Morgan Wallen – “I’m the Problem” review

Morgan Wallen is a 32 year old singer/songwriter from Sneedville, Tennessee putting out the full-length debut If I Know Me to mixed reception 4 years after starting out. Republic Records would sign him for the 2-disc major label debut Dangerous, moving over to the Mercury Records subsidiary in the spring of 2023 & releasing 1 Thing at a Time to prominently more negative feedback compared to both of it’s predecessor. It’s been almost 2 months since he controversially stormed off the set of the semicentennial Saturday Night Live owned by the NBC division of the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal originally serving as the host of that week’s episode & his 4th LP has arrived.

The title track was a mediocre contemporary country intro bashing his ex for being Ms. Never Do Wrong when Morgan himself was making racially charged comments at the beginning of 2021 whereas “I Got Better” sings about feeling like who he really is again when that hasn’t really changed. “Superman” named after the Warner Bros. subsidiary DC Entertainment-owned franchise ahead of the DC Universe media franchise & shared universe beginning in a couple months was one of the better singles continuing the contemporary country direction dedicated to his son Indigo until Tate McRae appears for the cheesy country pop duet “What I Want”.

“Just in Case” gets back on the contemporary country vibes describing a situationship that later transformed into something far more captivating when I found it anything but & after an interlude, “Falling Apart” tackles the breakup theme once more singing about selling him & his ex out only for him to justifiably pay the price for it. “Skoal, Chevy & Browning” expresses his desire for somebody simple as those 3 separate things leading into “Eyes are Closed” asking his son what he sees when he sleeps at night.

It’s funny that Morgan asks his own mother what he did wrong on “Kick Myself” after asking him to get help when he’s a documented racist, ignored CDC guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic & got arrested last spring for throwing a chair off the roof of Eric Church’s newly-opened Nashville bar Chief’s while “20 Cigarettes” sings about a girl telling him what her hometown is like. Another highlight would be “TN” expressing his love for the state that made him & “Missing” suggests he might miss the woman he wants missin’ him.

“Where’d That Girl Go?” sings about an ex who he feels has a long way from a bad good riddance wanting to know what happened to the old her while “Genesis” makes a corny comparison of how Jack Daniels & Jim Beam didn’t know him from Adam & Eve regardless of the subject matter revolving around temptation. “Revelation” sings about being a hard one to love since it runs in my blood when he acts like a jackass, but then “#3 & #7” featuring Eric Church himself feels like a cautionary tale centered around drinking & driving.

Spite reveals itself even more on “Kiss Her in Front of You” taking him at a girl that he used to date for walking out on him & making out in front of his new partner as a “fuck you” to his previous one while the trite “If You Were Mine” sings about wanting to lay her down & take his time giving her the pipe. “Don’t We” reaffirms the small-town values, tradition & simplicity even if that way of life isn’t for everyone prior to “Come Back as a Redneck” featuring HARDY teaming up for a horrible bro-country collab.

“Love Somebody” feels ironic since the topic of wanting to find a genuine connection with a woman in a world full of fleeting, shallow relationships appropriating Latin influences while “Dark ‘Til Daylight” finds him singing about feeling composed during the day & his mindset spiraling during the evening. “The Dealer” featuring ERNEST looks back on the days they could’ve folded & finding 1 more card to play while “Leavin’s the Least I Could Do” unloads more melodramatic breakup bullshit onto the table.

As for “Jack & Jill”, we have Morgan giving his own take on the classic fairytale except they both wind up on 1 in Tennessee while “I Ain’t Comin’ Back” featuring Post Malone gets even more over the top with the heartbreak than I would’ve expected from both of them. “Nothin’ Left” acoustically sings about lonely nights coming his way because of him fucking up another relationship while “Drinking ‘Til It Does” tries drowning in a river full of whiskey.

