With summer in the rearview, we keep it moving like the Tribe did, gearing up for what has shaped up to be a very well stacked fall season in hip-hop.
Even without the perennially delayed, don't-hold-your-breath set - mythical and epic spectres like Dre's Detox, 50's Before I Self Destruct, Big Boi's Sir Lucious Leftfoot, Lil Wayne's Rebirth and a rumored Relapse sequel - some of the most beloved rappers from both the old generation and the next are finally ready to release long-gestating opuses for consumption. The anticipation is so thick, you can almost feel it in the air.
For a pair of freshman at the top of their class, the next few months will mark a critical rite of passage; and for three veterans of a different era, new albums signal a precarious shift into the golden years.
We foreshadowed the season when the year was young, we soundtracked the summer and we even served up a special prelude. Now it's game time. Raekwon, Wale, Clipse, Ghostface, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco and Jay-Z are coming. Don't sleep.
Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx II
September 8
- WHAT:
Seriously fam? The most anticipated hip-hop sequel in, well, hip-hop
history. Over a decade in the making, Wu-Tang's third most beastly
emcee returns to form with a crushing, heavy, underground-style part two.
- GUEST LIST: Ghostface Killah is prominently onboard. All that matters. The rest of the important Wu brethren; Busta; Jadakiss; Beanie Sigel; Slick Rick. Beats by Dr. Dre, RZA, Pete Rock, Marley Marl and J Dilla.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Initial returns are overwhelmingly positive; like Dr. Dre's 2001, Rae is sticking to his guns and almost playfully, facetiously rehashing the glory gutter raps of 1995.
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
September 11
- WHAT: About as big of a blockbuster event that we've seen since 'Ye slayed Fif.
- GUEST LIST: Unusually, a lot of 'em. Including, Kanye himself, Drake, Young Jeezy, the guy from Empire of the Sun, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Mr. Hudson, Kid Cudi and J. Cole.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Ever since D.O.A. the streets have not only been talking, but engaged in full-throated, high volume debate. Is Hov over the hill, or more potent than ever? We gave you the Prelude, and a slew of middling and hyper-analyzed leaks later, the answer seems to be somewhere in between. As the official drop date approaches, we're about to find out just how secure the king is on his thrown.
Drake - So Far Gone
September 15
- WHAT: The hottest single of the year's accompanying, digital mixtape gets stripped to seven songs and rushed in stores for the benefit of capitalizing on the moment.
- GUEST LIST: Standout, legal cuts from the internet version plus this song.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Easy to be cynical, but ultimately we're proud our favorite work of the first eight months of 2009 is big enough to warrant the tangible, label-backed manifestation.
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The END of Day
September 15
- WHAT: Hip-hop's David Blaine goes off the deep end.
- GUEST LIST: The concept album will be narrated by Common; Kanye West, MGMT, Plain Pat, Ratatat produce.
- STREETS IS TALKING: We're skeptical, frankly, not because of the aims at intergalactic grandeur, but because Cudi is a shitty rapper we don't think can pull off the project. That said, both lead singles - "Day 'N' Night," "Make Her Say" - have been home runs.
Brother Ali - Us
September 22
- WHAT: Rhymesayers' career number two starter makes play for indie crown with hard as hell cosigners.
- GUEST LIST: Atmosphere's Ant on boards, verses by Chuck D, Joell Ortiz, Freeway.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Brother Ali is one of the few backpacking, independent rappers with the necessary street cred, menacing flow and narrative talents to remain vital. Listen to "Room With A View" for proof. Us should be his biggest LP to date.
Saigon - Warning Shots 2
September 29
- WHAT: Closest thing we'll get this year to the long-teased, Just Blaze produced, Atlantic Records shelved, blog holy grail, The Greatest Story Never Told.
- GUEST LIST: Sai's weed carriers, OJ Da Juiceman, one of the dudes from M.O.P.
- STREETS IS TALKING: The underground predecessor was hot fire all around and, coupled with the label messes of recent years, we're foaming at the mouth to hear Saigon talk his smack.
Ghostface Killah - The Wizard of Poetry
September 29
- WHAT: Ghost sings.
- GUEST LIST: Raheem De Vaughn, John Legend, Lloyd, other assorted R&B cats.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Lots of confusion as to why the most verbose rapper of the 21st Century is flipping the script and doing an R&B album. We trust Tony Starks; we're charmed with the art; we're excited to see the end result.
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
October 6
- WHAT: Smart-ass white boy rapper makes...Philly soul and Motown harmonies.
- GUEST LIST: All arrangements and instruments on Stones Throw debut by Hawthorne.
