Welcome to March, whose quality as a hip-hop release month for 2024 is proven by our new Fire Emoji playlist update. We decided to round up the best of the best rap drops of the week, and leading the way is none other than ScHoolboy Q. The TDE MC released his first album in about five years, BLUE LIPS, and it’s got no shortage of tender, aggressive, and consistently compelling tracks. “oHio” featuring Freddie Gibbs, “THank god 4 me,” and “Pop” featuring Rico Nasty are all particularly hype and energetic cuts for you to check out. It stands as the best album to come out this week, and one of the year’s best so far.
Also on Fire Emoji is another comeback: the solo return of Cardi B with her new track, “Like What (Freestyle).” It’s a fiery set of bars over a classic Missy Elliot and Timbaland beat; what’s not to love ahead of the Bronx rapper’s next album? Speaking of new albums, though, we have to shout out That Mexican OT, who just released his latest full-length Texas Technician. The Moneybagg Yo-assisted “Twisting Fingers” is a Southern banger through and through, showing off a lot of chemistry and versatile flows.
Furthermore, we also wanted to point you to Meek Mill’s new EP HEATHENISM, on which “Giving Chanel” with Future is a particular standout. Thanks to a dramatic instrumental and relentless deliveries, it’s a pretty hard-hitting record with a grand feel. Another trunk-knocking release on Fire Emoji is Luh Tyler’s new single “Bad B***h“… what could it ever be about? Jokes aside, it’s a bass-heavy and fast-paced track with Tyler’s trademark nasal croons.
Meanwhile, as far as triumphant and evocative trap cuts, few ranked higher than 21 Lil Harold and BigXthaPlug’s “Gin & Juice.” Finally, we wanted to highlight Ransom, Harry Fraud, and Boldy James’ excellently lavish and lyrically evocative single, “Live from the Roxy.” Let us know what you favorite Fire Emoji release was this week -– and what else we missed, too. Check out the playlist above and stick around on HNHH for the latest great music drops around the clock.
Sexyy Red isn’t slowing down in 2024, it seems, as not even childbirth could keep her down for a music video shoot. Moreover, her (and her baby bump) star alongside Lil Scrappy, Summer Walker, and more in the new visual for “I Might,” featuring the latter as a guest artist. For those unaware, this rap/R&B fusion appeared on the deluxe version of the St. Louis rapper’s breakout album Hood Hottest Princess. It’s a romantic tale about lust that still deals with the fallout of another relationship, and this new short film parallels that story quite well and invokes a lot of colorful settings, tropes, and narrative moments that make it a pretty engaging throwback vibe.
Of course, this is not Sexyy Red’s first music video of the year, with that fact attributed to “Rich Baby Daddy” with Drake and SZA. That cut ended up on the Canadian superstar’s 2023 album For All The Dogs, and was definitely among the most fun songs to release last year in the hip-hop mainstream. Fittingly, its visual treatment is also pretty cheeky, as it portrays the “Pound Town” hitmaker and the 6ix God as a couple with some comical interactions. However, this definitely doesn’t answer the question of whether we’ll get more long-form new music from her this year, but that’s a pretty easy code to crack.
Sexyy Red’s “I Might” With Summer Walker: Watch The Music Video
After all, Sexyy Red recently teased some new material on social media, and if you’re not already a fan, it won’t convert you. But it doesn’t have to, because it’s clear that she’s building her following and artistry based on some pretty simple but salient core ideas. Say what you will about the content matter within, but it’s a wild double standard to pretend like it’s much raunchier than most other mainstream rap right now. Maybe one day, we’ll get the genre diversion that some fans think is warranted, and we’ll see for sure whether it was the right call.
Meanwhile, what do you think about this new music video for “I Might” from the “Somethin’” spitter and Summer Walker? Are you looking forward to new music from them coming soon? However you may feel, drop your thoughts in the comments section down below. Also, stay posted on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Sexyy Red.
Homeboy Sandman is a very prolific artist, but don’t think that he’s not one to take a retrospective on his illustrious career. Moreover, he just released a new music video for “$,” one of the many great cuts off of the I Can’t Sell These mixtape from 2022, available exclusively on Bandcamp. “Money is the primary interruption between people and God,” the “Real Good” MC wrote in the video’s description on YouTube. “In other words, it is the primary interruption between people and reality. The truth is that everything and anything that comes to anyone comes from God. This is true of food, clothing, shelter, relationships, opportunities, capacities, experiences, lessons, anything. The falsehood that things are obtained through money and not God is the most devastating force that I witness around me in my day to day life.”
