albums Archives - Rolling Out

Lecrae’s career can’t be reduced to a controversial sound-bite. The Atlanta-based rapper by way of Houston has dedicated his life to speaking truth to a generation while also backing up his talk with action. Following his turbulent days as a youth during which he found himself on the wrong side of the law on multiple…

Host Cassidy Sparks brings you this week’s new releases in music, movies and TV in this latest episode of “Rolling Out Tonight.”

Nicki Minaj insists she’s not “lowering standards” by dating Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. The 36-year-old rap star’s decision to date the convicted felon has been widely questioned, but Nicki has now hit back at her critics, saying they don’t have any right to doubt her life choices. Speaking on Queen Radio, the “Anaconda” hitmaker said: “When…

Mississippi–bred rapper BIG K.R.I.T. is back with his fourth studio album K.R.I.T. IZ HERE. K.R.I.T. announced the release last month, confirming it was a sequel to his 2010 breakout mixtape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. K.R.I.T. hosted a listening party for fans at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 10. V.I.P. guests included the producer on the…

Missy Elliott was “scared” by the expectations for her second album Da Real World. The “Get Ur Freak On” rapper released her debut record Supa Dupa Fly in 1997 — which hit No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 — and admitted while it all came together naturally in two weeks with producer Timbaland, it meant there was…

CyHi The Prynce is considered one of the most vivid lyricists in hip-hop. The Atlanta native initially made headlines after Beyoncé told Kanye West to sign him following his memorable verse on “So Appalled.” CyHi soon became Kanye’s trusted writer and played a key role in the creation of several of his award-winning albums. But…

After releasing his best project to date last year titled, Cadillactica, Big K.R.I.T. is ready to offer his mixtape, It’s Better This Way, in order to show his fans that it’s better to follow the uncharted path than to follow the ordinary path in music. K.R.I.T. has maintained a steady flow of producing quality music…

B.o.B has experimented with various styles and sounds since the release of his debut B.o.B Presents:The Adventures of Bobby Ray in 2010. But after lackluster sales of his third album, Underground Luxury, B.o.B has decided to return to the eclectic rap which catapulted him into stardom. With the release of Psycadelik Thoughtz, B.o.B reintroduces himself.…

2014 was a rather down year for rap albums. Hip-hop album sales were down overall and Iggy Azalea was somehow considered the year’s breakout act by those in the mainstream. Her nomination for Rap Album of the Year proved, once again, how much the Grammy Awards are out of touch when it comes to hip-hop.…

Rick Ross has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. It may seem like “damning with faint praise,” but if it can be argued that Rick Ross lacks a bonafide hip-hop classic in his catalog, it should be noted that he doesn’t really have any bombs, either. By now, Ross fans know what they are getting with each release; songs about coke dealing and hustling and living lavishly. If that’s not your thing, then Ross just isn’t for you.

R&B continues to takeover September, as acclaimed “alternative R&B” acts like The Weeknd and Janelle Monae drop some very interesting albums; and veteran reggae/R&B star Sean Kingston makes a return to recording after four years. Of course, one of the week’s most anticipated releases is B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time, the sophomore album from hip-hop superstar 2 Chainz.

After a spring season that was dominated by a lot of indie rock releases, and a summer that pretty much belonged to hip-hop, R&B comes roaring to the forefront this week–with several high-profile release

ScHoolboy Q might have skipped years in the independent grind by joining Kendrick Lamar at Top Dawg Entertainment early in his career, but in today’s digital society, it’s very important that any release be taken seriously. You never know who’s watching. When ScHoolboy Q stopped in Atlanta for MixShowLive, rolling out had a moment to…

Jay-Z took the time to share his perspective on Jay-Z this weekend. Just before he and Justin Timberlake took the stage at Yankee Stadium this past weekend, Jay spoke to journalist Elliott Wilson about the “Legends of the Summer” Tour and his latest Magna Carta Holy Grail album. During the interview, Jay talked about his discography and where his latest album sits in the pantheon of Jay-Z albums.

The classic rock era represents what many fans (specifically Baby Boomers) consider the peak of rock music’s artistic ambition and commercial clout. Rock artists were breaking new ground constantly, from the Beatles and Bob Dylan in the late 60s to Pink Floyd and Zeppelin in the mid-70s.

Hip-hop has dominated the summer thus far, but this week’s batch of cool new releases is a little more varied. The hip-hop representatives are a bit more underground–which is refreshing after an endless stream of high-profile rap releases–and everything else sits more on the indie side of the musical spectrum.

Some hip-hop fans complain about the relative lack of East Coast-based hip-hop superstars these days. The charts are dominated by rappers who hail from virtually everywhere else in the continental United States and even Canada–but over the last ten years, there have been few big names coming out of New York City

The 20 greatest independent rock, rap and R&B albums ever.

It may be a quiet week for hip-hop as every one preps for Jay-Z’s new album

We decided to take a look at the best R&B albums of that strange and wonderful decade