moments of Stayed Down talking about going from being chased by the cops to going outside to check his mailbox while “Bacardi” describes not thinking the same ever since he made all the money he’s earned over a horn-inflicted trap instrumental. The closing track “Flat Shoals” spends the concluding 2 minutes of the EP talking about picking himself up from the dirt & this girl he’s seeing distancing herself from the Hart County area.

Ever since signing to a major label, MexikoDro has spent nearly 8 months further establishing himself as an artist than merely a producer & Stayed Down dethrones Down Bad to become my new favorite solo EP of his. I’d still love to hear him fully produce an entire body of work by himself, but I respect that he’s continuing to take a backseat in that field & specifically him bringing in a couple features to break up the predecessor’s monotony.

Score: 4/5

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Key Glock – “Project X” review

Here is the 5th studio LP although his 2nd for a major label from Memphis, Tennessee rapper Key Glock. Notable for being the cousin of the late Young Dolph, he signed to Paper Route Empire in 2017 after his debut mixtape Whole Lotta Errthang & has since released 4 more tapes in addition to an EP & his last 4 full-lengths. The most notable being Glockoma 2 & his previous one Glockaveli. Over a year later since making his debut for Republic Records, Project X has arrived in time for summer.

“Mannish” produced by the late Tay Keith who unexpectedly passed yesterday afternoon opens up with a cloudy trap intro talking about having too many hoes whereas “50 Hoes” flexes that he has bitches in every state over some pianos & hi-hats. “Hardknock” talks about embracing the rockstar lifestyle now that he’s been blowing up over an eerier instrumental while “Face Down” runs it back with Tay Keith again for an effective club anthem.

As for “Big 5”, we have Glock slowing the pace for a groove-heavy cut talking about standing on business every single time leading into “6AM” discusses waking up early in the morning so he can make some bread. “Dummy” acknowledges his continued success over a boisterous Tay Keith beat with co-production from Cubeatz looking to add more commas to his bank account just before “Drug Luv” talks about women being in love with drugs & guys staying bitter.

“Work It” hits us with another club anthem although I don’t think it’s better than “Face Down”, but then “Faded” ends the 1st half of Project Xexperimenting with plugg to talk about getting fucked up. “Sick” kicks off the 2nd leg flexin’ without having to go to the gym over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental & making it clear that he ain’t nothing like these bitches while “SRT Muzik” talks about nobody being able to compete with him musically.

Tay Keith returns behind the boards once again for “Benzo” showing off this new Benz that he copped while “Cash Money” pays tribute to Mannie Fresh, who’s certainly underappreciated for architecting the titular Republic imprint’s signature sound 3 decades earlier. “Cherry on Top” talks about poppin’ his shit with confidence over a more psychedelic trap instrumental while “Loco” wasn’t that impressive of a single in my opinion.

“Go” winds down the last few moments of Project X talking about still being the same as he was prior to the fame while “Seeing Red” luxuriously becomes self-aware of needing his medication after fucking around & waking up on the wrong side of the bed. “Houston Flow” nears closer towards the end of the album showing his appreciation for the 713 & the outro “Reminiscing” couldn’t have finished off on a more introspectively reflective note.

Looking to further push himself artistically, Key Glock explores a broader range of southern hip hop styles without abandoning his trap roots & that’s what makes Project X my 2nd favorite entry in the Paper Route Empire’s flagship delegate’s whole discography. Tay Keith’s many contributions are bittersweet to hear considering his tragic death only 24 hours earlier & although I’d like to hear some guests who’re on his level lyrically, I appreciate him continuing to hold the fort down individually.

Score: 4/5

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Chxrry – “U, Me & My Ego” review

Chxrry is a 29 year old singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who made a wider musical introduction for herself in the fall of 2022 when she dropped her debut extended play The Other Side shortly after The Weeknd made her the First Lady of his Republic Records imprint X♥O Records. She would later follow it up 13 months later with her 2nd EP Siren & has since dropped a handful of singles building up anticipation for her full-length studio debut elevating beyond those early EPs.

