Vancouver hip-hop legend Moka Only rekindles his annual holiday tradition with Martian XMAS 2025, the 21st installment in his beloved series. Once again adopting his “Martian” persona, the prolific rapper-producer soundtracks the winter with a signature blend of dusty jazz loops, head-nodding boom-bap, and off-kilter seasonal rhymes. More atmospheric vibe than classic carol, the album masterfully captures December’s crisp chill while radiating the cozy warmth of a crackling fireplace—a testament to the consistent creativity Moka Only has delivered for over two decades.
Here we have the 5th EP from York, Pennsylvania rapper Mikahl Lawless. Introducing himself in the summer of 2019 off his debut EP Pen to Paper, he would go on to follow it up with Overture for the Ill & Broken Hearted as well as 13 & Kisses to Nowhere until Cody Manson made him a member of his Trife Life collective. Cody eventually introduced Mikahl to Scum, impressing The Gorefather enough to give him his own deal with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz & introduce himself as part of the roster on Gangri-La. Commemorating the 1-year anniversary of The Snuff Gremlin later this weekend, he’s ending LSP’s year by releasing Cult.
“Ash” starts with a trap metal intro talking about what‘s left of him being blackened whereas “Cold Snow” blends this cloudy backdrop & live drumming telling how he’s feeling on the inside. “Ghost” reaches the halfway point by throwing it back to LINKIN PARK’s earlier output while the title track embraces a synth-pop vibe singing to bleed out beside him. “Prey” shifts back in nu metal turf comparing himself amongst the hunted & the same can be said regarding the outro “In Absence”, singing about him wishing he found nothing.
Many of the previews sounded nothing like Gangri-La & The Snuff Gremlin whatsoever, which gave me the impression of Mikahl Lawless venturing out artistically throughout the duration of Cult & he does it well enough to the point where I can confidently say that it could be the boldest musical statement he’s ever made. The production’s more versatile exploring trap metal, nu metal & synthpop in addition to the horrorcore lyrics being primarily sung as opposed to rapped.
Here we have the 15th EP from Los Angeles, California emcee/producer A-F-R-O. A protege of R.A. the Rugged Man after winning the Definition of a Rap Flow contest, his Duck Down Music Inc.-backed 5th EP A-F-R-O Polo produced by Marco Polo introduced himself as a promising up-&-comer within the underground. The Drawing Board alongside The Bad & the Ugly: The Goods Always Die First and Crimson Fury have all testified to his vengeful return in recent memory, coming off The Bad & the Ugly II to declare he has No More Patience… left in him.
“Who’s Dat?” starts with a vintage boom bap instrumental talking about being that muhfucka & assuring those who ain’t with the flow won’t rock the same as him leading into “Cross da Line” referencing current AEW performer & commentator as well as former 7-time WWE world champion, 11-time WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 3-time WWE Hardcore Champion Paul Wight.
Meanwhile on “N.B.N.A. (No Bitch N****s Allowed)”, we have A-F-R-O sharpening his pen so he can show off his wordplay abilities leading into “Hillz Have Eyes” featuring Illa Ghee & Rim uniting the trio so they can talk about committing mass murder. “U Ain’t” might be my favorite track here from the Erick Sermon beat to the confrontational lyricism while “Cyanide” featuring Johnny Smoke finds the 2 showing off their mean styles.
The self-produced “Things I Do” starts the final moments of No More Patience… talking about always checking his surroundings because things in life are always changing while “Da Formula” cites the late Sean Price of Heltah Skeltah & the Boot Camp Clik amongst his biggest lyrical inspirations, going from being a student to a professor himself. “Sittin’ on Top ov da World” concludes the EP feeling alone at the top of the underground, announcing his full-length debut will come within the next 12 months.
