The RX

The Best Hip-Hop Albums Of March 2024

by
best hip hop albums of march 2024
Getty Image/Merle Cooper

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

What a month. March 2024 was largely defined by a string of controversies, conflicts, and conspiracy theories, which kept us a tad bit too busy for some of our typical in-depth musical coverage.

But there were also so many good hip-hop albums, I didn’t want the month to end without at least tipping my cap to the array of innovative releases that would have normally been given the RX seal of approval if there weren’t 1,000 other things going on.

And so, I present to you, loyal readers of Uproxx – and newcomers, too – to the first edition of the Best Hip-Hop Albums of the Month. Let’s call it an extension of my weekly column, designed to collect and rightfully praise the projects that impressed us the most over the past 30 or so days. After all, who says new albums only deserve a week’s worth of attention?

Flo Milli – Fine Ho, Stay

flo milli fine ho stay
Flo Milli

Although it’s technically the Alabama rapper’s second studio album, her latest release completes a trilogy begun by her fan-favorite 2020 debut mixtape, Ho, Why Is You Here?. The new album expands on the world-building she did on it and its 2022 follow-up (and her debut album) You Still Here Ho?, the album contains contributions from Anycia, Cardi B, SZA, Gunna and Monaleo. Still, Flo Milli remains the star of the show, showing off an impressive degree of growth and polish across 14 tracks, including her latest breakout hit, “Never Lose Me.”

Kenny Mason – 9

kenny mason 9
Kenny Mason

It’s almost impossible to truly categorize what kind of music Atlanta native Kenny Mason actually makes. An amalgamation of Atlanta staples like trap, the Southern-fried funk rap of Outkast, the gloomy grunge of early-90s Nirvana, and soulful, blurry-eyed Bandcamp boom-bap, Kenny vividly details teenaged malaise, early adulthood angst, and stressful street trials without any part seeming trivial or melodramatically heightened in comparison to the others. 9’s guestlist is as eclectic as its subject matter, tapping Babydrill, Toro Y Moi, and Veeze.

Kyle – Smyle Again

kyle smyle again
Kyle

Longtime readers of my Best Hip-Hop of the Week column will likely be aware that this album combines two of my favorite things in hip-hop at the moment: A fellow West Coast native and the ongoing Black reclamation of EDM. Despite its title, Kyle’s latest doesn’t rehash the content or sound of his breakthrough 2015 mixtape; rather, it revisits its spirit, in a full-circle moment that allows the Ventura product to reflect on his career and have a little fun in the process. Utilizing an eclectic soundscape that draws on UK 2-step and garage, Smyle Again is a unique gem no one should overlook in the search for truly original hip-hop.

Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips

schoolboy q blue lips
Schoolboy Q

Q’s first new album in five years is a gritty review of his journey so far through the eyes of a weathered vet. Sonically adventurous, it swerves erratically from blue-era Miles Davis jazz to menacing, guttural street Gothic opera, never settling into one mode for too long – or indeed, for very long at all. Yet, Q’s grizzled, paranoid flow holds everything together generating order in the chaos as he takes stock of his successes, which would be surprising if not for the perseverance he needed to exert to survive long enough to enjoy them. “Yeern 101” is a standout.

Tierra Whack – World Wide Whack

tierra whack world wide whack
Tierra Whack

I haven’t been as devastated by a rap album since Rexx Life Raj’s 2022 album The Blue Hour. Where Whack’s colorful costumes and whimsical backing tracks might lure listeners into a false sense of upbeat security, the themes she tackles here – depression, grief, imposter syndrome, and survivor’s remorse – practically hollowed me out. “Two Night” and “27 Club” are a harrowing one-two punch that let the album linger on the terrifying implications of anointing – and leave you longing for the rest of the story, for the catharsis that even Whack can’t promise. I hope she’s doing okay.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tyla’s Freeing Self-Titled Debut Is A Pulsating Party That Puts Amapiano On The Global Stage

by
Tyla 'Tyla' debut album review RX
Epic Records/Merle Cooper

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

With sizzling flair and a seductive strut, Tyla arrives on the Gunna and Skillibeng-assisted “Jump” from her debut album with a bold declaration. “They never had a pretty girl from Joburg,” she quips, saluting her hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa. “See me now, and that’s what they prefer.” In just a year, Tyla went from a relatively unknown singer carving out her lane in amapiano to a Grammy winner with eyes on being a global pop star. She achieved this without a proper introduction – a showcase that dropped the curtain on a captivating performance Tyla has been itching to debut for the world.

