In an interview yesterday (February 28th) with Genius, Joey Bada$$ offended some more sensitive Tupac fans.
The Brooklyn rapper discussed his beliefs and influences of past political figures (mentioning names like Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes and more) and how they have influenced his music, but the quote that is pushing headlines everywhere is what he said about Tupac near the last half of the video; "Like, I already know I'm a better rapper than Tupac. That's just facts. One on one battle, I'll flame Pac." And here's my beliefs (brace yourselves, Pac fans); Joey's absolutely right.
In pure rapping and lyrical ability, Joey Bada$$ would best Tupac. But in all of the different aspects discussed in what makes the "greatest rapper of all time", I don't even think other rappers know what it takes to hold the title anymore. Sure, there's lyrical talent and abilities, but there's also influence, there's flow, there's hit making (which doesn't qualify for pure abilities, but still), and too many more aspects to count. So yes, from a lyrical standpoint, Joey Bada$$ has Pac's number. But from an influential standpoint, Joey Bada$$ - just like pretty much every other rapper on the planet, dead or alive - has a way to go to get to Tupac's level. Check out the short interview below. No release date has been given on Joey's upcoming album, AABA, only that it will release in 2017.
(*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)
*Update*
In the 24 hours since posting, Joey has revealed the cover art, release date (set for an April 7th release), and track list for AABA, which we've learned stands for All-Amerikkkan Bad-Ass. Check out the cover art below, and check out Joey's promo video for the album here.
Yes, it's about that time for another edition of "Overlooked Audio". As you know (or may not, given the fact that I have to cover some of it), there is SOOO MUCH great hip hop out there for you to listen to, so much so that not every release gets it's proper shine or attention. But that's why you have me; the towering beacon that so surely and swiftly seeks out the best (and obviously most overlooked) rap songs that the internet has to offer, and below, I'll be listing the most overlooked songs that have released in the past 2 weeks.
Asher Roth ft. Michael Christmas & Larry June - Laundry
It's weird that Asher Roth is normally quite the hip hop hermit, because whenever he does drop something it seems to fly much further under the radar than it should have. On this Chuck Inglish-produced cut Asher Roth enlists Boston emcee Michael Christmas and Larry June to compare the freshness of ones self to, you guessed it; laundry.
Bishop Nehru - Love What You Do
If you've been paying attention to Hip Hop Unlimited for the past month or so, you would have noticed that Bishop Nehru has found his way onto my radar of up and comers that deserve your attention. His new song "Love What You Do" comes shortly after the release of his new mixtape Magic:19, which came out approximately 2 days ago, June 3rd, Hip Hop DX reports, although Bishop's SoundCloud says the tape has been out for 2 months. Either way, Bishop shows his range as a heartfelt emcee on "Love What You Do", and Magic:19 is definitely worth a listen for fans who enjoy lyricism and some banging beats.
De La Soul Ft. Snoop Dogg - Pain
In case you haven't heard, De La Soul is eyeing a comeback with their newest album and the Anonymous Nobody... set for release August 26th, and has released the first single featuring the one and only Snoop D-O-Double G! If you can't groove to this then there probably aren't many songs you can groove to; this song has "SOUL" written all over it, but not without the "De La" put in front of it.
Joey Purp - iiiDrops album
(*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)
Another hot up and comer that has caught my eye the past month or so has been Chicago emcee Joey Purp. His iiiDrops album has been in constant rotation in the past week, and his clever lyricism and in your face cadence is definitely one to catch your attention. He starts off his banging iiiDrops album with some "MORNING SEX" (above), and (in case you didn't think it got any better than morning sex) the album only gets better from there. iiiDrops boasts features from Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins and more, and will keep you banging your heads with some hip-hop-to-the-core instrumentals.
Joey Bada$$ - Devastated
Another song that's been released the past 2 weeks that I absolutely cannot stop playing is Joey Bada$$' new single, "Devastated". There's no word whether "Devastated" will live on an upcoming Joey LP or EP, though the iTunes link is given in the description under the song on YouTube. "Devastated" is great not just because it's a great song with an amazingly wavy beat, but because it's so far outside of Joey's normal lane that you can only wonder what Joey has in store for his next project with this song. Will he be straying away from the 90's nostalgic rap that he became known for? It seems like we might get to find out here in the near future.
