tag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:/blogs/album-reviews-4acc892d-94d2-4c0a-a3b6-75ffc90d7588Album Reviews.2024-03-29T12:00:00-04:00Dope Thofalsetag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/73706642024-03-23T19:59:57-04:002024-03-26T11:40:17-04:00How Does Cake or Die Forever really Sound?<p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/f3c173cf8fd82fe800513bf41e67406a46fb4010/original/image.png" class="size_l justify_inline border_" height="1303" /><p><span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><strong>How Does Cake or Die Forever really sound like?</strong></span></p><p><strong>Artist: King Dough CCE</strong></p><p><strong>Album: Cake or Die Forever</strong></p><p><strong>Articulation: </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="/culture-shifters" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Culture Shifters"><span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Thugelina Jolie</strong></span></a></p><p> </p><p>This project by <a class="no-pjax" href="https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kingdoughcce/cake-or-die-forever/"><i><span><strong>King Dough</strong></span></i></a> entitled <i><strong>Cake or Die Forever</strong> </i>is a 10 Track album. <i><strong>King Dough</strong></i> and the producer <i><strong>Diesel</strong></i> have created a sound with some very notable samples. <i>Dough</i> said that he wanted to recreate a sound that makes you feel like you’re in your Mama’s basement. We here at <a class="no-pjax" href="https://butisitdopetho.com/?fbclid=PAAaaTO8GXK5ZPZV02elu84xecz3UZ3hirTv4rl565hp3awqDRD-YAg3_De84_aem_AYrfw9AZd2yghgwa4W1_D3M2IT2C77CqVYDXQbxW6EOdiEWZGDTtmhvdt0RpMAojvgQ"><i><span>Dope Tho</span></i></a> Have enjoyed this project right here! An easy listen with some fire tracks, one thing that stood out with this project was the production and the cohesiveness. The samples that were used on this project: <i><strong>The Isley Brothers ‘In between the sheets’, Barclay James Harvest Taking me higher more recently noticeably used by Mobb Deep Get Away, and Nina Simone’s ‘I put a spell on you’</strong>.</i> Used in the proper context as well I might add. Also party joints like <i><strong>‘Lit’ and ‘Roll’</strong></i> were dope and could be heard in a party setting. Songs that gave insight into lifestyle and <i><strong>King Dough</strong></i> P.O.V. on<strong> ‘</strong><i><strong>Sickening</strong></i><strong>’.</strong> One thing that would make <i><strong>King Dough</strong></i> a more improved artist is if he broadening his concepts and perspective of songs beyond the trap sound.</p><p><i>Cake or Die Forever</i> gets the grading score of A! Coming in at a 91.4% ! This is rated a <strong>Certified Dope Tho! </strong>Congratulations to King Dough on a dope project. Keep growing and evolving as an Artist and continue to drop dope content.</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Overall Grade:</strong></span> <strong>A</strong> (91.4%)</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span> Coming on Strong</p><p> Lit</p><p> Devil knocking</p><p> Standing on Business</p><p> Spell on you</p><p> Sickening</p><p> Roll</p><p> </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/829d242aac4554fce7d066fab6e1037bc92010ef/original/dope-tho-album-rating-system-table-graph-2024-3.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="2400" width="3200" /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72946142023-10-27T19:49:45-04:002023-10-30T17:18:25-04:00Is King Dough Bringing the Mixtape Back?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/3185e123288d1a5a5795f5b01af1a2aab15b873f/original/king-dough-cover.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p><span><strong>Artist: King Dough CCE <o:p></o:p></strong></span></p><p><span><strong>Album: Doughski (Hosted by DJ Suspence)<o:p></o:p></strong></span></p><p><span><strong>Articulation: </strong></span><a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence"><span style="color:blue;"><span><strong><u>King Acklin</u></strong></span></span></a><span><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p><p>Louisville artist by way of Chicago, King Dough CCE, dropped his new mixtape on us today. <strong>Doughski</strong>, hosted by Dope Tho’s own, <a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence">DJ Suspence</a>, is 10 track project that’s trying to take us back to the glory mixtape days. In Dough’s own words, “those mixtapes were gold.”<span><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></p><p>The project starts off with a lot of energy on <i>Real Can Relate</i> as DJ Suspence lets us know they here to <i>“talk to these niggas a little bit today”</i>. <i>Dead End</i> is going to have you checking your Google maps and making sure you moving correctly in these streets. Definitely a street vibe on this project and we know death unfortunately often comes with that, so <i>Lost and Found</i> may have you reminiscing about lost loved ones to a slow dope beat. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Stand out track, <i>Cake On Me</i>, is a straight bop that should be a hit in all the strip clubs. “Let me see you shake something”, “Go on and shake something”, might be a national rallying cry if we being honest. This joint makes you wish it was summertime, but I mean, strip clubs are all season, so have fun. <i>Ambition </i>featuring PJ Gifted is another good track on the project that sounds like something you ride out to with your partners. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Overall, the production is on point. It feels like this mixtape was thought out and it has good features that I’m not mad at. Is it a classic mixtape era project/mixtape? No, but it gives you those vibes due to its high energy and DJ Suspence talking rather aggressively throughout the 10 tracks. King Dough can rap too, let’s not miss out on that here. Next time I would love to see a few classic beat flips if we want to go true classic mixtape vibes. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes, it’s a SOLID banger for the streets. The project is a <span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>7</strong></span> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later #DopeTho #YouWelcome<o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><span><strong>: <o:p></o:p></strong></span></p><p><span>Real Can Relate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>Lost And Found<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>Cake On Me<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span>Ambition</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span><strong>4-5 Needs Work<o:p></o:p></strong></span></p><p><span><strong>6-7 Solid </strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span><strong>8-9 Heat </strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span><strong>10</strong></span><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><span><strong> Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></span><span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72798742023-09-28T10:56:25-04:002023-10-27T15:33:05-04:00How Does Slade The Supreme Fair on His Quest For Life, Vol III?<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/1f8ee52cf8aa98f2e69d6cb087d43f1e12d05a62/original/img-7831.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p style="text-align:center;"> </p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>Artist: Slade the Supreme</strong></b></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>Album: Quest for Life, Vol.III</strong></b></p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>Articulation</strong></b>: <b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><font><strong>Methodical Wun</strong></font></b></p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">You may not know Slade the Supreme but you will soon. Slade is a hip-hop artist hailing from ,North Carolina. His latest album is the third part in his Quest For Life series. Slade is a real life hip-hop spitter. His flow is visceral, his beats are fill with soul samples, and it is all an ode to great listening hip-hop. Slade is a mixture of classic 90’s rappers with a new age sensibility. Let’s say he would be akin to your favorite rappers, favorite rapper.</p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Slade’s goal with this project is to give you a glimpse into his life. Quest for Live, Vol. III was released in July. Coming in with 11 tracks and just under 40 minutes, Quest For Life Vol III, starts strong and never lets up. He does a great job of conveying feelings about topic that most of us are familiar with. Slade handles his bar with full confidence gliding over the soul sampled beats like he’s made for this. In the age of cap and telling stories that aren’t real exist Quest For Love, Vol III. After listening to this project, you will be wanting to check out the others. You don’t see projects with this type of polish often but when they come across you area it’s noticeable.</p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><i data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">C’est La Vie</i> sets the tone for the album. Starting out with the voicemail skits that carry though out the project, Slade talks about life and living, what he’s done and what he must do. <i data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Hate For You</i>, a standout track, hits you with th<i data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">e All This Love</i>sample <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">and how they are tired of waiting for it to come. Five-Fifty is that summer feel good ride track. </span><i data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Pretty Girls </i><span data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">is an ode to just pretty girls as the sample hits you with ‘I want to be you lover!” We could literally go into all the tracks because it is a quality project.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Quest For Love, Vol III is a vibe. They soul sampled beats matched the great lyrics and the overall project is very enjoyable. The only problem I have with the album is the mixing. Is it bad, no, but its missing the shine that matches his flow. The only thing the project is missing is that one undeniable song. It needs one song to take it over the top and make it a classic. It was nice for this project to come across my email. Projects like this don’t exist often and it was a breathe of fresh air. Can’t wait hear more from Slade The Supreme and after a listen you will say the same thing.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color:rgb(184,92,0);"><font><span data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>Dope Tho Rating: </strong></span></font></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><font><span data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>8</strong></span></font></span></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><font><strong>Key Dope:</strong></font></b></p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Hate For You</p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Flower & Amnesia</p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Apartment</p><p> </p><p data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16">Sorry Momma</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><font><strong>Dope Tho Rating System:</strong></font></b></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></b></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></b></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>6-7 Solid</strong></b></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>8-9 Heat</strong></b></p><p> </p><p><b data-removefontsize="true" data-originalcomputedfontsize="16"><strong>10 Dope Tho Classic</strong></b></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72747702023-09-18T09:05:00-04:002023-09-28T10:50:29-04:00My Gosh, Are You Joshing Us? <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/a4f1718e306b943de3d2ecb2a04aa50130d63a08/original/gosh-josh-pic.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><span><strong>Artist: Gosh Josh </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Album: Kin Mafia Tape’s, Vol. 1</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Articulation: </strong></span><a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence"><span style="color:blue;"><span><strong><u>King Acklin</u></strong></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Kin Mafia Tape’s Vol.1</strong> is a 7-track EP that dropped last month from Lexington, KY’s own Gosh Josh. The project feels like an artist putting things together in their career. It's almost like he’s done a lot of things already but is moving forward through GOD and going in with a new focus on this rap thing. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>I was skeptical initially just off the name Gosh Josh, if I’m being honest. Luckily, Josh put my skepticism to the side because he can rap. The project starts out with </span><i><span>Blind</span></i><span>, a high energy, motivational track about believing even when feeling blind. A strong start to the EP as the next joint, </span><i><span>Full Hand</span></i><span>, starts out like it could be an anthem and is a standout track. You feel the energy as the track starts, great production here and Gosh Josh delivers with his on-point delivery. The nice pace continues with another standout joint, </span><i><span>How I Walk</span></i><span>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>The EP hurts itself just a bit from its strong start because the vibe and energy changes in the middle of the project and the last half is just not as strong. </span><i><span>Basic’s</span></i><span> probably would have made a better closing song as </span><i><span>Big Facts</span></i><span> almost doesn’t seem like it fits the EP. Overall this is a good project. The production and lyrics are on point. Maybe a shuffle in the sequencing could have balanced out the EP more or maybe switching up the flow a bit could have pushed this project to the next level. Either way Gosh is not Joshing us here with his talent. Looking forward to hearing Vol. 2. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes, it’s a Solid project. The project is a <strong>7</strong> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and judge for yourself #DopeTho #YouWelcome</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><strong>: </strong><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>7</strong></span><strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Blind</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Full Hand</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>How I Walk</span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>10</strong></span><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><span><strong> Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72715382023-09-11T10:08:46-04:002023-09-11T10:08:46-04:00"What's the Fun in Forever?"<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/641dc680aa14961117a3d87a970cbc332264e789/original/wop-forever.webp/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><strong>Artist: WopsWorld</strong></p><p><strong>Album: Forever</strong></p><p><strong>Articulation: </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence"><strong>DJ Suspence</strong></a></p><p>Louisville producer and rapper WopsWorld just released his latest project titled “Forever”, and the question is, are we going to be listening to it forever, or just for right now?</p><p>I’ll be 100% honest, when initially looking upon this album, my first thought was that I would be listening to it forever being that the album comes in at 18 tracks and just under 50 minutes for the entire project, lol. But once you get past that and actually get into the album, it really doesn’t seem like you’re listening that long because it is an easy listen and keeps you engaged for the entire project.</p><p>The album sounds like almost a love letter, which makes sense with the album title of “Forever”, and flows really well all the way through. And in today’s hip hop climate, the majority of artists would most likely be afraid of dropping a project with 18 tracks, but the way WopsWorld put this project together you sort of forget that it has that many songs on it.</p><p>Also the production is top tier across the entire project. He gives you a little bit of everything on this project with a diverse mix of genre bending hip hop/r&b sounds also coupled with some pretty fire samples of classic hip hop records (which isn’t always easy to accomplish) including tracks “Freak Like Me”, “Let It Blow”, and “All The Way” featuring the legendary Louisville R&B group Playa.</p><p>And I haven’t even mentioned that Wop is SPITTING across the entire project while being able to switch up his flow to match the energy of each track leaves you realizing he can maneuver around any type of sound creates.</p><p>All in all this is a creatively fire album and probably only 1-2 skips on a project of 18 tracks makes this album definitely some heat! The <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span> for this album is an <span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>8</strong></span>.</p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span></p><p><strong>Freak Like You</strong></p><p><strong>Cherie Amour</strong></p><p><strong>Forever</strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating Scale</strong></span>:</p><p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></p><p><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></p><p><strong>6-7 Solid</strong></p><p><strong>8-9 Heat</strong></p><p><strong>10</strong> <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p><footer> </footer>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72554272023-08-11T09:00:00-04:002023-08-11T09:00:02-04:00Is The Picasso Too Dark In Cleezy's World<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/c61cf9af612fdb76a78d2080d9d90ab1cef5b0b6/original/cleezy-album-pic.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><span><strong>Artist: Cleezy Picasso </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Album: My Little Dark World</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Articulation: </strong></span><a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence"><span><strong>King Acklin</strong></span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>My Little Dark World</strong> is the latest project from Louisville artist, Cleezy Picasso. Released at the back end of July (</span><i><span>a couple of weeks ago</span></i><span>), the 16-track project gives a glimpse of Cleezy’s world. On this project Cleezy reminds me of Rod Wave mixed with a little bit of Uzi Vert. The good thing is Mr. Picasso is not depressing at all. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>The project gives me a feeling of an artist trying to open up his life and thoughts to the world, while perhaps battle a few things mentally. At the same time, you get the feeling Cleezy is trying to have some fun here. The fun shows on tracks like the opening joint, </span><i><span>Hurt In My Eyes</span></i><span> and </span><i><span>Lifestyle</span></i><span>. Cleezy goes for rock star status here as well, with tracks like </span><i><span>Drive Me Crazy</span></i><span> and </span><i><span>Vacation</span></i><span>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Stand out tracks like </span><i><span>No Disrespect</span></i><span> and </span><i><span>Mad At Me</span></i><span> highlight the best parts of this album, but also what could have been had there been a few more like them on the project. These joints are straight bars and vibes. Overall, the production is solid, but would have benefited from maybe dropping a couple of songs and maybe less of use of what is assumed to be autotune on his voice. The vision and talent is there, plus Cleezy has a noticeably unique voice. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes, it’s a Solid project and the next one from Cleezy could be Heat level. The project is a <strong>6</strong> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and judge for yourself #DopeTho #YouWelcome</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><strong>: </strong><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>6 </strong></span><span><strong> </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Lifestyle</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>No Disrespect</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Mad At Me</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>They Don’t Know</span><o:p></o:p></p><p> </p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>10</strong></span><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><span><strong> Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72517822023-08-04T10:00:00-04:002023-08-04T10:00:02-04:00Does CYFDarius Need Validation or Nah?<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/b9187fb3a5f04dbda1207eb78ebde2e49d9b3d9b/original/1200x1200bb.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Artist: CYFDarius</p><p>Album: No Need 4 Validation</p><p>Articulation: <a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence">DJ Suspence</a></p><p>CYFDarius dropped his latest project “No Need 4 Validation” this past month and the question is does he actually need Validation after this latest effort, or did the project live up to the bold declaration of the title.</p><p>The project overall has sort of a “Trap Soul” feel, which isn’t very surprising being that he and Bryson Tiller are from the same city of Louisville, KY. However it’s not a slight either because the overall sound of the album is pretty solid. I wouldn’t say that the production is crazy on the project, but it is definitely solid and accomplishes what needs to be across the project.</p><p>CYFDarius hits us with the kinda of “in-between” style of rapping/singing, (similar to the aforementioned Bryson Tiller), however unlike other artists who have attempted this style, he’s able to pull it together and make it sound pleasant.</p><p>Personally I would have liked to see a little more “traditional” singing on the project, because the small amount he does at the beginning of the opening track, “Eyes Open Still Dreaming” sounded great. So I would have just liked to hear more of that across the album.</p><p>All in all this is a solid project. If there were a few tracks that really just went to the next level and stood out from the rest, this project could have been “Heat”, so the <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span> for this project is a 7. Take a listen and let us know what you think!</p><p><span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span> <span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>7</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span></p><p><strong>Eyes Open Still Dreaming</strong></p><p><strong>Top Down</strong></p><p><strong>Never 2 Far</strong></p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong><span><strong>: </strong></span></span></p><p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p><p><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></p><p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p><p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p><p><span><strong>10</strong></span> <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72298382023-06-21T10:00:00-04:002023-06-21T10:00:06-04:00What does Different sound like??<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/b63f67eca6ba61db2bcf2764ac5369ece4e50ade/original/channels4-profile.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_left border_" /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>What does </strong><i><strong>Different</strong></i><strong> Sound like?</strong></p><p><strong>Artist: Mar1asol</strong></p><p><strong>Album: Different</strong></p><p><strong>Articulation: </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="/bri-renee-and-thugelina-jolie" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Bri Renee and Thugelina Jolie"><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Thugelina Jolie</strong></span></a></p><p> </p><p>Up and coming artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina by the name <span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><i><strong>Mar1asol.</strong></i></span> She’s is a multi-talented R&B/Neo Soul artist who pen her first song at 19 titled ’<i>Till it’s over</i>’. Following up project titled ‘<i>Beats and Donuts</i>’ back in 2019. Now that <i>Mar1asol</i> is 25 wants to break the standard with this ep titled ‘<i><strong>Different</strong></i>’. It is a 5 track project with influences of R&B/Hip Hop with Latin genres that she grew up listening to.</p><p>You can hear just that in throughout the short project, has a 90s feel but it was hard to feel that translating through the EP. The cadence was similar on each song, tracks sound un-mix/not mastered. Which made it hard to connect to what the artist was saying. Beats were either too high, which made it sound like her voice was competing with the beat not complimenting the beat. Also Some of the vocals were louder than the beat. <i>Different</i> has a laid back vibe but with better mixing the project would’ve been better.</p><p>Although it shows that <i>Different</i> is her 2nd project, there is room for improvement. Some tweaks to different would be solid just needs some adjustments in order to connect.</p><p>It is an easy listen just 5 tracks and it is streaming on all platforms. Check out <i>Mar1asol </i>for yourself and see what you think.</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Ratings:</strong></span> <span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);">5</span> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span> idc & city Bih</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p><p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p><p><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></p><p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p><p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p><p><strong>10</strong> <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72261342023-06-14T09:00:00-04:002023-06-14T09:00:03-04:00Is Alan Ward's Vintagious Contagious<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/7a25fcdf81ba9e9400582f78bc5303802d983869/original/alan-ward.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><span><strong>Artist: Alan Ward, Tedy Andreas </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Album: Vintagious</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>Articulation: </strong></span><span style="color:blue;"><span><strong><u>King Acklin</u></strong></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Up and coming hip hop artist, Alan Ward, released this project in 2022. Representing the home of the Bucks, Milwaukee, WI, Alan dropped <strong>Vintagious</strong>. A quick, under 13mins long project produced by Tedy Andreas, hence his name noted as an artist on this project alongside Alan. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>The first track, </span><i><span>Tired</span></i><span>, opens with John Coffey from the Green Mile talking about being tired. Dope use of the movie line here, but the song is a bit underwhelming. The chorus is good, but I think the vocals sounds hollow and that’s a theme over these 4 songs. </span><i><span>What A Day</span></i><span> is the very next song, and the energy picks up drastically. This is easily the best song out of the 4, fueled by a catchy hook. Again though, the production needs to be amplified and/or at least better engineer work. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><i><span>Hands Please</span></i><span> is a good song, it reminds you of some early 50 Cent/G-Unit work before they blew up. The last track, </span><i><span>Asshole</span></i><span>, just seems to drag a bit but sounds like a good party night story to end the project. Overall, the project is short and could benefit from better engineering and improved production. The artists (Alan & Tedy) show potential and could very well get better with each project. Let’s hope that’s the case because there’s some talent there. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? The answer is, it could be solid but needs work. The project is a 5 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and judge for yourself #DopeTho #YouWelcome</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><strong>: </strong><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>5 </strong></span><span><strong> </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span>What A Day</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span><strong>10</strong></span><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><span><strong> Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/72131142023-05-22T10:00:00-04:002023-05-22T10:00:01-04:00Is the Sapphire Tape a Gem?<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/835fe038aa688227f0476fc9315c81cbfe4451e8/original/unnamed.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><strong>Artist: D'So Nyce</strong></p><p><strong>Album: The Sapphire Tape</strong></p><p><strong>Articulation:</strong> <a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence">DJ Suspence</a></p><p>Artist D’So Nyce released a new EP this past December titled, “The Sapphire Tape”. It’s a 9 track EP that comes in at just under 24 min, so the project is definitely an easy listen and not a problem to get through.</p><p>As far as the project itself, it definitely starts out strong among the first few records, specifically the third record titled, “Behind The Scenes”. This song really gives you a type of Houston vibe with the “screwed” style of the hook on the song. But also the production on the first few records is on point, and Nyce’s flow fits perfectly with these first few records.</p><p>However, about midway through the project it has a sharp falloff from the quality of the beginning records. Nyce includes the “SIMPleton Freestyle” on the second half of the EP which is a freestyle over the Drake assisted Jack Harlow record “Churchill Downs” (An ode to the historic Louisville, KY horse track). I wouldn’t say that Nyce didn’t do the beat justice, but it’s hard to rap over the same beat that two of Hip Hop’s current biggest stars have rapped on and not be compared to their offering on the instrumental. And this is no shade to Nyce, just seems like that might have been the best choice for this EP.</p><p>All in all, we feel as though if the entire project kept the same vibe as the first half throughout the rest of the project, it would have been a solid project, however, since there was a big dip in the second half of the project, the overall rating of the project took a big hit. With that being said, the <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span> for this project is a <span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>4</strong></span>.</p><p><span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span> <span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>4</strong></span></p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span></p><p>“Behind The Scenes”</p><p>“Pay It Forward”</p><p>“Sade’s Mood”</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(30, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span></p><p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></p><p><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></p><p><strong>7-6 Solid</strong></p><p><strong>8-9 Heat</strong></p><p><strong>10</strong> <span style="color:hsl(270, 75%, 60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/71821432023-04-05T08:18:09-04:002023-04-05T08:18:09-04:00What’s the view from Black Male sound like??