Weekly Fix #27

Welcome to the Weekly Fix, where I go over everything that I’ve listened to that has come out within the past week. I’ll give a little blurb about the project/single with my feelings on it thrown in there, throw some descriptors and other artists names to give you an idea what the project/single is like, and link to all applicable streaming services/online stores where you can find the music.

Man the mainstream is really letting this year go out on a whimper isn’t it? Smokepurpp basically ran uncontested this week over here in America with Deadstar 2, while overseas Stormzy is probably going for a #1 on the UK Charts with Heavy is the Head. However, the underground basically shotgunned me with quality project after quality project, making the decision on what to write about this week very difficult. Maybe I’ll write about two albums this week?

Here’s a link to the Week #27 Playlists for y’all

-----PROJECTS-----

Big Ghost LTD, Rigz, & Mooch – The Only Way Out
After Mooch’s last album and all of the mixing issues, it was going to take a collaboration this high-profile for me to check him out again like this, and this album is that opportunity. The chemistry between Rigz and Mooch is palpable, with the street tales that they weave not only feel like they come from a place of experience, but one of shared experience. Big Ghost provides some of the his most sonically consistent and cinematic beats to date, with the flow and feel of this album evoking albums like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Ironman. Really my only beef is with the features, almost all of which feel unnecessary to me.
Recommended if you like: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, vintage sampling, rough concept albums, Raekwon, excellent chemistry, Griselda, drumless beats, Westside Gunn, nasally voices, heartfelt lyrics, cinematic storytelling, Ghostface Killah

YouTube/Bandcamp

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Rome Streetz & The Artivist – Joyeria
More than almost any other album this year, Joyeria literally sounds like it was recorded in 1994. Rome Streetz has this Kool G/AZ feel to him with the attention paid to his lyrics and rhyme schemes, and his ruthlessness on the microphone is something to behold. He never lets up, never gets into corny singing shit; his blood truly runs NY gutter shit through and through. The beats provided by The Artivist are dark, weird, chilling, and old-school, but they all fall into different shades of boom-bap. The short nature of the album, the killer features, and the amazing performances from Rome set this album up above many who try and evoke that mid-90’s chamber rap.
Recommended if you like: 90’s lyricists, Kool G Rap, grimy subject matter, Nas, dark and murky AZ, boom-bap beats, Jadakiss, beat-switches, Wu-Tang Clan, pizza rat

Bandcamp

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Smokepurpp – Deadstar 2
You can tell that Purpp is trying to take his music much more seriously this time around; while the first Deadstar was one of the biggest albums in that South Florida trap wave, it’s sequel is a more pop-friendly and melodic project. There is more focus on catchy melodies, ethereal and spacey beats, and a more focused spread of features. If you liked his autotuned singing tracks, then this will be for you, and while there are a couple of bangers on here they aren’t the focus.
Recommended if you like: melodic trap music, autotuned rapping, Nav, South Florida artists, heavy bass, Playboi Carti, short songs, juvenile but funny lyrics

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Termanology – Vintage Horns
Termanonogy is one of those rappers that sticks to the “new generation is garbage” schtick more than any other rapper I listen to (and I listen to *Eminem*), and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect my perception of him. I think Term is cool, but he’s not nearly good enough to be constantly shitting on people like he does, and while he can come through with some solid wordplay and flows, his beat selection is really what keeps me coming back to Vintage Horns. As it implies, it’s exclusively beats made up from horns, and they are all appropriately vintage and boom-bap to warrant the name. The features are also rock solid, with some unexpected appearances from Rochester’s Eto and 38 Spesh.
Recommended if you like: horns, horns, lots of horns, partially corny rappers, good flows, topical songs, lots of guests, old-school samples, DITC, underdogs, hating on “mumble-©rappers”

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Bronze Nazareth & KXNG Crooked – Gravitas
Crook is an amazingly gifted rapper with more skill in flow and wordplay that 90% of dudes out there… but I have never liked a project from him. Gravitas just doesn’t grab me in the way that it should, and it might have to do with Bronze on here. His beat-making is ok, but oftentimes come across as flat and heartless lip-service to the beats of the late-90’s Wu-Tang. I don’t think Crook and Bronze Nazareth are the best match, and I think someone like Big Ghost would be a much better fit. Also, Gravitas feels rather slap-dash with the random remixes on the back end (one of them already appearing on Bronze’s official The Lost Tapes remixes). One day I hope to love a Crooked project…
Recommended if you like: wicked fast rapping, Gangstarr, dense and well-structured wordplay, Wu-Tang Clan, old-school boom-bap beats, Jeru the Damaja

