Babytron – “Megatron 2” review

This is the 9th mixtape from Detroit emcee Babytron. Coming up as a member of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee, he also branched out on impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But the last couple years was probably his biggest yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone following the release of Luka Trončić a couple summers prior to signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & then Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming that same fall. But now coming off Bin Reaper 3 as well as the bootleg Style EP & the full-length LP 6, we’re being treated to a sequel to Megatron.

“Beyond Turnt 2” hops on top of some pianos & hi-hats for a sequel to one of my favorite tracks off the original Megatron saying it’s time to kick in the door whereas “#Certified” talks about being legit over an ignorant trap instrumental. “Murder Mitten” goes into hyphy territory reminding y’all exactly where the fuck he’s from prior to “IRL” featuring BLP Kosher going back & forth with one another accompanied by a booming trap but.

Tron charismatically boasts that how his cup look, you think he bled in it on “Let’s Get It!” over strings & hi-hats leading into “Streetball” explaining to his girl that there ain’t no rules in the titular game over a rubbery beat. “Bop It!” featuring Drego & Beno experiments with a lowend sound telling the bitches to let them see that shit they doin’ all on TikTok, but then “Stutter Flow” experiments with a stuttering rap flow over a Detroit trap instrumental.

“Yo Mamma” by Lewis & Clark pulls off a back-&-forth delivery style better than “IRL” unsurprisingly since Babytron & Stanwill both come off so natural with a smooth backdrop & hi-hats leading into the bouncy “Down, Up!” talking about how it’s time to pick up a blick for him. “Kai Cenat / Old Days” featuring Luh Tyler is a decent 2-parter with dynamic & an average chemistry compared to “Yo Mamma” despite the subject matter of being rich now ain’t nothing like being broke back then just before “XXX” puts in extra hours over a tropical beat.

Meanwhile, the line at the start of “Deez Nuts!” asking why you rockin’ fake Bape in the midst of shopping off of Alibaba had me laughing congratulating someone for playing himself & the instrumental would fit snugly fine in a club while “Work!” ends the first half of Megatron 2by flexing that he grinds’ like he’s Rob Dyrdek himself over a spacey trap beat. G.T. & Cash Kidd join Tron so they can compare themselves to the “90’s Bulls” over a dark instrumental while “Ice Cream” featuring Certified Trapper, RiFF RAFF, Soulja Boy & YN Jay is actually a cool 3-minute cypher that I don’t mind other than Certified Trapper’s parts.

“Tutorial” shows off that he beat the game while everyone else is just learning how to play over pianos & hi-hats while the synthesizer heavy “Trick or Treat?” explains exactly how he ended up going from Chris Rock to Ray Romano in his life. “Red Ring of Death” sticks to the Detroit trap guns making a clever reference to what happens when 1 or more components of the Xbox 360 have failed while the piano-trap hybrid “WHATS FUNNY? (HAHA)” talks about hoes being nothing to brag about.

BabyFxce E’s contribution to the 2-part “241” doesn’t really do it for me even though Tron himself & the beat-switch themselves are just fine while “$1M” talks about waiting on his 10th payment hoping on top of more keys & hi-hats. “Coney Island” featuring AK Bandamont, Bandgang Javar, Glockboyz Teejaee, KrispyLife Kidd, Los & Nutty and Nuk is a mediocre Detroit trap posse cut while with Krispylife & Babytron standing out the most while the bell-infused “Ain’t They?” by the Dookie Brothers picks up the pace wanting them to be shown more since it ain’t enough.

“Yakuza” featuring Fordio, J1Hunnit, MJPAID, Prince Jefe & ScrumbleMan reps the Dog $hit Militia for 3 minutes giving off a bassier quality musically while the song “Thumb War” vibrantly likens USDs, Euros, Yen, IDM to exactly that. The penultimate track “AYEE!” shoots for a grimmer approach saying you’d think he’d be making Kool-Aid playing with his father Mr. Sadistic who happens to be the frontman of former Psychopathic Records rap metal outfit Motown Rage & “I Imagine” wraps up Megatron 2 by paying tribute to his late homie $cam.

Although Style wasn’t all that good to me, 6 still stands as an impressive debut full-length album from the best member of the ShittyBoyz & we got a sequel to the tape that he dropped right before he made it onto the previous XXL Freshman Class list. Feature list is iffy, but the production is grounded in his signature Detroit trap sound dabbling with lowend a bit more & Tron himself improving himself compared to the last couple outings from him.

