If slept on is the best way to describe Grateful Edmund’s album 45, then the whole world must be in hibernation. The rapper released this independent album on September 16, 2022, on his own independent label, “Stealthport,” and it’s hard to find many flaws in this masterpiece. However, recently releasing a Deluxe version of the album 45 is arguably the best hip-hop album released in 2022. The album takes you on a journey through his life in the mid-80s growing up in Washington, DC, which was deemed the murder capital of the united states. It moves seamlessly into his present life and blends perfectly with brilliant hip-hop artistry.
The rhymes are sharp, and the beats blend retro Kanye production with just a hint of something familiar from the golden era of hip-hop but just slightly updated for the times. “Ninety now” music is the term Grateful used to coin this sound, and maybe this will become a thing. But, of course, one could argue a group like Griselda has already fathered this comeback in hip-hop, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But the difference between Griselda’s music and this project is simply perspective. Griselda comes from the state of New York; we almost expect artists from New York to understand hip-hop. But this album tells a story about Washington, DC, that has never been entirely told on a grand scale in hip-hop. In an era where most artists are copying the sound of whatever’s popular for radio, Grateful sticks to his guns and makes music against the grain. Standout tracks include Boulé, I Am Legend, and my favorite track, Alfred Brickcock. Alfred Brickcock shows flashes of Biggie-like storytelling, and any fan of the late Notorious B.I.G. will more than appreciate the effort. It won’t win album of the year or get nominated for a grammy, but 45 holds a special place among hip-hop albums this year and could be the best piece of work ever released by a D.C. artist.
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