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
Moneybagg Yo
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
2 Chainz – Dope Don’t Sell Itself
A decade after his classic debut, Based On A T.R.U. Story, the veteran MC and one of rap’s funniest people has released his third album in just under three years. Loaded with features and without much of the surprisingly poignant social commentary he has tested the waters of on his last couple of projects, 2 … Continue reading 2 Chainz – Dope Don’t Sell Itself
NLE Choppa – Me vs. Me
After hitting the top 10 on the albums chart for the first time with 2020’s Top Shotta, 19-year-old NLE Choppa returns with the 2nd full-length project to fully capture the attention of hip-hop listeners. Heralded for his raw aggression and visceral power behind his lyrics, Choppa’s bars often feel more like an impassioned rant than … Continue reading NLE Choppa – Me vs. Me
Polo G – Hall of Fame 2.0
After topping the charts for the first time last summer with Hall of Fame, Chicago rapper Polo G returns once again with a sequel to the project that elevated him to the level of today’s hip-hop elite. As far as trendy trap stars go, Polo G is often one of the finest, sometimes shifting into … Continue reading Polo G – Hall of Fame 2.0
Meek Mill – Expensive Pain
After taking an uncharacteristically lengthy three-year break, Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill returns with his fifth studio album – although, not much has changed in the interim. Meek has one of the game’s most reliable and instantly recognizable skillsets in that electrifying and piercing yelp of a vocal delivery, capable of elevating any uptempo trap banger … Continue reading Meek Mill – Expensive Pain
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
Moneybagg Yo – A Gangsta’s Pain
Long seen as a mixtape-heavy “street rapper,” one of those figures who is much more well-known to his community than chart positions and sales numbers would suggest, Moneybagg Yo’s 4th studio album has finally seen him ascend to the top in the latter respect as well as he tracks for a #1 debut with A … Continue reading Moneybagg Yo – A Gangsta’s Pain
Lil Tjay – Destined 2 Win
A massive benefactor of one of the biggest movements in hip-hop right now, 19-year-old Lil Tjay is just one of the many fresh young artists coming out of the burgeoning New York scene. While many of his contemporaries are well-versed in the dark and grimy drill sound unique to the city, Tjay’s more nasal tone … Continue reading Lil Tjay – Destined 2 Win
Lil Baby – My Turn
Can we as a society please come together and collectively agree to stop tolerating lowest-common-denominator mid-tempo trap music that sounds like it came off an assembly line? Young Thug protégé Lil Baby has returned with his second full-length studio album My Turn, but you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish it from his first. Spanning an absolutely … Continue reading Lil Baby – My Turn
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 