Slump6s – “Forgive Never Forget” review

Slump6s is a 19 year old recording artist from Rochester, New York who broke out right when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic started off the strength of his debut EP Naveah. He has since gone on to follow it up with 7 more EPs, a collab EP with tana who just dropped his major label debut GAULTIER through Lil Tecca’s very own Republic Records imprint Galactic Records a couple months ago & even the full-length debut Genesis last summer. But coming off the 3-piece Dog Pack, slump starting off the 2nd quarter of the year the way he started it: with a new EP & his 9th one overall.

“Show Me Luv” is an ethereal trap opener produced by CXO about how he does this for all the people he knows in his life who couldn’t be here standing with him whereas “Ruthless” works in a futuristic backdrop & some hi-hats talking about being focused on getting this money. “Fashion” shifts gears with the rage beats making it clear that he’s back in his motherfuckin’ bag again prior to “Commas” returning for a more psychedelic trap to rock all black like he’s DONDA referencing Ye or formerly known as Kanye West & the EP artwork itself. The penultimate track “S.D.M.N.S. (Shit Don’t Make No Sense)” returns to hypertrap turf with the title saying it all & “Walked” featuring Maajins ends the EP with both of them over some hi-hats & an intoxicating loop talking about being on route.

As the rage subgenre of trap music continues to expand from Playboi Carti helping start it all by dropping the album that started it all with 2020 Christmas Day sophomore album Whole Lotta Red to the rise of artists like Yeat, Summrs, the Homixide Gang, Ken Carson & KanKan to only name a small handful, I think Slump6s has definitely grown as an artist tremendously since he stated 3 years ago today & that not only proves what he said in late February that this is some of his best work, but intrigues me to hear if this is only the beginning of that.

Score: 3.5/5

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Navy Blue – “Ways of Knowing” review

Navy Blue is a 26 year old skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model from Brooklyn, New York who came up in 2015 off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer. He has since continued to turn heads in the underground scene by dropping 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings about a month ago. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time until he dropped his 7th album albeit major label debut fully produced by Budgie.

“The Medium” is a drumless opener with some pianos & choir vocals as Navy admitting that learning patience has made sense for him as of late whereas “Chosen” has a more abstract, jazzy approach to it talking about being a prodigy. “The One” seeks eternal love with a silky yet sensual beat until “To Fall in Love” takes a more tropical route instrumentally talking about fucking up a real blessing like his significant other.

Zeroh comes into the picture on “Life’s Terms” to let it be known that all it takes for them just to be in love & that simply being the way it goes just before “Phases” dives into more soulful turf talking about being unable to stay the same with gratitude & living day to day. “Kill Switch” has a more dejecting sound to it as Navy acknowledges that he ain’t self righteous leading into the Kelly Moonstone-assisted “Window to the Soul” declaring themselves as ballroom stars returning to the boom bap.

“Freehold” opens up about despising his opponents & being unable to do this shit by his lonely on top of a slow yet syrupy beat while “Embers” with Liv.e delivers some jazzy piano chords as they talk about where they wanna be in life. The song “Pillars” is wavy ode to his family while the groovy penultimate track “Look in My Eyes” talks about seeing the pain he’s lived through. “Shadow’s Shield” however comes through with a drumless closer being unable to complain & thinking that everything will be straight in the end.

Between this & Maxo’s latest Def Jam debut Even God Has a Sense of Humor that just came out last month, it seems as if one of the most iconic labels in the history of our culture is continuing to help bring the underground to the mainstream by giving these artists the push they deserve. The lyrics are more personal which is great for those who’re new to him with the batch of instrumentals that Budgie whips up being amongst his strongest to date pulling from jazz rap, drumless & chipmunk soul.

