u/0bieTriceKenobi

Recently the homie @cloud recommended this album from Lyric Jones, GA$ MONEY. And he never lets me down so I had to give it a shot and clearly I’ve been ing out by missing out on Lyric Jones! This is a great album with great features and Lyric Jones went off!
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Looking more into Lyric Jones it’s not a surprise this album was so good. Shes got the accolades to back up her skill but I’m here for GA$ MONEY right now. As the album starts it’s clear that Lyric Jones needs whatever she’s owed. All Mine (The Bank) is the first song and Lyric lets it be known that she needs all her cash and respects the ladies getting it by any means necessary. Immediately showcasing high level rhyming and lyricism while sticking to the topic and executing it with a high IQ on display. Coming out of Boston, Lyric Jones gives us Beantown (Still Lovin’ It); an ode to her hometown and hood which she says on the hook.
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Look My Way is an upbeat track featuring 2 GOATS, Blu & Vic Spencer. Spanning the track from the West, to the Midwest and out East. A great track and collab between the three. Adulting is another standout track, one where Lyric Jones gets into the ins and outs of being (or trying to be) an adult. Game Ova brings us Lyric and the great Guilty Simpson, where they both boastfully spit, including Lyric telling older corny MCs shes not interested in dating. And last but not least is All Sides, a song where Lyric Jones lets it be known shes gif every angle covered, from all sides.
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This was an amazing album and like I said, I’ve been missing out on Lyric Jones. But better late than never! Now I’m in the know and look forward to checking into more music from her like Closer Than They Appear. And if you are t up on her music there’s no better time to tune in than the present!

I’ve been following the great producer FiveEight Fever for a while now, he even made my 2025 Rising Star Producers! So when I see he drops I try to make sure I check in. This time the album is Grhyme with the MC Chubs. coming out of Long Island with razor sharp lines and a unique flow, Grhyme is a top tier underground gem!
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I won’t lie, it did take me a little time to fully lock into Chubs flow and rhyme style. it’s a great style but like some of my favorites took me just a bit of time for everything to click into place. But by the time I was finished with my first play through I saw the vision. First of all, FiveEight Fever brought some great, gritty production here for Chubs to dig into. and it was dope to see some great features like Gripz, Bub Styles & Brad Piff scattered across the album.
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Chubs brings witty bars and grimy lyrics. Lines like “Where we from you either turn scum or an athlete, or a fiend on the backstreet” and “Slice you back like bacon fat, stop glorifying rats” are all over Grhyme and fit perfect with the beats from FiveEight Fever. This album stays in the mud and I really love that, songs like words Are Weapons, D.R.U.G.S., get Iff My Cross Trainers, Burl Talk and Camp Kill really get into a vibe I like. But on tracks like Soul Deepens you get more of a personal insight to Chubs which is dope too.
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FiveEight Fever continues to link and work with dope artists and I’ll continue to tune in. Chubs caught me as a new fan off this, and I can see he has a long career I have to study up on. Check this album out today and show these guys some love!

Something about TRICERATOPS made me think of Dream Master from the NES!

I couldn’t help myself, all just satire! 😂

Recently I reviewed Jonathan Clouds EP What Doesn’t Kill Me Will… and really loved it. Well he’s all gas no brakes right now and followed that up with another EP, What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Stronger. A project I liked even more than the last one and have been excited to talk about!
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It starts with the title track which takes no time to get into the meat of things. The beat is hard knocking and beautiful as Cloud attacks it swiftly. “The road less traveled, my footprints embedded in the gravel”, that’s an incredible bar with layers and delivered with passion just like the rest of the track. Emptiness is the next track and brings a super uplifting beat while Cloud speaks on emptiness in different ways. In both good and bad ways, but seeing things clearly. Dark Clouds has Jonathan Cloud clicking dark clouds in his life and striking through them like a light beam.
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I really like how Cloud attacked each beat on this project, with razor sharp flows throughout. I think hoes might like Scaring The Hoes, maybe I’m wrong but either way I liked it ha. “Talking bout scaring the hoes, but we never seen you round no women”, some vicious bars on this track that feel like there might be a target out there. But I don’t see anyone stepping to Cloud and his bar work cause I know he’ll get busy. Have Mercy is a favorite and that starting bar is exactly why “the only things that matter is cold facts, they tellin me opinions I tell em to hold that" Cloud fires off before the beat even drops. Under a minute but a scorcher. And last but not least is Before I Get Home, a track where Cloud gives his testimony as his last words on the album.
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Like I said before with What Doesn’t Kill Me Will…, Jonathan Cloud was only getting started with his cooking. This felt like it hit just a splash more for me and that says a lot. It’s already becoming a busy year for Cloud and his fans, you won’t see me complaining though!

