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.
