JPEGMAFIA is a 31 year old rapper, singer & producer from Baltimore, Maryland who broke out in 2016 with the release of his full-length debut Black Ben Carson. However, wouldn’t be until the man’s next 2 albums Veteran at the beginning of 2018 & then All My Heroes are Cornballs the following year where he would earn respect across the board & reveal himself as one of the most creative minds in hip hop today. He dropped a bunch of singles last year & compiled them onto an 8-track EP. But after signing to Republic Records last month, Peggy has cooked up another EP albeit with almost all newly recorded material.
I have no idea why the EP starts off with “LAST DANCE!” as it originally appeared on EP! a couple months back, but it’s still a great song. After the “INTRO!”, the first actual song “FIX URSELF!” talks about being too real for this shit over a cold instrumental while the next track “KELTEC!” talks about not needing industry friends over a futuristic beat.
The song “THIS ONE’S FOR US!” gets combative over an atmospheric instrumental while the penultimate track “PANIC ROOM!” talks about suckas over a lush beat from James Blake. The EP finishes off with “FEED HER!”, where Peggy flexes over a cloudy instrumental.
I was curious to hear how this would sound given that Peggy’s on a major label now, but I enjoy it almost as much as EP!. Yeah he’s going into a more pop rap territory on here, but he makes it work by putting his own unique spin on that more melodic sound.
KiD CuDi is a 36 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & actor from Cleveland, Ohio who blew up in 2008 off his debut mixtape A KiD Named CuDi as well as his songwriting credits on his mentor Kanye West’s 4th album 808s & Heartbreak. This was followed up with his groundbreaking debut & sophomore albums Man on the Moon: The End of the Day & Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager the next year & the year after that respectively but then 3 years later, CuDi would leave G.O.O.D. Music amicably to form his own Republic Records imprint Wicked Awesome Records after releasing the self-produced & overlooked Indicud. However, I found Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon to be mediocre at best & who could forget when CuDi attempted to go alt-rock on the critically panned Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven? Luckily he would redeem himself on his previous effort Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ in 2016 along with the eponymous debut album from him & Kanye as the duo Kids See Ghosts a couple summers back. But after a couple of loose singles throughout this year, KiD CuDi is ready to finally close out the Man on the Moon trilogy on his 7th full-length album.
After the “Beautiful Trip” intro, the first song “Tequila Shots” talks about internal conflict over a psychedelic trap instrumental from Dot da Genius & Take a Daytrip whereas the following track “Another Day” talks about how ain’t much changed in him over a spacious beat. The song “She Knows This” gets sexual over a voluptuous FNZ instrumental while the track “Dive” talks about a sadness in him over a cavernous beat from none other than Kevin Parker.
The song “Damaged” talks about being a broken man over a befuddled instrumental while the track “Heaven on Earth” talks about living alright over a nocturnal, bass-heavy beat. The song “Show Out” with Skepta sees the 2 flexin’ over a rubbery instrumental while the track “Mr. Solo Dolo, Pt. III” talks about somethin’ twisting him over a cloudy beat from Plain Pat & WZRD.
The song “Sad People” pays tribute to everyone out there who’s depressed over a glitzy instrumental while the track “Elsie’s Baby Boy (Flashback)” looks back on his childhood over a rock-flavored beat. The song “Sept. 16th” talks about searching for love over an instrumental with some wavy synths while “The Void” talks about falling in an abyss over a downcast beat from Mike Dean & WZRD.
The track “Lovin’ Me” is a gorgeous duet with Phoebe Bridgers about self love down the euphoric instrumental while “The Pale Moonlight” talks about people who think they know him over a vibrant beat. The song “Rockstar Knights” with Trippie Redd finds the 2 talking about the luxurious lifestyles they live over a ghostly trap instrumental while the penultimate track “4 da Kidz” is a dedication to the chosen few over a fiery beat. The album ends with “Lord I Know”, where CuDi talks about being a warrior over an atmospheric instrumental.
I didn’t think this day would actually come, but I’m sure as Hell glad that it did because it’s a great finisher to the trilogy that got KiD CuDi where he is currently. You can definitely hear the Travis Scott influence but simultaneously, he does a phenomenal job at recapturing the vibes of his first 2 albums from the sounds provided by the original producers of those records to the concepts throughout.
This is the 5th mixtape from 30 year old Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter & producer ΠΔV. Coming onto my radar in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s Republic Records imprint X♥O Records along with his feature on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, he would go on to release a total of 4 mixtapes as well as 3 full-length albums & an EP. Now I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point because of his monotonous delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices. But once I found out Wheezy was producing Emergency Tsunami from top to bottom, my morbid curiosity got the best of me & I decided to go into it with an open mind.
