Monday, March 18, 2024

Backwoodz Got Next: The Top Albums from Backwoodz Studioz

 


If you're familiar with billy woods, ELUCID, or Armand Hammer (these two as a duo), you're getting a taste of the label, Backwoodz Studioz.  Founded in, as far back as, 2003, the label has been bubbling within the sub terrain sector slowly, but gradually throughout the past two decades.  While those that have been up on ELUCID and woods for the better part of the past decade, there were a few artists that were with the label and some projects that, with the exception of the highly dedicated ones, few people heard a ton of noise about.  In fact, it wasn't until 2012 when woods dropped, History Will Absolve Me, that more people started to take notice, as this became arguably the album that made people sit up and take more notice of woods and his damn near unmatched verbal and written talents.  From there, he, ELUCID, those two together as Armand Hammer, and others have been low-key gaining momentum within the underground movement.  As time would go along, more artists would get signed such as Fatboi Sharif, DefCee, producers Blockhead and Jeff Markey, and Shrapknel would start getting some shine under this very promising label and would amass critical acclaim much like woods and ELUCID.  The label mostly hosts artists that are very abstract emcees and left-brained thinkers and writers, thus allowing the listener to go on lanes that aren't exactly the most conventional. However, the label has more than enough excellent to game-changing efforts to keep you intrigued upon their building success within abstract, experimental hip-hop.  With that being said, let's get into the top twenty-five albums of the label, with honorable mentions (spoiler: woods & Armand Hammer take up about half this list, but it won't dilute any other project on the list).



25. ELUCID

Save Yourself

Production: artist, Messiah Muzik, Small Professor, Willie Green, others

Guests: billy woods, Psychic Twin

As is the case with most of the Backwoodz roster, certain types of styles and delivery are an acquired taste and can get some getting used to, and that's if you're able to adapt.  One such emcee is ELUCID.  While Armand Hammer cohort, billy woods, style is almost like spoken word poetry, ELUCID has a more conversational style that doesn't necessarily rely on flowing or riding with any type of set beat or production.  However, he still makes it work and work well.  One such example of his unorthodox style is shown on his album, Save Yourself.  His 2016 debut marked a big shift in his bubbling core audience that was already familiar with the NYC emcee.  His writing is among the best around with cuts like "Obama Incense" and "NY Blanks", while showing his knack for the thought provocation with other cuts like "Wake Up Dead Man", the woods assisted "Bleachwater", and the intriguing "Jealous God".  The production here is dense yet layered, just like the theme of this album.  Personal, captivating, and complex, Save Yourself is not an album you'll digest with a sitting or two.  It'll take several spins with full concentration to realize how special this album and this artist truly is.



24. billy woods

Known Unknowns

Production: Blockhead, Aesop Rock

Guests: Homeboy Sandman, Aesop Rock, others

The almighty billy woods is powerful. His pen game ranks among the most impressive of any artist, regardless of genre, in music today, and has been for over a couple decades now.  This NYC native is miles and light years beyond his contemporaries with his overall themes of socio-political, culturally antagonizing warnings of the current civilization, and almost-Nostradamus levels of observance and foreshadowing.  Through his spoken word style and carefully woven narratives, woods is meticulous in his approach to today's climate that goes beyond rap.  One such example is his 2017 offering, Known Unknowns.  Much like his 2015 offering, Today, I Wrote Nothing, and especially his heavily lauded, History Will Absolve Me, Known Unknowns is heavy. For the most part, very heavy.  Cuts like "Washington Redskins" display his knack for zeroing in on racial tropes and clichés while showing how they'll never not be too culturally vital to not examine.  While other cuts like "Police Came to My Show", the ELUCID-featured "Nomento", and "Strawman" demonstrate how woods can use his complex reality to make the listener feel like they're on an emotional airplane that's going through constant turbulence, Known Unknowns is such a tremendous class in the chaotic world and fascinating imagery that woods provides to the listener effortlessly.



23. PremRock

Load Bearing Crow's Feet

Production: artist, Messiah Muzik, Evidence, Small Professor, Willie Green, others

Guests: billy woods, ELUCID, AJ Suede, Curly Castro, others

NY's PremRock is an artist whose eccentric, yet striking style and delivery is suited for the left-brained imagery of Backwoodz Studios.  While he has released previous stuff such as Who Art in Nada, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, and Mark's Wild Years, his 2021 effort, Load Bearing Crows Feet, is more engaging and personal then his previous releases, and certainly a denser sounding project at that.  the bartender by trade has quite the pen game and has the knack to draw you into his sparse and eccentric mind.  He shows anxiety and caution on the bass-heavy "Apollo Kids Meal", while on the inflammatory "Joel Osteen", he uses the widely known megachurch pastor to highlight corruption, selfishness, and self-absorption in a society where that's the last thing we as a whole need to keep facing on a day-to-day basis.  On the eerie, "If on A Winter's Night", he does an excellent job describing the world around him and how it all plays into his cynicism of the society he's exposed to everyday with a sense of vulnerability as well.  Abstract yet observant, PremRock presents quite a dope effort with Load Bearing Crows Feet, and is another album that one or two listens will not be enough for you to let the promise and substantial nature of the effort to sink in.



22. Backwoodz Studioz

Target Practice

Production: K-Salaam, Hasaan Chop, Bond, NASA, others

Guests: N/A

The first big compilation of the label arrived in '07.  While there was no PremRock or ELUCID or Sharpknel, there were Hi-Coup, Keith Masters, The Reavers, and Invizibl Men.  All of these artists, along with woods, presented a promising effort with Target Practice.  Filled with sounds that the likes of Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock, or even the late, great MF DOOM would rhyme over, each of the twenty-one cuts resemble a certain type of underground NYC flavor that can also be quite the acquired taste.  Talent is abounded here on cuts like the hitting "Jimmy Swaggar", "Love & War", "Armor Truck Rap", and the woods' sliced "October" are standouts that show that even in 2007, there was something here with this roster of talent that it took a certain niche to connect with.  At a time where artists like Kanye and Jay were in commercial spotlight and trap music was becoming the go-to sound, the underground was still delivering with some of its best moments.  This Backwoodz project of Target Practice was one such case.



21. Armand Hammer

Rome

Production: Messiah Muzik, JPEGMAFIA, Kenny Segal, August Fanon, others

Guests: Mach-Hommy, Quelle Chris, Denmark Vessey, Curly Castro

The first of a few Armand Hammer efforts on this list is quite a treat.  Following up their previous efforts of Race Music and 2014's Furtive Movements wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world to do, but not only did they do so, but they surpassed that effort as well with Rome. What billy woods and ELUCID did here was tremendous. Not only did they go even further down the iceberg of challenging the modern-day sound of what rap is "Supposed" to sound like, both lyrically and sound-wise, but they bring chaos in a world where society pressures conformity and socio-political agendas are becoming more and more zombie-like.  They go for the jugular on cuts like "Stole", "Dead Money", and "It Was Written", in which they make paranoid imagery and grim oversights the normal way of life.  The brooding Quelle Chris-assisted "Microdose" and the thematically heavy "Barbarians" also exhibit their approach to leave burned imagery of harsh cultural realities within this era that they're not afraid to tackle in their own unique ways.  Once you've hit the hypnotic closing cut, "Overseas", you've been on an uneasy ride on Rome, but leave it to Armand Hammer to steer the ship within the rough seas of today's underground. While occasionally funny in certain lines and bars, Armand Hammer, to quote the late, great Prodigy, might crack a smile, but ain't a damn funny. If Furtive Movements was like their version of Cannibal Ox's gutter and frostbitten classic, The Cold Vein, and Race Music was their oft-put version of Funcrusher Plus, Rome could likely have some comparisons to the likes of Jedi Mind Tricks' Visions Of Ghandi, in that there's a spiraling decent into an unnerving sense of dread for the world and although the need for more peace and stable ideals are welcomed, they're not around nor is there any for hope for things to change.  Armand Hammer made sure, with this effort, to let us know once again, this game is chess, not checkers.



20. DefCee & Messiah Muzik

Trapdoor

Production: Messiah Muzik

Guests: Armand Hammer, PremRock, Curly Castro, others

Chicago emcee, DefCee linked up with primary in-house producer, Messiah Muzik, to bring forth Trapdoor, and man did their chemistry shine here.  DefCee is not a rookie emcee. He had dropped previous efforts, but in many ways, this was like a new level for the underground emcee.  Over some of MM's most grim and atmospheric production, DefCee holds back nothing with impactful delivery and enough attitude to make you feel everything he's spitting.  Mixing unsettling imagery with a penchant for creating vivid pictures of a society gone mad and distorted, DefCee and MM presented an album that shows they can put together something excellent. They would repeat this greatness in 2023 with the criminally slept-on The Golem of Brooklyn OST, but Trapdoor was their initial taste of very dope chemistry between these two great artists of their respective crafts.



