2020 Year In Review: 15 Hip Hop Albums That Should Be In Your Playlist
2020 had some dope Hip Hop releases! Here are 15 albums that should be in your playlist!
By: James Teague
Up until COVID-19 making it’s controversial debut into the world, the year 2020 was set up to be a promising year for us. With the new year and new decade came new music to help serve as a personal life soundtrack for our lives this current year. As this year comes to a close, it’s safe to say that we will never forget 2020 and all of the craziness that’s unfolded.
I personally can’t wait until I’m at the dinner table with my future family and we’re talking to our kids about what will happen in 2020. From losing Kobe Bean Bryant in the beginning of the year to experiencing a global pandemic thanks to COVID-19, seeing the continuing cycle of black people being murdered and us being outside protesting for our rights and for police brutality and systematic racism during a pandemic, and controversial Celebrity stories such as J-Cole vs NoName, Meg The Stallion/Tory Lanez debacle, the 2020 election, etc.
With life happening all around us, it was difficult for some to really focus and digest the latest of new Friday music releases due to the lack of stability around us. How can you be mad at anyone who might have personally choose to not check for new music at a time when we don’t know what’s going to happen next in the world. Luckily for I, music still played a big role in assisting me with dealing with the global Pandemic in it’s entirety. Even though we weren’t outside as often normally, the music released this year still served it’s purpose for me.
Here is the list of just my personal favorite hip-hop albums of 2020. Keep in mind readers these favorites of mine are not in order.
BLXST - NO LOVE LOST
I remember hearing about No Love Lost while I was listening to the Joe Budden Podcast and hearing Mal giving his praises on the album. So one day while at work, I decided to take a listen for myself and this quickly became one of my favorite albums cuts to play. Til this day I love it when I discover new & original dope acts. Discovering new music is considered a love language for me personally. My favorite songs off the album include “Gang Slide”, “Overrated”, “Be Alone”, and “Wrong or Right”.
Blxst - No Love Lost
6LACK- 6PC HOT EP
I’m not even a huge 6lack fan like that but I enjoyed 6PC Hot EP. It felt good for him to create this EP to hold us over until the time comes for the official album whenever it is time to drop. My favorite song(s) off the EP was “Know my Rights” with Lil Baby and “Elephant in the Room”. Im looking forward to see what 6lack is officially cooking up for his next album.
6lack - ATL Freestyle
VIC MENSA - V TAPE
Last time that I was tapped in with Vic Mensa was on his last project Hooligans. I’ve always been a fan of Vic Mensa music since his Save Money days. Innanetape is a personal Chicago hip-hop classic mixtape. I think Vic is one of the most talented rappers to come out of the city but he almost lost me a bit when he was making his rock music. I much would rather prefer Vic when he is on his Hip-Hop tip. “Vendetta” was the perfect intro song for V Tape. Not only did it help set the tone for me on what to expect but it’s the lyrics that reminded me why Vic is considered to be one of the best emcee’s out in Chicago. All of the guest features did their thing , especially Snoh Aalegra, which i didn’t expect for ”XGames” to really be as great of a song it was. Hit Boy came through for Vic on “Dirt on my Name”.
Vic Mensa - VENDETTA
BIZZY CROOK - FROM ME, TO YOU
I want to personally thank my homie Kim Chanel for putting me onto Bizzy Crook music through via her IG story post. I came across this album From Me, To You. Up until this year recently, It’s honestly been awhile since I was actually able to search for newer and unknown hip-hop music. I was impressed by some of the people I checked out this year, including Bizzy Crook himself. Bizzy originally hails from Miami, Florida and has an extensive catalog of projects released since 2011. My favorite tracks include “Dios Mio”, “Rich and Damaged”, “Broke my Heart”, and “South Florida Girls”.
Bizzy Crook - Over You
DON TOLIVER - HEAVEN OR HELL
Let me tell you if it wasn’t for Coronavirus impacting the entire world, Heaven or Hell would have been the perfect album for the summer of 2020. I heard about Don Toliver through Twitter. He was originally on the Jackboys EP with Travis Scott. When I found out about his debut project, I decided to tap in to the project to see it for myself. I was not expecting to love this debut album as much as I do. All of the vibes that I received from this project just told me that the music would’ve hit 10x more had the world been open up formal. Regardless of COVID, Don Toliver still was able to held it down on Heaven or Hell as the artist to stand his ground and let the world know he’s here to stay, pandemic or not. My favorite cuts off this album include “Cant Feel my Legs” , “After Party”, “Cardigan”, and “Candy”.
