Drake finally dropped his coveted new project For All The Dogs yesterday, and Joe Budden was quick to share his thoughts on his podcast. Budden weighed in on the album, making it clear that he wasn’t exactly impressed. He advised Drake to start hanging out with people his “own age” instead of young internet personalities like Kai Cenat, claiming that he’s now “rapping for the children.” Budden didn’t completely discredit the Canadian hitmaker, however, noting that he’s still “the golden child” and is likely to find success no matter what. While some thought the criticism was fair, others didn’t take to it kindly, including Drake.
Recently, Drizzy took to social media to clap back, and he went in. He claimed that Budden is nothing but a “quitter” who now has to comment on other people’s work in order to pay his bills. The lengthy rant didn’t stop there, however. Drake also claimed that Budden is simply “projecting his own self hate” onto other people, and is jealous of his success.
Budden then responded to his comment with a simple message, claiming that Drake’s still got some maturing to do. “You’ll grow up sooner or later,” he wrote, adding “Father time is undefeated.” Clearly, Drake took things pretty far with his response, and Budden appears to be sticking to his guns for now.
With that being said, this certainly has the potential to develop further, and it’s likely that Joe Budden could provide a more detailed response to his rant sometime in the near future. What do you think of Drake’s response to Joe Budden’s For All The Dogs review? Do you think it was justified, or was Joe Budden’s criticism fair? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Drake and Joe Budden.
DJ Khaled had an enthusiastic response to Drake’s highly-anticipated album For All The Dogs, which dropped today. Fans should expect nothing less from Khaled, as he’s been a long-standing Drake supporter for as long as the internet can remember. In a candid moment shared on his Instagram story today, Khaled expressed his excitement and eagerness to dive into Drake’s latest musical masterpiece. “I’m gonna listen to the new Drake album from top to bottom and catch a vibe,” Khaled announced before getting in his ride. Khaled continued to share stories of himself vibing to the music in the car. “The 6 God and Cole is crazy, we been wanting that for a long time,” Khaled said as “First Person Shooter,” played in the background.
The speakers were blasting loud and clear in every frame. But DJ Khaled didn’t stop at sharing his enthusiasm for Drake’s music. He also dropped a bombshell regarding his own forthcoming album, “2024 the album.” With his signature charisma and infectious energy, Khaled teased that his album was shaping up to be nothing short of incredible. “For all my fans out there, my album, 2024 the album, it’s coming out incredible,” he said. “I have two Drakes in the can, it’s locked and loaded. 2024, lets talk more. It feels so great to have two in the can. Two Drakes … I got it, (laughs).” Khaled bragged about having his favorite-collaborator on not just one, but two songs of his upcoming project.
DJ Khaled reaction to Drake’s album “For All The Dogs “
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Indeed, DJ Khaled leaves no stone unturned when it comes to sharing his excitement about featuring two Drake tracks on his upcoming project. Just a week ago, he made a grand entrance alongside Drake at his Miami concert. What caught everyone’s attention was the large poster Khaled proudly displayed. The poster boldly declared, “I have 2 Drake songs on my new album, coming 2024.” This move left no doubt in anyone’s mind that Khaled is eager to make 2024 a year to remember for music lovers.
In other news, the internet has been reacting to For All The Dogs all day. With the 23-track project making its rounds on the internet, and fans have had mixed reactions towards it. “For All The Dogs was a fun listen but Drake was lying his a** off when he said this would sound like old drake,” one user wrote on X. “Ppl thought Virginia Beach was gonna be a diss track, whole time Drake just singing his heart out over a Frank Ocean sample,” another said. What are your thoughts on Drake’s latest project? And where does it rank in his discography? Let us know your thoughts on HNHH!
Lil Wayne has been active throughout this year. He toured North America, performed at the ESPY Awards, and featured on Nas’s latest album. Now Wayne is officially beginning the rollout for Tha Carter VI. Just in time for the fifth anniversary of Tha Carter V, he released Tha Fix Before Tha VI. His first official project since 2020, Lil Wayne’s ten-track commercial mixtape, is a precursor to his upcoming 14th studio album. The Young Money label boss is known for dropping preludes to his albums, including his Sorry 4 The Wait series, I Am Not A Human Being, and the Free Weezy Album. Lil Wayne’s latest release feeds his loyal fanbase with an appetizer, allowing their hunger to grow for the main course. Now that the project is finally out, it can be said that Tha Fix Before Tha VI builds more worry than anticipation.
