(High Art Vol 1)

We are back with a familiar face and one not so familiar. What a great position to be in, being able to revisit an artist while discovering another; in my line of work, that’s the jackpot! Let’s get into it!

So, this is the latest collaboration album by producer Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha and rapper LJ Lewis, and together they release five new tracks with cuts on track five by -Cuts Supreme. 

Now, onto the production first. I feel like Skinny has decided to utilise a combination of raw and skeletal loops, a larger-than-life atmosphere, and surreal energy and passion. Although it’s only five tracks, I can feel that spirit and soul coming out of my boy. He’s letting his creative and pure love for the game take over on this one, and we are getting equally some of his best work and his most stripped down.

I’ve been on some sonic rides with Skinny, hell, even reviewed a jazz album he did, but I feel this is the best version of him. When he’s tunnel-visioned on a certain idea and execution. This is also a Vol 1 (of three), so I’m sure he wants to make sure the vibes and sounds on this series are as iconic and heartfelt as they can be, and I feel he absolutely nailed that part.

Now onto my formerly unfamiliar friend, LJ Lewis. As the Bandcamp description described, he is down-to-earth and features a level of straightforward, to-the-point, and in-your-face storytelling that is refreshing to hear in this day and age.

He has crisp and lethal lyricism with direct and personal wordplay and witty lines and bars that help push that exquisite sound and production.

I love how he takes his time on this album, no rushing or fast rap when it’s not necessary. He’s here to just tell stories and spit bars, and he does both tremendously.

His deep tones with his serious intentions and dope delivery of all his verses are the perfect combination for this skeletal instrumentation, and even though he’s been presented in such a short project, it was enough to convince me that he’s someone whose worth remembering and keeping an eye out!

Overall, this short five-track EP is another DOPE offering by Skinny. He found yet another well-crafted collaboration to work with, and they release a gem that I hope more people can check out! 

https://skinnybonezthagodfatha.bandcamp.com/album/high-art-vol-1

(Zoumi World)

It’s that time again to review another submission request! This time I get the blessing and privilege of reviewing an artist from Africa! So without any more time on it, let’s talk about it!

This is the 2024 album by African rapper Noble MC and it features 16 tracks with close to an hour in content! The guests on this are as follows: 

-UG Cella Dwellas 

-DJ CEEZ

-JISE1

And producers such as

-Kon Sci of Mindstone Crew

-Noble MC

-Kiofnc

-UG of Cella Dwellas

-Weedout

And these men help create the energy and charisma to create one of the more ‘traditional’ offerings of hip hop I’ve heard in a while!

So starting with production, we have (at least to me) a very clear-cut direction they were going for on this album, which was a 90’s mainstream Hip Hop atmosphere with a variety of West Coast and East Coast-inspired beats and samples to create a nostalgic and still original album with lots of flavour and colour attached to it.

Across this hour-long album, we get to see the various producers shine from that powerhouse opening track, and every cut onward sounds fresh, crisp, raw, and masterfully done! I personally love the soul cuts on this album; songs like ‘Get Ready’ are the perfect example. With smooth vocal loops and easygoing beats, they create an infectious and stunning rap song that just goes off!

Even the song right after ‘Andy’ has this acoustic vibe with those light guitar strings and skeletal beat in the background, combined with those tasteful cuts in the background, and this is another song that blows up! 

Every song on this album features a similar groovy vibe to it, the kind of beat that you’ll want to walk your dog listening to! Or while you’re driving hell, one of the songs on this album was already featured on SHADE45 and deservingly so! 

Onto the rapping itself. I can’t lie, I love the spirit and energy this man brings to the table. He has a strong cadence with a big heart, and you can hear the passion in his voice, and his presence on the album is undeniably inspiring!

I love how, depending on the track, he’ll customise his flow and his style to best suit the song he’s on, which means he does care how the song sounds and not just rapping the same on each track! That’s the sign of a great artist!

