This album was released on June 7th this year. Che` Noir is one of the most exciting discoveries I’ve recently made. This chick is a fucking beast. She’s cool with guys like RJ Payne and the Griselda crew. 38 Spesh actually produced this entire album, so that should give you an idea of the type of MCs that associate with her. She’s what Sway would refer to as a “hyena.” I went back and listened to the first Thrill of the Hunt project that she dropped last year, and thought it was amazing, despite just being a collection of freestyles over classic beats. That collab with Benny was godly. Same goes for the Can’t You See freestyle. Anyway, I actually ended up liking this project just as much. Honestly, I’d probably say this is even better, mainly because it’s over original production.

The project starts off with Head of Goliath, which has a pretty good beat. Che` fucking KILLED. THIS. SHIT. Man, there were so many quotable lines on this track. That could actually be said about every single track though. My favorite line on this song was probably the one about her dad.

Was a kid when pops was smokin’ that white shit
I said “daddy, why you losin’ so much weight?”
He replied, “I’m on a diet”
I’ma warn you bitches
Beefin’ with me? I won’t advise it

That line about the Grim Reaper giving promise rings was crazy too. It’s definitely one of my favorite songs on the project. Shit is crazy. I actually ended up liking the following track even more though. I still haven’t chosen my number 1 favorite track from the album yet. Hopefully writing this review will help me figure that out. Anyway, the production from 38 Spesh on Fountain of Youth is dope as hell. I actually didn’t realize that he was a producer before I checked out this project. That dude is talented as hell. I’m really gonna have to look into more of his work as soon as I can because I’ve loved everything I’ve heard from him. Anyway, just like with the previous track, this song is loaded with quotable lines. It’s hard as fuck.

Send my niggas to where you lay at night
Wake you up with at gat in your face, bitch, say goodnight
Oh, she ain’t die? I’ma make it right
I sneak in, kill you, and the nurses tryna save your life

The song is really short, but it’s got more quotable bars than a lot of niggas’ albums. It’s dope af. The following track, Dying Breed, was yet another favorite of mine.

This one actually features 38 Spesh, and they’re going back and fourth trading quatrains throughout the whole track. It’s bananas. The production is great too. The opening lines from Che` Noir are probably offensive and in poor taste, but I can’t lie; it made me laugh.

I had a urge for this life, I had to earn all my stripes
A born hustler, I could sell a purse to a dyke

Is d█ke considered a slur for butch lesbians? I’m genuinely asking because I have no idea. It’s not a word I use personally, but I don’t actually know if it’s offensive. Either way, the song is fucking fire. I love 38 Spesh, man. I don’t know if it’s considered an ad-lib, but the way he always says “HUH” sounds so fucking dope to me. The music video isn’t really super creative or flashy, but it made me like the song even more somehow. I don’t know why. They both just look so fucking badass in it to me. They both murdered this shit, but I actually think Che` Noir had more lines that stood out.

If she hate, I bet the bitch is broke
She tryna bury hatchets, I gotta map it to where she dig the hole
Bitch, you think we squashing beef, but we probably didn’t
I don’t bury hatchets unless I bury the body with it

Maaan, I wish y’all could’ve heard the sound I made when I heard that line for the first time. It’s so fucking dope, man. 38 Spesh definitely had some great lines too though.

For a hater I keep a pistol close
Don’t play with you folks
Kill you and the niggas that’s gon’ miss you most

The song is amazing. I love it. That’s probably my favorite track. I don’t know. I still haven’t decided yet. Anyway, the following track, Fall of Rome, is yet another favorite of mine.

The production is really dope, and once again Che` is spitting her fucking ass off. I actually think this is one of the best beats on the album. I’m probably gonna end up saying this for every single track on the album, but this shit is what I refer to as “bars galore.”

Only broke bitches throw shade
I’m a snake charmer; use the money as a flute to expose snakes

The structure of the song is really straightforward. It’s literally just a fire ass verse over a great beat. She fucking demolished this shit though. It’s boiling hot fire.

