The Rap Music Plug Podcast

#42 - Lukah - When the Black Hand Touches You REVIEW

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You know that feeling when you just KNOW you’re witnessing the start of something great? That’s how I felt with Lukah when I heard When the Black Hand Touches You.

Memphis MC Lukah has the lyrical sophistication of a seasoned veteran, and the perspective of a middle-aged man with a lot of life experience, stemming from the tough life lessons he learnt from the streets, as well as from the birth of his son.

But what makes Lukah's raps that much more impressive is that it isn't just rapping for rapping sake. There is real substance to these rhymes.

I get Scarface vibes from the subject matter, and from how wise Lukah comes off on this album.

Obviously, I’m not a street dude.... but rap at its best sheds light and connects you to a life that may be foreign to you, and that’s what Lukah successfully did on this album because I feel the high stakes life, and the related harsh consequences when listening to this. Lukah so eloquently illustrates the psyche and the realities of this life with fierce detail.

Lukah raps with so much conviction. This guy not only has a relentlessly passionate flow, but lyrically Lukah's raps are jam-packed with such clever turns of phrases, that are somehow matched by the potent subject matter.

This is the most hard-hitting lyrical performance I’ve heard in a long time. 

I really do feel like I have stumbled upon the next great rapper, because the foundation of Lukah as an artist is solid as hell. His lyrical ability is A1, he has an authentic POV on life, and his sound is already refined and aligned with his style. 

This is one of those rare times where early listeners can be the first in on true greatness. Buying this Lukah album is like buying the Gamestop stock before it blew up... except unlike Gamestop, the value of Lukah will not be pumped up artificially.

And in a just world, Lukah's stock will continue to reach the stars in the realest way possible. But in reality, I'm not in the business of trying to predict who will be the next hot star in rap...

I am simply here to tell you my opinion on the quality of the art. This artist Lukah and this album When the Black Hand Touches You... is the fucking shit!

RMPP Preferred Cut: "GHOST"

Stream/Buy When the Black Hand Touches You here: https://lukah.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-black-hand-touches-you 

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#41 - YUNGMORPHEUS & ewonee - Thumbing Thru Foliage REVIEW

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*DISCLAIMER: Apologies to Morph and ewonee for saying Thumbing Thru THE Foliage throughout this review. My bad!

LA-based YUNGMORPHEUS teamed up with talented producer ewonee, to drop Thumbing Thru Foliage, a project I was anticipating since I wanted to see if Morph displayed the artistic growth I was hoping for, since his very recent album in States of Precarity.

As a great producer himself, I was curious to see how a YUNGMORPHEUS album would sound without him touching the production, instead leaving it to ewonee.

I think the end result of their collaboration was very good, as ewonee's groove-heavy sound and sample choices fit Morph's sound very well. This album is littered with funky beefy baselines, soulful sample choices, and great drums that give the whole album a real effortless sense of pace.

I'm not sure if it's as a result of Morph solely focusing on the rapping, or if its just a natural progression in his artistic development, but I think Morph's rapping here is the best it ever has been. Morph finds himself in a pocket on these beats, feeding off of the groove-heavy production.

I think the styles of ewonee and YUNGMORPHEUS were a great pairing on Thumbing Thru Foliage, which I feel is bit of a step up from States of Precarity, and a few tweaks and away from being something truly amazing.

Morph is clearly on the right path though, having improved on each of his past releases, from Bag Talk to this, establishing himself as one of the stronger voices in the underground, with a knack for bottling up the anger and disdain that many folks feel towards our fucked up society.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "Middle Passage"

Stream/Buy Thumbing Thru Foliage here: https://yungmorpheus.bandcamp.com/album/thumbing-thru-foliage 

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#40 - Scary Hours 2 REVIEW / Drake's Reign

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The Canadian phenom, the 6 God himself dropped a 3-track EP titled Scary Hours 2, which understandably caught the attention of the rap world instantly.

So I will first give you my thoughts on this 3-pack in Scary Hours 2, but then I will tackle a much larger thought, which was sparked by the release and success of this latest Drake EP.

In this episode, I discuss how I think Drake has been able to sustain this incredible run of success that he has been on for the past 10+ years, and come to the conclusion as to whether this current Drake run is indeed the most successful run in hip-hop history.