19. Fatboi Sharif & Steel Tipped Dove

Decay

Production: Steel Tipped Dove

Guests: N/A

New Jersey representative, Fatboi Sharif, is another emcee that has a style all his own.  Mixing bits of horrorcore similar to the likes of Esham to the uniquely vivid similar to the likes of Tech N9ne, Sharif has linked up with producers for previous projects such as his effort with Roper Williams, Ghandi Loves Children.  He came through in 2023 with Decay, which is done entirely with another residential in-house producer, Steel Tipped Dove for a cleverly harrowing experience.  With his own different style of rhyme cadence and delivery, Sharif sends us all on a ride through the dark, atmospheric, and outright haunting with cuts like "Ash Wednesday", "Designer Drugs" and "Brandon Lee".  While artists like NATAS and even Brotha Lynch Hung go straight to the throat with unrelenting macabre imagery, Sharif leans more towards the nuance and obtuse in a few cuts, but others like "Scarhead", "Kingdom", and the very brooding "Farewell Outfit" are damn near Hitchcock-level fascinating in terms of the suspenseful yet dark evocation of his lyrics.  Sharif & STD brought forth an album with Decay that is as chilling as it is intriguing and experimental.  Sharif is someone to keep your eyes on throughout this decade like everyone else within the Backwoodz camp.



18. Steel Tipped Dove

Call Me When You're Outside

Production: artist

Guests: billy woods, ELUCID, Fatboi Sharif, SKECH185, Pink Siifu, others

Frequent Backwoodz production collaborator, Steel Tipped Dove, contributed to albums by DefCee and PremRock among others.  The NYC based producer decided to pull the trigger on delivering his own project entitled Call Me When You're Outside.  This is an eight-track project, and each track shows off his varying taste in sounds.  From the gritty and atmospheric on the SHIRT-featured "Pirouette" to the electronica sounds from "Warner Wolf" and the layered samplings of "Buddy Ryan", STD has production that fits the type of atypical presence Backwoodz is all about.  There's no one particular box to put Backwoodz in, and STD is an example of this.  With woods on half the project, his influence is felt distinctively on this effort, with the likes of ELUCID, SKECH185, and The Koreatown Oddity showing up with impressive performances as well.  With Call Me When You're Outside, STD takes us in more with him being in the spotlight for his sense of sound and the results are definitely worth listening to.



17. Armand Hammer

Shrines

Production: Messiah Muzik, Earl Sweatshirt, Nicholas Craven, August Fanon, Navy Blue, Kenny Segal, Child Actor, Steel Tipped Dove, others

Right when the world just got turned upside down with the pandemic in 2020, Armand Hammer dropped a crazy effort with Shrines, which is the follow-up to their exemplary 2018 effort, Paraffin.  Mixed between the sublime and the dirty and grungy, Shrines has woods and ELUCID examining the consciousness of an uncivilized civilization, where it's both humorous and threatening.  On cuts like the alarming "Flavor Flav", the conflicting "Leopards", and "Pommelhorse", the duo makes their cryptic, yet intelligently strategized, lyrical offerings thought-provoking, while conjuring images of constant ambiguity.  The cautionary "War Stories" and "Parables" show how they can come at you straightforward with grim truths and they can also come at you with vivid displays of a grim climate without having to spell it out for you and for you to dissect yourself.  A bit more complex than Paraffin, yet more subtly urgent than say Race Music, Shrines is one album from them that will not be easily digested yet may be among their most clear examples of their dichotomy of the state of our society.



16. Super Chron Flight Bros.

Emergency Powers: The World Tour

Production: Bond, MF DOOM, NASA, others

In the early years of Backwoodz, woods was paired with fellow emcee, Privilege, to become the Super Chron Flight Bros, a stoner duo that, even their highness, manage to eloquently spit out chaos in the midst of humor and dichotomy.  With their album, Emergency Powers: The World Tour, picture a more observant and slightly paranoid Meth & Red over more haunting, gloomy, and dense production that appears more abstract than strategic.  With cuts like the moody "Slaughterhouse", the Cannibal Ox-assisted "Adamantium", and the excellent, story-laced "First Blood", these two guys have you fascinated with how tune they are without being overly preachy with their commentary.  In a sense, it appears these two are getting stoned to deal with the disorganized nature of the world around them, while trying to find cynical humor to get them through.  Cuts such as "Rent Control" and the incredible opener "Drought" that takes you into such thematic classics like "Peruvian Cocaine", "Stray Bullet", and "Drink Away the Pain" show their clever use of imagery and imaginative tact with context behind them.  The rest of this album is mixed between jarring and cautionary, with Emergency Powers: The World Tour being just right for those that believe you can't be highly informed and socially cognitive while stoned at the same time.



15. AKAI SOLO

Spirit Roaming

Production: Messiah Muzik, Preservation, AniMoss, Ahwlee, August Fanon, others

Guests: Armand Hammer

Another NYC underground dweller that deserves plenty of shine within the Backwoodz camp is AKAI SOLO.  Almost as polished and gifted of a writer as head honcho woods and cohort ELUCID, SOLO came forth in 2022 with Spirit Roaming, a collection of cuts that examine this young emcee guiding through life making the best he can with consequences of bad choices and misguided direction.  Over some of the best jazzy-yet-atmospheric production you'll find at that time, SOLO often times is trying to survive, which tends to be the one-word theme of this album: survival.  Just trying to get from one day or minute to the next day or minute.  Carefully written cuts like "Demonslayer" and "Red Butterfly" are having him painting pictures of his complexity and his ambiguity while somehow managing to spit jewels throughout the cuts.  Meanwhile, he reveals more of his inner most thoughts and feelings on more reflective cuts like "Driftman" and the elegant- sounding collab with Armand Hammer, "The Upper Room" that shows him in a more of a mode of survival in the essence of him having nothing else left to lose.  AKAI is a great lyricist and a great writer, and with Spirit Roaming, his need for spiritual absolution and the desire for some sort of remission within him has offered us a glimpse into his constant battles that deep down so many of us desire as well.



14. Armand Hammer

Paraffin

Production: ELUCID, Messiah Muzik, August Fanon, Kenny Segal, Small professor, others

Guests: SKECH185

Earlier, we highlighted Armand Hammer's 2017 offering, the very solid Rome.  The themes within that album helped to shape the majority of subsequent albums from the pair.  One such example of this was their follow-up to Rome in the form of 2018's, Paraffin.  Even more weighty than Rome, Paraffin is denser and more socially pertinent.  Although they still include brief glimpses of sideline humor and sarcastic cynicism, their brutal and harsh truths of today's socio-economic, socio-political, and cultural awareness is measured even closer than before over some very dense, stripped away, and occasionally surreal and esoteric production.  Cuts like "No Days Off", "ECOMOG", and "Bob Barker" are so meticulously written for the sake of the sparse illustration and climatic stances that they take the listener on the type of roller coasters that give you that feeling that the ride could shut down at any moment and you have a feeling that it'll happen when the ride has you near the clouds and unable to do a damn thing about it.  The anxiety levels are uncharted, and Armand Hammer purposely take you there on occasion with their imagery of the state of the union.  They continue these types of narratives and soliloquies on other cuts like "Rehearse with Ornette" the chilling "Fuhrman Tapes", and "Hunter", as the latter is especially as jarring as any ARMHAM cut within their discography.  Armand Hammer's fourth offering, Paraffin, is an especially brooding one.  Most of their discography range from apocalyptic to paranoid to cautionary, but this one is as brutally aware and cataclysmic as anything Backwoodz as a label has ever produced.  



13. billy woods

Terror Management

Production: Messiah Muzik, Blockhead, ELUCID, Preservation, Small Professor, Child Actor, Steel Tipped Dove, others

Guests: Mach-Hommy, Pink Siifu, AKAI SOLO, others

The ugly and distorted side of reality is often times the part of life we tend to avoid due to immediate trigger reactions of certain things we hate confronting.  With billy woods, not only does he aggressively confront the ugly and nasty side of reality but is unapologetic of his paranoia and his sense of PTSD on 2019's Terror Management.  This album picks up where his prior offering, the enigmatic yet bleak collab with Kenny Segal Hiding Place, left off.  While you may occasional quick witted, ye occasionally misplaced, charm from woods, this is an album nearly null and void of those types of quirks, much like Hiding Place.  Instead, he treads more into more a dark cynicism, nothing to laugh at but somehow, he may find this as his way of dealing with the paranoid thoughts in his head.  His atmospheric imagery on "Shepard's Tone" and the dread undertones on "Blood Thinners" are exemplary, yet he gets even more personal on the honest "Great Fires" that explores separation and regret.  While the production is not as murky and layered as Hiding Place, Terror Management is more along the lines of jazzy and a little more melodic, resembling more Race Music more than Hiding Place or even Rome.  Often stylistically his albums tend to be compared to Earl Sweatshirt.  If that's the case, if Hiding Place is I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside, then this is more so Doris, filled with dread, but glimpses of sarcastic light, even if few and far between.  What woods delivered with Terror Management is an almost as grim sequel to Hiding Place, but woods' talent for the written word and his visual imagery is damn near scholarly.



