ShittyBoyz – “TRIF3CTA: The Finale” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Detroit trap trio the ShittyBoyz. Consisting of BabyTron alongside Stanwill & TR Dee, they emerged off their debut mixtape 3-Peat under Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records 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 saying you can’t see them like 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena.

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” references former 14-time WWE world champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & WWE’s current CCO Triple H 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” that Jakesand cooked up points out that they’re still undefeated while “Ball Players” gives off a piano-driven trap vibe chockfull of basketball players wordplay including a bar about Point Grey Pictures founder Seth Rogen, who plays Allen on Invincible.

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” named after the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s marquee event makes 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

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

TR Dee – “Trapped in My Bag 3” review

Here is the 6th mixtape from Ypsilanti, Michigan rapper TR Dee. Notable for being 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz alongside Babytron & Stanwill signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he also began carving a path for himself as a solo artist off his first couple mixtapes Trapped in My Bag & Made for This ahead of his debut album M.I.P. (Most Improved Player). He has since given us 3 more tapes in Trapped in My Bag 2 as well as Crunch Time & Ice Trae, he’s finding himself Trapped in My Bag for a 3rd time.

The title track kicks it all off with a Detroit trap opener talking about nobody being able to fuck with him whereas “Uncle Drew” demands that the Dog $hit Militia gets respect out on their name collectively. “Chaka Khan” by the Dookie Brothers references WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE world champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage while “Final Boss” gives a nod to 14-time WWE world champion, WWE Hall of Famer, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & current WWE CCO Triple H.

Stanwill trades the mic back-&-forth with TR Dee on “Fuck the Booth” for 2 & a half minutes just before “Goin’ Harder” talks about haters motivating him to raise the bar whenever he hears them running their mouths. “Slow Dance” makes a promise that he won’t ever let the fame change him or switch up on the squad he came up with while “ShittyBoy” talks about there not being many in the game like him & that he doesn’t take threats too kindly.

“Bandits” featuring Babyfxce E & Grindhard Efinds the trio teaming up to break down their lifestyles even if the 2 guest appearances don’t do much for me compared to others while “Kobe’s Last Game” talks about going out the same way my favorite Los Angeles Lakers player of all-time did during the retirement game. “M.O.B. (Money Over Bitches) Life” tells us what it’s like for him prioritizing women more than hoes while “Catch a Bag” produced by Danny G & Jakesand talks about catching bags than feelings.

Certified Trapper & MariBoy Mula Mar both appear on “Kia Boyz” putting the whips in sports mode together while “Dame Time 2” picks up where his 3-Peat solo cut left off. “Hate on Me” finds himself asking why he got so many people counting him out trying to tell him what to do like he ain’t been doin’ this shit while “Rhude” featuring BandGang Biggs sees the pair unable to complain about their lives since it could get worse.

Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner “Elon Musk” gets referenced on a song named after him feeling like he’s in our solar system off the Backwoods while “Movie” featuring ScrumbleMan looks back on when things were fucked up despite living better financially these days. “Off-White Rug” talks about trying to make his money flip even though he knows nothing of gymnastics while “EA Sports” by the Dookie Brothers flexes that they’re in the game.

“Ball on You” gets on a Danny G beat to talk about being as deep in the game as he by now not shedding a single tear over some of the Ls he’s taken in the past while “Knockout” featuring Kasher Quon proves to be one of the weakest back-&-forth moments on the tape despite the instrumental of course. “Dog $hit” talks about the Dog $hit Militia lieutenant dismissing the idea of switching teams who’re tryna win a ring while “Y Not?” admits to wanting to shit on exes for the fuck of it.

The final time that both Danny G & Jakesand team up together behind the boards is “GLO” wanting it to be known that he doesn’t give a fuck about what other people once had because it’s a flashback as far as he’s concerned & “Dee You Made This?” finishes up the 3rd chapter of the Trapped in My Bag series with him thanking God every day when he wakes up for being alive feeling incredibly fresh after hopping out of the whip.

Trapped in My Bag & Trapped in My Bag 2 are both considered to be TR Dee’s finest solo tapes & I’ll argue with people calling this the weakest installment of the series that it can certainly hang with it’s predecessors although I still got a decent listening experience. It’s length is comparable to Trapped in My Bag 2’s, I’ll give them that including some of the guests here & the production stepping down compared to Crunch Time.

Score: 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

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 signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, 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 referencing former UFC BMF Champion Justin Gaethje.

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” produced by Danny G & Jakesand samples Resident Evil 2 calling out another for having the sauce yet it’s far from marinated. “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, J1Hunnit & 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 referencing former 3-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8 time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン & The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon Rey Mysterio 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 Reaper finale, 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

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

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 signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records. 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 with the help of Jakesand talking about being flier than a martian. “Myspace” dives into an airier direction acknowledging that he been had a status hearing voices as if he’s 14-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Randy Orton 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 comparing the Dookie Brothers to former 11-time WWE Tag Team Champions, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champions, ROH World Tag Team Champions, HOG World Tag Team Champions & ΩCW Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz.

