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Review: Juice WRLD, Eminem, benny blanco – “Lace It”

Juice WRLD is back yet again with another single despite the fact that he’s been dead since 2019. I’m always so conflicted about this. On one hand, it’s great that Juice’s fans still get to feel like their favorite artist is active despite losing him almost 5 years ago. On the other hand, something just doesn’t feel right about a label milking a dead artist to the point that they’re releasing more music from the grave than André 3000.

Of course you knew, I had to come back from the grave myself to review this new Em joint. We know his verse was recorded at least within a year because he references events that happened in January of 2023. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Juice’s music despite him being an absolute monster when it comes to freestyling. The kid was a genius. I just wish he’d brought that flavor over to his albums. Like when he worked with Eminem on “Godzilla,” I like him in small doses. He’s fine as a hook with maybe the odd bridge, but I can’t take much more than that. It’s just that ear-piercing autotune and those melodramatic flows that every trapper seems to love. This track is kind of an anomaly to that rule though do to the nature of Eminem’s guest verse.

Eminem’s verse is one of the most focused guest spots in a song I’ve heard from him in a long time. The subject is so personal to him that I guess it would come naturally. He had a near-death experience himself back in 2007. Since then, he’s shown signs of survivor’s guilt when reacting to other rappers who’ve also overdosed the same way he did but didn’t survive. You hear that all over this verse as well. Eminem is sympathising with the new generation of rappers here. He starts off by walking us through how easy it can be to get hooked on drugs and how it feels to become dependent on them: “You pop some ecstasy first, it gets progressively worse
Try your best to reverse unsuccessfully flirtin’ with certain death… as you spiral downward, listen, I know just how it is.” I’m definitely getting some dad rap vibes here, but in a good way. It’s really smart of Eminem to try to relate to the new school kids like this. Who knows? Maybe the right person will hear this and he’ll save a life. This doesn’t feel like just any Eminem verse that he wrote and sent off to fill a standard 16 bar spot to promote someone’s album. He feels genuinely driven by emotion, like he’s actually writing with a purpose.

What I love about Eminem’s music, is the fact that he can be pouring his heart and soul into a track, but he’ll rarely forget he’s also a lyricist. The multi-syllable rhymes and creative word play that comes out of this man’s pen will never fail to impress me. Yeah, you’ll get the odd dad joke here and there: “Like a rabbit out a hat, you’ll wanna pull your hair out“… but for every bar like this you’ll get something deserving of a stank-face level chef’s kiss.

Near the halfway point, Eminem’s tone naturally starts to steer towards anger from sadness. When he starts referencing Juice directly by his first name, you can hear the frustration in his voice. Something about Juice passing in particular, hurt Eminem: “You tried to kill me, then you murdered Jared didn’t you? You piece of s–t“. From here, Eminem runs down a list of names of other celebrities that’ve lost their lives to drugs, strengthening his warning. That’s right folks, Eminem just dissed drugs. He finishes his verse by just asking the new generation to be careful when experimenting with substances. I think he knows it would be hypocritical for him to tell anyone not to do drugs, and I think he knows he can’t stop anyone from doing what they’re going to do. He just comes off like the cool dad that knows you’re going to experiment, but just asks that you do so responsibly.

Overall, I’m really happy with this track. I’ve seen so many rappers throw a phoned-in, generic verses into posthumous albums. Eminem took the time to really put the thought, time and attention into the track. He made sure speak from his own experiences with addiction, which helps give off a true sense of sincerity.

Rest in Piece Juice WRLD.

Written By: CeaTee Reviews
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Album Review: GRIP – “STILL (5 & A F*** You)”

GRIP – STILL (5 & A F*** You) (Deluxe) – Album Review

Artist: GRIP
Album: “STILL (5 & A F*** You) (Deluxe)
Release Date: July 7, 2023
Label: Shady Records/Stray Society
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Rating: ★★★★★★★★★✩ 9/10

Atlanta rapper GRIP is back again after releasing his very well received album “I Died For This!?” 2 years ago, followed by the lesser noticed but worth your time “5 & A F*** You” last year. GRIP is known for being a gritty-flowed new school artist that doesn’t have to rely on whatever sound is currently trending. In my opinion, this makes him very under-rated as an artist. It’s criminal that he’s not blown up internationally yet.

Now GRIP is back with a short and sweet, 11-track Deluxe/Follow up album to compliment the first “5 & A F*** You” project. Maybe “sweet” is the wrong word to describe this one. This might be the most I’ve ever seen GRIP let go of his inner aggression and let everything loose. If the title didn’t already make it clear enough, you’ll understand once you push play on track one.

