WilsonBlock1000 Radio

UFO Fev is Coming “Strapped” Over Fredro Starr Production (Album Review)

Posted by on

Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev teaming with Fredro Starr to produce his 8th LP. Coming up in 2014 off his full-length debut Around My Way, it wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all followed up with Magnum Opus along with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets in the Ghetto & of course the Finn-produced Blood on the Bills. A year & a half after Painting Houses though, expectations for Strapped were up there.

After the titular intro, the first song “Best Dressed” is a drumlessly crooning opener & a full circle moment for Fev himself whereas “Batumi” dives headfirst into boom bap territory doing exactly what he’s supposed to do right on schedule. “Can We All Get Paid?” works in a soul sample with kicks & snares asking if everyone can make bread in order to live better days ahead of “Bullets” featuring Red Inf recapturing the energy of their Vanderslice-produced collab EP Chemistry about 3 months ago.

“Fast Life” atmospherically breaks down the lifestyle he lives of being at his level within the underground just before “UFO Teknology” featuring Tek & Termanology brings the trio together over a soulful beat so they can reassure everyone knows the game & the subsequent outcome of it. “Peace God” takes a jazzy approach attempting to teach his youth some knowledge leading into “Sade X” calmly showing off his new glow.

Nearing the conclusion of Strapped, the penultimate song “Free Rice” returns to the boom bap with a spacious twist instrumentally listening to b-sides as well as building a catalog & dodging bullets in the matrix prior to “Visiting Hours” officially wrapping up Fev’s best album in a couple years mixing pianos & crooning background vocals bringing fresh flowers to his old girls behind bars wiping his tears away assuring him they’re ok.

Fredro Starr has really been elevating his game behind the boards these last couple years & much like how he gave SmooVth his best album in recent memory with Project Near You, he helped Fev deliver what has to be the most I’ve enjoyed a project of his since Blood on the Bills a year & a half ago. The general sound expands beyond boom bap in favor of jazz rap & drumless while Fev shows the audience a personal side to him.

Score: 9/10

Submit news tips to thawilsonMAG@gmail.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Local Music Scenes

Music Scenes

Adelaide Music Scene African Music Scene Akron Music Scene Alabama Music Scene Alaska Music Scene Albany Music Scene Anchorage Music Scene Arizona Music Scene Arkansas Music Scene Atlanta Music Scene
Australian Music Scene Bakersfield Music Scene Baltimore Music Scene Beverly Hills Music Scene Boston Music Scene Brampton Music Scene Bronx Music Scene Brooklyn Music Scene Buffalo Music Scene California Music Scene Canadian Music Scene Charlotte Music Scene Chicago Music Scene Chicago drill music scene Cincinnati Music Scene Cleveland Music Scene Cologne Music Scene Colombian Music Scene Colorado Music Scene Compton Music Scene Connecticut Music Scene Dallas Music Scene Daytona Beach Music Scene Denver Music Scene Detroit Music Scene Durham Music Scene Finland Music Scene Finnish Music Scene Florida Music Scene Georgia Music Scene Germany Music Scene Ghana Music Scene Greece Music Scene Greensboro Music Scene Hawaii Music Scene Hiram Music Scene Honolulu Music Scene Houston Music Scene Illinois Music Scene Inglewood Music Scene Iowa Music Scene Ireland Music Scene Jackson Music Scene Johannesburg Music Scene Kansas City Music Scene Kansas Music Scene Kentucky Music Scene La Habra Music Scene Las Vegas Music Scene Lexington Music Scene London Music Scene Long Beach Music Scene Long Island Music Scene Los Angeles Music Scene Louisiana Music Scene Louisville Music Scene Maine Music Scene Marion Music Scene Maryland Music Scene Massachusetts Music Scene Melbourne Music Scene Miami Music Scene Michigan Music Scene Milwaukee Music Scene Minneapolis Music Scene Mississippi Music Scene Missouri Music Scene Munich Music Scene Nashville Music Scene Nevada Music Scene New Jersey Music Scene New Mexico Music Scene New Orleans Music Scene New York State Music Scene Nigeria Music Scene NorCal Music Scene North Carolina Music Scene Oakland Music Scene Ohio Music Scene Oklahoma Music Scene Ontario Music Scene Oregon Music Scene Oxnard Music Scene Pennsylvania Music Scene Philadelphia Music Scene Phoenix Music Scene Portland Music Scene Rhode Island Music Scene Rochester Music Scene Sacramento Music Scene Salt Lake City Music Scene San Antonio Music Scene San Bernardino Music Scene San Diego Music Scene San Francisco Music Scene Seattle Music Scene South Africa Music Scene South Carolina Music Scene St. Louis Music Scene Tennessee Music Scene Texas Music Scene Tokyo Music Scene Tulsa Music Scene Utah Music Scene Vallejo Music Scene Vancouver Music Scene Virginia Music Scene Waco Music Scene Wisconsin Music Scene Wyoming Music Scene altadena music scene american music scene local music scene music scene new york music scene northwest music scene pasadena music scene seattle music scene toronto music scene
Show more