G Herbo – “Lil Herb” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper & songwriter G Herbo making his Uptown Records debut with his 9th LP. Breaking out over a decade ago off his debut mixtape Welcome to Fazoland, the resulted in him earning a spot in the legendary 2016 XXL Freshman Class along with 8 full-length albums, the previous ones being the 2-disc Survivor’s Remorse & more recently Big Swerv. Almost 4 & a half years since making his Republic Records debut 25, the artist formerly known as Lil Herb had been moved over to the relaunched Uptown subsidiary so he can take it back to his origins.

“Every Night” begins with a soulful drill instrumental talking about reasonably crying nonstop when his brother passed away whereas “Reason” produced by Don Cannon made for a promising lead single flexing that he’s why people have left the block to become rich, only to return. “Longevity” finds himself feeling like no one can fuck with him although the beat doesn’t move me the same way Southside & Smatt Sertified’s on “Blitz” does, using it to show off his champion status.

We get some strings & 808s meshing with one another during “Radar” asking if anybody listening has ever lived through a nightmare leading into “Where Would I Be?” referencing No Limit Records, who whooped Cash Money Records’ asses at the Verzuz occurring at ComplexCon a couple weeks ago. “Win Again” talks about forever stickin’ to the code for a W just before “1 Chance” reaches the halfway point encouraging the world to not blow their shot.

“Emergency” featuring Wyclef Jean finds the unlikely pairing joining forces over a Turbo instrumental to talk about having bullets piercing through their hearts while “Fallen Soldiers” remembers Juice WRLD, King Von & Pop Smoke respectively. “Give It All” talks about trading the money & fame for a chance to see his brother again while “Whatever U Want” has to be one of the weaker moments of Lil Herb moderately dabbling with pop rap.

The song “Thank Me” featuring Anderson .Paak gets together over some horns sampling WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg’s historic Hollywood Walk of Fame speech right when you press play feeling grateful that neither of them went broke while “Colossal” credits staying on top of business & logistics to him going hard. “Went Legit” concludes the album telling his rags-to-riches story looking back at the days when he had nothing to his successes, but the “Lil Herb Freestyle” starts the deluxe run with that “Ether” flow.

“Ran Thru” talks about making a career out of his pain while “This n That 2” boasts that he was riding around in phantoms before he even got his driver’s license & proving the world isn’t bigger than him for the last 15 years. “Hold My Hand” makes classy usage of sampling to prefer being honest of having no love towards fake shit instead of keeping it to himself & the final bonus track “No Bap” talking about being the only one paying out the bill whenever it’s due.

Needless to say: G Herbo’s last couple of projects have ranged from being average at best to uninspired at worst, so his Uptown Records debut here seemed like he would go back to what made him so popular over a decade ago & it’s exactly what he does sure enough. The production is the most Chicago drill-oriented since possibly 25, which makes up for Survivor’s Remorse & Big Swervo’s mixed-to-negative reception due to the way they both distance from that very sound & the passion of Welcome to Fazoland has been revived in a new incarnation.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Offset – “Haunted by Fame” review

New surprise-EP from Atlanta, Georgia rapper Offset. Starting out as 1/3 of the Migos with Unc & Phew, he released a fantastic collaborative project with 21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ exactly 8 years ago to the very day called Without Warning only to make his solo debut Father of 4 the best of the 3 compared to QUAVO HUNCHO & The Last Rocket. Set It Off wasn’t too bad either, coming off Kiari a couple months ago so he can take up the next 25 minutes or so confesing to being Haunted by Fame.

The soul sample on “Free Pick” was an attention-grabbing way to begin suggesting not to start anything with him & it won’t be any beef whereas the title track produced by Pooh Beatz talks about the cons that come with being a celebrity. “I Heard” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again isn’t that much better than “Pills” off Kiari earlier this summer until the Travis Scott vibes Coupe goes for during “No Sweat” makes up for it.

