Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev surprise-releasing his twelfth studio LP. Coming up just a little over a decade in the past off his full-length debut Around My Way, it wasn’t till 2020 when he noticed his greatest yr but by dropping not 1 however 3 properly acquired initiatives: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air together with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced third album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all adopted up with Magnum Opus together with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets within the Ghetto & after all the Finn-produced Blood on the Bills. I even loved the Fredro Starr produced Strapped & Pyramid Schemes, though The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge already raised the expectations taking a look at it on paper.
“Road to Redemption” will get the ball rollin’ on The Ghost of Albizu sequel speaking about spending all of it & making it again twice as a result of he’s a hustler with a Jose Santiago hook carried out in Spanish whereas “The High & Mighty” embraces a sample-heavy increase bap path admitting to considering earlier than he speaks now. “My People” loops up some sped-up vocals speaking about Puerto Ricans desirous to be free since he himself has Puerto Rican origins whereas “Scarlet Fever” that includes Red Inf makes positive they depart no prisoners boasting that no one can stand an opportunity towards them.
Jose Santiago comes again to kill it with the choruses 1 extra time on “Work Hard, Play Harder” mixing rap rock & increase bap collectively besides he’s singing in English this time about getting it out the mud off the muscle simply earlier than “Puerto Rock” leaves wack rappers layin’ on their backs & flexing of him opening up his personal lane for Puerto Ricans who’re good on the mic. “Culture Cypher” jazzily takes us all the way in which again to the South Bronx the place hip hop all began main into “Vengaza” dustily speaking concerning the idea of revenge.
Lil D saves my personally favourite visitor verse of the two through the increase bap & chipmunk soul fusion “Benicio” to kick off The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge’s final 6 minutes or so assuring that the plug is aware of his face & he’s been merely operating in place as of late previous to “The Cornerstone” ending up the album with 1 remaining jazzy increase bap joint about being emotionally generated somewhat than AI generated & a hook homaging “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” by the almighty Wu-Tang Clan.
Crazy to suppose it’ll already be 5 years this upcoming Halloween since I first bought launched to Fev by listening to The Ghost of Albizu and catching as much as each Fresh Air & From El Barrio, With Love afterwards. And I perceive that some weren’t feeling Pyramid Schemes as a lot as Enigma of Dalí, however most individuals are gonna get pleasure from The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge much more because it continues the hardcore/aware themes & jazzy increase bap sounds of the predecessor increasing it sometimes in favor of rap rock & chipmunk soul.
Score: 9/10