Vince Staples – “Dark Times” review

Compton, California rapper, singer/songwriter & actor Vince Staples is back with his 5th LP. Emerging as a close affiliate of the now defunct Odd Future collective, he would go on to release 4 mixtapes before signing a joint deal with Blacksmith Records & even No I.D.’s very own Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. My personal favorite of which being Stolen Youth, which was entirely produced by the late Mac Miller. His first major label outing Hell Can Wait was a dope little EP preluding the full-length debut Summertime ‘06, which became one of the best double disc albums of the previous decade. Vince later detailed the pitfalls that came with his success on the next EP Prima Donna & the dude’s sophomore effort Big Fish Theory was unquestionably his most experimental work yet. He later teamed up with Kenny Beats for his 3rd EP FM! & his eponymous 3rd album but coming off Ramona Park Broke My Heart from a couple years ago, Vince is fulfilling his Def James contract on Dark Times.

After the “Close Your Eyes & Swing” intro, the first song “Black&Blue” is this vigorous kickstarter talking about still being on some n***a shit whereas the boom bap driven “Government Cheese” encourages the listeners to smile & not to lose their inner child. “Children’s Song” goes for a twangier trap vibe instrumentally telling y’all to stop playing with his crib & play with your kids instead ahead of “Shame on the Devil” going for a conscious west coast hip hop vibe talking about God making him special.

Jay Versace‘s production on “Étouffée” takes the atmospheric route & Vince paying homage to the New Orleans hip hop scene during the hook & after the “Liars” skit, “Justin” returns to the boom bap telling the story of a woman who’s already in a relationship. “Radio” gives off a solemn trap flare to the beat from Cardo so he can turn up his hustle while “Nothing Matters” brings back the kicks & snares asking why she told him that she loves him when she doesn’t.

“Little Homies” begins the encore of Dark Times by hopping over a funky instrumental telling all his lil homies out there listening to be blessed & keep their heads on a swivel when they stop while the last song “Freeman” prior to the “Why Won’t the Sun Come Out?” outro fulfills Vince’s contract with Def Jam talks about everything being all good.

Even I thought that Vince had already left Def Jam since he’s been releasing his last couple projects through Motown Records, but at least he officially went out by finding the clarity that he was looking for when he initially signed his first major label deal over a decade ago. It has a prominently conscious west coast hip hop sound to it with additional neo-soul, neo-psychedelia, jazz rap & experimental hip hop undertones sprinkled in & you can truly hear his growth after all this time.

Score: 4.5/5

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Billie Eilish – “Hit Me Hard & Soft” review

Billie Eilish is a 22 year old singer/songwriter & actress from Los Angeles, California being the daughter of Maggie Baird & younger sister of her brother & producer FINNEAS. Signing to Interscope Records in 2016, her debut EP the next summer don’t smile at me was a solid electro-pop & alt-pop effort on top of her debut full-length When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? fusing the sounds of don’t smile at me with alternative R&B & the sophomore effort Happier Than Ever later primarily basing itself around alt-pop & contemporary R&B. The quality of her music has been steadily increasing with her last couple albums & that had me highly anticipating Hit Me Hard & Soft.

“Skinny” starts us off with atmospheric guitar-laced production talking about falling in love for the first time & pondering if she’s on her way out whereas “Lunch” makes a turn into groovy pop rock territory dedicating it to cunnilingus. “Chihiro” works in a funkier backdrop with some synthesizers asking if she’ll know what to say when she comes back around referencing her love for the 2001 animated masterpiece Spirited Away, but then “Birds of a Feather” ethereally talks about eternal love.

Moving on from there, “Wildflower” takes the stripped-back route instrumentally asking a woman that she often sees in the back of her mind if she crossed the line with her just before “The Greatest” keeps it primarily acoustic until crescending during the last minute & a half or so trying her best to keep her lover satisfied. The 2-part “L’amour de ma Vie” reflecting on a previous relationship she had starting calmly ahead of a dance-inspired 2nd half leading into “The Diner” incorporating heavier synthesizers talking about not being afraid of her since she’s what you need.

“Bittersuite” nears Hit Me Hard & Soft’s by giving us another 2-parter telling her partner she can’t fall in love with them no matter how badly she wants to & being left alone in her hotel suite feeling bitter hence the play on the word “bittersweet” while the closing “Blue” properly rounds out the LP with 1 final 2-part track trying to live black & white despite feeling down, confessing that she only sleeps 3 hours every night & proceeding to tell someone she doesn’t blame nor hate that she can’t save or change them.

To tie things up here, I pointed out Billie’s artistic progression with each project she’s given us in the last 7 years at the beginning of this review & this new album here takes deeming quality of her music to a brand new level. She feels much more like herself detailing who she was when she as opposed to the last couple LPs revolving around a different character. Billie even expands beyond her signature alt-pop sound whilst maintaining the additional elements of alternative R&B, indietronica & singer/songwriter by even dabbling with both indie folk & pop rock here & there.

