Rap Takes

The Rap Take Podcast is BACK! This a special coronavirus-sponsored episode. There has been a ton of music released over the past few weeks so there is certainly plenty to listen to. Some topics we discussed this week - Jay Electronica and Jay-Z’s collab album - Boldy James possibly having album of the year - New Kid Cudi music - CJ Fly’s dope debut album - The insane run that The Alchemist is on - And much more Be sure to stick around to the end to hear our recommendations of tracks to listen to right now.

As the summer begins to wind down, the crew got together to recap what they've been bumping over the past few months. From new Denzel Curry, Big KRIT, and Dreamville projects that dropped recently to the recent XXL freshmen cyphers, there has been plenty going on in the world of hip hop lately.

The Rap Takes Podcast is back this week with a discussion about Bandana, the new collaborative project from rapper Freddie Gibbs and legendary producer Madlib. A follow up to the duo's 2014 release Pinata, Bandana was one of the most anticipated albums to come out this year. With features from Pusha T, Black Thought, Mos Def and Killer Mike, MadGibbs certainly didn't disappoint.

This week the crew goes to the depths of Buffalo, New York, to review Benny The Butcher's recent project, Tana Talk 3. Benny is a member of the Griselda crew, one of the best underground hip-hop collectives from New York that isn't based in NYC. The trio has been making a name for themselves in the underground scene for more than a decade, and Benny's new album is another attempt to introduce themselves to the mainstream.

This week Audio Drip is back! Monsieur Gonzalez breaks down his experience at the Something in the Water Festival. We talk Jay-Z & Cam'ron reuniting at the B-Side show. The never ending BEEF between 50 Cent & Young Buck. Danny Brown's new album executive produced by Q-Tip. Schoolboy Q's latest album Crash Talk. And we end it with some talk about the next big thing in Hip-Hop. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/YouTube @raptakespodcast

The Rap Takes Podcast is back! After a few weeks of break the crew is here to discuss Schoolboy Q's seminal 2012 album, Habits & Contradictions. This project helped cement Q as one of the true gangster rappers in hip-hop right now and gave further name recognition to Top Dawg Entertainment after Kendrick Lamar's Section.80 project the year before. With a new CD coming Friday from Schoolboy, we wanted to revisit Habits for some insight as to what this new project will sound like.

Audio Drip is back! This week's episode covers a variety of topics: Jeremy gives us his list of the top ten hottest rappers right now; we give a rundown of the music we're excited for in 2019; and we talk about the growing trend of artists sampling classic hip-hop and R&B songs.

This week we're talking about a true journeyman in hip-hop, 2 Chainz. Formerly Tity Boi, 2 Chainz has been involved in the rap game for more than two decades. His most recent album, Rap or Go to the League, is the follow-up to arguably his biggest album ever, Pretty Girls Love Trap. Tune in and check out what we think about the new project.

This week the crew is talking all about Acid Rap, Chance The Rapper's pivotal mixtape from 2013. This project was a smash hit, gaining widespread acclaim and definitely helped Chance become an "up and comer" in hip hop. Now 6 years later, Chance has established himself as a household name in music and has continued his career as a boundary-breaker for new artists.

Audio Drip is back this week for a Grammy discussion, a look at the 21 Savage deportation situation and much more. We also run through some of our favorite music from the first few weeks of 2019, including a surprisingly great release from Boogie and a solid, if forgettable, Future project.

This week we're talking about one of the best rappers in the world right now, J. Cole. There are few artists in hip-hop that can match Cole in terms of fan base, broad appeal and pure skill, so we thought it was fitting to finally dedicate an episode to one of his projects. Born Sinner is J. Cole's sophomore album and really helped propel him into his current spot in the upper echelon of hip-hop.

In our first "official" episode of the new year, we're talking about the sophomore album from 21-Savage, i am > i was. Savage has been hit-or-miss for a lot of us in the past, but this new project from his is easily his most well-rounded. The album offers typical trap-rap 21 Savage while also mixing in some more personal cuts throughout. As the name suggests, 21 Savage is truly greater than he was.

