This gotta be the eleventh studio LP from Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev. Developing slightly over a decade in the past off his full-length debut Round My Means, it wasn’t till 2020 when he noticed his greatest yr but by dropping not 1 however 3 effectively acquired tasks: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Contemporary Air together with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Huge 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 Excessive, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets within the Ghetto & after all the Finn-produced Blood on the Payments. Final time I lined Fev was final summer season when Fredro Starr totally produced Strapped & Vansleazy coming again for Pyramid Schemes was an exciting shock.
After the intro, the primary music “Snake Charmer” is a jazzy hardcore hip hop opener speaking about his lane being him fusing road information with the drug recreation whereas “Dynamite” that includes NEMS crosses over rap rock & growth bap boasting that they really feel like $1B every. “Razor Keys” hooks up some distinguished pianos speaking about consuming all these wack rappers for dinner retiring from pushing dope to rap till “Momotoro” will get again on the rap rock vibe refusing to dumb it down.
“Stunt Squad” that includes Purple Inf may’ve been recorded across the similar time as their Vanderslice-produced collaborative effort Chemistry final spring though it’s nonetheless hardbody & after the “By no means Heard of You” skit, “Blue Face Hunnids” brings the keys again within the fold speaking about occasions the place he appears like he may’ve been higher. “Hit Record” takes a soulful strategy quenching for blood whereas “Cash Man Jr.” that includes FLZY finds them exceeding & increasing.
The penultimate music “No Grant Hills” returns to the growth bap talkikg about grinding to the purpose the place he hasn’t even slept in days continuously trapping out the Airbnb & previous to the outro, the nearer “Free Sam Bankman” requires the liberty of FTX CEO & Alameda Analysis co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried a.okay.a. SBF after he was sentenced to 25 years for two counts of wire fraud, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud & conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Even when 1,000 Yard Stare produced by Physique Bag Ben slipped by way of the cracks slightly over a month in the past & I didn’t make the time to cowl it, I nonetheless thought it was a good way for him to start out his 2025 & now he takes it to a brand new stage with Pyramid Schemes. For the individuals BY the individuals, it’s visitor record is stronger than that & Portray Homes 2 mixed with Vanderslice’s gritty manufacturing pulling from growth bap & jazz rap to rap rock.
Rating: 9/10