Review: "The Starting 5" EP by Black-I

It’s hard to believe that “The Starting 5” is Black-I’s debut project. The Dallas based rap duo comprised of The Black Depths and Ike-Q sounds as though they’ve been rapping together since childhood. The way they rap back and forth with each other and feed off each other’s energy can be likened to Eminem & Royce Da 5’9” on the “Bad Meets Evil” album or Tyler the Creator and A$AP Rocky on the track “Potato Salad”.

Rap duos can be hard to pull off. It typically isn’t because of lack of talent, but lack of chemistry. It tends to take a lot of hard work for two artists to come together and sound comfortable spitting together (especially if the two haven’t know each other for long). These two make it sound easy. When done right, two can almost sound like one perfectly synced entity. The Black Depths and Ike-Q have accomplished this, and it is only their first attempt.

As the title hints, this EP revolves around the themes of sports and athletes while at the same time speaking about serious topics such as drug usage, mental health and the struggles of poverty. Although it’s only 5 songs, the project is packed with content.

My inner Hip-Hop nerd comes out when I hear rappers spit lyrical bars over boom-bap beats. This EP is full of it. As The Black Depths and Ike-Q take turns rapping, there is never a shortage of witty wordplay and intellectual lyricism. It’s nice to hear rappers who value these qualities in their music as opposed to just trying to chase the current trends.

My personal favorite song on the EP is “Ali’s Feet”. After a clip of Ali speaking, The Black Depths and Ike-Q go back and forth with precision comparing themselves to the legend. It’s very easy to visualize their words and the beat is dope and catchy.

Overall, this EP is a great start for Black-I. As time goes on and they develop themselves individually, their chemistry as a group will grow and their music will only improve. I look forward to hearing their first true album.

Stream and Share “The Starting 5” on Soundcloud

Review: "The Girl From Cherry Valley" Album by Jas Frank and the Intoits

Jas Frank & the Intoits is a music group based in Croatia. Their sound is direct and intuitive, with a focus on creating catchy, yet thought-provoking music. An innovative blend of different genres, their music has been influenced by diverse artists from different eras, such as Simon and Garfunkel, the Doors and Nirvana, down to RHCP and Gotye, only to mention a few.

The group blends many genres, such as pop and rock in order to create a new and unique sound. Their debut album “The Girl from Cherry Valley” is their first attempt to tear down the walls of musical clichés, explore different creative ideas and set the bar higher.

Before anything else, I need to mention how beautiful the cover art is for this album. The guitarist, next to a leafless tree, look up in the sky at the earth is very dope and creative. It intrigues me and makes me want to hear what the project is all about.

I must admit that this album is unlike anything I’ve heard in a long time (or perhaps ever). This group has really created their own unique sound that blends many popular styles together without sounding too much like any one of them. The band has a vocalist with a beautifully unique voice that is bright and clear, and the band members are obviously elite at their respective instruments.

None of the 10 tracks on the album sound the same, which is impressive. I could easily hear any of these songs in the soundtrack of a movie. They have edge, catchiness, and they evoke a myriad of emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety, confidence and love.

My personal favorite song is “In Early Morning”. It has a beat that builds and brings you in more and more as it does so. The singing is smooth and beautiful, and I love all of the instrumentation. Once again, I could picture this song playing in the score/soundtrack of a film.

Overall, I really enjoy this album and the fact that this group has accomplished what many try to, which is creating a sound that is their own.

Stream and Share “The Girl from Cherry Valley” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "While We Wait" Mixtape by Kehlani

In 2017, Kehlani released her debut album “SweetSexySavage”. While this Gold certified project helped to raise her to another level, it was her mixtapes that put her on the map. In 2014 and 2015 she released two mixtapes as an independent artist: “Cloud 19” and “You Should Be Here”. Soon after releasing her second mixtape, she signed a deal with Atlantic Records.

