Who’s ready for bars galore? That’s exactly what’s happening here! A man who has spent 2025 building himself up with a variety of projects, whether they be NARCOMIXES or original content, he’s out here being himself and not compromising for anyone, and this track proves that he’s the strongest! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new single by MC Gustavo Louis and producer A U R, and together they dropped a single that’s 3 minutes and 15 seconds worth of straight verses and bars that I’m sure you’ll all love!
Starting with the production, what we have here is a methodically charged, almost Middle Eastern-inspired, mummy soundtrack shit!
You have those light sci-fi chords in the background, those slow-paced drums, subtle bass, and every now and then you get these schizophrenic sounds that appear and disappear just as fast, that sound experimental in nature!
A very interesting beat that feels tailor-made for an MC of Gustavo’s calibre to come in and kill, and that’s exactly what he does and more!
As I stated above, on this track, Gustavo goes more bar-heavy than I remember hearing him previously!
He’s on his flexing, in-your-face type shit. Playing heavy emphasis on his charisma, his eccentric nature, and his bragging bars, letting the haters and detractors know exactly what he thinks of them (quite early on in the song as well). Even the notion of anyone being on his level is laughable in his eyes, and considering the year he’s had, it’s completely justified!
Across this track, we hear endless bars, puns, one-liners, set-up bars, complex lyricism, fun/drug/gun lines; he literally includes everything on this track, leaving nothing on the table!
His flow is more fluent than I’ve heard it in a minute, smooth while maintaining his enormous energy and aura state where he’s just in his element talking his shit, embracing the status he’s built from the ground up! Definitely one of (if not) the most impressive singles to date!
What a fun surprise this track turned out to be, from the insane production to the bar fest by Gustavo, this is the perfect example of hip hop at its most precise and bare. Just a dope beat and bars, what can get better than that?
There is an old fable around this land. Rooted in mystery, intrigue, and most of all, fear. About a young boy, supposedly taken from birth and raised to become a deadly force unlike anything the land had ever seen or experienced.
Some say it’s merely a myth, others a made-up boogeyman to keep the youth in check. Regardless, everyone is mindful of the
SIX MILE SHINOBI
What the world will soon find out on this fateful and bloody night is that the SIX MILE SHINOBI was a man of 20 lethal weapons, each potent enough to level a small village in terrifying circumstances. As the tales of old would describe, his bouts of massacre would take him a mere 34 minutes to achieve conquest.
A man with a blood lust unlike any other living creature on Earth. A man solely possessed with defiance, conviction, willpower, and chaos. To be SIX MILE, babies, children, adults, and animals are all just meat to his devil eyes.
Call it luck, fate, perhaps a punishment worse than death? I’ll let you all be the judge, but I had the chilling encounter with the actions of the Oni himself (something that didn’t go unnoticed by the man), but as a sign to spread the loathing message of terror and fear into the hearts of others, I’ve been spared to tell you about the three specific manoeuvres I saw him apply that night, the night EVERYBODY died.
-Neo Zeed Plot. A man with a cunning for complex literature to possibly throw off the victims or flaunt his surprising intellect to the masses? Regardless, this was the first action he plagued upon the people.
Essentially, this was when he pulled out his dual katanas. I saw him take the stance of an Olympic runner waiting on the starting line. Back leg stretched, arching forward but with one katana placed in his mouth, the other in his left hand. As he finally decided to pounce, he leapt with immense speed and precision, gripping the second katana with his right hand and proceeded to slash the jugular of every man, woman, and child in sight! The sound of gashing gave off a sickening sound, a tune to a ‘fast-paced piano chords, aggressively looping endlessly’. The rate at which the bodies were dropping gave off the sound of drum patterns in a grotesque rhythm, thumping to the floor in an array of different directions!
2 -Cut Off The Snake’s Head. After that display of murder, he turned his attention to another nearby village (forcing me to always keep watch of the atrocities). As I arrived in that area, he decided to pull out his giant yari! That I could have sworn (from a distance, it looked 8ft tall) in height. This giant spear was taken from his back and gripped firmly in his two hands. What came next is something that caused me to vomit on the spot in pure disgust.
He walked casually through the village, twirling his massive yari and went about casually grinding the locals up as if with an open-bladed fan to a mouse. Upon this horrific sound, the only thing that could enter my PTSD-trauma-ridden brain was the sound of a jazz bass plucked strings. The consistency in those loops coincided with the splatter and guts bursting in cold-blooded intensity.
