Sk8star – “Designer Junkie” review

Brand new debut album from Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Sk8star. Getting his footing in the spring of 2021 off Superstar Status, he would go on to follow it up last year with both the B4NWØ EP & his debut mixtape New World Ørder respectively. The latter being my introduction to Sk8’s music after my lil brody UnreleasedSnip put me on, with songs like “Standin’ on Business” & “YSL Flow” being the standouts for me personally. Following his 3rd EP Mogul along with rebel at the beginning of 2023 & whole new meaning that same spring, Sk8 addressed the Rebel in the Room & has since come off the Rebelution & Pale Fever signing with Island Records for the long-awaited Designer Junkie

“Incognito” strips the drums to get the us started thanks to Richie Souf talking about him taking Ls & playing his part whereas “Brazy Brazy Hoe” goes for an energetic trap vibe instrumentally speaking of him getting it out the mud. The 2nd & final single “ForMyFolks” produced by Nosaint of Vanguard Music Group gives off a futuristic trap atmosphere talking about being all the way over representing all of loved ones leading into “Muse” dabbling with regalia yearning to make a bad bitch his inspiration.

The title track hooks up some synthesizers & hi-hats talking about finally making it to the racks although not many people know what it took for him to get the cash steadily flowing while “No Compadre” hops over a rage beat so he can flex that everything he does is the greatest. “Yeannn” feels more like a Tezzus song since he’s handling the sole verse & Sk8’s doing the hook despite him admitting to loving bank deposits more than sex itself like any other person just before the lively single “Beret turns the hypertrap influences back up talking about staying on people’s heads.

“BleedLike Me” heads for a luxurious cloud rap direction talking about his competition not shedding blood the way he does while “PlayYaPart” reaches the halfway point with a psychedelic trap instrumental from Cade reflecting on going from droppin’ out of school to counting blue $100 bills regularly. The lead single “2 Sexy” interpolates Right Said Fred’s biggest hit “I’m Too Sexy” talking about the shooter sitting in the backseat of his whip being ready to get down to business while the synth-driven “Slatt Slatt” boasts of him being fresher than a peppermint.

Tezzus returns on the cloudy trap fusion “N.S.D. (N****s Start Dyin’)” telling all the losers to worry about themselves rather than spending all day constantly thinking of both artists’ hoes & finances while “Macon” treads the exuberant trap waters once again asking how this person he’s addressing ended up making out of the titular city. “Upper Echelon” bodies an exuberant trap beat from Taurus talking about reaching higher levels of quality within the past 3 & half years while “Roxy Paparazzi” goes full pluggnb admiring his girl’s beauty.

“All In” kicks off the final quarter of Sk8’s full-length debut blending cloud rap, trap & pop rap telling a stripper to work that pole while “Black Sheep” continues to pull inspiration from the regalia subgenre talking about his own personal experiences of feeling like an outcast. “R.I.P. Scooter” dedicates itself to the late Young Scooter who was killed in broad daylight on his birthday late last March & the closer “Nameless” cloudily talks about not changing shit if he had the chance to rewind time.

It’s been over a couple years since Sk8star initially announced Designer Junkie the end of 2023 & his major label debut culminates the long road he took to stardom surpassing every single extended play he’s made within the past 5 years. He’s evolved from the boy we met looking to reach Superstar Status in the midst of his own struggles to the man he’s become today, honing in on his chemistry with Richie Souf handling a great deal of the production & refining Sk8’s sound.

Score: 4/5

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Ella Mai – “Do You Still Love Me?” review

Ella Mai is a 31 year old singer/songwriter from London, England, United Kingdom signing to DJ Mustard’s very own Interscope Records imprint 10 Summers Records over a decade ago. Her first few EPs Time as well as Change & Ready were all solid preludes ahead of her acclaimed eponymous full length debut, following up her sophomore effort Heart on My Sleeve & the most recent extended play 3 coinciding the end of her 20s with her 3rd studio album asking Do You Still Love Me?.

“There Goes My Heart” was a lavish R&B intro with some finger snaps advising Jayson Tatum to not look or touch because that’s the last thing she wants whereas “100” goes for a more atmospheric vibe instrumentally singing about love never being 50/50 & wanting to give this guy the best love imaginable. “My Mind” describes all the ways her man continues to impress her & things not being too risky with him while “Somebody’s Son” sings about being weak for an individual who gets anything he wants from her.

