Big Sean- Hall of Fame ALBUM REVIEW

Today I'm bringing another "mainstream" album review with the new Big Sean album, Hall of Fame. As a whole, I really don't have much of a problem with this guy. I actually really liked his debut studio release from 2011, Finally Famous. The album, in my opinion, was like poppy radio hip hop done correctly. The songs were very catchy and Sean had a lot of entertaining punchlines. Since then, though, I have become a lot less of a Big Sean fan. His mixtape, Detroit, didn't do much for me and all his guest verses have been very corny or just dumb. Therefore, I was really not excited for this album. I still gave it a try because of how much I liked Finally Famous.

The first track, Nothing is Stopping You, was what I assumed to be Big Sean's "personal" track. Sean doesn't have much of an amazing story, so this track just came off boring from a rapping standpoint. The instrumental was alright though, and had my head bopping until Sean started rapping, of course. The second song, Fire, had a somewhat inspiring and catchy beat, and Sean had a much better flow. I still can't get past how annoying this guy's voice is now, though. With that being said, Fire was a pretty solid track. Tracks similar to Fire were all over this album. By that I mean songs with pretty good beats that I enjoyed, but were ruined by Big Sean's voice and delivery. Some tracks like this were You Don't Know, Sierra Leone, World Ablaze, and All Figured Out.

There were, surprisingly, a couple songs I really enjoyed. For one, MILF was without a doubt my favorite song on Hall of Fame. I wasn't bothered by Sean on the track, the hook was excellent and funny, and Nicki Minaj was so over-the-top ridiculous that it was great. Juicy J also totally killed it at the end with a great verse. Another good song was First Chain. Even though Sean was totally killed by Nas and Kid Cudi, he was still decent. This song definitely impressed me with the instrumental and the two features. Beware was the last song I enjoyed. The hook was undeniably catchy as hell and the track had a pretty cool vibe to it. Lil Wayne also didn't bother me at all, as he fit the song pretty well.

There were a handful of tracks here that were just awful. Toyota Music was just boring and Sean sounded like he wasn't even trying. Mona Lisa just had a bad hook that I found very annoying and a pretty poor instrumental. Ashley just came off like a very generic love song that didn't have much to offer and Sean delivering some bad verses. Those were pretty bad, but one of the worst tracks I have heard literrally all year was 10 2 10. Big Sean has no reason to be yelling for the entire track, as the hook was very corny and his verses were horrible. Sean's voice is just too high and nasally to do a yelling track like this. This song was just hard to listen to.

HALL OF FAME WRAP UP
+Some great instrumentals
+Good feature verses
+Production sounded polished and smooth
-Big Sean's voice is incredibly annoying
-He has a really bad flow and never sounds comfortable on a track
-Some really, really, corny hooks
-Full of stupid punchlines
-everything was a step down from Finally Famous

Best: MILF, Beware, First Chain

Worst: 10 2 10

Big Sean- Hall of Fame
4.5/10

R.A. the Rugged Man- Legends Never Die ALBUM REVIEW

R.A. the Rugged Man, a self-proclaimed hip hop legend, has not released a solo album in nine years. R.A. is characterized by a rapid-fire, and aggressive delivery as well as pissing people off with his lyrics. He is always nasty on the mic and does not care about what anyone has to say to him. R.A. is finally releasing some more solo material in 2013. Does R.A. keep up the excellence after such a long hiatus? Let's get into it.

STILL DIGGIN WIT BUCK (INTRO)- R.A. starts out the album with a bang, going at pretty much everything he doesn't like. He sounds angry and I love it. Buckwild's beat is simplistic, but is simply made for an MC like RA to spit over. 9/10

THE PEOPLES CHAMP- The anthem of the album, this song is epic. The beat is huge and powerful, and RA's flow is flawless. He has many memorable lines in this song and the hook comes in perfectly. 8.5/10

DEFINITION OF A RAP FLOW- the title for this song could not be more perfect. RA spits really, really fast on this track, showing his legendary technical ability. The beat is groovy and simple, with a hook that is really corny. I can still cosign this track just for RA's rapping ability here. 8.5/10

