Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev surprise-releasing his 12th studio LP. Coming up a little over a decade ago off his full-length debut Around My Way, it wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all followed up with Magnum Opus along with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets in the Ghetto & of course the Finn-produced Blood on the Bills. I even enjoyed the Fredro Starr produced Strapped &Pyramid Schemes, although The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge already raised the expectations looking at it on paper.
“Road to Redemption” gets the ball rollin’ on The Ghost of Albizu sequel talking about spending it all & making it back twice because he’s a hustler with a Jose Santiago hook performed in Spanish whereas “The High & Mighty” embraces a sample-heavy boom bap direction admitting to thinking before he speaks now. “My People” loops up some sped-up vocals talking about Puerto Ricans wanting to be free since he himself has Puerto Rican origins while “Scarlet Fever” featuring Red Inf makes sure they leave no prisoners boasting that nobody can stand a chance against them.
Jose Santiago comes back to kill it with the choruses 1 more time on “Work Hard, Play Harder” blending rap rock & boom bap together except he’s singing in English this time about getting it out the mud off the muscle just before “Puerto Rock” leaves wack rappers layin’ on their backs & flexing of him opening up his own lane for Puerto Ricans who’re nice on the mic. “Culture Cypher” jazzily takes us all the way back to the South Bronx where hip hop all started leading into “Vengaza” dustily talking about the concept of revenge.
Lil D saves my personally favorite guest verse of the 2 during the boom bap & chipmunk soul fusion “Benicio” to kick off The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge’s last 6 minutes or so assuring that the plug knows his face & he’s been simply running in place as of late prior to “The Cornerstone” finishing up the album with 1 final jazzy boom bap joint about being emotionally generated rather than AI generated & a hook homaging “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” by the almighty Wu-Tang Clan.
Crazy to think it’ll already be 5 years this upcoming Halloween since I first got introduced to Fev by hearing The Ghost of Albizu and catching up to both Fresh Air & From El Barrio, With Love afterwards. And I understand that some weren’t feeling Pyramid Schemes as much as Enigma of Dalí, but most people are gonna enjoy The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge a lot more since it continues the hardcore/conscious themes & jazzy boom bap sounds of the predecessor expanding it occasionally in favor of rap rock & chipmunk soul.
This gotta be the 11th studio LP from Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev. Coming up a little over a decade ago off his full-length debut Around My Way, it wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all followed up with Magnum Opus along with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets in the Ghetto & of course the Finn-produced Blood on the Bills. Last time I covered Fev was last summer when Fredro Starr fully produced Strapped & Vansleazy coming back for Pyramid Schemes was a thrilling surprise.
After the intro, the first song “Snake Charmer” is a jazzy hardcore hip hop opener talking about his lane being him fusing street knowledge with the drug game whereas “Dynamite” featuring NEMS crosses over rap rock & boom bap boasting that they feel like $1B each. “Razor Keys” hooks up some prominent pianos talking about eating all these wack rappers for dinner retiring from pushing dope to rap until “Momotoro” gets back on the rap rock vibe refusing to dumb it down.
“Stunt Squad” featuring Red Inf could’ve been recorded around the same time as their Vanderslice-produced collaborative effort Chemistry last spring although it’s still hardbody & after the “Never Heard of You” skit, “Blue Face Hunnids” brings the keys back in the fold talking about times where he feels like he could’ve been greater. “Hit List” takes a soulful approach quenching for blood while “Money Man Jr.” featuring FLZY finds them exceeding & expanding.
The penultimate song “No Grant Hills” returns to the boom bap talkikg about grinding to the point where he hasn’t even slept in days constantly trapping out the Airbnb & prior to the outro, the closer “Free Sam Bankman” calls for the freedom of FTX CEO & Alameda Research co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried a.k.a. SBF after he was sentenced to 25 years for 2 counts of wire fraud, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud & conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Even if 1,000 Yard Stare produced by Body Bag Ben slipped through the cracks a little over a month ago & I didn’t make the time to cover it, I still thought it was a great way for him to start his 2025 & now he takes it to a new level with Pyramid Schemes. For the people BY the people, it’s guest list is stronger than that & Painting Houses 2 combined with Vanderslice’s gritty production pulling from boom bap & jazz rap to rap rock.
UFO Fev is a 38 year old MC from Harlem, New York who came up in 2014 off his full-length debut Around My Way. But wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all followed up with Magnum Opus along with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum & more recently Sunsets in the Ghetto. But for his 6th full-length over here, Fev’s enlisting Finn of the Brown Bag Money collective behind the boards from start to finish.
“A1 Credit” is a gully opener where Fev comes out to admit that he don’t need any credit & that he ain’t slept-on until Pro Dillinger tags along for the jazzy “Drop the Needle” talking about not freezing when the world gets too cold for ya. Red Inf then comes into the picture for the boom bap-heavy “Check the Balance” going in depth of doing it for the love & doing just that when they wake up whereas “Wash the Bills” takes a more drumless route talking about being a hustler.
