(Chocolate Bars Vs Gummies)

With an album title like that, the boys must have been high! Regardless of the title, artwork, and names involved, I was hyped before I even clicked play, and now that I have, let’s talk about it!

So this is the latest collaboration between rapper ‘Here’s Johnny’ and producer ‘Omar Glomar,’ and together they release 7 tracks with an extra remix track and features: 

-Young Stadix

-Jet $ki

-J Shxnobi

And across these tracks, you have production that is the sonic equivalent of murderous intent. Legit, every beat sounds like someone took all the hatred, disgust, anger, and revenge in the world and compacted it into one album and unleashed it to the world. It’s really that intense!

This production gives me the same feeling when watching ‘Twin Peaks,’ with how the score gave watchers goosebumps and a constant eerie feeling while watching. This has that same aura, really creepy instrumentals with noise and droning sound effects and samples to add an extra level of ‘suspense’ to the album. 

I’ll tell you one thing: had you told me an album named ‘Chocolate Bars Vs Gummies’ would sound this intense? I wouldn’t have believed you! What a trio of a listen.

Moving on to Here’s Johnny himself. The man who is himself inspired by possibly the best horror movie of all time, ‘The Shining,’ and so it’s only fitting that he be the one to rap over these mental tracks. 

The first thing that stuck out to me about him was his grimy and relentless style when he raps. He has this intensity about it that most don’t. A lot of times, you can hear a rapper jump on dark and ominous type production only for the MC to sound either unsuited or stick out like a saw thumb, but in this case, Johnny is coming with that studio axe, and he doesn’t care who’s in fear behind the sonic wall door. He’s here to kick it down and get what’s his!

All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but for Johnny, it just sharpens his resolve, his lethal wordplay, and vicious bars and lyricism. 

Another stand out feature on this record is just how fluent he is on the project. He’s one with the darkness on this and his deviant and dangerous approach to the mic only gets stronger across this type of production 

The way he functions with the features is also dope to hear! They all share the same energy and mindset on the tracks which helps bring out the best possible versions of the tracks themselves!

When talking about synchronicity in duos then you can’t get better than these boys! A singular vision shared across two souls and both equally twisted.

If your looking for the kind of record that might make you lose sleep? Then this is the record for you!

https://m25music.bandcamp.com/album/chocolate-bars-vs-gummies

(Things I’ve Seen)

Man, there’s just a certain atmosphere you feel as a listener when you hear two legends come together, and this is that right here! Two of the best to ever do it collaborating on what could very well be considered ‘album of the year’, so let’s talk about it!

So, this is a monstrous duo of producer ‘Bronze Nazareth’ and rapper ‘Termanology’, and together they feature 12 songs and a 30-minute length with features such as:

-Hex Murda

-Wais P

-Jon Connor

-Nim K

-DJ Eyeball

-Superstah Snuk 

-Marv Won

-Salute Da Kidd

And man, this thing is truly a modern-day classic, and I don’t use that term lightly. From the production to the deep and personal lyricism, this project is loaded with layers of greatness that could take a whole-hour video to try and explain and still wouldn’t get to the bottom of.

Starting with the production by Bronze. On this one, he brings a Masterclass in how to bring to life each and every sample, instrument, and note. Every second of the production sounds cinematic and larger than life. It sounds as if they set a soundtrack to be heard at a theater, and it was ripped right from that to the album; it’s just so fucking sonically ripe that it makes most other records I’ve heard this year sound flat and watered down in comparison.

This kind of atmosphere reminds me of the classic late 90’s era of Hip Hop. Similar sound concept as last year’s Common X Pete Rock album but with more depth, detail, and artistry (at least to me).

While I felt that album was just relying on the nostalgic sound of the 90’s, this album takes inspiration from that era, but Bronze puts his own modern twist and creates something original that pays homage to that nostalgic time period while constructing something fresh and interesting. 

Of course, as legendary as Bronze is, so is his accomplice in crime with Termanology. A man who has spent years crafting his style and making him one of not only the most respected rappers in the game but also the biggest threats in the industry.

His lore-worthy lyricism, flow, and penmanship are stuff of legends. In this album specifically, he brings to the table so many personal and heart-breaking stories about his childhood that just leave your jaw dropped regarding his family and upbringing. He’s not leaving anything left unsaid, and he wants the world to know the exact experiences that he lived through to be where he is today, right now.

