Finding new music can feel akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. The sheer number of songs that get released daily is absurd.

According to Billboard in 2023, over 100,000 tracks a day were uploaded to streaming platforms such as SoundCloud. With that absurdity of music there’s an abundance of gems that get lost.

Even as a self-proclaimed music connoisseur the hopes of keeping up have long been dashed, dead, and buried. But, there have been incredible albums that I’ve stumbled on that deserve far more praise than they’ve received and in this edition of Let’s Talk Music we’ll delve into some of the best recent albums you’ve likely missed out on.

F**k A Friendzone 2

Dej Loaf and Jacquees have both been good artists in their own respective rights, but when these two come together for a song they ascend to a heavenly level of artistic collaboration.

This album is peak R&B. There’s a sense of classic R&B mixed with modern beats that work perfectly like a lock and key. 

It’s an intriguing concept for Jacquees and Dej Loaf to impart through a musical lens. Fuck A Friendzone 2 explores the dynamic of how these two artists are navigating the love they have for each other, but they struggle to make it work because of life’s circumstances.

The album deals with the aftermath of trying to be friends with someone you’ve loved so deeply before and it’s apparent that they can’t come to terms with just being friends, but life seems to hold them back.

Whether that’s other partners, lifestyle changes, past actions, touring, and career obligations the two just can’t seem to make it work despite how much they want/hope to. 

Metro Boomin Presents: A Futuristic Summa

This album got a bad rap (no pun intended) upon release. Part of that was due to the fallout of the Kendrick & Drake beef and the other major roadblock was the expectations of fans.

MBPAFS is an ode to millennial Atlanta. It’s a return to 00’s southern music, with some of the most iconic Atlanta artists rapping on elite beats.

Metro Boomin’s vision was to bring back regionality in music. The current industry severely lacks originality and thrives on a smorgasbord of synthetic corporate melodic music of global sounds. 

Where this album shines is in its transmission of millennial nostalgia. It draws listeners right back to the best of the past while maintaining a modern feel that still hits today.

Its biggest hit came in the form of Take Me Thru There, but other standouts include WTF Goin’ On, Loose Screws, and I Like That. Sequencing is also immaculate, and this album can be played from start to finish with ease.

It’s a shame how much we allow internet perception to form our opinions simply for the sake of convenience because a lot of amazing art falls through the crevices of the web.

Ca$ino Baby Keem

With the rise of streaming and the global internet, hip-hop/rap have lost their modern day superstars. The field is spread far too thin for any one artist to emerge as the new best and the old guard that comprise the Big 4 are still (maybe more so) relevant today than they ever have been, with no sight of them leaving soon. 

Unfortunately, that means the current generation won’t ever have the same hope of reaching those heights, but there are a few artists that have the potential and Baby Keem fits that bill. 

Ca$ino explores the gamut of Keem’s life from his childhood trauma, to dealing with mainstream success, to health issues and the heartbreak he suffered from losing loved ones. It’s an introspective and in-depth album with top tier rapping that flows effortlessly on various euphoric beats. 

It verily encapsulates the risks and gambles of his life and how they paid off or crumbled under circumstances. 

Kodak The Blessing

Kodak is one of the most unique and interesting artists to ever brace the game. He’s the epitome of ratchetness & righteousness that we all embody, but gets easily dismissed because it’s easier to judge than understand.

He’s had major hits that rival the numbers of any modern numbers and he’s rapped about some of the realest topics that are reminiscent of a classic era of hip-hop that paved the way. Where he’s lost and has faltered, are in his Floridian accent that gets him labeled as a “mumble” rapper, and his recurring troubles with drugs and the law that have continuously plagued his career.

Fortunately, with Kodak The Blessing, Kodak blesses fans with a return to form and shows off his most talented side of being able to rap and sing with various melodies and ranges that no other artist can replicate. He’s a bonafide star and hilarious too.