Another beat tape? Yes, please. Especially from a literal BULL of the industry. One who has ever so quickly built up one of the most unforgettable discographies of 2025 with a variety of artists and now is taking time out to work on himself and bring his beats to the forefront. So, without any more distractions, let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new beat tape by producer powerhouse BhramaBull! With 21 tracks and an hour of content, this has enough songs to inspire, motivate, and inflame anyone in the game right now! (Artist and fan alike.)
This is the kind of tape that reminds you of the classic days with tapes like Madlib or J Dilla or even the old-school Knxwledge tapes! The kind you can just press play and forget life and enjoy yourself for an hour, letting the instrumentals seep into your mind, body, and soul as you sit there appreciating the artistry at hand!
Every beat starts off with his unmistakable producer tag before the music itself sets in, and we have such a wide range of influences and variety here!
My favourite cuts are the jazz-filled ones, which there are many! From
-Out The Mud_E6
-Merry Go Round_E6
-Viper Room_E6 and more. I love more than anything to hear that beautifully crafted horns or jazz piano keys wavering behind or inside a hip-hop track, and let those two magical genres fuse is always a one-of-a-kind experience for me!
There’s also plenty of soul and funk cuts that blow the mind! You’ve got tracks like
-Wormhole_EPP which sounds like something fresh out of the late 70s early 80s with those big, authentic instrumentation and sounds!
You’ve got tracks like ‘Miss Me_E6’ which has this amazing RnB feel with what sounds like a slight chipmunk vocal effect on it that I fucking adore! Brings me back to my childhood with that effect! This track also has that slowed-down, methodical pacing to properly accommodate the vocals at hand! Probably one of my favourite tracks and definitely has the most ‘Knxwledge’ influence on the record!
The song ‘Change 4 U_E6’ has a combination of old-school classical combined with a theatrical nature to it! With those dramatic vocal harmonies, those intricate piano keys, and slowed-down drum pattern! Definitely one of the more interesting tracks on the record!
I thought the track ‘Bianca Censori_E5’ had a beautiful contemporary jazz quality to it. I loved how methodical the track was, how each instrument, with those plucked bass strings and delicate piano keys, had a chance to breathe as it all came together as one artful piece of music. Definitely another standout!
There are so many tracks here to choose from, and all of them have their own unique and distinct presence, sound, and flavour that is guaranteed to impress each and every hip-hop fan out there with at least one style in this record! Looking for your next vibe record? Then look no further because this is the perfect experience in a bottle for you!
Brand new EP? Yes, please! Especially when that EP features arguably one of the dopest producers going right now, it becomes a must-listen! Alongside a brand-new MC I’ve yet to discover, this thing becomes an unopened gift I’m dying to unwrap!
This is the brand-new EP by MC Samuel Tafari and producer Hi-Q, where they dropped a fresh six tracks with 22 minutes of length to contend with, and let me tell you, this one is definitely one for the record books!
Starting with Samuel, although I’ve never heard of him prior, I fucked heavily with how he approached the vocals on this EP! Although only six tracks, he doesn’t waste any time in executing his bars with lethal efficiency, dope performances, and sharp lyricism that can rival all your favourites!
He had a certain aura about him that screamed ‘ruthless’ and ‘aggressive’; his style reminded me of the rare prime ‘Wiley’ era UK Drill!
Back when that art was about skill and charisma rather than mindless violence, lyrics, and gang talk. His verses were slick, his flow fluent, and his pen game absolutely ferocious!
Throughout the whole record, he keeps his raw and in-your-face raps on point and doesn’t fade away once!
He proves he’s the kind of MC that doesn’t need features to maintain his worth! He can hold down 22 minutes all by himself, and I feel that’s a worthy skill in and of itself!
Overall, for his part, he was entertaining, skilled, and vivid in his verses, one-liners, and storytelling! A great artist to feature alongside the man we will be talking about now!
Hi-Q. If this was Pokémon, he would have somehow evolved into a final form legendary shiny type! From the first time I discovered him (which might have actually been when I was still writing for Raw Side Hip Hop) at the very start of January.
Regardless, since then, he is most certainly a different beast entirely, releasing easily some of my favourite releases of 2025 and realising he hasn’t stopped yet!
