Wiley From Atlanta has quickly become one of my favorite underground up and comers and over the past few months, his hot streak of singles has seen him quickly traverse from relative anonymity to being one of the most anticipated artists to come out of Atlanta. His gruff voice and top-rate songwriting combine for a delightful fusion of hip-hop and r&b, with a distinct homage to his hometown that peeks out at times from his lyrics or production (this entire album was produced by Oliver Blue and Malik Drake, with support from Ian Pope).

“Blue Don’t Make Me Cry” features the aforementioned singles, but adds a diverse variety of new material as well. Wiley examines love, betrayal, and maturation from the perspective of an artist with a tormented soul and an apathetic but soft side. The album only features two artists, Jarrod Milton, and surging Atlanta rapper, Kenny Mason who is poised to have a tremendously big next year. Wiley hinted on Twitter at much of this album being dedicated to Milton, a massively talented Atlantan in his own right who heartbreakingly passed away from Leukemia in January last year.

This is a sonic tour through Wiley’s Atlanta, grief, and heartbreak, consolidated into nine heavy and deeply personal tracks. “Blue Don’t Make Me Cry” will undoubtedly go down as one of my favorite projects of 2019 and as merely just a fan, I am incredibly proud of Wiley From Atlanta.

Stream “Blue Don’t Make Me Cry” here: