isaacpg3

Madlib never disappoints. His appreciation for sound and his command of it are one of a kind, and that was as true in 1999 as it is today. This album pays tribute to sound as a medium and Madlib’s genreless influences, including the great J Dilla.
Highlights– “Hopprock,” “Riddim Chant,” “Sound Ancestors,” “Two for 2 - For Dilla,” “The New Normal”

This is a great example of a job well done in the mellow, “conscious” hip hop lane. (You know, the type of music that a lot of people go to J. Cole for). This album doesn’t do very much ambitiously or stray outside of genre lines, but it still borrows from many sources within the hip hop mainstream and executes most of those styles very well. Isaiah Rashad has an adaptable arsenal of flows which allow him to have fun over trap beats and explore depressive lows with R&B ... read more

Kendrick Lamar finally made his long awaited return this year, with… two verses on Baby Keem’s new album, The Melodic Blue. It’s so exciting to hear Kendrick relaxed and having fun on both features, which really lift the album as a whole. Baby Keem also does a lot of cool stuff on his own. Even if the tracklist is a bit overstuffed, there is a lot of creativity and quality in his rapping and production. This album definitely faded over time for me (and the album cover hurts ... read more

Lil Ugly Mane refuses to be boxed in on this album, continuing to explore new territory as an artist in a career based on constant experimentation. Volcanic Bird Enemy is a really sad album. It speaks on sadness in plain words over digestible rock/country/alternative instrumentals (I really don’t know how to describe them) which adds a layer of humor to the LP. The album cover, title, and song titles continue to play with the interplay comedy and sad sincerity. This is the type of album I ... read more