Lords of the Underground – “So Legendary” review

The Lords of the Underground are a trio from Newark, New Jersey consisting of DoItAll, Mr. Funke & DJ Lord Jazz. The group’s Elektra Records-backed debut Here Come the Lords produced by Marley Marl & K-Def would become an east coast essential, with Keepers of the Funk also being positively received. Resurrection was treated to more mixed reception & their previous full-length 18 years ago House of Lords is regarded as their weakest, enlisting the Snowgoons to produce their 5th studio LP after 5 years in the making.

“Circle of Life” is a boom bap opener with a piano sample discussing the series of biological changes an organism undergoes from fertilization to death whereas “Cook ‘Em” maintains a hardcore vibe dismantling their opposition. “Every Man” ruggedly talks about their bars elevating y’all & everyone needing to learn how to navigate, but then “Another Zone” rawly finds them getting back in a lane unlike any other.

As for “Keep on Rockin’”, we have the Lords encouraging everyone to never give up over another boom bap instrumental while “Out of Body” embarks us a rugged OBE roughly lasting a good 2 & a half minutes. “Absolution” works in these organs telling everyone that only they can save themselves leading into the piano-driven “U Can Get It” talks about being everything you’re not.

“Insomniac” was the very 1st single to come out when So Legendary was initially announced at the very beginning of the decade crossing over boom bap & a hint of rap rock reminding everyone that they know exactly where the trio can be found while “What’s Up?” featuring Onyx rounds out their comeback effort to turn the aggression up 1 last time.

This past year or 2 has seen several of established O.G.s in the game returning after so many years of inactivity when it comes to putting out music & even if So Legendary marks the Lords of the Underground’s best album in over 3 decades, it still makes me happy to see these veterans redeeming themselves & adding to their longevities. The Snowgoons’ production is a lot more well-crafted than both of the Lords’ predecessors & the group themselves really took their time to making it the best return as possible.

Score: 4.5/5

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King Syze, Planetary & Reef the Lost Cauze – “Murderers’ Row” review

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania emcees King Syze, Planetary & Reef the Lost Cauze coming together for a brand new collaborative EP produced by the Snowgoons. All 3 of whom are members of the Army of the Pharaohs collective, with Planetary making up the duo OuterSpace alongside King Syze’s brother Crypt the Warchilda year prior to AotP’s formation. Reef on the other hand did a stellar collab EP with King Syze a decade ago called Year of the Hyenas & are getting back together on Murderers’ Row with Planetary by their side.

After the titular intro, the first song “Yard Rec” is this boom bap opener talking about everyone listening up in case they don’t know by know whereas “Royal Family” featuring Planetary’s children ELEMXNT joined by Kxng Charisma & Trxstworthy serves as the only track without Reef the Lost Cauze talking about liking scary things. “The Most Imperial” grimily lets everyone know the type of people they stay rollin’ with just before “Heat Wave” talks there being too many lames.

“Death Penalty” gets the other half of the EP going by working in this piano-driven boom bap instrumental warning everyone that last year was their last year while “187” find a trio of setting out to make murdering an artform. The closing track “Something Outta Nothing” officially rounds out Murderers’ Row by mobbin’, stealin’, grindin’ & hustlin’ in order for them to achieve the goal they’re going for.

Year of the Hyenas holds a very special place in my heart since it came out in the winter of 2014 during my senior year of high school & I played it heavily then since it was one of the most stressful time periods of my life, but Murderers’ Row recaptures the energy of that previous collab EP & adds Reef the Lost Cauze into the equation excellently. The Snowgoons’ signature boom bap production combined with the performances from each AotP member make for an exciting hardcore hip hop experience.

