Songs That Make Me Feel: Vol. 1; Joe Budden

So I've wanted to incorporate this little mini section into the blog for awhile; Every day I'm somehow reminded of some old(er) hip hop that reminds me of an exact feeling I had at the time of it's release, whether that feeling be love, hate, depression, power, or anything and everything in between. Joe Budden (being the mood god himself) has always been highly touted as the one NOT to listen to when facing life's struggles, such as depression or a relationship (also, see Drake for "relationship issues 101"), because who knows, you could actually probably (not) risk committing suicide listening to such real and honest music.

Budden has been putting out music that tells his (often depressing) life story for his entire 13 year career, and by the looks of the tweets on his timeline, he takes pride in what he does. Who better than a player that knows his role in the game?  Budden takes you places, into almost entirely different worlds with the press of a play button, and those places can lead you to end up in many, many different other places; an ex's house, on the floor of a bathroom, in a club throwing one's on a stripper, Joe's range has truly broadened, especially over the last 5 years or so.

On "Different Love" (off of his 2014 EP Some Love Lost, prelude to his 2015 solo LP All Love Lost) Budden was at his absolute most emotional. Budden got to talking about past relationships and his seemingly usual way of sabotaging them, along with problems of family and friends. Some of the biggest stand out lines from this emotional masterpiece include the following; "So I don't ever say what I can't do, if he can be happy with life then nigga I can too, while Jose wanna die, ain't tell nobody but eyeing his eyes feel I should probably identify, I said every day he lives with pain and wanna end it, something's wired wrong in your brain you gotta mend it, had a bad break up and let it expose dude, but if she was getting you high then she would get you low too."

Powerful. Some of the most meaningful lines I've heard in rap in a minute, and Joe's cadence tells it all throughout this track, because every line is not only heard, but felt. It just goes to show that your biggest enemies couldn't make you feel anywhere near as bad as you could yourself. Joe's battle with depression has been known throughout his entire career, and has been made known mostly through his music. We actually probably have Joe's music to thank that Joe is still here with us today; if Joe didn't have his raps and music to vent through, then would he still be here?  That's some crazy food for thought for you right there. In case you haven't heard this amazing emotional journey of a song before, then you can check it out below.

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








            

Hey Meek... You Might Want To Stay Off of Social Media For Awhile (Wale interview, Meek instagram post)

Meek Mill and Wale make news again... and not in a good way (surprise!). Meek took to Instagram today to fire back at Wale for some comments he made in an interview with Power 105.1 about MMG and Meek, and Wale was not bashful speaking about the very much publicized (and meme'd) beef between Drake and Meek Mill. Here's what Wale had to say;

“I honestly feel like [Meek] brought a pencil to a gun fight," said Wale. "You can’t compete with somebody who has those types of relationship. I’m telling everyone who thought Meek lost just off the strength of losing, it doesn’t matter what he made, he could have made ‘Ether 3.0’, the opinions of the people would have been that of the kid from Toronto waxed him. Drake went to Apple and my man went to Funk Flex–and there’s nothing wrong with Flex–but we talking about Apple, breh.”

Interesting comments, they seem honest enough, especially considering all the flack Meek has gotten during the Drake beef drama (all the diamond, and now pencil emoji's fans/trolls have littered Meek's Instagram posts with), though Meek took these comments to heart and started spewing off of the dome (which is probably how he got himself into all of this so called "beef" in the first place). Meek's response to Wale's comments can be seen below;

 "U not MMG NOMORE! This why u can't get my number you a hoe! ???? and u dead cracked right now @wale foh nuttttt! I wasn't even mad at you Fam u got some real issues with yaself and you jealous! Broke rapper! I don't speak on Mmg in interviews unless it's good! U a clown ... We don't wanna hear you nomore Fam! Go jump off a roof like u been tryna do chump! He not MMG IM MAKING THAT CALL ... He been tryna call me saying Rozay owe us money... He don't owe me shit and if he do I'll get it later .... Go that away!"

So... I guess you could say they're working it out. Naw... probably not. Wale's original interview with Power 105.1 can be seen below.

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

 

Fuck Future: Feeling In Music Is Not Gone Yet (My Review on the Current State Of Hip Hop)

I know too many people that speak about their issues with no real human emotion. Too many times I've seen cases where people "cut you off" because of a minor disagreement, or a small fight that means nothing in the grand scheme of things. People grow up, they lose friends, they may no longer speak to family members because of a fight, and don't really care if they do or don't speak to people who have been in their lives for the entirety of it. What that says about these certain people is no matter, but I've always believed that the people in your life who truly mean something will always find a way to stay in it, and these people always hold relevance in your life.

The same exact thing can be said about music. It's amazing how people forget the power that music holds over one's life, it's a known fact that music changes people's perception of the world, and perception is everything. Allow me to say that again; perception is EVERYTHING!  How you perceive something is how you see it, and if something allows you to change your perception on something you see, then that can mean an array of different things (though we won't get into that). Perception is how you see something that scares the living shit out of you, how you see someone you've loved your entire life, how you see your goals and your future, or it can be something as simple as what a song means to you.

