Alex Wiley – Village Party III: Stoner Symphony

After taking a break from his Village Party series to drop Tangerine Dream last year, Chicago’s Alex Wiley returns with the third installment in the mixtape series, subtitled Stoner Symphony. With his most impressive feature list since his breakout Club Wiley project, Village Party III counts Mick Jenkins, Jay Prince, Hippie Sabotage, Jean Deaux, and frequent collaborator Kembe X on three tracks. Production comes exclusively from LA producer Mike Gao.

 

Dyme-A-Duzin – Ghetto Olympics EP

Formerly of acclaimed rap group Phony Ppl, Brooklyn rapper Dyme-A-Duzin blew up last year for his tracks “That Chicken” and “New Brooklyn”. He’s been fairly quiet since dropping 2 Piece Tape last year, but he’s returned with a new 5-track EP, titled Ghetto Olympics, that’s supposed to act as a prelude to his upcoming Crown Fried EP. Oswin Benjamin provides the sole feature, and production comes via Mark Henry, Montage, the Olympiks, and more.

 

Jay Worthy & P On The Boards – P On The DRGS

Wednesday (January 18th) is the second anniversary of A$AP Yams’ death, and his passing is a loss that continues to haunt hip hop. In memory, a new project was dropped by Jay Worthy. of LNDN DRGS, a Canadian g-funk rap duo, signed to Fools Gold, that consists of Worthy on vocals and Sean House on production. In place of House, Worthy grabbed P On The Boards (also known as A$AP P), A$AP Mob’s in-house producer, for a seven-track EP appropriately titled P On The DRGS.

Kodie Shane – Big Trouble Little Jupiter

Atlanta artist Kodie Shane is by far the most promising member of Yachty’s Boating Team, and her last string of releases has proved this. Coming off her well-received Zero Gravity, Shane returns with Big Trouble Little Jupiter, a ten-track mixtape that follows her penchant for woozy, melodic trap hits. The entire project is produced by Matty P and D.Clax, with a little help from Childish Major, Culture, and Stonii tha Melody. Surprisingly, it’s her first project without any members of the Boating Team, instear recruiting Saucy Longwe and En Vogue. Also featured: Kodie’s frequent adoption of Young Thug’s “WHAT” ad-lib.

Lido & Santell – PPII EP

Producer Lido, known for his work with artists like Halsey, Chance, and Towkio (as well as his viral eight-minute The Life of Pablo remix), quietly released an excellent debut album last year with Everything. This year, he’s returned with a quick three-track EP, titled PPII, a second collaborative project with R&B singer Santell.

 

 

Mass – Mass

Before he blew up, D.R.A.M.’s early #1EpicSummer EP was already turning a few heads, and one song on that EP, “$2”, featured the Virginia rapper’s cousin, Mass. Today, Mass had dropped his debut album, an 11-track, self-titled project. Mass features Remy Banks, Heezy, Butch Dawson, and D.R.A.M. himself, with production from Dan Stuckie, Rob $, 919 Bangerz, and more.

 

Phay – Mama

Kelechi’s Before the Quarter album launched the Atlanta rapper into mainstream attention, and with his rise to fame came attention to Phay, a close friend and collaborator who had a particularly notable feature on Kelechi’s “Immigrant Son”. Today, Phay’s released his second album, Mama, and he’s more than proved that he’s an impressive artist to watch in his own right. With features from Kelechi, Young Dro, Ré Lxuise, and Kap G, Mama is a project that addresses a range of issues close to Phay’s heart, from personal familial relationships to the current political upheaval that’s affecting immigrants like himself.

Prodigy – Hegelian Dialectic (The Book of Revelation)

Since forming Mobb Deep with Havoc back in the 90s, Prodigy has held his own as one of New York’s most influential voices. Hegelian Dialectic (The Book of Revelation) is his eight solo album, and has finally be released after being teased for nearly two years. The project features a single guest appearance from Ca$H Bilz, with production coming from Knxwledge (who’s career is only getting more impressive), Budgie Beats, and frequent collaborator Alchemist.

Qari & Mulatto – Space Jam EP

Chicago’s Qari has been on a steady come-up for a while, and with recent exposure from These Days, an influential Chicago music publication, he’s received a lot of buzz for his latest project. Teaming up with producer Mulatto, who’s known for his work alongside Supa Bwe as influential rap project Hurt Everybody (who broke up last year), the duo has released Space Jam, a six-track EP of hazy, laid-back tracks. Sydny August and Lucki (fka Lucki Eck$) are the sole features on the project, providing similarly mellow contributions to a project that’s entirely focused on its vibe.

Also released: Eric Bellinger, Eric B For President: Term 1 (Acoustic); Foxygen, Hang; Problem, Chachiville;