Drake's sometimes vulture-like tendency to hop on trends has kept his sound evolving, without having to necessarily branch outside of the mainstream. That distinction is important to make because it’s not the same way another A-lister, like Kanye West, had historically stayed relevant.

Kanye, an artist known for staying ahead of the curve and making cutting-edge music at his peak, melted genre lines and experimented in bold ways that genuinely made him appeal to people outside the mainstream hip-hop crowd

Drake on the other hand, has played a delicate dance in making slight adjustments to his core sound with machine-like precision, moulding himself from a sad boy sometimes crooner, to a Jamaican mob boss that has a soft centre, to an unapologetically confident rap king that also sings.... who may sing over a dancehall beat from time to time.

All the while keeping the fundamentals of his sound and persona still firmly rooted in the mainstream. Because Drake at his core is still the guy who will rap and sing over beats that are hot for the time, with a persona based on relationships, toxicity, and superiority.

Add in an amazing knack for catchy songwriting, and a downright spiritual connection with the Instagram caption, consistently pumping out quotable lines ready-made for social media like “On Valentine’s Day I had sex" from this EP.

... and you have what could be the most successful run in hip-hop history.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "What's Next"

Stream Scary Hours 2 here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5LuoozUhs2pl3glZeAJl89?si=Ng1TBVC3QoOi1Tz96K8azg 

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#39 - Muggs & Rome Streetz - Death & The Magician REVIEW

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Legendary producer DJ Muggs linked up with up and coming MC Rome Streetz, for a collaborative album that has been buzzing in the hip-hop world ever since its release.

The production from Muggs on Death & The Magician was solid as hell, but we all expected that. What we wanted to see is how this latest partner of Muggs, Rome Streetz, would be able to do with the Muggs pack.

I am happy to say that Rome Streetz accomplished exactly what he set out to do on Death & The Magician.

Hunger is what Rome Streetz possesses in spades on this album. He possesses a young and infectious hunger that comes across really nicely in the music. This hunger gives these songs a strong sense of energy and urgency that keeps me engaged throughout the whole record.

It also helps that he has a strong fundamentally sound flow that allows him to pack in some nice wordplay, and an aesthetically pleasing and smooth flow.

Rome has great breath control, allowing him to put the proper emphasis on certain words and syllables that allows for his bars to be clearly understood by the listener. Every verse here is rapped like it's the last verse he'll ever be able to spit.

You can clearly tell that Rome understood the moment that was Death & The Magician, and made sure that the lasting impression people got from this album is that this guy Rome can RAP... and rap at a level that keeps up with the strong production of a legend, such as Muggs.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "Zig Zag Zig"

Stream Death & The Magician here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5DufTGQ0fIS3cJ6HOFCbbx?si=O16yNDwXQCe_OP171T6Kyw 

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For music submissions and/or private feedback, DM me @rohview on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

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#38 - Adé Hakim INTERVIEW

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This is a podcast on hip-hop... a genre of musical expression that has always been intertwined with the culture and politics that surround it. Therefore, understanding the artists that make the music, naturally means diving into their thoughts and opinions both directly, and indirectly related to their music.

So with Adé Hakim in Episode 38, this is certainly one of those times when the conversation went deep into some topics that some may find uncomfortable and politically-charged. Although I personally disagree with Adé on a lot of the political topics we discuss, I hope you appreciate Adé and I having a raw and honest conversation... even if our lack of agreement on the facts prove to be irreconcilable in some cases. 

Adé is a hip-hop artist that has made a significant impact on the underground hip-hop landscape over the past half-decade, through his work with New York's sLUms collective, his own solo work, and some famous production credits on albums such as Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs.

We first discussed his beginnings as an artist (6:07), and Adé's remarkably distinct production style (20:00). 

Next, we talked about how Kanye West played a part in inspiring Adé, along with Kanye's much-maligned "slavery was a choice" comments from 2018 (25:33).

Adé then spoke on the influence he had on the current underground scene in hip-hop (38:15).

We spoke about Adé's work with Earl Sweatshirt on Some Rap Songs, and what independent artists can learn from the unfortunate label issues he encountered during that experience (42:52).