Don Toliver - Heaven Or Hell [Official Audio]
K CAMP - KISS 5
I would just like to get this out of the way and say that K Camp does not miss at all when it comes to music. He does not disappoint with Kiss 5 (regular and deluxe album) as this served as the sendoff for the final chapter of the Kiss Series. “What’s on Your Mind”, “Tatted Up”, “1 Mo Time”, “Ari, What’s The Rush”, and “Rude Boy” are some of my favorite cuts to come from this album. Even though this deluxe has came out I’m already excited for whats to come with Camp and the Rare Sound crew in 2021. On another note, Camp told us through social media that he is to be referred as Float.
K CAMP - Regret (Intro/Audio)
DOE BOY AND SOUTHSIDE - DEMONS R US
This album was most anticipated from me with Doe Boy. Since 2012, Ive been following his music and I’ve been waiting so long for Doe to make an album that’s going to let the world know that he’s here to stay. He makes the type of music that I want to hear and he didn’t disappoint at all not even the slightest. The sound for Demons R US is the exact sound I was waiting for Doe to rap on. I’m looking forward to seeing where Doe goes 2021 and beyond.
Doe Boy, Southside - Intro (Official Audio)
BENNY THE BUTCHER AND HIT BOY - BURDEN OF PROOF
Hit Boy has been having a helluva year between playing executive producer for Sean’s album Detroit 2 and other projects plus him opening up about his slave deal he got into when he was younger, Hit has been making it a point to prove his worthiness to be being producer of the year. He hooked up with one of Griselda’s own Benny the Butcher and the result was his album Burden of Proof. His first single timeless with Lil Wayne and Big Sean had me sold on being excited for this new album. I’m not a huge huge fan of Griselda like that even though I know they’re some of the most talented rappers out right now, but I was amazed by Benny’s album. The sound throughout the album sounds so much more polished and rich. You can tell that there has been a lifestyle upgrade. “Famous”, “Timeless”, “Where Would I Go”, “Over The Limit”, and “Legend” are some of the songs that I enjoy.
Benny The Butcher and Hit Boy - Burden Of Proof
21 SAVAGE AND METRO BOOMIN – SAVAGE MODE 2
Savage Mode 2 was another anticipated album that I was looking forward to. It was safe to say that the sequel overly delivered and its possible that it can be better than the original but we’ll let time tell since this album is still brand new. Now that the album has been out for a minute I can say confidently that “Runnin” is a top 5 21 Savage song. “Runnin” and “Glock In My Life” going back to back should be considered a crime. What I also love about Savage Mode 2 is how 21 has found his pocket with the Memphis sound. 21 and Metro are a duo to be reckoned with.
21 Savage - Intro
GUNNA – WUNNA DELUX
It’s took me some time to warm up to Gunna’s music but Wunna did what it was supposed to do. A lot of Gunna’ music prior to Wunna was hit or miss for me. I liked him when he was making songs with Lil Baby or if he was on certain songs with certain rappers. Gunna to me at first sounded a whole lot like Thug too much. I was watching him and Lil Baby’s musical growth to see who was better. I’m not going to hold you I thought Baby’s album My Turn was going to be better than Wunna but once I pressed play the album told me a different story. “Met Gala”, “MOTW”, “Top Floor”, “Wunna”, “Blindfold”, and “Cooler Than a Bitch” are some of the tracks I love from Wunna.
Gunna - 200 FOR LUNCH [Official Audio]
HONORABLE MENTIONS
G-HERBO - PTSD DELUXE
LIL UZI VERT - LUV VS THA WORLD 2/ETERNAL ATAKE
LIL BABY - MY TURN
DRAKE - DARK LANE DEMO TAPE
NAS AND HIT BOY - KINGS DISEASE
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Waasi Shade Discusses His New Album "Soulo II"
Florida rapper Waasi Shade discusses his new album Soulo II and navigating his career as an independent artist.
“SOULO is a combination of Soul and Solo. To me it defines a person on a journey by themselves to find out their purpose in life.”