This past Wednesday, Joe Budden's very much anticipated album All Love Lost leaked, and if you were a fan scrolling through one of your favorite hip hop blogs looking for new releases, you could have scrolled right by the album stream and thought nothing of it, but I've always taken a liking to Budden's music and his ability to rap (beats on ALL are crazy, though some people will argue that Budden talks about depression/past relationships too much). I pressed play on the "All Love Lost Intro" and was immediately sucked into the world of Joe Budden, but the song that truly made me feel was "Immortal."

On "Immortal", Budden talks of his past drug addiction and getting through it, and if you know about Joe Budden, you know he's abused drugs for almost his entire career. Things like pills (from what Budden mentions is many, many types of pills including Percocet, and he even mentions some heroin use at points in his career) are things Budden abused constantly. But there is a line that makes you think in the song, and though hearing the line itself doesn't hit the ear right, Budden sounds so sure in a line leading up to the hook; "you can't kill something that's ready to die." This line is heavy in it's own right, but that line is followed up by a steroid-like strength hook (probably the wrong expression to use in this case, but oh well); "they say I'm in my own way, own way, and that's fine, I'm just living my own way, own way, like I can't die, they can remove my heart, my soul, might take it's toll, the air I breathe and the ground below, but no way, no way, let 'em all try, that's how it feels to be immortal, immortal, that's how it feels to be immortal, immortal, and that's how it feels to be immortal."

There's too much I have to say about that particular song, but Budden's entire album (All Love Lost) is something that hits you "right in the feels" as the kids say these days. Now what does the rest of hip hop have to combat that with?  Listen to this.

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

Hmm... I don't uhm... Fuck up some... commas?  Excuse me for not being as hip as I'm supposed to be (and granted I don't listen to any Future on the regular, and for good reason), but how does one "fuck up some commas"?  I'm curious, really, more than anything. What is the attraction to this?  Fuck up some commas that most hip hop listeners do not have to "fuck up." "Trap niggas" is definitely a title that people wish to attain; right?  It's so relatable to people to listen to "blow a bag" nowadays, huh?  I believe people have forgotten what quality hip hop music sounds like (something that you're able to listen to timelessly, and able to relate to forever).

So... what do I think?  I think the hottest rappers in the game right now should not be the hottest rappers in the game right now. Do you see yourself listening to Future's Dirty Sprite 2, 56 Nights, or even his Drake collaboration What A Time To Be Alive next year?  How about 10 years from now?  Do any of those projects still hold weight?  The incredible flood of hip hop music that has taken over this millennium needs to stop, and now (and not just Future, a lot of one hit wonders are killing hip hop, that goes for Rae Sremmurd, Bobby Shmurda, Migos, and almost the entire sub genre of "trap music"). I find it amazing that "Slim Jesus" is one of the most talked about acts in hip hop right now. What meaning does music have if you don't see yourself listening to it in the future (no pun intended, though I believe he chose the wrong name)?  Fix rap by putting out quality music, and not by putting out loads and loads of albums and mix tapes that will mean nothing in a year. Fix it by competing with the best, not because you want to make your money, but because you want to be BETTER than the best. If you're not rapping to become the best, then what are you doing it for?  Those are my thoughts on the current state of hip hop.           

         




   

 







      

I Can't Stop Listening To Michael Christmas' 'Shadows"

I know this dude has been on the come up for a second, I know this guy has been featured on other blogs during his current come up, but I never knew this guy had a sound that was so addicting. As far as Michael Christmas goes, this is the first song of his I have heard, but if his newest album What A Weird Day is going to sound anything like this song, then you better believe I'm tuning in for it.

If you don't know about Michael Christmas, he has another album out by the name of Is This Art? that released in 2014 with no huge named features, so it seems he is looking to earn his own come up, a strategy that would earn my respect any day. His newest album What A Weird Day is set for release on October 23rd, and will feature some big names like Mac Miller, D.R.A.M., Logic, and more. His latest single I'm currently raving about (Shadows, produced by Logic's own producer 6ix) is available on iTunes via free download if you pre order the album. You can listen to "Shadows" below.

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

Paul Wall's Slab God Album Review

It's been 10 years since Paul Wall dropped his classic "Sittin Sideways" hit, and a lot has changed since then. Eminem dyed his hair black (then back to blonde again), Lil Wayne became a hot commodity in the later 2000s and early 2010s, and then Drake suddenly became the (not so official) face of what people thought of when people thought of Houston's hip hop scene. As much as that may or may not be true, Paul Wall took a few years off from the mainstream music scene, but stayed making music for die hard listeners. He made a point for his newest album Slab God to be a big release when it hit; do you think it's measured up to it's hype?

