Reviews

That it took more than six months to get another six songs from G-Unit is another testament to the fact that times have changed; a decade ago, the same time frame would have produced six mixtapes and maybe an album or two. But times—and the music industry—have changed and while 50 Cent, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and now Kidd Kidd may no longer be truly leading a movement, the Unit is stil

Though touted as a Migos mixtape, Migo Lingo acts more as a platform for the Atlanta crew’s YRN imprint, as well as the Quality Control label at large. The tape is hosted by DJ Durel and YRN Lingo and showcases 14 rappers in total, with the Migos trio taking the lead on just two of the 18 tracks (though they’re featured on several more). Despite th...

Z-Ro doesn’t leave much to interpretation. His songs are almost always tragically or hilariously to the point, and often both. On his latest album Melting The Crown, the Houston underdog balances the ups and down with the help of a new instrument-forward production team. The new r...

Ghostface Killah has been on a prolific run with his albums recently and with his latest collaborative offering alongside Canadian trio BadBadNotGood, Sour Soul, the Wally Champ meshes his golden era raps with jazz elements to provide a refreshing, but brief, 12-track LP. ...

Fashawn has been around for more than decade now. The Frenso, Calif. MC caught the attention of hip-hop heads with his 2009 debut album, Boy Meets World, an album that’s packed with real world commentary from the perspective of a Black child coming of age in urban America. On songs ...

If heartbreak creates the best art, then Big Sean had the perfect platform to deliver his own version of 808s & Heartbreak. But life throws curveballs, and six months after breaking off his engagement to Naya Rivera Sean found himself back on his feet with new love Ariana Grande and an album full of emotional roller coasters, indignant boasts, clever punchlines and his trademark bravado that s

It’s been nearly five years since Chris Brown and Tyga dropped their highly regarded Fan Of A Fan mixtape in May of 2010, a collaboration that included tracks like “Deuces” featuring Kevin McCall, "Make Love" and Brown’s "No Bullshit." Over the past few yea...

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is as curious a title as any, but if Drake’s actions up to this point are any indication, the reasoning behind it must lie in the music itself. Ever since his ascendance from television personality to worldwide hip-hop icon, Drake has captured the attention of audiences mostly with brutally honest confessions. Despite the fact...

Kid Ink isn’t some hip-hop purist who forces his brain cells to come up with jaw-dropping metaphors. But he’s still an MC and his rhymes and melodic hooks command attention. As an independent artist, Ink’s 2012 album, Up & Away, peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200. ...

TeeFLii served up his raw raunchy R&B throughout all of 2014, soaring to the Top 20 of the Hot Rap Songs chart with his DJ Mustard-crafted, 2 Chainz-assisted single, “24 Hours.” The song, although not his first jab at airplay after his breakout single, “This D” started buzzing at local radio in 2013, is themed around a day and was the reason the demand for the California native’s album was so

Far from simmering down, the Lil Wayne / Birdman beef proves to be just heating up, as new talks of legal action emerge with figures in the millions. Tha Carter V still has no release date and what some initially side-eyed as a publicity stunt to hype the album looks more like legitimate bad blood with each passing day...

At times it feels like Joey Bada$$ has been around for a decade already. The 20-year-old Brooklyn MC caught the hip-hop world's attention in mid-2012 with his fantastic debut mixtape 1999 and the free-spirited visual of his first single "Survival Tactics" with Capital STEEZ and has been building steadily from there, with a Pro Era crew mixtape at the end of that year and a 2013 followup