Score: 3.5/5

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ShittyBoyz – “TRIF3CTA: The Finale” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Detroit trap trio the ShittyBoyz. Consisting of BabyTron alongside Stanwill & T.R. Dee, they emerged off their debut mixtape 3-Peat in the summer of 2019 taking the motor city by storm & following it up with another tape & 2 full-lengths with the last ones being Trifecta as well as the the sequel last summer shortly after BabyTron performed at the Gathering of Dreams with his father Mr. Sadistic of former Psychopathic Records rap metal outfit Motown Rage. Over a year later, the Boyz are now looking to close out the trilogy by completing the TRIF3CTA with a finale.

“Perfect 3” starts it all off with some flutes & hi-hats talking about how they really are an immaculate trio together whereas “Boomshakalaka” works in some horns tossing the mic back & forth with each other boasting that they’re the ones. “Triumphs & Trophies” is a 2-minute bell/trap crossover encouraging to let them get the drop, but then “Tronald & Stanley” if you couldn’t tell by the name finds the Dookie Brothers jumping over pianos for a minute & a half.

Meanwhile, “50 Boyz” gives off a straight forward Detroit trap sound talking about how they be with the fuckery leading into “Fun & Games” gets on their hi-NRG shit betting the’ll put ‘em in the ground if it’s beef for that cheese. “Forever Lit” has a more suspenseful atmosphere declaring that they’ll always be up just before “Fly Life” beautifully kicks the hi-NRG back up going into detail of the fly shit they be doing.

“Mosh Pit” gives me an uncanny feeling to the beat as the Boyz get in their gangsta rap bags while “Duck! Duck! Goose!” aggressively cautions not to flex on them because they’ll embarrass you in the process. The synth-laced yet Bay Area inspired “Mood Switch” points out that they’re still undefeated while “Ball Players” gives off a piano-driven trap vibe chockfull of basketball players wordplay.

Moving on from there, “Tip Off” makes me feel like blasting this in the middle of driving downtown making it no secret that they’ve been waiting just to ball while the cloudy “WrestleMania” making it clear that they ain’t even gonna fight. “Game 7” gets on their back & forth shit for a minute a half over a rowdy beat calling out those in the club who ain’t throwing shit while “Juggernaut” brings back the synthesizers contemplating if this shit for them on the beach as they dancing.

“Sh!tty Pack” featuring BFB da Packman goes into a more sample-based trap direction even though BFB doesn’t do it for me not wasting bullets on their asses while “On Fire” hooks up a shimmery backdrop with hi-hats having more stripes than a referee. “Wembanyama” blends these strings, bass licks letting it be known his cousin in a suit after saying the wrong shit until “Danny & Jake” featuring GrindHard E & YSR Gramz ends the album with the latter 2 getting washed in a 3 minute cypher.

This whole trilogy has been some of the ShittyBoyz’ best material & they went on a pretty fun note to complete the TRIF3CTA. Wasn’t too big on the features personally, but the Detroit trap production never fails to interest me as do the charismatic chemistry that the trio have always had. Here’s to the next chapter of the biggest group that the local trap scene has to offer today.

Score: 3.5/5

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Babytron – “Bin Reaper 3: New Testament” review

This is the 8th mixtape from Detroit emcee Babytron. Coming up as a member of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee, he also branched out on impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But the last couple years was probably his biggest yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone following the release of Luka Trončić a couple summers prior to signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & then Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming that same fall. But now coming off Megatron last spring & a spot in the 2022 XXL Freshman Class a couple months later, he’s dropping the other half of the final installment of the Bin Reaper trilogy.

“Forever $cams” is a suspenseful hyphy opener with Tron talking about never stopping whereas “Next Level 2” works in multiple beat switches as he welcomes everyone to the next chapter. “Michigan Ave” has a bit of a catchy groove or rhythm to the instrumental advising to meet him on the titular road, but then “#FREEUNKY” comes through with a more uncanny sound courtesy of Detroit trap veteran Helluva shouting out his uncle that’s currently incarcerated.

Meanwhile on “Gimme Dat”, we have Lil Yachty coming into the picture with Babytron for an explosively raw trap hit as they talk about popping out that cut prior to “CatDog” with Babyface Ray finds 2 of the best rappers in Detroit at the moment calling out those who be talking shit online & backing down in person over some triumphant Bay Area inspired production. Cordae tags along for the mellow “Beetleborgs” getting on some category 5 type shit leading into “Mr. Hanky” referring to himself as the shit over a trap instrumental with a menacing loop.

