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MILFENCE’s Top 50 Rap Albums of 2018

December 31, 2018 By Jake Milgate

To say 2018 was a great year for rap music would be an understatement. In reality, I feel like most years are pretty decent music-wise as long as you have your ears in the right places. However, 2018 felt different. The underground scene in particular really showed out this year. Several artists dropped multiple quality albums this year, which honestly is a hard thing to do. Sometimes multiple projects can mean less effort, but with these artists this was certainly not the case. Roc Marciano dropped RR2: The Bitter Dose, Behold a Dark Horse, and KAOS with DJ Muggs, and each one held their own. ANKHLEJOHN and Vic Spencer are some other examples of rappers who dropped multiple quality albums in 2018.

I’ve never been super big on top tens, especially when the amount of music I listen to is increasing every year. It just doesn’t sum up the sheer talent and amount of quality emcees that exist within the genre. Truthfully, there’s just too much great music out there…and it should be acknowledged. Honestly, this tweet from the legendary journalist, Dart Adams, sums up how I feel about end of the year lists:

There are 52 weeks in a year. A top 5, 10, 20 or 25 list for an entire year is narrowcasting & if you think a list of 50 or longer is too much for reader’s attention spans given the sheer amount of excellent music released this year then you’re part of the fucking problem…

— Dart_Adams (@Dart_Adams) December 16, 2018

With that being said, I give you my top 50, along with a list of honorable mentions. Let’s get one thing straight though: I enjoyed EVERY album I’m about to discuss, regardless of where it is on the list. Out of the hundreds of albums I listened to this year, I was able to narrow it down to 109 albums that I enjoyed. I derived the top 50 and honorable mentions from there. Also remember…this is my OPINION…so don’t act like a bitch if you feel like your album isn’t ranked high enough…or ranked at all (sorry J. Cole fans…spoiler alert).

Although I listened to quite a bit of music this year, I still didn’t get to all the albums I wanted to listen to this year…my apologies to Chris Crack (Thanks Uncle Trill), Cavalier (Private Stock), and Tierra Whack (Whack World). There are others as well, and I apologize. I’ll probably fuck around and make an article about the albums I missed and drop it early in 2019…but for now, let’s just get to this fucking list.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

AAAAGGGHH – The Doppelgangaz

A Smile Killed My Demons – Vic Spencer

ANKH NASTY – ANKHLEJOHN

Acrylic – Leikeli47

Akira On Acid – al.divino & Estee Nack

Apologies In Advance – Sylvan LaCue

Bad Decisions – Termanology

Being Woke Ain’t Fun – Chris Crack

budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies – Milo

Czarface Meets Metalface – Czarface & MF DOOM

Diamond Dust Shoes – $auce Heist & DirtyDiggs

Dogfood – AA Rashid

Drug Politix – Precyce Politix & D.R.U.G.S. Beats

Edgewood – Trouble & Mike Will Made It

Elcamino – Elcamino

Everybody Is Food 2: Eat What U Kill – Conway

Grimey Life – Big Twins

Hitler Wears Hermes 6 – Westside Gunn

In Celebration Of Us – Skyzoo

Just Gimme a Minute – Chris Crack

KAOS – Roc Marciano & DJ Muggs

KLAP GAWD – Tha God Fahim

Kommunity Service – $ha Hef

Kool 4 Thought – ToneyBoi & Camoflauge Monk

Magnetic Memory – Hprizm

Mi Vida Local – Atmosphere

Nostrum Grocers – Milo & ELUCID

POISON – Swizz Beatz

Punken – Maxo Kream

Pure Beauty – SHIRT

Son Of G Rap – 38 Spesh & Kool G Rap

TA13OO – Denzel Curry

The Freedom Papers – Verb Tec & Vanderslice

The Lost Tapes – Ghostface Killah & Big Ghost LTD

The Pain Collector – Vinnie Paz

The WAVO EP – Hus Kingpin

The Widow’s Son – Apathy

Two Headed Monster – Blueprint

Vacation In Hell – Flatbush Zombies

Weapon OX – Big Kahuna OG

1st Baptist – Pac Div

50. The Best Album Money Can Buy – Vanderslice

A really solid producer album with some great features. Nothing much more to it. But that’s the beauty of it…there doesn’t need to be.

49. Everything’s Fine – Quelle Chris & Jean Grae

A self-aware album about modern hysteria with a great sense of humor. Beats are unusual but pack a punch…and Jean Grae is still a fucking beast on the mic.

48. Everybody Is F.O.O.D. – Conway

One of three albums from The Machine this year. “Slapbox” and the Pete Rock produced “Piper” are standouts in particular on this one.

47. DROGAS WAVE – Lupe Fiasco

A lot to unpack with this one. It’s not often you hear an album make several detailed references to the Atlantic Slave Trade. Tracks like “Jonylah Forever” will leave an impact on you for sure.

46. Streams Of Thought (Vol.1 & 2) – Black Thought

Yes, I grouped both together even though they’re produced by two different people (9th Wonder for Vol. 1 and Salaam Remi for Vol. 2)…and yes, Black Thought, after having no previous solo material, gave us 2 EPs this year. Do yourself a favor and go fucking listen to these projects if you haven’t yet. God-tier lyricism.

45. [D] A R K A N G E L – Sleep Sinatra

Perfect example of an underground gem. Sleep Sinatra brings socially conscious lyrics over well selected lo-fi, jazzy instrumentals. Never heard of Sleep prior to 2018…but I’m most certainly in tune now. Definitely check this one out.

44. Avantdale Bowling Club – Avantdale Bowling Club

I have a feeling this album is gonna grow a lot more on me as time passes by. In reality, this is a beautifully composed jazz album and, quite frankly what feels like a self-help book. Tom Scott’s storytelling is vivid. The jazz combined with the visceral lyrical content makes this a very unique album…PEEP IT.

43. A Breukelan Story – Masta Ace & Marco Polo

Masta Ace doesn’t drop shitty albums…like ever. He continues to prove my point with this Marco Polo assisted project. Masta Ace’s clever wordplay and creative song topic ideas never get old.

42. FLINTLOCK – Knowledge The Pirate

FINALLY we got a fucking Knowledge The Pirate solo album. After hearing this guy so much on Roc Marciano projects I was looking forward to hearing him hold his own on a solo venture…FLINTLOCK doesn’t disappoint.

41. DiCaprio 2 – J.I.D.

The most exciting emcee on Dreamville drops a quality follow up to his debut. There’s smooth joints, off-kilter joints, and just straight slappers. There’s something for everybody on here.

40. DUCK CZN: Chinese Algebra – Mach-Hommy & Tha God Fahim

Mach-Hommy is a national treasure. He and Tha God Fahim go together like a bread and butter. Tons of quotables on here.

39. Timeless – Dark Lo & V Don

This album makes me wanna slap motherfuckers. Enough said.

38. STUPID – Vic Spencer

One of four releases from Vic Spencer this year. Beats provided by Motif Alumni & Kas. A short, sweet, and to the point project from The King Of Living himself.

37. Consumers Park – Chuck Strangers

One of my favorite Pro Era representatives finally released a solo album. The city of Brooklyn shines through on this album. It feels incredibly sentimental…and I’m not even from Brooklyn. Great debut.

36. Book Of Ryan – Royce da 5’9″

Royce’s most personal album to date, and arguably one of his best. It was really touching to hear Royce reflect like this. Songs like “Cocaine” and “Boblo Boat” hit me hard.

35. No News Is Good News – Phonte

Phonte dropped a solo album AND reunited with the other members of Little Brother onstage for the first time in a decade in 2018. What a fucking year. This album is incredibly mature and Phonte proves that he is still an incredibly potent emcee.

34. Portraits – Chris Orrick

I always end up finding myself relating heavily to Chris Orrick’s (formerly Red Pill) content. This hasn’t changed at all with Portraits. This album is heavy and very depressing, but it’s also an album that really helps me get through a bad day. Highly recommended for those who struggle with depression.