LEARN TRUTH (FEAT. TALIB KWELI) - one of the slower tracks on the album, this starts with a simple piano beat that evolves as the track goes on. Talib Kweli and RA trade some pretty good verses, and there is not much else to say about the track. 7.5/10

BANG BOOGIE - this 2 minute track felt like the one that didn't really have to be on the album. There is nothing wrong with it, but not much to remember, besides a pretty good instrumental. 7/10

TOM THUM- an old-school track, this one is perfect for the car and bop your head to. The beat is epic and RA has some nice lines. The icing on the cake is the beatboxing in the middle of RA's bars. This was a sick track, and catchy as hell. 9/10

HOLLA-LOO-YUH- Tech N9ne opens up this song with a typical Tech N9ne verse, and sounds perfect on this beat. Krizz Kaliko supplies a catchy ass hook, and RA delivers one of his best verses on the album. 9/10

MEDIA MIDGETS- one of the more lyrical tracks, RA goes into his hatred for today's media. The beat sounds very smooth and RA's flow is great on this track. The hook could have been better, though.I found it a bit obnoxious and corny. 8.5/10

SHOOT ME IN THE HEAD- a very memorable track, as RA drops one absolutely hilarious line after another. The hook is fantastic and RA's "political" bars are fantastic. This beat is pretty simple, but all the attention should be turned to RA's lyrics on this song. 9.5/10

LEGENDS NEVER DIE- this track is dedicated to RA's father who has cancer, and you can definitely feel the love he has for him. He relives all the memories and things his dad taught him, as he even gets choked up saying the last few lines. A very emotional and impressive track showing RA's songwriting versatility. 9/10

DANGEROUS THREE (FEAT. BROTHER ALI & MASTA ACE)- A simple piano beat starts the track, as Brother Ali is flowing nicely. with some surprisingly ignorant lines for him. This track takes off with the beat change in the middle of the verse. RA has a good verse, but Masta Ace absolutely kills it. The way he rides the beat change and switches his flow is so dope. 9.5/10

LUV TO FUK- this track definitely had a clear theme, as the hook clearly shows. A hilarious track, its definitely fun as RA spits some more funny lyrics. Also, a pretty solid instrumental. The silliness of this track does make it one I would skip. 8/10

UNDERGROUND HITZ (FEAT. HOPSIN)- while this track has a pretty badly cliche beat, RA makes up for it with one of my favorite verses of his. The hook is infectious and gets stuck in your head. Hopsin delivers a good verse, but being a fan of Hopsin, I was a little disappointed. Still a very good track. 9/10

LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH- this is a super catchy track, as the hook is awesome, and this is one of the coolest, most unique instrumentals on the whole album. RA has some good lines here, and there is not much to complain about on this song. 8.5/10

SAM PECKINPAH (FEAT. VINNIE PAZ) - easily the highlight of the album. RA and Vinnie Paz trade some seriously dope verses as they alternate every few bars, with the catchy hook giving them a breather. With a beat made perfectly for spitting over and some crazy lines from both MCs, this track is flawless. 10/10

STILL GET THROUGH THE DAY- RA closes out the album with a kind, personal track. What makes this track is the hook. Probably my favorite hook on the album, it is catchy and really well made. RA is very lyrical again here, and it was a good choice for the last song. 8.5/10

LEGENDS NEVER DIE WRAP UP
+RA spits as furiously as ever, his rhyme scheme and breath control is mind-blowing
+A lot of variety as this has tracks on a lot of different topics
+The featured rappers really come through and elevate the songs they're in
+A lot of hooks that are admittedly very catchy
+Some hilarious lyrics
-Some unbearably corny instrumentals

Best: Sam Peckinpah, Shoot Me in the Head, The Dangerous Three

Worst: Bang Boogie

R.A. the Rugged Man- Legends Never Die
9.0/10

Joey Bada$$- Summer Knights MIXTAPE REVIEW

Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ pretty much defines the underground hip hop scene. He blew up last year with a mixtape that I thought was absolutely stellar: 1999. The project was defined by 1990s sounding beats and Joey rapping with some perfect old school flow, and great delivery and lyricism. Joey has a gotten a little more popular since then, releasing a very good mixtape with his Pro Era crew, and even appearing on ASAP Rocky's latest album. Will Joey keep up the good work with this new mixtape in 2013? This will be another review that is not track-by-track.

