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Review: A key figure in the early 2010s NYC rap revival, Chuck Strangers returns with his new solo album A Forsaken Lover's Plea. Now based in LA, Strangers delivers a lush, introspective collection of treks here that all feature candid lyrics and production from notable names like The Alchemist and Animoss next to his own fine contributions. The project boasts guest verses from New York rap icons such as Joey Bada$$, Erick the Architect of Flatbush Zombies and Remy Banks. Overall, A Forsaken Lover's Plea reflects Strangers' decade-long journey through hip-hop's highs and lows and marks his most comprehensive solo work since his 2018 debut, Consumers Park.

Review: A new album that is not a new album. It was written more than 20 years ago but somehow never saw the light of day until now. It is soul and funk-infused hip-hop gem that follows on from Danger Mouse and Jemini's debut LP, Ghetto Pop Life, which itself is 20 years old in 2024. Inspired by the success of that album, Ghetto Pop Life, the duo went out on tour and also wrote Born Again but shelved it until now. The previously unheard record retains the debut's fun-loving, shit-talking innocence while adopting a more introspective tone. Jemini's free-flowing cadence and Danger Mouse's resonant instrumentals create a classic hip-hop record that blends light-hearted topics with personal, poignant lyrics about redemption and relationships.

Review: The reissued Ghetto Pop Life remains a special release to DM + Jemini's fans that showed their ability to bridge the gap between hip-hop's mainstream and underground scenes. The duo's collaboration defies conventional hip-hop politics, focusing instead on delivering a leftfield album that blends playful beats with clever wordplay. Danger Mouse's production acts as a counterweight, crafting soundscapes that draw from hip-hop's history while avoiding regression into old-school tropes. The album's standout tracks, such as 'Born-a-MC' and 'The Only One,' feature infectious hooks and cinematic tones that capture the essence of a guilt-free block party vibe. 20 years later, this album still holds up very well.

Review: Fresh after Prefuse 73 (Guillermo Scott Herren)’s new album, New Strategies for Modern Crime Vol. 1, comes this new 1/2 compendium, which marries the record with a follow-up Vol. 2. His first outing since 2018’s Sacrifices, the New Strategies for Modern Crime albums heard Herren delve further into his groundbreaking take on experimental hip-hop. The thesis in this case was orchestrated arrangements via the optic of the media’s sensationalism of crime, blended with influences from lost soundtracks, musique concrète, jazz and beat-tape music. Through its burgeoning jazz and noir soundtrack themes and motifs, Prefuse 73 toys with popular-imaginary associations of crime as something laced with excitement and intrigue, as opposed to a social force intimately adjoined to systemic issues, such as poverty or racism. The music is smokey and opium-denned, with its mystical zithers, freeform drumming and looming crunch-fest sound design - ‘Onboard, Overboard’, ‘Fare La Corna’, and ‘Empath Lords’ all among the album’s wackier moments - suggesting an imaginary miasma we must move through and past.