Timbo is a 26 year old rapper from Louisville, Kentucky notable for being the eldest son of Mobstyle Music founder Bukshot. The latter of whom you may be familiar with either through his solo material or his memberships with groups like The Underground Avengers, The Horde, The Berzerkers, Cabal & Double Dragon spanning in a nearly 3 decade career. Following his dad’s footsteps, none other than MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. Seven has locked in with Timbo for the latter’s official debut EP.
“Silence” opens with a cloudy ratchet instrumental talking about being the type to refrain from wasting his time on some minimal bullshit whereas “Duck Down” throws it back to The Neptunes’ late 90s sound feeling like he’s had enough with all the questions getting thrown towards his direction. The jazzy trap crossover “Ordained” finds himself flexing that no one can fuck with him & the lo-fi “Cool Breeze” advises not to come at him unless it’s purposeful.
It’s a bit different in sound compared to what we’ve gotten out of Mobstyle Music for nearly 3 decades at this point, but Timbo’s inaugural body of work makes an impressive introduction as to who he is both artistically & personally dissecting his Perfect Imperfections over MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. Seven’s expectedly detailed production carrying on his father’s legacy by coming to his own.
Here we have a brand new collaborative EP between alongside Detroit, Michigan emcee Blaze Ya Dead Homie & Louisville, Kentucky emcee Bukshot. One of whom broke out within the underground by signing to the Insane Clown Posse’s very own label that runs beneath the streets Psychopathic Records for his 2000 eponymous debut EP & the full-length debut1 Less G n da Hood, with the other notable for founding Mobstyle Music. Both of whom have collaborated with each other numerous times in the past & are taking it further with Blockwork Morgue.
After the “Night at the Morgue” intro, the first song “Blockwork” produced by MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. Seven starts with an off-the-wall trap heater explaining the way shit works around the block whereas “Panicking” featuring Jamie Madrox delves further down the hardcore rabbit hole altogether getting everyone against them in panic mode. “Do It” fuses boom bap & rap rock talking about how they was out in the streets pushing weight while the grisly “War Story” addresses the people who want beef with them.
“J.A.F.U.D. (Just Another Fucked Up Day)” featuring Monoxide on the remix puts some rap rocks influences up on display as the official closer of the EP talking about going through another stale day & the remix of “Take an L” featuring Drive-By off Helter Skelter: The Accomplices II includes a new verse from Boondox that can hang with the original highlight from that previously mentioned album in Buk’s discography.
Buk’s been teasing this EP for almost a couple months now & I’m happy that he decided to finally put it out after a phat opening set at the St. Andrew’s Hall basement The Shelter for the release party of the House of Krazees’ reunion LP 31 last night. Seven’s production doesn’t miss & both MCs elevate their chemistry by colliding 2 unique worlds in the underground wicked shit scene to start Devil’s Night 2024.
This is the 6th full-length LP from Los Angeles emcee Trizz. Picking up a microphone at the age of 9, it wasn’t until his late teens where he properly introduced himself to a wider audience in the form of his debut mixtape Suicide with No Note followed by New West & The Right to Bear Arms before being taken under the wing of Sacramento horrorcore veteran Brotha Lynch Hung by signing to Madesicc Muzicc for a brief period of time. He would later go on to drop 5 more tapes, 5 full-lengths, 5 EPs, 5 collab projects with Chuuwee, 1 with Flashy B, another with Sahtyre & another with Ouija Macc all within the last decade. Much like the critically acclaimed Baseline Cavi, he & former Strange Music in-house producer MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. Seven are sticking together for Cavi En Cursive.
“Calligraphy” starts up the Baseline Cavi sequel on some jazzy boom bap shit talking about seeing the road clear as day before even mapping it whereas “Baseline” featuring T.F takes the eerier route instrumentally reminding everyone that both of them be running shit in the west coast. “Givin’ It Up” goes full-blown g-funk to talk about how he feels like soaking it all in or livin’ it up, but then “Alpine” hooks the kicks & snares up again to portray the gangsta lifestyle.
Pomona Drey & Traffic join Trizz for the funky, boom bap hybrid “Curb Service” serving music to the fiends like crack addicts leading into the smooth “Figure 8z” talking about cruisin’ down Baseline bangin’ his own music in the whip. “Type Shit” featuring 2Eleven emphasizes a darker atmosphere further keeping the kicks & snares in tact talking about the shit they be on just before “Broken En 2” samples “Walk on By” by the late Isaac Hayes assuring he’s still getting it even though he ain’t rich.