“Okay, Okay” easily has Haunted by Fame’s most annoying hook & the nondescript instrumental doesn’t really make it all that much better just before “Fashion Icon” reunites with DJ Durel that goes smoothly until the Labubu bar threw me off almost a minute in. “N.A.M.E.” featuring NoCap gives me a country trap vibe protecting their energy while “Another Problem” featuring Lil Dump mediocrely talks about getting to the bands in different ways.

The song “Ya Digg” starts the final leg of the EP with Offset jumping over a beat that reminds me a little of Future’s output boasting of him pulling up looking trim while “No Regrets” disses his ex-wife Cardi B, who was the hostess of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE’s SummerSlam XXXVIII almost 3 months earlier. “Headhunter” finishes with a moderate outro talking about only seeing money at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately as much as I was looking forward to this since hasn’t Offset dropped anything on Halloween since Without Warning almost a decade earlier, I came away from Haunted by Fame liking it less than the most introspective album of his career earlier this summer. I can appreciate the concept of him cautioning of the downsides that come with fame, but the production’s a lot weaker.

Score: 2.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Florence + the Machine – “Everybody Scream” review

Florence + the Machine are an art/chamber pop & indie rock band from London, England, United Kingdom, consisting of drummer Loren Humphrey, violinist/rhythm guitarist Dionne Douglas, percussionist/keyboardist Aku Orraca-Tetteh, bassist Cyrus Bayandor, harpist/percussionist Tom Monger, lead guitarist Robert Ackroyd & frontwoman Florence Welch. Making their debut in the summer of 2009 under Island Records with Lungs, their sophomore effort Ceremonials during my freshman year of high school & their final Island offering How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful shortly after my graduation would both receive similar praise as did their Republic Records debut High as Hope. It’s already been over 3 years since Dance Fever & they’re celebrating the 14 year anniversary of Ceremonials with their 6th album.

The title track gives us a taste of what’s to come from the artsy, gothic & glam rock instrumentation asking how can she retire when people are shouting for her name whereas the 2nd single “1 of the Greats” blends art rock, alternative rock, gothic rock, singer/songwriter & post-punk sings about a 2023 near-death experience she had. “Witch Dance” works in some haunting choir vocals in the background using sex as a metaphor for her almost losing her life while the final single “Sympathy Magic” sings about the costs of fame pulling from art pop, indie rock & art rock.

“Perfume & Milk” leans heavier towards a singer/songwriter direction stylistically referring to the natural process of growing & returning to Earth just before the folkier “Buckle” finishes the first half of Everybody Scream with Florence singing about carrying the weight of memory & the beauty of moving on. “Kraken” begins the 2nd act with an indie/rock crossover searching for meaning while “The Old Religion” sings about the feeling of animal instinct starting up from within herself wounded so tightly to the point that she can hardly breath.

Starting the final leg, “Drink Deep” finds herself seeking the hidden folk through bramble & briar under ash & oak nightly realizing she drank of herself while “Music by Men” sings about her knowing how to fall in love because she does it constantly with everyone she meet for 10 seconds. “You Can Have It All” embraces an art pop vibe again admitting that she was wrong about her perception of sadness her whole entire life until these past couple years while “& Love” finishes by optimistically singing that peace is coming.

Returning to the spellbinding world-building that has defined Florence Welch’s entire creative universe, Everybody Scream channels her fascination with mysticism & folk horror in the wake of a life-changing surgery she had to undergo during the Dance Fever tour when she suffered a miscarriage. It’s more singer/songwriter & art rock oriented than what’s she’s done previously, getting more than that previous LP with secondary influences of art pop, alternative rock, gothic rock, post-punk & glam rock seeping through.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Leon Thomas III – “Pholks” review

This is the 2nd EP from New York singer/songwriter, producer & actor Leon Thomas III. Beginning as the singing voice of Tyrone on The Backyardigans as well as Andre Harris on Victorious for the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Nickelodeon, he later started making music of his own by releasing 3 mixtapes & an EP until Ty$ signed him to his Motown Records imprint EZMNY Records. His full-length debut album Electric Dusk & the sophomore effort Mutt were both highly acclaimed, coming off Tycoon last weekend to drop Pholks.

