Kanye West ~ Yeezus

Oh boy. Where to start with this one... Even before Kanye's head was plastered on a building, scaring children, and sparking debates all over the internet, Yeezus was spurring gigantic controversy. If you are still one of the hopefuls expecting a pre-808s style album, you will be sorely disappointed. The Kanye West you once knew is long gone, he is no longer a rapper, and you should not expect that he is going to rap. He has been replaced by Kanye Kardashian, and it is up to you to decide whether this is a good or bad thing.

Right from the start of the album your ears will be engulfed by some of the strongest production that has ever been featured in a Kanye album. Invoking a powerful feeling, the album immerses listeners in superb sampling, progressions, and aggressive, dark inspirations from the Trap music scene. The last minute of ‘New Slaves’ is the pinnacle in this regard, showing how far Kanye has come as a producer. The whole album has been polished to a gleaming shine, with major standouts being ‘Black Skinheads’, ‘New Slaves’, and ‘Blood on the Leaves’.

However, Yeezus does come with a price. Most of it drawing from Kanye's bloated ego and tendencies to complain about things he has done to himself; like becoming famous and a hip hop icon. The lyrical content is not what you would call....well....good. The vast majority of the album is Kanye bitching about how tired he is of being famous, and how hard it is, how the fashion industry did not take him in with open arms, and how he never wanted all the pressure of being famous This is not an album to listen to if you are looking at it for the lyrical content, you will be greatly disappointed.

If you do not mind the direction Kanye has been taking for the past few years, this album may be what you need for a nice summer soundtrack. However, if you are still waiting for the Kanye of ‘College Dropout’ days to poke his head out of the crowd, pass this album up. He has been covered with a sheet, brutally beaten with a bat, and is posing as Jay-Zs new bean bag chair.



Side note: Stop tweeting "I'd rather be a dick than a swallower" please. That shit has been played out since Kanye wrote it down. 

Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne (2011)

Favorite tracks:

. That's My Bitch - Great sample, great beat, excellent hook by Elly Jackson. Justin Vernon's cameo is disturbingly cool.

"How can somethin’ so gangsta be so pretty in pictures? With jeans and a blazer and some Louboutin slippers"

. Otis - Exactly what I expect from Kanye & Jay. The two of them riding a soul sample trying to one-up each other, while complimenting each other in the process. Jay's opening verse and Kanye's second verse in particular are quite captivating.
"Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses,sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive; I get it custom, you a customer, you ain’t ‘customed to going through Customs, you ain’t been nowhere, huh?"

. Murder to Excellence - Not sure what to say about this one, it's just a really solid track with a nice beat change in the middle. More of Kanye & Jay complimenting each other's style.

"Black excellence, opulence, decadence; Tuxes next to the president, I'm present"

. Why I Love You - The grandiose production really works on this one. Mr Hudson's hook is arguably the most memorable of the year. Kanye plays second fiddle quite nicely.

"Fuck you squares, The circle got smaller; The castle got bigger, The walls got taller"

. Illest Motherfucker Alive - Not really one of my favorites, but there are some killer one-liners on this one.

"Fuck your awards like Eddie Murphy’s couch; The Roc is in the building we should have stayed in the house"

"Know when to leave when the heat is coming, I learned that; This is where DiNero would be if he ain’t turn back"

. Primetime - No I.D continues his amazing year with another terrific beat.

"Well, Adam gave up a rib so mine better be prime; Niggas gon kill me, I swear they better be lying; I never live in fear, I’m too out of my mind"

The Joy - Originally a G.O.O.D. Friday track, it works nicely as a bonus track. Pete Rock really brings out the soul with the Curtis Mayfield sample in this one. And Jay's flow is great, one of the best he'd had in a while.

