Here is the fifth studio LP from San Francisco, California emcee Ramirez. Emerging as a longtime affiliate of the $uicideboy$, he would go on to co-found to the New Orleans-based indie label G*59 Record$ with them & construct himself as an artist by dropping 8 mixtapes, his final dozen EPs & 4 full-lengths. Tha Playa$ Manual was his greatest LP but with it’s g-funk manufacturing from Rocci & is seems to mark a brand new chapter with the sequel on his newly fashioned EMPIRE Distribution imprint Velvet Note Records over per week after G*59 announced his departure to go do his personal factor.
After the “Velvet Note Lounge” skit, the primary music “Hollow Tips” was a synth-funk intro & skittering hi-hats introducing y’all to his heater should you even attempt to make a transfer on him whereas the jazzy “Cut Throat Game” advises to get again up regardless of how exhausting you fall. “Playas Need Love” fuses each g-funk & jazz to speak about that very topic in hand, however then the 2nd single “True Playas” suggests to not journey as a result of fortune favored the robust placing a synth-heavy really feel on the Mobb sound.
“I’m Not Yo Daddy” fuses lure & synth-funk collectively suggesting you come take a trip with him simply earlier than “Boulevard Nights” that includes Jason Joshua & Rocci matches a seducing instrumental that wears it’s jazz influences extra in the course of the 2nd half with all 3 of them sharing a melodic supply. After the “Playing a Fool” skit, “Money Don’t Stop for You” jazzily sings of wanting nothing extra to waste his time with a lady he’d fall for whereas “Shake Junt Hoes” proved to be a Memphis impressed ultimate single.
Meanwhile on “Pushin’ on Some Paper”, now we have the Lil Homewrecker speaking about pimpin’ being second nature to him & making it look simple whereas the lead single “Chain Swangin’” turns the Mobb influences again up explaining that he’s nonetheless the identical playa with a lethal weapon on him. “Scrapin’ tha Corner” throws again to the phonk undertones of Tha Playa$ Manual to speak about being on some bigger shit whereas “Never Listen” gives put money into oneself as his greatest recommendation.
“Don’t Lose Hope” will get again on the g-funk/synth-funk crossovers wanting to carry his romantic curiosity tight as a result of he desires her to know she’ll all the time be secure round him in any potential state of affairs & “Cadillac Burnin’” that includes Rocci forward of the “Goodbye & Goodnight” outro correctly ending Ramirez’ debut of Velvet Note with a fascinating duet feeling harking back to one thing you’d hear in the course of the 70s & I imply that as a praise as an alternative of implying any indication of it being outdated.
Tha Playa$ Manual has been regarded by many within the G*59 fandom to be the crown jewel of the label’s whole discography & I’d need to say it’s aged astonishingly effectively as a contemporary g-funk basic because it got here out down the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Tha Playa$ Manual II as a sequel raises his creative stakes even greater than I’d’ve thought. There are just a few songs the place he takes a break from delivering bars of the gangsta life to favor in direction of sung vocals with on high of the perfect manufacturing he’s had in just a few years culminating in components of g-funk, Memphis rap, pop rap, jazz rap, synth-funk & Mobb music.
Score: 9/10