Vel The Wonder - Trophy Wife (Album)

Vel The Wonder is a lowkey, yet a malevolent force to be reckoned with & on her 4th album, the MC is once again not playing. She isn’t waiting for you to give her just due; she’s taking what’s hers & then some. You will bow down & kiss the feet of royalty like the jesters some of you so-called rappers are, you’re just entertainment, but this is about skill, so sit back & take notes.

Immediately, she comes through with her pen mightier than the sword, sharp as a katana, serving heads like O-Ren Ishii. Don’t be like Tanaka & just keep your mouth shut when a queen is serving you game, then disappearing into the nightlife on the minimalist West Coast G-Funk of “Double Line.” Her flow is intoxicatingly undeniable as she fires off syllables & punchlines from her silencer so coldly.

“Trophy Wife” is another flawless effort to add to her ever-growing archive, rhyming like she knows nothing else throughout the album. It’s that grimey intelligence & elegant thuggery that not many are capable of pulling off, nonstop head nods & dizzying wordplay, eye-opening lyricism & finely produced. Who knew bars could be this classy? This project is music to raise your glass to then immediately bust a beer bottle over someone’s head right after, a toast for the champ!