In late 2018, Kehlani announced to the world via Instagram that she was four months pregnant. Four more months go by and she releases the “While We Wait” mixtape to literally give us all something to do… while we wait.

Once again, Kehlani has put her greatness on display. The 9-track mixtape features her personal brand of smooth and soulful pop singing, bouncy and catchy production and relatable content. Kehlani’s ability to put relatable content into a catchy song is unparalleled. She has the ability to make her listener feel a myriad of different emotions while still making a catchy song. She can create a song that makes you want to cry and dance simultaneously.

This project has no weak songs as they’re all unique and captivating. Musiq Soulchild, 6LACK and Ty Dolla $ign each add beautiful vocals which complement Kehlani’s nicely. While singing is typically less competitive than rapping, hearing her in songs with these artists helps to prove that she can hold her own with the top men in her genre.

I personally feel that Kehlani improves with each project as she seems to add to her list of abilities. In the song “Butterfly”, she showcases her rapping ability. “Love shouldn’t be contraband, it shouldn’t trample on your confidence. Shouldn’t be seen as less than compliments” spits Kehlani.

Speaking of rapping, my personal favorite song on the project is “Nunya” featuring the rapper DOM KENNEDY. I love to hear Kehlani paired up with rappers. In fact, the first time I ever heard was when she did the song “The Way” with Chance The Rapper. “Nunya” has a beautiful beat and amazing vocal layers from Kehlani as well as a lyrical verse from KENNEDY.

It impresses me that this project is just a mixtape and that it was recorded during her pregnancy. Kehlani’s mixtapes beat out a lot of artists’ full-length albums. Overall, I really enjoyed this project, and not only will it hold me over until she has her baby, it also has me excited to hear her second full length project.

Stream and Share “While We Wait” on: Spotify and Apple Music

Review: "FATHER OF 4" Album by Offset

In 2018, the Migos announced that they would each be releasing a solo project. Quavo went first and released his album “QUAVO HUNCHO”. Next was Takeoff with his album “The Last Rocket”. Quavo’s project was a bit underwhelming and Takeoff’s project showed that he is an underrated member of the group. Now it’s Offset’s turn with his album “FATHER OF 4”.

I strongly feel that Offset is the best rapper of the three Migos and I’ve felt this for a while. Takeoff is a close second and Quavo is firmly in last; although he makes up for this with his melodic hooks. Since I already felt this way, it didn’t shock me that Offset’s album was by far the best of the group. His rapping ability makes him the one member of the Migos that I could see potentially having a solo career. This is also why Offset gets called to feature on other projects fairly often.

This album was surprising in many ways. Firstly, I was amongst the group of people who wasn’t aware that Offset has four children. Within the first track he opens up about having his first child at age 17. He goes on to name all of his children and speak on his relationships with their mothers. This was subject matter that I didn’t expect from Offset and I was pleasantly surprised he was willing to open up.

Two of the features on the album also surprised me: J. Cole and CeeLo Green. Both of them add their unique sounds to this project and help to sonically expand the album beyond the trap sound we are used to from the Migos. Cole spits his special brand of lyrical fire on “How Did I Get Here” and CeeLo adds some amazingly smooth vocals to “North Star”. Also, to no one’s surprise, Cardi B was featured on the song “Clout”, and I can honestly say that she delivers one of my favorite verses on the entire project.

This album is full of bangers, as expected, but it also has its fair share of deep content. Critics of today’s rap dislike that many rappers seem to only speak about partying and money while they fail to put out any content of substance. Offset proved to me that he has the ability to switch things up if he wants (keyword: wants).

Overall, this album was good and has solidified Offset as my personal favorite member of the Migos. The main negatives are the cover art, which was clearly photoshopped (unfortunately it doesn’t appear that Offset was able to get all of his kids in the same room), and I personally think a couple of songs could’ve been cut (perhaps the song with Gunna).