https://open.spotify.com/album/0vSCEmv0635olj1FLhVSPE?si=TpM3pyLuTnuT4iRHJPcQyg

I’ve known this project was in the works for a minute now and I’ve been super excited for it. Put That On Everything is an album fully produced by Xcelence, the Grammy award winning producer; and is a collaboration album between two of Chicagos premiere MCs, Rufus Sims & Ju Jilla! Two Windy City heavyweights came together for this album and came out with one of the top albums of the year!
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Both Ju Jilla and Rufus Sims bring high tier lyricism to each and every track. Telling personal stories mixed with witty bars, street rhymes and everything in between. And bringing everything together is the soulful and smooth production from Xcelence. This album just flows so well, verse to verse and track to track. On My Soul kicks things off and sets the tone that the next 27 minutes follows. There’s no time wasted with the quotables ON MY Soul has one of my favorite lines, as Rufus spits on the first verse of the album “Used to be a crashout, cashed out and made dough”. Meanwhile on Eye Could See, Ju Jilla kicks “Soldiers at war do or die over nonsense, double homicide got you bondless”. Raw bars across the entire album from both Rufus Sims & Ju Jilla.
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This level of music takes effort, ‘Passion’ if you will. Which brings me to the track by the same name. “You can learn a trade or skill but they can’t teach passion”, Rufus Sims fires off as the first line in the song. It’s such a true statement, and what helps push guys like Ju Jilla and Rufus Sims to elevated heights. I love the aggressive yet mature sound and style these two MCs get off across these beats from Xcelence. Mastodon is great, referencing the animal but also the Black Ranger from Power Rangers. The beat sings out and echos along beautifully. Best In The World has Ju & Rufus both getting personal as you get an insight into their prayers. And wrapping up the album is Hottest In The City, where they speak on Chicago and their spots in the city. “She say my heart cold, well it’s probably cause I got like 40k up on my neck” spits Ju Jilla while Rufus Sims hits us with “I’m the son of a mob boss, I put that shit on everything like franks red hot sauce”.
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This album is incredible, easily one of the best of the year. Both Ju Jilla and Rufus Sims solo are out here dunking again and again. This starts to feel like an All-Star game at a certain point with the way they bounce off each other. And Xcelences production is the prefect court for these MCs to do what they do best across. This is a 2026 must listen!

I keep finding gems emerging from Ohio and Dirty Needles is one of those gems. Recently this album Pens & Needles hit my desk and once I started it I couldn’t put it down. Produced entirely by Reese Tanaka, this album of wicked bars and beats was right up my alley.
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Literally no time into this project the gas peddle is stepped on and no sign of letting up. 0-100 type rapping and I love it. Bob Was Here… & Greetings X Salutations both start the project with a bang and by the time I was at The Nicest with Planet Asia I was all in. “Ain’t nobody fucking with me on a track, ima rap like the rents due”, one of the truest bars to his Pens & Needles. Dirty Needles brings technical excellence with flows to match. The rhyme schemes and the precision they are executed is in the upper echelon of MCs. As far as content there’s a lot of boisterous bars but when the rapping is this good, it works. But there are absolutely bars and songs that dig deeper into Dirty Needles life.
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Flame Emojis is an easy standout, Dirty Needles gets into some real shit. Fire Emojis don’t pay the bills. “Emojis are cool but it won’t put food in my refrigerator” & “I need more than a hashtag to show some respect” are two bars that really drive the message home. And Daphya provides an amazing hook and verse to match. Shes new to me but shined bright. 95 Needles brings a familiar vibe that most will recognize and Dirty Needles goes back to 95 and speaks on the origins of his razor sharp pen. And Humble Pie has Dirty Needles thinking over a comment saying he needs to humble himself over his rap skills. Dirty Needles is confident in himself and lifts himself up, and I agree with him. Plus, he has the skills to back it up.
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This was a hell of a first impression from Dirty Needles and it’s gonna tough to follow up and live up to moving forward. But the greats can do it and I have faith that Dirty Needles can reach and even exceed the expectations set by Pens & Needles. And another strong branch off the Ohio tree, give this a spin today and go support Dirty Needles!

