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Bobby J from Rockaway & Dom Dirtee Take Us “Higher” (Album Review)

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This is the sophomore effort from Queens emcee Bobby J from Rockaway. Coming up as a protege of Kwamé, he would begin to turn heads in the underground during the summer of 2019 off the strength of his full-length debut Summer Classics along with his Statik Selektah produced debut EP Endless Summer, the latter being my introduction to his music along with 1 Mic & a Drum’s eponymous EP. Bobby then joined forces with Detroit veteran Hush to drop the collab album 718 II 313 last summer, of which they had the honor of playing 80% of to me at a studio a year before it even dropped. Nef produced the Radio Days EP nearly 2 years ago & is tapping in with Dom Dirtee to take us Higher.

The title track starts with this otherworldly beat wanting to take it to a new level whereas “Once Again” takes the boom bap route instrumentally so Bobby can talking about being back up in this bitch with the hardcore composer. The 2nd single “Vibin’ (All By Myself)” gives off more a playful tone discussing the relatable subject matter of having fun by yourself in your room listening to music & after the “Mr. Walt Checks In” interlude, the lead single “Dangerous” lets their aptly titled mentality be known when facing them.

Paul Wall joins Bobby on the 3rd & final single “I Gotta” for both of them to go hard with their respective squads while “Outta This Club” tells the DJ to not stop playing this heater. After the “Tape Stand” skit, “Round N Round” makes their head spin over kicks & snares leading into “Get Away” passionately feels the need to escape. “Hello” nears the end agreeably saying he deserves more exposure & “Break Me Down” ends by refusing to crumble.

It’s already been 5 years since Summer Classics, but Higher comes off a couple EPs & group projects allowing him to elevate us with Dom Dirtee joining him in succeeding at that. Majik Ninja Entertainment in-house producer Fritz the Cat’s engineering is superb, Dom’s production reasserts his status as the hardcore composer & Bobby holds off from having any guests MCs unlike last time to snap for 36 minutes.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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”Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 2” Improves on the EP Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven Put Out Last Weekend (EP Review)

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Tha God Fahim enlisting Nicholas Craven for his 48th EP. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY ass EP run in 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike Shabb, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth, Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & & more recently Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. 5 years since Tha Myth Who Never Quit, we got a 2nd AND a 3rd installment last month. Coming off Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap from last weekend, they’re dropping a sequel.

“Tha Unfathomable Horror” is this soulful intro promising that your wounds won’t ever heal & that he’s forever ill whereas “Shogun Jump” takes more of a chilled albeit hardcore route instrumentally talking about his legacy being set in stone calling himself the golden goose the litter. “Planetary Exploration” hooks up a prominent piano sample likening his raps to war & proclaiming himself as a scholar for dollars while “Planet Vegeta” keeps the keys in tact to talk about the game being watered down.

To kick off the other half of the EP, “Otha World” soulfully writes tracks of sorrow since he’s borrowing time & staying strong after losing loved ones just before “Onslaught” pulls a bit from orchestral music showing his steadiness with the aim. “Mad Life Menace” gets back on the chipmunk soul tip assuring he’s still a menace on the mic & “Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 3” finishes the EP with a jazzy installment of the titular song trilogy.

It wouldn’t even surprise me if Fahim dropped Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 3 next weekend or the weekend after since he’s dumpin’ nonstop in the last month, but he & Nicholas Craven continue to prove themselves as an unstoppable duo. A lot like the other 3 projects that they’ve put out in the last month, the latter’s production during the 20 minute experience is absolutely flawless & the Dump Gawd goes harder than he did last weekend.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Eto Takes the “Long Way Home” (Album Review)

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This is the 7th full-length studio LP from Rochester, New York emcee/producer Eto. Learning of him through his verse at the end of the 6th installment of Westside Gunn’s infamous HWH mixtape series & eventually his DJ Muggs-produced full-length debut Hell’s Roof a few months later, this was followed up with Long Story Short as well as & Front Row & The Beauty of It. The Futurewave-produced Dead Poets would be as acclaimed as his debut & coming off Integrity 2 produced by Body Bag Ben which was a solid sequel the original EP itself, Eto’s taking the Long Way Home.

The title track has this unsettling atmosphere to the instrumental beginning by talking about the fact money comes a long way when you take the longer route back to the crib whereas “Purge Night” strips the drums completely alluding the titular series of films. The cutthroat “Yes Lord” featuring Flee Lord finds the RocAmeriKKKa duo getting in their hardcore bag lyrically prior to “Judas” produced by Chup finds him stuck at both ends of the pitchfork.