I’m glad the Migos experimented with doing solo art and I’m looking forward to what they create in the future.

Stream and Share “Father of Four” on: Spotify | iTunes

Review: "Glass Bullet" Album by SAZE

SAZE is a New Jersey-born, Brooklyn-based indie alternative hip-hop producer and recording artist. His new project, “Glass Bullet” is a collection of songs full of smooth melodies, technical rapping and ambient production.

While I feel that SAZE has a unique sound, I will say that I personally hear some Frank Ocean and Wale influence in some of his music. The way that SAZE switches between singing and rapping is extremely impressive as it shows off his talent as well as his artistry.

This album is extremely diverse as no two tracks sound the same. Even individual tracks are complex and deep as some contain beat/mood switches and contain both rapping and singing from SAZE. The project almost feels like a journey. The production puts the listener on an emotional roller-coaster as it sometimes switches from intense and fast-paced to slow and somber.

“Glass Bullet” certainly values quality over quantity as it is a short, 10 track album with no weak points. I personally feel that there are no skips and every song is well crafted and well thought out.

SAZE shows off his rapping ability as well as he does his singing, and this has me wanting to put him in the category that I place Tory Lanez and Drake in; artists who could sustain a career in both singing and rapping. I feel that to be labeled as an artist, one has to have multiple skill sets (especially in this age). SAZE is extremely lyrical and technical with his raps, and he also sings with such beautiful vocals.

Overall, “Glass Bullet” is a dope project created by a special artist. I truly feel that the sky is the limit for SAZE. With so many skill sets (rapping, singing, placements of skits/samples, producing, songwriting), I believe that he can reach a high level. I look forward to seeing what he does in the future.

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Review: "The Frequency of Life" Album by SpaceJumpers

SpaceJumpers is a Hip-Hop group from Poughkeepsie, New York consisting of four members. Nyles The Third handles lyrics and production is done by Jimmy Mack. Kisslinger and Mark Cocheo supply live instrumentation (keys and guitar) respectively. The group recently released its debut album, “The Frequency of Life”.

I must say that it’s nice to see that groups still exist. Nowadays, it seems that groups and collectives are dying, and everyone wants to be a solo star. While there is nothing wrong with this, I feel that there are very few things that beat out a well put together group.

The word that describes SpaceJumpers the best is unique. I spent several minutes trying to come up with comparisons for the group and here’s what I came up with: They have the group dynamic of Kids These Days, the lyricism of Eminem, the positivity of Logic and the sound/tone of Linkin Park.

This album has so many lovable aspects that it’s hard for me to decide where to start. Firstly, this project greatly values musicality. I’ve always said that while 808s and synths are cool, nothing compares to real instrumentation. The project is full of guitar and piano which adds so much to the overall sound. The instruments mixed in with the rest of the production allows the group to explore a myriad of different sounds and to create different moods throughout the album.

I love the way the hooks sound on several of the tracks. They are catchy, smooth and they make you feel something. I greatly enjoyed the melodies and harmonies utilized in a lot of the songs as they also added to the overall sound of the project. They also added more musicality which separates straight rap from actual songs.

I can’t finish this review without speaking on the content of the project. I was a huge fan of this album for many reasons, but the number one reason was the content. The album is positive, uplifting and clean. This makes the songs universally appealing which is great for building a fan base.

Overall, this group created a solid sounding Hip-Hop project with real instrumentation, positive content, smooth singing and dope lyricism. I’m definitely a fan of what SpaceJumpers is doing and I look forward to hearing what they do in the future.

Stream and Share “The Frequency of Life” on Spotify

Review: "Guinness World Records" EP by Reggie Rock!t

Atlanta emcee Reggie Rock!t releases his EP “Guinness World Records”, a project full of lyricism, creative wordplay and captivating production.