Paul starts off the album on a slow, chilled out note with "Swangin in the Rain". Some heavy bass, jazzy piano and quick high hats help this track set the tone for the rest of what's to come on the album; heavy hitting, slow moving (heavy "drank" and syrup inspired) bangers that make it easy to move to. Other stand out tracks of this nature are the Curren$y and Devin The Dude assisted "Crumble the Satellite", "Ridin Homie" featuring Houston's own Trae The Truth, and "R.I.P Act" featuring C. Stone. Paul featured a wide variety of rappers while staying true to his Houston roots.

   

Mr. Wall has never been one to NOT shine on these hoes, either. "Shine on Fo's" is a great example of Paul's shining and his ever so enviable glistening lifestyle. The grills, the girls, the syrup and the jewelry all come along with that Houston rapper lifestyle, and Paul makes it sound as good as it ever has on Slab God. You can also hear about Paul's "checklist" of fancy things on the song "Checklist" (who would have thought?).

Paul also pours his heart out into a couple of songs on Slab God. On "Steady Mobbin", Paul discusses a fallen comrade and you can tell by the start of the song which direction Paul is going to take the song in; "This for all the fallen soldiers in the game. Sip in peace. We gone ride for your memory. We steady mobbin." Paul also gives quite a chilling, yet thought provoking line on shootings and the people's perceptions of them; "I wonder if it was worth, whatever they were shooting fo', and to be honest if the cops would had did it we'd be protestin' and lootin' bro." Surely makes you think, doesn't it?  "R.I.P Act" is also a nice, slow, soulful jam dedicated to a fallen comrade (or former girlfriend, it's hard to tell).

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


So overall, Paul Wall's album proves that he just might be the true "Slab God". Slab God bangs, has some great features that fit in well where they're asked, and makes you want to "swang" with some "Muddy Cups on Sunset" and "Shine On Fo's" (I thought I was pretty damn cool already, I might just have to move to Houston and check out the scene). Houston's rap scene remains somewhat underground (maybe not underground, but not so much commercial), but Paul's album proves that not only is Houston's hip hop scene timeless, but it proves that Paul Wall is another one of those rare rappers who's music can withstand the test of time.   
   




    









 

Throwback Thursday: I Guess Ja Rule Was Okaaaaaay

Does anyone remember that Ja Rule actually existed?  No?  Well then this post might actually blow your mind. Ja Rule once was a successful rapper in the early 2000s (an era that I'm particularly fond of), and had a couple of really big hits with some star studded features (some big RnB singers Ja had featured on his albums were big names like Jennifer Lopez, R. Kelly, and Ashanti multiple times). Respect is due where it is earned, and it'd be wrong of me to shun Ja for some great memories Ja has created for me through his music.

(this one brings back fantastic memories, even though at the time being so young it's hard to believe now that it was Ja Rule that was making me jig)

I'm a huge Eminem fan (I believe I've stated before), so for me to even mention Ja's name is like summoning Voldemort, but I can't deny the fact that Ja had some soulful hits back in the day. It's unfortunate that Ja's career had to be shortened due to 50 Cent and Eminem's dismantling of him in the early 2000s (come on now, you know it's true, everyone on Shady AND on G Unit got involved), but when Ja made music and didn't get involved in beef with anybody, he always did pretty damn good for himself. Ja had 2 albums that topped the U.S. billboard 200 (Rule 3:36 in 2000 and Pain Is Love in 2001), he earned 4 Grammy nominations and even had six top 10 albums under  his belt.

Is a Ja Rule comeback possible?  Who knows, but what we do know is that Ja is keeping his name in headlines, even today. Earlier this year his beef with 50 Cent was reignited when the 2 started going back and forth on Twitter and Instagram over a comment Ja made when a fan asked a question about the feud on Twitter. Not only exciting beefs being reignited, but apparently in May of this year, Ja made his first known attempt at business and entrepreneurship by partnering with Billy McFarland, the CEO of Magnises, (a credit card service company) to become the "creative head and spokesman" of the company. Will it work out for Ja?  Only time will tell, but until then, we can sit back and enjoy some of his biggest hits, some being the perfect blend of RnB soul singing and a strong hip hop voice.

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








      

5 Awesome Wiz Khalifa DayToday Vlogs

The rapper lifestyle is literally always a luxurious one. Like, it's pretty unfair actually. Why can't I live like that?  Anyways, sometimes your favorite rappers give you awesome day to day (DayToday) and behind the scenes looks at what it's like to live that rapper lifestyle. It's been said that the lifestyle itself is addicting, but I'll tell you what's even more addicting than the lifestyle itself; is sitting back and watching someone live that lifestyle. Wiz Khalifa has been doing his DayToday's web series since back in his mix tape days (I believe the first season was around 2009/2010), and has kept the now very popular series going up to this year. I'm not the Wiz Khalifa fan I once was (not just because I don't smoke pot anymore), but every now and then, I can admittedly find myself gawking at the rich and famous lifestyle Wiz flaunts in his DayToday web series, even now. So I decided to chronicle 5 of Wiz's most entertaining DayToday videos below.