So there's a few dope songs, and even a couple of projects that you might have overlooked in the past couple of weeks that are definitely worth a listen or two. As long as the unlimited hip hop keeps coming, I'll keep talking about it, unlimitedly!
Denzel Curry had never hit my radar screen until Imperial came out about 3 weeks ago. I had no idea what to expect from him or his latest project, because admittedly yes, Imperial was my first listen of anything from the Carol City, Florida rapper. Is Carol City heavy gang territory? Somebody can answer me this question right? Because based on this guy's music and persona, he's seemed to have lived quite a hard and strenuous lifestyle.
Now remember what I said about not doing full on album reviews anymore? This will be no different, just a few highlights of the tracks I like. Anyways, Denzel hits it off on the right track (if you will) on the opening number, "ULT", which Denzel later defines as meaning "ultimately til infinity". The wavy introduction instruments sound like something you'd only hear watching a power ranger morph, or watching the Joker become the Joker, or... you know, etc. "ULT" makes a hell of a statement as an opening track and makes you want more of what Denzel has to offer, and Denzel gives it to you.
Some tracks that Denzel takes you through on Imperial sound like some tracks that belong on a horror movie soundtrack, the perfect example of this being the signature gang banging sound on "Sick & Tired", where the hook describes the haunting realities of living in the hood and fearing for your life every day. Another one that gives this "300 hundred deep" feeling is "Narcotics", a track where Denzel tries to dispel the rumors that all blacks "serve narcotics." This track bumps and is something you could play at a party, but I'm not the biggest fan of the message, and the "all these crackers thinkin' that a nigga serve narcotics" line is not exactly something that is going to progress the thinking and ideas of the U.S., or anywhere for that matter.
Denzel definitely knows how to tell a story, which is harder to find with the bigger artists nowadays, and he gives some interesting stories in "Story: No Title", and even vents a little bit in some more genuine songs like "Pure Enough" and "This Life" (where he makes even an open book song sound like a banger). The Joey Bada$$ feature on "Zenith" is definitely a highlight of the tape, and that ear slapping snare makes for the perfect ambiance of a Joey Bada$$ verse. The hook is catchier than catching either artist on a zenith, and both rappers do their respective "things" on the track.
(*I do not own these videos, songs, or the rights to them*)
Overall, Curry's project does have some bangers and some tracks that partiers would love. The project is solid overall, but not much more than just "solid". He impressed me on a few songs lyrically, the beats were good (although not great), but I've never been the biggest fan of dudes glorifying and promoting the street and gang lifestyle. This new generation of "Chi-raq" types of dudes seem to force their hardened lifestyles onto the masses, and ultimately make it cool to be a part of these gang activities, or make gang and street lingo the thing to be a part of. I really don't like to be the old (22 year old) man preaching about how rap was, but it seems the difference between the "okay" artists and the "great" artists is that the "great" artists always give the impression that there is a way out of that lifestyle, while the "okay" artists claim that it's all they know, and don't attempt to show growth and maturity, even over time. So when it comes down to the musical aspect of things, Curry's project was absolutely rock solid, the music was good, but would I use this project as an example for artists coming up who want to be "great"? Probably not.
Did you think Joey Bada$$ and Troy Ave's beef was over? Think again.
Now in the past Joey and Troy have sent each other shots on Twitter and mentioned each other in interviews, and they even squashed the beef awhile back, but I suppose they are back at it again. Supposedly, last week Joey Bada$$ put out a track called "Ready" in which he sent a small jab at Troy Ave; "60k first week for the Badass/ 200k to this day I know you niggas mad/ With the 80/20 split my nigga do the math/ My nigga Kirk just outsold Troy Ave."
Now bar for bar I have to take Joey over Troy (I mean come on, is it close?), but what do y'all think? Do you see this turning into anything big, or interesting? Check out Troy's Joey Bada$$ diss below.