<p> </p><p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/53c9cf28c2e9f31a4a38e28b41599e2db23abacc/original/image.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />What's The view from Black Male sound like??</strong></p><p><strong>Artist: Rob Lee</strong></p><p><strong>Album: Black Male</strong></p><p><strong>Articulation: </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="/bri-renee-and-thugelina-jolie" target="_blank" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Bri Renee and Thugelina Jolie"><span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><strong>Thugelina Jolie</strong></span></a></p><p>It sounds like <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB6brfWdduMoRKo3LVdhZnQ" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><i><strong>Rob Lee</strong></i></span></a> is back with a 2nd album entitled ‘<strong>Black Male</strong><i>’</i>. Following his debut project ‘<i>Art of Flight</i>’ which came out in 2018. This was a Dope follow up. <i><strong>Black Male</strong></i> is a smooth and sultry R&B album, gives an audible Diary of a <i>Black Male</i> thoughts. Such as Protecting themselves with the opening track <i>‘Don’t play yourself’</i>, upholding his confidence with track like <i>‘Wave’</i> featuring <i>Tez</i> talking their shit. The 13 track project is an Easy and Enjoyable sophomore album. The way <i>Rob Lee</i> closed up the project with <i>Marc Dinero</i> titled ‘<i>Happy End</i>’ displayed that Black Men have a vulnerable side as well as wanting love from the person they’re feeling. One thing that stood out on the track <i>‘Kingdom Come’</i> the end should’ve had a the hook repeated again or a rap to fill the end of the song. Felt like it needed just a little bit more. All & All this album <i>Black Male</i> gets a <i><strong>8-9 Dope Rating</strong></i>. Make sure you stream ‘<i>Black Male</i>’ by <i>Rob Lee</i> now streaming on all platforms</p><p>Congratulations on your newest project, and we can’t wait to see what <i>Rob Lee</i> does next!</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(270,75%,60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span>: <span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><strong>9 </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span> Don’t Play Yourself</p><p>Turned on</p><p>Wave</p><p>Solo<span> </span></p><p>Monday Morning (remix)</p><p>Happy End</p><p>Algorithm</p><p> </p><p><span style="color:hsl(30,75%,60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System:</strong></span></p><p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></p><p><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></p><p><strong>6-7 Solid</strong></p><p><strong>8-9 Heat</strong></p><p><strong>10 </strong><span style="color:hsl(270,75%,60%);"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/71711732023-03-14T12:55:27-04:002023-03-14T16:48:10-04:00Is This The New Gospel?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/f28bf4b65c119d2f8d7cf5bbfad07a24f62e7970/original/article-35-cover.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p><span><strong>Artist: Furious Floyd & Q-Mystik </strong></span></p><p><span><strong>Album: The Ghetto Gospel</strong></span></p><p><span><strong>Articulation: </strong></span><a class="no-pjax" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence"><span><strong>King Acklin</strong></span></a></p><p><span>Louisville repping Kr8vn8vs Records have been busy lately. From touring to dropping The N8VS vol. 2, to a collab effort from members </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://butisitdopetho.com/dope-tho-or-nope-tho/blog/7149437/is-bluegrass-really-a-wonderland" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span>Dom B & Q-Mystik</span></a><span>. Now N8Vs member Furious Floyd drops his collab project with Q-Mystik, titled, <strong>The Ghetto Gospel</strong>. Released in February, the 5-track project comes in under 16mins long. Pay close attention while listening because if not these 5 tracks will just breeze by you. </span></p><p><span>The album leads off with </span><i><span>Sunday Crusin’</span></i><span>, which has some good bars, but is a little underwhelming, vibe wise to get things started with such a short project. It felt like the people needed a harder hitting joint to kick things off, which could have been to simply swap places with the album’s lead single, </span><i><span>Wait</span></i><span>, which comes next at track 2. </span><i><span>Wait</span></i><span> has such a good intentional gospel feel and sounding chorus that it would have been great to hear that start out the album. “To the tabernacle” we go with one of the standout tracks, </span><i><span>Celebration of Life</span></i><span>. This might be the best track on the project, but it’s it a battle with </span><i><span>Never Left</span></i><span>, which closes the album in a great way. </span></p><p><span>Overall, the theme of the project is consistent and felt throughout. Furious Floyd and Q-Mystik go back and forth feeling like they’re trying to out dope bar each other while giving us the street gospel on each track. Their personal reflections on this project help strengthen it and the production from these N8VS projects continues to get better. The only downside could be leaving the listeners wanting more after these 5 tracks. Another standout track or two and this project could have been more “official” than it already is. <u>Let The Church Say Amen! </u></span></p><p><span>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes, the project is HEAT. The project is an </span><span style="color:#E67E22;"><span>8</span></span><span> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome</span></p><p><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><strong>: </strong><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>8</strong></span><strong> </strong><span><strong> </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span></p><p><span>Wait</span></p><p><span>Celebration of Life</span></p><p><span>Never Left</span></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span><strong>: </strong></span></p><p><span><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></span></p><p><span><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></span></p><p><span><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></span></p><p><span><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></span></p><p><span><strong>10</strong></span><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><span><strong> Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></span></p><p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/71529582023-02-13T11:10:33-05:002023-02-13T11:11:51-05:00You Only Get One Sol!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/337381/92a5cc7fad0d0372bdaa4d9bc18499f5c7420838/original/cypher-sol-pic-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p><strong>Artist: Cypher Sol </strong></p><p><strong>Album: You Only Get One of Me</strong></p><p><strong>Articulation: </strong><span style="color:blue;"><strong><u>King Acklin</u></strong></span></p><p>Cypher Sol, dropped an album right after Christmas giving fans a gift right before the New Year. Originally from Massachusetts, but growing up in Jacksonville, FL, Cypher most recently resided in Louisville, KY before taking his talents to California. I wonder what city he reps for the most though? Anyway, <strong>You Only Get One of Me</strong> definitely gives you hip hop influenced soul vibes and while this is a rap project, Cypher puts his melodies to work too. </p><p>The project starts off a bit slow, but the lead track, <i>They Don’t Know</i>, is a good way to intro us to the project. Tracks like <i>August</i> and the B. Simm assisted <i>Stay Awake</i> are cool, but the project seems to get stronger at the midway point. The 1st half is not bad at all, it just feels like its missing something (maybe energy wise). Whatever it is or is not seems to be found on the <i>Bet They Want That</i> feat. PJ Gifted and <i>Can’t Hide That</i> feat. BRXTN. These two tracks are head boppers and even with Can’t Hide That being a smoother bop, its still very vibey and help kickstart the 2nd half of this project. </p><p>Right when you think the project’s best joints are the ones with the features, Cypher gives us the best track on the project, <i>Find Yourself.</i> Dope production including the eerie horn like sound in the background meshes well with the gritty lyrics on this one and lifts it above the other tracks. Cypher raps about doing your own thing and not following anybody else’s trend or style. </p><p>Overall, the project is solid. It would be great to hear Cypher Sol work with different producers next time out. The talented artist might shine even more over different production and maybe a little less singing on all the hooks. We might hear him over those West Coast beats soon since he’s out there in L.A. now, that would be interesting. Cypher Sol is out to prove <strong>You Only Get One of </strong><i><strong>Him (Me)</strong></i>. </p><p>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? The answer is that it’s a SOLID project. The project is a 6 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome</p><p><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><strong>: 6 </strong></p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><strong>: </strong></p><p>Bet They Want That?</p><p>Can’t Hide It</p><p>Find Yourself</p><p><span style="color:#E67E22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><strong>: </strong></p><p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p><p><strong>4-5 Needs Work</strong></p><p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p><p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p><p><strong>10</strong><span style="color:#8E44AD;"><strong> Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/71494372023-02-06T10:41:34-05:002023-02-06T10:41:35-05:00Is Bluegrass Really A Wonderland??<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/669041cfb07e7bcf9185aa128c90a0adf60dca54/original/b6r5rak29g9aa-max.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Dom B & Q-Mystik</strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Bluegrass Wonderlandz</strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation:</strong> <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></p>
<p>Louisville lyricist Dom B linked up with Kr8vN8vs Records label-mate Q-Mystik to put out one of their latest projects, “Bluegrass Wonderlandz”, an obvious ode to the state of Kentucky. But if you’re expecting “Bluegrass” type music, then you will certainly disappointed. </p>
<p>Dom B has already established himself as one of the top lyricists in the KY-IN-TN region, and this newest offering once again shows off his lyrical prowess. But not only is he just a lyrical tyrant, he also knows how and when to switch up his flow per the vibe of the production of the particular record that he is spitting on at the time. It’s almost as if he has a different flow on each records as the project goes on. </p>
<p>Not to mention that Q-Mystik’s production is more than solid across the entire project. You’d be hard pressed to find very much lacking from his production on the album and seems as though the beats match perfectly with Dom’s wordplay and flow. You can tell they do a lot of creating together because the project sounds as if they exclusively work together. That’s how well they both mesh together on this project. </p>
<p>After listening to this album for a bit, this is definitely one of the better projects I’ve listened to lately, and the only thing I would say that this project is lacking, is maybe a couple of just “blow you away” type records. The entire project is still heat, but could be a Dope Tho Classic if maybe just one or two really stand out records were included. My rating for this album is an <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span></strong> on the <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span></strong> rating Scale </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope:</strong> </span></p>
<p>“Abominable” </p>
<p>“Ice Bar” </p>
<p>“Sunset Lodge” </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System:</span></strong> </p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-5 Needs Work </strong></p>
<p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/70330802022-08-08T10:17:30-04:002023-01-26T00:45:04-05:00Let's Take a Trip to Dizzyland Shall We?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/f34c306102728cd1f687ba30a3ff98f6c3e0b6fd/original/dizzyland.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Dizzy Wright & DJ Hoppa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Dizzyland</strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation:</strong> <strong> <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dizzy Wright and DJ Hoppa teamed up to release Dizzyland in April of this year, and after giving this one a listen(s), it’s kinda hard to really say how I fell about it. The project starts off with almost a classic west coast sound with “Manifest” and “24 Hours”, assisted by fellow west coast coroner Xzibit. Then it kinda throws a curveball at you. </p>
<p>I won’t say that “Promoter” is a bad record, but it definitely sounds a little out of place as this is the only reggae record on the entire project. So I’m not sure why or how this one made the final cut alongside the other records that did. </p>
<p>For a decent amount of the project, the sound switched to almost a New York “boom bap” sound. Which makes it sound just a tad outdated. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the west coast sound throughout the project. </p>
<p>On the next to last record, “I Can’t Quit”, we got a random verse from the “Power Series” Omari Hardwick. I’m not sure if they’re all really close friends and just wanted him to be a part of the project, but I think that we can all appreciate his main focus is currently with his acting career, no shade, lol. But this is still one of the stronger records on the project. </p>
<p>All in all I don’t think this is a bad record. Dizzy definitely got his bars off throughout the entire project, and it does have is brights spots as well. So at the end of the day, my rating for this album is a <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>7 </strong></span>on the <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho</strong></span> rating scale. </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p>"On The Move" (feat. Demrick & Reezy)</p>
<p>"Manifest" (feat. Goddess of the West)</p>
<p> "I Can’t Quit" (feat. Omari Hardwick) </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-5 Needs Work </strong></p>
<p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10</strong> <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69618502022-05-02T16:00:00-04:002022-05-10T01:54:50-04:00What’s the deal with Ebbs & Flows?<p><span style="color:#d35400;"><strong>What's the deal with Ebbs & Flows? </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#d35400;"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/b33de2e1b495e5f7d66c9e5fa34552b471a53328/original/beedaking.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Artist: BeeDaKing </strong></p>
<p><strong>Project: Ebbs & Flows </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="Thugelina Jolie&nbsp;" data-link-label="Bri Renee and Thugelina Jolie" data-link-type="page" href="/bri-renee-and-thugelina-jolie" target="_blank"><span style="color:#d35400;">Thugelina Jolie </span></a></strong></p>
<p>Artist <em>BeeDaKing</em> project titled ‘<strong>Ebbs & Flows</strong>’ that he dropped back in Nov. 2021. He did all of the hard-work as far as production, mixing, and bar work. Which is very impressive when executed properly, that made this project so FIRE! So let’s get into Ebbs & Flows. </p>
<p>Ebbs & Flows is a 10- track project starting with a distorted intro titled <em>Anointed,</em> which leads you into a track titled <em>Dick Gregory</em>. A Soulful track that set the tone for the rest of the project and let you know what you’re about to get into. The Whole project holds your attention through each track. Dope beat selection, the flow fit the track correctly which you have to appreciate. Joints that stood out were <em>Handle Bidness, Upper Room, In the wrong, Preacher Man & Abrupt. </em></p>
<p>What was super dope about Ebbs & Flows closing track titled Abrupt was how it ended like the title Abruptly. That makes you wonder if BeeDaKing had more to say. For this to be a debut album it gave a “I’ve been here before and I know what to do with it” level of confidence. And he followed through with it, that can be difficult to find in new artist these days. </p>
<p>Sounds like maybe <em>DJ Premier</em> produced project with more modernized with the popular meme soundbites. Made for a very relatable and impressive flows. <a contents="BeeDaKing" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://beedak1ng.bandcamp.com/album/ebbs-flows" target="_blank"><span style="color:#d35400;"><em>BeeDaKing</em></span></a><span style="color:#d35400;"> </span>did deliver with Ebbs & Flows. Make sure to check it out streaming on all DSP’s. </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating: </span> <span style="color:#d35400;">9 </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#d35400;">Key Dope: </span></strong></p>
<p>Handle Bidness </p>
<p>Upper Room </p>
<p>In The Wrong </p>
<p>Preacher Man </p>
<p>Abrupt </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#d35400;">Dope Tho Rating System: </span></strong></p>
<p>1-3 Nope tho </p>
<p>4-5 Needs Work </p>
<p>6-7 Solid </p>
<p>8-9 Heat </p>
<p>10- Dope Tho Classic</p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69559242022-04-25T09:00:00-04:002022-04-25T10:06:03-04:00Mooga Malone Is Trying to Make You Choose Again<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/313cd0eeaceac7f0bbd25a2e34f6ea90c5040d8a/original/mooga-malone.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Mooga Malone </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Love Me or Leave Me Alone Pt. 2 </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation:</strong> <strong><a contents="King Acklin&nbsp;" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin </a></strong></p>
<p>Louisville’s own Mooga Malone released the follow up to his 2021 project, <em>Love Me or Leave Me Alone Pt. 1</em>, exactly one year later. <strong>Love Me or Leave Me Alone Pt. 2</strong> just dropped on April 21st. The 8-track project gets off to a bit of a slow start with the melodic up-tempo Magic, but picks right up with lead single <em>Rest</em> and <em>Risk Taker</em>. </p>
<p>The album seems to pick up a lot of steam with standout track <em>Anti Social On Da Social</em>. Listeners will find that the 2nd half of the project finds the West End’s own Mooga in his zone. The artist pulls us in with a good delivery over infectious production on most tracks. Songs like <em>Better Than Daddy</em> and another standout joint, <em>Family Bidness</em>, gives us more of a personal feel for the rapper and provide a nice way to close the project. <em>“Family ni%%a, I aint even gonna lie, I love all you crazy motherf%$#@s”</em>. Everyone should be able to relate to these words from Mooga on <em>Family Bidness</em>, I know I can. </p>
<p>Mooga warmed the streets up with <em>Rest</em> (<a contents="Watch the video here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/wGv3knAGQN0" target="_blank"><em>Watch the video here</em></a>) and now is trying to blaze them on out with <strong>Love Me or Leave Me Alone Pt. 2</strong>. Overall, this is a good project. I would love to hear <a contents="Mooga Malone" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://butisitdopetho.com/news/blog/mooga-malone-is-not-getting-any-rest-anytime-soon" target="_blank">Mooga Malone</a> with different production or at least more variety of sounds on the next one. I’m not sure who to compare him with, but maybe that’s a good thing? Hustling music here. </p>
<p>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span></strong>? The answer is Yes. The project is an 8 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span> <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>8</strong></span> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p>Rest </p>
<p>Risk Taker </p>
<p>Anti Social On Da Social </p>
<p>Family Bidness </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System:</strong></span> </p>
<p>1-3 Nope Tho </p>
<p>4-5 Needs Work </p>
<p>6-7 Solid </p>
<p>8-9 Heat </p>
<p>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69456742022-04-11T10:57:02-04:002022-04-11T10:57:02-04:00Is There Mercy in Wop's World?<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/cd9ad317a601fa7c8a3f9585b94f456d2ecc9ff9/original/wop-no-mercy.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: WopsWorld </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: No Mercy </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin&nbsp;" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin</a></strong><a contents="King Acklin&nbsp;" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence"> </a></p>
<p>Louisville’s own WopsWorld released <strong>No Mercy</strong> March 21st of this year. With 19 tracks and over an hour of listening time, No Mercy seemed a bit daunting. Wop gets right to business on the <em>No Mercy Intro</em> by letting listeners know he’s not here to play games and he’s going all gas no brakes from here on out. <em>Flame</em> is the lead track from the project and its trance like beat will pull you in and have you chanting the simple song title chorus, “Flame, Flame, Flame, Flame” throughout. The energy is high on the next few joints but don’t bring the same appeal as the first two tracks even though they can keep listeners bopping to the contagious Wop vibes here. </p>
<p>No Mercy picks back up with <em>Pop Off</em>, which is a dope produced tracked that shows off how Wop can switch the flow up, which is much welcomed. The next few joints help No Mercy really get going as the album gets better towards its back-end half. Stand out tracks <em>Head Up/Knocking’</em>, <em>Bestfriend</em> and <em>Groundhog’s Day</em> showcase Wop’s production skills and his ability to delivery top notch bars on a variety of topics. Shoutout to the dope H-Town Knockin Boots sample on Head Up. For you youngins, H-Town sampled Zapp & Roger’s Be Alright for their joint. </p>
<p>Back to <em>Groundhog’s Day</em>, this is one of the better, more personal tracks on the project.<em> “I feel so close but feel so far away”</em> is the opening line off this one. Lines like that and <em>“I know a change gone come”</em> make this one relatable in a lot of ways. On the flip side, tracks like <em>Yourself, Sleepin’</em> and <em>Wolf</em>, feel more like album fillers and just didn’t hit home the way they should have. </p>
<p>Overall, this album has great production from Wop himself and others. It also let’s Wop showcase his bars and he’s getting a lot off his chest here and letting people know he’s not to be played with. This album feels very braggadocios and we all know WopsWorld is one of the more talented artists in the game and it shows on No Mercy. Although a few songs seem a bit repetitive, the album is solid and would have been HEAT if it was scaled back by 4 or 5 tracks. </p>
<p>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span></strong>? The answer is Yes. The project is a 7 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span> <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>7</strong></span> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p>Flame </p>
<p>Pop Off </p>
<p>Back on Road </p>
<p>Head Up/Knocking’ </p>
<p>Bestfriend </p>
<p>Groundhog’s Day </p>
<p>Champ </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System:</strong></span> </p>
<p>1-3 Nope Tho </p>
<p>4-5 Needs Work </p>
<p>6-7 Solid </p>
<p>8-9 Heat </p>
<p>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Classic</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69398252022-04-04T08:59:39-04:002022-04-28T04:42:10-04:00Are The People Talking Or Nah?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/feceff825c92b7d4dd7253b5596d0aa152041cb3/original/divine-cuts.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Artist: Divine C.U.T.S.</p>
<p>Album: The ExtraOrdinary People Talk EP</p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Divine C.U.T.S. released his latest project, “The ExtraOrdinary People Talk EP” this past September. As the title suggests, it’s a 5-pack EP that clocks in a just a little over 17 minutes, so it is a quick listen. </p>
<p>Right away on the opening track, you can easily pick up that New York/East Coast Hip Hop has played a pretty big influence on the Kentucky emcee’s music. “ExtraOrdinary” opens up with classic east coast production that immediately give the nostalgic feel of 90’s hip hop. </p>
<p>The next track, “People Talk”, contains a Ye sample that I think does have potential to be a strong record, but I’m not so sure if the drums really meshed well with the sample. I just seemed a little “noisy” if that makes sense. Maybe if there wasn’t so much going with the drums, the sampled may have landed a little bit better. Although, the premise of the track was a great idea as Divine is a seasoned Barber, and the sample used is Ye stating, “people talk so much sh*t about me at barbershops, they forget to get their hair cut.” So a dope premise, just didn’t land it the way that it could have. </p>
<p>Also, across the entirety of the project, it has a theme of Divine singing the hooks himself, with added autotune. Not to say that it sounds terrible, but they songs may have fared better if there was an actual singer on the hooks without the need for added autotune. A good example of this is on the track, “Keep It Groovin”, to which another Louisville native, Smoke E. Diggrela is featured on. The Grammy award winning, former member of R&B group Playa, and current Dru Hill member lends his vocals to this record and just comes together a little bit better than other records with Divine taking care of the hook himself. </p>
<p>Being honest, overall the project kind of has an outdated feel, and a couple attempts at flipping some classic records that I just don’t think landed all way. All in all it’s not a bad project, but I would say that it does need some work. My Dope Tho rating for this project is a <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">5</span></strong> on the <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span></strong> rating scale. </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span> <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>5</strong></span> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span> </p>
<p>“ExtraOrdinary” </p>
<p>“Keep It Groovin” </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System:</strong></span> </p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-5 Needs Work </strong></p>
<p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69345812022-03-29T09:00:00-04:002022-05-30T18:06:18-04:00How Is Life Of A Wallflower<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/7e57079c699ed3934fbc1d0a11989054b1815f91/original/maxresdefault.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Artist: TrapKingKai </p>
<p>Album: Life of A Wallflower </p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="Thugelina Jolie" data-link-label="Bri Renee and Thugelina Jolie" data-link-type="page" href="/bri-renee-and-thugelina-jolie">Thugelina Jolie</a> </p>
<p>Life of A Wallflower is a 5 track EP, Got to the point type of project. Definitely translates to the listeners, featuring Dillon McCluskey and Joey Phantom. Also why Production by Rob Goodknight. </p>
<p>Louisville Rapper TrapKingKai a Lo-fi/ Experimental Hip-Hop Artist. New EP Life of A Wallflower combines a laidback flow with Honest Word Play along with Lyricism gives a Nostalgic 90s Hip-Hop flow. </p>
<p>I enjoyed this project, It gave us Griselda/Benny The Butcher vibes mix with Dream chasers. Solid production, different flows and cadences. Which made it more enjoyable. The title definitely fits the name of the EP. That definitely gave good insights into the sound of a Wallflower. The Life of A Wallflower EP could’ve benefitted from being a little bit longer. I full length album version seems like it really would have shined brightly. Perhaps that is something to look forward to in the future. </p>
<p>This Project is 8/10 from The Dope Tho crew. Make sure to check out Life of A Wallflower, out now on all platforms. </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rate</span></strong>: <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span> </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span>: Parking Lot </p>
<p>Swerve </p>
<p>Buttered Freestyle (Beat Change was CRAZY!) </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating system</strong>: </span></p>
<p>1-3 Nope Tho </p>
<p>4-5 Needs Work </p>
<p>6-7 Solid </p>
<p>8-9 Heat </p>
<p>10<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> <strong>Dope Tho Classi</strong>c</span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69276202022-03-21T09:00:00-04:002022-03-21T09:00:01-04:00Is Toxic The New Black?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/8f6301002c4781c9f2c1e5041536735e6fe705d7/original/toxic-traits.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Artist: Starlxrd</p>
<p>Album: Toxic Traits</p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></p>
<p>Producer Starlxrd recently dropped his latest project “Toxic Traits” this past December, and is assisted by rappers Jiggah and Mighty to put lyrics to the collection of records he’s put together. The overall project has the feel of a dedication to previous failed relationships while simultaneously also a dedication to the current relationship. </p>
<p>This is evident as soon as the project begins with the opening track, “KIARAS SONG”. Although this isn’t a bad record, I personally wouldn’t have decided to begin the project with this record as it’s basically a mirrored image of Drakes “Papi’s Home”, due to using the same Montell Jordan sample, “Daddy’s Home”. The record begins with the Montell Jordan sample until the beat drops in, identical to the Drake record. So I would have rather had this track either in the middle of the project, or more towards the end. </p>
<p>Being that Starlxrd is a producer, he tasked rappers Jiggah and Mighty with providing the vocals for the project. While the rappers aren’t the strongest lyrically, the flow fits perfectly with the vibes of the production. Though, I’m curious as to how it would sound if Jiggah’s verses were laid without the use of the autotune. Mighty’s voice/tone sounds a little more natural with the autotune, and Jiggah’s just wasn’t as strong. </p>
<p>Also throughout the project, at the end of some of the records are small “Toxic” conversations or notable audio from popular social media influencers, which I think is a nice touch to the project to bring home the theme of toxicity. </p>
<p>As to be expected, with this being a project put together by the producer, the production is solid across the board for the entire project, however there wasn’t really a record that stood out against any of the others. The overall feel and sound of the album is solid from start to finish, there just isn’t anything about it that makes it really memorable. </p>
<p>So the question is, is the project good toxic or bad toxic? </p>