Season 3 Episode 5

Season 3 is a goldmine of the alleged rapper lifestyle and how it is lived, and who better to show you how it's lived than Wiz Khalifa?  In this episode a few well known radio DJs make some celebrity appearances, like DJ Drama, DJ Clue and DJ Envy, and Wiz even gives a decent little freestyle on Funk Flex's show.

Season 3 Episode 6

Episode 6 of season 3 is definitely my favorite episode of any DayToday ever made, and if you watch it you'll see why. This episode features classic Wiz doing Wiz things, smoking doobies, rapping classic Snoop songs and partying on the "Puff Bus". Tour life is said to be grueling by other rappers/artists who go through it, but Wiz makes it look like the best lifestyle anybody could live in this classic episode.

Season 3 Episode 8

    
Season 3 episode 8 of Wiz's DayToday series is part 2 of a 3 part mini series that includes Wiz coming home to Pittsburgh, and it begins with Wiz's discussion of his set list he's going to play coming home to the Taylors, and also shows him going through a rather hilarious sound check before the concert. The ending is the best part however, as it ends with an appearance from the legendary Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J.

Season 3 Episode 9

   
The conclusion of the mini 3 part series in season 3 (and also the season 3 finale) starts with Wiz accepting a plaque commemorating his sold out 2011 62 show Waken Baken tour, then continuing to party with the gang and Juicy J for the remainder of the episode. It was only right that Wiz ended the tour in Pittsburgh, and they also got some great footage of Wiz's electric homecoming performance to round out the end of the tour. The rest of the episode shows Wiz partying with Juicy and the gang, and even shows an appearance from then up and coming Pittsburgh emcee Mac Miller. It's funny how time flies isn't it?

Season 4 Episode 2

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

I included a lot of season 3 in the post (because it is pretty much the golden age of Wiz Khalifa's DayToday's), but I figured I'd branch out a little for the last video. In the beginning of season 4 episode 2, Wiz is seen hanging out with the squad doing the usual lighting up a bowl, but the episode gets more exciting later on when Wiz performs at MTV Spring Break, and even later on as Drake makes an appearance and kicks it with Wiz, Juicy J, and the rest of the Taylor Gang. You can tell how particular Drake is about his career when everyone around him is drinking and smoking, and he remains sober and doesn't touch a joint or a drink (I guess he's Drake-ing).

Those are just 5 episodes of hundreds of available videos you can find and watch of Wiz Khalifa's DayToday's on YouTube. There are a lot of vlogs online that flourish in the internet age (seemingly anybody who can record a video and upload it to YouTube can be successful, but it's not always good) but these sorts of videos can open up thoughts about an entirely different world to those not familiar with it, and who knows, they can even inspire people to be successful, so they can live this sort of lifestyle themselves. Wiz may just be a chain smoking partyer who raps, but to others, he's an inspiration towards a glamorous lifestyle.       
    


















 

Promoting Love & Positivity In Hip Hop

The stereotype of some people's opinions of hip hop is getting old. To say it all "promotes violence and drugs", and "glorifies disrespecting women", and that all rappers talk about is "money, clothes and hoes" is just too played out. Where's the love?  In hip hop it seems hard to find (at least at first), but a lot of people who judge rap on it's negative topics and stereotypes don't search deep enough to find the artists that do promote love and positivity. I would love more than anything to be a part of that promotion, so here is a list of rap's most positive, and love promoting artists. It's time for hip hop to stop getting all the bad (w)rap!


J. Cole

Cole is one of the 2 prime examples of rappers who promote love, positivity, and happiness in not only his music, but his way of living. He doesn't just talk about making the world a better place, he sets the example on being a good person overall. In case you didn't hear about his campaign for his last album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Cole used his old house (at 2014 Forest Hills Drive) to rent out to families in need for one whole year, so the man literally has been putting roof's over peoples heads. Not only this, but one of Cole's friends from North Carolina also told a story about J. Cole paying for a FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP for a girl (named Cierra Bosarge) to attend college (although no word on what school she's attending). Word is that Bosarge wrote a letter to Cole talking about the struggles of school and how Cole's music inspired her, so Cole promised to attend her graduation if she got into a 4 year university. Cole not only attended Bosarge's graduation, but is paying for all of her books and her tuition for all 4 years. If that's not a heartwarming story, I don't know what is.

Kendrick Lamar

https://twitter.com/DailyRapFacts/status/638973428515520512
(*Saw this video on Twitter so I posted a link, if it doesn't show up, let me know in the comment section below, Facebook, or on Google+ and I'll re share the video)

Kendrick Lamar is the other prime example of positivity and love in hip hop. In the link above, Kendrick talks about his thoughts on the real reason people are put here on Earth, and his answer is very Tupac-esque; nothing short of compassion and understanding. Funny how a kid from Compton is more for peace and love than say, the government (*Cue Kermit the frog and coffee cup emoji's*). Kendrick Lamar sits back and lets his music tell a socially conscious message, attacking the flaws of mankind and pushing for better, while remaining cool, calm, and collected in interviews (sort of the opposite of Kanye West... Kanye does drop some knowledge every now and then, but because he's so out of control about it, people pass it off as him being crazy).

