Tag Archives: Nicholas Craven

Rx Papi’s 18th EP “Where I’m From” Prod. by Nicholas Craven is His Best Since “Foreign Exchange” (EP Review)

Montréal, Québec, Canada producer Nicholas Craven fully producing a 5 track EP for Rochester, New York rapper Rx Papi. Beginning his music career when he was 9, Lil Meechy has since build up a solo discography consisting of 6 proper full-length studio LPs as well as his last 17 EPs & 13 mixtapes on top of a dozen collaborative projects. Essentials of Papi’s include the sophomore effort Numbers Tell a Different Story, his 13th EP Foreign Exchange, his 10th mixtape 100 Miles & Walkin’ and lastly the Pack a Punch EP with Smokingskul. I even enjoyed Raheem Dead, Somebody Shot ‘Em & his eponymous collab EP with 1600J last spring, with Where I’m From becoming highly anticipated for me as fan of both Papi & Craven.

“2 5th Rick” drumlessly samples a church organ to talk about the east side of the Roc & not wanting anyone to get that fucked up whereas “2am on the Eastside” switches it up for a chipmunk soul direction wanting to chill in the late night hours with a cup & a pill. “Walked Me Into the Wild” is a drumless sequel to the Raheem Dead, Somebody Shot ‘Em track that I prefer over the original while “Groovy Lou” works in a jazz-funk sample getting in his penthouse bag. The closer happens to be the 8th installment of the “Fay” saga, joining the last couple entries to go on a 3-peat speaking straight from the heart.

The singles teased in the Where I’m From rollout were already amongst his best 2020s output, but what we get out of these 15 in a half minutes is a drumless gangsta rap EP with minor boom bap & chipmunk soul influences that I’d have to put behind Foreign Exchange as my favorite one in Rx Papi’s whole entire discography. Obviously they’re different in sound because Foreign Exchange’s more cloudier & pluggier, I just mean in a way that compliments his range artistic range pulling off all those styles.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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”Late to My Own Funeral” Combines Elements from Both of Boldy James & Nicholas Craven’s Previous Classics (Album Review)

Here is the 16th studio LP from Detroit veteran Boldy James. Breaking out in the fall of 2013 off his Alchemist produced debut M.1.C.S. (My 1st Chemistry Set), the Detroit lyricist would later go on to land a contract with Nas’ independent label Mass Appeal Records for a little while before getting locked up. Once coming home, Uncle Al would help get his name back out there once getting out by dropping the Boldface EP around Christmas 2019 & then the sophomore album The Price of Tea in China at the beginning of last year. This was followed up with the Sterling Toles-produced Manger on McNichols which was as equally fantastic, but the Griselda Records-backed Versace Tape EP was a tad bit disappointing given how rushed it was. Bo Jackson though would become his most critically acclaimed work to date & Super Tecmo Bo was almost as great for an EP. Fair Exchange No Robbery produced by Nicholas CravenPenalty of LeadershipMr. Ten-08 produced by Futurewave, the Conductor Williams-produced Across the Tracks the Harry Fraud-produced The Bricktionary & the Carlo Anthony-produced Hidden in Plain Sight were all welcomed to warm reception. Token of Appreciation produced by Chuck Strangers was much better than both Murder During Drug Traffic & Permanent Ink, the Antt Beatz produced Hommage left people divided although I didn’t mind it, coming off the V Don-produced Alphabet Highway & the Killing Nothing sequel Conversational Pieces by showing up Late to My Own Funeral.

“Spider Webbing Windshields” opens with a sped-up gospel sample keeping blue tips in the tin mill & putting $10K bounties on heads whereas “Marrero” dabbles with rap rock instrumentally talking about being a ghetto trophy & a collector’s item. “Trapezoid” gets back on the chipmunk soul vibes boasting of the 227 Concreatures been real trappers while “Antonio Tuttle” drumlessly talks about leaving hoods flooded.

Reaching the halfway point, “Cordon Bleu” featuring David Wesson brings a jazzier flare to the table breaking down how real this shit gets at time & going crazy with the highest class just before “The Whole Shabang” soulfully talks about wanting it all. “Genie in a Bottle” continues with the sampling advising to take this as a token because time isn’t on his side prior to the 2nd & final single “Nice Try Wrong Guy” figuring out where one’s loyalty lies.

“Meal Prepping” gets the final leg of Late to My Own Funeral soulfully talking about hating thieves as much as rats just before “AT&T” featuring C Dell & Nick Bruno concludes the service linking the trio up over a chipmunk soul beat reaffirming their legitimacy getting up close & personal unlike some of these other killers around their parts or addressing the group of individuals burning bridges with them not knowing how to swim.

