Big Sean's "Hall," Juicy J Staying "Trippy" and The Week Ahead
Here at The DJBooth we strive to always keep our readers well informed of all the latest album, mixtape and EP releases. Moving forward, every Friday we will now
preview the week ahead in new releases
, highlighting the hip hop projects, both free and sold, that should be on your music radar. Starting with...
(
G.O.O.D/Island Def Jam
)
When Big Sean became "
" on his debut in 2011, many fans and industry insiders had predicted his ultimate success. However, even his most loyal supporters couldn't have envisioned that the Detroit native's career would take off faster than a SR-71 Blackbird. In the past two years, Sean has accumulated 4.5 million Twitter followers, delivered arguably the best verse on a song with
Jay Z
and
Kanye West
(see "
") and is now on the verge of releasing his sophomore album. The
Hall of Fame
, in any sport, is usually reserved for retirees who are minimally five years removed from their playing days. Sean, on the other hand, looks to give his entrance speech on only his second tour of duty. [
]
(
Taylor Gang/Columbia
)
Justin Timberlake
,
Beyoncé
and now Juicy J. What exactly do these three hitmakers all have in common? They've all left group acts in search of a successful solo career. We all know how that transition went for the former two, but for the latter the jury is still very much out to lunch. "Stay Trippy" marks the major label, solo debut for Three 6 Mafia co-founder and Memphis rap veteran. While a faction of the hip hop community openly questioned J's decision to sign a record deal with new school star
Wiz Khalifa
and his
Taylor Gang Records
(through
Columbia
), the end result has been prime time exposure to a mainstream audience and a cult club classic in "
." [
]
Goodie Mob "Age Against the Machine"
(
The Right Records
)
For nine years, the public has clamored for a new Goodie Mob album. Hell, not counting the veteran crew's mediocre work on their three previous albums, it's been nearly twenty years since their acclaimed debut,
Soul Food
. Amazingly, though, despite a stellar,
Janelle Monáe
-assisted lead single ("
"), the buzz for ""Age Against the Machine" has been minimal. Luckily, for fans of hip-hop's yesteryear,
Cee-Lo Green
and company took their time crafting the new 18-track album, happily ignoring label influences, cliche trends and the current sonic landscape. As someone, somewhere once famously stated: "It is age that wins out in the end." On Tuesday, we shall see. [
]
(
Strange Music
)
DJBooth readers are super familiar with newer
Strange Music
acts like ¡MAYDAY! and Rittz, but aside from label owner
Tech N9ne
the second longest tenured artist on the indie powerhouse's roster is Krizz Kaliko. The Kansas City native, whose new album "Son Of Sam" marks the fifth release of his career, is known for entertainingly intertwining singing and rapping, a style that, while not unique to the artist, has built him a loyal, and dedicated fanbase over the past seven years. [
]
