No Frills Reviews

Massachusetts-born New Jersey-based rapper, NAHreally teamed up with Dublin producer, The Expert, for the excellent, BLIP, which was no. 7 in our albums of the year. He recommends three of his favourite albums from 2024.

I think this was my favorite album of 2024. DRIVEBY is easily one of the most versatile producers working right now—and Wavy Bagels’ versatility as a vocalist and ever-present sense of humor turned out to be a perfect match. This album is ENTERTAINING. It’s fun and theatrical without ever going overboard, and Wavy is an expert at oscillating back and forth between his off-the-cuff style of rhyming and signature crooning. DRIVEBY’s beats are clean but also a little gritty; they’re smooth as hell AND they knock. The cast of features is deep and delivers, but it’s clear throughout the album that Wavy is the star—a testament to thoughtful planning and sequencing…so don’t you DARE shuffle your first listen.

Favorite tracks: Outside, Come To Me (feat. GAM and Homeboy Sandman), PONCE, French Bagels

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Those who know, know Serengeti is a veritable genius when it comes to (I can’t believe I’m about to use this pretentious-ass term) world-building. I’m by no means a Serengeti completist nor do I claim to be able to articulate the full Kenny Dennis saga, but I was lucky enough to be prompted by a friend to check this album out, and I’m so glad I did. The album is the latest installment in the Kenny Dennis story (a character spawned from Serengeti’s 2006 track Dennehy), and it’s a cinematic, hilarious, strange, and sentimental listen.

The songs, delivered in first person as Kenny Dennis, are punctuated by a narrative structure provided by comedian Anders Holm—a voice that brought me back to my idiot days watching Workaholics non-stop. I’m already too deep in trying to explain what the hell is going on here—just run it from the top and then fall down the rabbit hole if you like what you hear. The beautiful thing about KDIV is that the production and rhyming is so great that pretty much every song works out of context—but be sure to listen straight through first.

Favorite tracks: get the bag, lou canela, dino, business

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A more free-wheeling project than Americancer, Dance on My Grave showcases an MC and producer with an S-tier ability to style on motherfuckers. The beats are classic hip-hop shit and utterly unique at the same time. Locke’s rhyming style is clean and casual but still manages to kick you in the face. It’s intense to feel such power coming from someone who is no longer physically here, and it’s beautiful and admirable how Dillon has worked so hard to preserve and present his friend’s legacy. I highly recommend checking out both Americancer and Dance on My Grave—and then listening to Dillon’s appearance on the Call Out Culture podcast from earlier this year for additional context. Salute to Dillon, Full Plate, and those who knew and loved Paten Locke!

Favorite tracks: JustRockin (feat. Dillon), TheNeverEnder (feat. Akrobatik), OldWorldBlues, Movement, Chop Suey

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