Moe Carter – Insert Coin Here 2 (EP Review)

New Jersey-based rapper hits us with a new EP:

Moe Carter is a rapper based in NC/NJ who recently dropped his new EP called Insert Coin Here 2. Just from the title itself and the cover, we can see that Insert Coin Here 2 is a mesh of gaming and street culture, where Moe draws on his inspirations, ups and downs, and experiences of the concrete jungle and its struggles.

Moe usually gives you a nice mix of East Coast rap with classic Southern hip-hop, featuring hard-hitting instrumentals, nostalgic samples, and crispy drums. I had not heard about Moe Carter before this EP, but the artist has already been around for some time, so without further introduction, let’s jump into Insert Coin Here 2:

After first listening to the tracks from the album’s start, I had some mixed feelings.

When you get into the project with the intro track “Lifeline,” you can’t help but notice the prominent inconsistency in mixing and mastering of the track.

While the rapper’s cadence and flows are certainly sharp, the mixing and mastering issues make it sound extremely off the beat undercutting the rapper’s punch. With those hard-hitting elements on “Lifeline,” where the piano part builds that haunting yet repetitive atmosphere, it’s hard to stay fully engaged. However, later the rapper introduces you to some of the better-mixed tracks, which we will get into later.

With that point out of the way, I must say that the rapper is quite adept at experimenting and trying different sounds. Whether it is the trap-infused “Lifeline” or the heavily Southern hip-hop-esque “Purple Hearted,” Moe Carter offers a solid diversity throughout the record. Additionally, most of these tracks are filled with a certain substance and narratives that deviate from the usual modern repetitive rap narrative.

On a track like “Purple Hearted,” the rapper gives you a nice bridge to the previously introduced piano-haunting atmosphere, reminding me of the hardcore hip-hop style you get from artists like Denzel Curry, which, frankly, the artist mostly nails.

Funnily enough, the further you go into the record, the more melodic Moe Carter becomes—whether it is circling back to a melodic Southern hip-hop influence on “Black Bentley” with a fusion of conscious hip-hop, or the outro track “Speed Bumps” with its jazz influence. However, while “Black Bentley” gives you a lot of familiar elements that people love within this hip-hop lane, “Swahili” definitely remains one of my favorites on this EP.

The 4th track, “Swahili,” is simply exceptional; it gives you that ferocious sound of Moe combined with a snarling delivery and a mysterious beat, which certainly stands out as the most memorable and raw performance from the artist on the EP. It not only finds itself in a space of substantial conscious hip-hop and storytelling but also matches the energy of the build-ups within the beat.

With the outro track “Speed Bumps,” you are in for the sweet and nice touch that wraps up the EP with a melodic, boom-bap-type vibe that finally transitions into jazz rap. If “Black Bentley” only gave you a slight hint of the jazz rap style with its surrealistic sound, “Speed Bumps” fully embraces that sound as its fate.

Insert Coin Here 2 is a solid listen, although it feels as if Moe Carter is stepping into his artistic journey. While some of the tracks definitely have strong elements, the inconsistent vocal and beat mixing lowers the project’s quality and replay value. The rapper clearly has potential and deserves recognition as an emerging talent, but the ups and downs of the mixing and watered-down sound of the vocals keep Insert Coin Here 2 from being the best record by any means.

Score/Good. I believe this record certainly deserves a good score, as the rapper has a solid flow and bars that can immerse you in his narrative—especially in the latter half, from track three to the outro. However, when the album dives into those hard-hitting, dynamic sounds like “Lifeline” or “Purple Hearted,” the echoed-down vocals detract from the album’s stronger aspects.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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