There is nothing unlikeable here. The production is all decent or better and there are some decent features, but lyrically, there are a lot of cliched bars and topics that is its biggest downfall. There's nothing noteworthy. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★☆ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: I'll Be Hood, Black Sheep

From what I can see, this is The Big Shot Noir's only project. It's a fairly standard mid-'90s boom bap album with some g-funk touches, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are some good choruses that feature well known samples of other rappers' vocals and also some sung hooks. It does nothing wrong at all, there is just lots of better similar music. Best Tracks: Cash Money, King of the Hill, Valley of the Ruckus

There are some outstanding moments on here. The storytelling on 'Future Shock' is something else. If only most rappers put one tenth of the effort that Rino put into writing that one. I don't like the singer much on 'Love Don't Listen'. She brings the song down. There are some other tracks where the production doesn't quite work enough, but there are lots of compelling moments lyrically, and at times, such as on 'Wizard Work', the production is great. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Future Shock, End of Times, Wizard Work, Life Ain't Fair, Deep Water

I love 'Hear Hear'. It jumped out at me as a standout after only one listen. The chorus is elevating stuff. Elsewhere, the production is varied from electronic/synthwave touches on 'Talk Talk', to ol' school hip hop on 'Hello Pete'. A likeable EP. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Where I'm/You're At, Hear Hear, Travelling Forever

This is a really consistent 29 minutes of hip hop from a rapper who still possesses one of the most unique and enjoyable rhyme patterns. It's more consistent than 2021's 'Doe Or Die II', but I think I enjoyed the best few on that more than here. I'm generally not a massive fan of two verse songs, that some of these are. Three verses gives you more choruses which makes the song stick in your head more and don't feel like they understay their welcome. Like some of the Nas/Hit-Boy collabs, the rapping is fire, but there isn't enough here in terms of hooks. That shows in that after six spins nothing has stuck with me on any high level. The production, all by Buckwild is nice, and from a producer who started in the early '90s, there is an element of freshness to what he's done. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Reintroduction, Still Got It, The Goat