Drake's Views Are Changing

  (*No, I did not make this amazing cover, and I wish I could shout out the artist*)                                

I'm going to be completely and utterly 100% honest, lately (always) I haven't been feeling like anyone understands my views on hip hop. Not too many people go THIS in depth with hip hop, or anything having to do with it. Not many people can do what I do, not many people even want to do what I do, but I do it because at the end of the day, there are unanswered questions that need to be asked (plus I fuckin love what I do, so why else would I do it?).  I digress; Views is clearly taking over anything and everything hip hop, the culture is in a threshold of it's throat by this kid turned man from Toronto, because no matter how much you call him soft, no matter how many memes are made of him to look ridiculous, at the end of the day, people STOP EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING to see the newest thing Drake has put out. That's just the fact of the matter. If you grew up in the blogging internet hip hop era (and even if you didn't, which is a point that will be made later), you understand the magnitude of Drake's career; what it has been, what it is, and what it will be. (*Note, I have not listened to Views minus the Future assisted "Grammy", so my opinions are solely expressed given the current state of Drake's career and based off of what people are saying about Views)

If you tune in to Joe Budden's I'll Name This Podcast Later podcast series and you've listened to the latest episode, then you'll understand the points I'm about to make. Joe and I share a lot of the same views on hip hop; while we aren't as tight as you'd believe (he rarely answers my tweets), I've always respected the real and the "that's my opinion and if you don't like it then fuck off" attitude that Joe gives, because who would have ever guessed that pushing the agenda would be so frowned upon nowadays?  Let's throw it back to 2009, because hindsight is a beautiful thing.



And with that, here comes Drake; the freshest thing to hit (and the biggest thing to hit the web possibly ever, a point could be made that the "blogging hip hop era" was started with Drake, and look what it's turned into now, with artists starting their careers off of this method) since Will Smith. Drake's level of shwag (I'm still on a mission to kill "swag", since people like conforming so much) was unprecedented. At this point in time, we had seen nobody in hip hop like Drake; he was a new kind of cool, a voice in hip hop that made everything he said sound like the new "wave", he was like that really cool guy in high school that everybody liked and everybody wanted to be like. Drake had such an influence on this generation of teens and high school kids that if he said he threw Subway sandwiches at homeless people for fun and called it "Subway-ing" in one of his songs, then you'd have seen a spike in Subway's sales right around the time this song had dropped (probably that same day, knowing this generation).

Joe Budden in his latest podcast, episode 64 of his I'll Name This Podcast Later series; "Drake, Cole, Kendrick... those 3 move the needle. Those 3 transcend music. Those are 3 people that my grandparents, my parents, and my child would ask me about. That's a unique set."

Look at the change in what matters now. What matters in hip hop is not where it was 10 years ago when 50 Cent was moving records with G-Unit and Eminem along his side, though they all did their own thing. That era has ended. Like most good things, it had to come to an end sometime. But this ending spelled a new beginning for hip hop and the newer, (hopefully) "hungry" artists wanting to eat. It's 2016 and Drake has still remained relevant to hip hop, which is amazing considering his career, dating all the way back to 2009 when Drake dropped his now classic (debatable to those who look at what it did, but not debatable to many others) So Far Gone mix tape back in 2009. To many, this shows his work ethic and his drive to be the best, and there should be a major asterisk when looking at the details of this era (aptly named the "microwave era") based on how fast things are born and how much faster they die out.



The memes have become a part of Drake's career, it's sad to think that when people look back at what an illustrious career Drake has had, that they're also going to be thinking about the ruthless memes that have been made about Drake and how much of a running joke he has become, although he has now become part of the joke and running with it only shows his maturity... for the most part. After projects like If You're Reading This, It's Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive dropped, it seemed like part of Drake had been lost. The bad came with the good, (which it always does), but the bad seemed to have shifted Drake's focus dramatically. There's probably only so many times you can get on the internet and see someone you don't even know posting and laughing at a meme that jokes about how soft you supposedly are, which turns you into this heartless, seemingly emotionless robot that is so stoic that it makes you feel like you wouldn't even cry if your mother died (which is... yeah, still pretty bad. Have you ever heard the saying, "I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all"?).


