(TIME 2 KILL)

Whenever someone decides to sample the ‘Heaven’s Gate’ prophecy, then you know it’s bound to be a ridiculous project! Pair that with a producer of such prolific nature and a dominant MC who makes a killing with his words, and you have a recipe for success! (In this life or the next), let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new tape between Producer Jazzy Lion Man and MC JOHNNYTRA$H, and together they drop an 8-track, 16-minute experience unlike any other! 

Going into this, I wasn’t sure what to expect. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the year, it’s that Jazzy will try anything and everything when it comes to his records, each one representing a different idea, theme, influence, or feel, and on this one, it seems like he’s channeling his inner ‘Odd Future’ because that’s exactly the vibes I’m getting!

The first obvious thing to bring up is the consistent sampling of the Heaven’s Gate Cult speech. A notorious religious extremist cult who had their leader record their final message about being ‘happily prepared to leave this world and graduate’, causing a total of 39 suicides.

A cult I studied heavily, and I can’t tell you how equally bizarre and theatrical I found it for Jazzy to utilise said cult in his project to elevate the aspects of darkness, mystery, and enlightenment!

Across this tape, we have a variety of looped beats with minimalistic layers and atmospheric effects and sounds!

I’m talking about those synth chords on repeat, those glossy, wobbling strings, subtle drums, and an array of various samples and snippets to give the tracks their own specific flavour. 

What I like about this project is how fluent it feels!

This feels less like a collection of songs and more one long sonic representation of dope music done in a hypnotic and mesmerising manner! I honestly feel that Jazzy wanted to capture that late 2000s early 2010s intensity and dark eccentricity of the Odd Future formula with those doom and gloom instrumentation and overall shocking nature, and that’s what I’m getting! Like Tyler’s ‘Bastard’ or Earl’s ‘Earl mixtape’, it’s all reminiscent of that (to me at least).

Speaking of Odd Future, I’m getting a similar energy off JOHNNY! Across this tape, he’s giving a strong Earl Sweatshirt aura! He has the same strong lyricism, the same hypnotic flow and vocal execution, and a masterful vocabulary that feels top tier compared to his contemporaries!

He has a level of coldness to his voice that borders on dead and monotone. He sounds as ruthless as they come with the verbal mastery to match! 

I’ve heard Jazzy rap alongside a lot of MC’s but none quite like him! His cold-blooded nature is infectious, his raw and definite style and performance remind me of Earl shocking the industry back in the day with controversy and skill, and on this, I feel the exact same way!

There’s no reason he can’t be the one to deliver that shock to the system the underground might need soon to re-vamp and bring back the need for change, innovation, and originality!

One of the strongest tapes I’ve heard of Jazzy Lion to date! It’s ruthless and dark in the best ways possible! Go witness their fantastic chemistry below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2jztlIOEWfZ5C8M5VbXlWU?si=IPpfYAr2Q5OfclHninDP7w

(El Pueblo)

Well, I can say with 100% certainty that this pairing was not something I’d ever expect! When I got the message informing me of this collaboration, I was excited beyond belief as one of the most critically acclaimed MC’s goes off using production from one of the most creative and innovative minds in the underground right now! Put those together, and you’re guaranteed to come out with greatness! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new single by MC Stove God Cooks and producer Brycon! Together, they formulate a one-minute and 58-second song that shines light on a new side of Stove God (ahead of his mainstream debut), one that I’ve seen firsthand get mixed reactions from the fans, but if we are basing it specifically off this single, then we definitely have nothing to worry about!

If we start with the production side of things, we have Brycon who decided to use a more acoustic and stripped-back approach for the instrumental. I’m talking plucked acoustic guitar, with some light synth sounds in the background and some traditional drums that are as soft-spoken as they are intricate! 

Across the chorus parts, there is a smooth vocal harmony that is a simple ‘Ooooh’ on loop, which has its own distinct rhythm to it that’s catchy and infectious!

This is without a doubt the most skeletal track I’ve heard Stove God on! I fucking love the fact that Brycon decided to switch the script and go completely minimal!

If he had told me prior to the drop ‘I’ll be making a beat for StoveGod’ I would have spent all day picturing the over-the-top, theatrical, cinematic type beat he would have made for it because of how lively and colourful his music normally is! So to hear him go as bare as can be, it’s a side I respect and actually suits the track in the end!

