What a year, what a year! 2017 was not bad of a year for hip-hop releases. A lot of people managed to drop some new shit throughout the year. A$AP Mob were pretty consistent with their releases this year. Big K.R.I.T. dropped his long-anticipated third album after leaving Def Jam. Kendrick Lamar had a great year, with his fourth album DAMN. being his most successful one so far. Jay Z came with 4:44, his first album in 4 years, which was a pretty solid effort. Freddie Gibbs beat the alleged rape case last year and returned with a new album earlier this March, as his collab effort with Madlib called Bandana is currently prepping for a 2018 release. The point is that there was a decent amount of projects throughout the year, and while it wasn't as big and consistent as last year or 2015, it still gave us something at least.
You know the drill, since 2015, I've been doing this. It's time to go through my top 10 favourite projects of the year...
Released: November 21, 2017
Rating: 7.5/10
September 2016 saw the release of Mick Jenkins' debut album The Healing Component. His last two projects The Water[s] & Wave[s] were leading up to this, along with the throwaways that he dropped months before the release. We expected it to be his best work. However, that wasn't the case. THC wasn't necessarily bad, but Mick's execution of his love concept could've been better. It affected the replay value of the album, and it's something I can hardly revisit. The production was OK but the lyricism wasn't really hitting like that.
Compared to his previous years, Mick has been a little quieter than usual, hardly dropping throwaways or rolling out his projects majorly like before. Earlier this year, he put out a song he did with GoldLink called "Pressed for Time (Crossed My Mind)". He announced that he was gonna give us two projects this year. It was later revealed he was working on Another Mickstape, a sequel to his very first project in 2012 (appropriately titled The Mickstape). Throughout the year, Mick posted snippets on his Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram livestreams. He even previewed a new song at one of his shows. But the project was taking time, he even said he would drop it at the end of October. Unfortunately, the mixtape was nowhere to be found.
In November, he quietly dropped a collection of songs on SoundCloud called or more; the anxious. Mick rolled out this project weirdly to create anticipation, captioning his posts with "a day or two, or three, or four, or more...". This served as a prelude to Another Mickstape, and according to the SoundCloud description, the anxious is the first of the 'or more' series, which "involves musical ideas and concepts currently inspiring the album’s creation process". The project is 20 minutes long, features 7 tracks, with guest appearances from Saba and Michael Anthony.
It seems like on the anxious, Mick is definitely back in his bag again. The lyricism has definitely picked up extremely from before. "C is for Cash Money" sees Mick attempt at another alliteration/literary device song (the first being "P's & Q's" in 2015), rapping with words that start with the letter C. The delivery is off at times but it's a little easy to pick up, especially when his use of the letter C makes the song feel like a spoken word cut. "Happy Gilmore" is a aggressive opener to the project, where Mick spits some raw shit over an Earl Sweatshirt/MF DOOM type beat from YouTube; courtesy of Origami Beats. "Energies" with fellow Chicago rapper Saba was also a nice one, and it feels like forever since we've heard those two together. They were great on the beat, and did their thing, especially Mick.
A key topic in the EP is artistic anxiety. "FreeNation Rebels" is a track that has a Trees & Truths kinda vibe, and Mick delivers one verse where he just snaps, with lines like "I brought the tree, I brought the truth out/I brought the waters, I brought the love and niggas had me tuned out/Trump brought the coons out/I had to pull that silver spoon out". The EP's second single, "Vampire in Brooklyn" is Mick expressing his take on his dealings with some of the culture vultures the industry is populated with. Over an ominous keyboard sample from GreenSLLIME, his delivery is on point and the bars really punch in very well. "Energies" is where Mick & Saba discuss the idea of energy and how it transcends boundaries we don't usually expect. "A Layover" is a short cut where Mick raps about the events that ensue after his landing at Paris that night. It's short, snappy, straight to the point with some dope production from THEMPeople.
Overall, or more; the anxious definitely hit a lot better than his effort last year. It's not his best shit, but it got a lot of good moments, and the replay value is definitely a lot better. Mick is definitely back in his bag, and his lyrics have certainly picked up. The production is dope, the 2 guest appearances were nice and it was nice to hear Mick finally snap instead of dig real deep into concepts like love, truth and water. If this is a teaser of what Another Mickstape or his next studio album will sound like, then I'm ready!
Recommended Tracks: "FreeNation Rebels", "Vampire in Brooklyn", "A Layover", "C is for Cash Money", "Energies"
Released: March 10, 2017
Rating: 7.5/10
Earlier this year, J.I.D was announced as the new signee to J. Cole's Dreamville label. The ATL rapper was originally part of the collective Spillage Village, which were affiliated with Cole for some time before him and fellow members EARTHGANG got signed to his label. I remember hearing J.I.D on "Can't Call It", but since I only knew about Cole & Bas being on the song (still have yet to go through Cozz & Omen's works), I wasn't familiar with the rest of the crew.
J.I.D released his debut album The Never Story in March, but I never got to give it a listen until July. And damn, was it good!! This was a pretty enjoyable album. A proper introduction to many hip hop audiences, it's a short and snappy project, with an acceptable 40-minute length, and only 2 songs more than Nas's debut Illmatic. J.I.D manages to engage listeners as he showcases a laidback flow and delivery, chill vibes, kinda squeaky voice and his Southern lyricism. And it doesn't fail to impress me one bit.
