New Releases You May Have Missed (Well, The Ones Actually Worth Checking Out)

In case you've missed Twitter, Facebook, or any real music news in the past week or so, it has been a pretty good week for new hip hop releases. The Dreamville crew returns with a couple drops following rumors of the long awaited Revenge Of The Dreamers 3 project soon to be releasing (though still no definite date set), aside from Dreamville, Bas decides to drop his own random loosie (or is it JUST a loosie? Hmmm...), and Drake fulfills his promises of new music after the Raptors win the franchise's first NBA Championship.  Check out all of the releases below, with a short explanation/review.


Dreamville Compilation tracks - "Down Bad" and "Got Me"




Is there anything else in hip hop worth talking about right now more than Dreamville's 2 new compilation tracks?  Cole and the Dreamville crew made waves on Twitter on June 12th (almost a week ago) after releasing the two tracks above, "Got Me" and 'Down Bad", both featuring several artists, all signees under the Dreamville imprint. Both tracks are sounding extra clean and crispy and adapt much differently to the current hip hop climate, and are sure to raise conversation and excitement moving forward, but if  I had to choose between the 2, I personally have to pick "Got Me" as my favorite release of the last week. It's slow burning and deep penetrating bassline hits your ears and your speakers unlike anything could do, unless it was a straight up knife to the chest. Bump this one in the loudest possible speaker system you can find.

Bas ft. JID - Fried Rice


    
After what many considered the best album of last year (actually just me, literally just me) dropping in late 2018, Milky Way, it is always nice to see an artist like Bas, who always considers quality over quantity, returning with new music. In a song that finds JID shredding a fast paced 2nd verse (has anyone ever talked about how much this guy sounds like Anderson .Paak? No? Alright then) along with Bas' signature awkward, yet somehow-it-always-works-so-well flow, Bas has blessed his fan base with another different style; a rapper of many different traits and flows, a verse chameleon if you will. Definitely worth the listen, especially if you like Bas.

Drake - Money In The Grave (ft. Rick Ross) & Omerta




(*I do not own any of these songs, or the rights to them*)
    
The Toronto Raptors, for the first time in the franchise's short 24 year history, have beaten the Golden State Warriors to become NBA Champions, and as a somewhat, kinda/sorta Cavs fan (I live in Ohio), I could not be more excited to see the "dynasty" fall another year short. Here's to hoping it lasts, KD leaves for Washington, and Klay realizes his worth and goes somewhere else (I can dream). But the most noteworthy detail (hip hop wise) of the Raptors newfound championship glory is the fact that Drake celebrated the title win by releasing 2 new songs!  And I could not be more.... ehh. Don't get me wrong, the songs themselves are decent, I think I like "Omerta" more than "Money In The Grave" (probably because it doesn't attempt to sounding like everything else out), but both songs do not really honestly sound authentic Drake to me, in my humble opinion. And I know I'm just some blogger/writer who types his opinions out on the computer, but that's my 2 cents on the matter. Drake still continues to succeed, and he will as long as he keeps putting some kind/shape/form of music out every year, but me personally, as someone who finds the most enjoyment in hip hop strategy/planning/ consistency in themes; I would like to see Drake put out something that has a bit more bite under it. These 2 songs feel... well, maybe "lifeless" isn't the term, but they don't have that proper Drake edge to them that you would hope for, and all is fun for releasing songs in celebration of your favorite team, but I will say that Drake releases used to feel a lot more... special. Now? Not quite so much. All in all, Drake put out 2 more songs that people will jam to and enjoy, and I can't say that I wouldn't enjoy hearing the songs the next time I attend a party. But will I play them much on my own?  Probably not. In terms of quality, pretty good. But in terms of Drake quality?  Not as good as hoped. End bitter hip hop/Drake blogger rant.        








  

Drake Surprises Grammy's, Get's Mic Cut Off For Speaking The Truth

In case you missed it, the BIGGEST night in music was last night (2/10), and boy was everyone excited to attend and talk bout it! If I could put an ironic sarcastic face emoji in an article, best believe that I would have inserted it at the end of that last sentence. Hip hop has displayed an aversion of the Grammy's since 1989, and with this year being 30 years since that famous photo with Will Smith, Flavor Flav, Salt N Pepa and crew, it seems unfortunate, yet more imminent than ever that the Grammy's will never accept hip hop for what it is, and Drake seemed to have refreshed that feeling with his speech last night.

While it should be noted that some stars like Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar and Drake himself actually turned down performance opportunities at the Grammy's this year, there were even some pop stars that had no desire in simply attending the ceremony (Ariana Grande). The awards saw a bevy of new winners, some deserved and others not so much deserved, Cardi B took home the award for "Best Rap Album" with Invasion Of Privacy, while Childish Gambino took home 3 of the other rap categories' awards ("Song Of The Year", "Record Of The Year", and "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" with "This Is America"), but the highlight of the night came later. During a rare and unexpected appearance, Drake stopped by the ceremony unannounced last night to accept his award for "Best Rap Song", the first time Drake had been seen at the Grammy's in years, if at all.

During this quick stop, Drake accepted his award personally and gave a speech that The Grammy Committee didn't seem to appreciate too much.


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

Oh, oh are you finished?  I guess they decided for you anyways Drake, sorry buddy!  It's difficult to tell if Drake was actually cut off because of the words in his speech or if the Committee actually thought he was finished, but it doesn't take a Grammy Committee member to see that Drake's words weren't exactly flattering towards The Grammy's and the awards show as a whole. So my question to you is... should we care?

Hip hop as a whole has been built around the idea of free speech, being able to say what we want, when we want, unapologetically, with no remorse or "yes man" mentality, so it's expected to piss some people off, especially higher ups, committeemen, and endorsements who don't take too kindly to "the bag" being screwed up. Was that a cool way to say that?  Probably not... anyways, as "not hip hop" as Drake seemingly is to the core hip hop community nowadays, it would be pretty tough to admit that this speech was not a hip hop move. A lack of Grammy's doesn't mean that you don't make a difference, an award doesn't mean that you're a voice for the people, and even as much closer and closer and closer as it seems we're getting... real hip hop will never win a Grammy.      






      

J. Cole Drops New Song "Middle Child", Threatens Pusha T?

In case you missed it, J. Cole returned to Twitter to make waves with the release of a new song that is perking up a lot of conspiracy theorist's ears; and for good reason.

