Polo G is one of the hottest new rappers out, ever since his “Pop Out” single with Lil Tjay went viral and peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper hasn’t slowed down since, capitalizing on his virality with his debut album, Die a Legend, in June 2019. The album was outstanding, resulting in critical acclaim as well as streams– it peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200. The album was further propelled by the strength of singles like “Dyin Breed,” “Battle Cry” and “Finer Things.”

Recently, Polo G delivered a new single, “DND,” and now he’s followed that up with word of his sophomore album. The rapper clearly hasn’t taken too much time off in between projects, or perhaps he’s taken full advantage of the quarantine lockdown by recording — either way, fans should be pleased to find out he has a brand new album arriving on May 15th. The album is titled The GOAT, which is probably not too surprising given the title of his debut album. Polo G clearly has big plans for himself, and he seems to be on the right track.

The new album is set to feature the “DND” record, as well as recent collab Polo did with Stunna 4 Vegas and NLE CHoppa titled “Go Stupid.” Polo G shared the news on his Instagram, unveiling the album artwork which you can see below.

Every now and then you’ll be going about your day, minding your business, when the thought strikes you: “Where in the world is Isaiah Rashad?” It’s a rhetorical question, really, because Isaiah Rashad lays low. While social media allows fans to keep tabs on their favorite artists, Rashad operates off the grid. Honestly, this arrangement is probably better for both him and the fans. Whenever new music from him arrives, the anticipation will be at a peak after having fully digested 2016’s The Sun’s Tirade. 

Aside from a few stray tweets, the TDE rapper isn’t very active on social media. Therefore, not much is known about his forthcoming sophomore project, The House Is Burning. He announced this title on IG Live last year, but there’s a chance Rashad has changed his mind in the interim. Every now and then, he will tease unreleased music. On Monday night (Mar. 9), he went on Live from the studio and previewed a track that had his whole crew bopping. “Told her, bitch, eat it like Doja Cat” is one bar that jumps out from the mellow joint. Some songs off The House Is Burning were also played at Reason’s listening party about a week ago. 

While TDE keeps their roster’s release rotation a secret, it would make sense if Rashad was next at bat. However, he isn’t inspiring much confidence in this likelihood. When a fan asked him on Twitter to at least drop a single, he replied, “picking it soon or something… emphasis on the something.”

When the anticipation for Lil Uzi Vert’s sophomore album reached desperate heights, he would repeatedly be rushed by fans demanding an expected release window. Uzi would often give a nonchalant response to this pestering, as if the question didn’t really concern him. In one instance, when someone shouted “When could we see the album?” as the Philadelphia rapper was entering his car, he paused for a moment to ponder. He seemed like he was deciding where he could conveniently fit an album release into his schedule, but then he just gave up, tossing out an “I don’t even know” before disappearing. While this uncertainty could have been attributed to Uzi’s well-publicized label issues, deep down, fans knew that his interest wasn’t in the album at that point. If Uzi wanted to drop, he would have found a way to drop. His indifference wasn’t performative. 

Uzi fans may have been left in the dark for some time, but he made it up to them with the Eternal Atake rollout. Uzi pivoted from secrecy to total transparency. His Twitter page became a behind-the-scenes guided tour of the album’s creation process. It all started with the December release of “Futsal Shuffle 2020”. The dance challenge associated with the single got everyone up on their feet. Uzi’s energy was back in the game and it was contagious. All the people waiting around for him were now rapidly stepping in a procession towards his sophomore effort. Uzi was skipping at the front of the pack, his newly-dyed orange hair serving as the fire that led the way.  

A week ahead of Eternal Atake’s sudden release, Uzi descended in a spaceship to beam up his followers for an intergalactic trip. His anime-inspired alter-ego, Renji, had been swapped out for Baby Pluto, a cosmic traveller who was eager to take off. After teasing that the album would be arriving in two weeks time, Baby Pluto grabbed the wheel and pushed the big red button to unload all that was in store: 18 tracks. 

Shortly after Eternal Atake was launched into the world at the odd time of 10 AM on a Friday, Uzi confirmed that the project is comprised of three parts. A fan speculated that Uzi’s personas take turns presenting themselves: Baby Pluto on Tracks 1-6, Renji on Tracks 7-12 and Good Old Uzi on Tracks 13-18. Uzi retweeted this theory and complimented the fan’s acuity. With this table of contents, the album can be dissected as encounters with foreign creatures on distinct planets. 

Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images

For years, Uzi has been trying to communicate the message that he’s not one of us. It’s been Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World. Being perpetually misunderstood has led to some despondent moments – which have been documented on social media – but at other points, he has floated above dull earthlings with glee. In the first section of Eternal Atake, we get to see Uzi fully embrace his extraterrestrial self. The opening track is named after it, “Baby Pluto”. The plinks of keys evoke shimmering stardust and Uzi is swirling in the midst of it. The sense that you’ve left Earth is either manifested through these ethereal effects or through beats that sound like ill-fated space missions. 

“Silly Watch” is when you suspect something has gone amiss with the ship. However, Uzi appears to be either in total control or blissfully uninterested in the looming danger. A brooding synthline lurks in the background but Uzi remains one step ahead of it. His music is always most invigorating when his youthful energy translates to a rapper who refuses to color inside the lines. “Silly Watch” sets off a four-track run of industrial bangers. Over clunking production, Uzi indulges in his brashest bars. “Neck is achoo, might catch the flu / Banana clip, straight from the zoo,” he swaggers on “You Better Move”, a song which could be considered as the sequel to Luv Is Rage2’s “For Real”. Uzi’s so good at tackling these sparse, off-kilter instrumentals because his flows are rarely constrained by whatever madness is occurring around him anyway. On “POP”, he spins himself into a frenzy when shouting, “Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci, Balenci.” Meanwhile, the beat is similarly self-destructing with spastic hiccups. It makes you feel as untouchable as Uzi sounds. 

Renji arrives to pull you out of this dark region. If there was still any doubt about Uzi’s strong pop sensibilities, it’s put to rest with “I’m Sorry” and the two bubbly songs that follow, “Celebration Station” and “Bigger Than Life”. If there’s any justice in this world, at least one of these will be sent to the top of the Hot 100. He pulls out the catchy melodies and sing-songy cadences that turned “XO Tour Llif3” into a hit. While the first act of the album featured songs with impulsive interludes and stray thoughts, Renji returns to more conventional structures. These anthems are meant to get everyone to hold hands and run into the rainbow-painted animated world Uzi created. 

The dancing comes to a halt with “Chrome Heart Tags”, where you can just float in the euphoric atmosphere produced by Chief Keef. Eternal Atake’s final chunk re-introduces the rapper that we have grown to know and love. It even houses “P2”, the subdued sequel to “XO Tour Llif3”. While these tracks might not reflect some otherworldly narrative, they have enough quirks to stay interesting. The sunshine of the Renji portion trickles into “Urgency”, where Uzi passionately sings alongside Syd (of The Internet), the album’s unexpected sole feature. 

Lil Uzi Vert engaged fans in what was perhaps the most immersive album rollout in recent years. When an album can come and go so quickly these days, its embarking on these kinds of rollercoasters that allows the consumption process to exist beyond a Friday release. There will now be weeks of memories associated with these songs. The world of Eternal Atake is still expanding. Uzi is currently interacting with fans as they plot the album’s deluxe edition as a communal endeavor. We have always suspected that there was so much going on inside Uzi’s mind that we couldn’t penetrate. Eternal Atake and the whole experience that came along with it delivered what fans were desperately waiting for.  

A few months back, Lil Baby revealed that Young Thug had once paid him to leave the hood so he could record music. He said that he was enticed by the more reliable rewards of street dealings, which caused him to not put all his commitment into rapping. Young Thug did not approve of this. Its been known that Thug has served as mentor to many Atlanta rappers, but the extents that he went to to ensure that his talented friends would win continue to come to light. 

While Lil Baby was being interviewed on The Breakfast Club to promote his new album, it was mentioned how he went to the same high school as Young Thug, although they were a few grades apart. This led to a discussion of how Thugger would check in on Lil Baby to remind him to take music seriously. According to Lil Baby, his elder would tell him that he didn’t only have a “chance” at making it in rap, he assured him that this dream would become a reality.

Lil Baby said that Thug would hound him when they FaceTimed and Thug saw that he wasn’t in the studio. At the time, he didn’t understand why recording had to take up all his time – he already had some songs. However, Thug was insistent that “you can’t even be chilling.” The “Woah” rapper has absorbed Thug’s years of advice and is now imparting it to artists he believes in, as he builds the roster of his 4PF label. “But of course, like me talking to the bros who rap, they mind ain’t gon’ be where mine at and my mind at ain’t where Thug mind at cause i hadn’t been through what I been through now. Now I appreciate everything he said and I understand everything he was saying, but then…” 

Read our review of Lil Baby’s first No. 1 album, My Turn. 

Earlier this week, Lil Baby's sophomore album, My Turn, was projected to do huge debut numbers. Hits Daily Double predicted its first week sales to fall somewhere in the 170-190k range. The results are in and Lil Baby smashed it, landing in the higher end of this estimation. 

