The Best Original Rap Album of August 2021 is Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf by Westside Gunn.

The knee jerk reaction would have been just give Nas the title of the Best album released this month but that would not have been correct.

Don't get me wrong, the second half of King's Disease II is pretty dope and I will be listening to those tracks for a long time, it just didn't make for the best original rap album released this month.

Kanye West's DONDA didn't even make the list. I don't get where this version of Kanye west is musically. He is clearly not making music for my taste but give it a listen if you are a die hard fan of Mr. West.

The most pleasant surprise this month was the album Dreams Still Inspire by Abstract Mindstate. I hadn't heard from them in damn near 20 years so when I first saw the album I thought someone new picked up their name and ran with it. But no, this was the group that formed in the 90's on the campus of Mississippi State University. 

They caught my ear at the time because their sound validated the influence of NYC still of rap all over the country including the south. 

As soon as the first song began to play it felt as if I was sucked back to the 90's in a time machine. This album is fucking amazing. Great soulful music, intelligent audible lyrics and modern storytelling make this one of my favorites of the year. 

However, as good as that album was there is one that is my standout choice for the best original rap album released this month.

I'm not going to call this artist a liar but he clearly stated that he was retiring after the last album. Am I sorry that he didn't? No I am not, I think his unique style has longevity left. 

The best original rap album of 2021 is Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf by Westside Gunn. 

Some may argue that this is just a features album including one with Little Wayne but I beg to differ. This is Westside Gunn at his finest sharing his dope beats and flow with the homies.

If you are a fan of original rap you are going to love this album. Enjoy.

The Best Original Rap Album of July 2021 is Heavy is the Head by Ransom

 

Six solid Boom Bap albums were released in July of 2021 but of those only three really stood out to me.

I really dig the Gabe ‘Nandez album titled Seven but seven joints are barely more than an EP and I just can’t give it album of the month. But I must tell you, I love this shit. Gabe is a real student of NY rap and his love for the style comes through like a beacon from a lighthouse in a storm. Definitely pick up the joint of you love original rap.

Adonis came at us hard with his album, The Lord of the West. Collaborating with Thelonious Martin on production Adonis’ dense lyrics and dope word play really shine on this album. An absolute must get album for the remainder of the summer of 2021. This one will get lots of play in your car.

The best boom bap album of July 2021 goes to Ransom with his album titled Heavy is the Head. Low end, simple soulful boom bap music layered with lyrical density from an emcee not trying to be the new kid on the block is quite refreshing. Some simple minds will only hear that “Griselda” sound but that is because their ears are young and naïve. This cat is dropping so of the hottest word play of the year. Grab a copy for yourself.

 

Top 6 for July 2021

1. Ransom – Heavy is the Head

2. Gabe ‘Nandez – Seven

3. Adonis – The Lord of the West

4. Issa Gold – Tempus

5. Styles P – Ghosting

6. HOFFA – Dave East

The Best Boom Bap album of June 2021 is.....

Peace and blessings.

I am truly thankful to join you again for another month and with further ado the best Boom Bap albums of June 2021.

There were more than six albums that I would classify as boom bap but there were only six very good ones in my opinion. Not enough for a top ten but that is not my problem or my fault. I only call it as I hear it.

Skyzoo came back with another joint for the summer with his album All the Brilliant Things. This is another great effort by one of my favorite emcees today, very solid album but the rest of the list had more dope joints in my opinion.

Curren$y came out of nowhere with another Jetlife album called Welcome to Jetlife Recordings. A good try by Curren$y and there are more than enough good songs to join the list but it feel short as the best album of the month.

One of the coldest and most under rated rappers Smoke DZA dropped his album in June called the Hustler's Catalog. Outstanding album by Smoke lot's a solid albums to occupy your mind especially with a little Girl Scout Cookie strain. It is a must listen joint and very close to the top but not quite there.

I am a fan of Young Old Droog but his previous couple of albums fell short to me because I am not a fan of his experimental left turns. On his new album TIME this dude might have dropped his opus. This is going to go down as that classic Droog album that will be spoken about for many years to come. 

This month may not have a large quantity of albums to chose from but the quality is amazing. 

The next album is a compilation joint produced by Peter Rosenberg titled Real Late. Rosenberg carefully selected artists whose skills and flavor really represent the golden age of hip hop in fresh new voices. I was expecting some bullshit but I must admit that I really respect Rosenberg's ear and vision with this album. You have to cop this joint.

Last but certainly not the least is a boom bap album tour de force. I was never really a fan of this cat who has been in the game for a long time, mostly because of his affiliation G-Unit. 

I never thought he was a bum but he was never someone I checked for, but for June of 2021 this dude set the world on fire. The Best Boom Bap album of June 2021 is the Course of the Inevitable by Lloyd Banks.

I never gave Lloyd credit for being a real spitter. I mean his flow was ok but he was never the cat that I listened to over and over to catch the dope word play. This album floored me. Not only is the music the most New York City sounding album of the entire year but the bars are ridiculous. 

I have to apologize to you Lloyd Banks, you are official my dude. Props to you for releasing this masterpiece album and I hope everyone who loves hip hop gets a listen to some real dope original rap from NYC. 

