(Be Supreme Coming)

I never thought I’d say this, but after countless reviews and drops by this man and his collective, I think this might be his best project yet! Let’s talk about why!

This is the latest collection of tracks dropped by Penlordz member Fam Ross! From what I can gather, this is a collection of vaulted tracks that he deduced to release in this first volume that features the likes of 

-Kheyzine 

-Gold Matter

-Bossy

-Mgerm

-Da Grand Hova on the production and the likes of 

-Audio Messiah

-Bossy

-Benny Serrano 

Now, starting with the production factor across this record. I’m surprised to say it might be one of his most consistent yet! (I say that with a touch of shock as this was a vault drop), but we have something beautiful throwbacks of 

-Jazz

-Lo Fi-Ambient

-Old School Hip Hop

-Soul

-Funk

And these genres and vibes are perfect on their own, but when you combine them with the levels of finesse and creativity that these guys did on this record, it makes it even more satisfying and fantastical!

It’s the scene of gritty yet grand designs on these instrumentals. How you have some tracks like ‘Hand Play’ which features a trademark boom bap sound with that distorted synth and thick drum patterns!

But what stands out to me about it is the fact they let the beat ride for a good 30-40 seconds at the end, which (for me) creates incredible atmosphere and ambience within the track!

Then you have tracks like ‘BBL Facelifts’ which has a more surreal, methodical, and ambient listening experience with those cold piano keys, subtle drum pattern, and engaging vocal choir-style loop on this instrumental track!

There’s even the song ‘DIE HARD’ which features a song that has another distorted jazz feel that features those droning chords across a skeletal drum track! 

But I love how this song has a lot of lyrical references to the Bruce Willis classic ‘DIE HARD’

There’s a lot of variety across this production. With something for everyone and all of it done to perfection!

As far as Fam Ross goes, I feel he’s on his king shit across this one. Anyone who has followed the Penlordz career so far would know the trio are known for their wise and knowledgeable approach to lyricism, whether they try to inspire and motivate the masses with whatever message they choose on the projects.

But on this one? Fam Ross is using this opportunity to just spit fire, showcase his lyrical prowess, and stunt on the game. I remember there was an album this year he followed the same formula, and I mean when you are as talented and dope as he is, then it makes sense you’ll want to boast sometimes!

As usual, his flow is impeccable. His pen game is, of course, phenomenal, and his rhythm and vocabulary are always at a 10! Never heard him lacking in that department (or any other for that matter).

Of course, what would a PenLordz album be without one of the two others coming to join the fire! This time it’s Audio Messiah, and as expected, he’s just as flawless, magnificent, and ruthless on the back! 

On this one, Fam is flexing. He’s spitting fire bars, conceptual one-liners, clever puns, and general verses filled with sharp lyricism and incredible energy! It’s like with each new track he spits on, he becomes even more versatile and in tune! More precise and focused on delivering the better verse than he did before! 

He’s a MC Machine that never stops, and if his consistency has taught us anything, it’s that the man is never capable of taking an L on the mic; he’s truly one of the best I’ve seen do it in the modern era! 

Once again, another Pen Lordz record that can’t be ignored! Check it out today!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7pYMm81cSWNnCtKs9Q87aB?si=NyZoAt1VRG6JPWzg2ezquQ

(GUSTAVO SIKOA)

At this point in my life, as talented as this producer is, I’m just going to be on the lookout for all his wrestling-related albums, the most! First, we got Jazzy Fatu, and now another Bloodline album? Yes, please! Let’s talk about it!

This is the latest collaboration project between MC Gustavo Louis and Producer Jazzy Lion Man, who together dropped 11 tracks with a total of 24 minutes. With -16 Pad Assassin on production for the final track and -Angelo Jensen featuring on ‘DIFFERENT FLOW’. 

Man, I can’t lie; anytime artists incorporate wrestling into their music, no matter the genre, I gotta tune in! Especially when that someone already made an incredible wrestling album prior and has a streak unbroken! 

