Future – “We Don’t Trust You” review

This is the 10th full-length LP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future. Coming up as a member of the Dungeon Family thanks to his cousin Rico Wade of Organized Noize, he officially made his debut in 2012 with Pluto & would later follow it up with a hot streak of modern day trap essentials like Honest, Monster, Beast Mode & my personal favorite of his: D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2). However since 2017, Future has mostly been painting himself in a corner & prioritizing quantity over quality. I mean sure HNDRXX took a more sensual approach & SUPER SLIMEY showed a pretty great chemistry with fellow trap trailblazer Young Thug, but Beast Mode 2 was a step down from the predecessor & he got with Juice WRLD to put out a collab tape that literally should’ve never happened: WRLD on Drugs. Finally at the very beginning of that next year, The WIZRD was just passable even though it showed NO artistic evolution whatsoever & Save Me was a decent attempt at being more vulnerable, High Off Life admirably found him staying true to himself in the midst of trying new things & I Never Liked You put the toxicity claims about him to rest. That said: Metro Boomin’ reuniting for Future’s first double album since FUTURE HNDRXX was surely going to surpass them both when you think about the history between the 2.

The title track is a cloudy trap opener with some synthesizers talking about having hate written all over you leading into “Young Metro” taking them into church with co-production from Mike Dean & even The Weeknd supplying additional vocals. “Ice Attack” finds the So Icey Boyz takes the dynamic route instrumentally cautioning not to put too much jewelry on, but then the bell-driven “Type Shit” featuring Playboi Carti & Travis Scott is essentially the new “Carnival” finds the trio making it known that they do NOT fuck with rats out here referencing WCW founder Ted Turner.

“Claustrophobic” starts with pianos, strings, hi-hats & a spoken word Prodigy intro talking about feeling claustrophobic himself just before the horn-inflicted “Like That” featuring Kendrick Lamar finds the trio or quintet of you include ¥$ on the remix talking about poppin’ bottles & Kendrick recapturing that “Control” aura sayin’ “Fuck sneak dissin’, first person shooter, I hope they came with 3 switches I crash out like “Fuck rap,” diss Melle Mel if I had to. Got 2TEEZ with me, I’m snatchin’ chains & burnin’ tattoos” alongside “Motherfuck the big 3, n***a, it’s just big me” followed by “I’m really like that & your best work is a light pack, Prince outlived Mike Jack. ‘Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried that’s a K with all these 9s, he gon’ see Pet Sematary”.

The otherworldly atmosphere of “Slimed In” goes forward getting on his slime shit suggesting that y’all should be hittin’ him up through the Meta Platforms-owned WhatsApp & having additional Young Thug vocals on the pre-hook while “Magic Don Juan (Princess Diana)” is this off-the-wall 2-parter co-produced by Boi-1da & Honorable C.N.O.T.E. likening himself to Bishop Don Juan serving as the soundtrack to buying drip to.

Travis joins Pluto on the psychedelic “Cinderella” talking about their racks being stuck together while “Runnin’ Outta Time” has to be endearing moment on the album featuring co-production from Zaytoven admitting that he can’t trust nobody calling out everyone that has ever turned his back on him. “Fried (She a Vibe)” goes back into a cloudier direction talking about still being high from the other night while the symphonic/trap crossover “Ain’t No Love” co-produced by Outtatown clarifies that it isn’t love when motherfuckers be acting fake out here & that’s facts.

“Everyday Hustle” featuring Rick Ross has a more soulful flare to it as they both discuss hustling 24/7 while the WWE Bad Blood IV theme song “GTA” finds the So Icey Boyz & Wheezy hooking up keys & hi-hats looking to crash out. The song “Seen It All” flips “Quiet Storm” by Prodigy feeling like he truly has seen & done it all while the penultimate track “W.T.F.Y.M. (What The Fuck You Mean?)” kinda has this otherworldly tone to the beat going crazy in the trap. “Where My Twin @?” concludes Future’s best album since DS2 by paying tribute to Thug.

Future’s output in the last 7 years has generally been mid although I do enjoy the highlights off each album, but We Don’t Trust You is basically a refined version of self-titled & Future’s strongest LP in almost a decade. Metro has evolved tremendously behind the boards since they last worked with one another, the hidden features were a fun touch & Pluto is absolutely back in his element. We Still Don’t Trust You in a few weeks has pretty much been confirmed to be a spiritual successor to HNDRXX stylistically much like this & if anything, it’ll make you love We Don’t Trust You more.

