Observations From Dave East's Paranoia; A True Story

With the decision to release an album's worth of material that he deems as an "EP" right off the bat, Dave East is moving with a different strategy than some would expect him to. With more appearances at social events, promoting, and East doing more interviews than average (like this one with The Breakfast Club from August 22nd), it seems East is ready to put himself out there full force, and with the backing of Queens, New York rap legend (and also head of East's label, Mass Appeal Records) Nas, it would appear that East has all the right tools to be put in a situation to win, and maybe even bring New York rap back to the forefront. East's promotion methods of dropping an EP (which feels like a full length LP) before an album is reminiscent of a pop rapper, which East is the furthest thing from, but this method poses the question; does East want his product to sell more than he wants it to represent his city, and ultimately himself?  The final product was able to give East fans the answer they were looking for. Here are a few key observations from East's gritty new project, Paranoia; A True Story.

Accessible New York Rap


When hip hop heads think of rappers having an "underground sound", it generally means that this particular rapper is probably not cut out to make radio hits, but when a rapper/artist is defined as a "mainstream artist", it would normally indicate that said artist is making the most of his/hers money on the charts; East cannot be boxed into either category. While the potential for radio hits is there, East's sole purpose in rap currently lies in bringing back a gritty sound to New York hip hop. On the heavy title track, East pairs up with South Carolina born, Atlanta bred legend Young Jeezy for a very boom bap, bombastic track that finds both emcees boasting the fruits of their labor, the growth involved in the transition between drug dealing and making music, and yet is embedded in the "paranoia" that remains in living such a dangerous street lifestyle for so long. Nas gives his young Mass Appeal protégé a proper introduction on "The Hated", which East fuses a creative story-telling premise with using his past as fuel, and a hunger to strive for more. If East showcases anything in these 2 cuts alone, it's his willingness to pay homage to past New York rap, as well as his wishes to keep the deeply rooted narrative alive.

More Inspiration, Less Saltiness


Paranoia; A True Story is filled with stories from the point of view of ignorant adolescents in the hopes of dropping knowledge on how to better yourself and properly escape a past of darkness and hopelessness. Throughout the album, East speaks of the troubles, trials, and tribulations of the streets with a gritty story-telling ability comparable to Nas (which makes the co-sign make that much more sense), and a voice comparable to the likes of Game, Jadakiss, etc. (which we'll touch on in a minute). On "Found A Way", East vents over some angelic piano chords reminiscing on the hard times in life, ("I had to sacrifice for this life, I found a way, got sick and tired of wearing the same clothes, I found a way"), reminding people that through the struggle, reward can be found, and on the "Kairi Speaks" interlude, East offers a refreshing take on how having a daughter can change your views on the world; another reward found through sacrifice.

A Genuine Voice With Nothing To Hide

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

Comparing East's voice to the very distinctive vocal talents of seasoned veterans like Game and Jadakiss I know is a stretch, but if you really listen to East, you can hear the scratchiness and grittiness that he offers on every single track (which is a help to his story-telling talents). East's vocals at first appear to be naturally standoffish, but when listening closer to tracks like his "Kairi Speaks" skit, you soon understand that that's just the way the man speaks. His voice has a tendency to make it hard to identify the differences between when East is really rapping and flexing, rapping with an edge, or pouring his heart out on tracks, but on the more open and emotional tracks on the project (specifically "Found A Way" and his voice when talking to his daughter on "Kairi Speaks"), he has a lighter way of going about speaking, and maybe even showcases some underrated singing talents, which would be interesting to hear on future Dave East projects.

As history has it (in most cases), mixtapes before albums, EP's before albums, or even "albums" before albums (much like the case here, though blogs are reporting it as an EP) are signs of a much broader goal than simply getting your music out into the public. With all of the Dave East promotion we've seen the past few months (as discussed before, social events, interviews, etc.), it's not hard to tell that East is pushing to get his name out, move units for Paranoia; A True Story, and ultimately his yet to be announced debut album (?). No stories or news has been announced on whether East is in fact dropping another album to officially call his "major label debut", so the smart money says that Paranoia; A True Story is in fact the official debut for the Harlem rapper. With that being said, East gives a solid body of work that allows him to show all of himself; vulnerabilities mixed with a gritty, grimy New York rap style round out his debut perfectly enough to not be overbearing, and allow the fans to be anxious for what he has to offer next. East's hard and rugged underground rap style plays heavily into his persona, but a future on the radio is certainly not far fetched because of his underrated ability to create melodies. If Dave East sticks with the fear and Paranoia of being just an average rapper, then it certainly wouldn't be surprising to see him come back even stronger, and harder than before.      

