Ludacris' 5 Catchiest Tracks

MOOOOVE BITCH! GET OUT THE WAY! STAND UP! WHEN I MOVE YOU MOVE! JUST LIKE THAT?! WHATCHU GONE DO?! ACT A FOOOOL! Ludacris makes that kind of shit that makes you want to get up, ask that hot chick you've been staring at all night to finally dance, fight, and maybe even make sweet lovin to your chick (whom you probably got dancing to a Luda song). Ludacris has been such a monumental name in hip hop for so long that people almost forget about the (arguable) classics that he has released over the last 10 years, and mostly because too many people are focused on his "falling off", or his "not being able to make music as good as old," or his constant involvement in the Fast & Furious movie series, though it has kept his career alive to some degree. But fuck all of this, and I say this because it swerves people's attention from where it should be placed, and that's Luda's music. Here, in light of Ludacris' latest album Ludaversal, here are Luda's 5 most recognizable songs, songs that even people who aren't fans of Luda have to love.

Roll Out (My Business)

This is my personal introduction to Ludacris, his Word Of Mouf album means more to me than it does the average listener simply because this is not only my introduction to Ludacris, but one of the first albums included in my introduction to hip hop, and boy is it grand. The attitude he brings on not only this song but the entire album is something you could only wish you'd live with, and Luda also brings some funny, witty wordplay, along with fantastic flow that keeps you engaged for the entire album.

What's Your Fantasy

On a more sensual (not really though, more of a rough, thug nasty) note, Luda crashed MTV and the internet with "What's Your Fantasy", a Shawnna assisted, fast paced, dirty, fore play inspired jam that we all got so used to hearing from Luda (more so the fast paced flow and witty lyrics, not so much the sexual vibe). "What's Your Fantasy" lived on Ludacris' indie debut studio album Incognegro, which was released in 1999. "What's Your Fantasy" gave you the vibe that Ludacris had something to offer to rap, but nobody really knew quite what it was at this point so early in his career.

Move Bitch

 
The hilariousness of Ludacris is certainly cemented like freshly dried pavement in his song "Move Bitch". The parody rap train followed soon after this release, you could almost say that "Move Bitch" started the parody vibe in rap songs that garnered so much attention in the early 2000s, it almost makes it seem as if it's made to be completely serious and succeeds at it, yet so many people hear the song (even today) and can have a good laugh. How many songs can you say you hear today that are successfully able to tackle both?  This proves Luda's underrated ability at being able to build a concept.

Get Back

Another hilarious music video accompanying a pretty hard song from Luda, "Get Back" is another one of those songs that makes you want to just start swinging on somebody whose "all in ya ear", as Luda so eloquently puts it. Luda is looking like the black Popeye in this video with his ridiculous Tiny-sized arms (oh yes, that was a Crash Bandicoot reference for those hip enough), though tiny is as ironic a word to use as it gets.

Runaway Love

                                  (*I do not own these songs, videos, nor the rights to them*)

My last pick for Luda's catchiest tracks might not hit the ear as well as some of his other smash hits, but in terms of real, personal content that hits home, "Runaway Love" is Luda's "Dear Mama." Luda wasn't known as that rapper that always had a message in his tracks, but the raw, real feel that "Runaway Love" gives is so eye opening that even rap haters have to just sit and listen to the hard hitting story that Luda is getting across with such detail, just as he explains little Nicole's abusive stepdad and her friend Stacy. You have to have a heart of stone to not have the message in this song affect you some type of way.

So often in hip hop (or music, period) we get incredibly comfortable with the presence of certain artists in our life. It's a calming comfortable, almost as if these artists hit a type of musical purgatory, you don't listen to anything new they put out, yet you can't live without remembering the awesome music they're so greatly known for in your past. It'd be criminal to say that Ludacris has hit this purgatory, though how else can you explain his career as of right now?  It hurts me to say that Luda has fallen off, but if I said this I'd be incorrect in that statement. Maybe people don't quite see Ludacris' music as they once did, maybe people believe Ludacris has fallen off, or maybe Ludacris just doesn't have the appeal that today's artists do, but if there's one thing that we owe Ludacris, it's another chance. His newest album Ludaversal has recently released, and I believe we owe Ludacris the chance to see if he's still got it, because you remember "Get Back" and the affect it had on you.     



   








   

Did Jay Z Really Just Buy Tupac's Unreleased Material?

Word in the rumor mill is that Jay Z just bought all of the rights to Tupac's unreleased material ($384 million worth supposedly, this includes unreleased and unfinished songs, verses, demos, writings, scripts, poems, and more). Now if anyone has the money to do this it'd be Jay Z (or Dr. Dre, and it'd certainly make more sense for Dre to buy the material), but the question is what interest does Jay Z have in buying Tupac's unreleased material?

So before I get in depth about thoughts on this subject I have to say that rumors are not true, as confirmed by a representative from Roc Nation. However, Jam INC's Jeff Jampol (who oversees Tupac's estate) did confirm that there could be some new unheard Tupac material circulating soon. How soon this will be is unsure, but the 20th anniversary of Tupac's death approaches (though it's next September, 2016) and supposedly Pac has new clothing coming out, as well as a Grammy museum showcasing Tupac's writing, and even a biography deal is being finalized for a "very serious writer" to put out a new Tupac biography.

All of this is exciting no doubt, and though the rumors of Jay Z buying Tupac's unreleased material may be far fetched, there is no denying that Mr. Z certainly has the money to buy Tupac's material if he really wanted to. Rumors of a 2016 album of Tupac's unreleased material titled And Now I Rise boasting such features as Snoop Dogg, Nas, Drake, The Dream, DMX, Beyoncé, and Jay Z were also being put out, although the rumors were confirmed false by Billboard. Interesting, to say the least. If you could see anyone buying Tupac's unreleased material today, who do you believe it would be and why?