“Arrogant” switches gears into trap territory with some g-funk undertones so he can talk about wearing his arrogance with pride starts the 2nd leg of Cavi En Cursive while “Moonlight” jumps over drumless jazz loop expressing how good it feels to be high in the sky. “Cream” featuring Blu returns to the boom bap once again to be all about the bread like the almighty Wu-Tang Clan while “O & a Half” featuring Flee Lord breaks down the lives they live on top of a mellow beat.
Brotha Lynch Hung reconnects with his protégé for “Truth Sells” brings the kicks & snares back as both of them talk about their imperfections having to study & learn the game while the syrupy “Fighting Temptations” details the depression that he goes through time to time. “Free Fall” nears the end of the LP with another jazzy boom bap instrumental looking to mediate since he be overthinking & “Die for Something” featuring T.F soulfully closes Cavi En Cursive trying to get money & profiting.
It’s already to the point now where I can say that Baseline Cavi has already cemented itself as my favorite album that Trizz has put out & the sequel here is almost as great from top to bottom. Even if it has a bit more features than the predecessor did couple years back, 7’s production has a heavier west coast vibe in the midst of demonstrating his range from boom bap & trap to drumless & jazz rap excellently suiting Trizz’ west coast gangsta lyricism no differently than last time.
Monoxide is a 50 year old MC/producer from Detroit, Michigan getting his start as 1/3 of the House of Krazees alongside The R.O.C. & Jamie Madrox. The latter of whom would join Hektic in signing to Psychopathic Records in late 1997 as Twiztid, becoming the biggest act to emerge out of the label that runs beneath the streets under the Insane Clown Posse’s wing next to Ouija Macc subsequently 2 decades later shortly after MNE & PSY severed ties. Mono was actually the first of the demented duo to go solo with Chainsmoker turning 20 this fall. So with that in mind as well as the 10 year anniversary of Majik Ninja Entertainment’s founding & how much Monoxide has gotten better lyrically as time has gone by, it makes sense to put out a sophomore effort on Leap Day produced by MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. Seven.
After the intro, “F.A.F.O. (Fuck Around Find Out)” is an eerie trap opener to the album based on that whole entire mentality whereas “Blown Away” works in pianos as well as kicks & snares cautioning that y’all don’t want this smoke. “I See Everybody Dead” gets in his wicked shit bag reminding that no one listened to him about the issues he has & after the “You Said It” skit, “Smoke Train” featuring Blaze Ya Dead Homie & Joe Black of Alla Xul Elu unites the trio for a ghostly ballad dedicated to smoking weed.
“Not Normal” by Twiztid finds Jamie & Mono over vibraphones & hi-hats feeling the abnormalities in their chests but after the “Is That You?” skit, “Anxiety” featuring Boondox & James Garcia or the artist formerly known as Young Wicked is this badass trap metal cut that’ll definitely get the pots going. “Bad Medicine” gives off an ominous trap vibe encouraging to light a doobie & enjoy the ride since life’s too short, but then the rap rock “B.M.A. (Baddest Motherfucker Alive)” by Twiztid featuring G-Mo Skee declares themselves to be just that.
The House of Krazees get back together for the penultimate track “Night They All Died” which is actually one of my favorite songs that they’ve done with each other in recent memory reminding that the horrorcore trio are still out here over 3 decades later & “Turn the Lights Off” concludes The Chainsmoker II fusing rock with trap talking about wandering for way too long.
Jamie was my favorite of Twiztid up until Monoxide started elevating his pen game in the late 2000s & considering the amount of insane verses he’s been dropping as time goes on, I went into The Chainsmoker II thinking it would be better than the album he put out on Psychopathic almost 20 years ago & that’s exactly what we got. 7’s production is more tighter than the original Chainsmoker, you can hear Hektic’s lyrical evolution & the features from the MNE roster all maintain his level.
Maryland emcee/producer K.A.A.N. back with his 10th EP. Getting his start in 2014, he would make a name for himself in the underground with an ever-growing discography like the Dem Jointz-produced Black Blood, the Ski Beatz-produced Requiem for a Dream Deferred, the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced All Praise is Due, Mission Hillz or more recently The Death of a Rapper with former Strange Music in-house producer Mike“Seven”Summers on hip hop’s 50th birthday over the summer & was more conceptual than some of K.A.A.N.’s latest output. So keeping in mind that Seven was sticking around for The Nightly News, it was enough have me sold in checking out.
