(IMMORTALKOMBAT)

You know, as I was reviewing Estee’s Spotify discography, I was mentioning how Al Divino was appearing less and less on his 2021-2023 projects, but then I discovered on Bandcamp is where the duo were putting in work! So, I know as I take time to study their Bandcamp exclusives, I’m going to have a blast studying arguably the best duo in the modern-day underground!

So, this is the latest collaboration project by Estee Nack X Al Divino, with ten tracks and featuring the likes of: 

-Al DIVINO

-CRUCIAL THE GUILLOTINE 

-MR ROSE

-EWONEE on production, and with half an hour of content, this project is a triumphant return to this duo’s chaotic and experimental roots, where anything goes and nothing is off-limits to try!

The beauty of this project is that all four of these producers are in the same boat as far as what the sound should be. They all share that surreal, manipulated jazz/classical elements transformed muddy and ruthless until those sounds become the foundation for a world of aggression and unpredictability instead of soothing and relaxing vibes as the instrumentation normally gives.

Each song on this album sounds different than the others! As if each producer drilled into the tracks its own malicious intent to give off the rawest vibe and aura it possibly can! This project ain’t one to fuck with for real! Absolutely incredible atmosphere!

You can’t really go wrong when Estee and Al are concerned, so to hear them back on their prime shit is nothing short of brilliant. They feed off each other’s charisma and wild imagination. You get the impression that absolutely nothing is too crazy or wild to consider on their records. Whether that be overbearing adlibs or free-form rap delivery or even their abstract artwork and album concepts, they are two open books who constantly push the boundaries for what ‘hip hop’ should sound like and have been doing that since the release of ‘Triple Black Diamonds’. 

When either of them is working solo or with other artists, they shine creatively and rap-wise, but there’s just a certain atmosphere they share when they are together that I haven’t heard anyone else match yet! This is the definition of synchronicity in its purest form, and everyone should be taking lessons!

Another banger from these two, of many! The He 4 producers knock it out the park, and Estee and Al provide yet another thrilling example of how rap duos should sound! 

https://esteenack.bandcamp.com/album/immortalkombat

(Pyramid Schemes)

Who would have thought an album of this calibre would be released this early in the month? It feels the more we go into the year, the better the quality of the drops become, and this one feels like the magnum opus! So let’s talk about it!

This is the latest collaboration project between heavyweight MC UFO Fev and powerhouse producer Vanderslice, and together they release 13 new tracks featuring the likes of: 

-Nems 

-Red Inf 

-FLZY

And let me tell you, this thing sounds absolutely incredible! Starting with the production side of things because this thing is a combination of cinematic brilliance and grimy, muddy boom Bap vibes that features a variety of instruments and inspirations to create an original interpretation of the genre that only Vanderslice could pull off!

Throughout the album, you have various skits and voice snippets that make you feel like you’re listening to the hip-hop equivalent of a Martin Scorsese movie! 

It’s like we are listening to Goodfellas: The Audiobook. But in rap form, it’s got conceptual elements of the streets and the life it comes with, but at the same time, we hear Vanderslice experiment with different elements from: 

-Jazz

-Rock

– Piano-heavy sounds

-Soul 

-Choir loop vocals 

And the way he utilises all of this and constructs an album that’s so rich, in-depth, and powerful that the production actually tells its own story through its masterful arrangement and technique woven into each track. It’s truly a surreal moment everyone has to experience at least once!

Now, onto UFO Fev. This man has had one of the most consistent releases of the past few years! Whether that be his album produced by Fredro Starr or the earlier this year with Body Bag Ben and now working with the likes of Vanderslice? He’s on one hell of a roll, and this might be his best work yet!

What we see from Fev is his combination of introspective lyrics and reflection, and his down-to-earth, gritty, tough-guy rap that he’s most clearly earned and warranted. It’s like he’s battling between two sides of him as he navigates being the main character of his sonic Scorsese movie, and he ain’t about to turn to Ray Liotta shit; he’s here to speak knowledge and wisdom, and at some points, even warnings to people in the game and in the streets!