Lil Wayne Plays To Both His Strengths & Weaknesses
On his latest mixtape, Lil Wayne highlights both his acclaimed skill set and the least palatable qualities of his music. He opens Tha Fix Before Tha VI with the Jon Batiste-assisted “Act Up.” Wayne’s signature lighter flick leads to an exciting mix of flows accentuated by the continuously building instrumental. His use of autotune brings out the emotion in his delivery, making for an attention-grabbing introduction. Wayne rides the song’s momentum with “Birds,” which is uniquely catchy. It features a bizarre, bird-sampling instrumental over which he sounds good, although the beat does get tiresome. His verses contain exciting flows, providing a catchy melody on the song’s chorus.
The song “Slip” is a prime example of how an abysmal hook can diminish Lil Wayne’s creative bars. He starts the track with some of his best rhyming on the entire project over a luscious instrumental. His second verse is also phenomenal as he spits punchlines like, “He’s a p*ssy, he can’t do a thing, now that’s just menopause.” Unfortunately, the chorus takes away from the verses as Lil Wayne nasally repeats, “Y’all n****s like extra skin on my d*ck.” The previously-released single, “Kat Food,” nods to Missy Elliott in its odd instrumental that Wayne effortlessly floats over.
Tha Fix Before Tha VI takes an interesting turn with “Tuxedo,” a rap-rock fusion that recalls his 2010 album, Rebirth. Wayne is joined by Young Money signee Euro and boasts about getting a pardon from President Trump. He raps, “I just called my n**** Donald Trump and that was that.” While the beat and overall style of the song are not fitting for Euro nor Wayne, both rappers sound comfortable over the instrumental.
Much Is To Be Desired
While there are promising moments on Tha Fix Before Tha VI, many are undermined by an off-putting chorus, instrumental, or lyric. The song “No New B*tches” may include effective rhyme schemes, but the track is filled with repetitive raps about sex over a cluttered beat. It is reminiscent of the overwhelmingly sexual lyricism that plagued 2013’s I Am Not A Human Being II. The song “Tity Boi” is pretty self-explanatory, featuring the same tiresome sex raps, although Lil Wayne rhymes well over the layered production. Again, the rapping is hindered by a poorly constructed chorus that becomes an obnoxiously repetitive Jersey Club track. With a title like “Tity Boi,” the content is to be expected, but Wayne has rapped about sex in significantly more creative ways before.
Tha Fix Before Tha VI has its bland moments, but it finishes strong with “Good Morning.” On this track, Lil Wayne comes to life over a triumphant instrumental. Unfortunately, it is too short, but it was made simply as a theme song for FS1’s Undisputed. The track would have made for a more exciting intro, but it closes the project on a positive note.
Ultimately, Lil Wayne’s latest commercial mixtape does leave much to be desired. However, it has been prefaced that the next installment of Tha Carter series is on the way. Nothing on this mixtape is as nearly as impressive as his Swizz Beatz-produced “Kant Nobody” single that arrived earlier this year. Wayne is clearly a gifted rapper, but his songwriting is still inconsistent and the project is tainted by lazy choruses and poor production selection. Let’s hope that Lil Wayne is saving his best material for Tha Carter VI.
Lil Wayne has been active throughout this year. He toured North America, performed at the ESPY Awards, and featured on Nas’s latest album. Now Wayne is officially beginning the rollout for Tha Carter VI. Just in time for the fifth anniversary of Tha Carter V, he released Tha Fix Before Tha VI. His first official project since 2020, Lil Wayne’s ten-track commercial mixtape, is a precursor to his upcoming 14th studio album. The Young Money label boss is known for dropping preludes to his albums, including his Sorry 4 The Wait series, I Am Not A Human Being, and the Free Weezy Album. Lil Wayne’s latest release feeds his loyal fanbase with an appetizer, allowing their hunger to grow for the main course. Now that the project is finally out, it can be said that Tha Fix Before Tha VI builds more worry than anticipation.