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” produced by Danny G 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, the recently departed $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 & a reference to former AJPWオール・アジア・タッグチャンピオン, 世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, KO-Dタッグチャンピオン, FMWインディペンデントワールド世界ジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, GHCジュニアヘビー級タッグチャンピオン & current 新日本プロレス Jr. Heavyweight タカみちのく.

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

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

ShittyBoyz – “Trifecta 2” review

The ShittyBoyz are a trio from Detroit, Michigan consisting of BabyTron alongside Stanwill & TR Dee. Since putting out their debut mixtape 3-Peat under Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records 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 referencing those from former 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion, 6-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion & former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Chavo Guerrero to former アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン, TNA World Champion, AAA Mega Campeon, AAA Latinoamericano Campeon, AAA Mundial Cruceropeso Campeon, MLW National Openweight Champion, 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 3-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & ECW World Heavyweight Champion John Morrison 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 from Jakesand so they 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

@legendswill_never_die on Instagram for the best music reviews weekly!

TR Dee – “Trapped in My Bag 2” review

Ypsilanti, Michigan rapper TR Dee coming off his full-length debut with his 3rd mixtape. Notable for being 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz alongside Babytron & Stanwill signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he also began carving a path for himself as a solo artist off his first couple tapes Trapped in My Bag & Made for This ahead of his debut album M.I.P. (Most Improved Player). Ahead of him teaming up with Detroit producer Danny G on Crunch Time later this fall, we’re bearing treated to a Trapped in My Bag sequel.

The title track references 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena whereas “Scam Vet” talks about the continuous grind being his only motivation even after the label deal over a Danny G beat. “Jimi Hendrix” samples “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” by Modjo to admit that he feels like a rockstar while “NBA” flips “Basketball” by Kurtis Blow for some sharp wordplay about the sport.

Both former NXT Women’s Champion, 6-time WWE women’s world champion & 2-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Mercedes Moné and WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin get referenced on “Johnny Test” prior to “Watch the Cats Race” reuniting the Dookie Brothers.

“T.Y.B.” (Take Your Bitch)” works in some sampling reminiscent of the Afrika Bambaataa single “Planet Rock” to flex about stealing women from other guys while “Late Night Shenanigans” talks about what he does during the evening. “Rick & Morty” shouts out the Discovery Global division Cartoon Network owned [adult swim] hit series of the same name just before he takes a moment to “Pledge Allegiance to the Grind”.

Pro Football Hall of Famer “Dan Marino” talks about feeling like the greatest Miami Dolphins player of all-time after landing in Miami while “Ni Hao” featuring Stanwill ends the first half of the mixtape with them trading verses with one another for a few minutes. “Give It to Me” talks about his head coach status since he doesn’t play game & still being the same kid with the fro while “Highlights” refers to Joe Swanson from the Fox Corporation’s flagship property hit series Family Guy.

“Winnin’ Team” produced by Jakesand suggests that people come & get it with THHL since the Dog $hit Militia’s internationally known while “Porch Pirate” talks about being up early to catch a package over another noteworthy Jakesand instrumental. “Lotta Bands” featuring AK Bandamont unites both of them so they can discuss their riches while “TreDee” corrects people who’ve been erroneously calling him by that name.

We have TR Dee on “No Reply” ghosting a woman who’s been texting him saying she doesn’t perform oral while “Millionaire” references 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair.

“Bin Laden” talks about getting back up like it’s nothing whenever life knocks him down while “Living Legend” responds to the notion that D$M is trash because of the ShittyBoyz’ name, which I can further confirm. “Hidden Gem” talks about his gang only knowing to shoot & repping the squad for eternity while “Wait Yo Turn” dismisses the type who’re all bark with no bite.

Fueling my anticipation for Crunch Time even further whenever the time for that comes, TR Dee of the ShittyBoyz crafts a sequel to the mixtape that properly gave the world an idea of what he could do all by himself & Trapped in My Bag 2 feels like an acceptably worthy sequel to the original Trapped in My Bag. It’s longer than the predecessor, but the sample choices within production for this style of trap remains creative & the Dog $hit Militia lieutenant gets in his element once more.

Score: 4/5

Stanwill – “Big $hitter” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper Stanwill making his full-length studio debut. Coming up as 1/3 of the ShittyBoyz with Babytron & TR Dee signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, he eventually branched out on his own during the COVID-19 pandemic as did the rest of the group off the debut EP $camwill as well as it’s successor Gifted & the debut mixtape Van Gundy. However, the Big $hitter of the Dog $hit Militia collective has revealed himself after going Full Auto.

“When You Dropping?” gets the ball rollin’ with him & the rest of his crew making it seem like they’re working out the way they be flexing whereas “Sandlot” talks about how his lil’ bro been swinging the sticks lately. “Rick Grimes” references the main character of the amc series The Walking Dead’s early seasons while “OMG” finds him & the rest of the squad trippin’ out at the Ritz-Carlton.

4-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion, PWG World Tag Team Champion, ROH World Champion & 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins gets referenced during “On i94” produced by Danny G leading into “Crash the Whip” talks about shopping with no limits, buying an outfit that cost as much as a whole pint.