For me it'd make sense for Dr. Dre to buy Pac's music and finish off what he and Pac had started with Death Row Records in the 90s, even if they didn't get along very well up until Dre's departure from Death Row. Can you imagine a mastered Dre beat with unreleased Tupac verses and even a hook?  With all of the stuff that Dre has in the bag that nobody's heard (way too much stuff that nobody's heard), there definitely has to be something that would fit Tupac's vibe. It'd certainly be a challenge for Dre to fit a beat around a verse as opposed to the opposite normal way of someone writing to a beat, but it'd also be a nice blast from the past and maybe even a new challenge that Dre could take on.

But anyways, even with the news being untrue, there's my two cents on the matter. Who do you think should buy Tupac's unreleased material and why?  Feel free to give me your answers on Google+ or twitter (@SuperNovaRover). Tupac probably has enough unreleased material to make 5 more albums knowing how hard the man worked during his time on our planet Earth, and probably for good reason seeing as how much he "predicted" things with his eerie lyrics. The sad part is his material from 20+ years ago still probably sounds more ahead of its time than Rae Sremmurd's. Can someone please tell me why they're rapping?  Anyways, let me know your thoughts on the subject if you'd like.     








            

Late To The Game: Canei Finch's "Morning Music" EP

It can be incredibly hard to keep up with everything that is going on in the hip hop world all at once, so every now and then I will stumble across something considered old (in the hip hop world of course, this could range from 1 day to 1 year and any time in between) but still incredibly dope. I have a feeling I'm going to be making a regular thing out of this, as a rap blogger you like to think you're on top of everything rap music, but sometimes things just slip by you without you even noticing, and in this case, Canei Finch's Morning Music EP was one of those things.

Now if you haven't heard of Canei Finch, you're probably not alone in that matter, but you will definitely get to know him very well if he keeps up at what he's doing. His Morning Music EP was not my first introduction to him, but it's hard to base how you feel someone will sound off of one song (Kendrick Lamar's "West Side, Right On Time"). I knew the guy was a dope producer just from listening to Kendrick's song, you normally get that sort of feel from a beat you listen to and can't get out of your head (it's as if everywhere you go, no matter what you're doing, you find a way for that song to keep the pace of your day up), but looking across other blogs and finding out this guy had put out an EP of not just all songs he produced himself, but also RAPPED over?  I saw a music video for his "The Morning Song" song and instantly had to have more.

                     (Not a bad feel to wake up to, right? *I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)

It's funny the things you can find just scrolling through hip hop blog sites bored out of your mind. And they say curiosity killed the cat... ha!  Apparently before the cat died it found some pretty damn good music as well. Canei Finch was a guy that I had no idea about, and I regret not knowing sooner. The persona you get from listening to songs from your favorite artists and reading the parenthesis saying "prod. by" etc. etc. is practically a ghostly one. When you hear a beat that's so awesome you can't help but get it stuck in your head don't you wish you could figure out who made that beat?  Someone deserves credit dammit!  Anyways, Canei Finch is an example of one of those people. This EP has 90s influence dripping off of it like mayonnaise on a Philly cheese steak sandwich (or something like that, I don't know I'm not from Philly), and the sound is something oh so familiar yet refreshing to hear. "The Morning Song" just makes you want to get up and go do something with your life!  I know I feel empowered already (even though it's 1 A.M. currently, inspiration has no clock), and Canei Finch should give you enough inspiration to go out and do things like he does, whether it be rap, produce, both, or whatever sort of battles you have to get through in your day. Music is the best remedy for those battles, that's for sure.        











        

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.

     






   

To Pimp A Butterfly (Track By Track) Review; Kendrick's Conscious, Funky Transition

How many rappers are out there that could truly break the internet with a single song release?  When Kendrick's "i" hit the internet people were confused, general reactions were "oh he had been gone for so long and this is what he comes up with", or something along the lines of disappointed. But I've tried to make this point as clear as I could a couple times now, and other music listeners should do the same when hearing a "first" single off an album; one song taken out of context does not define the sound of an entire body of work, especially when the body of work is truly a story in itself, like that of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly. Fans had no time to build any sort of anticipation for this album (or they did and just couldn't wait to leak it), so Kendrick decided to give us all an early Christmas present and release it a whole week before it was expected. Now with earlier than expected releases they tend to be let downs, but going back to the previous question (or argument in a sense), there is a choice selection of rappers who don't let many people down; Kendrick Lamar is on this list 9 times out of 10.

"Wesley's Theory" is the beginning of a story that we've all been waiting to hear for so long. Starting the story in the middle like a Tarantino flick, Kendrick flips hip hop on its ear and funks it out in a proper way with a George Clinton and Thundercat feature. The message of this track seems to hit home on a couple of points; the "we should have never gave you niggas money" point is a funny Chappelle's Show reference (Rick James BITCH!), but it could also point to how Kendrick believes people in society view black people. Is Kendrick trying to prove a point by satirizing points that have been made?  You could only tell after a few listens.

The "For Free?  Interlude" is another interesting piece of heavy jazz influenced music that also seems to flip a view of society. With a fun, fast paced piano riff and a couple of nice jazz horns, Kendrick explains "this... dick... ain't... FREEEE" to a woman. Who would have thought this was possible?  This is awesome if you ever have had to deal with bull from your woman, but the interlude on your first listen doesn't add up to much other than Kendrick showing hate towards thotty women.

If there was any track on this album that got hype more than any other, it was "King Kunta." Even before people knew anything about the album, "King Kunta" was being talked about in interviews with Pharrell, where he described the track as "unapologetically black and amazing," and you have to agree with Pharrell when you listen. The funk sound stays true in "King Kunta", and Kendrick and his go-to producer Sounwave kill it as usual with a bouncy sounding bass line and some every day observation with a mix of venting from Kendrick. "King Kunta" is unlike any song you have probably heard in the last 20 years; it's blend of consciousness and a funky beat make it so listenable that you can't help but have the message seared into your brain. Kendrick's goal, if any indication of his music (at least "King Kunta" and "The Blacker The Berry"), is getting put out to the masses, and that's half the battle of creating change.

