Quadeca – “Vanisher, Horizon Scraper” review

Quadeca is a 24 year old singer/songwriter, producer, YouTuber & rapper from Los Angeles, California whose early mixtapes Work in Progress, Nostalgia for the Now, Bad Internet Rapper & Out of Order were all received negatively as was the full-length debut Voice Memos. His sophomore effort From Me to You proved to be decent, with both I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You & Scrapyard under deadAir Records garnering widespread praise for artistically reinventing himself. Recently starting up his own label X8 Music distributed by Virgin Music, the founder is making his official debut under the imprint in the form of his 4th album a month after Kevin Abstract signed with him to put out blush.

Chico Buarque gets sampled during the post-rock, modern classical, chamber music, neo-psychedelia, totalism, progressive folk, folktronica, art pop, avant-folk, choral, MPB & capoeira intro “No Questions Asked” repetitively singing about being there when no one else is just before “Waging War” gets split up into 3 different sections built around neo-psychedelia, art pop, folktronica, glitch pop, glitch hop, progressive pop, post-rock, chamber folk, deconstructed club, experimental hip hop & experimental rock as he tries to calm himself down & attempt to take his own advice. The lusciously gentle “Ruin My Life” carries forward by talking about an existential crisis leading into art pop, jazz pop, folk pop, Bossa nova, chamber folk, lounge, progressive folk, jazz rap, progressive soul all culminating in the lead single “Godstained”.

“At a Time Like This” continues the first half of Vanisher, Horizon Scraper talking about keeping his soul on high alert centered towards experimental hip hop, neo-psychedelia, art pop, glitch pop, glitch hop, cloud rap, alternative r&b, abstract hip hop, post-rock, wonky & progressive pop while the 2nd single “Monday” combines folk pop, baroque pop, art pop, chamber folk, chamber pop, folktronica & Waltz reflecting on a relationship that didn’t last. “Dancing Without Moving” has gotta be the catchiest moment on the entire LP balling pop rap, experimental hip hop, neo-psychedelia, art pop, alt-pop, alternative r&b, jazz rap, nu jazz, neo-soul, boom bap & chamber pop into 1 looking at the night sky to copy what he does until “That’s Why” speaks of life not getting any better than it is at this very moment.

After the “I Dream About Sinking” instrumental, we have the distortion gradually increasing over the course of “Natural Causes” suiting the increasing paranoia while “Thundrrr” blends hardcore hip hop, industrial hip hop, deconstructed club, funk mandelão, glitch hop, grime & wonky. “The Great Bakunawa” featuring Danny Brown makes for a breathtakingly industrial hip hop, hardcore hip hop, neo-psychedelia, illbient, abstract hip hop, post-rock & horrorcore collab while the final single “Forgone” divided in 3 parts speaking of remaining through it all. “Casper” by Maruja frontman Harry Wilkinson ends with a melting pot of post-rock, experimental rock, post-industrial, art punk, post-hardcore, space rock revival, nature recordings, totalism, noise rock, poetry, chamber jazz, jazz-rock & noise to talk about death.

“Learn to Swim” starts the deluxe run by throwing it back to the I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You era while “A Little Too Much” puts his range on display with him singing the first couple verses & rapping the final one. “Touch the Sky” feels it it could’ve been placed between “Ruin My Life” & “Godstained” as an interlude but after the “Horizon Scraper” compositional piece, we’re treated to a “Forgone” prelude subtitled “Not Enough” & the “Sundown” instrumental cut. “Burns Down” uses a flow similar to Lucy Bedroque’s except it feels reminiscent of brakence’s stuff aesthetically & the final bonus track “Wind Catcher” excluding the “Godstained” demo happens to be another composition.

Conceptually focused around a lone traveler sailing into the ocean alone pursuing freedom & cosmic understanding with his own self-destruction subconsciously motivating it, Quadeca’s musical evolution in recent memory continues with the most ambitious entry in his discography thus far & the finest of this redeeming trilogy arc. His masterful production goes outside of the box showing influences of art pop, folktronica, jazz pop, folk pop, Bossa nova, chamber folk, lounge, progressive folk, jazz rap, progressive soul, baroque pop, chamber pop, Waltz, singer/songwriter, progressive pop, neo-psychedelia, post-rock, psychedelic folk, experimental hip hop, ambient music, hardcore hip hop, industrial hip hop, deconstructed club, funk mandelão, glitch hop, grime, wonky, illbient, abstract hip hop, horrorcore, experimental rock, post-industrial, art punk, post-hardcore, space rock revival, nature recordings, totalism, noise rock, poetry, chamber jazz, jazz-rock, noise, modern classical, chamber music, totalism, avant-folk, choral, MPB, capoeira, nu jazz & neo-soul coordinated in ways to pull you deeper into the story.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Freddie Gibbs – “Alfredo II” review

