(The Greater Good)

I swear, you could check in with Machacha every week and he’d be releasing something epic. He’s dropped about 20 classic albums at this point and he ain’t done yet! This record shines just as bright as his other classics! Let’s talk about it! 

So, this is the 2024 collaboration project between MC Apollo and Machacha. Featuring the likes of: 

-Supreme Cerebral 

-Kahlee 

-Tone Spliff

-Sean Links

-Miskeen Halem 

-Wild Pigeon

-Jamil Honesty

And with this powerhouse list of artists assisting this record, it was impossible to fail. Starting with Machacha, the man who doesn’t know the definition of an L. We have his trademark skeletal and ambient immersive production style that makes each song feel cinematic in its own right. 

You could use any song as an example, but let’s talk about three to hammer the point of his brilliance! 

The track ‘Coup De Gras’ with those powerful guitar strings over that simplistic yet perfectly crafted boom Bap beat on repeat. The combination of just these two elements makes for a soundscape for Apollo to go off on!

The track ‘HALLEJUAH’, we see him embracing his more muddy side with those heavy piano keys that are so in your face that you can feel the keys right next to you! Combined with that thick bass lines and skeletal beat, you have a combination so gritty and raw that it only makes sense to have the likes of Supreme Cerebral come in and destroy the track!

Even the track ‘THE MEASURE’, which features a tone shift with a much lighter piano key execution with this subtle yet beautiful vocal sample across a traditional hip hop beat. Sounds like something early 2000’s Kanye would have made! It’s pure, uplifting, and smooth to listen to!

When it comes to Machacha, you can never keep him in a box. He’s proficient in every sound you can think of and then some. He could release 52 albums a year, and each album would sound different than the last! If it ain’t obvious by now, he ain’t one to sleep on!

Onto the rap powerhouse himself, Apollo. The man tasked with working over these magnificent songs, and he does a fucking good job doing so! I noticed while listening to this record his extraordinary enthusiasm and passion for the game! You can hear it in the way he crafts his bars, his witty and clever puns and one-liners, his sharp lyricism, and his top-tier pen game that rivals any of the best in the industry!

He has this infectious energy and love for the craft that his tone and studio cadence is a man who is competitive for the top spot and a student of the environment, constantly sharpening his skills and pen until he’s one of the best out!

As stated, he doesn’t come along and work alongside some pure killers in the culture, but he has no problem not only holding his own but also showcasing his talents as an equally skilled player alongside these names, proving his worth! 

This album is absolutely fantastic from start to finish. My only regret is that I didn’t cover it sooner! Check it the fuck out!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4RhKYxUzqkEsoyZqDF2lwN?si=kWWNWOTGTveOYRBiNgySWA

(More Like 10 Days)

It’s often said that an album with many names attached to it can come across as bloated. As the phrase goes, ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’, but if done under the right circumstances, these kinds of albums could be ‘iconic’, and that’s exactly what we have here. Let’s talk about it!

So, this is the latest album by Party G The Humble, which features one of the largest rosters of the year! Including MC’s like: 

-The Musalini 

-El Camino

-Feugo Base

-Flames Dot Malik

-Pretty Rick Hyde

-Chyna Baejing

-Willie Mays Blaze

-ellzzz

-blest poet

-Absolute 1981

-Fatboidash 

And on the production side, we have:

-V Don Soundz

-Che Noir

-Pretty Rick Hyde

-Rewind Presidential

-Project Porter

-Remy Fisher

This is an absolutely gargantuan project with the realest names on the mic and on the beats. The first thing that’s noticeable about this record is the level of chemistry and synchronicity with all the rappers involved! Each man and woman on this project brings that fire and burning spirit that brings the absolute best of them on this album. I’m talking savage verses, lethal lyricism, a combination of witty and tough street puns and one-liners that come together for a rap compilation that sounds smooth, fluent, and effortless!

I can hear the competitive edge in the air on this one, each artist trying to outdo the other. Trying to make sure that their verses reign supreme on the song, and it’s that energy that makes these types of albums shine.

If you ain’t competitive, then you ain’t really hungry for it. It doesn’t have to be in a violent or in a hating spirit but just the natural feel of ‘He/She thinks they can out-rap me? Alright, bet watch me do my shit’ type mentality, which makes the most famous feature songs/albums shine!

As far as the production goes, with so many names on the beat, it’s surprising to me that it all comes together for some fluent, polished, and crisp instrumentals that not only represent original personality but also a mutual sense of what the album’s ’atmosphere’ needs and works accordingly.

