Music Reviews

[amosradio-blog]

‘Black Panther’ ALBUM REVIEW

This is my official, song for song review of the ‘Black Panther Soundtrack’ for the movie. 

This album was released on Feb. 9th. I did song reviews on the first three singles released back on my page. 

1. Black Panther. (by Kendrick Lamar)

The introduction I was hoping for. Instrumental changes often, intense. Definitely the King's song. Great overall production. Kendrick sounds like he's rapping a little offbeat but his lyrics are pretty powerful. Great Intro/theme song. 8/10

2. All The Stars.

(A review of this song was posted as a breakdown recently on my page, so go                          check that out if you want a better review)  Good song overall. I've heard all the song released so far, and this one is probably my least favorite. Could see people that aren’t fans of this genre liking it. 6.5/10

3. X (by 2Chainz, Saudi, Schoolboy Q, and Kendrick Lamar)

Really goddam good. Wasn't expecting Kendrick's hook at all. The intramental build up along with the hook is amazing. I've never heard Saudi before this song, but his part was alright. Schoolboy and Chainz both killed it. Definitely will be playing again. 9/10

4. The Ways (by Swae Lee & Khalid)

This song is pretty good. Khalid's part is good. I was let down by Swae Lee's part because I know he doesn't need that much autotune to make a good song. Kendrick was just ending sentences, but it added to the song for sure. 6.5/10

5. Opps (by Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok, & Kendrick Lamar)

This was one of the song I was the most excited for. Kendrick's part is amazing, with a phenomenal intramental backing everyone up. Vince's part is great as well. As of fan on Vince, I feel like he is mixing his old sound and his Big Fish style, and it sounds great. I've never heard of Yugen Blakrok, but he had the best verse in my opinion. Really great song. 9/10

6. I Am (by Jorja Smith)

I've never heard of Jorja Smith either, but will definitely be checking out her music. Great instrumental, great guitar playing in the back. The violin is great too... The whole instrumental is amazing. Great song. 8.5/10

7. Paramedic (by Slimmy B, Kendrick Lamar, Zacari, Lul G, DaBoii, and Yhung T.O.)

There is a lot to digest about this song. First, the Intro and hooks are good. The only artists I've heard of everybody is Kendrick And Zacari, so there was a lot of new faces for me on here. Slimmy B's part is good. Definitely a sub-genre of rap, but I liked it. Lul G's part is similar, but good. They both set the vibe alongside the instrumental. DuBois goes in on here. I really liked his verse, and will probably check out his music. The last verse, with the instrumental change, is my favorite part of the song. Overall a really good song, especially for rap fans that want the bars. 8/10

8. Bloody Waters (by Ab-Soul, Anderson.Paak, and James Blake)

This was the song I was most excited for. As of big fan of both Anderson and Soulo, they both killed it. Anderson's part is pretty good. Ab-soul bars out on this song. He definitely had fun with this one. James Blake's Intro and Outro makes this song feel complete. Eerie slow ending. The instrumental isn't bad either. Real good song. 8.5/10

9. King's Dead

(A review of this song was posted as a breakdown recently on my page, so go                          check that out if you want a better review) This song is really good. Makes me even more excited about the movie for sure. Everyone on the song has their place, and even though I wasn't a big fan of Future’s part, he did more good than bad.  8/10.

10. Redemption Interlude

Nice interlude. Sets up for the next song well.

11. Redemption (by Zacari, Babes Wodumo, Kendrick Lamar)

This song is like an instrumental with chants on it? It feels like it is made to be cut up around the Movie for sure. As an overall song? Ide maybe add it to a homework playlist or something. 5.5/10

12. Seasons (by Sjava, Mozzy, & Reason)

The first verse of the song is in Spanish so I won't rate it lyrics wise because I don't speak Spanish. Mozzy's part was really good. I love his raw flow, and he is expressing himself throughout the lyrics. Reason had a great verse too. I've heard of none of them before, but will definitely be checking out their music. The little 'seasons change' hook is nice too. The song is good. 7.5/10

13. Big Shot (by Kendrick Lamar & Travis Scott)

I knew Kendrick's part, only to realize the first part of his hook is from his 'New Freezers' verse, on Rich The Kid's song and the second part he played at the Grammy’s. Kendrick and Travis both have good verses. The song overall is pretty good. 7.5/10