“Remote Control” finds Tron doing his thing with some beat switches sampling shows ranging from Kenan & Kel to Samurai Jack just before “R.I.P. Hutch” with Rico Nasty & Remble has more vibrant tone to it as the trio deliver a party anthem. “Mike Amiri Monster” is a 2-parter with a piano-trap crossover during the first half & some background vocals for the other referring to himself as such while “Golden Child” mixes some hi-hats & saxes talking about feeling like an Egyptian with all the ice he is.

Following that, “Euphoria 2” has a more dramatic approach in terms of sound reminding that tomorrow’s price isn’t the same as today’s whatsoever while “Sunday School” calling out another for having the sauce yet it’s far from marinated over some keyboard melodies mixed with strings & hi-hats. “Dirty Draco” with KanKan keeps the pianos in tact as both artists speak on sipping Faygo & staying strapped while Certified Trapper’s feature on “Zap Zone” is one of the weakest on the tape despite the whistling loop & the claps within the beat & the lyrics talking about having a game to win.

“Ricky Henderson” compares his lil brodie to that of the titular baseball player accompanied by a wavy trap instrumental while “Waffle House” by the ShittyBoyz, Drego & Beno, RMC Mike, Babyfxce E, JHunnit & Prince Jefe is a decent 3 & a half minute Detroit posse cut. “Mainstream Tron 2” has a cloudy aesthetic to it talking about how it’s all rah-rah with the yacht & the Glock.

As for “100 OVR”, the beat blends these strings & bells as Babytron explains that his crew still sin because all dogs go to heaven as well as calling himself a hustle fiend while “Za Morant” returns to a more atmospheric vibe talking about him balling. “You Would’ve Thought” with DaBoii pulls from nu disco as they both flaunt their success to those who didn’t believe in them while “Animorph” gives off a more saddening feel expressing the pain of watching someone he once respected turning into a snake.

The instrumental throughout the “2 Ea$y” is more horn-laced talking about being the early birdie while the penultimate track “Tronalation 28:27” is a synth/hyphy crossover as Tron confesses that he can’t trust what some fraud has to say to him. “I Can’t Call It” with $camaurion” closes out the tape admitting that they don’t know what they be on these days with a thumping bass-line, some chords & hi-hats.

Although I’d still say that Old Testament is my favorite between both parts of the Bin Reaperfinale, that’s not to say New Testament isn’t worth the time of anyone who’s been following him up to this beat Other than it being a little longer than it should’ve, the 2 things that really wowed me the most about it was the fact that the feature-list is more consistent in comparison to Babytron’s past efforts & the insane punchlines that he endlessly comes up with

Score: 3.5/5

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Babytron – “Bin Reaper 3: Old Testament” review

Babytron is a 22 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan who came up as a member of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee. He also branched out on impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers, but it seems like last year was probably his biggest year yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone following the release of Luka Trončić last summer prior to signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & then Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming last fall. But now coming off Megatron this past spring & a spot in the 2022 XXL Freshman Class a couple months later, he’s ending the Bin Reaper trilogy in the form of his 7th mixtape.

“Genesis 1:1” opens the tape with Babytron reflecting on his life within the last 5 years over a trap instrumental with some bells whereas “Top 2 Not 2” taking a more futuristic yet triumphant turn talking about being flier than a martian. “Myspace” dives into an airier direction acknowledging that he been had a status leading into “Silly Me”, which works in some synthesizers & a sample of the Tag Team hit “Whoomp! (There It Is)” talking about sliding in that Dawn until it’s dusk.

Continuing with “Wake the Fuck Up”, we have Tron bursting the bubbles of everyone who thought they were up with the beat flipping “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell just before Dougie B tags along for the string/trap-laced “Drake & Josh” talking about pulling out the strap out his BAPE & putting these goofies in their place. “‘15-‘16 Curry” returns a more synth-woven sound comparing himself to Stephen Curry during the mid-2010s, but then “8th Wonder of the World” has a more darker approach in sound declaring himself as such.