<p>The project is definitely solid from front to back, so I give this a <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">6</span></strong> on the <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span></strong> rating scale. </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> <span style="color:#e67e22;">6</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope:</span> </strong></p>
<p>"TEQUILA" </p>
<p>"THE CRUISE" </p>
<p>"MOTION" </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System:</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-5 Needs Work </strong></p>
<p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69199772022-03-14T09:00:00-04:002022-03-14T09:00:02-04:00Are We Ok With An International Notradumbass? <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/0bc8335b6d30a5c3d97b74ed2027abd7ebb84be2/original/notradumbass.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Jake Haw x Edd Bundy</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Album: Notradumbass </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation:</strong> <strong><a contents="King Acklin&nbsp;" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin </a></strong></p>
<p>Notradumbass brings the people a mashup of International Hip-Hop cultures. The collab project features Jake Haw from Guelph, Ontario (Canada) and Edd Bundy from London (United Kingdom). The duo dropped this 8-track project earlier this month and it features a dope Dragon Ball inspired cover. </p>
<p>I hit play and admit, just off title and cover alone, I was skeptical. Even as the <em>Keep It Cool Intro</em> played with that very hip-hop head nodding base line; I didn’t know what to think. The next track, <em>Hyperbolic Rhyme Chamber</em>, is another nod to the Dragon Ball anime series. At track 2 this one seems out of place sequencing wise, but it’s still a surprisingly effective old school posse cut with fast hitting rhymes. I could see a video for this one, albeit expensive, because I would love to see all the MCs coming out of the hyperbolic chamber spitting their verses and fighting Dragon Ball style through the song. </p>
<p><em>Something In The Water</em> is a laid back bop that would have sounded better right after the intro to me, but it’s one of the stand outs on the project. <em>“I wake up to we p%$$y and steak & eggs”</em> is part of Jake’s opening bars on this one (I think its Jake) as he skates us into the joint. <em>Firefly</em> is another hard-hitting joint on here and Edd Bundy shines on this as he spits about being inspired by Big Pun. I mean, I could even hear Pun on this one, he would be proud. </p>
<p>With other joints like <em>Life is Wasted</em> and <em>Broadcasting Live</em>, the artists are definitely inspired by that classic backpack and/or just 90’s Hip Hop era. <em>Wrong or Right</em> feels like a filler, but with only 8 tracks and under 30mins, I can’t knock it too hard. <em>Laying Low</em> is definitely an end of project track, but I feel like the posse cut could have been placed here or somewhere at the end to help close it out. This is a true Hip-Hop old school feeling project, but I feel like it may have too many features that weren’t up to par at times. The project has good production and it would be interesting to see what the 2 main artists have coming next. </p>
<p>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span></strong>? It’s cool and may not necessarily be my cup of tea, but you’ll have to listen for yourself. The project is a <strong>SOLID</strong> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span> <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>6</strong></span> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span> </p>
<p>Something In The Water </p>
<p>Firefly </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-5 Needs Work </strong></p>
<p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10</strong> <strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/69089302022-02-28T10:00:00-05:002022-04-06T00:27:35-04:00Did Love Letters, show Love??<p><span style="color:#d35400;"><strong>Did The <em>'Love Letters' </em>show love??</strong></span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/27097cdb8c7a2164d18c74e013d5ec9c7dac91e0/original/ab67616d0000b27304d11e86198cf1d7044a19fd.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Artist: Codey Mazzoni </p>
<p>Album: Love Letters </p>
<p>Articulation: <em><span style="color:#d35400;">Thugelina Jolie </span></em></p>
<p><strong><em>Love Letters</em></strong> is a 7-song project, Opening with a track entitled <em>‘Ghost’.</em> A Cool melodic sound with a raspy harmonzing vocals that were fitting for the production. </p>
<p>One thing that stood out were some of the songs sound like the others. <em>Love Letters</em> could’ve used more of a variety sound, some of the cadence was used more than once. Which made the project a bit redundant after a while, wished that the hook on <em>‘My Phone’</em> wasn’t as loud. It Does have a rock feel, but don’t think that those lyrics should’ve been yelled. Calmer delivery would get the lyrics across to the listeners better. The production was decent, lyrics for the whole project were fitting. <em>‘Love Letters’ </em>could use a few tweaks, in order for it to be a “Dope Tho”. Switching the hooks up on some of the other tracks would make it a better listening experience. So that the listener can feel the Love from <em>Love Letters</em>.</p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#d35400;">5</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#d35400;">Key Dope:</span> <em>Ghost, All I need is You, One and Only, Waves</em></p>
<p><span style="color:#d35400;">Dope Tho Rating System: </span>1-3 Nope Tho</p>
<p> 4-5 Needs Work</p>
<p> 6-7 Solid</p>
<p> 8-9 Heat</p>
<p> 10- <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/67823132021-10-21T09:00:00-04:002021-10-21T09:54:46-04:00The N8vs deliver Vol. One?<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/44d56033a311de56555f0d4e1648ca2fc9d0695b/original/4.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>Artist: The N8vs </p>
<p>Album: The N8vs, Vol. 1 </p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="ThugelinaJolie&nbsp;" data-link-label="Bri Renee and Thugelina Jolie" data-link-type="page" href="/bri-renee-and-thugelina-jolie">ThugelinaJolie </a></p>
<p>A compilation from The Record label called <em><strong>Kr8vn8vs</strong></em> Records (Pronounced Creative Natives) Founded in 2016 by Hip-Hop Artist <em>Rmllw2llz</em>. </p>
<p>The label signees are: <em>Rob Lee, Fiji Waters, Trapkingkai, Church Friends, Dom Betts, Methodical Wun, W.I.P. (Work In Progress), and DJ DS. This is a group of Elite spitters with one male and one woman R & B singers. In addition to A Alternative Rock Band on the Roster. </em></p>
<p>Let’s get into the project, Opening up with a cypher type track entitled ‘<em>The N8vs</em>’ gave a great introduction of the label. It displayed what each artist has to bring to The <em>Kr8vn8vs</em>, with strong closing bars from <em>Dom B</em>. The flow of the project stood out, providing vibes for the listeners. Holds your attention, rather you’re looking for some dope wordplay or some R & B Smooth. The N8vs compilation has it! </p>
<p>What needed some attention on this project was the R & B Songs. The Hooks could’ve been stronger on ‘<em>Dodging Rain Drops</em>’ sounded kinda dated, The verses from <em>Fiji Waters and Thurgood Bartholomew</em> were dope. On ‘<em>What R We</em>’ song <em>Rob Lee </em>sounds kinda distorted and low. Not sure if that’s what the producer was going for but it did stick out. Also the hook could’ve been stronger. Being this mostly a Hip-Hop project, the hooks and Cadence were good just needs some punching up. </p>
<p>All together the project gets a 8/10 from the ‘<em>Dope tho’</em> Crew. It has replay value and it give the casual listener or the diehard hip-hop heads all types of vibes, 10 track comp Makes sure to check to check The N8vs! Vol. 1 Now Streaming on all DSP’s (Digital Streaming Platform) </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">8 </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: <em>Good Dope, Funkshun, 38 Missed Call, Backwash, Coming Home, Royale with Cheese. </em></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>: 1-3 Nope tho </p>
<p>4-5 Needs Work </p>
<p>6-7 Solid </p>
<p>8-9 Heat </p>
<p>10- <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/67789242021-10-19T09:00:00-04:002021-10-21T12:44:17-04:00Is Hoody Bringing The Nasty Back?<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/9cea8f919e879e4b2a9591a461f52dc57bdff9f5/original/hoody-die-nasty.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Hoody </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Die Nasty </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Hailing from Paducah, KY but now living in Nashville, TN, Hoody is looking to bring back the nasty to rap. His latest project, <span style="color:#e67e22;"><em>Die Nasty</em></span>, is poised to do just that in a classic way. Released September 30th of this year, Hoody went the concept album route looking to pick up the eyebrow raising, booty shaking baton of legends like Uncle Luke and Too Short. This idea seems to have paid off for Hoody as the 14-track project is filled with classic beat and song flips giving listeners nostalgic feelings while bumping new material. Think Tory Lanez and his Chixtape series, but with a more down south feel and more classic musical material. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The album’s <em>Die Nasty Intro</em> kicks off with a classic Project Pat/Triple 6 Mafia sample made even more famous by UGK’s International Players Anthem. This is a dope way to start a project with Hoody rapping about ass shaking and ballers throwing a whole lotta dough. It doesn’t get any more classic than having your granny on your album, which is exactly what we get on the <em>Granny’s Voicemail</em> skit. Granny don’t wanna hear this nasty music. LOL.. </strong></p>
<p><strong>One of the highlights of the project, <em>Don’t Flex</em>, comes on with a flip of Snoop Dogg and No Limit’s Down For My N’s, but the chorus also gives you 8Ball & MJG’s own Don’t Flex. A standout track on this one is <em>Like It Like That</em>, which is a flip on Juvenile and Soulja Slim’s Slow Motion, only to be followed by another classic banger flip, <em>Finer Thangz</em>. Finer Thangz flips the Scarface classic, F%#k Faces. The next few tracks on the project will have people going back to early 2000s with <em>Hoes, Ying Yang </em>and<em> Hot Shit</em>. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Die Nasty definitely lives up to its name. The project is nasty and would make Uncle Look and Too Short proud. Overall, the production is dope and Hoody can spit making the flips on these classic songs worth listening to again. Listeners will feel like they’re down south head nodding to old Cash Money/No Limit tracks listening to Hoody give them hustling, pimpin ass lyrics. He even ends the project strong with another standout track, <em>Fredo World</em> featuring Frenchy Fredo and <em>Boss Moves</em> featuring Lil’ Flip. The latter track gained attention prior to release of the album as many assumed Flip was dissing T.I... </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It <span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span>? The answer is yes; the project is an 8 (HEAT) on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> <span style="color:#e67e22;">8 </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Die Nasty Intro </strong></p>
<p><strong>Don’t Flex </strong></p>
<p><strong>Like It Like That </strong></p>
<p><strong>Finer Thangz </strong></p>
<p><strong>Fredo World </strong></p>
<p><strong>Boss Moves </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-5 Needs Work </strong></p>
<p><strong>6-7 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>8-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/67667832021-10-05T12:55:55-04:002021-10-05T12:56:26-04:00What's stressing A. Jamison?<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/5bbcf58a1b1ef87e3886837ce0192d2381b54798/original/img-0799.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Artist: A. Jamison </p>
<p>Album: Blood Sacrifice</p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="Thugelina Jolie" data-link-label="Bri Renee and Thugelina Jolie" data-link-type="page" href="/bri-renee-and-thugelina-jolie">Thugelina Jolie</a> </p>
<p>An Artist by the name of A. Jamison has a new Project entitled ‘Blood Sacrifice’. A short EP of 5 songs that tells his story to the listeners. It starts with a song entitled ‘Friends’, a diss to Fake friends/ Haters/ Friends turned enemy. About betrayal from Fake friends, being down and out without anyone to care. The hook was catchy and easy to remember, it gave a Kid Cudi/Travis Scott vibe. Emo rap with a little bit of singing; very relatable. The next track is a Trap bounce/Rock song titled ‘Filthy’. About being around people he can’t trust, which makes him wanna do them filthy in turn for how they crossed him. And also being filthy with the ladies. The only complaint here is that the hook could’ve been stronger, the production is really dope. </p>
<p>The EP transitions well into a track titled ‘Church’. A song that was about being brokenhearted by a girl who doesn’t see her fault. The track Has a Trippie Red vibe, with a crazy beat switch at the bridge and switched back into the original beat. Most will absolutely love the switch up on church. </p>
<p>Another good transition into a song titled ‘Ghost’ and we're on a roll. The beat definitely fitting to the lyrics, about feeling like he’s being haunted by his past relationships and enemies trying to reach out to him to get him back from the sins of his past. Also another fitting song that flows good over the track. Last song of the project is titled ’Sage’. It ties the whole project all up nicely. He touches on the Album title ‘Blood Sacrifice’. How he feels that burning sage will keep all of the bad and negative vibes away from him. </p>
<p>Overall a solid project. A few hooks could've used some polishing and strengthening. Save for overuse of the same cadence on multiple tracks and repetitive adlibs the project is a strong one. A. Jamison certainly showed potential for growth in his future projects and his artistry. Make Sure to check out ‘Blood Sacrifice’.</p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">7</span> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>:</p>
<p>Church</p>
<p> Friends</p>
<p>Ghost</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>: </p>
<p>1 - 3 Nope Tho </p>
<p>4 - 5 Needs Work</p>
<p>6 - 7 Solid </p>
<p>8 - 9 Heat </p>
<p>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Classic</span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/67490262021-09-17T09:00:00-04:002021-09-17T09:00:02-04:00So What's The Scenario With Nova? #ACTION<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/1bedfc51087306f55a1396b6b38ff086b6f96885/original/mr-nova-scenarios.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Mr. Nova </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Scenarios </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Louisville, KY artist, Mr. Nova, is back on people’s neck with his new project, <span style="color:#e67e22;"><em>Scenarios</em></span>. The project was released last week (09/09/21) after about a year of teasing fans with the single Made, snippets of tracks he was working on and blazing one of DJ Slikk’s Booth Action episodes. The 14-track project contains no features, its produced, written and performed all by Nova himself. His work ethic should be unquestioned as he’s been doing this for a number of years now. He produced the platinum track Twerk by the City Girls and has worked with several other notable artists. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Nova’s last release was 2018’s <a contents="No Filter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://butisitdopetho.com/blogs/album-reviews-4acc892d-94d2-4c0a-a3b6-75ffc90d7588/posts/mr-nova-no-filter" target="_blank"><em>No Filter</em></a> and that project found him moving out of his comfort zone. Three years later, Scenarios finds Nova well suited in his own zone focused on himself. <em>Confident</em> is the lead track and it’s definitely appropriately titled as Nova spits, “I’m a set this shit off right”, which is exactly what he did. It’s a very braggadocios track with catchy hard-hitting production that everybody should listen closely too in these days and times. People are truly uptight and need to have some damn fun; maybe they need to get their confidence up. The next track, <em>Fck it Up</em>, pretty much gives you the intent on what the artist planned to do with this project. </strong></p>
<p><strong>“Nah, Nah, Nah” chants Nova on one of the standout tracks, <em>My Square</em>. Basically, he’s letting all the haters no they can’t knock him off his square and the only competition is with the man himself, Nova. Does Nova really have these artists bent out of shape; maybe he does? The man can be found comfortably going from sharp lyrics to singing on this track. This is the case on the entire project. From bouncing partying songs like <em>Exit</em>, where Nova is still letting people know that they can get gone if they’re not ready to be there with him in the trenches, to the fat ass tribute, courtesy of a 2PAC sample, <em>Pass Out</em>. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Pass Out may be the prep song for the ladies portion of the album. The reason is because Nova gets into his wine/dim the lights zone with heat like <em>Sweet Marcella, Back Seat</em> and another standout, which might have been his lead single, <em>Made</em>. After this zone, Nova hits us with bangers like the Nipsey inspired <em>Cause And Effect</em> and then <em>What Talk</em>. Nova actually lets us know the beat for Cause and Effect would have definitely gone to the late great Nip if he was still with us. When you listen to this one, you can hear and feel like we missed out on another great Nipsey banger. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Scenarios shows us that a lot of different scenarios probably led to this project finally being released. It seems like Mr. Nova has or had a lot going on in his life and getting this out could be a huge relief. The project boasts great production with variety that should leave listeners satisfied. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It <span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho</span>? The answer is yes; the project is a 9 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and maybe thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> <span style="color:#e67e22;">9</span><span style="color:#d35400;"> </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Confident </strong></p>
<p><strong>My Square </strong></p>
<p><strong>Pass Out </strong></p>
<p><strong>Sweet Marcella </strong></p>
<p><strong>Made </strong></p>
<p><strong>Cause And Effect </strong></p>
<p><strong>What Talk </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66736782021-06-29T06:56:46-04:002021-06-30T09:00:04-04:00Billy Jumpmane Explains His Purpose<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/21eab786b6fcffd139d876c9a293210e36d97552/original/billy-jumpmane-purpose.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Billy Jumpmane </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Purpose </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Columbia, Tennessee’s own Billy Jumpmane released <em>Purpose</em> back in December of 2020. The album consists of 13 tracks and the lead track, <em>Mark</em>, has Billy rapping/singing about how he’s going to leave a mark on this world and we’ll never forget him. Although the track seems very low energy, in hindsight it flows with the title and feel of the project, thus making it an ok opening track. <em>Down Bad</em> comes on and the background melody immediately reminds of Usher’s U Remind Me song. Its an upbeat track that fits well with Jumpmane’s rappy/singy style, the same popular flow used today by many artists. It’s a vibe type song about how people, especially these chicks, want to see him down bad, but he aint having it. </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Fed Up</em> might be the standout track on the album. With a bouncy type beat, good chorus and good feature to help the track, this one will have you bopping your head. The next few tracks aren’t bad, they just seem to bring the energy down a bit and just as you think you’re getting a feel of Billy Jumpmane, you’re also caught up in the features. <em>Still Here</em> is good song, but it reminds me of another song I’ve already heard before. Another standout track is <em>No Heart</em> and this one is just Billy Jumpmane on his own finding the perfect blend of styles as he skates on this track. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall, this is a solid project. The album is not bad, production is good, but its feature heavy and doesn’t separate itself from the pack of other artists out today. This is not a hinderance is some cases as the style and sound is very popular, but it’s also hard to know what makes you want to go to Billy Jumpmane vs anybody else. On that same note, you definitely can hear Mr. Jumpmane’s music in one of these Tidal or Apple Music new era playlists. Just like the track on this album, Billy is trying to find the right <em>Harmony</em> for his musical balance. I would love to hear him with less features so he can properly shine. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is its cool; the project is a <span style="color:#e67e22;">6</span> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and maybe thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong>:</span> <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">6 </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope: </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Down Bad </strong></p>
<p><strong>Fed Up </strong></p>
<p><strong>Still Here </strong></p>
<p><strong>No Heart </strong></p>
<p><strong>Purpose </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System: </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10</strong> <strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66401312021-05-25T22:44:40-04:002021-12-21T14:33:33-05:00A Tilt to the Crown is in Order<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/a47dd2e58e2e600b3c049938e322ff2ff74e46a2/original/ab67616d0000b2735f9320bc18d80d2f85b7edbf.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Mister 24:7</strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Tilt The Krown</strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Louisville based artist Mister 24:7 released his first project, “Tilt the Krown” this past April, and for it to be his first full project release, he really did hit the mark. The first track, “World’s Greatest Intro” has a really vibed out feel to it, with a soulful sample of Musiq Soulchild’s “Love”. It has almost an early “Kanye-esque” feel to it. And although it he doesn’t have any vocals on it, it’s still a pretty dope beginning to the project. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Across the entire project, he does have some pretty solid production, but from listening the project it could use a little bit better mixing and mastering, then the production could go from pretty solid to top tier. This is probably the most evident on the track Titled “Blessed”. It’s still a solid song on the project, however if the levels on the track were more balanced, then it could be one of the stronger songs on the project. </strong></p>
<p><strong>One of the biggest areas of improvement I would carve out is the hooks throughout the project. And this isn’t a dig, because it’s not easy to make consistently good hooks for songs as that is a special talent in of itself, but his hooks do leave a lot to be desired. A few of the songs like “South 40 Story” and “K.I.N.G.” would really benefit from maybe getting a vocalist to sing the hooks. Or at the least, implement maybe a slight auto-tune to smooth out his vocals a little. </strong></p>
<p><strong>One of my favorite tracks on the project is “PSA”, which is almost like an interlude, and this is where he ties in the project’s title, to the actual project itself. It’s almost genius, because I was not expecting the way that he was going to tie it all together. I won’t give out the particulars, because I think the listener will gain greater appreciation for it by hearing the first time without knowing the actual content of the track. So make sure to go and give this one a listen. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall the project does bring the heat with the the production, the overall vibe is also dope, and not to mention Mister 24:7 is definitely spitting throughout the entire project. So at the end of the day, we want to know, is it Dope Tho? My answer is, it’s definitely a dope project, and I give it an <span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span> on the Dope Tho Scale. Take a listen and let us know what you think... </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> <span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span> </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope:</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>PSA </strong></p>
<p><strong>Tilt the Krown </strong></p>
<p><strong>For The People </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System:</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66396752021-05-25T12:46:31-04:002021-05-25T16:44:53-04:00Do The Laws of Motion Get You Moving?<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/f6bcff60663db1c5642c837706a068f14a166b26/original/yons.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Yons </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: The Laws of Motion</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Florida raised, Kentuckiana based artist Yons, dropped a 6 piece on us earlier this month. His project, the Laws of Motion, is 20 min soulful effort with great production. Yons has done production work for a number of artists and did not slouch on his own project. The first track, <em>The Walk</em> featuring Otis Junior, sounds like Otis Redding singing to us on a soulful produced introduction to the project. <em>Loco Motives</em> is a good song stuck in between two standouts on this project. <em>Inspiration</em> sounds like it has an orchestra behind it and is the standout track on the project. The song sounds like its right out of a Chance the Rapper project or at least you think he would come on at any minute to drop a verse. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The next track, <em>Feel Good</em>, comes on and the first thing you hear are jazz horns. You can never go wrong with Jazz horns. Yons delivers here with a sharp delivery and up-tempo beat that I’m sure fans will love this one. <em>These Roads Aint Safe</em> is a 70s ish movie type vibe of a song. It’s almost feels like the opening to your parents’ favorite old movie from that time. The short project ends with <em>Parallel Park</em>, a laid-back contagious track where Yons is just spitting bars. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall, this is a good project. It feels like Yons delivered a solid piece of soulful work here with top notch production that helps push the project. In a short period of time, you get Rap, R&B and Soul all in 6 tracks. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is Yes; the project is a <span style="color:#e67e22;">7</span> on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span></strong>: <span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>7 </strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span> </p>
<p><strong>The Walk </strong></p>
<p><strong>Inspiration </strong></p>
<p><strong>Parallel Park </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span> </p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66082242021-04-21T09:00:00-04:002021-04-27T10:23:42-04:00Tez Is Here To Motivate You; Are You Ready?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/fce7d2d63c6a7b166986b80ba3ce21a0787acc81/original/tez-whats-your-motivation.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Tez </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: What’s Your Motivation </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin&nbsp;" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin </a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Louisville’s own Tez of 2Deep released What’s Your Motivation at the top of 2021 right before Black History Month and I’m not sure if he meant to start off BHM pushing Black Excellence, but the content of this project does just that. Tez starts the project off letting you know he’s in his bag with<em> In My Bag</em>, and the beat here is something that sets the mood off right. Good production and Tez’s melodic chorus will have you in the zone. So, if you missed the jewels dropped on the opening track then <em>Great</em> comes right out and smacks you with it. It’s really all about being great and knowing your worth. These are the words that all our black kids need to hear each and every day. Hell, all ages can apply this to their life. This is what I mean by black excellence. Tez artistically put together a dope song here and does it again with <em>Black Boy Joy</em>. “They try to tear us down, but I got Black Boy Joy.” Man, listen, all of us boys and Men should have Black Boy Joy and pride. Pride, be proud that you’re Black. Tez definitely shows he is and this track is one for all us to enjoy. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Now one of the last tracks on the project is <em>BLM</em> and if you can’t figure that one out its BLACK LIVES MATTER. I think its self-explanatory here but Tez talks about all the protests going on in Louisville and across the country due to the unjust killings of all our beautiful black people at the hand of these thugs that are supposed to “protect & serve”. “I’m so mad, I want to fight, want to scream, want to cry. We can’t video no more. Wrong is wrong, protect my life” these are lyrics spit by Tez reflecting how so many of us across the country feel. </strong></p>
<p><strong>I mean, this though, is only a part of the project. The other half gives you a feel of Tez himself. Tracks like <em>Real or Fake</em>, <em>Mean What You Say</em> and <em>Truth Is</em> shows you that Tez is who he is and that’s not gonna change. Where he’s at in this process called life and this music is the path, he’s chosen so get with it or move on. If I had to criticize this project then maybe I would say a couple of songs could have been left off and Sasha Renee saved the <em>Who Got It</em> track with her feature. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall, this is well put together project. I dig it. Production wise and lyrics. Honestly the biggest standout is the content of this project. Be great, stand up for yourself, be motivated. Truth is Tez thinks he’s cold and that’s all that matters, aint no in between. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is YES. The project is a 7 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> <span style="color:#e67e22;">7 </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Great </strong></p>
<p><strong>Black Boy Joy </strong></p>
<p><strong>Truth Is </strong></p>
