(Solider In A Garden)

This has to be one of the most exciting drops of the month! After one of the best albums already a few months back, now we have this. By a man who has proven himself time and time again, whether that be in studio albums or feature tracks, as a man to watch out for, and now he’s back to giving the culture the lesson in the REAL hip hop. Let’s peep in!

This is the brand new album by MC Red Amandala, who I first discovered on Al Divino’s EP’s and now has become one of my favourites! Alongside him today are producers from his usual suspects, ‘AbbotJackson’, to others such as

-bb

-Demetri47

And MC’s such as

-Swizzy

-Ty27

-al divino 

After listening to this album, I’m reminded of why I love Red’s music. His brand of lyricism is always so introspective and personalised that it makes me feel like I’m listening to a man sharing his diary or journal with us, as well as his pure, unadulterated thoughts, as if he’s not actually writing bars as much as he is just talking!

Bars like ‘Both my I may be the one to change the world and I’ve never held a tech’ or ‘I was dumb bent as fuck as a teenager’ 

He’s expressing himself and the world around him (as he sees it), from admissions to self-doubt to flexing to social commentary on society, he’s giving us a real-life perspective of the world today, and it’s refreshing!

I love how he always has fresh and calm demeanours with strong conviction and powerful words that just like the opening track feel like a preacher in the booth! He’s confident in his art, precise, and intelligent! The ultimate trifecta! 

He’s always got smooth flow, strong lyricism, and a solid pen game that makes him feel unique and separated from the rest in the game! Absolutely intriguing performances!

The MC’s involved do a great job at maintaining the energy and vibe of the record. You know me, I always love the ‘less is more’ strategy, and this is done the best here!

As far as the production goes. Once again absolutely incredible. We have AbbotJackson producing six of the ten tracks here, and his influence is strong! Just like their last record together, he provides smooth, fluent, and ambient music that touches the soul!

It’s music that’s sonically refreshing. With harmonious chords, light drums, delicate keys, and overall atmospheric instrumentation that screams ‘ambiance’ in the best way possible. It kind of feels like late 80s synth pop elements infused with underground hip hop, and for me, that’s a beautiful working relationship because I love both genres!

The other producers on the record are amazing as well! They help provide that aura-filled vibe with delicate beats and mesmerising that fill your heart and ears at the same time! There’s no awkward transition or obvious sign of producers changing, which is a key thing because it means everyone worked together in harmony, and it’s phenomenal!

Man, once again, this is a Red album you can’t afford to miss! This is the true essence of hip hop, and if you’re against this, you’re against real hip hop! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2PswDX7OAgMkaNayhat0rY?si=2hzvchWdTNeZ8nYAb89xrg

(Transits)

Sometimes you don’t need anyone but yourself to rock the boat. This man has had a killer 2025 already, and now he’s decided to take a deep breath, a break from everyone else, and focus on himself and present to the culture something different and memorable! Let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new EP by MC and beatmaker Mike Martinez. Featuring five songs with 13 minutes of content, and I’ll be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for this one! Considering how consistently he’s been killing it this year, to hear a solo EP is something that equally impressed and intrigued me!

Right off the bat, we hear Mike go the classic approach with influences from the late 90s and early to mid-2000s in construction. 

For example, on the track ‘Neptunes in Aries’, we have a track that reminds me of either mid-career Nas or early-career Immortal Technique! 

You’ve got those classical jazz-inspired chords looping with those minimalist drum patterns! The perfect kind of beat to use to showcase one’s lyrical ability, and that’s exactly what Mike does. Nothing but two minutes of solid bars, introspective bars, and quality pen game!

On track 2, ‘Jupiter Cazimi’, we have a track that sonically reminds me of 2005 G Unit or Mobb Deep. A beat I’d expect to hear on the ‘Blood Money’ record.

Those fast-paced, lively chords in a repetitive loop and those slow, methodical drums with those delicate keys appearing in those transition moments! Very catchy and infectious track with Mike sounding a bit more lively and fresh on this track, with him confidently talking his shit and reminding everyone why he’s the man with his smooth flow and rhythm structure!