In our final recap of 2018 we feature the best hip-hop songs of the year. All of our top 10 lists are below and we also talk about a few extra tracks as we run through the best music of the year. Skyler's Top 10 Songs - Eminem & Joyner Lucas, "Lucky You" - Royce & J. Cole "Boblo Boat" - Flatbush Zombies, "Headstone" - Travis Scott & Drake, "Sicko Mode" - Lupe Fiasco, "Wav Files" - J. Cole, "Kevin's Heart" - Kids See Ghosts "4th Dimension" - Mac Miller, "Come Back to Earth" - Logic & Wale, "100 Miles & Running" - Bas & J. Cole, "Tribe" Sal's Top 10 Songs - Flatbush Zombies and Joey Bada$$, "Vacation" - 21 Savage, "10 Freaky Girls" - Alina Baraz and Khalid, "Floating" - Bas and J. Cole, "Tribe" - Post Malone, "Rich & Sad" - Teyana Taylor and Wu Tang, "Gonna love me (Remix)" - 6lack ft J. Cole, "Pretty Little Fears" - Mac Miller, "2009" - Pusha T, "The Games We Play" - Jay Rock, "Win" Jeremy's Top 10 Songs - Nipsey Hussle, "Blue Laces 2" - Bad Bunny and Drake, "MIA" - Post Malone, "Better Now" - XXXtentacion and Joey Bada$$, "Infinity (888)" - Kids See Ghosts, "Reborn" - Jay Rock, "Win" - Wiz and Swae Lee, "Hopeless Romantic" - Travis Scott, "Can’t Say" - Bas and J.Cole, "Tribe" - Pusha T, "The Games We Play"

Our 2018 Year In Review is here! It was an awesome year for hip-hop this year and we're hoping for another great one in 2019. Here are our top ten albums of 2018 from each of us at Rap Takes. Not all of them are ranked, but we did our best! Sal's Top 10 Projects 1. Swimming, Mac Miller - Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle - Fetti, Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs - I am>I was, 21 Savage - White Bronco, Action Bronson - Milky Way, Bas - Daytona, Pusha T - Astroworld, Travis Scott - The Black Panther Soundtrack, TDE & Various Artists - DiCaprio 2, J.I.D. Skyler's Top 10 Projects 1A. Vacation In Hell, Flatbush Zombies 1B. Drogas Wave, Lupe Fiasco 1C. Swimming, Mac Miller - DiCaprio 2, J.I.D. - Redemption, Jay Rock - Astroworld, Travis Scott - Kids See Ghosts, Kid Cudi & Kanye West - Daytona, Pusha T - Book of Ryan, Royce da 5'9" - The Black Panther Soundtrack, TDE & Various Artists Jeremy's Top 10 Projects 1. Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle - Swimming, Mac Miller - Daytona, Pusha T - Beer Bongs & Bentleys, Post Malone - Fetti, Curren$y & Freddie Gibbs - ?, XXXTentacion - Redemption, Jay Rock - Astroworld, Travis Scott - Milky Way, Bas - My Dear Melancholy, The Weeknd

This week we take things to the streets of New York City when we talk about one of the city's most consistent artists, Fabolous. Fab has been making music for two decades now, but one of our favorite projects of his in 2012's The S.O.U.L. Tape 2. This mixtape series marked a departure from Fab's usual sound and had him spitting over some truley soulful beats.

This week we take things down south as we discuss Big K.R.I.T's monumental 2011 mixtape, Return of 4Eva. While this wasn't one of his 1st projects by any stretch, this mixtape served as another entry into K.R.I.T.'s reputation as a jack of all trades. The beats are all his, and K.R.I.T.'s delivery is some of the most unique you'll hear in hip-hop. Give it a listen!

Another week gone, another huge selection of highly anticipated albums to talk about! This week the crew talks about Meek Mill's Championships album, Earl's new project and a few other great projects like Black Thought's 2nd entry in his Streams of Thought series. We also talk about the much talked about CD from J.I.D, Dicaprio 2. J.I.D chose to drop this project on Monday, which is something Jeremy thinks more artists should start to do. Why crowd up another Friday release - there's seven days in a week!

2018 has been an awesome year for hip-hop and the past few weeks have been no different. This week we wanted to give you guys a new Audio Drip so we could talk about all the great music that's dropped in the past few weeks. On this episode we discuss; Fetti by Alchemist, Curren$y and Freddie Gibbs; Action Bronson's White Bronco; Anderson .Paak's Oxnard and much more.

This week the Rap Takes Podcast is talking all about Jaden Smith's debut album from last year, Syre. The project was a decent step for the young artist but overall felt a little disjointed to us. Not everything needs to be more than an hour long. At only 20 years old, Smith has a lot of potential to be a solid artist in hip hop. He has big shoes to fill - being the son of a legend - so we'll definitely be keeping our eyes on Jaden Smith.

Released in November 2011, Ambition is Wale's second studio album following the critically acclaimed but under-shipped Attention Deficit. This CD marked Wale's debut with MMG, and it's safe to say we were a little worried when he signed with Rick Ross. Wale put that fear to bed immediately with Ambition, which became a commercial success for the artist and showed he wasn't selling out his style. Us at Rap Takes are huge fans of Wale, so this was an extra-special episode for us to record. Wale is one of the BEST rappers alive right now (if you disagree, you're wrong) and his career is filled with ups and downs. Some of his issues are caused by him, but a lot of criticism surrounding Wale is a little petty on both sides.

