Jay Z - 4:44

Overview
Jay-Z is a rapper from Brooklyn New York. This album is very laid back. It's calm and cultured. His verses aren't overly complicated. "Your blood money, I giggle at it." "There's no such thing as an ugly billionaire, I'm cute" Jay-Z's selling attributes are his resilient attitude and the knowledge that he can back up all of his statements about affluence. However, as a result, you don't get very much variety with his current music. Is there a Jay-Z song where he doesn't mention his wealth? There's probably one.. I think... However, to be fair, that's an integral part of hip hop culture. Usually Jay-Z targets the hood, but this strange album cover is appropriate for the flow of this album.
Defining Track
"Caught Their Eyes" is a feature with Frank Ocean and it's highly sophisticated. It's a nice song but it isn't nearly as good as these artist's talents could have made it. It's like they're jogging instead of a full artistic sprint.
Final Thoughts
This album is struggling functionally. Jay-Z gloating about wealth is usually done in a more black pride/excellence kind of display. He has the ego, but hasn't really embraced a non-hip hop focused audience here. Who is this album for? The cover is half ego and half acquiescent. Jay-Z albums are more about celebrating success than innovating the genre. This album is solid.

Rap Independent
Jay-Z - 4:44
8.5/10

D. Jones - Loudelphia II

Overview
D. Jones is a rapper from Philadelphia. He is a good rapper. His style is very generic, but it's impressive. He's the sort of rapper that needs a better cosign to really shine. If he were on a larger label, there would be a floodgate of people proud to support him. That's the issue with being a hood focused rapper; there's a lot more competition and the audience isn't working hard to find less prevalent acts. D. Jones has a old school gangsta voice and he's very passionate about classic hip hop culture.
Defining Track
Yoda is a song about wisdom and success. He's giving a lot of colorful images and has a few punchline jokes. It's got a nice beat but the name Yoda is a little random.
Final Thoughts
D. Jones is better than Rick Ross and has a philanthropic message like Kodak Black. He's as hood as Migos, but has better bars. His weakness is having a very bland persona. If I told you he's a rapper, you could basically close your eyes and envision him in detail.

Rap Independent
D. Jones - Loudelphia II
7/10

XXXTentacion - Revenge

 

Overview

XXXTentacion is a rapper from Plantation, Florida. This album is definitely not for everyone. It's good, but it's arguably terrible. This is hip hop with the spirit of very heavy metal. Hip hop artists may be looking for something more traditional. Metal fans aren't usually that receptive to hip hop artists. It's a gamble but so was Drake including singing. This album is designed to be performed live, and XXX has a very polished live show.

Defining Track

"Look At Me" is the single. It's almost so angry that it inverses into vulnerability. There's a line where he threatens someone if they kill one of his friends. It's produced really well. The song uses breakdown pacing with hip hop drums.

Final Thoughts

This is the kind of release that should be changing society but doesn't because it gets over-looked by people that don't understand what they're listening to. This level of experimentation is what RapIndie was created to protect.

Rap Independent
XXXTentacion - Revenge
8/10

Kendrick Lamar - Damn

    

Overview

Kendrick Lamar is a rapper form Compton, California. He has been doing very well this year. Damn is a collection of conscious rap mixed with fresh flow patterns and presentation styles. There are no ad-libs. There are no breathe-taking instrumentals. He is coasting off of pure talent. Damn is a good album. It's much better than "Untitled" and "To Pimp a Butterfly." He's always had a very insightful look at politics. His focus on jurisdiction rather than discrimination is more effective. In DNA, he says he feels like people have been "fed forgiveness." Connecting privilege to ethics is very astute.

Defining Track

"Humble" is phenomenal. No song has been that good and original in a long time. He's pumping a large amount of hip hop's hype single handedly. He was drifting into irrelevance on the mainstream scene until it dropped. He's back.

Final Thoughts

Kendrick Lamar is very talented. There isn't anything revolutionary about his subject. He isn't bending the genre rules. He's just being an incredible poet.