We already start off with a bang on "General", just after the singing skit opener "Doo Wop". Here, over a rock guitar-driven instrumental, J.I.D tells his story about playing college football and thinking of his career paths for the future. He later got kicked out for robbing somebody, and J.I.D. uses some decent wordplay to explain ("Kicked out of college for tongues, niggas be talking/I wasn't even on camera, just hit the lick with some amateurs"). It's the second verse where he goes off, and his flow was amazing. He was snapping hard on the beat. "NEVER" is a dope cut on here, and J.I.D. comes through with some hard verses. The first part of the song was fire, with the hook, the trappy instrumental and J.I.D's fine flow. But he shines a lot more when the beat switches to an aggressive boom-bap like instrumental.
In between bangers like "EddEddnEddy" and "Underwear", J.I.D manages to provide some softer and laidback cuts on it. Dreamville boss J. Cole doesn't come through with a guest appearance, but provides a dope ass beat for "D/vision" where J.I.D & EARTHGANG deliver some great verses. J.I.D switches to singing on "Hereditary" and "All Bad". I enjoyed "Hereditary" and it was nice to hear J.I.D deliver some decent vocals with his voice. "All Bad", on the other hand, was a little slow and boring. I can understand the vibe him & Mereba was going for, but it wasn't hitting in comparison to the rest of the tracks on here. 6LACK also is another guest appearance on the project for the short highlight "8701". Named after the classic Usher album, Childish Major provides a solid guitar-driven beat, where both J.I.D & 6LACK go off. A great sense of chemistry is shown between them, and it would've been so much better if it was longer.
The production on The Never Story is pretty solid, there's something for everyone on there. J. Cole provides two beats on the album: "D/vision" and the final track "LAUDER". Childish Major came through with some great beats for "8701", "NEVER" and "Hereditary". Can't forget Christo, he added a lot to this album too, working with Childish on "NEVER", with Cole on "LAUDER", with The Imaginary Kids on the laidback joint "Somebody", and he provided a decent instrumental for "Underwear". Shout out SMKA for the beat on "Hoodbooger", probably my favourite song on the album.
Overall, The Never Story is an enjoyable effort, which helps to introduce the ATL rapper to a wider audience. He brings an interesting vibe to the table, with his voice, cool flow and crispy, laidback production, showing how well he fits with the rest of the Dreamville team. He finds his footing very easily, giving a nice first impression with a 40-minute length and 12 tracks. If he's one of the next to really blow by next year, then I'd be happy.
Recommended Tracks: "Hoodbooger", "D/vision", "General", "Somebody", "8701", "NEVER"
Released: May 12, 2017
Rating: 8/10
Weirdly enough, as a guy born and raised in the UK, I always find myself listening to US rap more. Go through my music library on my phone and there's not a single grime/UK hip-hop artist on my phone. My library ranges from Madlib & J Dilla to Rapsody & Isaiah Rashad. This year, however, I've been a little more in tune with the UK scene than before, and a lot of great releases have been put out throughout the year. J Hus's debut album is one of them.
I remember 2 years ago, when "Dem Boy Paigon" was blowing up and almost everyone around me was singing it. "Lean & Bop" dropped and it was another banger. And then "Friendly". J Hus was on a streak, man. He was getting a lot of buzz, adding onto the UK wave of afrobeat/hip-hop jams at the time.
Fast forward to the start of the year, "Did You See" came out. His first single off his (then) upcoming debut album. May came and the album finally dropped. It got so much praise and I was surprised at it. I was eager to listen, but most of my time was spent studying for exams. By the end of June, I was busy playing catch-up with album releases on Spotify. But I never thought I'd come back to this.
Common Sense was released in May, featuring 17 tracks (including the 2015 hit "Friendly"), with a length of around 55 minutes. The album was entirely produced by JAE5, with additional production from Show N Prove, IO, Steel Banglez, Mark Brown, The Compozers and more. The album features a great blend of vibes including Afrobeat, bashment/dancehall, hip-hop and R&B, and there's such amazing chemistry between J Hus & producer JAE5.
We already start off with a bang as the title track intro provides such a wavy and laidback vibe to it. Already at the start of the album, it's different from what we're used to from Hus, normally his Afrobeat sound, and shows J Hus can still sound real comfortable over funky rap beats reminiscent of old-school shit. "Goodies", which is later in the album, is a track that also suggests an old-school vibe, but it's more aggressive and gangsta-like. "Clartin" is another song, which is more 808-driven and grimey. Just after the Dancehall-inspired cut "Bouff Daddy", Common Sense already takes a darker turn with this song, leaning towards a drill/trap sound as J Hus comes with a harder and aggressive flow. "Leave Me" is one of my favourite songs off the album, with such a chill hip-hop feel to it, but aggressive at the same time. J Hus floats so well over the guitar-driven instrumental during the second verse, and when he raps on the second verse, he actually sounds alright. "Closed Doors" is a smooth and laidback cut with an R&B vibe to it. It's one of those "kiss and don't tell" type song, and J does his thing on it.
The rest of the album is your usual tropical afrobeat tunes, with a few songs where he kinda switches it up. "Bouff Daddy" is one hell of a tune, with the Dancehall vibes being in effect. "Plottin" has an EDM/Grime feel to it, and J Hus does well on it. "Fisherman" is my favourite song as J links up with MoStack and Mist, who both provide some solid contributions. The piano melody is amazing on that one, plus the chemistry between Mo & Mist on the bridge is A1. "Spirit" is another highlight, catchy as hell and has great verses from Hus. "Good Time" is a great cut too, with Burna Boy on the hook. They both do their thing on the song.
There's a small line up of features on the album, and they add on to it very well. MoStack appears on two tracks: "Fisherman" (with Mist) and "Mash Up". As I said before, Mo & Mist show great chemistry on the bridge, and Mo even provides a fire verse. "Mash Up" shows Hus & Mo's chemistry better, going back and forth and killing their verses. Burna Boy's vocals on "Good Time" were decent, he helped well with the track. Tiggs da Author adds a nice vibe with his hook on "Good Luck Chale". The album ends with "Who You Are" ("Friendly" counts as a bonus track), which is the most introspective track on the album. Hus gets personal as he reflects on his upbringing, rapping about dealing with his insecurities since his new-found success. It's a great heartfelt cut, ending the album on a nice note.