“GoldenEye” named after the timeless Nintendo 64 game of the same name flexes that he’ll turn his entire opps into Ronald McDonald the way he be hittin’ ‘em with the Mac-10 leading into “Chemistry” talking about stealing bitches solely off his chain referencing the Endeavor Group Holdings-owned UFC president Dana White. “Forever Active” featuring TR Dee finds the pair shit-talking over a Danny G beat while “Real Me” shows the most synthetic version of himself.

Meanwhile on “Tag Popper”, we have Stan describing the type of people he & the rest of the D$M are while “Glock on Stage” talks that he be hanging with the killers staying strapped when performing at shows. “Effortless” boasts that he doesn’t have to box because he keeps the Glock by his side daily prior to “Why the Fuck?” asking for the reason people think they’re part of the Dog $hit Militia.

“Fr Doe” featuring TRL trades the mic back-&-forth with each other decently over a Danny G instrumental while “Poetry” references the New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick the way he draws plays up for bills. “Cooper Kupp” gives a nod to the Los Angeles Rams WR of the same name while “No Lie” talks about him & his crew being sticked up at every single function they pop out at.

We get a cleverly chopped up string sample all over “Violin” looking back on coming from the dirt to the position that he’s in currently with the rest of his D$M family while “Limitless” by Lewis & Clark takes a couple minutes to trade brief verses with one another. “Shit Show” talks about chasing bags being the only thing he knows while “1st Class” explains that he keeps an X on him because he’s an Off-White enthusiast.

“Gladys Knight” winds down the last few minutes of Big $hitter by talking about the idea of becoming broke being exactly like a fish sinking & making the chopper sing while “No Way” featuring Tae Retro wraps up the LP with both parties breaking down the rebel mindset each of them have, refusing to work with anyone who doesn’t have anything to say to them from a financial position.

With 3 EPs & a mixtape under his belt already, Stanwill’s debut album Big $hitter will certainly appeal more tho those who got into him as a solo artist through $camwill or Van Gundy in comparison to the moderate reception of Full Auto although I certainly enjoyed it last fall for what it was. The secondary influences within the production puts an emphasis on more standard trap in addition to the Detroit sound we all know & it’s the most lyrically gangsta he’s been since Gifted.

Score: 4/5

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 signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records, 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 later referencing the greatest WWE superstar ever; soon-to-be inducted Hall of Famer, 7-time world champion, 7-time tag team champion & WWE Hardcore Champion The Undertaker. “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 the Dog $hit Militia general 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 Helluva takes “Crocs & Wock” 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 & punching a clerk harder than the longest reigning 2-time WWE Universal Champion, former 3-time WWE Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion Roman Reigns. “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 from Danny G & 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 & TR Dee, the group dropped off their debut mixtape 3-Peat under Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records 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 founding Dog $hit Militia members are back in town in the form of Trifecta.

“Red Wings” opens the album with a mystic trap beat from Jakesand talking about shining from out the dark whereas “Gotham City” follows it up with a more darker tone saying they don’t lane switch referencing both 14-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion & WWE United States Champion Randy Orton followed by 3-time WWE world champion, 5-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion, 3-time TNA World Champion, 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, HOG Tag Team Champion, ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, ΩCW New Frontiers Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion & The Crash Mundial Parejas Campeon Jeff Hardy. “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 Danny G chops up, 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 & TR Dee making a reference to 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena 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 referencing UFC Hall of Famer & former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin alongside the Justice League franchise owned by the Warner Bros.-owned DC Entertainment. “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 signing to Lando Bando’s own The Hip Hop Lab Records. 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, the Dog $hit Militia general will be celebrating by dropping a sequel to his debut tape Bin Reaper.

“Half-Blood Prince” kicks the tape off with Danny G sampling the Harry Potter theme getting on that gangsta shit whereas “Next Level” weaves in a soul sample talking about elevating. “Paul Bearer” named after the titular WWE Hall of Famer who managed both members of former 3-time WWE Tag Team Champions The Brothers of Destruction consisting of fellow WWE Hall of Famer Kane & The Undertaker individually 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 its 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 giving Twist of Fates like former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, 2-time ΩCW Heavyweight Champion, 2-time ΩCW Tag Team Champion, 2-time TNA World Champion, HoG Tag Team Champion & ROH World Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy.

“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 & dissing those who say yes to hoes like future AEW World Champion, former 5-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, IWGPジュニアタッグチャンピオン, GHCジュニアヘビー級チャンピオン, 2-time PWG World Champion, ROH World Champion & ROH Pure Champion Bryan Danielson. 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” taking it’s title from the nickname of WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development, NXT Head of Creative, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, 4-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 6-time WWE Tag Team Champion Shawn Michaels 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 buying rockets from SpaceX founded by Tesla CEO & Neuralink founder Elon Musk. “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 including a bar referring to WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle.

The Everybody Hates Chris theme gets flipped during “Everybody Hates Tron” to throw in a bar referring to former IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン as well as 10-time WWE world champion & former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar while the bell-heavy “No Jumper” speaks on blowing weed on Adam22’s podcast of the same name. “Lavar Ball” with RTB MB is another flute-woven cut that Jakesand cooked up talking 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