What I Want From Kanye's "Waves"

If anyone knows how to draw attention to themselves, (rapper or not, although not all the attention is good attention) it's Kanye West. I don't care for the argument with Wiz Khalifa that was blown completely out of proportion, because although it is very entertaining to watch, I've taken more notice to how Kanye is promoting his slowly creeping up new album, Waves. Just a few days ago, Kanye put out an Instagram post of the supposed track list for Waves, and the internet was taken by storm. It's hard not to see it when it's all over my Twitter timeline of course, and normally I wouldn't care about a new Kanye album (send all the hate you desire, I don't care), but then I got to thinking about Kanye's old albums and what it'd be like to hear some more game changing tracks like the ones off of 808s & Heartbreaks, or some more haunting, orchestral sounds like the ones on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It seems Kanye is always one to try painstakingly hard to try to change the game; so much so that sometimes he forgets how to make a more to the point, simple (but certainly not simplistic) banger that people will want to play over and over again. Here's what I'd like to hear from Kanye's new album, taking into account what has already come out from Kanye since last year.

So since last year Kanye has released a barrage of loose tracks that live on no current project, and do not appear on the track list for his upcoming album Waves. Kanye collaborated with the great Paul McCartney on a couple of songs last year, including "FourFiveSeconds" which also featured Rihanna. Then came the song "All Day" a little bit later in 2015. These songs seemed like catchy enough songs to get radio play, but they didn't really bring more excitement towards the possibility of Kanye's album coming. Fans talking on the blogs and social media seemed to want the more ominous stuff that gave the MBDTF vibe, and it seemed like they got it when "Real Friends" and "No More Parties In L.A." featuring Kendrick dropped in the beginning of 2016.

https://soundcloud.com/kanyewest/real-friends-no-more-parties-in-la-snipped
https://soundcloud.com/kanyewest/nomorepartiesinla

Now these are the kind of songs I can vibe to. This is what Kanye should be doing all the time; his past experimenting with beats and song making strategies has gotten mixed reviews considering they range from College Dropout to Yeezus and everything in between, but with these new songs, Yeezy seems to be sticking to what works. Classic sampling, ominous tones and some subtle, yet powerful beats seem to be the perfect recipe for what Kanye is calling "the best album of all time." He was also quoted as saying on Twitter that "This is not album of the year. This is album of the life." Classic Kanye, but we'll see when that day comes 'Ye.

Kanye's never really impressed me lyrically, but he's always has that "it" factor with his music that makes you want to listen over and over again. The thing about Kanye is that he makes music with no expiration date, songs on every album of his still go to this day (especially my favorite Kanye album, 808s & Heartbreaks), and that's something that a very few can actually say (especially now). So what do I want from Kanye's new album?  I want some banging tracks. I want more songs like "Real Friends" and "No More Parties In L.A.". I want Kanye to bring this "God level rapping" that Travis Scott said lies on Waves. I want Kanye to stop fucking around with crazy sounds that mirror a screaming chimpanzee in the zoo, and stick to the classic samples that we hear on "Real Friends" and "No More Parties In L.A.". Dear Kanye; STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW. I'll end this with one of my favorite, most perfect Kanye songs ever. (*PS*; I also think Kanye pulls off auto tune perfectly and is the only person who should be allowed to use it, ever.*)


                     (*I do not own this song, or the rights to it*)


            



          








   








              

Rappers Michael Jackson Should Have Collaborated With

This may be a stretch, but to me it seems hip hop has become more soulful in the 2010s. While hip hop has it's flaws, its strengths are shining through stronger than ever because of its artists that refuse to compromise. Because of this, artists are making some of the most next level music of their careers, plus simply rapping over an instrumental doesn't always do the trick anymore; people want to hear melodies, and even some singing. Which is why I dedicated a post to this topic; Michael Jackson was indeed the King of Pop. If there ever was a master entertainer, and someone to have on your song just to say you HAVE THEM ON YOUR SONG, it would have probably been Michael Jackson. I mean, the guy's added soul to pretty much any song he's been a part of. There are only a few rappers who I feel I could honestly say deserve a Michael Jackson feature, so I decided to name a few here, and (tried to) include one of their more soulful jams, so you could try to picture what it'd sound like for these rappers to collaborate with MJ. Here we go!

J. Cole - Note To Self


In terms of soul, Cole showed the most on his latest album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. On songs like "Intro", "Apparently", and especially the outro "Note To Self", Cole showed not only a decent singing voice, but a soul that would make church goers look like sinners. Cole pours his heart out in some of these songs, and Michael Jackson would only cap off this souled out track with some angelic background vocals, or maybe even a solo (who knows, it's up to you to decide!).

Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst


It should come as no surprise that Kendrick made this list as a "could have been" Michael Jackson collaborator, his music drips soul and his latest album To Pimp A Butterfly is the greatest example of this statement. Michael could have thrown his two cents in on many Kendrick tracks; imagine him on "These Walls", "Kush & Corinthians" off of Section.80 instead of BJ The Chicago Kid (although BJ is amazing) or even the Good Kid Maad City extra "Now Or Never" featuring Mary J. Blige. But the ever-so-perfect collaboration would have to be Michael on Kendrick's "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" because come on; can't you just hear it?