Once again, the remains of the bodies hitting the ground can only be reminded of a specific level of drums.
I also noticed that the remaining fearful victims sounded like synchronised screams that reminded me of high-pitched chords!
3- Shinobi E No Kyōfu the final act of vengeance, Holocaust and death that I encountered happened at the final village within reasonable distance from the last two. Upon this occasion SIX MILE decided it was due time to unleash his branded -Kusarigama onto the stage. A weapon hailed as one of the most technically sophisticated weapons to wield but if mastered one of the most deadly.
For this village he merely stalked the prey of the innocent civilians and one by one using equal parts sickle and spiked ball began to use his full strength to gut, cut and split the bodies in half’s, quarters and more.
Deciding to play the angel of death we shrieking sounds of sickle cutting bodies in half resembling the sound of a sharp violin or synth chord looping across a track!
When using the spiked ball, there was whiplash sounds of heads rolling, limbs exploding off of corpses that sounded eerie similar to a Jazz style drum sequence of light drum taps for softer limbs and almost the sound of plucked bass drums for the parts flying and hitting houses only to ricochet back onto the ground.
What shook me out of my brain dead position of fear was the fact he suddenly pulled out a gun for the running victims and shot them point bank in the back! The sounds of those gunshots running through the village also.
This was only 3 of his 20 styles of murder. I will live the rest of my days as a vegetable of my former self consumed by fear and anxiety as long as I will draw breath but it is my duty to pass on the message.
THE SIX MILE SHINOBI IS REAL, HE IS UPON US and GOD SAVE US ALL..
In honour of the most recent comeback release by the legendary duo, I wanted to drop a surprise review for the occasion! And I figured why not go a different route and talk about the first in a different but equally important series to the ‘Gucci Ghost’ volumes and talk about the first entry into the
BANGKOK SERIES
This is the debut volume of the iconic ‘Bangkok’ series by MC, Icon, and notorious MC and Umbrella Collective General Mickey Diamond! In this project, accompanied by production from
-Diamond Dallas
-Quis Star
-Snotty
-Hobgoblin
-Influence
-Cise Greeny
-Body Bag Ben
-Mallori Knox
-Digitale, and features the MC’s -PostmanL and -King Arthur
Now, this album (compared to the Gucci Ghost volumes) is that it feels a lot more surreal and drawn out in the production. There are a lot of tracks that have a slower pace, where the instrumentation can be felt and soaked into as opposed to those usual fast-paced and heavy beats to give you a quick buzz of adrenaline!
The fact that there are so many different names on production provides an interesting and diverse score of depth and variety in the influences. For example, we have tracks like -Northern Lights, which has an 80’s movie soundtrack feel to it! Like the music you’d expect to hear during a montage scene on Lethal Weapon or Bloodsport!
You’ve got those funky piano keys, these light jazz-style drum beats, and some form of plucked string that comes in and out in an infrequent manner to give the song an extra level of depth!
There’s the track -Tiger Uppercut, which sounds like what Kimbo Slice would use as his theme song in his street fighting days! An absolutely brutal boom-bap track that’s equal parts minimal and explosive!
You’ve got these vocal film snippets that run as adlibs through the track that give the listener a quick pump of energy!
As they run through, you have these mesmerising, fast-paced piano keys in a repetitive loop and some of the heaviest drums you’ve ever heard! There’s also some ambient street noise in the background ever so subtly that adds layers of atmosphere to the song!
Even if we look at the track – Polo Jung, which sounds like a loop song you’d hear in one of those front massage parlours that is actually a criminal racket in the back like you see in the movies! This song has an Asian-sounding vocal loop that’s combined with sharp bass strings and some extremely subtle what sounds like acoustic guitar strings!
This track is interesting because there’s so much going on in the background that gives the song a hint of mystery and intrigue! One of the more ambient-style songs on the record!
With the amount of names on the production, some could expect either a messy or unfocused production, but that’s not the case! Instead, what you have is a collection of original standout instrumentals that all add substance and purpose to the record and most importantly to the chemistry with the man himself.