Score: 4/5

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Westside Boogie – “Live at the Novo” review

Westside Boogie is a 33 year old MC from Compton, California who broke out onto the scene in 2014 with his debut mixtape Thirst 48. He would go on to follow it up with The Reachexactly a year later as well as Thirst 48 II the year after that before catching the attention of Detroit icon Eminem & signing to his Interscope Records imprint Shady Records in late 2017. His full-length debut Everything’s for Sale at the beginning of 2019 was a solid way to introduce himself to a wider audience & the sophomore effort More Black Superheroes did it’s job encouraging the world to embrace their powers, but is returning 9 months later in the form of his debut EP.

“Cold as Love” is a spacious trap opener with Superblood Boog talks about being in his head & pondering why one feels so safe yet shady can’t save him after invading his space while the penultimate track “Tell Me” works in a chipmunk soul sample & some hi-hats so Anthony can describe all the things that he wants to be told such as never hearing any kind of sucka shit again or how to fix the hood if he ain’t never in the hood. “Mood” on the other end sends off the EP with Ratchet Boog over a piano trap instrumental dropping some braggadocio for dat azz.

Everything’s for Sale gave a wider audience a good look as to who he really is & the concept of More Black Superheroes is still compelling to this day in my book but if Live at the Novo is only a prelude for his upcoming 3rd album, then I think it’s a solid offering to keep listeners satisfied until then. He delves more into himself lyrically whilst introducing his 2 alter-egos & the trap undertones of his 2 full-lengths are more prominent here than they were in the past.

Score: 3.5/5

Yeat – “Aftërlyfe” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from Portland, Oregon rapper Yeat. 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 debut album) 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 last summer, Yeat’s picking up where he left off with the Aftërlyfe.

“No morë talk” opens things up with some farty synthesizers & hi-hats from BNYX of Working on Dying talking about riding with his demons whereas “Shmunk” embraces the rage as the only legitimate feature on the album YoungBoy Never Broke Again tags along so they can flex their mob ties. “Bëttr 0ff” admits that he could give a fuck less of what others say & has no time for the fuss over a bell-infused trap instrumental from Bugz Ronin, but then “Rav3 P4rty” has a more dance influence to it courtesy of dulio talking about being on the edge.

Meanwhile on “Nun id change”, we have Yeat over a more robotic instrumental wishing that he could feel leading into “Woa…!” talking about how he ain’t friendly nor does he leave the crib without the strap over a wavy trap beat. “Now” comes through with an experimental sound courtesy of BEAUTIFULMVN confessing he hears voices when geeking just before “Slamm” throws it back to his earlier work sonically as dude steps on his opposition.

“7 nightz” comes through with some additional synths & hi-hats estimating that he’s been fucked up under the influence for about a week while “Mëan feen” is a piano trap ballad coming around shootin’ & slidin’ all over town. “How it go” is a dedication to the lifestyle that he lives today over a vigorous instrumental while “Sum 2 do” brings back the rage beats so he can remind everyone that he’s the one shaking the game up.

Moving on to “Back up”, things take a more cavernous tone instrumentally as Yeat admits that he’s relapsed on percs while “Split” comes through with an explosive hypertrap jam that ChaseTheMoney & Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic put together dedicated to Bentleys & women who want to be as rich as him. The self-produced “Bad bënd (DëMON)” was actually recorded 2 years ago yet it stands as a favorite of mine in the track-listing from the intoxicating beat to the lyrics about doing whatever he wants while “Hëavyweight” declares himself as champion over some bass & hi-hats.

“Watch” has a more minimal sound this time around as he advises those to sit back & see how he does it when he drops while “Shhhh” has a booming bass-line talking about being nowhere near the same level as anyone else in the game. “Back homë” is an acoustic trap cut comparing & contrasting his life then & now while the song “Type monëy” finds him swerving over a melodic beat. The penultimate track “Dëmon tied” opens up about the Devil watching his eyes over a hazy instrumental & “Mysëlf” ends things to a tribute to being true to oneself with a beat kin to “Can’t Stop It”.

