Grand Hustle has been slipping a bit on its rap cred, or its "street credentials" if you will. Well maybe not so much it's street cred, but more for it's pull in the rap game and their rights to say that they're still a juggernaut label, or a force to be reckoned with. T.I. isn't quite the hip-hop heavyweight he once was when it comes to selling records, or even being a top 5 emcee in the popular opinion. So that leaves the rest of the label: Iggy Azalea, B.o.B, Trae Tha Truth, Travi$ Scott, Young Dro, etc., to help carry the load in sales, and "street cred". Their first G.D.O.D mix tape saw a bit of success, but could they keep it rolling with G.D.O.D 2?
Now before this review gets going I HAVE to ask: why is it Grand Hustle is the only label that's had the time or desire to release any type of compilation project? With all the talent of other rosters that people would pay serious (or probably more, granted many people don't pay at all these days) money to hear like Shady Records (even though they're in the midst with Shady XV), G.O.O.D Music, Roc Nation, Young Money (though I believe they recently did it too?), why is it that Grand Hustle is the only label that has had the balls to do so? Could it possibly be for fear of incredibly high expectations? Surely not a far off notion. Anyways, back to this review thing.
Any project worth hearing has to have an intro that keeps you wanting more, and Grand Hustle did not too shabby with this one... "Welcome To My City" is that king-me type of banger that you love to bump in your 6-4 (word to Big K.R.I.T) riding around your... well... your "city". A sweet beat that includes some banging 808s and horns that are fit for a king's arrival, this song is a great way to start off any project. Not to mention the hella-catchy hook.
The general differentiation between albums and mix tapes you might normally say is substance vs. free bangers, and that's exactly what this tape is all about. Songs like "Brand New Choppa", "UM HMM", "What You Gon' Do Bout It", "Ain't Both (MLK)", and "I Do The Most" solidify a nice round up of bass-filled tracks that can become best friends with your car speakers. I don't listen to much of Young Thug myself, but hearing him on the hook of "I Need War" with T.I. does it some justice, and adds a bit of energy to the track. "By Any Means" with Watch The Duck (haven't heard of him until this tape, interesting name to say the least), T.I., Spodee, and Shad Da God adds a different vibe to the tape, but the crazy, gibberish-spewed hook is hard to understand and takes away from the song a bit, although its quite hilarious to hear if you like hearing fast talking "rappers" who mix groaning with a nice hit of crack. Check out this track if you want a laugh.
One thing that bothered me about this tape was the lack of B.o.B verses. Ol Bobby Ray has to be number 2 in line behind Tip in terms of who pulls the most weight, and to me he's the best rapper on Grand Hustle lyrically. Not only that, but 1 SONG with Iggy on it?! What's the deal there? You would think you'd try to get the biggest star in pop today on your mix tape more, ESPECIALLY if she's on your label! Not sure what the deal is there, but Iggy's sold out a bit to me anyways. They like to call it longevity, or versatility, but she's gone pop and strayed away from her rap roots a bit it seems.
Altogether a decent tape, but definitely one for strictly party use or car bumping. Lacking a bit in versatility, you don't hear a lot of RNB songs (minus "Champaign Room"), or straight "hip hop" songs where these guys like to show their ability, so it's a bit one dimensional. Highlights are the decent production, and appearances from practically EVERY relevant Grand Hustle rapper still around (Young Dro especially, it's nice to hear he's still got some skill on tracks like "Who We Is [OG]", and Trae Tha Truth is underrated as well, he's always reminded me of Bun B). So if you're looking to numb your body and your speakers a bit as well, give GDOD 2 a listen yourself, and make sure your speakers are heavy!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Big K.R.I.T's See Me On Top 4 Review
Big K.R.I.T's new album campaign is officially kicking off, and what better way to excite your fans than to put out a mix tape before hand to build the anticipation? THERE IS NONE. If that was your answer then good for you. Want a cookie? Well too bad, I'd like one too, but we all got quite the treat when this wonderful mix of Krizzle dropped in the early afternoon yesterday. Yes ladies and gents K.R.I.T is back at it again, and thankfully enough it seems not a thing has changed for the incredibly underrated Mississippi-bred rapper.
I mean really though, I'd like to take a second and say if you're sleeping on K.R.I.T, then shame on you. BAD! You should know better than that! Anyways, back to this body of work. K.R.I.T has always been one to show his roots through his music, and See Me On Top 4 is no different. His southern brand of trunk banging, drum thumping music is always very pleasing to the ear for whoever takes the time to listen, and the bangers have "no chill" (as the kids say nowadays) on this project. Songs like "Ridin Dirty", "Ridin Low", and "Shook Up" bring that brand of heavy, strictlyforyocaddys type of bangers that K.R.I.T knows so, so well and really makes better than anyone else in the game right now.
But if you know K.R.I.T, you know that he certainly isn't one dimensional. He shows his range on songs for the ladies like "Mind F*ck", a cleverly-titled slow jam where K.R.I.T simply wants one thing that he establishes on the hook; "let me f@#! your brains out." He also addresses other topics, like the "broke" life and the struggle on the almost inspiring jam "Never Going Back". The talks of hustling and the struggling life in the streets take over this song and he establishes very clearly that he's "NEVER GOING BACK" on the hook of this one. I must say when I heard this I thought to myself "LETS DO IT KRIT!" The struggle is different for everybody, and I might not have grown up in the streets, but we all have our struggles no matter what our background, so don't judge me!
K.R.I.T's hustle never slows down as you know, and he shows that his producing ways haven't slowed down either having produced 13 of the 22 tracks on the tape. He even shows a little bit of "stepping outside of the comfort zone" on a freestyle on Lil Wayne's "Believe Me" instrumental. The rest of the production on the tape was handled by Jim Jonsin, Slade Da Monsta, WLPWR, Scott Storch, and more.
So this definitely turned out to be a pretty nice surprise for fans altogether. It's pretty safe to say that K.R.I.T practically never disappoints. I mean really, NEVER disappoints. The only thing I can honestly say I had to complain about on this tape was the tags and the talking over every record, but that comes with practically every mix tape. It was really sweet, and almost a blast from the past to seemingly hear this entire tape flow from song to song, almost as if the entire tape was 1 song in itself (Nate Dogg anyone?). The features on this project weren't too shabby, but we didn't see many of them. It's hard to say whether or not you expect that from K.R.I.T, although I'd like to say I enjoy solo K.R.I.T a bit more anyways. K.R.I.T handled a huge portion of the production on this one as usual, but switched up the pace a little bit by adding some help this time around. Is this a sign that his album will include more outside production? I guess we'll find out when Cadillactica drops in November. Check out a stand out cut from the tape, "Drinkers Club" featuring Juicy J, Rittz and ASAP Ferg below.
(*I do not own this song, or the rights to it or any of these artists)
I mean really though, I'd like to take a second and say if you're sleeping on K.R.I.T, then shame on you. BAD! You should know better than that! Anyways, back to this body of work. K.R.I.T has always been one to show his roots through his music, and See Me On Top 4 is no different. His southern brand of trunk banging, drum thumping music is always very pleasing to the ear for whoever takes the time to listen, and the bangers have "no chill" (as the kids say nowadays) on this project. Songs like "Ridin Dirty", "Ridin Low", and "Shook Up" bring that brand of heavy, strictlyforyocaddys type of bangers that K.R.I.T knows so, so well and really makes better than anyone else in the game right now.
