By Micah Jacks

Maryland rapper Black Fortune returned with a full-length project OSSHLORD after his 2018 debut mixtape, OsshRock. Following a near-fatal stabbing, Fortune lets the world know his survival was not by chance but rather an act of God. In his standout intro track “Change,” he decrees that God has allowed the 23 year-old to fulfill his purpose on Earth. Black Fortune uses the remainder of OSSHLORD as an attempt to assert his dominance among his rap peers and prove to listeners why he should not only be on their radars, but in heavy playlist rotation as well. Although OSSHLORD is not a groundbreaking body of work, the project brings light to the potential that Black Fortune can achieve. 

Throughout the project, Black Fortune flawlessly executes a variety of flows. He shines in encasing the entirety of the beat with lyrics, leaving listeners with an earful to dissect. The excellent timing and precision as seen on songs like “Off Shit” and “Change” help to showcase Fortune’s dedication to his craft as he lands each hard-nosed bar exactly where it was intended. An appearance by upcoming New York rapper Fivio Foreign adds to the list of bullseyes as the sole feature on the album. The lyrical content itself is another matter, however. Aside from the occasional Maryland jargon, Black Fortune only adds a bit of white to paint out his upbringing and lifestyle in a less than memorable fashion. “You kind of have to dumb down your raps for people to understand it. They’ll catch on sooner or later though,” he told Respect Magazine in a 2019 interview. Much to Fortune’s rescue, production does give the project a boost. Fortune’s ability to adapt and perform on slower songs like “Nothing to Lose,” “Rendezvous,” and “Slime in My Genes” affirm his versatility as not only a rapper, but an artist overall.