Yes, the 6th studio LP from Indiana emcee Freddie Gibbs has finally arrived. Blowing up initially over 2 decades ago with his debut mixtape Full Metal Jackit, he would sign to Interscope Records for a brief period of time until he left without dropping an album with them. This was made up for with the mixtapes The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs & Str8 Killa No Filla, which would catch the attention of Jeezy & land Freddie a contract with CTE World in 2011. However, Gibbs eventually left CTE the following year after releasing the tapes Cold Day in Hell & B.F.K. (BabyFace Killa). In 2013, he decided to form his own label E$GN Records & finally dropped the full-length album E.$.G.N. (Evil $eeds Grow Naturally). He & iconic Oxnard producer Madlib would drop their MadGibbs debut Piñata the year after that, which is EASILY one of the greatest hip hop albums of the previous decade. Gibbs continued to grow his profile after that with Shadow of a Doubt, You Only Live 2wice, Freddie & the Curren$y collab EP Fetti & who can forget MadGibbs’ sophomore effort Bandana or Alfredo produced by The Alchemist? $oul $old $eparately made for a valiant major label debut under Warner Records & You Only Die 1nce returned to his independent hustle, recapturing the magic of Alfredo for a sequel of it’s own.

“1995” opens with a jazzy, drumless 2-parter picking up exactly where “1985” left off talking about being ok regardless of haters & bitches snaking whereas “Mar-a-Lago” swaps out the drumless elements in favor of boom bap making it clear that the feds ain’t gettin’ nothing after tryna hit his shit. “Lemon Pepper Steppers” turns the jazz influences up a bit talking about people tryna block his blessings prior to the silky “Ensalada” pleading to get away from this place he’s in.

Jim Jones gets dissed during “Empanadas” stripping the drums once again just before “Skinny Suge II” talks about being the last don & looking to body every last person whenever he’s in the middle of a job. “Feeling” featuring Larry June chops up a soul sample for both of them to keep it trill leading into “I Still Love H.E.R.” homaging the テリヤキ・ボーイズ single of the same name featuring & produced by Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West.

“Shangri La” soulfully airs his grievances towards a woman that he deems to be “sneaky”making better use of an unused verse recorded during the Vultures sessions when ¥$ was still together at the beginning while “Gas Station Sushi” addresses his falling out with Curren$y not too long after Fetti was released. I found both the “Pee on city girls like P. Diddy” line & the DJ Akademiks diss not even a minute into “Lavish Habits” to be pretty funny while “Gold Feet” featuring J.I.D finds the pair getting together talking about feeling great.

The song “Jean Claude” gets the final 7 & a half minutes of Alfredo II started with a drumless jazz rap track comparing life to the 1988 martial arts film Bloodsport & recommending to take the role of Frank Dux in that situation as a way of survival while “1,000 Mountains” closes the album with 1 last boom bap cut arguing that the only person who he feels can outrap him is André 3000, taking it a step further by contemplating taking a flute & hiding out similarly to what the Prince of hip hop did.

Don’t want to take away from the highlights $oul $old $eparately & You Only Die 1nce both have even if I lean more $oul $old $eparately, but Freddie Gibbs reunites with one of my top 10 producers of all-time for a successor to make an Alfredo successor that takes it back to what made that original LP the most beloved solo effort in the E$GN Records founder’s discography as he prepares for his next project fully produced by KAYTRANADA.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Tech N9ne – “5816 Forest” review

Kansas City, Missouri veteran Tech N9ne kicking summer in full gear with his 26th studio LP. Starting out 3 decades back as a member of the groups Black Mafia as well as the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians & the Nnutthowze, his profile began to increase in the late 90’s after landing a spot on the Gang Related soundtrack & becoming among the first to join Yukmouth’s then-newly formed collective The Regime. But after having issues with Interscope Records & Universal Music Group following the release of his iconic 3rd album Anghellic, that’s when Tech decided to form his own label with the help of a man at Paradise Originals named Travis O’Guin. Together, they would call it Strange Music & solidified itself as one of if not the biggest indie label in the world. Tech has made it a tradition to drop a project or 2 every year since Everready (The Religion) back in ‘06 except for 2022, returning the next summer with Bliss to mixed reception. C.O.S.M. (Class of Strange Music) became the best Collabos entry since my personal favorite Welcome to Strangeland & 5816 Forest looks outdo himself even more with only 2 guests on it because of people clowning him for overloading his projects with guests in the last 2-3 years or so.

