$uicideboy$ – “Thy Will Be Done” review

New Orleans, Louisiana duo & G*59 Record$ founders the $uicideboy$ consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim surprise-dropping their 6th studio LP on Christmas Day. In over a decade, they have given a plethora of projects whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even the debut album I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering followed as did Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation along with New World Depression. In what was supposed to be a 2nd disc of Thy Kingdom Come back in August, the boy$ have decided to make Thy Will Be Done a stand-alone sequel of it’s own.

“Leviticus” starts off with a grisly trap instrumental produced by none other than $crim asking for God to send a flood to wash their sins away whereas “2009 Reggie Bush” goes for a Memphis vibe asking for everyone to get off their dicks. “Bloodsweat” aggressively talks about having the balls to die where they stand unlike others leading into the dirty south flavored “Angel Grove” coming at my 2nd favorite song observing the plot twist of them sacrificing themselves to the world.

Reaching the halfway point, “Whatever Floats Your Boat Will Definitely Sink My Ship” takes a melodic approach in terms of delivery over a blend of hi-hats & a guitar singing about not wanting to be this afraid of the dark while the tropical trap atmosphere of “MSY” begins the 2nd leg talking about spending the past decade of their lives using metaphors to express the way they’ve been feeling. My favorite song has easily gotta be “Old Addicts, New Habits” from the experimentation of trap & jazz rap to the lyrics representing the Northside like they’ve done so their whole careers.

“Frenzy” energetically kicks off the encore of Thy Will Be Done with another top 3 moment in my opinion looking to fuck shit up harder than a Hurricane swapping out the hi-hats in favor of some 808s while “Hypernormalisation” eerily embarks on a trip to the Southside & preferring euthanasia over getting high. “Fuck Ups” finishes off with a hypnotic phonk beat giving middle fingers to 5-0 & hanging out with the fiends because those’re the kind of people they came up with.

This new half hour collection of ideas from the $uicideboy$ carries over the ethos of Thy Kingdom Come almost 5 months ago & it most certainly would enhance the quality if it were an expansion of that predecessor since that was the original plan, but I can’t blame Ruby da Cherry or $crim for spinning Thy Will Be Done off into a completely separate album by itself due to them offering a sequel that progresses beyond the original cohesively. $crim’s production explores the sounds of Memphis rap, trap, phonk, dirty south, jazz rap & a small dosage of trap metal further embracing their new sense of spirituality.

Score: 4.5/5

$uicideboy$ – “Thy Kingdom Come” review

This is the 5th studio LP from New Orleans, Louisiana duo Ruby da Cherry & $crim a.k.a. the $uicideboy$. In over a decade, they have given a plethora of projects whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering would follow as did Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation a few summers ago, most recently entering a New World Depression only 14 months back & coming off solo detours this spring for the boy$’ return on Thy Kingdom Come.

“Count Your Blessings” samples “Hot Razor” so they can flex on every single opponent after betting their lives on becoming successful whereas the bounce-influenced “Napoleon” talks about the 7th Ward. “Oh, What a Wretched Man I Am!” finds themselves feeling lucky to still be here going for a Memphis direction instrumentally while “Full of Grace (I Refuse to Tend My Own Grave)” produced by $crim & G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox talks about feeling emptier than their own graves.

Reaching the halfway point, “Chainbreaker” works in some synthesizers & hi-hats to speak on bitches always trippin’ over real ones while “Now & at the Hour of Our Death” featuring BONES combines hardcore hip hop, trap, Memphis rap, horrorcore, cloud rap & phonk looks to tear shit down. The lead single “Self Inflicted” throws it back to the Long Term Effects of Suffering era while “Grey+Grey+Grey” promises to see the end before you’ll see the end of them.

Night Lovell joins his mentors for “Carried Away” talking about getting overly enthusiastic because they’re sinnin’ & dedicating itself to those listening who’re experiencing some sort of pain in their lives right now just before “Monochromatic” finishes Thy Kingdom Come with an emo rap flare to it talking about feeling all alone on this road they’re heading down every single time they so happen to blink their eyes.

