(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)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(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)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(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)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(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)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(The Black Album: Revisited)

Man, talking about taking a trip down memory lane. We are going all the way back to 2018, and on this special review, we are talking about one of my favourite rap albums by my favourite rapper of all time, ‘Jay-Z’, and his ‘Black Album’. 

An album that is engraved in the fabric of Hip Hop and changed the landscape as we know it today. But as fantastic as that album is, we have produced ‘BigGhostLtD’, a man who, to say it lightly, has created a new wave of standards and quality in this modern era with countless present-day classics that just can’t be matched. 

But on this day in 2018, he decided to take on a mammoth of a task and make a near-perfect album even more so! So let’s talk about it!

First of all, it seems like Big Ghost has brought a new level of ‘bombastic’ that wasn’t originally there. 

His level of unparalleled production and masterful attention to details is clear on this one. With tracks like ‘Encore’, for example, a track with the original having a dare, I say, ‘flat’, and not as exciting instrumentals in the album, especially after the refreshed Linkin Park X Jay Metal edition took over everyone’s attention regarding this song.

But Big Ghost adding slowed reverb beats with heightened bass and a more snappy drum pattern to finally make this track feel ‘alive’ compared to the original. Not to mention the classical instrumentation that runs through the song gives it that ‘theatrical’ flavour it didn’t have normally.

If I had to choose the most interesting spin on the album, it would have to be ‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder’, which arguably had the hardest beat on the original, but on this re imagined version, Big has added an almost 80’s ‘surf rock’ flavour to the track. Making this track feel like a montage song they might have used in an offshoot grease film or some movie with a beach scene with some wild teens. I’d have to sit on this one for a few days, but I can’t decide if I enjoy this beat over the original, but regardless, it’s fresh and definitely interesting!

On the flip side of things. The track 99 Problems, which to me (the original) always had a bit over-the-top chaotic energy to it as far as the production has. But on this one, Big Ghost gives it a more relaxed, smooth rendering with big guitar notes on loop and some kind of flute sound, but still, I think this version suits the song more!

The song ‘Lucifer,’ which again had one of the best beats on the whole tape with that pseudo-reggae atmosphere to it by Kanye West, but on this version, while maintaining the reggae theme, Big adds a more slower, deeper, rich production with a more ambient tone to the track, and I gotta say I fuck with it!

As far as a re imagining goes, this one is as legit as it gets. Such fresh, crisp, and versatile experimentations that I can’t help but respect the vision Big Ghost was trying to convey over this one, and I feel everyone should give it a listen at least once! 

https://bigghostlimited.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-album-revisited

(Donation link below)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(PEN LORDS 4)

When you talk about factions in the Hip Hop right now you’d be hard pressed to find any as consistent and fast paced then the infamous ‘Pen Lordz’ across their respective members they’ve dropped more albums collectively this year then possibly anyone else. Let’s talk about!

This is technically a record featuring producer Arsinel and rapper Fam Ross. But it may as well be an album by Pen Lord Audio Messiah as he’s featuring on almost every track. The only lord missing is Gold Matter but despite that his presence is felt in spirit and essence!

Right off the bat. From the intro track featuring Born King this one already feels larger than life. It feels serene, it feels sonically different than the rest of their projects so far. The production quality is theatrical and cinematic in execution. The use of classical instrumentation is absolutely breathtaking and it sets the scene for a most compelling and memorable listening experience.

I feel like on this project they are informing us that they are already at the finish line and they’ve set up chairs and tables of food and just letting the victory soak in. It’s not as grimy as the other albums, not as much ‘urgency’ in their sound as in previous and this is exactly the reason why. They are already out of the race and now any new project they release either as a collective or otherwise is just side missions at this point.

Now, onto the rapping as discussed above this time around it’s a more relaxed, smooth and easy verses then on projects previous. Between Fam Ross and the others you can hear their relief, confidence and embracing of the finish line and then proudness of the work they put into the game so far that they are just spitting what comes natural to them.

I love their mellow rhyme schemes, their deep and powerful wordplay and their mastery of penmanship. That goes for all the features on this project such as

-Born King

-Andrew Jackson

-Ramon Yancey

-King Adroit

All who help push this relaxed and peaceful narrative and it comes together to create one of the best atmospheric experiences on an album I’ve heard all year!