Overall, Common Sense has to be my favourite UK hip-hop album this year, a lot of great releases have came out from the UK this year, and this one takes the cake. J Hus really delivered on this one, and I love it so much. Hardly any filler, and a great range of vibes from start to finish. The features are solid, the production is on point, and most of the time, Hus just floats like mad on the album. It's already been announced now he's working on his next album, and I'm having high hopes he'll deliver once again.
Recommended Tracks: "Fisherman", "Leave Me", "Common Sense", "Did You See", "Spirit", "Plottin", "Friendly", "Goodies", "Bouff Daddy"
Released: April 14, 2017
Rating: 8/10
Now, back to my American releases on the list. Up next is Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.. Most people would probably have this at #1 or #2 at least. But if I'm being honest, for an album so successful as DAMN. this year, it's an album that didn't hit me like the rest of his albums. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid project from Kenny, hence why it's still on this list. But I feel it showcases some weaker moments from Kendrick, when we consider his standards regularly, and this kinda affected the replay value on there for me. The weaker moments are still good, but for Kenny standards, it's... mid.
Let's start with the good cuts on here. DAMN. features a couple of Kendrick's best moments. "FEAR." still remains one of the best songs to come out this year, with one of my favourite producers of all time The Alchemist, contributing an amazing beat for Kendrick to spit some real shit on. "DUCKWORTH." is another standout, with 9th Wonder, yet again another of my favourite producers OAT comes through with a solid instrumental, which features some beat switches. "FEEL." is one of my favourite songs off the album, Kendrick was on some emotional shit there, and the instrumental was just amazing.It's funny how my least played Kenny album has contributions from my favourite producers, and they created the best songs on here. But anyway...
Kendrick is at his most accessible on this album, and that's a good and bad thing for me. Mike WiLL Made It provided a fire instrumental for "DNA.", and Kendrick was nice. The beat switch is dope as hell tho, and Kendrick blacked out on that one. Mike's beat on "XXX." was sick too, Kendrick did his thing on it. The beat switch where Bono from U2 provides his vocals was nice, and Kenny gives a spoken word vibe with his verse. "HUMBLE." was Mike WiLL's most annoying contribution, in my honest opinion. I remember when I first heard it. It was a decent single, a catchy hook and some alright lyrics. But it gets annoying too quick, especially the more you hear the hook recited around you unnecessarily. "ELEMENT." is still a nice song to vibe to, and Kendrick shows some nice aggression while providing a catchy hook.
The short line up of features only consists of 3 artists, mainly singers, 2 of which provide contributions to some of the weaker tracks on DAMN.. Sure, "LOYALTY." had some buzz since Rihanna was on it, but the song was nothing special. The hook was solid, but Kenny & RiRi's contributions was... eh. The beat is still fire tho. "LOVE." just reminds me of Hotline Bling a little and Zacari's vocals was alright. Kendrick's vocals were more annoying than ever and it felt like he was tryna flow like Drake on this radio attempt. I understand what Kenny was going for here, but it wasn't hitting still. Even some of the tracks with no features were weak. "GOD." was a decent song to me at first, and the hook was nice. But the rest of the song was meh. "PRIDE.", while having interesting content, didn't hit for me. It was boring and Anna Wise's vocals didn't help too much either. Kendrick was a little dope on the song, but the instrumental and hook made it hard for me to get back to it like I have with some other songs. I've gotten used to "YAH." tho, it's seen as one of the more boring cuts on the album, but it's something I've grown to appreciate, especially during the evenings.
Overall, DAMN. is alright. It's not terrible, but it's not exactly the best album to come out this year like most rap fans, critics and newspapers would say. It's a decent project on its own, with songs like "FEEL.", "DUCKWORTH." "DNA." and "FEAR.", but placing it next to the rest of Kendrick's discography, both good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp a Butterfly fully wash this album away. Hell, even Section.80 has some more stronger moments than this one. It's still a good project to add onto Top Dawg Entertainment's resume. Let's hope to see more consistency from the label in 2018, it was kinda disappointing to only get Kendrick & SZA this year.
Recommended Tracks: "FEAR.", "DUCKWORTH.", "FEEL.", "ELEMENT.", "DNA", "XXX.", "YAH."
Released: June 30, 2017
Rating: 8/10
It had been 4 years since the legendary JAY-Z released an album. The last one was Magna Carta Holy Grail, and I remember for the past few years, as he was owning TIDAL and making random guest appearances here and there, we always wondered if he was retiring for real now. Even if he didn't announce it, what if that was the case? Then again, there were rumours of a joint album between him and his wife Beyonce, so there's that.
When Jay started to roll out his thirteenth album 4:44, it was something strange. Posters were around Times Square, and fans started to make theories that maybe it was this anticipated album that him & Bey were gonna put out. We then saw an ad which featured Mahershala Ali, Lupita Nyong'o and Danny Glover. We almost thought that was gonna be a film. However, that wasn't the case. The closer we were to the June 30 date, the more details we got. It was really gonna be Jay's next album, and damn, were we hyped!
