Autumn! – “Antagonist!” review

Autumn! is a 23 year old rapper/producer from Lafayette, Louisiana who’s made a name himself in the plugg scene by dropping 15 EPs & a full-length debut on SoundCloud since 2018. But in light of him signing to Victor Victor Worldwide & Republic Records following the release of his previous EP Not Much Longer last summer, he’s now returning with his long-awaited sophomore album & major label debut after teasing it for so long.

The self-produced title track opens up the album with some rage beats throwing shots at KanKan, SeptembersRich & Yeat whereas “STFU!” works in some Atari-like synths & some heavy bass talking about not wanting to hear shit unless it’s about the money. “STFU! 2” picks up right where it’s predecessor left off calling out those who backstabbed him, but then “I’m Him!” takes a ghostly route asking “Why these n****s keep playing like I ain’t him?”.

Meanwhile on “Everything!”, we have Autumn! returning to hypertrap territory declaring himself as a boss just before “Bentley Bentayga!” has a more futuristic flare to it talking about the rich lifestyle. “Bentley Bentayga! 2” is a bombastic follow-up to it’s predecessor asking how many bitches can fit in the titular car leading into the rage-sounding “Etiquette!” admits not knowing shit about protocol.

“Jumpin’!” goes into cloudier yet poppy territory thanks to Internet Money Records’ very own Rio Leyva reflecting on being destined for this music shit while “We Adapted!” returns to a more pluggier sound talking about feeling like a bastard & a pastor. The song “Free Bugga! 3” with Goyxrd is the 3rd tribute that Autumn! has made for his uncle Bugga in prison that’s just has touching as the predecessors while the penultimate track “Talk’s Cheap!” keeps the plugg vibes going talking about moving smarter. “1 Way!” eventually closes out the album with a contemporary R&B ballad addressing an ex.

Coming from someone who got put onto him last summer, I think this is a very impressive major label debut for Autumn! & some of the best work that he’s put out so far. The production is diverse in sound ranging from hypertrap to plugg & I admire that he didn’t go crazy for features to demonstrate his vocal/songwriting talents.

Score: 3.5/5

Pusha T – “It’s Almost Dry” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Virginia Beach, Virginia emcee, songwriter & record executive Pusha T. Coming up as 1/2 of the duo Clipse alongside his older brother No Malice about 3 decades ago, their debut Lord Willin’ & their sophomore effort Hell Hath No Fury would go on to become some of the best of the 2000s & essentials in the coke rap scene. But following the brothers’ final album together ‘Til the Casket Drops, they would disband after No Malice became a born again Christian & resulted in Push signing to Kanye West’s very own Def Jam Recordings imprint G.O.O.D. Music as a solo act. He has since made himself home under Ye’s wing by dropping 3 solo efforts, with the last one being the Kanye-produced DAYTONA in the spring of 2018 & one of the greatest diss tracks of all-time “The Story of Adidon” merely days later. But after 4 long years, Push is returning with It’s Almost Dry.

“Brambleton” opens up the album with a cloudy yet rubbery instrumental from longtime collaborator Pharrell & lyrics addressing Pusha’s relationship with his former manager Geesy whereas “Let the Smokers Shine the Coups” has a more triumphant tone to it saying he’s just here to find the truth. Kanye tags along for “Dreamin’ of the Past” sampling “Jealous Guy” by Donny Hathaway to belittle their competition referencing Amblin Partners which the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal has a minority stake in, but then JAY-Z comes into the picture for “Neck & Wrist” working in some experimental undertones talking about the rapstar life.

Meanwhile on “Just So You Remember”, we have Push reminding the whole world who they’re fucking with over a sample of “6 Day War” by Colonel Bagshot that Ye alongside BoogzDaBeast & FNZ bring to the table just before “Diet Coke” flips “Take the Time to Tell Her” by Jerry Butler taking jabs at those who be selling impure shit. KIDS SEE GHOSTS reunite 1 last time for “Rock n Roll” due to KiD CuDi & Kanye’s falling out talking about how this is their story over a sample of “1+1” by Beyoncé leading into the eerie “Call My Bluff” telling listeners that everything don’t need to be addressed.