33. 13 – Evilldewer

I didn’t listen to nearly as many instrumental projects as I wanted to this year, but goddamn am I glad I found the time to check this one out. Each beat transitions beautifully into the next. If you’re a fan of beat tapes you NEED to check this album out.

32. Mona Lisa – Joell Ortiz & Apollo Brown

Apollo Brown albums get automatic listens from me. His catalog speaks for itself. His latest collab with Joell Ortiz is another strong addition to that catalog. Joell does a great job reflecting on this album while also saving some cuts for his signature, sharp tongued lyricism.

31. Oil Change – Trapo

Trapo weaves his coated, introspective lyrics with some very jazzy, sometimes neo-soul, instrumentals, discussing his frustrations with the industry, being independent, and everyday life situations. Even though it’s just a prelude to his next solo album, it still manages to hold its own and makes for a solid project.

30. or more: the frustration – Mick Jenkins

Yet another prelude to a future album…and yet I still come back to it. There’s some great lo-fi production on here, and it fits Mick’s soothing voice perfectly. Short and sweet.

29. Duffle Of Gems – Vic Spencer

My favorite Vic Spencer project that dropped this year. Dude had one hell of a 2018, but I feel like Duffle Of Gems his most cohesive and poignant project that came out. Fourteen tracks with no features. Grimy bars for days…gotta love it.

28. Backyard Boogie – Fly Anakin & Ohbliv

Stop fucking around and start paying attention to Mutant Academy out of Richmond, VA. Nothing but dope material. Backyard Boogie is an example of that material. It’s an incredibly funky record that garners replay value. I can’t wait to hear more from Fly Anakin in 2019.

27. Monumentality – al.divino

This album is a fucking trip. It feels like I’m joining a cult. The production on this album is some of the most abstract shit I’ve heard all year. al.divino’s voice carries a lot of weight and is a big part of the reason this album works. His delivery mixed with mentions of Egyptian archaeological sites and sorcery are what really tie this album together.

26. Aguardiente – CRIMEAPPLE & Big Ghost LTD

Ever since I started listening to CRIMEAPPLE I’ve a had a serious urge to start taking Spanish classes. But on the real, this Jersey native can rap his fucking ass off. Just play “Palo Santo” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Big Ghost LTD takes control of the boards on this one. Aguardiente is one of three full length projects Big Ghost has produced this year. He paints a great landscape for CRIMEAPPLE to flex his lyrical muscles.

25. Behold A Dark Horse – Roc Marciano

Roc Marciano dropped three albums this year. Let that sink in. He most certainly has a case for rap MVP of the year. Behold A Dark Horse was the second of the three to drop. Roc keeps the bar level high, and brings in some incredible guests along the way (Black Thought and Busta Rhymes to name a few).

24. Afrikan Folk Music From Out the Diaspora – Estee Nack

I saw Estee Nack’s name all over the place in 2018. From his collab tapes with al.divino, to the countless times he was featured on someone else’s track, Estee really put on quite the show. Afrikan Folk Music From Out the Diaspora is a great showcase of his lyrical ability and braggadocios personality. The dope production and well selected features make this project worth returning to multiple times.

23. Blakk Tape – Conway

This album literally sounds like a dark alleyway. Conway dropped three albums this year but Blakk Tape was easily the most haunting out of the three. Most of the beats are handled by Griselda Records‘ in-house producer, Daringer, which would explain the cohesiveness of the album. Want dark, gritty street raps? Listen to Blakk Tape.

22. Pieces of a Man – Mick Jenkins

Yet again, Mick Jenkins has delivered us another solid, well thought out album. It was refreshing to hear Mick diverge from the topics of water and “the healing component”, and tackle something much more broader and vague. Pieces of a Man covers several different topics, ranging from consensual sex, today’s youth, and his place within in the music industry. It’s a solid listen from beginning to end.

21. Room 25 – Noname

Noname is one of the most engaging and poetic emcees we have today in rap music. Her quiet delivery is incredibly calming. On Room 25 she explores the exploitation of black stereotypes and delves deep into self reflection. It’s quite the project to unpack, and lyrics require some deciphering…but at the end of the day, Room 25 is a gorgeous, and vulnerable, album.

20. The Yellow House – ANKHLEJOHN

ANKHLEJOHN became one of my favorite emcees this year. His savage delivery separates him from most other rappers. The Yellow House is an album inspired by a fast food spot on Minnesota Ave in Washington DC. It’s a musical manifestation of ugly elegance. Great project.

19. Million Dollar Mink – Codenine & Paranom

Lynn, Massachusetts is where it’s at. Add Codenine and Paranom to the long list of current buzzing emcees and producers coming from the area, most associated with the Tragic Allies crew. Million Dollar Mink, much like the title itself, is incredibly luxurious. It feels like every bar is flex and all I can picture when I listen to this album are chandeliers and champagne. Gorgeous album.

18. Street Farmacy – Rome Streetz & Farma Beats

Street Farmacyis legitimate musical heroin. The hard knocking, vile production from Farma Beats provide an appropriate canvas for Rome Streetz’ narcotic-twined bars. It’s a short but sweet listen that will satisfy the cravings of any starved fan of mafioso rap. Rome raps very raw, yet sounds smooth as ever as he dives into tales of his upbringing and street life.

17. Medellin II: Don Fabio – SmooVth & Giallo Point

This album sounds like a blaxploitation movie. SmooVth raps smoothly and callously on this project, with Giallo Point providing a cinematically crime influenced background. There’s also some incredible features on here.

16. Some Rap Songs – Earl Sweatshirt

Once I heard Earl started fucking around with Mach-Hommy, I knew exactly what kind of artistic direction he was heading in. Some Rap Songs is the product of Earl spending quite a bit of time with underground rap artists. As a result, he made an incredibly personal album and arguably his most sonically challenging yet.

15. Pressure Cooker – Daniel Son & Futurewave

This album is straight filth. These Futurewave beats are fucking fantastic and Daniel Son is a force to be reckoned with on the mic. It’s an album that can be somewhat glitchy, even electronic at times, yet is made within the same vein as a Mobb Deep project. Truly a unique album.

14. RR2: The Bitter Dose – Roc Marciano

The sequel to his 2017 release, Rosebudd’s Revenge. The samples selected for this album are immaculate, and the way Roc spits his game over them is brilliant. It’s glorious pimp music, and it never gets old.

13. FEVER – Black Milk

Black Milk still hasn’t lost his touch after all these years. In fact, FEVER might be one of his best releases ever, and considering the quality of his discography, that’s saying something. The production on this album is absolutely divine and takes you on a beautiful journey every time you put it on.

12. Walking On Water – Elcamino

When people mention the Buffalo rap scene, names like Westside Gunn and Conway tend to be brought up. It’s time to start mentioning Elcamino within these convos. Walking On Water is a story of triumph, and includes some of the grittiest street raps released in 2018. Definitely give this project a look.

11. Fetti – Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

Arguably the most well composed album of 2018 (props to The Alchemist). Shit sounds like a movie. Each track blends right into the next. It’s a great example of how keeping simple can pay off in dividends when it comes to the final product. Everyone involved gave their A game. This is one hell of an album.

10. Jericho Jackson – Jericho Jackson (Elzhi & Khrysis)

Established North Carolina producer and Jamla representative, Khrysis, and legendary Detroit emcee, Elzhi, linked up to bring us an album that truly embodies the meaning of chemistry. Khrysis and Elzhi mesh beautifully on Jericho Jackson. The traditional boom-bap, and sometimes funky, production provides Elzhi with tremendous flexibility. Thus, the final product is a rap album that covers a variety of topics while embodying the core principles of rap music.

9. VAN GHOST – ANKHLEJOHN & Big Ghost LTD

Big Ghost LTD is an great example of a producer that values this idea of chemistry. His album with DC native, ANKHLEJOHN, is arguably the most finely tuned out of the three collaborative albums he’s curated this year. The lyrical content delivered in VAN GHOST is haunting. “The Yellow House” will forever be ingrained in my brain and is one of the most sinister and thunderous songs I’ve heard in a long time.