Score: 4.5/5

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Sicknature – “Paintings of a Withering Forest” review | Sicknature – “Malerier af en visnende skov” anmeldelse

This is the 4th full-length solo album from Copenhagen, Denmark emcee & producer Sicknature. Coming up as a member of the revered German production team Snowgoons, he’s also been showcasing his talents on the mic for nearly 18 years starting with The Outbreak as well as Honey I’m Home & my personal favorite: Nature of the Contaminated. But with the 10-year anniversary of the latter approaching this fall & fully producing The Colossus of GOATs for Napoleon da Legend roughly 5 months ago, the Danish extraordinaire is looking to make a comeback why vividly portraying Paintings of a Withering Forest.

Dette er det 4. fuldlængde soloalbum fra København, Danmark emcee & producer Sicknature. Som medlem af det ærede tyske produktionshold Snowgoons, har han også vist sine talenter på mikrofonen i næsten 18 år, startende med The Outbreak samt Honey I’m Home & min personlige favorit: Nature of the Contaminated. Men med 10-års jubilæet for sidstnævnte nærmer sig dette efterår og fuldt ud producerede The Colossus of GOATs for Napoleon da Legend for cirka 5 måneder siden, søger den danske ekstraordinær at gøre comeback, hvorfor den levende portrætterer Paintings of a Withing Forest.

“A Few Good Paintings” is a piano boom bap opener to the album discussing leaving the past in the past whereas “Dynahmite Harry” works in some heavy kicks & snares talking about how explosive his shit be whether it be his lyrics or his production work. “Plastic Sun” acknowledges that the titular object won’t give you any vitamins with the instrumental kinda giving off a DJ Premier influence which isn’t a bad thing, but then “Street Dance Records” talks about needing more records over a horn-inflicted boom bap beat.

“A Few Good Paintings” er en pianoboom bap-åbner til albummet, der diskuterer at forlade fortiden i fortiden, hvorimod “Dynahmite Harry” arbejder i nogle tunge spark og snarer og taler om, hvor eksplosivt hans lort er, uanset om det er hans tekster eller hans produktionsarbejde . “Plastic Sun” anerkender, at titelobjektet ikke vil give dig nogen vitaminer, og det instrumentale afgiver en slags DJ Premier-påvirkning, hvilket ikke er en dårlig ting, men så taler “Street Dance Records” om, at der skal flere plader over et horn- påført boom bap beat.

On the other hand, “Little Mermaids” weaves some more keys with kicks & snares telling the story of a quiet girl in one of his classes that actually used to be a prom queen leading into “A Nonfiction Story” recalling the 1998 Roskilde festival keeping it in boom bap territory as far as sound goes. “Rewinding the Tape” has a more solemn tone to it sincerely apologizing for getting shit so fucked up just before “Road Walk” vulnerably talks about not looking back because he knows where’s been.

På den anden side væver “Little Mermaids” nogle flere nøgler med spark og snarer, der fortæller historien om en stille pige i en af hans klasser, der faktisk plejede at være en promdronning, der førte ind i “A Nonfiction Story”, der minder om Roskilde-festivalen i 1998. det i boom bap-territorium, hvad lyden angår. “Rewinding the Tape” har en mere højtidelig tone i sig, der oprigtigt undskylder for at blive lort så fucked lige før “Road Walk” sårbart taler om ikke at se sig tilbage, fordi han ved, hvor han har været.

The penultimate track “Lonely Den” brings back the pianos encouraging to come on over to the titular spot because they got better songs & finally to round out the album, we have Sicknature appropriately doing everything he can in his might to “Brush Off” any distractions & encouraging everyone else who may be listening to do the same with another Premier-inspired instrumental backing him.

Det næstsidste nummer “Lonely Den” bringer klavererne tilbage og opmuntrer til at komme videre til titelpladsen, fordi de fik bedre sange og endelig for at runde albummet af, har vi Sicknature på passende vis gjort alt, hvad han kan i sin magt for at “Brush Off” enhver distraktioner og opmuntring af alle andre, der måske lytter, til at gøre det samme med en anden Premier-inspireret instrumental, der støtter ham.

