LULU). Big Ghost Ltd (
No One Mourns The Wicked) were critic and fan favorites and he contributed guest appearances on numerous high profile projects.
But it wasnât until his recently released masterpiece,Â
FromÂ
King To A GOD, when Conway The Machineâs metamorphosis became complete, and with that ascension he asserted that he would no longer be denied his rightful place as a âGod Emcee.â
From King To A GODÂ is Conwayâs most diverse project to date and it featured guest appearances and production from Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Freddie Gibbs, Method Man, DJ Premier, Havoc, Lloyd Banks, Dej Loaf, Alchemist, Daringer, Erick Sermon and Hit-Boy.
Fred Pessaro’s favorite albums of 2020
Fred Pessaro a lifer was a long time BrooklynVegan and Invisible Oranges editor and show organizer before moving on to Noisey, CLRVYNT, Revolver, and other places. His taste in heavy music has helped shape not just our own coverage for over 10 years, but the music landscape as a whole. In addition to still occasionally contributing to BrooklynVegan and writing other places, Fred helped organize shows at places across the US including Saint Vitus, Brooklyn Bazaar, Union Pool, TV Eye and many many more. As the year is coming to a close, we’ve been publishing year-end lists from various music industry figures. Here’s Fred’s, who we re always happy to have back:
and anything else that catches his attention.
My overlooked rap albums of the year
Sometimes wait, no, all the time I wonder if we value rap albums the way we should. It increasingly feels like the all-powerful Spotify overlords need to deem an album worthy before it can break past its regional audience and get widespread attention. And aside from mega-popular artists (Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, etc.) and those with devoted niche audiences (Griselda), rappers are shifting their focus to videos and singles. As much as coverage like this column and The Ones is a part of that trend, the experience of a rap album is unmatched, even in a year when paying attention to new music could feel like an afterthought. Here are a few of the albums I couldn’t stop playing.
Check out the biggest drops the week of Friday (December 18.)
Too $hort & E-40
Terms and Conditions
The Battle of the Bay Verzuz extravaganza is set for Saturday (December 19), and there is absolutely no time like the present for The Town legends E-40 and Too $hort to bless the streets with a new classic West Coast collab album. The one of a kind LP combines 10-tracks from both OG’s, marking healthy double-digit discography milestones for each rapper.
Terms and Conditions arrives as 40’s 27th solo outing and
Ain’t Gone Do It serves as $hort’s 22nd album. Expect features from Freddie Gibbs, Larry June and Drakeo the Ruler on 40’s half and additional guest verses from G-Eazy, Guapdad 4000 and Mistah F.A.B. on $hort’s side of the project.
There is no question that Hip Hop producers are just as significant as the rappers who put these hot songs out. Without them, there would be no landscape for these rappers to roam freely and get their verses off. Music is an outlet for some, and in a difficult time where the pandemic puts a damper on things, producers play a role in helping ease the mood.
Every year, HipHopDX staff joins in discussions, debates and sometimes heated arguments to come up with a list for our Year End Awards. You can review all of HipHopDX’s 2020
award categories and nominations. Winners will be announced beginning December 28, 2020.