It’s a little unfortunate that Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs had to stir up so much online drama in the last few months in order for his latest project to sell well above his usual projections – he repeatedly proves that he deserves to be in this spot without all of the surrounding silliness, and $oul … Continue reading Freddie Gibbs – $oul $old $eparately
Hardcore Rap
King Von – What It Means To Be King
Although the trend of endless posthumous hip-hop albums has been getting increasingly concerning as they become increasingly disjointed and disrespectful, the case of late Chicago rapper King Von feels a little bit different. While for the most part labels have been capitalizing on being able to release as much music as they please from beloved … Continue reading King Von – What It Means To Be King
Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
Tyler, the Creator is on a truly impressive run. Ever since breaking out of his dark and edgy phase with the triumphant Flower Boy, taking a more introspective look into his personality quirks and motivations for being the way he is over a summery jazz-rap backdrop, Tyler’s artistry in all facets from his production to … Continue reading Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
DMX – Exodus
Continuing the somewhat concerning trend of releasing whatever a hip-hop artist was working on mere months after their death, turn-of-the-century NYC rap legend DMX now has a posthumous – and hopefully final – release after passing away only two months ago at the age of 50. Spearheaded by frequent collaborator and longtime close friend of … Continue reading DMX – Exodus
NF – CLOUDS (THE MIXTAPE)
Michigan rapper NF might have one of the most ride-or-die fanbases in the music industry at the moment, and it’s a huge reason why quite a few listeners (admittedly, this one included) have approached his music without the most open of minds over the years. With his popularity continuing to grow and his third straight … Continue reading NF – CLOUDS (THE MIXTAPE)
6ix9ine – TattleTales
Well, here we are again. For a while, it looked like we might never be getting another album out of Instagram personality and attention magnet 6ix9ine. Whittling a 47-year prison sentence down to just two after extensive cooperation that spawned memes on memes and getting released early due to COVID fears, how could the return … Continue reading 6ix9ine – TattleTales
Rapid Fire Reviews (6ix9ine, MGMT, Nipsey Hussle)
Bensbeat is back for the summer and I'll be catching back up to the present with a lot of these quicker posts. 6ix9ine - Day69 Controversial Brooklyn rapper 6ix9ine delivers a debut project infused with the unique scream-rap energy he brought to the singles that made him famous, but it lacks the lyrical content and … Continue reading Rapid Fire Reviews (6ix9ine, MGMT, Nipsey Hussle)
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 