From the very beginning of this project, I noticed that Reggie possesses a unique voice and sound. I typically try to compare indie artists to mainstream ones, but I failed to find a comparison here. It’s important for artists to find their own voice if they plan to make a career out of music, and it appears that Reggie has done that. However, I can definitely say that I could easily see him fitting in with a collective such as TDE or Jamla.

The first half of the EP is produced by a producer named J Sky. Each of the first three songs have a similar sound and feel. Every beat is unique and not to mention dope. They have a boom-bap feel mixed with synth and samples at times. These beats were perfect for Rock!t to display his ability as a rapper. I often judge rappers on voice, lyricism, cadence and wordplay. Rock!t check off every box before even reaching track 4.

“Shine brighter than you Ni**as like I reside in the Big Dip. Smokin this gas so fast got me trippin call that a QuikTrip” he spits in “Make Rappers Rap Again”, (That’s a BAR)

A track that stood put to me is track 4 entitled “M.L.K.”. This song was by far my favorite on the EP as it was catchy and very well put together. It is definitely the “radio single” of the 6 songs and it has mass appeal and replay value. A song I also need to mention is “Told U.”. The songs has booming 808’s and Rock!t spits quick over the beat with along with an artist named Tez McClain.

Overall, “Guinness World Records” is very good and has me wanting to hear a full album from Reggie Rock!t soon. He’s extremely talented and I only expect him to improve.

Stream and Share “Guinness World Records” on Spotify

Review: "N.$.D" Compilation Album by $ammy J

$ammy J is a dope music producer out of Visalia, California who did something that I wish more producers would do. He put together a compilation album entitled “N.$.D” that is completely produced by him and found talented emcees to rap over his beats. The only mainstream producers doing this now seem to be DJ Khaled and 9th Wonder. I feel that a project like this does a better job of showcasing the producer’s ability as opposed to a beat tape.

From the very beginning of N.$.D”, it’s clear that $ammy J is good at what he does. The intro track is not only wavy, but it utilizes a dope sample and unique sound effects. I could listen to it on a loop for 5 to 10 minutes.

There is a myriad of different sounds in this project. There are bangers, calm tracks, jazzy tracks and much more. The project is full of boom-bap and jazzy loops which gives it a hip-hop feel. I personally appreciate production like this because it’s much more musical than many of the simple trap beats that are currently popular. The other thing about musical beats, in my opinion, is that they make it easier for the artists to write to them. The beats on this project create a mood and a tone which helps to guide the artist.

$ammy J did an excellent job of putting worthy artists on these tracks. The artists and the beats that they are on do a good job of complimenting each other. An example of this is the track “Coolie High” featuring XAVR and Jaaant. Both of these artists utilize a flow that compliments the jazzy beat behind them.

I thoroughly enjoyed “N.$.D” as a whole; however, I’d have to say my favorite songs are “Love from Japan/Copperfield” featuring Austin Green and Ayirose and “Starting Over” featuring Verb Wayz. I caught myself nodding my head for the entire “Copperfield” section of “Love from Japan/Copperfield”, and “Starting Over” has such beautiful singing over some insanely dope saxophones.

Overall, I love this project for its production as well as the many dope emcees that make appearances throughout it. “N.$.D” has the potential to make a name for $ammy J as well as the artists he featured.

Stream and Share “N.$.D” on Spotify

Review: "Street Light Therapy" Album by Criss Jrumz

Criss Jrumz is the type of artist that makes hip-hop heads such as myself feel like the genre is still alive. The emcee out of Broward County, FL dropped a project that puts most of today’s rap to shame. It’s called “Street Light Therapy”.

I’ll be honest, as soon as I started this album my eyes instantly widened. With most of today’s music consisting of trap beats and elementary bars, it’s rare that I hear something that makes me bob my head and make the “stank face”. I was doing both of those things for the duration of the project. Jrumz’s, voice, flow/cadence, lyrical ability and production choices make him a true emcee. I spent over 20 minutes trying to decide if he reminded me more of Eminem, Royce Da 5’9, Meek Mill, Pusha T or someone else. I eventually decided that he has such a unique sound that it’d be unfair for me to say he sounds like a mainstream artist.