4:44 was entirely produced by No ID, and features 10 tracks. Jay keeps it low on the guest appearances, with only Frank Ocean, Damien Marley & his wife Beyonce providing vocals. His mother Gloria Carter also comes through with a monologue on one of his songs. The album takes a range of elements from a variety of genres including soul, reggae, progressive rock and funk; and shows Hov at probably his most mature and vulnerable self. That's not to say he hasn't shown any vulnerability in previous work. He has, and in most cases, it has made some of his best songs. But this has been shown more often throughout the album, with content about financial freedom, wealth, his relationship with Beyonce and his family life. The album can be seen as a response to Bey's last album Lemonade because of content including this.
The intro "Kill Jay Z" reflects very well on the past 4 years Jay has had even since taking the hyphen out of his name, along with early moments before and during his career. He wants to kill this ego, after going through moments like the fight with Solange, cheating on Bey, and even shooting his own brother. It's a great start to the album, and a solid indicator of what to expect. "The Story of OJ" is a highlight off the album, where Hov discusses financial freedom, wealth and trying to progress as a community. Jay wants to push this idea of wealth and finance forward, and with the amount of success, try and transform it into something bigger. No ID's use of the Nina Simone sample is amazing, he chopped that well, and the drums are A1. The title track serves as an open love/apology letter to Bey, where Jay discusses him being a bad husband, going over the flaws and regrets he has from over the years that affected his relationship with her.
The guest appearances on 4:44 deliver some solid contributions. Beyonce (originally uncredited) was decent on "Family Feud", adding to the choir sample very well. Here, Jay touches on the separation in the hip-hop culture, and how older generations hate on the new, while the new disrespect the legends and olders that paved the way. Frank Ocean was nice on "Caught Their Eyes", probably one of the best songs on here, but hardly mentioned. The sample was dope on that song, and No ID flipped it well. The song deals with being aware of your surroundings, as Jay raps about his struggles surviving in a rough environment in Brooklyn, and also touches on his moment with the late Prince. "Bam" is probably another one of the best cuts on the album, and Jay links up with the legendary Damien Marley, who provides a dope hook with his Patois vocals. Hov floats like a madman over the instrumental, and I love it.
Even the bonus tracks are something pretty decent. "Adnis", originally previewed on the first trailer, is a personal and introspective cut where Jay pens an open letter to his late father. He reflects on his feelings about his dad abandoning him when he was young and how furious he was for a long time, especially with songs like "Hova Song (Outro)" and "Where Have You Been?" having lyrics mentioning his father negatively. He then came to realise how similar they both are, especially after meeting each other later on. "Blue's Freestyle/We Family" starts off with a 'freestyle' from Hov's daughter Blue Ivy, which was memed for a while on social media. We then get into the real song where Hov touches on the importance on family and how we should stick together and strengthen our relationships, as he brings up his bloodline and his wife's roots that makes them who they are. "MaNyfaCedGod" is a decent cut, named after the Game of Thrones character, where Hov once again discusses his relationship with Beyonce as James Blake provides some soulful vocals.
The production on 4:44 is dope as hell, No ID really chopped some of the samples so wonderfully. "The Story of OJ" was dope, and Jay sounded nice as hell on the beat. "Caught Their Eyes" gives a Summer vibe slightly, and the sample used is so chill. The Stevie Wonder sample on "Smile" was so beautiful, can't forget to mention Jay killed it on that song, especially the third verse. "Moonlight" samples the classic Fugees track "Fu-Gee-La", and although it's probably one of the weaker tracks, the beat is actually pretty decent. "Marcy Me" is freakin' beautiful as Jay reflects on his hustling days in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn. The-Dream's vocals near the end is really what makes this song so amazing. That, plus the ending sample, just gives me chills man. Could make a grown man cry. But hey, I'm 16 tho. The album ends with "Legacy", which is probably my favourite beat on the album, along with "Marcy Me". Jay catches up with the chill beat so well, as he raps about the legacy of the Carter name, discussing members of the family and how hard he has worked to get to where he is now.
So yeah, 4:44 is a solid effort from Jay. It's not his best work, but it's kinda up there. It features some of his most personal and vulnerable work, and the chemistry between him & No ID is dope as hell. The production is heat, the guest appearances do their thing, and Jay is really in his bag throughout most of the album. Another fire album to add to Jay's catalog.
Recommended Tracks: "Bam", "Marcy Me", "Caught Their Eyes", "Smile", "Legacy", "The Story of OJ", "Adnis"
Released: October 28, 2017
Rating: 8.5/10
North Carolina rapper Reuben Vincent was 16 when he released his debut album Myers Park. Today, he turns 17, and it's a nice coincidence that he makes it onto the list.
When Reuben was announced as the new signee to 9th Wonder's Jamla imprint around September, I was instantly interested, especially when realising he was the same age as me. I was seeing him promoted by Rapsody, Heather Victoria and the rest of the Jamla members when his project was announced, and I was automatically hyped to hear it. He was noticed by 9th a few years back when he was 13 after dropping a tape under the name ESAU, which led to a guest appearance on Murs & 9th's album Brighter Daze, on the song "The Shutters". He was 14 at the time, and you could hear a lot of potential, considering him rapping with well known names like Murs & Bad Lucc. Reuben dropped a couple songs here and there throughout the next two years, and it wasn't until this October that he finally released a project.