Score: 4.5/5

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Tierra Whack – “Worldwide Whack” review

Tierra Whack is a 28 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who broke in 2018 off the strength of her debut mixtape Whack World after signing to Interscope Records. She has since dropped a handful of singles along with a trilogy of EPs & even landing some very impressive feature placements, the most notable being “T.D. (Tokyo Drift)” off Lil Yachty’s 5th tape Lil Boat 3. So it only makes sense that she struck while the iron’s hot for her full-length debut studio album over a month after former 2-time AJPW三冠ヘビー級チャンピオン, 4-time AJPW世界タッグチャンピオン, MLW World Tag Team Champion, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, NWA World Tag Team Champion, 2-time IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, 7-time IWGPタッグチャンピオン 2-time NEVER無差別級6人タッグチャンピオン, GHCヘビー級チャンピオン & GHCタッグチャンピオン小島聡 became a record 2-time MLW World Heavyweight Champion at SuperFight IV.

“Mood Swings” is a calming opener to the LP talking about trying new things due to Tierra mother being tired of how her mother is sick of her constant changes in mood whereas “Ms. Behave” takes the hip house route instrumentally basically refusing to act right referencing the Discovery Global-owned Discovery Channel’s annual weeklong programming block Shark Week. “Chanel Pit” fuses trap & pop rap talking about being the shit that you smell excelling more than Microsoft prior to the atmospheric “Numb” talking about being at the final stage of the numbness she’s felt since her youth.

On the other hand, “Burning Brains” gives off a subdued vibe to the beat although the biggest complaint I have with this track is that it feels underwritten that is until “Accessible” brings a sadder atmosphere to the table cutting ties with a romantic interest due to their accessibility. “Imaginary Friends” tropically talks about her friend Tony for almost 3 minutes just before the instrumental on “X” brings some industrial undertones advising to find someone better or else she will.

“Moovies” hops over synthesizers to ask her man to take her on adventures leading into the vulnerable “Difficult” talking about feeling stressed & deprived throwing a hint of optimism towards the end by saying you can’t let it get you down since we all have issues. “Shower Song” dabbles with synth-funk likening the shower to the stage, but then “Invitation” peppily talks about her style being so rare that it’s hard for her to describe.

The song “Snake Eyes” addresses everyone who views her as a threat over a piano-laced trap instrumental referencing 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 while the aptly nocturnal penultimate track “2 Night” talks about not paying the light bill this month in the midst of possibly dying that evening. “27 Club” fuses bedroom pop & alt-pop to link the concept of suicide to the titular term used for celebrities who’ve passed at 27.

Really if anything, Worldwide Whackserves as another reminder that T-Dizzle’s one of the most creative women in hip hop today & you get a glimpse of her at her most vulnerable in the process. The production teeters between pop rap & alternative R&B with additional elements of trap & alt-pop as she tackles themes of abandonment, depression, suicidal thoughts, uncertainty, lust & loneliness.

Score: 3.5/5

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ScHoolboy Q – “Blue Lips” review

THis is tHe 6tH full-lengtH LP from SoutH Los Angeles emcee ScHoolboy Q. Emerging at tHe beginning of tHe decade as 1/4 of Black Hippy, He released His first 2 albums Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions independently until making His major label debut witH Oxymoron turning 10 last month. THis would be followed up witH Blank Face LP a couple years later & CrasH Talk, tHe latter of wHicH is regarded as Q’s weakest & most commercial body of work. So after nearly 5 years, Blue Lips had to be tHe most excited I’ve been for a Top Dawg Entertainment project in recent memory after Kendrick Lamar’s final album witH tHe label Mr. Morale & tHe Big Steppers.

“Funny Guy” is a feel-good intro produced by Tae Beast of tHe TDE in-House production team Digi+PHonics encouraging to bring tHe dope, Hoes & money bag to tHe spot wHereas “Pop” featuring Rico Nasty dabbles witH rap rock a little courtesy of Beat ButcHa talking about tHe gang activities tHey’ve gotten tHemselves into. “THank god 4 me” tries to keep tHe peace instead of piecing bitcHes over Horns & Hi-Hats witH a cloudy switcH-up just before tHe drumless “Blueslides” profoundly pays tribute to Mac Miller.

Cardo’s production on “Yeern 101” Has some experimentally lowend undertones tHrougHout energetically running it off top leading into tHe minimalist “Love Birds” talking about mistreating tHe one He loves tHe most. “Movie” featuring Az CHike turns tHe bass up to 11 referring to tHemselves as badass kids mucH like Bruce Lee, but tHen “Cooties” fuses kicks & snares witH acoustics celebrating better living.

“oHio” featuring Freddie Gibbs ends tHe first Half of tHe album witH a dynamic 3-parter sHutting sHit down wHile “Foux” featuring Ab-Soul is tHe long-awaited 4tH installment of tHe “Druggys wit Hoes” series witH a psycHedelic flare to tHe beat. “First” gives off a cloudier vibe addressing a woman tHat Q was fuckin’ witH first wHile tHe DJ KHalil-laced “Nunu” promises to God tHat you’ll continue to Hear new music from Him instead of waiting 5 years again.

