Concrete Jungles.

Hip-Hop Blog and Publicity Brand

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31.

(photo source: 300 Entertainment’s Instagram)

‘Robb Bank$’ ‘Double Up’

Very short post, because this track is profound enough. Mentioned Robb Bank$ a few days ago but I gotta retrace my steps and come back to the greatness I heard by shedding light on his released freestyle ‘Double Up’ ..

Honestly, this song has one of the coldest instrumentals I’ve heard this year (thank you Big Los). There are songs that you hear & from the very beginning, you know you’re listening to a certified banger.

This sh!t is nasty. Raw. And I don’t blame Robb for going in the way he did, he has every reason to. He’s shown more potential than most rappers today & has shown his dedication to what he does. The lyrics prove it all.

It’s almost 2016 and if you don’t know who tf Robb Bank$ is, I need you to get that crossed off of your things to do list.

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hiphopholidayszn.

Happy Black Friday to hip hop lovers. A sudden outpour of new music (both hip-hop and R&B) has hit airwaves AND IM HYPE AF. A brief overview of what I’ve heard so far ...

(artwork source: Google)

Fabolous dropped his ‘Summertime Shootout’ mixtape .. Fab is always so NY (my stomping ground), so I’ll never ever turn my back on him. Regardless though, this tape’s instrumentals and storyline are too original. The fact that it tells a story means, no, you won’t be skipping any tracks (or at least you shouldn’t be). There’s a couple of sounds you’ll hear that derive from: hip-hop classics, trap music, dancehall, valid ass remixes, etc. This dropping in the fall and still hitting my eardrums the way it did is why I say, it’s a good listen. Also ... it’s freaking Fab, you won’t be disappointed.

_________

(artwork source: Soundcloud)

Boy do I love hip-hop ... Robb Bank$ legit dropped three new tracks while I was writing this … BRUH, I almost had a conniption when I heard ‘Double Up, Griffith and Phone Talk’ .. I can’t explain how over-f!cking-joyed I am when it comes to Bank$ and his ability to remain CONSISTENTLY LIT. The fact that he’s made this post along with the rest of these heavy hitters speaks volumes.

Hit his Soundcloud or his Twitter (@RobbBanks) to listen. NOW!

_________

(artwork source: Google)

J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Black Friday’ remixes …. Dog. 

These two are the cream of the freaking crop. First, major kudos for the marketing move. These dudes got on each other’s tracks and ripped it in the finest way possible. Totally shut it down with that move alone. Sometimes, it’s not about what you rap, but about how you lob your material to the listeners. Cole and Kendrick give the idea that they’re damned near unbeatable when it comes to anything they drop. The bars prove it though, I heard a lot. Shots fired, hints of a project coming from Cole and (possibly) Kendrick in February, brutal ass lyrics about lack of competition, because let’s face it, there is. Keep reigning Kings, I’m ready for whatever’s next.

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30.

(artwork source: Google)

Hip-hop enthusiasts always talk sh!t about what real hip hop is- it's just what we do. We dissect lyrics, we have a top 10 all time greatest list, we can hear a sample & name where it's derived from & we always, ALWAYS find something to complain about.

Just a heads up for listeners: there's nothing to complain about in Pusha T's 'Untouchable'. You want the truth? Truth is, Pusha's one of the very few left that can revive what hip-hop has turned into (mark my words) & I'm not sure if many in my generation realize it. Stay woke.

'Untouchable' is organically raw. It jumps off with a Biggie sample from Pudgee's 'Think Big', then Pusha gets right into the mix, allowing us to understand why he's on his own level. His vocals are gritty- and believable. You ever hear a couple bars from a rapper & think to yourself- 'nahh, that didn't happen, he lyin, stop fraudin' .. There’s a total contrast here. What I've always respected about Pusha is that no matter what tone he's conveying on a track, you get his honesty.

We (today’s rap world) need that during this young, fly, flashy and illegitimate era. He's able to rap about what's real from his perspective nowadays- that's how you connect with listeners (take note). So yeah, you hear about the whips, money and fly fits in 'Untouchable', but you get hints of his past and present life well mixed within the bars- it balances out well. 

What I really like: You’ll understand how he got to living his lifestyle.

Pusha reminds me that hip-hop is, above all, an art form. You get a sense that ‘Untouchable’ is just a piece of the bigger picture & now, I'm for sure hype as hell for the album (if you aren’t, you should be).

