(All Shall Perish)

Man, after the phenomenal career he had in 2025, it’s an understatement to say everyone has been sitting here anxiously anticipating how he’s going to start his 2026 run. But after we all received that single to tease this album, the rest was history. As was the case last year, we are in good hands, and with this producer on the wheel, how can it go wrong? Let’s fucking go!

This is the 2026 debut album by legendary MC Recognize Ali and further legendary producer D-Styles, and together they drop a solid nine-track offering with the roster of

-Bub Styles

-Chubs

-Boob Bronx

-Sage Infinite

And my god, is this record explosive or what! The more I discover and lock into the music of D-Styles, the greater he becomes in my eyes. This man is a sonic powerhouse who has mastered the art of producing to such a point that each drop he releases already sounds classic!

With only nine tracks, he has no time for standing idle, so he does everything in his power to showcase the very essence of boom bap meets 90’s homage and creates a fusion that’s so fucking crisp that it’s hard to describe without listening to it yourself!

Every single track feels like a mini score of powerful atmospheric attention that will exhaust you after you first listen.

I was bopping my heart involuntarily, each song mean-mugging my workplace (where I was while listening to this). It’s just so fucking heavy and raw in execution.

Each track has a distinct level of layers that work to have each and every element shine! Whether it’s those full frontal drum beats or minimal vocal choir harmonies, ridiculously low bass, or those plucked strings, each part is crafted to perfection! This is the kind of tape you’ll listen to on a hot day, windows rolled down, bumping in your car! 

Also, those cuts on this record? He’s one of the best to utilise them, and they somehow sound even BETTER than I’ve heard yet. From the instrumentals to the cuts, he’s a monster behind the production, and this album is the best highlight to show this off!

If last year taught me anything, it’s that you can never count out Recognize. I still remember his first drop of that year, and where he ended when it was all said and done was nothing short of iconic, and that’s exactly where he’s kicked it back from.

Normally, I’d say it would be hard to compliment such ridiculous production, but when the man for the job is Ali, then I’ve got no reason to sweat because he absolutely massacred the beats!

We hear him sounding more aggressive than ever, back on his ‘Back To Mecca 3’ type bag. I’m talking gritty performances, intense wordplay, unrivalled pen game, and a charisma so solid he could share it with five others and still have more than enough for himself!

He’s on his brash, flexing shit he knows he’s on everyone’s top list, and now he’s showing why! With straightforward delivery, street poetry combined with his complex style of vocabulary and lyricism, he’s taking over both lanes of raw and intelligent and running both! 

The way he works alongside these incredible features is insane. Playing DEVIL’S ADVOCATE here, my favourite guest verse has to be from Chubs! With Bubs being a close second! Those two give me goosebumps with every new drop, and they don’t disappoint here!

The fact he recruited only the sharpness spitters in the culture makes me respect him that much more!

This album is every bit as tough and ruthless as I expected it to be! When you combine these two names alongside those guest MCs? You can’t possibly go wrong! Make sure you go support! It’s only $9 USD, that’s a steal in my book, click the link below and purchase! 

https://perpetualstew.bandcamp.com/album/all-shall-perish

(HEEL TURN)

Well, to say it’s been a minute since I last covered this man, that would be a huge understatement. I covered him a few times in the past, and they were all dope! Now he’s back with a dope producer working alongside him, and I predict that will make all the difference! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new album between MC FAWKEM and producer Eric from Salem, and together they drop a solid nine tracks with the likes of 

-Ill Java,

-Here$ Johnny,

-AU. 

And this album sounds incredible! All the aspects I wanted from a FAWKEM-related record are all here in spades! What I love about the music is the larger-than-life meets smooth and atmospheric vibes as this album draws out the very best of a multitude of various influences and genres that make this album a gold mine for audiophiles such as myself! 

Firstly, you have tracks such as -SAVAGE, which has this incredible and irresistibly soothing sound that literally took my breath away. I had to keep myself from drifting into a deep, relaxing sleep on that intro. 

I loved the aspects of 80’s soul and R&B on this song, sounding like something Luther Vandross would sing on top of! Those methodically paced keys, as well as those subtle vocal harmonies that further carry this track into deeper, angelic territory!