MeanwHile, “Back n Love” featuring Devyn Malik dives into nocturnal trap territory talking about falling in love witH tHis sHit again becoming tHe voice of 20,000 kids like WWE Hall of Famers D-Generation X wHile my favorite on the LP “Lost Times” Has tHat signature AlcHemist sound putting a finger in tHe air for tHe times He can’t get back. “Germany ‘86” Has a groovier tone instrumentally reminding tHat pain is a part of man wHile “Time Killers” futuristically talking about being a lone star.

“Pig Feet” cops down over a spacious trap beat mentioning tHe finisHing move of 10-time WWE world cHampion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental CHampion, 5-time WWE Tag Team CHampion, United Football League (UFL) co-owner, TKO Group Holdings board of directors member, $7 Productions co-founder & tHe final boss of professional wrestling THe Rock while “Smile” cHarismatically finisHes tHe album witH a 1-minute cut about swerving His old bitcH.

Q’s my 2nd favorite Black Hippy member beHind Kendrick but now tHat tHe latter departed TDE couple years ago to focus on pgLang, He Has to be my new favorite artist on tHe current roster & Blue Lips lived up to my expectations redeeming Himself from CrasH Talk last time we Heard from him. THe production mostly Handled by Tae Beast is less commercial tHan it was on tHat previous LP before tHe COVID-19 pandemic sHut tHe world down tHe following spring & Q also sounds more inspired.

Score: 4/5

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KiD CuDi – “INSANO 2: NITRO MEGA” review

This is the 10th full-length album from Cleveland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, actor, fashion designer, model, director & filmmaker KiD CuDi. Blowing up in 2008 off his debut mixtape A KiD Named CuDi as well as his songwriting credits on his mentor Kanye West’s 4th album 808s & Heartbreak, his profile from there would increasingly grow off his groundbreaking debut & sophomore albums Man on the Moon: The End of the Day& Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. But following the self-produced & overlooked Indicud, CuDi would leave G.O.O.D. Music amicably to form his own Republic Records imprint Wicked Awesome Records. Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon though was mediocre at best & who could forget when CuDi attempted to go alt-rock on the critically panned Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven? Luckily he would redeem himself on his next effort Pain & Demon Slayin’in 2016 along with the self-titled album from him & Ye as the duo KIDS SEE GHOSTS couple summers later & even Man on the Moon III: The Chosen the day after my 24th birthday despite it’s blatantly heavy Travis Scott influence. Entergalactic was released to mixed reviews as was INSANO last month, but I enjoyed how both LPs took it back to his roots along with mixing old & new sounds together respectively. So I was excited to hear that INSANO 2: NITRO MEGA would continue the energy of it’s predecessor ahead of it’s deluxe version.

“HUMAN MADE” by WZRD begins with Dot da Genius sampling “1 More Hour” by Tame Impala paying homage to Nigo’s titular streetwear brand that I’m a fan of myself whereas the euphoric “DIAMONDS, LIGHTS, FAST CARS” featuring Wiz Khalifa with BNYX of Working on Dying, Earl on the Beat & Jean Baptiste behind the boards finding the pair linking up talking about how no one has swagger like they do. “WIN OR LOSE” reunites The Almighty GloryUS & they rightfully get into that mood over a Depeche Mode sample leading into “CHUNKY” singing that he feels in his heart that he’s free over a zen-like trap beat.

The electronic dance music influence on “BABE & I” is pretty cool talking about how he feels like a rockstar with his significant other, but then “WILLIS” is easily the worst song on the album as a 4 minute intermission from “2 of the smoothest motherfuckers on the planet” when The Almighty GloryUS come off awkward. “CRASH TEST CUDI” looks to get lost in the night fucking up the world sampling Crash Test Dummies prior to E*vax fusing electronic & boom bap on “EVERYBODY LIKE” featuring Pusha T as both of them drop braggadocio.

Steve Aoki’s remix of “ELECTROWAVEBABY” is cool although I prefer the original while “ANIMATE” by The Almighty GloryUS gives off a cavernous vibe instrumentally reminding that they told y’all the way they do it & significantly much better than “WILLIS” earlier. “ROUND N ROUND” featuring Lil Yachty sensually pays tribute to the ones who make them feel like they were meant to be with while “DOSE OF DOPENESS” by WZRD was originally made in 2007 & was a YouTube exclusive in 2012 up until now. Deservedly so too.