When talking about Stove God. Although as I mentioned above, there are some worries about his major label debut and if he’ll maintain his trademark style or not, it seems on this track it’s not something to worry about because to me, he sounds as solid as he always has!

In this track, we have his usual freelance, vibrant rap performance, which combines his own unique take on melodic half-singing, half-adlibs, and half-rapping that comes together in his own controlled chaos storm that only he can pull off!

Although his verse is short and sweet, he utilises all the charisma and street prowess that got him this far and uses the opportunity working with this acoustic beat to strengthen himself, make sure his wordplay pops harder! That his rhythm is that much more explosive and that his flow is ever more impactful! 

This single makes me excited for his album drop! I still feel the authenticity that he’s famous for, and I love what Brycon brought to the table! It’s the perfect storm of verse and beat that comes together in hip-hop harmony! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/3KUMKRMMgAc7mopRyWtJ4J?si=XATgNbCURL657EUeGzEJ7w

(View Of A Lifetime)

The word ‘Icon’ gets thrown around casually these days. I suppose the more saturated the industry becomes, the more chance of inflated opinions and pedestal-rising. 

But this man has definitely been that ‘Icon’ for years now! A man who has helped set the bar for what the underground should represent and the quality behind it. Now with his new drop, he reminds everyone why he is one of the greatest to ever do it!

This is the brand-new album by MC legend SkyZoo! With this album being produced by the likes of 

-Camoflauge Monk

-Tuamie

-Cartune Beatz

-DJ Manipulator 

-Conductor Williams

-Thelonious Martin

-The Other Guys

-Leo Confident

And together they help drop an album that highlights the trademark qualities and skills that have made Sky such a household name! First of all, although there are eight different minds behind the instrumentals, they somehow all work together in harmony and perfect synchronicity to create a well-balanced sound that’s fluent, engaging, and ever so harmonious in texture.

For example, we have that beautifully woven intro track by Camo! You’ve got that heartfelt spoken word passage that evolves into this gorgeous jazz rap sound with those big violin sounds, jazz horns, and funky 90’s-style drum patters! 

We have tracks like ‘Devotion’ by Conductor Williams that bring to life that mysteriously infectious soundscape that Conductor is known for! 

You’ve got those distorted jazz horns, those atmospheric piano keys, as well as more funky drums that all come together to bring to life a world that’s equal parts angelic and original!

Another track I fucked with heavily was ‘The Soloist’ as it deals with more authentic jazz instrumentation! This might be the smoothest track on the record with those fluent, wind-like jazz horns in that loop as well as a separate layer in a more freelance form across the tape! You’ve got those passing key chords and some minimal drums that help make this track an absolutely breathtaking experience!

As far as his MC work goes, he’s not a rapper; he’s a ‘writer’ in every sense of the word. He’s a prolific author who strings the hearts of millions with his authentic passion, conviction, and consistency that 90% of the game doesn’t have! Across this album, he sounds smoother than ever; he sounds well in his prime as he effortlessly glides through the instrumentation like a blade of grass through the wind!

He treats every song like its own individual story with his own perspectives, ideologies, life experiences, and thoughts to match. The kind of man to change your outlook on the world with just 16 bars and enough power and influence to hardware your perception on hip hop with just one album, and I feel this is that! 

 I found myself entranced and taken aback with his performances on this record. His mature wordplay, his precise game, and his calm and collected cadence, and the way he’s able to enunciate every single word in the clearest fashion, is something he’s mastered that most rappers don’t get!

With no need for features or any reason for interruption, it’s just him, and that’s all he ever needs! Someone who is strong enough to carry a record (as he’s done for his whole career) and a man who has enough personality to carry a whole group, he lets his natural talent and charisma bring this album to its incredible magnitudes! 

