[Album Review] Akoko - CAT•A•RAPS

Way back in February of last year I got hip to Akoko through their excellent collaboration with SIR E.U simply known as "Thee Hipókolypse" featuring some crazy lyricism and great production from Plue Starfox. Akoko comprised of Sugg Savage and Sloane Amelia, is a group based in D.C. and one of the best acts from the area which already features great talent (if you follow this blog, something you'll know). I type this next sentence fully aware of what I'm stating and I stand by it.

Akoko is the female version of Outkast.

Hopefully you haven't exited out of the page and are still reading this, if so thanks if not...well...I guess you really can't see this so...yeah...back to what I said. As I got further and further into CAT•A•RAPS I couldn't help but think this over and over. Sugg and Sloane not only match the legendary ATLiens in terms of chemistry as a duo but also in creativity. If you haven't seen any of their videos I suggest you stop reading and do so. See what I mean? They aren't the typical "I'm a boss ass bitch. My pussy good. 5 Star Chick" that most female rappers seem to be. Just like how Andre and Big Boi aren't typical "My nigga, my nigga. Cars, clothes, bitches" rappers. They're both different but it doesn't come off as forced to stand out it's just natural. 

One of the most overlooked things in Hip-Hop now is track chemistry, in today's Hip-Hop collaborations are rarely about genuine respect for other artist's craft but about a quick cash grab. Even today's music groups are more of collectives, just a bunch of artists behind one brand but not really a music group. Akoko is a group. The ladies flow and trade off each other perfectly, their chemistry is one of the main things that made me initially make the comparison.

With that being said I've already spent too much time on the subject and I want this to be a review of CAT•A•RAPS not them as a group. To get to the project itself, barely released before the New Year, it definitely was one of the sleeper hits of 2013. I had high expectations after hearing them initially and I can say that after hearing the full project they were definitely met and even exceed at times. 

I knew coming in that CAT•A•RAPS was going to be different but I didn't expect what I ended up hearing. To call this a rap album would be incorrect, it's more than that. Combining elements of Neo-Soul, Electronic, Alternative and even some Reggae CAT•A•RAPS transcends the genres to become something truly unique. Sloane and Sugg never sound out of element either, whether clever wordplay, viscous bars, rapid multi syllables flows or even beautiful harmonizing they can do it all and well. 

I don't want to bore you with anymore reading (there is already a lot) I try to keep these short but this review was different. 2013 was a great year of music and finding Akoko and CAT•A•RAPS are among my personal highlights. There isn't much else to say other then listen and hopefully you enjoy CAT•A•RAPS as much as I do.

Standout Tracks: A++, Deadly Venom, Dogma (The Sparrow), No Offer, Royal Flush, The Blair Witch Project & Thee Hipókolypse

FINAL VERDICT

+ Excellent lyricism

+ Great track presence 

+ Multi displays of high level emceeing skill

+ Creativity

- One or two lacking tracks

9/10

[Album Review] Cal Rips - BELIEVE

Every now and then I forget to add a link, word or stream when making a post. When it's really bad I become Loaf God and forget to post entire projects whether due to a busy schedule or just pure laziness. Unfortunately this is one of those times. I found myself listening to BELIEVE today by the great Cal Rips and thought "Damn I forgot how good this was, let me go tweet the link to the post" and much to my dismay there was no post to link. I really don't know how I forgot but I figured better late than never (although some might disagree). 

Production wise this is definitely Cal's strongest project yet, everything transitions well. This is one of those rare tapes that you can run front to back without skipping a track or two. Cal never lets the album get stale, as soon as you're thinking the project is getting too somber, he picks it back up. Thanks to producers such as Matt McGhee, Day X and rMell who are behind two of my personal favorites "Winning" and "Flashing" and Clayt Da Great who is behind most of the tape's highlight tracks.

I always talk about progression when it comes to Cal but this time around it's different. Cloud X to #Thumbs Up was a slight improvement, Chemical X was a major one. With each tape Cal got better, either with beat selection, lyrically or content wise, on BELIEVE it's more of a matter of being consistent. He's come into his own as a artist he knows what works and what doesn't. This tape is more of a refinement of already shown skills and that isn't a bad thing at all. Cal is a great rapper and if his last project showed promise, this one proves it.