“Blockstar” opens up with an intro clashing elements of industrial music & trap singing about her making this guy fall in love with her whereas the title track takes a more atmospheric approach instrumentally cautioning what’s gonna happen when she & her man tie the knot. “Hall of Fame” blends electropop, jook, synthpop, Atlanta bass & contemporary R&B to sing about being too sexy to go home while “Bible” likens this guy’s words to the gospel.

Reaching the halfway point of the album, “Call Security” comes through with an anthem dedicated to all the crazy women who’ve gone from being angels to criminals while “Boring” sings about her willingness of lowering her standards as long as her partner isn’t tedious. Cash Cobain makes the 1st of 2 guest appearances on “Badness” where he & Chxrry are detailing the possibility of finding love in the late night although Cash’s verse was the weakest of the 2.

“Bottles & Lights” featuring Mariah the Scientist winds down the last leg of U, Me & My Ego with an empowering alternative R&B duet looking back at previous relationships they were in where their exes constantly disrespected them while “Groupie” conceptually portrays the irrational obsession that hits when you begin to develop feelings for somebody. “Main Character” though ends with her breakout single fusing pop rap, contemporary R&B, trap, futuristic swag, trap soul & pluggnb.

Most people would say that The Other Side & Siren were both average at best which I can agree with despite the introspectively sultry approach made me understand why Abel signed Chxrry earlier this decade. U, Me & My Ego on the contrary achieved my expectations of outdoing herself embracing her more toxic alter-ego over production combining influences of pop, industrial music, trap, electropop, jook, synthpop, Atlanta bass, pop rap, futuristic swag, trap soul & pluggnb with her contemporary/alternative R&B style.

Score: 3.5/5

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Drake – “Habibti” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor, producer & entrepreneur Drake going solo for the first time in 3 years with his 9th studio LP. Skyrocketing to fame in 2009 off his 3rd mixtape So Far Gone, the success of this groundbreaking project resulted in a contract with both Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records & they helped put out the man’s underrated full-length debut Thank Me Later the next summer. His sophomore effort Take Care the year after would be even better & I enjoyed Nothing Was the Same too but after If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & then What a Time to Be Alive with Future (both of which came out in 2015), that’s when the quality in Drake’s music really began to take a nosedive. VIEWS was a terrible foray into dancehall, More Life was mediocre despite being stylistically eclectic, his YM/CM swan song Scorpion was a disappointingly failed attempt at making a double disc album showcasing the hip hop/R&B sides of the OVO Sound founder’s music respectively, Care Package is decent collection of 17 loosies from 2010-2016 that we’ve all heard before, Dark Lane Demo Tapes tried to experiment with new sounds only to miss the landing & Certified Lover Boy just felt like the same old shit we’ve heard from him before. Honestly, Nevermind was basically Drake’s own version of Renaissance by foraying into house music a month ahead to mixed reception until Her Loss with 21 Savage was a 6/10 at best because 21 felt like a featured artist on there. For All the Dogs was the most I’ve enjoyed Drake’s music since If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR last Valentine’s Day would become his worst collaborative project yet, coming off getting destroyed by Kendrick Lamar in a rap beef to drop Habibti, Maid of Honour & Iceman.

The “Rusty” intro awfully begins with him singing over some acoustics for 62 seconds sending a message to the sweethearts & those he’s dated whereas “WNBA” produced by Gordo mediocrely details a long-distance relationship that’s effected by travel. “Slap the City” might be my favorite track here from the Noel Cadastre beat to Drizzy’s hedonistic lyrics, but then “High 5s” finds himself getting in his petty bag over a 40 instrumental.

“Hurrr Nor Thurrr” featuring Sexyy Red could be my 2nd least favorite track here because of the way they describe an addictively messy relationship ruining a sample of “MORAL” by Avenoir, but “I’m Spent” featuring Loe Shimmy tops it as the worst song here wasting a moody beat to talk about both emotional instability & luxury. “Classic” continues with this grating alternative R&B ballad encouraging a woman to leave the man she’s with until the minimally cold “Gen 5” makes a tacky statement regarding him getting a Glock for last Christmas.