As expected, another solid release by SkyZoo. Whether you’re talking about the incredible production or just him and his god-level bars, this is one you don’t want to miss!

https://open.spotify.com/album/5lqT5BOozWHgk5SPCw3PDf?si=qp6w424UTHOMKZ7cGNgwgg

(BOOM BAP WORLD ORDER VOL. 1)

Man, I’m loving the fact that I only spot these two together. I feel like the modern era doesn’t have as much respect for duos as the old school did. Acts like

– Mobb Deep

– Gang Starr

– Raekwon and Ghostface Killah

– Redman & Method Man

I feel like there was a lot more respect for and reverence for a pair-up. I feel these days it’s just a matter of ‘okay, worked with you, next’ rather than solid working and sticking together! But for these two brothers, it’s an actual brotherhood! The type that remains as strong even years later and hopefully decades later! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new December drop by MC ZELL and Producer Dev Rogers, who appear with a fresh 11 tracks, 24 minutes of heat that is bound to get you fired up!

On this occasion, I feel the expectation of sounds is self-explanatory from the title. This is a volume full of BOOM BAP excellence, showcasing all the variations, original takes, and devastatingly effective techniques used to make every track feel new and refreshing while still maintaining that cold-blooded boom-bap feel! 

For example, you’ve got those classic scattered glossy piano keys mixed in with those heavy drums, thick bass lines, and plucked strings, as is commonplace throughout the project, but on top of that, you have specific sonic quirks and features that stand out!

For example, on the track ‘#62 EASTSIDE STORY’, we have an almost ambient insertion to that classic sound with those sci-fi synth chords that have a messy and glitching effect as well as this one random spazz chord that came out of nowhere and never actually returned! A very interesting addition to the song!

Or if we take a look at ‘#58 BOYZ N THE HOOD’, you have these haunting piano keys and eerie string progressions and thick bass! A track that feels like a literal haunted house experience infused with hip-hop!

That’s the point I’m trying to convey here! Each track in its structure is boom-bap influenced, but it’s what Dev does with the remaining aspects, how he changes it up, what varieties and influences he chooses to play with to make a difference subgenre of the boom-bap, and in that effort, he absolutely kills it! 

11 different examples of a classic genre! 

Although the sounds might be experimented with, one aspect surely isn’t, and that’s ZELL, or as I once said, the real Inosuke (if you know, you know), a man who has set the tone with his aggressive approach and intensity woven into every aspect of his performance that it’s quite literally impossible to ignore!

Across these 24 minutes, we see him in his element, in his wheelhouse, so to speak. With these boom-bap structures, he is the predator and king of the sonic jungle, and he’s out for blood! I’m talking: 

– Trademark Ruthless Charisma

– In your face, raw flow

– Unapologetic wordplay and lyricism

– Unstoppable conviction and passion

– Heavy-handed, almost shouting vocal performances

All this has kept and maintained Zell as a crucial artist in the underground, and on this record, he’s even more so! He’s a man who’s constantly evolving in his levels of confidence and relentless behaviour on the beat! A man whose lyricism feels more like an intense preaching than it does usual rap lyrics and a man who has no problem rocking a full-length with no features!

Always the man of the hour, never taking a backseat to no one. He comes at you like a verbal tornado, often warning us about the troubles of life and the cost of consequences! A grave reminder that when shit gets real, IT GETS REAL, and we get to sit back as helpless bystanders and listen to this reality come to life!

Once again, another phenomenal, adrenaline-pumping record by one of my favourite duos at it right now! Don’t sleep on the kids, go listen now below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2DNrCbcKM4kGTpGaJhEH8R?si=iMAHO4RMSmSGKZfs4FYqGw

(Count The Bodies 2)

I don’t understand how this man does it. Someone has to test his brain and see how he can function with such little sleep! Everyone always asks me how I thrive under pressure. I’m living luxury compared to what he must be in! Accompanied by two other solid workers, and you have a recipe for a trio that defined the underground as we know it today! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new collaboration Sequel album between the returning of the powerhouse producer Machacha and MC’s Andre DeSaint & Hell’z OWN as they link up for a solid 11-track record that has the potential to be ‘AOTY’ certified!

What shocked me initially was the fact that the FIRST TRACK IN I could have sworn it was my new favourite instrumental (which is absolutely insane considering how many drops he’s had this year). 

I consider it the perfect introduction to showcase both the sonic prowess and the lyrical aggression of the two MC’s! 

As the record continues, we hear Machacha go off with a fresh batch of fresh sounds, original fresh takes on the oversaturated boom-bap culture with his sharp instincts, variable influences, and his trademark mastery of techniques that has kept his work at the forefront of the underground for over 2 dozen records in a row! 