All in all BELIEVE will make you exactly do that, not only in Cal as a rapper but as a true artist.

Standout Tracks: Winning, Flashing, Match 1, AV & Deuce Bigalow

FINAL VERDICT

+ Great production and raps

+ Very cohesive (front to back no skips)

+ Strong content

+ Good guest features

- Sound quality on some tracks

- Not rapping on that jazzy ass intro (lol)

8.5/10  [Recommend Listen & Download]

[Mixtape] Iceburg Jettson - The People's Champ

The People's Champ the first official project from Iceburg Jettson since adopting his new moniker is full of growth and change but if one thing remains since his Willie Jetts days, is that the dude can make some good music. TPC is one of those rare projects that has a track for everyone, whether you wanna chill, ride around, get hype, smoke or even something for your lady, you'll find it on here. The production is excellent from swanky-bounce to slow and screwed to soulful samples it all works. Credit to all the producers. Jettson not only uses the production but his rhymes to paint a lifestyle of a luxury and riches on most tracks. However, TPC is also very personal something his last tape Commercial Free did well. Touching on his home situation, mother and thoughts, it's easy to hear tracks like "92' Ric Flair" and "Million Dollar Championship" and write off TPC as another braggadocio rap project but it's not. 

Continuing his improvement from CF, lyrically this is Jettson's strongest outing not only having tight verses but flow and concept wise everything is done well. With TPC Iceburg has successfully reinvented himself as an artist, whether intentional or not. He has traded in his violent/weird flows found on "Freaky Friday" and "Facebook Kill" for "93' Lexus" and "All I Do" both which feature a more laid back approachable sound. Personally both work, although I find TPC has more replayability because of that and due in part to the catchy hooks/rhymes something that I've said Jettson is underrated in the past for. Few artists in the game, especially indie wise can match him in that category. All together The People's Champ marks a career best for an artist I feel has yet to even reach his peak, I'm definitely excited to see and hear how Iceburg improves in the future.

Standout Tracks: Intro, 92' Ric Flair. 93' Lexus, Million Dollar Championship, Elder Toguro & Spend Da Night

FINAL VERDICT

+ Great replayabilty

+ Cohesive sound

+ Great production

+ Improvement shown

- Two or three lacking tracks

- Mundane sound towards end of tape

8.5/10  [A Recommend Listen & Download]

[Mixtape Review] Marki$ Apollo - ChapterXX

Marki$ Apollo is a problem. He is definitely one of the best lyricist in the indie game right now, few can match dude. However, I've known that since listening to his self described "lyrical exhibition" XIII with his project ChapterXX I wanted to know how he stacked up as an artist and I feel CXX proves that Apollo is just more than lyricist. 

The inevitable comparison to Kendrick Lamar is going to come up when discussing Marki$, I don't know he himself has heard them but his flow at times is reminiscent of King Kendrick. It's ironic that the first track "Blvkkk Godz" is over Lamar's "Sherane" but over the course of my listen I found myself moving away from my initial comparison. If anything he is a product of Kendrick's lyricism combined with Pusha T's raw delivery, which is a deadly combination. 

I have to give credit to Apollo for creating one of the most cohesive tapes I've heard since Section.80 and ChapterXX is very reminiscent of it with it's soul sound something that is a trademark of young Apollo. The comparison ends at the production however, the two are very different content wise if Section.80 is for the 80's babies than CXX speaks for the 90's generation. 

Now with most lyrical artist projects can tend to get boring mainly due to weak production (Nas and Lupe come to mind) or due to preachy lyrics/over-the-top lyricism (Cannibus and Jay Electronica i.e.) Apollo keeps it interesting with the production featured on the tape which never bores for the most part. CXX features a nice mixture of highly lyrical tracks and smooth bangers, I definitely recommend listening to it in your car or if you have good headphones or a nice speaker system. The lyrics never outshine the production and vice-versa, the perfect balance. 

