Playboi Carti - I Am Music/Music (R.I. Review)

Playboi Carti is a rapper from Atlanta Georgia. Playboi started an honorary member of Asap Mob, which meant he had a dual market and a lot of clout before he had music. From his first released song, he was different. He has a score to settle with elitist culture and it manifests itself in this extremely nuanced competitiveness in his lyrics and presentation. However, that's why he's so popular. His conquest is soothing to his marginalized audience and is consistently victorious as well. This album is as good as his former releases and the collaborations are impressive. His branding is based on effortlessness, but it kinda feels wrong to praise such lazy writing. If he wanted to, he could do a better job of earning his position as an artist but we'll see how many times he can get by with his current formula.

SZA - SOS Deluxe : LANA (R.I. Review)

SZA is an rnb singer from St. Louis, Missouri. She was a peculiar signee to Top Dawg Entertainment because before SZA, they had been a pretty hard rap label with no track record of producing artists that sound like SZA. She has a hip hop cadence in her raw song writing and rapper-featured high moments. There's something infectious about her humility and relatable subject matter. However, that same presentation makes her incomparable to other females at her level of fame. Maybe she doesn't want that. SZA is good, but there's room to be a little more. Maybe she needs a strong, memorable song or to be rebranded with more mainstream appeal but SZA has proven her ability to achieve and maintain the spotlight.

The Weeknd - Hurry Up Tomorrow (R.I. Review)

The Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd is a singer from Toronto Canada who you couldn't miss if you tried. He's more popular than most pop stars which is even more impressive when you consider how experimental his presentation is. Hurry Up Tomorrow is the halfway point between his last pop releases and his former style. He has diluted his eclectic melody writing to better assimilate with his ethnically singular connections and fan base. As a result, the songs are good, but not great. The features of Playboi Carti and Travis Scott are the high-points of the album, but it's not because they are more talented but because they keep The Weeknd in a better mentality. The Weeknd sounds a little sad, which isn't new, but his albums post-fame have been a little happier. For some reason sadness at the top is more alarming because there isn't the hope of escape using success. Abel needs to take a break and find himself before making more songs about pain.

Central Cee - Can't Rush Greatness (R.I. Review)

Central Cee is a rapper from Shepherd's Bush London. After going viral several times, Central Cee has released his most high-profile album, "Can't Rush Greatness". The album starts strong and stays consistent. The lyrics are about his authentic come-up story and harsh lifestyle; delivered just complicatedly enough to be impressive while understandable. His bars aren't very memorable because there are few pauses and his lyrics are all at the same level of cleverness. Cee has a formula that works well for him, but it would have been nice to be surprised every now and then.

Mike Body - It Is Finished (R.I. Review)

Mike Body is a rare rapper. His delivery is Tupac reminiscent, but his gospel focus mixes with that well. Some gospel music is a little judgmental, but Mike Body isn't as pious as a "Lecrae" or "Tedashii". The production is interesting because it isn't based on a singular goal. Mike is not imposing a pushy objective, he seems like he's searching for answers as much as he's providing them. The album is a little bland, but reinventing the wheel isn't always necessary.

BossMan DLow - DLow Curry (R.I. Review)

BossMan DLow is a rapper from Port Salerno, Florida. In the early 2020's, hyper-organic rap music had become the norm. It's probably about an overload on technology that makes people hunger for rappers that don't seem like they have a ghost writer. BossMan DLow has a nuanced sense of humor and a lot of confidence. This album is questionable creatively, but where it shines is the personality. BossMan DLow is so charismatic, that although he could care less about his music, he makes music that stands up to most new artists.

Kendrick Lamar - GNX (R.I. Review)

Kendrick Lamar has had a big year. His infamous Drake beef song has had more exposure than his entire discography put together. Intelligently, he has chosen to use that spotlight to introduce these casual listeners to his actual music. Kendrick Lamar is the most creative rapper in the game. Every release he does something you haven't heard. We choose to stay away from the "Big 3" argument because being a great "indie rapper" is a different set of criteria. Any 10 seconds of "GNX" proves his talent and is top notch hip hop, but activism is divisive. How do we make the world better? More fair? "Tv off" is a great song, but the message is a little open ended. He explores several different angles of reality.  The rappers with depth are getting older, and although they are aging well, the lack of upcoming artists makes celebrating seasoned rappers seem like over-hype. Interestingly, the song "GNX" addresses this reaction by featuring three rappers that seriously miss the target.

Denzel Curry - King Of The Mischievous South Vol 2 (R.I. Review)

Denzel Curry is a rapper from Carol City, Florida. He started with a shaky hipster following that didn't really embrace him. As a result, he flickered between sophistication and conventional presentation. This album feels like the first album where he's found himself. The music is good. The audience is clear. Denzel Curry has proven his brand, but when you aren't reinventing the wheel, the challenge is making a great song that gets recognized. G's Up is a great song featuring 2 Chainz and Mike Dimes. He didn't have the connections to make it surface, but Denzel Curry has a strong enough internet following to compensate for that. This album is worth a listen if you like hip hop.

Tyler, The Creator - Chromakopia (R.I. Review)

Tyler, The Creator... Arguably the pioneer of indie rap/hipster rap/alternative rap; His career is gargantuan compared to the hipster bands beside him at the time of his rise to fame. He's a blend of intelligence and radical perspective that mixes German and African culture in a way that has a social value only limited by its inability to be faked by other rappers.

Tyler began as the Marilyn Manson of hip hop. Although it's nice that he has gathered a younger content-sensitive audience for his newer music, disowning his previous music like he often does is just a waste of a lot of momentum.

Chromakopia may not blow you away the first listen, but that's not what his music does. He meticulously designs his music to combine his visuals, messages, and audience representation, into a unified experience that makes more sense each time you listen. His songs are also created to be performed.

The best song of the album is a collab with School Boy Q, which is a good matchup because Tyler doesn't always have imaginative flows or clever punchlines, and Schoolboy Q doesn't have a brand as strong as Tyler to generate listeners.

Belittling Odd Future is a little dismissive of their contributions to his career, and the raps themselves are probably the least impressive aspect of the release. All in all, Tyler is working hard and it's paying off.

Foster Lancaster - Origin (R.I. Review)

Foster Lancaster is a pop artist from Detroit, Michigan that began as more of a social media persona, than a serious artist. He had a larger than life personality that immediately attracted the attention of celebrities and record labels. Origin is a snapshot of his life in 2024 that in Foster Lancaster's signature style, creates "almost" love songs. He has really pushed the vocals and production to industry standards and created a cohesive project that rivals the best of the best. The breakout single, "Butterflies Come In Every Color" has expanded his market into areas that have been borderline fans by logical definition. This album is mature and fun, genius yet simple, and distinctly Foster.