“Just How You Are” starts us off with a peppy single singing about loving that special woman in his life exactly the way she is whereas “My Muse” dedicates itself to the female who stays inspiring him the most over some classy strings. “5MoreMinutes” takes a funkier approach instrumentally singing about being homesick from his lover while “Trapped” expands on the funk influences with a hint of rock added to the mix.

The song “Baccarat” pushes further towards the end of Pholks with Leon fusing rock & soul explaining that he doesn’t ask for much except the attention of this fine-ass walking contradiction while “Feel Alive” sings to be taken away from all of his troubles by a romantic interest he’s been waiting on for a while. “Lone Wolf” featuring 4Batz closes the EP with a successor to “she ain’t no angel” off Still Shinin’ that I like as much if not more than the last collab.

Showcasing his command as a multi-instrumentalist & visionary, Leon Thomas III adventurously doubles down on the raw creativity of Mutt that cemented him his a generational R&B force nearly 13 months ago throughout the duration of Pholks fusing the groove of funk with the golden age of R&B & the raw defiance of classic rock sparking a whole entire movement of it’s own in preparation of his forthcoming 3rd LP presumably dropping next year.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

BNYX – “Loading…” review

BNYX is a 30 year old producer, songwriter & occasional rapper from Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania mentored by Jean Baptiste & joining the Working on Dying production team known for pioneering tread music. He’s also known for being an extensive collaborator of Yeat, signing to the latter’s Lyfestyle Corporation imprint under Field Trip Recordings & Capitol Records distributed by Universal Music Group. In preparation for his upcoming full-length solo debut Genesis FM, he’s dropping off a taste of what’s to come with a debut EP.

“Room of Smiles” by Dayne Jordan & UHMEER co-produced by BNYX’s brother BEAUTIFULMVN begins by talking about meeting a woman who happens to be incredibly fashionable & once the sample drill-influenced “Telepathy Love” by Clara La San describes a kind of love that feels telepathic hence the title, “Interstellar” by George Clanton & Jahvor finds the pair talking about a man & a woman being unified by yearning for one another.

Fortunately the 2nd half is where things start to pick up, with Johnny Yukon delivering an alternative R&B banger called “Water” hoping the door’s open when comes back once he picks up motion while my favorite track “Proud of Me” by Earl Sweatshirt talks about hoping his mother Cheryl Harris is happy for him, which meant a lot as someone who was around during the Odd Future era in light of Twitter trying to cancel Tyler, The Creator. As for the closer “Switch It” by Yeat & Zukenee, both of them unite for an outro staying more dangerous than ever.

Some of you may remember that I praised BNYX near the end of 2023 as the best mainstream producer of that year & as happy as I am for him getting a label dark, his inaugural EP preluding his upcoming debut LP gives the impression that it could be average at best. I don’t have any complaints in terms of the trap, cloud rap, pop rap & rage production. However, my biggest criticism regarding Loading… is easily the consistency amongst the guest performers & sometimes that tends to be the case with producer albums.

Score: 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Daniel Caesar – “Son of Spergy” review

Daniel Caesar is a 30 year old singer/songwriter from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada releasing his first few EPs Birds of Paradise as well as Praise Break & Pilgrim’s Paradise followed by his independently released debut Freudian through his own imprint Golden Child Recordings & a moderate sophomore effort Case Study 01 although “Frontal Lobe Muzik” remains a hidden gem. His previous album Never Enough marked his major label debut under Republic Records to widespread acclaim & his 4th studio LP looks to do the same.

Sampha joins Daniel for the gospel intro “Rain Down” asking for God to pour his blessings all over them whereas the singer/songwriter & neo-soul lead single “Have a Baby (With Me)” additionally pulls from smooth soul singing about impregnation. The next single “Call on Me” blends psychedelic neo-soul & indie rock advising to call him if one needs help getting by while “Baby Blue” featuring his father Norwill Simmons sings about his relationship with God.

