The past two months have proven to be a curious time, not only for the music industry, but for everybody in general. Regardless of the situation, our favorite artists have kept their eyes on the prize, continuing to focus on what they do best, and of course, we’re here to cover it all. With an extensive range of options, here’s a list of our favorite projects from quarantine.
Westside Gunn – Pray For Paris
With one of the most talked about projects of the month, Westside Gunn went wild on Pray For Paris. He’s one of the leaders of a movement that shines a light on the classic Hip-Hop style. With the perfect set of features, producers, lyrics, and flows, I don’t think there’s any way he could’ve made this project better. What if we told you that Joey Bada$$ and Tyler The Creator featured on the same song alongside Billie Essco? We wouldn’t be lying. With one of the craziest combinations of features in 2020 so far, Westside Gunn merged East Coast and West Coast waves. This formula made “327” the most hyped song on the project, and appropriately so. If you haven’t heard yet, you need to.
Smino – She Already Decided
Just when I thought I was done with piecing together this article, St. Louis great Smino spontaneously dropped a brand new collection of tracks. I knew going into listening that I was going to be impressed, still Smino managed to exceed my expectations. The sixteen-track project features Sevyn Streeter and T-Pain. T-Pain is featured on a remix of Smino‘s popular song, “Klink”, and needless to say, they murdered it. This project is another example of how Smino is seamlessly bridging the gap between contemporary fans and old heads. He caters to all with his unbelievable flow and a deep library of vocabulary. “Fronto Isley” serves as a perfect start to this unreal project, and every track that follows is bound to satisfy the taste of any Hip-Hop fan.
JAHMED – THEBOOFMOBILE
One of our favorite rising artists goes by the name of JAHMED and he has a tendency of always dropping heat. THEBOOFMOBILE is a perfect statement as a debut album for the young creative. With only one feature on the project, which was appropriately ICECOLDBISHOP, the project is dedicated in spotlighting JAHMED as an artist. He took full advantage of the opportunity, spazzing on every single track. The project includes very artistic renderings for a prelude, interlude, and outro. Three things which are easy to come off as out of place, however, JAHMED fits them perfectly into his most recent masterpiece. Take a listen below.
Kenny Mason – Angelic Hoodrat
One of the most explosive acts of the year goes by the name of Kenny Mason, and he just dropped off another set of vibes for us. His latest project is called Angelic Hoodrat, and is a marvelous combination of fourteen songs. He boasts not a single feature on the album, giving himself the opportunity to show the world just how bright he can shine. While we normally like to tell you our favorites, Kenny Mason made it very difficult with the amount of heaters on this project. He came off of making a “Hit” and has continued to follow it up with nothing but gas. Kenny is an exciting act to keep up with, his style is ever-growing and includes a wide range of influence. Angelic Hoodrat is yet another open invite to get hip to the creative world of Kenny Mason.
A$AP Twelvyy – Before Noon
To the satisfaction of his loyal fanbase, A$AP Twelvyy recently dropped a brand new project, Before Noon. The collection of 14 tracks is characteristic of Twelvyy‘s growth and is an exciting step forward for the A$AP Mob member. With features from Lunchbox, A$AP Ant, Billz Raw, Zay Nailer, and Lago 2.0, it’s clear that he’s staying true to his A$AP roots and keeping his ear to the streets. Some of my favorites from Before Noon include “Girl U A Star” with Lunchbox, “Baby Driver” with A$AP Ant, and “Bill Collector.” “Bill Collector” just hit two million streams on Spotify and is showing similar promise on all other platforms, along with the rest of the aforementioned project. Take a listen.
Conway The Machine & The Alchemist – LULU (EP)
Many Hip-Hop fans love the classic elements of the genre that have continued to reemerge among the vast sea of modern rap. Conway The Machine and The Alchemist are dedicated to pleasing the ear of those listeners and more, and they blessed the Hip-Hop community up with a new EP LULU. Together, they have such an uncanny ability to make shit that holds relevance today and waves that would be relevant 20 years ago. The seven-track EP features only two artists, ScHoolboy Q and Cormega, while flaunting the ability of Conway and The Alchemist throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this project, and chances are you will too. The visuals that have been dropped alongside LULU are just as dope, which is really saying something. Take a look!