Across this project, he utilises his more thoughtful, deep, and creative approach to his beats compared to other tapes. There’s a lot of classical, contemporary, and artsy material on this record that makes for more of an introspective listen than I’m used to (actually kind of reminds me of his earlier releases from January).
For example, we have the track ‘Knives Edge’ which consists of these plucked strings that almost sound ancient Arabic or historically Asian in execution.
On top of that, we have these heavy bass lines and drum patterns as well as this high-strung string going off in the background as well!
In the chorus area, I think I hear a flute sample going off as well in the background subtly, which adds a nice texture to the track!
There’s also the track ‘Scenic Route’ which definitely reminds me of some Egyptian sounds with the way those pitched keys going off in that rhythmic pattern with a more methodically paced drum this time around and also some more high-pitched flute sounds in the background again!
A very minimalist approach with the layers but bangs nonetheless!
Overall, this short EP packs more of a punch than Mike Tyson right out of jail! From the skilled MC to the powerhouse producer, you have a project you’re sure to remember for a while to come!
Talk about dropping the fucking guillotine! They’re dropping AGAIN ALREADY? Nah, you ain’t ready for this shit, NO ONE is ready for this shit. After Big Trip’s powerhouse of an album earlier this year and with Substance and his former 3 prior to this record, it is a middle finger to the industry saying ‘you think we’d be done?’ And the announcement of this record gave me goosebumps on name alone! So let’s get into it!
This is the collaboration album between Umbrealla MC’s Substance810 and Big Trip! It features production from
– Observe Since 98’
– Jamil Honesty (for TDS)
– 88Blessed (for TDS)
– Hobgoblin
– DJ Butta
– J Quest
– Unfaced
– Cusho
With DJ Grazzhoppa on the cuts!
The intro track ‘CHOPPIN HEADZ’ has this real 1800’s Victorian horror vibe era to it that I fucked with heavily! From those long plucked electric guitar strings that are fashioned into these loud and haunting chords! Accompanied with those screeching keyboard notes and heavy drums. I don’t know why, but this feels like the soundtrack of Jack the Ripper walking through the streets as he commits his heinous acts!
When we discuss track two ‘THE GALLOWS’, it has the same over-the-top, crushing old-school thriller vibe that the intro had! (A running theme across this project) On this record, we have a combination of these high-pitched synth-style chords on loop in the background as well as these spontaneous shriek/experimental keys that feel almost sci-fi in nature!
Of course, you can’t ignore those rhythmic drums that give this track that overwhelming skeleton that makes this whole song click!
Track 3 ‘HONOR AMONGST THIEVES’ we have another theatrical powerhouse of a track, this time diving into more surreal and sombre territories with the instrumentation!
Across this track, we have these heavy and long-placed piano keys that feel like they are packed with enough dreadful emotion to pack a mean sonic punch to the listener!
Pairing with these absolute monstrous sounds, we have more thudding drums and enough sharp atmosphere to rival any gritty underground banger going right now!
Track 4 ‘DEADLY POTENCY’ once again switches up the vibe while maintaining the same dark, looming aura that the whole record has been riding with thus far!
Across this track, we have this classical/orchestral instrumentation with those big live band from the 1800s feel! As the intro fades and the main course of the song comes to life, we have this larger-than-life introduction of these scattering strings and keys that fall in line with those drums to create a sort of ‘controlled chaos’ landscape!
Not to mention those ridiculous cuts that give this track a flare of late 80s inspiration!
Track 5 ‘NATO RDS’ literally starts off with a BANG as we hear the gun go off and the beat begin! On this track, we are treated to a thrilling overture that features these haunting piano keys and such a hypnotic drum pattern that you can’t help but shake your head and mean-mug the world to that shit!
It gets even more droning with those elegant pressed organ-sounding keys for that chorus that makes this whole track feel like Beethoven meets Hip Hop! One of my favourite tracks of the album for sure!
Track 6 ‘STONE COLD’ man, what a track that is! Right off the fucking bat, you’ve got those scattered, fast-paced piano keys that turn heads in its rhythm! That’s a thing about this whole record, they’ve decided to use the ‘less is more’ theory to create such in-depth bangers utilising the few layers they have!
With just an extra edition of some deep bass and minimal drums, and you have a track that’s masterful as it’s skeletal in execution!
Track 7 ‘MEDUSA’ I see a return to the more old-school & theatrical style that they had in the first few tracks! That Jack the Ripper type shit! This song feels like a combination of Victorian Era and Boom Bap!
