the zephyr tapes

Thoughts and insight on music old and new. Sit back listen and let us review

[thezephyrtapes]

https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/guilty-pleasure-dance-party/idpl.9455cfed5d0e46a8aa157dfa07ffbe08

[thezephyrtapes]

[thezephyrtapes]

Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'

This album hits and it hits deep. With broad strokes Kid Cudi delivers for his fans on this 19 track 86 minute album. Music aside I'm glad that Kid Cudi was honest with his mental health and sought out help. This album seems like it was definitely part of that process. The process of living with the heavy weight and perhaps coming to terms with it. This album starts out slow and moody but takes a turn as the beats pick up midway through the album. Andre 3000 blesses two songs on this album. Pharrell Williams also makes some contributions as well. Willow Smith and Travis Scott both show up. All the features are done perfectly for the song they're on. "The Guide" is a definite highlight as we are treated to both Kid Cudi and Andre spit some verses. If you ask me Andre is just playing with our emotions with all these recent features he's been handing out lately. The last few tracks on this album bring you back to the Cudi that we all fell in love with on "Man on the Moon" I think Kid Cudi has been on a roll creatively with his last album, pushing what hip-hop artists can do. He made a solid punk album and delivers with a deep album both sonically and literally. Clear out your schedules and enjoy this treat from Kid Cudi as he slays his demons and sets himself free.

[thezephyrtapes]

[thezephyrtapes]

New J. Cole "4 Your Eyez Only"

We were blessed with new work from none other than today's reclusive J. Cole. But just as we he allows us to quench our thirst for substance we are quick to forget how spoiled we are. A lot of the quick reactions from people over the weekend are trying to compare this project to the others. Lest we forget that each piece of work is just that a piece of work. It doesn't always have to be about being better than the last or the next. An album can stand alone as commentary on where we are as a people, country or society. But more importantly where the artists is. This is where we find ourselves with "4 your eyez only" This 10 track album by Jermaine is a blue, soulful, tragic look at the world around us and how little has changed. Gone are the songs that attempt to address the casual hip-hop fan that will tune in and out and let the real be interceded by the radio waves. J Cole is making statements and is spitting facts for those that are willing to listen. He is able to do this with the broad range of millennials that listen to his music. He gracefully bridges the gap between the young and old all while addressing serious social issues. J. Cole delivers another beautiful album that is sorely needed in a time where soft, shallow artists are force fed to us with cheap ringtone rap beats with language that barely constitutes as elementary vocabulary. We owe it to ourselves, our youth and future to ensure that albums and artists like these are not only listened to but are kept in rotation. They can feed us bull shit but we will and must control what we eat.

[thezephyrtapes]

[thezephyrtapes]

Do What Thou Wilt.

Ab-soul finally drops and it was worth the wait. What more have we come to expect from any product from the TDE fam. Top Dawg has established his label as the standard for hip-hop artists to aspire to be. No other record label has a better starting team in today's landscape. They're Giants on the playing field filled with little boats, kayaks, yachts and whatever is cute to call yourself now a days. Ab-Soul weaves in and out of intricate rhymes that will leave the rest of the playing field scrambling to grab someone to tell them where they can find their nearest thesaurus. The TDE artist touches on subjects from how little we pay attention to woman history and their rights, to the election and even touches on Top Dawg wanting him to get into rehab. He does it with beats that will keep the head nodding and with lyrics that will cause you to do double takes again and again. Ab-Soul is a MC that is unafraid to speak what is on his mind. With lyrics like, "Ruffled up a couple of feathers when I called Barrack a puppet yo. Now that Trump is POTUS, I know this whole election is just another Muppet show. Ain't even none of my business though. Whatever is your cup of tea yo" and " A criminals best asset is his LIEAbility" His lyricism and content speak to his IQ and growth as a human being and the freedom that the TDE camp have to create and churn out projects that sets the standard for every new album coming out today.

[thezephyrtapes]

New music from A Tribe Called Quest! Scroll below for my take on this masterpiece!!!!