I can not praise Apollo's lyricism enough and again the production featured is top notch, a mixture of some familiar industry beats with a enough twist on them to make them Apollo's own and some original. Cohesive sound throughout, it sounds like Marki$ took his time and crafted every track as perfect as possible. Another improvement over his previous effort, HOOKS!!! for a while Apollo didn't have any tracks with a hook or chorus and while it didn't take away from his music I couldn't let him off the hook (no pun intended seriously) when he sent me his various tracks.

Marki$ Apollo is one of the many artist I know personally but he is one of the few I actually can see having what it takes to succeed in the music business. Only time will tell what will be written about him at the end of his time but I honestly believe if he continues on the path he is on, he'll eventually become the success I already see him as. 

FINAL VERDICT

+ High lyrical ability 

+ Cohesive sound

+ Excellent production

+ Clear vision 

- Messing up that Tekken reference (lol)

9.5/10

[Album Review] Mike of Doom - Rookie of the Year

So often when it comes to following up great projects we see many artists try to capture what made their previous project so good. The follow up ends up becoming a poor man's version of the previous or artists try to hard to deviate from their previous work to make the follow up stand out more. Nine times out of ten that ends up failing and displeasing fans. Take Tyler, The Creator for example, a lot of Bastard/Goblin fans don't like Wolf and vise-versa. What makes Rookie of the Year so great is the fact that it isn't trying to be the The Mane and Mike didn't go away from what made him popular in the first place.

Often in my reviews I talk about how the artist was able to top their previous project and show growth. That's because their previous project was easily surpassable, however with Mike, The Mane was his signature tape. Hell it was his signature, he was literally The Mane. Yet somehow he found a way to best that tape and still retain his signature sound while also expanding it. Take "Lets Get This Paper!" which starts out as your typical Mike of Doom "The Mane" sound, loud and braggadocio, the second half however is an introspective look towards the future when he does succeed. It's similar to how Lupe flipped Kick Push. I honestly didn't think Mike was capable of something like that. 

Another thing that makes ROTY one of my favorite tapes to drop in 2013 is the production. This is probably the strongest tape I've heard all year production-wise. Credits to Mike for his ear for good production and to all the producers on the tape. Also the features on here introduced me to a handful of great artists. Cisero, Goldlink, 431 (I knew of) and Quan The Padawan all kill their respective verses, especially Goldlink who brings "Flair" to the next level with his verse. Similar to Chance The Rapper's appearance on Childish Gambino's "They Don't Like Me". 

Mike has never been the "super-lyrical-miracle" type rapper, that doesn't mean he is a slouch on the mic either. Lyrically he is strong as ever. He even impressed me with a few lines over the course of the tape. The most impressive thing about ROTY to me however is the replayability of it. Immediately after listening to it I wanted to run it back. Not too many projects over the last couple of years has had that effect on me. Much to my dismay I can't say "let's get it" without damn near reciting Mike's verse. It's already bad enough that anytime I hear Brad Pitt's name I instantly think of the classic track from The Mane. 

In my personal opinion this is by far one of the most cohesive tapes of the last couple of years. There was only one or two tracks I wasn't feeling but other than that I have nothing negative to say. If you were a Mike of Doom fan before Rookie of the Year, you'll still be one and if you weren't...welcome to the club.

Standout Tracks: Coolington, Lets Get This Paper!, Flair, Zooted, Your All Welcome

FINAL VERDICT

+ Excellent production

+ High replayability

+ Nice features

+ Cohesive sound

+ Excellent features

- One or two lacking tracks

9.5/10

[Mixtape Review] Rashad Stark - VIGILANTE

Since dropping his project SOAR 2 last October, Rashad Stark made it clear that he was not a stagnant artist. Showing major improvement in his rap and especially production skills, it set him apart from being known as Steezy's sidekick to being his own artist. With VIGILANTE Rashad set out not only to improve once again but establish his own sound and for the most part he does. 

