- Rapsody – Crown
Rapsody is one of the best rappers in the game that you’ve never heard of. No qualifiers required, she spits. Her proclamation on the opening track “They tell me I’m a king,” proves her confidence in her abilities and no one will tell her otherwise. If you’re an old head that misses when hip hop was rap, this is your album. Front to back, this project is full of boom-bap beats, clever word play, and that sense of confidence that “only 90s kids remember”. Rapsody’s confidence is infectious on tracks like “Crown,” as she preaches to the listener to never leave the house without their head held high, wearing their metaphorical crown. But of course, she challenges her listeners. She says confidence isn’t enough on “#Goals,” action is also required. The track “Tina Turner” serves as a piece reflection, both on her own career and the current landscape of the rap game (“I’m misunderstood yet you love Tiimmy Turner” being an allusion to the often criticized Desiigner). Her ability to change flows with a seamless beat change on “Take It Slow” and “Through with Him” is comparable only to Drake on “Summer Sixteen”.
Notable Tracks: Crown, Tina Turner, OooWee
- A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service
Aside from Biggie and Tupac rising from the dead and saying that the current crop of young rappers are taking the genre in the right direction, there really aren’t many greater ways to signify a changing of the guard than A Tribe Called Quest’s final album We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service. This album plays like a victory lap for the legendary hip hop act, as well as a nod of approval to the new generation of rappers on songs like “Dis Generation” in the line “Talk to Joey, Earl, Kendirck, and Cole, gatekeepers of flow./ They are extensions of instinctual soul.” This project is stacked with contributors including André 3000 (who kills it on “Kids…”), Kendrick Lamar (who kills it on “Conrad Tokyo”), Jack White, Elton John, Kanye West, Anderson .paak, Talib Kweli, Consequence, and Busta Rhymes. All these features do well to compliment what Tribe is doing, without stealing the spotlight for too long. If this really is the final project for A Tribe Called Quest, then We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service is the perfect punctuation mark for a genre defining career.
- Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
The release of The Life of Pablo captures the contentious artist better than any single Kanye song could (except for perhaps “I Feel Like That”). It was erratic, ambiguous, and often times frustrating. With the tweaks to the track list, the twitter rampages, the leaked Taylor Swift lyric, the odd but endearing album art, and of course the manic episode at the end of his performance of “Ultralight Beam” which finally allowed Pablo to drop, it was a surreal experience to be part of. I feel like it’s going to be difficult to explain to my children Kanye West without the context of his persona being forever in the limelight. All that being said, The Life of Pablo is an album for Kanye fans. I could go on for hours about how incredible “Ultralight Beam” is, but any music blog that brings up this album will already be heaping praise on that track. Consistent lyricism has never been a selling point for Kanye and that much remains true with songs like “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” (Disclaimer: This still might be one of my favorites on the album) and “Highlights”. But songs like “Real Friends” “30 Hours” and “No More Parties In LA” show that Kanye can still rap when the occasion calls for it. Oh, and everybody thank Chance for saving “Waves” it’s the perfect follow up for “I Love Kanye”. Kanye is a flawed human being and is definitely deserving of criticism, and what better way to celebrate him than with a flawed but interesting album like The Life of Pablo?
Notable Tracks: Ultralight Beam, Waves, Real Friends, 30 Hours, No More Parties in LA
- Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”
Donald Glover is probably one of the most diverse entertainers of our time. With successful ventures in acting, comedy, creating TV shows, and of course, music, Glover leave little doubt in my mind that he is loaded with talent. However, I’ve never been the biggest fan of his music. Earlier entries into his catalogue felt dishonest, or at least covered pretty safe topics for a successful entertainer like Glover to cover. “Awaken, My Love!” is a complete change in direction. Departing from his pop-rap sound and style in favor of a more funky and soulful sound. “Me and Your Mama” serves this project well to set the tone of the album its slow build to a monumental explosion of distorted guitars and passionate cries directed at a woman that he is desperate to keep in his life. “Riot” has plenty of swagger to sound like it could have been a James Brown track, and other songs like “Baby Boy” are an honest reflection about entering fatherhood and what that means for maintaining an already damaged relationship with the mother of his child. This is a raw album that feels honest, while it’s not perfect (“California” and “Terrified” are pretty low points in this project), it’s a refreshing change of pace for Glover’s musical development.
Notable Tracks: Me and Your Momma, Boogie Man, Riot, Baby Boy
- Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered
A sign of genius is not the final product, but the meticulous process that gives birth to it. No release validates that claim like K. Dot’s untitled unmastered. There is little question that Lamar is one of this generations greatest artistic voices, and the surprise release of these To Pimp a Butterfly leftovers further solidifies the uncompromising approach that Lamar takes with his music and the vision he aims to share through it. I’m glad that these tracks were able to see a proper release (outside of their live versions via talk shows and the Grammys), as we got an insight into Kendrick’s recording process on songs like “untitled 4” and the second half of “untitled 7” where we actually hear him vibing out to an earlier draft of the former. While this project lacks a certain cohesiveness you would expect from a feature length Kendrick Lamar album, untitled unmastered lets you into the recording studio to witness a once in a generation artist work his magic. FUN FACT: The date listed next to “Untitled 3” was my 21st birthday. So Kendrick is basically my best friend now.