50 Cent - 21 Questions


So this was a tough one, but I had to include 50 Cent simply because of the (little known) fact that Michael Jackson said that he wished to collaborate with 50 Cent before his passing (it's true, look it up). It's really so tough because all of 50's songs are so tough, most include a banging beat with some hard rapping, not something you'd normally hear Michael Jackson on, so 50's classic "21 Questions" seems to be the medium. Could you imagine Michael Jackson on the hook instead of Nate Dogg (R.I.P to the true hook king as well) though?  I guess you'd never know.

Nas - Bye Baby


Nas is practically the perfect rapper for a Michael Jackson collaboration, I mean could you think of anyone more deserving?  Nas is top 5 dead or alive (debatable, although I believe he is) and quite possibly owns the longest reign at the top, with a career spanning over 20 years. Nas has got the sound for MJ too; spanning from songs like "You Wouldn't Understand", "Reach Out", and "Cherry Wine featuring the late and great Amy Winehouse (R.I.P), and those are just on his last album, Life Is Good. Nas is perfect for a Michael Jackson feature not just because he makes soulful, heartfelt jams, but because he spits the truest and most realistic stories in his rhymes; Michael Jackson would cap off the feeling of a perfect collaboration.

The idea of Michael Jackson collaborating with a rapper might sound crazy to some, but it really shouldn't, especially in 2016. The range of collaborations we've seen over the years has really skyrocketed, even if you think about strictly award show/television show performances (Grammy's or talk shows). I mean Eminem collaborated with Elton John for a performance, wouldn't that put to rest any limitations you have on other possible collaborators?  Mixing genres is a beautiful thing not just because of the great music that can come out of it, but because it shows that different kinds of people can accept each other, no matter what their tastes may be. The power of music is infinite.     



       





                     
 




         

Throwback Thursday: Jay Z's "Backstage" Documentary

Rarely nowadays do you get such an in depth behind the scenes look at rappers, whether it be tour life, studio sessions, or just an off day in the life. J. Cole's "Road To Homecoming" documentary series was so fascinating to someone like me because I crave a behind the scenes look; I love knowing how the whole process works and what it looks like. Knowing how these rappers deal with tour life, or meeting recording deadlines, I just can't get enough of it. And if you have Netflix, you could get another seriously cool look at the tour life with "Backstage".

"Backstage" is a tour documentary based on Jay Z's 1999 "Hard Knock Life" tour, and it features some legendary guests. You get to see how hood and terrifying Beanie Siegel really is (I wonder why he never turned out to be big), You get to see Ja Rule in all his du rag rocking glory, you get to see the dynamic duo Method Man and Redman smoke themselves into a coma, and of course you get to see the DOG, DMX bring his weight lifting pit bull on tour and scare people.

This doc is great; it includes Beanie beating on people for fun (because again, Beanie is pretty terrifying), Dame Dash screaming at tour managers for not promoting Roc-A-Fella enough, and quite an amazing behind the scenes look at Jay Z and DMX going bar for bar in a freestyle session backstage. Yes this documentary has it all and if you haven't seen it or don't plan to see it than I have to ask; are you a hip hop fan at all?!  Check out a snippet of the doc below, and if you don't have Netflix, I'm sure you can catch the documentary online somewhere.


                      (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)








   

Is Mos Def Retiring?

A message from Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) on Kanye's website (kanyewest.com) clarifies that The Mighty Mos is putting the mic down after his next album. That's right, Mos Def is retiring, and the hip hop world is distraught with this news, as am I. The reason for his retirement, however, is confusing.

In the message that Yasiin released on kanyewest.com, Yasiin spoke of being detained in South Africa, as well as his ongoing problems with the government. He goes on to speak about his World Passport; "Anyone can do the research about the World Passport. It is not meant to deceive or derive any benefits from any nation state. I have made no false claims. I have not misrepresented myself... I am under unnecessary state supervision and scrutiny."

It seems due to this "unnecessary state supervision and scrutiny", Mos felt it would be a good time to hang it up and bring no further unwanted attention to himself or his family. Probably a good move, Mos, but we'll miss you. You can hear the message in full below.


              (*I do not own this video message, or the rights to it*)
    

5 Awesome GTA 5 Songs

So in case I've never told y'all, I play a lot of video games. When you're sitting and doing nothing, there's really nothing better to pass the time than to rock some NBA 2K, save Gotham City, or in this case, run around Los Santos terrorizing the city and making bunches of money driving really fast expensive cars and searching for alien spaceships parts (we don't all have the same interests). I've been playing a lot of Grand Theft Auto 5 lately for some reason (I know I'm a tad late to the game, although I did end up buying it for previous and new gen consoles), and I'm just now realizing how many awesome songs Grand Theft Auto 5 has turned me on to. Here's 5 songs from GTA 5 that I never knew about until I started playing.

Life Of A Mack - 100s


I had never heard "Life Of A Mack" or of 100s before, but this beat is just too wavy not to jig to (and bump through the TV speakers sipping a little bit of some good liquor). 100s (also known as Kossisko) is a Berkeley, CA rapper who is known widely for his G-Funk style of rap, and boy is he keeping the West Coast style with his music. He released an EP in 2014 by the name of Ivry, and based on the sound of "Life Of A Mack", it might be worth a listen.

