So, You Review Hip Hop Too?

What happens when you listen to a lot of hip hop, have an active imagination and access to the internet? You start a review blog and vocalise your opinions. My name is Ayo and welcome to the blog.

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

4 of Rap’s Most Overrated Diss Tracks

1. 2Pac and Friends Take Shots at Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Ent.

2Pac Featuring The Outlawz- Hit ‘Em Up Released: June 4, 1996 Label: Death Row Records and Interscope Records

That's why I fucked yo' bitch, you fat motherfucker!

The harsh and brutal opening line of one of the most iconic diss tracks ever released. In November 1994, months before he would be sentenced for his time in prison, 2Pac was ambushed and robbed at Quad Recording Studios in New York, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds. Notorious B.I.G. and his team were in the studio during the altercation and soon thereafter, Biggie would release the single Who Shot Ya. While Biggie would go on to claim that the track was written months before the shooting and was in no way a diss towards his West-Coast counterpart, 2Pac would take massive offence from this song, believing he was set up. Upon his eventual release from prison, 2Pac would join forces with his group The Outlawz to record his response to the Biggie track, taking aim at Biggie, Puff Daddy, Lil Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. of Bad Boy Entertainment.

As I mentioned earlier, Hit ‘Em Up has been regarded as one of the most iconic diss tracks ever released; Pac would send brutal shots regarding the rumoured infidelity of Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans, Biggie copying Pac’s style and flow, reminding him of his humble beginnings and insulting his label mates. The song has one of the best hooks for a diss track and the energy exuded from the slow beat and Pac’s ferocious vocals would imply this song deserves the ratings it has received.

First off, fuck yo' bitch and the clique you claim Westside when we ride, come equipped with game You claim to be a player, but I fucked your wife We bust on Bad Boys, niggas fucked for life Plus, Puffy tryna see me, weak hearts I rip Biggie Smalls and Junior M.A.F.I.A. is some mark-ass bitches

Here is the problem with this track that people often overlook; Hit ‘Em Up would have served as a fitting solo track with Pac’s verses and his monologued outro but the song has three more verses from Outlaw members E.D.I Mean, Kadafi and Hussien Fatal. While the three young rappers are able to just about come near to Pac’s energy, ultimately, the Outlawz do not actually add to the song. Listen to this track enough times and you’ll realise that Pac says everything there was to say about Bad Boy and the Outlawz are just echoing his words. Not adding any pieces of new information or saying an overly unique or hurtful diss, just sticking with anything Pac said and making the song longer than it needed to be. If this song was a reply to Who Shot Ya, a Notorious B.I.G. single with no features, why clog your response with guest verses?

More isn’t always better.

2. Drake goes Back to Back, Fans helps him defeat Meek

Drake- Back to Back Released: July 29, 2015 Label: Cash Money Records, Young Money, Republic Records & OVO Sound Radio

Following a Twitter rant that resulted in Meek Mill accusing Drake of not writing his own songs, Drake fired back with the calm-mannered yet boring diss, Charged Up. After four days without a reply from the Dreamchaser camp, the Toronto M.C. fired the next shot with the relatively better diss, Back to Back. The song gained a grand ovation, winning over the internet. The song would go on to be multi-platinum and the first ever diss track to be nominated for a Grammy.

Here’s the thing about Drake’s Back to Back, it was hardly a diss track, to begin with. Rather than follow the traditional route, Drake decided to follow the idea of “Not releasing direct diss tracks but releasing hit songs and diss you on them”. While the first song was far from exciting, Drake would take numerous shots at the credibility of Meek Mill on Charged Up. On Back to Back, however, the main diss in the long verse was:

This for y'all that think that I don't write enough They just mad ‘cause I got the Midas touch You love her, then you gotta give the world to her Is that a world tour or your girl's tour? I know that you gotta be a thug for her This ain't what she meant when she told you to open up more Yeah, trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers Yeah, you gettin' bodied by a singin' nigga I'm not the type of nigga that'll type to niggas And shout-out to all my boss bitches wifin' niggas

Here, Drake only briefly mentions the ghostwriting allegations while deciding to turn the beef towards Meek’s then-girlfriend and Young Money labelmate, Nicki Minaj, questioning Meek’s “gangsta” and pointing out he is not as famous or successful as Nicki or himself. Aside from being perceived as a low blow to involve a man’s girlfriend to a situation that doesn’t involve her, these lines aren’t necessarily disses but quotable cheap shots that people can sing along to. You’re not necessarily hurting anyone when you say lines that are reminiscent to playground insults on a hot beat however they will bruise your pride when the song begins to get played everywhere multiple times.

Sure, this worked for Drake but there are two reasons why he was able to overcome Meek Mill.

1.      Meek released a lukewarm response. Wanna Know, released the day after Back to Back, did not match the hyped-up vibe that Drake created and Meek did not bring his usual aggressive and loud energy to the track despite sampling Quentin Miller’s reference track for Drake’s hit song Know Yourself and sending far more scathing shots at Drake (And sampling the Undertaker’s iconic theme song).

2.      The people were on Drake’s side and, most importantly, the people were against Meek. Over the course of that week, millions of memes relating to the beef were created, with Meek slander being the theme. Drake would go on to project many of these memes on a screen during his Back to Back performance at OVO Fest, which spelt the end of the beef.

If the release of Back to Back taught me anything, it is that Drake’s fanbase is can turn a mediocre “diss” song into the song of the summer and the cause of a meteoric rise.

3. Kendrick “Diss” Puts Rap on Notice

Big Sean Featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica- Control Released: August 12, 2013 Label: UMG Recordings, Inc., G.O.O.D. Music & Def Jam Recordings

During the 2013 roll-out for his second studio album, Hall of Fame, Big Sean would release the single Control. Featuring fellow rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica, the Sean single delivered three impressive rap verses. While the song was unable to be added to the album due to a sample not being cleared on time, the song would go on to gain critical acclaim and becoming one of the most notable songs in Big Sean’s discography. Mind you, that is not thanks to Sean by any means. It would be Kendrick’s verse that would send shockwaves throughout the rap industry.

With a guest verse that hijacked the shine of his fellow artists and a stupendous lyrical display that will leave you catching your breath, Kendrick spat, possibly, the best rap verse of his career.  What is odd about this verse is whenever it is discussed by critics and major publications, it is often referred to as a diss verse. When I first heard this verse five years ago, this sentiment confused me and it still leaves me scratching my head today. The very reason why this verse is an “overrated diss” is that it was incorrectly labelled as a diss, to begin with. In this very long rap verse, there are certain bars that grabbed the most attention and generated the most reaction.

I'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the King of New York King of the Coast; one hand, I juggle 'em both

With these lines, Kendrick claims he is the king of both California and New York, two of the spiritual homes of hip-hop. The latter claim led to a response from many New York rappers, most notably Joel Ortiz, Joe Budden, Cassidy and a surprisingly harsh diss track from Papoose. While it makes sense that rappers will act as gatekeepers for their city against the outsider with boisterous claims, it also seems odd that certain rappers took lines, that were nothing more than Kendrick bragging and displaying his confidence, like this to heart (especially Papoose).

I'm usually homeboys with the same niggas I'm rhymin' with But this is hip-hop, and them niggas should know what time it is And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you niggas Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you niggas They don't wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you niggas

This is a section of the verse I remember the most. In a fashion that would make The Game proud, Kendrick would name drop many prominent rappers and while saying he respects them all, he says he plans to outdo them all and surpass them. I remember a very specific out roar towards this particular section, with many people feeling this was a diss towards the individuals Kendrick named. This, of course, is incorrect. At this time, Kendrick had worked with all of the rappers he mentioned, with the exception of Tyler, The Creator. He even states he is friends with all of them, making it clear to me that he was playing it safe with this section by naming people that may not have a negative reaction, generate a sense of competition and most importantly, generate a big enough reaction from the fans. With the exception of Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross and the T.D.E roster, all Kendrick did was name drop all of the rappers who had the most mainstream appeal in 2013.

Kendrick might have spat an amazing verse that brought back a sense of competition to hip-hop but he set a statement, not release a diss.

4. Remy Ma hands Nicki Minaj and herself an L

Remy Ma- shETHER Released: February 25, 2017 Label: Empire Distribution

Unlike all of the feuds on this list, the tension between Remy Ma and Nicki Minaj has been well-documented for many years. Dating back to 2007, Remy Ma, who was becoming a fan of the young Nicki Minaj, perceived the opening lines of Nicki’s single “Dirty Money” as a diss towards her. Despite being a belief she maintained for a few years, Remy had a change of heart upon her 2014 release from prison. Remy and Nicki would publicly champion each other and show each other love through tweets and interviews. All of this would come to a halt when Remy would release an N.Y. State of Mind freestyle where it was speculated that she sent shots towards Nicki Minaj. Since the release of this freestyle, Nicki would send shots on featured verses on Gucci Mane’s Make Love and Jason Derulo’s Swalla. At this point, Remy was given the excuse to release a 7-minute freestyle over Nas’ iconic diss track called shETHER.

Off the bat, the very first issue Remy encounters with this song is the song she chose. To rap on the beat of one of the greatest diss tracks ever recorded immediately puts her remix under a magnifying glass. The song was destined to fall from the resulting high expectations despite Remy superb rapping ability and cypher delivery style. With seven minutes of straight bars, there are several instances of memorable bars, discrediting Nicki’s character, insulting her surgically enhanced body, her label situation, her relationship with her brother and instances where Remy just goes on spectacular lyrical runs.

And I got a few words for the moms of the young Barbz Guess who supports a child molester? Nicki Minaj You paid for your brother’s wedding? That’s hella foul How you spendin' money to support a pedophile? He a walkin' dead man, sendin' threats to him I guess that’s why they call you Barbie, you was next to Ken Talkin’ about your money long and your foreign sick Why you ain’t help your bro hide his cum from forensics?

The next issue (and possibly the biggest) was the legitimacy of the lyrics. In rap beef, it is not uncalled of that rappers tend to stretch the truth or just lie in a few bars on their diss songs (After all, the opening line of Hit ‘Em Up has since been disproved) however, there are several instances in shETHER where Remy makes claims and allegations towards Nicki. During this song, Remy accused Nicki of: sleeping around with multiple artists including Drake, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Ebro Darden & Trey Songz, having punctured ass implants for three months & refusing sex with her then-boyfriend Meek Mill, being addicted to cocaine & ecstasy, having untreated gonorrhoea and signing a 360-record deal to Young Money. Mind you, all of the bars relating to these topics were shocking and added to the song when it was first released, however, since then, a lot of the claims that built up a majority of the song were apparently disproved. With many of the men, Remy named as Nicki’s past lovers, denying the allegations, Meek denying talking to Remy about Nicki’s punctured implants and learning Nicki was not signed to a 360 from a simple Google search deflated the validity of shETHER overall.