8. DAYTONA – Pusha T

Although not labeled as a collaborative album, DAYTONA is certainly within the same vein as one, considering Kanye West produced the entirety of it. It’s the shortest album on my list, but it packs one hell of a punch. Pusha T’s brick raps never get old to me, and his rhymes on DAYTONA are nothing short of mafioso excellence.

7. Supreme Blientele – Westside Gunn

We can’t talk about rap music in 2018 without bringing up Griselda Records. Westside Gunn continued to build on his already strong resume. This is a braggadocios, yet elegant, display of the culture, or to put it simply…FLY SHIT. The beats are excellent, the features are memorable, and Westside Gunn serves as an excellent host. Loved this album.

6. Tana Talk 3 – Benny

Benny finally dropped his first official album on the Griselda Records label. Tana Talk 3 is hard-bodied, technical display of skill and stories about moving weight. It righteously represents Buffalo, NY to the fullest and captures the essence of the city. Production is handled exclusively by Daringer and The Alchemist, allowing for peak cohesiveness. I can’t get this album out of my head.

5. CARE FOR ME – Saba

Great albums evoke emotion. Something pretty much all of the albums on this list did for me. However, CARE FOR ME, may have taken me on the most visceral emotional journey out of all of them. Saba’s story-telling is captivating, and the way he unveils the story of his late friend and fellow emcee, John Walt (R.I.P.), is incredibly heartbreaking. It’s an incredibly beautiful album and a must listen for any fan of rap music.

4. 9 Roses – Codenine & Mr. Rose

Sometimes an album can move you just from the lyrical ability demonstrated on the tracks. This was the exact scenario for me when I listened to 9 Roses. Codenine is an incredibly underrated emcee. Both he, and the album’s producer, Mr. Rose, hail from Lynn, Massachusetts (if you haven’t figured out Lynn is worth paying attention to by now, you need to get your shit together). Codenine rhymes so smoothly on 9 Roses that it almost seems effortless. I got to this album later than most, but goddamn did it leave me floored.

3. Weather Or Not – Evidence

The Dilated Peoples representative calmly destroyed every track on his latest album. He spit game, he was introspective, and he picked incredible beats. Weather Or Not was truly an album that embodied hip-hop. Knowing the pain that Evidence was going through making this album only makes it that more meaningful and significant. Fantastic album that lacks any bad tracks.

2. Paraffin – Armand Hammer (billy woods & ELUCID)

Armand Hammer (ELUCID & billy woods) seemed to pick up right where they left off with their 2017 release, ROME. Chaotic, cryptic, impoverished raps over wildly eclectic production. Paraffin immerses you immediately into it’s dark world and leaves you with chills down your spine. Multiple listenings will be required…but it’s fucking worth it. Christ, I loved this album.

1. Orpheus vs. The Sirens – Hermit & The Recluse (KA & Animoss)

Ka is easily one of the most gifted lyricists we have in rap music today. On Orpheus vs. The Sirens, he uses various aspects of Greek mythology as metaphors for street life, as well as himself and his rap career (Ka = Orpheus). The amount of quotables on this album is truly astounding. Every sentence and word means something…you feel privileged to hear every syllable. Animoss provides a profoundly cinematic background to Ka’s poems, making Orpheus vs. The Sirens, without a doubt, the best rap album of 2018 (in my opinion, of course).

Staff Writers Pick: Top Ten Albums of 2018

December 30, 2018 By deadendhiphop

It was a year of musical inundation and I’m grateful. I look at years as prosperous as 2018 and I can’t help but to also look back at those who aggrandize the 90’s as “the golden era of hip-hop”, as though our best years are already behind us. With every new generation more audacious, more lyrically nimble, more ferocious than the last, the future of hip-hop is brighter than its ever been. To that end, the staff writers and I gathered together to give you all a rundown of our top tens of 2018. We’ve listened to hundreds of hours of music to give you our most opinionated choices. Once you’ve read, I invite you to agree or disagree. Thank you all and Happy New Year.

Michael Stover

Roc Marciano & Muggs “Kaos”

Fly Anakin & Ohbliv “Backyard Boogie

Roc Marciano – “RR2: The Bitter Dose”

Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz “Mona Lisa”

Evidence “Weather Or Not”

Kev Brown “Homework”

Marlowe “Marlowe”

Royce Da 5’9 “The Book Of Ryan”

Phonte “No News Is Good News’

Tierra Whack “Whack World”

Honorable Mention: Rico Nasty “Nasty”, Kev Brown “Fill In The Blank”, Cardi B, “Invasion Of Privacy”

I don’t know how we did it but we made it. Another year has gone by and while the saturation of the hip-hop industry is higher than ever before, I still feel like quality music is being created. Evidence ended his weather themed albums with “Weather Or Not” and the West Coast artist hadn’t missed a beat and gave us his story in the process. Roc Marciano is my choice for hip-hop artist of the year, he dropped three incredible albums and “Kaos” was the pinnacle with DJ Muggs on all the beats. Another semi-consistent theme this year was one emcee & one producer albums. Fly Anakin & Ohbliv exploded with their album “Backyard Boogie” bringing all of Mutant Academy along for a hip, vintage and blunted journey of raw rap and raw beats, what more could you want? Speaking of which we finally got the return of the legend himself Phonte with “No News Is Good News”. “Charity Starts At Home” was a mature album and “No News Is Good News” is no different. Phonte’s way with words and ability to relay his experiences and life lessons to us is second to none. Tierra Whack & Marlowe were both projects that were left-field in terms of musical “norms” if you will but pushed the genre forward. “Whack World” is 15 songs in 15 minutes. But I’ll be damned if it isn’t packed with so much content you’ll have it on loop for the rest of your life. L’Orange has never had an orthodox sound, this made teaming up with Solemn Brigham a match in heaven as his flows, cadence, voice, and delivery are just as zany yet poignant as the man behind the beats. Why did you all sleep on Kev Brown this year? WHY?! “Homework” was such a creative way to put out an album and showcase the abilities of one of the world’s best talents. Kev Brown gives us instrumentals and smooth, sharp rhymes to study up. 2018, truth be told, ended up being better than I expected and who in the world knows what 2019 will bring.

Jake Milgate

Orpheus Vs. The Sirens – Ka & Animoss

Paraffin – Armand Hammer (billy woods & ELUCID)