3’s trap soul outro “Little Things” reappears towards the end of the 1st half describing her willingness to do the simplest activities with Jayson by her side just before “Outside” exuberantly sings about the comfort of her own home being her favorite place to be since there isn’t shit out there for her the way she sees it. After the “Audio Message” interlude, “Luckiest Man” soothingly kicks off the 3rd quarter bragging that they don’t make women like her anymore leading into “Might Just” singing about burning the whole roof down.

“Tell Her” cavernously advises her ex-boyfriend to let his new girl know that he still has feelings towards Ella while “Bonus” moodily goes back to the trap soul vibes singing about Jayson keeping her focused. “1st Day” has a more laidback sound to it telling her boyfriend that she’s fucking with him every day of the year & after “Chasing Circles” explains how she’d rather stay true to herself instead of faking the funk, “No Angels” blends R&B & gospel for the outro singing that we should be grateful until the time she & her partner have is up.

Do You Still Love Me? takes a more intentional approach than any of Ella Mai’s previous material in the past decade has done & it makes for the most intimate statement of her whole career. Using a myriad of perspectives for an intimate look at her life & a soulful journey through love, she delves into love’s complexities with a new outlook on that & life in general since she conceived a great deal of the album during after her pregnancy & postpartum with her mentor’s detailed production making big improvements above Heart on My Sleeve’s.

Score: 4/5

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J. Cole – “The Fall-Off” review

Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper, singer/songwriter & producer J. Cole finishing his career with his 7th & final album. At this point, I’m pretty sure everyone & their mom knows who dude is. Especially given the universal acclaim of projects like The Warm Up, Friday Night Lights, Born Sinner & my personal favorite: 2014 Forest Hills Drive. 4 Your Eyez Only & K.O.D. however were both released to mixed reception. Matter of fact: my review for K.O.D. is amongst my most controversial. I don’t get shit for it anymore but at the time when I gave it a 6/10, Cole stans were on my ass for the next 2-3 weeks. Almost a decade later: my opinions on that & 4YEO haven’t changed at all but that’s not the point. The Off-Season was the most I’ve enjoyed a Cole project since FHD & Might Delete Later was the worst tape he ever made, dropping The Fall-Off after a decade in the making.

After the “29” intro, the first song “2 6” gets the victory lap going with a boisterous trap beat produced by Omen & T-Minus talking about Cumberland County residents usually wylin’ out whereas “Safety” takes the boom bap route instrumentally thanks to Powers Pleasant & Wu10 telling all of his homies what’s changed with him since he left. “Run a Train” keeps the kicks & snares in the fold asking what anyone knows about him although the Future hook sounds like a bad impression of himself leading into the self-produced “Poor Thang” working in a sample & some hi-hats to speak of young pups playing war games.

“Legacy” has to be one of the weaker tracks here because the topic of commitment issues doesn’t do a whole lot for me personally, but “Bunce Road Blues” featuring Future & Tems makes up for it whether it be the nocturnally dusty beat from The Alchemist to Cole’s verse written in the form of a suicide note being countered by both guests’ melodic performances. “Who TF Iz U?” finds Vinylz sampling “Drop a Gem on ‘Em” by Mobb Deep talking about a real one coming through while “Drum n Bass” advises to stay inside because it ain’t safe out around his parts over a piano-inflicted trap instrumental.

We get some cheap guitars in the midst of Cole asking himself whether he’ll survive “The Let Out” or not prior to Boi-1da playing a role in the 2-parter “Bombs in the Ville / Hit the Gas” talking about life being a film that can’t be rewinded & staying violent at all times. “Lonely at the Top” returns to the boom bap admitting that he didn’t understand the meaning of that phrase in his late 20s until FNZ divides “39” in 2 halves providing some insight to his mindset making a similar trip back home except he’s a little closer to finding the peace he’s been seeking.

“The Fall-Off is Inevitable” continues Disc 2 telling the story of his life in reverse over this funky beat while “The Villest” flips “The Realest” by Mobb Deep & Kool G Rap wanting you to know dreams do come true. “Old Dog” talks about learning new tricks over an energetic trap instrumental while the summery “Life Sentence” declares itself to be the realest shit Cole has ever written in his whole entire career dedicating itself to anyone who knows what it’s like to do life with someone in a time where it could be easy to give up.

Pop rap & pop reggae get fused on “Only You” featuring Burna Boy for an ode to Cole’s wife Melissa Heholt while “Man Up Above” samples “Never Would’ve Made It” by Marvin Sapp giving all his praises to God. One of my all-time favorite Common tracks “The Light” gets flipped on “I Love Her Again” courtesy of Jake One talking about the renewed passion he had for hip hop after apologizing for “7 Minute Drill” a lot like “I Used to Love H.E.R.” & addressing Kendrick Lamar’s beef with Drake.