According to Hits Daily Double, My Turn pulled off 188,165 album-equivalent units, 6,626 of those coming from pure album sales. These sales secure Lil Baby his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. His previous project, 2018's Street Gossip, debuted at No. 2 with 88,000 album-equivalent units, consisting of 5,000 pure album sales. My Turn's success was spearheaded by the singles "Woah", "Catch The Sun" and "Sum 2 Prove". Aside from Lil Baby being one of today's most beloved rappers, these huge first week numbers could be partially attributed to the album's 20-song length, which allows it to rake in streams. 

You gotta love an interactive album rollout. As frustrating as it could be when albums repeatedly get delayed, it can be fun when artists take us along for the ride. Think about the mess that was Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo release. We had to undergo the stress of tracklist modifications, bewildering Twitter rants and multiple postponements to arrive at the final drop. However, now, we all probably look back at that experience as an exciting time that will always be woven into our memory of the album. 

Lil Uzi Vert seems intent on providing his fans with a similar experience with the rollout of his sophomore album, Eternal Atake. With his last full-length release having been released over two years ago, the anticipation for EA has reached a peak. For too long, fans were left in the dark regarding when they could expect the follow-up to 2017's Luv Is Rage 2, but, as of recently, Uzi has been interacting with them on Twitter. 

Isaac Brekken/Getty Images

After teasing on IG Live that his new album would be coming in just two weeks, the Philly rapper confirmed on Monday (Mar. 2) that he was not playing around. With an expected release date of March 13, Uzi is now giving us a peak at the potential cover art. He's bringing an interactive component into this rollout by holding a poll on Twitter for which of three album covers he should select. They all make heavy use of computer-generated graphics. The different themes of the covers have been speculated to coordinate with alter-egos that Uzi has promoted with this project: Orenji (orange), Baby Pluto (outer space), Regular Old Uzi (raging crowd holding his previous album covers). 

Which one do you like best? Let us know in the comments and vote in Uzi's poll! 

Considering how many delays Eternal Atake has experienced, it's understandable if Lil Uzi Vert's fans have trust issues when it comes to him announcing release dates. However, we want to have faith that he will deliver on his promise. On Thursday (Feb. 28), Uzi was whipping around in one of his speedy cars when he went on Instagram Live to tease that his long-awaited sophomore album will be arriving in two weeks time. 

A fan had doubts whether the Philly rapper was capping or not, but Uzi has doubled down on his commitment. In response to the fan who tweeted, "Eternal atake in 2 was a lie huh, Uzi wrote, "Nope real shit." Under ordinary circumstances, this would slate his album for release on Friday the 13th. Choosing this spooky date would definitely make sense given Uzi's track record of dark interests. However, he is also known for dropping stuff at unpredictable times. For example, his latest single, "That Way", arrived on streaming platforms yesterday - on a Sunday afternoon. Uzi is now excitedly prepping us for his next song, which appears to be centered on a new alter-ego, "Baby Pluto". "Baby PLUTO make every bitch that played HIM realize how they fucked up," he explained in a tweet.

Lil Baby has the kind of vocal dexterity that would allow him to slide by without putting much substance into his lyrics. Not every rapper has to be a wordsmith to be worth your time. Sometimes Lil Baby slithers around in pockets so nimbly that you might question whether he’s really spitting or is just creating an illusion through catchy cadences. The distinct tone of his scratchy voice could also be sufficient to keep things interesting, but rest assured, Lil Baby is really spitting. A breakdown of the bars on his newly-released sophomore album, My Turn, will prove that.  

Right on the first track, “Get Ugly”, Lil Baby sets up the outline for the character profile that will be sketched in for the duration of project. He’s egotistical, yet paranoid – a dynamic that many rappers play with nowadays. Rather than choosing between starting out his project in an arrogant tone or a vulnerable one, he created a blend that adds some complexity to his character. At the end of his first verse, he raps: 

“Why the fuck everybody callin’ me? 
Everybody who left took a part of me
Excuse my drip, yeah, pardon me
Show me a list of who hard as me”

It’s the kind of oscillation from painful confession to defensive flex that has been popularized by the likes of Future. On this same song, Lil Baby also drops the Future-esque line, “Sippin’ syrup ’til my body numb, I ain’t tryna catch no feelings.” He wonders, “Would you leave or stay like you love me?” Despite the paranoia and pain that Lil Baby indulges in, “Get Ugly” is still meant to be a banging album opener, which it is. For every bar where Baby sounds bummed, there’s an opposing one to celebrate his success. 