This proper introduction arrives through her self-titled debut album and it injects a new flavor into the pop world that it has not seen before, at least the way Tyla is doing it. The DNA of the South African singer’s music is amapiano, a house music subgenre that originates from her home country. Key elements in its sound include the “log drum,” a bold, speaker-rattling bass that quite literally serves as the heartbeat of amapiano, pumping life into its listener who catches a groove at either a dance party or the comfort of their own home. Then comes high-pitched piano melodies and other percussions like a hi-hat or a deeper bass. The genre has slowly increased its presence in mainstream African music spaces thanks to ambassadors like Uncle Waffles. Records like Wizkid’s “Bad To Me,” Davido’s “Unavailable,” and Asake’s “Amapiano” have adopted the South African genre, the latter two also receiving Grammy nominations. With all eyes on her Tyla, assumed the role of the genre’s ambassadors with the goal of elevating its appeal, something she achieves with Tyla. Tyla perfectly soundtracks the party we all need as summer nears

Tyla’s push of amapiano to the world pre-dates the arrival of “Water,” her Grammy-winning hit record. The first clues that pointed to Tyla being a force to reckon with came with her previous singles “Been Thinking” and the Ayra Star-featured “Girl Next Door.” The former bubbles towards a climactic hook that opens the floodgates to a tide of head-over-heels feelings Tyla pours out to a crush. “Girl Next Door” turns down the temperature with burning pleas of desire, as Tyla and Ayra reserve hope for a waning love.

“Breathe Me” labels a kiss from Tyla the source of life her companion needs to continue onward. It’s equal parts inviting and daring, seductive and tempting, making for a fascinating love affair. “Jump” brings the heat and pulls bodies, burnished with sweat, closer together. “On My Body” positions Tyla and Becky G as dominating damsels, corralling their love interests and reeling them in for a showstopping presentation. Dancefloor lights bounce on their bodies and the percussion syncs with rising heartbeats.

However, Tyla is more than just a party — it’s a declaration of the singer’s pop stardom. For Tyla, it’s the start of a new chapter, one where she breaks free from past limitations and trades in co-dependency for autonomy. On “No. 1,” Tyla and Tems bask in the warmth of freedom. With “Priorities,” Tyla rescues herself from the neverending freefall of people-pleasing. The self-prioritizing also spills in “Truth Or Dare,” a dazzling single that sees Tyla mock and brush off an ex who returned to re-establish their relationship after the singer’s rise in popularity. She

Tyla lives at the cusp of the climax. Whether it’s on the dancefloor, in her love life, or in her music, Tyla is a dominant force. Step aside and allow her to operate or dare to step in the spotlight with her and complement what she brings to the table. “Water,” at both its surface and its deeper, suggestive center, is the daring request to be that adequate complement. The single is the perfect representation of who Tyla is and what it’s like to be in close proximity. As for the album, it’s a free debut that uses a pulsating amapiano party to put the genre on the global stage and set Tyla free into an era where she dominates for the foreseeable future.

Tyla is out now via FAX Records/Epic Records. Find out more information here.

Gunna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Future & Metro Boomin’s ‘We Don’t Trust You’ Is Too Good To Get Overshadowed By Petty Rap Beef

by
Future & Metro Boomin 'We Don't Trust You' Review
Merle Cooper / Future / Metro Boomin

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

“Rap is fun again” was a common sentiment that appeared on social media in the wake of the release of Future and Metro Boomin’s new album, We Don’t Trust You. Unfortunately, fans asserting as much were referring less to the album itself than to one of its features. On the song “Like That,” Kendrick Lamar makes an unlikely appearance with a fiery verse seemingly calling out the two rappers he’s most commonly compared to, Drake and J. Cole.

That’s kind of a shame. Not only has rap been fun for a really long time outside this album and any attendant potential “beef,” but the album itself deserves more than being overshadowed by the shade K. Dot directed at his ostensible rivals. The reason We Don’t Trust You was so heavily anticipated in the first place was the track record of quality chemistry between its principals. Future and Metro have collaborated frequently in the past, and the results have often been stellar, delivering some of the biggest standouts in the rapper’s catalog (the producer’s is another story).

Take “Mask Off.” Aside from being Future’s highest-charting single from 2017-2020 (peaking at No. 5 on the Hot 100), it’s become nearly ubiquitous in popular culture; its titular catchphrase was used as recently as a couple of weeks ago as the title of a profile of Tierra Whack for Vulture. Incidentally, it’s also still Future’s highest-charting solo single; it was supplanted in 2020 by “Life Is Good,” which peaked at No. 2, “Way 2 Sexy” in 2021, and “Wait For U” in 2022. The latter two both hit No. 1; all three songs feature Drake, which is… interesting, in light of recent developments.

Meanwhile, “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” from Metro’s last official solo album, 2022’s Heroes & Villains, was the second highest-charting song from the album despite not being released as an official single like “Creepin’,” the only better-performing song from the album. Both were the only two songs from Heroes & Villains to appear in the top ten (“Superhero” at No. 8, “Creepin’” at No. 3). It seems safe enough to say that among Metro’s most prolific partnerships, Future is the one that gets people going the most — aside from Drake, who now appears to be on the outs with both.

