Tag: $uicideboy$

$uicideboy$ – “Thy Kingdom Come” review

This is the 5th studio LP from New Orleans, Louisiana duo Ruby da Cherry & $crim a.k.a. the $uicideboy$. In over a decade, they have given a plethora of projects whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The sophomore effort Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation came a few summers ago & most recently New World Depression only 14 months back, coming off solo detours this spring for the boy$’ return on Thy Kingdom Come.

“Count Your Blessings” samples “Hot Razor” so they can flex on every single opponent after betting their lives on becoming successful whereas the bounce-influenced “Napoleon” talks about the 7th Ward. “Oh, What a Wretched Man I Am!” finds themselves feeling lucky to still be here going for a Memphis direction instrumentally while “Full of Grace (I Refuse to Tend My Own Grave)” produced by $crim & G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox talks about feeling emptier than their own graves.

Reaching the halfway point, “Chainbreaker” works in some synthesizers & hi-hats to speak on bitches always trippin’ over real ones while “Now & at the Hour of Our Death” featuring BONES combines hardcore hip hop, trap, Memphis rap, horrorcore, cloud rap & phonk looks to tear shit down. The lead single “Self Inflicted” throws it back to the Long Term Effects of Suffering era while “Grey+Grey+Grey” promises to see the end before you’ll see the end of them.

Night Lovell joins his mentors for “Carried Away” talking about getting overly enthusiastic because they’re sinnin’ & dedicating itself to those listening who’re experiencing some sort of pain in their lives right now just before “Monochromatic” finishes Thy Kingdom Come with an emo rap flare to it talking about feeling all alone on this road they’re heading down every single time they so happen to blink their eyes.

Bridging the $uicideboy$’ underground roots & their continuously evolving musical palate together, Thy Kingdom Come simultaneously celebrates where Ruby & $crim came from & sends a warning of what’s still to come. The production eclectically blends hardcore hip hop, trap, Memphis rap, horrorcore, cloud rap, phonk, bounce & emo rap putting their range on full display without losing any steam & maintaining the potent nihilism that made them popular. Even if they’re lyrically sticking to their bread & butter.

Score: 4/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm” review

New Orleans, Louisiana emcee/producer Ruby da Cherry back with his 3rd EP. Blowing up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography over the last decade & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists.Tragic Love Songs to Study to & Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma were both enjoyably carefree punk EPs from Ruby, continuing towards that direction Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Shrug 3)” intro, the first song “End of Summer 2005 (Started Off as a Tropical Depression)” talks about how life sucks & riding it out until his last day whereas “VCR Eject Button (It’s Time to Grow the Fuck Up)” after the “where y’at duckboy? [6]” interlude admits to feeling he’s been in Hell for years. “Moldy Memories (Peer Pressure Turned Me Into a Diamond)” after the “where y’at duckboy? [7]” interlude was great easycore single with additional influences of melodic hardcore, emo-pop & skate punk fighting until the war’s over leading into “Kino Der Toten” after the “where y’at duckboy? [8]” interlude ends by choking on his thoughts.

Almost a year & a half since Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma came out already, I can’t be mad at Ruby for putting out Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm simultaneously alongside $crim’s 4th album Via Crucis that also dropped today & only days before Duckboy’s 37th birthday. And while I personally find myself enjoying Via Crucis more, I still respect Ruby for throwing it back to his Vapor-Rats days. This one has a prominent easycore vibe with melodic hardcore, emo-pop & skate punk undertones in as opposed to the heavy skate & pop punk vibes of the last EP.

Score: 3.5/5

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$crim – “Via Crucis” review

This the 4th studio LP from New Orleans rapper, producer & deejay $crim of the $uicideboy$. The first of the boy$ to branch out on his own by dropping the solo debut A Man Rose to the Dead during the COVID-19 pandemic to mixed to negative reception including from myself. Lonely Boy was a solid introduction to $crim’s alter-ego even though you can tell it was inspired by Destroy Lonely’s debut album If Looks Could Kill & the sequel Lonely Boy 2 was more of a thank you, returning after over a year for Via Crucis.