Interestingly, Gustavo did feature on that Jazzy Fatu album on one track, but this one, he’s running the show! Here to steal the spotlight from Roman and take it for himself with a new rendition of the Bloodline!

I can already tell that compared to JAZZY FATU instrumentally, this album is a lot more experimental, chaotic, and freelance. FATU felt more structured, raw, and tough sonically to suit the person in concept. Although this time around, we see Jazzy utilise his more unpredictable and Lo-Fi Rap side with a new surprise at every corner.

Take the track ‘SAMOAN SPIKE’ for example! That song features a roughly added voice loop of some guy repeating the phrase ‘Hmm, come here baby,’ which sounds straight ripped from a film or series and added into the song itself. 

Or the song ‘GOLDEN ARM,’ which features these sharp guitar notes across these daunting bass strings and what sounds like a consistent shaking sound, which I can’t exactly identify! But this is what I mean by the fact these beats (at least to my ear) don’t really have a rhyme or reason but more a sonic statement of ‘Let’s just have fun and see what it sticks,’ which I fuck with!

Maybe, he just wanted to represent two different sonic styles across two different wrestling-themed albums! Either way, I fuck with this instrumentals just as heavy as JAZZY and all it shows me is the diversity and depth of him as a producer!

Now, who else could you ask to collab on such a project than GUSTAVO himself! He’s being equally as prolific as Jazzy and has represented his artistry and passion across the culture, and today is no different!

Lyrically, I hear a combination of wrestling puns, one-liners, and references, and also tongue-in-cheek humorous takes and concepts that are just downright outrageous and hilarious!

For example, ‘SAMOAN SPIKE’ how he goes ‘thumb in her ass, Samoan spike’ that had me laughing for three minutes straight when I first heard that! 

Or even on the song ‘DIRTY DOM’ using the common projection of Dominik and the woman he gets into GUSTAVO’s personal life issues, which I’m sure are also tongue-in-cheek in description! 

That’s another aspect of this album that’s different. JAZZY FATU was definitely more serious in tone than this one! But again, that doesn’t take away from this one at all; even including that more fun and outrageous comedy of him on the MIC, it doesn’t take away from his talents as an MC!

He’s still brought his iconic flow, his ridiculous way with words, his unlimited vocabulary, and sharp pen game, making him a force to be reckoned with regardless of his context, serious or otherwise!

He’s definitely one of the most charismatic and enigmatic players in the underground, with every new release carrying this level of creative energy that most don’t have! And that’s no different across this project; he’s focused, lively, passionate, and engaging in all corners of this album, and it makes it explode more than the Samoan spike! (The solo one)

If there are any two figures you can count on to release a dope, original, and refreshingly fun record, it’s these guys! Sure, I can imagine some hip-hop ‘purists’ may not enjoy this style, but fuck ‘ em, this is for those who have an open mind!

And just like Jey USO, just because you think your top shit doesn’t mean you actually mean anything when it matters, so to all the open-minded ones, check this shit out! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ep3E0yDT4qPYq5z56sRK4?si=F4E8y8XERZeiPbmSN4lCkw

(Blaq Cinema)

You ever hear something so smooth that it just takes away life itself and forces all your attention and energy into that one hit? That’s how Thing One feels! I didn’t know what to expect going in, but as soon as I pressed play, any thoughts, stress, or tasks I had prior to listening all vanished, and I became entranced with this song right in front of me. My fucking god, it is smooth.

This is the latest single between legend Agallah The Don and producer Blaq Medici. Together, they drop 3 minutes and 37 seconds of some of the best music I’ve heard all year! Trust!

Talking about that production, we have this lovely blend of Soul, Jazz, and Ambient sounds that just take your breath away.

Those luscious chords that are prevalent throughout the whole track are laid in the forefront as we get those subtle yet delicious Bass strings just doing their thing in the background right below your ear.

We have those light drums just going off, doing their thing at the back of the other instrumentation, just proving structure and order to the track.

