Review: Rita Ora – Phoenix

The drought is over, and Rita Ora is back with a shower of blessings in the form of new music. It’s been more than six years since the release of her debut album, ORA which gained the attention of several music fans in the world. With songs like “How We Do (Party),” “R.I.P,” and “Fall in Love” it was like love at first listening for pop fans. Since then, she has released impactful singles like “Let You Down,” “Poison” and “Body On Me” that made fans thirst for another album. Unfortunately, the legal tussle with her previous record label, Roc Nation stopped this from happening.

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Review: Eliza Shaddad – Future

Eliza Shaddad – Future

Eliza Shaddad is a UK-based alternative singer who has grown from attracting listeners with the passionate vocals on her first EP, “Waters” to making it easy to hit the replay button on her sophomore EP, “Run.” With her dreamy vocals, one can get lost in her world of free expression—this isn’t all she has to offer. She spent most of her childhood moving across different continents and has tales of many adventures. She channels the memories of those adventures through her lyrics. Every project she has released so far has felt like a musical storybook. Future is Shaddad’s debut album—one which has been highly anticipated by many—especially those who experienced the thrill that came with her previous projects.

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Review: Belly – IMMIGRANT

Belly - Immigrant

Belly is a Canadian rapper with Palestinian-Jordanian ancestry. Hoping to escape violence and poverty, his family immigrated to Ottawa, Canada when he was a boy. It was during this phase of his life that he learned how to sell drugs, and live with the challenges of being a Muslim in a primarily non-Muslim country. On IMMIGRANT, Belly tells this story with the help of some top-rated producers, such as TRAKGIRL, Ben Billions, Metroboomin, and Southside who deliver the catchy beats as he captivates listeners with his thought-provoking lyrics.

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Review: G Herbo / Southside – Swervo

G Herbo - Swervo

Swervo is G Herbo’s sophomore album with one of the elite trap music producers, Southside. In a world where gangster rap is noted for its lyrical bankruptcy, G Herbo’s lyrical finesse makes him standout from the crowd of other rappers. This is probably one of the reasons he was described as “The Future” by Drake. Southside can only be described as the godfather of trap producers. He has worked with top rappers and trap artists with his producer tag, “Southside,” as a symbol of his presence on several tracks.

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‘Slay In Your Lane’ is an uplifting book with words that will have a ripple effect across generations of Black Women.

The biggest difference between racial issues in the UK and the US is the attitude the people have towards the topic. In the US, there is a constant call for racial tolerance, racial awareness, and racial acceptance. Emphasized from childhood, people of color are aware of the racial differences. However, in the UK, there is an unspoken rule that race should be ignored. In Britain, racism is more subtle. It’s more insidious. Sometimes, you won’t even know you’re being discriminated against. The way the script usually goes is, “Hello. So nice to meet you.” Fake laugh, fake laugh, and more fake laughter, until you leave the room, and they say, “We are never going to employ that woman.” Many of them have mastered that script.

Meet the two successful black British women, Yomi Adegoke, and Elizabeth Uviebinené who have written Slay In Your Lane, a book with the tricks for black women to make lemonade out of the lemons given to them by racists. Yomi Adegoke is a journalist and senior writer at The Pool. While her best friend, and co-author, Elizabeth Uviebinené is a marketing manager at HSBC. They met at Warwick University years ago, and among the many things they share in common is their goal to protect black people at all cost.

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Review: Marshmello – Joytime II

Marshmello - Joytime

Marshmello, the anonymous producer and DJ, has been taking the music industry by storm since his remix of Jack U and Justin Bieber’s global hit “Where Are U Now.” With hits like “Moving On,” “Wolves,” and “Silence,” he has become one of the fastest rising dance producers in the industry. As the layers of mystery continue to surround the man behind the mask, there is no doubt in Marshmello’s ability to make electronic music that pops. Joytime IIis his 9-track sophomore album.

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Review: Kanye West – ye

Kanye West - Ye

When Kanye West reactivated his Twitter account, that was a sign something was coming. Without keeping fans in suspense, he tweeted about the new projects from G.O.O.D. Music. This list included his own album — this album — which was only given the title ye the night before its release. However, his tweets about his album aren’t all that built up the anticipation for this project. Rather, his culturally disturbing posts on Twitter, which he later topped with his outrageous words during an interview on TMZ, created a negative hype and suspense prior to release. Certainly, every listener would pay attention to his lyrics before any other ingredient on ye. Right now, his lyrics act as the thin thread between him and the audience.

