Big news for West Coast rap lovers – ALLBLACK is back with a short and sweet new album this weekend. Born To Score arrived on Friday (February 24), and while the features list is certainly noteworthy, it’s got several solo efforts from the lyricist that will only make fans love him more. Prior to the project’s arrival,sin he shared “Literally,” as well as “Pelicans” featuring Curren$y.
Born To Score‘s other singles include “3rd Quarter” featuring Cash Kidd, “Endzone” with Jay Worthy, and “Burpees” alongside DUSTY LOCANE. The album’s other two features come from Bfb Da Packman and BabyTron on “AB Mode” and “Chaka Khan” respectively. Along with his work, ALLBLACK shared a music video for the latter that fans have been loving.
BabyTron and ALLBLACK Link Up In The “Chaka Khan” Music Video
What audiences will love about the new project is the way it highlights the artist’s undeniably authentic ability and relatable storytelling skills. He takes notes from those who have come before him and keeps an open mind while working alongside other lyricists to help create unique sounds.
This marks the Oakland native’s first full-length release since 2021’s TY4FWM. On that, he delivered 14 songs, including popular titles like “10 Toes” with G-Eazy and E-40, as well as “We Straight” in tandem with Vince Staples and Cal-A. Others who appear on the album include Mozzy, P-Lo, Rexx Life Raj, and Sada Baby.
ALLBLACK’s career began taking off back in 2017 with the arrival of works like No Shame 2 and KimSon. The next year he gave us Outcalls featuring Offset Jim, Shoreline Mafia, and 03 Greedo, followed by 2 Minute Drills with Kenny Beats. 2019 heard the debut of 22nd Ways, a collab album with 22nd Jim, and in 2020, he continued his No Shame series with a third installment.
Stream ALLBLACK’s Born To Score album on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, tell us your thoughts on the project in the comments. Make sure to check back later this weekend for more release recommendations on our playlist updates.
ALLBLACK is a household name within the diverse Bay Area hip-hop scene. Hailing from Oakland, the “Blitz” rapper combines his city’s bounce with a low-key delivery to create a unique sound.
On his newest release, he links up with New Orleans native Curren$y for the pair’s first official collaboration together, “Pelicans.” Arriving on streaming services on Friday (January 13), the new song also comes with a music video.
The 30-year-old kicks off the track with a bang. After letting the booming 808s and claps settle in, he gets right to storytelling in his calm delivery and evident confidence on the mic. “Like Ashanti, I’m so foolish / Ridin’ with this dirty glock, I pray that I don’t use it / N*ggas wanna take my life, I guess they gon’ have to go lootin’ / N*ggas thinkin’ they f*ckin’ wit me, they gon’ have to prove it,” he raps in the first verse.
Curren$y effortlessly follows suit, matching his energy in an organic way. “New Orleans to The Bay love, it always been that way / I been connected, it’s a blessin’ / Some rappers can’t go kick it nowhere, that sh*t’s stressful,” Spitta raps in his subsequent verse.
For the first time since 2017, ALLBLACK didn’t release a project last year. In 2021 though, he dropped his stacked debut album, TY4FWM. Featuring a wide variety of artists including E-40, Peezy, Drakeo the Ruler and more, the 14 tracks evidently showcase his impact on the California sound.
On the other hand, Curren$y is continuing his streak as one of the most consistent rappers in the game. Last year, he dropped three full-length projects, as well as a deluxe version to one of them, Spring Clean 2.
Make sure to stream ALLBLACK and Curren$y’s “Pelicans” on either Spotify or SoundCloud down below. Comment your thoughts afterwards. Finally, stay tuned to HNHH for all of the newest updates and releases.
Quotable Lyrics:
Took a photo with a fan and she looked me in my eyes She said my friends wanna know, how come you don’t believe in God? If you rock, I’m gon’ roll, Mike Amiri make my clothes With serial killers, demons, jackers and CEOs
The best albums of the year lists are definitely making the rounds on the interwebs. Maybe you saw Uproxx’s Best Albums Of The 2021 already? Or our genre-focused year end round-ups in hip-hop, indie, etc… They’re filled with killer releases from across the spectrum. Same goes for lists from other outlets that all highlight the prevalent music that marked this past year.