Not to compare, but this album makes me think of Reason’s “There You Have It”. This is because they are both are relatively short, both are full of bars, both feel like real hip-hop and both of them speak on sensitive and serious topics. “Street Light Therapy” really made me feel like I was walking the blocks of New York City in the late 90s. It made me feel serious at times, sad at others, and even angry during certain tracks.

Jrumz can certainly write raps; however, what makes him stand out is his delivery. As an artist myself, I strive to deliver in a captivating way. The ability to switch up cadences and use different inflections to makes bars and punch lines stand out is imperative. Jrumz appears to have almost mastered this and it makes the project so much more fun to listen to, especially as a rapper.

This is a project that I will add to my personal library and it takes a lot for me to do that with an artist I’ve never listened to before. This album feels and sounds like what I’d like to hear from an artist selected to be a XXL freshman. It’s cohesive, it showcases the artist’s skillsets (delivery, writing, lyricism and even some singing) and it leaves the listener wanting to hear what music drops next and how the artist will develop with time. Overall, this album is excellent and is one of the best I’ve heard in 2019 period.

Stream and Share “Street Light Therapy” on Spotify

Review: "Everything's For Sale" Album by Boogie

Boogie hadn’t really reached my radar until I heard his feature on Royce Da 5’9”’s album “Book of Ryan”. His verse on the song “Dumb” had me looking forward to his solo release under Shady Records. Eight months after “Book of Ryan” and we have Boogie’s album, “Everythings for Sale”.

This album has many plusses that make it an above average project. To start, Boogie’s voice is unique. Listening to this album gave me a nice break from the cookie cutter autotune sound that has taken over the industry. His voice is similar to Chance the Rapper in that it is raspy; however, it is a bit deeper than Chance’s. He has one of those voices where when you hear it you automatically know it’s him.

The next plus is the length. The album is 13 songs and 39 minutes long. 8 of the songs are under 3 minutes which makes the album easily digestible and replayable. Most of the songs are short, sweet and concise which also adds to it’s digestibility.

Another positive of this album is that the features are well placed. JID provides his usual brand of wordy rap to the song “Soho” and Eminem’s verse on “Rainy Days” has caused a stir on social media. 6LACK adds his smooth vocals to “Skydive 2” and “Snoh Aalegra” adds beautiful singing to the outro “Time”.

The reason that Boogie’s verse on Royce’s album interested me so much was because it was lyrical bars being spit by such a unique voice. This album is full of verses that remind me of that one. Boogie shows off his rapping ability throughout the album but sounds like he’s actually having fun doing it unlike some angrier rappers. It’s a nice change of pace and a needed addition to the game.

I love the production on this album. Today’s rap is bombarded with trap drums and insanely fast high hats. Boogie’s album mixes many different sounds actually feels like a hip-hop album.

The only real negative thing I have to say about this album is that Boogie does a bit too much singing for someone who isn’t the best singer. Aside from the song “Skydive”, which is one of my favorite songs on the album, a lot of his singing heavy songs could use a different artist on the hook. However, this is more of a personal preference. Artists like Tyler the Creator and Chance The Rapper have been able to get away with not being the best singers.

Every song on this album is good but my personal favorites are “Skydive”, “Rainy Days” and “Lolsmh (Interlude)”. “Skydive” is a smooth song that makes you feel like you’re doing just what the title says. “Rainy Days” is a banger featuring one of the best rappers of all time: Eminem; and “Lolsmh” is a slow boom-bap/ambient song with a serious tone and message.

Overall this album is dope and it leaves me wanting to hear what Boogie’s career grows into. It looks like Shady Records picked up a good one.

