(MARLO STANFIELD)

*NEW EP ALERT* What’s more exciting than discovering a new artist? Not much.  It’s always a good experience to widen my range and find different people in the game, so without further ado, the new William Bostick EP!

So, 4 new tracks with a 10-minute run time.

-MY NAME IS MY NAME

-MARLO STANFIELD

-WRAPPED DIFFERENT

-SINNERS TOAST

And William does both the performing and the producing. Which is a pretty dope skill to have, and he does both fantastically! Each of these 4 tracks sounds larger than life, grand, crisp, and lavish.

There’s a level of detail and depth to these instrumentals with various influences such as: 

-Boom Bap

-East Coast Grime Hip Hop

-Soul 

Each song has its own personality and flavour, which gives the listener a choice of sounds to enjoy and choose from. For example, the opening track has the most smooth and glamorous production with what sounds like an 80’s Soul vocal sample loop. 

Then the second track has that in-your-face, street shit Boom Bap to break your neck to! The third track has a more mainstream hip-hop flavour with a more polished and accessible beat that I feel would be played in clubs! 

That final track is what I feel has the most grime-heavy production with those deep keys and piano notes! Sounds like something DJ Premier would make for a Gang Starr record!

Across this EP, William provides a series of compelling verses, bars, and flows to complement those instrumentals! His penmanship is dope and smooth when rapping across the various beats. I love how on track 3 he uses the inspiration of the Slick Rick song ‘Lodi Dodi’, which is one of my favourite rap songs.

Plus, his use of vocal snippets on a few of the songs definitely helps build a certain ambience and atmosphere to the project and makes it feel that little bit more theatrical! 

From the fluent rapping and the excellent production, this is definitely one of the highlight projects of the year so far! Short and sweet and definitely worth checking out!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7xpdFFhXVMtKHsaVy09qdO?si=Aq4tl4bqRhOIkYd0XRV-pQ

(OUT FOR BLOOD)

Man, this is a cool moment for me. This all started because I decided to ask a regular customer at my grocery store where I work what kind of music he fucks with. He told me metal and that he’s in a band (this one) and to check them out. So here we go!

This is the latest EP by band ‘Eight Count’, a hardcore punk band from Melbourne, Australia. Consisting of 5 tracks with a run time of 10 minutes.

This is the kind of punk I love, heavy, unforgiving, and ruthless. If I had to describe the sound, it would be a mix of Black Flag, Kenmode, and Minor Threat.

From the opening note, you have those sluggish and monstrous guitar riffs, and right away with those heavy vocals, there’s no fucking around with these boys; they go right to the chase, no bullshit.

One thing I love to hear on this record (which is something exclusive to Melbourne) is the sound of the woman saying ‘Now Arriving At Frankston’ on the intro to the track ‘3199’,

which is a sound that would probably give nightmares to anyone from here past a certain time due to its ’dangerous’ reputation but iconic nonetheless for those who know of it.

On tracks like ‘Born 4 War’, you hear this more classic punk interpretation in those opening notes, which give off the ‘Black Flag/Minor Threat’ vibes. The heaviness of the album is what reminds me of ‘KENMODE’ in its relentless and deep riffs, slamming drums, and vicious vocal performances, and I feel the track ‘Revenge’ suits that description the best!

The final track ‘Dog House’ is a brutally crafted track to end the project with. The long and sharp guitar notes across this track paired with those fast-paced drums followed by an absolutely shredding guitar solo was the definition of EPIC! They pulled no stops for the close, and it’s probably my favourite on the whole album.

If you’re a punk/metal fan, then trust that this album is for you and for anyone who loves their music heavy and unforgivable! Try it out now! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6f2dZ2aHqquE8memTx7ws7?si=2EiXidIIQu-ya087NXa3RQ

(FLAiRSTARR)

Man, what an exciting collaboration to think of. Jay Nice and Fredro Star. Two legends in their own right, so let’s talk about it!

This latest album features 10 songs with a 35-minute run time. The entire album is produced by Fredro himself, and the features are as follows:

-Fredro Starr

-Ru$h

-Tha God Fahim

-Big Cheeko

-Kuji Young

And let’s start with the production because it definitely makes like Starr in beat form. You can hear that hardcore influence with those raw, bass-heavy, crisp, and East Coast Street sounds. The kind of shit you’d bop your head to till your neck ain’t working anymore.

Across the violent, hardcore beats, he also incorporated a lot of smooth and catchy rhythms like on the track ‘Never Enough’ that shows Fredro’s diverse side to be able to make more soul-sounded instrumentals.

Even the track ‘Motion Picture’ which sounds like a beautifully crafted 90’s movie montage theme. Has those infectious horns in the background with that light, skeletal beat in the forefront. 

