GoldLink, the artist behind one of the most recognizable flows in hip-hop, has returned with his new project, Diaspora. The otherwise well-made album starts off on a low note, with Ari Pen-Smith’s comically bad hook on Joke Ting. However, the star-studded roster of other featured artists makes up for this lapse in artistic judgment, with A-list talent like Khalid, Pusha T, Tyler, The Creator, and Wiz Kid delivering fantastic verses that do nothing but add value to their respective tracks. As evidenced by his previous discography, GoldLink is at home on up-tempo four-on-the-floor beats like in U Say, but he shows his versatility by flowing over a plethora of beat styles throughout the album. These beats borrow from several cultural inspirations, with American-style trap bangers like Rumble following tracks reminiscent of afro-Caribbean dancehall like Yard, and others like Zulu Screams and Spanish Song drawing from African and Latin music, respectively. The refrain “no bad vibes gonna enter my yard” perfectly sums up the overall feel of the album, with this project’s release coming just in time for summer. These tracks will be played at cookouts and pool parties alike, and should absolutely have a spot somewhere on your summer playlist.
Categories
GoldLink – Diaspora
frankmclaughl.in 