It’s a little hard to take Curren$y seriously sometimes, given the amount of material he’s constantly putting out. And yet, he still manages to be above average every time and excellent more often than not.
On The OutRunners, Harry Fraud brings at least half the excellence to this project. Fraud’s use of soul music samples freshen up Curren%y’s street raps, and push the emcess to pull out his best verses. Like on standout track Cutlass Cathedrals, where Curren$y seems to be speaking directly to the music: “I only play old music in my old car/Counting new money inside my old loft/It was a rental home, I fell in love with the spot/So I bought thirty ninety inch TV’s up on the wall/My homie hooked up the surround sound and he hid the cords/Needed surveillance, I could keep an eye on all my cars/I want the Rozay crib, this nigga rich/He got whips in garages organized by colors and shit/I was inspired by this/I went back to the grind for the first time in years.” The inspiration is clear, the love of the art of hip hop evident. These two teamed up in 2018 on The Marina, with great results, and prove again that they bring out the best in each other.
Runners up:
Samantha Crain’s new album is good.
And yeah, at 75 and indulging in a project with his three kids, this is not John Fogerty at his best, but the “Fogerty’s Factory” EP is certainly a collection of some of the best rock songs of all time.
Live performances from Sirius, Colbert, and Tiny Desk of some of his classics including Bad Moon and Centerfield, the new Fogerty’s Factory EP is a fun listen. And even at 75, his voice is strong and distinct. More here.
