Effected is a really solid introduction to the world at large for Cozz and shows massive potential and room for growth, but ultimately it runs into the same problems a lot of the more 'conscious' rappers run into. Much like his label owner's early days in his career, Cozz is still trying to find that fine balance between serious and entertaining but he's got all the tools at his disposal and I expect he'll learn a lot from this project.
Stoned On Ocean EP is the tried and true formula we've been hearing for the past couple of years. The laid back, soulful production and raps still sound great, but it might be time to shake things up a bit.
No Dope on Sundays once again reinforced Cyhi The Prynce's immense ability as a lyricist but still left me with uncertainty about him as a true 'star' in hip-hop. Despite this, it's still a very good album and the fact that it finally saw the light of day is a big first step in the right direction.
'Precipice' places Dälek again among the key experimenters, no matter what kind of music we’re talking about.
Atrocity Exhibition is a manic trip down to the darkest corners of Danny Brown's mind, full of paranoia, anxiety, and regret. He's the punk rock of hip-hop and it's a refreshing sound unlike any other.
Kairi Chanel stands in stark contrast to the current sound dominating hip-hop. It's a refreshing throwback to a time when what you said mattered and expertly encompasses that traditional NY sound.
Lyricism and his respect for the culture and tradition of hip-hop is still front and center but with a modern NY sound and feel that doesn't feel too contrived like it did at times on Paranoia. This is the Dave East I've been waiting for - full of lyrical venom, vivid storytelling, and street wise gravitas, yet still in touch with the times.
It's volatile, angry, aggressive, and unrelentingly experimental - basically everything we've come to expect from a Death Grips project.
There's definitely some interesting concepts on the project, but as whole it didn't really deliver something very compelling - still leaving Denzel Curry on the outside looking in.
Juggling both musical genres and professions, Devin James Fry doesn't drop a single ball on this double single of "Purple Glue"/"No Hope."
Rapper Ice Spice first broke onto the scene with her Brooklyn drill song "In Ha Mood," but did she actually steal it? Let's chat.
DJ Khaled returned with yet another album full of interesting collaborations and team-ups that rarely, if ever, live up to their potential for something special. Leaving a disappointing taste once again and not much replay value. But he got his big single so he'll be back with "another one" of these shortly.
If you've had a hard time keeping up with the endless stream of music Curren$y puts out and skip one or two projects here and there, make sure you don't miss this one.
Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, & The Alchemist create a strange but enjoyable combination powered by Gibbs' ferocious delivery and Alchemist's psychedelic-tinged production.
CZARFACE & MF Doom put out a generally competent, but not particularly exciting, project that aims to please the hip-hop purists out there. But it's largely lethargic feel and average rhymes probably won't satisfy even the staunchest traditionalists out there.
Get ready to hit the dance floor and vibe into the late hours with Diamondz as he unleashes his latest single, "Speed Dial."
'Beloved' is solid core NY hip-hop and while it is yet another non-essential collab, more Styles P is always a welcome thing.
'Karma 2' doesn't do much in terms of pushing Dave East's craft forward but it is a very solid project that delivers on that signature gritty NY sound that his core fans expect from him.
Dave East's second album isn't a giant leap forward from his debut but there is much more of an immediacy to his songs that will likely appeal more to a wider audience and it's refreshing to see that bars still matter.
December 99th will undoubtedly infuriate some of his die hard fans, as there's few remnants of what used to be Mos Def. However, as an experimental album there are some very interesting pieces in here that are worth a listen to.
Although it's titled Life of Desiigner, we don't learn much about him as a person but we do get a much better feel for who he is as his own musical entity. None of the seven songs here are as good as even the loosies he's released over the past year but their even to keep me interested in a proper debut.
Another week, another list that's got folks around the internet up in arms. This time Complex decided to rank the top personalities in the ever-growing landscape of hip-hop media. Did they get it right?
There's really not a whole lot to say about Kolorblind, there's a handful of knocking songs that warrant a few spins and seeing Nas on here was an unexpected surprise, although it was more than a bit underwhelming, but there's nothing as big as "Too Much Sauce" and there's nothing that would make Future's greatest hits. At this point you either love/like Future or you don't.
Our thoughts, opinions, and live reaction to the latest album from Doja Cat, 'Scarlet.'