This album was released on May 1st this year. Ever since I first heard Chow’s production on Jay Cinema’s Alchemy album from last year, he’s been one of the most exciting newer artists to me. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorite current producers. I loved his Pisces album from last year, and I think this new one is even better. It was released by EveryDejaVu, which is a label I’ve also been becoming a fan of in the past year. There are 15 tracks on this album, and it’s about 33 minutes long. It’s the perfect length in my opinion. Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve done a full review for a whole album, so I decided to get back into it with this project.

The album begins with the title track, Seeker of Knowledge, which for the most part is an instrumental. There are some clips of people speaking throughout the track to kinda help the listener have something to focus on while the music bleeds through. The beat is really heavy—it makes me envision a blot of ink being dropped into a glass of clean water in slow motion. As soon as this album started I was hooked by the production. I think this beat is awesome.

Track 2 is a highlight called Marching to the Drum, and it’s produced by shemar, who has basically become my favorite new school producer. Chow himself is right there alongside him though. They’re both top 5 producers right now to me. shemar’s production kinda sounds like a large audible mural. The scattered drums don’t really lend themselves to a traditional rhythm; this isn’t really the type of music to which I can nod my head. It sounds amazing though to be honest. There’s a sense of melancholy and thoughtfulness that’s evoked solely through the instrumental, which is really fantastic to me. The way Chow’s vocals are recorded makes it a little difficult to decipher what’s being said, but it still sounds really great. I think it’s his voice. He has a good voice for rapping. I’ve noticed that lately I’ve been gravitating towards MCs who sound kinda monotone and reserved when they’re spitting. The first verse was dope, but I like the second one even more.

It’s almost like we running to the moon
Cows jumping through they sacred hoops
Shit be fucking with me…
At least this zip’ll cost a hunnid fifty
Back to back piff burning, eyes be getting shifty
Paranoia smackin', got 'em looking like Pouya
Soya gonna kill us all, all because the ruler
I aint talking slick, blood rushin' to medullas
I ain’t gangster, but I grew up with a couple shooters

I also really appreciate how there’s a fleshed out song structure here. The hook is pretty nice. This is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. I think it’s incredible to be honest.

The following track is a self-produced song called Thru Tears. Once again, the production is pretty awesome. This one has a funky, yet chill sample-based instrumental, and Chow’s flow over it is relatively fast paced. Just like with the preceding track, the lyrics are kinda difficult to make out due to the way they’re recorded. I can only really understand one line at a time. The stuff I can hear sounds really cool though. It’s a really dope song.

It’s followed by Fog Brain, which is produced by dj noonsomewhere. I love how chaotic and jumbled this beat sounds. The drums are all over the place, and it just sounds like a beautiful mess. It’s definitely gonna be an acquired taste for casual listeners, but I love it personally. The lyrical content about the negative effect of marijuana was really dope to me. I quit smoking this year, but I struggled with hardcore marijuana addiction for years, so I knew exactly what he was talking about here.

Double O's get burnt in a week
Seven grams a sesh, I can feel it in my feet
Fog brain, I can't even fuckin' think
Wise man, a couple trips around the sun made me learn who I was
Everlasting change came and went
Sent back the sentence keep fighting 'til I'm dead
Trained the brain to stay sane, tunnel vision, grainy thoughts when I'm home
I be in my zone like I said on [?] so leave me alone

I may have misquoted some of those lines, but I did my best to transcribe them as accurately as I could. I think the production fits really well with the title and theme of the song. It sounds like musical brain fog in the best way possible. It’s like audible confusion. I love the song.

Track 5 is another self produced song called Greedy. The beat here makes me think of the Casino Park level from Sonic Heroes for some reason. It sounds like a pinball machine in the form of music. The electric guitar that comes in briefly towards the end sounds pretty awesome too. The verse begins with Chow rapping about how he’s greedy with his own beats, which he hates selling. I’d be the same way if I could make beats as good as these. The lofi, yet bright and shiny textures on this song are really cool. I still struggled to make out a lot of what was being said, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the track too much. I think it’s really dope.

