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.
Kehlani’s sophomore album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, focused on absorbing the destruction that failures in love and life caused against her while disallowing it from throwing her off her journey. This theme of navigating through the presence of an unwanted being was fitting at the time as the world was forced under the glass dome of a global pandemic. For Kehlani, everything else was good until it wasn’t, and for the rest of us, by that same token, the once-normal world that we previously took for granted was good until it was deemed otherwise. With that, it leaves us with two options: wait for things to work themselves out or acknowledge the circumstances as a sign to make changes in your life. With her third album Blue Water Road, Kehlani opts for the latter.
Recreating happiness is what Kehlani strives for on Blue Water Road. In its best form, it’s as pure and euphoric as the ocean waters that sat across from the Malibu stretch of road that her third album is named after. Luckily for Kehlani, happiness is not uncharted territory for her. The singer’s 2015 debut album SweetSexySavage is probably the giddiest and most spirited we’ve heard her be so far. But it came with a heavy dose of naivety and overflowing charisma that, together, asked “what could go wrong?” Well, a lot did and that’s what brought us to It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. However, time heals and it did for Kehlani as it placed her on an upward trek that returned her to her better days. Kehlani succeeds at recreating happiness on Blue Water Road while her old naivety is replaced with the gratitude to be here again. It also comes with the understanding that she’s not only experienced the worst, but a permanent residency at the top of the world goes unguaranteed.
By the end of Blue Water Road, Kehlani’s lifelong search for serenity is complete, and it’s quite fulfilling. In an Apple Music interview, she revealed that her initial intention on Blue Water Road was to make music for a deluxe release of It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. What Kehlani didn’t know at first is that the growth she needed was already in progress, and thus the music that came out of those sessions was no longer connected to her sophomore album. We waste no time learning about these changes as Kehlani yearns to “throw a paper tantrum” at a strip club for a dancer she’s grown very fond of. Just two years ago, she forced herself to be in the middle of loud music and erratically flashing lights while noting, “Damn, you know I hate the club.” Where It Was Good Until It Wasn’t begins with a chilling anecdote about a “Toxic” love, Blue Water Road sets off with accountability and the recognition of her faults in love through “Little Story.”
Kehlani progress on this journey comes with its missteps and unsuccessful moments. It’d be wrong to assume that the ever-growing 27-year-old singer suddenly figured out how to perfectly and flawlessly approach life. She enters a new relationship only to leave with regrets on the Slick Rick-sampling “Wish I Never,” she’s gaslit on “Get Me Started” with Syd, and she attempts in a very Issa Rae way to justify her infidelity on “More Than I Should” with Jessie Reyez. It’s all honest and relatable and it’s what makes Kehlani’s music so indulgent. She never approaches it from a holier than thou perspective, and she never throws stones from her glasshouse. We understand Kehlani cause we’ve been there before and we all aim to fit life’s complicated puzzle pieces together to solve some problem that we have.
With that, Kehlani successfully achieves serenity through her ability to establish it within her. You can’t fall in love without knowing and accepting what you love, and you will never find peace without dealing with the chaos that lies within. A perfect example of that comes on “Altar,” where Kehlani grapples with grief and achieves the initially impossible feat of accepting that a loved one is no longer physically present. “Soon, I’ll see your face,” she sings with undeterred optimism. “Don’t know why I ever thought you were far away / I shoulda known better.”
So what does serenity look like for Kehlani? It could be finding a love so perfect and united that she confuses her hair, reflection, and her skin for her lover’s on “Melt.” It could also be enjoying the fruits of her labor towards a healthy love on the nearly-NSFW “Tangerine” where she sings, “So don’t tell nobody what’s done in the garden / The fruits you can harvest, they grow where you water.” However, it’s best captured on “Everything” as the arrival of a new lover who checks off her physical, verbal, and compatibility boxes leaves her to praise the heavens for this gift she’s waited so long for. As a result, her excitement for it can’t be bottled. “That was before me, it’s childish, you done with your wildin,’” she sings. “Now you can be wild with me, run that mile with me / Catch some flights out with me.”
Simply put: Kehlani won. She found new love and accepted her natural identity – both sexual and physical – all while managing to keep the thunderous clouds and unsettling fires that shook her world on It Was Good Until It Wasn’t out of her present-day life. Nowadays, things are better than good, they’re great, and it’s all thanks to Blue Water Road.
Blue Water Road is out now via TSNMI/Atlantic. You can stream it here.
Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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.
Blxst is approaching his career the right way. After earning attention for himself in his hometown of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, the West Coast crooner stepped out on his own for the first time with his 2020 debut project No Love Lost. The eight-song effort, which was later extended to 13 thanks to a deluxe reissue, was the perfect curtain-opening moment he needed to make himself a name recognized across the country. Blxst secured that the following year when he was enlisted as a member of the 2021 XXL Freshman Class.
That same year, Blxst reconnected with his frequent collaborator Bino Rideaux for a sequel to their 2019 EP. Both Blxst and Bino had seen their careers grow exponentially since 2019’s Sixtape so it was only right that they used their brighter spotlight for Sixtape 2. A common theme in Blxst’s career is taking advantage of strong moments to boost his own stock, and after collaborations with Nas, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Buddy, YG, Mozzy, and more, he’s back with a new body of work now that a new set of eyes are on him.
Fresh off the release of his 13-track project Before You Go, we caught up with Blxst to discuss the project, his growth, and more.
After the success of No Love Lost, when did you realize it was time to go back to the drawing board for a new body of work?
I think it was slowly but surely. I was traveling a lot last year so I know it was that time, but I was trying to find that balance between being on the road and still being creative, which was a challenge but we knocked it out. We managed to make it happen.
What were some of the things that helped you find this balance and successfully work on this project as you were on the road?