Don Toliver – Heaven Or Hell
Cactus Jack’s Don Toliver has had quite the entrance into the music scene. With a graceful ascension, thanks to the notably powerful co-sign of Travis Scott, Toliver is known by an overwhelmingly large amount of fans now. Every track on the twelve-song project is impressive and is true to Toliver‘s sound. He knew that bringing on the help of Kaash Paige, Travis Scott, Quavo, Offset and Sheck Wes would result in a successful project, and so it has. It’s hard to name favorites because regardless of being a solo track or a stacked set of features, each song was a standout in its own right. The Houston native just appropriately dropped off a Chopped N Skrewed version of the album (CHOPNOTSLOP remixes), which is just as entertaining to listen to. Come see which version you like best, and which songs you like best.
YSN Flow – Flow SZN
We had the luxury of going on Instagram Live with YSN Flow the same night his debut project, Flow SZN, dropped. It was great catching up with the buzzing young act since we last spoke during our interview. Flow SZN features Quando Rondo, Lil Tjay, Justin Rarri, and YSN Jayo, and contains fire production from noteworthy names like Maddox Grayson (Mike Dean‘s protege who’s landed a spot in one of our earliest Undiscovered Gems pieces) and Iceberg Want A Bag. This is definitely a quarantine favorite of ours, take a listen for yourself.
Swavay – B4dalbum
If you’re in tune with Daily Chiefers, then Swavay is a name that you should be familiar with. The young talent has made some noise since he was granted a co-sign from Hip-Hop legend Metro Boomin. As he’s kept us engaged with releases thus far, he’s built up hype that was well worth it. His latest project, B4dalbum, is truly something to behold. Sporting features from Erick The Architect (of Flatbush Zombies) and Brooklyn Summers, the project surely gave everybody a deeper look at Swavay, along with his complex taste and ability. Swavay is very special. Stream B4dalbum below, and see what you think.
whiterosemoxie – white ceilings
While still only in high school, Detroit native whiterosemoxie has found his sound and pushed his work well enough to accumulate two million streams. white ceilings is his latest project, and perhaps the most masterful depiction of his sound that we’ve gotten yet. He only utilized one feature, K.M.O., across all fifteen of the project’s songs. He gives a deeper look into his musical identity, putting his clear inspirations on display. Some favorites include “newty”, “mitt romney”, “applause”, and “fiends”. Take a listen below and enjoy the mood.
Bravo The Bagchaser – Born 2 Win
LA rapper Bravo The Bagchaser is most known for his collaboration with Shoreline Mafia‘s Fenix Flexin on “Bravo Flexin”. The video has amassed over four million views on Worldstar‘s YouTube page, and the rest of his catalog shows similar promise. Bravo just dropped a project during quarantine, titled Born 2 Win, featuring White John, AFN Peso, MemoTheMafioso, and AzChike. Two names that instantly caught my attention were Fenix Flexin and AzChike. It’s great to see Bravo follow up his earlier hit with Fenix again with another heater, and AzChike never lacks on his feature for Bravo The Bagchaser. Overall, the album is curated beautifully and this is a good time to listen to. The West Coast vibes that Bravo The Bagchaser supplies on Born 2 Win are an easy way to brighten up your day while in quarantine.
SimxSantana – Trenches 2 Riches EP
Philadelphia’s SimxSantana is another breakout artist on the roster of Columbia Records, a label that has surely played their cards right throughout 2019 and 2020. SimxSantana has an exciting sound and backs it up with consistency. On Trenches 2 Riches, his latest EP, he spazzed across six tracks with the help of some notable names like Stunna 4 Vegas, Fivio Foreign, Lil Durk, Relle Bey, and Lil Uzi Vert. It’s a very interesting combination of styles that showcases Philadelphia’s edgy and energetic sound. Get hip to one of Philadelphia’s best, SimxSantana, who’s emerged from an impressive sea of talent in his native city. Take a listen below.