14. Pray For Me

(A review of this song was posted as a breakdown recently on my page, so go                          check that out if you want a better review) The song is a hit for sure and is definitely alright for what it is. Like I have preached in the past, I’m a fan of mainly rap and experimental. I like it though, it’s alright. 6/10

Overall album review

As a fan of both Marvel and comics in general, as well as a fan of Kendrick Lamar and the entirety of TDE, I was excited about this album when I first heard about it. The first 3 songs (which I did reviews for previously on my pages, when they were released), set my hopes down a bit. I liked King’s Dead a lot, but not so much the other ones. When I saw the tracklist I was excited about the ‘Opps’ track and the ‘Bloody Waters’ track, only to find out the entire album is great, not just a few songs. There are some that I am not a big fan of, and some that are obviously made for movie scenes and as background music, but that doesn’t take away from the album in its entirety. I will definitely be purchasing this for my Vinyl collection (if it comes out on Vinyl), and am definitely excited for the movie more. 

8/10

[amosradio-blog]

‘Pray For Me’ (by Kendrick Lamar & The Weeknd) SONG REVIEW

This is my review of the song ‘Pray for Me’ by Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. This song is the third song released from the new ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack, dropping on the 9th of February. 

(I’m sort of new to reviewing music so I will be playing with layouts and areas to talk about. I enjoy a lot of music and am passionate about it in general. I am mostly into Rap/Hip-Hop. I am in no way a genius in any of the topics I discuss, this is very opinion based, but I will keep an open mind and do my best to be unbiased. Stay tuned if you like what I’m doing.)

Production -

The instrumental to this song is good. Nothing overly complex. I feel like I can hear what it's trying to sound like, but it wasn't 100% figured out. 

Hook -

The hook is alright, done by the Weeknd. Sounds similar to a few other Weeknd songs. Not overly interesting.

Verse(s) - - Kendrick’s part is good. His enthusiasm is better than on All The Stars but not as good as King’s dead. He seems to aimlessly preach, but like a lot of other parts of these songs, they seem made for a movie... Because they are...

like - 

The drums in the background are nice. Weeknd’s voice is nice on most songs.

dislike - 

It's not overly interesting, which is very opinion based. To me, it just lacks substance.

Overall Layout - 

The song is laid out like a hit. It has the Weeknd repeating his hook, with a small ‘rap’ verse. 

Overall Opinion -

The song is a hit for sure and is definitely alright for what it is. Like I have preached in the past, I'm a fan of mainly rap and experiment. I like it though, it's alright. 6/10

(I will be posting a lot more often. I post on Tumblr first, and then my Instagram. There are some reviews exclusive to Instagram and vice versa... I will be reviewing the entire Black Panther soundtrack when it is released. The soundtrack is released on Feb. 9th so I will try to have a review posted by the 11th. I also have a review of ‘Learn How to Watch’ by Dj Carnage, MadeinTyo, and Mac Miller. I also, over the past three months or so, have been exploring the underground rap scene a lot more, strongly Chicago. I will be posting reviews of some of that too, but I will be mainly trying to post on releases from this year. Suggest me song and albums though. Pce.) 

[amosradio-blog]

‘All The Stars’ (by Kendrick Lamar & SZA) SONG REVIEW

This is my review of the song ‘All the Stars’ by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. This is the first single released of the new ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack, dropping Feb. 9.

The second single released, ‘King’s Dead’ was reviewed a few days ago. ( https://amosradio.tumblr.com/post/170407329652/amosradiokingsdeadreview )

(I'm sort of new to reviewing music so I will be playing with layouts and areas to talk about. I enjoy a lot of music and am passionate about it in general. I am mostly into Rap/Hip-Hop. I am in no way a genius in any of the topics I discuss, this is very opinion based, but I will keep an open mind and do my best to be unbiased. Stay tuned if you like what I'm doing.)

Production - 

The instrumental is good... It has a smooth sound to it, but this one key being played every other beat that I personally don't really like. The violin being played later on in the song is really nice though. Nothing extravagant, but good. 