“Scrape It Off the Top” has a more playful sound to it as Lil Uzi Vert helps Push spit them coke bars & “Hear Me Clearly” was one of my favorites off Nigo’s recent solo debut I Know Nigo, so I’m happy he put it on here. The penultimate track “Open Air” incorporates some flutes talking about slanging powder in an unenclosed space outdoors & “Labyrinth” ends the album with an organ-heavy Clipse reunion talking about all the people they pray for.

This has been one of my most anticipated albums of 2022 for a minute now & boy it did not disappoint. He continues to spit the gangsta rap we all know & love, except Kanye & Pharrell’s production is like yin & yang with the Chicago genius’ signature chipmunk soul sound that he came up on or the some of the pop rap undertones coming from some of the cuts that the Virginia visionary has to offer.

Score: 4.5/5

Weiland – “Vices” review

Weiland is a 21 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & audio engineer from Tampa, Florida who came up in 2016 off his debut EP Insomnia. He would follow it up with his first 2 mixtapes Packrunner & Grimey Life but at the beginning of this current decade, Weiland wound up signing Victor Victor Worldwide & they backed his eponymous full-length debut that same fall. But for his sophomore effort over here, he’s decided to experiment with some new sounds & it immediately drew me in.

“Slipping Into the Void” opens up the album with a synthpop banger produced by Mike Dean asking why he’s still alive whereas “Can’t Save Her” tells the story of a hoe pretty much over some new wave production. “Broken Ego” works in some fast drumming with some synthesizers talking about suffering from such leading into “Dangerous Woman”, which has more of a Tame Impala influence to it describing the devil in designer clothes.

Meanwhile on “All the Same”, we have Weiland wishing for a change over some synthwave production just before “Still Chasing After Happiness” goes into coldwave territory asking his ex if she still thinks about him. “Better Place” keeps the synthpop going showing a side of him that’s never been shown before, but then “Hard Time” goes full-blown post-punk confessing that he’s been dealing with a breakup poorly. That being said, it is very catchy & you can hear the pain in his voice.

“Blaming Myself” fuses neo-psychedelia & hypnagogic pop together confessing his emotional dependence on a toxic relationship while the song “Wanted More” talks about the falling out of a relationship over some more synthwave beats. The penultimate track “Mellotron” perfectly lives up to it’s name with it’s colorful production expressing his love for the instrument of the same name & “Farewell” ends the album with 1-last coldwave cut detailing his drug abuse.

Given that his earlier work is deeply rooted into the trap/plugg sound, this wasn’t what I was expecting going into it. That being said, I’m blown away with what I heard & I’ll even go as far to say it’s Dawn FM on Steroids. No disrespect to Abel at all because I thought it was a great follow-up to After Hours, but Mike Dean was the perfect person to help Weiland go into that synthpop territory given the progressive electronic style of his 3 latest solo efforts only to go above & beyond in nearly every aspect.

Score: 4.5/5

Bas – “[BUMP] Pick Me Up” review

This is the 2nd EP from Paris, France born albeit Queen, New York raised emcee Bas. Breaking out onto the scene with his debut mixtape Quarter Water Raised Me a little over a decade ago, he eventually signed to J. Cole’s very own Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records at the beginning of 2014 & his full-length debut Last Winter a couple months after. His sophomore effort Too High to Riot would go on to become one of the best albums that Dreamville has ever put out, but his last album Milky Way wound up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. That being said, I was very much looking forward to [BUMP] Pick Me Up given the singles he teased us with.