“ROCKET” was made during the sessions of WZRD’s eponymous debut from it’s overall rock sound to the lyrics singing if you’ve ever heard the story of the boy that gathered all his homies to form a strong alliance while the neo-psychedelic/trap crossover “ILL WHAT I BLEED” talks about self-assurance, resilience & staying true to one’s authentic self despite judgments from surrounding people. “ALL MY LIFE” brings the guitars back in effect singing that he’s been searching for more throughout his lifetime while “I JUST WANNA GET” unites The Almighty GloryUS with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony for an out-of-body experience.

The penultimate track “MOON MAN SHIT” hops on top of this bass-rattling trap instrumental from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. so he can get in his Moon Man bag a bit, but “SUPERBOY” finishes up INSANO 2: NITRO MEGA with BNYX & Yachty throwing it back to the Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon days & KiD CuDi singing about the woman in his life needing serious love even though she does some things too.

CuDi even said himself earlier on in the week that he felt like everyone was going to enjoy NITRO MEGA more than the original album that we got over a month ago & that seems to be the general consensus. He expands on what made INSANO the triumph that it was finally being at a happy place in his life & showcasing how far he’s come in the last 17 years altogether.

Score: 3.5/5

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Yeat – “2093” review

Portland, Oregon rapper Yeat continuing his tradition of releasing music in February with the 4th full-length LP in his discography. Coming up in 2018 off his debut EP Deep Blue $trips, he would followed up with 2 mixtapes & 3 more EPs before beginning to dominate the mainstream in 2021 whether it be him dropping a total of 4 projects (2 mixtapes, an EP & a full-length debut) or cosigns from the likes of Drake & Earl Sweatshirt. He eventually signed to Geffen Records, who backed his sophomore effort albeit major label debut 2 Alivë a little over a year ago & then a deluxe EP Gëek Pack shortly after. But coming off “Rich Minion”& his 5th mixtape Lyfë couple summers ago alongside Aftërlyfe, we’re now being taken into the future on 2093.

“Psycho CEO” really gives everyone a look at what they’re getting themselves into with this industrial boom bap/trap crossover pushing up on the beat like a knife whereas “Power Trip” with co-production from Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group admits to possibly doing things that he never did before over some synthesizers up until the switch-up during the last minute in a half or so. “Breathe” literally samples Regular Show flexing that he made a billion bored on the jet prior to the dense “Morë” produced by Bugz Ronin & Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic confessing he loves losing control & needs a lot of shit.

The drums are completely removed on “Bought the Earth” going synthwave delving into themes of power & self-interest just before “Nothing Changë” blends these synths & hi-hats together talking about wanting too feel real referencing SpaceX founded by Tesla CEO, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner Elon Musk. “U Should Know” kinda gives off a rage inducing vibe likening himself to a fiend that likes to make money & doing things that you never should, but then the electro-industrial “Lyfestylë” featuring Lil Wayne discusses not being surprised by living this life.

“ILUV” entrancingly talks about seeing the future & coming back on top of loving it when his partner stays with him so they can rage together over a hypnotizing Rio Leyva beat while “Tell Më” talks about being born to live forever over kicks, snares & synthesizers. “Shade” continues to pull from electro-industrial thanks to Keyon Christ tackling the concepts of defiance, self-assurance & personal reflection while the distorted “Keep Pushin’” talks about defiance

Moving forward, “Riot & Set It Off” is this captivatingly dynamic 2-parter to start the 2nd half of the album refusing to conform & initiating action while “Team CEO” sonically builds itself around multiple synths from Outtatown acknowledging they might not get it at first. The title track breaks down the futuristic lifestyle he lives as the EBM influences make their way back into the fold while “Stand on It” featuring Future returns to Yeat’s hypertrap roots showing their swagger.

“Familia” reflects on wealth, power & loyalty within his inner circle over this mind-altering instrumental from BNYX of Working on Dying while the self-produced “Mr. Inbetweenit” declares that to be a new nickname for himself “because everything I said about that shit, I didn’t mean it” over synthesizers once more. “Psychocainë” hops on top of this booming trap beat while the raging “Run Thëy Mouth” tells y’all that “when you level up, you get that money like it’s Follywood”.

Continuing the encore of the LP, the penultimate track “If We Being Rëal” gives off a mysteriously dreamier atmosphere talking about taking shit to a new level on top of simultaneously feeling isolated & detached until the soothingly produced closer “1093” talking about not being from this Earth as well as being unable to stay although he wishes that he could. The first of currently 6 bonus cuts “As We Speak” featuring Drake experiments with pop rap, regalia & wave music to show off their luxurious lifestyles beginning Phase 2 & the rock/trap crossover “Never Quit” subsequently ends it by talking about refusing to walk away.