“Smile” tries & fails at mixing folk with singer/songwriter reflecting on a love that has since grown cold while “Working Man’s Song” tackily sings about how tryin’ to make a livin’ isn’t supposed to feel like dyin’. “Whiskey in Reverse” points out the empty Jack Daniels bottle by his coffee cup doing more damage than it did any good while “Crazy Eyes” admitting that his girl’s eyes have some kinda power over him sleeping for only 10 hours in the span of 3 days.

Finally kicking off the last leg of I’m the Problem, the song “L.A. Night” not to be confused with former 2-time WWE United States Champion, TNA World Champion, TNA World Tag Team Champion, NWA World Tag Team Champion & アイアンマンヘビーメタル級王座 L.A. Knight (Yeah!) talks about being a country boy in the middle of the west coast while “Miami” desecrates “Miami, My Amy” by Keith Whitley shamelessly. “Lies Lies Lies” was an average country pop single singing about still being a fool for the same ol’ fibs he falls for & “I’m a Little Crazy” closes by showing some self-awareness.

I personally find it unfortunate that the only country album that Mercury has put out since being revived in 2022 would be Johnny Cash’s most recent posthumous offering Songwriter & the material on there was 3 decades old. Primarily because I’m the Problem feels a lot like 1 Thing at a Time where it’s completely bloated with more misses & hits. He focuses less on country pop than he did on the predecessor favoring a contemporary sound altogether.

Score: 1.5/5

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Kali Uchis – “Sincerely,” review

Alexandria, Virginia singer/songwriter Kali Uchis making her Capitol Records debut with her 5th studio LP. My introduction to her was my senior year of high school when Tyler, The Creator set to make his theatrical debut in the upcoming A24 Films sports adventure comedy-drama Marty Supreme with Timothée Chalamet this Christmas produced “Call Me” on her first EP Por Vida & isola†ion went on to become a stellar debut album. She even has a couple Latin pop projects under her belt with the Interscope Records-backed Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ & her final Geffen Records offering Orquídeas, picking up where her Geffen debut Red Moon in Venus left off by basing Sincerely, on a life-altering event.

“Heaven’s a Home” from a songwriting standpoint brings everything full circle from when Hardstone Records founder & Cactus Jack Records signee Don Toliver got her pregnant with their son & her mom being diagnosed with lung cancer tragically passing away recently over delicate instrumentation whereas “Sugar! Honey! Love!” takes the psychedelic soul route singing about doing time for a crime she didn’t even commit. “Lose My Cool,” delivers a 2-parter addressing an individual who makes her lose her temper around them while “It’s Just Us” warmly assures that Don & her were meant to be in love.

The concept of love to a gun on “For: You” feels a lot like “A Boy is a Gun” off IGOR going for a synth-heavy sound leading into the self-produced “Silk Lingere,” finds her trying to figure how this person she knew falling for someone who turned out to be more complicated & flawed than expected . “Territorial” sings never being the type to want someone else’s man regardless of how reckless she may come off prior to Fall Apart,” wanting to know if Donny Womack would still love her with things get difficult & being in an eternal honeymoon with one another.

“All I Can Say” finds herself refusing to apologize for the kind of person she is because of everything belonging to her while “Daggers!” sings about hating the way this woman in her life is being treated by her man wishing that she could see herself the way at Kali sees her. “Angels All Around Me…” unravels a religious side to herself praying that the family she & Don Toliver have started stay peacefully protected while “Breeze” hooks up some choir vocals singing about the familiar emotions of fear & worrying hold absolutely no worth in our lives from what she’s learned.

The lead single “Sunshine & Rain” was one that brought together neo-soul, contemporary R&B psychedelic soul & bedroom pop staying devoted to Don through life’s ups & downs expressing her belief in karma & divine guidance while questioning society losing it’s way with me attributing that to this past election 6 months ago & “I.L.Y.S.M.I.H. (I Love You So Much It Hurts)” ends with a soft rock, pop soul, adult contemporary, brill building & psychedelic soul dedication to her son conceived only hours after she brought him into this world.