Comethazine – Pandemic
We covered Comethazine‘s Pandemic project as soon as it dropped. After time to reflect, it’s only become more and more apparent that the St. Louis star’s drop is his best yet. As he’s grown to better his sound (which arguably wasn’t even necessary), he’s proven that he’s here to stay. He blessed us up with twelve tracks that are well deserving of being in any Hip-Hop fan’s rotation. My personal favorite is “Blu-Ray”, a song titled that way because he says “yo b**** see D in her face, I nicknamed her Blu-Ray”. Bars like that are exactly why Comethazine has such a flourishing following. As if the lyrics weren’t enough, the song is filled with brilliant ad-libs. While “Blu-Ray” is my own favorite, everybody else has their own opinion and reasons for it. Go take a long listen to Pandemic and find out which fire track is your favorite.
Skepta, Chip, & Young Adz – Insomnia
Whenever a project is dropped that has UK Hip-Hop legend Skepta‘s name on it, you can anticipate that it is going to be gas. To no surprise, Insomnia is yet another crazy drop from Skepta, with irreplaceable contribution from Chip and Young Adz. The trio murdered every single track across the selection of twelve songs. It’s safe to say that there could be no better start to the project than its first song “Mains”. We’re once again overwhelmed by the ridiculously impressive ability of Skepta, Chip, and Young Adz. We’re not alone in that either, the numbers are going crazy as they’ve have outstanding support shown from their audience, and numbers don’t lie.
Rod Wave – Pray 4 Love
Florida’s Rod Wave has once again outdone himself. He won over the hearts of his massive fan base with his angelic voice telling stories of the trap lifestyle and the journey of getting to where he is. After an explosive entrance onto the scene with his first hit “Heart On Ice” and its corresponding album, he’s followed it up with yet another reason to love everything about him. Pray 4 Love is Rod Wave‘s statement to the masses proving that he’s here to stay. Across the fourteen tracks, Rod implored the help of just one feature in ATR Son Son. Some fan favorites include “Pray 4 Love”, “Thief In The Night”, “The Greatest”, “Ribbon In The Sky”, “Thug Motivation” and “Dark Clouds”.
22Gz – Growth & Development
Brooklyn Drill has been one of the most talked about areas of Hip-Hop this year, and 22Gz is one of the leaders of their movement. With a trail of countless successful drops behind him, 22 went into the release of Growth & Development with major momentum. As he edges closer and closer to one million monthly listeners on Spotify, he’s made it more than clear that he’s worth the listen. Though Brooklyn Drill is on virtually every Hip-Hop fan’s radar, many miss out on groundbreaking acts like 22Gz as they learn more about the scene. If you aren’t already hip to 22Gz, then his latest project Growth & Development will serve as the perfect intro. The Atlantic Records signee went crazy on this drop, with obvious two fan favorites being “Suburban, Pt. 2” and “Blixky Gang Freestyle”.
Sada Baby – Skuba Sada 2
One of Detroit’s biggest breakout acts is Sada Baby. He’s been on a roll lately, and with the addition of Skuba Sada 2 to his catalog, he’s not stopping anytime soon. The original album features Trap Manny, and the deluxe edition features a song with King Von. The deluxe version proved to be a strong move, as two of the three tracks which surpassed a million streams on Spotify reside on the deluxe. Some favorites include “Aktivated”, “Pressin” with King Von, and “2K20”. Go take a look and find some favorites of your own.
A1beam – Da Preacher
One project in particular that has been in my rotation is A1beam‘s Da Preacher. He went in on all six tracks, only needing the use of one feature, Roddy Rackzz. The project includes his song “Walk”, which we’ve covered on our pages pretty recently. As mentioned, A1beam is a very prominent producer who has begun his shift to the role of recording artist, and a really damn good one at that. Unlike many producers who try to do the same, the transition to artist seems to fit well on him. He treats his voice like any other instrument he’d use in production, seamlessly tying it into the instrumental. Check out one of our favorite quarantine projects from A1beam below!
Mally Bo – Worth Too Much
Out of San Francisco is a dynamic act by the name of Mally Bo. His latest project, Worth Too Much, has earned a spot on our list due to the overall quality and energy of the piece. He skated across five tracks with the help of Swervyy and Lil Bean. Three tracks definitely worth taking a look at are “Keep Bleeding”, “Get The Bag”, and “Rampage”. Mally Bo maintains a trademark Bay Area energy throughout the project, leaving fans anxiously awaiting more. His lyricism, flow and melodic ability are the perfect tools for him to show everything he’s about, and he’s not shy about making it known. Check it out for yourself!
