(DRUG$$$)

Wow, we might have found our album of the month! A later contender as well! I can honestly say I didn’t know what to expect, but with the names I saw associated with this project, it was only natural to be optimistic. But what I was delivered is on a whole different level entirely! Let’s talk about it.

This is the BRAND NEW album by MC Teller Bank$ and producers 

-q no rap name

-Philth Spector

-Killer Kane

Now. That is the big reveal here: these three powerhouse beat makers on the same album? That’s insane! All three are some of my most critical producers in the underground, and to find them all in one place makes me happier than I ever could admit to be!

They help create and navigate these 16 tracks, and when this trio comes together, it makes absolutely pure MAGIC!

Across these 32 minutes of music, we hear what could be considered some of the most lively, eccentric, and free-form beats I’ve heard in a minute! You can tell these three were given full creative freedom to do whatever they want, and it shows.

The music is jazzy, soulful, funky, and fresh. It’s composed of all the best parts of the influences and done with originality and complexity that I’d expect of men of this calibre! 

This whole project feels like a fever dream, each song representing its own unique atmosphere and engaging themes and scores that represent a different story and perspective using the art of beat making! 

Having any one of these three would be a gift come true for any MC, but to have three is honestly overkill (in the best possible way), and more importantly, they all have such fantastic synchronicity with one another that it’s impossible to tell who is on what track or part because they work so seamlessly together!

Based on the production alone, this album deserves top of the month, but there’s one more aspect left to discuss, one that was equally important and impressive, and that is, of course…

TELLER BANK$ holy shit did he give the performance of a lifetime on this album. To say I was blown away would be a severe understatement because from the first track to the last he kept me on the edge of my seat.

What we are getting here is a masterclass of a MC going full immersive mode. Stepping into a character unlike any before and pulling off the performance of 2025. This is Kendrick Lamar on ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ shit!

From the vocal fluctuations to the various flow changes and pitches! From the way he tells his stories in such graphic detail that you feel like you’re standing next to the man as he’s talking!

His originality on these songs came out in spades! Every track felt like a new angle, perspective and showcase for Teller! It felt like he was trying to push the boundaries for how far he can push his creativity across the album and how much he can add per song and it’s a wonder to hear!

Honestly, this next level performance combined with the trio on the beat? I know the word ‘masterpiece’ gets used far too casually these days (I’m guilty of it as well) but this feels like a masterpiece!

From the sonic structure of the three generational talents to the Oscar worthy deep dive into a man’s MC drive and originality! Everything comes together more smoothly and sharply than I could have ever thought possible!

Honestly, this is the definition of phenomenal. If you ain’t getting on top of this one it truly would be YOUR LOSS!! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2EWVj8d6pHYWu9cEmFj90Z?si=s_w5dttaR7GqQv5OzrAYug

(MAZZA GALLERIE)

I’ll say this much, this has to be my favourite intro of a track in my time listening to FLYG! I wasn’t expecting it, and it hit harder than I thought it would! Great start to an overall fantastic single that continues his incredible 2025 streak that has no sign of slowing down! Let’s talk about it!

So we have FLYG X Sportscenter Dre. Together, they work up an almost five-minute track and utilise every second of it! 

As I already mentioned above, it starts with this elaborate description of the ‘$25 million MAZZA GALLERIE’, and the way it’s described and talked about has his grand nature to it that I can’t help but be impressed by! 

After that, we have the official beat. This one has a combination of soul and Gospel vibes. The looping vocal harmonies have a tone that reminds me of a church choir and also Otis Redding vibes, something in the middle! 

On top of that, we have this angelic humming loop that also runs through the whole track in a more subtle and delicate ensemble than the powerful male vocals!

Combined with these two is some soft, methodical drums that help wrap up the whole track! 

This whole instrumental is beautifully executed and is one of those songs that just takes your breath away!

Now onto the MC work. On this occasion, we have two serious players in the culture, both making sure to deliver the best verses they have yet!

Starting with Sportscenter Dre. He comes through on the first verse with his heavy, charismatic style! We first hear his voice in a more melodic singing vibe before he gets to his actual verse, and when he does, it’s as solid as expected!