Remy would go on to an attempt to go “back to back” on Nicki by releasing the significantly weaker diss track Another One, further deflating the effect of shETHER. Nicki would release the even weaker response; the Drake and Lil Wayne assisted No Frauds. While there would be later exchanges between the two, including Nicki spitting responses on the 2Chainz’s Realize and DJ Khaled’s Can’t Even Lie, the battle was over by then and it was unanimously decided that Nicki lost. While this would be nice under regular circumstances, Remy did not necessarily walk away from this beef in complete victory. shETHER has since been banned from radio and streaming services due to Remy not gaining rights to use the Ether beat, her credibility has been brought into question due to her many allegations and Remy’s eagerness in the battle caused her to disrupt her own momentum.

Nicki Minaj might have lost this battle but Remy Ma wasn’t really a winner in the end.

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Reviewing Nyck Caution & Kirk Knight- Nyck @ Knight

Nyck @ Knight Released: July 21, 2017 Label: Pro Era Records and Cinematic Music Group First Week Sales: TBA Certifications: TBA Peak Chart Position: TBA

For those who do not know, Nyck Caution and Kirk Knight are members of the Brooklyn rap collective known as Pro Era. Both longtime members of the New York collective, they both first made names for themselves by appearing on Joey Bada$$’ debut mixtape 1999. Knight and Caution would go on to have numerous features on projects by Pro Era members while releasing their own solo albums in 2015 (Knight) and 2016 (Caution). Knight, who is a producer first and foremost, has producer credits on most Pro Era’s releases (including all Joey Bada$$ projects except for 1999 and the fondly remembered and critically acclaimed Amerikkkan Korruption by the late Capital STEEZ). Despite all of this, it seems as if it was time for the two to have a breakout in order to prove they are acts to look out for. During the third annual STEEZ Day, a festival held on STEEZ’s birthday to celebrate his life, Pro Era announced Nyck @ Knight, a collaborative EP by the two Pro Era members that was released a few weeks later. 

Nyck Caution & Kirk Knight- Off The Wall

Nyck @ Knight is an eight-track EP by the Pro Era duo. Knight acts executive producer and produces a majority of the songs while the pair go back and forth with rapping on these songs. I would like to empathise that Caution and Knight really do go back and forth with each other on each song they are rapping together. On five of the eight songs on this EP, the pair exchange verses with finesse. They truly flex their lyrical skills, showing off their seemingly underrated abilities to spray sixteen bars while slipping in metaphors and extra syllables with the greatest of ease. 

What really helps this album is the chemistry between the two of them. Too many times in hip-hop, do we look at the idea of two artists making a collaborative project with rose-tinted glasses, ignoring the importance of chemistry between the two artists. Being around each other for years as a part of a rap group evidently helped them as Caution and Knight are easily able to bounce off each other’s verses and compliment each other’s flows, improving the listening experience. 

Nyck Caution & Kirk Knight- All Night

Two artists on a project together that do not compliment each other are very easy to notice and can be offputting towards listening, thankfully Nyck @ Knight does not have that problem. A problem I had with this album is this; Nyck Caution and Kirk Knight are spectacular lyricists and amazing MCs but it feels as if they mesh together too well. What I mean by this is that they do not put across unique personas to help keep the listener invested. For instance, the Flatbush Zombies (another New York rap group and apart of a movement known as the Beast Coast alongside Pro Era and The Underachievers) are able to compliment each other very well when they are on a song yet Erick the Architect, Meechy Darko and Zombie Juice all sound like unique individuals. While Knight and Caution both have solo songs on the project, I was waiting for the other to slide in with their own verse...which is not necessarily a  good thing.

Nyck Caution & Kirk Knight- No One Seems to Care

All things considered, Nyck @ Knight is a good taster to the abilities of two very gifted MCs; It helps shine a light on other members of Pro Era. Kirk Knight (as well as Chuck Strangers and 1-900), supply awesome throwback boom-bap beats and sampled beats that makes me feel like I’m listening to a polished album from the 90s without sounding as if it is pandering to an older style. In my mind, Nyck @ Knight is the first step towards bringing Nyck Caution and Kirk Knight to the next level in terms of artists.

Nyck Caution & Kirk Knight featuring Pro Era- Audiopium

RATINGS

Concept: 2/5 Production: 3.8/5 Lyrical Content: 4/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? At just 26 minutes long, I think you should listen to the whole thing.

Final Rating: 3.6/5

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Reviewing Princess Nokia- 1992 Deluxe

1992 Deluxe Released: September 8, 2017 Label: Rough Trade Records First Week Sales: TBA Certifications: TBA Peak Chart Position: TBA

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to New York City M.C. Princess Nokia when I heard her single G.O.A.T for the very first time. 

“I see her as a representation of a millennial raised in the internet era; openly embracing intersectionality as she is a kaleidoscope of personalities and identities within a single being. “

Quote from my review of G.O.A.T

G.O.A.T was, of course, one of six songs added to her previously released 1992 EP to create this reissued album known as 1992 Deluxe (a name that is very on the nose yet straight to the point). Due to my high regard for her rebellious contradiction towards the norms of hip-hop, her unique personality and the multiple perspectives she takes on her character on a single song, I was drawn to listen to more from her.

Princess Nokia- G.O.A.T  Full Review of this song and more here: https://soyoureviewhiphoptoo.tumblr.com/post/164576999693/soundtrack-of-the-week-24082017

Having no other point of reference for this album aside from G.O.A.T, I walked into this listening experience with an open mind. I must say, I have very mixed feelings about this album despite the fact that I enjoyed listening to it.

From the very outset, Miss Destiny is open about herself and her background. Just like on G.O.A.T, she continuously challenges how female rappers should look or how they should act; whether it is through discussing her upbringing in inner city, talking about how she would rather play sports, skateboarding and reading comic books or how she openly discusses her body image that is not reflective of the desirable body figures some other female rappers (or artists in general) have.

I go home to a place of fantasy outside my own Always been a loner, never had a solid home I really like Marvel 'cause characters look just like me And women don't have roles that make them look too sexually

Taken from Bart Simpson

With my little titties and my phat belly I could take your man if you finna let me It's a guarantee that he won't forget me My body little, my soul is heavy

Taken from Tomboy

I'm that Black a-Rican bruja straight out from the Yoruba And my people come from Africa diaspora, Cuba And you mix that Arawak, that original people I'm that Black Native American, I vanquish all evil

Taken from Brujas

Just these few of many quotable lines from this project, The Artist Formerly Known as Wavy Spice shows us that she is not a person that can be marginalised into one group, showing her relatability towards people who feel as if they must pick a group to be a part of when, in fact, we are all individuals. In fact, individuality is the biggest message of this album; Princess Nokia makes her case very clear that she is her own person, not to be influenced by the masses and remaining strong within herself despite being an outcast in both her hometown and in the music industry.

Princess Nokia- Tomboy

Despite being a social outcast within New York, her views of her community and her overall connection with her city. Throughout the album, Nokia makes reference to New York whenever she is describing herself or talking about the things she likes to do. What I appreciate about this is that she makes it very clear that New York is as much a part of her as her love for comics or her dislike of people touching her hair. 

I'm a New York Puerto Rican like a rough kinda dude I'ma hit the barrio and eat some Spanish food And sit in Central Park, I'm in a New York mood

Taken from Bart Simpson

One of my favourite songs on this album, ABCs of New York, shows off Destiny’s lyrical dexterity as she uses the alphabet to break down the dichotomy of her town, talking about everything from gangsters, inhabitants of the ghetto, skaters, downtown kids to white supremacists, police and the FBI.

Princess Nokia- Brujas

I mentioned earlier I have mixed feelings about this album. While I enjoy quite a few of the songs on here and I have become a fan of her lyricism and the message she puts across in such a short time, there is one thing I do not like about Princess Nokia; her delivery. The basis of her character as a rapper is that she cannot be pigeon-holed into one group as she fits so many groups that are reflective of her interests and her background; naturally, her flow would be reflective of this as she spits her bars over the sixteen songs of this album in a different style for each song. While there are songs on this project where she has a slower, methodical flow that I really enjoy (G.O.A.T, ABCs of New York, Bart Simpson for instance), there are quite a few songs where she spits faster in a higher pitched which I found annoying as I listened to the album more. One thing that bugs me when it comes to some rappers using multiple flows and voices in one project without a motive or reason. While some might find it impressive, to me, it comes across as you’re still searching for your own individual sound and you’re throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks; sadly, Princess Nokia is not immune to this thinking. 

Princess Nokia- Flava

In the last verse of G.O.A.T, Princess Nokia says “ I change rap forever, man It's me who had the biggest plan“. While I am not going to jump out and say that 1992 Deluxe is a revolutionary piece of music that has caused an immediate paradigm shift within the genre, I will say that, with her unique subject matter and her willingness to continuously challenge established views and opinions within hip-hop. Princess Nokia has, however, set down the foundation towards creating this change within the genre with this album and it is clear that she is bound to rise.

RATINGS

Concept: 3/5 Production: 2.5/5 Lyrical Content: 4/5 Flow and Delivery: 3/5 Repeatability: 3/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? G.O.A.T, ABCs of New York, Saggy Denim and Bart Simpson and Mine.

Final Rating: 3.1/5

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Reviewing Russ- There’s Really a Wolf

There’s Really a Wolf Released: May 5, 2017 Label: Russ My Way Inc. and Columbia Records First Week Sales: 500,000 Equivalent Units Certifications: Gold Peak Chart Position: 7 (US Billboard 200), 4 (US Top RnB/ Hip Hop Albums)

The following is a slight difference to my usual weekly segment of the Soundtrack of the Week. This is a project I have been meaning to listen to for a few months now. When I finally started listening to it this past week, I was drawn to it immediately and only listened to this project. So rather than a half baked Soundtrack post, I decided to write a full-length review.

Residing in Roswell, Georgia, the artist known as Russ has found success in a big way in recent years. Making beats at age 14, recording his first song at 18 and releasing the first of eleven mixtapes that same year, Russ would gain huge exposure in 2015 upon the release of his now Platinum single, What They Want. With a confident flow, strong energy and a complimentary melody, Russ shows off his prowess as an independent artist and his general distrust of record labels and people trying to use him.