Said to be the most aggressive work of his whole entire career, A-F-R-O’s 5th & final extended play of 2025 finishes up the west coast lyricist’s year with my 3rd favorite of the quintet placed in the middle between My Mind’s My Biggest Gun & the final chapter of the AFRODEEZEAK trilogy behind it and Fromage & Crimson Fury above. Most of the production doesn’t interest me the same way the latter did or The Bad & The Ugly II aside from a couple notable moments, but No More Patience…will still satisfy many hardcore hip hop fans who’ve stuck around for the past decade.
Brand new LP & the 5th overall from Buffalo, New York emcee Conway the Machine. Blowing up in late 2015 as part of the 3 OGs of Griselda Records alongside his brother Westside Gunn & their cousin Benny the Butcher, the trio have had hip hop lock ever since their arrival by their constant work ethic balancing quality & quality as well as vividly detailing their lives in the streets. Con’s full-length debut From King to a God was my Album of the Year for 2020 & the Shady Records-backed sophomore effort God Don’t Make Mistakes is the most personal he’s ever been. Last we heard the Drumwork Music Group founder by himself was S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah), marking his Roc Nation Records debut with You Can’t Kill God with Bullets.
“Lightning Above the Adriatic Sea” produced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League after the “Gun Powder” intro talks about this being the musical equivalent to the Super Bowl whereas “B.M.G. (Black Man is God)” goes for a soulful boom bap vibe thanks to Sndtrak so he can discuss African American excellence. “Diamonds” featuring Roc Marciano references former WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE United States Champion & 2-time WWE tag team champion Carlito over a Conductor Williams beat while “Hell Let Loose” featuring Tony Yayo admits that being called names doesn’t mean shit to them.
Timbaland’s instrumental on “Crazy Avery” was fortunately better than I had initially expected it to be due of his recent AI shenanigans talking about his mind being deeper than the deepest river just before “The Painter” reunites with Daringer breaking down all the problems others don’t need in their lives. After the “Undying” interlude, “Nu Devils” featuring G Herbo takes the trap route courtesy of both araabMUZIK & Beat Butcha spittin’ that gangsta shit together while “Otis Driftwood” talks about him getting better with time over a JR Swiftz beat.
“Mahogany Walls” continues the 2nd half promising that Drumwork will reign for all of eternity bringing Conductor’s lo-fi boom bap sound back in the fold while “Parisian Nights” takes a moment to celebrate success over an E. Jones instrumental with chopped & screwed vocals at the backend of it. The lead single “17.5” goes for a drumless direction stylistically using the pen to paint imagery of the gangsta lifestyle while “Attached” featuring Lady London talking about the future being nonexistent when you’re living in the past.
Apollo Brown chops up a soul sample throughout “Never Sleep” adding some kicks and snares into the picture, asking God to forgive him for his foul ways while “Hold Back Tears” talks about the feeling of losing someone in your life that was close to your heart. The Alchemist strips the drums 1 last time during “Organized Mess” detailing the life money has brought him for the past 10 years & the closer “Don’t Even Feel Real (Dreams)” sends it all off on the soulful boom bap tip talking about his success being surreal to him.
Conway taking more time with You Can’t Kill God with Bullets than he did Won’t He Do It & S.F.K. (Slant Face Killah) was a very smart idea in my opinion because as much as I love both it’s predecessors, I can certainly tell you that this is the most I’ve enjoyed an album from him since God Don’t Make Mistakes. He takes a relatable approach to songwriting relating to whatever many are doing in life whether be celebrating, dating, lost someone special or struggling with mental health all whilst maturing the feeling of Reject 2 & G.O.A.T. (Grimiest Of All-Time).
Queensbridge, New York icon Nas linking up with DJ Premier for his 18th LP. Known for being the son of jazz cornetist/guitarist Olu Dara, his debut illmatic & the equally classic sophomore effort It Was Written would both go on to be widely acknowledged as some of the greatest albums in hip hop history. I also enjoy stillmatic, The Lost Tapes, God’s Son & Life is Good. Then there was the Kanye West-produced NASIR & The Lost Tapes II, which I felt like they were fine additions to his catalogue even though the overall consensuses were polarizing. Both the King’s Disease & Magic trilogies produced by Hit-Boy however would all become his most celebrated material since Life is Good, finishing Mass Appeal Records’ historic Legend Has It series with the mythical Light-Years coming out after almost 2 whole decades in the making.
