Hip-Hop

Love in a Time of Madness

Artist: 
Jose James
Label: 
Blue Note Records

Smooth and Sensual, let Jose James rock you into heartbreak gently. Love in a Time of Madness takes you into a smooth, hot coco in a cafe studying type of mood, but equally into a mood of slowly sipping tequila at a dance club trying to forget how lonely you truly are. This album is slow and heavy and is tinged with a bit of sadness and regret, but covers this generations obsession with love through the lenses of impermeability, online app dating and open relationships. Everyone deserves to be loved, right?

Sounds Like: 
R&B Club Songs
Sounds Like: 
Break Up music
Sounds Like: 
Barry White Mixed with Lando Chill
Name: 
Ellery Page
Date Reviewed: 
04/23/2017

Watercolor

Artist: 
Porter Ray
Label: 
Sub Pop Records

  Dear Listener,

"things fall apart, pieces to the puzzle crumbles, young and humble trying to make it through this jungle" 

Sounds Like: 
Kendrick Lamar
Sounds Like: 
WebsterX
Name: 
Ellery Page
Date Reviewed: 
04/23/2017

Daymares

Artist: 
WebsterX
Label: 
Closed Sessions

   WebsterX's new album, Daymares reveals the darker sides of his lyrical ability and beat composition. The introductory song "Nightmares" has a slow, heavy and bar set with deeply emotional weight to the lyrics. The tracks on the album contain this echoing, rippling sounds, high and low notes combined to emanate the emergency alarm sensation beneath your skin.

Sounds Like: 
Micheal Christmas
Sounds Like: 
Fringe Element
Sounds Like: 
Jaca Zulu
Name: 
Ellery Page
Date Reviewed: 
04/21/2017

Nocturnal

Artist: 
Roy Woods
Label: 
OVO Sound/Warner Bros. Records

Nocturnal is a cohesive album that displays the music and artistry of Roy Woods that listeners love. The soft moody beats coincide with Roy Wood’s rapping. The lyrics vary from talking about sex, love, haters, and growing as an artist. However, he mostly talks about relationships or interactions with the opposite sex. His song “Love You”, gets really personal into a presumed breakup with the regret and sorrow that comes with it. Strong correlations can be made from Nocturnal to other Toronto artists like Drake and Tory Lanez.

Sounds Like: 
Bryson Tiller
Sounds Like: 
Tory Lanez
Name: 
Selena Valencia
Date Reviewed: 
04/19/2017

1992

Artist: 
Princess Nokia
Label: 
Self-Released

I'm no good at describing hip-hop with the level of detail a hip-hop head would demand, so forgive this review and I'll make it quick. Princess Nokia is a Afro-Nuyorican rapper, and 1992 is her new album/mixtape (EP?).

Sounds Like: 
Princess Nokia
Name: 
Andrew Boring
Date Reviewed: 
04/12/2017

The Rich Forever Way

Artist: 
Rich the Kid
Label: 
Self Released

Rich the Kid, the Atlanta rapper that everyone has heard of once but doesn't really choose to acknowledge, has released his new mixtape, "The Rich Forever Way." While his song "Plug", which is not on this mixtape, has been popular right now, it's mostly because of the features on it, such as Kodak Black. This mixtape proves that Rich the Kid is better with features than by himself.

Sounds Like: 
Madeintyo
Sounds Like: 
Gucci Mane
Name: 
Alli Gilbreath
Date Reviewed: 
04/12/2017

Drunk

Artist: 
Thundercat
Label: 
Brainfeeder

Drunk is Thundercat’s third studio album.

Sounds Like: 
Flying Lotus
Sounds Like: 
Kamasi Washington
Name: 
Brandon Serrano
Date Reviewed: 
04/12/2017

American Teen

Artist: 
Khalid
Label: 
RCA Records

There are not enough words to describe how incredible Khalid’s debut album, American Teen is.

Sounds Like: 
DVSN
Sounds Like: 
Gallant
Name: 
Javi Perez
Date Reviewed: 
04/06/2017

The Heart Part 4

Artist: 
Kendrick Lamar
Label: 
Top Dawg Entertainment

Kendrick Lamar released a surprise song on March 23, 2017 called The Heart Part 4. This song follows a line of previous tracks of the The Heart Part 1-3. The beginning of the song starts with a slow, mellow beat gradually getting more and more intense as the song continues. The track takes several twists and turns on the beats.

Sounds Like: 
Jay Rock
Sounds Like: 
Ab-Soul
Name: 
DeRay Chatter
Date Reviewed: 
04/05/2017

Humanz

Artist: 
Gorillaz
Label: 
Parlophone

It’s been around six years since the Gorillaz released their fourth studio album, “The Fall”, and even longer since their first studio album self-titled “Gorillaz”; just about 15 years since their debut and they’re still rocking out.

Sounds Like: 
The Chemical Brothers
Sounds Like: 
Ratatat
Sounds Like: 
Gnarls Barkley
Name: 
Maximilian Serventi
Date Reviewed: 
04/05/2017
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