(Illiterate III Mind)

Sometimes it takes the culture itself to reveal a collaboration so incredible you’ll beat yourself up for not thinking of it earlier! 

This is one of those occasions. Two powerhouses in the same track, teasing an album on the way? What more can you ask for! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand new single by MC THEMELLOS and Producer Vinyl Villain. Both have released an incredible set of music this year that has been critically acclaimed by the underground. Now with his short 1-minute and 17-second teaser track, we can see the magic that these two can bring to the table!

We’ll start with the production. Vinyl decides to bring an aura-filled skeletal track with those long-winded keys accompanied by a light yet immersive vocal humming melody that runs through the whole track, as well as this heavy and thudding drum beat that wraps the whole track together!

All these elements combined make for a raw yet spiritually powerful track. It’s minimalistic and atmospheric at the exact same time and perfect for a MC of this magnitude to set a blaze! 

That MC is, of course, THEMELLOS, who wastes no time in getting his verse in. I love how his verse starts off with ‘Please be patient’, it gave me the same vibe of when Nas on ‘N.Y State Of Mind’ starts off his song by ‘I don’t know how to start this track’ and rips one of the best lyrical performances ever.

Same applies here, starts off humble then rips into this instrumental like the rent is due. He talks about his personal experience such as being illiterate and having a speech impediment but that he’s really living that life and he really is HIM. 

As usual, he brings his precise and fast-paced wordplay and rhythm. He focuses his street poetry with advanced vocabulary and high energy that makes every word he says bounce with enthusiasm and passion and most of all CONVICTION. 

I love his cadence on the song, he knows he has no time to fuck around so he makes every bar, pub and phrase sharp as a razor and brutal in execution! 

This teaser got me SO HYPED! For the upcoming album. Will it be fully produced by Vinyl? I fucking hope so. But even if not, I know THEMELLOS is going to kill it and bring it home for the culture! 

https://open.spotify.com/track/5sI13JhulTkBVsYzm4zJY0?si=0Y8PoMZGTMS2SpjRyNBO9w

(Mental HELLth Despondent Edition)

Man, I’ll never get tired of connecting with brand-new artists I’ve never heard of. No matter how many I discover, there will be a sea of fresh producers and MCs ready for me to try, and today is one of those days! So let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new album by MC T.O. Lestat with production from the likes of: 

Executive Producer: T.O. Lestat

Beat Production: Imminent Productions

Producer/Engineer: Crackerican

And across these 13 tracks, this album plays like a dark and twisted movie. At first (based on the intro), I thought of Redman’s debut album in inspiration with the whole Doctor part and then the switching between skits and music!

As the album officially kicked in, the actual music has a strong 2000s West Coast vibe to be. I’m picturing artists like early Eminem, Ice Cube, even some Immortal Technique thrown in there!

For example, tracks like ‘No More’ which has those glossy, delicate piano keys with that traditional hip-hop drum pattern and subtle strings in the background. This song has a real strong ‘acoustic’ vibe to it while focusing on the raw, skeletal movement to give the audience the undivided attention to T.O. and his bars!

Or we can look at the track ‘Dear Diary’ which continues that somber and melodic production as the track before. Light and intricate piano keys with those plucked strings and a tad bit more heavy drum pattern with some subtle bass lines!

This reminds me of a Studio Ghibli score. Emotionally complex and minimal at the same time! A truly unique and engaging experience!

We can even look at the track ‘Mental Break Down’ which contains a more heavier and experimental approach with those brash and manipulated chord progressions and the occasional drum blast that comes and goes every other second!

This is definitely the sound of ‘chaos’ reinvented, and for the subject matter discussed, this thing is truly remarkable.

As impressive and well executed as the production is, the lyricism is the star of the show. What he’s pulled off with his pen game and performance is beyond compare! 

As I said in the intro, this thing runs like a movie, and a compelling movie at that. We have T.O. leaving nothing to the imagination and being as brutally honest with us, the audience, and in that state of being an ‘open book’, we get some of the most deep and brutal moments in rap of the year.

Whether you want to discuss his skits talking to his doctor about his addiction to drugs and alcohol or his newly developed hatred for women because of an extreme break-up. Or even checking tracks like ‘Dear Diary’ or ‘Giving Up & In & Mental Health’ where we hear him talking about his life, his trials and tribulations, and how he handles life and even reading from his diary and even how truly fucked up his mental really is!