He has a smooth flow, great lyricism, and a dope pen game. With every new track that comes through, his motivation gets bigger and stronger, and by the end of the album, you’ll feel chills on your body, and it will stick with you days after listening to the album!

The one and only complaint I have with this album is very small, just that the songs at the very end (some of them) are just silence and don’t end right away. But that’s a very small thing and it doesn’t affect the quality of the album, so all I can say is great work by Noble MC.

Overall, a fantastic album that is near perfect. Great production and great rapping! Definitely worth checking out!

https://open.spotify.com/album/0hpc3tXreW1GHYqIRm3NVX?si=QqqLYqJ6Qf-yJw3gXCVwfg

(Jazzy Fatu)

Man, this one got me excited from the concept alone. See, I used to be a big WWE fan back in the day, but since the modern era, I’ve switched completely to NJPW and AEW, but one name that is impossible to ignore within WWE is JACOB FATU, and now we have a rap album theme about him? We gotta get into this one! 

So, this is the latest album produced by Jazzy Lion Man, and he brings with him a strong roster to work with, such as: 

-Skip The Kid

– Twogeebs 

-Davila

-Saahilio

-THE REBEL SKY

-Jules Clay

-Heartbreak Julio

-SIQ KLIQ 

-Lil Derik Les

-Reed Starks

-AUNTIE MUK

-Gustavo Louis

A collection of who’s who in the underground, and all come together to help maintain the energy and aura of the record. It sounds like each man has a role to play, a certain piece of the puzzle, and when combined, they create one of the most infectious and powerful wrestling-themed albums we’ve got in the last few years!

Each man comes with intense bars, charismatic personalities, and witty, personalised bars that add layers to this, reinforcing the ‘wrestling spirit’ of the album.

When you focus on a person like Jacob Fatu, you know you gotta come correct. You can’t be smudging his name with weak bars and low energy, nah, fuck that, you need absolutely bombastic devotion, and they definitely fill all that and more!

Now onto the production. As I just mentioned above, when you decide to centre around a cult of personality like Fatu? The best Polynesian wrestler to come to WWE since Roman Reigns, then the production has to be OUT OF THIS WORLD.

And I can safely say, I didn’t have to tell Jazzy that because from track 1, he gets the hype, energy, atmosphere, thrills, everything down pat to create one of the illest themed albums, period! 

Right off the bat, hearing that ring introduction and then promo of Fatu gets your blood going, and throughout the record, you just hear more stimulated promos by the man that can’t help but give you caffeine-level energy, and I love that!

As the sound goes, this thing features crisp, muddy, and purely grimy production and instrumentation that features cold loop samples to heavy-handed theatrical strings and horns that sound like you’re going through a Boom Bap cinematic experience. 

Each beat sounds rough around the edges and ferocious in execution. I couldn’t think of a better sound palette to tribute the ‘The Samoan Werewolf’ than these.

I had a lot of fun listening to one; this album catered to the only WWE wrestler I love right now, and they pulled it off perfectly!

https://open.spotify.com/album/1UdU9TAwU6HZHnY88aYTzW?si=FB_88UavSvuoBcv4Q_kmhg

(The Film)

Fucking hell. You ever see a collaboration so shocking and fitting that you could never think of coming true that suddenly does? Well, this is one of those times! We gotta talk about it!

This is the surprising collaboration between post-metal supergroup ‘SUMAC’, featuring American poet, musician, and activist ‘MOOR MOTHER’, who in the past few years has released some of the most powerful music to ever come out. So when I heard these two were collaborating, I had to check it out, and fuck me, what an experience.

Starting with the instrumentation. This thing has strong elements of: 

– Post-Hardcore

-Sludge

-Noise

-Punk

-Ambient 

And the way they utilise these sounds is beyond unreal. You can feel every instrument as if you’re sitting live in a concert at the very front and just hearing the vibrations of the music itself take over your body from head to toe.

This album is methodically placed; they ain’t rushing to go nowhere; they spend their time building and conceptualising this world of despair and pain that is perceived by the audience, and it’s done with the utmost patience and dedication to the craft.