Adot New Shit is a newer artist to me in the last half year or so. Finding multiple features from him across different albums that caught my attention. Year of the Content is Adot New Shits latest release with the Grammy nominated producer RMB Justize, who also touches the microphone across this album. Close to an hour long, there’s plenty to get into.
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Adot New Shit & RMB Justize is probably 80% raps and 20% or so, more melodic and singing. It makes for a good blend and with the mostly smooth production here it works. The few times it doesn’t work quite as much is when the song direction is less soulful and laid back, like Tudor Coupe. A song I like and the duo smokes lyrically, but the singing on that one just wasn’t for me. But like I said, Adot New Shit & RMB Justize mostly stick to rapping, and they do it well. Year of the Content (Intro) and State of the Union both show immediately as the album starts, that the flows are as smooth as RMB Justizes production.
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The beats provided by RMB Justize clock in at a high level. Jazzy and flowing tunes drive the album as the two MCs pack each track lyrically. Speaking on a few standout tracks, Vibrate stood out with its simple but wavy beat. Saying “people notice high vibrations”, which I fully agree with. Uber Black and 3 The Hard Way both bring darker and more stern production which makes for a good mid album switch up. And Change is Scary I really like, it’s just nice to get a song and topic so honest and self reflective. Change is scary and it’s okay to feel that way and say it, but it’s inevitable like they say on the song.
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These two put together a great album, I thought RMB Justize was going to produce only initially, but it turned out to be a great duo album. Super smooth, filled with sharp rhymes and dope lyrics. Check this album out and catch the vibe!

Young Spade is an MC and singer coming out of the Southside of Chicago. Having been making music since he was a little kid, Young Spade departed from his modern/melodic sound for more of a luxury rap style. Sprinkled with a little streets and a little love, there’s plenty to get into with Top Floor Status!

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Young Spade brought an elegant and luxury sound with the production, perfect for the departure he was aiming for. Not only does this style work really well for rapping, but when Young Spade wants to get melodic, it fits there as well. Definitely on his fly shit, ready to talk his way in and out of trouble with ladies along the way. I think basically everything here sounds good, but there’s songs in the first hal especially that just doesn’t exactly catch me for my everyday listening. I think the rapping is great and the singing is good but a still maybe a splash more of it than I’d like for some of the hooks. And a wider range of topics would help personally, but for the style and lane Young Spade is in, this is a good listen.

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Talking about some of my favorite tracks here, Top Floor is a good opening tracks. it gives you an idea of what to expect and a good first impression for anyone finding Young Spade for the first time like myself. Please Don’t Go as with many tracks here has a great beat and a short hook which lets Young Spades rapping shine. But Can’t Believe You brings leveled up production and is arguably my top track here. Just smooth and Young Spade brings a matching flow. And So Extra is the last I’ll speak on, it’s one where Young Spade got more personal than some of the previous tracks which I liked and hope to see more of as I continue to follow him.

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The second half of this project definitely steps things up a few notches compared to the first. All of Top Floor Status shows how talented Young Spade is, but that back half hit a lot stronger for me. I can see mainstream and underground appeal here with Young Spade, he’s still building and has room to grow but he also has the talent to spread as wide as he wants. Check this out on Bandcamp today!

For a long time I’ve gone back-and-forth between which Pilot Talk was my favorite, 1 or 2. Well with this revisit I think I’ve finally made my decision. I love Pilot Talk 1 but there’s a few tracks I never loved like the rest. And while Pilot Talk 2 does have a few of those, they still clear my least favorites on 1. So for this 4/20, I had to talk this classic.

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Airborne Aquarium, Michael Knight, Montreux and Famous is a crazy starting run to the album. Airborne Aquarium has always rang off as the first track to me, followed by the lead single from my memory, Michael Knight. I always preferred the original over the Remix with Raekwon, although it was an undeniably dope look at the time. I do miss the Trademark & Young Roddy days of Jet Life, really great artists under the umbrella. Flight Briefing is good but Hold Up has always been my favorite of the 2 Jet Life crew tracks here.

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A Gee was always a favorite of mine, I really love the hook and gives those uplifting Pilot Talk vibes. But the beauty of Pilot Talk 2 is the darkness of it. The purple cover isn’t just a weed thing but an indicator to the vibe of some of these tracks. Silence, O.G., Michael Knight, all have a much darker, more indica type of vibe. It brings a great balance to the overall sound. I feel like Pilot Talk had some bigger features but the features on Pilot Talk 2 are more focused and more consistent across the album.

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I think the nostalgia glasses for Pilot Talk 1 have finally wore down and I see Pilot Talk 2 as the champion. Both albums I still absolutely love of course, but I do think Pilot Talk 2 reigns supreme as the best in the series. So put it on today and smoke a tree to it!