This is the 12th EP from Orange County, New York duo The Doppelgangaz. Consisting of MCs/producers Matter ov Fact & EP, they’ve gone on to make waves in the underground by dropping a total of 8 full-length albums as well as 11 EPs & 6 beat tapes. Standouts include their breakout sophomore effort Lone Sharks, the follow-up Hark, their 5th album Dopp Hopp, Aaaaggghh, Black Cloak Lifestyle & Went Left. Been almost a couple years since the latter embarking on a west coast sound as opposed to their roots & they’ve decided to hit us with a sequel to it.
After the “JO VM” intro, the title track was a g-funk opener showing their love for the sunshine state once again whereas “All in Your Mind” works in a piano/boom bap instrumental talking about taking it all in stride. “Do It Like We” brings the funk influences back in the fold boasting that nobody can do shit on their level while “Would’ve Had a Hit” is a g-funk heavy stoner’s ballad. “Too Too Much” caps it all off with 1 final g-funk joint to play when you’re out in the weekends.
Continuing the G Pack saga in the 23 months since they initially Went Left, The Doppelgangaz once again shift away from the traditional boom bap style of the Groggy Pack Entertainment founders’ home turf in favor of drawing inspiration from the west coast scene once again embracing the g-funk production with ease & carrying over the original’s playful subject matter.
Arrested Development is an alternative hip hop outfit from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of dancer/choreographer Montsho Eshe, vocalist Tasha Larae, vocalist/dancer/choreographer Fareedah Aleem, vocalist 1 Love, guitarist JJ Boogie & frontman/producer Speech. Their 1992 debut 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of… as well as their sophomore effort Zingalamaduni are widely considered to be the most important entries of their discography, putting out 10 LPs since then with the most recent being Bullets in the Chamber. A year & a half later, their 13th album has finally arrived to start the 2nd half of the year.
“Let’s Get On with It” was a jazzy, soulful boom bap intro produced by Configa calling for everyone to keep striving in their respective fields whereas “All I See is Melanin” kinda has a funkier vibe to the beat talking about melanin pride. “Live Forever” works in some orchestral elements for the instrumental suggesting that people need to be led while “My Job Ain’t Done” hooks up some jazzy horns from Speech explaining his mission is far from over.
We still get some jazz-inflicted brass on “Easy” representing a brand new style of hip hop music just before “Flowers” talks about being unable to help themselves from giving people black power energy. “Forward Ever” kinda has a funkier flare to the beat basing itself around the concept of continually progressing instead of moving backwards while “Pearls” keeps the vibes groovy pleading for the shell to open up & not being afraid.
“Pulsate” finishes up the 2nd quarter of Adult Contemporary Hip Hop with a delicately jazzy boom bap instrumental discussing our palpitations while “Baby Yes” chops up a chipmunk soul sample take on themes of love. “Original” brings a woodwind into the fold praising the lord & keeping the faith while “Mil Town Soldier” finds themselves charismatically riding around in a 1968 Chevrolet Nova.
Bee Taylor joins the crew for a jazzily dusty hardcore hip hop collab “Pack It Out” allowing them to speak on who got the magic & who doesn’t, but then ”Goal Dysmorphia” explains that the titular issue was exactly what happens when one goes through a metamorphosis. “Family” kinda has this lo-fi feel to the beat responding to those questioning who they are by saying they’re like relatives while “Stay Awake” soulfully talks about his dad teaching him not to be poor.
The song “Lifing” marks the beginning of the end regarding Adult Contemporary Hip Hop returning to the boom bap knowing that days can be completely different instantly while “Danger” looks to completely blow any & all competition out of their frame dismantling those whose pen game couldn’t hold up to Speech’s then or now. “Stardust” closes the full-length by atmospherically responding to the question of how they handle their fame.
Reflecting on freedom along with self-determination & the contradictions still woven into African American life this 4th of July, what Arrested Development achieves with Adult Contemporary Hip Hop feels similar to what Public Enemy did on Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025 last weekend: Proving their relevance after decades in the game. The homage to the late Twan Mack takes on theme of melanin pride, the state of the world since this January, mortality, relationships, love, legacy & bar-for-bar energy elevated in part by soulful boom bap production.
New collaborative between Recognize Ali & Tragedy Khadafi. One of whom hails from Ghana breaking emerging out the underground in the past decade or so into veteran status & the other comes straight outta Queensbridge, New York as part of the Juice Crew collective. They’ve crossed paths on several instances with tracks like “Black Cocaine or “Intelligent Hoodlums” & to hear that The Past, The Present & The Future were all colliding on the 4th of July made for an interesting kick off to the 2nd half of 2025 already.
