MiC Kurb – Destination Nowhere
One of my favorite things about writing this column is finding good music by rappers I’ve never heard of before. The tape’s beats are hazy and sometimes jazzy but they still have drums that knock, a nice combination that serve as a good base for Kurb’s elastic flows. (DOWNLOAD)
Le$ – Expansion Pack
Le$ is the newest member of Curren$y’s Jet Life roster. I’m a Curren$y fan, but his team is just not that diverse. They’re mostly chill, weeded-out rappers who rap over smooth, lush beats (just like Curren$y). Le$ is a bit more up-tempo but he isn’t much of an exemption. Even if he fits the Jet Life mold, this is still an enjoyable tape. (DOWNLOAD)
Christian Deshun – SMPLCTY
This guy reminds me of Kendrick Lamar. That can never be a bad thing. Sometimes his flows come a little too close to copying K-Dot’s but he has a unique voice and is a talented storyteller. This is a short tape (only about 18 minutes long) but the tape’s producers create a cohesive and unique vibe. (DOWNLOAD)
Big K.R.I.T. – Week of K.R.I.T.
It’s frustrating to be a fan of Big K.R.I.T. He has a ton of potential. His best songs, like “REM”, “Dreamin'” and “The Vent” are incredible and make me think that K.R.I.T. could be a successor to the southern legends he’s inspired by. But he can be inconsistent and lyrically hypocritical. When Outkast rap about violence, love, wisdom, and women all in the same song, the dichotomy is fascinating. When K.R.I.T. jumps from pimp talk to conscious rap and back again, his more conscious messages just feel invalidated. Week of K.R.I.T. is a compilation of tracks he’s releasing leading up to his next studio album. Some of these songs like “Steps” and “Lac Lac” are hot, but other tracks, like the Rick Ross featuring “New Agenda” fall flat. (DOWNLOAD)
