Che Noir teams up with producer Big Ghost Ltd to give us a quick, but slamming new project. On the mic, Che Noir is talented and also personal with the perfect blend of the two. She bears her soul and also keeps it dope for the streets. You will hear features from Flee Lord, Planet Asia, Skyzoo, Ransom, and more. The production on here is pretty good as well. Big Ghost does a decent job on the boards by giving us subtle heat with some good instrumentation. The highlight on here is “Sleep paralysis” featuring Flee Lord & D-Styles. The pounding drums mixed with Flee Lord and Che Noir’s direct rhymes really showcase the best of this album.
Frost Gamble drops off a quick compilation EP with a good mix of artists on it. If you are familiar with the work of Frost Gamble, then you should already know that he is great on the boards and really provides us with a great landscape of music for artists to get busy on. On this project, you will hear features from Tone Chop, Jus One, Awful P, Sarah Lee, Stacey James, and more. I think with this project, you get a good mix of rap songs and even some vocal performances from some singers. It’s really a good showcase of Frost Gamble’s talents. This is a good effort and you can really hear the talent showcased rather nicely throughout the short project. We definitely look forward to more work from Frost Gamble in the future.
Hell Razah and Roadsart team up again for another project. I think some of the songs may be recycled from past projects, but nevertheless, it still sounds pretty decent. On the mic, Hell Razah spits those spiritual and biblical bars that we have all grown accustomed to. He has features from Deniro, Eloheem Team, and Oksajin. The production on this project is pretty dope overall. Roadsart gives us some hard drums and some soulful samples so that we can truly feel the music. All in all, these two artists bless us with another dope project.
Kxng Crooked aka Crooked I drops a quick EP in dedication of the love for California. On this project, he has 5 new songs and 1 spoken intro. As far as the bars go, you should already know how Crooked I operates. He has some of the best bars that you will today in rap music. He showcased that on every single song he has ever done. This new project is obviously no different. There are no features on here as there really isn’t much room to feature anyone. The production is okay and definitely has a slight West Coast slant to it. I wouldn’t have liked to hear Crooked over some more G-Funk type of records if he was going to call the project Dear California. All in all, it’s not his best project ever, but it’s always good to hear some Crooked I verses.
Slim Thug drops a quick new album with 9 new tracks for fans. Sugar Daddy Slim, as he calls himself for his alter ego, is definitely on the prowl on this latest offering. His smooth rhymes and his deep voice are directed right at the ladies to make him fall under his spell. There are no other features on here, so it is just Slim rhyming. The beats are also smooth with some clever samples to give them that right touch of funk. Slim Thug did a good job with this one and we always look forward to hearing new material from him.
Ty Farris returns with mind-bending bars on this fifth installment of his No Cosign Just Cocaine series. With the pen, it is hard to find a rapper more focused than Ty Farris. He has bar after bar and line after line that you will find yourself rewinding back to see what the hell he just said. It really is uncanny how great of an MC he is. Not that he even needs help, but you will hear features from Jae Skeese, Daniel Son, Pro Dillinger, and more. For production, he gets beats from a wide array of beat-smiths like Trox, Wino Willy, Bozack Morris, and more. Out of the whole series, I’m not quite sure these were the best beats out of the bunch, but they made do. All in all, this is a pretty solid album for Ty Farris. His rhymes stand out like a shining sun and definitely steal the show. The man has an incredible work ethic and it is really showing.
Troy Ave drops a measly 3 songs with this new EP. The track “Belly Of The Beast” has a super hard beat. I definitely wish that more Troy Ave songs were like this one because this is what made him shine in the first place. The other 2 tracks are pretty decent as well. The rhymes are sufficient and the production is pretty good as well. Why can’t more Troy Ave albums be like this one was? Let’s get longer projects of more quality songs and he might be cooking with something here.
G-Unit member Tony Yayo drops a brand-new album that is definitely for the streets. With the bars, Tony Yayo has never been afraid to “go there.” He will say some wild stuff that shows how desperate the streets can be. In a lot of his bars, he will make really dope and extreme depictions of what can happen living that gangster lifestyle. You will hear great features from Lloyd Banks and Nems and lackluster features from Pressa and TyDaG. The beats on this one are pretty decent overall. I don’t think you are really going to get anything super classic, but they get the job done. The highlight is “Rocket Chamber” with Lloyd Banks that is reminiscent of old school pairings of the G-Unit members and sounds really dope with great lyrics from both MCs. All in all, this was a decent offering from Tony Yayo. I think he has a lot of potential to make a really dope album and I hope he keeps blessing us with more.
Horse Shoe Gang is now down to a trio , but they are still spitting complex bars that will surely make your head spin. Upon listening to their rhymes, you definitely find yourself rewinding the track back to understand what they just said. This happens more than a few times. Even though this new project is pretty short at only 7 tracks, they waste no time in doing what they do best. You do get a feature from both Dice and Crooked I on the last track “Nice Me.” The beats on here are pretty standard. I think you get what you expect on the production side of things. All in all, this is a quick, but pretty dope project. It sucks that they are down to a trio, but it is always good to hear from the Horse Shoe Gang.