The song “White Bone” was another moment that I was fine with instrumentally even if Drake ruins it by singing about a relationship on the verge of collapsing that he thinks is a real connection while “Fortsworth” featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR feels like an $$$4U leftover from the slow beat to them singing about being with long-distance partners. “Prioritizing” finally ends Habibti attempting to strip his confidence & replace it with the feeling of uncertainty.

Some people would say either Honestly, Nevermind or Certified Lover Boy are Drake’s worst solo efforts, but I feel like he managed to outdo both of those & have Habibti take the cake. It’s more on the R&B side of things stylistically compared to Maid of Honour & Iceman although the production’s decent explorations of alternative R&B, pop rap, trap soul, downtempo, contemporary R&B & pop rap are ruined by the songwriting.

Score: 1/5

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Drake – “Maid of Honour” review

Continuing our coverage of Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor, producer & entrepreneur Drake with his 10th LP. Skyrocketing to fame in 2009 off his 3rd mixtape So Far Gone, the success of this groundbreaking project resulted in a contract with both Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records & they helped put out the man’s underrated full-length debut Thank Me Later the next summer. His sophomore effort Take Care the year after would be even better & I enjoyed Nothing Was the Same too but after If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & then What a Time to Be Alive with Future (both of which came out in 2015), that’s when the quality in Drake’s music really began to take a nosedive. VIEWS was a terrible foray into dancehall, More Life was mediocre despite being stylistically eclectic, his YM/CM swan song Scorpion was a disappointingly failed attempt at making a double disc album showcasing the hip hop/R&B sides of the OVO Sound founder’s music respectively, Care Package is decent collection of 17 loosies from 2010-2016 that we’ve all heard before, Dark Lane Demo Tapes tried to experiment with new sounds only to miss the landing & Certified Lover Boy just felt like the same old shit we’ve heard from him before. Honestly, Nevermind was basically Drake’s own version of Renaissance by foraying into house music a month ahead to mixed reception until Her Loss with 21 Savage was a 6/10 at best because 21 felt like a featured artist on there. For All the Dogs was the most I’ve enjoyed Drake’s music since If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR last Valentine’s Day would become his worst collaborative project yet, coming off getting destroyed by Kendrick Lamar in a rap beef to drop Habibti, Maid of Honour & Iceman.

“Hoe Phase” begins with a club-inspired intro reminiscent of Honestly, Nevermind butchering a sample of “It’s Like That” by Run-D.M.C. whereas “Road Trips” goes for more of an R&B vibe singing about relationships falling apart. Stunna Sandy helps him take it back to 2016 during “Outside Tweaking” with the dancehall beat & “Cheetah Print” featuring Sexyy Red could not only be the worst track here, but also one of the worst songs Drake has ever career sampling “(It Goes Like) Nanana” by Peggy Gou

Central C appears on the tiring pop rap, dancehall, hip house, funk brasileiro, zess & dembow single “Which 1?” asking if one wants success or friends leading into “Amazing Shape” featuring Popcaan turns up the dancehall influences to describe women who’re built like an hourglass. “BBW” reaches the halfway point with a body positivity anthem that feels subpar until “True Bestie” samples “PSA” by Iconic Savvy to break down the chemistry between him & women when he’s out.

After the “Where’s Your Stuff?” interlude, “New Bestie” delivers a boring dancehall 2-parter expressing his gratitude towards Vybz Kartel while “Q&A” feels an egotistically insecure breakdown on wax. “Stuck” produced by Gordo & Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran talking about taking Pamelor because of a breakup but once “Goose & the Juice” makes himself an escape route for someone trapped in a stagnant long-term relationship, “Princess” experiments with pop punk undertones for an underwhelming outro.