But if you know K.R.I.T, you know that he certainly isn't one dimensional. He shows his range on songs for the ladies like "Mind F*ck", a cleverly-titled slow jam where K.R.I.T simply wants one thing that he establishes on the hook; "let me f@#! your brains out." He also addresses other topics, like the "broke" life and the struggle on the almost inspiring jam "Never Going Back". The talks of hustling and the struggling life in the streets take over this song and he establishes very clearly that he's "NEVER GOING BACK" on the hook of this one. I must say when I heard this I thought to myself "LETS DO IT KRIT!" The struggle is different for everybody, and I might not have grown up in the streets, but we all have our struggles no matter what our background, so don't judge me!
K.R.I.T's hustle never slows down as you know, and he shows that his producing ways haven't slowed down either having produced 13 of the 22 tracks on the tape. He even shows a little bit of "stepping outside of the comfort zone" on a freestyle on Lil Wayne's "Believe Me" instrumental. The rest of the production on the tape was handled by Jim Jonsin, Slade Da Monsta, WLPWR, Scott Storch, and more.
So this definitely turned out to be a pretty nice surprise for fans altogether. It's pretty safe to say that K.R.I.T practically never disappoints. I mean really, NEVER disappoints. The only thing I can honestly say I had to complain about on this tape was the tags and the talking over every record, but that comes with practically every mix tape. It was really sweet, and almost a blast from the past to seemingly hear this entire tape flow from song to song, almost as if the entire tape was 1 song in itself (Nate Dogg anyone?). The features on this project weren't too shabby, but we didn't see many of them. It's hard to say whether or not you expect that from K.R.I.T, although I'd like to say I enjoy solo K.R.I.T a bit more anyways. K.R.I.T handled a huge portion of the production on this one as usual, but switched up the pace a little bit by adding some help this time around. Is this a sign that his album will include more outside production? I guess we'll find out when Cadillactica drops in November. Check out a stand out cut from the tape, "Drinkers Club" featuring Juicy J, Rittz and ASAP Ferg below.
(*I do not own this song, or the rights to it or any of these artists)
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
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*)
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.
Friday, September 12, 2014
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Is there a NEW Nas Album on the way?
Nowadays (at least for rappers' sake) rappers are very, VERY quiet up until they feel the need to make the news for something. That news could be for a guest verse, a highly anticipated remix, an upcoming tour, a new perfume (hopefully not for this guys case, but do you Nicki Minaj). Or the news could be leading up to something even bigger than all of those: a new album. And Nas felt the need to break the news to us in a new sweet remix of Schoolboy Q's popular banger "Studio". Check it out below.
(*I do not own this video, song, or the rights to them*)
Now not only can I say that this song is sweet because of that crazy beat that bumps on any speaker system, I can also say (Schoolboy can too, it is his song) that a legend was in a good enough mood to bless this beat as well! Boy, it's crazy how far skill can go matched with a little bit of luck isn't it? (For Schoolboy's sake, not Nas.) I mean as successful a run as Schoolboy has had so far with Oxymoron and the even better success that his single "Studio" has seen (multiple rappers freestyling over it, including multiple remixes), he's probably feeling pretty good right about now going into working on his next album (Schoolboy is hoping for a 2015 release, but he says things can change).
But our focus right now is on this supposed Nas album! In this remix Nas states that the album is already done and the single is very close to dropping (are you excited yet?), but he also states some other rather odd news that is probably safe to say nobody was expecting. The line "last album on Def Jam and I got so many options" sticks out to even the most novice Nas fan. So what does this mean? Does Nasty Nas go to another label to release (possible) future albums or does he stay independent? With the success rappers see staying independent today, this theory isn't too far fetched. Although it is Nas, I mean come on, its practically his choice if he wants a new label. At this stage in his career it's hard to tell (it "ain't" really, for him) what he wants to do, although the passion in his last Life Is Good album shows that he still has a lot of stories to tell us. Stay posted for further details, more to come as this story develops!
Now not only can I say that this song is sweet because of that crazy beat that bumps on any speaker system, I can also say (Schoolboy can too, it is his song) that a legend was in a good enough mood to bless this beat as well! Boy, it's crazy how far skill can go matched with a little bit of luck isn't it? (For Schoolboy's sake, not Nas.) I mean as successful a run as Schoolboy has had so far with Oxymoron and the even better success that his single "Studio" has seen (multiple rappers freestyling over it, including multiple remixes), he's probably feeling pretty good right about now going into working on his next album (Schoolboy is hoping for a 2015 release, but he says things can change).
But our focus right now is on this supposed Nas album! In this remix Nas states that the album is already done and the single is very close to dropping (are you excited yet?), but he also states some other rather odd news that is probably safe to say nobody was expecting. The line "last album on Def Jam and I got so many options" sticks out to even the most novice Nas fan. So what does this mean? Does Nasty Nas go to another label to release (possible) future albums or does he stay independent? With the success rappers see staying independent today, this theory isn't too far fetched. Although it is Nas, I mean come on, its practically his choice if he wants a new label. At this stage in his career it's hard to tell (it "ain't" really, for him) what he wants to do, although the passion in his last Life Is Good album shows that he still has a lot of stories to tell us. Stay posted for further details, more to come as this story develops!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
BET Hip Hop Awards 2014: Award Nominations and My Predictions (Or Wishes, Whatever)
It's getting to be that time of year again, the time when your favorite rappers get snubbed for an award, and when they give way too much recognition to an artist that doesn't deserve it, and of course the time of year in which seemingly every year an award category is made up in which nobody cares about. Of course I'm talking about none other than the BET Hip Hop Awards. With Uncle Snoop hosting this year there's bound to be some entertainment, but sadly enough you almost expect disappointment in there somewhere. Not because of Snoop of course, but because it's an award show (nowhere near as bad as the Grammy's for rap, but still) and someone is bound to be angry over something. At this point it's just not knowing what it could be. But I'm not focused on that right now because recently the award categories have been set, and I NEED to give my opinion on (what I believe to be) the most important categories, who should win each, and why. (Note: again, these are my personal views and opinions on who should win, no matter how biased or stupid the reasoning might be.)
Who Blew Up Award:
Iggy Azalea
Migos
Rich Homie Quan
Schoolboy Q
YG
Young Thug
Iggy. What's next? Oh am I supposed to elaborate? Is there any elaborating needed for this particular category? Not really. Not only did Iggy's lead single "Fancy" get certified double platinum by the RIAA, but she BROKE BILLBOARD RECORDS as the first artist since The Beatles (yes, those Beatles) to have their first two Billboard entries hit number 1 and number 2 simultaneously. Did anyone else on that list even have a number 1? Doesn't matter, moving on!
Hustler Of The Year Award:
Dr. Dre
Drake
Jay Z
Rick Ross
T.I.
What exactly are the details on this award? How does one become the "Hustler of The Year"? I suppose only a hustler would know. This award strikes me as odd, but noticing the common denominator in this list would be that most of them have become successful entrepreneurs. Not saying that I can detail piece by piece what Rick Ross and T.I. have done so importantly entrepreneur-wise this year, but in my opinion this one comes down to Dre and Jay. And Dre wins of course, I mean come on, 3 billy for selling a headphone line? Does it get more "Hustler" than that?
Best Collab, Duo, or Group:
Eminem ft. Rihanna - The Monster
Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T and Casino - Move That Dope
Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail
Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid - Studio
YG ft. Young Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta
This one might be a bit closer than some other categories. Being the Stan that I hate to admit I am, I'd like to see Em take this one home, and Rihanna is huge everywhere, but I certainly could see either Jay Z or Schoolboy Q win this one as well. That Studio jam had me bumping it since the video came out, and I didn't even listen to much of Oxymoron. Same goes for the Jay and Justin song; didn't listen to much of the album, but the song bumps. Props to the producers on both of those cuts, but if I’m picking a winner in this category, I’ll go with Schoolboy Q and the Chicago Kid.