Score: 4.5/5

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Mozzy – “Children of the Slums” review

Sacramento, California emcee Mozzy is back with the 8th full-length studio LP in his discography & his Collective Music Group/Interscope Records sophomore effort. I became a fan of in the summer of 2017 off his debut 1 Up Top Akh & he went on to be featured on the soundtrack for the incredible Marvel blockbuster Black Panther only 6 months later & drop 6 more albums through his EMPIRE-backed Mozzy Records prior to Memphis veteran Yo Gotti landing him a CMG contract. Mozzy’s major label debut Survivor’s Guilt in 2022 was more poignant than what he’s done previously & that alone raised my stakes for Children of the Slums.

“Damn” starts us off by calling out someone who ran when they got on the homie line over a mellow beat whereas “Still Hurt” works in a soul sample with hi-hats admitting the pain he still feels over Diaonds’ death & the love he had for Sauce on top of it. The title track comes through with this piano talking about the fact that he did so much for his hood prior to “Red Nose Bully” reminding everyone that he’s still that guy from the middle over exuberant pianos & hi-hats.

Fridayy joins Mozzy on “Lost It All” for an R&B/pop rap/trap crossover asking their lovers if they would still care about them even if everything was suddenly taken away from just before the 3rd single “Miss Big Bruh” showing genuine heartbreak over his big brody who’s no longer here in the flesh. “Ebony from 12th” gives me this mafiosi trap vibe instrumentally talking about being tired of death after seeing one too many coffins, but then “Miss You Blood” brings this angelic/hyphy fusion to the table addressing one that he often thinks of.

“Jaded” goes into a cloudier direction to discuss angels callin’ them on top of their demons still creepin’ up behind them as well prior to the soulful “Living Proof” featuring E Mozzy finding the 2 talking about being breathing examples of that your dreams can come true. “Traumatized” has this melodic vocals in the background throughout to break down an individual he once knew receiving a traumatizing sentence in court with his momma crying in court while “Lost in My Thoughts” jumps over pianos & hi-hats talking about not needing any validation.

The lead single “Free JuJu” pays tribute to someone he wanted to guide & set on the right path from Oak Park that he couldn’t save while the violin, hyphy flavored “Act a Fool” featuring Celly Ru & E Mozzy finds the trio talking about actin’ reckless. “I Can’t Go Out” passionately draws near Children of the Slums’ conclusion by refusing to go out for nothing when it’s all said & done while the atmospheric “If I Die Right Now” asking if his so-called brothers would miss him as much as the fans. “Better Without You” finishes the LP with a gloomy sample drowning behind him tired of seeing one suffer & struggle.

Much like Survivor’s Guilt, this could be considered one of Mozzy’s most personal projects to date & I certainly like it more than Glorilla’s latest tape EhhThang EhhThang from earlier this morning. He shines light on life growing up in the Sacramento community, the trials of being raised in survival & the complex lifestyle that comes with it. It further exemplifies the growth of Mozzy’s rap career & personal life, serving as an inspiration to fans that even the titular type of people can also make it out like anyone else.

Score: 3.5/5

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Future – “We Still Don’t Trust You” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Future teaming up with Metro Boomin’ once again for his 11th full-length album. 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 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. Metro reunited with Future for We Don’t Trust You only 3 weeks ago & that was his best since D.S. 2 (Dirty Sprite 2), but We Still Don’t Trust You was said to be the HNDRXX counterpart to Pluto’s previous double album FUTURE HNDRXX & I had no doubts that they were gonna outdo themselves much like they did with We Don’t Trust You being a step above self-titled almost a month back.

The title track featuring The Weeknd providing it’s sole verse is a synthpop opener singing about how much of a freak this bitch is whereas “Drink n Dance” gives me an acoustic trap soul vibe basically basically looking to fuck all night long pretty much. “Out of My Hands” brings a misty trap atmosphere instrumentally to spit about flexing that everyone knows the shit that he be on leading into the futuristic “Jealous” co-produced with Dez Wright & Wheezy singing his heart out that he’s unsure why this woman makes him feel envious.

“This Sunday” melodically promises to buy a new Ferrari by the end of the weekend even though the beat feels vaguely similar to that of “Hallucinating” just before “Luv Bad Bitches” is this alternative R&B ballad about preferring bad bitches over good girls. “Amazing” has to be the weakest moment on the album heavilly building itself around a sample of “Girl After Girl” by Juicy J featuring Gucci Mane & Nicki Minaj although I admittedly respect the concept of it revolving around Future & Metro’s friendship, but then “All to Myself” featuring The Weeknd bounces back with this pop rap/alternative R&B crossover flipping “Let’s Lay Together” by The Isley Brothers with Mike Dean & notably Abel dissing Drake.