With its cover being a nod to the critically-acclaimed series Stranger Things, Myers Park dropped coincidentally on the same day Season 2 dropped on Netflix. The album features 12 tracks, with features from Cee Mason & Heather Victoria. I didn't expect myself to like Myers Park at first. I was hyped to hear it, but on my first listen, I thought I'd hardly play the project again. But damn, this is good. At 16, there's a lot of potential shown from Reuben in the album's 44-minute length, and his skill is pretty good. The content on the album is nice as hell, and the production really adds to it, with producers like Khrysis, Ka$h, 9th Wonder and Eric G providing some nice instrumentals for him to float over. We start off with "6am", which sets the mood for the album very well, waking up for a brand new day and hoping to make it through the day. Reuben raps about his ambitions to shine with his raps, hoping to succeed with his career. "Walk This Way" is one of the more aggressive bangers on the album, and I enjoy Reuben's flow on there too. The hook is great, and Reuben comes through with some dope wordplay including "Versatile style so I'm iller though/But I'm trapped to the soul like I'm Tiller bro" and "They just got to pull the trigger on the Mac, that's no Miller though". "Buffet" is one of my favourite songs on the project, which main theme focuses on grinding and making money to come up and succeed. The second verse sees Reuben trying to sort out his relationship with his girl, as he's tired of arguing and fussing over little things. "BB Guns" is one of the highlights where Reuben talks about trying to succeed as a black person as others don't wanna see them win and prosper. Khrysis's instrumental is dope on this one, and I enjoy Reuben's verses on it, especially with his flow.
Myers Park only has two guest appearances, both of which provide vocals for the respective hooks in the songs. Cee Mason came through with her soft singing on "Something to Say", which was a chill ass song, where Reuben reflects on his lifestyle and growing up over life. I remember finding "Kinfolk" hella boring at first, but that song is something to really vibe to, every now and then. Heather Victoria was nice on the hook, as Reuben raps about getting through hard times as a black man in America, while hoping for black people to overcome in life.
The production is pretty dope, and the beat switches are some of the key moments on Myers Park. The Khrysis-produced intro, "6am" starts off with a chill and sunny ass instrumental, before Reuben switches up the flow on a more hardhitting beat with an ominous pitched sample. The title track, produced by 9th Wonder, sees Reuben rap about planning to succeed and make money as he continues to attend high school (the project and song Myers Park is named after his high school). The first part is nice and is another song that sets the mood for the rest of the project. But the second part is where it gets better, over a hardhitting, aggressive beat, Reuben raps about working hard and trying to be the next one to hold the throne in the future. 9th chops the sample well, and once again, it's another reason why he's one of my favourite producers. "Waves in the Water" is one of my favourite songs on the project, and both parts are dope as hell. The first part sees Reuben trying to find his way as he works hard and long. However, the second part switches to a smooth and soulful vibe as Reuben speaks to God about how unhappy he is at the moment, and what he's been dealing with lately. It's one of the more deeper cuts on the album, and very enjoyable. "Teen Spirit" is one of the more upbeat tracks on Myers Park, and gives a nice Summer vibe. The beat switch is something sombre as Reuben raps about living life to the fullest while he worries about what he might suffer through as a black boy. The beat switch on "In for the Kill" was nothing special, to be honest, it was basically an interlude of Reuben repeating "make money, money, take money, money" for like a minute. The rest of the song was fire though.
Overall, Myers Park is a solid effort from a 16-year old Reuben. The production is there, the bars and content is on point, and good vibes are intact over the 44 minutes of this project. There's clearly a lot of potential shown, with his hook-making skills, wordplay and flow. I didn't expect myself to like it too much at first, but this shit really bumps from start to finish. 9th made a good choice signing the kid to Jamla. May he prosper and make more moves in this new year.
Recommended Tracks: "Buffet", "Walk This Way", "Waves in the Water", "BB Guns", "Kinfolk", "Teen Spirit", "Myers Park", "Televised"
Released: September 29, 2017
Rating: 8.5/10
In 2012, North Carolina rapper lute released his debut mixtape West1996. The project saw him rap over mainly old boom-bap instrumentals from J Dilla, Sean Price, OutKast and more. He also rapped on some original beats though. The mixtape received a high amount of attention from many, including the legendary Pete Rock.
A lot has went on since the release of that mixtape. According to his interview with HotNewHipHop, music wasn't a main priority in his life for some time. He had a daughter on the way, and was months behind on rent, which led to a decision to move back to his mum's house. However, his friend High, I'm Ry, motivated him to get into the studio, and start work on his sequel to West1996, which he planned to be his final project.
West1996, Pt. 2 was originally supposed to be released as a free project around 2014. But Lute happened to get a call from J. Cole, who told him to hold on to the project for a while for it to get into the right hands. He eventually signed to Cole's Dreamville imprint the next year, appearing on the label compilation Revenge of the Dreamers II, on the song "Still Slummin'". For the next two years, both him & Cole made some changes to the project, recording new songs as the project was going through sample clearance issues. Finally, on September 29, 2017, the project was released.
Pt. 2 served as Lute's debut album, featuring 11 tracks, with guest appearances from Cam O'bi, EARTHGANG, GQ Slaughter, High, I'm Ry and Elevator Jay. According to Lute, Pt. 2 is "the accumulation of chapters and events leading up to hiss Dreamville signing. It’s a window into the last five years of his life. The obstacles, the challenges, the changes".
The intro, "Morning Shift" sets up the mood for the album very well, as Lute raps about his daughter, reminiscing about the times he had with his baby mother, while also hoping to be a legend in his city, having people look up to him. The accompanying video is dope as hell too, with Lute daydreaming in a jail cell about running home to see his daughter and spend time with her. The single "Still Slummin'" is where Lute raps over a classic J Dilla beat, bringing up the people around him who have spoken to him about continuing with his rap career. The first verse touches on his cousin expecting him to be making tracks with Cole and telling Lute that he gains a fan every time with the music he puts out. The second verse brings up close friend Rapper Big Pooh (yes, formerly of Little Brother) telling him to stay consistent and be himself. It's a dope song with a catchy and soulful hook, and the verses deliver nicely. "Home" is a highlight to me, mainly because it uses the same sample (Hiroshi Suzuki's "Romance") as "Hi Top Whites" from my favourite Curren$y tape The Drive In Theatre. The raps are dope, and I enjoy the hook. The beat is chill as hell too. "Juggin'" is one of my favourites on the album, just something to vibe to. Lute floats so well over the beat.
