I was born to sit in that rain

Ca$ino is Baby Keem's second studio album, and in my opinion, it surpasses 2021's The Melodic Blue by a mile. I am talking heartfelt moments, back-to-back hits, impressive lyricism and the vocal inflections we've come to expect from Hykeem.

This time around, the production feels much more intentional and precise. The samples sound clean, the drums are balanced, and the whole thing is a delight sonically.

The best cuts

After the mellow intro of No Security, where Booman sets us up for the topics of loss and family, Keem drops us straight into the title track.

Ca$ino has a great beat switch, and in classic Baby Keem fashion he mixes flexing with emotional moments.

The bars on this one are good, even if they are not that deep. Why the hell would you bring up H. pylori? Still, that Run. Me. My dough! sample elevates the whole track.

Upbeat tracks like Birds & The Bees and Circus Circus Free$tyle had me headbanging and rapping along, and I did not expect Hykeem to go full 3 Stacks spoken word on I am not a Lyricist. That kind of vulnerable moment is something hip-hop albums need more of.

Where it loses me

The cuts where Keem sings are underwhelming. Not even Kendrick Lamar could save Good Flirts, though I guess House Money partly makes up for it.

I did not care for $ex Appeal. It is just as bad as Drake's Way 2 Sexy, unironically.

I am a stickler for consistency, and this album wavers between mid, pop-influenced tunes, and absolute bangers. I hate how almost there it is. I like how Keem talks about his struggles, how confident he sounds, and how good his rapping is, but the singing is just not it.

Dramatic Girl should not be on the same album as Highway 95 pt.2 and No Blame.

I'm still mad about the singing

Hykeem's autotune use feels tasteless. It is not used as an artistic tool, but rather as a cheap way to keep him on tune, when there are better sounding ways to do that without making him sound robotic.

That is what keeps Ca$ino from being great for me. The highs are very high, the rapping is strong, and the production is a real step up, but the weaker pop instincts hold the album back.

Rating: 6.5, maybe 7, out of 10.

Why are we still talking about Kanye?

Kanye is being lowered in his grave: the one he himself dug and can't seem to get out of.

BULLY is a pathetic attempt at running away from his past, at leaving all the pain behind like he says in ALL THE LOVE. The mere name BULLY is how he chooses to minimize his hateful positions.

Ye is desperate on this one, doing all he can to cling onto the remaining hope his fans had for him. This record kicks off with a great sample, warped into Ye's usual ego-stroking rap, but with much less soul, energy, lyricism, and much, much worse beats.

Production and sound

THIS A MUST is a bad try at a rage/Playboi Carti inspired track, and he continues using the same, ugly, ad-lib and beat techniques (Seriously? Nobody vetoed that bass? And those drums? That mixing?) throughout most of the album, killing songs that could've been decent like FATHER with Travis Scott.

The production quality is abysmal, there's no cohesion, it all sounds like bad YouTube rips, like unmixed fan edits, put together in something released as an album but with less cohesion than a mixtape. All he does is reference his past projects, and when he does innovate, he's stealing other artists' sounds, poorly. The few standout tracks like ALL THE LOVE and DAMN are not nearly enough to save this project. In nobody's eyes.

There's an Elephant there.

Multiple historical collaborators backed out from working on this project, from Mike Dean which is completely absent, to James Blake which asked to be removed from the credits. CIRCLES originally featured Don Toliver, but after an update on streaming, it no longer does. French artist Pomme refused clearing the sample for HIGHS AND LOWS.

While Kanye denies the use of AI on this project, the original demos and YouTube release had telltale signs of Retrieval Based Voice Conversion (speech to speech), with original vocals being provided by Dave Blunts, CyHi and various other vocalists.

With all the sample clearance, credit attribution and AI speculation chaos, we don't have clear authorship for this project. Did Kanye even sing on half these tracks? We don't know for sure. Mixing is too bad to figure it out either. So unbalanced, and don't get me started on that synth bass.

And then he fixed it?

