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.
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.
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.
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.
At times, Rather You Than Me falls victim to sounding too formulaic and predictable, especially in some of it's production choices, but a strong lyrical showing with a renewed focus on substance over style make this one of Ross' best projects in years.
8.2
out of 10
The Iceberg is yet another very strong release from Oddisee with some great sounding live instrumental hip-hop with a thoughtful, socially conscious message.
Stars
There's nothing really noteworthy or stand out about Two-9's debut album. There's some expectedly strong production and if I need some purely good sounding turn up music then this might be an album I'd turn to, but anything other than that, there's not a whole lot to offer.
Stars
DAMN. is Kendrick's most contemporary and immediate album yet and the fact that he's able to pull it off without sacrificing his artistic vision or insane attention to the detail is an accomplishment all in itself. In short, DAMN. is the embodiment of hip-hop, in every form and facet.
You knew this was coming. An entire episode dedicated to Kendrick Lamar's latest LP, DAMN. We break it down track-by-track and give our thoughts and opinions about the songs and any possible meanings they may have and we wrap up by giving our final thoughts on the album as a whole and how it compares to the rest of his discography.
Stars
Pretty Girls Like Trap Music was a welcome return to that hard trap music that made me a fan of 2 Chainz in the first place. There's some real heat on this one and his sharp wit and clever wordplay were on full display. There were some dope nods to the early 2000's trap classics and while this album doesn't quite reach that mark, it is really high quality.
Stars
Allan Kingdom's major debut may not be particularly groundbreaking but it is still a very strong first offering that manages to push the envelope of what is modern hip-hop that much more. With shades of Cudi, he's got a bright future ahead of him.
Stars
4:44 is Jay-Z's shortest, sharpest, and most concise album yet. He has a lot to get off his chest and he doesn't hold anything back, whether that relates to Beyonce, Kanye, or this new generation of rappers. This is the most hip-hop shit to drop all year with the exception of maybe Kendrick.
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.
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.
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.
More Life is his most experimental project to date; delivering a collection of the different eclectic sounds that have been inspiring his music lately. While initially I was disappointed that we didn't get more straight up hip-hop, especially after the more pop leaning Views, it's hard to argue the results. More Life is another win for him and will undoubtedly mainstream a lot of the artists and sounds it employs.
3
out of 10
I don't understand the hype NAV got outside of being associated with The Weeknd. There's nothing special or original here that differentiates him from the other "trendy" acts out there, and these acts are a dime a dozen these days. Just another checklist of everything that's considered cool at the moment.
For the second year in a row the most talked about inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't from rock, but rap; and for the second year in row there's a lot of bitching about whether or not hip-hop belongs. For a long time, I have been adamantly for it because classic hip-hop definitely shares that same spirit and feeling that birth rock and roll. But as it's grown and evolved as a genre it's become clearer than ever that it's time they cut the cord.
Stars
I used to think Kodak Black was a complete jackass, but after giving Painting Pictures a chance, I have a much clearer understanding of who he is as a person and why he is that way. He's a project baby with surprising amount of depth. An unexpectedly great album.
Stars
While there were some flashes of potential on Ransom 2, they were few and far in between and some of the most interesting production was often dragged down by some truly weak features. It never left much of an impact and you've surely heard better Mike WiLL on other artist's projects.
Stars
SHINE might just be Wale's most commercial album to date. There's some undeniably catchy stuff on here and he still displays some excellent lyrical ability but it suffers greatly from a lack of balance and his music loses much of his identity. When he finally figures out how to stop worrying about everyone else's opinions and just worries about making himself happy, then we'll get that definitive Wale album. This is not it.
Stars
Concepts albums are an extremely hard thing to pull off, especially ones that delve into the subject matter that Logic does. While it's not a perfect execution and there are some moments of heavy handedness he's still able to inject it with enough subtlety as to not take away from a largely enjoyable listening experience and it's production is his absolute best yet. Logic is getting better with each passing album and it's time we talked about him among rap's greats.
Stars
Russ has finally broken through with his major debut, There's Really A Wolf. Instead of going out and getting big names or experimenting with the formula he sticks to his tried and true ways that got him here. That makes it a comfortable listen, but a bit disappointing that he didn't have any surprises for longtime fans. Some subject matter started to wear a bit thin by the end, but it was an overall enjoyable album.
Stars
Big Boi tries hard to balance his usual funk filled sound with more modern fare on Boomiverse but it doesn't always work. There aren't many duds here but it often left me feeling like I was listening to anything but a Big Boi album. However, him and Killer Mike together is gold as always.