Best Live Performer:
Drake
Jay Z
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
T.I. being on this list confuses me... I mean I can't knock the guy, nor can I compliment him, but the other four performers on the list I have seen (or could see) people vouching for. Drake has been the people's pick for some odd years now, Jay Z is Jay Z, and Kendrick Lamar is Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye creates an aura around his performances that can't be matched by anyone. Now the arguments that Jay and Kendrick are themselves might not be the best points, but there are MANY people who would do unspeakable things to see Kendrick (including myself) as well as a legend like Jay Z (who knows how much longer he has left?). But my pick has to go to Kanye on this one, simply because the mere pictures I've seen of his performances (creepy metal masks, bringing a faux "Jesus" on stage, many people say its like Kanye is looking in a mirror, hilarious right?) are unlike anything you could see anywhere else.
Lyricist Of The Year:
Drake
Eminem
J. Cole
Jay Z
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
This category is one of my favorites I'll admit. While I do like a good club banger I can party or bob my head to, the other half of it to me is lyrical capabilities. I enjoy sitting back and listening to some of the crazy metaphors Eminem can put together, as well as Kendrick's lyrical capabilities and Cole's great punch lines. I really couldn't tell you why Drake is on this list, he makes great music that people party to and vibe to even by themselves, but there's no way he matches up lyrically with Em, Kendrick, Cole, or even Nicki for that matter. My pick here is obviously Em, but if he doesn't get it (for some VERY odd reason) I see Kendrick taking this one home again.
Producer Of The Year:
DJ Mustard
Drumma Boy
Hit-Boy
Mike WiLL Made It
Pharrell
Timbaland
Interesting list here. Every one of these producers had at least one (probably more) smash hit that you couldn't go a day without hearing on the radio. My personal favorite was Hit-Boy's masterful production on Drake's "Trophies" banger that came out at the very end of 2013. It seems that Pharrell and Timbaland are always in the running for best producer of the year, but as much as I hate to do it I have to go with Mustard winning this one. Too many hits. Jeezy's "R.I.P", B.o.B's "Headband", Ty Dolla Sign's "Paranoid", YG and Drake's "Who Do You Love?", and that's not even scratching the surface.
Album Of The Year:
Drake - Nothing Was The Same
Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP 2
Rick Ross - Mastermind
Future - Honest
Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron
Yo Gotti - I Am
In terms of sales, this list isn't the most impressive. Only two of these albums have gone at least platinum, (Nothing Was The Same doing so for Drake and Shady's Marshall Mathers LP 2 has gone double platinum) but all of these albums are critically acclaimed obviously (or else they probably wouldn't be in this conversation). Although in the past 10 years or so, album sales haven't really been the greatest for any hip hop artist other than Eminem, Drake, Kendrick or Nicki. In fact, they are the only hip hop artists to receive a platinum plaque for their efforts in quite a few years (I thought I read at least 10 somewhere, I don't remember at the moment). But regardless of sales, I don't see anybody but Eminem or Drake taking this one home. The years both of them had were incomparable to anyone else.
I'll stop with the predictions right about there, although there are many more awards and nominations to get to, the ones I listed just seemed the most important (to me, at least). Check out the rest of the awards that will be given and their nominees below.
Best Hip Hop Video:
Drake - Worst Behavior
Future ft. Pharrell Pusha T & Casino - Move That Dope
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - Fancy
J. Cole ft. TLC - Crooked Smile
Nicki Minaj - Pills N Potions
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz
Made You Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style):
A$AP Rocky
Jay Z
Kanye West
Nicki Minaj
Young Thug
Best Hip Hop Online Site:
AllHipHop.com
Complex.com
HotNewHipHop.com
NecoleBitchie.com
RapRadar.com
WorldStarHipHop.com
Best Club Banger:
Future ft. Pharrell Pusha T & Casino -Move That Dope (Prod. by Mike WiLL Made It)
K Camp ft. Lil Boosie, YG & Too Short - Cut Her Off (Remix) (Prod. by Will-A-Fool)
Migos - Fight Night (Prod. by Stack Boy Twaun)
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz (Prod. by Detail)
YG ft. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta (Prod. by DJ Mustard)
Young Thug - Stoner (Prod. by Dun Deal)
Video Director of The Year:
Benny Boom
Chris Robinson
Director X
Dre Films
Hype Williams
DJ Of The Year:
DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Khaled
DJ Mustard
DJ Scream
Best Mixtape:
Action Bronson - Blue Chips 2
Fabolous - Soul Tape 3
Migos - No Label 2
Rich Homie Quan - I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In
Wiz Khalifa - 28 Grams
Best Featured Verse:
B.o.B - Paranoid (Ty Dolla $ign ft. B.o.B)
B.o.B - Up Down (Do This All Day) (T-Pain ft. B.o.B)
Drake - Who Do You Love (YG ft. Drake)
Kendrick Lamar - Control (Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica)
Pharrell - Move That Dope (Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino)
Track Of The Year:
Cut Her Off (Remix) - K Camp ft. YG, Lil Boosie & Too Short
Move That Dope - Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino
My Hitta - YG ft. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan
Studio - Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid
Worst Behavior - Drake
Impact Track:
Common ft. Vince Staples - Kingdom
Lecrae - Nothin
Lupe Fiasco - Mission
The Roots ft. Patty Cash - Never
Talib Kweli ft. Abby Dobson - State Of Grace
People's Champ Award:
Drake - Worst Behavior
Future - Move That Dope ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino
Iggy Azalea - Fancy ft. Charli XCX
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz
YG - My Hitta (Remix) ft. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill & Rich Homie Quan
I also remember reading that Murda Mook and Snoop D-O double G plan to bring battle rap to the show. What else could this possibly mean besides them taking the contestants from Total Slaughter and putting them in the cyphers? No confirmed details yet on who will be included, stay posted on those details, assuming they will be released as the date nears closer. The BET Hip Hop Awards are coming October 14th! Whose ready?
Who Blew Up Award:
Migos
Rich Homie Quan
Schoolboy Q
YG
Young Thug
Iggy. What's next? Oh am I supposed to elaborate? Is there any elaborating needed for this particular category? Not really. Not only did Iggy's lead single "Fancy" get certified double platinum by the RIAA, but she BROKE BILLBOARD RECORDS as the first artist since The Beatles (yes, those Beatles) to have their first two Billboard entries hit number 1 and number 2 simultaneously. Did anyone else on that list even have a number 1? Doesn't matter, moving on!
Hustler Of The Year Award:
Drake
Jay Z
Rick Ross
T.I.
What exactly are the details on this award? How does one become the "Hustler of The Year"? I suppose only a hustler would know. This award strikes me as odd, but noticing the common denominator in this list would be that most of them have become successful entrepreneurs. Not saying that I can detail piece by piece what Rick Ross and T.I. have done so importantly entrepreneur-wise this year, but in my opinion this one comes down to Dre and Jay. And Dre wins of course, I mean come on, 3 billy for selling a headphone line? Does it get more "Hustler" than that?
Best Collab, Duo, or Group:
Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T and Casino - Move That Dope
Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail
Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid - Studio
YG ft. Young Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta
This one might be a bit closer than some other categories. Being the Stan that I hate to admit I am, I'd like to see Em take this one home, and Rihanna is huge everywhere, but I certainly could see either Jay Z or Schoolboy Q win this one as well. That Studio jam had me bumping it since the video came out, and I didn't even listen to much of Oxymoron. Same goes for the Jay and Justin song; didn't listen to much of the album, but the song bumps. Props to the producers on both of those cuts, but if I’m picking a winner in this category, I’ll go with Schoolboy Q and the Chicago Kid.