I been at this shit for nine years, now they start to call I’m a DIY pioneer, they trying to get involve 

Taken from What They Want.

This song truly does what an artist would want from his first single for an upcoming; it fully displays his skill set and most importantly, it displays his ideology and beliefs within the music industry which can simply be summarised as this “I have been doing music for this long without support and frankly, I do not even need you. You need me more than I need you”. This becomes quite clear as the following year, Russ would sign a partnership deal with Columbia Records to handle the distribution of his upcoming debut album all while still owning rights to his music and gaining 50% of the profits gained from sales. 

Russ- What They Want

Just before he made his multi-million dollar deal with Columbia, Russ would release one more single called Losing Control. A song dedicated to his first girlfriend, Russ shows a sense of self-awareness; openly knowing that cheating on her and destroying her trust has ruined her self-esteem and has made it difficult for her to leave herself open to potential partners.

She’s falling but she doesn’t think he’ll catch her ‘Cause her last relationship was a disaster Accusations everyday, she didn’t know why All her calls would be ignored, he’s on his own time

Taken from Losing Control.

A song that shows off not only his emotional depth as a songwriter but also his skills as a RnB singer, Losing Control has proven to be one of the strongest songs on this project already, being his highest charting song and a song that is so relatable. This song resonated with me personally as I can fully empathise with the thoughts Russ decided to express. Losing Control has actually become one of my favourite songs from the project and it offers a fair representation of the rest of the album (from a singing/RnB standpoint).

Russ- Losing Control

As for the album itself, There's Really a Wolf is a strong project. Over the course of twenty songs (all of which Russ produced, mixed, mastered, engineered, wrote, and performed by himself by the way), he further talks about the strength of being an independent artist that is able to stand on his own and then he spends plenty of time discussing the radical change in his life since his two breakout singles; noticing the changes within people around him who have noticed his fame, being able to meet a lot of beautiful women and being able to buy anything he has dreamed of all while managing to hold onto his artistic integrity and not chase after hits. Stylistically, Russ is able to seamlessly transition from a strong rap flow to raspy yet nearly sombre melodies, each being able to suit the overall theme of the album without sounding odd or out of place. Due to this effortless ability to jump from rapping to singing, I actually got feelings of the classic Drake album Take Care after a few listens to this project. 

Russ- Pull The Trigger A song where Russ extends upon the sentiment brought about by What They Want as he openly vocalises he does not need certain people to succeed and he is willing to risk it all in order to just do it all by himself. This song also has my favourite melody and hook on the project.

While this comparison was present in my mind, (maybe I am the only person who hears it...) what I think TRAW lacks is the emotional depth and the personal introspection that almost comes part and parcel with the style of rapping and RnB singing. While he has quite a few sombre songs that reflect upon past lovers, these songs feel like Russ is only speaking at face value towards these situations and not really diving deep into the issues he is singing about are truly affecting himself or others. Even on the quite personal Losing Control, it feels as if Russ is not truly saying as much as he could in regards to the relationship between his ex-girlfriend and her new man. 

Russ- Scared In terms of showing his emotions within a song involving an ex-lover, Scared is one of the strongest showings on the album. With the hook repeating the words “I’m scared to fall in love again”, Russ mirrors the feelings from Losing Control, displaying that he is also feeling uneasy about being in love again

Overall, Russ delivers heavily for a debut album. There’s Really a Wolf is an excellent showing of the talent of a man who stands within a small group of artists who dare to be involved in everything during the creation of a project. Through his raspy melodies and his confident rap skills, Russ has provided that he is not only on the rise as an artist but that he also has the evident potential to become a staple in hip-hop for years to come.

RATINGS

Concept: 2.5/5 Production: 3.5/5 Lyrical Content: 3/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Other Songs to Recommend? Me You, MVP, Back To You, Do It Myself and I Want To Go Down With You

Final Rating: 3.4/5

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Soundtrack of the Week 01/09/2017

It is time for the Soundtrack of the Week, the SYRHHT blog segment where I discuss latest music releases and other projects that I listen to over the space of 7 days. So, here is the Soundtrack!

ALBUM

A$AP Mob- The Cozy Tapes Vol.2: Too Cozy Released: August 25, 2017 Label: ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records

Over the last few years, the A$AP Mob has grown to become one of biggest groups in hip hop today (And not just literally, with sixteen total members, fourteen of which are holding onto the A$AP name like a Call of Duty clan from 2011). Being at the forefront of both music and fashion in the hip-hop community, it is hard to deny the prevalence of the A$AP Mob in the game. Despite the unfortunate passing of the group’s leader, A$AP Yams, in 2015, The Mob continued to soldier on, with their headline stars A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg releasing their second studio albums in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The other members of The Mob would soon gain a spotlight, as the New York conglomerate would go on to release their first studio album as a group, The Cozy Tapes Vol. 1: Friends. This album was one of my favourite albums released last year and I was ecstatic to hear that The Mob was going to release its sequel. As a part of “Awgest”, A$AP Mob scheduled the release of three projects, with The Cozy Tapes Vol. 2 Too Cozy, being the very last project released. 

Now…imagine my dismay when I waited throughout the month of Awgest to be disappointed.

On this album, A$AP Mob utilised a trap sound for production and lyrical flows. As they did this on Vol. 1, you would think it would not cause a big problem but the issue arises with the way they use the trap style. In Vol. 1, the trap style was used in combination with the New York lyrical style The Mob are known for, making it a unique and pleasant experience. In Vol. 2, however, the style of the album does not feel unique; it feels like The Mob are chasing a style that the likes of Migos and Future do much better. Of the sixteen members of A$AP Mob, eight of them are rappers and they all appear on the album. While fully utilising all the members is something I appreciate, I do not like how most of the members are all squeezed onto songs together, restricting the verses they can have and not fully showing off their abilities. Once you add in the external features of Big Sean, Pro Era, Quavo, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, Schoolboy Q, Frank Ocean, Jaden Smith, & Flatbush Zombies, it is certainly a clusterfuck of voices on some tracks. With all of this in mind, seeing as I am a fan of A$AP Mob (especially A$AP Rocky), I gave the album multiple listens and I did end up enjoying a few of the songs despite the issues. While there are several upbeat songs that great to turn up to, I feel as if the longevity Vol. 2 is significantly shorter than that of Vol. 1.

RATINGS

Concept: 2/5 Production: 3.7/5 Lyrical Content: 3.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 3.5/5 Repeatability: 2/5 Did I enjoy this project? Not entirely, I liked what I could. Songs to Recommend? RAF, Frat Rules, Feels So Good, Coziest and What Happens

Final Rating: 2.9/5

ASAP Rocky, ASAP Ferg, ASAP Twelvyy, Playboi Carti (of A$AP Mob), Joey Badass, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution (of Pro Era), Meechy Darko and Zombie Juice (of Flatbush Zombies)- What Happens What happens when you bring three of the most prominent rap groups in New York together onto one song? You get three and a half minutes of just bars from members of A$AP Mob, Pro Era and Flatbush Zombies. I was randomly thinking about the possibility of this song happening and thinking it would be highly unlikely and I was caught by surprise. All I can say is I am in love with this song…Definitely one of my favourite songs of the year.

ALBUM

A$AP Twelvyy- 12 Released: August 4, 2017 Label: ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records

What is unfortunate about the A$AP Mob is that a majority of people still do not know who is exactly in this conglomerate. Despite being together throughout this decade, most fans would only know of A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg. Although other members have featured on previous projects from Rocky and Ferg, it was the release of the first Cozy Tapes, that I was exposed to the underrated members of the Mob, including A$AP Twelvyy. With standout performances on Mob single, Crazy Brazy and the underrated Cozy Tape song, Young Nigga Living, Twelvyy showed that he was a rapper to look at for. It was The Mob’s Awgest, however that would allow Twelvyy to show the world that he was ready to come out of the shadow cast by his fellow Mob members. Twelvyy gives us his debut album, 12 and, frankly, Twelvyy actually set up a high standard for the rest of the A$AP releases and neither Ferg’s Still Striving or the sequel to the Cozy Tapes could live up to it. 12 deviates from the Trap-New York hybrid style that a majority of the Mob have been thriving at for the last few years and instead, brings it back to basics with a gritty, purely NY rap album. 12 does not place a lot of emphasis on the style of production or the use of all-star features but instead focuses on the lyrics. Twelvyy makes it very clear on this project that he is not only a lyrical rapper but he is also capable of making listeners truly feel every word he is saying with his unique style that feels like a throwback to New York rappers from the 90s without sounding like a cheap imitation. I really appreciate the old school feel of this album and yet, with up to date instrumentation and features from members of the A$AP Mob, Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies and more, 12 does not sound dated. It is a pleasant break from slow beats, deep 808s and trapping lyrics. Of all the three projects released by the A$AP Mob, I feel that 12 is the very best and it will certainly help place Twelvyy on the map.

RATINGS

Concept: 3/5 Production: 3.8/5 Lyrical Content: 4/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Strapped, Castle Hell, Diamonds, Hop Out, A Glorious Death and Ea$t$ideGho$t

Final Rating: 3.8/5

A$AP Twelvyy- Strapped The first single off the album and one of the hardest hitting lyrically. Coming out with the old school flow and a strong telling of his life in Harlem. An impressive showing by Twelvvy that immediately shows off what he is about.

ALBUM

XXXTENTACION- 17 Released: August 25, 2017 Label: Bad Vibes Forever and Empire Distribution

The second album named after a number this week is brought to you by XXXTENTACION. Over the last year, X has become of the most controversial figures in hip hop. Becoming a huge hit star while in prison, garnering a rabid fan base, throwing shots at Drake for “stealing his flow” and spitting bars about murdering everyone if there were to be an apocalypse, X has certainly set himself apart from a lot of rappers out right now. I feel that he has further pushed himself away from the pack with his debut album, 17. 

17 My collection of nightmares, thoughts, and real life situations I’ve lived

The first sentence uttered upon listening to this album.

X has stated that 17 is an album specifically for the depressed and the suicidal with the use of an alternative RnB style, which is an immediate deterrent for anyone who expected him to have a tracklist that resembled his hit single Look at Me. This sentiment is very clear from the overall tone of the project; gone is the hyped up aggression that he has become known for and instead, a sombre yet distressed feeling is present throughout the 22 minute run time of the project (That is correct, 17 is that short). On 17, X explores a lot over its very short duration: he dedicates two songs (Jocelyn Flores and Revenge) to his friend who committed suicide earlier this year, his own depressive feelings, his conflicting feelings towards his ex-girlfriend (on Depression & Obsession, Fuck Love and Carry On) and feelings of pain and inadequacy. I thoroughly appreciate the themes explored on this album and it truly shows depth towards the character of XXXTENTACION. My only issue is with this album…the length. Being a short project in itself is not a problem (some of my favourite albums from this year have had short durations: Big Fish Theory and 4:44, just to name a few) but my issue is that a majority of the 10 songs on this album felt incomplete and rushed. In my mind, it felt like so much more could have gone into the production of the album (unless X chose to have this bare-bones, stripped-down sound on purpose then he is a genius). All things considered, 17 is a short, yet strong showing of XXXTENTACION’s talent and I think it opens the gate for more in the future.

