NOTE: PATREON SUPPORTERS RECEIVED ACCESS TO THIS REVIEW ON AUGUST 16TH, 2024.

This album was released on August 16th this year. I recently wrote about Ilajide’s collaborative EP with Mic Phelps, Chief, which was really great, and easily one of my favorite projects of the year so far. I knew this album here was coming, and I wanted to make sure I covered the EP before getting to this one. Anyway, I think I first became familiar with Def Dee when he produced Noveliss’ Metal Face Hokage EP a few years ago. I enjoyed that project, so I was looking forward to seeing what he was making these days. Thankfully the album did not disappoint.

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The album begins with Trippin’, which was released as a single several months ago.

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I actually think the production from Def Dee on this track is amazing. It’s really melodic and kind of aquatic-sounding. I love it. The opening verse from Ilajide is of course fantastic.

Smell like mango when it's mixed with some cantaloupe
Sorry, baby, we can't elope, did it too many times before
Marketing things, make the money from a camera phone
Irish Spring clean bling, she love it when I'm smilin' though

I really love the hook on this track too. It’s straightforward in the best way possible. I love Ilajide’s flow on the second verse too. I think he sounds even better on the second verse than on the first one to be honest. It’s a really chill, yet fun song. I actually really like the way the song ends too. It makes the song work even better as an intro in my opinion. This track had me really excited to listen to the rest of the project. I think it’s dope as hell. Track 2 is called Live from Jump, and it was originally released in May of 2023.

I really love the beat on this track. This shit is so goddamn smooth. It sounds so good. Ilajide’s flow here is stellar as always.

Crew be on the loosey, so I'm solo with the groovy
Who lit up the doobie? Passed it to me, now I'm loopy
Vertigo like uzi, fallin' loosely in some movies
Man, the rupees make you "ooh la la" like Fugees
Let's see, Ilaji-Def Dee
Okay, ready to put the beat on ice like Wayne Gretzky
Slide over the V, and women don't correct me
I guess you niggas do it incorrectly

I think I probably misquoted a couple of those lines, but it is what it is. The hook on this one isn’t really that memorable to me, but it serves its purpose as a break between the two verses well enough. The main appeal of this song for me is Ilajide’s flow. I really love the way he starts the second verse.

Mr. Wonderland, please just spit another jam
That make me undertaker like Stone Cold at SummerSlam
Intercontinental 'cause the recipe in pencil
Sizzle up your mental then exfoliate your pimples 

He killed this track. It’s really dope. The following song is called More Bling. This one features a familiar sample from an iconic Hip Hop song. To be honest, it kinda makes me just wanna go back to the original song. This version is definitely very good too, but nothing could ever replace the original. With that said, Ilajide’s flow and voice is very different from that of the original artist, so this definitely has its own vibe. I generally am not really a fan of when artists use classic samples like this unless it’s a super unique spin on the original song. This song isn’t really that different from the original, but I still think it’s very solid overall. Track 4 is called Scam Jam, and it features Boog Brown. This is one of my favorites on the album. I absolutely adore the funky, danceable production on this track. Ilajide fits over it perfectly. I know of Boog Brown and know that she’s a very respected MC, but I personally have not spent enough time with her catalogue to really have a strong opinion of her work. However, I really loved her performance on this track. Her flow was excellent. She just sounded really great alongside Ilajide here.

I ain't chasin' no waterfalls with all the balls in my court
When all along I been on; the talk, I'm almost involved
It don't always go how you want
Lack'll have you actin' like you mama didn't raise you right
Who has the kinda time to rewind divine lines?
My prescription never seem to fit the vision
Been on a different type of mission
Collectin' every penny when we found a route around
That funny money, straight into the sweet spot, honey

This definitely makes me wanna go check out more of her work because she killed this track. They both sounded great over this instrumental. The song’s dope as hell. Track 5 is called Back Up, and it has a really excellent piano-driven beat that I love.

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This song feels like quintessential Ilajide music. This is him in his element. This is just super fun music that would be the perfect soundtrack for a cookout. The beat just makes you wanna move, and Ilajide’s flow is amazing over it. The hook is fantastic as well.