Weather Or Not – Evidence

9 Roses – Codenine & Mr. Rose

CARE FOR ME – Saba

Tana Talk 3 – Benny

Supreme Blientele – Westside Gunn

DAYTONA – Pusha T

VAN GHOST – ANKHLEJOHN & Big Ghost LTD

Jericho Jackson – Elzhi & Khrysis

2018 was an incredible year for rap music, and truthfully, a top ten doesn’t even come close to summing up the sheer excellence that was released by emcees this year. Even my own personal top 50 list excludes albums I feel deserve to be acknowledged and recognized. These albums I’m about to mention are, in my opinion, excellent. Crafting my list was excruciating because I feel each of these albums is unique and distinct in their own way. All that aside, I was asked to give ten albums, so here are the top ten albums on my list that dropped in 2018. Established North Carolina producer and Jamla representative, Khrysis, and legendary Detroit emcee, Elzhi, linked up to bring us an album that truly embodies the meaning of chemistry. Khrysis and Elzhi mesh beautifully on Jericho Jackson. The traditional boom-bap and sometimes funky production provides Elzhi with tremendous flexibility. Thus, the final product is a rap album that covers a variety of topics while embodying the core principles of rap music. Collaborative albums between one emcee and one producer often end up being some of the best albums because of the cohesiveness. It’s an incredibly satisfying aspect to experience when listening to albums. That’s probably why half of the albums in my top ten are collab projects, or albums produced almost entirely by one producer. Big Ghost LTD is a great example of a producer that values this idea of chemistry. His album with DC native, ANKHLEJOHN, is arguably the most finely tuned out of the three collaborative albums he’s curated this year. The lyrical content delivered in VAN GHOST is haunting. The Yellow House will forever be ingrained in my brain and is one of the most sinister and thunderous songs I’ve heard in a long time. Although not labeled as a collaborative album, DAYTONA is certainly within the same vein as one, considering Kanye West produced the entirety of it. It’s the shortest album on my list, but it packs one hell of a punch. Pusha T’s “brick raps” never get old to me, and his rhymes on DAYTONA are nothing short of mafioso excellence. However, we can’t mention the term “mafioso” without bringing up Griselda Records. Griselda’s 2018 catalog was stand out, producing gems like Tana Talk 3 and Supreme Blientele. Westside Gunn continued to build on his already strong resume, while Benny dropped his first official album on the label. One is a braggadocious, yet elegant, display of the culture (Supreme Blientele), while the other is hard-bodied, technical display of skill and stories about moving weight (Tana Talk 3). Both righteously represent Buffalo, NY to the fullest and capture the essence of the city. Great albums evoke emotion. Something all of these albums did for me. However, CARE FOR ME may have taken me on the most visceral emotional journey out of all ten. Saba’s story-telling is captivating, and the way he unveils the story of his late friend and fellow emcee, John Walt (R.I.P.), is incredibly heartbreaking. Sometimes an album can move you just from the lyrical ability demonstrated on the tracks. This was the exact scenario for me when I listened to 9 Roses. Codenine is an incredibly underrated emcee. Both he, and the album’s producer, Mr. Rose, hail from Lynn, Massachusetts. Codenine rhymes on 9 Roses are effortless. I felt the same way about Evidence on Weather Or Not as well. The Dilated Peoples representative calmly destroyed every track on his latest album. He spits game, he was introspective, and he picked incredible beats. Weather Or Not was truly an album that embodied hip-hop. Paraffin, however, had a much different tone. Armand Hammer (ELUCID & billy woods) seemed to pick up right where they left off with their 2017 release, ROME. Chaotic, cryptic, impoverished raps over wildly eclectic production. One of only two albums this year that truly gave me chills after listening to it in its entirety; the other being Orpheus vs. The Sirens. Ka is easily one of the most gifted lyricists we have in rap music today. On Orpheus vs. The Sirens, he uses various aspects of Greek mythology as metaphors for street life, as well as himself and his rap career (Ka = Orpheus). The amount of quotables on this album is truly astounding. Every sentence and word means something and it’s quite beautiful to hear unfold. Animoss provides a profoundly cinematic background to Ka’s poems, making Orpheus vs. The Sirens, without a doubt, the best rap album of 2018.

Terrence Sage

Milky Way by Bas

Redemption by Jay Rock

TA1300 by Denzel Curry

Fetti by Curren$y

Hive Mind by The Internet

Championships by Meek Mill

Kids See Ghosts by Kids See Ghosts (Kanye West and Kid Cudi)

NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES by Metro Boomin

Dirty Computers by Janelle Monae

CARE FOR ME by Saba

For me, what makes my Top 10 is which albums I can repeat every time and not lose the feeling of getting hyped or enjoying every song. Looking back at where my head was at during our halfway point, only three albums remained and stuck the landing all the way to the end of the year. Metro Boomin might have gifted us with the best collection of songs I’ve heard all year with NAHWC, it’s great and everyone needs to have Space Cadet memorized. 2018 was an interesting one overall with artists having a comeback season of sorts like Meek Mill with Championships who tells a personal story now that he’s out of prison and with some stories that truly paint the picture of how he’s been feeling. Speaking of personal stories, Jay Rock delivered with Redemption as well. Denzel Curry, Bas, and Janelle Monae made an absolute fan out of me with their respective albums. Milky Way and Dirty Computes were both spots of fresh air this year, really liberating and feel good albums that are great from beginning to end. This year overall gave us a few surprises and follow-ups that delivered in their own right, it was a good year for the music I enjoy.

Donnie Skillz

6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter

Black Thought – Streams Of Thought Vol. 2

Meek Mill – Championships

9th Wonder Presents Jamla Is The Squad II (2018)

El Camino – Walking On Water

J.I.D – Di Caprio 2

Masta Ace & Marco Polo – A Breukelen Story

Westside Gunn – Supreme Blientele

Benny The Butcher- Tana Talk 3

Mick Jenkins – Pieces Of A Man

So many solid projects came out every month which got my playlist changing every minute. This list is not exhaustive but a very narrowed down look at some projects that blew my mind. It took me a while to get into 6lack’s East Atlanta Love Letter and I came out all the better for it. “Scripture” was the single that got me in and I never looked back since. We really need to talk about Black Thought’s Streams Of Thought Vol. 2, a project which I think was more cohesive than the first volume which came out earlier this year. I felt Salaam Remi’s stripped down beats had more punch and Black Thought also came with an extra lyrical fury. Meek Mill’s Championships can be said to be the 1st album from the man since his Drake debacle to fully draw me in. All I can say is, it is flames from start to finish and the beats are way better than his previous outings plus verses from Drake, Jigga definitely raised the project’s status as well. Jamla Is The Squad II is a no-brainer, we all knew what to expect and that J. Cole featured single “Sojourner” sure did a number on my brain. A lotta gems in here like the solo cuts from veterans such as Black Thought “Cojiba”, Busta’s “Jumpin” and Pharoahe Monche. Most may have slept on El Camino‘s Walking On Water but do get familiar with it when you can. It’s absolutely off the hinges. I will admit that I wasn’t convinced when J.I.D dropped DiCaprio 2, I really had to go back and listen thoroughly before it dawned on me on how dope this cat is. The legendary Masta Ace & Marco Polo’s A Breukelen Story may not win awards but it is a damn good project that follows the time-tested conceptual themes that Ace always delivered since inception. The linear storyline style never bores you and keeps the listener looking forward to the next track. Y’all know I had to put more Griselda on the list with Westside Gunn ‘s Supreme Blientele and Benny The Butcher‘s Tana Talk 3. The subject matter is still the same, the beats are grimy AF and the rhyming is raw like sushi. This is that type of hip-hop you listen to when you about to go down and dirty on the block with the homies. I just became a fan of Mick Jenkins when I checked out Pieces Of A Man. Previously I never went out of my way to peep his stuff, I hear a couple of songs here and there and I move on but this project is undeniably strong and cohesive from top to bottom.

Tyler Jones

Saba – Care for Me

J.I.D. – DiCaprio 2

Noname – Room 25

Mick Jenkins – Pieces of a Man

Kyle – Light of Mine

Mac Miller – Swimming

Vince Staples – FM!

Smino – NOIR

Logic – Young Sinatra IV

Travis Scott – Astroworld

2018 tested the different parts of me but thanks to some dope releases, I was able to stay in one piece. The music from hip-hop especially let me knew what was real. While I was finishing up that last semester of undergrad, I just needed words that held me together and allowed me to grasp what little sanity I had from that stressful time. Saba and Kyle helped with that first half of the year as soundtracks that were on the opposite end of up the spectrum. After a long conversation with my little brother about mortality and how fleeting it is, I needed something light and happy to balance out those vibes. Light of Mine let me look at my ups and downs in the face and let me smile. Care for Me was the dark tunnel I had to traverse through so I could cry. It’s the project that continues to stick with me. The project took a second listen to truly grasp what it was making me feel but once it hit, it continued to keep doing so. I find something new to think about with each listen. After college, Mac Miller helped me with the day I moved to Atlanta with some wonderfully sober music, encouraging me to go through the move by helping me stay afloat. Travis Scott gave me bangers for celebration after moving all my crap in my apartment. Probably the most well-produced album of the year. It was quiet for a minute when I was trying to process the rest of the releases of August until Noname dropped Room 25 a month later. Her flows of water quenched my thirst and automatically shot to the top of my lists. Logic finally gave me the album I wanted after listening to the first Young Sinatra back in high school. It was what I needed to get my back on board after his last project. Mick Jenkins came through with jazzy raps two days after my birthday for the best project of October. Another gem that I keep finding new content to draw from. November took me to the movies with releases from Smino and J.I.D. who painted pictures worthy of that $10 you pay at your local theater. DiCaprio 2 was the project that fulfilled the hype machine I made in my mind and has had a daily listen. I truly believe this proves that he got next. All these projects stayed at the top of my list even though it seemed like there was a project dropping each week and their impacts are going to last long into 2019.