I’ll tell you one thing, for an album that’s called HEEL TURN, I wasn’t expecting this to be the introduction, but I’m glad it was!

Hell, what about cuts like -PULP NON-FICTION, which has an entirely different mode HEEL-related vibe! This song has a lot more brash energy than the intro, these brash and unforgettable chord progressions that almost sound ‘spaghetti western’ in execution with those plucked strings! This song also contains rock and roll-style drum patterns and light/consistent piano keys that sound sharp and glistening! 

Here$ Johnny absolutely massacres the beat with his trademark intense verse! To the surprise of no one, both Here$ and FAWKEM have incredible energy and chemistry together!

Even on the track -HAVE YOU EVER with that light, classical-toned track with those beautiful vocal harmonies looped, light plucked strings accompanied by that extra subtle drum patterns! This is more of a minimal track compared to the rest but done in the most masterful way possible!

Also AU on the track? Talk about overkill, AU kills it as I know he would and another feature who pairs well with FAWKEM!

As far as the man of the hour goes, FAWKEM I gotta say I’m impressed with how he’s started the new year! He’s a man that has always had a powerful energy, a man who given a strong topic can make you feel like you’re listening to a preacher in the way he commands a room but he’s also been leaning towards more freelance and unpredictable flow over 2025 and now on this one he feels more refined and back to how I first discovered him which is dope!

Don’t get me wrong, when he gets creative I fuck with it all the same it’s just he has an almost spiritual sense to his lyricism when he’s doing the trademark style that it kind of gets lost in translation when he’s out there experimenting with new styles but this is the form I love hearing him in the most!

The straightforward, heavy and expressive tone and bar-heavy MC that I’ve known him to be from the Soundcloud era of his music! I feel he really complements the beats provided and we get to hear the best version of himself!

Of course I already mentioned above but he does well setting up synchronicity with the various features! Names I’m seeing more and more often on everyone’s projects seem to click even here and once again they don’t disappoint! Oh and shoutout to -Off Center for producing track 8!

Another great drop for January (they are stacking up quick!) a very understated duo that come together for an epic collaboration! Check it out below! 

https://wellwishersunion.bandcamp.com/album/heel-turn

(Gun Powder Cologne)

I can’t even front , whoever wrote that description on the Bandcamp link for this album is a WAY better writer than me. Holy shit, I’ve never felt riveted from a Bandcamp paragraph before! Shoutout to whoever wrote that shit!

Now, onto the album. After reviewing the single for this project, it got me hyped! Mainly because it’s still fresh in my mind the last album by this man and how well that went, so I had nothing but high hopes for this one and it turns out my excitement was NOT in vain! Let’s talk about why!

This is the band’s new project by super producer Ill Clinton! As he did with his last drop, he comes equipped with insane lyrical soldiers such as

-Elucid

-Phiik

-Lungs 

-Vincent The Owl

-Spit Gemz

-Reef The Lost Cause

-Fastlife

-Chubs

-Snotty

-Hus Kingpin

-Dusty Reynolds

-Grim Moses

-Eff Yoo

-LordWilln 

-Words

-Mo Rukuz

And Cuts from the likes of -Tone Spliff & -CutSpreme

If this isn’t a SUPREME list then I don’t know what is and leading that army is Ill himself with a wide array of wounds and influences that not only improve in every single way from the previous joint but portray a cinematic and surreal atmosphere that will no doubt leave the audience speechless.

When I was listening to this record I felt like my jaw was on the floor due to the production, this is some heavy film score type shit! There are so many examples of sonic brilliance on this album that it feels unfair to only handpick a few but I’m going to play 

(DEVILS ADVOCATE) and pick the most dominant 3 in my opinion.

  1. -Preposterous this is one of those Jazz Fusion beats that I naturally will stan for. This beat has this prominent Jazz horn loop that feels so fucking intimate and gorgeous that it gave me goosebumps!

On top of that we have these rhythmic drum patterns as well as these swaying strings in the background accompanied by some glistening piano keys that are ever so subtly satisfying in the background! 

Of course, we can’t ignore the legendary Tone Spliff on the cuts doing his thing, turning this track from a 10x to a 1000x.