"Give all glory to Gloria; They said you raised that boy too fast, but you was raising a warrior"

Though lacking consistency and initially a bit underwhelming, Watch the Throne has some great high points and lasting replay value. As with any Kanye project, the production is the highlight of the album. Though both Jay and Kanye had some great moments and chemistry, they failed to meet the standards that their past collaborations have set. Most of the guest features fit into their retrospective tracks well, with Elly Jackson and Mr Hudson being the standouts. It probably won't get my pick for album of the year, but I certainly won't have forgotten about it by December.

wiki

Lil B - I'm Gay (2011)

When I reviewed Lil B's Illusions of Grandeur mixtape earlier in the year, my aim was to open people's eyes and ears to the other side of Lil B as an artist. By now, most hip-hop heads and most music fans who know how to use the internet are familiar with the Based God and his antics, which involve the consumption of Wonton Soup in conjunction with having his way with your bitch. If this was Lil B's ploy to make a name for himself then it certainly worked. However, it also resulted in his more serious projects being overshadowed. There's nothing wrong with a bit of infamy, but when your best work is often overlooked then you have to re-think your strategy, which is exactly what Lil B did with I'm Gay.

I won't go into detail about the album title, because this is a review about the music. But needless to say, Lil B was adequately aware that naming his album I'm Gay would attract plenty of attention, which would result in listeners, which would ultimately result in word getting around that the based god really is a serious artist. Lil B's aim as an artist has always been to let listeners hear the real him, how he feels about the world, how he thinks and how he acts, which is why he and many of his fans often refer to him as 'The realest person doing it'. And in just 44 minutes, Lil B sounds more convincingly real than he ever has before.

Opening track 'Trapped in Prison' does what every opening track on a good album should do- set the tone and feel of the album. A song about dealing with racism, Lil B's confidence in himself is evident from the opening minute. "It’s more than Martin Luther King fighting for a dream; Watch me go against everything you believe". Punchlines are not lost on him either. "I'm nicer than grandma with a cup of iced tea; You see me I got ice like Ice T". Where Lil B really shines the most is when he's talking positive. On 'Gon Be Okay' he says "I'mma ask how you doing today; we gonna win somehow, someway". On 'I Hate Myself', a story about his struggles growing up and wanting to let go of the past in order to be happy, Lil B closes the song by saying "Don't think too hard, free your mind" after reflecting on some of the things he's seen growing up in the hood and how it made him feel. While that may seem like a tired subject in the realm of rap, it works when told in such a direct, no-nonsense manner.

The highlight of I'm Gay is without question the production. The album album sounds raw yet soulful, with a wide variety of well-executed samples, including Slowdive on 'Open Thunder Eternal Slumber', Goo Goo Dolls on 'I Hate Myself', and my personal favorite, a simply terrific sample of Gerard McMann's 'Cry Little Sister' on 'Unchain Me'.

I'm Gay has no guest features, it's just based god on all 12 tracks and no one else. Production-wise this is not an issue. As far as Lil B's rapping is concerned, this can be a major issue for some listeners. Firstly, Lil B can rap when he wants to. I'm Gay is not exactly the prime showcase of his rapping abilities. His style is notable for his unconventional (and sometimes non-existent) rhyme schemes, coupled with a slow flow that is often inconsistent and lazy sounding. Understandably this can be an issue for listeners, especially ones who aren't used to Lil B and his style. I tend to enjoy his style simply because of how convincing he is as a storyteller. The lyrics on this album are great and while he may not spit them in the most appealing way, he still tells his stories well, which is what really sells it for me. And while I wouldn't mind hearing these stories in a more conventional manner, something about the way that they're delivered in Lil B's uniquely odd style makes them all the more real.

Buy it

Wiki

Death Grips - Exmilitary (2011)

As a fan of noise and black metal and all sorts of other ugly musics, I've had to discuss the idea of value in aggressive music and the use of screaming and destructive melodies fairly frequently. Occasionally it's something as simple as "happiness or pleasure isn't derived directly from something that makes you feel cheery" which is simple enough to accept I think. Occasionally I'll have to bring up Schoenberg's sprechstimme and the idea of jilted dynamics and vocals to heighten the atmosphere and expression of a piece, which works itself into a circle when they insist on pure entertainment and such. All that aside however, there is a certain appreciation that is to be had in a very primal anger in music, like Salo to cinema, and an idea that it's something that must be done for the full spectrum of art.