Thankfully this bridging entry of Drake’s trilogy Habibti began & Iceman concludes is the 2nd & last installment that I can say I flat out didn’t like even if Maid of Honour’s only a slight cut above the predecessor. The pop rap, dance, hip house, miami bass, electro, jersey club rap, dancehall, contemporary R&B & afrobeats production makes it feel like a cross between Views & Honestly, Nevermind except both of those are more tolerable even if they’re not necessarily great either.

Score: 1.5/5

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Drake – “Iceman” review

And finally there’s the Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor, producer & entrepreneur Drake’s 11th LP & subsequently his last for Republic Records. Skyrocketing to fame in 2009 off his 3rd mixtape So Far Gone, the success of this groundbreaking project resulted in a contract with both Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records & they helped put out the man’s underrated full-length debut Thank Me Later the next summer. His sophomore effort Take Care the year after would be even better & I enjoyed Nothing Was the Same too but after If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & then What a Time to Be Alive with Future (both of which came out in 2015), that’s when the quality in Drake’s music really began to take a nosedive. VIEWS was a terrible foray into dancehall, More Life was mediocre despite being stylistically eclectic, his YM/CM swan song Scorpion was a disappointingly failed attempt at making a double disc album showcasing the hip hop/R&B sides of the OVO Sound founder’s music respectively, Care Package is decent collection of 17 loosies from 2010-2016 that we’ve all heard before, Dark Lane Demo Tapes tried to experiment with new sounds only to miss the landing & Certified Lover Boy just felt like the same old shit we’ve heard from him before. Honestly, Nevermind was basically Drake’s own version of Renaissance by foraying into house music a month ahead to mixed reception until Her Loss with 21 Savage was a 6/10 at best because 21 felt like a featured artist on there. For All the Dogs was the most I’ve enjoyed Drake’s music since If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late & $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR last Valentine’s Day would become his worst collaborative project yet, coming off getting destroyed by Kendrick Lamar in a rap beef to drop Habibti, Maid of Honour & Iceman.

“Make Them Cry” begins with a sample “The pressure is on me.” by Muchi to talk about his father Dennis battling cancer & some questioning the sincerity of that when he’s now cancer free whereas “Dust” takes a jab at Kendrick claiming that he doesn’t remember a word of his raps when it’s a lie. “Whisper My Name” disses JAY-Z stating he’d take the $500K instead of having dinner with him prior to “Janice STFU” dissing Hov once more over FNZ & Rogét Chahayed sampling “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li that was later remixed.

Future & Molly Santana appear on the 2-parter “Ran to Atlanta” that Dez Wright, !llmind, Southside & Wheezy all cooked up making a self-aware nod to “Not Like Us” just before “Shabang” produced by 40 talks about the aftermath of the Kendrick beef. “Make Them Pay” works in an ovrkast. instrumental I really found myself enjoying until he disses J. Cole, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled & Pharrell but then “Burning Bridges” splits itself in halves to take a jab at A$AP Rocky reusing a “back to back” line for some odd reason.

“National Treasures” concludes the 1st half of Iceman with another 2-parter that Boi-1da & Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran both put together attacking LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden & Russell Westbrook for attending the Pop Out show on Juneteenth 2024 while “B’s on the Table” talks about his ongoing Universal Music Group lawsuit. “What Did I Miss?” however began the whole rollout dissing DeMar & LeBron once more over a cloud trap beat from Tay Keith.

Meanwhile on “Plot Twist”, we have Drake over an instrumental Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group co-produced representing OVO & rebutting “Not Like Us” while “2 Hard for the Radio” basically pokes fun at “Not Like Us” even harder with it’s Bay Area sound & includes a DJ Mustard diss. “Make Them Remember” throws jabs at Kendrick, Cole, Dr. Dre & Joe Budden over a Boi-1da beat while “Little Birdie” talks about the aftermath of the Kendrick beef again.