12. billy woods & Messiah Muzik

Church

Production: Messiah Muzik

Guests: ELUCID, AKAI SOLO, Fielded

The enigmatic billy woods nailed two solo albums in 2022, both of which painted woods in utter dichotomy.  His earlier album was the Preservation-crafted, Aethiopes, in which it was ethereal and cataclysmic in nature.  Later in the year, he delivered Church, a slightly more accessible and not as heavy effort with frequent production collaborator, Messiah Muzik.  Don't get it twisted. This is NOT a sunshine, happy, Kirk Franklin/Mary Mary-type inspirational album.  This is woods showing the pessimism of the current state of society in a more open and less dense approach.  In fact, this is more about vulnerability in the midst of a grim outlook within his world.  While he tends to let us inside his mental capacity in terms of his pessimistic view of life in and of itself, he dives into his own personal diary letting us dissect his pages filled with more honest and open passages.  While the likes of "Paraquat" explores his vulnerability in almost ambiguous detail (especially with the song cutting into halves, with the latter half being more disruptive and brooding), conjuring up imagery that's more self-preserving than heartfelt and raw, tracks like "Artichoke" are more abstract in its texture and explorative in how to come to a self-understanding about how his thoughts tend to get him disheveled.  Other cuts like the sparse "Fever Grass" and the ELUCID-assisted "Fuchsia & Green" help center woods' knack for imaginative lyricism shape shift for vivid double entendres.  This type of penmanship and the imagery within it is fascinating and only the most superb talents are able to knock out. Meanwhile, "Pollo Rico" is a look at his own mortality in such an engaging manner you can't help but repeat this cut multiple times just to see if you missed a gem or two.  What woods and Messiah Muzik put together with Church is a testament to how psychedelic and left-brained these two have been all these years, yet still continue to explore their tremendous chemistry sonically and, in woods' case, conceptually.  While not a lightweight album in terms of style and texture, Church is more inviting into his open wounds than Aethiopes, but that's just fine. 



11. SKECH185 & Jeff Markey

He Left Nothing for The Swim Back

Production: Jeff Markey

Guests: billy woods, PremRock, others

Chicago native, SKECH185 is not a rookie to this hip-hop game.  This underground emcee first made his debut with Gunship Diplomacy with producer Automated Tape Decks.  His style is very frantic and occasionally jumbled.  Mixing intensity with focus animation, SKECH185 is quite a fit with Backwoodz with his abstract stylings.  In 2023, he collaborated with Backwoodz producer, Jeff Markey, to deliver He Left Nothing for The Swimback, a chaotic and eclectic array of socially conscious cuts coming off with aggression and abrasiveness.  SKECH185 arrives with his extinction agenda from the opening cut, which so happens to be the title track.  Nothing cute, nothing fun.  It's all cautionary yet very in-your-face and is almost relentless in his delivery with production very reminiscent of El-P and his lo-fi industrial-like production.  The mood of "The River" is brooding, starting from an understated gloomy vibe to an increased level of organized chaos and vigor.  With elements of grunge and industrial mixed with brooding and desolate, Markey gives SKECH the perfect sound for his own plight into decay.  Markey created this soundscape for SKECH that is totally hand-in-glove.  His production mixes atmospheric and dreamscape-like to the industrial and hard-hitting.  All of which SKECH glides (or rips into) over excellently.  Cuts like "Western Automatic Music Pts 1 & 2" (the latter has billy woods and Collosoul Structure assisting) and "Badly Drawn Hero" are equally frantic and high energy, as SKECH is clearly playing no games with the listener.  With delivery that brings up images of Onyx or a far angrier Xzibit, SKECH185 & Jeff Markey have designed quite the impressive outing with He Left Nothing for The Swimback, and one would suggest more of these offerings from this duo needs to happen more often.



10. billy woods

Today, I Wrote Nothing

Production: Messiah Muzik, Aesop Rock, Blockhead, Steel Tipped Dove, Willie Green, others

Guests: ELUCID, Curly Castro, others

As the first quarter of 2015 rolled in, this time was significant for one huge reason: Kendrick Lamar dropped one of the most landmark albums in hip-hop history with To Pimp a Butterfly.  Just a couple weeks later, another highly acclaimed album dropped in billy woods' Today, I Wrote Nothing.  Following up on his previous ambitious effort, History Will Absolve Me, he goes as deep, if not deeper, with this release.  With a clever and systematic approach to his writing for this album, he goes back to what propelled his prior work to such acclaimed levels.  He doesn't have a bright outlook for his current society here.  These aren't necessarily long tracks, despite the twenty-four tracks on the project.  He says what needs to be said and that's it.  What he says in the little amount of time makes profound impacts and statements. Filled with his usual barrage of socio-political commentary in slick yet calculated fashion with cuts like "Warmachines", "Sleep", and "Flatlands".  While his writing is borderline extraordinary, his imagery is not at all. In fact, it's grim and hopeless.  Other cuts such as the eerie "Dark Woods" and the almost claustrophobic vibes of "Lambs" make this such an interesting yet uneasy listen.  Considered one of his best written works, woods doesn't need to hold your attention too long like in other projects.  He cuts straight to the point in short fashion and goes right on to the next part of his collection of unkind poetry within Today, I Wrote Nothing.  



9. ShrapKnel

Metal Lung

Production: Steel Tipped Dove, Child Actor, others

Guests: billy woods, others

Within the underground's tightly packed circle of high-quality efforts these past couple of decades, the holy grail of abstract masterworks is Madvillainy, while others such as Waterworld, Deltron 3030, The Listening, and The Iron Vein have all been cemented as monuments due to their unique sounds and left-brained approach to changing the conventional rules of hip-hop.  As time has progressed, more and more people are willing to be less and less adventurous, and if they are, it tends not to resonate.  Enter ShrapKnel.  The duo consisting of previously mentioned emcees, Curly Castro and PremRock, are a special duo.  Their chemistry is very reminiscent of a strangely workable mesh of EPMD and Outkast, yet highly abstract.  Their debut self-titled effort was a glimpse of their adventurous union.  However, it was their follow up in 2022, Metal Lung, that would ultimately show the subterranean market how much of a noisemaker they would be collectively.  Combining elements of psychedelic, jazzy, boom-bap, and avant-garde, the musical soundscapes (primarily handled by Steel Tipped Dove) fit the organized confusion that is ShrapKnel, especially on cuts like "Night of The Living Analog", the head-nodding "Lazy Dog", and the downright excellent "Gravity Falls".  Not necessarily an Armand Hammer piece filled with brutal imagery of a desolate human consciousness in tongue-in-cheek manner, ShrapKnel knows they don't need to be.  Cuts such as "Metal Sum Kids" and "Ghost Kitchen", although occasionally eerie, are not heady enough to put you in full-blown paranoia but does heighten the sense of urgency of a world gone mad in vivid fashion.  There's enough balance within Metal Lung to make some of the most jaded underground heads have enough to put some respect on their name.  With Metal Lung, the complexity is its charm, and their dichotomy is their identity.  This is their next level.



8. ELUCID

I Told Bessie

Production: artist, Child Actor, The Alchemist, Messiah Muzik, August Fanon, Sebb, Kenny Segal, others

Guests: billy woods, Pink Siifu, Quelle Chris

Earlier, we highlighted ELUCID's breakout album, Save Yourself, and its honest look at the NYC native's complex life.  He steps up his knack for abstract, left of center hip-hop with even more compounded contrast on the sentimentally titled, I Told Bessie (which is an homage to his deceased grandmother).  Although not as bleak as anything he and woods do together as Armand Hammer, this is very much a free-for-all in terms of picture painting through his pen.  He comes through in minimalistic obscurity on cuts like "Smile Lines", "Bunny Chow", and the intriguing "Old Magic".  His ARMHAM rhyme partner assists him on half the effort too, and really beings that ARMHAM visceral poise on cuts such as "Jumanji", "Sardonyx" (which also features frequent collaborators Qulle Chris and Pink Siifu), and "Mangosteen".  Do not expect traditional, orthodoxic sounds on this release either, as this may be arguably less accessible than Save Yourself, if that's even possible.  While beatsmiths such as frequent associates Messiah Muzik, August Fanon, and Kenny Segal show up in excellent form, others such as the ever-extraordinary Alchemist and the typically dumb dope Sebb Bash show up to the conjectured event that is this album.  While the direction is one of closeness and theoretical philosophies interwoven with stylings that will likely be impossible to comprehend in just one or two sittings.  With I Told Bessie, ELUCID once again, much like the likes of woods, R.A.P. Ferrera or Busdriver, is an acquired taste on his own, but if you're willing to take this journey with him, you'll realize this non-compliance with uniformity is what ELUCID aims for, and highly succeeds. 