MICKEY DIAMOND
I can’t believe this album is five years (almost six) old by now. You wouldn’t think Mickey aged a single day. In comparison, he released the first Gucci Ghost in 2022, and this was how he rapped two years prior? Insane.
As expected, on this record, Mickey provides his legendary vocal performance with his deep-toned octaves, his sharp one-liners/puns, and his distinct eye for detailed bars and verses that level a vivid image in the listeners’ brains.
His flow is second to none; never been a man to ever fault on the mic. He spends the total of the 29
minutes spitting hot bar after hot bar, street poetry mixed with verbal slaughtering, and some of the cleanest word enunciations you’ll hear out of any artist, period!
Everything he says is clear and understandable, no mumbling, fast raps for no reason, over-the-top performances, just pure MC rapping, and he’s the best at it.
He oozes confidence and well earned bravado when he spits on the mic, he knew he was the man since day 1 and every day since he’s just telling the culture and the world ‘I told you so’ as many times as it takes to get it understood!
No matter if you heard it once or a thousand times over, Mickey’s mastery of the mic. His sharp wit and dominant presence whether alone or as a feature is always something to be in awe of. He’s the kind of man who can sell PHYSICAL ONLY drops in minutes.
Make a comeback feel like the second coming, easily rap alongside legends like Method Man and make it look easy.
This album and it’s series may have been one of his early stepping stones to greatness but this record just proves just like every other after that he was, is and always will be
GAWD DAMN, whenever YFI is on the beat, that song ends up smooth as fuck! It’s funny, I always forget how dope he is until I press play on his newest shit and get re-stunned all over again! He’s got that Men in Black mind-wipe effect on me!
This is the brand-new single by MC FLYG & Producer YFI! Together, they drop a two-minute and 12-second track that is just beautiful ear to ear! And for a beat of this caliber, I’d say FLY is perfect for the cause!
‘How does it feel to have family that hates you? Princess Di/They still wondering how that Princess died’
Are you all hearing this shit?!
Let’s start with FLYG first because, as I keep reminding the readers, he’s a man who I feel has improved the most in 2025. He’s not only a workhorse but consistent in every aspect, prolific and captivating all in one, and all that is further emphasised around this song!
Across this track, we hear him on arguably his most fly verse to date with a strong/fluent flow, fantastically timed bars, and actually, I sensed a few times I heard him pimp up his pronunciations! For example, the line where he goes ‘I’m not Austin Powers, but your definitely a mole!’ The way he said ‘ Mole’ had a slick, almost velvety feel to it! I was like ‘damn, this man is on some FLY G shit today’ (Pun intended)
But outside of that, he sounds overall more and more confident in himself and his abilities as a MC. His one-liners are more crafty and complex, his enunciations grow stronger by the track, and his charisma becomes more and more infectious with every new drop.
I’m fully expecting come 2026 that I’ll be forced to spend 10 minutes Googling each one-liner pun or set-up bar to understand his context. That’s how much he’s improving, and if this year was anything to go by, he’s going to be a BEAST in the underground.
As I mentioned in the intro, this is some FLY production by YFI! It’s got a ‘Surf Rock Meets Soul’ feel to it. You’ve got those groovy plucked strings and light drums that are combined with those light yet angelic vocal chords that have a slight choir feel to it, but as it loops through the song, it makes the song elevated as a whole!
This is one of those beats you can listen to for hours and never get sick of!
Every time he’s in charge of a beat, he always goes the most melodic and harmony-driven route! Always passionate, lively, and organically composed! He’s another name that I feel has shown steady growth in 2025 and one that, if he keeps up the same projection, could be a massive threat in the culture!
Overall, a ridiculously solid track by both men! I can’t wait to hear the 2026 project by both men! It’s going to be one of the dopest albums of the year as this is one of the strongest singles of the month, EASY!
After covering their last EP, that’s when I first saw the hype built for this project! Ever since covering this man, I have to say I’ve been thoroughly impressed. And it seems in recent months he’s gravitated more and more towards a certain producer who has been making waves in his own right!
So with that in mind, let’s get talking about a project that features two men I fuck with heavily!
This is the brand-new album by MC AU & DJ KROOKED and produced by DJ KROOKED with features from
-REDHANDS (Producer)
-ANT KELLY
With these two names on board, they’re out the gate running!
One thing I’ve noticed (from both of them) is how they’ve come into their own over the years. When I discovered both of them, I would have sworn they were relatively normal artists with quality control over their content who make dope music.