Let's get this out of the way: Joey Bada$$ can still SPIT. He brings some awesome lyrics, complete with great punchlines and some vivid Brooklyn street imagery. This is all evident right from the word go with the first track, Alowha. Joey is firing on all cylinders here, spitting like a pro with awesome lines everywhere, sounding tough and aggressive as well. This song definitely got me hyped up for this mixtape. Unfortunately, the next two tracks don't even come close in terms of intensity. While Joey is still spitting some dope lyrics and flowing effortlessly, he doesn't seem to be doing it with any passion or interest. Sure, Hilary Swank and My Youth have some really cool instrumental, with the former bringing some cool horns and the latter having a reggae sound to it, Joey just puts me to sleep on them with his bars. A much needed change came with the song Death of YOLO. Joey sounded a little better here and Smoke DZA stops by to drop a solid verse, as he always does. This song is not amazing by any means, but it was a nice step up from the past few.

I am sad to say Joey's boring rapping style continues on more tracks here. Sweet Dreams, Word Is Bond, Trap Door, and Reign are all plagued by some monotonous rapping from Joey, and I wasn't blown away by any of these instrumentals. These tracks all seriously felt like filler to me. One of the only solo tracks I seriously loved was 95 Till Infinity. Pretty much everything about was track was dope to me. The beat was laid back and spacious, leading to me to think this was another boring track, but Joey comes out with an over-the-top, really aggressive delivery. He sounded awesome on this song and I really wished he did this more on Summer Knights. I also somewhat enjoyed Right On Time because it had an actual topic and Joey sounded a little bit more interested. The last good solo track was definitely LongLiveSteelo. This sentimental track hit hard and you could definitely feel the emotion in Joey's voice as he reminisced moments with a fallen friend.

The songs with features on this album were pretty good for the most part. Satellite was an awesome track. The beat was super catchy and sounded very interesting. All the rappers killed it here, but Dessy Hinds at the end had the best verse on the song, spitting really impressively here and rhyming with some real skill. Dessy Hinds also kills it on Sit N Prey, a track I enjoyed, but not nearly as much as Satellite. Amethyst Rockstar was another memorable track as Joey and Kirk Knight spit over an awesome MF DOOM beat. I think Kirk totally killed Joey on this track, though. He sounded great and had some really nice wordplay in his verse. Some other feature songs didn't impress me as much, though. 47 Goonz featured some of my least favorite Pro Era members spitting some boring verses, and Sorry Bonita fell way short of the posse cut on the 1999 mixtape, as this one was just not interesting at all to me.

SUMMER KNIGHTS WRAP UP
+Joey can really rap and brings a lot lyrically
+Some cool, darker, more mellow production
+Dessy Hinds and Kirk Knight helped a lot with dope guest verses
+Joey brought awesome aggressiveness on 95 Till Infinity
-Joey sounded really uninterested and monotonous on a lot of tracks
-too many songs
-just not even close to 1999

Best: Alowha, 95 Till Infinity, Satellite

Worst: Sweet Dreams

Joey Bada$$- Summer Knights
7.5/10

Jay-Z- Magna Carta Holy Grail ALBUM REVIEW

Jay-Z is a rapper that I sometimes love, and sometimes can't stand. He has always been very polarizing like this for me. For example, his 2001 album, Blueprint was amazing to me. He sounded so great on every single track. I believe this for a lot of his other early albums. On the other hand, for the past few years, Jay-Z has done very little to impress me. This is understandable because of all the other things going on in his luxurious life, but I still have not been feeling a lot of it. Will this new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, change things? With this album being pretty long, I will do another review that is not track-by-track.