West1996, Pt. 2 features three interludes/short songs that scatter inbetween the longer highlights. "Crabs in a Barrel" is one of the more laidback cuts on the project as Lute reflects on how life has been since being noticed as a rapper, touching on how he learnt to be selfless and how out of touch he can be. My favourite of the 3 short cuts is "Birds & Bees". For somewhat reason, I just like how it gets straight to the point with a chill Summer-type instrumental. It's the main song I wished was longer, to be honest.
The features on Pt. 2 are nice, and they provide some great contributions to what were already the best songs. Cam O'bi's vocals on "Ford's Prayer" made that song a lot better; not that the song was trash, but that hook is A1. One of the best songs on the album, "Premonition", samples the Slum Village/Dwele song "Tainted", as Lute links up with Cam once again and fellow Dreamville rappers EARTHGANG. Elevator Jay provided a dope verse on "Home", and Lute's singing at the end is pretty smooth. "Git Up" continues from the end of "Ambitions" and the first verse of "Home", as Lute raps about how he has so much on his mind, hoping that music can help him succeed. GQ Slaughter provides a decent hook, and his vocals on his verse were pretty good. The album ends with "Livin' Life", where Lute links up with his close friend High, I'm Ry for a laidback track which touches on Lute's life as a father, and how things have been like since his success. Ry comes with a decent verse before a voicemail skit from Lute's manager interrupts.
I enjoy the production on this album too. Lute takes the classic "In Space" instrumental from J Dilla on "Still Slummin'", and he does well with the beat. The hook and background vocals definitely make the song better. "Home" has a chill beat, and I freakin' love the sample on it. "Premonition" is a beautiful song, with the sample/interpolation of Slum Village's "Tainted". Although short as hell, I love how "Birds & Bees" gets straight to the point, as Lute comes with a little verse (likely dedicated to his daughter) about what he learnt from his childhood about the 'birds and the bees'. "Ford's Prayer" is hella smooth, and I enjoy Cam's vocals along with Lute's verses.
Overall, West1996, Pt. 2 is a solid effort from Lute. The lyrics are there, the production is solid and Lute gives a nice and chill vibe throughout the 34 minutes of the album. It's clear he has a lot to rap about, whether it's his new found success or his daughter, and his flow and bars don't fail to impress me. Another solid project to add to Dreamville's overall catalog.
Recommended Tracks: "Home", "Premonition", "Still Slummin'", "Ford's Prayer", "Birds & Bees", "Crabs in a Barrel", "Morning Shift"
Released: July 21, 2017
Rating: 8.5/10
This year was the year I finally decided to listen to Skyzoo and his discography. After hearing snippets of his new project Peddler Themes, I was hooked onto Sky. He was my top artist on Spotify this year, and I remember banging out his 2006 effort with 9th Wonder, Cloud 9: The 3 Day High throughout the Summer.
In 2015, Skyzoo released his third album Music for My Friends, which received critical acclaim and was regarded as one of the best projects that year. Fast forward to the following year, he released The Easy Truth with producer Apollo Brown, which, once again, received positive reviews and was regarded as one of the best releases in 2016. This year though, Sky announced he was going to drop 2 projects within the year. His fourth EP Peddler Themes would drop around the Spring/Summer, while his fourth album In Celebration of Us would drop by this Winter. Sky happened to finish the latter project around November, but instead of dropping this Winter, In Celebration of Us was scheduled for a February 2018 release date, just in time for Black History Month in America. Hey, at least we got Peddler Themes tho.
Completed in a two week period, the EP Peddler Themes picks up where we left off on Skyzoo's previous effort Music for My Friends, still touching on a 13 year old Sky's experiences outside in the streets of Brooklyn with his bike. It features 8 tracks with no guest appearances, and Sky manages to keep the listeners interested through the 32 minutes of the project; as he recalls certain experiences in his life, and the lessons he learnt. The intro "Short Money" and outro "Long Money" features Sky's mother (voiced by Carmen Noelia) explaining how she feels when her son walks out the door with his bike. The first song sees Sky rap about how the streets saw short amounts of money, and how he was trying to save money from drug dealing for new cars. The latter cut is a longer song, where over a soulful Cortex-sampled instrumental, Sky touches on how bigger amounts looked and how motivated he was to come up, making short money last to become long money. "Bamboo" is a track which delivers solid storytelling from Skyzoo, with references to NWA, and stories about gun culture in Brooklyn. Sky once again links up with producer Apollo Brown for probably one of the best songs "Doing Something", which is about being with day one friends and trying to make something out of whatever they had.
The chill, soulful and mellow production complements Peddler Themes heavily. "Let It Fly" is as soulful as can be especially with the sample intro, but !llmind adds his banging drums to make it a standout. Laidback old-school vibes are definitely present on "Doing Something", Apollo did his thing on the boards. "Finesse Everything" is one of the more calmer joints, something to appreciate during rainy days or the evening. "'95 Bad Boy Logo" is the most nostalgic cut on the EP, using a Faith Evans sample as Sky reflects on the major influence Diddy & Bad Boy had on him as an MC. Tuamie's beat was smooth as hell. "For Realer" uses the Wild Style sample, and Sky does his thing over the instrumental.
Overall, Peddler Themes is a chill, mellow and laidback listen. For something to hold us over until his album, it flows so well with dope wordplay, content and production. I was impressed, and without any features, Sky is still capable of delivering quality, adding another dope project to his catalog. Here's to next year, when In Celebration of Us finally drops...