At its core, I’d describe this record as an extravagant Boom Bap project with elevated sounds and samples. You can hear those luscious chords, those melodic vocal loops, the strings and notes that come together gorgeously and yet maintain a level of edge and nerve that represents its ‘raw/hardcore’ influence that makes this the perfect album to have both types of vibes. 

It knows how to be elegant and beautiful and harsh, in your face, and goes back and forth between these opposites to give the listener a sense of diversity and also showcase how the different producers can execute their various styles and flavours on the track!

Overall, for such a massive album, this thing goes HARD. Quality production mixed with equally stunning performances on the mic! Definitely worth checking out!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4uYdZQKCkLPNsBoNv6Rrsb?si=8y4iK6PHT2CBppVqetg95w

(Vyllans For Hire)

The first introduction to the WCU! Such a dope idea and something I’m infinitely more invested in than the current DCU (Fuck James Gunn, SynderVerse forever), so consider this the number one universe to pay attention to, and with a banger like this, it’s the strongest introduction you can ask for!

So, this is the latest single by heavyweight producer Wulverine, and this time he ain’t alone because he’s brought with him MC’s Heartbreak Julio and Con$piracy, and this trio breaks more than the 4th wall with this one!

Wulverine introduces a beat so sharp and powerful you’d swear Dr Doom is around the corner, those creepy organ keys subtlety looping in the background over that traditional/skeletal hip hop beat that comes together stronger than the Avengers and hits harder than Guy Gardner with the Rage lantern!

No surprise this beat shredded ears like Logan and creates a stronger hypnotic trance than Jean Grey on a bad day! Best to say I ain’t talking Storm when I say the lightning is coming, better step back!

As for the two MC’s coming together like Daredevil and Punisher ready to kick ass and take no names! Love their aggressive attitude and approach to the mic, their lethal lyricism and fluent flow so smooth it would make Black Panther lose rhythm! 

Their chemistry is stronger than Batman and Robin, but they ain’t on that timid shit, they’ll show you the Red Hood and blast your shit away with their intricate bars and dope verses! 

BOOM! SPLAT! SMASH! BLAM! Is all you’ll ever hear if you try to step to these two. Only this time it won’t be an onomatopoeia you’ll be hearing, just straight hands for trying to fuck with two of the dopest street tier players you’ll ever hear on a mic!

Is it a bird? A plane? Nah, it’s just Wulverine dropping that dope beat with the two underground Avengers saving the culture one verse at a time! 

https://open.spotify.com/track/6g472Zd7BdyZJhRX8F1nXH?si=FhOTGj2IRym_OT43ON5Snw

(Wulvermania III)

This new album consists of three of my favourite things rolled into one medium:

-Comics

-Wrestling

-Hip Hop

When you combine that trio, you get the recipe for perfection, and I’m standing on that hill that this will be the best instrumental record of 2025.

So, brand-new beat tape by underground sensation ‘Wulverine’, someone who since I discovered his work several months ago, has only continued to impress me more and more with each new collaboration he does, and now with this, he outdoes himself yet again. 

Eleven tracks, thirty minutes, and it consists of all the things listed above in intros, outros, and placed throughout the songs. The album cover is beyond sick, and the music itself even more so! 

He’s able to combine the elements of: 

-Classical

-Hip Hop

-Ambient

-Soul

-Swing

-Jazz 

And the way he’s able to utilise and manipulate each genre and emphasise one or two sounds at a time per track to really capture the pure essence and feel of the instruments and the role they play is just surreal.

He makes every chord, every Lucius string, and beautifully crafted note pop brighter and more cinematic than 95% of the artists out there can. When listening to this album, even if it’s only a beat tape, it sounds high-end, masterfully executed, and each instrument is elevated to such glorious heights that it almost sounds as if a team of twenty musicians helped make this record come to life instead of just one man! 

I also LOVE the frequent use of wrestling samples and snippets. It might be such a small thing (or not someone’s cup of tea at all), but to me, it just brings this album to a whole new dimension than without it! It’s done so frequently yet so subtly where the audience gets to hear a little something to peak their fanboy vibes of wrestling, which would spike the adrenaline and then follow up with a dope instrumental track.

This is the sonic equivalent of giving someone an energy drink or shot of caffeine before introducing them to a skatepark or adventure park. You’ve already got the energy inside you, and on top of that, you get given a reward? I can’t believe more producers don’t incorporate this smart strategy that is obviously targeted at a certain demographic of people who would definitely fuck with this style of record! 