Bridging the $uicideboy$’ underground roots & their continuously evolving musical palate together, Thy Kingdom Come simultaneously celebrates where Ruby & $crim came from & sends a warning of what’s still to come. The production eclectically blends hardcore hip hop, trap, Memphis rap, horrorcore, cloud rap, phonk, bounce & emo rap putting their range on full display without losing any steam & maintaining the potent nihilism that made them popular. Even if they’re lyrically sticking to their bread & butter.

Score: 4/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm” review

New Orleans, Louisiana emcee/producer Ruby da Cherry back with his 3rd EP. Blowing up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography over the last decade & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists.Tragic Love Songs to Study to & Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma were both enjoyably carefree punk EPs from Ruby, continuing towards that direction Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Shrug 3)” intro, the first song “End of Summer 2005 (Started Off as a Tropical Depression)” talks about how life sucks & riding it out until his last day whereas “VCR Eject Button (It’s Time to Grow the Fuck Up)” after the “where y’at duckboy? [6]” interlude admits to feeling he’s been in Hell for years. “Moldy Memories (Peer Pressure Turned Me Into a Diamond)” after the “where y’at duckboy? [7]” interlude was great easycore single with additional influences of melodic hardcore, emo-pop & skate punk fighting until the war’s over leading into “Kino Der Toten” after the “where y’at duckboy? [8]” interlude ends by choking on his thoughts.

Almost a year & a half since Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma came out already, I can’t be mad at Ruby for putting out Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm simultaneously alongside $crim’s 4th album Via Crucis that also dropped today & only days before Duckboy’s 37th birthday. And while I personally find myself enjoying Via Crucis more, I still respect Ruby for throwing it back to his Vapor-Rats days. This one has a prominent easycore vibe with melodic hardcore, emo-pop & skate punk undertones in as opposed to the heavy skate & pop punk vibes of the last EP.

Score: 3.5/5

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$uicideboy$ – “New World Depression” review

New Orleans, Louisiana duo Ruby da Cherry & $crim a.k.a. the $uicideboy$ are back for their 4th studio LP. Together, they’ve released a plethora of projects within the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Sufferingfollowed & they dropped their last full-length Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation couple summers ago & are linking back up from a quick solo detour ringing in New World Depression.

“Lone Wolf Hysteria” produced by $crim & Dynox begins heading towards a misty Memphis rap direction instrumentally promising to trace the mark on their label G*59 Record$ when they dead & gone whereas “Mental Clarity Is a Luxury I Can’t Afford” takes the eerie trap route talking about smoking them. “The Thin Grey Line” fuses Memphis rap with boom bap & trap honoring all who serve in correctional institutions prior to “Thorns” works in a cloudier beat boasting that they’re on a whole different planet.

The desponding trap atmosphere on “Misery in Waking Hours” fits perfectly well with the theme of bitches getting them all the way fucked up while “Burgundy” reusing the exact same sample they used for the 2015 SoundCloud cut “Royal” vividly portraying the gangsta lifestyles they live. “Transgressions” returns to the boom bap obeying the Lord when he talks to them, but then “Are You Going to See the Rose in the Vase or the Dust on the Table?” blends cloudy trap production with pop rap & emo rap reachin’ out for help.

“All of My Problems Always Involve Me” depressively opens up about traveling the world & almost going crazy in 2018 just before the sample-based trap joint “The Light at the End of the Tunnel for $9.99 a Month” confesses to the fear of relapsing. The Totalitarian remix of “Drag ‘Em “N” tha River” by U.N.L.V. is a cool homage to one of the first acts Cash Money Records ever signed while “Us vs. Them” dustily holds 3s up for their set. To finish their 4th album, we get the 5th installment of the “Kill Yourself” series of tracks.

