4:44; An Ignorant Fan's Understanding Of Jay-Z As A Top 5 Rapper (Also Observations From 4:44)

Before the internet, there was the radio.  Scrolling through your timeline and finding the most outrageously funny pictures possible was nonexistent; a meme wasn't even thought of in "the time before."  Viral videos of pre-pubescent children dancing to the most explicit of hip hop songs weren't even imagined of at the time.  We had computers, but even finding music on these monstrous, prehistoric machines was a chore.  As an innocent adolescent who's views on music were unwillingly shaped by the 2000's pop movement, I found interest in one particular emcee from Detroit who discussed topics and said things in his songs that made people uncomfortable.  At that age, the only thing you hear is what's popular on the radio, and somehow this guy forced his way onto the airwaves with Tom Green impressions; "My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips, and if I'm lucky you might just give it a little kiss, and that's the message that we deliver to little kids, and expect 'em not to know what a woman's clitoris is."

Ridiculous, I know, but most of hip hop was at that time.  Eminem was trying to show people the real him, Nelly was giving a course on "Country Grammar", Outkast was screaming "Hey Ya", and Petey Pablo was making you take your shirt off and swing it around your head "like a helicopter."  These were crazy times.  Whenever I think of this era, these are just a few of the quote unquote "important" songs that pop into my head when I think early 2000's hip hop hits.  Some stuck around and some didn't, and the new millennium was an especially interesting take on music because being a one hit wonder still existed; there was no way one single "hot for the moment" song would reemerge unless the radio airways were going to give it spins.  And this idea; this crazy, now unfathomable thought at one point in time (that I hate to admit and I know will get me scolded at by my loyal HHU readers)... is what I thought of Jay-Z.

Let me get these thought piece bars off before y'all get to sharpening your internet pitch forks and lighting up your torches!  Jay-Z was a hot commodity at the time, yes, but as a strictly RADIO EXPOSED adolescent, I didn't get the exposure to Hov that a self proclaimed hip hop connoisseur probably should have been getting.  Could I go back and do my Jay-Z homework and figure out just how incredible The Blueprint is?  Today, of course I could (even though other album releases today aren't attempts to be anywhere near as calculated as Jay).  But back in an era where there is no album search engine and the best way to even get a glimpse of your favorite music stars was to hope that they put out a music video that made MTV (you know, when they still showed music stuff), buying music was the only available option.

I didn't start this piece this way as a means to save face.  My exposure to Jay-Z, or any type of music today for that matter, is to nobody's fault but my own.  I've had plenty of time to go back and do my "research" if you will on past projects of his.  But there's a disconnect; I've held a spot in my heart for artists and songs that I've grown up listening to, and it's not uncommon for any person to do this; Jay just so happened to not make that list because I was unaccustomed to hearing his music growing up. And after hearing the much speculated and highly anticipated 4:44, I wonder how much of an impact he would have had on my musical tastes growing up.  With all of this being said, and to prevent any more rambling, let's get to MY very own observations on what I believe could be regarded as the best hip hop album of the year; Jay-Z's 4:44.  (Unfortunately, the only available way to stream the album at this time is on TIDAL).


A Humbling Honesty That Jay Has Never Shown Before

The transformation of one of the world's most well known hustlers into a protective, unrelenting family man is only comparable to the opposite of what happened to Walter White.  Jay Z is... Gus Fring (though Gus didn't have his family always in the limelight).  It's as if The Most Interesting man had written a tell-all book on how NOT to act when you have the sauce like that.  From accepting his mother's being gay on "Smile", to realizing what he did was wrong (also ADMITTING TO CHEATING ON BEYONCE, LIKE WHAT?!) on the coming together anthem "Family Feud" (featuring Beyoncé!), Jay makes "being a family man" music fit for a king, and only a king.  The vocal sample on "Family Feud" sounds like nothing short of the world's top family being ripped to shreds by adultery, fueled by rumors to make it worse, then the family walking out of the other side of the flames unscathed, and stronger than ever.  On the gritty and humbling title track "4:44", Jay lays it all out in the open, allowing his fans and critics to finally hear his side of the story, and the opening line makes him sound as remorseful as a straight-edged Catholic man admitting to adultery; "I apologize, off the womanize, took for my child being born, to see through a woman's eyes." The haunting sample of Hannah Williams & The Affirmations almost creates a tear-jerking reaction, painting a vivid picture, almost like imagining Beyoncé taking ol' baby Blu Ivy to stay at her mother's house for awhile.  Thank No I.D.'s genius sampling for that one (which we'll go more in depth on... right now).


