Observations From Buddy's Magnolia

For rising Compton emcee Buddy, as it is most Compton artists, failure is not an option. With coming out of Compton, there also comes a few stereotypes; drive-by's on the daily, dealing drugs, guns, partying, and the every day struggle of simply trying to survive. Does this mindset give Compton citizens more of a will to live than those of a, oh I don't know, say... Dover, Delaware?  I can't vouch for the hardships of Dover, Delaware because I don't live there, but if there's one thing that can commonly be said about Compton, it's that it's history is VERY well documented. And though it's documentation is almost a priority for the city's shining young artists, Buddy finds a way to make it all sound new and refreshing, like watching a re-make of a childhood favorite movie (we'll see if LeBron or whoever butchers the follow up to Space Jam if it's ACTUALLY being made, but that's beside the point). Buddy takes us on a short, yet fulfilling trip down Magnolia, and it's a bittersweet ride; not because the project does not live up, but because the trip is just too short. Here are some key observations from Compton artist (who has received co-signs from both Pharrell and Kendrick Lamar) Buddy's Magnolia.

Effortless Instrumental Riding


Buddy's take on approaching a beat is one used with care and ambition. He cares just as much about the melody as he does making the listener jump with excitement to the instrumental, and that's evident on the absolutely flaming and flamboyant jam 'Type Of Shit" featuring Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa. Buddy uses his vocal range as a tool in a singing jingle on the hook, as well as a confident boast when he raps his 2 verses before Wiz comes in and smokes the instrumental out. If there's any song that could launch Buddy to stardom, my pick would easily be "Type Of Shit". On the intro track "4 The Record" featuring fellow Compton artist Boogie (how about that for a duo?  Boogie & Buddy?  Buddy & Boogie?), Buddy enunciates his flow a little bit slower, in a much smoother tone that almost makes you feel out the song differently than you would if Buddy were to be rapping faster on the track. Magnolia is entirely produced by duo Mike & Keys, and Buddy is using his platform to promote the talented duo. Buddy said in an interview; "I really want the listeners to get familiar with Mike & Keys. We have over a hundred songs over the course of 3 years and we picked 5 to put out to the world. Their production is completely different from Kaytranada (with whom Buddy has previously worked with on a joint project called Oceans & Montana). I also want to further demonstrate my versatility as an artist." It sounds like Buddy is dedicated to his craft, and what's better to hear from an up and coming artist than one who cares about the music?

Despite The Short Track List, There's a Song For Everybody On Magnolia

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

From colorful bangers, to slow jams for the ladies, all the way to sobering songs discussing living the Compton lifestyle, Magnolia is a ride that is too quick to process in it's mere 17 minute run time. In Buddy's ode to the ladies (or maybe, specifically, one lady) "Last Time" featuring Swainsboro, CA artist Kent Jamz (who sounds like an eerie mix of Andersen .Paak and Chris Brown), Buddy gives Kent the spotlight to display his uniquely high, yet chameleon-like vocals to mold and transform flows and voices over a smooth, slow jam with a boom bap kick and cracking open hi-hat. On another track, "That Much", Buddy uses the "successful artist who everybody wants to eat off of" approach to discuss why he doesn't do much besides kick back and lay down tracks; "niggas actin like they know somethin, niggas asking can they hold somethin', niggas acting like I owe somethin, niggas always want somethin'."

If Buddy's Magnolia is any indication of what else is to come from the Compton artist, then I will absolutely be eagerly awaiting his next move. Buddy's swift and sneaky fusion of relatable content and hit making potential is something we haven't seen in quite awhile; a pure musician who makes music from the heart just by telling his side of a story. With giants in the game already backing him (especially artists held to such a high regard such as Pharrell and Kendrick), Buddy is most definitely going to be making waves in the game soon enough. And in my humble opinion (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so), 5 tracks just isn't enough!  Buddy clearly has an idea of a marketing strategy already planned out, and hopefully that strategy includes a full fledged LP on the horizon, and much sooner rather than later.             

               













           

Wiz Khalifa's "Khalifa" Album Review

It's crazy to think about 28 year old Wiz Khalifa being a veteran in rap; but with almost 20 different projects put out (hard to distinguish the difference between albums and mix tapes, though most would say he has 4 albums), there's no debating that Wiz Khalifa is a veteran in this here rap thing. He's experimented with his sound since 2006, being once known as the Prince Of The City, "Trap Wiz" on his 2014 mix tape 28 Grams, and asking How Fly is he really with frequent collaborator Curren$y, but this time it seemed Wiz wanted to combine all of his different styles and personas into one while staying true to the backpacking Wiz that became so huge in the late 2000s. So did Wiz give his fans what they wanted with Khalifa?



It's not hard to tell that the big single from this project was the hyped up Travi$ Scott feature "Bake Sale", and the fun and wavy vibe that this jam gives off is easy to find throughout Khalifa. "Cowboy" is an interesting twist on the typical Wiz song given it's decent storytelling vibe, but is also able to keep the party vibe going, while "Celebrate" brings Wiz back to his comfort zone with some clean shit talkin' over a smooth beat and a nice Rico Love feature.

Old Wiz was making a few worthy appearances on Khalifa as well, this is most evident from the almost inspirational banger "Elevated." The hook on "Elevated" creates the signature Wiz vibe with some spiritual background vocals that Wiz mastered back in his mix tape days, and he gives the same classic Wiz vibe with "City View" featuring singer Courtney Noelle. Seeing a Courtney Noelle feature for Wiz fans is certainly a nostalgia trip, reminiscent of "Bank Roll" off of Wiz's Star Power mix tape.


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

The features on Khalifa are none too showy; Wiz stuck to the Taylor Gang and that is no surprise. Every feature fits where it belongs, and each person plays their part perfectly. Courtney Noelle's singing made "City View", while Rico Love, J.R. Donato, Chevy Woods and Juicy J all added a vibe that only they could to each of their features. You can feel Wiz and Chevy Woods' chemistry for making bangers on "No Permission", Wiz's son Sebastian adds an almost tear jerking ending to "Zoney", and Juicy J stays doing Juicy J things on "iSay" (a weird beat to hear Juicy over, but an awesome song, nonetheless).        

Wiz came out to show and prove with Khalifa, it seems. The title is fitting, because this album is Wiz to the core. The feel good vibes live throughout almost every song on Khalifa, and it seems Wiz brought meaning back to not only what he was saying, but the overall sound in his music. Wiz is never going to be the most lyrical, but when it comes to creating a certain vibe in his songs, whether it be to turn up to, to chill to, or to even hear some real shit, Wiz creates the vibe with his genius way of song making. Khalifa is a veteran's way of staying true, and staying fun at the same time.        

     

      










          

4 Beats Of J. Dilla's Rappers Have Reused

It was 10 years ago yesterday that immortal producer J. Dilla passed away, and though he's been gone for 10 years (already), his spirit and his music will undoubtedly live on forever. Dilla is certainly one of the most influential hip hop producers of all time, so great and raved about that it's almost hard to argue that he was underground anymore (considering he's been shown respect by hip hop legends, including Dr. Dre, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, and even rappers of today such as Kanye, Common, etc.). So on the anniversary of his death, we shall celebrate his life and influence on todays generation, with 4 beats of his that rappers have reused.

