billy woods & Kenny Segal — Maps — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Over the last few years, rap artist billy woods has shown to be a creative force to be reckoned with. After all, the musical year of 2022 saw woods release two amazing albums quite close to one-another.
As we approach the midpoint of 2023, billy woods is still showing no signs of slowing down, as shown by the release of a brand new exciting project. Only this time, we see the rapper collaborate with LA producer Kenny Segal.
This hasn’t been the first time these two have collaborated on a big project like this; that honour would go to 2019’s Hiding Places. However, this brand new album, titled Maps, would be the first collaboration between the two that I have listened to and reviewed, and also stands as my first true introduction to Segal.
Right off the bat, I was impressed with the production from Kenny Segal, and just how well it melded with billy woods’ abstract rap style, which obviously should be known to be amazing as always without mention at this point. The fluidity that both bars and beats bring to the table on this project make Maps undoubtedly engaging.
Another thing that Kenny Segal really takes advantage of on this album as well, would be that the beats he creates really let woods’ bars attract most of the attention. On top of all being incredibly unique, these beats perfectly showcase the rappers knack for managing to cram in as many bars as possible into even the slowest instrumentals.
And boy, oh boy, is Maps generous with its creativity. This new album carries with it a total of 17 songs, that still somehow manage to reach a balanced total runtime of just under 45 minutes. It just really goes to show, that billy woods manages to achieve the near-impossible task of keeping it coming consistently with projects that never feel stale.
And as consistently great as any project involving billy woods is, Kenny Segal manages to make this project stand out from those I’ve listened to before, with beats that are both mind-bendingly abstract, and engagingly punchy.
Maps also has a brilliant range of different moods, ranging from insanely gritty and dark, to serenely soulful. However, these moods somehow manage to meld together into some kind of glorious amalgamation of different sounds.
The one tiny little nitpick I would add, is that this album can get so hypnotic at times, that it is indeed quite difficult to listen to it in a critical context. Nevertheless, I have been through quite the busy week, and it was clear that this album was simply made to vibe out to, which is exactly what I got out of it.
When it really comes down to it though, Maps is clearly a masterclass in alternative hip-hop, showcasing just how artistic and creative rap albums can often be.
Favourite Tracks: Soft Landing | Year Zero | Baby Steps | Houdini
Least Favourite Track: Agriculture
Backwoodz Studioz | Fat Possum Records