[thezephyrtapes]

We got it from here... Thank you 4 Your Service

Flamboyant, poetic, social commentary, expression of the minority are all hip-hop and with where we are as a nation today we are blessed with 60 minutes of moments filled with head nodding smiles and booty shaking. ATCQ's "We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service" is a clash of all things hip-hip in a way that only the native tongues could pull together and succeed. Only a few artists are considered royalty in their perspective genres and ATCQ is definitely one of them. They inspired generations of listeners that didn't fit in with the drug dealers, ballers and shot callers. The legends along with the spirit of Phife bring out the true MC's and the A listers of today's hip-hop music scene. We're treated to collabs that a 90s kid could have never fathomed would happen. It's fair to say if your favorite "rapper" isn't featured here they need to step their game up and stop mumbling. The list includes Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Anderson Paak, Elton John, Jack White I mean need I say more? This isn't a come back album or a greatest hit album either. It's a piece of art brought forward with the passing of Phife. 18 years has been too long but it was worth the wait. This final album that tribe delivers is a beautiful bookend to their great career that easily puts them as the greatest group of all time. Thank you A Tribe Called Quest for giving us good beat music, a beautiful message and giving us 60 minutes of complete zen filled with beats, rhymes and positive vibes. -O

[thezephyrtapes]

[thezephyrtapes]

[thezephyrtapes]

Black lives matter.

Watching through my worldwide views and the sights sicken me The heights overshadowed by the daily lows Brown and black beaten by the blues Freedom and justice are lawful injustices Disgust, fear and embarrassment are accepted Overt classism and racism exist in the daylight Our leaders died and we’re given holidays to buy our compliance But only the ones that lady liberty would have at her table Our youth conflicted between action and inaction due to the newest trends that act like novacane Numbed and slowed brain function slows As long as our handhelds continue to glow Forever we’ll cease to flow Just another species left for slaughter For as long as brown and black are lawfully hunted by the blue We’ll raise our fists and proclaim Black lives matter

[thezephyrtapes]

Drake just dropped so it's time to HATE HATE HATE.

[thezephyrtapes]

Drake dropped so it's time to HATE HATE HATE

Drake just dropped new music so you know what that means... It's time for the Haters to come out and attend the Hater's Ball, the Drake edition. When ever Drake drops a single, mixtape or album the "hip-hop heads" come out and start ranting and raving about "insert name of single or album" isn't hip-hop or rap. What I never understand is who are these hip-hop police to say what is or is not hip-hop? Hip-hop started in the inner cities and was all about repping your crew, block or city. It came from jazz, blues and spoken word. It was meant to get away from what was going on in the current moment, an escape from the daily grind. At the same time a way to provide social commentary on the life in and around the inner cities and society. Hip-hop or rap is as diverse as the instruments that bring jazz to life and as diverse as the artists that step to the mic. It represents every corner of a persons psyche and the make up of the world around them. Which is why Drake works and is successful today. There's nothing wrong with the avenue that he provides. Kendrick has his and so do J. Cole and Wale. They all work in their own right and provide consumers with many roads to travel on, en route to their head nodding and eargasms. Wale had a mixtape when he was coming up that was called "Hate is the new love" which sums up the hate from all the "hip-hop police", "hip-hop heads" and trolls. Drake isn't going anywhere so just sit back and enjoy... Or better yet play some throw backs and enjoy the diversity of this craft and art form called hip-hop 🎤.

[thezephyrtapes]

Views from thezephyrtapes. #zephyr #drake #views #viewsfromthe6 #applemusic #muiscblog #tumblr #thezephyrtapes

[thezephyrtapes]

Views new Drake album

[thezephyrtapes]

Views

Views dropped yesterday during Drake’s Apple radio station and is now exclusively available on iTunes and apple radio. This 20 track album… Yeah that’s right 20 tracks is delivered to the masses through Apple radio furthering the new platform that consumers have with their favorite artists. This is Apple’s answer to the Pandora box that Kanye opened with Tidal and it works. Drake is a big enough artists to pull this off and have success with it just like Kanye did with “TLOP” and Tidal. “Views” isn’t a rushed album by any means and its full length is well produced and arranged in a way where you could stop and start at any point in the album and still pick up on all your Drake needs. He hits all the widgets in his wheel house with ease and without making you feel like he is trying to hit those widgets. He gives you the hot and cold of Drake and brings you along for the ride through the 6. For all those that been waiting you won’t be disappointed Drake delivers as only Drake and his feelings can.