Every track on this album is an in-depth study into a man’s psyche and how someone who is deeply mentally and emotionally broken goes through life, and in the process of this, he showcases a next-level storytelling ability that most MC’s would die for.

He’s extremely passionate and expressive. His vocabulary is extensive, and his conviction is steadfast. When it comes to making conceptual albums, a lot of artists think it’s enough to just name a project something or mention the topic a few times on the record, and that counts.

THIS is the blueprint of how you handle a conceptual effort. Fuck it, in that respect, this shits all over Redman’s debut. As much of a classic as that album is, it too often struggles between wanting to be a thrilling Dr/Patient arc and a traditional groovy hip-hop album.

On this album, every one of the 13 tracks served a purpose. It’s all lyrically and emotionally focused on the bigger picture, and not once does it ever deviate from that point, and that’s why it’s elite! 

I can’t lie. This thing BLEW ME AWAY. I had no idea what to expect going in, and I left speechless. This ain’t music for the club, but music for the soul! You can’t afford to sleep on this one! 

(EXPRESSION CHAMBER)

So, it turns out in this one incredible EP I get to listen to two of my favourite artists going right now and that’s exciting!

One is an MC who earlier this year released an album called ‘Welfare Island’ that I gave critical acclaim for in my review and is still one of the strongest albums of the year!

The other is a producer who I also reviewed earlier this year and have gone on to appreciate his unique style and take on the underground and today I get to hear both! Let’s go!

Brand new EP by MC KnowItAll and today he’s joined by producers

-q no rap name

-UrnYmac

And with just these two extra names this thing brings so many refreshing sounds and ideas that keep this a strong replay value project!

Starting with the opening track ‘CHIICKENCHEESESTEAK’ which is one of two tracks with q rap on the production and this is an absolutely glorious way to start the EP off.

We have these glowing, rnb/funk inspired bouncing chords that have such happy and relaxing vibes associated with them! 

Alongside these we have these sharp synth chords in the background with a light and measuring drum pattern that is ever so subtle to help formulate this track into a quick stress fix within a track! Absolutely beautiful 

Speaking of beautiful we have ‘A Vandal Plight’ which begins with this classical vocal harmony that is running through the entire song! Alongside the voice we have what sounds like 70’s disco pop that’s been manipulated and evolved into a more surreal and in depth experience for this record! 

Like imagine Grease meets Daft Punk. That’s how it sounded in my ears and it became one of my favourites on the EP! 

Track 3 we have ‘So Lifted/ So Gifted’ which has a more synth heavy vibe to it and a strong lo-fi-ambient vibe to it! I’m talking those long winded notes on rotation, those plucked strings ever so subtle in the background and a more traditional hip hop drum pattern to create an exact beat you’d expect from the likes of q rap (since he did produce this one)

This is a more trance-away, your mind and let it wonder type of tracks. This also features a dope performed verse by Urynmac who killed his parts! 

The final track ‘ILL Degrass Tyson’ has to have the most mellow atmosphere on the whole project. This sounds like a combination of swing and jazz rolled into one. You’ve got those beautiful jazz notes that sound like you’re roaming free in an indie video game with the soundtrack playing! Had an almost folk vibe to it! 

This definitely has a skeletal, bare, and minimal quality to it that I absolutely fucking adore. I love its stripped-back and surreal feel to it. You couldn’t ask for a better outro to the record!

All in all, the production is absolutely killer. With these two beat makers, I wasn’t expecting anything less! 

As far as Knowitall goes, he sounds like he really does. There’s not a style or approach that he doesn’t know how to do, and it shows! While I was impressed with his in-depth storytelling and visuals on ‘Welfare Island’ on this one, I feel he’s doing vocabulary gymnastics and testing out the boundaries of his MC skills!

He sounds as confident as ever, he’s sharp lyrically, smooth with his flow, brings the same introspective and deep pen game as well as a versatile play on how he performs!

Some verses are slow and methodically paced. Some are faster and more aggressive! Some are complex in nature, and some bars are simple but straightforward!

As I said, he’s choosing this project to test himself and see what he can or can’t do, and based on this one, I’d say there’s very few (if anything) he can’t do! 

Although only two verse features (by the same guy), they both have incredible chemistry and showcase a healthy synchronicity on the beat as they match each other’s energy and perform accordingly!