<p><strong>BLM </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho <br>4-6 Solid <br>7-9 Heat <br>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66080682021-04-19T09:37:23-04:002021-04-19T09:38:50-04:00Certified Dope or Certified Nope?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/1a1b38fb7c631b91f0b492096821459206827230/original/dopelondon-certified-dope.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Dope London</strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: #CertifiedDope</strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The western Kentucky (by way of Arkansas) rapper Dope London dropped her latest effort “#CertifiedDope” in November of 2020. Now the question is, is the project’s name applicable to this body of work? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Right off the bat it starts out strong with the perfect track to set the tone of the project, and also let you know if you aren’t already familiar, that she can actually RAP rap with the opening track “Smoking Dick”. Dope London is able to show off both her lyrical prowess, and ability to switch up between different flows, and this is especially evident on the track “BigDot”. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Within the first few bars of “BigDot” I realized that I currently was sporting the ugly face as an involuntary reaction to the bars Dope London was spitting out. This is were you realize that she is vying herself to be mentioned as one of the top woman emcees in the region. But not only were her bars dope, but her change up in flow multiple times during the song give it an added showmanship factor. It’s all around the best track on the album. However the album does take a step back on the following track. </strong></p>
<p><strong>At the expense making a bad pun, this project does kind of take a back seat on the track entitled “BackSeat” featuring Parana Prob. The autotune use sounds way too “strong” and gives the track the sound of a “local” record. With the autotune being so heavy, it’s also almost impossible for me to even get a gauge on Parana Prob who is featured on the song. It’s almost as if I can barely hear him under the autotune, and with all those things together, the song sounds out of place with the rest of the songs on the project. If the autotune was removed from the track, or even just toned down a lot more to only have a slight voice correction, this song could also be one of the stronger records on the project. If not for this, this project could be close to a flawless body of work. </strong></p>
<p><strong>However, even with the miss on “BackSeat”, overall this is still a very strong project with everything considered. The production is on point, lyrics are as well, and the flow is stellar throughout the project. Dope London named the project “#Certified Dope” and she definitely hit the mark for the that namesake. My rating for this project is a 7. </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span><span style="color:null;">:</span> <span style="color:#f39c12;">7</span></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#f39c12;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Smoking Dick </strong></p>
<p><strong>BigDot </strong></p>
<p><strong>Jokes On You</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#f39c12;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66080592021-04-19T09:01:15-04:002021-10-15T15:19:20-04:00Election Season is over, so there’s “No Debate”<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/b0397a808507de0482802879da38755ca7897e81/original/young-block-no-debate.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Young Block</strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: No Debate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="DJ Suspence" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">DJ Suspence</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Young Block just dropped his latest project in March titled “No Debate”, and literally there is no debate on whether this is a dope project or not. He starts off with an interesting intro to the project. There’s a few different clips patched together, but my favorite is a clip of guys basically debating their ratings for the project, which makes the intro pretty enjoyable. However the one thing I would say about the intro is that it may be a tad too long. The intro is almost a full 2 minutes long, so I would suggest maybe trimming it to maybe a minute or under, and it would be perfect. But it’s still definitely an enjoyable listen. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The first actual song on the project, “No Debate” - the namesake of the project - is a very strong track to start the project off with. The production is absolutely amazing! The song gives off a DJ Premier produced feel that you can sit back and imagine the likes of Jay-Z rhyming over, but with the way Young Block rhymes over the beat, you don’t even remember that you had thought about Jay-Z on the song at all. Young Block really holds his own, not just on this record, but over the entire project. Which is why it was refreshing that he only has one feature by SRG Bandino on the record “Chasin’”, which is definitely a strong record. On “Chasin’”, Young Block shows that he can put together a club/radio record with the best of them. You could easily imagine listening to this one on the radio or vibing to it at your favorite club spot. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Another strong suit Young Block shows on this project is the ability to switch up his flow to fit the production style of each record. A shining example of this is the song “Spin The Block”. This particular record has more of a “Street Record” feel, and he knocks it out the park. Young Block really does provide multiple different vibes on this project and he really nails each one. But the real gem on the project is the final song “Real Rap”. Every track on the project has amazing production, but “Real Rap” is out of this world! Imagine a combination of Just Blaze melodies and old Kanye West samples, and you’ll get a picture of the sound of this record. What also makes this record great is you can really feel the emotion that was poured into this song. And that’s something that’s not easily attainable. </strong></p>
<p><strong>There isn’t a bad song on this project and every record is a strong one, which isn’t really common. Add in amazing production across the entire effort, lyrical skill, and dope flow, this is easily one of the best projects I’ve listened too in all of 2021. My rating for this project is an 8.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span> </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>“No Debate” </strong></p>
<p><strong>“Chasin’” </strong></p>
<p><strong>“Real Rap”</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span><span style="color:#000000;">:</span><span style="color:#f39c12;"> </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/66075492021-04-19T09:00:00-04:002021-04-19T09:00:03-04:00Is Jglove Misunderstood?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/26a5ab14246f38319ed908b1678d28ccc5ea5ba0/original/jglove-im-misunderstood.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Jglove </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: I’m Misunderstood </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin&nbsp;" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspence" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspence">King Acklin </a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Haymarket, VA artist, Jglove dropped his project, I’m Misunderstood, the day after Thanksgiving. I think it’s the perfect title for this project because I didn’t understand how this was supposed to satisfy my earbuds after a good holiday. Let me first say that you can hear the talent is there, but this project just didn’t hit with me. Jglove sent over a very detailed e-mail giving great context to the project and descriptions on each track. He’s an artist that is still growing and that includes working on his mental health. Now hopefully this doesn’t dissuade against growth and working on your mental health. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Standout tracks like <span style="color:null;"><em>Payphone</em></span> and <span style="color:null;"><em>Way Up</em></span> are overshadowed by tracks that just lack energy and good production like <span style="color:null;"><em>Need Me</em></span> and <span style="color:null;"><em>Look Up at The Sky</em></span>. Payphone isn’t full of energy but its just a good vibe of a song from a groovy aspect. This is the one where Jglove shines along with the <span style="color:null;"><em>Know Myself (Interlude)</em></span>. He gets busy on Way Up with the lyrics. The thing is, as Jglove described, you can see growth in this project because it does get better towards the end. I was being funny in the beginning of this review, but I’m Misunderstood is a good title for this project. You can tell the artist is going through a lot and getting this out musically was a great therapeutic exercise for him. He needs to continue to grow and if music is his release then I’m the last person that will tell him to stop doing that. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall, this project musically and lyrically wasn’t it for me. He could have cut 2-3 tracks from this one. Recommendations would be to work on the production side, find a stronger voice and direction. Again, this comes with growth as an artist and person. You can tell that Jglove is doing just that. Keep pushing; I love to hear people, especially black men, discussing mental health. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is its technically decent or solid according to the Dope Tho Rating System. The project is a 4 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and maybe thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span></strong>: <strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">4 </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Payphone </strong></p>
<p><strong>Know Myself (Interlude) </strong></p>
<p><strong>Way Up </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System: </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65509672021-02-24T21:00:00-05:002021-04-06T16:51:10-04:00Priddyboy Fev shows us how to Quarantine & Khill<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/4c9ca4d121bc47232f1af3e436a88f186f177f82/original/img-8278.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Priddyboy Fev </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Quarantine & Khill </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Priddyboy Fev, originally from the Windy City of Chicago, but currently residing in Louisville, KY served up this project back in November. Quarantine & Khill definitely holds true to the social distancing of this pandemic we’re currently in and thus the inspiration for the project title. “Keep your f$% mask on and stay away from me, this shit is real. Matter of fact stay home, nigga, Quarantine & Khill” is one of the last lines from Where’s My Kup. This is a standout song from the project along with Don’t Need You. Fev spits bars about not needing people, so basically stay at least 6 feet from this man, LOL. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The short project checks in under 22mins, so Fev doesn’t have time to throw a fluff/filler track in there, which happens with No 9-5. It feels like these songs don’t fit in with the project and it’s not like Quarantine & Khill is all about COVID-19 but taking in the project as a whole, it felt like this one didn’t work. Even with tracks like Kamel Klutch and Whoa, which round out this 7-track project; they come in and give you a good bopping trappy vibe. Good production and ad libs help on these two. In a short amount of time, Priddyboy Fev gives us a good mixture of sounds. Pandemic Bars is what the Quarantine & Khill project is giving us so stayed masked up. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is its solid. The project is a 6 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and maybe thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">6</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Where’s My Kup </strong></p>
<p><strong>Let Me Know </strong></p>
<p><strong>Don’t Need You </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65509252021-02-24T04:00:00-05:002021-09-25T04:43:01-04:00Tunnel Movement shows us how to Overcome<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/cebe87f7f7bfc3f15a7e7364355dc5e0a8995433/original/img-8279.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Tunnel Movement </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Overcome</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Chicago artists Kwote and Noah combine to form the group Tunnel Movement. The duo released their latest project, Overcome, in December and it would seem they’re hoping to do just that. Tunnel Movement seems to be a group with a funnel of style coming in from classic hip hop groups like Mobb Deep, Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples and then a little bit of Griselda. Even with these influences, Tunnel Movement manages to push their own identity through. </strong></p>
<p><strong>With hard rhymes over classic hip hop inspired beats, Tunnel Movement delivers for those listeners not knowing what to expect and for fans already familiar with the duo. We Gotta Talk, is your classic older head trying to have a man to man talk and give a youngster some game about life and these streets. “Cause I understand what it is trying to grow into a man. So just focus, cause out there, a lot of cats is bogus.” The group explores some “real talk” on this project and that’s even more evident on Bad Day, where the artists masterfully gives us their thoughts on struggling with life’s problems while at the same time thinking about suicide or just dying in general. “I’m trying my best to make it; hide the darkness inside. I’m trying to stay happy while they eat me alive. It’s hard AF to stay out my psyche, but I know there’s a million others just like me.” Mental Health, including anxiety is a serious issue to deal with and its refreshing to hear more artists and people in general opening discuss it. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Tunnel Movement’s sound is almost perfect for an Alchemist produced track or two. Venturing out and trying different production on future projects is something that would great to hear from them. With standout tracks like The Reckoning and The One, it’s clear they already have a good foundation. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is its solid. The project is a 7 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">7</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>We Gotta Talk </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bad Day </strong></p>
<p><strong>Father Figure </strong></p>
<p><strong>The Reckoning </strong></p>
<p><strong>The One </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Official</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65509232021-02-24T04:00:00-05:002021-04-06T16:52:01-04:00So Sincere reads from The Book of David<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/31b046eeda23d82fe17de938ff60e5edf6af5797/original/img-8277.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">So Sincere</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">The Book of David</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Louisville’s own and Mighty Central High School Alumni, David Jarman, AKA, So Sincere dropped his latest effort back in September. The Book of David provides a personal look into Sincere’s life as well as life in general. In 2018 So Sincere dropped Sincerely Yours, and whether you rocked with that project or not, the Book of David is a step up. So Sincere definitely moves things in the right direction flow and production wise on this project. </strong></p>
<p><strong>It’s easy to tell So Sincere’s favorite eras of music and that just lends to the artist’s creative personality on this project. Even if the Lil Wayne sounding track, I’m Livin, is too much homage, its quickly forgivable when the 2PAC, Keep Ya Head Up sample on Unbreakable Bond comes on. For you youngsters, 2PAC samples Zapp’s “Be Alright” but you could put your money on the fact that So Sincere had PAC in mind on this one. The track is heartfelt rap song about unbreakable bonds in a relationship that could be similarly felt like its predecessor. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dopeboy 2.0 is your typical bumping neighborhood dope boy song about a young man that could resist the call of the streets. Standout track, Testify, features another classic sample, this time from UGK and features a slew of artists including fellow Mighty Central High School Alumni, Sly Still-On and an appearance from Young Bleed (Yeah, you read that right, Young Bleed). “Vapor Max Soft Walking/Balmains, I need a coffin. Fresh to death, I drop jewels when this playa talking.” With a number features on this one So Sincere is the standout rhyme spitter but Sly Still-On’s chorus is very memorable </strong></p>
<p><strong>If you looking for a track to just showcase bars then Grind is your cup of tea. No disrespect to the featured artist, but at this point on the project you would almost wish it was just So Sincere on the song. As much as he shines on old school vibe songs like Remember Me, Sincere is much better just taking a beat and not letting anything influence his flow. The homage paid to the sounds and artist he loves is commendable and respected but one would hope he doesn’t overdo it. </strong></p>
<p><strong>So Sincere falls somewhere between 98/99 Hot Boys and a 2000s conscious rapper. This project properly mixes all of this along with up-to-date production and flows that would appear to make up who the man is today as an artist. With a title like The Book of David, who would have expected anything less. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is YES. The project is a 8 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>The Prelude </strong></p>
<p><strong>Unbreakable Bond </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dopeboy 2.0 </strong></p>
<p><strong>Testify </strong></p>
<p><strong>Grind</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating Scale</span>:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid</strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat</strong></p>
<p><strong>10 Dope Tho Official</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65510392021-02-17T04:00:00-05:002021-02-17T13:58:48-05:00Divine C.U.T.S. gives us his Thoughts Out Loud<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/feed7176b9855d1d8abc56a9e8ff77fe139ee062/original/img-8147.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Divine C.U.T.S </span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Thoughts Out Loud</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby </strong></p>
<p><strong>This 5 song EP by Divine C.U.T.S. has a dope concept and positive vibes. "Thoughts Out Loud", which is the name of the 1st song, is the perfect title for the project because Divine is basically telling us about all the thoughts going on in his head. He talks about depression, self medication, PTSD, anxiety, therapy, being socially awkward, suicide and how his mother's death still affects him all in the 1st song. He's also a barber who owns a barbershop so he speaks on how COVID-19 affected his business. I enjoyed this song a lot. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The 2nd and 3rd songs are geared more toward the ladies. H2L (Hold Me Down) is about him being busy on the grind cutting hair and his woman is complaining about him not spending enough time with her. There's another artist featured on the song who raps about how his woman wants a man with a 9-5 instead of a man in the streets, but still complains about him working all the time. In "A Better Man" Divine also talks about cutting so much that it's causing problems in his relationship. The chorus, sung by Smoke E. Digglera from the R&B group Playa says, "I'm tryna be a better man, doing the best that I can, girl I want you to know, that it's a part of my plan, if you just take my hand, girl I will give you my heart, girl I want you to know, that nothing can tear us apart," so if she just stays by his side and is supportive things will work out. </strong></p>
<p><strong>I really didn't care for "Hurt People, Hurt People" because he used auto tune on majority of the song and his flow was very basic. I think it would've sounded better with no auto tune at all. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The final song, "I'm Still Here (Wewillwin)" is favorite song and his a dope video to go along with it. It sounds like a church anthem that makes you wanna clap, dance and throw your fists up! It starts off with a clip of what sounds like a preacher talking about the pandemic and how Jesus can calm the storm. It ends with the audio of Kenneth Walker calling the police after the police killed Breonna Taylor. The video shows a lot of visuals and clips from the protests, which I had already envisioned in my head before I even watched the video. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall "Thoughts Out Loud" is a good project with a lot of positivity and good vibes. We need more of that especially right now with all the racial inequality and innocent black people who have been murdered by the police. I give the project a Dope Tho rating of 7. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">7</span> </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>I'm Still Here </strong></p>
<p><strong>Thoughts Out Loud </strong></p>
<p><strong>A Better Man </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65448732021-02-17T03:00:00-05:002021-08-14T13:26:56-04:00OC from NC teams up with D.R.U.G.S. Beats to give us Crown Royal<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/f83d1a6b3b8cade5fd2919a5b28e44f779cf0e42/original/img-8276.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">OC from NC</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Crown Royal</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>North Carolina’s own, OC from NC, dropped his latest effort in September 2020, produced entirely by D.R.U.G.S. Beats. D.R.U.G.S. has worked with many artists like Ludacris, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent and Big Boi, so you know the production here was going to be on point. Crown Royal sounds like some classic hip hop in current times. I’ve never listened to OC before this album but I might have to go back to some of his older work. </strong></p>
<p><strong>This album gives you that 90’s Boom Bap underground feeling and you get a ton of 90s pop culture references on Anton Jackson, my favorite track on the project. “Wrestle thugs with one hand, like Mankind. Team Awesome no losses, check the jam time. Stay hood, every crossover was a Shammgod.” These are just some of the bars from the track titled after a poplar In Living Color character portrayed by Damon Wayans. OC has that grimy hard-core rap sound that dominated the rap scene back in the day, predominantly in New York. This is really evident on tracks like Jameson and The Filler featuring rapper S.P.A.D.E... </strong></p>
<p><strong>One of Those featuring Boog Brown and Medal of Honor are 2 tracks on the project that may have you bopping a bit in your car and ready to party even though they’re not party songs; maybe you get your 2 step on. OC from NC gives us a glimpse into his rap life by flexing hard rhymes over dope underground beats. If I had to criticize anything, I would say maybe next project give u a little more variety on the tracks. The thing is, if you’re looking to just put a project on and bump to it right now, then check on Crown Royal. Especially if you like that underground classic hip hop sound. OC and D.R.U.G.S. gives you some horns, Jazz and the boom bap. You can’t go too wrong with that combination. </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is YES. The project is a 7 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">7</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Jameson </strong></p>
<p><strong>One of Those </strong></p>
<p><strong>Anton Jackson </strong></p>
<p><strong>Medal of Honor </strong></p>
<p><strong>OC’s Mood Played by the Players</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65448662021-02-17T03:00:00-05:002021-04-06T16:53:24-04:00IVRY tells us how thing go "In Real Life"<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/f6019ac2fc71df5ac2248e77a62ae5924f018396/original/img-8148.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">IVRY </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">In Real Life</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Louisville’s own, IVRY presents his latest project, In Real Life. This 14-track project dropped in November and is worthy of few more listens from fans out there. The project is very consistent throughout and definitely puts IVRY in the same lane of these artists we’re hearing getting radio spins today. Tracks like Took My Chain, Say Less, Got My Back and I Can Rap can easily be slid in between artists like A-Boogie and Gunna right now. Another talented artist on the scene that I had no clue about before listening to the project for this review. </strong></p>
<p><strong>On Nite, IVRY gives us a smoothed-out track featuring artist 422 sounding a bit like Young Thug with out all the extra Thugga Thugga. My favorite track on the project, Myself, is the vibe of the album. IVRY gives us one to just ride and vibe to as he gets reflective getting out there and getting it because in the end, he just needs himself to make it happen out here. Run this one back. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall, the album has solid production on some good quality songs plus IVRY delivers with the bars. I would love to see IVRY switch the flow up just a little bit more on the next project and/or see him gives a little more variety. I could hear someone say that a lot of the tracks sound alike, but to me it works for him and shouldn’t be a knock on the project. Plus, at the end of it all, like IVRY’s Grandpops states on Big Ivory, “You Young Gifted and Black!” So, what else do you need. Granddaddy aint no fool. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes. The project is a 6 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">6</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>I Can Rap </strong></p>
<p><strong>Nite </strong></p>
<p><strong>MySelf </strong></p>
<p><strong>Stars</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>:</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><strong>4-6 Solid</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><strong>7-9 Heat</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><strong>10 </strong></span><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Official</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65448592021-02-15T14:00:00-05:002021-02-17T13:58:21-05:00Divine C.U.T.S. gives us his Thoughts<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/feed7176b9855d1d8abc56a9e8ff77fe139ee062/original/img-8147.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Divine C.U.T.S </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Thoughts Out Loud</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby </strong></p>
<p><strong>This 5 song EP by Divine C.U.T.S. has a dope concept and positive vibes. "Thoughts Out Loud", which is the name of the 1st song, is the perfect title for the project because Divine is basically telling us about all the thoughts going on in his head. He talks about depression, self medication, PTSD, anxiety, therapy, being socially awkward, suicide and how his mother's death still affects him all in the 1st song. He's also a barber who owns a barbershop so he speaks on how COVID-19 affected his business. I enjoyed this song a lot. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The 2nd and 3rd songs are geared more toward the ladies. H2L (Hold Me Down) is about him being busy on the grind cutting hair and his woman is complaining about him not spending enough time with her. There's another artist featured on the song who raps about how his woman wants a man with a 9-5 instead of a man in the streets, but still complains about him working all the time. In "A Better Man" Divine also talks about cutting so much that it's causing problems in his relationship. The chorus, sung by Smoke E. Digglera from the R&B group Playa says, "I'm tryna be a better man, doing the best that I can, girl I want you to know, that it's a part of my plan, if you just take my hand, girl I will give you my heart, girl I want you to know, that nothing can tear us apart," so if she just stays by his side and is supportive things will work out. </strong></p>
<p><strong>I really didn't care for "Hurt People, Hurt People" because he used auto tune on majority of the song and his flow was very basic. I think it would've sounded better with no auto tune at all. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The final song, "I'm Still Here (Wewillwin)" is favorite song and his a dope video to go along with it. It sounds like a church anthem that makes you wanna clap, dance and throw your fists up! It starts off with a clip of what sounds like a preacher talking about the pandemic and how Jesus can calm the storm. It ends with the audio of Kenneth Walker calling the police after the police killed Breonna Taylor. The video shows a lot of visuals and clips from the protests, which I had already envisioned in my head before I even watched the video. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall "Thoughts Out Loud" is a good project with a lot of positivity and good vibes. We need more of that especially right now with all the racial inequality and innocent black people who have been murdered by the police. I give the project a Dope Tho rating of 7.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating: </strong></span><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>7</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Key Dope</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>:</strong></span></p>
<p><b>I'm Still Here</b></p>
<p><b>Thoughts Out Loud</b></p>
<p><b>A Better Man</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>:</b></p>
<p><b>1-3 Nope Tho</b></p>
<p><b>4-6 Solid</b></p>
<p><b>7-9 Heat</b></p>