After the “Breaking News” intro, the opener “Friends & Family” is a surprisingly compelling rags to riches story backed by a triumphant beat whereas the next track “Young Wheezy” with Gunna sees the duo paying tribute to the man behind the boards himself over a nondescript instrumental. The song “Nasty” of course gets raunchy over a buttery beat while the track “Repercussions” with Young Thug finds the 2 warning their opposition that they don’t want the smoke over a wavy instrumental.
The song “Vetement Socks” talks about how everything he buys is expensive over a tropical beat while the track “Don’t Need Friends” with Lil Baby sees the 2 talking about feeling relieved now that they’re getting money over an atmospheric instrumental. The song “Make It Right Back” over a woodwind-infused beat while the track “Trains” with Lil Keed finds the 2 talking about sleeping with hoes over an instrumental that sounds like it was made for Playboi Carti.
The song “Do Ya Deed” with SahBabii is a HIDEOUS ode to getting head despite the piano-inflicted production while the track “Droppin’ Tears” boasts over a wavy beat. The penultimate song “Modest” talks about being humble over a symphonic instrumental & before the “Breaking News” outro, the track “Turn & Twist” talks about going full throttle on top of an instrumental with some synthesizers & GORGEOUS background vocals.
Even though I don’t care for this mixtape, it’s actually safe for me to say to call it a cut above anything he’s done since Reckless. The features are cool & Wheezy’s production is top notch as is Mike Dean’s mastering, but I’ve come to terms that ΠΔV just doesn’t captivate me as a rapper. I mean I think his performances have improved a tad bit, but the songwriting is still pretty subpar
Black Thought is a MC from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania most notable as the frontman of The Roots. Since the very beginning of his career, Black Thought has solidified himself as one of the most skilled & well respected lyricists in all of hip hop from his work with the band or his lengthy list of show-stopping features. However, it wouldn’t be until 2018 when he finally started putting out projects under his own name with the 9th Wonder-produced Streams of Thought & the Salaam Remi-produced Streams of Thought 2: Traxploitation. But just about 2 years later, Black Thought is enlisting Sean Cane for the long-awaited 3rd installment.
The EP kicks off with “I’m Not Crazy (First Contact)”, where Black Thought completely shits on Christopher Columbus in complete reverb over a slow guitar-laced beat. The next song “State Prisoner” talks about needing each other for survival over a dynamic instrumental with some choir vocals during the first half while the track “Good Morning” with Killer Mike & Pusha T finds the trio talking about the struggles African Americans face along with ego-trip over an apocalyptic beat.
“Magnificent” boasts his lyrical prowess over a funky instrumental with some live drums & after the “Experience” interlude, the track “Quiet Trip” reminisces about the old times including a dope reference to current AEW performer & commentator as well as former 7-time WWE world champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion Paul Wight over an fiery beat.
The song “Nature of the Beast” talks about how everyone in this country is all going through the same shit over an instrumental with some well incorporated synths while the track “We Could Be Good (United)” talks about this woman who complains all the time over a sensual boom bap beat. The song “Steak Um” with ScHoolboy Q finds the 2 talking about oppression over an instrumental with a haunting atmosphere to it while the track “Thought vs. Everybody” talks about being the most powerful black man in America taking a jab at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over a funky beat. The “Ghetto Boys & Girls” interlude talks about coming from nothing over a spacious instrumental whereas the final song “Fuel” reads as a power open letter to the listener over a gospel-esque beat. Then for the outro, it’s just a decent reprise of the intro.
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this one going into this but coming away from it, it’s a solid listen. Sean Cane’s production being a bit more glossier than the last 2 EPs were but that doesn’t hold it back at all as Black Thought provides a unique perspective on a wide range of topics on here, further cementing himself as one of the greatest MCs of all-time. Really looking forward to see what’s in store for the 4th installment.
This is the brand new & highly anticipated album from London, England, United Kingdom born albeit Atlanta, Georgia raised rapper, songwriter & occasional producer 21 Savage. Coming on my radar by appearing on the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class list, he continued to make a household name for himself in the current trap landscape by dropping his 2nd EP Savage Mode with Metro Boomin’ producing it in it’s entirety shortly after. Then came his full-length debut Issa Album & an incredible collab album he did with Offset called Without Warning the following year, but it wouldn’t be until the end of 2018 where 21 dropped his most mature work to date with i am > i was. Fast forward a little over a month later, he was arrested by ICE after it was revealed that he was born in the UK & stayed in the US on an expired visa. Luckily, he was freed 10 days later & has been laying low for the most part since then. However, 21 is reuniting with Metro for a sequel to Savage Mode.