“Root of All Evil” continues the heavy religious themes referencing 1 Timothy 6:10 just before “Who Knows?” reaches the halfway point singing about feeling like a total coward hiding in a disguise. The final single “Moon / Violence” featuring Bon Iver eclectically pulls from indie folk, psychedelic soul, singer/songwriter, bedroom pop, smooth soul & psychedelic folk asking who’s gonna be their Jesus while the bedroom pop inspired “Touching God” confesses to the feeling of worthlessness without the fame.

Nearing Son of Spergy‘s conclusion, Sign of the Times” sings that he’s stronger now than he ever was & remembering Frank Ocean’s brother Ryan Breaux who lost his life in a car accident while “Emily’s Song” dedicates itself to his ex-girlfriend that he was seeing in the late 2010s thanking her for helping him see clearer. “No More Loving (On Women I Don’t Love)” feels more like a 646yf4t track since his brother’s taking up a good chunk of it vocally contradicting the “Who Knows?” outro & “Sins of the Father” featuring Bon Iver closes Daniel’s 2nd major label project with a 2-parter singing about his relationship with his biological father & God.

Inspired by a reconciliation between himself & his own parents, Daniel Caesar embraces a prominent singer/songwriter & bedroom pop direction compared to Never Enough‘s heavy lenience towards contemporary R&B & neo-soul resulting in his most stripped-back body of work. You’re still getting hints of those previously mentioned styles to a lesser extent on Son of Purgy & it’s predecessor’s psychedelic/smooth soul undertones, but the alternative R&B elements get phased out in favor of indie folk & gospel tackling themes of masculinity along with faith & self-importance.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

PARTYOF2 – “Amerika’s Next Top Party!” review

PARTYOF2 is a pop rap & alternative R&B/trap duo from Los Angeles, California consisting of Jadagrace & SWIM. Initially founded as a quartet with TJOnline & Rhea under the name Grouptherapy., the latter would depart after their debut EP This Isn’t the Album although TJOnline stuck around for their debut mixtape There Goes the Neighborhood as well as their 2nd EP Truth Be Told & the full-length debut I Was Mature for My Age, But I Was Still a Child. Signing to Def Jam Recordings earlier this spring, they’re ready to make their major label debut with a sophomore effort hot off a few viral singles.

“Survivor’s Remorse” starts with SWIM calling Jada being his saving grace since they fixed up a burnt down home & made it safe again whereas the 3rd & final single “Out of Body” blends rap rock, experimental hip hop, nu metal & pop rap talking about their hearts being on fire. “Just Dance 2” was actually the lead single crossing over Miami bass, hip house, electro diva house & pop rap looking to turn the function up leading into “Friendly Fire” playfully dissing one another.

As for “Vanessa Williams”, we have PARTYOF2 over an orchestral beat talking about wanting their partners to be legitimate & for their friends to become rich while “Feel Love” produced by KAYTRANADA taps into the latter’s signature deep house sound feeling like their hearts are ready to run & looking to keep up with one another. “Poser” has one of the catchiest hooks on the entire LP clapping back at those who’re posing over a tuba until advising to “Save Yourself” with heavy pianos.

“High” starts the final leg of Amerika’s Next Top Party! with a bit of a cloudier vibe looking to get some shit off their minds by smoking some good weed while “Big” instrumentally throws it back to when The Neptunes dominated the airwaves in the early 2000s talking about wanting big game in this large world. “Heaven on Earth” ends the LP with another one of their most essential tracks while “Mad Love” starts the deluxe run talking about being in love with their haters. Both “All 4 the Best” & the final bonus track “We Owe You an Explanation” however address TJ’s departure a year & a half ago.