<p><b>10 <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rated Dope Tho.</span></b></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65436852021-02-10T09:00:00-05:002021-04-06T16:53:50-04:00Tyrant gets ambitious with God's Gift.<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/480f83c944fd996e6238f5baea47668117c910c0/original/img-8107.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Tyrant </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">God’s Gift</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articualation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="Dope Tho or Nope Tho" data-link-type="page" href="/dope-tho-or-nope-tho">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Louisville’s own Tyrant, dropped a 6-track project titled, God’s Gift, late in third quarter of last year. The project comes in under 20 minutes, so it’s a short one, but we’ll get back to Tyrant in a minute. This marks Dope Tho album review number 20 for me and with that being said, I might be in a good mood as I write this, LOL. All jokes aside, from what I hear, Tyrant has been making waves out here and God’s Gift doesn’t do anything to make me think otherwise. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Tyrant seems to have his ears to the streets and that’s evident on this project. Like many others, you definitely can tell Tyrant is influenced by HOV and this is evident on Villain and T.a.R. One of the more polished, “this is my single” tracks on the project is Set It Off featuring Lola Lanae. The En Vogue (Don’t Let Go) sampled track is set off even more so by the visuals displayed in the video for the song. Properly displaying some of the recent turmoil in our city of Louisville, this video will definitely help push the track. Lola Lanae is also killing the vocals on this one and Tyrant is giving us that street rap action about how society and these corrupt government officials are treating us black people out here. He’s really touching on what’s going on today. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Tyrant’s God’s Gift is a well produced balanced project. The artist showcases his talents in little time so that makes him very efficient. You get that Louisville vibe from Tyrant and that’s a good thing. We'd like to dig deeper with a longer body of work on his next project. That may give us a deeper look into Tyrant as an artist and bump his score up even higher! “We gonna keep this shit all the way cordial or we gonna purge this bitch.” – Tyrant on Thank God. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is Yes. The project is a 7 its Heat on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: </strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">7</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Villain </strong></p>
<p><strong>T.a.R. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Set It Off </strong></p>
<p><strong>Thank God</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 Nope Tho</strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 Solid</strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 Heat</strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65437032021-02-10T08:00:00-05:002021-04-06T16:54:16-04:00London tells us all about the War On The Streets<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/fc9ffe796ef597e5db11e956f7573b9cb603899e/original/img-8146.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">London </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">War On The Streets </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation:<a contents=" King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense"> King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>War On The Streets is a pre COVID-19 release from London. We still wanted to shine light on it. London is a Louisville, KY artist, by way of Birmingham, AL. Owner of London’s Barbershop in Louisville where it looks like he has dope cuts, but what about the music? I can tell you I wasn’t familiar with London’s work before this album and after listening to his album I still not sure what impression it left. What I do know is that if all London needs is One Life and a Million to get right then War on The Streets might not get him there, especially when comparing his music to 2Pac’s. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The album isn’t bad, it just isn’t anything to run and tell someone about either. It reminds me of just an “OK” haircut. I mean its cool, but “OK” ain't what you wanted for that event you were headed to this weekend. Or “OK” just wasn’t crisp enough for you. All is not lost though, again, its not bad. On Pressure, London is giving us examples of some real-life pressure situations. The Post Maloneish like feature on this one can help you visualize this pressure and relate. All you skaters might love the skaters anthem Sunday Night. London calls out Louisville’s Robben’s Roost and skate spots in other cities like Nashville and Naptown along with some of their skate teams too. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Now I must admit, London does have talent and the production is on point. If She Knew and Riding Heavy are back to back joints that are competing for my favorite track on the album. They both deserve to be played on repeat but I lean towards Riding Heavy slightly as my favorite because you can just fall into the groove of this one while riding out. These joints start the 2nd half of the album and if you were looking for something to make this album stand up a bit then that’s were War On The Streets picks things up a bit. Definitely stronger towards the end, with the track selection and placement as things seem to line up a bit better. Moving forward heat like Riding Heavy, and Pressure will be a great spring board for the type of content London should continue to make, as these are his best and brightest moments. Capitalizing on your best work and building upon it only leads to elevation in your latter work. That's exactly where London could be headed if he follows that blueprint, elevating to new levels in 2021. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is, it’s definitely a Solid effort. The project is a 6 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">6</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>:</strong><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Pressure </strong></p>
<p><strong>If She Knew </strong></p>
<p><strong>Riding Heavy</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope To Rating System</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/65437132021-02-10T07:00:00-05:002021-02-10T14:46:09-05:00Adrian Kniffley keeps it Authentic Still.<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/a48ccefbacb604eba59f6985f67cd938e042788e/original/img-8145.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Adrian Kniffley </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Authentic Still </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p><strong>This project was very refreshing because Adrian is exactly what the title says, "Authentic Still." The 1st song called "Authentic 2.0" breaks down what makes him so authentic compared to everyone else. He mentions several successful rappers that he likes, but isn't influenced by and talks about how most people follow leads and play roles. Originality is less common these days so the fact he's authentic and in his own lane is extremely satisfying. </strong></p>
<p><strong>There's a skit called "Scroll, Scroll" followed by a song called "Disconnected" that are my 2 favorite tracks. The skit and song is about how fake social media is and how people are so caught up in it. He speaks on trolls, fake gangsters, scammers, going live, arguing, debating and pretty much everything else we see on social media on a daily basis. Adrian starts the song off with a quote saying, "social media, a place where people worry about the feedback of people who ain't even gonna be at their funeral," followed by a dope chorus that says, "lately I been feeling disconnected, but I ain't tripping though I wouldn't say depressing, the internet got em gassed up on unleaded, and I ain't with the flexing, I'm trying to bring a check in." Soon as the skit came on, it caught my attention. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Let It Stream" featuring Rob Lee is another favorite. Rob Lee's is an amazing singer so him being featured on the song already let me know this was gonna have more of an R&B vibe and be for the ladies. There's a song called "Do It 4 Real" that has a skit before it with the same title that's also dope. The skit talks about how somebody Adrian went to high school with commented on 1 of his posts asking has he made it big yet, so Adrian asks what does he mean by make it big and he responds back with, "followed your dreams." He goes on to discuss how friends and family always inquire about his music but can't quote a song or chorus of his. He then explains how he doesn't make music to be famous since Rap City and 106 & Park left lol which let's me know he's from the old school like me! He treats music as an art and he's just doing his part, which was quite impressive to me. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Authentic Still" has 13 tracks but 3 of those are skits. They were high quality songs, but some of the choruses could've been better. The lyrics were good but the tone and cadence of the person saying them weren't as appealing. The subject matter is what grabbed me the most because it fits the title perfect. He raps about being authentic and real instead fake, which is also very important to me. Just from listening to this project you can tell that Adrian is really an authentic person who marches to the beat of his own drum regardless of what anybody thinks or says. He never said 1 negative thing on this whole project, which is very rare. "Authentic Still" gets a Dope Tho rating of 8 on our Dope Tho rating scale. Making it Heat for sure!</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: <span style="color:#e67e22;">8 </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Let It Stream</strong></p>
<p><strong>Disconnected</strong></p>
<p><strong>Do It 4 Real</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span>:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/64839822020-11-23T16:45:47-05:002021-08-16T06:56:58-04:00Omnietc invites us all to Gavrille. Are you down to ride?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/285f09e4c8dfa4d563037b22b76435e9134f8e7d/original/img-6377.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Omnietc </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Gavrille </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Omnietc (Spoken as Omni Etcetera) is here with his latest project entitled, Gavrille. It’s a short 7 track effort that includes an Interlude, so technically Omni is hitting us with a 6 pack of actual songs. Omni currently resides in Louisville, KY by way of his birthplace of New Orleans, LA. You don’t get what most would consider that New Orleans accent or sound from Omni on this project on my initial skim through listen, but then again, this project is not one that you need to skim through. Omni feels like an artist you need to sit back and really listen to. On further review he shows glimpses of what us non-Bayou dwellers would consider a New Orleans accent and that musical sound on the tracks must be inspired from his hometown. Plus, let’s be honest, we don’t know every New Orleans inspired sounds. </strong></p>
<p><strong>He delivers some jewels on "Does My Thing" as he sings a catchy hook that helps push the song a bit. Theus Da God steals the spotlight on "AWS" (As We Speak) and the projects gets jumping for me on "Juge". My favorite track on the project, "Juge", is a bit more up-tempo track while also being smooth as hell. Omni rides the beat and raps about a chick knowing exactly what that Juge do, “She know what it do for me”. The Goal closes out Gavrille and much like this project, it’s a short track under 3 minute track. “Get to the goal my guy” is the catchy chorus Omni spits on this one and it about sums up the project. You get the feeling Omni is doing just that. I would love to see Omni spitting with some different production next time around. Unfamiliar and more polished production would push Omnietc over the edge into higher heights musically. Overall, make progress, get right to it. Get to the goal, my guy. Omni did just that on this one. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is it’s a solid effort. Listen now and maybe thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 6</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Juge </strong></p>
<p><strong>The Goal</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope To Rating System</strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho</strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid</strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat</strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/64839462020-11-23T16:42:31-05:002020-11-23T16:42:31-05:00Is Vaygez Blakk really a Bar Queen? Tune in and find out.<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/0203524c5bdfd7dcd0c8dfd84c1588daf055626f/original/img-6378.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Vaygez Blakk </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Bar Queen </strong></p>
<p><strong>I could tell by the first song that Vaygez Blakk was from the east coast and it just so happens that she's from New York. With a flow reminiscent to Foxy Brown and Remy Ma, she's lyrical like the MC's from the late 90's/early 2000's, and uses dope metaphors. On "Who Wants Smoke" she says, "We keep it firm and I'm the young Fox" and also says, "Yes I'm all the way up on my Remy flow," which let's me know they are two of her biggest influences. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Vaygez focuses on the fact that money is her main motivator throughout her music and talks about being a hustler from the streets. She says, "I'm outside bout the hustle and the grind wit nobody by my side, is you still gon ride, when it's time to load them things in the ride, 1 thing to the side, is you still gon ride," in the chorus of "Still Gon Ride" to let us know she's about that life! She talks like she wants the smoke all the time and doesn't back down from anyone or anything. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Out of a 10 track project the majority of it was super enjoyable, but my two favorites are "Shit Now" and "Chikko." I didn't really care for the first song as much when "Shit Now" came on second, I got hype and actually listened to it twice. The beat is hard and Vaygez's flow is immaculate. She switches up her flow quite a bit, which is her most enjoyable factor but the subject matter is basically the same. It would of been nice to hear a love song or even a song about relationships just to show a softer side of Vaygez. This is a solid project and one worth a listen. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho rating: 6</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Shit Now</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chikko</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/64840012020-11-23T16:38:53-05:002021-04-06T16:56:56-04:00Callon B brings us some "Junk MuZik" Want to surf for the hidden substance?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/85624abdf501342887792b3b66519258d99436ea/original/img-6376.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Callon B </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Junk MuZik </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Junk MuZik, the 16-track project dropped in May by Callon B. It starts off with the title track Junk MuZik. This hypnotizing lead joint serves its purposes because you can find yourself nodding away to it despite the fact that you’re not sure if you really like it or not. The thing is, let yourself go, cause its catchy and that’s a good thing these days. After the lead track though I found myself hoping Junk MuZik wasn’t actually Junk Music. I could skip the next 4 songs if I’m being honest. This is until artist Bobby Lee made Callon step his shit up on Zen Lords. After Zen Lords, Callon B and his project picks up. Again, if this track aint your cup of tea, you can’t deny that they start spitting on this one. Stay Learned up and Zenned out. </strong></p>
<p><strong>“The beat vibrates like a bee when it pollinates.” These lyrics from the next joint, </strong></p>
<p><strong>Re-Respiration, breathes life into the project and might be my favorite track if it wasn’t for the very next one. Soliloquies, my favorite track, is a classic B-Boy rap shit from Callon B as he wastes no time getting to the meaningful bars. We got racism, culture vulture and other topics all in this song. Callon masterfully touches on the fact that all music genres were stolen from BLACK people and these closet racists speak the N-Word but then turn around want to sing and dance to hip hop. Whatchu Need sounds like some Trap/3-6 mafia produced mobbing music. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Callon B appears to be a talented artist. He’s the founder of GYB Entertainment and like many local KY artists, he mixes his own work. Junk MuZik is not Junk Music after all, but I would have loved if it was trimmed down a few songs. Callon touches on a lot of life experiences like being fake to the culture due to his skin tone, being a celibate vegan along with many other topics. We appear to get the best music when a featured artist makes Callon B step his game up. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is it’s a solid sounding body of work. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 6</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Zen Lords </strong></p>
<p><strong>Re-Respiration </strong></p>
<p><strong>Soliloquies </strong></p>
<p><strong>Whatchu Need </strong></p>
<p><strong>Troup 270</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating Scale:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho</strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid</strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat</strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Dope Tho Official</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/62785522020-04-10T12:40:07-04:002022-05-31T02:03:33-04:00Linkin Bridge Debut album is here! Can they live up to the hype?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/226e14308b058a211ec43e1f37ce3500e628dea0/original/a8f700e1-b8e5-4f8a-9476-58baaa18cfba.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /><br>Artist: Linkin Bridge</strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Expressions Vol. 1</strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: V. Cash</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ever since their appearance on America’s Got Talent, Louisvillians have been rooting for Linkin Bridge to win. Week after week glued to the tv rooting for the underdogs. After a memorable tv run, shows all over the country, and a line up change we finally got that debut album called Expressions Vol. 1. There are two questions we're all eager for this album to answer. One is after all the epic performances, does the album live up to the built up hype? The second and larger question is does this album explain who Linkin Bridge is exactly? </strong></p>
<p><strong>I'd have to say yes to the hype and not quite to whom Linkin Bridge is as a group. Montre Davis, Shon ”China” Lacy, Ralph “Big Rome” Kimbrough, and newcomer Elliot “The Kid” Nichols make Linkin Bridge in its current form. They weave their harmonies throughout the album effortlessly. They sound great together. They are a wonderful balance of vocals that compliments each other. It’s amazing how each artist gets to shine on each song. It’s rare to see R&B groups these days with this kind of prowess. They got style, they got vibe, and no use of auto tune. They are as impressive on wax as they are in person yet it’s not surprising. There are vibes of The Four Tops, a little Levert, and some Jagged Edge, with their own personas tossed in. This is the R&B from the past in the now. </strong></p>
<p><strong>With that being said let’s get to some of the highlights of the album. Free sets the tone of the album, showing you what to look forward to with a nice little guitar solo. Songs such as ‘In Your Eyes’ and ‘Doing Me’ showcase what they are capable of and when they are at their best. ‘Happy’ is my personal favorite song of the album because it’s very Boyz 2 Men-esque. The only significant flaw in this body of work is never the singing or even the song writing, it’s when they are jumping to different time periods or making world peace tracks that seem out of place on the album and kind of take you out of it. They are not bad songs just don’t fit the album per say. Songs like ‘Josephine’ while solid songs, seem out of place and work to throw off the cohesiveness of the album. They are at their best crooning straight R&B love songs. I do appreciate them speaking on social issues and storytelling. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Listeners will enjoy this album. Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it perfect? No. But it is a great start to a promising career that shows they are more then a parlor trick. They sound great now but they will only get better and in time we may get a classic. Right now the album deserves your attention. With R&B groups these days almost being extinct it’s nice to see talent still floating in the genre itself. I look forward to hearing more from the group. Expressions Vol 1 is Dope Tho. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 7 </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Happy</strong></p>
<p><strong>In Your Eyes </strong></p>
<p><strong>Ready Now </strong></p>
<p><strong>Do You a Want Me </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/62785412020-04-10T12:24:17-04:002021-10-02T14:18:51-04:00BRXTN shows us how he gets the computers 'puting with Computed Emotion.<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/552b425d44b50d71e26280e5968a7021c5e7862e/original/193766da-3429-4187-9115-0980c91aede5.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></strong><br> </p>
<p><strong>Artist: Brxtn </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Computed Emotion </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King AcklinKentucky’s own, BRXTN ," data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a contents="King AcklinKentucky’s own, BRXTN ," data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">Kentucky’s own, BRXTN ,</a> just blessed us with a RONA Care package in these trying times by releasing his latest project. Computed Emotion is a quick listen with just 6 tracks in under 20 minutes. I initially thought BRXTN was just a rapper, but as I got more familiar with his music it became clear he's equal parts Roddy Ricch turnt up rap and Tiller-esque emotional R&B. The comparison here is not mentioned to state Brxtn is trying to copy Roddy or Tiller either, because this project shows Brxtn can hold his own out here. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The lead track Let Go gets things popping with Brxtn clearly letting the listeners know he’s putting it all on the line for this music. Him and his crew are LIT, FLY and they out here trying to make this dream happen. It’s a nice up-tempo radio friendly track that if Louisville’s Local Hip-Hop/R&B radio stations played local artists, would definitely be in rotation. “When I was broke, they wasn’t waiting on me” is the chorus on Down Too Long. This song features an artist by the name of T-Rell who actually sneaks in and stills the spotlight the most on this song. Cruisin’ is an almost trancing melodic song where Brxtn’s spitting some bars but almost seems like a filler, which is fine.. The standout of the project, These Days, features Ph4de and should be added to a DJ’s live COVID-19 slow jam set, LOL. It’s a bop for real. 10 10 almost had me skeptical as it starts off with some lyrics from one of my favorite Ginuwine songs, but Brxtn quickly get his shit off on this one. He sings to a chick that he gonna do all the things her last man wouldn’t do. You know, your typical R&B dude lyrics, but this track jams. My Pain closes us out on this whopping 19:03 length project. It’s a good ending as Brxtn talks about his pain dealing with a love and it not being enough, but this music is going to fill that void. It’s a great tie in to the 1st track to me and does a good job of rounding out the project. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall Brxtn has given us something to listen to and at the end of the day its quality music. Good production and BRXTN’s talent shines on this one. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 7</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>These Days </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 10 </strong></p>
<p><strong>My Pain</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/62785292020-04-10T12:10:27-04:002020-04-10T13:15:12-04:00Peter Wesley is Sorry he stood you up last night. Perhaps you should listen to his reasons why...<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/53d68e7054e5427301b12268a83a9416ff65d11a/original/268e1453-39e7-42a5-9c25-44f8698879aa.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Artist: Peter Wesley </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: Sorry I Stood You Up Last Night </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p><strong>This seven song EP starts off with a voicemail from a woman who is upset because Peter stood her and she mentions that he changes like mood rings, which happens to be the name of the first song. When I first heard Peter's voice and delivery I became discouraged because I didn't really care for it. His delivery is unorthodox and really took some getting used to on my part. I will say it was subject matter and sincerity that caught my attention. He talks a lot about anxiety, depression and mental health. Those are all important topics that people tend to ignore so it was refreshing to hear it being discussed in so many of his songs. He uses different people talking during and in between his songs as voices in his head. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Toxic" is a song where he talks about feeling strange, being manic, making bad decisions and not wanting to talk to anyone. Peter mentions talking to a doctor although he couldn't offer him any options. He has a short temper and feels as though his behavior is toxic. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Fine" is the standout song on the EP. Peter seemed more focused than ever and was flowing to the beat perfectly. Wesley even found time to take a wise cracking jab at one of our writers at Dope Tho who gave what Wesley feels is a less than favorable review. "Wonderful afternoon, on the internet my album gotta bad review, what are you smoking on, writer said I wasn't dope tho, because he's so old, that he don't know about Pokemon." Come on Wesley ageism bars in 2020? Do better man lol. All jokes aside in this Hip Hip arena were some artist see rap as a means to a check it's actually refreshing to see an artist really care about their work.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Even though Peter's not the most lyrical rapper he certainly relatable. New listeners will gravitate toward his vulnerability the things he talks about are much needed, especially in the black community where mental health is often overlooked. He is very transparent, which made it easy to get inside his head and understand how he feels. This may help someone else who is also dealing with these same issues. Peter's songs are very personal he's becoming more confident telling his story. Because of that he deserves a listen. You can hear the growth and confidence for his previous body of work to his latest and you'll enjoy it. "Sorry I Stood You Up Last Night" is a solid EP. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 6</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Toxic</strong></p>
<p><strong> Fine</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/62112212020-02-14T16:57:08-05:002020-02-14T16:57:08-05:00Marti takes us on a train ride through life... all aboard 853!<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/a3f4aeed7ea6b2bd3478f27f37a33d792658201f/original/screenshot-20200214-163229-twitter-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" />Artist:<span style="color:#9b59b6;"> Marti </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Train853</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p><strong>Train853 is a brilliant title for this project because Marti is giving us a vision of his life and how he copes while abusing drugs. Watson 853 is a brand of lortabs and the train symbolizes his emotional journey threw life. He let's you inside his head and you're able to understand the way he thinks. The concept is very dope and unique! Marti's flow stands out because of his groggy, monotone voice and he raps as if he's telling a story or talking directly to you. A lot of his songs sound like poetry or spoken word and you can visualize a lot of the things he says. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Marti's subject matter and delivery has an Outkast or Goodie Mob type of vibe to it. A few of the songs remind me of Kendrick Lamar on "Good Kid, Maad City. I love the production on the entire project. The songs all have a jazzy, slow vibe with some R&B samples. Whenever I hear those type of beats I expect to hear dope lyrics and that's exactly what Marti brings. Most of the songs don't have choruses so he's strictly spitting bars. There are no turn up, hype, club songs at all and that's absolutely fine with me. This is 1 of those bodies of work where you can put on some headphones and just vibe out. I can honestly say I like all 10 tracks and could let it play more than once. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Heavy Heart" is 1 of my favorite songs and was stuck in my head after the 1st time I heard it. "Auntie on the search for meds, ironically I need some too, these my personals, but for her, guess I could spare a few" is just a small sample of the type of the things Marti talks about. I was really impressed by this next verse because it shows exactly what Marti was thinking as this particular incident occurred, "other day I gotta call, my granny said my moms legs went out at the bingo hall, all I think about if a jerk nigga had seen her fall, and knew she had some cash cause she won big on a coverall." </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Selfish" is another favorite where Marti's telling a story about how bums and fiends are always standing outside the store begging as he explains the reasons he shouldn't be selfish. "I understand young blood I'm on my 10th second chance, you gotta couple dollars, could you help me if you can, I know, you're only here to put has in your whip, to make you feel better, what about a drink and some chips, well that's the least I can do, I stare in your eyes and I see me inside of you, everything's sweet but life could hit me hard too," that whole concept and the way Marti flipped it was super creative. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Marti's unique voice and flow, combined with his subject matter and the energy of his production makes him stand out as a rapper. I haven't heard anyone with his sound or vibe in a long time so I was excited to hear something this good from somebody from the younger generation. I'm a new fan and will be looking forward to more music from Marti in the future. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating:<span style="color:#e67e22;"> 9</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: <br>Heavy Heart<br>Selfish </strong></p>
<p><strong> <br><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho</strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid</strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/62112222020-02-14T16:55:33-05:002021-04-06T16:59:20-04:00If the topic is Velvedda, is Big V saucing enough for the masses?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/1e87380af4312ff184f4c15d3841e392901210cd/original/screenshot-20200214-163612-facebook-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Big V</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Velvedda </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Kinston, NC’s own Big V gets right back at us with another project titled Velvedda. This catchy title sounds like he mixed Velveeta and Cheddar together to let us know he’s out there in Carolina trying to get to the damn cheese. This 9-track feature full project often gives more shine to the other artists than it does Big V, but right when you think he can be forgotten about that gritty standout voice of his comes through. Just like the last Big V project reviewed by the Dope Tho team (not reviewed by me though) his voice is the standout of the project, but it almost has to be with so many features. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Velvedda definitely gives you that Hip Hop Head feel so if you don’t feel that 90s era of music you may not appreciate it. Groundbreaking is definitely a track to beat down the block, they got some bars for you too. Keep It Playa is a track has a catchy hook from Big V but I think it could have served us better with Big V actually rapping a verse on it. My favorite joint, Hamstring, uses a Rick James, Mary Jane sample very well. Big V and Milly McJaggurr gives us that classic back and forth but the song aint even 2minutes long… SMH, so disappointed about it that I’m running it back right now as I write this line. </strong></p>