So, for all those who haven’t already heard a Pen lord album, then shame on you but this is a good place to start! If you’ve been keeping up to date then this could be their best release yet! 

https://open.spotify.com/album/5ASuBUwdoTTLCrT2pK1fxX?si=GNRaVcEzQymqfnkuszkTKg

(Lo Jack)

After an impressive first album release in ‘Word’ Hip Hop’s workhorse is back with another banger single! So let’s talk about it!

This time around he features legend ‘ethemadassasin’ and produced by ‘Junior Markno’ and I gotta say this single has a strong 90’s Boom Bap feel. This feels like a track you’d hear cats like Nas, Jay-Z, Wu Tang would rap on! 

It has a vibrant, raw and crisp drum pattern and sharp keys alongside a light vocal loop in the background that gives it that extra ‘spark’ to light up the instrumental and make it pop!

The structure of the rapping is having Ethemad starting first and Maze closing the track off and as anyone who isn’t living under a rock would know E killed it! His notorious flow, wordplay, energy and charisma are on full display on this track! He sets the tone for Maze to come in and absolutely slay!

Maze comes in strong with a perfectly fluent flow over his verse that made me shake my head in how crazy hard he went on this one. I was thinking to myself ‘Is it really not possible for him to ever take an L?’ And the way things are going it seems he’s immune to the idea because he always seems to get sharper and stronger with every new release! 

This is an exciting teaser of things to come! A dynamic duo that will make everyone in the culture happy! Check the single out now!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7ewTCgvAWIRWSDHsRM2a5w?si=0bo6PPGFTC2w67jaB0o-vA

(Donation Link)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(Unholy Scriptures)

When we talk about labels that have been on a roll these past few years, it’s hard to look past 100MAD and their various contributions to the industry, whether we are talking about the vast albums produced by Fredro Starr or the rise of this man right here and why his 2025 releases could be the big game changer that shakes up the culture.

So, this is the latest full-length album by rapper AYOO BIGZ with 13 tracks and a 36-minute run time. The features on this project are as follows:

-Shottie

-RJ Payne

-Daniel Son

-Fuego Gawdz

-Benny Watts

-Sayzee 

-Sticky Fingaz

-Spit Gems

-Fuego Base

-Pete Powerz

-Snotty

-Bubu The Prince

And I’ll tell you what, the first thing that came to mind when listening to this project was how it reminded me of a DMX album (but if the Christian symbolism was flipped), like how X would make these tough-as-fuck raw albums, then do prayers in the middle or end in this scenario, it’s a tough, uncompromising album but with AYOO using the ‘unholy’ identity instead. So that was my first thought on this record.

Across these tracks, you’ll hear some of the most raw, gritty, killer Boom Bap/East Coast bully rap you’ll hear all year, period. This is what it would sound like if Nems was just jumped and on a war path for revenge.

The sounds are deadly, the beats are heavy and cut-throat, and the whole album feels like the sonic equivalent of walking down a dangerous street at midnight. A feeling of tension and unease comes across the listener while listening to this menacing body of work.

As far as AYOO goes, he’s, of course, got the rugged and rough-around-the-edges persona unlike anyone I’ve ever heard. As I said, you take a Nems, piss them off. Insert DMX’s “ don’t give a fuck” attitude and then top it off with the cadence of Sticky Fingaz, and you get BIGZ. 

Absolutely terrifying delivery, crushing flow, and wordplay, and every sentence he drops remains felt minutes after the delivery, making this whole project feel like a fever dream that you won’t recover from hours after the fact.

With one of the strongest entourages of features you can get on a record, they help push and lift this record to even more sinister heights with their grimy aesthetics and cold-blooded verses.

 Honestly, this is probably the hardest album dropped so far. It’s ruthless, defiant, and downright brutal from start to finish, and anyone who is looking for that tough, bully rap won’t find it better than here! 

Shoutout to all the producers who had this happen such as

-NAR

-Nickel Plated

-J Slash

-ITRAK

-Fendi Pendergrass

-Lord Nexusz

https://open.spotify.com/album/3hZp8i3zb6ocw8whfx0aoL?si=2vvWdzNeRSKedrvPDWfxPg

(Donation Link)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(Thousand Yard Stare)

What an exciting day for the culture indeed! The last time I coveted this artist was his 2024 project ‘Strapped’ back then featuring Fredro Starr on the production, but now in his first album entry for the year, he’s accompanied by producer Body Bag Ben, a man who has done more than his fair share of grinding in the underground, and now they’ve come together for a dope record that could very well be considered for album of the year!

