If people thought that New Jersey experimentalist and Kanye West protégé 070 Shake’s debut project, 2020’s Modus Vivendi, was heady, disorienting and hard to follow, wait until they hear her follow-up. Returning with You Can’t Kill Me, the GOOD Music signee’s latest project dives even further into her signature sound and feels a lot more … Continue reading 070 Shake – You Can’t Kill Me
Alternative Hip Hop
BROCKHAMPTON – ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
Prolific experimental hip-hop collective BROCKHAMPTON are back after their longest break yet – just over a year and a half. With a membership of thirteen, including vocalists, producers, designers and art directors, there’s always bound to be tragedy striking a couple of them, and ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE is certainly no exception. Of course, … Continue reading BROCKHAMPTON – ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE
Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
If there’s one single benefit to the world that the Trump presidency has provided, it’s the fact that it has seemingly reignited Damon Albarn’s creative muscles in a major way. On virtual band Gorillaz’ third album in four years since taking an extended break for the better part of the decade, they once again take … Continue reading Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
Joji – Nectar
After completely shedding his former career as YouTube-based absurdist shock comedian and breaking through with the lo-fi Ballads 1 in 2018, 88Rising figurehead Joji has returned with a sophomore album that more than evades the curse. Nectar essentially takes the ideas Joji began exploring with his debut and improves just about everything about them, building … Continue reading Joji – Nectar
Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong
After sparking a huge amount of buzz with his 2018 EP, Don’t Forget About Me Demos, genre-hopping upstart Dominic Fike has finally released his debut album, continuing to blend the worlds of rock, pop and hip-hop on a project that … essentially still sounds like demos. Fike’s frenetic sound is certainly something admirable in theory, … Continue reading Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong
iann dior – I’m Gone
After the tragic passing of so many of its most influential artists, the boom of pop-punk influenced emo-trap seemed like it might have been a short-lived yet undeniably powerful wave. People like 21-year-old rapper iann dior are still carrying the torch. I’m Gone is a brief 9-track project that sees dior putting his own experimental … Continue reading iann dior – I’m Gone
Run The Jewels – RTJ4
Run the Jewels’ last album dropped mere weeks after Donald Trump’s election victory. Now, the provocative rap duo returns once again at a time when the world needs a soundtrack to a revolution more than ever. Recognizing this and releasing RTJ4 for free a couple of days early, the incendiary political commentary and spellbinding technical skill … Continue reading Run The Jewels – RTJ4
Twenty One Pilots – Trench
Uncategorizable alternative duo Twenty One Pilots release their fifth studio album, and first after becoming household names with 2015’s uneven but hugely successful Blurryface. While I’ve often struggled with the duo’s consistency in the past, as they seemingly mashed disparate styles together for no reason other than the fact that they could, Trench sees them … Continue reading Twenty One Pilots – Trench
Brockhampton – iridescence
Hip-hop/R&B supergroup (or “boyband”, according to leader Kevin Abstract) Brockhampton, fresh off the success of their Saturation Trilogy last year, have had one of the most meteoric rises in popularity in recent memory. Formed through interactions on a Kanye West fan forum, the group certainly emulates his flair for the experimental, blending together abrasive, complex … Continue reading Brockhampton – iridescence
Joey Purp – QUARTERTHING
Chance the Rapper affiliate and SAVEMONEY Crew member Joey Purp finally delivers his debut studio album, 3 years after exploding onto the scene with his 2015 mixtape iiiDrops. The Chicago rap scene has been thriving in recent years, and Purp maintains his standing as one of the most creative artists from the city with this … Continue reading Joey Purp – QUARTERTHING
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 