Kendrick really likes to change up the sound of songs midway through, and his history ("Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst", "Cartoons & Cereal", and now "Institutionalized") of doing this is proven. Whether it be to curve your attention or to change the perspective of the story being told, it's always hard to tell why it's being done at first, but his angles always seem to follow the plot of the story in the end (after all, he is a self proclaimed "writer", and rightfully so). "Institutionalized" begins with a slow, wavy beat in which Kendrick starts on with his higher pitched voice, but then the beat transitions into another drum beat of the same type, but a little slower paced, almost made for you to pay attention to. "Shit don't change til ya, get up and wash yo ass," Kendrick's grandma said to him, and that right there is the point of this jam. Kendrick's grandma warned him of this time coming, as she did of the hood, that he uses less wisely than (we all) he would like to say he (we all) really does (do).

"I remember you was conflicted. Misusing your influence - sometimes I did the same" - a saying that continuously makes more sense as this album progresses, you can only keep listening to figure out what it leads up to. "These Walls" is a true reflection of self. Kendrick was in a vulnerable state making this song it is very easy to tell, and the saying "if these walls could talk" has probably never been used as a finer example. "These Walls" is Kendrick looking into his walls like mirrors, and seeing not only himself, but every flaw, every scar, every problem he has ever encountered, and maybe even every person he has hurt or murdered (allegedly) and having them staring him right back in the face. Now (besides the murder part, hopefully) how can you not relate to that?

Kendrick also remixed Eminem's "Kim" believe it or not. No that was definitely a joke, but Kendrick certainly isn't joking on his song "u", again taking a perspective where he is talking to himself via song. "Loving you is complicated", he cries in a menacing yell, and for him to point out a side of himself that only he would know with such detail is something that damn near no other rapper, let alone any other man would go as far to do. The beat switches up again halfway through this one, and it's hard not to feel the pain in his voice with every word he utters over the slow, sad sounding horn that could cause a heavy heart even on your brightest day.

Transitioning properly from downer to upper, "Alright" is a bumping track that we know Kendrick has the ability to make and make sound amazing (though To Pimp A Butterfly is a concept album as a whole, it's hard to make every track bump trying to fit the concept of the story). "Alright" is the song that balances out every bad feeling and down emotion you get from the album, and the sampled beat is such an uplifting tune that you can't help but jig a bit when it hits.

Kendrick's "For Sale? (Interlude)" is such a fluttery, beautifully demented transition, so unexpected you couldn't even guess at what came afterwards. Whether Lucy is a girl, the drug (which it very well could be by the sounds of this song), or Lucifer (much speculation online that Kendrick is referring to the devil as Lucy), this interlude has an "enticing" sound to it that is surely nail on the head in terms of the concept. No conspiracy theories here (or maybe so), but it sounds like Kendrick is talking about the devil in the details (the industry maybe?).

If you're looking for an example of why Kendrick is one of the best lyricists in the game, the first verse on "Momma" holds some credibility. The first verse is insanely scheme filled, where Kendrick follows one rhyme scheme the entire time, but the second verse is where you see Kendrick is learning from his experiences in life and the industry; "I know everything" he so boldly claims throughout the second verse, from the hood to the industry he feels like he's been through it all, but only to come home and realize he has to re-learn everything he once knew. It seems the struggles of the fame mixed with not seeing his family/friends is getting to Kendrick as he vents so beautifully in this song, and what better way to realize where you screwed up than to vent to your "Momma"?

"Boom boom," Kendrick says confidently throughout the next track "Hood Politics." "Boom boom" of course by definition meaning "not up to one's par or standards" (At least I'm assuming so, who really knows?). I surely didn't expect to learn any new lingo from this project, but as enlightening as Kendrick is I can't be surprised. Kendrick continues to say that the rules stretch "from Compton to Congress", which is another bold statement, but almost make sense to a point. "Hood Politics" is the mix of levels on how things work, and both (Compton & Congress) seem just as lethal and violent as the other.

"How Much A Dollar Cost" is another big one in the line of thought provoking musical poems that Kendrick blessed us with on To Pimp A Butterfly. Featuring a moving piano with some raw drums and claps, Kendrick paints a picture as well as he ever has on the different situations in which a dollar is needed. James Fauntleroy brings an atmosphere to the hook that only he could in an almost ghostly manner, as if you were just realizing that dollars truly mean nothing to our existence, and Ronald Isley fatalities the point (on some Mortal Kombat shit) on the outro of the song.

"Complexion" is such a smooth song (with added DJ spins that create a different touch to the track) on race that it damn near rocks it's point home and puts you to sleep with it's message. That way you wake up and NEVER FORGET IT (OHHHHHHHH NOOO HE DIDN'T!!!). Kendrick tries (and succeeds) in proving the point that "complexion don't mean a thing." Another beat transition towards the end of the track allows Rhapsody to give his side of the story, in which he hammers home, yet cool and effortlessly.

"The Blacker The Berry" we all know already so I won't elaborate any more than I have to besides the fact that the beat KNOCKS. Putting this song out as a single is especially surprising considering the content, mentioning such things as the Black Panther Party and Trayvon Martin, but going back to Kendrick's message, this of course was all part of the plan in getting people thinking clearly and maybe even acting on the issues that have been brought to light over the past year or so. Do you believe it worked?

Immediately the 90s west coast feel is evident when you first hear "You Ain't Gotta Lie." The bass line makes you bop and the message is (what seems to be) for anyone who has to "lie to kick it." The hook seems to be from the point of view from a girl (and if any guy has been through it, they know a girl who likes them is awesome) and is almost reminiscent of the first time you hung out with that girl you had a huge crush on, but the song could also take the point of view of Kendrick sending a message to rappers trying to sound good or look cool (you ain't gotta lie, you ain't gotta try so hard). "You Ain't Gotta Lie" seems to be another track that has multiple meanings to it, which makes Kendrick one of the most relevant, hard hitting rappers in the game today.