Lil Wayne Plays To Both His Strengths & Weaknesses
On his latest mixtape, Lil Wayne highlights both his acclaimed skill set and the least palatable qualities of his music. He opens Tha Fix Before Tha VI with the Jon Batiste-assisted “Act Up.” Wayne’s signature lighter flick leads to an exciting mix of flows accentuated by the continuously building instrumental. His use of autotune brings out the emotion in his delivery, making for an attention-grabbing introduction. Wayne rides the song’s momentum with “Birds,” which is uniquely catchy. It features a bizarre, bird-sampling instrumental over which he sounds good, although the beat does get tiresome. His verses contain exciting flows, providing a catchy melody on the song’s chorus.
The song “Slip” is a prime example of how an abysmal hook can diminish Lil Wayne’s creative bars. He starts the track with some of his best rhyming on the entire project over a luscious instrumental. His second verse is also phenomenal as he spits punchlines like, “He’s a p*ssy, he can’t do a thing, now that’s just menopause.” Unfortunately, the chorus takes away from the verses as Lil Wayne nasally repeats, “Y’all n****s like extra skin on my d*ck.” The previously-released single, “Kat Food,” nods to Missy Elliott in its odd instrumental that Wayne effortlessly floats over.
Tha Fix Before Tha VI takes an interesting turn with “Tuxedo,” a rap-rock fusion that recalls his 2010 album, Rebirth. Wayne is joined by Young Money signee Euro and boasts about getting a pardon from President Trump. He raps, “I just called my n**** Donald Trump and that was that.” While the beat and overall style of the song are not fitting for Euro nor Wayne, both rappers sound comfortable over the instrumental.
Much Is To Be Desired
While there are promising moments on Tha Fix Before Tha VI, many are undermined by an off-putting chorus, instrumental, or lyric. The song “No New B*tches” may include effective rhyme schemes, but the track is filled with repetitive raps about sex over a cluttered beat. It is reminiscent of the overwhelmingly sexual lyricism that plagued 2013’s I Am Not A Human Being II. The song “Tity Boi” is pretty self-explanatory, featuring the same tiresome sex raps, although Lil Wayne rhymes well over the layered production. Again, the rapping is hindered by a poorly constructed chorus that becomes an obnoxiously repetitive Jersey Club track. With a title like “Tity Boi,” the content is to be expected, but Wayne has rapped about sex in significantly more creative ways before.
Tha Fix Before Tha VI has its bland moments, but it finishes strong with “Good Morning.” On this track, Lil Wayne comes to life over a triumphant instrumental. Unfortunately, it is too short, but it was made simply as a theme song for FS1’s Undisputed. The track would have made for a more exciting intro, but it closes the project on a positive note.
Ultimately, Lil Wayne’s latest commercial mixtape does leave much to be desired. However, it has been prefaced that the next installment of Tha Carter series is on the way. Nothing on this mixtape is as nearly as impressive as his Swizz Beatz-produced “Kant Nobody” single that arrived earlier this year. Wayne is clearly a gifted rapper, but his songwriting is still inconsistent and the project is tainted by lazy choruses and poor production selection. Let’s hope that Lil Wayne is saving his best material for Tha Carter VI.
Sage Elsesser (better known as Navy Blue) curated an introspective sound that is a far echo from his days skateboarding for Converse. The LA-born MC became a household name in the indie rap scene with the critically acclaimed Navy’s Reprise. However, Elsesser’s wide-ranged creative influences go well beyond rap. He’s dabbled in the spheres of modeling, fashion, and acting. It’s a heck of a resume for a 26-year-old. Discussing his creative interests on the Internet People Live show with Zack Fox, he stated, “Everything I do all feels the same to me. It all serves the same purpose in my life.”
This wide portfolio enabled him to collaborate with an array of influential artists — Earl Sweatshirt, billy woods, The Alchemist, and even Frank Ocean. However, he prefers not to capitalize on this rich social circle from a musical perspective. Opting to keep his thematic ideas to himself, Navy Blue is inherently a self-starter rather than one that relies on the people around him. Ways of Knowing is Navy Blue’s first major-label release under Def Jam Recordings, a project that speaks volumes to Elsesser’s poetic talent.
