RapReviews

1 week ago | rapreviews.com | Steve Juon

Even though it’s not in the best interest of my mental health, I keep giving Lil Yachty the benefit of the doubt. I’m not a fan of whatever he calls rapping because when I hear it the lyrics are banal, crass, repetitive, or all of the above. “Let’s Start Here” intrigued me because by his own admission this is NOT a rap album. Maybe that’s a good start — pun intended? If I have no respect for you as an emcee, maybe it’s time to stop being one and give something else a try.

1 week ago | rapreviews.com | Steve Juon

One of my ten favorite albums of 2024 was NxWorries’ “Why Lawd?” The combination of Anderson .Paak on the mic and Knxwledge on the boards was for me irresistible. It got me thinking more about Glen Earl Boothe’s extensive catalogue of music, one which even his own Wikipedia page acknowledges has “over a hundred albums on Bandcamp.” I’ve mentioned many times that Lil B and Kool Keith are prolific, but Knxwledge can easily give them both a run for the money in sheer volume.

1 week ago | rapreviews.com | Steve Juon

As best as I can tell the patrons of RapReviews support our mission to leave no stone of rap music unturned. With their generous pledges to keep RR up and running, I continue to dig deeper for albums that would otherwise become urban legends or lost media. With Hyenas in the Desert and “Die Laughing” I feel we’re damn close to that status.

1 week ago | rapreviews.com | Steve Juon

Fake Shore Drive is a lot of different things. It’s a Chicagoland blog (the name references the famous Lake Shore Drive), it’s a place for regional rappers to blow up, and it’s also a publishing imprint for albums like Joey Purp & Thelonious Martin’s “Champagne Seats.” The latter is the biggest risk of the bunch. Blogs are a dime a dozen — some carve out a niche (I miss OhWord) and some disappear quietly.

1 week ago | rapreviews.com | Steve Juon