Welcome to Rap Weekly Rap Weekly 110: CHROMAKOPIA. Every Monday, we’ll take you into the world of rap and summarise the most exciting news, announcements and can’t-miss stories. Find out everything you need to know in one place. We only write about the best, so you get the best rap delicacies on a golden platter. Tyler, The Creator put his mask on so he could take it off. You’re the light in the wicked world. Welcome to CHROMAKOPIA. Read our review. Halloween is going to belong to Westside Gunn. FlyGod will release two albums this week. The Alchemist, Big Noyd & Big Twins are Team Infamous (you heard of them). Myquale interweaves his story with the past, reflecting beauty and pain, and every word carries weight. From the first to the last second, Above All is a piece of art. Nothing is My Favorite Thing is a pure energy of resistance, a search for answers, and a warning that the world is not as simple as it may seem. All this and much more in Rap Weekly.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
CHROMAKOPIA
Nobody does it like Tyler, The Creator. Certainly not on the level of mainstream rap that tens of millions of people listen to every month. It’s been three years since Tyler released his sixth studio album, Call Me If You Get Lost. Last year, he unexpectedly released his seventh album, Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, which expanded CMIYGL with eight new tracks. We were still guided through the album, however, by the same Tyler as on the sixth album. All of his projects feature Tyler taking on a new persona, building a new world, and tying everything together with an original aesthetic. It’s no different on the eighth record. Tyler, The Creator put on his mask so he could finally take it off. You are a light in a wicked world. Welcome to CHROMAKOPIA.
Each album brings us a new Tyler, each marked by the personal growth of the artist. The days of Goblin are long gone, yet Tyler has lost none of his aura or distinctive handwriting. Now he puts on the mask to take it off for the first time in his life. His former self, as well as the people in the music video for St. Chroma, enter the container Tyler is blowing up. CHROMAKOPIA is an album built around a fictional world and a masked hero, yet Tyler is more open than ever on it. Each track is a look in the mirror, a shattered illusion, a grapple with a personality crisis, a meditation on a particular segment of life. CHROMAKOPIA is an album in the truest sense. All of the songs stick together, change, flow into each other, and together create one huge experience. This is something very rare in the field of mainstream rap; few prominent artists have done something like this (for example, ScHoolboy Q with his BLUE LIPS album). You’ll look in vain for stand-alone singles here; this album only makes sense from start to finish.
Tyler, The Creator completely produced the album, and his creativity blew us away. CHROMAKOPIA is an album living in a post-IGOR world; it contains many melodic elements or surprising musical twists. Still, you can also look forward to some hard rap; this album is a fusion of everything we love about Tyler’s music. CHROMAKOPIA reveals the truth in a twisted world. Paranoia is not only present in the track Noid but is woven throughout the entire album. Tyler has really grown up; on the track Darling, I he even plays with the idea of fatherhood and emphasizes that each person is special and will spice up your life in a unique way. Yet even this track has a cheeky Tyler twist, where it ends with the narrator declaring that you should always wear a condom. The album is really colorful; the track Judge Judy has an almost campfire country vibe yet is followed by the essential rap gangsta banger Sticky. We won’t give away the feats because even Tyler doesn’t want you to know them up front. The mainstay of the record is the track Take Your Mask Off, where Tyler doesn’t take off his mask, but through stories about archetypal characters, he encourages his listeners to take off their masks, stop living a lie, and get to know themselves. You can allow yourself to do that because the light in this world is you. Keep Shining. CHROMAKOPIA.
NEWS
Flygod’s Halloween
Halloween has already belonged to Westside Gunn several times. The fourth, fifth, and sixth volumes of his iconic Hitler Wears Hermes series were released on All Hallows Eve, while the first, seventh, and tenth volumes also came out around this time. We’ve known for a few weeks now that Flygod will release Still Praying on November 1. Last week, however, Westside surprised the entire rap scene when he announced that album 11, aka the eleventh installment of the Hitler Wears Hermes series, will be released on Halloween, this Thursday. Yes, Gunn will be releasing two albums in the space of two days. Wow. The cover of 11 says “Free Sly… for Big Dump,” a tribute to Big Dump, who died this year in April. He was a friend and mentor to Gunn. RIP Big Dump. Halloween will once again belong to Westside Gunn this year.
