billy woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places

After listening to both Maps and Hiding Places, I came to the conclusion. Both records are amazing in their own way. While Maps is a little more upbeat and has crispy production, Hiding Places is much darker, both theme and sound wise. Billy lyrics are much more visual and raw, almost like he's describing a nightmare. Songs like Checkpoints and Bedtime sound like someone is experiencing a disturbing nightmare while they are still awake. Hiding Places is also Billy Woods at his most vulnerable, which is apparent in the song Red Dust. Although the song is about the state of hip-hop, it sounds like this topic hits home for him. The production complements Billy's lyrics well, with it being more stripped back while also being detailed, leaving us to take in Billy's weird but raw thoughts and lyrics. Overall, this is a hip-hop album that should not be overlooked. It has some of the best production from the underground and lyrics that give you some food for thought.