Sonnyjim – “Ortolan & Armagnac” review

This is the 6th studio LP from Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sonnyjim. Making his debut in the summer of 2011 with The Psychonaut, he would go on to drop 4 more albums as well as 14 EPs & a mixtape, most notably the No Vi$ible Means of Income duology produced by Giallo Point or the Buckwild-produced Coke Le Roc & the Illinformed-produced The Chemistry Must Be Respected. However, he’s signing to Blah Records & having its founder Lee Scott entirely producing Ortolan & Armagnac.

“Sakuraba” depicts himself as a former 10 pound drug dealer’s been trying to recover over a calmingly eerie beat whereas “Tommy Lee Scott” featuring Crimeapple finds the 2 kickin’ full-fledged facts together. “Lo Mein” featuring Heems & Your Old Droog strips the drums so all 3 of them can drop hardcore verses without the need of a hook leading into “Dude, Where’s My Car?” talking about building a house using his bare hands & fearing nobody.

Reaching the halfway point, we have Sonnyjim telling everyone to “Pay Attention” over a boom bap instrumental with some jazz influences leading into “Herb McGruff” featuring Beni Laylo & King Grubb bringing the trio together so they can talk about the mafioso lifestyle. “Barry McGuigan” goes off-the-top for 84 seconds over a piano-woven beat speaking of his specialization in enterprising while “Fetch My Mink” talks about doing what he wants whenever he pleases.

The title track featuring Lee Scott spends a couple minutes sharing the mic together dropping hardcore verses over a drumless loop explaining that you gotta defeat the man to become the man just before “Phonejacker” sends it all off with this psychedelically syrupy boom bap vibe instrumentally talking about people trying to call or text him for an entire week when his reasoning for not responding was because he shut his line off, eventually having to get a new number.

If you’re a fan of either of Sonnyjim’s previous output that I mentioned in the opening paragraph or the Camoflauge Monk-produced Money Green Leather Sofa & the Leaf Dog-produced How to Tame Lions to name a couple more extended plays from him that I like, you can add Ortolan & Armagnac to the same A/S tier rankings of the Birmingham artist’s discography. I wouldn’t put it above White Girl Wasted either, but an entire full-length with him over Lee Scott production wound up becoming as dope as I would’ve thought.

Score: 4/5

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Sonnyjim – “White Girl Wasted” review

Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sonnyjim enlisting The Purist to produce 75% of his 14th EP. Making his debut in the summer of 2011 with The Psychonaut, he would go on to drop 4 more albums as well as his last 13 EPs & a mixtape, most notably the No Vi$ible Means of Incomeduology produced by Giallo Point or the Buckwild-produced Coke Le Roc & the Illinformed produced The Chemistry Must Be Respected. Looking at some of the names involved with White Girl Wasted however, it’s not hard to see why it’s been getting a lot of attention.

“Paris Hilton” is a slickly luxurious intro clocking in at 64 seconds spitting a quick verse off the top referencing WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Champion & WWE Tag Team Champion The Iron Sheik but after “Barz Simpson” featuring Jay Electronica & the late MF DOOM finds the trio spitting 1 head-spinning verse after another over a woodwind instrumental, “Doc Ellis” produced by one of my top 5 producers of all-time DJ Premier references 10-time WWE world champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & $7 Productions co-founder The Rock.

Reaching the halfway point of the EP, “No Case No Face” works in some sampling to talk about life being a bitch that he’s fucking while “Does Mushrooms Once” returns to the boom bap Thais to another one of my top 10 producers Madlib boasting how nice Sonny is when he rocks the mic. “Lemon 714” brings the flutes back so he can talk about the holy grail of quaaludes while the final song “999” featuring the Mcabre Brothers preceding the “Buy Cocaine Not Art” outro finds the trio sending us off with them dropping hardcore verses on top of a blissful boom bap beat.

Almost 15 years since Trading Standards & this dude has already given us what might go down as the greatest extended play of his entire career, surpassing the Camoflauge Monk-produced Money Green Leather Sofa or the Leaf Dog-produced How to Tame Lions & the rest of those previous standouts I mentioned earlier. Joined by only a couple of elite lyricists, Sonnyjim’s abstract lyrics of braggadocio & using drugs over jazzy boom bap production makes for some of the most important songs he’s ever written.

Score: 4.5/5

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Sonnyjim – “Coke Le Roc” review

Here we have the 4th studio LP from Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom emcee/producer Sonnyjim. Making his debut in the summer of 2011 with The Psychonaut, he would go on to drop a couple more albums as well as his over a dozen EPs & a mixtape, most notably No Vi$ible Means of Income produced by Giallo Point or the Illinformed produced The Chemistry Must Be Respected & the Leaf Dog-produced How to Tame Lions to a name a few. D.I.T.C. member Buckwild however has been brought in to produce a full-length named after hip hop’s very 1st MC albeit misspelled: Coke La Rock.

“Cherry Red Beamer” sets the tone of what’s to come by hopping over a jazzy boom bap instrumental suggesting to watch out with him around your girl whereas “Double Green” featuring Crimeapple finds the 2 teaming up so they can talk about the gangsta lifestyle. “Free Freedom No Fear” blends a piano sample with some kicks & snares referencing former 7-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE tag team champion, 5-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion & 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

The title track hooks up a violin flip to talk about being inspired to write the rhyme of the year if anyone fucks around with him, feeling like this music shit is the only thing he has going for him just before he expresses the love he & Lord Apex have for “The Process” making a reference to 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.

“$3,500 for Some Fuckin’ Sushi” goes for a jazzier vibe once again talkin’ about going from hustling on the side of the road to globetrotting while “Sugar Ray” references former 2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. “Yola” takes an eerier boom bap approach instrumentally talking about having more Uncut Gems than the greatest Adam Sandler movie ever made by a landslide leading into “Maserati Rick” combines more kicks & snares with a trumpet sample assuring he’s gonna inevitably blow.

Rounding out 3rd, the song “Big Face Fly Lizard” returns to a grittier sound talking about everyone else performing during the undercard since he’s a main-eventer & the closing track “Frankie Lymon” succeeding the “1520” skit gives a nod to hip hop’s birthplace located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in The Bronx, New York sends off Coke Le Rocfusing a soul sample & some keys talking about going from many people doubting him to hopping out of Benz’s after mastering the craft of his art.

Only a couple months since Sonnyjim fully produced the Sauvage EP for Vandal Savage, he & one of the greatest east coast hip hop producers team up to help him make his strongest collection of solo material since probably The Chemistry Must Be Respected & another must-listen for those looking for a gateway to his output. Buckwild’s production combined with Sonny’s luxurious style of songwriting honor the man who paved the way for many others other than DJ Kool Herc himself.

Score: 4.5/5