Detroit, Michigan emcee Isaac Castor returns after two years with his third full-length studio album. In 2010, he debuted under the original name Gameboi, released 4 mixtapes and 3 EPs, and signed with local underground hip-hop giant Middle Finger Music 8 years later. He subsequently tapped label co-founder Foul Mouth to be the man behind his feature-length debut, The Rabbit Hole, and the sequel that preceded the trilogy chapter, Smoking Caterpillar.
“Here They Come” is a Bap-driven opener trying to get the money while he’s still here and making sure he’s never left behind, while “I Ain’t Fresh?” puts it in the basement, to effectively lower the combat bar for a few minutes. “Blind” has a soulful and jazzy vibe, about finally living in the mountains, leading to “Why Should I Die?” Jump through some corners, kicks and hoops and call yourself a diamond in the sky.
Kain Cole Sows With Isaac On Cash Rules While Everyone Else Is Camping Out And Sidetracked Talks About All The Other MCs Not him, they all sold out and refused to do so. “Customer” keeps the heat going and promises to be ugly in 2025, just ahead of “Shadow Realm” starring J-Classic and Mvck Nyce, which brings the trio together so they can all play their part penmanship.
“Jazz Hour” features a crooning sample talking about leaving behind his old lazy habits, but then “Gotham” compares himself to Batman saving the city. “Spin Itch” goes in more of a cold-blooded rap-rock direction, while “No Comp” featuring Jalen Frazier and Tone Plummer is a reminder that if you’re in the game, you have to play by the rules.
The song “Thoughts Runnin'” comes near the end of the final chapter of the Rabbit Hole Trilogy, The Smoking Caterpillar, promising that he’ll open your head so he can examine its contents, while closing track “Live Wire” then actively refined it by talking about going through the cycle again as he grew up.
This coming spring will mark the 5th anniversary of Rabbit Hole, and the sequel will hit its 2nd anniversary in a few weeks, so is Isaac planning on continuing with Rabbit Hole 4 or doing something completely different? “Hole 3: Smoking Caterpillar” takes the most important features of its predecessor from Isaac’s discography and improves them. Foul Mouth’s work revolves around boom bap music, jazz rap and rap rock, with Isaac’s lyrical style ranging from hardcore to introspective.
Rating: 9/10