Navy Blue’s move to Brooklyn at the age of 12 had an evident influence on his sound. Even though he grew up in Los Angeles, his music leans closer to his East Coast contemporaries such as MIKE or billy woods. Ways of Knowing is his most personal project to date: an in-depth analysis of how his relationship with his parents shaped his adulthood. He’s acutely aware of the influence a child’s home life has on their outlook as they grow older. Navy Blue’s relationship with his family is portrayed as multi-faceted. However, Ways of Knowing is ultimately an ode of gratitude to his parents.
Ways of Knowing Is Intentionally Uplifting
Over the past few years, much of the narrative in rap left audiences feeling defeated. Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers tackles transgenderism, child molestation, and Black trauma and compacts it into a double-disc listen. Earl Sweatshirt’s Sick! confronts the struggles of post-pandemic life. Throughout Ways of Knowing, Navy Blue seems fed up with this continuous dark cloud hovering over the genre these days. He stated, “I don’t really want to be remembered as this stoic guy who’s perpetually reflecting on his trauma and Black plight, you know? I want to make something that makes people smile out of joy, rather than smile in grief.” Of course, the sobering themes explored in hip-hop are merely a reflection of reality. However, Navy Blue is looking to leave his audience with a sense of hope.
Ways of Knowing is an indie summer album that one could listen to on a hammock for hours. The record is rooted in R&B, more so than any of his previous projects. Navy Blue rides sample-heavy beats which blend the worlds of soul and jazz. Def Jam may have hoped he beefed up this record with mainstream features and an accessible sound. However, Ways of Knowing is anything but that. Navy Blue brings in experimental indie-soul artists such as Budgie and Liv.e to execute his vision.
An Ode To His Family
From the subdued piano keys on “The Medium” to the smooth sampling on “Phases,” Budgie’s production never fails to impress. No track sounds the same, making Ways of Knowing thoroughly unpredictable and engaging. While his direct family is the primary source of narrative on the project, Navy Blue also talks about his past relationships with women. On “The One,” he ruminates on the end of his longest-lasting relationship. He states, “Always here for you / I’ll always love you just like that light that’s always there for you.” His approach to addressing previous partners is one of appreciation and love, rather than spite. The perspective is a unique and refreshing one in the grand scheme of hip-hop’s usual bravado.
Navy Blue’s portrayal of pain is multi-faceted throughout Ways of Knowing. Whether it be depression or heartbreak, he reflects on these experiences as valuable life lessons. He states, “Depression had me down and out, had to grab it by the tusks.” However, the pain is still there, as he states in “Embers.” “I miss my Mama, Grandma, and Pa so much / I see em’ in my dreams every single night.” A sonic blend of soul and jazz, the production itself is an ode to those who came before him. His most intimate record to date, Navy Blue’s Ways of Knowing is an early contender for rap album of the year.
In Tyler, The Creator’s video for the song “Sam Is Dead,” released in March of 2012, the 32-year-old donned a military uniform and executed his musical alter-egos. At the very end, presumably Tron Cat, Wolf Haley, and of course Sam end up in a ditch. These characters represent his early work: rebellious, unfiltered, and with angst that many can’t imagine him displaying today. About a year after this release came his studio album Wolf, which still dealt with these characters’ narratives and development. However, that album marked the first time that Tyler would significantly redefine his identity as an artist. As a young kid just getting into his world, I never would’ve imagined that “Sam Is Dead” would remain so relevant to Tyler Okonma’s work today. But The Estate Sale proves just that.
Not only does it reiterate his refined musical prowess, but it’s a fresh example of him reclaiming his unbounded identity and skill in ways that his transitions from album to album can’t summarize. Before getting into the meat of the music, it’s important to acknowledge what The Estate Sale is. Per the Hawthorne, Los Angeles native, they’re “leftovers” from his 2021 critical hit CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. He expressed on social media that it’s the first time he showed what he left off of a core album. To put it bluntly, the songs sounded just too damn good. Sure, one could argue that curation is what got Tyler to his career peaks in the first place. Still, CMIYGL is his travel album, and these tracks represent exploration and growth in a similar way.
