First Impressions: Q2 2026
June 30, 2026
Reviews of new albums by Navy Blue, Isaiah Rashad, Latto, YG; Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE and Surf Gang, and more.
ALL: Hip-Hop 2020s
First Impressions: Q1 2026
April 30, 2026
Reviews of new albums by J. Cole, Roc Marciano, Baby Keem, A$AP Rocky and more.
Notable Rap Albums of 2025
January 11, 2026
These albums reflect 12 months of listening to and writing about the music that the genre’s artists have to offer.
Bars for Gaza
October 29, 2024
Over a year after the Israel-Hamas war began, numerous rap songs have appeared that address the ongoing conflict.
Blu & Exile, Love (the) Ominous World
October 27, 2024
Blu’s third album of 2024 revolve around familiar concerns: fulfilling his hip-hop ambitions, and trying to find spiritual sustenance.
Boldy James & Conductor Williams, Across the Tracks
July 4, 2024
On Across the Tracks, Boldy James illustrates a drug hustler’s lifestyle in colorful language, not thematic exposition or narrative tension.
Your Old Droog, Movie
June 23, 2024
Your Old Droog’s “Movie” isn’t quite a God-tier film, but it’s a solid excursion with quality production and “nutty bars.”
Notable Hip-Hop Albums of 2023
December 31, 2023
In 2023, hip-hop fans found themselves wondering whether small leaps in evolution can be as satisfying as the giant steps of the past.
MIKE, Burning Desire
November 9, 2023
While defined by minute-long nibbles and familiar tics, MIKE’s Burning Desire has its share of buttery beats and standout bars.
Shabazz Palaces, Robed in Rareness
November 8, 2023
On Robed in Rareness, the Seattle rapper and bandleader Shabazz Palaces weds electronic funk with younger prospects of varying experience.
Westside Gunn, And Then You Pray for Me
October 18, 2023
And Then You Pray for Me yields another hour of Griselda street heroics by toggling between “drumless” boom-bap and punch-drunk trap beats.
Jay Worthy x Roc Marciano, Nothing Bigger Than the Program
June 20, 2023
On Nothing Bigger Than the Program, Roc Marciano’s engaging production can’t save Jay Worthy’s unconvincing performance.