7. billy woods

History Will Absolve Me

Production: Uncommon Nasa, Willie Green, others

Guests: ELUCID, Roc Marciano, Vordul Mega, others

In what was an overall very good year for hip-hop in 2012, among the very best albums you likely didn't even check for at that time was billy's third solo outing, History Will Absolve Me.  The title came from a quote from the late and notorious Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, however the cover of the album is an image of late Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabe, who was also a socialist and nationalist much like Castro.  His political views resembled his ideology of being a Marxist, and within the context of History Will Absolve Me, you see hints of that passionate and driven insight into his views of socio-economic decline, cultural classicism, and a very jaded view on the socio-political climate of that time, which hasn't much improved in this current climate.  Tracks like "Crocodile Tears", "Bill Cosby", and "Pompeii" all chronicle different stories of cultural destruction and the desperations to heal within the mix.  The sounds of this album are also heavy, as most of the album is lo-fi, obscurely sampled, and stripped away of any particular flash.  Thus, the results have woods being his intense and poignant best.  Other powerful tracks like "Pompeii", "The Man Who Would Be King", and "Friedman's Bureau" are as educational as they are jarring and disturbing with his depiction of systemic racism, mental captivity, and a corrupt system that keeps patterns of self-destruction prevalent.  This is not an easy listen.  While there are moments of introspection and picking up mirrors and putting down magnifying lenses, woods accomplishes his goal of reminding the listener how grungy and distorted human civilization has become, and the necessity of freedom from the very things that keeps us socially disabled.  It can be argued that History Will Absolve Me may be billy woods' most verbally and lyrically most alarming album, and based upon other incredible releases that came out that year such as good kid, M.A.A.D. City, R.A.P. Music, Cancer 4 Cure, Life Is Good, and Reloaded, History Will Absolve Me may arguably be that year's most important.



6. Blockhead

The Aux

Production: artist

Guests: billy woods, ELUCID, Armand Hammer, Aesop Rock, Bruiser Wolf, Danny Brown, Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, AKAI SOLO, DefCee, ShrapKnel, Navy Blue, Open Mike Eagle, others

Frequent production collaborator, Blockhead, has been a respected fixture within the underground for over two decades.  Assisting the likes of Aesop Rock, Murs, Open Mike Eagle, and Vordul Mega, the NYC producer's sounds almost make it appear as if he and fellow riveting producer, El-P both were sitting under the same type of tree in terms of their penchant for lo-fi, stripped away, grungy production.  Far from the conventional sounds of other bigger named producers such as Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, the late J Dilla, and Pharrell, Blockhead's style is definitely custom made for the unconventional and the underground.  Primarily known for putting out at least one album every other year, whether instrumental or a compilation, Blockhead dropped his Backwoodz debut in 2023, The Aux, and the results are fantastic.  This has been regarded as a compilation of several of the underground's who's who, with appearances from the likes of Quelle Chris, Open Mike Eagle, Breeze Brewin, longtime collaborator Aesop Rock, and of course the Backwoodz crew.  Most of the album has pretty unconventional production that he's known for, but at times he sprinkles in effective and appropriate samples that help enhance some of the tracks he puts together.  Cuts like "Ponzu Sauce", "Lighthouse" and "Pink lemonade" are all fitting of the appearances by the likes of Ugly Frank, Breezly, and Aesop.  He ventures into his boom-bap bag on cuts like the aforementioned "Lighthouse" but will also go atmospheric and gritty with "Ponzu Sauce" and "Gargamel".  He also manages to assemble an Avengers of sorts on "That's Wat I Call a Posse Cut" which features Danny brown, the ever-entertaining Bruiser Wolf, billy woods, and respected underground vet, Despot.  With a style that can mesh Griselda with El-P and Aesop Rock himself, Blockhead excels with The Aux, and puts his style of production on a higher stage than ever before.  Easily one of the best compilation albums to ever emerge from Backwoodz with The Aux, Blockhead will soon be as sought after as his more mainstream contemporaries with outputs like this.



5. billy woods & Kenny Segal

Maps

Production: Kenny Segal

Guests: ELUCID, Quelle Chris, ShrapKnel, Aesop Rock, others

The pandemic could easily be considered the worst prolonged single event in modern global history.  Lockdowns, businesses having to permanently close, injections, and economic failures all defined 2020 and 2021.  Getting back to a "normal" life afterwards was going to be a slow, enduring process, and that's if there would ever be a "normal" ever again.  Realizing this as much as anyone was billy woods.  His last solo effort, Terror Management, was an extended version of the previous harrowing and grim, Hiding Place.  In 2023, woods returned with Maps, a conceptual album that parallels his travels and touring post-pandemic to his "travels" to unfamiliar and at times uncomfortable spaces within his life and his inner most self.  Reuniting with Segal for this effort, Segal doesn't provide woods with quite as much murky and grungy soundscapes like he did with Hiding Place. However, his soundscapes still do manage to hold woods to a standard of delivering his best over occasionally brooding and layered production.  Meanwhile, the ever observant and intuitive woods examines these uncomfortable places and spaces on cuts like "NYC Tapwater", "Rapper Weed", and the ELUCID- assisted "As the Crow Flies". While still appearing to be quite anxious and disheveled, he finds time to be slightly light-hearted in nature on cuts like "Houdini", the Danny Brown-assisted "Year Zero", and the opener, "Kenwood Speakers".  Arguably his most accessible effort to date, woods is still the ever-cautionary poet that doesn't trust the world he dwells in and has reason to be by all means.  However, by including more humorous bars than before, maybe he's becoming a little more jaded to where he can become self-depreciating, and it becomes his mask to hide his anxiety and fears.  Mixing his sense of dread with a sense of tongue-in-cheek barbs, Maps is a new career highlight for the one of the game's most prolific and fascinating emcees of his generation.



4. billy woods & Preservation

Aethiopes

Production: Preservation

Guests: ELUCID, Boldy James, Quelle Chris, Denmark Vessey, Breeze Brewin, El-P, others

The year of 2022 was simply fantastic in terms of quality hip-hop.  Of course, a year can't go by without billy woods shaking the table with his brand of abstract and unconventional hip-hop.  The NYC native delivered a couple of excellent efforts that continue to expound upon the greatness that is woods.  Historically, woods has a grim and dark look outside his window within his society.  Prior efforts such as the ambitious, History Will Absolve Me, and the DENSE, Today, I Wrote Nothing, are underground staples that challenge our sonic status quo.  With the first of his two solo offerings of 2022, Aethiopes, he collabs with acclaimed underground producer, Preservation, to bring woods spitting over some of the melancholy and atmospheric production he's ever rhymed over.  Preservation has been known for working with the likes of Quelle Chris, Ka, and Mach-Hommy, and his work here on Aethiopes is as top notched as we've ever heard from this producer.  With any woods effort, there are several different layers for his extremely sharp imagery through his exceptional lyricism.  He delves more into his storytelling bag throughout most of this album. All of which evoke fear, doom, and apocalyptic themes.  With tracks like the engaging and fascinating, "Christine" to the simply chilling, yet gorgeous sounding "Relentless", woods is a master painter, whose strokes tend to go off course on purpose to keep the listener engrossed. Other tremendous cuts like the opener, "Asylum", the disturbing "Wharves" and the sonically unnerving Boldy James-assisted "Sauvage" are complex in texture, yet fits into the methodical nature woods dwells in.  When he's not very brilliantly expressing his pessimistic and jolting expectations, he's tapping into his battle rap-like bag, going in on cuts like the posse cut "NYNEX" and the just dope collab with Breeze Brewin of The Juggernauts and the mighty El-P "Heavy Water".  Folks, with all the people woods has worked with throughout time, this effort with Preservation, is one of the biggest sonic and thematic highlights of his career.  Clearly, Aethiopes is a very heady album filled with as much density as we've ever heard from him (and that's saying a mouthful from him), but also serves as one of his most exemplary albums to date.



3. billy woods & Kenny Segal

Hiding Place

Production: Kenny Segal

Guests: ELUCID, others

We now get to the underbelly of society.  The part of life where everything has caused you so much mental harm, paranoia and PTSD has become a part of your well-being and your identity.  Residential Backwoodz in-house producer, Kenny Segal, got up with woods to bring forth Hiding Place, an album that is dark by nature, but also filled with haunting imagery from the perspective of real-life socio-economic plagues, conspiracy theories, occasional Biblical prophecies, and the fears of an uncivilized world getting even more uncivilized.  Much like albums such as Slayer's Seasons in The Abyss, Metallica's Kill 'Em All, Radiohead's Kid A, and Black Sabbath's Paranoia, this album is an album that centers in on fear, mortality, and bleak outlooks, even if the scarcity of sarcastic humor about his existence in the world. Just the album cover alone is enough to give you a hint as to the type of murky waters the listener will likely tread in, as it depicts an image of the type of run-down, dilapidated house one would expect to see in a supernatural horror movie.  There's an ice-cold feeling that runs down your arm and spine with his imagery on cuts like "Steak Knives", "Crawlspace", and "Spider Hole".  With their moody and dense production from Segal, cuts such as these show more of his emphasis on the things that get him concerned about his future and the future of society at large, especially within his community and culture.  He collabs with partner-in-rhyme ELUCID on the aforementioned "Crawlspace", and they bring their knack of eloquently expressing their razor-sharp views of the plight of humanity, from the obtuse to the blunt.  Other standouts like "bigfakelaugh" and "Bedtime" are just as chilling and straightforward as basically everything else on this project.  the production is for the most part minimalized, and the samples are obscured so that woods' powerful stylings are front and centered.  Cryptic, yet honest, Hiding Place is quite the jarring listen.  However, don't let this deter you from carefully examining this album as one of woods' most disturbing yet outstanding pieces of solo work and is a championship belt of Backwoodz releases.