In the new song, titled "Middle Child" which is also produced by T-Minus, it's a little murky to decide exactly who Cole is aiming at, but the following lines lead you to believe that Cole is aiming for a certain somebody who was going for Drake's head last year; Pusha T. Hear the following lines, and you might understand why; "This watch came from Drizzy, he gave me a gift, back when the rap game was praying I'd diss, they act like two legends cannot coexist, but I'd never beef with a n***a for nothin, if I smoke a rapper it's gone be legit, It won't be for clout, it won't be for fame, it won't be cuz my shit ain't sellin the same, it won't be to sell my latest lil' sneakers, it won't be cuz some n***a slid in my lane", etc.

Now some lines in the song lead many to believe that Cole is threatening Pusha based off of those lines; most likely because after Pusha T and Drake's beef, (which resulted in 2 disses from each of the respective rappers) Pusha T went on a press run to promote his highly praised album released in May, Daytona, doing multiple interviews and podcasts after the fact discussing Drake and Kanye West, as well as the album, which included an appearance on The Joe Budden Podcast.

Cole's song also comes in weird timing, a mere day after Pusha T tweeted "You tried, you failed... I'm hearing you wanna try again, this time I'm not gonna play with you. Any of you." That tweet can be found here.

What do you guys think?  Is Cole taking Drake's side in a battle against Pusha T and the "losing his mind a little harder every day" Kanye West?  Cole has been known to take what were perceived as shots at Kanye before, the last time being on his 2016 song "False Prophets". If this rumor is true, it would be a huge move for Cole to take Drake's side in a battle that left a lot of feelings hurt, and a lot of people feeling betrayed last year. As Cole said in his newest song, "if I smoke a rapper it's gone be legit", and it's pretty hard not to believe him considering his past fearlessness of going at top tier rappers' heads. Stay tuned for more Cole & Drake vs. Pusha & Kanye beef, and check out the link below to hear Cole's new song, which is rumored to be the first offering off of Cole's highly anticipated 3rd Dreamville collaboration album, Revenge Of The Dreamers 3.


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








       

Pusha T Responds To Drake With Scathing New Diss Track, "The Story Of Adidon"

Only a few hours ago (around 9 P.M. EST), Pusha T took to Twitter to release his newest Drake diss track, "The Story Of Adidon", and... Drake better be coming with the heat after this one.

One line in the song Pusha claims "if we all go to hell it'll be worth it", and with the information he drops in this new record, that just may very well be the case. Push brings what seems like EVERYTHING to light about Drake, including a LONG LOST CHILD that Drake supposedly had with former porn star Sophie Brussaux, Drake's mother, Drake's producer's (Noah "40" Shebib) battle with Multiple Sclerosis (and here's the kicker... tomorrow, 5/30 is MS DAY!!!!), and the cherry on top; you see that artwork above?  Oh yes... that's Drake in blackface... according to Pusha, the photo is from an unreleased photoshoot Drake did with photographer David Leyes for an old clothing brand; if there's anything that will turn the people on ANYONE, and for good reason; it's someone painted in black face.  Hey Drake, you got some splainin' to do.

How Drake counters a blow like this, I do not know. But I will keep you posted on how it plays out. Listen to Pusha's new diss record below, and check out Vulture's breakdown of the track and the disses included in that link.


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
















         

Pusha T Disses Drake On New Album Daytona, Drake Immediately Responds (Song & Instagram Post)

Pusha T has caused quite a stir in the last 24 hours with his latest album release Daytona, which released last night at midnight (technically, May 25th). The new 7 song album from Push is entirely produced by Kanye West (who we won't get into with his ridiculous comments as of the last few months, hip hop has disowned you Kanye), and features a slew of classic coke-rhymes, but the most noticeable lines from the album are what people are speculating to be Drake diss lines.

In the final song of the album "Infrared", Push essentially dedicates an entire song to Drake, targeting things such as his label boss's issues with his own label ("oh now it's okay to kill Baby, niggas looked at me crazy like I really killed a baby, salute Ross 'cause the message was pure, he see what I see when you see Wayne on tour, flash without the fire, another multi-platinum rapper trapped and can't retire, niggas get exposed, I see the cracks and I'm the liar?, shit I been exposed I took the crack and built the wire, now who do you admire?" etc.) what Push refers to as "inflated rap sales" ("your rap songs is all trying my patience, them prices ain't real without inflation") and past ghostwriting rumors ("how could you ever write these wrongs, when you don't even write your songs").

Drake then responded a mere hours later with an Instagram post, appearing to be a invoice directed at Pusha, titled "For Professional Services Rendered, for Promotional assistance and career reviving."
Which, makes sense if you listen to the track Drake's OVO Sound Twitter account posted at around 6 PM tonight (May 25th), titled "Duppy Freestyle", which is an immediate response to Pusha, and where in the finals lines of the song Drake raps "tell 'Ye we got an invoice coming to you, considering we just sold another 20 for you." You can call Drake anything you want, but dammit is the man prepared for battle when it comes back around to him.

So what do you guys think?  The hip hop world has seemed to speculate some Pusha-Drake beef for quite some time, considering many believed Drake to fire shots at Pusha on his loosie track released pre-More Life, "Two Birds One Stone".  Drake seemed a little TOO prepared for the smoke Pusha had coming for him, responding less than 24 hours later on Instagram, AND in audio form in the new song, "Duppy Freestyle" (which by the way, what the actual FUCK does that mean?).  Does Push go back at Drake?  Does Drake respond back after Push comes with more smoke?  Keep your eyes glued to social media over the next few days and we'll probably all get to find out.  Drake is as calculated as anybody in rap now when it comes to diss tracks and responses (if not more calculated), but Drake is not messing with another Meek Mill in proven emcee Pusha T. We'll see what happens, as both rappers have albums to promote (with Drake's coming in June), so who knows how crazy things could get. In the mean time, check out the invoice from Drake to Pusha above, and check out Drake's response record below.


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








              

So... It's Kind Of Been A CRAZY Week In Hip Hop So Far (News, Thoughts, Speculation, And More)

In case you've some how been living under a rock for the last 3 or 4 days, this week has been absolutely crazy concerning hip hop, and some of the biggest names involved in it today. And because there is so much to tackle in so little time, I'll save y'all the introduction and get right to the good stuff. First thing's first (rest in peace Uncle Phil... just kidding, but we'll get to that guy in a sec)...