Taking inspiration from SWIM’s parents getting divorced & the death of Jadagrace’s father, PARTYOF2’s inaugural release for Def Jam Recordings celebrates this new incarnation of Grouptherapy. by getting more creative on the production side of things expanding their pop rap & alternative R&B styles in favor of experimental hip hop, trap, contemporary R&B, rap rock, nu metal, hip house, Miami bass, electro diva house & deep house maintaining a chemistry kin to The Carters or will.i.am & Fergie when she was still a member of The Black Eyed Peas. The prominent theme of growing up can also be likened to Joey Valence & Brae’s major label debut Hyperyouth this past summer.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

The Last Dinner Party – “From the Pyre” review

The Last Dinner Party is an indie rock band from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Aurora Nishevci, bassist Georgia Davies, rhythm guitarist/vocalist L.Mayland, lead guitarist Emily Roberts & frontwoman Abigail Morris. Signing to Island Records a year after their formation, they would make their debut Prelude to Ecstasy at the start of 2024 & are putting out a highly anticipated sophomore effort to further establish themselves in the windmill scene.

“Agnus Dei” begins with Abigail & company showing a bit of a Sir Chloe influence asking if one’s name in lights forever would be better than a wedding ring whereas “Count the Ways” taking inspiration from Arctic Monkeys describes a bitterness growing between 2 people to the point getting payback. The final single “2nd Best”combines indie rock, glam rock & post-punk revival to sing about escaping a relationship where you’ll be betrayed again while the lead single “This is the Killer Speaking” swaps out the post-punk revival elements in favor of pop rock progressive pop & baroque pop for a homage to “Chantilly Lace” by the late Jerry Lee Lewis

Reaching the halfway point of From the Pyre, we have L.Mayland handling the lead vocals on “Rifle” including a crushing bridge performed in French towards the backend of it singing about the ongoing Gaza genocide & the idea of how a mother would feel if her child would go on to become a war criminal leading into the common metaphor of “Woman is a Tree” feeling like it could be included in the upcoming 4th & final season of the Paramount Skydance Corporation owned Showtime thriller drama series Yellowjackets next year.

“I Hold Your Anger” with Aurora Nishevci performing lead vocals & conceptually calling back to “The Feminine Urge” off the band’s debut reminds me of Florence + the Machine, increasing my anticipation for Everybody Scream this Halloween while “Sail Away” serves as a sequel to “On Your Side” referencing the 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン theme song 残酷な天使のテーゼ by 高橋洋子. The 2nd single “The Scythe” fuses pop rock, indie rock, chamber pop, progressive pop, baroque pop & jangle pop suggesting that death comes for us all no matter what & having no fear of what’s on the other side with an insane guitar solo prior to the outro until the closer “Inferno” reminiscent of MARINA’s classic debut album The Family Jewels sings about where Abigail is personally in this moment.

A bit more character-driven & darker than Prelude to Ecstasy was, The Last Dinner Party still maintains the deeply personal approach to their songwriting that made their introductory full-length so well received throughout From the Pyre quickly establishing themselves as a dominant force in the windmill scene surely continuing to join the ranks of Black Country, New Road & the now disbanded black midi. The pop rock, glam rock, indie rock, baroque pop & progressive pop styles explored 20 months ago are being completely refined with the band being more serious & aware of the state of the world today.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

TiaCorine – “Corinian” review

Winston-Salem, North Carolina rapper & songwriter TiaCorine coming off some of her biggest singles with an official sophomore effort. Blowing up earlier this decade with her debut mixtape The Saga of 34Corine as well as the debut EP & full-length debut I Can’t Wait, her last EP Almost There marked Tia’s major label debut after signing to Interscope Records & is looking to make her biggest waves yet with Corinian following a couple successful teasers.

Saweetie appears for the decent pop rap/trap intro “Pretty” talking about their bank accounts saying heavy as well as having too many men & bitches wanting to end them because of it whereas the 3rd & my favorite single “Ironic” makes up for it from the pluggy Kenny Beats instrumental to the more deadly lyricism. “Buttercup” crosses over some synthesizers & guitars from Kenny talking about being a pop star prior to “Lotion” featuring Flo Milli letting those who don’t know how shit goes around their parts.

