Here is the 16th EP from Athens, Georgia up-&-comer Babystaydown. Someone who’s had over a dozen extended plays under his belt already including PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Saint, Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat & the Lost Files duology. However, his full-length debut Born Anew this spring maintained the same level as all 8 of his EPs on Cegular in terms of propelling his status in the underground & the same can be said regarding the sophomore effort Art of War a couple months ago, telling us I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) after him & labelmate Pradabagshawty fell out with each other last month.
“Bigger” kicks it all off with a cloudy trap instrumental produced by Whyceg talking about his payroll becoming a lot larger whereas “Sedated” atmospherically speaks of a woman doing him crazy placing him on the blocklist. “Pill Type” goes for a pluggier vibe confessing to never feeling right whenever he took opioids prior to Traiqo shifting “Like I Know” towards an exuberant trap direction talking about him promising he’d give a bitch the entire world.
Starting the 2nd act, “Pain” tells us of him having some shit going on with his heart which he likes to call suffering just before “Idk You” talks about those trying to copy him not having any longevity approaching the final half of this decade. “Slime Examination” has another standout beat courtesy of Ayelavish! promising the world he won’t ever let the game change him & “Drug Addiction” sends off the EP reuniting with his mentor Whyceg for 1 last time explaining he can’t give a hoe all his love because she’ll most likely hit the clubs immediately.
Cegular Records has put a lot of great effort into proving why both Babystaydown & Pradabagshawty have become amongst the most exciting new plugg artists in 2025 from Red Flags & Roses to Art of War so it sucks a collab project probably won’t come to fruition, but it is what it is & I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) finishes the Sony Music imprint’s biggest year strongly. We get more of an introspective approach to Babystaydown’s songwriting & there’s a similar consistency between the production here & its predecessor couple months earlier.
Brand new LP & the 6th overall from Chicago, Illinois rapper, singer/songwriter & record executive Polo G. Rising to prominence in 2019 off his full-length debut Die a Legend which I personally found it to be decent, it wasn’t until the sophomore effort The GOAT the subsequent spring where I noticed some significant improvements. Hall of Fame & it’s sequel on the contrary were both released to mixed reception in 2021, redeeming himself to me anyway as the H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. (He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma) a year & a half ago. Last week however, he announced a follow-up to the latter & gave me hopes of him continuing to head down the right direction musically.
“Painkillers” produced by Smatt Sertified actually starts off pretty solidly talking about being a Chiraq veteran who sticks his chest out when speaking prior to “Move Wrong” sampling “Lay It Down” by 8Ball & MJG featuring Crime Boss so he & VonOff1700 can ruin it. “Hard Body” blends acoustics & hi-hats talking about him continuing to follow paper trails while “Crash the Party” sends 100 rounds with no fucks given.
The instrumental on “Chances” doesn’t really do a whole lot for me & it’s a shame because I feel like the subject matter of him taking risks to get where he is comes from a serious place until the 6th & final single “Gangsta Graduation” featuring G Herbo talks about making out of the streets over an equally uninteresting beat. The 3rd single “Chinatown 2” picks up where The GOAT standout left off conceptually although I’d very much prefer the original just before “Lost My Friend” works in some average sampling masking the pain of a colleague he ain’t cool with anymore.
“High Tolerance” was obviously chosen for the 5th & penultimate single due to it’s predictable sound although I’m not gonna dismiss the idea of him being used to emotional struggles while “If I Gat To” speaks of his belief that we all face common battles, which I can agree to a certain extent. “Shoot It Off” made for an average 2nd single blending gangsta rap & trap figuring why this person he knew chose to speak if he has the right to remain silent while “1 More Time” confesses he thinks it’s fucked up the way a homie thinks he see shit.
Meanwhile on “Insubordinate”, we have Polo G talking about going from only wanting millions of dollars in cash to solely desiring peace while the 4th single “Quality Over Quantity” comes off a bit ironic since one could use that title in an argument regarding this spiritual successor being less enjoyable than the predecessor. “Dope Peddler” calls himself a cocaine specialist when I’d personally give that title to Clipse while moving forward asking who’s “Left to Blame” when he’s down & out.
