Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Run The Jewels, Gorillaz, James Blake, Migos, Wiz Khalifa, and more.
February had a ton of great new albums and music videos from the likes of Big Sean, Future, Lana Del Rey, and Depeche Mode, and it also featured some interesting trailers for Song to Song, Personal Shopper, and American Anarchist. We've highlighted some of the best drops over the month and now we're ready to crown the best album, movie trailer, and music video.
Life Without Sound is full of that earnest, raw rock that I love so much. No songs aimed for pop stardom or arena anthems. Just a couple guitars, drums, and strong vocals. Just the way I like it.
After having some in depth conversations with drummers on all levels, we examine the role the drummer has in today's music, how it's changed over the years, and how the drum machine has impacted the field.
HNDRXX lacks the hard trap music but it seemed to soak up all the emotion and feeling that was missing on FUTURE, and it had a higher quality feel to it that made it my favorite out of the pair. I think however, he would've been better served combining the best elements from both projects to create something truly memorable.
The Chief was a strong debut from the 'Classic Man' singer that despite having some familiar elements of generic top 40's pop, did enough to create a mostly unique approach that I think solidified him as a legitimate artist, and not a gimmick.
SweetSexySavage was a solid, albeit somewhat shallow, major debut from the singer. It's high quality, studio production combined with her great prototypical R&B voice and natural swagger create some really infectious moments, but ultimately drags on a bit due to it's sheer length.
DROGAS Light saw Lupe trying to prove something that nobody was arguing, and the result is some of his least interesting music this side of LASERS. It's time he dropped the pretentiousness and got back in touch with his core before it's too late.
Culture is far from perfect, and it mostly adheres to their usual style over substance formula, but it is them at their highest and most consistent level yet. A very timely release for their careers which has waned a bit recently.
Chance the Rapper had a monumental year that was capped off perfectly by his massive wins at this years Grammys. Those wins, enabled by a recent rule modification spurred on by the success of Coloring Book, were not only wins for Chance himself, but all independent artists, streaming services, and even more added pressure to traditional labels already struggling to adapt to this ever evolving landscape. It was sweet sweet validation and just the beginning signal of what's to come.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Jidenna, Maroon 5, The Weeknd, CeeLo Green, Beyoncé, and others.
Ty Segall was my first entry into his catalog, and it was a hell of an introduction. He's a prolific guitarist who's ability to employ a dizzying array of styles is awe inspiring. Will go down as one of the best rock albums of 2017.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Marian Hill, Young M.A and more.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Future, The Weeknd, Imagine Dragons, Tory Lanez, and much more.
After an already strong go around with Her EP, SiR follows it up with the even stronger Her Too. Smooth, sultry, neo-soul R&B with some great live instrumentation and great vocals. He's quickly becoming one of my favorites on TDE.
Lil Wayne started this outpouring of mixtapes and artists like Future, Young Thug, and Curren$y have since tried to emulate that mythical run, but the purpose and definition of a mixtape has changed drastically since those early days. It's time we stopped applauding this endless wave of mediocre mixtapes and started calling it out for the cop out it is.
FUTURE feels like a by the numbers project from the rapper that ironically lacks a lot of the emotion and feeling that he often claims of others' music. Easily one of the more forgettable ones from his now extensive catalog.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Lorde, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Fabolous, Raekwon, and more.
Don't Smoke Rock came out of left field, but the unusual pairing between Rock and DZA created some real magic. DZA's unique, dreary flow really complements Rock's incredible samples and production, and their impressive list of features all deliver. Don't sleep on this one.
Fin serves almost as a proof of concept for the rising singer, and the way she can effortlessly glide from one style to the next with her signature humble bravado, proves that she's capable of almost anything. She took some already fantastic production and elevated it to the next level; that's the mark of a star, and the sky's the limit for her after this one.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Lana Del Rey, Jidenna, Trey Songz, Migos, Future, and others.
January had a ton of great new albums and music videos from the likes of Sampha, Japandroids, Run the Jewels, and Ryan Adams, and it also featured some interesting trailers for Wilson, I Am Not Your Negro, and the Lost City of Z. We've highlighted some of the best drops over the month and now we're ready to crown the best album, movie trailer, and music video.
Rebel Against Society was another big step forward for Axcess as he continues to find his groove and his voice. I only hope that he doesn't pull any punches next go around when it comes to speaking what's on his mind. He along with artists like Chance the Rapper are making me more of a believer in positivity in hip-hop.
Voyager was a sharp turn from his previous album, with decidedly dialed down production that ultimately left the music sounding more generic than ever. The whole affair just feels meaningless and empty; not good feelings to have about an album.