for the love of music
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By Luke Modugno
SLIME LANGUAGE HAS RETURNED. Young Thug and YSL have finally dropped the sequel to their 2018 tape, as they dropped “SLIME LANGUAGE 2” on Thursday night. The project features an absolutely stacked roster of guest performances from Drake, Travis Scott, Future, Kid Cudi, Lil Uzi Vert, Meek Mill, Gunna and Lil Baby.
Thug has been relatively quiet since dropping his hailed 2019 project “So Much Fun.” Since then, Thugger dropped a collaboration with Chris Brown titled “Slime & B.” At this point, we already know what to expect from Thug. Ear-catching, boundary-pushing, head-bopping trap music chalk full of exciting features that keep listeners coming back for more. “SLIME LANGUAGE 2” sees Thug teaming up with the top talent from his label YSL, as well as headliner names like Travis and Drake.
Thug has been teasing this project for a minute now, the album is sure to make some noise. Almost halfway through the year, is this your album of 2021 so far?
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By Miles Hagan
We have to address the album covers off rip. Drip or Drown 2 got a pass, and the WUNNA cover is something no one could have expected. I just wanna know who is coming up with the ideas. Gunna has built a reputation through slick flows and creating an unmatched vibe with his music. Outside of music he has a well documented affinity for designer clothes and accessories. The energy and swagger that comes along with this bleeds into almost every one of his tracks. While him and several other members of the Atlanta rap scene have been dubbed as Young Thug’s children, they have begun to separate themselves. Gunna looks to build upon the interesting sounds he began to experiment with on songs like “Who You Foolin”. In the documentary he published along with the album he talks about traveling when making this body of work, and needing to get out of Atlanta for a little. WUNNA stands for “Wealthy Unapologetic Nigga Naturally Authentic”. I would be lying if I said I understood what he fully meant by labeling himself as this. What I can say with certainty is that heavy money talk should be expected.
The appeal of Gunna is what has made us fans of so many Atlanta artists that came before him. He simply doesn't care about what anyone has to say. People across the internet talk about the pants this man wears, his album covers, and everything in between. Through it all he delivers music that exudes this unmatched confidence. Along with this, he has this ability to surf over beats at his own pace, never seeming rushed. While he is spitting, we are in his world. Look no further than a song like “COOLER THAN A BITCH” with Roddy Rich. This is about 2 minutes of Gunna switching between flows seamlessly while he lets the listener know they will never have as much money as him, be around the same women as him, and there is nothing we can do about it. Similar to “Numbers” on A Boogie’s last album, Roddy slides over these perfectly placed spanish sounding guitars on his way to one of many excellent guest features on the project. While this may be the most energetic and versatile Gunna has ever sounded on a full length release, he recognizes that to keep an 18 track album sounding fresh he needs quality features to switch up the sound and pace of the album. He does this beautifully and while still carrying the majority of the rapping workload on WUNNA.
Even from the first track “ARGENTINA” it feels like Gunna is able to be so comfortable on this project, because he really found the sounds that work for him. The entire album is filled with these laid back beats, that almost allow Gunna’s voice to become a part of the production. Rather than going on top of one another they work hand in hand. The drums are hard enough on every song to still give WUNNA that traditional trap feel. The instrumentation on this project is what makes it different from the traditional trap album. “SKYBOX”, which was the single released before this, is another example of this. The bass is booming but the synths in the background give it a glittery feel, it almost feels like we are in the clouds. While the lyrics may be “hard” the only way that this music could be described is as a wave or a vibe that is absolutely infectious.
Gunna calls back to the production that got this to this status a few times. At this point “Sold Out Dates” has been remade three times with the addition of “MET GALA”. While not the most experimental during the album’s run time, it’s far from bad. This is in contrast to a song like “TOP FLOOR”, which features Travis Scott and has similar horns and drums to “Hot” off Young Thug’s So Much Fun. While similar to that track this song completely has an energy of its own, and sounds hand made for both Gunna and Travis right down to the ad libs.
Gunna earned his flowers on WUNNA. Anyone who was already a fan of Gunna heard him with an allstar production team and some new sounds. Those who were not fans of the Atlanta rapper should give this album a listen just to hear “NASTY GIRL”, and if they still don't like his music I’ll let them be. It is great to see that Gunna has taken this early success in stride, and continued to improve his craft. Too often artists get caught chasing trends, or trying to be something they aren’t. Gunna over the years has just gotten further in his bag and this is the culmination of his efforts.