The first few tracks on this album actually had me really impressed. From the moment the first song, Holy Grail starts, I was sucked into it. Justin Timberlake absolutely killed it on this hook. He sounds passionate and rides the beat flawlessly. Jay-Z doesn't deliver anything amazing on the mic, but still sounds good over this dope, high-class, smooth beat. The lavishness continues on Picasso Baby. This was another awesome beat, but Jay didn't too much for me. None of his lyrics were really too great either. The beat is enough to carry this track. This same thing happens on the next one, Tom Ford. While the instrumental sounds a bit like a Yeezus throwaway, it still hits hard. Jay's flow was a little off on this song, though. At some points it just sounded bad. Still a nice track because of the head-bopping beat, once again. Oceans was a great song. Frank Ocean almost never sounds bad singing a hook, and he brings it here. He sounds very good on this track. This track was beautiful all the way through. Jay also finally gave me some decent lyricism on this one.

Skipping around a little, I really enjoyed the track Somewhereinamerica. This beat was insanely catchy, with the horns and piano sounding awesome. This instrumental was just dope and I loved it. Jay-Z also didn't really bother me either, with some pretty good lines. This track was one of the very few I had absolutely had no complaints about. Another very solid track was Crown. This beat was slow and very layered, sounding really cool. Jay brought some good lyricism here too. Travis Scott sounds awesome on the hook as well. This track was one of the experimental areas on the album that really works. Jay-Z's best rapping moment on MCHG probably came on the track BBC. Rapping along with Nas, Jay sounded awesome on this song, speeding up the flow a little and sounding very smooth over a pretty weird, but cool beat. Nas sounded pretty good too on this song, but I think Jay had the better verse. Overall, a very cool song.

Unfortunately, that is pretty much it for songs I like on MCHG. While I liked the beat on F.U.T.W, the track as a whole was just forgettable with Jay-Z delivering some more boring raps about how rich he is. This is just the theme with far too many tracks on this album, such as Versus, La Familia, Part II (On the Run), and Nickels & Dimes. I was not really digging any of those tracks very much. They all just sounded similar: very lavish and high-class production, with Jay bringing some boring lyrics with a flow that just isn't that good. He did have some topical tracks, such as Heaven (religion) and Jay Z Blue (his daughter) but these just came off equally as boring to me. I just was not feeling Jay Z as a rapper on this album. He didn't really impress me at all here, outside of a couple spots here and there.

MAGNA CARTA HOLY GRAIL WRAP UP
+almost every track featured some sick production
+good guest spots, especially singing (JT, Frank, Beyonce)
+Jay brought a few nice lines and sounded really good on BBC
-too many tracks that were the same topics
-very boring lyrics, for the most part
-Jay still has a pretty rough flow and doesn't really change it up here with delivery

Best: Somewhereinamerica, Oceans, Crown

Worst: La Familia

Jay-Z- Magna Carta Holy Grail
6.8/10

Durag Dynasty- 360 Waves ALBUM REVIEW

One name only drew me to try out this project: The Alchemist. One of the best producers out right now has been taking over the underground lately, producing albums for artists such as Prodigy, Domo Genesis, and Action Bronson. I am pretty much always impressed with this guy's beat making skills, so I will check out nearly anything with his name on it. Does The Alchemist come through yet again on this album with Durag Dynasty? Let's get into it.

DURAG DYNASTY THEME- Damn. What a sick intro to this album. This layered, detailed beat was just perfectly made for someone to spit over. It sounds epic. Once Planet Asia starts going in, this song mysounds flawless. Tristate and Killer Ben deliver some sick verses as well. These guys immediately hit me as being very cunning lyricists. The great vocabulary, awesome wordplay and cool imagery they use makes these guys very fun to listen to. This was such a great intro and it definitely set the tone for what was to come. 9.5/10

TENDER GREENS- The Alchemist's next instrumental comes off a lot happier and upbeat than the last. This one is just so smooth and flows beautifully throughout the track. Killer Ben starts it off with some great lyricism and flow. Planet Asia and Tristate are just as dope on this track. 8.5/10

