What's Stanfield Been Bumping? (TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2021 SO FAR)

Started by Sav Stanfield, Oct 3, 2020, in Music Add to Reading List

  1. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 20, 2020
    WEEKDAY b-----r



    Ah man, the internet.

    Last year July, an 18 year old Dallas-based Lil Loaded uploaded his debut 6locc 6a6y single to YouTube. In October the video still had zero views until Polish Youtuber Tommy Craze happened to stumble across it and decided to do a 'reacting to music videos with 0 views'. Now, a year later, the video has 21 million views. 2 weeks ago Lil Loaded released his debut mixtape, with a 6locc 6a6y remix featuring NLE Choppa (there's also features from Polo G and YG).
    The song itself absolutely deserves the attention its got - Loaded's fire and aggression in his delivery is irresistible, his gravelly-voice sounds like that of a hardened vet. He's furiously beating on his chest, hurling out threats and boasts but you can almost hear the desperation in his verses - "my brother in the ground n!gga, skeleton and bones/and my uncle doing life, he ain't neve coming home" - it was either this or an early grave. I for one - am glad as f--- It landed up being the former.
     
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  2. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 20, 2020
    WEEKDAY b-----r

    Rah Swish - Treeshin'



    "You know when you killing that s--- and her leg get to shakin?" Well s---, Rah Swish turned it into a dance craze. Only in Brooklyn. The neurotic instrumental builds into high-powered drop that slaps you in the face like a freight train as Pop Smoke’s right-hand man piles on the bare-faced vulgarity with the glee of a kid in a candy store. This song sounds like an action movie, like you're in a speeding car racing across the streets at nights while never-ending NY skyscrapers loom overhead, crowding you into a manic, bright-flashing-lights drill spectacle. Its a rush.
     
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  3. Chrollo
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    Chrollo ♱ كرولو

    Oct 20, 2020
    His song Wooo Walk was pretty wild too lmao
     
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  4. icecube
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    icecube West Coast is the Best Coast

    Oct 20, 2020
    Great write up as always man! Would like hear your thoughts on the Serial Killer album.
     
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  5. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 24, 2020
    no doubt Woo Walk was crazy. The whole EP he put out earlier this year was great too. Rah's always had crazy potential, I dont know if he'll ever make his way out of Pop's shadow though.
     
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  6. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 24, 2020
    Thanks mate! Wasn't feeling the Serial Killers album on first listen tbh. I liked the thematic idea but musically pretty uninspired imo. Will try give it another spin sooner or later. What were your thoughts?
     
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  7. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 24, 2020
    ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: GUCCI MANE & 1017 Brick Squad/The New 1017

    Allow me to Stan for a moment. I’m deadass serious when I say Gucci Mane is top 5 DOA.

    Maybe the only thing holding him back is his lack of a conventional ‘classic album’. Despite the gargantuan volume of music he’s put out (and enough if it to make at least 3 all-time hip hop classics), he’s never made that one defining body of work that would propel him to the undeniable GOAT (yes, ahead of Nas, Jay, Pac, Biggie, etc.).



    But is not just how good Wop is at rapping, its his influence that is surely unmatched in hip hop history. First there was Flocka, who, unsurprisingly, dropped one of the best and most influential albums of the last decade under Gucci’s tutelage. Then there was Future, Young Thug, and Migos - all of ‘em owe their careers to Wop. So does Chief Keef and the entire movement he inspired. So does Travis Scott tbh. So does the ‘class of 2016’, 21, Kodak, Uzi and Yachty. So do the newer Lil Babies, Gunnas and Keeds of the world. So do the legions of producers he’s brought to the fore - from Shawty Redd to Zaytoven to Honorable C.Note to Metro to Southside to 808 Mafia and every single one of those rappers and producers’ millions of imitators. Gucci wasn’t lying when he claimed them all as his children.



    Since his 2016 return from prison, Gucci’s output has been just as relentless, and although maybe not as well received as his earlier work, still mostly excellent.

    Put it in context. Gucci’s contemporaries like Tip, Ross, 2 Chainz and Jeezy are all in their 40s now - mostly all still putting out music, but also mostly just coasting on their previous success (I’ll give it up to 2 Chainz though, he’s still on fire). Wop has just entered his 40s too, but rather than show signs of slowing down like his peers, he’s starting all over again - inspiring and putting on an entire new generation of rappers, not only from his hometown but across the map. The legendary 1017 Brick Squad Records has an entirely new roster and they’ve just put out their second album of the year, the first being a ‘bonus disc’ of sorts tacked onto Gucci’s last full length solo So Icy Summer.


