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Destroy Lonely “LOVE LASTS FOREVER” Album Review

September 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Opium is all the rage these days, and Destroy Lonely is one of the reasons why this movement became much more than a passing fad. He’s defined a corner of the contemporary rap world for better or worse thanks to his obvious inspirations from Playboi Carti’s artistry and how he fuses those creatively with the melodic and woozy aesthetics of a Lil Uzi Vert. But much like the rest of the label’s output, the Atlanta native faces a lot of criticism for the perceived staleness and lack of substance around the sound of rage. To give credit where it’s due, LOVE LASTS FOREVER is his best work yet that displays more unique tones, dynamic vocal performances, and distinguishable stylistic influences than what many give him credit for. But sadly, it’s not enough of a forward push to fully break it out of its repetitive spell.

Furthermore, there’s a strong percussive formula for most of LOVE LASTS FOREVER: shuttering and crisp hi-hats, reverb-heavy snares or claps, and buzzing bass and kicks. It works well sometimes – the dreamy “LOVE HURTS” with Uzi (who does their thing quite well), the frantic psychedelia on “BABY MONEY,” or the welcome timbre changes on “SYRUP SIPPIN” that sound more laser-y than murderous. The problem arises when you’ve heard your fourth or fifth Destroy Lonely track in a row where the trap drums take up most of the mix instrumentally. There are some legitimately cool alternative melodic influences here such as “WISH YOU WELL” and sung samples on “AMERIKA,” but from the very beginning of the album, generic vocal melodies plus washed-out mixing and synth layering taint them alongside unfulfilling structures.

Destroy Lonely’s Hits & Misses

For example, “FOREVER” kicks LOVE LASTS FOREVER off oddly with dramatic opening vocals from Melanie Blatt and All Saints that give more EDM drop than psych-trap. Still, it’s one of the few modular tracks here that goes through significant changes, so we have to give props for how its stark and icy snares eventually transition into a trap rhythm pretty effectively. The other structural features of Destroy Lonely’s latest album rest mostly on spacey outros with various interchangeable synth layers, which are a bare minimum at this point within the mainstream trap lane. Throughout its runtime, it mostly depends on tempo changes and switching up distinct and distorted melodic tones to provide variety. It certainly succeeds at this more than If Looks Could Kill, but not by much. Vocally, Lone still has a long way to go.

That’s not to say that he hasn’t separated himself further from his Opium counterparts, who previously exhibited much more performance crossover with each other. “THRILL” with Ken Carson sees Destroy Lonely contrast Ken’s nasal growl with a more high-pitched and airy tone. But without many direct vocal contrasts even with himself, he ends up sounding the same over a lot of these instrumentals. D.L. uses his entire arsenal on every single song, switching from more aggressive triplet flows to stretched-out crooning, lower-register embellishments, and soaring vocal leads… Sometimes all within a minute. It makes for a compellingly dynamic performance if you’re listening to any one song individually. But when you’re spinning 20+ tracks consecutively, that variety really loses its luster fast, especially when you don’t have the crutch of lyricism to fall back on.

Does LOVE Really LAST FOREVER?

Of course, no one wants LOVE LASTS FOREVER to get in its Nas bag. What matters to Destroy Lonely is the energy and the atmosphere, but even then, this only works up to a certain point. While some funny or ridiculous lines stand out here and there (“These n***as keep dropping trash, boy, stop littering” on “SHIP HER OFF” or “She trying to skate all on my ice, she think she Frozone” on “LOCK IN,” for example), there’s also a good chance you’ve heard them before or that you literally don’t care. The vibe is what matters. It contributes to this album’s biggest misstep: there’s very little to take away from it once it ends. No matter what version you listen to, the lack of standout hooks, memorable verses, tightly defined melodies, and interesting song structures leaves you feeling quite vapid by the end.

To reiterate, this is more of a numbing effect than the straight-up boring effort on If Looks Could Kill. Destroy Lonely does define himself more as an artist here, making rage-adjacent trap that is uniquely atmospheric and layered without depending on exaggerated aggression to do so. There’s also nothing wrong with a more amorphous, vibe-centric, and repetitive album experience, except that’s what we’ve already gotten in the past to a tee. Long story short, LOVE LASTS FOREVER is the kind of album that isn’t very nice to new people it meets on the street. Those who love this style will find much more quality and catharsis within it than we did, and they are probably more correct in their assessment as a result. But if you’re not content with reheated leftovers of your drunk-at-3AM go-to, this album will not convince you otherwise.

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LL COOL J “THE FORCE” Album Review

September 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

LL COOL J’s new album THE FORCE closes a 40-year loop with Def Jam Recordings, through which he released his and the label’s first song “I Need A Beat” in 1984. While this isn’t the end of his career, it does feel like a last hurrah of sorts. After all, hip-hop recently turned half a century old, it’s LL’s first album in 11 years, and the rap game definitely looks unrecognizable compared to when he first entered. But even with all this in mind, what makes this new project particularly compelling is that it still sounds fresh, hungry, grounded, and above all, passionate. With Q-Tip at the production helm and so much perspective to reflect on through his pen, Mr. “Ladies Love Cool James” successfully translates his dominance of fundamental skills into the contemporary era.

Rather than sticking to a traditionally conservative idea of boom-bap, Q-Tip mixes in many different styles and sonic moods through his instrumentals as THE FORCE‘s main beatsmith. The opening track “Spirit Of Cyrus” featuring Snoop Dogg is an immediate example: ambient sounds of nature at night add vivid atmosphere to LL’s condemnation of police brutality, contrasted by a crisp drum pattern, warm wah guitars, eerie synthesizers, and haunting vocal samples. In addition, the modern mixes on these songs make them fully come alive more so than his typical material. The modular progression on “Black Code Suite” with Sona Jobarteh is a captivating mix of timbres, “Proclivities” with Saweetie is one of the Queens MC’s most dreamy and woozy beats to date, and “30 Decembers” dazzles with a surprisingly psychedelic guitar line.

