Sir Untre – “At Least I’m Going to Heaven” review

This is the full-length studio debut from Macon, Georgia recording artist & producer Sir Untre emerging back in 2021 off his debut extended play Beyuntre. He would go on to follow it up with Cool Shit for All Platforms as well as N****s in New York & fella’s really on the way, ATRISKFELLA. King @, before fella 2 & ATRISKFELLA 2 preceding the @ Now, Die Later mixtape. Coming off Rookie of the Year & Sabotage however, the Internet Money Records signee’s having Sony Music distribute At Least I’m Going to Heaven.

“Shrug My Shoulders” kicks things off with this terror plug intro talking about getting back on his bullshit again whereas “Imaginary Friends” works in a cloudy backdrop & some 808s flexing he’s gonna have to cop himself Chrome Heart boots now that he’s rich. “Extended Weapon” instrumentally goes for a pluggier vibe so he can spit that gangsta shit while the rage-inducing “Stone Cold” talks about exactly how cold this game can get.

Meanwhile on “My Wife”, we have Untre over a cloudy Whyceg beat declaring he’ll do anything for the woman he rings up leading into “Airsoft” featuring Sk8star produced by PROJECT4PLAY finds the pair painting imagery of the gangsta lifestyle together. “Need Me a Check” featuring BabyBartier ends the 1st leg of the album talking about being owed some money over a plugg beat just before “My Purpose” brings the hypertrap elements back acknowledging some know his motives.

“Gender Fluid” continues the 2nd half of At Least I’m Going to Heaven talking about people wanting to count him in after sleeping on him for so long over these buzzing synthesizers while “Hardhead” lets off shots because he’s fed up with all the bullshit. “T.Y.S.A.H. (Take Yo Scary Ass Home)” sends some advice towards those lying about having guns & money when they really don’t while “Backseat With That Carbon” featuring BabyBartier & unitus links up for a Internet Money posse cut.

The song “Mummy” was said to be Untre’s least favorite here & I can understand why since I feel like the rage beat he’s rapping over can come off a bit messy, but “I Told ‘Em” aggressively moves forward talking about getting mad anytime someone gets in his lane to the point where he shoves them completely out of his way. “Fully in My Pants” sends off At Least I’m Going to Heaven on a cloudier note admitting he can’t dance because of the firearm in his pockets.

All 4 of the We All We Needed performers held their own weight on that LP a couple months ago & At Least I’m Going to Heaven gives Sir Untre his proper time to shine with the most fully realized entry in his catalog. There’s more consistency to the terror plugg, cloud rap, rage & plugg production than his labelmate BabyBartier’s major label debut Nightmare on Rodeo earlier this year & there’s more of an emphasis surrounding gangsta rap lyricism.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Olu – “The 11th Hour” review

Olu is a 37 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being 1/2 of the EARTHGANG & a member of the Spillage Village collective. His partner-in-rhyme WowGr8 made his solo debut 12 months ago with Howl at da Moon leaning more towards a comedic hip hop style for something vulnerably dramatic compared to everything he’s done in the past, but Johnny Venus has been hinting towards a full stylistic departure for his own debut embracing an R&B sound & signing to Epic Records rather than putting it out independently.

After the “11:00” intro, “On & On & On” co-produced by Wu10 sets the tone of what’s to come with this R&B intro singing about being in love prior to the self-produced “Porsche 911” taking a smoother approach altogether pleading for her to break it down to the floor. “Runway Killer” moves on from there atmospherically singing about running away from heartbreak with a killer guitar during the hook while “Sarahtonin” featuring Alissia & Ink finds the trio bringing back the funk for some seductive vibes.

“American Dream” mixes elements of trap, rock & R&B singing about this woman’s religion being his peace to conclude the midway point of Johnny Venus’ debut just before “So Beautiful” featuring 6LACK kicks off the 2nd half with a duet yearning to call their partners throughout the whole evening over a slick Wu10 beat. Want to further mention Dominique Sanders known for his output for Strange Music as 1/2 of The Xtraordinair$ or solo getting behind the boards for “I Want You Back” was a pleasant surprise, where Olu’s singing about wanting to rekindle the flame with an ex.