Overall, a brilliant short and sweet project! It’s got my type of production and bars that make me feel relaxed and comfortable, and those are my favourite type! 

https://knowitall2.bandcamp.com/album/expression-chamber

(The Sinner & The Scoundrel)

Well, I’ll say this much. That might be the most badass intro of all his albums so far! Had me hooked from the very start, incredible! This man is on a mission to release an album monthly (alongside his brother in P-Ro) and so far he hasn’t missed yet, so let’s talk about it!

This is the brand new album by MC ‘Sinner’ G-Fam, Black & Scoundrel Producer Tali Rodriguez, and together they drop a fresh batch of tracks featuring the likes of 

-Sarah Jane

-Ruste Juxx 

-Generalbackpain

-DJ Decepta 

-B1 The Architect

-Aztek The Barfly

-Che Uno

-P-Ro

A solid roster to help trample this score with some of the most monstrous verses you’ve heard yet! 

But we gotta start with the production! Because this might be G Fam’s darkest album to date, and that’s all thanks to the black magic spells by Tali, who has put a hex on the record, trapping all the listeners in and refusing to let go until the end!

Even if we look at the first few tracks from that intro ‘Twist The Cap’, which has a combination of haunting piano keys, deep bass, and a hypnotic drum pattern that comes together to make you feel like you’ve just stepped into a satanic ritual at midnight! Truly overwhelming! 

Or let’s look at the next track in ‘Monstrosity’, which includes what sounds like these panic alarm sounds at the start, which transform into these dark, submerged strings that sound like waves coming from the Mariana Trench! They sound heavy and formless; it’s absolutely brutal!

These sounds are accompanied by some sharp ringing and skeletal drums. This is the kind of beat you wouldn’t want to hear at night time if you want any hope of sleep that night! I don’t know what kind of contract Tali signed with the devil for these beats, but I’ve never heard him like this!

None prove that further than the track ‘Walk The Plank’ where they literally have a black metal band in their track!! When I heard those shredding doom guitar notes and those drums I was shocked BUT THEN the chorus came and I almost screamed (had I not been at work I probably would have) they have authentically done black metal death growls!! 

You have no idea how excited this track makes me because this fusion makes real sense with the artists involved! Definitely my favourite track on the album 

As I mentioned above. This album showcases a side I’ve never seen before of Tali. He’s shown his animalistic side and when he’s in this headspace no one is safe!

Now, who better to utilise this sound with than G Fam? This is literally the perfect combination. I’ve always been interested in how this man sounds outside of the booth because he always brings a next level of intensity that very few (if any) can replicate! 

As usual he brings in the trademark muddy, sonic massacre with his sharp vocabulary, dope one-liners, phrases and orbiting his relentless flow in such a way that it screams destruction and chaos! 

Every bar feels like an army tank rolling down the beat blowing away anything in its path. He never ‘raps’ he ‘shatters’ the beat and has his way with the production until it conforms to his will! 

This is 28 minutes of some of the most diabolical and dangerous lyricism I’ve heard from him yet! (Which is saying a lot) and it’s proven even further with that roster he brought with him. Some of the best in the game and they don’t play and G stands proudly next to the brothers as not only their MC equal but as a monster in his own lane that’s always in kill mode! 

Once again, G Fam nails the coffin shut! With Tali casting shadows across the beats this is a match made in hell and everyone should watch out! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6e4mv2DimENxLXSYRltXoU?si=VlI0zlKSTYa8cZ8ADd6otA

(Raise The Stakes)

Any time an artist samples an anime, let alone the big three with BLEACH, I know it’s gonna be fire. Ain’t no one sampling Mayuri and making ass music; it’s just that simple!

This is the latest single by MC Black Silq someone who blew me away with her studio album ‘The Obsidian Tapes’, where she expanded and emphasised her creativity and artistry, making me intrigued with how she’ll go in the future, and now we have our answer! 

Starting with the production which is handled by Origami, This is definitely a lot more traditional than a lot of the cuts on the official album. This one feels rooted in the 90s East Coast era hip hop. 

I’m talking those Gang Starr-inspired long notes that come on repetition across the beat alongside that thick bass and thudding drum pattern strong enough to knock you on your ass! 

I love this beat because it gives her the ability to showcase her lyrical chops across an instrumental that’s more stripped back and atmospheric in comparison, and it’s with this beat (as we will see) that we see just how good she is on the mic!