LL COOL J’s Pen Is Still Sharp

As for lyricism, it’s very simple: LL COOL J’s still got it. He delivers single-issue odes, paralleling religion and culture, like “For the sake of equality, I’m fathering the song/ Spirit of God, bring he and her along” on “Praise Him” featuring Nas. LL sharpens his rhyme schemes and double entendres for more aggressive onslaughts, such as “This Halloween: them candy bars’ll get you killed in the forest” off of “Murdergram Deux” with Eminem. James Todd Smith doesn’t stray far from his typical wheelhouse, exploring generational changes, decades-long luxurious success, Black empowerment and solidarity, youthful memories, and fulfilling his family’s lifelong goals. For the most part, he also frames his bars within a focused linear structure that nurtures his streams of consciousness. One example is “Saturday Night Special” with Rick Ross and Fat Joe thanks to its piece-by-piece character portrait of an insecure gangster.

On that note, LL Cool J’s decades of lived experience make these topics much more nuanced than his past material. However, they are still retreads at the end of the day. One of THE FORCE‘s biggest flaws is its sense of repetition to varying degrees, whether it’s a relatively mid-tempo journey for most of the LP or its recycled themes or flows. Even though the production is always quality and does bring some variety to the table (see the resuscitated and warped ’80s drum machine worship on “Post Modern”), tracks like “Runnit Back” don’t revisit the themes of wealth and competition in notably fresh ways. But all in all, these are minimal missteps across this album’s runtime. The quality standard is consistent, even if the ceiling isn’t the highest among “old-school” hip-hop releases this year.

How Will THE FORCE Live On?

That ceiling is lower because, well, LL COOL J is a legend. You can’t hear a classically funky cut like “Basquiat Energy” or the title track and act particularly surprised; he’s always made these gems. The deliciously jazzy keys and bass on “Passion” are beloved Q-Tip-style production, of which there are a hundred other stunning examples. But throughout THE FORCE, there are amazing and cathartic instrumental moments, killer features, and standout bars such as “King of the Jungle, but still humble at the Panther Party” on “Huey In The Chair” with Busta Rhymes. Finally, the closer “The Vow” is a very fitting end to this story. LL narrates his birth as the first GOAT MC with revolutionary rhetoric and then hands the mic over to younger MCs: Mad Squablz, J-S.A.N.D., and Don Pablito.

Furthermore, LL COOL J knows his place in the game. He has the power and knowledge to follow his own intuition and ideology regarding hip-hop and is excited about tomorrow’s rap music. It’s part of what comprises the “Frequencies of Real Creative Energy”: you have your message, you honor your traditions, and you find a way to preserve and adapt them to a new dawn. LL doesn’t come across as an old-head pining for his prime, or that of the art form. He’s leading by example, joining forces with Q-Tip to present a distilled, cohesive, and refined image of classic hip-hop that appeals to and connects with current musical standards. In that way, THE FORCE is the perfect palate cleanser for rap music in 2024. If you ever get lost while exploring the culture’s ecosystem, just come back to these roots and you’ll feel that spark again.

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Latto “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” Album Review

August 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Music industry pundits have long lamented that artist development has become a lost cause. The era of the overnight celebrity is the status quo when social media has cut out the middleman between art and the consumer. But for Latto, archival footage of her come-up dates back to when she was 13 years old with the bubblegum swag. Then came her appearance on The Rap Game, where she competed against other teenagers for a deal with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def. In the years that followed, she grew into her own as an artist and an adult, sharing her wins and losses on a highly publicized stage.

The release of her latest album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, proves how critical albums like Queen Of Da Souf and 777 were for shaping her trajectory. The former proved that she could make her mark as one of rap’s leading ladies. Add to the fact that earned a platinum and gold plaque off that album, she also had bragging rights as the first woman in hip-hop from Atlanta to reach such a feat. The arrival of 777 proved how well she could overcome the sophomore slump while facing pressure to rebrand in the face of controversy. Through this, she earned her first #1 hit with “Big Energy” and expanded her base through more pop-friendly bops, such as Jung Kook’s “Seven.”

DETROIT, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 19: Latto performs onstage during Day 1 of the Afro Nation Detroit Festival on August 19, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

On Sugar Honey Iced Tea, there’s a newfound sense of confidence in her sound and assurance of her spot in rap. Perhaps, it’s partially because the work she’s released over the past few years has seen her digging deeper into her potential. Her rapping abilities are unquestionable; songs like “Big Energy” showed her pop prowess; and recent releases, such as “Sunday Service” and “Put It On Da Floor” had the type of Southern swag to dominate the clubs and TikTok without feeling contrived.

Ultimately, Sugar Honey Iced Tea finds all of these elements of her artistry form into one, to various results. In many instances, the outcome leans into a Drake-esque sound, where the rap-sing delivery meets plaintive and icy trap production that opens up moments of surface-level introspection. Frankly, it seems less coincidental considering just days before, she appeared on Drake’s “Housekeeping Knows” records from the 100 Gigs leak. But, paired with her rendition of T.I.’s “24’s” on “Chicken Grease,” the same interpolation that Drake used on “Rich Flex,” it speaks to the undeniable musical lineage that’s been carried through decades and how Latto embodies these influences authentically.

More importantly, this album provides a vivid portrait of Latto as a woman, one who embodies the “Big Mama” persona to a tee. She can bring aggression on songs like the infectious bell-laden “Brokey” and “There You Go,” where she places a bullseye on her detractors. Then, she slips into decadent R&B vibes on records like “Copper Cove” ft. Hunxho and “Ear Candy” ft. Coco Jones, where embraces her femininity and shines as a vocalist. However, the moments where her bravado and feminity clash yield uneven results, such as “H&M” or the Playboi Carti-inspired, “Blicky.”

Latto Sugar honey iced yea — ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 10: Latto attends Latto “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” Album Release Party on August 10, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

But for an album with as much ambition as Sugar Honey Iced Tea, it does sometimes feel like there’s more fluff than needed. The pressure to follow up the success of “Big Energy” results in a string of comparative sleepers in “Liquor,” the Megan Thee Stallion-assisted “Squeeze,” and “Good 2 You” ft. Ciara. Though both features are solid, with Megan delivering a particularly great verse, they sound less organic and break the fluidity of the sequence. However, these are simply a few flubs in an otherwise properly curated album that sees her reconnecting with Young Nudy on the uber-nasty “Shrimp & Grits” and showcasing her vocal range alongside Mariah The Scientist on “Look What You Did.”

