Season 1 of Luke Cage was another extremely well put together series from Marvel and Netflix. The character and world building really brought Harlem to life, and the acting was fantastic. However, a weak end villain and an, at times, too small scale of a story keep it from being exceptional. Very solid, but not exceptional.
Yes Lawd! is pure instrumental bliss! The way Knxwledge layers old funk/soul samples over sharp percussions and smooth chords would make J Dilla proud. While Anderson .Paak's smooth, raspy vocals leave you with no choice but to get lost in the groove. Phenomenal.
Here is Alicia Keys' homage to classic hip-hop and the essence of New York. It's still her tried and true sound of a girl and her piano, but with a lot more grit and edge. Her vocals are as strong as ever as she continues this trend of black consciousness and culture. She's the definition of consistent greatness.
Cozy Tapes is everything that's made A$AP so popular in the first place. As a whole, it's their best sounding tape to date as they seem more confident and comfortable than ever. It's really Rocky and friends, with Ferg, Ant, and Nast only getting spots here and there, but it makes for a better flowing album.
AIM continues M.I.A's experimental ways, but her production and songwriting sound disconnected and lacking the "bite" of her previous works.
Introverted Intuition is an interesting introduction to TDE's mysterious signee. It has some bright moments that show what he's capable of, but far too often gets bogged down in unnecessary abstractness.
Northern Lights is a wide ranging album, employing sounds from pop, hip-hop, drum and bass, dubstep, and more. They sacrificed cohesiveness for diversity but it results in having just too many disparate parts and the album starts to lose momentum halfway through.
24k Magic is pure old school funk/R&B nostalgic gold. Any number of it's songs could strongly stand amongst many of the classics and the way Mars is effortlessly able to fully embody the sound and the spirit of the era he's working in is truly impressive and unparalleled.
Season 1 of Atlanta turned out to be a surprisingly thoughtful and intimate comedy/drama that followed the lives of some very real and relatable characters. The casting was perfect, dialogue sharp, and was full of small moments that led to big laughs. Glover has produced a great first season with a unique voice and perspective wholly different from anything else out there.
Woman is a decidedly more analog album from the duo that hearkens back to 70's era dance floor disco. While it succeeds to varying degrees, it's still an interesting album that'll make you want to groove.
We Got It From Here is about as close to musical perfection that you can get. Tribe manages to do the nearly impossible of being both nostalgic and modern at the same time. It's an absolute tour de force in all areas: production, lyrics, and guest features. Just wow!
4 Your Eyez Only takes his recent minimalist approach a step too far. Aside from a few tracks, the production is heavily sedated and lacking anything memorable. If it wasn't for his immense ability to paint vivid pictures with his lyrics, it'd be a tough one to get all the way through .Ultimately, he's one of the most important hip-hop voices of this generation, but he struggled with meshing his message with interesting music.
A Seat at the Table came out of left field and surprised as one of the most complete artistic projects to come out this year. The neo-soul production was absolutely spectacular and her honest, raw, social commentary make this a must listen. Her sister waded in the shallow end of black consciousness and cultural embrace, Solange dove in the deep end head first.
Joanne is a surprising departure for Lady Gaga. Moving away from the loud, intricate, in your face pop hits to a more subdued, raw sound in search of something more authentic. The ironic thing is it may have proved the character of Gaga that she had built was her true authentic self.
Doctor Strange was yet another origin story with a weak villain, but the spectacular, trippy visuals and great acting keep it from being too formulaic. The future ramifications from introducing magic in the Marvel cinematic universe alone make this one worth watching.
Rage & the Machine is Buddens' most focused project to date. AraabMUZIK kills the production, with smooth soul sampling and hard drums, giving Joe the appropriate space to lay down his dense, layered lyrics. I gotta give it to Joe, he goes the f*ck in and it's pure concentrated dopeness.
The Divine Feminine is hands down my favorite album from Mac Miller. The jazz/soul infused production is phenomenal and creates his most cohesive sound to date. He sounds right at home rapping/singing about love, distance, and intimacy. He may have made a believer out of me.
WALLS is easy bake music, full of sing-a-long choruses and big, hypnotic guitars, and easy songwriting that'll leave you looking for something a little more to sink your teeth into. But damn if it isn't infectious.
Starboy isn't so much of a reinvention as it is a readjustment. Easing up on some of the seediness and dark narratives have made this his safest work to date, but it's still a highly entertaining listen and shows why he's still leaps and bounds ahead of his many imitators.
Black America Again is angry, emotional, politically charged music that's unapologetically black. Basically, it's Common back to his roots, toeing the edge of being too heavy.
Awaken, My Love! is an interesting experiment that has some noteworthy moments but is ultimately held back by it's too faithful adherence to it's 70's funk influences. Sorely missing the levity, personality, and subject matter Gambino has become known for.
Darkness and Light is his most ambitious album in years, flirting with the deeper, darker side of himself but never fully committing to going 'there.' Resulting in yet another great sounding but safe album that doesn't resonate for all that long.
Season 1 of Westworld was as engrossing an opening season as I've ever seen. The production was movie worthy, the acting was superb, and the world building was spectacular. It was a thoughtful season that presented large existential themes and a world where everything resided in the far more interesting and far more realistic grey area. Some of the twists and outcomes may have been telegraphed, but it was one hell of a ride to the end. Simply amazing.
It's been a long road to redemption for Charles Hamilton, but one monkey has been lifted off his back. His long awaited debut, Hamilton, Charles, didn't quite live up to the immense expectations, but it was a solid start. Full of bright, bouncy beats that evoke a feeling of hope and positivity; emotions that carry over to his still strong lyricism. His style and delivery however, you either love it or you hate it.