And here rests a great example. From the takeoff, we're treated to a brief sample of an interview than none other than criminal and musician Charles Manson, leading into a thick heavy beat with a pointed grunt accompanied with a yell claiming this lead vocalist is the terrible beast he worships, later expanding discussing how he's not afraid of "the time he's taken past the point of no return" and that one should "wage war" as there is no hell and no worries for the future and such. Aside from the subject matter itself, the lyrics are incredibly poetic and theatrical. It evokes powerful imagery with ease, casually shouting down the powers of the earth and painting all the "evils of man".

The rest of the album follows in roughly the same path with some minor changes. Guillotine moves more slowly, with a thick low end beat settling as a sort of sludge underneath more angry vocals. Culture Shock has a more glitchy beat with a smooth subtle vocalist. Blood Creepin has some sort of tribal yell to transition into the first verse. But through every change, this album keeps its intensity and vileness.

At the very least, you're unlikely to hear much like this. You can get the same sort of angry vocals in something like Kill the Vultures, but that's generally much more lethargic. You could get the noise and destruction and, i suppose, wordiness, in something like dalek, but while that is sharp and, in certain respects, promotes human, this is thick and spiteful. While I was showing this around, one listener could only remark "I'm breathing heavy and stuff". Regardless of whether or not you find entertainment in this, very few can hit the atmosphere of this tape, and of everything released this year, this demands a listen more than anything.

and it's free

Tyler, The Creator - Goblin (2011)

Well I think Tyler sums this album up the best in his song Yonkers:

"I'm a fucking walking Paradox"

Which makes complete sense because he's the standout rapper of the California Hip-Hop collective OFWGKTA but then he puts out something like this, something so beneath his potential it almost made me question if it was one of those fake Goblin leaks that were floating around. Tyler on this album comes of as more confessional than I've seen on his previous songs but I really don't think Tyler is album to hold my interest over an entire album. Part of the reason why I liked EARL was because it was short enough that I could listen to it and move on cause it was about 30 minutes. Goblin however is about 1 and a quarter albums of Tyler bitching about him being "famous" and other stuff going wrong in his life.

The album opener is the self titled Goblin, and the song is 7 minutes of him going over his sudden rise to fame and how he seems to have all these expectations surrounding him and the rest of Odd Future to his therapist. The track itself is pretty good but this brings me into something I don't really like about Odd Future in general, and that's that a lot of the beats try to be minimal to the point where it just comes across as lazy. The beat sounds like a fucking metronome, and then it kind of breaks off into this synthy piano thing and almost immediately goes back into a metronome sound (which sounds really bland, like it's a 4/4 pattern throughout the entire song). The track transitions not-so-subtlely into Yonkers which is easily my favorite track off of the album, which is a shame that I heard the best song off of the album so many months in advance. The beat again is pretty basic but the rhymes keep me coming back because, well, he's clever. He's really clever and he knows how to put together a rap. It's as simple as that. Radicals, the next track begins with with a disclaimer that takes away from the shock that track has then he goes on to say "FUCK BILL O'REILLY", as if he's striving for that same attention he denounced 2 songs ago. But whatever, the track itself is another solid song, which while it's not as clever as Yonkers is, it's still pretty entertaining and it reminds me of why I like OFWGKTA in the first place. The thing I have against this track though is that the first part of it (Yes there are 2 parts) is kind of baseless, as if he's saying all this stuff to piss off America without going into it at all like he does on Yonkers or Sandwitches. Anyway the rest of the album goes into Tyler using filters to demonstrate his other personas, using Fruity Loops-esqe beats and Tyler complaining over different shit going on his life. All of this lead me to only really enjoy and revisit Tron Cat, Yonkers, Radicals, Sandwitches, Nightmare, and Golden. The rest don't really strike me as something someone could find entertaining, outside those tracks I just listed. Overall it's not really that bad, but some tracks like Bitch Suck Dick, Window and AU79 have potential to be great but for some reason or another they just fall flat. Window and Bitch Suck Dick remind me of why people only seem to focus on Frank Ocean, Hodgy, Tyler and Earl. The rest of the group frankly sucks. They're not clever original or someone I'd want to hear when popping in this album.