Sugar Honey Iced Tea is an excellent display of Latto’s artistic prowess, from production choices to the vocal inflections that bring character to each record. But, she holds off the vulnerability for the closing record, “S/O To Me.” While the album as a whole feels like a celebration of everything Latto’s accomplished, the final song highlights her resilience, from manifesting her rap dreams as a young girl to navigating the predatory behavior of the music industry and knocking off her competitors in the rap game in a way that’s reminiscent of Drake’s timestamp records. “S/O To Me” is a reflection of her journey to date, the highs and lows, and the long road she took to claim her spot in hip-hop.

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Logic “Ultra 85” Album Review

August 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The physical editions of Everybody, Logic’s 2017 third album, came with a hidden message: “For the real fans reading this hidden message, my next album will be called Ultra 85, and it will be the conclusion to this saga.” The space Western-inspired story, started by Logic on The Incredible True Story in 2015 and brought to life by Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop’s Spike Spiegel) and Kevin Randolph (of Cocaine 80s fame), was set to be put to rest. He also intended to retire upon the album’s release. Nearly nine years removed from The Incredible True Story and seven years on from the first time he announced Ultra 85, a lot has happened in Logic’s life. The Gaithersburg MC had his run with superstardom, becoming the hottest act signed to Def Jam for a time. He’s soon to be a father of two. He did actually retire… for a year. Ultra 85 does not really end the saga he started years ago. However, Logic’s flows, beat selection, and cohesive, topical verses lead to one of the strongest rap albums of the year so far.

Logic Is As Self-Assured As Ever, Continues To Develop

Ultra 85 begins with “Paul Rodriguez,” featuring a story from Paul “P-Rod” Rodriguez, a legendary street skateboarder, about the first time Logic heard the song’s beat. The production across the album, handled primarily by 6ix and Logic, is outstanding. 6ix somehow continues to get better, often feeling inspired by Madlib and J Dilla these days.

P-Rod’s brief story gives way to nearly seven uninterrupted minutes of rapping. It revisits familiar subjects, including his troubled upbringing, the hip-hop legends that inspired him, and how his come up shaped him. In between are witty lines where Logic is in his element as a rapper (“we takin’ it back on these hip-hop heads like fitteds”). It is an excellent opener, with Logic’s confidence shining through on a lengthy “lyrical exercise” track.

The third track, “Deja Vu,” featuring additional talk from DJ Drama, is a redux of “Fade Away.” The beat is almost the exact same as the original track, but the main vocal sample is reversed. His lone verse deals with the pitfalls of stardom, but also acknowledges that his rise helped inspire people. “What can I say? I guess I won’t fade away,” the verse ends. It’s a very good song that effectively calls back to The Incredible True Story, while his bars illustrate how he and his career have changed since then.

Logic Brings In The Right Features At The Halfway Point

“Ghost In The Machine” features singer Robert Ivory and fellow Maryland native ADÉ. ADÉ steals the show, penning an introspective and heartfelt verse. He recalls how proud it made him to provide for his mother after she worked hard to provide for him, adding his own perspective to one of the album’s overarching themes of family.

“Interstellar,” featuring frequent collaborator Lucy Rose, is a standout. Rose is a wonderful vocalist, whose more subdued (but still powerful) vocals always work on a Logic song. They make the songs Eminem and Skylar Grey could make if they had musical chemistry. “Interstellar” also features one of Logic’s best performances on the album. His flow feels old-school, and he delivers a tightly written verse about mortality, passion, and self-care. Logic has often excelled at writing therapeutic tracks that detail his mental health. His vulnerability is a strength of his latest music.

A Lot Of Skits, Not Much Of A Problem

Despite there being no bad tracks, one thing on Ultra 85 that does not always land is the skits. In isolation, they’re fine and they all move the story along. Though, at times, it feels like there are too many of them. At this point in his career, he has more interest in telling the story he wants to tell than chasing radio hits or playlist placements. Ultimately, the skits are not egregious enough to affect the overall quality of the album.

Track 16, “ANTIDOTE,” features ZelooperZ, who delivers a fun verse. Logic’s own verse is adequate, though it’s his weakest on Ultra 85. It’s a hollow verse on a bland trap beat after the introspection on many of the previous tracks. He talks about the problems that come with having money and also makes a generic “women love me” statement. Such a braggadocious song feels better suited for a Bobby Tarantino mixtape.

The next track, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” touches on how film shaped his life. Logic talks about how Kill Bill led to him discovering RZA. Those RZA-led soundtracks directly contributed to him discovering hip-hop, and eventually becoming a rapper himself. Early RZA-produced albums sound more like RZA-directed films, with skits and movie samples that turned those albums into cinematic experiences. It’s clear Logic took inspiration from RZA’s approach to album making, writing scripts and building narratives that hold his albums together almost as much as the rapping and beats do.

A Worthy Conclusion

The final track, “Thank You For Believing In Me,” is a pleasant closer. Every Logic album has a track where he shows gratitude to his fans for their continued support, and this is among the better ones. He sing-raps over an indie rock-inspired beat, discussing how content he is with his life and thanking his fans for being there even when he doubted himself and his work. After Supermarket, he’s made progress as a singer. He’s still not the most technically impressive vocalist, but he’s a capable one. “See you on the next one, cowboy,” says Steve Blum’s character as the album concludes.

Ultra 85 is the most uniquely “Logic” album to date. This does still mean that it is prone to some of those “Logic-isms,” as every idea and every bar doesn’t land. However, there is so much to like about the album that harping on any negatives would be more like nitpicking. It is his most impressive individual effort in years. “How you follow up a classic? What’s the outcome?” Logic asks on the opening track. Based on the result, he was more than able to answer his own question.

[Via]

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Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign “VULTURES 2” Album Review

August 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Kanye West’s art is impossible to engage with solely at face value, something that his collaborative album series with Ty Dolla $ign, VULTURES, proves in a pretty ugly way. Their latest release, VULTURES 2, is drawing conversation online for reasons related only tangentially to the music it contains. Uncleared samples, verses allegedly generated by artificial intelligence (Ye-I?), unfulfilled release dates followed by surprise launches, and absolutely abysmal mixing on this LP are taking precedence over any considerations of songwriting, creativity, performance, or any other elements you would look for in a new body of work. Of course, that’s not counting all the politically and socially abhorrent narratives that Ty and Ye (mostly and especially Ye) have been involved in or propagated since… well, we’ll let you pick your starting point. After all, even TLOP’s “new Kanye” is old Kanye by today’s standards.