This track also provides a gorgeous vocal snippet that is ever so slight yet helps elevate the parts it’s on from a 10 to a 10,000 whenever those parts arise! Truly angelic!

I also love how this track, towards the end of the track, the outro leans into its more Jazz-affiliated sound palettes as we hear information and descriptions of the ‘Japanese Yakuza,’ which I felt was a really nice and interesting touch (alongside that beautiful Jazz instrumentation) to finish the song off!

To complement and elevate a production of this nature isn’t easy at all, so it can’t just be any random MC to fill these shoes, and thankfully, we have one of the dopest in the underground coming in to show everyone how it’s done!

This whole track, Agallah the Don showcases his incredible rhythm, his impressive vocabulary, and his attention to detail with his sharp and precise pen game and also his miraculous flow that has his words gliding across this fantastic beat effortlessly!

He also has incredible story telling abilities, cleverly weaving the lore of Blaxplotiation cinema into the song!

In the two verses he had he spit more gold, used more intricate and defining concepts and lyrical techniques then most do in full albums. He was not only definitive but intriguing as well in the way he textured his words and brought his situations to life!

This is definitely a track you can’t afford to sleep on! Go check it out now!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4IWu494dWRhHha4V9h8ypy?si=FRQFwdt-SaabtoyfCyZNpQ

(The Past The Present And The Future)

Well, this is certainly not a collaboration effort I expected to see in 2025. With all the surprises and dope drops we have had already, to have something of this magnitude drop is a game changer and already has the world buzzing! Let’s talk about it!

This is the latest full-length album by MC’s Recognize Ali and Tragedy Khadafi, who are notorious in their own right but together are the definition of ‘a force to be reckoned with’, and together they are joined by

– El Maryacho

– K Sluggah

– Hobgoblin

– Twelvebit

– DJ Tray

– Swab

– Vago

– Dredi Beats on the production and

– Vinnie Paz

– Trife Diesel

– Ransom

– Flash of NBS

– Lukey Cage on the features!

And my god, is this a candidate for ‘AOTY’ or what! To say I was blown away would be an understatement from the ferocious and masterful crafting of the various producers to the sharp and absolutely devastating mic work by not only the duo but the other powerhouse features; this whole thing just comes together unlike any other I’ve heard this year!

From that opening track ‘Will Be Free’ and that beautiful production with that haunting female vocal snippet across that minimal beat that creates an immersive atmosphere that very few tracks can replicate! 

They made sure the intro track went HARD and they refused to let up across the entire album!

The rest of the album featured production styles such as 

– Boom Bap

– Middle Eastern Rock Vibes (Track 2)

– Soft Rock

– Ambient/Synth

– Soul/Choir

– Classical

– Jazz

And the way each different beat is handled is some of the best technical work I’ve seen all year. Each song is marvellous in its own way with its own unique spirit and soul that is individual to its own! 

You get a wide range of different sounds and aesthetics across this record. Although each track maintains its ’muddy, raw, and grimey’ exterior, the actual inspirations will change depending on the track.

Some tracks are softer and more subtle in nature while others are as in your face and unapologetic as they come! There’s a nice balance between Rugged and Theatrical, Intricate and Cold Blooded and I feel in putting emphasis on such diversity only enhances this albums quality and replay value!

This album is 13 tracks, 40 minutes long but feels half of that! A good album always feels shorter then what it really is and with the surreal production and the even greater lyrical performances this thing will fly by you before you can realise what hit you!

A strong reason for its effectiveness to the listener as mentioned above is the MC’s. More specifically the Duo at work. Both men are monsters in their own right and so there can be no doubt into anyone’s mind that when this force unites all hell will break loose!

You have the quick witted and savvy street poetry of Ali that leaves favourite impressions on anything he’s featured on with his slick flow and impressive pen game! Pairing with a man who sounds like a nuclear weapon going off and the violence it would wreck on a country. His voice is raw and his verses more so. 