After the Morgan Freeman intro (who narrates the whole album), the first song “Runnin’” talks about buying a Hollywood bitch over a best sampling of Diana Ross’ “I Thought It Took a Little Time (But Today I Fell in Love)” while the track “Glock in My Lap” talks about being strapped everywhere saying y’all more pussy than Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder & Neuralink founder Elon Musk over a haunting instrumental from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & the So Icey Boyz. The song “Mr. Right Now” with Drake sees the 2 getting raunchy over a wavy beat while the track “Rich Nigga Shit” with Young Thug finds both of them getting materialistic over a spacious instrumental.
The song “Slidin’” spits that gun talk over a ghostly beat while the track “Many Men” is pretty much his own version of 50 Cent’s “Many Men (Wish Death)” down to sampling the actual joint itself. After the “Snitches & Rats” interlude, the actual “Snitches & Rats” song itself Young Nudy take aim at 6ix9ine then the track “My Dawg” pays tribute to Nipsey Hu$$le over a trap beat with some melancholic keyboard passages.
The song “Steppin’ on N****s” gets bloodthirsty over a beat that kinda has a dirty south feel to it while the track “Brand New Draco” gets boastful over a vibrant beat. The song “No Opp Left Behind” talks about corrupt cops over an instrumental with an apocalyptic atmosphere to it while the penultimate track “RIP Luv” talks about giving up on romance backed by a mournful beat with some co-production from Zaytoven. The album finishes with “San N Done”, where 21 ponders if this new chick is gonna ride for him over a nightly instrumental.
We all know that many sequel projects don’t exactly live up to the hype of the predecessor, but this is definitely an exception. 21’s maturity is very much present on here as it was on his last full-length album about 2 years ago & Metro Boomin’ manages to remind listeners of his place as one of the greatest producers in the trap subgenre.
Lil Tecca is an 18 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from New York City who blew up in 2018 off the single “Ran$om”. It would later be included on his debut mixtape We Love You Tecca that same year & would receive lukewarm reception. Fast forward a couple years later, Tecca is delivering his full-length debut.
The album kicks off with “Our Time”, where Lil Tecca calls out people using him for his newfound fame over an outdated dancehall beat. The next track “Actin’ Up” talks about his shawty over a rubbery instrumental with some luxurious keyboards while the song “When You Down” with Polo G & Lil Durk finds the trio touching down on loyalty over a trap beat with some impassioned piano embellishments.
“Back It Up” talks about an ex of his over a flute-inflicted instrumental Leon Thomas III co-produced while the song “Chemistry” talks about his new chick over another boring dancehall beat. The track “Royal Rumble” compares his newfound fame to the annual event created by WWE Hall of Famer, the inaugural WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE Hardcore Champion Pat Patterson over a hyphy beat whereas “Foreign” produced by Rio Leyva & Taz Taylor of Internet Money Records is less of a song & more of a contest with to ΠΔV to see who can bore you the most.
The track “Selection” is a half-assed piece about wanting this woman to be his best friend over a decent instrumental from Skrillex & DJ Scheme while the song “Take 10” is pretty much the same thing except the beat is more undistinguished. The track “Dolly” with Lil Uzi Vert finds the 2 getting braggadocious over an intoxicating instrumental while the song “Insecurities” talks about how he adores this woman no matter what over a cheerful beat from Nick Mira.
“Tic Toc” talks about how no one wants beef with him over an instrumental kin to “When You Down” that I mentioned earlier while the song “Miss Me” talks about how he’s that guy over a somewhat quirky instrumental. The track “True to the Game” with Guwop Reign sees the 2 talking about them never changing over a violin-tinged instrumental while the song “Closest to Heaven” gets back on the romance shit over a woozy beat.
The track “Level Up” talks about hoping this woman means it when she says she loves him over a more soothing instrumental while the song “No Answers” talks about a chick acting stupid over an unexciting beat. The penultimate track “Last Call” over an acoustic trap instrumental from Cxdy & then the album ends with “Out of Love”, where Tecca talks about how fucked up the world is over a trap beat from Internet Money with a gorgeous piano loop.
I don’t mean any disrespect to the kid at all when I say this, but I think this album just goes to reveal Lil Tecca as a 1-hit wonder. The production choices are mostly bland & the rapping is more underwhelming than it’s ever been to the point where it just puts me to sleep. Pasto Flacco on the other hand is someone to look out for.