Track 3, ‘Mercury Retrograde’, takes us to a 90s-inspired sound, with it reminding me of a Big Pun or Gang Starr-influenced track with those long-executed synth chords and thick and rough drum

patterns! Very hypnotic and mesmerising!

This track acts as more of an interlude with no actual written verses but more a spoken word passage for the star sign of ‘Mercury’, very interesting listen!

Track 4 ‘Taurus Rising’ feels like the one track that is actually sonically inspired by the modern-day boom bap landscape! Those elongated strings, slow-paced drums, and overall minimalist feel to the whole thing! It’s gritty, dark, and melodic in its own rugged way! Reminds me of an early Griselda or Reek Osama type track!

On this track, we hear Mike sounding more introspective than usual. He sounds like a poet who’s sitting in the studio with a pen and a bottle of whisky, just spewing out what’s on his head alongside this acoustic-type beat! His rhythm is more slow and methodically performed like a warning speech to the world! 

On the final track ‘Lion’s Gate’, we see Mike closing off the track in the most theatrical way possible! From that thrilling opening spoken word to the evolving of the beat with those classic/opera elements of those high-strung strings and surreal drums, as if he has a live band in the studio with him! I can’t really compare this track to anyone else; it’s just grand in every sense of the word! 

We hear Mike closing off the EP in style, with big energy, high enthusiasm, and performance. He ain’t leaving this finale without talking his superior shit, and he does just that! Sharp lyricism, god flow, and introspective vibes that have him reminiscing about the world and his place in it! 

Overall, another solid drop by Martinez! He hasn’t missed yet, and he just proved he doesn’t need anybody to make his shit pop!

https://open.spotify.com/album/2r6fl4qLHmTkL3uFTH1SBo?si=fAo-sUVcST2z5dhUb7nDyw

(HDXMM ACT II)

Before I even touch on the music, I feel these collaboration projects go deeper than rap. Really think about it, how often is real ‘woman power’ in music, let alone Hip Hop, apparent? How much do you see female MC’s work with either other female MC’s or producers?

It’s such a rarity to see outside of the ‘TLC, Destiny’s Child’ days that the women’s division always feels so separated from each other, and I feel that gives this album and the one who came before it that UNITY!

Brand new sequel to the earlier done HDXMM ACT Part I featuring MC Honey Dinero and Producer MURDA MEGZ, and together they drop a fresh six tracks with only one feature, another female MC, in Bernadette Price! 

I can’t front, I love everything about this record. I love the grittiness behind the production that reminds the listener of the 90s East Coast Hip Hop Scene with those loud and powerful instruments, cuts, and flips on the beat! MURDA MEGZ is showcasing further her evolution in this game with making this six-track project feel like a full-length LP in stature, atmosphere, and execution!

I love the intensity this album brings to the table, not in the sense of boom bap or over-the-top sinister or dark lanes of rap but more that hungry, in-your-face no-nonsense beats that you’d hear on prime HOV back in the day or from the likes of Gang Starr or Mobb Deep, true authentic and organic street tapes that are sure to be played in the car, windows open, fat blunt rolled up! 

When we talk about the MC skills, we see Honey also upgrading her own abilities and skills on the record, as I’ve found her to be doing all this year! From her verse on the ‘Van Gunz’ latest record, which I felt was the best I’ve ever heard her, period. To the other previous album from this one, she has consistently upped her game and levelled up to such a degree that she’s become a whole new best of an MC!

I love her confidence, her natural swagger, her flow and pen game across this record! Love her flexing and talking her shit and most importantly I love her chemistry with Murda! 

They are re-creating the expectations and normalities of women in the hip-hop game by doing these regular collaborations and showcasing just how powerful an all-female record features, producers and all can be! And let me tell you that it’s phenomenally done!

I don’t think much shows that better than the track ‘The Sweet Price’ featuring the one and only Bernadette Price and to have that trio of women working together to create that banger of a track was magic to the ears!