All those years later, his words are still as sharp as blades, his flow still as fluent as water, and his verses still as solid as they’ve ever been. Paired with Bronze, there’s literally no way they can lose, and they don’t!

I love the selected features they chose to add to this project because they add a lot to the tracks they work on and help elevate the album from a 10/10 to a 15/10!

Long story short, this thing is a fucking masterpiece! Every single element works perfectly, and I see this as the bar for the rest of 2025. This is the album to match against! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2PDoUFGI2FTitdTkQ6rglT?si=1SI8GY_4QTWnfkG3niduZw

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(The Emperor’s Wine Glass)

It’s crazy to me that my introduction to Skinny was an instrumental jazz record, and now here we are back in the straight hip-hop lane. Reminiscing aside, let’s talk about this!

7 new tracks. A new collaboration album between rapper Mad1ne and producer Skinny Bonez: The Godfather present a returning duo effort with this new EP, and starting with the production by Skinny.

He brings some of the most straightforward and no-nonsense edition of boom bap we’ve seen in a while. I think as a culture, we are always expecting bigger sounds, crazier styles, and more out-there production to try and outdo and outmatch the biggest trend of that moment, but how many of us can just appreciate a more simplistic/skeletal soundscape done well? 

On this EP, he provides solid, crisp, well-executed hip-hop that, although may seem bare compared to other sounds out there, has actually various elements and layers depending on the song.

For example, tracks ‘4 and 3’ have a lot more of a smooth and serene feeling and instrumentation that makes me feel like I’m walking on a beautiful, clear day with nothing but me and my thoughts! 

But tracks ‘1 and 5’ have that in-your-face, no-bullshit boom bap classic sound that is raw and unforgiving! The kind of beats I’m sure the mass audience would want and expect most! So there’s actually different tastes and themes across this EP and done in a more traditional sense, which I love!

Now, onto Mad1ne, the Texan MC. Who, alongside ‘Nate The Mosiac and Blazy Green,’ has the responsibility of taking these dope instrumentals and turning them into something unique and memorable, and I honestly feel they do that!

They all have dope flow, wordplay, and lethal lyricism. Of course, Mad is on every track compared to a feature verse, so he makes sure his penmanship is absolutely consistent and savage to match the atmosphere of the record, and he does just that.

He has a strong, cold tone, a remarkable studio presence, and his ability to draw you into every word he spits is something not all rappers can do, and he utilised that talent well!

Overall, another fantastic album by Skinny and his latest collaboration! The features were also dope! As far as I’m concerned, this EP was nothing short of a big success!

https://skinnybonezthagodfatha.bandcamp.com/album/the-emperors-wine-glass

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(Steel Sessions Presents: 1000WORD$ Forever)

This year has already been a trip. So many amazingly groundbreaking records that I honestly thought I had seen it all, until now. A record actually made in Harvard? If you don’t find that shit impressive, then you’re just lying to yourself! But to the rest of you, let’s talk about it!

So, this time around we have the powerhouse trio of 

-Buda Da Future

-Grandz Musik

-Mike Kuz

And as the iconic ‘Steel Sessions’, they have brought together what could possibly be the greatest feature list on any record period. The names include

-Mickey Diamond

-Avenue

-Shaykh Hanif

-Codenine

-Nym Lo

-Pro Dillinger

-The Hidden Character

-ETO

-Estee Nack

-Al-Doe

-Micah Write

-SMOKEINTHEEYE

-Xp The Marksman

-Tree Mason

-AA Rashid

-FEED THE FAMILY

-Lukey Cage

-Chase Fetti

-Bori Rock

-Dot Demo

-TOP HOOTER

-Dun Dealy

-Rim

-Eddie Kaine

-Last Days

-New Days

-Marc Andre

-Big Twin

-UFO Fev

-Bub Styles

-Slum The Resident

-Vic Spencer

-The Musalini

-Isaac Pelayo

-Knowledge The Pirate

-Sam Buck

And with the utilisation of this legendary line-up, I feel this record was made as a type of ‘celebration’ for the underground. For years, artists have scratched, clawed, sweated, and bled to make the independent scene thrive and all the work it took to make it what it is today, and I feel finally since the last half-decade, the scene has been recognised as the premier place for quality and dope albums and has finally taken over the mainstream as the go-to location for where ‘real’ hip hop lives.