Everything bro. Managing time away from the family, self-care, even all the way down to working with a personal trainer and making sure physical was right. It was finding a balance for me, that’s pretty much where I was at with it. I feel like that kind of bled into my music, my different experiences, that’s what Before You Go was compiled of.
You’re in a much different spot than you were before No Love Lost. You’ve worked with a lot of new names like Nas, Snoop Dogg, Kehlani, Rick Ross, and more. Has your established position made things easier for you? And how do you keep that initial hustle alive?
It’s crazy. I feel like I’ve built a crazy momentum and I’m just capitalizing on it right now especially following up with another body of work. No Love Lost was my first body of work and this one is my first full-length body of work, so I’m excited to see the responses from that, especially coming off a crazy feature run, like you said, with Nas, Snoop Dogg, Kehlani, Rick Ross, it’s been crazy.
Before You Go seems to have that “no hard feelings” attitude that No Love Lost has. In your opinion, in what ways are the projects similar, and what sets them apart?
Yeah, I think this one is an elevated version of No Love Lost. Like you said, it was no hard feelings, but for this one, it’s more unapologetic. This is me, love me or hate me, but before you go, this is the message I gotta tell you. Whether you want to come on this journey with me or not, that’s your choice. For my fans, to my relationships, to everything: before you go, this is what I gotta tell you.
Before we dive into the project, I like how you and Bino took a moment during the rises in your respective careers to lace another project with Sixtape 2. How has y’all relationship improved since the first Sixtape with all that’s happened in your careers?
Man, it’s crazy just to see the trajectory of where we both started to where we are now. Just off the collaborations from Sixtape alone, I feel like that was my door for people knowing who I am individually. I think I just made sure I was well-rounded. I didn’t want to be stuck as a producer as well, so I made it an intention to go hard as a solo artist. Respect to Bino as well for giving me that platform. I think it’s a mutual respect overall.
What was your muse or influences for Before You Go?
I think just my day-to-day experiences: traveling, managing family time, personal time, and self-care. That’s pretty much what I pulled my inspiration from, those challenges, those hurdles I was facing, and facing that transition of also becoming an executive outside of just being an artist. Looking at success from a different perspective. I think I had a mind shift over this past year from the success of No Love Lost. You’ll hear that in the music, you’ll hear the growth for sure.
I want to talk about the music on the project, starting with some of the features. How was it to work with Arin Ray on “Fake Love”? It’s been a while since I’ve heard from him and it’s great to see that y’all connected for one.
I’ve been listening to Arin Ray for a minute. That Platinum Fire album he dropped, that’s my go-to when I’m on the airplane. This was before I was even Blxst, so double back and be able to work with him, I think that was a full-circle moment for me.
A couple of songs later we have “Couldn’t Wait For It,” your second record with Rick Ross. How validating it is for you to have a star like Ross who wants to work with you more than once, in addition to the other big names you’ve collaborated with?
That’s legendary, I can’t make this sh*t up. It don’t get no more co-sign or stamp than that, that’s the biggest. That’s inspiration, especially as I’m aspiring to be an entrepreneur like he is as well, outside of being an artist, I think that was a dope realization for me that he f*ck with me in that light.
“Still Omw” is one of my favorite records because it’s the epitome of “the job’s not done yet” in terms of what you want for your career. With that, what is peak success for you and when would you feel like you’ve completed your job as an artist and creative overall?
Man, I think ultimately, I feel like I’m still fresh to everything. I got a foot in the door, but at this point, I gotta show my consistency. Also, I got to make it a point to make sure everybody else around me is equally or more successful than I am, whether that be putting other artists on from my city. It’s a lot more to do and I feel like it’s a long way to go, but I feel like I’m on the right track.
What song on this project do you feel speaks the most to where you’re at in your career?
I think you hit it right on the nail with “Still Omw.” It speaks on where I started, what I’m doing right now, and my aspirations for where I want to be. I want to be that executive in the next five years where I could sit back and not be so obligated to do things outside of just being a creative in general. That’s what I’m leaning towards, but that song is close to my heart for sure.
After listening to this album, it’s safe to say that Blxst has still not made one bad song yet, how often does that saying come into mind when you create?
I ain’t gonna lie, saying that was like a gift and a curse because now it’s like people are waiting for me f*ck up you know? I like to challenge myself and hold myself up to a standard where I can always be the best version of myself. So yeah, that line always comes to mind whenever I’m making something cause I’m like damn now I can’t f*ck up (laughs).
With this project, want do you want people to keep in mind as they listen?
I just want them to grow with me. This is the journey, I’m learning as I go, but I’m still not stopping the creative process as far as people knowing what’s going on in my day to day or what I’ve been experiencing. A lot of times, I be second-guessing myself still, but I want people to see that I’m human as well. It’s cool to second guess yourself as long as you face your fears. It’s cool to be scared, but you still gotta face your fears.
Before You Go is out now via Red Bull Records and Evgle. You can stream it here.
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.
For the past year and a half, New Jersey rapper Coi Leray has faced scrutiny. After her 2020 song “No More Parties” became a staple of both playlists and radio, rap fans wondered where she came from. That scrutiny intensified when she was selected as one of XXL’s 11 Freshmen for 2021. Some of the skepticism was warranted; some wasn’t. While fans’ attention focused on Coi’s physique and colorful, unique bearing, her performances on both the moody, melodic “No More Parties” and her unusual XXL Freshman freestyle left many fans questioning what was once the only thing that mattered in hip-hop: “Can she really even rap?”
On her debut album, Trendsetter, she doesn’t exactly look to put that speculation to rest. Instead of proving that she can rap, she focuses on proving that she can do nearly everything else. Across the album’s 20 tracks, which include the “No More Parties” remix featuring Lil Durk as well as follow-up hits like “Twinnem” and “Blick Blick” with Nicki Minaj, she admirably accomplishes this mission. An expression of her exuberant personality and her eclecticism, Trendsetter should show that Coi Leray isn’t just a fly-by-night one-hit-wonder.
