Observations From Kanye West & Kid Cudi's KIDS SEE GHOSTS

First off, I want to start by saying that I am not here to support Kanye West in any way shape or form outside of music. I am only here for the musical aspect of things, so far it has been Pusha's album, and now, because I find Kid Cudi to be one of the most influential and inspiring artists of the last decade, I have a contract in my brain that says I will absolutely and unequivocally support anything Kid Cudi puts out musically after Man On The Moon I and II. Kanye, if you somehow, find some "by the ways of God, premonition-like" way to read this, seek help. For you and your loved ones. You may think it helps you, but at some point, you will no longer be able to control it.

Anyways, the relationship has been well documented between these 2 G.O.O.D Music artists for about 10 years now, seeing as Cudi was a key inspirational crafting point in the making of Kanye's 2008 4th solo album 808's & Heartbreaks (the album some may some say is Kanye's best... just kidding, it's only me that says that), playing a huge role in most of the album's production, melodies and harmonies as a whole (Cudi has also detailed working with Kanye and Jay Z on The Blueprint 3 in past interviews).  Kanye has always been the best example of "paving your own lane" when it comes to personality (hot take) and creativity as a whole, especially music. Now Cudi on the other hand... how does one describe Kid Cudi's musical ear and sound?  Kid Cudi is like if Pink Floyd and David Bowie somehow mixed together and had a psychedelic baby born on LSD and somehow already possessed the ability to play the piano. Now put these 2 musical entities together... and it creates the stuff of myth. Children are proven to experience more paranormal activity than the average adult, but on Kids See Ghosts... I think Kanye and Cudi made it possible for adults too. Check out my observations from Kids See Ghosts below.


Live Instrumentation That Gives It A Jam Session Feel



As if there was any question to if the project was going to be musical, Kanye brings the beats to Cudi's blues. All throughout the project, melodies on top of melodies are layered intricately and just perfectly enough for each contributor to do their part and not steal too much shine away from their partner... and Lord knows both are capable of doing so. "Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)" intros with some heavy pounding drum kicks that sound like a nightmare reoccurring from 2010-2011; a nightmare brought on from the imaginative portraits that Cudi would paint throughout his writing in the Man On The Moon series.  This song is especially great because it takes you back to a time where old school grunge bands would show footage of themselves during their Behind The Music documentary's just jamming it out in the garage with the band, still figuring out their sound (besides those "ray of sunshine" like background vocals that Ty Dolla $ign provides, which are almost ghostly... ohhhhhh.. I get it!). The introduction guitar along with the progressing drums in the album's final track "Cudi Montage" sound like the perfect blend of a grungy Nirvana-era guitar, then somehow flips into a hardcore hip hop album cut that Jay Z could talk his shit over (remix idea, maybe? Oh dammit... nevermind. Forgot about Kanye and Jay's current status).


Cudi Haunts This Album With His Presence, And It's Absolutely Gorgeous, Terrifying, And Brand New, Yet Somehow A Blast From The Past

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

Okay seriously crazy theory here... Is this a secret ode to Cudi's Man On The Moon series?  Is this a follow up WITHOUT BEING A FOLLOW UP?!  Haunting is the epitome of Cudi's presence throughout Kids See Ghosts, whether it be giving a beautiful yet somehow paranormal singing voice ("Feel The Love"), some all-seeing, all-knowing, prophetic types of song writing ("4th Dimension", and I mean just LISTEN to that introduction to Cudi's verse... talk about creepy!), some talks of being "Reborn": which, I mean come on, the song title is already saying something in itself; like dying and being "Reborn" as this new creature (and Cudi is clearly Unicorn status, by the way), and playing the guitar to what sounds like courting death (that grungy Nirvana sound)... almost as if he's leading you to a battle you know you can't win, an unsettling oath that is less like death and more like fulfilling prophecy; coming back stronger than ever before and leading your troops to victory in a battle more epic than the final Harry Potter movie ("Cudi Montage"). Seriously though, Cudi; we didn't think you'd take the whole "Reborn" thing as such a method actor!  It's like closing your eyes, hearing a movie and imagining it yourself as the soundtrack to darkness unfolds. Cudi himself adds more than vocals, production, or verses could all do put together, and this is why he's (in my opinion) one of the greatest to ever do it; his ambience creates more of a feeling than pure rapping could ever do; he's not just haunting you with his singing, he's creating a soundtrack to the madness in our minds.                
              


















