This is the second full-length studio LP from Los Angeles duo Coyote. Comprised of the Morales brothers LadiesLoveGuapo & Ricky Blanco, they continued to gain traction in late 2022 from their debut album. Thicker than water known for its witty lines and east coast influences. However, their official follow-up a year and a half later L.Aliens It's quickly becoming their breakthrough project to the point where people have been recommending that I give it a shot and I was more than willing as the track list looked promising.
“Pop the Trunk” closes the door as hard as possible with its boom bang production and hard hitting 90's lyricism, while “3 Lokos” featuring fucking Shaquille O'Neal works in more kicks and snares reminiscent of the production of Havoc's timeless Mobb Deep sophomore effort The Notorious… speaking of the 3 psychics. The instrumental on “Pocho” featuring MC Magic sounds like something Tyler, The Creator would have done during his Odd Future days and I mean that as a compliment as someone who's been around since that time showing off their Mexican heritage and “Tryna Get High Foo?” featuring B-Real is a theme for heavy smokers.
Moving on with “LA LA Land” we have LadiesLoveGuapo and Ricky Blanco hitting a trap zone telling us what it was like for them to step up in the City of Angels before “DUI” with SUCKERFREE104 hooking up bells as well as kicks and traps to talk about drinking too much and pulling your bitch with the roof closed under the influence. “Buck 50” trades bells for sampling asking if you're really walking it like you're talking it with your chest out, while “Do You” puts a psychedelic spin on the trap that bends over everyone else in the underground.
Shady Records signee Westside Boogie opens for Kendrick Lamar during his Pop Out concert at the Kia Forum last night, joining the West Coast since the death of Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hu$$le joining the Coyote for the syrupy 'House Party' which further exemplifies this. from the cut and bolted hook that reprises Los Angeles and Compton respectively that lead into the soulful “Pushin'” with Doeman keeping it playa and positive. The trap-flavored “Wadadabang” featuring The Game & Lefty Gunplay tangles with their gangsta shit with The Game having the best of the 2, but then “Devil's Contract” combines g-funk and boom bap going horrorcore.
“Letter to God” sees the Morales brothers jump over an apocalyptic drill sending a message to a Higher Power just before “Drugs Bunny” returns to boom bap inspired by Daringer's organically hilarious interpretation of Bad Boy Entertainment founder, Puff Daddy aka P. Diddy. or Diddy attacking Cassie for being a grown man behaving like a bitch. “Note to Self” embraces the trap sound once again assuring that the repercussions will be worth it, while “Cheers” goes the cloudier route explaining that you're either in it or you're not.
Meanwhile, the bouncy “Splash” is about being treated like the rest, defining your worth by who you think you are uplifting rather than down, while “Blanco the Blizzard” marks the return of Griselda's boom vibes discussing fame and attention are the downsides of going out dressed in a full Gucci suit. “Hunger Flow” featuring Justin Credible keeps the kicks and snares tight and killer while “Quema Quema” goes full Latin trap. “Rings” enlists Shaq on the 1 mic one last time as it nears its end L.Aliensdelivering a jazzy trap fusion treating hip-hop like a sport when it really isn't, and “Busca La Muerte” serves as a Latin closer at 2 minutes.
Compare to Thicker than water, the Morales brothers' sophomore effort here takes them to a whole new level as one of the hottest up-and-coming groups on the west coast hip-hop scene. The production goes from boom bang to trap, jazz rap, cloud rap, Latin music, southern hip hop, soul music, and even psychedelia, turning up the boobies to 11 and inviting a pretty tight guest list along for the ride. It's also nice that they show their influences and put their own spin on the styles that end up in a melting pot.
Rating: 8/10
