This album was released on April 4th this year. Pro Zay is an MC with whom I first became familiar in 2020 when he dropped his collaborative album with Timepiece, ALLEY MUZIK. I was a really big fan of that record, so I’ve been following him ever since. I’m mainly familiar with Ed Glorious through his work Teller Bank$, but his album with Sleep Sinatra was great too. With that said, I wouldn’t have expected him and Pro Zay to work together. I just wouldn’t have ever thought to put such a grimy rapper over Ed’s smooth, soulful production style. This collaboration thankfully really worked though.

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The opening song is entitled GUTTA, and it’s just an instrumental intro. The beat itself is very good though. I honestly would’ve liked to hear someone rap over it, but I’m not gonna pretend to be super disappointed that it’s just an intro. It’s a dope start to the album. The following track is called SHAVIN’ OFF, and it features DøøFus. This track’s got one of the hardest beats I’ve ever heard from Ed Glorious to be honest. I think it fits Pro Zay perfectly, and he killed this shit.

Bring me 3 bands, I can get you out the stands
Flame to the pan, watch it expand, they smoke outta cans
Full stance, hidin' they pupil with bummy Ray Bans
Had my pupil keep watch, made him understand
Handle your shit like a man
All by my dolo I get this dirt on my hands

As always, his vocal delivery is super raspy and angry-sounding. I enjoyed the second verse from Døøf, but I feel like I would appreciate his performance more if I was more familiar with his solo work. I’ve never listened to a project from him, so I don’t have the best idea of him as an artist. Pretty much every verse I’ve heard from him has been enjoyable to an extent, but none of them really blew me away. I don’t want it to come off like I’m shitting on Døøf though. I like his verse here. It’s just that he hasn’t really clicked for me like a lot of the artists I’ve heard him working with have. It took me a while to get into some of my favorite artists now though, so that’s definitely not a knock against him. Anyway, I think the song is really dope overall. It’s followed by GLORY, which features an artist with whom I was previously unfamiliar named Mike Melinoe. I think the production from Ed Glorious on this track is pretty awesome honestly. It doesn’t sound very RZA-esque to me at all, but for whatever reason I just feel like Ghostface & Raekwon would sound perfect over it. Pro Zay killed the first verse.

College fair, ain't never went there, they was plottin' degrees
We was baggin' trees, sellin' E pills, made more sense to me
How you talk loyalty, then rob your homie and flee?
He wanted some get back, he told him "go without me"
Man, please, you 'bout as sturdy as a bitch with knocked knees
There's glory in the gutter, silver lines you can't see

The hook is pretty straightforward, and the final verse from Mike Melinoe is really nice. I can’t decide whether I think this song is better than the preceding track or not. I think I prefer the preceding instrumental, but I like the rapping on this track more. They’re both really dope songs though. Track 4 is called NOTHIN’, and it’s definitely a major highlight for me on this album. I really love the somber, mellow production from Ed Glorious, and the lyrical content matches the tone of the instrumental pretty well in my opinion. I love everything about this song to be honest. The production is fire, the hook is really great, and the verse is fantastic. The way he was rapping about his rough upbringing had me hooked.

Mama hugged the bottle, uncle shootin' up in the back
Pops couldn't be bothered, he was tryna get the bag
Childhood was robbed, the kid inside me vindictive
I ain't get no calls from home, but I got powder & chickens

I have no issues with this song at all. I think it’s dope af. It’s followed by SOMEDAY. I think it’s really cool how this more celebratory-sounding instrumental comes right after such a sobering track. The production is fire. The hook is pretty good, and the verses are really great.

I was movin’ the packs like Silk Road, fuck you mean?
If I knew about bitcoin you think I’d be pushin’ sleep?
Me and the homies got big toys extended with the beam
You think I’m dumb, kid? Nowadays nerds got the stings

I think I misquoted that last line, but it is what it is. That Han Solo reference in the second verse was real nice. Anyway, this song actually grew on me as I listened to it more. I like it even more now than I originally did. I think it’s dope as hell. It’s followed by yet another highlight called JUS STOP. Ed Glorious’ production on this track is fucking amazing. I love this beat so much. This track’s got a great hook as well. There’s only one verse on this track, but it’s very good.