It was 10 years ago yesterday that immortal producer J. Dilla passed away, and though he's been gone for 10 years (already), his spirit and his music will undoubtedly live on forever. Dilla is certainly one of the most influential hip hop producers of all time, so great and raved about that it's almost hard to argue that he was underground anymore (considering he's been shown respect by hip hop legends, including Dr. Dre, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, and even rappers of today such as Kanye, Common, etc.). So on the anniversary of his death, we shall celebrate his life and influence on todays generation, with 4 beats of his that rappers have reused.
Wiz Khalifa - Name On A Cloud/Wussup
Dilla was the king of the vibe, and his beats always created an atmosphere which made you want to bob your head, rap your ass off, or even smoke a doobie (in the above rapper's case, the latter is probably the most believable). Wiz jumped on Dilla's "Runnin" instrumental originally used by the Pharcyde and put his own little twist on it. Knowing Wiz he wanted to create a vibe for his fans to burn one to, do you feel he did the beat justice?
Nas - The Season
It's dope as hell to hear Nas over a Dilla beat, if ANYBODY. The jazziest rapper over the jazziest beats, it only makes sense for this to have happened (we certainly need more Nas over Dilla). Nas (and known collaborator AZ) went over Dilla's "Gobstopper" instrumental and certainly did it justice with that dope Nas flow we've all grown to love, and lines like "Nas, a Dilla beat, a fly soliloquy." Two of the greatest.
Beedie The Beat Bully - Won't Do
It seems Beedie hasn't done much to make a name of himself in awhile, but back in 2011 he made some waves by going over Dilla's "Won't Do" beat. Beedie was part of a wave of rappers that were coming out of Pittsburgh in the late 2000s/early 2010s, but hasn't quite made the name that he'd like to for himself, unlike his other successful Pittsburgh alumni Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller.
Joey Bada$$ - Two Lips
(*I do not own these songs, beats, or the rights to them*)
Joey Bada$$ went over a classic Dilla instrumental, and for a good cause. The "Two Lips" instrumental was given to Joey Bada$$ by the J. Dilla Foundation to make a song over it, and sell along with some limited edition tee shirts. All proceeds went to purchasing music lessons and instruments for underprivileged kids.
Long Live JayDee, Dilla Dawg, James Yancey... long live J. Dilla!
There are many heavily slept on hip hop acts that really don't get the shine they deserve until the point and time comes around when a project drops. I'm saying this not only as an avid observer of hip-hop, but as another example of one of those sleepers (as much as I hate to admit it myself). Joey Bada$$ has been all over the internet since about 2012, and he really got big after his acclaimed mix tape 1999 dropped in June of the same year. Joey has built a following of loyal fans based on his "trapped in the 90s" style and his impressive lyrical capabilities, which is even more impressive because of his incredibly young age of 19 (that's right, born in 1995, I'm starting to wonder what I'm doing with my life). Joey's debut album B4.DA.$$ is set for release in early 2015, and I'm having good feelings about it even as new of a fan as I am, and I'm about to tell you why.
Joey Bada$$ is keeping the real hip-hop alive (this is me speaking as an old time, OG type of old man who discusses hip hop as "it was only good back in the day." I've never actually done it myself, but I'll assume it's a lot more fun to do than to listen to). His sound is unlike many other rappers that you'll hear today, and my first guess is because of his New York influence (I'd also like to go on record to say that Joey's sound reminds me so much of Nas). Now I'm not going to get into what New York has done for hip hop (even though it's practically the mecca and the birth place of it all), you can research that on your own, but being an up and coming rapper from New York, there is definitely more pressure on your music and your sound than the average rapper, mostly due to the legendary history of New York hip-hop.