“Need my rims offset like Cardi B 
This might be my hardest beat
Put the blame on Pee, he started me
Got the game from Big, he guarded me”

We already know how feverishly Lil Baby and Gunna feed off each other’s energy, so “Heatin Up” being a standout (and potential hit) comes as no surprise. The Atlanta rappers sound like they’re in friendly competition on this track, pushing them both to reach deep in their bags for their most creative flexes. Since we’re not focusing on Gunna here, I’ll provide some highlights from Baby’s verses:

“Really get a pack and keep the over
Big dripper, stand up in the ocean”

“Ridin round with Dracs like we OVO
I got some racks and I want some more”

“I spent five hundred racks on a Lambo’
And didn’t even know how to make that motherfucker go”

Brad Barket/Getty Images

My Turn provides mixed signals regarding whether Lil Baby is in a committed relationship or not. He’s often seen stunting on social media with the mother of his child, Jayda Cheaves, he confused followers in a recent interview by claiming that he’s not in love. His album doesn’t provide a clear answer. At several points he mentions his willingness to entrust his partner with the fruits of his labour (“Still give her couple thousand, even though she would of did it free”), but he also seems too preoccupied with chasing success to be tied down. His indifference to romance is seen on “How”: 

“She done fell in love, I’m sellin’ dreams
I done fell in love with buyin’ jeans 
Hate I found a love for sippin’ lean”

“All I know is put it up and keep on workin’
I can’t even hold you, I been gettin’ loaded”

Putting relationship drama aside, at the end of the day, we turn to Lil Baby for high-energy anthems that inundate us with his designer drip and update us on his car collection. He does that on “Grace”: 

“Go crazy for white Air Force One, maybe ’cause I’m a dope boy
He be live but he ain’t makin’ no noise
‘Ventador on the ground like a skateboard”

He satisfies our hedonistic interests on the Future collaboration, “Live Off My Closet”, while giving a nod to Megan Thee Stallion‘s partying habits:

“Too many chains, go to sleep, I might choke
I be sippin on syrup, I ain’t drivin no boat”

Then again on “Consistent”:

“My cars come with stars and kits
None of my kids gon’ starve for shit”

He talks some of his best shit when teaming up with Lil Uzi Vert on “Commercial”:

“I’m runnin’ shit, I can do what I want
And it’s really a limit, you do what you can
I found the booth and I put that shit up
‘Fore I run out of cash, they gonna run out of land”

However, Lil Baby hasn’t fully transitioned to living in the luxurious bubble of fame. He constantly reminds you that he’s a man of the streets first. On “Hurtin”, he concedes that the haunting of his hustling days fuels his music:

“Made me who I am, I’m gettin’ bands, I’m breakin’ curses
Trap spot do six figures, still got sheets, fuck curtains
Excuse me as I go off, have flashbacks in my verses, I’m tellin’ you
I done put my heart inside a box and tried to sell it to ’em”

On the closing track, “Solid”, he sums up the complex and inextricable ties between his old life and his current one in a single line. 

“And I just left the hood to catch a vibe and that shit give me chills” 

The problem with flexing your easily-identifiable vehicle on the Gram when you're a celebrity is that you're potentially opening the door to harassment by fans. Lil Uzi Vert has been showing off his $2 million primary-colored Bugatti Veyron to his millions of followers recently and that has led to him being targeted by one particularly frustrated fan. 

Snoh Aalegra is one of the most angelic voices gracing R&B at the moment. I’m sure the Swedish-Iranian singer was on many people’s wishlist of artists to appear on NPR Tiny Desk and that dream has now become a reality. Her songs conjure the kind of intimate atmosphere that would obviously translate well to the series’ stripped-back performances. 

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Watching her perform her velvety tracks, her singing appears just as effortless as it sounds. Her Tiny Desk setlist mostly consisted of cuts from her 2019 sophomore album, – Ugh, those feels again, which propelled her closer to stardom and earned her Swedish Grammy nominations. From that project, she performed “Love Like That”, “I Want You Around”, “Find Someone Like You” and “Woah”, which received a remixing by Pharrell last week. She dove further back into her catalog for “Fool For You” from her 2017 debut. This song attracted much love through her appearance on the “COLORS” web series. 

Snoh Aalegra remains a favorite on our R&B-centric Spotify playlist, “R&B Season”, which is updated weekly with new releases and throwbacks that fit the calming vibe. You can listen and subscribe to that here. 

Setlist

• “Love Like That”
• “I Want You Around”
• “Whoa”
• “Fool For You”
• “Find Someone Like You”