Everybody in here know me
It's all love, but I still hate police
Smoke one up for the dead homies
Back up, back up, back up, back up

This is like my favorite kind of song from Ilajide. I can’t wait to have this on in the background as I’m getting high as fuck with my friends. It’s so fun. It honestly grew on me even more and more as I spent more time with it. I think it’s dope as fuck. Track 6 is called Send ‘Em In, and it’s another highlight for me. I absolutely love the melodic production on this one. It kinda reminds me of a more upbeat version of something that could’ve appeared on Kooley High’s Lazy Sunday EP. This is one of my favorite beats on the album to be honest. I love it. It’s the type of beat that’s so good that I would love and listen to it even without vocals. Ilajide sounds amazing over it too, and the lyricism was pretty interesting. The way he went in about the kinda manipulative, exploitative nature of internet algorithms was really cool.

Here's my new step, call it uno, dos
Got you out the bar to order up a Jack & Coke
You're breakin' out the leaf to roll because we gon' smoke
We got a lot of shit to cover, hope you takin' them notes
All this programmin' got you livin' a hoax
Abstract, your metadata and they sellin' for most
The higher bidder winnin' every single thought that you wrote
They figure how to mark a product on the screen you pay for
Ads ain't new, I know they did it before
But this is different, they listenin' behind closed doors
Say you need something, then they hit it right on the nose
See how to knock off your field like Attack of the Clones

His flow is also top notch as always, and I even like the hook on this track. It’s fire. The following track is yet another highlight called Don’t Touch My Hair. The title is a very accurate indication of this song’s subject matter. I love it. In a broad sense, you could say this song is about micro-aggressions. The subject of this song in particular is a very specific micro-aggression that black people deal with from a lot of nonblack people—mostly white people. I’d say it’s definitely one of the most egregious examples of a micro-aggression. Ilajide does a fantastic job of explaining how disrespectful it is in his verses here.

Touchin' my hair is like stepping onto some brand new
All white Air Force 1s, now I got attitude
Bein' in my presence alone should be enough for you
Duck with me, it's a W like double V, so come on through
Just follow all my directions like I'm in front of you
Navigatin' you back to the places where you gon' double too
Playstation and weed, I'm finna set the mood
What you thought we was 'bout to do? Grab a stick or roll a doob'

This might actually be the best song on the album to be honest. I loved it the first time I heard it, but as I returned to it more and more, it grew on me even further. Not only is the lyrical content a big part of the appeal for me, but also the jazzy production. That horn that permeates the song just sounds so good. I really love this song. Track 8 is called Did What You Do?, and I guess this is technically the final song on the project unless you count the bonus track. I think it’s fire. Of course the smooth, chill production from Def Dee is really great, and I love the kind of lackadaisical vocal performance on the hook. The melody itself is nice too. I also really appreciated the lyrical content in which he’s kind of doing some self reflection.

I done done a lot of healing
Can't blame my ex for how I treat women
Look up on the inside, my eyes are spilling
All the habits, I drug 'em in, and they was with it
I thought that I could quit it, or maybe I could switch it
And for a long time I didn't see a problem with it
But now I went and did it, all the damage done caught up
I done caused this outcome, why am I getting riled up?

Ilajide is much more self aware, realistic, and honest about this topic than most rappers. It was refreshing to hear a more mature perspective. I love it. The final track is the (Def Dee Mix) of Back Up. The instrumental here is slightly altered, and there’s an additional verse from Def Dee himself, which is pretty cool. The beat is slightly slowed down, and it kinda feels like a live version of the original track. Honestly, I actually like this version of the song too. The original song is my preference, but I’m glad this one was included as well. It’s really dope.

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^{This album is fire. I really have no complaints. There was one track that I didn’t love as much as others, but even that song was pretty good. I think one of the many things I appreciate about Ilajide is the accessibility. I feel like I can play this in any setting, and chances are people are gonna fuck with it. It just sounds like the soundtrack to a good ass time. This is the type of shit you play when you’re having a blast with friends. I guess people who are only into dark and grim shit won’t love this as much as I do, but I’m at a point in life where I’ll take all the fun and joy that I can. I live for shit like this. Ilajide flowed at an elite level throughout this entire project, and I also really dug the more topical tracks such as Don’t Touch My Hair & Did What You Do? Don’t sleep on this one. It’s dope as hell.}

Favorite Song: Don’t Touch My Hair
Least Favorite Song: More Bling

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