Flower Boy – Tyler The Creator 

“Tell these black kids they could be who they are”

Have you ever listened to an album and loved every track?

That was Flower Boy for me.

My first thought after having properly digested Flower Boy was how much Tyler had matured. There was a sense of growth not only in the content of what he was rapping about, but also how much more structured his work was.  Flower Boy is one of  the shortest of his albums and perhaps the most thematically focused. The OFWGKTA Tyler, who been criticised for his “grotesque lyrics” and even banned from the U.K, had now grown up and this was his coming out.

There had been much debate surrounding Tyler’s sexuality and some fans were confused as he had made some homophobic remarks in the past. By no way at all is this Tyler’s “coming out album” as he had informed us of his sexuality a few years ago. However, on this album he raps in great depth about previous relationships. On I Ain’t Got Time,  Tyler says ““Next line will have them like, ‘woah’ / I been kissing white boys since 2004“.  

The album explores Tyler’s love, loneliness and relationships. Despite these themes being sombre, Tyler manages to use melodies which ironically make you feel warm, lovey and tranquil. It’s impossible to not listen to this album and feel the love which he feels on tracks like Boredom and Glitter. And the piano transition from Where This Flower Blooms into Sometimes?! Simply sublime!

One of my favourite tracks on this album is November due to the probing questions he asks. “Tell me what’s your November, is it a person, mine was the summer ’06 I remember?”. November is one of his favourite times and perhaps this is due to the good memories or how this or period allows him to feel safe. November is a metaphor for the better times in our lives, the memories we wish we could relieve or the people we wish relationships had worked out with. So I ask those of you who are reading this, What is your November?

I absolutely loved Flower Boy and I can’t wait for more albums from “Mature Tyler”.

4:44 – Jay-Z

“What’s better than one billionaire? Two. Especially when they from the same hue as you”

4:44 has often been described as the response to Beyonce’s Lemonade (2016).  This is because we were finally told in great depth of his infidelity (however, Beyonce had been singing about this for years). 4:44 is much more than Jay-Z’s confession of his infidelity, it focuses on family,  black empowerment and the black experience.

One of my favourite things about this album is how concise it is, it is 10 tracks and 36 minutes of Jay-Z’s usual fantastic lyricism. 4:44 is honest  and this honesty is heard on Smile when Jay-Z reveals that his mother is a lesbian “Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian, Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian”. Jay-Z raps extensively on regret and fatherhood on Kill Jay-Z and even almost losing his family on Family Feud. 

Last year there seemed to be a wave of albums centred around black empowerment and the black experience;  A Seat At The Table, Lemonade, To Pimp A Butterfly and Us or Else.  4:44 and Joey Bada$$’s All Amerikkkan Bada$$ are to my knowledge,  the only two albums to explore these ideas this year. Jay-Z speaks on how black men like O.J Simpson forget where they came from once they acquire success on The Story of O.J and how we often work twice as hard to be half as good on Moonlight. Jay-Z rapped about how and why wealth doesn’t seem to stay concentrated within the black community on Legacy as well as The Story of O.J. I’m only 19, but I was often reminding myself of creating a legacy and that generational wealth was key.  Jay-Z seemed to take on the role of financial adviser during this album. Below are some of my favourite pieces of financial advise:

“You wanna know what’s more important than throwin’ away money at a strip club? Credit”

“Y’all on the ‘gram holdin’ money to your ear
There’s a disconnect, we don’t call that money over here, yeah”

“Generational wealth, that’s the key
My parents ain’t have sh*t, so that shift started with me”

4:44 is my favourite rap album of this year. It is transparent and explores a whole host of themes. Despite themes like fatherhood and infidelity being so far removed from me, there was something in this album for me. It’s one of those albums I’ll be able to listen to from top to bottom years from now. So many thanks to Uncle Hov for giving me a million dollars worth of game for 9.99.

Gang Signs and Prayer – Stormzy

 

“And f*ck giving money to people that don’t like us”

First Things First opens the album in such a theatrical and powerful manner that it sets the tone for the rest of the album. There was much pressure on Stormzy’s debut album, but he opened in such a way it was as if he was saying “Yup I’m here, I’m the best, my albums is a bout to be lit, listen!”

Did it album meet expectations?

Yes!

One of the best things about GSAP is its production, it is purely outstanding! A favourite of mine are there strings used on Bad Boys which create a perfect crescendo thus intensifying the ambience of the song.  In my frequent conversations with people, I have described this album as mutli-faceted. Stormzy put it best in his own words on Mr Skeng when he said “I do rap, then I do grime, then I do rap and then I sing then I go right back”. With the greatest ease, Stormzy is able to switch between different genres and showcase different sides of his character. In doing so, he shows his versatility as an artist and also how complex he is as a person. In this album we meet many different Stormzys; arrogant, grateful and in love Stormzy.

We meet arrogant Stormzy when he uses First Things First to proclaim his supremacy. On later tracks like Cold, Mr Skeng and Bad Boys, he reiterates and solidifies his position and fires warnings at “lesser rappers” who do not subscribe to his notion. However, Stormzy simultaneously offers a more vulnerable side to himself. On First Things First he candidly speaks on his challenges with mental health; “You was fighting with your girl and I was fighting my depression”. We meet an in love Stormzy on tracks like Velvet and Cigarettes and Cush.

We meet grateful Stormzy on Blinded By Your Grace and 100 Bags. Amazed and grateful, Stormzy is seemlingly bemused that his prayers were answered despite his youth being filled with a contrary lifestyle of “gang signs”. Lay Me Bare is a strong contrast with how the album begins. This final track is a farewell, a cry for help and a heart-wrenching cry from a young man whose estranged father seems to disappointment him time and time again.

GSAP is only 16 tracks long but seems to drag at times and few tracks could have been cut. Lyrically Stormzy isn’t one of my favourite artists nor does the album showcase any  forms of lyrical brilliance. However, I am not drawn to this album for its lyricism, but for its transparency, energy and superb production.

At What Cost – Goldlink

“God damn what a time what a year”

In my last post, I reviewed At What Cost in great depth, thus I shall keep this portion brief.  At What Cost: Concert & Album Review

At What Cost perfectly narrates and explores Goldlink’s own story of the DMV;  the triumphs, the tragedies and everything in between. The influence of Gogo throughout the album gives the album a greater sense of DMV identity and makes it even more of a personal anecdote of Goldlink’s life. Gogo is a subgenre closely related to funk, which originated in D.C.

At What Cost is thought-provoking, fluid and Goldlink meticulously articulates his story of his DMV. As a fan and music lover, I look forward to forthcoming albums from Goldlink.

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These four albums are not exhaustive of the best rap albums which came out this year. Below are a list of some of the others which I feel were also amongst the best this year:

FR32 – Wretch 32

Culture – Migos

Common Sense – J. Hus

All Amerikkkan-Bada$$ – Joey Bada$$

Wins & Losses – Meek Mill

For me, a great album is one that is thematically structured, has great production, an element lyrical flair and one should be able to listen to it from top to bottom and skip a few or no tracks at all. Most importantly, it should be an album that you are able to come back to in the future, whether that be months or years from its release date. These albums are great because they came out fairly early on in the year and I’m still listening to them.