![]() While his Run the Jewels projects typically featuring him raging against the political machine, Michael is a much more personal affair, drenched in gospel chords but retaining his trademark fire. That quietly cements Mike as one of the best artists of the past decade, and his latest solo album, Michael, keeps the bar very high. While compiling our list of the 50 greatest rap albums of the 2010s, I stumbled upon an interesting stat – three of those albums (with an honorable mention raising that to four) were claimed by Killer Mike, a feat matched only by Kendrick Lamar. We need more movie soundtracks, and we need more Dreamville compilations, too. From the soul of Ari Lennox, SIR and Syd to the frantic energy of Earthgang and technique of JID, the eclectic mix makes for a complete listening experience. The best part of soundtrack projects is uniting tons of disparate personalities under one roof – it’s the Endgame finale battle of music. Cole’s brief but mighty “Adonis Interlude” is a standout, but the rest of the roster happily carry the load. Cole N’ Friends, you’d be mistaken – and pleasantly surprised. The Dreamville Records roster brings that ol’ thang back for the Creed III Soundtrack, and if you’re expecting this to be simply J. Back then, soundtracks were as highly anticipated as the films they promoted – in some cases, even more so (shout out to New Jersey Drive and Hav Plenty). There’s been a lot of 90s nostalgia floating around in recent years, and one thing I’m very encouraged to see is the return of the movie soundtrack albums. While many modern-day compilations are little more than a dumping ground for big name artists to drop off rejected album cuts, I Thought It’d Be Different is curated with care, and it shows. It’s great to see names like KIRBY and Sinead Harnett get much-needed spotlight. Jay Electronica emerges from the shadows long enough to drop heat, heavy hitters like Conway the Machine and Ari Lennox make appearances, but there’s also room for underrated artists to shine. “I Want You But You’ll Never Know,” the centerpiece feature with Alex Isley and DRAM grabbed the most headlines, but it’s far from the only win. Playing out like an old DJ Clue record from the early 2000s, I Thought It’d Be Different is a showcase for an array of hip-hop, pop and R&B stars. ![]() Y’all know I’ve had many, many thoughts on hip-hop podcast game (most of them … not so positive) but I have to give major props to Rory for using his platform to push great music and not just stir the drama pot. Statik Selektah albums are always a fun time, but there’s just something special about Round Trip. The Wu-Tang Clan reunites, recapturing their mid 90s fire Ab-Soul, Bun B and Conway the Machine mesh their contrasting sounds into one unit AZ and Ransom find instant chemistry – it’s a treat watching these combinations play out before your ears while Statik plays conductor in the background. The result is the Statik experience with much greater results. That’s the case for Round Trip, expect the stakes are raised. On the surface, this is the typical Selektah project – he steps out of the way and lets his beats do the talking while an array of A-list spitters clean house. But despite that insanely deep catalog, Round Trip may be one of the strongest of them all. I swear he drops a new one every six months. Rome Streetz & Big Ghost Ltd, Wasn’t Built in a DayĪfter nearly two decades in the game, it feels like producer Statik Selektah has more albums than Disney+ has Marvel shows. But in the meantime, I’m here to celebrate the artists who are pushing their respective genres forward. Keep in mind that this list is in no specific order – we’ll rank them for real later this year. ![]() A lot of the year’s biggest names are nowhere to be found (cuz mid) so instead, I’ll be introducing you to many new names that you should definitely give a shot. I’ve listened to 94 albums so far in 2023, and I’ve spent nearly a month boiling that list down to 25 albums that deserve a place on your playlists. Trust in Soul In Stereo, we’re here to help. 1 on the Billboard charts this year or the curious case of Ice Spice of all people being rap’s “biggest” star, I refuse to wallow in negativity. Industry veterans, highly-touted newcomers, hotly anticipated comebacks – it seems like hardly anyone can crank anything better than “mid.”īut beyond the hand-wringing over zero hip-hop songs hitting No. ![]() In a year where we’re celebrating 50 years of hip-hop and patiently awaiting a revival of the glory days of R&B (a statement I’ve been making for nearly a decade now) there certainly isn’t a lot going on, is there? ![]()
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