Although this month did not have the most music, it was still solid nonetheless and those who were fans of the few artists that released should be pleased for the most part.
APRIL 3rd, 2020
Rod Wave has been making a name for himself these past couple of years. Melodic rapping/singing has been in the forefront for so long and this seems like the total embodiment of that. The south has led that charge for quite some time now and it is a trend that continues to the day. The Florida artist released his second full length. album and is making sure his voice is heard all over. Rod Wave’s popularity is due in part because of tik tok and other social media outlets. The song “Heart on ice” gained popularity on those media sites and since then his stock has risen.
Kiana Lede released her debut album “Kiki” at only 23 years old. This is an amazing accomplishment but like so many artists before she began performing, and writing music actively since the age of 14. It was Kiana’s mom that helped her get her start in the industry through Kidz Bop. She won a prize for finishing in the top 4 spots and her career although young was beginning to take off. Not only does she sing, Kiana plays piano, and the guitar as well. She is very talented and we see here on this album with having a great sound and great features as well. It’s great to see people flourishing at such a young age, hopefully her career is long and she continues to be great.
APRIL 10th, 2020
I have already written a review on Tory Lanez’s album so I will keep this brief. This is his third installment of “The New Toronto” series. This is his second project in 5 months as well and he has been on a tear with dropping his music and being consistent. This album was important as it fulfilled his obligation to his label and he is officially an independent artist as well. Now that he is free he promised better music that he. kept in the tuck. I of course can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in the near future.
APRIL 17th, 2020
Firstly I would like to congratulate Westside on his recovery from Covid-19, he was in the hospital for almost a month and it is great to see him make a full recovery.
“Pray 4 Paris” is Westside’s 4th studio album and this one is among his best bodies of work. In recent projects he has put out this is one of my favorites. The album alone captures your eye. After rapping and talking about collaborating with Virgil Abloh it finally came true. Westside’s vision is one that Virgil did an amazing job on as the theme is Paris/art related which Westisde is heavily into. I hope the two work together in the future on fashion endeavors as Westside may be done rapping after this year. This album shows he has much more in the tank and in my opinion he should capitalize on it.
I originally was going to put this album first in the rotation but I don’t think that it was musically worthy to go first. Dababy had an amazing 2019 along with Meg Thee Stallion and dropped two stellar projects to boast. That should’ve been the last music Dababy released for a minute. Due to the nature of his music it sometimes lives a short life so it’s not music that will be on people’s mind long, especially with so many artists doing the same thing. The way to get around that is to release singles to keep people ready and stay in their rotation. I still think he’s good career wise he should just slow it down a little bit and take more time.
DVSN is a group that has amassed a low-key/ underground following. Although they are signed to “OVO Sound” this is the first album that they are beginning to show their faces and really get exposure. For so long they were just two guys that made great music since their critically acclaimed album “Sept. 5th”. This album is a step forward in the right direction for the Canadian singer and producer as they move a little more out of the. OVO light and into their own space.
APRIL 24th, 2020
K Camp is an artist that I’ve always heard of but never really listened to or gave that much of a chance. I did however listen to his singles this time around and was heavily impressed. He upped his game and reinvented himself. “Kiss Five” is a series that he has that I didn’t know about but it is something I will go back for. K Camp is only 30 years around but has been active in music since 2009, and has gotten better with time. This is the Atlanta artists fourth album and it’s safe to say I’ll be looking forward to other ones from now on.
Alina Baraz is another name that’s been in the loop for years now. She first got notoriety with her “Urban Flora” collaboration alongside Denmark producer Gilmatias. Since then she has released one other album which was an amazing body of work as well. The mid to late 20’s is when artists usually flourish and a t 26 Alina is in a great place to do so herself.
