Chlöe – “Resurrection” review

Atlanta, Georgia singer/songwriter, producer & actress Chlöe enlisting Norfolk, Virginia producer Timbaland to handle all of her debut solo mixtape’s production. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Chlöe x Halle with Halle Bailey, they introduced themselves in 2018 when Beyoncé signed them to Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records for their decent full-length debut The Kids Are Alright. The sophomore effort Ungodly Hour in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns would prove to be their most acclaimed body of work yet but coming off In Pieces & Trouble in Paradise, I went into Resurrection hoping Timbo wouldn’t be using any AI on it.

“Talking Dirty” begins with a sultry R&B intro singing about her lustful intentions whereas “Hold It” gives off a catchier vibe altogether from the instrumental to the lyrics of being drawn into someone. “Priorities” shifts towards an alternative R&B direction stylistically airing out the people who think she’s breakable for misunderstanding her leading into “World on Fire” singing about feeling safe with her partner even if the globe’s in turmoil.

Meanwhile on “Caught”, we have Chlöe over a seductive R&B beat realizing that maybe you lose ’em how you get ’em just before “Sensitive” lusciously addresses an ex-boyfriend telling him to move on already. “Better Than She Can” leans towards a dance-pop direction trying to convince a guy to leave his current girlfriend for her to reach the halfway point while “On Your Own” slows down the pace singing about her keeping a close eye out for a specific individual.

“Believer” feels like a throwback to Timbo’s early 2000s output admitting that she didn’t mean to come off too strong while “Main Attraction” sings about wanting to get sexually active. “Mama’s Boy” sends shots a cornball whining to his mother of her being the problem in their relationship & after “Belong to You” confronts her soulmate telling him that they were meant for each other, “Jittery” ends Resurrection taking accountability for the way things panned out.

Considering that Timbaland’s recent production placements on Conway the Machine’s 5th album You Can’t Kill God with Bullets & more recently Juvenile’s 12th album Boiling Point didn’t really warrant a lot of criticism out of me, I’m happy to say that he keeps that same energy throughout the greatest achievement in Chlöe’s solo career providing her a consistently tasteful batch of R&B production & holding off on having any guest appearances compared to both of her previous LPs.

Score: 4/5

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Babystaydown – “Lil Yae” review

Here is the 3rd & potentially final studio LP from Athens, Georgia recording artist Babystaydown. Somebody who already has 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. Coming off his full-length debut album Born Anew as well as his sophomore effort Art of War & his most recent EP I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) to drop the introspective Lil Yae.

“Mob Boss” opens up with this stunning plugg intro produced by Whyceg depicting imagery of the gangsta life whereas “Dirty Diana” works in this lovely woodwind from Traiqo talking about refusing to take his time because he’s gotta get it. “Free4nixkk” hops over another Whyceg instrumental admitting that he’s been doing everything he can lately leading into “Hate” talking about getting outside of the ghetto on top of a predominantly bare piano.

Whyceg sticks around behind the boards for “Magnolia” so Babystaydown can discuss being ready for his demise since he lives like a soldier while the atmospheric “That’s Just Life” talks about responding to those asking of his wellbeing that he’s been merely alright. “Van Cleef” concludes the 1st half expressing his confusion of being compared to other artists over more delightful Whyceg beats prior to “Energy” spaciously beginning the 2nd leg understanding his bitch not standing him because he’s fucked inside the head.

“Monogamy” finds Cade helping Whyceg carry over the cloudy elements detailing a relationship where an ex-girlfriend of staydown’s claimed to love no one else but him while “Baby Haitian” exuberantly talks about him schemin’ throughout the course of an entire night. “Strange” leans back towards the cloudier side of things stating they hate him now he’s rich while “2 Feet” talks about looking around & seeing a bunch of rich people in the same room he’s in.