<p><strong>What handicaps this album for me is the production. It doesn’t sound like the project ever finds that right marriage of sound with the vocals (Hamstring is the exception). Almost as if the tracks still need to be fine-tuned at times. So, while it seems likes the songs may have gotten better from his last project, the production didn’t. Overall though, the album further shows Big V is a talented artist as he continues to give us material and Skyzone Society is out here working. Big V probably has another 2 projects ready to drop as we speak. This is a perfect example of someone I would love to hear with other producers and/or engineers. In an era where we want some of these rappers to shut the hell up, we actually want Big V to link with a fire engineer, be stingier with the beats, and give us more of his bars! Now THAT'S saying something.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is that it’s a decent effort. The project is a 5 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now and maybe thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:null;">Dope Tho Rating: </span><span style="color:#e67e22;">5</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Groundbreaking </strong></p>
<p><strong>Keep It Playa </strong></p>
<p><strong>Hamstring </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Dope </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Dope Tho Official</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/60427202019-12-23T18:28:10-05:002021-09-08T13:16:31-04:00So Sincere is firmly and comfortably planted. Can you teach an O.G. new tricks?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/7778e0c605348eccbdee6e89ab16df4ddc37c3fd/original/dopetho-sosincere-albumreview.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /><br><br><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">So Sincere</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Sincerely Yours </span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Ok. I’ll admit it… when I heard the first song "So Louisville" I automatically thought this entire project was gonna have an old school vibe to it. From the way the beat came in to the sound of Sincere's voice and flow on this song, combined with the fact that I already knew the concept of the song. Rappers have been making songs paying homage to the city since the nineties with songs like "Gangsta Walk." Perhaps I am a bit jaded by Louisville homage songs but I didn’t feel this one (list most) brought a new element to the table. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Peeping most of So Sincere's album I felt like I was listening to an artist from the early 2000's. That is up until I made it to the fifth song called "O.G." A standout track. The production is more up to date and Sincere switched up his flow, which gave it more of a bounce, turn up type of vibe. I’d love to here Sincere over more production like this because it really compliments his voice. The very next song is called "Stackin" and because of the beat and the way the base line drops it memorable. Sincere uses a lot of metaphors and has solid wordplay as well. But where I’m dying to see more versatility in his music is with the flow. Make no mistake, Sincere can rap. He would gain so much more by switching his flow which can be a basic early 2000’s flow that doesn't stand out or do his unique voice justice. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Wwyd" is the last song and digs more into Sincere's personal life. It has a laid back, R&B beat with a jazz vibe to it as he walks us through his journey. He dedicates the song to his three kids. Out of seven tracks, three songs really stood out. The rest range between decent and solid, therefore "Sincerely Yours" gets a rating of 5. </strong></p>
<p><strong>UPDATE: I’ve recently had the pleasure of being in a recording session while Sincere and various other artist collaborated on a song. I don’t know who provided the production but it was outside of the production you’d typically hear Sincere on, based on his album. He really shined! New flows, new confidence and he sounded very modern. If he follows a little more of this in his next release he may be onto something Dope! </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: <span style="color:#e67e22;">5 </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Stackin </strong></p>
<p><strong>W.W.Y.D. </strong></p>
<p><strong>O.G. </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#1abc9c;">10 = Rated Dope Tho</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/60427142019-12-23T17:03:16-05:002021-04-06T17:00:16-04:001200 is here to answer the question... Can the good guy rap?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/b31d258f9afc9740cd0103f30bfe72f15ef904a0/original/dopetho-1200-albumreview.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Artist: 1200 </p>
<p>Album: Arsnova </p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></p>
<p>The latest review from me as a part of the #DopeTho crew comes on the Arsnova EP from Louisville’s own 1200. Listen man, my 10th review couldn’t have been on a more seemingly high character individual and that’s outside of being a rapper. Jecorey “1200” Arthur is an educator, classically trained musician, activist, award winner, and rapper. This brings me to the EP, Arsnova. Released in earlier this year, the EP gives us about 30 minutes through 7 tracks of 1200 speaking on a lot of real shit. </p>
<p>You get that Black power feeling right out the gate on Legends. 1200 raps about the BS slave history that schools always push down our kids’ throats, the system killing Dr. King and then African Kings. “You don’t have to read about them, you can be them.” Talk about some relatable shit here people. He also raps about kids saying he looked burnt and they were just mad cause his skin is glistening. I almost wish this one was longer, but I treat it as a dope intro. "Gentrification" lets listeners know off top that 1200 is from West Louisville, but don’t think he’s just here to talk about West Louisville. 1200 shouts out Cotter Homes, Southwick, Clarksdale among other black neighborhoods torn down in an attempt at gentrification. We also hear about how the city is now fixing up Portland but according to 1200, “I guess the black side aint important.” Listen man, we know what this is. The black sides of town don’t get any love until they trying to push us out. So like 1200 raps, we need to get together and buy some blocks. Black empowerment is what we need to see and hear. </p>
<p>On "Youth" 1200 raps he couldn’t do sports because he couldn’t catch but you can catch these hands. LOL. The song is basically about how he’s thankful for making it out of his youth and all that comes with that, while being a young black kid out here. Toward the end of this one he’s gives us a soulful blues like feature that closes the track out well, or at least you think its over because 1200 comes back on with a drill like ending for a few seconds. Decades is probably my favorite cut on here. 1200 paints a movie on this one that too many of our black men have gone through or are currently go through. Stress, drugs, jail, down and out, family, money, etc… 1200 spits “I destroyed my family with the choices I made and destroyed other families with the choices I made.” Hard track here. </p>
<p>Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is Yes. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: 7</p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Key Dope</span>: </p>
<p>Legends</p>
<p>Gentrification </p>
<p>Decades </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span> </p>
<p>1-3 = Nope Tho </p>
<p>4-6 = Decent </p>
<p>7-9 = Dope </p>
<p><span style="color:#1abc9c;">10 = Dope Tho Official</span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/60426982019-12-23T16:45:33-05:002022-03-07T17:26:03-05:00Is Shawn Archer Poised to make it since everyone else won’t? <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/ceffb6f2a15eaac4013786050f246f2de1bc1e96/original/dopetho-shawnarcher.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#9b59b6;">Artist:</span> Shawn Archer </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#9b59b6;">Album:</span> V.Cash Everybody Won’t Make It </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: V.Cash </strong></p>
<p><strong>There have been many great artists to come from the city of brotherly love. Some of my personal faves came from Philly. You"ve got Beans, Freeway, Meek, Uzi Vert, Black Thought, Will Smith, Eve, Cassidy, Left Eye, The list is endless. There is a current new crop of artists coming from that city though, including PnB Rock and Tierra Wack, both are making heavy moves. The question I will pose to you is Shawn Archer destined to follow the same path as some of Philly’s Greats and newcomers? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Shawn Archer is a Philly born artist whose name has been buzzing throughout his city and several other major metro areas. He is signed to SKE records, inspired by the rapper Mase, and doing numbers with latest single ‘Power Couple.’ Shawn’s inspirations can definitely be felt in his music. You can feel a little bit if Ross, of course some Meek, and even a little Yo Gotti. He’s pretty brash and his music can be very braggadocious, yet he balances his topics on the album and can write a really good introspective track. He has that Philly style that you associate with rappers from Philly. It is not so much he sounds like Meek or Beans, but their cadences seem to have some similarities. You will hear it the moment you listen to “Ask Yourself” as he talks about who you want to be as a person. ‘Intro’ channels his inner Meek Mill as he talks about where he is from and drops a nice spoken word piece. Shawn literally speaking his life on “Spread My Wings” and almost in the same breath he talks about hustling to make money on “Hustler’s Prayer” and styling like a dope dealer on “Dope 2.0”. The features on his album "Venomiss" (“Ask Yourself”), D. Jones (“Hustler’s Prayer”), Winston’s Dog (“Kanye’s Ego”), and Mel Alston Jr. (“Spread My Wings”) all do a good job but none of them outshine Archer on his project. The production on the project is nice overall but there isn’t a wow moment, much like Archer’s bars. The productions fits Archer perfectly and overall sonically the album sounds good in any system, including the car. His songs are definitely catchy and you will find yourself singing along...see “Kanye’s Ego”. </strong></p>
<p><strong>All and All, Everybody Won’t Make It is a high quality project. It has ten songs but comes in a little on the short side at a little over 35 minutes. He is a varied artist that can do a plethora of things stylistically. Archer is one who is definitely worth checking out in the future. This release may not quite be the best thing to come out of Philly, as he claims to have the best album, but it’s definitely an great entry. I really do wish there were a few more songs. But in the era of shorter attention spans I can see the strategy here. There are also no skippable tracks, the album has a very attention grabbing quality. Literally, my biggest compliant is I would have loved to hear more introspective songs on his album. Shawn handles introspective very well. I would love to see Archer bar up one time on a track to prove that he is worthy of the best. He has the flow, he has good content, and his bars were cool. He might be a good one from the current class but to be the best coming from the city of Black Thoughts, Schoolly D, Meek Mill, Beans, and Free, Archer is going to have to bar up and challenge himself. Everybody Won’t Make It is definitely worth a listen and probably quite a few songs will be on repeat. He is worth the follow to see how he ends up and if his projections will come true. We're watching Shawn. Prove the doubters wrong.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: <span style="color:#e67e22;">8</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Kanye’s Ego </strong></p>
<p><strong>This Song Is For You </strong></p>
<p><strong>Mad </strong></p>
<p><strong>Spread My Wings </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/60041142019-12-11T23:49:25-05:002021-04-06T17:00:59-04:00Polaroid Play drops a quick snapshot into his life. Get the picture?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/2b09c77884382433688e79ba4fdab8b036a08d16/original/screenshot-20191211-231438-twitter.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" /><br><br>Artist: Polaroid Play </p>
<p>Album: A Demo </p>
<p>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a> </p>
<p>Louisville’s own, Polaroid Play, presents our listening ears with a short (under 17mins), yet entertaining 5 track project titled, A Demo. If this truly is a demo then I would say, well played. With sounds as clear as a good polaroid picture, Polaroid quickly pulls you into his cool, smooth vibes. Intentional or not, it seems to work here. Honestly, I was having an irritating day until I put this on. Notifications, which opens the project, started to play and the sounds of a bass guitar and melodic words of bourbon & coke along with getting some fire vagina is always a win win. Polaroid keeps it smooth on Woes. “But this a marathon, how they gonna lap us” are some lyrics he raps as he tells a girl let’s quit wasting time here, what’s is gonna be. Whatever it is, he can’t escape his Woes... </p>
<p>“Aint shit shaking but the leaves on the trees” raps Polaroid on Dip Out. For whatever reason this just feels like a LOUISVILLE song or whatever you want to call it. It’s the same feeling I get listening to the next song too, but definitely one to turn the volume up on. Yep, Out the Way, my favorite track on the album, has a nice bounce vibe to it and another bop. I mean I could visualize back in the day people tearing up the skating rink to this. I would say use that for the video but naw, we just seen that from another Dope LOUISVILLE artist...Lastly, we got My Dawgs. Just a good way to end a short project. </p>
<p>The production, beats, and songs are well put together and I’m begging for a Devin The Dude collaboration at some point because you can definitely get that feeling listening to this Polaroid project. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is yes. The project is an 8 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now, run it back and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </p>
<p>Key Dope: </p>
<p>Notifications </p>
<p>Woes </p>
<p>Out the Way</p>
<p>Dope Tho Rating: 8</p>
<p>Dope Tho Rating System </p>
<p>1-3 = Nope Tho </p>
<p>4-6 = Solid </p>
<p>7-9 = Heat </p>
<p>10 = Rated Dope</p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/60041002019-12-11T16:06:00-05:002021-11-04T13:13:04-04:00Est Gee Reps his side and all that comes with it.<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/9f06c72f4d0b2b94300a336f6028cfd477b61cf9/original/screenshot-20191211-134825-facebook.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" /></p>
<p>Artist: Est Gee </p>
<p>Album: El Toro </p>
<p>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</p>
<p>El Toro is solid 20 track album all the way through, but a lot of the songs are short considering the total album length is only 50:42. I was a fan of his previous album Die Bloody so I was already anxious to review this project. Gee’s subject matter consists of stories about hustling, abusing and selling drugs, and the things that come along with it. His lyrics are so detailed that you can visualize what he says. There’s a song called The Bull where he says in the chorus, “Once you show money, know they coming, all that shit come with it, hating shit come with it, taking shit come with it, some niggas gon die and go to prison, all that shit come with it, freaks and thots come with it it, sticks and glocks come with it, you might get robbed, you might get shot, all that shit come with it,” and all those things really do come with being in the streets. He’s very honest about his life and the things he’s been through. </p>
<p>Gee has several industry features such as Lil Durk, Marlo, Roddy Rich and Jack Harlow although they aren’t listed on the album. He proudly represents Newburg throughout his music, which makes me extra hype because that’s where I grew up, so I can really relate to certain lyrics. Summer on Riata is meaningful hood track because Riata is one of the many “R” streets in a certain area of Newburg that we call “H-Mark.” Gee mentions “H-Mark” in the song Mall Map featuring Jack Harlow and says, “I’m a H-Mark legend I grew up with the guys, I done died, came back alive, you see the shit in my eyes.” </p>
<p>On the Island is another hood track where Gee refers to Newburg as “The Island” quoting, “This ain’t the Newburg that you niggas know I changed the status, ain’t no more outsiders on the island, we revoking passes.” He has a smooth cadence and rides the beat on every song. He has his own sound and tends to talk shit in the background as his adlibs. His voice gives off a sleepy, groggy sound as if he’s high or hasn’t been to sleep in days, which is something he often talks about in his lyrics. He speaks on dealing with anxiety and self medication to help deal with. </p>
<p>I was highly impressed with the consistency of El Toro and extremely proud of the fact that he’s from the neighborhood I grew up in. Est Gee will definitely be an artist I will continue to follow and will be looking forward to all his future projects. The songs could’ve been longer but other than that El Toro is most definitely heat and gets a 9 rating. </p>
<p>Key Dope: </p>
<p>Mall Map</p>
<p>El Toro</p>
<p>Dope Tho Rating: 9</p>
<p>Dope Tho Rating System</p>
<p>1-3 = Nope Tho</p>
<p>4-6 = Solid</p>
<p>7-9 = Heat</p>
<p>10 = Rated Dope Tho</p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/59039402019-09-25T17:06:14-04:002021-10-20T07:08:27-04:00"Don Trip" on If the vibes from M1 Muzik seem familiar. This is a new thing.<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/865cfe2bc55dd5d7c61d8adb2889a57c7b535bfa/original/20190924-170733-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">M1 Muzik</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Open Mind Guntrol</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Open Mind Guntrol by M 1 Muzik is a solid album, once I made it through all ten tracks and could get a smooth grasp on the feeling the project conveyed. I was a little annoyed in the beginning by the sound and aggressiveness of M 1’s voice, his tone can be a little jarring to a first time listener. I found that the songs won me over and I eventually got used to it. M 1 has a few industry features including Don Trip, whom he sounds quite similar to and mentions that in “Too Many X’s”. He says, “Already had hits, they said I be sounding like Trip, so then it dawned on me, ima go and do one with Trip.” This was clever, both in rhyme and in business strategy. M 1’s content consists of doing whatever is necessary to protect himself from harm and danger, even if that means risking his freedom. He lets us know that he’s been shot in the past so he stays strapped at all times. “Rather be caught with than without it,” I’m sure you’ve all heard that saying before! Convicted felons are prohibited from carrying guns but a lot of them still do for protection, which is much needed in today’s society where random shootings occur often. The subject matter throughout matches the album title and stays on track perfectly. The continous theme was very much welcome. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>“Addiction” is the last song and is the standout song of the album because M 1 is telling a deep story over a laid back, jazzy sounding beat. The song begins and ends with a clip from a movie where a man is talking about how abusing drugs ruined his life. The story is about a young man who started selling drugs to help his mother with the bills, then starts popping pills and drinking syrup to help with the pain and stress, which leads to him robbing people and now he snorts pills, but finally ends up overdosing on heroin. I was so impressed with the song that I listened to it three times in a row! </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>“Shoota” is another song that I enjoyed. M 1 switched up it up and had a melodic flow on this track. “She said she only f*ck wit shootas,” is how the chorus goes and is very catchy. “Same Energy” featuring DJ Bigga Rankin, Starlito, Smoketown Knave & DJ Juiceman is a banger as well. The beat’s hard and they all killed their verses. “Twenty deep or solo, I keep the same energy, seen some friends turn to enemies, n*ggas dying over pennies,” is a dope chorus that you can’t help but to feel to the fullest. Overall I liked the vast majority of the album. M 1 has legitimately dope music but he could stand to switch up his flow some time. As an indie artist on the rise this is something that would only serve to make him stand out as well ass help separate him from Don Trip comparisons. All in all, this is a solid release from a solid artist.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong> 7</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Addiction</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Shoota</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><b>Too Many X's</b></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Same Energy</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>4-6 = Solid</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7-9 = Dope</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Dope Tho Official</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/59039932019-09-25T17:05:58-04:002021-04-06T17:02:02-04:00Divine C.U.T.S. Love him or hate him he can't be faded.<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/aff6317d455005aa1deb761247fb43a517bbb5ea/original/screenshot-20190924-182637-tidal-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Divine C.U.T.S. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">I Don’t Just Cut Hair</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Starting an album off with an Interlude as Track #1 and then Intro as Track #2 seems a bit odd to me, but then again, maybe it’s a G move. Louisville, KY’s own J. Alexander or now known in this rapping space as Divine, or Divine C.U.T.S. definitely appears to be an OG in the Louisville rap game. Divine has been mixing around in this rap sh*t since the 80s and was even a part of rap group in the early 90s Y.G.B. (Young Gifted and Black). Aside from music, Divine has made quite the name for himself delivering top notch fades and more as a master barber/business owner. So here we are past the midway part of 2019 when Divine has a divine (no pun intended) idea to drop his album entitled “I Don’t Just Cut Hair” for our listening ears to digest. Ok, we’re interested! </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Living in a World is a smooth cut about gun violence and changes needed to the system, even calling out the Mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer to do more instead of just offering up prayers. I agree with this here as it’s so on point with what’s happening in our city right now. What is There to Talk About gives us another R&B hook and this one is a catchy bop as Divine spits about him being an Average Joe and him not fooling with all the usual “rappity rapper” stuff like drugs, guns, women, money etc.… Now wait, I initially wanted to knock the album thus far but after listening again, you can’t deny Divine’s ability to pain the pictures with these rhymes because I can visualize all he’s talking about. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>I can’t skip over Hands Up as Divine and So Sincere (another Dope Louisville artist) gives us some bars to just ride to. Pay attention to Sincere giving us his best T.I. impression on this one (LOL). I Like My Bourbon is something I need to play as I pour myself some bourbon. This is another solid cut as well. Divine kind of loses me for a few songs until I run across Playing with the Clippers. I knew this was a banger as soon as it came on. “I play with the Clippers not the NBA” sings out as Divine raps. This is definitely far and away the best cut on the album. The self-proclaimed “Kanye West of barbering” lets you know as the song ends that this is brash barbering over here. Divine loses steam again, just a bit as he dives into a little Spanish bag with Celebrate featuring Bando Bolo and the dance track, Dance Around the World. I believe these tracks stray a little too far away from where Divine C.U.T.S. is at his strongest. The Outro with the band though kills the Living in a World rendition and closes us on out. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Louisville veteran, Divine C.U.T.S. gives us a mix bag of material on this project. To me, it would have been better by dropping about 4 or 5 songs as a focused EP, This would have boosted the overall feel of the project. That being said, if he’s really been away from dropping music for 16 yrs. I’m assuming he had a lot to say and get off his chest. Still you have to admire the gumption it took for an artist to come back from that long of a hiatus and still drop some songs just as good as the young boys today. That proves, despite a few knicks here and there on the album Divine C.U.T.S. won't stop and can't be faded. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer, this album is solid... Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> 5 </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>What is There to Talk About </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong> Playing with the Clippers</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Hands Up </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>4-6 = Decent </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7-9 = Dope </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Dope Tho Official</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/58743082019-08-30T14:59:41-04:002022-03-16T07:44:01-04:00Sasha Renee is back and she's better. Somewhere Tiller is smiling at her F.L.A.V.A.<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/7273eb92301a56cacfbe51ed9287d4e1e198fd41/original/fb-img-1567104183355.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Sasha Renee & Wopsworld </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">F.L.A.V.A.</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/djsuspence502/">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Louisville, KY’s own 26 yr. old Sasha Renee dropped her latest EP, F.L.A.V.A., and the artist along with the music surely has a lot of “Candy Bars” flavor in it. The opening track, Candy Bars, sets the tone (and rightfully so) for the EP as Sasha gives you hard lyrics that no doubt will capture your attention. Catch a vibe when What You Need comes on. “I got the juice, I bought the condiments too” are lyrics Sasha spits as she switches her flow up showcasing her skill set. Listen here, she vividly lets you know through the flow that she will take your girl because she has everything to please. You can't help but to love it.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Queen of the Pole should have some lucky stripper coming out and shaking it on the stage for some dollars. The next joint, Crush featuring Kori Black samples the 2005 Bow Wow & Omarion – Let Me Hold You and should have the Millennials bopping hard. I personally was looking for that “Let me hold you” line to come in somewhere but it never did. Still a bop though. The old head in me asks though, did Wopsworld use the Luther Vandross sample though? Because that’s who JD sampled for the Let Me Hold You. Anyway, moving along. LOL </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Poison is a slowed down groove for the people as Sasha spits about that fast love she got into and it hit her like poison w/no antidote. Misery and Pain is the 8th track on here and initially I thought should have closed the project out, but you could say that about the Berran Lee & Jordan Jetson assisted next joint, Dedicated. My City actually does close us out of the project and it makes sense as Sasha raps about her come up and the struggles to get where she is now. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Also I want to take a moment to shout out the co-collaborator on this album. Wopsworld (the brother on the album cover with Sasha lol). Wopsworld produces the entirety of the album. He more than handles his own. Wop lays a perfect soundscape of saucy futuristic beats, bass heavy syrupy southern slappers, and chilled tempo grooves that would even make Mannie Fresh proud. Sasha skates over most with a confidence that is fun to see. These two work well in tandem! </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Listen, having never listened to music by Sasha Renee, it says a lot that she can pull you in with her vibe and this EP definitely shows that. Her colorful lyrics are used to paint a picture on each track. Like she says, "she’s the mood" and I would agree! Whether it’s rapping or singing on here, F.L.A.V.A. has some flavor for everyone. Bottom line and question of the day; is It Dope Tho? The answer is YES and I encourage everyone to catch this vibe (that you can’t deny) just like I did. Her previous album was covered by Dope Tho as well. After listening to this project I had to go back and listen to the former. The growth is admirable. She's back and she's better. Even Bryson Tiller would agree. Listen now and thank me later... #<span style="color:#e67e22;">DopeTho</span> #<span style="color:#8e44ad;">YouWelcome</span> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: 8</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:null;">Key Dope</span>: </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Candy Bars </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>What You Need </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Crush </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Poison </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Misery & Pain </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/58756582019-08-30T14:53:15-04:002019-08-30T23:29:57-04:00Did the way yall made Smoketown Knave break him or cause him to elevate?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/47b63029715ae8c41cbce8be906259cdcb59133d/original/fb-img-1567104354584.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" style="text-align: center;" /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Artist:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Smoketown Knave</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Yall Made Me This Way</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>From the “Intro” to the last song “Show Me My Love Now”, Smoketown Knave kept my <br>head bobbing and body moving. “Y’all Made Me This Way” is a dope album with hard beats, <br>smooth samples and great lyrical substance. Starlito, whom I’m a fan of, is featured on the <br>second song called “Real Rap” and mentions Seafood Lady and UofL in his verse, which I <br>thought was really dope!! Rep the city Lito!! The third song started off with a fire sample so it had me.