The song “Feng Shui” slows it down admitting sex got ‘em fucking up the positive energy while “Swallowed Pride” would be another moment I’d revisit from the Patrick Paige II instrumental to the lyrics about putting his ego to the side. “Nightmares” hops over a guitar singing about having bad dreams being in love with this individual & “Can You Pray for Me” sends off The 11th Hour in the form of an appropriate Spillage Village posse cut featuring Asha Imuno clocking at almost 8 & a half minutes.

Now that both members of the EARTHGANG have their solo debuts out of the way, The 11th Hour makes me think of the comparisons that’ve been made between them & OutKast in the sense of this Howl at da Moonbeing like Speakerboxxx retaining a hip hop sound & this being a stylistic departure similarly to The Love Below. I felt like the funky & atmospheric R&B production Olu handles other than a few big names was superior to WowGr8’s album last fall & sings as well as he raps.

Score: 4/5

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

Babystaydown – “Soon” review

Athens, Georgia rapper Babystaydown dropping a 3-pack behind bars. Somebody who already has his previous 16 EPs under his belt 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. His full-length debut Born Anew as well as the sophomore effort Art of War & I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) have all continued to elevate him from an artistic standpoint, coming off the introspective Lil Yae promising he’ll be home Soon.

“Parting Ways” produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Vendr opens up the EP with some acoustics & hi-hats promising all his homies that he’ll be back out in the streets sooner than later while “On a Shelf” instrumentally retains that same vibe thanks to Traiqo talking about living up to all his raps. The final track “No Love” sends off the 7 minute EP on a cloudier note courtesy of both Cade & Whyceg admitting he’s been waiting for things in his life to improve.

So it turns out Babystaydown had his house raided & was arrested weeks after Lil Yae came out under several charges from gang participation to firearm & drug possession, facing up to 35 years in prison if convicted although Soon makes an optimistic indication that he won’t have to serve the entire 3 decade plus sentence. Like he said: This whole case justifies the gangsta reputation he’s built for himself & if he beats it somehow someway, then I hope he learns from it & stays outta trouble going forward since this was short but sweet.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Victoria Monét – “Frequency of Love” review

Victoria Monét is a 37 year old singer/songwriter from Sacramento, California who independently released the Nightmares & Lullabies and Life After Love series of extended plays throughout the course of the previous decade with the other 2-part saga coming out through EMPIRE Distribution. Her next EP Jaguar arrived in the summer of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic & signed to RCA Records afterwards to make a sequel out of the 2023 full-length studio debut, returning for an official sophomore effort.

After the intro, “Come Back to You” samples “Voyage to Atlantis” by The Isley Brothers to sing about returning to this guy repeatedly if she had the choice whereas “Say Dat” produced by DJ Camper following the “Care for Somebody” interlude encouraging her partner to speak what they’re really feeling. “Head to Toe” flips “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” by Joe singing for her man to kiss her all over her body just before “Almost” continues the lustful subject matter.

“Juicy” blends contemporary R&B & boogie so Victoria can plead for her lover not to tease her & not waste any time getting down to business while “You Mean the World to Me” featuring Leon Thomas III after the “Dark Side of the Moon” interlude for a duet dedicated to Victoria’s daughter Hazel Monét. “Maybe” featuring Lucky Daye suggesting morning glory will come if the story goes the way they hope while “You Hurt Me Too” after the “Money” interlude airing out someone for doing what they said they wouldn’t do.

SZA appears during “See You in My Dreams” so they can sing about sleeping on these dude to the point where they fantasize of them at night prior to “That’s Why I Love You” featuring Bruno Mars sampling “Ritornerai” by Bruno Lauzi discussing loving each other until the venues closed & the streetlights come on. “Single” featuring Bryson Tiller puts us inside the shoes of 2 people who’re developing feelings for one another while “Reach Out” combines KAYTRANADA’s signature deep house sound with dance-pop & contemporary R&B singing about wanting to be his forever.