As of June 22nd, 2026 when I am writing this addendum, the DELUXE version released 3 days ago seems to drop all the RBVC vocals and make way for Ye's real actual voice. He also chose to change the verses on a few songs, but not the title track which I so vehemently miss. Bring back SEROTONIN, open up, talk about your disease, earn some respect by being human. The mixing still sucks, and is probably even worse than the original release! The track selection still sucks! This album STILL has a 90% skip rate and is a gross stain on his discography but at least he chose to actually work on it. Standards are low, I guess. Also hearing his real voice attempt speaking Spanish in LAST BREATH makes it even worse.

My Interpretation

On a personal note, the original version of the title track BULLY, nicknamed SEROTONIN by fans, was a clear example of Ye not using his real voice, yet, the unedited sample, the actual Ha-Ha! by Nelson from The Simpsons and the gut-wrenching lyrics about lacking serotonin and dopamine in your system. You know, the chemicals that regulate stimulation and mood... the ones some common medicines regulate for depression and addiction, and ADHD.

He turned that confession about his mental health, one that draws parallels to his infamous ecstasy addiction, into this admission of not having changed, this annoying, soulless chant about yeah, I'm a bully, sorry, I'll always be.

You can change, Kanye, you can come back.

Final notes

This album, along with VULTURES 1 and 2, and all the Ye singles and the run he's been on, going as far as dropping DONDA 2, staining the name of his mother. This is proof you should not listen to anything he dropped after Donda. That's his last good project. He's dead after that.

He spiraled, he was running out of money, his wife didn't come back after Donda, he seeked attention by being a contrarian, he bought a Super Bowl commercial to sell a Swastika T-Shirt, he released a song called HH.

I'm not shocked, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed and tired of this guy.

Kanye is dead.

Who?

Adam Mark Crisp, which you might know as Clarence Clarity, has been releasing avant-garde pop since 2012. His no compromises production choices, catchy hooks, balanced use of vocal effects such as pitch and autotune, and poetic word choice, make him, in my opinion, the 21st century's best experimental pop artist.

No Now (2015)

The record that got me into CC was No Now, a cyclical concept album, full of outlandish production choices, from the garbled vocal chops in Let's Shoot Up to represent heroin addiction and use, to the whispers and coordinates in Tathāgatagarbha, a seemingly silent track, what you might skip over as an interlude, but that succinctly hides a meaning, one that not even Genius contributors have figured out yet. And this album was released in 2015.

In No Now, CC wades through religious trauma, substance addiction, manic episodes, conspiracy theories, incestuous fantasies, porn use and any thought cursing his mind. His clear music production prowess is front and centre, making some tracks sound angelic and beautiful, some disgusting and headache inducing. Unlike his future projects, he does not hold back. While this might make the album hard to stomach for some, it makes for a great experience, with plenty of memorable moments.

Buck-Toothed Particle Smashers, Off My Grid and Cancer™ in the Water stand out to me as some of the highlights in this album.

LEAVE EARTH (2016–2018)

The now recalled digital exclusive LEAVE EARTH (2016-2018) is a compilation project that contains scraps and alternate versions of what became THINK: PEACE. This arduous development process gave fruit to an experimental, still fresh with new ideas, pop record, that is accessible to most people.

From LEAVE EARTH, I really enjoyed the more introspective tracks, like Untrust in Us Together and Bipolar Rainbows. As for all the alternate versions of tracks that got released in THINK: PEACE, I struggle to understand why anyone would prefer the LEAVE EARTH cuts.

This project has a hint of hip-hop sprinkled through it, with tracks featuring A. J. Crew and Shadi. I quite enjoyed Rafters! Its chorus got stuck in my head, even if A. J.'s vocal performance is a bit lacking. From this song, we get the On some workout shit sample that is reused throughout LEAVE EARTH and THINK: PEACE.

THINK: PEACE (2018)

THINK: PEACE is, maybe not a master:piece, but a great crash course into CC's world! There's a lot of romantic pain being expressed in these 11 tracks, in concrete expressions and openness about the nature of these relationships. CC admits to not being present, begging and yearning for connection, and on Tru(e) Love he admits one of those relationships was probably long distance or online aided. He also opens up on all the troubles a relationship can entail, from feeling cheated on, to being afraid of getting left behind. CC also seems to fight with himself over how attached to his partner he is!