                  

Observations From Kyle's Light Of Mine

It seems as if Kyle's burst onto the scene has been quite sudden, but the Ventura, California artist's comeuppance has been far from sudden, to those paying attention at least. After Rolling Stone named him as "one of the ten artists you need to know" in 2015, that same year Kyle released his second mixtape Smyle to some mild success, although he didn't achieve widespread recognition until the release of his single "iSpy" featuring Lil Yatchy in December of 2016, which peaked at #4 on The U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Though widely known for his abilities to make catchy hits seemingly tailored for the Hot 100 and girls around the world alike, Kyle can easily bar down your favorite rapper over goofy, yet melodic production that highlights his angelic vocals, which can be misleading as Kyle has a speech impediment, which at this point in his career seems to have added more to his amiable personality and rap style. Because Kyle is so known for his "hip pop" style, it was widely expected that his debut album Light Of Mine was going to consist of the qualities that he is best known for; feel good, sing-along songs that you can both sing like Usher and rap like Busta along to (though neither example used is anywhere near the personality on record I'd use to describe him); so did Kyle's light shine brightly or burn out into the dark?  That's what we're here to discuss; check out some key observations from Kyle's debut Light Of Mine.


Light Hearted Hits That Make You Groove


Hits aren't usually something that catch my attention since I'm usually one for more personal/harder hip hop album cuts, but Kyle brings that light hearted R&B heat all throughout Light Of Mine. The opening track "Ups & Downs" starts off with a very high pitched and tweaked voice that discusses what sounds like the party plans of a depressed introvert, but once it gets into the song, it sounds like the complete opposite of depressed with the essence of an early 2000's dance hit, and the swag of Lil Uzi Vert in a dress on steroids. The absolute best song on the album "Babies" featuring the lovely Alessia Cara sounds like that dumb, catchy pop hit you can't get out of your head, yet you love it and can't help but replay it for the 5th time in a row on your aux chord. "Babies" is one of those songs that if ever featured on an edition of "Tiny Desk Concert" or somehow MTV brought Unplugged back, you would swear it'd be the best version of any song to hit the web that week (get Thundercat on the bassline for that one, and you have yourself a performance).



Kid Cudi Influence Is Evident, But Kyle's Far From A Knock Off


Kyle can't pull off the legendary hums the way Cudi can (I swear those things could summon Phoenix's and magical creatures out of secret realms of the universe), but he gives his best impersonation on "To The Moon" (another way he pays homage to Cudi, especially knowing Cudi's discography), and it's still a pretty damn fair one at that. Despite that lisp he was made fun of for in school, Kyle has some pretty amazing abilities when it comes to throwing and forming his voice to fit different musical styles; the hook on "To The Moon" (unless it's vocal effects) sounds almost exactly like a Cudi hum, and in the beginning of "Zoom" he gives a nice little mumble hum that sounds very reminiscent of an early 2010's MOTM Cudi. The sound, theme, and writing approach in the album's final track "Clouds" is almost a direct inspiration draw to Cudi's talks and writing about self loathing, depression, and using the so-called 'Clouds" to feel better... and besides, who couldn't use a few clouds to bring them back to the top of the world anyways?  Kyle isn't impersonating his idol, he's doing something even cooler and more creative; finding ways to pay homage in his music without biting styles.


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

Kyle falls just short in the rapping and emceeing aspect of things that I liked so much about Smyle, but he makes up for it in areas that require expert melody-making and song craftsmanship. The features throughout Light Of Mine add just enough to still keep it Kyle's album with a few nice surprises (plus Kehlani is super hot and is a queen of the melody game, as well as Alessia Cara), and each one adds their own perfect bit of DNA to each song, respectively. The album is not for the hardcore rap fans by definition, but if you're looking for a fun and much more positive listen, Light Of Mine could maybe bring some light to your life too with it's exciting musicality, above average guest features, and glowing personality.             








             












              

Kanye Announces He's Producing Nas' Next Album, Dropping In June

About an hour and a half ago, Kanye took to Twitter again to announce some more news about what is sounding to be like an amazing year for him and his G.O.O.D Music crew.