You’ve got those long-pressed/methodical piano keys that feel just one pace slowed down in the editing, as it gives off that heavy surreal feel! Once again, with just an edition of drums, they turn water to the finest wine on this track!
There is a slight use of what sounds like a plucked violin stroke every now and then, but other than that, more minimalistic brilliance that’s equal parts raw and methodical!
Track 8 ‘IN MEMORY OFF’, they decided to slow the pace down even further for their second-last track with what sounds like a flute loop that’s used in a gorgeously crafted loop that gives this track an almost magical feel to it!
With those mesmerising drums to give this track that extra layer of depth and tension, this feels like that final trace of the ‘high’ you have after taking the ‘substance’ on your ‘big trip’ right before the sobering experience comes back! Truly phenomenal!
To close the record off, we have ‘PUBLIC SPECTACLE’, which is exactly as it sounds. It’s a sonic monument to everything they’ve built across this record, and it features a closure that’s equal parts fantastical and raw!
You’ve got those rhythmic violin strings that are high-strung and sampled as smooth as one can! There also sounds like a flute sample in the background that is accompanying that violin!
With only the drums left to layer, and this track feels like the audio equivalent of a real guillotine, coming down case closed, ending the night with a BANG.
As far as the MC work goes. Has there ever been a reason to doubt the umbrella? The answer is no. It doesn’t matter which member you pick out of a line-up; every single one of them when on the mic drops classic material, and when you combine two of them? It’s literally a rap.
These two have some of the smoothest raps, bars, verses, and most importantly, transitions that you’ll ever hear. These aren’t just two MC’s they are family, and they are more familiar with each other than most of your real families! You can hear it in their raps!
You can hear the way the first will lay the foundation on the first verse the pass it ever so fluently to the second and he takes the torch and makes the track even higher! We are talking about a synchronicity the likes the culture hasn’t seen before!
This goes beyond Hip Hop crews and clicks. This is the fucking UMBRELLA COLLECTIVE! And their mission statement every time they get into the booth is to give a masterclass in all the fundamentals of a MC while showcasing their immense swagger, their undeniable charismas and the unmatched passion these two and the rest of the Umbrella have that makes them stand out from the rest!
I found it hard to even write this review, only because I found myself transfixed on the absolute domination and performances they were giving! The brutality on the mic, the way they utilised each and every single beat and manipulated it for their advantages! Every pun, one liner, phrase, clever double entendres had me in a trance just mean mugging the world and bopping my head!
This isn’t just a rap album, this is an experience. A testament to all the records they’ve already dropped this year as the collective. A statement of creativity, consistency and determination to remind the culture who the best in this game really is and at this point with all they’ve done already this record is simply the purest form of overkill we can have and I love every second of it
So, obviously make sure you check in. If you don’t can you really call yourself a fan of the culture? These two are in their lyrical primes with some of the best producers you can ask for in the industry and they make nothing short of an underground classic!
We are back again with yet ANOTHER monthly drop by easily one of the most consistent MC’s in the game right now! Accompanied by one of the dopest beat makers in the game and you have a recipe for success! Let’s get into it!
This is the brand new record by MC G-Fam Black and Producer Mello Dee! That features the likes of
-Mo Rukuz
-Heddshotts
-P-Ro
If we’re talking about the production, this project features just as monstrous as any we’ve heard G Fam Black rap on to date! Every song feels like a sledgehammer slamming through concrete, and Mello Dee unleashes his killer instincts with his savage instrumentals!
If we start with that banger of an intro, it says everything you need to know about the direction of the project going forward. With those long, strung-out synth chords accompanied by those light and subtle vocal loops and those heavy-handed drums that activate a primal sense of haunting danger and violence!
But this is merely the beginning! (Literally) as the record goes on, it only gets darker! For example, we have the track ‘Filthy Scenery’ which is as ridiculous as you can expect from a track. Let’s start off with the fact that it has those looping synth keys that hypnotise the listener! Accompanied by those heavy drums and extremely subtle piano keys and later on violin strings that make for a minimalistic avalanche of chaos and grit!
NOT TO MENTION this is the track with my main man Mo Rukuz who is the definition of grimy! His overlord presence increases the pressure of this track 10x fold and his chemistry with G Fam is unmatched!
