Tetsuo & Youth finds Lupe Fiasco returning to the ambitious abandon that defined his first two albums.
Never in any danger of overstaying his welcome, Kgositsile shows an overall maturity on Outside that suggests great things in his future.
Summertime ‘06 is the kind of coming-of-age story that’s common to hip-hop, but Staples delivers his account with a furious passion and refreshing insight. That the album is wall-to-wall with catchy, hard-hitting bangers is almost just a consolation prize.
To Pimp a Butterfly is the result of one man’s sprawling journey, but it’s meant to empower us all to take our own. It’s a rare record that gives us a call to action, something to act on after the beats drop out and we’re left in silence.