At once a natural evolution and a conscious one, Hall of Fame is another triumphant addition to Polo's consistent discography. The record is a stunning balance of gruesome imagery and a vibrant undercurrent of optimism. Trauma remains a primary organizing principle and muse for Polo he parses through his past to understand his present behaviors and prepare for a future of his own molding. Even with a plethora of featured artists, Polo remains in control, because these are his stories told on his terms. From the reflective commercial juggernaut that is 'RAPSTAR' to the dancehall-influenced 'For the Love of New York,' Polo confidently steps further into rap's mainstream as he stretches the confines of drill. His latest record, Hall of Fame, continues his discography's tradition of etching him into the pantheon of greatness (see: Die a Legend The Goat). When it comes to manifestation, few can compete with Polo G. SME courtesy of Columbia Records on YouTube Polo G, Hall of Fame 'My speech ain't involuntary / project with intention straight from my lungs,' Simz declares in 'Introvert.' As the herald trumpets make clear, this is a queen's declaration. Not with the album's adventurous detours into grime ('Rollin Stone'), ' 80s R&B ('Protect My Energy') and Afrobeat ('Point and Kill,' 'Fear No Man'), or moments that recall Jay Z at his commercial peak, like 'Speed,' with blown-out rap percussion and narrow-eyed fervor directed at those who 'wanna put me in a box.' Or with how she contends with her own family history, like in 'I Love You, I Hate You,' where she at once airs out her anger and shows empathy toward her absentee father, a coming to terms that can only arrive with age and wisdom, no matter how much potential the precocious artist has always shown.

We'd be foolish to believe that because of her quiet demeanor, or her flow that's sneaky instead of showy, Simz should be mistaken as timid. In this classic fairytale of a hip-hop album, where The Crown's Emma Corrin serves as both narrator and Little Simz's subconscious ('A question, if I may - what's a girl like you want in a place like this?'), the dragon to be slayed is the fundamental misunderstanding of introverts as shy and uncertain, operating at stark disadvantages in an extrovert's world. Sidney MaddenĪWAL Digital Limited (Kobalt) on YouTube Little Simz, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert* Keem commands attention over triumphant horns on 'family ties,' spitting so exasperatedly, it's as if he's physically leaping over the trappings of his protégé status and rap royalty lineage: 'Avoiding the trends and duckin' the hoes / I'm duckin' the loonies that come with the shows / I'm grateful to Man-Man, he opened up doors / A bunk on the tour bus to come and compose.' Trading bars with Kendrick over three beat changes in four minutes, Keem passes the litmus test for compelling delivery and wordplay on a track that's since earned the rising talent his first Grammy nominations in the categories of best rap performance and best rap song, alongside a best new artist nod. While TikTok-era consumerism now trims songs to mere seconds or flips them for comedic relief, two-phone Keem comes through with so much strangely intriguing, flow-switching presence on each track that it challenges the audience to lean forward, do some extra research and listen closer.

Decadently experimental compared to his breakout mixtape, DIE FOR MY BITCH, Keem's 2021 debut album The Melodic Blue finds the 21-year-old rapper officially staking his claim to define next-gen rap stardom. Luckily for Baby Keem, he's been laying the groundwork for this moment for years. When you're the baby cousin of Kendrick Lamar, arguably the best MC of his generation, and you're trying to make your own name in the rap game, the stakes of show and prove go up exponentially. SME courtesy of Columbia Records on YouTube Baby Keem, The Melodic Blue*

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