And we also have tracks like ‘Dia De Los’ which serves as the outro track for the record. This album contains what I would consider the most mellow production on the whole album but replaced with a more surreal and atmospheric experience to close the album off!
It’s got these ambient-inspired what sounds like manipulated vocals pitched high! Accompanied by actual vocal loop snippets and groovy bass and skeletal drum patterns!
What makes this track stand out is the efforts of fellow brother P-Ro! These two have a history stronger than most, and he’s one who’s never one to take an L!
Mello Dee proves once again why he’s the producer everyone should have their eyes on! Absolutely incredible effort.
Speaking of incredible efforts, we talk about a man who has (give or take) been releasing a new album every single month and not missing even once! That is ridiculous, but that’s the level G-Fam is on.
A man who is able to surprise me every single month he drops, I find myself re-shocked at his vocal performances and their intensity!
Across this album, he unleashes his dragon-like presence as he breathes fire onto the instrumentals at hand! Bringing his trademark ruthless aggression and verbal killer instincts that put every other MC on the fucking chopping block!
Hip-Hop’s Juggernaut comes back smashing through every single sonic wall, unstoppable once he’s running and a monster of a threat to deal with in and out of the booth!
He somehow has managed to sound even more explosive and devastating than his other efforts! I don’t know how he does it! His flow is heavy and thudding! His lyricism is cutthroat and cold-blooded, and his pen game is lethal in presence and execution!
When he’s on the track, it’s impossible to ignore his relentless pursuit for the grittiest bars in the game! I’m convinced even a deaf man would feel his immense presence leaking through the songs! He’s just that fucking powerful!
From the variety of features, to the killer production, to the murderous MC work! This album is so dope, you’ll fuck around and BLACK OUT!
Once again, I’m given the opportunity to discover a new artist who has created a record that is not only unique but one that is sure to re shape the underground as we know it! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new album by MC Ayse Chryst with production from
-Johnny Slash
-Panik
-Loopwhole Beats
-June Marx
-Lord Nexus
-Ben Workin
And MC features from
-Mondo Slade
-GS Advance
-Spit Gemz
Now, if we start with the production, we are provided with some of the most engaging and interesting instrumentals I’ve heard in a minute!
For example,
Track ‘HOLY BASTERD’ has this holy and graceful energy with this consistent female vocal loop that’s ever so angelic. It has these rhythmic drum beats and some light keys in the background! For an intro, this is the best way to phase the audience into what happens to be one of the most fresh records you’ve heard in a minute!
Track 2 ‘INTIMIDATION FAKTOR’ is just as dope but for different reasons. This track reminds me of the prime mid-2000s mainstream rap instrumentals! The kind you’d expect to hear on a 50 Cent or D12 project!
It’s got those chilling piano keys, those heavy-as-fuck bass & drums. It’s got these haunting what sounds like violin strings and these elegant chords that are repeated throughout the track!
Even if we look at the track down the line like ‘KONFRONTATION’ where it has that sick Homer intro, we get into a true boom-bap, East Coast homage type track that’s as minimal as it is grand!
You’ve got these choir-style vocals that are every bit surreal as they are harmonic! Accompanied by these, we have more hypnotic drums and some epic 80’s/90’s style cuts and scratches that pay respect to the golden era!
With only a few layers, this track showcases that ‘less can be more’ and this is a prime example!
The production across this album is truly insane. With a variety of influences and genres to take inspiration from and all executed perfectly!
As far as Ayse goes. This man has an intensity and charisma that I barely hear anymore. A type of aggression and ruthlessness that you used to only hear in the 90s, but he’s here in today’s era wrecking havoc around the tracks!
I love his cutthroat energy and savage cadence. Every word he spits feels like an earthquake across the track! He sounds pissed, and best believe he’ll tell you what he’s angry about without any filter, just brutal honesty!
Across the album, he sounds like he’s one breath away from a heart attack, and that’s the type of energy missed today! Back when we had the Onyx, Ol Dirty Bastard, Eazy-E’s, 2Pac, the real AUTHENTIC spitters who didn’t think twice about releasing their full emotions across the tracks without a second thought as to anyone else’s fragile feelings or how they’d take it, and I feel the same vibe off this man!