To me THIS is the REAL wave of feminism the culture should be embracing. Yes I support any woman in any profession or medium that stands out solo for doing great things BUT shouldn’t unity be the goal? Why can’t women be collaborating and featuring at the same frequency as the men? That’s the real answer I want and these two women here are not only dropping classic records but they are changing the way we work within the culture one record at a time! 

https://honeydinero.bandcamp.com/album/hdxmm-act-ii

(SLIME STEW 2)

It’s been a minute since I last covered this producer who’s been making waves in the underground for a while now and one who always shifts the culture with every new drop, and today is that day, so let’s talk about it!

This is the brand-new album by powerhouse producer GodBlessbeatz and includes a crazy roster such as:

-Mondo Slade

-K-Prez

-Doe Boy Philly

-Primo Jab

-Xp The Marxman 

-Phonk P

-Jalen Frazier

-Steven All-Time

-Fli Fetti

-Con$piracy 

-Bless Picasso

-Trap Jefe

-Liym Capital

-Stevie Crooks

-Jhiakhana

-Doza The Drum Dealer

-Starz Coleman 

That is what you call a fucking STACKED guest list, and all of them absolutely destroy their selected beats.

Speaking of, what GodBless provides us with is an excellent and rugged soundscape of heavy, thudding, and powerful takes on Boom Bap that sounds both unadulterated and perfectly mastered! 

The whole 38 minutes is a masterclass of well-adapted sounds, genre influence blending, sharp instrumentation, and a whole atmosphere of muddy and gritty instrumentals that feel like a sonic kick in the throat by Bruce Lee himself!

It’s untamed and down-to-earth! Every track provides a different take on the underground sound with GodBless utilising various elements in different specific ways to amplify the individual beats into their most grand forms! 

If I had to choose my favourite track of the list, it would have to be ‘NIGHT RIDER’. I love that looming and eerie vibe with those dark, long keys and the various mini transitions in the track and beat! Plus, my main man Primo Jab absolutely BODIES his parts!

This whole album is like an audio palette with many different flavours to choose from and taste test! Definitely something for everyone!

As far as the MC’s go, we have, of course, what do you expect? As I said, they all spit verses so sharp they could cut your fucking head off!

I’m talking colourful personalities! High energy and charisma. Original flow and verses, and each bringing their own brand of MC skills to the forefront! 

I mentioned how Primo Jab’s was my favourite, but there are so many standouts to mention! I mean, take the track ‘LOGO IN THE SKY’, which has two men on their Xp: The Marksman and Phonk P’, who both bring their respective strengths and gritty aura to the track and bring a sort of horror-style verses to the track with a very intense ending!

The track ‘SLIME CITY’ with my man Jhiakhana, who brought his confident, slick, and powerful brand of pen game to the forefront. His smooth delivery and sharp lyricism go hand in hand with the introspective and thriller-style beat with those groovy strings and minimal drums! 

Or even the track ‘NICE’ with the one and only Doza The Drum Dealer, who gives his own masterclass in how to present the skills of an MC. His trademark charismatic and distinctive flow and pen game hit hard on this very hypnotic beat!

Those are my key standouts, but everyone else went hard in their own right and made this one of the most memorable and ‘MUST HEAR’ albums of the year! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6d3MDrmoEZzGQStQKoxQKu?si=nfvjOcX7RRe3_5ll61nxrg

(Sun Shine On BBS’S)

Another EP featuring this man in the last few days. Today must be my lucky break! Anytime new music comes out by this man, I get excited because he performs a brand of rap that barely anyone else is doing right now (besides maybe Blu), and even then, he has his own unique method! Now, to say he’s collaborating with another dope MC I fuck with heavily? This becomes an immediate attention grabber to me! So let’s get into it!

This is the brand new 3-track EP by MC and producer Sabio, ‘Sunshine Rap’ Dub, and fellow MC God Gotti! Both men I fuck with heavily, and both men have been making killer music in the past few months, so to see them together in an EP is fantastic!