RATINGS

Concept: 4/5 Production: 2.5/5 Lyrical Content: 4.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 3.5/5 Repeatability: 3/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? The entire album is 22 minutes long…You might as well listen to the whole thing.

Final Rating: 3.5/5

XXXTENTACION- Jocelyn Flores The first of two songs dedicated to his friend, Jocelyn, who committed suicide while visiting him in Florida. The song takes up the narrative of X reacting to Jocelyn’s death, battling with his own suicidal urges, remembering his uncle’s own suicide and ultimately fighting through the pain to live on. What is really haunting about this song is the sampled used. The lyrics start off saying “ I know you so well, so well “ which is soaked in painful irony as a recurring feeling for the loved ones of suicide victims is that they knew them so well and could never imagine the victim taking their life and yet, they could not know the true depth of the victim’s feelings before it was too late.

ALBUM

Lil Uzi Vert- Luv Is Rage 2 Released: August 25, 2017 Label: Generation Now and Atlantic Records

On a previous instalment of the Soundtrack, I outlined my feelings on some of the members of the 2016 XXL Freshman class. I discussed how that the standouts of this class were 21 Savage, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black and Lil Uzi Vert as these four were not only the younger members of this class but also they each had numerous popular singles and gathered the largest fan bases. While I do see that these four are the biggest stars of this new age of hip hop, I feel that Lil Uzi Vert comes out on top, with the most potential to transcend the rest and become a superstar. The self-proclaimed rock star brings a completely different energy that you do not see from a lot of rappers. With dreadlocks that have been every colour of the rainbow, a carefree, androgynous attitude and a style that mirrors more alternative rockers than gangster rappers, Lil Uzi Vert sets himself apart from any other rapper out today in such a way that it is hard to not look at him.

I had heard songs here and there from Uzi but I knew he was on his way to good things with the release of his now triple platinum single, XO Tour Llif3. When you are able to get millions of people around the world sing morbid lyrics such as “push me to the edge, all my friends are dead”, you have to believe that he is bound to fly upwards. While I initially thought of it being a rapper’s parody of an alternative rock song from the early 2000s, it began to grow on me. The impressive production from TM88 and the lyrics that portray the story of Uzi trying to escape a toxic relationship but his girl traps him by saying she was not afraid to kill herself made it hard for me to continue hating on the song. This single would act as a precursor to his highly anticipated debut album, Luv Is Rage 2. I had become intrigued enough by Uzi to listen to this project and I must say, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

The surprise album was certainly a surprise. One thing I have noticed Uzi do is to hide feelings within his songs that are often uptempo party tracks. In this album, he shows a sense of maturity not a lot of his peers are showing yet; opening up about his feelings toward his ex-girlfriend and usage of prescription drugs. This fleeting instances of introspection are, however, surrounded by braggadocious lyrics, upbeat production, autotune enhanced vocals and a million ad-libs. Over multiple listens, Luv is Rage 2 certainly begins to grow on you; I found myself singing along with the melodies and bopping my head to the beats (that are very well produced, by the way. Some of the best production I have heard on a Lean Rap album from this year). A lot of headlines related to Lil Uzi Vert are often related to either his androgynous style or his affinity for the Satanism (because of jewellery with upside down crosses and throwing around triple sixes everywhere) but I feel that Luv Is Rage 2 sets him apart from his contemporaries and shows that he has the potential to last for a long time…it almost makes me want to listen to the rock album he has in the works….

RATINGS

Concept: 3/5 Production: 4/5 Lyrical Content: 2/5 Flow and Delivery: 3.5/5 Repeatability: 3/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Neon Guts, Sauce It Up, The Way Life Goes, For Real and Unfazed (because The Weeknd is featured)

Final Rating: 3.1/5

Lil Uzi Vert featuring Pharrell Williams- Neon Guts Suggesting you guys listen to XO Tour Llif3 would be too easy, instead, I recommend the Pharrell assisted Neon Guts. A collaboration I did not think I wanted to listen to until it happened, the pair exhibit a cool energy and a lot of chemistry on this standout track on the album.

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Yeah, the famous life, it'll eat you up alive It's a game and I put my feelings to the side Lil Uzi Vert- Two

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Now that Mayweather vs McGregor is done and gone, can I get the superfight I still want to happen?

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Soundtrack of the Week 24/08/2017

It is time for the Soundtrack of the Week, the SYRHHT blog segment where I discuss latest music releases and other projects that I listen to over the space of 7 days. So, here is the Soundtrack!

ALBUM (EP)

Dave East- Paranoia: A True Story Released: August 18, 2017 Label: Def Jam Recordings and Mass Appeal Records

As I have made very clear on this blog, Dave East has become one of my favourite rappers in the new age of hip hop (he has just overtaken Vince Staples as the artist who has been given the most mentions on a Soundtrack with 3 individual entries). Following the release of his acclaimed mixtape Kairi Chanel last year, Dave East gives us Paranoia: A True Story, an EP that acts as a prelude to his debut studio album for Def Jam. As prelude EPs go, I was worried that this would be a similar situation to Vic Mensa’s Manuscript which only had four songs to act as a prelude to his debut album The Autobiography (two projects I do want to hear but have yet to). Interestingly, even with three skits and one interlude, Paranoia is still quite stacked with nine songs to warm us up for the pending album.

Once you overlook the four aforementioned filler tracks, Dave East shows off once again what has gotten him this far; raw lyricism and vivid storytelling. Setting the scene with the opening track Paranoia, Dave illustrates the mindset he has become accustomed to; paranoia over the people around him as they might be trying to steal from him or see to it that he ends up in prison. In the life he leads on the streets or even as an up-and-coming artist, it is hard to see who to trust and it is easy to become paranoid. The feeling of paranoia is further explored on standout songs The Hated  (which illustrates the story of 2 drug dealers) and Phone Jumpin’ (which features Wiz Khalifa and samples Busta Rhymes- Gimme Some More which was amazing btw). In general, he sticks to what he does great, strong and lyrical showings about urban life in Harlem hoods. 

This EP also has the softer songs for the ladies that are marketed as the lead singles. The first of them is Perfect featuring Chris Brown, which was talked about earlier this month on a Soundtrack but another song that is looking to gain some traction in the mainstream is My Dirty Little Secret. This song illustrates yet another story about a girl that East is getting with. 

She really my type because she think love is boring I don’t know if it’s the jewelry or the cash That made her respond to me so fast She ain’t never asked me nothin’ ‘bout my past

Taken from My Dirty Little Secret Even within this love story, those feelings of paranoia are still prevalent.

Like this the shorty, you been talking bout and showing us I’m growing up, no more Keisha’s nigga I’m blowing up I don’t trust her enough to pass the weed I be rolling up

Taken from My Dirty Little Secret What is immediately interesting is that he makes direct reference to a previous song his, Keisha where he was just sleeping around but now he is looking to settle down and yet that last line brings everything back to the paranoia.

This song shows the story of East meeting a girl but what is interesting here is the constant cognitive dissonance that is present throughout the song. On one hand, he really likes her, wanting to spend all his time with her, wanting to make love to her and tell the world about her and yet on the other hand, he is viewing her as just a another girl he should not really care for, constantly thinking she just be using him for his riches.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Paranoia: A True Story. It is a strong showing of his storytelling abilities and gives us hope towards his debut album that will be coming next year. I openly recommend everyone to listen to this project.

RATINGS

Concept: 3/5 Production: 4/5 Lyrical Content: 4.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Paranoia, The Hated, Phone Jumpin, Dirty Little Secret and Found A Way

Final Rating: 3.9/5

Dave East- My Dirty Little Secret

Dave East- The Hated The third track of the album, Dave East tells the story of two friends, Anthony and Cory as they grew up and found themselves in the dangerous and frivolous lifestyle brought about from drug dealing. A story filled with expensive spending, imprisonment, gang beef, betrayal and so much more.

MIXTAPE

A$AP Ferg- Still Striving Released: August 18, 2017 Label: ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records

If I wrote on here that Ferg was the best artist to come out of the A$AP Mob, would you believe me? It is something that you can genuinely argue and question. While A$AP Rocky has had the most success of the New York rap group and is the reason a lot of people know of the Mob in the first place, A$AP Ferg has definitely risen right behind his friend. With the release of the well-received Trap Lord in 2013, Ferg has been on a rise in the rap industry. His follow-up album Always Strive and Prosper illustrated the changes he has explored stylistically, utilising a wider range of instrumentation and more polished production. In my mind, Ferg has a strong grasp of modern trends in hip-hop and is easily able to adapt himself to fit the trends without giving up his artistic integrity, staying true to the unique style that brought him fame in the first place.

This mixtape, Still Striving is a strong showing of Ferg utilising the current wave of hip-hop. On this mixtape, Ferg has MANY FEATURES. With Meek Mill, Cam'ron, Dave East, Lil Yachty, Nav, Famous Dex, Playboi Carti, Kid, Migos, A$AP Rocky, MadeinTYO, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg, Ferg uses the variety of sounds to his fullest advantage. 

Now here’s where the issue with this mixtape lies; your enjoyment of this mixtape weighs heavily upon your feelings of some of the younger rappers he has featured. Ferg holds down every song he is on, giving us his strong lyricism over his exuberant, trap-influenced flow but you might switch off immediately once you hear someone else start spitting overly simplistic lyrics, with reliance on auto-tune or ad-libs. While I can say that East Coast Remix is the best song in terms of featured artists (read the Soundtrack from last week for my in-depth “analysis” of the song), Trap and a Dream featuring Meek Mill and Olympian featuring Dave East are strong standout tracks; these two rappers are very similar to Ferg stylistically so their respective chemistries are very clear. Funny enough though, while only three of the fourteen tracks have no features at all, they are also some of Ferg’s stronger verses on the project.

While Still Striving brings up some decent songs to listen to for the moment, it is probably worth waiting for A$AP Ferg’s next studio album to hear him rap to the fullest. 