This album just feels fun in execution. It’s nothing but dope, crisp, raw production with the who’s who of names putting their best selves forward in the name of ‘hip hop’. 

I love how everyone sounds on top of their game! Not a wack verse to be found. I also love how much attention and notoriety ‘FEED THE FAMILY’ is getting as of late. The past year and present  specifically, they are everywhere on everyone’s album as well as producing some classics of their own stuff! 

It’s hard to explain without listening to it first, but just how grand and celebratory this whole thing feels. When you work alongside 3 dope producers and then collaborate  with 1000 words with this ridiculously talented photography and then all these names? 

This album is the modern-day Dr. Dre:2001 quality verses, quality instrumentals, and quality mixing. 

This is the ULTIMATE passion project and no doubt will remain the soundtrack for the underground for years to come! I couldn’t be happier that this project exists, and I’ll end this by saying to everyone who spent their years or decades working and grinding to build what has become the mandatory destination for the rebirth of rap, then to all those involved: 

Thank you! And whether you’re part of this project or not, this one is for you! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/3zpe7Z0F3zXNb2YzIl6FIR?si=wemjcLIuQB6seCWYd8bfMA

(Donation link)

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(Mass Murda Music)

Whenever I see an album promoted by my main man ‘KHEYZINE’, then I don’t think twice about trying it out, and as expected, I was treated to a dope as fuck album! Let’s talk about it!

This is the latest project by rapper ‘JINNAHCIDE’, and across this album, he has a range of different producers such as:

-CIPH BARKER

-KHEYZINE

-MASTA CONGA

-AI. DIVINO

-CH1B

-ST. PETER

-PRIYE

-MUNSK

-SOULITAIRE

Which, with such a diverse range of producers, you know this shit is gonna pop off, and it does! Each song has its own different flavour and personality that helps it stand out from the rest. I’d say overall, the album has an underlying dark, gritty, and ominous tone. I’d say the album title is very accurate to the atmosphere created, ‘Murder Music’, and it shows. Listening to this is more of an eerier/creepy experience than it is just merely listening to a hip-hop album.

Each producer on this list is a heavy hitter enough in their own right, so when they all come together on one collective project, you can expect nothing short of fire, and they deliver on every single mark!

Jinnah himself, a man who I only discovered today, is an absolute animal on the beat. He matches the murderous internet of the instrumentals by providing his own devilish, ruthless, and brutal wordplay, combined with his cold demeanour and killer cadence, he’s truly one of a kind MC needed for this project.

Every bar he spits is diabolically cunning, and the way he combines masterful technique with chilling aggression is a thing of wonder and makes for a rare type of listen for the listener. Across this one, he’s not alone with names such as:

-ANKHLEJOHN

– PLANET ASIA

-Al. DIVINO

– MASTER ACE

– WORDWORTH 

And of course, anyone who knows anything knows these names are some of the biggest S-Tier’s in the game right now, so to be on a record with them is a thing in and of itself, and he handles himself like a true professional, sounding like their equals in every occasion.

All in all, these 10 tracks could be some of the hardest you’ll hear all year! Don’t believe me? Give it a spin for yourself! 

https://jinnahcide.bandcamp.com/album/mass-murda-music

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(HDXMM LUXE ACT:1)

To say it’s been a hell of a year for Murda Megz would be the biggest understatement. Her 2025 catalogue along has been one of quality and bangers such as:

-The Caesar Project

-From Us With Love

And now she’s back this time with equally influential female artist HONEY DINERO, and together they come together for one of the most unique and thrilling first acts you’ll hear in a minute.

So, we have 8 tracks. What’s interesting about this project is that it’s formulated in the style of a forever-changing radio station switching between different tracks, angles, and frequencies, but instead of changing artists, it’s just different variations of Murda Megz and Honey! I guarantee you no album out this year or any other runs the same!

Every track is under 3 minutes, and it makes for a more compelling and realistic ‘radio’-like experience. I can’t imagine this would have been easy to achieve production-wise, but once again, Murda pulls another rabbit out of the hat! 

On the other side of things, we have Honey, who has that iconic, potent, high-energy delivery and persona that makes anything she says in the studio ring with every listener. Her smooth flows and wordplay, her cunning lyricism, and her overall presence add that extra level of ‘power to this release’ to be perfectly paired with the production prowess of Murda.

Also on this album are the legendary cuts of Tone Spliff, and whenever he’s on a project, you can bet it’s worth the attention!

