New extended play & the 13th overall from Harlem, New York emcee UFO Fev. Coming up a little over a decade ago off his full-length debut Around My Way, it wasn’t until 2020 when he saw his biggest year yet by dropping not 1 but 3 well received projects: the Statik Selektah-produced sophomore effort Fresh Air along with the Termanology-produced debut EP From El Barrio, With Love & the Big Ghost Ltd.-produced 3rd album The Ghost of Albizu. This was all followed up with Magnum Opus along with the Vanderslice-produced Enigma of Dalí & 4 EPs: The Most High, Prayer, Weed & Music, E Pluribus Unum, Sunsets in the Ghetto & of course the Finn-produced Blood on the Bills. I even enjoyed the Fredro Starr produced Strapped & Pyramid Schemes, coming off The Ghost of Albizu 2: Albizu’s Revenge last summer to have Machacha produce 4 the High.
“Left Lane” eerily begins talking about always bouncing back since that’s the way he balls whereas “Dealin’” hops over a boom bap instrumental to get on his gangsta shit, observing the crack game pretty much being dead. “Levels Up” ruggedly talks about someone who he perceived to be a gangsta winding up snitchin’ & a price goin’ on everything except their souls while “Middle Gates” orchestrally wraps up the 1st half discusses his daughters knowing a man when they see one.
Eto appears for “Us Never Them” kicking off the 2nd act of 4 the High talking about preparing for war over a piano-driven boom bap beat talking just before “The Palladium” featuring Red Inf explains one has to engage in conflict if they’re searching for peace, embracing a rap rock sound. “Saturday Mornings” issues a warning of potentially smoking anyone who runs up on him at a mall & the drumless closing track “God’s Sincere” talks about the Lord carrying him across the sand.
UFO Fev warms up for his upcoming 14th album Creatine produced by Eto set to arrive within the next few months toning down the number of guests A Night on the Moon has for an EP that’ll make up for most who were left underwhelmed by Hustle, Weed & Music this past fall including myself. Machacha’s production matches the consistency of Lost in Transit & Villano de Medianoche, giving Fev less than a half hour to take up most of the verses delivering that unmistakable New York grit.
Score: 8/10