Jhene Aiko

                                    (*Jhene begins to discuss her message at the 5:18 mark*)

Jhene's ENTIRE LIFE MESSAGE is love. No, seriously. In the interview above Jhene talks about what she feels her goals in life are and the message she feels she needs to spread to the world. How can you hate someone who preaches love all of the time (plus she's just so damn cute, but that's another conversation for another day)?  Jhene is known to be very into horoscopes and spiritual readings of that nature, so for her to preach love and positivity is no surprise (especially when you see what she posts on her Twitter and Tumblr pages). I know Jhene isn't exactly what you call hip hop, but she is always associated with hip hop acts, plus her message is too strong not to include.

Logic

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

Logic has been a fantastic example of positivity, and (dare I say it) is one of the few artists that represents rap in a truly respectable, and mature fashion. The interview above was given by DJ Booth (an incredibly dope website, shout out to their great writers Brendan Varan, Yoh, and Nathan Slavik, who gave this interview), and Logic discusses his lifestyle, his adjusting to rap stardom, and how many people he has in his close circle, and basically sums it all up in one perfect sentence; "I don't fuck with nobody." That message may not be so positive, but Logic is not only expressing his views on how stardom has changed how people see him, in a way he's also giving an important life lesson that many other people need to know; people change.

Hip hop has evolved, and if you don't think so, you probably haven't listened recently. Most people who believe it hasn't evolved simply haven't given it the chance it deserves. I preach a lot about hip hop and what's best for it I know, but this time I'm not talking about the actual music; I'm talking about the way it's "constituents" make it look as a genre. Listen to Jhene Aiko sing a soulful hook on a hip hop song (or listen to her love anthem "In Love We Trust"), listen to the way Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole talks about society today, or hell, even listen to the way Logic talks about the perception of life. It's all about perception, and these amazing artists not only show us why it is so important, but they set an example for how people should live their lives; filled with nothing but love and positivity.    





      










                 

Did Drake Really Let Someone Pee On Him? (T.I. Interview on Ebro In The Morning)

Drake and Meek's beef has seemed to die down just enough to let Drake's (rumored) joint mix tape with Future actually break the internet (even though any new Drake music breaks the internet already, Future would just be icing on the cake). The feud between the 2 had died down almost enough for Meek to put out music and not have rabid die hard fans at his neck in Instagram or Twitter comment sections talking about how Drake has ended his career. The two had almost gotten to the point where they could go about their careers and not care about headlines concerning their supposed "beef"; until Ebro pushed the agenda with his recent interview on "Ebro In The Morning" with T.I.

With Ebro being the always controversial, yet somehow balanced enough to see both sides of the story type of interviewer that he is, he continued to ask Tip the question that everybody wants to know about Drake vs. Meek; did Drake really get peed on in a movie theater as Meek said in his diss track "Wanna Know"? T.I. dodges the question just as a G rightfully does when faced with a tough question (because Tip is just that cool), but is his question dodging to avoid getting involved in the beef, or is it because he doesn't want to expose Drake?  Peep the full interview below.

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

(Late) Throwback Thursday: Just Blaze Discusses the Making Of Exhibit C

I have this philosophy when it comes to posting that basically goes like this; it's never a bad time to show appreciation to greatness. It was over 6 years ago that Jay Electronica dropped his ground breaking Just Blaze produced song "Exhibit C". (And because it's Jay Elec) There's always some sort of aura that surrounds the song (not to mention Jay Electronica himself) and many questions are always asked when his name comes up (like who is Jay Elec, where did he come from, why did Jay Z sign him and when is the album dropping just to name a few that come straight to mind), but somehow whenever a story about Jay Electronica is given from someone close to him (such as Jay Z, or his legendary producer Just Blaze) we feel at ease at least for a little bit. So, I thought this little interview with Just Blaze about the making of "Exhibit C" could hold you over just a little longer while you wait for Jay Electronica to start taking his music seriously. Enjoy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

                     

          






        

          

Kanye West; Enough Said

Nicki tried to steal the internet away with her (definitely fake) Miley Cyrus hate (which I didn't oppose, because Miley killed these VMA's and not in a good way), but did she REALLY think she was going to take the spotlight away from Kanye West?  Not even if Kanye had booty shots. Posting for Kanye West appreciation; currently I'm sitting (about an hour after the actual speech) re-watching Kanye's 2015's VMA speech. I'm almost in tears (again) at how awesome this shit is (don't judge me, sometimes I cry at awesomeness). I'll admit, I don't listen to Kanye's music willingly, and I don't like to say Kanye is one to rant just for the sake of ranting, I've always listened to what Kanye has had to say. I don't like to say I'm a fan of Kanye West because of his "artistry", I don't preach about how "deep" Kanye is, and I will never kiss the ground that a man wearing a fucking ADIDAS YEEZY BOOST walks on... don't get it twisted. Kanye fucked up with "New Slaves", and lot of other shit, I'm not going to suck up. But when it come to genuine people, when it comes to appreciating the art of it all, and when it comes to putting rap on the map (whether good attention or bad attention), Kanye NEVER disappoints, and his 2015 VMA's speech might be the realest I have ever heard. Nothing else to say here, full screen it and enjoy.

