MACKLEMORE – BEN

Macklemore drops a brand new album after a pretty long hiatus. This one is a bit of a mixed bag. You have some songs that are straight up hip hop and other songs that just don’t seem to fit in. There are times on the album where you take him seriously as a rapper and other times you don’t. Songs like “Heroes” which is produced by DJ Premier sound great because that’s what happens when you get the greatest producer of all times. “I Need” and “Lost” are great social commentary songs by taking a look at what we think we need in society and what we think is important to us as a whole. They are rather introspective songs. “Faithful” and “Tears” are deeply personal songs where Macklemore discusses addictions and troubles relating to those. All in all, it’s not really a bad album, but it’s not really great either. This is one of those albums that seems important, but you probably won’t find a ton of people replaying it.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#macklemore #ben

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NEW VILLAIN & TRUECIPHER – BANKAI

New Villain teams up with producer TrueCipher to give us a super quick new EP that is dope overall. There are only 5 tracks on here plus an intro and outro. On the mic, New Villain’s flow is great. I think that is definitely his strong suit and that is what is going to appeal to most. The content on this one might be a little too out there, possibly for only the Anime community, and most might not be able to understand. He does have features from Sphere47, Saint Francis MH, and El-Nuri. The production on here is pretty good. He definitely always selects some interesting, but slapping beats to rhyme over. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, New Villain is definitely one on the rise and an MC to look out for.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#newvillain #newvillain_1 #truecipher #bankai

WILLIE THE KID & V DON – BLUE NOTES 2

Willie The Kid teams up with producer V Don to give us another dope trek through their partnership. Although a relatively quick album, it plays through rather well. On the mic, Willie is all business and shows you how elegant and exquisite his rhymes are. You will hear features from Ransom, Flee Lord, Ankhlejohn, and a few others. The beats are decent and play through rather well given the vocals. I’d say the 2 match up rather well and it’s a good listening experience. Although it’s quick, it’s a decent listen and another brick on the house that Willie The Kid built.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#williethekid #thewilliethekid #vdon #v-don #vdonsoundz #theopiate #bluenotes2 #bn2 #bluenotes

STYLES P – PENULTIMATE: A CALM WOLF IS STILL A WOLF

Styles P comes through with what may seemingly be one of his last albums as he recently announced his retirement from rap. We’ve seen this play many times before so it’s possible this may not be the case, but who knows? Styles has more than paid his dues on his own and with the LOX so he deserves all the best. He is always the “hardest out” and he continues that same tradition on this latest offering. His bars are hard and forceful as we are all used to. He only has features from Bucky and Brady Watt. The production on here is pretty average for today’s sound. There really isn’t anything whack as far as the beats go, but there isn’t anything with a ton of replay value either. It’s pretty middle of the road for the production. All in all, it’s probably not the best send-off for Styles P, but despite that, he is still a legend and still able to give us hard bars all the time.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#stylesp #styles #therealstylesp #ghost #phantom #thelox #lox #yonkers #penultimate #acalmwolfisstillawolf #acwisaw

ALI VEGAS & WILL SULLY – JOHN GOTTI MUSIC

Ali Vegas and Will Sully team up to give us a super quick 5 track EP. Both MCs are pretty decent with their respective bars. I think Ali Vegas may edge out Will Sully just based on his flow since it is tighter. These might not be the best bars ever, but they get the job done. There’s not really anything whack as far as the bars go. There are no features on here, as there is not much room for that. The beats on here are decent as well. It is a pretty middle of the road project. “The Gathering” is probably their most radio-friendly, single type track. All in all, not a bad job by the MCs, but there is always room for improvement.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#alivegas #queens #willsully #johngottimusic #jgm

HUS KINGPIN – A POEM IN TEN BOOKS

Hus Kingpin drops a new project that plays through pretty quickly, but pretty strongly. This one is 10 new tracks that Wavo fans should definitely be feeling. On the mic, Hus does what he is known for. His bars are pretty dope and his flow matches the beat well. He has features from SmooVth, Rim, Sage Infinite, Snotty, and more. The beats are all pretty decent on here as well. “Tony” has an amazing beat that Hus is able to flow to rather well. All in all, this is a decent album that Hus is hitting for par with. Fans will enjoy.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#huskingpin #wavo #wavespeare #wavo3000 #apoemintenbooks #apitb

EL CAMINO & TRICKY TRIPPZ – DEVIL’S DUE

El Camino teams up with producer Tricky Trippz to give us a darker new project. The rhymes on this one are pretty much what you would expect from El Camino at this point. They are decent bars, but not the best thing you have ever heard. There aren’t any features on this album at all. The beats are here are definitely darker and more sinister. You aren’t going to get any radio-friendly tracks on this project. All in all, this is a pretty standard release for El Camino. Fans will probably appreciate this one. It’s definitely got more of a cold winter vibe to it.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#elcamino #elcaminosway #griselda #gxfr #segang #trickytrippz #itstrickytrippz #devilsdue