Also, these two men (Spit Gemz and Reef) absolutely destroy this track with their incredible performances that went far beyond any expectations I had for them both!

  1. Spilotro, man, this track is one of those ‘you can’t fuck with’ type energy songs that had me mean-mugging IMMEDIATELY! This track features these plucked bass strings that close the loop off with these massively loud organ chords topped at the end!

Not to mention you have more heavy drums and some infectious electric guitar strings that move ever so subtly in the background, proving the ever-so-important skeleton to the whole track and turning this into a track with 90s-reminiscent of raw and minimalistic vibes that rock you even harder than any fancy, overly layered track could! 

And MY GOD, THOSE FUCKING FEATURES, Lord save me, CHUBS & SNOTTY? In paying homage to the Sopranos’ ‘GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE’, that’s insane! When I saw that combo on the track list, I wanted to shout in happiness (but I was at work). These two are some of my favourites in the underground, and now you’re telling me they are on the same track? It went exactly as I expected it to, PERFECT! We need a collab album IMMEDIATELY! 

And track 3 for me has to go to -Cold Soul. OH MY GOD, everything about this track has me hyped like no one’s business! We gotta talk about this shit. 

Firstly, that beat? It’s chilling, cold, unforgiving, everything! It’s got what sounds like a manipulated synth chords with an evil twist, accompaniment by disgustingly heavy bass. All this comes together to one of the more minimalistic cuts, but considering who this is made for, it can’t get any more better of a sonic representation!

It’s my main man MO RUKUZ! This guy has been THAT GUY for me for about 3 years now when I discovered him, and he’s been on my radar permanently since!

He brings a level of grime that really no one else can match! He’s relentless with it! He sounds like an evil super villain every time he’s on the track his super low voice and his detailed violent verses never sees to amaze me and he nailed this beat as amazingly as I expected him too!

Those are the 3 that stood out to me most but that can’t take away from the other KILLER MC’s and beats that were hand picked for a reason. I wasn’t kidding when I said this line up is some of the best spitters the underground has right now and all under one roof is insane!

You’ve got a whole mass of different and fresh personalities and styles coming together under one vision! 

You’ve got a variety of egos and auras to match the various songs and instrumentals provided all in the purpose of maintaining one of the dopest collective projects we could have hoped for! Ill has a sixth sense way of predicting who will suit what project, he’s a rare type of MC curator where he can somehow manage a list of names and make them spit their best work under his production and to me that’s a gift! 

Please, I advise everyone to check out his album! It’s guaranteed to feature your favourite rapper at least once and the production is improved in intensity and depth across this new album! Go support the man and peep below! 

https://usnatives.bandcamp.com/album/gun-powder-cologne

(MELLOLORIAN)

This is a very special event in the culture’s history. We have these two men, twins who have decided to take a chance on their own self-worth and talent by releasing a project solely to the customer, completely void of streaming. I’ve talked to a lot of friends and associates who hate this new format due to its lack of accessibility; others don’t have a problem getting the content straight from the artist and cutting out the middleman.

Regardless of how you feel, to me it’s clear that these two believed in their quality and their content enough to proceed in this manner, and I can’t help but respect the approach! So with that in mind, let’s talk about one of the most talked-about records in 2026 so far. Let’s go!

This is the brand-new project by twins ‘The Mellos’ and produced by legendary beatmaker ‘R$NZ’, and together they dropped a solid 11-track offering that’s bound to make you feel a certain way!

Right off the bat, I love how raw this album feels. I’ve heard (and covered) their music before, but it’s always an experience to see what they’ll come up with one record to the next, and especially with a producer of this caliber on the instrumentals, I went into this optimistic and left godsmacked! 

Across this tape, we are gifted with a series of stripped-back, skeletal, and gritty pieces of instrumentation that are both surreal, powerful, and atmospheric!

From  your methodically charged Acid Jazz fusions to your down-to-earth splashy boom

bap variations, this album has some of the most compelling and memorable beats I’ve heard all year! 

From those well-timed synth chords, to the plucked strings, incredibly mesmerising Jazz Horns, delicate keys in the background, in-your-face drum patterns, and more. This album is focused on entering your soul with the intimacy of the music itself; none of that nonsense flashy/overcomplicated shit, just pure and raw songs that can be felt throughout your whole body and are laced with feelings of grandeur, passion, and a hustler’s ambition.