2. Armand Hammer

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

Production: Messiah Muzik, JPEGMAFIA, Preservation, El-P, Sebb, Kenny Segal, August Fanon, DJ Haram, Child Actor, Steel Tipped Dove, others

Fresh off their individually acclaimed albums of Aethiopes, Terror Management, and I Told Bessie respectively, woods and ELUCID reunite for the first time since 2021's unbelievable, HARAM, for the odd-titled, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips.  While not officially released on Backwoodz, Armand Hammer is still Backwoodz, and this album is as classic Backwoodz as it gets.  Not since Shrines has ARMHAM been this ambitious with an effort.  The very definition of abstract and unconventional, WBDTS is true organized mania.  With production from the likes of frequent collaborators such as Messiah Muzik, Kenny Segal, and Steel Tipped Dove, as well as the likes of El-P, Preservation, and JPEGMAFIA, the sounds range from heavy, industrial, dense and electro to lush, layered, and atmospheric.  ELUCID and woods effectively shine on standouts like the El-P crafted, "The Gods Must Be Crazy", "I Keep a Mirror in My Pocket", and the dumb dope "Switchboard".  Never ones to escape their knack for divulging despair, cultural distortion, and an unsettling look at a dwindling society, they deliver hard on cuts like "Total Recall", "Woke Up & Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die", and the Peggy-assisted, "The Key Is Under the Mat".  With previous albums such as Race Music, Shrines, and Paraffin, ARMHAM was being way heavier and being way darker and more brutal, WBDTS is more accepting of this world and society that we're in, no longer complaining to alarm and provide caution, but more so having a "fuck it, this is how it is" approach, accepting the failures of the world knowing there's nothing that will change.  Experimental and genre-pushing, Armand Hammer continue to ruffle feathers and keep you deliberately uncomfortable, and WBDTS is quite possibly the best example of this.



1. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist

HARAM

Production: The Alchemist

Guests: Earl Sweatshirt, Quelle Chris, Curly Castro, others

When it was announced that the legendary Uncle Al himself, The Alchemist, would be crafting Armand Hammer's next album, the underground was fiending hard over how that type of collaboration would sound.  It's no secret Al is among the most consistent and non-miss producers of the past two decades, easily earning his place among other legendary beatsmiths such as Dr. Dre, Premier, RZA, Pete Rock, Dilla, and mentor Muggs.  His previous efforts with the likes of the late Prodigy, Conway, Benny, Durag Dynasty, and Curren$y all rank among his most critical efforts.  Meanwhile, ELUCID and billy woods are quickly becoming what Run The Jewels were in the 2010s, with them being perhaps the most fearless and unwavering duo in all of hip-hop.  Previous efforts such as Paraffin, Shrines, and Race Music are all highly touted and respected within the underground.  While Rome wasn't quite on the same standard as the aforementioned, it's still considered a heavy piece of abstract music.  In 2021, these artists came together to deliver HARAM, and immediately was met with visual controversy.  the cover graphically depicted two severed pigs' heads, drawing fire from the likes of PETA.  Unsettling covers aside, this album was a match made in gloom, as Uncle Al provided absolutely the most opportunistic backdrop for ARMHAM's brand of chaotic, bleak, and jarring hip-hop (it's only right as the word 'haram' is Islamic for 'forbidden').  Al's brand of hazy and layered production that's as atmospheric as a winter's night in New York blends beautifully with woods and ELUCID on cuts like the eerie "God's Feet", "Pepper Tree", and the highly brooding "Stonefruit".  Al goes left a little bit with a fairly easy going, almost reggae-esque vibe on the boards with the Earl Sweatshirt-assisted "Falling Out the Sky" but goes right back in his psychedelic bag with "Robert Moses".  With all the projects Armand Hammer have presented, HARAM has to be considered their magnum opus, as there has never been a more perfect marriage of sounds meets written aura between the three artists. Don't let the fact that this is easily their most accessible album, this is far from conventional and falls right in line with their brand of dismal narratives.  Alchemist is quite known for creating custom made bangers that resemble the aura and vibe of the artist he worked with, and with the highly complex and dreary nature of their narratives, Armand Hammer, along with Alchemist, created not only their best work, but, with HARAM, the best album to ever come from Backwoodz.




Honorable Mentions

ShrapKnel- ShrapKnel

billy woods- Dour Candy

billy woods & Moor Mother- Brass

Super Chron Flight Brothers- Indonesia

Super Chron Fligjht Brothers- Cape Verde

Curly Castro- Little Robert Hutton

Duncecap- Pay or Dispute

Googie & Henry Cannons- Hijinx

Armand Hammer- Race Music

Armand Hammer- Furtive Movements

Armand Hammer- WHT LBL

Armand Hammer- BLK LBL


It's easy to see with these efforts from this label, this is not your run-of-the-mill, standard hip-hop.  You won't see much of anything that revolves around the current state of hip-hop. Nothing formulaic or bland.  Nothing generic in any possible way.  They're a group of left-brained, thought-provoking, genre & artistically pushing artists that don't give a damn what YOU think their form of artistry should be.  Backwoodz Studioz may be to this decade what Griselda became in the 2010s, underdogs that didn't soften or lower themselves nor their vision and sound for anything (also, don't sleep on their R&B artist, Fielded, who has a unique all her own as well).  While many would say that isn't the case anymore with Griselda, Backwoodz is just starting to see the hard work pay off.  With more and more fans intrigued to see what's next for them, these albums alone are enough to keep you hungry for more if you're tired of the same ole, same ole in the game.  Try Backwoodz on for size.  Until next time!

Sunday, February 25, 2024

The Most Anticipated Projects of 2024


 With 2024 in full swing, already releases from benny The Butcher, Boldy James, and Che Noir already keeping our streaming devices in full vibration.  It's just February.  The year of 2023 has been scoffed at by critics and fans of hip-hop as one of the worst in recent memory, but truthfully it was a lot better than these same people gave the year credit for.  Releases from Conway, Hall & Nash (that's Westside Gunn and Conway in case you weren't aware), Earl Sweatshirt, Nas, Larry June, Skyzoo, and Planet Asia were certainly grounds to put 2023 higher in the ranks within this century.  However, with a new year come the pressures of topping the prior year, if not make it a classic year for the genre and the artform.  With that being said, let's see who all are speculated highly to come out and the level of anticipation with them with these twenty albums that are likely to drop and make this year one of watch.



25. J. Cole

It's A Boy

Production: artist, The Alchemist, Boi-1nda, others

Guests: unknown

Fayetteville's favorite son, J. Cole, is slated to drop his, reported, final album as an emcee.  The album, It's A Boy, will likely be a continuation of his last outing, 2021's The Off Season.  So far, no word of guest producers or artists, but one would imagine, if this is his final album, he's not going out soft.  This will likely be among his greatest achievements as an artist to date, which considering albums like 4 Your Eyez Only, 2014 Forest Hills Dr. and Born Sinner, this will be no small task and the bar is very high.



24. Conway The Machine & J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League

From Now On

Production: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League

Guests: unknown

On an IG Live, Conway The Machine stated he would have multiple projects drop this year.  Most of them are in this list and on the Honorable Mention list as well.  In 2023, the "Slanted-Faced Killa" was a busy man.  Dropping Won't He Do It: Side A, Palermo with German producer, Wun-Two, Conductor Machine with residential Griselda in-house producer, Conductor Williams, Speshal Machinery with 38 Spesh, plus guests on numerous projects kept him quite the in-demand emcee.  One of the more intriguing is his collaboration with Florida duo, the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.  The duo is known for providing hits for the likes of Rick Ross, Jeezy, Mary J. Blige, Drake, Freddie Gibbs, and Wale, and provided assistance on the cuts "Kanye" and "The Chosen" on Machine's Won't He Do it: Side A album of 2023.  Considering those were two of the best bumpers on that album, this should be an interesting match for an entire full-length project.  More of a southern, thumping, soulful sound is likely what we expect to hear from this album, including a rumored collab cut with Nas.  Intriguing indeed.



23. Griselda

WWCD2

Production: unknown

Guests: unknown

This was another project Conway mentioned in his IG Live that was happening.  For just over a year, all three core members of the Griselda squad (Conway, Gunn, and Benny) all stated the sequel to the CRAZY 2021 effort, WWCD (What Would Chinegunn Do), was in the making.  Among the hardest and coldest albums ever dropped from Griselda, expectations are high to duplicate the critical success of the prior effort.  No known producers or guests at this time, but if this turns out to be anything like the first one, WWCD2 won't be playing fair.  Will we hear more of the ominous, dark boom-bap like the first one, or will we get more of the southern trap sounds they've been experimenting with lately? Either way, the three-headed monster that is Griselda will be looking to dominate another year.