No more is this evident than the 3rd track, Dynamite, where he recruits the biggest bully in the industry with NEMS, and together they fully embrace that ‘fuck your life’ mentality, and it’s definitely an infectious track to vibe to!

Of course, UFO’s rap skills are well documented. He has powerful delivery, witty and lethal lyricism combined with a strong pen game that outdoes 95% of the industry!

There’s no way I can see this album not being on my list for May’s Album of the Month award show. This thing is perfect from start to finish! I can’t find a flaw in this one, and I hope we can see more collaborations from these two in the future! 

https://vanderslice.bandcamp.com/album/pyramid-schemes

(A Different Tale)

Looks like we have some interesting chances of pace for this track! A mixture of two MC’s Here’s Johnny and Supreme Allah AKA Prime Omega, and with G Rocho on the beat, we have ourselves two minutes and twenty-five seconds of one of the most interesting tracks of the year!

So, the beat on this one sounds like a combination of spacey, ambient, muddy, and theatrical. The best way I can find myself describing it is to imagine if you were in a spaceship watching the Earth and the empty void of space.

Now imagine what that feeling and view would sound like in Boom Bap form? I know that’s an unusual visual to picture, but that’s how it sounds to me: it’s eerie, fascinating, and infectious all in one. Definitely haven’t heard a beat like this all year!

As far as the rapping goes, Here’s Johnny has seemed to have found himself a great MC partner to bounce off his energy and enthusiasm with! This track features the highlights of both these men giving incredible and memorable verses back to back.

You have the high-spirited and ever-so-unhinged Johnny with his signature raw and powerful style of delivery and flow. Then on the flip side, you have Supreme who carries with him a more laid-back, casual yet equally as powerful and methodical flow that acts as the Yang to Johnny’s Ying in this respect.

Both are different sides of the same coin and both master this beat beautifully!

All in all, a great original single with a fantastic beat and equally impressive verses by both men! 

https://youtu.be/0Rht2KZ7fls?si=hNMcJ9E2fceIfBI1

(No Fish, No Money)

I’ll tell you one thing, this has a lot easier song title to input! 

We are back with a new single by Here’s Johnny, and this time it features producer Skip The Kid, with whom I’ve had experience only a few days ago with his EP for Malcolmsef, so I’m excited to see what the two of them bring to the table!

This time around, the beat has a larger-than-life, old-school cinematic quality to it! Like a 1960s Godzilla film score. With those epic horn chords and that boom Bap-flavoured beat, it all comes together amazingly! It also features a vocal snippet at the start with these dramatic chords that really give this song a ‘theatrical’ flavour to it that only embraces my idea of it being a classical cinematic-style experience!

As far as Here’s Johnny goes. Although not as intense as his previous single, he still maintains his raw and lethal precision in his rap style! His trademark in-your-face, brash, and aggressive voice and delivery. He doesn’t really have an off switch when it comes to his flow and presence! In the same breath that Onyx or DMX didn’t, neither does he, so any single you’re going to expect this level of aggression, and it suits his personality and studio cadence! 

This one is a lot more quick and abrupt. Even the way it ends, just with the song fading as Johnny is rapping, gives a more savage feel to the listening atmosphere, but I think these types of cuts are where he shines best! Both of them, in fact, utilise shorter tracks well!

So make sure you don’t forget to listen and take in what is arguably the most consistent rapper of the year! 

https://youtu.be/HYLDHvOgXmU?si=gICayqzuhnYPGnZC

(Cashapppickedapart)

It looks like I have to finally admit defeat to the audience. Here’s Johnny is admittedly the only artist I struggle to keep up with. That’s with me being up till 2 am most nights and waking up early doing reviews, and still he makes more than I can cover! It’s insane. But I’m still going to try!

What’s ironic is, I thought he only released a new single (which was this one), only to find out there were seven others. Absolutely hectic work ethic. Anyway, here we go with the latest single featuring producer LordMixer, who, if I’m not mistaken, is on a lot of these singles upcoming! 