Fast-forwarding to 2020, we talk about the creation of The Walk Off, and how the creation process differed from his previous album, HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB (1:00:35).

Next, we discuss Adé's views on the protests that stemmed from the murder of George Floyd in 2020 (1:09:41).

We transitioned to talk about Adé's stance on COVID-19 and our differing conceptions of reality began to crystallize (1:24:57), along with the controversial summer show Adé held in 2020 (1:28:40).

Moving back to The Walk Off, we talk about how the lyrical approach to messaging on this album was more aggressive and urgent than Adé's previous work (1:53:56).

Lastly, Adé shows us a sneak peek at a song candidate for his upcoming EP (2:13:05).  

Stream/Buy The Walk Off here: https://6press.bandcamp.com/album/the-walk-off

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#37 - Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim - Tha YOD Fahim REVIEW

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While Wolf on Wall St. felt like a Fahim album in terms of how straight forward it was, I feel like the more varied production, and the fact that there are solo Droog songs on this album, makes Tha YOD Fahim feel like Droog took the lead creatively... and I think it's better for it, because this album is more dynamic than its predecessor.

Right off the bat, what stood out to me was how much more interesting this album was instrumentally. These beats are more dynamic and varied than the one-tone grey sounding Wolf on Wall St. 

From a lyrical perspective, I think Fahim continues to perform well just like he did on Wolf... showing that he is very underrated and deserves respect for what he can do on the mic. Display a knack for dropping knowledge related to self-empowerment in a way that is very plain-language and simple to understand, allowing his ideas to easily resonate with the listener.

Droog on the other hand sounded re-invigorated here, after a still solid, but overall sort of Droog "auto-pilot" performance on Wolf.

Tha YOD Fahim is not the same supremely impressive affair that was Dump YOD, but it gets better and better with every listen, and is another great addition to the catalogues of Fahim and YOD.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "Icee Shop/Entrées"

Stream/Buy Tha YOD Fahim here: https://yourolddroog.bandcamp.com/album/tha-yod-fahim 

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For music submissions and/or private feedback, DM me @rohview on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

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#36 - slowthai - TYRON REVIEW

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With TYRON, slowthai took an interesting approach as he split the album up into two distinct sides. The first side being more aggressive and high-energy, whereas the second side being much more introspective and lowkey.

What I find this album fails to do in the first half, is make the connection between the more hedonistic party animal lyrical content, and the underlying elements of destructive behaviour, and defence mechanisms that these lyrics are supposed to represent.

The purpose of the first side, of setting the stage for the realization and vulnerability displayed on the second half, isn’t clearly articulated and mainly just come off as bangers that showcase his wild side.

Once it gets to the second disc though, I think the album really starts to become more memorable.

TYRON has its heart, and its head honestly in the right place. It just lacks the lyrical precision in the first half to put it over the top.

This album has a lot more to offer than wild energy and cold-hearted bangers, but it unfortunately spends a good portion of the album trying to portray the duality of slowthai's complicated psyche in an unfocused-manner.

But still, this album has a lot of great qualities to it, especially on the second half of this album, which is much more engaging, from a lyrical and musical standpoint, which solidifies TYRON as certainly a worthwhile and admirable effort from slowthai.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "adhd"

Stream/Buy Tyron here: https://slowthai.bandcamp.com/album/tyron 

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#35 - Koncept Jack$on & Ohbliv - JET MagaZINE '21 Reissue REVIEW

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When I saw this JET Magazine poofing album cover, along with the text on the cover describing this project as 'marriage music' mixed with important social issues... I was sold.

So how did Koncept Jack$on and Ohbliv create an album of marriage music and important social issues?

Well, starting with the production, Ohbliv successfully created a tapestry of the brightest and most gorgeous old-school soul and funk. 

And what's even more special about these beats is the tempo and rhythms? These aren't the type of productions that just ANY rapper could rap over... there is often not a traditional pocket in these beats. Only a special kind of rapping delivery could manage to not get lost in these beats.

Luckily for us, these beats were tailor-made for a rapper like Koncept Jack$on, as his rapid-fire flow is equally as relentless as the production, with an almost dizzying display of rapping being put forward on every single track.

Koncept spits game about women as you'd expect in marriage music, and impresses with nice wordplay crammed into seemingly impossible flows.