Kanye announced around 7:30 EST all of the album he would be helming this coming June; the previously announced Kids See Ghosts joint album with Kid Cudi, as well as Teyana Taylor and Pusha T's next solo albums, but he then announced the next album that he would be executive producing; the long awaited Nas album. Nas' last album of course was 2012's Life Is Good, which dropped over 6 years ago. Nas has yet to comment on Kanye's claims, so we will see if Kanye's claims hold true. If true, it's looking to be a huge year for G.O.O.D Music.

Who's excited for new Nas?  Fingers crossed for this one!    

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.     








    



















        

Watching Movies With The Moon Man: My Infatuation With "Weird" Hip Hop

I put quotes around the word "weird' in the title because many people's definition of the word is not always self explanatory. A person's definition of weird is only explainable when you truly don't understand what the fuck they are talking about. Weird can be defined by something you don't understand, weird can be defined by something you don't find okay to talk about normally, or it can be defined simply by opposing the norm; the abnormal. Other synonyms include uncanny, eerie, unnatural, supernatural, unearthly, otherworldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange, or unusual. So what is weird to you?  Probably a lot of different things; some people don't like insects, others don't understand the thought of supernatural beings (see "weird" synonyms) such as aliens, and then when it comes to music, you probably wouldn't be surprised how many people are afraid to exit the comfort zone that they call "my playlist."  I've been one of these people for so long, I've become a robot where the only music that is visual to me is from my favorite artists, whether I feel they're going in the right direction or not (see B.o.B or Slaughterhouse, shaking my head at both for different reasons). But when someone puts out a project that draws a lot of criticism for how "weird" it sounds, you truly need to ask yourself why you call it weird; is it because the music, or because you're not used to what they're saying?  Is it because the artist has changed, or is it because you're not ready for this certain artist's transcendence as a human being?  It's time for music fans to understand the differences.

We are all human. Every human being on this planet is from a different city or state (for the most part), born on a different date, at a different time, in a different country, in a different hospital, we're all different. Artists are human beings that go through rough patches, different time periods, people, places, and things just as you and me go through, and some people forget that. Some people (such as myself, the angry rap nerd that I am) criticize their favorite artists constantly because one project doesn't sound like the last, or one song isn't as catchy as the last, or because their favorite artist isn't talking about the same things that he/she did on the last project. People create memories with certain music which could be a huge reason why they get so defensive and angry about the "new" music, but these people don't take into account that their favorite musicians have to move on, and tackle the next obstacle... whether that be the next allegation, the next interview, or the next instrumental.

                                           (*The real conversation starts at the 1:09 mark*)

Here's a test (watch the video above on Kid Cudi's comments); what do you think about this?  Are Cudi's comments, is his topic of conversation "weird" to you?  Forget that Cudi has made a staple in this game and has been one of the most influential "rappers" (parenthesis because he truly is an artist, in every sense of the word) of this generation. Forget about Cudi's music and pretend it doesn't exist for a second; if Jay-Z, Lil Wayne or even 50 Cent were to make these exact same comments, would you still think of them as the hard kings of "the rap lifestyle"?  Would they still be as influential to you?  Do you view your favorite rapper as a person, or a persona?

(You'd have to be on drugs to understand some things Mac says in this song, then again he says some not-so-crazy things in his verses as well. *I do not own these videos or the rights to them*)

 

 Mac Miller (as I've posted about a few days prior and whom has been the biggest inspiration for this post) has become one of the most different rap artists out there. Is that good, or is that bad?  I've been listening to Watching Movies With The Sound Off a lot lately, another project I slept on during the time of its release, and I couldn't help but connect to Mac, no matter how drugged up, drugged out, high, low, or drunk he was. Mac talks about doing literally every drug in the book if you've seen some of his recent interviews, and most of it seems to be the inspiration for projects like Watching Movies With The Sound Off and his 2014 mix tape Faces (because who could write or rap like this sober?). Why I connect with this Mac Miller (is not because I'm on drugs) is because he's making himself vulnerable. He needed drugs to do it, but would it be bad to say that drugs have made Mac Miller relatable, or even great?  The music is insane on WMWTSO, but the album got rave reviews from fans, and commercially has been Mac's most successful album, (debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200 and selling 101k copies first week). Forget the album sales and the Billboard charting... Did Mac not make himself more relatable to you when you listened to WMWTSO?  Mac (like Kid Cudi) is his own, fantastic form of WEIRD, and I love it. Weird works in music, and it's not because 100,000 people out there think that it's weird, but because 10,000 people out there connected to it, and it has somehow changed their lives. This is how albums, music, and artists become unforgettable.

