It’s currently Thursday, so I have a shit ton of work to do right now. I really gotta stop waiting ’til the last minute to start writing this shit. It takes a really goddamn long time. I also think I might just stop writing these short preambles because I have pretty much nothing to say. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.

Sunday, March 1st

Smash by G-Mo Skee produced by BlackOut Beats

I believe this is technically the second official single from G-Mo Skee’s upcoming album, The Filth Element. I like this a lot more than the first one he dropped. The first verse here is dope as hell; the line about fucking hoes in the nose was pretty goddamn disgusting, so I could’ve done without that one, but I’m sure that was the reaction he was hoping for. His whole image is about being filthy, so I guess that’s to be expected. The hook isn’t great, but it serves its purpose well enough. That second verse was fire though. He snapped on that shit. I love how aggressive his delivery was there.

Last thing you wanna see: two niggas masked up
Got you thinkin’ Daft Punk was finna let a track bump
Pimpin’ think he Homer Simpson? He gon’ get his ass ducked
In his damn fronts with the motherfuckin’ brass knucks
You niggas met with a terrible fate
And only a mother could love your unrepairable face
Your favorite rapper ridin’ round with them federal plates
He ratted on all his niggas so they let him escape

It’s not a perfect song, but I like it quite a bit. I’m looking forward to the full project. It’ll also be cool to see him work with other artists in the future. I’ve only ever heard him on songs from Vinnie Paz & Hopsin in the past, so hopefully that’ll change some time soon.

Wishawoods by Futuristic produced by Seven

Futuristic is one of those artists who I’ve always thought of as a shitty “rEaL hIp HoP” YouTube rapper in the same lane as guys like Token, Scru Face Jean, Dax, Quadeca, etc. That’s probably not fair though because I’ve never actually listened to a full project from him. I’ve also enjoyed him on some features in the past too. I don’t think he’s actually signed to Strange Music, but it was cool to see him working with Seven here. I think the production is actually really goddamn great. The actual lyrics from Futuristic aren’t that good in my opinion—the “doodoo face” line was terrible—but his flow and delivery sound really good to me. Most of the lines aren’t bad. It’s a cool song. Give it a shot.

Monday, March 2nd

Very Disrespectful by Maffew Ragazino featuring Also produced by OneGotBeats

I’ll admit that I haven’t listened to most of Maffew Ragazino’s work, but what little I have heard has been pretty dope. I feel like I don’t see his name much anymore, so it was cool to see this track up on Soundcloud, and it thankfully ended up being good. First of all, I think the production from OneGotBeats is actually really goddamn dope. It’s not the most creative or off-kilter instrumental, but the primary loop just sounds really good to me. I think Maffew’s voice sounds really great over it too, and his flow is dope. I’d never heard of this Also guy before checking the song out, but I was very satisfied with his performance. The song is dope. Check it out.

Tuesday, March 3rd

Who Shot Ya by Grafh featuring Hopsin produced by Mr. Porter

Grafh’s The Oracle III has become one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so I was pretty excited when I saw this single. Obviously I was a bit apprehensive about the Hopsin feature, but the production from Mr. Porter is absolutely glorious. People really need to start giving him more credit as a producer because that dude is a beast. Grafh murdered that first verse too.

The soul of Michael Myers is my solar cycle
You showin’ vital signs of no survival
Now you gotta clone my rivals
So fuck what you wrote, nigga, I wrote the Bible
I put your soul in an open bottle & close the nozzle
My glock plastic; I don’t recycle. Who shot ya?

I’m also relieved to say that Hopsin’s verse was genuinely great. I think it’s one of the best verses I’ve heard from him in… Well, it’s probably one of his best verses period. He didn’t sound as goofy as he usually does, and the cringe was thankfully minimized. This shit is dope af. Check it out.

Trapped In by Reason featuring Boogie & Ab-Soul produced by Kal Banx

About a month ago Reason dropped a single called Show Stop, and I actually thought it was kinda trash. It basically just sounded like Flick It Up, except bad. It was a little concerning, but this latest single is thankfully much better. In fact, I actually think I like this even more than Flick It Up. The hook was really underwhelming at first, but after multiple listens I think the simplicity works to its benefit. I also think the first verse from Reason is dope. The lyrics aren’t amazing or anything, but his flow is really nice. I love the second verse from Boogie though.

Lord, I know you see my pain, help me while I find my hopes
Love you for your sense of humor, don’t tell me that my life a joke
I done hung with lions and bought the tickets from niggas woofing
I done seen the gun and just let him pull it and bit the bullet
I come from the ash of a fire past that my mom was put in
I created magic, how I got past it without me looking

I’ve always really liked him, but I think I’m more of a fan these days than I originally was. He killed this shit. I was mostly excited for the feature from Soulo, and he did exactly what I hoped he would do. He easily had the best verse. Everything about his performance, from the lyricism, to the flow, to the delivery was on point. He killed it. This shit is dope af. Don’t sleep on it.