Kendrick Lamar Wins Hip Hop's First Ever Pulitzer

                             (Photo credited via The Pulitzer Prizes Twitter [@PulitzerPrizes])

Where's a Ron Burgundy meme when you need one?  Because this is kind of a big fucking deal. This last Monday (April 16th), Kendrick Lamar was announced as the first EVER hip hop act to win the acclaimed and highly coveted Pulitzer Prize Award, which if you don't know, Huffington Post describes/defines as an award "for distinguished musical composition by an American that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year."  Kendrick is recognized as the first "non-classical or jazz artist" to win the award, but lets not beat around the bush here; Kendrick is the first HIP HOP artist to win the prestigious award EVER. Period. Although some would argue that TPAB is far more deserving of the award (like me) because of it's outstanding concept as an overall body of work and the important reoccurring themes, some (like me as well) are exuberant in the fact that Kendrick Lamar is the first ever hip hop artist to win an award of such importance. When Kendrick wins, hip hop wins.

Kyle Supposedly Dropping "Debut" Album?

                         (The supposed cover for Kyle's debut album, titled Light Of Mine)

In more exciting hip hop news, goofy Ventura, California rapper Kyle announced that his debut album, Light Of Mine, will be dropping on his 25th birthday, May 18th of this year. The first two singles ('To The Moon" and "Playinwitme" featuring the wonderful Kehlani) have been pretty well received from fans so far, but knowing Kyle and his ever-changing style, the first 2 singles give no inclination or evidence as to what the album will sound like as a whole. It's too hard to tell what the album's title could mean, and based on Kyle's ability to out bar your favorite rapper on one song then sing them to sleep on the next, it's too early to tell what kind of sound we'll be receiving from him.

Drake Dropping New Album Scorpion In June

After the release of the Scary Hours EP which included the wildly successful hit "God's Plan", Drake followed it up with an even bigger smash hit anthem for the ladies, "Nice For What", which many have said is Drake's best song in years (it was me... I said it). "God's Plan" spent a staggering record 11 weeks atop Billboard's number 1 spot, but that's not even the craziest part; with the number 1 debut of 'Nice For What" on Billboard, Drake actually became the first hip hop artist in history to REPLACE HIMSELF for the number 1 spot with another song. So leads us into the anticipation for Drake's new album, which in case you missed, is called Scorpion and will be arriving in June, though no official date has been given just yet. Knowing Drake's history of pre-released songs right before albums, "God's Plan", "Diplomatic Immunity", and "Nice For What" will give us absolutely no idea of what the album will sound like as a whole, so what are your expectations for Scorpion?  Do we think Drake keeps with his R&B roots and drops more ballads for the women?  Or do we think Drake attacks again with more aggressive bars aimed at everybody who even mentions his name?  Personally, I believe a name like Scorpion doesn't exactly call for cute filtered Snap Chats and Instagram captions, and am really hoping Drake is coming for people's throats in the rapping aspect again (how amazing would it be to get another "A.M" song added to the list?)  No, scorpion's do not take Snap Chat selfies or Instagram pictures of themselves for likes... They sting. It's in their nature.

J. Cole Drops KOD Out Of Nowhere And It's The Album Old Heads Have Been Waiting For

In case you somehow missed Twitter trending topics and the Internet absolutely blowing up over the last 18 hours or so, J. Cole released his surprise album KOD at midnight last night, and boy does it not disappoint. In case you have yet to listen to it, I won't give too many details away, although I have to say that this extra voice that Cole is adding certainly makes for an interesting concept, and almost makes for "hip hop parody" if you will (no Weird Al, not THAT kind of parody). Be sure to check that out if you haven't already, it's very good, but you guys already know I don't need to vouch for Cole. Also, regular viewers, expect an "Observations" review article coming from me with a week or so!

Kanye Tweets/Album Rumors?

Kanye has also been going H.A.M. on Twitter as of late. Over the last week or so, Kanye has been tweeting inspirational messages to his followers, but the inspirational messages are not what people are choosing to direct their attention at (though the tweets have hundreds of thousands of retweets and likes). The most noticeable tweets are the ones above; not only did Kanye announce that his album would be coming on June 1st, he also announced that a mere week later (June 8th) he would be dropping a collaborative project with Kid Cudi, titled after him and Cudi's supposed collaborative group name, Kids See Ghosts (everybody just STAY CALM!). But that's not even the last of it; Kanye also went on to tweet release dates for G.O.O.D. Music label mates Pusha T and Teyana Taylor's albums!  Now it's too early to tell if Kanye is for real or if he's just blowing smoke, so until anything comes out, I wouldn't get your hopes up, 'Ye fans, although the tweeting is a start. If it continues, maybe it starts a huge promo run for G.O.O.D Music?


I shouldn't say that's ALL for this week (because holy overwhelming that's a lot to take in), but it's almost safe to say that this week in hip hop can't get much bigger... knock on wood.     








    



















        

Observations From Drake's "More Life"

 

I guess everybody just needs a little More Life in their lives. And it's probably safe to say that Drake knew that. With all of the talks of Drake's newly dropped "playlist", the wonder on social media (mine included) was; why the fuck are you calling it a playlist?  It's all new music, none of it has been previously released, and I'm sure some Drake stans would be writing OVO some angry letters had that been the case, but it was not. Chasing a vibe seemed to be the case, which Drake, as we know, is the king of. Regardless of the transparency of the project, there's still a lot of observations to be made about More Life, and while you should know this is NOT A REVIEW, I do have a couple of points of my own to make about the project. Check them out below.

Drake & Kanye's collaboration "Glow" is probably the best song on the project

https://play.spotify.com/track/28irpKCCK9nn9DZSik2zEx

Due to all of the bullshit that streaming services still cause, I could only put a Spotify link for the song. Anyways, Drake and Kanye truly "Glow" on their collaboration off of More Life. Kanye sounds like classic, pre-insanity, pre-Kardashian, pre-Steve Jobs-genius-level-wannabe Kanye, and he sounds like he's in the moment of the music more than thinking about how he needs to innovate. The wavy production is on point, and with Drake & 'Ye going back and forth with verses and their signature brands of singing over it, "Glow" almost sounds like it could have been recorded in So Far Gone era Drake and 808s & Heartbreaks era Kanye. Now all we need is a proper collaborative title for these 2; So Far Gone Into Heartbreak?  So Far Gone In The 808s?  Eh, we'll think of something.

Drake is still brooding over J-Lo and he really actually sampled her on "Teenage Forever"

https://play.spotify.com/track/6n3HGiq4v35D6eFOSwqYuo

This is actually a pretty decent song considering the circumstances in which it was recorded (supposedly). Drake is clearly singing about his short-lived romance with J-Lo, and although it sounds like he is somewhat hurt over it's end (or he's not hurt at all and he wants to troll people), it's almost hilarious to see him get involved with another A-list celeb and see some drama over it. Even if I'm being callous, this song is another example of why Drake's honesty and ability to put his life into music has fascinated me, but more importantly, kept him on top of the game for years now.