Wiz Khalifa - Name On A Cloud/Wussup


Dilla was the king of the vibe, and his beats always created an atmosphere which made you want to bob your head, rap your ass off, or even smoke a doobie (in the above rapper's case, the latter is probably the most believable). Wiz jumped on Dilla's "Runnin" instrumental originally used by the Pharcyde and put his own little twist on it. Knowing Wiz he wanted to create a vibe for his fans to burn one to, do you feel he did the beat justice?

Nas - The Season


It's dope as hell to hear Nas over a Dilla beat, if ANYBODY. The jazziest rapper over the jazziest beats, it only makes sense for this to have happened (we certainly need more Nas over Dilla). Nas (and known collaborator AZ) went over Dilla's "Gobstopper" instrumental and certainly did it justice with that dope Nas flow we've all grown to love, and lines like "Nas, a Dilla beat, a fly soliloquy." Two of the greatest.

Beedie The Beat Bully - Won't Do


It seems Beedie hasn't done much to make a name of himself in awhile, but back in 2011 he made some waves by going over Dilla's "Won't Do" beat. Beedie was part of a wave of rappers that were coming out of Pittsburgh in the late 2000s/early 2010s, but hasn't quite made the name that he'd like to for himself, unlike his other successful Pittsburgh alumni Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller.

Joey Bada$$ - Two Lips

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

Joey Bada$$ went over a classic Dilla instrumental, and for a good cause. The "Two Lips" instrumental was given to Joey Bada$$ by the J. Dilla Foundation to make a song over it, and sell along with some limited edition tee shirts. All proceeds went to purchasing music lessons and instruments for underprivileged kids.

Long Live JayDee, Dilla Dawg, James Yancey... long live J. Dilla!     




     



     








         






   

3 Dope Samples On Beats

Sampling has taken over as one of the most effective forms of producing in hip hop. In fact, it might actually be safe to say that it's part of the creative process in which hip hop was created upon. Hip hop was started from producers and DJ's creating their own music from previously made music, taking older music and flipping it into a catchy drum beat that everybody can groove to in an urban form. Am I dropping knowledge now (just agree with me, it'd make me feel good)?  Anyways, I thought it'd be a good idea to go back and find 5 dope beats that include samples (which can very easily be done considering the amount of samples on beats nowadays). We'll just consider this piece "5 Dope Samples On Beats, Vol. 1".

Game ft. Kanye West - Wouldn't Get Far


I heard this song for the first time in a VERY long time last year and my God I downloaded it and played it until I couldn't anymore. The samples included in Game's 2007 hit include Creative Source's "I'd Find You Anywhere" (which makes sense considering the lyrics in the hook) and "Long Red (Live)" from Mountain. Creative Source was a big R&B group from the 70s with many funk and disco hits, so it's wouldn't be surprising to hear their samples on other big hip hop jams. In other words, you wouldn't get far without hearing them sampled by another hip hop star.

Lupe Fiasco - Mural


It's amazing the amount of songs this sample has been in, but I figured the most relevant and recent song using it would be Lupe Fiasco's near 9 minute onslaught "Mural", released from his album that came out in January of this year Tetsuo & Youth. The sample included in this song is the song "Huit Octobre 1971" by Cortex, and can be found in Wiz Khalifa's "Visions", MF DOOM's "One Beer", and many, many more.

Drake - Draft Day
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-draft-day
(*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them*)

Interesting way I found out what the sample was in Drake's "Draft Day"; NBA 2K15 (and they say video games are bad for you, the nerve of old folks). Lauryn Hill's classic "Doo-Wop (That Thing)" is featured in NBA 2K15, and towards the end the familiar singing is heard that Drake puts in the beginning of "Draft Day".

So there's 3 dope samples on beats. Hip hop producers are some of the best in the world at flipping old songs into catchy or banging jams that hip hop fans love (that's probably why they do what they do). Samples can be found on nearly any and every hip hop song nowadays, it's actually harder not to hear a song that's sampled. It's definitely interesting to hear a familiar old classic in a beat, so here's Geoffrey's suggestion of the day; go out and buy some physical copies, peep the production credits and pay homage!         

5 Awesome Wiz Khalifa DayToday Vlogs

The rapper lifestyle is literally always a luxurious one. Like, it's pretty unfair actually. Why can't I live like that?  Anyways, sometimes your favorite rappers give you awesome day to day (DayToday) and behind the scenes looks at what it's like to live that rapper lifestyle. It's been said that the lifestyle itself is addicting, but I'll tell you what's even more addicting than the lifestyle itself; is sitting back and watching someone live that lifestyle. Wiz Khalifa has been doing his DayToday's web series since back in his mix tape days (I believe the first season was around 2009/2010), and has kept the now very popular series going up to this year. I'm not the Wiz Khalifa fan I once was (not just because I don't smoke pot anymore), but every now and then, I can admittedly find myself gawking at the rich and famous lifestyle Wiz flaunts in his DayToday web series, even now. So I decided to chronicle 5 of Wiz's most entertaining DayToday videos below.

Season 3 Episode 5

Season 3 is a goldmine of the alleged rapper lifestyle and how it is lived, and who better to show you how it's lived than Wiz Khalifa?  In this episode a few well known radio DJs make some celebrity appearances, like DJ Drama, DJ Clue and DJ Envy, and Wiz even gives a decent little freestyle on Funk Flex's show.

Season 3 Episode 6

Episode 6 of season 3 is definitely my favorite episode of any DayToday ever made, and if you watch it you'll see why. This episode features classic Wiz doing Wiz things, smoking doobies, rapping classic Snoop songs and partying on the "Puff Bus". Tour life is said to be grueling by other rappers/artists who go through it, but Wiz makes it look like the best lifestyle anybody could live in this classic episode.

Season 3 Episode 8

    
Season 3 episode 8 of Wiz's DayToday series is part 2 of a 3 part mini series that includes Wiz coming home to Pittsburgh, and it begins with Wiz's discussion of his set list he's going to play coming home to the Taylors, and also shows him going through a rather hilarious sound check before the concert. The ending is the best part however, as it ends with an appearance from the legendary Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J.

Season 3 Episode 9

   
The conclusion of the mini 3 part series in season 3 (and also the season 3 finale) starts with Wiz accepting a plaque commemorating his sold out 2011 62 show Waken Baken tour, then continuing to party with the gang and Juicy J for the remainder of the episode. It was only right that Wiz ended the tour in Pittsburgh, and they also got some great footage of Wiz's electric homecoming performance to round out the end of the tour. The rest of the episode shows Wiz partying with Juicy and the gang, and even shows an appearance from then up and coming Pittsburgh emcee Mac Miller. It's funny how time flies isn't it?

Season 4 Episode 2

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

I included a lot of season 3 in the post (because it is pretty much the golden age of Wiz Khalifa's DayToday's), but I figured I'd branch out a little for the last video. In the beginning of season 4 episode 2, Wiz is seen hanging out with the squad doing the usual lighting up a bowl, but the episode gets more exciting later on when Wiz performs at MTV Spring Break, and even later on as Drake makes an appearance and kicks it with Wiz, Juicy J, and the rest of the Taylor Gang. You can tell how particular Drake is about his career when everyone around him is drinking and smoking, and he remains sober and doesn't touch a joint or a drink (I guess he's Drake-ing).