(*I do not own these videos, pictures, podcasts, or the rights to them*)

You're probably waiting for a point to what I'm saying, and if you're still reading, then it's not too late. I'm proud of you for sticking with it so far. The attitude has changed in hip hop. What has made it so great up to now is that there were always artists that pushed the agenda. While there were artists that were amazing at what they did well, there were always the artists that pushed the agenda to make hip hop competitive, and force the other artists to make a calculated move as to what they would do next. When you think of hip hops leaders, right now, everyone pales in comparison to what Drake does. Every move he makes is put under a microscope, and every album and song he does is studied by fans who believe that they work for NASA and that they can use these "skills" to diagnose Drake's newest record, and determine whether or not he has a classic album (based on Twitter's reactions of Views, he still doesn't). I'm going to be a hypocrite here because I have to make a judgment call on my "Views" of Drake; I believe that Drake has lost himself.  Drake is too easily distracted by the wave of what everyone else is doing (and ultimately let people get to him with their judgments), and has forgotten about his status in hip hop and where he stands. Drake has stayed true to himself through all of the bullshit, all of the waves, and all of the memes, and the craziest part of it all; he used to be relatable. Drake is a giant, and as a giant, you're supposed to set the precedent for what hip hop should sound like, and though Drake did this early on in his career, it seems he's too far gone to be able to recognize what he's doing. So if I'm making this an open letter to Drake, not just as a hip hop writer, but as a fan who cares about his direction, and his place in this game we call hip hop, then I'll say this; Drake, we miss the old you. I hope we tempt you.

Check out the podcast that sent me off into this thought piece spiral below, Joe Budden's I'll Name This Podcast Later, episode 64.

https://soundcloud.com/joebuddenpodcast/ill-name-this-podcast-later-episode-64          

           


           







              

Wave Chapelle's "W" Gives Summer Vibes, Doesn't Have A Song Worth Skipping

At first I was offended. This man "Wave Chapelle" is just going to act like it's cool to make a play on words (names) with the name of the greatest comedian (and one of the greatest people) of all time?! Blasphemous!  And what's the deal with the whole "waves" trend ("wave") anyway?  First it was Kanye's indecisive ass, and now this guy Wave Chapelle wants to be known as a "wave"?  When I think of a wave the first thing I'm going to think of is a "trend", and while there are 2 different ways to identify someone who makes "wavy" music (at least in my head), Wave Chapelle is definitely the latter. The Milwaukee emcee's latest mix tape W is cool, smooth, and indeed the waviest thing you'll hear all week.

Drake vibes are present throughout the entire project, which, given the past uhm... 10 YEARS of total domination that Drake has done, clearly the people will love this. Chapelle's singing voice is made evident on multiple tracks on the project, most significantly the "On The Road Interlude" where you can hear Wave talking about his responsibilities, his refusal to sell his soul, and the idea that hard work does pay off. Wave also hits us with a nice singing sound (although pretty noticeably auto-tuned) on "Time", which includes some speaker shattering drums that you'd likely hear on a Drake track.



To sum it up, Wave has anything and everything you need to turn up on a night out on the town with the "Home Team", and the track by the same name is the most hypnotizing of all of the tracks on the tape. The beat gives vibes of an echoing ghost ritual, but obviously this ghost knows how to party!  Wave can get deep and introspective as well, and he shows it on tracks like "Page Three", and he can even make songs for you to hang out and vibe to with your significant other ("OMW"). Wave has the sound of the summer of with W, and though I'm still kind of offended by his name, he's certainly not a biter, because he's doing his own things, and he's working for his own "W's" along the way.


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


   














     

The "Beats & Rhymes" Tour (A Dream)

Sixteen years ago this year, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg brought along some friends to form arguably the most iconic hip hop tour of all time. The "Up In Smoke Tour" of 2000 went six times platinum in the U.S. (which I didn't even know tours could do), and not to mention seven times platinum in Australia and two times platinum in France. The tour also featured hip hop giants like Eminem, Ice Cube, Xzibit, and Nate Dogg, and was so widely successful that DVDs were made of the July 20th show of the tour, shot at The Centrum in Worchester, Massachusetts (which is filled with incredible bits of backstage footage along with the actual concert performances). History was made with this tour, and as amazing as it was, for a second there, there were talks of a "second coming" of the tour earlier this year. So my question is.... WHAT IN GOD'S NAME DO WE NAME IT?!