VIGILANTE is definitely an improvement over last year's SOAR 2, overall better rapping, production and little nuances such as track placement set it ahead of his previous effort. VIGILANTE feels like a more complete project due to all of these reasons, while I felt SOAR 2 had more of a mixtape feel. Rashad made strides in improving his subject matter with a much mature and dark sound featured on this tape think "Carnage II" from SOAR 2. Which was probably the best track on SOAR 2 due to its subject matter that dealt with Rashad's various personal issues. VIGILANTE does have it's "Bxtch I Think I'm Yeezy" moments but they are far and few compared to the much more personal material.

When I spoke with Rashad during our interview last year, he spoke about VIGILANTE and how he wanted to find his sound. I don't necessarily think he does on this project but he comes damn near close. Due in part to better production choices to fit his voice and flow and an overall more consistent quality verse wise. Over the 12 track project you'll learn about Rashad the man and the artist. I think with his next project if he continues on the path he established with this and SOAR 2 he'll definitely find his niche. 

One of the main highlights of the tape is the various artists featured on the tracks. All do an excellent job in not only contributing to the track but improving it as well. However, I definitely think we can all agree that Akoko's Sugg Savage stole the show on many of her appearances on the project. Kudos to her. Also, gotta give credit to Rashad for putting together a nice list of guest artists. A few of my favorites being "GODS" the spiritual successor to "Chrono Triggers", both which feature MiggFAM and Mike of Doom to "All Black Susanoo'" featuring EZITO and the aforementioned Sugg Savage. Credit to all who were featured really.

Overall VIGILANTE impresses for the most part, there was little I could find wrong with it. I could do without the 12 track one hour duration and the sometimes over the top anime references and lines but those are more of personal issues than actual detriments to the project. As of now VIGILANTE is a career best for Rashad, who continues to improve with each tape and come closer to finding that sound that he can call his own. 

Standout Tracks: GODS, All Black Susanoo', Just Hold Me, & Real Nigga Anthem 

FINAL VERDICT

+ More mature/personal subject matter

+ Excellent features

+ Coehisive sound

+ Improved lyrical and production skill

- Over the top lines/references 

- Short track list, long duration

- No track featuring me

8/10

[Mixtape Review] Che - TIT

Back in 2006, Jay-Z referred to Lupe Fiasco as a "breath of fresh air" what Jay was referring to was the fact that Lupe was bringing something new to the rap game which at the time lacked creativity and was stale. If I was asked to describe Che I would use the same exact words. Besides a few artist like Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj (depends on who you ask), Angel Haze and Nitty Scott not too many female artist are noticeable. In my opinion Nitty Scott is the best female rapper to come out in the last fives years mainly due to her ability to actually rap and her ear for production. I see the same exact qualities in Che.

TIT benefits mainly from two things, Che's ability to rap well and intelligently and the production. Throughout the entire tape both of these hold true. Not during any point did I think she or the production was slacking. It is also one of the better tapes I've heard mixing wise, most indie releases lack in sound quality but TIT sounds clean. 

Another thing I noticed was Che's versatility not only can she rap but she can sing pretty well too. It added another level to her tracks and kept them personal, as many of her tracks are, by not having to rely on a singer trying to capture her emotions/lyrics. Songs such as "Hard Knock", "Blindz" and "My Rooster" are a few examples. 

One thing rap is missing right now is creative and real subject matter, especially female rap. One of the highlights of TIT is Che's ability to creatively share her personal stories. On TIT she describes her issues/experiences with her father, sexuality, relationships, drugs and life in general. Not one track sounds the same but it all comes together to tell a story and by the end of the tape you'll feel like you've known Che for all her life. Few artist these days can make a tape telling their personal stories and make you care and that was what Che was able to do much like Kendrick Lamar did with good kid, m.A.A.d city. 

Speaking of Kendrick Lamar you can hear a lot of him in Che, his influence is definitely there. However, it never comes off as her emulating him, simply just an admiration for his craft. TIT even features many samples that can be found on Kendrick's tracks, such as Relaspe. It was nice to see how both Che and the producers could use the same sample but flip it into something totally unique and dope. 