We all have already heard "i" as well so I won't do much of a review on it, but I will say the message to the song that is Harvey Dent to "u's" Two Face is timeless. If anyone is feeling down they could probably listen to this song and feel better (at least you'd hope), but they could definitely listen to it while they were feeling on top of the world then feel like they were on top of the entire universe. No matter how annoying "i" has gotten to be to you, you can't deny it's message and that it has helped people through some tough times in a time when suicide is at an all time high.

"Mortal Man" is the finale of the fireworks. To get Kendrick at his most vulnerable, his most thought provoking, and almost at a stage where he's contemplating everything he's done, doing, and about to do, "Mortal Man" is that song. As imperfect as it gets is the best way to describe this song. "Mortal Man" is practically everything everyone wishes they could admit to themselves and that's only the first part of the song, not to mention the ending is simply brilliant. Having a conversation with Tupac about his views compared with Kendrick's is what every single rap fan (let alone Kendrick fan) DREAMS about. The Tupac audio is probably from an old interview, though I couldn't tell you for sure, but to sit and listen to Kendrick and Tupac have a conversation (and to have it sound like an actual conversation) is literally a dream to many (including Kendrick), and an incredibly well thought out, well rounded, and a downright eerie way to end this album.

To Pimp A Butterfly. Has it sunk in yet?  Have you sat and listened enough to understand the message truly?  Do you feel as dumb listening to this album as I have so diligently in the past 12 hours?  These questions are questions that we don't need answers to right now. These questions we definitely will not get answers to right now, but if you paid enough attention to the album, you would understand that the point is not to get all of the answers to every problem the world sees right now. Ferguson shootings, Trayvon Martin's death, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, or whatever our issues may be, the point is not to get the answers so quickly to our problems, because how can you really get an answer to a problem that is still unknown?  The first step is identifying what the problem really is, and Kendrick had no problems identifying his issues with himself and the world today on To Pimp A Butterfly.           

         







 

 

 



 

            

Alexander; Hip Hop... Play?! (Video)

If you tuned into Sunday Morning on CBS news this past Sunday, March 8th (which I don't expect you to, but do as you will), you probably saw something a little out of the ordinary when they reported about Alexander. You wouldn't be wrong in the assumption that this was about the historic president of the U.S. in the late 1700s, but this certain Broadway play has a different spin on it. See the news coverage on it below.

 (Even if you're not a history buff [besides hip hop] you can't deny this isn't interesting. I do not own this video nor the rights to it.)

This is amazing. Histories collide (not so much hip hop history in terms of actual rappers or certain eras, but actual rapping that takes place with great writing) in Lin Manuel Miranda's take on Alexander Hamilton in his soon-to-be-coming-to-Broadway play Alexander. Miranda (a 2008 Tony Award winner for his musical "In The Heights") was quoted in his interview with CBS news as saying "The hip hop narrative is writing your way out of your circumstance," which could not be more true. That is unless, you grow up in a hood and to this day still rap about guns and drug running (more power to you then, please don't hurt me). But my question to you is this; would you ever (besides the writing aspect, maybe not so much Alexander, but this era more than any, almost) in your wildest dreams associate Alexander Hamilton with hip hop?!

That's why this is so amazing. Visionaries such as Miranda and many like him find ways to use hip hop for good, and to grab your attention positively instead of shunning it. Miranda is opening up eyes to a completely different audience of people (fans of theater and fans of rap alike) and he's even teaching you about Alexander Hamilton during all of this!  Miranda is attacking theater on 2 different fronts and whether or not you watch it, you have to have respect for the guy for having the balls to go there. Miranda doing this = taking hip hop to new heights. This is what Hip Hop Unlimited is about!   













     

Why Kanye West Is A Decent Person (And Not The Psycho You Make Him Out To Be)

Rants. Music rebelling racism. Angry outbursts. "Selling out" in his music. "Selling out" by entering the fashion industry. There are a lot of things you could hate Kanye for, the list is endless, but I believe there is more to Kanye than meets the eye (and ear). Behind every psychopath (or whatever you claim Kanye to be) there is a reason for their methods, and there is a reason for why they act the way they do. For all we know Kanye really is just an insane egomaniac that is only driven by the success of himself, but the fact that he is now married with a child tells me that his motives are either changing, or not so much what people have made them out to be. In this post I am going to prove to you that Kanye West is not the psychopath that the media, and even the people make him out to be.

If you've been keeping track of Kanye's craziness as of late (even if you're not a Yeezy music fan, you have to admit his shenanigans with the media are always interesting), there's been a lot of stuff to keep track of (even for Kanye): the first of these doings is the release of the new Yeezy Boost from Adidas. Kanye's Yeezy shoes have been a staple and a must have in any sneaker head's collection since their inception, but Kanye is giving his newest release a different feel. Now being backed by one of the biggest shoe companies in the world (Adidas), Kanye is aiming to be able to put out the Yeezy Boost for everybody for purchase, and not just the "higher-class" individuals that you see wearing them in paparazzi photos (rich people). Kanye even took it a step farther with the release of the Boost, doing so much as to show up to fans' houses and work places to give them their pairs personally. If I was into those weird looking Adidas', I'd sure be happy if Kanye showed up to give me my pair.

Look at the excitement on these fans' faces. Whether you want to believe it or not, this made Kanye's day too.

Other inspiring things Kanye has been doing of late is doing things like speaking publicly, the most recent being Oxford University (the reason for this being that Oxford University is apparently baby North West's future alma matter). Kanye is noticeably changing his attitude and doing good things with it, and it shows in a few quotes he gave from his latest speech at Oxford (which Yahoo! has reported). See below:

(On his ego)
"One of my biggest Achilles heels has been my ego. And if I, Kanye West, the very person, can remove my ego, I think there’s hope for everyone."