Although this record is just over 17 minutes, the amount of depth, detail, and intensity they pack into these songs is ridiculous. It feels like you’re listening to a film score in its mastery and sharpness. R$NZ does such a phenomenal job at using the few layers per track and elevating them to new levels of excellence! I can’t begin to explain how fluent these instrumentals feel; it’s something you’ll have to hear on your own to understand the hype!

Speaking of understanding hype, we have the twins themselves. They and this whole album remind me of what Nipsey Hussle did with his ‘Crenshaw’ album, how he apparently charged $100 per tape, and people paid it! That’s the same level of respect and dedication these two are on, and it’s fucking incredible to hear!

From the opening track till the end, they leave you speechless at not only their unbeatable chemistry but their varied performances! They know how to switch up their styles better than I’ve heard it! 

At one moment, they can be fast-paced, all over the place in that classic ‘splash’ style utilised by artists like ‘Al Divino & Estee Nack’ but done with their own spin!

Then you blink, and they could become more methodically paced, taking time to deliver each bar, drop some of the most vivid sentences you’ve heard that instantly teleport you to the scene they are setting up!

In other songs, they are just on their trademark brash shit, just flexing their talent in our faces with a more traditional bar structure going back and forth, showcasing that famous chemistry.

There’s no lane they can’t take over and pull off with ease, and this album is an example of that! Not everyone could pull off such natural and organic flows across such masterful production, but these guys make it look easy. From a combination of compelling street poetry to insightful and introspective lyricism, these guys are lyrical titans who increase the value of anything they work on!

Look, there’s going to be a handful out there who feel $50 is too much for an album, that will complain it’s not on streaming or knock when certain artists utilise this system and that’s fine it just means this is not for you!

But for those who are on the fence and interested please understand what we have here are two men who have proven time and time again they have that IT factor of quality and the ability to make dope, memorable music and so this album is worth every dollar.

The production is soundtrack level of detailed, the performances are intimate and filled with conviction and passion that you’d be hard pressed to find on any new Spotify artist. So why not give it a chance? $50 today, years of replay value and memories! 

If you’re interested in the album, DM Smellos on IG and take the leap! Trust me, you won’t regret it! 

(THE ART THIEF)

Man, it would be an understatement to call this man’s 2025 career extraordinary. From the moment I discovered him till the very last second of that year, he kept improving and evolving at a pace even I couldn’t keep up with! He’s definitely one of the most promising MC’s in the game today, and the same can be said for the producer he brought with him, who also had his fair share of bangers in the previous year, and now they come together under the same mission to create a multi-lane classic to kick off 2026. Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new collaborative EP by MC AU and Producer Jazzy Lion Man! They bring with them 

-DJ KROOKED

-DB CONSIGLIERE

-FLYG

-ANT KELLY

The usual suspects to hop on a joint with AU and for good reason. These men have helped each other over 2025 elevate and emphasise each other’s songs and records to new heights as they form a type of ‘brotherhood’ within the culture, one that always breeds the best results!

When we talk about Jazzy, regardless of what style or influence he brings to the table, you can guarantee it’s going to be technically sound and mastered in the most thorough way possible, and that’s exactly what’s happening here!

Across these seven tracks, we hear him start off with the intro, including a snippet about a specific art heist (which I should have seen coming considering the name of the EP), but anyway, it sets up nicely for the theatrical experience to come!

As the album properly sets in, we get a super surreal, moody, and textbook atmospheric vibe from this project! I’m talking about that doom style, methodical, eerie experimental brilliance that he’s executed so many times in the past, and yet here it feels almost elevated in texture and intensity! From those droning chord progressions to those short cut loop snippets, plucked strings, minimal drums, and the works!

It seems Jazzy wanted to go back to his bag of deeper material. Over the course of 2025 I heard him unleash an endless palette of sounds and variety onto us listeners but now he’s focused on the killer, left field thumping music that will force and contort your face into a mean mug involuntarily by the filth of the instrumentation!