It wouldn’t be easy to make a score worthy of the verbal ruthlessness that is Andre and Hell’z, but if anyone was capable of creating that atmosphere, it definitely was him!

Speaking of the duo, I can’t express enough how exciting it is to see two of the most talented and stand out MC’s in the culture right now, and as much as I’ve loved their individual work, the idea of the duo working hand in hand is a ridiculous concept that I couldn’t be more eager to hear, and to no one’s surprise, this one went HARD!

These two come like a sonic shotgun shell, each more devastating than the last as they complement each other’s styles to the tee! You have Andre, who has that complex lyrical energy with his calm and collected approach and his direct focus on word enunciations and a fluent flow that is both smooth and assertive!

Then you have Hell’z OWN, who initiates the more aggressive and hard-hitting verbal assaults as he stands toe to toe with his dominant and cutthroat flow and precise bullet shots! He’s a no-nonsense rapper that has developed one of the most underrated catalogues of the year, and I feel this is the record to finally give him his credit! 

This was one of the most entertaining and memorable records of the year! Might be my favourite production by Machacha, and the duo’s quality is undeniably outstanding! This is a record I want everyone to hear! Link below!

https://open.spotify.com/album/77dytwzzWOYzaIEYAYIuoZ?si=nBKVXYwgRqyrdD_OeFG9cQ

(Raw Materials)

 was happy to see this album drop. Why? Well, it’s because it’s produced by a man that I had brief experience with in the past and one I’m hoping to expand my knowledge of! A man who has critical acclaim from all the underground culture I talk with and one who has quietly built a solid production discography for himself that can definitely be celebrated when it’s all said and done, and this can be another addition to the list!

This is the brand-new collaboration effort between Producer Child Actor and MC Deniro Farrar, and together they drop a solid 11 tracks with the likes ofNickelus F andLute on the feature list!

I want to talk about Child first. Because he’s a man whose music always screams atmosphere. I can’t quite put my finger on it or explain, but his music always feels ‘grander’ and more ‘surreal’ than his contemporaries, and this record is right up that ally!

Across this tape, we hear Child inherit the most beautiful and powerful instrumentation that has the effect of engulfing the audience in aura-filled beats and soundscapes that are equal parts mesmerising and thrilling in structure. 

This album feels like a consistent and fluent expression of soul, jazz, ambient, and ASMR-sounding beats that extract any possible grief or stress in the body and lift it away! It’s truly magical. There are a lot of tracks with delicate piano keys, light and soft vocal melody loops, jazz horns, and the whole nine yards. This album is a major show of expression by Child as he bares his vulnerable and creative soul onto the music and leaves his free spirit imprinted into the record itself, leaving a lasting impact that will last for years guaranteed. 

Talking about the MC in this equation, Deniro, a man who I hadn’t heard of before but a man I know would shine when in the hands of the creative genius of Child, so I was optimistically looking forward to his work, and as I expected, he absolutely nailed his parts!

What stood out to me the most about him was his reverence and calm demeanour on the tracks! He has the energy of a concentrated hustler who knows better than to lash out and act wild, a man who realises being calm and collected is far more powerful than the opposite.

Across this album, he delivers his bars with grace unlike most. His street poetry is prevalent and beautifully delivered. He has such a smooth flow paired with a strong vocabulary that impresses me listening to his colourful verses! 

He has a fantastic charisma with a conviction that bleeds through the tracks. You can hear his raw emotion and mental on the tracks as he explains his situations, gives you vivid imagery of his life, his scenarios, and the stuff he has to deal with!

His performances sound like a combination of free-lance speaking thoughts out loud type style and the old school, perfecting the basics of the 90s with his sharp lyricism and well-structured verses! It’s an interesting fusion that I don’t find in most other artists!

For someone I only discovered with this record, he’s already become a must-listen artist, and of course, Child remains one of the most captivating producers in the game, period. You NEED to check this album out now! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6TPTiriRXE6r5Yt5qCqk1i?si=IzmlIytWTYytxG3tISsA5g

(THE RETURN OF MONA LISA)

This is an album review long overdue! With the amount of submissions I have to attend to, it’s easy for me to get lost in the motions of things, but nonetheless, here we are with a record that definitely had my attention when it dropped and for fucking good reason! Let’s talk about it!