Not only that, but Homeboy Sandman previously called this his “favorite song [he’s] ever written” on Bandcamp. It’s not hard to see why: this is easily one of his most topically focused and thorough tracks as he goes over the issues with prioritizing money over happiness and health in a capitalist system. The Now! creative also pairs this with a drumless, dramatic, and lush string-carried instrumental, sampling “The Kiss” by Trevor Jones. To top it off, Nathan Dufour Oglesby (professionally known as Nathanology) provides a colorful, cartoonish, but nevertheless engaging visual treatment with a lot of allusive graphics and Sandman’s chilled-out rapping. It’s the kind of artistry, message, and presentation that the New York rapper’s always prioritized on past albums like 12 Days Of Christmas & Día De Los Reyes.
Meanwhile, with other collaborations with rising artists such as Royalty Summit in mind, it’s exciting to see Homeboy Sandman venture out into new ground and revisit some of his best work, too. If you haven’t heard “$” yet, check out the music video above -– and listen to all of I Can’t Sell These, for that matter. Peep some standout bars below and also drop your takes on these releases in the comments section. As always, keep checking in with HNHH for more amazing music releases around the clock.
Quotable Lyrics Trying to take you out the present, You’re happy and you’re healthy? Then you’ll never be a peasant, We hold these truths to be self-evident, You can’t squeeze no life out dead presidents
Now that we are more than halfway through the first quarter of 2024, we are starting to get some quality hip hop albums, as well as announcements for upcoming releases. More artists are preparing upcoming albums, along with tour dates and festival appearances. Nowadays, we never know who is gearing up to drop as artists often surprise release their albums with no prior announcements. Anticipations for new albums are high in the hip hop world, with many rappers being overdue for dropping new releases.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, there are several long-awaited hip hop albums that are highly anticipated by passionate fans. Today, we are looking at seven hip hop albums fans are dying to be released in 2024. These selections include projects that have been teased for a long time, with some confirmed titles and others to be announced. Take a look at the list below.
It is hard to believe that it has been almost six years since A$AP Rocky’s last album. Since TESTING, he spent time in Swedish prison, launched his own brand of whiskey, modeled for various brands, and fathered two children with Rihanna. Aside from his personal life, business ventures, and legal troubles, Rocky has been teasing a new album for a while. Originally announced back in 2019 as All Smiles, the title has been updated to Don’t Be Dumb as of 2022. Though the album has not yet materialized, A$AP Rocky has steadily fed his fanbase with new music.
Tracks like “Babushka Boi,” “D.M.B,” “Sh*ttin’ Me,” “Same Problems,” and “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)” have helped build excitement for the album over the years. Additionally, Rocky has also worked with Nas, Swedish House Mafia, Westside Gunn, Kid Cudi, and many more between releases. Along with loose singles and various collaborations, Rocky has teased new unreleased material at his live shows, including a song with Skepta and a track supposedly titled “Taylor Swift.” A$AP Rocky’s musical output and plethora of unreleased material has fans dying for a new album. Hopefully, the six year wait will end in 2024.
Clipse – TBD
Pusha T ended his latest album, 2022’s It’s Almost Dry with a very blatant hint about rejoining Clipse with his brother, Malice. “The past ten years, screamin’, ‘Uno’ then side step back into the duo,” he raps on “I Pray For You.” Delivering a stellar guest verse, Malice displays that his skills have not wavered since his last solo album. “I Pray For You” was not the first Clipse reunion. Pusha T and Malice previously teamed up on Kanye West’s faith-driven “Use This Gospel.” They also teamed up for the Neptunes-produced “Punch Bowl” from Nigo’s 2022 compilation. Malice notably returned to his old moniker, signifying the reunion between brothers.
Clipse have not released an album since 2009’s Til the Casket Drops. Recently, the duo has been actively promoting their reunion. They have performed as a duo, appeared together at fashion shows, and conducted interviews about their next steps. “That would be awesome,” Pusha T told Noah Callahan-Bever when asked about the possibility of a Clipse album in 2024. While there has been no official announcement, their activity as a duo suggests that there might be a new album on the way.