I.S. Jones: Managing Editor

Eden: cupcakKe

Care for me: Saba

November: SiR

Dirty Computer: Janelle Monae

Swimming: Mac Miller

Stay Dangerous: YG

The Book of Ryan: Royce Da 5’9”

Wack World: Tierra Whack

Invasion of Privacy: Cardi B

Room 25: Noname

As though every artist sought to best themselves and their adversaries, it seemed for every night and every other night, we were surprised with midnight releases, surprise releases, and sleeper hit after sleep hit. I think, all things considered, it was a generous year for women in hip-hop, although there is still much room for improvement. cupcakKe opens up my list with “Eden”. Sex-positive and rough, trading bar for bar, the Chicago rapper is a savage. With bold tracks such as a “Blackjack” and more sonically playful ones like “Prenup”, cupcakKe’s music is a reclamation of the femme body and the currency of the body. From hot bars on “Prenup”: “Thought NyQuil was up in a strap / ‘Cause one bullet gave that bitch a nap” and on “Blackjack”: “The dick like Ariana ponytail ‘cause I swear that shit was the longest” her hypersexuality isn’t a gimmick but her armor. SiR’s “November” was so integral to my own writing and to getting through another brutal New York winter. Lush, ethereal, romantic, and captivating in its West Coast tone, SiR weaves a tapestry of love that refuses to touch the ground or be grounded in earthly ideals. In “Something Foreign” he sings: “I’m moving through this movie like my life’s duty / is to live unruly you / shoulda never introduce me to the beauty in the darker side of heaven’s view” and those dark, piano trills floor into his listeners. My queer queen Janelle Monae really dazzled me this year with Dirty Computer, a derogatory term Monae coined, she names herself on her terms. Throughout hip-hop’s history, we’ve lost a lot of good ones too soon and Mac Miller was no exception. I don’t know if Miller meant for it to seem this way, but Swimming sounds like an album you write when you know you won’t be here for long: “My regrets look like texts I shouldn’t send / And I got neighbors, they’re more like strangers / we could be friends” he croons on “Come Back to Earth”. Miller hones in on a melancholic distance he feels from the outside world, but also the immediate prison of the mind. He’s swimming trying to make it back to shore but drowned holding his breath. One of the hardest albums of the year, YG’s Stay Dangerous. Power by grit, hard-bass heavy tracks, YG is purely rapping, which is a departure from the bombastic lyrical acrobatics we’re used to from his contemporaries. It was, as Nicholas Nichols, described it: “a hood odyssey”. The only album that went harder was none of than Royce Da 5’9” necessary The Book of Ryan, which is not only a modern cornerstone New York album, but it’s a punchy album, where are the Royce bests himself again and again. My top three were reserved for the projects I kept coming back to, the albums I felt were the most ambitious projects of 2018. At number three is Tierra Whack’s phenomenal Whack World, an album unlike anything I’ve ever seen—a series of one minute vignette, all of which clock in around a minute per track. Clocking in at just 15 minutes, the audiovisual album is bursting with her vivid, surreal imagination. Tierra Whack is vivacious, daring, strange, and that’s her best weapon—being herself. One album I was blown away and kept finding my way back to was Cardi B’s full-length album Invasion of Privacy, equal parts bravado, vulnerable, honest, Cardi B puts her insecurities at the forefront and pushes back against the world trying to rush in. While Cardi had two mixtapes prior, this album is nothing like what we’ve seen of her before. Each track is sonically rich and bold, stepping on the toes of her skeptics. Cardi B is the underdog’s underdog story and now she’s on top of the world. Coming in at number one is the one and only, Noname. I really thought no album could top Cardi’s, but Noname burst from her chrysalis to deliver this dreamy, jazz /neo-soul-influence, coming-of-age story which gave us effortless gems like: “My pussy teachin’ ninth-grade English / My pussy wrote a thesis on colonialism”. Fully aware of her power, Noname blooms.

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I.S. Jones is the Managing Editor of Dead End Hip Hop. She only writes for people who read. Her website is here

JID: DiCaprio 2 [Album Review]

November 30, 2018 By Tyler Jones

Leonardo DiCaprio is regarded as one of the most prolific actors of this generation. Known to be selective with his projects so he would stand out and grab eyes. While some of his projects were blockbusters, he focused on the gold more than the dollar. On DiCaprio 2, J.I.D attempts to command ears everywhere to go for that very prestige.

Since March 2017, J.I.D came into the spotlight with his debut album, The Never Story. Dreamville’s golden child was deemed the next superstar from critical praise. Not wanting to rest on last years laurels, November 26th, also JID’s birthday, we saw the release of this gem. Teaming up with DJ Drama for a Gangsta Grillz project, he continues the legacy many have made in the legendary series. Continuing with the theme from the last project, he starts with “Frequency Change”. Quick little skits that see our main character bored flipping from channel to channel, which could be seen as a foreshadowing of what’s to come from the project. He is showing every side of himself and all the ability he has. He can do every subject good to great and won’t stop till you call it amazing. Drama, wildlife, romance, and news are reflected until it ultimately lands on the action genre with “Slick Talk”. A slow chant of activation that lets him do what he does best: rip the beat. Before listeners get too comfortable, the channel changes again into something straight out of a sci-fi horror special. The ATLien doesn’t loosen his grip on the haunting instrumental till all the life has left it.

Fresh off the slaughter, JID doesn’t stop and continues to murder on “Westbrook”. The beat sounds like a trap jungle and JID is the king destroying everything in his path. A$AP Ferg with his roar of a hook makes you want to chant along with him. Afterward, we get into the two pre-releases from the album starting with “Off Deez” with J. Cole, who might be delivering his best verse of the year and rarely is Cole in this form unless he wants to prove something. It is reminiscent of 2010 and 2011 Cole. These are records that just continue the momentum from the previous tracks. Each bar is worth a rewind and the MC doesn’t let a second waste once he starts. As the first track stated, he activates and shows us the meaning of going off. While the beats are bangers, they aren’t too complex aside from the bass, JID gives the track new life.

And while braggadocio is the main element of “Westbrook” and “Off Deez”, the album takes a quick turn to not only “talk that talk” but to also talk to you. Drugs, addiction, and violence is the message he isn’t trying to shove or force but discuss. Starting off with the second pre-release “151 Rum”, JID is drunk off of the beat that seems to swell with his cadence. It takes 44 seconds into the track for him to get started but once he does, he spews the bars as if he has to get it out of him. He has to expel all the evil he’s seen and has to let everyone know what he just witnessed from the youths around him. After the night of debauchery and sin, the beat for “Off Da Zoinkys” sings the gospel. “I am so grateful” it belts and provides the background for the survivor of last night’s shenanigans to tell their story. JID takes the church podium and proclaims he’s off the hard drugs. As the drums increase, so does his passion and professes he doesn’t want to be the cause of his own or friend’s demise. When the beat reaches its peak, so does he. It’s like the pastor from the church is sweating all over and has his towel in hand because his words have become the holy scripture that is lighting up the hearts of the churchgoers in attendance. The part of the sermon where someone’s grandmother is raising her hand in accordance with the holy word. He isn’t preaching but professing and making his vow to do better: “We almost got into a fight / Like dead-ass fixing to fade em / Maybe I did too much / But I love my n***a I’m gone save em”.

The addict is afraid for what could become of, not only himself but the ones he rode around within Decatur and East Atlanta. He wants to see the success they’re enjoying continuing with all of them still living. You can almost hear a crack in his voice and you can’t help but feel for his loss of life he has already had from it. And yes the rapping performed to tell these stories is done at an impeccable level. It’s the two song stretch that are the brightest lights on the album.