Planet Asia and company deliver a new album that is very versatile. There are a lot of different styles and sounds on here for fans to comb through. If you are familiar with Planet Asia, you already will know how great he is on the mic. It seems that he never runs out of bars and that is a good thing. On this project, you will hear from fellow co-conspirators K. Burns, Tristate, Montage One, YaH-Ra, and more. You really get a good overview of what a lot of the other rappers on the Gold Chain Music imprint sound like. The beats on here are pretty dope as well. There is a good mix of different sounding kinds of beats that fans will get on here. There are even some dope samples that heads will recognize. “Chain Way” has a fantastic old school sample and “Keep It Gold” has another familiar sample to listening ears. All in all, this was a pretty decent collaboration album. Gold Chain Music is keeping it rolling with some quality product.
Dom Pachino drops a brand-new album called Terrorist Shit! This one is pretty standard for him and definitely carries on in the Killarmy tradition. The most impressive part of this project is that it is completed 100% by himself with only one feature from Bugsy Da God. Pachino wrote, produced, recorded, mastered, and released this all by himself which is rare to find these days. As far as the rhymes go, these may not be the best rhymes you have ever heard, but if you are familiar with Killarmy, you will definitely appreciate his style. The production is decent throughout. He even intertwines some dope vocal samples and singing into some of the beats. All in all, this is a pretty good Dom Pachino record. If you are a fan of Killarmy, you will definitely be feeling this one.
Nejma Nefertiti teams up with producer Zenati to give us a dope new project that is hip hop to its core. There are 4 songs and 5 interludes alternating between producer and rapper. On the mic, Nejma Nefertiti is as dope as they come. Her bars are great and her flow is even better. She is a surgeon on the mic and deserves to be known to the masses. Zenati does a great job at providing the soundscape for Nejma to do her thing over. There are dope beats for the rhymes and more musical sessions for the interludes. All in all this was a dope project. I would have liked it to be longer so we could get a full-length album to hear more greatness.
Crimeapple drops a dope new project with 9 tracks that showcases his signature Spanglish style. He is always flipping words all over the place to show us how great he is and how he is better than his competition. He really is one of the masters of the braggadocio style in hip hop. He has features from RLX and BoriRock on “Together.” The production on this project is pretty dope overall. There are a lot of dope samples and some good instrumentation. The drums are a bit light, but it still sounds dope. Overall, this was a pretty decent Crimeapple project. It might not be hist best, but this is quality product.
Outerspace drop a super quick new EP with 4 new songs. The Philly rap duo do a great job with the bars and the beats. On the mic, both Planetary and Crypt do a nice job with the lyrics and their respective flows are dope as well. They have been in the game for a long time so they are definitely seasoned veterans. The beats are street and rugged. Fans of boom bap will definitely appreciate the sound to this one. All in all, they did a great job with this offering.
Fashawn and Marc Spano release a new EP that flies by pretty quickly. There are 4 tracks on here and the corresponding 4 instrumental versions of the songs as well. On the mic, Fashawn brings those fresh Fresno rhymes. His flow is fantastic and his wordplay is tight as usual. There are no features on this project. The beats by Marc Spano are pretty dope. He relies heavy on some fresh drum kicks to provide a pretty hip-hop feel. All in all, this was a quick look at the work that they two can create together. It would be dope to get a full length release some day.
This is a 3 track EP from rapper Tha God Fahim and Griselda producer Camoflauge Monk. It is super short and to the point. The rhymes are pretty decent overall and the tracks have a good feel to them. If you know Fahim, then you know they types of rhymes and flows that you can expect on here. There is one feature from Estee Nack. The production is decent of a basic Griselda level. Their producers have always been pretty good so this one isn’t really too different. Camoflauge Monk is at least hitting for par with the beats. All in all, it was decent, but probably should have been a full length project instead of an EP.
Crimeapple drops a quick new EP called Kilometros. This one is quick and dirty. This is Crimeapple doing what he does best. His bars are dope and his flow is great. He is able to spit his signature Spanglish flows and show whack MCs just how whack they really are with his bravado. He has 1 feature on this project from Juga-Naut. The production on this project is kind of laid-back, but it also fits the style that he is giving us. The beats are well selected. You won’t really get that hard boom bap, but at the same time, you don’t need it with a project like this. This is a nother great brick on the wall of the house that Crimeapple is building.
J Stone teams up with DJ Drama to give us another great look into his life and times. On the mic, J Stone is dope. One of his best attributes is his consistency. Song after song, he is delivering an unwavering level of quality that doesn’t let up. His bars are real and showcases what life is like on the West Coast. On this album he has features from Juicy J, Daz Dillinger, Currensy, Chevy Woods, Stalley, and more. The production on this album is pretty strong overall as well. It definitely has a West Coast slant to it and sounds like it would be great to ride to in your car. All in all, J Stone does a great job with constructing great songs and shows us that with the lessons learned from Nipsey, that he will be here for a long time to come.