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

        

Mac Miller's GO:OD A.M: What Do You Expect?

From Easy Mac With The Cheesy Raps to ImMACulate (I just made that up, Em style). From KIDS to Macadelic. From Blue Slide Park to Watching Movies With The Sound Off, Mac Miller has transformed himself into a sort of morphing, conscious, yet heavily drug influenced Two Face of the rap industry. On one side of it all, you have the KIDS version of Mac. Clean rap (as in strictly weed and no other "influences"), catchy hooks, and an incredibly likable character that makes music based on the stoner life. Then comes the morphing process, and you get Watching Movies With The Sound Off (and not to mention Faces) Mac Miller. Suddenly a switch is flipped; the music becomes more abstract along with the rhymes, the subject matter becomes something only a drugged out rock star in the 60s could relate to, and Mac taps into an alter ego of sorts. Both sides of Mac have gained fans (personally Faces got my attention, which led to Watching Movies With The Sound Off ), but there is only 1 Mac. Which Mac will we see on his upcoming album, GO:OD A.M.?

A clean Mac Miller. In case you haven't been keeping up with Mac since his resurfacing back into the music scene, he recently moved to New York with his girlfriend, and is currently in the process of keeping clean of drugs (although not alcohol as seen by his Breakfast Club interview, he admits it's a work in process). Mac knows he disappeared and will tell you himself, but for good reason. He kicked the bad habits (most of them), and a big part of this is due to his moving to legendary producer Rick Rubin's home in Malibu for the summer of 2014. " For 2 to 3 years, I was just numb," Mac was quoted as saying in an interview with Grantland. "So when you're coming out of that, it's all going to come out at once. I was crying every day."

With Mac's drug problem being a big part of his music making process, it would be safe to assume that we'd see quite a different Mac on his upcoming GO:OD AM album, set for a September 18th release. With both singles that have been released, it's hard to tell what to expect from Mac's upcoming album (I've learned not to judge an album based on a single), but we do see some comedy with "100 Grandkids", and we do hear Mac back to his rappity rap shit on "Break The Law."

Mac recently (finally) signed a major label deal with Warner Bros. for $10 million. Now if you know Mac Miller and how he's come up in rap, a lot of his fans like to take his side because he's been independent all of these years (I'd hope you wouldn't just like a rapper because he's independent, but some people enjoy being rebels without a cause), so Mac's signing a deal with a Major definitely raises some flags amongst his loyal fans, but Mac encourages people not to worry about his music changing because creatively he will still go through the same process. Mac says in his interview with The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1; "That was a big thing. There's no executive producer, there's no A&R. There were labels that I got that vibe from, but with Warner, they said you do you, and whenever you want to give us a single, let us know."

Mac also explained the album title, GO:OD A.M.: "I didn't like Good Morning as a title, but I liked it as a concept. I wanted the album to be like, that breath of fresh air. I wanted the idea to be refreshing. You know, you wake up in the morning and it's new." Mac also went on to explain that producer No I.D. gave him the idea for the album title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxkkvNTU0qo
(Mac's second single, "Break The Law", *I do not own these videos or the rights to them*)

Faces and Watching Movies With The Sound Off  are 2 of Mac's absolute best projects. Now admittedly I haven't extensively listened to all of KIDS or Best Day Ever (what Mac's diehards say are some of his best projects), but when I hear things like "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza" or 'Senior Skip Day", I have to admit I'm not impressed. I don't hear the spitting ability as something like "Here We Go" off of Faces, and I don't hear the abstract sound that makes him different from every other rapper on the planet like "The Star Room" off of Watching Movies With The Sound Off. Both of these projects give Mac that "it" factor that he just doesn't have on his early mix tapes. These 2 projects are Mac's Two-Face to his Harvey Dent (meaning musically AND lyrically, WMWTSO and Faces are Mac at his best). I can only hope that Mac's "alter ego" doesn't lead to a complete relapse, and his drug-influenced (it'd be wrong to say "greatness") music doesn't mean the death of him in the end.          

 










 

                    

What Compton: The Soundtrack Has Done (Kind Of, Not Really An Album Review)

In a realistic, sad world, a hip hop blogger/writer has to find a way to be able to give an honest, unbiased review of music they don't care about. They listen to stale artists day after day to be able to get a review of an album out, and when it comes to the "actually being able to listen and enjoy the music" aspect of it all, love is lost. As a hip hop blogger/writer, this happens to me at times as well. Is it because the shelf life of a song nowadays is a day?  Does social media ruin the impact that the music has on people?  Or are artists just not making music that measures up to our expectations anymore?  These are questions that not just the writers, but die hard rap fans think about constantly, but recently an album dropped that made me forget about all of that, and allowed me to get back to enjoying the music. Compton: The Soundtrack has opened up my eyes on the musical aspect of rap, and the practice of not only perfecting an album's overall sound quality, but crafting the perfect song with the right people. I refuse to do an album review on Compton: The Soundtrack, those are out there if that's what you want, so instead, I've decided to list a few things about the soundtrack that you don't hear in hip hop today (and maybe a few things that I liked about it, but that's beside the point).

