A-F-R-O – “The Bad & the Ugly II” review

Los Angeles, California emcee/producer A-F-R-O running it back with Stu Bangas for his latest LP. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his Duck Down Music Inc.-backed 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo introduced himself as a promising up-&-comer within the underground. The Drawing Board alongside The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First and Crimson Fury have all testified to his vengeful return in recent memory, preluding his upcoming 14th EP No More Patience with The Bad & the Ugly II.

A sequel to “Lost Souls” off the original Bad & the Ugly begins assuring that he still sees the finer things despite having glaucoma whereas “Pack It In” mixes sampling with kicks & snares calling back to the House of Pain single “Jump Around” in that battling him’s a sin. “Bring Ya Best Army 2” featuring One Be Lo dustily picks up where the predecessor left off last Halloween leading into “Mastermind” featuring Wordsworth talking about life ain’t a game to them.

“Use Your Brain” pushes towards the end of the 1st half advising one to think prior to stepping up to the microphone just before “Conductor” hops over an organ-inflicted boom bap instrumental to talk about conducting poetry whenever he’s in the booth. “Man of God” featuring Motion+ finds the 2 speaking being beyond blessed with their lives & having no tolerance towards disrespect while “My Saloon” talks about pouring up lyrical brew & not allowing any punk muhfuckas in his bar.

We get some pianos & a drum machine on “The Quick & The Dead” addressing the type of rappers who think they slick by busting their rhymes with speed when they’re really not while “No Regrets” featuring 4-IZE talks about living life without any remorse. “D’Amalfi” produced by Young Bangas marks the only track that Stu didn’t produce soulfully discussing being on this grind, but never thought he’d still be dreaming.

“Pandemic Posse” featuring Blaq Poet, EKYM1536, Emsee Prospekt, Horror City, Motion+ & Pulse Reaction takes up the next 6 minutes properly introducing themselves collectively while “Glistening” asks all the party people if they’re still listening to him rock the stage. “Stairway 2 Heaven” finishes with some rap rock undertones explaining that God told him to use his mind as a weapon.

The Bad & The Ugly II might be a little more heavier on the features compared to the original that came out last Halloween, but I’d certainly put it above Crimson Fury by only slight margin as much as I highly enjoyed that conceptual self produced extend extended play 5 months ago. The production almost entirely handled by Stu Bangas of course recaptures the flawlessly raw energy of The Bad & The Ugly, with A-F-R-O’s pen leveling up in terms of gruesomeness.

Score: 4/5

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

Wordsworth – “2 Kings” review

This is the 6th solo LP from Brooklyn, New York emcee Wordsworth. A member of the duo Punch n Words & the trio eMC, he officially made his solo debut 2 decades ago already with Mirror Music followed by The Photo Album & the Donel Smokes-produced New Beginning. After JSOUL went on to produce his debut EP Blame It on Music & later Sam Brown doing Our World Today respectively, the next EP Undivided Attention would be an improvement over Blame It on Music & the last album The Fragility of Life was overloaded with too many features. That said, hearing that Stu Bangas was lacing 2 Kings had me anticipating it in being Wordsworth’s magnum opus.

The title track kicks the door down with a warmongering boom bap instrumental & flag-planting territories & never giving up whereas “Day 1” by Punch n Words featuring Ali Vegas menacingly talking about being prepared for when your day comes. “Embarrassed” works in a soul sample with some kicks & snares suggesting your money ain’t enough to keep your habits leading into “Yearbook” talking about some people he knew becoming career crooks.

“Start the Madness” featuring Breeze Brewin’ keeps it in the basement altogether for both MCs to come together to deliver lyrical insanity for nearly 4 minutes just before “Mother of My Kids” featuring C-Red finds the pair over a somber boom bap beat talking about finding another way to happiness. “Oh!” has a funkily raw flare throughout addressing the alliance of 2 giants while “Which One Are You?” featuring eLZhi wants to know if one is either fake or true.

To begin the final leg, “Something Strange” has a classy piano flip noticing a problem when the ID didn’t have the same name at all prior to “Solidified” confidently talks about his status in the game. “Hard Times Don’t Last” provides optimism for those struggling right now promising that it will get better, but then “God’s Mailbox” finishes the LP talking about sending letters to the Higher Power.

