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…

Much to the glee of Odd Future fans, Tyler, the Creator is back with Call Me If You Get Lost. Announced just a week earlier, the album follows 2019’s IGOR and maintains the experimental stylings of the rapper teetering back and forth between his more meditative and thoughtful sides while diving back into his earlier aggressive…

Gucci Mane has made a name for himself as a cornerstone of the trap movement that dominated the last decade of hip-hop. His prolific output of albums and mixtapes have earned him success and a large following, but sooner or later you’re bound to hit a snag. Ice Daddy…

Culture III is a worthy final chapter to Migos‘ trilogy. The album, coming three years following the middle installment, shines in its robust production that’s sure to get crowds pumped in time for the next Coachella. Culture III Migos Capitol, June 11 8/10 The album opens with “Avalanche,” sampling the…

Hall of Fame, the third album from Chicago drill rapper Polo G, presents a veneer of glamour and success, from the artwork and title suggesting prestige to the robust number of notable features—DaBaby, Young Thug, Pop Smoke, Nicki Minaj, Roddy Ricch and more—all evoking the sense of an induction into a titular…