Recommended Tracks: "'95 Bad Boy Logo", "Long Money", "Bamboo", "Doing Something", "Let It Fly", "Finesse Everything"
Released: September 22, 2017
Rating: 9/10
In 2007, North Carolina rapper Rapsody made a appearance on 9th Wonder's second album The Dream Merchant 2. Here, she was rapping over interludes which used samples 9th has previously used over the past few years at the time. By 2009, she signed to 9th's Jamla imprint and finally got to release her debut project the following year.
These past 6 years, Rapsody has been able to create a solid image for herself. Already in 2010, she was working with Mac Miller, Big Daddy Kane & Rah Digga. By 2013, after her debut album (The Idea of Beautiful), she secured a beat from the legendary DJ Premier. I first heard of Rap in 2014 when she was just about to release her second EP Beauty and the Beast, but never got to dig in her discography like that until around December 2015. And I was impressed with her work, man. Crown was dope, She Got Game was solid, Thank H.E.R. Now banged. She had a lot of potential. Last year, she became the new signee to Roc Nation, and I think with her sophomore effort Laila's Wisdom, she's in her bag more than ever.
Named after the rapper's grandmother, and the lessons she learnt from her, the Grammy-nominated album served as Rap's first release on Roc Nation, featuring 14 tracks with guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Black Thought, Anderson .Paak, BJ the Chicago Kid and more. Production is primarily handled by 9th Wonder & Khrysis, with Ka$h Don't Make Beats, Eric G and Nottz providing additional production and some dope beats. Rapsody doesn't fail to deliver with the lyricism on the album at all, and the variety of banging, mellow and soulful production from those like 9th & Khrysis definitely makes this such a beautiful listen. The title track intro, produced by Nottz, sets the mood for the album nicely, as Rap channels the wealth of advice and guidance from her grandmother, with the central themes in the lyrics being self-worth and empowerment, as Nottz flips the vocal and melody samples of a classic Aretha Franklin song. "Pay Up" sees Rapsody tell a story about a man and a woman, who are both gold diggers that take advantage of their partner's success. It's one of the funkier and more upbeat cuts, with Heather Victoria providing some soft ass vocals for the hook. "Ridin'" is a great laidback cut on the album, as Rap & GQ rap about being in the club and relaxing while dark thoughts surround their minds.
Laila's Wisdom is filled with such an amazing line up of guest appearances. GQ did his thing on "Ridin'". Kendrick Lamar provides a fire verse for "Power", one of the best songs on the album, which goes in depth on some of the things in life that hold power, touching on social and cultural issues and how certain powerful tools affect these issues. Lance Skiiiwalker's hook was nice too. Anderson .Paak comes through with a beautiful hook for "Nobody", with sampled vocals from group Moonchild. The one and only Black Thought delivered such an amazing verse on the song, and it's probably one of the best verses this year. BJ the Chicago Kid appears on the album twice: on "Black & Ugly" and "Knock on My Door". I enjoyed "Black & Ugly", a powerful song about transcending social limitations and how people see beauty. The latter song was beautiful tho, one of my favourites on the album. BJ's vocals were dope and Rapsody floated over the beat so well. "Jesus Coming" ends the album, with Amber Navran of Moonchild providing smooth vocals for the hook. It's an emotional and powerful song, with Rap touching on death and street crime that can affect families. Busta Rhymes was honestly the weakest feature tho, I liked "You Should Know", but his interlude near the end was mid.
The production is amazing, and 9th Wonder further shows me why he's one of my favourite producers ever. He flipped a lot of the samples in such a spectacular way, especially on standouts like "Power", "Black & Ugly", "A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love" and "Nobody". There are many beat switches on the project, which just increases my love for this album. Already in the intro, we switch to another song (apparently called "Good Over Here"), which bangs a little harder than the main track. Unfortunately, the track cuts abruptly and although Rap premiered the full version on Beats 1 radio show The Pharmacy, I still can't find a link to actually listen. "Nobody" is one of mt favourite songs from the album, everything about it is so beautiful. The beat switch bangs though, and it's more like a telephone call interlude where Rapsody and her friend gossip about shit happening on social media. "A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love" just hits my soul so smoothly. The vocals from Musiq Soulchild & Gwen Bunn are nice, and the beat switches are on another level. The first part is dope as hell, one of my favourite beats on the album, hella soulful. The second was decent, but the third... ooooh. That was the icing on the cake, man.
Laila's Wisdom overall is a beautiful, mellow listen, consisting of banging and aggressive production, soulful vibes and dope content. The production is definitely on another level, Rap's lyricism is A1, with powerful songs here and there; and the features come through with solid verses and hooks. Rapsody has always had amazing projects, including The Idea of Beautiful and Thank H.E.R. Now, but this one takes the cake. She was definitely in her bag. Although I know Kendrick or Jay might win next year, I hope for her to take the Grammy. She deserves it.
Recommended Tracks: "A Rollercoaster Jam Called Love", "Power", "Knock on My Door", "Nobody", "Ridin'", Chrome (Like Ooh)", "Black & Ugly"
Released: October 28, 2017
Rating: 9/10
On July 5, 2016, Big K.R.I.T released a series of freestyles called #12FOR12. It wasn't an official project release but the concept of it was to release 12 freestyles from 12pm to 12am, which included the Mississippi artist rapping over songs from Drake, French Montana, Erykah Badu, Kanye West and more. This would lead to the announcement that he left Def Jam, dropping a new song called "Free Agent". He was finally free after releasing two albums with the label, and it seemed he was enjoying every second of the independence.
