Although I was just put onto MBNel a few weeks ago, I couldn’t be more grateful for the music I’ve been able to experience. Hailing from Stockton, California, this Filipino-American emcee has clearly lived a tough life but rather than using music as a platform for revenge or threats, he instead uses it as a source to vent about all of the eye-opening and life-changing experiences that he has had to go through. Although his life might have gotten a bit better since making a name for himself in the music industry, he’ll never forget his roots or the things that molded him into the man he is today, and that’s extremely evident in every single song he drops.
Not too long ago in July, the California spitter dropped Child of the Trenches, a 6-track EP that dives head-first into the battels he dealt with in the streets while also offering up optimism, courage, and tenacity that allows listeners to look at the glass half full rather than the other way around. Thankfully, he’s back with a follow-up to this incredible project with the EP’s second edition, Child of the Trenches 2, and this project proves his story wasn’t even close to being finished. It opens up with the project’s lead single “Thru the Night”, a song I previously covered but have to emphasize how perfect this track is when it comes to opening the EP on a high note, painting a vivid picture, and paving the way for the rest of the project to captivate you.
The following song “Sincerely” continues with a lighthearted, intimate piano melody that is juxtaposed by rattling percussion and booming drums that provide a Drill-like vibe that’s perfect for MBNel to go in on, much like G Herbo or Lil Durk who are some of the influences he cites in the project’s press release. Here, he delves into topics such as addictions, hardships, and his evident rags to riches story. He goes on to utilize the hook as a letter to his mom where he tells her all about the success he has had despite all the odds stacked against him, and when you hear him share his triumphs directly with her, it’s impossible not to get goosebumps and root for him to keep going.
“Backdoe” picks up the pace slightly in a much bouncier fashion, utilizing West Coast synths combined with additional victorious piano keys to create a foundation that’s rejuvenating and refreshing after the two heavy opening tracks. He utilizes a bit more of a wavy cadence as he gets slightly more aggressive and assertive with his words, firing off rapid bars that ride out with the instrumental flawlessly as he raises and lowers the intonation within his delivery. The following song “DTM” has you anticipating a slower, more melodic offering that’s much closer to the vibe of the first two tracks, but a resounding baseline and vibey synths soon steal the spotlight, giving MBNel another bouncy beat that he toys with in such an effortlessly notable manner.
The penultimate record “Alley Oop” boasts the EP’s only feature in Fenix Flexin, and when I saw the tracklist, this was definitely the song I was most looking forward to considering my high admiration of the former Shoreline Mafia hitmaker. The production on this hit takes you back to a time in Hip-Hop where Gangsta Rap was king, and Fenix alongside MBNel shows you that the subgenre is far from dead. Fenix brings his smooth, buttery flow to the party right off the bat, boasting a slower, choppy rhyme scheme that couples with the instrumental perfectly before MBNel comes in for a much more ruthless, insistent verse that is as incredible as ever. It’s risky to get a verse from someone like Fenix because there’s a very good possibility that his persona will just steal the show, but MBNel does a fantastic job of understanding this and gifting us with an equally incredible part, not coming even close to getting overshadowed in the slightest.
Finally, “Lingo” leads us out of the project in a wonderful way. In this song, he provides some final additions to his enthralling story while also showing listeners exactly why he’s a force to be reckoned with. Although all the songs are great, this track might be the one to resonate in your head for the foreseeable future considering it’s not only catchy, but it shares another captivating story that is sure to stick with you long after the project culminates.
Child of the Trenches 2 is the perfect follow-up to its predecessor and gives us such a wide variety of the sounds and styles that MBNel doesn’t only create, but perfects. Aside from the project, he decided to also deliver a fascinating music video for “Sincerely”. In this visual, he splits camera time in an empty room with home videos of his children as well as other moments in the streets that he goes into detail about throughout his plethora of music, providing a figurative face to the name that levels up his narratives incredibly.
In the project’s press release, MBNel details the meaning of the project perfectly, stating “There are trenches all around the world no matter where you go. That reality means a lot of people are struggling, and many from a young start. Part 2 continues to shed light on this but with more melodic sounds… This project gives my fans an extended look into my life and my music.” Obviously, no one else could say it better than the man himself, but it truly does a magnificent job of expanding on the stories that he has already detailed through first-person accounts while also giving off the impression that there is always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how much you might be struggling in the current moment. Child of the Trenches 2 is a magnificent EP that shows MBNel at his very best, and I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us as he continues to level up in the industry. Make sure you take some time out of your busy day to tune into this project and the visual for “Sincerely”, because you surely won’t regret it.