“[Eyes on You]” with Galimatias is a decently spacey R&B duet that kicks off the EP taking about being entranced by one another while the song “[Admire Her]” with Gunna of course goes into rubbery trap territory describing their admiration for bitches who be fully loaded & it’s slightly better than what we heard at the beginning. The penultimate track “[The Jackie]” with J. Cole & Lil Tjay finds the trio over a melodic yet bouncy instrumental from T-Minus telling motherfuckers to stop playing with them sharpshooting like former 7-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart while “[The Others]” ends the EP with a peppy ballad encouraging listeners to be grateful for all they have.

Even though [BUMP] Pick Me Up happens to be significantly shorter than Milky Way, I happen to think it’s a tad bit more superior than Bas’ last album & certainly fits as a short batch of summertime jams. The production is a lot more fun & the performances from the features alongside Bas himself are a lot more catchier.

Score: 3.5/5

Coi Leray – “Trendsetter” review

Coi Leray is a 24 year old rapper & singer/songwriter from Hackensack, New Jersey who started making musical a decade back inspired by father Benzino. Even though I found her debut mixtape Everythingcoz along with her first 2 EPs EC2 & Now or Never to be mediocre, I was curious about her full-length debut over here given that I genuinely liked a couple of the singles she dropped within the last year.

“Hollywood Dreams” is a drumless yet euphoric opener talking about doing this music shit for her whereas “Blick Blick” comes through with a pop rap cut with God awful performances from Coi & Nicki Minaj stealing the show. I would much rather listen to that than “Aye Yai Yai” with Yung Bleu though because it’s a cringey, buttery sex ballad. “Mountains” with Fivio Foreign & Young M.A.comes through with some triumphant lyricism over a somewhat psychedelic instrumental just before G Herbo tags along for the futuristic “Thief in the Night” to play Coi’s “sneaky link”.

Meanwhile on “Overthinking”, we have H.E.R. coming into the picture over an acoustic trap beat from BNYX of Working on Dying to help Coi talk about men not listening while “Clingy” almost has a West Coast groove to it with NAV awkwardly playing Coi’s counterpart much like “Thief in the Night”. That being said, “Heartbreak Kid” works in some fresh guitar riffs getting flirtatious & “TWINNEM” almost made my worst singles of 2021 list because it’s pretty much a ripoff of “Best Friend” by Saweetie & Doja Cat. “No More Parties” with Lil Durk on the other hand impressed me with it’s piano instrumental and the topic of going on to do better things.

After the “Be Me” interlude, “Lonely Fans” has a warm feeling with the production as Coi spits off the dome for a minute & a half while “Heart in a Coffin” is a dreary breakup anthem. “Paranoid” with Polo G finds the 2 delivering a twangy trap banger addressing themes of loyalty, mistrust & fame while “Box & Papers” aggressively talks about how “what’s forgiven is never forgotten”.

“Mission Impossible” with Lil Tecca sees the pair talking about their success with Chief Keef cooking up what’s easily the best beat on the album while the song “Too Far” is a touching dedication to her homie Atkins who’s locked up. The song “Mustard’s Interlude” with A Boogie wit da Hoodie has yet another acoustic trap flare to it with them trading the mic with one another very impressively while the penultimate track “Anxiety” is a rubbery display of how 2021 was for her. “BIG PURR (PRRDD)” with Pooh Shiesty ends the album with an ass kicking drill cut.

Yeah, it’s safe to say that Trendsetter is yet another run of the mill pop rap album with slightly more misses than hits. Coi is most certainly talented & most of the features came correct, but the album just feels all over the place as a whole & a lot of the production choices are very questionable in my opinion.

Score: 2/5

Vince Staples – “Ramona Park Broke My Heart” review

Vince Staples is a 28 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & actor from Compton, California who came 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 Recordings & 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, but the dude’s sophomore effort Big Fish Theory was unquestionably his most experimental work yet. But after linking up with Kenny Beats for his 3rd EP FM! & his eponymous 3rd album, Vince is looking to reach out to some outside producers for his 4th one.