Nature of the Contaminated gives me a lot of high school junior year memories (particularly “Violent Rage” featuring the Heavy Metal Kings) so considering that it’s been nearly a decade since he went solo, I wasn’t sure if this day was ever gonna come & I’m glad it did. The concept of this one is more personal than what he’s done in the past as he puts a more melodic spin on the traditional boom bap sound we know & love.

Nature of the Contaminated giver mig en masse minder om gymnasiet (især “Violent Rage” med Heavy Metal Kings), så i betragtning af, at det er næsten et årti siden, han gik solo, var jeg ikke sikker på, om denne dag nogensinde ville komme til at ske. kom & jeg er glad for det gjorde. Konceptet med denne er mere personligt end hvad han har gjort tidligere, da han sætter et mere melodisk spin på den traditionelle boom bap-lyd, vi kender og elsker.

Score: 3.5/5

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Planet Asia – “U.Z.I. (Universal Zeitgeist Intelligence)” review

Planet Asia is a 46 year old MC from Fresno, California who came up as 1/2 the duo Cali Agents. He would also go on to have a very successful solo career & has made a lengthy yet consistent discography for himself that includes The Grand Opening, The Medicine, Pain Language, Abrasions, Anchovies, Trust the Chain & Rule of 3rds. But for his 10th EP over here, Planet Asia’s enlisting the Snowgoons to produce the whole thing top to bottom.

“Splashing” sets it off with a holy instrumental & Asia boasting how great his style truly is whereas “Pistol Grip Pump” with Jay Royale takes a more rugged route from the boom bap sound to the lyrics letting y’all know they ain’t on fake shit whatsoever. Flash tags along for the creepy yet dusty “Metabolism” talking about both having high chemical reactions when it comes to the streets while the song “Scud Missile” returns to a more rugged sound providing information to everyone listening. The penultimate track “Brick & Motor” keeps it in boom bap turf to give it raw & uncut with “The Office” accompanied by A Plus tha Kid ending the EP with a guitar-based beat taking through another day at the titular location.

Of the 5 projects that he’s given us throughout the year, U.Z.I. (Universal Zeitgeist Intelligence) has to be my favorite one of them all & possibly amongst the best bodies of work in Planet Asia’s ever-growing discography to date. The Snowgoons’ signature sound compliments his lyrical style well in my personal opinion & even though the features are kept to a minimum, the verses that Jay Royale & Flash both spit on this EP go as hard as those of the seasoned West Coast vet.

Score: 4/5

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Wise Intelligent – “Omnicide” review

Wise Intelligent is a 50 year old MC from Trenton, New Jersey coming up as a frontman of the Poor Righteous Teachers, who put out 4 albums together before disbanding in the mid-90’s. Since then, the man has kept himself busy by putting out a number of solo projects. The latest being this new 4-track EP produced entirely by the Snowgoons.

The EP kicks off with the title track, where Wise Intelligent talks about a number of things from Jeffrey Epstein to Trump originally planning to hold a rally in Tulsa on Juneteenth over a woodwind-infused beat. The next song “Possibly?” ponders a number of things over an instrumental with a relaying, high-pitched vocal sample & an organ while the penultimate track “Before I Wake” talks about fighting the power over a shadowy beat. The EP then finishes with “His-Story”, where Wise Intelligent talks about the things people have said to him throughout his life over a symphonic instrumental.

Overall, this is a solid EP. I wish we got like 3 more joints, but the Snowgoons never disappoint behind the boards & everything that Wise Intelligent does a good job of tackling the issues that we face in the world today.

Score: 3.5/5

Onyx – “SnowMads” review

Onyx is a revered hip hop duo from Queens, New York consisting of Sticky Fingaz & Fredro Starr. Their first 3 albums Bacdafucup, All We Got Iz Us & Shut ‘Em Down are rightfully considered by many to be East Coast classics. They went on to release 2 mediocre albums in the early 2000s before going AWOL, returning in 2014 with the Snowgoons produced #WAKEDAFUCUP. This was followed up early last year with the long-lost Black Rock but with Thanksgiving around the corner, they’re getting back with the Snowgoons to deliver a follow-up to the album that returned them to form.