“Will Be Free” breaks the door down with a drumless chipmunk soul instrumentally calling for their apparatuses to be checked whereas “Select Few” airs out all the corny ass people flooding the airwaves these days. “The Most Real” featuring Vinnie Paz produced by Hobgoblin made for an exciting hardcore single back in the fall of 2022 holding up now, but then “Loot Thirsty” finds the duo fiending for some money.
Trife Diesel joins Ali & Tragedy on “Black Coke” warning of their shooters laying everyone down like it’s Syria out in the east coast just before “Everything” chops up a vocal sample matched with kicks & snares talking about no survivors being left alive around their parts, not even the babies. “Cold” craves the taste of blood advising to get ready for the drama while “Gone Tomorrow” featuring Ransom jazzily plays in the kitchen until the food bubbles.
“Diplomats” gets the final leg goin’ sending missiles through your roof like it’s 9/11 while “Elevation” weaves a symphonic flip talking about their artistic altitude. “King Kong” hooks up some piano chords to say that they’re both in the hood with it while “Kuwait Regulate” featuring Flash sees the trio boasting their aggressive flows. “Old & New Legends” closes the album with both parties complimenting each other’s respective generations.
Originally planned to come out in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic occurring a year beforehand had obviously caused both parties to hold off on joining forces for a full body of work & long awaited project will satisfy people who’ve been following either side or both. Hobgoblin producing half of it made for some of the strongest batch of tracks & it feels like they’re trying to see who can out-rap who.
This is the 5th EP from San Bernardino, California emcee Doggystyleeee. Coming up in the fall of 2019 off his full-length debut Into Somethin’, he would go on to put out his last 4 EPs as well as 5 mixtapes & a couple more albums garnering interest to the point where WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg almost signed him to Death Row Records not too long after purchasing the label from MNRK Music Group to revive it. Blame It on My Crippin’ produced by AC3Beats was a tight way to start off his 2025 & is back 6 months later to detail his Split Personality.
“Product of the Westside” blends g-funk & boom bap together for the intro talking about being made by the west coast whereas “Outside” gives off a bit of a nervous vibe suggesting not to fuck around before he hits the store 20 deep. “Blue Bandana” gets back in his g-funk bag to talk about his time in the streets being a part of the Crips leading into “Go Dumb” featuring Zoe Osama carries the g-funk vibes over for a mild collab.
Getting the 2nd half underway, “I’m the Shit” brings some pianos in the fold for him to brag & clarify that he doesn’t fuck around while “Myself” smoothly talks about making it on own capable of doing things without anyone else’s help. “I Can’t” cooks up 1 more g-funk banger advising bitches shouldn’t be around since they’ll fuck bodies on the other side & “Sinner’s Reflection” ends with by talking about being surrounded by death, pain & suicide.
Wouldn’t have thought we’d get another EP with him & AC3Beats, but I still welcome it because the latter has had a hand inside making some of the most vital music in Doggystyleeee’s career & they whipped another brief project where they continue to elevate each other from the production displaying old & new sounds or the San Bernardino lyricist opening up in regards to having 2 different sides of himself.
Detroit, Michigan veteran Big Herk surprise-releasing a brand new EP. Known as a member of Rock Bottom, he would depart the group to form his own label Got’cha Back Entertainment following his full-length debut Guilty as Charged as well as the Still Guilty & Play Time’s Over mixtapes later on. He returned a decade after Guilty as Charged to drop his sophomore effort Overdose, coming back a dozen years later to make the streets remember who he is in case Y’all Musta Forgot.
“They Don’t Know” was a personal Detroit trap intro with a soulful hook talking about us having no idea what he’s been through in the past couple decades whereas “The Way That It Goes” produced by Helluva sticks out as my favorite track breaking down the hardships that come with the game. “Kenya” heavily samples “Brenda’s Got a Baby” by 2Pac to tell the story of a woman going by that name who ends up dead just before “Wut U Thought” featuring Devious leaves anyone who wants to fuck with them lined in chalk.
To begin the final leg of Y’all Musta Forgot, the song “Alright” chops up a soul sample to spin the block on a beautiful day staying optimistic of everything working itself out leading into J-Nutty linking with Herk on “Da Plug” fuses Detroit trap & synth-funk together so both parties can reflect on their days in the streets slangin’ dope. “Hold On” featuring Baby Herk, Knine Millie & Young Herk finishes the EP with the a family affair promising that you can live your dreams too as long as you keep it together.
