This EP was released on March 15th this year. I was introduced to the Angry Blackmen by Padlock Jones. Apparently they hit him up on Twitter asking him to check them out, and they surprisingly weren’t trash. I’ve heard some of their shit, but I wouldn’t really say I’m that familiar with their work. I’m actually pretty sure this is their debut project. Anyway, they’re a duo from Chicago comprised of two members, Quentin Branch & Brian Warren. All of the production on this project is done by Wendigo. I have zero expectations. Hopefully this shit is dope.

1. Anarchy!

The beat on this track is pretty solid. The first verse from Quentin is sufficient. I mean, it’s probably not gonna blow anyone away, but I enjoyed it. He did his thing. It certainly wasn’t bad. There’s no hook. Instead, there’s some speech from what sounds like a British white woman talking about how she likes the Angry Blackmen’s style. Well, I guess she’s not necessarily white. For some reason I always assume British people are white. Is… Is that racist? I think Brian had the better verse on this song. He was on the second verse, and it was actually pretty goddamn tight. I like this song. I wasn’t that impressed by the production at first, but it grew on me by the time the song was over. Both of the verses are good too. This shit is dope.

2. Spazz!

This beat is pretty cool. I’m gonna be honest… That first verse from Brian Warren? That shit was FIRE. The way he ended it was so dope. I’m glad he was actually explaining why he’s angry too. It seems like it’s more than just a cool name. Have I mentioned that yet? Angry Blackmen is a really dope name for a rap group.

Tear your tats off your body, shoot some ink all in your eyes

The way they used that audio of Charlie Manson speaking was really cool too. It’s pretty dark and kinda fucked up. In a cool way though. I mean, I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a duo named “Angry Blackmen” is putting edgy shit like that in their music. It worked though. Quentin’s flow on that second verse was great. He honestly killed that shit. Yeah, this shit is great. This is definitely the best song I’ve heard from them. They killed both of these verses. This shit is dope af.

3. Talkshit!

Oh fucking shit… Man, this beat is so fucking cool. I’m glad the beats have been improving as the project progresses. This shit is hard as hell. Man, this is honestly way better than I was expecting it to be. Quentin sounds great on the first verse. It’s cool that these guys are living up to their names. They sound angry without it being a gimmick. It’s not like XXXTENTACION, or City Morgue, or 6ix9ine, or Scarlxrd. They’re not just screaming all their lyrics. The first verse was really dope. This is the first song on the project that actually has a hook. It’s pretty simplistic, but it works. The second verse from Brian Warren was really fuckin’ good. The dude has a pretty good flow. This is another really great track. The chants on the outro sound more like something I’d hear from one of the aforementioned artists. Or someone like Ski Mask. It’s really good though. I like this track a lot. It’s dope af.

4. USA!

I think I may have heard this single before. I don’t really remember much about it aside from the hook though. The hook is dope. Quentin’s flow seems a little shaky on the first verse. It’s not too bad though. The beat is cool. It’s not amazing or anything, but I like it. The second verse from Brian is a lot better. His flow was dope on that verse. I think the first verse could’ve been a little better, but other than that I actually enjoyed this. The hook is definitely the most memorable aspect of the song for me personally. This shit is dope.

5. Bullshit!

This song probably has the most melodic beat on the whole project so far. I’m not crazy about the first verse from Quentin. It’s not trash or anything. It just didn’t really do much for me. That Dragon Ball Z reference probably would’ve impressed me if Childish Gambino hadn’t already spit pretty much the exact same line on My Shine. The hook is cool. The beat kinda sounds like it samples Send It Up by Kanye. I’m surprised more people haven’t flipped that beat. The production was pretty much the only thing I liked about the original song, so it’s cool to hear it here. The second verse from Brian was dope. That’s definitely my favorite verse on the song. This is a dope track. The first verse had me a little worried, but I really love the production, and the hook is pretty damn catchy. This shit is really dope.

6. Riot!

This is definitely the Angry Blackmen’s biggest song so far. It was the first track I ever heard from them, and honestly it’s probably my least favorite song by them. It’s not trash or anything, but I don’t think it’s something I’d care to hear again in the future. The production is definitely my favorite aspect of the song. The first verse from Brian was really dope. I don’t really care for the hook though. I also wasn’t really feelin’ how they borrowed the most prominent line from Bodies by Drowning Pool. The second verse from Quentin was pretty rough to be honest. His flow is really… uh… unstable? It sounds like it could’ve worked if he went back in the booth and re-recorded it. He’s kind of offbeat though. Even if that verse was more polished, I don’t know if I’d like this song. The hook just isn’t that good to me. It’s not a bad track, but I won’t be returning to it personally. The beat is dope though, and I liked the first verse.

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This extended play is actually great. I’m gonna be honest; this is way better than I was expecting it to be. I was pretty satisfied with the production throughout the project. Wendigo did a good job. I hope they continue doing music with that producer in the future because they sound pretty dope together. I think Brian stands out more than Quentin personally. He sounds more proficient to me. He has a more polished flow. I also don’t think Quentin’s voice is as good for rapping. It’s not terrible though. There are points where you can tell these guys aren’t super experienced rappers who have several years in the game, but this is definitely a good starting point. I’ll definitely keep an eye on these guys and I recommend checking them out. This EP is dope.

Favorite Song: Talkshit!
Least Favorite Song: Riot!

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