After the intro, the first song “Who da Fuc?” finds Sticky & Fredro challenging their opponents over a boom bap beat with some suspenseful string sections. The next track “Robbing Hip Hop” with Bumpy Knuckles & NEMS sees the 4 comparing taking the game back to a burglary over a frightening instrumental while the song “Monsters Gorillas” with V Knuckles sees the 3 talking about being stone-cold killers over a suspenseful boom bap beat. The track “Rat Tat Tat” of course talks about guns which is cool, but the Quadro & UFO Fev features don’t do anything for me.

The song “Hoodies Down” finds Sticky & Fredro talking shit over an adrenaline pumping beat while the track “Kill da Mic” shows that their lyricism is still grittier than ever over mafiosi-like instrumental. The song “Street Art” with SickFlo sees the 3 showing y’all how hardcore hip hop should be done over a boom bap beat with a fantastic organ lead while the track “Trolling” with V Knuckles is an actually decent diss track towards Charlamagne tha God & 6ix9ine. The song “Ringolevio” flawlessly goes back & forth over a bloodcurdling instrumental while the track “Built Like That” talks from the heart about their courage & strength over an upbeat instrumental.

The song “Mad Shoot Outs” with Flee Lord lyrically needs no further explanation & the lugubrious instrumental fits very well whereas the track “I Got the Tec-9” continues the themes of the previous joint over a boom bap beat with some keyboards. The standard edition closer “Ain’t No Time to Rest” feels like a leftover from Onyx’s Shotgunz in Hell collab album with Dope D.O.D. & then the album finishes with the bonus cut “Good Fight”, which is an energetic crowd mover.

I’ve been wanting a #WAKEDAFUCUP follow-up for a while now & I’m finally glad they did it. Some of the features I could do without, but the Snowgoons‘ raw production yet again fits the duo’s cutthroat lyricism like a glove.

Score: 4/5

9 – “King” review

9 is a 48 year old MC from the Bronx, New York who came through in 1995 with a highly slept-on debut 9 Livez. He then followed it up the following year with Cloud 9, but then he fell out of love with music shortly after However, he returned 13 years later with Quinine & it was almost completely ignored. But 9 years later fittingly, he’s delivering his 4th full length album & he has enlisted the Snowgoons to produce it in it’s entirety.

The album opens with “The Revenant”, where 9 talks about his return over a eerie boom bap beat. The next song “Pull Up” gets confrontational over a gloomy boom bap beat while the track “Killmongor” talks about his place in hip hop over a menacing beat with some horns. The song “Hilfiger” makes references to a number of hip hop artists over a boom bap beat with strings while the track “Tremendous” vividly talks about life in the streets over a sinister beat. The song “Belafonte” with Conway the Machine sees the 2 getting murderous over a gritty beat while the track “Medusa” sees 9 speaking facts to an unnamed person over an orchestral boom bap beat.

The song “Breathe” with Kool G Rap & Smoothe da Hustler sees the 3 getting romantic over an Alchemist-type beat while the track “I Am” is an ode to the culture over an uplifting beat. The song “Pita Roll” is filled with battle bars over punchy drums & a heavy guitar while the track “Jump ‘Em” with Ruste Juxx talks about running up on people over a haunting beat. The song “Champion” with Chris Rivers sees the 2 talking about winning over a boom bap beat with a triumphant horn & then the album finishes with the title track, where 9 refers to himself to just that over a celebratory beat.

To be honest, this may be 9’s best work yet. There are a couple tracks that I wish were fully fleshed out but it’s mostly focused, he sounds hungrier than ever & the Snowgoons production enhances the hardcore vibe near perfectly.

Score: 4.5/5