“Central City” by Big Freedia

Bringing NOLA bounce to rap's mainstream.

Hello! 😊👋

Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!

Today’s music pick is one of the best party records of the year from a queer voice that should be on every rap fan’s radar.

Genre: Hip-Hop, Bounce

Label: Queen Diva Music

Release Date: June 23, 2023

Vibe: 🍑

Even if you don’t know Big Freedia by name, you’ve certainly heard their voice on hit pop and hip-hop singles. Sampled on tracks like “Break My Soul” and “Nice for What,” the New Orleans emcee and queer icon finally gets the spotlight they deserve with Central City, one of the best party records of the year. It also puts bounce, a hip-hop subgenre that, despite its popularity in Sun Belt states, hasn’t found a reliable crossover audience, into the mainstream conversation. From the jump, you’re hit with one club-ready, twerk-friendly endorphin rush after another, with tracks like “Throw it Back” and “Pop That” guaranteed to get the energy up at your next house party or pre-drink session. Unlike other bounce releases of recent memory, the production’s also polished and precise, clearly intent on cleaning up and packaging the sound for urban radio rotation—and I mean that as a compliment.

Throughout the LP, Freedia is flanked by a cavalcade of guest stars who sound just as hyped and invested in the project as she does. There’s the funky Ciara collab “$100 Bill,” the horn-heavy “Bitch You Want” with Faith Evans, and the winding “El Niño,” featuring Mannie Fresh behind the board and Lil Wayne on the mic, spitting his catchiest guest verse in a while. The sum of these individual parts is a fun Southern romp that never takes itself too seriously without veering into camp or self-parody territory. Amid all the overlong-convoluted pop-rap records released so far in 2023, it’s refreshing to hear a tight, well-made album where everyone sounds like they’re having the best time. These are the kind of vibes hip-hop needs to consistently recapture this year and beyond.

👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈

Got thoughts on this album? Did you love it? Sound off in the comments.