Best Live Performer:
Jay Z
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
T.I. being on this list confuses me... I mean I can't knock the guy, nor can I compliment him, but the other four performers on the list I have seen (or could see) people vouching for. Drake has been the people's pick for some odd years now, Jay Z is Jay Z, and Kendrick Lamar is Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye creates an aura around his performances that can't be matched by anyone. Now the arguments that Jay and Kendrick are themselves might not be the best points, but there are MANY people who would do unspeakable things to see Kendrick (including myself) as well as a legend like Jay Z (who knows how much longer he has left?). But my pick has to go to Kanye on this one, simply because the mere pictures I've seen of his performances (creepy metal masks, bringing a faux "Jesus" on stage, many people say its like Kanye is looking in a mirror, hilarious right?) are unlike anything you could see anywhere else.
Lyricist Of The Year:
J. Cole
Jay Z
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj
This category is one of my favorites I'll admit. While I do like a good club banger I can party or bob my head to, the other half of it to me is lyrical capabilities. I enjoy sitting back and listening to some of the crazy metaphors Eminem can put together, as well as Kendrick's lyrical capabilities and Cole's great punch lines. I really couldn't tell you why Drake is on this list, he makes great music that people party to and vibe to even by themselves, but there's no way he matches up lyrically with Em, Kendrick, Cole, or even Nicki for that matter. My pick here is obviously Em, but if he doesn't get it (for some VERY odd reason) I see Kendrick taking this one home again.
Producer Of The Year:
Drumma Boy
Hit-Boy
Mike WiLL Made It
Pharrell
Timbaland
Interesting list here. Every one of these producers had at least one (probably more) smash hit that you couldn't go a day without hearing on the radio. My personal favorite was Hit-Boy's masterful production on Drake's "Trophies" banger that came out at the very end of 2013. It seems that Pharrell and Timbaland are always in the running for best producer of the year, but as much as I hate to do it I have to go with Mustard winning this one. Too many hits. Jeezy's "R.I.P", B.o.B's "Headband", Ty Dolla Sign's "Paranoid", YG and Drake's "Who Do You Love?", and that's not even scratching the surface.
Album Of The Year:
Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP 2
Rick Ross - Mastermind
Future - Honest
Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron
Yo Gotti - I Am
In terms of sales, this list isn't the most impressive. Only two of these albums have gone at least platinum, (Nothing Was The Same doing so for Drake and Shady's Marshall Mathers LP 2 has gone double platinum) but all of these albums are critically acclaimed obviously (or else they probably wouldn't be in this conversation). Although in the past 10 years or so, album sales haven't really been the greatest for any hip hop artist other than Eminem, Drake, Kendrick or Nicki. In fact, they are the only hip hop artists to receive a platinum plaque for their efforts in quite a few years (I thought I read at least 10 somewhere, I don't remember at the moment). But regardless of sales, I don't see anybody but Eminem or Drake taking this one home. The years both of them had were incomparable to anyone else.
I'll stop with the predictions right about there, although there are many more awards and nominations to get to, the ones I listed just seemed the most important (to me, at least). Check out the rest of the awards that will be given and their nominees below.
Best Hip Hop Video:
Future ft. Pharrell Pusha T & Casino - Move That Dope
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - Fancy
J. Cole ft. TLC - Crooked Smile
Nicki Minaj - Pills N Potions
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz
Made You Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style):
Jay Z
Kanye West
Nicki Minaj
Young Thug
Best Hip Hop Online Site:
Complex.com
HotNewHipHop.com
NecoleBitchie.com
RapRadar.com
WorldStarHipHop.com
Best Club Banger:
K Camp ft. Lil Boosie, YG & Too Short - Cut Her Off (Remix) (Prod. by Will-A-Fool)
Migos - Fight Night (Prod. by Stack Boy Twaun)
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz (Prod. by Detail)
YG ft. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan - My Hitta (Prod. by DJ Mustard)
Young Thug - Stoner (Prod. by Dun Deal)
Video Director of The Year:
Chris Robinson
Director X
Dre Films
Hype Williams
DJ Of The Year:
DJ Envy
DJ Khaled
DJ Mustard
DJ Scream
Best Mixtape:
Fabolous - Soul Tape 3
Migos - No Label 2
Rich Homie Quan - I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In
Wiz Khalifa - 28 Grams
Best Featured Verse:
B.o.B - Up Down (Do This All Day) (T-Pain ft. B.o.B)
Drake - Who Do You Love (YG ft. Drake)
Kendrick Lamar - Control (Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica)
Pharrell - Move That Dope (Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino)
Track Of The Year:
Move That Dope - Future ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino
My Hitta - YG ft. Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan
Studio - Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid
Worst Behavior - Drake
Impact Track:
Lecrae - Nothin
Lupe Fiasco - Mission
The Roots ft. Patty Cash - Never
Talib Kweli ft. Abby Dobson - State Of Grace
People's Champ Award:
Future - Move That Dope ft. Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino
Iggy Azalea - Fancy ft. Charli XCX
Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz
YG - My Hitta (Remix) ft. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill & Rich Homie Quan
I also remember reading that Murda Mook and Snoop D-O double G plan to bring battle rap to the show. What else could this possibly mean besides them taking the contestants from Total Slaughter and putting them in the cyphers? No confirmed details yet on who will be included, stay posted on those details, assuming they will be released as the date nears closer. The BET Hip Hop Awards are coming October 14th! Whose ready?
Saturday, September 6, 2014
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.
Scoop Deville
No I.D.
Boi-1da
SounWave
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.
Friday, September 5, 2014
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*)
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*)
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Flying Lotus & Kendrick Lamar Say You'll "Never Catch Me" And Its Hard To Argue
Well uhm... where to start with this one? Normally when you stumble upon some new Kendrick it isn't just ANY other day, of course. It's one of those days that you can tell is going to be a good one. Maybe not like Ice Cube good, or maybe it could be that good, I don't know I'm not Ice Cube, but it's a pretty damn good day nonetheless. Now Kendrick has the power to draw attention to even a guest verse, which not many people can do nowadays (minus maybe Drake, but who draws more attention? I thought to myself and couldn't come up with an answer honestly), so obviously I was one of the many whose attention it grabbed immediately. Having never heard of this Flying Lotus before, however, curved my interest even more than normal.
Now we all know Kendrick (hopefully, if you don't I have nothing to say to you), but I wanted to know a little more about this Flying Lotus creature. The fact that he says he has more songs with Kendrick certainly is an interesting starting point. Flylo had this to say (cool nickname huh?): "We've been working on stuff together. I went on tour and he recorded to a bunch of my songs. I don't know if he's gonna use them or not, but he recorded a bunch of stuff, which is why there's no Captain Murphy album yet. He took all my beats!" Now I'm not entirely sure what Captain Murphy is or what it entails, but Mr. Lotus is planning for his album You're Dead to release on October 7th of this year.
But Flying Lotus has a pretty interesting story outside of just one Kendrick featured single. He has apparently also produced a lot of the bumper music for the Adult Swim commercials in between shows (in case you don't know what bumper means, basically it means commercials, if you watch Adult Swim it would be the black commercials with sayings and phrases across them). In 2012 Steven Ellison (his real name) began rapping under the moniker Captain Murphy, based on the Sealab 2021 character that uses the same name. He has produced for a few big names already, one of those being Mac Miller, and rumors surfaced of him collaborating with Erykah Badu for her next album.
So maybe not the most known path taken to musical success, but he's certainly already on the right path. His album You're Dead will carry features from Kendrick, Snoop Dogg, and Herbie Hancock, and will certainly be one to look out for. Just hearing this Kendrick song I can already tell it's going to be a more different vibe than we're used to hearing, hopefully refreshing. And obviously Kendrick isn't one to shy away from different, so I like this song already, not only because its great, but because this could possibly mean new solo Kendrick is DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. Stay glued to your PC's. The game could be blowing up shortly. Listen to the new collab between the two below.