After the “Donnie Call” skit, “The Birth” takes a trip down memory lane over some keyboards from Matt Phoenix speaking candidly on his mother’s health struggles whereas “Fridee to Sundee” (Triality)” demonstrates his storytelling abilities & unique slang taking a darker trap approach to the beat. “Yoda” featuring Lil Wayne finds the 2 likening themselves to the Jedi Grand Master from The Walt Disney Company-owned Star Wars franchise until “Ball” recalls another story from his household growing up.

“RDV” after the “Alyia Call” skit throws it back to the days of old school hip hop instrumentally harking back to his 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians days & “Lola” takes it a step further remembering the woman to convince him to go from beatboxing to MCing. “Black Walt Street (The New Breed)” dabbles with hyphy a bit reminiscing of his middle school days when he took on the original moniker Black Walt, but then “Excited” cheerfully talks about making his days the brightest.

Wrapping up the first leg, “The Nice One” cloudily remembers when the “white ones” used to come up to his locker telling him what people have said regarding him while “The Punishment (Lockdown)” paints a picture of a formative childhood memory backed by some thick bass & organic percussion. The chipmunk soul-based “What I Do” recalls beginning to steal during his freshman year of high school & after the “Reign Call” skit, “No Rub” takes it back to a hyphy vibe suggesting he should’ve smashed raw.

“Fish Captain” remembers when his stepfather gave him a summer gig because of the kids he was rolling with at the time of his adolescence while “Sacrifice” featuring Strange Music signee Jehry Robinson acoustically admits to working on their craft instead of what regular kids did. After the “Bella Call” skit, “Livin’ in the Sky” brings a trap flare back refusing to write sad songs for those in his life who’ve passed on & can’t be with us today.

After the “Call with 2 Year Old Alina” skit, “This I Know” blends bright piano blinks beneath triumphant horns along with a loose bluesy guitar & a soul sample reaching back into his earliest memories to make a big screen-worthy image of his formative years prior to the closer “J6’s” finishing up talking about not knowing his life would change at some point when life deals you bad hands lot of times & avoiding these issues by coming up with a plan.

Maybe the most I’ve enjoyed a Tech album since N9na, it’s such a deeply personal & sonically ambitious LP that marks a significant chapter in a legendary career for the indie titan. 5816 Forest reminisces on legacy, loyalty & the roots of independence in hip hop revisiting the foundational moments that shaped him & Strange Music resulting in a raw, reflective body of work that combines hard-hitting lyricism with moments of vulnerability, grit & growth.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Kevin Abstract – “blush” review

Here is the 6th solo LP from Corpus Christi rapper, singer/songwriter, producer & director Kevin Abstract. Making his debut over a decade ago in the form of MTV1987, he followed it up 2 years later with the fantastic American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story & rose to stardom as the de facto leader of the now defunct BROCKHAMPTON collective the year after. Both of Kevin’s solo efforts since then ARIZONA baby & The Family were solid although I liked the latter more for it’s chipmunk soul heavy sound. Blanket went for an indie rock direction to quietly end his RCA Records tenure joining X8 Music & Virgin Music, finally putting out blush after teasing it for months.

After the “Introduction” intro, the first song “H-Town” featuring Ameer Vann as well as Love Spells & SoGone SoFlexy finds the quartet over a boom bap instrumental thanking God they’re all still alive today prior to “Copy” featuring Love Spells & SoGone SoFlexy giving off a bit of a psychedelic rock vibe praying their lovers come running back to them & “Danny’s Track” by Danny Brown referencing the inaugural IWGPヘビー級王座, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, Real American Beer founder & Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) co-founder Hulk Hogan.

“Yoko Ono” featuring Love Spells & Makana XO goes drumless with the help of Kiko Merley so the trio can ask what a classic is without a b-side or The Beatles without the late John Lennon’s widow whereas the chaotic “Nola” by Ameer Vann, Drigo, JPEGMAFIA & Love Spells produced by Quadeca references WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Hardcore Champion, IWGPヘビー級王座, the inaugural 6-time TNA World Champion, TNA X Division Champion & 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion Kurt Angle.

