5 dope albums in 5 weeks: 2020 is off to a great start!

Where to start? I haven’t written on here for so long. Not that I disconnected from the music, far from that... I guess time got away from me, or maybe I was just lazy. Ok, 2019 was not as good a year in Rap & Hip-Hop as 2018 was. So maybe I was less inspired.

New year, new decade and now I’m back. What a start of 2020 it’s been. From surprise albums to stocked 20+ song projects and new discoveries, the first 5 weeks have been one hell of a ride. So here are 5 albums you should definitely check out and why I’m getting excited for this new year of music.

Eminem- Music to Be Murdered By (released on January 17)

From the hints dropped by long-time collaborators here and there (50 Cent mentioning in interviews Em was back in the studio), to controversial guest verses (Dre’s and Fat Joe’s late 2019 offering featured Slim Shady dissing Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey on one song), we kind of knew something was brewing. And then boom, the critics’ most hated white rapper dropped another surprise album with “Music to Be Murdered By” on January 17. Taking inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock, Eminem delivered a 20 something track project that still has everyone talking and is already taking him to new records (10th number one debut on Billboard).

The haters will hate, but I loved the feeling of waking up to a new Eminem album like back in 2018 with “Kamikaze”. Plus this one sees Eminem back in his best form, paying homage to the greats and showcasing new talent, for an album that is probably his best one together with MMLP2 since the mid-2000s. The intro sets the tone, and songs like “Godzilla”, “I Will”, “Darkness”, “Lock It Up” or  “Unaccommodating” are must-listens. And with the Q-Tip, Royce da 5’9’’ and Black Thought-assisted “Yah Yah” we have one of my favorite tracks of his in years. Believe the hype.

Oh No and Madlib - The Professionals (released on January 17)

I had heard Oh No on a couple of projects in the past, but never checked for him. I first decided to check this album because of Madlib, whose "Bandana" album with Freddie Gibbs last year was dope. "The Professionals" did not disappoint, from the short, but aggressive first raps on "The Pros" setting the mood for the album to the more conscious gems like "Timeless Treasure", Oh No flows perfectly over Madlib's unique brand of sounds. Guest features are scarce, but when they get thrown into the mix (rappers Elzhi and Chino XL on "Superhumans" for example), they deliver impeccable verses.

Short at 13 tracks, most of which 3 minutes or less, the album does not overstay his welcome and gets easily addictive, staying on repeat for days after I fist listened to it. The fans and purists will jump on the vinyl version exclusively available via Rappcats.com which also includes all instrumentals as a bonus.

Verbal Kent and Recognize Ali - Dueling Experts (released on January 31)

While searching for a confirmation that Lil' Wayne's latest offering was available (more on that below), I came across this album in the middle of the January 31 new releases and decided to check it out. I had never heard of Verbal Kent or Recognize Ali until now, but as the album was out on the Mello Music Group who also put out Locksmth's, Joell Ortiz' and Apollo Brown music, I figured it should be good.

The self-titled opening "The Dueling Experts" made it straight to the top of my playlist. Not really because of lyrics, some of which I had heard from other rappers already - "I never forget like an elephant" or "I don't really give a f**ck, my attitude is celibate"- but thanks to the soulful yet energetic production. From there, the duo brings hip-hop gems, track after track across 14 songs. They're trading dope bars, really bringing to life the concept of duels. The production on every song sounds classic from first play ant their flows are vintage hip-hop. Make sure to check out "Dark Ninjas", "Two Isn't Enough", "Arnold Palmer Sipping Arnold Palmers" and "The Cause of My Ignorance". 

Lil' Wayne - Funeral (released on January 31)

Lil' Wayne dropping an album is always an event. Like Eminem, he is not one to care for trends of releasing short projects and applying new formulas for success. Which is why "Funeral" is a bit difficult to digest with its 24 tracks, and for the most part it is Lil' Wayne doing the same Wayne as he's been for years. So you're bound to throw away some songs on the project, but when it comes to punchlines, he still got it.

At times the album sounds more like a mixtape than a full-fledged project, with many songs without clear chorus/verse/chorus/verse structure, but Weezy brings his A-game over mind-blowing beats that switch in the middle, sometimes more than once. Songs like "Mahogany", "Mama Mia", "I Do It", "Dreams", "Bing James", "Sights and Silencers", "Piano Trap" or "Line Em Up" stand out for me. And like I said, a good Lil' Wayne project always comes with a load of punchlines that will make you laugh, press rewind and stick with you. Some of my favorites: "Judge gave me time/I did that time/ Like nap time", "You ni**as talking too much sh*t/I'm about to find a good plumber", or "Pistol whip you 'til you know the serial number by heart".

Kausion - Youth-Anasia (released on February 4)

Who remembers South Central, L.A. group Kausion who released their debut album on Ice Cube's imprint Lench Mob Records in 1995? Out of the three members, Gonzoe is the only one who remained active all these years, releasing a string of solo albums, some good, some bad, and associating with Outlawz and most notably Yukmouth's The Regime collective.

He is bringing back Kausion, but replacing the original members Kaydo and Cel with only one, a new rapper named Mass. The album features great lyrics from both rappers over laidback beats and inviting fellow California heavyweights Yukmouth, Planet Asia and Kenny Kingpin (formerly known as Poppa LQ, also a member of The Regime) to the party. The Mass solo track turned out to be a standout, as it is a direct response to last year's Glasses Malone track "2Pac Must Die". With "2Pac's Not Dead", Mass impersonates the late great rapper and relives the events leading to his untimely death in Las Vegas. The song is heavy in emotions and will please the westcoast hip-hop historians among us. Other great cuts on the album are "Deliverance", "Takashi's Story" and "Lee Harvey Oswald". A couple of different tracklists are circulating so make sure to cop the version that has 12 tracks on it for the full experience.