This was actually a bit different than what I normally expect to hear from Yeat, but I most certainly welcome it & am curious to hear if he continues to go down this rabbit hole later on in the year. His knack for catchy songwriting remains in tact as the production this time around is significantly more experimental than his previous efforts & the 3 alter egos that he introduces throughout each have their own uniquely distinct characteristics.

Score: 3.5/5

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Glorilla – “Anyways, Life’s Great…” review

Glorilla is a 23 year old rapper from Memphis, Tennessee who broke out off the viral & undeniably fun single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” this past spring. This ultimately resulted in local veteran Yo Gotti signing her to his Interscope Records imprint Collective Music Group a little over a week before they dropped their 2nd showcase compilation Gangsta Art a few months later, making her the very 1st female recording artist on the label. So the stakes were high for her 2nd EP albeit CMG debut over here.

“No More Love” starts the EP by airing out people left & right who used to be in her life over a cloudy trap instrumental from ATL Jacob whereas “PHATNALL” featuring Lil Durk on the remix goes into Detroit trap territory comparing her pussy to fentanyl referencing Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder, Neuralink founder & Twitter owner Elon Musk. The “Tomorrow” remix with Cardi B is just ok from the keys & hi-hats to the lyrics basically talking their shit, but then “Unh Unh” returns to the Detroit trap sound once more to my surprise acknowledging that they don’t wanna see gangsta bitches winning.

Meanwhile on “Blessed”, we have Glorilla over another piano-trap instrumental telling us that’s exactly how she’s feeling while “Get That Money” with Niki Pooh weaves a whistling sample into the fold as they encourage women not to be scared to as their men for money. The song “Nut Quick” is basically a Memphis version of the Missy Elliott joint “1 Minute Man” while the penultimate track “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” happens to be a great addition to the EP despite the controversy surrounding it. “Out Loud Thinking” though finishes the EP by getting her thoughts out there over a glistening beat.

For a debut EP, it’s a pretty solid way for Glorilla to introduce herself to a wider audience because I think she’s one of the best signees on CMG alongside Mozzy & 42 Dugg. She definitely has potential as shown by her performances & songwriting throughout the 26 minutes of our time that she’s given us, but the production is just mostly average & the 2 features are hit or miss.

Score: 3/5

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Drake & 21 Savage – “Her Loss” review

This is a brand new collaborative album between Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter, actor & businessman Drake along with London, England, United Kingdom born albeit Atlanta, Georgia raised rapper, songwriter & producer 21 Savage. One is an pop rap icon starting out as an actor before becoming a Lil Wayne protege in the late-2000s & the other beginning to turn heads in the Atlanta trap scene after landing a spot in the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class. Their paths have crossed a handful of times within the last 5 years with bangers like “Mr. Right Now” & even “Knife Talk”. Last we heard from them was when Drizzy dropped the mediocre house album Honestly, Nevermind this past summer in the form of the standout closer “Jimmy Cooks” & are now joining forces to drop Her Loss.

“Rich Flex” kicks off the album with some braggadocio on top of an instrumental from Tay Keith, BoogzDaBeast, FNZ & Vinylz with some hi-hats & angelic vocals during 21’s verse prior to the sample switching into some keys for Drake’s whereas “Major Distribution” embraces the piano trap sound even further talking about going stupid. “On BS” has a cloudier vibe to it comparing their partners to WWE Hall of Famer as well as 4-time WWE Women’s Champion & former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Lita, but then “BackOutsideBoyz” comes through with the first of 4 Drake solo cuts on the album & my personal favorite talking about the 6 God coming back over a synth-trap beat produced by Rio Leyva alongside Taz Taylor & Dez Wright of Internet Money Records.

Meanwhile on “Privileged Rappers”, we have Drizzy & 21 expressing their desire to fuck bitches in banks accompanied by a cloudy trap instrumental from 40 & Earl on the Beat leading into “Spin ‘Bout U” flipping an R&B joint talking about coming out of their bodies for their significant other. “Hours in Silence” has a more moodier sound to it seeking to turn their bitches up just before the syrupy “Treacherous Twins” laced with the help of Boi-1da paying tribute to their soulmates & the line about 21 not showing an ID at the club because they know he’s 21 is incredibly witty.