                                   









          

3 Observations From Big Boi's "Boomiverse"

Big Boi's third studio album Boomiverse certainly lived up to expectations, and if it's possible to live up to an album's title, the Atlanta, GA based emcee did that better than anybody could.  It had been a whole 5 years since Sir Lucious Left Foot's last solo LP, and people were eagerly awaiting to see what the other half of the legendary duo Outkast had in store for the people. Though Andre has always been the one talked about (often referred to as "hip hop's unicorn"), Big Boi has seemingly never received his just due for the impact he's had on Southern hip hop, and the consistent quality of music he's released throughout his career, both as half of Outkast and his solo work.  But today, it's a must we talk about (in my opinion) the best album of the year, so far.  Below, I'll be pinpointing the highlights of Big Boi's intoxicating Boomiverse album.


Feel Good, Dance Party Vibes



All through the album, Big Boi grabs a hold of your ears and facilitates the grooves throughout your entire body.  These dance grooves mixed with Big Boi's signature style and poignant lyricism mix for a well rounded, yet refreshing hip hop album.  In a time period where it's either dumbed down radio hits or raw, underground lyricism, Big Boi does an excellent job of saying just the right amount while allowing you to dance, listen, and enjoy easily. "Mic Jack" features (though barely heard), an Adam Levine feature plus some of that bombastic spectacular production from Organized Noize's own Sleepy Brown, and "Freakanomics" wouldn't even sound like an ode to the freakiest women hip hop has to offer to the average listener; because Big Boi is that good at mixing and molding hip hop with dance friendly sounds.

Dirty South Sound


The dirty south has always been a huge part of hip hop's evolution, especially into the new millennium, and Big Boi brings back the "southern drawl" with force on Boomiverse.  He updates the people on the South's doings with some unreleased Pimp C vocals and a cool Gucci verse on "In The South", which has more "Southern drawl" than UGK, Outkast, and Organized Noize sitting on the corner of Headland and Delowe with cups of the bubbly (it pretty much doesn't get more Southern than that).  "Kill Jill" featuring titan Young Jeezy and OG Atlanta rapper and frequent Big Boi collaborator over the years Killer Mike is the banger that will get all the partiers and sippers moving with their subs.  The beginning of the sample sounds like some Shaolin monk, preparing-for-a-fight-with-Bruce Lee type of shit, and if there is any song to bump in the whip and feel your true Southern pride, this is the one.


Big Boi's Identity As A Rapper/Musician Is Never Compromised

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

This may get to sound a bit preachy, but hear me out.  While it boasts many features (huge name features like Killer Mike, Jeezy, Adam Levine, and more), Big Boi's Boomiverse is unapologetically, his album.  Though the Atlanta emcee can mold his sound into any sort of instrumental, a hip hop banger or a catchy radio jingle, Big Boi does not compromise his signature otherworldly sound with what is currently popping in the hip hop world; Big Boi is still half of Aquemini living in his own Boomiverse speaking "Freakanomics" with the local, bad ATLien bitches.  Big Boi's ability to stay relevant in an ever changing hip hop climate speaks volumes to his ear for beats, and ability to make music that simply sounds dope.  The people have been in doubt about music coming out, debating on whether or not some of it is worthy of being deemed "classic", or debating whether it should be considered music at all, but Big Boi stays away from all the hoopla and just keeps doing his own thing; making great, feel good jams.          









            















     

     

The Trillest O.G.: Bun B's Influence On Rap

I certainly got into Big K.R.I.T a lot later than I could have hoped. My first listen of him being his 2013 mix tape King Remembered In Time, and as I listened on to a mix tape that had every type of song, and sounded like he definitely could have sold in stores based on the quality of the songs, one of my select favorites from the tape was one by the name of "Shine On", featuring fellow Houston emcee Bun B. Now I've always been one to get into those heavily slept on rappers very late (probably because they're so heavily slept on), but this K.R.I.T tape led me to buy his debut album Live From The Underground, and I noticed another Bun feature on a song by the name of "Pull Up", also featuring Big SANT. I had never heard a rapper with such a distinguishable voice before, and by that I mean I had never heard someone demand such a presence on a microphone, I was almost sensing the power through the speakers, it was like Bun was in my house rapping along to the beat of these songs, and his style demanded just as much attention as his voice did. After hearing these tracks, I knew I had to hear more, and was moved by what I had found.