“Timë Passed” begins Phase 3 with a sequel to “Sidëwayz” tackling his continued success over a plugg instrumental that marks the return of the bells from some of his previous material also contained & the industrial/rage elements clashing on “Oh My Pockëts” are pretty fun telling y’all straight up he doesn’t & doesn’t want to know shit about those he refuses to let in his circle. “SKLUB” admits to havin’ problems with these demons & being amazed that no one has caught on except the synth-horn trap beat reminds me a bit of Pi’erre Bourne, but the 6th & so far final bonus track “H.A.B. (High As a Bitch)” ends Phase 3 in the form of a hypertrap anthem dedicated to being high as fuck.

It’s always exciting when an artist goes right when everyone expects them to go left & that’s pretty much what Yeat does throughout 2093. It’s noticeably more experimental than his previous material switching rage from a primary to secondary influence next to trap, electro-industrial, synthwave, EBM, pop rap & wave music predominantly showcasing an industrial hip hop sound painting an image of what life will be like 69 years from now.

Score: 4/5

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Benny the Butcher – “Everybody Can’t Go” review

Buffalo emcee Benny the Butcher ending the first month of 2024 by releasing his 4th full-length LP & major label debut under Def Jam Recordings. Being in the game for 2 decades already, it wouldn’t be until 2016 where he alongside his cousins Westside Gunn & Conway the Machine would take the culture by storm off projects like Tana Talk 3 & The Plugs I Met. Harry Fraud came in for a sequel to the latter following the mature Burden of Proof & finally, Tana Talk 4 took it back to the basement a couple years back. But for the butcher’s Def Jam opus, he’s having Hit-Boy produce half of it & leaving the other half to The Alchemist.

“Jermaine’s Graduation” sets the tone of what’s to come with a luxurious instrumental explaining that he doesn’t need a trophy because he is the trophy whereas “Bron” goes into a triumphant boom bap direction likening himself as the LeBron James of this rap shit. “Big Dog” featuring Lil Wayne works in this reversed loop talking about being too dogs, but then the title track featuring Kyle Banks on the hook giving back to the game accompanied by a soul sample & some kicks & snares.

Meanwhile, “T.M.V.T.L. (Trust More Valuable Than Love)” has some dynamic production throughout expressing the importance of trust over love just before “Back Again” returns to the boom bap with additional vocals from WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg talking about being gangstas. “1 Foot In” featuring Stove God Cook$ starts the 2nd leg of the album admitting he was a foot out the game after that freestyle with Funkmaster Flex over a hard-hitting beat leading into “Buffalo Kitchen Club” featuring Armani Caesar blending these piano chords & hi-hats together reminding that nobody fucking with them.

“Pillow Talk & Slander” featuring Babyface Ray & Jadakiss sees the trio telling their older selves to watch out for these hoes over a rich trap instrumental while “How to Rap” takes it back to the basement showing everyone how it’s done. “Griselda Express” featuring Conway the Machine & Rick Hyde begins the encore of the LP by saying they ain’t stopping on top of a solemn beat & “Big Tymers” featuring Peezy ties things up with 1-last trap cut boasting their current statuses.

A lot people who started with Benny or played a part ain’t make it since some are no longer with us, in prison, taking other paths or others that just weren’t built for it. With the help of Hit-Boy & Uncle Al, he puts the biggest lesson he took from that on full display for his major label debut. The production is versatile, the guests match his intensity & the Butcher inviting y’all to his world.

Score: 4.5/5

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Lyrical Lemonade – “All is Yellow” review

Lyrical Lemonade is a multimedia company founded by Illinois music video director, videographer, businessman & music promoter Cole Bennett. For over a decade now, he has directed visuals for some of the biggest names in hip hop from the late Juice WRLD to even Eminem & Drake. I’ve even experienced a couple people likening me to Bennett at least a few times over the years along with Anthony Fantano & I’ve never spoken about it publicly, but since I might as well since here we are. The Needle Drop, I can see 110% & I’ve stated numerous times that he’s the reason why I started writing reviews myself. Lyrical Lemonade on the other hand, no I never understood that. Primarily because I write music reviews as opposed to directing music videos for other artists & the fact that every video Lyrical Lemonade puts out always gets 1M views within the first 24 hours. No disrespect intended whatsoever because I’m actually a fan of Cole’s videography myself, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this. Anyway as for the very debut compilation in front of our very eyes that’s been in the making for 5 years, Def Jam Recordings is helping back All is Yellow.

“Fly Away” by J.I.D, Sheck Wes & Ski Mask the Slump God starts the comp with a thunderous trap instrumental expressing their desire to grow wings sometimes so they can do simply that whereas “Guitar in My Room” by KiD CuDi & Lil Durk shoots for a more stripped-back vibe trying to tell everyone who they really are. “Say Ya Grace” by Chief Keef & Lil Yachty mixes a crooning soul sample with hi-hats referencing to the Superman franchise owned by the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment just before “This My Life” by The Kid LAROI, Lil Skies & Lil Tecca experiments with drill music talking about how it’s all timing.