He comes through with a methodically paced flow with an enthusiastic tone and introspective imagery!

He sounds like he’s simultaneously meditating and focusing on his inner chakra and spitting bars! He sounds so relaxed and in his zone that makes each word he says feel that much more entertaining and fun to listen to! 

As far as FLYG goes, man, he’s been going HARD, and this track is no exception! As if he hasn’t evolved enough already, he already sounds more crisp than his last!

On this one, he feels less methodical than normal and more adrenaline-fuelled and ready to go! 

This verse, although short, has a lot of flavour and is soaking with swagger. One of my favourite lines was ‘Use to get everything on my Wishlist, even if it wasn’t Christmas’. That line made me go ‘yooooo’. It’s just a badass confidence-asserting line! 

Also, lines like ‘That rap Ish, you can miss me, King like Doug Christie’. He’s just spitting out fire on this track! 

His flow and pen game are enhanced, as well as his ability to manipulate the beat to execute his performances better! 

This is another home run single! The beat is fresh, the amazing intro (and outro for that matter), and sick performances by both incredible MC’s who are no doubt the future of the culture! 

https://open.spotify.com/track/0OKTBY5VLEW3GTYTlIGqDB?si=lqClL9l7RTGS4aB-Op7UAA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A59ipkpHPXeEPZ7wxXOL7wp

(Live Laugh Love)

As far as mainstream drops go, this has to be one of my most excited of the year. This man has been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager, and I first heard his mixtape ‘Earl’ when he was only about 16-17 at the time? 

Then we had the whole drama with him being forcefully moved to Samoa (that’s the story I heard), and then we had the whole ‘Free Earl’ movement by the rest of Odd Future, and then his climatic return on the cypher track ‘Oldie’ where he closed off the track.

From there, he dropped his anticipated debut album ‘Doris’, which broke serious ground for me and still remains one of my most replayed tapes. From there, albums such as ‘Some Rap Songs’ once again broke the mould for his unique brand of hip-hop and remains a critically acclaimed tragic masterpiece of depression and anxiety.

Now, over seven years since that dropped (with a few drops in between), we have this album. One that, based on the title alone, made some people sceptical about what would be featured on this record and what kind of Earl we would be getting, and I’m here to answer that and more!

So, the 7th album by legendary lyricist and indie cult figure Earl Sweatshirt. Formerly of OFWGKTA and a breakout rapper from a teenager. On this 11-track record, we have production from the likes of 

-Theravada

-Black Noi$e

-Navy Blue

-Earl Sweatshirt 

-Child Actor

The first thing I noticed about this 24-minute piece of art was the stylistic switch-up from his 2018 ‘Some Rap Songs’ in terms of tone shift and rhythm. While this album does contain the same structure of ‘short loop snippets’ that make the beats themselves, this one feels a ton more lively and fresh in execution!

Gone is that overwhelming feeling of dread, anxiety, and sadness that gravitated to ‘Some Rap Songs’ and in with vibrant instrumentation, soulful production, and an optimistic atmosphere and aura across the album!

I was hooked on the music side of things from track one. It feels like the sunny side of the 2018 album compared to the rainy day. I love how groovy and beautifully dressed the songs are on this.

From the opening track ‘gsw vs sac’ with those thick plucked bass strings, alongside those funk-inspired notes and that uplifting vocal loop that entraps the whole track! 

Even the track right after ‘FORGE’ with those high-pitched notes in that intricate pattern as well as those opposite-ended deep bass strings! With some subtle, almost skeletal drums! This whole track feels like a James Bond action scene thriller vibe!

If I had to choose a favourite sounding track on this whole album, it would have to be ‘Static’ because it shows a glimpse of what a more ‘mainstream’ Earl on the offensive would sound like. This has a powerful and glorious beat that has signs of a trap beat macerated as an underground cut! It’s a very different beat for him to be on, and it’s one of the shorter cuts on the record, but I love the whole vibe regardless!

This is to say that I feel the production team NAILED the balance of sounds on this record. Helping Earl stay true to himself while making that positive impact on his music without selling out! Absolutely incredible.

