Review: Lil Baby Validates His Buzz With Debut “Harder Than Ever”
If Lil Baby’s ascent to the forefront of Atlanta’s rap scene seemed sudden, that’s because it was: At the top of 2017, the newcomer allegedly had never even touched a microphone with the hopes of recording. He’s more than made up for lost time in the past 13 months, flooding…
Review: Nav Still Can’t Handle Fame On “Reckless” — And It’s Getting Old
Judging an artist without walking their shoes is a slippery slope. So the actual validity of the music is generally the best option. In the case of Nav’s finalized official debut album, Reckless, the proof is in the music’s contents. Unfortunately for those looking for his decisive introduction to the…
Review: Joey Cool Makes Quality A Priority On Strange Music Debut
Rapper Joey Cool is far from a new jack; after a string of dope releases — including last year’s Swank Sauce —he finally drops off his first official project with the Strange Music imprint, with which he’s been connected to for years. Joey has amazing energy across the 14-song-effort with…
Review: Ski Mask The Slump God’s “Beware The Book Of Eli” Is SoundCloud Rap Meets Mythological River Of Acheron
Just about everything regarding Ski Mask The Slump God’s new albumixtape Beware The Book of Eli feels abnormal, including the elements outside of the actual music. How you view the project may ultimately come down to which version you’ve heard; the official project released through Republic Records, or the leaked…
Review: Fetty Wap’s “Bruce Wayne” Is The Outro To The Fall Off
On paper, Fetty Wap had the fast start to become a prominent artist in the modern-day rap game. He had a strong breakout hit in “Trap Queen” that did just as much creatively (he perfected the millennial gangster love ballad) and commercially (the record went seven times platinum). This rapid-fire…
Review: Taelor Gray’s “The Love Don’t Last Long” Holds Tight To Its Moral Footing
The idea of Christian rap really only excites a core group of people, and even Christians can be leery of the genre. But Columbus, Ohio’s Taelor Gray isn’t a Christian rapper by genre, he’s a rapper who’s Christian. His latest full-length project, The Love Don’t Last Long, is a very…
Review: “Kids See Ghosts” Is Kid Cudi’s Redemption & Much Better Than “ye”
Kid Cudi has always felt like an unwilling protégé of Kanye West; for as much as his mentor values instant gratification (to the point that he’ll bus out every influencer in the L.A. rap media space to a listening session for a project he literally only finished minutes prior), Cudi…
Review: Femdot’s “Delacreme 2” Is Unfiltered Political Commentary
There is a lot of great Hip Hop talent emerging in Chicago at the moment and the diversity of their musical landscape has really been highlighted over the past few years. Femdot, a 23-year-old MC, seems primed to be the next artist to shake up the Chi-Town rap scene evidenced…
Review: Pusha T’s “DAYTONA” Is Predictable But Potent
Pusha T has been bodying verses for as long as anyone has heard him, but his latest release, the noticeably concise DAYTONA, has the younger Thornton brother sounding the most deliberate he’s been since Clipse’s 2006 LP Hell Hath No Fury. During discussions to coronate the rollout, Pusha used wordplay…
Review: Jayswifa Is A Sound Researcher On Solo Debut “Enigma”
Ohio’s own Jayswifa, who came on the scene years ago with the Fly.Union collective continues in his 2018 campaign by dropping off his debut solo album Enigma. Jay personally handled the production on this one, delivering nine records that really highlight his versatility as an artist and producer. Enigma showcases…