However, no individual performance from either of these guys is the key. It's the synergy between Jack$on and Ohbliv that makes this album special.

Sometimes matching each other in intensity, and sometimes contrasting each other in a nice way.

The JET MagaZINE '21 Reissue is a classic better than the sum of its parts kind of album, because it is not meant for listening to as stand-alone tracks... from start to finish, this album takes you on 24 minute jam-packed sunshine-filled ride with the top-down.

This is a supremely enjoyable album that puts me in a really good mood... and in times like this, I really appreciate that. This album is just so fun.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "We Touched"

Stream/Buy JET MagaZINE '21 Reissue here: https://konceptjackson.bandcamp.com/album/koncept-jack-on-ohbliv-jet-magazine-21-reissue

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#34 - Conway the Machine & Big Ghost Ltd. - If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed REVIEW

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After coming out the gate in his career as the most respected member of Griselda, with two strong projects in G.O.A.T. and Reject 2, in the couple years prior to 2020, Conway was starting to fade... seemingly moving into third place in terms of popularity and respect in the Griselda crew, through the emergence of Benny as an elite level spitter, and Westside Gunn's continued excellence in creating decadent slices of street rap luxury.

Conway was at a crossroads in 2020... and proved his doubters his wrong. His full-length album From a King to a God was finally the fulsome and mature effort that many of us were looking for, serving as maybe the best album of Conway's career.

Now fast forward only a few months... If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed shows that Conway's growth displayed on FKTG wasn’t just a fluke. Conway sticks to his guns, pun intended, but continues to expand his subject matter to more personal territory. He gives us new information that I only just learnt 5 years into listening to the guy.

So for me, Conway continues to show growth lyrically, but also from an album construction standpoint. The key reason this album stands out in Conway's vast catalog is due to him and Big Ghost Ltd. creating a well-rounded album that satisfies in multiple ways, featuring songs that are as luxurious as they are murderous.

The beats here are the best I've heard from Big Ghost to-date, with crunchy percussion, nicely placed soul samples and flashes of sinister sounds that all come together really nicely.

The flow of this album too is much improved from No One Mourns the Wicked, because there is no unnecessary lulls or wastes of space this time around.

Instead, we get 30 minutes of Conway in peak form, with production that matches his talent... all in a neat and trim package. All killer, no filler.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "Lessons to Blessings"

Stream/Buy If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed here: https://bigghostlimited.bandcamp.com/album/if-it-bleeds-it-can-be-killed 

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#33 - YUNGMORPHEUS - States of Precarity REVIEW

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YUNGMORPHEUS is a LA rapper and producer who is in the same wave as Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin, both from a sound and subject matter perspective.

States of Precarity exemplifies what YUNGMORPHEUS and his contemporaries have shown in this space, time and time again... smooth and jazzy production mixed with fiery anti-establishment lyricism can be a great combination.

This album is another strong addition to this movement of thoughtful and socially conscious rappers, who opt for a more laid back and less explicitly 'on the nose' lyrical approach... along with a significant emphasis and attention to the aesthetics of the music.

It is a detour from the Talib Kweli and Immortal Techniques of the world that made their message the central focus of their songs, whereas the sound of the music took a backseat and was lesser emphasized. It makes for YUNGMORPHEUS' brand of music to be more versatile, due to the fact that it’s more musically engaging and can be listened to on multiple levels

States of Precarity was created with a distinct purpose in mind; you can hear a sense of very palpable disdain and vitriol towards law enforcement and the US American capitalist society that is powerful, and adds a lot of urgency to the record.

YUNGMORPHEUS does a great job of creating an atmosphere that is smoky, wavy, which fits in with the thoughtful smoked out subject matter. There is a great sense of cohesion between tracks, with nice subtle sound effects and relevant skits that I really liked.

YUNGMORPHEUS showed a strong command on the boards, and on the mic that makes this a colourful and entertaining listen, with a lot of substance in the equation that elevates the album experience.

RMPP Preferred Cut: "1993 GQ Covershoot"

Stream/Buy States of Precarity here: https://rawsh-t.bandcamp.com/album/states-of-precarity 

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For music submissions and/or private feedback, DM me @rohview on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

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