Tragedy stays true to his name sake and devastates any song he’s on and leaves it a flaming pile of rubble with only his verses left standing.

Together these two have a chemistry unlike no other, they have perfect/savage synchronicity with the skills to match. Each man understands what the other is thinking and acts accordingly. 

They have hired the very best of the best to accompany them and these features kill just as effectively. Whether you’re talking the living legend Vinnie Paz or The Lyrical assassin in Ransom each man holds their own, takes no names and leaves a lasting impression.

To say this album impressed me would be the understatement of the century! It’s bold, original, tough and unforgettable. You won’t find an album like this all year! Trust me! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/340NanjgTziY78nnD7DWku?si=fXK3c22hQwmq-13RhO8Uvg

(No More Mr. Nyce Guy)

I can’t believe the year Umbrella has had this year alone. Whether you’re talking about the latest 

Snotty- The Blue Carpet

Big Trip- Cry Baby

Substance810- One Inch Punch

Daniel Son -The Estes Method/Baggage Claims

Or even the upcoming promise of Pro Dillinger with ‘Dirtwave Vol. 3’ this year has been absolutely incredible for the collective and the year isn’t over yet as we have this new album to add to that collective by one of the strongest Umbrella soldiers! Let’s get into it!

This is the latest full-length album by MC MVCK Nyce which includes 18 tracks and the production credits by

-Boom Bam Benny

-Soek

-OddFather 

-Supernice

And features the likes of Vega7 The Ronin on track 16! 

I gotta say, when talking about production although there are a lot of trademark Boom Bap elements that I’ve come to expect from an Umbrella release, a sound that they themselves have evolved and brought to new heights in the last 10 years on this album we also have a lot of experimental and creative sonic takes that I found rather interesting!

I mean whether you want to talk about the Spanish guitar influence on the track ‘The Return’ with those fast-paced strings accompanied with those minimalistic drum patterns that give a strong ‘Spaghetti Western/Country’ movie soundtrack vibe mixed with that Hip-Hop feel!

Or if you want to talk about the track ‘Policies. With that theatrical/classical atmospheric attached to it with those sharp chords, those unpredictable keys and slight and subtle vocal harmonies lingering in the background with those light synth chords that all come together for a real ‘sci-fi thriller movie score experience’ 

Of course you have traditionally raw tracks like ‘F-150’ which has those chilling piano chords combined with those heavy and rugged drum partners that feel gargantuan in nature! The combination of intricate and hard-hitting is classic Boom Bap and more importantly trademark Umbrella!

I love the combination of various sounds and inspirations on this record. There’s a little something for every taste while still maintaining it’s rough around the edges exterior and in your face attitude!

Now, onto the MC side of things. MVCK has always featured that grimy, ruthless aggression in his cadence and today is no different. We see him utilising his most dangerous weapon his pen game and cook up some of the most well written and best executed bars to date!

Across this project his flows are on point, his lyricism is deep and street heavy with an impressive vocabulary to match! 

As I’ve come to enjoy from his previous releases his no nonsense, straightforward delivery style has become infectious and not many can execute it the way he does!

I love how he runs through each track with his own brand of direct, cut throat and cold bars and lyricism that so brilliantly matches the instrumental and production style at play here. He’s an artist who always plays to his strengths sonically and that’s a self awareness I don’t think enough people share.

He’s knows what his flow and rhythm sound best along side and he ain’t out here trying new dumb viral trends or spitting on a pop based record because it will get him more ‘clout’ he’s here rocking with the same energy and intensity that brought him to the position he’s in now and I respect him for that!

I never thought I’d see the day I see a MVCK X Vega7 The Ronin collaboration but now that’s all I want. Those two absolutely go off on that track across that acoustic and skeletal track that helps highlight both men amazingly!