This single is two minutes and forty-nine seconds and features what sounds like a demented circus theme turned into hip-hop score! It has this hypnotic fast-paced piano key beat that is a loop of all the keys hit continuously from deepest to highest sound! This is the kind of music I’d expect to hear when they bring out the juggler while he’s trying to run on a flame-covered hula hoop circle! Regardless, when manipulated with a traditional hip-hop beat, it actually sounds pretty dope, so can’t hate on it! But it is interesting!

As far as the rapping goes. If you’ve been reading my reviews up until now, you’ll know I’ve covered a lot of Here’s Johnny, and his style hasn’t changed on this one! We are talking trademark high energy, explosive studio cadence, aggressive vocals and delivery combined with intricate, vicious, and witty lyricism that makes for an original and devastating MC in the game.

He spits an infectious rhyming chorus with a few bars of hardcore-styled bars and verses that almost sound like shouting! But that’s how he normally presents himself, and for new listeners, it might come across as ‘extreme’, but for me and long-time fans, they’ll tell you it’s just usual Johnny!

This track is a nice shot of sonic adrenaline! The beat is wild, the chemistry between these two is great, and overall a memorable track that will surely stick with you for days on end. 

https://youtu.be/9CTd6tZjWzU?si=LRpoG21f-aETI6vQ

(Biblen)

It seems Machacha doesn’t know the meaning of ‘rest days’ because he’s already back with a brand new single promoting his new upcoming album, and it’s featuring the MC ‘Trepac’ and features ‘Copehaniacs’. This trio makes a dope track that will go viral all over socials, guaranteed!

Starting with that beat, Machacha is using a grimy/skeletal beat with a female vocal choir style loop over a traditional beat with light synth-like strings in the background played towards the end of the loops right before it starts over. Overall, a very minimal type instrumental, which is the perfect sonic recipe for the two MC’s to go off on!

Speaking of, we have these two. Both being Danish in origin, both absolutely go off on this track, leaving nothing on the floor. 

They bring with them a surreal, methodical tone that suits the beat they are rapping on! They both provide raw and unadulterated energy and rhythm in their words! Such a confident studio cadence and smooth flow and delivery! Obviously, I can’t understand what they are saying, but when it comes to artists with high aura and vibrant presence, that stuff doesn’t matter!

This single got me hyped for the album! This trio has perfect chemistry, and even if I can’t end up understanding anything on the upcoming album, I know it will be a banger regardless!

https://open.spotify.com/track/7fHtivf2WNRSQHgIrxodje?si=VWJ4s9Z9RqWjOoMPEAyElQ

(Mack Julien: The Retape)

Man, what a roll this man has been on this year. After his February banger EP ‘Gasoline Bomber’ and now after a two-month project break, he’s back with his partner in crime to set fire to the industry once again!

This is the latest album by Poe Mack, which has 12 new tracks and features the production credits of

-Poe Mack

-Van Gunz

-D.R.U.G.S

-Linz Prag 

And cuts by the legendary Tone Spliff!

Now, right from the get-go, this thing feels and sounds like a love letter to the 90’s golden era of Hip Hop! From the lavish instrumentation paired with those beautiful chords, notes, and strings, accompanied by that hard-hitting traditional Hip Hop sounds with the old-school cuts and scratching, you have yourself a modern-day banger with a nostalgic twist!

You can actually feel the intention to detail and the fine-crafted execution and love put into it by the various producers. These five names are letting their ‘passion’ for the game speak for them. This is the beauty of the underground: you can find real passion and enthusiasm for the art of hip hop that isn’t tainted by money or corporate greed, just pure and genuine talent and admiration for the culture, and that’s exactly what we are seeing here!

The MC skills of Poe have been tried and tested for years now, and he’s only getting better with age. He possesses a methodical approach to his rapping, and it makes every word, bar, and verse be something to listen to and wait for. Similar to the effect of a Pusha T-type artist where you’re not rushing to talk, just slowing your pace up and delivering with your intricate rhythm and lyricism that fans have no choice but to hang on your sentences.