“I Want You” preceding an interlude of the same name interpolates “In My Bed” by Dru Hill while “Lose Myself” featuring Chlöe sings about what they feel like they have to do in order to find the ones they love. The alternative R&B/trap soul lead single “Let Me” tries convincing this person she can’t get enough of to become his piece of mind riding or dying for him & after the “No Love Like Yours” interlude, “For You” finishes Frequency of Love singing about providing a lifetime of stability for her soulmate since their life together has been nothing short of great.

If you take off the ridiculous amount of interludes, there would’ve been a serious chance of me putting Frequency of Love above both Jaguar & Jaguar II considering some of Victoria Monét’s personal material winds up here. The contemporary R&B/smooth soul production DJ Camper handles a vast majority compliments Victoria’s reflections of what she was going through or feeling as she was dating, motherhood, her love for the world & what she wants to see for it.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Majid Jordan – “2 Roads” review

Toronto, Ontario, Canada alternative R&B duo Majid Jordan consisting of singer Majid Al Maskati & producer Jordan Ullman are back for their 5th studio LP. Forming in 2011, it wasn’t until a couple years later when 40 signed them to OVO Sound & was featured on their mentor Drake’s hit single “Hold On, We’re Going Home”. Their 2nd extended play A Place Like This stood tall as the best project in their catalog until their previous full-length Good People dropped in the fall of 2023, finding them stuck between 2 Roads hours after former 2-time TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Champion Maggie Lee became the inaugural TNA Knockouts Television Champion in Brampton.

“Have I Gone Too Far?” made for a cloudy alternative R&B intro singing about a woman giving Majid a broken heart in exchange for more than love whereas “Cold” blends PBR&B with synthpop demanding an answer regarding why he feels so alone. “Strangers” moodily sings about a couple being newcomers to each other in an alternate universe “Rich Man” expresses the desire of living in a crazy world & being in this woman’s arms makes him feel wealthy.

Continuing from there, “Rather Be with You” sings about wanting to cancel his plans & become a better man with his soulmate by his side just before “See You Again” goes for a more standard alternative R&B vibe promising to do anything to see this woman smiling again. “Dream” sings about only wanting what’s best for him & his lover leading into “Best Behaviour” featuring Clementine Douglas kicking off the 2nd half with a duet depicting a couple surrounding each other.

“Things Just Feel Better” maintains an atmospheric tone singing about everything improving around Majid when his partner’s around him while “The Reason” dabbles with trap soul letting this female know she’s exactly why he popped out for the evening. “Look What You’ve Done” confronts a girl who he believes is the cause of making him lose his entire sense of self while “Island Time” sings about making love in the evening like it’s all they know although I was disappointed at Naomi Sharon doing background vocals instead of having a verse.

The song “Every Last Bit of My Love” pens an open letter to someone he’s missing more & more by the day sending her all the affection he has in his might to make her feel like he’s there with her while “Thank You” sings about the gratitude he has for this person cherishing him, realizing this relationship was eternally meant to be. The harmoniously stripped-back title track ends 2 Roads assuring the limits you can bear & how to persevere will be learned sooner rather than later.

If Good People was the album Majid Jordan needed to rival the extended play they put out prior to being signed, then 2 Roads returns to the averageness that has defined a great bulk of the material they’ve made since joining the OVO roster over a decade earlier. Jordan Ullman’s production incorporates secondary influences of synthpop along with new jack swing & soft rock into the pairing’s signature alternative R&B sound with Majid Al Maskati either relishing in infatuation or wallowing in heartache.

Score: 3/5

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

Lancey Foux – “The Time of Our Lives” review

Lancey Foux is a 30 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, model & designer from Stratford, London, England, United Kingdom who made his full-length debut Pink back in 2015. He has since dropped 6 more full-lengths along with 5 mixtapes & an EP, with both Friend or Foux & Life in Hell each being singled out as his most widely celebrated material. However now that he’s signed to RCA Records, I had a good feeling his 8th studio LP & major label debut would be a huge milestone for him.

“Reap What You Sow” begins talking about the fast life feeling slow to him as well as being out of control & being soulless whereas the rage-inducing “Seeing to It” discusses his wealth. “To the Money” featuring Finessekid finds the pair poppin’ out to see if the women they’re romantically involved with truly love them or not leading into “Lingo Bingo” treads the hypertrap waters once again talking about keeping 1 in the hat for him & holdin’ a check for him.