The song “Bygones” winds down Lil Yae’s final moments with combining this dreamy backdrop & skittering hi-hats looking to bust shots at anyone who tries to jump him while “Fake Love” hits us with 1 last Whyceg instrumental talking about the Draco turning his opps into angel dust. The closing track “White Keys” officially sends off the album him spending $10K on made him realize how serious his career’s been starting to become.

Almost a couple weeks earlier, Babystaydown took to social media to say that 2026 will be his final year making music because of people spewing fuck shit out their mouths & I hope that isn’t the case considering Lil Yae would be placed on the same pedestal Art of War was 7 months earlier. He rocks the mic by himself similarly to I.B.S.D.W.M.P. (I Been Still Dealing With My Pain) & the production’s less rage-inducing than the last full-length although the 46% of it Whyceg handles provides the half hour’s most enjoyable collection of pop rap, plugg, cloud rap & trap.

Score: 4/5

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Latto – “Big Mama” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Latto. Winning the very first season of The Rap Game & eventually turned down a deal with So So Def Recordings because it wasn’t enough money, she eventually broke through a few summers back after signing to RCA Records & putting out a decent full-length debut Queen of da Souf. The sophomore effort 777 in 2022 sure enough won me over & her previous album Sugar Honey Iced Tea a couple years earlier was alright, welcoming this era of her career as the Big Mama with open arms

“Business & Personal” produced by Coupe & Pooh Beatz begins talking about motherhood slowing nothing down but the horsepower but once “Get Money Girl” recalls people initially thinking she wasn’t serious regarding her music career until declining the So So Def contract, “G.O.M.F. (Get Out My Face)” featuring Glorilla samples “Yahhh by Soulja Boy & Arab for a crunk single individually addressing some rumors that’ve been made about them.

Former PWG World Champion, 2-time WWE world champion & the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther retiring 17-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion & 4-time WWE tag team champion John Cena by gets referenced on “Chrome Heart Diaper Bag” once again talking about becoming a mother just before “Okayyy” featuring Doja Cat unites for a passable pop rap single.

“Hostage” featuring the father of her child 21 Savage disses Washington Wizards point guard Trae Young for some reason sampling “For the Love of You” by The Isley Brothers prior to “Death Row” talking about real bitches staying 10 toes down. “Onnat” flips “Kryptonite (I’m On It)” by the Purple Ribbon All-Stars discussing the typa shit she’s on lately while “Gimme Dat” ends the 1st half of Big Mama taking a jab at Cardi B after their Twitter spat back in October.

We have “Fallin’” kicking off the 2nd leg of the album opening up more regarding her relationship with 21 while “Need Luv 2” featuring Sexyy Red finds the 2 talking about gangsta bitches needing love as much as the male Gs do. “Make Me” featuring Mariah the Scientist blends alternative R&B & pop rap for a duet where they’re telling their respective partners to make them shut up while “Naked” continues the lustful themes talking about wanting to see the real 21.

“Anxious” featuring Wizkid takes inspiration from Afrobeats asking their lovers if their hearts ever skip a beat when they’re with both artists while “4L” talks about 21 Savage helping her get out of her comfort zone. After the “Daddy’s Little Girl” interlude details her upbringings, “Mama” featuring Jelly Roll links up for an ode to Latto’s mother while “Somebody” concludes with an interpolation of “Are You That Somebody?” by the late Aaliyah over a sample of “Give It to Me Baby” by the late Rick James.

I truly couldn’t tell you if this will be the last we’ll ever heard from Latto musically especially since she later admitted that her retirement was fueled by post-partum depression, but she still hasn’t topped 777 & would consider Big Mama to be a mild note to end on if she’s really done. The production mostly handled by Coupe & Pooh Beatz was an improvement over Sugar Honey Ice Tea’s, although the subject matter from the main artist & the guests themselves are mostly average outside of some profound moments.