Rap Independent
Kendrick Lamar - Damn
9/10

Playboi Carti - Playboi Carti

Overview
Playboi Carti is a rapper from Atlanta Georgia. He has had a very good year. Teaming up with Asap Rocky heavy has allowed his debut to be highly anticipated. As far as a genre, it's basically experimental trap music. If you hear the album and try to weigh his skills as a rapper, you have not understood it. His ignorance is the point and his presentation is highly thought-out. It feels a little like a Lil Uzi Vert album but it's less rock influenced. It's refreshing to see an artist get well received being so humble and low brow. Hipsters will say that an artist isn't truly rap but never take the time to listen to an artist they feel is; (Half activism).
Defining Track
New Choppa is a feature with Asap Rocky. Asap goes in. He's definitely been practicing since his hype has decreased with his last album. He's in the previous indie rap wave of artist and hasn't established himself in the mainstream arena. The song is very good and Asap is well complemented by Playboi association.
Final Thoughts
Playboi Carti is just a very cool person. Although he isn't reinventing the genre, just being anti-sophistication and well received by his audience is something I would like to see his haters try to pull off.

Written by Lance Cardinal Posted on April 16, 2017

Album reviews starting at $250.00 USD

Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers

Overview
Wu-Tang Clan is a hip hop group from New York City. In the 90's they helped develop the sound of rap music entirely. At the time, there weren't a variety of flow patterns and deliveries. The genre catered to a delivery that sort of bounced around. Everyone in the genre "hipped and hopped". The "Wu-Tang" name came from a martial arts film.
Defining Track
C.R.E.A.M. or "Cash rules everything around me" is a song about the struggle to achieve financial success from relative poverty. It has a very interestingly upbeat instrumental that helps balance out the intensity of the lyrics.
Final Thoughts
Wu-Tang's hip hop style has been improved sonically. However, the presentation and message is current even today. Instead of an indie rapper like Asap Twelvy wearing a sombrero, they made an analogy about asian culture. Sampled instrumentals haven't improved much since the 90's either.

Rap Independent
Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
7/10

Drake - More Life

    

Overview

Drake is a rapper from Toronto Canada. He is one of the most successful artists in the game. It's well deserved. His lyrics are always solid, his hooks are always memorable, and his production is iconic. More life is better than many of his recent albums to combat Meek Mill's "not writing" attack. Drake has gone through a lot lately. The darker skinned writing album cover with blue writing is a very good summary of the vibe of the album. It's a little dark. The writing is good but it's almost too serious. Drake has two major strengths over most rappers musically. The first is he can paint really vivid relatable pictures. The second is he has very innovative delivery.
Defining Track
The song "Glow" with Kanye is one of the most forward thinking rap songs created in years. The collab album with Kanye falling through is a huge disappointment to everyone with hearing in this world. RapIndie loves Kanye West but while you're angry about a light skin rapper shining through politics, look at the complexion of your wife and kids. Drake's not lighter than Kim; grow up. However, if there's a deeper explanation and Drake wearing a Kanye mask doesn't accurately explain the situation; Kanye would benefit to explain it.
Final Thoughts
Drake was capturing the come up during Take Care. Now he's covering the dark side of fame and his lack of fulfillment and it's just not as enjoyable to listen to despite his talent. He needs to repair his love life because that was really his strongest subject matter. He isn't thug enough to rap about poverty and violence. There's a song on the album called teenage fever. Be careful Drake, you don't need more success and especially not that way.

Lil Uzi Vert - Luv Is Rage 1.5

Overview

Lil Uzi Vert is a rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Luv Is Rage 1.5 is hip hop with more serious singing than most of his music. He is a strange artist. He is very suburban friendly with a hood focus. He collabs almost exclusively with mainstream classic rap artists but all of his songs are designed with equality building complexity.
Defining Track
XO Tour LLif3 is a song about the unfulfilling side of success. The premise is the strain his indifference is putting on the women closest to him. It's a little abstract and he jumps around a bit but the vocals are pretty good.
Final Thoughts
Lil Uzi Vert is cool but his music isn't really the focal point of his hype. It's frustrating to listen to an artist so deeply submerged in the business side of his career try to approach emotion and ethics. Drake's hardest songs have more emotional range than Lil Uzi.