It’s hard to blame rap fans for their skepticism — and their ignorance. After all, Coi, who’d been releasing mixtapes since 2018, seemingly popped up out of nowhere with the success of “No More Parties.” Rap fans are often skeptical of overnight success stories, especially when they seem to be beneficiaries of industry nepotism. You see, Coi’s father is Boston impresario Benzino, former co-owner of The Source magazine, who used to rap in groups like the Almighty RSO and Made Men before joining the cast of Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta. While Coi’s had viral hits like “Huddy” in 2018, the first time many folks ever heard of her was on “No More Parties.”
Coi already demonstrated a solid grasp of different deliveries on her mixtapes Everythingcoz and EC2. Still, Trendsetter in many ways represents her first opportunity to prove naysayers wrong. To that end, she shows her bite on tricks like “Thief In The Night” with G Herbo and “Box & Papers,” on which she directly addresses the attention she’s received lately. “They be like / How you do that there?’ / They ask me, ‘Baby, how you so viral? I see you everywhere,’” she snaps with the pointed delivery of someone fed up with the ongoing inquisition.
She also displays surprising vulnerability on songs like “Anxiety,” “Clingy,” and “Paranoid.” Diagnosed with ADHD, she’s open about her struggles with mental health. These more introspective songs are marked shifts in tone away from the seemingly upbeat singles she’s released so far, but scratch the surface, and it’s clear that she’s been speaking these truths all along. “Anxiety” is a microcosm; couching serious subject matter in bubbly production can sometimes obscure the content. But with Trendsetter‘s more therapeutic tracks, Coi makes the subjects plain — which, in turn, makes it harder to criticize her for being a surface-level mumble rapper, as she has been.
She even dabbles in Afrobeats on “Aye Yai Yai,” an endeavor that comes early enough on the project to throw listeners who only know her from her more effervescent songs. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your point of view. However, I think I agree with Nicki Minaj, who both praised and critiqued her host’s album. The sequencing is the album’s weak point, as is its length and sometimes scattershot approach. But that’s a minor quibble and when Coi inevitably figures out how to present her ideas more cohesively, whether that means sharper edits or more focused storytelling, she’s shown she has the versatility to manage it.
Trendsetter is out now on Uptown Records. Get it here.
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.
2020’s Queen Of Da Souf may have been Latto’s official major-label debut, but it’s on her new album, 777, that she finally arrives. The Clayton County rapper gets an effective redo on her first impression thanks to a timely name change and the world reopening post-pandemic. She makes the most of it on her latest LP, which presents a polished and poised new version of the instantly compelling artist she was on her debut.
You’d be forgiven for not even noticing when Queen Of Da Souf dropped in August of 2020. The world was five months into a global lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID, but that state of affairs also prevented many of the emerging artists who released music that year from being able to spread their art, as well. Despite having strong, deeply-rooted records such as the Gucci Mane-featuring “Muwop” and the Lil Baby collaboration “Sex Lies” on it, Queen Of Da Souf was unable to gain much traction outside of Latto’s previously established fanbase.
It likely didn’t help that she was hampered by her unseemly stage name at the time, Mulatto, which evoked accusations of colorism. Despite not choosing the name she was saddled with as a child performer in her native Georgia, she was forced to field uncomfortable critiques and conversations about intent and perception. Now free of that particular burden, she can direct the focus where it ought to be: on the music.
As much focus as there is likely to be thrown onto big pop swings on the album like the lead single, “Big Energy” – which is her most successful song to date – where Latto continues to shine is in the songs that most heavily draw from the Southern influences of her hometown. Atlanta’s preferred emphasis on booming 808s and snickering snare drums is often the lane in which Latto finds herself most comfortable. On tracks like “Soufside,” “Stepper,” and the pair of title tracks, Latto swaggers and shines, projecting the essence of hip-hop’s foundation of braggadocio.
“It’s Givin” is a standout, stripping down the lush instrumentation on her more radio-ready material to offer a throwback to the skeletal drum machine productions of the late ‘80s. Likewise, “Wheelie,” which reunites Latto with fellow ATL staple 21 Savage, gives her the room to stretch her legs and strut her confident, unapologetic sex rhymes. However, her biggest risks tend to be the ones that pay off the most; on “Sunshine,” she goes to church with Lil Wayne and Childish Gambino, outshining her collaborators on the lush, organ-driven inspirational. It’s by far the most interesting song on the album, even when Gambino can’t help but stick his foot in his mouth by recalling Latto’s old moniker in reference to his own kids.
Fortunately, the other collaborators on the project, like Lil Durk and Nardo Wick, manage to stick to the subject matter at hand. It’s disappointing that she chooses to be part of Kodak Black’s ongoing image rehabilitation campaign (it’s probably only a matter of time until he finds a way to publicly embarrass her with this bet), but Durk and Wick largely do what they’re expected to do. Still, it’s Latto’s show, and like the fond diminutive she’s floated for her growing fanbase, she hits the jackpot, earning her spot in rap’s upper echelon. Whether boasting and bragging on the party joints or turning inward on tracks like “Sleep Sleep,” Latto makes one hell of a second first impression.
777 is out now via Streamcut and RCA Records. Get it here.
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.
That’s the main conclusion I received from our interview about her sophomore solo album Broken Hearts Club. The project arrives five years after her debut solo album Fin, and since then, a lot has happened for her. Her band, The Internet, released their fourth album Hive Mind, and the group’s respective members, just like Syd herself, released solo projects of their own. She’s endured the highs and lows of love, and just like the rest of us, Syd battled to adjust to the new normal that the pandemic forced on us.