With White Bronco out this week, we dedicated Episode 27 to Action Bronson's major label debut album, Mr. Wonderful. With a deal with Vice and a hit show in the works, this 2015 release came out at a huge time for Bronson.

We haven't done one of these in awhile, so this week we recorded a packed episode where we talked about all the great music that's dropped within the past month. From The Carter 5 to Lupe Fiasco's new CD, we talk about what we're listening to and what we're excited about in hip-hop. Also how many tracks should be on an album? This week the crew gets into a debate on what’s the right amount of songs for an album. Also we talk the rumored Drake shot at Kendrick Lamar on ESPN’s Sports Nation and Quavo's new album.

This week's Rap Takes Podcast is all about last year's GRAMMY NOMINATED album from Tyler, the Creator, Flower Boy. This was Tyler's 4th studio album and, in our opinion, the biggest creative step in his musical career. This is certainly a more mature Tyler than the Odd Future founder we knew a decade ago. We hope you enjoy episode 26 and be sure to follow Rap Takes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @RapTakes

This week is all about Logic's new album, YSIV. The project, spelled out Young Sinatra 4, is the final release in Logic's Young Sinatra series, which began as a mixtape series. All three of us have some pretty different history with Logic and his music, so check out how we feel about the artist's newest release.

The crew goes back to Dreamville this week to talk about the debut album from J.I.D, The Never Story. This project dropped in 2017 and really served as J.I.D's introduction to the mainstream. His work with Earthgang (also Dreamville signees) has been fantastic, so we can't wait until J. Cole drops another Dreamville project with everyone on the label. We're currently waiting on some new music from J.I.D, and he actually dropped a new single called "151 Rum" a few days after we recorded this. Keep your eye on this guy, there's more awesome music to come!

The Rap Takes crew breaks down Big Sean's 2015 album Dark Sky Paradise this week. Sean needed to bounce back from Hall Of Fame. Hear why we think he delivered with Dark Sky Paradise and where we think it ranks in his catalogue.

This week the crew visits Dreamville to talk about Milky Way, this year's release from Bas. Bas is paving his own lane as a New York emcee, and J. Cole is solidifying himself a solid record label with Bas and himself at the helm.

This week the crew talks about the pivotal collaborative mixtape from Curren$y and The Alchemist, Covert Coup. This project from 2011 helped reintroduce The Alchemist to a new generation of fans, and Curren$y and him have made some good music since then. The guys talk about how Curren$y is one of the most consistent rappers in the game - even if you don't listen to all of his music, you have to respect how much he drops and how "down to his roots" he is.

After a big few weeks in hip hop, the crew decided a super-sized Audio Drip would be a good way to catch up. This week, Skyler, Sal and Jeremy discuss Eminem's surprise album, all the rappers he dissed and the growing beef between G Eazy and MGK. Between disses from Em and G, it's been a rough few days for MGK.

Lots of stuff going on in hip hop lately! This week, the crew talks about new Mac Miller, new Travis Scott and a lot of other current topics in rap. Has Travis Scott passed Kanye West as hip hop's "top creative?" Does that title mean anything these days? Listen to the guys debate this and discuss whose making the most creative music in the genre right now.

Well, Travis beat us to the punch by releasing Astroworld this past Friday, but this week the Rap Takes Podcast discusses La Flame's 2016 album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. This album was a highly-anticipated follow-up to Scott's first album, Rodeo, and the crew thinks he showed he's always growing. Based on early impressions of Astroworld, Travis keeps on pushing his creative capacity to the limit.

The Rap Takes Podcast takes things to the West Coast this week with a feature on YG's debut album, My Krazy Life. The artist had his fair share of hits with his mixtapes before this CD, but this project helped make him a household name in modern hip hop.

This week on the Rap Takes Podcast, the crew talks about Jay Rock's recent release, Redemption. Following the critically acclaimed Black Panther soundtrack in February, the next release from Top Dawg Entertainment was set to be highly anticipated. Jay Rock dropped Redemption a few months later in June, and it's safe to say the anticipation of Rock's new release was for good reason.

With Rolling Papers 2 dropping last week, the crew decided to revisit Wiz Khalifa's 2011 album Rolling Papers. While this is technically Wiz's 3rd album, it was his first release on a major label and it came out after two huge mixtapes - Kush & OJ and Cabin Fever.

