Bedwetter – volume 1: flick your tongue against your teeth and describe the present

Post-‘retirement’ Travis Miller, fka Lil Ugly Mane, returns under a new moniker with his most personal, and harrowing, album to date. The first in a series of albums about Miller’s struggles with mental health, and the massive inefficiencies in America’s health care system, flick your tongue is a deeply troubled project that reflects the terrifying issues that have been plaguing Miller (he released a statement on his personal issues on his Facebook as well). Pairing some of Miller’s most impressive songwriting (“man wearing helmet”, “stoop lights”) with some uncomfortably ambient instrumental tracks (“fondly eulogizing sleep”, “this is not my stomach”), flick your tongue is a brief sojourn into a deeply troubled mind. Here’s hoping Miller is able to find the help he deserves.

Big Sean – I Decided.

Returning with his fourth album, GOOD Music rapper and Kanye West protege Big Sean has been declaring himself a “top 5” rapper for the entire album rollout. With I Decided., it seems he wasn’t entirely able to live up to his self-imposed hype, but Sean delivered a fairly solid project regardless. Eminem, Migos, The-Dream, Jeremih, Jhene Aiko, and Starrah all appear on the 14-track album, as well as the Flint Chozen Choir, a significant way for Sean to continue supporting the city amidst its still-unaddressed water crisis. Producers like Travis Scott, DJ Dahi, DJ Mustard, Frank Dukes, and particularly Metro Boomin all provided some immaculate production. There are some clear highlights (“Sunday Morning Jetpack” and “Sacrifices” come to mind), and despite never impressing as much as he did with Dark Sky Paradise, Sean continues to hold his position as a well-loved, radio-friendly rapper.

Kirk Knight – Black Noise

Pro Era rapper/producer Kirk Knight turned a lot of heads with his production for the members of the NY collective, particularly with tracks like Joey Bada$$’s “Hazeus View”, Nyck Caution’s “Baptize”, and Mick Jenkins’ “Jerome”. After announcing a joint project with Nyck Caution (the incredibly-named Nyck-at-Knight), Knight decided to drop Black Noise, which he described to Fader as his contribution “to the culture of instrumental albums” in the tradition of J Dilla, Madlib, and Flying Lotus.

Lil Tracy – Tracy’s Manga

Lo-fi indie/alternative rapper Lil Peep has made a lot of headlines lately, specifically with his Hellboy album, for his unique approach to merging emo and pop/punk music with hip hop, but Peep’s generally been at his best (and is often outshone) by his GOTHBOICLIQUE affiliate Lil Tracy. Tracy’s Manga is the rapper’s first solo project, and while Peep is surprisingly absent, Famous Dex, UnoTheActivist, and Horse Head all appear for the 9-track album.

 

The Pablo Collective – The Death of Pablo

Hailing from 4chan’s /mu/ thread, a group of artists known as the Pablo Collective (lead by Nimnohi and Tau-9) decided to craft a remix of Kanye’s The Life of Pablo based on a user’s recurring dream, of a much darker remix album, consisting of four twenty-minute tracks. The finished project sounds a little bit like if Godspeed You! Black Emperor had executive produced the whole album. On top of remixing music from TLOP, The Death of Pablo factors in speeches, interviews, outside music, and a reading of the poem Kanye wrote for Frank Ocean’s magazine, recited over a murky, subdued loop of the “Devil in a New Dress” instrumental.

Riff Raff – Aquaberry Aquarius

According to Riff Raff, he has several projects due out this year, including a “white Kanye West album” and a film starring Riff, Perez Hilton, G-Eazy, and Tommy Chong. This week, fans were treated to Aquaberry Aquarius, a nine-track album that features some of the best work Riff’s done to date, most notably on tracks like “Last Time I Checked”, the breezy “Test Drive”, and the Sublime/RHCP-esque alt-rock track “I’m Not Waiting On The Summer”. Production comes entirely via DJ Afterthought (as it did on Riff’s last Balloween mixtape), and Wiz Khalifa, Bones, Fat Nick, Germ, and more all make appearances.