The President of G.O.O.D. Music has been announced & he's leading our ears down the right path.

Good Looks, Push.

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29.

(artwork source: Soundcloud)

With a name like Icy Twat, I had no choice but to be interested. I’d heard his ‘PS42WW$’ single (go listen, it’s too cool) & made my way to his soundcloud page. Mad music for you to get hip to, but I heard ‘Lil Shorty 2' and fell in love.

A hazy vintage sounding instrumental and well placed snares makes for a track that forces you to drift away to Icy Twat’s world.

‘Lil Shorty 2’ is a ode to his picture perfect girl that he’d do absolutely anything for. Adorable.

Icy Twat has this low/lagging tone in his voice that works toooo well for the entire concept of the track. It’s calming. I tend to navigate towards chill music during the fall/winter season, so you already know, this is on repeat.

The lyrics are super sweet which is a huge reason why I got hooked.

Another thing: this dude is from Chicago. Never would have guessed it.

He surprised me because I honestly couldn’t pinpoint where I thought he was from. Icy Twat’s bodies of work are the type that you just dive into. A lot of what he does is daring, from his name alone, to his song titles (visit his soundcloud, you’ll see what I mean) and his lyrical content. 

So there we have it. Icy Twat’s ‘Lil Shorty 2′ + then some. Get Hip!

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28.

(artwork source: Soundcloud)

Cali’s always good for bangers that aren’t too harsh to the ear and this track isn’t an exception. ‘One Thing’ is a swanky move for Oakland born native Haysus .. doesn’t need any additives. 

Getting into the intro/first verse:

I loved the piano keys .. they’re played throughout the body of the track and honestly, I think they’re the driving force on the instrumental. 

‘One Thing’ starts off in Spanish, describing what life for Haysus is about (great look, especially for those who are bilingual). Haysus is able to convey this ‘this is the way I operate & if you dont fxck with it, then too bad, get over yourself’ attitude - in the coolest way possible. Without coming across as offensive, he’s clearly got control over how he wants to deliver his music to the masses.

Another thing I noticed and appreciated- this song carefully and accurately attempts to touch upon subjects without lyrics getting confusing. I heard messages about getting bread, finding a hustle that works for you and avoiding crooked cops, without thinking that the bars were all over the place, or overlapped.

Hearing a well balanced track like this from an independent artist is refreshing AF because nowadays, thrown together hip-hop music is becoming easily accepted. We need a good balance of simplicity and complexity within bars. We need more precision, purpose and strategy in the deliverance of what comes out of our headphones. ‘One Thing’ definitely contributes to this. 

A job well done Haysus. Cali stand up! 

(Oh, btw! Follow Haysus on Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/haysus510) 

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Oct/Nov

been busy, so of course, blog posts have been lackin’. updates coming very soon :)

Apologies and THANKS TO ALL WHO’VE TUNED IN THUSFAR.

- CJ

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27.

(album artwork source: urbanislandz)

The Documentary 2 is pieced together too flawlessly. FLAW-LESS-LY.

I say this because, it’s the truth. If you look at The Game’s past work, then you’d know that he always had bars (’Dreams’, ‘One Blood’, ‘Westcoast Story’, ‘How We Do’) but some might’ve forgotten due to his hiatus’ and occasional features. It’s almost as if he was quietly grinding out this project while everyone wasn’t expecting too much. Well, the west coast got another W with this one- The Documentary 2 is such a good f!ckin’ look.

The project jumps off with ‘On Me’ ft. Kendrick Lamar and ‘Step Up’ ft. Deja Loaf & Sha Sha .. bruh. The flow from both K.Dot and Game are perrrrrfect while Erykah Badu’s ‘On and On’ sample bumps in the background. Then you got this hook with a-capella vocals and nasty word play .. It’s simply smooth. Super hip. No other way to interpret it. Switching into ‘Step Up’. Pac’s ‘Round and Round’ sample with hints of Brandy’s ‘I Wanna Be Down' plus Game’s style of rapping ..

Heat.

About the bars .. they’re very simple and straightforward, but it’s authentic Game. It’s almost as if he picked up exactly where he left of the first time around with The Documentary. Like I mentioned before, we haven’t gotten a whole project from Game in a good minute, so hearing him speak about his life now is refreshing. You also get an idea of where he’s taken his music creatively.

Documentary 2 has skits, a collection of prime features, a slew of quotables that you can tweet on your timeline, soulful instrumentals (doesn’t sound like your usual west coast album, I love that) .. I pretty much knew by track 11 that this was A1 album material .. hadn’t skipped a track yet.