But how is The Estate Sale different from its parent project? The first thing that listeners could catch is a West Coast-inspired sound that more unabashedly honors Tyler, The Creator’s heroes. YG and Vince Staples give a strong Cali bounce to the breezy “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND” and the boisterous “STUNTMAN,” respectively. Both beats take inspiration from the work of Pharrell, whether for the former’s funky percussion and melodies or the latter’s bustling 2000s-era rap homage that feels like an unearthed Neptunes beat (Skateboard P actually helped produce this one). Regardless of his influences, T makes each sound his own. A beautiful bridge on “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND,” for example, makes for one of the expansion’s standout moments. Conversely, the eerie tones and heavy bass on “STUNTMAN” harken back to his early production with a modern sheen.
Other tracks on The Estate Sale, however, feel more characteristic of Tyler’s brand of vibrant and layered hip-hop. “DOGTOOTH,” the expansion’s first single, matches wondrous piano chords with wailing synth melodies, booming kicks, and crisp percs. “WHAT A DAY,” “HEAVEN TO ME,” and “SORRY NOT SORRY” are sample-heavy seas for Tyler, The Creator’s introspective verses to coast over with ease. Finally on the production side, “WHARF TALK” benefits from the high-pitched vocal delivery of albums like CHERRY BOMB and IGOR. He applies those skills with the infectious and soulful melodies of Scum F**k Flower Boy for a dreamy sonic pallet. With a snappy and smooth A$AP Rocky feature, the charming cut emphasizes one of Tyler’s thematic north stars: love.
However, Tyler, The Creator already established the versatility and progressive nature of his production throughout his past albums. As such, the instrumental pallets here definitely feel like an expansion. Hardcore fans could probably link each track to another in his discography. While many might see this as a slight towards The Estate Sale, it’s one due to definition rather than execution. It is just a set of bonus tracks, after all. If you haven’t liked Tyler’s work up until this point, chances are this won’t win you over. Regardless, that doesn’t make these beats any less rich in tone, progression, or passion. There’s something for everyone on this tracklist, from the most skeptical old heads to the recent explorers of the former Odd Future leader’s musical variety.
In terms of The Estate Sale’s lyrical content, this is where the heart of the album truly lies. Whereas his skills as an artist manifested quite vulnerably after Flower Boy, T’s done a good job of detailing his emotions while maintaining a sense of privacy as a celebrity. CMIYGL is his reflection on success and recognition; The Estate Sale is a reevaluation of what parts of that journey really matter to him. On “STUNTMAN,” he teaches other rappers how to stunt through confidence in their abilities and hard work towards perfecting them. Of course, he does a lot of material stunting on the song, but other tracks illuminate the lines in between. On that note, it seems that what Tyler, The Creator is most proud of on The Estate Sale is his artistry, attention to detail, and his financial and personal freedom.
For every expensive brand drop, there are lines on songs like “WHAT A DAY” that show where his true gratitude lies. “So many white diamonds, yеah, I got jungle fever / But thеy didn’t raise me, so shout out Black women.” He thanks his friends for their advice, his family for their support, and his fans on the short intro “EVERYTHING MUST GO” for all his accolades. His focus is on individualism, creative liberty, and being able to support those around him. On “HEAVEN TO ME,” he reflects on three versions of heaven: the one he’s living, the one he wants to live in the future, and the one he lived as a teenager entering the industry. Along the way, he held true to what he wanted in each moment, while also allowing himself to change how he achieved his biggest dreams.
That gratitude even shows up sonically through his surprising (which is, at this point, unsurprising) choice to include two tracks from other producers. Madlib’s gorgeous sample flip on “WHAT A DAY” is a previously unreleased beat that a teenage Tyler skated home to. Meanwhile, “HEAVEN TO ME” boasts production from Kanye West, a progenitor in T’s artistic lineage. The instrumental’s tenderness and Tyler’s appreciative delivery makes for one of the sweetest tracks in his whole discography. What’s more is that he’s one of the few artists to wear his influences on his sleeve as stylishly and uniquely as the influences in question. Even the demo quality mix on “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND” and the boyish vocal performance on “WHARF TALK” harken back to some of his best work. Reflecting on his evolution is almost corny at this point. Tyler proves he’s much more than the sum of his many parts.