Love Spells sticks with Kevin on the Glue outtake “Post Breakup Beauty” that Romil Hemnani co-produced looking back on a relationship that only lasted a mere 9 months & wanting to feel like as if they’re untouchable just before “97 Jag” featuring Love Spells once again finds the pair wishing they would’ve followed their instincts instead of crashing out. “Text Me” could very well be the only song without a guest verse singing over a Sekuo sample of recovering from a breakup for 2 years while “Geezer” marks the new superduo’s introduction with their own eponymous single built around pop rap, indie pop, bedroom pop & boom bap

“I Wasn’t There” by DERBY lets his indietronica/bedroom pop styles flourish for a couple minutes on their own & after the “blush” interlude, “Maroon” by Dominic Fike finds the other half of Geezer asking if his partners can remember a time where he made their face turn brownish-crimson. “Pop Out” by Ameer Vann, Drigo, E Bleu & Love Spells brings an experimental trap flare to the table talking about the bad bitches coming out now that it’s summer, but then “Girlfriend” by Drigo & surprisingly Dr. Dre’s daughter Truly Young links the 2 up talking about having each other.

Kevin jumps back on the mic for “Bloom” featuring Ameer Vann & Love Spells to cook up a melancholic trap cut wanting their lovers to know they’ve been waiting their whole entire lives for them to come in the picture while “Abandon Me” by Quadeca tries to figure out why the individual he has in mind stays by him instead of turning their back on him like everyone else in his life. “Red Light” featuring Ameer Vann ends blush with both BH alumni delivering a perfect fusion of pop rap, alternative R&B & neo-soul limiting their growth for the love of their lives.

“Everybody Plays to Win” featuring Ameer Vann & Love Spells starts the deluxe run asking how they can be forgiven & not fall astray while “Medicine” by Ameer Vann, Drigo & Love Spells links up the 3 over synths & hi-hats feeling like their partners were sent from heaven above. The title track featuring Love Spells talks about fiending for love & others not knowing what they’ve been on while “Fall” gets Kevin handling verses by himself over a cloudy trap beat getting to the bottom of as to why a former friend turned his back on him.

AJ, Ameer Vann, Devanmanleyy, Drigo & Love Spells all clique up during “Don’t Ever Ask No N***a for Some Change” talking about flags they ignore by choice while “Oath” by Ameer Vann & Love Spells rides around town with heaters in their pockets. “MenOnTheMoon” sticks out as another Kevin solo cut jazzily feeling like he’s the only one left of himself while “Moonlight” by Ameer Vann & Love Spells talking about being painted as demons since that’s the way they’re viewed.

“On My Son” reflects on the lessons Kevin’s learned taking another moment all by himself hoping to move the way his family did soon as he wakes up the final bonus track “T.W.N.D. (That’s What N****s Do” featuring Ameer Vann & Truly Young caps off the extra batch of music with them puttin’ these snakes in on their asses if they wanna spaz out getting this money backed by horns & a repetitive Memphis-like vocal flip.

2001 was the first album that I listened to start to finish growing up in the early 2000s so when I heard blush was gonna be Kevin’s answer to that, it immediately had my interest. The final product however has a tad more highs than flaws. I love that the production goes from hip hop to alternative R&B, neo-soul, drumless, experimental hip hop, alt-pop, indietronica, bedroom pop & pop rap in a cohesive manner although the lack of Kevin performances make it feel more like a compilation.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Ruby da Cherry – “Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm” review

New Orleans, Louisiana emcee/producer Ruby da Cherry back with his 3rd EP. Blowing up as 1/2 of the $uicideboy$ alongside his cousin $crim, they’ve built up an impressively extensive discography over the last decade & even have their own Virgin Music imprint G*59 Record$ with an ever-growing roster of artists.Tragic Love Songs to Study to & Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma were both enjoyably carefree punk EPs from Ruby, continuing towards that direction Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm.

After the “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Shrug 3)” intro, the first song “End of Summer 2005 (Started Off as a Tropical Depression)” talks about how life sucks & riding it out until his last day whereas “VCR Eject Button (It’s Time to Grow the Fuck Up)” after the “where y’at duckboy? [6]” interlude admits to feeling he’s been in Hell for years. “Moldy Memories (Peer Pressure Turned Me Into a Diamond)” after the “where y’at duckboy? [7]” interlude was great easycore single with additional influences of melodic hardcore, emo-pop & skate punk fighting until the war’s over leading into “Kino Der Toten” after the “where y’at duckboy? [8]” interlude ends by choking on his thoughts.