However on “Drug Free”, we have Fev over a bare sample explaining how badly the crack epidemic impacted his community leading into the Ty Farris-assisted “Tax Man” returning to the boom bap letting y’all know it’s about respect rather than money. “Caged Birds” has a more mellow sound to it venting about life going on & on, but then “Left vs. Right” goes chipmunk soul detailing a conflict with both hands. The track “Watch What You Say” pretty much says it all over a somber yet dusty beat & prior to the spoken word outro “Words of Wisdom”, the gully “Keep Spending” with Saipher Soze truly sends off the album with the 2 MCs about how drug dealing is essentially an American past time.
Fev’s last 4 EPs have been hit or miss with me personally, but it just goes without saying that Blood on the Bills wipes the floor & will go down as one of his best projects much like Fresh Air or The Ghost of Albizu. Finn continues to cement himself as one of the best underground producers that Canada has to offer in recent memory with his incredible raw sound & Fev himself sounds rejuvenated on the mic.
UFO Fev is on a tear in 2021 as today marks the release of his fourth album of the year, “The Most High.” With his affiliation with Fat Joe and the Terror Squad, each drop has moved the East Harlem native farther and farther up the ladder.
The new album’s title “The Most High” is an allusion to his crew and brand The High. So, fittingly his boy Red Inf is the co-star on this LP. The project is fully produced by Vanderslice (who also produced Fev’s last album “Enigma of Dalì”) and has features from Mav (Da Cloth), Asun Eastwood, Sauce Heist, K Like The Letter, and Ace Arty.
This is the 5th full-length album from Harlem emcee UFO Fev. Coming up in 2014 off his debut album Around My Way., it wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. Dude just dropped Magnum Opus last month & is already enlisting Vanderslice for the follow-up Enigma of Dalí.
After the titular intro, the first song “Crack Shifts” is an eerie boom bap opener with him & Flee Lord talking about that’s exactly what they be workin’ whereas “Moody Bass” has a more rich instrumental & Fev saying he’s gonna take this shit mainstream. Red Inf tags along for the mellow “Pack Flip” talking about a plan to wake up the masses just before advising to keep it off the speakerphone when talking money on “Home Team”, which has some amazing sampling throughout.
Meanwhile with “Artfully Done Street Shit”, we have Red Inf returning over a guitar & some dusty drums calling out those stealing the sauce leading into him saying he’s too far over the top on the dusty albeit piano-laced “Scroll Music”. The song “Jazz Criminals” with SmooVth fittingly has a jazzy beat with both of them getting mafioso while the penultimate track “Scarlett Letters” jumps on top of some violins to state that he’s painting like Salvador Dalí. Then there’s the closer “All That Glitters, where Fev & Sure Shot come together for a slick romance ballad.
Magnum Opus was cool, but I personally prefer Enigma of Dalí better. Vanderslice’s production is much more consistent than it was on Fev’s last album & the dude continues to reveal himself as one of the illest MCs in the New York underground right now.
East Harlem rapper UFO Fev takes center stage in the cinematic visuals for his standout single with producer Vanderslice, “Crack Shifts,” off their upcoming collaborative album, Enigma of Dalí. The video is directed by Watsyn Filmz and stars both UFO along with the Far Rock native Flee Lord, as they deliver their raw rhymes to the camera. Even better, there’s some sci-fi special effects, including UFOs, ominous skies, and more. Check out the visuals and head over to your preferred digital service provider to support. Enigma of Dalí is available now for pre-order via download, CD and vinyl (in both classic black and clear with blue marble) and officially drops July 16 through Coalmine Records. Various bundle options are also on hand, with slipmats, t-shirts, and high quality framed prints of the full album cover spread designed by Billy Bonks. Head over to Bandcamp or Coalmine’s online store to support!
If you’re still sleeping on UFO Fev, you need to stop fronting. He dropped full-length albums with some of the most respected producers in underground Hip-Hop last year, including Statik Selektah, Big Ghost Ltd, and Termanology. Not to mention, this East Harlem native has been part of Fat Joe’s Terror Squad for a couple years now. That should be enough co-signs for even the most discerning head.
So far this year he has already released a critically-praised project with Frank The Butcher titled “The Thrill.” However, he’s keeping his foot on the competition’s neck by coming right back with “Magnum Opus,” the lead single off his upcoming album of the same name. The track is produced by STER, who also handles beats on the rest of the LP. Listen close to the bars on this one, because as Fev says on the hook, “This might be the most important song that I ever wrote.”
Few MCs have the ability to paint a real-life picture through honest, yet intricate lyrics as Spanish Harlem’s UFO Fev. Not only that, but Fev has been a magnet for respect from some of Hip Hop’s most celebrated and respected figures such as Fat Joe, Diddy and Black Rob to name a few. We at UGHHBLOG got the chance to chop it up with the Big UFO and learn more about his story and what he has in store.
What can you tell us about growing up in Spanish Harlem and how did your surroundings/upbringing lead you start MCing?