Hook - 

SZA does her thing on the hook. I like SZA and the hook is good

Verse(s) -   -Kendrick’s verses are good. He raps real calm, almost sounding uninterested.  - SZA has a little verse in this song, and I think its great. SZA uses her voice to make different sounding music, and always pulls it off well.

like - 

They both did well on the song. The violin in the instrumental made it way better in my opinion.

dislike - 

The key playing in the intramental just sounds out of place to me. Might be just me. Kendrick sounds very unimpressed and bored. I understand he does different styles and I am a pretty big Kendrick fan, but this one just sounds like he's talking.

Overall Layout - 

This song is put together nicely. Nothing special, but it gave both artists time to shine.

Overall Opinion - 

Good song overall. I've heard all the song released so far, and this one is probably my least favorite. Could see people that aren't fans of this genre liking it. 6.5/10

[amosradio-blog]

‘King’s Dead’ (by Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar & Future) SONG REVIEW

This is my review of the song ‘King’s Dead’ by Jay Rock. This song is the second single released of the new ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack for the movie.  I will review the first single, ‘All The Stars’ soon, as well as a lot more.

(I'm sort of new to reviewing music so I will be playing with layouts and areas to talk about. I enjoy a lot of music and am passionate about it in general. I am mostly into Rap/Hip-Hop. I am in no way a genius in any of the topics I discuss, this is very opinion based, but I will keep an open mind and do my best to be unbiased. Stay tuned if you like what I'm doing.)

Production -

The instrumental is really good overall. It switches midway through the song, all parts of it sounding great, whilst fitting the ‘jungle’ and ‘African King’ vibe of Black Panther. Definitely set up to be a banger, as usual with Mike WiLL.

Hook -

The first hook (miss me with that bs) was good. Kendrick is flexing a bit, whether he’s doing it in a character’s eyes or not, its fun. The hook in the second part of the song (red light green light) has a similar vibe to it, sounding as if it would be used in a car scene of the movie. 

Verse(s) -    - Jay Rock was the best in this song in my opinion. He really sounds like he's having fun. He sounds ready to make his move like SZA did this year. Really liked it.

   - Future was something different for sure. As much as I am not a big fan of autotune, he could have used some. It would have sounded better. I’ve never really been of fan of the type of music he makes, so I am the wrong person to judge whether or not its good. I think it adds more to the song then it takes away though.

   - Kendrick had a few different parts in this song, but his most notable part is the second half of the wong. He goes in for a bit, and it sounds really good. He definitely feels/sounds like he is playing a villain. (I've seen other people say this too). Him and Jay Rock are close, but I still liked Jay’s better. (Also, after seeing his Grammy performance, I like his part even better. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it.)

like - 

Almost the entire song is great. Jay and Kendrick’s verses were both really good. Future definitely had his part in this song. Mike WiLL did what he always does with a banger instrumental.

dislike - 

Like I said before, not a huge fan of Future’s part, but it wasn't awful. The ‘Ladidadida’ part is a bit annoying though. 

Overall Layout - 

The song is pieced together nicely. It is two very different sounding vibes put together to make one song. I can see a few ways this could sound good in a Marvel movie.  James Blake had an intro on the song, but nothing adding or taking away from the song. If anything, his part explains the mood switch.

Overall Opinion - 

This song is really good. Makes me even more excited about the movie for sure. 

8/10 (I have a lot of upcoming reviews, including ‘All The Stars’ by SZA and Kendrick ‘Learn How To Watch’ by Dj Carnage, MadeInTyo, and Mac Miller, and a lot more.)

 I will be messing around with how I do my reviews often, I'm new at this. When I change up how to do the reviews, I will be keeping the old ones the way they are.

I WANT FEEDBACK

 ~Stay Tuned~

[amosradio-blog]

‘Aren't U Glad You’re U?’ by Domo Genesis.   -                  Mixtape Review

This Is My Official Personal Review Of 'ARENT U GLAD YOU'RE YOU'RE U' By Domo Genesis. This is my first project of Domo Genesis' that I am fully listening to.