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Review: Pusha T – DAYTONA

Pusha T

With three albums in his discography, Pusha T isn’t a consistent artist, but when he releases an album, it feels like a ceremony. He always makes an impact with each project. His last album was in 2015, since then, fans have been anticipating, hoping, and dreaming of the day Push will drop a project. That was before Kanye brought the G.O.O.D. news to the world. In a series of tweets, he announced upcoming releases from Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Nas, Kid Cudi and himself. Although initially titled King Pusha, Pusha T had to change the title because he felt “it didn’t represent the overall message” of the album. In another tweet, he said, “DAYTONA represents the fact that “I have the luxury of time. That luxury only comes when u have a skill set that you’re confident in.” As for what’s to be expected on DAYTONA, Push said the album was created especially for his “family, high taste level, luxury, and drug raps fans.”

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Review: Charlie Puth – Voicenotes

Charlie Puth - Voicenotes

Charlie Puth gained the attention of the world with his vocal contribution on Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again.” With songs like “One Call Away,” “Marvin Gaye,” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” he continued to give listeners goosebumps. His debut album, Nine Track Mind, was filled with love ballads and heart-warming hooks. Although, that lead to a monotony of similar sounds and less experimentation. However, one special finesse the 26-year-old continues to unswervingly flaunt is his voice.

Voicenotes is his sophomore album and was delayed because it had to be “perfected.” Whenever artists say things like that, they raise the bar a notch higher because all we’d want to hear is an album that has been perfected. After listening to this album, it is indeed worthy of being called a perfected album. Everything from the production, to instrumentation, to the mix is stirring.

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Review: Slim Jxmmi – Jxmtro

Slim Jxmmi – Jxmtro

Slim Jxmmi is one half of the rap-duo Rae Sremmurd. Along with their third album, (SR3MM), he presents his debut solo album Jxmtro. The production on this album is mainly handled by Mike WiLL Made-It, and it includes features from Pharrell Williams, Zoe Kravitz, and Swae Lee, among others. During an interview with Rolling Stone, Slim Jxmmi said he wasn’t as comfortable singing as his brother, so he “came out spraying” for his album. He has always brought the rap flow to the team, so that’s whats to be expected on this album. Although many might worry about his sound without Swae Lee, who usually is the Hook-smith, Uncle Jxmmi is bound to show a few surprises with his absorbing lyrics.

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Review: Swae Lee – Swaecation

Swae Lee

Swaecation is the debut solo album by Swae Lee, member of the rap-duo Rae Sremmurd. On Swaecation, Swae Lee keeps the features to a minimum and recruits Young Thug as the sole guest on the album. Swae Lee is a great creator when it comes to delivering hooks on songs. As a hook-Smith, he has found his way onto several big collaborations with other artists and his impact has been felt on top-charting songs like “Burn Slow,” “Unforgettable,” and “Don’t Judge Me.” Although, Swae Lee has never released a track alone, this album is filled with enthralling hooks.

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Review: Rae Sremmurd – SR3MM

Rae Sremmurd

From “No Flex Zone” to “Black Beatle,” it’s been clear Rae Sremmurd knows how to make hit songs. And, based on the quality of their previous albums it’s always a safe bet that their albums will contain some nice tunes. SR3MM is an addition to the “Sremmlife” series. This is a triple album which includes solo albums by Swae Lee & Slim Jxmmi. Swae’s album is titled Swaecation, while Slim Jxmmi’s is titled Jxmtro. Shortly after the success of their debut album, there were rumors about Swae Lee going solo. Many people who are familiar with their discography know Swae Lee is more of a singer and delivers most of the hooks. Slim Jxmmi is a rapper and he likes to spit, not sing. That’s what influenced the formation of solo albums. A better option than a split.

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Review: Anne-Marie – Speak Your Mind

Anne-Marie – Speak Your Mind

Speak Your Mind is the debut studio album by British pop singer, Anne-Marie. The 27-year-old singer has attained several charting singles on the UK Singles Chart and she was also featured on Clean Bandit’s “Rockabye,” which peaked at number one. Ever since the release of her first single, “Alarm,” she has been a consistent sensation in the pop world. Every single she released to support the album has charted. Based on that record, it is safe to say that Anne-Marie is a hit maker.

The British singer takes us through 17-tracks as she tries to mask a heartbreaking experience in electro-pop sounds. From “Cry” to “Bad Girlfriend,” she revisits her previous relationship while exposing the deceit and infidelity her ex-lover brought to the relationship. On “Then” and “Alarm” she tells the story of a man who ungratefully ignored the love she had for him while cheating on her.

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Review: Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer

It’s been more than ten years since Janelle Monáe launched her first project. She has since been identified by her unique sound. Being from a hard-working family and a musically bland city, she has always highlighted the under-appreciated and the outsider with her lyrics. Incorporating an unbelievable range of musical influences, she continues to innovate her own unique sound with her friends in the Wondaland Arts Society – a musical collective of rising artists she oversees. Prior to Dirty Computer, she’s been nominated for six Grammy Awards, of which she won none. However, Janelle’s consistency is a reminder of why this is a promising project.

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