This is the October drop by Producer Noisey Ne!ghbour with a monstrous roster which consists of: 

-Estee Nack

-Tha God Fahim

-Jalen Frazier

-CRIMEAPPLE

-Action Figure973

-Snotty

-Brother Tom SOS 

And let me tell you this. The moment I put this album on and heard those ridiculous beats, I was like ‘WHAT THE FUCK’ out loud! Thankfully, I was alone, but fuck man, this is some heavy, exclusively boom-bap-flavoured grime that will knock you on your ass!

I’m talking about that mean mugging, cold-hearted, break-ya-neck type shit that had me grooving from start to finish until the album stops!

With that intro that describes a famous painting going missing and the re appearing in some thriller-based spoken word, which then evolved into the first official track ‘Horror Flick’ which sets the tone for the rest of the album!

That track alone is one of the most cold tracks I’ve ever heard! It has this old-school, classical vibe to it combined with some modern boom

Bap! You’ve got those haunting organ chords alongside some background piano pieces with some heavy synth and drums so thick you’ll feel winded by the end of it!

Also, let’s not forget the LEGEND himself, Estee Nack (on his one of two appearances), going Old Testament on the instrumental!

 From there, we have ‘Bullet Showers’ which takes a more minimal jazz approach that I fell in love with instantly! This track has a noir feel to it with those dark and brooding jazz horns that feel distorted in execution! That loop alongside these high-pitched piano keys! And more skeletal drums! 

This is the type of track that sounds like a desperate man in the bottom of a bottle! It’s gloomy, hopeless, and captivating in every single way!

Not to mention the pair of features that dominate the track! 

Iron Mic was another standout track for me because of its WSG-inspired instrumental! You’ve got those glossy piano keys on loop alongside these 1950s-sounding keys in the background, which sounds like an old-school ice cream van coming along! 

The bass on this song is so subtle it was almost lost on me to point out! Nonetheless, this bare and stripped-back production was perfect for the MC of the calibre of my main man Action to go OFF on!

He took the minimal track and created his own atmosphere on top of it! Stellar performance! 

The point to make is that Noisey has presented us with some of the most ruthless beats you’ll hear in your lifetime, and to do so with the most relentless roster you’ll see is an accomplishment most won’t ever be able to attain!

Go back and read this fucking line-up at the top of the review. Those names by themselves would dominate your favourite rapper, but combine them? And you have total destruction! I’m talking scorched earth, massacre everyone type shit!

It’s impossible to know who did the best on here because that would be the equivalent of deciding ‘which god is more divine’, it’s a paradox of a question.

Each man rips through the instrumental provided! He purposely chooses these powerhouses to make memorable verses that will leave an imprint on the mind and make this a project you want to keep returning to, and it fucking worked! The only repeating MC was Estee Nack, but the rest utilised their charisma, original personalities, and verbal gifts to explode on the beat and showcase why they are the best going! 

If you haven’t heard this yet. There’s still time to earn forgiveness! Go push play below and listen to the ruthless magic! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6AFmy91c8Bu6BqFx2T3n3Q?si=Jz4eDai8TReORjFRvbiT7w

(SONIC VORTEX)

Now, this is a duo to get excited about! Two of my most familiar artists inside and out of the music. Two men who have spent the year upgrading and developing their styles and techniques, and all that has come to fruition on this song! Let’s talk about it!

This is the latest single by MC FLYG and Producer Dev Rogers! United (to my knowledge) once before on the song ‘GODLY CONSTRUCTION’ and now returning with this new song that I can only describe as ‘unique’ in its presentation and structure.

First of all, let’s talk about FLYG. Now, I will get the negatives out of the way first by saying I feel his vocals are a tad bit rough on this song; it feels unmastered or unfiltered in some way. Maybe it was meant to sound that way due to the nature of the song or to experiment with his vocals in some new way, but that concern hit me from the get-go, but besides that, I rock with the verse provided! 

On this track, we are gifted with his trademark methodical excellence. As he’s become so adapted to over the years, he’s mastered the art of making every single word and sentence breathe and feel the heaviness of his voice and wordplay.