Cochise, Denzel Curry, Juicy J, Lil B & Teezo Touchdown all join forces on “First Night” showing off multiple beat-switches admitting that they just wanna fuck that is until “Special” by Aminé, Latto & Swae Lee talks about wishing they could un-love someone on top of this crooning trap beat. “With the Fish” by $not & the late 6 Dogs tells y’all to meet them at the mountain top over a cloudy instrumental, but then “Doomsday” by Cordae & the late Juice WRLD goes back & forth with one another sampling “Role Model” by Eminem

It only makes sense for Em to do “Doomsday, Pt. 2” as the sample from the predecessor is slowed down & he makes it clear he’s been at J. Cole’s current level for quite some time & asking who had the 2nd best verse in “Forever” when I can answer that by saying Lil Wayne prior to “Fallout” by Gus Dapperton, Joey Bada$$ & Lil Yachty shifting gears into indie/alt-pop turf with additional elements of pop rap & synthpop describing a love that’s death row while “Equilibrium” by Babytron & G Herbo brings this luscious trap beat into the fold chilling with their millions waitin’ ’til the billions come.

“Hello There” by Black Kray, Corbin & Lil Tracy is this underwhelming emo rap/alternative R&B talking about being ghosts inside their exes’ beds interpolating “I Miss You” by blink-182 while “Hummingbird” by SahBabii, Teezo Touchdown & UMI taking a settler approach promising to wait by the door telling you all their stories facing the sun. “Stop Giving Me Advice” by Dave & Jack Harlow acoustically ends the compilation on a self-explanatory note & of course Dave outrapping Harlow.

When it comes to curating albums, Westside Gunn & Metro Boomin’ been doing what DJ Khaled thinks he’s been doing this whole time & the one that Cole Bennett gives us here as much as I enjoy his music videos myself is just okay as a full-listening experience. The production is fine as far as mainstream pop rap goes, it’s that the performances from the guests themselves are hit or miss. Another compilation in the future was hinted at & hopefully it’ll be a cut above, but I’ll take the highlights until then.

Score: 3/5

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KiD CuDi – “INSANO” review

Cleveland rapper, singer/songwriter, producer, actor, fashion designer, model, director & filmmaker KiD CuDi really getting New Music Fridays for 2024 rolling by putting out his 9th full-length solo LP. Blowing up in 2008 off his debut mixtape A KiD Named CuDi as well as his songwriting credits on his mentor Kanye West’s 4th album 808s & Heartbreak, his profile from there would increasingly grow off his groundbreaking debut & sophomore albums Man on the Moon: The End of the Day& Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. But following the self-produced & overlooked Indicud, CuDi would leave G.O.O.D. Music amicably to form his own Republic Records imprint Wicked Awesome Records. Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon though was mediocre at best & who could forget when CuDi attempted to go alt-rock on the critically panned Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven? Luckily he would redeem himself on his next effort Pain & Demon Slayin’in 2016 along with the self-titled album from him & Ye as the duo KIDS SEE GHOSTScouple summers later & even Man on the Moon III: The Chosen the day after my 24th birthday despite it’s blatantly heavy Travis Scott influence. At the beginning of 2022 though, Kanye announced that CuDi wouldn’t be on the unfinished DONDA 2 due to the latter’s friendship with Skete because he was dating Ye’s hobbit ex-wife at the time & ultimately resulted in a falling out between the mentor/protege duo that always brought the best out of one another. He stormed off stage at Rolling Loud later that same year because ignorant hecklers were throwing shit at him while performing & now Mike Dean announcing on Twitter that CuDi booted him off the inaugural Moon Man’s Landing festival that just went down earlier this month due to his longstanding ties as Kanye’s engineer. Shortly after, KiD CuDi would release his previous LP Entergalactic to mixed reviews although I appreciate how he took it back to his roots on there musically. But now only a month after making amends with Ye once more, CuDi’s finally going INSANO to sign off on his longstanding Republic deal.

“Often, I Have These Dreams” begins by assuring God has your back “when there’s a punk motherfucker tryin’ to bring you down when they see you shinin’” accompanied by a psychedelic instrumental from Mike Zombie whereas “Keep Bouncin’” produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. goes for a electro-trap vibe encouraging everyone to bounce to this shit. “Get Off Me” by The Scotts talks about being fresher than everyone else over horns & hi-hats, but then “Most Ain’t Dennis” balances trap & rage thanks to BNYX of Working in Dying alongside his mentor Jean Baptiste & FNZ showing off a more carefree attitude giving a nod to his manager Dennis Cummings.