I’ve now gone four paragraphs and mentioned Drake three times, which feels instructive of the point I’ve been trying to make. Future and Metro should be the focus, and they’ve let themselves get backburnered on what was expected to be one of the standouts of either artist’s career. Even worse, We Don’t Trust You absolutely clears that benchmark, offering some of the most innovative beat work the St. Louis producer has turned in lately — which should be doubly impressive, considering his recent output includes not only Heroes & Villains but also the excellent and versatile Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack and much of Young Thug’s Business Is Business jail album, along with a much-improved deluxe re-sequencing thereof.

Likewise, Future, whose last few solo projects prompted somewhat lukewarm responses (including from this publication), sounds more focused than he has since 2017’s Future/Hndrxx double release. Tracks like the titular intro, “Magic Don Juan (Princess Diana),” and “Everyday Hustle” crackle with the duo’s unique chemistry as Future reels in the more maudlin reflections prominent in his prior work to boast and threaten like a kingpin. “Got that sniff on me, that white shit like I’m Tom Brady,” he gloats on “Magic Don Juan.” “I’ma put a sports car on two wheels like it got hydraulics.”

Even on “Like That,” the beat pulls one hell of a sample — Rodney-O & Joe Cooley’s ’88 Uncle Jamm staple “Everlasting Bass,” in the style of Three 6 Mafia’s “Gotta Touch ‘Em (Pt. 2)” — to bolster Kendrick and Future’s nose-thumbing. “Runnin Outta Time” is cinematic, “Fried (She A Vibe)” lives up to its parenthetical, and “Everyday Hustle” is a masterclass in soulful street rap. (Sidebar: Anyone who says Rick Ross sounds “revitalized” here has missed Rick Ross’ last three projects.)

While the album drags on the backend (trap albums remain too long), and, like much of the overall trap oeuvre, can sound a bit repetitive, it more than lives up to its hype. It just sucks that modern audiences are so inundated with new music that the only thing they’ll get excited for is drama, beef, and gossip. Rap has been exciting — We Don’t Trust You is a fine contribution to that tradition — but if all anyone cares about is who dissed who and only gets fired up for guest rappers hijacking the conversation, then no wonder they’re so bored with the music of late. Maybe when We Still Don’t Trust You drops, the actual music can share the spotlight.

We Don’t Trust You is out now via Freebandz/Boominati/Epic/Republic. Get it here.

21 Savage’s ‘American Dream’ Embodies The Glory And Contradictions Of Its Namesake

by
21 Savage American Dream Review
Getty Image/Merle Cooper

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Like its namesake, 21 Savage‘s new album American Dream is full of glorious contradictions. In one moment, he maintains his fatalistic, sardonic outlook toward the street violence he’s depicted so eloquently throughout his career. In the next, he’s reflective, ruminating on the “Dark Days” following his incarceration for overstaying his childhood visa. There are competently executed love songs alongside groan-inducing fart jokes. In other words, 21 Savage is back like he never left — mostly because he didn’t.

While American Dream is the Atlanta-by-way-of-London rapper’s first full-length solo effort since 2018’s I Am > I Was, he’s kept busy with a string of collaborative projects and EPs that have not only seen him preserve his popularity but also sharpen his skills as a songwriter and as a rapper. The second Savage Mode with Metro Boomin celebrated and built on 21’s newfound notoriety from winning a Grammy with J. Cole in 2019, while Her Loss saw him apprentice himself to Drake, one of the highest-profile artists in hip-hop.

If Drake gave the younger rapper any pointers on securing his longevity in the public eye, he’s certainly put them to use. Where many rappers of his disposition and origin would be content to wear the mask of stony stoicism in the face of both personal and professional setbacks (not to mention, maintaining the image of a cold-eyed trap assassin), 21 has increasingly let his guard down over the past few years, revealing both a goofy sense of humor and a surprisingly sensitive side. His burgeoning vulnerability has endeared him to his audience even more, despite the ostensible incongruity with his music’s subject matter.

It also helps to anchor the ever-broadening array of tools and topics 21 employs on American Dream. While tracks like “Redrum” and “Dangerous” traverse well-worn territory for the lanky Atlantan, they coexist fairly cozily alongside latter-half ballads such as “Prove It” and “Just Like Me” with Burna Boy. 21 sounds equally convincing while threatening to turn “turn bullies to ashes” on “Dangerous” as he does lamenting that “you got accounts, but you don’t hold yourself accountable” over a jealous-but-justifiably-promiscuous lover on “Just Like Me.” (He also deserves some credit for making “accountable” rhyme with “banister” thanks to that peculiar southern drawl.)

It helps when he continues to utilize some of rap’s more engaging production, courtesy of hitmakers like Cardo (“Should’ve Wore A Bonnet”), London On Da Track (“Redrum”), OG Parker (“See The Real”), and of course, Metro Boomin, who contributes five beats. All five of those songs feature standout verses from guest rappers Lil Durk, Young Thug, and even Travis Scott, although the latter still bears an unfortunate lyrical resemblance to his disgraced mentor. The best of the guest spots come from Doja Cat on “N.H.I.E.,” who continues her recent hot streak with added flair — which was possibly inspired by Tierra Whack. Ad-lib!