Icewear Vezzo comes into the picture for the Helluva-produced “Can You Swim?” to call out those who be burning a lot of bridges like it ain’t shit while “Awful Lot Yeah” talking about been heavy on the lean as of late even though the Enrgy beat is just ok. “1 Side of Things” blends electro/hyphy together saying he’s gonna bounce back from a tape flopping by scamming while “Rage Quit” is a well-sequenced 2-parter with a beat switch during the last 47 seconds talking about making his competition give up if they check the scoreboard.

The song “Dog $hit Militia Cypher 2” by the ShittyBoyz, $camaurion, JuSleaze, MJPAID, ScrumbleMan, Fordio, J3 & Donnie Bands is a decent little gangsta posse cut with some robotic trap production while the penultimate track “AirTron” makes a shit-ton of basketball references down to the producer sampling the Kurtis Blow single paying tribute to his favorite sport. “365 Day Grind” however finishes the tape wonderfully with a dedication to the never-ending hustle.

Now if Babytron is in fact closing the book on the Bin Reaper trilogy here, then I think it’s one that fans will certainly be satisfied with. I’m glad he didn’t overload the tracklisting like with his last couple tapes as he spits some incredibly witty punchlines accompanied by production with some more pluggier undertones than a lot of the stuff he’s given us in the past.

Score: 3.5/5

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ShittyBoyz – “Trifecta 2” review

The ShittyBoyz are a trio from Detroit, Michigan consisting of BabyTron alongside Stanwill & T.R. Dee. Since putting out their debut mixtape 3-Peat in the summer of 2019, they would take the motor city by storm & following it up with another tape & 2 full-lengths with the last one being Trifecta during the first quarter of the year. But now with the PunchGod himself Babytron landing a spot on this year’s XXL Freshman Class & his performance at the Gathering of the Juggalos this weekend along with the rap metal band Motown Rage fronted by his father Mr. Sadistic (who were also once signed to Psychopathic Records in the late 2000s), the Boyz are back in town for album #3.

“Win or Lose” is an atmospheric hyphy opener talking about how you either take Ws or Ls in life leading into Tae Retro tagging along for “Zeke & Luther” to stay on the grind over a quasi-tropical beat. “WWE” works in some hi-hats & horns to show off some clever wrestling wordplay whereas “V8’s & V12’s” has a more West Coast flare to it cautioning that you may catch them speeding.

Meanwhile on “Senzu Bean”, what’ve the ShittyBoyz over a symphonic trap instrumental calling out some shooters who said they’d pop them similar to the object in Dragon Ball Z that recoups a fighter’s strength & help them recover from incredibly from severe injuries just before “Video Games” samples a wide range of classic from San Andreas to the startup sound of a GameCube to flaunt their lifestyles. “Lion-Hearted” incorporates a muffled sample & hi-hats so then can ball, but then “Going Hyphy” is self-explanatory as far as sound goes except the braggadocious lyricism.

“Slam Dunk Contestants” weaves some keyboards into the fold comparing themselves to the Avengers while the TRL-assisted “Turnt Shit 2” is a decent sequel to a loosie the quartet put out couple years back. “Cheers B!tch” revives the Hi-NRG sound with a chilling switch-up during the last 50 seconds talking about having double cups while the song “Getaway” is a jazz/trap hybrid boasting yet again.

The penultimate track “Most Wanted” mixes some guitar plucks, trumpets, synths & hi-hats together confessing that they feel like they’re on the run with “GGG” finishing off the album with another Hi-NRG hit talking about punching shit online similar to that of Gennady Golovkin.

I’ve made it pretty clear that the ShittyBoyz & Babyface Ray both have Detroit in a chokehold at the moment & Trifecta 2 is just another example of that. The bars that they come up together never fail to grab me in an amusing way & with the production continuing to redefine the group by going with completely different sounds.

Score 3.5/5

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Babytron – “Megatron” review

This is the 6th mixtape from Detroit rapper Babytron. Coming up as a member of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee, he’s also branched out on impressive solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. However, it seems like last year was probably his biggest year yet landing interviews ranging from No Jumper to even Rolling Stone or the release of Luka Trončić last summer prior to signing with EMPIRE Distribution later that same month & then Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming back in the tail-end of October. But to follow all that success up, he’s kicking off his 2022 run with Megatron.

“Letter to Cornelius” starts out the tape mixing jazz & trap to spit braggadocio whereas “Manute Bol” works in some strings to talk about being paid similar to that of the late NBA player of the same name. “Peachtree” goes into a cloudier direction letting muthafuckas know that no one can beat him, but then “Cobra Kai” works in a danceable groove to talk about some late night shit.

