21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin - Without Warning
Three years on, this surprise halloween trap mixtape still proves 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin as the unholy trinity of murder music.
KeiyaA - Forever, Ya Girl
Her identity standing tall and alone, the reliability of KeiyaA's vocal performances grant her full access to toy with the parts that form neo-soul.
KAYTRANADA - BUBBA
After putting the whole world onto his bassy beats with 99.9%, BUBBA attempts to circumvent the sophomore slump with a more focused R&B direction.
JPEGMAFIA - All My Heroes Are Cornballs
After JPEGMAFIA’s big breakthrough, his new album feels like a celebration of his success becoming a crusader of experimental rap, meanwhile continuing to dig deeper into the fresh unknown.
Ol' Dirty Bastard - N**ga Please
Wu-Tang Clan’s most freakish member animalised his music to create some of the most carnal and forward-thinking rap material ever conceived.
BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER
Fresh-faced from a tumultuous 2018, hip-hop’s biggest boy band come to terms with that period, finding power in lyrical maturity and audial simplicity as their creative muse.
Chance the Rapper - The Big Day
Eight years into his career, Chi-town’s activistic gospel-rapper finally drops his first studio album.
A$AP Rocky - TESTING
In what is his first proper album without A$AP Yams, Rocky demonstrates why he has risen in the same trajectory as his boxer namesake.
Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez
Memphis horrorcore clique Three 6 Mafia put the city on the map using low-grade studio equipment to create grimy, haunted hip-hop.
Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
Tyler’s new record has a bewitching sense of mystery and alternative-dimensionality to it all, and finally shows that he’s not a rapper - he’s a creator.
Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
In order to effectively channel his emotions after 2007’s Graduation, Kanye West abandoned rap altogether, instead grabbing autotune by both hands, and twisting it to create sublime but mechanised despair.
Anderson .Paak - Ventura
In the wake of Oxnard’s unexpected middling reception, Ventura is its low-key counterpart.