Travi$ Scott: “Astroworld” (Review)

It’s not hard to see why Travi$ Scott has very quickly become a big deal in hip-hop. Much like his sonic father, Kid Cudi, his songs hover like glowing magnets – you don’t quite know how they work but you can’t look away. It’s why, ten years after Cudi’s debut mixtape, the Lonely Stoner still has a fervent following.

But just like Cudi, Scott isn’t as good as everyone wants him to be. Astroworld is nothing if not fascinating. Its title is actually remarkably accurate; this project sounds like it could soundtrack a stroll through a half-abandoned carnival at midnight on LSD. Scott gives it everything he’s got, stacking a truly gobsmacking amount of talent together across 17 tracks. When it’s great, it’s really fucking impressive. But a lot of the time it just feels like a tease.

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Mac Miller: “Swimming” (Review)

Only 26 years old, it’s already felt like Mac Miller has been around for two lifetimes. On Swimming, you can tell he feels the same way. Where he was once a giddy faux- prodigy who made college frat-boys jizz in their pants, these days he sounds like a burnt-out child actor – think Robert Pattinson after his eighth Twilight film. Swimming sounds like his attempt to admit that it’s OK that he’s not OK. To anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t have a grip on life, they’ll be able to relate. In these moments, he creates an album that’s weirdly poignant and oddly beautiful.

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Denzel Curry: “TA13OO” (Review)

Denzel Curry has been on the verge of stardom for a while now. He first came into the rap consciousness with Nostalgic 64 in 2013; a raw, out-of-nowhere debut that signalled a white-knuckled rapper who actually had a bit to say. His next work, Imperial, condensed that talent into a range of brilliant thumping bangers. But it’s very clear that TA13OO is meant to be his moment. It shows the progression of a truly great artist – one who keeps constantly proving he’s infinitely better than the Soundcloud rappers he’s often bunched up with. With this record, he’s crafted one of the best rap albums of 2018.

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Buddy: “Harlan & Alondra” (Review)

— 28 Jul 2018 —

Written by Deshawn Campbell

You won’t find many rappers with the sort of promise that Compton rapper Buddy was showing in 2011. That year, a very impressed Pharrell Williams signed him to the label I Am Other. Soon after, the two debuted ‘Awesome Awesome’ – a Neptunes-produced track with a video showing an 18-year-old Buddy coasting confidently through crisp, sunny New York streets. Pharrell declared him ‘on his way to being one of those super special artists’. We’re sitting here seven years later with Buddy’s debut album, Harlan & Alondra, and it’s fair to wonder where a lot of that promise has gone.

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The Internet: “Hive Mind” (Review)

After their surprising 2015 breakthrough album Ego Death, The Internet are suddenly the darlings of the indie music world. Their lead singer, Sydney “Syd” Bennett, has become a genuine star. Their bass player is about to follow suit. The follow-up in the wake of this success is Hive Mind, an album that tries to capture that same creamy fusion of jazz, hip-hop and R&B from their breakthrough. The result shows a band perfecting its craft while offering some true daringly artistic promise. It will make you want them to unshackle the chains on their next one.

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Drake: “Scorpion” (Review)

Eight years ago, a Jewish-Canadian former child-star released Thank Me Later; a polished, glittering debut rap album with enviable production credits and features from the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. The album dominated the annual charts and announced the arrival of rap’s newest star – an 808s and Heartbreaks descendant who made accessible, everyman rap from a not-so-everyman. The music world met Drake.

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