Score: 3/5

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TopOppGen – “Peace Doesn’t Reside on My End” review

TopOppGen is a 20 year old rapper from Charlotte, North Carolina who dropped his debut mixtape Mind of a Menace in the summer of 2021. He would go on to follow this up with 3 extended plays & 6 mixtapes including TopOppBusiness, All I Know is 6, ?, 6orry for the Wait, House Arrest Tingz, The Last 6ixer…, love, topopp & imperfections until signing to Columbia Records. The full-length debut fake pills & real scars along with the sophomore effort kalon have both been making waves & the singles building up towards his 3rd album made it seem like it could be his most defining statement thus far only hours after Cedric Alexander ended Leon Slater’s reign as TNA X Division Champion.

“purple fluid” opens things up talking about falling in love with drugs after having his heart broken whereas “don’t cry” fuses rap rock, trap & emo rap assuring his partner that she doesn’t have to do him wrong if he does it initially. “chemistry” talks about love not meaning anything to him until “scrimmage” for some reason admits to stalking this woman’s page when he knows he has better stuff to do.

The 2nd & final single “love war” suggests maybe he’s better off in his deathbed when most would consider it to be the worst case scenario while “don’t wanna do that” talks about being on drugs that his homies have never heard of previously. “emo girl” wraps up the 1st leg of the LP proclaiming the chick he’s been with to be dumber than Patrick Star leading into “everything” talks about remembering all he & an ex have done together.

“I hate relationships” kicks off the 2nd half warns everyone who wants to kill him that he has guns of his own at the crib while “features” talks about being mesmerized by the beauty of this pretty girl with a cold heart. “rampaging” touches base regarding him being on lean for 3 straight weeks & pondering if he’s been losing his feelings while “heartfelt message” blends a guitar & hi-hats expresses hope of him never seeing a hoe’s face again because of their love dissolving.

The song “blow me away” winds down Peace Don’t Reside on My End’s final moments advising to let him be if someone finds him bleeding out all over the ground & his partner’s absence causing him to begin hallucinating while “cavity” talks about making it out the hood even if he couldn’t take the hood with him. The closing track “way past 10” spends the full-length’s last couple minutes taking inspiration from the late XXXTENTACION’s emo-folk stuff, primarily 17.

Proving himself to be one of emo rap’s most prominent forces within the past year, TopOppGen extends the back-to-back streak he’s been on since signing to a major label & making it a 3-peat considering how much Peace Doesn’t Reside on My End feels like a continuation of both it’s predecessors. The production refines his style by maintaining the secondary influences of gangsta rap, pop rap, rap rock & trap and he refrains from having any guests join him in expressing his pain.

Score: 3.5/5

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Chris Brown – “Brown” review

Chris Brown is a 37 year old singer/songwriter, dancer & actor from Tappahannock, Virginia who I became a fan of as a kid through viral singles like “Kiss Kiss” & “Look At Me Now”. His full-lengths however including his eponymous debut, Exclusive, Graffiti, his final Jive Records offering F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), his RCA Records debut Fortune, X, Royalty, Heartbreak on a Full Moon, Indigo, Breezy & 11:11 have all been received mixed-to-negatively & I didn’t expect anything more out of his 12th studio LP.

“Leave Me Alone” co-produced by Metro Boomin’ begins with this whiny response to people being judgmental of him when he’s continuously inflicted that upon himself whereas “Obvious” attempts at making a summertime anthem only for him to miss the landing. “Honey Pack” continues with an underwhelming lust ode prior to “It Depends”featuring Bryson Tiller sampling “Nice & Slow” by Usher thanks to Nico Baran of Internet Money Records singing about fucking their lovers right.

Leon Thomas III appears for “Fallin’” so he & Breezy can give off that old school R&B vibe professing the feelings they still have for their exes until “Hate Me” sings about always being there for a woman who resents him regardless of her spite. “Call Your Name” featuring Glorilla & Sexyy Red joins forces over a Tay Keith instrumental for a fun R&B/hip hop crossover just before “For the Moment” yearns to solely be with a private dancer after a party.

