The month of June 2017 has come and gone and we’re now officially in the second half of the year. The year thus far has been a good one for hip hop and some real gems have been dropped by various artists. Here’s a quick review of the most noteworthy projects. These projects are not listed in any particular order.
“DAMN” - Kendrick Lamar
You can’t speak of contemporary rap without mentioning Kendrick’s name. That’s because everything he touches turns to gold. This year he released his fourth official studio album DAMN and it was surrounded by plenty of much-deserved hype. This is a cohesive project as we’ve come to expect from Kendrick. It’s a top contender for album of the year.
“More Life” – Drake
Not much can be said about “More Life” than “It’s a Drake album.” You won’t find much that is new from Drake on this project, but with that being said it has a beautifully crafted soundscape as usual and plenty of bangers. It’s not his best album but neither is it his worst.
“Culture” – The Migos
The Migos are on an epic run right now and for good reason. Their 2017 album “Culture” is really dope and sees the charismatic trio produce what is undoubtedly their most infectious and most consistent work to date. Even DJ Premier praised their work and a nod from someone of his stature means a lot.
“4:44” - JAY-Z
This album is fresh but is making all the headlines on music publications across the web and for good reason. It sort of felt like Jay’s artistry was on a slight decline. His music became difficult to relate with but he has found a way of breathing new life into his iconic career. Although I need to listen to this project in more depth
“I Decided” – Big Sean
Big Sean continues to be one of the most consistent performers in rap and in my opinion ought to get more credit than he gets. With that in mind he has brought another solid project and my personal favorite project of his. There are plenty of dope tracks including the catchy single “Jump Out the Window” but the standout is “No Favors” which features Eminem. Em absolutely murdered that record.
“Rather You Than Me” – Rick Ross
Ross has never released a bad album in his career. “Rather You Than Me” is definitely one of his best and boldest albums. This is a top contender for album of the year which sees Ross getting very real and tackling issues that you can tell are close to his heart. “Idols Become Rivals” which addresses Birdman is by far his boldest song to date in my opinion. As a producer myself the song is very close to my heart because of the final line “can all producers please get paid.”
“Rosecrans” - DJ Quik & Problem
DJ Quik is a hip hop icon and a pioneer in west coast rap. To this day he stands out as a unique act in hip hop culture. He has stayed true to his sound and style and hasn’t let the modern sound influence him too much which makes his projects always sound fresh and relieving at the same time. His most recent collaborative album with Problem sees Quik continue this trend of putting out dope music. He has an ear for sound that no one has managed to emulate yet. Rosecrans is like a love song to California and one of the best projects to come out in music this year.
