Friday was a good day for hip-hop.
After a slow couple of weeks, some well-known artists dropped new music, including debut solo albums, mixtapes and SoundCloud tracks. Here are some of the few that caught my eye. Give these projects a listen to stay in the loop.
March 25
Domo Genesis
“Genesis”
As a member of Odd Future, Domo Genesis has released several mixtapes and appeared on other Odd Future members’ tracks, but after being in the game for a minute, Domo Genesis finally released his debut studio album last week.
The 12-song album features Odd Future founder Tyler, The Creator and other notable artists such as Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, King Chip and Anderson .Paak. Take one glance at the tracklist and you’ll see that Domo brings Juicy J, Wiz and Tyler together on “Go (Gas),” which makes for an interesting collaboration. Unfortunately, “Go (Gas)” didn’t impress me. Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J’s rapping style just doesn’t translate over the mellow beat produced by Tyler. On the other hand, “Dapper,” featuring Anderson .Paak, is certainly a standout from the album. “Dapper” sounds like a song that could’ve been on .Paak’s album “Malibu.” Domo spits a couple of verses over a groovy beat with Anderson .Paak on the hook, making it a perfect listen. If you hear one song on this album, make sure it’s “Dapper.” Overall, Domo Genesis’ debut is solid despite the Odd Future artist being sometimes outshined by other members like Tyler, The Internet and Frank Ocean.
March 25
Zayn
“Mind of Mine”
I couldn’t name a single One Direction song if you asked me, but even I was excited for Zayn’s debut solo album. Around this time last year, millions of teenage girls’ hearts were broken when Zayn announced he was leaving One Direction, but original 1D fans can dry their tears: Zayn’s first project since the breakup is finally here.
Similar to Justin Bieber’s newfound respect after dropping “Purpose,” Zayn shocked nonbelievers with “Mind of Mine.” It’s actually good. Regardless of whether you’ve cared for Zayn in the past, the album is worth a listen. My favorite song on this album is “fOoL fOr YoU,” a slower song where Zayn shows off his impressive vocals on an upbeat hook. With “Mind of Mine,” Zayn Malik proves he doesn’t need One Direction to continue being an international superstar. “Mind of Mine” is predicted to move up to 160,000 album units in its first week, which will make Zayn’s debut project a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart.
March 25
Young Thug
“Slime Season 3”
Young Thug continues to prove why he’s one of the best in the rap game with his third and final installment in his “Slime Season” mixtape series. The eight-song track is only 30 minutes long, one of the reasons why I love “Slime Season 3.” The problem I had with “Slime Season 2” was that it was too long, so the rapper made a good move with a shorter mixtape. My favorite song on “SS3” is easily “With Them,” which starts the tape off with three minutes of straight bars. “With Them” is the highly anticipated song that first debuted at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3 fashion show in Madison Square Garden back in February. The mixtape’s production is mainly handled by London on da Track and features Yak Gotti, PeeWee Roscoe and Duke on the song “Slime Sh—t.” Because “Slime Season 3” is pretty short, you should definitely take a listen and hear for yourself why Thugger is one of the hottest rappers right now.
March 25
Curren$y
“Weed & Instrumentals”
Curren$y is one of the most consistent artists when it comes to putting out music. “Weed & Instrumentals” is Curren$y’s third mixtape this year and fourth project since December. The 17-song mixtape has a number of features from artists most people have probably never heard of. “Weed & Instrumentals” has its moments, so if you’re into Curren$y — or looking for some chill music — then check it out on Datpiff.
March 25
Kid Cudi
“The Frequency”
While I usually round up the best albums and mixtapes, Kid Cudi’s latest song, “The Frequency,” deserves an exception. If you keep up with me, then you know I’m not one to shy away from criticizing Kid Cudi. I thought, and still do think, that “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven” is one of the worst albums I have ever heard, but “The Frequency” almost makes me forget that album exists. Cudi dropped this gem on his SoundCloud on Friday evening, and it’s the best music he’s made in a long time. “The Frequency” is produced by Mike Dean (the god) and Plain Pat, and it sounds like a mixture of “Man on the Moon” meets “Indicud.” Cudi does sing a lot on this song, but most importantly, he is finally rapping again. A couple of Kid Cudi’s best qualities as an artist is his chill rapping style and his background vocals/moaning — “The Frequency” has the best of both. I may or may not have cried out of joy and listened to this song 46 times since Friday, so I can promise you that “The Frequency” is one of the best songs released this year. I’m genuinely happy and excited Cudi is making amazing music like this again, and if he keeps it up, he might just make one of the best albums we’ll hear this year.