This is the 2nd EP from New York trio City Morgue. I became a fan of theirs in 2018 because of how ZillaKami, SosMula & Thraxx uniquely fused trap with metal on their debut Hell or High Water. A sophomore effort As Good as Dead came out just this past winter & even through Thraxx hardly did the production on there, Kami & Sos were able to get the criminally underrated Mike Dean to fill in that gap. But with their tour being one of the many to get cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re making it up to the fans with Toxic Boogaloo.
Things start off with “THE ELECTRIC EXPERIENCE”, where the duo compare themselves to Deadshot over a bombastic beat from Powers Pleasant. The next song “HURTWORLD ‘99” talks about wanting to fuck up anyone who comes at them over a trap metal instrumental while the track “YELLOW PISS” finds ZillaKami going solo to talk about death being longer than life over a chaotic beat from Thraxx. The song “BUAKAW” talks about their haters being pussy over some hi-hats & heavy guitars while the track “YAKUZA” is an unfinished SosMula solo joint backed by a beat that sounds something out of a horror movie.
The song “CRANK” sees the duo getting back together to talk about getting into altercations carrying MACs on them & not the Mac line of Apple Inc. computers over an eerie beat while the track “YOU CAN SUCK MY DICK” is another ZillaKami solo cut about him bringing the smoke to anyone who wants it over bass-heavy instrumental. The song “ALL KILLER NO FILLER” talks about destroying shit over another trap metal beat whereas “SUPER SOAKA” is of course another SosMula solo song that’s even more half-baked than the previous one. The album finishes with “PROSTHETIC LEGS”, where the duo talk about being wardogs over an abrasive beat.
Coming from someone who enjoyed City Morgue’s last 2 albums a lot, this project is a disappointment. I think their whole style is still unique, but it just sounds like ZillaKami & SosMula rushed the shit outta it. Hopefully they take their time on the next album.
Pop Smoke was a 20 year old rapper from Brooklyn, New York who released his debut mixtape Meet the Woo last summer. He put out a sequel this past February but unfortunately, he was murdered 2 weeks after said-sequel came out. But with the help of 50 Cent, they’re continuing Pop’s legacy with his full-length debut.
The album kicks off with “Bad Bitch from Tokyo”, where Pop Smoke brags for 50 seconds over a woozy beat. The next song “Aim for the Moon” with Quavo sees the 2 talking about their high statuses over an instrumental that sounds like it could’ve been on Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD while the track “For the Night” with Lil Baby & DaBaby finds the trio getting raunchy over a beat kin to Young Thug’s Beautiful Thugger Girls. The song “44 Bulldog” gets confrontational over a mournful beat while the track “Gangstas” talks about how legit he was over a rubbery piano instrumental.
The song “Yea Yea” is a trite, buttery sex anthem while the track “Creature” with Swae Lee sees the 2 describing their rich lifestyles over a spacious beat while the track “Snitching” with Future & Quavo is pretty much them talking about not breaking street code over a shimmery, skeletal instrumental. The song “Make It Rain” with Rowdy Rebel sees the 2 talking about fakes over an aggressive instrumental while “The Woo” with 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch sees the 3 talking about bitches over another Beautiful Thugger Girls inspired beat.
The song “West Coast Shit” with Tyga & Quavo lives up to its name down to Mustard’s production while the track “Enjoy Yourself” with Karol G is a weird, Latin-flavored piece about relaxation. The song “Mood Swings” with Lil Tjay is a horrific auto-crooner while the track “Something Special” is literally a 2 minute freestyle over Tamia’s “Into You”.
We have more tiresome lovey dovey shit on the songs “What You Know ‘Bout Love?” & the King Combs featured “Diana”, but then “Got It on Me” is pretty much a modern take on the classic 50 Cent joint “Many Men (Wish Death)” & it’s actually pretty cool. The final song “Tunnel Vision” talks about how nice he is over a mesmerizing instrumental & then we get “Dior” off Meet the Woo as a bonus track, which is easily one of the best songs he ever made.
I’m usually 50/50 on posthumous releases because they can either turn out amazing like Circles or end up horrendously like Pac’s Life. However, this kinda falls in between for me. The cuts that’re done more in Pop Smoke’s signature UK Drill style are fine, but almost all the poppy sex songs except for “Something Special” are just fucking terrible. If we’re getting a follow-up, here’s to it being better.
Drake is a 33 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, actor & entrepreneur from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who blew up in 2009 with his breakout mixtape So Far Gone. The success of this groundbreaking project resulted in a contract with both Young Money Entertainment & Cash Money Records, who put out the man’s full-length debut Thank Me Later the following year. 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 & then his Young Money/Cash Money swan song Scorpion was a disappointingly failed attempt at making a double disc album showcasing the hip hop & R&B sides of his music respectively. He managed to put out a decent collection of loosies last summer called Care Package & with his 6th full-length album coming this summer, we’re getting a prelude mixtape outta nowhere.
