BlackLiq is an artist who has been on my radar for a couple years at this point. I first tried out the collaborative EP with Ohbliv called What Will It Take, which was good. The closing track, Rhyme, has one of my favorite beats I’ve heard from Ohbliv. That’s definitely one of my favorite BlackLiq songs. Anyway, I’ve always liked what I’ve heard from him, but it wasn’t until I heard this latest album that I became a really big fan. This shit is fire, yo. I was not expecting to enjoy this project nearly as much as I do. I’ve been aware of Dub Sonata for maybe two or three years, but I didn’t start listening to him until this year. The Animal Barz EP with Nejma Nefertiti & Double A.B. is pretty solid. This shit right here is highly superior though. There’s not a single beat on this album that isn’t dope. This is traditional boom-bap production at its best.

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The album begins with one of the hardest songs in the tracklist, Mistaken. The instrumental has kind of a suspenseful vibe to it, which is really cool. I really appreciate how Dub Sonata is able to make traditional boom bap instrumentals that don’t feel too stale, dry, generic, etc. Anyway, the opening verse from BlackLiq is really nice. He has kind of a gruff voice that fits over this production style really well. The closest comparison I can think of right now is miles cooke. As much as I enjoyed the first verse, I have to say that the second verse is where he really got busy.

I flip writer's block like Tetris, fuck metrics
It's all about the process, my dots ain't connected
Dope fiend injection, I don't use protection
Send out raw vocals when I'm done with session
Live—I'm in person, verse after verses
Work, but I'm worth it, so I fuck with purpose
Black don't get nervous, Black just get busy
Third person word it 'cause this shit is in me
Dub, if I send another text
It means that I'm depressed
My stomach is upset
It ain't over til I'm under, and numb from the hunger
Dumb, I go dumber, I've got your phone number

His flow is so cold on this verse, man. I love it. It’s the voice too. I feel like his vocal delivery really elevates things. The song’s dope as hell overall.

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Track 4 is a single called People Person. It features Slug, who is of course one of my favorite rappers of all time, so I was very excited to hear it. Thankfully, Slug sounds pretty awesome over Dub’s production. It’s always interesting to hear him over something other than an Ant beat. I don’t think Dub Sonata’s production is completely dissimilar to that of Ant in general, so this was a really nice fit. This song also has one of the best beats on the album. It’s a really fun, kind of woozy instrumental that makes me feel like I’m in a cartoon.

Sometimes I walk around with the posture of a clown
But I acknowledge that I'm blessed to be on top of the ground
Sometimes I roll around with the glass rolled down
To keep some background of traffic in the overall sound

I do think that one more verse from BlackLiq at the end of the song could’ve pushed this even further to the next level, but the song’s fire as it is. I love it.

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The following track is called Gun Metal Black. This is yet another one of the hardest tracks on the album. The instrumental here kinda reminds me of The Dream Shatterer by Big Pun. It has a slightly different vibe though. BlackLiq slaughtered the opening verse on this track. This line in particular is one of my favorites on the whole album.

I am not a nice guy
I ain't Harvey Weinstein, but my book has a spine
My tongue is never tied, all my knots are locked inside
I'd turn water into steam if I went and got baptized

I lowkey wish I was recording my reaction the first time I heard him say that because it was quite animated. I live for moments like that. Hearing a line like that for the first time is one of my favorite things about music. Anyway, this whole track is dope as hell. I think it’s fire.

Traumatized is easily one of my favorites on this project. As anyone could guess from the title, it’s one of the darker tracks on the album. I still don’t even know if I would say it’s the number one darkest on the project though. Anyway, each verse is a story about a traumatic experience that BlackLiq went through. I really love how each story ends really abruptly right at the climax. It makes for kind of a striking listening experience. With all that said, my favorite thing about this song is honestly just the hook. This song has one of the best hooks I’ve heard all year.

The T is for the things that you thought you forgot
The R is for the reasons that you are, but think you're not
The A is for the actions, not accountability
U for understanding no one ever gives you willingly
M for mistakes that you make, repeatedly
A is for the effort just to keep it all together, see
Try to keep in mind, you got yours and I got mine
The only thing that I know is that we are all traumatized

It’s not only the lyrics, but the way the instrumental kinda switches up for this part as well. I love it. As far as the verses go, the final one is definitely my favorite. I think it wraps things up really nicely. The song’s incredible honestly.

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Track 7 is called Falling Down, and it’s another one of the heaviest songs here from a lyrical standpoint. Well, it’s not necessarily the most emotional in tone, but the subject matter just portrays an incredibly emotionally stressful set of circumstances. The whole track is pretty much about taking care of his sick mother, which is just gut-wrenching stuff. BlackLiq gets super personal here.