For such a short project, Jazzy really brought his sharpest blade to the battle. It’s as if he wanted to start the new year off in his most diabolical form and remind the culture about his luring dark side that will creep up and engulf anyone who tries to risk ignoring the monstrous sounds of the lion man!

If the production is fierce, then how do you expect me to react to the MC’s tasked with spitting over the abyss soundscapes across these 7? In lies the talent and skill of AU and company. These men have made a year of trying their hand at all sorts of beats and sounds to work with, always pushing themselves and this time is no different! 

Across this album we hear them giving their A+ game across these malicious beats! I’m taking brash and gritty verbal offerings, AU on his flexing bag of rhymes coming off a successful year he just wants to rub it in and I love it!

On this EP, he’s showing more explosive and sharp over complex. Hes already proven he can be the introspective/conceptual type when he’s needed to be, so instead he’s decided to focus on raw performances, in your face wordplay and flow as well as a more direct pen game that pairs beautifully with the production at hand!

His verses on here are shorter than usual with an emphasis on POWER, PRESSURE AND PRESENCE instead of intricacy and passion. 

He has all year to humble himself but he wants to start the new year with the mindset being: Aggressive and I fucking love it!

Speaking of loving it, the features as mentioned above are seasoned AU collaborators and they keep the fire going all project long! All with their own unique characteristics, flow, cadence and style that is a one of one specifically to them and once again they sync with AU and his style perfectly!

At this point all these guys should just make their own custom collective! That actually would be super dope, hopefully they see this part and act on it! 

Anyway, another DOPE offering to kick of the year, I have a very simple formula. If AU drops it, I cover it! Simple as that, it’s a formula you all should do right now! 

https://au205.bandcamp.com/album/the-art-thief

(The Black Hand)

This is an artist I’ve actually had a lot of experience with through the lens of other people’s albums in various forms of features but never on his own solo shit. So I find it an exciting opportunity to finally be able to see how he handles a project run by himself and I gotta say I was pleasantly impressed! Let’s talk about it!

This is the December 2025 record by MC/Producer DB Consigliere and it features the likes of 

-Ant Kelly

-DJ Krooked 

-AU

-Papa Dirty

-SketchTurner

And with 14 tracks and 32 minutes of content this thing hits like an experiment/underground sledgehammer to the skull with the force and blunt strength it showcases!

If we start talking about the production first, there’s so many elements that have a more left field/ambient approach to it! Which I can’t say is all too surprising considering the names accompanying the album who all have shown their creativity in the past and so we are given a very different perspective on boom bap that I can’t say I’ve heard done like this before!

For example we have tracks like -Gunz N Butta which has this super eerie vibe with those initial methodical organ keys that evolve into a dark boom bap execution that’s on the haunting end! You’ve got those slow paced drums, regular organ keys, heavy bass which all come together for a more minimal rhythm and one that sticks into your mind for hours after the fact!

Not to mention Ant on the back end of the track applying his rare brand of MC talents completely syncing with the instrumental! 

Another song that stood out to me was -28Gramz firstly because of that heavy, spacey synth chord intro that breaks off into this almost synth pop meets hip hop type beat with those consistent strings, drum patterns and infectious bass that wraps the whole track together!

It also sounds like there’s some extremely subtle keys in the background (but that could just be me and my imagination) still one of the more theatrical productions on the whole tape!

Even if we want to have a look at -Loyalty. This is definitely a more light and atmospheric track that provides a smoother and more soothing edge to the experience! You’ve got these angelic keys, what sounds like a fainting/glistening flute snippet in the background as well as some surreal drums that act as a skeleton for the song!

Not to mention those later added vocal harmonies for the chorus, an absolutely gorgeous insertion to the song!

As far as the rapping goes on thing, just like the music itself I’d consider it very interesting in the format! Why? Because it’s not your standard traditional flow or verse structures etc it’s kind of in the middle between all over the place and freelance! So it feels like there’s a lot of freedom on the verses or more specifically it sounds like DB and his closest brothers all coming together to have fun and record in their comfort zones and that’s how it comes across to me!

There’s a whole lot of fast-paced verses (by DB and others) there’s more serious and slowed-down ones, there’s high-energy bars and more brash/out-there verses and literally everything in between. It sounds like DB has a MC spirit that’s too jittery to be conformed to a specific style but rather one that should be let loose and be as original, creative, and expressive as he wants to be and he does just that!