By: Omar Cook
“SOULO is a combination of Soul and Solo. To me it defines a person on a journey by themselves to find out their purpose in life. ”
Florida rapper Waasi Shade dropped his new album Soulo II, a solo project aside from his group WaasiKeso. From the second the project pops off with the track “1995”, you get hit with genuine, raw lyrics. “The project was intended for people to learn more about from what I have experienced and how I have grown as an artist. I drew inspiration from a variety of different outlets but most improved day to day life.”
The project features 8 tracks with only 1 feature coming from his counterpart Jiggy Keso on “Ma$e”. “The entire project is a must listen honestly, but if people want to hear me talk my talk...definitely play ‘Jig Is Ova’ first.” Each track has a different feel but what’s consistent is the dope delivery of conscious lyrics and you can run through the entire project with no skips. In today’s mainstream hip hop industry, we see a plethora of artists promoting messages of violence and drug culture but Waasi Shade gives us hope that their are still true lyricists out there who create music with real messages.
Waasi Shade addresses the journey of being an independent artist in the album as well the process of entertaining industry offers without selling him self out of being a true artist. “At the end of the day as an artist, you are a business yourself. As an independent artist you have to build everything from the ground up and find different avenues to promote yourself. It’s definitely a experience coming up but well worth it.”
When asked about remaining an independent artist, Waasi Shade says “All depends on the situation that’s out in front of us. Bringing leverage to the table is important for any negotiation and the need to have complete control of the art put out and owning your masters is super important as well.” Being able to maintain creative control over your work while maintaining ownership over your masters is a major issue in the music industry and artists such as Kanye West, Taylor Swift, and Tory Lanez have recently addressed some of the issues surrounding signing with major labels as well.
Waasi Shade has more coming from with his group WaasiKeso but this project will definitely keep us occupied in the meantime. “I want fans to know that WAASIKeso are dedicated to bringing you all the best music possible & connecting with each and every one of you. ALBUM COMING SOON”. Listen to the album below!
Was Shade - 1995
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Bun B Addresses Tory Lanez And Speaks Out In Support Of Megan Thee Stallion
Houston rapper Bun B took to instagram live to address the shooting incident between Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion. “This is why Black women are so hesitant to speak against Black men.”
By: Omar Cook
Houston rapper Bun B took to instagram live to address the shooting incident between Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion. On Friday. August 21, Megan Thee Stallion confirmed that Tory Lanez was responsible for shooting her in the foot. Bun B started his message with “Fu*k Tory Lanez, and I don’t care if this go viral or none of that shit. I’m from Houston and if somebody would’ve done something to Megan in this city, we would’ve rolled.”
“She ain’t got a mama no more; her mama’s gone. Her daddy’s gone. Her grandmother is gone. All the people that loved her and cared about her unconditionally — that looked out for her and would’ve protected her — ain’t there. So, as an O.G. in Houston, I’m standing up.”
People have been waiting for more information to come out on the incident as well as expecting other artists in Hip Hop to say something in support of Meg Thee Stallion. Since the incident occured, Tory Lanez has remained silent.
“... Nobody’s talking about [the shooting] because it’s a Black woman. We love Megan; we brag about Megan, [but] nobody wanna talk about it when she gets shot,” he said. “We got memes. We got jokes. Fu*k that.”
This was an unforeseen fall from grace for Tory Lanez after he built up his fan base during the pandemic by entertaining fans with Quarantine Radio. Even worse is the aftermath of the shooting that Meg Thee Stallion has deal and post trauma that she has to deal with. Bun B speaking on this matter is important because Black women should feel protected by Black men and people with a platform should definitely be coming to her aid to provide her with support during this time.
“This is why Black women are so hesitant to speak against Black men, because Black women know how the legal system will treat Black men, they know how white America will treat Black men,” Bun B said.
See clips from Bun B’s live below.
Bun B discusses Tory Lanez and shows support for Megan Thee Stallion pic.twitter.com/zyBscWZTqG
— 247 Live Culture (@247LC) August 24, 2020
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Tory Lanez Urges Other Entertainers To Speak Out And Protest
Tory Lanez took to social media to call out other entertainers to use their platforms to speak out on social injustices and to aid in protests.