All in all, an interesting, creative, and original release that I’ll be waiting patiently for part II, and I hope you all will too! 

https://honeydinero.bandcamp.com/album/hdxmm-luxe-act-1

(Donation link)

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(Up the Block)

I swear at this point, Flames Dot is my hip-hop adrenaline rush for 2025. With every new drop, I get more excited than I did over the one previous!

But here we are again, Flame Dot Malik with his 5th EP of 2025. Let that sink in real quick; we aren’t even in fucking April yet! Which means this is his 5th in 3 months. Absolutely insane work ethic and consistency that rivals no other right now. I think the only cats who have made similar numbers are the Penlordz crew, but that’s as a crew, not as an individual. So in that respect, Flames Dot is king this year!

This project has 8 tracks and 21 minutes. One feature with Fuego Base; the rest is just producer El Camino and Flames! Together, they dominate this EP with hardcore east coast grime energy that rivals anyone else doing the same right now!

The production is so fucking hard it’s crazy. How he can switch between gruelling, cold-blooded tracks like ‘Wire Taps’, which stars the whole record off, to soft, smooth instrumentals such as ‘Up The Block’ with those melodic female vocals one up front in that chipmunk voice pitch and another choir style in the back of the beat to make this angelic-sounding track that sounds soothing as hell!

The fact that El has the ability to switch the tone and tempo on a dime is crazy. He doesn’t have to stay confined to one specific sound and brings versatility and passion to the instrumentals that only he can bring!

As per usual, and has been the case for the last 4x projects! (Still insane to say that), but he’s back with his same raw, crisp, and violent tones that make him always sound like he’s 0.001% away from snapping and somehow crawling through your headphones or phone speaker and hitting you over the head with a Hennessy bottle, and honestly, as scary as an image as that would be, it’s what separates him from everyone else going right now!

He’s inserted himself in the same category as other monsters like 

-Bub Styles

-Mondo Slade

-Pro Dillinger

These guys plus Flame Dot are the real hip-hop MONSTARS; they are the 4 pillars of that underground rough and tumble rap shit that keeps that aggressive energy and attitude alive, and I hope Flames never changes his ways on the mic!

5 out of 5. Literally, no one else is doing the same this year, and I don’t expect him to slow down, so who knows what the limit is for him, but I sure as hell know it ain’t 5! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/1mGwDCAo4SwfBSmK5lW28r?si=pW5I-D2MQ52410-YNNXCLQ

(Donation link below)

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(Vagabundo)

After an incredible release in ‘Dior Da Vinci’ in February, I wasn’t expecting a new drop so soon, but here it is: a brand new LP by one of the underground’s biggest powerhouses. Let’s talk about it!

So, this is the brand new album by Reek Osama, and this time he has producer ‘MANZU BEATZ’ on the case while featuring the likes of: 

-DJ Decepta

-Slik Jack

-Daytona Chavez

-Daniel Son

-DJ Grazzhoppa

-Snotty

With such a stacked roster on this one, you know it’s going to be fantastic, and that’s exactly what it is. The first thing that impressed me was the sound of this album and how dark and gloomy it was! The reason it’s so surprising is because I didn’t think it was possible to outdo the cold and savage sounds of his February release, but not even 2 months later, he’s back tenfold with the twisted, gritty, raw boom bap shit that makes you want to go out on a killing spree and soak your Jordans in blood!

There are certain tracks that stand out, such as the song ‘GOT IT ALL,’ that has those Egyptian-sounding guitar notes that sound like something you’d hear in the film ‘The Mummy’ or playing around pyramid shots! I also love the track ‘MOON SHINE.’ The production on that one is utterly insane. Not just because of the features but that eerie humming female vocal, which is filled with pain and torment, it’s actually creepy to listen to. That, combined with those keys in the background and this beat, is definitely one of the most tragic I’ve heard all year! 

If you’ve been listening to the underground for longer than a month, then you should already be well informed with Reek and his overwhelming ability and skill. He’s one of the best to do it right now, and he’s been killing it, whether that be features, singles, or albums. He’s the man right now, and on this one, there’s no difference.

His lethally fluent flow, his murderous tone, and his precise lyricism and wordplay are nothing to ever fuck with. He knows exactly when to spit, on what beat, and why. He’s never made a fumble in his career, and he definitely didn’t start now. 