The history this guy has with Punch n Words & eMC alongside his first couple solo albums has proven to me that he’s very much skilled on the mic, yet 2 Kings feels like something I’ve always wanted from him. Stu Bangas’ production from the moment you press play to the final moments is perfect, the guests are all well chosen & Wordsworth himself sounds passionate on the mic.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Nowaah the Flood – “Plans of the Diligent” review

This is the 20th EP from Dallas, Texas emcee Nowaah the Flood. Breaking out in the summer of 2018 by releasing his first EP Trill Life Mathematiks around the same time as Nas’ 11th album NASIR fully produced by Kanye West, he would go on to drop his last 19 EPs along with The Nowaah & the Dewer’s eponymous debut album and roughly 6 proper full-lengths. Standouts for me personally include the DirtyDiggs-produced Private Stock, the Estee Nack collaborative effort Planted Seeds, The Infallible, the Stu Bangas-produced Respectfully, the Giallo Point-produced Right Over Left & it’s sequel, the DJ D-Styles-produced Crème de la Crème and finally the Kyo Itachi-produced Sudan Samurai Scrolls. However, he & Stu Bangas are celebrating Thanksgiving by laying out Plans of the Diligent.

“On King David” is this hardcore 86 second intro talking about being the one to rumble with & saying fuck the humble shit since others be clockin’ his style whereas “Don’t Get Spooked Now” takes the uncanny boom bap route instrumentally cautioning everyone not to get frightened. “The Criteria” goes for a luxuriously raw vibe altogether likening the EP to 80s dope while “To the Chest” samples a piano to talk about lyrical devastation.

Meanwhile on “Wisdom of the Ages”, we have Nowaah soulfully disses all the false prophets in the game these days just before “The Hellfire”aggressively pays tribute to both 12 O’Clock & the Ol’ Dirty Bastard. “Breaking Day” acknowledges that he’s never taken an L when working with Stu leading into “1 Chance” brings the keys back in the equation to talk about still having his distinct grit. “Keep a Banga on Me” finishes by keeping a heater on him even if he’s locked down in cellblock 3.

Tinted with Biblical references throughout in time for the holiday season in Nowaah the Flood’s inimitable fashion, Stu Bangas provides the antidote to drumless beats & quiet lo-fi sounds for the faithless to find solace in the gritty stories of the streets Nowaah so expertly tells on behalf of those who’re either dead or locked behind bars doing life sentences & unable to tell their own tales as a result of the statutes of limitation not passing yet.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Psycho Les – “Escape the Matrix” review

Psycho Les is a 52 year old MC/producer from Queens, New York notable for being 1/2 of The Beatnuts alongside Juju as well as 1/5 of the Liknuts supergroup with Tha Alkaholiks. He eventually started carving a path for himself as a solo artist in the spring of 2007 with the debut album Psycho Therapy & returning almost a decade later for the weed-themed, feature-heavy sophomore effort Dank God. Ahead of the Real Psychos’ eponymous debut with B-Real next month, Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas are getting together to help Escape the Matrix on his 1st solo EP.

“S.O.S.” starts by spitting conscious lyricism over a boom bap instrumental cautioning of the world we know it today being in danger & considering yourself lucky if you’re still alive refusing to get on his Chuck D shit whereas “Crooks” featuring Snyp Life works in more kicks & snares with a delicate backdrop referring to themselves as the last ones of their kind pleading for everyone to take facts over fear. “Fire” featuring Blahzay Blahzay properly ends the EP with Outloud joining Les with PF Cuttin’ on the scratching to talk about the world burning.

Dank God had its high points, but I’ve always felt like it was overloaded with features in comparison to Psycho Therapy. And although Escape the Matrix only became a 3-track EP instead of a full-length studio album, what it offers in nearly 10 minutes is better than a lot of what was on that previous LP almost a decade ago. Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas both recapture the magic of their production throughout their Empires collaborative effort on 4/20 2021 keeping it underground traditional boom bap vibes alive & Les himself offers more politically conscious subject matter.

Score: 4/5

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

A-F-R-O – “The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First” review

Los Angeles emcee/producer A-F-R-O teaming up with Boston, Massachusetts underground veteran Stu Bangas for his proper full-length debut studio album. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his Duck Down Music Inc.-backed 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo introduced himself as a promising up-&-comer within the underground. I got to cover his self-produced 9th EP The Drawing Board earlier this spring & while thought that it was his best work yet, The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First surely had more than enough potential to top it.

“Hip Hop Tournament” starts with a horn-inflicted boom bap instrumental addressing those who wanna battle him whereas “Bring Ya Best Army” brings an uncanny atmosphere to the table keeping it raw talking about his opposition bringing the best out of their arsenal. “Lost Souls” works in more kicks & snares to discuss the titular kind of people wandering around his parts just before “From Dusk ‘Till Dawn” featuring Lil D ruggedly talks about being unstoppable.

