Gambino- 3.15.20
In true Donald Glover fashion, he had to do something different with his new album's release. So with everyone on lockdown, he released his new album on a website, donaldgloverpresents.com. On the site, you could only listen to the album all at once. There was no information on song titles, features, or production. Soon the music was gone, and the album was available on the streaming sites. Accept for the first two songs; the rest of the tracks are titled as time stamps. The album title is named '3.15.20', the date the album was released. And the cover is blank. Besides the non-traditional release, the album is excellent, and I think the way it was released, how the songs are titled puts many people off from enjoying a great work.
Jay Electronica- A Written Testimony
It was crazy to get an album from Jay Electronica after all this time. It had to happen in 2020. What was even more fantastic, Jay-Z featured all over the album. It was black excellence to the max. To be clear, this wasn’t the same album that was supposed to drop about a decade ago. This album was something different. And even though that long-awaited 'Act 2' album leaked later in the year, it was good to get some officially released music from Elect.
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
It seems like rock music is dead. It’s not like back when I would hear a lot of commotion on the different punk, nu-metal, or grunge bands. With that said, Tame Impala is the current alternative band that stands out to me these days. The music isn’t hardcore rock. It’s groovy, psychedelic, smooth, and experimental. The songs are catchy, moody and Kevin’s voice is enticing.
Kehlani- It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
There’s a lot of women in the R&B space that’s killing it. And Kehlani is one of my favorites. On this album, she’s talking that talk when it comes to relationships: the good, the bad, and the horror of romance. Her voice is more potent than her last projects, and she seems more confident with her delivery. She could only go up from here.
Royce Da 5’9 - The Allegory
I have been a fan of Royce for as long as I’ve been a fan of Eminem. It just amazes me how the veterans continue to get better after all this time. Did you see Royce on the LA leakers? This album was different for Royce because he produced it entirely. Along with staying lyrically sharp with the guest, I loved the social awareness theme throughout the album. Whether it was the songs or the skits, this project will have you enlightened.
Run the jewels - RTJ4
This album was released during the summer when America was on fire. While everyone was supposed to be home because of the pandemic, many across the country and the world protested the unjust, racist acts of police, the system, and the deaths of Ahmed Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many more. This album was theme music and prophetic. It was energetic, socially aware, and just good music, something we’ve come to love from Killer Mike and El-P.
Nas - King’s Disease
A lot of us were let down by Nas's last project, which was produced by Kanye. So when it was announced that Hit-Boy, we were intrigued. And I’ve got to say; it’s one of Nas’ best albums in a long time. Is this Nas’ '4:44?' Nah, that was 'Life Is Good,' but he does continue to make mature music while still being the artist we all love.
Teyana Taylor - The Album
Along with that Nas/Kanye project, Teyana Taylor was apart of that GOOD music album rollout where they were releasing a project a week for about a month. There were issues with her release and even the finished product due to some Kanye meddling. But on 'THE Album,' this is what we expected. As someone who’s been putting music here and there for a reasonable amount of time, this project displays Teyana as the artist we all knew she was.
The Weeknd - After Hours
It had been a while since I liked a whole body of work from The Weeknd. I think since his first project, 'House of Balloons.' I don’t know, I just took a liking to this album—the album cover, to the collection of songs, the music videos. The character outfit The Weeknd stayed in during press and the music videos. It was the whole package.
Alicia keys - Alicia
I had kind of loosely paid attention to the current work of Alicia for the past years. With this album and especially the single “So Done," she wheeled me back in as a fan. The album is excellent. You get a piece of all the versions of Alicia from over the years, her different styles, the pop ballads, the soulful R&B piano cuts, and the smooth alternative side. With great collaborations with Sampha, Miguel, Khalid, Snoh Aalegra, and Jill Scott, Alicia has never sounded better.
Benny The Butcher - Burden of Proof
Another project produced entirely by Hit-Boy, this album felt like some vintage Roc-A-Fella music. Early 2000s era, to be exact. The beats here are different from what Nas was given, and that makes Hit-Boy super talented. And the collaboration with Benny puts him in the conversation of one of the top rappers out today. Benny is one of the three main guys from the Griselda camp. And if you asked who was the best, any one of the members would be a correct answer. Once this dropped, though, Benny was solidified as that guy.
Amine - Limbo
We knew Amine could make hits. We’ve all heard Caroline. But with this album, he proved that he could rap and create a well-rounded album. It was versatile as far as subject matter and production. You can tell he pushed his pen with this. There are songs where’s he’s kicking rhymes where the wordplay is presented—other songs dedicated to relationships with women in his life, whether it's a young lady or his mother. And even race and social issues. This album solidifies Amine being in the game a while longer.
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo
Individually Freddie and Alchemist have been around for along time. But it was something about this pairing that was special. If you heard a Gibbs project, you know how he gets busy. Freddie had already made his second project with Mad Lib previous to this one. And The Alchemist in 2020 had already produced a whole EP with Action Bronson and another album with Boldy James. This collection of soul sampled beats feels great with Freddie’s effortless flows and lyrics and not to mention the features from Rick Ross, Benny The Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Tyler The Creator.