Buffalo emcee/producer Che Noir staying busy with her 10th EP. Discovering her after 38 Spesh signed Che to TCF Music Group & fully produced her first 3 EPs, her Apollo Brown-produced full-length debut As God Intended & then her self-produced 4th EP After 12 during the 2nd half of 2020 was where her potential began to blossom exponentially. She has since followed this up with the sophomore effort Food for Thought as well as The Last Remnants, the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced Noir or Never, The Color Chocolate, The Lotus Child & the Superior-produced Seeds of Babylon. The Color Chocolate 2 kicked summer off in full gear a couple months ago with a sequel that I liked more than the original & needs No Validation at this point.

“Incense Burning” kicks it all off with an angelic boom bap instrumental from The Other Guys feeling like she’s finally found her tempo whereas the jazzily dusty “Smooth Jazz” featuring 38 Spesh talks about their self-education regulating their street abilities. “Sugar Water” keeps the jazzy boom bap vibes going to speak on the real ones rising while “Moroccan Mint” featuring Jae Skeese talks about never folding because of the wisdom they teach.

Ransom & Skyzoo join Che on the crooning “Katastwof” explaining that it ain’t really a journey if there’s no specific destination intended leading into “Dollar Tree” featuring Skyzoo & Von Pea talking about having it all despite not needing much. “Ego Trips” keeps it in the basement instrumental not having it because she controls her destiny & “Susie” featuring Smoke DZA talks about a woman acting like the character from the Paramount Skydance Corporation-owned Nickelodeon series Rugrats.

Making a mission statement for those who know what they bring to the table with or without applause, Che Noir & the curated lineup of elite lyricists that joins her side navigate themes of legacy as well as resilience & self-worth over the soulfully signature analog rich production style that Mighty Joe & Isaiah or The Other Guys have become known for with each guest MC adding their own signature flavor to the Poetic Movement Records founder’s reflective world.

Score: 9/10