By: Omar Cook
The murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police has sent people around the country and the world into an uproar. Protests have broken out all over the country and more and more people are beginning to speak out on social injustices. What’s been interesting is that at a time like this where an incident affects the entire country, you are starting to see people’s true colors about how they feel and what they truly think.
Everyday you log into social media, you see a new entertainer or celebrity being “canceled” for something they have said.
List of people cancelled:
— The Queen (@WorldofJayona) June 1, 2020
Doja Cat
Desi Banks
B. Simone
T.I- on probation for that Wakanda comment
Who else?
Tory Lanez took to instagram live to call out entertainers to disagree with how some of them have voiced their opinions against the protests. He also encouraged them to get out and walk in the protests themselves to see it first hand as he was seen protesting in Miami as well.
A lot of people have disagreed with how the protests have turned from peaceful to violent, and have included vandalism and looting. The counter argument has been that Black people have been degraded for so long that, the vandalism is warranted at this point and that this is the way to gather people’s attention. A good amount of the looting and destruction has also been done by people who aren’t Black and are using this as an opportunity to push their own agenda. People are hurting, that is the bottom line behind all of this.
Lil Wayne made a very controversial statement recently saying “if we want to place the blame on anybody, it should be ourselves for not doing more than what we think we’re doing.” Crazy. Tory Lanez took to twitter to address this very statement.
And to any of my black peers in this entertainment industry .... if your opinion on this matter at hand is ANYTHING along the lines of “ we need to blame ourselves ... and it’s not the cops fault “ or “u gotta look at both sides” .. personally from me to u ... FUCK OUTTA HERE
— Tory Lanez (@torylanez) May 31, 2020
With emotions running extremely high around the country, it is imperative that people with major platforms are using their voices to influence this world for change. Silence is also a major statement in itself as being silent accomplishes nothing for us and lets us know that you are complacent in the way the world is going. It’s time for major changes.
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Babyface and Teddy Riley Break Instagram Live Record In Iconic 'Versuz' Match-Up
Babyface and Teddy Riley broke the instagram live record in an iconic match-up on "Versuz". Recap the event here!
By: Omar Cook
The first couple tries didn’t go as planned do to sound issues, but when it finally got rolling, it was major. 2 iconic producers in Babyface and Teddy Riley went head to head for the best “Versuz” matchup to date on instagram live.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have teamed up to create an instagram series to take advantage of everyone sitting at home by pitting top notch artists and producers against each other in song for song match-ups. Some of the match-ups include RZA vs. DJ Premier, Ne-Yo vs. Johntá Austin, Mannie Fresh vs. Scott Storch, French Montana vs. Tory Lanez, The-Dream vs. Sean Garrett…but this was by far the best match-up.
Teddy Riley and Babyface teamed up to break the instragram live record by attracting over 500,000 viewers. The playlist was crazy between the 2 featuring artists such as SWV, Ready or Not, Tevin Campbell, Doug e Fresh, Janet Jackson, Toni Braxton, Blackstreet and many more!
Babyface recently battled the covid-19 and recovered which pushed the date back but it definitely did not disappoint. Babyface has a decorated resume writing and producing 26 #1 hits and earning 11 Grammys while Teddy Riley has 2 Grammys as well. This was a historic moment in music as 2 producers who are responsible for a lot of the songs we grew up on gave us an epic battle. If you missed it, check it out below!
Teddy Riley Verzuz Babyface - RnB Hits Broke IG Live [Full Version]
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Tory Lanez Drops Highly Anticipated Album "The New Toronto 3"
Tory Lanez dropped his highly anticipated 5th studio album The New Toronto 3. This album marks the last album that Tory is contractually obligated to release through Interscope Records after creative differences with the label.
By: Omar Cook
Tory Lanez dropped his highly anticipated 5th studio album The New Toronto 3. This album marks the last album that Tory is contractually obligated to release through Interscope Records after creative differences with the label.
This album puts Tory center stage as he only has 2 features on the entire 16 track album with Lil Tjay and Mansa as opposed to his last project Chixtape 5 which had a host of star studded features. Tory admitted that a lot of the music he put over the past 4 years were songs to get fans by and fill his quota, as he neared the end of his deal. On his track “Letter To The City 2”, he details his frustrations about his experience during the past few years dealing with his label.
