Generally, when you ask someone to name a few music producers, they instantly think of Metro Boomin or Mike WiLL Made-It. However, last year, KAYTRANADA released one hell of an album. 99.9% is a a beautifully sound oriented project which features the likes of Anderson .Paak, Vic Mensa and many more. What KAYTRANADA achieved in this album is that he managed to bring a lot of music styles and vibes together under one well produced project.

There’s a yearning for certain voices to be heard in times of crisis, to calm and create a sense of alignment and Common has been one of those in Hip-Hop. 2016 was a tough year for many people primarily for Black Americans. However, some amazing art was conceived out of the struggle and Black America Again stands for that. Common speaks for the people! The Hip-Hop mogul addresses the oppressed, the oppressor, and mass incarceration.

It’s safe to say that Dreezy is Chicago’s newest treasure and her debut album, No Hard Feeling speaks for itself. The female emcee sings as much as she raps while touching on some in-depth topics like independence, the importance of making your own money and love.

Oakland rapper Kamaiyah knows, like the rest of us do, that being broke sucks. Granted, a lot of people dream about one day having it all and Yaya is refreshing by taking this familiar feeling and using it to enhance her insanely addictive ‘90s inspired Hip-Hop vibe. A Good Night in the Ghetto is an outstanding listen for so many reasons – it’s catchy and it even manages to successfully reclaim of the word “hooch,” but, most importantly, it’s honest and raw.

As he puts it in “Ain’t Too Bad,” the quote that pretty much sums up Kevin Gates is this: “I ain’t too hard to tell you how I feel.” Kevin Gates’ Islah doesn’t shy from its broad ambitions, offering a glossy club jam and an after-hours groove. As a lyricist, the album definitely shows Gates as a different person with emotion and urgency, trembling somewhere between tears and rage. Islah is captivating to say the least.