“Cry About It!” featuring Ravyn Lenae starts the deluxe run with a poppy, bilingual smooth soul single with a hint of brill building to it mocking Don’s ex-girlfriend while “Whispers of the Wind…” asks if he loves her with all of his heart. “Pretty Promises,” featuring Mariah the Scientist produced by benny blanco & Cashmere Cat finds the 2 pleading their partners to not break any promises to them & after “Cherry on Top” sings about finding a relationship where they can be their true selves, the final bonus track “All of the Good” finishes with 1 last tribute to her mom.

Kali’s official Capitol debut marks as her strongest since her debut 7 years ago facing the complexities of life head on trying to find joy in life despite the world falling apart in front of us, appreciating every moment & not taking life for granted expanding beyond contemporary R&B in favor of pop soul, smooth soul, neo-soul, psychedelic soul, bedroom pop, adult contemporary & brill building. Becoming a mother has easily resulted in her most existentially honest body of work & am curious as to the way her next Latin pop album goes.

Score: 4.5/5

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Brandon Woody – “For the Love of It All” review

Brandon Woody is a 26 year old trumpeter from Baltimore, Maryland who picked up the instrument for the very first time when he was only 7. Once he graduated from high school over a decade later, he would go on to study under the mentorship of Ambrose Akinmusire & recently signed to the greatest jazz label of all time Blue Note Records this past fall. Almost 6 months to the day, he’s finally ready to make a wider introduction to the world as a composer with his full-length debut studio album.

“Never Gonna Run Away” begins with a jazzy gospel intro clocking in at almost 7 minutes thematically paying tribute to the concept of faith & after “Beyond the Reach of Our Eyes” embraces a more unconventional structuring after being inspired by feeling the movement an unseen energy, “Wisdom; Terrace on St. Paul St.” reflects on hitting rock bottom when dropping out of college.

The composition “Perseverance” starts the 2nd half of For the Love of It All with what could possibly be the finest example of Brandon’s synergetic chemistry with pianist Troy Lon & after “We, Ota Benga” remembers the Mbuti man who was featured in an exhibit at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the closer “Real Love” officially sends off the LP with 1 last post-bop jam inspired by trumpeter & pianist’s bond.

Wrapping the collective intensity of early ’70s post-bop into pieces that feel both driving & remarkably smooth, Brandon Woody’s debut positions himself as both an innovator & a griot balancing technical mastery with a reverence for his roots. Surging with love as an elemental force channeled through sound, it’s his insistent statement that survival is it’s own form of artistry powered by the knowledge of love in all its dimensions binding us across generations.

Score: 4/5

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Key Glock – “Glockaveli” review

Key Glock is a 27 year old from Memphis, Tennessee whose cousin Young Dolph signed him to Paper Route Empire in 2017 after his debut mixtape Whole Lotta Errthang. He has since released 4 more tapes in addition to an EP & 3 full-lengths, the most notable being his previous LP Glockoma 2 in the spring of 2023 showing considerable improvements in his Memphis gangsta trap style. Republic Records happened to sign him a couple months ago & is ringing it in with his 4th album albeit major label debut.

“Hallelujah” crosses over trap, a gospel sample & Memphis rap talking about the amount of money he’s counting starting to make his head spin whereas the title track shrugs off any notion of slowing down putting that bread up for his baby. “Blue Devil” boastfully shows off the 2 blue diamonds he got on him just before the soulful “Made a Way” talks about fucking up & still finding a path out of the trenches.

Moving on from there, “Watch da Throne” continues the sampling of soul music warning that everyone he considers to be competition should play it safe while “Badu” talks about letting the chopper sing similarly to the neo-soul icon Erykah Badu herself & making his own rules. “She Ready” flips Teri DeSario showing a romantic side to Key Glock breaking down the way this chick be blowing up his phone, but then “No Sweat” talks about never letting anyone see him tripping.

“The Grinch” takes the throne as the finest of South Memphis continuing the legacy of his late cousin who was tragically murdered a few years ago while “Sunny Dayz” blends soul & trap once again talking about only fearing God as well as cutting throats from ear to ear. “Papercutz” goes for a more playful tone altogether simply trying to have fun out here while “Kill My Vibe” asks for these bitches not to fuck up the good mood he’s in at the moment.