Tory built a major recent buzz lately capitalizing on most of the world being stuck in the house due to the pandemic by creating a live instagam series which he calls “Quarantine Radio”, which has gathered hundreds of thousands off viewers at a time. Perfect timing to drop his album, which definitely did not disappoint.
The album features a vibe for just about anyone from turn up tracks like “Stupid Again” to more mellow tracks like “Penthouse Red”. Tory is one of the few artists that has the versatility to switch between raw rap lyrics to singing R&B. The project is fire to say the least and if this is foretelling of whats to come from Tory, expect some dope creative releases real soon as an independent artist. Check out the project below.
Tory Lanez - Pricey & Spicy (Visualizer)
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The Most Anticipated Hip Hop Releases Of 2020
2020 is set to be a great year for new music! We discuss the most anticipated hip hop releases coming this year!
By: James Teague
There’s going to be major life changes occurring all around us in this new decade and what better way to help us embrace these changes than through new music releases! New music this year will serve as our personal life soundtracks towards all newfound memories. The 2010’s started out smoking hot and progressed as the years passed. We’ve been blessed with some classic works that will be part of our lives. Even though it personally felt like the music in 2019 was lacking longevity, there were still some solid musical releases I personally enjoyed.
As we’re just now starting 2020, I'm looking forward to some of the artists we haven’t heard from in some time providing us listeners with some new vibes. I’ll be starting my 30’s in 2021 and I'm eager to know how impactful music will be to my taste and my life as I elevate in this new journey. Here is my list of artists whom I’m personally excited about that's rumored to release new music.
Noname, Smino, & Saba aka “Ghetto Sage”
Back in October, Chicago rapper NoName announced that her, Saba, & Smino had announced that they were forming a rap supergroup called “Ghetto Sage” and went on to debut their first group sound called “Haagen Dazs”. Each of these artists have dropped great albums at the end of the decade; NoName with Room 25, Saba with Care for ME & Smino with Noir. Even though “Haagen Dazs” is the first debut song for the group, they’ve collaborated 2 more times before becoming an official group. There’s been some talks about the group maybe having a project together but we will see as time progresses on.
The Weeknd
The last time that we’ve heard from Toronto Native The Weeknd was back in 2016 when he had released his last album Starboy. Since then we’ve gotten sights of Abel doing features for rappers such as Future & Trouble. If we didn’t hear him through music, then we would hear about his personal dating matters on and off. The Weeknd decided to surprise the fanbase by dropping two new singles. His single “Heartless” is produced by Metro Boomin. No information has been released yet for his new album but I’m looking forward to this next batch of new music coming.
Partynextdoor
These days you can find Toronto native Partynextdoor playing the songwriter role. The last time we heard new music was when he released his project called “Seven Days back in 2017.” Back in August, Drake said for us to expect new music coming soon from Party. In November, Party hinted on his IG that new music was coming out that Friday and proceeded to release two new singles, “The News” and “Loyal” with Drake. Awhile back before he went behind the scenes, Party mentioned that his next album would be titled “Club Atlantis” but there’s no confirmation on whether or not that album title still stands. For now Party has been teasing us about new music that’s coming. There’s still a special place in my heart for Party’s first two albums and i’m excited to hear what he’s cooking up with this new album at the top of the year.
G-Herbo
Out of all the acts in the city, G-Herbo is considered one of my top favorite acts to come out of Chicago in the last couple of years. His last collaborative album with Southside, Swervo, is still in my music rotation since the day it released. Before the 2019 ended, Herbo had said he is currently working on his next project, PTSD. He didn’t specify when the album was coming but after surprising his fans with dropping a short but sweet project, Sessions, one can only assume that he plans to release PTSD later on sometime this year.
Tory Lanez
Even though he just recently just dropped his album Chixtape 5, Tory is always consistently working and releasing new music, whether singles or guest features. Tory has already said that he has some upcoming projects that are in the works. There are currently no release dates assigned to these new projects at this time, however one can hope that maybe Tory could drop a project maybe such as The New Toronto 3. Personally, The New Toronto series is a preferred favorite series out of the others for me.