Best remembered for collaborations with the likes of Slum Village to Obie Trice & Esham, the Got’cha Back Entertainment founder makes a comeback improving on the modern Detroit trap sound that Big Herk went for on Overdose compared to his older solo material & of course everything he put out during the Rock Bottom days. A noteworthy detail regarding the closer is that Herk has a collab tape coming out with his son this fall called The Bloodline, coinciding with Solo Sikoa dethroning Jacob Fatu to become the new WWE United States Champion this past weekend.
New collaborative EP from Buffalo, New York emcee & singer Elcamino alongside Stamford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base. Both of whom have already been establishing themselves with Mino putting out an eponymous EP under Griselda Records in 2017 & of course Base garnering traction off the Say Dat trilogy. Being on Black Soprano Family Records together for a couple years at this point, they’ve decided to team up & take their duo name after WWE Hall of Famers as well as record 10-time WCW World Tag Team Champions & former RoW Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat.
“Promise” kicks it all off with a crooning sample boasting of not having to worry about the neighbors since they don’t even have any whereas “Hunger Games” shrugs off each & every one of the fools speculation of being in bad deals aside from a questionable Diddy line. “Free Griselda Ticket” works in a heavy piano sample to talk about being in the moving business before rap while “Luxury Dope” featuring Jay Worthy finds the trio guaranteeing the lean coming if a fiend standing straight. “Protect Me” strips the drums to get God to keep watching over them going forward & “Gave ‘Em Hope” ends by talking about holding hate not being an ideal way for them to live.
Figured we would’ve gotten a sequel to Moving Base O.T. since it came around this exact time a year ago, but Harlem Heat leaves enough of a lasting impression regarding what both parties can do together when paired. Fuego Base’s comparison of himself to current NXT commentator, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, 6-time WWE world champion, 4-time WWE United States Champion, 14-time WWE tag team champion, 2-time WWE Hardcore Champion, RoW Tag Team Champion & TNA World Tag Team Champion Booker T is validated & the way Elcamino’s delivery compliments Fuego’s feels reminiscent of former RoW Tag Team Champion, WWE Hall of Famer, WCW World Television Champion & 10-time WCW World Tag Team Champion Stevie Ray.
Sandusky, Ohio emcee/producer Nezzy back with his 3rd studio LP nearly 10 months since the last one. Emerging within the underground in 2022 off his first 2 EPs Subject to Change & Pyramids, he went on to follow this up last year by releasing the debut album Hippie Thug in the spring & subsequently his 3rd EP New World Disorder in the fall. His sophomore effort Hall of Infamy came last summer the week following him opening for Psychopathic Records alumni Anybody Killa & DJ Clay at the co-headlined Welcome Home Party, getting another summer in effect by dropping Worm Food.
After the titular intro, the first song “Tha Boogeyman” kicks the door down with a hardcore boom bap opener promising to show you the ropes if you don’t understand it whereas “Ohio State of Mind” featuring Copywrite finds the 2 linking up to rep their home state with secondary rap rock influences. “Nezferatu” produced by Hobgoblin sticks out from the creepy boom bap instrumental to Nezzy’s bloodthirsty lyrics just before “Toyz in the Attic” recalls a time where he wanted to kill the man who sexually took advantage of his sister & with every reason in the world.
“Death of a Poet” featuring Psyonik works in a crooning soul sample from Jamil Honesty so they can make a blueprint & devise off it but after the “By Any Meanz” skit, “‘68 Grand Prix” takes it back to the basement with a siren raising boom bap beat & boastful lyricism. The instrumental on “Alakazam” sounds like it was flipped from a horror film soundtrack & drums added on to pull tricks out his sleeve while “Shark Fin Soup” unleashes stored anger with his pen over some pianos.
We have Nezzy promising that he’ll live forever through his discography & giving it “Raw ‘n’ Uncut” over a mobster-like sample until “Necron 99” after the “Huey Freeman” skit recites his soul to the microphone making better use of his days instead of being incarcerated counting down his release. “Trigger Warning” nears the final moments with another favorite of mine where he & Johnny Slash laugh off how sensitive everyone is & “Spittin’ Image” flexes his pen 1 last time.