"This is one of the things that I've dreamed about doing. I want to call it 'Beats & Rhymes'. I want it to be me and Snoop. I want it to be Eminem. I want it to be Kendrick Lamar," Dre said. "Take our full stage over there and show Europe the same amount of love that they been showing me throughout my entire career. So, that's my dream. Hopefully we can make that happen." Snoop Dogg suggested an alternate tour name: Hoodstock, since the lineup "sounds like Woodstock on steroids."  (Via Pitchfork)

Obviously my first choice would have been something to do with the "smoke" theme of the tour given Dre and Snoop's history (maybe something like "The 2 High Tour", etc.), but given Eminem's sobriety and Kendrick's known "laced blunt" escapades (as detailed on Good Kid Maad City), maybe a "Detox" theme wouldn't be so far fetched (or wouldn't take 16 years to come together). Either way it'd be a dream concert experience, just imagine that concert intro!


(The intro to Dre & Snoop's set on the "Up In Smoke" tour, which if you haven't seen, is very much NSFW)

Not to mention all of the new music to catch up on (and they'd have to include the West's new king, if you don't know him he goes by the name of Kendrick Lamar Duckworth). It's been 16 long years since this legendary tour took place, and in that span Eminem has released 5 solo studio LPs, Snoop Dogg has released 9, Ice Cube 3, Xzibit 4, Dre finally put out another album in Compton: A Soundtrack, and Nate Dogg unfortunately passed, but not before putting out another 3 solo albums himself (how dope would it be to see a Nate Dogg tribute, possibly a hologram?) What better time than now to do this?!?!

This tour could be the summing up of everything. Dr. Dre's illustrious career of music and producing fused together with the massive careers of Eminem, Snoop, Kendrick Lamar, Nate Dogg and more. How does an NWA reunion sound? It could be done. Dedications to Tupac, Nate Dogg, and Eazy-E?  Why the hell not?  The possibilities lie not only in the careers of the headliners, but in the careers of who the headliners have brought with them along the way. Kendrick bringing out TDE, Eminem bringing out Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, or D12 could be an actual thing. The idea of this tour is so great, it'd be impossible to disappoint (unless Dr. Dre says the tour would only come to Europe, then of course all of these dreams get shattered like pre-burned Detox CDs). At least we can still occasionally enjoy a leaked Dre track every now and then. Well, if you have Apple Music and listen to The Pharmacy Beats 1 Radio, that is.

Enjoy the reminiscing of old clips on Dre's "I Need A Doctor" extended music video below, and if you have a creative name of your own for Dre's alleged tour, comment it below, or on any of my social media pages (my Twitter, my Facebook, or my Google+ page!).


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

       




    









 



              

Hip Hop Reacts To The Passing Of Prince (R.I.P)



 

It's a sad day in music history, as the one and only Prince has unfortunately passed. The singing icon was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was 57 years old. This massive news of course stirred up many in the social media world, including some of hip hop's biggest acts. Here's how a few of them reacted.

Charlamagne Tha God

BJ The Chicago Kid

 

Big Sean

Joe Budden



Joe Budden honored Prince by changing his Twitter avi to a picture of the "Purple Rain" singer.

Scarface

Bow Wow

 

 

R.I.P. Prince.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay Bishop Nehru, You Have My Attention

If there's any one artist I've been on the lookout for new music from lately, it'd have to be Bishop Nehru. I've heard a decent amount of buzz surrounding the Nanuet, New York rapper, because Nas and MF DOOM collaborations and cosigns just do that sort of thing for you. The 19 year old has put out 2 pretty amazing tracks the last couple weeks that just need to be heard.

The first release immediately caught my attention, the Pacific Ocean level wavy release "$acred Visions". Nehru produced this track himself, which also garners some attention; an emcee spitting lines like "wanted cake, but they ain't help make batter" also produces the tracks that he later destroys?  This one will have you moving your head back and forth during the verses and turning up during the hook. Great verses, a catchy hook, and a hypnotic beat; "$acred Visions" has it all (maybe even "first single" potential). Check it out below.



The second of Nehru's recent releases is just as much a banger, and twice as much a flow-flexing show of skill. Nehru released "It's Whateva" about 4 days ago, and this time with an accompanying visual, so it seems Nehru is prepping release for his upcoming mix tape MAGIC:19, which is set for release on June 3rd. It'll certainly be exciting to see what Nehru's bringing with his new tape, because it definitely sounds like Nehru could be one to challenge the standards of hip hop, and maybe even change them with his clever wordplay, and dope music. Check out the video for "It's Whateva" below.