As for “I’m Getting It”, we have Glock putting a hoe on pause because of her gettin’ caught up in her feelings & uppin’ the score while “Again” talks about hitting the road again in addition to promising that anyone who plays with him will wind up working on the end. “Cream Soda” returns to a Memphis edge instrumentally riding around with the sticks while “Don Dada” talks about hustling ever since he was only a toddler.

“World is Ourz” reaches the backend of Key Glock’s major label debut blending Memphis rap & plugg a little showing off the power he has while “3am in ToKEYo” was my favorite single that was teased whether it by the DJ Paul & TWhy beat or the self made lyricism talking about never needing any help after coming into this world all by himself on top of thinking his lil’ bro should become a chef with the way he cooking the opps.

WWE Hall of Famer, former 2-time WWE world champion, ECW World Television Champion, 6-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion, 4-time & the final WWE Hardcore Champion, TNA World Champion & TNA X Division Champion Rob Van Dam gets referenced on “Money Habits” to start the deluxe run while “Going Hard” talks about killing it from the very day he was born. “All Dogs Go to Heaven” hops over a DY & Tre Pounds instrumental to call out the people who’d do literally anything for a penny while “Set in Stone” suggests to move along if you ain’t conversing with him about money.

“South Memphis Patriot” reflects upon himself for 140 seconds likening himself to the greatest QB of all-time & 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady while “Fashion Killa” talks about smoking the loudest of loud. “Bottega Bag” shows off the $300 he has tucked away in a bag from the Italian luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta while “Daddy’s Little Girl” links up with ATL Jacob for an ode to his daughter Rian.

Toom of Vanguard Music Group mixes a guitar & some hi-hats together for “Can’t Feel My Face” getting high until his face becomes numb while “Fabo” talks about turning your whole block into halos. “Trust Myself” confesses that he feels like he can’t even trust himself at times while “Red Shirt” talks about his pockets falling in love with the cake. The final bonus track “Fell in Luv” samples “Swangin’ & Bangin’” by E.S.G. for him to run it onto the top.

Not gonna beat around the bush & admit that it took me a while to get into Key Glock since I was more of a Dolph fan up until Glockcoma 2 began to earn the respect of many including myself. Glockaveli as far as a major label debut goes speaks volumes about Glock’s dominance & staying power in the rap game carrying on the solid reputation for carrying entire projects on his own with no features needed enhancing the gritty street-centric bars & handpicked production that made him blow.

Score: 4/5

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Mozzy – “Intrusive Thoughts” review

In front of us is the 10th studio LP from Sacramento, California emcee Mozzy. Becoming 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 Black Panther only 6 months later & drop 6 more full-lengths through his EMPIRE-backed Mozzy Records prior to Memphis veteran Yo Gotti landing him a contract with Collective Music Group/Interscope Records. His major label debut Survivor’s Guilt was more poignant than what Mozzy had done previously & Children of the Slums last spring exemplified growth in his rap career & personal life, although Brash Dummies became a letdown. 8 months later, some Intrusive Thoughts of his are becoming let out in the open.

After the “$FlyMoney2X” intro, the first song “Press Play” is this nervous opener talking about never taking a weekend off & never leaving his dogs despite what people say online whereas “Death Before Dishonor” featuring EST G finds the 2 hoping a gangsta shot them if they happen to die in their sleep. “Under Oath” works in more traffic music influences talking about the slums having a hold of him while “Katta Clips” dabbles with Detroit trap throwing it back to a deep cut in his catalog “Dear XXL”.

Lil Poppa joins Mozzy on the sample-driven “Nightmares” talking about it being hard to sleep at night trying to be doing alright leading into the solemn although much necessary “Keep Callin’ My Name” getting some pain off his chest lyrically. “7 2’s” continues the introspection feeling fed up with seeing graduation pictures whenever he checks the news, but then “Role Model” talks about him not trying to become someone others should take examples from.