Good tracks: Golden, Sandwitches, Tron Cat, Nightmare, Yonkers, Radicals

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Also I'm icy bitch

Lil B - Illusions of Grandeur (2011)

Yes, this is the very same Lil B who promotes the violation of bitches. And yes, I am doing a serious analytical write-up on his music. Illusions of Grandeur, the latest mixtape installment from the based one, doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table. arrogance and first-hand knowledge of the ghetto lifestyle is nothing new in the realm of rap, and Lil B knows that. But that doesn't stop him from telling it his own way, in his own words, from the perspective of his own life. While he doesn't have the smoothest flow or choice of rhymes, Lil B has enough charisma alone to make you want to listen to his words. So whether he's spitting verses over some Toto, Kanye or dazzling 9th Wonder production, Lil B is out to prove a point, that he loves hip-hop, he loves music and he wants people to hear his stories.

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Leonard Dstroy - Higher Vibrations (2010)

If you've been listening to our mixtapes, you may have heard a song by Deep Thinkers, a high-energy, freaked out turntable heavy, instrumental hip-hop piece called The Technicolor B-Boy Slideshow. Now, meet the producer. Kansas City native Kyle Dykes, here under the moniker of Leonard Dstroy, continues his frantic, jumpy, maximalist hip-hop beats to an incredible degree.

And maximalist is certainly a perfect word for what's included here. In Deep Thinkers, he, with the compliment of emcee "Brother of Moses" (Aaron Sutton, who makes a brief appearance on this album), made much more subtle arrangements. Aside from the previously mentioned Technicolor B-Boy... and Kiss The Sky the album consisted of, relatively, standard beats. It had styles of jungle and ambient music mixing it's abundant samples, but they were still categorically "hip-hop" beats. Here, it's a distruction of it. It may start as a hip-hop beat, at the core there may be a standard beat underlying the song, but he jams a myriad of crashes and crunches and rolls and thick buzzing bass to create a glitched out, uninviting beast of what is usually considered a "hip-hop" beat. It's like taking a J Dilla beat, over a Otomo Yoshihide piece, over an Aphex Twin track. It's mystifying.

bandcamp (includes a free download)

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All: A discography, or an attempt to make one (part 1)

By now, you've probably heard of them despite the fact that they don't do very many interviews and they've only done a few widely-attended live shows, most of them in the Los Angeles-area they're based in.

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, also known as OFWGKTA, Odd Future Wolf Gang, or just Odd Future to most music sites, is a ten-deep hip-hop group (collective, if we must) that's released three mixtapes and seven albums in a little over two years.

This isn't your average rap group, though. None of the members are over 20 years old and one of the cornerstones of Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt, is only 16. To top it off, the lyrics mostly consist of references to rape, drugs, highly offensive views of women (to some of you, anyway), and more. We're pretty sure that this isn't for kids, especially considering that the major offender of this is Earl Sweatshirt himself.

However, the lyrics shouldn't take away anything from the incredible beats they're laid over. Plus, when you realize just how unique these lyrics are and that outside of terrible horrorcore groups you won't find them anywhere else, you'll appreciate them even more. These guys (and girl) clearly know what they're doing.

The best thing about these ten releases? Every single one is free and available for download at their site, OddFuture.com.

Over the next couple of days, I'll be analyzing what makes this group so captivating to listeners. Part 1 is obviously being posted tonight with Part 2 on Monday and Part 3 (hopefully!) on Tuesday. This post is, essentially, an introduction to the group with coverage on the group-wide releases and Tyler, the Creator. With that, let's look at what the members of the group have released to this point.

In terms of group-wide releases, there's only been two, but they're both strong - The Odd Future Tape, released in 2008, which is basically a rough draft of what OF really was and is. Only four current OF members appear on the tape - Tyler, the Creator, Hodgy Beats, Left Brain, and the Super 3 (three separate members combined in one group). Casey Veggies, a former member and current associate of OF, appears on the tape as well.



The superior of the two tapes is the Radical mixtape, which was released in 2010. The tape includes nearly every member of the group save for the Super 3. As mentioned in the post, this tape features the members rapping over beats that aren't their own. It works pretty well, too - I don't think Liars is going to be offended by Tyler rapping over a song of theirs.



