Big Boi – Boomiverse

Big Boi is one of the most underrated MCs ever, and that’s only because he was in a rap duo with the man who is, possibly, the GOAT. On his solo albums, however, he’s afforded every opportunity to shine on his own, and his first two (2010’s Sir Lucious Left Foot and 2012’s Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors) were fantastic. Boomiverse is his first solo record in a half-decade, but Big Boi hasn’t lost a step. His flow is unmatched, his delivery is crisp and exciting, and features from Killer Mike, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Snoop Dogg, Curren$y, and Dungeon Family members Scar, Sleepy Brown, and Big Rube seal the deal. Experimenting with everything from futuristic electronic (“Chocolate”) to ragtime (“All Night”) to the classic 90s Atlanta sound he helped pioneer (“Da Next Day”).

Bones – NoRedeemingQualities

Bones drops albums at a ridiculous rate, and though it’s only June he’s already on his third album of 2017. He’s been teasing NoRedeemingQualities a little more than any of his previous projects, and it’s clear that this one is set a little apart: it’s structured more like an album, clocking in at 14 tracks (rather than his usual <10 or >20), and has features from outside his normal TeamSESH crew: Bandcamp artist Jonny Telafone, Balance & Composure’s Jon Simmons, and, most notably, oddball Detroit king Danny Brown (who’s been very vocal about his regard for Bones lately).

Charles Hamilton – @Sega

This quick seven-track project from Charles Hamilton is a perfect example of why, at this point in his career, he needs to choose quality over quantity. Back in 2008, he could get away with dropping dozens of mixtapes, because he was able to generate great content and have it properly mixed. Last year’s Hamilton, Charles was a totally solid comeback, but the soundcloud releases he’s been dropping have all suffered because they seen to fight against the very concept of mixing. They probably feature some great writing, if you could hear Charles’ voice over the beat.

Domo Genesis – Red Corolla

Domo’s often pointed to as Odd Future’s most underrated rappers, but personally, I don’t think he reached his potential until after the group disbanded. He’s always had a deft pen, but it wasn’t until 2012’s No Idols album that Domo actually found himself (it’s also worth noting that No Idols was a collaborative project with producer Alchemist, who’s notoriously picky about who he works with). Last year’s Genesis album was Domo’s most solid, approachable album to date; less than a year later, he’s returned with a new 10-track project, Red Corolla. Left Brain produced the title track, and Domo grabbed a couple features from NY’s Styles P, and Cleveland rapper (and Cudi affiliate) King Chip.

 

Kami – Superstar EP

SaveMoney artist Kami already blew me away this year with his latest album, Just Like the Movies, released only a couple of months ago. It’s a great addition to the SaveMoney canon, a cinematically-inspired project with 70s-era production from Knox Fortune, and great features from Vic Mensa, Joey Purp, and more. Superstar is a quick four-track followup EP, with production from Stan Sono, Ikaz Boi, and faluyiHYPE.

 

Lorde – Melodrama

Four years is a long time to wait between albums, especially when your debut is one of the most beloved pop albums in history, but Lorde did nothing but benefit from her lengthy hiatus. In the time off, she grew up (Pure Heroine came out when she was only 17), refined her sound, and took the time to live her life for a while in order to actually have something fresh to write about. The stories on Melodrama feel real, delivered in subtle, evocative detail and overlaid with Lorde’s own personal, emotional response to life and love. Singles “Green Light” and “Liability” sound even better when heard within the total body of work, but “Homemade Dynamite” absolutely steals the show. Don’t miss out on this album.

Terror Jr – Bop City 2

Terror Jr’s debut EP Bop City was a stellar project, the actual musicality of which was unfortunately overshone by the rumour that anonymous lead singer Lisa Terror was actually Kylie Jenner (it isn’t, I swear). What we do know is that the rest of Terror Jr is made up of producers Felix Snow and David Singer-Vine, whose atmospheric approach to EDM/pop is stirring, powerful, and catchy as hell. Lisa’s vocals are provided just the right amount of autotune, and her writing is sexy, brutal, and intelligent. Terror Jr explained Bop City 2 on Twitter by saying “most of the shit on the radio today is a guy telling you he can fuck your bitch so we made an album about a bitch fucking that guy’s bitch”. So get excited.

Young Thug – Beautiful Thugger Girls

It’s been a surprisingly long time since we’ve heard from Thug, but of course his comeback had to be something unique and interesting. Thug’s been refining his sound for a while, and his last release No My Name Is JEFFERY was probably his best record to date, so for his followup he did something extremely interesting: he gave up the rapping, and created a singing record. The cover art is drawing obvious comparisons to Lil Wayne’s Rebirth album, the record where Wayne tried to be a rockstar instead of a rapper (it didn’t work, but whatever).

Zack Villere – Little World

Zack Villere’s song “Cool” blew up a month or so ago, and for good reason: it’s a laid-back, self-deprecating jam that’s an absolute joy to listen to. He’s been releasing music as Froyo Ma for a while now, but his first record under his government name is sure to be Zack Villere’s most well-received music to date.

 

 

2 Chainz – Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

With artwork that looks like Courage the Cowardly Dog started a trap house, and a title like Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, there’s no way 2 Chainz latest album couldn’t be a classic. PGLTM is his most solid project to date, complete with lush and unique beats (with some incredibly interesting instrumentation from Mike WiLL, Ducko McFli, FKi 1st, and more), excellent writing, and 2 Chainz’ signature charismatic delivery. He’s often been regarded as a bit of a joke rapper, and, granted, his punchlines are one of the most notable aspects of his work, but hopefully this is the album that solidifies the man formerly known as Tity Boi as one of the most exciting rappers in the game. PGLTM also has some excellent features from Pharrell, Drake, Gucci Mane, Migos, Swae Lee, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, Jhene Aiko, and more.

Also Released:

Die Antwoord, Made By God: Chapter II: More instrumentals from the South African dance/rap duo.
MF DOOM & Sade, SadeVillain II: The second unofficial mashup of Sade and DOOM. It’s honestly phenomenal. And free.
Ramirez, The Grey Gorilla: The Cali rapper’s latest project features $uicideboy$, Nell, Fat Nick, and Shakewell.
Regina Spektor, Live On Soundstage: A collection of live tracks from the extremely talented singer, mostly from her last album, 2016’s Remember Us To Life.
Rich The Kid, Famous Dex & Jay Critch, Rich Forever 3: The third installment in Rich the Kid’s popular series. I don’t know why we’re still supporting Famous Dex, though.