Source: @PhotosByBeanz / @PhotosByBeanz
Nas – Nasir
Escobar season has returned. Six years after delivering Life is Good, Nas unveils his latest album, Nasir. Baring his first name, the new project features seven new tracks, entirely produced by Kanye West.
Nas tackles several different topics on this album, including his long-running beat-selection critique. “Never sold a record for the beat, it’s my verses they purchase,” he raps at one point. “Without production, I’m worthless / But I’m more than the surface / Want me to sound like every song on the Top 40? / I’m not for you, you not for me / You bore me.”
The Queensbridge MC premiered his new album in his hometown. He was surrounded by ‘Ye, Kim Kardashian West, La La Anthony, Rakim, and others as the event streamed on Mass Appeal’s YouTube channel. This was Nas’ first release since his ex-wife Kelis accused him of emotional, financial, and physical abuse.
There’s more where this came from. Nasir is the fourth Kanye-produced album to drop in four weeks, following Pusha-T’s Daytona, West’s own Ye, and his collaborative album with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts. The ambitious endeavor will continue next week with Teyana Taylor’s forthcoming album, which is also set to feature seven cuts.
Jay Rock – Redemption
Jay Rock finally gets his Redemption. Three years after releasing 90059, the Top Dawg Entertainment MC unleashes his star-studded third album.
Aside from Eastside Johnny, Redemption features guest appearances from fellow TDE stars Kendrick Lamar (“Wow Freestyle”) and SZA (“Redemption”). Meanwhile, J. Cole (“OSOM”), Jeremih (“Tap Out”), and Future (“King’s Dead”) also lend a hand. Several producers also contributed to Redemption, including Mike WiLL Made-It, Sounwave, Teddy Walton, Terrace Martin, Boi-1da, and Hit-Boy.
Rock touches on various subjects throughout the album, including his devastating motorcycle accident, which landed him in the hospital in 2016. “I think about if my motorcycle crash was fatal,” he raps on the title track. “Broken bones, internal bleeding, stretched on a table / Going through surgery, two machines helping me breathe.”
Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic
Linkin Park’s rapper-singer-songwriter-producer Mike Shinoda releases his debut solo album, Post Traumatic. As the title suggests, the LP symbolizes Mike’s first musical set since the untimely death of his band’s lead singer, Chester Bennington.
Bennington’s suicide inspired many of the songs on this project. “Last year for me was like the nuclear bomb of loss of control,” Shinoda recently told the Los Angeles Times. “I have a body of work, a legacy that I have a feeling of pride about, and then I felt like it was ruined. I had to look at that and say, ‘Well, I can’t do anything about what happened.’ All I could do is say, ‘What’s next?’”
Shinoda, who raps and sings on this release, tapped Machine Gun Kelly, K.Flay, Blackbear, grandson, and Deftones singer Chino Moreno for this collection of songs, which includes “Nothing Makes Sense Anymore,” “Crossing a Line,” and “Can’t Hear You Know.”
Aside from rapping, singing, writing, and producing in Linkin Park, Shinoda released a hip-hop-based side project as Fort Minor in 2005’s The Rising Tied. He also worked closely with JAY-Z to create the Linkin Park-Hov mash-up Collision Course in 2004. Listen to Post Traumatic below.
2 Chainz feat. Drake & Quavo – “Bigger Than You”
2 Chainz is a V.I.P. To celebrate that fact, Tity Boi taps frequent collaborators Drake and Quavo for “Bigger Than You,” his latest single off the forthcoming project Rap or Go to the League.
Hair Weave Killer raps about his recent injury and tour over the trap-infused production. “In a wheelchair and I still perform / I make no excuses,” he raps. “You know that I’m hungry and still got the juice.”
Following Quavo’s chorus, Drizzy joins the party with some raps about his career trajectory. “‘Member shorty told me she thought the rap’s good, but the singing’s off,” he raps, before denouncing snitching. “Quavo Sinatra, but we could never be the Rat Pack.”