RATINGS

Concept: 2/5 Production: 3.5/5 Lyrical Content: 3.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 3/5 Did I enjoy this project? I did but it was hard at times Songs to Recommend? Trap and A Dream, East Coast Remix, Nandos, Rubberband Man and Olympian

Final Rating: 3.1/5

A$AP Ferg- Nandos One of the songs on the mixtape without any features. It is named after a chain restaurant here in the UK that specialises in chicken (random, I know). The song is an upbeat recollection of Ferg thinking about a time he and his friends were struggling to eat now that those days are far behind him. It is a standout track in my mind and is a good showing of Ferg’s use of the trap style.

SONG

Princess Nokia- G.O.A.T Released: June 28, 2017 Label: Rough Trade Records

The great thing about the internet is that millions of people are sharing around music every day and you can find something you have never heard of and immediately love it. This song is an example of that for me.The New York M.C. known as Princess Nokia has been making music since 2010, previously under the name of Wavy Spice (the lost member of the Spice Girls?). Gaining fans through her Soundcloud and YouTube early on in the decade and being apart of the group Ratking, she recently made waves with her EP 1992 and loose singles such as Brujas and G.O.A.T

From the very little I’ve read up on her so far, I see her as a representation of a millennial raised in the internet era; openly embracing intersectionality as she is a kaleidoscope of personalities and identities within a single being. Makes this song, G.O.A.T  stand out is the lyrics. 

Hate to burst your bubble, bitch I’m that weird girl that’s runnin’ shit I’m a boss bitch runnin’ big shit Got a company, need a couple mil’ Ain’t no rap talk, this my real life And that’s on God, I almost died twice

Opening lines of G.O.A.T

Off the bat, she challenges rap norms by calling herself a weird girl that is still a bad bitch who has been in two different near-death experiences (getting shot at close range when she was 17 and having a lighter explode in her face); we often have two different images of a “bad bitch” and a “weird girl” especially in this hip-hop culture, thinking they are two different entities and cannot be the same but of course, Nokia contradicts that belief. Throughout the song, she will go on to contradict the view of what a female rapper should be. In this song, Princess Nokia tells us that she is a bi-racial, mosh-pitting, intersectional feminist skater chick without curves who likes to watch anime, play with toys, go on MySpace, the film Clueless and OG Southern female rappers like Gangsta Boo, La Chat and Princess Loco….who just so happens to be a rapper. If you compare her to rappers in the mainstream right now (not just female rappers at this point), you probably won’t find a lot of rappers remotely similar.

I change rap forever, man It’s me who had the biggest plan Ain’t no average bitch, I’ve been the man I’ve been the G.O.A.T, eatin’ off the land

Princess Nokia is one of the more unique and intriguing people who happen to be a rapper I have seen in a while and honestly, I am hooked. Her EP 1992 is going to be reissued as an album with G.O.A.T and five other songs added to the tracklist; needless to say, I will be listening. 

Honestly, G.O.A.T will go down as one of my favourite songs of 2017 and it is looking like I am going to become a Princess Nokia fan.

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

They hated Jesus, hated Malcolm, hated Martin (They gon’ hate) eight niggas living in a two-bedroom apartment No lights up in the crib, I guess I came up out the darkness

Dave East- The Hated

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Started a CD collection last week, 15 years after people brought CDs because I love the idea of having tangible music and being able to actually own albums as opposed to just the digital copies from iTunes. Check out the reviews for DAMN and 4:44 on the blog and I will be discussing 2014 Forest Hills Drive and much more on the latest edition of the Soundtrack of the Week.

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Soundtrack of the Week 19/08/2017

It is time for the Soundtrack of the Week, the SYRHHT blog segment where I discuss latest music releases and other projects that I listen to over the space of 7 days. So, here is the Soundtrack!

ALBUM

Dizzy Wright- The Golden Age 2 Released August 11, 2017 Label: Still Movin’

I feel like everyone who listens to music has an artist or two that they wish was in a higher position than they are currently in; for myself, Dizzy Wright is that artist. A member of the 2013 XXL Freshman class and former member of the now-defunct independent label, Funk Volume, the Las Vegas rapper is one of the most underrated young rappers in the game today. With a smooth flow, down to earth lyricism and a laid-back attitude, Dizzy is easily one of the most endearing rappers I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. I have been listening to Dizzy for a few years now and I can say that an issue with him has been that, as an independent artist, he has not gotten the attention that [I feel] he deserves. Even in his days in Funk Volume, he was somewhat overshadowed by the more famous (for one reason or another) Hopsin. With the implosion of Funk Volume last year and the respective label members going to different directions, it seemed to me that this would be the catalyst for a rise for Dizzy Wright.

Post-Funk Volume, Dizzy Wright stayed in business with his manager, Damian Ritter and released the EPs Wisdom and Good Vibes, The 702 EP and the mixtape Blaze With Us, a collaboration project with Demrick, a rapper who would later join the record label Dizzy and Ritter would create, Still Movin. Under this new label, Dizzy releases the sequel to his critically acclaimed mixtape, The Golden Age 2. This album has been what I have been listening to a majority of this week, I just love the vibe of this project. In this album, Dizzy is doing what he does best and that was rap his ass off. On TGA2, he raps about a multitude of topics: being a young father, the state of America, people using him for money, rappers with ghostwriters, people taking life for granted being a pet peeve of his and so much more. While it is a relatively long album at 18 tracks, TGA2 shows off the underappreciated talent of Dizzy Wright and it is worth the listen.

RATINGS

Concept: 3/5 Production: 3.8/5 Lyrical Content: 4/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Word on the Streetz. Outrageous, Fraud, BIg Shots, JOB and Ghetto N.I.G.G.A

Final Rating: 3.8/5

Dizzy Wright- Word on the Streetz With blaring instrumentation, a glowing rainbow of colour and a showing of lyrical dexterity, Dizzy Wright has a strong offering for the first single of this album. It is one of the stronger tracks on this album and it definitely worth a listen.

Dizzy Wright featuring Big K.R.I.T- Outrageous What happens when you bring two independent lyrical rappers together to speak about issues in America? You get this impressive song. Their distinct flows and cadences compliment each other as the listener is graced with two great verses.

SONG

A$AP Ferg featuring Busta Rhymes, Dave East, A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross, French Montana and Snoop Dogg- East Coast Remix Released August 4, 2017 Label: RCA Records

This was the pleasant surprise of my week. Ahead of the release of his mixtape Still Striving, A$AP Ferg released multiple singles. One of them was East Coast Remix, a remix of a song he released earlier on in the year. The original song that featured Remy Ma was a great song, displaying the skills of two of the best the East Coast has to offer. This remix, however, is on a completely different planet. When I saw the features on this, it immediately reminded me of the iconic yet similar collection of east coast rappers on the Touch It Remix from 11 years ago. So, it makes perfect for Busta Rhymes to kick off this song and my, oh my does he set the bar high. The east coast OG clearly proved that he can still rap cycles around some of the best lyrical rappers out today. 

Bip-de-badda-de-booda-de-beat it like a bongo Banging on the pussy like a nigga named Alonzo Head game crazy, that make her the head honcho Mad cause I took his bitch and now he thinks he macho? Somebody better call the cops yo ‘Fore we run up inside of that nigga’s lil’ condo Put him in a box so the nigga in a cargo (cargo, cargo)

Taken from Busta Rhymes’ verse

Next, Ferg jumps in. Not to be outshined, the Harlem M.C. drops a verse with his slick and cool flow that fits the vibe started by Busta with his very unique style of braggadocio.

Soon as you get famous, they wanna ass-kiss Only thing that I’m missing is Hov verse (JAY-Z) I get a feeling, they want the old Ferg “Cocaine Castle”, “Hood Pope” Ferg Got a question to ask, do you know Ferg?

Taken from A$AP Ferg’s verse With Ferg mentioning fans who clamour for Ferg to return to his old style from his debut album Trap Lord but he dismisses it, making it clear that this style was only on side of his rap ability.

Third verse belongs to A$AP Rocky and oh boy…oh boy. Flacko goes HAM. Rocky is rapping on this song like a man possessed. As a man who is often overlooked in this generation of a hip-hop due to periods of inactivity and becoming a more of a fashion icon and celebrity, Rocky had to show the doubters just how great he really is. While he does not have any directly quotable lines, the flow and overall energy of Rocky’s verse is insane. Then, my guy Dave East hops onto the beat and as the least established man on this all-star cast so I feel that he has the most to prove on this song. East does not disappoint as he comes on cool and calm as he spits, arguably, the best verse of the whole song. 

I’m more Ali than Muhammad My noodles was Ramen, go Google my diamonds I got some shooters in college I feel like a coach, I’m recruiting and signing Look, I still be moving in silence

Taken from Dave East’s verse

The next verse is somewhat disappointing. In one of my soundtracks a few weeks ago, I praised French Montana following the release of Jungle Rules. Unfortunately for French, while he fits into this song in terms of bravado and confidence, his flow was slow and disjointed while his lyricism does not match any of the other men on this song. Next, we have Rick Ross (the first and not the last rapper on this track not from New York). This year, I’ve grown to like Ross more, following the release of his latest album Rather You Than Me. With that in mind, Rozay supplies us with a strong verse bring up the vibe of the song again.

In the kitchen culinary, I could whip a Bloody Mary And I wish that blood would dead me, I'ma get your brother burried Gangbanging with your halo, business on the payphone Bitches pussies drying up, like Taz’s Angels

Taken from Rick Ross’ verse

Now….isn’t it odd that on a song called East Coast, we get a verse from one of the most prevalent west coast rappers to ever spit a 16? That was my thought when I saw Snoop Dogg was on this song. Thoughts of opposite coasts were soon forgotten as Snoop not only spits the longest verse but also one of the best verses on this song. Uncle Snoop hits us with a near old school flow that completely melds with this beat.

10-20 was my date of birth, the day I came to Earth Bottles sipping, love to burp, young nigga that’s doing dirt Long Beach across my shirt, all y'all niggas gon’ get merked What the fuck is you talking ‘bout?

Taken from Snoop Dogg’s verse

Overall, this song is impressive and aside from one hiccup, I can definitely see this song going down as one of the great remixes of songs.

ALBUM

Kanye West- The Life of Pablo Released: February 14, 2016 Label: GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings

Kanye West… No matter what crazy stunt this man pulls, somehow, he manages to get away with it because of the amazing music he creates. With the promotion that was clouded with numerous name changes, claims of bankruptcy, asking Mark Zuckerberg for a multimillion-dollar loan, Twitter rants aimed in all direction including at Wiz Khalifa and his family, fashion shows and Adidas trainers, Kanye West dropped his seventh studio album. The “living breathing changing creative expression“ known as The Life of Pablo would go onto become the first of its kind; a growing album that would undergo numerous changes between its release on Tidal and its eventual release on other streaming services and the first stream the only album to go platinum. Accolades aside…This album is kinda “off” to me.

