Lav's Music Corner

I'm behind on everything so far this year let's face it. But while I try and catchy up on the biggest new records with full reviews I also want to clean up some releases worth getting my thoughts out on. These are three rap records that have turned enough heads so far in 2024.  I've Never Been Here Before  - Erick The Architect I was interested in this project for a few reasons. The first being that James Blake appears in the production credits. which is always a key to my heart. But more importantly, I've enjoyed Flatbush Zombies for a full decade now. Erick himself impressed me quite a bit as a solo artist with his 2021 Future Proof  EP. So even though the singles from this record didn't exactly floor me as a full bunch, I still wanted to give the record a fair shot.  Unfortunately, I was surprised by just how much of this record either glossed over me entirely or even hit sour notes on repeat listens. While much of Erick's topical focus is intact occasionally...

The title says it all with this one. I wasn't going to let these records pass me by.  You Still Here, Ho?  - Flo Milli Flo Milli's first album snuck up on me. She had the kind of fancam-ready breakout hit that often pigeonholes an artist so I was very surprised to find just how much she had to offer on a full-length album. While she hasn't exactly spent the two years since taking over the world or anything, if she paired her myriad of features with a solid sophomore effort I think she could buy herself some genuine longevity in hip hop. As it turns out the similar title this record sports to its predecessor is more than surface level as the two records are very similar. The major difference is that I would say there are generally harder beats and more intense flows across this record than the previous one which comes with good and bad. The misses here are much worse purely out of the desire for everything to be bigger in both sound and personality, yet in contrast to that I...

Flo Milli is an up and coming rapper out of Alabama who blew up with a viral song that saw her borrowing the beat from Ethereal & Playboi Carti's Beef . She has maintained a level of popularity for much of 2020 releasing successful singles leading up to this, her debut mixtape.  Review By Lavender: I've liked Flo Milli since the first time I heard those enigmatic opening bars to Beef FloMix  that have been used in many a Twitter fancam this year. As far as viral breakout songs go it is one of the better ones in recent memory and has me excited for what she would do next. Ho, Why is You Here?  is a raw debut with some lyrical shortcomings and really only one type of punch to pull, but when she is working this formula to it's best she puts some immense talent and potential on display.  So yeah Beef  is the song everybody it talking about and I think it's very good. Despite a lyrical flaw or two the flow is so confrontational and the song is so hilarious I can'...