Regarding the run Boldy’s been on this year, Token of Appreciation & Alphabet Highway gotta make some room for Late to My Own Funeral since it’s head above shoulders compared to those enjoyable projects & The Pop Catcher has a very high chance joining this a month from now. Nicholas Craven’s production recaptures the drumless, jazzy & chipmunk soul feeling of Fair Exchange No Robbery combined with the expansion of Penalty of Leadership’s near-death experience exploration.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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The God Fahim Elevates His Rhyme Schemes on Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 13“ (EP Review)

Another EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim & the 2nd in less than a week, marking the 61st in his discography Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY run since 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, the Mike Shabb-produced Dump Gawd: Rhyme PaysTha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine WealthSupreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. He just had Drega33 produce Lethal Weapon 3 this past Friday & returning with the 13th entry in the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga.

“Render Punishment” is this piano-boom bap intro talking about gaining a piece of mind surviving in these current times of protest in Los Angeles whereas the soulful “Twisted Metal” featuring Ru$h homages the video game franchise TV adaption with it’s upcoming 2nd season on the Comcast Corporation subsidiary NBCUniversal-owned peacock with the franchise’s mascot being played by former AEW World Champion & 2-time AEW TNT Champion Samoa Joe of the current AEW World Trios Champions The Opps.

The drums get stripped on “Hold the Throne” catching bodies in the studios & feeling ungodly maintaining a chipmunk soul vibe just before “Smoke in Mirrors” continues the drumless sampling to talk about profit being essential to his mental being. “Brand New” hooks ups a crooning sample chop looking to boomerang interest in his opps leading into the jazzy “It’s Automatic” boasting about his raps being cinematic.

“I’m Leavin with Sum” lastly wraps up the EP leveling up his rhyme schemes a couple notches notable when starts by referencing being wittier than Michael Scofield from Prison Break on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property & leavin’ enemies with their throats slit during the final seconds giving the wisdom of preferring a 9-5 instead of going broke. Couldn’t forget to mention the spoken word outro where he touches on always getting to himself something.

Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 13 is a lot like the predecessor in terms of the jazzy, boom bap & drumless production except it’s not another Jay NiCE collaborative effort & maybe the most I’ve enjoyed an EP in the series since Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 10 because of the performances Fahim handles by himself for most of it. Wouldn’t surprise me if he does a collab EP with Ru$h because I’d actually welcome it if that is in fact planned at any point.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Jimmie D Taps in With Nicholas Craven for His Strongest LP Yet “Good Music Hypnotizes” (Album Review)

This is the sophomore effort from Montréal, Québec, Canada rapper Jimmie D. Coming up off the Trout & Brussels Sprouts EP, he would later go on to put out a full-length debut alongside a mixtape & 3 more EPs all in almost a decade. A notable collaborator of his as of late would be one of my favorite producers of this current decade decade Nicholas Craven, who has decided to full produce Good Music Hypnotizes to the peaking interest of many, including myself personally.

“Notre Dame” stripped the drums to start off the album talking about having a couple close ones although he doesn’t trust anybody whereas “The Gout” featuring Tha God Fahim keeps it drumless doing this for the love instead of clout. “2 Sides” featuring Raz Fresco brings a soulful boom bap flare to the table talking about striving to win while “High Winds” featuring Koncept Jack$on boasts that they have more flow than excessive winds.

Meanwhile on “Porzingis”, we have Jimmie going for a chipmunk soul vibe lifting shit with scales as if he’s a python just before “Fallen” soulfully talks about feeling as if his people are cursed. “Commonwealth” featuring Sonnyjim continues the high quality sampling airing out everyone who’s never put in a long day’s worth of work, but then “Dead Cat Bounce” talks running shit for decades like a dictator.

“Spring” appropriately hits the backend of Good Music Hypnotizes with a drumless chipmunk soul cut in time for the current season we’re in the midst of until late next month while “Laser Focused” hooks up some cool jazz undertones feeling more concentrated than ever. “Digital Minds” featuring Juug Soe closes the LP with some horns liking themselves to art dealers the way they paint pictures.

Mainly hearing him on guest appearances spread throughout other artists’ projects, Good Music Hypnotizes has officially surpassed Good Man in being the most important offering in Jimmie’s discography because of the drumless sound he’s known for getting enhanced by Nicholas Craven & of course the local Montréal performer on the mic stepping up his pen-game.

Score: 8/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven Drop “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 10” After a Week’s Delay (EP Review)

This is the 58th EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY run since 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced BerserkoDump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike ShabbTha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine WealthSupreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. We just got Lethal Weapon 2 over a week ago & Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 10 has arrived after a week-long delay.

