United Grind’s Grind or Die (Vol. 1) is a celebration of hip-hop culture and serves as the unification of several Midwest-based indie rap talents, both on the mic and behind the boards. The album features the talents of Ohio’s Vice Souletric and HiJinks (collectively known as Play Havoc) and longtime Detroit-based collaborators Sand Man, Nu Face, Lee Harvey, and Juggernaut June (collectively known as GameChangers). Each emcee gets his chance to shine across the 14 tracks, while Vice offers up his production skills throughout four of the album cuts. The other producers on here include extended United Grind fam from across the globe, like Donatz (Czech Republic), J.Clyde (Virginia), and Big Shaady (Michigan). Grind or Die (Vol. 1) hits the ground running on its opening track, the speaker-knocking “Step Lively,” and it never lets up. “Cut Throat” is an immediate standout with its Bernie Mac references and soulful production, while “Got Something” is an absolute force of nature. Other highlights include the single/posse cut “Give It Back,” along with the Benny The Butcher featured, “M.A.M.N,” as well as “The Order,” featuring the fast rising Buffalo-based wordsmith, Ché Noir. As for what the group hopes listeners take away from listening to this release, everyone essentially had the same answer: they want people to realize the strength of the movement. “Hip-hop will always evolve, and we are living proof,” says Nu Face.