“Fuck & Party” featuring Vybz Kartel of course embraces a dancehall vibe so they can sing about doing those 2 things while “Red Rum” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again describes the downsides of fame although I’ve heard that issue being handled better previously. “It’s Not You It’s Me” sings over a Hitmaka beat to a female that he’s cutting her off because of some shit he’s dealing with personally until “Cry for Me” decently samples “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” by Rose Royce.

Lex Luger getting behind the boards for “Say Nothin’” was a bit of a shock, ending the 1st leg of Brown promising his romantic interest that he’ll keep all of her secrets while “Slow Jamz” featuring Lucky Daye makes me wanna listen to the iconic Twista/Ye single of the same name instead. “Perfect Timing” featuring Fridayy mediocrely depicts a relationship where nothing feels the same anymore while “In My Head” obsesses over a chick he’s constantly thinking of.

“What’s Love?” openly admits to him not understanding the concept of affection & CashMoneyAP instrumentally treading psychedelic waters while “Something in the Water” sings about being deeply drawn to somebody whose presence feels addictively powerful to him. “Won’t Let Me Leave” details an encounter ending in this person’s love refusing to set him free while “#BodyGoals” featuring Tank links up for a moderate strip club anthem.

Meanwhile on “Colours”, we have Chris giving this individual an ultimatum between accepting him for who he is or walking out the door while “Skin to Skin” sings about intercourse without making it feel sexy. “Theme Song” reunites with Hitmaka for a carefree, celebratory dedication for all the ladies looking to go stupid while “Your Time” sings about the way he enjoys having the love of his life to himself in addition to being blessed whenever he’s around her & urging to let go of any worries she has.

“It’s Personal” winds down the last few moments of the album throwing a tantrum over the people who’ve “turned their backs” on him when he has a history of misogyny & a repetitive discography, but then the lead single “Holy Blindfold” takes a more spiritual approach altogether courtesy of Jon Bellion. The closing track “Present” finishes Brown singing over a Metro beat 1 last time about him not having anymore checks on his checklist at this point in his life.

Starting the deluxe run, “Loose” tepidly details his desires of wanting to fuck until his girl’s hips fall off while “Man on a Mission” featuring Wizkid finds the 2 likening themselves to James Bond & having no time to waste. “Save Me” tiresomely begs this chick not to save him if he drowns in her love while “Just the Bro” featuring Ty$ & Tyga preceding the annoyingly gross “G.P. (Good Pussy)” talks about women pretending only to lie to their men.

“Nthn2tlkbout” doesn’t make things any better promising she’s gonna wanna be more than friends when they’re done having sex while “4ever” might be amongst the best bonus tracks here singing about being under the impression he & this chick were close to eternity over an FNZ instrumental. “No Signal” whines of a female who ended up blocking his number & after “Still Human” makes up for it with a Hitmaka-laced highlight, “Appreciate It” ends Brown asking his motivation for their patience.

A great deal of Chris Brown’s albums can seem repetitively formulaic at times & for some reason since the weakest entry of his discography Heartbreak on a Full Moon, he’s been overloading every single full-length & you’re not gonna get anything different outside of that with Brown. There are moments where I occasionally enjoy a song because of the production or maybe it has a guest appearance, but it’s some of the most tepid contemporary/alternative R&B of 2026 past that point.

Score: 1/5

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Central C – “All Roads Lead Home” review

Here we have the 6th extended play from Ladbroke Grove, London, England, United Kingdom rapper & singer/songwriter Central C. After putting out a total of 4 EPs & a couple mixtapes in addition to his Split Decision collab EP he & Dave did, the 2023 XXL Freshman Class member signed to Columbia Records & his full-length debut Can’t Rush Greatness was received mixed-to-negatively even if his popularity keeps growing. 14 months later, All Roads Lead Home has arrived following it’s delay only a few days after Alexxis Falcon ended Alex Windsor’s 2nd reign as RPW British Women’s Champion to become a 2-time champion herself.