Once again (this time without even the use of vocals), Wulverine has proven why he’s one of the most gifted and talented producers the underground has right now. He’s consistent, quality-driven, and smart enough to target a certain audience! This album is absolutely incredible from front to back! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/70l3hMauhkPdRkN0m2peeb?si=Vx1MCI-0SdiCGfT0RfgeUg

(Rare Air)

It’s always a great moment to discover new artists, and today is one of those days! So, without much more, let’s get to it!

So, this is the new single by MC Noware Fast called ‘Rare Air’, which was produced and written all by himself! Gotta respect that. Featuring a short and brisk one-minute and fifty-seconds of content.

Right off the bat, when it comes to the production, you can hear those beautifully plucked strings used for the loop combined with those delicate/subtle synth notes with that skeletal/raw hip-hop beat that all comes together to create this dreamy and elegant art-hop beat that forces your body to relax and your mind to wonder!

This is the kind of instrumental you’d put on after a stressful day and lay back, smoke a fat one, and let the refined melodies take you away to a place more peaceful!

I also love how towards the end of the song, it just rides off with this gorgeous singing sample to end with no rapping, just pure soul atmosphere. The perfect way to close the track off!

As far as the rapper goes, I’d definitely say he has a unique style that’s exclusive to himself. His flow and delivery feel very free-form. It doesn’t sound like a normal structured layout of bars but more him just introspectively thinking out loud. His tone provides a strong sense of reminiscing and as if he’s just thinking back on his life while in a booth, opposed to having something pre-planned.

His lyricism is personal and direct, and his pen game is deep, visual, and creative as he’s trying to convert the listener to the various times and places he’s recalled in his memory. 

For such a short song, there’s a lot here to dissect, from the smooth production to the original rap style, this track stands out for all the right reasons and can’t wait to see what he does next!

https://youtu.be/mNXGQ94EzeQ?si=UdTcKI9VmGCvpu8_

(ELEPHANT TUSK)

A brand new single alert by the notorious Penlordz, who haven’t taken a break in their career yet. They are either dropping music or working and promoting upcoming music; there’s never an in-between. And with one of the hottest producers out right now, this was guaranteed to be a lyrical banger! Let’s talk about it!

So, Penlordz Fam, Ross, Audio Messiah, and Arsinel are back collaborating on the fresh new track being produced by 6th Man’s Shade Cobain for this 3-minute and 38-second nonstop heat!

When we talk about the production, it starts off with these sharp, loud chords that pierce through the listener’s headphones and make an immediate impact. From there, we get this methodically paced combination of plucked strings and a subtle boom bap beat that brings all these elements together in such an amplified way that it actually does sound like what a threat or an elephant stampede would sound like in sonic terms.

I love how raw, unconventional, and tribal this beat sounds. From the national instrumentation to the atmospheric tones and aura surrounding the production, it’s definitely a standout beat, one that could only be crafted by a studio general of the 6th Man collective!

Now, onto the Penlordz. I’m not joking when I say you could throw rocks into a river and make them skip, and they could utilise that as a beat and rap their asses off across that sound.

Let alone when you put them in front of an instrumental or this magnitude, they are bound to destroy, and that’s exactly what they do.

It’s hard to criticise these guys as three separate people because they move, act, and come as one. So when I talk about Penlordz (unless it doesn’t feature the rest), then I’m talking on behalf of all three because they have god-tier chemistry and synchronicity; they know what the other is thinking and share the same passion, enthusiasm, and experience across the track in their respective verses!

There’s never a weak link among them. Each raps superbly with killer one-liners, sharp delivery, and lethal wordplay to rival anyone in the game going! 

They’ve crossed the finish line ten times over this year, and they’ve just gotten started. Beware of the Penlordz and their sonic elephant tusks because they will penetrate and obliterate all in their path, and teaming up with sixth man, hopefully, one of many collaborations in the future!

https://open.spotify.com/track/3u72Qgd038t2BgGPQngKVu?si=t_hM5LUlRCuPaqdONc20nA

(LAMBS)

We got a legend in the house! A man who has spent over three decades in this shit producing some of your favourite albums of all time, and now he’s back to re claim his position as OG Kingpin of this rap game! Let’s go!

So, this is the latest album by The Legendary Traxster, and on this one, he’s the MC and the producer! And with only Tia London as a feature, he’s claiming all 14 songs and the credit for himself, proving to everyone why he’s the top dog around here!

Starting with the production, the aspect that everyone knows will be flawless from his decades of experience. Whether that be from Twista or Do Or Die or any of the other powerhouses he’s worked alongside! And on this record, we hear Traxster bring his prime-level quality and consistency to the beats unlike anyone else can.

Across this album, we have a combination of classical, groovy, and old-school hip hop that comes together in the most perfect mix you could ask for!