“Boring Soul” surprises me with one of the more appealing moments instrumentally talking about being an uninteresting person on the inside advising to never put somebody before yours due to him not seeing a lot of people he knew anymore while the lead single “My All” was my favorite of them all from the Southside & TM88 beat to the lyrics about his struggles with love while “Spiritual War” talks about the reason why he’s been having the feelings he’s been experiencing.
King Von makes a posthumous appearance during “95 Bulls” & that itself is basically Polo G’s eulogy to his late friend who was killed half a decade ago already that I can admire for what it is while “Madden” boasts of him always making his opposition the angriest. “Rent Due” concludes H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. 2 (He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma) 2 dropping off 3 verses straight without a chorus sticking to a vow he made of not folding.
I’m very well aware I’m in the minority of the original H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. (He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma) being an improvement over both Hall of Fame albums, but at least Southside producing 72% of it gave it something going for it & a great deal of this sequel over an entire year later has very little purpose to it besides a small handful of tracks. The topics addressed are still the ones he’s basically become known for except the production has downgraded tremendously.
Brand new studio LP & the 5th overall from London, England, United Kingdom born albeit Atlanta, Georgia raised rapper, songwriter & occasional producer 21 Savage. Appearing on the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class list, he continued to make a household name for himself in the current trap landscape by dropping his 2nd EP Savage Mode with Metro Boomin’ producing it in it’s entirety shortly after. Then came his full-length debut Issa Album & an incredible collab album he did with Offset called Without Warning the following year, but it wouldn’t be until the end of 2018 where 21 dropped his most mature work to date with i am > i was. Fast forward a little over a month later, he was arrested by ICE after it was revealed that he was born in the UK & stayed in the US on an expired visa only to be freed 10 days later. Savage Mode II quickly became amongst the most celebrated trap albums of the current decade & american dream was more soulful than anything 21 has done previously, trying to figure out What Happened to the Streets?.
“Where You From?” produced by Southside, Wheezy & Dez Wright comes out the gate cautioning to not ask him anything regarding Metro Boomin’s beef with Drake whereas “Ha” samples “Hit Another Lick” by Gucci Mane thanks to Zaytoven talking about drawing gins on muhfuckas for his own amusement. “Stepbrothers” featuring Young Nudy finds the 2 cousins linking up behind a Coupe instrumental backing them to break down the gangsta lifestyle prior to “Cup Full” talking about how this vibe has been making him fill up his cup to the brim over a Taurus beat.
Latto reunited with 21 on “Pop It” for a run-of-the-mill ode to poppin’ tags while “Mr. Recoup” featuring Drake picks up where “Mr. Right Now” from Savage Mode II left off & as much as I still love that song now, I can’t say the same for this generic snooze fest. “J.O.W.Y.H. (Jump Out Wit Ya Hoe)” reaches the halfway point talking about his bitch in an underwhelming fashion & after “Dog $hit” featuring Glorilla sums it up nicely fumbling the concept of being a playa, “Code of Honor” featuring G Herbo comes together to talk about giving everything to their hoods.
“Gang Over Everything” jumps over a chipmunk soul/trap fusion from Metro Boomin’, BoogzDaBeast & FNZ for a reminder that he’s married to this street shit while “Halftime” feels less of an interlude & more of a cloudy statement of him getting amped up after lettin’ bullshit slide for too long. “Big Steppers” incorporates some pianos courtesy of d.a. got that dope talking about his girl knowing he’s legitimate & after the potential Leak$ outtake “Atlanta Tears” featuring Lil Baby, the closer “I Wish” ends on a sincere note shouting out his dead homies.
Next summer will be a whole entire decade since I got introduced to 21 Savage via the Savage Mode EP & if I have to honest, What Happened to the Streets? could eventually become a serious contender for the weakest entry in his discography thus far. The guests are a great example of the “government mandated features” joke that’s been all over social media for the past year or so, a lot of the same themes of his previous material are being rehashed & the production choices stick out amongst the most questionable thus far.