Speaking of Tyler, we're onto easily the most prominent member of the group and maybe the best. Tyler, the Creator, also known as Wolf Haley, Ace the Creator, and (from what I know, this is his birth name) Tyler Haley, is 19 years old and keeps the youth movement in OF going strong. He has rapped on/produced for nearly every OF release.



As for releases of his own, he has only one to his name currently, the 2009 release Bastard. The album may be the most complete OF release out there, as the lyrical work on the album is unmatched. The beats are pretty nice as well when you listen to it intently.

There's an underlying theme on the album that's interesting to keep track of as the album rolls along. At 19 years old, Tyler has never met his father, as he left his mother before his birth. It's a sad story as it is with any family when one parent has to play two roles for their children.

However, Tyler doesn't miss his father at all - he hates him more than I hate game shows on FOX. Several songs are directly to or about his father, specifically the title track and "Inglorious". Many of the songs have references to him and they aren't exactly welcoming.

That's what makes the album so fascinating and repeatedly listenable, though. I know I'm not the only listener who can feel some relation with Tyler as I didn't even know my actual father's name until I was 15. The album is so incredibly human that it's impossible to forget.

From top to bottom, Tyler is maybe the best rapper in the group. That doesn't mean you can ignore the rest.

With that, I'll stop here for now. I'll pick back up on this on Monday with Part 2, which should include profiles on the other prominent members in the group. Part 3 will take a look at what's in store for OF as they move on in 2011.

Ghostface Killah - Apollo Kids (2010)

Rounding out 2010 is the latest installment from Wu-Tang superstar Ghostface Killah. Arguably the most consistent rapper in the game, with a total of 9 albums, 7 of them being at least very good and 3 classics of the rap genre. Apollo Kids does not disappoint, as Ghostface proves yet again why he's one of the best MCs around.

Overall, Apollo Kids is a great album, with many high moments and few lows. It may have scraped into my top 10 list, depending on how many times I listened to it beforehand. Assuming no one is expecting another Fishscale, hip-hop fans will be satisfied. The production is solid and Ghostface's flow is as smooth as ever. Opener 'Purified Thoughts' has strong verses from both GZA and Killah Priest, which begins what is a very consistent run for guest rappers on the album. Busta Rhymes, Cappadonna, The Game and Raekwon all have great guest spots. Not to be outdone though, Ghostface just spoils his listeners with witty rhymes. On '2getha baby', Ghostface rhymes "momma" with "Obama" and "no no" with "go" and "Tony Romo". The sampling is top notch as well, with a nice little Tears for Fears sample in 'Starkology'. 'Street Bullies' my personal highlight of the album, has a delightful Spongebob reference from guest rapper Sheek: "I'm infatuated with money like Mr. Krabs."

To put it simply, Ghostface has delivered with style once again. It's a great album to close off what has been a solid year for hip-hop and a tremendous year for music in general.

Buy it

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Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

(pictures courtesy of Tweedsmatic)

When I first heard the G.O.O.D. Friday tracks, I thought, huh, this is pretty damn good, I wonder what I'd think if he just released this as the album, yet when I first saw the tracklist and realized that those keeping up, myself included, had already heard five of the eleven full songs on the album through G.O.O.D. Friday and the singles, I smiled to myself; another overhyped disappointing album. Oh well, I wasn't anticipating it too much. When I first saw the Runaway music video, I thought "What's Kanye thinking? This is stupid." I didn't realize at the time that this meant I had already heard all of the songs on the album, and I wouldn't realize this until I had already given it a 5 on here. When I first heard the album in full, though it was the clean version, I didn't feel particularly impressed, but I enjoyed the music, very much so. I thought it would be a top 3 album of the year at the least. I mean, Lost in the World is pretty iffy, and wtf is going on at the end of Runaway? Rick Ross on Devil in a New Dress? That doesn't fit at all! RZA on So Appalled? He ruins the vibe! Hell of a Life? How forgettable! Fergie on All of the Lights? UGH!