Those are just 5 episodes of hundreds of available videos you can find and watch of Wiz Khalifa's DayToday's on YouTube. There are a lot of vlogs online that flourish in the internet age (seemingly anybody who can record a video and upload it to YouTube can be successful, but it's not always good) but these sorts of videos can open up thoughts about an entirely different world to those not familiar with it, and who knows, they can even inspire people to be successful, so they can live this sort of lifestyle themselves. Wiz may just be a chain smoking partyer who raps, but to others, he's an inspiration towards a glamorous lifestyle.       
    


















 

Stupid Pop Songs That Take Out Rapper's Verses

I have a very strong loathing of radio music. My area's go to station for the top 40 hits (more like top 10 songs over and over again) is Mix 102.7 (not really a mix when it's the same stuff over and over again guys, I hate to be the one to tell you). Now a lot of people like hearing the songs Mix 102.7 plays, and I'll admit there may be 1 or 2 songs I don't mind hearing, but every single day with the same songs you grow to hate is not an element anyone wants to be in (just so you know I don't listen to this station by choice, it plays every day at my work establishment).  My extreme disliking of Mix 102.7 aside, there are definitely a few pop songs with certain parts and portions I actually enjoyed hearing; that is, before the station CUT THEM OUT. The great thing about rap nowadays is that it has gone mainstream, mainstream enough for it to not be too foreign for you to hear a verse from one of your favorite rappers on a pop song every now and then, and there were a few songs that weren't classified as rap that (for a hot second) had a dope verse or 2 from a rapper. Allow me to introduce to you to...radio pop songs that have verses from rappers that don't play on the radio.

California Gurls - Snoop Dogg

This song is 2 completely different songs when you play the version with Snoop, and when you take Snoop out of it. With Snoop it really does have that West Coast sound and feel, as if summer just got here (and it's VERY close now ladies and gents, be excited), your cup is filled with gin and juice and you're ready for beaches, warm weather sports like basketball and football, bon fires, and many more things that you just can't do any other time of the year. Take Snoop out of the equation, and that feeling, and everything that comes with it is lost.

Payphone - Wiz Khalifa

Another song that has 2 completely different vibes to it with and without the rapper's verse is Maroon 5's "Payphone". Now I used to be a fan of Wiz, not so much now, but he makes this song so much better with his verse, as soon as he starts it out with "Man fuck that shit", you already start jigging just a little differently than you did when the song started, and it's pretty cool how the beat switches up when his verse hits. But the radio made another decent song bad again... it seems to never fail.

Jealous - B.o.B

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

I hate to admit that this song is actually pretty catchy, and even though Bobby Ray just jumped on the remix not too long ago, this song is pretty dope with the B.o.B addition. The beat is (kind of sort of) catchy, and it's funny because being a B.o.B fan (not so much a "radio" B.o.B fan), I thought about how Bob would sound on this song (which can be a good or bad thing), and right before my eyes, voila!  He jumps on the remix and makes it a decent song, though this is indeed another case of a rapper getting shunned, because this version does not play on the radio.

I hate to hate on anything (ironic as that sounds), but top 40 radio music really does irk me to no end. I only hear it when I have to (at work), when I'm in the car or anywhere else you better believe I'm making it a point to switch that channel when Taylor Swift comes on. Nothing against Taylor Swift, I'm sure she makes some semi decent music, I wouldn't know because I don't listen to her whole albums, but her radio hits are seared into my brain for good. Dammit. I have heard however that her newest song "Bad Blood" features 2 Kendrick verses and I'm pretty excited about that, hopefully that will get some radio play and they don't take out Kendrick's verses (they probably will). Anyways, I have a short PSA for Mix 102.7 as well; you suck. You play the same crap every single day and it's incredibly annoying, why not switch it up a little bit?  Do you really need permission from artists/labels/radio program directors to play something DIFFERENT, even if it's on the same album as other singles?  Of course I would hate the radio being the rap die hard/hip hop head that I am... we're supposed to hate it.      



 

          


   

Rap Concepts YOU (The People) Love

Sitting and listening to your favorite album as an entire project can be a truly delightful experience and can almost feel rewarding. Sometimes you may even get rewarded by your favorite artist by them adding a hidden track (who doesn't love a secret track not listed on the album?). But one of the best things an artist can do is associate another character you can relate with (whether it be Randolph on Logic's mix tapes or Kenneth Kaniff from Connecticut, hopefully you don't relate to Kenneth so much). These concepts, or "personas", especially when carried on from project to project, are always awesome to hear and can almost bring you back to times when you thought your favorite artist was better (whether you like to admit it or not), and when times were much simpler.

Mr. Easy Wider - Wiz Khalifa mix tapes

The cool voiced DJ Mr. Easy Wider was always funny in Wiz Khalifa's mix tapes efforts, including such highly acclaimed tapes as Flight School, Kush & OJ, and more. Taking on the role of Wiz Khalifa's very exclusive radio DJ, Easy Wider prepared you for the next track like nobody else could, and the end of Wiz's track "Never Ever" was a fine example of just that.


Eminem - Ken Kaniff from Connecticut

 This is an easy one, especially for Eminem fans. Ken Kaniff made his first appearance in a skit on Slim Shady LP of the same name, and on your first listen of any skit, you normally skip right over it and move on (that is, if you're looking to get to the music), but the first couple of seconds of this skit definitely draws your attention more than the average one. The creepy voiced crazy fan (though he has Eminem's phone number so he's probably a close friend) goes on to call Eminem and the rest is history. This is certainly not the last you hear of Ken Kaniff though, as you can hear him take over the end of the song "Wicked Ways" off of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP 2.

B.o.B - DC Young Fly (No Genre 2 mix tape)

Another rather hilarious run of skits that occurred more than once were the DC Young Fly skits on B.o.B's No Genre 2 mix tape. B.o.B is always thinking outside of the box and is as creative a mind as hip hop gets, and he even showed a bit of his funny side on these skits featuring DC Young Fly (still not entirely sure who he is or why he is somewhat famous other than this, guess I'll be doing some more digging soon, probably not though). Who knows how these skits came about, but could we see more of DC Young Fly and B.o.B collaborating in the future?  I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

Any/Every skit on Kendrick's Good Kid Maad City

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

Good Kid Maad City doesn't so much fit the realm of concepts I was going for creating this article, but you have to marvel at the creativity and the picture that Kendrick paints with not just the ending song skits, but Kendrick's story telling throughout the album even more than that. You could almost compare Good Kid Maad City to B.I.G.'s Ready To Die in that sense, the comparisons in each actually resonate more than you even know. Each and every single song tells a story and leads into the next chapter almost effortlessly. Kendrick was quoted in an interview with Stephen Colbert (the very last Colbert episode ever, you can find the interview online anywhere) as saying "I don't like to call myself a rapper, I'd rather call myself a writer because I am telling stories in my music."  It's certainly hard to argue with Kendrick in that sense, he just may be the best story telling rapper in the game right now, and with To Pimp A Butterfly killing the game right now, it's certainly hard to argue that any one artist can come up with a concept as good as Kendrick.