Initially labelled as a gospel album, TLOP gives off this impression immediately with its opening song Ultralight Beam. With the assistance of a church choir, The-Dream, Kirk Franklin, Kelly Price and a strong rap verse by Chance The Rapper, Ultralight Beam sets the bar high for this album and is arguably the best song on the album. But I feel like the album begins to go downhill. While he sticks with the gospel gimmick slightly with Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, lyrically, Kanye completely deviates. While Kid Cudi is about to hold it down on Pt. 1 and Pt.2 adds [completely unneeded and barely appreciated] Kanye touches to the viral hit song Panda by Desiigner (who else thought it was Future when they first heard it?) ultimately, Kanye falls behind.

Now if I fuck this model And she just bleached her asshole And I get bleach on my T-shirt I'ma feel like an asshole

Taken from Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 The now infamous bars from this album that more than likely confused everyone the first time they heard it. Yes, this is a song displaying the fighting of a couple before realising Ye only wants to wake up next to her despite thinking about cheating with a model but did we really need this?

The gospel theme would go onto disappear as soon as Famous comes on and while it would appear again in the skippable skit Low Lights, we do not get the gospel album feel again…which is a waste (So, listen to Chance The Rapper- Colouring Book for the gospel album TLOP should have been). While the next few songs were produced wonderfully like any other Kanye project, Kanye doesn’t really make any strong claims lyrically. Yes, there are quotable lines here and there but he is not really rapping about anything with substance, relying heavily on the production and his guest vocalists. Kanye does redeem himself in the middle of the album with the songs FML, Real Friends and Wolves; Kanye displays introspective feelings with all three of these songs, discussing feelings of trying to stay faithful, the idea of not knowing who is a friend and who is trying to use him and trying to overcome feelings of doubt and fear, making them very strong entries into the album. While the album only begins to pick up from there, it is stunted with the odd and untrue Facts (diss song to…Nike?) and the completely useless Fade (the song has Kanye, Ty Dolla Sign and Post Malone and yet all three of them barely say anything, relying heavily on sampled vocals).

I like this album from a production standpoint and there are songs I listen to from time to time but frankly, it is far from my favourite Kanye West album and in my mind, The Life of Pablo is possibly his most overrated project…at least I liked it more than Yeezus

RATINGS

Concept: 2.5/5 Production: 4.7/5 Lyrical Content: 2.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 3/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Ultralight Beam, Real Friends, No More Parties in LA, Saint Pablo adn Freestyle 4

Final Rating: 3.3/5

Kanye West featuring Vic Mensa and Sia- Wolves This would not be my first choice when it comes to recommendations when it comes to TLOP but this is still a very strong entry to this album; as Wolves in lyrics and the overall flow of fear and reluctance. If you ignore the fact that the music video is a glorified ad campaign, you get to see the strange yet intriguing visuals presented. (Sidenote, I really liked Sia’s verse and I would not mind hearing a solo version from her.)

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

DAMN. Tour Llif3 We may have to change YG's name to PG with the way he is using the pick and roll offence on Kendrick

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Soundtrack of the Week 11/08/2017

It is time for the Soundtrack of the Week, the SYRHHT blog segment where I discuss latest music releases and other projects that I listen to over the space of 7 days. So, here is a slightly different Soundtrack!

ALBUM

Frank Ocean- Blonde Released August 20, 2016 Label: Boys Don’t Cry 

There is a list of albums that we, fans of hip-hop and music in general, wait for in anticipation but it is likely it will never be released. Dr Dre’s Detox, Kanye West’s Good Ass Job, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V, any album by Jay Electronica are just a few of many albums that we waited for eagerly. For a long while, the sophomore album by Frank Ocean was in this class. Following the release of the 2012 album, channel ORANGE, fans of Ocean waited for him to release more music. Despite being slated for a July 2015 release, the project known as “Boys Don’t Cry” would be delayed for another 13 months. Then one day, Frank Ocean released the visual album Endless, making everyone question if this was the project they had been waiting four years to listen to. In a cruel twist of fate, Frank would use Endless as a means of satisfying his record deal with Def Jam, independently releasing one more album the very next day. This album was Blonde

Boys Don’t Cry but, lyrically, this album is sad and depressing; I commend anyone who listened to this and did not shed any tears. Blonde shows a radical change in the demeanour and artistry of Frank Ocean. Gone were the unconventional yet exuberant alternative RnB style of channel ORANGE and enters a much more introverted, sombre style which experiments with a variety of sounds from techno, psychedelic-pop, soul, RnB and so much more than my feeble mind can not comprehend. On this album, Frank Ocean shows an intense level of introspection, openly discussing experiences of love, heartbreak and self-loathing that really takes you on a ride. I feel like it is hard to take songs out of this album to listen individually only because each song plays a part in the bigger story and experience that Ocean is portraying. This album is a full dive into the intense feelings of a melancholy man trying to understand himself following numerous instances of bad times in his life and it personally resonated with me. Blonde is a disjointed masterpiece that I openly recommend.

RATINGS

Concept: 4.8/5 Production: 4.5/5 Lyrical Content: 5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Nikes, Solo, Pink + White, Self Control, Nights and White Ferrari

Final Rating: 4.5/5

Frank Ocean- Solo Personally, I found it difficult to pick just one song to place here, as any song on this album can be easily recommended but I decided to pick this song. Solo is a long-standing double entendre, with Frank Ocean singing about feelings of embracing being alone while deep down, he feels “so low” and needs some kind of high to feel better about himself. This was one of the first songs that immediately resonated with me as I can fully relate to this cognitive dissonance of feelings

ALBUM

Kid Cudi- Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ Released December 16, 2016 Label: Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records

 I will start by saying that prior to the release of this album, I had never listened to a full Kid Cudi project. While I had heard a few songs from him and his features on Kanye West projects (Welcome to Heartbreak is an amazing song by the way), I had never been drawn to him (this seems like a recurring theme on this blog). In 2016, Kid Cudi found himself in a very strange place. He went on a twitter rant of Kanye-proportions, calling out Drake and the aforementioned Mr West, immediately calling them out for having ghostwriters despite their constant bragging of being top 5 artists. This would lead to a harsh response from Kanye during one of his many on-stage rants, saying  "Don't You Ever Mention Ye name, I birthed you." (Drake also responded...it was wack. It does not even deserve a reference). All of this “drama” would come to an abrupt halt when Cudi would admit himself into rehab a few weeks later for depression and suicidal urges. (Drake would then release the diss track Two Birds, One Stone while Cudi was in rehab...which is also wack). All of this happens to him and strangely, I found myself drawn to him. A weird combination of sympathy, disappointment in two of my favourite artists and the release of the lead singles of Frequency and Surfin’ drew me in and I decided to give Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ a shot (that is an amazing name by the way).

Seeing as I had never heard a full project by Cudi, my expectations were naturally low but I can openly say that I was completely blown away by Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’. This album is lazily labelled as a hip-hop album but it is so much more than that. Cudi utilises the use of multiple instrumental sounds that generates a completely immersive experience. What is even better is Kid Cudi’s use of vocals and sounds he makes; throughout the project, he varies from rapping to singing to even humming. I do not think I have ever enjoyed a person hum more than I did when I heard Kid Cudi do it for at least 30% of the album. Aside from the stellar production, it is the lyrical content that helps set this album apart. In this album, Kid Cudi openly discusses his mental health.

These illusions in my head, ohh (I never wanna leave) Hallucinating, flying through air, ohh, so long To the demons in my head, ohh (No more misery) Hallucinating, flying through air, ohh, so long Free, free

Taken from ILLusions

Nightmares kept a nigga from closing his lids Since a kid, I've been haunted by visions of death Such a trip, now it's normal, I customed the grip

Taken from Baptized in Fire

You could try and numb the pain, but it'll never go away You could try and numb the pain, but it'll never go away

Taken from Swim in the Light

These lyrics only scratch the surface of the larger picture that Cudi is painting. He has spent seemingly a long time, consumed with these thoughts and feelings and while he goes out of his way to find ways of numbing this pain or blocking these thoughts, usually through drug use and sex, he is ultimately unable to overcome. The album starts out sombre and bleak, making you feel as if he will be unable to get out of this unfortunate situation however as it ends, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ changes its tone; becoming lighter and more positive. This shows me that there is hope for anyone who is going through any form of mental illness, showing that with the right help, you can cope and get better. We do not get a lot of music in hip-hop discussing the toll of poor mental health and Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ is a hopefully the first of many.  

Ratings

Concept: 5/5 Production: 5/5 Lyrical Content: 5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4.5/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Frequency, Surfin’, Swim in the Light, Baptized in Fire, ILLusions, Kitchen, Rose Golden, All In and By Design

Final Rating: 4.7/5

Kid Cudi- Frequency The opening song of the album and the beginning of this tale. He is with a lot of women, doing drugs as they all try to tune into the same frequency. To me, this track shows Cudi trying to numb the pain he is experiencing mental with menial things like taking shrooms and having sex. (Which is supported with the next song on the album Swim in the Light, for which the opening lines are above)

ALBUM

SZA- Ctrl Released June 9, 2017 Label: Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records

This is the first album of the First Lady of T.D.E and the label’s first RnB act. The label, best known for Black Hippy members, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and ScHoolboy Q, the New Jersey singer SZA has found herself in a position to be one of the premier artists of her label. Long-suffering with label issues and album push backs, SZA finally treated the world with her debut album, Crtl. I’ve only heard her 2014 EP, Z and I can say that this album was a complete departure from the older project, showing a maturity in her singing style and a different range of lyrical content.

Spending time listening to the somewhat negative vibes of Blonde and Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’, Crtl was a nice change of pace. In terms of production, the album presents a hybrid of RnB, hip-hop, soul and indie rock sounds that bring about an overall upbeat sound. What I appreciate about this album is the lyrical content. SZA is completely transparent about her past experiences of love and relationships. The album opens with the song Supermodel where she openly mentions she was having sex with her ex’s best friend after he dumped her on Valentine’s Day (messy...). She would go on to spend the album speaking of past love, loveless sexual encounters and a yearning just to love again. Although I’m not a woman so I cannot attest to all the experiences here, Crtl feels down to earth and ultimately relatable; her recent surge of popularity only makes sense. This is a great album to vibe to whether you are by yourself or with a loved one (I imagine it is a great thing to listen to during a breakup too).