Moving on from there, “Pay Attention” maintains a boom bap edge advising y’all to actively listen to him very carefully as he shows how it’s done leading into “Hallucinogenz” sampling a bit of psychedelic rock with nothing on the mind but the dimesack. “Story of a Scumbag” grimly gets in his storytelling bag discussing a young kid with a cold heart prior to “Eyes Closed” boasting that he could do this shit in his sleep.

“Breakadawn” featuring Horror City & Motion+ nears the conclusion of The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First by linking the trio up promising that they’ll always keep it moving prior to “Run 4 Ya Life!” rounding things out in the form of this murderous closer advising for everyone listening to bring a pen & a mic instead of a gun clarifying that your demise will be a good time for him.

For over a decade, I’ve always felt that A-F-R-O had more than enough potential to make a classic studio LP someday & it finally happened on Halloween wiping almost everything else that he’s done up until this point. The features are just ok, but Stu Bangas’ production top to bottom reveals itself to be a great match for A-F-R-O’s cutthroat lyricism.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Tek – “MVP: MotiVational Purposes” review

Tek is a 50 year old MC from Brooklyn, New York notable for being 1/2 of Smif N Wessun & a member of the Boot Camp Clik collective. He also has 3 solo mixtapes, 3 EPs & even a couple full-length LPs under his belt in 24KT Smoke & Pricele$$ respectively. That said: My expectations for MVP: MotiVational Purposes we’re considerably high once I learned that Stu Bangas coming fresh off G-Mo Skee’s new album Filth City was fully producing the 4th EP that Tek’s put out on his own front to back.

“Back Inda Days” begins my mixing a pitched vocal sample with kicks & snares reminiscing on when everything used to be fun & games whereas “Hour After Hour” is this orchestral boom bap crossover talking about how the grind never stops & what’s good with having heart if you don’t use it. The song “Agave” keeps it dusty pullin’ up to the block at 5 with his Glock cocked & the horn-driven penultimate track “B.O.C. (Ballin’ Outta Control)” explanatorily talks about ballin’ insanely, but then “Big” closes shop with a triumphant trap joint boasting that everything’s huge.

Some heads I know weren’t too crazy about the Teksmokeelah EP nearly a year & a half ago, but MVP: MotiVational Purposes is undoubtedly a higher step above than it’s predecessor & even surpassing Pricele$$ as the best thing that Tek has ever made without his partner-in-rhyme Steele. Stu Bangas’ production is significantly more consistent than a lot of Tek’s past solo material & the latter resists overloading it with guests getting on the motivational tip lyrically.

Score: 4.5/5

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

G-Mo Skee – “Filth City” review

Richmond, California lyricist G-Mo Skee enlisting Boston producer Stu Bangas for his 4th full-length LP & the first since returning to Majik Ninja Entertainment. Emerging as a member of the trio Stampede & later the Inf Gang. He would drop 2 official mixtapes Got Filth & Got Filth II: The Great Adventures of G-Mo independently before Twiztid signed him to Majik Ninja Entertainment in 2016. His full-length debut My Filthy Spirit Bomb coming out that same winter to significant acclaim, but I personally think G’s sophomore effort Chaly & the Filth Factory is his best work so far because of it’s incredible concept & the instrumentals accompanying it (mostly handled by former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7). The previous album The Filth Element commemorated his 30th birthday by proving that he didn’t need MNE until returning to The Dojo on 8 Bit Filth II: Hero Hunter last fall & is now turning Filth City from an EP to an actual album ahead of his upcoming Astronomicon appearance.

After the soulful intro, the title track starts us off by advising not to come to Filth City since shit can go left over a boom bap instrumental whereas the grimy ass single “Work Magic” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE Champion, 11-time WWE tag team champion, the inaugural WWE Hardcore Champion, CWA World Tag Team Champion & TNA World Champion Mick Foley. “Jumped” hauntingly incorporates more kicks & snares obviously talking about not fighting fair with people who run up on him while “Evil Plans” sounds like something out of a horror flick keeping it dusty at the same time advising that you’re gonna see him act like an animal cleverly referencing The Animal.