Don’t sleep on rappers that don’t say much. 

They drop their new material after the career hype dies down, then have to prove themselves to fans and listeners all over again. Not many pull this off, but it’s impressive and exciting to see it happen to Game. Matter of fact, I’m impressed with everything I’ve gotten from this. Song placement is perfect. Bars are strong. Messages behind the music are relevant and important. Momentum is consistent. 

This project is in a league of it’s own.

I’ve always liked Game’s sound, but my recognition for his music has definitely increased significantly. One of the top 5 hottest releases of 2015 ladies and gents.

Get hip.

On Me (ft. Kendrick Lamar)

Step Up (ft. Dej Loaf and Sha Sha)

Circles (ft. Q-tip, Eric Bellinger and Sha Sha)

Dedicated (ft. Future and Sonyae)

Bitch You Aint Shit (died laughing listening to the entire song)

Mula (ft. Kanye West)

100 (ft. Drake)

LA (ft. Snoop Dogg, will.i.am and Fergie)

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26.

(artwork source: soundcloud)

… It was fun and kind of a challenge reviewing a project specifically focusing on the production of music, so I have a few things to say about OVO producer Mike Zombie’s ‘Rebel Without A Cause’.

I automatically thought Zombie was from my turf (NY) with tracks like ‘They Need To See This’ and ‘Just Wait', however, I was a little off. Zombie’s from New Jersey (NJ stand up!) but the familiar tones of bass and rhythm definitely reminded me of house parties and kickback scenes in the city.

What I like the most about 'RWAC’ is … it has the type of potential where each track touches upon a different vibe. For example, ‘Up To Date’ is a super ‘laxed track but then there’s tracks like ‘The Set’ that I loveeee because of it’s referencing to the classic ‘Thong Song’ .. so you got a bit of old school/new school sounds going on.

People (including me) like when they can connect to music in different surroundings that invoke different moods, whether it’s at home on chill mode, on vacation, turning up with the squad, etc. The project dropped in January 2015, but here I am enjoying the sounds in October, so his music has longevity.

When I tuned into the production of sound within the entire project, there’s growth in variety. 

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t need to hear lyrics, I didn’t pay much attention to them. I could’ve listened to the instrumentals and transitions of each track on it’s own, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (especially due to the fact that I can listen to instrumentals all day), it just means Zombie’s a good producer.

The music industry needs production that includes the best of both worlds: it has to sound good & has bring out certain factors that I mentioned above, ‘specially if you want relevance. I got a sense of both of these qualities this time around.

Shoutout to Mike Zombie- Definitely liked what I heard. 

(For those who haven’t listened, do research, follow his Soundcloud & enjoy!)

Up To Date

The Set

Could Now

Southside Anthem (reminded me of ‘Juice’, get hip)

Rebel Without A Cause

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25.

(album artwork source: google)

YOTS is by far my FAVORITE mixtape/project/creation this year. IDGAF. Not just saying it because I love Robb Bank$’ music. Never that, it’s because he always elevates his music to the next level. It NEVER fails. When he releases his new work, it’s always well worth the wait. 

The vibe is savagery at its best.

When he announced he was dropping YOTS, I freaked out because I knew he wouldn’t fail me and or anyone else that follows his music. To those who don’t know, his sound is very gritty, very raw and very blatant. If you don’t like hearing music that your parents wouldn’t want you to play while they’re in your presence, listen at your own risk. If you get offended easily, listen at your own risk. 

His material has the ability to make you laugh, peep anime references, grimace from how nasty the production is and dab like crazy.

I’ve been exposed to his music for about two years now, so I’m always used to preparing myself for some other sh!t and once again, I still wasn’t prepared. The fluidity and journey Bank$ takes the listener through gives you an idea of how much buzz this project was receiving before the drop. 

I can’t listen to one song without the other which means a lot. It’s all cohesive.

I can’t quite explain how he’s able to showcase his dedication to his following through his music consistently, but he does it with no issue. Let me not forget to mention, the delivery of his bars is still versatile- just when you think you’ve got the hang of his rhythm, he switches it up again because he’s that good at what he does. 

There’s really not much else to say about Bank$, I’m satisfied. Super satisfied. Copping a ticket to his YOTS show ASAP. 

Get hip, it’s 2015 and he’s bound to be relevant AF for as long as he intends to be.

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24.

