Summer Albums That Bring The Heat

Summer 2018 has to go in the history books for being the best time for Hip-Hop and R&B in nearly a decade. Many big names dropped heavily anticipated projects that delivered the hype. Even a couple of upcoming artist dropped projects that definitely gained a wider audience’s attention. There has been so much new music released that I haven’t even had the pleasure of listening to everything that dropped. However, I have listened to a few critically acclaimed projects and I’m sharing my favorites. They all give out different types of vibes and I’m going to tell you the perfect summer situation to listen to them in.

(Disclaimer!! These are not thorough album reviews of each project. I am simply giving a synopsis of each album and throwing my two cents in.)

Redemption by Jay Rock

Jay Rock is apart of the TDE family which houses many big names in Hip-Hop and R&B such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Schoolboy Q. Rock has been one of the lesser known faces of the label but this year allowed him to get more shine with his involvement on the Black Panther Soundtrack and with his hit single from this project “WIN”. This album definitely proved that he deserves the same shine his more popular label mates have because it was absolute fire. The project showcases Rock’s hard-hitting flow and raw lyricism matched with invigorating beats. However, Rock still dabbles with more melodic beats that still delivers elaborate rhymes. There are also a few songs that could easily transition to radio, appealing to a more mainstream audience for its catchiness and upbeat feel. This project thoroughly showcased Jay Rock’s talents and proved that he can be versatile, appealing to all audiences.

Summer Situation: This is the perfect album to listen to on your way to work. It will get you pumped making you motivated to get to the money. #Noworknoplay

Rolling Papers 2 by Wiz Khalifa

Whenever an artist makes a sequel to an already highly praised project it puts a lot of pressure on the artist not to disappoint. Rolling Papers was definitely a Wiz classic so when he announced Rolling Papers 2 I was nervous about how he was going to follow up. Nevertheless, when I listened to the project I was not disappointed. Wiz certainly put in work for this project, being that it has 25 tracks. Even though I feel like some tracks could have been left off, being that I wasn’t a fan of them, I still felt the need to include this album on the list because the songs I did like. Throughout the album, Wiz displays his raps on feel-good beats that are perfect for the summer weather. The album is also versatile since it has a few different sounds throughout the album. From hip-hop fused with pop to even a grimier trap beat, this album has tunes for many vibes. He even plays with some old school taking sounds from Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg to make his song “Gin and Drugs”. Wiz made a great summer album with this one.

Summer Situation: This album screams summer vibes so it can be played in a few situations whether it's riding around the city, chilling poolside, or simply enjoying some KK ;).

Scorpion by Drake

It’s no surprise that this made the list being that it was one of the most anticipated albums of the summer. Drake did not come to play around. Dropping this two-sided project allowed him to make music to please all of his fan base. This album came out soon after Drake faced some heat from his Pusha T beef and rumors of a son. Not responding to the rumors, he saved all his words for the music responding to all of that and more on melodic beats making the ultimate clap back. Despite all of the responses to his past adversities Scorpion is filled with many gems that focus around other topics as well. Side A which is the rap side came with a lot of lyrical punches to the haters as well as elaborate lyrical boasts on dramatic, ethereal, and sometimes dark beats. On this side, he flaunts versatile lyricism laying down solid bars about his lifestyle while still feeding the fans memorable and caption worthy lines. On side B which is the R&B side, Drake gives us slow jams for those chill nights along with upbeat bops that we can dance to. Even though I love the grittiness of side A, Side B was my personal favorite being that it had more variety and in my opinion, more bops. Overall, I loved this project I feel like it has a timeless feel to it and can be considered one of Drake's most impressive projects to date.

Summer Situation: Scorpion is a great album to listen to on those long road trips or just riding around on a summer night.

Nasty by Rico Nasty

Rico Nasty is definitely one of the new up and coming female rappers that have gained much attention this past year. So with that being said, there were high expectations for her first album. I can say with much confidence that she certainly met, if not exceeded, those expectations. Her debut album Nasty is filled with bangers that are electric and energetic playing with sounds of hip-hop and punk rock, making the perfect music for a mosh pit (which is known to happen at her shows). She also has a few more mellow songs that are still euphoric but more soft and playful than her other songs. I was so happy with how this project turned out. Rico thoroughly introduced us to who she is. She is loud, bold, and eclectic which shows in her lyrics and music.

Summer Situation: This is the perfect album to listen to on a night out with the girls, or simply getting ready for your finest slay. This album will have you feeling like THAT b*tch.

KTSE by Teyana Taylor

Many have said that it is rare to come across “real” R&B nowadays. A powerful voice along with good soulful music can be considered a treasure. If that’s the case then KTSE is definitely a gem. Teyana Taylor is a woman of many talents, however, before this album dropped a lot of people were sleeping on her musical talents. Nevertheless, by her gaining more attention over the years and being promoted and cosigned by Kanye West, people started to wake up and anticipate her sophomore album KTSE. When the project dropped people became wide awake and in awe. In KTSE Teyana displays her grand-sounding and passionate voice on soft and romantic melodies that is very pleasant to listen to. The music is so soulful and rich it's nearly intoxicating. This is absolutely a staple R&B album in my book.

Summer Situation: This album is a perfect soundtrack for anything romantic and sweet whether it be a picnic with bae or an intimate self-care day with yourself.

ASTROWORLD by Travis Scott

Last but definitely not least, another highly anticipated album that made the list is Travis’ latest project. This album was very impressive due to many factors. One, it lived up to the hype being that it was heavily promoted. Another is that this album has a wide range of features from Drake to Frank Ocean to Gunna and all of which were paired excellently. Some artist makes the mistake of throwing features on an album just for the sake of another big artist’s name being on it, making songs that sound forced. However, Travis strategically gathered the right people for the right tracks resulting in some of the most fire collaborations of the summer. Also, one of the main reasons this album was so impressive is the captivating production. Travis is known for his amazing production and atypical artistic vision, but he certainly has outdone himself this time. The album has songs that are electric and enthralling. You can tell he uses many instruments and samples to create a sophisticated dynamic range. There are even songs where he fuses a couple beats together that creates a whole new explosive feel. Needless to say, ASTROWORLD is filled with bangers. This album is a masterpiece.

Summer Situation: Perfect for any wild night out with the gang.

Which one is your favorite? Did I leave one of your favorites out? Leave a comment and Share!