Across the first track, we have ‘Summer Vibes’, a very relaxing, reggae/soft rock-inspired production with plucked strings, a subtle vocal harmony in the background, and intricate keys that come together for a smooth, textured opener that is inviting to the soul!

Reminds me of a mix of Bob Marley and UB40! 

Across this track featuring just Gotti, we hear his cold and convicted bars to pair with the beats. As usual, he has that powerful and riveting voice that makes everyone in the room listen!

Great rhyming, flow, and pen game to open the EP off!

On the second track, ‘BBQ Lamb Chops’, we have a more classical, swing track combined with Lo-Fi Hip Hop. You’ve got that beautiful vocal harmony running throughout the whole track with this sticky and infectious drum pattern as well as those subtle yet sharp bass lines that help compact the track into a solid and satisfying tune!

On this one, we have both men rapping with

Sabio starting things off! And I’m so happy to hear he’s back on his sunshine shit! Don’t get me wrong, I fucked with his last EP with Jazzy Lion Man, but I just felt he lost some of that optimistic aura I connected with from the start, and now he’s back on that!

His smooth and inviting delivery, with his trademark introspective lyricism and warm, happy cadence, is as usual fantastic! On the back end, we have God, who puts a more firm and refined tone and spin on the track with his rough and rugged vocal performance that also has a hint of ‘preacher’ wrapped inside it!

For the final track, ‘Sun Went Down’, we have what sounds like a combination of classical, experimental, and opera! You’ve got this old-fashioned vocal harmony looping on the track with methodical keys and surreal drums that come together to make for a song you’d expect to hear at the theatre! It’s atmospheric, cinematic, and damn near theatrical!

In this track, it’s only Gotti rocking solo (not that he needs anyone to make a track pop), but I was half expecting to hear Sabio one more time, but regardless, God makes his final statement in strong and convincing fashion. As he has been this whole EP, his flow is concrete, his pen game solid, and his performance as strong as you’ll hear by anyone!

Although I never would have thought of it until now, they do make a great collaboration! With Sabio’s distinct brand of production and God Gotti’s unique lane of verses, they make fantastic chemistry and make for an EP you don’t want to miss out on!

https://open.spotify.com/album/2H8NQIu9BCF78oL8224rKS?si=F7iMnuqYQHy19SY8agb2GA

(God Loves Ugly)

I’ll be honest, until I started doing underground reviews, I was 100% absorbed by the mainstream. I barely knew anyone in the scene besides a few core favourites like (Illogic, MF DOOM, Slug, Eyedea, etc.), but since I started, I can fairly say 99.9% of my reviews are exclusively underground.

BUT

There is one name that I’ll always look forward to and anticipate in the mainstream. A man who, as far as I’m concerned, is holding it down for the new generation as far as ability and skill go! That man is, of course, JID, and today we are talking about his latest album!

Brand new JID, 15 tracks, almost an hour long, with the likes of 

-WestSide Gunn

-Clipse

-MARCO PLUS

-Vince Staples

-EARTHGANG

-Don Toliver

-6BLACK

-Ty Dollar Sign

-Jessie Reyez 

-Baby Kia

-Mereba 

And production from the likes of

-Christo

-Childish Major

-Luke Crowder

-Akill Pratt 

-SHROOM

-TU!

-Lex Luger

-Beatnick Dee

-Pluss 

-Mario Luciano

-Frankie P

-Jay Versace

-Nice Rec

-Jay Card

-206Derek

-Ambezza

-CHASE B

-Nik D

-CAMEone

-Nabeyin

-Buddy Ross

-Bijan

-Yuli

-Tim Suby

-Thundercat

-Gordon Ritchie-Haughton

-Boi-1da

-Vinylz 

-CuBeatz 

-Coleman

-Noah Scharf

-GIB DJ

-Trey Lander

-TRYBISHOP

-Major Seven & Samuel ‘Muzikman’ Williams

-Stealth Is Metal

That is the definition of a FUCK TONE of producers, but somehow it all works out because, as far as I’m concerned, JID is on a 4-album winning streak that most can only dream of!