“Pac Proud” hooks up these prominent piano chords gives his flowers to the late west coast icon 2Pac & speaks on being unable to forget the trenches since he’s a child of it throughout while “Hella Hyphy” taps in with his Northern California roots embracing the hyphy subgenre Keak da Sneak pioneered. “Who Want War?” featuring Polo G gives off a bloodthirsty trap vibe asking if anyone wants beef with them while “10%” advises to ask him why he signed to CMG.

E Mozzy & Maine Musik appear for “Modify It” catchin’ somebody lying about catching a body while “Reputation Everything” featuring Celly Ru breaks down their name around the street being everything to them. “Blood Diamonds” featuring Peysoh blends nervous music & gangsta rap themes together for a collab that makes up for the latter 2 while Tsu Surf gets his own solo cut with “Free Surf” calling for his freedom. “No Fabrication” finally ends the album brushing off any notion that his life is all cap.

Similarly to his CMG debut, Intrusive Thoughts doesn’t shy away from the trials & tribulations that drive some of Mozzy’s most memorable recordings bouncing back from the mediocre reception of Brash Dummies with his best since Children of the Slums. He continues his journey towards inner peace attempting to silence his unquiet mind & move forward from his traumatic youth in Oak Park in addition to imparting some knowledge on how to keep your mind strong enough to navigate street life & emerge with your soul intact.

Score: 3.5/5

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Ken Carson – “More Chaos” review

Atlanta, Georgia recording artist Ken Carson celebrating his 25th birthday with his 4th studio LP. Breaking out in the SoundCloud scene & becoming a protege of local trailblazer Playboi Carti as one of the first artists to sign to the latter’s Opium Records, he would go on to drop a total of 5 EPs prior to his full-length debut Project X & coming off the mature sophomore effort X which Anthony Fantano infamously gave a 0. A Great Chaos came in the fall of 2023 & is looking to stir up More Chaos.

“Lord of Chaos” featuring Ty$ on the remix starts it off with a rage-inducing instrumental from Outtatown talking about being a master of disorder whereas “Xposed” maintains a hypertrap flare shouting out the 808 Mafia since some forget the fact of him starting out as a member of the prolific trap production team. “Money Spread” blends glitch hop & trap to talk about his paper getting bigger while “Root of All Evil” locks in with 16yrold to discuss his current run he’s on bringing back the rage in the process.

Moving on with “K Hole”, we have Ken over a rattling bass-heavy beat with some horns making a nod to “K Pop” off Carti’s 4th album MUSIC that finally dropped month ago just before “Trap Jump” talks about getting the trap crazier than the greatest basketball player of all-time Michael Jordan himself. The 2-parter “Blakk Rokkstar” produced by F1LTHY of Working on Dying dismisses the need for a diamond tester since his ice be blinging out leading into another 2-part song “LiveLeak” making reference to the current TNA World Tag Team Champion in his 3rd reign & the inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champion Jeff Hardy of The Hardy Boyz.

“Diamonds” keeps the 2-parters going refusing to trip over hoes who don’t reciprocate his energy while “Dismantled” gives those same bitches a middle finger since he’s getting money regardless. “200 Kash” with Four3va ends the first half of More Chaos airing out a supposed Blood he saw rollin’ with a rival Atlanta gang called the 60 Crips, but then “Down2Earth” talks about vacationing in Japan with a woman he’s sleeping with & encouraging her to bring a friend.

The rage continues to be turned up to higher levels on “Confetti” upping a million times on everyone else who look at him as competition while “Naked” talks about a wack relationship he found himself involved in & preferring to be solo since it’s that stale. “Kryptonite” displays a raunchier side to Ken feeling he & his girl the only 2 people in the world when they link up while “Psycho” opens up about him being as crazy as he is.