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Stormzy – Heavy Is The Head
In general, I think Stormzy is overhyped in comparison to some of the other players in the UK Hip-Hop/”Grime” scene. However, I think this album is good for what it is, and shows that positivity in hip-hop isn’t always as corny as a lot of guys over here in America think. Stormzy gets deeply personal on his upbringing, relationships, his family, and his race, while not being overly preachy. I do like this dudes voice, both rapping and singing, but I wish he would pull out the stops and start rapping like he used to do. The production can also get a bit vanilla at times, being the farthest he’s gotten from his roots thus far. This is going to sell like hotcakes over in Londontown, and I thin it’s a solid offering from one of that scenes greats.
Recommended if you like: mainstream pop-rap, Grime, Dave,  British accents, personal lyrics, Meek Mill,  good storytelling, singing and rapping, J. Cole, trap beats, sub-bass, mad slang

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Free Nationals – Free Nationals
This is some smooth shit right here. There are a few different sounds on here, but they all come back to this neo-soul/R&B heart that runs through the record. Every musician on here is on top of their game, especially the bassist like my god he/she really *makes* some of these tracks. Most tracks on here have features, and for the most part they fit well. Kali Uchis, Anderson .Paak, Callum Connor, and T.Nava are some of the standout appearances on here, and they all tap into the vibes that the band is going for spectacularly. The project also flows silkily from one track to another, giving this cool jam session feel to it.
Recommended if you like: R&B, Anderson .Paak, smooth basslines, skilled musicians, disco, the 70’s, multi-instrumentalists, varied and sunny production, light-heartedness, music that touches your soul

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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City Morgue (Zillakami & SosMula) – CITY MORGUE VOL 2: AS GOOD AS DEAD
If you like guttural, primal yelling over the most distorted and chaotic of trap beats, then City Morgue is right up your alley. It fuses the sensibilities of genres like nu-metal, soundcloud rap, and punk rock into a very abrasive package. The two emcees involved, Zillakami and SosMula, aren’t masters of flow or anything like that, but their presence on the mic is terrifying (although I think Zilla makes a bigger impression out of the two). The album does start to run together, with all of the tracks pretty much being the same thing; it makes me wish for more features, but also grateful it’s only 30 minutes.
Recommended if you like: Denzel Curry, heavy sub-bass, metal, $uicideboy$, grunge, yelling and screaming, 6ix9ine, screamo, Three 6 Mafia, trap beats, shit that will destroy your car’s soundsystem

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Pounds & Buckwild – Trafficante
The production from Buckwild is consistently vintage, and his film samples and loops are befitting of someone of his talent and tenure. Pounds, to his credit, is a rugged and sharp emcee, but I think someone else could have ripped these beats apart better that he has here. I like the general Spanish drug themes across the project, and the stories are gritty enough for me, cinematic even. The features are a little disappointing however, where while Roc Marciano and CRIMEAPPLE delivered, I don’t think Benny gave his A-game here, and all of the singers on here were unnecessary. Overall worth a listen to hear how this album flows, and how the DITC legend still has it on the boards.
Recommended if you like: Vinnie Paz, bloodthirsty and hungry emcees, mafia-inspired instrumentals, RJ Payne, slow and measured flows, old-school gutter shit, Jadakiss

YouTube/Bandcamp

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Camoflauge Monk & Pro Zay – Slump 2
The project has some cool ideas going for it; Camoflauge Monk is one of the more eclectic and odd producers in the underground today, and these beats reflect that. But Pro Zay will need to grow on you before you’ll appreciate him (I’m not even sure if I can appreciate him yet). His voice and delivery is rough, sounding a lot like Big Twinz, and he says “muthafucka” waaaay too much, but it’s cool enough in this goonish way. I’m not fan of the majority of the tracks on here being 1-2 minutes, but it makes for a brisk listen. But, again, the beats are where it’s at on here.
Recommended if you like: Mach-Hommy, lethargic and slow instrumentals, Griselda, unusual sample choices, short songs, loud and obnoxious emcees, Big Twinz, dark atmospheres, Vinnie Paz

YouTube/Bandcamp

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Lucky Seven – Merry Christmas Retro Gamer 2
It’s aimless for the most part, filling your ears with a collage of various 8-bit video games bites that play on your sense of nostalgia. Lucky Seven is not a very engaging emcee, just sort of filling that void of what would otherwise be a pretty cool beat-tape. Conway and Elcamino are probably be the only reason why I’ll revisit this project, bur at only 20 minutes it’s nice to listen to the cute samples.
Recommended if you like: 8-bit samples, boom-bap, low-key and sunny production, instrumental albums, mixes of singing and rapping, short albums