However, while it’s fun to hear the supposedly remorseless serial killer play around with new sounds and stretch his creative muscles, the hook on “Pop Ur Sh*t” is so bad, you might have to grit your teeth to get to Thug’s verse — then immediately hit “skip.” Meanwhile, thoughtful songs like “Letter To My Brudda” and “Dark Days” almost make you wish that Savage would actually stretch further because he proves so insightful when he exposes his vulnerabilities that his therapeutic observations nearly threaten to undermine the murderous shenanigans.

American Dream could seem like a paradoxical hodgepodge of split personalities, but instead, it becomes a poignant metaphor for the concept of the American dream itself. While 21 Savage’s rags-to-riches narrative practically embodies the idealized, bootstrap-pulling success story that the nation’s leaders love to pat themselves on the backs over, the details reveal the failures and hypocrisies inherent to the system, as well. After all, no one should be forced to drag themselves out of poverty in the first place. That Savage did so while contemplating violence as a mundane fact of life when he could have been doing more all along is so on the nose, it hurts.

American Dream is out now on Slaughter Gang/Epic. You can get it here.

Sampha Overcomes Loss By Running Head-On Into Uncertainty On The Enchanting ‘Lahai’

by
Sampha 'Lahai' review RX
Young Recordings/Merle Cooper

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Time always progresses, whether it be one day closer to when our taxes are due or one day closer to when our existence on Earth is over. The sun rises, it sets, and the moon appears. It progresses whether we’re ready for it or not. Sampha seems to understand that on his second album Lahai, his first body of work in six years and first since 2017’s Process.

However, for the London singer, accepting it is a more difficult task. Amid heartbreak and grief, it almost feels like Sampha hoped time would be courteous enough to wait for him, allow him to sort and recover from his feelings, and not be so fast to move on. The opening record on Lahai, “Stereo Color Cloud (Shaman’s Dream),” begins with a female voice that chants choppily, “I wish you, could, time / Time, missile, back, forward / I miss you, time, misuse / Time flies, life issues.” Though broken up and missing words, the message is still clear.

In “Jonathan L. Seagull,” Sampha poses a question that seems to be directed at this progression of time, among other things. “We’ve both dealt with loss and grief in separate ways / On the same track running at a different pace / Will I catch up or will you just race away someday?” Watching the world continue to spin as you work through grief or heartbreak can make the task of catching up insurmountable. The balance between the days where we fall behind and the ones we feel faster than the world keeps us on pace.

For someone who questioned so much in the face of loss, Sampha sings with hard-won clarity throughout the 14 songs on Lahai. He stands optimistic under blue skies and the bright sun, opposing pessimism under rain clouds with records that aim to be the light at the end of the tunnel for listeners who might be struggling with the latter. “Only” encapsulates Sampha’s existential questions well while also coming clean about the emotional damage that was incurred over time.

Sampha’s lyrics capture the swarm of uncertainties that lie in his head. Fluttering and erratic instruments are juxtaposed with Sampha’s soothing vocals as a way to show that peace can exist amid the whirlpool of the unknown as Sampha acknowledges the freedom to be him with love and protection from others on “Spirit 2.0.” Likewise, he conquers regression on “Can’t Go Back” as rapid drums and high hats dance in the background. There’s a mental and emotional fight at hand and Sampha excels at both telling, showing, and making us feel its existence.

Much of Lahai is inspired by Richard Bach’s 1970 book Jonathan Livingston Seagull. As Jonathan, a literal seagull, aims to discover more about the capabilities of their own body through their growing passion for flight and travel, Sampha seeks to accomplish the same level of self-discovery, growth, and more. In the book’s namesake track, he sings “Even though we’ve been through the same / Doesn’t always mean we feel the same
/ Doesn’t always mean we heal the same / You are not me and that’s okay” — a reminder that comparison is the thief of joy.

SLahai contemplates life, death, love, and the time to experience it all. Although the questions are neverending and the answers often don’t arrive as quickly as we’d like them to, there’s no fear in Sampha’s eyes. Instead, he runs head-on into and through the uncertainty that lies ahead of him. He’s now on the other side and proud of the progress he made.

Lahai is an enchanting display of growth and acceptance as a result of unfortunate events. His sophomore album was created with the intention of capturing both the swarming winds and settled dust that occurs on the journey. Six years gives you plenty of time to figure things out, and with that time available for him to use, Sampha made the absolute best of it.

Lahai is out now via Young Recordings. Find out more information here.

