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Kehlani — It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
Kehlani fans have been anxiously awaiting her new album for some time. In 2017, the Bay Area songstress released her SweetSexySavage LP and last year, she held them over with the aptly-titled While We Wait. Now, Lani Tsunami returns with her newest offering, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.
Supporters knew it would be a star-studded affair once the tracklisting was revealed. Jhené Aiko, Tory Lanez, Masego, Lucky Daye, and James Blake lend their talents to this effort. Beyond that, Boi1da, Jake One, Jahaan Sweet, Loshendrix, and Go Grizzly are among the album’s producers.
Lexii Alijai, who recently died at the age of 21, also appears on the closing track, “Lexii’s Outro.” “This is life,” she raps on the song. “You just gotta wake up and grasp this shit…You gotta be passionate / If you want something, you gotta go after it.” Kehlani dedicated the release to Lexii’s memory. “This all for you Alexis,” she tweeted.
The project is also significant for other reasons, including motherhood. “I’m the most proud of this project because of coming to the studio with my under-one-year-old and writing and then feeding, and then writing and then feeding,” she told Beats 1, as per Complex, “because of sitting in my garage and, like, learning these programs on YouTube and, like, getting it until we get it.”
Hear why It Was Good Until It Wasn’t below.
Nav — Good Intentions
Nav’s back with a thematic follow-up. Just months after unleashing his Bad Habits offering, the Canadian rapper-producer returns with Good Intentions.
The new 18-song effort is full of big names. Stars like Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Durk, and Don Toliver make appearances. The late Pop Smoke also shows up on “Run It Up.”
Behind the boards, Nav provides some of his own production but he also nabs assistance from DJ Mustard, Wheezy, Pro Logic, and more. The Weeknd and Cash also executive produced the project.
“I’ve got bad habits, but I still got good intentions,” Nav explains on the title track. “This shit they don’t know about, ‘cause I don’t take no credit / Stay on my mission until my time is finished.”
Listen to Good Intentions below.
Lil Tjay — State of Emergency
Lil Tjay declares a State of Emergency with the release of his newest EP. The seven-song project features Fivio Foreign, Sleepy Hallow, Sheff G, Jay Critch, Jay Gwuapo, and more. Pop Smoke also appears on “Zoo York.”
Tjay raps and sings about the world’s ills, including death, injustice, and Covid-19, throughout this effort. “Jails multiplying,” he raps at one point. “Murder rate just keep on going up, it’s horrifying / Cops pointing fingers, they be misidentifying / How could it change? Honestly don’t think it’s ever gon’ change.”
“LOTTA SHIT GOING ON RN AND IM JUST TRYNNA BE THE HELPING HAND TO MY CITY,” Lil Tjay said via social media. “EVERYBODY NOT GON GET THIS BUT I KNOW WHAT THE STREETS NEED AND IMA FLOOD THEM.”
Stream State of Emergency below.
Lil Durk — Just Cause Y’all Waited 2
Lil Durk assures fans that patience is a virtue yet again with the release of Just Cause Y’all Waited 2. The 15-song sequel to his 2018 project arrives a year after his Family Over Everything effort.
Durk makes sure to keep the stars around for this one. Lil Baby and Polo G appear on the “3 Headed Goat” single, while Gunna and G Herbo pop up on “Gucci Gucci” and “Chiraq Demons” respectively.
“This life is for the ghetto,” Durkio sings on “Different Meaning.” “Nobody put fear in us / I put real life inside this music, they not hearing us / I know what’s real, I had some real killers tearing up / I did all I can for them, they not sincere enough.”
Stream Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 below.
Lloyd Banks — “Cold Summer”
Lloyd Banks takes on the “Cold Summer.” Over the instrumental for Fabolous’ 2019 cut of the same name, the Punchline King delivers some introspective bars.
“Forget the fact I was dead nice, I was dedicated,” Banks raps. “Losing my mind through the madness, had to be medicated / At least I could say I got through it, so many never made it / Wonder when this shit is really over, will I be celebrated?”
But Banks does more than just reflect on his own plight here. He also takes a somber approach, referencing the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery (“Being targeted jogging while Black is terrorism”) and Fred The Godson (“Just when it couldn’t get worse, rest in peace Fred The Godson”).
The former G-Unit MC recently released “Huntin Season,” his take on the Jadakiss and Pusha T collaboration of the same name. “Cold Summer” appears to tease even more music from PLK. “Are you ready for albums?” he asks on the cut. Perhaps he’s just warming up.
Listen to “Cold Summer” below.