Now, as far as the MC work goes. Is there anyone doubting the capabilities of Earl? He’s easily top 10 lyricists in the game, period. Since a fucking teenager, he’s been killing verses with one of the most complex vocabularies and a pioneering monotone, cold delivery that has made him a distinct household name.

In this record, while he does stay true to himself, we definitely hear a slight change in attitude and delivery! I can hear certain parts where it almost sounds like he’s smiling or wanting to laugh on lines as if he’s actually ‘happy’ for once.

Which sounds like a cold thing to say and it’s not that we want him to be depressed but we are so use to him dwelling in such dark and gritty soundscapes that it sounds shocking when he decides to shine his face onto production that has a lighter color to it! 

As trademark, he utilises his smooth and hypnotic wordplay. Never a break in his style and similar to legends like MF DOOM he’s the type of MC with that splash style that can place words anywhere on the beat in any tempo and make it work! He has no strict structure and goes wherever he wants on the beats and that style has become iconic.

This made me so happy to hear, because the producers was flawless and because we finally hear Earl in what seems to be in a stronger and more optimistic head space which is what anyone wants for the man! 

Another incredible offering by what many consider to be the greatest pure lyricist we have right now! DON’T SLEEP ON IT 

https://open.spotify.com/album/45aldsXQsGrQxpst6z2hfR?si=iK3ztfuCR3KcNN-2P4KbFA

(Ignatius Sancho EP)

If you had to make a list of the most underrated rappers going right now, you’d be trippin’ not to have this guy on the list! A man who has already dropped a small handful of fire this year alone and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. But for now, I want to take you back in time to an older record that deserved to be discussed more! 

I’m talking about the 21st of August 2024 record by MC Concept and Producer Lo Katana. These men dropped five tracks, 10 minutes with one feature in—Basik on track 2 and 5.

Let’s talk about the production first. Because what I find fascinating about the beats is the execution of it. It feels like a blend between classical, minimalistic gritty East Coast and lo-fi/art rap all in one.

You’ve got those classical old-school vocal melodies (like on track 1) that remind one of an opera or a classic church choir set up! 

Then in the same breath, you have those lo-fi/ambient subtle and low-key synth chords and hypnotic instrumentation.

But also in the same sentence, you have those gritty, muddy, and raw manipulated strings and skeletal atmosphere of the East Coast era. 

I feel like Lo is walking one of the hardest tightropes possible by combining three separate influences and combining them into one coherent sonic narrative that somehow works! Each track has a certain level of each element, some heavier than others but all equally important, unique, and as fluent as the other!

Although each song has its own personality and soul, each of the five helps come together as a project that works in harmony from start to end!

If I had to choose a favourite track, it would have to be ‘The Abolitionist’, the intro track solely due to the addition of those angelic vocals that loop throughout the track! I’m a sucker for some vibrant singing, and this song had it in spades!

As far as the MC work, as I stated above, Concept is slept on far too often in this industry. He’s remained consistent with every new release for the past few years, and this one is no exception!

From the opening track, he brings his trademark unwavering swagger and conviction to the mic alongside his no-nonsense delivery and sharp penmanship. He’s here to bring sleep paralysis on you haters as you sit there forced into a trance, focusing on his every word!

He doesn’t waste a single second of this 10-minute project, with everything from deep and in-depth visuals to clever phrases and one-liners to introspective dialogue that will make the listener pause and think on the words!

The chemistry he has with Lo is immense, with his knowledge of where to land the flow on which part of the beat being extraordinary and proving he’s one of the best and smartest in the game. Of course, the one feature provides incredible chemistry and maintains a strong aura and vibe that Concept spent creating from scratch, and they both kill their respective verses! 

All in all, a fantastic showing by all three men. The production is crazy, the MC work is ruthless, and the entire EP is one that should have been far more talked about than it was! Definitely worth the revisit! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/270ktM4HkBnTaWytNEuJAP?si=1aaO_YsvSu-XLac3HD91rg

(1000 Grams)

Man, if this year’s underground scene was condensed into a bingo card, there would be so many instances I wouldn’t have guessed, even if I had ten years to guess. This is another one of those surprises! My main man Gustavo Louis rapping over an Alchemist beat? You heard me right! What could be more satisfying than that? Probably the ownership of 

1000 GRAMS

This is the brand-new single by Gustavo. The man who has been responsible for some of the hottest drops of the year, and he’s not close to being done! And this single right here just feels like a massive flex statement, like he’s teasing everyone by saying ‘I can rap over ANYONE’s song and beat the original MC at their own game!’ 