After the interlude, “Diamond in the Dirt” links up with his Inf Gang brethren Jae Harmony & Nobe saying you’d have to time travel to beat them in a rhyme battle & to find them lurkin’ in the underground along with it being time for them to show ‘em what it’s worth on top of this eerie ass boom bap beat while “All in Your Head” featuring Linzy & Jaylin Skee on the intro & TheArtLawd on the outro brings these colorful vibraphones into the picture discussing fatherhood, worrying about shit that might happen & making good out of the bad he represents. “Autistic” featuring Kvng Moses has these sick ass synthesizers mixed with kicks & snares flexing that he eats more rappers than the ASTROWORLD Travis Scott entrance when they walk in it, but then the synths on “G-Mo University” feel like something out of a Sega Genesis game since it’s no secret that G’s a gamer talking about coming down to get a Filthication.

“Story to Tell” instrumentally goes for a dejecting approach telling a true story although he can’t say their names & that it gets messy while the rugged lead single “Postcards from Hell” talks about how he was raised with all the killers & dope fiends being on the frontline with everyone else in the nosebleeds. “2 the Side” featuring Young Zee of the Outsidaz aptly advises everyone to fall to the side over some Atari-like synths, kicks & snares calling your rap style more outdated than a payphone & that they’re more stuck-up than bitches are these days. And before the futuristic “Credits” outro, the final song on the album “Escape” serves as a climatic finish talking about the city to the point of no return & understandably looking to get the fuck outta there.

8 Bit Filth 2: Hero Hunter was a fun return to MNE for G, but I already knew Filth City would be a standout in his discography since his lyricism is unmatched & Stu Bangas is simply one of the absolute greatest underground producers ever. However after hearing that it wound up being an actual full-length after initially set to be an EP, my expectations increased immensely & we sure enough got one of the best albums of 2024 joining The Chainsmoker II from over a couple weeks ago in being a Hell of a way for Majik Ninja to start the year. Conceptually, the filthiest of them all takes us through what it’s like in Filth City as Stu gives G-Mo some of the coldest production he’s EVER murdered. I know it’s been a hard time for his family right now & I’d like to offer him my DEEPEST condolences, but this album is a special moment for him & I couldn’t be more proud of him. Be sure to catch him on tour with Rittz right now & at Attack of the Ninjas shortly after. I’m most certainly looking forward to the latter.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Stu Bangas – “Death Wish II” review

Boston underground producer Stu Bangas is back again for a sophomore full-length LP solely under his own name. For over the last 15 years, the dude’s résumé is an ever-growing list of veterans ranging from members of the Army of the Pharaohs collective to the late Sean Price. But since 2019, he’s been steadily grinding his ass off producing projects for the likes of Ill Bill & Recognize Ali. However with the 2-year anniversary of his official full-length debut Death Wish approaches next month, Stu’s returning for a sequel.

After the intro, the first song “Inhumans” by Apathy couldn’t have started off the album any better with it’s to boom bap instrumental the lyrics that take everyone who’s tuning in on a trip through the underground whereas “Sus” by Ras Kass works in some twinkling chimes as well as kicks & snares to talk about hating it when people act suspect. “Of Course It’s Me” by Ty Farris happens to be synthesizer/boom bap crossover boasting that both of them be unstoppable leading into “Hooligan Music” by Da Flyy Hooligan hooks up a flute over kicks & snares providing a theme song for the hoodlums.

After the first of 2 interludes, “Y’all Clowns” by Celph Titled & Psycho Les finds the 2 getting in their hardcore bags over a quirky boom bap beat just before “Gracious” by SmooVth cooking up more synths with kicks & snares explaining that his state of mind is hurtful. “The Garden” by Timbo Kingkeeps it rugged clarifying this that different taste but after another interlude, “Feeling Brolic” by Recognize Ali & Vangarde takes the symphonic boom bap route feeling like they have a extremely muscular physique. The final “Deity” by Raze the Ratchet prior to the outro ends the album heinously calls for him rappers to face scrutiny.

Almost 2 years later & Death Wish is still one of my favorite producer curated LPs that I’ve heard in recent memory, so that was more than enough to have me anticipate hearing what Stu was gonna do with the sequel & I enjoy it as much as the predecessor. Only a couple weak guest performances like last time, but the boom bap production still hits hard & a majority of those who take the mic rip it up.

Score: 4/5

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

Chino XL – “God’s Carpenter” review

Chino XL is a 49 year old MC from East Orange, New Jersey who broke out in the mid-90s after signing to American Recordings & releasing the classic full-length debut Here to Save You All. He eventually went on to beef with 2Pac & I genuinely feel sorry for anyone who writes him off to this day because of that. Especially since that I Told You So, Poison Pen & the Viper Records-backed RICANstruction: The Black Rosary all contain some of the best songs in his whole discography. However when Boston producer Stu Bangas was brought in to produce Chino’s 5th & subsequently final full-length album of his lifetime & putting it out through Brutal Music, my anticipation for God’s Carpenter was VERY high.