In the much-discussed video for “SORRY NOT SORRY,” Tyler kills his alter-egos again. This time, it’s as a shirtless and presumably raw version of himself. His seven personas, shown simultaneously, represent his seven albums, stating that each era is relevant and still within him. Over drama-tinged and grand production, he apologizes for all the things he did to succeed. Some apologies, like those to his mother and romantic partners, come across as sincere. Others, like those aimed at critics, are laden with unapologetic attitude. Throughout the track, he emphasizes that he can’t fully regret his choices, and selfish isn’t the word, either. By the end, all that’s left is Tyler Okonma, and like that, another era fell upon us. As he closes The Estate Sale, he stands as his biggest cheerleader. Through seven excellent and unique tracks, he inspires generations before and after him to cheer for themselves, too.
A generational talent gone way too soon, Juice Wrld was one of the most influential artists to this day. Born December 2, 1998, Jarad Anthony Higgins, better known as Juice Wrld, was a rising star from the Soundcloud era. Starting his musical career in high school, many of his peers persuaded him to rap and freestyle.
Releasing his first song, “Forever,” on SoundCloud in 2014, Juice Wrld knew he had the talent to continue forward. Furthermore, dropping his first EP, “999,” on June 15, 2017, which included his most streamed song today, “Lucid Dreams.”
Album Rankings
Juice Wrld performs onstage during Made In America – Day 1. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
According to Spotify’s Twitter on April 4, 2022, these would be the rankings based on streams. “Goodbye & Good Riddance” (6.4 B+), “Legends Never Die” (4.2B+), “Death Race For Love” (4.2B+), “Fighting Demons” (1.4B+), and”WRLD ON DRUGS” (1.1B+).
With the news/leaks of his final album, “The Party Never Ends,” potentially dropping this year. Let’s take a look at Juice Wrld’s album catalog and rank them.
Death Race For Love
A bit of a controversial pick between this album and “Goodbye & Good Riddance,” but in terms of versatility and pure talent, this album is number one. Released on March 8, 2019, this was Juice’s second studio album and the last album to be released during his lifetime.
Freestyling the album in just five days is a skill that not many can achieve. In this album, Juice Wrld speaks about taking drugs and his addictions, as well as talking about relationships and his love and lust.
An accomplishment in his career as this album was his first to score a No. 1 on the Billboard 200. As well as producing hit songs like “Robbery,” “Empty,” “Fast,” “Make Believe,” etc. The album feels like a journey into the life of Juice Wrld, as the songs reference his lifestyle and his love for his recent girlfriend, Alli Lotti.
Goodbye & Good Riddance
Arguably one of Juice Wrld’s best albums to many of his fans was also the first album that many of his fans came across. This was Juice’s first studio album, released on May 23, 2018. Featuring 17 songs with just one feature (Lil Uzi Vert), this album is a roller coaster of a journey. Including the use of skits in the album; if you listened to the songs in a specific order, you could see his journey.
In this album, the songs varied between the drug use and addiction he faced, as well as referencing his past relationships and achieving success over time.
Some of Juice Wrlds most popular songs came off this album, like “All Girls Are The Same,” “Lucid Dreams,” “Lean Wit Me,” “Armed And Dangerous,” and many more. To this day, many will believe this is the number one album to date and is a staple to his music career.
Fighting Demons
His most recent album to date, “Fighting Demons“ comes in at number three. Released on December 10, 2021, just two days after the two-year anniversary of his death. The album initially had 18 songs, but after reaching specific goals put out by Grade A, like getting a certain amount of views on YouTube and the community begging for more songs. So on March 18, 2022, five more songs were added to the album.
Again Juice Wrld referenced his battle with drug addiction and added Eminem and Justin Bieber to the album to talk about their struggles as well. The album also spoke about what the name implies, and that’s the battling of his demons. The album was mainly a catalog of leaks many fans had heard before and where the names or beats were changed but still used the original lyrics.
This album is still new to the list, but it holds a lot of fans’ favorite unreleased songs at the time. Examples would be “Burn,” “Cigarettes,” “Rockstar In His Prime,” “You Wouldn’t Understand,” and probably one of the most favorite songs in the community, “Sometimes.”
Legends Never Die
This was Juice Wrld’s first posthumous album after his death in December 2019. The album consisted of 22 songs and was realized seven months after his death on July 10, 2020. This album felt like a different vibe from the usual music he created. The album gave more of a poetic side to Juice as well as a melodic side as this album consisted of a lot of vocalizing and singing in a way.