“New Money” hooks up a guitar sample thanks to V Don talking about that new paper coming in being speechless to him just before “The Light” featuring Tony Yayo seeing both artists over a boom bap instrumental from Nottz aggressively talking about how it got dark out. “No Pun Intended” featuring Kurupt cautions that neither one of them want any kind of trouble since the extended can extend in minutes & “Tearz” runs it all back up effortlessly.

Starting the final leg, Mephux brings a gospel trap flare to the table on “Oath” reflecting on when he used to play in the cold while the self-produced “3 Strikes” featuring Dark Lo & Nyce da Future jazzily refuses to make any kind of deal with the Devil going forward boasting they can go on for eons. The closer “Durnan” ties up the album refusing to share the proceeds choosing between a Desert Eagle or a box cutter.

Long Way Home isn’t on the same par of excellency as Dead Poets & Integrity 2 both were per se, nevertheless it still remains as an enjoyable offering from the Rochester lyricist & beatsmith. Yes the production on the last couple albums were more consistent, but Eto unquestionably sounds like he took his time with the verses & the brief amount of guests who join all match his level of lyricism finely.

Score: 7/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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”Living Proof” Prod. by araabMUZIK is Dave East’s Best Album Since Leaving Def Jam (Album Review)

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This is the 5th studio LP from Harlem emcee Dave East. Breaking out in 2014 off his 8th mixtape Black Rose, this resulted in the man signing a joint deal with Def Jam Recordings & even Nas’ independently owned Mass Appeal Records as well as a spot in the iconic 2016 XXL Freshman Class. However, his full-length debut Survival wouldn’t come out until 3 years later & was very disappointing in the sense that he tried appealing to a more mainstream audience that just didn’t exist. The Harry Fraud produced sophomore effort Hoffa proved to be better as did his final Def Jam offering Fortune Favors the Bold & APT 6E produced by Mike & Keys marked a return to his independent roots, so hearing would be Living Proof fully laced by araabMUZIK gave me a feeling it would be one of the most essential listening experiences of Dave’s career.

“Percocet” is the synthesizer driven boom bap intro talking about there not being any better feeling re-uppin’ whereas “Bet My Life” shifts towards a cloudy trap direction instrumentally flexing that he’s on his 2nd-wind. “Solid N****z” featuring Cruch Calhoun gives off a bit of a victorious flare to the beat as they tell the difference between the real & the cowards. I also owe Cruch an apology for what I said in regards to his verse on “The Win” when Hoffa dropped, I was wrong & I own up to that.

Fabolous joins Dave for the orchestrally hardcore “Buss Down” to discuss all that they ever wanted was a Rollie so they got some prior to “Walk wit Me” working in a bit of a jazz rap vibe for the instrumental advising y’all to take a walk with him real quick. “Lift ‘Em Up” featuring Benny the Butcher returns to a symphonic edge talking about having better patience & only broke people think money can solve problems, but then “Roll Up” pulls influence from jazz music once again not knowing too many living the life he does.

“Joe Jackson” featuring O.T. the Real starts the other half of Living Proof with both of them cautioning that rappers acting like something they’re not is what leads to them getting shot while “All I Know” heads back for a trap direction putting on for shit that he could die for. “Same Shit” featuring Giggs finds the 2 boasting they’re still with exact same group of homies they came up with while “Everything for Sale” featuring Ransom samples “To the Other Man” by Luther Ingram admitting they’ve done bad & grew better.

Starting the final leg of the LP on a psychedelic note, “The Love Fake” tackles themes of envy and no smut being put on his legacy once he’s gone while the luxurious trap flavored “Run Down” featuring Millyz talks going through it in the midst of everyone else not understanding it whatsoever. “The Other Side” pushes towards the final moments exuberantly warning that money ain’t a thing since you can’t take it with ya & “Barbara” ends by telling the titular person that he misses her.

Highlighting the shared vision & chemistry of both collaborators, Living Proof delivers one of the year’s standout releases & of course amongst the most important high points in the 2016 XXL Freshman’s career. araabMUZIK’s signature production throughout is a lot more consistent that it was on APT 6E pulling from boom bap to trap, chipmunk soul & jazz rap making more than enough room for Dave East to go harder lyrically than he did during the summer.

Score: 8/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Lyte Returns After 2 & a Half Years with “Full Force” (Album Review)

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This is the sophomore effort from Flint, Michigan emcee Lyte. Emerging a decade ago off his debut mixtape Follow the Lyte, he later signed to the Insane Clown Posse’s very own Psychopathic Records on New Year’s Day 2017 & put out his debut EP Psychopathic MonStar that summer following the 18th annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Oklahoma. He amicably departed couple years later in order to focus on building his own label MonStar Entertainment & becoming a father, returning over 2 & a half years ago for the debut album Metamorphosis demonstrating his personal & artistic growth. MonStar has since evolved into a roster of its own, coming off a showcase EP to return Full Force.