22. Westside Gunn

MICHELLE RECORDS

Production: Conductor, Daringer, Sovren, Denny LeFlare, others

Guests: A$AP Rocky, Stove God Cook$, others

Staying with Griselda once again, for the last couple of years, Westside Gunn has been promoting a project called MICHELLE RECORDS (which is named after his late sister who died a few years ago).  With plenty of audio teasers on social media, those cuts either made it on to other efforts such as 10 and 2023's And Then You Pray for Me or are still floating around being speculated that they'll appear on this album. Gunn's solo discography is as solid as anyone in the game right now, with bumpers such as Supreme Blientele, his breakout album, Flygod, his greatly underrated Who Made The Sunshine, Pray For Paris, and his Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape/full-length series being worthy examples.  According to producer Sovren and her social media, the album is done, and production is handled by her, Daringer, Denny LeFlare, and a couple of others, with A$AP Rocky and Stove God Cook$ (still waiting on Stove Jesus BTW) being the only guests to appear at this time.  Will this effort finally drop? Only time will tell, but based on Gunn's past track record, this album could very well be another entry in an overall tremendous discography from the "flygod".



21. Noname

Untitled

Production: unknown

Guests: unknown

Earlier this year, Chicago's Noname stated on her social media that she had a follow-up to her 2023 entry, Sundial, which was critically acclaimed for its soulful, hypnotic production and very introspective, yet bold and confident, lyricism.  Known for her brief, yet incredible, discography, one would expect this album to be another excellent addition to her already impressive discography.  Also, there are rumors of a possible group album with her, Smino, and fellow Chicago native, Saba, as Ghetto Sage this year so we may get more of Noname in one year than we have in the past few.



20. Boldy James & The Alchemist

Untitled

Production: The Alchemist

Guests: unknown

2023 was supposed to be the busiest year for Detroit's own Boldy James to date, but the beginning of last year put a derailment with those plans as he was involved in a serious car accident that had him recovering most of the year.  Projects such as collaborations with V DON, Harry Fraud, Nicholas Craven, and the much-awaited album under lost Dilla production, Drug Dilla, were all slated to hit.  With his album with Nicholas Craven, Penalties of Leadership, hitting at the beginning of this year, the wheels looked to be in motion for 2024 to be his 2023.  One album in the many he has lined up is another link-up with perhaps the most in-demand producer in the game at the moment, the Grammy Award-winning Alchemist.  Uncle Al and Boldy have three highly acclaimed efforts to their name in the form of My 1st Chemistry Set, The Price of Tea in China, Bo Jackson, and their EP, Super Techmo Bo.  Based on social media talk, Boldy and Uncle Al are about to embark on another stellar album together and will be available sooner than later.  Knowing the chemistry (no pun intended) between these two artists, this will be yet another fantastic showing by them.



19. Pharoahe Monch

External Affairs

Production: artist, unknown

Guests: unknown

It's been a full decade since we got a full-length project from Queens lyrical legend, Pharaohe Monch.  We last heard this wizard of words deliver PTSD in 2014.  Since then, other than the occasional guest verse with the likes of Apathy, Brother Ali, and Torae, we haven't heard much from the man otherwise known as Troy Jamerson.  This ten-year drought ends with External Affairs, the sequel to his exceptional debut solo album of '99, Internal Affairs.  Among everyone's year end lists of that year, the bar is set high to replicate the hunger, passion, and fire of the debut.  While no producers or guests have been mentioned as of this time, it might be wise that few, if any, guests appear on this album, as not too many in the game can hang with him to this very day.  With albums such as the aforementioned PTSD, Internal Affairs, W.A.R., and Desire, along with his Beautiful Day for An Exorcism with his band, th1rt3en, this hopes to be an ass-kicking return for the man who provided THAT verse on Organized Konfusion's "Bring It On".



18. JID

Forever & A Day

Production: Metro Boomin, Childish Major, Christo, others

Guests: unknown

Dreamville's emcee, JID, is among most fans, critics, and emcees lists of best technical emcees and best writers overall.  The young Atlanta native has delivered very dope projects over the past few years, including DiCaprio 2, The Never Story, and 2022's wonderful, The Forever Story.  Having established himself as one of the south's most talented line for line emcees, JID returns in 2024 with Forever & A Day, which will then be followed up with a collab album with Grammy Award winning producer, Metro Boomin, later in the year.  While that album will no doubt provide enough trunk and speaker bump to get some noise ordinance tickets, Forever & A Day is predicted to be as great of a smash as The Forever Story, and that's a very high bar.  Expect another crazy year for JID and his star power to continue to climb.



17. Ludacris

Untitled

Production: unknown

Guests: unknown

It's been over nine years since we last had a full project from the former Chris Luva Luva.  His last effort was 2015's Ludaversal.  The Atlanta (by way of Chicago) native has done several movies (most notably the Fast & Furious franchise) and a few commercial spots. Now it's become time for him to pick that mic back up and remind the game why he's among the most respected and props-earning emcees to emerge from the south over the past two decades.  His discography has been fairly consistent, with albums like Chicken & Beer, The Red-Light District, and Theater of The Mind being among his most acclaimed.  Will we the Luda of old? Will he drop another anthem for us this year that we will bump decades later like we do now wit cuts like "Move" and "What's Your Fantasy"?  Let's hope that does indeed happen.



16. Common & Pete Rock

Untitled

Production: Pete Rock

Guests: unknown

When Common announced on social media that he was doing a collab album with legendary producer, Pete Rock, the anticipation was immediate.  Rock is widely known for his work with former partner-in-rhyme, CL Smooth for their highly acclaimed albums of Mecca & The Soul Brotha and The Main Ingredient, along with providing tremendous, boom-bap soundscapes for the likes of Nas, Slum Village, Inspectah Deck, Skyzoo, Conway The Machine, and Raekwon, among many others.  Of course, we all know Common is among the most potent emcees to ever touch a mic, and his discography containing the likes of Resurrection, Like Water For Choclate, Be, Black America Again, and The Dreamer, The Believer also speaks for itself.  With these two legendary artists coming together for a full-length album, this could be another version of when Common collaborated with Kanye for the CLASSIC masterwork that was the aforementioned Be from '05 in terms of just straight up no frills, unfiltered hip-hop.  While there hasn't been information of guests or a title (although They Reminisce Over H.E.R. has been floating), this could be among the craziest albums either star has ever put out.



15. Conway The Machine

Won't He Do It: Side B

Production: Conductor, Daringer, Camouflage Monk, Swizz Beats, Cool & Dre, Graymatter, Cardo, The Alchemist, others

Guests: Method Man, Joey Bada$$, Larry June, Jay Worthy, SK Da King, Stove God Cook$, Key Glock, Flee Lord, 2 Eleven, Swizz Beats, Boldy James, Nas

Conway The Machine had a very tall task in trying to match or outdo the OUTSTANDING effort that was 2022's God Don't Make Mistakes.  He attempted to do so with last year's Won't He Do It: Side A, and while it wasn't quite as high on the mark as GDMM or even the prior effort, From King to A God was, it was still a bumper and continued to show Machine's knack for great penmanship and ability to get personal, while letting you know he ain't the one to cross.  When talk of a "Side B" was coming, intrigue started occurring.  However, Machine's IG Live feeds would have him previewing some of what was to come, and BOY does this sound like Conway of old. Plenty of Murky and haunting production, and threatening lyrics that put him on the map in the first place within the Griselda clan.  Based upon already released single and videos of the Joey Bada$$-assisted, "Vertana" and the Cool & Dre-produced, "Give & Give", as well as a preview of a track called "Mutty" produced by Conductor Williams, this could be a monster of a project.  While Side A had some gritty moments for sure, Side B sounds like this could be even grimier from the self-professed "Grimiest of All-Time".



14. Yasiin Bey & The Alchemist

Untitled

Production: The Alchemist

Guests: unknown

Consider this a rumor for now, as the artist formerly known as Mos Def, Yasiin Bey, stated during a concert that he and Uncle Al had a project on the way, and it was supported on social media. This announcement was dropped just after Mr. Dante Smith was catching some controversy for his description of Drake's music as "For Target shoppers." during an interview.  Although many praised his commentary over Drake's form of music, there were some that were quite baffled as to why he would openly diss Drake's music in the manner in which he did. Nonetheless, the thought of an entire album between the two of them is fascinating and could be among the most stellar releases of either man's careers, and that's saying an entire mouthful considering the INCREDIBLE yearly work rate of Mr. Maman and how Bey has a couple of classics under his belt as well, including the extraordinary Black on Both Sides.  Stay tuned for more on this throughout the year, as this could be ugly and beautiful at the same time.