Can I say I’m surprised with how this album turned out? Absolutely not at all. Umbrella seem to have this magic force field that prevents bad albums. No matter which artist or producer is part of it they always drop fire and this one is no exception! Only $10 on Bandcamp make sure you support the artist! 

https://mvcknyce.bandcamp.com/album/no-more-mr-nyce-guy

(Terminal Illness)

Sometimes I’ll be off a certain artist for a while, while covering other shit or waiting for their new albums and forget just how dope their style was or is in comparison to the rest. Today is one of those days; after listening to this record, it all just hit me again as to why this man is considered one of the best in the world! Let’s talk about it!

Today, we are talking about the brand-new album by MC legend Termanology! This time he’s coming with equally legendary beatmaker Myster DL, and together they drop 15 tracks featuring the likes of 

-D-Stroy

-OT The Real

-UFO FEV

-Fuego Base

-Nim K

-Hectic

-Cortez 

-Ea$y Money

-Flee Lord

-Tek

And man, I ain’t exaggerating when I say Myster DL absolutely DESTROYED the production on this thing. With this release, he’s officially raised the bar a few levels up! 

Within these 15 tracks, you have ‘Hip Hop’ executed in its most purest, organic, and fundamental form, and it’s beautiful for the ears to hear.

What makes this record stand out to me is the fact that DL is putting major emphasis on the most bare and necessary instrumentation and samples to use to make sure every sound, snippet, and sample is amplified and given the time of day to shine and imprint on the listener!

Every beat features a small handful of different instruments, whether that be heavy drums or chilling piano keys, synth keys, plucked strings, or subtle vocal harmonies. Each aspect is carefully chosen, mixed to absolute perfection, and creates an incredible atmosphere of cinematic brilliance using the ‘Less is more’ method. 

Nothing is fucking worse than when a producer, in an effort to be ‘different’ or to ‘stand out,’ floods the tracks with thousands of different things into each song to where it sounds messy and crowded. This album is an example of how to execute hip hop correctly!

Utilise a few at a time, master them, and make them the vocal point of each track until the song itself is burned into the listener’s brain! That’s how you get proper replay value and fans coming back remembering how dope the record was/is!

Every producer this year should use this album as a study point to see how to do it because I’m on my third listen in a row, and I’m blown away the more I listen!

Now, onto the other legend on this record. The man with the legacy most can only dream about! He’s back and better than I’ve ever heard him.

On this record, he really sounds like he’s on his boss-level shit. He’s done being humble; here’s here to cash in on his KING status, and who’s gonna stop him?

This time around, his pen game is somehow even sharper than before! His flow is surreal and fluent, and his lyricism is the definition of NEXT LEVEL! There are so many verses on this album that left my jaw dropping! For me, a song that stood out the most was the song 

‘Project Bench’ 

In which Term explained a true story of how he was a young kid and actually kidnapped in a car only to be returned hours later! Just to have that experience is nuts, but to hear the depth and detail in which a MC mastermind like him describes and tells it is insane to say the least! I felt like I was there in person! 

Another song I LOVED was the second-last track ‘Like Me’ that features OG Flee Lord, and together they rap on this mainstream 2000’s 50 Cent Era beat, and the verses they spit are just pure magma! The whole time I was listening to this track, I had my face all scrunched up and mean-mugging my room; it was just so fucking ruthless! 

I can’t even explain this album justice without you hearing it yourself! It’s only $10 on Bandcamp! Come on, man, if you can’t even support your favourite artists for $10? Then are you really a fan? Go cop that shit NOW!

https://termanologyst.bandcamp.com/album/terminal-illness

(Mr Automatic)

Looks like we are taking a trip back to 2021! It’s always exciting to see where an artist you fuck with came from and how they have evolved or progressed since! It’s double exciting when it’s a man you fuck with on a daily! So let’s talk about it!

This is an album by MC Weapon E.S.P., a man who blew me away last year with his album ‘Kensei’, which was before I started this website back when I was still writing for the legendary ‘Raw Side Hip Hop’. 