The introductory freestyle was an mediocre choice of an intro considering he’s just going off the top promoting Drake’s upcoming 11th album Iceman whereas “Slaughter” featuring J Hus blends UK drill & 3-step, countering each other by spitting forgettable verses of their own. “Wagwan” kinda has this lo-fi drill vibe to it talking about a shorty he hasn’t seen in a minute prior to the self-produced “Feelings” acknowledges what it’s like when nobody believes in you.

“DC10” winds down the last few minutes of All Roads Lead Home talking about being inside of a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos until Einer Bankz produces what could be my favorite instrumental on the EP during “Maka” featuring A2Anti, even if the latter’s guest appearance was worse than the other one. “Y Fi Dat” finally ends All Roads Lead Home talking about having his eye for sexy women & saving a hoe like he’s Spider-Man.

You’re better off listening to the new Fliptrix album Elevation produced by Telemachus if you’re looking for some new UK hip hop this weekend because not only has Can’t Rush Greatness aged like milk, but Central C’s newest EP preparing for his sophomore effort is somehow worse. A lot of that would attribute to a great deal of the beats feeling pretty cheap for this style of drill as well as his singular flow & basic lyrics.

Score: 1.5/5

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Slayyyter – “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA” review

Slayyyter is a 29 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Kirkwood, Missouri who began to turn heads in 2019 off her eponymous debut mixtape. She would go on to follow it up with the full-length debut Troubled Paradise which was pretty average in comparison & the sophomore effort Starfucker, the latter of which was highly praised enough for Columbia Records to sign her. Coming off a handful of revered teasers, she’s ready to make her major label debut with her 3rd album.

“Dance…” opens up with this electropop, dance-pop, French electro, acid house, electroclash, synthwave, midtempo bass & electro-disco single singing about coming to party whereas “Beat Up Chanel$” blends electropop, electroclash, witch house, futurepop, slap house, pop rap & electro house to express her desire for new personnel. “Cannibalism!” fuses alternative dance, post-punk, post-punk revival, dance-punk revival, new rave, surf rock & psychobilly asking God for a sign leading into “Old Technology” explores electroclash, electropop, electro-industrial, new rave, future house & pop rap to talk about doing drugs tonight.

Industrial hip hop, Jersey club rap, deconstructed club, hardcore hip hop, ballroom & electroclash all collide on “Crank” taking a more sexual approach to her songwriting leading into her recalling a time where a lover left her stranded at a “Gas Station” to end the 1st leg of the LP & being devastated by it because she loved this guy more than anything. “Yes Goddd” begins the 2nd half pleading to be let off with some spaces over a thunderous beat just before “Unknown Loverz” sings about a man running faster the more she chases him.

“Old Fling$” addresses an individual she saw creepin’ from the sideline trying to get to the bottom of the reason why they’re hiding from her while “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” could be my least favorite track here because I felt like there could’ve easily been another verse added to it. “$t. Loser” asks this person she’s constantly thinking of if he has her on his mind as much as she does him while “What’s it Like, To Be Liked?” makes the greatest possible use of a Starfuckerouttake turning up the sadness levels. After the “*Prayer*” interlude, the outro “Brittany Murphy.” ends with a tribute to the late King of the Hill/8 Mile star of the same name.

Self-titled & Starfucker have already become amongst the greatest electropop within the last decade, but WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA fully realizes Slayyyter’s artistic potential & simultaneously provides a more authentic version of herself. The production masterfully brings elements of electroclash, French electro, electro-industrial, new rave, dance-pop, electro house, pop rap, acid house, synthwave, midtempo bass, electro-disco, witch house, futurepop, slap house, pop rap, alternative dance, post-punk, post-punk revival, dance-punk revival, new rave, surf rock, psychobilly, new rave, future house, industrial hip hop, Jersey club rap, deconstructed club, hardcore hip hop & ballroom to her electropop sound so she can tell the world a bit more regarding her upbringings.