13. Rome Streetz

Bow Down

Production: Conductor, others

Guests: unknown

NYC underground phenom, Rome Streetz, signed with Griselda in '22 and his Griselda debut, Kiss the Ring, has been widely acclaimed and revered, with many calling it the best debut out the camp in years.  With grimy and gutter boom-bap production from the likes of Conductor Williams, Camouflage Monk, and The Alchemist, the album showed that he was meant for Griselda.  Never ignoring his underground roots, he delivered the fifth, and final, installation of his Noise Candy mixtape series.  Regarded as the best of the series, Rome continued his momentum and started to become quite the in-demand emcee.  In '24, he stated on his social media that Kiss The Ring was, in fact, a trilogy, with the second part of it coming soon in the form of Bow Down.  The question is, "Will Bow Down resemble Kiss The Ring in terms of its macabre street stories and gritty lyricism?" From Rome, you can bet your ass it will. A better question is, "Will Bow Down meet or exceed the standards Kiss the Ring set?" We will find out later this year.


12. Jay Electronica

Bismillah Boys

Production: artist, others

Guests: Westside Gunn, others

The ever-allusive anomaly known as Jay Electronica.  The mystique of this emcee is wide and deep.  This VERY highly talented writer and emcee has been quite the topic over the past decade and some change.  From his Act series and Exhibit series being unreleased to him finally releasing his retail debut, A Written Testimony, to rave reviews and acclaim back in 2020, Electronica rarely delivers interviews or guest spots, but best believe when either scenario happens, people listen.  His controversy hit another level when he guested on Noname's album, Sundial, on the otherwise excellent cut, "Balloons", in which he spewed, what was viewed as anti-Sematic rhymes, on the cut.  Near the end of 2023, he delivered a brief teaser for an upcoming album called Bismillah Boys, and the brief snippet sounded nuts.  Earlier this year, he likewise dropped another teaser with Westside Gunn that is heavily rumored to be on the album as well.  Say what you will about the New Orleans native, but you'll never stop talking about him. Controversial views and all, he's among the most intriguing, yet insanely talented, writers in all of hip-hop.



11. Westside Gunn & Conway The Machine

Hall & Nash 2: The Official Version

Production: Daringer, The Alchemist

Guests: unknown

Just as we were about to say goodbye to 2023, Alchemist dropped a bombshell.  He delivered to the masses the much-rumored Hall & Nash 2 effort with Westside Gunn and Conway.  The first Hall & Nash effort was seen as a Griselda classic, but the sequel may have even topped that one with some of the murkiest production Uncle Al has done, and considering his alre4ady legendary track record, that's an entire statement in itself.  He also mentioned there was a "real" version coming in 2024, with he and Griselda go-to beat monster, Daringer, providing the likely ominous soundscapes.  The thought of a "real" version of one of the single best efforts of 2023 and the possibility of it being even better than the nine-track version we were privileged to hear is bonkers in itself.  Hurry up with this one Uncle Al!



10. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist

Untitled

Production: The Alchemist

Guests: unknown

Mr. Gibbs is one of the sickest emcees on the microphone in the current state of hip-hop.  Since his Cold Day In Hell and ESGN days to his undisputed classic with Madlib, Pinata, to other subsequent follow-ups such as Shadow of a Doubt, Freddie, the sequel to Pinata, Bandana, to his most recent acclaimed album, $oul Sold Separately in 2022, Gangsta Gibbs has been among your favorite rapper's favorite rapper list.  However, it would be when he would collab with Alchemist that we would hear some of his absolute best work.  He and southern underground legend, Curren$y, linked with Uncle Al for the fantastic album, Fetti, and he would later link up with Al again for the Grammy-nominated effort, Alfredo.  Reportedly working on the follow-up to Alfredo, hearing Gibbs over some Alan the Chemist production would be another example of how potent of an emcee Gibbs is, as Al is one of those producers that can truly bring the monster out of the Gary, IN native.  It'll be exciting to see, and hear, what these two got up their sleeve.



9. Rapsody

Please Don't Cry

Production: Hit-Boy, others

Guests: Erykah Badu, Lil Wayne, Alex Isley, Phylicia Rashad, Amber Navran of Moonchild, others

When you think of NC hip-hop, the most notable person to comes to mind is Mr. Cole. However, over the years, two more names have become synonymous with stellar NC hip-hop: Phonte and Rapsody.  While we absolutely hope for an effort from Phontigga or an effort from he and partner-in-rhyme, Big Pooh for another Little Brother album, we WILL get a new one from Rapsody. The Grammy-winning, Snow Hill, NC native has been hard at work for the follow-up to her exceptional 2019 effort, Eve.  Ready to drop at any moment, Marlena Evans has been regarded as the new MC Lyte for her generation and one of the most talented emcees of her or any generation.  According to reports, she will be delving away from the Jamala crew of 9th, Khrysis, and the Soul Council, and leaning more into more diverse production.  This is exhibited by her first single from the new project, the neck-snapping, Hit-Boy crafted, "Asteroids".  It'll be interesting to hear an album not saturated with the soulful boom-bap of 9th Wonder & The Soul Council, but Rap has shown she can be deadly over anyone's production and, indeed, be "that rapper that your favorite rapper scared to rap after."  This could be the biggest test towards her legacy, but something says she will not only prove any doubters wrong but will gain even more of a following than she already has.



8. Run The Jewels

RTJ5

Production: El-P

Guests: unknown

What a historic year for Killer Mike.  Not only did he deliver a career milestone with his instant classic of 2023, Michael, but he won all three rap categories at the recent Grammy Awards.  While we are still crazy bumping the greatness of that album, and its deluxe album as well, other heads are still anticipating the new RTJ album.  This album has been in the works since RTJ4 in 2020.  He & rhyme partner/producer El-P damn near owned the '10s with their back-to-back-to-back otherworldly great albums of their self-titled debut, RTJ2, and RTJ3.  A brief teaser was recently put out on their social media accounts in an indication that they were on the way.  Here's to hoping RTJ5 will continue to show their tag team dominance in hip-hop that only Armand Hammer can claim is their only legit competition in today's era of hip-hop.  Mike has said that Michael is a trilogy so don't be surprised if the second part gets released this year as well, but for now, understand Run The Jewels may be very well back on the scene, and we could be looking at another monument in the game.



7. ScHoolboy Q

Blue Lips

Production: Tae Beast, Beat Butcha, The Alchemist, Kal Banx, Cardo, DJ Khalyl, others

Guests: Ab-Soul, Rico Nasty, Freddie Gibbs, Lance Skiiwalker, others

As Kendrick Lamar officially left the house he built with TDE, the question was, "Who would be the new go-to for TDE and their success in hip-hop?"  The answer comes with Quincy Hanley, aka ScHoolboy Q.  The south-central LA native has been known to deliver some very high quality hip-hop over the past decade and change.  While his albums of Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions put him on the map, and rightfully so, it was his major label debut, Oxymoron, that made him a star and dropped, at that time, his career best.  The Grammy-nominated album officially made Q someone to keep out for within this game.  He, then, dropped an even better project with The Blank Face LP, and solidified that he was for real out here.  Although the follow-up, Crash Talk, didn't receive as much critical acclaim as the prior projects, he still showed that he knew how to make hits, but there was something missing here that the prior efforts possessed.  Whatever it was, he found it again because as news dropped of his forthcoming effort, Blue Lips, began circulating with a promo video, he began dropping singles and street promotional singles and videos.  Based off the sounds of these cuts, ScHoolboy is back in the zone that made him among the most in-demand emcees out here, and there's very little doubt Blue Lips will be another complete banger in the discography of Mr. Hanley.



6. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

Montana

Production: Madlib

Guests: unknown

We previously mentioned Gangsta Gibbs in this list with his forthcoming collab album reuniting with Alchemist.  Perhaps even more anticipated is the third, and final, album in the Pinata series with beatmaker extraordinaire, Madlib.  In 2014, Gibbs & Madlib dropped the album of the year with Pinata, and it was stated it was the first of its trilogy.  Five years later, they dropped an equally incredible follow-up album, and the second in the trilogy, Bandana.  The genius pairing of these two has made for magical moments between them.  Now five years after Bandana comes the final in the trilogy, Montana.  Supposedly finished over a year or two ago, if this is the final installment, let's hope they go out as crazy as they've been going up to this point.  Let's hope the momentum both prior monuments carry over into this one so this can be rightfully considered among the best trilogies in modern hip-hop history.



5. Hit-Boy & The Alchemist

Untitled

Production: artist

Guests: unknown

Arguably the two most in-demand producers in all of hip-hop are two of Cali's all-time greatest: Hit-Boy and The Alchemist.  Hit-Boy became a modern giant with providing Nas with sounds that helped him reinvigorate his career and reminded us all who one of the game's true GOATs is with the King's Disease trilogy and the Magic trilogy.  Alchemist has been burning since the late nineties/early thousands, but has been especially in his bag over the past seven, or so, years, providing monster music for the likes of Armand Hammer, MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, Roc Marciano, Kendrick Lamar, Evidence, and ScHoolboy Q.  It's only right these two come together for at least a cut or two.  They gave us a glimpse of their potentially exhilarating collaborative efforts with "Slippin' Into Darkness", a two-part beat cut that had Uncle Al rhyming over Hit-Boy's half of the cut and Hit-Boy rhyming (and dissing various producers) over a stellar piano loop courtesy of Mr. Maman.  It was announced that these two were in fact working on a full-length together and the waiting game was underway.  Earlier in 2024, these two dropped a surprise EP entitled Theodore & Andre, which was a three cut piece that served as a teaser of what will likely be a full album this year.  Much like the sorely underappreciated Champion Sound from Jaylib (J Dilla & Madlib), we expect each emcee/producer to rhyme over the other's production.  We will likely see this album in 2024, and best believe, our speakers will be on life support afterwards.



