Tee Grizzley Remains One of the Game’s Most Honest Emcees on His New Album “Scriptures”

By Spencer Lobdell

Platinum-selling hip-hop artist Tee Grizzley will take your watch and make you buy it back. While I don’t think his authenticity has been in question, on his newest album Scriptures he makes a point to let us know that the lack of doubt is for good reasons.

The Detroit emcee burst onto the scene in 2016 with the release of his viral hit “First Day Out” which came after Tee was released from a three-year prison stint for home invasion. This song quickly led to a deal with 300 Entertainment which led to more hit singles such as “From the D to the A” with Lil Yachty. The menacing rapper followed with his well-received debut mixtape My Moment in 2017. 2018 saw the release of his debut album Activated which featured the likes of Lil Yachty, Chris Brown, and frequent collaborator, Lil Durk.

Tee Grizzley announced his newest album and begin its rollout mid-April with the release of the tapes first single “God’s Warrior” a threatening track where the Detroit artists shows us that his pen game hasn’t declined since “First Day Out” in 2016. The track switches beats halfway through to a minimal instrumental anchored by gun sound effect allowing us to hear every blood-thirsty bar Tee spits. A month later, Grizzley returned with “Locked Up” an ode to his friends and family not with him. Tee’s singing on the hook is emotionally charged and he absolutely snaps when he goes in making the song a moving performance. “Sweet Thangs” was released at the end of May and was the last single from Scriptures. The track is truly terrifying and showcases the talented lyricist rapping about how he will gladly take advantage of anyone who isn’t already in his circle regardless of their intentions.

Scriptures was released on June 7th and executively produced by veteran producer Timberland. The album was released alongside a video game designed by the rapper with the same name as the album. The game is currently available on PlayStation and Grizzley said he is currently working on getting it on Xbox. The tape is 14 songs long and runs for 40 minutes, 20 minutes shorter than his debut project Activated.

The album starts with the lead single “God’s Warrior” and is followed by the third single “Sweet Thangs”. These are easily two of the hardest hitting tracks on the album and I have no issue with Tee starting the album with two pre-releases.

The fifth song “Had To” is a clear standout and the beginning to my favorite section of the album. On this two-minute track, Tee talks about some of the hardest things he’s had to do such as killing a friend who knew too much and having to attend his funeral. Over the past years, Tee has established himself as one of the most honest emcees in the rap game and this song is a perfect example of Tee’s blunt honesty. He raps a verse about buying a chain that he didn’t have money for because “he thought he had to”.

The song is followed by the lightest track on what is overall a very dark album. “Locksmith” showcases Tee singing but still refusing to sugarcoat his vivid storytelling and lethal intentions.

The title track “Scriptures” comes next and contains one of Tee’s most addicting flows on the album. The hook is absolutely nasty and the back end of the second verse is a highlight of the project for me.

“Scriptures” is followed by the aforementioned single “Locked Up”

The next song “Add Me Up” is a motivational anthem and potentially my favorite joint on Scriptures. On “Add Me Up” Tee is fed up. He’s fed up with old-heads criticizing his generation of rappers and then trying to mooch off his wealth. He’s fed up with 300 Entertainment not acknowledging his value and the plaques he brings into their office. He's fed up with fake people who are only around him for his clout and lastly, he’s fed up with broke rappers. Tee finds himself rapping entire verses in a satisfying pocket when he is emotional and that is absolutely the case on “Add Me Up”.

After a minor dip in quality, the album ends of a high note. The second to last song “Preach” is Tee at his most honest and vulnerable. The track is a mix between a tell-all (“Them Detroit niggas want me to keep that same flow/But that ain't what get them millions, I can't, bro”) and a lyrical showcase (Blue faces on me, bust down, little thottie/I was pushin' foreigns through the East before Gotti).

The final track “Young Grizzley World” features A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and YNW Melly. Both artists add a lot to this track with YNW Melly stealing the spotlight due to his long hook, intriguing intro, and melancholy third verse. The song is slower and reflective and the pain is palpable in the voices of all three emcees.

On Scriptures, Tee Grizzley sticks to the same formula that allowed him to blow up and continue to sell records for three years running. His brutal honesty mixed with his gangster lifestyle and menacing stanzas all adds up to Tee’s patented style and is something he does very well. With this being said, Grizzley has put himself in a box that allows him to only execute this kind of music. Any deviation or creative exploration seems to compromise the brand and identity he has built and would seem out of pocket. Due to this reason, Tee is not very versatile, making his music sound repetitive. This is less of a problem on Scriptures than it has been on his past releases which are steps in the right direction but the issue still exists on his newest release. I think he could’ve combatted this problem by tapping into his surplus of respected rappers in his network and featuring more artists. While Tee can handle songs on his own this may have made some tracks on this project more memorable.

Although Tee’s classic style is sometimes repetitive, Scriptures is his best complete body of work yet and showcases precise execution down to minute details. His storytelling is engulfing and if you are a fan of his music you won’t find a bad track on this album. Tee remains one of the best storytellers in the game and is no doubt one of the most honest emcees rapping right now.