Intro

The album kicks off with an intro that sets the tone for an intense, open and honest journey of musical gritty wordplay. The track begins with a cold, haunting atmospheric instrumental. The combination of eerie synths and deep basslines do their part in drawing the listener in. Something about GRIP’s immediately flow gives off a slightly defeated vibe. By the end of the track, his tempo picks up in such a commanding way. By the end of the track I can’t help but feel personally charged by the Contagious energy spewing from all aspects of the intro. As far as an intro track, it does a great job hooking listeners and demanding their attention for the next 30 minutes.

Fetch

I love the hard-hitting drums on this one. The extra buoyant basslines are infectiously pleasing as backdrop for the song. In terms of lyricism, GRIP’s clever wordplay is on full display as he carefully weaves together punchlines and metaphors.

Numbers

The Fast-flow rap thing has been done a million times at this point, but it can still be done without being overdone. This track is an example of that. My knee-jerk reaction is to say I hear a bit of JID influence in the flow. Maybe it’s the laid-back but somehow energetic delivery that I’m such a sucker for. Either way, the key strength in this track lies within the versatility of GRIP’s flows. On top of that, the song deserves praise for being able to paint vivid pictures with words while maintaining the focus of even the most casual listeners.

“SS” is the biggest standout track on the album so far. The unapologetically commanding presence and style of this track gets a chef kiss from me. GRIP could have just thrown down flashy bars and called it a day, but the way he switches his flow so effortlessly is magical. I love everything about this track, down to the gritty flow and the well-placed vocal samples.

Bare

This might be the most emotionally vulnerable state I’ve ever seen GRIP in. It’s hard not to feel your heart strings being pulled by the raw, emotional lyrics. Much like the track’s name, beat is very stripped down without feeling skeletal. The delicate piano is stands out carefully because of how muted the rest of the instrumental sounds. It’s beautifully crafted in such a captivating way. I can’t believe this track ends with “I wrote this sh_t while I was taking a dump” and it didn’t do anything to take away from otherwise tear-jerking track. Could this be some of Eminem’s trademarked writing style rubbing off on GRIP?

Keys

Keys mostly takes a well needed breather from the heavier subjects some of the previous tracks dealt with. It leads with a slower, mesmerizingly swimmy beat. Although the instrumental is subtle, the lyrics live into themes of struggling with identity and dealing with choosing the correct paths life gives us. It can also be seen as a celebratory track. When you’re looking at it in that light, it becomes a song about GRIP looking back on his success and what it took to get here.

Time

The melodic instrumental on this track is so incredibly soothing. I feel like my eardrums are gently receiving a sugar scrub massage. The female vocal samples that dip in and out tie the production together perfectly. The song’s structure adds an extra layer of depth to “Time.” The verses gradually unfold, building on one another and unraveling different aspects of the theme. This track is yet another testament to his storytelling abilities and mature growth as an artist.

Hyperbole

Honestly, I wasn’t sure where this track was going when it started with a raspily delivered “B–ch!… B–ch. B–ch!!”. It’s definitely not a track for GRIP’s easier listening fans. This is probably the most acidic, hard to swallow track on the album. It’s also quite a banger! Fans of “Aight!” by Westside Boogie will probably enjoy this one.

Angels

This is my favorite track on the entire album; easily. As the track title suggests, “Angels” musically transcends earthly limits with it’s powerful, soulful production and meaningful lyrics. The track is nothing short of masterpiece. GRIP’s super organic, realistic delivery adds that much more to already Aw-inspiring song.

Still

Still deals with the frustrations that come with being better than most of your hip-hop colleagues, without receiving nearly the same amount of respect. As a hip-hop head myself, it’s not hard to see his point with this one. It must be awfully tempting to sellout when it seems like that’s the only way to make a big name for yourself in hip-hop. This track is the unfinished story of an underdog/rags to riches story that hasn’t been completed yet. This is a “just wait and see” kind of track.

You

As we reach the album’s conclusion, we come to the track “You”. The production of “You” sets a melancholic and atmospheric tone right from the start. The album is fittingly ending on a very self-reflective track. GRIP wonders how his life could have played out different if he would have made a name for himself sooner. On the same token, he imagines the hundreds of ways he could have wound up dead. I suppose within this track, GRIP is happy for the life he has when he considers how it could be. In a clever way, he’s using this song as a sort of letter filled with advice to his younger self.