“My Life’s Real” opens up by talking about telling the truth because there’s no use in lying over a piano-driven boom bap instrumental just before “Git Ready” brings a funkier vibe to the table laying down criminal lines all because of some paper. “N.Y. State of Mind 3” serves as the trilogy chapter to one of my top 10 Nas songs in his whole entire discography sampling Billy Joel while “Welcome to the Underground” flips a guitar so he can talk about turning cornballs into cornstarch.
As for “Madman”, we have Nas eerily coming together to drop murderous material from a psycho while “Pause Tapes” recalls making his 1st beat by using dual cassette decks to loop samples. “Writers” blends funk music & boom bap so they can give their flowers to hip hop’s oldest element a.k.a. graffiti writing prior to the “Daughters” sequel “Sons (Young Kings)” sampling a piano for a shoutout to everyone in their lives who have sons of their own wishing them nothing but the most powerful bond.
“It’s Time” continues the 2nd half of Light-Years keeping it funky talking about the whole concept of time itself while “Nasty Esco Nasir” samples some strings mixed with kicks & snares promising the world that we’re entering the 4th phase of his career. “My Story Your Story” featuring AZ makes for the only guest appearance & 1 that doesn’t disappoint, tossing the mic back-&-forth with each other seamlessly for 4 minutes while “Bouquet (To the Ladies)” dedicated itself to the women in our culture.
The song “Junkie” rounds out 3rd with an orchestral boom bap crossover talking about being his great-great-grandfather’s dream in the living flesh while “Shine Together” suggests that easy money is robbery in the grand scheme of things, becoming increasingly phenomenal for every word he spits. “3rd Childhood” finishes off by revisiting the concept of “2nd Childhood” from stillmatic, which I’ve always related to especially since I get older including a reference to the late Black Sabbath frontman & WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne while the jazzy “Define My Name” deserves to be mentioned because it’s amongst 2024’s greatest singles.
There was a point in time where people thought Light-Years wouldn’t ever see the light of day similarly to Redman’s 9th album Muddy Waters 2 last Christmas Eve & roughly 37 months since “30” on King’s Disease III teased it, I’m grateful it finally came to finish what has been amongst the most important years in Mass Appeal Records’ entire decade-long history. DJ Premier’s jazzy boom bap production rivals Hit-Boy’s throughout the King’s Disease & Magic series earlier this decade and Nas’ pen continues to sharpen with time.
Stic – Photo by Loe Kee Phlicks M-1 – Photo by Loe Kee Phlicks
On Wednesday, December 10th, legendary East Coast political rap duo dead prez took over The Lodge Room in Los Angeles, bringing an unforgettable night of music and activism. The show celebrated the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, Let’s Get Free—an album that cemented their place as icons of socially conscious hip-hop.
Originally signed to Loud Records with support from Lord Jamar, dead prez have long been a force in the underground scene, using their music to challenge the system and inspire change. Fans were treated to a powerhouse performance that spanned their career, from classics off Let’s Get Free to hits from RBG (Revolutionary but Gangsta), Information Age, and Turn Off the Radio.
The energy was electric, the message was clear, and dead prez proved once again why they’re legendary.
Ras Kass – Photo by Loe Kee Phlicks Opio – Photo by Loe Kee Phlicks
The night opened with Opio of the legendary Souls of Mischief and Hieroglyphics setting the tone for an unforgettable evening. Daru Jones also took the stage, delivering his signature drum solo and classic tracks. West Coast legend Ras Kass made a special cameo, performing iconic songs from his acclaimed album Soul on Ice.