1. The Course of the Inevitable by Lloyd Banks

2. TIME by Your Old Droog

3. Real Late by Pete Rosenberg (Compilation)

4. The Hustler's Catalog by Smoke DZA

5. All The Brilliant Things by Skyzoo

6. Manifest by Bobby Sessions

7. Welcome to Jetlife Recordings by Curren$y

Original Rap Album of May 2021: If I Fail Are We Still Cool? by Patrick Paige II

Wow May was a fantastic month for Boom Bap. 

Yes we know that J. Cole's album dropped but believe it or not, as good as J. Cole's album is its not the best album of the month.

Don't get me wrong, The Off-Season is a dope album but it is the third best album on my list.

This month also the final projects of two legends that recently left us, DMX and MF Doom. Their fans will be pleased. 

Normally I would right a detailed post about the album of the month but I am going to do things different.

Because there are so many great albums I am just going to give my list of the top ten and let you feed yourself on some thorough original rap music.

Original Rap Album of May 2021 is, If I Fail Are We Still Cool? by Patrick Paige II.

I don't care what Ebro or Rosenberg said, I don't care if you never heard of this cat you better get with it now. This one is going to be on your playlist for a long time, from start to finish.

Top Ten Albums of May 2021.

1. If I Fail Are We Still Cool? by Patrick Paige II
2. To Kill A Sunrise by Kota the Friend and Statik Selektah
3. The Off-Season by J. Cole
4. La Maquina Conway by The Machine
5. Pray for Haiti by Mach-Hommy
6. April by Papoose
7. Super What? by Czarface and MFDoom
8. ROADRUNNER: New Light New Machine by Brockhampton
9. Trust The Sopranos by Benny The Butcher
10. Exodus by DMX

The Best Original Rap Album of April - Lazy Sunday by Kooley High

It's April. The Nets clinched a playoff spot, I celebrated another 365 day trip around the Sun and spring has sprung.

It's a beautiful time of year and we have also been blessed with several solid original rap albums this month.

In third place we have the album La Maquina by Conway the Machine. Conway is spitting as hard as ever and Griselda fans will thoroughly enjoy this album. I did too but the next two albums were just more...fun. I mean dark lyrics have a place in my heart but I am on the happy joyful spring thing right now so for me I can't make La Maquina the best Original Rap album of April.

In second place, hailing from Detroit Michigan is Bronze Nazareth and Recognize Ali with the album Season of the SE7EN. This is a very soulful joint and I really enjoyed the crisp  production. The familiar Wu-Tang sound was good to hear as well. My favorite songs on this album are Tear Drops in the Sky, Street Gospel and Olympic Gold Medalist. There are 20 songs on the album so you will find plenty to enjoy. My major criticism is not the music but BN's delivery at times. My dude, stop popping your P's so hard. That crap doesn't make the song sound more rugged, it sounds like you don't record with a shield on your mic.

I know I am going to take some heat for this album I am about to say is the best of April but I really don't care. No it is not dark and grimey. No there aren't 50 songs and yes several of the tracks are instrumentals. Nevertheless, this is easily the best of the three. 

The best Original Rap Album of April is Lazy Sunday by Kooley High. Riding or walking through Brooklyn on a crispy sunny day this album is the perfect soundtrack. This is a continuation of the hip-hop music I grew up with and associate better times to.

I don't have a favorite song because the entire album is dope from start to finish. This is laid back boom bap original rap hip-hop music and I fuqing love it. It's just beautiful.

The Album of March 2021- March by Papoose

Yeah I'm back. I decided to push back against the mumble bullshit and focus on showcasing the fresh boom bap hip hop albums only.

No more wasting time listening to everything made each month. if it ain't East Coast Boom Bap style music I don't want to hear that shit.

But let's be clear, there are plenty of muhfukas in New York doing that mumble shit. They will be ignored. If it ain't that raw, gritty, grimey, articulate witty and clever word play over a Boom Bap beat I won't even mention it. You fuckers don't exist to me so don't ask if I heard of Little Pookie Pook or Man Man.

I am not excluding emcees who are not NYC artists. Boom Bap hip hop can come from any place. Chicago, Philly, Florida, Buffalo, Houston or Portland.

Boom Bap is about bars. Boom Bap is about using the foundation of Black Soul, Jazz and R&B music to lay a melodic foundation for a real emcee to spit his or her bars on.

The words can tell a funny story, speak about politics, street or corporate crime, sex and just enjoying the moment. But there must be words and word play.

Boom Bap is not beeps, screams and fart sounds. Boom Bap means something to both the listener and the rapper. Boom Bap is timeless. Boom Bap is hip hop.

So without further rambling let's get into it.

The best Boom Bap album of March 2021 is titled March by Brooklyn's own Papoose.

Whether it is gentrification, catching a buck 50, getting your pockets ran or celebrating his old Earth Papoose let's the world know that even though the calendar has changed and some shiny new buildings may have sprouted out of vacant lots around the city that grimey NYC is still with us and is as cold as ever.

Pap let's the world know that the fantasy of the whitewashed gentrified streets of New York is just that, a fantasy.

The stand out track on the album in my opinion is Don't Make Your Real produced by Pete Rock. This joint made me reminisce about riding around NYC with my homeboys looking for something to get into or maybe just talking about life and being in the now in the middle of a cold city on a hot summer night. 

The second best joint making it's rounds is NBA Rhyme Scheme produced by DJ Premier. The song is tight but Don't Make Your Real is the one I will be playing the most I have to admit. 

Check it out for yourself.