Every song with a feature sounds like the featured artist's song

https://play.spotify.com/track/0xl1w2q4VLojeXp4JfazPL

This is another thing that has bothered me to no end over the last couple of Drake projects; when there's a vibe to be chased, Drake is Usain Bolt. His quest to stay on top looks more like panic and less like genuine craft and ability to mold his signature sound. Don't get me wrong, every project has their highpoints (on More Life they seem to be "Glow", "4422", "Can't Have Everything", and "Do Not Disturb"), but every project also seems to have that song or songs that sound like they should live on the featured artist's project; Young Thug steals Drake's glory on "Sacrifices", and "Ice Melts" practically sounds like it could have been a leftover of Jeffery. U.K. grime rapper Giggs also steals the spotlight briefly on two More Life records ("KMT" and "No Long Talk"). Is Drake trying to pull the Dr. Dre move and use his platform to bring up other artists, or is he using it to expand his brand and fan base?  No matter what the reasoning may be, Drake is certainly reaping the benefits.

Altogether, More Life is a solid addition to Drake's discography and holds a bit of replay value. While the project could be classified as predominantly dancehall and contemporary hit radio music, Drake doesn't stray away from his signature brand of reminiscing and hindsight story telling rapping (though rarely at this point) while giving the world the business over the "right" beat. There's no type of "9 A.M. In Dallas", "5 A.M. In Toronto", or hungry rapping that we normally like to see from Drake, but there are moments on the album where he reestablishes his sound. This critique is me looking for the best in an overall solid, yet underwhelming album, yes, but just because our expectations aren't met, doesn't mean that the album isn't good and doesn't hold value in other markets, or situations. More Life seems more of an attempt at Drake living and trying to give you "more" of his "life", then giving the people more life themselves. Also, is it too late to ask what the hell is up with this ridiculous amount of slang that nobody has heard of before?  Or is everybody just riding the wave and pretending like Drake has been doing this?  Just sitting back and accepting it seems much easier than trying to understand, and I think More Life, though not completely, is a representation of that statement. Now go and "Madiba Raddim" yourselves, and try not to get too "Blem."                    
   

















          

Drake's Views Are Changing

  (*No, I did not make this amazing cover, and I wish I could shout out the artist*)                                

I'm going to be completely and utterly 100% honest, lately (always) I haven't been feeling like anyone understands my views on hip hop. Not too many people go THIS in depth with hip hop, or anything having to do with it. Not many people can do what I do, not many people even want to do what I do, but I do it because at the end of the day, there are unanswered questions that need to be asked (plus I fuckin love what I do, so why else would I do it?).  I digress; Views is clearly taking over anything and everything hip hop, the culture is in a threshold of it's throat by this kid turned man from Toronto, because no matter how much you call him soft, no matter how many memes are made of him to look ridiculous, at the end of the day, people STOP EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING to see the newest thing Drake has put out. That's just the fact of the matter. If you grew up in the blogging internet hip hop era (and even if you didn't, which is a point that will be made later), you understand the magnitude of Drake's career; what it has been, what it is, and what it will be. (*Note, I have not listened to Views minus the Future assisted "Grammy", so my opinions are solely expressed given the current state of Drake's career and based off of what people are saying about Views)

If you tune in to Joe Budden's I'll Name This Podcast Later podcast series and you've listened to the latest episode, then you'll understand the points I'm about to make. Joe and I share a lot of the same views on hip hop; while we aren't as tight as you'd believe (he rarely answers my tweets), I've always respected the real and the "that's my opinion and if you don't like it then fuck off" attitude that Joe gives, because who would have ever guessed that pushing the agenda would be so frowned upon nowadays?  Let's throw it back to 2009, because hindsight is a beautiful thing.



And with that, here comes Drake; the freshest thing to hit (and the biggest thing to hit the web possibly ever, a point could be made that the "blogging hip hop era" was started with Drake, and look what it's turned into now, with artists starting their careers off of this method) since Will Smith. Drake's level of shwag (I'm still on a mission to kill "swag", since people like conforming so much) was unprecedented. At this point in time, we had seen nobody in hip hop like Drake; he was a new kind of cool, a voice in hip hop that made everything he said sound like the new "wave", he was like that really cool guy in high school that everybody liked and everybody wanted to be like. Drake had such an influence on this generation of teens and high school kids that if he said he threw Subway sandwiches at homeless people for fun and called it "Subway-ing" in one of his songs, then you'd have seen a spike in Subway's sales right around the time this song had dropped (probably that same day, knowing this generation).

Joe Budden in his latest podcast, episode 64 of his I'll Name This Podcast Later series; "Drake, Cole, Kendrick... those 3 move the needle. Those 3 transcend music. Those are 3 people that my grandparents, my parents, and my child would ask me about. That's a unique set."

Look at the change in what matters now. What matters in hip hop is not where it was 10 years ago when 50 Cent was moving records with G-Unit and Eminem along his side, though they all did their own thing. That era has ended. Like most good things, it had to come to an end sometime. But this ending spelled a new beginning for hip hop and the newer, (hopefully) "hungry" artists wanting to eat. It's 2016 and Drake has still remained relevant to hip hop, which is amazing considering his career, dating all the way back to 2009 when Drake dropped his now classic (debatable to those who look at what it did, but not debatable to many others) So Far Gone mix tape back in 2009. To many, this shows his work ethic and his drive to be the best, and there should be a major asterisk when looking at the details of this era (aptly named the "microwave era") based on how fast things are born and how much faster they die out.



The memes have become a part of Drake's career, it's sad to think that when people look back at what an illustrious career Drake has had, that they're also going to be thinking about the ruthless memes that have been made about Drake and how much of a running joke he has become, although he has now become part of the joke and running with it only shows his maturity... for the most part. After projects like If You're Reading This, It's Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive dropped, it seemed like part of Drake had been lost. The bad came with the good, (which it always does), but the bad seemed to have shifted Drake's focus dramatically. There's probably only so many times you can get on the internet and see someone you don't even know posting and laughing at a meme that jokes about how soft you supposedly are, which turns you into this heartless, seemingly emotionless robot that is so stoic that it makes you feel like you wouldn't even cry if your mother died (which is... yeah, still pretty bad. Have you ever heard the saying, "I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all"?).