The title track eerily sets the tone of what’s to come by chaotically painting the disparity that local news stations generally bring to those who tune in whereas “The Results of What Unfolds” goes into boom bap territory talking about being unable to believe what K.A.A.N. had witnessed. “The Weather Forecast” shows off a speedier flow predicting lots of clouds over pianos, kicks & snares just before “The War Room” gives off a jazzier flare instrumental coming live from a command center”.
“The Less Fortunate” is a more somber cut to start the 2nd half of the EP describing those who’re poor & struggling to make ends meet leading into “The World Health Report” bringing a quirkier beat the fold so Knowledge Above All Nonsense can talk about symptoms of health declining. “The Free Labor” continues to push towards the end of The Nightly News by returning to the boom bap reminding us what built our country, but then “The Debt Ceiling” closes the EP talking about money making the world go round over more kicks & snares with elements of jazz music too.
K.A.A.N. got back on the conceptual tip near perfectly over the summer with Seven & they both recapture that same magic. The Nightly News obviously poking fun at evening news shows excellently & Seven carrying that versatile boom bap production from The Death of a Rapper on it’s way over to here. Will easily become one of the best EPs he’s ever made.
Michael “Seven” Summers is a 43 year old producer, songwriter, composer & engineer from Kansas City, Missouri who rose to prominence after becoming an in-house producer for Strange Music from 2006 to 2021. He’s also known for his collaborations with XV, Mac Lethal, Psychopathic Records, Majik Ninja Entertainment & more recently Mobstyle Music garnering comparisons to Mike E. Clark for the simply fact that both of them are able to literally produce anything. But coming fresh off entirely lacing Trizz’ critically acclaimed 5th album Baseline Cavi last fall, Seven’s delivering a full-length debut of his own.
“Ultraviolet” by XV starts off the album with a twangy boom bap ballad talking about completing the cycle putting the wheels back in motion whereas “ART_DEALER” by Aaron Alexander & XV works in some more kicks & snares with an organ loop airing out that people think they know his based off the shit they write. “Kubriick” by Ubiquitous & XV is a classy boom bal follow-up talking about being geniuses leading into “a bit dramatic” by Stik Figa has a more stripped-back, psychedelic groove to it a acknowledging that this is more than promotional material.
Meanwhile, “Inflammation” by Jon Connor has some multiple well calculated beat switches throughout as the people’s rapper delivers that counterculture music just before “Ledger” by Trizz ominously yet cleverly comparing himself to Heath Ledger in his historic Dark Knight role. “Aquariium” by Curci & XV has a more summery boom bap quality to it talking about waking up & choosing success, but then “Safety” by Wrekonize dives into more soulful territory clearing the air by saying that’s what he’s been on lately for those who’ve recently have had him in mind.
“Astral Projection” by G Watts gives off a more shimmery boom bap edge calling himself a “Smooth Criminal in his Mike Jack shit” while the song “Lemon Tree” returns to a more sample-based sound so Mac Lethal can talk about wanting a mansion with the titular type of trees. The penultimate track “Be.” by ¡MAYDAY! has a more acoustic feeling to it figuring it out whatever it is that’s running from them & “Shells” being a masterfully instrumental closer to end the album.
I‘ve always felt like Seven deserves to be mentioned more in hip hop producer discussions considering his decorated discography of production credits & I happen to think Ciicada is a solid way of introducing himself to a wider audience. A couple spotty guest performances, but most of them bring their unique styles upfront as the Kansas City extraordinaire dabbles with all sorts of sounds behind the boards
Trizz& MIKE SUMMERS drop the visual for “ON AND ON” directed by Castro of NewHighFilmz. The track featuring XVis taken from Trizz & MIKE SUMMERS’ album “BASELINE CAVI” that was released in September this year. .
Trizz& MIKE SUMMERS drop the visual for “ON AND ON” directed by Castro of NewHighFilmz. The track featuring XVis taken from Trizz & MIKE SUMMERS’ album “BASELINE CAVI” that was released in September this year. .
Trizz& MIKE SUMMERS drop the visual for “ON AND ON” directed by Castro of NewHighFilmz. The track featuring XVis taken from Trizz & MIKE SUMMERS’ album “BASELINE CAVI” that was released in September this year. .
Trizz& MIKE SUMMERS drop the visual for “ON AND ON” directed by Castro of NewHighFilmz. The track featuring XVis taken from Trizz & MIKE SUMMERS’ album “BASELINE CAVI” that was released in September this year. .