From the thought-provoking Intro track to the soulful finale “You,” GRIP takes listeners on a deeply personal journey through themes of self-discovery, love, and vulnerability. At this point, GRIP deserves to be brought up in every conversation revolving around the best of this generation.

Written by: CeaTee Reviews
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Album Review: Westside Boogie – “More Black Superheroes”

Westside Boogie – “More Black Super Heroes” – Album Review

Artist: Westside Boogie
Album: More Black Superheroes
Release date: June 17, 2022
Label: Shady Records
Genre: Hiphop/Rap
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✪☆ 8.5/10

Westside Boogie is an American rapper, songwriter, and Shady artist. Born as Anthony Dixon in 1990 in Compton, California. His sound is a product of his Westcoast roots. However, he’s known to be influenced by artists such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Lupe Fiasco, just to name a few. Boogie started rhyming words at the age of only 15 years old. Later on, he would attempt to balance his academic studies while honing his craft as an MC. It wasn’t until 2014 before Boogie started seeing any kind of recognition. It was in 2017 when he finally joined the Shady Records family and released his label debut “Everything’s For Sale” in 2019.

I wasn’t familiar with Boogie until he made his Eminem Connection in the late 2010s. Admittedly, I was very skeptical of him at first. He seemed like a strikingly odd artist to join Shady. I pegged Boogie as more of a Trap style, vibe focused artist. However, I couldn’t help but get filled with cautious excitement as we got closer to “Everything’s For Sale.” It turns out Boogie fits in just fine. Needless to say, I’ve been a big fan of him since, and now I anticipate everything he touches!

KILLA MODE

Boogie opens the album with a very “I’m Done Giving Any Kind Of F*ck” tone, specifically when it comes to romantic relationships. It’s obvious he’s been burned before, and he’s letting us know he won’t be burned again. He’s showing us how he’s growing out of dating immature women as he gets older. “Showing you love, it ain’t playing it smart Covered in blood while I’m hanging with sharks”.

STUCK

This track is portraying the internal struggle Boogie’s having with rising into fame without being able to let go of habits he developed during his rough upbringing. There’s 2 sides to the token tough. He doesn’t want to forget who he is, even if he doesn’t have to live that life anymore. The haunting production adds layers to Boogie’s punchy, introspective lyrics. With this track, Boogie is also doing a great job exploring the nuances of struggling with communication in a relationship. When every line is telling the listener at least 2 things, it’s creating a much stronger narrative. It’s storytelling 101. Despite the fairly heavy subject matter, “STUCK” is still a banger due to the sharp piano loop and Boogie’s charismatic flow. The depth, vulnerabilities, and honesty create a lot of replay value for fans, while the production should provide multiple listens if you’re throwing this into a playlist.

NONCHALANT (Ft. Mamii)

“NONCHALANT” is easily one of the most sonically pleasing and addictive tracks on the album. The softer production helps to showcase Boogie’s impressive lyrical ability and smooth flow. With the beat being so laid-back, I can’t help but be reminded of his California roots. It also provides a perfect backdrop for him to effortlessly deliver emotional verses while painting a vivid picture. The song’s hook is provided by the gifted Mamii, who adds soulfulness to the track, balancing out Boogie’s somewhat raspy vocals. She’s the sweet to his salty. The two artists together add a unique dynamic to the song’s overall sound. This is the kind of track that I could imagine playing in the background of a summer night’s porch-lit dinner while on vacation.

LOLSMH II

With this track, Boogie is expressing his frustration with being a person who has a lot of people who depend on him. He’s doing everything he can to keep up his Superman image. The problem is that even superheroes sometimes need saving. I think it’s a metaphor for the idea that you shouldn’t bottle up your pain and try to pretend it’s not there. If you can never vent to anyone, you’re going to blow up eventually. Boogie is hitting us once again with that signature punctual flow with controlled aggression. As the track starts taking a darker turn, the beat switches, and so does Boogie’s Psyche. Calling back to that same “I’m Done Giving a F*ck” attitude, Boogie snaps and starts getting everything off his chest as he peels back painful truths. From here, we get some incredibly unvarnished glimpses into some of his darker thoughts and fears. I highly recommend this one for fans of good old-fashioned beat switches and authentic stories.

