Injury Reserve, Armand Hammer

CL Critic Matthew Warhol Recommends: I met Arizona rap outfit Injury Reserve when they opened for Ho99o9 in 2018. Scrappy, young upstarts, they left the largely punk/hardcore audience all thinking the same thing, “Who was that!?” Immediately after, I dove into their mixtape Floss engorged with a fresh, alternative rap sound and the monstrous choruses on songs like “All This Money” and “Oh Shit!!!.” Sadly, the bright burn of an earlier career doesn’t last forever. Rapper Stepa J. Groggs passed away in 2020, leaving the group in mourning with an uncertain future. But last year, Injury Reserve returned with By the Time I Get to Phoenix, an album that largely featured Groggs, but was completed after his death. What this current tour will mean for Injury Reserve is unknown. I’m sure there will be a fair share of tears. And I’m sure Injury Reserve will make their fallen member proud. — MW