To wrap this up, Che dropped what is easily one of my favorite tapes so far in 2013. I can only see things going up for her. With her unique style, fluid flow and lyrical skill Che stands out in an age of clones. Hopefully she can gain the recognition she deserves, she already has gained the eye of Juicy J recently joining him on stage at his show in Pontiac at the Crofoot. I expect to see many more great things from her in the future and this is only the beginning.

Standout Tracks: O.T.A.F.O., GERMZ, Sniper$ and Diaper$, Relapse & Annoying Hippy.

FINAL VERDICT

+ Lyrical skill

+ Great production from the beats to the mixing

+ Subject matter

+ Sharp flow and wordplay

- A bit too long

9.5/10

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[Mixtape Review] Steezy Grizzlies - Green

Right from the very start of Green, the latest project from Steezy Grizzlies, it's apparent that Steezy is on a different plane than that of his previous works. Beginning with "Yawns" Steezy drops some real lines "In this rap circle, everyone wants to be rMell or Trill. That's why it's kinda hard to tell, who is original still" something which is quite true. Rap has become a carbon copy genre, with every rapper wanting to be someone else or sound like something else. This introspectiveness is what sets Steezy apart, not only is he aware of his own faults, he is willing to point them out. That is one of the reasons why the intro to Green is so great, it's Steezy finally being himself and not caring about pleasing fans or the opinion of others. 

Next is the high energy "SNB Anthem II" featuring Rashad Stark with excellent production from Plue Starfox. It's simply Steezy and Rashad having fun and rapping well, the former is something that I noticed over the course of my listen. I get the sense that Steezy had fun during the recording process of Green, something that I didn't get from past projects. 

Green does well to show off Steezy's versatility from his softer side, "Paradise Falls" and "My B.R.I.A. (Simp Song II)" which are definite highlights of the project with the former featuring not only a dope verse from Grammy Family's rMell but also production, which samples Yuji Ohno's "Love Theme" from Lupin III. To his more "street" side with "Gangsta Minded Gohan"  and the Johny Locus assisted "dmGOTHAM" both featuring some braggadocious rhymes. Lastly, "Neega The 2nd." with the lyrical monster Surp God who drops a show stealing verse but Steezy holds his own against Surp and avoids being outclassed. Steezy closes out the tape with the last two tracks featuring his SNB family, although I wish he would've ended it with a solo track, the whole SNB does well and shows off their individual talents which I suppose was the purpose. 

All together Green is the best project from Steezy Grizzlies by far, it is more polished and feels more organic than his previous drops. The only thing I can say negative about it was that it was too short but that doesn't take away from the project itself, plus I believe it was intended to be short in duration. Steezy has shown that he can hold his own against some of the best in his area with his last three projects, hopefully an album is in the works. I think that is the last step in his evolution as an artist, I'd like to see what he could do over a full length 45-55 minute project. However, until that time, just enjoy Green.

Standout Tracks: Yawns, Paradise Falls, My B.R.I.A. (Simp Song II), dmGOTHAM, & Neega The 2nd. 

FINAL VERDICT

+ Steezy's best work yet

+ Great production

+ Good features

+ Versatile sound

- Unnecessary interludes

- Short track length 

8.5/10

[Mixtape Review] Chick Gaynor - LORD $LUG

After a few singles and an EP, Chick Gaynor returns with his first project of the new year LORD $LUG, the follow up to his album ORIGAMI. It's been a while since a project has had me this conflicted on my opinion of it. LORD $LUG is a good project but it is definitely a step back when compared to ORIGAMI, but ORIGAMI shined mainly due to the improvement over Chick's first mixtape Whatever. In no means is LORD $LUG a bad project but it does have its faults, one thing it is lacking is the cohesiveness that ORIGAMI benefited from. It feels much more like an EP comprised of material that Chick has been working on for the past months than a true project. It is almost more comparable to his Slug Gawd: The Lost Memoirs in that sense. 