Favorite Tracks:

Scriptures

Add Me Up

Preach

Rating: 7.5

Listen to Scriptures here:

Scriptures, an album by Tee Grizzley on Spotify

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Philadelphia Rapper and Singer PnB Rock Releases Double Album "TrapStar Turnt PopStar"

By Carter Fife

It has been two years since Philadelphia native PnB Rock released his debut album ‘Catch These Vibes’, and since then his career has only gained more traction. After earning a highly-coveted spot on XXL’s 2017 Freshman list among artists like Playboi Carti, Madeintyo, and XXXTentacion, PnB Rock (né Rakim Allen) earned two platinum singles, worked alongside a broad host of artists, and even appeared on Pornhub’s Valentines Day album. Although earlier this year Allen was arrested on drug and stolen firearm charges, that did not stop him from releasing his newest project ‘Trapstar Turnt Popstar’ in early May. 

'TrapStar Turnt PopStar’ is a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts for Allen, as he has been witness to the appropriation of his sound over the past few years in the commercial music scene. Though Allen is not the originator of his hip-hop synthesis of autotuned R&B crooning and rap, he is still an important figure in hip-hop that helped popularize it. From releasing mixtapes on Soundcloud five years ago to being signed to Atlantic in 2015, PnB Rock's sound hasn’t changed too much, which may or not be a key shortcoming in the reception of his album.

For better or for worse, there is nothing ground-breaking in PnB Rock’s newest project, and perhaps it was meant to be this way. Like Allen indicates in the title, his style has become the mainstream, and he doesn’t need to change anything to be profitable when the spotlight is on him. ‘TrapStar Turn PopStar’ is a double album that begins with ‘Dreamin’ on the ’TrapStar’ side. This track is a quintessential PnB cut laced with pitch-corrected singing, vocal effects, and punchy kicks and snares. On the track, he sing-raps about his rise to fame and the benefits of his new lifestyle. These are themes that are more or less addressed in every song on the album, as the lyrics very rarely stray away from mainstream pop-rap’s topics du jour. 

The following track ‘I Need More’ is much more of a club anthem about love and romance, with the 808s and hi-hats doing most of the leg work for the beat. This project does have a slight deviation from Allen’s past music as Allen sings (or at least, sing-raps) much more frequently than past records.  The next few songs follow the same formula as the previously mentioned songs, though save for the Tee Grizzley feature on ‘Go to Mars’, there aren’t too many memorable moments. That is not to say that the music is bad, but instead, the music is painfully inoffensive. ‘MIDDLE CHILD’ contains one of the tamest XXXTentacion features yet, though things start to turn around with ‘F**k Up the City’ featuring Quavo and production from Mally Mall. Woodwinds in trap beats may have been a trend that died years ago, but Mally Mall refuses to be dated and delivers a really well-produced track that compliments the talents of both PnB Rock and Quavo. One memorable line comes from Quavo himself when he raps “I used to trap in my Concords, Now I’m doing shows in my Tom Fords’. Quavo’s juxtaposition doesn’t stop there, as one cannot help but note the difference between him and PnB Rock when they trade rhymes so effortlessly. 

‘Nowadays’ is another example of PnB Rock delivering a forgettable performance, but the instrumental is incredibly catchy. The 808’s and claps provide a bouncy quality that makes the track definitely enjoyable, and although it is not something that I would put on when offered the AUX cable, I wouldn’t feel compelled to tell my friends to skip this if I heard it either. Before beginning the ‘PopStar’ side of the double album, PnB Rock concludes the first half of the album with a remix of ‘Now Or Never’ by Craig Xen, It is a genuinely sweet moment where Allen sings about a friend’s passing, and the second act of the song shows him playing to his strengths. His bars are delivered well, and although his singing ability leaves something to be desired, he hits some high notes and goes for it. 

Although advertised as a divergence from ’TrapStar’, ‘PopStar’ is more-or-less the same PnB Rock that colonized the first half of this eighteen track double album, though with a few more poppy-singing performances. The first song, ‘Swervin’, features Diplo on production, but though it is more of a stripped-down and chill track, PnB Rock does not fit well on the beat. ‘Swervin’ sounds like it could have been a Katy Perry reference track, especially with the booming 808’s and choppy distorted vocal sounds in the background. While not without its shortcomings, it is a memorable debut to ‘PopStar’, and a unique combination of the two genres. The overly saccharine pop-flavored hip-hop doesn’t stop there.

'I Like Girls’ featuring Lil Skies is not as poppy as the last track, but it is definitely more of a memorable and enjoyable track than many of those in the first half of the album. Though the phrase “I like girls who like girls” is not the lyrical equivalent of reinventing the wheel, it is catchy and fun to rap along to. Hitmaka's lurchy 808’s make the hi-hats and kicks stand out well, and Lil Skies’ feature was well done. PnB and Skies sound great together, and what’s not to like about a Swae Lee shout out?

