Prolific music producer Manzu Beatz unveils his 14th project HULK THA HUSTLA, a 13-track collaborative album with Rochester emcee Jae Hussle . The result is a body of work that pairs Manzu Beatz’s hard-hitting beats with Jae Hussle’s vivid storytelling skills and distinct voice.

The track arrangement underscores the gritty tales of adversity, setbacks, successes, and resilience needed to overcome one’s demons. Jae Hussle’s commanding flow and lucid rhyme schemes help set the stage, while Manzu Beatz’ menacing instrumentation forms the background. From the “HULK THA HUSTLA (INTRO)”, one can see how the overarching concept is inspired by the Marvel character The Incredible Hulk and his human alter ego, as both sides try to wrestle control over the other. This leads into the dark “FRONTLINE” featuring Crotona P. Here, Jae Hussle leads us into the dangerous streets where the shark mentality reigns supreme, lines like “When Shots flying nobody safe, we all built for the room, we known to find a way/Get yours is what my mama say/We frontline with the grief/Never behind the pain” underscore the natural resilience Jae Hussle and his associates have built over time. No stone is left unturned on “UPFRONT,” where Jae Hussle goes for the jugular with candid lyricism about integrity in the mean streets. “STREETS CRY” is a mix of street savviness and a dash of reflection. Jae Hussle takes an in-depth look at the dynamics of the streets and gives audiences more than a handle of gems to live by.

The project continues to dig deeper with the solemn “1ST IMPRESSION,” where Jae Hussle shares his thoughts on standing on business. On “JUSTIFY,” we get to hear the full story of how he followed the unbeaten path and the ultimate goal of not selling out like many others. The aptly titled “HU$$LE” is comprised of suspenseful and ominous soundscape and serves as Jae Hussle’s anthem where he shows off his lyrical abilities with a flurry of no-holds-barred rhyme schemes laced with wit and bravado. Other notable tracks include the anthemic horn-driven  “PROCEED,” the soulful “REGRET,” which dives into the dichotomy of regret and fulfilment and “DO ME WRONG,” where he talks about betrayal and the underhanded actions of a fairweather friend.

The project closes out with the autobiographical “MY BLOCK” and the menacing “GAMMA RADIATION” featuring Ry Walker. The tracks are notable for their cinematic soundscape and overall grittiness underpinned by Jae Hussle’s passionate, gruff vocals and colourful rhymes. The project gets bookended with “HULK THA HUSTLA (OUTRO)” using another clip from the classic 70s Incredible Hulk TV series.

Overall, HULK THA HUSTLA is one for lovers of hard-hitting, no-frills, raw, unadulterated underground hip-hop. There are no catchy pop hooks or playful sentiments here, just hard-hitting beats with engaging rhymes.