But damnit if there wasn’t some incredible music put out in 2021 that didn’t get the same shine as Olivia Rodrigo, Jazmine Sullivan or The War On Drugs. Below, you’ll find our picks for the best albums of the year that were slightly off the radar. Or maybe you’re just that in tune with things that you didn’t miss these at all? Regardless, these are positively ten of the best albums of the year and they deserve your attention.
Charlotte Day Wilson — Alpha
The Toronto-based singer and producer had put out two EPs in the past that yielded singles like “Work” and “Doubt” that effectively put her on the map. But Alpha is her proper full-length debut and it’s a stunning fully-formed collection of songs that sounds like nothing else. On “Take Care Of You” featuring Syd, Day Wilson morphs her voice on the hook to lay the groundwork for her and Syd to show why they’re two of the pre-eminent Queer vocalists today. “Lovesick Utopia” is one of the most intriguing productions of the year that flashes Day Wilson’s chops as more than just a singer. There are also appearances from fellow Canadians Daniel Caesar and Badbadnotgood, and Drake even picked up a sample of “Mountains” for his track,”Fair Trade,” off of Certified Lover Boy.
ALLBLACK — TY4FWM
Packing slick sports references in his bars at every turn, Allblack is a certified play runner who’s been killing the Bay Area street rap game. On “Ego,” he spits over Kenny Beats’ production: “Big bread, hero / Pressin n*****s, Deebo / At the bank more than Harden at the free throw / All this cash that I’m gettin’ f***in’ up my ego.” He raps about his past life as a pimp on “Life Of A P,” a hyped-up old-school G-Funk beat with Kossisko on a deft hook. TY4FWM is an album about gratitude though (heck, it’s in the title) and Allblack spends time shouting out the cats who’ve been there with him through thick and thin, and the ones who came up with him along the way. He’s on a French Montana level with the sheer volume of features, but they all pop off, like the 2Pac-inspired “War Stories” with Mozzy and Peezy, and the rough and tumble “We Straight” with Vince Staples over a sick beat by Cal-A.
Aaron Frazer –Introducing…
Easy Eye Sound, the label helmed by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, had an incredible year, with standout releases from Yola, Shannon Shaw, Robert Finely, and more. But none felt as true to its retro-minded aesthetic than the debut album by soul singer Aaron Frazer. For the uninitiated, Frazer is the drummer and high-pitched vocal yin to Durand Jones’ yang in The Indications. On Introducing…, Frazer more than holds his own as the singular focus on the classic soul vibes of “You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby” and the groovy R&B of the flute-inflected “Bad News.” Auerbach produced the album himself and it’s the little details he employs — the way the horns hit on “Can’t Leave It Alone” or the deliberate way Frazer’s voice is mic’d on “Bad News” and “Lover Girl” — that paint the perfect canvas for his label’s new star to sound like a reincarnated 1950’s heartthrob.
Alfa Mist — Bring Backs
The rise of London’s modern jazz movement cannot be understated and pianist, producer, and rapper Alfa Mist is among its most prolific products. This is jazz music for hip-hop heads that’s tailor made to both groove to, or burn to. On “Mind The Gap,” Alfa opens singing over an arrangement of his masterful keys, a shrewd drum beat, and hypnotic horns. “I take my time, so they only see me in the right state of mind… we all rise and decline,” he sings, before giving way to Lex Amor coming in like a young Martina Topley-Bird. There’s a lot to like on Bring Backs, from trip-hop soundscapes to jazz drum breaks, in a welcome journey of the mind all around.