You Only Die 1nce
Westside Gunn probably won’t be the only world-renowned rapper to release a new record on Halloween. We bet Freddie Gibbs will also release a new record. A billboard has appeared in Los Angeles featuring Freddy Krueger with “Freddie’s Back” and a number. When you call the mysterious number, a voice message plays:
“Hello little rabbits”
“I can’t wait to rip thru your dreams like a sledgehammer thru a Pinata”
“You can keep your mind, but your $oul is $old $eparately”
“They say You Only Live 2wice, but the truth is, You Only Die 1nce”
If you’re a fan of Freddie’s music, you won’t have missed that the message refers to his albums Piñata, $oul is $old $eparately, and You Only Live 2wice. A mysterious Instagram account also teases the Halloween album You Only Die 1nce with a video of a rabbit wearing a mask and a snippet of a new Freddie track. Freddie himself shared an article on Instagram from tmz.tv that wrote about the billboard.
Tha Myth Who Never Quit
Rapper Tha God Fahim and producer Nicholas Craven have once again joined forces to bring fans two new albums from the Tha Myth Who Never Quit series, and believe us, the chemistry between them is simply undeniable. The two albums are like brisk streams of songs that manage to maintain tremendous energy until the very last track. Tha God Fahim rides a wave of honesty in his lyrics, and Craven has crafted beats that give him space exactly where his style is supposed to sparkle. This duo delivers a picture of reality, where the road to the top is not just about success but a crisis that brings you down to the bottom, and that grounds you in reality again. These albums aren’t just raps about fame and money; they’re the testimony of someone who knows what it means to stay the course despite all obstacles.
QUICK NEWS
- To celebrate 10 years of Run The Jewels 2, the duo finally released the long-awaited, previously only available in Japan, Blockbuster Night Part 2 featuring Despot and Wiki.
- Lil Uzi Vert has announced Eternal Atake 2. Check out the sci-fi trailer.
- Detroit-based rapper Babyface Ray delivers a smooth, laid-back performance of Cherish ft. DJ ESCO at A COLORS SHOW.
- The Alchemist has released Ferraris in The Rain Part 2 (feat. ScHoolBoy Q & Freddie Gibbs).
- Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis have released their new concept album Warriors based on the 1979 iconic film. The album features Nas, Lauryn Hill, Ghostface Killah, and more.
BEST ALBUMS
Myquale – Above All
Myquale hit the scene with his debut album Above All, and believe us when we say that this record is no ordinary collection of tracks but a raw statement of artistic soul. Myquale guides us through his own world full of introspection, hope, and defiance, where deep gratitude to his ancestors and a powerful message are not lacking. Whether it’s the track & Then There Were Two, which tells the story of a hero full of euphoria and downfalls, or a track on which Myquale reflects his inner fire and references the past, every word the rapper speaks comes across as a carefully considered image. With Above All, Myquale gives you a glimpse into a world you can explore if you stop and really listen. The whole album is built on commitment, authenticity, and simplicity. Myquale weaves his story with history, reflecting beauty and pain, and every single word carries weight. Above All is a work of art worth listening to from the first to the last second.
Nappy Nina & Swarvy – Nothing is My Favorite Thing
Nappy Nina and Swarvy have released Nothing Is My Favourite Thing, and after the first listen, it’s clear that these two have come up with something that plays on a slightly different note. Nappy Nina’s style offers a mix of deep thoughts with a flow that feels like she’s writing straight from the edge of reality. The record is saturated with statements about living in a world where hope sometimes fades. The track Hi Key, which features a guest appearancefrom Nimsins, is a raw battle against the system that exposes lies and unfulfilled promises. The themes of healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry resonate here with a harshness and authenticity you won’t find on any other record. Nappy Nina isn’t afraid to say what bothers her about the world, and Swarvy has produced beats that underscore every line. This record is pure energy of resistance, a search for answers, and a warning that the world is not as simple as it may seem.
New Villain & Vincent Pryce – Baroque Works
Baroque Works by New Villain and Vincent Pryce is definitely not to be taken lightly. This whole record is a mix of punchy lyricism and dark ideas that New Villain pulls from the depths of his villainous enterprise, building baroque words on a foundation of hard reality. With guest appearances from the likes of Daniel Son, PTaH aLBy, Sean Links, and Beta Boy Black, each verse is like a brushstroke on a giant canvas—the strokes are rough but create a painting full of layered rawness. The Baroque Works track is like a journey into the depths of a villain’s soul, with New Villain asking questions about monsters lost without direction and when the truth decides to come out from behind the shadows. The comparison to One Piece adds juice to the whole thing, because anyone who survives in this world knows that to be a legend is to embrace the worst in yourself. The text revolves around themes of survival, the constant desire to grow, and the difference between the power of silence and the need to stand out. Vincent Pryce has produced beats that have it all—they’re dark, but they don’t lack an elegance that recalls the old baroque art. With each track, the record expands into new dimensions where hip hop meets hard reality and philosophy.
