The year is halfway over, and we've already seen a few big releases within the rap game. Insofar as sheer scope, J. Cole's The Off-Season is arguably the biggest hip-hop release to have landed this year, with many fans appreciating the rapper's renewed focus on bars.
Clearly, Cole's new album resonated with the people, who made sure to return the love by hitting the polls for Rap Caviar's recent All-RapCaviar Awards.
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Yesterday, the popular playlist confirmed that Cole was officially crowned the All-RapCaviar MVP, a well-deserved honor for the Dreamville veteran. Given that The Off-Season has already earned praise as one of Cole's best albums, it's refreshing to see him receiving accolades from one of the most popular playlists in hip-hop. After all, Cole has been slightly divisive on the critical front, though he has always retained unwavering loyalty from his millions of fans.
In another big win, 1017's own Pooh Shiesty -- who currently sits incarcerated for the time being -- was able to lock in another All-RapCaviar prize. As it happens, his early-year drop Shiesty Season was enough to cement him as Rap Caviar's Rookie Of The Year, a win largely fueled by the power of "Back In Blood." Alas, Shiesty's season looks to have been cut short prematurely, though his early output padded his stats so impressively that fellow rookies will have a tough time catching up.
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In addition, Yo Gotti also took home Coach Of The Year for his work mentoring and guiding the CMG roster. Congratulations to Cole, Shiesty, and Gotti for taking home their prizes, as voted by the fans. Check out the official announcements below, and sound off if you feel they deserved their respective wins in the comments below.