SZA
Periodically on Social Media, via Instagram, you can catch a glimpse of TDE songstress SZA out and about living life to the fullest. She has updated us through Twitter that she is currently working on her next upcoming album. The 3 year anniversary of CTRL is around the corner and this album sounds as fresh as it did the first time it was released. No information yet has been released about the album but we’re looking forward to hearing what SZA has to say this following go round.
Isaiah Rashad
Recently on Twitter, Isaiah has hinted on being in a better space mentally to release the music that he loves. The last time we heard from TDE’s own was back in 2016 when he dropped his sophomore effort The Sun’s Tirade. It’s clear that Isaiah has been working on music but he’s reportedly said he was having a hard time finding his stride in making the type of music he loves. Recently he’s hinted at finding his stride out and also teased a possible collab record with Schoolboy Q with Kenny Beats on the production side. We don’t have any album information but we’re patiently waiting on Zaywop to bless us with new heat soon.
Migos
It’s been awhile since we last heard new music from Migos. Following the release of Culture 2, the rap group from Gwinnett County decided to go in a different direction by releasing their solo albums. Even though each of the members have their unique talents, we quickly realize that all three of these members are much better as one unit compared to being solo acts. Culture 3 is currently in the works, and it was mentioned that there was a chance it could be dropping sometime in the first quarter. We’ll stay tuned.
Future
The Wizard has already kicked off the new year 2 for 2 with “Life is Good” with Drake and “Federal Fed” with Moneybagg Yo. If there’s one thing you can always count on every year is a brand new Future project dropping. Theres no other information on plans of Future’s next album endeavors but with “Life is Good” being released, one can be certain that Future is planning to drop soon at some point. Now whether it’s going to be another Future album or the rumored sequel to “What A Time to Be Alive,” I’m always looking forward to new projects being distributed out by The Wizard Himself.
Griselda (Westside Gunn & Madlibb/Conway)
The Infamous crew hailing from Buffalo, New York is coming fresh off a great 2019. Members of Griselda; Benny the Butcher, Conway, & Westside Gunn have held their own in each of the latest projects released. Once the group signed with Roc Nation with the help of Jay-Z, the rap group knew what time it was. Two Projects from Westside Gunn and Conway’s collaborative effort with Madlib are planning to drop sometime this year. Westside Gunn ended up making a bold start on the end of year Rap Radar Interview with Elliot Wilson and Bdot by saying Griselda had a much better year in 2019 than TDE and Dreamville.
Rihanna
These days trying to get a global icon like Rihanna to drop new music is almost equivalent to pulling teeth. Rih has been busy collecting her bag with her company Fenty. There’s not a lot of information that’s out about her album outside of hearing that this next upcoming album is supposedly reggae influenced.
Drake
Whether you love him or you hate him, Drake always has a way of making the masses remember him, whether through his chart topping hits, gossip blogs/news, or finding him supporting platforms such as Rap Radar and Shop Talk. Drake seems to have moved past all of the ills that occurred from 2018 during the release of his last album Scorpion. In usual Drake fashion, he’s announced via tour that he has been hard at work on his next upcoming album. No telling when this album will come out but I can bet you he will have something out right around the summertime.
J. Cole
Cole has already confirmed about his next upcoming album following up from KOD titled The Fall Off. He’s already been working on that album. In between time he’s also been busy giving out feature verses to rappers like Young Thug, Royce, Gangstarr, & his Dreamville roster. His team all created a moment by creating and releasing Revenge of the Dreamers 3 compilation albums featuring the members of the Dreamville roster and friends. Cole said that he’s finished with giving out feature verses and has returned back into the lab to finish up on The Fall Off. This album is set to come out sometime this year.
Kendrick Lamar
We’re on the cusp of hitting the 3 year anniversary mark of Kendrick Lamar’s last solo album DAMN. Granted he’s followed up with curating The Black Panther soundtrack, its been very quiet for the Compton rapper. Outside of hearing news about him having his first child with his woman, he’s stayed off the scene for quite sometime. Also what’s more telling is how there hasn’t been as many guest verses from Kendrick as before within the last few years. Things have been quiet until this past weekend, Billboard columnist and former editorial director, Bill Werde, took to his twitter and present some interesting news regarding Kendrick’s next coming album. He mentions Kendrick’s next album may be more rock influenced however he follows up clarifying that “just because recording had hit a point where folks believe it may be finished — albums go back to the studio all the time after this point, and for a million different reasons.” At this point, all we can do is just wait until the TDE superstar decides to release his album. All that we can do now is wait patiently until the TDE superstar decides its time for us to hear what he has to say.
