“E.t.d.s A Mixtape by .idk.” – IDK

On IDK’s newest project, pressure creates diamonds. While presenting as a casual outing, the Maryland rapper’s fourth mixtape plays more like a fleshed-out studio album, every track marked by a potent necessity to survive. Lyrically, he spends much of the runtime rapping about his time in prison, reflecting on his struggle and greater issues of race and inequality in the United States. The songs fluctuate in energy and tone, but consistently maintain a high level of rapping and songwriting that makes them flow seamlessly. Thanks to IDK’s crafty penmanship, the aggressive flows and DMX chorus on “START TO FiNiSH” don’t feel out of place with the laid back introspection and MF DOOM feature on “FLAKKA.” IDK also showcases an innate knack for song structure all over the record, creating earworm after earworm, whether it be the holiday jingles of “SCARY MERRI,” the relaxed melodies on “P.O.,” or the boom bap bounciness of “CLOVER.” Rapping about prison seems to ignite this passion in IDK, something evident in the list of collaborators he picked out for the project, from the verses from rap legends such as Black Thought and Pusha T to the instrumentals from new generation mainstays KAYTRANADA and Conductor Williams, not a moment on “e.t.d.s” feels wasted.

“To Whom This May Concern” – Jill Scott

Twenty-five years after her debut album, Philadelphia singer Jill Scott is as lively as ever. Her sixth album, the 19-track “To Whom This May Concern,” is an eclectic mix of soul and jazz-influenced tracks that beam with infectious energy from start to finish. There’s an airy playfulness to songs like “Right Here, Right Now” and “Be Great” that radiate with self-confidence from both the lyrics and the dynamic live instrumentation. The songwriting itself often isn’t terribly complex, oftentimes void of traditional verses or choruses, instead operating more like free-flowing jazz, jumping between spurts of melodies and repeated phrases. Tracks like “Pay U on Tuesday” and “The Math” get across their points through Scott’s inflection and creativity, even if the lyricism itself is minimal. When she decides to slow things down on songs like “Pressha” and “A Universe,” it doesn’t feel like she’s compromising her passion, maintaining the same high quality throughout the rest of the album. The list of features, even if short, adds another layer of lyrical and thematic potency, whether it be Tierra Whack’s complete takeover of “Norfside” or JID’s romanticism on “To Be Honest.” Whatever it is, Scott provides such a wide range of sonic palettes on “To Whom This May Concern” that every listener is bound to find something to attach to.

“My Ghosts Go Ghost” – Injury Reserve & By Storm

For groups like Injury Reserve, change is everlooming. Formed in 2012, the experimental hip-hop trio tragically lost member “Steppa J.” in 2020, after only one studio album. 2021’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” would serve as their farewell, as the remaining two members formed the group By Storm, releasing their debut “My Ghosts Go Ghost” earlier this year. Even without their third member, the record is undeniably marked by his absence, defined by solemn loss and mourning. The instrumentation is often distorted and fragmented, burying the vocalists in their own breathing pockets. Even if the lyrics don’t always directly touch on death, there’s this constant desire to move on, to persevere, to advance to a better tomorrow. The opening track has member RiTchie talking to his romantic partner about a baby on the way, lamenting on how their life will change. Even if only in the subtext, it’s difficult not to feel RiTchie’s mourning when he writes lyrics like “I guess it hit me, how the little changes are gon’ change too / all our flicks gon’ have to change, the framing, the frames too.” The songs “Dead Weight” and “Best Interest” similarly feel like struggling to escape something emotionally taxing. On the other hand, the tracks “Double Trio 2” and “And I Dance” offer the record’s emotional release while still maintaining its eclectic production.