Almost a year & a half since Existential Hymns for the Average Sigma came out already, I can’t be mad at Ruby for putting out Coping Strategies to Combat the Algorithm simultaneously alongside $crim’s 4th album Via Crucis that also dropped today & only days before Duckboy’s 37th birthday. And while I personally find myself enjoying Via Crucis more, I still respect Ruby for throwing it back to his Vapor-Rats days. This one has a prominent easycore vibe with melodic hardcore, emo-pop & skate punk undertones in as opposed to the heavy skate & pop punk vibes of the last EP.

Score: 3.5/5

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

NEMS – “America’s Sweetheart” review

Brooklyn, New York emcee NEMS celebrating Valentine’s Day by putting together his 5th studio LP. Coming up in the battle rap circuit, he would go on to have a brief stint with Psycho+Logical-Records in the late 2000’s before dropping the debut Prezident’s Day under Creative Juices Music back in 2010. This was followed up almost 9 years later when he & JAZZSOON teamed up for the damn near flawless Gorilla Monsoon, but the follow-up Congo received more mixed results despite it’s highlights like “Wow” & “Cousins”. Paul Rosenberg signed the Mayor of Coney Island to Goliath Records & Virgin Music in the summer of 2023 for his Scram Jones-produced Goliath debut Rise of the Silverback which I liked more than Congo, building further anticipation ahead of America’s Sweetheart.

Following the “America’s Intro”, the first song “Go Fat Boy” produced by Cartune Beatz was a fun hardcore hip hop & boom bap lead single warning that your face will get cut quickly if you talk shit to him whereas “CTE” keeps it in the basement courtesy of Vinny Idol to get on his battle rap shit lyrically. “My Side” featuring Millyz finds the 2 dabbling with trap a bit stealing your bitch while “2 Live & Die in NY” featuring Leeky Bandz maintains a trap vibe thanks to Statik Selektah talking about his home state.

“Gunther” not to be confused with the current World Heavyweight Champion, the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion & former PWG World Champion whose Imperium tag partner in former 2-time NXT Tag Team Champion Ludwig Kaiser is dating the current WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton returns to the boom bap airing out his grievances towards a woman who holds genuine hatred towards him just before the 2-parter “Coney Island” represents the part of Brooklyn that made him who he is today. “Light the Room” hooks up some organs maintaining a dusty edge once again belittling everyone who wants to step up to him, but then “God’s Hands” shows an inspirational side to the Fuck Ya Lyfe general talking about everything being God’s plans & not yours.

Tony Touch joins NEMS on the horn-infused “Afuera” aggressively making it clear that absolutely no one wants smoke with either of them while “Amouna” talks about trying to get right & everything in him died. “Big Shot” brings a trap flare back to the table flexing his newfound popularity in recent years & “Viral” featuring Dios Moreno ends America’s Sweetheart promising to keep winning whether others like it or not.

After the “America’s Reintroduction” skit, “Son Shines” starts the deluxe run with a Shortfyuz instrumental talking about the rain clearing up whenever he steps out during a rainy day while “Zoo” reminds everyone where he comes from over more horns. “Count It Out” talks about it taking a while for him to get his foot through the door over a Ron Browz beat & the final bonus track “Go Realer” dustily suggests you do your research.

A year & a half after signing to a major label, the Mayor of Coney Island reinforces his status by cooking up an album that showcases his gritty lyricism & charismatic storytelling paired with his signature humor & wit even if I think the production on the predecessor was more consistent. The same can be said about the guests even though I can appreciate him bringing on a lesser amount than he did last time.

Score: 3.5/5

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

Amyl & the Sniffers – “Cartoon Darkness” review

Amyl & the Sniffers are a pub/punk rock band from Melbourne, Australia consisting of drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Declan Martens, bassist Gus Romer & frontwoman Amy Taylor. Breaking out in the mid-2010s off their first couple EPs Giddy Up & Big Attraction, this resulted in them signing with ATO Records for their eponymous full-length debut & Comfort to Me. The latter of which became my introduction to them since it came out not long after current Monday Night RAW superstar, former 6-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE tag team champion, 2-time AEW World Champion, inaugural ROH Hall of Fame inductee, ROH World Champion & 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion CM Punk who later albeit unsuccessfully competed in the UFC division of the Endeavor-owned TKO Group Holdings made his in-ring return at the greatest AEW pay-per-view of all-time All Out III & he was giving it heavy props. Should further mention his role in being the guest referee when the current NXT Champion Trick Williams began his ongoing 2nd reign. B2B Records not too long ago signed a distribution deal with Virgin Music & are celebrating with their 3rd album.