Chick has always been an artist who has shown improvement with each project and while LORD $LUG doesn't improve on too much from Chick's previous works it does enough. One thing that it has over his past projects is replayability, I've listened to it a lot in the weeks since its release and I've yet to tire of it. Whatever and ORIGAMI both lack in this, mainly due in part to production choices. The production featured on LORD $LUG is definitely more upbeat when compared to the melodic melancholy production on ORIGAMI. Thanks to producers such as Louseph Bruise Em', rMell, High Class Filth, Suede Moccasins and Nomad. Although at the same time Chick doesn't stray to far off from the sound that made him, he more or less fine tuned it. Tracks such as "Alexa Chung" show off Chick's humor and his ability to spit over more uptempo production. While "#BushMOB" shows off Chick's more menacing side, as he and Mike of Doom take turns trading bars while sending shots at fellow rappers. As I said earlier, while LORD $LUG does lack the cohesiveness that ORIGAMI had, it does well to show off Chick's versatility as an artist as he tackles various production styles.

Lyrically LORD $LUG is strong, featuring some of his best verses, Chick retains the improvement in lyrics and flow that he showed in past projects. Chick keeps the feature count low this time around, only Mike of Doom and Nomad make appearances with both bringing their own unique talents to their respective tracks. Chick has always had an ability to be personal in his raps and that makes him much more relatable and it truly shows on this tape. The project ends with the excellent "Lama Sabacthani" as Chick laments over the Nomad produced track about his griefs, it is truly moving and in my opinion the best track on LORD $LUG, a definite highlight.

Overall, LORD $LUG is another great project from Chick Gaynor who continues to improve and hone his sound with each project. It'll be interesting to see what he does for his next project but I have no doubts that it'll be his best yet.

Standout Tracks: #BushMOB, Edward Nygma, Alexa Chung, Psalm 27 & Lama Sabacthani

FINAL VERDICT

+ Some of Chick's best work yet

+ High replay value

+ Strong production

+ Digital Booklet featuring lyrics and excellent design 

- Lacks cohesiveness

- Short duration

8/10

Stream below or download here

[Album Review] rMell - NEOGEO

Although it has been more than a week since the release of rMell's NEOGEO the support for it hasn't stopped. The young artist even trended on Twitter in the Washington area for more than a day and the feedback has been amazing. One of the main reasons I held off on reviewing it or even posting it was because I felt I needed more than just a day or two to critique an album that has been in the works for two years. I didn't want to give a stereotypical "Yo this album is dope be sure to download" type of review. So after listening to it multiple times and contemplating what to say about it, I finally feel confident in my ability to deliver the best review possible for NEOGEO.

[Album Review] Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

Me and the blog homies Yoh (TheTapeDeck), Dave and Mark II (Back2Pluto) got together and collectively shared our thoughts on Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated album good kid, m.A.A.d city and created a honest and unbiased review for your reading pleasure. S/O to Felix for hosting the review over at Kidz 'R Evil. Without further ado, I present to you good kid, m.A.A.d city the review.

[Review] Nomad - Nocebo

If you're a regular of D:D you should know how highly I view Nomad's skills as an emcee. Over the last few months Nomad has been steadily dropping music in preparation for Nocebo. First it was For.Not, a short two track EP that served to hold fans over and to show progression in Nomad's skills as an artist. After that every Thursday a new track from Nocebo was dropped and week after week the tracks got better.

With that being said my excitement for Nocebo grew with each released track. I felt like For.Not was a true example of what Nocebo would be but I was mistaken. It's definitely not and just as Nomad told me himself " For.Not. can't touch Nocebo in any way shape or form...these are throw aways" I thought he was hyping it up at the time but the man didn't lie.

From the very moment I began to listen to Nocebo I could already tell I was going to go on a musical journey. Beginning with "NoPreFace" as the beat builds Nomad calmly spits "Relax ya self. Let yo conscious free. You're now rocking to the sounds of the N.O.M.A.D." and what follows is a short verse featuring Nomad's sharp flow and clever wordplay. Two things that make up the rest of the tracks featured on the tape.

Besides from Nocebo showcasing Nomad's skills as an emcee it also shows off his skills as a producer. As with all Nomad releases, the production is on point. With Nomad producing much of Nocebo himself aside from three tracks. This however has never been a weak point in Nomad's repertoire with the production featured on Think Again and For.Not, being the highlight more so the former than the latter. Nocebo is a very cohesive listen and for the most part each beat compliments each other rather than out shine.