“Dying Breed” starts with this wavy trap instrumental from Str8jaket talking about his kind shrinking near to the point of extinction whereas “Feel the Way I Do” works in some pianos & strings asking if there’s anyone who feels the exact same way as he does. “Time Will Tell” featuring Ant G finds the 2 over a trap instrumental reassuring everyone that they’re nowhere near close to being done leading into “Made a Lot” talking about the money, sacrifices & mistakes he’s made.

Meanwhile on “Back in My Head”, we have Lyte showing off a speedier flow over another trap beat fighting back until they bury him just before “Full Deck” featuring Skitzo brings the pair together so they can talk about everyone fuckin’ with the wrong ones. “This Us” fuses electronic dance music & trap giving 0 fucks whatsoever, but then “Brand New” featuring Project Born aggressively talking about people acting that exact way.

“It’s Our Time” hooks up some pianos & hi-harts discussing that it’s MonStar Entertainment’s time to shine now while “OMG” featuring Str8jaket talks about needing God in their lives at the moment even if they’re not the praying type. The song “Disarray” featuring Stray grimly promises God certain things won’t happen again if He helps them & “Memories” featuring Str8jaket is a 6-minute closer breaking down the way he wants to be remembered.

Metamorphosis was a solid debut giving the underground a look at how much Lyte has changed on all fronts ever since signing to Psychopathic for a year & a half, which Full Force surpasses in terms of quality. The production almost entirely handled by Str8jaket elevates the trap sounds from 2 & a half years ago, the guests are reduced to MonStar’s current roster other than a couple outside collaborators & Lyte himself sounds hungrier.

Score: 8/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Jamil Honesty & Giallo Point are Firing “Shots from the Soviet” (EP Review)

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Staten Island, New York born albeit Baltimore, Maryland based emcee/producer Jamil Honesty linking up with Giallo Point for his 4th EP. Getting his footing in off the strength of his debut mixtape Verses, he would go on to build a name for himself but putting out 3 EPs & a full-length debut serving as a sequel to one of the EPs that Hobgoblin produced. Coming off the Harbor Kidz’ self-titled debut alongside the Krazyfingaz-produced The God Honest Truth or the Machacha-produced Give Us Our Daily Bread & the final installment of the Martyr Musik trilogy, Jamil’s firing Shots from the Soviet.

After the intro, the first song “Bolshevik Bullets” is this piano-driven boom bap opener comparing the bars to Russian strays whereas “The Hit” strips the drums completely talking about everyone in the streets knowing the name. After an interlude, “Double Barrel” featuring Substance810 hooks the kick & snares back up, spitting that gun talk while the solemn boom bap joint “DNA” talks getting your life in a cypher if you’re made for it.

“Makarov Murders” starts the final leg of the EP dropping bodies with the titular semi-automatic pistol that the Soviet Union has made their standard military sidearm for over 7 decades leading into “Gun Pen” grittily comparing his pen-game to that of a firearm, which is pretty accurate. The final song “No Evidence” prior to the outro ends the EP mixing some sampling with kicks & snares talking about leaving the murder scene clean.

After producing Big Trip’s most acclaimed EPs to date Honestly Filthy & it’s sequel, Jamil taps in one of the UK hip hop scene’s most prolific producers in recent memory to make an EP that surpasses the Martyr Musik trilogy as the most essential offering in his discography. I have no complaints regarding Giallo Point’s boom bap production during the 21 minute run nor is there any regarding Jamil’s performances.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Mark 4ord Drops New Project “Ghosts and Goblins on LSD”

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Still running off the hype from “Defnote’s in 33rd” 2023 release, and his NBA 2K24 appearance, Oxnard based emcee Mark 4ord is back with a new project, “Ghost and Goblins“.

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Psycho Les, Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas Look to “Escape the Matrix” (EP Review)

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Psycho Les is a 52 year old MC/producer from Queens, New York notable for being 1/2 of The Beatnuts alongside Juju as well as 1/5 of the Liknuts supergroup with Tha Alkaholiks. He eventually started carving a path for himself as a solo artist in the spring of 2007 with the debut album Psycho Therapy & returning almost a decade later for the weed-themed, feature-heavy sophomore effort Dank God. Ahead of the Real Psychos’ eponymous debut with B-Real next month, Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas are getting together to help Escape the Matrix on his 1st solo EP.