(On his reputation with the media)
"People say I have a bad reputation. I think I've got the best reputation in the building. They want you to have a reputation of tucking your black nail polish into your pockets and sitting in the corner of the class, and not fighting for your ideas out of fear of being ridiculed. ... That's one of my favorite ones… to be called crazy."

(On Materialism)
"Time is the only luxury. It’s the only thing you can’t get back. If you lose your luggage – I’m not gonna say the obvious brand of luggage that I’d normally say because I’ve got a meeting with them soon – if you lose your expensive luggage at the airport, you can get that back. You can’t get the time back. It feels like people do everything in life to get this BMW, this Benz, to get this town-home, to get 2.5 kids exactly. One of them has to be small, y’know! And you’re looking for this moment where you sit in your BMW after all the work you’ve done and all the accolades you get, and you somehow think you’re gonna get that level of joy that my daughter had when she received [her favorite toy]."

Has that sold you on Kanye yet (hopefully not shown the "sold out" Kanye but hopefully SELLS YOU on how decent of a person he really can be I mean. Anyways, has it)?  Some people cannot get it through their brains that Kanye is a kind, helping person who doesn't attack paparazzi in his free time just for fun. If my words can't convince you, then maybe you can check out his Breakfast Club interview with Power 105.1 and that will convince you that he is uhm... "human" (although he slanders his ex Amber Rose in the interview, but Amber went at Kim in her comments on Twitter, Kanye has to protect his wife in that case). I believe there is hope for Kanye West, and I feel like I've said this before, but just because we see someone as insane in the news (or in normal people's case, hear crazy rumors about them) doesn't mean that these people are actually insane themselves. Check out Kanye's Breakfast Club interview below.

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

Multi Talented Rappers (Actors, Ball Players, Etc.)

Sometimes you hate to see your favorite emcees do anything BUT rap, but it can be a cool thing to see them appear in your favorite TV show, play in the celebrity game at NBA All Star weekend, or even make business deals (focus on your music though guys, *cough cough Dr. Dre, Jay Z, Diddy, etc.). Rappers rap for a living (hence the term "rapper") but this is a new day and age. I put together a small list of some rappers who could probably do other things with their careers and be pretty good at them.

Dizzy Wright - basketball player

Sorry for the crappy picture quality, unfortunately this is how all pictures shown in this post will appear (#TechnologyStruggles). Anyways, Dizzy Wright was quite the baller in his high school days, and he could have even played at UNLV but bad grades prevented him from doing so.

2 Chainz - basketball player

Twooooo Chaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinzz! This dude is just funny period. The last thing you think of when you think of 2 Chainz is smart, intelligent mind building rap (or smart, intelligent, mind building anything), but Chainz was actually a college basketball player, and even graduated as a 4.0 GPA student in only 3 years at a 4 year school (attended Alabama State University on an athletic scholarship, believe it, it's true).

Common - Actor

Common is an easy choice as one of the stand outs because he is very hot right now, especially after coming off winning a Grammy for best original song ("Glory" ft. John Legend). When you think of conscious, thought provoking rappers, Common is the epitome (where do you think the name "Common" originated from? Common Sense of course! [His original rap name]). Common is always in the conversation when it comes to rappers who use their voice effectively, and his role in AMC's original series Hell On Wheels only adds to his already impressive resume of talent.

Childish Gambino - Actor/Comedian

Childish Gambino is the most interesting character on this list (literally a "character"). Gambino has made quite a career as a rapper with his mix tape releases and his debut album Because The Internet, but the "Gambino" I personally got to know wasn't Gambino at all. Donald Glover (his government name) started out as a comedian who even got a couple of stand up specials to air on Comedy Central, and his hilarious takes on race and everyday observation sold me more than any music of his could. Not only does Gambino rap AND do stand up (or did do stand up, no rumors on if he still does or if he will return) but he also has a great resume of acting, and even has appeared on the television show 30 Rock multiple times, and wrote for the show for 3 years (from 2006 to 2009).

Seeing any type of celebrity tackle as many careers/topics/activities as they do could make any person's head spin. When I think about what I'm doing and then compare it with what Jay Z's day might consist of, I start to feel pretty bad about myself (but then I remember I'm just a hip hop writer). But anyways, you should never limit anyone by the way they appear to you. Talent is never fully measured by ones interests, ones career, or even ones demeanor. Sometimes you can tell how great someone is destined to be just by the way they talk to you. If this list isn't even a slight example of what it means to make the sky the limit (or the galaxy [Hip Hop Unlimited], this is what we do now, come on) then maybe you should re-evaluate what you make your limit. The people on this list did, and look at them now.              


   

 

Is Will Smith Returning To Rap? (Interview)

Rumors have recently circulated that the freshest prince of them all could possibly be returning to music very soon!  This is exciting news!  So exciting in fact that I may have to, how does one say, get jiggy wit' it?  But seriously, the rapper of "Getting Jiggy With It", "Miami", "Wild Wild West", "Parents Just Don't Understand", and countless others is trying to make a comeback!  Hopefully you all feel as good about this as I do, but if not, oh well because here are some details on the actor (but really, rapper) from Philly's return.

Will's performance on "The Late Show" with David Letterman was followed by some friendly back and forth between Will and David, but the thing that stood out the most was David asking if Will was interested in doing any new music, and Will answered back with "whenever there's a microphone (around) it really gets me excited." This would lead you to believe that Will is feeling inspired and wanting to rap again, but if that doesn't do it for you then this next interview bit certainly will.

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

Will Smith in the studio with KANYE WEST?!  Will should have known that this itty bitty little bit of information was going to blow up the internet, but the way he is talking about music lately he seems to be excited enough to put some work in. Could this possibly mean a new album from the Fresh Prince?  Could this mean Kanye production?  Does Will have any wishes to work with any current artists in the game?  I suppose we'll find out when that time comes... be on the look out for more news on Big Willy's (I know, such an awful, just wrong nickname) return to rap.   