Sam Evian – Time To Melt
Recorded at Evian’s Flying Cloud Studios in the Catskills, Time To Melt is a gorgeous expression of psychedelic pop music. It’s gentle enough to soothe, but built intricately to stimulate. Evian, who has produced albums for similarly trippy folk artists like Cass McCombs, Blonde Redhead, and Okkervil River, is dashing on his third solo release. The combo of sweeping strings, Rhodes keys, and unpredictable horns on “Knock, Knock,” make the existential jam flow like a pristine stream. “Dream Free” features vocals from his partner Hannah Cohen and is a celestial electric number that like the album, is built for those who want to ponder the intricacies of the cosmos and the constructs around us.
Glbl Wrmng — glbl wrmng vol. 1
Presented by rapper Pell as a compilation that showcases the strength of the New Orleans hip-hop community, glbl wrmng vol. 1 was all that and then some. It represents the diverse sound of New Orleans rap, from the syrupy “Well Sh*t” featuring Paasky, to the shimmering and hopeful “Technicolor” with LeTrainiump and Dominic Scott to the twisty, sticky production of “N95” by Malik Ninety Five and Bryant Keith Malonson. Pell appears on every track and is a confident and stoic facilitator throughout all of it, for a veritable discovery trove of collaborators. There’s 16 tracks on the album that each seem to scratch a different sonic itch, as the collective searches for hope and peace amid tumultuous times. None are more affecting than “Take Time” with Pell and Kr3wcial finding harmony in hip-hop, in more memorable fashion than just about any cut I spun this year.
Ross From Friends — Tread
The Brainfeeder-signed producer courses through the electronic music spectrum jumping from techno, to vaporwave, to drum and bass and more. Don’t let the name fool you, this is serious stuff fronted by British producer Felix Cleary Weatherall that understands both the nuances of big room bass and chill out. Samples under beats often call back to Detroit disco and techno, like the well-enacted tear down and build-up of “Life In A Mind.” It’s almost as if you’re witnessing the bones of a track’s construction as it’s being laid down.
LUMP – Animal
While Laura Marling is one of the best modern folk singers on the planet, her electronically-minded side-project with producer Mike Lindsay (of Tunng) is proof that her penchant for exploration sees no bounds. The second LUMP album represents the continuity of the vessel Marling has found for material that doesn’t necessarily fit into the tightly-wrapped warmth of her acoustic guitar. But she’s a dynamite lyricist no less and on “Bloom At Night,” she sings:
“I predict that this affliction lasts for life
I suspect that you’ll regret your lust for light
I suggest that you address your appetite
For to be seen to cast your beam across the night”
Animal is an album about escape and embracing your inner beast in the process, and Marling places another mighty feather in her cap over Lindsay’s entrancing production.
Larry June — Orange Print
Yes, it’s another Bay Area hip-hop album, because if there’s any scene that consistently falls beneath the surface, it’s Bay Area rap. June is from San Francisco and Orange Print illustrates the culmination of his never-ending hustle. This is a dude who consistently puts out multiple records each year and he’s finally made it, but is somehow only now getting on the same scope nationally as rappers from more prominent enclaves. On “Intercepted,” he relishes on finally starting to get his flowers “Hard times, we prevailed, spent years manifestin’ / ‘Nother day, another lesson, took it all as a blessin’.” There’s an aura about June on Orange Print that emanates comfort for where he’s at in life. He’s not concerned with what people are doing outside of his sphere anymore, and it lets him spit about success, wisdom, and his signature health conscious calling card with poise and couth.
Alice Phoebe Lou — Glow
The South African indie singer-songwriter put down one of the most beautiful and spacey releases of the year. Her staccato is unwavering on “Only When I,” her jazzy coo is reminiscent of Billie Holiday on “Dusk,” and she channels her inner-Angel Olsen on “How To Get Out Of Love.” When Lou sings, it always feels as if the stars are her audience and her voice just grows into infinite spaces. Her sweet delivery over a clarinet on “Lonely Crowd” will send you right into the night sky. Yet, Glow is a perfect companion piece for sleeping in, having breakfast at noon, and just spending your whole day at home in your sweatpants.