Over the years, Fredro has definitely evolved and improved himself from a rapper to a producer, and this is an excellent example of his work!

Now, on the shortlist of names you could think to accompany Starr on these types of beats, I’d say Jay Nice would be at the top of that list. He’s a man who doesn’t know how to take L’s in his career, and he doesn’t start now.

He showcases his fluent flow, his versatility, and his rare breed of lyricism and penmanship. Across these 10 tracks, he doesn’t miss a beat, his bars are on point, and his passionate yet raw vocals attach to the beats, and he makes them his own.

With every verse, I’m left completely hanging on every word simply because of how talented he is. He’s the kind of MC where he walks into the studio, and the world listens. You drop him in a remote village in Africa, and he’ll leave with a 5-Mics album, but you pair him with a legend like Fredro, and you’re guaranteed a modern-day classic.

Across this album the features understand the task and drop their own amazing fire verses that live up to the hype of the record. They mesh well with Jay and helps him sharpen his own skills by being put with a handful of the best out!

Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this but this shit goes HARD. The beats are solid, the rapping is dope and everyone synced together better than I could have hoped! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6YlHQCJQbORpwlQRHYf1oh?si=uIBmxY2qS6isBUwx0lh-rg

(Everything Is Art Vol. 1,000)

Fam Ross, the man who has already released 2 major drops that I’ve covered, is back yet again! He’s determined to make my ‘Most Consistent Artist of 2025’ list, and the way things are going, he’ll no doubt be in the top 3 when all is said and done! 

So, this new project has 11 tracks with a run time of 20 minutes. For a mere 20 minutes (which is shorter than an average sitcom episode), Fam

packs in a considerable amount of depth, artistry, and penmanship!

As per usual, his rapping technique is god tier. He’s confident, and he’s earned the respect of his peers and the culture itself, so he’s going to run his!

His raspy voice combined with those energetic bars and flow makes him a deadly combination on any production you put him on! Also, he’s talented enough to switch it up depending on the vibe.

He can rap his raw, aggressive bars or he can tone it down, take his time, and tap into his poetic/conceptual range. There isn’t any lane he can’t merge when he feels the desire, and that’s what makes him such a problem in the underground.

Across this project, he’s brought with him the likes of: 

-Jvggy Hendrix 

-Audio Messah

-Sincere Minister

And of course, these lyrical assassins maintain the cadence of the record. Each feature verse brings their own personal fire to the beats and leaves a memorable verse! 

Now, onto production. Which this time around is done by a whole conglomerate of men including: 

-Kheyzine

-DJ Mello Rasheed

-William Bostick

-Arsinel

-Bossy412

-Fiqqouw

-MGerm

-Gold Matter

And these men, who are left in charge of creating the lucid and larger-than-life atmosphere for this album, provide individual pieces to the puzzle that all help form the final picture.

This production feels mellow, ambient, soothing, and crisp. This is the kind of production that sounds like a quiet walk through a forest during sunset, watching the sun slowly going down and the temperature decreasing, darkness setting in minute by minute. 

There’s something about that specific moment in the day that I can’t help but feel tranquil and at peace.

Nothing makes me happier when a group of producers working on the same project come together so definitely to create the same vibe and these guys did it as perfect as you can. Many minds who manifest the one goal, one dream. 

Overall, man this is yet again another killer release by Fam Ross. This very well might be HIS year! At the rate he’s going I wouldn’t doubt it at all!

https://open.spotify.com/album/3KbZoo2u2U25pVQFyEHfCm?si=OIcNu7NwQuCH7xoyuAKH_g

(The Re-Up)

Time for another artist discovery. Rapper Johnny Blaze comes with Heat on this 2023 release, so let’s talk about it!

This is a 12-track album with features from

-Darkside Slay

-Champ2x

-Dai$y

-F.A

-Dylan Murphy

-F.B (Fame Bound)

-Mac Vill

All of which are also new to me, so for me, this is completely undiscovered territory, and that makes it all the more special! 

Let’s start with the man of the hour, Johnny Blaze. The man has a unique and articulate voice that makes any song with him on it stand out due to his high-energy flow and vibrant bars! You can hear in his tone his passion for the game, his excitement in the instrumentals, and his willingness to express himself the utmost and be the most confident one in the room!

His style is a combination of hype and enthusiasm! A mix between the love of the game and the ego to realise he’s the man. Utilising these attributes, he spits dynamic and spirited lyricism that has him shining from the beginning to end! 