Brampton, Ontario, Canada rapper & singer/songwriter Roy Wood$ dropping off his 6th EP. Signing to Drake‘s very own OVO Sound a decade ago already, he has since gone on to release a total of 3 full-lengths & 5 EPs, with the most notable of the handful being the 2015 debut EP Exis & of course the debut album Walking at Dawn the following winter. Rolling Stone back in December felt like a bunch of uninspired Weeknd runoff & Dark Nights wasn’t any better, gearing up to spill some Flower City Heartbreak.
“Energize Bunny” starts with a corny mutation between dancehall, pop rap & cloud rap talking about being the type of guy that makes your girlfriend get naughty whereas the lead single “1 Night Stand” featuring Chow Lee on the remix continues by going for a generic alternative R&B direction praying this girl he fucked gets her period asking how she got a body like that. “You’re So Right” gives off a trap soul vibe singing about the way she makes him feel & the “no XOs” line possibly being a sneak diss towards X❤️O Records until the moody “I Like It” tells his partner he enjoys it when she screams his name.
The song “TSA” kicks off the 2nd half of Flower City Heartbreak with an ironic Weeknd bite singing that he doesn’t want to cheat on the chick he’s been speaking to recently & knowing he can do better which I commend him for admittedly, but I’d much rather listen to Hurry Up Tomorrow. “Supposed to Be My Lover” makes for another moment reminiscent of Abel’s music asking how he’s supposed to live without this woman by his side & the outro “Crazy” takes 1 last opportunity to rip off The Weeknd singing a out the baddest bitch walking.
To see Roy Wood$ go from providing a unique take to the alternative R&B, trap soul, cloud rap & pop rap styles compared to the rest of the OVO roster a decade ago when Exis had initially dropped & supposedly ghostwriting his mentor’s “Sicko Mode” verses to increasingly becoming more & more like a Great Value version of the alternative R&B artist that Drake wishes he was all because he started up X❤️O instead of signing to OVO has only been getting sadder because it’s getting to the point where his output keeps declining.
Rosalía is a 33 year old atypical pop star from Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain introducing herself in 2017 with the new flamenco full-length debut Los Ángeles. Her sophomore effort El Mal Querer under Columbia Records would catapult her into stardom for embracing a more experimental flamenco sound & Motomami conceptually built itself around the way she was feeling during the 17-month studio sessions that conceived it. Preparing for a deeply personal return, her 4th studio album & it’s only single unsurprisingly marked a stylistic change of pace.
Rosalía es una estrella del pop atípica de 33 años, originaria de Sant Cugat del Vallès, Cataluña, España, que se dio a conocer en 2017 con su primer álbum de flamenco, Los Ángeles. Su segundo trabajo, El Mal Querer, con Columbia Records, la catapultó al estrellato por adoptar un sonido flamenco más experimental, y Motomami se construyó conceptualmente en torno a cómo se sentía durante las 17 meses de sesiones de estudio en las que lo concibió. Preparándose para un regreso profundamente personal, su cuarto álbum de estudio y su único sencillo marcaron, como era de esperar, un cambio de ritmo estilístico.
“Sexo, Violencia y Llantas” starts with some strings & pianos dichotomizing the physical & spiritual worlds that we’ve all become too familiar with while “Reliquia” works in more keys & violins to sing about wanting this person to take a piece of her with them as an heirloom. “Divinize” embraces a heavy art pop sound feeling more alive than she ever has whereas “Porcelana” tells the story of a 17th century Japanese nun named 良年幻象.
«Sexo, Violencia y Llantas» comienza con unos acordes de cuerda y piano que dicotomizan los mundos físico y espiritual con los que todos estamos tan familiarizados, mientras que «Reliquia» utiliza más teclados y violines para cantar sobre el deseo de que esa persona se lleve un pedazo de ella como reliquia. «Divinize» adopta un sonido art pop pesado que la hace sentir más viva que nunca, mientras que «Porcelana» cuenta la historia de una monja japonesa del siglo XVII llamada Ryōnen Gensō.
We get an art pop/classical crossover with “Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti” to conclude the 1st quarter singing about a friendship considered contemplative until the only single “Berghain” fuses those 2 previously mentioned genres with orchestral music, opera, choral & romanticism referencing the famous Berlin techno club. “La Perla” featuring Yahritza Y Su Esencia conceptually feels reminiscent of “Promesa” off RR’s eponymous debut EP leading into “Mundo Nueveo” reinterpreting “Quisiera Yo Renegar” by La Niña de los Peines to renounce the world entirely.