Stream and Share “Everything’s For Sale” on Spotify

Review: "Heaven, Hell, and Hip Hop" Album by D Five

D Five is an artist based out of Plainfield, NJ with a dope voice and a unique sound. His project “Heaven, Hell, and Hip Hop” follows a creative theme and is full of bars, beats that bump and smooth autotune.

While I typically try to avoid comparing artists to each other, I will say that after listening to this album I think of two artists in particular: Tory Lanez and Travis Scott. D Five has Tory’s ability to both sing catchy hooks and rap on par with the best lyricists. He also, in certain songs, uses autotune in a similar way to Travis by using both singing and rapping with autotune.

The title of the project is certainly fitting as all of the tracks are filled with the themes of heaven/hell and a lot of the production has a boom bap feel mixed with some modern sounding trap. D Five starts off with the song “666” which really sets the tone of the project. “I’m hotter than 6 6 6” he sings on the hook.

The first half of the album is full of songs that I feel could easily fit in with today’s current sound. They’re catchy and the beats really bump. What separates these songs from some of today’s hits is that D Five is an elite lyricist `and he displays this throughout. The songs “Get It Right”, “Runnin’” and “My Folk” are all great examples.

After the track “Shooter Skit”, the project seems to shift. “Set the Mood” is a slow lyrical song and “Love Me” is a dark boom-bap track that is also full of bars. These tracks start the second half of the album which has more of a hip-hop feel with more serious themes. A lot of the tracks are connected to the “Heaven” portion of the project. “God Loves All”, “Blessings” and the final track “Lord Knows” are examples of this.

Overall, this is a very good album that separates itself from a lot of today’s music. It has mainstream appeal but also has real hip-hop elements. D Five certainly knows how to put a project together and I feel that this album will put him on the map.

Stream and Share “Heaven, Hell, and Hip Hop”: Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | YouTube

Interview: Ian Kelly Talks About His New EP "Champian" and What Makes Jamla Records Unique

We connected with Jamla Records artist Ian Kelly for an exclusive interview to talk about the record label (which includes Rapsody, 9th Wonder and others), his new EP release “Champian” and his musical goals for 2019.

After reading our Q&A with the Oakland native, be sure to stream “Champian” and connect with him on his social media.

What inspired you to start making music?

What inspired me to start making music was feeling as though I could help people through art. Music is therapy so I always felt my stories and imagery I’m painting could possibly help the next person.

Who are your favorite rappers and have any of them influenced your sound?

Man I have too many honestly. Especially if we’re talking about old and new. A top five for me would be Tupac, Andre 3000, Eminem, Jay Z, and Lil Wayne. But that’s what I grew up on. If you really listen to those artist you can hear how I like to take pieces of all of them. Don’t get me wrong I tend to get a comparison to Kendrick a lot but I believe that’s more of my voice inflections versus me trying to imitate Kendrick.

Why did you name your album "Champian" and what does this album mean to you?

I named my project Champian just as a play on words. I was rapping one day and said a line like “Champ Ian, shoulda been named Champion”. Just playing around and having fun, but when I looked back at it it kinda stuck too me. Plus I figured it would be easy for people to search and find.

How do you feel that Jamla is unique compared to other labels/collectives?

I feel Jamla is unique in the sense of I feel if you put all the artist in any time period I think we would still thrive. Everybody over here is a monster, so it also keeps you on your toes. The Soul Council, as well as other close knit producers we work with, do a great job of providing a timeless sound and unique musicality within their production.

What are your goals as an artist over the next 2-4 years?

Within the next 2-4 years so much can happen, but I know you’ll have an album from me for sure. I know I also plan to be touring around the world within that time and honestly I see Jamla becoming more of a household name by then. As far my career I see no ceilings. I truly believe things are just getting started.

Connect with Ian Kelly: Twitter

Review: "The WIZRD" by Future

Nayvadius Wilburn, aka Future, is so intriguing to me. Somehow this man has found the perfect formula. I must start by saying that while I enjoy listening to Future’s music occasionally (and I love all of his features) I don’t really consider myself a fan of his. That being said, his latest album made me feel a couple different ways.