Then I kept on listening, and it just became more and more clear how absolutely fantastic this album is. How it blows every album this year out of the water. How it makes all other hip hop albums sound inconsequential in comparison. How some of the above mentioned flaws were revealed to be my own first-listen-shortsightedness (Hell of a Life, Lost in the World, the ending of Runaway), while others are legitimate flaws (Rick Ross, RZA, Fergie) but don't even come close to breaking the overall experience that is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Normally in album reviews I'll talk about how there's no filler, or how it's all cohesive, or how many highlights there are, but this just feels like it's somehow past such trivial matters. Forget cohesiveness, this is the embodiment of Kanye West in music form! All his little idiosyncrasies, his ego, his douchebagines, his eccentricity, all seem to be living and breathing throughout the album. Filler? Forget filler, there's not a track here that's below great, let alone one that's there just to fill up space. Highlights? Where to start...

It's hard to try to pick highlights because the songs themselves, the songs on the same album, the album that's beyond cohesiveness, are apples and oranges. Sure, you want to say Dark Fantasy because of its infectious beat, funny Kanye lyrics and orchestrated chorus, but then you remember Blame Game's great Aphex Twin sample, John Legend chorus, a moving Kanye performance and a hilarious Chris Rock skit that isn't even out of place... but wait, everyone KILLED it on So Appalled! But wait, it has to be Runaway, with the isolated piano and Kanye surprisingly delivering a great singing performance... but shit, those horns on All of the Lights...

And on and on and on. There's no clear-cut best song; there's no clear-cut worst song. They all represent different themes and moods and complement each other. Since downloading the leak, I haven't even listened to any of these songs outside of the context of the album. Honestly though, I'd have to say the worst song is Gorgeous, because the beat is completely static, but then this isn't a problem at all, because it's still such a great beat, still such a great song. It's just not quite on the next level the rest of the album still seems to be on. Still, do you think you'll ever start up the album, and then hear Gorgeous start up after Dark Fantasy's gone through its last hurrah, and think, "Oh, come on! Not this repetitive shit!" Hell no, it's an extremely enjoyable song, it just falls a little short of the rest; not really on hip hop terms, but on musical terms. On My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy terms.

So, as I said, Gorgeous is the potential worst song because of the beat being static, meaning that the rest of the production is very dynamic. Well, it is a Kanye album, isn't it? Of course the production's the high point. You've never heard Kanye beats quite like this though, and not just because he got some help from names such as No ID and RZA. Hell, you've never heard beats like these, period. Kanye had a $3 million budget, and you can tell. He certainly uses orchestration to its full extent on songs like Dark Fantasy and All of the Lights, but knows when to go back to laid back samples, like he does on Blame Game. Devil in a New Dress starts as another laid back, soulful sample-based beat before launching into a progressive guitar section, then coming back down to earth for the Rick Ross epilogue.

As far as the lyrics go, Kanye certainly has his usual charm about him, and a lot of emotion as well when he wants to use it. Nothing really reaches the conscious highs of his old songs like All Falls Down, but that's more than forgivable. One thing that's noticeable is that he doesn't seem to be completely off the mark with his lyrics sometimes, as he has been in the past. Some people may question a line like "Praises due to the most high, Allah/Praises due to the most fly, Prada/Baby I'm magic, ta-dah!" but in context, and with his delivery, it all works out perfectly and I don't think there's a line out of place. He's in this mode for a lot of the album, but he gets emotional at times, most notably on Blame Game, and to great result.

There's one song on the album where it doesn't seem like anything should work, and it just does. If you haven't heard the album, picture this. If you have heard it, pretend you haven't and you're reading about the next Kanye West single: A sparse piano hits the same note repeatedly, before going into a basic melody. Da, da, da, duh, da, da, da, duh. Drums and a growling bass comes in, while a vocal sample yells "Look at'cha!" repeatedly. Kanye comes in and starts singing about relationship troubles, with the hook "Let's have a toast for the douchebags/let's have a toast for the assholes." Pusha T does a verse, Kanye sings and raps some more, and then the song starts to fizzle before Kanye mumbles into a vocoder for three minutes, producing a large buzzing sound. ...Sounds like Kanye's ego's getting the best of him, right? Wrong. Everything about the song works, whether it should or not.

