Magic Alive! by McKinley Dixon
#26
A colorful, densely orchestrated jazz-rap album that sees McKinley Dixon continue the unbelievable run he has been on since his 2021 breakthrough. It’s an album about death: 3 kids have a friend who passes away, and they grapple with keeping his memory alive by building monuments in his memory, and bargaining to bring him back - eventually reincarnating him on “Sugar Water.” As always, the project is incredibly literary, paying homage to Toni Morrison on tracks like “Recitatif.” The features on the record are also incredibly good - all of the guest verses add a lot to the project, and I especially loved the melodic vocal performances of Anjimile and Shamir.