As per usual, his flow is steady and precise. His pen game is excellent, and his overall studio cadence, energy, and aura is at an all-time high, making him the one to look out for right now! (If that wasn’t already clear in his February drop)

As usual, his pairing with Van Gunz remains a staple in his music, with this dynamic duo trailblazing the competition and opening up new undiscovered lanes to conquer and conquer! 

All in all, no surprise to be found. This project was hella dope, with a lot of fun and exciting production, with powerhouse producers and a dope MC reuniting with his partner in crime to kill this shit all over again! 

https://poemack.bandcamp.com/album/mack-julien-the-retape

(My Next Ex)

You know, sometimes in an artist’s career, they decide it’s time for a temporary or permanent switch-up in their musical endeavours. Whether this one is long-term or one-off, we have yet to see, but based on the info I read about this release, it got me curious to see how this artist navigated the other lane, so to speak. So let’s talk about it!

This is the latest album by Sy Ari Da Kid, with all songs being produced by FeralJag, featuring 11 new songs with the likes of: 

-K CAMP 

-Jastin Martin

-Joe Trufant 

And this album is an R&B record! So a completely different switch-up than the one I reviewed months ago. He’s embracing his more sensual and sexual side, baring his open and brutally honest thoughts alongside some smooth, skeletal, and emotional production that definitely has that modern-day alternative R&B vibes with the acoustic, synth chord combinations that are more attributed to acts like: 

-Frank Ocean

-SZA

-Summer Walker type sounds, and it suits. What’s happening across this album is he’s letting his soul and consciousness decide the atmosphere of the record, as the lyricism and instrumentation go hand in hand in creating the ‘structure’ of this record, as one can’t work without the other.

From the opening song, we have that revealing female vocal snippet with her confession, which sets the tone for the album, as we immediately have Sy telling us his intentions and guilty pleasures all over the track.

Lyrically, this kind of reminds me of SZA’s ‘SOS’ album or the one even before that, ‘Ctrl’, in the aspect of pure unadulterated honesty, for better or for worse. Sy isn’t concerned about keeping his thoughts or intentions to himself and is making a risky move being so open, but the fact that he is going all the way with it gains a bit of respect for the courage to make an album of this magnitude!

The sounds on this are very smooth, sweet an even hypnotic at times. Very reminiscent of the albums I mentioned above, it’s the kind of album (instrumentally speaking) you could play and just sit back and relax and let the magic of the album bring you in and your body relax and your mind wonder.

A lot of fun and methodical RnB vibes with killer tunes, infectious beats and larger than life presentation of such sounds makes this a stand out production effort by FeralJag and the features definitely do their part in helping elevate this album to that next level!

All in all, for a switch up of this caliber I feel it was done exquisitely! The singing and vocal performances were on point, the music itself was immaculate and the features were golden! Can’t complain about this one and hopefully the rest of ya’ll can keep an open mind too!

https://open.spotify.com/album/2pfLIyTcFrwPmQeXyy51sL?si=wcxnEsfxRnumJlowZhJDiA

(Meditate & Manifest)

Man, two of my favourite artists in the underground are working together on a single project. After hearing and reviewing both artists, you’d think I’d have some idea of the artistic direction or process they will take with the music, but I’ll be honest, this album surprised me in the best way possible! So let’s talk about it!

This is the latest collaboration effort between MC PruVen and producer/MC Sleep Sinatra, who does production this time around for the full album! It features 12 tracks and is one hell of an experience! 

This isn’t the kind of album you listen to for ‘hit singles’ or ‘radio songs’. This album is for revelation, thought-provoking messages, and meditation. Across this album, you’ll get a sense of surreal music, hypnotic tunes, and instrumentation that is fused with ambient, experimental, and cultural musical elements that make this one stand out from anything else that has come out this year.

As a listener, you’ll feel something unique and healing about this album that you wouldn’t otherwise find in a normal release. The way the sounds fluctuate in its unconventionality and colourful melodies and diverse sonic textures and harmonies makes for the kind of record that will surely make you feel better off afterwards than you did before.