But regardless, we got this one, 14 tracks and 35 minutes with the likes of 

-Lo Gun

-DJ Grazzhoppa

-Ghost Of The Machine

-Estee Nack

-Jamil Honesty on the mic AND

-Johnny Press (On Guitar)

-William Wallace

-Reese Tanaka

-Cee Gee

-DJ Proof

-Hobgoblin

-Hanzo Bladez

-Reckonize Real on the production side of things!

With this combined roster of beat makers and MC’s, you know this is bound to be a banger and that’s exactly what happened! This thing is NEXT LEVEL!

I guess I’ll start with Weapon. The man who’s always stood out for his precise flows, his introspective and lyrical superiority, and storytelling abilities that always make you sit and wait for every time he speaks because he has that special power to concentrate his mind, heart, and soul into all his bars that makes it sound like you’re listening to a Hip Hop spokesman or preacher! Someone important who has a message to share!

This album is no exception. Across this album, we hear his confident, high-energy, and enthusiastic dope bars that not only sync with the beat perfectly but are sharp, well thought out, and powerful in execution.

He has an incredible vocabulary and a certain level of street poetry that gives his wordplay that extra level of gravitas and aura that most don’t have!

Of course, at times he taps into his more braggadocio side, but that’s just the art of rap at this point; nothing out of the ordinary with that. With the extensive features on deck, he’s able to not only manage the superstars on the album but also prove he can hang with the best of them and provide just as good of a verse as they did! A sign of a true MC! 

The production on this thing is raw, rugged, and captivating! I’d describe it as ‘Fancy Boom Bap’ because there are a lot of cinematic and lush instrumentation at work here with intricate keys, deep chords, and orchestral vocal loops to give this project a more ‘prestige & high-end’ feel to it.

But at the same time, it also feels gritty, relentless, grimy, and muddy. It doesn’t feel polished at all but rather kept in its original rough form to maintain the true dominant nature of the sounds and textures surrounding the album.

This album is truly the best of both worlds, and the various producers help maintain that momentum and carefully crafted tightrope of the two atmospheres coming together as one to create an album that’s equal parts lavishing and badass! 

If you listen to no other album this year (even though technically this is four years old), but make sure you listen to this! I’m sure it will satisfy any and all hip-hop fans! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0CsIMLgJkE6dYDGp5wGKhb?si=qHgJFS6oQKSqyKb1acut2A

(#UncivilRights)

It seems no matter how many MC’s/Groups/Acts I cover, I’ll always find myself discovering more. Such is the case today with this duo that has evidently been making waves in the underground for years now, and with their April 2025 release, we have a banger that can’t be ignored! Let’s talk about it!

This is the collaboration effort between MC ‘Ill Tone’ and Producer ‘Shade Cobain’, and together they are ‘Blacktivity’, and on this one, they drop 15 tracks with a rare album length of 50 minutes for a long and defined listen that I guarantee you, you won’t forget!

While I was listening to this record, I have to say, this reminded me of a combination of Public Enemy and Gang Starr. You have the politically and emotionally charged lyricism reminded me of ‘Chuck D’ and yet the same bombastic, heavy, and Golden Era instrumentation and production of DJ Premier from his time with ‘Gang Starr’, and when combined, you get a memorable sonic experience!

I love how the music itself (done by Shade) has so many different influences to it from: 

– Rock

– Old School Hip Hop

– Funk

– Soul

– Jazz

– RnB

– Classical

– Ambient

And every song has its own flavour and personality. Depending on the song, you’ll have different tempo, characteristics, styles, and feel to them!

For example, the track ‘Are You With Us’ which features that predominantly ‘Rock’ vibe with those electric guitar string patterns on loop with that robust and heavy drum pattern to match! Feels like something you’d hear off ‘It Takes A Million’ very in your face and strong audio statement!

But then you have tracks like ‘Scared as Hell’ which probably features the most melodic tune of the whole album. Very dreamy and subtle. Those light notes on loop with that warm and inviting drum pattern that help emphasise on those Ambient/Lo-Fi/Jazz influenced instrumental. 