2 of the most iconic hip hop artists of all-time 2Pac & The Notorious B.I.G. fictitiously apologize to each other for the 90s east coast/west coast beef over the course of Beat Butcha & Tae Beast dustily producing “What If” preceding the drumless “Quik Stop” talking about changing our ways based on the differences we make. “& the Whole World is the Ville” samples “Love Put Me in the Corner” by The Isley Brothers with the help of BoogzDaBeast representing Dreamville & the closer “Ocean Way” uses the same Sekou sample Kevin Abstract did for “Text Me” comparing love to a candle wick in the rain.

The Fall-Off has been said for the past decade to be the greatest achievement in J. Cole’s discography & I wouldn’t be mad if anyone puts it above 2014 Forest Hills Drive even if I’d put this behind the latter for right now. The concept of Cole World: The Sideline Story gets bridged full circle regardless of myself leaning more towards Disc 2 than Disc 1 in terms of consistency, depicting himself traveling back to his hometown when he had accomplished the impossible in New York & when he had backed out of the Kendrick/Drake feud once it started escalating.

Score: 4/5

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Joel Ross – “Gospel Music” review

This is the 5th studio LP from Chicago, Illinois vibraphonist Joel Ross. Signing to Blue Note Records in 2019, he would go on to make his debut for the greatest jazz label of all-time a couple months later with Kingmaker followed by the sophomore effort Who’re You? as well as The Parable of the Poet & most recently Nublues almost a couple years earlier. He would also form The Blue Note Quintet a.k.a. Out Of/Into, coming off the latter’s sophomore effort Motion II to finish January offering some Gospel Music.

“Wisdom is Eternal” brings along alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, tenor saxophonist Maria Grand, bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, drummer Jeremy Dutton & pianist Jeremy Corren for this meditative 4 & a half minute intro dedicated to Barry Harris whereas “Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit)” goes for a heavy post-bop vibe thematically building itself around religion. “Protoevangelium (The 1st Gospel)” sticks out being the longest composition here dedicating itself to the Gospel of James leading into “Hostile” taking it back to the post-bop sound with intense vibraphone playing midway through.

Meanwhile on “The Shadowlands”, we have Joel & company continuing to take the hard bop subgenre of jazz & throwing the unconventional elements it’s preceding style’s successor has become known for in the mix while “Nevertheless” lets the saxophonists shine for the opening 51 seconds until properly letting the bandleader shine throughout the rest of the track’s duration. “Word for Word” reserves the spotlight for the vibraphonist & drummer for a vast majority of the instrumental aside from the saxophones at the earliest & latest parts of it just before “Repentance” compositionally soundtracks the familiar feeling of remorse.

“The Sacred Place” gets the 2nd half of Gospel Music going mostly relying on the piano, vibraphone & drums for roughly 180 seconds or so conceptually taking inspiration from shrines while “A Little Love Goes a Long Way” gives me the impression the sextet freely improvised it although I don’t consider it’s brevity to be an issue with me whatsoever. “Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ” heads for a prominently spiritual jazz direction worshipping our Savior who died for our since while “Calvary” celebrates Black excellence in the form of this Juneteenth single.

Andy Louis takes the microphone all over “The Giver” singing with Joel’s piano backing him that God’s role as a provider of all things while “To the Throne (The Mercy Seat)” instrumentally takes a more subdued approach than a lot of the earlier cuts. The final single “Be Patient” earlier this month continues Gospel Music’s last leg taking a few moments to convey the virtue of forbearance in sonic form but after “The New Man” reveals itself to have some of the most lively performances over the course of the album, “Now & Forevermore” appropriately sends off the full-length with this heavenly grandiose outro.

For his newest offering on the Blue Note imprint, Joel Ross ends January with the most religious musical statement of his entire career composing post-bop’s answer to the biblical story in addition to simultaneously exploring his own faith & the fulfilment of his musical upbringing in the church. His deepened study & exploration into the theological & historical depths of his religious beliefs has really paid off considering he furthermore uses the opportunity of Gospel Music to fuse the intricacy of his earlier output with the accessibility of his recent material.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jordan Ward – “Backward” review

Jordan Ward is a 29 year old singer/songwriter & dancer from St. Louis, Missouri introducing himself in 2017 off his debut EP A Peak at the Summit, signing to ARTium Recordings & Interscope Records for his debut mixtape Valley Hopefuls as well as another extended play called Remain Calm. His debut album Forward elevated himself beyond his earlier material capturing his potential in the styles of contemporary & alternative R&B, ending the 1st month of 2026 with a sophomore effort.

