Torae

Until his DJ Premier-scored collaborations "Click” and "Get It Done” with MC Skyzoo surfaced last year, most heads weren’t aware of Torae. But the self-proclaimed "young veteran” has been toiling away in obscurity for a while now. On "The Journey Pt. 1,” Torae details his long and winding road filled with broken promises and failed deals, and you can’t help but admire his persistence. Torae’s determination translates to his aggressive approach on the mic. He’s aided in his mission by a stellar cast of producers. As well as the aforementioned DJ Premier bangers, Torae sources beats from the likes of Black Milk and 9th Wonder, as well as Toronto’s Attic and Marco Polo. While this line-up guarantees head-nodding satisfaction, Torae’s subject matter and flow don’t change up much, feeding into the album title. He even consciously attempts to address the issue on "Switch” and the ode to his daughter, "Tayler Made.” While Torae proves his long dedication to hip-hop is definitely warranted, it wouldn’t hurt to expand the dialogue a bit.