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







       

Holy F*ck, You Need To Hear DJ Shadow & Run The Jewels' "Nobody Speak" Right Now

So while fans eagerly await on Run The Jewels 3 it seems they'll be teasing fans in the mean time. I just came across this song and, well... you know when you listen to a song and you immediately know you're going to be playing it forever and ever within the first 10 seconds of listening to it?  DJ Shadow and Run The Jewels' "Nobody Speak" is one of those songs.

The highly anticipated collaboration is the first leak off of DJ Shadow's The Mountain Will Fall album, set for release June 24th on Mass Appeal. The song will also be featured as a download code accompanying Run The Jewels' record store day release, which is a pair of cardboard glasses called "VRTJ" which can be used to watch the music video to their Run The Jewels 2 cut, "Crown". Listen to the wild western sounding release below!


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







  

Best Tracks Of April (So Far)

It's been quite a week for hip hop (in which it usually is, but there's so much to hear that I normally don't catch every hot release), and I've caught a decent amount of new tracks from artists I don't even really pay attention to (whether it be based on a feature from someone I like or not, that's not the point). In this post, I'd like to highlight the hottest tracks that have been released in April so far!

Babeo Baggins ft. Drake - Things I Forgot To Do
https://soundcloud.com/ovo-sound-radio-858382383/babeo-baggins-things-i-forgot-to-do-feat-drake-new-song

Drake has been putting out track after track to roll out the release of his highly anticipated upcoming 4th studio album Views From The 6, and this Babeo Baggins feature has a nice feel to it. It's more on the lighter love song side which is right up Drake's alley, and the song is actually a cover of Nico's 1967 song "These Days" (which I mentioned in the last Drake article, which you can find here). Something about that fluttery (guitar?  I think it's a guitar, who knows) instrument in the background hits you right in the feels with it's instruments alone, not to mention Babeo's beautiful voice.

Phife Dawg - Nutshell


Phife Dawg's unfortunate passing is nothing less than an absolute tragedy for the hip hop world, but the silver lining is that we might not be hearing the last of him. News broke shortly after Phife's passing that we would be getting a posthumous album from the 5-foot assassin. The album is supposedly named Give Thanks, and Phife had been working on it for some time before his passing, though there is no set release date for the album. This new Phife release certainly has it's fair share of bounce (and you knew it would, being produced by J. Dilla)!

Black Thought ft. Styles P - Making Of A Murderer


If you ever wondered what microphone murder actually sounded like... then who better to show you than Black Thought?!  But seriously... Black Thought and Styles P were PISSED writing these verses... they had to be. Why else would they slay this beat and everyfuckingbody else who raps for 4 and a half straight minutes?  Not to mention that beat... 9th Wonder did it again. This song is a 5/5 in terms of true HIP HOP. Yeah, the real heads got a treat with this one.

Blu, MED & eLZhi - Caddy Music


On the same day hip hop heads got Black Thought and Styles P lyrically beating a track to death, they also got a smoothly sampled, Bombay-produced cut featuring MED and eLZhi, "Caddy Music". This one features all 3 going ham on the track as you'd expect, with a couple of beat switch ups along the way to keep you on your toes. Yes, this track certainly flew under the radar.

And these are just a few of the crazy new tracks that have hit the web as of April, and we're only 10 days in!  You know I'll keep you posted if anything else crazy comes out (even though now everybody is probably focused on Drake's Views release at the end of the month on the 29th, I'm sure he'll be putting out another crazy track or 2 leading up to the album). Be sure to follow my Google+ account if you have one, seeing as that's the place where I post the most direct links to tracks.    



  

  








    

New J. Dilla For Your Ears (Also Other Great News For Your Blessed Day)

If you're a Dilla die hard, then this news is going to make your day. Obviously you know about the Nas/Mass Appeal backed upcoming posthumous Dilla project The Diary that is coming on April 15th (and if you didn't, then hey, now you do), but now news has broke that Dilla's mother, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey and Dilla's estate "Dillatronic" are going to officially re-release an earlier posthumous project, Jay Love Japan in full (an official CD of the project was released in 2008 but quickly went out of print). Jay Love Japan will feature both instrumentals and vocal versions of a total of 11 tracks, and is set for release on May 6th.