“Don’t Worry” at last nears the conclusion of Iceman taking an alternative R&B approach courtesy of Sledgren interestingly pleading for his partner to come have the best time on the bedside while “Firm Friends” contains one of my favorite instrumentals thanks to Conductor Williams, only for Drizzy to hit us with more bars about the Kendrick beef & UMG CEO Lucian Grainge. The closing track “Make Them Know” spends the last 4 minutes admitting that the 4th of July in 2024 when the “Not Like Us” video premiered was the worst he felt in a minute.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to everyone that Habibti & Maid of Honour were passionlessly rushed throughout the Iceman sessions because Drake wanted to get out of his Republic contract, but the final installment of the trilogy was actually my favorite of them all even if it’s average at best. Aside from the alternative R&B joint, the production carries over the trappy pop rap/chipmunk soul ideas For All the Dogs had contrasting the R&B & dancehall/EDM influences of Habibti & Maid of Honour although the victim raps ruin it.

Score: 2.5/5

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BabyBartier – “Nightmare on Rodeo” review

Here is the full-length studio debut from Los Angeles, California rapper BabyBartier. Emerging off his debut EP Baby Blanco a year ago followed by Diablo a little over a month later, his popularity would continue to grow over the course of the summer after Awe$ome & Terror respectively became most most acclaimed extended plays. Now that he’s signed a joint deal Internet Money Records alongside Mercury Records & Republic Records, it only makes sense for the Nightmare on Rodeo to officially commence now that he’s under a major label.

“Lean Crazy” get things going with the 2nd & final single looking to party like it’s Project X daily over a plugg instrumental while “Forgiveness” talks about winning the world inside his hands & the chopper loading up. “Scene” looks back at going from being in the battlefield sending shot to having the scars to prove it until “Red Dead” produced by Rio Leyva cautions that people better duck the second his squad rolls past your hood.

NASH gets behind the boards for “Flexin’”, continuing the plugg vibes so he can talk about his girl bringing a TEC to the club just before “I Know It’s Coming” speaks of not falling in love because he can’t trust no hoe. “Cash Out” pushes further towards the halfway point talking about poppin’ tags & taking the swag up on his bitch just before “Poppin’” works in a chill beat from Vendr to boast that he’s high enough to hang with the Gods.

“Basic” kicks off the 2nd half incorporating some wavy synthesizers pullin’ up to the function under the influence of ecstasy while the lead single “Each of My Pockets” talks about putting on the swag for his people & carrying a bunch of blue Benjamin Franklins on him. “Tomato” keeps it rollin’ by rubbing his success in the faces of those who didn’t think he’d make it this far over a Cade instrumental while “Cali Dreamin’” talks about making a crowd of thots lose their shit over him performing.

Rounding out 3rd, we have him clarifying that Bartier’s had swag since he was in “High School” prior to “Latest” talking about the way he’s been living since last summer. “Dirty Sprite” comes through with a brief dedication to sippin’ lean & after “Hancock” likens himself to the main character of the 2008 superhero film of the same name written by the creator of Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, the outro “B4 I Die” ends the LP talking about running up more bags.

I kinda had a feeling that BabyBartier was gonna sign to Internet Money Records given their heavy involvement on the instrumental side of Terror last fall, but Nightmare on Rodeo instead became an average major label debut containing more highs than lows that I firmly believe he can outdo whenever the time for his sophomore effort comes. Even if the production doesn’t interest me like his last EP did & most of the songs are under 2 minutes, that same hunger still translates itself exceptionally.

Score: 3/5

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G Herbo – “Lil Herb” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper & songwriter G Herbo making his Uptown Records debut with his 9th LP. Breaking out over a decade ago off his debut mixtape Welcome to Fazoland, the resulted in him earning a spot in the legendary 2016 XXL Freshman Class along with 8 full-length albums, the previous ones being the 2-disc Survivor’s Remorse & more recently Big Swerv. Almost 4 & a half years since making his Republic Records debut 25, the artist formerly known as Lil Herb had been moved over to the relaunched Uptown subsidiary so he can take it back to his origins.

