MondreM.A.N.

MondreM.A.N. must be a Buddhist, because his music is the closest thing to nirvana in the rap game today. Dubbed cloud rap, the Oakland emcee's brand of stoner music is both chill and frantic — the result of mixing marijuana with amphetamines and opium. Put out through SWTBRDS and produced by Al Jieh, They Say I Struggle Rap upholds the Bay Area's reputation for birthing some of the best indie rap in America. At 13 songs in length, it's neither too short nor too long. Even though Mondre's experienced national attention (with his A$AP collaboration), he's still at the bottom. But his time is now: in his writing, Mondre's cut down on the localized slang, and in his subject matter, he's begun to tackle more serious themes such as love, death and family. DaVinci and Hasani join in with Green Ova artists Squadda Bambino and Shady Blaze as guests, and Al Jieh comes with a sound that's rich with synths but still light and airy. Standouts include the upbeat single "MC ILLIN" and the previously released "Intro Shit," though Struggle Rap is an album you listen to all the way through.