-Dicaprio2

-Spilligion 

-The Forever Story

And now this! All these albums I replay regularly throughout the year, and I can see this one being no different.

On this album, I noticed included with the army of producer credits, we have it has inspired JID to be his most diverse sonically I’ve ever heard him. Whether that be from the intro track ‘You Ugly’ which has a funny line of WSG calling his bitch ugly! 

But regardless, a more grittier, boom bap sound with a surprise soulful breakaway that leads into a more fast-paced mainstream hip-hop sound!

We have cuts like ‘WRK’ which was the lead single off the record and features a heavy trap influence with him dropping one of the dopest opening verses I’ve ever heard of him! Absolutely nuts! With a repetitive beat progression and a funky, infectious club rhythm that I can expect everyone to be pumping all the way to 2026!

We have some interesting choices this time around with tracks like ‘Sk8’ it reminds me of something Vince Staples made on ‘Big Fish Theory’ very electronic and club-based! Fast-paced instrumental with what sounds like a blend of David Guetta and Timberland! It’s very different than anything I’ve ever heard him on yet I love it just as much! 

I think cuts like this will turn fans off JID as it’s way too far from what we are used to of him but I hope they can appreciate the variety!

I think the name of the game here is ‘Diversity’ because this record has so many over-the-top, exciting, and intense sounds of all types that it’s sure to cater to everyone and I’m afraid not everyone will be able to handle the sounds but I hope I’m wrong!

Regardless of the beats themselves, we have JID who has proven time again that he is the strongest lyricist in hip-hop right now. Between him, Kendrick, and Nas, they are the ones holding the industry up and honestly I prefer JID lyrically and stylistically the most! 

He’s got this flawless flow and rhythm that smokes everyone in the game 10x fold. He’s both smooth and unpredictable with his wordplay, fun and gritty while being vocabulary superior to the rest and also sounding completely effortless in his own unique style!

Every verse I’ve heard of him whether that be on his own studio albums, collaboration projects or features on other peoples albums he always has verse of the night for me! He’s completely unreal. 

He’s like a walking, talking breathing Hip Hop

Thesaurus with enough swagger and complex rhythm to share with the entire industry! 

He’s bold, cutting edge, advance, colorful, flavour and compelling all in one. He doesn’t just make ‘rap songs’ he generates classics. Bars and songs that I have no doubt will be studied someday the same way they do Kendrick and Nas! It’s only a matter of time! 

Between his solid features, the switch up in production and his perfect MC execution yet again this is definitely a worth while wait to his 2022 album! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2tU04u3hxtziB4sOVJKak3?si=18U0ZXLXQW6o_zOvCpue0A

(2am)

Looks like it’s new submission time and I’ve been introduced to this new artist who presents to me a more ‘mainstream’ vibe than I’m used to, but fuck it, I ain’t allergic to that style and I fuck with any singles that are certified bangers, so let’s talk about it!

This is the new single by MC Yung AJ alongside producer ‘THISIsAL’ and together they drop this 2-minute hype track that is short, sweet, and effective in what it’s going for and the audience it’s trying to target!

Starting with that production, we have a more ‘SoundCloud Rap’ reminiscent sound with those abrupt synth chords, heavy drums, intricate keys, and a slight ‘Trap’ feel to it. This all comes together to create an addictive instrumental that is perfect for a replay value 2-minute sonic explosion that you’d expect to hear from artists such as 

-Cr1tter

-Bones

And artists of that nature in style, concept, and sound! I know a lot of hip-hop old heads that don’t fuck with this new wave sound, but I ain’t them! I think these types of tracks are like a pocket of adrenaline boost, and I rock with lots of playlists that feature music like this, and it definitely has its own lane!

Onto the MC himself, I feel across the short length of the track, he does a great job at proving a certain energy and vibe for the single! This isn’t a track you have to ponder on or think about. As I mentioned above, it’s meant to be a fun, engaging single with a banger beat, and Yung goes accordingly!

His flow is smooth, his melodies hit when they need to, and his energy and cadence on the song are infectious and vibing!