Sampha – Process

After a few sparse, but momentous, appearances on tracks by some of the biggest artists in the game (Kanye’s “Saint Pablo”, Frank’s “Alabama”, Drake’s “The Motion”) and singing on various tracks by acclaimed electronic producer SBTRKT, fans have been clamouring for a full-length Sampha album for years. Today, the British singer/songwriter delivered with Process, a haunting, emotional, but surprisingly upbeat album about love, identity, religion, and the last days spent at the bedside of his dying mother. It’s an early contender for one of the year’s best albums, and through evocative sonic landscapes and Sampha’s powerful, revealing vocals, he’s managed to live up to an insane amount of hype. Expect devastation from tracks like “No One Knows Me (Like the Piano)”,  “What Shouldn’t I Be?”, and “Timmy’s Prayer” as he categorically reveals and tears apart doubts and insecurities. I intend to do a fuller review of this album at a later date, so look out for that.

Travis Miller –  register

The second release from Travis Miller this week, register is a compilation of several experimental and “‘(non*)-music’ ‘albums'”, recorded under Miller’s various monikers. The 16-track compilation features music released under the names Mystery Department, Silver Crumbs, Seidhr, Across, Public Garden, Rats, and Confident People, and was described by Miller himself as “two hours of bullshit I made”.

 

Slade da Monsta – Monstas Gon Tear It Up

Up-and-coming Atlanta producer Slade da Monsta has had a hell of a year, and his latest compilation tape proves it. Clocking in at 21 tracks, Monstas Gon Tear It Up finds Slade linking up with A$AP Ferg, Lil Yachty, G-Eazy, Lil Uzi Vert, G Herbo, PnB Rock, Fetty Wap, Marty Baller, Key!, OG Maco, Lorine Chia, Audio Push, Quavo, and more.

 

 

Syd – Fin

A couple years off the release of Ego Death, the Grammy-nominated album by her band The Internet, Syd (fka Syd tha Kid of Odd Future) returns with Fin, her debut solo project. In a project that mixes the future-soul of the Internet, elements of rap and hip hop, and an Aaliyah-esque approach to R&B, Fin is a powerful, sexual, and political debut from the acclaimed singer/songwriter. Featuring only Steve Lacy and acclaimed Atlanta R&B singer 6LACK, the album serves as the perfect platform for Syd to get more personal than she ever has. The various members of the late Odd Future collective have all gone on to do incredible things, and Syd is one of OF’s most accomplished stars. Fans of Syd and the Internet should also check out Matt Martian’s solo album The Drum Chord Theory, released last week, and look forward to Steve Lacy’s upcoming Steve Lacy Demo album.

T.F. – No Hooks

LA up-and-coming rapper T.F. had a couple key features in the past year, most notably on longtime friend ScHoolboy Q’s “Tookie Knows II” and G Perico’s “South Central”. Today, he’s dropped off his debut project, which (in the tradition of Lud Foe) he’s named No Hooks. The verse-laden project stays true to its word, and features WayDah, Charlie Whaa, and The Ghetto Zoo across eight tracks.

 

Wyclef Jean – J’Ouvert

Since his appearance on Young Thug’s “Kanye West” catapulted Wyclef Jean back into the scene, the former Fugee has been working on some widely-anticipated new music. J’Ouvert, Jean’s first project in seven years, features Thugga (on early single “I Swear”), indie band Walk the Moon, Spanish singer Farina, and more. The 10-track project acts as a teaser to Jean’s upcoming full-length album, The Carnival Vol. III, due later this June.

 

Young Dolph – Gelato

After dropping his devastating Yo Gotti diss track “Play Wit’ Yo Bitch” yesterday, Tennessee rapper Young Dolph dropped his eighteenth mixtape, Gelato. Migos, Lil Yachty, and Wiz Khalifa all appear on the eleven-track tape, as well as -producers Zaytoven, Drumma Boi, and more. It’s fairly standard Southern trap fare, but Dolph has always managed to impress with a subtle energy and an ear for punch-lines.

 

Your Old Droog & Wiki – What Happened To Fire?

New York’s underground rap scene is massively regarded, and two of its biggest starts in recent years have been Wiki (of Ratking) and Your Old Droog. Droog has a widely-anticipated album due out later this year, but in the meantime he and Wiki have teamed up for What Happened To Fire?, a five track EP that showcases the two rapper’s grimy, stripped-back approach to hip hop. Black Milk, Statik Selektah, Araabmuzik, !llmind, and more all produced for the EP; with a production list that stacked, it’s difficult not to be excited.

Also released: Heem Stogied, Nicholas Craven & Tha God Fahim, The Definition of Pimpin’; Iamsu!, Boss Up; Lil Reese, Better Days; Ying Yang Twins, The Lost Tapes (Summer of ’07);  Young Chop, Let Em Know Chop; Young Sizzle, Trap Ye