
Label: Glassnote
Unlike anything he has done previously, this album takes cues from D'Angelo and '70s Funkadelic more than what you'd expect from an artist who started out rapping. This shows his growth as an artist, using more live instrumentation, back up singers, and even pushing his own vocal approach. In the wave of Kendrick Lamar's and Kamasi Washington's spiritual journey of African-American music that's simultaneously spiritual, retro, and futuristic, Awaken, My Love! shows more influence from George Clinton, Prince, and even King Crimson than it does with the world of modern hip hop.