Two talented MCs teamed up for this interesting collaboration. Son of Peter Gunz, Cory Gunz, and DITC affiliate David Bars are both dope lyricists that trade verses back and forth on this latest offering. Both of them do a great job with the wordplay and the flow as well. Their respective flows seem to be their strong suits and they both showcase that rather well. Cory Gunz has more of a faster delivery, while David Bars focuses more on wordplay. There are no features on this project, but at the same time, they didn’t really need help from anyone. The production on here is pretty standard. It almost has more of an older feeling to it as if it was dated back in the 80s or 90s. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it has a vintage feel to the music. All in all, this is not a bad effort at all from Cory Gunz and David Bars.
Nejma Nefertiti hits us with another dope album in the form of Letters From The Akashic. On the mic, she is everything. She sounds old school, but still fresh to death for today. Her rhymes are strong and forceful. She has great bars that are penned expertly. Her flow is flawless. She has features on this album from Napoleon Da Legend, Daphya, and Makeba Mooncycle. The beats on this album are straight hip-hop and complement her style pretty well. All in all, this is a sold hip-hop album and anyone looking for something new and fresh to get into should definitely check out Nejma Nefertiti.
JR Writer from the almighty Diplomats crew drops a brand new album that is pretty dope on the lyrical tip. Writer does sound a little aged on this record, but he is still spitting tight rhymes just as he always did. Once an MC has a certain level of talent, they don’t really lose that. This might not be his best record ever, but he still has the potential in him. You will hear guest features from Jadakiss, Dave East, 38 Spesh, and Fred Money. The production on here is a bit weaker than the classic Diplomat sound, but it sounds sort of reminiscent to the beats that Writer would normally select. It’s like he was trying to get “there,” but just didn’t quite get “there.” I don’t think he got the best that he could have gotten, but they are at least hitting for par. All in all, this is a pretty standard JR Writer album. It is always great to hear from the legend. We just wanted to see more from him as we move into 2023.
The Alchemist drops off a new collaborative album featuring a dope lineup of some great rappers. As far as the beats go, you should already know that Alchemist is a legend in this game. His eerie, off-center, but poignantly dope beats permeate the underground constantly. As far as the bars on here, you will hear from Westside Gunn, Conway, Meyhem Lauren, Action Bronson, Styles P, Roc Marciano, Black thought, and more. This is a quick, but solid project with some great verses on here. The highlight is probably “Big Syke” with Meyhem Lauren and Boldy James. Both MCs drop off their respective verses over a beat with a soulful and dope vocal sample. All in all, this is a quick journey, but a dope journey. Take it with the Alchemist providing the soundtrack.
Kurupt and C-Mob join forces as the group Gotti Mob for this latest project. I had never heard of C-Mob before but I had most definitely heard of Kurupt. You’d have to be living under a rock to never hear of the West Coast legend Kurupt. He does a great job and definitely shines on this album. C-Mob does a decent job as well. He has some bars and some good punchlines. His delivery might need a little bit of work. Enunciating every single word can get a bit bothersome to the ears, but all in all, C-Mob did a good job. They get some features from some West Coast legends like Snoop Dogg, Too Short, KXNG Crooked, Spice 1, MC Eiht, and more. The production side absolutely has a West Coast slant to it and sounds great. It’s nice to get a classic sounding West Coast album every so often. They definitely stay true to the classic sound. All in all, this was a decent album in which both parties did a great job with putting it together. We’ll definitely want to see more from this duo in the future.
The long-awaited full-length album from 4 of the biggest West Coast veterans to ever do it finally arrives. To have Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40, and Too Short all on one album seems like it would be the best thing since sliced bread. While this was a dope album, it didn’t hit the upper layers of the stratosphere that one would think it would. On paper, this looks like it should be an easy knock right out of the park. On the mic, all of the MCs are dope and they all do their thing respectively. I don’t think we heard as much from Too Short as the others, but he definitely has a presence on there. The album definitely has a West Coast slant to it as far as the beats go. I’d almost say that most of these beats sound like they would belong more to E-40 than anyone else. It almost has that Bay Area vibe to it more than anything else. I think the main thing missing from this album is the lack of a standout single or 2. Sure, all of the songs are good, and it plays through rather well, but where is the standout hit single on the radio? All of these MCs have had hit singles before, but for some reason, couldn’t combine to form Voltron on this one. Maybe it was too much talent trying to be crammed together at once? It’s hard to say. All in all, this is a dope album and definitely worth a listen. I just thought it would have a killer hit single or 2.
Ty Farris unleashes another barrage of bars to spin our heads right around in circles. There is no question that Ty Farris is one of the best MCs out today. You can just hear the focus and the work ethic that goes into creating his rhymes. He works hard and it truly shows through when you listen to his bars. The only thing that I think needs a little work is the hooks on some tracks. It’s a very minor criticism in the grand scheme of things. I’d like to hear him get some vocalists to do some hooks here and there instead of just 4 bar hooks all the time. The beats on this album are pretty dope as well. You get a good mix of some clever samples with some upbeat and some laid-back style tracks. As always, a Ty Farris album is a lesson in top tier lyricism. He will never disappoint there. Get on board now!
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