So, 10 tracks. 37 minutes of run time. Across this project, we have features from

-Red Inf

-Lukah 

-Royal Flush

-Vel Nine

And across this project, we see Body Bag present a Boom Bap experience that is unlike any other. Instead of relying on the same (dare I say exhausted) at this point clichés and trademark sounds, he’s utilising different sounds and instruments to create a more ‘engaging’ and ‘diverse’ soundscape for the listener. For example, the track ‘Stay Healthy’ where he uses what sounds like Spanish acoustic guitar as the base on the instrumental.

Or the track ‘Chosen’ which has what sounds like Asian-style notes plucked in the background to make the song sound ‘larger than life’ or ‘theatrical’ in execution.

Even the song ‘G Code’ with that harmonic/Folkish notes at the start which then dives into a switch-up with light, keys in a melodic arrangement.

My point being, although the skeleton of the album is Boom Bap and gritty in nature, the moving parts, outer layers, and personality of the record are all fresh, original, and creative in alignment.

In perfect synchronicity with these amazing beats, we have an equally amazing MC in UFO Fev. A man who has also spent years grinding and perfecting his art, craft, and skill on the mic until he arrived where he is now as one of the most sought-after rappers to work with.

His trademark raw energy, his passionate wordplay, and smart lyricism make him a force to be reckoned with, and this album is no exception as he shows all these qualities in spades. His flow is timeless across these beats, and his confidence cadence is infectious to hear.

Even amongst the dope handful of features across this project, he’s unfazed and maintains his professional skills and knowledge on the mic to remain solid across each of the 10 tracks!

Overall, a fantastic performance by the trio of MC, producer, and features! Definitely a strong contender for ‘Album Of The Year’

https://open.spotify.com/album/20ylt5WXvTILyDYRcBRRIo?si=2Pqh43M0Q0SDZeCdffbdjw

(Donation link)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU

(Music Up In Here)

I know it’s been a minute and a half since I last covered Taiaha’s music. But every time I revisit his albums, I forget just how magical his vibe is. He’s unlike any artist I’ve ever heard before or since. Whatever mana he carries with him into the studio is definitely one of a kind, and once again, I get the chance to cover his music, so let’s go!

This time around, he’s coming back with 6 new fire tracks! And although a shorter project than previous works, that same magic and traditional aesthetic is woven into every song!

From the very first song, you can hear those melodic vocals combined with that amazing tribal production that only he could pull off. As someone who was born in New Zealand, it sounds like I’m walking into a teleportation machine, and I’m back on the local streets of Auckland, hearing the everyday Māoris with their guitars in hand and vocals top-notch! It’s a feeling of home that, for some reason, no other artist can provide me outside of your classical ‘NZ Reggae playlists.’ Regardless, this is one of many reasons why I’m always excited for a new Taiaha release because he brings the spirit with him.

As the EP continues, you hear a variety of different vibes and sounds from: 

-NZ Reggae

-Soul

-Soft Rock

-Hip Hop

-RnB 

A lot of different sounds and inspirations, all brought by BVA and mixed and engineered by Dave Atkins, the legendary drummer of ‘Wolf Mother,’ who features his drums on tracks such as ‘Hot Forever.’ His influence on this project brings that extra piece to the puzzle to push this EP from amazing to phenomenal!

As far as Taiaha himself, he’s never lost a step. Whether he’s gone for 5 or 10 years, he’s going to sound immaculate on the tracks. He has unmatched energy, passion, resolve, and cadence. His soul can be felt in every bar he spits, and it goes through your headphones and to your heart. 

He’s not alone this time around with features from: 

-Brad Strut

-Shook

Who both kill the parts they are on and pair with him nicely! 

The Verdict? Another dope addition to the ever-growing fantastical discography by Taiaha. I’m going to make sure to push this as much as I can because he is an artist that’s special to me, and I guarantee if you give him a chance, you’ll feel it too!

https://taiaha.bandcamp.com/album/music-up-in-here

(Donation link)

https://www.paypal.me/Corbz94?locale.x=en_AU