Unbelievable Sampling

4:44 is entirely produced by long-time Jay collaborator No I.D., and a better producer could not have been picked for the tall task of Jay's long-awaited 13th studio album.  Jay's idea of having 1 producer for an entire album is almost a lost art nowadays (though not completely lost, thanks to Run The Jewels, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, etc.), and you wonder why based on the chemistry you hear between the two throughout the album.  4:44 could almost be recognized as a grown man's musical; some of the jazziest vibes we've heard in hip hop since Jay Dilla (maybe that's a stretch) force you to imagine Jay performing these songs in small clubs like Frank Sinatra & The Rat Pack; this staggering amount of class on a hip hop album is something never before heard.  We've discussed the incredible sampling on the title track already, and "Smile" is the audio representation of family being full circle, and the sample comes back around just so.  The classic Stevie Wonder "Love's In Need Of Love Today" sample seems to be fitting on a track where Hov does exactly what Hov does best; talk copious amounts of stylistic shit over a soulful, warming track.  "Caught Their Eyes" is an easy listening, "so smooth your grandparents would jig to it" number that features (who doesn't at first sound like) Frank Ocean's lightweight, float-worthy vocals, and the sample on "Moonlight" sounds very eerily similar to the sample on DJ Khaled's Nas-assisted "Nas Album Done" (and it turns out it is the same sample, from The Fugees' "Fu-Gee-La"), and though it doesn't bounce as much, it flips the sample in a day-dreaming vibe that only No I.D. could, and it's made to sound as heavenly as only Jay could make it heard.

There are so many jewels and gems to pick from 4:44 that listening to it almost sounds like robbing Jay of his secrets, and ultimately, his multi millions of dollars.  Jay offers things more rare and valuable than a unicorn with his 13th studio effort; quality, and perspective.  The pain throughout the record that Shawn Carter has felt through an immense amount of scrutiny is then brought back around in a momentous and glorious comeback story that only Jay-Z could expound upon.  And not only in Shawn's darkest moments does he shine the brightest, but the significant amount of time he's taken off (with it being 4 years since his last solo effort, Magna Carta Holy Grail) has allowed Jay to plan, coordinate, and drop watermelon sized amounts of wisdom and perspective in abundances.  It's like Jay is inside Truman's Show; except this time Jay is the one who sees the world as opposed to the world seeing him, expounding upon every important topic in the most political and socially conscious music that Jay has released to date.  Jay is rapping as if his "give a fuck" button is broken, speaking with clear cut, "if I said it, I meant it" tones, causing you to rewind a countless number of lines and rhymes in a manner that hip hop (and maybe even the world) needs more than anything else right now.  In a hip hop world where albums have turned into bad sitcoms, Jay's 4:44 is like a blockbuster movie years in the making, and will probably be regarded as the best hip hop album release of 2017 when the year's over.

So what do I think of Jay-Z now?  I think the guy should take out and bring the hyphen back every year.  It's odd how a rapper can be so colossal in stature, in both music and business ventures, and some 90's babies still wouldn't be able to give you one quote from an early Jay-Z album. Admittedly, this was, scratch that, still is the case for me.  The times have changed, and when the times change, the greats adapt to the climate.  Such is the case for Jay-Z.  The flooding of music releases that hip hop has seen over the past 3 years (give or take) has shown a huge hit in it's value, both in theory and in actual price (just think of the countless albums and mixtapes you get from a streaming service for just $9.99 a month... any album, anywhere, any time), but Jay returned like Jordan, except this time wearing the 45, with the most quality hip hop release we've seen in years; fans will still be picking apart messages and lines from this album next year (hopefully they'll still be listening).  Jay set the example again, this time proving that it's okay to take time off between albums and letting the world wonder what your next move is.  As Yoh over at DJ Booth put so eloquently; "Jay Z is a quiet man. He is proof that a giant can walk without making the Earth shake. He is proof that when a giant decides to stomp, the Earth will tremble." Check out the stream of 4:44, which is still only available on TIDAL (with a subscription), but will be available on all streaming services as early as next week, so non-TIDAL subscribers, be on the look out for that.                        