However, what makes VULTURES 2 such a lackluster and disappointing release, even compared to the already dull and unsatisfying first installment, is a shocking lack of effort, originality, and sense of purpose. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign released half-baked demo editions of these songs on this album, and regardless of whether the ideas behind these mixes are satisfying or not, it contributes to this project feeling like a scam tracklist from a random YouTube page, not the result of deliberate studio time after multiple delays already. If you scrape through quietly mixed verses, muddy rhythmic tones, mid-performance audio shifts, and head-scratching panning, there is certainly some quality throughout this tracklist and even some thematic depth. Still, not only is this achievement scant, but it feels damningly derivative from past (and recent) work.

The “New” Sounds Of VULTURES 2

To start with VULTURES 2‘s highs, there are some engaging, vivid, and appropriately grand excursions into the dramatic, raw, and nocturnal hip-hop/R&B that Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have championed throughout their collaborations. The big highlight is “SLIDE,” with its THX synths opening the track in an immediate and captivating fashion. The hectic and enveloping percussion makes for one of the most uniquely groovy and enjoyable bounces on the album. It also succeeds at achieving this quality standard in some softer moments on occasion, such as cohesive electronic embellishments to a vocal sample on “FOREVER.” Producers like London on da Track, Wheezy, Fred again.., James Blake, BoogzDaBeast, AyoAA, and The Legendary Traxster make up a massive list of co-producers, but this doesn’t translate into ambitious soundscapes.

Rather, the fact that Kanye West is actually absent from many beats here speaks to how thrown-together and un-curated many of these production ideas feel. For example, nothing comes of a rock sample on “ISABELLA. Cuts like “PROMOTION” and “DEAD” contain some of the most generic synth tones and drum sounds you’ll hear all year. Other Ye albums definitely felt like too many chefs were overcooking their meals in the kitchen, but this time around, we’re not comparing it to last year’s album – we’re comparing it to what we just got in February. Through that lens, there’s even less of a reason to act impressed by Donda and Jesus Is King retreads. Speaking of repetition, “FRIED” is an embarrassing attempt to copy the appeal behind “CARNIVAL” with even worse lyrics, and “TIME MOVING SLOW” sounds like an alternate demo version to the already meager “Flowers” off Donda 2.

Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign’s Pessimistic Performances

Just how VULTURES 2‘s most generic missteps overshadow its sonic ambition, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s thematic goals on the album fall victim to some of their most poorly written hedonistic material about money, women, the rap game, and passing partners to their friends like a piece of meat. Similar to VULTURES 1, Ty is a more consistent and skilled performer in this second round thanks to his melodic dominance and despite Ye taking even more of a center stage. The first installment, however, Ty held higher and more dependable peaks far more consistently. The Chicago rapper has some passable verses on here like the first half of “530” and chemistry-filled trade-offs between him, Ty, and Lil Baby on “FOREVER ROLLING,” where he actually tries to engage with wordplay and provides a clear narrative. But alas, his hollow pen is mostly his least inspired and most irrelevant yet.

While guests like Lil Durk and Lil Wayne try to sharpen things up and follow Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s lead, their contributions don’t really amount to much beyond a short but solid reprieve from the monotony. Playboi Carti and Don Toliver go a bit further, providing much-needed vocal dynamism to the eerie “FIELD TRIP.” Yet no one stands out the way that guests did on albums like Donda because of how rickety the foundations for their appearances are. One definite exception is “RIVER,” with progressive production and a charismatic Young Thug verse that (if only for its inclusion) speaks to Kanye’s themes of freedom and justice on the track. Ye’s passionate vocal performance and lyricism are a rare highlight here, and Ty Dolla $ign leads the outro with heavenly vocals.

A Carcass Being Picked Apart

Sadly, despite occasional glimpses of loving care, VULTURES 2‘s poorly executed formulas don’t earn the benefit of the doubt sequel projects usually get. It takes two steps back from VULTURES 1, which at least had novelty and controversy at its side. Now, it feels like an easy paycheck that doesn’t entice you with its bravado: it just expects you to punch in and praise it for being the same album Kanye West’s made for half a decade. The filler is also staggering, as “HUSBAND” is an unnecessary isolation of the second half of “LIFESTYLE” and “SKY CITY” is a Yandhi-era leak whose official release absolutely guts its previous structure. At least “BOMB” provides a glimmer of West family wholesomeness, even if the discussions of family contrast lazily and messily with disgustingly indulgent misogyny.

That’s perhaps the most salient failure of VULTURES 2: it’s all of Kanye West’s expected vices with his least compelling attempts at contrasting them with his values. The album’s shoddy release, perhaps the shoddiest in Ye’s entire catalog, represents this unwell egomania. As for the moments on here that do have something to say, he and Ty Dolla $ign lack originality, notable production, and noteworthy performances. The last exception to mention is the final verse on “MY SOUL,” delivered by Ty Dolla $ign’s incarcerated brother, which most overtly embodies the album’s “theme”: freedom. But they only focus for a blink of an eye. Elsewhere, it’s a Jersey-house-trap-moody-synth corpse whose scandals, successes, and self-satisfactions not only turn the duo’s few meaningful ideas into ghosts but place shockingly little importance on the album experience that Ye was once so revered for. If they don’t care about their music, why should we?

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Ice Spice “Y2K!” Album Review

July 31, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Ice Spice is a unique victim of social media, one whose rise almost felt like someone was playing an unfunny joke on hip-hop. Before her break into the mainstream, Ice had five songs to her name. She built buzz as a New York drill artist whose soft-spoken delivery contrasted with the rest of that scene. “No Clarity,” a November 2021 track sampling Zedd’s “Clarity,” went semi-viral, and the video briefly became a meme. A few months later, On The Radar invited her to freestyle on their show. After reaching stardom, the video became one of the most viewed on their YouTube channel.

Ice released her breakout song “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in August 2022. The track trended on TikTok for the rest of the year and introduced new slang into public usage. Since “Munch,” Ice has had the success of an entire career in less than two years. She received a co-sign from Drake after one popular song. In early 2023, Nicki Minaj endorsed her. Their collaboration “Barbie World” appeared on the Barbie soundtrack and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song. The New York Times dubbed her “Rap’s New Princess” after an EP. She collaborated with PinkPantheress on “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” a track that became one of the biggest of the year. She even became friends with Taylor Swift.

Ice Spice Fails To Show Growth As An Artist On Y2K!