Of course, he blends well with the features as I stated above they are all his brothers who have been on each other’s shit all since last year possibly longer and so the chemistry is flawless and they all help maintain the boundless energy flowing throughout this record!

All in all, this was a really fun listen! It’s gritty yet colourful! Strong performances combined with intriguing production that makes me want to come back for more! Make sure to check it out below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/3A1WINk1dMnwwPNyABHua5?si=D0yBawl0RTKylaW7H30LRw

(Detroit Institute Of Art Volume 1)

Now THIS is a concept I can get behind, the idea of gathering all the dopest spitters from Detroit under one roof? That is some of the realest shit I’ve heard about in a minute. With an idea like that, how can you possibly go wrong? The answer is you can’t, and you’ll see why in a second! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new album by producer DJ Dremond, who has decided to truly bring to life the magnum opus of a Detroit roster with such names as 

-Tha God Fahim

-Snotty

-Planet Asia

-El Camino

-Coko Buttafli (singer)

-Ty Farris

-Mickey Diamond

-Boldy James

-Boog Brown

-Mvck Nyce

-Cannibal Ox

-Estee Nack

That is the definition of a fucking STACKED roster, and with that in the cards, this album is guaranteed to be ridiculous! So many insane tracks on this that it’s hard for me to decide which ones to press about! 

We have the first official track with lyrics – Gouda, which has a minimal layer structure with those smooth jazz horns, methodical drum patterns, subtle keys, and ending with a case of scratches and cuts!

The fact that this song STARTS with the likes of ‘Tha God Fahim & Snotty’ is absolutely ridiculous: two monsters in their own lanes chopping up in a battle of ‘whose best’ in the most savage and gritty way possible! 

This is the first time I’ve ever heard these two on the same track, and they have incredible chemistry! 

As the album goes on, we have tracks like – Intimated, which has one of the more lighthearted takes on the record! Another simplistic yet powerful layered instrumental with those plucked strings that act as the main loop, that feature those acoustic-style drum patterns that all come together for a more bare cut but without losing any of the atmosphere!

On this track is a familiar & legendary duo coming back together with ‘Ty Farris & Mickey Diamond’. I loved how Ty’s verse started with ‘It’s Bars over BS’— tough shoutout! 

But anyone who knows anything knows these two have had some of the best chemistry on tracks for years now, and this time is no different! Amazing work by both men involved and fantastically skeletal production!

There are tracks such as -Steph Curry, which has one of the most interesting beats on the whole tape! Because we get a mix between Spanish influence and classic boom-bap! The Spanish coming from those acoustic-style strings that I associate with the Spanish guitar, and then you have the traditional boom elements with those heavy, ridiculous drum patterns and glistening keys that shine sharp on this song!

What is mind-blowing about this song is the collaboration between ‘Boldy James, Mickey Diamond, and fellow Umbrella soldier Mvck Nyce’. All three men destroy their respective verses and highlight this light track into flames with their trio pen game!

If we look at the final track -Drug Deal, we have one of the more cinematic and surreal instrumentals on the whole album! This track has these grand male choir vocals accompanied by what sounds like organ keys on loop and absolutely gargantuan drum beats that shake the whole track up! 

An absolutely powerful and angelic take on a beat that is treated by the trio they used for the raps! 

On this one, we have the combination of ‘El Camino, Boldy James, and Estee Nack’, three MC monsters who can beat any rapper on any given day, and to have them on the same team for a track? The definition of legendary and the perfect way to close the album off! 

Even if you ignore these incredible tracks, you still have mind-blowing verses from the likes of the legends ‘Cannibal Ox’ on the track -U Got It, which is the track right before the finale!

The icon himself ‘Planet Asia’ keeps the momentum going solo on his dedicated track -Adamantium Chain where he has the not so easy task of following ‘Tha God Fahim & Snotty’ but pulls it off with crazy ease! A legend in his own right and other dope MC’s to ‘Boog ‘ and the singing process of Coko’ who provided their own unique and memorable parts to maintain said energy on the album!