My favourite track has to be ‘Frequencies You Choose’ because it samples that eerie, dark tune that you undoubtedly would have heard on social media on conspiracy theory videos! I’m sure that sound is rooted in more complex history, but that’s what I know it from, and I find it dope that they are using that beat to rap on!

As far as the rapping goes, as expected, PruVen goes hard and shows off his original style of rhyming, flow, and lyricism. He doesn’t really have a structure to his bars and verses, feels free form, and as if he’s just speaking off the top and not actually Re sighting lyrics.

Across the project, we see him delve into various lyrical matters such as healing, society, braggadocio, and health advice. As I said above, this is the type of album that makes you think of the lines and take time to absorb and understand the lyrics themselves, and in that context, you couldn’t ask for a better rapper than either PruVen or Sleep Sinatra for that type of hip hop.

With every new release by PruVen, we get a different soundscape from him, and that’s why he’s on my radar. He’s always on the hunt to try something new, different, and creatively original. No two projects of his are the same, and this release is just another example as to why, among fans who are out of the box, he’s one of the most popular.

If you’re after an engaging and interesting project that makes you think, then this is for you! If you’re only looking for club bangers, then this isn’t the one. But I guarantee you’ll never forget it!

https://pruven.bandcamp.com/album/meditate-manifest-3

(Ask God For Help)

We’ve only just entered the month of May and it seems this one MC was lying in wait, buying his time before he could unleash this masterpiece to dominate the month already! So let’s talk about it.

This is the latest collaboration project between MC Asun Eastwood and producer Mk Ortiz, and together they release ten tracks with just under half an hour in length. This project features: 

-Bub Styles

-Cousin Feo

-SmooVth 

-Falcon Outlaw

-Shottie

-Maze Overlay

And let’s start with the production. Because Mk created a methodically designed atmosphere featuring beautiful instrumentation with abstract sounds, foreign instruments, lavish chords and notes, as well as clear-cut and crisp technique that makes this sound like a sonic fever dream! It feels as if each song is its own personalised chapter that adds up to a full story told.

I love how a lot of this album presents a guitar-heavy nature in a lot of different styles from Spanish, Metal, acoustic guitar strings, which provide that level of originality missing from a lot of albums today.

This duo is set to do something different and refresh the underground as we know it, and this is the way to do it!

For example, the track ‘For Help’, which is an instrumental track, makes me think of ‘Maggot Brain’ in execution and aura. Not to mention right after that track, ‘Debaucherous Diary’, which features a melodic choir vocal accompanied by a beautiful jazz melody. 

Just on the production alone. This thing is leagues above the rest! The way they are testing the waters and going completely out of the box is something I not only welcome but heavily appreciate!

On to Asus. The man who is one of the most sought-after feature artists in the game right now, and for good reason. He has the whole package as an MC, and when he’s on his own shit, he’s even better!

To do this level of production justice isn’t easy, and no average rapper could pull it off, but Asus is the furthest thing from it. He has a strong enthusiasm on the mic, his energy is high, and his lyricism is absolutely ridiculous. He’s never been one to make a lame move on the beat, and he’s got a pen game that can rival anyone else in the game.

The fact he decided to rap alongside arguably the best going in the last few years in Maze Overlay is further proof that he’s down to test his game against anyone in the game and doesn’t shy away from friendly competition and absolutely kills the outro track.

This man doesn’t have an off switch or know the meaning of the word ‘no’, he just does his own shit, his own path, and forces those around him to respect his work, grind, and contributions to the game without ever compromising! A sentiment he did share on ‘Married To Money’ with that Joey Diaz voice sample.

All in all, this is going to be a tough album to beat this month or this year. Absolutely savage collaboration, and the features go OFF just as hard! Definitely don’t want to miss this one! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/1DeoG1OtQQCy93PCF8CJXg?si=Ae8H4KjCRV6PkPL-yjkjNw