The Grey Area

GOAT Talk is back, this time spotlighting the ultimate Funk Flex freestyles. Brace yourself for a deep dive into the most iconic and explosive performances ever to hit the legendary show that is Funk Flex.

We look ahead and share which projects and artists we are looking forward to and hoping to hear from in 2024!

The third annual grey awards is upon us. We share some of our favourite albums, artists and beats of the year.

This years awards were full of the usual chaos this year the sound board didn't work and award winners were changed live on air due to a user input error!

If you're listening on spotify join in on the discussion and tell us your favourites from this year.

The spirit got us and we "reviewing" Sampha's latest release, Lahai!

This is less of a review and more of a celebration of the great artist that Sampha is as well as a dive in to the themes of the album.

This episode was recorded on 13/11/2023.

We are back with another release recap covering all the latest hip hop releases from Sept - Oct 2023, the year is closing strong!

Nas is back with more magic, Drake has given us a something ... and we talk about the latest Armand Hammer releases and so much more.

Below is a list of what came out and we cover at least half of that list (at least we tried to).

Albums:

Nas & Hit-Boy - Magic 3 (14 Sept):

Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (29 Sept):

Drake - For All The Dogs (6 Oct)

CASISDEAD - Famous Last Words (27 Oct):

Honourable Mentions:

• Doja Cat - Scarlet (22 Sept)
• MIKE, Wiki & The Alchemist - Faith is a Rock (22 Sept)
• Lil Wayne - The Fix Before That VI (29 Sept)
• Nines - Crop Circle 3 (6 Oct)
• Westside Gunn - And Then You Pray For Me (13 Oct)
• MIKE - Burning Desire (13 Oct)
• The Streets - The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light (20 Oct)

Singles:

• Nicki Minaj - Last Time I Saw You
• Knucks, Larry June & Kenny Beats - I Suppose
• Tion Wayne & Nines - AMEN
• Timbaland, Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake - Keep Going Up
• Kid Cudi - ILL WHAT I BLEED/MOST AIN'T DENNIS (Insano album pushed back)
• Cardi B - Bongos (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)
• Cristale - Roadents
• Skrapz - Normal
• SZA - Snooze [Acoustic] (feat. Justin Bieber)
• K-Trap & Headie One - PARK CHINOIS
• Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist - The Caliphate (feat. Vince Staples)
• Denzel Curry - SKED (feat. Kenny Mason)
• Lil Yachty - The Secret Recipe (feat. J. Cole)
• Jamila Woods - Practice (feat. Saba)
• Danny Brown - Tantor
• Jay Rock - Blowfly (feat. Ab-Soul)
• 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne - Presha
• Ghetts - Laps (feat. Moonchild Sanelly)

Projects (with release dates) We’re Anticipating:

• Rick Ross & Meek Mill - Too Good to be True (10 Nov)
• Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 2 (17 Nov)
• Danny Brown - Quaranta (17 Nov)
• 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne - Welcome 2 Collegrove (17 Nov)

Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock are just a. few of the artists signed to the great record label that is TDE.

GET TOP ON THE PHONE!

In this episode, we take a closer look at the vibrant history and exciting prospects of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). From their peak in the 2010s to addressing any 'downfall' rumours, we discuss it all. Envisioning artists who could have thrived under the TDE label, pondering the missing Black Hippy album, we're feeling hopeful about TDE's future but we are concerned about one of their biggest artist leaving and where that may put them

In this episode, we explore Earl Sweatshirt's "VOIR DIRE" album, comparing it to his earlier work and discussing its exclusive streaming release on GALA Music. We also dive into The Alchemist's production, highlighting favourite beats on the projects, suggesting dream collaborations, and evaluating his industry impact since 2021.

We're revisiting Kendrick Lamar's epic 'Control' verse from 2013. Do you remember what was on your playlist that summer? Kanye's - Yeezus, J Coles - Born Sinner, some Drake maybe? Comment below on Spotify and let us know!

We'll break down how the artists mentioned in Kendrick's verse have been holding up 10 years later and discuss the controversy his verse started at the time.

It’s been a busy month for Chicago! We dig deep into the long-awaited return of Noname and address the controversy swirling around her album rollout. Meanwhile, Mick Jenkins dropped "The Patience" with a fiery frustration that left us all feeling the heat! Finally, we share our thoughts on the current state of rap music coming out of the Windy City.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments on Spotify!

This episode was recorded on 28/08/2023.

Five decades of Hip Hop's musical evolution! From its gritty beginnings in NYC's streets, the genre has surged to global prominence, shaping the music landscape with its unique beats, powerful lyrics, and cultural resonance.

We discuss what we think of the scene over the decades, it's evolution and it's influence on popular culture.

Go to Spotify and comment your thoughts; WE DO/WILL REPLY!