Spot Review: Smino 'blkswn', Mike WiLL Made It 'Ransom 2' & Mansionz 'Self Titled'

Smino – blkswn

St. Louis has been looking for another breakout star since the rise of Nelly and Chingy over a decade ago. Many names have come and gone but the future of St. Louis rests on the shoulders of Smino. His album blkswn is a groovy mixture of jazz influenced production, ear grabbing melodies, and tales of chasing a path of success. “Netflix & Dusse” shows Smino can cater to the pop crowd while the title record brings the hope of money trees with it’s double-time sing-song flow on its chorus. You won’t even realize you’re listening to the full album from how well it flows from track to track. Smino’s future is bright and this is just the beginning for him. Expect a resurgence from St. Louis in the future as Smino has just rejuvenated the music scene in the STL.

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.

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Stream: Apple Music | Spotify

Rating: 9/10

Mike WiLL Made It – Ransom 2

For over five years, Mike Will Made It has been one of the go to producers if you wanted a hot record. He’s proved he’s multifaceted as he’s produced for everyone from Gucci Mane and Rae Sremmurd to Beyonce and Miley Cyrus. Mike’s solo debut in Ransom featured an all-star cast with his best production. It had sounded like he was able to keep his favorite beats and still give everyone hit records at the same time. Ransom 2 doesn’t sound that way; this album feels like Mike Will gave away his hottest production and forgot to keep some for himself. The album isn’t all bad though; 2 Chainz on ‘Y’all Ain’t Ready’ pulls a bat-flip that would make Jose Bautista proud and “Come Down” is radio ready with its catchy Chief Keef hook. It’s difficult to have success at the rate that Mike Will has had, so to have a sub-par project isn’t the end of the world for this super producer.

Stream: Apple Music | Spotify

Rating: 7/10

Mansionz – Self Titled

While the marketing for the first collaboration album from the duo Mansionz (Mike Posner and Blackbear) verged on parody, the music is far from it. The two display frequently that not only do their sounds create an interesting dynamic, they also bring out the best in each other at times. Mike Posner brings his unique voice and Blackbear, who sounds eerily similar to Ty Dolla Sign at times, brings his raunchy lyrics and strong hooks. Early singles ‘STFU’ and ‘Rich White Girls’ are two of the albums strongest moments as they create buttery smooth ballads backed by guitar strums that don’t take themselves too seriously. In the same vein are late album cuts ‘White Linen’ and ‘Gorgeous’ with the former featuring an appropriate albeit sort of left field Cyhi verse and the latter featuring arguably the albums strongest hook. The biggest critique is that there aren’t enough moments where they pick up the tempo and let the fun they’re having match the music. No song on here is necessarily bad, but the highlights outshine the less memorable moments by a far margin. Mansionz overall is an album that’s a good showcase of the two artists’ talents, and standing on its own it is strong, but it could have been an even stronger and tighter 6-7 song EP.

Stream: Apple Music | Spotify

Rating: 7/10

By Joe Coad and Scott Evans