BUT NOW
They’ve flipped the script and are out here releasing some of the most out there, experimental, and innovative music we’ve heard in the underground so far! It’s in that constant push for originality that keeps me coming back to them!
Across this tape, we hear a variety of sounds and inspirations. Some aspects are slow and methodical, some gritty and raw in nature. Others are fast and furious (pun intended) with everything else in between.
You’ve got tracks like -SAM PUCKETT, the intro track that kicks this whole thing off! And on this one, we hear the example of a slow and methodically charged beat with a combination of that funky bass, wavey & plucked strings in two separate layers.
As well as this whistling-type vocal harmony that sounds angelic across the track!
We have tracks like -TRINITY, which feels a lot more atmospheric and harmonious! With a combination of those elegant piano keys, a gorgeous flute track, and what sounds like long keyboard samples with some rock and roll-style drums every now and then in a quick snippet sample!
Not to mention Ant Kelly’s verse that ends in that quirky way of him being upset the beat was cut off early! Hilarious (especially since it was his main man KROOKED who would have cut him off).
Another track is -CLIFFORD, which is the outro track and I’d have to say the most out there track in the list. It’s got this rock influence with those heavy-handed electric guitar strings, separate bass strings, and very subtle drums that are almost drowned out from the rest of the instrumentation! Definitely a solid way to close the track off! (It lowkey reminds me of the guitar solo Marty McFly does in ‘Back To The Future 1’ in front of that rock and roll crowd.)
As far as chemistry goes, these two have spent the better part of what feels like the last three months building connection, synchronicity, and familiarity to make projects, features, and singles that highlight a sense of brotherhood and single-minded energy on said work, and we are now seeing the fruits of that labour because at this point, they sound more like actual brothers then seperate MC’s!
Across this seven-track album, we get both of them going back and forth, shining light on their various personas, eccentric personalities, and dope styles that stand them apart but keep them vibing across the same process!
They utilise the beats to their advantage, using the variety given to express their deepest sense of creativity, vulgar bars with slick charisma to pull them off!
It feels like they are just going into the studio and saying whatever is on their mind that day and transforming those into rhythm form before putting them on the tracks!
These two men sound completely free of fear, opinions, expectations, and judgement. They are making the music THEY WANT to make and having fun with it! You can hear it in their voices from that tongue-in-cheek (I assume not serious) moment of Ant’s beat cutting off, to the outro track of the barking noises!
To even the flexing, over the top lyricisms. These men are two brothers, in the studio working on shit they want and it’s something I love to hear because when they have fun, I have fun and it becomes an enjoyable experience overall!
Come on and try this one out! Is this album gonna break records? Probably not but that’s not why this was made! A group of men coming together for artistic sake and for taking the game back to when it was more fun, less work! Plus it’s only like $8 I think? $5? Something incredibly cheap that wouldn’t hurt anyone to go support! So do so below and feel the natural connection and energy!
Boy, are we in for a treat or what! This album I had the blessing of hearing early and all I can say is the culture ain’t ready for the heat coming their way! This thing is about to change the game! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new record by MC duo’s Gibby Stites & Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard and together they drop a solid ten tracks with the likes of
-ILLtemper
-Frankie V
-The Bad Seed
-Akua The God
And with this short list of verbal killers on the scene you have a record that is sure to blow your head off with the intensity!
I feel I should start with the MC work first on this one because it is fucking phenomenal! These two have a chemistry that most would die for! A level of respect, passion, and brotherhood that syncs up to a point it’s like they share a single mind!
Across the ten tracks, these two share the same savage and aggressive personalities that flood the instrumentals with killer precision, raw flow, and in-depth murderous pen game that makes you feel like you’re being jumped by two goons waiting to jump out of the headphones and strangle you to death!
None is more clear of this mentality than the track -Read Between The Lines because that’s when they recruited the legend Bad Seed and the trio of their ‘don’t give a fuck’ attitude is ruthless!
Although there are a few features, I love that these two handled their own and maintained the energy and atmosphere across the project with just their back-and-forth verses and bars! Truly one of the best pairings I’ve heard all year!
Now onto the production, to say Gibby nailed the music would be the biggest understatement ever! As he is one of the two MC’s he understood what kind of aura and soundscapes he needed to go off on and so of course the production is just as much a problem and provoking as the verses!
