After a rough week in which multiple releases were pushed back, a pair of west coasters may have ended up standing alone. This week’s hip-hop preview sees the delayed 03 Greedo and DJ Mustard collaborative album facing off with Anderson .Paak’s unexpected follow-up to 2018’s Oxnard.
One of the albums originally slated for release was Megan Thee Stallion’s Fever, which would have followed up her 2018 Tina Snow EP and capitalized on the buzz from her viral freestyles and cocksure single “Hot Sex” to establish her as one of 2019’s first major breakouts. However, in the wake of Nipsey Hussle’s sudden and tragic death on March 31, Megan was one of the artists to push back her album out of respect, announcing via Instagram Live that she’d release in May instead.
Meanwhile, a fellow veteran of LA gangsta rap, 03 Greedo, instead opted to only push back his album Still Summer In The Projects one week, preferring to strike while the buzz from his singles “Trap House” with Shoreline Mafia and “Wasted” with YG was still loud in the streets. Since Greedo isn’t available for the kinds of promotions Megan has been able to utilize via social media and live appearances, it’s likely the incarcerated rapper’s management and production partner DJ Mustard felt it more prudent to stick closer to the originally-planned release schedule.
Anderson .Paak though, is probably dropping his own album a lot sooner than anyone might have expected. His first album under Aftermath Entertainment, Oxnard, is less than six months old, but his recording sessions for that album were apparently so prolific, he had enough material left over to immediately follow up with Ventura, his latest city-themed project paying homage to the Southern California towns where he grew up.
03 Greedo, Still Summer In The Projects
Let’s try this again: Just twelve months removed from not one, but two full-length releases in 2018, God Level and The Wolf Of Grape Street, it’s kind of incredible to think that Greedo was able to complete yet another project before he started his sentence, locking himself in the studio with DJ Mustard to record heaters like “Trap House” with Shoreline Mafia and “Wasted” with YG. The beats are classic, post-hyphy Mustard at his best, which lends a rock-solid foundation for 03’s slippery flow to shine on.
According to Alamo Records owner Todd Moscowitz, Mustard held onto the records they finished to polish them up, but he was cagey about what exactly Mustard did with them. He was much more forthcoming about the fact Greedo repeated the process at least a few more times with other producers, so this won’t be his last release from prison. 03 Greedo might just be the most prolific incarcerated artist of all time.
Anderson .Paak, Ventura
With a tracklist including collaborations with Andre 3000, Brandy, Nate Dogg, and Smokey Robinson, Ventura seems to be shaping up to be a much smoother ride than Oxnard‘s eclecticism. The 11 songs are apparently the byproduct of that album’s recording sessions, and according to Anderson, are a lot more personal and sincere.
The first two singles, “King James” and “Make It Better,” certainly seem to reveal as much, with .Paak floating over soulful instrumentals alongside musical legend Smokey Robinson and roller skate bouncing his way through some funky two-step-ready beats. Anderson accompanied the new album with the announcement of national arena tour kicking off next month and including openers Earl Sweatshirt, Jessie Reyez, Mac Demarco, Noname, and Thundercat.