Broken Hearts Club is Syd’s real-life account of a head-over-heels love story that took place for her during the pandemic. The initial butterflies, the truly heartfelt confessions of love that came later, and everything in between are present for the first two-thirds of the album – and then everything comes crashing down. Syd is left to pick up the pieces of her heart, one she thought that she gave away for good, all while figuring out how to move on. Furthermore, there was also an album, which was initially made to celebrate this joyous relationship, to finish.
Somehow, someway though, Syd did it. Fresh off the release of Broken Hearts Club, Syd sat down with Uproxx to tell us about how it all came together, how she’s grown from the situation, and more.
What would you say are the biggest differences between Broken Hearts Club and your first solo project Fin.
The vulnerability. I think on Fin, I tapped into a little bit of vulnerability toward the end of that album, but for the most part, I was flexing really hard. It was definitely me at the time, but when I came down to writing this album and trying to bring some of that same energy, it just didn’t feel natural at the time. I think I had a lot to prove on Fin as a songwriter mostly. I wrote Fin with a lot of other artists in mind. Fin, for me, was like, “Okay, if I could just write songs, who would I write for? What would I write?” It was a lot of experimentation. So some of those songs I listen to now and I’m like, “That doesn’t sound like me,” Okay because that sounds like who I had in mind when I wrote it. It turned out great because it was all me and my boy Nick [Green]. I love how the album came out and I still love it to this day, even though some of the songs don’t sound like me anymore, I still love it. I’m like, “Wow, I was going ham, I was flexing on everybody,” and I’m appreciative of that time and who knows? Maybe I’ll get back in my bag next go around. This time, I had to just like kind of be real about what I’ve been through in between the projects.
In terms of The Internet, you said that Fin was somewhat of an itch to scratch and a way to explore interests outside of the band. Is that the same with Broken Hearts Club?
This one’s a little different. Going into Fin, and all The Internet solo projects, we had started making another Internet project before we actually started Hive Mind and it just wasn’t sounding good. We were making beats and it just sounded really weird. I felt that it was because we all wanted to do different things and I felt like we had to do those different things before we could come back together. This time around is different because we took a conscious and deliberate break. Matt [Martians] adopted a puppy a couple of years ago, and was like, “I want to take a year off and raise my dog,” he’s been living in Georgia. Patrick [Paige II] put out a solo album, Steve [Lacy’s] been working on a solo album, almost done with it, he signed a deal, and Chris [Smith] just started a solo project. So this time around, it was more geared toward the future. We were looking more at ourselves as the supergroup that we are and less as just a band. Like, let’s take this time to really take advantage of what we set up for ourselves and we’ll get back to it when it happens naturally.
Because the story on this album is so personal, I assume that it only made sense to have this be a solo album for yourself. If not for these events, was there another direction you had for this project?
I like to look at every album as a snapshot into my life at the time, so it just depends on where I’m at. As of right now, whatever I start working on for the next project and the couple of songs I do have already for the next project, they’re kinda more me talking my sh*t, a little bit flexy, talking about enjoying the fruits of my labor a little bit more. On Fin, I was talking about the future fruits of my labor [and] what I had hoped to accomplish. On the next one, I think it’ll be more about what I have accomplished. I don’t know, also, in the process of making and finishing this album, I’ve come to like a place of contentment with my life, where I’m like, “Wow, okay, cool. I have what I need and I don’t really want anything.” I finally hit that point where I’m like, “Damn, I’m good! I’m set.” As long as these royalties keep coming in the way they have been, I think I’ll be okay.
Is there a song from Broken Hearts Club that was easier or more difficult than usual to write?
“Goodbye My Love” was really hard to sing, actually. When I wrote it, I was sobbing, I wasn’t over it, it just happened maybe a week prior. I was in the midst of my grief, sitting at my parent’s dining room table. I was listening to that sh*t just sobbing and writing it in my head. It was initially going to be for a producer album, and I told bro straight up, “I can’t seem to sing this sh*t without crying, so I’m not gonna make your deadline, I’m sorry.” He was like, “Aw sh*t, well hey man, don’t rush it. I’m sure it’ll come when it’s supposed to.” By the time it came together, he had already put his project out and I was like, “Yo, can I have this?” and he was like yeah. So that was probably the one, that one was hard. It was easy to write, but it was really hard to record. By the time I recorded it, it worked out and it came together pretty quickly, but it took me a really long time to be able to sing it without crying. It’s so short and simple! But that’s probably why (laughs).
You have guest appearances from Lucky Daye, Smino, and Kehlani here. What made them fitting artists to you to tell such a personal story?
So I picked Kehlani just because we had been meaning to work together for so long and we just needed the right couple of songs. That’s one of my friends like in real life, we’re like finsta friends, so we always know what each other is doing and it was just like why haven’t we gotten in the studio for real? That was her saying that, she was like, “Can we make a project together or something?” I was like sh*t, I got a couple of songs we could start with. Smino, I’ve known him for a few years now and we’ve been meaning to work for a while. We actually did get in the studio once back in the day, but it just didn’t come together organically, but this time it did. I had written the song and I just texted it to him. I was like, “Yooo,” and he sent it back the next day and those are always the best features to me. The ones that come back the next day or the next week are usually the best. Lucky Daye was a similar situation we had actually never met or even spoken before. I just slid in his DMs and was like, yo, I got a song, and he was like, “BET. Where we at? Where you at?” He came to the studio, it was real quick, real easy, like it was super natural. After he left, I remember thinking and saying, “Yo, he’s hella cool man, he’s one of us.”
The major transitional points on the album for me are the “heart” songs: “CYBAH,” “Heartfelt Freestyle,” and “BMHWDY.” Through these, we see that a major pain point with love is reciprocation and maintaining it. For you personally, what do you think is the scariest part about love?