So, this beat is from Alchemist’s ‘A Thousand Mountains’ off the brand-new Freddie Gibbs ‘Alfredo 2’ album, the final track. You’ve heard it before!

It has that melodic, ambient vibe with those folk-inspired high-pitched notes accompanied by those angelic synth chords in the background and those light and subtle skeletal drums. All this comes together under a hip-hop skeleton to keep everything running smooth and collected!

Now, the obvious elephant in the room is the MC. Instead of Freddie, we get Gustavo, and Gustavo has so many qualities I love.

First of all, he has this wave of confidence about him that’s infectious! He doesn’t slack on confidence and always lets his steam shine in the booth!

Secondly, his smooth and crisp flow! He always sounds calm and collected! Always in control of his surroundings and his abilities, never caught flustered or disturbed by anything, he’s the man and he knows it! 

Thirdly, he has a very underrated vocabulary and pen game across his tracks. He always fits a lot of clever wordplay and puns and one-liners or phrases mixed with strong lyricism and rhythm that always makes his verses stand out in a room! 

The only thing bad I can say about this is I feel his voice is too quiet over the beat. Maybe once that’s on Spotify, it will be fixed up or changed, and even if it’s not, whatever, it’s just my opinion, but I would have liked to have his voice turned up a few notches to hear him more clearly! But besides that, a flawless remix!

Trust me, he doesn’t disappoint! He brings the fire in a way only he can! 

https://on.soundcloud.com/n3ERiyL6mwkQpNAGTN

(Cognac On Da Curb)

Every once in a while, I’ll discover an artist that seems to have the whole package. From originality to lyricism and even talent behind the board! This man is that exact discovery with talent in every aspect. He’s back to awe the culture once again with this new project! So let’s talk about it!

Brand new beat tape by my main man, God Gotti. The man who I only discovered a few months ago now and yet has been the one to draw my attention the most due to his diverse nature and always being the one to try something different! Even collaborating on an EP with my other main man, Sabio Dub! (Part 2 on the way!)

But on this occasion, we have four tracks: 

-Grande Champagne 

-VS

-VSOP

-Blue Swift

And these combined are 12 minutes of content!

Starting with the first track, we have a heavy blend of chipmunk soul and jazz. So imagine early Kanye meets Miles Davis. You’ve got those chipmunk melody vocal loops running through the track accompanied by light and delicate piano keys as well as orchestral violin!

But the other main aspect is those jazz horns! Straight outta the golden 50’s and 60’s of jazz legends such as Davis. The notes feel alive and refreshing as if the man is right there in the booth with them!

The fusion of all these elements makes for one of the most beautiful and engaging beats you’ll ever hear! It’s tranquil and elevated all in one!

Next up, we have ‘VS’

Which feels like a more structured and straightforward jazz track. There are those late 80’s inspired hip-hop break drum beats, but besides that, it’s full-force jazz instrumentals.

We have two separate sounds going off at once, one being a looped and uniform jazz long horn in four separate octaves playing in a repetitive motion.

Then there’s a more freelance jazz sound going on right next to it that’s more upbeat, higher pitch, and more abstract and high energy compared to the other one.

It’s like the battle of the jazz sub-genres. Your ‘Bitches Brew’ vs ‘A Kind Of Blue’ with the various influences going head-to-head with what could be considered some Herbie Hancock vibe drums lurking in the background!

All in all, this track is more hypnotic than anything else!

Next, the track ‘VSOP’ where on this one we have what sounds like a combination of southern country, hip-hop old-school breaks, and lighter jazz.

Although the main and loudest instrument is once again the jazz horns, the actual rhythm sounds country in spaghetti western execution, so it reminds me of cowboys and the west more than it does traditional jazz as you’ve got those trademark prime Clint Eastwood soundtrack vibes on the horns!

Accompanied by this is once again old school hip

Hop drums in a lively loop pattern as well as these subtle key notes in the background that provide some extra colour, brightness, and texture to the track to help create a slightly less but still awesome fusion! 