Almost a year since the Halls of Infamy were explored, Nezzy’s distinct blend of hardcore vulgar references & deeply introspective conscious rap full of uncompromising rhyme schemes & thought-provoking choice of words gets pushed to newer heights with what he’s been calling the finest work of his career. Rightfully so too since his sword’s sharper than ever & the boom bap production feels rawer.
Flint, Michigan emcee/producer Jon Connor enlisting KLC of the No Limit Records in-house production team Beats by the Pound to produce his 7th studio LP. Someone who’s steadily been holding it down for the last 2 decades including The Calling, Vinnie Chase & S.O.S. trilogies along with the Best in the World series paying homage to some of Jon’s influences, Salvation, While You Were Sleeping & Unconscious State. He was even signed to Aftermath Entertainment for 6 years before departing after Vehicle City wound up being shelved, returning nearly 6 months since providing Food for the Soul to drop 24.
“1 Time” was an aggressive opener talking about it rappers who’ve got caught up in the clout & forgot to live life putting it up for the real ones whereas “Where You From?” featuring Lil Wyte finds the 2 linking up to tell us what it’s like in Flint & Memphis respectively. “Nothin’ Gon’ Change That” featuring Fiend & Mac throws it back to the No Limit days with it’s horn instrumental separating the real from the fake leading into the funky “Get Right” asking how you were poppin’ bottles if your money ain’t right.
We get a sequel to “Story to Tell” off S.O.S. II: The Road to Legendary produced by MIKE SUMMERS a.k.a. Seven recalling a time where he was 13 & KLC giving it a jazzier feel as opposed to the trap sound of the original while “Work” featuring DJ Paul finds the 2 linking up to talk about getting that money over some dirty south shit. “Kings & Queens” featuring Jay Allure reminds me of those collabs Mia X used to do for No Limit just before “Motivated” incorporates these pianos & strings to talk about always staying inspired even when he’s been knocked down.
“Wake Up, Go Hard” featuring Mr. Serv-On gets the final leg of 24 with a dirty south anthem in ode to the everlasting hustle while “The Biggest Flex” featuring Dee-1 gets together for a lead single tryin’ to figure out who you’re frontin’ for. “Black Magic” featuring Enjoy Melody hits us with more No Limit nostalgia reminiscent of Mercedes in this particular instance & “Story Time” closin’ down shop by telling a tale of tragedy ending in gunfire after the opps caught him by surprise.
It’s been no kept secret that Jon has always been heavily influenced by the late 90s run No Limit Records was so to have KLC fully produce an entire body of work from him could more than likely appeal to those who look back fondly during that time period where No Limit was popular enough to have their own faction in WCW when WWE was in the Attitude Era. All that aside: KLC’s production feels like a mix of old & new ideas with Jon’s dream since he was 14 finally coming to fruition as a full circle moment in his career.
Kansas City, Missouri veteran Tech N9ne kicking summer in full gear with his 26th studio LP. Starting out 3 decades back as a member of the groups Black Mafia as well as the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians & the Nnutthowze, his profile began to increase in the late 90’s after landing a spot on the Gang Related soundtrack & becoming among the first to join Yukmouth’s then-newly formed collective The Regime. But after having issues with Interscope Records & Universal Music Group following the release of his iconic 3rd album Anghellic, that’s when Tech decided to form his own label with the help of a man at Paradise Originals named Travis O’Guin. Together, they would call it Strange Music & solidified itself as one of if not the biggest indie label in the world. Tech has made it a tradition to drop a project or 2 every year since Everready (The Religion) back in ‘06 except for 2022, returning the next summer with Bliss to mixed reception. C.O.S.M. (Class of Strange Music)became the best Collabos entry since my personal favorite Welcome to Strangeland & 5816 Forest looks outdo himself even more with only 2 guests on it because of people clowning him for overloading his projects with guests in the last 2-3 years or so.
After the “Donnie Call” skit, “The Birth” takes a trip down memory lane over airy keyboard instrumental speaking candidly on his mother’s health struggles whereas “Fridee to Sundee” (Triality)” demonstrates his storytelling abilities & unique slang taking a darker trap approach to the beat. “Yoda” featuring Lil Wayne finds the 2 likening themselves to the Jedi Grand Master from The Walt Disney Company-owned Star Wars franchise until “Ball” recalls another story from his household growing up.