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

You're probably waiting for a point to what I'm saying, and if you're still reading, then it's not too late. I'm proud of you for sticking with it so far. The attitude has changed in hip hop. What has made it so great up to now is that there were always artists that pushed the agenda. While there were artists that were amazing at what they did well, there were always the artists that pushed the agenda to make hip hop competitive, and force the other artists to make a calculated move as to what they would do next. When you think of hip hops leaders, right now, everyone pales in comparison to what Drake does. Every move he makes is put under a microscope, and every album and song he does is studied by fans who believe that they work for NASA and that they can use these "skills" to diagnose Drake's newest record, and determine whether or not he has a classic album (based on Twitter's reactions of Views, he still doesn't). I'm going to be a hypocrite here because I have to make a judgment call on my "Views" of Drake; I believe that Drake has lost himself.  Drake is too easily distracted by the wave of what everyone else is doing (and ultimately let people get to him with their judgments), and has forgotten about his status in hip hop and where he stands. Drake has stayed true to himself through all of the bullshit, all of the waves, and all of the memes, and the craziest part of it all; he used to be relatable. Drake is a giant, and as a giant, you're supposed to set the precedent for what hip hop should sound like, and though Drake did this early on in his career, it seems he's too far gone to be able to recognize what he's doing. So if I'm making this an open letter to Drake, not just as a hip hop writer, but as a fan who cares about his direction, and his place in this game we call hip hop, then I'll say this; Drake, we miss the old you. I hope we tempt you.

Check out the podcast that sent me off into this thought piece spiral below, Joe Budden's I'll Name This Podcast Later, episode 64.

https://soundcloud.com/joebuddenpodcast/ill-name-this-podcast-later-episode-64          

           


           







              

Wave Chapelle's "W" Gives Summer Vibes, Doesn't Have A Song Worth Skipping

At first I was offended. This man "Wave Chapelle" is just going to act like it's cool to make a play on words (names) with the name of the greatest comedian (and one of the greatest people) of all time?! Blasphemous!  And what's the deal with the whole "waves" trend ("wave") anyway?  First it was Kanye's indecisive ass, and now this guy Wave Chapelle wants to be known as a "wave"?  When I think of a wave the first thing I'm going to think of is a "trend", and while there are 2 different ways to identify someone who makes "wavy" music (at least in my head), Wave Chapelle is definitely the latter. The Milwaukee emcee's latest mix tape W is cool, smooth, and indeed the waviest thing you'll hear all week.

Drake vibes are present throughout the entire project, which, given the past uhm... 10 YEARS of total domination that Drake has done, clearly the people will love this. Chapelle's singing voice is made evident on multiple tracks on the project, most significantly the "On The Road Interlude" where you can hear Wave talking about his responsibilities, his refusal to sell his soul, and the idea that hard work does pay off. Wave also hits us with a nice singing sound (although pretty noticeably auto-tuned) on "Time", which includes some speaker shattering drums that you'd likely hear on a Drake track.



To sum it up, Wave has anything and everything you need to turn up on a night out on the town with the "Home Team", and the track by the same name is the most hypnotizing of all of the tracks on the tape. The beat gives vibes of an echoing ghost ritual, but obviously this ghost knows how to party!  Wave can get deep and introspective as well, and he shows it on tracks like "Page Three", and he can even make songs for you to hang out and vibe to with your significant other ("OMW"). Wave has the sound of the summer of with W, and though I'm still kind of offended by his name, he's certainly not a biter, because he's doing his own things, and he's working for his own "W's" along the way.


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


   














     

Best Tracks Of April (So Far)

It's been quite a week for hip hop (in which it usually is, but there's so much to hear that I normally don't catch every hot release), and I've caught a decent amount of new tracks from artists I don't even really pay attention to (whether it be based on a feature from someone I like or not, that's not the point). In this post, I'd like to highlight the hottest tracks that have been released in April so far!

Babeo Baggins ft. Drake - Things I Forgot To Do
https://soundcloud.com/ovo-sound-radio-858382383/babeo-baggins-things-i-forgot-to-do-feat-drake-new-song

Drake has been putting out track after track to roll out the release of his highly anticipated upcoming 4th studio album Views From The 6, and this Babeo Baggins feature has a nice feel to it. It's more on the lighter love song side which is right up Drake's alley, and the song is actually a cover of Nico's 1967 song "These Days" (which I mentioned in the last Drake article, which you can find here). Something about that fluttery (guitar?  I think it's a guitar, who knows) instrument in the background hits you right in the feels with it's instruments alone, not to mention Babeo's beautiful voice.

Phife Dawg - Nutshell


Phife Dawg's unfortunate passing is nothing less than an absolute tragedy for the hip hop world, but the silver lining is that we might not be hearing the last of him. News broke shortly after Phife's passing that we would be getting a posthumous album from the 5-foot assassin. The album is supposedly named Give Thanks, and Phife had been working on it for some time before his passing, though there is no set release date for the album. This new Phife release certainly has it's fair share of bounce (and you knew it would, being produced by J. Dilla)!

Black Thought ft. Styles P - Making Of A Murderer


If you ever wondered what microphone murder actually sounded like... then who better to show you than Black Thought?!  But seriously... Black Thought and Styles P were PISSED writing these verses... they had to be. Why else would they slay this beat and everyfuckingbody else who raps for 4 and a half straight minutes?  Not to mention that beat... 9th Wonder did it again. This song is a 5/5 in terms of true HIP HOP. Yeah, the real heads got a treat with this one.

Blu, MED & eLZhi - Caddy Music


On the same day hip hop heads got Black Thought and Styles P lyrically beating a track to death, they also got a smoothly sampled, Bombay-produced cut featuring MED and eLZhi, "Caddy Music". This one features all 3 going ham on the track as you'd expect, with a couple of beat switch ups along the way to keep you on your toes. Yes, this track certainly flew under the radar.

And these are just a few of the crazy new tracks that have hit the web as of April, and we're only 10 days in!  You know I'll keep you posted if anything else crazy comes out (even though now everybody is probably focused on Drake's Views release at the end of the month on the 29th, I'm sure he'll be putting out another crazy track or 2 leading up to the album). Be sure to follow my Google+ account if you have one, seeing as that's the place where I post the most direct links to tracks.    



  

  








    

#TB: Did Drake Know LeBron Was Coming To Miami In 2009-2010?

Now it's been known that Drake and LeBron have been friends for quite some time, we've seen pictures of the 2 in the studio, and even partying after one of LeBron's championships in Miami (although there is a hilarious video of Drake being shut down by security and being told he can't go celebrate with the team, you can see that here). But listening to an old Drake loose track titled "You Know You Know" almost insinuates that Drake knew that LeBron was going to leave Cleveland to go and play with the Miami Heat.