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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-------SINGLES-------

Ducko McFli (Feat. Denzel Curry & Jace) – 40 Bandz
I’m loving the sticky hook that Denzel lays down here; shit has been in my head since I heard it. The beat is a grinding trap beat with these devilish synths and deep sub-bass; it’s slower than a usual beat, giving this weird chamberish feel to it, but increases it’s evilness. Denzel and Jace kill it, giving similarly quick verses with quality wordplay.
Recommended if you like: solid hooks, Flatbush ZOMBiES, bass-heavy trap, OG Maco, slow and cavernous beats, fiery flows, Beast Coast, singing and rapping, violent lyrics, Migos

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Jay Critch – Dreams In a Wraith
The beat falls a little flat; I wish the backing melody was mixed a little higher and the drums hit a little harder. But Jay comes through with a solid hook, good flow, and I like that shade of auto-tune put on his voice to give it that Travis Scott feel. I wish there were a feature on here, because the track is a little short. I think the best thing the track has going for it is the hook, which allows me to listen to the track over and over again (it’s also the majority of the track lol)
Recommended if you like: Travis Scott, trap drums, short tracks, Rich The Kid, good hooks, Lil Skies, fun club bangers, Smokepurpp, soundcloud rap

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Wifisfuneral (Feat. YBN Nahmir) – Peace Sign
This sounds totally different from the usual stuff wifi puts out, and I’m all here for it. The beat is this slick, minimal drum and bass cut with a few claps; very west-coast in nature. It’s a slapper, and it has this undeniable groove to it that almost danceable. wifisfuneral is animated with swagger and comes through with a baller hook. Nahmir, who has been super quiet this year despite being a XXL Freshman this year, comes through with his best feature this year by far; he fits right into the beat, has a killer flow, gritty lyrics, and a youthful enthusiasm.
Recommended if you like: Bay Area music, E-40, baller music, minimal trap beats, good hooks, well structured tracks, Blueface, gangsta rap, young energy

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Lil Uzi Vert – Futsal Shuffle 2020
What an… odd… track. It’s kind of low-fi soundcloud rap with rapid chirpy synths and a simple trap bassline. It’s mixing is a little off, as I think Uzi’s voice is buried amongst the synths and bass. I’m not sure how well this works as a single for a project though? It’s like his track New Patek where it doesn’t have a readily apparent hook, the beat isn’t that catchy, and nothing about the lyrics immediately stick out to you. I like it more than most singles he’s released since Luv is Rage 2, but I’m still unsure about how Eternal Atake is going to go (if it’s ever coming out)
Recommended if you like: soundcloud rap, Future, lowfi-trap instrumentals, quick triplet flows, Young Thug, small amounts of autotune, melodic rapping, Lil Baby, pop-culture references, synths, 8-bit soundtracks

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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Don Toliver – Can’t Feel My Legs
I think this guy has a lot of potential to be a great artist, but he need to score some quality features. I think the beat is solid in that high-class trap feel that Travis Scott excels in, with the synthwork and drums especially being very catchy, but Toliver leaves a little to be desired in the writing department. Some of the lyrics are just kinda stupid, and the hook has a good melody, but “I can’t feel my leeeEEeegs” will never not make me laugh. It feels silly, when I feel like he’s going for more of a Weeknd drugged out party monster. Again, if he can get Travis Thug on a track I think he has the potential to be big.
Recommended if you like: Travis Scott, dense and bustling trap beats, Lil Baby, synths, Young Thug, liberal use of autotune, melodic rapping, good melodies, silly lyrics, 03 Greedo

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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NLE Choppa – Side
Choppa channels his melodic self for this single (which I guess was leading up to EP that was supposed to come out?), and it produces some pretty alright results. He is still spitting that ignorant murder shit, but the autotuned vocals read as a Polo G or YoungBoy impression. The beat is a basic one as far as trap goes, with CashMoneyAP really “cashing in” (god I hate puns) on the benefits of trap mass production. Anyway, I think NLE could do with slowing his roll a bit on the volume of music he’s putting out, but it’s all at least ok so I’ll keep listening.
Recommended if you like: YoungBoy NBA, mainstream trap beats, Lil Uzi Vert, melodic rapping, Kevin Gates, way too much autotune, Polo G, street lyrics and stories, Lil Skies, short tracks

Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

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