The production is, as always, top notch, with a lot of experimentation and a good balance between accessibility and avant-garde. The use of vocal effects is more restrained than in his previous record, which, along with the simpler vocabulary, and lyrics no longer veiled behind poetic expressionism, makes the vocals easier to understand and the songs more catchy. I enjoy most songs on this record. The mix of sparkly, mellow and gritty textures really makes the entire project pop.

VANISHING ACT I & II (2021–2024)

To me, VANISHING ACT I: NO NOUNS feels like a promotional release for his music production courses… as opposed to the latter VANISHING ACT II: ULTIMATE REALITY which contains quite a few polished tracks worthy of attention, of which my favourite is The Greatest Living Musician, Found Dead, a song about himself, a bipolar musician. Concept that he has explored in plenty tracks at this point, but with a refreshing, self-aware take.

You can tell that his style has evolved over the years, and I believe he still has room to innovate and release yet another classic record. So, tap in when you can! To his past, and future releases.

I get you, April

But I don't! This album pops. So hard. You finally overcame the Wallsocket themed sophomore slump, and brought us your own spin on dance-pop! But U didn't do this for U, U did this for us. And U owned up to your I-O-U.

Progress!

Glad to see we kept the guitars from last album, and improved on them! If the production was a bit lacking and generic on Wallsocket, here, it feels refreshing.
This time around, songs - like Tell Me (U Want It) - are mixed to perfection, balancing the chaotic instrumentals and the crisp, smooth melodies that April is singing. Syncing her voice to the detailed strumming in Bodyfeeling, it feels alive and emphasizes her lyrics.
You can tell she lowkey wanted some of Imogen Heap's nachos with The Peace.
Those vocal chops are giving A. G. Cook, they're weird at the start but they quickly will settle down in your head as an earworm... which makes for a perfect metaphor on a song that's about smoking cigarettes, and the conflict of someone in your life being off them!

Breakdown

There's a reflection to be had about fame here.
With her rise to stardom, after marinating in the hyperpop SoundCloud circles, enjoying all that money and status might be selfish, but aren't we all stuck in this capitalist system? We're all participating, and critiquing is worthless.
We're all consuming, at the end of the day. And she seems to like the luxury, like the lifestyle, but detest the fame, the attention. When she passes away, she wants to be gone, in private, as a human, not as a celebrity. Art and artist must remain separate from the human behind the screen, for underscores, at least.
Having all those eyes on you is scary, it makes you worry about how you're perceived, about personal information going outside of your circle, and it's gotten to the point where she feels uncomfortable having hookups! (See: Do It)

Where is it lacking?

Hmm. Good question.
On first listen, Lovefield fell short, but it grew on me. The production is much better than in April's previous projects. Vocal effects are used sparingly and tastefully (I hear you, Ableton Corpus!), but sometimes the mix can get cluttered and overwhelming, like in Bodyfeeling, which kind of sucks, since I otherwise like that track.
The lack of a team behind underscores is beginning to hinder her abilities, I think.
This album is an 8.5, being fully honest with you, but it could be so, so much more, and that hurts! Innuendo (I Get U) and Tell Me (U Want It) are such catchy tracks, and throughout this project, if you can tolerate the lackluster lyricism, cliché rhymes, and sometimes generic choruses, you'll find nothing but bangers!
This is a good, no, GREAT album! But she can do better, hence the rating.
So go ahead and enjoy it!

Rating: 8.5/10 — Almost there!

Let's cut to the chase and give rankings. I'll explain later.

Best Albums

1. Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse (Pusha T & Malice) -> jump
2. ♡ (Heart) — Jane Remover -> jump
3. two house — food house (gupi & Fraxiom) -> jump

So. A traditional hip hop album, an experimental electronic album, and an hyperpop album... Typical Iris stuff!

Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse

I don't know if you heard, but the Thornton brothers (Pusha T and Malice), linked up with historical collaborator Pharrell Williams and released a new album in 2025. It's the brothers' first album together since 2009's Til The Casket Drops, and so, naturally, expectations were high for Let God Sort Em Out.

In case you missed it, during the rollout of this album, a collaboration with one Kendrick Lamar was announced, and Clipse's label was not having it.
You see, Kendrick took the better part of 2024 to not just diss, but bully Canadian rapper Drake, with plenty allegations thrown around, and tracks like meet the grahams which lyrically and sonically paints this picture of Kendrick as the boogeyman, as a serial killer, but one that has motive and justification, leading an intervention on Drake, his family and those who enable him.