“Every Night” begins with a soulful drill instrumental talking about reasonably crying nonstop when his brother passed away whereas “Reason” produced by Don Cannon made for a promising lead single flexing that he’s why people have left the block to become rich, only to return. “Longevity” finds himself feeling like no one can fuck with him although the beat doesn’t move me the same way Southside & Smatt Sertified’s on “Blitz” does, using it to show off his champion status.

We get some strings & 808s meshing with one another during “Radar” asking if anybody listening has ever lived through a nightmare leading into “Where Would I Be?” referencing No Limit Records, who whooped Cash Money Records’ asses at the Verzuz occurring at ComplexCon a couple weeks ago. “Win Again” talks about forever stickin’ to the code for a W just before “1 Chance” reaches the halfway point encouraging the world to not blow their shot.

“Emergency” featuring Wyclef Jean finds the unlikely pairing joining forces over a Turbo instrumental to talk about having bullets piercing through their hearts while “Fallen Soldiers” remembers Juice WRLD, King Von & Pop Smoke respectively. “Give It All” talks about trading the money & fame for a chance to see his brother again while “Whatever U Want” has to be one of the weaker moments of Lil Herb moderately dabbling with pop rap.

The song “Thank Me” featuring Anderson .Paak gets together over some horns sampling WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg’s historic Hollywood Walk of Fame speech right when you press play feeling grateful that neither of them went broke while “Colossal” credits staying on top of business & logistics to him going hard. “Went Legit” concludes the album telling his rags-to-riches story looking back at the days when he had nothing to his successes, but the “Lil Herb Freestyle” starts the deluxe run with that “Ether” flow.

“Ran Thru” talks about making a career out of his pain while “This n That 2” boasts that he was riding around in phantoms before he even got his driver’s license & proving the world isn’t bigger than him for the last 15 years. “Hold My Hand” makes classy usage of sampling to prefer being honest of having no love towards fake shit instead of keeping it to himself while “No Bap” talks about being the only one paying out the bill whenever it’s due.

Moving on from there, “I Did” decently boasts of him winning big time & prevailing in any situation while “Thug” samples “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony gets back on his gangsta shit lyrically carrying a Russian AK & a bottle of malt liquor. “Go” talks about him constantly being on the move touring state to state while “Swerv n Em” featuring Big Opp & Doo Wop finds the trio over a Hitmaka beat for an underwhelming gangsta rap joint where Herbo has the best verse.

“Neva Going Back” makes it clear to everyone listening that he won’t be on some basic shit ever again now that he’s famous while “Outta Bounds” featuring Big Opp & Polo G finds the trio dropping verses without the need of a hook although Polo had the better guest appearance. “Mad People” talks about Herbo not owing anyone shit & no one having the ability to say he switched up while “Brown Skin” featuring Skilla Baby talks about black excellence over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental.

Pop rap & trap get blended for “D.N.D. (Do Not Disturb)” featuring Ty$ expressing the love for the baddies they flew in from outta town while “Prayers” flips “Player’s Prayer” by Lloyd confessing that he’s been continuing to fuck around. “End of the Tunnel” featuring YK D mediocrely talks about both of them being hustlas & everything being on God’s timing until Southside & Smatt Sertified make up for it soundtracking the autobiographical “Story of a Thug” feeling like every day’s a repeat.

“Steel” talks about him choosing to rap the pain he’s felt carrying his firearm at the stop signs still while “Because of You” flexes going from the bus to a luxurious truck. “I Tried” talks about the problems in his life that he legitimately put effort into resolving & after “October” likens life to a rollercoaster, the final bonus track “How Can I Lose?” ends Lil Herb talking about not playing by the rules or honoring shit.

Needless to say: G Herbo’s last couple of projects have ranged from being average at best to uninspired at worst, so his Uptown Records debut here seemed like he would go back to what made him so popular over a decade ago & it’s exactly what he does sure enough. The production is the most Chicago drill-oriented since possibly 25, which makes up for Survivor’s Remorse & Big Swervo’s mixed-to-negative reception due to the way they both distance from that very sound & the passion of Welcome to Fazoland has been revived in a new incarnation.

Score: 3.5/5

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