(*I do not own this song, video, or the rights to either*)
Now we all know Kendrick (hopefully, if you don't I have nothing to say to you), but I wanted to know a little more about this Flying Lotus creature. The fact that he says he has more songs with Kendrick certainly is an interesting starting point. Flylo had this to say (cool nickname huh?): "We've been working on stuff together. I went on tour and he recorded to a bunch of my songs. I don't know if he's gonna use them or not, but he recorded a bunch of stuff, which is why there's no Captain Murphy album yet. He took all my beats!" Now I'm not entirely sure what Captain Murphy is or what it entails, but Mr. Lotus is planning for his album You're Dead to release on October 7th of this year.
But Flying Lotus has a pretty interesting story outside of just one Kendrick featured single. He has apparently also produced a lot of the bumper music for the Adult Swim commercials in between shows (in case you don't know what bumper means, basically it means commercials, if you watch Adult Swim it would be the black commercials with sayings and phrases across them). In 2012 Steven Ellison (his real name) began rapping under the moniker Captain Murphy, based on the Sealab 2021 character that uses the same name. He has produced for a few big names already, one of those being Mac Miller, and rumors surfaced of him collaborating with Erykah Badu for her next album.
So maybe not the most known path taken to musical success, but he's certainly already on the right path. His album You're Dead will carry features from Kendrick, Snoop Dogg, and Herbie Hancock, and will certainly be one to look out for. Just hearing this Kendrick song I can already tell it's going to be a more different vibe than we're used to hearing, hopefully refreshing. And obviously Kendrick isn't one to shy away from different, so I like this song already, not only because its great, but because this could possibly mean new solo Kendrick is DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. Stay glued to your PC's. The game could be blowing up shortly. Listen to the new collab between the two below.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Shady XV: An Exciting Year For Shady Fans
Normally I'm more of a Twitter addict than I'd like to admit, but last night I was glued to it for one reason and one reason only. You'd probably think because of the VMAs right? Wrong. Well, half right. But it wasn't because of Beyoncé's acceptance of the Video Vanguard Award, it wasn't because of Nicki Minaj or Iggy Azalea (at least not last night), and it wasn't even because of Usher's performance (shocker). I was glued to Twitter of course because of Eminem's Shady XV! What is Shady XV you ask? Well now I can tell you (since last night Mr. ILikeToRelease20SecondPromoVideosButGiveNoRealDetails didn't feel like... you know, giving any details).
At first I was excited about seeing an Eminem tweet that read "Blink and you'll miss it... #VMAs #SHADYXV." But of course we should know by now that when it comes to Mr. ILikeToRelease20SecondPromoVideosButGiveNoRealDetails, that was all people were going to get. Oddly enough the real promo didn't come during the Video Music Awards, but on Twitter. Shortly after this tweet, Eminem then continued to tweet a 20 second promo video that ended with the words "SHADYXV" on the screen. Check out the promo video below.
Pretty sweet right? Now if you think too much about these sorts of things (like me) and start to make your own theories about what this could mean, your first assumption would be that it's another sequel to a classic album. Slim Shady LP 2 possibly? Man would that be insane! It only makes sense right? Following up the successful 2013 effort Marshall Mathers LP 2 with a sequel to a record that started it all? While all of this sounds cool, to me Shady fans got something equally as cool, released in a statement exclusively from shadyrecords.com. Shady XV is a compilation album release of Shady Record's 15th anniversary of its original start in 1999. It will include the greatest hits of all Shady Records members, including the newly released "Guts Over Fear" record from Eminem and Sia that will be used as the lead single for "The Equalizer," the new movie featuring Denzel Washington.
But there is more than just a compilation album coming folks. Yes that is correct, not only will we be getting a new album of the greatest hits from these fellow Shady Records members that will include new material, we will also be getting new albums from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Bad Meets Evil, and even a new D12 record is on the way. Are you excited yet?
So admittedly I'm pretty damn excited about what is going to be happening in the rap world in what I can only assume to be the next year. I mean it wouldn't be proper to release this 15 year anniversary album the year after the anniversary, obviously, the compilation album is set for a November 24th release date. But in the year to come?! A HUGE year for Shady Records alone, let alone all of hip hop. I've personally been waiting for a new Slaughterhouse album since after the last one came out (knowing they can do better production-wise, and they will, with Just Blaze at the helm obviously). Only time will tell what happens up until that point. It's funny, it's almost like the calm before the storm all over again. Enjoy Eminem's new single "Guts Over Fear" below.
At first I was excited about seeing an Eminem tweet that read "Blink and you'll miss it... #VMAs #SHADYXV." But of course we should know by now that when it comes to Mr. ILikeToRelease20SecondPromoVideosButGiveNoRealDetails, that was all people were going to get. Oddly enough the real promo didn't come during the Video Music Awards, but on Twitter. Shortly after this tweet, Eminem then continued to tweet a 20 second promo video that ended with the words "SHADYXV" on the screen. Check out the promo video below.
Pretty sweet right? Now if you think too much about these sorts of things (like me) and start to make your own theories about what this could mean, your first assumption would be that it's another sequel to a classic album. Slim Shady LP 2 possibly? Man would that be insane! It only makes sense right? Following up the successful 2013 effort Marshall Mathers LP 2 with a sequel to a record that started it all? While all of this sounds cool, to me Shady fans got something equally as cool, released in a statement exclusively from shadyrecords.com. Shady XV is a compilation album release of Shady Record's 15th anniversary of its original start in 1999. It will include the greatest hits of all Shady Records members, including the newly released "Guts Over Fear" record from Eminem and Sia that will be used as the lead single for "The Equalizer," the new movie featuring Denzel Washington.
But there is more than just a compilation album coming folks. Yes that is correct, not only will we be getting a new album of the greatest hits from these fellow Shady Records members that will include new material, we will also be getting new albums from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Bad Meets Evil, and even a new D12 record is on the way. Are you excited yet?
So admittedly I'm pretty damn excited about what is going to be happening in the rap world in what I can only assume to be the next year. I mean it wouldn't be proper to release this 15 year anniversary album the year after the anniversary, obviously, the compilation album is set for a November 24th release date. But in the year to come?! A HUGE year for Shady Records alone, let alone all of hip hop. I've personally been waiting for a new Slaughterhouse album since after the last one came out (knowing they can do better production-wise, and they will, with Just Blaze at the helm obviously). Only time will tell what happens up until that point. It's funny, it's almost like the calm before the storm all over again. Enjoy Eminem's new single "Guts Over Fear" below.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
A Mixing of Genres: My Favorite Rock + Rap Crossovers (Songs and Performances)
With Linkin Park making a triumphant comeback onto the music scene (once again) with their live performance on Yahoo this last Friday the 15th, I have to admit I was in awe. Growing up on Linkin Park, it was a nice blast from the past to see them to just kill the entire show, and that encore... oh my. What other bands can say they have as many hits as these guys? No really, I'll wait. Nothing? Alright then. Anyways, the performance was too awesome, but then I got to thinking about that Jay-Z collaboration they did awhile ago. Numb/Encore was one of my all time favorites growing up. One thing led to another, then eventually I was online looking up Kid Rock songs (don't judge me). So here is a list of some of my favorite rap/rock collaborations.
Linkin Park + Jay-Z - Numb/Encore
So obviously I had to pick this one with all the buzz Linkin Park has been creating lately with their new album. Plus that song with Rakim? It's just Linkin Park getting back to making dope music as usual. It'll be interesting to see how they collaborate with other artists like they said they're finally opening up to doing. But I picked this particular one because not only is this song amazing, it's even more amazing live.