(photo source: Google)

What a time to be alive … hmmm. The internet found out that this project was dropping I wanna say like maybe three weeks ago, then soon after, it was confirmed by both Future and Drake. Now that it’s simmered down a bit since the release, lemme just say ..

Both Drake and Future are smart as hell for this collaboration. With the hype Future’s already received and the hype Drake gained from the Meek Mill beef, it was only right that they gave the people what they wanted. The beef is still relevant (You can catch both of them shooting shots at Meek throughout the tape) and it’s tactical. In a past Breakfast Club interview, Meek himself spoke about doing a collaboration project with Future in July .. Oh, how quickly the tables have turned.

Drake dominated the beef and took his chance while he had it. Truthfully, this is why I think this project is a good one: the motives and reasonings behind it. Great moves for both careers, which is cool. Lyrically, It’s the same Future and Drake that I’m used to hearing, same material being spoken about, just .. the same. I think lyrics could’ve been pieced together way better than they were. I’ll admit that I felt like I heard more Future than Drake. I’ll admit that the delivery in some songs are kind of rushed and well, blasé (Plastic Bag, Change Locations, I’m The Plug).

You get a totally different feel when you hear tracks like ‘Big Rings’ (my f!cking favoriteeeeeee) and ‘Digital Dash’ because Drake and Future compliment one another even though their styling of bars is different.

In my honest opinion, the prizewinner of the entire production is Metro Boomin’ .. had it not been for how fire the instrumentals were in this project, I would’ve stopped listening to it. There’s no need for lyrics on Metro’s productions. I mentioned briefly on Twitter that if Metro produced an instrumental album, I’d cop it, no lie. 

Don’t sleep on producers. The game needs those like Boomin' more than anything nowadays, especially when lyrical content isn’t as mind-blowing anymore.

Lemme cut to the chase: I didn’t get too hype from this project, but I appreciate the effort.

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This made me happy AF. Happy October. More good stuff coming soon.

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23.

Travis Scott’s ‘Nightcrawler’ ft. Swae Lee and Chief Keef

(photo source: Google)

Before listening to Scott’s ‘Rodeo’, I heard mixed reviews (people seem to think he sounds like Kanye), but I ignored this. Had to get a good feel of the project with my own ears minus everybody else’s opinion. Let me briefly say, I love the ‘Rodeo’ album. I think the production of each track compliments each other really nicely. 

Scott has a few gems that stick out a bit more than others on the album.

‘Nightcrawler’ is the track that made me stop everything I was doing to sit down, listen, hit a jig and then repeat. 

I’m still repeating it now. The track gets right into the feel of things. My advice is, listen to this with headphones on blast or in the car with the bass levels increased. You won’t regret it. 

Alright, next. Swae Lee and Chief Keef.

1. Swae Lee is my favorite Rae Sremmurd member. 

2. If you read the track list information, you’d know that Chief Keef is also featured on the song. Got mad respect for him as well.

Do you know how much of a genius idea it was to combine all three of these artists on this one song?! It’s definitely an unorthodox grouping, but that’s the reason why I love this song the most. It was an unpredictable collaboration. 

Nowadays, you can pretty much guess who’s going to be featured on who’s album, so, be clear: collaborative creations that you could have never expected from your artist have the ability to either make or break a project.

‘Nightcrawler’ is auditory evidence. Get hip if you haven’t and go listen.

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22.

(artwork source: G-I-B)

Back at it again. Let’s get to it!

Past blog posts haven’t shed light on rappers that are on the come up, so I was more than happy to tune in to ‘I Know’. G-I-B’s a Chi-town native, which further forces me to believe that Chicago has some of the most enlightened rappers in its territory. He proves this with ease from the moment he begins to spit, but let me back track a bit to this instrumental ..

‘I Know’ is proof that summer songs don’t have to be hype or loud all the damned time.

This track is super smooth. It honestly reminds me of that classic hip-hop sound that you can just kick back and vibe to. This makes perfect sense because your ear automatically focuses on the lyrics. This song isn’t overpowering .. it’s a good ass balanced production.

Now for my interpretation of the lyrics.

G-I-B confidently and easily floats through each bar giving us an idea of what consciousness is by how his own conscious and life functions. Clever. I got the sense that he was telling the listener that he accepts all that he knows and he’s aware of the fact that he’ll continue to obtain more of his own knowledge by growing as a person and a rapper.