Score: 4.5/5

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Pradabagshawty – “5 Problems” review

Brand new mixtape & the 3rd overall from Columbia, South Carolina born albeit Atlanta, Georgia rapper/producer Pradabagshawty. Introducing himself in the spring of 2023 off Bloxk Addiktion, his popularity within the plugg subgenre of trap continued to grow last year by putting out 3 more EPs in 1 Love as well as his Cegular Records/Sony Music debut 10 Freak Ho’s & of course and Forever & After. His last few projects B What You B as well as Home Invasions and Red Flags & Roses have become his most celebrated material thus far, coming off B45P to drop the main course.

“RL Gang” hops over a plugg beat to get things going talking about rocking out a sold out show with all of his homies whereas “I’m Upset” boasts of him having an X on his chest & only doing what he feels is necessary. “Drop Dat Bag” gets back on a lavish plugg vibe instrumentally talking about giving someone some cash only for them to come back & blow it all prior to “Beat It” fusing cloud rap & rage for a nod to the late Michael Jackson’s iconic single of the same name.

b4l.scrap’s appearance on “Hootie Hoo” doesn’t really captivate me that much despite returning to a pluggier sound & the gangsta themes Pradabagshawty’s become known for leading into “My Ho” talking about his girl pulling up whenever she’s feeling horny. “Chopstick” incorporates more hi-hats as synthesizers explain explaining that life’s too short to be pissed off daily just before “Ain’t Wok” talks about missing his high when he’s feeling low.

“Domain Expansion” kicks off the 2nd leg of 5 Problems observing a snake who’s desperate to hang out with his crew over a self-produced beat while my favorite single “I Know” produced by Whyceg talks about treating his bitches like gold & playing it cool the second they turn their backs on him. “I’m Scared” discusses the guy having a yerc waiting for him at their designated spot while “4Ever” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon & アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン Rey Mysterio.

Rounding out 3rd, the song “What I Was Sayin’” talks about the fact he’s done a lot to get his career moving full motion while “Gun Kick” featuring yotti contains one of my favorite instrumentals throughout the tape thanks to Whyceg again doing an average job at depicting the gangsta lifestyle they’ve come to know very well. “Tin Foil” cloudily speaks of staying loyal to the streets after everything he’s done for his streets & after “Night Sight” clarifies to a woman who had her chance to be with him that she filed it up, “Lies” spends the last few minutes talking about his relationship experiences.

B45P still remains one of the weakest things Pradabagshawty has done ever since his Cegular Records deal came to fruition alongside 10 Freak Ho’s, but 5 Problems thankfully makes a couple of improvements although I wouldn’t rank it up there amongst his strongest output like Forever & After or Red Flags & Roses. The argument of him being the greatest artist on the label can still be made, although both guests leave little to be desired & the plugg production’s a tad bit superior than the prelude EP almost 2 months ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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Lamb of God – “Into Oblivion” review

Lamb of God is a groove metal band from Richmond, Virginia comprised of bassist John Campbell, lead guitarist Mark Morton, rhythm guitarist Willie Adler, drummer Art Cruz & frontman Randy Blythe. Introducing themselves a quarter of a century ago off their full-length debut Burn the Priest & the sophomore effort New American Gospel, As the Palaces Burn would catch the attention of Epic Records & their major label debut Ashes of the Wake remains my personal favorite in their discography even now. Sacrament, Wrath, Resolution, VII: Sturm und Drang, self titled & Omens were all solid in their own rights although I personally prefer some more than others. They’ve been teasing a new era since this past October right around the time a video of theirs appeared on season 11 of the MTV hit-series Beavis & Butt-head marking their debut for Comedy Central & it’s finally here with their 11th album.