THA GOD FAHIM & NICOJP – CHESS MOVES

Tha God Fahim teams up with NicoJP to give us a quick new project. At 8 tracks, this one plays through rather quickly especially since a lot of the tracks are short in length. On the mic, Fahim has a dope flow as usual and spits his usual rhymes per protocol. There are no features on here as it is just him rhyming. The production on here is pretty standard, but somewhat dope also. If you are a fan of Fahim, you will more than likely be feeling this album. It’s a quick listen so you will be able to move through it fast.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#thagodfahim #thadarkshogunn #nicojp #chessmoves

PLANET ASIA & THE ARCHITECT – BLACK MAJIK

Planet Asia teams up with The Architect to give us a new voyage into the musical landscape. On the mic, Planet Asia is always dope and is spitting his rhymes as usual. His style is never played out and never whack. There aren’t a ton of features on here, but you will hear from Del The Funky Homosapien, Rasco, and Byrd Land. The production on here is pretty unique. It is definitely different sounding and a little more laid back than most stuff you will hear out there today. You aren’t really going to get a ton of boom bap on here. All in all, I wouldn’t call this Planet Asia’s best work, but it is worth a listen.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#planetasia #asiaticprince #planetasiamedallions #fresno #goldchainmusic #gcm #thearchitect #blackmajik

SHEEK LOUCH – BEAST MODE VOL. 5 (DELUXE)

Sheek drops off 5 more songs to add onto his Beast Mode Vol. 5 album. It’s a super quick listen as he shows us what was left off of the original project. These are your standard Sheek songs and you pretty much get what you expect lyrically. He only has one feature from Consequence on here. The beats are pretty much hitting for par as well. There’s nothing really classic, but at the same time, nothing whack either. All in all, this is a rather quick flip for Sheek. I think we would all rather get a full solo album or a LOX album, but we will take what we can get.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#sheeklouch #sheek #realsheeklouch #thelox #lox #tidalxthelox #yonkers #beastmodevol5deluxe #beastmodevol5 #beastmode5deluxe #beastmode5 #beastmode

JUSTIN CREDIBLE – PRESENTS R-MEAN

DJ Justin Credible gives us a new album featuring rapper R-Mean. On the mic, R-Mean has some pretty dope rhymes and some strong flows. The only thing that may hold him back slightly is his voice. That aside, he is capable of giving us some strongly written rhymes. He has some big-time features from B-Real, French Montana, Jay Critch, and more. The production on this project is pretty standard. They almost sound a bit more radio-friendly than made for the streets. Overall, this is a decent album that sounds pretty average. I do think there may be some potential for R-Mean more on the lyrical side of things. It’d be nice to see him rip some high-profile freestyles. Just him and the mic and no other distractions. Let’s see him at his best.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#justincredible #j_credible #laleakers #power106 #r-mean #rmean #justincrediblepresentsrmean #justincrediblepresentsr-mean #presentsrmean #presentsr-mean

SADAT X & DOUGH NETWORKZ – SCIENCE OF LIFE

Sadat X teams up with producer Dough Networkz to give us a new album for fans to scour through. Sadat X has an uncanny way of not only sounding incredibly unique, but also dropping jewels throughout his albums. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea with his different delivery, but hip hop fans know that he is a veteran and one to respect. He has some features on this project from established acts and newcomers like Roc Marciano, Crimeapple, Planet Asia, Jay Worthy, TF, and more. The production on this album isn’t quite what I thought it would be. I was hoping for more of that boom bap East Coast sound, but there are more unique sounding samples and less drums. There are some samples that old heads will probably recognize on songs like “Niggas To Gods” and “Player Shit.” All in all, this is an album that isn’t for everyone, but real ones will get it.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#sadatx #dattyx #brandnubian #doughnetworkz #scienceoflife #sol

CURRENSY – THE DRIVE IN THEATER PART 2

Currensy drops a pretty lengthy new project called The Drive In Theater Part 2. At 21 tracks, there was a lot of room to showcase his signature slow, Southern drawl with his opulent bars. You pretty much get what you expect from Currensy lyrically. You will also hear some features from  Fendi P, Jade Angelle, Premo Rice, and more. The beats on here are slightly laid back throughout. You aren’t really going to get any boom bap on here. It’s more of a mellow feel throughout this project. All in all, this is a pretty standard album for Currensy. Fans will definitely be feeling this one.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#currensy #currensy_spitta #spitta #jetlife #spittaandretti #andretti #neworleans #nola #billionairesboysclub #currensyspitta #currency #rapsnlowriders #thedriveintheaterpart2 #tdit2