This is a simple interpretation, but when you think about it, it can apply to everybody and in some way, everyone has the ability to relate to the meaning. At first listen, you may not get the idea, but the complexity of the track shines through after a few listens. Definitely press the repeat button for this one.

Now, as I hinted before, this is the kind of track that makes you think. Towards the end, I expected the beat to just vibe out until it ended, but what was cool about it was this KRS-One outro .. If you don’t know who KRS-One is .. then I’d advise you to get hip and educate yourself. Go to Google, pronto (I’m dead serious too, go!!) . 

The outro solidifies the ending of the track and it validates G-I-B taking the knowledge of the past emcee’s before him into consideration. Much respect to him for including this part into the mix. It topped the track off perfectly.

G-I-B’s ‘mind over matter’ attitude is exactly what the rap game needs more of, especially in today’s industry. 

S/o to G-I-B and his food for thought.

__________________

Follow info:

 @ThisIsGIB on Twitter

  G-I-B on Soundcloud

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21.

(artwork source: hotnewhiphop)

My goddddddd!!!!! I love Robb Bank$.

First off, I heard about 'Pressure' releasing from his Twitter handle (thank God) and I'm too happy I caught it when I did.

Bank$ has some of the most creative, realistic, fun, raw and exciting bars that I've heard in a while and it only gets better when you hear this track (!!!). He stands out from most because of his flow. It’s his own, he doesn’t spit on his beats like anybody else and if anybody tried to attempt his style, they’d fail. 

Dude truly is one of the best putting on for South Florida right now, no question about it.

I heard Bank$ was Shaggy's son a long time ago, and I've heard about some of the backlash he received for it. People seem to think that Bank$ isn't about his life that he spits about, but I beg to differ. That’s one of those ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situations. Not gonna argue on how "legit" Bank$ is, listen to his music, follow him on snapchat and peep those YouTube his interviews.

Getting into this sound and this rhythm from 'Pressure' .. Every part of every bar is perfectly enunciated when the bass drops from the instrumental. The thing about this is, 'Pressure' itself is a trap-hop sounding track, but the structure of lyrics gives you an unorthodox vibe. It's not too repetitive and Bank$ always spits fun substance, so I promise you, you'll be playing this sh!t more than once.

He's one of my favorite rappers of the new era of hip-hop, so if you enjoy listening to music that only leaves you wanting more, prepare to become a fan. Bank$ has no type of discrepancy when it comes to saying what he wants to and sounds like he means every word of it.

This is why I not only have to keep tabs on his releases, but I gotta plan to see him live because I know it'll be more than worth it. When an artist as new as Bank$ can gain my commitment as a listener, I'm surprised as to why people STILL don't who the f!ck he is.

Get hip ASAP, he's such a lit sound and look.

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20.

(album artwork: hotnewhiphop)

This mini collaboration made me too happy. 

From the moment it played, I kinda got the idea that I’d like it. I don’t know if people ever took Lil B seriously, but I could care less about them, he’s good. I knew this since the ‘I’m Gay’ release in 2011. He had people thinking that he was a joke, but nope. Pay attention to how smart it is for a rapper to build a persona first and then expose your following to talent. Dude is aware and more conscious than most, plus has a swanky personality. 

Add his and Chance’s personalities together and it’s random good rhymes in a mini freestyle EP. 

One. The freestyles are playful and smart. It’s most definitely off the top of the dome and you can hear it, which I love. Nowadays, that’s being daring, because these new age rappers act like they’re scared to do so.

Just being honest.

Two. The music. I fell in love. 

For example!

The ‘Last Dance’ sample reminded me of some old school goodness that I might’ve heard my grandmother play ‘back in the day’ (not sure what sample was used, but best believe I’m finding out). 

THEN! ‘First Mixtape’ .. They used a Nujabes instrumental (Spiral). I already love Nujabes (RIP), so for them to increase the tempo and add drums and snares to it, and still pull off a swanky tune .. Just know that it’s especially appreciated.

Chance’s improvising on ‘Amen’ was adorably good. Chance has this type of quirkiness that works really well on most beats, so this track just adds onto how creative he is. Then Lil B hops on the track and says all things you wish you could say without being judged. It’s understandable. Definitely definitely get faded to this one. It’s such a cute, weird song .. made me smile while hearing it.

‘Do My Dance’ ... This Kenny Lattimore sampled awesomeness had me jigging’ (dancing) on my couch because it was track that combined R&B and hip-hop in one. What I love the most is that Chance and Lil B shoutout each other and give each other uplifting props throughout this whole track while still freestyling. 