The production side of things run by Mugga Beats is very interesting to me as there are a few different styles showcased, such as

-Mainstream Hip Hop

-Underground Hip Hop

-RnB

-G Funk

-East Coast Grit

-Trap

Across each influence, you get a nice rendering of the genre, and listeners get a fun, crisp, and engaging experience across this sonic landscape. No matter what sound you’re into most, this record will have something for everyone! 

I’m always a fan of variety albums when they are done right and not just done for the sake of having a mixture, but this time around, I feel every track and its individual atmosphere works really well, and the vibes that go along with each of these are always high and full of spirit! 

No matter what level of Hip Hop fan you are, I’m sure you’ll find something to fuck with on this one! The features are dope, the production is dope, and Blaze is dope! What’s not to like? 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2yNTwjY9hAsEwRzorq9pvT?si=xId-T-ZsRcuML3ZAidKVIQ

(Higher Ground)

It’s been a minute since I was first introduced to Skinny Bonez Tha Godfather with his absolutely incredible Jazz album, and now this time alongside rapper Ilkay C I can observe his Hip Hop side, so let’s do it!

This time around, 4 tracks: 

-Krazy

-Hell On Earth

-Next Episode

-C’est La Vie

Across this project, I heard Skinny inheriting the vibe of the late 90’s and early 2000’s era in the rape game. I’m picturing the late 2pac, Jay-Z, etc., very crisp and larger than life in nature. With the use of those instrumental strings playing in the background over those traditional hip hop beats to make for a short yet satisfying and engaging EP experience.

Each of the 4 songs has a certain type of melodic instrument chord playing ever so faintly in the shadow of the beat yet provides that level of ‘depth’ and ‘class’ to the overall project.

Ilkay, a man who is new to me until now. It says he’s been inspired by the likes of Big Pun, but in my opinion, he sounds more similar to the studio tendencies of a Notorious B.I.G. or a 2pac in the voice, cadence, and rhythm.

Across each of the 4 tracks, he’s showing off his ability to control his breathing, staying on top of the beat provided without missing a step. His penmanship is also impressive; his wordplay is strong, and his overall microphone performance is admirable across this EP landscape!

Overall, a nice and solid EP. Short and sweet and provides us with a fantastic collaboration that we will hopefully see more of in the future! 

https://skinnybonezthagodfatha.bandcamp.com/album/higher-ground

(Catch Me If You Can 2)

Not gonna lie, this very well be the hardest 15 minutes of your life. Willie The Kid & V Don. The supreme team in this bitch and they come to not only rock the culture, but to leave it a bloody mess. 

7 tracks, 7 deadly entries into the new year of Hip Hop and I can guarantee no one will do it as savage as these two. They ain’t here to play, from the very beginning you hear those royal keys enter the room you know the real ones have returned.

No nonsense was a term invented by Willie. He didn’t wait a millisecond before entering the project weapons drawn, blood soaked pen gripped and The Crown tipped, he’s here for bodies.

V Don, a man with endless depth of raw, deadly and dangerous beat packages to leave any self proclaimed ‘hardcore rapper’ switching lanes to avoid the real shit.

These beats are H.A.R.D and as thick as they come, cloaked with enough bass and grit to break ya neck for real and leave your chiropractor with a brand new Ferrari.

I can’t stress enough how dope this duo is, no features no help just a lethal combination of lyricism and production.  They communicated in 15 minutes what most couldn’t accomplish in their whole discographies. This is beyond street shit, beyond ghetto shit, this is that CROWN PRINCE SHIT and with V Don by his side, they are literally unstoppable!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7clkjkINZXBKSsgcfLRXvD?si=zyxFFVTZSGG-y7OP4dLwAg

(TDE Presents: The Tae Beast Tapes 2)

From the first beat tape in 2010, we are jumping ahead 15 years to the present day and arriving in the present where Tae Beast delivers us his sequel, and so without further delay, let’s talk about it!

This project is 14 songs and 39 minutes in length that features additional instrumentation from the likes of: 

-Ben Freedlander

-J. Valle

-Skhye Hutch

-Cameron Osteen

When I was sitting down listening to this album, letting it consume me, I was reminded of the first tape, and in comparison, I feel this one has fewer ‘Larger Than Life’ aspirations and more Lo-Fi, Mellow, and Soothing properties, which I fucking love!

Also, you can tell the paradigm shift with small things such as his usage of vocal harmonies done by: 

-Kayden Perkins

-JaVonte

-Alex Isley 

-Ash Riser 

This style of utilising such gorgeous vocal samples and performances woven into the beats themselves is very reminiscent of the Lo-Fi/Art Rap era, and that is one of my favourite subgenres of Hip Hop, so I already dug all that.

With this project, the soundscape reminds me of a project you’d hear from the likes of Knxwledge’ or ‘QNoRapName’ in their soul samples, ambient atmosphere, and tranquility-based instrumentals. 