Although the actual lyrics of the song are deep and personal, the beat itself is so moving and breathtaking that it’s an exact opposite of the track I mentioned above! 

These two examples are to illustrate the variety, ability and versatility of Shade Cobain. A man who including this has already released 3 bangers this year and it’s because of stuff like this!

Whether you want to mention his master craftsmanship behind the beats, or his attention to detail or his artistic flare or his diverse sonic pallete one thing is for certain when it comes to top underground producers he’s definitely upper class!

Now, onto the MC Ill Tone. The man who turns every breathe into bars of gold (in weight and volume) he’s not just a wordsmith he’s a Messanger for his people, his society and for the state of things as we know them today.

Again, with the comparisons to Chuck. He’s a man who acts to inspire and educate first, fame and success second. You can hear it in the way he talks, the way he crafts his bars and the way his soul is embedded with each and every word that comes out of his mouth.

Every track on this album is a different scenario, experience or fable. With the intro track for example setting the scene for what to expect and with Ill making sure the whole 50 minutes was an opportunity to open the worlds eyes to the events, historic errors and tragedies and the state of things today.

As someone who isn’t apart of this race of people I can’t imagine the situations that are forced to be dealt with on a day to day basis for some of these people but listening to records like this and others similar make me appreciate that we have artists who are willing to make music to share and spread such a message!

As far as style goes, Ill his sharp, intelligent, deadly with his pen game with immaculate precision and strong powerful flow and wordplay that makes his verses impossible to deny and ignore.

I can’t believe this is my first time hearing this duo but believe you me it won’t be the last. This is one of those albums that will stick with you for weeks afterwards and make you really think about the state of the world. 

If you haven’t already, don’t sleep on this any longer and check this one out! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6TENfRtwxQ8NRGZfvXBWWR?si=3xDCehfJQpyQTw0k42dztA

(Da Darkside Of The Moon)

Today, we get to cover the latest offering by an absolute legend in this business. One who has been consistent since day one and a man who has redefined the genre in more ways than most, and with this new project, he’s back to do it again! Let’s talk about it!

So, this is the brand-new album by notorious MC Juxx Diamondz! It consists of 12 tracks with the following on the production: 

– Murda Megz

– SnowGoons

– Juxx Diamondz

– Sauly O Beats

– Dead Poetz Society

– Tone Spliff

– DJ Dister

And vocal performances by:

– Ledger

– Ladi Diamondz

– Jake Palumbo 

– Hazernomical

– Maph

– King Harv

– Haze Hustle

Now, I gave this album a couple of solid back-to-back listens before writing this, and the one key thing that kept jumping out at me when talking about the production is just how ‘classic’ and ‘nostalgic’ it felt while at the same time providing us with a fresh, new, bold taste of Hip Hop that we rarely get to see in the Underground! Let me explain!

On this album, you have that crisp and hard-hitting East Coast in your face sonic flavour that you’d come to expect from the 90’s era cats like: 

– Mobb Deep

– Gang Starr

– Jay-Z 

That deep, rich, and head-bumping production that we’ve all grown up on and come to love, and Juxx has not only found a way to capture that essence but also made sure to add a ‘modern twist’ on the sounds and deliver a finished product that is equal parts a homage to the golden era and an inspiration for something original, unique, and refreshing!

I love how grand and cinematic the instrumentation is on this record, from those powerful vocal lines, those orchestral strings and notes. Those infectious drum patterns, thick bass lines, and luscious keys; it all comes together to create something you would have expected a live band to create right in the studio with Juxx and company!

The various producers and Tone help not only innovate but elevate this sonic admiration to the past by using the blueprints left by the originators to create an experience that will gain the respect and love by the culture today with a record that is made for the times with a message that simply reads ‘Thank you for the memories, but today it’s my time’

Onto the man himself, this album wouldn’t be what it is without him. Juxx the living legend who has spent years sharpening, developing and growing his pen gam and style to become the absolute pinnacle of what ‘MC’ means in this day and age.