FISH MEAT (FEAT. PRODIGY) This track is the darkest one by far at this point in the album. Prodigy starts flowing nicely on it. I have always loved Prodigy's voice and he really kills it here. Planet Asia brings more energy and some nice lines, but Tristate is the best verse on this track. Some sick wordplay and delivery makes his verse my favorite. He also has a nice, distinctive, raspy voice. The minimalistic beat here really works for the rappers. 9/10

360 WAVES- This title track really does not dissapoint. A laid-back instrumental starts this off as the three MCs spit great verses. Once again, Tristate has the best verse in my opinion. Halfway through the song, Alchemist totally switches up the beat to an epic guitar instrumental and the trio spits nicely again. This was definitely a sick track, even with two different beats. 9/10

TRAILER MIX (FEAT PHIL THE AGONY)- Another sick Alchemist beat starts this track off as Tristate and Killer Ben have some seriously sick verses, some of their best on the album. Phil the Agony's verse was just okay. He just sounded a little uncomfortable on the track, and he was not nearly as good as the Dynasty here. 8.5/10

SPIRAL EVENT (FEAT. EVIDENCE)- This beat is awesome. It is super catchy and i love the change ups in it. Tristate starts this one off with another nice verse. Similar to the last track, Killer Ben follows then the guest verse. This time it's Evidence, who sounds very smooth on this beat and I enjoyed his verse. Planet Asia finishes off a very good track. 9/10

YASIR ARAFAT PRELUDE- Even though this track was very short and just a prelude, it was one minute and thirty seconds of pure excellence. The beat is just nasty and one of my favorites. The three rappers just sounds amazing on this. 10/10

YASIR ARAFAT- Another banger here, as Killer Ben starts off and delivers a great verse over a very sick, head-bopping instrumental. Planet Asia rhymes like a pro next and Tristate sounds tough as usual on his verse. Planet Asia finishes it off with a dope final verse. 9.5/10

TETRAHEDRONS ON MARS (FEAT. CHACE INFINITE)- This production was pretty laid back, but sounded really sleek as Chace Infinite delivered one of the better guest verses on the album. He had some memorable lines and I loved his delivery and voice. Killer Ben follows up with a pretty good verse. I do wish this track had at least one other member of the trio on it, though. 8.5/10

GOON CALL- A super high-energy, aggressive beat starts this off. Iman Thug just yells, but it sounds awesome and dynamic. Killer Ben then flows effortlessly on this beat, as do the other two MCs. My favorite verse had to be Planet Asia's. This was definitely a head-banging track which sounded good all the way through. 7.5/10

BIGGER U ARE THE HARDER YOU FALL (FEAT. ALCHEMIST & BIG TWINZ)- This track starts off with a pretty cool beat that just sounded like a mix of a lot of other beats on the album. Big Twinz's voice is just so awesome, and he sounds nasty on this. Unfortunately, I was not really feeling Alchemist's verse at all. I wish he stuck to the beats here. Planet Asia probably has the smoothest verse here. This one felt a little thrown together, but still a nice listen just for Big Twinz alone. 8/10

SHOOTERS- This beat was another high-energy one, and it sounded just as sick as the others.  This was one of the few tracks with a hook, and I definitely enjoyed it, as it was a nice change of pace. The Dynasty killed it as usual, as all of them delivered dope verses. 8.5/10

LUXURY WHIP- This would have to be one of my favorite beats on this album, and Tristate just sounds awesome on the first verse. This track sounded smooth, polished, and just dope. They all spit hard and the track overall delivered. 9/10

FUNYUNS- Yes. This track is dope as hell and a perfect closer. The beat is probably my favorite on the album as it is head banging and sounds very old school but with a modern flair to it. It is just so nasty and Tristate is too, spitting one of his best verses here. Planet Asia follows with some awesome lines and a flawless flow. Killer Ben finishes it off with a fantastic verse with some seriously dope lyricism. This track is perfect and an absolutely sick way to end an awesome album. 10/10

360 WAVES WRAP UP
+these three are some seriously sick rappers, they all sound so nasty on the mic
+some awesome lyrics
+Alchemist brings something new on every beat here
+great song choices to start and end the album
+nice guest verses for the most part

Best: Durag Dynasty Theme, Yasir Arafat, Funyuns

Worst: Goon Call

Durag Dynasty- 360 Waves
9.6/10

Killer Mike & El-P- Run the Jewels ALBUM REVIEW

In 2012, Atlanta rapper Killer Mike collaborated with Brooklyn producer/rapper El-P to create a spectacular album titled R.A.P. Music. With Killer Mike rapping and El-P doing all the beats, it was a unique sounding, fun, and conscious album that ended up being very popular. Now, the duo is doing a full rap collaboration album with both of them on the mic. Will Run the Jewels go over well with me?