Track 6 is called Stay Ahead, and it’s produced by shemar. Again, the production here is pretty awesome. I feel like if it was pitch-shifted down a few semitones it would sound scary as hell. It has a very emotional, dramatic tone to it. It makes me think of a full moon. I would definitely consider this another highlight, even though it was still super difficult to make out what was being said.

Shootin' shots in the dark, ricocheting through your ear
Listen up, all my life being told I'm a better man
And I try, made mistakes in those other eyes
Vibes is on the increase, just tryna get by

It sounds like he’s rapping to me at the end of a long hallway. The rapping is gonna be an acquired taste to people who aren’t accustomed to lofi sounds. I like it a lot though. I think this track is awesome.

The following song is another major highlight called Up All Night. Chow’s production on this one is pretty incredible. The guitar loop and vocal sample sound glorious. There’s just one verse on this track, but it’s pretty nice.

You just another number bro, rollin' with the punches
Sucker smacked, burning sensation feeling potent
Coldest jabs, filling mouths with the cash
Magazine clips wizzing by your feet
100 miles n' running, pack fast, lose the heat
Funneling the stash, saving up with every beat
Creeps on the internet wannabe aristocrats
Just as broke as me, but be sucking million dollar dicks
Tunnel vision all they see, the world is burning hot
We missing more trees, shit is deep, shit is deep
Don’t run, lackluster lives n' they seep
Lackluster alligator cries
24/7 always fried, 2020 I shoulda died
24, I’m alright, but now I’m focused on the prize

The hook is very straightforward, but it works really well. There’s really nothing about this song that I don’t like. It’s easily one of my favorites on the project. It’s definitely top 3 for me. I think it’s magnificent.

The next song is an instrumental track entitled She’s Got. I don’t have many thoughts on this one because it’s far from a highlight for me, although I definitely do enjoy it overall. I just think I would probably be more into it if it featured someone rapping. It’s interesting because I generally am more impressed by Chow’s production than his rapping, but I feel like this song would feel more complete with a vocal performance. With that said, the sample he chopped here is pretty fire. It’s definitely a really good song; it’s just not one of my favorites.

Track 9 is called Antardasha, and it’s got another really nice sample-based instrumental. This is gonna be a really on the nose comparison, but it kinda sounds like a 2010s-era DJ Blackpower beat to me. It has a slight Vaporwave vibe in my opinion. I generally dislike Vaporwave, but this instrumental is pretty nice to me. Chow’s vocals seem to be more clear on this track than they are on others.

Although sticks and stones'll never break my bones
The pressure's here, felt my people near
Chillin' deep inside, no fear
I've already travelled several routes
Dabbled and hassled, trapped inside my mind a lot
He lost his sight, I match his energy despite the consequences concerned
Of my future and my presence, what is near
Four beers clink inside this room of tears
Child me lookin' up and think I'm here
Shit, I used to do it for the people who really never cared
I found my path and I'm certain, workin' 'til I get it faster than most
'Cause luck was on my side since they took my mother at birth
The cord was 'round my neck growin' up, never knowin' what was next

I don’t think he rhymes super intricately on a technical level or anything, but his voice and delivery just sound very good to me, and I enjoy the heartfelt lyricism. The song’s really dope.

Track 10 is another highlight called I Understand. I think this was my favorite track on the album the first time I listened to it. It definitely has one of the best instrumentals on the project in my opinion. The beat is phenomenal. As far as song structure goes, Chow’s just spitting one long verse here with nothing else really going on. I think a hook or some kind of refrain could’ve elevated things even further, but it’s still an excellent song as it is.

Truly exemplifying my own pen
Fled from my home, so-called friends probably think I’m dead
That’s how low-key I keep it
Hate when noseys be in my business
Moseying along, Allah please forgive my wrongs
We focused, right? Since high school
Mentally stronger praises turnt into a song, why this life so trife
Prodigies of history they gonna remember the name
Chowy Mein who you know
My people know my rays, auras
Ancient text Torahs that never changed once
And stayed true to these many men who wanna call us fools
Head up the ass, no thoughts behind the glass
Ya’ll be stuck in the same spot and expect to be great at class

I think it’s an awesome song, despite no longer being my number one favorite track.