CAN’T EVEN LIE (Featuring Soulja Boy)

I can’t even lie, I’m really confused as to why Souja Boy; of all people, is featured in the middle of a relationship track on a Boogie album. The track is exploring the complex art of being a womanizer by default, but ironically wanting a serious relationship. It’s not possible, and while Boogie understands that, he’s not sure how to correct it. Honestly, this track feels a little bit like filler to me. Boogie only has 1 verse. The hook is pretty repetitive, and Souja Boy (yes, really) is giving a passable yet vague verse. We had enough relationship tracks on the album already, I’m not sure why this unfinished feeling, hallow cut, was left in the mix. Overall, it’s a decent track with nothing offensively wrong with it. It’s just the weakest of the mix so far.

PRIDEFUL II

This was the first track I heard from the album. It’s the big lead single that blew up, rightfully. Without hearing the album, this comes off as a really slick, smooth banger. It’s a really easy earworm that you can mix into just about any playlist. It’s probably the most accessible track on the album. Once you hear the track within the context of the album, though, it actually makes more sense. It shows him in a confident stance but in a much more self-respectful way. It continues to stick closely to the album’s theme.

AIGHT

This is a track that casual listeners probably heard first. It’s the one that gets the most radio play, but that doesn’t mean it’s a hip-pop; far from it. It gets played on the cool radio stations. That said, the beat is addictively catchy, complimented by a somewhat sinister backdrop. As far as the album goes so far, the lyrics are pretty straightforward here. Boogie is just acknowledging the fact that he’s a rising star and he’s here to stay. This shows a strong level of ambition, especially for a relatively laid-back track. Whether someone enjoys this track or not will depend on if they’re cool with a simplified single right in the middle of the tracklist.

CAN’T GET OVER YOU (Featuring Smino & Teego Touchdown)

I can’t get over the strings that Boogie keeps adding into these songs! Boogie opens up with some sort of whispery singing that’s been filtered through some sort of rebar effect. It totally works for the emotional point he appears to be going for. It’s another breakup song with delightfully somber production. The overall atmosphere is pretty melancholic yet somehow uplifting in a strange way. I’m sure most people can relate to the feeling of trying to get over an ex-partner. There’s a lot of emotions, but eventually, you’ll probably see the silver linings in the situation.

RATCHET BOOGIE (INTERLUDE)

Coming off the last track, this one perfectly portrays the feeling once you’ve been able to climb back up after a bad breakup. There’s definitely some “I Didn’t Need That B*tch Anyway” energy here. The lyrics are rapid-fire and confident for the short duration of the interlude. This is Boogie at his most self-respectful. You can almost hear the smile on his face once he lets everything go.

SOMETHIN STRANGE (Featuring Kalan.Fr.Fr & Mamii)

The cohesiveness from track to track on this album is impressive. Once again, this track spins off the previous one and maintains a similar but different enough sound. It opens up almost Gospelly. Boogie’s echoey singing is angelic and super sunny. Unfortunately, this is the first track where I think the feature makes it worse. KalanFr.Fr’s trappy, mumbling, verse really didn’t match this track sonically at all. There’s a time and a place for new-age trap flows, but it’s not here. It’s like somebody accidentally turned the angelic hip-hop choir station off and switched it to the generic new-school station. Thankfully, that only lasts about 30 seconds before switching back to Boogie.

WINDOWS DOWN (Featuring Snoop Dogg)

If I said this track started with the lyrics “Roll The Windows Down, So Much Smoke, Let It All Roll Out,” who would you think is featured? You guessed it, Boogie said the right words to summon our Lord And Ganja Savoir, Snoop Dogg. Starting with Boogie, I think you might actually be getting his best verse on this track. He puts everything he has into it by relying on a dynamic flow and confident lyrics. It comes together so defiantly and sets the stage perfectly for Snoop to jump in. Snoop gives one of his best verses in a long time, too! We’re getting that classic chill Snoop delivery, but he also switches his flow a few times pretty effortlessly. Put Snoop on a juicy beat and make Marijuana the subject, then you’ve got the recipe for a hit. If the track didn’t do enough already, there’s a crazy beat switch towards the end. Boogie comes back one more time for an anxiety driven, panicky verse that leads to either a figurative or metaphorical crash. This is easily one of the best tracks on the album.