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The Best Summer Anthems Of 2018 | 9 Songs That You Need in Your Playlist
We’re giving you a list of the some of the 9 best summer anthems of 2018! See if your favorite song the cut here!
By: James Teague
For some reason the vibes for Summer 2018 were different and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Maybe the current climate of our lives is playing a role. All that I can say is that the season is almost over and we don’t truly have an anthem to define our Summer this year. There’s usually a song that’s already been decided by the masses already. There's some songs you can say that fell into that Summer 18 category and after careful living and observation, I’ve picked out a couple of songs that can be nominated as the best summer anthems 2018. You can be the judge and decide which song is considered to be the anthem of Summer 18.
Ella Mai - Boo’d Up
This song was originally on Ella Mai’s Ready EP which was released last year. But somehow it resurfaced this year and created a life of its own. I appreciate the “Trust the process” story. Ella Mai is deserving of all this attention she’s getting. Everybody loves it especially the guys.
Ella Mai - “Boo’d Up” Music Video
Drake - Nice for What
It’s not Summer without Drake giving us an anthem to enjoy amongst the current time of our lives. From the song to the visual, you can tell this was dedicated more to the women out there working hard and looking good simultaneously. He made it clear for the women that this was the summer to start acting up and letting the men know what time it was.
Drake - “Nice For What” Music Video
YG - Big Bank
Everybody loves a rachet west coast style single from YG alongside DJ Mustard on the production boards. It felt good to hear Mustard & YG linking back up again for Stay Dangerous. You can't help but do your dance when “My b*tch drive an all white range/ Couldn't hit if you n*ggas had aim..” first comes on.
YG - Big Bank ft. 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj (Official Music Video)
Jay Rock - WIN
This isn’t just a song, it’s a life mantra that the people strive to live for in life! This was the perfect song to officially kick off Jay Rock’s run with Redemption, which happens to be one of top rap albums so far in 2018. Once again the TDE brand remains strong.
Jay Rock - “Win” Music Video
Tory Lanez ft Rich The Kid - Talk to Me
I was having a tough time trying to choose between BID and Talk to Me but the chorus alone for Talk to Me is so catchy that it just rolls off of your tongue with ease. Tory is planning to drop a new project Love Me Now right after releasing his Sophomore Effort Memories Don’t Die.
Tory Lanez, Rich The Kid - “TAlk tO Me” Music Video
Drake - In My Feelings
When I first heard this record on the night Scorpion released, I already knew this was going to be a smash single! Between the New Orleans influence and Drake giving City Girls a huge look, it had all of the ingredients for a successful moment. And it all kicked off when IG comedian Shiggy started the “In My Feelings” challenge.
Drake - “In My Feelings” Music Video
Khalid ft Ty Dolla Sign & 6lack - On the Way
The visual and vibe of this song gave me 90s vibes with a twist. It’s always great to hear feel good R&B records that you just automatically know is going to stand the test of time especially when hearing great young R&B acts. Ty Dolla is currently on his run with some of the best guest features in 2018 so far! Meanwhile everyone is anticipating 6lack’s next album release at any moment.
Khalid - “OTW” featuring 6LACK, Ty Dolla $ign (Official Music Video)
Valee ft Jeremih - Womp Womp
The rising stardom of Chicago rapper Valee has been a trajectory to watch this year from his debut EP GOOD Job, You Found Me to watching other rappers try and imitate his rap flow. This is one of the records that helps highlight who Valee is as an up and coming artist. I'm looking forward to hearing his next project with Cardo Got Wangz to see where he’s going to go next with his music.
Valee featuring Jeremih - “Womp Womp” (Official Music Video)
Tyga ft Offset - Taste
With all of the constant slander and jokes that the masses have made towards rapper Tyga, we forget about his ability to keep a hit record under his belt. At first I wasn’t sure what to think about the reactions to the song, but after listening and living with this song, I was sold. Between that, his other record Swish, and his new LA Leakers Freestyle, I’m liking what he’s doing with his music and hope he continues this streak of great music.
Tyga - “Taste” featuring Offset (Official Music Video)
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