With the character assassination of Drake on BOTH of Pusha T and Kendrick's track records (see: "Story of Adidon") the label was rightfully concerned that a collaboration between the two would be a PR nightmare.

At this point, Clipse had two options: either scrap the track, or, get this, terminate their label contract early, paying the label a fee, and release the entire album independently. They chose the latter. I kid you not, they paid a SEVEN FIGURE sum to get out of their contract, and released the album under Roc Nation.
Okay, cool, the independence and drama is interesting, but it's not OVER.

In So Be It, Pusha T admits to owning a video of Travis Scott crying and threatens to send it to TMZ. The Genius annotations for this section are so spicy they're hot sauce, not tea.

Anyways, the album is fantastic, and it's a return to form for the duo. It's a perfectly crafted showcase of how real hip-hop is immortal and ageless. I love the sonics of it so much. The way Pharell arranges the kick drum to create pockets for Clipse to rap in, the melodies and choruses, the arabic singing sample on So Be It, the way the beat cuts out and reverb goes up on M.T.B.T.T.F., the heartfelt tribute/reflection on their parents' passing on The Birds Dont Sing, with John Legend's majestic vocals.
It's really, really good.

The production and mastering is immaculate, you can feel the breathiness in Pusha's voice, the fry in Malice's, which culminates in the title track, Let God Sort Em Out, where the brothers take turns and exchange bars. As for you, Pharell, you managed to make every single instrument modern, to slide pianos everywhere, to use new drums on oldstyle beats, you slayed it. Like, holy fuck.

Rating: 9/10 — If you like hip-hop, you'll love this album.

♡ (Heart) — Jane Remover

Yes, really! I preferred this to Jane's Revengeseekerz! I'm serious! I preferred the pop album to the hip-hop album! :D JAAAAAAAANE what the hell!! This production is really well balanced, it's so smooth yet detailed, it can get gritty and noisy but it feels delicate, purposeful, with a cover art to match!

I feel like Jane was fully in her pop-girl bag while writing this. It is such a shame that this project came out as late as it did, but I genuinely love almost everything about it. I do wish we had gotten proper music videos like we did for Revengeseekerz instead of just visualizers. Then again, this technically is not a full album - it is more of an EP.

Even so, I think it deserved more attention. While this EP won't give you the dopamine hit that Revengeseekerz does, it is a much more well-rounded and cohesive project, and I think it is a better showcase of Jane's artistry. A lot of people see Revengeseekerz as this crazy good, genre-defining, personality and pfp changing worthy, almost flawless concept album. I don't see it that way. It is more of a TURN UP OR DIE project. That is not inherently a problem, but it does mean some tracks land better than others, and that it ultimately loses a lot of replay value... so, if you were asking, Revengeseekerz is a 7.5 for me.

Instead, ♡ (Heart) has less tracks, which are all more cohesive, and the EP overall has no misses. This EP contains tracks Jane has already given us before, especially if you follow their SoundCloud, but that is not inherently a bad thing! For example, we got an extended cut of How To Teleport! Also, this project is self referential and even samples itself. Even Revengeseekerz samples Music Baby, it is such a treat to listen to once you catch it.

I also love the way Jane's voice is mixed on this project. It is so clear and upfront, and you can hear what they are trying to do with it, when they make their voice more airy or when they make it drier, adding a much needed layer of emotion.
I don't think any of the tracks necessarily stand out or fall short, but while fitting together in the same vibe, they vary in mood and energy, which makes the EP overall more dynamic and interesting to listen to.

On So What? and Music Baby we get this really fun, upbeat, love-centric, bubbly, snappy, get up and dance feeling, which perfectly contrasts the more melancholic, introspective, and emotional vibe of Dream Sequence. We even get songs in-between those two vibes, like How To Teleport, Flash in the Pan and Magic I Want U

Sidenote

I think So What? might sample or interpolate Roygbiv by Boards of Canada. The synth bass is very similar in melody and texture. No one else has pointed it out, so maybe I am wrong, but I have messed around with the stems of that song and I can hear the similarity even in the master if I squint.