RUN THE JEWELS- This album starts off super aggressive and hard with an awesome El-P beat. El-P starts out rapping with his complex lyricism and awesome wordplay. Killer Mike then comes in with his usual toughness and dope lyrics. The two just continue to trade off verses and repeatedly kill it. Dope. 9/10

BANANA CLIPPER (FEAT. BIG BOI)- This beat actually comes off way nastier and hard than the last one, and Killer Mike starts it off with some awesome and memorable lines, El-P comes in and does the exact same thing, but so differently. The chemistry these two have is totally evident. They are just going on and off like its nothing. Big Boi's verse is the cherry on top of an absolute banger. 10/10

36' CHAIN- A super electronic beat starts this off, and Killer Mike flows a little slower this time, but he is still awesome. El-P's hook is also pretty cool. Unfortunately, the slower pace of this doesnt cause it to hit as hard as the first two, but its still nice. 8/10

DDFH- This beat is catchy and hits hard to start off the track. Killer Mike is flowing effortlessly over it as the sick beat takes over in the middle of his verse. This just sounds like nothing else once the hook hits and the eerie beat just sounds so great. El-P has a solid verse to top off a pretty good song, one of the more experimental on the album. 8.5/10

SEA LEGS- This song starts out pretty slow, but in the middle of El-P's verse the sick beat comes in, hard. El-P's lyrics amazing, as usual. Once Killer Mike comes in on the hook is sounds seriously awesome. This track is super sleek and the whole topic of the track is personified even more by Killer Mike's verse. 8.5/10

JOB WELL DONE- Killer Mike comes in immediately and brings the awesome charisma that he consistently has. The beat is a little slower compared to the rest of the album. I love in this track how Killer Mike and El-P both start out their verses the same way. El-P brings yet another awesome verse here. 8.5/10

NO COME DOWN- This one is slower as well, and El-P flows pretty nicely over the beat. Killer Mike does the hook, and it was just okay to me, I didn't enjoy it as much as other hooks. Killer Mike spits his usual verse here with the aggressive, awesome lyrics. 8/10

GET IT- This beat comes in and instantly revives an album that was becoming just a little bit boring for me until this. The beat is just sick and El-P sounds great over it. Killer Mike comes in and brings a sick flow once the beat changes for a little bit. The hook here is just high energy awesomeness. This track was definitely a highlight. 9.5/10

TWIN HYPE BACK- A very interesting beat on this song brings a different aesthetic to this one, as Killer Mike and El-P trade dope verses. They bring out some seriously memorable lines once again here. 8.5/10

CHRISTMAS FUCKING MIRACLE- A very slow beat on this one, as El-P gets a little personal on his verse. Killer Mike's verse is good too, but i think they should have ended this album on a more high-energy track. I did enjoy this one though. 8/10

RUN THE JEWELS WRAP UP
+Incredible lyricism from both of them
+The two compliment each other perfectly
+Some seriously sick beats
+They have some amazing chemistry on here
-Some of the songs sound the same a little

Best: Run the Jewels, Banana Clipper, Get It

Worst: No Come Down

Killer Mike & El-P- Run The Jewels
9.2/10

Flatbush Zombies- Better Off Dead MIXTAPE REVIEW

Flatbush Zombies are definitely a staple in underground hip hop these days. One of the hottest hip-hop group in the East Coast, I got into them a little while ago. Their 2012 mixtape, titled D.R.U.G.S, really impressed me. These guys have some pretty have some eccentric voices and they can go over some pretty nice beats. Will they improve on the unique formula from D.R.U.G.S. or will their act become boring on this new mixtape?