Oh, for sure, just giving someone the power to hurt you. That’s definitely the scariest part for me. I’m not like afraid of commitment. I think we’re all just afraid of pain. For me, with this particular heartbreak, it was unexpected. I thought I was just going to breeze through life without ever experiencing a real one. I’ve had my heart broken before, or whatever, but I bounced back so fast off of those. This one let me know that those weren’t what I thought they were. Honestly, I think I was so ignorant before that I wasn’t afraid of that. I didn’t know what there was to be afraid of anyway. I hadn’t experienced that depth of pain before. Now that I have been through it, I can say I’m probably less afraid ironically. I know that’s like, “…what?” but now I know what to expect. I think fear of the unknown is also very real and not knowing what that pain could be like is also scary. So now I know that I could get through it. Honestly, now I know more about who I am because I learned a lot in that process. I’m less afraid these days.
Have you found comfort or a silver lining in being in the Broken Hearts Club?
Yes, yes! I have a newfound respect for all the homies who have been there (laughs). I don’t know about you, but when I was going through it, I had so many homies pat me on the back in spirit like, “I know bro, I know. You’re gonna get through this. I’ve been there.” Yeah, I got a newfound respect for all of those homies man, for sure.
In a past interview, you said that continuing the process of making this album after the heartbreak was hard because the music you were making at that time was so bitter. Now that it’s done, what would credit towards making this album in the way you wanted to, despite all the emotions you had?
This book The Power Of Now. It just taught me how to be present. What ended up happening was, I wrote a couple of songs, I thought I was going to take this heartbreak and channel it, and it just didn’t come out right. It sounded nasty and I was like, “Okay nah, I think I need to heal first.” So in order to do that, I read hella books, and the first one that I read was The Power Of Now, ironically, a suggestion from the girl who broke up with me. She read it right before she dumped me, so I was like, “What the f*ck did this book tell this b*tch? What was in here that made her leave my ass?? (laughs)” I read it and it really helped me to be present, to not run away from the feelings, but to actually go into it headfirst so that I know I’ve dealt with it, that I’ve released it, and that I’m not bottling nothing. I don’t want nothing popping up on me a year from now, you know, leftover pain and grief. So between that book, a good therapist, and space and time that the pandemic kind of allowed us.
What would you call this chapter of your career?
I have no idea and it’s really scary. It’s almost like a crossroads. It feels like it could go either way right now. One thing that I have to remind myself is that you can always start again because I’ve seen it, but when you’re being present, it’s hard to think like that. Sometimes, you can’t help but think like, “Damn, what if this is it for you girl? What if this is album is whatever to people and I don’t get another chance?” Thankfully, I’ve really gotten better at seeking validation from within. I’ve always been confident, but I haven’t always been sure of myself and now I feel very sure of myself and that’s a game-changer. Now, no one can tell me who I am and nobody could say, “Just trust me, just trust me. You’re gonna look great.” N****, I’m 30. You’re not about to tell me how I’m gonna look! You not bout to tell me that imma like this more than anything else I’ve ever been in. I fell for the okey-doke before. I’m just happy that when you Google me, new pictures pop up because boy… those first 5-10 years of my career? I wasn’t sure enough of myself to say “no.” Now I am, now I’m grown. I’m 30, can’t tell me bout me (laughs). And that feels really good.
Now that your solo project is done, is a return to music with The Internet in order?
I think we’ll be doing another Internet album before I do another solo project. Initially, in September, when me and Matt were talking about what we wanted to discuss [on the project], it was a little more about what was happening in the world, like this Internet perspective of the world right now and everybody going crazy. But when we talked about it at Smokin Grooves, he was like, “You know what? Let’s just have fun on this next record. If we want to talk about something serious, let’s have fun with it. Let’s just go back to some good times” So I think on the next one, I’ll probably be talking about all my trucks a lot (laughs), probably getting on people’s nerves.
Broken Hearts Club is out now via Columbia Records. You can stream it here.
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 his sophomore album Candypaint, all the world wanted from Lucky Daye was to see him whisk us off our feet with another captivating project. His 2019 debut album Painted was praised from top to bottom by those who enjoyed his serenading vocals on efforts like “Love You Too Much” and “Floods,” as well as folks who caught a groove and danced the night away with “Extra” and “Karma.” Painted was much more than a fan-favorite that was safeguarded by R&B lovers, as is what often happens with stellar projects in the genre. It earned the New Orleans native attention from critics as it landed multiple Grammy nominations at the 2020 award show – including one for Best R&B Album. Painted essentially cemented Daye as next up in the genre that so many are quick to call “dead.”
As Daye prepared to release Candypaint, it became clear that a change in direction was in order. Its cover art portrayed the singer from the chest up dripping in some honey-like substance, an image inspired by The Ohio Players’ 1975 album Honey. It’s a stark contrast from the artistic portrait of Lucky Daye that appears on the cover of Painted. With this visual change comes one for the sonics of Candypaint. Where Painted saw Lucky pop champagne in celebration with his lover, Candypaint slyly dangles handcuffs in front of them with dripping infatuation. Painted dwells on innocent daytime fun and pure love while Candypaint finds life in the sultry atmosphere of nighttime romance.
While the aforementioned albums may fall on opposite sides of the spectrum, they’re both undeniable evidence of Lucky Daye’s sprawling versatility. Candydrip does a great job of flaunting his talents and how he can pretty much do everything and do it well. Whether it’s the funk-inspired “Feels Like” or the traditional R&B beauty of “Guess” or even the alternative R&B-leaning “Intermission,” Lucky’s musical pockets are infinite, and for him, it’s just a matter of picking one to get into. Additionally, while this versatility might cause others to do too much on a given project, Lucky keeps things cohesive and tightly wrapped.