The way he’s able to utilise vocal samples and those soulful, smooth, and orchestral sounds and elements is truly extraordinary. There’s no break or flaw in his composition or mix, and mastering it just all flows so effortlessly and beautifully that it definitely outshines 95% of the music coming out this year!

On every single track, you can hear the instruments pop. You can hear the masterful technique and exquisite atmosphere created when he’s done amplifying the score and creating a hip-hop soundtrack that is cinema-level. The heavy bass lines, the delicate piano keys, and those gorgeous notes— it’s all paired with the utmost love and respect for the game that only a goat in the industry could pull off! Can’t praise this production enough! 

Now, onto the MC side of things. Just as legendary as his production, so goes his rapping. He’s putting all MC’s on notice by showing them how the job should be done!

When he’s on the mic, he comes through with the methodical pace and approach where every word and sentence can be felt, and every breath matters to the overall story of the song! There’s never a wasted moment when he’s spitting bars. 

He has a deep and powerful tone, accompanied by a precise flow and killer lyricism that provides a conceptual effort across the whole album, with every song telling its own short stories and making you feel like you’re there in person in every scenario he’s talking about.

The fact he didn’t incorporate any features just makes this record stand out even further as a showcase of how a true artist handles and operates across a project! He’s already one of the greatest producers of all time; he’s here to steal the rappers’ day job too!

As expected, a fantastic album front to back. No skips, no filler, no bullshit. Just 32 minutes of heat! You definitely have to check it out! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4EBkbSQa07zjIzLGYxCvcL?si=VROcQcXeSz2VGqVhroxNgw

(Blood On Earth)

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a thousand times over. When it comes to music, language isn’t a barrier that matters as long as the energy, spirit, and passion are there, and this latest record has all three in spades! Paired with one of the best producers going right now, you’ve got yourself a recipe for greatness! Let’s talk about it!

So, this is the latest project fully produced by Superior and features Sirio and N.A43. Is the eye as they come together for a 10-track, 32-minute experience with only four guest verses from the likes of

-ILL ONE

-SD Kong

-Franco Carter

-Varoner

And as stated about whether the record was in English or, in this case, Spanish, it’s the spirit of the album that counts!

Starting with the production. We See Superior showcase his ‘Superior’ skills behind the beats by bringing to life a handful of skeletal, ambient, raw, and absolutely cinematic scores that bring every instrument and sample to life in a way only he can! 

Across the tracks, you can hear the use of angelic vocal loops, crisp and polished sounds such as grand strings, delicate and beautiful keys, intricate acoustic notes, and more. From what I can hear, his formula is to focus on a few key sonic elements per song and amplify them to such a theatrical level that you can’t help but admire its awe-inspiring and grandiose standing across each track.

When a producer (especially one of this calibre) decides to apply the ‘less is more’ approach and really build on the few key instruments they imported from song to song, it has this magical effect of proving an almost ‘dreamlike’ state where the music pops out and goes throughout your whole body and soul unlike anything else can!

The best I can think of right now is Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’, how the stripped-back production and instrumentation caused an amplification in aura and atmosphere! The same applies here. With more room for an intimate connection to the music, you get a more personal connection, and I absolutely love it!

Now, onto the MC’s at work. While I can’t understand what they are saying, that doesn’t matter in the slightest as the vibe and incredible performance and energy they are giving off and chemistry is on a next level!

You can hear the absolute resolve and the unwavering enthusiasm and passion that every verse sounds like scripture on the beat. The flow was smooth, the rhythm was on point, and the bars, although in Spanish, sounded savage, lethal, and on point across the instrumentals!

The back and forth between the two MC’s was undeniably beautiful in motion, fluency, and precision! No awkward moments or transitions between the two, and the level of intensity and conviction they provided on the songs was clear and powerful!

I do love how the three features did amplify the songs they were on and weren’t there just for feature sake! They were explosive, confident, and sounded dope on the tracks!

Overall, I love this. I loved the intimate atmosphere of the record, I loved the combination of the trio on this album and the features! Definitely an album you can’t miss!

https://open.spotify.com/album/5p2yZLPr9snbzF7QQ2NyYy?si=bq9VV94xQ22isegkfq7_2Q

(Missing No Meals)

As I was scrolling through Spotify mindlessly, shopping through the endless options to listen to, I found this. A project by two of my favourites in the underground! I knew I had to give it some press, so let’s talk about it!

This is the 2024 release by MC Primo Jab and Producer Chuck Chan. Both men have released some of the most captivating albums of the last few years, and together with no features, they decided it was time to bring together the ultimate supergroup. So let’s get it!

