BY DAN GARCIA / VIKASH DASS / EVAN VOGEL
This year, February was jam packed with great releases from a variety of artists. Some came to us as a surprise, others beating expectations, and some just simply getting it right. Check out some of the best releases the month of February had to offer.
10. OG Maco – 15 EP
You guessed it, OG Maco released a new 11-track EP this past month. The EP, titled 15, is quite a number of tracks to be labeled an EP (versus a mixtape), but who are we to complain about getting more music? The project has some great production too, from Metro Boomin and TM 88, and the EP in general is definitely worth a listen. Stream the project here.
9. Hodgy Beats – Dena Tape 2
Odd Future’s Hodgy Beats dropped his Dena Tape 2 project this month, the sequel to his 2011 Dena Tape. Dena Tape 2 is a collaboration with Don Cannon and features guest appearances from Odd Future’s Domo Genesis, Hit-Boy, and production from fellow Mellowhype member Left Brain, Sap, Hit-Boy, and Marvel Alexander. Download and stream the new mixape here. It may not be Hodgy’s best project yet, but you can never go wrong with an Odd Future tape.
8. BADBADGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul
There is no group of musicians quite like BADBADNOTGOOD. And since BBNG impressed Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah to the extent that he combined his legendary talents with the experimental and hip-hop influenced band, there is no reason to doubt their skills. Although only nine tracks feature a verse from Ghostface (and arguably not his A+ verses), this was certainly a collaboration worthy of an album. It may not be the best album (as it definitely isn’t Ghostface’s best), but Sour Soul is still a quality album and worth more than a few listens, as it gets us even more excited to see what the future holds for the Odd Future co-signed, BADBADNOTGOOD.
7. Jaden Smith – This Is The Album EP
After releasing a lot of new and unexpected music in 2014, Jaden Smith continued this trend this past month by sharing new EP. The This Is The Album EP only has three songs (definitely less than Maco’s EP), and includes Jaden’s tracks ‘4 My 1’, ‘Scarface’, and ‘Weekend In Atlantis’ (all produced by D’artiste). Jaden is consistently showing fans that he is more than Will Smith’s son as every thing he has released has been quality. Stream the EP here.
6. Chris Brown & Tyga – Fan of a Fan: The Album
If you absolutely loved the first Fan of a Fan, this one shouldn’t disappoint you. The simple fact is, the album is more of the same (since Brown and Tyga’s Fan of a Fan mixtape). Chris Brown and Tyga don’t do too much or take any chances, but the things that they do, they do very well. These things, once again, are catchy choruses attached to booming, bass heavy club anthems or slow, rhythmic ‘baby-making’ tunes. Unfortunately, that is literally the entire range of the album. There is no attempt to craft a narrative or even truly to tell a story on any one of the tracks.
The Early Registration 