In summation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a hip hop album like none before it. Its original approach to production and thematic use of ideas make it one of the most rewarding listens in the entire genre. This album is Kanye. Graduation and 808s & Heartbreaks weren't Kanye. They were just what he was doing at the time. Hell, not even College Dropout and Late Registration were Kanye. This album seems to have his very essence at its center, and that, more so than any guitar lick, orchestrated chorus, clever pun, or deep thought, is what makes My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a complete and utter success.

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Girl Talk - All Day (2010)

Good luck downloading this from his official site (FOR FREE!). If it wasn't for What.cd I'd be like my friend who's been trying since 1 PM CT.

Official site, for whenever it goes back up

Track of the Day, 2010 November 5

I think we all knew this was going to be posted sooner or later

EVIL BOY 4 LIFE

Kokayi - Robots & Dinosaurs (2010)

Kokayi's album is loosely based on the theory that the majority of the rappers in today's game are either robots, emcees who pump out whatever it is they're known for with no emotion, or dinosaurs, those who were once great but have since passed their prime. As such, in this album he attempts to innovate through original production, touch on emotionally significant topics, and... rap well. He more or less succeeds in all three categories. The production switches between organic and electronic fairly seamlessly (the latter is more innovative than the former, but the former is probably more enjoyable). He gets emotional multiple times, but it's hardly overbearing and doesn't take over the whole project, something that labelmate Kno recently got criticized for in Death is Silent (specifically with depression instead of emotion as a whole). And... he raps well.

There's many different types of songs on Robots & Dinosaurs, from the jumpy synths of Roxtar to the piano-based Only to the psuedo West coast driving anthem Drive, to the flow-fest Ninety 5, featuring Kokayi, Substantial and Tonedeff (who goes a little overboard). However it never seems disjointed or all over the place. It all works as a whole. Kokayi does flex his vocal chords quite a bit, singing quite a few choruses. He's not the best singer, but there isn't a single instance where it doesn't work. His son joins him singing the closer Chanticleer, which is a nice touch seeing as he also 'narrates' the album by describing robots and dinosaurs from a kindergartner's perspective.

Roxtar was picked as the first single, which is a little odd for two reasons. One, it's one of the weaker songs on the album. Kokayi just kicks some decent raps with band names littered throughout (surprisingly he gets pretty obscure, referencing such bands as Jesus and the Mary Chain) and an alright chorus with a guitar solo contrasting the synth beat for the closure. It's an enjoyable song, but there are many better ones. Two, Only is easily the most accessible (and probably best) song on the album. Kokayi raps and sings about his love struggles over a great, self-produced piano line. Fortunately, it was chosen as the second single.

One of the best parts of the album is how little filler there is. Not every song is great, but every song is memorable. Kokayi has a great sense of musicality and it shines through all over. The features are kept light; the only song featuring guest rappers is Ninety 5 and the only song featuring a guest singer is Hiya. This provides a very intimate feel and really allows you to get to know Kokayi, as a rapper, singer, producer, and, to some extent, as a person.

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The Foreign Exchange - Authenticity (2010)

The Foreign Exchange is a two-man "indie-soul" group composed of Nicolay on the boards and Phonte of the highly-touted group Little Brother doing vocals. Their first album, "Connected", was mostly a hip-hop affair. They followed it up with "Leave It All Behind" in 2008, which was nominated for a Grammy. It was a good album, but Nicolay's production mostly carried it. Phonte didn't sound as comfortable as he should have singing.

That problem seems to be fully rectified on this latest album. Every song is smooth and full of soul. No skips to be found here. Nicolay's production is relaxing and easy to listen to and, most importantly, it doesn't overpower or overshadow Phonte's voice. He hits all his notes well and writes great lyrics. He's a great singer and on this album you can tell he knows it.

On Little Brother's album "Leftback," Phonte raps, "Rappin 'Te, four-mic honoree/ Singing 'Te, one-time Grammy nominee."

This is as good as Singing 'Te gets.

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Sharpshooters - Choked Up (1997)

Choked Up is a blended medley of old-school hip-hop tracks and instrumentals. The album is a varied listen, with tracks ranging from funky hip-hop cuts -Mr. Supreme has a taking-these-chumps-to-school flow similar to Guru of Gangstarr on some tracks- and acid jazz and dub-inspired instrumentals with smooth, mellow drum-patterns.