“Circo Loco” obnoxiously samples the Daft Punk jam “1 More Time” to get boastful with Drizzy even confessing that he did the Free Larry Hoover concert with Kanye West last winter solely for J. Prince’s sake only for Travis Scott to come into the picture for the pillowy “Pussy & Millions” encouraging to bring on the cons of having more money. “Broke Boys” is well-structured 2-parter featuring co-production from Wheezy taunting all the bum ass motherfuckers out there while the 2nd Drizzy solo joint “Middle of the Ocean” dives into boom bap turf talking about how he’s been a player.

As for “Jumbotron Shit Poppin’”: I really like the beat that F1LTHY & his brother Oogie Mane of Working on Dying & Cubeatz whip up along with the subject matter asking if anyone really want smoke with Drake, but the fact that he called himself “a real vamp” like he thinks he’s Playboi Carti when he’s actually a decade older than me during his verse is fucking embarrassing. The song “More M’s” has to be my favorite on the album from the dark Metro Boomin’ production to the lyrics talking about making more paper than taking Ls while “3AM on Glenwood” is the only 21 Savage solo track on Her Loss for some reason although it doesn’t disappoint with it’s wavy instrumental & bars like the Steph Curry/Stephon Marbury one or the one where he hollers at the hobbit to help get his brother out of jail. “I Guess It’s Fuck Me” though ends it all with a Drake solo cut on top of a bare piano calling out a woman who left him abruptly.

It’s definitely not on the same caliber as Without Warning or even What a Time to Be Alive, but both these guys managed to give us a decent collab effort here & one that’s slightly better Honestly, Nevermind. Their chemistry is certainly strong enough to carry a whole project, but the production throughout is just very mild & Drake has more presence throughout than 21 does.

Score: 3/5

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Smino – “Luv 4 Rent” review

Smino is a 31 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from St. Louis, Missouri who caught my attention in the spring of 2017 off his impressive full-length debut blkswn. This was followed up with his 2nd & 3rd mixtapes NØIR & She Already Decided, but is re-emerging in the form of his long-awaited sophomore album backed by Motown Records following his departure from Interscope Records & the formation of the supergroup Zoink Gang with Buddy as well as Guapdad 4000 & J.I.D in 2019.

After the “4rm da Source” intro, the first song “No L’s” is a smooth opener to the album with Smino confessing all this stuff on his mind prior to J. Cole tagging along for neo-soul/pop rap hybrid “90 Proof” talking about being a real one. Doechii comes into the picture for the groovy “Pro Freak” to describe their preferences in a partner referencing the 4-seater catchphrase of 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena, but then “Ole Ass Kendrick” has a more dementing trap vibe to it talking about who he was playing in his car as he & his girl got busy.

Moving on from there with “Louphoria”, we have Cruza joining Smino for an alternative R&B ballad about being obsessed with their partners to the point of being unable to get sleep just before “Blu Billy” has a bit of an abstract hip hop flare to it responding to those who say he doesn’t have the heat. “Matinee” makes a pretty accurate comparison to what the world really is over some pop rap/trap production with neo-soul undertones even though I personally found the “Broccoli Lesnar” bar to be cringe as fuck as a wrestling fan whereas “Modennaminute” with Lucky Daye & Phoelix returns with an alternative R&B/pop rap fusion talking about having one another on their minds.

“Defibrillator” has a more neo-soul/hip hop vibe to it confessing that he’ll be loved when no one’s around while “Garden Lady” embraces a groovier vibe talking about how shit’s wicked right now & a lot of it ain’t funny to him. “Settle Down” with Ravyn Lenae is an upbeat ode to still doing their best & being blessed while the Lil Uzi Vert-assisted “Pudgy” finds the 2 flirting wjth bitches accompanied by a jazzy trap sound. “Curtains” comes through with a 6 & a half minute futuristic trap banger talking about how he be speaking the truth with Lee & Love” being a soulful closer to the album expressing his desire to grow old with his soulmate.

