G-Eazy, “These Things Happen Too.” Everyone has regrets, and G-Eazy holds his share. His fourth LP, These Things Happen Too, finds G-Eazy having to grapple with the fallout of his failed relationships, the toll that drug abuse has taken on him artistically and personally, as well as the self-doubt that he’s…

Lil Nas X performs during WiLD 94.9’s Jingle Ball at The Masonic in San Francisco on Dec. 8, 2019. The debut album by Lil Nas X, Montero, has been a long time coming.  The Atlanta rapper has transformed before audiences from the meme zeitgeist of “Old Town Road” to a…

The second album from Injury Reserve emphasizes the impact last year had on the hip-hop group. But it wasn’t just the pandemic or societal unrest. Injury Reserve’s Steppa J Groggs (whose real name was Jordan Alexander Groggs) died unexpectedly in June 2020. The remaining members, MC Ritchie With a T and…

Self-reflection has been a critical part of the last year and a half for many first locked down with nowhere to go then worn down by an onslaught of crises. Looking inward became inevitable. English rapper and actress Little Simz (Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo) makes self-examination and explanation the focal point…

Hip-hop heads tend to be a reactionary lot. Criticizing someone’s favorite rapper can lead to unwinnable arguments. That is going to make this a difficult pill to swallow for fans of Trippie Red. Trip at Knight Trippie Redd 10K Projects, Aug. 20 1/10 There’s so much to pick apart on Trip…

It’s been some time since we last saw Isaiah Rashad; since his critically acclaimed 2016 album, The Sun’s Tirade. The Top Dawg affiliate has been vocal about his struggles with mental health in his art and in interviews, expressing how it has at times derailed his focus. But the wait is…

Legendary Southern California punk rockers Descendents‘ eighth studio album, 9th & Walnut, shows they still have the same thrashy, proto-skate and pop-punk energy from their early days. This album is an interesting specimen among the band’s sporadic releases, as the songs were written between 1977 and 1980 and recorded over two…

Clockwise from top left: Anjulie, Killval, SSGKobe, Butch Dawson, BIG30 and Darrin Bradbury. Ever find yourself skipping song after song on your playlist after the thousandth rotation? A fresh perspective often breathes life into music, so here are some new singles to give a spin! BIG30, Darrin Bradbury, Anjulie,…

Vince Staples‘ new self-titled LP should be just enough to hold fans over until he follows it up with the previously announced Ramona Park Broke My Heart. He’s been busy with a multitude of projects outside of music, including a show he is developing for Netflix and graphic novel Z2 Comics.…

The Chicago drill scene is alive and well. Between Polo G’s Hall of Fame and, now, G Herbo‘s 25—we may have a new trend setting up to define the next era of hip-hop. 25 G Herbo Epic, July 2 7/10 The new record follows G Herbo’s 2020 album, PTSD, on which the rapper reflected…