DJ Esco – “Project E.T.” – June 24
DJ Esco dropped his mixtape “Project E.T.,” hosted by Future, last week. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Future’s last two projects, “EVOL” and “Purple Reign,” were not good. Besides a few good songs, Future was on the verge of getting played out after completely dominating 2015, but that didn’t happen. I wasn’t expecting much out of this mixtape, and I was thoroughly surprised. “Project E.T.” is absolute fire. Future on this tape sounds like “Beastmode” Future: straight bars and catchy hooks. “Project E.T.” has a dope lineup of artists throughout the tape, such as 2 Chainz, Drake, Juicy J, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Rae Sremmurd and more. You can grab this mixtape for free on various mixtape sites, so take advantage of it.
The Game – “Streets of Compton” – June 17
The Game dropped a soundtrack album for his three-part documentary series, which aired on A&E, that details life in Compton, California. A lot of talent has come out of Compton, such as The Game, himself, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre and more. The Game is still one of the most overlooked rappers, despite being in the rap game for over a decade. “Streets of Compton” is a solid album.
YG – “Still Brazy” – June 17
YG’s sophomore album “Still Brazy” was finally released on June 17, and it was definitely worth the wait. “Still Brazy” sounds like a true 1990s West Coast gangster rap album. YG drops some serious bars on this album, and the features are on point as well. The beats are super catchy, and you won’t be able to keep yourself from dancing or moving along to this album. “Still Brazy” has a variety of songs from YG, from addressing him getting shot on “Who Shot Me?” to storytelling tracks like “Gimmie Got Shot,” and he even gets political on “FDT,” which is a strong message to one of the presidential candidates (you can probably figure out the acronym). The album also consists of the successful singles “Twist My Fingaz” and “Why You Always Hatin?,” which features Drake. YG gave us a classic album in “Still Brazy,” and you should most certainly give it a listen.
Wale – “Summer on Sunset” – June 17
A lot of people hate on Wale and don’t give him enough credit. While he might not be the best rapper, he definitely makes some quality music and is a better lyricist than a lot of other rappers out there today. A couple weeks ago, Wale debuted his new mixtape “Summer on Sunset” on DJ Khaled’s “We The Best” radio show on Beats 1 Radio. Wale has made a few classic mixtapes, such as “The Mixtape About Nothing” and “Folarin,” just to name two, and did it again with “Summer on Sunset.” This mixtape is really good, and even those who usually bash Wale have to admit it. Head over to datpiff.com and download it for free.
Kodak Black – “Lil B.I.G. Pac” – June 10
Kodak Black, a 19-year-old rapper out of Pompano Beach, Florida, took over Florida virtually overnight and soon blew up across the country. Kodak was just recently named to XXL Magazine’s 2016 Freshmen Class, and that honor is much deserved. You can download this mixtape for free, and I strongly suggest you do.
A.CHAL – “Welcome to Gazi” – June 3
There’s a good chance you haven’t heard of A.CHAL before, and that’s expected. A.CHAL is somewhat of a ghost. There’s very little information about him on the internet besides that he’s Peruvian and is based out of California. I, like many others, got put onto A.CHAL after his song “Round Whippin” was played right after Drake debuted “What A Time To Be Alive” back in September 2015. I’m a fan of A.CHAL, and I’m always up to date on the newest releases, and even I didn’t notice he released his extended play “Welcome to Gazi” nearly a month ago. I’m writing on this EP because it’s one of the best projects to come out this year. A.CHAL’s production and vocals are really trippy, but really dope. Take half an hour out of your day and listen to one of the best projects to be released this year.
