Hot Sugar released his third EP, Made Man, this past Tuesday. I downloaded Made Man last night and it blew my mind. It is addicting, unrelenting and resembles an all-star rap mixtape. You can download the EP for free from his Bandcamp.

For those of you who don‰’t know, Hot Sugar, also known as Nick Koenig, is a producer and artist. Nick released his first EP, Muscle Milk, in January 2011, followed by Moon Money in 2012, MiDi Murder EPåÊin July 2013 and tons of collaborations in between. Hot Sugar‰’s genre is hard to pinpoint but he explains it in interviews as “associative music.‰Û

I first became acquainted with Hot Sugar‰’s music with frequent visits to Molly Soda‰’s Tumblr page. In 2011, the former couple put out a super-kawaii Christmas music video. I was taken aback by the meticulous sounds in the video so I did research into Nick‰’s discography. To my amusement, I watched this video and immediately became a fan of Hot Sugar. Not only is Hot Sugar hilarious when snapping selfies, but his music is also addicting and his posse is influential.

Now for my track-by-track assessment of Made Man.

Spoiler alert: It is enormously catchy.

“Erica (feat. The GTW)”

This single from his latest EP was released a couple weeks ago. The piano introduction is somber and it segues into heartfelt singsongy vocals. The combination of The GTW‰’s soft rapping and the scathing lyrics make for a sort-of funny, sort-of depressing track. Either way, this may be my favorite song on the EP.

“Mama, Im a Man (feat. Antwon, Lakutis and Big Baby Gandhi)”

This song is the other contender for my favorite song on the EP. It might be the comeback of Big Baby Gandhi, as BBG publicly retired from the rap game not too long ago. However, it seems like he may have changed his mind. The production on this song is futuristic and abrasive and I cannot get enough. Antwon starts off the song with his distinct belligerent rap style. Twon carries the heavy beat with ease and makes room for Lakutis and Big Baby Gandhi to assert their masculinity. My only wish for this song is for it to be 10 minutes longer.

“In & Out (feat. KOOL AD)”

KOOL AD‰’s story-telling skills are front and center in this song. The sound of the percussion at the start may be a different version of the initial beat in “Leverage.” The underlay of the rap resembles DIY percussion and keyboard. If you like KOOL AD, you will love this song.

“Dripping Dimes (feat. Ne$$, Nigel Nasty and Chippy Nonstop)”

I have reason to believe that the repetitive, unique woodwind noise in this track is a recorder. I am reminded of my elementary school days as I bob my head to Nigel Nasty‰’s rhyming. I appreciate the nuanced noises that Hot Sugar creates. The rappers are equally prominent to the production on this song. If any of these tracks were meant to be a club banger, it would be this one.

“Zanny Bath (feat. Bill Ding)”

This song features Bill Ding, a rapper I had never heard of before. He is a witty rhymer who makes mention of his superlative: “Most likely to rob you, keep your values guarded!‰” The beat of this song is angry, loud, and the tone is super snappy.

“Blessed (feat. Big Baby Gandhi)”

I am so happy to hear new Big Baby Gandhi. What a treat! The production on this track resembles scales on a mini-synth piano and the lyrics are political, sexual and silly. Classic BBG.

“Born 2 (feat. Heems)”

If you miss the sounds of Das Racist, luckily for you, Heems and KOOL AD make appearances on this EP. Heems sounds raspy and wary with his fame. The samples on this track pay homage to Heem‰’s Indian roots. The “Born to be Wild,‰” high-pitched Bollywood sound is inventive and pulls the song together.

“Watermelon (feat. Open Mike Eagle)”

This song was hard for me to relate to because of the content of the rap. I admire Open Mike Eagle‰’s fast rap style, but I can‰’t get into this song. Hot Sugar‰’s samples are repetitive and remind me of an 80‰’s video game soundtrack.

“Future Primitive Art School (feat. KOOL AD and Big Baby Gandhi)”

The tone of this track feels like it is imitating other common rap songs. The super tight drum kit noises combined with the slower cyphering may be mimicking the bland nature of rap songs out now. The lyrics face issues like immigration and the concept of art.

“56k (feat. Big Baby Gandhi, Nigel Nasty, Lanksy, Antwon, Chippy Nonstop, Lakutis, DVS, Kitty and Weekend $)”

This song came out on February 2nd earlier this year as a Hot Sugar and Heems collaboration. On the EP’s version, it sounds like new voices were added to the track. Everyone does a good job reppin‰’ themselves and the distorted AOL sound is telling of the era of music. This may not be my favorite song, but Hot Sugar deserves major credit for picking out new and talented artists for Made Man.

Go get your copy of Made Man now!