Across this 3-minute track, we get to hear two verses, and I gotta say, I’m pleasantly impressed! I already knew she had creativity spewing out of her, but now I needed to see as a solid MC how she handled herself, and as I hoped, she blew it out of the water!

She had such a crisp and charismatic style that kind of reminds me of a mix of prime-era Missy Elliott and 2010 Nicki Minaj (before the sell-out), just pure colour, pure energy, and dope lines that force you to mean-mug while listening!

Across this track, she has such fun and versatile bars where she fluctuates her pacing, tone, rhythm, and showcases just how diverse she really can be while still out-rapping 90% of the MC’s in the underground!

I had a blast with this! With her already engaging my interest with that Bleach sample, to that larger-than-life beat, to the refreshing performance, she’s just proved she’s the full package, and I can’t wait to see her career hopefully skyrocket like Sui-Feng’s Bankai (if you know, you know). 

https://open.spotify.com/album/50av9Ke6srw3MIL7ooMEs3?si=8DbrWpFtRGyoDiaj023CZg

(Ring Psychology)

If you had to write down who were the top five best to ever execute the role of ‘Ring Psychology’, who would you pick? For me, it would be 

– Rowdy Piper

– Terry Funk

– The Undertaker

– Bret Hart

– Eddie Guerrero 

These five, in their own eras and companies, have made a name for themselves by how they conduct themselves during the matches, how they act, speak, and perform. In my opinion, these are the five that did it best. 

BUT 

When we sit down and talk about the top five best underground MC’s and their psychologies, who would the answers be then? And would it be fair to say that keeping Action Figure off that list would be criminal? After this new album, I feel it would be! Let’s talk about it!

So, brand new Action Figure 973. This time accompanied by Producer The Custodian Of Records, and together they drop seven tracks, 15 minutes, no features! 

Starting off, I love the idea of that opening sequence of ‘10 BELL SALUTE’ with those sharp classical notes over that traditional hip-hop beat, feels like a shot to the system to kick things off! The beat is brash, in your face, and gritty!

From there, the album only gets better with tracks like ‘ODE TO O-SOLO’ which follows a similarly classic sound set with those intricate violin strings, steep high-pitched keys on loop, mesmerising drums, and a very light, subtle yet fascinating old-school vocal harmony! It all comes together very nicely!

I love how the song ‘EXECUTION’ takes a more methodical and smooth tone and approach! This has a more 90s R&B flavour! With those rich and groovy notes on loop, light drums, and if you pay attention really well, you can hear a faint vocal harmony that’s there in the back of your headphones and it’s delicate but sweet!

Also, there are even tracks like ‘95 RAVEN’ which have probably the most hypnotic beats on the whole tape! It has this almost meditative rhythm with those looped vocal harmonies in different octaves that take charge of those light bass strings! I also love the outro Raven samples, which must have been from his three-year feud with Tommy when he never beat Raven once! 

Regardless of the track you choose, this one instrumentally is a treat for fans! It doesn’t have a lot going on at once, but for what they decide to utilise, they make the best out of it and put emphasis on the ‘less is more’ aspect, and I can respect anyone that does that!

Now onto Action Figure. Since he’s predominantly talking wrestling bars, his energy is always high as he’s rapping about things he’s actually passionate about, that’s why I fuck with him so heavily! Someone from his image to his MC name to his concept albums who is this heavy into wrestling is someone I have to pay attention to, and he hasn’t disappointed me yet! 

Across this project, he brings his trademark aura and personality onto the tracks as he continues to find that perfect sweet spot between pop culture and technical MC! He’s talking wrestling while dropping some of the sharpest and deadly puns and one-liners you’ve heard in your life! 

When he goes on the verses like bron breaker, he can’t be stopped. Your only hope is to get snapped in half or suicide dive in the opposite direction and hope he misses you! Because whether you like it or not, his presence is omnipresent, and you can’t escape him like The Fiend!

Although only 15 minutes, Action’s authentic and organic persona makes this feel double that as he doesn’t bother with features and uses his talent to make sure the project is profound, fun, high quality, and a dream drop for wrestling fans alike! 

I love his chemistry with The Custodian, and the two of them helped add another W to the discography of the ever-growing Action Figure!