I feel in this song in particular, he has a more refined and borderline quirky dialogue with his puns that I loved! Some of my favourites were: 

– The Feeling of a hammer to a nail, out to make the green like some kale. 

Or even the line – smash you together, like a freshly made sandwich/meaning your food/make sure you dip before I get my hands on you.

All these are fun, quality one-liners that just pop across the beat! I swear at this point you could make a whole book just on the various one-liners he’s used this year! Always a fun listen!

That would have been my final thoughts had the track not gone into transition and switched up entirely! 

I ain’t kidding, I had to look back at my Spotify app to see if the song had changed! This reminded me of fucking Travis Scott’s ‘Sicko Mode’ in the way it unexpectedly switched, and we hear FLYG briefly command his presence on the surprise sonic trap floor! Unreal treat for the listener!

Across the production, we have, as mentioned above, Dev Rogers, a man whose beats I’ve come to anticipate with much love and excitement, and this single reminded me why!

Across this song, we have this heavy soul feel track. 

You’ve got those angelic vocal samples that are a balance between whispers and light harmonies! On top of that, we have these sci-fi-like synth chords, subtle bass that all comes together for a rather soothing and relaxing experience!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

As described above, there comes a time in the song when it’s switched and transformed from what you think is the end (that sonic trap door), and the beat falls into this more distorted and manipulated experience with more in-your-face bass and abrupt instrumentation that sounds reverberated! 

Either way, this is a fun song. The more I listen to it, the less the vocal recording bothers me, but I’m not one to lie on reviews! Definitely a great track as they always will be together! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2tELN3zw736MMhPohWk9nW?si=WfZLgMADQzaAKi-iGljXDw

(The Immovable Object Meets The Unstoppable Force)

When I think of three artists who have made a major breakthrough of the year, no more make a bigger impression than these three. This trio has had extraordinary success in 2025, and all in their own lanes have gained notoriety for their quality and dedication, and now as they come together, they are bound for more undoubted success. Let’s talk about it!

This is the powerhouse collaboration between the trio of MC’s B1 The Architect/Words and the producer Hi-Q, and they come together as a unit, making 12 tracks with the gang of 

-DJ Invasion

-Shark

-Jake Haw

And now this thing is a grand project as you’ll find in the world today! With these three names associated, you have a record that’s equal parts -defying, -passionate, and -atmospheric in the most fundamental ways possible!

If we start with that production, once again, Hi-Q showcases exactly why he’s one of the most talented and developed producers we’ve experienced in the game right now. From his first January project to now, he’s like a whole new person with a brand new arsenal and a tier of quality that most will die to attain!

Right off that opening track, as we hear the combination of those swaying chords, elegant piano work, strummed strings, and such a heavy emphasis on rawness that it feels sinful to attempt to ignore such a bombastic instrumental! 

Not to mention that ridiculously thick bass that has me damn near shaking in my chair and crumbling my headphones!

You’ve got the track ‘Crushed Bones’ which sounds like a hate anthem. If 555 is human and 666 is the devil, then this is the 1000th element made of pure violence, grime, and devastation! You’ve got those dark choir vocals, those looped horns, minimal drum effects, and those ridiculous strings and cuts that this track feels like a fever dream of epic proportions! Has to be my favourite beat on the whole record! 

Even if we look at the track ‘Burning Down The Entrance’, which sounds like Lucifer himself just walked into the building! You’ve got those haunting piano keys, those eerie chords, and those rhythmic drum beats that come together to make a supernatural track that is literally the sonic equivalent of ‘Burning Down The Entrance’ of all the worthless haters and their bitch-ass sounds!

Once again, Hi-Q has proved the Q stands for Quality as he drops another set of banger tracks that somehow make an even stronger statement than before!

Speaking of stronger statements, we have to discuss the performances and chemistry of both B1 and Words. With what sounds like verbal battleships, when you move B1 to Words, you SINK the competition with no chance of survival. Across this record, we hear these two underground titans play a sonic game of brotherly warfare as they try to outdo the other with their strongest abilities and skills yet!

Between the two of them, you have each man showcasing their own unique talents, their equally dope but uniquely positioned MC skills and cadences that make them the beasts they are today.