Whenever a man can spit alongside the likes of my main man MONDO SLADE, then you know he’s the real deal. Not many can say he can keep up with an underground legend like him, and Ayse not only stands up to him but remains toe-to-toe with his lyricism and flow!
That is the same for the other incredible features across this record! Fantastic chemistry that elevates the tracks involved!
If you ain’t on this record, then it’s YOUR downfall! This man’s MC characteristics and the production and feature crew he brought with him are nothing to fuck with! Go check it out below!
I can say with the utmost confidence that this artist has had one of the most exciting 2025 ventures, bar none. From when I first discovered him a few months back to now, he’s continued to improve and surprise me with his talent, and this new album feels like a confirmation of all his hard work and dedication to creating a project that’s an all-rounder. Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new project by MC AU with production from the likes of:
-067RED
-DJ KROOKED
-ERIC FRM SALEM
-DJ MELLO RASHEED
-SP1TON3
-SKETCHTURNER
-LUNAR
And features the MC work of -DB -VIC SOMAR -KING OSEAUN
And man, to say I was screaming over the production would be a huge understatement! This thing was up my alley in every way possible! I’m still buzzing over what I heard; this is the perfect example of jazz rap modernly incorporated into the new era, taking inspiration from the classics of acts like ‘A Tribe Called Quest’ and bringing their own twist and spin on it, and I couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished on here!
Every track (in one way or another) has jazz fusions either at the forefront or subtly in the background, used as the main rhythm pattern or onset structure; there’s jazz consistently streaming through this record, and that honesty gave me goosebumps!
I love the fluency of this record and how every track incorporates relevance to the ones that came before and the ones after! Although
there’s a handful of producers on this record, they all seem to have a singular vision and mind over what this record should be and sound like, and to me, that kind of synchronicity is very important!
I normally have a tendency in my reviews to pinpoint a few songs I loved most, but I can’t do it on this, only because each track had me smiling ear to ear and making me more happy the more I listened, so I have to rate this whole record as one, as it’s all fucking phenomenal!
And if the production is that good, you all think AU is just gonna stay on his usual shit? Nah, this man has evolved once again and turned himself into one of the most slick-talking, smoothest spitters I’ve heard in a minute!
Picture a development between a ‘Q-Tip’ and a ‘Mac Miller’. You’ve got that insanely soothing delivery and rhythm that reminds me of the legend Q. That slick, never a worry in his voice cadence that has spent the last 3 decades+ rapping over similar jazz rap and helping put that style on the map!
On the other side, we have the Mac Miller side. The bragging, high-energy, irreverent nature in his lyricism and top-notch matter. Like how brash he was in the opening track and the vulgar lyrics! I see the flexing and in-your-face themes that Mac used to spit that he made work so fucking smoothly and without any falter!
When you combine these two influences, you get a spitter that’s equal parts confident and breathtaking in execution, and I absolutely love it!
What I love most about AU is that over the years, I’ve heard many different sides and attempts from him that showcase his various creative ideas and how he’s not bound to one idea. It’s in that mindset that he gets me excited for every new drop, and this is definitely his best one yet! The way he rocks the mic, his pen game, his natural charisma, and skill is godly!
Of course, with his frequent collaborations, he knocks them out of the park also! Strong chemistry and vibe, which makes a combined effort to make the songs as dope as possible!
If you haven’t checked this record out, you’re missing out! Make sure you go check it out now and, more importantly, go support and buy on Bandcamp below!
As I’m sitting here about to order myself a full English breakfast to satisfy my hunger, I’m pained. Pained because talking amongst my friends and artists in the game, I find few that share the same sentiment as me, which is that this artist right here is one of the most underrated and talented we have in the game right now!
He has dropped (this year alone) some of the most creative, inspiring, and artistic albums I’ve heard in 2025. His last one, especially featuring three fucking producers! Three who I fuck with heavily nonetheless!
Now we are back with his new focus, a record featuring one stunning producer, and across this project, we yet again see why he’s one of the best minds in the culture!
This is the brand-new album by MC mastermind Teller Bank$ and producer Ed Glorious, and together they drop a fresh batch of 16 tracks with
-Rent Moneyy as the sole feature, and this sets up the context for an album that I found interesting and showing yet ANOTHER SIDE of the man that I haven’t had the opportunity to see yet!