    Following the initial compilation, and then a freestyle series which had each of the new signees try their hand at killing a classic Gucci instrumental, So Icy g---, Vol. 1 dropped last week, to surprisingly little fanfare. This time around though, the full New 1017 roster gets the space to bounce around in the spotlight with label-boss Gucci never never far off, but never over bearing. Its clearly the more well-formed and cohesive project of the two and the more I listen, the more evident it becomes that Gucci’s ear for talent hasn’t missed a step.








    I’m still getting familiar with each of these artists, but this is the breakdown of what I’ve learned (and enjoyed) from each artist so far:

    Foogiano


    ATL native Foogiano is brimming with charisma and star potential. (His first 2 major hit singles came directly off the So Icy Summer compilation, one of which received the remix treatment featuring DaBaby. Not only an adept rapper, but also hilarious with a flow that bounces in and out of weird patterns and rhythms, almost something Floridian-like. Watch out for this dude, he’s going places (and that “MAWB” adlib is pure gold)

    Pooh Shiesty

    .

    It is admittedly, a pretty bad stage name but hey, the kid’s only 19 years old. He can still change it. Shiesty’s signing to 1017 tightens the already strong ATL-Memphis connect. His initial come up was one with the Memphis-based Chain g--- collective, alongside BIG30 (who also appears on a lot of these songs but isn’t an official signee). An ice-cold flow brimming with violent threats (which happens to work insanely well on a Tay Keith beat) brought him to Gucci’s attention, and his appearances on both compilations have been outstanding.

    Big Scarr

    Named for the scar on his face (the result of a car accident), Big Scarr is another South Memphis rapper on the new 1017 roster. Scarr is Pooh Sheisty’s cousin and although he has that similar Memphis drawl, the content of his writing seems more focused, more reflective. He has two major hits already, both featured on the latest compilation.

    Roboy

    Hailing from Tampa, Fl, Roboy’s R&B crooning brings the 1017 Southern states cypher to completion. I gotta be honest, I’m not sure if Roboy’s hitting as well as some of the other new 1017 artists. I’ll give Wop the benefit of the doubt, but there’s a dullness to his voice that isn’t working for me so far.

    So Icy Girlz

    Texan emcees K Shiday and Enchanting make up So Icy Girlz, which I guess is 1017’s answer to City Girls. I haven’t heard either of their solo stuff but their contributions on both compilations have all been dope.

    The affiliates:
    I’m not sure why exactly none of these artists are officially signed to the label, but all of them have close working ties with Gucci and the New 1017. All of them seriously talented. There are more (e.g. BIG30) but I can’t claimed to have listened to all of them. Of those I have:

    Ola Runt

    Ola was supposed to be the New 1017’s first signee - he had the chain, the Gucci co-sign and even a feature on his debut album. But he’s been notably absent from anything 1017-related since. The details aren’t clear but somewhere along the line the two stopped talking, which is a pity because Ola’s a talented rapper and had been putting out some great music this year. Hoping this is just a hitch in the road, but only time will tell.

    Wavy Navy Pooh

    A new QC signee from Miami who dropped his debut QC album earlier this year, and more recently a single named after, and featuring Mr. So Icy himself, with an instrumental that interpolates Gucci’s classic Wasted. No signs of any 1017 affiliation just yet but when the chemistry with Wop is this good you gotta hope there’s more to come soon.

    Mulatto

    Probably the best known of the bunch, with her biggest claim to fame being on the latest XXL Freshmen list (her freestyles were pretty good too). The stage name is… an interesting choice to say the least but there’s no denying the talent, the charisma and the potential. Her debut album released earlier this year was pretty good and I’m sure there’s more to come soon.

    No idea why I wrote this lol but there you have it.