Source: @PhotosByBeanz / @PhotosByBeanz
Nas – Nasir
Escobar season has returned. Six years after delivering Life is Good, Nas unveils his latest album, Nasir. Baring his first name, the new project features seven new tracks, entirely produced by Kanye West.
Nas tackles several different topics on this album, including his long-running beat-selection critique. “Never sold a record for the beat, it’s my verses they purchase,” he raps at one point. “Without production, I’m worthless / But I’m more than the surface / Want me to sound like every song on the Top 40? / I’m not for you, you not for me / You bore me.”
The Queensbridge MC premiered his new album in his hometown. He was surrounded by ‘Ye, Kim Kardashian West, La La Anthony, Rakim, and others as the event streamed on Mass Appeal’s YouTube channel. This was Nas’ first release since his ex-wife Kelis accused him of emotional, financial, and physical abuse.
There’s more where this came from. Nasir is the fourth Kanye-produced album to drop in four weeks, following Pusha-T’s Daytona, West’s own Ye, and his collaborative album with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts. The ambitious endeavor will continue next week with Teyana Taylor’s forthcoming album, which is also set to feature seven cuts.
Jay Rock – Redemption
Jay Rock finally gets his Redemption. Three years after releasing 90059, the Top Dawg Entertainment MC unleashes his star-studded third album.
Aside from Eastside Johnny, Redemption features guest appearances from fellow TDE stars Kendrick Lamar (“Wow Freestyle”) and SZA (“Redemption”). Meanwhile, J. Cole (“OSOM”), Jeremih (“Tap Out”), and Future (“King’s Dead”) also lend a hand. Several producers also contributed to Redemption, including Mike WiLL Made-It, Sounwave, Teddy Walton, Terrace Martin, Boi-1da, and Hit-Boy.
Rock touches on various subjects throughout the album, including his devastating motorcycle accident, which landed him in the hospital in 2016. “I think about if my motorcycle crash was fatal,” he raps on the title track. “Broken bones, internal bleeding, stretched on a table / Going through surgery, two machines helping me breathe.”
Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic
Linkin Park’s rapper-singer-songwriter-producer Mike Shinoda releases his debut solo album, Post Traumatic. As the title suggests, the LP symbolizes Mike’s first musical set since the untimely death of his band’s lead singer, Chester Bennington.
Bennington’s suicide inspired many of the songs on this project. “Last year for me was like the nuclear bomb of loss of control,” Shinoda recently told the Los Angeles Times. “I have a body of work, a legacy that I have a feeling of pride about, and then I felt like it was ruined. I had to look at that and say, ‘Well, I can’t do anything about what happened.’ All I could do is say, ‘What’s next?’”
Shinoda, who raps and sings on this release, tapped Machine Gun Kelly, K.Flay, Blackbear, grandson, and Deftones singer Chino Moreno for this collection of songs, which includes “Nothing Makes Sense Anymore,” “Crossing a Line,” and “Can’t Hear You Know.”
Aside from rapping, singing, writing, and producing in Linkin Park, Shinoda released a hip-hop-based side project as Fort Minor in 2005’s The Rising Tied. He also worked closely with JAY-Z to create the Linkin Park-Hov mash-up Collision Course in 2004. Listen to Post Traumatic below.
2 Chainz feat. Drake & Quavo – “Bigger Than You”
2 Chainz is a V.I.P. To celebrate that fact, Tity Boi taps frequent collaborators Drake and Quavo for “Bigger Than You,” his latest single off the forthcoming project Rap or Go to the League.
Hair Weave Killer raps about his recent injury and tour over the trap-infused production. “In a wheelchair and I still perform / I make no excuses,” he raps. “You know that I’m hungry and still got the juice.”
Following Quavo’s chorus, Drizzy joins the party with some raps about his career trajectory. “‘Member shorty told me she thought the rap’s good, but the singing’s off,” he raps, before denouncing snitching. “Quavo Sinatra, but we could never be the Rat Pack.”