OH WHAT A RUSH! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/3t0OvJQhQSzDFTipiZyRJO?si=dzGCQqnMTmy8me6v_p8eqA

(Pablo Clemente)

Let me start off by saying this: that album cover has to be the most WILD I’ve seen all year. Two of the most controversial figures in one photo? Unreal!

Onto more important things, I think it’s safe to say that Machacha can be given the most consistent producer of the year award! I’ve lost count of the amount he’s done so far, but I feel it’s over ten already! Working with a whole range of MC’s and even hosting a compilation record, he’s done it all this year, and he ain’t even close to being done. Even though it might be a tough call to make, this one could very well be his best record to date! Let’s talk about it!

Brand new album by the pairing of MC world Be Free and Producer Machacha. Together, they introduce twelve new tracks with the likes of

-Shottie

-Hell’z OWN

-Sucio David

– Kyhm, who all help push momentum on this already incredible record!

What’s wild is that after my first listen, my initial reaction was ‘this reminded me of GZA: Liquid Swords’. Doing my second listen, J stands by my comment. From that opening track that has the same instrumentation feel as the opening track of Swords, it delivers a fine line balance between surreal and cinematic energy as well as a disciplined and stripped-back sound palette where he gives a masterclass in the ‘less is more’ aspect in this record.

For example, on the track ‘Xena Pt.II’, we have a collection of high-pitched synth chords in rotation with some light and delicate keys and some subtle bass lines. Nothing fancy or over the top, just pure atmospheric rhythm that runs through your whole body!

The already mentioned official first rap song. With those plucked guitar strings and rock drums, with a killer guitar solo at the start that later evolves into a sticky key loop that forces you to bop your head as you listen!

I also love the fact that there’s a beat switch for the transition returning to that Spanish guitar influence!

Or even if we look at the track ‘Bachata’ which once again features heavy guitar string loops with organ-style piano keys that’s executed in such a skeletal fashion that it makes you feel the sounds in your bones!

The point in trying to prove is. If your a real producer, you know you don’t need all that fancy instruments or heavy sampling or layers to create a classic; sometimes it’s about what you leave on as much as you put in, and with this mentality, Machacha drops another ‘AOTY’ contender to add to the list!

Onto the man of the hour. This MC who I only discovered with this record is one that has definitely impressed me with his abilities on this record!

Firstly. Let’s talk about his style because he has one of the most fluent and confident personalities I’ve heard in the studio! He has perfect enunciation with his words (which I find very important), his passion is strong, and his crisp, laid-back demeanour works well across this specific production!

Another thing I love is his writing skills. He’s the type of MC that can switch between bragging bars to in-depth storytelling with heavy introspective sentences at a flip of a coin. He’s not held back to one specific style and can alternate as he seems fit!

One track he could be talking about family, the next about him running this game, and then the next a social commentary on life and how he sees it!

This means he’s a man who is always thinking, wondering, and planning. It means he’s not one-dimensional and can utilise many things to get the best result for his bars!

Also, what this album proves is that regardless of who’s on the track with him, he can maintain his stature and rap alongside some of the best going! 

My favourite feature track is ‘Spanish Raymond’ which has Shottie and Hell’z OWN collaborating on the track and dropping absolute fire! This trio is a treat to hear and all under Machacha’s production? It’s a wrap at that point!

I guarantee you, this is not the album to ignore. It’s a masterclass of both production and MC work! Trust me, you will want to study this album and see what happens when two men (and company) are in their primes! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/20PTismDuCl2Yby9HPNXLq?si=uYsr9w9XTb6YA2ir6jp-Pg

No One’s Watching (So I’ll Float)

This is the second dope recommendation by the Spotify algorithm in the last few weeks! It’s starting to do its job properly in connecting me to dope artists, and this one is definitely the definition of DOPE! After hearing one song off this EP, I had to reach out because of how much I loved it, and so, here we are!

This is the brand-new EP by Producer Sly Ceru! Accompanying him are the MC’s 

-Monday Night

-Chuck Strangers

-Hell’z OWN

-Pink Siifu 

-André DeSaint 

-Elcamino 

These are definitely some high-profile names, and across this project, their voices just blossom! It’s absolutely insane!

Starting with the first track ‘Scott Summers’, which features that light jazz work with those beautifully groovy piano keys that feel like Herbie Hancock himself is behind in the studio going off! Lively as fuck.

Alongside that, we have those soft drum beats that help provide a light/subtle edge to the whole track.

