What Albums Are Being Released Friday, Dec. 9th?

This week in new releases we have J. Cole, Nina Kravitz, Neil Young, and we’ll get debut albums from hip-hop/ R&B groups Dec 99th and Hodgy Beats and more.

This week’s new music includes a new rally-cry album from Neil Young which follows a few months behind his release of the NoDAPL protest song “Indian Givers”. We’ll also hear from several hip hop artists including J. Cole, Ab-Soul, Hodgy, and Tech N9ne. On the fringe are some lesser-known artists like EDM DJ and producer Nina Kraviz, composer Peter Broderick and new-comers Dec. 99th, made up of Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Ferrari Sheppard.

Take a look at all the new releases below!

Ab-Soul, DWTW
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE)

Ab-Soul is a hip-hop solo recording artist as well as a member of the group Black Hippy. Black Hippy includes Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Schoolboy Q. Ab-Soul’s music has always had a way of speaking to people and his previous albums have all found success and acclaim. It is pure speculation at this point, but many fans believe DWTW to only be an acronym for the full album title.

Track listing: I’m actually having a VERY hard time finding the track list for Ab-Soul’s new album. If I find it, I’ll update it here!

Dec. 99th, December 99th
Unknown Record Label

Dec. 99th is an alt-hip-hop group headed by Yasiin Bey (previously known as Mos Def) and Ferrari Sheppard. Sheppard, a photographer and journalist, first began making music for himself. He and Bey began collaborating soon after that under the name Dec. 99th. They have had several songs released on Tidal. December 99th will be released exclusively on Tidal. Yasiin, who has been detained in South Africa for most of the year, has said that he plans to retire after a few final performances in the US. He was finally able to leave South Africa in late November.

Track listing:

1. N.A.W.
2. Blade In The Pocket
3. SPESH
4. Local Time
5. Tall Sleeves
6. Seaside Panic Room
7. Shadow In the Dark
8. It Goes
9. Special Dedication

Hodgy, Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide
Odd Future

Hodgy (formerly known as Hodgy Beats) is a California-based artist and producer and a member of the hip hop collection Odd Future (which may or may not be broken up?) with MellowHype and HellowHigh. Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide is Hodgy’s debut solo album. Features include Salomon Faye, Busta Rhymes, and Lil Wayne.

Track listing:

1. Nitro
2. Kundalini feat. Salomon Faye
3. Barbell
4. Resurrection
5. They Want
6. Final Hour feat. Busta Rhymes
7. Glory
8. Laguna
9. Turkuoise
10. Tape Beat feat. Lil Wayne
11. Deaminofthinkin
12. The Now
13. Dyslm

J. Cole, 4 Your Eyez Only
Dreamville Records, Rod Nation, & Interscope Records

J. Cole’s fourth studio album is unique: It has no features. In other words, no other rappers or singers make an appearance on any tracks on the album. Because of that, I think 4 Your Eyez Only will be another critical hit, and be a reflection of J. Cole’s internal musings. It’s not that unique to him, but it is unique to the genre. He didn’t want, or need, anyone else to help express what he needed to say.

Track listing:

1. 4 Your Eyez Only
2. No Clue
3. Picture my Vision
4. Politically Incorrect
5. Day after Tomorrow
6. Patience
7. Mr. Persuasive
8. Devil’s Mother
9. Finish Line
10. Cole Universe

Neil Young, Peace Trail
Reprise Records

We got a first glimpse of Neil Young’s anger and disgust in current affairs a few months ago when he released “Indian Givers”, a song about the Dakota Access Pipeline. His new album, Peace Trail, is both a call for peace and a challenge to rise up and take back the power that has been taken from us. In an L.A. Times interview, Neil Young spoke about that power, saying:

"“People sold the power, but they can have it back. They just have to want it, then they can have it back. It’s pretty simple. It’ll be a battle, but they can get it back.”"

Track Listing:

1. Peace Trail
2. Can’t Stop Workin’
3. Indian Givers
4. Show Me
5. Texas Rangers
6. Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders
7. John Oaks
8. My Pledge
9. Glass Accident
10. My New Robot

Nina Kraviz, Fabric 91
Fabric

Nina Kraviz is a DJ, producer, and vocalist from Russia known for her elaborate and well-balanced dance music mixes. Fabric 91 is the 91st installment of a fifteen year project led by Fabric, a London nightclub, that is now closed. On the Fabric blog, Nina said:

"“This mix is of course where I am as a DJ and record collector, but it’s also where I am as a listener and it’s what makes me groove at the moment. People call this a brain dance … This mix is a trippy acidic dream with a lot of different emotions along on the way. And as it was recorded at different times and places, under different circumstances, it’s naturally absorbed all these very different emotions.. I’ve used only completely new unreleased music or rare old tracks, and nothing in between, no current releases. The mix is an invisible bridge between the past and a future that is actually now.”"

You can listen to the mix through NPR’s First Listen here. Since the track listing has 41 items, I’m not listing them all here.

Maria Taylor, In the Next Life
Flower Moon Records

Maria Taylor was previously a member of the band Azure Ray and has released a slew of solo projects. Her sixth studio album, In the Next Life, seems to be reflective of what’s been going on in her own personal life: she’s recently married and has two young children. She’s known for melancholy songs and digging deep to show both the light and the dark in all things. Collaborators on the album include Conor Oberst (who has his own new album out), Joshua Radin, and Nik Freitas.

Track listing:

1. Home
2. Free Song
3. If Only feat. Conor Oberst
4. There’s Only Now
5. While the Rest of Me Is Waking Up
6. A Good Life
7. It Will Find Me
8. Just Once
9. Flower Moon
10. Pretty Scars

You can listen to the entire album on NPR’s First Listen here.

Tech N9ne, The Storm
Strange Music Inc.

Tech N9ne is a Kansas City-based indie rapper and musician and founder of the record label Strange Music. The Storm is Tech’s seventeenth studio album and the follow-up to his debut album The Calm Before The Storm. In addition to the monster 17 tracks included on the album, a deluxe version will also be available and will include “No Runnin’ to Ya Mama” and “Til I’m Gone”.

Track listing:

1. Godspeed
2. Need Jesus feat. Stevie Stone & JL
3. Sriracha feat. Logic & Joyner Lucas
4. Wifi (Skit)
5. Wifi (WeeFee)
6. Erbody But Me feat. Bizzy & Krizz Kaliko
7. Get Off Me feat. Darrein Safron & Problem
8. I Get It Now feat. Krizz Kaliko
9. Hold On Me feat. Kate Rose
10. Starting To Turn feat. Jonathan Davis
11. Poisoning The Well
12. Buss Serves feat. Young Devi D & BIg Scoob
13. Buddha feat. Adrian Truth & Boyz II Men
14. No Gun Control feat. Gary Clark Jr. & Krizz Kaliko
15. What If It Was Me feat. Krizz Kaliko
16. Anywhere feat. Marsha Ambrosius
17. The Needle feat. Krizz Kaliko

Peter Broderick, Grunewald
Erased Tapes Records

Peter Broderick is a musician and composer from the American Pacific Northwest. He plays several instruments including violin and piano. The first (and perhaps only) song that he has composed for solo violin is included in the EP, “Violin Solo No.1”. His music could probably be described as modern classical meets American folk.

Track listing:

1. Goodnight
2. Low Light
3. Violin Solo No.1
4. It’s A Storm When I Sleep
5. Eyes Closed And Traveling

Next: 36 New Holiday and Christmas Albums for 2016

Let us know what you loved this week, and if you found any hidden gems that we missed!