Also an underrated ability Osama has that no one talks about is his adaptability no matter who’s on the feature with him, whether it’s someone up his lane like Snotty or Daniel-Son or someone completely different on a feature track. He knows how to adapt and make sure his verse works regardless of the environment, and that’s absolutely dope.

Overall, when you combine the presence of Reek Osama, the production of MANZU, and the excellent features, you get yet another run at ‘Album Of The Year’. Although I didn’t expect one so early, he absolutely killed it yet again! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0Ymq8T2U0xMPdBVVeOUPEn?si=BRtt8UPoS6uSVqLkHGUwtg

(Donation link)

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(FLOOD THE AVENUE)

Damn, who would have thought we’d catch Bub Styles singing? It definitely wasn’t on my hip-hop bingo card.

Either way, who’s ready for a new single by the hip-hop beast himself? If you didn’t say yes, kill yourself. The rest of us, let’s get to it!

So, this latest banger featuring Bub Styles and production by Graphwize, who is a frequent collaborator of Bub, and once again he hits the ball out of the park on this one!

This beat has an interesting combination of hardcore East Coast boom bap fused with some West Coast G funk synth keys that are re accruing throughout the instrumental. The beat is so infectious and groovy that I could legitimately listen to it for hours and never get sick of it!

As far as Bub goes. Once again (as is his trademark), he brings his intense, raw, and rowdy vocals on the track. His shouting and violent aura make him one of the few standouts in rap where every word is felt on the song, no matter what he says; we are forced to listen due to his larger-than-life energy and personality!

Also on this track, on top of his let’s say ‘unique’ singing chorus, he delivers one of the best lines of 2025:

‘Raw like Tartar, rare like Charizard.’ That’s a line you can’t beat. Hearing him deliver this line in his intense delivery was amazing, and then questioning himself in the back vocals (Is that even a rare card? Everything about that exchange was perfect.)

No surprise, but another BANGER by Bub Styles and Graphwize. They are one of the most solid duos out, and hopefully, more work from them coming in the near future! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0OPptlINLytzDX0YvG7WsT?si=SMX5bTVDQa-KWfJSNzgSiw

(Donation link)

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(Jamal Takes Manhattan)

Taking another trip to last year, where I’ve found a lot of albums I haven’t fucked with yet, and it’s time to do them justice! So let’s talk about it!

So, this is the 2024 album collaboration by rapper ‘Jamal Gasol’ and producer ‘Flu’, and featuring 7 tracks and 18 minutes in length. This project is inspired by Jason and Friday the 13th, which gives this record a strong ‘thriller/horror’ vibe. We also have 

-Bub Styles and Mondo Slade as features, who are the perfect guests for an album of this magnitude.

The production by Flu is definitely larger than life and suspenseful, to say the least. Using a mix of classical instrumentation, jazz, film sound samples, and boom bap flavour, you create one of the most intriguing and unique pieces of rap you’ve heard in a minute!

I love how uneasy, dark, and brooding this album feels. It honestly captures the essence of Friday the 13th to a tee. It makes you feel like you’re experiencing a place you’d never want to visit or a world you wouldn’t want to be a part of.

Flu is masterful in the art of building ‘atmosphere’, and he utilises the various elements, themes, and styles (in this case) best representing that horror/slasher universe and converting it into a sonic adventure that honestly can’t really be matched elsewhere. Big props to Flu on this record!

Accompanying Flu is the underground sensation Jamal Gasol. A man who has built his way up with years of killer verses (no pun intended) and dope features to earn his way into the dopest conversation, and this time around, trying his hand in the cinematic conceptual world of Friday the 13th.

Just like the production, Jamal spits fire, his voice is confident and brash, and rightfully so, as he drops gem after gem on this album, with brilliant wordplay and smooth flow to rival anyone in the game right now. 

I love his solid energy and enthusiasm on the mic. He’s taking charge and owning the tracks as only he can, and his penmanship is golden. Across this one, he gets the opportunity to sharpen his skills with two of the best going with ‘Bub Styles’ and ‘Mondo Slade,’ and yet even beside those beasts, he holds his own and maintains a solid foundation for the quality of this record.

All in all, a fantastic performance by everyone involved, and I hope I can hear more of them together in the future! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0XhBJuPWLReelRkUa18eco?si=cl59nVfLTa62jchSx8q58g

(Donation link)

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