Mozzy – Survivor’s Guilt (Album Review)

Mozzy makes his CMG debut with “Survivor’s Guilt.”

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TOP 5

5. Wouldn’t Be Us

Mozzy, YG, and Blxst are slowly becoming a great big three.

Do you know what’s funny? Gangsta-ass YG usually brings out the cool side of Mozzy. I heard so many collaborations between the two in which the Sacramento rapper takes more of a subdued approach to rapping. In “Wouldn’t Be Us,” one of their latest collaborations, Mozzy and YG do work over an R&B-heavy beat. While Blxst sets the tone with an infectious hook that has him endorsing discombobulated romantic relationships, you get somewhat lovey-dovey verses out of YG and Mozzy. All in all, this is one of those smooth R&B-hop bangers that are hard to hate.

4. Open Arms

I feel like I was taken to a church in the hood while I was listening to “Open Arms.”

“Open Arms” made me shiver my ass off. The song’s emotional beat and soulful chorus literally tried to pick a fight with my soul, while Mozzy’s deep-ass lyrics that revolve around getting both headaches and the support he needed from the streets will strike a chord with you. I know nothing about this street s**t, but felt like I could relate to this joint.

I hate that “In My Face” follows this song up…

3. In My Face

I shamelessly f**k with this song, bro.

This song is wild! In the hook, you will hear “girl, put in my face” over and over again. As for the verses, they are jam-packed with brash lyrical content that has to do with unadulterated sex, some stripper s**t, and flexing. What I will say is this: The casting for this song was perfect. Literally, everybody fits it like a non-OJ glove.

2. Murder On My Mind

I hope that Mozzy doesn’t act on what he has on his mind…

I love it when our rappers let us know what dominates their minds. I also love it when our rappers spit tough-ass bars over soulful production. In “Murder On My Mind,” Mozzy does both.

More than anything, “Murder On My Mind” feels unbelievably touching. Throughout the song, Mozzy does a great job of asking the right questions and letting us know the conflicts that he has to battle within. From a rapping standpoint, I love how he plows through the song sounding frustratedly aggressive.

1. Real Ones

Roddy Ricch definitely blesses Mozzy with a stimulus package here.

You get emotions in many different ways in “Real Ones.” For starters, the song is powered by this touching, piano-driven beat that will have you in your feels for sure. From there, you get a passionate hook and verse by Roddy RIcch in which he turns up his vocals a few notches and a verse by Mozzy in which he speaks about living life on the edge in the streets. All in all, I think this track is one that is as close to flawless as it gets.

SONG BY SONG RATING

1. Not The Same (4/5)

2. If You Love Me (4/5)

3 Lurkin (4/5)

4. Tell The Truth (4/5)

5. Murder On My Mind (5/5)

6. Burr (4/5)

7. Wouldn’t Be Us (4/5)

8. Smoke Nuffin (4/5)

9. 4Life (4/5)

10. Make The News (4/5)

11. What You Hollin’ (4/5)

12. Ain’t Really Real (4/5)

13. Open Arms (5/5)

14. In My Face (4/5)

15. Real Ones (5/5)

RGM RATING

(B)

Mozzy is such an underrated listen. I think the biggest reason he doesn’t get spoken about as much is that he makes music that is so authentically California and gangsta, your ordinary person who works a 9-5 probably won’t be able to fully internalize what he talks about. With that being said, I think that everyone should learn to appreciate someone who is honest and good at storytelling like he is.

Survivor’s Guilt doesn’t have a single bad verse, bad beat, or bad feature (Well, actually, I could’ve done without Blac Youngsta on “Make The News”). What I absolutely love about the album is that Mozzy does a really good job of blending hood emotional tracks like “4Life” and “If You Love Me” with universal hood tracks like “Smoke Nuffin,” R&B hood bangers like “Wouldn’t Be Us,” and certified club bangers like “In My Face.” What’s astonishing is that Mozzy never switches his persona on the album; he stays the same trill Sacramentian that is ready to spray his gat, teach us street rules, and indulge in some fine-ass women. More than anything, this is an authentic banger from start to finish.