“Rapid Succession” featuring Jay NiCE is this chipmunk soul intro talking about being in a space where everyone around them is eating whereas “Tha Highest Caliber” likens every word he says to a bullet & wack MCs becoming a part of his highlight footage. “Massive Proportions” brings the crooning soul samples back in the fold references Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy owned by The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel while the orchestral “Rejuvenation” talks about making up for the slackin’

The song “Lord of Rhyme” gets the 2nd leg of Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 10 going by shining sublimely & categorizing the techniques he demonstrates as flawless leading into “Flow Sick No Vaccine” making his competition malfunction because of the destruction & corruption he brings forth. “Dark Dojo” gets back on the chipmunk soul tip 1 last time to talk about the pen being forbidden in addition to breaking down why he walks the lonely path he takes.

Craven recently took to Twitter a day or 2 ago hinting that we could potentially get 90 more installments in the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga & since all 10 that’ve seen the light of day maintain a specific level of quality, I wouldn’t mind it at this point. I’m happy that they pushed this back a whole weekend so the proper adjustments could be made whether it be the production showing influences of drumless, chipmunk soul & jazz rap or Fahim focusing on his pen a bit more slowly bringing guests on the mic with him.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven Start Dumpathon Back Up with “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 9” (EP Review)

Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim returning after a week to drop his 56th EP. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY run since 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced BerserkoDump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike ShabbTha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine WealthSupreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. A Dumpathon began exactly 2 weeks ago Thursday & the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga lives on with its 9th entry.

“Fuckin’ Mics Up” breaks the doors down with this boom bap intro referring to his rapping abilities as a different form of telepathic communication whereas “Tha Bane of Unrighteousness” works in a video game sample to talk about everyone knowing he’s the nicest & having a piece of mind being priceless. “Tha Extortion of Gauntlet” promises to make tragic endings become the start of a new age while “True Champ” soulfully talks about making people catch bullets as if it’s the NFL.

The song “Gold Panning” hooks up these prominent piano chords making it clear to everybody what kind of timing he’s been on & comparing this rap shit to diamond mining just before the jazzy “Unlimited Dump” sees him carrying more glocks on him than RoboCop as well as being in the midst of a paper chase. “Hado” finishes up the EP with a horn flip holding weapons in his luggage so he can solve conflict with an iron fist.

Exactly a whole week since Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 8 came out, Fahim’s 6th EP in couple weeks & the 11th project he’s done with Nicholas Craven since October continues the monumental run they’ve been on for 5 months already. The latter’s production bounces between boom bap, chipmunk soul & jazz rap noticeably lacking the drumless undertones of the last 2 installments dumpin’ lyrical pressure for 16 & a half minutes.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven Drop 5th EP of the Week “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 8” (EP Review)

This is the 55th EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY run since 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced BerserkoDump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike ShabbTha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine WealthSupreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. We got a 2nd AND a 3rd installment to Tha Myth Who Never Quit. A Dumpathon began last Thursday & he’s putting together his 5th EP of the week with Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 8.

“Blk Luster S” jazzily begins by boasting the fact he dropping music more than singlehanded record labels & going beyond the standard whereas “KaioX10” soulfully talks about the flow being inhumane & being one of the greatest with the pen. “Malfunction” maintains a chipmunk soul vibe making everyone break down & not work properly prior to “Saiyan Blood” hooking up an orchestral flip taking shots at the bitter.

Getting the 2nd half of the EP going, “Tha Heart’s Darkness” returns to more of a chipmunk soul sound promising it won’t end well for any challenger whenever he raises the excalibur while “Special Benefits” has these prominent saxophones making premises diminish with fatalities Mortal Kombat style. “Tha Way” featuring Big Cheeko lastly strips the drums so both of them can talk about aiming for the stars.

We needed a change of pace from the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga like Lethal Weapon since we’ve been getting the first 6 installments for several months, but both parties keep everything that makes this series so great in the picture much like they did 24 hours ago. Nicholas Craven blends hardcore hip hop, drumless chipmunk soul, boom bap & jazz rap seamlessly for 15 & a half minutes on top of Fahim performing better.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Nicholas Craven Returns for the 7th Installment of Tha God Fahim’s “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap” Saga (EP Review)

Here we have the 54th EP from Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY run since 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced BerserkoDump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike ShabbTha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine WealthSupreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. We got a 2nd AND a 3rd installment to Tha Myth Who Never Quit. Coming off Lethal Weapon the other day, Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 7 is keeping the Dumpathon alive.

“From the Void” is this soulful intro likening people fucking with the Dump Gawd to gambling whereas “Falsified Documents” hooks up this string sample talking about being an envelope pusher & a master cooker at the same time. “Simple Math” takes the chipmunk soul route telling everyone to keep a positive attitude just before “Real Gainz” smacks the evil out of demons’ mouths giving consequences to those who go against the brotherhood.