The rest of the record is pretty drab and though ‘ABCD (Friend Zone)’ was an actually enjoyable and memorable moment, it felt strange ending on such a soft note. The track features PnB sing-rapping in a cadence that very closely mirrors that of Ty Dolla $ign or Choker, with ambient pads and nice sounding hi-hats that don’t dominate the track. It is the kind of song that you could either play driving along the PCH, or at the club with your friends. It is a perfectly fun and summery song to kick off your vacation playlist.

PnB Rock’s newest album adheres pretty strictly to the aural boundaries already laid out him by his past 4 years of music, which for many people might be a positive thing. Allen’s rapping ability paired with his unique brand of autotuned-vocals is a pretty close example of the old adage ‘If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’, but at this point in his career I cannot help but be disappointed that PnB Rock shows little to no signs of branching out, experimenting, or being willing to take creative risks. 'TrapStar Turnt PopStar’ has its moments in the sun, but for the most part, almost every track comes off as formulaic and uninspired, though that is likely a symptom of the massive influx of artists that have started to make music just like this over the past few years. In addition to this, PnB’s influences are clear and easy to spot, but there are many moments where his music sounds much more like mimicry of a Birds-era Travis Scott, a Nav, or a PartyNextDoor. There is already a heavy over-saturation of artists making music just like this in mainstream pop and hip-hop, so unless Allen decides to become more inventive and original with his melodies, flows, instrumentals or lyrics, his career might hit a wall sooner rather than laterThough I enjoyed certain moments of the music on this album, I can’t help but walk away feeling unsatisfied.

Favorite Tracks:

Go To Mars (Feat. Tee Grizzley)

I Like Girls (ft. Lil Skies)

ABCD (Friend Zone)

Rating: 5

Listen to Trapstar Turnt Popstar here:

TrapStar Turnt PopStar, an album by PnB Rock on Spotify

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Songs of the Week: April 21st

By Spencer Lobdell

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.

New Songs of the Week:

“10 Purple Summers” by 03 Greedo

10 Purple Summers, a song by 03 Greedo on Spotify

This week 03 Greedo released his new album Still Summer in the Projects from behind bars. The project starts hot with one of my favorite tracks 03 has put out. “10 Purple Summers” is an epic ode to his hood that never over-glorifies his lifestyle without bringing listeners back to reality. The hook is addicting and 03’s classic synth lead is ever present holding the instrumental down. “10 Purple Summers” is an essential 03 banger and will be on repeat for months to come.

“Some of my niggas fuck twins, bareback and skins
My lil’ homie in the pen, he got more than the ten”

— 03 Greedo "10 Purple Summers"

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“God’s Warrior” Tee Grizzley

God's Warrior, a song by Tee Grizzley on Spotify

This week Tee Grizzley dropped his second single off his upcoming album. “God’s Warrior” is an aggressive, in-your-face banger that we’ve come to expect from the Detroit rapper. The menacing track switches beats half way through to a minimal beat anchored by gun sound effect allowing us to hear every blood-thirsty bar Tee spits. Grizzley is here to show us that his pen game hasn’t declined since “First Day Out” and that he still deserves the attention of hip-hop fans everywhere.

“Fuck a bitch, drop her at her momma crib
Not with the gossipin’, we do that robbin’ shit
Any means, I’m gon’ eat
Slide with the tank on full
Leave with the Glock on E”

— Tee Grizzley "God's Warrior"

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“Family Not a Group” by SOB x RBE & Hit-Boy

Family Not A Group, a song by Hit-Boy, SOB X RBE on Spotify

SOB fans have been spoiled so far this April as last week they dropped their surprise EP Roll The Dice with Marshmallow and this week they released their newest album Family Not A Group produced by Grammy-winning beat maker Hit-Boy. The title track is a perfect example of a group of artists knowing what they do well and executing it in a way that doesn’t sound repetitive. Hit-Boy’s production on this song (and album) allow SOB to deviate from their normal DJ Quick inspired instrumentals and give them a professional sounding final project.

“Coke white buffs, these hoes fresher than a ninth grader
Feel like Maino when I’m in my city, I’m like, “Hi, hater””

— DaBoii "Family Not A Group"

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Throwback Song of the Week:

“Hood Gone Love It” by Jay Rock (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Hood Gone Love It (feat. Kendrick Lamar), a song by Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar on Spotify

Jay Rock’s 2014 hood anthem “Hood Gone Love It” is one of the many examples of the unparalleled chemistry Jay Rock and Kendrick have always shared. The two both flex their pen game on the verses while the hook remains simple and catchy. Nearly as impressive as the timeless rapping, the instrumental is unignorable due to the unique sound effects that J.U.S.T.I.C.E League used as percussive elements when creating this beat. I think this song is a classic but honestly, it’s irrelevant if I like it because the hood gone love it.

“From Compton to Baltimore I’ma kill it
I buy a morgue in the minute
The public house, the plastic couch of a section 8 tenant”

— Kendrick Lamar "Hood Gone Love It"

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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:

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