Jorja Smith’s Soaring ‘Falling Or Flying’ Album Finds Value In The Unknown

by
Jorja Smith 'Falling Or Flying' review RX
FAMM

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Falling Or Flying, the title of Jorja Smith’s second album, somewhat recalls a record from her 2021 EP Be Right Back. “Burn” speaks of the gradual but damaging progression of burnout that any of us can experience. Jorja sings with the tenderness of a candle’s flame and with the urgency of one who sees that the candle’s wax is moments away from running out, which would ultimately kill the adored flame. “You let yourself burn, you burn yourself out,” she sings. “There she goes, she is fallin’ down.” Here, the concept of “falling” is attached to exhaustion and deprivation, but Falling Or Flying shines a more optimistic light on it.

Jorja Smith excels on her long-awaited sophomore album by taking the split second between “falling” and “flying,” and making an entire world of it. It’s the extremely brief moment where the unknown is about to become known. There’s a serene beauty behind this ignorance that allows Jorja to take things in strides regardless of if she crashes to the ground or soars through the sky. “Little Things” is a perfect example of this as Jorja dances to joyful keys and a funky bass all while proposing a nighttime getaway to a new love interest. She’s yet to receive a “yes” or “no,” but the wait for it is far from grueling as she will just dance the night away in the meantime.

This concept of “falling or flying” is far more accepting of the world than its combative cousin “fight or flight.” Yet, as an artist who is five years and an EP removed from her debut album Lost & Found, Jorja honed in on this combative spirit as there is plenty to prove on Falling Or Flying. The album begins with “Try Me,” a track steered by daring drums that amplify Jorja’s challenge to critics to be open to her and correctly define her changed self. “She Feels” is on a determined mission to leave places where she’s mistreated and head to where she’s valued. “Go Go Go” sticks to her guns as a woman in favor of one-night intimacy over a longtime relationship. Though outsiders will lay their claim on whether she will fall or fly as a result of this album, Jorja’s fight proves at the very least that she makes it through the battle, scarred or not, if proves to be tougher than expected. At best, the singer has everything needed to win her fight by a great margin.

It’s hard to not complete a listen of Falling Or Flying and not reach the conclusion that Jorja absolutely soared above the noise through its 16 songs. Some of the singer’s best songs live on the album. “Falling Or Flying” starts as a declaration of what love can and can’t be over scantly funky production before exploding into a poppy and dazzling showcase of vulnerability where she confesses that the end result of this love is the least of her worries. The album’s closer, “What If My Heart Beats Faster?” is the brutal realization that her current relationship is not the perfect fit and the attempt to break free from what doesn’t serve her. Lastly, in what is the album’s best song, “Greatest Gift” with Lila Iké offers the genuine appreciation to a lover who couldn’t any more perfect for her along with the commitment to be everything and more for them as they are that for her. From start to finish on Falling Or Flying, Jorja Smith makes love feel like the greatest superpower and something you’re lucky to have work in your favor while it’s also capable of causing irreversible damage if it’s not on your side.

Jorja Smith found her wings on Falling Or Flying, and with them, she flies with captivating grace more times than not through the 16 songs on her second album. In comparison to her debut, Falling Or Flying feels a bit lighter as its overall construction – which wasn’t too bad – was stripped down to make it easier for the singer to stand out in her airborne moments. The best thing about this album is that we see Jorja arrive at the conclusion everything will be okay and she is doing just fine. The appreciation of the spectacle split-second moment that is the unknown between falling or flying is worth whatever ending is destined for her. Whether she falls or flies through love or falls or flies in her career, all that matters to Jorja Smith is the moment she’s off her feet and ensuring that it’s not the last time she experiences it.

Falling Or Flying is out now via FAMM. Find out more information here.

Vic Mensa Finally Finds Himself On The Autobiographical ‘Victor’

by
vic mensa victor rx
Vic Mensa / Derrick Rossignol

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Lately, I’ve been utterly fascinated by a current trend within music where artists with perfectly good stage names — Fly Anakin, Post Malone, Killer Mike, Vic Mensa, etc. — have been dropping albums titled with their real names (just their first name, though). For instance, Fly Anakin released Frank last year; Post Malone and Killer Mike dropped Austin and Michael earlier this summer, respectively; and last Friday, Vic Mensa shared Victor. I’m not entirely sure what sparked this trend — although I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that it was, as with many things, Doja Cat’s fault (she debuted in 2018 with Amala — but it has been interesting to watch so many artists enter their “vulnerable, stripped-down” eras at the same time.

However, only one of the above artists has really capitalized on the trend. After all, the use of your government name as an album title suggests that the album is going to be an introduction of sorts, peeling back the layers to reveal the person at the core of the persona. And with props all around to the other names mentioned above, most of these artists’ latest projects have been really good but not really revelatory or unique amid their respective discographies — except for Vic Mensa. With Victor, Vic has seemingly finally rediscovered his voice, over a decade after his entrance to the rap world at large. The struggles he went through to get here make it all the more impactful and welcome.