“RDV” after the “Alyia Call” skit throws it back to the days of old school hip hop instrumentally harking back to his 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians days & “Lola” takes it a step further remembering the woman to convince him to go from beatboxing to MCing. “Black Walt Street (The New Breed)” dabbles with hyphy a bit reminiscing of his middle school days when he took on the original moniker Black Walt, but then “Excited” cheerfully talks about making his days the brightest.
Wrapping up the first leg, “The Nice One” cloudily remembers when the “white ones” used to come up to his locker telling him what people have said regarding him while “The Punishment (Lockdown)” paints a picture of a formative childhood memory backed by some thick bass & organic percussion. The chipmunk soul-based “What I Do” recalls beginning to steal during his freshman year of high school & after the “Reign Call” skit, “No Rub” takes it back to a hyphy vibe suggesting he should’ve smashed raw.
“Fish Captain” remembers when his stepfather gave him a summer gig because of the kids he was rolling with at the time of his adolescence while “Sacrifice” featuring Strange Music signee Jehry Robinson acoustically admits to working on their craft instead of what regular kids did. After the “Bella Call” skit, “Livin’ in the Sky” brings a trap flare back refusing to write sad songs for those in his life who’ve passed on & can’t be with us today.
After the “Call with 2 Year Old Alina” skit, “This I Know” blends bright piano blinks beneath triumphant horns along with a loose bluesy guitar & a soul sample reaching back into his earliest memories to make a big screen-worthy image of his formative years prior to the closer “J6’s” finishing up talking about not knowing his life would change at some point when life deals you bad hands lot of times & avoiding these issues by coming up with a plan.
Maybe the most I’ve enjoyed a Tech album since N9na, it’s such a deeply personal & sonically ambitious LP that marks a significant chapter in a legendary career for the indie titan. 5816 Forest reminisces on legacy, loyalty & the roots of independence in hip hop revisiting the foundational moments that shaped him & Strange Music resulting in a raw, reflective body of work that combines hard-hitting lyricism with moments of vulnerability, grit & growth.
Long Island, New York political hip hop icons Public Enemy now consisting of frontman Chuck D alongside Flavor Flav & DJ Lord putting out their 17th LP on Bandcamp without any prior announcement. Their first 5 albums are hip hop essentials as what Chuck & company were saying on all of them are still very much relevant today. They ended up leaving Def Jam Recordings in ‘98 after releasing the He Got Game soundtrack, putting out a total of 10 full-lengths independently until returning to Def Jam posing the question What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Radio Armageddonmarked Chuck’s official Def Jam debut as a solo artist last month & is transitioning that energy onto Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025.
“Siick” produced by C-Doc comes out the gate with a consciously charged rap rock intro observing the world being stricken in hate due to the current political climate until Flav joins Chuck on “Confusion (Here Come the Drums)” trading a verse with one another to talk about being the last of a dying breed of emcees. “What Eye Said” instrumentally feels reminiscent to The Bomb Squad asking if anyone can write a verse without cursing when Method Man & No Malice are the best modern examples of that, but then Flav pops back in on “C’mon Get Down” to hit y’all that old school shit.
Meanwhile on “Evil Ways”, we have the rhyme animal himself self-producing a rap rock cut of his own preaching that even the baddest savages eventually get humbled by the averages just before “Sexegenarian” works in more heavily sampling to talk about being 65 & speaking to every 35-year old out there strugglin’ with hopes of makin’ it. “Messy Hens” marks the first of 2 solo cuts Flavor Flav lays down refusing to worry about suckas since his legacy’s far from phony, but then “Fools Fools Fools” gets Tré Cool of Green Day on live drums for Chuck to call out the frauds lying behind their likes on social media.
“Public Enemy Comin Throoooo” finds Flav rightfully rubbing the group’s legacy in everyone’s faces & Mistachuck being the mad thinker to the “swinger” mentality of his hype man & “Ageism” commendably expands on the very topic that was addressed on Radio Armageddon last month with a funky sample backing him. “The Hits Just Keep on Comin’” brings the pair together 1 last time to plead for our country to wake up in the midst of the undying revolution & “March Madness” closes with 1 more Flavor Flav solo track attacking gun violence & crooked politicians.
Turns out What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? was originally intended to be a reissue of Nothing’s Quick in the Desert hence why some of the songs on that polarizing effort were mixed with newly recording material on their Def Jam comeback nearly 5 years ago this fall & Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025 feels like a broader extension of what PE’s frontman did 5 weeks ago in the absolute best way imaginable. It’s refreshing to hear both of their core MCs over production reminiscent of their early years & the message of their existence needs to felt now more than ever.