1. Title - 'Me Vs. Me' Producer - Flow - Like I said with the beat, everything fits nicely together. Like he's rapping a wave. Overall -  Real good song. Each aspect clicked together like a puzzle. Will Listen again. 7/10

2. Title -  Shaq Carried Kobe (Ft. Phonte) Producer -

Instrumental - Similar to the last, (and I'm beginning to think there will be a common theme between them all), it is a very 'rap-overable' beat. Good hip-hop beats. I enjoy the keys, they have a very hollow, underlying eerie vibe. 7/10 Lyrics - Doms - References the 'caught the wave line' from the previous song, adding to the conversation. Continuing to preach about him cutting people out of his life that was only affecting his negatively. Ends comparing him being looked at as a joke to Shaq carrying Kobe. I liked it. 7.5/10 Phon - A few multi-syllable rhymes. Talks about the money he is making, while making some references I don't know. Some movie references. Not bad. 6/10 Flow - Doms was smoother, but they were both riding the beat decently. 6.5/10 Overall - Pretty good song. Definitely far from bad. Would probably listen again. 6.5/10

3. Title - Free Kirk Producer -

Instrumental - Very jazzy, with a nice little drum/baseline. Nice keys. Love the rain in the background. I really enjoy this instrumental. Unique. 8.5/10 Lyrics - Amazing. He 100% shows off his lyricism while talking about a bunch of real topics in his life, talking about his friend in jail, to him dealing with money and the idea of being 'famous'. 8.5/10 Flow - IMO - Godly. He jogs across the intramental perfectly. 9/10 Overall - Really Great song. Will 100% listen again. 9/10

4 Title - BBB Producer -

Instrumental - Eerie, with some trippy, but great sounding keys. basic drum line, but fits it well. Definitely an alright beat. 7.5/10 Lyrics - Some great sounding playful wordplay. Aggressive. explains where his priorities are. 7.5/10 Flow - Fits beat great. 7/10 Overall - Alright song. Nothing crazy. Might listen again. 7/10

5 Title - Song Me A Song Producer -

Instrumental - A mix between a 'Trip hop' and 'Blues' vibe. I really like the combination. Different but really good. 8/10 Lyrics - Great wordplay. few really good lines in this, but the whole thing overall is definitely not bad at all. 7.5/10 Flow - He raps over it perfectly, like he's bobbing his head to the beat. I definitely was. Overall - the whole thing makes me vibe and bob my head. Will listen to again. 7.5/10

6 Title - Brake Producer -

Instrumental - A whole lot of different instruments being used here. Dark/Underground feel to it. I like the vocals whistling in the back a lot. 8/10 Lyrics - He definitely raps aggressive as hell, and he kills it. Comes from a dark train of thought. Could see Earl or Joey on here for sure. 7.5/10 Flow - Perfect. Makes the whole vibe set up perfectly. Dark tone to it. 8/10 Overall - Really dark and aggressive.It's like the song is trying to be a perfect song in its own lane. Really good. Will listen again 8/10.

7 Title - Fuck A Co-Sign (ft. Evidence) Producer - Intramental - Nice simple rap beat, with a really fitting vocal sample over it. Good. 7/10 Lyrics - It was Evidence rapping the entire time, but it definitely wasn't bad. Very DOOM inspired. 6/10 Flow - Basic, but it works well with everything. 6/10 Overall - Real basic rap song, but not actually bad. Might listen to again. 6/10

8 Title - Hood Famous Producer - Intramental - Very focused on the keyboard. sets anyone up to tell an emotional poem/rhyme. Nice, smooth ending, giving me a some-what unexplainable feeling. 8/10

Lyrics - 

Talks thankfully and heartfelt. Great ending to the mixtape. Like it was a setup finale. 8/10

Flow - Puzzles the rest together perfectly. Smooth. 8/10 Overall - Really good song. Will definitely play again. 8/10 Overall - The album was good. I will most likely be listening to it start-to-finish again. 7/10 Instrumental - Feels like an easy beat to rap to, in a good way. I could name a bunch of artists I would love to see over this beat. 7/10 Lyrics - The 'too often' vibe with the hook is great. I've always thought the voice tone drop was cool. In the hook, he metaphorically talks on people sticking around him for the money. Definitely raps with an attitude, likes it's his turn. 7/10