“Inferno” reunites with F1LTHY to stay true to himself & not fucking with too many people other than his Opium family while “Thx” confesses his fear of having his heart broken. “2000” represents the year he was came in this world on his 25th born day while “Evolution” talks about the overall growth in Ken since he began making music. Pi’erre Bourne saves another standout beat for last on the uncannily dark “Ghoul” homaging my 2nd favorite basketball player of all-time Kobe Bryant when he hits a buck while “Off the Meter” featuring Destroy Lonely & Playboi Carti serves as an Opium posse cut referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Originally said to come out last Halloween & unsurprisingly being delayed 6 months later since that’s how the whole Opium roster has been moving when you really think about it in the grand scheme of things, More Chaos carries over the ethos of it’s year & a half old predecessor. The prominent rage production showcasing additional influences of pop
rap, hardcore hip hop, Chicago drill, digicore, industrial hip hop & experimental hip hop feels as if it’s a cut above the previous installment & Ken holds off from having any guests to hold the fort down on the day of his Silver Jubilee.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gerald Clayton – “1s & 2s” review

Gerald Clayton is a 41 year old pianist from Los Angeles, California notable for being the son of John Clayton & the nephew of Jeff Clayton from The Clayton Brothers. Introducing himself in 2009 off his full-length debut 2-Shade followed by the sophomore effort Bond as well as a Life Form & Tributary Tales, latter of which caught the attention of Blue Note Records & Gerald made his debut for them in 2023 with Bells on Sand. Continuing to evolve under the greatest jazz label of all-time, he’s returning for his 6th full-length LP.

“Angels Speak” combines post-bop, chamber music & neo-soul for a lead single with Elena Pinderhughes playing the flute alongside Joel Ross on the vibraphone & Kendrick Scott on drums whereas “Cinnamon Sugar” moves forward with a heavier lenience towards Latin jazz reminiscent of the late Kenny Dorham’s 3rd album & Blue Note debut Afro-Cuban.

Moving on from there, “Sacrifice Culture” embraces a nu jazz vibe remembering Jon Hassell prior to “How Much Love?” heavily leaning towards Elena’s flautist abilities. The buoyantly angular “Count M” pulls from hip hop culture a little blending a flute & a piano with Marquis Hill playing the trumpet for 2 & a half minutes leading into “Just Above” homaging the late Eric Dolphy’s sole Blue Note offering Out to Lunch! a couple months following his death in 1964.

“Lovingly” finishes the first half of 1s & 2s combining a flute & vibraphones for a 4 minute composition while “Rush” begins the 2nd act by giving percussionist Kassa Overall a few moments to shine throwing it back to Herbie Hancock’s jazz fusion masterpiece Head Hunters. “For Peace” evenly balances elements of nu jazz & electric jazz while the usage of a vocal choir during the backend of “More Always” felt like a refreshing idea to me.

The closer “Space Seas” takes us through a 2 & a half minute exhibition of Kassa’s percussionist skills getting more rhythmic than “Rush” was earlier while “Glass Half Warm” starts the deluxe run shifting the spotlight towards the flute, piano & vibraphones. The final bonus track “Glass Half Cool” feels like a continuation of sorts to “Glass Half Warm”, justifying the album’s key themes of harmonious tension & the idea of coexistence extending out to human relationships & cultures than simply music.

Heavily inspired by the art of turntablism, Gerald Clayton set out to create a musical statement consisting of 7 songs each symbolizing the opposing sides of yin & yang where the A side can be played simultaneously with the B side. The end resulting him ditching the post-bop vibes of Bells on Sand in favor of a jazz fusion/nu jazz sound, joining the likes of Robert Glasper’s whole Black Radio trilogy & the Madlib collection of remixes that got me into Blue Note as a teenager Shades of Blue in bridging jazz music & hip hop culture.