DOLLAZ ON MY HEAD (Feat. Young Thug)
NASTY GIRL / ON CAMERA
COOLER THAN A BITCH (Feat. Roddy Ricch)
Rating: 8
Listen to WUNNA here:
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By Katie Kocher
Fans have been long-awaiting the drop of Father of Asahd since the title of the album was announced in March 2019 along with the single “Top Off.” Fast forward to this March, he announced the exact release date while promoting the album throughout various social media platforms, along with a trailer for the album. As expected, it serves as a sort of dinner party for distinguished artists to show case their unique sound and talent as opposed to a complete body of work. Khaled likes to make unpredictable pairings as evidenced by songs like “Celebrate,” featuring Travis Scott and Post Malone, “No Brainer” with Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo, and “Higher” featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend. The music video for “Higher” was shot just before the rapper’s tragic death at the end of March. Khaled’s ability to connect various artists smoothly on a single track is unmatched, which serves as the foundation of his music industry success.
Khaled is the son of Palestinian immigrants, and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started to learn how to Dj in his garage at the age of 13, meanwhile working in small record stores. He met Lil Wayne and Birdman in the beginning stages of their careers, and was able to network and promote himself, eventually getting a portion of a time slot on the local radio station Mixx 93. Finally he was brought on as a regular DJ and given his very own time slot and production credits.
Some favorites on the album include “Just Us” featuring SZA, on which Khaled once again shows his love for sampling by grabbing Andre 3000’s hook from “Ms. Jackson” by Outkast.
“Higher” gets quite a bit of attention because of it’s feature of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle and the melancholy that it is bound to evoke in its listeners. The late king of LA delivers two excellent verses in his first release since his passing. His first verse is uplifting and motivating as he raps about his grandparents and how he came to be in America. For the second verse, Khaled switches the beat to something less grand and more mischievous. Nipsey matches this instrumental perfectly and reflects on the harder parts of his life living in South Central. This verse is harder to listen to now that we know Nipsey’s tragic fate. Lines like, “Emptied out the clip, it was broad day/Fuck niggas always gotta learn the hard way” hit different when you’ve seen videos of the late rapper getting shot in the middle of the day. John Legend jumps in for the chorus, giving the track a sentimental touch.
“Freak N You” combines the raw talent of a rap veteran Lil Wayne with Atlanta native Gunna, who made it big in 2016 from a feature on Young Thug’s track “Floyd Mayweather” and has since become a very sought after voice in the rap game. The track is infectious, catchy, and holds all the qualities of a hit.
“Top off” features the the holy trinity of Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Future and was one of the singles released last year as a prelude to the album. Although this record has gotten mixed reviews, it’s hard to deny that those three can deliver hard hitting lyrics and top notch vocals.
Lastly, “Thank You” with Big Sean presents a classic mellow beat and smooth flow. It references Sean’s ex and one of the world’s leading artists, Ariana Grande, with the lyric “Plus I gotta thank my exes on some ‘thank u, next shit,’” stirring some questions about their relationship.
Father of Asahd delivers a handful of radio hits (“No Brainer”), following in the footsteps of his previous albums, yet also throws in a few distinct tracks that cut deep and are more personalized to certain audiences (“Higher”). As expected, it includes top artists across the hip-hop/rap genre, making it easy for listeners to enjoy at least one if not several tracks from this album. While the album lacks any kind of cohesion, unity, or themes, that should be expected with a DJ Khaled record and listeners should be able to take the collaborative album at face value and have fun with it.
Just Us (Feat. SZA)
Higher (Feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend)
Freak N You (Feat. Lil Wayne & Gunna)
Rating: 6
Listen to Father Of Asahd here:
Father Of Asahd, an album by DJ Khaled on Spotify
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Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:
A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.
Thutmose is on fire. Since January first he’s dropped three hot singles and “Blurry Nights” might be the best one yet. This song has major mainstream appeal and sounds like it could be the breakout hit Thutmose has been waiting for. While there isn’t anything exceptional about his writing, his flow and captivating melodies keep this song looping on repeat. I expect that we’re blessed by Thutmose’s debut album sometime in the next two weeks and I couldn’t be more excited.
“Bottles on the rider Sip before I go
Crowd is waiting Bad boy about to kill the show
Shades on I swear I keep seeing kaleidoscopes
Life is getting Trippy can’t complain this the life I chose”
Yao Ming, a song by Gunna on Spotify
“Yao Ming” is an early favorite of mine off Gunna’s new album Drip or Drown 2 and while I enjoy his vocal performance, Wheezy and Turbo steal the show with one of the best instrumentals of the year. This beat samples a sick guitar riff and you can feel the crushing bass deep in your chest. The openness leaves perfect pockets for some really cool sound effects making this beat a vibe in itself. Gunna is the perfect artist for this dope instrumental as he hits his signature flow making this song impossible to not like.