This is the kind of project you could sit back after a long night of working and stress and just relax to the soothing sounds. This thing is beautifully crafted, to say the least, and every track just complements the track coming next to create the most natural-feeling project where every song supports the other!

I was impressed by Tae’s debut tape, but I honestly feel this vibe even more. I’m sure it’s up to the listener what styles and preferences they have for themselves, but for me, this sound is all me, and I will definitely be keeping this album on my replay list for a while to come!

https://open.spotify.com/album/16n4RJ6Oi6MMs2Z2UNzHr7?si=_XHdV5kKT2u1SaXu9Eh7uQ

(TAPIS)

Well, this is a first. I’m covering the artist ‘Many G’ who is a French rapper! Yup. He speaks fluent French on this album. But hey, I don’t discriminate between languages, so let’s get to it!

This project is 9 songs with a total of 34 minutes. Featuring the likes of 

-Rod Mira

-Dj Fu

-G Fam Black

-4LEGZ

With the expectation of G Fam Black, this is all new to me, and hell, I’m just excited to be able to be here for the journey!

So, let’s begin with production by Dan Atkill who is also French. From the beginning track, I hinted at a UK Drill flavour. But done in a more elegant and professional manner, after the first track, we get into more Underground Grimy Boom Bap style with a tad of influence of Classical and Theatrical style like if Boom Bap had a posh, wealthy cousin, then this would be it.

Every track is produced masterfully and executed with utmost precision and care; you can just hear it in the beats themselves!

The rapping. The fun part of the review. Of course, I went into this knowing nothing of French, but based on the energy and charisma, this guy sounds dope. He has infectious cadence, dope flow, and eccentric rhythm! 

I’m sure whatever he’s spitting would be dope because there’s never a part he skips a beat, layer, or anything. He’s always on point. 

The features he runs with help maintain the atmosphere of the record! As stated above, the only one I’m familiar with is G Fam Black, but they all spit fire and annihilate the tracks they are on!

 

Overall, this is one dope foreign project. Sometimes, a language barrier isn’t important. Sometimes it’s the passion and energy that matters, and this duo has limitless potential! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0Eu28aeyDHWD5Ak2FKicoA?si=lBS6bE2DSVGy_TWfcvDPzQ

(Mysterioso)

The one part about living in Australia is that I get albums close to a day earlier than everyone else! So as the clock struck midnight, I’m here to cover the latest anticipated album by New Villain X Circa 97, so let’s go!

This latest project is 10 tracks and 29 minutes in length, with features including 

-ILLAH

-Sphere47

-$AMO HEUNG 

And across this project, we get a very different sound from Circa 97, a man who, if you’re familiar with the underground scene, needs no introduction, but for those who aren’t, he’s one of the best producers grinding the last few years to be one of the hottest and most sought after in the game. 

In this one, he’s bringing a more somber and earnest soundscape. On its surface, it sounds as if the 60’s has been revived, distorted, and in parts, the use of reverb to create a whole new sub-genre of beats that sound equally raw and grim. Such as tracks like ‘Spidey Senses’ that have that old-school voice sample slowed down and pitched to sound as eerie as possible over a skeletal and stripped-down underground beat.

Or the track ‘Infinite Horizons’ with those piano keys that sound like they are being played by the very soul of ‘melancholy’; it sounds like dread personified. Slow, shadowy, and heavy keys that really give the listener a creepy vibe. 

I’ve heard Circa on dark beats before, but this project takes his previous work and injects a whole new level to what we’ve known so far; this is a side of him that, although fascinating, is also very serious and solemn; it’s just honestly hard to absorb all at once.

Now, onto New Villain. A man who is new to me before this project, so I didn’t have any previous expectations for what I should expect, but across these doomsday beats, he does very well, utilising his no-nonsense lyrical style with the occasional pop culture puns such as ‘Shawn Michaels Smile’ or ‘Spidey Senses’, which does break the seriousness for a small while, but overall, I find his flow, penmanship, and bars in your face and savage at heart, which is fitting considering the production he’s working with.

The features do a fantastic job also at matching the sinister energy across this project with this apocalyptic atmosphere maintained from start to finish.

I’ll be honest, I was not expecting that. Is it a good album? Yes, it’s great! No surprise with Circa on the production, but it’s just 10x more sinister than I was experiencing, and that has surprised me so much that I think I might need a few days to process all I’ve heard! Either way, definitely not one to miss! Great collaboration between the two!

https://open.spotify.com/album/1TPhYgcpFiSjn8IowAnYrv?si=80PYFtveRIibBhVCfcl9sg