But they don’t stay completely silent. On some tracks, you do hear SUMAC deliver their signature vocals, which definitely adds a level of intensity and heaviness to the record, which I love! It’s almost like an album with two sides of the coin as far as the production goes; you get to experience both sides or both ‘Scenes’ as this record would refer to it, and it further establishes the perfect connection between the two artists!

Now onto MOOR MOTHER. The woman who has captivated me the most in the music scene for the past few years now. Her level of detail and expression is unparalleled. The way she uses her vocals to convey dark matters of pain, suffering, anguish, confusion, and anger is like listening to some twisted poetry by a madman who’s lost it all.

With her, it’s never about making a ‘radio song’ or ‘hit single’. She’s all about her concepts, her art, her reality, and she always reveals all three in her records. Even going back to the album with Billy Woods, ‘Brass’ in 2020, when she was on a slightly more ‘Hip Hop’ venture, she still carried that incredible tone and aura of power and change, the underappreciated ‘voice for the voiceless’, and she’s been on that level since back then. 

Her songs always feel like spoken word narratives, never a pattern or groove to attach to, just her and her extraordinary performances that stay with you weeks after the album is done. Her uncensored thoughts and opinions lashed out on her songs are what make her stand out the most in the industry and also why she’s always someone I’m down to listen to immediately after a new release.

Once again, another captivating album by Moor Mother and a fantastic showing by SUMAC, a band that never disappoints! I never would have guessed these two combined, but now I only want more! 

Shoutout to Candice Hoyes, Kyle Kidd and Sovie for their respective parts on the album!

https://open.spotify.com/album/3YGJIQF9nzJaehEcOTTDC8?si=PzNXkBM6T9COJMZZnaXiTA

(Stolen Goodz)

I love being given the opportunity to check out new artists based on recommendations. It’s one thing if I stumble across new talent myself, but when I get sent someone that’s cool as fuck to me because it means my opinion is respected in the game, and so let’s talk about it!

So, this is the December 2024 release by rapper Ant Kelly and producer DJ Krooked, and together they drop nine songs with just over 20 minutes of content.

Right off the bat, the production by Krooked provides what reminds me of the early 2010s Australian rap scene pre-360. Very rough and rugged, raw around the edges, and has a real independent quality sound to it. You can tell he didn’t worry about polishing or editing the muddy areas of the album and just leaving it harsh as an overall experience, which I think benefits the listening process as a whole! 

There are certain beats that sound ambient in nature with trippy, spacey sound loops and experimental noises and inspirations that give off a real ‘outta this world’ atmosphere to the whole thing.

There aren’t too many albums out there that remain to give off a record this sonically bitter and sharp because they are too focused on audience reaction (ironic), but when you do get the rare artists like these that are just worried about making the most grim production possible, then in this day and age, it’s truly a magical experience!

Now, onto Ant. Just like the real thing, this Ant can also carry 20x his own weight in puns, lines, bars, and verses. He ain’t worried about serving no bitch as queen but call him ‘Bull-Ant’ because if you try to climb his hill, he’ll sting you and deliver unimaginable pain you’ll avoid any sign of him again.

Across this short album, he does the most showing off his brutal and dangerous mentality and personality. The first track shows that off in spades, and that sets the tone for the rest of the record.

He has a powerful and poisonous flow and a witty wordplay with smooth lyricism that, just like ants, keeps three legs on the ground at all times while he runs circles around the game, but it ain’t due to no disruption but exhaustion from carrying the game in spite of the lazy competition.

Definitely a dope album! Fantastic chemistry and great vibe all around! Definitely check this one out!

Shoutout to Papdirty for the dope feature!

https://open.spotify.com/album/098RFo3pCQYXR8knJsGmon?si=Kzk4cvn4QmiSZv4utfXZMQ

(THE ANOMALY EP)

It’s impossible to deny that Giallo Point has had quite the career in the past few years, working alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Napoleon Da Legend and Estee Nack.