Con «Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti» obtenemos una mezcla de art pop y música clásica que concluye el primer cuarto, cantando sobre una amistad considerada contemplativa, hasta que el único sencillo, «Berghain», fusiona los dos géneros mencionados anteriormente con música orquestal, ópera, coros y romanticismo, haciendo referencia al famoso club techno de Berlín. «La Perla», con Yahritza Y Su Esencia, recuerda conceptualmente a «Promesa», del EP homónimo debut de RR, que da paso a «Mundo Nueveo», una reinterpretación de «Quisiera Yo Renegar», de La Niña de los Peines, para renunciar por completo al mundo.
“De Madrugá” produced by Pharrell & former G.O.O.D. Music in-house producer Noah Goldstein hooks up these violins for Rosalía to conclude the 1st half assuring that revenge’s seeking her & having 1,000 tongues of fire in her hair prior to “Dios Es un Stalker” topically stalking a man that she has her eyes on to make him fall in love with her. “La Yugular” goes bilingual singing in Spanish & Arabic promising that she’ll tear down the sky & destroy Hell for the love she has for this man while “Focu ‘Ranni” takes inspiration from Santa Rosalía de Palermo.
«De Madrugá», producida por Pharrell y el antiguo productor interno de G.O.O.D. Music, Noah Goldstein, acompaña a Rosalía con violines para concluir la primera mitad, asegurando que la venganza la busca y que tiene mil lenguas de fuego en su cabello antes de «Dios Es un Stalker», que acosa temáticamente a un hombre al que le ha echado el ojo para que se enamore de ella. «La Yugular» es una canción bilingüe, cantada en español y árabe, en la que promete que derribará el cielo y destruirá el infierno por el amor que siente por este hombre, mientras que «Focu ‘Ranni» se inspira en Santa Rosalía de Palermo.
The desire of purging all things materialistic creeps up during “Sauvignon Blanc” no longer being afraid of the past over a piano while “Jeanne” bases itself around the Joan of Arc, entrusting herself to God’s wishes. “Novia Robot” takes a jab at the men who prefer their women to be pliantly emotionless while “La Rumba del Perdón” sings about a stereotypical dad leaves for cigarettes & doesn’t come back situation without making it sound cliche.
El deseo de purgar todo lo materialista se apodera de nosotros durante «Sauvignon Blanc», en la que ya no tememos al pasado acompañados por un piano, mientras que «Jeanne» se basa en Juana de Arco, que se entrega a los designios de Dios. «Novia Robot» critica a los hombres que prefieren que sus mujeres sean dóciles y sin emociones, mientras que «La Rumba del Perdón» canta sobre la situación estereotipada de un padre que sale a comprar cigarrillos y no vuelve, sin que suene a cliché.
“Memória” featuring Carminho pushes further towards the final moments of Lux combining art pop & fudo pondering if anybody will remember who they are after enough time has passed sharing the microphone together while “Magnolias” finishes up the LP by summing up her own funeral, singing to be honored with delicacy & love when she’s not here anymore having the flowers that symbolize the presence of Christ in the deceased thrown at her grave.
«Memória», con la colaboración de Carminho, avanza hacia los momentos finales de Lux, combinando art pop y fudo, reflexionando sobre si alguien recordará quiénes son después de que haya pasado el tiempo suficiente, compartiendo el micrófono juntos, mientras que «Magnolias» cierra el LP resumiendo su propio funeral, cantando para ser honrada con delicadeza y amor cuando ya no esté aquí, con las flores que simbolizan la presencia de Cristo en los difuntos arrojadas sobre su tumba.
To enhance the classical crossover experience she was aiming for, Rosalía brought the London Symphony Orchestra in ensuring Lux would become the most universal listening experience of her career split in 4 different movements performed in 14 different languages to stick out in the divided world we’ve come to know. The production eschews the reggaeton influences of Motomami to additionally pull from orchestral music, flamenco pop & singer/songwriter for a conceptual look at her relationships both from a romantic & a religious standpoint.
