How Millyz Carved Out His Lane Through Substance and Soul On Blood In The Water 2 by Nwo Sparrow (Review)

Rapid Review of Millyz "Blood In The Water" 2 Album

Beats: 10/10

Lyrics: 9 /10

Concepts: 5/10

Rollout: 6/10

Replay Value: 8/10

You Do Not Need a Machine When You Have A Real Story

I went to Millyz album listening event this past Monday and watched the room react while Blood in the Water 2 which landed today played, Standing there, I felt the same mix of pride and expectation you get when an artist you believe in gives you more of themselves. Millyz has spent his career carving his lane inside hip hop. He could have chased other sounds by now. Instead he doubled down on the craft. That choice matters to me. And it defiantly matters to this culture.

This album finds him at a crossroads and at home at the same time. He is a veteran who still sounds hungry. He can rap with aggression and step into melody without losing authenticity. He can narrate pain and also point to survival. Those threads run through the album like a spine. The energy from the release party held steady in the recordings. When a line hits the room, it hits the record the same way.

Personally , I admire an artist who refuses to be boxed. Millyz could cross into country or top 40 tomorrow and catch new fans. He has the range for it. Yet there is an honesty to staying true. This project proves his devotion to hip hop and shows that his catalog is deep enough to support a crossover if he ever chooses that route. For now he stays where he excels and gives us the work that made fans fall in love with him.

Sonically the project speaks for itself. Production and performance feel like a partnership. The beats support him and never steal the spotlight. The mixing feels precise and the engineer deserves credit. As a fan I am convinced he checks the boxes for mainstream appeal. If he wanted to chase radio today he could. He chose to remain authentic and the result is an album that rewards him repeat listens.

Track by track breakdown

Storm Catchers (fea Skrilla) — 6/10

I expected the opener to be a solo meditation from Millyz. Instead this back and forth with Skrilla sets the tone for a sequel that wants to expand the original story. The record is cold, cinematic and tense. Millyz opens the first verse and jumps right into his signature cadence. His delivery is loose here like he is in the eye of a storm. He plays narrator and warning voice at once. The contrast between him and Skrilla reads like good cop, bad cop. No matter which voice you prefer the honesty lands. Production works completely. This is how you start a sequel with a feature. It is haunting and raw and only he can pull this mood off.

On & On (fea Gnipsey, Dotta The Dealer, Jiggztb) — 7/10

Never a question about his bars. He opens with an unteachable kind of cool in the imagery and cadence. Lines like the ones he drops paint a clear picture. "caught a million on a charm / so i aint never gotta charm a chick/ aint trynna hit no stripper , im trynna touch a pharmacist/ that switch will knock ya shoulder off and prolly take ya arm with it/ I pop out in a tech with only one chain / I be calm with it" He speaks directly to the core audience who know his vocabulary and his streets. Gnipsey fits the track like a glove. His tone and approach were made for this beat. The guitar bridge breathes life into the production. When I heard it in an exclusive preview it already stood out. Dotta closes the record and finishes strong. This is a core audience gem that feels made for the people who ride with him.

Track Track — 6/10

On second listen I felt this record would have worked better later in the sequence. It cools the album down too early. The vibe reminded me of "Uh Uh" from the first Blood in the Water. It is solid on its own, but it disrupts the momentum the first two tracks build. Bars are there as always. When it comes to rap and lyricism Millyz never leaves you wondering.

Pain Author — 8/10

Here he dives into ambition. He does not spell out the wound but he shows what the wound has done to his life. This is the kind of record that made me a fan. Pain is a signature theme and no one I know tells that story with the same blunt sensitivity. The track is honest about outcomes rather than details. That approach lets the listener apply the lines to their own life while still hearing his truth.

Walk With Me — 10/10

The hook makes this record breathe. Unlike the more confrontational songs, this one is a narrated journey with Millyz leading you through the scene. The production has that cinematic uplift that reminds me of a DJ Khaled moment where the artist becomes the guest star on a grand track. This is the first track that feels designed purely to introduce someone to who he is. If someone asked me who Millyz is this would be the record I hand them. The hook singer is not credited on Apple Music but their performance pairs perfectly with the beat.

Die Alone — 10/10

This is the melodic single of the project. It is the most reflective song on the album. There are lines that read like poetry and also the kind of cryptic snapshots that demand repeat listening."Im going plakton on the pack/messy on the fabric/ choppers in the attic/money in the mattress" The production stands out and creates a deep atmosphere for the verse work to live in. This is a song where his melodic voice and his rap voice meet and both win.

Bout Bodies — 6/10

I may not have given this one a fair shot at first so I replayed it a couple times. The production overshadows his delivery here. Gnipsey absolutely walks the track. Right now this is not one of Millyz strongest cuts on the project, but I could see the opinion shifting with time.