   

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.

        





 

Are Eminem and Lil Wayne Nearing Their Downfall?

This saddens me. There aren't many things musically that can really make me sit back and think "damn", but if there was one thing, this would be it. You could ask anybody and they'd probably have the same answer, seeing your favorite artists crumble and fade into obscurity is one of the most heart breaking things you could see (and seeing one attempt a comeback and fail miserably is even worse). I grew up when Eminem was ruling the charts and the news headlines, and all throughout my high school years all you heard anyone play on their phones or iPod's was Lil Wayne (dude practically made a remix to every rap song made from 2008-2012). But reign's come to an end for everyone unfortunately, as hard as it is to admit, even for the biggest Stan. Times are a changing as much as old heads don't want to admit it, and though some good music is still coming out today, seeing the ones you grew up with fall is never easy. This discussion is not for just 1 specific artist however, because this argument even hurts me to be a part of, let alone begin the conversation; and that's because Eminem and Lil Wayne are nearing a close on both of their careers. I'm as big a Stan as it gets, but the similarities between the current state in both Eminem's and Wayne's career are eerie.

Now when I say there are similarities between Eminem and Lil Wayne your first reaction is probably a big fat Chris Griffin "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT", but once I explain these similarities things should make more sense. The similarities between Eminem and Lil Wayne's music are few and far between, but in terms of the state of both of their careers now, it's almost uncanny (though a fan of neither rapper would admit it), and the comparisons lie mostly in both rappers' latest projects, Shady XV and Sorry For The Wait 2.

The first question I asked myself in this comparison is simply "does either rapper have the ability to come up with great concepts for songs anymore?"  Now the comparison between mix tape and album is definitely a completely different concept when it comes to the types of songs and actual concepts, but I'm only using each rappers' latest body of work seeing as they'd be the most relevant. Anyways, when it comes to Wayne's Sorry For The Wait 2, it's not hard to tell that he doesn't have anything to talk about. The concepts behind the songs are the same Wayne rhymes that we've been hearing since about 2009; lots of lean, bitches, robberies, money and choppers. You'd appreciate hearing Wayne grow a little bit in his time as a rapper (or more importantly his time in the industry), even though a lot of fans like when their favorites don't change. The biggest issue with Wayne seems to be his concepts and content have not changed a bit.

Eminem's case, though not far off from Wayne's, is different, however. In his latest release Shady XV, though a compilation album, contained 3 brand new Eminem records that showed a different side to Em that no one had ever seen before. In the song "Fine Line", Eminem discussed how he came up and the difference between that time period and what it's like for him now, and it's almost shocking to hear from the Detroit emcee. Rap listeners (even his most die hard fans) got so used to hearing Eminem being a controversial rapper that talked about "Britney Spears needing to get her clit re-pierced and I can see her tits from here" types of stuff that this new subject matter is almost scary. A threat from Eminem to retire?  Many people would celebrate the day that it finally came, but as many as there are that say they would love it, there are probably three times as many people who would wipe their eyes with their Eminem shirts while listening to "Stan" and staring at pictures of him online. Like it or not, there are still Eminem fans out there, but like Wayne, sometimes Em has a problem coming up with concepts for songs. Are they bored with what they're doing?

(Eminem at times seems to rap just to rap, which you can't hate, but at the same time you want something more. Is he really running out of things to talk about?  His song "Fine Line" is a good point that he can be conscious at times, though.)  (*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to any of them*)

Wayne is in the same boat when it comes to bars and being able to rap; he certainly can still rap well, but what does it mean if he's not saying anything in these raps?  Another big thing that isn't hard to point out on Wayne's Sorry For The Wait 2 is that he has seemingly auto-tuned out the fact that he can still use his actual voice to rap (see what I did there? Oh, puns). Wayne has a very distinct voice that almost anyone can recognize, yet he chooses to chop it up and robot himself into some (at times) very unclear raps (at least it seems like it's auto tune, that can't be Wayne's regular rapping voice). This can get annoying for any regular rap music listener that isn't on lean on a daily basis.

Voice is certainly something Eminem's fans have worried about for quite awhile now as well. If you listened to Eminem from 95 and on you got used to it, and when Recovery came out you probably didn't like what you heard. Slim Shady came up on the high pitched parody-type of rapping voice that everyone loved, and when he changed this around 2002 for his album The Eminem Show it was a nice change of pace, but after Recovery people got fed up with all of the yelling. Eminem toned down the yelling again with Marshall Mathers LP 2, however, and many fans were very happy with this change (though some hardcore fans always find something to hate about the music, typical). Eminem doesn't seem crazy into auto tune like Wayne seems to be lately (or ever), but like Wayne, voice isn't exactly something that Eminem had perfected on his first try.

So hopefully this post points out some similarities in Wayne and Eminem and how their careers aren't so different (we're not so different, you and I, *cue Dr. Evil voice*). You certainly hope that Eminem and Wayne's careers both aren't on the downward spiral that they seem to be, but if they are you know they'll both go out with a bang, and seeing as Eminem has mentored Slaughterhouse and Wayne has mentored Nicki and Drake into the game, you certainly wouldn't expect either of them to leave the game completely (possibly executive producing albums, Eminem's history of producing, both could be great studio presences, etc.) Nothing is for certain as of right now though, so keeping your eyes and ears open is the name of the game it seems for both, arguably 2 of the greatest to ever do it.  



  

 

 

     

   

So... This New Drake Mixtape (Album) Actually Exists!

Lord knows people love them some Drake (see what I  did there?), and they just got some new music from the 6 God himself. I didn't want to believe these rumors when I had first heard them, but things slowly piled up and it looks like there is in fact a new Drake album! And what better time to drop it than on the 6 year anniversary of his legendary So Far Gone mix tape?  There isn't one that's for sure.  This new surprise album could be because of a number of things, and I want to detail them a little bit right here.