As I said in the intro for the review, they bring the HEAT on this one, and the overall relentless sound is deafening! You’ve got ten tracks of pure intense, vivid, and heavy themes and influences that will leave you winded if you aren’t ready!
I would describe this album as the ex-convict alcoholic older brother of boom-bap who was recently released from prison and came back to take his rightful place as the REAL grimey sound of the underground!
No more soft shit, no more overhyped, over-saturated sounds, just the purest form of violent instrumentals and music so harsh you’ll be forced to mean-mug the world around you while you listen!
For me, it’s impossible to choose a favourite track as this feels like an experience made to be felt in one sitting, not picking and choosing. In fact, I’d go on the record and say, if you have to pick and choose and not respect the artists by listening to the full album, you’re a bitch. Don’t go being a bitch and enjoy the ruthlessness that is this music and its production!
Man, I had a fucking blast with this! From the insane features, to the no-nonsense vocal lines, to the production! This ain’t one for the weak of heart, so man up, go support and buy the record!
We are BACK! To talk about an artist I only recently discovered first as part of a huge collaboration effort, then rocking his own duo effort (alongside a variety of other names), and now to cover him on the production side of things, letting the other MC’s do the talking! Such a diverse individual, and once I can’t seem to take my eyes off him, so let’s go!
This is the late August release by (this time around) Producer Jester Exodus and features the likes of
-Sam R I
-Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard
-Taiyamo Deku
-Akua The God
-Zodeak
-Mista Doesha
-Pestilence
-XtraComplx
-Saunt Tango
-LOZEE
-Space Kase
-Clif
An even bigger roster than the last project of his I covered, and with these powerhouse names, you know this is bound to be a heavy-handed and extraordinary record with big sounds and even bigger verses!
First of all, I want to give a big shoutout to Jester for that incredible intro! Inspired by Dexter’s Laboratory! That is insane! It developed the perfect sequence into what would end up being a banger instrumental that feels like a thrilling travel into the mastermind that is Jester!
You’ve got elements such as sci-fi, mystery, and cinematic power that have such a profound effect on the atmosphere of the record!
As the album continues, we get into a more colourful and engaging mix of underground boom
bap, street-tier hip-hop, and cinematic/classical sonic structures that make for a powerhouse listen!
Apart from that incredible intro, we have tracks like the second track -So Proper, that consists of those larger-than-life/deep chord progression loops, accompanied by those heavy drums, and what sounds like distorted/manipulated organ notes that have a haunting effect to them!
Not to mention, Sam R I who absolutely nailed his verse!
We can take a look at the track – The Last Straw featuring my main man – Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard as this song provides one of the grittiest instrumentals across the whole album! You’ve got those Arabic/eastern reminiscent chord progressions that make me think of ‘The Mummy’ on top of that we have those heavy-handed drum patterns and ridiculous bass that is so thick and sharp that it feels like it’s piercing through the headphones!
And do we even need to talk about Gamblez? This man WENT OFF! His aggressive take on the bars was as tough as ever!
The track – Master Addition was also a rather dope track! It’s got a cinematic flavour to it that can’t be denied! Those plucked strings, sharp synth chords, surreal drums and acoustic keys! This has that ‘James Bond’ attachment to it that is equal parts raw and mysterious!
This was the first time I heard of -LOZEE but he absolutely annihilated his verse and kept the energy alive!
What I find impressive is the fact that Jester found the right amount of players who have their own distinctive sounds, characteristics and personalities to stand out on these incredibly instrumentals!
Nothing worse than having a list of names that not only sound exactly like the one before but have no standout features that ruin the experience entirely. But not on this one! Each man carries their own song and makes for a collection of memorable singles that have a faint influence of Dexter’s Laboratory attached to it (which is dope as fuck)
If you’re looking for a fun, creative and aura-filled album then THIS IS FOR YOU! The Jester ain’t playing on this one!
For me, it’s definitely LONG OVERDUE to dive deep into this circle. After covering that massive volume of music between God Division & Twoface Media, I was left with a lot of names to explore and keep an eye on, and in this case, we are starting with Space Kase! So, without any more teasing, let’s get into it!