Soulful, Emotional Singing

It's been quite awhile since I've heard anything in hip hop that has allowed the listener to understand what the artist is going through, where he/she is from, etc., and for some reason I have truly connected with Dr. Dre on Compton: The Soundtrack. It'd be wrong to say that Dre has updated people on what he has been up to since his last album release, but Compton: The Soundtrack does an incredible job of making it easier to connect emotionally with a billionaire. The singers Dre reaches out to on the album might not have been big names we had heard before, but ones who played a very crucial part in the sound of each song. Justus and BJ The Chicago Kid's voices on "It's All On Me" truly portray the sound of a man who has dealt with stress to a breaking point. Marsha Ambrosius and Andersen .Paak bring the soul to a high on "All In A Day's Work", and Andersen .Paak's voice on "Animals" says a lot about how residents of Compton feel about the way their city is depicted. If hip hop had more artists that devoted themselves to relating with their fans, with voices that have emotional range that make you really think about the subject matter, then hip hop wouldn't be where it is now.

The Breakdown Of A Song

It's also been a long time since I've heard anything in hip hop that doesn't sound repetitive. After a certain while, the music just becomes a beat, or even worse, the music becomes complete noise, almost as if someone plays the music just to have some background distraction, and not actually playing the music for how great it truly is. Anyways, Dr. Dre flips this on its ear. Sometimes it's 50/50  when a song can sound great or terrible when the beat completely flips into something else, but Dr. Dre made a point to have a point. Towards the ending in "All In A Day's Work", Dre and protégé singer Andersen .Paak do make a point that symbolizes Dre's career as of the last 16 years: "back to work." In the song "Issues" featuring Ice Cube, Andersen .Paak and Dem Jointz, .Paak's (ironic to say just his last name) singing breakdown is great. It' almost an eye opening view of Compton and what it is. The gunshots and the helicopter sounds only paint the picture more vividly. If hip hop had more artists that knew how to put together a complete song and get to a point, a message with their song, then it wouldn't be looked down upon and spoken ill of as it is now.

Cadences

Another thing that Dre brings to the table with Compton: The Soundtrack that you just don't see in rap anymore is cadence. Now for those who don't know what cadence is, cadence is the way an artist goes about singing or rapping their part in the song. So if an artist is angry in the song, you should hear their anger, or if the artist is truly hurt and expressing it in the song, you would be able to hear the cracks and trembles in their voice, and the pain being expressed by the artist. Dre finds ways for not only himself, but the artists he features to reach their maximum potential possible on each cut (as we know, Dre is a perfectionist, he'll admit it and people he's worked with will tell you). Dre's 2nd verse on "All In A Day's Work" is a perfect example of his frustration/anger with what hip hop has turned into. On Game's song "Just Another Day", his flow and delivery is as vicious and tenacious as Game is known to be, and his talks of coming up in the game (ha) and growing up in Compton is a great reason for Game to show that he has a fire for what he does, and that he's electric about his journey from where he came to where he is now. If hip hop had more artists that spit and spat the way they felt, and actually showed emotion in their music as opposed to acting like a bunch of money grabbing, expensive car driving robots, then hip hop would be in a better place.

Dr. Dre's mere presence almost forces artists to step their game up. Once you start working with The Good Doctor, you're supposed to give your all, or you can leave the studio. From listening to interviews of countless people working with Dre, the likes of the obvious names like Eminem, Kendrick, Snoop, Game, etc., and even down to the not so much expected artists like Gwen Stefani (whom Dre made cry working on the hook for Eve's song "Let Me Blow Ya Mind"), they will all tell you that Dr. Dre is about the craft. Dr. Dre and his protégé's all have 1 noticeable character detail in common (maybe besides Game, considering he looks for fights); they let their music do the talking. Eminem and Dre hate doing interviews, and Kendrick is as humble a person as it gets if you've ever seen him in an interview. These guys focus on 1 thing; music.

