Denzel Curry: Imperial [CONCORD JAZZ]

Why you'll love it

This Loma Vista LP carries the deluxe tracklist, with "Me Now" and "Good Night" in the running order. Stereogum called Imperial a hazy, gurgling rap record that's clearly the work of an active mind.

This edition

• Deluxe edition with bonus tracks

About the album

Denzel Curry put Imperial out for free on SoundCloud in March 2016, which is a generous way to introduce yourself to the world. The young Florida rapper had been building a following online, and this was the record that showed how much range he had: rapid-fire aggression one minute, reflective and weary the next.

Rick Ross lends his boom to "Knotty Head," the lead single produced by FNZ and Ronny J, Joey Bada$$ joins on "Zenith," and Curry's Twelve'len collaborators are all over the record. "ULT" opens in a woozy fog built on a Brenda Lee sample, "Story: No Title" flips Loleatta Holloway, and Steve Lacy adds vocals to the closer "If Tomorrow's Not Here." Curry was barely into his twenties and already sounded like a veteran. For the expanded version that came out in October, "Me Now" and "Good Night" joined the lineup and "This Life" moved up the running order.

It won Curry the critical acclaim that set up everything that followed. He gave the album away to begin with; the vinyl, we're sorry to report, we do have to charge for.

Also at Kops: more Denzel Curry on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On Loma Vista (cat# LVR00105), a reissue of the 2016 album.