All of this happened because much of the public ignored her most fatal flaw: Ice Spice is not a very good rapper. She lacks any substance as a lyricist. The beats she raps on, produced almost exclusively by former college classmate and closest collaborator RiotUSA, are virtually indistinguishable from one another. Because social media can produce a new celebrity overnight, Ice went from uploading tracks to SoundCloud to attending the Super Bowl with pop culture royalty faster than you can say “grah.” But, because social media has also made music the most accessible it’s ever been, Ice had no time to develop her sound meaningfully. Her debut album makes this abundantly clear.

Y2K! is the culmination of the last three years for Ice Spice. It is the punchline to a joke that’s gone far too long. In her Rolling Stone cover story, she said that one of her goals was to prove that she can actually rap. Instead, her most glaring weaknesses take center stage, making for one of the most vapid, repetitive releases of 2024.

Y2K! Starts Strong, But Very Quickly Goes Left

Y2K! opens with “Phat Butt,” which is the most interesting performance Ice puts forth on this album. She tries out a new flow, clearly taking inspiration from Nicki Minaj. The beat is also one that a younger Minaj would’ve flexed over. Not everything on this song lands. “Jamaican plug named Batman, pack smellin’ like trash cans / Let him beat it from the back and he eat it up like Pac-Man,” is especially clumsy. Even with that, this song is one of the rare occasions where anything on the album approaches “good.”

“Oh Shhh…” is the next track, featuring Travis Scott. Scott sounds like he has no desire to be there. Ice raps about twerking on a rival’s baby daddy out of spite. She rhymes “clappers” with “slappers,” which is not the only time she uses that scheme on the album. “B*tch I’m Packin” is another dud. She ditches her naturally subdued vocals for a raspy not-quite-whisper that sounds like it strains her to do. It sounds equally strenuous when she gets loud on “Gimmie A Light,” another song about how much money she has, her physical features, and how she’ll steal someone’s man simply because she’s better than who they’re with now. Ice must’ve written this album with a checklist next to her to make sure that she hit the same few topics.

On the topic of stealing a man, “Did It First,” the result of Ice Spice’s and Central Cee’s months-long fake relationship stunt, is not bad. It’s less than two minutes long, much to the song’s benefit. Their verses are both about infidelity and neither of them diverts from the subject. Ice raps about cheating to get revenge on a man who did it to her. Cench is more concerned about not getting caught in the act. The beat has a Clams Casino-meets-New-York-drill feel, making it one of the more unique moments on Y2K!

One Step Forward, Several Steps Back

Unfortunately, for every moment on Y2K! that offers even a sliver of potential, there are even more moments that show there is no reason to ever expect anything more from her—the biggest example of this being the shocking amount of bars about poop on this album. Ice Spice is not the first to have lines about poop in her discography. However, she might be the worst offender.

On “BB Belt” and “Gimmie A Light,” (a track with a distracting sample of Sean Paul’s “Gimme the Light”) she calls herself “Miss Poopie.” On “Oh Shhh…” she says she’s “standin’ on sh*t like a floor mat.” “Think U The Sh*t (Fart),” the lead single and response to some shade from Latto, opens with “think you the sh*t, b*tch? You not even the fart.” Every rapper is entitled to one poop bar since rappers naturally feel like they’re “the sh*t.” But, after the fifth one, it’s time to find new material.

Overall, Y2K! is not an inspiring debut album. It does not prove that Ice Spice is a capable rapper, nor does it prove that she is here to stay, despite the accolades she’s already received. At only 23 minutes, it feels double that runtime, made worse because she just doesn’t have anything to say. Ice became famous before becoming a worthwhile artist, and she has yet to show any growth since becoming famous. Perhaps things would be different if she had time to incubate before being thrust into the spotlight, the way her predecessors did before the internet made music discovery instantaneous. Sadly, we’ll never know.

[Via]

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Childish Gambino “Bando Stone And The New World” Album Review

July 24, 2024 by newhiphopnews

In November 2011, co-star of NBC’s Community Donald Glover sat down to interview his alter ego, fledgling rapper Childish Gambino in a segment for Rolling Stone. Gambino was just over a week away from releasing his debut album, Camp. The interview goes well until Glover asks Gambino “why he raps like sh*t.” Gambino responds by saying that his voice is annoying, but also that he’s read comparisons of himself to Lil Wayne and Kanye West. On its face, it sounds like Gambino is poking fun at himself. To an extent, he is. But, those comparisons also lend themselves to a greater idea: Donald Glover thinks very highly of himself. More accurately, Donald Glover thinks very highly of his artistry.

It’s easy to look back on something from 2011 and say it didn’t age well through a 2024 lens. Much of Camp aged poorly as soon as it hit iTunes. The charm of his earlier work, namely 2010’s Culdesac, was gone, and in its place was “corny.” The punchlines were clunky. The bars about women became bars about Asian women that were misguided at best and racist at worst. The album went over even worse than a wet fart, a failure on all fronts. Even when Gambino released Because The Internet in 2013, a surprisingly introspective follow-up to his disastrous debut, he couldn’t shake two ways that people viewed him. One, that he was the guy from Community trying to start a serious music career. And, even more damning, that he was the guy who made that album.

Donald Glover Fully Rebrands Himself

Donald Glover spent the rest of the 2010s trying to convince people that he was a capital-A Artist. It worked. He released “Awaken, My Love!” in 2016, shaking the stigma that came with being Childish Gambino. Glover also reworked his public persona. Gone were the eye-roll-inducing punchlines. In was a man who believed his own hype. He shrouded himself in mystery and released an honest-to-God commercial funk album in the 2010s. In 2018, he released “This Is America,” the controversial multi-platinum single. It became his first song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Somehow, after years of ridicule, Glover had the last laugh.

“Awaken, My Love!” was a sharp turn from hip-hop that led to 3.15.20 nearly four years later. 3.15.20 was an ambitious surprise release. Gambino experimented greatly and pushed hip-hop to its limit. And now, on Bando Stone And The New World, Donald Glover’s last album as Childish Gambino and the soundtrack to his upcoming film of the same name, he nearly fully realizes his musical vision. It’s a sprawling work that often threatens to buckle under the weight of Gambino’s ego. The back half nearly does. The early quality gives way to tepid pop-punk and tepid pop-pop when he begins to make his exit. Despite that, the highs are undeniable. Pop, R&B, and trap sensibilities produced primarily by Glover himself, make up much of Bando Stone. It is an eclectic soundscape that results in some of the most dynamic music of his career.