Rap Independent
Lil Uzi Vert - Luv Is Rage 1.5
6.7/10

6lack - Free 6lack

Overview
6lack is an rnb/trap artist from Atlanta Georgia. He is a very interesting person. He looks like the frontman of a scene band. However, he's very current. He sings a little like Bryson Tiller but his production is a lot like early Drake. He's also a pretty solid rapper. The issue with this album is it's not hard enough to be thug or skate mosh pitting, but it's not all that romance inviting to compete with rnb. It's really good kush music and it's very dark which works well for the audience he has.
Defining Track
PRBLMS is the single track. It's a good representation of his style. He raps with a very Drake inspired flow pattern. The song showcases how connected and cool he is but the song is a little scattered.
Final Thoughts
6lack is cool. He's very trend conscious. However, as an artist his music isn't really impressive. Imagine someone else trying to sell the same song with less style. If he improves over time, he could be highly successful.

Rap Independent
6lack - Free 6lack
7.8/10

Madeintyo & 24Hrs - 24Hrs in Tokyo

    

Overview
Madeintyo is a rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. Although he isn't a conscious rapper, he isn't a trap artist either. It's somewhere in between kush pop and rnb-hop. It's slightly abstracted but not enough to be labeled experimental. It's also very chill-wave and ambient sounding. He sing's shamelessly close to Drake's style. The nice thing about Madeintyo is his presentation is fantastic.
Defining Track
You is about an exclusive relationship. It isn't that deep, but it's handled well.
Final Thoughts
Madeintyo handles his image better than his actual music. This Ep is too close to Drakes style without improving it in any way. Hybrid artists that humanize the hood but have subliminal depth are gaining traction but they're a little boring.

Rap Independent
Madeintyo & 24Hrs - 24Hrs in Tokyo
7/10

Rizzoo Rizzoo - Drip Flair EP

Overview
Rizzoo Rizzoo is a rapper from Houston Texas. His flow is a lot like early Big Sean. He's got good presentation like a hood/suburb hybrid artist like Playboi Carti or Rich the Kid. The problem is his music has less personality. To enjoy this mixtape, you need to be searching for conventional hip hop, because that's all you'll get out of it.
Defining Track
There's a collab with Lil Uzi Vert called Game Over. For some reason every song Lil Uzi features on is his collaborating artist's deepest song. Either the production is classier, or the concept is better; I haven't figured out why. Game Over is a flexing anthem, but it doesn't accomplish anything. The gaming concept gives freedom more leeway.
Final Thoughts
Although Rizzoo Rizzoo could pass for a mock act, he has enough of his own identity to be a serious rapper at the same time. Drip Flair is decent but his connections and persona depth are the only reasons to listen to this.

Rap Independent
Rizzoo - Rizzoo
6.5/10

Run The Jewels - Run the Jewels 3

 

Overview
Killer Mike is a rapper from Atlanta, Georgia and El-P is from Brooklyn, New York. After a massive amount of success as a duo, they've decided to go by the alias "Run The Jewels". It's a smart move because their names are a bit much to spell out separately. Run The Jewels 2 is misleading. The cover is a zombie hand pointed at a fist. Humble right? Well look closely and you'll realize the hands are severed. Are they running the jewels? Are they making a satire about it? The new album makes the hands gold. It seems a bit like a double meaning.

About the music, they make music about politics and running and gunning. They do it well, but there aren't a lot of individual songs that stand out because the message is a little repetitive. Signing on Fool's Gold with Danny Brown is a pretty easy head start. However, after producing 2 successful hip hop acts, there's no doubt that the world will be buzzing over the next Fool's Gold rapper. Speaking of Danny Brown, he's featured on the album. 

Defining Track
"Legend Has It" was the single and is very good. They bounce around in their flow pattern without switching it much but they change their inflection a lot. It's a good song, but it's not revolutionary. EarlWolf, Watch the Throne, What a Time to Be Alive; hookless tradeoff songs are cool but not all that difficult or original.
Final Thoughts
Run The Jewels are good at what they do, but they play it very safe. They adopted the name of their most successful album. They re-used the same design with gold. I think they're aware that they didn't get successful completely on talent. They can relax though, indie rap needs more artists with Run The Jewel's cultural momentum and their numbers reflect that.

Rap Independent
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 3
8.5/10