The soundscapes are as gorgeous as anything Kanye's put out in the last 3 years - lush, grim, and just sparse enough to let Pusha T run wild; and run wild he does. It's high-art coke rap and it's about as cinematic as you can get with music.
KYLE may not fit the stereotypical rapper aesthetic, but he is a technically gifted lyricist and the beats are undeniably catchy. At times the overwhelming positivity can become a bit sickening, like eating too much candy, but he knows his lane and he sticks to it with impressive focus. For what he sets out to do, "Light of Mine" is an impressive debut.
Playboi Carti's debut album is definitely aimed at a certain youthful demographic that's only 'rap' in title, and while it has a handful of enjoyable 'vibes', it doesn't have anything that'll disassociate him with anything but "Magnolia."
BlocBoy JB's album is a safe project that triples down on everything that's gotten him to this point, but it still remains to be seen if he has what it takes to outlast his own dance craze.
Styles P just low key may have just dropped the hardest album to come out this year. Hip-hop will always be a young man's game but Styles P shows that he's still got 'it' and then some with the most relevant album to come out of the D-Block click in years.
Rae Sremmurd has proven that they sound fine as solo artists but "Sr3mm", while not musically as good as "Swaecation" and a bit better than "Jxmtro", shows that they still sound at their best when feeding off of each other's energy and what they both respectively bring to the table.
I wasn't sure I'd want to hear an entire project of just Slim Jxmmi rapping but he proves that he's more than competent by today's standards, if not a bit repetitive. But who are we kidding, we don't come to Rae Sremmurd for the lyrics and artistry, we come for the turn up; and in that regards Jxmtro has the most to offer in terms of pure turn up out of the three.
While I do think Flatbush Zombies still sound too much like A$AP, they do come with their own flavor on "Vacation In Hell" and display amazing chemistry as they trade verses with an energy level that's always on a thousand.
Smoke DZA's "Not For Sale" is an homage to classic hip-hop and it may not open him up to a new audience outside of his already core fans or hip-hop purists but it's still yet another solid addition to an impressive and growing discography.
Hard To Kill's sound is dark, lo-fi, moody, and very reminiscent of early A$AP. It's mood music and although it's nothing particularly new or different, it is extremely well done and I found myself grooving with the vibes for a large majority of the album.
"Bless Yo Trap" is a by the numbers 'SoundCloud rap' album that fails to produce anything really worth of note. When the bar of entry into this sub-genre is this low they were always bound to start cannibalizing each others' sound and fan base sooner than later.
Cardi B's debut isn't great by any stretch of the imagination but it's not that bad either. It's a more listenable project than I expected and has more than a few noteworthy moments. I guess what really makes it a decent project is that all of her best songs sound like a more than serviceable approximation of whatever artist she's feeling in that moment. They say the best artists steal, so in that sense she's more than on her way.
"Testing" is probably A$AP Rocky's most experimental album yet (also his first without direction from Yams), with it's sprawling soundscape that undulates from concept to another, all while not losing his signature charisma and style. However, it doesn't do much to change many people's image of him, as style over substance.
Harder Than Ever is a polished, effortless listen that shows off his full range as an artist. If nothing else, it's great proof as to why Lil Baby might just be next up.
While "Activated" is still full of bangers and hard-hitting rhymes, it at times feels like Tee Grizzley is trying to escape his image as a 'street level' rapper and tap into more commercial success - which is understandable, but it's not when he's at his best.
Top tier lyricism, strong production, great use of features, and revelatory storytelling make Book of Ryan THE definitive Royce da 5'9" album and a must listen.
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.
Swae Lee just solidified the claim that he's the most talented out of Rae Sremmurd with a project full of lush cruising music and pop/R&B experimentation that paid off far more than one might imagine. Out of all 3 offerings, "Swaecation" is by and far the real standout of the bunch.
Post Malone's latest doesn't do much in the way of evolving his craft, as the entire album just feels like a long collection of homogeneous 'moods' with songs that sound like every other song on the album that sound like every other song on his previous album. But "beerbongs & bentleys" is an easy (if not mindless) listen and there are a good number of stand out moments, it's just that none of them feel as innovative or exciting as when he first burst onto the scene.
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.
I'm a fan but I've been as critical of his music as any one out there, but Cole absolutely knocked it out of the park with KOD. Easily his most relatable project yet that has something for everyone. If you're still in the 'hate J. Cole' camp after this then you're just not listening enough or you haven't experienced life enough. Simple as that.
Carnage's "Battered, Bruised, & Bloody" is a largely forgettable collection of generic trending beats, repetitive songwriting, and weak features.
CARE FOR ME is an absolutely gorgeous project with lush soundscapes that allows Saba to lay down deep, emotional, introspective gem after deep, emotional, introspective gem. It's an exploration of grief, isolation, and trying to cope with the woes of life. But it's more cathartic than masochistic with glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel.
If you would've told me that Rich The Kid's "The World Is Yours" would be a better project than "Culture II", I wouldn't have believed you, but that's exactly the case here, and while there's nothing revolutionary about the music he's putting out, it more than scratches that itch for good 'trap' music.