Kendrick Lamar stares off into the distance to share his energy with the crowd. | Photo by Ural Garrett for Okayplayer.
Photo Credit: Ural Garrett for Okayplayer.
Whereas most weeks in 2017 have been characterized by pop politics, this one finally gave us something other than Drumpf's Digest to sit with (though we're certainly not mad that the GOP's healthcare appears to be DOA.) No, the last seven days were dominated by the Canadian culture vacuum that is Aubrey "Drake" Graham, son of Dennis, nephew of Family Stone bass gawd, Larry.
His 22-track "playlist" More Life arrived last Saturday, and much to this writer's surprise (and reluctant enjoyment) Drake's miles ahead of 2016's titanic chart presence, VIEWS. But a bird's eye on the week can't got without mention of Kung Fu Kenny's colossal counter cut, "The Heart Part 4," a shine-stealing, shade-dealing heat-seeker seemingly aimed directly at the north-of-the-border pop star and his hallmark existential sadness. Business as usual, across the board (though I'm really not one for feuding hip-hop egos.)
Either way, the week may have commenced and capped under the power of two perennials, but they certainly weren't the only ones worth your time and attention. New albums from GoldLink, Mike Will Made It, Raekwon and Ol Burger Beats spanned hip-hop's ever-growing spectrum, from face-scrunching boom bap to cerebral super-swung instrumental suites to the latest chapter in one of trap's most prodigious legacies. Did we mention that the march towards Gorillaz's next outing official begun with not one, two or three, but four new cuts? Selections from each -- along with some residual rhythms from some of the best releases of the month -- can all be found in this week's edition of The Round-Up.
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