Coming back from a much needed break to focus on further establishing themselves individually & of course the entire G*59 roster since I’ve literally reviewed every single one of the 8 artists signed to the label, they embark on a unapologetic exploration of the darker sides of human experience to resonate with anyone who has ever felt out of place or battled with their own shadows. Through the navigation of themes revolving around fame along with self-destruction & the relentless search for identity amidst chaos, they give us an album on par with I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel V.

Score: 4/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma” review

This is the 2nd solo EP from New Orleans emcee/producer Ruby da Cherry. Blowing up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography over the last decade & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists. Budd dropped his full-length solo debut A Man Rose from the Dead in the midst of the COVID-19 to mixed reviews & as Ruby comes off Tragic Love Songs to Study to earlier this summer, he’s back at it with more Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” intro, the first song “Excalibur” is a punk rock opener with Ruby singing that he knows he’s gonna find a way down the line whereas “I Was a Teenage Nihilist” following the “where y’at, duckboy?” interlude features faster instrumentation talking about the nihilism he faced as an adolescence. “Pearls Are Just Oyster Puke” after the “where y’at, duckboy??” interlude continues to take things heavier assuring that he’s still breathing & after the final “where y’at, duckboy???” interlude, the final song “Heroin As a Recreational Activity” is a punk rock closer talking about his past drug addiction.

tragic love songs to study to was a solid way for Ruby to properly introduce everyone to his pop punk alter-ego because he continues to delve further into the world of punk rock music recalling back to his Vapo-Rats days. His vocals & songwriting are still on point, but I noticed a couple heavier instrumentals in comparison to the previous EP last summer & it has me wondering if he’s gonna dabble with metal music in regards to his next solo EP.

Score: 3.5/5

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$uicideboy$ – “I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel V” review

The $uicideboy$ are a revered duo from New Orleans, Louisiana consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim. Together, they’ve released a plethora of projects within the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$‘ sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering followed as did their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation over the summer & are coming fresh off the Yin Yang Tapes tetralogy by saying fuck Grey Sheep III in favor of a new installment of their widely acclaimed I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel series.

“Not Even Ghosts Are This Empty” starts the EP with a sample-based trap banger produced by $crim & Dynox of Internet Money Records talking about not being able to feel their faces no matter how hard it gets at times whereas “Finding Shelter In My Larynx” confessing that everything is black to them now over a more trillwave instrumental. “A Little Trauma Can Be Illuminating & I’m Shining Like the Sun” actually ends the EP by depressingly confessing that they still can’t sleep at night even though they playa.

The Yin Yang Tapes were ok even though I still go back to a couple cuts on there, but my expectations for I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel Vwere very high the second it was announced & easily the best EP the boy$ have dropped all year. They take it back to the signature cloud rap sound of the predecessor & some emo subject matter on top of it

Score: 4/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “tragic love songs to study to” review

Ruby da Cherry is a 35 year old MC/producer from New Orleans, Louisiana emerging as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim. In the span of the decade, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists. Budd dropped his full-length solo debut A Man Rose from the Dead in the midst of the COVID-19 to mixed reviews & as the boy$ gear up for Grey Sheep III, it’s only right for Ruby to step up to the plate & drop off a solo EP of his own.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” intro, the first song “ROUGAROU (i’ve become the monster)” sets the tone for what’s to come embracing the pop punk sound talking about liking to hunt alone whereas “XXL hadron colliderr” following the “where y’at, duckboy?” interlude shifts gears into skate punk territory clarifying that he’s been stabbed in the back. “my love life needs a lobotomy” describes the way he learned to detail his ex & the final song “after further reasoning, i’m going to bed” after 1 last “where y’at, duckboy??” interlude closes the EP with 1 last pop punk jam asking if his soulmate would bring flowers to his grave.

For an EP, I’d still say that tragic love songs to study to is still cuts above A Man Rose From the Dead & I’m actually pretty impressed with the artistic detour he takes in comparison to his $uicideboy$ work. He completely ditches the signature $B sound so he can experiment with pop punk as well as skate punk & easycore. Almost kinda like how ZillaKami of City Morgue dabbled with grunge & alt-rock on his solo debut Dogboy a couple years back.