    I guess I’m so invested in Gucci’s story and am always fascinated to try figure how certain sounds and styles all link and mesh together, how the DNA of certain rappers gets passed on to others over time. Like Thug and Future, Gucci’s one of the best case studies of that and this new 1017 is such a clear attempt at prolonging and lengthening an already incredible line of heritage. Its like out of nowhere he’s just carved out an entire handful of up-and-comers, given them platform and let them run loose. Most of them are clearly still undeveloped but who knows? One of them might just become the next Flocka or Sosa. Or they could all flop spectacularly lol. Either-way, given Gucci’s 20-year track record so far, its worth paying attention when he speaks up imo.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2020
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  8. Chrollo
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    Chrollo ♱ كرولو

    Oct 24, 2020
    That's some goat s--- right there. The amount of effort you put in this single post is unmatched. Sometimes Gucci's sheer amount of music overwhelms me and has the effect that I either just briefly skim over his newest projects or don't listen to them at all. I had no idea that two 1017 albums dropped this year and that the roster contains some genuinely great artists. So Icy Summer is also pretty packed with high fashion features and the songs you posted sound really good. Gucci seems to have the right idea when it comes to signing new artists. I need to take some time and fully listen to these projects.
     
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  9. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 25, 2020
    thank you brother, appreciate you taking the time to read :emoji_pray: I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the new 1017 stuff. I'm a huge fan and I still havent heard all of Gucci's music lol. But thats whats so great about his massive discography, if I'm ever in the mood there's entire series of mixtapes I can start digging into, always discovering something new. He's done it all.

    Just added in a few more solo singles (I realized most of what I posted was Gucci features) if anyone's interested to check out more.
     
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  10. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 25, 2020
    ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: QUIN NFN

    If you haven’t figured it out by now, that Southern-based rapid-fire, s----talking, base-heavy, bouncy trend of music coming primarily out of the South is the s--- that I am on at the moment. Pretty much what DaBaby and JetsonMade helped popularise, but what the likes of 30 Deep Grimeyy and Lil Loaded have taken and made their made their own.

    Hailing from Austin, Texas, Quin NFN is another of these, and probably my favourite of the three. A lot of that has to do with the producers he works with with (CioMadeTheTrack, in particular), who excel in creating that club-ready bounce, tinged with a hint of menace bubbling beneath the surface. Thats what Quin’s rapping sounds like too - its breathless and lively and energetic, never straying too far from the staples of threats, boasts and ‘look at me nows’, but sprinkled with enough clever punchlines so that it never seems to get stale.

    Quin’s only 19 years old and dropped his first EP back in 2018 but only really hit his stride following the release of two major singles uploaded to his YouTube later that same year - Straight Thru and Talkin My s---, the latter of which became the opening track of on his big debut mixtape 4Nun - released almost exactly a year ago.



    With features from NLE Choppa (the man is everywhere), and PnB Rock, 4Nun gave Quincho his big break, but he only entered my radar following an absolutely ferocious feature on Brooklyn rapper 22Gz FN & Blixkys, which is just a straight up debauch of glizzys and blickys that will has you lifting your shirt up to check for bulletwounds every time it comes through the speakers.


    That convinced me to check out Quin’s follow up EP - QUINCHO, released in March this year, which is exactly what you would expect, only with a glossier sheen of production and audio quality that makes it Quin’s best work to date. He’s been busy since, gearing up to the release of Quincho Deluxe (which leaked in its entirety last week) and presumably, his debut album. I’m not sure where the singles that have dropped so far for either of these projects will land up but they have all been tremendous, including the haunting Sewed Up, featuring Lil 2z, which I think is probably Quin’s best song so far:


    Like most artists in this lane, Quin's definitely pretty limited in his sound, style, content and beat selection but like those other artists there's undeniable potential here. Another artist I'll be following closely to see what he does next. If you liked any of the previous similar s--- then check this out.
     
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  11. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 25, 2020
    Weekly roundup: 23rd October

    I've decided to push back the albums round up. 48 hours isn't enough to form coherent opinions on full albums, especially with the amount that drops these days. But I'll keep the singles wrap-up going. This week was - yet again - stacked:

    Future - Gucci Bucket Hat ft. Pap Chenl & Heroin Young

    I have no idea who Pap Chanel and Heroin Young are but it doesn’t matter because I’ve been waiting on this for god knows how long and its everything I wanted (Fewtch repeating ‘Gucci bucket hat’ with such gleefu, reckless abandon til its seared into your brain for eternity’)

    Sada Baby - Not Regular ft. Lil Yachty

    Another week, another episode in the the increasingly great Yachty-Michigan show. This time Sada Baby gets yet another Yachty special, building on their previous 2 (or is it 3? 4? I’ve lost count) collars this year alone. Might have to do a more detailed write up on this soon….