J. Cole has been teasing The Fall Off since titling his KOD outro track “1985” as the “Intro to ‘The Fall Off.’” His supposed final album concludes an elaborate timeline that included guest features, Revenge Of The Dreamers III, 2021’s The Off-Season, and an unknown project called It’s A Boy. J. Cole continued to reference The Fall Off during his epic feature run of 2023. He specifically addressed its status on collaborations with Summer Walker and Drake. It looks like The Fall Off will arrive sooner than we think as Cole recently confirmed the album is near completion and shared a snippet of a new song. As each guest feature and glimpse of new music continues to build excitement for J. Cole’s next release, The Fall Off has become one of 2024’s most anticipated hip hop albums.
Jay Rock
With Top Dawg Entertainment revealing its busy release schedule, many of its premier artists are slated to drop new music. Jay Rock’s next project is one of 2024’s most anticipated hip hop albums. He has not released an album since 2018’s Redemption, with the six year gap being the longest gap between projects. Last year, Rock told Bootleg Kev to expect “no skips,” setting the bar quite high for his next album. Luckily, the latest singles that Jay Rock has shared are quite promising, signifying that he will deliver on his highly anticipated next album.
Since the release of Eve back in 2019, Rapsody has remained relatively quiet on the music front. Throughout the past five years, she has contributed occasional guest verses to projects from Reason, Busta Rhymes, and T.I. She also released “12 Problems” for Roc Nation’s Reprise compilation in 2020. Rapsody has acknowledged the absence of new music, using fan tweets for the rollout of her next album. “#WheresTheAlbum?” and “#RapIsBack,” she tagged in her photos of promotional billboards in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fans are clearly eager for a new Rapsody album in 2024, for which she appears to be gearing up. The release of her latest single, “Asteroids” suggests that it will arrive sooner than later.
Run The Jewels – RTJ5
While promoting his Grammy Award-winning album, Michael, Killer Mike provided an update on the next Run The Jewels project. In an interview with High Times, he said, “The album is literally two days away. I have to go in tonight and change two lines on a song. I’m just waiting for some drums from No I.D. and we’re done.” Last year, Killer Mike and El-P celebrated the tenth anniversary of their first album as Run The Jewels, performing four shows in four cities that correspond to each of their studio albums. Following the “RTJX” show run and Killer Mike’s sweep at this year’s Grammys, fans will hopefully not have to wait too long for RTJ5.
Stove God Cooks
Stove God Cooks’s debut album, Reasonable Drought shook the underground scene upon its release in 2020. The Roc Marciano-produced project introduced fans to his melodic and humorous rap style. Unfortunately, he has yet to release a follow-up. Stove God Cooks has capitalized on the success of his debut and contributed guest features to some of the biggest underground releases in recent times. The Syracuse rapper’s second full-length project is one of hip hop’s most anticipated albums. Cooks’s latest Conductor WIlliams-produced single, “Melo Chip and a Brick,” hopefully signifies that it will finally drop in 2024, satisfying his rapidly-growing fanbase.
Blue Lips is almost here, and ahead of its release this Friday (March 1), ScHoolboy Q wanted to give us one more treat to hype us up. Moreover, he just revealed the updated tracklist for the album. It comprises of 18 tracks and nine feature performances between eight special guests. These are Rico Nasty on the second track “Pop,” Devin Malik and Lance Skiiwalker on the sixth track “Love Birds,” AZ Chike on the seventh track “Movie,” Freddie Gibbs on the ninth track “OHio,” Ab-Soul on the tenth track “Foux,” Devin Malik again on the thirteenth track “Back N Love,” Jozzy on the fourteenth track “Lost Times,” and Childish Major on the seventeenth track “Pig Feet.”
Of course, there is one particular name on here that fans will probably recognize thanks to the TDE MC’s previous praise of it. Freddie Gibbs is having a killer 2024 so far, and many hope that his feature here is even better than his appearance on Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s 2024 album Vultures 1 with “Back To Me.” In fact, ScHoolboy Q admitted that the Indiana MC bested him on this track, and we hope that it was a close race. After all, they’re both incredible lyricists with so much charisma and a wealth of experience and skill. Fortunately, it seems like everyone else here will also provide some amazing art.