This is the November release by MC Space Kase and producer Restless M.I.N.D., and together they dropped a solid 14 tracks with the likes of:
-Gamblez Tha Lucky Bastard
-XtraComplx
-A13
-DJ Droppa
-Zak Tovin
-Zodeak
-Lobotomized Geniuses
-Pestilence
And with this incredible roster behind them, this duo unleashes a raw and explosive attack on the underground scene that is sure to turn heads all across the culture!
Firstly, we gotta discuss the production aspect because fuck does it go TOUGH! We’ve got a whole range of boom-bap-inspired variants, each sharper and stronger than the last! This is 46 minutes of absolute carnage and madness in the purest form possible!
You’ve got songs such as -Wrath Of Titans, which has these groovy classic violin strings that are accompanied by those hypnotic drum beats and thick bass so deep that I was forced to mean-mug my room and move my head in a rhythm pattern!
There’s tracks like -It’s Been A Long Time’, which has this smooth atmosphere, with those manipulated chords at the start that evolve into a combination of late 80’s style scratches, chipmunk vocal harmonies, minimal drum beats, and more distorted strings that have a ‘Conductor Williams’ inspiration behind them!
Even if you look at the track -How I’m Feeling, which has a more introspective pace to it compared to the others! You’ve got those funky & groovy bass strings, those intricate and glossy piano keys, as well as those plucked keys and very subtle drums that draw the whole track in!
Although those are only three, those are the trio that stood out to me, but don’t get it twisted, this whole project has a wide spectrum of sounds and influences that celebrate all the underground’s top elements and are done in the most masterful way!
Speaking of ‘masterful way’, we have Space. Who was one to impress me on that massive Vol album, and now to hear him take control and drive the record forward is a treat and a half! He’s an exceptional MC who features undeniable charisma, ruthless lyrical abilities, as well as a flow so in your face and rugged that it feels like you’re listening to your local thug standing on the street corner! Although one who has street poetry for days!
Across this project, we hear this man emphasise his pen game, his incredible knowledge of the game, and his focus on the fundamentals of the rap game, from knowing when and where to drop a bar to breathing control, pacing, and everything in between!
He’s a man who lets his rigid eccentricity help him lead the record as the frontman and set the overall atmosphere of the record and prove that he can run this shit solo if he has to!
I love the features across this tape as well. Every man in their own way, style, and cadence brings something new and exciting to the album without just being there for feature sake (which is always the worst when it comes on). Either bring people on for their talents or leave them at home! You don’t need a fucking clique per song just because!
But regardless, this album is done with taste and experience! Hiring only the most proficient names in the industry and utilising them for their talents and skills alone!
Not to mention how incredible their chemistry is on each song!
As I came to expect, this is one of the dopest albums I’ve heard in a minute! Big shoutout to everyone involved for the contributions!
That intro was one of the most heartfelt things I’ve heard, period. Because this man did what he dreamed of! Making 12 fucking albums in one year! Not just throwaway joints either, 12 full-length, quality records that stood their own amongst the other releases dropped! In honour of such dedication and grind, we have
P-Ro 12 For 12
As stated, this is the December and Twelve release by MC P-Ro! This man has broken the mould for what should be possible for a MC in today’s era and is pushing the boundaries for everyone else to benefit from!
This album has production from none other than P-Ro himself! On top of that, we have features from the likes of brothers
-G Fam Black
-OGBenGrimm
-New Villain
And this thing is absolutely incredible. This feels less like a hip-hop album and more of a celebration of hard-earned catalog! This feels like P-Ro reaching the finish line after 11 former albums month after month.
I love how throughout the album you have voice snippets and recordings of his journey, the people around him, and only his closest brothers accompanying him on his final drop!
The production this time around feels more mellow and relaxed in comparison. When you have the feelings of victory and success that he has right now, it’s only natural he’d resort to more smooth and rhythmic beats and instrumentals to match how he feels right now!
You’ve got tracks with delicate strings, intricate piano keys, light bass, and funky drums. This feels like the template for flexing, the type of music you play when you’ve earned your rest! But don’t get it twisted.
Just because this one is more on the softer side (sonically) doesn’t take away from the cinematic experience or the grind in his voice or attitude! He’s still spitting as if this was his first album, he’s still laying down spectacular bars and rhyme schemes that could put 90% of the game to shame!