Also, what's up with firework screech samples and 2025? Between Jane and 2hollis, I feel like I'm on Minecraft flying around with a pair of Elytra.
Actually, a lot of the samples on this album had me absolutely gagged, flabbergasted at the fact that they fit so well. Jane sampled this 1.50KHz seatbelt alarm on So What?, and like, she's in a car in the cover art, of course.

Rating: 8.5/10 — Should've been a full album.

two house — food house

this that fag furry shit. 8/10

Jokes aside, I have been waiting for this ever since their debut album food house. How does two house compare? It's a sequel... A worthy sequel but nothing mindblowing.
The production is out of this world on tracks like computerpunk, get it and credit card knife. This album is chock full of hilarious references, from jumpin the cacc which literally samples the titular YTP of That's What I Like by Bruno Mars, to dancing on your grave which is basically a blackwinterwells diss track, but it is all laced in this infectious, hilarious vocabulary, with frax's best voice yet.

That earworm-like quality applies to frax's vocals throughout the better part of this album! It's shockingly good!
I find gupi a bit lacking in this project, especially in production (see: the melody in hot problems and td bank). I also wish gupi was more present on the mic, they only appear on la la la and it definitely is not enough. gupi has already showcased and proven their vocal prowess with solo tracks such as spiralcourse, so I really do not understand the decision to make them sing less.

Or do I? :3
You see, this album feels very personal to fraxiom, so much so that I think it should've been hers with gupi as a producer, not released under food house!
None of that matters however, when one of my favorite tracks from food house: 8 now, gets a sequel! now 2 is an absolute banger, even with that acid lead.

This song slaps. frax opening up about her transition and family two food house albums in a row is iconic. We are witnessing levels of aura never seen before by mankind, maybe because frax is an anthro bunny. Yes, frax opens up about being a furry on this album! And with the track kutna hora she confesses her love for big buff hairy bara men, a theme that repeats in her 2026 album The Adventures of Jester Jackalope. There's also an hilarious line about assvore and catholicism, but it's not for everyone.

Before closing off this review, I really want to shine a light on the tracks special and everybody's eyes, which really resonate with me and my relationships. I love you all.

Rating: 8/10 — Could've been better.

Honorable Mentions

• I Love My Computer — Ninajirachi
• SISTER — Frost Children
• The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu — Ray Vaughn
• Revengeseekerz — Jane Remover
• star — 2hollis
• Rebel — EsDeeKid
• MUSIC — Playboi Carti

Preamble

My name is Iris. I've been raised in an environment full of hate.
Let's give you some perspective:

When I was two years old he went to a Forza Nuova rally, to which some people protested by throwing eggs at everyone. I want you to imagine this two year old kid, in a stroller, seeing people run, get egged in the face, as its father yells and mother tries to bring it to the safety of their car.
That was the breaking point for my mother, and she made him reconsider his views, which, however, haven't really changed much since. My father was, and still is, a xenophobe, a racist, an antisemite, a sexist, a homophobe, a transphobe, and an overall bigot.

I was raised under the constant fear of messing up, of getting beat up, and manipulated with lies and omission into doing whatever the hell they wanted me to, whether that was perform the act of "being a family" or studying harder.
Throughout 2016 my parents had a lot of discussions, and as they fought in front of me, I sunk my time deeper and deeper into Minecraft Xbox 360 — and later Xbox One — edition. They were mad, on the brink of divorce, living in separate houses, cheating on one another, smashing their phones out of anger, and all I had was my Minecraft Creative Mode world.
Minecraft is a game that I experienced fully offline and alone.

From 2010 when I first played it on my phone, to this day, Minecraft has been by my side more than any friend, relative or pet. It has also been the only semi-acceptable substitute for a shared physical space: a world made out of blocks, to hang out with my friends and partners in.
This game shaped me. It made me who I am.

And this brings us to what I really wanted to talk about…

The End Poem

I used to consider myself an atheist, yet I've always felt that things happen for a reason — like if there was something pulling the strings, some kind of universal intention.