Imagine Dragons + Kendrick Lamar - Radioactive Remix
This one is just another example of Kendrick's longevity. Not only the most recent rock + rap collaboration of awesomeness, but on top of that it is just well... nothing short of incredible. Combining the already sweet imagine dragons banger (which sort of had a hip hop feel to it to begin with), then you add in a crazy rock and roll vibe verse that Kendrick destroys via his voice alone (not to discredit Kendrick's verse itself, he does his thing as usual), the finished product is something that appeals to two completely different types of audiences. Bravo to both parties.
Kid Rock, Run DMC + Aerosmith - Bawitdaba/Kings Of Rock/Walk This Way
Okay so admittedly I had to throw this one in because I grew up listening to Kid Rock. Come on, who didn't love Joe C. spitting verses out opposite Kid Rock? They used this gigantic performance to open up the MTV Video Music Awards in 1999. Definitely the most unorthodox performance of the time, but it seemed to work pretty well. I love the microphone tossing back and forth between Rock and Tyler, I believe I remember hearing one of the two say they almost dropped one of the microphones so they had stopped throwing them after 3 tosses. The most interesting part to me about this performance is that you have one side of it (the rock: Aerosmith), the other side of it (the rap: Run DMC), and Kid Rock falling respectfully in between both genres (at least back then, now it seems old man Rock has sold himself out to country).
DJ Z-Trip ft. Chester Bennington - The Walking Dead
This one's not so well known, but back in 2005 a DJ by the name of Z-Trip collaborated with Linkin Park's own Chester Bennington on a song called "The Walking Dead." Yes...even before all the tv hoopla about some show that shares the same name, there was a song. I remember hearing this song myself when it first came out because I hadn't heard anything like it. What is it with Chester Bennington and Linkin Park being able to gel so well with hip hop and collaborating with rappers? I certainly wish we got more of that. In case you haven't heard of DJ Z-Trip, he's collaborated with big names like LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Talib Kweli and many more. Thinking about him now I might have to go and check out some more of his work myself.
So those are just a few of some really good rock and rap collaborations. Don't forget that rap did get its start from rock, and of course has flourished as its own genre ever since. So when you think about it, you really do have to pay homage to acts like Run DMC, the Beasty Boys, and guys like that who started it all. Can you even imagine how scary it would have been to hear the backlash and criticism from people who didn't know what it was back then? I know I can't. Rock has been popular forever, it may have changed over the past couple of decades, but bands are finding ways to make it sound better. Same thing goes for rap (arguably). It may have changed, but now its more global and getting more recognition than its ever gotten. But every now and then it is nice to get a feel for where it all started: an experiment of new sounds. Let me know your favorite rock and rap collaborations on Google+ or twitter (@SuperNovaRover).
(*Disclaimer: I do not own these videos, or the rights to them, or any of the artists shown in them*)
Linkin Park + Jay-Z - Numb/Encore
So obviously I had to pick this one with all the buzz Linkin Park has been creating lately with their new album. Plus that song with Rakim? It's just Linkin Park getting back to making dope music as usual. It'll be interesting to see how they collaborate with other artists like they said they're finally opening up to doing. But I picked this particular one because not only is this song amazing, it's even more amazing live.
Imagine Dragons + Kendrick Lamar - Radioactive Remix
This one is just another example of Kendrick's longevity. Not only the most recent rock + rap collaboration of awesomeness, but on top of that it is just well... nothing short of incredible. Combining the already sweet imagine dragons banger (which sort of had a hip hop feel to it to begin with), then you add in a crazy rock and roll vibe verse that Kendrick destroys via his voice alone (not to discredit Kendrick's verse itself, he does his thing as usual), the finished product is something that appeals to two completely different types of audiences. Bravo to both parties.
Kid Rock, Run DMC + Aerosmith - Bawitdaba/Kings Of Rock/Walk This Way
Okay so admittedly I had to throw this one in because I grew up listening to Kid Rock. Come on, who didn't love Joe C. spitting verses out opposite Kid Rock? They used this gigantic performance to open up the MTV Video Music Awards in 1999. Definitely the most unorthodox performance of the time, but it seemed to work pretty well. I love the microphone tossing back and forth between Rock and Tyler, I believe I remember hearing one of the two say they almost dropped one of the microphones so they had stopped throwing them after 3 tosses. The most interesting part to me about this performance is that you have one side of it (the rock: Aerosmith), the other side of it (the rap: Run DMC), and Kid Rock falling respectfully in between both genres (at least back then, now it seems old man Rock has sold himself out to country).
DJ Z-Trip ft. Chester Bennington - The Walking Dead
This one's not so well known, but back in 2005 a DJ by the name of Z-Trip collaborated with Linkin Park's own Chester Bennington on a song called "The Walking Dead." Yes...even before all the tv hoopla about some show that shares the same name, there was a song. I remember hearing this song myself when it first came out because I hadn't heard anything like it. What is it with Chester Bennington and Linkin Park being able to gel so well with hip hop and collaborating with rappers? I certainly wish we got more of that. In case you haven't heard of DJ Z-Trip, he's collaborated with big names like LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Talib Kweli and many more. Thinking about him now I might have to go and check out some more of his work myself.
So those are just a few of some really good rock and rap collaborations. Don't forget that rap did get its start from rock, and of course has flourished as its own genre ever since. So when you think about it, you really do have to pay homage to acts like Run DMC, the Beasty Boys, and guys like that who started it all. Can you even imagine how scary it would have been to hear the backlash and criticism from people who didn't know what it was back then? I know I can't. Rock has been popular forever, it may have changed over the past couple of decades, but bands are finding ways to make it sound better. Same thing goes for rap (arguably). It may have changed, but now its more global and getting more recognition than its ever gotten. But every now and then it is nice to get a feel for where it all started: an experiment of new sounds. Let me know your favorite rock and rap collaborations on Google+ or twitter (@SuperNovaRover).
(*Disclaimer: I do not own these videos, or the rights to them, or any of the artists shown in them*)
Friday, August 15, 2014
Kendrick Lamar And Dr. Dre's "Detox": An Insane, Not So Insane Theory
Kendrick Lamar is undoubtedly in the top five hottest emcees out right now, and really has been a giant on the scene since he became known roughly around 2010-2011. It's amazing what he can do on the microphone, and as a guest verse on ANYONE's song seemingly (see rap song catalog 2011-now). Dr. Dre is, well... he's Dr. Dre. A rap producer (a pretty damn good one at that, at least he was), and mentor to a strong list of established artists, along with being a headphone aficionado of a line that just sold for $3 billion. The two of these men together have the ability to make timeless hip hop, a sound, almost a certain type of hip hop branded by one coast: the west. A bond of being from a troubled "hood" and knowing the struggles of the "streets" can take you a long way, or so they've shown to this point. But a certain idea was brought to my attention not too long ago that is just crazy enough to believe.
And now I propose to you...a question if you will: Is Kendrick Lamar Dr. Dre's long awaited Detox? Now hear me out here, this might not make sense to you like, at ALL, but then I really got to thinking about hip hop's best kept secret, and the ones keeping it. I know that Detox at this point is nearly a myth, the best album that no one has ever heard, incredible production, insane feature verses only from the best of the best in the game, production value rivaled by NO ONE, maybe even a few unheard Tupac verses? The ideas for Detox are endless at this point, but I don't think Detox is what people think it is.