Childish Gambino Is A Dynamic Artist On Bando Stone

The dynamism is apparent early. “Lithonia,” the second track on the album, is a pop-rock ballad that tells the story of Cody LaRae, Bando Stone’s main character, learning that the world “doesn’t give a f*ck” about him. The next two tracks, “Survive” and “Steps Beach,” lean more towards R&B. “Steps Beach” in particular sounds a lot like the type of atmospheric tracks that Frank Ocean specializes in. “In The Night,” with Jorja Smith and Amaarae, is a catchy, lustful track with Smith delivering an especially great vocal performance. She sounds like someone Gambino should have collaborated with a lot earlier.

The album’s mission statement arrives about halfway through, on the song “Yoshinoya.” Gambino raps in the triplet flow in the first half over a beat reminiscent of Migos’ “Deadz.” Appropriately, he pays tribute to the city that raised him, Atlanta, by rapping in the most popular to come from that scene. One that has often been falsely attributed to a certain Canadian child actor-turned-pop music dynasty. The same dynasty whom he may have sneak dissed later in the track. “This is a code red for old heads / who never liked my short shorts and Pro-KEDs,” he raps to open the second verse. After hip-hop rejected him early, he’s coming back around to show off a bit, mainly because he has a lot more to show off now. The Amaarae and Flo Milli-assisted “Talk My Sh*t” is a similarly flex-heavy song. Gambino raps over a bass-heavy trap beat, showing that he’s added new wrinkles to his game over the years.

Bando Stone Nearly Slips At The Finish Line

The album begins to lose steam by the end, but Gambino does stick the landing. “We Are God” is a level of self-indulgence on par with some of the worst that Yeezus has to offer. The pop-punk of “Running Around” (featuring Fousheé) evokes the same empty feeling one gets from listening to MGK’s attempts at the sound. The Khruangbin-featuring “Happy Survival” is an instrumental that, while pleasant, feels out of place after the preceding fifteen tracks. Luckily, “Dadvocate” is a sweet, albeit brief, meditation on fatherhood and the idea of being a man. The album closes with “A Place Where Love Goes,” a track co-produced by pop titan Max Martin, that deftly blends hip-hop and electronic music. It may even find its way into some DJ mixes in the near future.

Bando Stone And The New World is a good album. It’s hard to call it great, let alone one of the best albums of the year, considering its uneven ending. But, the scope of its ambition makes it a worthwhile listen and a very worthy farewell to the Childish Gambino moniker. Donald Glover’s musical growth has been painstakingly documented at every turn. Now, he’s actually good enough to earn the praise he believes he should’ve received all those years ago. Regardless of what’s next for Glover musically, he has earned enough cache for people to want to listen to what he has to say. Until then, listen to this one.

[Via]

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Eminem “The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)” Album Review

July 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Like “Head Honcho” with Shady Records signee Ez Mil posits, “canceled” isn’t the word to describe Eminem. That concept drives The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) and is as painfully ancient and obvious as it is subversive. While Marshall Mathers has arguably tried to “kill” Slim Shady since 1999, this new project is unique in how explicitly he connects his biggest demons while showcasing his best long-form quality control in over a decade.

However, that quality control is still bizarre since Eminem throws stuff at the wall and doesn’t focus much thematically on most individual tracks, an odd trait for a “concept album.” It’s a missed opportunity for breakdowns of the rapper’s personas and beliefs. Still, the things that make this album great and irate are in Em’s whole discography to varying degrees… all that changes is the specific names, like Diddy and Megan Thee Stallion mentions on The Death Of Slim Shady. Slim Shady’s “death” here is more of an exorcism of his immortality and is generally an entrancing spell.

What Works On The Death Of Slim Shady?

As for Eminem, his own “immortality” in hip-hop has his technically gifted pen to thank, not his other half. Some Dr. Dre production all over The Death Of Slim Shady (plus Dem Jointz, Em himself, and more) certainly helps, too. But his colorful and zany artistry always stretches thin with vivid, albeit cartoonish approaches. Comically crude, wildly impressive, and deep moments emerge, such as the Amber Heard bar on “Lucifer,” the rhyme schemes on “Antichrist,” and recollections of Em’s daughter Hailie playing guitar on “Somebody Save Me.” Then, it’s stale shock value, eye-roll wordplay, and melodrama: animal cruelty on “Evil” that went nowhere, that terrible sock puppet bar on “Bad One,” and forcedly aggressive cadences on the otherwise soft “Temporary.”

Instrumentally, things are much more consistently enjoyable than past efforts like Revival or Kamikaze. The peppy and gritty beat on “Renaissance” and the percussive speed-up on “Habits” are particular highlights. There’s an orchestral sense of drama throughout these beats with fitting drum tones, and progressive embellishments make the instrumentals more dynamic. Alas, lyrically and musically, The Death Of Slim Shady‘s repetition is its kryptonite. Tracks like “Houdini,” “Brand New Dance,” and the family tribute tracks from the perspective of a dying or deceased Marshall are not-so-subtle retreads of “Without Me,” “Just Lose It,” and “When I’m Gone,” respectively.

Eminem’s Artistic Addictions

There are also way too many Caitlyn Jenner, little people, and Gen Z jokes peppered all throughout the album’s first leg. Eminem — or Slim Shady, rather — tries so hard to offend that it comes off just as performative as how he characterizes the “cancelation” he rallies against. Regardless of how much anyone tries to reiterate that “that’s the point,” this causes even more whiplash between his typical toilet humor and linguistic creativity. Still, The Death Of Slim Shady‘s saving grace, “Guilty Conscience 2,” contextualizes these aspects compellingly and paints Slim Shady as an addict to controversy due to his upbringing. With his “death” at the end of the song, subsequent tracks suggest what Marshall actually has smoke for, whether Candace Owens’ hypocrisy or the state of hip-hop through tracks like “Tobey.”

That’s not to say that Slim Shady is the problem with The Death Of Slim Shady: “Fuel” is still the best song on this album thanks to two killer verses from Eminem and JID. But these songs present really strange vocal mixing choices ( i.e. “Road Rage”) that don’t clarify when one personality is talking and when the other retorts. To be fair, it’s arguably Em’s most ambitious full-length since The Eminem Show, but only one or two moments here really tackle killing Slim rather than parading him around just to suppress him later. Sadly, it doesn’t fully translate as growth or evolution.

