Brooklyn, New York emcee/producer SHVMIRE dropping off his 5th extended play on Devil’s Night. Dropping his debut EP 333 <3 as well as a full-length debut Reclusive Poet he primarily self-produced and the Saxophones & Sex EP in 2024, he would eventually make his return this past Christmas Eve releasing his previous EP Grinch’n. It’s already been 7 months or so since Eyes Wide Shut told more stories of the masked hooded figure with a blue face & a closed yellow eye named ANU, celebrating the holiday season by putting out All Men Bear Arms only 24 hours away from Halloween.
“24K Desert Eagle” after the “Grinch” intro references the inaugural IWGPヘビー級チャンピオン, former 12-time WWE world champion, WWE tag team champion, 3-time WWE Hall of Famer, Real American Beer founder, Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) co-founder & known racist Hulk Hogan whereas “The Earth Isn’t Godly” jazzily includes a reference to 2-time WWE Hall of Famer, former 16-time WWE world champion, WWE Intercontinental Champion, 6-time WWE United States Champion, 6-time WWE tag team champion & 9-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair.
Meanwhile on “Grinch’n (Green Lights)”, we have SHVMIRE talking about all of his homies having their own guns eager to let shots ring out over a boom bap instrumental leading into “All Men Bear Arms” making it known that all these fishes can catch shells as far as he’s concerned. “Uhhhhh???” featuring Mondo Slade hits the midway point with a piano-woven boom bap beat suggesting artists whose music isn’t getting any play & can’t draw a crowd to rap or else their whole entire jig’s up.
“Featherweight” continues from there hooking up an orchestral flip talking about chillin’ at the very front of the Heaven gates viewing people attending his wake & after the “Turn on the News” interlude, “Won’t Recoil” brings the jazzier elements back in the picture so he can discuss dodging law enforcement & grabbing cash right out the soil. “Reaping What I Sow” spends the remaining minutes of Grinch’n II: All Men Bear Arms talking about his goals keeping him focused when he didn’t have a bed unable to sleep at night.
Some people like to celebrate Christmas early right when Halloween ends regardless of Thanksgiving being right around the corner, but Luca Brasi 793’s jazzy yet dark boom bap production heard throughout the 20 minutes Grinch’n II: All Men Bear Arms has to offer makes complete sense as to why SHVMIRE decided to put it out a couple months earlier than most people anticipated considering he felt like the beats were putting his pen to the test.
Score: 7/10