Concepts in albums/mix tapes occur way more often than music fans can even say they notice, and when you do notice it's almost like you're finally noticing the story that comes along with the music. Some artists are better at keeping the scheme going than others, but when you hear each artist do it their way it's almost like you're getting a piece of them along with the music. This is why I believe albums remain to be much more sacred and coveted than random free drops or leaks; you're not getting a random free song out of context, you're getting an entire body of work, basically the much more pleasing, less reading, audio version of a good book. Keep reading (sonically) my friends, and enjoy the story.

     






   

Juicy J Blue Dream And Lean 2 Review (also Announces New Album)

I been workin hard!  Every day!  To give the people the posts they deserve (sorry I'm a tad loopy after listening to this Juicy tape)!  Juicy has been working very hard as of late with the release of his newest mix tape Blue Dream & Lean 2, and now the Three 6 Mafia OG has plans for a new album to be released this July!  But Juicy's album is not the focal point right now, because right now I want to talk about his latest mix tape release Blue Dream & Lean 2.

Juicy starts out the tape on a very high (no pun intended) note with "Stoners Night."  If you drink a lot and enjoy blazing some of that green that Wiz Khalifa (whom is sampled on the hook) and Juicy J himself are so fond of, then "Stoners Night" is probably a stand out track on this tape to you. It's low, down, dirty, and it's bass heavy. You get similar feels from tracks like "Smoked Out Dabbed Out" and the Wiz Khalifa assisted "Whole Thang".

  
Juicy keeps the party vibes going as usual all throughout Blue Dream And Lean 2, but also changes up the party sound a bit and substitutes it with a bit of venting on "I'm Sicka". This Mike Will Made It produced track details Juicy expressing his hate towards dudes that pretend to be ballers and pretend to be rich (even has a line in the hook that sounds like it could ultimately be aimed at label-mate Wiz Khalifa; "pussy buying ass nigga, lying ass nigga, you married a hoe and you a side nigga." It's very unlikely that this line was aimed at Wiz, but listening to the line you certainly would think it was when you put 2 and 2 together.

Juicy vents a bit more on "Throw Dem Racks", a track where Juicy basically tries to prove the point that men and women are all alike in the fact that the money changes them, and the hook is no silent jab; "throw them racks, watch how they react, watch them break their back, throw that ass back, they act a fool for them damn racks."  "Already" is another slick turn up track featuring the currently hot Rae Sremmurd that has laser like vibes when the melody first hits and of course features some hard hitting drums that would knock in the car.

One of the stand out tracks on the tape (though not because of the track itself) is "Don't Trust", the reason being that Juicy announces his next solo LP in the intro of the track, THC: The Hustle Continues. He goes on to say that the album drops in July, but he could get really high and drop it sooner?  This, ladies and gentlemen, is the beauty of free music (and apparently weed, thank you Blue Dream strand). A new Juicy J album is indeed in the works and is apparently coming out in July or sooner!

Juicy is continuing his reign of southern party music with his newest release, and is showing no signs of letting up any time soon. Is there anything better than an old rap OG not only STILL putting out music, but STILL having the ability to put out dope music as well?  You almost have to think Juicy's music would be nothing short of dope considering how much dope he has been smoking (I personally can't tell if it's Wiz's influence on him or if Juicy is still partying hard, though it's probably a mix of both). This tape is simply a warm up for Juicy's newest release THC: The Hustle Continues, set to drop in July and will be no shortage of dopeness for sure.

        





 

Big K.R.I.T's Cadillactica Album Review

Big K.R.I.T has had expectations on him ever since his first mix tape (or album, whatever you choose to call it) K.R.I.T Wuz Here dropped way back in 2010. Mississippi born and bred, K.R.I.T has always been one to preach about how cool it is to be southern (and there's audio proof of it) and is considered a main example of why southern hip hop remains very much alive today. However, stepping out of the norm and seeing no boundaries is what a great artist does, and has done to prove greatness in the past. It's pretty safe to say that Cadillactica is K.R.I.T's way of saying, when it comes to this rap shit at least, that he is on an entirely different planet.

The album begins with the smoothest and most soothing of intros you could ask for. A better way to say it is, the intro is so "K.R.I.T". Titled "Kreation", it certainly takes no time at all to bring into K.R.I.T's world, filled with booming bass lines, huge sub woofers and pretty women. The hook sounds almost robotic, is very catchy and will almost certainly make you bob your head. The breaking point is just as good as the hook, it includes a robotic voice talking over the bass line and saying "do it like you love me" over and over. Certainly a fun introduction to the album, and I've admittedly found myself playing it over and over again. (*Note: the actual song is only 3 minutes and 20 seconds long, not sure why a YouTube user felt the need to extend the song any longer.)

You can definitely tell that K.R.I.T is aiming for a new sound on this project, though maybe not as much new as it is refreshing. The futuristic vibe is felt in the intro as well as the second track "Life", which includes a very synth heavy beat and a message that stresses that life on Cadillactica is very much evident and should get noticed.

Cadillactica is certainly a branching out for K.R.I.T from his normal heavy bass bumping music, but he shows signs of his old self on tracks like "Do You Love Me", "Mo Better Cool", "My Sub Pt. 3 (Big Bang)", and "Mind Control". "Do You Love Me" details K.R.I.T's car talking to him about loving the sub more than he does the car (which I still find hilarious, it is another planet though). "Mo Better Cool" is another very well put together track where K.R.I.T enlists frequent collaborators Bun B, Big Sant and Devin The Dude. If there's any track on the album that you can very proudly cruise to, this is it. "My Sub Pt. 3 (Big Bang)" is another great addition to the "My Sub" series, where as usual it features a head moving, house shaking type of bass line that only K.R.I.T could put together, but the second part of the song is just as moving when K.R.I.T almost adds on a couple of melodies or extra voices to his in a very good effort to sing (kind of).

"Pay Attention" of course is another fine example of an artist putting out a single that sounds very questionable at first, but then sounds great in the context of the album. There isn't much to say about "Pay Attention", but there is a lot to say about the jazz influence that K.R.I.T felt on Cadillactica. On songs like the Raphael Saadiq-assisted "Soul Food", you can feel the jazz instruments and soulful mood it creates almost effortlessly. I hadn't known much about Saadiq before Cadillactica had dropped, but from the sounds of "Soul Food", I wouldn't mind hearing more of him. Perhaps the most different, almost un-K.R.I.T like song on the album (meaning far from the normal K.R.I.T sound) has to be "Saturdays = Celebration". The hook features blues and rock musician Jamie N Commons, but on your first listen it doesn't sound like him at all, but instead reminds one of an old Eric Clapton vibe with Cream, or Mark Cohen's soulful version of  "Walking in Memphis".  Not bad comparisons at all, but you can give it a listen yourself and be the judge.

                             (*Disclaimer: I do not own any of thee songs, not the rights to them*)

One of the most notable songs on the album would have to be "King Of The South". Now there are many current rappers who could claim this title and not have anyone else argue, but nobody has really said anything about K.R.I.T's claims yet. Could this mean people see it to be true?  "Mind Control" is another bumping track, boasting features from E40 and Wiz Khalifa and focusing mostly on controlling "her mind". Yes, this is the song on the album for all of the women, and I don't want to be too brash, but I believe it's a little early to be including Wiz Khalifa on any songs talking about women (too soon?).