A$AP Rocky joins CuDi for the trippy “Wow” explaining that life is amazing for them these days as they put a blunt up in the air & that everything will only get better from hereon out just before “Electrowavebaby” sings over a synth-funk beat sampling “All That She Wants” by Ace of Base about if anyone’s here with no issues & wanting a superstar to come fly with him. “A Tale of a Knight” however brings listeners into his life with a vibrant ass trap instrumental that Tom Levesque of Vanguard Music Group co-produced backing him leading into the mind-altering “CuD Life” with Keyon Christ providing co-production referring himself as the king of Rager Town.

“Too Damn High” featuring Lil Yachty embraces the rage beats even further as both of them look to get fucked up while “Getcha Gone” goes for a cloudier trap groove working all night long. The Scotts link back up 1 last time for the album’s final single “At the Party” getting live over a synthwave instrumental from Pharrell whose hook admittedly could’ve been performed a little better while “Mr. Coola” hooks up an airy backdrop & hi-hats dropping braggadocio.

Meanwhile, “Freshie” gives off a murky atmosphere with the help of CuDi’s longtime collaborator & WZRD cohort Dot da Genius joined by Plain Pat saying you can’t tell him shit whenever he pops up in the room while “Tortured” asks God to help him over a quirky trap beat from WondaGurl & Cubeatz. “X & CuD” heavily flips “Orlando” by the late XXXTENTACION underwhemingly explaining that he was born to be a grinder & that he’s doing it ill while “7” featuring Lil Wayne talking about being in heavy over more cloudy trap production cooked up by Clams Casino & Take a Daytrip.

“Funky Wizard Smoke” shouts out everyone who got that swish & some bread over an incredibly groovy instrumental while the acoustic trap-flavored “Rager Boyz” featuring Young Thug gives a middle finger to the law. “Porsche Topless” was a fun choice of a lead single & I still maintain that it’s a summertime bop even though people ripped on it at first while the warm “Blue Sky” produced by CuDi himself alongside Yachty & Sadpony goes on a quest to grind. “Hit the Streetz in My Nikes” ends CuDi’s final Republic offering groovily talking about being too cold.

I know people turned their backs on CuDi when he & Kanye were beefing for the 2nd time, but I’ve always stood by both artists throughout their careers as they’ve always brought the best out of one another & I’m more than glad they squashed it again. As for INSANO, it lived up to my expectations of being superior to Entergalactic. The production is a mixture of old & new sounds, it has a stronger feature list & CuDi is giving a toast to the ones living their best life not giving a fuck about what anyone thinks or has to say.

Score: 3.5/5

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Bas – “We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up” review

Bas is a 36 year old Sudanese-American rapper & songwriter born in Paris, France & raised in Queens, New York who emerged in 2011 by putting out his debut mixtape Quarter Water Raised Me. The 2013 sequel Quarter Water Raised Me 2 would catch the attention of J. Cole, who shortly after helped Bas become the 2nd act after Omen other than Cole himself to sign to his Interscope Recordsimprint Dreamville Records. He would introduce himself more to the Dreamville fans the next spring on the moderately received full-length debut Last Winter & the sophomore effort Too High to Riot couple years later won them over, as it’s still the most critically acclaimed body of work in Bas’ discography to date. His previous LP Milky Way in 2018 was also treated to mild reception as were the couple of EPs that he’s given us since then Spilled Milk & [BUMP] Pick Me Up, but the highlights on those last few projects had me holding out hope that Bas would reach the heights that Too High to Riot did once again.

“Light of My Soul” starts the LP with a drumless loop from Boi-1da sampling “We’ve Got a Way Out Love” by The Originals confessing that he has a problem makin’ other people’s problems his own whereas “Black Jedi” likens himself to Mace Windu shifting gears with it’s trap instrumental. “Choppas” talks about going round like the helicopter working in a cloudy backdrop & hi-hats just before “Home Alone” featuring J. Cole produced by T-Minus & Cubeatz serves as a vibrant dedication to the people that switched up on them, the women they miss, the ones they I love, the ones that stayed & the seeds that we growin’ although Bas feels like he’s been featured on his own track.

Meanwhile, “Risk” takes a smoother approach sonically detailing a relationship with a woman in which he took a risk with because she was almost too perfect at first until distancing herself from him leading into “Decent” featuring Amaarae talking about being 100% the same as they were when they started over a spacious trap beat. “Ho Chi Minh” gives a look at Bas’ emotional & mental state as well as his experience with substance abuse over a solemn instrumental, but then “179 Deli” featuring AJ Tracey dabbles with the UK drill sound a bit telling y’all to stay with them for the ride.