                





            

         













               

Logic is "Under Pressure": What Do YOU Expect?

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.

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


      

      

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.

 



      





      

   

5 (Or Maybe More) Producers You Should Know (If You Don't Already)

Producers really do not get the props they deserve and I can show you right now; think of your favorite hip hop song; whoever raps it, if there is anyone featured on it, or even if they put out a music video for this song. Now can you tell me who produced that song?  If you can, then that's pretty damn cool, I salute you. You are one step closer to being a rap nerd like all the rest of us (whether you like it or not). But if you can't, haven't you ever wondered about a song you love enough to figure out who made that beat, who his/her mother is, his/her favorite cereal, and where he/she resides?  Okay, maybe those last 3 details aren't something you absolutely HAVE to know, but producers affect your favorite artists and how their music sounds more than you know. Luckily I'm enough of a rap nerd for all of us to know a few pretty good producers that you definitely need to know, if you don't already.

Scoop Deville

This first guy caught my attention awhile back during Kendrick's Good Kid Maad City campaign, having produced an extra for that album; "The Recipe" featuring Dr. Dre. Without seeing the production credits, my first thought was "damn that's a Dre beat." All the familiar drum kicks, and a nice melody to compliment the beat. But of course this guy gained even more attention when the above monster dropped earlier this year.

No I.D.

  Okay, if there's any song that can rightfully be called a "monster," this is the one to claim the title. When "Control" dropped nothing was the same (props to Kendrick for that line, you clever dog), truly. It created hype for almost EVERYBODY involved; all rappers mentioned by Kendrick, rappers not mentioned by Kendrick, etc. etc. But someone who didn't really get the shine they deserved (after all he did MAKE the beat) was No I.D. This guy is insane, he produced Nas' 2012 hit "Locomotive" (this song is as hip hop as it gets) off of his Life Is Good album, he will be on Jhene Aiko's upcoming Souled Out album, and most notably he will be executive producing Logic's upcoming debut album. His name is Dion (No I.D. backwards), which is also cool.

Boi-1da

If you don't know who Boi-1da is, then shame on you. This guys' beats KNOCK. Just about every single one of them you'll bob your head too, and he has quite the decorated resume. This list includes Eminem's "Not Afraid", Drake's "Headlines", "Best I Ever Had", "Miss Me" and "Over", and Nicki Minaj's "High School." His list of hits is a small one, but a pretty damn good one in the quality of those hits, although you don't see him producing for many others outside of Drake's camp due to the fact that he is signed to his "OVO Sound" label. What bigger song of his to include than "Forever" remix though?

SounWave

This song... this song needs no explanation. Personally my favorite hip hop song of all time at the moment. This song will remain my favorite song of all time indefinitely. Is it biased to put this song as the example to display SounWave's work?  Maybe. But I can't listen to this song and be mad, sad, or any type of other emotion that isn't happy. My life's soundtrack aside, SounWave has quite a resume already, having produced not only this beautifully composed masterpiece, but also having done Kendrick's "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe," "Maad City," and Schoolboy Q's "There He Go." SounWave is part of a team of super producers called Digi+Phonics that also includes producers Tae Beast, Dave Free, and Willie B. The more you know, right?

Cardiak

This guy might be a bit lesser known, but is just as great as anybody else if not better. Cardiak stole my attention by producing for Joe Budden on his A Loose Quarter mix tape back in 2012 on bangers like "Cut From A Different Cloth" and "All In My Head." Since then he has cemented his status as a big name in the producing game and has produced for Slaughterhouse many times, and he is also probably going to have a hand in Slaughterhouse's upcoming album (no release date yet given). And if that isn't enough, check out his "making of" video for Eminem's "Groundhog Day" beat off of Marshall Mathers LP 2.