Growing up in Spanish Harlem as I look back in hindsight, was normal in the sense of growing up with everyone around you in poverty. The events that happen around you aren’t normal, you learn to adapt or your family is lucky enough to move out. I’ve never truly left because my family is still there, so I’m still in tune. Becoming an emcee came from being in love with hip-hop, growing with the culture you had to do something when we were younger, dance, graffiti, DJ, something in the culture. I DJ’d and did some graf but writing was always a passion.
How did you get the name UFO Fev?
I got the name UFO Fev in two parts, Fev came from the good brother and multi platinum recording artist Black Rob. We’re from the same housing projects, we bumped into each other day humbly. He mentioned he heard I was rhyming and that I had “a little fever”. As we parted, the compliment stuck with me so much I decided to use it. UFO came as I gained knowledge of self and began to formulate my own beliefs of the world. Plus, the way I rhyme you never seen nothing like it.
So Black Rob is from the same building as you? That’s dope! How did Black Rob and having family in the industry help inspire you to take rapping more seriously?
Black Rob is from my building, his family lived on the first floor. I’m from the 7th floor, he’s few years my senior so he basically knew me before I knew myself, along with my dad being in the group TKA. I didn’t get inspired to take music seriously until I was living on my own and had to decide what my future would be. I didn’t want to be in the streets forever, nor did I want a 9-5 forever and I’ve always rapped but making music was a sacrifice I had to commit to. That commitment formed and I hit the ground running.
Being around established artists and sort of being a fly on the wall must have helped you develop an understanding of the rap game early on. How do you think your approach set you apart from others in your neighborhood who aspired to MC?
Being around established artist early taught me to write music, touch different topics. Hip-Hop isn’t necessarily aggressive music, it started out as story telling, from all different authors. Now we made it tough, but it was struggle music. I learned to express myself in my lyrics through poetry early on and then I hit a point where I didn’t have to make up stories because they were going on in my life, right in front of me. Which set me apart from everyone else because the content was deeper.
Absolutely, we can hear the authenticity in your lyrics, so how would you describe your rhyme style?
I would describe my rhyme style like water, I adapt to my environment. People enjoy what they enjoy from my music because they know it’s going be different every time but constant quality.
Your first real project was with Element called “Around My Way,” how did that shape your approach with your project “Taxes” later down the road?
“Around My Way” shaped the approach to “Taxes” because it taught me business at a time where I had no clue. Making Taxes, Rich Lou and I were both in a losing environment and wanted to prove ourselves for whatever reason, we did it. Also put me on track to making shorter cohesive projects.
So is it true that Puffy called you after hearing “Taxes?” That’s wild. I’m sure that was the motivational boost you needed to continue making music. Can you describe what it was like to get that call?
Puff called at a time where I was doubting myself. In hindsight it was very motivational, that’s what I needed to pick myself up and keep going at a time when it looked like there wasn’t anywhere else to go. I can’t tell you how I got the call, it just happened from one moment to the next, they say people like that find you. They really do.
So you drop your next project “Camoflauge” and get contacted by Dre of Cool & Dre, which ended up with you meeting Fat Joe. How did that come about and how did developing a relationship with Joe transpire?
Same thing, when people like that are looking for you, they find you. Dre seen “Mr. Nice Guy” on social media which I believe led to him playing it for Crack. Dre found my number thru a homie in my neighborhood and from there he went on to tell me Joe wanted to meet me. Developing a relationship with Joe took years, I am still developing our relationship lol. We got unconditional love, he changed my life.
Can you describe your current relationship with Fat Joe and how he has helped shape you both as an artist and performer?
My relationship with Joe is a friendship, he’s a legend. As an artist and performer he’s helped shape my understanding of just everything like a veteran point guard teaching a younger point guard how to read the floor.
I understand Termanology linked you with Statik Selektah, what was it like working with Statik on your collab project “Fresh Air?”
Working on Fresh Air with Statik was a dope experience, Statik is a beast. He works quick so you have to be able to provide high quality content ata fast pace.
“The Ghost of Albizu” is one of this years best projects in my opinion, how did you link up with Big Ghostand develop the idea for this project?
Thank you, linking with Big Ghost took years lol. All jokes aside it wasn’t overnight it took a minute for him to send me the music he felt was right for me. Ghost only makes entire projects so he works like a craftsman. Everything is fine tuned sonically, we took our time to make sure things were right. The idea was born out of a comment on IG from a mutual supporter which led to Ghost and I building on the brand from there.
How long did it take for you and Ghost to craft “Albizu?” I heard you took a trip to Puerto Rico around the time you were working on the project. How did that trip inspire your approach to making the project?
It took maybe about a year and change to get what we have now. That includes recording and bouncing vocals back and forth, exchanging ideas and stuff like that. My trip to Puerto Rico was life changing in the sense of I never got to experience the island looking to obtain knowledge. This time I got to sink my feet into the soil and soak it up. No music nothing just building.
Word! So what can we expect from The Big UFO in 2021?
In 2021 you can expect more music, more merch and a continuous level up. Vanderslice & I have something special cooked up, just look forward to more music!!
We always like to ask this question to wrap-up interviews, what is your definition of the “underground?”
My definition of the Underground is anything made before money hits it. After that it’s a different thing.