It had been two years since Krizzle had dropped his sophomore effort Cadillactica. 2015 saw the release of his mixtape It's Better This Way, but we normally expected his third album to come the following year. After announcing his Def Jam departure, and performing on the BET Awards, K.R.I.T. was a little quiet almost throughout 2017 in comparison to previous years. He delivered a feature on a Dizzy Wright song, but that was really it at the time. The album was finally announced, after the release of the singles "Confetti" and "Keep the devil Off". October 28 was the release date.
Name after a lyric from one of Big K.R.I.T.'s mixtape songs, 4Eva is a Mighty Long Time was his third effort, which served as his first independent release. The album was a double disc effort, featuring 22 tracks (11 tracks on each disc), with appearances from legends including UGK, T.I., CeeLo Green, Jill Scott and more. The first disc had his stage name as a subtitle, while the second disc used his birth name, Justin Scott. Krizzle had production on the album, just like with pretty much every of his projects, bur other producers include DJ Khalil, Hey DJ, WLPWR, Organized Noise, Mannie Fresh & Supah Mario. I love this album, I didn't expect for this to be my favourite project this year, but damn, are most of these songs amazing! Unlike his previous albums, K.R.I.T. was most definitely in his big, with a refined and improved sound.
The first disc (Big K.R.I.T.) is what you'd normally expect from Krizzle, a mix of Southern bangers to play in your sub, and a couple relaxing/introspective songs to vibe out to. The intro is a solid start to the album, where K.R.I.T. provides two verses touching on temptation, continuing to reign as a top tier MC and trying to get back with his fans. I remember the first time I heard "Confetti" before I left for school. The beat starts off with a sombre vibe but Krizzle delivers with a confident flow. But when the beat starts to switch up a little by the second verse, my head was banging like MAUD! He snapped on it, and definitely was in his bag. "Ride wit Me" features the legendary duo UGK, with a posthumous hook from the one and only Pimp C. All 3 do their thing on it, especially Krizzle. I almost thought the third verse was Pimp for a sec, K.R.I.T. was really channeling his inner Pimp, I loved it. "Aux Cord" was a nice, relaxing track to vibe out to, and Krizzle was floating over the song. "Layup" was dope as hell, another calm track that I enjoyed. The fourth part of the "My Sub" series, "Subenstein", was a solid cut to the album, and while it isn't my favourite, it adds on very well to the series.
The features came through on the album. "Big Bank" is one of my favourites from the disc, as K.R.I.T. links up with T.I. for a banging Southern tune about the lavish lives they live. T.I did his thing on the song, his verse was dope as hell, and I loved his flow. Sleepy Brown & CeeLo Green come through on "Get Up 2 Come Down", which has such a nostalgic vibe to it. Sleepy's hook is nice, and it felt so great to hear CeeLo rapping again. Mannie Fresh produces a nice radio attempt for "1999" as Lloyd provides a pleasant hook which interpolates the classic Juvenile song "Back That Azz Up". The disc ends with "Get Away", which is the most reflective track on the disc, yet still knocks in your speakers. It's definitely one of my favourite songs from the year, and I had it on repeat.
The second disc (Justin Scott) is more reflective and personal, in comparison to the aggressive and calm Southern vibes on the first disc. The intro almost doesn't have any vocals, just instrumental throughout most of the track. The only vocals are background singers singing the title of the album. "Mixed Messages" touches on the things Krizzle finds himself saying throughout his music career so far. "Keep the devil Off" is the cleanest song on the album, with a Gospel feel while the trappy drums are intact. K.R.I.T. raps about trying to keep pressing forward in life as he ignores the temptations surrounding him. The singing adds on to the track very well and I definitely love the instrumental breaks towards the end. I didn't really like "Miss Georgia Fornia", it was the only song I don't get back to, it was kinda boring to me and although Krizzle did alright, it went on for too long, Joi's vocals were meh and wasn't hitting like the rest.
Jill Scott is featured on "Higher Calling", one of my favourite songs on the disc. The smoothest track on the album, about a woman very special to Krizzle, and Jill's contributions were great. K.R.I.T. did his thing with his verses, and salute to Supah Mario on the beat. "Price of Fame" is another highlight on the album, about how fame and fortune ain't all too good as K.R.I.T. touches on his depression, issues coming from his own family and alcohol addiction. It's a deep track, which I love to vibe out to every now and then. Keyon Harrold provides vocals near the end of the standout "Drinking Sessions", which is more like Part 2 of 'The Vent' as Krizzle rants on the trials and tribulations throughout his life and career, signing to Def Jam, having hopelessness and worrying about people not mentioning him in hip-hop conversations. A lot of these songs are beautiful honestly, especially "The Light" and "Bury Me in Gold". The latter actually is a favourite from this year, that song just hits me hard, I could almost tear up near the end. I just went through every track on this album, there's really no bad track on here (even "Miss Georgia Fornia" was... OK).
Overall, 4Eva is a Mighty Long Time has to be Krizzle's best album. He was definitely in his bag like never before, especially considering his previous two albums were just alright. There's pretty much no track I'd skip like that, just something I can bump my head to and also relax to. For a double disc album which normally feature hella filler, this was so cohesive with a lot of highlights. K.R.I.T. made a great decision leaving Def Jam, this is really some of his best work. Up there with Return of 4Eva & 4EvaNaDay. Will Krizzle keep it up this new year? We'll see about that...
Best Songs on Disc 1 (Big K.R.I.T): "Get Away", "Big Bank", "Aux Cord", "Confetti", "Get Up 2 Come Down", "Layup"
Best Songs on Disc 2 (Justin Scott): "Bury Me in Gold", "Drinking Sessions", "Higher Calling", "Price of Fame", "The Light", "Keep the Devil Off", "Everlasting"
