I'm pretty excited for the second half of the year as well. I'm anticipating Vel Nine's A Beautiful Day to Die. Badu and Alc just dropped the first single of their collaborative LP (there's one coming with yassiin bey too, but who knows when). Madlid and Rapsody just released an EP MADRAPS (haven't heard yet but I think it's out.) Boldy and Craven have their third collab coming soon. And word on the street is there will be new records from Armand Hammer and ELUCID before the end of the year. Sure I'm forgetting some stuff too.
I've been so anxious for that Forensics. I saw somewhere Alc said it's all ready to go and just waiting for yassiin bey to get it out. The stuff around the recent black star release may be playing into it?
And billy woods and ELUCID have been so active lately it's crazy to think they could have enough left for an Armand Hammer album, but they seem to be tapped in deep right now so I am definitely looking out for it.
Thanks! yeah, bey works at his own pace it seems. I’m more optimistic for this than that No Fear of Time. There are some good tracks but it felt slight after such a long wait. Maybe if it’d come out in 2020 it would have felt more relevant at least. But recycled Madlib beats is not what we wanted from that collab. Again, I suspect that was a factor of bey’s involvement. And it’ll be two years since Test Strips by the time the new AH record comes out so not too crazy, but given the quality of their solo work on top of that, it’s an impressive and probably unparalleled run.
Yeah, there are a few tracks on No Fear of Time I love, and not really anything I dislike, per se, but it doesn't feel quite like a coherent experience when listened to as a complete album.
Definitely unparalleled, and with the repress of Today, I Wrote Nothing and new pressing of two ELUCID classics--it's a great time to be a fan.
Yup – the MadRaps thing is possibly amazing, big Rapsody fan here, but it's a physical-only release for now and shipping from the U.S. takes forever. Loving the first Badu/ALC tune and looking forward to the full album too!
I'm going back through this list and surprised Infinity Knives/Brian Ennals isn't on here. It immediately hits as an all-out assault (in the best way) and grabs you with it's raw anger and frustration, but the more I listen to it the more I realize how incredibly expansive it is emotionally both production-wise and lyrically.
Oh man that’s totally an oversight on my part! They sent me the record a while back and I mentioned it way back in the fall. I’ll definitely be giving it some shine soon!
Thanks for the rap roundup, much appreciated!
I'm pretty excited for the second half of the year as well. I'm anticipating Vel Nine's A Beautiful Day to Die. Badu and Alc just dropped the first single of their collaborative LP (there's one coming with yassiin bey too, but who knows when). Madlid and Rapsody just released an EP MADRAPS (haven't heard yet but I think it's out.) Boldy and Craven have their third collab coming soon. And word on the street is there will be new records from Armand Hammer and ELUCID before the end of the year. Sure I'm forgetting some stuff too.
I've been so anxious for that Forensics. I saw somewhere Alc said it's all ready to go and just waiting for yassiin bey to get it out. The stuff around the recent black star release may be playing into it?
And billy woods and ELUCID have been so active lately it's crazy to think they could have enough left for an Armand Hammer album, but they seem to be tapped in deep right now so I am definitely looking out for it.
Thanks for everything you do too!
Thanks! yeah, bey works at his own pace it seems. I’m more optimistic for this than that No Fear of Time. There are some good tracks but it felt slight after such a long wait. Maybe if it’d come out in 2020 it would have felt more relevant at least. But recycled Madlib beats is not what we wanted from that collab. Again, I suspect that was a factor of bey’s involvement. And it’ll be two years since Test Strips by the time the new AH record comes out so not too crazy, but given the quality of their solo work on top of that, it’s an impressive and probably unparalleled run.
Yeah, there are a few tracks on No Fear of Time I love, and not really anything I dislike, per se, but it doesn't feel quite like a coherent experience when listened to as a complete album.
Definitely unparalleled, and with the repress of Today, I Wrote Nothing and new pressing of two ELUCID classics--it's a great time to be a fan.
I’m so happy about the reissue of Today I Wrote Nothing, I wasn’t tapped in when it came out but it’s one of my favs
And of course those ELUCID records, great stuff. Backwoodz is really top of the game right now. (But I want to see more women on the label!)
Yup – the MadRaps thing is possibly amazing, big Rapsody fan here, but it's a physical-only release for now and shipping from the U.S. takes forever. Loving the first Badu/ALC tune and looking forward to the full album too!
Yeah I ordered a copy to my US address but I’m not sure when I’ll be back!
I'm going back through this list and surprised Infinity Knives/Brian Ennals isn't on here. It immediately hits as an all-out assault (in the best way) and grabs you with it's raw anger and frustration, but the more I listen to it the more I realize how incredibly expansive it is emotionally both production-wise and lyrically.
Oh man that’s totally an oversight on my part! They sent me the record a while back and I mentioned it way back in the fall. I’ll definitely be giving it some shine soon!
I cant stop listening to that Aesop Rock album, the story telling is next level.