To the final track, this one similar to the second-to-last track, I get a strong combination of jazz and country! 

You’ve got this beautifully crafted jazz free-form notes going off in its own marvellous direction and execution, and then right alongside it, we have these extremely powerful country swaying guitar strings that sound plucked tight and instantly teleport you to the idea of the countryside or the Wild West with men on horses, riding through a town with tumbleweeds rolling across the screen!

We also have these incredibly mellow drums and subtle keys in the background helping to ground the song somewhat and add a tad bit of texture!

Overall, another fantastic effort by God Gotti. He incorporated some interesting sounds and instruments to create a certain vibe that I’m sure the culture can appreciate! 

(SPLENDID GEOMETRY)

Man, I can’t even lie, I fucking love vibes like this! This kind of music isn’t made enough in the underground for real. These days it’s too serious and violence-oriented (which is fine), but I feel just like pioneers such as ‘A Tribe Called Quest’ and ‘De La Soul’. We need the occasional lane switch, and these guys seem to be providing that! 

This is the new album by MC’s/Producers Dom$ and Benji Socrate$, who together rap and produce on this nine-track project that features 

-MAC

-WADE DAO

 And this thing goes so smoothly that it’s even hard to concentrate for review purposes! This gives me the vibe of Mac Miller meets Earl Sweatshirt.

You’ve got those ambient, light, and lo-fi elements from Mac Miller’s problems such as 

-Swimming

-Circles

And in the same breath, it has that experimental, raw, and minimalist vibe you’d expect from any Earl Sweatshirt release.

Each track has its own melodic life and rhythm attached to it that can’t be ignored. High-strung chords, light drum work, gorgeous keys, and an overall surreal atmosphere like listening to the sound of rain or a peaceful walk in the forest on a bright, sunny day!

I love how the music blends both hip-hop and ASMR aspects to make you feel like you’re listening to a fever dream! Legit, if I listened to this high, I wouldn’t get through one sentence without passing out and having the best sleep of my fucking life! It’s that hypnotic!

Each man contributed well to the project. It seems in this department they share the same vision, and it shows! There’s no awkward break or weird transition moment! At times, it feels like it’s one long song (similar to Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On), how it follows a similar tone the whole album!

In that same respect, this record is phenomenally produced and arranged that it all feels surreal!

As far as the MC work goes, once again both men match each other perfectly. From presenting unique personalities to providing smooth and slick flows with interesting and introspective verses with strong vocabulary and a formidable pen game! 

You can hear it in the verses, they sound relaxed, in control and just having fun. This is like a passion project for the two of them where energy and enthusiasm are at a premium high and they are just showcasing what can be done in the right environment!

It’s THIS specific raw energy that the mainstream lacks. Of course, once you’re a millionaire with a company breathing down your neck, of course, you’re gonna lose that natural hunger and passion, but these guys are just getting started and ready to present a switch on the underground sound that very few are doing!

The features also kill their specific verses as well! It helps maintain the vibe and aura of the album and already established atmosphere!

Long story short, this is a MUST-listen project. It’s fun, vibrant and fucking infectious! 

https://allthingswavy.bandcamp.com/album/splendid-geometry

(Blues Brothers)

Man, what a trio of names associated with this track! Two savage MC’s and one dope producer! These three men help execute one of the most infectious and dope singles to date, and doing so with ‘class’. Let’s talk about it!

Brand new single by MC’s B1 The Architect and Le Zeppo with $aveMe on the beats! This is a fresh three minutes and 30 seconds of pure hip-hop ecstasy! Let’s start with the production. 

So this track starts off with a snippet of the legendary ‘Diner Scene’ from the movie where the waitress describes to the cook the order, and he goes ‘Oh Shit, the Blues Brothers!’ 

From there, we get onto that beat! Which features this gorgeous angelic vocal harmony on repeat throughout the track. As well as these wavy guitar strings subtly plucked in the background, bass lines, and very light yet satisfying drums deep in the background of all the other noise.

This is one of the beats you want to sit back and relax to! Just surrender all your stress and anger to it and just vibe to the track. Absolutely loved it!