With Words, you have that trademark sadistic streak of intense wordplay, his no-nonsense approach to his flow, and his killer pen game that makes you wonder if you’re listening to just a hardcore MC or a secret serial killer flaunting his body count! 

A man with no empathy or remorse for the competition and doesn’t even water down his style for the brother alongside him! He’s a vicious competitor who will use his words to put you down if you let them!

Tagging alongside him, we have the wordsmith himself, B1! A true architect for the English language who has a million ways he can out-rap, out-word, and out-verse you and make it look easy! 

He’s known for his strong and steady flow with his charisma-flooded complex lyrical structures and intricate pen game that can take endless amounts of directions (as we’ve seen with his last releases) up until now.

If anything he’s the literacy professor who has no fear of anyone or anything in his path as he knows just how strong he is! 

Both of them bring with them a select few who are strong willed enough to survive being on tracks with these duo and they knock their guest parts out of the park! Solid verses that add energy to the tracks where needed! 

All in all, (as expected) this trio doesn’t miss. With phenomenal performances on each end this is one for the fucking record books! Whether your B1 or H-Q using mathematics or WORDS this is a formula everyone will understand and feel! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2XYQo9RYiauUL1WKrhcNCy?si=hcl3GTwCSVujYD7xUD4PBg

(DON’T GET SHIT YOU ALREADY KNOW CONFUSED)

Talk about an intense title. Anyway, this EP I would love to say is ‘unexpected’ but it’s really not. Because over the years I’ve seen these two men collaborate slowly but surely on a bunch of different drops and now we come to this natural conclusion (which as a fan of both men, has me very excited) so let’s dive into it!

This is (as stated above) the brand new EP project by MC’s AU and DJ Krooked as well as production by 

-DJ Krooked

-PSEUDOSCORPION

-KING OSEAUN 

And with only four tracks to discuss, this is a short and sweet prequel to the upcoming ‘WIZARDZ’ project dropping I assume very soon! 

Now, the four tracks are as follows

-FROM THE FUTURE

-ALREADY KNOW

-TIE DYE

-DON’T GET SHIT CONFUSED 

and across these tracks we have a variety of sounds that we can get into! Starting with the intro track, we have a song that’s a dark and manipulated interpretation of Jazz! You’ve got those mesmerising Jazz horns, accompanied by some haunting/lively piano keys and very subtle drum patterns that are barely there but make themselves known through an eerie minimal presence!

On track two, we have a more lively and groovy track compared to the first! This feels like a blend of 2000’s Trap, Crunk and Experimental influences! You’ve got these heavy electronic synth chords running through the track as well as some distorted/hypnotic drums and an overall club vibe instrumental! 

On track three, it’s a more smooth rhythmic soundscape! What sounds like a blend of Soul and RnB mixed with modern-day hip hop! Starting with those intro chords, we have those infectious snaps accompanied by those funky chords! That pattern grows as the song continues into something you’d expect Pharrell to make! 

It’s dance-worthy, soothing and groovy all in one! Probably my favourite track on the EP!

On the closing track, we have a more direct and deeper production than the other three. This one feels surreal and methodical all in one with its dark overtones and dramatic presentations! Which I feel is fitting for a closing overture to hammer in that raw and uncut direction!

As far as the MC work goes, I’d have to say they make a good duo! You have two completely different personalities and charismas taking turns going off but not too much to interfere with the other and their time in the sun!

It’s like ‘controller chaos’ at its finest. Two exceptional energies both equipped with lyrical wit, originality, creativity, and conviction, both presenting said traits in their own ways!

I do love how after each verse switch, you can hear that alternative aura come to life as the second man steps in. You can feel the tides turn and the atmosphere evolve depending on the other artists’ style and cadences! It’s like listening to the weather change! Two different powers, both equally impressive!

Between them, you’ve got free-lance flows to more controlled textures. Verbal stability vs uncontrolled verbal anarchy. The more traditional approach vs the new wave of bursting sonic waves!

This honesty feels like the classic meets the new school in terms of each man and their respective styles on this album, and combined with those interesting instrumentals, you have an EP you aren’t soon to forget!

So, why wait? Go check it out below! If nothing else, I promise you it will be memorable! 

https://krooked.bandcamp.com/album/dont-get-the-shit-you-already-know-confused