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65. Victory Lap - Nipsey Hussle (2018)

Hip Hop

“I’m an urban legend” the late Nipsey Hussle asserts on the opening track to Victory Lap, the long awaited debut album from the beloved and hugely influential LA emcee. After a series of critically acclaimed mixtapes, Victory Lap marked the official major label arrival of an artist that already had over a decade of turning heads under his belt. While immediately recognized as an exquisitely crafted work of the purely distilled west coast hip hop Nipsey was famous for, the album took on a decidedly different feel in the wake of his murder less than a year after its release. Then, the title seemed oddly prophetic, describing that period at the end of his long, grueling race to the top before leaving the game entirely. 

Adeptly toeing the line between contemporary and classic west coast hip hop, Nipsey channels Kendrick Lamar and their shared role model Tupac Shakur. He weaves effortlessly between carefree boasting and sincere conscious poetry pondering life in a zone of perpetual conflict and the challenge of living a rap star life while remaining true to his roots. Despite a handful of features from A-listers like Kendrick, Puff Daddy, YG and CeeLo, it’s Nipsey’s show from start to finish. His trademark raspy flow bristles with a hard-earned and unwavering confidence and never lacks true conviction. Each track is invigorating and conjures hope for the future of west coast rap. Ultimately, the genius of Victory Lap made Nipsey’s sudden death that much harder to swallow. 

*image; cover art for the album Victory Lap by the artist Nipsey Hussle