Run Toward the Monster 2025 Album

Apollo Brown Ty Farris

I’ve been saying the same thing in so many of Apollo Brown's album reviews that at this point, unless he works with a rapper I love, I’ll probably stop checking out his new albums. I haven't counted, but it seems like half the hooks differentiate themselves here by having a choir type VST which isn't new for Brown. He frequently works with these underground/conscious rappers who come with a similar style. The "Chess not checkers"/"Third-eye" type of spitters which is what Ty brings here. He uses those lines and then on the next song, 'Authentic', tells us how different he is. You can't say "Chess not checkers" anymore on a record. It's been done to death. Be it voice, flows, creativity, and so on, Ty has nothing as a rapper to elevate Apollo's rehashed productions. I always name the best tracks at the bottom of my reviews, but after threes listens it's hard to choose as nothing stands out. Maybe 'Traffic' with it's likeable melody if I had to name one. Apollo always makes adequate music you can press play on and let ride, but for a long-time listener, it hasn't gone beyond that for a while to make anything that I want to replay. Everything is similar. It's all safe. Nothing takes risks. Nothing stands out. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★☆ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: Traffic