“Stranger” singing about feeling like a newcomer in his own life with a rush of strings behind him whereas “Smokin’ Potna” featuring SAILORR finds the 2 linking up over a groovier instrumental for a soothing weed smoker’s ode. “High Functioning” sings about how robust he’s coming across being high at the function taking a funkier approach to the beat & after the “BWD” interlude, “Ross Fit” keeps the groovy vibes rolling confessing he has way too much motion.

Things go for more stripped back approach instrumentally during “Noisy Neighbors” praying that his landlord does him right & all of us having our own internal struggles while “Change of Scenery” sings about feeling inspired again over more acoustics suggesting a landscape switch up would mean everything to him. “Juicy” reaches the halfway point advising this woman to forget him since he doesn’t have to be her favorite while “Themselves” sings about turning your passion into your hustle.

“Take-Out” feels like 97 second interlude yearning in the midst of ordering food to go that he’ll return home to his lover some day when he’s touring but after “Til Then” takes a more significantly personal approach to his songwriting singing about saving it all & breaking the cycle, the final single “Champion Sound” dedicates itself to Jordan’s mother calling her a warrior & asking if she’s been cheering him on already after all the success he’s been seeing.

The piano-driven “Y” tells his partner who seeks reassurance that she’ll come with him for the next run of shows praying he’ll find her again if there’s more to this life we all live while “Cutti” featuring Smino finds the pair coming together for a 2-parter combining elements of trap as well as R&B & pop rap. “Carsex” featuring TiaCorine finishes Backward with another track stylistically similar to the previous one advising his lover impatiently desiring to sleep with him in his ride to slow things down due to him touring.

Tyler, The Creator co-signing Jordan Ward prior to Forward coming was what made me a fan of his music Backward continues where the predecessor left off exploring the darker sides of his fame whilst channeling some of music’s most celebrated greats from the late Donny Hathaway to Bob Marley & Joni Mitchell throughout his songwriting. The production’s a bit funkier than Jordan’s debut was a few years earlier assuringly tackling subjects like growth, nostalgia & self-discovery.

Score: 3.5/5

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Julian Lage – “Scenes from Above” review

Here we have the 10th solo LP from Santa Rosa, California guitarist Julian Lage. Introducing himself in 2009 off his debut Sounding Point, he would go on to drop 8 more albums with the most notable being the sophomore effort Gladwell or Modern Lore & Squint. Making his debut under Blue Note Records a couple years ago off Speak to Me, he’s coming off Her Melodious Lay & Lamentations, he’s back on the greatest jazz label of all-time depicting Scenes from Above.

“Opal” recruits pianist John Medeski, double bassist Jorge Roeder & drummer Kenny Wollesen for a lead single that gives off a heavy summertime vibe whether it be the guitar or the Hammond B3 whereas the improvised “Red Elm” experiments with soul jazz starting with some bass licks preceding the guitar, drums & organ. “Talking Drum” appropriately takes inspiration from the avant-groove trio Medeski, Martin & Wood for a jazz-funk tinged 2nd single leading into “Havens” shining some light on Kenny & John for almost 5 minutes, feeling like the beginning of a Sunday service.

The 3rd & final single “Night Shade” gives us a rush of organ melodies & guitar solos during a great bulk of the longest composition here just before “Solid Air” takes a more atmospherically meditative approach than all the other tracks once again recapturing the mood of sitting in a church prior to the pastor starts an hour long sermon. “Ocala” primarily builds itself around John playing the Hammond B3 once more & some bluesy guitar riffs from Julian but after the loosely structured “Storyville” achieves his goal of having something to talk about once he gets together with his bandmates, “Something More” finished in the form of this 4-part prayer wishing brighter days ahead for us all.

Understandably opting against making a Speak to Me sequel, Julian Lage’s sophomore effort for Blue Note Records minimizes the prominent post-bop direction Scenes from Above’s predecessor took in favor of prioritizing it’s secondary influences of jazz fusion & chamber jazz with hints of soul jazz appearing occasionally. I can’t blame him for putting us inside the shoes of his experiences being a band member considering he already made his grandest statement regarding his capability of bandleading, creating a separate character of it’s own depicting themes of freedom & trust.