 

Weird can be the type of person that annoys you, it can be when you don't understand someone's thoughts or actions, weird can be when you don't have a clue what the fuck someone is talking about, or weird can be defined by opposing the norm; doing, saying, or being something that is not seen or heard every day. But a lot of "weird" things happen every day, a lot of not so normal things occur on the daily, and people say and do things every day that are not set to the "politically correct" standards that society holds. So does that really make it all weird at the end of the day?  Weird is awesome, weird is a change of pace from the same crap you hear from the same people.Weird is not always going to make an appearance at the interviewer's table, but weird is another weird way of saying that you exist. Weird is not so bad after all, because weird is genuine. We need more weird people in the world, let alone weird artists.              

 

                     

          






        

          

Why Fans (I) Need Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon 3

Flash back to 2010... a sophomore in high school was just figuring out his place and who he was. Struggling with figuring out who your real friends were and what you wanted to do with your life were thoughts that crossed your mind EVERY... single... day. Some drugs, alcohol, and girls all came along with that ride, and balancing it all seemed to be hell. If you were growing up wanting to play ball, whether it was football or basketball, that was another thing on your mind. No matter how good you are going into high school, every kid believes they have a shot at the big leagues (I know I thought I did, though standing at a scrawny 5'2 wasn't exactly helping my case). Your grades are slipping because you can't focus on schoolwork (because who can with all the alcohol and parties going on, right?), and you go into school every single morning with a hoodie on and your head down on the desk ready to fall asleep. Trying to balance all of these things can be crazy for kids, but for me I know there was one thing that allowed me to shut out the rest of the bullshit and live in my own world, even if it was just for a little bit; and that was Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon series.

Now everybody has that certain music that they look back on and remember what they were going at the time they used to listen to it, whether they be summer playlists or music that they've made spectacular memories to, and with both of Kid Cudi's Man On The Moon's, I was literally figuring out who I was. Going into high school I set goals (as everyone does) to be known. I was going to be a starting point guard, varsity ball as a freshman setting scoring, 3 point, and assist records, (high goals for such a short dude, I know) I wanted them all. But I got into a tough crowd and started losing contact with the ball player in me. Love with a girl got me more fucked up than I would have liked for the entire year of 2010 and for more years to come, but every time I put my headphones in my ears and turned on that Kid Cudi, I was at peace with everything.

When I heard "Mr. Rager" for the first time, I felt like I was exploring the amazon with a sword! When I played "Wild'n Cuz I'm Young", I understood that the time I had as a youngin' would not be here for long. When I played "REVOFEV", I felt like part of the next generation's takeover! When I heard "In My Dreams", I could fall asleep at peace (I'm not kidding, there were nights I fell asleep and woke up with headphones in my ears). When I played "Cudi Zone", I was in the all time highest place I could be in. I could go on and on track for track on both albums in the series, but I think you get the point. Man On The Moon 1 and 2 were absolutely out of this world to a kid who couldn't find his place in it.

Which is why I say to Cudi; please... PLEASE... make Man On The Moon 3 happen. That feeling you instilled into each and every fan of your music is an everlasting one. It's not a feeling you get when you listen to Travis Porter, or when you listen to Fetty Wap talk about "trap queens", or when you hear Young Thug say he's a stoner 494883 times. The feeling you put into people is a feeling that you can get only once; figuring out that they are 1 in 6 billion (approximately). Everyone who listens becomes high when they listen, sober or not, so I'm thinking about putting "astronaut" on my resume for when I look for my next job. I'll end this (sort of) PSA with Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness", because can you truly say you want anything else but happiness?

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



     



     

Jhene Aiko's "Souled Out" Album Review

Has there ever been a singer who has demanded as much attention as the lovely Jhene Aiko?  You have your Rihannas, your Beyoncés, your Lana Del Reys and your Lordes, but Jhene has been doing things her own way since the day she emerged onto the music scene. From her acclaimed EP Sail Out, even dating back to her debut mix tape Sailing Souls, Jhene has seemingly been the perfect blend between soul singer and rap feature, and everything in between. In her previous projects, Jhene had attempted to find a voice. Not that she's needed to hearing how great it already is, but in terms of her music, she needed to find herself. Was Souled Out really the answer that she and her fans were looking for?

