The material that LCD Soundsystem put out between 2004 and 2010 is among some of the best, and my favorite, of the 2000's decade. Their heavily electronic post-punk sound is what made them special, and Murphy & Co's ability to produce new and exciting pieces of music continuously made them essential to listeners from all over the world.
Over seven years removed from their "final" record This Is Happening and over six years removed from their "final" show at Madison ... read more

Sounding very confused but also focused, Kevin Abstract's 2014 breakthrough mixtape shows plenty of promise for his future endeavors. I was initially caught off guard because of the fact that Kevin rapped about women all over this album; obviously he had not come out yet. It makes the album a little weird, knowing that this was a facade and nothing really genuine. But once you can get into your head that this is nearly a completely different person rapping, the listening experience is ... read more

KYRIE!

On the surface, this track can easily come off as a cheesy alternative pop song. The production isn't really anything special or adventurous. None of the lyrics are really clever and the hook is arguably mediocre. But what makes this song stand out to me so much, and what has made it stick with me for nearly a year, is how it perfectly portrays the feelings of teenage angst and a first love. These lyrics, while at times vapid and whiney, are about as honest as you can get as an artist in ... read more

She says so much yet so little.

To be completely honest, I was expecting mixtape-quality material from Action Bronson here. I wasn't super thrilled with the singles and he seemed more focus on other ventures than he did on his music. But thankfully, the Queens MC delivered what is likely his best album yet. From the sample-heavy, abstract production to his ever so clever bars, Blue Chips 7000 shows Bronson at full strength, rarely slowing down until he asks to breathe.
There isn't that much that I can or want to say about ... read more

With a terrific but inconsistent run in Ratking and then a focused debut album, Wiki's follow up to Lil Me is his best work yet. His style is classic East Coast hip hop with his own flavor sprinkled on top, showing plenty of charisma in his lyrics and daring choices of beats.
As a wordsmith, Wiki has hit an artistic high on No Mountains in Manhattan. Rapping about his life, his city, his girl, and plenty of other topics, the lyrics are engaging throughout the majority of the LP. Wiki ... read more

Full of fun and lighthearted songs, Zack Villere's debut album is for sure one of the most likable projects of this year. He has a good singing voice and hits a solid range, even when switching to a high pitched autotune (Sand People) or just casually talking (Cool). The production, all done by Villere, is the highlight of the album. It has quirky synths and plenty of lo-fi hip hop influence, all while fitting together completely effortlessly.
But, even with all of these seemingly good ... read more

Her personality is gone

Intolerable pop trap. More ad-libs than bars, generic beats, and literally nothing that makes this album stand out, yet again I am dumbfounded by the fact that Lil Uzi Vert is possibly the most popular rapper in the mainstream. He cannot rap and has the emptiest lyrics possible. Sure, he is listened to "for the vibes" but I am yet to find something that is unique or interesting in Uzi's music.

A 21 minute LP. This isn't Soundcloud anymore X, make a fucking album that doesn't sound like a bunch of thrown together, half assed ideas. The "depressed" aesthetic of this album is very forced and gimmicky, especially in the attempt to make acoustic folk tracks. I appreciate that he wants to do something different, but he's got to try harder than this to stay relevant.
There is a reason that XXXtentacion is known for Look At Me; it's a hard trap song which uses some more ... read more

Since they've become a force in the electronic music scene, the PC Music label has put out nothing but solid singles, DJ mixes, and compilations. However, on their third compilation put out, they begin to get a bit stale. The childish vocals and sugary pop production is really interesting and unique, but now it feels annoying. A.G. Cook's odd cover of Aphex Twin's classic Windowlicker is pretty interesting and fun, an obvious standout but not one of the best songs from the label. ... read more

Running at 9 tracks and about 30 minutes long, the debut EP from Philadelphia rap duo Chiddy Bang is a very enjoyable listen, but not without some shortcomings. The production is very pop-centric, and a lot of the lyrics are pretty radio friendly, which opens up the audience a lot more than most hip hop acts would be able to reach (for example, I listened to these guys when I was younger and absolutely loved them, but never branched out into many other rappers).
With a helping hand from ... read more

Should've been cut into a brief EP. There were very few solid tracks on this album, even with it being merely 36 minutes, and the good songs would have served fine on their own.

whoever the fuck is adding the LP covers for singles, please stop.

Probably would have been a hit in 2012.

Emulating the fiddle-centric folk tunes of the 1800's, Bruce Molsky takes his listeners back to a more bare-bones style of folk music. Rarely using instruments other than a violin, banjo, or guitar, Molsky shows how he doesn't need much to put together a terrific folk project. Like the songs from past centuries, the topic matter of Molsky's lyrics stays in the theme of the land he is on, family, and love, despite there only being a few tracks that he sings on.
What intrigues me the most ... read more

EDIT: HOLY SHIT PITCHFORK BASED AS FUCK!!!

Strikingly good production and probably the best mixtape Lil B has put out since 6 Kiss. His subject matter within his raps is nothing special, but his flow is miles ahead of what it used to be, and the majority of this tape actually goes pretty hard. Absolutely based.

fav tracks: DJ BasedGod, West Coast

An emo frontman stuck in a hip hop-dominant market. Lil Peep has created his own sound, and does it fairly well, but he's going to have to switch things up a bit if he wants to remain a force in the alternative rap scene.

Being one of the hip hop acts from Asia that is getting a lot of buzz right now, Higher Brothers are something new for the rap scene in the USA. There's a bit of an eastern flavor added to the basic trap sound, and it adds in a bit of unique character. At the end of the day, it is just basic trap performed by Chinese rappers, but it's a breath of fresh air compared to most of the watered down stuff found on Soundcloud daily.

fav tracks: Wudidong, Made In China
least fav track: Bitch Don't ... read more