Muy Bien.

By the end of this six track project (a banger, ’We Rare’), I was disappointed that it was almost over because it gave me suchhhhh a good vibe. I loved it. Gave me more good vibes than most EP’s and full albums that I’ve heard, to be honest (you don’t have to agree). ‘Free Based Freestyles’ had such a simple recipe but it turned out good. I got a couple of life goal quotes to live off of because of it.

So much love for Chance and Based God. Listen, pronto.

____________________

Last Dance

First Mixtape (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Do My Dance

We Rare (!!!!!)

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19.

(album artwork source: Google)

First ... my original post for ‘Compton’ was perfect. I was almost done posting and then guess what the lame ass pinwheel does? Freezes my page. Long story short, my OG stuff is gone.

dead.

went to cyber heaven.

If you’ve been following Concrete Jungles for this long, I trust that you understand that I won’t steer you wrong. so ima keep it short. shortest post ever because I really can’t stand trying to recreate my thought process. pet peeve.

1. congrats and thank you Dr.Dre for dropping this 16 yrs later. respect.

2. go see ‘Straight Outta Compton’.

3. the project is a whole bunch of EVERYTHING. I’m immersed in it. go stream the jawn for free in iTunes Radio.

4. The Tracklist is below. I’ll highlight my favorite tunes.

01. Intro 02. Talk About It (feat. King Mez & Justus) 03. Genocide (feat. Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius & Candice Pillay) 04. It’s All on Me (feat. Justus & BJ the Chicago Kid) 05. All in a Day’s Work (feat. Anderson Paak & Marsha Ambrosius) 06. Darkside/Gone (feat. King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius & Kendrick Lamar) 07. Loose Cannons (feat. Xzibit & COLD 187um) 08. Issues (feat. Ice Cube & Anderson Paak) 09. Deep Water (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Justus) 10. One Shot One Kill (feat. Snoop Dogg) 11. Just Another Day (feat. Asia Bryant) 12. For the Love of Money (feat. Jill Scott & Jon Connor) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 13. Satisfaction (feat. Snoop Dogg, Marsha Ambrosius & King Mez) 14. Animals (feat. Anderson Paak) 15. Medicine Mane (feat. Eminem, Candice Pillay & Anderson Paak) 16. Talking to My Diary

I’m not quoting anything either. It’s all good in it’s own right. Read the damned features above, it speaks for itself. Dre doesn’t have sh!t to prove to anybody really. 

I’m still irritated because I really wrote so much food for thought earlier, but .. *rolls eyes*

Go listen to ‘Compton’ and stop reading this.

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18.

First off, Free Offset because I find it wack that he’s still locked up while this album’s been released. 

Quavo, Takeoff and Offset had the trap genre on lock since ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Versace’. From then on, everyone caught on to who the Migos were. I recall many people from my generation saying that they would be another one hit wonder with no longevity.

They were wrong. Migos is still on airwaves today and there’s no hint of them planning on stopping either. Yung Rich Nation continues to prove that. You’ve got a total of 15 tracks, with only two features which means (in my opinion), these three don’t need any help presenting their art.

What I respect about the Migos and this album is the idea that they stuck to the standard sounds of trap, but within each beat, there was a sprinkle of difference added. You get the idea that they’re aiming to expand their musical tastes. Keep in mind, this is their very first album and yet, they’ve already given us hits on features and single alone.

I’ll say this again: They’ve proven that they don’t need assistance in articulating what was said throughout the project. Let me get into what tracks validated this and stood out to me the most.

1. ‘Memoirs’: There’s the usual Migos formula: the call and response formula. All three members go back and forth about memories prior to the fame, giving listeners an idea of what their struggle was. Memoirs is the opening track to YRN and you know how I feel about opening projects on a good note. They accomplished it effortlessly. The intro is exciting AF.

2. ‘Dab Daddy’: The ad-libs + instrumental + verbal rhythm .. FUN.

3. ‘Trap Funk’: Trap Funk is my absolute favorite on this entire album. The track opens up with these high pitched staccato piano keys mixed into some snares and bass. Really the instrumental itself makes the song as great as it is ... Migos rapping on it is the cherry on top of the sundae.

Before this review becomes longer than I’d planned, let me just say that if you appreciate the Migos for who/what they are, put this first album on blast and tune in. It’s a good start.

Go fetch those aux cords and get hip.