“S.O.S.” starts by spitting conscious lyricism over a boom bap instrumental cautioning of the world we know it today being in danger & considering yourself lucky if you’re still alive refusing to get on his Chuck D shit whereas “Crooks” featuring Snyp Life works in more kicks & snares with a delicate backdrop referring to themselves as the last ones of their kind pleading for everyone to take facts over fear. “Fire” featuring Blahzay Blahzay properly ends the EP with Outloud joining Les with PF Cuttin’ on the scratching to talk about the world burning.

Dank God had its high points, but I’ve always felt like it was overloaded with features in comparison to Psycho Therapy. And although Escape the Matrix only became a 3-track EP instead of a full-length studio album, what it offers in nearly 10 minutes is better than a lot of what was on that previous LP almost a decade ago. Eric Bobo & Stu Bangas both recapture the magic of their production throughout their Empires collaborative effort on 4/20 2021 keeping it underground traditional boom bap vibes alive & Les himself offers more politically conscious subject matter.

Score: 8/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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”Written on Wide’s Corner 2” Elevates Everything that Made Sule’s Last EP Stand Out (EP Review)

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This is the 9th EP from Englewood, New Jersey emcee Sule. Signing to Benny the Butcher’s very own Black Soprano Family Records at the end of 2022 after putting out 7 EPs over the course of a decade, he’s also notable for his guest verse on the Biggest Since Camby closing track “White Lives Matter” produced by Havoc formerly of Mobb Deep & of course the well received Black Soprano debut Written on Wide’s Corner earlier this spring. Fast forward to Election Day 2024, we’re being treated to a sequel.

“New Jersey State of Mind” is a boom bap opener, letting us know what it was like for him growing up in the titular state whereas “Trois Sopranois” featuring Benny the Butcher & Fuego Base finds the trio representing B$F to the fullest for a few minutes. “Victor Cruz” produced by STREETRUNNER offers a soulful trap flare referencing the WR for the Chicago Bulls, but then “Cutz” featuring Flames Dot Malik gets the 2 together for an aggressive hardcore hip hop joint breaking generational curses.

To start the other half, “My Brother’s Keeper” soulfully talks being known for making promises instead of threats while “Sule Common Wealth” featuring Lo Profile works in more kicks & snares so they can refer to themselves as the same ones who ran it. “I Made You Wealthy” featuring Fuego Base maintains a boom bap edge addressing people who’ve betrayed them after making them rich & “The Crash Out Story” ends by teaching everyone to leave their valuables at the stash house.

Sule has quickly risen to become one of the best artists on the Black Soprano Family roster in the past 8 months & in contrast to Written on Wide’s Corner achieving his goal of making Englewood a landmark, the follow-up elevates that further. The production is a mix of boom bap & trap just like the predecessor was, a couple of the guests stick the landing performance-wise & the New Jersey artist himself continues to tell us what it’s like where he’s from.

Score: 8/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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“The World is Cooked” as Far as Craig G’s Concerned (Album Review)

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Craig G is a 51 year old MC from Queens, New York who started out as a member of the Juice Crewcollective. His full-length debut The Kingpin produced by Marley Marl & the sophomore effort Now, That’s More Like It came out in the late 80s/early 90s through Atlantic Records & returned over a decade later with This is Now!!! like he never left. Marley Marl went on to produce Operation: Take Back Hip Hop, which resulted in Craig signing to Soulspazm Records for his last couple albums Ramblings of an Angry Old Man and I Rap & Go Home. 8 years later, he’s back for his 7th full-length LP.

After the “Few Words from tha Teacha” intro, the first song “The Okey Doke” fuses rap rock & boom bap telling everyone to hold themselves accountable for what they fell for whereas the sample-driven “Dumb Down” featuring B-Real talks about this era that we’re entering. “America’s Dumbest Criminals” vividly tells the story of a couple criminals who later got arrested the same night just before the chipmunk soul title track discusses the current state of the world.

“Fortitude” flips an organ representing hard work & after the Chuck D interlude, “Gossip Sites” disses everyone who posts online for attention. “Expand Ya Mind” featuring Chubb Rock sets out to exactly that over a boom bap instrumental while “Reconsidered” tells a sad tale for 3-minutes. “Smartest 1 in the Room” featuring Freeway takes us back in the basement tryna inspire & making the community legitimate while “Wise Words” ends by telling everyone to go for theirs.

Craig has always been a bit underappreciated when it comes to members of the Juice Crew & although I don’t think it’s one of the best albums that he’s ever done per se, I did enjoy the half hour listening experience. The production is prominently based around the traditional east coast boom bap sound & Craig observes the cons of our world today.

Score: 7/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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