Reviews
Blue Lab Beats Show Review: a jazz-rap “variety show” that bites back
Blue Lab Beats turn The Blue Lab Beats Show into a messy, deliberate flex—community talk, polyrhythms, and rap confessionals that refuse to sit still. Courtesy of Blue Adventure... more »
Wide Eyed Album Review: Mack Keane Blames Himself Like It’s a Sport
Wide Eyed album turns breakup guilt into a full-time job—Mack Keane sings like he’s testifying, not healing, and that’s the point. If you’re expecting a “we both messed up” breakup... more »
Phosphor Album Review: The Narrator’s “Safe” Metalcore That Still Hits
Phosphor album turns old-school metalcore into a neat little weapon—predictable, loud, and annoyingly effective when it counts. Germany doesn’t exactly need help sounding heavy. I grew up... more »
Chris Brown’s BROWN Album Review: 27 Tracks of Bedroom Deja Vu
The BROWN album opens like a midnight trap confession, then sprints back to autopilot seduction—until the back half finally admits something real. Twenty-seven tracks on a phone... more »
AL-ANDALUS Review: Cookin Soul Makes Drug Ledgers Sound Like Jazz
AL-ANDALUS turns drug-rap into a day job with receipts—Cookin Soul paints it in horns and congas while Estee Nack refuses to romanticize anything. A lot of rap talks about drugs. AL-ANDALUS... more »
Black Milk’s CEREMONIAL Review: Church Rap for People Who Hate Church
Black Milk turns CEREMONIAL into a private ritual—room noise, live drums, and moral weight. Here’s what Black Milk is really doing. The first thing CEREMONIAL tells you—before you even... more »
Basement Wired Review: A “Comeback” That Refuses to Behave (Luckily)
Basement Wired isn’t nostalgia—it’s a creative reset with teeth, hooks, and a weirdly urgent pulse. It’s the band choosing motion over comfort. Some albums try to charm you back into... more »
When a Man Falls Review: Caleb Colossus Trips, Prays, Keeps the Receipt
Caleb Colossus turns When a Man Falls into a blunt self-audit—God talk, label rejection, and breakup flashbacks that don’t resolve neatly. Some albums want your attention. When a Man... more »
Skrilla Z Album Review: Lean Sommelier Rap, and It’s Not Even Subtle
Exploring Skrilla Z, a raw and unfiltered rap album that dives deep into street life, addiction, and spirituality, framed by the harsh realities of Kensington, Philadelphia. Everybody knows... more »
Train on the Island Review: Aldous Harding’s “Escape Route” That Isn’t One
Train on the Island sounds inviting until you realize it’s trapping you on purpose—and that’s the point. Aldous Harding doesn’t “set a scene” on Train on the Island so much as lock you... more »
In Somnolent Ruin Review: Draconian Still Drowns You (On Purpose)
In Somnolent Ruin is Draconian’s latest gothic doom ritual—bells, growls, and fragile beauty stacked into something you don’t just “play” once. Draconian doesn’t make albums so you... more »
Junkie in the Sun Review: Deante’ Hitchcock’s Warm Mess (On Purpose)
Junkie in the Sun is a wants-and-needs rap album where Deante’ Hitchcock makes anxiety sound cozy—and sometimes that’s the problem. This album doesn’t “open” so much as it starts talking... more »
M$NEY Album Review: Asake Turns Prayer Into a Credit Alert (Seriously)
Asake's M$NEY album blends prayer and wealth into a unique soundscape, treating divine blessings and bank notifications as intertwined realities. Most people only talk to God about money... more »
Patina EP Review: Casper Sage’s 23-Minute Text to a Dead Number
Patina EP is seven songs of clean production and messy feelings—Casper Sage makes grief sound polished, then lets it crack at the worst possible moments. This Patina EP doesn’t feel like... more »
Essosa’s Crush! EP Is a 90s Throwback With 2026 Drums (Fight Me)
Crush! EP turns heartbreak into sleek, double-time nostalgia—smart, messy, and occasionally too generic for its own good. This is the kind of project that sounds effortless until you... more »
Sound Therapy Review: JWords Turns Her Gear Into Feelings (Oops)
JWords’ Sound Therapy stops hiding behind instrumentals: self-talk raps, warm synth haze, and guest verses that politely show her what “locked in” sounds like. I put on Sound Therapy... more »
Lil Tjay “They Just Ain’t You” Review: Trauma Rap in a Clean Shirt
Lil Tjay’s They Just Ain’t You offers a raw, unfiltered look into his life’s struggles and triumphs, blending tender moments with harsh realities in a deeply personal rap diary.... more »
Jay Worthy Soundtrack Review: A Movie in Your Head, Budget Optional
Jay Worthy Soundtrack plays like a flex-heavy film reel with surprise guest cameos—sometimes deeper than it admits, sometimes trapped in its own shine. Jay Worthy drops music the way... more »