I believe The End Poem to have some kind of intrinsic power over people. I do not consider its contents to have literal meaning, it is like a parable. It's text written for a block game. Of course it's not meant to have any special spiritual meaning, right? Hell, the author wrote it during a shroom trip in the woods! Why would anyone take it seriously? …yet I do! Kind of.

I'll start off with stuff most of us can get behind.

For those who have not read it before: You can — and should — read it for yourself at archive.org, or, for a more authentic experience, at theendpoem.com. But, the gist of it is: two supernatural entities manifest themselves as text on the credits screen, congratulating you, and explaining more about the long dream of Minecraft.

I will now quote and dissect the poem. The lime entity is in bold and the cyan entity is in plain text.

On Sorrow

These entities talk about how the player has played in worlds of their own creation, worlds built to explore, play, escape real life, but also, worlds that caused them to inflict pain and suffering upon themselves, worlds built to digest and process the inner workings of oneself. This strongly connects to how I used the game to cope, to escape, to vent my feelings out — and to how I use art.

They go on to say that this sorrow, this melancholy the player feels, is not something that can be taken out: it is part of the player's growth and story, it is an essential part of life, and that a life without suffering cannot possibly exist without obliterating all the properties that make a player themselves, unique, alive, human, able to feel happiness.

Life is a sine wave. Peaks and troughs.

Who Are We?

Yeah. Who are they?

This tells us two things. The entities we are reading are supernatural, and have existed for as long as this world has. They are every single deity or spirit any and every civilization has tried to descrive.

They explain how, the universe, exists and functions to grow and nurture the player. They imply that they are the universe, that you are the universe, that they are not separate from you, that this is merely a projection of you, talking to yourself.
In a certain sense, this means that we are our own. We're our galaxies, our lives, our planets, our stories, music, foods, smells. We're our friends, our families, we're everyone. Everything is you. And it is with this philosophy that I have been processing life.

On Love

As we read the poem we are told that both the pain the player fights, and the light the player needs to escape this darkness, are something that comes from within. We are also told that the player is love. Love itself.

I interpret this as follows: the player's life purpose is to love, to spread love, to love itself, to love everything and everyone. That's the big message I take out of the poem.
And to love others, you do need to love yourself first, because there is no difference. There is no you or I. We are not separate things. And all the outward hate you feel, all of it, is hate against yourself too.

Something a bit harder to swallow is: reality itself is made to grow each and every single player, that the hardships are a test made to grow us. That's what it means to be the player: to play the game of life, to grind, to pass the hardships, to slay the bosses, to build a house, a pretty house, to demolish it, and build a better one, to die and respawn, loving everyone else on the server, for they live with you, and are part of this all encompassing universal life, that loves you back.

In this sense, if everything happens for growth, every single soul you meet is of immense value, especially those that push you to do better, that challenge you and your views, even if it hurts. Your life is enriched only by loving others, by fighting pain, by growing yourself, changing, healing yourself and those around you, and experiencing as much of the universe as possible. Most of the behaviours this poem preaches are common in religions that span from east to west and across the entire history of humanity. They appear to be innate desires of mankind: to live life and improve life for others, to wish for nothing but happiness, but accepting pain as a normal part of life.

On Hate

Sometimes the notes that are not played matter just as much as the ones that are.

If loving is what makes someone a good player, that must mean hate is the wrong way to live life. No matter what or who you hate. On a psychological level, this aligns with what we know about hate: it is the easiest and weakest feeling to have. It's an automatic reaction when presented with something we cannot relate to or do not understand. Hating is easy, loving hurts. To love is to make yourself vulnerable.

Yet loving is not taught. You do not need to learn to love, you are born into it, loving your parents, the places you live in, the things you see. Hatred is something humans learn. Kids do not discriminate until someone in their life shows their bias and they appropriate that behaviour. Hate is either a response to fear or an emulation to fit into society.

Humans have always felt and will always feel hate, but when concepts like status, money, ownership of territory and/or things, monogamy and such arose, the vitriol we experienced started to overwhelm us and shape society itself. Hate is a learning opportunity. Once we learn what we hate, we can learn how to process it. Going for a walk, thinking, talking, is productive. Yelling, fighting, hurting people, leaves you with nothing.

We all must make our best effort to tolerate life's hardships. Only through self-evaluation and restraint we can love fully, be loved fully and truly live.