“Fall in Love” was probably my least favorite single of the 3 although I do appreciate the funk-soul sample approaching the concept of love the same way she always has in the past while “Cutting Ties” cloudily talks about switching sides like it’s a remix severing all associations with the person she has in mind. “High Demand” featuring Smino trades verses with each other for a romantic pop rap duet leading into “Was Hannin’?” featuring Wiz Khalifa advise us to put your money where your mouth is.

Meanwhile on “Booty”, we have Tia taking aim at a bitch who stays doing anything except minding her own business while the lead single “Different Color Stones” produced by Pooh Beatz talks about being stacked up nowadays & for anyone broke to back the fuck up. “La La La” attempts at pulling influences from Latin trap & resulting in one of Corinian’s weaker moments while the 2nd single “Ate” boisterously talks about nobody being able to take her spot.

“Backyard” featuring J.I.D was another single that I was highly impressed with whether it be Hit-Boy experimenting with trap metal or the sexually energetic chemistry between both MCs while the cloudy trap fusion “Crush” refuses to put anyone before her money. “Iced Out Kirby” minimally paints images of her materialistic lifestyle & once “Damn Right” featuring Pouya shuts down those who ain’t about it, “Impossible Girl” closes with her giving it all she’s got.

Finishing a trilogy that I Can’t Wait began & Almost There bridged, Corinian lets the world inside of TiaCorine’s very own metropolitan utopia balancing grit & vulnerability to realize her full-potential almost halfway through the decade. Showcasing her sharp lyricism & capturing her evolution since signing to a major label, she playfully yet powerfully steps fully into the artist she’s always envisioned herself to be amassing some notable guests & producers along the way.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Charles Lloyd – “Figure in Blue” review

Charles Lloyd is an 87 year old tenor saxophonist & flautist from Memphis, Tennessee with over 2 dozen full-lengths under his belt already since the late 50s. He has spent the last decade with my favorite jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records dropping exemplary late career material that includes I Long to See You as well as Tone Poem & The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow. However, he’s following up the latter with his 32nd full-length comprised of 2 discs containing 7 songs each.

“Abide with Me” begins with this calming intro working in a saxophone & Jason Moran playing piano whereas “Hina Hanta, The Way of Peace” moves forward by delivering a nearly 8 minute post-bop composition keeping the keys & sax in tact. “Figure in Blue, Memories of Duke” remembers the late Duke Ellington letting Jason shine more instrumentally just before “Desolation Sound” lets Charles take the spotlight with his saxophone once more.

Meanwhile on “Ruminations”, we have guitarist Marvin Sewell accompanying Charles Lloyd & Jason Moran for 10 & a half more minutes of peacefully improvisational post-bop leading into “Chulahoma” focusing more around the saxophone & guitar. Reaching the halfway point, “Song My Lady Sings” brings all 3 instrumentalists together for a serene 8 & a half minute post-bop jam while “The Ghost of Lady Day” starts the 2nd act with a Billie Holiday rendition.

“Blues for Langston” gives his flowers to the late Langston Hughes” until we’re treated to a couplet of Duke Ellington covers: “Heaven” & “Black Butterfly”. The song “Ancient Rain” takes up 111 seconds with a tenor saxophone while “Hymn to the Mother, for Zakir” takes a moment to remember the late Zakir Hussain. The closer “Somewhere” finishes Figure in Blue with Charles & Jason playing piano & tenor sax for the LP’s final 4 & a half minutes.

Spaciously travels wide expanses of musical terrain from beautiful ballads to raw Delta blues, the 4th full-length Charles Lloyd has created since signing to Blue Note Records could be the most heartfelt entry in his entire discography reflecting everything that’s defined his entire life. Combining original & re-recorded material for an autumnal double album, he salutes those who inspired him over 6 decades ago with an hour & a half long memoir.

Score: 3.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!