    Youngboy NBA - story of o.j. (Top Version)

    I’ve decided I don’t really fw Youngboy’s music that much. I can’t lie he’s made some great songs in his time (Until Death Calls My Name remains his best work so far), but they get lost in the sea of his never-ending mixtapes and singles that over time all tend to blend into one another. This one stuck out though, and its not just the instrumental, its the focus and purpose in Youngboy’s rapping - for once it doesn’t sound like he’s just riffing whatever melodies come into his head, this sounds thought-out, this sounds like rapper we know he’s capable of being. More like this please.

    BfB da Packman - Honeypack


    she wanna lick my a---? hmmm ugh, don’t mind it.

    I’m loving the attention BfB da Packman’s getting recently. This one isn’t hitting as hard as some of his previous songs (Free Joe Exotic still a strong contender for SOTY) but this music video is something else. He’s fat, he’s vulgar and he never misses an opportunity to take his shirt off. Whats not to love?

    JID - Cludder Freestyle

    The more I listen to JID the more I like him. He’s at his best on songs like this, just letting loose with ridiculously intricate tongue twisters, flow climbing across the walls like chameleons on speed (i don’t know what the f--- that simile means but thats what I imagine when I hear this lol).

    Flip Dinero - No No No ft. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie

    Flip Dinero’s gifted man. That voice is so f---ing smooth. I kinda wish A Boogie wasn’t even on this, his high-pitch takes away from what is otherwise an amazing song.

    Teejayx6 - Parents

    Every single Teejayx6 song sounds the exact same but I can’t get enough of it lol. His flow is completely off-kilter, he frequently just rhymes the exact bars again and again, but says the most outrageous, outlandish dumb s--- imaginable that you can’t help but be enraptured every time his voice comes through the speakers. This song came out ages ago but the video just dropped this week.
    My uncle almost stabbed my auntie coz she had a MISCARRIAGE

    pure art.

    Night Lovell - Alone

    Night Lovell's music sounds like you’ve walked into a smoke-filled drug den with pentagrams drawn on the wall while Three 6 Mafia blares in the background. This song is one of a trio of singles he’s dropped this year, and the crazy thing is this is the weakest of the 3.

    Jack Harlow - Tyler Herro

    The white boy of the moment chases a follow up hit to Whats Poppin. Has he got it with this one? Sounds like he might. I wonder where he’ll eventually land up on the Asher Roth - Lil Dicky scale.

    YN Jay - AHHHHH

    Wrapping up this week with one the most of the most entertaining rappers around right now, with yet another video featuring an astounding volume of a---, complemented by what are without question the most satisfactory adlibs you’ve heard since Jeezy was ‘yeeeeeeeeaaaah’ing back in 05.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2020
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  12. Chrollo
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    Chrollo ♱ كرولو

    Oct 25, 2020
    I think that Sada x Yachty song is a few months old but I forgot about it. Glad they made a video, that s--- bangs
     
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  13. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 26, 2020
    True, I think it came out back in June. Yeah you wouldnt think it but Yachty and Sada actually make a great duo. They've got a few now
     
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  14. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 27, 2020
    Quick album review: Ty Dolla $ign - Featuring Ty Dolla $ign

    Yep, this is it. Dolla $ign’s back at it again and he’s sounding smoother and more soulful than ever. I was taken aback at just how good this album starts off, with Ty crooning his heart out between a selection of A-tier guest appearances from Kanye, Cudi, Paak, Quavo, Post Malone, Durk, Nicki, Roddy Ricch, Future, Young Thug… and the list goes on. 25 tracks seems daunting at first, but Ty smartly kept almost every single song to 3 minutes or less, each of them a summery soundscape for him to saunter across, luxury robes blowing in the breeze. The album does lose some steam at its midpoint, but otherwise this is sounding like yet another victory notch in Ty’s increasingly heavy belt.
     
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  15. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 27, 2020
    WEEKDAY b-----r



    I havent actually been bumping CLAIRVOYANCE, Thouxanbanfauni's album from earlier this year, but I do want to return to it at some point. The intro track stuck out to me though and remains in rotation. Fauni floats in his 93 Chevy through the ghostly instrumental like a celestial body through infinity.
     
