I've been super into clipping for like exactly a week now. That's not totally true, I listened to "There Existed an Addiction to Blood" when it came out last year, liked it, forgot clipping existed for a year, saw this album dropped, listened to it, listened to the rest of their discography a bunch, and now I'm back here with a verdict on this new album: I like it.

Here are some short thoughts on each track, since I thought I'd try a different review style to spice things up. ... read more

Very impressive set of raps from Black Thought, who still seems to never run out of creativity. Despite Black Thought's technical ferocity, Killer Mike managed to have the best verse on the album on "Good Morning," a ridiculously good rap song. Other rap features were also great, ScHoolboy Q and Pusha T complemented Thought's style well. I didn't care for some of the poppier songs on this, there was definitely a fair amount of filler. That being said, the production was high quality ... read more

Disappointing followup to a solid, if inconsistent, LP earlier this year. "Taste the Rainbow" still sounds amazing, and "Paper" was a nice track as well. The rest is average at best.

The experimental direction of this album, coupled with Open Mike Eagle's charming handling of depressing subject matter, make this album an overall success. There are some musical moments that simply don't sound great, and some song structure deviations that don't pay off, but mostly this is Open Mike Eagle showing incredible creativity and artistic execution. Super fun and super sad.

After a blazing feature run and a history of quality projects, I had incredibly high expectations for this project. Although I think Benny came through on most tracks, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed with how this album turned out. Hit Boy's production was mostly crisp and well-composed, but the poppy direction this album took came as a somewhat unwelcome surprise. A few beats and verses feel too formulaic for an artist as unique as Benny, and although I appreciate the mainstream ... read more

There are some truly beautiful moments on this album, especially on the back end. Unfortunately, those moments are dwarfed by the rest of the album succumbing to generic pop-rap trends. There's an inescapable sense of missed opportunity with the sound of this album. It seems like the artists thought they were doing something much weirder than they were in reality. A majority of the production on this album feels like it's already been done on prior Dreamville releases. The rapping is also ... read more

This is a confusing release from Westside Gunn. Although he horrifically fumbles hooks left and right, Westside Gunn's beat selection remains top tier. That being said, some of the loops on this album felt so minimalist in comparison to Griselda's best projects (Tana Talk 3 and Pray for Paris both boast much more accomplished production throughout). In addition, Westside Gunn appears once again to be playing the role of an album curator rather than a soloist, which is probably the best thing ... read more

YG, once an essential voice in conscious West Coast rap, continues to regress as a songwriter. Good ideas rarely translate into good songs on this new project, which is a shame because it seems like YG has a fair amount of good things to say. After the first two tracks the album collapsed and never fully recovered.

Was highly anticipating this release and it lived up to expectations. Metro Boomin's intricate and diverse trap compositions bring out some of the same flows we've been hearing 21 kill on previous projects, which isn't to say he hasn't improved since 2019's i am > i was. Beats are catchy, layered, psychedelic, and classic all at once. Relatively consistent tracklist, could've used an additional feature because Drake, Young Thug, and Young Nudy didn't do much to stand out. Would definitely ... read more

Conway is a great lyricist who is incredibly easy to root for. This album has a few dry beats and less exciting features, but for the most part it's yet another example of Griselda's effortless consistency and quality.

Some decent tracks and promising vocal performances. Fun features too. If she gets more ambitious with production and focuses on consistency within a project she'll certainly have a successful career.

Nas has returned with a surprisingly rewarding album that bridges the gap between old-school nostalgia and modernity. The key ingredient is Hit-Boy, a reliable producer who deserves as much credit as Nas in this collaboration. Although this album isn't flawless, it's a genuinely good album that suggests that Nas may still have plenty of gas left in the tank.

"King's Disease" finds a 46 year old Nas deep inside his bag, spitting timelessly cold flows on almost every track. "Blue ... read more

Although this will likely get lost as the least accessible of three Boldy James releases in 2020, this is by far the most impressive and fascinating album he has ever dropped. This isn't a new album. Boldy and Sterling Toles made most of this album over a decade ago, long before Boldy James collaborated with The Alchemist for the first time in 2013 and became a vital voice in underground hip hop. His raps on this project are raw, emotional, and lively. His trademark monotonous delivery is ... read more

Boldy James has been a prolific rapper in 2020, teaming up with producers The Alchemist and Sterling Toles for 2 fantastic full length LPs. On both of those projects, Boldy's down to earth flows were complemented by dense, thorough production, a winning combination for any hip hop fan. On this project, Boldy's first release on the Griselda label, producer Jay Versace's instrumentals lack the intricacy of The Alchemist and Sterling Toles' compositions. That isn't to say the production is worse, ... read more

On "Limbo," Amine achieves mixed results while showing significant artistic growth in multiple areas. The album's production ranges from mildly interesting to spectacular, Amine's vocals are entertaining and fun, and guests more or less deliver on their features.

As a rapper, Amine is clearly talented. His singing voice is probably his most underrated attribute, which he displays on "Roots" and "Riri," along with other moments sprinkled throughout the tracklist. ... read more

He's got some flows, some bars, and some charisma. That translates into a few highlights: "Who TF Up in My Trap" is an undeniable banger, "Paranoid," is a downcast trap ballad, and "Walk Em Down" is a nice collaboration with Roddy Ricch. But almost everything else about this project is too one dimensional to have any lasting impact. A lot of that is a fault in the production, which is bland and generic on a majority of tracks. And even though NLE Choppa gives us ... read more

Liv.e has built a cohesive, fast moving album that blends a variety of sounds charmingly. The end result is another reminder that, in the case of the album, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Liv.E's style conveys wisdom through a lens of lighthearted existentialism, most of the tracks on this project are love songs that pivot between cynicism and wide-eyed infatuation. As the album progresses, Liv.E has a few moments of catharsis, focusing on taking her life and love into her own ... read more

This album was too long for me to commit to an in-depth review, but in each of my three listens I've been in awe of Blu's dizzying technical skill and Exile's jazzy craftsmanship. This whole album has an uplifting aura to it, something that's been missing from most pandemic-era releases. It's not that the subject matter isn't serious, but that there's a tangible joy emanating from the production and Blu's rapping. Blu seems to be smiling through the mic as Exile wraps up listeners is a warm ... read more

Taylor Swift has returned with an understated, honest record that cements her as the songwriter of a generation. Her songwriting is compelling and clever, finding a happy medium between personal and universal without eschewing her trademark subtlety. Her immaculate vocal performances and lyrical sharpness shine through over a unique blend of stripped down instrumentals.

This album is a uniquely cohesive release in the context of Swift's discography. Although there isn't one unifying ... read more

Two words to describe Flo Milli: Limitless swagger.

Flo Milli has arrived on the rap scene with an emphatic debut mixtape that oozes confidence. On this fantastic project, simplistic beats are simply background music to Flo Milli's relentless flow and cocky lyricism. Her vocals are her strongest attribute: hard, energetic flows; unapologetic sex-positive self-worship, money talk, and iconic one-liners. If we weren't currently in the midst of a global pandemic, just about every track from this ... read more