These two mesh well together! From that hypnotic beat to the charisma-filled verses and harmonies! This is definitely the kind of track you can expect to hear at clubs and parties over 2025!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7lucQS518acWVp7wJ0b6l2?si=TxMxqsbIQLqb79ZDl6NLWA

(Ain’t No Killer)

Let’s FUCKING GO! Finally! The first official single off the upcoming ‘Dirtwave 3’ album, and believe me when I say seeing this made me happier than I’ve been all day! The killer duo are back and ready to take the game hostage!!

Umbrella/Dirthouse solider Pro Dillinger and Powerhouse Producer FutureWave, and together they drop two minutes and forty seconds of the hardest rap music you’ll hear in your life with this brand new track!

To start with, we have Future dropping this distorted jazz note at the very opening of the track with subtle horns in the background that later evolve into a heavy, muddy, and gritty boom-bap explosion with sickeningly heavy drums, eerie keys, and such deep bass lines that it shakes your whole soul up!

This is the perfect track to hype the new album! It’s solid, raw, rough, and rugged, and sinister all in one! Murderous music that will have you craving a bank robbery after one listen! Absolutely insane!

On top of that, Pro. Is it even possible that this man sounds harder than he has yet? That’s crazy, isn’t it? This man has made a career out of sounding the most powerful and driven MC in the game with his no-nonsense tone and delivery that feels like a shotgun shot to the face! 

But somehow he sounds even deadlier on this one; he’s just two minutes and forty seconds of savage and unforgiving bars and one-liners that will undoubtedly have you scrunched up the whole listen!

My favourite line is in the chorus when he goes ‘Hard Knocks Life Got Me Feeling Like I’m Jigga’, that shit goes HARD! This whole track goes crazy and reinforces the legendary aura of Pro Dillinger that he’s used to keep the rap game in a chokehold, and he ain’t releasing the grip EVER!

You guys have no idea what’s coming! This new album is guaranteed to not only be the best of the series but guaranteed to be album of the year contender! DON’T SLEEP ON THE PRO X FUTUREWAVE! 

https://open.spotify.com/track/25Jqxu2LMDMXTfAEi2Kq0I?si=hqnAU3zbTgOn9dAvoUqGhg

(Jazzy Dub)

Man, what a collaboration! Two men who I’ve become extremely familiar with in recent months and who on paper would make for the strongest duo! Two similar vibes and these three tracks prove it! 

This is the brand new EP by MC Sabio Dub and Producer Jazzy Lion Man, and they come with three fresh new tracks:

– Shake Hunt 

– Confetti Cake

– Twenty withMiskeem Harleem featuring on the final track!

On Shake Hunt, we have this beautifully harmonic vocal harmony running through the track with those subtle bass strings and slick drum patterns to create a lo-fi/art rap vibe! On this track, we have Sabio talking his shit (actually sounding more aggressive lyrically than I’ve heard him in a minute), taking about how his prices are going up and how lames can’t afford him. 

Definitely a side of him I haven’t heard before and one I hope we don’t get used to only because I love his more optimistic and happy vibes!

In the second track, Confetti Cake, we have this smooth track with incredible plucked strings, thick bass, and subtle piano keys! This is the kind of track that actually reminds me of Soft/Progressive Rock of the likes of Phil Collins! Absolutely love that beat!

On this track, we hear Sabio go back into his more mellow and relaxed bars! I’m taking that timely, colourful, and infectious performance! Sure, he still has some dirty bars, but overall, a lot more in his usual element across this one than the first one. 

On the final track ‘Twenty’, this beat feels a lot more methodical and hip-hop forward. With those rugged notes and East Coast 90’s rap feel! Naughty By Nature or Mobb Deep feel on this one! 

Across this track, we hear Sabio back on more flexing and sharp bars similar to his first track! A tad bit more aggressive on the lyrics and performance! I can always appreciate the man for experimenting and trying new things, and it’s not that it doesn’t suit him, I just like his sunshine rap shit more!

Of course, Miskeen’s verse was golden! He’s always on point and doesn’t ever miss! 