Ratings

Concept: 4/5 Production: 4/5 Lyrical Content: 4.5/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4.5/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Supermodel, Drew Barrymore, Love Galore, The Weekend, Broken Clocks and Garden (Say It Like Dat)

Final Rating: 4.2/5

SZA- Drew Barrymore One of the calmer songs on the album and the lyrics are a reflection of this. The song shows the low self-esteem and insecurity generated in her mind from a bad relationship. While SZA is questioning herself and wondering if the relationship is even worth it, she still yearns for the affection of her lover.

ALBUM

J.I.D- The Never Story Released March 10, 2017 Label: Dreamville Records, Spillage Village and Interscope Records

It only makes sense to end this soundtrack with a rap album. So I decided to listen to another debut album, only this time it is an artist I have seen gain a lot of love and yet I had never heard of before. The Atlanta M.C. J.I.D seemingly popped up out of nowhere and had the hip-hop community talking about his debut project. The latest signee of J Cole’s Dreamville Records, J.I.D comes in as a perfect fit for the lyrical rapper style record label.

The Never Story is a very interesting debut for J.I.D. In this album, he immediately sets himself apart from his contemporaries, especially those from Atlanta who are mostly trap-rappers. He is not mumbling, he is not rapping about all the drugs he sells, he is not talking about going to the strip club every day, he is just rapping... J.I.D makes it very clear that he has a very solid rap ability and a unique flow that is complemented by his high-pitched voice and southern cadence.

Even before grades, going to my brother court dates And I asked my momma bout what he did but they'd never tell me Then I figured he killed a nigga or got caught for some dope he selling Kinda close but no cigarillo, he was armored up, that's a armadillo

Taken from General

J.I.D spends a large portion of the album discussing past experiences, growing up in East Atlanta but he is able to tell his stories in such an interesting way that keeps you hooked and makes you want to listen multiple times over. Production wise, the beats feel crisp and pristine yet they also have an underground feel that perfectly complements his rap style and his hood stories. J.I.D is certainly an artist to look out for and I am waiting for him to do songs with his fellow Dreamville artists (more specifically Cole)

Ratings

Concept: 3/5 Production: 4/5 Lyrical Content: 4.1/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? General, NEVER, EdEddnEddy, D/vision, Underwear and LAUDER

Final Rating: 3.8/5

J.I.D- Never The lead single of this album and his most well-known song to date. J.I.D speaks of times of struggle, being impoverished, unable to afford certain luxuries but what he switches this around almost immediately, saying he values his morals and would not ask for handouts or go for quick ways of making money like committing crimes.

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Bobby Shmurda went from a hot nigga to a swole one Hot Nigga 2 gonna sound like "Mitch benched 100 'bout a week agooooo!"

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Soundtrack of the Week 03/08/2017

It is time for the Soundtrack of the Week, the SYRHHT blog segment where I discuss latest music releases and other projects that I listen to over the space of 7 days. So, here is a relatively shorter Soundtrack!

ALBUM

Amine- Good For You Released July 28, 2017 Label: CLBN and Republic Records

Of the 10 freshmen on this year’s XXL cover, Amine is one of the few artists I feel has the potential to transcend the threshold of a “new artist that can make viral singles” and become a valuable asset to the industry. Starting with the release of his now triple platinum single, Caroline, Amine displayed a unique energy, a use of very different melodies and natural charisma that not a lot of other new-age rappers have. He built up an intrigue of what else he can bring to the table in terms of music. He would go on to release two more singles Baba and REDMERCEDES. While these are both very great songs, showing off his different take on a RnB sound on Baba and his take on early 2000s pop rap songs on REDMERCEDES, both of these singles flew under the radar and did not garner as much success as the aforementioned Caroline. 

When the promo for this album began, with the release of the cover and the tracklist, I was interested. While at that time I had not personally heard other Amine songs yet, I was brought in after the release of Kehlani assisted bonus track, Heebie Jeebies. Seeing as I liked Heebie Jeebies and I can openly say that Caroline was one of my favourite songs released in 2016, I knew I had to take a chance and listen to this album. I can say that I have had Good For You on repeat since it was released. I love the vibe of this album. Too many times this year, I have found myself listening to more sombre, darker music from our mainstream artists; Good For You completely changes that. Amine offers a lighthearted, playful sound with this album. What I appreciate about this sound is that it does not come across as if Amine is chasing a “pop sound”, he is using a sound that perfectly accentuates his somewhat irregular melodies. 

Lyrically, Amine gives us a good showing. Good For You gives us a variety of stories and topics; with Amine discussing life with his family, the changes he has experienced since becoming famous, finding the right girl to fall in love with, completely dismissing one of his ex-girlfriends at her wedding (in one of my favourite songs on this album, Wedding Crashers...even if the first verse of this song was the same verse he used in his XXL Cypher verse) and even something as random as people pronouncing his name wrong (as a fellow African, I feel Amine’s pain). Amine shows off a decent subject matter in this project that is delivered very well through singing and/or rapping.

While I will not go as for as to say this is the greatest album ever, I thoroughly enjoyed this album and I believe that Good For You is a strong enough showing that Amine is an artist that is here to stay for a long time.

Ratings

Concept: 3.5/5 Production: 3.9/5 Lyrical Content: 4.3/5 Flow and Delivery: 4/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? Veggies, Caroline, Turf, Wedding Crashers, Yellow, Heebiejeebies, Hero and Sundays

Final Rating: 3.9/5

Amine- Turf One of the strongest entries in this album, with Amine discussing the effects of gentrification on himself and his peers in Portland. He begins with a monotonous yet meticulous spoken word verse portraying the story of Amine coming home and being forced to reminisce of times in his youth as his surroundings have completely changed with the following two verses speeding up in flow, yet still showing Amine looking at all these changes and interacting with all the new faces in his neighbourhood. It is the heartfelt chorus, however that truly ties this song together, with Amine lamenting at how everything in his neighbourhood has completely changed and making it clear that he can no longer stay there.  Absolutely superb song.

SONG

Dave East featuring Chris Brown- Perfect Released July 28, 2017 Label: Mass Appeal Records and Def Jam Recordings

As I have previously stated in a previous edition of the Soundtrack of the Week, I made it very clear that Dave East has become one of my favourite newer hip-hop acts. With a mixture of raw lyricism and vivid storytelling, the East Harlem M.C. set himself apart from not only his peers in the XXL cover but from other rappers who have made a name for themselves over the last couple of years. With this in mind though, Dave East has yet to release a project to be placed in the mainstream for wider audiences to listen to and purchase (I misspoke when I was talking about Kairi Chanel, this project is actually one of his 10 mixtapes as opposed to an album). You can be a great lyricist, an impressive storyteller and the coolest dad according to Instagram #daddyduties but you can only reach that next level as an artist if you begin to appeal to more people. This song Perfect is the first step.

Dave East gives us Perfect, a slow love song dedicated to the ladies while recruiting the talents of the man who can clearly do no wrong with the ladies, Chris Brown. Whenever a rapper does a song like this, it strikes fear in the hearts of hardcore rap heads, thinking that their favourite artists are going soft or on the verge of selling out. The great thing about this song, however, is that East does not give off this impression. While C Breezy serenades us with the soft yet oddly sexually explicit chorus, East still gives us his raw sound which, in this context, moves away from the image of a brother on the block and instead gives the bad boy image that every woman is instantly drawn to and immediately attracted to. Dave East makes the “tough street guy who is soft and kind to his woman” image very easy. 

This song is looking to be the first single off his debut album Paranoia. While I have no idea how this album will sound or how this song will affect the success of East as the promotion of this album begins, I have the utmost faith that this song can be the stepping stone to a bigger Dave East.

ALBUM

Big Sean- I Decided Released February 3, 2017 Label: GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings

If this blog’s short history is any indication, I have a growing list of artists I used to dislike a lot but have grown to like as I grew older. Big Sean is probably at the top of this list. The very first song I heard of his was Dance (A$$) and it switched me off to him IMMEDIATELY. Between the strange use of the, You Can’t Touch This sample, the somewhat lazy delivery of his bars and the annoying repetition of the word “ass”, I was put me off Sean. He would then have the opening verse of the Good Music song of the summer Mercy and... just read this

Okay, drop it to the floor, make that ass shake Whoa, make the ground move; that's an ass quake Built a house up on that ass; that's an ass-tate Roll my weed on it; that's an ass tray

At that moment, I knew I was done with Big Sean before I could even start. Over the years though, Big Sean’s style would evolve. Ditching the cliche strip club music and moving towards more lyrical efforts, Sean’s stock began to rise. After listening to songs from his previous album, Dark Sky Paradise, his collaboration album Twenty88 with Jhene Aiko and the release of the first single for this album Bounce Back (otherwise known as the theme song of both Meek Mill and Tyga), I Decided to finally listen to Big Sean properly (see what I did there?).

I Decided is a definite departure of the Big Sean the world is used to. With his life changing over the last few years due in part to becoming one of the world’s most famous rappers, Sean takes a step back and completely re-evaluates everything. Sean offers a personal, introspective look into his inner-self, having to deal with the shortcomings of fame, past relationships and reminiscing about the simpler times with his family, with his mother and grandmother often referenced in songs such as Sunday Morning Jetpack and Inspire me. What I found interesting about this album was the use of Sean’s tone throughout the project. Big Sean has a flow that I can describe as “simply talking while going along the rhythm”, it feels like Sean is holding a conversation when he raps. When you add in a slower, more methodical flow, it truly portrays a man in the middle of self-reflection, with the hope of changing his life.

With all the work that's goin' on I feel like this is like my second time doin' it so I know that sound crazy but, you know I just I don't know why I always imagine myself as like someone who failed at everything he ever did at life you know and I got to the end of life and just regretted it all and somehow, this is my chance to go back and get it all right. And when I wake up, with that mindset, you know, it completely changes my hunger, how I approach the whole day. I mean you decide to live your life like that then pshh man I guarantee we'll live life to our best potential

The closing monologue from the final song, Bigger Than Me shows the true concept of the album. I Decided is Big Sean being given a second chance at life after he fails to become successful in a past life. With the knowledge of being unfulfilled in another life, Sean decides that he has to put his everything into the life he is living now...it is an eerie concept and yet, it is inspiring.

Ratings

Concept: 4/5 Production: 4/5 Lyrical Content: 4/5 Flow and Delivery: 3.8/5 Repeatability: 4/5 Did I enjoy this project? Yes, I did Songs to Recommend? The Light, Sacrifices, No Favours, Voices in my Head/Stick to the Plan, Jump Out of the WIndow and Bounce Back.