The title track & 3rd single incorporates some metalcore influences into their signature groove metal sound singing about being the face of tyranny in the age of conspiracy whereas the 2nd single “Parasocial Christ” sprinkles some hints of thrash metal throughout for a statement criticizing the current age of social media. The lead single “Sepsis” combines thrash & groove metal with sludge metal for a throwback to their Burn the Priest days except Randy’s noticeably angrier now that he’s older while “The Killing Floor” feels reminiscent to the As the Palace Burns era following the name change.

“El Vacío” reaches the halfway point embracing more somber guitar tones singing about a monster sleeping in their home state while “St. Catherine’s Wheel” kicking off the 2nd leg. After the 4th & final single “Blunt Force Blues” blends groove metal & metalcore for a reflection of the various skills they’ve accrued over the course of their career, “Bully” taps back into the band’s typical angst some have come to know them for while “1,000 Years” sings about unleashing the dogs of war to fill his crimson glass. “Devise / Destroy” spends the last 4 minutes riding off Into Oblivion by taking a more antagonistic approach to delivering the social commentary Randy wants to get off his chest.

Self-titled & Omens were both alright to me personally, but the teasers we got in preparation for Into Oblivion gave me the impression that it would be their best since VII: Sturm und Drang after I had graduated high school over a decade ago & I can definitely say with confidence that it joins the likes of that as well as Sacrament & As the Palace Burn in comprising the other 4 albums I would have join Ashes of the Wake to comprise my top 5 favorite full-lengths throughout the Lamb of God canon. The groove metal veterans take secondary inspiration from metalcore, thrash metal & sludge metal to issue a warning regarding people accepting what would’ve horrified them 2 decades ago.

Score: 4/5

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Baby Keem – “Ca$ino” review

This is the sophomore effort from Carson, California rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Baby Keem. The younger cousin of Kendrick Lamar, he went on to drop 4 EPs & a couple of mixtapes with Die for My Bitch being the one that helped boost his popularity to the point where he rightfully earned a spot on the 2020 XXL Freshman Class. His full-length debut The Melodic Blue under pgLang & Columbia Records continued to excel his artistic potential, returning after 5 years for a trip to the Ca$ino.

“No Security” produced with Danja & FNZ begins with a drumless sample talking about preferring to have his gang beside him than a bodyguard whereas the title track comes through with a 2-parter that Cardo cooked up speaking of being somewhat deranged at this point in his career. “Birds & the Bees” flips “Honey Honey” by Feist showing a more romantic side to Keem leading into “Good Flirts” by The Hillbillies poking fun at Young Thug’s leaked phone calls with Mariah the Scientist.

Things go for a chipmunk soul vibe on “House Money” sampling “You Know the Feeling” by Steven Wightman to talk about fearing no one when he steps in the party just before “I’m Not a Lyricist” channels his inner André 3000 over a piano instrumental. “$ex Appeal” featuring Too $hort of course finds the 2 taking it to the Bay stylistically for a more raunchier approach topically until “I Do Love You” by Billy Stewart gets chopped up for the “Highway 95” sequel.

“Circus Circus” splits itself in 3 halves addressing his family dynamics whilst blending some braggadocio while “Dramatic Girl” feels more like a Che Ecru & Sam Dew song since Keem only handles the hook, although he & Sounwave do a fine job of sampling “Kids” by MGMT for the upbeat R&B detour. “No Blame” samples “I Never Learnt to Share” by James Blake to finish our Ca$ino tour talking about his difficult upbringings & not blaming his mother for it.

I appreciate that Baby Keem got more personal with Ca$ino, but I wouldn’t put it above The Melodic Blue & firmly believe that he has the capability of making a project that’ll top both albums even if some people like to ignorantly dismiss him as a nepo baby. It’s more pop rap sounding than the predecessor although the alternative R&B & trap elements are maintained, adding some more ratchet & chipmunk soul undertones than previously & getting more conscious than hardcore.

Score: 3.5/5

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