In this record he’s the best he’s ever been! He sounds tougher, more powerful and surreal all in one! When he speaks the room listens and his bars and verses spit like magma all over the track as he spits his street poetry with his extraordinary vocabulary and fluent flow to create aesthetically pleasing paragraphs that hit unlike any other!

You can hear the confidence and emotion in his voice with every breathe, he understands he ain’t no amateur in this game and he’s done playing ‘Mr Nice Guy’ and instead come looking for blood and he’s taking no prisoners!

I love how across these tracks he sounds like a MC Preacher, his words aren’t just put there for the fuck of them! Every letter and line has a purpose, message or story to be told and he uses each song on here to convey his thoughts and opinions and being one not to mince his words or censor himself we get his unfiltered sermons and they are a gift to hear!

Overall, as expected this is a phenomenal album to say the least! From that flawless production to those bars even more so! The features, the verses the roster on this combined to make one of the dopest records I’ve heard all year! This is one you CAN’T SLEEP ON! 

(Monster Factory)

Of course, who else to drop a banger on literally the 1st of July than these two! Regular collaborators who have helped flip the Hip Hop Game on its head more than once, and with one of the most iconic producers back to seal the deal, we have an unstoppable force on this latest record. Let’s fucking talk about it!

This is the latest collaboration project between MC’s Sankofa and G Fam Black, two men who have a rich history together and whose paths only result in sonic gems! 

On this project, we have the legendary Crack Sizzlack on the beats and with only one feature 

-Tali Rodriguez. This one is nothing but a natural, trio effort that proves ‘you don’t need a crowd of guests to make an album pop!’

Let’s start with the production here because whenever you have Crack in that studio pipe and light that shit, trust me, everyone in the studio is feeling it, and you won’t come down for days after hearing the smoke! 

Across this dose, you get a combination of robust, minimalistic, and raw offerings that will turn your dog into a wolf, your cat into a jaguar, and make your fake-ass homies turn bitch and hide from hearing the heat. 

Take track 2 for example, ‘Frosted Cadavers’, with that diabolically tough track with that melodic vocal loop and boom-bap flavour that turns this whole track into a sonic murder scene!

The same can’t be said for track 3, ‘Broken Ledgers’, that utilises those gorgeous jazz instrumentation featuring those groovy horns, bass lines, and what sounds like a subtle use of maracas going off ever so lightly in the background. This track sounds like an adventure on acid! It’s smooth, interpretive, and immersive!

These are just two of 14 examples of how much variety Crack packs into this album. When he’s on his vibe shit, he can make 14 different sounds across a whole record just because he can. I wouldn’t say every song is completely different than the next, but what is clear is that he can take such elements as 

–

-Jazz

– Boom-Bap

-East Coast 90’s

-Ambient

And more and make tracks that sound distinctive and not a repeat of the track before or after it! That’s the spirit of Crack, as well as his technical prowess and his notorious ear for quality, and you have a man who will provide the listener with the utmost care and badass sounds you could hope for!

Now, onto the two men, the literal definition of ‘Dynamic Duo’. These two never play when they collab, and it’s no different here!

What you have is the combination of ‘Monotone, Cold Blooded Street Poetry’ with ‘Monstrous Stature, Terrifying Energy, and Gutter Aura’. When you mix these two across 14 tracks, you have a unique record to say the absolute least.

I love how across this record, both men use their obviously different styles and characteristics, speak for themselves, and give the album that ‘diverse’ sound. Just by rhythm alone, you’re bound to feel two separate verses since neither shares the same energy as the other but instead projects their own! 

Sankofa sounds like the eerie storm to come, the haunting warning that smells of violence and earth, and G Fam sounds like the calamity. They both feed off each other while being two different entities that have the same goal in mind!

 You just don’t get this level of attention to detail, chemistry, or synchronicity anymore. These three feel like family on the tracks. I loved every G-Fam album so far, but this one feels like his best so far! You can’t miss this one out! 

https://sankofa.bandcamp.com/album/monster-factory