Now when it comes to Dre being the mentor that he is so well known to be, the list of names is a pretty good one. It's not far off to say that Dre is responsible for the come up of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Game, NWA, the list goes on (besides Slim The Mobster, whatever happened to that dude?). But the latest protégé taken under Dre's wing has been none other than fellow Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar. It wouldn't be wrong to think that Kendrick is just another successful artist, but it seems to me there is more to this...and now let me tell you why.
It is known that Kendrick Lamar is a clean, sober rapper that stays away from even the every-so-often beer. Yes Kendrick is 100% sober and has even rapped about overdosing on a laced blunt in Compton in the song "Maad City." The line is as follows: "Cocaine laced in marijuana and they wonder why I rarely smoke now, imagine if your first blunt had you foaming at the mouth." So its obviously safe to say that Kendrick is far out of the norm for a rapper/producer like Dr. Dre: for God's sake Dre's first two albums are named The Chronic and The Chronic 2001, but the idea of Detox is to push Dre toward a new path. Whether he's sober or not nobody but Dre knows, but he has come out to say that Detox would be his final album.
Not only does Kendrick fit the "detox" theme that Dre is aimed for, but believe it or not, there is even more to this! Obviously with both Dre and Kendrick being from Compton, there is (what you'd think) a certain chemistry between the two, you know, with seeing what they saw in Compton and all that. A bond had to be made with not only growing up with the hard ships of living in Compton, but with the music as well. It's like Dre is the king and Kendrick is the prince, he's still learning it all and has a way to go, but its like its set in stone: Kendrick will carry on the tradition of west coast hip hop when Dre decides to call it a career. The torch will be passed, and in good measure, it's almost like Kendrick's come up was meant to be, seeing as its a known fact that Kendrick was ON SET of Dre and Tupac's California Love music video. That's right, the video was shot near his house in California. And on top of everything else, Dre and Kendrick even attended the same high school (Centennial High) in Compton! Now it's starting to make a lot more sense that Kendrick has a song called "Look Out For Detox".
So when you think about things that are meant to be, this entire scenario is nothing less. It was pretty insane when I got to thinking about it I'll admit, but conspiracy theories be damned I had to address this. As reclusive as Dre is with everything nowadays (don't get me started on new music, or even something as simple as that incredibly dope Beats commercial with Dre and Kendrick in it. Can we at least get some official audio?), it didn't seem far off to assume that there was a bigger idea behind it all. Although the idea's insane, can you blame me for dreaming? In case you didn't see the incredibly dope Beats commercial featuring the two, check out the director's cut below.
*I do not own this video or the rights to it. I do not own Beats or the rights to them*
And now I propose to you...a question if you will: Is Kendrick Lamar Dr. Dre's long awaited Detox? Now hear me out here, this might not make sense to you like, at ALL, but then I really got to thinking about hip hop's best kept secret, and the ones keeping it. I know that Detox at this point is nearly a myth, the best album that no one has ever heard, incredible production, insane feature verses only from the best of the best in the game, production value rivaled by NO ONE, maybe even a few unheard Tupac verses? The ideas for Detox are endless at this point, but I don't think Detox is what people think it is.
Now when it comes to Dre being the mentor that he is so well known to be, the list of names is a pretty good one. It's not far off to say that Dre is responsible for the come up of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Game, NWA, the list goes on (besides Slim The Mobster, whatever happened to that dude?). But the latest protégé taken under Dre's wing has been none other than fellow Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar. It wouldn't be wrong to think that Kendrick is just another successful artist, but it seems to me there is more to this...and now let me tell you why.
It is known that Kendrick Lamar is a clean, sober rapper that stays away from even the every-so-often beer. Yes Kendrick is 100% sober and has even rapped about overdosing on a laced blunt in Compton in the song "Maad City." The line is as follows: "Cocaine laced in marijuana and they wonder why I rarely smoke now, imagine if your first blunt had you foaming at the mouth." So its obviously safe to say that Kendrick is far out of the norm for a rapper/producer like Dr. Dre: for God's sake Dre's first two albums are named The Chronic and The Chronic 2001, but the idea of Detox is to push Dre toward a new path. Whether he's sober or not nobody but Dre knows, but he has come out to say that Detox would be his final album.
Not only does Kendrick fit the "detox" theme that Dre is aimed for, but believe it or not, there is even more to this! Obviously with both Dre and Kendrick being from Compton, there is (what you'd think) a certain chemistry between the two, you know, with seeing what they saw in Compton and all that. A bond had to be made with not only growing up with the hard ships of living in Compton, but with the music as well. It's like Dre is the king and Kendrick is the prince, he's still learning it all and has a way to go, but its like its set in stone: Kendrick will carry on the tradition of west coast hip hop when Dre decides to call it a career. The torch will be passed, and in good measure, it's almost like Kendrick's come up was meant to be, seeing as its a known fact that Kendrick was ON SET of Dre and Tupac's California Love music video. That's right, the video was shot near his house in California. And on top of everything else, Dre and Kendrick even attended the same high school (Centennial High) in Compton! Now it's starting to make a lot more sense that Kendrick has a song called "Look Out For Detox".
So when you think about things that are meant to be, this entire scenario is nothing less. It was pretty insane when I got to thinking about it I'll admit, but conspiracy theories be damned I had to address this. As reclusive as Dre is with everything nowadays (don't get me started on new music, or even something as simple as that incredibly dope Beats commercial with Dre and Kendrick in it. Can we at least get some official audio?), it didn't seem far off to assume that there was a bigger idea behind it all. Although the idea's insane, can you blame me for dreaming? In case you didn't see the incredibly dope Beats commercial featuring the two, check out the director's cut below.
*I do not own this video or the rights to it. I do not own Beats or the rights to them*
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Carter V: What Do YOU Expect?
Lil Wayne has been the absolute biggest, most talked about rap artist out the past 10 years, more or less. Starting out rapping at the incredibly young age of 9, he signed to Young Money Records, and the rest is history. Now it is debated at one time that he was considered the best rapper alive (of course me being me, I cannot agree with this statement), but to some Wayne fans he has fallen off completely. A couple singles have been leaked off of his forthcoming Carter V album and they seem to be getting mixed reviews. But I'd like to hear from the real heads; has Wayne fallen off or will Carter V be his rise back to the top?
Now this year has been an unsure, rocky road for Wayne and his supporters. With Carter V originally being promised in May, obviously there were some complications, but Wayne has showed promise with the few singles he's released so far. I don't listen to Wayne regularly and I can truly say I like to get jiggy when I hear the Drake-assisted "Believe Me" come on the radio. He also recently put out his newest song "Grindin," with Drake adding a decent verse, although it is said that the "Grindin" cut would not be included on the album, supposedly just a song to kick off their hyped Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour coming up. It seems Wayne really wasn't kidding when he said "and we'll be okay if we put Drake on every hook." These Drake hooks have seen success up to this point, but how will the solo cuts fair? I suppose we'll see soon enough.
To be honest, this whole Wayne situation confuses me. Who really knows what's in store for him and his future in music? Talk of so many different projects has come up that it would make retiring a pretty hard concept to grasp. By the age of 35 Wayne wants to call it quits? A pretty big part of me doesn't believe that for a second. See what I did there? Since Wayne's song is called... never mind. Wayne has put too many thoughts in the heads of his fans to just call it quits so soon, even if he still has a few years to go. With the rumors of the collaborative albums with Drake and Juelz Santana, and even rumors of contributions to a possible Big Tymers album, how will he be able to manage it all in less than 4 years?