AKAI SOLO – DREAMDROPDRAGON
Dreams within dreams within dreams, verses within verses within verses, bars within bars within bars. AKAI SOLO releases DREAMDROPDRAGON a year after Verticality///Singularity and Only The Strong Remain, which we ranked among the Top 100 Best Rap Albums of 2023. The album revolves around The Interpretation of Dreams by the famous Austrian physician-neurologist, psychologist, and founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. His theory argues that dreams are the foundation of the psychoanalytic framework, which posits that dreams serve as a pathway to the unconscious mind. Freud famously argued that dreams grant wishes and act as a bridge between the conscious and unconscious realms. AKAI exploits the non-existent boundary between the conscious and unconscious realms, dreams and reality, and layers one emotion alongside another with its bottomless supply of creative bars (his cadence of memorable and imaginative punchlines is matched by few indeed). The dreamy canvas was painted by producers TwentyFifthNight, August Fanon, Roper Williams, Wavy Bagels, Theravada, melik, and Wifigawd. DREAMDROPDRAGON is another strong work from this talented artist, perfectly balancing between fascinating complexity and a mundanity that everyone can easily relate to. “The shape of the road doesn’t matter as long as one keeps moving forward…” Grip over all things.
Brainorchestra – The Stone Tablet
Brainorchestra is one of our favorite artists. His creativity and passion for music are truly inspiring. Also fascinating is his “strategy and business model” of building a self-sustaining community where he doesn’t let in any parasitic outside influences. Over the past two years he has released great albums It Means A Lot, E-TOWN GENERAL 2, Greatness Takes A Lifetime (w/ Budamunk), Relic, and a plethora of instrumental projects. However, he released his best album last week. The Stone Tablet is a manifesto of creation and creativity. Brainorechestra is a true alchemist, a true rap magician. What is written in The Stone Tablet cannot be taken back. The Stone Tablet, like Brainorchestra’s other records, retains a trace of creation. It’s as if the album carries the creative process itself and not just the mere result. Listening to it, we had the feeling that the songs were opening up, crystallizing as they went along and revealing their essence. This unique experience is the result of Brainorchester’s love for the genre, his technical precision, and the fact that he produced, recorded, and mastered the album himself. On the track Times Passing Ft. Raz Fresco, there’s also a skit that explores the technical aspect of making rap. Every second, verse, idea, and beat of The Stone Tablet exudes a love for the genre that really can’t be replicated. We had high expectations, but Brainorchestra exceeded them all with this project. Go support him. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so we are attaching the video for the track On My Side of Town.
DOPE ALBUMS
The five albums mentioned above are not the only ones you should hear. We’ve picked ten more dope albums that no one should miss. Give all the projects mentioned a chance; every single one deserves it.
DUCHAMP TZARA – FACEBOOK KNOWS THE DRIVER RADIO
Sadistik – At Night The Silence Eats Me
Ché Noir – The Lotus Child
Bub Styles & Vinyl Villain – Business Casual Gold Caps
Mr Slipz & Vitamin G – Prophet of Doom
Papo2oo4 & Subjxct 5 – Mr. 3000
Kembe X – It’s Not That Deep
Philmore Greene – The Grand Design
Young Roddy – The Company You Keep
Maze Overlay & Swab – KOMPLEX
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
Where The Piff At, aka theepilogue of the album Los Pollos Hermanos. Watch the music video. Buen gusto.
The Alchemist, Big Noyd & Big Twins are Team Infamous (you heard of them).
1000 ISLAND is rap alchemy, a special blend, an innovative lane.
“Vitz, Slipz, you know what it is.” Vitamin G & Mr Slipz are Prophets of Doom.
“It’s too easy.” With EXXON, Willie The Kid & V Don show what first-class luxury street rap should look like.
DOPE VIDEOS
Our list of must-see music videos doesn’t end with the top five. We’ve picked out ten more dope clips that you definitely need to see. Give all the artists below a chance, they deserve it.
TRAPMAT SAVIOR – NO FUN PROD.ILLCUE (DIR REVY & FUNESTE)
Antt Beatz, Boldy James – Dead Flowers
Papo2oo4 – Quickspeed (Produced By Subjxct 5)
Aminé & Smino – Passenger Princess
The Musalini & 9th Wonder – Cajun Butter (feat. Curren$y)
El Cousteau feat. Earl Sweatshirt – Words2LiveBy
And that’s it all the important news on the scene from the last week. What caught your eye this week? Let us know on Instagram or Twitter. You can expect another one next Monday. It’s going to be really interesting, so don’t miss it.
