Kik Axe Music and Entertainment

Standout battle-rapper, and under-appreciated recording artist Soul Khan has returned with a strong follow up to last year’s outstanding debut album, Soul Like Khan. This time listeners are treated to Acknowledgement, a six song EP produced exclusively by Deejay Element. The theme of the record is self-worth, a personal strength and rare attribute that Soul has already exuded for years.

Mad Child and Prevail are back with plenty of vicious multi syllable-based rhyme schemes… most of which are heavily decorated with comic characters, film personalities and pure, raw witticisms. Oh yeah, you can exhale, Rob The Viking is on board, mixing some insanely infectious beats, as has come to be expected by S&M fans.

To be honest, “Dagger Mouth” doesn’t really cover any new ground for the Canadian crew; the overall sound of the album remains ultra-faithful to past offerings. From deliveries, to lyricism, all the way to the sheer amount of content forced into this listening experience, it all feels as familiar as a trusty buddy you’ve come to rely on over the years. Believe me when I ensure this is a massive compliment. Some artists redefine their sound with each release, and that’s what makes them fantastic; some artists produce a consistently similar sound, and that’s what makes them fantastic. Swollen Members definitely fits into the latter category.

Well respected indie contributor Saint Sinna recently dropped his latest on the masses in the form of a free mixtape. The collection is packed with 19 cuts that explore a wide variety of content, yet remain firmly faithful to Saint’s ever increasingly distinctive style. In other words, expect grimey vocals, and, oddly enough, some clean, harmonious hooks to draw listeners in.

“The Grandma’s Boy Mixtape” exhibits enough commercial material to lure your average “radio fan” into the fold. But there’s a dark side to the majority of this compilation of jams that’s likely to tap a few sensitive nerves; a once often exercised method used in hip hop prior to the genre’s commercial uprising, at which point content became so diluted you could jump in and swim, no goggles needed. For this listener, some believable ultra-violence is more than embraced, it’s desperately sought after.

Fortunately for Saint Sinna followers, the man doesn’t fail to deliver an onslaught of bellicose vocalism. There’s a relatable quality to the animosity that envelope the majority of Sinna’s vocals. For fans of gangsta rap or horrorcore, it’s a Christmas present eight months early. Pass on the idea to fret though, there’s honest replay to this collection, and it’s not inconceivable to believe plenty will still be vibing out to this album come the time of mistletoe, decorations and obnoxious carols.

Listening from the outside in, it sounds as though Atmosphere frontman “Slug” (Sean Daley) is becoming well acquainted with mortality. Slug’s always had a fairly high functioning brain in that cranium, but “The Family Sign” feels like one man’s declaration of maturity. Considering Slug’s experienced some (rumors, for the part) tough times as of late, including the recent death of young friend, frequent collaborator, and in a sense, pupil, Eyedea, it’s understandable.