Another major improvement from Nomad's previous effort Think Again is the subject matter. Think Again was filled with aspiration rap and while Nocebo does feature some aspiration raps here and there, it's very minimum compared to its predecessor. Also, the project being 20 tracks deep helps disperse this problem. Over the course of Nocebo we learn of Nomad not only as an artist but as a person too. Personal stories and verses shared over the project helps you connect to Nomad on a deeper level and even interludes such as "The Invention of Lying" help to expose Nomad's more personal and wittier side.

I want to touch on the features briefly, as with Nomad's other projects features are more of an added bonus than a main commodity. Features include Grammy Family's cool guy rMell who not only spits a guest verse but handles the production on "Try-Angles" and fellow Unsung member Ezel Skylark who appears on standout track "The Drive". If I had to compare the chemistry of Nomad and Ezel it would be that of Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul, who more so are equals in terms of rap skills and tend to compliment each others skill set. Lastly "Won-Up" featuring The Rezon and 431, with each emcee absolutely killing it. The only thing I can say disappointed me was the fact that there was no track featuring Unsung as an whole, the team appears on the interlude "Vignette" but other than that no bars from Eskay, whose featured track "Run-On Thoughts [of Sex]" was an highlight on Think Again.

To wrap this up I want to state that, I already knew Nomad was a mad talented artist. From the very moment I heard his previous project Think Again, he became one of my favorite emcees and I even created a 'Feature of the Month' section on D:D to spread his project. However, as I read reviews from fellow bloggers it seemed as if they could see the potential in Nomad but weren't ready to proclaim him one of the best just yet. With Nocebo I think Nomad proves himself as an artist and whether or not he intended it, I have no idea but he accomplishes just that. So as I stated in the beginning it gives me great pleasure in hosting and presenting Nocebo, a project which I truly believe is one of the best this year but more importantly a example of Nomad's true artistry and dedication to his craft. Enjoy.

Standout Tracks: Try-Angles, Get Familiar, Devil's Pie, The Drive, NoJar, Liquid Lover Lova', Shinola!, Won-Up & Blue Like Jazz.

Overall: 9.5/10

Download and stream below.

[Review] SIR E.U THE GREAT - 3000% BLACK EXCELLENCE

From the very start of SIR E.U's 3000% BLACK EXCELLENCE you get a feel for how the rest of the project will sound. "Return Of the Buckfoy" begins with his verse from the now legendary "After F",  jumping off that E.U spits new rhymes over some jazzy production. The rest of the tape features a jazz/soul hybrid sound, that fits E.U style perfectly somehow. As with all of his projects it seems, the production is unique to its own. ATGJ!, FXCK, H I P P O P O T A M U S, WOMBO and now 3000% BLACK EXCELLENCE none of these sound alike, yet they all share one thing in common and that's SIR E.U. This is more of an testament to E.U's versatility as an artist to be able to create a new sound with each project and still retain his own style.

[Review] Motorcity M.A.Z. - Cruise Control

Local Detroit artist Motorcity M.A.Z. recently sent me his solo debut LP Cruise Control, I was surprised because I don't normally get submissions from my hometown ironically, none the less I decided to give the project a listen. One thing I can say about M.A.Z is that he's definitely not what I expected. I thought I was going to listen to a long drawn out mixtape about being from Detroit, how it's hard to be from Detroit and other typical subjects like cars, money and women that seems to thrive in Detroit rap. 

M.A.Z. finds a good way to diverse his subject matter, yet still maintain that Detroit feel and even manage to speak on Detroit and street life but in a genuine manner. From a lyrical standpoint M.A.Z. does not disappoint, over the 14 track project M.A.Z. spits some of the best I've heard from a Detroit artist. His style and sound is similar to another local artist DeeDotMillz, who also happens to be one of the city's best up and coming artist.