Audio Drip is back! This week the crew talks about Drake's new album Scorpion, his ongoing feud with Pusha T and Kanye West, and XXXTentacion's potential legacy in hip hop. Scorpion At 25 tracks the project is a lot to handle, but this episode gives you a few highlight tracks to digest while skipping through the fluff. Whether we like it or not, Drake have given us a few jams for the summer. Drake vs. G.O.O.D Music The crew talks about Drake's subliminal shots at Kanye on his recent freestyle and what this beef stems from. Drake addressed his child on Scorpion a few times, confirming allegations made in Pusha's diss last month. Do Drake and Kanye have to fight old school to end this? XXXTentacion A controversial figure in hip hop, XXXTentacion was killed in the driveway of a motorcycle dealership last month during a robbery. The crew discusses XXX's legacy in hip hop and how artists like himself and Lil Peep will be remembered in history. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @raptakespodcast Follow us on our individual Twitters @SFrazerNBH @jRgonz_ & @Salantula for more Rap Takes.

With Scorpion dropping this Friday, the crew went back to Drake's third studio album, Nothing Was The Same, in episode 16 of the Rap Takes Podcast. This project still holds up as one of Drake's best - a near-perfect mix of rapping and singing - so we have high hopes in the potential of Drake's new project. If you enjoyed the album or are a fan of Drake, this is something you should give a listen. By the end of the show we PROMISE you will be entertained, and we hope you'll learn some things along the way. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @raptakespodcast Follow us on our individual Twitters @SFrazerNBH @jRgonz_ & @Salantula for more Rap Takes.

This week the crew talks about Kanye West and Kid Cudi's recent collab project, Kids See Ghosts. On this episode we give you a track by track breakdown of the album, including some cool facts about the production and samples used on the project. We also get into a debate on which GOOD Music project has been the best so far - Ye by Kanye, DAYTONA by Pusha-T, NASIR by Nas and of course Kids See Ghosts. As always we tell you our favorite tracks from the CD, especially the ones to check if you're a major Kid Cudi fan. If you enjoyed the album or are a fan of Cudi and Kanye you should give us a listen. By the end of the show we PROMISE you will be entertained, and we hope you'll learn some things along the way. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @raptakespodcast Follow us on our individual Twitters @SFrazerNBH @jRgonz_ & @Salantula for more Rap Takes.

This week, the crew talks about Royce da 5'9" recent solo album from this year, Book of Ryan. The project is one of the most unique of the year and probably Royce's best solo effort. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @raptakespodcast Also if you disagreed with one of our takes or agreed with one and want to holler, you can follow or come at us on our individual Twitter's @SFrazerNBH @jRgonz_ & @Salantula

In the first episode of Audio Drip, the crew discusses music they're listening to right now and gives their take on some of the current discussions in hip hop.

With Pusha T's third solo album coming soon (hopefully), we talked about King Push's debut album from 2013, My Name Is My Name. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @raptakespodcast Also if you disagreed with one of our takes or agreed with one and want to holler, you can follow or come at us on our individual Twitter's @SFrazerNBH @jRgonz_ & @Salantula

After a week off, the Rap Takes Podcast is back with a new episode about B.o.B's debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. While the title of the project is redundant, the music isn't as B.o.B jumps between genres throughout this project. Listen to us discuss the rapper's debut album and where his career has gone since then.

In this episode we talk about Belly's much-slept on "mixtape" from 2017, Mumble Rap. DISCLAIMER: Belly announced on Twitter April 28 that he's got the album of the summer coming, so we got some new fire coming soon

With episode 10 we visited Post Malone's genre-bending debut CD, Stoney.

We take things to the West Coast in episode 9 as we discuss Nipsey Hussle's debut album, Victory Lap.

In episode 8 we talk about one of our favorite mixtapes ever, Live. Love. A$AP by A$AP Rocky.

We take Episode 7 back to the Beast Coast as we talk about the debut album from Flatbush Zombies, 3001: A Laced Odyssey.

In the sixth episode of the Rap Takes Podcast we talk about Isaiah Rashad's debut project, Cilvia Demo

In our longest discussion yet, episode five of the Rap Takes Podcast has us talking about Lupe Fiasco's fifth studio album, Tetsuo & Youth.

We take things to the streets in the fourth episode of the Rap Takes Podcast as we discuss Chief Keef's 2012 debut album Finally Rich.

In the third episode of the Rap Takes Podcast, we talk about Kendrick Lamar's 2011 release Section.80 and discuss what it meant for his career.

In the second episode of the Rap Takes Podcast, we discuss Mac Miller's 2014 mixtape Faces.