“THE BEACH” kicks off the album with some organs talking about his G’s moving whereas “AYE! (FREE THE HOMIES)” follows it up with a guitar driven ballad dedicated to all his homies locked up. “DJ QUIK” takes a spacier route referencing my favorite diss track of all-time “Dollaz + Sense” in the hook just before the DJ Mustard-produced “MAGIC” works in some Bay Area influences talking about feeling like he’s floating.

After the “NAMELESS” interlude, we have Vince on top of a sample of “No Love” by Lyves for “WHEN SPARKS FLY” talking about them taking his girl away from him leading into Lil Baby tagging along for “EAST POINT PRAYER” to deliver some braggadocious trap. “SLIDE” goes into glossier territory talking about being shot at, but then “PAPERCUTS” returns to trap turf explaining that it’s all about the money.

“LEMONADE” is a cloudy declaration of life being bittersweet while “PLAYER WAYS” has a moodier tone talking about keeping it funky with the bitches. “MAMA’S BOY” compares his love for the game to the love he has for his own mother really well over a pillowy beat while “BANG THAT” returns with a gangbanger’s ode.

After the “SPIRIT OF MONSTER KODY” interlude, the penultimate track “ROSE STREET” mixes pop rap with trap to explain him putting his gang ties over hoes & “THE BLUES” closes out the album on a darker note encouraging the listeners to pray for him.

Every time Vince drops a project, I know I’m getting myself into some crazy concept & Ramona Park Broke My Heart lives up to if not surpasses the expectations set by self-titled this past summer. I love how he details his experiences of exploring the utility of home & how the overall sound of the album varies in comparison to his last couple efforts being heavy on Kenny Beats’ signature sound.

Score: 4/5

Shenseea – “Alpha” review

Shenseea is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & DJ from Kingston, Jamaica who’s dropped a handful of singles since 2015 like the Vybz Kartel-assisted “Loodi” or “Run Run”. She then signed to Interscope Records prior to the pandemic, but got her biggest push yet after appearing on the “Ok Ok” remix off Kanye West’s final Def Jam album DONDA this past summer. So given that, it was only a matter of time until she’d strike while the iron’s hot & drop a full-length debut.

“Target” with Tyga starts off the album with a decent ballad accompanied by a blissful atmosphere talking about doing right by one another whereas “Can’t Anymore” is a much more peppier follow-up wanting to get nasty. “Deserve It” goes into a more dancehall direction fantasizing over the perfect guy leading into 21 Savage tagging along for “R U That?”, which is a fresh fusion of contemporary R&B & trap outlining what kind of relationships they want.

Meanwhile on “Lick”, we have Megan Thee Stallion coming into the picture for a more refined version of “W.A.P. (Wet Ass Pussy)” down to the Murda Beatz instrumental just before the Offset-assisted “Bouncy” reveals itself to be a playful ass-shaking anthem. “Henkel Glue” returns to dancehall turf as Shenseea goes back & forth with Bernie Man talking about how this isn’t any kind of regular love, but then “Lying If I Call It Love” is a reggae-tinged slow jam detailing not being in love with her partner (played by Sean Paul) even though the sex is great.

“Hangover” comes through with an airy trap ballad advising how much it’s gonna hurt when she breaks up with her man while “Body Count” spaciously advises her new lover not to worry about such. “Egocentric” melodically advises how much your ego can damage you fighting for money like 16-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE tag team champion & 5-time WWE United States Champion John Cena while “Shen Ex Anthem” pretty much speaks for itself over a pillowy beat. The penultimate track “Sun Comes Up” reveals itself to be an empowering anthem about rising up & to end the album, Tyga returns for the endearing “Blessed” addressing their gratitude for where they are today.

For a commercial debut, I think Alpha further cements Shenseea as the most exciting new face in the dancehall scene. She still stays true to her roots, but I also think it’s fun the way she tries to incorporate elements of hip hop & pop into her music.