After the sermon, the frequency changes again to relax and turn to smoother beats and flows from the MC. JID lounges and floats on raps to reflect with “Workin Out”. Things may not be going the way he thought after laying down his troubles but its here’s to hoping it plays out nicely until he gets “Tiiied”. He trades in the relaxed flow for melodic sing-raps and blends perfectly blend with R&B guests, 6LACK and Ella Mai. Venting out their frustrations and transgressions until they feel better. It’s certainly a change in musical style but it fits perfectly with the project because, after the intense feelings left from the other tracks, it lets the listener take a well-needed break. To continue the break, we get saxophone induced jazz raps for women on “Skrawberries”. BJ the Chicago Kid provides soulful vocals as JID lets his love for his woman “bury his sins”. From the type of women he likes to his “femi-nem” friends to the ladies he sees go through the “ain’t worth a damn man” phase, it’s all about the lady. It’s done so smoothly that’ll make you want to two-step every time.

After the scent of perfume leaves the room, the ganja smoke replaces it to continue the calm mood with “Hot Box” but the bars aren’t sacrificed for simple weed bars. JID and Joey Bada$$ don’t waste time or flows to be wasted and show their generation has what it takes to stand against the vet, Method Man, as he comes in the room to do what he does best. Body a beat, package up the remains and send it every listener to auditorily witness the mess he just made. He has a standout guest verse next to Cole’s. “Mounted Up” continues the high and lets him get on his horse to rap and play with his flow like it was putty and mess around. After playing, he chooses to tell the street tales of sadness with “Just Da Other Day”. It’s a terrible cycle and it may not seem that but it’s pretty bad. The final note of the album narrative is done with “Despacito Too”. The dark, menacing beat is at it appears and knocks on the best level but what doesn’t get lost in the dark bars he spits. Like channeling the dark feelings from everything that has transpired thus far and putting it into the attitude he uses to rap on the closer. But it’s at the 3: 16-minute mark that the hype flow he goes acapella before he crashes into oblivion. It’s a perfect closer for the project as it leaves you wanting more. There is the bonus track, “Hasta Luego” but truly serves as that it may be a great track but comes more like an encore than actually part of the frequency changes in the album.

This project is one of the best of the year. JID is crafting his legacy and is giving performance after performance to achieve rap supremacy. More than an actor, JID is like the main character in an anime. After a long journey of training and growth, he came back to show what he has learned with new techniques and forms. As the project plays, you hear him growing and getting stronger with each beat. This isn’t the final fight that he has been perfecting his technique for. It’s the prelude. He’s merely showing off what he’s got and it’s the appetizer to something even greater he has coming up his sleeve. The Wolf of Wall Street before The Revenant that lets him get that gold he is showing he is capable of holding. But for the time being, the prelude is damn good and will make you anxious for what is coming next.

DiCaprio 2 can be found here:

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Tyler Jones is Staff Writer with Dead End Hip Hop. You can tweet at him here

Watch the trailer for Donald Glover’s ‘Guava Island’ here

November 26, 2018 By I.S. Jones

With Donald Glover turning away from music and Rihanna herself always dipping her toes into other endeavors, the duo has combined creative forces to create Guava Island. The trailer made its debut on the last day of PHAROS, his annual festival. PHAROS has been described by Glover as “a gathering of the five intuitives of the human experience: tribe, ritual, experience abstraction, architecture, language”. In its second year the festival took place in New Zealand, premiering Guava Island on November 24th.

Directed by Glover’s longtime collaborator Hiro Murai, the trailer opens with Glover playing the guitar and singing while playfully teasing his on-screen girlfriend Rihanna. From there, the trailer segues into shot of him performing, dancing, running away, and held hostage. The most notable dialogue in the trailer from Glover: “We live in paradise but none of us actually have the time or the means to live here” speaks to the duality of living in what the West often describe as “destination getaway” while many of the natives are often left with the struggles day-to-day life

It will also feature Letitia Wright and Nonso Anozie. Watch the trailer for Guava Island below.

#guavaisland @rihanna pic.twitter.com/thWN6QoQYr

— courtney (@purelylorde) November 24, 2018

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I.S. Jones is the Managing Editor of Dead End. Her works have appeared in Revolt, NBCThink, and elsewhere. You can tweet at her here

Swimming Through The Good Times: An Interview With Michael Christmas

November 26, 2018 By Matthew Whitlock

Artists who toggle the line of play and precision will seek life-long success. We’ve seen this There are two kinds of rappers in the game: those who soul lacks music, who are here for a good time, not a long time and there are those who will be successful because they stay themselves.

Enter Michael Christmas and his fully-embraced, fun-loving, free spirit. His upbeat personality and his explosive catalog have propelled him into a world of fame with unlimited possibilities. From world tours to a new deal with Fool’s Gold, Michael Christmas has never once strayed away from enjoying the ride.

His latest album, “Role Model”, is a road trip into his past and a reflection of his life as a young adult trying to navigate the wild world painted before him. Nobody spins joy from the awkward quite the way Michael Christmas does, and in “Role Model”, the passenger seat is wide open.

Christmas’s father was in the studio throughout the recording process; the introduction is voiced by two of his younger sisters while vocals from his stepdad, mother, and girlfriend can be heard on skits between songs. The album is a side-step from what he usually delivers, but a sonic evolutionary journey nonetheless. Opposites attract and “Role Model” came together like Voltron. Growing up in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston ain’t for the weak of heart, but it will morph you into a person with the strength of ten Hulks if you let it. Aside from the amount of tequila he drinks and how often he swims, Michael Christmas is still the same person he was when he emerged onto the scene: moving through life with vivacious spirit but an insatiable desire for knowledge.

Matt Whitlock: How’s the reception for the album is going? I see it every day picking up more and more.

Michael Christmas: Hell yeah, I’m like really, really looking forward to seeing if it opens some doors and shit like that because that’s, you know, that’s what niggas put out albums for. (laughs)

MW: For real, right? Yeah, get the word out. The partnership with Fool’s Gold must be exciting, that’s a lot of leverage right there you know what I mean. You got a crazy cast over there already, you’re in good company.

MC: Well, I’ve been having people come up to me, about that shit, for months now (laughs) like “Yo, I heard you on Fool’s Gold.” People I’ve never seen before in my life. All the time, coming up to me, talking to me and shit “Yo, you on Fool’s Gold?”

MW: You know damn well that’s gonna pick up more and more.

MC: Of course, I’m ready to start working on the next shit already.

MW: I bet you are. I’ve been listening to the album and there’s a lot of growth in there. Especially from “Is This Art” and other projects

MC: Thank you.

MW: It’s personal and you’re the same, but I was listening to [the album] and I did the Car Test the other day with it, sat in the whip and just vibed out to it. There’s a lot of personal shit, but it’s still relatable with ideas I feel other people don’t necessarily talk about.

MC: Yeah, I’m still not on that “Big Ass Rapper Level” yet so, I can still be relatable. I’m on my everyday shit like before you called me, I was cleaning my house.

MW: Facts. That’s what the people flock to; the fake shit only last so long.

MC: Still drunk as shit

MW: What you do last night

MC: My engineer and I were trying two different tequilas.

MW: What were you drinking, which ones? I work at a liquor store part-time.

MC: One of them was called Casa Noble, it’s from Mexico. My mom went there and she bought it for me, for a gift when she came back. He had this trash shit, some ugly shit some silver tequila and we were drinking both, trying to spot the differences and the differences were obvious very vast.

MW: Yeah I can’t drink tequila. I had a party in college and we played, I was like 19 years old, and we played flip cup with tequila. That was a bad choice—tequila. That’s your go-to? Tequila?