“You got my backend, I bend it off top, ain’t no playin’
Every other day is a backend, people relate to what I’m sayin’ ”
Wouldn't Be Nothing, a song by Yung Pinch on Spotify
The Beach Boy is back with a wavy track that is more intriguing than anything off of 4EVERFRIDAY SZN TWO. On “Wouldn’t be Nothing” Yung Pinch addresses all the naysayers of his past while at the same time wrestling with an apathy for fame. The reoccurring bit before the hook is a beautiful build up that climaxes into a mesmerizing chorus. Yung Pinch is gearing up for his major label debut, it’ll be interesting to hear how Columbia will transform his beachy sound we all fell in love with.
“I hope you all feel stupid
I was right, just face it
Hope it feels good to be losin’
You was starting up college, I was starting up a movement
And everybody started changing, soon as everything started moving”
Survival Tactics (feat. Capital STEEZ), a song by Joey Bada$$, Capital Steez on Spotify
The forth track on Joey’s classic 1999 mixtape is potentially the most iconic cut to come out of the beast coast movement. It’s made up of two absolutely vicious verses, the first coming from Joey and the second the late Capital STEEZ. Both New York MCs lock into the boom bap instrumental and tap into their own god flow. Bar for bar, it’s difficult to find a song to match this timeless 2012 track. Joey recalls recording this bop in his bedroom with at least 12 of his friends going crazy at every punchline. That explains how the two rappers packed so much energy into the epic three minute song. Every rap fan should be required to know this track.
“‘Cause when niggas start equippin’, and throw the clip in
Your blood drippin’, and got you slippin’
Another victim, don’t know what’s hit them—through his spinal
Just another man who defeated by survival”
Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:
By Miles Hagan
The popularity of trap music is at an all-time high. This new “culture” is coming straight out of the city of Atlanta, making some of the city’s biggest artists, the most influential in the rap genre. Many believe the hottest out of this group of new-wave rappers is Gunna. He posses one of the most unique voices in the industry today and is signed to YSL (Young Stoner Life) which is led by fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug. Gunna has captivated audience since his first release in 2016, but he really blew up in 2018 when he popped up with impressive features with Travis Scott (“Yosemite”) and Quality Control signee Lil Baby (“Sold Out Dates”). Baby and Gunna also linked up on a joint project called Drip Harder which featured the likes of Drake, Young Thug, and NAV, as well as their hit single “Drip Too Hard.” After a very eventful and productive 2018, Gunna looks to kick off 2019 on a good note with the highly anticipated release of his album Drip or Drown 2.
Gunna delivers on what is expected from him for the most part on this album. Production value is of high importance for artists like him and on Drip or Drown 2, it doesn’t disappoint. He has enough talent around him to ensure that everything is mixed and mastered well and some of the beats really go above and beyond and are very unique. A great example of this is “Yao Ming.” This song contains an awesome guitar loop and a booming bass, both of which are coupled with signature Gunna flow and lyrics about an extravagant lifestyle. This happens a few more times throughout the rest of the album. Drip or Drown 2 is at its best when the beat hits and Gunna finds a pocket during a song to rap about experiences most normal people could only dream of.
The problem is that there is nothing on the album that we haven't already heard. Nothing on this project rivals some of his best works as a solo artist or as a feature and has failed once again to show a substantial lyrical prowess. One can only hear so much about women, drugs, and money before they want a little more. No one is looking for Gunna to out rap the likes of Kendrick or J. Cole, but at least tell a compelling story or talk about something else. The majority of the album isn't terrible it is simply just boring because it's nothing new.
It would be foolish to write Gunna off as someone without a future in music. He still possesses the potential to be a very successful and influential artist in rap today. This is the first real release of his with all eyes on him and even though this isn't the ideal product, he still has some time to grow and improve. There is much more to him as a human being other than the “drip” persona we are all familiar with, we just need him to express it in his music. That being said if he doesn't want to become a more personal artist then he has to either ensure that he only picks the best beats to rap on, which is impossible to guarantee, or he has to be more adventurous with his flows and experimenting with his voice. People who came before him like Future and Young Thug who create a similar type of music have been able to stay relevant for so long despite limited subject matter because of how they bend genres with their voices and use them almost like instruments. Gunna has this type of potential but it fails to shine through often of Drip or Drown 2.
Yao Ming
Derrick Fisher (Feat. Lil Baby)
3 Headed Snake (Feat. Young Thug)
Rating: 5
Stream the entire project here:
Drip or Drown 2, an album by Gunna on Spotify
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