The garage rock revival “Jerkin’” was a mediocre choice of a single telling obsessed losers who’re chronically online that Amy’s more successful than them & they’ll never get with her whereas “Chewing Gum” heads for a garage punk direction singing about being stuck to her new romantic interest. “Tiny Bikini” dabbles with hard rock discussing themes of feminism wanting to wear nothing but a bikini, but then “Big Dreams” forays into hard rock to sing about never being the dull one.

“It’s Mine” goes head-on riot grrrl come and clean it if she likes it it’ll eventually become her’s while the appropriately titled “Motorbike Song” serves as this rebellious head-banging anthem that I can most definitely hear Harley Davidson riders blasting as they’re driving around the city. “Doing In Me Head” admits that she’s sick of promising everyone that she’s the same as others embracing the hard rock vibes once again just before “Pigs” explaining that she doesn’t like the idea of conformity.

Meanwhile on “Bailing on Me”, we have Amy & company showing a bit of a White Stripes influence expressing the too familiar feeling of heartbreak prior to “U Should Not Be Doing That” fusing garage punk with garage rock revival alongside dance-punk & glam punk sings about knowing her worth. “Do It Do It” asks her lover all these questions maintaining a punk edge while “Going Somewhere” asks to turn off your phone & your thoughts altogether. “Me & the Girls” finishes by telling a story of her & her friends being wasted at the airport.

Cartoon Darkness in the grand scheme of things happens to be a conceptual LP revolving around the fact that our generation is spoon-fed information in addition to climate crisis, war, A.I., tiptoeing on the eggshells of politics & people feeling like they’re helping by having a voice online when we’re all just feeding the data beast of Big Tech. They drive headfirst into the unknown into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible despite that it doesn’t even exist yet by expanding their garage punk sound beyond post-punk, hardcore punk, riot grrrl, glam punk, garage rock revival & hard rock.

Score: 4.5/5

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

Joey Cool – “Roller Coaster” review

Kansas City, Missouri emcee Joey Cool making his 8th studio LP a double-disc effort. Starting out as a long-time affiliate of local independent hip hop powerhouse Strange Music dropping a total of 4 mixtapes & a studio album on his own until Tech N9ne decided to officially sign him to the Snake & Bat in 2017, he then dropped an eponymous sophomore album the next spring followed by Old Habits Die Hard as well as Coolie High & I Tried to Be Normal Once. Coming off The Chairman of the Board & the Mario Casalini-produced Enjoy the View however, the Swankiest of Strangeland is taking us on a Roller Coaster.

After the “Poor Sinner’s Hand” intro, the first song “Madhouse” sets the Roller Coaster in motion with an atmospheric trap instrumental talking about Satan making him crash out spazzing whereas “Commotion” works in more of a robotic beat allowing Joey to break down, just exactly how he was made. “Heart” featuring Doobie & produced by C-Lance interestingly has this grotesque trap sound flexing he can drop a bag & it’ll still follow him since he lookin’ like he hit the lottery, but then the cloudy “Out the Way” talks moving surgically as opposed to being merciful.

“Drippin’ 3” explosively picks up right where “Drippin’ 2” from the Swank Sinatra mixtape left off reuniting with Mario Casalini telling y’all to catch him outside with the swank leading into “Indecisive” pulling inspiration from the hyphy scene instrumentally describing a woman as being inconclusive pleading for her to actually make up her mind. “Trouble Town” featuring Lil Wyte hooks up a guitar & hi-hats suggesting to let the world burn since there’s no looking back just before “Give Thanks” featuring The Popper finds both KC spitters praising the higher power over a thunderous trap beat.

The 5th & final single “OG Cool” concludes Disc 1 by having Wyshmaster lace Joey with a rubbery instrumental all in his zone hitting his stride & after the “Price of Admission” intro, “G.O.Y.F. (Get Out Your Feelings)” featuring X-Raided starts Disc 2 with both Strange Music artists over pianos & hi-hats telling everyone listening to do exactly that. “I Sent the Text” is a decent, auto-tune heavy pop rap joint meaning no disrespect to the woman he texted & made this very track about while “Static” marks an energetic trap turn likening this to all of his powers assembling.