Now I always mix the years up, but supposedly back in the 09-10 NBA playoffs when LeBron was struggling to lead a one dimensional Cavaliers team to the finals, LeBron and his team had been eliminated in the 2nd round by the Boston Celtics (who would eventually go on to play in the Finals ad lose to the Los Angeles Lakers). During this series, however, (supposedly) Drake had released that infamous song "You Know You Know" (which was supposedly a loose track leading up to the release of Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later).


(*Pretty sure this is the official audio, but pay attention to lines at 1:00-1:05 and 2:11-2:16. Also, I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)

Did you hear that?  Did you hear what that man Young Sweet Jones said?  And this supposedly dates back to that fateful playoff series where LeBron and his Cavs had an early playoff exit (again), wouldn't it only make sense that LeBron had been friends with Dwayne Wade for awhile, and had maybe partied with Wade and Drake before and had these discussions of forming this super team?  Forget Wade, but how good of friends could Drake and LeBron had been before his taking his talents to South Beach?  How would Drake have known? Oh you know, you know.

 
The above picture is Genius' annotation of Drake's famed lyrics. So did Drake know that LeBron was going to Miami?  He had to of. I mean it's all been practically laid out right in front of your eyes to see!  The funny thing abut this song is that I was going through some old tracks in my own music library and completely forgot about these references. This track just goes to show you Drake's influence, I mean he was practically being a recruiter for the Heat in the summer of 2010 if you really think about it. And the "tell your girl I can pull some budget strings, so we're courtside when LeBron get a fuckin' ring" line only rings true to this day because guess where Drake was?  Courtside, when LeBron got his fuckin' ring. You have to respect that type of "watch me do it" attitude, since, well,  Drake can do it all, right?            
  

What Drake's Views From The 6 Will Determine

(This billboard certainly interests me, almost insinuating that Views From The 6 could be dropping today, 4/2)

What's there to say about Drake that hasn't already been said?  He sings too much, he doesn't write his own rhymes, he's too sensitive, blah blah blah. When it comes down to it, the man puts out some of the best music in hip hop, and some of the most vibe worthy and widely listened to in all of music. Women love him, the gangsters love him, teenagers love him, even middle aged men and women love him, Drake makes music for ALL people. He's been a staple in hip hop for over 7 years (give or take), and he's not even making hip hop music all of the time. But Drizzy's latest leaks haven't been sitting well with the people. Now most of the time this means nothing, the Drake formula has always been to drop a questionable track that people will have to get used to, then drop something that everybody is going to love immediately, but this time seems a bit different. Is Drake getting bored?  I'm here to find out.

Drake - Faithful (ft. Pimp C)

The above song is Drake's latest leak (came out today) featuring a Pimp C verse that was also featured on Jay Z's "Tom Ford" remix. Drake's other recent leaks include "Controlla" featuring Popcaan (which you can listen to here) and "These Days" featuring Barf Troop's Babeo Baggins, a cover of singer Nico's 1967 song, written by Jackson Browne, which Drake and Babeo (quite a name) renamed to "Things I Forgot To Do" (you can listen to that here).

So I don't know if it's just me, but to me these newest Drake leaks seem very... un-Drake-ish. On "Controlla", Drizzy seems to be taking the experimental Snoop Lion route, (it's like the next thing you know we'll be seeing him rocking some kick ass Rasta dreads) on the "These Days" cover Drake seems to be getting suicidal about past loves (which is very Drake-ish, but even "suicidal" seems a bit too far for Drake). The only leak that seems up to Drake's typical speed is the Pimp C feature "Faithful". It features all the wavy sounds and recorded-conversations-that-will-get-your-girl-mad later type of vibes that Drake is so well known for. The real question here seems to be; is Drake really getting bored?

The only assumption that could be made is that Drake is in fact getting bored, I mean you can only emotionlessly shout "JUMP MAN" so many times before you go completely numb (What A Time To Be Alive it is, indeed). Drake has mastered the pop #1 smash hit with "Hotline Bling", He's mastered the #1 album and going platinum (all 3 of his solo efforts have done so), and he's practically mastered being able to sing a hook for your girl on one track, while being able to body your favorite rapper's career on the next track (obviously a stretch, but you've seen, or better HEARD what the guy can do on his "am" tracks). So what is left for Drake to do but walk away in the sun set while we retire his #6 jersey in the rafters like Jordan?  (Or I suppose that's a statement better reserved for Jay-Z; "when I come back like Jordan"... never mind.)

No, Drake certainly doesn't want to walk away from it all yet (or so we hope). But the only place to go from up on top of everything... is down!  Is Drake on his way out?  I think it's a bit far fetched to say that, although I do think it's safe to say that Views From The 6 could have a much bigger impact on Drake's career than any of us are able to tell right now. Views From The 6 can once and for all prove whether or not Drake is actually as much of a "wave rider" as fans and critics think. Based on the turn of events in Drake's career (including WATTBA, "Hotline Bling", etc.), Drake has to prove that he can still make great music. Obviously he can still make music, he can make music that people absolutely enjoy, and music that people can jam to for years to come, but the real question is; does Drake still own his own lane?  I'll cap this off with one of my favorite Drake tracks ever below, you could almost think of it as a simulation of what I'd hope that Views From The 6 brings.


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


                            

Hip Hop Year In Review 2015

There is a give and take in any good relationship; relationship meaning a status you hold with someone (or in this case, someTHING) in your life. There's always going to be someone or something that gives you a different perspective on life (or anything, for that matter). Variety in life means choices, such as different types of hobbies, or different kinds of people you associate yourself with, for example; there's the guy that has to make everything a competition, that guy who you could call your brother and open up to about anything, then there's those partiers that are just too fun not to hang out with, and maybe every now and then you'll encounter that person that just makes you feel cooler than the rest of the block. Such is hip hop; introducing the year of variety.

Drake owned 2015. In fact, if we name this year like people do the Chinese new year, then 2015 was the year of the owl. Despite the (not what anyone would call setbacks at all because, domination) setbacks that Drake encountered (Meek Mill beef, ghostwriting accusations, the "contract" struggle on Cash Money, and being in the middle of the battle of Lil Wayne vs. Birdman), Drake still managed to have the biggest year in hip hop (again). If You're Reading This It's Too Late was Grammy nominated, his collaborative album with Future What A Time To Be Alive was at one point the biggest album in the world, and his annoyingly catchy "Hotline Bling" became #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 list. Oh, and ever hear of a diss track becoming Grammy nominated?  Also this year, Drake's Meek Mill diss "Back To Back" was Grammy nominated for "Best Rap Performance". October's Very Own did it again; the year of the owl.


(Because I didn't want to share a Drake and Future song. Also, this song represents what 2016 could bring. For those looking for change.)