Para mejorar la experiencia de fusión clásica que buscaba, Rosalía contó con la London Symphony Orchestra para garantizar que Lux se convirtiera en la experiencia auditiva más universal de su carrera, dividida en cuatro movimientos diferentes interpretados en catorce idiomas distintos para destacar en el mundo dividido que conocemos. La producción evita las influencias del reguetón de Motomami para inspirarse adicionalmente en la música orquestal, el pop flamenco y los cantautores, con el fin de ofrecer una visión conceptual de sus relaciones tanto desde un punto de vista romántico como religioso.
Score: 4.5/5
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Halle is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & actress from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being 1/2 of Chloe x Halle with her older sister Chlöe. Signing to Beyoncé’s very own Columbia Records imprint Parkwood Entertainment a decade earlier, they would put out 2 full-lengths together until taking a hiatus to focus on their solo careers. Chlöe’s sophomore effort Trouble in Paradise came out 24 months ago to warmer reception than In Pieces & the time has finally come for her eldest sibling to make her official solo debut.
After the intro, the first song “overtime” truly begins with Halle singing about having men putting in extra hours & not trusting anyone because of her ex-partner DDG whereas “know bout me” featuring Glorilla takes the trap soul route instrumentally admitting that neither of them are innocent. “his type” sings about a man who makes her feel secure & on top of the world leading into “heaven” produced by Bongo asking if her new man can go to the pearly gates with her.
Mariah the Scientist appears on “alone” immediately after an interlude singing about working by themselves following the confirmation from Young Thug that Mariah recently broke up with him recently the Valentine’s Day single “back & forth” admits to liking it when her partner gets angry in light of her & DDG’s custody battle over their son Halo. Another single “braveface” reflects where she’s at in her life from a mental standpoint now that she’s a mother while “so I can feel again” by Chloe x Halle reunites the siblings for a sultry duet.
“in your hands” works in some pianos & electric guitars describing a couple with a deep connection between one another while “no warning” featuring H.E.R. sings about their enjoyment of driving their lovers crazy & making them feel afraid. “bite your lip” yearns to be held for an evening over a Dem Jointz & Blu2th beat and after “Angel” sings about the beauty of African American women on top of a Neff-U instrumental, “because I love you” finishes with an ode to the people there for her at her worst.
In the midst of her restraining order against DDG being extended to early next month, Halle’s long-awaited introduction as a solo artist cohesively tells a story of first love as well as the heartbreak & everything that comes afterwards culminating in self-discovery. Assuring that it’s perfectly normal to pour so much of yourself into someone as long as people are giving that same love back to themselves, the star of The Little Mermaid remake meshes her jazz & trap influences with R&B/pop sensibilities for the most intimate work of her career.
St. Louis, Missouri rapper/producer Ian is back after 12 whole months for his sophomore effort, 5th EP or debut mixtape. A member of the D1shonorable collective, he got his start in 2019 producing the single “Know That” by Izaya Tiji before going on to release 3 EPs of his own: Only for a While, Remembrance & the gyo-produced Empty Suit. Akon’s brother Bu Thiam signed him to his Columbia Records imprint Buvision Entertainment this spring for his previous EP Valedictorian, which received mixed responses although I personally found to have it’s highlights like “Chauncey” & “Magic Johnson”. Goodbye Horses even had its own highs like “3.5” or “Out West”, surprise-releasing 2005 only 53 weeks later.
We get some colorfully peppy synthesizers during the intro “Go Ian” taking a boastful approach to the lyrics feeling like that people have a bad impression on him ever since signing to a major label whereas the rage-inducing “Aw Shit” talks about keeping it 100 even if he isn’t perfect. The self-produced “You Told Me” reserves the drums for the final minute or so not making any plans because he’s vibing while the mediocre trap/pop rap single “I Ain’t Coming Back” prior to the Bhad Bhabie interlude talks about being good all by himself, having a lot of questions for his ex-girlfriend & even more for her mother.
