Rap culture routinely produces new song releases each week. This time around, a rapper from Georgia draws inspiration from the King of Pop for a new album. A poet from North Carolina makes a comeback with a new EP, a rapper from Buffalo offers what he says is his final full-length record. There are other things to look forward to.
Offset honors his hero, Michael Jackson, with the album cover art for his second solo effort, “Set It Off.” A 21-track album released by the former Migos member boasts major guest appearances from performers like Travis Scott, Future, Latto, and, of course, his wife, Cardi B.
The lead single from the “Set It Off” album, “Jealousy,” starring Bardi, is followed by the song “Fan,” which has a music video that is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” When describing the motivation behind the record, Offset ties his professional journey to that of Michael Jackson. Offset declares that he worked on this project for more than two years. It represents a new stage in his life and is personal to him.
He compares this process to Michael Jackson’s shift from a successful group to stardom as an individual. This album serves as both a means of self-healing and a letter to his devoted followers. Following the tragic death of his friend and fellow rapper Takeoff in Houston on November 1, 2022, “Set It Off” serves as Offset’s debut studio album.
DaBaby drops his mixtape
DaBaby returns with a brand-new mixtape called “Let’s Do It,” which stands out for having no featured musicians. He released the single “Trickin'” on September 29, and this tape is the follow-up. On September 23, 2022, “Baby on Baby 2,” the most current full-length album by DaBaby, was released.
The album’s lead track, “Boogeyman,” featured a North Carolina rapper who claimed to have had many relationships with Megan Thee Stallion and peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard 200 chart.
DaBaby also released his EP “Call Da Fireman” on May 5; it contained the song “Shake Sumn.” Later, Sexyy Red contributed a guest verse to a remix of the song by DaBaby. On Tuesday, October 10, the two performers even shared a stage to perform the song at the beginning of the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards.
DaBaby has been working hard to remove himself from the homophobic comments he made at the Miami Rolling Loud Festival in 2021. The day before he released his “Call Da Fireman” EP, DaBaby spoke with The Shop and revealed that he had been attempting to move past the sad situation.
Westside Gunn Releases launches his last full-length album
Westside In “And Then You Pray for Me,” Gunn follows up on the 2020 film “Pray for Paris.” According to him, this album, which has 21 songs, is the co-founder of Griselda’s final full-length effort.
It is a “masterpiece” in its own right, according to Gunn. Notably, the late Virgil Abloh, who also had an impact on the album’s structure and substance, created the cover art.
While “And Then You Pray for Me” undoubtedly features boom-bap-style rhythms from his regular collaborators like Daringer, Conductor, and RZA, Westside Gunn also sought out production expertise from Tay Keith and ForeverRolling, among other contributors.
Along with a long list of rappers from different hip-hop scenes, such as JID, Rick Ross, Denzel Curry, and, of course, his fellow Buffalo artists Benny The Butcher and Conway The Machine, the project features Westside Gunn’s collaborations with a wide range of rappers.
Despite stating that “And Then You Pray for Me” is his final studio album, Westside Gunn promises his fans that they will still hear from the Buffalo MC in the rap game.