Although the Grammy's are yet to happen (not until 2/15), hip hop heads can rejoice at the notion that this year's "Best Rap Album" nominees are (arguably, not really though) some of the most deserved. To say J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive has gotten all the attention it has deserved would be criminal, and the same goes for Kendrick's To Pimp A Butterfly and Dr. Dre's Compton; The Soundtrack (Dre could probably do without winning considering the movie's success as well) . Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo & Youth might be the most slept on album of the year, while fans might also be angry that Mac Miller (GO:OD AM), Earl Sweatshirt (I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside), Big Sean (Dark Sky Paradise), The Game (The Documentary 2), A$AP Rocky (At. Long. Last. A$AP), and Future (DS2, 56 Nights, Beast Mode) didn't get the nods they thought they deserved. Also, Travis Scott, Rich Homie Quan, and Rae Sremmurd (as much as I hate to admit) all had huge years.


(Kendrick was one of the biggest contributors to bringing back the "music video with a concept")

What else did I miss that's worth talking about?  Marvel did an incredibly dope thing called "Marvel Hip Hop Variants" with their very own super heroes remaking classic album covers (you can see a gigantic list of those covers here http://hiphopgoldenage.com/list/35-marvels-hip-hop-variants/), and Stretch & Bobbito finally got their just due with Radio That Changed Lives!  If there is one piece on hip hop that needs to be seen from this year, the Stretch and Bobbito documentary is that piece. Old unreleased freestyles and interviews from the likes of legends such as Eminem, Jay Z, Nas, Fat Joe, and more surface in their documentary, and if you're one that likes "diggin' through the crates" as the old heads say, then this is your thing.



In terms of coming up, a lot of names could be put on this list. Michael Christmas, Boogie, and Mick Jenkins immediately come to mind, but it'd be wrong to say that there aren't several more artists that could blow up in 2016. Rap took a turn for hilarious, ridiculous fun when Run The Jewels put out their mega-cat-remix album Meow The Jewels made up of 90% cat sounds. The Game got into more beef and legal problems (surprise), and Grantland staff writer Shea Serrano also released his very successful book "The Rap Yearbook", which chronicled the biggest rap song of every year from 1979 to 2014, and also illustrates how hip hop is the product of multiple musical genres mixed with the poetic word expressing the oppression that blacks have faced throughout U.S. history.


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

Was 2015 the year of the wave riders (which Drake and Future so often got accused of being, although I can't say I disagree)?  It could be argued that this is the case, certainly. But I think 2015 turned out to be much more than that. Not just because there were too many dope projects that dropped and made us all jig in our own way, but because you created a sort of relationship with every rapper you heard this year. Some rappers pushed you to do big things because of their competitiveness and work ethic (Eminem, just because he works on his craft, Kevin Gates because he doesn't get tired), some rappers opened themselves up to the world and were accepted (Kendrick), some rappers made you want to party until the world ends (Future, Rich Homie Quan, Rae Sremmurd, etc.), and some rappers just made you feel like you were fresher than the rest of the block (Fabolous). The year of variety happened so fast because people were looking for the next thing instead of enjoying what they already had (which makes an argument for 2015 being "the year of the wave rider"), but here's to hoping 2016 stops that trend. A flood of music forces the listener to move onto the next thing faster than the brain can process, so why would artists want to ruin the impact of the music that they just put out?  Anyways, here's to an incredibly bumpy, roller coaster year for hip hop and hoping for a more consistent one, yet just as entertaining.              

                



 









          

Who Should Win The Best Rap Album Grammy? (Why This Year Is Different + An In Depth Look At Each Nominee)

This has to be the most excited I have EVER been for the Grammys. Every year some bullshit rapper is nominated (and more often than not, wins) simply because they have the most exposure, they're played on the radio most, or because the "academy" feels they are fit enough to win. Just because you totally care about my opinion (actually because I felt like doing it, not necessarily the former), below I'll list each of the nominees (besides Nicki Minaj, because admittedly I haven't listened to her album, and just... no) and a case for why they have a chance to win, or not.

2014 Forest Hills Drive


Alright so if you keep in contact with me on Google+, you probably know I preach how great 2014 Forest Hills Drive is almost on the daily. But in all seriousness, FHD is Cole's best work to date. FHD really does have every type of song; the sincerity Cole showcases on FHD ("Intro", "Apparently", "Love Yourz") is only topped by his incredibly clever punch lines, his hunger to prove he's one of the best rappers out ("Fire Squad", "G.O.M.D"), and his one of a kind story telling ("Wet Dreamz", '03 Adolescence"). I hate to pick favorites, but if I had to choose, I believe next to Kendrick, Cole is the most deserving of this Grammy.

If You're Reading This It's Too Late


I have to admit that I didn't give If You're Reading This It's Too Late the real attention I initially should have. In my opinion, Drake's sudden release of an album with no given release date was a red flag (and later figuring out what the release date meant didn't help the case of the album). Drake's urge to be taken off of Cash Money due to Birdman vs. Lil Wayne forced Drake into a rough spot; making loads of music (including the not so great Future collaboration What A Time To Be Alive) to free up his contract under Birdman and Cash Money to become a free agent. It has even been said by Drake and others that this project is practically a mixtape; why else would Drake make the sign "How's my mixtape?" in order to get reception from fans?  While there are some good songs on IYRTITL, the entire project is one made up of merely party songs, and is in no way shape or form Drake's best project, let alone the "album" of the year.

To Pimp A Butterfly

       
Kendrick Lamar (besides J. Cole) might be the most deserving rapper that has yet to win a Grammy for best rap album. Let's forget that Kendrick crafted practically the anthem of 2015 (above), let's forget that Kendrick brought the jazz influence back to hip hop (George Clinton & Ronald Isley features on the album) and practically forced the rest of hip hop to do something innovative; does the message he is trying to send not hold relevance over any time period?  Were rioters not on the streets after black men and children were being shot for unjust reasons chanting Kendrick's "Alright"?  It's clear that Kendrick really doesn't care about winning that Grammy (or he probably does and is hiding it), but for once; wouldn't it be cool to see someone win that deserves to?

Compton: The Soundtrack

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

What can be said about Compton that hasn't already been deeply investigated and already said?  In terms of effort, this is the absolute best album of the year (it is the Good Doctor, after all). Dr. Dre found the best rappers, the best singers, and the best producers to collaborate with. Dre knows how to craft the perfect song, and Compton is the perfect example of him doing so. I didn't understand how someone could blatantly call an album of all original music a soundtrack, but listening to Compton, I understand. Dr. Dre doesn't just make albums, he sucks you into the world he's trying to create and doesn't let up until his story is finished. Compton not only raised the bar for rappers and pushed them to be the best rapper they could, but for musicians and pushing them to make the best music they could make. For so long Dr. Dre has had an agenda to bring hip hop into the limelight and make it respectable among other genres of music, and with Compton, Dr. Dre pushed hip hop that much further.