“Plead the .45th” significantly increased my anticipation for this album considering how mid of a tape NØIR was 4 years back & I gotta say that’s even better than Few Good Things when SABA dropped it earlier this year. Smino continues to expand on his versatility by refining the sounds of that previous project & his songwriting gradually improving.

Score: 3.5/5

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Jeezy – “Snofall” review

Jeezy is a 45 year old rapper, songwriter & actor from Atlanta, Georgia who came up in the early 2000s off his full-length debut T.U.I. (Thuggin’ Under the Influence) & the sophomore effort Come Shop wit Me. Both of which were mediocre, but his biggest breakthrough wouldn’t come until 2004 where he began a partnership with Def Jam Recordings that’s going on strong to this very day & dropped the classic Thug Motivation 101: Let’s Get It the following summer. Subsequent discography highlights would include Thug Motivation 102: The Inspiration, The Recession, Thug Motivation 103: Hustler’z Ambition, Seen It All: The Autobiography & even The Recession 2 that came out the day after his Verzuz battle against longtime rival Gucci Mane during the COVID-19 pandemic. So when Jeezy announced that he was linking back up with DJ Drama & Don Cannon for his 14th mixtape right here, anticipation was pretty high from me.

The title track sets things off with a drumless yet triumphant instrumental from Cool & Dre as Jeezy talks about being in a billionaire’s mindset whereas “Bruh” takes a more horn-laced trap route talking about how we already know the deal. Lil Durk tags along for the boisterous “Most Hated” produced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League (who did nearly half the album) to call out those who despise them prior to “Street Cred” blends some keys & hi-hats thanks to Don Cannon talking about the credibility that the Snowman has in the streets.

Meanwhile on “Kolors”, we have Jeezy returning to a more victorious sound to brag his riches to everyone that’s listening just before “MJ Jeezy” dives into cloudier territory courtesy of FNZ talking about handling his business & speaking that fluent trap shit. “Plug on ‘Em” has a more vibrant tone to it boasting that he does it best leading into the lead single “I Ain’t Gon’ Hold Ya” jumps on top of a rubbery trap instrumental from Helluva reminding us of his rightful place in this culture as one of what I like to call “the big 3” trap pioneers.

42 Dugg comes into the picture for “Put the Minks Down” to deliver a ratchet summer anthem while “King’s Crown” shoots for a more ghostly aesthetic paying tribute to all the fallen soldiers who couldn’t be here with us today. “Still Havin’” weaves some synthesizers into the fold talking about living right while “Scarface” with EST. G luxuriously finds the 2 watching the titular movie with the sound off, being bosses & showing off their girls being stronger than WWE Hall of Famer & 7-time women’s champion Trish Stratus.

Continuing from there, the vocal sample on “How Deep” was flipped very well if you ask me with Jeezy continuing to brag lyrically while “Grammy” fuses more horns & hi-hats together to talk about how he deserves the titular award at this point even though it’s the most rigged popularity contest ever. The song “My Accountant” cinematically rubs his wealth into everyone’s faces while the penultimate track “Big Sno” hooks up a high-pitched loop talking about his status. “100” though ends the tape with a victory lap encouraging to stay true.

If you’re of the few heads that I know who were disappointed with The Recession 2 even though I personally thought it was his best in a while, then I think you’re gonna like Snofall just as much if not better because Jeezy went back to back with it. He & Drama pretty much return to basics in an entertaining fashion from the production being as equally consistent to the return of the Snowman persona.

Score: 3.5/5

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Grip – “5 & a Fuck You” review

This is the 2nd mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia emcee Grip. Coming up in 2017 of his debut mixtape Porch, he would go on to drop his full-length debut Snubnose along with 2 EPs Halo & Proboscidea prior to Detroit veteran Eminem signing Grip to his very own Interscope Records imprint Shady Records last summer. His sophomore effort I Died For This?! the following month was an impressive major label debut showing his potential, so I was excited going into 5 & a Fuck You when he announced it out of the blue a couple nights ago.