On the tracks with vocals, the rhymes are sharp and delivered with great flow (Herbs in my sight tryin' to be best friends/ now they floating in the river rockin' cement tims). Subtle production helps underscore the easy listen-ability of these songs. This carries over to the rest of the album. Iit's very hard to not bob your head along through out the entire CD.

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Siah and Yeshua DapoED - The Visualz Anthology (2008)

New York-based indy-hip hop pioneers. They released their 1996 debut The Visualz EP on Bobbito Garcia’s highly regarded label Fondle ‘Em Records. Most of the beats and rhythms that drive these songs are very rooted in jazz. The duo also pretty much had a hand in the excellent production that was handled by Jon Adler too. The whole thing just oozes with creativity. It has that New York feel to it, but they make then entirety of The Visualz sound like their own. Both MC's have their own distinct style, so there is plenty of variety.

The biggest stand out feature of this album is the song "A Day Like Any Other" that clocks at 11 minutes and changes beats and tempo for a change really making it an adventure. This album is a real gem of an underground Hip-Hop album.

Although it's really a compilation, but shhh.

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Track of the Day for September 19, 2010

Catitude strikes again.


iLLy Mays - How You Doin?

Track of le day: September 9th, 2010

Soul Position - Mic Control


RJD2, one of the best producers around, with Blueprint, one of the best rappers around. It's a super-duo gone horribly right.

Sadistik & Kid Called Computer - The Art of Dying (2010)

Listening to this EP makes me realize how stupid I am. Not because it's so intelligent and I don't understand any of it or anything like that, but because the guy who has nearly my exact taste in hip hop hyped it up as amazing, and I still put off on listening to it until the following month. As you've probably realized, I like this EP. A lot. The first person who comes to mind when you hear Sadistik rap is Slug, but the only things they have in common is a very similar voice and a lot of emotion. If there's one rapper Sadistik reminds me of though, it's Sleep of Oldiminion. Especially how they are both great at rapping double-time but are smart enough to only use it when it will truly benefit the song. Another thing that Sadistik has in common with Sleep (and further removes him from Slug) is his technical skill as an emcee. This dude has some of the craziest rhyme schemes and multis I've heard in awhile. The last couple of minutes of Save Yourself are especially ridiculous (if you're Canadian you may understand when I say that I was making Mindbender faces due to how great it was). Sadistik raps about serious topics with palpable emotion, and this mixed with his technical skill makes him a very well rounded emcee.

Kid Called Computer handles all the production, which goes without saying given you know he's a producer and not an emcee. Not that I did, I had never heard of him before listening to this. He's certainly unique, his production has a fine ambiance to it with use of hazy, soft noise and pianos. He provides a good fit to Sadistik, who apparently likes production that isn't totally rooted in hip hop seeing as his other album is produced by Emancipator.

All six songs here are fantastic, I'm not even sure what I'd refer to as the highlights. It far from overstays its welcome; I love the 30 minute length for modern hip hop releases, plus, the sound very well may have become a little much over the course of 40 minutes or longer. There is one guest spot on the EP, not by a rapper but by a singer, Louise Fraser, who stops by for Ghost in the Machine. The singing may be my least favorite part of the EP, (saying that that isn't saying a lot would be an understatement) it isn't bad by any means but it feels like it just seems kind of there. It's definitely recognizable and enjoyable but it seems like some truly great singing would have really knocked Ghost in the Machine out of the ballpark. Regardless, this is far from a major nuisance, and The Art of Dying remains one of, if not the, best hip hop releases this year.

Sadistik's official website (to buy the EP/listen to 'Bed of Flowers')
Mediafire

Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here

I'll make this short since someone is waiting on this. Recently I've been falling out of love with Hip-Hop. Other than artists like J. Cole and Curren$y, I've just been uninterested with the genre entirely. And then I heard this. I liked a Hip-Hop album this much since Below The Heavens. It's just gritty yet well polished debut, and K.R.I.T. is a pseudo Pimp C in the fact that he produces and raps (Not to mention his voice sort of reminds me of his), but unlike Pimp C, I find him a lot more enjoyable at rapping than him. K.R.I.T. is really capable of making some great music, something that I really needed to hear.

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