5 New Albums You Must Listen To! – January 2023
By Philippe Martin 01/31/2023
Rap music continues to be a major force in the music industry, with hard-working artists like Boldy James and Kota the Friend releasing top-notch full-length projects in January. They push the sound forward with standout lyrics and great production. For casual listeners, 03 Greedo and Elcamino present solid albums that solidify their positions as melodic creators.
With that being said, here are the best albums of January 2023. This list contains many independent placements from artists who dropped great albums and some mainstream releases that deserve the attention they have been getting. Let us know in the comments what you think about these and if any other albums deserved to make this list.
- 03 Greedo & Mike Free – Free 03
- Kota the Friend – Lyrics to GO, Vol. 4
- Boldy James & RichGains – Indiana Jones
- Elcamino & TrickyTrippz – Devil’s Due
- Monroe Flow & Dvme - The Players Retreat
03 Greedo & Mike Free – Free 03
Celebrating his release from prison after serving a 4-year sentence, 03 Greedo isn’t losing time getting back to the music industry. With the help of producer Mike Free, they create an easy-listening mixtape that solidifies the rapper’s place on the hip-hop scene as a charismatic and efficient artist. The beat selection is cohesive throughout the project, with “Hype” and “Took A Little Minute” being the hardest songs out of the 14 tracks.
There are a couple of spots on “Free 03” where the vocals seem to have been recorded from a jail phone, making the experience difficult to digest, but adding a touch of realism to the rapper’s recent lifestyle. The features don’t add much to the vibe of the mixtape, as they all blend in with Greedo’s style, without matching his energy. “I Don’t Mean” and “Breakfast” showcase his melodic abilities, sounding like the Los Angeles native is having more fun singing than rapping.
Released 01/09/2023
Kota the Friend – Lyrics to GO, Vol. 4
Continuing a great series of projects that started back in 2020, Kota the Friend releases volume 4 of the “Lyrics to GO” mini albums. With a short tracklist of 10 songs and running at 16 minutes, he gets straight to the point with most songs being a single verse touching on a specific subject. The production is on par with his previous work, mixing keys, strings and boom-bap drums that result in a Lo-Fi esthetic that is well suited for his low-key delivery.
As he touches on subjects like parenthood, emotional maturity, and life trauma, the Brooklyn artist blurs the line between rapping and talking. Even when he pushes knowledge through the listener’s ears, he never sacrifices the melodic side of his music. His charisma is undeniable as you just wish you could grab a beer and talk about life with him. If he follows his regular release schedule, this project should be a quick appetizer before a full-length effort later in 2023.
Released 01/18/2023
Boldy James & RichGains – Indiana Jones
Being in a near-fatal car crash in early 2023 doesn’t seem to stop the very talented Detroit rapper Boldy James from releasing great albums one after the other. Keeping up with his formula of collaborating with a producer for a whole project, he recruits RichGains for a sound that is different from what we have heard from the 2022 production styles of Nicholas Craven, Futurewave, Cuns, and Real Bad Man. The drums are more electronic, and the bass is deeper, showing that the Griselda affiliate can rap on all kinds of beats.
His subject matter is still the same, with bars about his past life as a drug runner being at the core of his material. He doesn’t seem to know or want to do ballads about love, and that’s all right when you see the precision he has developed throughout each project. The question is how long he can keep on releasing quality music so rapidly. There are many features on the album, with Sir Michael Rocks being present multiple times with his slick delivery and Jonathan Chapman bringing nice vocal performances on “8 Days” and “Electric Blue”.
Released 01/20/2023
Elcamino & TrickyTrippz – Devil’s Due
Elcamino releases another quality project with producer TrickyTrippz. They are starting the year strong with a collection of 10 excellent songs. Following 2021’s « On the 3rd Day » collaborative album, the duo creates another street record that highlights the Buffalo native’s raw talent and the consistent production of the talented beatmaker. The raps and the sounds you hear on this are nothing new, but it’s efficient at what it tries to achieve in 27 minutes.
With no features, the Griselda affiliate manages to carry the show vocally with great melodies and braggadocios rhymes. “Damn” and “Oh Lord” are some stand-out cuts for their contagious energy. Like the creepy cover art, the songs “Rain or Snow” and “Never Know” paint a devilish picture of gang life, where trust and loyalty are hard to come by.
Released 01/13/2023
Monroe Flow & Dvme - The Players Retreat
Monroe Flow is part of the FreeMinded Record Label founded by Larry June, and his persona fits perfectly within his boss’s vision of being healthy and wealthy. Teaming up with producer Dvme, he releases an 8-track album that is excellent to take car rides on sunny days. The music is heavily inspired by the West Coast and the lyrics are all about being independent and focused on your hustle.
Featuring Larry June, “Relevant” is a sweet banger that will motivate anybody to get to work and expand their fortune. The rapping is simple, but the song’s energy is a high point of the project. The production uses synth loops and hard kicks to let Monroe talk his shit, never stealing the spotlight from the West Coast emcee.
Released 01/01/2023