Cleveland, Ohio emcee Cody Manson returns to record his third LP. Over the past few years, whether it’s signing with Lyrikal Snuff Productionz or dropping his feature-length debut Psychoactive to critical acclaim and sophomore effort a few years ago on Christmas Day, he’s been on the underground music scene The rapid rise of E=MC Skelter proved to be a classic in his own right. Unfortunately, Cody fell out with Ouija Macc in early 2024, causing some 17% players to dump him immediately, but I still want to give Double Cups & Demons a chance since he’s still the top of the LSP roster.
The title track featuring Keith Stoned opens with chimes and hi-hats telling us the only two things they’ve seen lately, while “Troublesome” featuring Keith Stoned offers another trap vibe with a dark vibe that showcases their destruction Sexual orientation. The Stir Crazy-produced “They Love to Hate Me” is a personal highlight for me, its trap metal instrumentals addressing the hate he’s received this year, just as “27 Club” featuring Jamie Madrox and Keith Stoned skips this before a ready-made song.
“Feel Like Dying” features a stellar performance from Majik Ninja Entertainment’s Head of Graphic Design Insane E, and of course Keith Stoned found the trio too dull for the trap production, explaining that they themselves felt like they were on the verge of death, even though they kind of enjoyed it. On top of Insane E offers another quality guest appearance as does Jamie’s, while the stately “100K” proves to be another standout, giving a middle finger to friends best in the Sinister Trap joint “Shooters” before trying to touch the exact amount.
Meanwhile, on “Never Too Much,” we get Cody talking about doing too much and never enough, and that bass-trap approach leads instrumentally into the introspective “All My Life,” with Charlie Binns on the people-hated Time provides a happy musical background of struggle. “Limitless,” starring Keith Stoned, exudes a dull trap tone over the beat and feels like they’re both boundless, while Bonez Dubb, Doc “Blood Money,” starring Gruesome, Gorilla Pimp, and Keith Stoned, is a good 5-minute clip.
Danny Diablo joins Cody on Memphis Style’s “FAB (Fuck a Bitch),” ready to set the critics’ world on fire, while “Born Evil” featuring Keith Stoned puts those guitars and hi-hats together to make They stay high when they’re high. “Scars” blends grunge with trap, encouraging every listener to remember exactly who you ate, while “Sulfur” bombastically concludes the LP’s politicking with basement demons.
I’ve always had love and support for Cody Manson and Ouija Macc, so it’s a shame that neither of them are on good terms. Now do I think Double Demons & Demons is the best album Cody has ever done? No, for the purposes of this conversation, I still very much think E=MC Skelter is on the throne. Having said that, it still sounds good. The features are hit or miss, the sounds he’s experimenting with are incredibly detailed, and Trife Life General is unleashing the momentum that’s been building up throughout 2024.
Rating: 7/10