4. Mobb Deep

Untitled

Production: Havoc, The Alchemist

guests: unknown

When Albert "Prodigy" Johnson left this earth in 2017, the game lost one of the coldest lyricists ever to touch a mic.  His vivid, chilling rhymes placed him among the elite of emcees, and alongside partner-in-rhyme, Havoc, Mobb Deep were seen as one of the most influential duos in hip-hop history.  With The Infamous, Hell On Earth, and Murda Muzik all considered genuine classics in hip-hop, and the rest of their discography being nothing to overlook either, Hav became the one to hold down the Mobb name due to this unfortunate turn of events.  Havoc has stated that he has a lot of posthumous P material and material they had together that never saw the light of day and that, in fact, they were working on a new Mobb album at the time of his death.  Alchemist, likewise, backed this claim up as well.  While it's not one hundred percent clear that it'll drop this year, the last time Hav was asked about this was last year and he did state the album was almost done within its mixing stages so it's very possible the final Mobb album will surface.  As with any posthumous album, it will be bittersweet hearing the fallen rhyme again and wishing they were still here with us.  You can believe Hav, and likely Al, will make damn sure this album will rep the Mobb name to the utmost and will be a project Bandana P would be super proud of.


3. Black Thought & Madlib

Untitled

Production: Madlib

Guests: unknown

Roots frontman emcee, the one and only Black thought has been dropping solo material quite a bit over the last few years.  He started with his Streams Of Thought series with 9th Wonder, Salaam Remi, and Sean C & LV throughout the late teens.  From there, he and the allusive Danger Mouse dropped the exceptional, Cheat Codes, in 2022, and followed that up with the equally impressive, Glorious Game, with the El Michel Affair group in 2023.  As fantastic as all of these releases have been, we may be hitting the upper stratosphere when it was said that Mr. Madliberator, himself, had supplied Black Thought with about a hundred beats for him and that a collab album was coming.  Anything Madlib touches is priceless, just based upon his otherworldly collabs with Freddie Gibbs and especially the late MF DOOM as Madvillain.  Just imagine Tarik over the unique soulful, jazzy, obscure stylings of Madlib.  The "thought" is enough to make you sit on the edge of the bed in FULL anticipation of what could be the greatest album, not just of 2024, but among the greatest front to back albums ever recorded in hip-hop.



2. PRhyme

PRhyme 3

Production: DJ Premier

Guests: unknown

There's only one Gangstarr.  That would be Guru and DJ Premier, one of the illest duos to ever grace our presence.  When Baldhead Slick died in 2010 from Myeloma, Premier has still been repping his longtime partner every chance he got.  However, if there was the next big thing to Gangstarr, it would be PRhyme, the duo consisting of Preemo and Detroit's own Royce Da 5'9".  Royce and Preem have been collaborating since Royce's explosive (pun intended) single, "Boom", and since then cuts like "Hip-Hop", "Shake This", and "Ding!" have showed us that there's a chemistry that bled of an entire full-length from them.  Enter 2014, when the announcement came that these two were in fact coming together as PRhyme and were dropping an album. Combining the brilliance of both emcee and producer spelled nothing short of enormous expectations, and when they dropped their self-titled debut, they were all met.  An instant classic, this virtually perfect nine-track effort saw guests like ScHoolboy Q, his fellow TDE-mate Ab-Soul, Common, Dwele, and Slaughterhouse (including Royce himself) go CRAZY over the Preemo production (with sampling from producer/composer Adrien Younge).  They returned two years later with PRhyme 2, an almost as sonically skitzo effort, PRhyme had a lengthier project with seventeen tracks, and not one of them was wasted.  With appearances by the likes of Cee-Lo, Roc Marci, Dave East, 2 Chainz, Rapsody, and Big K.R.I.T., this was less gritty and concussion-inducing, but more of a polished sound that still kept the aura of PRhyme solid.  Five years after that last effort, fiends have been in huge anticipation for a PRhyme 3, and courtesy of Preemo himself, PRhyme 3 is in fact coming this year.  No word on guests yet, nor who would be supplying them with any samples like Adrien Younge or Antman Wonder on PRhyme 2, but no matter what, Royce & Preem are in a lane by themselves and don't need to be labeled as "the new Gangstarr". There's no doubt this new effort will continue to show why they're among the most ferocious duos in all of hip-hop.



1. Boldy James & J Dilla

Drug Dilla

Production: J Dilla

Guests: unknown

Certainly, among all of Boldy's albums that were supposed to roll out in 2023, none were more anticipatory than the album he said was dropping over lost and found J Dilla production.  Apparently, Boldy recorded some cuts with the late production legend not long before he died in 2006 to a blood disease associated with Lupus.  None were mastered or mixed.  However, courtesy of Dilla's estate, most notably Dilla's mother, Maureen, and his brother James (aka Illa J), these and other lost Dilla production will be what Boldy does his thing on with the album called, Drug Dilla.  This will no doubt be some of Dilla's most intriguing production considering Boldy's style and content.  It's no secret Dilla was the 2Pac of beats in terms of his work rate, even while critically ill.  Boldy over some Dilla is something we never saw coming, but it's all day welcomed.  Even with Mr. James' already loaded year with efforts that have him collaborating with the likes of V DON, The Alchemist (as mentioned earlier), Harry Fraud, another rumored project with Jay Versace, and another project with Futurewave, Drug Dilla will likely be the most anticipated album, not just of 2024, but within the entire career of Boldy.


Honorable Mentions 

*Unconfirmed this album will be released in 2024, just rumored

Kid Cudi & The Alchemist- untitled *

Quelle Chris, Cavalier, & The Alchemist- untitled *

Conway The Machine- EIF4

Conway The Machine- Reject 3

Cyhi The Prince- The Story Of EGOT

Skyzoo & The Other Guys- TMOAS: Deluxe Edition

Killer Mike- untitled *

Rome Streetz & Conductor Williams- untitled *

DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz- untitled

Sauce Walka & Daringer- New Sauce City 2

Conway The Machine & The Alchemist- untitled

Benny The Butcher & Harry Fraud- untitled

Jay Rock- untitled

Ab-Soul- untitled

TDE- untitled

Pusha T & DJ Drama- untitled

Pusha T- untitled

Action Bronson- JOHAN SEBASTIAN BACHLAVA THE DOCTOR

Slum Village- untitled

Mac Miller & Madlib- MacLib

Gangrene- untitled

Boldy James & Harry Fraud- untitled

Boldy James & Cardo- untitled *

Roc Marciano & Pete Rock- untitled *

Larry June & The Alchemist- untitled

Lil' Wayne- Tha Carter 6

Che Noir- The Color Chocolate Vol. 2

Che Noir- Lotus Child

Che Noir & 7XVETHEGENIUS- untitled

Logic- Ultra 84

Cordae- The Crossroads Tape

Big Boi- untitled

Ransom & Harry Fraud- Lavish Misery

Jay Worthy & Hit-Boy- untitled

Big Sean & Hit-Boy- untitled

Big Shug & DJ Premier- untitled

Raekwon- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 3 *

Ghostface Killah- Supreme Clientele 2 *

Prodigy- The Hegelian Dialectic 3: The Book of Death

Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh- untitled

Armani Ceaser- The Liz 3

dead prez- untitled

50 Cent- untitled

Joey Bada$$- untitled

Da Beatminerz- Stifled Creativity

JID & Metro Boomin- JIDtro

Ransom & Nicholas Craven- untitled

Mach-Hommy- RICHAXXHAITIAN

RJ PAYNE- Leatherface 4

DJ Muggs & Mooch of Da Cloth- ROCSTAR

Snoop Dogg- Missionary

T.I.- untitled

Stove God Cook$- Stove Jesus *

A$AP Rocky- Don't Be Dumb

Isaiah Rashad- untitled

Elzhi & Khrysis- Jericho Jackson 2 *

Evidence- untitled *

Method Man & Havoc- Dirty P *

The Alchemist & Budgie- The Good Book Vol. 3

LL Cool J & Q-Tip- untitled *

Redman- Muddy Waters Too *

Planet Asia & Madlib- untitled *

50 Cent- untitled

Smino- untitled


There are many others speculated to be released this year, and quite honestly, this looks to be quite the interesting year even more than 2023 was.  This is just a small list of albums that are either confirmed, highly likely, or unknown as of now as to if they'll ACTUALLY be released this year.  All we can do is sit back, enjoy the ride, and make way for some for some likely damn great and exceptional hip-hop on the way for 2024. Until next time, folks!