Score: 3.5/5

EARTHGANG – “Ghetto Gods” review

This is the 4th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia duo EARTHGANG. Consisting of Olu & WowGr8, the pair started out a little over a decade ago dropping 3 mixtapes along with 2 albums & an EP independently before J. Cole signed them to his Interscope Records imprint Dreamville Records in 2017. This resulted in a trilogy of EPs leading up to their major label debut Mirrorland, which revealed themselves to be one of the best artists that the label has to offer. They went on to give their Spillage Village collective some shine by dropping their 4th album Spilligion on Dreamville the next year but now, they’re back in effect with the long-awaited Ghetto Gods.

After the “GLOW” intro, the title track opens the album with the duo talking about how anyone who thinks they can fuck with them are crazy on top of a symphonic trap instrumental whereas the Future-assisted “BILLI” is pretty much their own “Life is Good” down to the way it’s structured except this is way more exciting. [J.I.D] & J. Cole tag along for the funky “WATERBOYZ” talking about getting this money & fucking the fame leading into the “HEY BOO” interlude.

Meanwhile on “AMEN”, we have EARTHGANG coming through with a decent R&B flavored slow jam just before “ALL EYES ON ME” takes a cloudier route with the help of JetsonMade talking about wanting their homies free. “LIE TO ME” follows it up with some intoxicating synth melodies asking to be true but then after the “JEANS” interlude, the duo bring Baby Tate into the picture for “BLACK PEARLS” trying to brag about their women getting new bodies & falling flat on their faces.

After the “NEEZY’S WALK” interlude, the lead single “American Horror Story” returns to funk turf expressing their desire to be free while “POWER” comes off as an passionate pro-black anthem. After the “ZAZA” skit, the song “SMOKE SUM” goes into boom bap territory to talk about blazing some trees while the penultimate track “STRONG FRIENDS” is a fiery ode to being mentally healthy. “RUN TOO” ends the album with a spacey banger talking about what a life it’s been for them.

It took them a little over 2 years to finally give Ghetto Gods to us & at the end of the day, I like it a little bit more than Mirrorland. Few songs I could’ve done without, but the whole concept of finding God in you is very well thought out & their production game is continuing to progressively improve.

Score: 4/5

Yeat – “2 Alivë” review

Year is a 21 year old rapper from Portland, Oregon who out in 2018 off his debut EP Deep Blue $trips. This was followed up with 2 mixtapes & 3 more EPs, but he began dominating 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. But now with “U Could Tëll” appearing on one of latest Euphoria episodes & signing to Geffen Records, we’re finally being treated to Yeat’s long-awaited sophomore album.

“Poppin’” sets off the whole thing off on a cloudy note courtesy of BenjiCold boasting whereas “Outsidë” with Young Thug finds the 2 detailing the many benefits that come alongside their position as artists referencing 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair over an upbeat Supah Mario instrumental. “Rëal 6” takes a more atmospheric yet bass-heavy route with a clever homage to Nipsey Hu$$le in the hook, but then Trgc makes “Nvr again” sound something out of a retro video game as far as production goes & talking about his drug addiction.

Meanwhile on “Luh gëek”, we have Yeat over some prominent bass getting in his shit-talking bag leading into the Gunna assisted “Rackz got 2 më” talking about money consuming them over some somber bells. “Doublë” has a more futuristic feel to it detailing being “geeked out his mind” just before “On tha timë” talks about being the big dog & the instrumental reminds me a lot of Super Mario.

“Jus better” reincorporates some bells into an electronic backdrop speaking down on his competition while “Jump” reveals itself to be a vigorous moshpit anthem. “Dnt lië” follows it up by talking about going up on the list over a quirky instrumental whereas “Rollin’” shoots for a more chilled out vibe to flex.

Continuing from there, “Taliban” comes in with a more playful sound saying he’s always a geek while “Narcoticz” brings in Yung Kayo for a synth-laced drug theme. “Call më” follows that up with a decent love ballad & “Kan’t dië” picks brings back the synthesizers to brag.

