We’ve been anticipating Philthy Rich’s new project, Sem God. His tantalizing flow makes for good party music or chill music. His versatility is why he’s still around after years of putting in hard work. Changing things up for a pace, we’ve decided to do a track by track review for Sem God. Inspired by DJ Booth, we’re going to listen to each track one time and give our honest thoughts.

Sem God

Only Philthy can start an album off on a high note without any introduction. There’s no inspirational intros, skits, or eye-rolling phone conversations meant to make us anticipate the album that we’re listening to even more. He goes off on a beat that sounds as if it was created on the steps of the church down the street. The pounding bass compliments Philthy’s silky flow to perfection. I’m almost tempted to say that this is my favorite song so far and the album just started. How will he able to keep up the already impossibly high standard he’s just set?

Around ft. Gucci Mane and Yhung T.O.

You can never go wrong with a verse from Gucci Mane, arguably the hottest rapper on the planet at the moment. Anything he touches turns into gold. Combine his sneaky flow with Philthy’s machine gun delivery and you have a track that’s nearly diamond. The production is kind of one note which detracts from the song’s replayability a tad. But it’s something that will be played on the highways of Los Angeles next summer for sure.

My Zone ft. Marko Penn

How could you describe the classic Bay Area sound? It’s very positive, energetic, and bouncy. Philthy emulates that style of rap with this track, bereft with a feature from an R & B artist able to flow on the hook nicely. This ode to women is another high point in the tracklist so far, probably beating Sem God as my current favorite. Besides the romantically charged lyrics, the production is another high point. As simple as it is, it’s perfect for the idea that the song entails.

Winning Team

Ah, we return to the Bay Area bounce for what feels like a dark flip of “My Zone.” Come play for the winning team is the message of this track, but the light-hearted delivery of the previous track has all but vanished. This is a commanding call towards women while being a chance for Philthy to flex his accomplishments as well. It’s a good track and it’s made all the more powerful by being played right after “My Zone.”

Dead Fresh ft. Money Man

From the instant that this track starts, it’s clear that this is something special. It’s different from everything else so far – it’s quiet and intimate. Money Man on this track sounds like he’s emulating the sing-songy flow of Future, but it works well. Philthy reveals that what he’s writing is off the head on this song. As fast as he raps, it’s almost unbelievable. It’s a great track, but something special feels missing. There should have been a Gucci feature on this song instead.

This One ft. Bankroll Fresh

Loud, commanding tracks are what Philthy Rich is known for. He returns to form here with a boastful track backed by commanding production as well. It’s a decent inclusion, but ultimately forgettable. I understand the message that he was going for though. Basically, everyone who ever doubted him should be eating dog shit. Bankroll Fresh’s inclusion is a brutal reminder of his untimely death. Rest up, Bankroll.

No Extras

I’m noticing a trend. When Philthy goes for darker production, he goes even harder. Imagine what he’d sound like over a Metro Boomin beat. “No Extras” might be the closest that we’ve seen so far – he’s stepped it up even more. He’s got no answer for you no matter what you ask. There’s a lot of numbers he’s throwing out on here. It’s making my head spin just thinking about it.

Big Dawg Status ft. YFN Lucci, Young Dolph, and Lil Durk

Alas, this is what I’ve been waiting for. Just crude, angry, and boastful – the perfect recipe for the go-to hype song at the gym. The beat is largely irrelevant – it’s a little lacking on the bass side – but the verses from Philthy, YFN Lucci, Young Dolph, and Lil Durk are nothing short of spectacular. I was actually shocked to hear these four together on a song. Even more, Philthy managed to bring each artist’s A game.

24 Hours ft. Payroll Giovanni and Team Eastside Peezy

Philthy Rich goes for that classic Detroit sound with this track, featuring D-Town heavyweights Payroll Giovanni and Team Eastside Peezy, and Bay Area artist Mozzy. He fucks with the D, that’s a known fact as he so eloquently puts it. He also gives us a mantra to live by: “We got the same 24 hours in a day. Stop wasting time nigga, get paid.” It’s another strong point to an already strong album.

Free JBay

This track is an ode to an associate named J Bay and it doubles as a speaker-rattling powerhouse. It’s relatively straightforward but you can feel the sentiment that he expresses for his fallen comrades, whether they’re dead or they are in the penitentiary. It’s a heartfelt song that will be added to my rotation in the next couple of days.

Plug Conversation (Bonus Track) ft. Allstar JR

Why is this a bonus track? This furious beat is the perfect pairing for Philthy Rich and featured artist Allstar JR. Philthy and JR both give strong verses about being the plug and the typical mainstays of rap superstardom. A side note: Allstar JR is quickly becoming one of the funniest rappers I’ve heard in recent memory. His comedic punchlines – I’m not sure if they’re written to be funny – remind me of Ludacris. He has a bright future ahead of him in rap.

Right Now (Bonus Track) ft. SOB X RBE, Ziggy

To cap off this album, Philthy delves back into that classic Bay Area sound to send us home on a high note. The hook for this song is a killer; props to the strong songwriting. This, like Plug Conversation, would be valuable admissions into the main tracklist. It’s a shame that they are delegated to bonuses. But then again, since they’re included with the main album, maybe that denotation should be ignored.

Overall, this is one solid album from Philthy. He continues to show his consistency and his ability to spit with the best of them. There’s no rust in his blood; he’s like the Terminator in his ability to keep going no matter what.

Score: 4/5