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  16. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 28, 2020
    WEEKDAY b-----r


    With flows that pivot from his Lil Peep/Gnar-eque emo trap connects to the weird patterns and intricacies of fellow Atlantans like JID and Kenny Mason and a selection of instrumentals that could be ripped directly from a $UICIDEBOY$ album (they're frequent collaborators), Cookies is a highlight off Germ's short and sweet HIJINX album released earlier this year.
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2020
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  17. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 29, 2020
    Sauce Twinz - Big Drip Squad ft. Sauce Gohan & Sada Baby


    There was a stage when Sauce Twinz first exploded on the scene where I actually thought they might just reach Migos levels of fame. That never happened but they've released a catalog of incredible music anyway. This ones a big highlight off their Lost in the Sauce tape from earlier this year. Its one of those 'alien-spaceship-touches-down-in-the-trap' instrumentals, punctuated by those classic Sauce adlibs. Everyone kills it - Sada's verse is especially great - but Sauce Walka completely dominates when he pops up mid-way through the song with enough energy to tranquilize a buffalo. OOWEEEEEEEE
     
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  18. Sav Stanfield
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    Oct 31, 2020
    Young Nudy - Vice City


    Nudy inhabits his own universe; one where he can slot in as feature sounding completely comfortable is his slurry, nasally drawl alongside the Dreamville collective or team up with his cousin 21 Savage for the murderous, trap-booming ice-pick-to-your-brain smash. And then there’s his own world - Nudy Land, if you will. It’s populated with weird, cartoony Pierre Bourne instrumentals that squeak and creak through the bass like strange creatures hiding in the rotten walls of the trap house. Long-time (but no frequent enough!) collaborator Metro does the honours here, doing his best Pierre impression, but with that clinically perfect Metro touch you can’t miss. A playful flute melody that could be Mask Off’s little brother sounds like its drowning, gasping for air in the density of Metro’s somber violin strings, while Nudy vividly describes the parallels between his native EA and the video game violence of Vice City. Oh and this music video is amazing. Its not clear if these latest few singles are building up an album/mixtape (they probably are), but if so, this is fast becoming one of my most anticipated projects of the year.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2020
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  19. Sav Stanfield
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    Nov 1, 2020
    Scarfo da Plug - 10 Trap Commandments


    Scarfo da Plug is from Atlanta but a part of Hoodrich Pablo Juan’s ATL-DMV-spanning Drugrixh collective. Trap Jesus is the first project I’ve heard from him and if there’s one I can say, Scarfo f---ing loves trapping. It seems like he rarely leaves the kitchen, apron on, whisk in hand, cooking another batch. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a rapper use this many cooking metaphors in such a short space of time. He distills this all perfectly on 10 Trap Commandments, giving a his own whipsery spin to Biggie’s classic.
     
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  20. Sav Stanfield
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    Nov 1, 2020
    Busta Rhymes - ELE 2

    Its been 11 year since Busta last put out a proper full-length project. Given the length of most of his previous albums, its to be expected that the follow up to his 1998 classic was going to be a long-ride. And despite the much greater appeal of the shorter album format these days, I gotta hand it to Bussa Bus. It sounds like he put his heart and soul into this. There’s filler - as you would expect (crazy to think that 2 I Know What You Want remakes dropped on the same day in 2020…. and Trippie Redd had the better of them). Theres also a few moments of very old head energy (skinny jeans? really?) that seems to be a prerequisite nowadays for almost any rapper over 40. But besides for a few hiccups, the 22-track 78-minute album is an incredibly well-thought out and detailed summary of Busta’s entire career, a flawed, but admirable and enjoyable legacy rapper throwback album.



    The first leg is an especially great throwback to Busta of the 90s, with that insane off-the-wall energetic flow bouncing around and growling and shrieking in 100 different accents at once, with the unmistakable ‘hoo! ha!’ thrown in all over the place for good measure. Features from ODB and MOP add the perfect touch of classic NY in the late 90s. And who tf woulda thought we’d get such a monumentally great Rakim feature in 2020?? Things get more 2000’s Busta-ish towards the middle of the album - some of the songs miss, some of them hit.



    It does start getting long-winded towards the tail-end of the album, but a few other major highlights pop up - include a beautifully orchestrated collaboration with Kendrick Lamar over a Jackson 5 sample, and an immaculate closer that takes me directly back to listening to the first edition of ELE.



    I would have loved some measure of quality control but s---, I’m glad Busta finally got this out. And that it turned out as well as it did. There are plenty of legacy acts desperately reaching back into the past to try recreate that magic and its rare that one actually captures the sound and feel of their original music without coming off as trying too hard. It just goes to show that despite his lack of a certified classic and the few bumps along the way, Busta truly is one of the GOATS. He has a natural gift for rapping that few possess. He was born to do this s---. And almost 30 years since he first showed up combining juice from the mind, he’s still f---in got it.
     
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