What I’ve Been Listening To So Far This Year
So far 2026 has started off with a lot of great music. We’ve gotten some long-awaited projects from big names, as well as continued drops from the usual suspects.
Here is what I’ve been listening to to start off the year.
J. Cole – The Fall Off
Seeing J. Cole announce the release date for The Fall Off toward the end of January came as a bit of a surprise. Fans definitely expected that the album would be dropping sometime this year, but in usual Cole fashion there wasn’t a ton of promotion leading up to the official release other than a couple of tweets and an early drop for the cover art.
The album definitely delivered as Cole’s best work, but I can’t say it quite delivered as being an all time classic as he might have intended. The performances are great. The lyricism is sharp. But the production isn’t the most groundbreaking, and some of the flows feel very much borrowed from other artists.
With that said, it’s still an enjoyable listen. As a young artist myself it is always inspiring to hear older guys still rapping at a high level. Cole definitely comes through as a true hip hop head and someone who truly loves the genre.
DaBaby – BE MORE GRATEFUL
DaBaby isn’t a name that you hear as much at the forefront of hip hop these days, and some even go as far as to say that he “fell off”.
When I started seeing some of the early singles getting released for the project, my first impression was that DaBaby was taking a more humble approach to this album. The songs came across as being low-key, with less of the hard hitting bravado DaBaby is typically known for.
Throughout the full album, fans get a little bit of all of that. The bravado is still there, but there is also a mix of other sounds. Overall I found the album to be enjoyable.
Curren$y – Everywhere You Look
In typical Curren$y fashion, this album came as a bit of a surprise, without much promo other than a few posts on Instagram.
The full project comes through as a cool collection of jams, but it is a bit on the short side at only 20 minutes in length.
The beats are up-tempo, but still with a smooth sound, and Curren$y comes through with great wordplay. Overall, nice to see Curren$y starting off the year with a new drop.
Wiz Khalifa – Khaotic
I wasn’t really feeling this album from Wiz. The theme “Khaotic” is cool from an artistic standpoint, but it just doesn’t pan out in a way that makes for a great listen.
The subject matter throughout the album is shallow, repetitive, and non-inspiring. Many of the songs are very materialistic, mostly revolving around topics like money and sex. Which is surprising to hear after seeing that Wiz became a father to a baby girl just over a year ago.
There are a couple of bangers on there that make for a fun listen, but overall I wasn’t really feeling it.
Larry June, Curren$y & The Alchemist – Spiral Staircases
At the time of writing this article Spiral Staircases has only been out for about a day, and I just listened to it for the first time last night. Overall, it made for a smooth listen, with about what you would expect from the 3 collaborators.
It is a bit on the short side at only 7 songs, but each song features very elegant production, with some great rhyme-spitting.
Will have to listen to this one again and get more of a feel for it.
A$AP Rocky – Don’t Be Dumb
Considering A$AP Rocky’s lack of new music, it is surprising that he has been able to maintain a position of relevance for so long. Afterall, his last album TESTING dropped almost a decade ago.
On this album Rocky gets back into his bag, sounding like the artist many have known and loved over the years. Although he does also get a little bit out of his usual groove for some songs, he mostly sticks to what he does best.
Overall I found it to be an enjoyable listen, but it didn’t catch my ear as being especially inspiring or innovative either.
French Montana & Max B – Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos
After being released from prison in November of 2025, Max really did get right to work. First with dropping a solo project in December of last year, and then this collaborative project with French to start 2026.
Overall, I found the project to be alright, but I wasn’t entirely impressed with it. French came through with some decent line-spitting, and Max came through with his typical melodic wave. The beats are polished. But from a fans perspective, the album didn’t feel quite as celebratory as it probably could have. Afterall, this is Max and French coming together in the studio for the first time in over 16 years.
A Good Start
All in all, things are off to a good start for the new year. We’ve gotten a lot of big releases, and it’s not even the end of February. Definitely looking forward to continuing to see what other great albums are in store.