So... the title to this project (If You're Reading This It's Too Late) definitely says it all. There is no question that Drake is taking Wayne's side in this whole Wayne vs. Birdman battle and who knows why. It could be because Drake is tighter with Wayne than he is Birdman, could be because he finds Wayne's situation unfair, it could really be for a number of things, but it definitely sticks out due to the very poorly planned and handwritten album cover (which you can see below).

Oh yes it seems that Drake is definitely involving himself in the Wayne vs. Birdman drama, and it's clear whose side he is taking. Now many questions arise with this newest release, the first one being is this the album that Drake was originally planning to drop in 2015?  Headlines (there's another one) are saying that this album (or mix tape, though he is selling it on iTunes, so technically it constitutes as an album) is only a prelude to his originally planned Views From The 6 album set to drop later this year. Some of these songs definitely slap, but it's easy to say that some of them could just be throwaways that Drake had wanted to use just to get a new project out to clear himself from his Cash Money Records contract, in which he was signed to make 4 albums.  If You're Reading This It's Too Late could pass as an album for anyone else but for Drake it's light work and it's evident that he is moving on from what once was with Birdman and Cash Money Records.

So what does this mean for Drake's future?  Does this mean that he is completely done with Cash Money and is joining alongside Wayne wherever he decides to go?  How will this effect Drake's Views From The 6 being released, if at all?  And will Nicki join alongside Drake and Wayne and decide to leave Birdman with presumably nothing?  Too many questions to answer right now it seems, so until we find out the answers I'd recommend you sit back and enjoy yourself some new Drake!  The project can be bought on iTunes or streamed on HotNewHipHop, DJ Booth, or mostly any other hip hop blog, and you can check out a short film Drake released shortly before the album called "Jungle" below.

                   (*I do not own this video, or the rights to it, or any images used in this post*)

    














      




 

Kendrick Lamar Is Doing Things Bigger Than Music

It's been an incredibly, unbearably, excruciatingly long 3 years (almost 3 years, trust me, I've been counting) since Kendrick's last full length studio album. Good Kid Maad City was (and still is) a landmark in hip hop history and not only Kendrick's fans, but hip hop fans in general have been waiting for Kendrick's next move. How is Kendrick going to follow such a "classic" (I use quotations because the term "classic" is heavily overused and underappreciated)? What is Kendrick going to talk about on the new project?  And how much does Dr. Dre have to do with the new project?  All of these are questions that I can hopefully answer for you right now (besides Dr. Dre, who the fuck knows what he's doing).

Kendrick's newest single "The Blacker The Berry" is a statement. Period. Not only does this song have a message that unfortunately still has to be stressed today, but it couldn't have dropped at a better time. The Grammy's are widely known to be very white-biased and white music friendly (though Kendrick snagged 2 of them this past weekend) and Kendrick knows that. So allow me to explain the genius of Kendrick Lamar while (hopefully accurately) predicting the direction his still untitled next album will go. Oh, and in case you haven't heard it yet, check out "The Blacker The Berry" below.

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

So... what did y'all think?  It seems the main point Kendrick is looking to send home is that blacks and black music should be taken seriously. For too long black music has been shunned, shrugged off, and not given the props it deserves, and Kendrick is attacking this issue head on. But why now?  Why put out this song shining a spotlight on white entertainment and everyone in/supporting it?  Bingo; the Grammys. Even though Kanye attacked that already (if anyone chooses to listen to him), Kendrick is doing it the more effective way. Kendrick is putting it into his music and letting his voice be heard by allowing fans to be able to discuss what he says over a hard beat and some creepy, yet fitting vocals. I mean come on, its second nature for hip hop fans to discuss what these artists are REALLY saying over these records (*guiltily raises hand*). This right here... is Kendrick's socially conscious version of "Control."

To call Kendrick the new Tupac would be a stretch, but not because Tupac is too big of a comparison for Kendrick to handle. It's because Kendrick is attacking issues in his own way. Menacingly. Terrifyingly. Quietly. There's not a more effective way to do it. Make the music, draw the masses in, let them debate and *THINK* about what it means, then sit back and marvel at what you've done. This might be a bit of a black and white statement (not to be ironic), but Kendrick is silently making people smarter. And "i" love it.








    

Grammys (Kanye's Drunken Antics) Recap

Oh Kanye Kanye Kanye....why do I love you so much?  This is a simple answer; your media persona is priceless. It's literally like...impossible to ignore. I don't even listen to your music as much as I'd like to say I do, but when it comes to "Kanye on TMZ" I just can't ignore clicking. In case you haven't heard, the Grammys were yesterday (I really hope you knew this), and Kanye had returned for the first time in 6 years (since the Taylor Swift incident, but apparently it's cool because Kanye and Taylor are tight now), and in true Kanye fashion (in multiple meanings of the word). The red carpet was obsessed with Kim's crazy dress as usual and of course the man himself never disappoints when it comes to his wardrobe (at least doesn't disappoint rich people, or sponsors for that matter). But the focus wasn't on Kimye's wardrobe, or Kimye as a whole for that matter; because Sunday February 8th was Kanye West's night and he made sure people knew it.

First off, this happened. Kanye just about had a (probably drunken) flashback and walked up on stage like it was his job and ALMOST told Beck who he believed deserved this award. Of course afterwards during the Grammy after party Kanye was interviewed along with Kim and Khloe Kardashian and spewed his true thoughts on the matter, but at least this time he didn't snatch the mic. Baby steps Kanye. I hate to make this comparison, but Kanye is a real modern day Charles Manson. His thoughts get heard no matter what, he makes sense to some but is crazy to most, and his following is probably a bunch of crazy psychopathic murderers (no I'm kidding of course on the murderers part, my true beliefs on being crazy don't define one person, they define what these people think of this one person, not everyone is going to be on the same page all of the time, not saying Charles Manson is a great guy of course, but crazy people like to try and change the way things are).