Things start off with “Deep Pockets”, where Drake talks about how his crew is rollin’ now over a trippy instrumental from 40 & Plain Pat. The next song “When to Say When” charismatically brags over a Bobby Glenn sample while the “Chicago Freestyle” asks a woman to meet him by The Bean over an ethereal beat. The track “Not You Too” with Chris Brown talks about being backstabbed over a cavernous instrumental that later switches into something more synth-heavy about halfway through while the song “Toosie Slide” is a trite & annoying TikTok anthem.
The track “Desires” with Future sees the 2 talking about women over a generically cloudy beat & even though the lyrics on “Time Flies” don’t sit well with me personally, the instrumental is just impeccably alluring. “Landed” finds Drizzy flexing as Cardo backs him up with what could possibly be my favorite instrumental on the entire project while the song “D4L” with Future & Young Thug is pretty much a dedication to all 3 of the artists’ respectively self-owned record labels OVO Sound, Freebandz Entertainment & YSL Records backed with an aggressive Southside beat.
The track “Pain 1993” with Playboi Carti sees the 2 getting materialistic over some signature Pi’erre Bourne production while the song “Losses” talks about losing this woman to the game over a more smooth instrumental. “From Florida with Love” asks this chick if she really has love for him over an intoxicating MexikoDro beat while the song “Demons” gets with Fivio Foreign & Sosa Geek for some surface level shit-talking, but I love the angelic vocals in the background. The closer “War” then goes full-on UK Drill & it’s just unbelievably awful.
Pretty boring overall & that really shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point. Granted it’s a lot shorter than More Life & Scorpion as it only runs at 50 minutes but the instrumentals are mediocre, the songwriting is & the guest are either hit or miss. The album can’t be worse though.
The Weeknd is a 30 year old singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada that rose to stardom in the early 2010s with a trilogy of highly acclaimed mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence. He then made his full-length debut in 2013 with Kiss Land, which was followed up in 2015 with Beauty Behind the Madness & then Starboy the year after. Last we heard from Abel was in 2018 with his debut EP My Dear Melancholy, & almost 2 years later now, he’s back with his 4th full-length album following a cameo in the A24 Films crime thriller Uncut Gems.
The opener “Alone Again” finds Abel sings about substance abuse over a glimmering instrumental from Ging & Illangelo, but then the drums kick in around the 2nd half & just hit you hard. The next track “Too Late” talks about how he & Bella Hadid are on their own now over a cool UK garage instrumental while the song “Hardest to Love” talks about how it isn’t easy for his past lovers to let him go over a liquid drum & bass instrumental.
“Scared to Live” is basically an apology to his exes over a gorgeous synth lead & some punchy drums while the song “Snowchild” talks about wanting to be famous at 16 & now he doesn’t want the fame anymore over a futuristic instrumental. The track “Escape from LA” talks about how Los Angeles will be the end of him over a melancholic beat from Metro Boomin’ while the song “Heartless” talks about being just that over a decent trap instrumental.
The track “Faith” talks about relapsing after being sober for a year over a hypnotic beat while the WWE WrestleMania XXXVII theme song “Blinding Lights” talks about how he can’t see clearly without Bella over a synthpop instrumental. The track “In Your Eyes” talks about how he sees something burning inside of this woman over a synthwave instrumental while the WWE WrestleMania XXXVIII theme song “Save Your Tears” pretty much tells Bella to cry another day over an 80s throwback instrumental.
“Repeat After Me” finds Abel telling her ex that he knows she really doesn’t love her new man over a euphoric instrumental from Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker alongside Oneohtrix Point Never while the title track is an open apology to all the women he’s hurt over an instrumental with some elements of future garage & progressive pop.
The closer “Until I Bleed Out” officially ends After Hours talks about not needing love or drugs anymore over an ambient pop instrumental while “Nothing Compares” complexly starts the deluxe run coming to terms with his feelings for his lover. “Missed You” realizes he still has feelings for a past love in his life & the final bonus track “Final Lullaby” sings to his lover helping them try to fall asleep.
When it comes to all 4 of The Weekend’s full-length albums, this is EASILY the best & I’d honestly put it on par with Trilogy. He artistically reinvents himself by expanding his alternative R&B sound in favor of synthpop, synthwave, future garage, ambient pop, trap soul, new wave & dream pop projecting the themes of loneliness, self-loathing & escapism.
Legends Will Never Die 