Rapsody’s God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops is the kind of album that gives you something to think about.

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TOP 5 SONGS

5. Free Yo’ Mind

 Free Yo’ Mind is a good vibe from the jump. It’s all about taking a deep breath and letting things go, not letting everything get to you. It is living your life with your own free will and not letting stress or what other people have going on weigh too heavily on your conscience. It’s very liberating, and the track itself just has a way of making you feel relaxed. Sometimes you really do just need to breathe, let that sh*t go, and keep moving.

4. Abandoned Me

This track is slower, but it carries a lot of weight. It’s so pretty, elegant, and soulful. You can hear the pain and the struggle in the track. It feels like betrayal and hurt from someone you really loved and cared about, someone you really thought had your back and would be there through it all, but they weren’t. Abandoned Me sat heavy on my heart, but in the best way. It’s one of those songs that hurts a little while you’re listening, but you appreciate it because of how honestly that pain is expressed.

3. God Gotta Afro

The title track God Gotta Afro just demands to be heard, and it IS very empowering. The track radiates Black excellence, the beauty of womanhood, and knowing that you, individually, are a force. This track made me feel proud. It made me feel strong. But also, It made me feel good in my skin and in my soul. It comes with a message that is impossible not to receive, and honestly, I think that’s what makes it so powerful.

2. Pick A Side

This song has such a fun beat and sounds so light and carefree, but it’s deeper than that. It’s about privilege and people going back and forth on what’s “acceptable” and what’s not. Turning your head at certain things while praising other things, offering support in one moment and ignoring issues the next. It’s very real, very brutal, and honestly something that needed to be talked about. Rapsody doesn’t sugarcoat the hypocrisy she’s pointing out, and that makes the track hit even harder.

1. Apple Juice

Apple Juice is a very sweet, very addicting track. It is honestly so fun and just has a way of making you feel good. Lyrically, we’re talking about catching feelings for someone that are getting deep and wanting to know if they feel the same way, but being scared to ask. The song feels light and vibey all the way through, and it has a way of just making you want to hear it again and again. It’s one of those tracks that feels easy and carefree, even though there’s a little bit of vulnerability underneath it.

SONG BY SONG RATING

Peace, God! (N/A)
Free Yo’ Mind ((4/5)
No Way (4/5)
Apple Juice (4/5)
Never Break (4/5)
God Gotta Afro (4/5)
OMG! (3.5/5)
Black Love (4/5)
Pick A Side (4/5)
Abandoned Me (4/5)
The Peejays (3/5)
You! (4/5)
Black Is Beautiful (4/5)
Pretty Bird/ Way U R (4/5)
Joyful (4/5)
Act II: Bloodline/ Growing Older (4/5)

RGM RATING

(C+)

Rapsody’s God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops is the most emotionally powerful album I’ve heard in a really long time. This album is filled with important messages and life lessons, good emotions and deep struggles. There’s a balance here, and it really makes every single track count.

Sonically, this album leans heavily into hip-hop and R&B, with different cultural influences intertwined throughout the tracklist. Lyrically, the album speaks heavily on self-love and self-worth, along with injustices both in society and in your private, more personal life.

This whole album makes you want to have a steady mind, find comfort in your own skin, and have a voice that doesn’t silence itself when it comes to standing up for your beliefs. It’s strong, motivational, and beautifully done. Overall, I really liked this album, and I’d definitely come back to it. There’s a lot here that feels bigger than just the music, and I think that’s exactly what makes God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops so special.

Ileyah

Ileyah is a mom, a writer and a musician. She loves late nights and gluten free snacks.