“Destination: Lost” sets it off by talking about his evil ways over a self-produced instrumental that starts off drumless up until the 2nd half of it whereas “Tale of the Missing Man” cautions everyone to not waste the days they have left going another round for the man who ain’t coming back. “Whiskey 4 the Holy Ghost” hazily advises to never give up on what your dreams are & continuing to fight just before “Real Tree Playas Anthem” shows off exactly how fly he is.

Moving on from there, “Axeman of New Orleans” embrace is a bit of a Memphis vibe to the beat representing the northside of New Orleans leading into the grim standout “Reborn” co-produced with G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox talking about him finding God after his 2019 detox. “Warped Lives of Blameless Children” gets in his emo rap bag expressing his desire to feel somewhat decently, but then the rage-inducing “Psych Ward” talks about coming from the dirt.

“#lonelycore” shows an emo influence once again refusing to believe his therapist after being told that he’s been healing & crying in secret while “Nightmare on the Northside 3” is a 2-parter continuing the trilogy that began on A Man Rose to the Dead & Lonely Boy respectively. “Guns N’ Roses” heads for more of a bombastic approach admitting his pill addiction has made him fear less while “Father, Hold Me” asks where the memories go when we all die.

The lead single “Methamphetamine Blues” samples Pinegrove suggesting not to ask how he’s been if you genuinely could give a fuck less while “Ex Nihlio” talks about demons taking over him & being too different than anyone else. “Pill Hill Serenade” confesses to relapsing off the pills getting high to the point where he can’t even move while “Eastern Block Psalm” pulls from the Memphis scene talking about those who’re jealous of him.

“Do Killers Ring the Doorbells?” observes that something in the room doesn’t feel right soon as he sets foot & suggesting to count his blessings when all else fails while the buzzing “Death Rides a Grey Horse” talks about his chrome heart being decked out in the Chrome Hearts luxury brand. “Physician, Heal Thyself!” asks what’s left for him to gain & feels conflicted by the stranger taking on his mirror while “Daddy Warbucks” refers to itself as the song you make money to.

As for “Way of Sorrows”, we have $crim embracing the Memphis influences once again dismissing those saying they gon’ pop shit when they’ve never actually popped shit their whole lives while “Today’s a Beautiful Day to Die” sinisterly warns for everyone to get out his way. “Walk on Water” wants to know who else be doin’ shit the way he does crossing over soul & trap while the stripped-back “Depression, My Best Friend” talks about his struggles with the mental state.

“Staring at the Dust” dedicates itself to everyone around the world who’s been feeling hopeless while “Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli” talks about him finally taking off. “Ugly Sunday” advises for everyone to stay the fuck up out his way while “Red Mist” talks about the inside of his double cup feeling like magic. “Gospel of Scott” ask what you’re gonna do when people find out who you really are & “Vena Amoris” ends his most spiritual solo effort talking about the vein of love.

6 years after starting to follow Christianity, the Lonely Boy is back exactly a week after his 36th birthday to make an 88 minute album in which it’s name refers to 14 steps which led to Jesus’ crucifixion similarly to the NA 12 Step guide to sobriety. $crim’s production culminates all the sounds that he’s tried throughout his career into 1 & elevates his own instrumentals with lyrics revolving around mental health & quite possibly the most religiously conceptual thing I’ve ever heard from either $uicideboy$ member.

Score: 4/5

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$uicideboy$ – “New World Depression” review

New Orleans, Louisiana duo Ruby da Cherry & $crim a.k.a. the $uicideboy$ are back for their 4th studio LP. Together, they’ve released a plethora of projects in the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ just dropped their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation couple summers ago & are linking back up from a quick solo detour ringing in New World Depression.

“Lone Wolf Hysteria” produced by $crim & Dynox begins heading towards a misty Memphis rap direction instrumentally promising to trace the mark on their label G*59 Record$ when they dead & gone whereas “Mental Clarity Is a Luxury I Can’t Afford” takes the eerie trap route talking about smoking them. “The Thin Grey Line” fuses Memphis rap with boom bap & trap honoring all who serve in correctional institutions prior to “Thorns” works in a cloudier beat boasting that they’re on a whole different planet.

The desponding trap atmosphere on “Misery in Waking Hours” fits perfectly well with the theme of bitches getting them all the way fucked up while “Burgundy” reusing the exact same sample they used for the 2015 SoundCloud cut “Royal” vividly portraying the gangsta lifestyles they live. “Transgressions” returns to the boom bap obeying the Lord when he talks to them, but then “Are You Going to See the Rose in the Vase or the Dust on the Table?” blends cloudy trap production with pop rap & emo rap reachin’ out for help.