“Parlez Vous” is this organ/hi-hat crossover that Lowkey tha Wizard of the unConventionAl KingZ cooked up spitting the gospel while “Vibe Check” refers to himself as the cream of the crop over more hyphy production. “Sail Away” featuring Ubiquitous finds the 2 trying to take their time on top of this guitar/trap fusion with Matt Phoenix on the hook while “The Fuse” finds him on the verge of exploding over horns. “Slow Down” smoothly tells his girl to take things in their relationship slowly remaining the man even if he ain’t rich as she thought he was and “Crawl Space” featuring Tech N9ne reaches the end of the ride with a trap metal closer feeling on the edge.

All 8 of the new joints that Joey gave us off the deluxe version of what’s easily the most emphatic offering of his career Enjoy the View back March unquestionably could’ve made it onto the final product that celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary almost a couple weeks ago but either way, it was a dope way to hold us off until he took us on a Roller Coaster trip full of all the twists & turns, ups & downs you can expect from an elite MC on his level of skill.

Score: 3.5/5

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

LL Cool J – “The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy)” review

Queens, New York emcee, songwriter, actor, pioneer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer LL Cool J or Ladies Love Cool James returning to Def Jam Recordings a decade after the independently released Authentic to have Q-Tip from one of my all-time favorite groups A Tribe Called Quest produce his 14th full-length studio album. Signing to Def Jam since Rick Rubin & Russell Simmons started it, his hardcore mid-school debut Radio fully produced by Rick & the sophomore effort B.A.D. (Bigger And Deffer) both established him as being a flagship artist for the label. Walking with a Panther was a good follow-up too since “Jingling Baby”’s one of my favorite songs of LL’s & Mama Said Knock You Out produced by Juice Crew co-founder Marley Marl is the best in his discography. 14 Shots to the Dome, Mr. Smith, Phenomenon, G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All-Time which helped coin the titular acronym, 10 & The DEFinition primarily produced by Timbaland all had their individual highlights except I didn’t enjoy them as much as the first 2 albums & Mama Said Knock You Out combined. Said standouts include “Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings”, “Loungin’”, “4, 3, 2, 1″ which because of the line “L is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that” ignited his beef with Canibus that lasted the last 3 years of the 20th century, “Zoom”, “Imagine That”, “Luv U Better” & “Headsprung”. Todd Smith was a step-down from The DEFinition & even fulfilled his Def Jam contract by releasing Exit 13 to mixed responses. Some consider Authentic as his weakest & I on the contrary always found myself enjoying the half that the Trackmasters produced & “Remember Me”. He alongside the late DMX both returned to Def Jam in 2019 & got with Dr. Dre who produced “Zoom” for what eventually became a journey through The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) in an exclusive joint deal between Def Jam & Virgin Music.

“Spirit of Cyrus” featuring additional vocals from WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg is a synth-driven opener talking about stitching fuckers up & leaving the murder seamless whereas the title track works in a blaring boom bap instrumental flexing that he’s part of the realest crew chillin’ on a yacht listening to Pop Smoke & they got all the plugs. The lead single “Saturday Night Special” featuring Fat Joe & Rick Ross samples “Bobbing Wide” by Caravan talking about always keeping your word & paying back while “Black Code Suite” serves as this slick pro-black anthem.

The way Tip flips “Sun Touch” by Herbie Hancock on the 2nd single “Passion” was highly enjoyable talking about these muhfuckas needing a new team & “Proclivities” featuring Saweetie is actually the only love song on the entire LP hooking the synths back up asking their partners what they gonna do with it. “Post Modern” soulfully expresses LL’s desire to raise the bar, but then “30 Decembers” hops over a morbid beat to tell us his experiences of living in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Runnit Back” brings a funkier flare to the table talking about having to make moves out here if you really want it just before “Huey in the Chair” featuring Busta Rhymes continues the themes of Afrocentrism likening themselves to the iconic picture of Black Panthers founder Huey P. Newton posted up. “Basquiat Energy” pulls inspiration from funk music once again talking about keeping the aura of Jean-Michel Basquiat in the air leading into the groovy “Praise Him” featuring Nas finding the 2 giving thanks to the higher power.

Eminem who actually became God like James Todd joins Uncle L for the 4th & final single “Murdergram 2”, which is a sequel to a highlight off Mama Said Knock You Out that lives up to the hype of it’s predecessor boasting about their raw unapologetic style & credibility in the rap game whether it be LL’s nostalgic bravado or Eminem’s signature speedy flow & subtle wordplay. “The Vow” featuring Don Pablito, J-S.A.N.D. & Mad Squablz finishes our exploration of The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) by showcasing 3 up-&-coming artists paying it forward to them.