ScHoolboy Q Drops Blue Lips Tracklist With Features
Furthermore, we can’t help but wonder what Jay-Z had to say about all this when he listened to Blue Lips with its creator. Amid other song snippet teases and a whole lot of hype, this is looking better with every new peep behind the curtain. Check out the full tracklist below and drop your predictions and expectations for the album down in the comments section. As always, stay posted on HNHH for the latest news and updates on ScHoolboy Q.
Blue Lips Tracklist 1. Funny Guy 2. Pop (feat. Rico Nasty) 3. THank God 4 Me 4. Blueslides 5. Yeern 101 6. Love Birds (feat. Devin Malik & Lance Skiiiwalker) 7. Movie (feat. AZ Chike) 8. Cooties 9. OHio (feat. Freddie Gibbs) 10. Foux (feat. Ab-Soul) 11. First 12. Nunu 13. Back N Love (feat. Devin Malik) 14. Lost Times (feat. Jozzy) 15. Germany 86′ 16. Time Killers 17. Pig Feet (feat. Childish Major) 18. Smile
Nathaniel Ritchie’s part of a lot of the most exciting rap music to come out in the past ten years. Following the passing of group member Groggs in 2020, the Arizona rapper and producer Parker Corey chose to release one more album as the trio Injury Reserve in 2021: By The Time I Get To Phoenix, the best album of the decade so far. Then, they retired the moniker to make music as the By Storm duo in 2023. In addition, he now chose the name RiTchie after previously going by Ritchie With a T to release his debut solo album Triple Digits [112] on April 5. Along with this announcement, the “Double Trio” spitter released the single and music video “Dizzy” with frequent collaborator Aminé, following his debut solo single “RiTchie Valens” a few weeks ago.
Just like that song, RiTchie crafts a really creative, unsurprisingly dizzying, and engaging sample flip with catchy refrains, charismatic delivery, and entrancing percussion. Almost the whole music video is filmed from a first-person perspective as he hits the gym, goes out to a bar, and meets Aminé in the bathroom. Speaking of which, the KAYTRAMINÉ creative is similarly impressive on the mic here, and both MCs provide a nuanced, clever, and critical look at the hip-hop world caring more about image and lifestyle rather than the actual work and craft.
RiTchie’s “Dizzy” With Amine: Watch The Music Video
Overall, it’s amazing to see RiTchie express himself in yet another artistic project, and to have it be as unique and compelling as he’s always been. “What started as a personal outlet to release these mental barriers, ended up with me having some fun music I felt comfortable, then confident, and now excited to put out there in the world while me and Parker continue to work on the first By Storm record,” he shared of this new journey. What did you think of “Dizzy” with Amine? However you may feel, drop your thoughts in the comments section down below and peep some standout bars there, too. If you haven’t heard the single yet, find it on your preferred streaming service and check out the music video above. As always, stay up to date on HNHH for the best new music drops around the clock. Rest In Power Stepa J. Groggs.
Quotable Lyrics But it’s simplistic, ‘His parents all rich’ n***a How many times do we got to sing this song? That ‘We don’t want to hear that weak s**t no more’? And this ain’t just a case of ‘To each his own’
Sematary is back with another single ahead of his forthcoming project, and it looks like it’s going to be a really special one for the California native. Moreover, his last release “Wendigo” took his heavily distorted vocals, metal and industrial inspirations, and blown-out production and took them into a more explicitly rock-oriented realm and rhythm as opposed to his Chicago drill and trap worship on offerings like King Of The Graveyard. It was a different style for the Haunted Mound leader, who will soon tour the U.S., the U.K., and Europe with his collective (dates/tickets here). Despite this shift, he still came through with one of the best songs of the year so far for the underground and beyond.
Furthermore, given his collaboration with a big inspiration in Chief Keef for “F**k The World,” it seems like Sematary wanted to bring things back to this style after “Wendigo.” This new single and music video, “Headlights,” kicks off with distorted drums, crisply compressed snares and embellishments, a nasty synth, and his trademark distorted vocals. Throughout the track’s four-minute length, it adds in more shrill synthesizers, more monstrous bass, walls of crunchy electric guitar, and some catchy, albeit despondent refrains and flows. In fact, it’s really impressive how many details are able to go in and out of the production while still maintaining its identity and level of noise. It’s a really progressive and surprisingly methodical cut, and at the center of all the chaos is the 23-year-old grave man.