Will Slim Shady Ever Truly Die?

Above all, The Death Of Slim Shady champions all of our assumptions about Eminem and his alter-ego as explicitly as possible. Very few new topics enter, but a heightened musical consistency makes these repetitions well-flowing and easier to appreciate. His addictions to substances and controversy have never been more intertwined, and neither have these struggles so directly explained his shortcomings as a family man. Yet Mr. Mathers is always passionately committed to his loved ones. In many ways, this “coup de grâce” (in other words, a merciful kill shot) feels like the album that he has tried to make for the past fifteen or so years.

Even with this album’s concept of beating a dead horse back to life, we doubt Eminem and Slim Shady are separate. While blasting “cancelations” of either Colin Kaepernick or Dave Chappelle, Em/Slim’s biggest issue seems to be how people always need to apologize and criticize rather than tolerate opposing views. That’s been a mission statement of his throughout his whole career, and it’s ironic that he seemingly can’t tolerate that it’s a nauseating one. Then again, isn’t this the most “Eminem” album perhaps ever, with all his best and worst feats and flaws delivered with a middle finger and a wink? Maybe Slim’s addictive controversies are what died in a blaze of glory. But that combative fire will always fuel Marshall Mathers.

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Megan Thee Stallion “Megan” Review

July 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Megan Thee Stallion is a prime example of an artist propelled quickly into mainstream consciousness. For years, she gained a reputation for her formidable lyricism through freestyles that helped her develop a cult-like following in a post-Cardi B era of rap music. 2018’s Tina Snow and 2019’s Fever confirmed what all her day-one fans knew from the jump: she’s a star. However, her approach to mainstream success felt contrived, especially after the release of “Hot Girl Summer.” The charm of Houston’s Southern belle seemed watered down to appeal to a broader audience.

The whirlwind journey she experienced in the past few years has raised questions about the sustainability of her career. Despite becoming a critical darling, Good News and Traumazine, were easily overlooked. In many ways, they showcased Megan’s strengths, but external factors, including her legal battle with 1501 Certified Entertainment and the Tory Lanez trial, eclipsed her accomplishments to the point where her music became secondary. Her presence felt more prominent in corporate sponsorships than as an MC, as seen in her collaborations with Nike and Planet Fitness.

Megan Thee Stallion Returns With Vengeance

This brings us to Megan, her third studio album and, more importantly, her first as an independent artist. For the first time, it doesn’t feel like there’s any added weight on Megan outside of finding her own comfort as an artist. In fact, this feels like Megan’s most realized vision on wax. She’s unapologetic, confrontational, sexy, and dominant all at once, even during a few missteps on the project.

“HISS” encapsulates her attitude in its brief intro. The diss song itself undoubtedly set the tone for the resurgence of rap beef in 2024. “I just want to kick this shit off by saying, Fuck y’all! I ain’t gotta clear my name on a motherfuckin’ thang,” she declares. “I’m finna get this shit off my chest and lay it to rest.” While everyone from Drake and Nicki Minaj to Tory Lanez and Akademiks catch strays (as well as her ex Pardison Fontaine), she persists on subsequent records like “Rattle” and “Figueroa” (“I’m a mothaf*ckin’ Brat, not a Barbie”). It’s on these three songs that Megan sounds the most invigorated as an MC – her refined flows and electrifying deliveries immediately command attention, but that momentum quickly dies down in subsequent efforts.

“Where Them Girls At,” equipped with trunk-rattling bass and a Memphis-esque vocal sample on the hook, is anthemic and likely to dominate the summer (perhaps with a TikTok push, it could crack the top 10 on the Hot 100). However, it sounds like something Megan’s done more effectively in the past. The tracklist suffers a bit of a decline from this point onward.

The Versatility Of Megan

Songs like “Broke His Heart,” produced by Tay Keith, take on a sample of Jeezy’s “I Luv It” but fail to do the original justice, largely because it popifies a trap classic. Though it’s one of the several efforts that affirm the message of women’s empowerment, especially in the context of her highly publicized break-up, it fails to penetrate similarly to the tracks leading up to that song. Unfortunately, the use of classic samples across this album doesn’t seem to have any point outside of familiarity. “BOA” suffers the same fate with its sample of Gwen Stefani’s “What You Waiting For?” This issue isn’t limited to Megan Thee Stallion or her album; it’s prevalent in the music industry. At a time when it’s easy to distinguish a hit record from a TikTok record, these sorts of samples seem aimed at feeding into algorithms more than the people’s wants.

The consistency Megan initially kicks off starts to fall flat in exchange for a flagrant showing of versatility. Songs like “Otaku Hot Girl” and “Mamushi” ft. Yuki Chiba are compelling leaps into her anime fandom and attempts to help her crossover to international markets. It’s effective for what it’s worth, but without maintaining cohesion across all 18 tracks, it deviates from the essence of what she started with this project. Yuki Chiba and Megan share fantastic chemistry on “Mamushi,” which even sees the Houston star rapping in Japanese. However, it feels oddly placed in the tracklist.

Waving The Flag For The South: GloRilla, UGK, Big K.R.I.T & More

The middle chunk of the album feels like filler, especially once the back half of the project hits. Megan’s strongest points accentuate her identity as the leading lady of the South. The production, especially Juicy J’s contributions (“Paper Together” ft. UGK, alongside Go Grizzly & “Moody Girl” alongside Hitkidd), is smooth, soulful, and slightly smoky, providing equal measures of grit and seduction. These peaks on the project feel like full-circle moments for Megan, especially the UGK feature and a posthumous verse from Pimp C – Meg’s favorite rapper and the inspiration behind the Tina Snow persona. However, it’s the inclusion of UGK, GloRilla (“Accent”), Big K.R.I.T., and Buddha Bless (“Miami Blue”) that breed a comfort zone for Meg without complacency. It’s a clear display of her musical lineage, embracing peers like GloRilla while properly honoring the legends that preceded her.

Throughout the hardships Megan has faced over the years, her resilience has remained one of her most inspiring qualities. On Megan, it takes center stage in its brightest form. Despite the string of hate she faced as a shooting victim, her struggles to get out of her contract, and witnessing the tables turn against her among those who once embraced her, Megan Thee Stallion rises above the adversity and delivers an album that encompasses self-love in the face of overt — and often misguided — criticism. Sure, the tracklist could have been more succinct, and a few filler tracks could have been easily removed. But overall, Megan delivers a body of work that truly showcases her capabilities as an artist and shows some interesting signs of where she might head next.

