The past couple of weeks have been pretty great for music. I rounded up the newest albums in case you were too busy partying over Spring Break to pay attention to the latest releases, which include a debut album, a collaborative album and even a surprise release from one of the biggest names in rap. Let’s get to it.
Feb. 19
“Wave Gods”
by French Montana
French Montana debuted his latest project on DJ Khaled’s second episode of “We The Best Radio” on Beats 1. “Wave Gods” is an ode to the Harlem rapper Max B, who is currently serving a 75-year prison sentence. French Montana has always been a fairly inconsistent artist. He’s made some dope songs here and there but just can’t seem to make a solid project without having a few songs you find yourself skipping every time you listen. That is definitely not the case with this mixtape; I’ll keep it simple by telling you “Wave Gods” is one of the best tapes I’ve heard in a very long time. This mixtape is great from start to finish and gets better with every listen. The songs are album-quality and come with a great list of features from Kanye West and Nas on “Figure It Out” to Future, Travis Scott, Big Sean, Quavo of Migos, Kodak Black and more. It took me a couple weeks to get around to this tape and downloading it was one of the better decisions I’ve made in 2016. Do yourself a favor and take a listen to this tape. Stay wavy.
Feb. 25
“Warlord”
by Yung Lean
Yung Lean is a rapper out of Sweden who’s been slowly building a buzz over the past few years and gaining an underground following. “Warlord” is Yung Lean’s second studio album, and he’s certainly not for everyone. Personally, I’m not crazy about Yung Lean, but even if you can’t get down with his style at the very least you’ll be able to appreciate the production on this album.
Feb. 26
“This Unruly Mess I’ve Made”
by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
“This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is the sophomore album from the hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. A follow-up to their extremely successful debut album “The Heist,” which went platinum and won a Grammy for Rap Album of the Year, “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is somewhat of a letdown. I don’t care for Macklemore, but the album has received generally mixed reviews. There’s too much good new music to listen to Macklemore.
Feb. 26
“Jerome Raheem Fortune”
by Rome Fortune
Rome Fortune is an up-and-coming rapper out of Atlanta and released his debut album “Jerome Raheem Fortune” on Feb. 26. The album isn’t bad at all. With a good amount of auto-tune and cool beats, this album is worth checking out because you might enjoy it and discover a new artist you like.
Feb. 26
“HXLT”
by HXLT
HXLT signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label back in 2015 and finally released his self-titled debut album Feb. 26. Before “HXLT” was released, I only listened to a few songs by HXLT and had no idea what to expect on this album. HXLT was a mysterious artist with little music released, and the songs he did have out had many different sounds. I went into this album with an open mind, and you should, too. “HXLT” can be classified as alternative/punk-rock but has a lot of hip-hop influence, which makes for an interesting combination. ”HXLT” is a dope album that hits a few different genres, and I think a lot of people could vibe to it. Check it out.
March 4
“COLLEGROVE”
by 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne
There were rumors about a 2-Chainz-and-Lil-Wayne collaborative project in the weeks leading up to the release of “COLLEGROVE,” but a tweet from Kanye West on March confirmed the release of the album. The album is technically 2 Chainz’s album, as it was released in his name under Def Jam. Before you listen, don’t expect an album full of songs as good as “Duffle Bag Boy.” I’ve made my opinion of Lil Wayne known, so if you go into this album with no expectations you can’t be let down. With that being said, the album actually surprised me. “COLLEGROVE” has an impressive list of producers including Southside, Mike Dean (the god), Mike Will Made It, TM88, Zaytoven and Metro Boomin. This album won’t be on repeat, but it’s worth taking a listen. Lil Wayne has his moments, but 2 Chainz certainly carried this project.
March 4
“Too High To Riot”
by Bas
Bas is Dreamville’s secret weapon and released his second studio album “Too High To Riot” on March 4. The album is only 37 minutes long but features J. Cole as well as labelmate Cozz. Bas is definitely slept on as a rapper, so check him and this album out.
March 4
“untitled unmastered.”
by Kendrick Lamar
Just as the title says, “untitled unmastered.” is a collection of raw demos and songs that didn’t make ”To Pimp A Butterfly” and were released without being mixed or mastered. After Spotify prematurely made the tracklist available to a new Kendrick album late on March 3, rumors spread like wildfire through social media. This became reality a short while later when Lamar surprised us with a new album available for streaming and for purchase through iTunes. The album is dope, not only because of the surprise release, but because we get to hear the songs and demos that didn’t make the cut to K Dot’s last album. Check out the album on genius.com to learn any and everything there is to know about this album.