Meanwhile, this just adds to all the hype around Sematary’s next move right now, as 2024 looks to be Haunted Mound’s biggest yet. Although his distorted vocal treatment is not unique to him, you can see how it’s inspiring artists to adopt this for their own creations, such as various moments on Yeat’s new album 2093. It’s finally time for the “Come With Me To Hell” creative to get his flowers, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. If you haven’t heard “Headlights” yet, check out the music video above, find it on your preferred streaming service, and peep some standout bars below. As always, check back in with HNHH for the latest amazing music drops around the clock.
Quotable Lyrics Blood from her eyes shining like my bloody watch, Blood red Louie bag, fill it up with guns, It’s all blurred out, f***ed up, can’t see nun’, Except the headlights from the Jeeper Creeper truck
Kanye West and Bianca Censori recently hit up Milan Fashion Week, and they pulled up in almost their usual fare. Moreover, the Chicago artist wore grills and a large black anorak-adjacent jacket with leather pants and black sneakers. However, the Yeezy architect switched up her usual hairstyle, swapping out her golden short look for a dark-brown bob cut. As far as her fashion, she wore what looks like a black bag on her chest to match with Ye, but that’s really a one-piece that she matched with pointy pink boots. As usual, these were some pretty eclectic fits to rock that raised a lot of eyebrows.
Furthermore, this isn’t the only notable crossover with the Vultures creative that Censori had to step in for this week. Adin Ross recently issued a public apology to Kanye West after Bianca Censori apparently sent him an email to clarify some claims he made. The streamer suggested that Spotify, Apple Music, and other DSPs didn’t want to pay him for his new collab album with Ty Dolla $ign. Basically, he was trying to argue that Ye should hop on his stream because he needs the money, and apparently the rapper’s wife stepped in to set the record straight.
Still, back to the actual Milan Fashion Week look, this wasn’t entirely surprising if you checked out any footage related to the Vultures listening event in Milan before this runway show. There, Bianca Censori debuted this new cut and clips emerged of her filming Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s spectacle. They are still raking in a lot of money from streams off the album, and folks are still debating its quality and whether or not we’ll get the sequels. Given how chaotic things have been up until this point, it’s anyone’s guess.
Meanwhile, as the controversies around the “CARNIVAL” MC’s antisemitism continue to mount, it’s tough to say whether this will be a more pressing issue or a slowly fading one. Hopefully the latter option happens if he truly shows remorse, change, accountability, and responsibility for what he’s said and done. If not, then hopefully the former is what manifests one day. On that note, stay logged into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Kanye West and Bianca Censori.
Music fans are always looking for the new wave to hop on, and with so much amazing material dropping every day, these trends could dominate and vanish within months. Many folks out there thought Yeat would suffer this fate. His arrival on the scene, paired with the wider emergence of rage, brought a lot of buzz, an instant cult fanbase, and even a Minions collab. But with four albums under the Portland MC’s belt now, plus a wealth of mixtapes, he’s had plenty of time to capitalize on this hype. However, this didn’t answer the question that many fans still have: is he here to stay? Will this sound and approach age like fine wine or is it just a passing fad while we wait on the real future? Well, speaking of the future, the AftërLyfe visionary is here to take us to 2093.
This new album aims to provide a forward-thinking, fresh, unique, and alien artistic statement. Its 24 tracks (including the two “Phase 2” extras “As We Speak” with Drake and “Never quit”) are defined by buzzing and soaring synths, distorted percussion, a lot of reverb atmosphere, and a slew of verses, ad-libs, and vocal effects battling each other for your ear. Unlike past material, the lyrics here are actually highlighted quite intently, and this overall sets 2093 up as the most idiosyncratic release in this catalog. Fortunately for fans and new listeners alike, it’s also its best project yet. Although it’s not perfect, this is a truly definitive, impactful, and above all needle-pushing record that will probably join the likes of Whole Lotta Red, Yeezus, and even Exmilitary as aggressive and industrial benchmarks in hip-hop. But it’s clear that Yeat is in a class of his own.