Score: /5

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Ari Lennox – “Vacancy” review

Ari Lennox is a 34 year old singer/songwriter from Washington, D.C. introducing herself off her debut mixtape 5 Finger Discount & the debut EP Ariography. The latter of which resulted in J. Cole signing her to his Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records, where she would put out 2 more extended plays Pho & Away Message as well as the debut album Shea Butter Baby. Fulfilling her Dreamville obligations with her sophomore effort age/sex/location, she’s dropping off her 3rd studio LP to begin this new era of her career.

“Mobbin’ in D.C.” begins with this neo-soul intro produced by Elite singing that she’d cut off everybody around her for this guy she’s been talking to whereas the title track combines hip hop soul & contemporary R&B thanks to Jermaine Dupri & BoogzDaBeast wanting her partner to fill this gap in her heart. “Pretzel” goes for a laidback vibe courtesy of both Cardiak & Wu10 singing for her man to flip & fold her in bed just before “Under the Moon” fuses pop soul, neo-soul, doo woo & the Motown sound magnificently sampling “I Only Have Eyes for You” by The Flamingos.

Moving on from there, “High Key” gives off some trap soul undertones yearning to be this guy’s freaky lullaby leading into the contemporary R&B/trap crossover “Twin Flame” asking the person Ari’s with if he loves her the way she does him. JD flips “You’re What I’m All About” by New Birth during “Soft Girl Era” wanting to embrace the youth subculture aesthetics popularized that Ariana Grande popularized until singing about how “Deep Strokes” through her soul gets her high.

“24 Seconds” gets the 2nd half going luxuriously letting her romantic interest know he has that much time left to come get her ass while “Cool Down” heads for a more atmospheric direction instrumentally singing about showing her appreciation for whenever the person she’s been romantically involved with touches her patiently. “Horoscope” packs a bunch of clever zodiac sign wordplay into this tropical 4 & a half minute trap soul cut while “Wake Up” gets back on her bullshit after discovering her man has been seeing another woman behind her back, lying that he was alone when he’s been texting the other hoe.

The song “Company” featuring Buju Banton nears Vacancy’s final moments teaming up experimenting with reggae & R&B expressing a desire for their respective lovers to comfort them while “Dreaming” sings about seeing an ex of hers whenever she has dreams in the evening, wishing she could see him again so they can hold hands sitting on top of a roof & hitting a jacuzzi later. “Hocus Pocus” containing co-production from DJ Camper finishes the album confessing it’s too soon for her to want this man to be hers as much as she does.

I’m very happy Ari Lennox was finally able to get out of her Dreamville deal considering that she was constantly airing out her grievances towards them for shelving her music & Vacancy makes it’s case for being Ari’s greatest body of work yet, making it worth the 34 month gap between this & age/sex/location. The smooth contemporary R&B & neo-soul production feels reminiscent of Shea Butter Baby’s & the constant theme throughout Ari’s career of new beginnings or starting over takes on a whole new meaning of itself.

Score: 3.5/5

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42 Dugg – “Part 3” review

Detroit, Michigan rapper & singer/songwriter 42 Dugg back with his 5th mixtape. His breakout debut EP 11241 Wayburn in 2018 would catch the attention of both Yo Gotti & Lil Baby, who jointly signed him to their respective labels Collective Music Group & CBFW Records shortly after. Dugg’s profile continued to grow in a year later when he dropped his debut tape Young & Turnt, which was followed up last year by the sequel Young & Turnt 2& the mature Free Dem Boyz. He returned last summer dropping 4eva Us Never Them, closing out the 11241 Rayburn AND the Young & Turnt trilogies combining the final chapter of both throughout Part 3.

“I.D.B. (I Done Been)” moderately starts off talking about his experiences of previously being shot past muhfuckas whereas “Fake Friends” produced by 30 Roc taking shots at those specific type of people. “It Is What It Is” featuring Lil Baby & Rylo Rodriguez finds the trio talking about the real ones always catching Ws leading into “No Fakin’” featuring EST G reunites the 2 so they can give off more gangsta rap vibes lyrically although the Republican line at the end of EST G’s verse seems kinda tacky.

Reaching the halfway point, “Still on Dat” featuring G Herbo trades verses with one another without the need of a hook portraying the gangsta lifestyle once more just before “Thick One” featuring Skilla Baby joins forces over a Helluva beat talking about their preference in women. “We Not Done” makes it clear he’s still trapping’ even after his music career has taken off continuing to sell bricks & pints while “To the Side” featuring Glorilla employs a back-&-forth delivery again, except I like it more than “Still on Dat”.