But before I start to ramble any more (too late), I have to say it's very clear that K.R.I.T came out on top again with his newest album. Cadillactica is the perfect example of a rapper (or artist) branching out of the comfort zone (even just a little bit) and still coming out on top and not only keeping your original fans, but building more in the process. The bumping, gripping-on-wood grain rap is what K.R.I.T's fans and southern rap fans alike are so used to hearing from him, and they got that plus a little bit more. Yes K.R.I.T's effort to prove that he is in his own lane is spectacular, and if Cadillactica is a planet, it seems that K.R.I.T is the only rapper that resides on it. 




         











     

5 Dope MF Doom Tracks (A Lesson For Me, and Hopefully You Too)

I love hip-hop. I could really talk about it just about all day. And being the lover of hip hop that I am requires loads of research. It can get tiring yes, but when you love something you'll go that much farther to learn more about it or make it happy (at least I don't have to buy it dinner though, that's always a plus). But recently my interest has peaked hearing about this MF DOOM character (just ONE of his characters, I might add), so I had to go back and do a bit of research on him, and I wasn't disappointed with what I found. Here are my 5 stand out MF DOOM tracks.

Rhymes Like Dimes

This was probably the first song from DOOM I heard, and it definitely had me wanting more just from hearing the beat. Highlights from DOOM's flow include lines like "classical slapstick rappers need chap stick", and he makes it all sound so great even without drums. One thing that definitely caught me by surprise though was the Bobbito feature towards the end of the track!  I know nothing of his hip-hop history, but if you're a former PlayStation gamer like me, you know Bobbito from NBA Street Vol. 2!

One Beer

This song is an example of some fantastic sampling from DOOM (I'm not sure if he produced this song, but I do know he has a history of producing, most recently for Joey Bada$$), and he rides the beat effortlessly in his trademark, fast paced, never slowed down flow. I thought this sample had sounded familiar, and realized that Wiz Khalifa had used the same sound on the song "Visions" off of his incredibly successful Kush & Orange Juice mix tape.

America's Most Blunted

This song features a crazy, almost cartoon like beat and great verses from DOOM and the very fittingly trippy voiced Lord Quas. This track is definitely one for the smokers, it's evident by not only the sound of bong hits in the beginning, but the small Easter eggs put in towards the end of the track, sounds from who knows what. If I could say one thing about Madvilliany as a whole, it'd have to be that so far it's my favorite DOOM project to listen to, the beats are fantastic and DOOM is at the top of his game with his rhymes.

Old School Rules

 This shit right here is RAW! Real rap raw (as the legendary Chocolate Droppa would say) is the only way to define this song, and with a beat that is just begging for some hard bars to be spit over it, DOOM and the legendary Talib Kweli do just that on this one. You could almost call this a cypher (certainly better than what we saw at the BET Awards this year)!

A.T.H.F

This is something I have never seen before in rap, and I have to say I like it a lot. I'm not even a big fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but DOOM got them in a couple of skits, and even a song!  Meatwad was spitting some hot rhymes on one of those tracks for a second. This comes from the Danger Doom album The Mouse and The Mask, which if you didn't know is a collaboration of DOOM and Danger Mouse (if you don't know Danger Mouse, he's produced a bunch of stuff for the Gorillaz). The Mouse and The Mask saw a couple of mainstream features for DOOM (like Ghostface Killah, Cee-Lo Green, and Talib Kweli) which is something you don't see a lot of.

So coming from a new DOOM listener, I have to say these tracks are definitely enough to keep me interested and see what else DOOM has to offer (although it's hard to keep track of all of his alias'). I have yet to listen to other great albums of his that were recommended, such as his Viktor Vaughn stuff and Black Bastards. Listening to his MM...FOOD album I feel like I was introduced to some of the core ways of how hip-hop started, with all of the features of samples talking about Doctor Doom and his evil reign of terror. Hip-hop truly is taking something and turning it into something better, and DOOM definitely did that with MM...FOOD, and he continues to do it with even his newer stuff, sticking to the roots of real emceeing and even producing. So if there's one thing I could say is thanks DOOM, maybe you're not so evil after all...





  

Curren$y's More Saturday Night Car Tunes Mixtape Review

Admittedly, I've never truly gotten into Curren$y as heavily as I'd thought I might. Don't get me wrong he's always interested me, being a former huge Wiz fan obviously you couldn't NOT hear a track with the two every now and then, but I never looked into him as much as I thought I would. Well, until now that is. One thing I am aware of with Curren$y is how hard he works to constantly put out music, and that's a pretty good reason to be a fan. It seems you're always getting new material.  A 7 track mix tape seems the perfect introduction to someone fairly new to a rapper as I am to him, so what is there to lose?  Curren$y you sly dog you.

The intro on More Saturday Night Car Tunes is something I admit I haven't heard anything quite like before. Simply named "Intro", this song comes with almost a zapping form of production from constant hit maker Cardo. If you've heard of Cardo before it's probably because of his production on a good selection of Joe Budden and Slaughterhouse songs, I also happened to feature him in my "5 Producers You Should Know" article a while back. Anyways, back to Curren$y. The weirdest thing about this song is he doesn't rap over it at all, and you wish he would. He pretty much just talks over the beat, and even has a point where he says "I know a couple mother fuckers new to this shit, thought I was about to rap. A lot of us already know that I had, like, 5 more tracks to that." He goes on to mention tweeting the producer of the song, Cardo, and almost prepares the listeners for what they're about to experience it seems. The crazy part about it is when listening to just the music portion of the beat, this intro is actually good. I have to say I've never seen this done before, but it fits, knowing Curren$y and how "chill" of a vibe he wishes to create for the listeners.

"Champaign Reign" is built around a piano based beat (don't worry, he actually raps in this song) that surprised me because of what seems like at first a lack of drums.  Of course I figured out shortly after putting on headphones that this song doesn't contain real drums, but some wavy sounding 808s that add a nice vibe to the song. The next cut, "Countin Money" ft. Wiz Khalifa seems like the first real dose of music on the mix tape, and it doesn't disappoint. Wiz lays down a typical Wiz verse, flexing about his money and weed intake as usual, but what got me jigging a bit was the catchy hook Curren$y lays down.

"Money Shot" is the perfect mixture between Mac Miller and Curren$y's conflicting rap styles. Mac's verse contains the usual entertaining, keep you on your toes type of verse. It's decent, but definitely seems that he's holding back a bit considering the song and the style. Mac's usual raps are filled with a different lyrical style and picture painting capabilities, but he slows himself down, almost seemingly taking meds on this track, and part of the slow down seems to be the slow, somewhat jazzy instrumental holding Mac back. Curren$y sounds as good on this track as you'd like him to sound, to quote some lyrics in the song, he's almost "comfortably dressed" in the instrumental. My favorite part of the song is the last 10 seconds, where the beat slows down into this other worldly place with a really cool ending hook to finish.

If there's any song on this tape that actually surprised me a bit, it had to be "Drug Prescription". You expect a lot different from Curren$y, but this is a very cool change of pace. I've never heard of any sort of story telling ability from the New Orleans rapper, but this track proceeded to open my eyes a bit. He actually goes at other industry rappers a little, with lines like "these other rappers out ain't half as sick, all that half ass shit will get your whole ass whipped." This is certainly a surprise to me, a guy who got used to song types from Curren$y like "Rollin Up" with Wiz Khalifa, and their joint mix tape Live In Concert, all strictly weed mixes. It's always a great thing to see the competitive aspect of the game live in a rapper and show through his music, even if it's only every now and then.