“All of My Problems Always Involve Me” depressively opens up about traveling the world & almost going crazy in 2018 just before the sample-based trap joint “The Light at the End of the Tunnel for $9.99 a Month” confesses to the fear of relapsing. The Totalitarian remix of “Drag ‘Em “N” tha River” by U.N.L.V. is a cool homage to one of the first acts Cash Money Records ever signed while “Us vs. Them” dustily holds 3s up for their set. To finish their 4th album, we get the 5th installment of the “Kill Yourself” series of tracks.

Coming back from a much needed break to focus on further establishing themselves individually & of course the entire G*59 roster since I’ve literally reviewed every single one of the 8 artists signed to the label, they embark on a unapologetic exploration of the darker sides of human experience to resonate with anyone who has ever felt out of place or battled with their own shadows. Through the navigation of themes revolving around fame along with self-destruction & the relentless search for identity amidst chaos, they give us an album on par with I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel V.

Score: 4/5

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$crim – “Lonely Boy 2” review

New Orleans, Louisiana rapper, producer & deejay $crim of the $uicideboy$ releasing the deluxe version of his new sophomore LP Lonely Boy. Wetto here was actually the first of the boy$ to branch out on his own by dropping the solo debut A Man Rose to the Dead during the COVID-19 pandemic to mixed to negative reception including from myself. Ruby da Cherry’s been grinding with a couple of skate punk EPs since last summer & Lonely Boy was a solid introduction to $crim’s alter-ego couple weeks ago even though you can tell it was inspired by Destroy Lonely’s debut album If Looks Could Kill. And since the deluxe is said to be a different LP of its own, I was wondering where he was gonna take it from there.

“90 day wonder” starts the deluxe off with a quirky trap instrumental boasting that he just dropped money on his necklace whereas “back4revenge” talks about seeking revenge for having his heart taken out of his chest & torn apart going straight-up dirty south. “operation fishnet” weaves these pianos & hi-hats together so he can ride around town with his shirt off just before for the trap metal-infused “pete rose” co-produced by G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox & named after the WWE Hall of Famer boasts about jumping out of the coupe.

Meanwhile, “heartbreak shorty” gives off a hazier flare sonically talking about lighting 1 for the gang leading into “i juh wanna ball” is self-explanatory conceptually & the beat here has a bit of a Pi’erre Bourne influence to it. “i cannot promise you that, i give you my word” talks about his bitch being backed up with love over these synthesizers & hi-hats, but then “#ScrimJustWannaHaveFun” brings back the rage beats admitting that the guy wants to have some fun of his own.

“where to go when the levee breaks” confesses to drowning in percocets dabbling into trillwave a bit while “the future only stings once” is this acoustic trap hybrid talking about never understanding his father until he became a father himself. “void” is a pretty cool 2-parter flexing about pulling up in a Hellcat feeling like the man while “lick my nuts” draws from the $B’s Memphis roots instrumentally telling y’all straight forwardly to suck his balls.

Moving on from there, “icarus” talks about the possibility of turning his dog up going for a psychedelic trap sound generally while the ominous boom bap cut “dropping the cross” admits to being in his room chatting with Satan himself. “separation of crows” continues to drop braggadocio giving plugg music a shot while the moody “thought that you should know” admits to thinking about his mistake. “terminally unique” continues to give a psychedelic edge boasting he’s incurable my one of a kind & lastly the vast “find my way” ends the LP by admitting he doesn’t wanna die a certain way.

In contrast to Lonely Boy showing obvious inspiration from Lone & really the whole Opium crew in general due to their popularity at the moment, the deluxe has a way different vibe than the the solo album that we got from Wetto only a couple weeks ago. It’s pretty much a completely different body of work of its own with a good feeling to it this time around & serving more as a thank you.

