Underground Queens, New York rapper Flee Lord took his work ethic to an entirely new level this year, as he successfully dropped 12 projects in 2020. Yes, you did read that right. His legendary run began on February 28, when he dropped Pray for the Evil, a 7-song EP produced entirely by frequent collaborator, Mephux. He never took his foot off of the gas after this release, as he continued to drop full-length projects on a monthly basis. His close affiliation with Griselda, the busiest music collective of the year is most likely where he obtained this work ethic and the mindset of dropping as much music as possible that he was able to execute this year. However, dropping music at such a rapid rate is something that Flee Lord has experience with; even in 2019, he managed to release six projects. Him and all of the Griselda members used 2020 to flood the market with their music at an incredible rate, ultimately helping to take their sub-genre of hip-hop to mainstream attention. Their style of hip-hop; the grimy, raw, drug-ridden, 90s-sounding bars, will always sound good to hip-hop fans when they’re as authentic as Flee Lord's delivery. With this being said, the whole conversation regarding quality vs. quantity naturally arises when an artists drops this much music. In the case of Flee Lord, he’s able to drop all of this music because of the fact that he’s still an underground rapper and this is his strategy to prove his abilities as an emcee. Throughout his 12 projects released this year, and the entirety of his discography for that matter, he never strays away from his signature sound. You pretty much know what to expect from a Flee Lord release, yet each project still contains its own story and an endless amount of grimy bars. His run in 2020 is an extremely impressive one, and Flee Lord deserves both attention and praise for this incredible run that consists of a lot of great music. This is why I decided to rank all 12 of his 2020 offerings.
12 - Mandatory Respect (w/ Chase Fetti)
11 - Lucky 13
10 - Pray for the Evil (w/ Mephux)
9 - Loyalty and Trust 2 (w/ 38 Spesh)
8 - Alter Ego Fleeigo Delgado
7 - Lord Talk Trilogy
6 - No More Humble Fashion
5 - Hand Me My Flowers
4 - The People's Champ
3 - Rocamerikkka 2 (w/ Eto)
LordMobb, LLC/Trillmatic Records, 2020
Rocamerikkka 2 is a collaborative project between Flee Lord and fellow New York emcee/producer Eto, which serves as the second instalment of their Rocamerikkka series (the first was released in 2019.) Rocamerikkka 2 perfectly showcases both of their elite rapping abilities and helps prove that they are two of the most promising rappers in the underground hip-hop scene. Flee Lord and Eto going back and forth as they exchange bars about the streets is an entertaining listen for any hip-hop fan. The further you get into the project, the more it becomes apparent that they bring the best out of each other, as their bars get more and more chilling and absurd. Spanning 10 songs and 28 minutes, this album exists for just the right amount of time without overstaying its visit. The skits from 2019 mobster movie, "The Irishman" placed at the end of tracks throughout the album also help tie together the album’s dark themes and create one of Flee Lord's most cohesive bodies of work.
2 - Pray for the Evil 2 (w/ Mephux)
LordMobb, LLC/New Crack Era, 2020
Flee Lord's 2020 run began in February with the Mephux-produced Pray for Evil, but as he improved through each release, this second instalment released in August is a much more complete body of work by the same duo. Pray for the Evil 2 is one of Flee Lord’s longer offerings of the year, as it consists of 14 tracks and many notable collaborations. Guest verses from Griselda frontman Westside Gunn and underground heavyweight Roc Marciano, among others, help to showcase Flee Lord’s collaborative abilities. This album also brings out some of the best examples of how Flee Lord can rap comfortably and effectively alongside certified greats within the underground scene. Considering Flee Lord is a rapper who always stays true to his sound, he shines when rapping over familiar production, such as that provided by Mephux, who creates the perfect platform and environment for Flee Lord to get off his grimy bars.
1 - In the Name of Prodigy
LordMobb, LLC, 2020
In the Name of Prodigy is the perfect example of saving the best for last, as Flee Lord delivers his best project of 2020 in his last offering. He pays homage to his mentor, the late hip-hop legend Prodigy, who was one half of the hip-hop duo Mobb Deep alongside producer/emcee Havoc in the mid-90s. In the Name of Prodigy finds Flee Lord collaborating with Havoc and rapping over his production for the entirety of the project. This is a challenging feat considering the legacy of both Havoc and Prodigy, but Flee Lord proves that he could very well be a legend in the making. His overall presence and bars over Havoc production showcase his roots and skills as an emcee, which even legendary figures like Havoc believe in. On this project, he takes his skills to another level, as he keeps the classic boom-bap style of hip-hop alive and raps alongside certified legends such as Busta Rhymes and Raekwon. With this being his twelfth and final release of 2020, fans will patiently wait for his next release and see which direction he goes in next. Given his track record, I'm sure we won't need to wait long until we receive a Flee Lord project in 2021.
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