Not a Test by Ric Chavez co-produced by J57

Either last week or the week before, Ric Chavez released a fantastic single with J57 called Meditate, so I was pretty happy to see this new song. Honestly, I think I like this one even more. This shit is hard as fuck. It’s got a very different aesthetic in my opinion. Meditate was a lot smoother and almost R&B-ish. This one is begging to be torn apart by an MC like Crooked I. It is less than 90 seconds, so it’d have to be extended, but I think it’d turn out really well. Check it out.

qpid by Maxo produced by Cheflee

Honestly, I’m kinda torn on this track. I love the production from Cheflee, and I think the writing from Maxo is nice. I’m unfortunately just not really crazy about his flow. It also kinda sounds like the sound quality on his vocals is really rough, which is likely intentional. It’s not an artistic decision that really works for me though. I do think it’s worth checking out, especially if you were really into his EP that dropped early last year. I doubt I’ll be listening to this song again in the future, but I did enjoy it to some extent on the first listen. Give it a shot and lemme know what you think.

Wednesday, March 4th

Arugula by Junglepussy produced by Sporting Life

I’m admittedly extremely late to the Junglepussy party. That sentence is true in more ways than one. I’m still not super familiar with her as an artist. I’ve seen her name floating around the internet ever since 2014, but I didn’t bother to check her out until recently. I think this is actually only the second or third song that I’ve ever heard from her. I like it though. I can’t say that I love it, but I definitely think it’s a cool track. The production from RATKING’s Sporting Life is really great, and the lyricism kinda hits home in a painful way. Listening to this song is like listening to my ex-girlfriend read a letter addressed directly towards me.

You don’t miss me, you just know I want my back broke
Wig snatched, get my eggs cracked; I don’t know
It’s all fun ’til you notice we not equally yolked
I may be goofy, may be sexy, but I’m not a joke

I doubt she feels this way, but it’s something I’ve worried about ever since we broke up. Anyway, the song is pretty cool. I must admit that my favorite thing about it is the music video though. The video is cool as hell. Check it out.

Thursday, March 5th

Let Me See It by Grafh featuring Rittz & Bun B produced by DJ Green Lantern

It was a nice surprise to get two singles from Grafh in the same week. I will say that I don’t love this one quite as much as the preceding single that he released, but it’s still damn good. The production from Green Lantern here is really nice, and Grafh killed it as always. I loved that line about him being the nigga version of Brad Pitt. His flow and breath control were super impressive too. I don’t really care for the hook at all, but aside from that he did a great job. Rittz did his thing, although I will say that he wasn’t as great as Grafh in my opinion. His flow was my favorite aspect of his verse. Bun B definitely had my least favorite performance, but he was fine I suppose. It’s mainly the content of this song that isn’t very appealing to me, but I do like it to some extent. I think it’s pretty good. By the time this post is published, Grafh’s Oracle 3 project will be out, so make sure to give it a listen if you fuck with the songs he dropped this week.

jesus bound by Moodie Black

This is the lead single from Moodie Black‘s upcoming album, Fuzz. In past reviews, I’ve said that I like a lot of Moodie Black songs, but I’ve never loved any of them. That’s not true at all though. Crow is still my favorite song from them. I think that shit is incredible. I listen to that song almost every day, and I’m not even exaggerating. I don’t know what it is about that track, but I think it’s perfect. The latest EP that they dropped last year is my favorite overall project from them, but Crow is the song that always keeps me coming back. Anyway, even though a lot of their music isn’t necessarily the kinda shit I can listen to and enjoy casually, I always give their releases a chance because I think they’re too interesting to not at least try out. There’s always the possibility of me coming away with at least one song that I really fuck with. I’ve always thought Kdeath was a dope rapper, even though it’s often difficult to hear what she’s actually saying over Sean Lindahl’s abrasive production. That’s still the case here. Her flow is really nice here though. The way the sample of Kanye West’s Bound 2 is incorporated is really cool too. Shoutout to Dead End Hip Hop for premiering the music video for this song by the way. That’s cool. I wonder why it’s always the artists that Myke really fucks with who get the video premieres. I know they’ve premiered videos from Sadistik in the past as well, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, this is probably gonna be the most polarizing song that I talk about in this post, but I enjoyed it and I think it’s worth checking out. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Sine Metu by Goya Gumbani featuring Sideshow produced by Bori & redlee

Goya Gumbani released a dope extended play earlier this year called A Thousand Months, but I still actually ended up liking this latest single more than I thought I would. If I’m not mistaken, he’s releasing a full project with Bori on March 10th called Steps Across the Pond, and if this song is any indication, that shit is gonna be dope. The beat kinda seems like it has a vintage West Coast R&B aesthetic to me. I can see The Game rapping over the same sample. Probably not this beat in particular, but I can imagine him getting another producer to flip it differently. The first verse from Goya Gumbani is really nice. I like his flow a lot.

