Late Summer Heat

The Source's selections for the dog days

The high water mark of summer has reached its peak, the wave has broken and will soon roll back to shore. It's a time of blockbusters and hit tracks, pieces of media that forever tie you to that specific moment in time. How often do you hear about the romance of summer 2016? It has become the millennial generation's "summer of love". Whatever that feeling may be, there is no doubt in how in tune music is with the seasons.

Hip Hop went deep into its bag for this one. July saw the release of some new Clipse, Tyler, the Creator, Freddie Gibbs, Raekwon, Larry June, and Father. Lets parley.

clipse- Let God Sort em out

13 tracks

40 minutes

The brothers from the DMV are back in prime form, as if age is nothing but a number. Their grand return album is fully produced by none other than Pharrell Williams, a storied relationship that stretches back more than three decades when Malice met Pharrell while freestyling in Virginia Beach in 1990. The producer's touch is one of the most distinctive in rap, "yeah, that's a Pharrell beat" (even without his signature 4 beat intro). Let God Sort Em Out is such a cohesive and flowable record because of this.

Pusha T and Malice cast their undeniable energy over these sounds. Their classic coke rap is dotted with film references of criminal grandeur, but with introspective subtext all throughout. They punch at some of their distaste for the ills of this generation without coming off as out of touch. Behind the flex is wisdom, you can feel that these bars come from those who have lived through the music industry and its traps. Especially so for Malice, who pulled a Ma$e and took a sabbatical from the rap game after a spiritual awakening. And still some of these religious themes are present, most obvious being the project's title.

Came back for the money, that's the devil in me Had to Hide it from the church, that's the Jekyll in me - Malice, P.O.V.

With verses turned in from Nas, Tyler, the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, and Pharrell himself, it's a real murderer's row of features to be had. Now if only we could replace that Kaws cover.

Father- Patricide

10 tracks

21 minutes

He is the man with the greatest government name in all of rap— perhaps even the entire music industry, Centel Orlando Magnum, better known as Father. As with most of his work, The Awful Records godfather added to his catalog another self-produced project with Patricide (Ironically so, the Hu$band EP produced by meltycanon is my favorite of his). The irreverence and wit of his taboo-laced song writing continues on his newest work, but with a certain reflection coming from his reality of actual fatherhood. The drug-fueled and sexually charged days of 2014's Young Hot Ebony are healthiest if left to the young man's game.

His production on Patricide blends his style of underground rap with rock and electronic inspirations. Father's minimalist beat making signatures of distorted 808s and raw synths meshes here with guitar riffs and murky bass lines. Dance-hall inspired BPMs then throw you into the club with tracks like "Capeesh, capisce, capiche, capisci?". It creates a unique blend that I had no idea was needed in my life.

The track names rival pre-hiatus Fall Out Boy in terms of niche and absurd lengths; Silly rabbit, when you met me I was slime, Cannot run when over encumbered, Curiosity is the gateway to ruin, just to name a few off of the project. Father's lyrical style has always sung to the nerd in all of us as he pulls from video games, anime, and countless other media for his references. "Sephiroth" from his 2018 project Awful Swim is a perfect example.

Freddie gibbs & The alchemist-Alfredo 2

14 tracks

47 minutes

The Alchemist continues his stellar run of releases this year for the sequel to he and Freddie Gibbs' 2020 album Alfredo. Alc is the John Stockton of producers, the man never misses a game. His 2025 has already been busy with a collaboration between 2 Chainz and Larry June with Life is Beautiful, and is currently working on both an Erykah Badu and Mobb Deep album set to release this year.

Freddie Gibbs is indeed a coke rap auteur with his stylized approach to the drug game. The Gary, IN alumni reflects his past in a way that blends hard truths with crime film imagery and a Scorsese ethos. He is a vivid world builder. And for some reason, a man with a fascination with food: Lemmon Pepper Steppers, Ensalada, Empanadas, Gas Station Sushi, and the album title itself. Food for the soul, perhaps?

Freddie Gibbs muses so well over the Alchemist's jazzy soul samples and silky melodies. His instrumentals are woozy and dreamlike, one minute I feel as if I'm in the back of smoky nightclub in 40's Harlem and the next minute I'm transported to the stars. Both installments of Alfredo are perfect to revisit in the fall.

Larry JUne & Cardo got wings- until night comes

14 tracks

28 minutes

Larry June makes what I like to call "self care rap". Everything is about seeing positivity in mundane daily activities or bettering oneself through drinking smoothies and working out. He could rap for 3 minutes about driving in his car to the store to buy some organic orange juice and somehow make it interesting. Larry June's relaxed aura and laid back delivery is the perfect match for that West-coast, G-funk inspired sound that his frequent collaborator Cardo Got Wings brings.

To be completely honest, much of Larry June's work all blends together (500 projects all with the same cover doesn't help). But its that consistency I respect, the dedication to his seasoned taste in cars and his specific quirks like only wearing a white tee once before throwing it away.

Never change, Larry.

Healthy nigga I be doing crunches

Pockets on Creatine

-On The Unda

raekwon- the emperor's new clothes

17 tracks

40 minutes

So new Clipse dropped, along with new Mobb Deep coming, Nas, DJ Premiere, Big L, De La Soul, and Ghostface Killah all still on this year's release horizon? It's truly the year of the old head, and we have Nas' co-owned Mass Appeal label to thank.

Yougins step aside, the Shaolin chef is back. If you are looking for some verse heavy tracks over solid production in a call back to that classic East-coast sound, throw this into your rotation. There are features to be had from his Wu brothers including Method Man, Inspectah Deck, and Ghostface Killah, along with verses from Nas, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine.

And it is quite nice to hear album skits again.

tyler, the creator- Don't Tap the Glass

10 tracks

28 minutes

Number one: body movement, no sitting still / Number two: only speak in glory, leave your baggage at home/ Number three: don't tap the glass

Clocking in just under a half hour, this brisk album is the ideal follow up to last fall's dense and emotionally vulnerable Chromakopia. There's a playfulness and upbeat nature from the onset, with the distorted vocal introduction to the album setting the tone like a PA announcement right before an amusement park ride.

DON'T TAP THE GLASS has all the recognizable elements of a Tyler production; his classic drum kits and synths, and of course and an encyclopedic use of sampling. There's great sense of flow when listened front to back, so do not tap that glass. He leans heavy into the dancehall sound, especially with such bouncy tracks like "Sugar On My Tongue" and "Big Poe". And then roll your windows down, cruise into 5th gear, and feel the late summer breeze on you as you listen to "Sucka Free" and "Ring Ring Ring".

As the old saying goes, time flies. But I prefer to make it sing. So as the greater part of 2025 has passed by and the calendar turns another page, seize the day dear reader, however you must. See you in autumn.