Right here is the fifth studio LP from San Francisco, California emcee Ramirez. Rising as a longtime affiliate of the $uicideboy$, he would go on to co-found to the New Orleans-based indie label G*59 Document$ with them & construct himself as an artist by dropping 8 mixtapes, his final dozen EPs & 4 full-lengths. Tha Playa$ Guide 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 shaped EMPIRE Distribution imprint Velvet Be aware Information over every week after G*59 introduced his departure to go do his personal factor.
After the “Velvet Be aware Lounge” skit, the primary tune “Hole Suggestions” was a synth-funk intro & skittering hi-hats introducing y’all to his heater in the event you even attempt to make a transfer on him whereas the jazzy “Lower Throat Recreation” advises to get again up regardless of how exhausting you fall. “Playas Want 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 entice & 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 through the 2nd half with all 3 of them sharing a melodic supply. After the “Taking part in a Idiot” skit, “Cash Don’t Cease for You” jazzily sings of wanting nothing extra to waste his time with a girl he’d fall for whereas “Shake Junt Hoes” proved to be a Memphis impressed closing single.
In the meantime on “Pushin’ on Some Paper”, we’ve got the Lil Homewrecker speaking about pimpin’ being second nature to him & making it look straightforward 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 Nook” throws again to the phonk undertones of Tha Playa$ Guide to speak about being on some bigger shit whereas “By no means Pay attention” affords 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 needs her to know she’ll at all times 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 Be aware with a charming duet feeling harking back to one thing you’d hear through the 70s & I imply that as a praise as a substitute of implying any indication of it being outdated.
Tha Playa$ Guide has been regarded by many within the G*59 fandom to be the crown jewel of the label’s total discography & I’d must say it’s aged astonishingly nicely as a contemporary g-funk traditional because it got here out down the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Tha Playa$ Guide II as a sequel raises his inventive stakes even larger than I might’ve thought. There are a couple of songs the place he takes a break from delivering bars of the gangsta life to favor in direction of sung vocals with on prime of one of the best manufacturing he’s had in a couple of years culminating in components of g-funk, Memphis rap, pop rap, jazz rap, synth-funk & Mobb music.
Rating: 9/10