In a lot of ways, Vic’s career so far has been a victim of his associations. When I first discovered him back in 2011, he was the rapper and co-frontman of a band called Kids These Days at just 19 years old. Their blend of rock, blues, and rap was delightful and unlike anything else at the time, even with all the genre experimentation and fusion that marked the so-called Blog Era. Kids These Days put out an EP in 2011 and followed up with a mixtape in 2012, but split soon after, cleaving Vic from one of the more interesting aspects of his music, his band. This left him as just another in a plethora of new, young rappers scrambling for attention during one of hip-hop’s biggest talent booms since the Golden Era. It wouldn’t be the first identity crisis he’d go through.

In 2013, it felt like Vic had regained his footing with Innanetape, his solo debut mixtape, which garnered strong reviews and proved that Vic could stand on his own without the bluesy backdrops provided by his band. Unfortunately, the tape dropped six months after his friend Chance The Rapper’s game-changing Acid Rap, which seemingly ate up all the little oxygen available for breathless praise of rising rappers from the Windy City from blogs and critics. In comparison to the sonically adventurous Acid Rap, the more traditionalist approach of Innanetape got lost in the wash; it doesn’t help that Vic’s impressive technical delivery was overshadowed by Chance’s vocally dynamic bombast. This is all old news, but look no further than the fact that Vic’s opening for Chance on their shared 10th-anniversary tour for proof of the lopsided reception among fans, which caused a rift between them they only recently managed to mend.

It feels a little reductive to attribute Vic’s later unmoored wanderings to his and Chance’s later association with fellow Chicago star Kanye West, but it was right around the time both began collaborating with West that Vic’s musical compass seemed to start spinning out (incidentally, that was around the time Kanye’s did the same). Vic struggled with substance abuse around this time, and his musical releases — including his 2017 debut album The Autobiography and rock side project 93Punx — similarly felt unfocused and inconsistent. Mensa’s debut received generally favorable reviews, but most noted its scattershot approach (in my own review, I wrote that it felt unfinished, with the sense “Vic is still searching for a sound.”

With Victor, it feels like he’s finally found it. Playing armchair psychologist is a sucker’s game, but on past projects, it’s felt like Vic kept trying on different rap and production styles, looking for a persona or a gimmick that would redeem that early attention he got with Kids These Days and make him sound “unique.” Here, he sounds comfortable with himself, like maybe being conventional isn’t all that bad, as long as you truly great at it. From the confessional “Sunday Morning Intro” to the party-ready “Swish” with G-Eazy and Chance The Rapper, Vic embraces both his personal failings and the inspirational messaging which have always been the best parts of his prior work, employing straightforward, bass-heavy production that keeps things moving along with a gritty, propulsive intensity.

When it comes time to slow things down, Vic adeptly does so with introspective tracks like “Sunset On The Low End” and “Strawberry Louis Vuitton.” He tackles systemic racism on “Blue Eyes,” gives thanks for seeing 30 years on “Blessings” with Ant Clemons and D Smoke, and channels the spiritual best of Kanye on “14 Days” to close things out. His sole concession to trend chasing (outside of the title, of course), is the House-influenced bonus track “Eastside Girl” — which is wisely left for the end of the project, keeping fingers away from the “skip” button. Victor gives listeners exactly what it says on the tin: A holistic look at an artist who’s come into his own at last. Vic had to go through everything he did to mature enough as an artist to synthesize those experiences into an honest, unfiltered summation of himself. This is his real autobiography — it was worth the wait.

Teezo Touchdown’s Debut ‘How Do You Sleep At Night?’ Flashes His Future Potential

by
Teezo Touchdown Review
Not Fit For Society/RCA Records/Derrick Rossignol

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

All the kids love Teezo Touchdown. Over the past couple of years, the Texas native has built a loyal and vocal following consisting of many of his artistic contemporaries. At festivals like Rolling Loud and on tour with Tyler The Creator, his stage show’s exuberant, contagious joy has converted thousands of skeptics of eye-popping sartorial choices. Although that infectious energy doesn’t fully translate on his long-awaited major-label debut, How Do You Sleep At Night?, the album does contain a number of interesting ideas and an unconventional approach worthy of its creator’s bombastic individuality. There’s not much like it in hip-hop these days but more of the genre should be adopting its best adventurous impulses.

The modern generation of hip-hop has had plenty of artists who are leaning into rock-inspired sounds and aesthetics; this year alone, we’ve had projects from Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott that borrowed pretty heavily from acts as disparate as Tame Impala, System Of A Down, and Nine Inch Nails. Teezo’s goes even broader, from the indie alt vibes of “Impossible” to the dance-funk of “Neighborhood” to the mellow folk-blues of “I Don’t Think You C Me” and even some surprisingly soulful R&B with “You Thought” featuring Janelle Monáe. There’s a little Radiohead, a little Beck, a little Maroon 5, some Nirvana, all laden with the cheek of turn-of-the-millennium pop-punk and anchored by some actually impressive vocal work from Teezo himself. He lilts and croons and sing-raps with a verve that I’d love to see from some other rap-rockers who’ve gotten a little too comfortable with a very specific sort of nasal whine that suggests emotional wailing but feels like more of a shortcut disguising tropey writing.

