Bias B
Above & Beyond

Black Milk's sixth solo rap album, and his first since 2014's If There's a Hell Below, FEVER combines pointed and topical lyrics and brilliant musicianship, including percussion from all-star musicians Chris “Daddy” Dave (D'Angelo, Adele, Justin Bieber) and Daru Jones (Jack White), bass by long-time collaborator Malik Hunter, and keys and guitar/bass from newcomers Ian Fink and Sasha Kashperko, respectively. Black Milk evolves his production style of fusing electronic, soul, rock and other soundscapes with electronic programming and live music, a method he began experimenting with on his 2010 release Album of the Year. A cohesive 12-track project, listening to FEVER evokes the feeling of scrolling through an endless news feed, finding Black Milk reporting and commenting on the world's problems with empathy, clarity, and wit. Additional vocals from Dwele, Aaron "Ab" Abernathy, and Sudie (a producer / vocalist signed to Black Milk’s Computer Ugly label) serve to juxtapose Black’s heavy lyrical content with airy vibes.

All the barking and growling in the world could not detract from the fact that DMX is a troubled, tormented soul. On And Then There Was X, the multiplatinum-selling Dark Man X uses his signature fragmented flow with its singsongy vocal inflections to preach, teach, and reveal. Melodramatic storytelling has always been his shtick, whether it's tales of robbing liquor stores, plotting violent murders, or teaching shorties the code of the streets. X's inner conflicts are laid out on "Angel," a dialogue between himself and his Lord, and his ability to acknowledge different perspectives of a situation (i.e., repercussions) on several songs add depth to his character. The anthemlike "What's My Name," with its affirmations "I have no friends" and "I'm not a nice person," proves that money, fame, and popularity do not translate into happiness for DMX.