The heavy sampling of “Dancin’ On a Pole (MKU)” by the Three 6 Mafia on “Nights Like This” to sing AND rap about needing all of this significant other was a nice touch while “Came to the Party” admits to pullin’ up to the spot only to get flicks continuing to get back in his full-blown trap shit. “Right 4 You” brings the synthpop influences back professing to the love of his life that he’s trying to get Wright for her since he belongs to her while “Mile High Memories” has this cloudy trap soul groove to it courtesy of the So Icey Boyz to talk south of France.

“Overload” is the 2nd worst song on We Still Don’t Trust You presenting itself as a mediocre synth-trap hybrid fulfilling his ego pretty much that is until “Gracious” produced with Taurus picks us up again going for more of a stripped back trap sound singing about the gratitude he feels towards this woman who is faithful of him. “Beat It” clashes hi-hats with these triumphant synth-melodies tellin’ this hoe that she can either ride & stay committed or hit the bricks while “Always Be My Fault” featuring The Weeknd reunites the 2 for the final time for this electropop/synthpop duet about hearing the ones they converse in the dark with in the storm.

Meanwhile on “1 Big Family”, we have Pluto boasting that he has 20 different bitches with them over hi-hats & synthesizers while the acoustic trap flavored “Red Leather” featuring J. Cole finds them both rappin’ about pissin’ on your grave wearing leather specifically in my personal favorite color. After the “#1” intro, “Nobody Knows My Struggle” begins a bonus track run vibrantly letting the title speak for itself while “All My Life” featuring Lil Baby talking about growing up with steppers over this quirky trap instrumental.

“Crossed Out” continues the final moments of We Still Don’t Trust You on some rowdy trap shit looking to cross out anyone who ain’t with the gang while “Crazy Clientele” mixes elements of orchestral with trap getting in his Freebandz shit. “Show of Hands” featuring A$AP Rocky produced with Honorable C.N.O.T.E. begins the encore of the LP by energetically talking about being trap dudes & Rocky dissing Drake too prior to “Streets Made Me a King” concluding the album by bragging about his status in a fun, charming manner.

I prefer We Don’t Trust You by a slight margin, but We Still Don’t Trust You still stands as a primarily solid companion to the previous album Future had put out 3 weeks ago. It pretty much lived up to the anticipation of being a superior HNDRXX/Save Me outside of only a couple songs that missed the landing primarily as Metro builds it’s sound around trap, alternative R&B & pop rap in the midst of Pluto himself pushing himself as an artist venturing off into the styles of trap soul, synthpop & electropop.

Score: 4/5

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Glorilla – “EhhThang EhhThang” review

This is the 2nd mixtape from Memphis, Tennessee rapper Glorilla. Breaking out off the viral & undeniably fun single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” couple years ago, the 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. Anyways, Life’s Great… continued to have her presence felt & I went into EhhThang EhhThang hoping it would take her to the next level since she’s amongst my favorite CMG signings personally.

“Yeah Glo!” was an incredible choice of a single & even the perfect opener to the tape whether it be the Memphis-influenced sound or Glo’s charismatic braggadocio whereas “All Dere” featuring Moneybagg Yo follows it up with a decent strip club anthem although I admire the Project Pat samples. “Nun of ‘Em” works in hi-hats & a rubbery bassline talking about how she ain’t like the rest of those bitches, but then “No Bih” is another standout for me givin’ a middle finger to all the haters out there over a vibraphone-inflicted trap instrumental from Chopsquad DJ.

Megan Thee Stallion joins Glo on “Wanna Be” for what is essentially the female counterpart to “Captain Save-a-Hoe” by The Click heavily sampling “Pretty Boy Swag” by the first rapper to do it all Soulja Boy just before “Opp Shit” brings back the Memphis trap vibes a bit talkin’ about fuckin’ with an opp essentially since her cousin smoked his brother, which is interesting because she’s confirmed that both Cardi B & Lil Uzi Vert are in fact her cousins in recent interviews not to say she’s referring to either one of them at all. “Aite” featuring Kevo Muney finds the 2 over a solemn vocal sample & hi-hats tackling loneliness on the road leading into “Bad Bih 4 Ya” featuring Boston Richey going trap metal & falling flat.

“Finesse da Flo” featuring Finesse2tymes isn’t any better trading verses with each other over a generic beat & Glo being the superior performer of the 2 while the “High AF” picks back in the form of a piano-trap crossover dedicating to being faded than a hoe. The penultimate track “G.M.F.U. 2 (Got Me Fucked Up 2)” draws near the end of the tape with a sequel to a song on her debut mixtape Most Likely Up Next that’s superior to the original & the futuristic closer “In Dat Mode” sends off the tape flexing it don’t get bigger than this.

All & all, this is yet another average body of work from Glo yet it’s better than her previous material much like the last EP was. The production is a mixed bag generally although there are some incredibly detailed ideas & the features are mostly underwhelming, but Glo can very much rap her ass off. If she can improve in the other 2 departments, I’m sure the full-length debut can really take herself to the next level because she really is amongst the best on CMG.

Score: 3/5

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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 AzCHike 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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