Jay Love Japan will also feature tracks that were previously released as bootlegs, only now as official releases!  And the best part of it all, you can stream 2 new Dilla joints below, the first being a song by the name of "Sun In My Face" featuring Blu, and a singer who was known back then by the name of Miguel Jontel (sounds familiar, hm?). The second cut is an instrumental that was released earlier this week, "The Look". Listen to both below.

Sun In My Face (ft. Blu & Miguel)
https://soundcloud.com/dillatronic/j-dilla-sun-in-my-face

The Look (Instrumental)
https://soundcloud.com/dillatronic/j-dilla-the-look







               

#TB: Did Drake Know LeBron Was Coming To Miami In 2009-2010?

Now it's been known that Drake and LeBron have been friends for quite some time, we've seen pictures of the 2 in the studio, and even partying after one of LeBron's championships in Miami (although there is a hilarious video of Drake being shut down by security and being told he can't go celebrate with the team, you can see that here). But listening to an old Drake loose track titled "You Know You Know" almost insinuates that Drake knew that LeBron was going to leave Cleveland to go and play with the Miami Heat.

Now I always mix the years up, but supposedly back in the 09-10 NBA playoffs when LeBron was struggling to lead a one dimensional Cavaliers team to the finals, LeBron and his team had been eliminated in the 2nd round by the Boston Celtics (who would eventually go on to play in the Finals ad lose to the Los Angeles Lakers). During this series, however, (supposedly) Drake had released that infamous song "You Know You Know" (which was supposedly a loose track leading up to the release of Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later).


(*Pretty sure this is the official audio, but pay attention to lines at 1:00-1:05 and 2:11-2:16. Also, I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)

Did you hear that?  Did you hear what that man Young Sweet Jones said?  And this supposedly dates back to that fateful playoff series where LeBron and his Cavs had an early playoff exit (again), wouldn't it only make sense that LeBron had been friends with Dwayne Wade for awhile, and had maybe partied with Wade and Drake before and had these discussions of forming this super team?  Forget Wade, but how good of friends could Drake and LeBron had been before his taking his talents to South Beach?  How would Drake have known? Oh you know, you know.

 
The above picture is Genius' annotation of Drake's famed lyrics. So did Drake know that LeBron was going to Miami?  He had to of. I mean it's all been practically laid out right in front of your eyes to see!  The funny thing abut this song is that I was going through some old tracks in my own music library and completely forgot about these references. This track just goes to show you Drake's influence, I mean he was practically being a recruiter for the Heat in the summer of 2010 if you really think about it. And the "tell your girl I can pull some budget strings, so we're courtside when LeBron get a fuckin' ring" line only rings true to this day because guess where Drake was?  Courtside, when LeBron got his fuckin' ring. You have to respect that type of "watch me do it" attitude, since, well,  Drake can do it all, right?            
  

What Drake's Views From The 6 Will Determine

(This billboard certainly interests me, almost insinuating that Views From The 6 could be dropping today, 4/2)

What's there to say about Drake that hasn't already been said?  He sings too much, he doesn't write his own rhymes, he's too sensitive, blah blah blah. When it comes down to it, the man puts out some of the best music in hip hop, and some of the most vibe worthy and widely listened to in all of music. Women love him, the gangsters love him, teenagers love him, even middle aged men and women love him, Drake makes music for ALL people. He's been a staple in hip hop for over 7 years (give or take), and he's not even making hip hop music all of the time. But Drizzy's latest leaks haven't been sitting well with the people. Now most of the time this means nothing, the Drake formula has always been to drop a questionable track that people will have to get used to, then drop something that everybody is going to love immediately, but this time seems a bit different. Is Drake getting bored?  I'm here to find out.

Drake - Faithful (ft. Pimp C)

The above song is Drake's latest leak (came out today) featuring a Pimp C verse that was also featured on Jay Z's "Tom Ford" remix. Drake's other recent leaks include "Controlla" featuring Popcaan (which you can listen to here) and "These Days" featuring Barf Troop's Babeo Baggins, a cover of singer Nico's 1967 song, written by Jackson Browne, which Drake and Babeo (quite a name) renamed to "Things I Forgot To Do" (you can listen to that here).

So I don't know if it's just me, but to me these newest Drake leaks seem very... un-Drake-ish. On "Controlla", Drizzy seems to be taking the experimental Snoop Lion route, (it's like the next thing you know we'll be seeing him rocking some kick ass Rasta dreads) on the "These Days" cover Drake seems to be getting suicidal about past loves (which is very Drake-ish, but even "suicidal" seems a bit too far for Drake). The only leak that seems up to Drake's typical speed is the Pimp C feature "Faithful". It features all the wavy sounds and recorded-conversations-that-will-get-your-girl-mad later type of vibes that Drake is so well known for. The real question here seems to be; is Drake really getting bored?