Ken Carson tags along for the triumphant “Gëek high” talking about pulling up with the team while the song “Luh m” with ‎SeptembersRich is a cool little sequel to “Insidë out”. The penultimate track “Smooktobër” finds Yeat talking about fucking up the game over a spooky beat from F1LTHY of Working on Dying & “Still countin’” ends with the album with a hedonistic trap banger that Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic laced detailing the rich life.

“Big tonka” with Lil Uzi Vert starts the deluxe run with a euphoric, bell-heavy ode to Lamborghinis teasing a potential collaborative tape if that actually happens while “Kant rëlax” follows it up with a hypertrap banger about how ready he is. “No commënt” takes a more vibrant direction dissing Autumn! in the hook leading into Uzi returning for the futuristic yet uncanny “3G” talking about being the only ones outer space.

Meanwhile on “Nëw turban”, we have Yeat returning to hypertrap territory reincorporating some bells to spit some braggadocio just before “Hatër” claps back at those who don’t like him over a rubbery instrumental. The song “Way back” comes through with a more anthemic ballad talking about getting the cash while the penultimate track “Luv monëy” with Lancey Foux speaks for itself accompanied by a bass-heavy beat. “Dub” finishes the EP with an electrifying instrumental talking about his wins.

To see how far this dude has come within the last year has been incredible to watch because 2 Alivë has to be his best full-length yet in my eyes. It’s not as cloudy or pluggy as his early work, but he still displays a unique take on modern trap even on a major label.

Score: 4/5

2 Chainz – “Dope Don’t Sell Itself” review

2 Chainz is a 44 year old rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who came up as 1/2 of the duo Playaz Circle. They eventually signed to Disturbing tha Peace Records & Def Jam Recordings in the 2000s releasing only 2 albums. He eventually ventured off into a solo career, with the biggest standouts being Pretty Girls 👍 TRΛP MUSIC & Rap or Go to the League. Last we heard from him was a little over a year ago with So Help Me God! but after dropping 2 singles last month, Tity Boi is returning in the form of his 6th full-length outing.

“Bet It Back” starts off the whole album with a rubbery bass-line & a sputtering sample talking about working hard to be well made whereas “Pop Music” with Moneybagg Yo & BeatKing comes off as a boring strip club anthem. “Kingpen Ghostwriter” picks things back up as Lil Baby tags along over a symphonic Buddah Bless instrumental talking about money coming in a hurry leading into “Outstanding”, which has a high spirited Hit-Boy beat & lyrics paying tribute to his lifestyle.

Meanwhile on “Neighbors Know My Name”, we have 2 Chainz bastardizing the classic D4L joint “Laffy Taffy” for 2 minutes just before 42 Dugg comes into the picture for “$1M Worth of Game” to talk about how shit can’t change them accompanied by a mediocre Lil Ju instrumental. “Free B.G.” takes a more wavier route with the help of Mannie Fresh obviously calling for the former Hot Boy$ member of the same name to come home, but then “10 Bracelets” has a more feel good tone to it as he & YoungBoy Never Broke Again get materialistic.

“Lost Kings” with Lil Durk has some woozy synthesizers throughout pondering how they’re supposed to breathe if all people do is kill & fight while the song “Caymans” with Swae Lee goes into a more stripped back direction talking about taking care of you & yours if you got something that people wanna see or be a part of. The penultimate track “Vlad TV” with Major Myjah, Stove God Cook$ & Symba finds the trio over a funky ass beat calling out the interview platform for being the feds & “If You Want Me To” just seems like an awkward send-off to the album trying to get seductive.

Coming from someone who’s enjoyed his last 3 albums, I feel like Dope Don’t Sell Itself is slightly above average in comparison & could’ve been a tad bit better. 2 Chainz’ lyricism is absolutely not the problem at all because he’s the been the best he’s ever sounded throughout the past 5 years. The main problems I have with this album are the production & the features being hit or miss.

Score: 3/5