Sly Moon – “No Gamble, No Future” review

London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sly Moon ending January with his 4th EP. A member of the Children of the Damned as well as its successor the Cult of the Damned & the Sohio Players, he made his full-length debut in 2020 with Why Am I So Sly? under Blah Records followed by the Lee Scott collab effort F.D.M.B. (Flippin’ Dough Makin’ Bread) & Banned From the Vic. The last extended play of his The Ghost of Ungar came out a year earlier & is taking a more conceptual approach to No Gamble, No Future.

After the “I’m a Compulsive Gambler” intro, the self-produced “I Don’t Know” starts with this soulful boom bap opener talking about being blinded after keeping his eyes on the prize whereas “Aces Baby” produced by Lee Scott instrumentally discussing him grinding night & day playing with higher stakes. “Tears of Joy” goes for a jazzier yet funkier vibe talking about being lonely at the top loving the view while “Back Door Key” boasts of his money speaking loudly.

“The Dream’s Over” continues the 2nd half of No Gamble, No Future with everything crashing down on our protagonist running into the wall of the house after trying to take it down over this crooning beat & after the “Spinnin’ Out” skit, “Casino Chippin’” ends the EP hopping over a boom bap beat with some strings talking about another chapter in the rat race running backwards amongst the gamblers watching people become rich only to steal food from children’s mouths.

We’ve heard a significant amount of growth from Sly Moon with every EP he’s given us since Why Am I So Sly? & the progression continues throughout No Gamble, No Future. He chronicles of the ups & downs of an addicted gambler beginning in the red & grinds his way into the green, only to go all the way back to Square 1 in a never-ending cycle that anyone who has or had a gambling addiction can relate to though it’s never been my thing personally.

Score: 4/5

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Sly Moon – “The Ghost of Ungar” review

This is the 2nd extended play from London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sly Moon. A member of the Children of the Damned as well as its successor the Cult of the Damned & the Sohio Players, he made his full-length debut in 2020 with Why Am I So Sly? under Blah Records & later teamed up with it’s founder Lee Scott for the collab effort F.D.M.B. (Flippin’ Dough Makin’ Bread) preceding Banned From the Vic. Nearly 6 months have passed since the latter & The Ghost of Ungar’s begin revealing itself.

After the “Table Talk” intro, the self-produced “Life’s a Scramble” featuring Sniff finds the pair ruggedly comparing existence to a gamble whereas “The Ghosts Comin’” talks about having nowhere to run when the specters arrive. “It’s Not a Game” featuring Sniff reunites both of them so they can jazzily make it clear this isn’t a joke to them while “Eternal Spin” by the Sohio Players featuring Sniff maintains the jazz rap vibes referencing Tony from one of my top 3 shows The Sopranos.

“Dragon Loungin’” kicks off the 2nd half talking about stacking mountains over a jazzy instrumental leading into the sample-driven “When the Chips Go Down” contains a cool Cypress Hill interpolation. “Still Nothin’” soulfully talks about not feeling anything after stealing from the rich & after “Bounty Huntin’” by the Sohio Players featuring Sniff discusses cashing bounties, “Walked Out the Vic” preceding the “Table Talk” outro feels the rain on a sunny day.

Whether it’s another EP or a sophomore effort, The Ghost of Ungar marks a drumlessly jazzy return for Sly Moon exploring the high stakes underworld of London’s casinos with a cigar smoke & cognac scented adventure accompanied by his Sohio Players cohort Salar & Sniff. Why Am I So Sly? was only the beginning of what he can do by himself, since Banned From the Vic & now this further demonstrate his evolution in terms of production & as a performer.

Score: 4/5

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Sly Moon – “Banned From the Vic” review

This is an extended play of solo material from London, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sly Moon. A former member of the Children of the Damned as well as currently being apart of its successor the Cult of the Damned & the Sohio Players, he made his full-length debut in 2020 with Why Am I So Sly? under Blah Records & teamed up with it’s founder Lee Scott for the collab effort F.D.M.B. (Flippin’ Dough Makin’ Bread). Fast forward 8 months later & he’s been Banned from the Vic nearly a week after Luke Jacobs ended Michael Oku’s longest reign as RPW British Cruiserweight Champion.

We get an eerie self produced instrumental on the intro talking about being dressed like a jester of sorts in the middle of “Leicester Court” whereas the title track confirms that the Grosvenor Casino Victoria did in fact ban him over a drumless chipmunk soul loop. “Take Money” featuring Sonnyjim goes for a jazzier vibe expressing their love of money leading into “Back for More” incorporating some synthesizers talking about coming at people’s doors after going from rich to poor.

“How My Thoughts Go” gets the other half of the EP blending a crooning sample & a piano for a dedication to the 24/7 grinders & nightlifers while “Stuck in the Hippodrome” featuring BeTheGun & Stinkin’ Slumrok finds the trio teaming up for a hardcore jazz rap anthem reminiscent of the Cult of the Damned’s output collectively. The jazz elements seep through the 67 second look at a “Holographic World” & the final song sends it all off on a smoother note sipping Hennessy at the local “Hippo Bar”.

Taking in consideration that the Sohio Players produced a vast majority of Why Am I So Sly?, it was interesting to hear Sly Moon solely handling the beats himself & Banned from the Vic provides a better look at his individual dexterity whilst leaning towards a gambling theme. His production’s more soulful than was a couple years earlier & spends 19 minutes telling late-night stories right around the poker table with a well selected guest list adding their perspective to the issue.

Score: 4/5

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