But now he’s here, working alongside a different underground star to create one of the best sounding EP’s in the game right now. Let’s talk about it!

So, this is a five-track project featuring Giallo Point and rapper NOWAAH THE FLOOD, and they are proving to be a more deadly threat than anyone could have thought.

Starting with the production, we have Giallo bringing to the forefront some of the most cinematically classical instrumentals we’ve heard all year! Each of the eight songs provides a beautifully sharp and theatrical score that has a strong opera feel to the presentation and execution.

If you could picture what boom bap x an orchestral ensemble would sound like, well, you have it now. With those long, piercing horns and notes radiating off the beat and into the ears and souls of the audience, it’s incredible.

With every new release, he showcases more precision, more focus on technique, and forming an engaging atmosphere that separates him from the others. He did that on ‘PAPITAS 2’, and that’s what he’s doing here as well! 

NOWAAH, the man with a presence larger than a group of rappers combined. He’s back to utilise these thrilling instrumentals and silence all the haters with his strong cadence, his timely flow, and lethal word game. When he speaks, it feels like a sonic kick to the chest! You feel that shit in your lungs and heart, you feel the adrenaline begin to spike, and your brain start to go haywire at the mere aura of this man.

He never ‘raps’ his bars; he commands them to existence, and they follow suit. He has one of the most cold and rough tones and delivery styles in the game, and he’s using every skill in his book across this project to remind everyone why he’s not someone to be slept on! 

This is the EP you don’t want to miss out on! Do so at your own risk! 

https://nowaahtheflood7.bandcamp.com/album/the-anomaly-ep

(So Legendary)

Man, what a treat, yeah? I mean, sure, old-timers release music all the time, but for most, it seems, whether it’s age or change in priorities, most of them are ass (unfortunately), but when you get the rare case like these guys coming together to provide you with that nostalgic feeling you’ve been craving from the golden days, then how can it be anything but a good day!

So, this is a collaboration effort between two legends. The first being the New Jersey-based trio ‘Lords Of The Underground’ with 

DoltAll/Mr Funke and DJ Lord Jazz, and they’ve been killing the game for over 30 years! That’s my whole fucking lifespan. Accompanying these men on the production are equally legendary and respected SNOWGOONS whose name speaks for themselves as they’ve been working with just about everyone in the game, period. 

But together, they come together for the sake of the vitality of the rap game, and boy do they deliver a SHOCK.

Let’s start with the production. Because this monster trio has spent almost 30 years working, grinding, sharpening, and cultivating their sounds until they reached the point of pure perfection, and that’s exactly what they are now! Especially across this project, they have made some of the most infectious and head-booming tunes you’ll hear all year. Not only are they methodically produced, but each song features a new and distinctive heartbeat and rhythm compared to the one that came before and after.

They’ve been able to craft a pulse for each song that beats in a different tone than the rest, from a larger-than-life atmosphere to glamorous and angelic notes and melodies to muddy and raw beat loops; they have everything in their bag of tricks, and each ‘trick’ has been worked on for almost 3 decades to the point where they couldn’t fall if they tried.

So, before listening to this, make sure you get ready for one of the most well-done and memorable scores of the year because I guarantee you it’s that good!

Now, onto the 30-year veterans. At this point in their careers and as they pointed out themselves on this album, ‘I’ve been together with them more than my own brothers,’ that kind of chemistry and synchronicity is something you can’t buy or fluke, and they have come to prove to the new generation what real talent and MC skills are, and boy is it an experience to witness.

Each man brings their own unique trademark flavour, filled with exquisite pen work, smooth as butter flow, and lyricism so sharp it could cut your head off if you aren’t prepared for the bars. 

They’ve come not to play games but to school the present-day landmark and teach how things should be done.

