—Ellen Johnson, Gibbs’ change in producers is immediately noticeable when a Bernie Mac precedes a sultry guitar riff in the album’s first track, “1985.” That’s not a jab at Madlib—his work on Bandana was spotless—but The Alchemist’s experimentation is especially stark here. It was entirely produced by frequent Griselda collaborator Camoflauge Monk and it features Griselda's Benny the Butcher, Benny's Black Soprano Family groupmate Rick Hyde, Detroit-based Griselda signee Boldy James, and another '90s-obsessed Buffalo rapper, Che Noir (who recently released a great Apollo Brown-produced album) -- as well as Smoke DZA, Skyzoo, Royce Da 5'9", and more -- but 14 trapdoors aren't just another group of Griselda soundalikes. —Jade Gomez, Barnacles would be the soundtrack to a reboot of American Pie starring Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin as Jim Levenstein and Amandla Stenberg as Michelle Flaherty. This is HipHopDX's calendar of upcoming rap and hip hop album release dates for 2020. Andrew Sacher. Yet WSG took his biggest step toward a wider audience with Pray For Paris, releasing the most accessible album of his career — even more than the Griselda crew’s Shady Records debut WWCD. Here are some other albums that we still have in rotation from each month of 2020. , his fourth project in the last two years trades Madlib production for that of Alchemist and Gibbs continues to be lightyears ahead of his contemporaries. Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. 7 Best Rap Albums of September 2020. (which, by the way, is just an absolutely incredible name for a debut album). Shay played a crucial role in helping to develop the Griselda sound, and even if he didn't produce any songs on this album, his influence could already be felt on it. delivers more of the Motor City MC’s stark observations on the culture and everything in between. Atlanta-based rapper Mulatto continues her phenomenal year with Queen of Da Souf, her widely anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Mulatto. Che offers a sharp perspective on how the decline of industry in Buffalo engendered poor communities — and a hoard of violent consequences. The lucid, steamy and flirtatious recent project from SahBabii is borderline obsessed with doing the do—so much so that its explicitness can, on occasion, become its weakness. Tweets Is Watching: Justin Bieber & DaBaby Have Songs Together, Instagram Flexin: 21 Savage's Atlanta Birthday Party, Instagram Flexin: Cardi B's Birthday Billboard, Tweets Is Watching: Travis Scott Offers To Pay Tuitons, After much initial debate about how Buffalo native Armani Caesar would integrate into the fold of the mighty Griselda, a string of guest appearances and the release of her DJ Premier-produced “Simply Done” featuring Benny The Butcher more than set the stage. NPR Music's 25 Favorite Albums Of 2020 (So Far) ... 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But with its clear sense of direction and some of SahBabii’s most adventurous rapping in his career thus far, Barnacles is his strongest work to date. From popular rappers and rap legends like Eminem. The Rugged Man once again takes no prisoners on his latest solo affair. Either way, his devotees should be thankful for the 14-track effort, which is another dose of street luxury over magnetic beats. As God Intended boasts features from Black Thought, Planet Asia and Skyzoo, proving she can spit with the best of them — but she certainly doesn’t need anyone to do the heavy lifting. 22. The project shows that their chemistry is intact, as Blu drops his pensive scribes over jazzy production that veers from the pristine “Music Is My Everything” to the free jazz of “Miles Davis.” The album is culled from 40 tracks they recorded, and their homage to the jazz great radiates a range of vibes. There would be no 'Armani Caesar' if it hadn’t been for him.". Through most of 13-track playlist, Nas gracefully wades the waters with Hit-Boy, bringing lessons and elite artists from the past and present while pivoting towards rap’s future. Megan Tee Stallion & Lil Uzi Vert). The 21-track effort demonstrates how Juice gained his cult fanbase. Her debut Ho, Why Is You Here ? Mixtape king Curren$y seemingly raps through a room of smoke in a lackadaisical fashion. Multi-talented UK artist BERWYN is a rapper, singer, producer, and instrumentalist, and he first caught our ears when he appeared on four songs off XL Recordings co-founder Richard Russell's new Everything Is Recorded album and then again when he was commissioned to do an official remix of Headie One and Fred Again's "GANG," and his talent became even clearer when he released his debut solo single "GLORY." That song set the bar high for Spilligion, and now the album is here and it very much delivers. Tracks like “MET GALA” settle into a hypnotic daze through drawn-out beats and melodic rapping, while other tracks such as “SKYBOX” feature a swifter delivery that will undoubtedly will land them on many a post-corona party playlist. Oddisee explores our chaotic emotional fusion for us throughout his latest self-produced project. The label's newest signing, Armani Caesar (who appeared on "Anza" on Conway’s album) released her Griselda debut The Liz too. Che was the ideal foil for Detroit producer Apollo Brown’s latest suite of impeccable head nodders, using the soulful canvas to reflect on why “since an innocent teen, my environment’s Freddy Krueger” as she noted on “Worth Gold.” She rhymed, “Close your eyes when I speak / It’s like watching a flick when I spit” on “Blood Is Thicker,” which could have easily been the first two bars of the project. Flo Milli sings or says the words “That bitch” countless times on her debut album Ho, why is you here? Dripping with sexuality and feminine power, the twenty-one-year-old rapper makes a solid case for the throne. From popular rappers and rap legends like Eminem. Blu and Exile’s undeniable chemistry is once again evident on their latest album … ALC truly brings the best out of Boldy, helping him reach new creative heights with their sophomore LP as a duo. Contributing writers: Trent Clark, Kyle Eustice, Justin Ivey, Josh Svetz, Dana Scott, Brandon Caldwell, David Brake, Kenan Draughorne, Devon Jefferson & Jeremy Hecht. Spilligion reminds us that underground Atlanta rap won’t be underground for much longer. Conway's From King to a GOD wasn't the only great album the Griselda camp released in September. Whether it’s floating through Windy City streets on “33,” solidifying his love life on “Martin & Gina” or working through the pain on “No Matter What,” Polo G always raps with conviction and passion. Even the song titles play along with the idea of being stolen from an artist’s computer with names like “Take_it_Back_v2” and “Cosmic.m4a.” Accentuated by a visual component that bolsters the concept, Curry and Kenny’s Unlocked makes for one of Hip Hop’s most imaginative creations in 2020. Though 2020 has been a huge year for Griselda despite the chaos going on around them, it's also been a year with a very personal tragedy. Griselda frequently recall the '90s New York rap era, and Armani told The Source that Gunn envisioned her as Griselda's "first lady" in the spirit of Eve with Ruff Ryders, Lil' Kim with Junior M.A.F.I.A., and Foxy Brown with The Firm, and like all three of those rappers were in their early days, Armani Caesar sounds like a star in the making.