So that was really funny, and Kanye at any award show draws any type of attention no matter the case, I find this hilarious because most people will hate it and say he's a jackass and is too opinionated for his own good, yet the Grammys and E Entertainment Network continues to invite him and give him the time of day to show up. What does that say?  I'm too into other things at the moment to give this a full breakdown (or else I really would), so until the next post enjoy Kanye's Grammy after party comments along with Kim and Khloe in the interview below. No matter how crazy Kanye seems to be (or at least looks to the public) you certainly can't deny that he brings up points that others are afraid to. I couldn't find the full Grammy after party interview online, but it shouldn't be a hard Google search if you'd really like to see it.

  









        

Oh Yes I Did: Comparing Rappers' Styles To The Beatles

Okay so before I get going on this post I feel like I should explain myself to any Beatles fan, old hard rock fan, or any old head music fan for that matter: this post is in no way comparing the accomplishments, the influence, or the threshold that the Beatles have held on music to ANY other artist of the last 50 years (even more than that, actually). There is no comparison to them even in the slightest. Their accomplishments and influence is unrivaled, no artist or band has had such a lasting impact on music for generations (and generations to come) as much as the Beatles have. John Lennon and Paul McCartney remain 2 of the top 10 greatest song writers of all time (I'd even put George Harrison up there with them, though he'd probably disagree), and numbers will never lie. However, I would like to use this post to simply point out the comparisons and concepts that may mimic the Beatles (in rap you say?  It can't be done!  Don't belee me juuuu watch). If anything, this post will show the continued influence the Beatles have on music (yes, even rap, a lot of rappers are smarter than you think and they do in fact respect their elders). So read on and enjoy the comparisons of writing styles in rap vs. the Beatles.

Quotable lyrics: "And if God was a human it'd be yours truly watching horror movies with some foreign groupies thinking this décor suits me, I do drugs get more loopy, I'm in tune to ancient jiu jitsu's spirituals it's blissful, looking out as far as eyes can see, I'm glad that me and this elevation could finally meet, I think I'm JFK's final speech, they try assassinating all of my beliefs."

The easiest choice (to me) would be easy mac with the cheesy raps. If his latest album Watching Movies With The Sound Off or his latest mix tape Faces says anything about him, it's that he has truly transformed himself as not only a rapper, but an incredibly diverse artist. It takes many drugs to reach a level where you feel making a song like "The Star Room" is acceptable to rap culture (which it's not, and that's what makes it great). The best thing about this song isn't even the quoted lyrics above: it's the fact that Mac's alternate personality Delusional Thomas takes over with crazy lyrics that you could only truly understand on drugs, and maybe not even then. Mac is known to take on many personalities in his raps, other than the usual rapping Mac Miller there is Delusional Thomas and Mac even has a producing side to him that he's named Larry Fisherman. It is said that only geniuses get bored with their lives and make up alternate personalities for themselves, and this certainly makes sense with Mac Miller given his musical history; Mac in 2010 compared to Mac in 2014 is almost a completely different artist.

The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" might be a tad for the more experimental types:  the song writing is questionable, but the picture it paints for you is incomparable to almost any other song ever written. Actually, it's probably safe to say that the only songs that could ever come close to it in terms of imaginative song writing would just be more Beatles songs. I'd say if you wanted to listen to this you certainly shouldn't do it sober, you'd have to be on something stronger than alcohol or weed to truly be amazed by this song (and probably sit there debating what the hell John is really talking about), but even sober you can't help but sit and marvel at how the hell this guy John Lennon came up with this. Mac Miller and John Lennon may not have been writing about the same concepts when you compare "The Star Room" to "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", but it'd be hard to argue that they weren't under the influence of the same thing.

Big K.R.I.T probably isn't the first guy you think of when you think "imaginative song writing" or "genre changing music" (second one is debatable), but his latest album Cadillactica is certainly one that could change your perspective on him as an artist. In case you haven't gotten the concept of Cadillactica, I'll fill you in; long story short, K.R.I.T created his own planet and the music on this planet is fucking insane. The beats on this album are almost futuristic (although it includes those bumping bangers you love K.R.I.T so much for), and it fits so well because not only did K.R.I.T evolve himself as an artist, but he stepped up his game by replying to "Control" by basically saying "fuck you, I reside on my own planet with no other artist." Game changing rap, this is, young sky walker.

The Beatles were so ahead of their time at one point in their careers that they got bored with being so good. They got so bored of being good in fact, that they wanted to make a concept album describing what it's like to be the average band (hard to describe average nowadays, at least during this time period it was average). Although the Beatles were never considered average, could it be possible that the Beatles are really the first band/artists to make a concept album?  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely considered the first "concept" album, the main reason being because the Beatles were not being themselves; they were taking on a different persona as a completely different band altogether. This "concept" album concept (mind = blown) is still used today, and is definitely what you could say K.R.I.T used to make Cadillactica, and the double personas concept is applied to Mac with Delusional Thomas, and even one of the greatest hip hop groups in history (debatably) used to describe their personas in their lyrics, D12 (Eminem as Slim Shady, Proof as Dirty Harry, etc.). Are you seeing the way the Beatles maybe paved some ways for hip hop yet?

It's pretty damn hard to observe music nowadays and not see/hear something that the Beatles didn't inspire. Like, seriously. If you're a youngin like me (the fresh, crisp age of 21, in my prime I might add), then you might not have really understood the impact that the Beatles have had on music until now. Hopefully you have too because the Beatles' fingerprint on music is in stone and it shall forever be, but the point is that their influence hits home for every genre, not just rock. The influence of the Beatles lies in all of rap music, not just the examples I shared, and some of these artists don't even realize how inspired they've been by the Beatles, which is the amazing part, because that's the impact and the altitude of which the Beatles have had on music altogether. The Beatles even rhymed in some of their work, you could practically say the Beatles were rap pioneers (not really, but in a sense)! The point here is that if you think you know music, you probably really don't know music until you've started at the roots of the ever growing tree that music is; The Beatles.