The Jhene that everyone got to know so fondly was on display early in the opening track "Limbo Limbo Limbo". The deep, metaphorical and somewhat trippy songwriting takes flight with lines like "falling from high buildings till she, was numb from the feeling, really", and continues throughout this track. If there were a song to bump on this album, it's safe to say "Limbo Limbo Limbo" is that track. Hard drum kicks are accompanied by a smooth, yet bumping bass line that round out her voice very well in a different way Jhene fans might not be so used to hearing. Listening to the intro track you don't get a very good feel for what to expect on the rest of this piece of work though.

"W.A.Y.S" is a great return to form for Jhene, the second track falling in line after "Limbo Limbo Limbo". This track is a dedication to her brother Miyagi who passed away from cancer back in 2012, and a reminder to herself to "keep going" as she says throughout the song. The background strings in this song really make it stand out along with the movie theater-like bass line that hits about 25 seconds in. Jhene said in an interview not too long ago that "W.A.Y.S" stands for "why aren't you smiling," which is a tweet that her brother Miyagi sent out not too long before he passed away, and it stands as a phrase that keeps Jhene going to this day.

The lovey dovey Jhene is as alive as ever on this album, with multiple songs that discuss such things as a past love, or her fears of trusting someone in a relationship. The song "Brave" is a message to any guy who happens to be "brave" enough to get in a relationship and go all in with her. The intro guitar in this song creates the type of "I've been crossed too many times before" vibe that Jhene vents through her poetry. The song "It's Cool" sets quite a different tone, however. In this cut she talks about how easy is it for her to fall for someone, or so it seems, and she confirms so in lines like "and I'm not even gonna front, at first I was just tryna fuck, but you have got me so in love." "You Vs. Them" is another dreamy love song that differentiates the time she has to split between the industry and her loved ones, an her discussion on how hard it is to choose between the two.

A very weird thing I felt I had to point out on this album is that 2 of the songs ("Blue Dream" and You Vs. Them") were 2 completely different songs in the past with different beats. Has any other avid Jhene listener noticed this?  The song "Blue Dream" has the same lyrics as a previous song of hers titled "My Afternoon Dream" that has a different beat, and the song "You Vs. Them" is a song of the same title and lyrics, but has a completely different beat behind it. Look it up if you don't believe me, I just found this odd. Maybe it came down to a few last minute decisions before the album had to be turned in?  Who knows.

Her "Pretty Bird (freestyle)" is a nice touch to round out the album. This song includes a banging beat that sounds like it'd be more for rapping, and she gives it a shot on this one. Her poetry is evident on this song and you can feel what she's saying as opposed to hearing it. I liked the ending featuring Common as well, another great poet who can put things into words very smoothly and almost effortlessly. He does the same on this song as he does Kid Cudi's "In My Dreams" intro on his Man On The Moon: The End Of Day album.

One of the most stand out songs on this album has to be "Promises" featuring Jhene's daughter Namiko and deceased brother Miyagi. Jhene has stated in an interview that this song is dedicated to her daughter for whenever she misses her and wants to hear her voice, and she even goes as far as to put Namiko on the hook the first time around! It's pretty cute to hear her messing around with the microphone at the very end of the song as you hear Namiko say "echo" along with some microphone static. Hearing this song and not being moved by it you have to have a heart of ice. It's as simple as that.     

A nice refreshing vibe Jhene gives is on the song "To Love & Die" featuring her group singing mates Cocaine 80s. Her love of Tupac and the west side movement shows on this song near the end: "which side, this side, you should switch sides, on that acting like a bitch side by the way, you need to switch sides right away, we can live forever maybe die today. Love side hate side never in between, that's what we stand for y'all fall for anything, west side west side by the way, live forever for love or you can die today." The message on this song seems to be that you should live by the love, as well as die by the love (I don't know how you do both, seems you'd just end up getting hurt in the end... oh... *has an epiphany*). Jhene is clearly living by the love and it shows in her music.

And that's Jhene Aiko's Souled Out. Jhene has received a lot of criticism for her songs sounding the same or having a lot of the same topics in her songs, and she does have many love stories to tell on this album, but altogether this is not a bad album at all. Top notch production from the best in No I.D., Fisticuffs, Dot Da Genius and Key Wane find a way to mold beats around her voice and give it a feel that is refreshing, yet familiar to Aiko diehards. It was interesting to see her go for less features and more of a personal sound on this one, perhaps in the future she dabbles with more features?  Time will only tell, and Jhene will have a lot of it to last in the industry if she can keep making honest music that touches people of all kinds.