First we feed the cats, then we do the blood pressure
Then the wound care, I might even wash her hair
I never wanted kids, now my daughter is my parent
And my father keep on calling 'cause he lonely and embarrassed
And he mad he still in prison, say he innocent of murder
But he damn sure killed his marriage, I won't speak on this no further

Y’all already know I always appreciate any artist that puts their entire soul into their music, and this track sounds like blood, sweat, and tears. I think it’s fire.

Rockwood is probably my favorite song on the album to be completely honest. I think it has my favorite beat on the album. The instrumental alone holds more emotion in it than most artists’ albums. It’s the perfect backdrop for BlackLiq to get sentimental. The closing verse is my favorite part of the song. This is the point where BlackLiq gets more personal about his relationship with his father and his father’s harmful behavior.

Less and less you'd be at home, less and less I'd tend to care
Some relationships get damaged to the point beyond repair
As a young adult my only goal was bein' self aware
That's the reason why, at the top, I'd cut my hair
Pops got fired from his job, the first time I'd ever seen him scared
He told me that God does not exist
I said, "bein' unemployed ain't a reason you should quit"
By this time I have moved out, and my brother moved back in
I got the call while I was at work
Police had the searched the crib, they said my pops committed murder
My mom lost her house, my mom lost her spouse
I had to help her move, I ain't know what else to do

Got. Damn. That is some heavy shit. I love it. The song’s fucking amazing to me.

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The following song is called Me Too, and it was my favorite track on my first listen of the album. It has another super emotional-sounding beat that I really love. This song also has another one of my favorite hooks on the album. This might be the best one.

If you feelin' like nobody cares
No matter what, man, life isn't fair
Well, I'ma tell ya, "me too"
I'ma tell ya, "me too"
And if you feelin like you're all alone
Nothin' to do, but stare at your phone
Well, I'ma tell ya, "me too"
I'ma tell ya, "me too"

This could really be my favorite song on the album depending on my mood. I think it’s phenomenal.

The title track, Much Given, Much Tested, completes the trifecta of the hardest songs on the album alongside the opener and Gun Metal Black. The beat itself is pretty good, although it doesn’t stand out as much as some of the others on this project. The opening verse from BlackLiq is very good too. That final verse though??? Bruh… He slaughtered this shit. The way that verse ends is fucking crazy too. I don’t wanna spoil it, so I’m not gonna transcribe it here. That’s one of the best verses on the album though. I love the way his vocal delivery sounds so aggressive. It’s fire. The song’s dope as hell.

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The penultimate track is called Success, and it features Noah-O & Evening Elevator. I really love the piano-driven instrumental on this track, although it does sound slightly melodramatic at points. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. BlackLiq’s flow on the opening verse is really excellent. It sounds especially great due to the manner in which the instrumental builds up on this track. The second verse from Noah-O is really fantastic as well. I’m not familiar with this MC, but his flow and rhymes sounded really polished.

This world will judge you for lack of the revenue made
Guns that you bang or the set that you claim
Opps that you roll like a medical strain
Ignoring that check, and I leveled and gained
Mind on my biz, elevated my game
Profiting prodders, my message the same
They gossip and pop shit, they toxic and lame
It's me versus me 'cause I don't see a thing

I didn’t even notice that there were background vocals the first time I heard this song, but they do sound very good. I really dig this track. It’s fire.

The closing track is called The Ride, and it’s another strong contender for the best song on the album in my opinion. It easily has the softest, most lush, heavenly-sounding instrumental. It’s quite jazzy as well. This song has another one of the better hooks on the album. I already know it’s gonna go crazy at live shows. BlackLiq comes off like a very down-to-Earth artist all over this album, but especially on this track. The lyricism and subject matter is incredibly personal and honest. I really appreciate this kinda stuff, and I think it wraps the album up perfectly. This song is superb.

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^{I’m gonna be honest. I think this album is amazing. This is easily the best project I’ve ever heard from BlackLiq, and it makes me wanna check out even more work from Dub Sonata. In fact, it actually inspired me to revisit BlackLiq’s preceding album, and I’m enjoying it even more now than I initially did. I really don’t have any consistent gripes with this project. The production? Flames. The features? Fuego. The lyrical content? Boiling hot fire. They knocked this record outta the park. I’m mad at myself for not getting to it sooner and missing out on a physical copy. I love this album for a lot of the same reasons I love my favorite Atmosphere music, so Slug was a very fitting guest feature. BlackLiq absolutely bared his soul throughout this record, which I always love from any artist. This shit is excellent. Give it a listen and let me know what you think of it in the comment section below. I think it’s a top 3 album of 2025 for me. ✌🏽}

Favorite Song: Rockwood
Least Favorite Song: 10 Black Commandments