So Curren$y is certainly a talented act to tune into, and More Saturday Night Car Tunes is just another example of why. What this tape opened me up to is Curren$y's great rapping ability mixed with a desire to make great music. It's hard to find rappers with the mix of both types of music, and while Curren$y prefers and certainly shines on calming, chill, bumping car tunes that he usually makes, you definitely better not mistake him for a rapper that has no lyrical content. For some reason I can't get past the "Saturday night cartoons" way of hearing the title of the tape (Wabbit season! Duck season! You know what, never mind.) But anyways, I personally would love to see a K.R.I.T and Curren$y collaboration, hopefully some time in the future. Yes ladies and gents, this is me giving the okay to put Curren$y's tape in the CD player, or tape deck if you're going old school, and just riiiiiide out.     

           



            

   

The B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray Argument: How Artists Change Over Time (My Theory)

So maybe I'm just in that argumentative, debating type of mood today. Have you ever started liking an artist before they got big, expected them to do great things, and got excited to say that you (in this case, "could have been") have been a "day 1 fan"?  Then long after this artist has been through their come up, including the glitz and the glam, making all of that music that brags about the glitz and the glam, you get mad that they're bragging about all of their glitz and glam because you thought they could be someone else entirely?  Am I really already rambling just 3 sentences in?  Hopefully not, but there is a point to be made here. Fans get frustrated with their favorite artists and the music they're making, in a lot of cases even with the lifestyle they're living, and speaking as a fan that did (does) both of these things, I feel I've had a change of heart (kind of, but not really) towards these artists who have changed the way they do things for the worse, and hopefully I'll have a few points as to why you should have a little bit of sympathy towards these artists as well.

So I call this the "B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray Argument" for a reason:  although you could use similar points to describe several other artists and how they've changed, B.o.B seems to be the artist in which these points hit closest to home for me. When you think about B.o.B and his music, whether its one of the 3 studio albums he's released, or one of his 9 mix tapes ( which arguably build more of a buzz than an album of his at this point), there is one stand out aspect of his music:  his versatility. There's virtually no one who transforms their sound as much as B.o.B, or anyone who can do it with as much success as he has. You can almost name his sound after one of his mix tapes or albums, for example:  that's Fuck Em We Ball B.o.B, or I miss B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray B.o.B, or something like "I think No Genre B.o.B is the best B.o.B (Admittedly B.o.B fans are pretty much never satisfied, or so it seems). So in Bob's case it's certainly different, but there are MANY more cases for different artists.

You can practically name any rapper today who hasn't had 2 projects sound the same since their very first. Eminem screamed his lyrics at people on Recovery, Kanye doesn't want to make rap music anymore (at least from hearing "Black Skinhead", or people's opinions on Yeezus), and Magna Carta Holy Grail showed Jay Z obsessed with his money. While all of these examples are big ones, the changes in the music itself can be explained. In Eminem's case for Recovery, just coming off of a brutal drug abuse stint that almost took his life, it certainly seems to me that this would not only affect your personal life, but when you rap about your personal life, it'd probably have a pretty big impact on that too.

So does a rapper's personal life affect their music making process?  I believe there's no question it does. It would certainly affect their brains and how they think, so when it comes to the music and the subject matter and what they talk about, you can only assume it would change. When rappers talk about things that seem to happen all the time (or that happen more than you or they would like them to) like the hood life, getting shot at, selling drugs and living around gangs, if that were you, you'd certainly want to vent in some way, right?  And when it comes to things like family troubles (or even building a family, such as Eminem raising his daughters or Kanye and Kim raising baby North), that's another topic that would be on your mind just about 24/7, depending your priorities.

Another example of someone who's music is fueled by his life in general is Drake. Seriously though when you think about it, when ISN'T this guy talking about his life in his music?  Break ups, partying, his come up, meeting Lil Wayne, meeting Jay Z, getting robbed with 2 guns in his face during a stick up (supposedly, as he says in "The Resistance" off of Thank Me Later), he talks about EVERTHING. It seems we know the inspiration for Drake's music in general (if you didn't already know, which I hope you would if you listen to Drake regularly). So does Drake's music change, or has it changed?  Everyone has their opinion, but I say no because he's had the same influences since he started.

I used to be a pretty big Wiz Khalifa fan (as much as I hate to admit it, yes it's true). Starting from his Flight School mix tape and going on until about Cabin Fever 2, I have to definitely say there was a change in his style (as hard as that is to believe). I loved Flight School and just about every song on there, but I feel what I enjoyed most about Wiz was his different and unique style that was so new that it drew me in. Even seeing how he dressed and his style in pictures from back then, the sweatshirt wearing, backpacking, hat-wearing, tatted up version of Wiz was certainly my favorite (whether there was an influence from "that grass" or not). Maybe that's why I don't find it so appealing to listen to now, it seems he's sold out completely from who he came up as. You can tell the difference in his hunger in the music game from his start up until this point because it shows in his music (granted I haven't listened to really any of ONIFC, Blacc Hollywood, or anything in between these projects). My question is how does Wiz respond to not only having a kid, but also the cheating on Amber Rose allegations?  Do you believe his music will change in this process?  His previous history says no, but I'd like to hear what your opinions on the subject are (let me know on Google+ or Twitter @SuperNovaRover).

Anyways, it's probably about time to wrap this one up, though I must admit it feels good to vent how I feel about some of my favorite artists. I used to love Wiz, but it's safe to say I've given up hope for any growth in his music. For B.o.B it's a different story, and almost worse in a way, because I expect him to talk about the money and the fame and the lifestyle now, but then he shows me signs of hope and the old B.o.B in his newer stuff, so I'm just like "MAKE UP YOUR MIND BOB!" If there's anything I've learned about rap and my expectations for my favorites, it's probably that having any sort of expectation only worsens your own attitude about the music, and ultimately makes it harder to enjoy. Fan's expectations of upcoming music ends up disappointing nobody but themselves. Rap fans have a tendency to want or expect the same things from their favorite artists over and over again, which is unrealistic, and in a way unfair. If you were a rapper, wouldn't you think it'd be a bit more exciting to talk about some different stuff from time to time?  As a rapper, if you had some life changing events happen to you (like starting a family, having a kid, or having a close friend or family member die), wouldn't it only be right to talk about them?  Hopefully you understand not just as a fan, but as a person. Let me know your thoughts on my thoughts (Twitter = @SuperNovaRover, or Google+), and how you feel about these same things. Have we underestimated the power of music once again?             

  

       

            

BET Hip Hop Awards 2014: Award Nominations and My Predictions (Or Wishes, Whatever)

It's getting to be that time of year again, the time when your favorite rappers get snubbed for an award, and when they give way too much recognition to an artist that doesn't deserve it, and of course the time of year in which seemingly every year an award category is made up in which nobody cares about. Of course I'm talking about none other than the BET Hip Hop Awards. With Uncle Snoop hosting this year there's bound to be some entertainment, but sadly enough you almost expect disappointment in there somewhere. Not because of Snoop of course, but because it's an award show (nowhere near as bad as the Grammy's for rap, but still) and someone is bound to be angry over something. At this point it's just not knowing what it could be. But I'm not focused on that right now because recently the award categories have been set, and I NEED to give my opinion on (what I believe to be) the most important categories, who should win each, and why. (Note: again, these are my personal views and opinions on who should win, no matter how biased or stupid the reasoning might be.)