Detroit (both in the underground and mainstream) has run the game as far as having the best MC’s go and this record re confirms that fact! No one is beating this list and behind this incredible production this album proves to be a showcase of all that talent to remind the culture never to fuck with DETROIT! Listen below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/3rCcGTmxI5l0hOYTEP4bOB?si=HTWqNVk9S5-48Vvp3luhug

(Gekahdelic: The Lost Tapes)

I must say, out of all the EP’s I had to look forward to for this year, THIS ONE was at the top of the list! Why? Easy. It’s because this man impressed me so much last year with nothing but banger releases while working with an array of talented artists, and now he’s returned for what is the first 6th man album of 2026 and one that is absolutely incredible! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new EP by Producer Shade Cobain and MC StretchShinoPro, and together they drop a solid 6-track project with 12 minutes of dope music that starts the year off STRONG!

Let’s talk about the production first! On this one, we see Shade flexing his incredible versatility and ability behind the beats, taking from a wide range of influences and genres to create his magic.

We have the opening track -aiyo, which has this old-school 80’s R&B vibe, start only to evolve into this heavy, thudding early 2000’s-inspired influence that is absolutely infectious! 

It’s got those powerful bass strings, light vocal snippets in the background, funky drum patterns, and this old-school 90’s synth chord that runs through the song!

This reminds me of a song Busta Rhymes would have jumped on in the 2000’s! 

The second track we have -boogieinnthebackground, which might be my favourite instrumental on the whole album! It’s got this heavy boogie, funky atmosphere to it that makes you wanna dance! It’s got this synth wave/pop chord progression that runs in two layers, one being a prominent note loop and the other an insane rhythm which sounds like messy electric guitar that gives me goosebumps! 

On top of all that, we have these plucked bass strings and jazz-inspired drums! This is a powerhouse track if there ever was one!

The third track -yeti has a more toned-down feel compared to the one right before! Inheriting influences from Soul, Funk, and I even feel a tad of inspiration from Gospel! You’ve got those groovy synth keyboard notes that feel fucking delicious in delivery! The type of notes that make you wanna move your head and body!

Ontop of those, there’s a second layer featuring plucked bass strings that take me back to the 70s/80s Parliament era days, and I fucking love it!

Topped up with some light, methodical drum work, and you have a song that, although lighter than the second track, is still infectious in nature!

Track four -Eastside Boyz has one of the more traditional hip-hop flavours to the album than the rest! 

You’ve got these funky/plucked bass strings, some distorted what sounds like synth keys in a scattered motion! 

The effect I love added on this track is the varied chipmunk vocal arrangements that give this song a strong soul feel but still a more hip-hop instrumental feel compared to the others, anyway feeling like a song De La Soul would jump on! 

Track five -Private Enemies has one of my favourite intros of the whole album with that RnB accapella feel that evolves into this 2000s Kanye West type track!

You’ve got those looped soul vocal harmonies that are combined with these (what sound sci-fi style water drops) running through the track! Some subtle bass strings and some super laidback drums as this track relies on the strength of the incredible vocals (in the loop and the chorus) to carry it! And I love every second of it!

The final track -the playback I feel is the definition of hip-hop brought to life. It feels like Shade was showing off his incredible charisma and diversity in the last five and decided to close off with a straightforward hip-hop take! 

This track has some light bass strings, raw, heavy drum beats, and what sounds like a distant vocal harmony in the background that acts as a prominent loop! 

This is the more minimal track compared to the rest, and yet I feel it’s the appropriate way to close off!

I also love the song ends. I’m familiar with this sample as Drake uses it on his ‘Passionfruit’ track, one of my favourite songs by him, and it’s used tastefully here as well!

As far as the rapping goes, I found it to be quite interesting because each track had his vocals and performances used in a different way! Some were mixed more lightly and closer to the background for a more ambient effect, some (such as the finale track) brought the verses more in the forefront to compliment the straight forward hip hop song and others felt like in between executions with Shade experimenting with how to utilise his bars in sound and structure and I actually liked it!

Like for example in track 2- his vocals sounded a tad bit louder then usual to be heard clearer over that heavily busy instrumental with  slight echo effect on it!

On track 5 his voice sounded blended in with the beat itself for the more abstract delivery! It’s as if Shade was going for a more experimental take on this song and his performance did stand out a bit more due to this effect!