“Talk About It” brings the synths back in effect thanks to Internet Money Records in-house producer NASH so he can reflect over a relationship prior to “Remember Me” continuing to delve deeper into the topic of love accompanied by a piano instrumental. “Have My Back” proves a comparison Tyler, The Creator had made between Ian & Future clear as day, although “Soul Provider” produced by FNZ could be his most emotional track ever & “Friends from Everywhere” ends with Ian shouting out his homies all around the world.
Serving as a prelude to Valedictorian 2 coming out a couple months ago as revealed via an Easter egg in the artwork, 2005 finds Ian returning behind the boards since he didn’t produce anything on the original Valedictorian or Goodbye Horses & I can appreciate that to the highest extent because Ian can be likened to ΠΔV in the sense that I enjoy his production work more than a good chunk of the major label material. Will he capitalize on his production skills more a couple months from now? Only time will tell.
Miguel is a 40 year old singer/songwriter, actor & producer from Los Angeles, California introducing himself in 2010 off his moderate full-length debut All I Want is You. His sophomore effort albeit RCA Records debut Kaleidoscope Dream & Wildheart would both go on to become some of the most beloved alternative R&B of the previous decade, although War & Leisure towards the end of 2017 was moderately received. However, he’s finally making a return to music with his 5th studio album to celebrate his birthday.
The title track & final single begins by showing off his bilingual singing chops over an apocalyptic instrumental whereas “The Killing” works in a psychedelic guitar reminiscent of “PRIDE.” by Kendrick Lamar for a nod to the Outlawz single “Hail Mary”. We get breakbeats, deep house & alternative R&B colliding during the self-produced single “RIP” trying to figure out if he’s in heaven or hell leading into the psychedelic soul-inspired “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” asking his new lover if she’s with it or not.
“Triggered” sings about how beautiful it is to him for this woman he has in mind explodes & loves him in her rage leading into the Spanish neo/psychedelic soul single “El Pleito” co-produced by DJ Dahi ponders the idea of going dark because he’s been in his feeling lately. We get some more silky guitar riffs during “Perderme” desiring to mate with his new lover until they face into eternity while “Oscillate” seductively sings about wanting this female to come heal these thoughts of his & make him feel indestructible.
Starting the final leg, “Nearsight (SID)” ethereally advises for this woman to slow it down because he’s certain that he won’t feel the way he is ever again while “Angel’s Song” brings the psychedelic guitars for a tribute to his son Angelito. “Always Time” nears the end of the Caos with some grungier elements thanks to Jeff Bhasker & Jerry Duplessis reflecting on his marriage to his long-time partner Nazanin Mandi since their divorce was finalized in 2023 & “Comma / Karma” featuring Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton sends off the LP with a 2-parter.
Learning that transformation can be a violent process, Caos sonically bends said violence into a triumphant comeback for the alternative R&B trailblazer that lands directly in the middle of War & Leisure’s political & personal subject matter with the darkest musical opus of Miguel’s entire career since a lot has happened to him in both of those aspects of his life. His vision’s a lot clearer than it’s been previously, giving rare insight through music & visual storytelling while inviting listeners to confront & harness our own turmoils.
Athens, Georgia up-&-comer Babystaydown dropping off his sophomore effort 5 months since his full-length studio debut. Somebody who already has 15 EPs under his belt including Intrusion, PL Top Recruits, 1,350, Drugz Sex & Money and it’s sequel, 17, Genesis, his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut Hate da Way Um Livin, Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat & the Lost Files duology. However, his inaugural LP Born Anew this spring maintained the same level as all 3 of his extended plays on Cegular in terms of propelling his status in the underground & Art of War following his Red Flags & Roses appearance had me intrigued.
“Shoota” produced by Rafmade & SOULJASPIRITS opens by talking about pulling up to the spot with a bunch of gunmen surrounding him whereas “After All” pulls inspiration from Lil Uzi Vert & Lil Wayne suggesting to everyone around his premises to move the fuck out the way before he goes on a full rampage. “Switched My Tool” talks about having to swapping out the dot attached to his Glock because the firearm got too hot & spraying shit up without bluffin’ while “Cash Flow” promotes violence & money.