Dope Maneuver — 7/10

I love when the crew shows up on a soulful beat and everyone holds their own. That is the intent here. Each artist contributes, but Jiggztb stands out. Lines like "I be rolling down that river it feel like Ike and Tina with me" stick in your head. This is old school energy blended with modern aura. It feels like a communal statement more than a single artist flex.

Ocean Flow — 10/10

I did not expect to hear him drop this kind of vulnerability. It is not a traditional rap cut. This feels like a journal entry. The production supports that intimacy. On this track he looks in the mirror and names where he is, where he has been and where he might be if belief had failed him. It is the record on this project that most surprised me. He has always been able to talk pain. Now he talks accountability and healing and it is powerful.

Immune — 10/10

The vulnerability continues and the placement after "Ocean Flow" makes sense. The hook is melodic and harmonized by him. He answers critics who label him only as a maker of "drug music" or "pain music". He says he is rooted in the streets and in the culture and he is not going to alter himself to fit industry molds. That commitment shines here. You hear a man who knows who he is and refuses to perform a false version of himself.

A Long Time (fea Potter Payper) — 10/10

Potter Payper absolutely walks this record and flips the sample inspired by Jay Z's "Song Cry" in a way that adds weight. The UK cadence and tone upgrade the sample and give the track an extra layer. Millyz picked the right partner here. This could be a single right now and it would climb. The chemistry and the reinterpretation of the sample are masterful.

UBLYIN — 10/10

This one is fun. It might be my third favorite on the album. Millyz and Jiggs get hilariously playful. The hook is infectious. It provides levity in a project that leans heavy at times. It shows he can make room for a laugh and still stay true to the project.

ITCHY — 9/10

A straight up bop. He knows when to rap hard and when to let the beat carry him. This one feels effortless and is an easy listen. A solid lay-up that keeps momentum and reminds you he can glide over a track without trying too hard.

Delete That — 7/10

Gnipsey and Millyz deliver. The title suggested a trendier, throwaway bop but instead the song leans back into story telling and aggression. In the running order this track feels like a cool down, the kind that would have worked later in the album. It brings narrative clarity after the playfulness of the prior records.

Gissydoll — 9/10

The beat is amazing. This is Millyz flexing. He lays out what he wants from his woman and how he likes it. I would have loved a female perspective traded across the hook with Jaewon or a singer to give the song a contrasting point of view. That missing perspective is the only real critique. Otherwise it is a strong, confident record.

Pedigree — 10/10

A perfect closer. He brings all of his tools here. This track ties lyricism, melody, pain and celebration together. He explains the cost of what he does and the reward that follows. It feels fitting and conclusive. Ending on this note gives the album closure and leaves the listener with a full understanding of where he stands.

The X Files

Component grades explained

Beats: 10/10

The production is soulful with touches of rock and boom bap. It never dominates. Instead the beats act as tools that let the performances live. That balance is rare. On this record the producers and the artist carry each other. The tracks range from cinematic to intimate to playful and they all serve the song.

Lyrics: 9/10

Millyz can rap. Period. He brings bars when the song calls for it and introspection when a different tone is needed. The writing hits with conviction and vivid detail. I docked a point only because there are moments where a verse could have reached higher emotional peaks, but on the whole the lyricism is among his strongest work.

Concepts: 5/10

This score reflects sequence and variety choices more than quality. I wanted to hear more romantic angles, more playful moments scattered across the record and a female perspective on tracks like "Gissydoll". The project leans heavily into pain and street narrative which is his strength, but a wider palette of themes would have added another layer.

Rollout: 6/10

He delivered to his core fan base with music videos and a release party. The rollout matched the audience he serves. I gave this score because it felt targeted rather than expansive. There was room to push the campaign toward crossover listeners if that had been the aim.

Replay value: 8/10

This album rewards repeat listens. The vulnerable tracks sit next to harder cuts and hook filled songs in a way that makes it easy to find favorites. Fans will return and find new lines each time.

Total music score: 8.4/10

Total album score: 8/10

I finished the album after three listens , feeling like I had watched a craftsman add another chapter to a consistent body of work. The man delivered calm in the way a person delivers when they have built something honest with their hands. There is a humility in his choices that I respect. He is not chasing a viral moment. He is telling his story. This album proves he can still surprise me. He can be hard and tender in the same breath. He can make you laugh and then make you stare at the ceiling the next minute. That range is rare and it is what keeps me coming back. It is the kind of project that grows on you and then grows with you.

If he wanted to chase country or pop I would not be shocked if he won. He has the voice and the instincts to land on other stages with credibility. But staying true to hip hop right now feels like a vow. It is a commitment to the culture and to the fans who supported him through every era of his catalog. As a listener and as a fan I want him to have every option open. This record confirms he can cross over if he chooses to. It also confirms that he does not have to. He can keep building on the foundation he has laid and still make records that matter. Blood in the Water 2 is proof that his catalog is deep, his craft is reliable and his voice is necessary.