Overall, for a seven-minute three-track EP, this thing is tight! Solid production by Jazzy and solid performance by Sabio! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/7JOJfEHuqrspprps6xk7h7?si=EW6i2vjzRTCSaR1PDyTDjw

(Price Of A Genius)

Oh man, what a present! After delivering one of the strongest contenders for ‘AOTY’ with his last record, he’s already back with another home run! To say I was excited to hear this would be an understatement! So let’s hurry up and talk about it!

This is the brand-new album by MC Datkidbravo, produced by VICI, and features an incredible roster of features such as:

– Al Divino

-ERG ONE

-NYEUSI LOE

-SMELLO

-ESTEE NACK

-INF

And when I tell you this thing is just as good as ‘LYNN TO MILAN’, I mean it! That sentence alone sounds ridiculous to say considering how phenomenal that last one was, but I mean it, this is 31 minutes of pure, unadulterated hip-hop with no room filler!

From that opening track ‘LEGION’ with that incredibly haunting and powerful sample running its course through the track. We get a taste of what’s to come and the aura the album will be following, and it only gets stronger throughout the rest of the 12 tracks!

Look at the track ‘HOT GRABBA’ for example. This track has such a dark undertone to it with those low and heavy guitar strings, with that minimalist style drums and occasional keys. This track is the perfect example of ‘Less is more’ with VICI utilising that raw and bare beats to further emphasise the push that mysterious and haunting vibe of the opening track!

Then we have tracks like ‘SHAME & GOSSIP’ which has another incredible usage of raw sonic ingredients to cook up those hypnotic and immersive atmospheres!

We’ve got those twisted horn notes with that skeletal drums that come together to create a beat so eerie and dangerous it sounds like walking through a dangerous street at midnight! Definitely a thrilling vibe that’s not for the faint of heart!

Even the track ‘IM OMW’ which sounds like a serial killer is following you in a Halloween or Friday 13 movie! It’s got this building/pacing sound to it that sounds like a horror chase scene! The kind of score that you hear in every one of those movies that only comes out when the killer comes out!

Those methodical piano keys and drums, with those subtle synth chords, it all just comes together for a truly unnerving experience!

This is all to say that the production on here isn’t merely just ‘music’ but a soundtrack to the deepest core of the underground. VICI ain’t here to follow no trends or be a follower; he’s here to be the new leader of these beats and create a soundscape so full and immense that it can’t be denied!

On the flip side, we have the returning Dadkidbravo, who instead of resting on his laurels and chilling after dropping ‘LYNN TO MILAN’, he’s decided to fuck the game up again by dropping another modern-day classic in the same year! He’s ridiculously talented.

From the opening track to the last, he’s locking in on his MC skills, unlike anything before. I’m talking beyond comparison pen game, out-of-control flow, and performance that highlights both his raw, cold charisma but also his enthusiasm, passion, and conviction on the track!

He ain’t here to play. He’s been blessed with such incredible production (for the second time), and he’s smart enough not to waste a single second!

I love his cold-blooded demeanour. He’s dropping his bars in a surreal and methodical manner and pace because he knows he’s the man and he has no need to rush.

What was that quote in Goodfellas? ‘Paulie May moved slow, but that’s only because he knew he didn’t have to move for nobody.’

Only those desperate for attention rush and try ridiculous shit to get a wondering pair of eyes on them. Like a fucking toddler having a tantrum. The real MC’s with REAL talent understand the importance of patience, delivery, enunciating, and proper execution of bars, and that’s exactly what we have here!

Across this record, he goes toe-to-toe with the S-Tier of the underground world. Brothers and family who have had his back since day one, and in that tight-knit circle is where you find the best quality of sound, and these guys show you a masterclass of it!

Everyone’s verses from Datkid to the rest of the roster bring their best food forwards and absolutely annihilate the beat! Showcasing why they are the cream of the crop right now!

As expected, this thing is absolutely incredible! From start to finish, every aspect was flawless, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/5rDWiJIA0mqugUT1Ot9hyy?si=xyfNDm6OSPaaIALuPmtG0g