I was sitting here listening to this record, just smiling, knowing I was right there with him throughout the year! Hearing those past recordings, the crew that was with him from the start, who would have pushed him to remain on his path and give him the moral support he needed!
I also love how each track is a callback to each of the albums he’s dropped! Doesn’t that prove how ridiculous he is? EVEN IN THE FINISH LINE, he’s still this creative! Absolutely awe-inspiring! He’s never relaxed a day in his life, and he’s still wanting to give us this level of creativity and originality! Phenomenal!
Of course, there should be no question regarding the features. They haven’t missed once all year, and they didn’t start now! The brothers help celebrate the project and bring the same level of excitement they’ve been bringing all year!
I’m half expecting P-Ro to give us all a middle finger to the system and drop a surprise drop before the end of the year! But as things stand, let’s all take time to celebrate the incredible achievement of 12 in 12! The album and the physical act of it! Shoutout to you, P-Ro!
Sometimes, you listen to an artist and think to yourself, “ There is undoubtedly going to be a bigger picture, a larger impact not yet discovered or achieved, and you sit there patiently waiting for that said ascension to come.”
THIS IS THAT DAY. After many reviews, keeping a close eye, I find that this man has found his magnum opus, the perfect project for him to utilise his full capacity, and nothing has got me more excited! Let’s fucking go!
This is the brand-new album by MC’s Here$ Johnny & Rock One with WILDERNESS and Chief Rocks on the production, and across this 15-track album, this is (as far as I’m concerned) the PERFECT levels of intensity and cinematics for Johnny to go off on!
I’ve always felt that he’s sort of been the audio equivalent of a ‘rebel without a cause’, a man making dope music with intense energy and performance but never really channeling it anyway, specifically! Just a bundle of chaos going aimlessly track to track.
But THIS is where we see his skills and ability taken to new heights, and his aggressive approach pay off 10x fold, and I can’t get enough of it!
Across this tape, we hear him and Rocks One combine their skills and deliver some of the most compelling back-and-forth verses we’ve heard in a minute! For real, this sounds like some Red and Meth type shit (but infinitely more ruthless). These two men have the same ‘don’t give a fuck’ attitude and outspoken behaviour, and when they spit their bars, no one is safe.
Like the start of the tape where Johnny cusses out everyone and all the government officials around the world! That’s a statement of war and rebellion, and who better to take that shot than them?
I found their back-and-forth so fucking infectious. It’s like listening to a verbal riot! They use their unique MC skills to create a Hip Hop Mulisha that’s every bit as powerful and restless as you could ever hope for!
These two have such phenomenal chemistry and synchronicity that they feel like brothers sharing the same mind, and even if you’re not politically motivated or concerned, you’d be lying to yourself if you listen to this tape and feel nothing!
Of course, Here$ Johnny is dope enough as a solo MC, but to see him go off as part of a solid duo amplifies all his strengths and potential to incredible success and makes him stand out as a threat in the underground, one with possibly endless untapped opportunities that could take him higher than any glass ceiling! Super impressed with his work and Rocks!
As far as the production is concerned. Both WILDERNESS and Chief Rocks do a fantastic job at creating that destructive, violent, and dangerous atmosphere for the MC’s convictions to pair against!
I’m talking super dark and atmospheric, sharp production, surreal instrumentation, and an overall uneasy military cue vibe that never lets you feel safe throughout the whole listen!
This whole record sounds like an army marching through your town, those larger-than-life sounds, those grand horns! The use of the heavy bass, methodical drums, and strings.
You’ve got army snippets such as on the track ‘SEEN: Interlude’ where we hear an army general talking to another ranked officer about commands and obedience!
It’s just such a powerful addition to the record, that reinforces the whole ‘military’ concept as if you’re standing there on the edge of your city watching the soldiers marching through with nothing but uncertainty and fear as your companions.
It’s impossible for me to choose a favourite track because this album feels like a fluent score meant to be consumed and composed as one listen, not picked apart and broken. Sort of like a special, extremist hypno tape! Meant to break down, manipulate, and re make the mind of the listener! The modern-day MK ULTRA variant!
You honestly couldn’t find a better group of artists to create such a surreal project as these men. For what it is, it’s absolutely perfect. From the intense performances to the outrageous production. If you have any thoughts of sleeping on this, slap yourself and choose the CORRECT path! Listen below!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 