On Candydrip, Lucky Daye yearns for intimacy. The possibility of its arrival through a new lover presents a thrill for him while its continued return from his current partner keeps him on a high. “F*ckin’ Sound” sees Lucky put up blinders to the world as he begs his companion to satisfy his overbearing craving for their body and the passionate interaction that comes with it. “God Body,” which concludes with a slick-talking verse from Smino, uses the ultimate compliment to simplify Lucky’s attempt to get his hand into the cookie jar. While Lucky’s contribution to the song is strong, it’s Smino’s verse that best highlights their ultimate goal. “Roll up on you in the morning like I do my weed,” he raps. “I know what I want and you more like a need.”
For every uphill trek to glory, there’s a downward spiral that marks a return to square one. An excellent example comes with the project’s lead single, “Over.” Here, the flare and undeterred spirit of Lucky Daye vanishes and is replaced by frustration and annoyance. The record recounts an on-again-off-again love that finds Daye consistently surrendering to a woman who can’t make up her mind between being with him or moving on. He impresses, dazzles, and sweet-talks the ladies when he’s in command of everything, but issues tend to arrive for him when he’s forced to wait on others. Finally, when that decision is made, and his attempt at love comes to an end, as it does on “Used To Be,” Daye – just like anyone else – is left to sulk in sadness as his partner’s departure stings a bit too much for him. “A dying rose in the winter / I’m holdin’ on every way I can,” he beckons. “Tell me, is this only just me / By my lonely.”
Candydrip covers Lucky Daye’s insistence on satisfying his nagging sweet tooth towards romance. More times than not, he’s a slick-suit-wearing man who knows just what to say to earn his way as he does on “Guess,” “Feels Like,” and “F*ckin’ Sound.” There are moments when he does a little too much, like the candy-themed “Candy Drip (Interlude)” where he rattles off a raunchy poem that uses candy brands for lustful puns. However, Candypaint concludes with Lucky returning to his original form with heartfelt numbers like “Fever,” “Cherry Forest,” and “Ego.” Lucky Daye has this generation’s R&B crown as he’s made a great case to possess it with each release. All we can do now is watch him shine and thrive in the spotlight as he’s continuously done in his career.
Candypaint is out now via RCA/Keep Cool. You can stream it here.
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.
Although Richmond, Virginia-based rapper Fly Anakin has been around for a while, my first introduction to him was on 2020’s FlySiifu, his collaborative album with Alabama genre-bender Pink Siifu. At the time, my impression was of a rapper enamored with the murky trappings of the backpack rap I had grown up on in high school, but since grown out of. The experimental, lo-fi sampling and abstract, stream-of-consciousness raps reminded me of longtime favorites like Madlib and MF DOOM; Anakin, who would have entered high school five years after I graduated, would likely have gravitated to this freewheeling sound as it first gained exposure beyond indie record shops and underground rap forums via Adult Swim bumpers.
That sound has become the staple of his aesthetic, a tradition he continues on the recently released Frank, his self-proclaimed debut album. The fact that he calls it this despite having seven years of commercial releases under his belt helps to highlight his status as a child of the inventive digital era of hip-hop, where nearly anything goes as long as it sounds cool and you can get away with it. For what it’s worth, this is an album that does sound cool and gets away with a lot. It’s packed with eerie, unearthly samples and laid-back, dismissive raps, an iconoclastic survey of the modern rap landscape that chooses to go left, swimming upstream of the more accessible 808-driven approach of Anakin’s peers.
In a profile for Bandcamp, Anakin explains his reasoning for calling Frank his debut, and for giving it his own government name, Frank Walton. “The album is me standing up to my shit and owning up to who I am instead of hiding behind a rap name,” he said. “I always thought my name was kinda stupid for who I am and I never really felt my name matched me — so this is me wearing my name and owning my name.” In doing so, though, he throws into clearer focus the fact that he’s always been this person and always held these philosophies. That is to say, he’s never much cared to live up to anyone else’s standards but his own.
Consider this couplet from the Evidence-produced “Sean Price,” named for the bellicose Brooklyn rapper who passed away in 2015 and shared Anakin’s disdain for fitting in. “The sacrifices set my price to the heights of the holy lights / At first, I did the shit to get mics, now it’s keeping on the lights.” The Richmond rapper at times comes across disillusioned by his experiences in the rap game, much like many of his heroes, but then, like those heroes, his love for the craft shines through in the polish with which he spits his laconic yet lithe, lathe-like verses. He’s versatile and not without a sense of humor; he just doesn’t have time for gimmicks and games.
Meanwhile, the production falls somewhere just left of the en vogue, sample-first, beats-never aesthetic, full of muted drums and soul interpolations awash in dreamy filters. It’s interesting to see what he does with the “beats to study to” playlist staple style; his voice cuts across these muddy soundscapes with confidence and charisma. So do his guests’ vocals, with features ranging from Anakin’s fellow Mutant Academy crew stalwarts Big Kahuna OG (on “Telepathic”) and Henny L.O. (on “Dontbeafraid”), as well as Richmond veteran and former Drake collaborator Nickelus F, who contributes an absolutely bonkers verse to “Ghost” that I still can’t decide if I hate or love.
Despite the album’s title and expressed theme, Anakin never deigns to indulge in autobiography or introspection on Frank, choosing to instead direct his energy toward impressively constructed blocks of text expressing his own unique take on standard hip-hop topics. It’d be cool to see him tackle some more personal subject matter in the future, but for now, it’s enough that he’s doing something different — not just for the sake of being different but because this is genuinely who he is. Enough rappers follow trends and far too many fall short trying to run counter to them just to prove a point. Fly Anakin finds the balance, making the sort of hip-hop music he loved growing up and updating it to create something refreshing and classic at the same time.
‘Frank’ is out now on Lex Records. You can stream it here.
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.