Score: 3.5/5

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$crim – “Lonely Boy” review

This is the sophomore full-length solo LP from New Orleans, Louisiana rapper, producer & deejay $crim. Coming up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$, the duo has been impeccably consistent since their formation over a decade ago & Wetto here was actually the first one to branch out on his own by dropping the solo debut A Man Rose to the Dead during the COVID-19 pandemic to mixed to negative reception including from myself. However since Ruby da Cherry’s been grinding with a couple of skate punk EPs since last summer, it’s only right for Budd Dwyer to introduce us to the Lonely Boy.

“destination: home” is a cloudy trap opener co-produced by G*59 Record$ in-house producer Dynox encouraging to dream on whereas “a boy whistling in the graveyard” displays a more melodic delivery over an atmospheric instrumental with some hi-hats hoping that he gets right. “maserati slick” shows off the new whip that he just copped accompanied by a psychedelic trap beat leading into “who saves the savior?” asking who could love what he’s become going for a Memphis-influenced sound this time.

Meanwhile, “night gallery” continues forward by working in this vast instrumental keeping the hi-hats into the fold just before “demo demon” looks to pull up on his opposition. The synth-heavy title track goes into territory addressing the loneliness that he feels, but then the meditative “don’t know why” rides around town so fucked up to the point where he can’t even see

“blam!” experiments with rage beats talking about unloading the chopper on anyone who goes against his set prior to “4muhslime #freethug” paying tribute to Young Thug & the beat giving off a solemn vibe. “devil’s revenge using god’s subjects” sets out blow all these racks with a bitch blowing his high shooting for a moodier aesthetic while “i just hope that my death makes more cents than my life” delves into hypertrap turf flexing that his money keeps going up.

Starting the 2nd leg, “new glock 4 my opps” continues to blend buzzing synths with repetitive chord progressions & melodic synth leads looking to make the block hot while “1st things first” admits that he doesn’t go outside much although everyone should pray whenever he does returning to a relaxed, dream-like & reverb-heavy production style. “north pontchartrain blues” suggests to come spend the night & never leave him over a slick trap instrumental while the bass-heavy lead single “paradise” describes his ideal place.

“just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean you’re wrong” atmospherically laces $crim’s feelings with drugs clarifying he can’t help but go when they call him while “a man touched the sky” talks about refusing to take any chances over another trillwave beat. “all graves go unvisited in the end” dejectedly confesses to people betraying him when he never thought they would while “nightmare on the northside 2” is a worthy sequel to a highlight off A Man Rose from the Dead.

Moving on to the final quarter of the LP, “chrome cowboy” looks to do whatever it takes to keep catching those Ws trying to give off a vibrant approach generally while the rage-inducing “die4me” asks if anyone’s loyal to him. “1-800-PAIN” is cloudy a reminder that shit ain’t sweet when you look in his eyes while the trippy “marlboro country” talks about a whole new vibe he’s been on. The angelic/trap crossover “a nice place to visit” heads back west & lastly, “levitate” ends Lonely Boy on an upbeat note riding & dying by his shawty.

Granted it kinda seems like $crim heard Destroy Lonely’s last album If Looks Could Kill since it was also 26 tracks & nearly 90 minutes long when we first got it last spring, yet Lonely Boy still shows significant improvements over A Man Rose from the Dead. It’s refreshing to hear Budd experimenting with new sounds & his performances actually sound invigorated as opposed to being monotonously boring on the predecessor.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma” review

This is the 2nd solo EP from New Orleans emcee/producer Ruby da Cherry. Blowing up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography over the last decade & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists. Budd dropped his full-length solo debut A Man Rose from the Dead in the midst of the COVID-19 to mixed reviews & as Ruby comes off Tragic Love Songs to Study to earlier this summer, he’s back at it with more Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” intro, the first song “Excalibur” is a punk rock opener with Ruby singing that he knows he’s gonna find a way down the line whereas “I Was a Teenage Nihilist” following the “where y’at, duckboy?” interlude features faster instrumentation talking about the nihilism he faced as an adolescence. “Pearls Are Just Oyster Puke” after the “where y’at, duckboy??” interlude continues to take things heavier assuring that he’s still breathing & after the final “where y’at, duckboy???” interlude, the final song “Heroin As a Recreational Activity” is a punk rock closer talking about his past drug addiction.

tragic love songs to study to was a solid way for Ruby to properly introduce everyone to his pop punk alter-ego because he continues to delve further into the world of punk rock music recalling back to his Vapo-Rats days. His vocals & songwriting are still on point, but I noticed a couple heavier instrumentals in comparison to the previous EP last summer & it has me wondering if he’s gonna dabble with metal music in regards to his next solo EP.