The album came with a response of positive views, and according to Metacritic, they rated this album a 75/100 based on ten reviews. The difference with this album was that it was also released with many singles. Additionally, that meant we heard a decent amount of songs before the release.
This album did have some songs played on the radio and made big success on the music charts. Songs like “Righteous,” “Come & Go,” “Tell Me U Luv Me,” and “Smile” made significant impacts. But “Wishing Well” was probably the most influential song on this album as it spoke about his hardships with drugs and needing help.
Not much of an album, but more of a mixtape; this was Juice Wrld’s only published collab “album.” This mixtape was a joint effort between Juice Wrld and Future. Releasing on October 19, 2018, this mixtape can be considered underrated.
Even though this is a mixtape, this deserves a spot on the list, even if it’s last. The style and charisma Juice had on this album were insane. Mixed with a legend like Future, with his well-known voice and vocals, making this a special mixtape. The chemistry these two had with each other was incredible.
This mixtape barely gets spoken about, but it has made some bangers and has had some decent success. Some songs to look at for would be “Jet Lag,” “Fine China,” “Realer N Realer,” and “7 Am Freestyle.“
Even after the death of Juice Wrld, he continues to push insane numbers and has a very loyal fanbase. Arguably when he features on an album, he puts in some maximum effort and helps push that song to popularity.
We will never know how his full potential, but he will always have a special place in the rap community.
Post Malone burst onto the music scene with the 2015 hit single White Iverson. The song peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100, cementing Malone, also known as Austin Post, as a performer to keep an eye on.
He’s now up to four studio albums with the recent release of Twelve Carat Toothache. The hip-hop artist has certainly had his ups and downs and he’s been a bit of a controversial music figure. However, his staying power and popularity are undeniable.
He’ll never make the lyrically raw music of someone like Kendrick Lamar, but Malone has found a lane that works for him and is cruising in it beautifully.
Stoney: Post Malone’s rockystart
Stoney, the first studio album for Malone, is admittedly a bit of an inauspicious start to his music career. There are certainly good tracks on it, like Congratulations, Go Flex, I Fall Apart and others. However, it’s a very hit or miss album.
While White Iverson arguably got the music world’s attention, it’s not a particularly great song. It’s not the best on this album, and his later albums have even more superior tracks.
The Stoney era is also an interesting one for Post Malone’s overall career. He’s often found himself in the middle of pop music and hip-hop, without a clear place in either.
Now, he’s comfortable doing his own thing. In the past, particularly in the Stoney era, he tried to be what he wasn’t. There was a time in Malone’s career when he appeared to be leeching off of hip-hop and just riffing on what popular hip-hop artists did.
He was trying to sound like them, write like them and more or less be them. That’s not who he is and it resulted in a lackluster album that largely serves as a reminder for how far he’s come.
Stoney isn’t an awful album. There’s plenty to like, but there’s also a lot to ignore. For a debut album, that isn’t a major surprise, but it does firmly make this his worst album to date.
Beerbongs & Bentleys: Perhaps there’s more to Malone
With Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone began to shed the label that had followed him around for Stoney. He began to make his own music and stopped worrying about being someone else.
There are still a few misses on this album, such as Candy Paint, Same B*****s or Zack and Codeine. It’s also probably too long, which is ultimately a product of the streaming era.
Still, some of the tracks on this album hold up among his best work, even almost five years later. Otherside is tremendous. Spoil My Night has perhaps Malone’s most iconic lyric delivery and a nice Swae Lee feature. Sugar Wraith, while admittedly a bit self-indulgent, is an absolute hit.
When looking back at his albums in order, it’s easy to see a lot of growth. That’s evident from Stoney to Beerbongs. Naturally, he kept growing and kept getting better, but this is a good album nonetheless.
Twelve Carat Toothache: This is who Post Malone is
Malone’s fourth studio album Twelve Carat Toothache debuted in 2022 and comes in just shy of the top spot in this list. It can certainly be argued that it’s his best work yet, too. It feels the most Post Malone of any album he’s put out yet.
Even with two bonus tracks, it’s shorter than his other albums. Finally, he shed the idea that more is better and stripped the album down to its best parts. Some of those parts, like Euthanasia or Waiting for a Miracle are pretty rough listens.