I can’t call it a comeback because he’s been here for years but as I expected based on the singles, The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) serves as a testament of Def Jam’s dominance in the musical landscape for 4 decades & lands a spot in my personal top 3 LL albums with Radio & Mama Said Knock You Out. He relearns how to rap again not doing anything trendy or trying to recapture anything he did in the past & works out beautifully addressing themes racial injustice, law enforcement abuses, isolation mixed with observations brought on by the pandemic, his overall legacy & musings on his place in the canon. I can’t forget to mention that Q-Tip’s production here is equivalent to Pete Rock’s on Common’s newest album The Auditorium & that much like The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) further proves that hip hop culture’s veterans are still thriving as the music industry evolves with time adapting to further establish their legacies & longevities.

Score: 4.5/5

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

X-Raided – “A Sin in Heaven” review

Here we have the 18th full-length studio LP albeit Strange Music sophomore effort from Sacramento, California veteran X-Raided. Exploding onto the scene in 1992 off the strength of his full-length debut Psycho Active, he was shortly after sentenced to 31 years in prison on murder charges, only to be granted parole in the fall of 2018 & continued to build his discography by dropping a little over a dozen more albums whilst incarcerated. The Nefarious Loc surprisingly signed to Strange in 2022 & his previous offering A Prayer in Hell was a true blue return to form, so A Sin in Heaven had me expecting no differently.

“2400” is a trap opener airing out everyone for getting here late & flexing that he got here early whereas the rapid-fire “Sacrilegious” discusses not understanding the dark if you ain’t ever been in the light. “Can’t Hold Us Down” has a gospel trap vibe to the beat looking to ball in the midst of them tryna keep his people broke, but then “California State” featuring Locksmith is a cloudy tribute to the state out in the west coast that raised them.

Meanwhile on “Boy Meets World”, we have X over a much more bouncier beat from Mario Casalini talking about wanting to become a banger as he was growing up just before the groovier “P.T.S.D. (Passing The Story Down)” talks about his story being passed on to his children. “A Favor for a Favor” featuring Nox finds the 2 coming together so they can tell a hustler’s story but after the “Waste Management” interlude, “A Cold Day in Hell” featuring C-Mob & Joey Cool refuses to choose hoes over his bros supposing that’s the way life goes.

“Olly Olly Oxen Free” featuring Bleezo, Tech N9ne & T-Nutty has these nervous undertones throughout stepping on these muhfuckas in a real way acknowledging that only the top MCs be fuckin’ with them while “The Sunken Place” produced by Wyshmaster solemnly lives in a drunken state. “Anymore” strips the drums completely hopping over pianos asking if it’s too late to admit he’s broken & “Pray” hooks the trap vibes back up talking praying when all else fails.

Moving on from there, “Conception (Aneraé’s Song)” produced by Matt Phoenix atmospherically looks to break all generational curses in his family tree while the trap-driven “Invigorated” featuring Ellis Prescott as well as Macntaj & Trizz talks about the feeling of being revitalized. “It’s Up” featuring KXNG CROOKED & Ras Kass sees the trio coming together for a 3 & a half minute west coast barfest while “Juggernaut” goes drill refusing to ever stop now that he’s home.

“Paranoia” featuring Tech N9ne blends a guitar & hi-hats allowing them to demonstrate speedier flows revolving around the theme of being paranoid referencing WWE Hall of Famer Drew Carey & after the “All or Nothing” interlude, the psychedelic rock/trap hybrid “No Conversations” tells everyone to hold their breaths as he balls. “Baby Mama Music” wittingly expresses his gratitude to be free while “Water” featuring Ellis Prescott, Jerome Dillard, Laza & Macntaj takes a delicately melodic approach.

Pushing further towards the end of A Sin in Heaven, the penultimate track “Elevating” featuring Don P is this gospel/trap hybrid finding both of them talking about constantly evolving from an artistic standpoint while MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. 7 laces the closer “Gladiator” featuring C-Mob & King Iso finding all 3 of them coming together passionately referring to themselves as being trained to fight with weapons against others.

Only the 2nd release from the Strange Music camp this year following Tech’s first Collabos album in a long time C.O.S.M. (Class of Strange Music) after signing a new distribution deal with both RBC Records founder Brian Shafton’s new label Compound Interest Entertainment alongside Virgin Music even last summer & it’s a worthy successor to what has already become X’s strongest body of work in recent memory. He takes things full circle experiencing joys in life now that he has crafted a life he could only have imagined just a few years ago.

Score: 3.5/5

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