Yeat’s Performance
If you want proof of that, look no further than his performance on the mic here -– and behind the board. If you recall last week, we published a list of five “wants” from this album, one of which was that Yeat would prioritize and focus on his best weapon in his arsenal: his voice and his delivery. We’re glad to say that he’s still got it. Through a lot of vocal layering, woozy effects, energetic ad-libs, and switches between slurred deliveries and clearer high notes, the 23-year-old maintains what makes him such a memorable and captivating artist. He switches between frantic flows, measured croons, and passionate screams with ease on any given track. The “Nun id change” creative feels so comfortable and seamlessly integrated into his sonic vision, which is the second-most important achievement of 2093. We’ll mention the top priority later.
He also takes over most of the production here, with credits on 13 tracks of its 24 offerings. In fact, one of the best songs here, “Riot & Set it off,” is produced entirely by the California native, and that speaks for itself. His vision is able to meld a lot of different influences together and make something new out of them. There’s a lot of Travis Scott and Kanye West worship here, distorted vocal treatments akin to Sematary, industrial tones and timbres that you might catch on material from Death Grips or HEALTH, and sci-fi soundscapes that seem more like scores than streaming success stories. But they all fit under 2093‘s universe like a glove, and have Yeat’s special touch all over them. It’s the most impressive part of this album.
This high praise is thanks to the cavalcade of producers here, of which there are too many to shout out individually. Key players, though, include Synthetic (7 credits), Dulio (5), GeoGotBands and Perdu (4 each), and LRBG, Radiate, and WhoIce (3 each). Together, they all execute Yeat’s vision in a cohesive way that also leads to another big strength on 2093: its engaging and well-paced flow. The dreamy and atmospheric outro on “Bought The Earth,” which is a nice cool-down moment on the LP, leads right into the rambunctious trap on “Nothing Changë.” Clubby rhythms and dance inspiration take center stage on “Breathe” (another absolute standout), “Shade,” “Keep Pushin,” and the title track. Most importantly, the distortion, synth variety, noisy mixes, and string embellishments all fuse in an epic and entrancing way.
Still, not every beat is a hitter. 2093‘s length means that cuts like “Tell më,” “Stand On It,” and “Psychocainë” feel repetitive. Regardless, this isn’t a sign of the album taking significant quality dips, as there are amazing records all the way to the last song. Also, there is so much quality behind Yeat’s production choices that, even if they sit in the same space, they don’t feel diluted in their impact. “U Should Know,” “ILUV,” “Mr. Inbetweenit,” and “If We Being Rëal” are just a handful of progressive, crunchy, well-structured, and thoroughly immersive beats. “Familia” is one of the most overtly psychedelic moments here, and “Never quit” ingeniously flips a guitar-driven beat into something more than a rock-rap fusion. Overall, this album is a true auditory treat, and likely a very influential one. The cherry on top? How they effortlessly set up his verses.
Lyrics never define any Yeat album, but this album takes his success and paints a dark picture with it. “I’ma cut you off, cut you off when you talkin’ to me,” he raps on the opener “Psycho CEO.” “I’m in 2093, where your life at?” The now-established Drake collaborator focuses a lot on financial success, loyalty, material wealth, substance use, and not feeling human. But he contrasts this with murderous thoughts, admissions of his own dishonesty, his apathy, and nihilistic remarks on what all this money and status even means. Through jumbled trains of thought, loose verses, and consistently catchy refrains, these themes become almost contradictory, yet never inauthentic. There’s a lot of CEO talk on 2093, and it seems like hedonism eats at its own tail here. The salient point is that these pleasures make this darkness worse, but also give it the freedom to roam freely.
Particularly sharp meta bars on “Run Thëy Mouth,” like, “I got four rings, four albums, b***h, I’m out / I was alivе for 4L, but it’s up to me for after now,” embody this theme well. It’s a scary picture, and one that Yeat paints with a “less is more” brush. While these topics and expressions are always compelling, they can feel like retreads.