So Compton has introduced me to some new artists I need to look out for (King Mez, Andersen .Paak, Marsha Ambrosius, but also reintroduced me to Jon Connor), but also reminded me that that the Doctor is one of those rare artists. He's not just rare because he doesn't put out music every day, he's not just rare because this is his first album in 16 years, but he's rare because of this: he cares about how the song turns out. He cares about the music. How can you not appreciate someone like that?  His craft is a craft like no other, he goes after the absolute RIGHT people for the job. I had admittedly never heard of Andersen .Paak, Marsha Ambrosius, Candice Pillay, Asia Bryant, or most of the other artists he featured, but every artist featured had a specific part that they had to play, and they did it. That's why it blends so perfectly, and that's why Dr. Dre is doing things that expand, and push hip hop to an entirely new level. Dre proves that California hip hop is a brand and a sound, and it is global. Once hip hop artists stop making beef (although entertaining) over stupid little things, once hip hop artists stop making "twitter fingers" a valid phrase, once hip hop artists stop making "turn up" music and popping "molly's"... then maybe... just maybe... The Doctor will see you as a worthy artist, and give you the Good Treatment.                      

        



 

  






       

Miley Cyrus' Frustration With the Industry Taken Out On Kendrick Lamar

Recently in an interview Miley Cyrus called out Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar on their "violence and drugs in their music videos" and was quoted as saying both are "bad role models", to which I could not help but laugh when I read it. Now sure, you may say "alright Geff chill, it looks like you're just defending any rapper/rap artist who gets some flack thrown their way." This statement would be correct to a degree. But for Miley Cyrus to call out Kendrick and Taylor Swift on violence, drugs, and "politically incorrect things" in their videos, it's like Kobe Bryant calling out Gilbert Arenas for being a ball hog. This is why I'm glad I'm here; to make points.

Now the point of this is not to bash either (okay maybe a little Miley bashing) artist, but to point out each artist's content and see where the flaws AND great things lie. We'll start with Taylor Swift. In her latest interview with Marie Claire magazine, Miley was quoted as saying (speaking about Taylor Swift's Bad Blood music video featuring Kendrick);

 "I don't get the violence revenge thing. That's supposed to be a good example?  And I'm a bad role model because I'm running around with my (breasts) out?  I'm not sure how (breasts) are worse than guns."

Okay, so Taylor Swift's video features some guns and swords (and is supposedly a subliminal diss to Katy Perry, which I find hilarious that beef isn't just found in hip hop now, but that story is for another person to write). In a music video for a song called "Bad Blood" you wouldn't exactly expect flowers and dancing in fields, would you?  If so, I wonder what your stance on bad blood is.  But I'm not so much concerned with her opinion on Taylor's music video, it's her comments on Kendrick Lamar;

"There is so much sexism, ageism, you name it. Kendrick Lamar sings about LSD and he's cool. I do it and I'm a druggie whore."

Okay, now this comment does not make any sense whatsoever. This is the biggest bit of evidence that Miley (and probably many other Kendrick bashers) does not understand Kendrick's music. If you really listen to Kendrick's "For Sale?" interlude, Kendrick is speaking on "Lucifer", Lucy being a short name that he uses to reference Lucifer. Kendrick talks of what Lucy could bring him if he "signs his deal with the devil."  Some of Kendrick's lyrics in the interlude go as follows;

"My name is Lucy Kendrick, you introduced me Kendrick, usually I don't do this but I see you want me Kendrick, Lucy give you no worries, Lucy got a million stories, about these rappers that I came after when they was boring, Lucy gone fill ya' pockets, Lucy gone move ya momma out of Compton inside a gigantic mansion like I promised, Lucy just want your trust and loyalty, avoiding me? it's not so easy I'm at these functions accordingly, Kendrick, Lucy don't slack a minute, Lucy work harder, Lucy gone call ya even when Lucy know you love your father, I'm Lucy, I loosely heard prayers on your first album truly, Lucy don't mind cause at the end of the day you'll pursue me, Lucy go get it, Lucy not timid, Lucy upfront, Lucy got paperwork on top of paperwork, I want you to know that Lucy got you, all your life I watched you, and now you've grown up to sign this contract if that's possible."

https://youtu.be/REDMPXa4hVQ
(Here's the link to the song, for some reason I couldn't find a version to put directly on the blog. *I do not own these songs, videos, or the rights to them.*)

Oh yeah, I definitely see where "Lucy" could represent a drug after hearing these lyrics. Kendrick admitted to having depression (on the album) and even openly admitted in interviews to having problems with prescription drugs for quite some time in interviews after To Pimp A Butterfly was released. So is Kendrick perfect?  No, he's not. But for Miley Cyrus to judge Kendrick on "talking about LSD" in a song that clearly doesn't talk about LSD, is a classic example of an artist that has had enough of the BS and needs to take it out on someone else. But how do you expect not to get any flack when you sing about drugs, pose nude, twerk, swing around naked on a wrecking ball and tour in a thong-ed out leotard (I can't tell if it's a bathing suit or a leotard, y'all can be the judge)?  Kendrick brings these drugs/bad lifestyles to light to shed light on them and hopes for a better tomorrow for the youth, not to brag about how he's killed a man or how many drugs he's done. For Miley to do her own thing is fine, but when it comes to judging others and saying they're "bad role models"; Miley has no right because she's just as bad. Hip hop will not take another L because some die hard fans of Miley misconstrue her misplaced anger, and have no understanding of what the message of Kendrick Lamar's song truly is.