Now I mentioned that I'm a fairly new Joey listener myself, my interest peaked when I first gave his 2013 mix tape Summer Knights a listen, and I was certainly impressed. It doesn't get more hip-hop than tracks like "Word Is Bond", "95 Til Infinity", or "47 Goonz", and I'll admit "47 Goonz" makes me feel like I have the street cred to go out and do some dirty deeds myself. Not to mention the elite production featured on this tape, including one track from DJ Premier, another from Statik Selektah, and one from DOOM. And this track isn't on the tape, but Joey also went over a beat from the legendary J Dilla (I don't know how you become cool enough to do that at age 19, or get the qualifications to do so, but obviously Joey is cool enough). Joey is a refreshing product of the 90s. A very young one, but certainly refreshing, yet familiar on his take on life in the streets. And no matter how hard I try, I can NOT get this song's beat out of my head. If I get reminded of it, it's over.
By far my favorite Joey track (at least until "Christ Conscious" came out). All of Joey's music seems to have that "sitting around the house and chilling, maybe I'll do some laundry" type of vibe to it, although I personally can listen to it doing practically anything. Anyways, what do I expect from Joey's album you might ask? Aside from some more story-telling and personal songs, I'd say a bit of the same of what he's already put out. Normally this would be a bad thing, for anybody else a change of pace is good, but for Joey, staying true to his sound is what his fans need. You could go as far as saying it's what HIP-HOP NEEDS. To be able to say that the 90s (which to many is the golden age of it all) can still live through an emcee as young (and not to mention downright talented) as Joey Bada$$, I think the old heads can still live with a bit of hope. There is no word on who will be producing Joey's debut album, although I wouldn't be surprised to see some from heavyweights like DOOM and DJ Premier, and the producer that handles most of Joey's beats, Kirk Knight (give or take a few more names). So until that day comes, enjoy the supposed first leak off of B4.DA.$$, "Christ Conscious", and the music video accompanying it.
(*I do not own this video, this song, the song above, or the rights to either*)
Logic has to be my newest favorite rapper in the game. When you talk about young rappers coming up who like to carry on the tradition of hard hitting hippity hoppity rhymes with a good blend of new sounds mixed in with it, Logic HAS to be the first one that comes to mind, other than maybe Joey Bada$$ (at least that I currently know of). I was introduced to Logic at the beginning of this year and have to say I was impressed immediately. I mean, how can you NOT like Logic?
Logic will be releasing his debut album Under Pressure this October 21st under Def Jam and his Visionary Music Group label. He has already given fans a nice amount of free songs this year, some of those include "Driving Ms. Daisy" featuring Childish Gambino, "Everything I Am" ft. Hit-Boy & Audio Push, "Alright" ft. Big Sean, "Finding Forever freestyle", "While You Wait", and "Now" just to name a few. A couple of these songs were rumored to be on an EP titled "While You Wait" that he planned to release before the album, but he reportedly scrapped the project to get the album promotion started. If you can say anything up to this point about Logic, it's that he's a hard worker who enjoys making music not only for himself, but for his fans as well. The album's leading single "Under Pressure" is the first song that he has ever put on iTunes to this day, and that includes 4 other entire mix tapes.
So how can you not love someone who appreciates what he does as much as this guy? If you love his music it's almost as if you'd never get bored of it. A lot of hating listeners (who I'm not sure why you'd listen anyways) like to say that all of his music sounds the same and he "recycles" lyrics, but as Shakespeare said, "let thy haters hate". Not to mention the fact that the production for his debut will be quite stand out as well. These producers include Hit-Boy, 6ix, C-Sick, and the producer I put in the "5 producers you should know" article last week, No I.D., who will be executive producing the debut.
Yesterday the VMG rapper put out the first single for the album of the same name "Under Pressure" and if I could use one word to describe it, it'd probably just be, oh, I don't know... LISTEN. The song is supposedly self-produced and will actually be over 9 minutes long once the album drops, but it is an incredibly dope song even not being able to hear the finished product. That's all I can say. I have a feeling this album will be a game changer. This kid is the truth and if you aren't going to jump on the Logic bandwagon right now, then it's going to be a long road to the top. Not for Logic, he's practically there once the album drops, but if you aren't there for the ride then all I can say is sorry. Check out "Under Pressure" below.