There were only two things that "disappointed" me, one being M.A.Z.'s flow at times he can come off monotone and void of any emotion but it doesn't happen enough to bore down the project. The second thing is the singing featured on the project. Although the other features on the tape are dope. Specifically CrackKillz who spits a dope guest verse on "Deeper" and Stefon Lyon who absolutely spazzes.

All together Cruise Control is a good debut project from Motorcity M.A.Z., who with a little time and experience, could become one of Detroit's best on the indie scene. 

Overall: 7.5/10

[Album Review] CRASHprez - CRASHvillainy

As "Safe Deposit" plays in the background, I begin this review. First of all let me start by saying that I really don't like "remix" projects. The reason for that being because a lot of the time the artist remixing tries to hard to reinvent the original or sticks to close to the original. Although with CRASHprez and his CRASHvillainy project, a remix of Madvillian's Madvillainy, this does not occur.

One of the main reasons why this project is so great is because CRASH seems to realize that. CRASH keeps his style and merges it with Madlib's instrumentals. This is some of the best spitting I've heard from him and is definitely my favorite project from him yet. You can definitely feel the effort CRASH put into this project from the verses to even remixing the audio clips replacing DOOM's with his own. I felt that was a nice touch and made the project even more of a true remix. 

Even with CRASH spitting solo for most of the 22 track project, when a feature did occur it was always dope. Defcee, Chick Gaynor and SIR E.U all do well and showcase their respective skills. With the latter getting his own track and making his "father" more than proud. 

I want to end this review by saying that, all artist who plan to do a remix of a classic Hip-Hop project should study this. Not only did CRASH find a way to pay homage to the original, he found a way to keep his own style in the process and not cop out by copying DOOM's. It is because of that, that CRASHvillainy comes off more as true remix than just an ode to Madvillainy. 

[Album Review] Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

Disclaimer: The following review is for Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE not his private life. At the same time it wouldn’t be right nor fair to just completely ignore his recent revelation. I will just say this. I don’t personally have an opinion, rather I don’t care. Music is music. Wither the person is gay, straight, white or black. As long as the music is good, I’m good. Now on to the review itself.

[Review] Nomad - For.Not. EP

As DMV artist Nomad prepares his next project Nocebo, he decided to drop this gem late last night. For.Not. is a rather short listen, being only comprised of two tracks, all intended by it's creator. The first track ULIGO produced by DaVe is a rather somber tune about the struggle of trying to pursue a relationship with a friend and ultimately being placed in the 'Friend Zone'. The second ABON is self-produced and more of the "typical" Nomad sound, just straight bars and chillin' on the track.

Even with it's short duration For.Not is still one of the best projects I've heard this year and should serve as a taste of what Nocebo will be when it drops later this year. Although according to Nomad these tracks have nothing on what he has on Nocebo. Nice.

Album Review: Mike of Doom - Of Doom...

Download: Of Doom...

So I said I would review this about two days ago, as did the homie Dave. However, today I decided to overcome my loafage and get to work on this review. Now on to the project itself. Of Doom... is a collection of work by DMV producer/rapper Mike of Doom and showcases his talents as an artist. Mike handles all the production on the tape, and even spits on some of the tracks. The project is 24 tracks deep and I normally don't like when artist have more than 15 tracks on their projects, but the variety of the tape prevents you from losing interest.

Curren$y - The Stoned Immaculate Review by Dave Caldwell

As much as I would like to take credit for this excellent review you're about to read, I sadly cannot. The following review was written by good friend, fellow blogger, and the Trap's Basquiat Dave Caldwell of Back2Pluto. This is the first of what I hope to be many collaborations between Digital Drop, Dave and Back2Pluto. Nothing more to say other than enjoy.

Chick Gaynor - O R I G A M I (Mixtape+Review)

Download: O R I G A M I

Chick Gaynor a.k.a. Slug God definitely lives up to his nickname, seeing as his sophomore project Origami was originally due out March 20th. However, I do recall a conversation we had at the time, in which I told Chick that as long as Origami was ill nobody would remember how long it took to make. Well I'm here to say it was definitely worth the wait. Origami is a very cohesive project and I personally can't think of anything negative to say about the tape itself.