The song “Strategic Plans” works in some crooning vocal sampling comparing his squad to the Avengers owned by The Walt Disney Company subsidiary Marvel while “Not tha Only One” maintains the chipmunk soul vibes talking about life being a lonely one sometimes. “Fallen from Grace” ends the EP with these pianos talking about him always trying to love something.

Lethal Weapon was a solid showcasing of Drega33’s talents behind the boards & Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 7 takes it back to what makes the series so beloved warming up for Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 8 tomorrow. Nicholas Craven’s production on this one is more prominently boom bap centered with the elements of chipmunk soul, jazz rap & drumless all revealing themselves at points during the 15 & a half minutes.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven End 2024 Strong with 3rd Installment of “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap” Trilogy (EP Review)

Tha 70 Tape Legend himself Tha God Fahim getting back with Nicholas Craven for his 49th EP. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records as well as being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. But dude has been on a CRAZY run since 2023 with the standouts being the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull & the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced BerserkoDump Gawd: Rhyme Pays produced by Mike ShabbTha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine WealthSupreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. 5 years since Tha Myth Who Never Quit, we got a 2nd AND a 3rd installment of Tha Myth Who Never Quit couple months ago but coming off Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap & the sequel, it’s time to close out the trilogy.

“The Intent of Vengeance” kicks off Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 3 with a soulful boom bap instrumental talking about having to get right because shit could possibly change tonight whereas “Bullet Proof Confidence” works in some keys, kicks & snares flexing that his self-assurance is indestructible. The piano sample on “Senzu” feels reminiscent to “On My Block” by Scarface to talk about him still having it lyrically just before “Not for Sale” wants to know if you’re a foe or friend to him.

Getting the other half going, “Heavy Handed” brings a soulfully dusty flare back to the table comparing his longevity to current Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James while “Kumite” Keeps it in the basement instrumentally promising to waste y’all like it’s Grand Theft Auto. “Makankosappo” ruggedly promised to take everyone’s words regarding him & making them eat ‘em at the end leading into “A Step Further” closing it out telling everyone to be good sports watching him making half court shots.

Ending his 2024 with a bang, the Dump Gawd teases big things coming down the pipe throughout 2025 by completing another trilogy of projects with one of the greatest producers of this current decade firstly. Nicholas Craven’s production carries on the boom bap emphasis both prior installments of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap series had put on themselves 6-7 weeks ago & Fahim outdoes himself from a lyrical standpoint.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Mike Shabb & Nicholas Craven Bring the Best Out of Trapmat Savior Throughout “1st Coming” (Album Review)

This is the official proper full-length debut studio album from Montréal, Québec, Canada emcee Trapmat Savior. Emerging a couple years ago off his solo debut EP To Riches & Peace along with DozaTrap’s eponymous debut EP, he would later follow it up in September by releasing a couple more EPs Kirby & I Could Tell only a week apart. I however was unfamiliar with his music until a few weeks ago when it was announced that both Nicholas Craven & Mike Shabb were producing 1st Coming in it’s entirety since many probably know by now that I’ve been a fan of both those guys for a few years at this point.

“Had 2” is this drumless jazzy opener that Nicholas Craven laced flexing that he’s been a top dog for quite some time now whereas “Backpacking” hops over a bare soul sample talking about keeping it real & not backstabbing him. “30 Under 30” has more of a laidback approach assuring that he can’t be stopped from the dream he’s chasing while the classy boom bap joint “Batman” talks about everything coming naturally.

Meanwhile on “Scraping”, we have Trapmat over a vocal flip admitting he’s often been thinking of a certain individual in his life that he doesn’t speak to as he used to just before the soulful “December 26th” likening the first time he saw a brick to being magic. “Same Day” hooks up a heavenly Mike Shabb beat always making it back every time he took a risk, but then “Tags” strips the drums again to get those snakes out of his grass.

“Born 2 Win” maintains a soulfully drumless sound pushing towards the conclusion of his debut talking about being destined to catch Ws steadily while the song “Fair Game” is the official closer hops over pianos boasting that he’s ahead of everyone. The bonus track “LV” finishes the LP with a spacious backdrop & 808s brushing off a bitch being mad at him because of him never having to owe.

Not gonna beat around the bush by coming clean that I has never heard of Trapmat Savior up until 1st Coming was initially announced a couple weeks ago & if you’re in that same boat, you’re gonna want to peep it. Nicholas Craven & Mike Shabb’s production during the 27 minute listening experience clears his earlier material & the Montréal emcee levels up his pen-game significantly.

Score: 9/10

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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