Across this one, it feels like he’s taken a more toned-down version (at least from his previous effort) and trying to convert a more melodic and delicate approach in his performances while maintaining his heavy topics, themes, and stories that leave an impression on you after each song.
That’s the thing about Teller. He always feels like an author and storyteller first, rapper second. I always feel like there’s something more to his meanings and lyricism that meets the eye as he has that creative mind, and that’s what makes such releases so interesting!
He still maintains his theatrical delivery, his ever-so-changing flow speeds and patterns, as well as his tendency to switch up his cadences and energy to fit the specific narrative of the tracks themselves!
He’s lyrically superior to most, he’s verbally slick, and he’s always showcasing his extraordinary personality and charisma on every single song he’s on, and this record is no different!
As far as the production goes, to suit his more mellowing voice and delivery, he’s got those vibrant, delicate, and ever-so-atmospheric instrumentation which has the effect of making you think introspectively about your life and the present day at hand!
From the jazz horns to the acoustic guitar strings, the light and subtle drum patterns, those chords in the background, and more. This record has all the elements that I love in hip hop and all its greatest influences!
In my opinion, the greatest standout tracks are as follows.
Firstly, we have that intro ‘4’ which was absolutely beautiful in execution. I loved those intricate instruments, the flow, and glorious rhythms that felt like walking through a field on a gorgeous autumn day! It was divine!
The other track I loved was ‘The Walrus’. I loved this track actually for the opposite reasons I loved the intro. Unlike the starter, this track had a wind of sadness to it, sombre vibrations with those low-key guitar strings in two different layers! Those very methodical drums and subtle bass.
This song kind of reminds me of the Kendrick track ‘I’ in its more serious and dragging feel to it, which had a certain dark magic behind it.
All the various sounds and influences serve a purpose and play like an elegant score. Each track has a purpose and reason to be there as they work on bringing perfect synchronicity with the unique performances by Teller! So I have to give a massive shoutout to Ed for his incredible work!
Another KILLER effort by Teller! The production is superb, and his creative spark remains undefeated! Go buy this on Bandcamp now!
Man, let me tell you. Out of all the scenarios I played out that this record would sound this wasn’t one of them. Not only did I have the pleasure of discovering a new artist but one who presents one of the most compelling and smooth sounds I’ve heard in the rap game to date! Let’s talk about it!
So, this is the latest album by MC SenseLess which features the production by the likes of
-Jonathan Turner
-Pacer
-AricSoundsGood
-EBrown
-SWEET BEAN
-Nova
-Peter Vilardi
And features further names of
-Jeremiah X
-Metasota
And this is the first time in a while I’m reviewing a project where every name is unfamiliar and new to me which is always an exciting prospect!
Talking first about the production, which is the first thing that stood out to me. Because the sounds this record brings to the table are the sonic equivalent of a warm summer’s day next to the ocean! Beautiful in every single aspect.
I could feel any stress I had washing away as I started the record and the feeling only intensified the further I played it!
This soundscape is a combination of
-Art Rap
-Experimental
-Funk
-Jazz Rap
-Soul and more. Honestly this sounds like a combination of ‘Swimming’ Mac Miller Meets ‘Labour Days’ Aesop Rock. You’ve got those expressive and atmospheric productions with the lyrical tones and vocabulary you’d expect from a wordsmith of Aesop!
Some of my favourite beats on the tape are as follows.
You’ve got the track ‘Airplane’ second track in and it blew me away, in fact the opening track was fantastic but this one was so soothing it was impossible to ignore.
This instrumental consists of delicately arranged piano keys with groovy drum patterns and this bare combination is so fresh and in depth that I found myself going back to it more and more over other tracks!
Another track I can say the same for is ‘The Owww’. This track has a level of funkiness that most tracks in the game don’t. With a sporadic jazz influence, those fun and vibrant keyboard notes, and those one-two-step drums, this makes it the kind of track I’d expect to hear in a fancy club where suits are key.
That’s a quality I notice across most songs on here, using few layers to draw out the most power and flavour out of the instruments!
Although there’s a handful of producers on here, this thing sounds as fluent as if one producer handed it! It’s beyond cohesive and an absolute joy to listen to!
The same things can be said about the MC in question. As I mentioned before, he sounds like a combination of Mac and Aesop. I hear the same cadences going back and forth throughout the tracks!