The only assumption that could be made is that Drake is in fact getting bored, I mean you can only emotionlessly shout "JUMP MAN" so many times before you go completely numb (What A Time To Be Alive it is, indeed). Drake has mastered the pop #1 smash hit with "Hotline Bling", He's mastered the #1 album and going platinum (all 3 of his solo efforts have done so), and he's practically mastered being able to sing a hook for your girl on one track, while being able to body your favorite rapper's career on the next track (obviously a stretch, but you've seen, or better HEARD what the guy can do on his "am" tracks). So what is left for Drake to do but walk away in the sun set while we retire his #6 jersey in the rafters like Jordan?  (Or I suppose that's a statement better reserved for Jay-Z; "when I come back like Jordan"... never mind.)

No, Drake certainly doesn't want to walk away from it all yet (or so we hope). But the only place to go from up on top of everything... is down!  Is Drake on his way out?  I think it's a bit far fetched to say that, although I do think it's safe to say that Views From The 6 could have a much bigger impact on Drake's career than any of us are able to tell right now. Views From The 6 can once and for all prove whether or not Drake is actually as much of a "wave rider" as fans and critics think. Based on the turn of events in Drake's career (including WATTBA, "Hotline Bling", etc.), Drake has to prove that he can still make great music. Obviously he can still make music, he can make music that people absolutely enjoy, and music that people can jam to for years to come, but the real question is; does Drake still own his own lane?  I'll cap this off with one of my favorite Drake tracks ever below, you could almost think of it as a simulation of what I'd hope that Views From The 6 brings.


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


                            

Oddisee's "AlWasta" EP Review

Oddisee is another rapper who had just recently been put onto my radar by the beautiful random reposts of SoundCloud, and when I saw the above picture I couldn't help but have my curiosity piqued. Oddisee (if you haven't heard of him) is a Washington D.C. based rapper who (on my first listen) definitely made me curious with his AlWasta EP. In case you didn't know (like me), "AlWasta" is an Arabic colloquial term used that means "the plug". The term "wasta" comes from the Arabic word "wasat" meaning “middle” or “middleman”, and describes a member of the community who acts as a connector using their wealth of social currency. Oh yes, Amir Elkhalifa aka Oddisee is a deep brother who makes even deeper music that sends a message that should be followed by everyone.

Oddisee is certainly one for live instrumentation and intimate vibes, and he gives those vibes all throughout AlWasta. He starts his EP off with "Asked About You", a heartfelt note that will still have your head bobbing. You get hints of Odd's deep lyrics and watery flow with lines like "I see the demons that hang around us on evenings and party with us on weekends". This deep opener jumps right into the real kick starter of the project, the wavy and almost spiritual "No Reservations", another smooth jam that gives off 70's jazz vibes where Oddisee entertainingly rambles about "time", and "political correctness". With these two opening tracks, Oddisee almost gives you the urge to sit in your own mind's purgatory and contemplate the problems of the world and how to make them better (he's almost got me wanting to take a spiritual trip to India to find myself).



"Strength & Weakness" is a song that you just want to raise your lighter up to and wave back and forth to like a drunken hippy at Woodstock. Oddisee's great use of live instrumentation (especially those hi hats) makes these songs pop in headphones, and would probably sound ten times better live, which is something that can't be said for most other hip hop acts using instrumentals. "Wouldn't Be Surprised" takes you on a rock n roll trip as soon as you hear that beginning guitar. You can tell as soon as the song starts that your head will be bobbing throughout the track, a feeling that can't be matched for hip hop heads, or better than that, music heads.

"Catching Vibes" is the opus of AlWasta, Oddisee creates a vibe that builds up perfectly to the hook, and when it hits it's something that you get sad hearing when it ends, waiting for the next time it comes around like the ice cream man (except you don't have to try to run and catch up). "Catching Vibes" has the same vibes that Kendrick gives off on "Alright" minus the socially conscience message, though Oddisee shows 50 plus shades of socially conscience all throughout AlWasta. I could only dream about "Catching Vibes" getting the shine that "Alright" did, but I can dream, right?