Final Rating: 4/5

Big Sean featuring Jeremih- The Light The first song of the album and it is one of the stronger songs on the album and one of the more underrated rap songs of the year. Big Sean explores how racial discrimination and the murder that can be a result of this can affect a community. Despite this, Sean tells us that “ Even if you take away my life, you can't take the light “ implying that they can kill us but they can not destroy our soul, saying we can be reincarnated in the near future

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

Reviewing XXL Freshman Class 2017

XXL have created something that gets the hip-hop world talking. A list of around ten up-and-coming artists are brought in for a cover story for the XXL magazine consisting of interviews, individual freestyles and group cyphers. While there have been debates whether or not the XXL list still holds relevance the modern day hip-hop, seeing as the culture has shifted from the lyrical rappers of the past and moved towards melodies over heavy production, it is very hard to dispute the system that has been established. With a LONG list of great talent that were past freshmen and the ease of creating conversation this brings, it is difficult is completely dismiss the impact of the XXL list.

In my opinion, the last few years have been lacklustre for the XXL list due to the hip-hop paradigm shift I mentioned earlier, leading to subpar freestyles and cyphers. However, when I saw the list, I was very hopeful to see some great things this year...and not just before this was the first year I knew all but one rapper on the list.

In this special review, I will be going through each of the cypher verses delivered by the 2017 Freshmen, breaking down the lyrics and generally giving unwanted criticism. Without further ado, here is the review of the XXL Freshman Class of 2017

XXL Freshman Cypher with Madeintyo, Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion and Ugly God

I feel that it is best to talk about this particular cypher first as it has generated the most conversation and had the largest reaction towards it (and not necessarily positive). This cypher consisted of Madeintyo, Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion and Ugly God and honestly, I was not overly impressed. The cypher kicked off with a verse by Young Carti. The A$AP Mob affiliate first made a name for himself, appearing Telephone Calls with A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator before releasing his self-titled mixtape with the hit single Magnolia. As his freestyle clearly indicated, Playboi Carti is not the type of rapper to pull off a lyrical showcase although we were under impression that he could save himself when there is a beat to back...we were wrong. Carti lazily strings together a few words on each line, leaning heavily on his ad-libs...Issa no from me dawg. Next, we have Madeintyo. Best known for his singles Uber Everywhere, I Want (with 2 Chainz) and Skateboard P (both the original and the remix with Big Sean), Mr Tokyo came in as a promising prospect for this cypher. While his flow is great on this track, he doesn’t fully utilise his lyrical skill and with the dramatically short length of his verse, it leaves you underwhelmed. The third man up is Young Pussy Bacon himself, Ugly God. With songs like Water, Booty From a Distance, I Beat My Meat and F*ck Ugly God, he makes it clear that he is a comedic rapper that you don’t need to take seriously and you can just laugh at how ridiculous his rhymes are. If you listen to the other two cypher verses, they are very clearly off-the-dome freestyles. Ugly God was also able to flow off-the-dome unlike Madeintyo and Playboi Carti, he is able to flow naturally and he is even able to borrow flows from his fellow artists. Ugly God lets off a positive vibe that brings back the fun to cypher rapping.

Then the fun abruptly stops...

Walking into the camera’s view, he crouches down and looks down into the ground as the DJ, Sonny Digital, stops the beat. One of the more controversial artists in the new age of Hip-Hop starts his verse with two lines that kills the upbeat party mood entirely and catches every person listening off guard.

And if the world ever has an apocalypse I will kill all of you fuckers

XXXTentacion is certainly an out-of-the-box rapper. Rising to popularity following the release of his hit single, Look At Me while he was in jail, X cultivated the largest fan following of any of the Freshmen this year. His large fan following naturally led to a lot of hype going towards his potential cypher verse. I must say, X has given the world the most intriguing, outlandish cypher verse in the history of XXL. Delivering an acapella verse detailing his murderous intentions if the world were to end and denouncing all forms of religion.

What is your faith? What is your worth? Have you felt acknowledgement? If I kill you now, will you go to heaven or hell you believe in?

While his verse has given him the label of an evil, satanic preacher trying to summon the vilest demons from the very pits of hell, it is a very interesting take on a cypher that almost forces you to listen to every single word he says. 

Best Verse: XXXTentacion Worse Verse: Playboi Carti

XXL Freshman Cypher with Kamaiyah, Kap G and PnB Rock

Next up, I will discuss the last cypher released on the XXL channel. This Cypher consists of Kamaiyah, Kap G and PnB Rock and I feel that this cypher was the best in terms of bars being sprayed and seeing as it was comprised of three of the more underrated artists in this Freshman Class, it definitely deserved a bit more credit.

It starts off with PnB Rock who (while I did just call underrated) is one of the more well-known artists on this list. Rising to fame with his hit single Selfish and his subsequent album release GTTM: Goin Thru The Motions, Rock made a name for himself as a RnB singer so I did not have any expectations in terms of his rap skills. Needless to say, I was proven wrong. Rock goes on to spit a short story of a girl he had just met for a one night stand and while his attitude was not what you would call “gentlemanly”, she would be attracted to his brashness, prompting her to call her friend for a threesome...only in the world of rap. While Rock makes what I like to call “f*ckboy music”, I really enjoyed his flow and energy on this verse and it made me overlook the morality of it all. For the next artist, I have a confession to make. I had never heard of Kap G before the reveal of this cover...frankly, he was the only artist on this cover I did not know. I now that he is a Georgia native who has been active since 2011, gaining attention with singles La Policia, Girlfriend and Freakin n Geekin. I had decided to not listen to a single Kap G song until I heard his cypher verse. Unfair, I know but to his credit, Kap speeds through with a strong freestyle. Unlike PnB Rock and Kamaiyah after him, Kap chooses to hit with a fast delivery for his bars and while it seems like he goes too fast to catch the beat, he is able to compose himself and save the flow.

Uh, Kap, Rollie all on my wrist Rollie all on my bitch, uh

Kap G even borrows some bars from 21 Savage’s cypher verse from 2016. I think that was very cool.

Finally, we have Oakland M.C., Kamaiyah. Strong rapper in her own right, she first made a big name for herself, appearing alongside YG and Drake on the single, Why You Always Hatin?. She came in as one of the stronger and more “traditional” rappers and this cypher verse is a strong indicator. At 152 seconds, Kamaiyah completely takes over this cypher with the longest cypher verse in XXL history; she pretty much hijacks the song and makes it her own. Kamaiyah really brings out an old school flow over this beat it is a breath of fresh air. Kamaiyah definitely delivered one of the stronger verses of this year. My only problem is that she is keeping the same flow and a similar rhyme scheme over a longer period of time, which can become boring over multiple listens.

Best Verse: Kamaiyah Worst Verse: Kap G

XXL Freshman Cypher with Kyle, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Amine

Consisting of Kyle, A Boogie and Amine, The first cypher released this year was the best cypher of this year...Yes, I said it.

First off, we have Kyle. Kyle is actually one of the artists in this class that I’ve known of the longest, first hearing his song, Lexicon under his old moniker, K.I.D back in 2012. In recent history, he would release big singles Really? Yeah!, Doubt It and his hit single, iSpy (with Lil Yachty). Kyle kick off the cypher, literally blasting into the spotlight like a bi-racial Buzz Lightyear and spit the best cypher verse of this year...it is the just truth. He has the best verse in any of the three cyphers for a few reasons: he flexes his lyrical dexterity with his happy, yet confident flow that he is able to switch easily from full-blown rapping to talking to singing to rapping again. He gets you immediately into the positive and bouncy vibe of the cypher and frankly, he makes it hard for A Boogie and Amine to follow...which is crazy considering they both had very good verses.

Don't got no gold but my record is platinum So picture perfect I don't need a caption I don't give a fuck 'bout how long you been rappin' Got flow so old I could spit 'em in Latin

Starting off the cypher with bars like that and giving off a vibe that makes a man stand still and fold his arms and smile like this. Kyle wins, man.

Next up, we have A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. When I first heard of this guy, I had a thought most people probably “What kind of rap name is that?”. It is very hard to take rappers who have their names as long phrases or sentences seriously. Anyway, A Boogie is possibly the most successful of the freshman this year, release numerous hit singles (My Shit, Jungle, Timeless and Drowning featuring Kodak Black) all within the space of a year. Making a name for himself with melody driven raps, it was interesting to see A Boogie change up the flow and spit some bars for the cypher. Giving his verse a mixture of a straight rap style and a melodic rap near the end, A Boogie carries himself well, delivering a strong brag verse that carries on a strong vibe. Finally, we have the aforementioned Amine. Making it big, following the release of the hit single (and one of my favourite songs from 2016), Caroline, Amine was one of the people I was genuinely excited to see on this cover. Amine comes in to spit a story verse for his cypher. What I appreciated about this verse more than PnB Rock’s verse from his cypher is that Amine talks about a very different story than we are used to in raps; going to an ex-girlfriend’s wedding and realising she was not as great as he had thought when they were together, dismissing her new relationship and bragging about how great he actually is without her, telling her she was the one who missed out. 

Best Verse: Kyle Worst Verse: A Boogie

As for my opinion on the 2017 Freshman Class, I appreciate how there are more rappers on this cover that can be considered as “lyrical”, leading the perception that the XXL cover is a strong representation of the state of up-and-coming rappers these days (which is not necessarily true). With this in mind, this class is far from the greatest. There are some talented rappers on this cover but some of the artists on here lack a defining character that sets them apart from the already established rappers in what one person could call the “new golden age of rap”, leading me to believe that some of the talent here do not have longevity in the industry. Still, listening to these cyphers and giving a listen to these artists’ discographies is certainly worth while. 

The artists that I would personally recommend are Kyle, Amine, Ugly God (if you are into strange, comedy rap), Kamaiyah and XXXTentacion (despite his odd name and the fact that he is “a murderer, son of a serpent”).

While the 2017 Class may indicate an upward trend towards future Freshman classes, it, sadly, does not measure up to the past.

There is a reason why the 2013 has arguably regarded as the greatest overall class (excluding Kirko Bangs and Trinidad Jame$...)

[soyoureviewhiphoptoo]

It’s been nearly 20 years but I would like to know who was the main chick and who was the side chick in this situation?  Is there a song from the man’s perspective? Was this the first mainstream instance of the “I’m coming to you as a woman” talk? Why in the world was it interpolated on a song with Mobb Deep and Nas?

I have so many questions about this song!!