Similarly, there are a few moments in 2093 that don’t match up to its futuristic vision. For example, the features are 50/50. Lil Wayne drops a good verse on “LyfeStylë,” but it feels a bit mismatched from the album’s established energy. Future’s appearance on “Stand On It” is mixed way too low, but he does his thing. More impressively, “As We Speak” is probably the wildest beat Drake’s ever been on, and he’s much more charismatic and well-presented here than on their previous collab, “IDGAF.” Childish Gambino’s uncredited vocals on the outro of “Power Trip,” though, are the only guest contributions that truly feel futuristic and wholly connected to this project. Since Yeat is so standoffish, homicidal, and downright misanthropic from a lyrical standpoint, this makes these inclusions a bit more out of place. That being said, it’s still a small blemish.
Otherwise, what keeps 2093 out of the higher echelons of hip-hop albums in their respective eras is its consistency. The aforementioned reruns of aesthetics and song structures, plus static lyrical focuses and underwhelming feature verses, bring things down a bit. But we want to emphasize that it’s only a bit. An overwhelming majority of this LP took Yeat to the next level in our eyes. In particular, his character portrait here is the most understandable, clear, and un-replicable. It seems like the Gen Z leader is embracing the villain role here, and his contradictions and extraterrestrial imagination -– or rather, reality -– seem just like they were there before the fame. Power is another central idea, one that seems just as indebted to physical possessions as it is to primal proclivities. Bloodlust and existentialism are palpable, and don’t aim for anything else but to shock, inspire, and evoke.
So, how exactly does 2093 shock, inspire, and evoke indescribable feelings of ambition and dominance in its listeners? Much like its creator, the album shrouds itself in a lot of mystery, both through its muddy and aggressive production and the varied rhythms and sonic worlds that it cycles through. The beats here progress, evolve, and keep ears locked in from song to song, and don’t allow for even a second to free you from its spell. Yeat is right at the center of the chaos, and gives up control to tap into his demons and desires as a dead man walking. He doesn’t mind calling others out for being dead too, as long as they know who is on top of the graveyard. The totality of these elements achieved the most important thing this record had to represent: evolution. Progress. The next step. The future.
The artist’s unique musical identity preserves and develops itself further into idiosyncrasy; the consistency and intent make this a fully satisfying listen; the rap styles of tread, witch house, rage, and more push forward; he might see his first No. 1 album of his career with a watershed moment of an LP; and the features… at least Donald Glover killed it. Jokes aside, they still played their role well and allowed Tonka’s biggest fan to take the whole spotlight. With all this in mind, did 2093 take us to 2093? Absolutely. It’s so exciting to see an album this mainstream be so challenging, so masterful with its influences, and so fun all throughout. Yeat’s come a long way, and he fully cemented himself as a legitimate mainstay and leading face of hip-hop today. Well, 70 years from now, anyway.
The people have spoken at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards, and Ice Spice is their New Artist of the Year. During her acceptance speech at the ceremony on Sunday (February 18) in California, she thanked her fans for their ardent support. “Thank you, I wasn’t nervous until right now, but,” the 24-year-old said with a laugh. “Thank you so much! You know, this award means so much to me because it’s fan voted, and I love my fans. I wanna give a big thank you to my baby sister watching at home. Sienna, I love you so much. And I wanna thank my beautiful team, thank you so much to my manager, my producer, my label.
“Shoutout to all the brands I’ve collab’d with in the last year or so,” Ice Spice continued. “And shoutout to all the other nominees in this category. You guys are amazing and talented. Thank you so much!” What’s more is that she also had other reasons to celebrate her fellow celebrities’ awards recently. The Bronx hitmaker shouted out someone from her hometown, good friend Kai Cenat, for winning a streaming award.
Ice Spice Wins New Artist Of The Year At The 2024 PCAs: Watch Her Acceptance Speech
However, that’s not what Ice Spice is making a lot of noise for at the moment, and what might define the rest of her 2024. She’s currently embroiled in a cold war beef with Latto, for which the only thing left to do for either artist is to call them out directly. Sure, they’ve already alluded to each other multiple times and given out subliminal disses, plus their fanbases are going at it heavily on social media. But maybe an old-fashioned rap battle and hit-for-hit is what they need to gain each other’s respect as competitors.
Meanwhile, the “Think U The S**t (Fart)” MC recently met up with Spike Lee, and fans think that they could have something planned for the future. A music video, a movie, a TV ad, something beyond what either’s typically known for… who knows? All we know is that it’s exciting to witness. For more news and the latest updates on Ice Spice, check back in with HNHH.