              (*I do not own these songs, or the rights to any of them*)
          
All in all, Oddisee makes it "odd to see" hip hop in such a different place, but certainly something refreshing to hear with some definite "feel good" vibes (see what I did there?). AlWasta is certainly for the experimental, but if you're open to actually using instruments in your hip hop (which yes, you should be) then Oddisee will certainly be a pleasurable listen for you. This project definitely has replay value, and may even be for the average music fan, as opposed to ONLY the average hip hop fan. So give AlWasta a chance and catch some vibes, you won't regret it.        


   

           

Jhene Aiko & Big Sean Announce "Twenty88" EP

The biggest news of the last 24 hours seems to be the announcement that R&B Goddess Jhene Aiko and Detroit rapper Big Sean are dropping an EP this Friday, April 1st titled Twenty88, which is a spin on both artist's birth years (1988) and ages (28). Now there is some speculation on the release date being April Fools, but if you know Jhene, she definitely has a heart enough to not pull a fast one on her fans. Because then she knows I'd cry and... never mind. Check out the 2 promo videos below. You can also check out their Twitter for any updates @twenty88.

Promo 1
https://twitter.com/twenty88/status/714270814925787136

Promo 2
https://twitter.com/twenty88/status/714273461862969344















  

Denzel Curry's "Imperial" Album Review (Also, An Important Ending Message)

Denzel Curry had never hit my radar screen until Imperial came out about 3 weeks ago. I had no idea what to expect from him or his latest project, because admittedly yes, Imperial was my first listen of anything from the Carol City, Florida rapper. Is Carol City heavy gang territory?  Somebody can answer me this question right?  Because based on this guy's music and persona, he's seemed to have lived quite a hard and strenuous lifestyle.

Now remember what I said about not doing full on album reviews anymore?  This will be no different, just a few highlights of the tracks I like. Anyways, Denzel hits it off on the right track (if you will) on the opening number, "ULT", which Denzel later defines as meaning "ultimately til infinity". The wavy introduction instruments sound like something you'd only hear watching a power ranger morph, or watching the Joker become the Joker, or... you know, etc. "ULT" makes a hell of a statement as an opening track and makes you want more of what Denzel has to offer, and Denzel gives it to you.



Some tracks that Denzel takes you through on Imperial sound like some tracks that belong on a horror movie soundtrack, the perfect example of this being the signature gang banging sound on "Sick & Tired", where the hook describes the haunting realities of living in the hood and fearing for your life every day. Another one that gives this "300 hundred deep" feeling is "Narcotics", a track where Denzel tries to dispel the rumors that all blacks "serve narcotics." This track bumps and is something you could play at a party, but I'm not the biggest fan of the message, and the "all these crackers thinkin' that a nigga serve narcotics" line is not exactly something that is going to progress the thinking and ideas of the U.S., or anywhere for that matter.

Denzel definitely knows how to tell a story, which is harder to find with the bigger artists nowadays, and he gives some interesting stories in "Story:  No Title", and even vents a little bit in some more genuine songs like "Pure Enough" and "This Life" (where he makes even an open book song sound like a banger). The Joey Bada$$ feature on "Zenith" is definitely a highlight of the tape, and that ear slapping snare makes for the perfect ambiance of a Joey Bada$$ verse. The hook is catchier than catching either artist on a zenith, and both rappers do their respective "things" on the track.


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

Overall, Curry's project does have some bangers and some tracks that partiers would love. The project is solid overall, but not much more than just "solid". He impressed me on a few songs lyrically, the beats were good (although not great), but I've never been the biggest fan of dudes glorifying and promoting the street and gang lifestyle. This new generation of "Chi-raq" types of dudes seem to force their hardened lifestyles onto the masses, and ultimately make it cool to be a part of these gang activities, or make gang and street lingo the thing to be a part of. I really don't like to be the old (22 year old) man preaching about how rap was, but it seems the difference between the "okay" artists and the "great" artists is that the "great" artists always give the impression that there is a way out of that lifestyle, while the "okay" artists claim that it's all they know, and don't attempt to show growth and maturity, even over time. So when it comes down to the musical aspect of things, Curry's project was absolutely rock solid, the music was good, but would I use this project as an example for artists coming up who want to be "great"?  Probably not.         
            