If I was asked to explain what this album sounds like I would simply say that it sounds like a Future album. The production is trappy and dope, the hooks are catchy and wavy, the content is what I am used to hearing from him (drugs, women, money) and the features work well with his sound (Travis Scott, Thug, etc.). As of right now it appears that the album is going to sell close to 150K first week.

While the album is good sonically, I feel that Future’s status and his past music are the reasons why this project is selling so well. Future albums seem to be made with a cookie cutter. They are all so similar sounding with such similar content that it almost feels like you could put all of Future’s music into one super album. While this is slightly annoying, it’s also somewhat genius. Typically, fans of an artist get bored and are constantly challenging them to evolve and bring them something fresh and new. Future seems to have captured what very few current artists have (examples are Drake, maybe Wiz Khalifa) which is the ability to recreate the same sounding music over and over and over again while still maintaining support from the fans and the culture.

While I’ve said this album reminds me of most of Future’s past music, I will say that the production sounds a bit better than usual. There are some beats that really bump and would definitely do well in the club environment. He also has some tracks where he appears to experiment a bit. Maybe he plans on finally changing up his sound in the future. My personal favorites are “Temptation”, because it is a unique sounding record because of the samples and harmonies and “First Off”, because Travis Scott kills his feature and sounds excellent with Future. Overall, the album is dope and exactly what fans of Future like to hear from him.

While I can’t say that this album is better than Future’s best: “Dirty Sprite 2”, it is slightly more captivating and listenable than some of his other projects.

Stream and Share “The WIZRD” on Spotify

Review: "Hooligans" EP by Vic Mensa

Vic Mensa’s career has been an interesting one. After leaving the band “Kids These Days”, of which he was the lead singer/vocalist, Mensa decided to start a solo career as a rapper. In 2014, he was chosen to be a XXL freshman along with Chance The Rapper, Kevin Gates, Ty Dolla $ign and others. Mensa had a big 2015 as he was able to work with Kanye West on the songs “Wolves” and “U Mad’. He also signed to Jay Z’s label, Roc Nation. Since then he has released an EP titled “There’s A lot Going On” and a full-length album, “The Autobiography”.

With Mensa facing criticism for comments he made about the late rapper XXXTentacion, along with the low sale number of his album “The Autobiography”, it started to feel like Mensa needed to drop some dope music in order to counter all the negativity. In comes “Hooligans”.

As a long-time Vic Mensa listener, I can definitely say that this project is different from any other music I’ve heard from him. Mensa is the true definition of an artist so it’s not shocking to me that his sound changed for this EP; however, I’m curious if he did this because of pressure from the new wave of rappers. Nonetheless, I feel that he did a good job. His sound is more current without leaving behind the lyricism or themes that give the music depth.

The song “Dark Things” is amazing to me for many reasons. It shows Mensa’s ability to make a song that fits in perfectly with today’s sound while still containing substance. It doesn’t feel like he intentionally tried to make a current sounding song and it doesn’t feel like he was faking it. It is organic and it sounds like it is straight from his heart.

The songs “In Some Trouble” and “Reverse” are both dope as Mensa pairs himself with two artists that I hadn’t really pictured him working with: Ty Dolla $ign and G-Eazy. Both of them compliment the songs extremely well. Ty’s smooth vocals go great with Mensa’s singy-rap and G-Eazy’s way of rapping makes for a bright feature. Both of these tracks are catchy and could easily be played on the radio while still being lyrical and full of substance.

The one bad song in this project, in my opinion, in the song “Rowdy”. Mensa released this song before the EP dropped and I will admit it made me really nervous to listen to the project. The song is the opposite of “Dark Things” as it really sounds as if he tried super hard to make a song similar to what the “mumble rappers” are making. It’s very simplistic and doesn’t have much to say. It may have some replay value in the right setting, but for me, it’s the worst song on the EP.