Bugz Ronin & Skaiwater cook up one of my favorite instrumentals on the album with “Who Do You Love?” talking about being the one this female wants while “Change Your Mind” talks about having the ability of making a chick reconsider riding for him until the wheels fall off since she can’t take her eyes off him. “Naked on a Yacht” takes the plugg route speaking of having a girl & her friend in their birthday suits on a boat while “All My Girls” talks about every single one of his hoes doing the most for him.

“Rockstar Rider” hops over a self-produced rage/jerk beat playin’ it cool whilst stacking up money once again while “All the Time” comes through with a celebratory 2-parter because he’s always catching Ws & betting this baddie she won’t wait for the sun to come up. “Wait for the Sun (Sugar)” appropriately continues from there asking his partner why she has to leave while “I Don’t Wanna Know” kicks off the 2nd leg deciding he has no interest in hearing lies.

As for “Miss the Night”, we have Lancey confessing of thinking about an ex accepting he’s been so lost ever since the breakup along with figuring out where they went wrong while “Body” combines pop rap & alternative R&B with synth-funk talking about a woman he can’t stop dealing with. The energizing “Tell ‘Em Who It Is” proclaims himself “Mr. Never Miss” for a boss bitch he takes charge for while “Therapist” talks about not needing therapy because he’s in the mirror with the truth.

“When It Rains It Pours” admits he had to learn the game the hard way & being a made man while “Trying My Best” talks about attempting to find himself again when he feels dead inside. “Everything Works Out” assures all problems will eventually sort itself out when they’re all sidelined & after “A Whole Lot” talks about everything he has going for him, the outro “Porsche Poet” sends off The Time of Our Lives sampling “Soul Mates” by Q.T. Hush featuring the late Teena Marie planning this out from the get go.

Sometimes whenever an artist signs to a major label, they end up not seeing the same success of being independent because their entire style gets watered down but thankfully The Time of Our Lives simultaneously stays true to who Lancey Foux has always been & steps out of his comfort zone more than he has in the past. The captivatingly creative trap, pop rap, rage & alternative R&B production explores some new sounds & the songwriting’s some of his most honest, detailing his lived experiences & asking whether or not his 20s were enjoyable.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Dax – “Anger Management” review

St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada rapper Dax has returned for his 3rd studio LP. Working as a janitor before blowing up after dropping the single “YourWorthIt.org” with Hopsin in the summer of 2018, this was followed up with his debut EP It’s Different Now shortly after & the I’ll Say It For You EP under the Strange Music subsidiary It Goes Up Entertainment. Pain Paints Pictures was one of the worst debuts of this decade & the Columbia Records debut From a Man’s Perspective proved to be worse, unsure of what to get out of Anger Management.

“Big Boys Don’t Cry” tritely opens with this rap rock intro talking about men hiding vulnerability from the world whereas “Trauma” goes for a generic trap vibe, confessing to the feeling of in escaping the past. “Diary of an Alcoholic (10 Shots)” comes through with a fake deep perspective regarding alcoholism over a country rap instrumental leading into “God, Can You Hear Me?” melodramatically begs for the Man upstairs to listen to his pleas.

Continuing with “Man I Used to Be”, we have Dax talking about becoming half the person he was when Jamiroquai already tackled this subject with one of my favorite singles of theirs prior to the country-inspired “Temptation” reaching the halfway point speaking of desire knocking at his door. “The American Dream” forces himself to get in his patriotism bag when he’s not even American while over acoustics until “Caught You in the Bed” gets preachy regarding infidelity.

“Your Feelings” winds down the last leg of Anger Management mutating country rap & trap talking about the place Satan attacks at every chance while “Happy Wife, Happy Life” comes through with a corny pop rap track with a country twist to it. “Gave You the World” makes a turn towards cloudier territory talking about an ex-girlfriend he couldn’t save & “Comfortable Being Alone” hooks up a generic beat to send it all off finding solace in loneliness.