LIL FLIP & CASHSTAR – MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

Lil Flip and CashStar deliver an album that is pretty standard for Lil Flip. There are 11 tracks on here in which Lil Flip gives us his regular Texas rhymes and flows. If nothing else, he is hitting for par with his delivery. The same pretty much goes for CashStar. He may not be incredible, but he gets the job done on the mic. There are features from Z-Ro, Lil Keke, Freon Icy Cold, and more. The production on this album is very similar to the vocals. There really isn’t anything incredible, but it plays through at least decently. This is a pretty standard album that fans of Lil Flip should be feeling.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#lilflip #lilflip713 #trill #clovergang #cloverg #screwedupclick #suc #houston #cashstar #lilboss #makeitmakesense #mims

VADO – LONG RUN VOL. 3

I love Vado and he is super dope at rhyming. This new album falls a bit flat though. He has great bars and is an expert at rhyming. That part is definitely apparent. His flow is amazing as well. These songs sound a bit more flat than usual though. I’m not 100% sure what is missing, but there is something missing. He has features from fantastic guests such as Lloyd Banks, Dave East, Jim Jones, and more. The beats on here are decent, but just don’t really stand out amongst the masses. There is almost a boredom factor with this one. I don’t want it to be like this, but it’s easy to get lost with this one. It’s almost like he is checking boxes just to make sure they are checked. I’m definitely hoping future endeavors will step up the quality factor.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#vado #vado_mh #banksinatra #harlem #wethebest #longrunvol3 #longrun3 #lrv3 #lr3 #longrun

LIL FLIP – FONDREN FLIP

Lil Flip delivers a new album called Fondren Flip. He has more of a laid back flow on this new project. He is still giving us those Houston, Texas style rhymes to the fullest though. You will get features from Devin The Dude, Dem Roots Music, Live Sosa, and Lashae Love. The production on here is pretty standard overall. We don’t really get a slamming Texas anthem on here, but there are some decent tracks nonetheless. All in all, it’s a pretty standard Lil Flip album. Fans will probably enjoy this one.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#lilflip #lilflip713 #trill #clovergang #cloverg #screwedupclick #suc #houston #fondrenflip

LECRAE – CHURCH CLOTHES 4

Lecrae delivers a new album called Church Clothes 4. Much like his other albums, he seems to “put the medicine in the candy” by delivering his message disguised as beats and flows that sound like today’s modern rap music. He has down south beats, trap beats, and boom bap style beats that he rhymes over. He also switches up his flows to match each song which is either very talented or desperately trying to sell out. I will let the listeners determine what they think because I can see it going either way. There aren’t any huge features on here, but you will hear from PJ Morton, Jordan L’Oreal, Andy Mineo, and more. There are some highlights on this album. One of the standout songs is “Take Me Up” which spins a sample of Bone Thugs N Harmony’s “Tha Crossroads.” “Journey” is another song that stands out as very uplifting and has some good bars to it. All in all, Lecrae seems to have redeemed himself a bit since his last project earlier this year. I’d really like to see him find himself as an artist and really develop his own lane. Not a bad job though on this one.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#lecrae #churchclothes4 #churchclothesfour #cc4 #ccfour

WIZ KHALIFA & TAYLOR GANG – G RAGE

Wiz Khalifa and the rest of the Taylor gang team up to drop this quick 8 track EP for fans. This one plays through rather quickly and has a pretty consistent vibe throughout the whole thing. There’s not really a ton to go over with this one. The lyrics are about what you would expect from Wiz Khalifa. Features include Chevy Woods, 6AM, Ty Dolla Sign, and more. The beats are pretty consistent as you go through the album. There are times where it almost sounds like you are listening to the same song over and over again and you can’t really even differentiate between songs. That aside, it’s not really a bad project. This is probably more of a one and done set, but it’s still worth a listen.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#wizkhalifa #wiz #letterman #khalifakush #taylorgang #pittsburgh #grage

WILLIE THE KID – DEUTSCHE MARKS 3

Willie The Kid comes through with his third chapter of his Deutsche Marks series. If you know his style, then you pretty much know what you are in for on the lyrical side. He tells us about his opulent lifestyle in a clever way. You will get features from Ransom, Rome Streetz, Eto, and more. As far as the production goes, there are some interesting and different samples that you will hear on here. V Don definitely tries to give us a unique sound that you won’t hear anywhere else. There are a lot of strange samples and interesting music pieces throughout this odd, but dope album. All in all, I think Willie The Kid and V Don give us another dope brick on the house. The combination always seems to work.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#williethekid #thewilliethekid #deutschemarks3 #dm3 #deutschemarks

