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2.) G-Side – The One… Cohesive


I might be biased. I mean, I’ve met G-Side. I’ve been to their shows. We follow each other on Twitter. I have a stake here. But still, G-Side’s first of 2 albums in 2011 is ****ing amazing. This album doesn’t lag at any point. The only weakness is that nearly each track has a feature, and they often aren’t anything better than average. That’s the only weakness. Well, the first two tracks do sound out of place with the rest of the album. Otherwise, this is the most forward-thinking, spaced-out, original rap album of the year. These Block Beattaz beats just keep surprising me. I mean, listen to ASAP Rocky’s excellent song, “Demons.” NOW listen to G-Side’s “Pictures.” Both use the same Clams Casino beat. But Block Beattaz add all sorts of musical flourishes to that base beat (which itself is already intricate) and the G-Side song is over-the-top good as a result. Perhaps my favorite musical moment of the whole year is the way the beat on “Y U Mad?” builds and explodes to its full potential right after the Kristmas verse and going on into the 2nd chorus. This album is a journey and an artistic experience that could only come from. There’s so much going on. To describe it would be to spoil the delight you’ll have listening to the album.

Go see these guys live, too. G-Side absolutely destroys their live shows like almost no other act I hip-hop can. If you want to be ahead of the curve, get on these guys before they blow up. Even if you think you don’t like southern rap, scratch that – especially if --, you must listen to this album. It is as it says it is – a cohesive listening experience. It’s uplifting, soaring, motivating hip-hop music.