How To Be Baptized Properly | Gino Jennings

Cthree Announces His Sophomore Effort “Spirit Language 2”, Releases “Gold Tablets” Ft. Sa-Roc

UndergroundHipHopBlog.Com’s very own Cthree gears up for his upcoming sophomore effort Spirit Language 2 by teaming up with Sa-Roc for the lead single “Gold Tablets”. Accompanying them is this angelic boom bap instrumental so both MCs can give you the tree of life

Unjust Gives Brother Ali’s 8th Album “Love & Service” a Warm, Unquantized Sound (Album Review)

Minneapolis, Minnesota activist & battle emcee Brother Ali teaming up with Oakland, California producer Unjust for his 8th full-length LP only 4 & a half years after the Evidence-produced Secrets & Escapes. Exploding within the underground off his 2003 sophomore effort Shadows in the Sun & of course his 2007 follow-up The Undisputed Truth, he would continue this string of acclaimed releases with Us as well as the Jake 1-produced Mourning in America & Dreaming in Color and All the Beauty in This Whole Life. Can’t forget to mention Ali’s debut EP Champion turning 20 in a couple weeks & his debut mixtape Left in the Deck either. It’s been a few years since we last heard from him on his 4th EP Brother Minutester which marked his departure from Rhymesayers Entertainment after nearly 2 decades. So with Love & Service being his first album through his very own label Traveler’s Media, that & seeing some of the features nevertheless kept me interested.

After the “Chapter 1” intro, the first song “Ottomans” is a boom bap opener welcoming y’all to the extravaganza & informing everyone listening that they’re now rockin’ with a true & living master except the “mumble rap” jabs are cringe since this isn’t 2016 anymore whereas “Awaken” mixes together these woodwinds & strings talking about sleepwalking through our days. “The Collapse” calling out those who were dazzled by the warning signs flashing continuing to dance in the midst of it all collapsing over an instrumental with a summertime-flare, but then “Manik” featuring Aesop Rock & Casual brings the trio together getting in their battle rap bag for 4 minutes.

“Nom De Plume” kinda goes for more an uncanny atmosphere talking about part of dues having to be paid in order for him to even offer you this news making it rain blood & tears on any stage he rocks while “Cadillac” fuses these organs & guitar licks discussing his father-in-law’s titular yellow tinted whip. “Gauntlet” featuring Roc Marciano goes into a jazzier direction talking about both of them being on some other shit their whole entire lives pretty much leading into “Howlin’ Wolf” hopping over a brass sample to rock & moan much like the blues icon of the same name.

Quelle Chris joins Ali Newman for the spacious “Ghosts” pleading to not let them walk on their own just before the title track smoothly talks about how it’s all simply Love & Service at the end of the day. “Worthy” continues near the end of the album by affirming that every single one of us is worthy of love accompanied by a peppy beat & lastly to finish up Ali’s first full-length in nearly 5 years as of this upcoming fall, “Inside” finishes up the album by vulnerably talking about being unable to hold his tears back.

A good majority of Brother Ali‘s discography is exceptionally high in quality & although this isn’t one of my favorite projects from him, I still find it to be absolutely tolerable. Unjust provides a warm & unquantized sound chopping & flipping educational children’s movies from both the 70’s & 80’s using an ASR-10 sampler cohesively bedding Ali’s dense & poignant musings on God, death, empire & beauty in the process.

Score: 7/10

Blueprint’s 5th EP “Falling Down” Details the Hardships He’s Been Facing (EP Review)

Columbus, Ohio emcee/producer Blueprint returning 6 years after his 10th full-length studio album 2-Headed Monster by putting out his 5th EP. Starting in 1997 by forming the trio Greenhouse alongside Inkwel & Manifest, he would later become their only remaining original member by 2009 following the other 2 departing & Illogic taking their place ever since. As far as his solo output goes: Printmatic branched out on his own beginning in 2003 off The Weightroom, but his 3rd LP 1988 backed by Rhymesayers Entertainment would become his most acclaimed body of work couple years later & subsequently my introduction to him. I also enjoy his work with RJD2 as the duo Soul Position, the experimental Adventures in Counter-Culture & even Greenhouse’s 3rd album Bend But Don’t Break equally as much personally. However only a day after Respect the Architect celebrated its 10 year anniversary, Blueprint is returning by releasing Falling Down.

“Fix Your Own Plate” is a dusty boom bap opener with some piano chords boasting that he’s the coldest from his city & that he’s in the lab with his hands dusty late at night whereas the title track kinda has some jazzier undertones to it talking about being stuck from the outside trying to find an open door. “Bad Boy Bill” works in some horns showing off the bills he’s got for a few minutes while “It’s Over” has this solemn sample throughout addressing a woman that he used to see finding someone else. “Tough Times Don’t Last” finishes the EP with keys, kicks & snares providing optimistic lyricism.

Little did I know that Blueprint has been struggling has been going through financial devastation, relationship turmoil, depression & even a lost sense of direction during these last 4 years really starting when the COVID-19 pandemic shut the whole world down. Eventually, what we have throughout Falling Down joins The Vitamins & Minerals and Vigilante Genesis in being amongst the best EPs of his career. He comes back after all this time by giving listeners an inside look of how it feels when you’re down & you’re trying find to that inspiration to get up.

Score: 8/10

Swedish Emcee/Producer Why-D Takes It Back to the Golden Era With His New Single and Video, “The Veteran (Out to Get the Props)”

Malmö, Sweden’s own Why-D takes it back to the glory days of Yo! MTV Raps and the Golden Era with his new single and video, “The Veteran (Out To Get The Props).”

Paying homage to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s isn’t just a style choice for Why-D, it’s out of respect for a time period that made him the artist he is. “This is the era that shaped me, and that’s what I was trying to bring back with this video,” the rapper/producer says. “The Kangol hats I’m wearing symbolize that I’m now a veteran in the game who was influenced by veterans before me.”

In addition to Kangol, you’ll see plenty of other “old school,” though still very sought-after, fashion in the video like FILA, Polo, and Champion, among others. Beyond the retro visuals, the track itself sounds like it emerged from that time period thanks to Why-D’s own sample-flipping production and slick talk-heavy bars. 

Check out the visuals and head over to your preferred digital retailer or streaming platform to support. Stay tuned for more music taken from Why-D’s forthcoming album, The Work of a Doloist, due out this fall!