Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor As time progresses and new musicians emerge within the hip-hop industry, albums slowly become distant and obstructed. From artists such as Kanye West announcing the death of albums with “Yeezus,” to streaming services such as Spotify, Apple and Tidal using subscription paywalls to lock certain albums away for a limited time, the physicality of albums ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor Playboi Carti has 2017 in his sights with his first self-titled mixtape. Jordan Carter, otherwise known as Playboi Carti or Cash Carti, decided to release his first long-awaited mixtape. After emerging on the scene with hit singles, such as “Broke Boi,” “What,” and “Fetti,” the Atlanta native became one of the most anticipated artists in ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor Compton native Kendrick Lamar hopes to catch lightning in a bottle for his fourth studio album. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, stage name “Kendrick Lamar,” is gearing to release his tight-lipped fourth studio album from Interscope and Top Dawg Entertainment this Friday. Lamar has been very cryptic regarding the nature of the album and what theme it ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor Redefining a genre means redefining the listener. With sustainable artists, such as Nujabes and Little Dragon, to eccentric artists, such as Childish Gambino and Kanye West, the standard sound for hip-hop is slowly adapting. Popular genres such as jazz, rock and reggae have begun to seep into hip-hop, creating sounds that extend the bounds of ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Asst. Entertainment Editor The lines between influence and manipulation in today’s hip-hop industry are blurry. Some of hip-hop’s most prominent figures, such as Drake and Kanye West, have been criticized for stealing content within their careers. Throughout history, influence has been a guideline within hip-hop as artists use pop culture to create distinctive records. One of ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Asst. Entertainment Editor Throughout the history of hip-hop, diss tracks have been used as an outlet to discuss animosity or resentment between artists within the industry. From feuds between legends such as 2Pac and Biggie to recent hip-hop icons such as Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma, the aftereffects of a diss track seem to have slowed ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Asst. Entertainment Editor Thundercat’s clarity presented itself in in his newest release, “DRUNK.” “DRUNK” has 23 tracks, featuring contributions from R&B icons Flying Lotus and Kenny Loggins. Hip-hop artists Kendrick Lamar and Wiz Khalifa also offer their talents. The album plunges into the perspective of both sobriety and intoxication. The album’s first quarter opens in a ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor Thundercat dives into a spiral of love, introspection, and madness within his third studio album “DRUNK.” Los Angeles native Stephen Bruner, better known as Thundercat, is a bass player who’s contributed to the lyricism and setting of Kendrick Lamar’s “Wesley’s Theory” on “To Pimp A Butterfly” to the narrative and context of Childish Gambino’s “Shadows” ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor Future is here. Atlanta-native Future sent shockwaves through hip-hop fans after revealing and debuting his fifth studio album all within a week. Before letting the dust settle, Future exposed his plans to release his sixth project “HNDRXX” this Tuesday on Twitter, with plans to envelop hip-hop listeners inside the sounds of Atlanta and the mind ...

Written by Kevin Paul, Contributor G.O.O.D Music signee “Big Sean” debuted his fourth studio album, “I Decided.” establishing his first mark for 2017. After startling the world with lead singles such as “Moves” and “Bounce Back”, the anticipation for Sean’s album spontaneously electrified, and for good reason. “I Decided” is Sean’s best album yet, even if there may be flaws ...