Who Blew Up Award:
Iggy Azalea
Migos
Rich Homie Quan
Schoolboy Q
YG
Young Thug
Iggy. What's next? Oh am I supposed to elaborate? Is there any elaborating needed for this particular category? Not really. Not only did Iggy's lead single "Fancy" get certified double platinum by the RIAA, but she BROKE BILLBOARD RECORDS as the first artist since The Beatles (yes, those Beatles) to have their first two Billboard entries hit number 1 and number 2 simultaneously. Did anyone else on that list even have a number 1?  Doesn't matter, moving on!

Hustler Of The Year Award:
Dr. Dre
Drake
Jay Z
Rick Ross
T.I.
What exactly are the details on this award? How does one become the "Hustler of The Year"? I suppose only a hustler would know. This award strikes me as odd, but noticing the common denominator in this list would be that most of them have become successful entrepreneurs. Not saying that I can detail piece by piece what Rick Ross and T.I. have done so importantly entrepreneur-wise this year, but in my opinion this one comes down to Dre and Jay. And Dre wins of course, I mean come on, 3 billy for selling a headphone line?  Does it get more "Hustler" than that?

Best Collab, Duo, or Group:
Eminem ft. Rihanna - The Monster
Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T and Casino - Move That Dope
Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail
Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid - Studio
YG ft. Young Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta
This one might be a bit closer than some other categories. Being the Stan that I hate to admit I am, I'd like to see Em take this one home, and Rihanna is huge everywhere, but I certainly could see either Jay Z or Schoolboy Q win this one as well. That Studio jam had me bumping it since the video came out, and I didn't even listen to much of Oxymoron. Same goes for the Jay and Justin song; didn't listen to much of the album, but the song bumps. Props to the producers on both of those cuts, but if I’m picking a winner in this category, I’ll go with Schoolboy Q and the Chicago Kid.

Best Live Performer:
Drake
Jay Z
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
T.I. being on this list confuses me... I mean I can't knock the guy, nor can I compliment him, but the other four performers on the list I have seen (or could see) people vouching for. Drake has been the people's pick for some odd years now, Jay Z is Jay Z, and Kendrick Lamar is Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye creates an aura around his performances that can't be matched by anyone. Now the arguments that Jay and Kendrick are themselves might not be the best points, but there are MANY people who would do unspeakable things to see Kendrick (including myself) as well as a legend like Jay Z (who knows how much longer he has left?). But my pick has to go to Kanye on this one, simply because the mere pictures I've seen of his performances (creepy metal masks, bringing a faux "Jesus" on stage, many people say its like Kanye is looking in a mirror, hilarious right?) are unlike anything you could see anywhere else.

Lyricist Of The Year:
Drake Eminem
J. Cole
Jay Z
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
This category is one of my favorites I'll admit. While I do like a good club banger I can party or bob my head to, the other half of it to me is lyrical capabilities. I enjoy sitting back and listening to some of the crazy metaphors Eminem can put together, as well as Kendrick's lyrical capabilities and Cole's great punch lines. I really couldn't tell you why Drake is on this list, he makes great music that people party to and vibe to even by themselves, but there's no way he matches up lyrically with Em, Kendrick, Cole, or even Nicki for that matter. My pick here is obviously Em, but if he doesn't get it (for some VERY odd reason) I see Kendrick taking this one home again.

Producer Of The Year:

DJ Mustard
Drumma Boy
Hit-Boy
Mike WiLL Made It
Pharrell
Timbaland
Interesting list here. Every one of these producers had at least one (probably more) smash hit that you couldn't go a day without hearing on the radio. My personal favorite was Hit-Boy's masterful production on Drake's "Trophies" banger that came out at the very end of 2013. It seems that Pharrell and Timbaland are always in the running for best producer of the year, but as much as I hate to do it I have to go with Mustard winning this one. Too many hits. Jeezy's "R.I.P", B.o.B's "Headband", Ty Dolla Sign's "Paranoid", YG and Drake's "Who Do You Love?", and that's not even scratching the surface.

Album Of The Year:

Drake - Nothing Was The Same
Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP 2
Rick Ross - Mastermind
Future - Honest
Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron
Yo Gotti - I Am
In terms of sales, this list isn't the most impressive. Only two of these albums have gone at least platinum, (Nothing Was The Same doing so for Drake and Shady's Marshall Mathers LP 2 has gone double platinum) but all of these albums are critically acclaimed obviously (or else they probably wouldn't be in this conversation). Although in the past 10 years or so, album sales haven't really been the greatest for any hip hop artist other than Eminem, Drake, Kendrick or Nicki. In fact, they are the only hip hop artists to receive a platinum plaque for their efforts in quite a few years (I thought I read at least 10 somewhere, I don't remember at the moment). But regardless of sales, I don't see anybody but Eminem or Drake taking this one home. The years both of them had were incomparable to anyone else.

I'll stop with the predictions right about there, although there are many more awards and nominations to get to, the ones I listed just seemed the most important (to me, at least). Check out the rest of the awards that will be given and their nominees below.

Best Hip Hop Video:

Drake - Worst Behavior
Future ft. Pharrell Pusha T & Casino - Move That Dope
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - Fancy
J. Cole ft. TLC - Crooked Smile
Nicki Minaj - Pills N Potions
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz
Made You Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style):

A$AP Rocky
Jay Z
Kanye West
Nicki Minaj
Young Thug
Best Hip Hop Online Site:

AllHipHop.com
Complex.com
HotNewHipHop.com
NecoleBitchie.com
RapRadar.com
WorldStarHipHop.com
Best Club Banger:

Future ft. Pharrell Pusha T & Casino -Move That Dope (Prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
K Camp ft. Lil Boosie, YG & Too Short - Cut Her Off (Remix) (Prod. by Will-A-Fool)
Migos - Fight Night (Prod. by Stack Boy Twaun)
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz (Prod. by Detail)
YG ft. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta (Prod. by DJ Mustard)
Young Thug - Stoner (Prod. by Dun Deal)
Video Director of The Year:

Benny Boom
Chris Robinson
Director X
Dre Films
Hype Williams
DJ Of The Year:

DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Khaled
DJ Mustard
DJ Scream
Best Mixtape:

Action Bronson - Blue Chips 2
Fabolous - Soul Tape 3
Migos - No Label 2
Rich Homie Quan - I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In
Wiz Khalifa - 28 Grams
Best Featured Verse:

B.o.B - Paranoid (Ty Dolla $ign ft. B.o.B)
B.o.B - Up Down (Do This All Day) (T-Pain ft. B.o.B)
Drake - Who Do You Love (YG ft. Drake)
Kendrick Lamar - Control (Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica)
Pharrell - Move That Dope (Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino)
Track Of The Year:

Cut Her Off (Remix) - K Camp ft. YG, Lil Boosie & Too Short
Move That Dope - Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino
My Hitta - YG ft. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan
Studio - Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid
Worst Behavior - Drake
Impact Track:

Common ft. Vince Staples - Kingdom
Lecrae - Nothin
Lupe Fiasco - Mission
The Roots ft. Patty Cash - Never
Talib Kweli ft. Abby Dobson - State Of Grace
People's Champ Award:

Drake - Worst Behavior
Future - Move That Dope ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino
Iggy Azalea - Fancy ft. Charli XCX
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz
YG - My Hitta (Remix) ft. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill & Rich Homie Quan

I also remember reading that Murda Mook and Snoop D-O double G plan to bring battle rap to the show. What else could this possibly mean besides them taking the contestants from Total Slaughter and putting them in the cyphers? No confirmed details yet on who will be included, stay posted on those details, assuming they will be released as the date nears closer. The BET Hip Hop Awards are coming October 14th! Whose ready?





