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Don Toliver “HARDSTONE PSYCHO” Album Review

June 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

An artist who gets to play a show the day that their album comes out might feel like a superstar athlete entering their first game of the season. There’s been a lot of build-up beforehand, there’s a lot of pressure to deliver, and you get to give fans a taste of what’s to come in the following weeks and months. When Don Toliver joined the rest of Cactus Jack for their Summer Smash set this past weekend, it became immediately clear that his new album, HARDSTONE PSYCHO, is a picture-perfect crowd-pleaser in the live setting. Bolstered by fiery singles like “BANDIT” and more vibe-inclined teasers, the project made impact as his most comprehensive, versatile, and well-rounded artistic picture up to this point. The live guitar for the Chicago festival represents just one of the various elements that make this record a pretty gratifying experience.

Whether you’re a longtime Don Toliver fan or a skeptical newcomer, HARDSTONE PSYCHO is well aware of the expectation to engage, captivate, and entrance on a sonic level. The production is almost always layered and balanced, the Houston native’s performances are as sticky as ever, and it’s all brought together by an aesthetic consistency that’s never appeared on a Don album to this level. It feels like a true sequel to the regal grittiness 2021’s LIFE OF A DON following the more sweet, soothing, and sluggish Love Sick in 2023. However, some empty spaces in the songwriting, plus slightly hollow lyrical and melodic retreads, threaten to take away from H.P.‘s cohesion. Luckily, no bump in the road fully stops this roaring Harley from throttling forward.

HARDSTONE PSYCHO Roars Behind The Board

From the very first track “KRYPTONITE,” motors rev and a whistling synth lingers wistfully before the trap beat comes in with airy but distorted electric guitar chords. This, plus a longing plea for love and weakness in the face of chaotic and high-speed vices, set the stage for what Don Toliver does most successfully and consistently on HARDSTONE PSYCHO. The production is consistently layered, and main producers like 206Derek plus big names like BNYX make sure to give these instrumentals a lot of detail and make them atmospheric yet vivid enough to feel like a motorcycle ride. “TORE UP” is a hard-rocking adrenaline rush of boisterous riffs and chants, the lush strings breathe unexpected life into the drill chiller “GLOCK,” and “HARDSTONE NATIONAL ANTHEM,” with its stadium-inspired drums and rising synthesizers make for a dramatic closing response to the album’s opener. Overall, it’s always some potent ear candy.

Nevertheless, the comparison game between some of Don Toliver’s similar ideas does drag down the tracklist flow on repeat listens. Despite the creative drill flip of Pharrell’s hook on Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful” and earworms on “ATTITUDE,” short appearances from Cash Cobain and Charlie Wilson aren’t enough to flesh out the minimal soundscape into something more wholly present rather than a mood-setter. Meanwhile, “LAST LAUGH” loses its soul-sampling luster by the midway point.

As far as the presentation from a beat-making standpoint, there are very few lowlights here that will disengage you from the push-and-pull of the 30-year-old’s contrasting talents, regardless of a few missteps. Still, there are more compromised and melancholy moments here than scorching ones, and the tracklist could’ve benefitted from a more energetic cut toward the end.

Don Toliver Shines Bright

What keeps the energy up all the way through is Don Toliver himself, whose mastery of his idiosyncratic vocal tone, infectious flow switches, and catchy hooks pushes his ceiling further up. “4X4” is a standout performance here thanks to his dynamic delivery and being the last true-blue banger moment on HARDSTONE PSYCHO. He and Kodak Black flow like volatile but relentless gas leaks on “BROTHER STONE,” and his control of both clubby choruses and chopped-and-screwed-adjacent Southern rap on “NEW DROP” offers inescapable refrains. There’s also some great vocal chemistry with Future on the Metro-produced and psych-driven “PURPLE RAIN,” and even “DEEP IN THE WATER” has some addictive tones despite it being the most measured and tranquil performance on the album. Toliver’s most important growth here, as far as what this represents in his career, is his vocal experimentation and evolution of different “voices.”

Yet the lyrical content can be summed up with just two lines: “Lifestyle full of sin, but you heaven-sent,” and “Turn those tears into wine.” Don Toliver keeps the emphasis on the dreaminess and enjoyability of the listening experience, but there’s not much expansive food for thought when it comes to light themes of lust, hedonism, trust, and adventure. There’s a similar repetitiveness to some of the melodies here, such as a “Cardigan”-resembling “5 TO 10” hook, that empty spaces in verses, bridges, and songwriting certainly don’t help. Some more unexpected sounds and invitees could’ve mitigated this, such as an expansion of the charismatic and personality-filled Teezo Touchdown feature on “BACKSTREETS” and leaving Travis Scott’s “INSIDE” croons alone in place of doubling down with a more meager “ICE AGE” guest slot.

What’s Left On The Highway

Despite moments when HARDSTONE PSYCHO spins its wheels in the mud, it definitely triumphs in taking you on this sonic ride alongside Don Toliver and boasts plenty of highlights for the rest of your 2024 journey. While he built this new era with few new elements, his rock focus and vocal innovations pave a path forward for his artistry and hint at what’s to come. For the kind of album that the “Flocky Flocky” creative tends to make, this is likely his most skillful LP to date and the best display of his toolbox, even with its shortcomings. Fans found that the tendency to box artists into a specific niche became an easy challenge when it came to Don. Fortunately, this album left wiggle room to sustain himself and capitalize on the changes in his life and career.

Furthermore, the new father perhaps chose to split HARDSTONE PSYCHO into four evenly distributed discs for that very reason. It doesn’t work out to its fullest potential, since the album falls ever-so-slightly short of providing a seamless flow to distract from these sections’ overlap. But the strategy does lend itself to an explicit and, for the most part, fully realized vision to mark a distinct change from his earlier sounds and leanings. After all, one of the cuts on here features a vocal outro reportedly from Don Toliver’s late uncle Carl, who supported him heavily and inspired the motorcycle homages on this project. Don’s influences fall more clearly into place here, developing a unique identity despite years of opportunities for complacency. While there’s still a long road ahead in this regard, he’s keeping his foot on the gas to get there.

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