Score: 4.5/5

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2hollis – “star” review

2hollis is a 21 year old rapper, singer/songwriter & producer from Chicago, Illinois coming up as 1/2 of Mage Eternal & a member of OSX under the original Drippysoup moniker. Putting out a total of 7 EPs along with a couple mixtapes & 3 studio LPs, his last full-lengths 2 & Boy resulted in him signing to Interscope Records as a solo act this past fall. He’s now making a significantly bigger splash with his 4th album albeit major label debut a week out from the current 新日本プロレス President, former 8-time IWGPヘビー級王座, 2-time IWGPインターコンチネンタル王座, 3-time IWGP USヘビー級王座, 新日本プロレス世界TV王座, 3-time IWGPタッグ王座, NEVER無差別級王座, NEVER無差別級6人タッグ王座, GHCタッグ王座, CMLL Mundial Parejas Campeon, CMLL Mundial Trios Campeon & RPW British Heavyweight Champion 棚橋弘至’s final US match.

After the glitchy “beginning” intro, the self-produced “flash” talks about a lot of the things he’s shown the woman on his mind have actually been illusions whereas “cope” homages the “Heroes” title track by the late David Bowie admitting he feels empty & asking if he can be trusted. “you” works in some house undertones telling this woman how good she is at lying to him leading into “tell me” embracing the EDM vibes heavier talking about being afraid of death.

“destroy me” gets back on the hip house tip hoping for this chick to tell him she loves him & needs him in her life just before “burn” pulls a little from the dubstep scene talking about his romantic interest continually sticking in his head. “girl” is a bass-heavy trap dedication to his girlfriend he doesn’t want to lose tryna make sense of her & after the “dream rain sports” instrumental interlude, “nice” samples “Household Goods” by the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs” showing his generosity.

2hollis maintains an EDM flare on “nerve” admiring the way he & partner are nonconformists but after the “ego” interlude, the rage-inducing “sidekick” talks about never being a close associate or assistant to anyone else. “eldest child” acoustically speaks about what it was like from his experience of being the oldest of 2 children in his family & the minimal closer “safe” pleads for his lover to tell him that he’s safe.

star for a major label debut feels like a collection of feelings & meanings from someone chasing stardom finds it all coming true in the most beautiful ways despite it burning so badly . His production here takes cues from electropop, electroclash, hyperpop, electronic dance music & digicore taking us along for a hero’s journey after starting everyone on the enemies & trials ahead of the upcoming follow-up he’s already working on as announced earlier on during the week.

Score: 3.5/5

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Maya Delilah – “The Long Way Round” review

Maya Delilah is a 24 year old R&B singer/songwriter from London, England, United Kingdom who introduced herself in the summer of 2020 with her debut EP Oh Boy & later It’s Not Me, It’s You the next fall. Both of which were welcomed to mixed reception, signing a joint deal with Blue Note Records & Capitol Records roughly 12 months later. 2 & a half years have passed since & she’s ready to take herself to new heights on her debut album.

“Begin Again” minimally begins her Blue Note debut hoping nothing changes whenever she rewinds to a certain point in her life whereas “Look At the State of Me Now” hooks up some mellow ass guitar work singing about everyone taking a look at how she’s doing currently. “Man of the House” experiments with country-pop reveling in the domestic potential of new love prior to “Maya, Maya, Maya” delving further down the introspection topically.

Meanwhile on “Jeffrey”, we have Maya taking a backseat vocally making way for an acoustic guitar & some organs to prominently take over the spotlight just before “Squeeze” brings a funkier vibe to the table telling her lover to never let her go. “Actress” samples the late Curtis Mayfield singing that she’s on the verge of losing control & getting lost, but then “Did I Dream It At All?” hops over these pianos to address the theme of despair.

“I’ll Be There in the Morning” starts the final leg of The Long Way Round by taking inspiration from an unpleasant experience she once had while the acoustic “My Balloon” apologizes to this individual for keep pulling them back to her. The western-tinged “Necklace” sings about feeling as if 2 worlds are intersecting & being a realist while “Never with You” ends by admitting her fear of growing old.

The Long Way Round compared to her early EPs feels like combination of so many parts of her since she’s so influenced by different genres, people, places & experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took her a long time to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences. It brings her intimacy, ability, inspiration depth & lightness into 1 striking debut.