On this track, we have the two mentioned MC’s! Starting off with B1. He comes in with his trademark smooth and powerful delivery! Controlled and precise with his sharp and introspective wordplay, gliding flow, and focused pen game!

He’s the kind of MC you can tell is a perfectionist and someone who zones out on the beat he’s into, his vibe, and just goes off! Never too out there or crazy personality but solid and direct, which can sometimes be the best route to go! 

On the other end, we have Le, who showcases a more aggressive and fast-paced delivery with heavier word drops and an intense touch on the vocals! Something between DMX and Sticky Fingaz! Full force, loud and raw in execution, and hella entertaining to listen to his enthusiasm on the track! 

This is one HELL of a track, the dynamic duo of the MC’s the crazy production, it all goes hand in hand as one of the more memorable singles of the year! Go check it out now! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2w0cH3eBWrpu453zx1IYgR?si=rukHfy4JRQuBD68sJQMTrw

(AKIRA)

The main man is back! He’s been on quite the legendary run lately. With considerable singles and dope EP’s he’s here shooting all the shots! Now, this time with a brand new producer (to me anyway), so it’s exciting to see what they have to cook up! So let’s talk about it!

This is the brand new single by MC superstar FlyG and Producer KeiRY Beats, and together they drop a fresh 2 minutes and 06 seconds of pure energy and artistry! 

Let’s start with that beat! This one feels a lot more raw and stripped back than other beats I’ve heard FlyG on! From elements including those shredding synth strings to those droning drums, which come together for a skeletal yet abstract instrumental! 

There’s a part around 35 seconds in where the drums and strings just repeat themselves in a stuck loop that lasts for about 10 seconds, and that shit was my favourite part for its experimental and ambient vibe! 

Even towards the end, we have a slight tone shift with the introduction of an electric guitar harmony to close the track off. I liked how they decided to shift the pace right at the very end, keeping you on your toes as a listener!

This might be one of my favourite iterations of FlyG to date! Because it makes me observe how he can operate and deal under such drastically different sonic conditions, and well, as I’ll talk about right now, we will see the answer to that!

My main (as per usual) kills it! 

Now, what’s different on this track is I feel Fly changes his verse tempo and goes a bit faster in delivery! I feel on his other EP he was trying a bit more methodical approach, but on here he’s further experimenting, and I love it!

Still smooth flow, and when it comes to his lyricism, he’s reached a whole new level on this one! One line I want to point out that I legit ended up replaying 10x before I could figure out what he said was towards the last 40 seconds he goes ‘Men are Men and Mice Are Mice’. I legit got goosebumps on that line before I even knew what he said! 

His delivery reminded me of Big Pun’s ‘Twinz’ song with that insane tongue twister line!

But of course, take that line away and you’ve still got incredible wordplay such as ‘Prepare Your Armour, This is the type of music you need more than secret service than the presidential election with Obama’ or ‘I’m a lead farmer, largest corporations pharma’.

Again, he’s utilising and building his craft of the ‘one-liner’ lane and he’s getting better by the day! Some of the greatest rappers, period, run that play and he’s learning to become up there with the best using this technique!

As expected, a fresh, unique, and original track from the duo of FlyG and KeiRY Beats and one I hope we see more of! 

https://open.spotify.com/track/0sPM5bpPbavDKcRTrvQvcI?si=N0gFkfCUSkSLefOnseVmew&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6YW0akoB2RBJdEZ4iqh9Bi

(The Revenge Of JABgoblin)

This is an exciting day for me. Since I last reviewed him earlier in the year with (What Do Sounds Smell Like?) produced by Uncle Fester, an album that had more anticipation on socials than I’ve ever seen yet! 

Since then, he’s been on my radar for a whole variety of reasons I’ll talk about later on, but the fact is I’ve covered albums by him featuring producers like

– Chuck Chan

– godBLESSbeatz

– Uncle Fester

And now Hobgoblin. This proves just how desired and important this MC is to the current culture and now in demand he’s become! 

Brand new album by MC extraordinaire Primo Jab! The Willy Wonka of the underground who always keeps the fans guessing! This time with legendary producer Hobgoblin for a sequel to their 2023 album ‘Jabgoblin’. 