 



      





      

   

Producing Greatness: Rappers Who Produce for Themselves & Others

Rappers over the years have been seen as ignorant, braggadocios, and even in some cases untalented. While some of these claims may be true, I disagree with untalented, at least for most rappers. Rap has changed since the days of long gold chains and wearing all ADIDAS brand clothes and shoes. Although style is not the point here, I'm talking about the transcending of talent with every rapper you hear today. Each of them is different from the next, some may have a born singing voice, some may be fantastic writers, and so on. But if a rapper needs one thing to rap, its beats. The talent in the producing pool of rappers these days is more phenomenal than its ever been. Shall we discuss? 

Now obviously the first rapper/producer that comes to mind is the one that started it all:  Dr. Dre. Since his start with World Class Wreckin Cru, Dre has only moved his way up the hip hop corporate ladder. Not only producing for himself and NWA back in the day, he's produced not only music for, but started the careers of hip hop legends like Tupac and Eminem, as well as other mega stars 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and too many more to name. Not only being a producer for some of hip hop's biggest hits of all time, Dre has recently become known for selling his famous Beats headphone line for over a billion dollars, historically becoming hip hop's first billionaire (the importance of this event is monumental, but that discussion shall be saved for another day, by the way Dre, can we get Detox now?).

Nowadays its not rare to find another rapper that produces for not only themselves, but other rappers as well. Huge names in hip hop today such as Eminem, Mac Miller, J. Cole, Kanye West, Big K.R.I.T, Kid Cudi, B.o.B, and many more have dabbled in producing beats. Clearly to me Eminem has been taking production tips from Dr. Dre over the years, producing select songs from the first Marshall Mathers LP all the way down to his latest release Marshall Mathers LP 2. Em has even gone on to produce for Slaughterhouse on their major label debut album "Welcome To: Our House."

Mac Miller to me has absolutely been one of the most hard working men in the music business to date, not only rapping but producing as well. If you keep up with Mac you know he's constantly in the studio, having a huge year in 2013 not only releasing a mix tape of all his very own self produced instrumentals titled Run On Sentences Vol. 1 under the moniker Larry Fisherman, another self produced mix tape titled Delusional Thomas, his first live album Live From Space in December of 2013, but also his second studio album Watching Movies With The Sound Off. If you don't consider Mac to be one of the most consistent in the game, you might want to re-evaluate your list, or maybe even your life.

When people talk about Big K.R.I.T, they usually talk very heavily on his southern brand of bumping music heavily considered to be influenced by the likes of Bun B, UGK and all types of slow Houston type hip hop. But if you know anything about K.R.I.T, you know that he produces all of his music too, and he is very, VERY good at what he does. Not only did he produce his entire debut album Live From The Underground, meaning EVERY single song off of it, but he also produced almost every song off of his very successful 2013 mix tape King Remembered In Time. If you haven't listened to K.R.I.T yet, you're truly missing out, and that's coming from a fan that has only listened to him since the beginning of 2013, and is incredibly eager to hear what he has in store with his upcoming sophomore album Cadillactica, supposed to be hitting store shelves before the end of 2014.

Now J. Cole is a lesser known producer and more known for his rap, though it is hard to overlook his fantastic lyrical miracle efforts along with his blend of real, emotional, venting type of music. But Cole is a fantastic producer who doesn't really get the credit you'd think he deserves on his production. Not only has he produced such great songs for Kendrick Lamar such as "HiiPoWeR" and "The Jig Is Up," but he's also produced his entire Born Sinner album minus a couple songs, along with songs off of his debut album like "Work Out", "Can't Get Enough", "Nobody's Perfect" and many more from other rappers as well.

So you get the point, or you should by now. Rappers are more talented than you think!  Producing is getting to be more and more of a hands on thing now for rappers, whether they be making their own beats or beats for other rappers. When you think about it, doesn't it make it much more simple to rap over a beat you know all the ins and outs to?  In this sense, these guys probably deserve a lot more credit than they're all getting. All that work is being done so us the fans can love and appreciate true rap greatness the right way!  Get back to me with your thoughts on Twitter (@SuperNovaRover) or Google+, y'all know the drill.