A longtime associate of quite a few beloved indie rappers like JID, Saba and Noname, St. Louis artist Smino’s steady critical acclaim has been building him a wider audience as time goes on. Now on his third studio album, Luv 4 Rent has elevated his streaming numbers to a new level as he continues to … Continue reading Smino – Luv 4 Rent
Rap
Lil Baby – It’s Only Me
There are always online debates raging about which four faces belong on the hip-hop Mount Rushmore for any given genre or era. The cover art of Lil Baby’s latest depicts himself occupying all four slots. With just how meteoric his rise has been over the last couple years, from a popularity standpoint, it’s hard to … Continue reading Lil Baby – It’s Only Me
Quavo & Takeoff – Only Built For Infinity Links
Four years after the last Migos split that heralded solo albums like Quavo Huncho and The Last Rocket and only a little more than a year past the trio’s Culture III, a lengthy list of inter-group conflicts and drama has led us to Only Built for Infinity Links, a team-up between Quavo and his nephew … Continue reading Quavo & Takeoff – Only Built For Infinity Links
Freddie Gibbs – $oul $old $eparately
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
Kid Cudi – Entergalactic
Flirting with a musical retirement – though we know how often to trust those lately – and now on his eighth solo full-length, the endlessly influential Kid Cudi has dropped a new multimedia project in a career full of multihyphenate ventures. The soundtrack to a new Netflix animated special dedicated to his late friend, fashion … Continue reading Kid Cudi – Entergalactic
DaBaby – Baby on Baby 2
After a highly impressive run of singles and features – one that now seems like a career speedrun, looking back on it – during 2019 and 2020, DaBaby’s seemingly monthly scandals finally hit a tipping point with some homophobic remarks made during a show at a summer festival. His verse removed from what was the … Continue reading DaBaby – Baby on Baby 2
NAV – Demons Protected By Angels
After a lengthy break – by his standards – of nearly two years, it seems like the ongoing criticism of NAV’s work might have finally gotten to him. He’s long been thought of as a wallpaper musician coasting off of the fame of his more popular labelmates, but on his fourth studio album, NAV actually … Continue reading NAV – Demons Protected By Angels
Pi’erre Bourne – Good Movie
After making a name for himself by dropping his now-iconic producer tag onto hits by acts like Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Scott, cloud rap’s go-to beatmaker has been stepping out from behind the boards as well. Charting last year’s TLOP5 in the top 40, Pi’erre Bourne’s latest sees the producer continuing to … Continue reading Pi’erre Bourne – Good Movie
JID – The Forever Story
Steadily building his profile in recent years through collaborative efforts with fellow members of the Dreamville label headed by J. Cole, JID hasn’t put out a proper project of his own since back in 2018. Arguably the label’s most talented member – certainly, its most technically skilled – The Forever Story serves as a sequel … Continue reading JID – The Forever Story
DJ Khaled – GOD DID
When faced with the prospect of a new DJ Khaled album, one of the more interesting recurring comments online was the fact that nobody truly wants to listen to it – but as a hip-hop fan, you have an obligation to, simply because of the staggering array of talent that the media mogul is able … Continue reading DJ Khaled – GOD DID
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 