Teezo indulges in some of that tropey writing himself — something he can work on and improve on future output — but he also drops enough specificity into his lyrics on songs like “Daddy Mama Drama” that he ends up feeling a little more authentic and relatable than some of his peers. While there are those who might see this as a drawback, I tend to view things from the lens of “who is this for?” There are sad suburban Black teens out there for whom Teezo’s recollections of being awkward and not fitting into stereotypes are going to be foundational for finding self-confidence and identity. That’s not nothing. Even though the boundaries between “Black” and “white” music have blurred a bunch in the algorithm-driven streaming era, questions of self-worth and insecurities about not belonging aren’t going anywhere — and I know some kids who could have used a Teezo Touchdown growing up.

What sets Teezo apart from some of his peers in the rock-rap scene is an arm’s-length distance from the “rage” most purport — that infectious joy I mentioned earlier. He sounds like he’s having a lot of fun and that’s what translates, even if the boisterous call-and-response crowd work can’t really be translated to the album format. What these songs might miss in originality, they make up in gutsiness and gusto. Teezo is pushing his own vision, not a watered-down version of something that already works; he wears his influences on his sleeve, but so do most of the members of his generation. I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s a feature, not a bug, and everything doesn’t have to be transformational or totally innovative to be interesting, fun, and worthwhile.

How Do You Sleep At Night? is all three, and the best part about it is knowing that the artist himself has the live performance chops to do all the transforming when he plays them live. Maybe I just want the kid to win because of how genuinely engaging he’s been at the shows I’ve seen or for the commitment it takes to make and wear a shirt and wig made entirely of nails. Sure, there’s some shock value at play there, a bit of “look at me” showmanship that can come across gimmicky for weathered old cynics who’ve been doing this critic job for way too long. But anyone whose worldview allows them to think of doing off-kilter stuff like that is worth championing. How Do You Sleep is a decent kickoff, suggesting just how close Teezo is to figuring out the perfect play to live up to his name.

How Do You Sleep At Night? is out now via Not Fit For Society/RCA Records.

Teezo Touchdown’s Debut ‘How Do You Sleep At Night?’ Flashes His Future Potential

by
Teezo Touchdown Review
Not Fit For Society/RCA Records/Derrick Rossignol

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

All the kids love Teezo Touchdown. Over the past couple of years, the Texas native has built a loyal and vocal following consisting of many of his artistic contemporaries. At festivals like Rolling Loud and on tour with Tyler The Creator, his stage show’s exuberant, contagious joy has converted thousands of skeptics of eye-popping sartorial choices. Although that infectious energy doesn’t fully translate on his long-awaited major-label debut, How Do You Sleep At Night?, the album does contain a number of interesting ideas and an unconventional approach worthy of its creator’s bombastic individuality. There’s not much like it in hip-hop these days but more of the genre should be adopting its best adventurous impulses.

The modern generation of hip-hop has had plenty of artists who are leaning into rock-inspired sounds and aesthetics; this year alone, we’ve had projects from Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott that borrowed pretty heavily from acts as disparate as Tame Impala, System Of A Down, and Nine Inch Nails. Teezo’s goes even broader, from the indie alt vibes of “Impossible” to the dance-funk of “Neighborhood” to the mellow folk-blues of “I Don’t Think You C Me” and even some surprisingly soulful R&B with “You Thought” featuring Janelle Monáe. There’s a little Radiohead, a little Beck, a little Maroon 5, some Nirvana, all laden with the cheek of turn-of-the-millennium pop-punk and anchored by some actually impressive vocal work from Teezo himself. He lilts and croons and sing-raps with a verve that I’d love to see from some other rap-rockers who’ve gotten a little too comfortable with a very specific sort of nasal whine that suggests emotional wailing but feels like more of a shortcut disguising tropey writing.

Teezo indulges in some of that tropey writing himself — something he can work on and improve on future output — but he also drops enough specificity into his lyrics on songs like “Daddy Mama Drama” that he ends up feeling a little more authentic and relatable than some of his peers. While there are those who might see this as a drawback, I tend to view things from the lens of “who is this for?” There are sad suburban Black teens out there for whom Teezo’s recollections of being awkward and not fitting into stereotypes are going to be foundational for finding self-confidence and identity. That’s not nothing. Even though the boundaries between “Black” and “white” music have blurred a bunch in the algorithm-driven streaming era, questions of self-worth and insecurities about not belonging aren’t going anywhere — and I know some kids who could have used a Teezo Touchdown growing up.