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>I’ve always had a thing for old school samples being used in songs. Knave speaks <br>on police killings, senseless violence, and several other political issues that need to be <br>addressed in this song. He’s very aware of all the social and racial injustice within the black <br>community. Smoketown Knave represents the East end throughout the album ( it's even in his <br>name). He also mentions that Muhammad Ali grew there as well. “Tonight” and “Foolin Around” <br>have more of an R&B vibe to them so I’m sure other women will like those two tracks just as <br>much I do. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Knave has dealt with a lot of death in his family including the death of his mother, so <br>you feel the pain in his lyrics to the point it will have you thinking of the loved ones you’ve lost. <br>“My Flower” is a special song dedicated to his mother where he refers her as his best friend and <br>his everything. He lets us know she was a tutor to kids in the projects, that she kept his head on <br>straight along with his six siblings, and all the life lessons she taught him. Sounds like the <br>perfect mother! “What If” is a powerful track that will have you in deep thought. “What if the <br>world really didn’t see color, what if we gave a fuck about one another, what if you really could <br>slice American pie, instead Isis got em feeling like America lied” and that’s just the chorus so <br>as you can imagine the verses in the song invoke a fire! This album is most definitely Dope Tho with <br>10 solid songs and I’ll be looking forward to future projects by Smoketown Knave.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong> 9</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Real Rap</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Tonight</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Foolin Around</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>My Flower</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating System</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/58742852019-08-30T14:49:49-04:002021-11-15T23:58:11-05:00Is Big V a Big glimpse into what North Carolina Hip-Hop has to offer?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/55ba8e448d4d7cf6d8fd2f586331f0112a3f45f6/original/screenshot-20190829-140559-docs-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" />Artist:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Big V</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Being.In.Gods.Vision </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation By: Virgil. Cash </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Big V is an independent artist from Kinston, NC. I know when you think of NC hip-hop a few artists come to mind. One of the most famous rappers from NC is a current unicorn in the game, J.Cole and former rap star, Petey Pablo. Please do not front on Petey. He had the whole world waving they shirts around like a helicopter. Similar to the situation in Kentucky, North Carolina has not produced a ton nationwide talent. There is however a new wave of Carolina artist popping up that mean business! Rapsody, DaBaby Stunna4Vegas and several more. We are going to take a look into the indie NC Hip-Hop scene and see what they have to offer, starting with the talented Big V. and his album </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>First thing you will notice about Big V is that he is a Hip-Hop head to the fullest. He delivers bars and punch lines like a vet in the veins of 90’s Hip-Hop. There are no trap drums, no mumbling, and a sound that is unique to him. The music is about life and it is very true to it. Big V speaks on everything from being Happy (Self-Titled) to Love (Color Blind) to just how he feels about the industry (F Ya Playlist). While I think this project is very solid, nothing really stands out. One thing that will help V reach whatever his next level of success is, will be to take a few more risk with his styles and song ideas. The quality is there but take chances like "The Wu" used to. Songs like ‘Rain’ and ‘Achievement’ seem to really work well with his voice and overall delivery. His rugged voice while very distinct could be better served by showing the versatility of his flow over these beautiful soundscapes. Otherwise he runs the risk of becoming tiring on the ears after awhile. There are also a few minor technical issues with the ad libs being a little louder than the main vocals. This can be a distraction and take away from his verses, especially when dealing with a lyricist where each line is crucial. The hooks on the album suffice but never reach a level of wanting to sing along. The album is very short just clocking in at 7 tracks, one being an interlude. It all clocks in at a light 17 minutes though Kanye would be proud. His Skyzone Society production is phenomenal. These are some nice soul beats on this project. Color Blind uses a sample of ‘Real Love’ by Mary J. to perfection.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>This is overall a solid album, I don’t think the current rap fan will find anything to be crazy about but "the heads" they know. Big V’s voice is definitely his standout feature but outside of that I feel that everything else is pretty standard in this project. I left with the desire for Big V to become super ambitious or even greedy in his desire to body various styles of rap music. That's what the top tier mc's always prove they can do. Hip-hop heads will lean more towards this album but they won’t find any new ground here. It’s a decent listen and you will likely bop your head to a few of the tracks production. Big V put together a decent project and he is definitely worth checking out, but he is not for everybody. This seems to be an album for the backpackers and hip-hop heads. They would enjoy this project more then the average listener. In the future, I would like to see a longer project with different producers to really get a feel for the range of Big V as an artist. He is definitely one to keep an eye on from NC and that is a fact! </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: 6 </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Achievements </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Rain </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Color Blind</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55745102019-08-07T11:46:47-04:002023-01-26T00:45:04-05:00Is Nova's Return To Form The Makings Of A Legend?<h2><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/51cd86b30e3fe86b3b8f40cf453717b3f77a8ab0/original/fb-img-1546474684894-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></h2>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Artist: </strong></span><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Mr. Nova</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Album: </strong></span><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>No Filter</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Articulation: Virgil Cash</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Oh Louisville, the city of minor support for great artist. Hailing from the city are members of Nappy Roots, Bryson Tiller, Father Jah, Jack Harlow, Mr. Nova., and several more. Mr. Nova has been around for years putting in work, yet somehow people seem to forget. Mr. Nova has taken a break from the rap game to do more production and it paid off very well. He has worked with the likes of Rico Love, City Girls, Action Bronson, Chevy woods and other impressive names. It’s almost easy to forget he is a hip-hop artist also. It’s been awhile since we got full project from Mr. Nova but No Filter changes that. He’s here to show that he’s more then just a producer. We are getting something different from Mr. Nova. So how do the changes line out in the long run? </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>No Filter doesn’t waste any time getting started. `Filter Gone starts out with a poem by Robin G that sets the standard for the rest of the album. Mr. Nova starts with a fast flow high tempo’d `Filter Gone’ which sets up the rest of the album. Mr. Nova lets critics and haters alike know that he could care less what any of them think. ‘Growing Pains’ speaks on his constant evolution of an artist and the growth he has experienced in the game. The guitar lead ‘Soul Glow` is a feel good beat as he talks about leveling up on those around you. There is one beat that particularly caught my ear `JJ' because of a crazy Chrono Trigger sample. It hit me instantly and made me like the song even more as he talks about a girl that he is feeling. ‘Closed Mouths’ sounds like a record cut by The Neptunes, as he talks about an always treasured missed connection and how it could have been changed with a few words. ‘Blood’ speaks on just that, blood, the dangers of family and the effect that it has on a person. It offers a very introspective look into an issue that we sometimes have. </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>It take a lot for an artist to go outside of their comfort zone and create something that could possibly alienate their fan base. Worst yet, your fan base believe that you are chasing a wave that isn’t yours and the fans are not buying it. Thankfully that isn't the case here. Mr. Nova made No Filter for him and it shows. A risk that could have turned out devastating but is a refreshing project as it continues a sound in that was found in the same realm of Amore King’s project "Valentine’s Day Jordan." His production is A1. He is lyrically as sharp as ever. And he plays his vocal lane very well. This all leads to a great project that is over a whopping 15 tracks. This is a project that has a little bit for everyone. It is great to see Mr. Nova back to form in front of the mic as well as behind it on the boards and production. It’s rare to see artist embrace their inner selves and create something that is super personal and Mr. Nova did just that. The album is definitely dope. All it all Mr. Nova, Welcome Home!!! </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating: </strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>8</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Key Dope: </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Filter Gone </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Soul Glow </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>JJ </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Closed Mouths</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System:</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Solid </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Heat </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#1abc9c;"><strong>10 = Rated Dope Tho</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/58502972019-08-07T11:46:21-04:002021-10-15T15:18:36-04:00West End Goldie Shares love & game with his entire city. But is it certified? <p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/6809b308a18993dcd55f783fa3f63ef2e0e6c954/original/screenshot-20190807-113142-samsung-internet-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">West End Goldie</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Choppers and Attorneys</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p><strong>“Choppers and Attorneys” by West End Goldie immediately grabbed my attention from the very first song called, “Something Real” because the beat had an old school sample that gave it an old school vibe. Everyone loves a good sample executed properly. The production is solid throughout the entire fourteen track album and the lyrical content consists of mostly trap music and game spitting, West End Goldie has a smooth delivery and cleverly uses metaphors with ease. His catchy cadences and clever wordplay serve him well with the way he rides the beat. He doesn’t particularly sound like any other rapper and his pronunciation is very clear, which is refreshing, in this era of carbon copies and mumble rap.</strong></p>
<p><strong>West End Goldie represents the city of Louisville all throughout the project by naming certain establishments and clothing lines that are affiliated with Louisville. For example, in the standout song, “1 of 1” Goldie said, “I don’t do Margiela with the spikes, I rock the DohLyfe shit with Nikes,” DohLyfe is a clothing line that was started by a black fashion designer from Louisville. Supporting one another from the same city is very important to the culture and doesn’t always come easy, so it feels good to see West End do it with ease. Although he’s from the West End, he shows love to the whole city and is signed to Shark Livin Entertainment. Several of his label mates are featured on songs along with a few artists from the city. Another of my favorite songs is called, “Benny Hana” featuring Big Q and PJ Gifted, whom I’m already a fan of. The beat and chorus to that song makes u wanna bounce and turn up. It could most definitely be a club banger.</strong></p>
<p><strong> I was impressed with “Choppers and Attorneys” and could ride to it without skipping a song. The project is well put together and ended with a song called, “Cypher” which is basically just that, a cypher with four of his label mates rapping on it. All of the label mates, including a female rapper named Skrich Baby, killed their verses over a beat with a West Coat vibe to it. Overall this album is in fact... Dope. </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> 7</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>1 of 1</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Benny Hana</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/58502182019-08-07T11:46:04-04:002022-04-26T15:53:53-04:00Peter used Firespin... Was it effective???<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/6ac55b6699b40648a691d483e7829d42aa74bb14/original/20190807-113424-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_medium" alt="" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Peter Wesley </span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">1st Edition Charizard</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Listen man, I’ll be honest, You all may not have read any articles from me in a while, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been listening to any music. I’ve listened to a number of albums; some good and some bad. This brings me to Mr. Peter Wesley and his album titled 1st Edition Charizard. I’ll be honest, I don’t have a clue what this title means (Edit: Upon further research it's a limited edition Pokemon card of a dual type Fire/Flying pokemon that has evolved) but the album cover has a black version of Marvel’s Gambit on it, holding cards and all. This may be odd to some but I like the Marvel hero stuff so I was in. The thing is, as soon as the 1st song started playing I was immediately put off by his voice.He has a unique tone that will either deter listeners or immediately make him recognizable. "Peter Used Firespin and It Was Effective" (Also a Pokemon reference...) annoys me from the first few seconds. I think it may be Peter’s singing or attempt to sing on the song. To the uninitiated What is talking about; do we know what was effective and how? LOL. if you're not into Pokemon be prepared to be lost. The beat wasn’t bad at all though, I like the production and Wesley seems to have a strong ear for beats. This ends up being a recurring theme throughout the album. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Track 3 titled, "Blueprints" may be the best track on the album. I found that Peter is better rhyming slower and not trying to speed his raps up as much. This allow for better clarity in his delivery and drives home the times his lines really land. "Gotta Have Her" is probably another decent track to me on the album. It stands out for the same reasons. On Notice, track 6, starts out with Peter is at home just straight up spitting and its good too! He raps before the beat drops but then about 40 secs when the beat drops Peter falls back into a bit of off tempo Sing Rapping and the potential for a banger goes downhill to me. The production and theme here are dope, but again, I’m thrown off by Peter’s timing and tone a bit, so its ruined. </strong></p>
<p><strong>I have to tell you all, Peter Wesley has talent and potential. I can hear it, its there. Here's the formula for Peter Wesley to excel to the next level... better hooks, a more deliberate and moderate flow, less Peter singing and Eminem speed rapping for the sake of speed rapping. This one is definitely not for me. I’ve seen Peter’s name get mentioned by a couple of people as someone dope and again the raw potential is there, but I’m not a fan of this Charizard project. I dont anticipate this project to be a defining moment for Peter either. I will most definitely be tuned in rooting for future Wesley efforts to thrive though. Bottom line and question of day or review, Is It Dope Tho? The answer unfortunately is No! This album is a 3 on the Dope Tho Scale. Listen now.</strong></p>
<p><strong> #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating:</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong> 3</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Blueprints </strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#e67e22;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating System </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1-3 = Nope Tho </strong></p>
<p><strong>4-6 = Decent </strong></p>
<p><strong>7-9 = Dope </strong></p>
<p><strong>10 = DOPE THO OFFICIAL</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55810962019-06-11T17:36:26-04:002022-01-18T13:33:23-05:00With "Valentine's Day Jordan" Amoré King is making the case that we'll never need another "Air" apparent.<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/401ec82448bc3818f0fa94b8cab2f83c3b4aeb8e/original/amor-king-valentines-day-jordan-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thick" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Amoré King</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Valentine's Day Jordan</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation:<span style="color:null;"> Phoenix Star 9's Tammy Johnson</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Amoré King is back, and he comes with a sharpened flow and a confidence that many artists would die for on his new project, Valentine’s Day Jordan. The album opens up with the track “Questions” over a beat that samples the Frank Ocean rendition of “At Your Best”. This track is smooth and made for lovers with Amoré dropping questions, that ask how true his lover really is. The title track, “Valentine’s Day Jordan” is definitely single material, from the romantic narrative to the smooth rnb lover vibe the entire song is giving off. Some might see it as being soft, but this song is my favorite off the album because Amore makes sure to carefully place his words to flow in a rhythmic cadence that flows well.</strong></p>
<p><strong>“I Ain’t Hearing That”, is just an opportunity for Amoré to leave his swagger all over the beat, he challenges the norm on this song and he brings up the fact that many local rappers are also trappers in their own mind, and he uses this track to bring some braggadacio. If you don’t know who he is, you do now.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The song, “In the Moment”, is another single with high energy, a memorable call and response for the crowd to follow, “we living life in the moment, we don’t give a fuck”. Amoré has managed to create an anthem here, dedicated to the good life, this is actually my second favorite song from this album. Overall, the album sparks fire with stellar beat selection, and smooth bars that are far from mumble rap. He gives you the genuine talent that rap was built on. Amoré King is one to watch.</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#d35400;">Dope Tho Rating:</span> 9</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Questions</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Valentine's Day Jordan</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>I Ain't Hearing That</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>In The Moment</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/57500872019-06-11T17:36:13-04:002022-01-21T09:51:12-05:00Ambitious link ups? Framehouse vs. Peter Wesley would even make The N.W.O. proud.<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/f1f4aad920508a66edd9d8042ab8310c6bc6bbe9/original/51zhoge-eol-sr600-315-piwhitestrip-bottomleft-0-35-sclzzzzzzz.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thick" alt="" /></span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Framehouse, Peter Wesley </span></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Framehouse Vs. Peter Wesley</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>“Framehouse Vs. Peter Wesley” by the artist's of the same name is a collaborative project. An EP with five songs that all consist of clever and witty wordplay. I prejudged the EP at first by the artwork (artist please put your best foot forward here). A clever homage to classic WWF that could have used a little better execution.</strong><strong> Going solely off the artwork I would have missed out on a quality release. I'm glad to say artwork aside and was highly impressed with the entire EP. There are three people on the artwork, two white guys under where it says “Peter Wesley” and a black guy under where it says “Framehouse.” “Peter Wesley” is typically a solo artist and "Framehouse" is a group. They all chant their names throughout the some of the songs as their worlds collide. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>“Wesley” uses a lot of metaphors and analogies in his lyrics, which I enjoy. The party starts with a bang. “Secret Ingredient”, which is the first song on the EP references food, recipes and ingredients to style, flow, and rhyme scheme as if they have the secret ingredient that nobody else has. The second song “Not Today” makes you want to chant along with them and gives off more of a hyper, club vibe. “Don’t fuck with no pig, no cop, no politician, not today, I got my partner with me, we both tripping”, makes you want to stand up, shout and pump your fist. I can visualize a whole crowd of people doing so while this song is playing. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>My favorite song “Yung Stone Cold” has a down South vibe to it and would be the perfect song to ride to on a pretty, sunny day. I love the beat and how it reminds me of UGK/Eightball and MJG styled song. They even refer to themselves as pimps and say they have “pimping” in their DNA and bones. The lyrical content flows well with the beat and chorus. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>Overall “Framehouse Vs. Peter Wesley” is a solid EP and I liked all of the songs. The only complaint I have is how short the song are considering there’s only five of them. I would've loved to hear more just to see if the consistency remains the same. They mentioned listening to Three Six Mafia on “Yung Stone Cold” and Framehouse especially seemed to be heavily influenced by Three Six here. Peter's descriptive wordplay and delivery also makes me think of Eminem. As someone who grew up listening to both these are two good influences to have. Both Framehouse and Peter Wesley successfully meld these styles together.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><span style="color:#d35400;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: 7</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>Key Dope:</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Secret Ingredient</strong></span></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Not Today</strong></span></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Yung Stone Cold</strong></span></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/57839562019-06-11T17:35:50-04:002021-04-06T17:09:54-04:00Are Fatt Sosa & Profit the key to the street?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/de2126a9ff4b58bb94ccfa8f557552ad2a03df92/original/screenshot-20190607-181354-tidal-3000x3000.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_thick" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Fatt Sosa & Profit</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Fatt N*gga, Black N*gga</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:null;">Articulation: <a contents="King Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">King Acklin</a></span></strong></p>
<p><br><strong>Fatt Nigga Black Nigga is an Indie album and could easily be put in rotation across all music formats and perform well. Complete with a simple, yet dope Album cover (note to artists, album artwork matters), Bluemoney & Pluggbrothers Presents Raleigh, North Carolina’s own, Fatt Sosa & (Pure) Profit. Fatt Sosa is giving you the hard singing/rapping feeling and Profit got those bars for us to ride to. I could initially be suspect as we roll into the first track, 100, but as the song goes on the hook gets catchier and catchier. Dope production has me feeling like I’m balling on Taxin as Sosa and Profit rap about buying bags, leaving with bags and running their city. You know what, I believe it. Can I ball yaw? LOL. </strong></p>
<p><br><strong>Helluva Life is a slowed-up joint that should appeal to the ladies and still have us fellas bopping. Basically, it’s your typical I’m balling and harder than your current man and living a Helluva Life so get over here because I got you. “Skip 1st class in G5 flight, she aint checking no price” is one of the last lines as this one ends. I’m not upset if you run this back. “Ounce by ounce I done lost count. Serve a nigga with my strap out, never lose count, plug never run out. All this GD money I done lost count” is part of another catchy chorus on Lost Count. Part of the chorus on Only if You Knew slightly gives me Nipsey Hussle-Double Up vibes. I think I might have caught a small sample somewhere in that production but regardless Fatt Sosa is killing it here singing that. </strong></p>
<p><br><strong>Now listen, its clear these guys know how to put together an album. The production is on point and on a short (8 track) project, Fatt Sosa and Pure Profit keep us engaged with catchy hooks and your typical balling, living life getting money dope boy lyrics. I mean, you can ride out to this and let it vibe. Bottom line and question of day or review, Is It Dope Tho? This album is hard and the answer is YES! Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho Rating</span>: 7</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: <br><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Taxin <br>Helluva Life <br>Lost Count <br>Only if You Knew</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55819832019-03-15T17:45:52-04:002022-03-30T06:19:45-04:00Will Berran Lee Be The "Youngin" To Lead The New School?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/1e23af84c07251444fb598e83a206e69aa6c1ebe/original/blee-year-of-the-youngin-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Berran Lee</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Year Of The Youngin</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><b>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</b></span></p>
<p><strong>"The Year of the Youngin", by Berran Lee is fascinating album with impressive lyrical content and melodies. His subject matter is expressive and tells a story, most notably in the song "Three Fathers", which is an absolute standout. It starts off with the clip from the highly popular show, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" where Will asks Uncle Phil why his father doesn't love him and breaks down crying while describing what kind of father he plans to be in the future. This scene was the perfect anecdote to the song as Berran Lee talks about how the relationships with the men in his life deeply affected him. His melodic delivery was reminiscent of J. Cole, as I detected remnants of his influence along with Big Sean, Drake and even early Kanye West. It is exciting to hear a young rapper under the age of twenty-five with lyrical substance instead of mumble rap. There is a maturity to his content, and his delivery is spot on. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"Sweet Anita" is another favorite with a sample from the 1983 Hits Single "Angel" by Anita Baker. Berran Lee and his friend Mac are trying to hook up with two girls at a party. It's not a turn up/party song, but more of a smooth, laid back groove with an old school nineties vibe to it. It's a song you can ride to on a pretty day with your significant other. "Welcome To Radcliff" is another standout song from the album that samples Sade's "Quiet Storm". He pays homage to the city and gives us an insight into the day to day life in Radcliff. Berran Lee has songs with several R&B features that cater to the ladies, which is always good considering the guys usually follow our lead. The production and beat selections blend very well with his melodic voice. The only song that didn't really move the needle was "Sundress", which was towards the end of the sixteen track album. Much of my ho-hum feeling for this song didn't come from the artist himself, but from the beat selection and the voice of the feature artist which is promising but leaves much to be desired. Overall, very solid album and I will be checking for Berran Lee in the near future.</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#d35400;"><strong>Dope Tho Rating</strong></span><span style="color:null;"><strong>:</strong></span><span style="color:#d35400;"><strong> </strong></span><strong><span style="color:null;">6</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Three Fathers</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Sweet Anita</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Welcome To Radcliff</span></strong></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/56816772019-03-15T17:41:30-04:002021-04-06T17:07:40-04:00Just how high can Rob Lee fly?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/ae01cff089fc3eaf61cda9336829421bd77df475/original/20190315-140401.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /><strong>Artist:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Rob Lee</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Art Of Flight</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby </strong></p>
<p><strong>“The Art of Flight” by Rob Lee is a solid R&B album that I enjoyed listening to. His vibe is similar to Eric Bellinger and BJ The Chicago Kid, whom I'm also a fan of. The production is amazing and the beats are very versatile. I was excited to listen to this album because of the good reviews I had previously received so I already had high expectations. Out of thirteen songs, there were featured artists on eight of them, which could be a good and bad thing. It’s good to help promote other artists, but those featured artists could possibly overshadow the main artist. Although that didn't happen in this case, I think new artists should minimize their features. The majority of the featured artists were rappers and I think those songs stood out the most. “Different Than Before” and “Monday Morning” are my two favorite songs with no featured artists. </strong></p>