Meanwhile on “Beyond Turnt”, we have Babytron continuing to flex accompanied by some strings leading into “Huge Lifestyle 2” is a mediocre sequel to a loosie that GTP Daidoe put out a little over a year back. “Area 51” has an appropriately spacious atmosphere to it talking about being an alien just before “Mr. Do the Dash” brings a weepy violin loop into the mix declaring himself as such.

“Extra Butter” has a dope ass funk sample dissing his competition while “Crocs & Wock” takes things into a more electro-direction to ball. “BMF” of course flips the 50 Cent single “Wish Me Luck” paying tribute to Big Meech’s operation of the same name prior to DaBoii tagging along for the hyphy-laced “Chess Players” to talk about their reckless gangster mentalities.

Following that, “6 Star Wanted Level” comes through with some insane beat switches for each verse saying he lives a GTA life while “Mainstream Tron” has a more playful tone talking about all the success he’s been seeing as of late. “Hustle Junkie” is basically him admitting that he’s addicted to grindin’ with an exotic sample woven in while “God Tier” goes into soulful territory talking about being his own boss.

“December 1st” flips the Sue Ann Carwell joint “I’ll Give You Love” to declare himself a living legend while “Hold Up, Wait!” returns to a more symphonic sound talking about being too high. “RIP Virgil” experiments with disco paying homage to the late Off-White founder of the same name while “Stupid” finds Babytron displaying a decent back & forth chemistry with Glockboyz Teejaee over a violin instrumental.

The song “Jerry Rice” returns to the jazzy sounds of the opener continuing to diss anyone who thinks they can step up to him while the penultimate track “10 Toes Wherever” samples the classic Nate Dogg/Warren G banger “Nobody Does It Better” to talk about feeling cocky. “The Lost World” ends the tape with multiple beat switches & some incredible charisma in Babytron’s verses.

If you ask me, Megatron serves as yet another reminder as of why Babytron is one of the hottest rappers in the city right now. He continues to bring some exciting new sounds into the Detroit trap scene & his pen-game (most notably the punchlines) continue to level up at an astonishing rate.

Score: 3.5/5

ShittyBoyz – “Trifecta” review

This is the sophomore album from Detroit trio ShittyBoyz. Consisting of BabyTron alongside Stanwill & T.R. Dee, the group dropped off their debut mixtape 3-Peat in the summer of 2019 & quickly became one of the city’s biggest acts in recent memory. Their full-length debut New Year, Same Scams came out 7 months later & the last we heard from them as a unit was almost a year ago with their 2nd tape 4-Peat. However after taking some short time focusing on their solo careers, the Boyz are back in town in the form of Trifecta.

“Red Wings” opens the album with a mystic trap beat talking about shining from out the dark whereas “Gotham City” follows it up with a more darker tone saying they don’t lane switch. “Big 3” takes a more vibrant route to talk about their star power just before “Soul Bleed” mixes chipmunk soul with trap continuing to flex.

Meanwhile on “Taliban Ties”, we have the ShittyBoyz picking up where the previous cut left off sonically talking about their connections to the mob leading into the flute-laced “Visa Magicians” getting back in their scamming bag. “Red Light, Green Light” is pretty much their own take on the Squid Game concept down to the sample, but then the instrumental that “Sly Cooper” brings to the table of course pays homage to one of my favorite video game series growing up talking about taking computer’s from internet thugs & dissing the weirdos with no money.

“Night on Collins Ave” almost has a bit of an orchestral quality to it detailing how it is on the titular street here in Detroit while “Ghetto Elegance” returns to chipmunk soul territory to show off their wealth. “Payday” works in some catchy vocal melodies hanging in the background painting pictures of the lives they live while “TMZ” incorporates a sitar to talk about being married to the paper.

Following that, “Bill Nye” goes into a more synth-heavy direction calling out those who ain’t never chased a bag prior to “Blizzard Mode” throwing some bells in the mix talking about how nothing they achieved was luck. “Triple Dog Dare” comes in with a more entrancing tone challenging a fed after pulling up to right while “Supervillain” sinisterly compares themselves to that of.