At the beginning of this post when I said "this has to be the most excited I have EVER been for the Grammys", that is because no matter who wins the Grammy for Best Rap Album this year, everybody wins. Hip hop wins (and hopefully Nicki doesn't win because she's not pushing the agenda as much as the aforementioned rappers). Last year hip hop became the most streamed genre of music in the world, and just about 4 days ago it was revealed by Musixmatch that hip hop is the genre with the highest vocabulary. It's unavoidable at this point hip hop haters; we're coming for that number 1 spot. Does this mean that we need to dominate the Grammy's in order for you to realize this?  Probably not, but still, keep your eyes peeled on the MOST INFLUENTIAL musical genre, and what they'll do at this year's Grammy's. Message.                          
             





     

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!         

Rick Ross Says He's One Of The Biggest Ghostwriters In Rap

Oh the irony; Rick Ross came out in an interview with Time magazine recently and discussed his newest album Black Market (set for release on December 4th) and also said something else that definitely sparked some interest. Ross came out to say that he is "one of the biggest ghost writers in the rap game. Check out some quotes from his Time interview below.

How did your time in the headlines shape the direction of the album?

It most definitely made it a more personal record, it made it a more—I don’t want to use the word serious, but more a topic-driven record. I had a lot of time to just sit by myself, so I had a lot more things I wanted to address. That’s what I did on this LP. I spoke on different things. One of them goes by the name of “Ghostwriter.” I finally wrote a record telling the way it feels for me to be a ghostwriter, and not only a ghostwriter, but one of the biggest in the rap game. Because of my own personal success I’ve always been able to keep that in the shadows. On this record, I just felt it was so current. It was needed.

Ross then got asked about the Meek and Drake beef and what ghostwriting means in hip hop.

Ghostwriting was a big topic this year with the feud between Drake and Meek Mill. Do you think that having someone write rhymes for you is necessarily at odds with being an authentic artist?

It depends on really the point you’re looking at. If you’re a battle rapper on the block, the emcee battle challenger, not writing your rhymes could really hurt you. When you’re an artist where maybe the focus is really the talent and the different things you bring to the game, I believe it’s more understandable. Someone who may have another vision or just ideas that are priceless versus someone who’s like, “I’m basing my entire career off the words I’m finna tell you right now over this 30-second period.” I’m not speaking to anybody in particular, but let’s say for instance if you was DMX and had a ghostwriter, it’d maybe change the [perception] versus if you was will.i.am. I think that’s more about the music, the records.

I know I'm not the only one who thinks it's ironic that Ross is suddenly making a claim that he is "one of the biggest ghostwriters in rap" all of a sudden, but his claims do make the question inevitable; Does having a ghostwriter lower your value and authenticity as a rapper?  I believe it does, although Ross does have a point that there is a difference when it comes to artistry, and then as a battle rapper (where you're supposed to "earn your keep" as an emcee who writes his own rhymes).  It'll be interesting to see what Ross has to say on his "Ghost Writer" track on his upcoming album Black Market, set for release on December 4th.       

Songs That Make Me Feel: Vol. 1; Joe Budden

So I've wanted to incorporate this little mini section into the blog for awhile; Every day I'm somehow reminded of some old(er) hip hop that reminds me of an exact feeling I had at the time of it's release, whether that feeling be love, hate, depression, power, or anything and everything in between. Joe Budden (being the mood god himself) has always been highly touted as the one NOT to listen to when facing life's struggles, such as depression or a relationship (also, see Drake for "relationship issues 101"), because who knows, you could actually probably (not) risk committing suicide listening to such real and honest music.

Budden has been putting out music that tells his (often depressing) life story for his entire 13 year career, and by the looks of the tweets on his timeline, he takes pride in what he does. Who better than a player that knows his role in the game?  Budden takes you places, into almost entirely different worlds with the press of a play button, and those places can lead you to end up in many, many different other places; an ex's house, on the floor of a bathroom, in a club throwing one's on a stripper, Joe's range has truly broadened, especially over the last 5 years or so.

On "Different Love" (off of his 2014 EP Some Love Lost, prelude to his 2015 solo LP All Love Lost) Budden was at his absolute most emotional. Budden got to talking about past relationships and his seemingly usual way of sabotaging them, along with problems of family and friends. Some of the biggest stand out lines from this emotional masterpiece include the following; "So I don't ever say what I can't do, if he can be happy with life then nigga I can too, while Jose wanna die, ain't tell nobody but eyeing his eyes feel I should probably identify, I said every day he lives with pain and wanna end it, something's wired wrong in your brain you gotta mend it, had a bad break up and let it expose dude, but if she was getting you high then she would get you low too."

Powerful. Some of the most meaningful lines I've heard in rap in a minute, and Joe's cadence tells it all throughout this track, because every line is not only heard, but felt. It just goes to show that your biggest enemies couldn't make you feel anywhere near as bad as you could yourself. Joe's battle with depression has been known throughout his entire career, and has been made known mostly through his music. We actually probably have Joe's music to thank that Joe is still here with us today; if Joe didn't have his raps and music to vent through, then would he still be here?  That's some crazy food for thought for you right there. In case you haven't heard this amazing emotional journey of a song before, then you can check it out below.

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








            

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.       
    


















 

Did Drake Really Let Someone Pee On Him? (T.I. Interview on Ebro In The Morning)

Drake and Meek's beef has seemed to die down just enough to let Drake's (rumored) joint mix tape with Future actually break the internet (even though any new Drake music breaks the internet already, Future would just be icing on the cake). The feud between the 2 had died down almost enough for Meek to put out music and not have rabid die hard fans at his neck in Instagram or Twitter comment sections talking about how Drake has ended his career. The two had almost gotten to the point where they could go about their careers and not care about headlines concerning their supposed "beef"; until Ebro pushed the agenda with his recent interview on "Ebro In The Morning" with T.I.

With Ebro being the always controversial, yet somehow balanced enough to see both sides of the story type of interviewer that he is, he continued to ask Tip the question that everybody wants to know about Drake vs. Meek; did Drake really get peed on in a movie theater as Meek said in his diss track "Wanna Know"? T.I. dodges the question just as a G rightfully does when faced with a tough question (because Tip is just that cool), but is his question dodging to avoid getting involved in the beef, or is it because he doesn't want to expose Drake?  Peep the full interview below.

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