<p><strong>“Voodoo” is my favorite song on the whole album because of the subject matter and the energy it gives off. It talks about how a woman put a spell on Rob Lee and how he fell in love with her. It’s a good song to ride to and makes you wanna two step and groove. Gio el Future and Semi are featured on the song and give it more of a club vibe. I think “Voodoo” is a great single. </strong></p>
<p><strong>“Voicemail” featuring Kori Black and “Keep It Real” featuring Brxtn are both hot tracks as well. I listened to them both several times. I’m already familiar with Kori Black and Brxtn’s music so I had a feeling I would especially like those songs. The only song I didn't really care for was “Don’t Worry” because of the dance hall sound. I’m not a fan of that sound at all so as soon I heard the beat I knew it would be my least favorite. All of the remaining twelve songs are dope. I can let this whole album play. I'm highly impressed with “Art of Flight” and will be on the look out for Rob Lee in the future.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#d35400;">Dope Tho rating</span>: 8</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Voodoo</strong></p>
<p><strong>Different Than Before</strong></p>
<p><strong>Monday Morning</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55744332019-03-15T17:13:16-04:002022-03-16T22:22:53-04:00Can Rmllw2llz Pull Off A Classic-al Release?<p><em><span class="font_xl"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/51db5f1e3be236b131a3bf277e2b3aa139dc9b69/original/rmllw2llz.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /> </strong></span></em><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Rmllw2llz </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Concerto No. 9 Movement II </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="Acklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">Acklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>“I’m just at a time in my life, When I, I just want to spend time with my wife.” </strong></p>
<p><strong>These are the first lines from Evolution off Concerto No. 9 Movement II. Add “and kids” to the end of that line and that’s me all the time. This lead track off this album is filled with quotable lines as it slides you into the album with nothing but bars. This Louisville, KY artist by way of Racine, WI has an album that gives you that 90’s feeling of rap but doesn’t sound dated. In fact, quite the opposite. Released in November 2017, this album is a breath of fresh air distinctly different from what is currently on the radio. The production is also stellar to go along with the measured lyrics. On So Amerrikkan, Rmllw2llz does my ears the pleasure of serving up Trump, Hilary, Matt Bevin and old gobble gobble, Mitch McConnell at the end of the track. Go ahead and call him socially conscious on that one, but in a way that is easy to digest. Thinkin’ About You might have you in your feelings, missing a lost loved one as you ride out or partake in a libation of choice. My favorite joint off this album would have to be Break a Dollar featuring Dom. B. I listened to this album while traveling but I had to wait to get home and ride to this track in my own vehicle. Victory Lap ends the album aside from 2 bonus tracks. One of the bonus tracks, On Replay features an artist named Rob Lee. His vocals were reminiscent of Pleasure P mixed with August Alsina while Rmllw2llz delivers the lyrics to this bang ya girl cut. This record would work on the radio and the ladies would surly love it. Bottom line and question of day or review, Is It Dope Tho? If you haven’t figured out by now, the answer is YES! Sign me up for any future Rmllw2llz music. Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#e67e22;">Dope Tho rating</span>: 8</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Evolution </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Break a Dollar </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>So Amerikkkan </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Victory Lap</strong> </span></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55819862019-02-08T02:49:39-05:002021-04-06T17:06:10-04:00Who Will Keep The School Of Reality Rap Alive? Ask Smoketown Knave!<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/4edc2ce0b19baebacc6913968a61fd606571b282/original/smoketown-knave-flamingo-1280x1280-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" />Artist:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Smoketown Knave</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Flamingo & Koval</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="KingAcklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">KingAcklin</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>“I don’t do good with the hate, that’s why I appreciate the love.”- Smoketown Knave </strong></p>
<p><strong>I start this album out with an immediate BIAS as the first track is old audio of 2Pac being introduced as a guest speaker. PAC thanks his mother and we roll right into the INTRO. Later in the hard-hitting bass filled intro you hear PAC again stating one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, Juice. You should understand my BIAS now! This is how Smoketown Knave starts out Flamingo & Koval and it’s a dope way to do so. The 2PAC audio is not a shocker once you realize that Flamingo and Koval is where someone opened fire on PAC almost 22 yrs. ago in Las Vegas, eventually leading to his death. </strong></p>
<p><strong>This Smoketown Louisville, KY native presents us with an album filled with dope bass beats and a hard street sound. It reminds me of Boosie but with the aggression turned down a bit. Let’s just hope he never comes with anything called KnavePAC or SmoketownPAC ala Boosie’s BooPAC. Stop doing this rappers. Anyway, "Til The End" coming after the intro glides me into the album and letting us all know to be there til the end, if you real. Knave shows a lot of love to people in general, giving special thanks to folks on Thank You. “I owe 2 plugs and them ni%%a$ aint been on my back.” Damn, he must have some clout out here in them East End Louisville streets fam. "Back And Forth" may be the slow jam you’re looking for on this album as the rapper says adios to any woman that decides to leave instead of staying with him." More Than Rappin" is one of my favorites. The beat and sample create the perfect vibe. Another favorite, "Rather Be With U" is the last joint on there aside from the Outro and this Bootsy Collins sample couldn’t go wrong, especially when you listen to the content of the bars. This one is personal for the artist and you get that vibe throughout the entire album. Call your momma up after this one if you can. Bottom line and question of day or review, Is It Dope Tho? The answer is YES! Listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Intro </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Thank You </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">More Than Rappin </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Ride or Die </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Rather Be With U</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55819762019-02-08T02:46:09-05:002022-02-26T01:08:38-05:00Brxtn Has One Question. Can Handle A Little Tease?<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/85156ca3b2d2e6e41f1d2bc4038a5cbf5196c4b1/original/brxtn-tease-1280x1280-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" />Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Brxtn</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Tease </span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Al "Knowledge" Hart</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Foreplay is cool. Let’s rephrase for accuracy: Foreplay is amazing. Few things in life are as enjoyable as kissing, caressing, licking, sucking and touching on a body and mind. But in the context of a full night's sexual escapade, foreplay is just an appetizer. So sure, foreplay is amazing. But an appetizer by itself is just --- well, cool. There is pleasure in foreplay but is there satisfaction? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Knowing the limits of teasing, BRXTN, a Louisville Kentucky singer/songwriter tries his hand at foreplay. No pun intended. He drops a pleasure-provoking album entitled Tease. Much like foreplay, Tease is sensual and touches all the spots the mind needs for stimulation. Love, sex, dreams, fear, future, past, drugs, happiness and pain all get caressed on this 10-track project. Much like its title, the album is a teasing look into a talented mind. A short album shouldn't discourage anyone from enjoying songs like Love, a hopeful anthem about the driving force behind the aspirations of an artist marginalized by higher learning goals. He weaves in and out of the pianos and drums while contemplating if he's going to “walk up to the Dean and tell that nigga eat a dick”. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Songs like Dangerous provide soft melodic spaces to lay in and think on that beautiful woman in your life, who does nothing for you but control your infatuation. Even here, the foreplay is pleasing but not gratifying. Much of the material on the album is brief in time length leaving the listener wanting more. In all fairness, he did name the album Tease. The project offers moments of relaxation and harmony that will engage the listener almost as quickly as it will move on to the next sensitive spot. And just as foreplay does, Tease does all the things to make you desire more. By album end, you will want to keep an eye and ear open for what he plans to do next in music. The foreplay is good. But BRXTN, we are eagerly awaiting more exciting things and complete climatic peaks.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Dangerous</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Take My Hand</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Lately</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55744392019-02-08T02:44:19-05:002021-08-02T16:21:41-04:00Is Theus Ushering In The Return Of Cool Lyricist?<p><b><i><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/059fa8e86fd326eb543b8dd7961909bdd716c24f/original/theus-thelove-1280x1280-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /></i></b><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Theus</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">The Love</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p><strong>"The Love" EP by Theus has an abundance of metaphors and analogies. It put me in the mind frame of an ex hustler who converted over to rapping, but who is also conscious. "Dope Whips and Ill Chains" talks about the industry and how some artists sell their souls for cars, jewelry, fame and material things. It's my favorite song and stood out the most because of the subject matter. Theus starts off the song asking "Pharaoh" to let his people go as if they were slaves asking to be freed. In the second verse he talks about how it's not cool to be a fiend on drugs suffering from withdrawals and calls the music industry "pimpish". He mentions people being so intoxicated that they can't see clearly and refers to the bad business done in the music industry as "lynching". It had me thinking about all the conspiracy theories I've ever researched. It's obvious Theus has been exposed to things going on behind the scenes that he doesn't agree with.</strong></p>
<p><strong>He also talks about people choosing fast cars over college tuition and how they end up being locked up in the system for chasing the wrong dreams. I'm not sure if it's Theus or a feature artist, but toward the end someone is chanting that the new "shackles" are drugs and foreign cars. They also mention "Pharaoh" again and accuse him of enslaving his own people. This song had me in deep thought and wanting to do more research. </strong></p>
<p><strong>With songs like "Heisenberg", Theus refers to his music as the drug meth and calls it "Heisenberg", meaning he has the best music on the market. It starts off with the scene from the highly popular show "Breaking Bad", where Heisenberg announces who he is and makes them say his name. If you've ever seen the show then you know exactly what scene I'm referring to. After listening to it I wanted to pull up the show and watch that particular episode. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Theus' flow and delivery has a Down South meets Mid West kind of vibe. Mixed with vivid metaphors, consciousness, lyrical substance. He wants us to be aware of what he believes the music industry consists of. "The Love" EP was very interesting and a pleasure to listen to.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Dope Whips and Ill Chains</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Heisenberg</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Greatness</strong></span></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/56332142019-02-08T02:35:47-05:002021-04-06T17:04:25-04:00Daniel Caesar doesn't have any freudian slip ups here!!<p> </p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/ba49ec967da229a0c488d41061ab81ff281ed092/original/download.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /></span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Daniel Caesar </span></strong></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><strong>Album:</strong></span><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong> Freudian </strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Virgil Cash</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Caesar, oh word! Who is that??? This is going to be a response to anyone who is asked about this artist. I can admit that I have personally been sleeping on dude. Yes, I have heard his name. Yes, I have heard his song. No, I did not comprehend how dope he is. In this moment, I have rectifying my wrongs. Daniel Caesar is part of the new school of Soul R&B. He released his debut album, Freudian, last year. First off, I refuse to put him in the same category as Trey Songs or Chris Brown as his music is far less pop. Yet at the same time, I can’t put him in the Neo-Soul movement either of Badu, Scott, D’Angelo, or even John Legend. This type of soul music is a new era. I am talking about an era that is lead by artist such as: The Internet (Syd particularly), Frank Ocean, Sampha, Miguel, SZA, H.E.R., Ro James, and to a lesser extent Childish Gambino with his latest project. They are doing R&B on their own terms while sprinkling hints of the traditional genre introducing a fresh new wave. Sometimes you can hear blues influences, jazz, other times its funk, hip-hop, or even rock. They are getting back to the creativity and originality of R&B back when it had a conscious voice. Daniel Caesar’s Freudian is an amazing contribution to the genre. His voice is very reminiscent of John Legend with a hint of Frank Ocean’s creativity. For my local heads, he encompasses the vocal smoothness of Otis Junior. He has a great mixture and range of highs and lows that makes Freudian an extremely pleasant listen, for all occasions. </strong></p>
<p><strong>This album took me to church when it comes to relationships and I mean that literally. I will dig into that a little more in this paragraph but this is grown folks music. This album is reminiscent of the one your mom would play while cleaning up on Saturday after a long work week growing up. It feels like the soundtrack to one of the greatest love stories that has never been told. The moment the album starts with ‘Get You’ it becomes obvious that you are in for a treat. Between the soothing, John Legend-esque vocals from Daniel and the beautiful tones from Kali Uchis, you feel the anticipation of a great album beginning. I love the use of instruments on this album. The gentle guitar riffs on “Take Me Away” transports me inside my own head not to mention Syd’s vocals help finish creating a feel good vibe that can’t be described but only felt. The church piano that I hear on “Blessed” is convicting, like a preacher urging us to love in a time when people seem to forget how. Its crazy how “Transform” feels like you have heard it before in the days of 90’s past but it so refreshing and new. It seems so happy but only moments in, you can feel an unsettling shift that actually shows the transformation in the music itself is brilliant. The minor transitions in the music is exactly the type of attention to detail that make Daniel Caesar’s music standout amongst a roster of crazy talent. There are great features from H.E.R., Charlotte Wilson Day and more. </strong></p>
<p><strong>While Freudian is definitely a rare gem, it is the type of music that defines generations. The current movement of R&B reminds me of the era of Marvin, Donnie Hathaway, Roberta Flak, Minnie Rippleton, and many others who pushed R&B/Soul into a new directions. There is so much feeling and emotion that the songs manage to create a visual picture in your head as you hear them. There is so much artistry and you can feel the influences from various times in his life. The biggest thing is how intimate and personal this album is. I have never really listened to Caesar but after this album I have to keep checking for him. Fans of great music need to hear this album. For me, this is even a vinyl cop because I can tell from the music it would sound great on that format. When you listen to Freudian give this album some respect and just play it from the beginning to end, especially if you are riding home from work. You will not be disappointed! Matter of fact, I think I am about to absorb some more of the vibe this album is giving out right now. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Most Notable: </strong></p>
<p><strong>*See Entire Album (Seriously!)</strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/56226852019-02-01T01:39:30-05:002022-02-26T11:40:58-05:00Childish Major gives us all the vibes of your favorite artist in half the time. <p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/bd7fff9443aa349763cb10b3107fcdfc69bee8fb/original/drd-jpox0aajspi.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /></span></strong><strong>Artist:</strong> <span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Childish Major</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Woo$AH</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Virgil Cash</strong></p>
<p><strong>A quick back story about Childish Major because most of you know him but you don’t know him. I hate to say that he is a new artist because that is really a lie. Major had his first hit in 2013 as a producer on the hit ‘U.O.E.N.O.’. Since then he has produced ‘4 Your Eyez Only’ and he has also produced for artist such as 6lack, J.I.D. Earthgang, Vince Staples, and other. Calling Atlanta born producer and artist new is kind of a stretch. WOO$AH is Childish Major’s debut album and just like the title it is definitely a sign of calm to the craziness of the game. This is a great edition to the new R&B/Rap sound. This album sound like Jeremih plus trap soul, mixed with a little 6lack, a pinch of Swae Lee and you get WOO$AH. The album is cool, calm, and collective at all time. The vibe is set for ride and it never lets up. He rap/sing style is why this project works so well. The verses are appropriate. The hooks are catchy and not annoying. I wouldn’t say that there are any specific bar that would catch you eye when he is rapping, it is just a good ride. Childish Major manages to give you a lot while keeping a very minimal approach verse wise and production. </strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>For a debut project, WOO$AH is an impressive listen. ‘Aim High’ sets the tempo for the ride with it catchy hook and Trap Drum mixed with his fast tempo rap singing. The title track ‘Woo$ah’ is a beat that would be worthy of Kung Fu Kenny. The inclusions of real instruments helps Major shines best while speaking on needing that moment of clarity about getting his pockets straight. ‘I Like You’ put Major with DRAM and 6lack and I could listen to an entire album of Major and 6lack going back and forth as they compliment each other very well. This song is where Major sounds a lot like Jeremih. ‘Shame’ sounds as if you were listening to a song left off of Daniel Caesar Freudian. Childish Major also has a track featuring a few TDE artists SZA and Isaiah Rashad on ‘Happy Birthday’. This album is aimed for the youth, as it is a very quick listen. WOO$AH is 8 track coming in at kind of an underwhelming 24 minutes. It feels more like an EP then an album. This is a poster child of albums for the age of ADHD. It may work for some but to me it is not enough. The thing that helps WOO$AH is the album is comprehensive when it comes to subject matter and overall feel. Those are personal issues that I have but I do understand that sometimes less is better but a few more tracks would have been clutch in this situation. </strong></p>
<p><strong>All and all, WOO$AH is a lite listen that is well worth it. Childish Major has made a nice entry into the area of artistry. I like the album and would recommend others to listen to it. I cannot say that it would make everyone a fan; this is especially true for the quote “Old Heads”. This album being a great listen is actually one of its biggest problems. The tracks compliment each other so well that there isn’t anything that just blows your mind. The average person is going to like this album or they are going to not careless. The ones who do like it will definitely check for what he has coming up next. I must say this album is very different then what you are used to hearing him produce for the most part. WOO$AH is a far cry from U.O.E.N.O and there is far less controversy then that song acquired from a certain line. Hopefully, this album won’t get lost in the shuffle of artist who creates the same type of music because he is one of the better to make this kind of music. I can see this guy being</strong> <strong>underrated but please do not sleep.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 8</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>I Like You</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Aim High</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#8e44ad;"><strong>Happy Birthday</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55820102019-02-01T01:39:05-05:002021-04-06T17:03:23-04:00Where Are The Female MC's With Albums Full Of Substance? Right Here! She's Sasha Renee!<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/bdc3847b59326bd5f57143fe43cc53c8c341ee43/original/sasha-renee-ep-1280x1280-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" />Artist:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Sasha Renee</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> I Am Sasha Renee</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Courtney Cosby</strong></p>
<p><strong>I Am Sasha Renee” EP, by Sasha Renee has a mixture of rap, neo soul and R&B. She gives off a vibe similar to Lauryn Hill or Erykah Badu, which is who she says people compare her to in her song, “Get Off Of Me”. This track teaches awareness and empowerment as she mentions Sandra Bland’s name and asks us to say her name. She speaks on how our culture was stripped from us and how black people are targeted by the police. Sasha Renee is extremely conscious and preaches about self love in the majority of her songs. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The first song, “Fire” where she references Digable Planets song “Cool Like Dat” talks about getting to know herself and being more knowledgeable. It makes you feel good and think more about self evaluation, especially when she mentions how the world teaches us to value material things that aren’t important. Another song called “The Freedom” is motivation to go out and chase your dreams. When I hear Sasha Renee sing, “I just want to be free, I just want to live young and free”, it reminds me of a catchy anthem and I automatically start singing along with her. </strong></p>
<p><strong>“Only Friends” is a song I'm sure everyone can relate to. Sasha Renee is trying to figure out why her and the guy she likes are only friends even though they're spending time together as if they're in a relationship. I'm sure we've all been in a situation like this before. It has more of an R&B vibe with a feature artist singing the chorus although Sasha Renee sings the majority of her own choruses. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Sasha Renee’s subject matter and lyrical content is much needed in today’s Hip Hop culture. Positive vibes only on this EP and the production has a jazz, neo soul vibe to it that will surely have you grooving. I really enjoyed “I Am Sasha Renee” and hope she continues to encourage and uplift our people through her music.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating: 7</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Get Off Me</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Fire</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Only Friends</span></strong></p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55820092019-02-01T01:38:41-05:002021-04-06T17:03:03-04:00Where's The East Coast At? Maybe It Should Be Behind Joon Jukx!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/a98e3094a140855fde100b42db02e49629a052bc/original/joon-jukx-little-scars-1280x1280-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /></p>
<p><strong>Artist:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Joon Jukx</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Album:<span style="color:#8e44ad;"> Little Scars</span> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: <a contents="KingAcklin" data-link-label="King Acklin and DJ Suspense" data-link-type="page" href="/king-acklin-and-dj-suspense">KingAcklin</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Listen, for some reason I just wanted to hate the album, Little Scars, by Joon Jukx. I don’t know why, don’t judge me. Maybe because it looked like a typical rapper with a picture of him holding a gun stooped down on what looks like a New York bridge or whatever they call those things you see people running through in the park on TV or the movies right before something happens to them. Maybe it was what appeared to be too many features? The Intro plays and I’m still skeptical until I get to the 1st song. "21" put me into a groove. The smooth voice of whom I assume is the feature, Eastwood, helps Joon carry this song with a catchy R&B hook. Beg For You is another R&B-ish rap track that has Joon explaining he was never too proud to beg for his woman. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The obvious inspired dark and grimy production sound of "Mobb Deep" will almost have you feeling like you’re listening to Havoc & Prodigy (RIP) spitting in a Queensbridge project hallway. "Cuzzin" is another hard sounding New York song. Joon is rapping about smacking several people or the same person multiple times and the hook sings “Rock you in your face stab your brain with your nose bone.” Now that’s HARD. We even get a Dragon Ball Z reference. "Give Me a Sign" gets back to a smooth beat while Joon gives us some nice wordplay but only 1 verse on a short song almost ruins it for me. This song was almost like an interlude or something, but we’ve seen this from other rappers before. "Victoria’s Interlude" featuring Pryme City is my favorite joint on the album. The last song on the album is the title track, "Little Scars", features Eastwood but it doesn’t hit the mark like their other collaboration on the album. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Bottom line and question of the day; Is It Dope Tho? Well, the Key Dope listed below along with some other songs and the overall production makes the answer a YES! May not be a no song skip banger, but listen now and thank me later... #DopeTho #YouWelcome </strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating 5</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope: </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Victoria's Interlude</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">21 </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Mobb Deep </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#8e44ad;">Give Me a Sign </span></strong></p>
<p> </p>Dope Thotag:butisitdopetho.com,2005:Post/55745142019-02-01T01:38:08-05:002021-04-06T17:02:29-04:00Does Sabatahj Break New Ground By Going Back To The Future?<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/337381/38b74cb6e704efe129f809ce75e57fd6f10937bb/original/sabatahj-crush-grooves.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_thick" alt="" /><strong>Artist: <span style="color:#8e44ad;">Sabatahj</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Album: <span style="color:#9b59b6;">Crush Grooves</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Articulation: Al "Knowledge" Hart</strong></p>
<p><strong>Soul music is a witch doctor for Black folk. We visit and consult with it to understand our pains, pleasures, unknowns and futures. Soul music will connect us with our ancestors passing forward stories of past wisdom to the generations present in need of direction. It heals. It stirs the war cry. It moves the spirit. </strong></p>
<p><strong>When singer songwriter Sabatahj crafts a song, the voodoo is at work. The medicine in his latest offering, the 13-track album entitled Crush Grooves, is a conjuring of 90’s hip hop folklore and the spirit of confidence in contemporary R&B. The opening track, Illusions is an introductory display of the double dose of confidence Sabatahj can brew up even in moments of vulnerability. The realization of misplaced time on a faded love is but a momentary vulnerability. By hooks end, it’s clear the confidence of Sabatahj's music is not just reworking 90’s hip hop samples but he is “looking for a new thang”. He cooks up this new soul near-perfectly throughout Crush Grooves. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The title track boast the revival of Lil' Kim's classic ’97 hit Crush On You. Over a syrupy sample, the vulnerability of having an old school crush is transformed into a braggadocious pull-up. If Notorious B.I.G would have held a falsetto note and serenaded his girl instead of hardcore rapping, this is what it would sound like. Sabatahj shoots his shot and scores a hit with Crush Grooves title-track. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The latter half of the album finds Sabatahj channeling his traditional R&B crooning ancestry. The slow jam heavy second half of the album is a refreshing ode to styles past. Yet in perfect contemporary fashion, the slow groove mood hits a perfect crescendo with Fight Night. And once again, the vulnerability of traditional soul music is transformed beautifully into contemporary confidence. Sabatahj stirs a potion of infidelity, domestic argument, and unstable relationships into an elixir of sexy makeup loving-making. The confidence of Crush Grooves! </strong></p>
<p><strong>The sound of Crush Grooves is being passed down to this generation. The vulnerable soul stirrings of R&B singers old get blended into the brash no-nonsense of 90s hip hop on Crush Grooves. All that was needed was the bravado and energy of today's generation. The witch doctor created a potent love potion and Sabatahj has bottled it up for you to try.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dope Tho Rating 8</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key Dope:</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Crush Grooves</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Illusions</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Fight Night</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#9b59b6;"><strong>Knock Knock</strong></span></p>Dope Tho