Score: 4/5

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ΠΔV – “On My Way 2 Rexdale” review

This is the 5th full-length album from Toronto, Ontario, Canada rapper, singer/songwriter & producer ΠΔV. Breaking out in 2016 after signing to The Weeknd’s very own Republic Records imprint X♥O Records & his verse/production on “beibs in the trap” off of Travis Scott’s sophomore effort Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, I think that it’s been made pretty clear that I personally haven’t been the biggest fan of ΠΔV’s music up to this point. Primarily because of his robotic delivery, insipid lyrics & generic production choices (especially on Reckless & Bad Habits). However I did find the Wheezy-produced Emergency Tsunami to be ΠΔV’s best work to date, albeit not by much. Demons Protected by Angels wasn’t really much better & the singles building up On My Way 2 Rexdale made me want to give it a chance.

“Sinking” finds him opening up about his loneliness & inner emotions over a drumless guitar instrumental that he make himself whereas “You” feels more of a Don Toliver cut since ΠΔV has little to no presence on it whatsoever. “Stay Up” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Synthetic talks about being awake when no one else is while “Burbs” reunites with Wheezy behind the boards talking about making it out the hood.

Playboi Carti joins ΠΔV on “Unlimited” so both of them can rock out together for 3 & a half minutes just before “Back 2 Business” talks about having a lot of problems he deals with as it is getting back in his bag after 2 & a half years. “U.N.I.” goes for a sample-heavy trap direction showing a romantic side to him leading into “1 of None” asking a shawty if she’d be willing to hide out with him.

“Nxxd You” admits to his love that he gets excited around her for no reason comparing her presence to taking ecstasy while “Real Me” takes a cloudier route thanks to Metro Boomin’ showing his romantic interest his genuine self. “Red” brings a moody trap beat to the table drowning in his double cup only seeing the aptly mentioned color, but then “Keep Going” gives a finger to the money & fame continuing his music career in spite of doubters.

The song “Get 2 U” has interestingly chilled out trap flare instrumentally that really caught my attention right out the gate talking about the drugs runnin’ through his body & the closer “Pain Away” asks for his partner to relieve him of all pain he’s been feeling. “Get U Back” starts the deluxe run with a moody 2-parter wanting this woman back in his life while “1 Fan” talks about a hoe who says she dated ΠΔV & he begs to differ since he ain’t ever claimed her to begin with.

“Globe” switches it up by showing a plugg influence talking about being known all around the world while the woozy “Potholes” finds him actively dodging thots in the streets. “Lift Service” tells a chick to back it up & drop it low for him telling her he loves it when she shakes 1 leg while the extended version of the single “Rexdale” sincerely talks about staying strong & powering through during difficult times.

Was surprised regarding the original version of “Rari” called “Now It’s Over” seeing the light of day officially looking back on when he was broke & those days being done with while “Bag” from the Brown Boy 2 mixtape reappears for whatever reason. Lil Uzi Vert pops up for the remix of “Habits” off ΠΔV’s sophomore effort Bad Habits that I enjoy more than the original while the “Go to Hell” intro off his debut EP Brown Boy sampling “Enormous” by Gucci Mane gives his homie some Bathing Ape to celebrate his prison release.

“Highway” originally recorded in late 2016-early 2017 speaks of the lavish lifestyle he’s been living for the past decade living every day as if it’s gonna be his last while “She Worth It” featuring co-production from London on da Track talks about the woman he currently has on his mind. “Paranoid” cavernously tackles the problems brought about by his new-found fame while “Fast Life” questions loyalties whilst flexing his new-found wealth & success over a vocal sample & hi-hats. The final bonus track “Take a Seat” thanks God for him being wealthy now & suggesting to hop in the foreign whip pulled up driving in.

If you told me the same guy who made some of the worst trap albums of 2010s like Reckless & Bad Habits would make his best full-length nearly 5 years after the most consistent mixtape in his discography, I don’t think I would’ve believed you. He’s always been an enjoyable producer & to hear him primarily self-producing his music again is what he needed, taking it back to his origins by returning to his Toronto home town.

Score: 3.5/5

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