However, for the most part, the rest of the tracklist ranges from solid to incredible. It’s a shame the original version of the album doesn’t have Waiting for Never because it’s perhaps the quintessential Malone track and it’s perhaps his best to date.
Not to be outdone, the original tracklist does have When I’m Alone, which is again one of his best songs yet. His pairing with The Weekdn on One Right Now has most music fans begging for the two to work together on a full album.
The features, with the exception of Roddy Ricch’s verse on Cooped Up are really good, too. Doja Cat spins a delightful verse on I Like You (A Happier Song) and Gunna fits right in with I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song).
Lemon Tree is the most experimental song on the album and it’s yet another classic for Malone. The way he croons “better” throughout the song in a stark country twang is something no one else in the pop or hip-hop genre could pull off and it’s beautiful.
There’s a little bit of self-reflection on the artist’s part here, too, but not too much. Malone is, after all, more interested in fun than being brutally honest on his songs.
Hollywood’s Bleeding: The experiments paid off
Hollywood’s Bleeding edges out Twelve Carat Toothache by a hair to be Malone’s best album yet. It features a maturity not found on Beerbongs & Bentleys or Stoney and it’s out of the box enough to feel like exactly who the singer is.
In fact, it’s as if Malone just threw together artists and song ideas at random and it works. Malone has never been about precision or subtlety and this album doesn’t even pretend about that.
The simple fact that he put Ozzie Osbourne and Travis Scott on the same song is incredible. The fact that it’s actually a good song is even more mind-boggling. Pairing rapper Future and pop singer Halsey together was light work after that one.
The standouts here, and there are a lot, are really good. Saint-Tropez is a wonderful song- it’s a true shame it’s so short. Hollywood’s Bleeding is the best opening track a Post Malone album has had yet.
Sunflower, thanks to its place in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, has become a cultural phenomenon. It also features a brilliant Swae Lee. A Thousand Bad Times and On the Road are very different songs that are both excellent.
It’s a Malone album, so it’s not without a couple of skips. Internet is not a good song and Wow. and Enemies with DaBaby are mediocre. Still, the consistent quality across the board is better than any other Post Malone albums yet.
Reviewers can be pretty harsh, especially when they’re as notorious and well-known for their opinions as Anthony Fantano, also known as The Needle Drop on YouTube. However, he’s also shown an earnest and fun personality despite his blunt takes, something other artists appreciate beyond feeling criticized. For example, Logic just did a Fantano-style review of his own video about Chance the Rapper’s The Big Day. While this is one of the more negative reviews on his channel (I mean, he gave it a 0), it still has some pretty fun moments. As such, Logic had some fun of his own breaking down The Needle Drop’s opinions and video style.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 12: Rapper Logic performs onstage during “Vinyl Verse Summer” tour at Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood on August 12, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
In fact, the two have a solid rapport and relationship, despite Fantano’s own negative reviews of some Logic albums. Moreover, the Internet’s busiest music nerd appeared on Logic’s album Vinyl Days, both in an interlude and in the MC’s lyrical content. As a pretty online person himself, Logic seems to have a similar sense of humor to the music reviewer. Also, the Maryland rapper isn’t a Chance hater, either. The two have an old SoundCloud song together titled “Upcoming” and nowhere in Logic’s video does he dig at the “No Problem” rapper himself.
I swear if logic would get sturdier he would look just like fantano
Still, most of the video is dedicated to asking Fantano to chill out regarding his takes on The Big Day. For example, the YouTube star took issue with Chance’s lyrics on his 2019 album, whether for his punchlines or topics. One lyric he pointed out was “Pretty sure I need you in this season like a flu shot.” Logic had to step up to defend his fellow artist here. “Pause that,” he said in the middle of Fantano’s review. “That’s a bar. Okay, that’s dope. What the f**k? Hatin’ ass…”
Overall, the Under Pressure lyricist acknowledged how much passion and effort Fantano puts in, however negatively he may feel. Not only that, but between the funny edits and memes throughout his video, the MC balanced empathy as an artist and understanding that external opinions don’t matter for them. Maybe that’s reading to deep into it, but let us know what you thought of Logic and Anthony Fantano’s reviews. Also, if you haven’t seen it, check out Logic’s full review of The Big Day review above. Y’all know those are just their opinions, right?
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