Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

 Nas returns in late 2022 with KD3 and man is this a great album. One thing to note there's really almost no features. Nas spits fire on tracks with lush production from Hit-Boy. The song "Thun" is a highlight as Nas jokes that the beef with Jay-z still ain't over. With most of these songs Nas just glides over the beats as he sounds as comfortable as ever. He personifies beef on "Beef" which is pretty interesting. "First Time" is good but the subject matter sounds kinda repetitive as I feel like I've heard Nas rap about that a few times before. Overall tho there's just so many great songs. This is arguably the best Nas/Hit-Boy album but I dont really think its better than KD2. For Nas to be rapping this well this late in his career is legendary. Lyrics 24 Beats 24 Depth 23 Tilt 23 Verdict 94

 I'd like to rank one of the best female MCs discographies. Missy is one of my favorite rappers lets get to it....There are no wack albums in her discography but some are definitely better than others. 6) The Cookbook -Coming in last is The Cookbook. It's certainly not a bad album but I think there's too many songs that are kinda....skippable. However there's some serious heat on this album tho. The album is well produced like all her albums. The production does seem very varied compared to the sound of previous albums. "Loose Control" with Ciara and Fatman Scoop is one of her best songs honestly. The Neptunes produced "On & On" is no joke also. Notable Tracks: Loose Control, Click Clack, On & On, We Run This. 5) Da Real World- This album could have been 4th but I haven't heard it that much unfortunately. It's got a darker sound than her debut album. I remember the two singles, "Hot Boyz" and "All N My Grill" were ...

 I recently beat God of War Ragnarok which means I have once again beaten every God of war game. Man this one was really really awesome. I mean I knew it would be good cause GOW 2018 was an incredible reboot. I'll try to avoid spoilers here and just give you the run down. This game takes place a few years after the end of the first one....and right away Freya (the final boss's mom from the last game) is trying to kill you. It's really exciting right from the jump. Really throughout the game there was rarely a dull moment. Atreus, Kratos' son is older and a battle hardened warrior at this point. He does alot more for you in combat then he did in the previous game....and there are even a few segments in the game that you play as him. Kratos is a little more laid back then he's ever been. He's still the overprotective dad tho. The game's combat has been revamped a little and its armor menus have been simplified. For one you get the blades of chaos early in the ...

 SZA returns finally with a really great long album. The album gets off to a great start with the title track into, "Kill Bill", "Seek & Destory" and my favorite song "Low" which features Travis Scott. This album features masterful singing and lyrics from SZA. She's in top form here. I felt the production however was a firm step back from Ctrl album. Overall tho there's a lot to like here like "Smoking on my Ex Pack" which features more good rapping from the songstress. The bonus cuts like "I Hate U" and "Shirt" are winners too. Ultimately this is a great album from SZA but you cant help but wonder if she really will retire after this. Let's hope not. Pick this album up if you haven't already. Lyrics 25 Beats 20 Depth 24 Tilt 24 Verdict 93

 The latest offering from Lupe Fiasco is a masterclass in lyricism. Lupe really has a sharp pen, you really have to give his bars some thought. I love the song "AUTOBOTO", its so smooth. He writes from the perspective of a hiphop kiosk salesman on "Kiosk". The production is jazzy and very cohesive; giving Lupe's rapping a great backdrop. There aren't really a whole lot of stand out tracks here like you might find on Food & Liquor album or The Cool....This album is short tho clocking in at just 41 minutes. I mean liked pretty every song.This album just proves Lupe is one of the best to pick up a mic...easily. Lyrics 25 Beats 22 Depth 24 Tilt 23 Verdict 94

 Weeknd returns with a really solid 80's sounding album. Well you could say he did that already with After Hours, but this one sounds even better to me. For one there's less filler here. I enjoyed pretty much every song which may be a first for a Weeknd album. "Gasoline" and "Take My Breath" are certified bangers. The production on the album is really flashy yet cohesive. The guest spots are pretty good like Tyler the Creator on "Here We Go...Again". However I felt Lil Wayne wasn't very good on "I Heard You're Married". "Don't Break My Heart" may be the best song. Overall this album is really an improvement to me over After Hours. Even if its not a huge one. Lyrics 24 Beats 23 Depth 24 Tilt 23 Verdict 94

       The Game didn't retire off of his last album and I'm glad he didn't. Drillmatic is a great album....I'd say thats pretty on par with L.A.X. The album is really long and yes there is some filler but most of the tracks are decent. Lyrically Game does pretty well. The production is really soulful here and filled with lush sounding hood anthems. "Chrome Slugs & Harmony" is so infectious. "No Man's Falls" featuring Pusha T & 2 Chainz is another highlight. I found "Fortunate" which features Kanye West and Dreezy to be a breath of fresh air. A$AP Rocky absolutely kills his feature on "Money Cash Clothes" which uses an old Jay Z sample. Game and Cam'ron trade bars well on "K.I.L.L.A.S." Of course we've got to address the controversial "The Black Slimshady" where Game takes shots at Eminem. Overall I felt the diss was good but honestly Game came off as a tad bit of a fan of Eminem on it lol. T...