    

Internet Video Blogs: Why People Love a Day in the Life of a Superstar

I'll admit, whenever I get online to do my check ups, (songs, videos, mix tapes, etc.) I do have the guilty pleasure of watching the occasional Wiz Khalifa DayToday blog. I haven't even listened to any of his new music since after Cabin Fever 2 came out. I'll tell you what though, when it comes to watching that man live his life there's just something sweet about those videos that make me tune in for the next one, and I can't be the only one. Is anyone else guilty of getting caught up in the life of a superstar in his/her/their internet vlog?

In a generation where the internet basically rules the world, musicians and artists (mostly rappers that I've seen, I don't know if Taylor Swift does the occasional "look at me and how awesome I'm living" video, although I'm sure people would watch) know how to keep up in this young and hip day and age. What's the saying, if you can't beat em, join em?  Not to mention all the fans that tune in, if these artists give a day for when the next one airs they'll be waiting by their computer like Eminem and 50 Cent (although probably not as patiently, who knows).

But really when you look at it, who isn't doing this nowadays?  Internet vlogs are the new thing so to speak, such artists as Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Action Bronson, Slaughterhouse, and many more love to keep their fans updated with things like tour vlogs, a simple day in the life, or even traveling and just trying new foods (Bronson's "Fuck That's Delicious," I'd imagine watching it I'd just get hungry). But speaking as a fan of them myself, I have to admit I love the idea. I've watched Wiz's DayToday's basically since season 1, I've seen almost every episode (regrettably), and when it comes down to it, some of these videos really do give fans what they wish to see; a day in the life of a superstar.

Seriously though, I'd very much appreciate to live this type of life style.  Who wouldn't?  I'm low key jealous watching Wiz's DayToday's. All you see this man doing is living his life; he smokes weed, he drinks, goes on tour and performs, occasionally hits the jewelry store for a new chain, I mean come on. Not only is this sort of thing just TOO cool for people to watch, it benefits the artist that much more. That gives much more head room for artists to not only promote themselves, but other artists and friends as well. As a die hard hip hop fan, admittedly I really do like to be the first one to let people know the news on not only my favorite artists, but theirs as well.

Isn't it amazing how simply watching videos of people living can cause so much envy for fans?  Could they maybe even be motivation for some people to do better to a point?  I suppose we'll see the next big artist on the come up documenting it all themselves soon enough. Watching Wiz that early in his career back in 2009 and 2010 and thinking about it all now is crazy. He sold out a little too much for my liking, but even just thinking about that time period is a crazy, yet wonderful thing. Artists on the come up surely should be taking notes if they haven't been already. Maybe there's something to letting people get to know you and your journey to "the top." Or maybe people just can't help but succumb to artists' insane vlogs and rich lifestyle. I'm not sure which one I'm more drawn to yet. Well, maybe I am, but just scared to admit it... 





 

   

Kendrick and J. Cole's joint album: Where is it?

Nowadays in hip hop, its gotten harder and harder to find the ones that are truly different from your every day average rapper. Money, cars, clothes and hoes are all very nice things (word to T.I.), but at the end of the day people love music that relates to them, along with original, refreshing topics and subject matter. And if there are two rappers in the entire genre that provide this type of music to their listeners, they are Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. Kendrick is arguably one of the top 5 lyricists in the game, and Cole's not too far behind. Putting that together with both of their amazing story-telling abilities, what would we have?  An album for the ages. But where is this album that they have been teasing us about for 3 years?

Now when you think of Kendrick and J. Cole as rappers by themselves, you know what you get from each for the most part. Two very good, lyrical rappers with distinctive voices, writing abilities, and mass appeal like Gang Starr. Both are huge deals in the main stream rap music media, reaching gold and platinum selling status on albums like "Good Kid Maad City," "Cole World: The Sideline Story," and "Born Sinner." Not only on albums, but singles for each artist hit gold and platinum status as well. For Cole some of these songs were "Work Out," "Crooked Smile," and "Power Trip." For Kendrick, "Poetic Justice" and "Swimming Pools" have gone gold and platinum, respectively.

Now there isn't much work the two have done together, but from what we have gotten from the two collaborating, it surely didn't disappoint. Cole has produced two songs for Kendrick, the first being a single from his "Section.80" album, "HiiiPoWeR." The second cut is "The Jig Is Up," which if you recall came out shortly after "Good Kid Maad City" dropped in 2012, and includes Kendrick name-dropping Shyne, mainly because of Shyne voicing his opinion on how much he didn't like Kendrick's album publicly. To return the favor, Kendrick has featured on Cole's latest album, "Born Sinner," specifically on the hook of the song "Forbidden Fruit." Just a couple of small teases of work from the two emcees, but are they hints at what's to come?

Fans of both can only hope so, although there hasn't been much talk of the project from either rapper since last year. Kendrick has stated in an interview that the project will have no release date, and will "drop out of the sky" when they see fit. I suppose this method will stop heart attacks everywhere, or at least limit them, but the day I get online and find out a J. Cole/Kendrick Lamar album has dropped?  I'll need an inhaler, and I don't even have asthma!  But regardless of my medical issues, the fans are ready for a J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar collaborative album. But is hip-hop ready?

The only real reasons for delays of the album (according to Cole) has been that both rappers have had their own projects to release and promote, Kendrick with "GKMC," and Cole with "Born Sinner." Cole has spoken on the album in early 2013, a few months before "Born Sinner" came out. He says the collaboration is "still happening," and speaks on the competitiveness between the two in the studio with writing verses and going back and forth; "it's mad competitive, there's pride to who has a better verse on each song, but we also wanna focus on making better songs." He also had this to say on the challenges of working with another rapper with different ideas on a project: "mentally it's hard because both artists at times can have their minds set on different stuff."

So hopefully the two wordsmiths can come together and make time for something bigger. Just the mere rumor of this possible collaboration has the hip hop world in a frenzy, although not since last year. The expectations for this project would be higher than Wiz Khalifa on a plane, but if they do focus on making quality songs and having their ideas come together as one, I'm sure they'll have no problem living up to them. Quality songs with a message and a great beat behind it are just a couple ways to make a song, but I'm sure if this project did happen we'd be seeing some good old fashion going back and forth with the lyrical, energetic, punch line filled brand of rap that these two can provide just as well as anyone in rap. Now us impatient, not-so-fond-of-games type of fans have to sit and play the waiting game. Hopefully you see the problem in this...