This mixtape was pretty long, which always leads to mixed results for me. Usually, there is a good amount of filler songs on a project this long, but that doesn't really happen on Better Off Dead. There were a handful of songs on this mixtape that I thought were simply fantastic. The second track, Nephilim, was awesome. The beat hit really hard with the drums and the beat also added a bit of a horrorcore edge. The whole thing sounded sick, with each of the Zombies delivering nice verses. G Tearz was a little different from the rest, as it brought a more upbeat, relaxed instrumental. Still, this song came off sounding very smooth and polished, and I really enjoyed it. The hook was sick, and very catchy. Erick and Juice also had really solid verses. This was where the mixtape really took off for me. Death was such a sick song. The beat was just so dark and sinister. The hook set such an awesome creepy vibe for the track as well. I loved it. Meech takes over Death 2, and has a sick verse there, referencing serial killers and using awesomely gross imagery. Regular and Complex was next, and this one was great. Even though it was less dark, the beat still sounded terrific. I actually really enjoyed Juice's verse here, as he is usually my least favorite member of the group. Once again, the hook is the highlight of the song, as Meech's voice just comes in and grabs the listener, something he does on a few songs here. Erick and Meech also had good verses on this song, and this track was really good.

The latter half of this mixtape also brought some solid songs. Palm Trees was a song that really showed the variety of the project. Unlike pretty much all the others, this song was very low-key and relaxing. The beat was actually beautiful, with a very smooth vocal going throughout the song. All of the Zombies still sounded great, as they slowed down their flow a little bit on the beat. Another great song was MRAZ. This one was also pretty calm, but the verses and hook brought so much energy that it was unlike anything else on the mixtape. Meech's verse was maybe my favorite of his on the mixtape, with plenty of quotables and a great delivery. Meech is undoubtedly the star of this project, as he brings constant energy and uniqueness with everything he does. His voice is just so different from anything I have heard lately that he becomes so interesting to listen to. The song on this tape that only features Meech, called God Blessed the Dead, was another standout. He goes hard over a minimal beat, with some awesome lyricism and a very different vibe. My Team, Supreme was yet another standout on this mixtape. It had a eerie piano beat, which also had a grimy vibe with the heavy drums. Meech and Erick led this one, and they both had great verses. The hook was also quite catchy. I loved this song. Finally, The Results Are In was a terrific closer to the project. It was just a classic Flatbush Zombies song, with all of them rapping a little better than they did on a lot of the other songs here. It hits hard, and like the others, it has a creepy vibe to it that is very unique.

I didn't just love all the songs on Better Off Dead, though. This mixtape was kind of inconsistent. The first song, Amerikkkan Pie, was alright. The beat sounded a little jumbled with too many things going on. While I did like the lyricism on this song, the whole thing didn't come together as good as others. Bliss was another song I felt could've been done better. I loved Meech's hook on this song, as well as Erick's verse, but Juice's verse was not great and Meech's was a good idea, but it was a little overdone. This was still entertaining to listen to, just not a great song. The songs featuring Juice just were not good at all to me. I do not really like Juice that much as a rapper, and he is not even close to the skill of Erick and Meech, in my opinion. Minephuck and Thugnifisence were two of my least favorite songs on this whole project. As far as features go, Club Soda with Action Bronson was a pretty solid song. I really enjoyed the beat, but all the verses on this song were just okay and not as good as others. Even Action Bronson let me down a little. Drug Parade with Danny Brown was an extreme dissapointment, as this song was really bad. The hook went on far too long, and it felt like Meech and Danny Brown were just competing to see who has the weirdest voice. Both of the verses were lackluster.


BETTER OFF DEAD WRAP UP
+Really unique and different, nothing sounds like this right now
+Great variety with the beats
+Awesome horrorcore/dark vibe
+Some very catchy hooks
+Meech steals the show throughout
-Inconsistent
-Too long
-Juice doesn't really impress me at all

Best: Regular and Complex, Death, My Team Supreme

Worst: Thugnifisence

Flatbush Zombies-Better Off Dead
8.2/10