Across these six tracks and 19 minutes of content, we have an album that’s focused on food! And I love it. Every song in one way or another mentions food, and as someone who is more passionate about food over everything (besides music), that made this a favourite of mine already. Plus, having Primo Jab on the cut, rapping and incorporating different bars and witty puns about food and double entendres and the whole nine yards!

He’s already proven how gifted he is with his pen game and original style and lyricism (as was further demonstrated this year with What Do Sounds Smell Like?) but the fact that he had to make sure he referenced ‘eating’ or ‘food’ or write a specific bar where food is used in a clever parable or analogy, man, that shit got me so hyped!

Maybe I’m on my own on this, but I fucking LOVE when artists are tasked with doing creative or conceptual shit like this. Where a specific topic is the main focus, and they work around it, it’s a dope process. I wish more artists would try, and the fact someone as naturally gifted as Primo Jab was doing it was even more satisfying!

Of course, he ain’t alone because he’s got the legendary Chuck Chan on his side, and across these six tracks, we hear him create various examples of skeletal and ambient/atmospheric sonic experiences that only he could pull off. The pattern I discovered was that he’d latch onto a few key instruments and polish/master them until they shine bright enough to carry the production! For example, track two, ‘Raw Cuisine’, where it features that methodical bass notes combined with that choir-style female harmony vocal loop, which, paired with that minimalism beat, creates something phenomenal!

Or track three, ‘Gourmet Pain’, which has what sounds like subtle horn or jazz chords that are playing on an infectious loop that takes over the track and gives it that ‘out-of-this-world’ vibe to it.

I love Chuck’s formula on this record; he’s taking advantage of the ‘less is more’ approach and making gold out of it!

To me, you can’t beat this combination. Two men in the prime of their careers coming together for a conceptual EP? You can’t fucking beat it. Check it out ASAP!

https://open.spotify.com/album/71ff2gw7tNGJX8Nhm6DqLz?si=9HGXLN0GTnSPJQkHK73XZw

(FLU FOG EP)

Man, I’ll tell you this. Based on the interesting artwork and title, I wasn’t expecting the sound to be like this! Let’s fucking talk about it!

So, this is the latest collaboration EP between Jezus Borgia and producer Mike Martinez (who is one half of the Jezus duo), and together they dropped five tracks with 15 minutes and the likes of 

-Empress Kirsten

-Big Dese to help on the project, and man, first and foremost, this was a lot of fun to listen to!

These five tracks just have a lively, colourful, and engaging atmosphere to it that I can’t really put my finger on. It’s like Mike is having the time of his life with his friend who he gets to rap alongside, and I feel that’s what is causing the surreal and original production that feels organic. 

Each song feels crisp, smooth, raw, and just authentic. There are so many elements, like on the first and second-to-last track, the utilisation of the female vocals was absolutely divine!

How on the final track you have this groovy and infectious hip-hop beat that forces you to move your body and groove! Fuck it, I have no shame to admit it, if the beat is good enough, I’ll dance to that shit! Those ‘fun and cool’ beats like back in the ‘Kool & The Gang’ era or ‘Fresh Prince’ or ‘A Tribe Called Quest’, those kinds of beats with soul and spirit and harmony! You just don’t get much of those these days, so I’m glad they decided to go off with a special bang!

As I said in the intro, this album really doesn’t sound how it looks. I was honestly expecting super muddy, rough around the edges, and lethal-type deliveries, but not at all. Don’t get me wrong, this duo absolutely KILLS the beats and provides some of the best bar work I’ve heard all year, but it’s very passionate and enthusiastic work. It sounds like these two men are just having fun, trying to outdo one another, and enjoying the five tracks they have together!

Again, this level of ‘collaboration’ is rare. It’s always about sounding the most tough or menacing in the tracks, and although I’m entertained by this method as much as the next guy, I can’t help but appreciate that two good friends are here to show off their lyrical strengths and have a blast doing it!

Especially on the last track, ‘Good Vibes Only’, is the perfect example of this. As the track implies, it’s nothing but positively enforced dope bars by two of the most skilled in the game right now. Maybe this is so shocking for me to believe since Mike produced only two to three weeks ago one of the coldest and chilling albums I’ve ever heard for ‘G Fam Black’, so to hear him vibe so effortlessly is wild to me, but it’s a side of him I love!

Long story short, this is one of the most catchiest and thrilling EP’s I’ve heard all year. The chemistry is perfect, and that production is fun, enjoyable, and crafted to excellence! You can’t afford to miss this one!

https://open.spotify.com/album/5VtjvaVGOULntVlRtsilSZ?si=Q4H2z_H9TbGSxkhv-qi-xw