Bun B is his name. I really hope you already know, but it's okay if you don't because I can do my best to give the proper introduction. The only way you can properly describe Bernard Freeman is that he is the absolute trillest of them all. He is so trill in fact that he even had the word copyrighted (that's right, the word "trill" has been copyrighted by Bun himself, does it get more trill than that?). Many have debated what the word "trill" means, or who it represents, but the idea behind it has always been a sort of cool and laid back style, and when Rolling Stone magazine asked Bun what it means to be trill, Bun replied "just look at me." It's debatable that southern rap is almost nothing without it's originator, and his influence on rap is just about unmatched, you can hear it almost anywhere you turn on a radio to your local rap station. Bun's influence on not just southern rap, but rap as a whole is clear when you listen to big names like B.o.B, Big K.R.I.T, Trae Tha Truth, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Ludacris, T.I., Slim Thug, Nelly, and one of the biggest being Toronto's very own (also, October's) Drake (I mention his being from Toronto because even being from an entirely different country you can hear the influence and the homage paid to Bun in his music).

(Seems to be the most Houston-influenced song in Drake's catalog even to this day, especially when you hear him detail a night in Houston towards the end of the track.)(*I do not own this song or the rights to it*)

So what has Bun B really done for hip hop?  How has one man defined an entire subgenre inside a genre that is getting more and more broad every day (if you say rap isn't expanding, you're either hating, or you don't listen to it, period.)?  While the best place to start to explain this is in the influence you hear in the rappers I listed above, a certain style has been originated by Houston rap as a whole (and many would probably argue that Bun was indeed the originator), and it's called "chopped and screwed". If you haven't heard of this style it's done very heavily by DJ's and most commonly found on remakes of mix tapes. To "chop and screw" a song or a project is to slow it down, make the bass line bump just a little more than it did before, and make it proper for those who "sip on sizzurp" and "lean", and to put it in layman's terms, the people who like to move "just as slowly as the music".

Yes indeed Houston's brand of hip hop is one of the most known yet different types of hip hop there is out there, and Bun B and Pimp C were at the helm of it before Pimp C's unfortunate passing in 2007. That certainly hasn't stopped Bun's hustle though, as he has released 3 albums since then, II Trill in 2008, Trill OG in 2010, and Trill OG: The Epilogue in 2013. Oh yes lots of research went into this, how could I do an entire article on Bun without listening to any more of his music?  I certainly enjoyed everything I found. His first album Trill in 2005 was a huge blast from the past listening to, and reminded me of when I first had gotten into hip hop and some of the first artists I remembered hearing on the radio. Yes this album came at a time when southern hip hop reigned supreme, and boasted features from big names like Jeezy, T.I., Ludacris, Ying Yang Twins, Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, and basically every southern rapper you could imagine was at the top in 2005.

Overall, Trill OG has to be my favorite Bun album. His hard sound really shines through, and the features fit very well on every track, it's basically Bun's version of The Chronic 2001. A couple of stand out cuts are the Drake features "It's Been A Pleasure" and 'Shut It Down", with Drake doing hooks on both songs and even giving a verse on "Shut It Down," very interesting to hear these tracks as they were right around Drake's come up in 2010 right after his debut album Thank Me Later. Those aren't the only stand out features on the album though, Bun also got an unreleased Tupac verse for the song "Right Now", which also features Trey Songz and Pimp C. Every featured rapper sounds good in perspective of the album, but Bun is no slouch on songs without features, and he proves it on bangers like "Lights, Camera, Action" and "I Git Down 4 Mine". The production is banging in proper Bun fashion as well, perfect to bump in the trunk of your car, and even features a DJ Premier beat on the song "Let Em Know". (Wow, certainly didn't expect to basically just give you an album review there, but if I had to recommend any albums for new Bun fans, Trill OG would certainly be it.)

So needless to say, Bun B makes some pretty great music and his influence on today's generation of rap still shines through strong. Listening to him brings me back, especially his first album, because his style was basically what epitomized rap in the early 2000s, and the younger side of me gets all nostalgic, but saying Bun has made the same music since his debut would be unfair, and pretty inaccurate. Though the concept of his Trill O.G. (which I'm also just realizing means trilogy, clever work Bun) series remained the same throughout all 3 albums, his growth as a rapper and as a person can't be denied, and how could you not change after the death of a close friend, and former Scottie Pippen to his Michael Jordan?  No, Bun certainly hasn't been one dimensional at all throughout his career, but I believe there is only one word that could describe him, and I believe we all already know what it is.