Notable Tracks: Untitled 2, Untitled 3, Untitled 7
Kevin Gates – Islah
As Gates says on the second track of Islah, “Make ‘em believe/ I made ‘em believe,/ A lyrical songwriter/ And he can sing,” in reference to himself. After listening to Islah, I’m inclined to agree, Gates made me believe in his talent as a rapper. Most know Gates for his goofy interviews, bizarre social media posts, and unsavory moments in the media. Anybody who sells the Louisiana rapper short hasn’t given him his fair shake. Islah is an introspective album about a flawed man who isn’t afraid to present himself as is. “The Truth” is a confessional track in which Gates acknowledges his wrongdoings, his flaws, and a plea to become invincible. Other tracks like “Hard For” shows Gates’ confusion towards a woman in his life who wants his love, to which he responds “I’ve been misused/ What the f*ck you want my heart for?” Islah paints a portrait of a man who is deeply flawed, but in spite of those flaws, Gates continues to be himself for better or worse as he concludes on the final song with a triumphant “Not even heaven can stand in my way.”
Notable Tracks: Really Really, Thought I Heard (Bread Winners’ Anthem), Tha Truth, Excuse Me
- Noname – Telefone
Despite the doo-wop inspired beats, the peppy finger snapping, and the dreamy synths that play throughout the album, Telefone explores themes that betray the production of the project. Let’s not mince words, Noname raps about the ever present fear or having to see her friends in caskets, the heartbreaking tale of her decision to get an abortion, and unrealized failure. But Noname separates herself from the pack by offering hope. While it might not seem like these nursery sounding beats match the subject manner of Telefone, the encouraging conclusions that this album draws makes it impossible to not feel warm inside as you hear Noname talk her truth throughout the ten humble tracks she presents to you. If this first mixtape is any indication of what Noname is capable of, I am excited to see her next step.
Notable Tracks: Freedom (Interlude), Casket Pretty, Bye Bye Baby
- Phatogram – III
Phanotgram’s newest release is their most complete project yet. On previous albums and EPs, I found myself skipping entire sections of music, but getting stuck on two or three songs for months at a time, that’s not the case with III, this is a satisfactory listen from start to finish. Sarah and Josh by all accounts have added to their toolbox as musicians, while still maintaining a vision on what makes their music so attractive in the first place. For the first time I also find myself legitimately enjoying tracks that feature Josh on vocals, particularly his solo performance on “Barking Dog,” which works well with the sample they made for the track. “You’re Mine” features an addicting toe-tapping beat that I could listen to for hours. The duo from New York goes from slow building stadium ballads to heartfelt confessional tracks with little effort, every song sounds unique without abandoning that distinct Phantogram sound.
Notable Tracks: Funeral Pyre, You’re Mine, Destroyer
- Rihanna – ANTI
I have been overly critical of Rihanna’s career, her consistent presence in Top 40 charts since the late 2000s has been one of my least favorite aspects of popular music. Her latest entry into her catalogue, ANTI, is a showcase of diverse vocal prowess that cannot be denied. The front half of this project is filled with vintage Rihanna with offerings like “Desperado,” “Needed Me” and “Kiss It Better” (Side Note: “Work” is a clear weak point on this record to me, even as a single, it really sells her talents short compared to the tracks I listed earlier.). But the real treasure on this album is the back half of the album, when she performs a Tame Impala tribute with “Same Ol’ Mistakes”. Her spacey, echoing voice on this track blends spectacularly with the 80s inspired synths and the oh so familiar base line from the original track. From that point onward, we get a series of Motown inspired ballads where Rihanna holds nothing back on tracks like “Higher” and “Love On the Brain,” proving to everybody that she is worthy of her spot atop the charts.
Notable Tracks: Consideration, Desperado, Same Ol’ Mistakes, Higher
- Beyoncé – Lemonade
Prior to the release of Lemonade, despite Beyoncé’s consistent presence in popular culture, I never felt like I “knew” who she was. While most of her music was empowering (and even catchy in its own right), Beyoncé never did much to make herself vulnerable through her music. While Lemonade didn’t quite entrench itself into popular culture like I Am Sasha…Fierce or Beyoncé, this newest project might just be her most personal yet. Beyoncé invites the listener behind the curtain to see how the music industry’s biggest power couple lives, exploring infidelity and the pain that comes with experiencing emotional trauma from the love of your life. It goes beyond just the lyrical content, Beyoncé challenges herself musically by venturing into several genres she has little to no prior experience in. “Don’t Hurt Yourself” is a confrontational rock track with a signature Jack White guitar performance, then only a couple tracks later, Beyoncé jumps into a country ballad on “Daddy’s Lessons”. Lemonade might not be nearly the commercial success of Beyoncé’s previous efforts, but I’d be hard pressed to say the Queen didn’t challenge herself on this most recent effort.
Notable Tracks: Pray You Catch Me, Don’t Hurt Yourself, Forward
Open Mic Thoughts 