Teenage rebellion has long been considered part and parcel of the hip-hop package and perhaps no modern rapper exemplifies this like $NOT. Emerging from Florida’s SoundCloud rap scene in 2018 with the pulverizing “Gosha,” the 24-year-old rapper could have been described as “teenage rebellion” personified. But what happens when teenage rebels grow up? $NOT shows glimpses on his new album, Ethereal, but he isn’t quite ready to leave his punk-rap roots completely behind.
Born in New York, but raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, $NOT bears every hallmark of the scene’s flourishing heyday. Like many other members of the Florida rap community, many of his more popular songs feature tortured, distorted bass, screaming, thrash-inspired vocals. He even has a signature look: A light hoodie pulled tight around his face that he’s rarely seen without – much like Ski Mask The Slump God’s durag or the mask of MF DOOM.
But he’s also always been something of an outsider to that culture as well. While he’s been largely defined by the accouterments of the scream-rap style, he’s also shown a more tender side. For instance, on “Revenge” from his debut album Beautiful Havoc, he dabbles in more melodic production, with mellow acoustic guitars and a singsong vocal delivery. And on Ethereal, he pursues these instincts much more enthusiastically, on introspective cuts like “Blue Moon” and “5AM,” which he calls his favorite song from the album on a Zoom call with Uproxx ahead of its release.
“I’m just like, ‘Yo, let me use my sound but let me add a little spice to it,’” he says of the departure. “It’s just one of those songs that hit different when it’s slow, but it’s still crazy when it’s fast, when it’s normal. When I recorded it, I didn’t have a thought process or anything. I just did what I wanted to do on it.” He does confess that the sharp left turn could alienate some of his day-one fans, but he also accepts that as part of the bargain when it comes to expanding his sound and doing what he wants.
“I don’t know if the fans will receive it well,” he admits. “That’s how it always is. Those are really experimental to me. ‘5 AM,’ that’s really experimental to my sound. It’s still true to my sound, but it’s like… it’s in my world but it’s in a different universe.” $NOT accepts that the perception of him as an artist doesn’t necessarily jive with the musical output he’s released so far. Part of that is down to the viral videos of his raucous performances, which he uses to grow his legend by reworking even his more mellow material to suit the live format.
“Even my name sounds crazy – like me in a mosh pit, it fits the name and everything,” he says. “But if you listen to the music, it’s very calm like chill. That’s how I am. But when I perform, I try to rage with those songs too. It’s kind of crazy, I’ll be trying to get the crowd to open a mosh pit for the saddest song.” That reputation for turning up has made him one of the more exciting talents, but he’s learning that his recklessness can have as many negative effects as positive ones.
Case in point, lead single “Doja” featuring ASAP Rocky. The song is a classic slice of that anti-establishment formula, fitting right into the skate-punk rap aesthetic that Rocky and ASAP Mob cultivated in the early 2010s. $NOT admits that the song’s title is a double entendre, and could refer to either the rapper Doja Cat or the slang term for weed, but in his verse, he mentions her by name. “I’ll f*ck a b*tch named Doja Cat,” he gibes, gloating in that exaggerated way common to hip-hop. However, a mistranslation on lyrics sites brought the song to the attention of the actual Doja Cat, who shot back, “You f*cked who?” on Twitter. After she deleted the reply, $NOT himself clarified that the lyric was misconstrued but by then, the damage had been done – or the song’s attention-grabbing purpose was served, depending on how you look at it.
“When all that shit was happening, I didn’t care,” he admits. “I was like, ‘Whatever. If this is going to bring more shit to the song, go ahead. It’s working.’ Some people thought it was a diss track towards Doja, but I’m like, ‘I got no animosity towards Doja.’ She looks good and I didn’t really think much about it, and plus, I needed some shit to rhyme with. So I’m saying ‘scat, pack, Doja Cat.’ It ain’t nothing too deep about it. They just think I’m trying to degrade women and all that, but I don’t know, it’s rap. I’m just being real grimy.”
Ironically, for such a reckless rapper, one who admittedly doesn’t put much thought into lyrics or even his album’s title (“I thought it was a cool word,” he explains. “It was a tattoo on a girl’s neck”), he’s already got his retirement plan figured out. When asked what he wants to have accomplished by next year, he says, “I’ll be like, ‘Yo, I own a gas station, bro. Come get this gas, it’s the cheapest gas out here, $1 a gallon.’” It’s hard to tell if he’s joking. The music on Ethereal is the same way; it could be deadly serious or totally frivolous, but it’s always captivating.
Ethereal is out now via 300 Entertainment. You can stream it here.
SNOT is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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.
Three is a very common and important number in Amber Mark’s life. In a 2017 interview with NME, she explained how that number has constantly made itself present in her life. “My mother was born in 1953, my brother was born in 1983 and I was born in 1993,” she said. “Then, my mum passed away on June 3, at 10:23 pm in 2013. Since then, I’d see three’s everywhere.” In 2017, she released her 3:33am EP. Nearly five years later, she returns with her debut album, Three Dimensions Deep, and a riveting tale that follows her through a journey of searching for the deeper meaning for her life and the world that surrounds her.
Three Dimensions Deep presents a well-executed blend of R&B and funk used in different ways throughout the album. Sometimes it’s a 50-50 split, and other times, either genre sits in the driver’s seat while the other makes its presence felt just enough so that the 17-track project remains cohesive. This varying production helps to add a second dose of life to the listener’s experience with the album, one already boosted by Mark’s enthralling vocals. Her search for life’s meaning arises on the wistful “What Is It,” where she questions the point of the bad in her life with an emotional plea into the empty skies. “So there goes my heart,” she sings with disheveled spirits on the song. “I fell apart / Trying to love.” She later questions the source of faith as she’ll need it moving forward. “Is it love that proves in our faith? / Or how we move, spiraling?”