     

4 Things I Want From Royce Da 5'9's Layers

For such a long time Detroit emcee Royce Da 5'9 was living in the shadow of Eminem, but in just the last 2 years or so (still with no new Slaughterhouse album in sight, we're getting impatient guys) Royce has stepped into the limelight by himself with some incredible guest features, and not to mention the critically acclaimed joint album with DJ Premier, PRhyme. With Royce's new Layers album on the horizon (which is set for an April 15th release date), Royce's first solo album in 5 years, it's going to be interesting to see how Royce has evolved from Success Is Certain to now, because the title Layers can only mean one thing; we haven't quite gotten to know the real Ryan Daniel Montgomery yet. Here's 4 things I want from Royce's newest Layers album.

Competitive Rapping
https://soundcloud.com/royceda59/01-dead-president-heads-prod-by-streetrunner-add-keys-by-tarik-azzouz

"Niggas dissed Marshall after they copy his whole reference, like we won't send an actual firing squad to they studio, that'll Basquiat they whole session"

Now seeing as it's Royce, obviously he's going to bring the bars, and if you know Royce you know DAMN WELL he's going to keep the riff raff in check (not the rapper, obviously, although I'm sure he'd have no problem saying something if it came down to it). Royce is already creating a buzz around his newly released song "Dead President Heads", with rumors that he's dissed J. Cole for mentioning Eminem's name in Cole's song "Fire Squad", but if you've ever heard Royce speak of the newer young guns that he respects in the game today, Cole would be one of the first names to come out of his mouth, probably right next to Kendrick. Royce wasn't dissing Cole, it seems all Royce was doing was keeping the competitive riff raff alive in hip hop that he and his Bad Meets Evil brethren Eminem love to do so much.

Great Story Telling


By the looks of the track listing for Layers, we might be getting a story telling type of album from Royce. It's probably too early to tell, but when the album starts off with the very descriptive and narrative-like first single "Tabernacle", we might actually get to really know Royce a bit more than we've gotten to know him in his last albums. And seeing as "Tabernacle" is just a taste of his story telling abilities (see also "On The Boulevard" and "Security" off of Royce's last solo album Success Is Certain), Layers could be quite an informative listen for fans.

Better Production


Now the real hip hop heads would tear me to shreds once they read what I'm about to say, but I'm really hoping for some better production on Layers. Obviously Royce is always one to do his thing no matter what the beats sound like, and working with DJ Premier is a win for a lot of fans, but I wasn't entirely impressed with the beats on PRhyme. With the newest Royce leaks ("Tabernacle" and "Dead President Heads") I'm already sensing that this album's production will top Royce's last 2 (PRhyme and Success Is Certain), so Royce is stepping in the right direction. Go ahead and call me crazy for not being impressed with PRhyme's beats, but we all know that Royce and Premo are hip hop to the core. Sometimes the DJ scratches and the old vocal samples (not to disparage sampling altogether) can be too much for albums, I say bring in the 808s and do your thing over those Royce! (It's a horrible guilty pleasure, but I do love it, and I'm sure nobody else could argue; 808s get people moving.)

LET'S GET SOME GOD DAMN SLAUGHTERHOUSE MUSIC!

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

Okay so this last point might be a bit of a lashing out by yours truly, but I WANT SOME FUCKIN SLAUGHTERHOUSE MUSIC! HAVEN'T YOU MADE PEOPLE WAIT LONG ENOUGH?  WHAT'S THE POINT?!  The last little bit of news dropped about the mythical Glass House album was around January, and Crooked I was quoted as saying that Slaughterhouse will drop the album "when the game needs it." WHAT KINDA PROPHETIC BULLSHIT IS THAT?!  Even a collaboration every now and then is good to hold people over, but this is starting to get really Shady guys (pun intended). New Royce, Joe, Joell and Crooked solo albums are great, but they just don't compare to the chemistry that all 4 have on a track. This "Voltron" crew looks like it's starting to fall apart, but I really hope I'm wrong. No word on whether the album is coming this year, all that they say is that "it's coming." Don't let this become another Detox situation fellas. Anyways, Layers looks to be another solid project from Royce, and we'll get to see how he's going to shift the game again on April 15th.

                         










      



        

LL Cool J Is Returning To Rap!

Something must be wrong with hip hop today because the Gods are sending in some heavyweights (and in this guy's case, quite literally). LL Cool J took to Twitter yesterday to say he's officially coming out of retirement and he'll be recording a new album! Check out the tweet right here.

What do y'all think?  Does LL still have what it takes to bust some heads?  By the look of those arms, I'd say yes.