Eastside Fish & Sage - Everybody Love Fish (Album)

Sure, “Everybody Hates Chris” but, who doesn’t love Fish? It’s never a flop when he reels listeners in to bare witness to how he leaves these Sage beats sleeping with the fishes. Opening up this record with the previously released “Go In” was a smart choice. A fan favorite that really sets the tone for the rest of the record cause he’s doing just that with all 10 pieces of this full course meal. Ever since he became one of the Tree Team’s head honchos, Sage has aided him in completely reinventing his sound, without Fish sacrificing any of those gangsta esque sensibilities you may have found in his earlier work, though his style & charisma is much more smoother & far past his earlier recordings under Paul Fisher. It’s like it was always written in stone for these two to create beautiful music together. They both bring out the best in one another & it’s just nice to see them have as much chemistry as he & Reek do. As musically soothing as Sage’s nostalgia tinged production is & as nonchalantly menacing Fish’s swagger & flow remains, neither are slouches when it comes to showing out for those who believe in the tree, despite how easy this listening experience is for the soul. Not to mention his decision to drop this record on his son’s birthday no less.

If you attended their Three Peat Championship Celebration back in November, then you had the pleasure of hearing “Dog In Me” beforehand. Any lover of R&B will be swooning over Reek’s crooning on this hook & though bitches ain’t his motivation, they’re surely soaking up their undergarments whenever Fish lulls them into their deepest fantasies. He’s not like your lame ass boyfriend, always making love to you missionary style, he knows you’re yearning for something new, something rough but passionate enough. We all got that dog in us after all, it just takes the right person to awaken it but fret not, this dog don’t bite, just don’t be yanking his chain baby & you’ll be good. He understands that these women aren’t worth crying over, as I’m sure your now ex-boyfriend is after he swooped in for the steal but, just take his words as a lesson young man. You can either charge it to the game over & over again or simply step your game up. Wouldn’t you rather be the player than the one getting played? 

Just “Say Yeah” if you’re following. I don’t know what the sample is on this record but it’s another perfect foundation for Fish to dance all over, as you bob your head til your neck bleeds on this floor stopper. You can already picture Fish pulling up to the function with the top down on the Lowrider to this. You really think your bitch leaving home in the same hunk of junk metal y’all pulled up in after she sees that? As much fun as he’s having over these beats, he still slides in that realism, showing that he’s on high alert even during his leisurely time so don’t get caught slipping cause he can easily revert back to his old ways if need be. He’s never not on “Go!” as his engine continues revving up, never running low on “Gas”, whether musically or when talking about his earlier days pushing only the dopest product. He more than anybody understands the dangers that come with both the street life & this music shit so, he just makes sure to keep his eyes open to any potential threats that may come his way, always prepared for anything to go left, regardless if in this new juncture in his life & career, he’s on the right path. When you been “Runnin’ Thangs” as consecutively as he’s been, it leaves you open to the envy that lies in those who can barely even jog in place but their complacency in being stagnant on that Nordic track just goes to show you that they’ll never get ahead in this game, let alone right behind you in this race.

How many bitches do Fish got? An infinite amount & they all gonna “Po It Up” with the Tree baby! You gotta respect how they always keep things in house in terms of features, very rarely is it someone outside of the team joining in on the revelry. One of the executive producers of ELF in the young gunner they call Sir Malcolm Jakob absolutely slides on this number. It’s beautiful to see him continue to shine on these Tree Team records. It’s a celebratory time for them as they continue to branch out while managing to not spill an ounce of their drinks. Don’t get it twisted though, this life of theirs isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it’s caused Fish a bit of turbulence in his relationship & home life as he lays it all out on the poignant “You”. It’s a side of Fish we haven’t really heard as he bares his heart & soul on this vulnerable number, trying his damndest to balance family, love & his career. It can be difficult for people outside of the industry to separate that “rap stuff” from real life, though hopefully the she in question appreciates his sincerity. Ain’t it funny how, it’s hard for us rappers to speak on how we feel unless it’s in the form of a rap? 

If you’ve haven’t been living under a rock then you’re aware of Fish being one of the funniest members of the Tree & I think that fact is solidified with the comical “FBWMDS”. Even besides the record itself, just the sequencing of placing this number after such a poignantly heartfelt song is hilarious. All guys know that feeling though, it’s truly one of the best alleviators known to man. I’ve always been fond of sexually explicit rap & we hear a lot of it with today’s artists, both men & women, contrary to the popular belief that only women make this kind of rap. Hip Hop has always been the most misogynistic genre of music there ever will be & even knowing that, we as fans of the culture, still can’t help but love it. Everybody is sexual in one way or another though so I don’t really see the harm in letting your sexual preferences be known, especially when it’s done in such a silly but fun way. Ngeniuss & Big Beautiful Williams add all the more hilarity to this number. 

Fish asking Sage what he’s doing on this shit is damn near a signature tag at this point, you already know when he asks that, it’s about to be another one of them ones. I mean, look at his big grin on the cover art with his face being held delicately by the soft hands of that woman, how could you not love this man? He’s a big ol’ teddy bear to the ladies, proving that, yeah, he got that rough edge to him, that hard exterior but deep down, he’s a softie when it comes to his “Lil Thang”. He’s a gangsta & a gentleman, knowing full well how to make the lil shorties feel safe whenever they have the privilege to be around him. Let’s not forget Levi Can Sing on the last portion of this record either. You wanna talk about vocals then you better mention that man in the conversation cause he SANG SANG! I think we’re about overdue for that Sage & Levi collab album, wouldn’t you agree? Closing out the record & year as a whole with the title track, Fish & Sage guide us into 2023 on the highest of notes, proving that they’ll continue to plant seeds in the minds of listeners with their infectious, beautiful & timeless music. It truly doesn’t get any better than the Tree. What a time to be alive & I don’t even like seafood like that but you bet your ass that, if you’re like me, you’ll certainly convert to pescatarian once you get a little of that Eastside Fish in your life.