Overall, this project shows me that Vic Mensa is able to adapt and produce under societal pressure while staying true to himself. My fear was that he may sacrifice lyricism and artistry for sales but thankfully he didn’t do that. I’ve played it about a dozen times and it gets better every time. I’m looking forward to continuing to watch Mensa’s development.

Stream and Share “Hooligans” on Spotify

Review: "Dark Matter" Album by Velly Marsh

Velly Marsh is a unique emcee out of Sacramento, California. His album, “Dark Matter”, is the story of a man trying to keep his composure and ultimately failing, resulting in self-destruction. This space inspired project is full of dope production, real lyricism and deep themes.

While artists typically don’t like to be compared to other artists (mainly because they have a goal of sounding unique), I hear many influences in Velly Marsh’s sound. Some of them may be artists he listens to and studies, while others may just be artists that I believe he sounds like. After listening to his project, the names Tyler the Creator and Reason come to mind. I feel that Marsh could easily fit on a roster like Odd Future or even on J Cole’s Dreamville. His voice is deep and he raps angrily while also putting substance and lyricism in his bars.

One thing that impresses me about this project is the different rap cadences Marsh uses throughout some of the songs. On Track 3, “Weird By Nature”, Marsh starts his verse with an intricate flow and cadence. “Calls from home often talkin coffins got a bridge to jump off it…” spits Marsh. He later in the song adopts a different cadence. “Who knows where I might go, fast livin but I ride slow. I’m goin dumb like a sideshow, decision makin ice cold”. It’s this type of intricacy that separates mumble rappers from the true emcees.

The production on this project is impeccable as Marsh shows that boom bap beats are far from dead. He uses samples and true Hip-Hop style beats but also utilizes vocals effects in a lot of his songs in order to sell the project’s space theme.

Overall, this “Dark Matter” project is a breath of fresh air as it adds something extremely unique to the rap game. It combines aspects of the new wave with real hip-hop elements and it always keeps the listener interested. Velly Marsh stated that this was the first project of his that he felt proud of and I can easily see why.

Stream and Share “Dark Matter” on Spotify

Review: "1992" Album by Coolie TOOMUCH

Coolie TOOMUCH is a hip-hop artist out of Dayton, OH who makes tracks with catchy hooks and beats that bang. After hearing his single “Danger” I was excited to hear the rest of the album. Coolie has stated that he feels his music is similar to Meek Mill’s, and while I agree with that, this project reminds me a lot of Schoolboy Q. The way his voice sounds along with certain pronunciations of words and his choices of production make me feel like Q is an artist who has influenced him.

Coolie’s catchy hooks and wavy beats along with his unique voice make his music easily digestible. The song “Danger” is full of lyrical venom but is also catchy enough to be played on the radio. “Slow Downnn, cuz I’m Dangerous” sings TOOMUCH.

I like this album because while there are a lot of bars about the prevalent themes in today’s hip-hop (money, women, etc), Coolie’s use of diverse flows, cadences and lyrics help to set it apart from other rappers. The songs are relatable and understandable, and this is important because a lot of today’s artists are labeled “mumble rappers” because they fail to be clear and fail to show an actual ability to rap.

As for deciding on a favorite track, I would say I’m fond of track 7: “Cool It/30 for 30 Interlude”. Cool it is a chill vibe with story-telling rap while 30 for 30 speeds up a bit and is full of intermediate rapping.

One critique I have for the album is some of the mixing and mastering. While it’s not bad, I believe that some of the songs could sound a bit crisper with some better mixing. Maybe the bass and drums could bang a bit more on some songs as well.

Overall, this project is dope. The songs are catchy, entertaining and can be played in a myriad of different venues. I look forward to hearing how Coolie progresses with his next project.

Stream “1992” on Spotify