MC Eiht & Freddie Gibbs ft. Kokane - Welcome To Los Santos


I still find it amazing that Grand Theft Auto is such a big game that artists will make songs exclusively for the game itself, and MC Eiht, Freddie Gibbs and Kokane's "Welcome To Los Santos" is another perfect example of that. This song captures the feeling of riding around in the 6-4 with the bass thumpin' (not that I would know what that feels like, I'd love to though), and is one of many appearances that Freddie Gibbs makes on GTA 5's soundtrack.

Smokin' and Ridin' -BJ The Chicago Kid ft. Freddie Gibbs & Problem


Another Appearance from GTA 5 favorite Freddie Gibbs is on the hook king BJ The Chicago Kid's "Smokin' and Ridin'". There aren't many songs more smooth than this record, and BJ The Chicago Kid's angelic vocals grace this song and ride the hook like a wave (did you like that description? I wrote it myself).

Trouble ft. Gucci Mane - Everyday


This song is definitely a guilty pleasure; I've never been much of a Gucci Mane fan besides his song "Heavy" back in the day (came out around 2010 I believe), but this song has that sort of same hypnotizing beat that "Heavy" did (for me, at least). The beat is hard, the bass is heavy, and the melody screams Gucci Mane as soon as it comes on. Classic Gucci sound on this one! (Oh, and Trouble's not too bad either.)

Freddie Gibbs & Mike Dean - Sellin' Dope

          (*I do not own any of these songs, or the rights to them*)

But when it comes to hard (although Gucci is up there), it doesn't get much harder than Freddie Gibbs and Mike Dean's "Sellin' Dope." I mean this is straight up drug trafficking, speaker blaring, gun totin', gangsta music!  When I bump this I feel like I should be paranoid that the cops are coming (even though all I do is write and play video games, I got nothing to hide!).

So there's a few awesome GTA exclusives that you can only get with Grand Theft Auto 5 (although you can find them all online, obviously, they're not pulling anything like this dumb Apple Music and TIDAL war that's going on with exclusive music now). You have to love when artists can come together to put out music for a big cause like this; if this is the way to unite rappers of different coasts and areas of origin, then I say collaborate away! (I'm already excited about the idea of more collaborations for Grand Theft Auto 6)     

 


    



    












       


    

Kendrick Kills Another TV Performance (Fallon Interview + Performance)

If it isn't already safe to say that Kendrick Lamar is the King of Rap, or even the King of the New School, it's most definitely safe to say that when Kendrick is featured on some late night television, you better believe he's going to put on an unforgettable performance.

Kendrick was on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon last night discussing his latest (almost) record for Grammy nominations (11, whereas Michael Jackson had 12), and Jimmy Fallon saw this as a big deal whereas Kendrick was the usual humble person he is. "I did a little research, Michael Jackson holds the record with 12 nominations. You almost had the same amount of nominations as Michael Jackson for Thriller." Jimmy then asked, "what if you had 13?" Kendrick replied "I wouldn't want to go past that, though. I can't fathom being as great as Michael without putting out the work. 11 is perfect." As humble as always.

But, this is not the highlight of the show. Kendrick then puts on a show, and definitely one to see, as usual (I mean at this point it's almost a given, when Kendrick is on late night television, you can almost expect a game changing performance). You can peep both the performance and the interview with Jimmy below.


     

            (*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)

Sorry For My Tardiness: Boogie

He got some shine last year, but it'd be unfair to say that Boogie's 2015 was even a good year (scratch that, not a good year, but it'd be wrong to say that Boogie had hit his peak in 2015). 2015 seemed like a warm up for the Long Beach, CA native (though born in Compton), getting shine from practically every hip hop blog on the net after the release of his critically acclaimed second mix tape The Reach on June 24, 2015 (exactly one year after the release of his debut mix tape, Thirst 48). In August of 2015, Boogie signed a deal with Interscope Records; I guess real recognizes real (or major labels recognize talent).



After a fair amount of listens to Boogie's second mix tape The Reach, I can truly say that a rapper with an interesting story to tell (which isn't always the case) is on the come up. The musical appeal is there based on Boogie's great use of singing melodies (featuring a not-so-terrible singing voice in which you can hear the pain of lost loved ones, and some angelic hooks from collaborator D'anna Stewart), he's got some great punch lines that will make the real rap heads' ears perk up, and great story-telling bars that keep you interested throughout an entire album, let alone a single song.

With both The Reach and Thirst 48, (which Boogie explains the meaning of both mix tape titles in the interview with Complex below) Boogie makes a story that everyone has heard so often sound interesting again. Boogie's got the "juice", and he's pretty close to drinking the rest of it. His sort of real, raw story is the type that people want and need to hear, and the kind that can inspire the next up and comer to push through the worst to become the best (and it seems that Boogie is well on his way to become one of the best in the game). Check out the interview below to learn more about Boogie, including how he got shot in his foot.


  (*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to them*)