Cole returns on “Passport Bros.” for a mediocre pop rap/dancehall fusion with some afrobeats undertones & I say it’s mediocre because my biggest problem with it personally is that both of Bas’ verses feel underwritten although I’ll still take it over “Testify” featuring Sha Sha since it continues to expand on that dancehall vibe singing that they’re gonna “fuck each other right”. The atmospheric “U-Turn” featuring A$AP Ferg & Blxckie breaks down a woman who had them running back with Ferg having the better of the 2 guest performances prior to the final J. Cole appearance on the album “Papers Cuts” groovily asking if you dumb.

“Diamonds” looks to take a leap as artist have to continually explore & give more of themselves to feed the insatiable appetite of the audience on top of some summery acoustic passages while “Yao Ming” boasts that he got racks as tall as the iconic Houston Rockets player of the same name over soulful background vocals. The song “Dr. O’blivion” is more stripped-back thanks to Cole himself explaining that “she don’t want none of the madness you come with” while the penultimate track “Khartoum” is a powerful ballad about the ongoing war in Sudan featuring Adekunle Gold on the hook. “Wait on Me” ends the LP on a melodic note singing that he loves the moments you spending with him.

I remember upsetting a couple Dreamville fans after the Milky Way review because I still believe it’s the most commercial body of work I’ve heard from Bas, but We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up happens to be the most I’ve enjoyed a project from the guy in about 7 & a half year. Those pop rap/trap elements from that previous album make their way over here once more except this time, he’s mixing them with some new sounds that he’s trying out like dancehall or afrobeats.

Score: 3.5/5

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ColleGrove – “Welcome 2 ColleGrove” review

ColleGrove is a southern hip hop duo consisting of Atlanta, Georgia rapper & songwriter 2 Chainz as well as New Orleans, Louisiana emcee, singer/songwriter, record executive & entrepreneur Lil Wayne. Both of whom have known each other since Tity Boi was Weezy’s weedman, which lead to Wayne appearing on the Playaz Circle’s debut album Supply & Demand and the rest is history. They eventually formed ColleGrove in 2016 & put out a decent eponymous debut album that same year, but was credited as a 2 Chainz solo effort due to Tunechi’s issues with Cash Money Records at the time. So it makes absolute sense to me for ColleGrove to put out a sophomore effort & be properly credited as a duo.

After the titular intro, the first song “G6” starts off the 2nd LP with an underwhelming trap instrumental despite the lyrics justifiably boasting themselves as the realest ones here whereas “Big Diamonds” featuring 21 Savage picks things up from the ratchet Mannie Fresh beat to the subject matter about being big dogs. “Presha” works in some whistling & hi-hats courtesy of Bangladesh looking to apply pressure of course, but then “Long Story Short” has a more soulful flare thanks to Big K.R.I.T. admitting this life they live are gonna be the death of them.

After the “Duffel Bag Boys” interlude, the horns from Apex Martin & Mike Dean on the official theme song for the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s developmental NXT brand “Millions from Now” are pretty fun talking about not remembering certain people once they become rich leading into the mediocre “Crazy Thick” jumping over a bass-heavy instrumental talking about thick women. “Transparency” strips the drums completely in favor of synths provided by Hitmaka seeking clarity just before “Significant Other” produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & 30 Roc is a 2-parter that’s pretty much ColleGrove’s equivalent to “Life is Good” by Future & Drake except better.

After the “Ladies Man” interlude, “P.P.A. (Pretty Pussy Award)” featuring Fabolous has this sweet vocal sample chop throughout as the trio tell the special women in their life exactly what they deserve while “Oprah & Gayle” featuring Benny the Butcher moves on from the romantic themes in favor of dropping nothing but bars for 5 minutes over an exuberant DJ Toomp beat. Havoc’s sampling throughout “Shame” is absolutely crazy promising to leave your homies’ brains on you that is until “Bars” ruggedly talks about the disease they have.

After the “No Fent” interlude, “Godzilla” featuring Vory asks what’s a gorilla to the titular kaiju with the hi-hats being added after Vory’s sung-verse while “Crown Snatcher” talks about being exactly that over an explosive Murda Beatz instrumental. “Can’t Believe You featuring Rick Ross tackles the theme of untrustworthiness on top of a soulful STREETRUNNER beat & after the “Never Was Lost” interlude, the Dem Jointz-lazed closer “Moonlight” profoundly asks why we don’t run away referencing Mayweather Promotions founder Floyd Mayweather.

Truthfully: I had put ColleGrove eponymous debut on one my top 10 worst albums of 2016 list and it hasn’t grown on me a little bit over the course of the past 7 years since, but Welcome 2 ColleGrove is way more cohesive than the predecessor. The production’s tighter, you get a better look at their chemistry since the original had 2 Chainz solo joints on there & the features all give solid performances along the way.

Score: 4/5

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