Ain’t no “friendly competition,” nigga, all I see is war
The Caesar of this rap shit, I gotta keep a sword
Got your favorite rapper’s blood on this coliseum’s floors

Bro…

I love it. Spin the Bottle didn’t blow me away quite as much, but it was still sizzling hot fire. The production is hard as shit, and Che’s rapping is great. The “bear arms” line was a bit unoriginal if I’m bein’ real, but the verse was still really great.

Put my enemies in a circle
I can’t decide who I wanna kill first, so
Fuck it; we playin’ spin the bottle
Whoever lands on gon’ be the first to kiss this hollow
And kiss tomorrow goodbye, that’s how I clip my rivals

The song is dope af. The following track, Kiss the Ring, is even better to me though. The production is great, and of course Che` spit her ass off over it. That Jussie Smollett line was awesome.

I’m on the hunt tryna catch a connect
I’m the truth, and y’all bitches more like Jussie Smollett
I’m addicted to hood niggas ’cause they sex me the best
I ain’t heard a single rapper that could step to me yet

I don’t really have much to say about this track since it’s just more of the same. That’s certainly not a bad thing though because I still love the song. It’s dope af. Same goes for the next track, Sand Castles. This is actually another one of my favorites. I think it has one of the best beats on the album, and Che` bodied it.

Ran into my brother last week, and we had a chat
About stock markets & investing; that’s where the cash is at
Two college degrees & a business, bitch, I ain’t have to rap
Niggas sell they souls, trade they kufis for a MAGA hat

That quatrain was fucking amazing, but I thought the closing lines of the verse that immediately follow it were even better.

She money hungry, so I had to starve her
I’m still young with a grown man’s wisdom to teach a class at Harvard
Got it on my own ’cause we ain’t have our fathers
Middle of the desert, I’ll finesse a nigga out his glass of water

The song is amazing. The next track, Bloody Sword, is pretty easily my least favorite track on the album, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I actually think the production is fantastic. Again, I’m really impressed by 38 Spesh’s skills. The beat is probably my favorite aspect of the whole track. I think the verse from Che` was cool, but it didn’t impress me nearly as much as the others on the album. It’s so short that the song feels incomplete. It’s like she didn’t really have time to get warmed up. A guest feature probably would’ve helped a lot. Speaking of the length, I guess I should mention that there’s not a single track on this project that reaches three minutes in length. The longest track is two minutes and thirty nine seconds. This is the only song where it’s actually noticeable though. It feels like it ends before it really starts. I did like it though. I think it’s good. It just pales in comparison to the other tracks. The following song, 2 Summers, probably had my favorite beat on the whole project. It’s fantastic. It sounds kind of emotional, yet comforting at the same time. The content is a bit more personal on this track too. She rapped more about her family and life growing up. There are still some insanely hard bars though.

I wore my heart on my sleeve, now I’m changing my shirt
Niggas slang on the curb, hookers raising their skirts
Bullets hit your flesh, leavin’ blood stains on the turf

The following song had another fantastic beat with a great saxophone loop. The content of this track wasn’t as interesting to me as that of most of the other tracks, but I still enjoyed the song a lot overall. It’s basically just her reflecting on a romantic relationship that went sour. It’s a well written song though. Again, it doesn’t interest me that much personally, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It’s a dope track. 🙂

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This album is fucking amazing. It’s legitimately one of my favorite albums of the year, and easily my favorite album from the month of June so far. I’m so fucking glad I checked this shit out. Che` Noir is easily one of the most exciting new artists that I’ve become familiar with this year along with 38 Spesh & RJ Payne. The album is literally only 20 minutes long, but it’s so fucking good. She knew there wasn’t a lot of room for error, and she did exactly what she needed to do. I can’t wait for her next album, The Essence. I don’t know when it’s supposed to come out, but that shit is gonna be amazing. I don’t know if she can top this, but I’m yet to hear a project from her that isn’t amazing. I’m so happy. Lmao. I love when shit like this happens. I can’t wait to see what she does next. She’s got a bright future ahead of her if she’s able to stay consistent. This shit is dope af.

Favorite Song: Fountain of Youth
Least Favorite Song: Bloody Sword

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