Bill Israel

Kodak Black's Bill Israel arrived as the rapper was serving time on weapons charges. Twenty-three months divide his last release and this one, but he still sounds timely; the weary cloud that settled over Dying to Live looms dark and imposing. His signature survival-at-any-cost mentality informs much of the songs, and he remains unblinking in his demeanor—trauma and bravado constantly intertwine for an effect that evokes sympathetic intrigue as often as it does revulsion. Kodak has always been a compelling storyteller, and Bill Israel is no exception. Now, though, the reality of his circumstances makes his rhymes that much harder to swallow.