Vince Staples-Big Fish Theory: Is it too early to call Vince Staples' second LP Big Fish Theory the best hip-hop album of the year? Probably. Am I going to throw all sensible logic out the window and prematurely bestow this title upon it anyway? You bet your sweet ass I am. Behind production primarily handled by a number of EDM heavyweights including Sophie, Zack Sekoff and Jimmy Edgar, Staples is able to create the most abrasive, distinct and consistent project of his brief but thoroughly impressive career thus far. The marriage between Europe's most aggressive styles of electronic music (house and UK garage) and modern hip-hop's angriest MC is almost too perfect for words. The frantic synths and wall-rattling bass that drive the album's beats essentially act as a PED for the rage, misery and sadness that defines Staples' music. While Staples' previous output has boasted excellent production, this new electronic-driven sound was the extra kick in the teeth his music needed to amplify the potency of his pain-filled storytelling. Staples is exactly the type of gifted, envelope-pushing artist that deserves to be at the forefront of the modern hip-hop scene and I really hope the brilliance of Big Fish Theory will finally earn him the level of respect he's long deserved.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Homage 2.Big Fish (feat. Juicy J) 3.Yeah Right (feat. Kendrick Lamar and Kucka)
2 Chainz-Pretty Girls Like Trap Music: Records like Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is why I spend so much time championing the trap genre. The hooks are triumphant, the lyrics are endlessly quotable, the wide variety of killer beats from established vets (Mike Dean, Mike Will Made It, Honorable C.N.O.T.E.) and promising young guns (Murda Beatz, K Swisha, Buddah Bless) is a beautiful showcase of why I believe we're currently living in the golden age of hip-hop production and above all, 2 Chainz finally flexes the level of charisma that has made him the genre's king of show-stealing guest verses over the course of a full-length solo project. I'll be bumping the shit out of this absurdly fun, banger-filled record for the foreseeable future.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Sleep When U Die 2.OG Kush Diet 3.Rolls Royce Bitch
Calvin Harris-Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1: Most mainstream artists aspire to make a song that goes down as an summer anthem. On Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1, Calvin Harris made an album full of them. Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1's laid-back, funk-and-disco-driven sound is a big departure for the Scottish DJ that rose to worldwide fame producing straightforward electropop tracks, but this pretty major stylistic change results in the best material he's ever crafted. Harris' production has never sounded this confident or groovy and despite working with a revolving door of A-list collaborators including Pharrell, Future and Katy Perry that span multiple genres, this record remains cohesive and catchy as hell throughout its efficient 38-minute runtime. Throw this shit on at a cookout or party on a warm night and prepare to let the good times roll.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Heatstroke (feat. Young Thug, Pharrell and Ariana Grande) 2.Faking It (feat. Kehlani and Lil Yachty) 3.Cash Out (feat. ScHoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor and D.R.A.M.)
Young Thug-Beautiful Thugger Girls: When I first heard that hip-hop's most endearing oddball Young Thug was going to drop an "all-singing" album, I let out an audible groan. Thugga has sung a little bit with decent enough results in the past, but the prospect of listening to him sing on an album's worth of material was about as appealing as contracting the Bubonic Plague. To my surprise, Beautiful Thugger Girls proved to be a pretty god damn good release. Thug's goofy swagger and gift for writing unpredictable, catchy melodies seamlessly carries over to the world of pop rap/R&B ,and his singing on the majority of the album is pretty impressive (particularly on "She Wanna Party" and "You Said"). It's definitely more inconsistent than his past two releases (Slime Season 3 and Jeffrey) and there are some bizzaro experiments on here that don't work at all (the country-tinged "Family Don't Matter", whatever the hell "Daddy's Birthday" was supposed to be), but Beautiful Thugger Girls is still a very enjoyable release that successfully expands upon Thugga's already impressive versatility as an artist.
3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Do U Love Me 2.She Wanna Party (feat. Millie Go Lightly) 3.Take Care
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