What’s mind-blowing to me is that in their efforts to ‘teach,’ they invited the biggest and baddest bullies of any era with ‘Onyx’ at the end! Let me tell you now, I don’t give a fuck what generation you rep in this game; no one, AND I MEAN NO ONE, is dumb enough to fuck with Onyx, and they know that! They are invited not only for their dope bars and legendary status but also for their black sheep aura that they’ve carried through their own 30-year career, and I couldn’t think of a better collaboration if I tried.

So, if you’re looking for a classic era type album by classic artists but actually done well? Then you can’t go wrong with THIS. This is the new standard to go by! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/43FJMfqppHEKvy7eta260d?si=dWshEav-SguwZ9VDh439qw

(Best Case Scenario)

It’s been a minute since I covered fellow Australian player Artwork Kennedy. He’s an interesting figure because with every new release he puts out, it comes with a different sound from the one before, and he’s doing it again with his third! So let’s talk about it!

So, this is an album written and produced by himself. He’s testing how much of a ‘one-man band’ he can truly be, and with that, he brings seven new tracks with just under 20 minutes of content to be shared.

Across this album, there are no features, just him and his limits of creativity. Even though this offering is short and sweet, the variety of sounds is staggering. Let me explain.

If I had to describe this new projection, it reminds me of ‘Vince Staples’ in the way that after leaving OF, we all thought he would follow Earl in the dark and moody venture of music but ends up surprising everyone by constantly switching up his style from electronic to G-funk to everything in between.

This is Artwork now! We went from gangsta-style rap in the ‘NEED MONEY FOR PORSCHE’, then game soundtrack vibes on ‘Auto Trigger’, and now he’s providing us with more funky/80’s synth pop vibrations with elements of Vapor Wave and Synth Wave.

There are hip-hop influences to be found in doses, but since he’s overdosing on so many other musical aspects on this one, it feels like the only main element keeping this record a ‘rap’ record is the verses by Artwork himself, similar to the heavily electronic songs on Vince’s album ‘Big Fish’, but regardless, it all sounds dope!

This album sounds like a fun time, sounds like the kind of record you’d want to dance and groove to too! (This next line could get me in hot water considering he’s Australian too), but this album has slight 360 ‘Falling and Flying’ vibes with the dance and pop tunes over the rap ones. I quite like those hit singles off that album for their catchy, mainstream, and infectious feel, and this album features a lot of the same energy in my opinion!

Now, as far as the rapping skills go. Once again he’s switched up his cadence and studio characteristics to fit this more variable sound palette, and he sounds good doing it!

He has a softer tone to his raps this time, with smoother flows that run like a river, providing layers of introspective lyricism and skilful pen work to really have his words stand out for all the right reasons!

He sounds as confident as ever on this project; he’s passionate, precise, and honest with his audience and intentions on this one, and I love that. All he’s doing is sharing his ideas and original concepts that only he can pull off!

In the past, I’ve heard him spit personal stories, real bars, bragging bars, and to hear him just rap for the sake of creative thinking and having a blast with it is such a heartfelt thing to hear and witness because I know he’s a solid dude, and the fact he’s in a position to be able to go on sonic adventures of this calibre, I’m nothing but proud and happy for the Kennedy!

If you’re looking for a project that’s interesting, refreshing, and beyond creative, then this is the one for you! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/5UhJtX7TdWfGVJqXw1q5s7?si=YRZvcMxDTsWeThqv96E_uw

(Acoustic Shadows)

Whenever Dead Perry is back on the case, then you know fire is coming, but on this occasion, even he outdid himself. Let’s talk about it!

So, this is the latest album by underground powerhouse producer Dead Perry, who has been the backbone of the culture for years now, providing quality material even during droughts when it seems talent was a desert wasteland. He was there, and today he’s decided to go all out by recruiting all the current S-Tier MC’s the business has right now! From the likes of: 

-J-Spliff

-Estee Nack

-Raze Fresco

-Daniel Son

-Hus Kinpin

-al divino

-CRIMEAPPLE

-P-Dirt

-DJ Eclipse

-ILL BILL

-Goretex

-Casual

-Planet Asia

-Da Flyy Hooligan

-Izrell 

And talking about the production. Anyone who is already familiar with DEAD knows he has a sick mind towards production, a sixth sense into the studio techniques, the precision, and creativity in turning every beat into some of the most grimy shit you’ve heard in your life, and this one is no exception.