Across this track, we have Monday Night, who showcases his strong no-nonsense bars with his sharp lyricism and his aura with absolute conviction in his purpose and energy on the track! His words are on point, and his flow is smooth but efficient! A lyrical titan in this underground shit!

Across the second track ‘Wolfie’s Walk Home’, we have Sly incorporating a more soulful aspect with what sounds like a throwback beat to the ‘The Jackson 5’ era. You’ve got those funky chord progressions and more lively and passionate piano work! 

This time with more of a jazz-noted drums that feel more in the background than at the forefront but can be heard amongst the other instruments! 

Across this track, we have both Chuck Strangers and Hell’z OWN, who both provide excellent bars of their own! Both have their own unique versatile styles and help maintain that glorious vibe of that beat! 

Neither man feels like they are overshadowing or underwhelming the other. Both on equal footing delivering absolutely killer verses!

On track 3, ‘Wingspan’, we have another soulful cut with this gorgeous vocal harmony loop hitting us in the face the second the track starts. Accompanied by some subtle piano keys and one plucked guitar string note that appears every other beat! 

Once again, the drums on this one feel more in the backend of the track than noticeable in the front and centre, but they do have a light, jazz element to them that makes this track have such an incredible rhythm and structure to it that just takes your breath away! 

Especially towards the end with those guitar strings and long, elegant vocal performances, man, I legit got goosebumps listening to that track!

That song also features the notorious Pink Siifu, who provides a rather methodical performance for himself. It feels laid back and smooth while also maintaining those witty and sharp pen game with all that swagger and natural flair a man can have in this game, making every word he drops feel like bars of gold! 

The final track, ‘Closed The Garden Gate’, has, I feel, the loudest and funkiest track of them all. This feels like it was executively produced by Bootsy Collins himself! 

It’s intimate, sexual, and funky all in one. You’ve got P-Funk-inspired synth chords and those absolutely irresistible bass lines and light drums that all come together to create a ridiculously powerful and nostalgic track that makes you feel like you’re in the 80s with a thick Afro, the purest powder on the market, and ready to find the nearest club and tear it down with your finest dance moves! 

Across this banger, we have three of the strongest lyricists in the game right now with ‘Hell’z OWN, André DeSaint, and Elcamino’ all coming together to each drop a vibrant and memorable verse with their own individual voices, verses, and styles that are their own!

What an incredible decision to not only have this mesmerising beat be the finale track but to have these lyrical juggernauts on the track alongside it! Absolutely genius!

This EP is everything I thought it would be! It’s perfectly produced, that’s accompanied by the best MC’s you’ll find anywhere. This is the EP you don’t want to miss out on!

https://open.spotify.com/album/1jp6NKSfQCI51Nw45ZMTOu?si=KRBq543pTXWZsVqX9s6Pyw

(NO FAITH NO HOPE)

It’s always an exciting experience to discover a new artist. Especially one who is getting buzz from veterans in the game! Whenever I see traction or that magnitude, I can’t help but tune in, and after listening to the album, I can definitely tell why! 

This is the brand new record by MC and producer Toplist Magnetic, who, alongside producerAllah God Balil, features with

-ROYALONE777

-ESTEE NACK

-??? (THE HIDDEN CHARACTER) 

And I’ll tell you right now, the production on this thing is incredible. It has a certain level of ‘Noir’ elements in its execution. From that compelling intro that sounds like a black-and-white movie scene from the 1950s with those long, eerie horns and methodical drums, we have the interlude that will prove the blueprint for the rest of the record.

As the album continues, we get a score that is equal parts cinematic and raw. The instrumentation itself feels rough around the edges, which gives it that ‘old school’ aura like you’re listening to a classic vinyl or cassette tape. High quality without the sin of over-polishing and taking away any organic essence the record had on its own!

If we’re talking about tracks like ‘WAR ARTISTRY 101’, we see how technical and creative the production really is. This track has infectiously funky chord progression that is placed in a subtle loop, accompanied by light keys in the background and a hypnotic drum track that all comes together for a track so memorable and mesmerising that it will be stuck in your head for weeks!

Even the track ‘ROYAL HISTORY’, which truly does have this ‘royal’ high-end feel to it. Those methodically paced piano keys accompanied by those subtle vocal hums make this feel like a hip-hop equivalent of a soundtrack I’d hear from medieval times! 