Score: 3.5/5

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$uicideboy$ – “I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel V” review

The $uicideboy$ are a revered duo from New Orleans, Louisiana consisting of of Ruby da Cherry & $crim. Together, they’ve released a plethora of projects within the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ just dropped their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation over the summer & are coming fresh off the Yin Yang Tapes tetralogy by saying fuck Grey Sheep III in favor of a new installment of their widely acclaimed I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel series.

“Not Even Ghosts Are This Empty” starts the EP with a sample-based trap banger produced by $crim & Dynox of Internet Money Records talking about not being able to feel their faces no matter how hard it gets at times whereas “Finding Shelter In My Larynx” confessing that everything is black to them now over a more trillwave instrumental. “A Little Trauma Can Be Illuminating & I’m Shining Like the Sun” actually ends the EP by depressingly confessing that they still can’t sleep at night even though they playa.

The Yin Yang Tapes were ok even though I still go back to a couple cuts on there, but my expectations for I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel Vwere very high the second it was announced & easily the best EP the boy$ have dropped all year. They take it back to the signature cloud rap sound of the predecessor & some emo subject matter on top of it

Score: 4/5

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Ruby da Cherry – “tragic love songs to study to” review

Ruby da Cherry is a 35 year old MC/producer from New Orleans, Louisiana emerging as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim. In the span of the decade, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists. Budd dropped his full-length solo debut A Man Rose from the Dead in the midst of the COVID-19 to mixed reviews & as the boy$ gear up for Grey Sheep III, it’s only right for Ruby to step up to the plate & drop off a solo EP of his own.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” intro, the first song “ROUGAROU (i’ve become the monster)” sets the tone for what’s to come embracing the pop punk sound talking about liking to hunt alone whereas “XXL hadron colliderr” following the “where y’at, duckboy?” interlude shifts gears into skate punk territory clarifying that he’s been stabbed in the back. “my love life needs a lobotomy” describes the way he learned to detail his ex & the final song “after further reasoning, i’m going to bed” after 1 last “where y’at, duckboy??” interlude closes the EP with 1 last pop punk jam asking if his soulmate would bring flowers to his grave.

For an EP, I’d still say that tragic love songs to study to is still cuts above A Man Rose From the Dead & I’m actually pretty impressed with the artistic detour he takes in comparison to his $uicideboy$ work. He completely ditches the signature $B sound so he can experiment with pop punk as well as skate punk & easycore. Almost kinda like how ZillaKami of City Morgue dabbled with grunge & alt-rock on his solo debut Dogboy a couple years back.

Score: 3.5/5

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$uicideboy$ – “Yin Yang Tapes 4: Winter Season” review

This is the 27th EP from New Orleans, Louisiana duo the $uicideboy$. Consisting of Ruby da Cherry & $crim, these guys released a plethora of projects within the last decade whether it be the Kill Your$elf saga & Eternal Grey or even I WANNA DIE IN NEW ORLEANS & the Travis Barker-produced Live Fast, Die Whenever. The boy$’ just dropped their last album Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation over the summer & are wrapping up the month of May by concluding the Yin Yang Tapes tetralogy.

After the intro, the first song “Bossier City Kidnap Victims” starts the final entry of the saga by making the block wet with an eerie trap instrumental backing them while the penultimate track “Didn’t They Give You Percoset?” takes a more straightforward dirty south turn talking about getting the money. “I Deleted Facebook a Long Time Ago” rounds out the EP with a cloudy Memphis trap banger knocking motherfuckers out they case, thus ending the Yin Yang Tapes era & marking the beginning of the Grey Sheep III rollout.

People were complaining about the predecessor to be 1-dimensional & I think I can just come straight out the gate saying that’s not the case with this final installment of the series. I mean yeah we still get doses of cloudy Memphis gangsta rap & rare phonk, but the dirty south opener was a refreshing change of pace from what we heard throughout the dozen joints we got from the boy$ this month excluding the intros & makes me confident about the Grey Sheep trilogy coming to a conclusion this summer since the original contains some of their strongest material.

Score: 3.5/5