“I personally can’t stand being called a female rapper. The goal is to be included in the overall list of rappers, or keep me out of it and let me work.” that was the first statement i read on 7xvethgenius’s ig page while trying to search for how the hell to pronounce her name (the 7xve is silent, go figure). it’s a hell of a statement, and one i agree with fully. after listening to this tape front to back at least a half dozen times, i can say for certain that 7xvethegenius is a true rapper’s rapper. and with this album she proved worthy of more than just a place in the conversation. she’s showing the world she’s here and ready to spit her way to the top.

standout tracks: Meditation, Back End Development, Brainstorming, The Feel

with a voice and delivery that sounds sturdy and imposing, it’s rare in hip hop to hear an underground rapper come out the gates with the charisma of a boss. but she oozes the energy of a real hustler. right off the jump 7xvethegenius is showing her genius. the first track, ‘Meditation’, shows immediately that she’s not just here to flex either. in carefully detailing the mental struggles of her come up to her current situation, she already shows a level of introspection greater than most rappers out right now. though maybe that’s just a sign of how bad shit has gotten in hip hop these days, but that’s a whole other discussion to have another day. regardless, the talent is undeniable, and 7xvethegenius takes every opportunity to let it take hold.

i should really start calling this the evil genius tape, because DJ Green Lantern was cooking up some Sinestro shit on this tape. with every comes the theme song to a new criminal offense. the album’s only single ‘Brainstorming’ would be the easy example to point to, but the track before in my opinion carries this energy even further. aptly titled, ‘Back End Development’ (thanks for the shoutout), is a haunted mansion ass beat with banshee screeches howling like musical nails on a chalkboard. but instead of grating your ears they attack your soul while sending that same icy chill down your spine. if i was a supervillain, this shit would be my theme song. the rest of the tape follow the same theme these two tracks set up. thumping kicks accompany an eerie package of synths to deliver a dark, chilling energy with each song. nothing on this tape is revolutionary or game changing necessarily, but this is still the product of execution to the highest degree. an established legend in the game, Green Lantern did his thing on this, giving the genius a perfect platform to talk her shit with style. a one two punch of dastardly beats and devilish bars.

the bars are packed so dense on this it’ll take months to decipher everything she’s spitting. combine that with a flow and cadence that rivals any member of the Griselda family and you get and rapper who excites me more than nearly anybody in the underground at the moment. 7xvethegenius has a level of poise rare even in the most established artists, and she’s only just getting started. now that she’s delivering a formula that hits, sign me up for a whole lot more of this shit. i need the subscription delivered right to my door.

final verdict: dig this - if you want that real raw, gritty, villainous sound that Griselda and their affiliates have come to be well known for, this is more of that same formula executed to the highest degree. 7xvethegenius is making a statement here, proving she can hang with the best of the best, so you better keep up.