What sets Teezo apart from some of his peers in the rock-rap scene is an arm’s-length distance from the “rage” most purport — that infectious joy I mentioned earlier. He sounds like he’s having a lot of fun and that’s what translates, even if the boisterous call-and-response crowd work can’t really be translated to the album format. What these songs might miss in originality, they make up in gutsiness and gusto. Teezo is pushing his own vision, not a watered-down version of something that already works; he wears his influences on his sleeve, but so do most of the members of his generation. I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s a feature, not a bug, and everything doesn’t have to be transformational or totally innovative to be interesting, fun, and worthwhile.

How Do You Sleep At Night? is all three, and the best part about it is knowing that the artist himself has the live performance chops to do all the transforming when he plays them live. Maybe I just want the kid to win because of how genuinely engaging he’s been at the shows I’ve seen or for the commitment it takes to make and wear a shirt and wig made entirely of nails. Sure, there’s some shock value at play there, a bit of “look at me” showmanship that can come across gimmicky for weathered old cynics who’ve been doing this critic job for way too long. But anyone whose worldview allows them to think of doing off-kilter stuff like that is worth championing. How Do You Sleep is a decent kickoff, suggesting just how close Teezo is to figuring out the perfect play to live up to his name.

How Do You Sleep At Night? is out now via Not Fit For Society/RCA Records.

Victoria Monét’s ‘Jaguar II’ Is A Dazzling Triumph

by
Victoria Monet 'Jaguar II' Review
Merle Cooper/RCA Records/Lovett Music

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Humility is often painted as a superpower that has its strength in being a cornerstone for one’s success. For it to work best, it’s sad that other dominant qualities must be submissive in its presence. Confidence works hand-in-hand with it while pride takes a back seat. The alleged beauty behind humility has been professed in numerous ways by many for centuries upon centuries. Confucius called humility the “solid foundation of all virtues” while Rick Pitino said it’s the “true key to success.” Though these examples are not wrong per se, a more accurate one, arguably, can be credited to William Law who said humility is “nothing else but a right judgment of ourselves.”

The “right judgment” portion of that quote is as subjective as ever and on her new album Jaguar II, Victoria Monét declares her own judgment of self and the world around her. The irony here is that through the project’s 11 songs, Monét’s right judgment of self actually sheds the humility that has lived beside her in a career that’s lasted over a decade. For years, Monét was known for her songwriting as she penned records for Diddy, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Fifth Harmony, Chloe X Halle, Blackpink, and more – all while working on her own music. It wasn’t until recently that the scales of both seemed to even out, something she wished for back in 2020. “[My] songwriting took off before my [own music] so it wasn’t like I made a decision, I was trying to do both,” she explained in Wonderland Magazine interview. “Now I’m just trying to even the playing field.”

Successful songwriters are often left to live in the shadows of the background making for a disconnect between that and their own releases. That hasn’t been the case as of late for Monét. If her 2020 EP Jaguar was the connection and spark, her debut album Jaguar II is the electric field and bright lights that rightfully resulted. Monét shines with blinding radiance on songs that find her as confident as ever from start to finish on her latest release. Whether it be through the shimmering dance number that is the Kaytranada-produced “Alright,” or the sexy and uplifting “Party Girls,” Monét finds a way to be simultaneously jaguar-like in her fearless approach and as sleek and classy as the luxury vehicle that shares her album’s namesake

At the very center of this album, comes multiple swipes at humility. Monét specifically calls out the extinction of humility in her world moments into “On My Mama.” She pierces through each line with unfiltered cockiness while allowing not an inch of doubt to creep into her statements so as to not invalidate them. More indirectly, we see Monét pop the collar of her fur coat on “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem) while mocking the idea that women can’t be pimps. The tone of disgust is prominent on “Stop (Asking Me 4Shyt)” as she’s in disbelief at the requests a man makes to her for money and other items. Lastly, in what is one of the best moments on the album, Victoria Monét paints herself as a flawless gem on “I’m The One,” perfect in all ways and specifically crafted for a lover who fails to see her as this fairytale love story. Humility often calls for a level of timidness and reservation in how one presents themselves, but for Monét this moment had been over a decade in the making. There isn’t room for dimming the light that she wired tirelessly to make shine.

The Victoria Monét that lives throughout Jaguar II isn’t new by any means. Her bold approach was at the center of Jaguar where records like “Ass Like That” and “Moment” marvelously presented her worth as a diamond in the rough. Much of the same is present on Jaguar II, just refined and crafted to a level that makes the multitalented singer’s artistry more pristine than ever. With heavy production from D’Mile, who has laced irresistible and pleasing records for the likes of Ty Dolla Sign, Snoh Aalegra, Lucky Daye, HER, Mary J. Blige, Silk Sonice, and more Victoria Monét had the necessary tools, both internal and external, to achieve that excellence that is Jaguae II. As she boldly proclaimed on her latest project, Victoria Monét is the one. So yes, humility to the wind and everything else like it. Her blinding radiance looks better and makes for the ideal ingredient in her recipe for success.

Jaguar II is out now via RCA Records/Lovett Music, Inc. Find out more information here.