On some tracks, I’m reminded of Mac’s infectious swagger, his unique pronouncement of certain words, his gangsta linguistic approach on the beats that were filled with endless charisma and passion!
Then on the other end, I heard that concrete and precise rhythm of the wordsmith that represented Aesop.
On some tracks, he focuses on ultimate wordplay, verbal dominance, and spitting some of the most complex, intricate, and technically sound bars I’ve heard in a minute! Hearing these two influences across the tracks over that vibrant production was truly a treat for the ears and the soul!
But what really brought it home for me was this man’s passion and convictions.
He has a velvety smooth flow, personality for days, and an aura that is absolutely infectious. He sounds like he’s having the time of his life in the studio, and that same energy can be heard and felt across the whole album!
Although I’ve never heard of them before, I feel the features do add an extra layer of chemistry and colour to the record that I enjoyed! They paired well with Sense and helped elevate the record!
I can’t recommend this record enough, from the fantastic performances to the incredible production. This thing is a MUST listen and definitely one of the strongest records of the month, if not the year!
After the critical success of his most recent album, I had the itch to go through his discography and see what other classics I could find, and that’s where I found this. A collaboration album with one of the most influential producers we have right now, this one is sure to blow away the audience (even if it is two years old now), so let’s talk about it!
This is the 2023 record by Feed the Family soldier Shaykh Hanif, and this time with powerhouse producer Michael Angelo, a man who I haven’t covered since the start of the year but one whose influence is evident this year and many prior!
This record consists of 12 tracks, 34 minutes, and the likes of
-CRIMEAPPLE
-Primo Profit
-Borirock
-FUNERAL Ant Bell
-Keisha Plum
A real who’s who of names, and to hear Shaykh remain in his element regardless of the company he associates with is ridiculous! This man is your favourite MC’s favourite MC. He’s the type of man that can turn gritty street poetry into artistic expressions unlike no other.
He’s an author who was forged in the mud and one who came out the other end to utilise his pen game to create some of the most compelling and beautifully crafted verses the game has heard!
He doesn’t just ‘spit’ verses; he tells a story. He forces the audience to be consumed by his vivid interpretations, his verbal techniques, and his impressive pen game. He sounds like a ghetto preacher with a gift for speaking and enlightening the masses with his performances.
I felt entranced listening to this record, hearing this man showcase the mastery of his rapping. With smooth rhythm, a calm and collected tone, alongside his sharp delivery that decapitates all the haters!
I guarantee you, he can outrep your favourites. To prove his standing in the game, he brings with him only the BEST going right now. These handful of names on their own can make a discography that deserves ‘GOAT’ conversations. Combine them together? And you have an instant classic.
But Shaykh utilises that pressure to sharpen his own talent and come out on top!
With incredible chemistry and skill, he stands toe to toe with these names, and they all come together to prove why they are the untouchable ones and the present/future of hip hop!
As far as Michael Angelo across this record, he brings with him his trademark gritty, boom-bap-inspired cinematic score to the forefront and turns every song into a ‘must-listen’ banger.
What has always impressed me with his work is his level of mastery and technique when beat-making. He doesn’t just make ‘songs’; he crafts experiences that will last a lifetime. He utilises a variety of different influences and genres to maximise the atmosphere of the album.
Some of my favourite tracks are ‘Poor Man’s Bread’. What I love about this track is its heavy jazz influences. There are very few things I love more than jazz, and Michael nails the fusion to a tee!
You have those slow, methodical drums and elegant keys that make up the intro with the small glimpses of horns until we hear the first sign of that 10-15 second loop with that fully formed jazz horn section that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it return!
This track has so much aura and wavy energy that I found myself going back to this record more often than most!
Another track I loved was ‘FREEDUMB’. Firstly, I loved the play on words of the title, but once again, this track has that jazz influence with those horns but also contains those high-pitched strings in the background and those jazz piano keys that are ever so intricate and light drums.
This is such a minimal track that hits every layer that I love most!
Of course, you can’t deny Keisha coming through on this track! Her theatrical spoken word has been some of my favourite parts of the WSG discography, so to hear her here was marvellous, and she brought extra flair to the song!
It came as no surprise to me that Michael brought out his legendary soundtrack-level efforts on this one. When you have an artist like Shaykh on the track, you have to create a larger-than-life experience, and that’s exactly what he did!