That's only 5 of some of the best producers in the rap game right now. I  could go all day if that's what you really want, I mean I am a hip hop nerd. If none of those satisfy your interests, try looking into Hit-Boy, Jahlil Beats, Canei Finch, Illmind, Araab Muzik, Harry Fraud, I.D. Labs, Big Jerm, Alex Da Kid, 40, KeY Wane, the list could go on. While you're looking up these beat beasts remember that they are responsible for just about half of any rap song you've enjoyed. If there isn't a beat, rap just comes down to A cappella free styling. Not to mention the fact that they really do make us bob our heads. A beat without a rap is still a beat, and a rap without a beat is still a rap, but when you break it down and start to see how the 2 come together, you appreciate great music that much more.  

      












    

Jhene Aiko: Hip Hop's Next Super Honey (If Not Already)

Jhene Aiko has kind of exploded since her arrival on the music scene. Since the release of her EP Sail Out at the end of last year, the L.A. based soul singer has been putting out great song after great song pushing towards the release of her album Souled Out coming out this Tuesday, September 9th. Now minus the fact that she is angelically good looking and practically my soul mate (get it? Still, back off), I can honestly say her voice is unlike anything I've ever heard before. I'm not sure if I could make a better voice myself if I could somehow magically make her and Drake have kids, then have Aaliyah and Frank Sinatra have kids, then by some miracle have those 2 kids meet and have kids. But miracle Jesus-voiced babies aside, the come up of Jhene Aiko has been an interesting one, and not at all one you could say you saw coming.

Admittedly I got in on Jhene a little late. The first time I recall hearing her was on the song "Sparks Will Fly" on the deluxe version of J. Cole's Born Sinner album. Now the intro always sucks me in like a tornado with that crazy wavy, bubbly like sounding synthesizer, or whatever the sound may be. But Jhene stole the show on this one for me. As soon as she came in on that hook, it was over. To this day, every time I listen to it I still wait for the hook more than any other part (sorry Cole, respect to you as well, but come on, really?). Not to mention the ending part of her sort of solo singing performance. Anyways, ever since I heard this song, I've been hooked; waiting for the next thing she puts out, and realizing that I'd never really had my attention grabbed by a singer as much as her.

So like any proper rap geek I went back and did some more research. I know an argument that she isn't a rapper could be made, but the fact that she has a history of rapping on tracks ("Real Now," "In Love We Trust" and "Stay Ready," just to name a few) is good enough evidence to me. Not to mention all the features from rappers she's boasted up to this point (Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Ab-Soul, etc.). So yeah, fellow rap die-hards, she counts. She can turn a hard rap song into a heartfelt, beautifully pieced emotional ballad with one hook.

So up to this point yes, I do consider her a double threat. But on her debut mix tape Sailing Souls she might have been a bit more one dimensional. She sang a lot on songs like "My Mine" and "You Vs. Them," while going for more of a pop sound on songs like "Popular" and "Higher." Then again she did add some decent verses on songs like "Its Real NOW" and "Do Better Blues." So really form your own opinion on how versatile you think she can be (ok not really, because she does EVERYTHING!).

Her Sail Out EP was absolutely no slouch either. Not only did her features step up (Kendrick, Ab- Soul, Childish Gambino), but the production value of her music sky rocketed as well, boasting beats from Fisticuffs and label head No I.D. Her great song writing is shown on every song, but the personal songs are what seem to gain her fan's attention the most. With talks of ex- boyfriends and love on the songs "The Worst" and "Comfort Inn Ending (freestyle)," she makes all the struggles of loving someone familiar and relatable to girls and women everywhere (and maybe even guys, if you're into that).

Her debut album will definitely be one to watch. Interestingly enough she has no rap features on Souled Out, in fact the only feature at all is the Cocaine 80s assisted song "To Love & Die." Is it safe to say that she may be going for a more personal approach? I wouldn't be surprised to see more personal love songs on the album, but that's my opinion. With Jhene it's hard to say she's more unexpected, but the end product usually results in satisfaction from her fans. I suppose we will only see what's to come from the solo soul singer (say that 5 times fast) here in the VERY near future. The only way to go is up: HIGHER! Check out her new music video for "The Pressure" below.

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