MC: Hell no! Cognac is my go-to but I just had that bottle, it was supposed to be special. So I drank half the other day and then last night I was like “I haven’t celebrated with my engineer yet” and we did this album together so I brought that to the studio and we just got smashed. He was very drunk like you don’t know Rob and shit, but he was fuckin’ belligerent drunk. I had a session, I booked an hour and I ended up staying for the next dude’s session.

MW: That’s fuckin’ hilarious. That’s chill though.

MC: It was cool, today, I got up like “Damn, I got to get my shit together.” My girl said her family is coming here today and we smoke all in the house, so you know I was just cleaning up the crib to make sure it doesn’t smell like weed.

MW: Get it all presentable.

MC: And then she just told us they’re probably not even coming inside, so I’m sick right now.

MW: Nah don’t be sick, yo, the best is chilling and sitting on the couch in a clean ass house and lighting up, just chillin’ in a clean ass house there’s no better feeling than that. There really isn’t, like everything smells mad good (laughs)

MC: Yeah no bullshit, because once my house is clean, I’m doing the same thing I do every time. I’m just walking around the house, smiling, looking at everything.

MW: So, a couple of favorites off the album, definitely “These Days” and “Everybody Eat” with (Cousin) Stizz, what’s your favorite if you had to pick?

MC: My favorites, well my favorite if I had to pick, probably “Upset” is my number one favorite joint. Then “Not For Me” and “Growing up” both make me really happy too. I teared up at the end of “Not For Me”. One time I was listening to it before it came out with the guitar solo at the end. It was the like day after we laid that down. It was my homie who works at Bodega. I was listening to it, while playing 2K and I just started tearing up when I heard the fucking guitar solo like “Yo, this guitar solo is so good!”

MW: That was beautiful.

MC: The thing is, it took him so long to do it because he kept trying over and over and over. Trying different shit and I was like “Yo, play this next one like you won’t get to play it again. Play it like we’re at a show and if you fuck this up, you just fucked up the show.” That’s when he played the one that we kept, so everything came together so tight, it was like a movie.

MW: He just needed that little bit of push.

MC: Yeah literally, halfway through, he would stop like “We got to clean that up” and I’m like “No, we’re not cleaning shit up.”

MW: I’ve noticed that, especially with live music players, in studios, they’re even more particular than artists or producers are with something that you may not even hear, that they hear.

MC: Exactly. There’s another track that you had, and I can’t think of the name of it off top, but it was about one of your teachers. They gave a speech about how it was for you growing up and you said he was talking to you about how you came home and you thought everyone’s family was like your family. Oh yeah, yeah, that was “Growing Up”.

MW: Yup

MC: So what happened was, this girl said her parents were going to pick her up from school and I was confused by that because both of my parents never do anything together. They didn’t live together so I assumed, I was confused, I was like “Your parents live together? Parents don’t live together” that’s what I said.

MW: What age was this?

MC: That was in kindergarten or the first grade.

MW: Oh, yeah, you were just confused.

MC: Yeah I was so little, I was just like, “What The Fuck”, I wasn’t sad or anything. I never dreamed of having my parents be together because they were never together. There was no like “Oh, I want my dad and my mom back together” or nothing like that. Yeah, it’s just two grown-up n****s that I call every day

MW: Listening to that, it was tough to listen to, not tough but you could feel it. The song had already hit you. So when that speech came on, it was already a beautiful song but my arm hairs started to stand up a little bit. It was like, anytime someone you know, or a teacher is talking about an encounter with a child it’s always going to draw some type of emotion. When it’s something that has to do with family, it fit beautifully.

MC: It’s wild because since I started dating my girl, I’ve learned more about how people grow up and shit. She grew up and had the perfect school career and was a good kid. Her mom was a great mom and her mom was older. You know, my mom was young and dad was young. My family is all over the place (laughs). We’ve been all over the place, so I’ve learned that I grew up very different from a lot of people. I went to like seven different schools, mad shit. So, recently, I’ve become proud of some of these, I wouldn’t call them setbacks but I call them differences. I’m just different and these differences are what made me this way.

MW: Exactly and now you’re realizing it at a perfect time in your life, where it fits the music that you’ve already been making.

MC: Yup, we had a party the other day for the album and my mom and my dad were in there, fucked up with me. My mom was clutching the champagne bottle all night and I’m like “Nobody’s parents are doing this.” Nobody’s parents were turnt up like mine and it’s funny because all my life, all the other kids always said they wish their parents were like my parents.

MW: It’s funny to think about how you were confused about all that and now, it’s like the dynamic that they had when they were not together, kind of made you, well it made them, more of your homies than traditional parents. So now looking back, people are like “Damn I wish my parents were like that” when most parents were traditional family parents, so you wouldn’t think of it that way.

MC: Yes exactly, it’s more from my dad really because my mom was pretty strict when I was a kid. She was on my ass daily, yelling a lot. Now that I’m grown, and I could take care of myself, she comes to me when she needs to talk. I’m like the only adult that’s not connected to the rest of the adults in her life like that. So, I have my own outside perspective.

MW: So she can appreciate that.

MC: Whenever she needs to talk to somebody, she immediately comes to me and I’m like “Whatever you need”. You know my mom is the homie now but it wasn’t always like that. With my dad, it was always like that. [My dad and I] bet that my mom wouldn’t show up to the party, even though I knew she was coming. She doesn’t usually come, she doesn’t usually go to shit because she doesn’t like being out with all the young people. So I called her the day before the party like “You know you got to come” and she was like “Alright.” So she pulled up with her homegirl and we were in there getting folded. One of my roommates is a huge fan of my mom, she wants to be like my mom when she gets older, and they were getting drunk together, it was funny as hell.

MW: So you mentioned Bodega a little while ago. Everybody knows there’s a relationship with you and Bodega there, can you give a little info on what Bodega is to you and how it influenced your career as an artist, as an individual aside from music…?

MC: Well, Bodega, more than anything, is a place that when I was always down there. I just wanted to shop there. Everybody in there was dressed so cool and anybody who was coming in there was buying fly shit. I always wanted to be able to do that but I couldn’t. Then I really wanted to get a job there when I was like 16 or 17 and they wouldn’t hire me but I was still coming all the time, with my friends. At one point, we got in trouble there so much that we weren’t supposed to go there anymore. Fast forward, we’re in town, we start doing our rap shit, it’s working and we’re cooperating.

We’re not fucking the store up (laughs). Now, it’s a hub for us to go get kicks, we buy shit and we know everybody that works there. There’s no reason not to kick it there and it’s kind of a central location because of where it’s at in the city and when you go there you can get anywhere from there. Whenever I need to kill time, I just go kick it at Bodega, chop it up with them, buy some shit, they always hold me down with the kicks. I just got them off-white ones, we went there the other day, you know what I’m saying. They’re just the homies, but more than anything else, I don’t feel like any other stores here really hold a candle to them. As far as what they do with the streetwear, selling kicks, the style of the actual store itself, everything about Bodega. I think it’s just better than all the other streetwear shops in the city, that’s really what it is.

Yeah, they do a lot of cool shit, they throw the homies little fuckin’ modeling gigs, every once in a while. A bunch of my homies, who didn’t even have a job, like, I’ll go there and they’ll be there working now and I’m like “Oh shit, you work here now?” They always support me, for the most part, when I go in there. They always know what’s up when I put out albums, they held them down, they carried my merch in there for a little bit when I had my hats, so it’s just the spot.

MW: For real, I don’t want to keep you on the phone all night, so the last question: what’s something the average fan might not know about you? Something they might not be able to find in another interview?

MC: Oh alright, I’m really good at swimming, like I’m nice.

MW: At swimming? Like you can do the high dive and all that?

MC: Nah, I can dive but I never dive off like the big ass platform, but I can dive. I was trained in all of this shit. I went camping for like four years straight and ended up being a junior lifeguard, so I’m nice at swimming.

MW: Wow, so did you compete or anything? If you were a lifeguard, you had to be pretty serious.