The amount of beat switches on “Time Travelin’” are completely fuckin’ insane as they let their competition know they ain’t scared of them while “Rob Dyrdek” addresses their hustle & the backdrop behind the drums is very delicate. “NFL” of course samples the Twilight Trio’s theme tune for the titular company making a bunch of clever sports references while the song “Kung Fu” over a weepy instrumental talking about being bound to blow. The penultimate track “Pedal Pushin’” has some cloudy undertones to the beat talking about pulling up when the money calls & “On 1” ends the album with an opera sample & talking about working magic.

Between this & the new Babyface Ray album Face, I feel like this is gonna be a great year for the city as far as rising talent goes. It’s always amazing to me how each member of the trio stands out in their own way & their style remains unmatched in comparison to some Detroit trap artists painting themselves in a corner stylistically.

Score: 3.5/5

Babytron – “Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming” review

Babytron is a 21 year old rapper from Detroit, Michigan who came up just a few years ago as part of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee. Along the way, he’s also built up a solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. The kid just dropped Luka Trončić on his birthday over the summer & with Halloween approaching this weekend, he’s celebrating by dropping a sequel to his debut tape Bin Reaper.

“Half-Blood Prince” kicks the tape off by sampling the Harry Potter theme getting on that gangsta shit whereas “Next Level” weaves in a soul sample talking about elevating. “Paul Bearer” works in a flute to get braggadocious, but then “Euro-Stepper” has a more minimalistic sound to it with him going at his competition.

Meanwhile on “Day in Ferndale”, we have Babytron displaying some intriguing storytelling despite it’s weak instrumental just before the bassy “007” talks about creeping up with the strap. “Pissed Off” has a bit of a early-2000’s era Dr. Dre influence to the production declaring himself as a 1-man army leading into Lil Yachty tagging along for “Turtle Pie” to show some amazing chemistry even though it’s criminally short.

“Monkey D. Luffy” has a hypnotic vocal loop buried in the bass comparing himself to the 1 Piece character of the same name while the soulful “It Is What It Is” looks back on not having all the shit he has now. “Pink Runtz” resurrects the hi-nrg vibes of Luka Trončić calling himself the drip god. The flutes on “Monsters & Mobsters” are a nice touch letting cats know beef with them ain’t the best decision whereas “On the Bible” shows off lyrically over an instrumental that sounds straight from a kung fu flick.

Krispylife Kidd comes into the picture for “Tag Team Champs” to deliver a more fleshed out version of “Turtle Pie” leading into the glossy yet romantic “Jesse Owens”. The late night cruiser “How?” calls out his haters as crackheads & the more mellow “Heart Break Kid” spills out some $1M thoughts.

I like how minimal yet detailed “Superstar” sounds addressing his rising fame just before the ShittyBoyz come together for the hi-nrg “Young Goats” talking about being future legends in the making. “Blankman” grimly details living better days as of late & “Pimp My Ride” pays homage to the show that overshadowed Xzibit’s music career down to the sample.

“Green Lantern” takes a funkier approach dissing those faking the funk, but then Helluva provides a techno vibe for “Frankenstein”, which is about how Wockhardt got him moving slow. “Everybody Hates Tron” obviously flips the Everybody Hates Chris theme to shit talk while the bell-heavy “No Jumper” speaks on blowing weed on Adam22’s podcast of the same name.

The penultimate track “Lavar Ball” with RTB MB is another flute-woven cut talks about turning the party up whenever they walk in & to finish the whole tape off, “Sith Lord” flips the iconic Darth Vader theme to basically call himself the rap game equivalent to that of one of the greatest villains ever.

Not a lot of sequel projects in hip hop can live up to the expectations set by the predecessor, but Bin Reaper 2: The 2nd Coming is a solid example of that. It’s a little long-winded running at 27 tracks total, but I genuinely think Babytron’s punchline game is one of the best in the current hip hop landscape & how he along with the rest of the ShittyBoyz break free from how repetitive Detroit trap can be.

Score: 3.5/5

Babytron – “Luka Trončić” review

This is the 4th mixtape from Detroit rapper Babytron, who came up just a few years ago as part of the trio ShittyBoyz along with his childhood friends Stanwill & TR Dee. Along the way, he’s also built up a solo career for himself as well as the side groups Lewis & Clark and the Dookie Brothers. But to celebrate his 21st birthday, it’s only right for Babytron to drop Luka Trončić.