The title track is a grimy boom bap opener about being in the dark with only his pen & pad asking God to not let him die tonight whereas the next cut “AMBImonsterous” gives off a more tensioning approach instrumentally continuing to rock the mic. “Who Told You” blends some morbid synth melodies with kicks & snares vividly describing those filled with hatred until “Mir8cles Opposite” aggressively goes into detail talking about the apocalypse.

“Murder Rhyme Kill” featuring Vinnie Paz couldn’t have been a perfect choice for the lead single from the frightening boom bap beat the murderous lyricism just before “Remind You” has a more serious attitude fusing pianos with more kicks & snares talking about how unfair it is that he has to hide his face & the scars that was left by this individual won’t go away. “Don’t Care” is an organ-boom bap hybrid declaring the only way to stop him is death, but then “D.X.P.S. (Double X Posse Shit)” pays homage to one of his favorite crews around his neck of the woods.

Meanwhile, “Art Apothecary” starts the last leg of the album with a horror-inspired boom bap instrumental pleading to be saved while the song “Sinister” immaculately lives up to it’s name by hopping on top of a dusty yet amping instrumental talking about being monstrous. The penultimate track “Scribbled Sorcery” has a more atmospheric vibe with kicks & snares of course dropping battle bars prior to “Night Drive” sending off God’s Carpenter by wickedly describes another typical evening for him.

It’s been over a decade since we’ve heard from Chino in a full-length capacity & I gotta say: God’s Carpenter is a near-perfect comeback & already one of the strongest offerings in his catalog. He’s focused, hasn’t lost a step with the pen whatsoever & Stu Bangas’ production is consistently raw top to bottom which is noteworthy considering that a few beats on both Poison Pen & RICANstruction were lacking.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Recognize Ali – “Guerilla Dynasty 2” review

This is the 14th full-length album from Ghanan emcee Recognize Ali. This guy has been a dominant force in the underground from his vast discography of LPs, mixtapes & EPs within the last decade or so to the stellar feature performances that he’s provided for numerous artists. Some standouts in his ever-growing catalog to me personally include the Giallo Point-produced Back 2 Mecca, the Stu Bangas-produced Guerilla Dynasty & the Bronze Nazareth-produced Season of the 7 to only name a few. He’s just coming off Back to Mecca II & is reuniting with Stu Bangas to drop Guerilla Dynasty 2.

After the intro, the first song “In a Rebel’s Mind” is an eerie boom bap opener talking about being on another level with the MCin’ whereas “Guerilla Warfare” works in some pianos, kicks & snares getting in his battle rap bag saying he slays rappers for the fun of it. “Put You to Sleep” jumps on top of a boom bap instrumental with a crooning sample claiming none of y’all are realer or iller than him leading into “Pulverized” featuring Lord Goat bringing you the hardcore over some string sections.

“Full Clip” has a futuristic boom bap quality to the beat letting it be known that your whole crew can catch a whole round just before “Get Folded” talks about hating actors that play as rappers with a dingy ass instrumental. “Real Housewives” by the Dueling Experts brings back the pianos aiming to leaving heads backwards whenever this comes on & after the “Che Guerilla” skit, “Sheep’s Clothing” featuring Eff Yoo &Spit Gemz sonically feels like something ripped out of a monster movie as they deliver a catastrophe in the making.

Ali begins the final leg of the album with the intergalactic-leaning boom bap joint “Eat What You Kill” tackling the titular metaphor while “0 Smoke” eerily makes it clear that he’ll start clapping motherfuckers. The track “Murder Was the Case” featuring Boob Bronx & Sage Infinite is a rock/boom bap crossover informing what the case they gave them was that is until the final song “Bearer of Bad News” prior to the outro giving off a scary atmosphere preparin’ y’all for an ass-kicking.

Back to Mecca II in my opinion was Jamal’s best album since Season of the 7 & my expectations were already high going into this but needless to say, Guerilla Dynasty 2 is his finest album of this year as of me writing this because I’m sure he could drop at least 1 or 2 within the next 6 months. The feature performances are mostly ok, but he & Stu Bangas really elevate their chemistry to the next level here building upon what made the previous Guerilla Dynasty as great as it was.

Score: 4/5

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