The fourth and final installment in the "Young Sinatra" series has a nostalgic allure that is hindered by Logic's predictable missteps. In a climate where fickle fans call the shots and the financial barrier to become an avid supporter of an artist has essentially disappeared, it is increasingly difficult to secure long-term success in the music industry. With music moving forward at a rapid clip, it’s extraordinary that Logic has maintained such a diehard fan base, one that is not only willing to go out and purchase his albums en masse, but also remains deeply tied to the beloved music of his past. Although the Gaithersburg, MD emcee gained a host of newcomers following his 2017 blockbuster single “1-800-273-8255,” he has consistently been garnering listeners for the better part of a decade. And while his torrid pace of one release a year has ensured that his name stays squarely in the spotlight, it's the prospect of a fourth installment in the Young Sinatra serie...

Focusing on both his own personal tragedies as well as those facing the Black community at large, Reason has delivered a body of work that entertains while also examining his vulnerabilities. Reason’s official debut as a member of TDE, There You Have It, is a soulful and tight-knit introduction of the Del Amo rapper to a worldwide audience. Perhaps best known for his powerful verse on the Kendrick Lamar curated Black Panther soundtrack, Reason has quietly been working very hard, most recently in support Jay Rock on the 30-city Big Redemption Tour. Although this is his first full release with TDE, older fans will likely recognize that this isn’t a new project; it's actually a remixed and remastered version of his 2017 mixtape of the same name. In addition to some tweaked sonics and updated cover art, the new release is three tracks shorter than the original. In a recent interview with Ambrosia For Heads Reason said that the re-release was a strategic move by label head Anthony ...

Kevin Gates remains one of the most fascinating personalities and talents on this return to his longstanding "Luca Brasi" series. In places where most rappers opt for flexes or highfalutin bars that offer little in the way of emotionally revealing honesty, Kevin Gates always chooses to put his psyche on full display. There's no filter, no curation of thought in his music. On Luca Brasi 3, as usual, this results in self-improvement goals ("I'm trying better ways of living decent") as well as uglier, more selfish sentiments ("The minute you hurt me, you gotta leave"), and nonchalant oversharing ("I done fucked my wife with you, that's just how that shit is"). Coming out of Gates' mouth, none is more sincere than the other. All of it feels 110% sincere. The most seemingly mundane details are treated with the same heft as life-and-death situations and heartbreak. He says some wild shit, then turns around and says some Hallmark card...

Gunna & Lil Baby are both young rappers currently running the ATL scene, but who took the crown on their first collaborative album, "Drip Harder"? For our latest digital cover story, we got the chance to visit Gunna and Lil Baby on the set for their "Drip Too Hard" music video shoot. This lead single for Drip Harder is a tightly-wound showcase of both their talents; Baby's hook is an infectious earworrm tailor-made for the Billboard charts while Gunna's verse is a surprisingly lyrical showcase of his oft-understated wordplay. The song peaked at an impressive #25 on the Hot 100. Their chemistry on set seemed to reflect this fervent demand for their music as they orchestrated their own fashion show of sorts, one that not only showcased the models at hand, but their own unique drip. From the outfits that dominated the genre's formative years to N.W.A., Outkast, The Lox and The Diplomats, pitting close collaborators against each other has always bee...

Lil Baby & Gunna set the benchmark for luxury-rap with "Drip Harder." Lil Baby & Gunna’s Drip Harder comes to us on the eve of a broader discussion. The question that persists: did the labelmates lend enough support to Young Thug’s brash prediction of a YSL takeover? When the outspoken Young Thug drove a discussion on his likeness to Michael Jackson into strange territory, we all emitted a laugh; no love was lost. Would Lil Baby & Gunna inherit the same "game, set and match" mentality which is both a gift and a curse to their mentor? On Drip Harder, Lil Baby & Gunna were restitute, unyielding, and confident -- they sampled from their own cupboard, staying risk averse in the process. In some respects, the album can be viewed cynically, like an oil and vinegar mixture. But the longer you stare into the painting the more you become transfixed, for there are at least a half-dozen moments Lil Baby & Gunna employ otherworldly chemistry, and that d...

There's more to Sheck Wes than his energy, but there needs to be more to "Mudboy" than intriguing styles and backstory. Sheck Wes recently found himself at the center of a debate that seem to periodically pop up in hip hop. In the second half of 2018, the young Harlem native's breakout single "Mo Bamba" has been the song that divides most rap fans into either hypebeasty populists or pseudo-intellectuals, neither of which is a particularly flattering designation. It had been debated plenty before DJs/electronic musicians A-Trak and Zedd got into it over "Mo Bamba" on Twitter, but their clash offers the best summary (and most entertainment value) of the lot. In some now-deleted tweets, A-Trak called Wes' single "the best song of the year," citing its ability to "engage people in the club." Zedd, climbing up on his high horse, said A-Trak had "lost his mind," and claimed that he "judges music by melody, chords...

Migos' ever-widening catalogue gets 19 tracks deeper with the release of Quavo's solo debut. Is it "for keeps?" Before “Bad and Boujee” reintroduced Migos as rightful superstars, calls for a Quavo solo album had already begun. After the release of their underperforming debut Yung Rich Nation in 2015, the group, made up of Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff, hit a slow patch. As the trio failed to match the success of their string of early hits that began with the 2013 breakthrough “Versace,” fans began to diagnose the stall. With Quavo being the most natural hook-writer of the three and beginning to turn in a number of memorable features, the question of whether or not a solo career was the best path ahead for the Atlanta rapper came into play -- perhaps the concept of the “rap group” was not due for a reemergence after all? The blazing ascent of “Bad and Boujee” quickly put that theory to rest. Not only did it give the trio the biggest hit of their career, it posited O...