A pairing that destroys 99% of the game. A pairing featuring a roster to die for. All around this record is a MUST LISTEN, either for revisit or discovery! Go listen to it now!
I’ll be honest. This album came at the perfect time for me because, as someone who has reviewed well over 800 reviews this year, I feared I was going into a circle of the same-sounding music in the game (which isn’t a knock on the artists themselves), but I felt I was constantly covering gritty boom-bap or old-school homage albums.
So when I found this artist and pushed play, a smile came up on my face that was a sigh of relief that I was on the path to cover a sound I haven’t heard before! So on that note, let’s get into it!
This little box of adrenaline is done by MC Keion Jevon and produced by Khaleel Mandel, and together they drop a massive 17-track HOUR-LONG project that is bound to get a reaction from you, positive or negative. You won’t be able to sit there emotionless over this.
This record consists of features as follows:
-LG Sai
-Khaleel Mandel
-LUCIEE
-Phaea
And man, I ain’t even fronting. This thing feels the SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM the underground needs right now to cut the dullness and repetition we are hearing in so many of them.
This thing is unprecedented and unpredictable to say the fucking least. Even from the opening track, we have absolutely chaotic and bombastic energy that hits you in the face like a ton of bricks!
If I had to describe the initial energy I hear in the record, it would be a whirlwind combination of:
-Death Grips
-JPEGMAFIA (Black Ben Carson Era)
-David Bowie
-Clipping.
Which I don’t think I have to tell you, audience, that anyone inspiring to match those energies is a ridiculous effort! If you can picture all four in a room together making a record together, I can imagine it would sound like this.
For the more mainstream OnlyFans out there, imagine Kid Cudi on every drug imaginable, during a goth phase, after losing everything with nothing but equipment and rage at the world, with access to him! That’s what this sounds like to me!
You’ve got an hour of the most unhinged, violent, spastic, experimental, and aura-filled instrumentals you’ve ever heard in your life!
One of the main beauty of this production is its unpredictable nature and high energy to the point of madness. To the point of taking your headphones off for 2 seconds you’d come back to a brand new influence, pattern or sound you have never heard of! Think of any particular genre or influence and this record will
Have it!
-Ambient
-Electronic
-Pop
-RnB
-Classical
-Orchestral
-Punk
-Screamo and anything else you think of. This record is F for -Fuck you all, I’ll do all the sounds and he really does!
This felt less like an album and more like an overwhelming DMT Trip that you can’t escape for a whole hour! It’s madness at the highest virtue and you feel tied into the record until the experience naturally stops!
I have so much respect for this producer to being able to pull off such frantic performances in his beats to have it come across as a psychopath’s interpretation of a cinematic score!
Also last thing I gotta shoutout regarding the beats in the frequent use of the PS click sound used as transitions! As a PS loyalist that gave this record even more points!
Man, what could I even say about Keion to even do justice to his performances on this record? This is some Oscar level shit. He must of had a life altering experience in the booth recording this album!
Because this isn’t just your standard recording vocals! This is
-Screaming
-Shouting
-Ad Libs
-Singing
-Rapping
And everything else in between! He throws everything at the wall to see what sticks and he doesn’t give a fuck what doesn’t stick he just puts it back on the wall and goes with it!
He honestly sounds like a man possessed, a man fully engaged with the sounds and taken over by the spirit of the music as if his words aren’t even his own!
It’s like he’s Charles Xaviour’s son Legion or The Incredibles Jack Jack in terms of versatility and character development across this album! On every song you’ll get a new face and projection of the man and his charisma switches up depending on the production provided!
Considering each beat has like 10 different phases that means this MC is working overtime to present the most eccentric and colorful version of himself that can’t be compared!
Beyond impressed, I was shocked the whole record. I was flabbergasted, jaw dropped and my taken back by the level of artistry and creativity contained by his performances.
If you want reference before listening to this, go to your streaming playlist, put it on shuffle and just keep pushing skip endlessly and that’s what it sounds like on here. Every few seconds a different octave and tone nothing is ever the same and that is bloody impressive!
I can already tell (based on how deep I am in the underground music scene and it’s artists) that this project will probably be dismissed more then praised due to it’s insane nature but yeah that’s their loss not the other way around!
This thing is ridiculous in every way imaginable and I mean that in the best way possible, if you give this record a chance I guarantee you won’t hear anything like it!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 