It’s cool to hear him kick it off with a glossy, rubbery sequel to “Cheat Code” as well as a dancy conclusion of the “Juggalo Messiah” trilogy. Meanwhile on “Blitz”, we get some keyboards as the recently released Peezy tags along to flex whereas “IG Captions” feels like a charming freestyle & the instrumental feels like something out of the 80’s.

“PunchGod 3” if you couldn’t tell by the title showcases his punchline abilities backed by an infectious high-pitched vocal sample & even though Allstar Jr. has one of the weaker features on “Scam Stars”, I do like the piano-inflicted beat quite a bit. We go into a more suspenseful sound on “Golden Ticket” as Babytron compares his rap career to such before sounding off on his wealth on “$1M Thoughts” even though the instrumental is kinda plain.

The song “Where They At?” is more spacier cut where he says he feels like the late Blade Icewood, but then Stanwill & TR Dee unite for the electronic-tinged “Cold World” going at clout chasers. “Cowabunga” mixes some synth-strings & blobby bass for Babytron to start flexing lyrically & not only does he carry that topic onto “The Office”, but the way they sample the actual theme song from The Office is pure brilliance.

“Just In Case” is pretty much his own version of the Jahiem song of the same name while the synths on “Mr. Miyagi” sound off like laser guns as Babytron proclaims he has the magic touch. Since99’s verse on “Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy” is another weak spot on the album, but I do like how they compare themselves to the SpongeBob duo & actually sample their theme music much like on “The Office”.

The braggadocio continues on the entrancing “Playmaker” while going back to that Bay Area sound for “Game Time”, where Babytron raps about cranking the notch up just to prove a point. I love the haunting synth melodies accompanying the championing lyricism of “MVP Season” but then for the materialistic “$100 Rice Bowl”, the sound is like a cross between 80’s-like synths & hyphy. “Space Jam” has an EDM flare to it sonically as Babytron says he “got a Goon Sqwad like he’s Trick-Trick” while the eerie, bassy “Money Man” flashes his wealth.

The song “Untouchable” has a vintage sample throughout as well as lyrics about being that dude while the penultimate track “Bugs Bunny” is a glistening yet explosive cut about being up now. As for the closer “Early Bird”, there’s a plinky beat & Babytron rapping about how he can’t be fucked with.

Of all the tapes this cat has dropped, Luka Trončić could very well be his best one yet. I think the Hi-RNG undertones in the production is super unique in comparison to the more generic sounds you hear in modern day trap & Babytron’s continues to reveal himself as the most skilled ShittyBoy there is.

Score: 4/5

ShittyBoyz – “4-Peat” review

The ShittyBoyz are a hip hop trio from Detroit, Michigan consisting of Babytron, Stanwill & T.R. Dee. Breaking out in 2019 off their debut mixtape 3-Peat, the 21-year olds would begin to grow in popularity by opening for Danny Brown at his 6th Annual Bruiser Thanksgiving show as well as their No Jumper interview early last year. They dropped their full-length debut New Year, Same Scams pretty much right after that but as the 1 year anniversary of the album came & went over the weekend, the trio are reuniting for their 2nd mixtape.

The title track that starts things off talks about being the coldest group in Michigan over an electronic dance-flavored beat from Helluva whereas the next song “Boss Fight” talks about being jack chases over some cinematic string-sections laced in the instrumental. The track “War Zone” talks about putting bounties out over a much darker beat while the song “Ryan García” talks about multiplying bitches over a classy instrumental. The track “3-Man Weave” finds the trio going back & forth using the same rhyme schemes for 2-minutes over a glossy beat while the song “Terry Crews” talks about being cocky over what sounds like an animé sample.

The track “Jeez Relax!” talks about their newfound lifestyles over an opulent beat while the song “Rat Trap” claps back at those who try to stop their shine over some foreboding bells. The track “Scam GPS” of course returns to their scamming roots over a leaden beat while the song “10:20 at the Lab” talks about being gifted now over a flute-tinged instrumental. The track “Pick & Roll” finds the trio pondering about a number of different things over some snares firing off like rounds while the song “Jack Frost” talks about how there isn’t many like them over an instrumental with some icy synth melodies. The tape then rounds out with “Metta World Peace”, where the trio get materialistic over a boisterous beat.

Like the ShittyBoyz said at the very beginning of the tape: “We’re the coldest group in the state”. Their production continues to get better & the way they bounce off one another in their verses is still as unique as it was when they first broke out a couple years back.

Score: 3.5/5