From a Man’s Perspective saw Dax coming into his own stylistically considering he’s pretty much embraced a more prominent country rap sound than anything he’s been doing for the past decade since & attached a sloppy point of view regarding men’s mental health when you got people like King Iso doing those topics justice, but Anger Management gratingly expands the musical ideas of it’s predecessor nearly 2 years ago to insincerely convey the reality of being honest with our struggles.

Score: 0/5

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

The Strokes – “Reality Awaits” review

The Strokes are an indie rock band from New York City consisting of guitarists/keyboardists Nick Valensi & Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, drummer Fabrizio Moretti & frontman Julian Casablancas. Their 2001 debut Is This It under RCA Records has been widely considered by many to be amongst the greatest garage rock-revival ever recorded & followed it up with the equally acclaimed sophomore effort Room on Fire, although 1st Impressions of Earth as well as Angles & Comedown Machine generally left audiences torn. The New Abnormal produced by Rick Rubin has already become the quintet’s 2nd greatest statement since their debut & are getting back together 6 years later for their 7th studio LP.

“Psycho Shit” gets things going singing about the Gaza genocide & looking at the teacher’s pet label as another form of death within itself while “Dine N’Dash” embraces a new wave vibe instrumentally detailing the consumption of something without paying it’s exact cost. “Lonely in the Future” interestingly suggests Anthony Fantano to focus on the technical side of music more often until the hideous soft rock, indie rock, countrypolitan & neo-psychedelia crossover “Falling Out of Love”.

We have The Strokes endorsing Maya Wiley on “Starting Again” to kick off the 2nd half just before the self-explanatory “Going Shopping” mediocrely blends new wave, indie rock, jangle pop & indie surf for the lead single. “Liar’s Remorse” addresses an individual who doesn’t want love because they can’t take the pain & after “The Fruits of Conquest” takes a moment for a rebellious middle finger towards authoritarianism, “Tyrants of the Mellow Moon” concludes Reality Awaits with a Radiohead-inspired closer waiting for another chance to take everything he can.

The New Abnormal had me thinking maybe Rick Rubin wasn’t entirely washed since that’s the first time in years where I can recall an album he produced receiving that much praise but unfortunately, Reality Awaits found a way to beat 1st Impressions of Earth or Angles & Comedown Machine in becoming The Strokes’ weakest entry in their discography. Rick’s production is fine recapturing indie rock, neo-psychedelia, new wave & post-punk revival sounds although I can’t say the same for Julian’s effect-heavy vocals.

Score: 2.5/5

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

Steve Lacy – “Oh Yeah?” review

Steve Lacy is a 28 year old singer/songwriter, guitarist & producer from Compton, California known for being the guitarist of the now defunct Odd Future collective’s The Internet. Following a demo extended play in 2017, he would make his full-length studio debut in the spring of 2019 with Apollo XXI & his sophomore effort albeit major label debut Gemini Rights under RCA Records marked a huge artistic evolution compared to his early solo output to there point where his 3rd studio LP has become the most anticipated of his career.

The self-produced title track has a bit of a repetitive approach to the songwriting singing about being let out for the evening since he’s too young for death whereas “Is It Cool?” featuring SZA co-produced by his OF/Internet brethren Matt Martians blends alternative R&B, neo-soul, downtempo & neo-psychedelia to admit that the pair don’t even trust themselves. “The Feeling” incorporates secondary influences of psychedelic soul, bedroom pop & sophisti-pop asking why this person tested his patience.

Erykah Badu herself appears on “Pure Colour” teaming up to sing about 2 partners who desire to let them take control of one another so they can feel lighter while “Show You Me” reaches the midway point of the album with some cheery acoustics expressing the love he has for a bad boy. “Doom” continues from there with a nihilistically grungy 2-parter observing that people value validation instead of genuine connections while “nothing” sings about the inability of getting someone off his mind.

“LoveSexDrugBomb” winds down the last few moments of Oh Yeah? including a writing credit from Tyler, The Creator warmly yearning to have his partner right beside him while “Nice Shoes / In Your World” splits itself into 2 separate halves, climatically spiraling downwards for the sole purpose of him keeping to wish this body of work bestowed upon us. The alt-rock closing track “Bebe” sends it all off recalling the time I got my life screwed up.

