It’s been a great summer for hip-hop.  Big Boi’s first solo effort, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty, is amazing (I haven’t felt this way about a rap album since Clipse released Hell Hath No Fury back in 2006), and puts to rest any debate about who the more “creative” member of OutKast is.  Andre 3000 might have cool hair and hipster clothes and be a great MC, but BB is a genius.  The Dream’s Love King is also out, and it should assuage any residual longings you have for R. Kelly; in fact, you might decide he’s even better than Kells.  Both albums available wherever you buy/steal MP3s.

Further, Gucci Mane is out of jail!  He recently dropped a very good mixtape, Mr. Zone 6 (with DJ Drama), which you can get for free after a quick Google search.  I think “Normal” is the standout track, but the whole thing is great.  One might argue that, like Lil Wayne (also due out of the clink soon), Gucci does better work on his mixtapes than on his actual albums; while I wouldn’t go that far, this new stuff is dope.

She a snake charmer, / Anaconda, / A real man-eater / Like Jeffrey Dah-mah.

-TGR

PS: Check out the new single by Juvenile (yes, him), “Drop That Azz.”  You can probably guess what it’s about.  The synths sound like LCD Soundsystem, the beat is bananas, and Juv is hilarious.

PPS: And T.I. has a new LP coming soon!  And so does Young Dro!  Oh the abundance!