If I can give my opinion on it I'd say he's bluffing, but he does have kids to attend to. So the thought of retirement certainly isn't out of the question, although its hard to tell if Wayne knows what he's leaving behind. A legacy of one of the hardest working rappers in the past 5 years, maybe more, is definitely evident to many, if not all hip hop fans. I see him staying on Young Money and helping out in the production process of the label's albums, such as Drake and Nicki Minaj's solo albums, but that's IF he really retires. Who knows? Carter V is coming soon though, rumors of less than 2 months maybe, but no real date given yet. If it really is his last, just be a fan. Don't judge the album, don't say what he could of done better, just be a fan, listen and enjoy what he puts together for you. For Wayne's legacy, and for hip hop. Hit me up on twitter (@SuperNovaRover) and Google+ if you have opinions on what you think the album will be like, or if you think he'll really retire.
Now this year has been an unsure, rocky road for Wayne and his supporters. With Carter V originally being promised in May, obviously there were some complications, but Wayne has showed promise with the few singles he's released so far. I don't listen to Wayne regularly and I can truly say I like to get jiggy when I hear the Drake-assisted "Believe Me" come on the radio. He also recently put out his newest song "Grindin," with Drake adding a decent verse, although it is said that the "Grindin" cut would not be included on the album, supposedly just a song to kick off their hyped Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour coming up. It seems Wayne really wasn't kidding when he said "and we'll be okay if we put Drake on every hook." These Drake hooks have seen success up to this point, but how will the solo cuts fair? I suppose we'll see soon enough.
To be honest, this whole Wayne situation confuses me. Who really knows what's in store for him and his future in music? Talk of so many different projects has come up that it would make retiring a pretty hard concept to grasp. By the age of 35 Wayne wants to call it quits? A pretty big part of me doesn't believe that for a second. See what I did there? Since Wayne's song is called... never mind. Wayne has put too many thoughts in the heads of his fans to just call it quits so soon, even if he still has a few years to go. With the rumors of the collaborative albums with Drake and Juelz Santana, and even rumors of contributions to a possible Big Tymers album, how will he be able to manage it all in less than 4 years?
If I can give my opinion on it I'd say he's bluffing, but he does have kids to attend to. So the thought of retirement certainly isn't out of the question, although its hard to tell if Wayne knows what he's leaving behind. A legacy of one of the hardest working rappers in the past 5 years, maybe more, is definitely evident to many, if not all hip hop fans. I see him staying on Young Money and helping out in the production process of the label's albums, such as Drake and Nicki Minaj's solo albums, but that's IF he really retires. Who knows? Carter V is coming soon though, rumors of less than 2 months maybe, but no real date given yet. If it really is his last, just be a fan. Don't judge the album, don't say what he could of done better, just be a fan, listen and enjoy what he puts together for you. For Wayne's legacy, and for hip hop. Hit me up on twitter (@SuperNovaRover) and Google+ if you have opinions on what you think the album will be like, or if you think he'll really retire.
Friday, August 8, 2014
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.
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.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Internet Video Blogs: Why People Love a Day in the Life of a Superstar
I'll admit, whenever I get online to do my check ups, (songs, videos, mix tapes, etc.) I do have the guilty pleasure of watching the occasional Wiz Khalifa DayToday blog. I haven't even listened to any of his new music since after Cabin Fever 2 came out. I'll tell you what though, when it comes to watching that man live his life there's just something sweet about those videos that make me tune in for the next one, and I can't be the only one. Is anyone else guilty of getting caught up in the life of a superstar in his/her/their internet vlog?
In a generation where the internet basically rules the world, musicians and artists (mostly rappers that I've seen, I don't know if Taylor Swift does the occasional "look at me and how awesome I'm living" video, although I'm sure people would watch) know how to keep up in this young and hip day and age. What's the saying, if you can't beat em, join em? Not to mention all the fans that tune in, if these artists give a day for when the next one airs they'll be waiting by their computer like Eminem and 50 Cent (although probably not as patiently, who knows).
But really when you look at it, who isn't doing this nowadays? Internet vlogs are the new thing so to speak, such artists as Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Action Bronson, Slaughterhouse, and many more love to keep their fans updated with things like tour vlogs, a simple day in the life, or even traveling and just trying new foods (Bronson's "Fuck That's Delicious," I'd imagine watching it I'd just get hungry). But speaking as a fan of them myself, I have to admit I love the idea. I've watched Wiz's DayToday's basically since season 1, I've seen almost every episode (regrettably), and when it comes down to it, some of these videos really do give fans what they wish to see; a day in the life of a superstar.
Seriously though, I'd very much appreciate to live this type of life style. Who wouldn't? I'm low key jealous watching Wiz's DayToday's. All you see this man doing is living his life; he smokes weed, he drinks, goes on tour and performs, occasionally hits the jewelry store for a new chain, I mean come on. Not only is this sort of thing just TOO cool for people to watch, it benefits the artist that much more. That gives much more head room for artists to not only promote themselves, but other artists and friends as well. As a die hard hip hop fan, admittedly I really do like to be the first one to let people know the news on not only my favorite artists, but theirs as well.
Isn't it amazing how simply watching videos of people living can cause so much envy for fans? Could they maybe even be motivation for some people to do better to a point? I suppose we'll see the next big artist on the come up documenting it all themselves soon enough. Watching Wiz that early in his career back in 2009 and 2010 and thinking about it all now is crazy. He sold out a little too much for my liking, but even just thinking about that time period is a crazy, yet wonderful thing. Artists on the come up surely should be taking notes if they haven't been already. Maybe there's something to letting people get to know you and your journey to "the top." Or maybe people just can't help but succumb to artists' insane vlogs and rich lifestyle. I'm not sure which one I'm more drawn to yet. Well, maybe I am, but just scared to admit it...
In a generation where the internet basically rules the world, musicians and artists (mostly rappers that I've seen, I don't know if Taylor Swift does the occasional "look at me and how awesome I'm living" video, although I'm sure people would watch) know how to keep up in this young and hip day and age. What's the saying, if you can't beat em, join em? Not to mention all the fans that tune in, if these artists give a day for when the next one airs they'll be waiting by their computer like Eminem and 50 Cent (although probably not as patiently, who knows).
But really when you look at it, who isn't doing this nowadays? Internet vlogs are the new thing so to speak, such artists as Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Action Bronson, Slaughterhouse, and many more love to keep their fans updated with things like tour vlogs, a simple day in the life, or even traveling and just trying new foods (Bronson's "Fuck That's Delicious," I'd imagine watching it I'd just get hungry). But speaking as a fan of them myself, I have to admit I love the idea. I've watched Wiz's DayToday's basically since season 1, I've seen almost every episode (regrettably), and when it comes down to it, some of these videos really do give fans what they wish to see; a day in the life of a superstar.
Seriously though, I'd very much appreciate to live this type of life style. Who wouldn't? I'm low key jealous watching Wiz's DayToday's. All you see this man doing is living his life; he smokes weed, he drinks, goes on tour and performs, occasionally hits the jewelry store for a new chain, I mean come on. Not only is this sort of thing just TOO cool for people to watch, it benefits the artist that much more. That gives much more head room for artists to not only promote themselves, but other artists and friends as well. As a die hard hip hop fan, admittedly I really do like to be the first one to let people know the news on not only my favorite artists, but theirs as well.
Isn't it amazing how simply watching videos of people living can cause so much envy for fans? Could they maybe even be motivation for some people to do better to a point? I suppose we'll see the next big artist on the come up documenting it all themselves soon enough. Watching Wiz that early in his career back in 2009 and 2010 and thinking about it all now is crazy. He sold out a little too much for my liking, but even just thinking about that time period is a crazy, yet wonderful thing. Artists on the come up surely should be taking notes if they haven't been already. Maybe there's something to letting people get to know you and your journey to "the top." Or maybe people just can't help but succumb to artists' insane vlogs and rich lifestyle. I'm not sure which one I'm more drawn to yet. Well, maybe I am, but just scared to admit it...
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