Had to peep game, the pains carried on
When the lane changed the same things still let it flown
All I been through is sinful, sittin’ with my thoughts in a pencil
My grind on a tightrope, this weight ain’t a light load

I think I misquoted that second line, but I’m sure I got most of that right. I think I just got the word “flown” wrong. It’s often difficult for me to hear what a lot of these newer lofi rappers are saying, but I’m sure that’s just a personal issue. I’d never heard of this Sideshow guy before hearing this song, but he actually turned out to be really dope. I liked his verse a lot. He reminds me of Nipsey Hussle a lot. I personally wasn’t ever really a fan of Nipsey Hussle, but he had a few songs that I enjoyed. I don’t know what it is about Sideshow that reminds me of him; I think it’s his voice and delivery. I don’t know. I’m probably the only person that thought of Nipsey when I heard this shit. Whatever. This shit is dope though. Don’t sleep on it.

Keep Ya Heart by Thurz produced by JohnnyStormbeats

Another week, another great song from Thurz. I pretty much say the same thing every time he drops something. I do like this song more than the one he dropped during week 9 though. I love the production, and Thurz’s flow on this track is pretty awesome. The content isn’t exactly the kinda thing that excites me or really pulls me in, but I think he did it pretty well. It’s not my favorite song that he’s released this year, but he’s still yet to drop a dud in my opinion. Check it out and let me know what you think.

100 Bands by 070 Phi featuring Irie Child

070 Phi is an MC to whom I was introduced last year when he was featured on Mass Appeal Records’ “Starting 5” compilation, which was a quick EP showcasing five of the label’s rappers. He was one of three artists I’d never heard of, and he really stood out to me. I thought it was kind of strange how he had the same 070 moniker as 070 Shake, but I assumed it was just a coincidence. He later showed up alongside Dave East and fuckin’ Jay Electronica of all people on a song called No Hoodie, which was fire. This single in particular is for his upcoming album, My Father’s Gun, which is set to be released on the 13th of March. I checked out the track listing, and the album actually features 070 Shake, as well as another artist named 070 Bhee. Apparently there’s an entire 070 crew, which is something I was completely oblivious about. I’m gonna have to look into them… Anyway, this song thankfully did not disappoint at all. I just wish I knew who produced it. The beat is dope, and the first verse from 070 Phi is great. For a split second I was worried about the sung hook because I thought it was gonna turn into some generic poppy bullshit, but that thankfully wasn’t the case. This Irie Child dude brought a nice Caribbean tinge to the song, and he actually spit the first part of the second verse, which turned out to be really nice. I appreciate how this song actually has three full verses too. That feels more and more rare every day. The percussion dropped out for this part, so it kept things from getting stale. It’s a really polished and well made song. Check it out.

Friday, March 6th

Tundra by Zac Flewids produced by The Breed

Zac Flewids has probably released around the same amount of singles as Thurz this year. I haven’t personally been crazy about the poppier stuff, but I wouldn’t say any of them are trash. Some of it’s just not my style. This shit right here is dope though. This might actually be my favorite one so far. I really love the production, and I think his voice sounds perfect over it. The hook is catchy, and his flow is smooth as butter. I really like how his delivery gets more aggressive for the final verse too. Check this shit out. It’s dope.

Too Lost by Bishop Nehru produced by DJ Premier

Bishop Nehru is an MC I’ve been listening to ever since his collaborative album with MF DOOM as NehruvianDOOM. I feel like I’m the only person who likes that album. However, ever since that project dropped he hasn’t really been making that much noise. I never really see people talk about him anymore. It’s not like he hasn’t been releasing music, but for whatever reason they just haven’t generated that much buzz. I’m sure this upcoming project will be different though because I’ve heard that it’s gonna be executive produced by DJ Premier. I’m not sure if that’s confirmed or if it’s just a rumor, but we’ll see. Anyway, this song right here is fire. Premier’s production is pristine. Someone in the comment section pointed out that it sounds like something Dr. Dre would make for Eminem, and now I can’t unhear it. The first verse from Nehru is fire, and the hook is dope too. The Bun B samples and scratches from Premier were a great touch, and the second verse is great too. This shit is fire. Check it out and lemme know what you think.

---

This week kinda sucked for me to be honest, so I’m glad there was some good music being released to prevent it from being total ass. As always, if there was a song that came out that I haven’t written about here, it’s because I either didn’t hear it or didn’t like it. Give these tracks a listen and let me know what you think of ’em. I wanna say that this coming week will be less slow in terms of reviews, but I can’t make any promises yet. I still haven’t really gotten back into my regular groove, but I’m getting better. I’ll definitely have something up tomorrow and on Tuesday though, so I’ll see you then. Peace.