Whyceg jumps behind the boards for “Dead Wrong” cutting bitches off like fades leading “All Bad” talking about being rich as fuck along with quitting green lean to consume the purpler stuff over a cloudy Hariroc beat. “Don’t Fuck with T194” featuring Pradabagshawty finds the 2 labelmates teaming up so they can talk about not partaking in using acetaminophen or oxycodone hydrochloride leading into self-awareness settling in on “Luv Raging” knowing this bitch lying when she says she loves him.
“Goofy AF” featuring byarmyy joins forces over a Traiqo instrumental shrugging off all the lames who really ain’t be saying much of anything while “D.P.W.D. (Don’t Play Wit Dat)” talks about running up checks in his sleep & all of his hoes being freaks. “Babii Babii” embraces a pluggier vibe speaking of his life going brazy ever since he finally made it out of the pavement while “Lie” talks about saying whatever you want regarding him even if he & everyone else knows it’s false.
The song “Blumagic 15” begins Art of War’s final act with Babystaydown hopping over a plugg beat recalling being so high the night earlier to the point that he couldn’t see a thing & after “Same Faces” warns that if any of his friends wind up dead if they cross the line of betrayals, “Oh My Baby” finishes with an 112 second outro that mxrt4lity laced apologizing to a woman he’s no longer involved with romantically because him breaking her heart although he claims intention of doing so.
Hate da Way Um Livin marked a huge turning point in Babystaydown’s career as it seemed like the beginning of an artistic evolution further explored on Pain Before Pleasure, Chief 13, Aimai, I.L.M.F. (I Love My Friends), ##Kool ##Kat, both entries of the Lost Files series & Born Anew. Art of War brings that growth full circle joining B What You B & Home Invasions in becoming the most essential listening experiences in the Cegular Records catalog only a few months away from the 2 year anniversary of the plugg label’s founding.
Kevin Parker or better known by his stage name Tame Impala is a 39 year old singer/songwriter, musician, producer & DJ from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia making his full length debut Innerspeaker back when I was finishing up 7th grade & came back during my sophomore year of high school for the widely acclaimed follow-up Lonerism. Currents a couple months after my high school graduation has already become amongst the greatest albums of the 2010s & The Slow Rush would be more moderately received, returning halfway through the ongoing decade to make his major label debut under Columbia Records with his 5th studio LP.
“My Old Ways” begins with him singing over a house instrumental about falling back into his old habits whereas the “No Reply” shouts out the Fox Corporation’s flagship network’s animated hit series Family Guy every Friday night going for a tech house vibe. “Dracula” was my favorite single personally fusing nu-disco, dance-pop, alternative R&B, synth-funk, boogie, synthpop, French electro & Halloween music singing about the way daylight makes him feel just before “Loser” mixes neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop, indie pop, synth-funk, indie rock & funk rock together gives a nod to the Beck track of the same name.
My least favorite track on Deadbeat & maybe one of the worst Tame Impala songs I’ve ever heard goes to “Oblivion” for it’s repetitiveness & weak vocal performances, which is a shame because I don’t mind the tropical house beat whatsoever. The instrumental on “Not My World” feels reminiscent to the soundtrack of the PS2 game Jak & Daxter always taking the long way to give each day it’s own meaning & after the Pet Sounds-inspired “Piece of Heaven” sings about lying all your life not making any differences, “Obsolete” goes full blown dance-pop to ask if his love is outdated.
“Ethereal Connection” starts the final leg of the album with my favorite tech house song here promising his family that he’ll always be with them until the end of time & despite the peppy synthesizers on “See You on Monday (You’re Lost)”, the lazily repetitive songwriting bogs it down tremendously. “Afterthought” tackles insecurity over a bass-line kin to the late Michael Jackson’s timeless “Thriller” while “End of Summer” finishes by pulling from melodic techno, progressive house, deep house & melodic house
Given the amount of time it’s been since Deadbeat & The Slow Rush, my anticipation for the musical genius that is Kevin Parker a.k.a. Tame Impala’s return turned to slight disappointment because his full foray in electronic dance music & dance pop leaves me more divided than I’ve ever been with his material. I additionally don’t have any issues with the fatherhood theme or the secondary influences of alt-pop, tech house, indietronica, neo-psychedelia & synthpop. It’s simply not anything special compared to what he’s done previously.
Legends Will Never Die 