Those raw drums help package the whole track into a time capsule of elegant sounds that is bound to give you goosebumps!

The production on this album has so many surprises, and I don’t want to spoil and reveal all of them, but trust me, you ain’t ever heard sounds like these! They are grand, original, and muddy all in one. You’ve got that tough grit of the boom bap underground combined with theatrical elements that come together in the best way possible!

Now, onto the MC work. This man, Toplist, is one of the most unique and standout voices I’ve heard in a while. He has such a great personality and charisma about him that it makes every bar he spits sound like important information that you want to hear every word about! 

He has a straightforward and groovy flow with a sharp pen game filled with everything from clever one-liners, street poetry, and introspective thoughts landing on paper that it feels like he’s letting whatever he’s thinking as he goes into the studio to record go onto the beat, and this level of ‘freelance’ performance is definitely innovative and fun to listen to!

He has such a distinct voice that I could definitely tell him apart from a cypher or group of features. This man, Toplist, has energy for days, conviction, and an animated style of rapping that makes me feel I’m listening to the performance of a lifetime! 

The features on this track also go HARD (as expected), providing great chemistry and showcasing just how skilled Toplist is considering how easily he can hold his own against legendary names like those! 

I gotta show love and respect to this man for providing one of the most original and adventurous records of the year! And guaranteed to have him on my radar from now on! 

https://toplist-magnetic.bandcamp.com/album/no-faith-no-hope

(Animal & Hawk)

We are truly blessed to be living in an era where wrestling and hip hop can live so harmoniously with one another, with the last decade being a building block for the trend that has taken the culture by storm, and now we get to add another classic to that list as I present to you 

ANIMAL & HAWK

BRAND NEW album by the notorious Penlordz Fam, Ross, and Audio Messiah! (With Arsinel on the track ‘Mean Gene’ With regular producer Da Grand Hova handling the 12 tracks provided, and as expected (based on the single I reviewed), this is yet again another glimpse into the aggressive side of Penlordz, and I’m all here for it!

It’s important to understand that when an artist or band, whatever you are basing your record off, a concept or theme, you match the production accordingly.

Considering this album is paying homage to the legendary Animal and Hawk, it is crucial that you match that same grotesque, terrifying, and violent nature of the duo they were so famous for, and Da Grand Hova has done this exceptionally!

From that opening interlude with the iconic ‘WHAT A RUSH’ catchphrase and a spoken passage to further hype the audience up! And from there, we get more intense and surreal instrumentation that is synced to the legacy of the Road Warriors.

I’m talking about aspects such as 

– chaotically paced violin

– methodical drums

– deep bass lines

– distorted synths/piano keys

– Minimalistic ambient exterior 

– Blues/Jazz themed chord progressions and more.

The focus being these are all either dark, gritty, or emotionally triggering sounds that make the listener feel a certain way, whether that be somber, adrenaline, or power! Da Grand Hova has constructed a sonic narrative to (even if just for a small moment) peer inside the minds and souls of the Road Warriors, and that is a magical thing!

Let’s get one thing straight. You won’t find a better duo than Audio Messiah and Fam Ross. (Let alone a better trio than Penlordz), but regardless, these two are lyricism personified. If nothing else, their ‘PEN’ are sure to be stuff of ‘LORDS’, and they don’t really have any competition in that area.

It’s scary to realise how much diversity they actually have when they are inherently possessing the spirits of the road warriors and coming across as two of the most savage MC’s in the game.

From their newly formed over-the-top adlibs and vicious sounds, they truly are a reincarnation of Animal and Hawk in rap form, and they utilise the 32 minutes of content in making sure they do justice to the duo! 

I love how ruthless and relentless they sound together! This isn’t the same humble and considerate pair I was discussing earlier this year; this is a new evolution, one based on power, raw skill, and admiration. They understand who and what they are trying to pay homage to, and they ain’t leaving anything to chance; they are releasing every bit of intensity they have inside of them to capture that essence, and it honestly gives me goosebumps how well they do it!

If you’re talking about the Penlordz in any capacity, then their skills as rappers should never be questioned. At this point, it’s about how creative and innovative they can be on new projects and how much further they can evolve from where they are now, and based on this, their ceiling is endless.

With Grand Hova on the cut, they could be looking at a run that is untouchable! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2BjfzK2h7fhrqXk9dAwkxh?si=8zGIOVnKSsqJSgH5-2xHHg