The following song is called Take It Personal, and it features more great production from shemar. The vocal sample sounds a little creepy to me, but the instrumental still somehow feels kind of upbeat. I think it’s because of the trudging drum pattern. I don’t really love Chow’s flow on this track, but some of the lyrics stood out as being pretty cool.

Never bite the hand that feed you, unclenchin' the fist
See through the bull horns, curve shit, crack a skull
Molds making constellations, gods in the faces
Lately I've been in my solitude
Tiny dot like a molecule
Sluggish through the machine
Meat grinder, man, this life is mean

I feel like I probably wouldn’t enjoy this song that much outside of the context of the full album. I’d probably be like, “what is he yappin’ about?” It fits into the rest of the project really well though. It’s definitely not a highlight for me, but I do still enjoy it a lot. I think it’s dope.

Track 12 is another shemar-produced song called Can’t Save ‘Em All. The instrumental here is really pretty. It sounds like a beautiful garden. It’s like a light yellow-green color in the form of music. I love it. I like the hook on this track a lot despite its simplicity, and I really dig the verse even though it’s still difficult to decipher what’s being said. The ad-libs blend in with the verse in a way that kinda makes it hard to hear the lyrics. It sounds really cool though. This track actually grew on me a lot, and I’d now consider it a highlight on the album for me.

The next song is a self produced highlight called My Mind. The vocal sample sounds fantastic, and I really dug the verse from Chow. Again, it’s still hard to decipher a lot of what’s being said just because of the lofi manner in which the vocals are recorded. However, the bits and pieces that I can make out are really cool.

Who would've thought I'd cut off every single person known to mankind
Only a few deserve my energy
The rest are to the curb, just say the word
Gettin' beat [?] seventy
Remedy's prayin', generally speakin'
Father's lessons, growin' older, gettin' better, makin' reasons

The song ends with a jab at Jay-Z, which is a little random albeit ballsy. This is another track that grew on me heavily with repeated listens of the album. It’s one of my favorites now. I think it’s awesome.

The penultimate track is a major highlight called Love Is Never Sure. The sample he chopped here sounds pretty amazing. This might be the number one best song on the album to be honest. The way the drums come in towards the end is euphoric. This beat is phenomenal. It’s definitely one of the best I’ve heard all year. I also really like the way this song is structured. Chow’s faint vocals sound really nice, and I love the verse. The drum break that comes in towards the end of the song really feels like the climax of the whole album to be honest. This is one of the longest tracks on the album, and it feels like one of the most fulfilling songs here. I think it’s incredible.

The closing track is called Right Tools, and it has two features from Jadooks & Toki. I really love the warm production on this song; it sounds like a calm morning on a sunny day. The opening verse from Chow is pretty nice, and I really enjoyed Jadooks’ performance as well. Jadooks was featured on Chow’s Pisces album, but I’m not really familiar with them outside of that project. Toki spits what’s probably the catchiest flow on the whole album at the end of this track. The features’ vocals are pretty much just as difficult to understand as those of Chow, but I still enjoyed them a lot. The song’s really great.

^{This album is pretty awesome. As far as lofi Hip Hop goes, it doesn’t get much better than this in my opinion. I think these are some of the best beats I’ve heard in a long time, and Chow’s steady, monotone yet heartfelt flows sound great over them. This definitely isn’t a super accessible record; it’s gonna be hard for casual listeners to get into it due to the unique approach to vocal mixing. It sounds like there are multiple vocal tracks layered on top of each other, kinda like on some of those older anticon. releases. The kind of esoteric, spiritual lyricism is really cool. The main thing that sells me on this record is just the outstanding production quality though. These beats are so awesome to me. I love it. As of April 24th, it’s my favorite album of 2025 so far. Give this project a listen and let me know what you think. Is it as awesome as I think it is, or am I glazing? You be the judge—hit me in the comments.}

Favorite Song: Love Is Never Sure
Least Favorite Song: She’s Got