SNOOP DOGG & DJ DRAMA – GANGSTA GRILLZ: I STILL GOT IT

Snoop Dogg teams up with DJ Drama to deliver another Gangsta Grillz album entitled: I Still Got It. Whether Snoop still “has it” or not might be debatable, but the one thing that is for sure, he is easily the most recognizable and most marketable rapper out there. He’s a legend and has been around forever and every undertaking he takes on he succeeds at. On this project, he spits the same old kind of bars that you are used to hearing by now. He does get some features from Daz, Kurupt, Dave East, Juicy J, and more. As far as the production goes, this album definitely has more of a West Coast slant to it. It is good to hear Snoop over more of a classic West Coast sound anyway. All in all, this is not Snoop’s best work to date, but it’s also not his worst. This is hitting for par for both Snoop and DJ Drama.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#snoopdogg #snoopdoggydogg #lbc #snoop #doggystyle #doggiestyle #doggystylerecords #deathrow #deathrowrecords #musicmogulsbet #defjamrecords #defjam #djdrama #drama #qualitystreetmusic #gangstagrillz #istillgotit #isgi

ARMANI CAESAR – THE LIZ 2

Armani Caesar from Griselda comes back with the follow-up to her debut album with The Liz 2. On this album, she continues what she started on the first project but showing us how rich and glamourous she is. The first lady of Griselda may not exactly sound the same as the rest of the MCs on the label, but she defines her position and reps the team nicely. She may not be as lyrically skilled, but somehow, it works overtop of the Griselda sound. She gets features from Westside Gunn, Conway, Benny, Stove God Cooks, Kodak Black, and more. The beats on here are a mix of Griselda beats in the beginning and some club style trap beats towards the end. All in all, she does a decent job at creating an album. Some may say that there is a lack of content on this project, but it can be fun at times also. Not the best Griselda album ever, but probably not the worst either.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#armanicaesar #gxfr #griselda #griseldarecords #segang #spooky #bsf #blacksopranofamily #theliz2 #theliztwo #liz2 #liz

EL CAMINO – GOLD BRICKS

El Camino drops a new project that is very quick. It is over almost before you know it began. He does his thing lyrically for the most part. You pretty much get what you expect from El Camino. For features, he enlists Jae Skeese, Trav, Chanel, and Madhattan. The production on here is rather laid back overall. You aren’t going to get any boom bap beats on here. Rather, you get decent samples and lo-fi beats. It’s not really a bad project at all, I just think that there is some room for improvement on this one.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#elcamino #elcaminosway #griselda #gxfr #segang #goldbricks

FREDRO STARR – JAZZMATIC

Fredro Starr gives us a super quick new album that is entirely produced by himself. As far as the bars, he is at least decent and consistent the whole way through. He’s got some decent bars, but nothing mind blowing. Featured artists include Jonny Vulgar, Mac Mason, Harrd Luck, and more. Fredro produced every track on here and used jazz samples on every song. It’s a more simple and laid back vibe to it as opposed to the hard-hitting Onyx albums. All in all, not a bad album. Nothing really rewind-worthy on here, but at the same time, not whack at all.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#fredrostarr #fredro_starr #onyx #onyx_hq #queens #jazzmatic

MILANO CONSTANTINE & BIG GHOST LTD – PAY THE GHOST

Milano joins forces with the ever-eerie Big Ghost Ltd for a brand new album. As far as the rhymes go, Milano demonstrates a straightforward delivery. I think he is at least hitting for par with his showcase here. There are features from Crimeapple, Daniel Son, and Rigz. The beats on here are pretty decent as well. This might not be the best work ever from Big Ghost, but he is definitely capable. This is a decent album that I don’t think will get a ton of replay, but hip hop fans may still appreciate it.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#milano #milanoconstantine #milano7warriors #ditc #diggininthecrates #ditcstudios #diggin #bronx #bigghostltd #paytheghost #ptg

NAPOLEON DA LEGEND – TWO PIECE

Napoleon Da Legend drops a new project that is Anime-inspired. I’m a huge fan of NDL and most of the things he does, but every once in a while, he drops a project that is just not for me. This one was a bit different from previous releases. His rhymes are top notch. That is something that never changes. I think that this is just a realm that is not meant for me on this project. The beats are definitely a lot different than what would be considered the norm for music today. I think NDL does his best when he is ripping through some boom bap style beats, but this project doesn’t really have any of that. This is probably a project that is going to be more geared towards anime fans, and that is definitely not me. I’m absolutely certain that there is an audience for this, it is just going to be more of a niche audience and that is ok. This one just wasn’t for me. NDL always has my allegiance and loyalty though and I will definitely be checking out the next installment.

OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 Cheesesteaks

#napoleondalegend #napoleon #ndl #teamndl #twopiece #2piece