- STREETS IS TALKING: The doo-wop debut clip was captivating and its mp3 an ultimately catchy, playlist-excelling web gem. Thing is, Hawthorne playfully recorded these demos with no expectations. Except Stones Throw founder, Peanut Butter Wolf, loved them and signed dude to do a whole album's worth.
Mr. Hudson - Straight No Chaser
October 6
- WHAT: The most European member of G.O.O.D. Music comes through.
- GUEST LIST: Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Big Sean; beats from 'Ye.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Hudson killed "Paranoid" and we paid attention. Then his mystique was revealed and we realized Kanye just wanted his own Matthew Santos: a failed weiner-ass rock star that's cheper than a Chris Martin drop and sufficiently starry eyed and anthemic for big hooks. Blueprint 3's collabo cut is a joke, "Supernova" cements Hudsons' one trick pony schtick.
Kid Sister - Ultraviolet
October 6
- WHAT: The stylish, cool-as-hell Chicago emcee changes album titles and finally drops.
- GUEST LIST: Kanye West, Estelle, A-Trak, Spank Rock.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Kid Sis loves testing hype. Two years ago, "Pro Nails," and pretty much everything coming out of Chicago's youthful rebellion (Flosstradamus, Cool Kids), was the freshest ish anywhere. Two years later, we're still waiting on albums from these motherfuckers. Sister is up first. The degree-carrying, Bath and Body Works-seasoned charmer boasts the chops to deliver.
The Roots - How I Got Over
October 20
- WHAT: Industry titans make first LP since being on TV every night.
- GUEST LIST: Icelandic vocalist Patty Crash, reclusive genius Cody Chesnutt. Common prolly.
- STREETS IS TALKING: It'll be interesting to see what develops. The Roots aren't anchored by Kevin Eubanks and Smitty, they're one of the most political, heavy bands of the past twenty years. 2008's Rising Down and 2006's Game Theory bring the blackness to a fever pitch. Misguided Rolling Stone writers accused Black Thought of being too angry last year, in 2009 he goes by Tarik and quips with Jimmy Fallon. However Bohemian and musical these guys are (How I Got Over will boast a Frank Zappa cover), they're too vital to let that side eclipse the hunger and politics. Soul and gospel are shaping up to be this album's muses; here's hoping ?uest and Co. devise a way to hit hard and smooth it out at the same time.
Wale - Attention: Deficit
October 20
- WHAT: The '09 freshman rapper who can actually rap's all-or-nothing major label debut.
- GUEST LIST: Lady Gaga, Gucci Mane, Bun B, K'Naan, J. Cole. Beats by Mark Ronson, Cool & Dre, and most excitingly David Sitek from TV on the Radio.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Wale is, at heart, a firing street poet in the classical style of Nas with constant, consistently satisfying punchlines and metaphors. He's also a high-concept, advanced thinker as evidenced by the "Seinfeld" tape and his knack for destroying those Baltimore, boom-boom beats. However, the Gaga collab and in general the grab bag of co-conspirators leave us fearing for the final product's clarity.
Clipse - 'Till the Casket Drops
October 20
- WHAT: The long awaited third LP from the most fearsome block enforcers since Chris and Snoop "retired."
-
GUEST LIST: So far we've had singles featuring A-listers like Kanye West, Keri Hilson and Pharell. Some say Cam'ron will make a (rare) appearance.
-
STREETS IS TALKING: Save for offshoots of the Wu-tang Clan, there isn't a rap outfit around more beloved by the streets and influential, academic rock writers alike. Legendary pop artist, and 808s collaborator KAWS kicked off an early buzz with tastemakers, but a lot of diehard fans are (vocally) nervous about TTCD, which opens up the production racket beyond Chad and Pharell for the very first time.
Felt - Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez
November 17
- WHAT: Third installment of these tribute LPs from Slug and Murs. Felt albums alternate producers and this time it's Aesop Rock at the helm.
- GUEST LIST: LP details still under wraps, but expect familiar faces from Def Jux and Rhymesayers.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Slug is nice. Murs is marginally famous. Aesop Rock has lots of shitty fans. These works are overly esoteric but generally passable.
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
December 15
- WHAT: Lupe's back.
- GUEST LIST: Details are scarce, and Lu's a bit of a loner, but you can bet your gold watch Mathew Santos, Soundtrakk and Gemstones will be there.
- STREETS IS TALKING: Two albums in, Lupe is a bona fide hero to the underground. The heady emcee has had a bit of a struggle getting out his ideas lately (not to mention controversy over an early track leak), and this album has morphed from LupEND, to The Great American Rap Album, to We Are Lasers and now simply Lasers. Whatever it ends up being called, this cryptic video manifesto suggests the man with the labyrnthine lyrics still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
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