As often as Mark questions the ways of the world, she also stays true to what she’s previously learned. Her wisdom propels her far enough to leave her with a moderate and slightly frustrating, but solvable, amount of puzzle-piecing for her to do. She rightfully distrusts the “trifling” ways of men on “Most Men,” while begging for a friend to seek better than the insufficient companion she’s currently with. Mark acknowledges the difficulties behind healing and moving on both “Healing Hurts” and “Bubbles” while overcoming the temptation to fall for old tricks and back into her old pains. Following these anecdotes of hurt and heartbreak, Three Dimensions Deep transitions into a second half that’s both energized by a new wave of happiness and gracefully presented through a worthwhile romance.
Amber Mark won’t find all the answers she’s looking for in life. That’s a feat that goes unaccomplished even by the oldest souls of the world, never mind a 28-year-old. She soon realizes that a life driven by constant searches will leave her feeling incomplete at the end of the day. “FOMO” places this discovery on wax through funky and reinvigorating production that finds Mark high off life as her feet sweep the dancefloor. “Fill up my cup, made up my mind,” she sings. “Won’t miss out on living happily / It’s about time, I’m gon’ lose control.” There’s a time and a place for self-reflection and wallowing in sadness about life’s dealings, but Mark realizes that she should at least make sure to live life through it all.
This leap of faith, which also doubles as a discharge from life’s ankle weights, adds vibrancy and excitement to her life and the album. It also makes her an irresistible magnet to what she craves the most from life. Three Dimensions Deep swings upward from a contextual standpoint during its back half. Mark is consumed by a love that’s far too good to be true in her eyes. She details this behind haunting production that accentuates her disbelief on “Out Of This World” while also comparing the new love to finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. “Pull all this weight kept me out of sight / I close my eyes,” she sings. “And with surprise / I saw the light.” Mark goes above and beyond to describe the beauty of this new romance as she places herself amongst the stars and constellations on “Cosmic” to relay the “otherworldly feelings” it gives her. “It takes me to another planet / It’s all so cinematic,” she sings with a heart bleeding of gratitude as angelic harmonies rain behind her. “Is this some sort of magic? / It seems so automatic.”
Three Dimensions Deep is a testament to letting go and trusting that what is meant to be, will be. While watching Amber Mark get swept off her feet with a perfect love is a heartwarming aspect of the album, seeing her end the album on a high pedestal and free of some of the things that held her down is just as satisfying. Mark’s official debut album is truly Three Dimensions Deep as we watch her confidence grow, her insecurities fade away, and a path open up for her to experience at that’s meant to be in her world. Mark achieves this by letting herself freefall into life’s core where she discovers what to value the most day in and day out. It’s here that she also tackles her most-inner emotions with equal parts grace and feistiness for a riveting and magical album.
Three Dimensions Deep is out now via PMR/EMI. Get it here.
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.
Last year, I wrote that Babyface Ray was one of the artists who could have made the 2021 XXL Freshman list. With the release of his debut album, Face, last week via Wavy Gang and Empire, that assessment looks closer than ever to becoming a reality for the 2022 list (not to brag or anything). While it’s not a perfect project by any means, Face demonstrates Ray’s star power, illuminating an artist with all the tools to make the leap from promising underground talent to a bonafide hitmaker.
The word that best describes Ray’s unique approach to rhythm and rhyme is dispassionate. Although he’s very much a product of the frenetic Detroit underground scene, taking bits and pieces from the city’s diverse patchwork of sounds and styles, his cadence is more controlled than the frenetic pace demonstrated by other members of his cohort like Sada Baby or Icewear Vezzo. Likewise, his wordplay is similarly low-key, sans the over-the-top punchlines favored by his peers.
Instead, he sounds not exactly world-weary, but weathered, as though he’s seen and done it all – or near enough to it – and has ceased to be impressed, awed, or dismayed by the facts of the street-worn narratives he relays. Whether he’s getting money on “6 Mile Show” with Icewear Vezzo or patting himself on the back with G Herbo on “Blood Sweat & Tears,” Ray’s disposition comes across as though he’s been on the job long enough to see little change except for the faces around him. The business itself stays the same.
Maybe that’s because he’s low-key a veteran of the indie rap grind himself; prior to his latest, he’d self-released 10 projects dating back to 2015. It took 2021’s Unfuckwitable EP to finally bring him the shine he’s been working toward all that time, so you’ll forgive him for feeling a little burnt out. But there’s a benefit to that level of patience: Ray’s confidence is unshakeable and his consistency is time-tested. He attests to as much on “Overtime” with Yung Lean and “Palm Angels, Palms Itching.”
It’s also left him with an – ahem – self-effacing nature. The album opens with a reflective intro, “My Thoughts 3,” on which he ruminates on the climb to his current leaping-off point. He’s now standing at the precipice which a handful of other Detroit natives reached; the closest analog would be Big Sean, with whom he previously collaborated on the latter’s joint EP with Hit-Boy. With one foot still in the Detroit underground, clinging to the raw, chaotic beats that define that sound, and the other prepared to step into the limelight with radio-ready beats produced by the likes of 808 Mafia, Ray has the potential to be the bridge between his hometown’s insular subculture and the wider world beyond.
If anything, this poses the album’s one drawback. Its split personality holds it back; on one hand, Ray could make hits, he could be a superstar (albeit a very laid-back, iconoclastic one), but he’d have to relinquish – at least to a point – his reliance on the style that got him here. We’ve seen that backfire before when artists make the jump from regional to national stars, pissing off their day-ones by sloughing off their roots. By sticking to his guns, though, he runs the risk of alienating potential new fans and wasting the work he’s put in to reach this point
Should he simply stay the course, doing what he does here, the future is murkier. Like Face’s production, it could go either way. Or, and this is what I think likeliest, he could end up forging a new path, slowly but surely letting more folks in on the secret that is the Motor City underground rap scene, and contributing to the next evolution of rap music past its current stagnant state.
Face is out now via Wavy Gang/Empire. Get it here.