Spittin' poison like I'm chewin' looseleaf
You move like a groupie
The rest of y'all 2 piece
Extra fries, you lookin' like some food, G

I mainly enjoy this song for the production in all honesty, but Pro Zay definitely did it justice. Much like the preceding track, this song grew on me even more after repeat listens. I think it’s dope as hell. Track 7 is called THIS SIDE OF ME, which has another great, soulful instrumental. Once again, there’s just one verse from Pro Zay on this track, but it’s very good. There’s not really anything about this song that I don’t like. It’s not necessarily one of my favorites on the album, but I definitely think it’s dope. The production and rapping are really good. It’s followed by JADED, which features an artist named Tony Tone. He was featured on ALLEY MUZIK, but that’s the only other time I’ve heard him rap. He did a great job on the opening verse of this song though. I think he sounded really good. I actually think this track has one of Pro Zay’s best verses on the album. He was rhyming his ass off.

Bitch, I'm jaded, fuck famous, flavor something cajun
Anguish on the fiends faces when we switchin' the location
Patient, pacin', racin' thoughts, think I need a vacation
Case in place & vacant, ain't no witness makin' statements
Blatant shakin' open bags, you'd think I'm workin' sanitation

He killed this shit. The song is really dope. It’s followed by a major highlight entitled RUTHLESS. I’m gonna be honest… This is the hardest song I’ve heard all year. I love the dark production here, and Teller Bank$ absolutely slaughtered that opening verse. That’s definitely one of the hardest verses I’ve heard all year. I love the way Pro Zay comes in right behind him too. I wish y’all could’ve seen my reaction to the hook.

See the difference is, if you was me you would've got it yourself
See the difference is, if I was you I would kill myself

This is definitely another one of my favorite tracks on the album. Again, this shit is harder than bricks. I think it’s dope af. It’s followed by another highlight entitled PEDDLIN’ BACKHANDS. This one features Blass 89, who spit another one of my favorite verses on the album.

Add insult to injury, I'm the company that killed misery, feelin' me
Mostly real, the fake ones do nothin' but help me make funds
He feedin' me fuel while I'm off the butane
It could all be Heaven, but Hell is where my crew hang, they resemble Wu-Tang
Don't care what you got, will take everything, even the loose change

I love the way he ended it too. That was fire. Pro Zay had a really nice flow on the second verse as well. I even like the hook on this track. The beat doesn’t really stand out to me that much in all honesty, but it’s definitely good. It’s just not the main appeal of the song for me. The rapping is too good for this to not be a highlight. I think the song’s dope as hell. The penultimate track is entitled ALL THIS WAY. This song didn’t really stand out as much as some of the others to me on my first listen, but it grew on me when I returned to it. The production is fire. I could see someone like Planet Asia killing this beat for sure. I think this song’s got a really good hook too. The actual verses on this track are really short, but I definitely like them. This still isn’t really a highlight for me on the album, but I definitely like it. I think it’s a good song. The closing track is a highlight entitled MY WORD (ODE TO ACE). This is definitely one of the most emotional tracks on the album, if not the number one most emotional track. The production from Ed is phenomenal, and the lyrical content is very heartfelt. I love the hook on this song too.

Off the front porch, pistol and all
My mans never made it to the back door, they gettin' withdrawals
He gave me his word, "we gon' make it happen"
Now he ain't say a word, he stuck in a casket

I think this was a great way to close the album honestly. Again, it’s one of the better songs on the album in my opinion. I think it’s dope as hell.

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^{This is honestly one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. There’s not a single track here that I don’t like. As I said in the preamble of this review, I never would’ve expected these two guys to work with each other, but they really clicked in my opinion. When it comes down to it, this project just delivers great rapping over some fire instrumentals. I feel like Pro Zay’s over the top vocal delivery is probably an acquired taste, but it just works super well with the hard lyrical content in my opinion. This is definitely one of my favorite projects that I’ve heard from Pro Zay. I don’t have any consistent gripes with it. All of the features came through with great performances, and Ed killed it on the production. This shit is fire. Don’t sleep on it. It’s dope as hell.}

Favorite Song: NOTHIN’
Least Favorite Song: ALL THIS WAY

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