This new record contains 13 tracks and the likes of 

– Con$piracy

– Big Trip

– Lukey Cage

– Liym Capital

– Rufus Sims

– Mondo Slade

– Megaton SP

– Bless Picasso 

With this absolute monstrous roster, this thing is bound to be phenomenal! 

We will start with the production because I was heavily impressed with Hobgoblin! He’s an absolute genius behind the beats! The way he’s able to make the music itself sound animated and brought to life while maintaining that ‘gritty’ atmosphere is truly remarkable.

For example, we have ‘Resolute’ where we have these menacing horn loops with a slight vocal snippet on repeat with these heavy drums and light pianos in the background BUT also the occasional violin string and some kind of shaker sound deep in the back of the headphones! This is the kind of track that feels alive and breathing. 

There’s the track ‘Greektown’ which sounds like Hob literally captured the essence from Italy itself into a bottle and brought it back and released it into the booth. 

You’ve got these traditional Italian guitar strings, plucked chords and some beautifully manipulated violin or flute arrangements and mesmerising drums. There’s also a light usage of some female vocal melodies that gives this track an extra sense of angelic energy.

I also love how Hobgoblin separates this song by a few film/tv show dialogue snippets. Makes the track feel that much more ‘down to earth and authentic’. Plus, let’s not forget Big Trip on the feature absolutely nailing the energy and atmosphere of the song! Incredible. 

Another track that caught my attention was ‘Zanzibar’ because of its uniquely produced rhythm. You’ve got things such as fast-paced piano keys, deep bass strings, and quite unorthodox drum beats with the occasional hi-hat hit on the track!

This song sounds like a sci-fi ‘between a void and a black hole’ scene in a space movie. Or that scene in SpongeBob when Squidward was trapped in a void after breaking the Time Machine with those words surrounding him. That’s what it sounds like!

This is to say that Hobgoblin is once again showcasing his extraordinary creativity and versatility in the studio, and when paired with an already original Primo? You can’t lose!

Speaking of the man himself, Primo. This man gets me more excited on the mic than most of the industry! Why? Because he’s the definition of ‘original’. As I said in the intro, I’ve covered a handful of his albums, and they all sound different, and that’s because he’s a MC wizard who’s more concerned about experimentation and trying new things than he is doing the same old shit, and that’s why I love him!

Across this album, it’s no different! In these 13 tracks, he presents fresh new ideas, lyrics, and performances that are different from his last album!

Let’s talk trademark features first. As he’s shown in all releases, what they have in common is his solid pen game, his drive and conviction, as well as his smooth flow and god-tier performance and energy! He always sounds like this is his debut project and always hungry!

His vocabulary is always incredibly extensive and limitless! Not one to repeat the same thing twice, every sentence delivered is fresh and interesting because of his ridiculous knowledge and thirst for innovation! 

Now onto what separates him. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, he’s never satisfied with just a normal album. The traditional front to back, just tracks. But strangely enough, I wouldn’t call what he does ‘skits’ either; it’s more just intriguing snippets of the most random and fascinating things, and each album is different!

On his album I reviewed with him, and godBLESS he had a snippet about someone arguing trans rights. On his album with Uncle Fester, he starts the fucking album with what sounds like an old head roasting some inspiring rapper! 

And on this one, we have stuff like a guy saying he’s finally getting feelings back, and his friend is like, ‘Wait, are you telling me you don’t have feelings?’ Or at the start of ‘Offbrandz’ how it’s some guy, I assume, roasting us talking about ‘go play your PS5 and we definitely judge.’

Like, I feel Primo has a mutant level of ADHD where he uses his powers to dress every album with a touch of fascinating sounds and samples that instinctively make the listener curious about what’s been said.

Legit, when I was first listening to this, I was wishing I had popcorn with me as I was excitedly waiting and listening for the next batch of snippets he’s going to use, as they’ve lowkey become my favourite moments on any Primo Jab album!

All this is to say, Primo is one of those unique cats that has not only built his own lane but has attracted the underground’s elite producers to follow his journey and help create pure sonic bliss. Fuck Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, I wanna visit his brain! 

https://primojab.bandcamp.com/album/the-revenge-of-jabgoblin