There’s always hot new music being dropped every week but we wanted to give mini reviews of two 🔥 hot albums. There’s Styles P – Dime Bag album. Then there’s Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz Mona Lisa album. Let’s dive into the music!
Styles P is one-third of The Lox rap trio. Lately he’s collabed with Dave East on the mixtape Beloved and he’s released the prequel solo album called Nickel Bag leading up to this current. This album has no features… just P, it touches on political issues, and it’s grimy Hip Hop lyrics. Something the Yonkers native is very familiar with his entire career as an emcee. He so wonderfully mixes grit with beauty in the song “Marie Antoinette.” His street sweeper lyrics is almost oxymoronic paired to the French ballad bridged as the hook- it brilliant! There’s no song skip on this album. Listen to it now!
Apollo Brown is a genius music producer- his sound is authentic New York Hip Hop. It’s a mix of thought provoking sound-bites, Harlem Jazz, piano and drums plus his distinct sound of a record needle hitting vinyl. Mix that passionate sound with the lyrical juggernaut Joell Ortiz and you birth a classic Hip Hop album called Mona Lisa. If you know anything about Ortiz you know he’s a beast with word play. For example, he consistently and cleverly juggles lifestyle choices in the song “Decisions.” With lines like…
“Go in and out of town and get that show money or go in and out of town and get that load money. Fill that sneak box… Nah 99 trap money or W9 1099 and tax money. Work a single non-stop until you make it crack or throw that powder in a pot until you make it crack.”
There’s a lot of the gems in this album from the duo such as Joell’s reflections on being a pure and talented emcee- which doesn’t bode well with pop rap. Be sure to check this one out ASAP!
TK’s Vibe Of The Week Recommendations
These are musicians you may have never heard about… but that doesn’t mean they’re not making some dope music. They may not be mainstream (yet) but definitely worth checking out:
- Styles P – Dime Bag (Album) 🔥🔥🔥
- Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz – Mona Lisa (Album) 🔥🔥🔥🔥
- Swizz Beatz – POISON (Album)
- H.E.R. – I Use to Know Her Pt. 2 (Album)
- Rapsody – “Sojourner” featuring J Cole (Single)
Save the date for Mariah Carey’s Caution album dropping on November 16th. Keep up with TK’s weekly new music recommendations for more dope new music like Styles P Dime Bag or similar albums.