Watching him blow up since Gemini Rights has been a long time coming for Steve Lacy as someone who’s been paying attention to him for almost a decade & Oh Yeah? contradicts the expansiveness of his idea. His production continues to push boundaries exploring neo-psychedelia, bedroom pop, indie folk, indie rock, alt-pop, singer/songwriter, alternative R&B, neo-soul, downtempo, psychedelic soul, sophisti-pop, alternative rock & grunge to tackle his usual themes of lust & longing from every angle he can possibly find.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Future – “The Real Me” review

Here we have the 12th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future. Coming up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize, he officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). With that said: A great deal of his material for the past decade has primarily been hit or miss. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable. High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself in the midst of trying new things & I Never Liked You put the toxicity claims about him to rest. Metro reunited with Future for We Don’t Trust You & We Still Don’t Trust You, refining Pluto’s previous double album FUTURE HNDRXX & becoming his best since D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). Coming off Mixtape Pluto however, we’re getting a glimpse of The Real Me.

“Fukk a Interview” hooks up a synthesizer-based trap beat produced by ATL Jacob, FNZ & Wheezy talking his shit for his whole entire family for the intro whereas “1 2” gets his gangsta rap shit for a couple minutes over a Smatt Sertified instrumental. “No Misery” puts some odd effects on his vocals talking about trying to tie a bitch like an ace until “California Girls” takes a stripped-back trap approach talking about having bitches around the world.

Meanwhile on “Tank Top Pluto”, we have Future flexing his lifestyle over a boisterous beat from DY prior to the latter’s fellow 808 Mafia brethren TM88 getting behind the boards for “Weight Up” so he can talk about getting his cake up combing an opulent backdrop with some hi-hats. “Konnichiwa” instrumentally makes me feel like I’ve been teleported a couple centuries forward boasting his exotic hoes while “Trench Coat” continues the gangsta themes talking about his grandmother’s house being a drug store.

“Snowing in Skyami” to dig up an outtake from the Mixtape Pluto sessions that Taurus cooked up including a hilarious line regarding him having more women than Nick Cannon while “Build a Bitch” goes for a drumless direction although the repetitive lyricism can get tiring after a bit. The only single “Radio” explores the tension between humility & success over a Dez Wright beat eschewing any mainstream appeal in the process while “2018” brings back the raspy voice he infamously used for the “King’s Dead” single the same year over a DJ Spinz instrumental.

Continuing the 2nd half of The Real Me, “Money Over Everything” has somewhat of a distorted trap quality to it talking about the revenue being his to priority while “Off the Hinge” suggests to let him have his way since he has 5 vibes in his bedroom over a Southside beat. “If I Could” talks about how it wouldn’t be a sin for him to eventually rule the whole world & the difficulty of telling his loved ones how he feels while the bouncy “Big Moment” confronts his girl regarding her to take the stress outta her.

“Cast a Spell” once again delves deeper into the themes of romance raspily assuring this woman that he does shit better than her exes & after “Kick” combines electronics with trap to talk about him beginning to feel the effects of some drugs he took, “Hollywood” acknowledges him being crazy enough to know he’s groovy comparing himself to a pop star AND a rock star simultaneously containing what might be the most upbeat drums on the entire full-length.

The song “Feeling I Give” prepares to send off The Real Me willing to bet $1M on his doubts of any other artist being more toxic than him while “Alice” easily sticks amongst my top 3 cuts, referencing the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland over a playful instrumental that the Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s fashion Pharrell made. “Eye to Eye” spends the final minutes talking about being on another level with his money.

Mixtape Pluto still gets a divisive reputation over 9 months since it came out & although I couldn’t tell you why Future lied about having hidden features twice when he’s handling all the performances himself, I wouldn’t really consider The Real Me to be on par with the double LP he & Metro put out a couple years ago. It’s more in the same category as The WIZRD in that there are some tracks I can see myself revisiting, but it doesn’t necessarily evolve the sound he became synonymous with during my adolescence.

Score: 2.5/5

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