“Going Through It” winds down the last few minutes of Part 3 taking a more introspective approach to his songwriting, talking about missing all of his friends & children admitting that he has no idea if he’ll get the chance of seeing a couple of them ever again while “It Get Deeper 3” featuring Doughboy Clay finishes with a Detroit trap cut where they’re sharing the microphone & trying to triple their bags since street money’s the only thing either one of them have come to know.

Being somebody who considers 42 Dugg to be amongst the greatest CMG signings alongside Glorilla & Mozzy, I have to admit Part 3 being the conclusion of the 11241 Rayburn and Young & Turnt series left me somewhat disappointed considering some of my favorite songs appear on those earlier installments although it’s very much average at best. I commend him for revisiting the concepts of that earlier material, but the overabundance of guests & some of the production choices can be somewhat spotty.

Score: 3/5

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Chris Patrick – “Pray 4 Me” review

East Orange, New Jersey rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Chris Patrick making his major label debut with his 3rd full-length studio LP. Introducing himself off his debut EP From the Heart along with it’s sequel & X-Files, it wasn’t until his last couple EPs Lost Files & most notably The Calm caught the interest of Def Jam Recordings last fall. He’s additionally caught my attention via some of his most recent guest appearances asking everyone to Pray 4 Me almost 13 months since getting signed.

“Audra’s Prayer” comes out the gate with a militantly hungry intro & removing the drums during the 2nd to speaking of his friends passing away whereas “Ramen Noodles” angrily talks about muhfuckas not lasting a day in his shoes “Frankenstein” featuring Marco+ links up over a boom bap instrumental from Conductor Williams boasting their prophetic statuses while “The Mayor” featuring Swavay dabbles with trap to promise that they won’t ever walk back on their word.

Reaching the halfway point, “Doremi” gets in his R&B bag on top of a summery beat singing about themes of love leading into “100x” featuring Amindi heading further down that trajectory for a tightly spacey duet. “Patience” brings back the hip hop vibes feeling like God’s testing his forbearance while “Screaming at the Sky” talks about a loved one who passed blending a soul sample & hi-hats. “Huncho’s Prayer” produced by Reuben Vincent finishes the album with a 9 minute closer pouring his heart out, including beat-switch at the backend of it.

Familiarizing myself with him through his features on projects like Reuben Vincent’s 2nd EP General Admission or Reason’s 5th mixtape I Love You Again & most recently WowGr8’s solo debut Howl at the Moon, I’m just as equally happy as Chris Patrick is that he didn’t wind up quitting music 3 months earlier since Pray 4 Me wouldn’t have happened had he done so. He’s honing in on his artistic range pulling from conscious hip hop, boom bap, drumless, R&B & neo-soul for a love letter to surviving all of his sleepless nights.

Score: 4/5

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Out Of/Into – “Motion II” review

Out Of/Into is a post-bop quintet consisting of pianist Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott & bassist Matt Brewer. Forming in the winter of 2023, they would go on to introduce themselves last winter in the form of their full-length studio debut album Motion under the greatest jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records & are celebrating it’s upcoming 1-year anniversary this weekend by getting back together for an official sophomore effort succeeding Gerald’s love letter to turntablism 1s & 2s in April.

“Brothers in Arms” opens the 2nd LP with an 8 minute post-bop single having The Blue Note Quintet jamming out & everybody getting their own solos whereas “Finding Ways” gives off a laidback vibe from the prominent saxophone to the vibraphones popping up midway through or the pianos towards the backend of it. “Juno” starts with some bass licks for the first 90 seconds or so, paving way for Immanuel & Joel to trade the spotlight with one another.

Were treated to the 2nd & final single “Familiar Route” to start the other half of Out Of/Into’s sequel to their introductory full-length, taking inspiration from my favorite Herbie Hancock’s 5th album & my personal favorite during his Blue Note tenure Maiden Voyage. “The Catalyst” continues Motion II’s last act by giving off an otherworldly atmosphere until switching into something more playfully catchy & “Nacho Supreme” feels like a love letter to Blue Note output 5 decades earlier.

Developed during a 40 date tour commemorating the 85th anniversary of Blue Note Records’ formation a year earlier, the successor to Out Of/Into’s inaugural opus expands on the direction it’s predecessor traveled down 52 weeks earlier reaching farther than they did when the quintet was properly introduced last winter shaping the future of the post-bop style & jazz music altogether by continuing to embody the spirit of what the finest in the genre has done for almost a century.

Score: 4/5

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