ANTHONY (WAR)

As we get to the closing track, it’s important to look back at everything we’ve heard so far. The album began in a very dark, even mean-spirited mindset. As we get further along, Boogie goes through a lot of internal self-growth and finding himself. Just as he begins to accept himself and see things in a positive light, things are interrupted by a soul-crushing car crash. This “ANTHONY (WAR)” track is very cleverly mirroring everything we’ve heard so far. Admirably, it’s once again cohesively picking up where the previous track left off. It’s a realistic representation of a person slipping back into their old habits due to old mental scars. A great day can be interrupted by an unexpected car crash.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Since Boogie’s 2019 album “Everything’s For Sale,” he’s really shown a massive amount of growth in not just his rapping but a newfound creativity in crafting a cohesive project. Front to back, the entire “More Black Superheroes” album sticks to a very tight concept. Aside from a few weak features here and there, everything fits perfectly together in a precise order. Boogie has shown that honesty is a superpower that can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s a dangerous tool in the wrong hands. This album is a lesson about being true to yourself and true to others. Don’t try to be the hero if you can’t get past your own demons.

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Album Review: Kxng Crooked & Joell Ortiz – “JFKLAX”

Artists: H.A.R.D. (KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz)
Label: Hitmaker Music Group
Release date: February 24, 2023
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ (8.9/10)

My Ears perk up every time I catch wind of KXNG Crooked and Joell Ortiz doing another collaboration album. Ever since they debuted themselves as the duo known simply as “H.A.R.D.” they just haven’t missed. I’m not sure if the term exists, but I’m officially going to refer to these guys as a super-duo for now on. This is what happens when two members of a spitter-heavy supergroup leave but decide to keep their halves of the quartet alive.

H.A.R.D. first started making waves under this new brand alias a couple of years ago with their self-titled debut EP. They would come to release several projects that sparked some conversations within the nitty-gritty communities of hip-hop bar heads, like myself. Most notably, they recently decided to give us one last look inside the Slaughterhouse they helped build before burning it down forever with their “The Rise & Fall Of Slaughterhouse” album. As the 1-year anniversary of their official duo debut album approaches this month, they’re making a significant return with this snack-size “JFKLAX” EP.

Take Time

Joell starts off with an extremely confident, self-aware verse over a sonically celebratory instrumental. Joell is letting us know that the super-duo is back for a legendary return after a 1-year break. Crooked really knows how to start a verse: “Like Crows Feet Around The Eyes, Them Lines Take Time, When They Come From A Lot Of Smiling, I Won’t Erase Mine”. His whole contribution to this track is one long string of some of the hardest bars on this EP. He delivers his verse with a flow that implies he knows how crazy he went on this track. I love it!

Dodgers

This track is overall a much slower tempo than the opener. It’s more of a retrospective love letter to the Duo’s West Coast home and ties to the Eastside. I like the emotion this groovy, sort of funkadelic production brings to the track. It’s such a skill within itself for Crooked to somehow effortlessly speed his flow up and down without it becoming distracting. It’s as if he just flips a switch on or off.

Foe Or Friend

I’m a sucker for horns, keys, and drums. This track follows the recipe for a banger because it has all three. It’s easily my favorite beat on the EP. You’ll likely enjoy the production if you’re a Jay-Z fan, especially if you recognize those very familiar hi-hat sounds. There’s also a pretty obvious sample of “Hey, What’s That You Say.” Crooked’s relentless, unstoppable flow that chainsaws through this production is why I’m calling this track the best of the five on the EP.

Stay Dangerous (Featuring Sly Paper)

A woman opens this track with spoken word dialogue that sets the stage for a track about living through poverty in a dangerous city. You could write this track off as cliche about surviving in a rough city, but you shouldn’t! The intelligent rhymes are reason enough to enjoy the track, but the passion from both artists is what keeps it fresh to the listeners’ ears. Joell, in particular, does a great job painting a clear picture with descriptive lyrical imagery. Sly Paper cleans up shop and ties the track off at the end with a soulful, cinematic bridge/outro that sounds like it belongs in a dramatic crime movie.

Blue Magic

The EP closes similarly to how it opens. We’re given one more confident duet to close out the project, brought to you by freshly sharpened pens. The main difference between this and the opener is that this track rightfully gives off a sense of winding down. For such a short project, they ran hot while it lasted. There’s a very touching feeling of mutual respect between Joell and Crooked with this EP – two heavyweights seeing eye to eye. You can’t fake the level of sincerity on this track.

Final Thoughts

I have to salute this duo for how hard they’ve been working over these last few years. It’s incredibly rare to get this many consistently high-quality projects within such a short time span. You have to respect this kind of grind. I know this is just a quick EP, but I feel like I’ve just been through a full-length album. It’s almost unfathomable how dense and deep every inch of technical lyricism gets with these two. I could have taken the time to break down every bar on the project, but the review would end up looking like a damn novel.

Written By CeaTee Reviews

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