Each instrumentation has its own level of harrowing and dark energy alongside muddy and gruesome boom bap atmosphere that squeezes the life out of anything in its surroundings and obscures all light until only ‘dirt’ remains. Sonic dirt that moulded his career, rewarding him with the skills to create the most deadly beats you can imagine.

Whether it’s high-strung and theatrical cuts or skeletal and rough, it’s all done in such a way you know you’re experiencing a Masterclass in production, and there’s no denying that. As depraved and raw as they might come out, very few (if any) can do it as well and to such a critical standard as he can! 

Talking about the men involved on this album, it’s clear to anyone with a pulse how this will turn out. Incredible (which is a severe understatement). 

Because you have all the main artists who have built their careers sharpening their bars on instrumentals exactly like these ones, the music of this influence made them notorious, so for them this is nothing more than another day in the studio, and they absolutely thrive in this environment.

They all bring out their best games. Each with surreal and deadly combinations of chemistry and individual bloodthirsty bars that could and do rival anyone else in the game right now. In fact, that’s a weird statement to make because they are the game right now, they are the ones everyone else is trying to compare to! So, of course, as the forefathers of this new generation, they never miss a step or a word. 

No surprise, a fucking incredible showing by everyone involved, and I just know we will get a mash-up of these names again sometime soon on a different project!

https://open.spotify.com/album/1cDeBROlbZBaxrPxodJlmR?si=ywte15W-R0elXVZrBvRxkg

(Drumless Terrorist Vol 1)

Looks like Here’s Johnny is now inheriting his ‘Mankind’ era of music. First, we heard his ‘Cactus Jack’, but now his other persona peeps his head, and this time it’s in the form of ‘Drumless Terrorist’, so let’s get into it!

This is a 16-minute and 39-second project with six tracks in total, all produced by ‘Gordirocho’, yet another name I’ve never heard of, and features the likes of: 

-Matt Mars

-Quazii D.Sol

Then a bonus track produced by CLAYHEAD, and this time around, it seems the production is way more experimental and ambient in nature, and of course, as the title suggests, ‘Drumless’ in structure. 

Every track has its own unique scent, taste, and sound. Whether we are talking about the opening track that had that grimy and sludgy Boom Bap type production to it or the track after which has a completely different sound, which reminds me of a broken video game level soundtrack that’s been busted and reverb-effected.

Or hell, the song right after even that one with those angelic horns that makes it sound like what I imagine angles coming down for the second coming of Christ would sound like to the world! 

This album has so many different inspirations and directions for a six-track playlist, and that’s the unprecedented unpredictability of Here’s Johnny and the affiliated names he chooses to work alongside, nothing he or they do is predictable, which always keeps everything from the verses to the production interesting at all times!

What’s funny to me is no matter how original and unique and genre-shifting he makes the instrumentals and production, when it comes to his own voice, you can always tell it’s him. He has a distinctive rough, almost shouting style of expression when he raps that it’s near impossible to mask, but regardless, he’s dope whenever he’s on the mic, so that stuff is irrelevant in the overall scheme of things!

Across this one, as per usual, he uses his intense, rough, and precise lyrical ability and penmanship to infiltrate the beat and pierce its exterior, planting his energy, passion, and ruthless aggression on the track until you’re left approaching his unquestionable aura.

The features on the track do well to add something new to the project and help synchronise with Johnny and create an atmosphere of friendly competition, which I always love to see.

Another dope album by Here’s Johnny and all his various aliases, and the producer gets a big shoutout for the dope work and the features too!  

https://youtu.be/0y38DHAVXMA?si=0ipvIR0j-EdfVPvm