The Crown Never Slipped

KXNG Crooked, aka Crooked I, has been one of my favorite MCs to tune into for a long time now. From solo work to Slaughterhouse, KXNG Crooked has stayed a high-caliber artist consistently. Coming with his first release since 2024’s Tapestry with Joell Ortiz, KXNG Crooked is back with this 30-plus-minute album, putting it on heavy for the West Coast, as usual.

Right away the album starts off with heat. Both “West Coast ‘96” and “West Coast ‘26” sit back to back—a sequencing style I don’t normally like, but the songs are so good that it didn’t matter. People like to act like the West Coast doesn’t have lyricists or content, but they quiet down when KXNG Crooked walks into the room. “7 Day Theory” calms things down and gets more laid-back, but Crooked doesn’t slow down lyrically, spitting, “Me and my dogs living criminal minded, stuck in the game then I’m reminded, the system designed it for prison confinement.” KXNG Crooked has endless rhymes and bars—I love it.

“Po No Mo” and “Changez” are two more favorites that bring that hard-knocking style the West Coast tracks brought, but there’s more to the album West Coast ‘96. Songs like “Safe,” “For the Love,” “Retire You,” and “Last Song” all bring a deeper, more somber tone. “For the Love” has KXNG Crooked talking about hip-hop, his career, and doing it for the love of the genre—something I know well on multiple fronts, ha. While “Last Song” has Crooked spitting to and in honor of loved ones who have passed: “I gotta talk about my people that have passed on, ‘cause I never know which one will be my last song.”

I know KXNG Crooked said these songs were never meant for people and were made to test his own love for music still. Well, I hope he found it, and we get Calligraphy like it’s mentioned at the end of “Last Song.” To me, KXNG Crooked never lost a step, and I’ll hate the day he stops making music. West Coast ‘96 is another great notch in KXNG Crooked’s long and storied career.

Standout Tracks: West Coast ‘96, West Coast ‘26, 7 Day Theory & Last Song

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑(8.5/10)