“Cook Up” is a booming yet dark trap opener with Grip talking about needing a week to do exactly just that whereas “‘94 Flow” takes the boom bap route to spit some aggressive battle bars. Marco+ tags along for trap-laced “Static” calling out those who don’t want smoke with them, but then “Popular Demand” returns to the boom bap with an organ sample laced with the help of DJ Khalil addressing his return.

Moving on from there with “Da Benzo”, we have Grip delivering a shrilling trap ode to Mercedes-Benz leading into “The F Word” switching it back into boom bap turf talking about giving no fucks. “Value Mall” has a more atmospheric vibe to it explaining how you can ball on a budget just before Tate228 tags comes into the picture for “Cory ‘N Mel” telling the story of 2 robbers of the same name with some chilling soundscapes.

The song “Good” is a soulful celebration of how far we’ve come in this life while the penultimate track “Many Thanks” has a more twangier aesthetic to it with Grip sincerely expressing his gratitude to everyone listening for being the reason why he’s even here for a little over 8 minutes. “Ain’t Ok” though happens to be a solemn closer to the tape talking about the kids not being alright.

If this is something to warm people up for his next full-length, then I think it’ll be even bigger splashes than I Died For This?! as impressive of a major label debut was when it came out a little over a year ago. It’s a lot more rawer in sound, his penmanship is continuing to get better & he’s starting to come into his own artistically.

Score: 3.5/5

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YG – “I Got Issues” review

YG is a 32 year old MC from Compton, California who came up in 2009 off his debut mixtape 4Fingaz. This was followed up with 4 more tapes prior to Jeezy discovering him in 2013 & landing him a deal with his Def Jam Recordings imprint CTE World. YG’s potential would begin to show in the form of his full-length debut My Krazy Life & came into his own on the sophomore effort Still Brazy launching his own label 400 Records around that same time period, but the next 3 albums Stay Dangerous as well as 4Real 4Real & My Life 400 all received mixed to poor responses to the point where even YG himself has publicly acknowledged I Got Issues to be his official 3rd album & that increased the optimism I already had going into it considering how much I enjoyed “Sign Language” even though it was only a loosie & even “Alone”.

“Issues” is a glossy yet bassy opener to the album with YG boasting whereas “Baby Momma” is a bitter ex-boyfriend temper tantrum with a piano instrumental. “Toxic” samples the Mary J. Blige joint “Be Happy” talking about that’s all they wants in life prior to the deranging “Maniac” produced by Hit-Boy calling out those who say he lost his mind. Meanwhile on “How to Rob a Rapper”, we have Mozzy & D3SZN coming into the picture over some g-funk production that Terrace Martin helped put together teaching y’all the titular subject leading into the reggaeton/rap fusion “I Dance” with Duki talking about dancing. J. Cole & Moneybagg Yo tag along for the mediocre trap cut “Scared Money” flexing their wealth, but then “Go Dumb” is a decent R&B durt with H.E.R..

“No Love” returns to the g-funk interpolating “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” by Bobby Bland & some fresh spoken word pieces from Suga Free while “Sober” with Post Malone & Roddy Ricch feels like an uninspired rap anthem. “Drink to This” reps the westside over a smooth beat while the song “No Weapon” with Nas finds the 2 over some horns talking about how the streets don’t love nobody. The penultimate track “Alone” was a thoughtful, ghostly-produced, conscious-laced choice for the 2nd to final single prior to the album & “Killa Cali” ends the album with a chill ode to the titular state.

As underwhelming as his material post-Still Brazy has been, I think that I Got Issues is a pretty decent listen from start to finish & a step in the right direction for him. Some of the more mainstream cuts don’t really do it for me, but the g-funk/gangsta rap joints á la Still Brazy are more up my alley.

Score: 2.5/5

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