MC: No, every day there were two forms of swimming. They had an instructional swim [course]. If you were good, you used to do drills the whole time, and that’s what I was doing by like my second session. Then you have a free swim [lesson], everybody kickin’ it or whatever but during an instructional swim [course], they’d have us doing shit because we were 12 foot [deep]. They would throw this, like, black brick at the bottom of the pool and they would do shit like you’d have to dive to the bottom of the pool and get the brick and swim up to the top but you can’t kick off the floor.

MW: Damn, that’s intense.

MC: Yeah, drills like that, doing like five or six laps down the whole length of the pool, I should be shredded. (laughs)

MW: (Laughing) Are you still swimming?

MC: I don’t have a place to swim. The last time I was swimming, was me and my DJ, did a show in Michigan and the hotel had a pool that was open all night. There was a basketball court right next to the pool, so we hooped for like 2 hours and then we went swimming for like 2 hours. That was like the last time I got to swim, but I realized I still got it.

Role Model can be streamed below:

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Matt Whitlock manages a liquor store and listens to Rap music. He also enjoys short blunt walks to the refrigerator, watching movies with the sound off, and just plain chillin’. You can tweet at him here

Vince Staples: FM! [Album Review] by @SageTerrence01

November 18, 2018 By Terrence Sage

The radio is home to all of the most popular from your region. It’s not necessarily highlighting the best when it comes to a genre of music but the sure-fire songs. Vince Staples teleports us to a sunny yet realized observation at one man’s world that knows the terrors of the Summer and its fleeting enjoyment brought to you by the radio station with FM!

FM! is right at home within Vince’s discography for discussing the stark reality that he’s never shielded away from with production that gives his lyrics a backdrop of up-tempo pop and bounces when he calls for it. In the back half of the album, the sounds of summer and the electric beat are replaced by more downtempo and G-Funk as Vince digs into what makes a dangerous, but normal life for the young Long Beach rapper. The project is short, clocking in at just twenty-three minutes. Across eleven tracks Vince gives us deadpan raps with a nasal voice that has the West Coast sound with accessibility as it continually loops from the production from Kenny Beats, Hagler, KillaGraham, and Cubeatz. FM! Is an album that brings together the fun and danger of Summertime in unison to biographical stories and what that means in this hectic time that is known to increase violence in the streets.

FM! acts as an encapsulated moment reminding listeners us all that there’s more to the Summer than the Radio and highlights the dangers that are behind the music stations when you turn the radio off. “Feels Like Summer” starts the album with Kenny Beats who produces the bulk of the project with an electric energy that Vince immediately capitalizes on with verses about the difficulties of life in Long Beach. “First month still feel like summer Cold weather won’t stop no gunner / Wrong hat, wrong day, I’d kill my brother.” The Ty Dolla $ign feature gives the song the proper air for a Summer song it needs with Vince’s words setting it against his real-life accounts that are bouncing across the production. Vince’s cut and dry voice alongside the bumping sound clashes well with all of the tracks that follow. The sequencing in the album is as we hop from song to song. “Outside!” ups the tempo and gives us an anthem as he runs through the cardinal directions all participants in the chorus in a way as he asks “who ’bout that life?” while holding onto recounting being at his relatives house with guns and running up on others that bring the songs down to earth through the energetic feel that it gives off in the early parts of the album. Going into “Don’t Get Chipped” the bouncing vibe turns dire as Staples and Jay Rock gives us a warning with this song. Trying not to get beat up and/or killed is put plainly by Jay Rock. “Don’t get chipped, don’t get chipped, don’t get chipped Nigga, I ain’t got the patience, yeah My hustle like a mental patient, I’m tryna ball”

The adaptability of Vince’s rapping is showcased through his verses giving us a great display of his ability to be succinct. He’s telling instances of gang violence, the smaller moments that’ll sit with a person as their survival is in question, and what comes after as they’re able to talk about it. Vince while keeping things short and to the point, keeps the production in league with the subject material in the process. With “Relay”, he drives home the harshness behind him with the gangster influences that are ingrained in his music. The transitioning disguised as the radio is a smooth way to tie in previous songs to the interludes and the skits that are on the album. Speaking of interludes, a pleasant surprise was the “New earlsweatshirt (Interlude)” that comes off as a new release on Big Boi’s station. It comes on and by the time it registers that we’re blessed with new Earl Sweatshirt, the twenty-two seconds of knocking drums and an irregular beat are over. “Run The Bands” is an undeniable hit for the album as the infectious chorus maintains the anthem-like sound throughout as Staples raps with a breakneck speed when “Run the bands, run the bands, hey” isn’t right behind him. FUN! is another banger in a different light, it has the DNA of what the album has given us thus far but it’s reminiscent to Staples work during his time on Big Fish Theory. It’s a shoulder-shaking song with enough power to make you want to dance, the case can be made most of the album would cause this reaction because it’s a project made in the vein of what the radio will do to you. Even in the midst of delivering a pop-styled record, Staples highlighting the different ways life is plagued by the violent tendencies of the summer bring it back to its gangster roots, “Don’t be lookin’ funny when we come up in the store My black is beautiful but I’ll still shoot at you, dawg” can perfectly sum up how Staples has balanced the two sides of the material on FM! It’s expressed definitely on FUN! and it’s accompanying video that just shows people wanting to enjoy themselves to “not fuck up nothing.” E-40’s presence on the track strikes the tone for the second half of the song that allows him to ride out the song with a groovy repetition going for him as the song closes.

No Bleedin is the peak of the album when it comes to the hard-hitting production, Staples and feature Kamaiyah are in unison for the entire song. The production from Kenny Beats on this song specifically pushes you to get up and dance or fight the closest person to you while yelling the chorus. Kamaiyah verse on the album perfectly illustrates the violence that comes with talking to someone that’s 100% ready for war. The verse is practically a call to arms and verse to be used with anyone you have a problem with, it comes off cool and nonchalant with an air of eagerness from Kamaiyah. Both Brand New Tyga (Interlude) and (562) 453-9382 (Skit) both maintain the radio station personality that the album has kept up throughout with Tyga’s interlude acting as a teaser for new material that sounds like a very nice Summer Hit. The skit is a hilarious short break with Big Boy that features a challenge I recommend everyone tries at home to see if you do better than the unlucky caller. The final song Tweakin’ is a somber finale to the album. It’s a midnight stroll made into a song with the feeling and tone of the entire album shifting with the song. Tweakin’ can be described as the darkness setting in after the long day in the summer sun goes down. Buddy and Kehlani assist Staples as he puts his emotions and feelings about his life and the commonality of losing people on the track with the sinister, dream-like production behind him. “When Jabari died, was off the porch for homicides Then when Half had died, I bought some things to pass the guys But when Johnny died, all I had was shows booked” Kehlani’s hauntingly good chorus covers the song in a melancholy feeling about an emotional subject that many have said their peace on, “Just got a call ’bout my tweets (Tweets, yeah) Told me to watch what I’m sayin’ (Sayin’, yeah) Just got a call ’bout the streets (Streets, yeah) Told me to watch for a Jeep (Jeep, yeah)” The lyrics on Tweakin’ hit differently with Staples illustrating what life has been and what it is with stardom now another thing he has to worry about. He’s spoken about the instances he’s rapping about before and with Tweakin’ the Summer days come to an end, as we know them too.

Ending the album comprised of songs meant to mimic the happy-go-lucky, fun in the sun mood that one might think is Cali’s specialty on a note of reflection and remembrance about what Summer means to black people when tensions grow and the weather gets too hot is the only place Vince and company could take FM! Perfectly mimicking a Summer Day in Long Beach, Vince brings it home with a project that encapsulates his world that we’ve seen time and again (with Prima Donna and Summertime ’06 coming to mind) FM! is a short project with lots of reasons to revisit it in the future. A concept that’s used so sharply it’s ingrained in the way you approach the album, making you want to take it from the top and give it a spin for a car ride. Vince Staples has another winner with this album, keeping the songs consistent, the features playing to their strengths, and the production across the board from all involved being top notch. Now go turn on your local radio station!

Grade: A

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