Score: 3.5/5

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$uicideboy$ – “Yin Yang Tapes 4: Winter Season” review

This is the 27th EP from New Orleans, Louisiana duo the $uicideboy$. Consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim, these guys released a plethora of projects within the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering followed as did their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation over the summer & are wrapping up the month of May by concluding the Yin Yang Tapes tetralogy.

After the intro, the first song “Bossier City Kidnap Victims” starts the final entry of the saga by making the block wet with an eerie trap instrumental backing them while the penultimate track “Didn’t They Give You Percoset?” takes a more straightforward dirty south turn talking about getting the money. “I Deleted Facebook a Long Time Ago” rounds out the EP with a cloudy Memphis trap banger knocking motherfuckers out they case, thus ending the Yin Yang Tapes era & marking the beginning of the Grey Sheep III rollout.

People were complaining about the predecessor to be 1-dimensional & I think I can just come straight out the gate saying that’s not the case with this final installment of the series. I mean yeah we still get doses of cloudy Memphis gangsta rap & rare phonk, but the dirty south opener was a refreshing change of pace from what we heard throughout the dozen joints we got from the boy$ this month excluding the intros & makes me confident about the Grey Sheep trilogy coming to a conclusion this summer since the original contains some of their strongest material.

Score: 3.5/5

$uicideboy$ – “Yin Yang Tapes 3: Fall Season”

The $uicideboy$ are a hip hop duo from New Orleans, Louisiana consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim. For almost a decade now, these guys released a plethora of projects whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering followed as did their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation over the summer & continuing the Yin Yang Tapes series in the form of their 26th EP.

After the “Fall Season” intro, the song “whatwhat” opens things up with some gritty synthesizer patterns & hi-hats cautioning that you better stay the fuck away from them while the penultimate track “Every Dog Has His Day” gives off a more atmospherically Memphis kind of vibe to it this time around getting on their Scarface shit. “Provolone & Heroin” featuring Freddie Dredd however happens to be a mediocre closer despite its mystic trap production the lyrics representing the north side of New Orleans.

If you’re already familiar with the last 2 installments of the series, then you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself into here as they drop off 3 songs that fans can get themselves into the fall mood in about 4 months when the leaves actually start to turn brown. The feature at the backend is probably the weakest of the tetralogy so far, but they continue to expand on the cloudy rare phonk sounds from before & dropping their signature gangsta-infused lyrics on top of it.

Score: 3.5/5

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$uicideboy$ – “Yin Yang Tapes 2: Summer Season” review

This is the 25th EP from New Orleans, Louisiana duo the $uicideboy$. Consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim, these guys released a plethora of projects within the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ sophomore effort Long Term Effects of Suffering followed as did their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation over the summer & are now coming off the EP they dropped last weekend Yin Yang Tapes: Spring Season for the sequel Summer Season.

After the intro, the first song “5 ‘n the Mornin’” is an occult trap opener with the boy$ declaring that players never die while the penultimate track “Starry 9” has more of a Memphis-inspired sound to it à la one of my all-time favorite groups & one of the Nawlins duo’s biggest inspirations Three 6 Mafia sonically so they can rep the 7th ward. “Bloody ‘98” featuring Ghostmane concludes the first half of the Yin Yang Tapes tetralogy with the trio collaborating for the first time with a demonic trap closer & all 3 MCs gelling with one another better than one would anticipate discussing their killer instincts.

I can only assume Fall is coming next Friday & eventually Winter the weekend after, but I really can’t complain because this is a tad bit superior to Spring in my personal opinion & it has me anticipating the 6 songs from the other 2 installments later on in the month ahead of Grey Sheep III afterwards. Blanco & Wetto continue to build upon the cloudy trap sounds of the predecessor with their production here as they keep spitting some gangsta-laced braggadocio for us to vibe to in time for next month.

Score: 3.5/5

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