Bay Area rapper Allblack released his debut album TY4FWM in May, spawning videos for singles “Ego” featuring Drakeo The Ruler and “War Stories” with Mozzy. Today, he added another to the growing collection, bringing in yet another of his West Coast homies, Vince Staples, to complete the video for “We Straight.” The greyscale video sees the two California rappers hanging out on the block with flashes of still photos breaking up the action.
TY4FWM (short for “Thank You For F*cking With Me”) arrived after a string of releases from Allblack, who’s been quietly building his catalog since 2017, including No Shame 3 in 2020. The debut album is the culmination of these releases, with features from both high-profile Bay Area icons like E-40 and G-Eazy, as well as rising stars like Guapdad 4000, Rexx Life Raj, and ShooterGang Kony.
Meanwhile, Vince Staples has been teasing the release of his own new music, with two albums set for release in 2021, starting with his comeback single “Law Of Averages,” dropping this week. In the meantime though, he’s put in his fair share of appearances as a feature artist on tracks like “In My Stussy’s” by Lil Yachty.
Watch Allblack’s “We Straight” video featuring Vince Staples above.
In Allblack‘s new video for “War Stories,” he and Mozzy keep DMX’s legacy of hyperviolent but secretly super sad lyricism alive, detailing both the bloody shootouts that peppered their lives with tragedy and the deep mental scars such trauma can bring in its aftermath. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t loved so much, I’d die today,” Allblack mulls. “Next birthday, I’ma put a bomb inside my cake.” The sentiment is similar to X’s verse on Mase’s “24 Hours To Live,” in which X seemingly decides that 24 hours is just too long and he’s going out with a bang.
Meanwhile, Mozzy’s verse is less depressed but no less grim. “The homies popped the homie, I tried to tell him he wrong,” he remembers. “He don’t care though, all black Forces you know we wear those.” Detroit rapper Peezy brings up the anchor verse, coming a bit more boastfully but with an anxious undercurrent amid the triumphant tone. “Used to sell raw, cook crack up in the kitchen sink,” he muses. “Now I gotta wake up early for a business meetin’.” At least the story has a happy ending.
“War Stories” is the latest single from Allblack’s recently released album TY4FWM, which finds the Bay Area fixture rapping with fellow NorCal rhymers E-40, G-Eazy, Guapdad 4000, and Rexx Life Raj, as well as more Detroiters such as Sada Baby and even Long Beach’s Vince Staples. You can listen to that here.
Watch Allblack’s “War Stories” video with Mozzy above.
In a storyline that only ALLBLACK could cook up, the Bay Area rapper takes a job at a bakery and saves the day when things get real in his hilarious new video for “Ego.” Assisting him in the shenanigans are Drakeo The Ruler and Kenny Beats, who play supporting roles and provide a crunchy, post-hyphy beat, respectively.
The video opens with ALLBLACK and his partners shooting dice in the back of the bakery before getting narced by ALLBLACK’s “cousin,” the bakery manager. He tells them that Drakeo is coming in later, so they take over the store, tying him to a chair and blasting ALLBLACK’s new song on the radio.
Unfortunately, the next person who comes in is a masked robber, who tries to stick up the employees. When they discover he has no gun inside his threatening paper bag, ALLBLACK decks him and becomes a hero. Meanwhile, Drakeo is also being hailed as a hero elsewhere after rescuing a cat from a tree, receiving a key to the city at a press conference with a hating-ass superhero in attendance.
Kenny Beats makes a cameo in a separate scene, riding a shopping cart down one of the Bay’s notorious hills with ALLBLACK as they’re pursued by an exasperated police officer.
“Ego” is the first single from his upcoming debut album TY4FWM, which is due May 7 via his own Play Runners label and distributed by Empire. Features will include E-40 (of course), G-Eazy (naturally), Mozzy (!), Sada Baby (!!), and Vince Staples (!!!).