Then of course on tracks such as the second, third and finale they are just straight forward clear as day executions, crisp, clear and smooth! 

I can’t imagine it would be easy to find a man that can pair so organically to the lavish production at hand but this man did so! He had such an eccentric and entertaining cadence that it worked with the beats!

A technical flow, a smooth delivery, engaging wordplay and pen game as well dope, Fire bars that made me feel like I was listening to a ‘Phife Dawg’ someone with mad personality and even madder rhyme schemes!

This EP delivered everything and more. I wasn’t expecting the production to be this fucking colorful but it was! And this MC rapping over it with ease? That’s a special chemistry out there one I don’t want any of you to miss! Check it out now!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4CV6WIqMXjisws7RFY7LeO?si=yjVRfZRNQ1yqoP_WAny6JQ

(Graphic Dezign 2)

Alright, this intro has to be one of my favourite I’ve heard all last year. I wasn’t expecting it, and it had me laughing out loud. Low-key, having a hotline that would do that would be helpful! Anyway, this is an artist I’ve seen and heard of through the grapevine but never had the time to properly sit down and dissect, but that ends today as I get to cover an album that has a lot going for it! Let’s talk about it!

This is the March 2025 album by Producer/MC Donny G & MC ILLtemper, and together they drop a massive 17-track, 44-minute project that has the sole feature of -Kabal.

And as I made a big deal about above, this album starts off pretty hectic with a suicide hotline that helps you die! (Again, maybe not the worst idea). But regardless, hearing the hotline lady trying to hasten the man’s death was hilarious!

As the album officially starts, we get a glimpse of the sound profile that will be contributing to the record. I’m talking about that old-school, no-nonsense, in-your-face type production that is reminiscent of the mid-2000s underground era in the way it’s crafted!

As gritty and as rough as the underground sounds today (and I do love it), but it really doesn’t have the same ambience and atmosphere of the OG underground hip-hop instrumentals. These felt damn near raw and unmastered! It has a level of bareness to it that lacks in most of today’s music.

This album isn’t afraid to sound rough around the edges, and it’s in that ruthlessness that this album shines! Not to mention the various skits that are pretty fucked up in concept, but they made me laugh nonetheless! 

Across this tape, we hear these powerfully skeletal sounds come together in a united front from start to finish in this rugged score that I can’t imagine too many would be able to handle! I want you to invade R.A. The Rugged Man X Mid-2000’s Aussie rap, and you get this sound! A truly insane mix that is not for the weak of heart!

There’s a level of intimacy to albums that are executed in this fashion. Can’t help but remind me of my teen years when you used to hear those pirated mixtapes of those gutter MC’s who rapped over beats like these and gave you pure, unadulterated production that became a cultural experience amongst the 90’s kinds of my time, and to hear it resurfaced in the present day (at least for me) is quite sick! I fuck with it heavy!

As far as the MC work goes, these two are as savage as the music they rap on! They definitely define the ‘hardcore’ genre they identify as! It’s borderline horrorcore to me with the gruesome and chaotic lyricism and bars! They are trying to get a reaction out of the audience while showcasing serious techniques and MC skills!

These two have a very unique yet interesting chemistry! Imagine ICP (if they could actually rap), and you’d have these two! They embrace the dark, violent, and controversial verses with an intense and heavy performance to give their words even more power and weight!

I feel there’s a bad stigma attached to horrorcore/hardcore artists due to the worst ones being in the spotlight.

But forgetting there’s artists like Tech N9Ne, Geto Boys, Twisted Insane, etc., that have proven that the subgenre can thrive and create dope music, and I feel these two are further examples of that! 

P.S if the show ‘Pointless Questions’ was real, I’d definitely tune in weekly just to hear the judges go ‘KILL YOURSELF’ at the end of each question, that would be crazy! 

Anyway, this one is definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s going to take a specific kind of fan to appreciate the raw art here, but for those that will, this is a BANGER of production, performance, and utilising of the persistent hardcore/horrorcore elements that are so often trashed and not often enough progressed!

Check the link below! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4EKNVsRx4Ma4a0UTcH3nnR?si=jreOpy1gRv-nMQK33smndw