Curating Consistently Remarkable Raps: “Peace ‘Fly’ God” by Westside Gunn reviewed

July 21, 2022 by Luke Modugno in Reviews, Read

The role of a curator is that of immense importance. They are tasked with manifesting a feeling, manufacturing a profound message and fashioning a space, project or exhibition to radiate a specific cognitive sensation.

Westside Gunn embodies what it means to be a distinguished curator of rap music, something that was made palpably clear on his latest record Peace “Fly” God.

The Griselda boss’ rapid output has slowed to halt in 2022, with the majority of his focus likely on his forthcoming studio album Michelle Records, set to be released at some point this year. Before the arrival of Michelle Records, Gunn has decided to bless fans by digging into the vault to unleash some loosies.

Peace “Fly” God is a classic Westside Gunn experience. A star-studded lineup of producers assisting him in locating his signature grimey, rugged sonic palette, grandiose raps that are personified by esoteric luxury and streetwear brand flexes, and who can forget the famed Westside Gunn adlibs?

Juxtaposing flipping packs on the corner with now “looking like a Margiela model at the Guggenheim,” perhaps the track “Big Ass Bracelet” is the quintessential model of a flawless Gunn record. Pushed along by a dusty 70’s soul sample that suits his eccentric delivery, wordplay and adlibs swimmingly, “Big Ass Bracelet” is a clear standout on Peace “Fly” God. The song is also vastly benefited by its guests, Keisha Plum and Griselda newcomer Stove God Cooks.

Appearing on four of the ten tracks, Stove God continually shows throughout Peace “Fly” God that he is undoubtedly destined for underground stardom. On the Madlib-produced “Horses on Sunset,” Stove God’s menacing, drably delivered hook drapes smoothly over the gloomy piano and drum loop. His tone injects energy on “Derrick Boleman,” sprucing up Madlib’s drumless, contorted violin loop. Stove and Gunn have evidently formed a chemistry, as their pairing across this record produces excellence. In some instances, Stove God completely steals the show (“Horses on Sunset”). Along with Peace “Fly” God being a thrilling preview for Michelle Records, it simultaneously acts as yet another reason to keep your eye on Stove God Cooks.

With Peace “Fly” God, it seems that Gunn has found a fortuitous balance of experimentation and consistency. While he’s keeping his foot on the pedal, moving the needle in terms of molding the sound of the underground on tracks like “Danhausen,” Gunn also understands and plays to his strong suits on songs like “Big Ass Bracelet.”

Perhaps the only two reasons to be a detractor of Peace “Fly” God comes with the project’s opening tracks. “Jesus Crack” is a bloated mess made worse by a subpar feature from Estee Nack that spans three minutes. “Ritz Barlton’s” stumbling piano sample paired with Nack’s off-beat delivery fits like a square peg in a round hole, creating a nearly unlistenable song.

Additionally, in favor of fast-tracking the release of the project, Gunn elected to forgo mixing and mastering Peace “Fly” God. While this is abundantly clear during the forever-humorous Cussing Pastor’s outro on “Derrick Boleman'' and “Flip V. Phil,” Gunn doesn’t sacrifice much here by skipping that part of the process. After all, Griselda has built an empire on that same trademarked jagged-edged sound.

For now, Westside Gunn has presented yet another quality body of opulent coke rap music with Peace “Fly” God. Defined by its peaks and valleys that ultimately restrain it from being considered among elite Gunn projects, if Peace “Fly” God, is constructed of the throw-aways of Michelle Records, we are in for a treat when Gunn chooses to drop it.

favorite tracks:

Big Ass Bracelet (feat. Keisha Plum & Stove God Cooks)

Horses on Sunset (feat. Stove God Cooks)

Derrick Boleman (feat. Stove God Cooks)

Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest music news!

Thanks for making the last six years a little easier 💎

Despite Notable Cast, The “Minions” Soundtrack is GRUesomely Underwhelming

July 15, 2022 by Sydney Fluker in Read, Reviews

by Sydney Fluker

For the past 12 years, Gru and his minions have had a chokehold on nearly all aspects of American media. Starting with “Despicable Me,” a movie centered around the protagonist-villain, Gru, and his relationship with three foster children while they attempt to steal the moon, the minions have slowly but surely stolen the show for themselves. From memes to clothing items, the minions have created a brand name for themselves, becoming more popular than Gru himself.

Prior to the release of “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” pop culture had a field day with hundreds of minion-themed memes. Jokes about attending the premiere in full suits as “gentleminions” led to teens actually doing so, disrupting the movie targeted at children ages 11 or younger and their parents by yelling Minion gibberish at the screen throughout the film.

With a children’s movie centering around the quest for villain hood amid bright and happy cinematography, there are a lot of themes that require attending to on behalf of the creators to pull off such a film. As with every movie, the soundtrack plays a key role in holding all of this unexpected chaos together.

This time around, Illumination Entertainment brought in Jack Antonoff to handle the album’s production, creating a soundtrack that acts more as a pop hits cover album than an original.

This album is so similar to the previous soundtracks that it would be hard to distinguish if not for the names who litter the track. From Thundercat to St. Vincent, it’s the way these big names remake the tracks that makes this album special.

Produced almost exclusively by Antonoff with help from RZA, Heitor Pereira, St. Vincent, and Ex Reyes, the soundtrack covers 70s era funk, pop, and soul hits in a fresh manner. In an exclusive interview with Billboard, Antonoff explained that the idea was “to take modern artists that are really in some way in the tradition of the great music of that time and then record them with this half modern technique, half super analog technique. Animation in kids’ movies is pretty trippy, so you can f–king get away with a lot.”’

You can hear it in the soundtrack — this album is a psychedelic trip. Every song sounds like an acid-dipped version of its original, invoking visuals of bright flowers and roller rinks and ringing 70s imagery loud through the mind, even for someone who hasn’t yet seen the movie (me).

It’s no surprise Antonoff could tackle such a project. With his history of working with Lana Del Rey (with whom he created “Norman F—cking Rockwell”), Taylor Swift, P!nk, Lorde, and more, Antonoff has what it takes to recreate older hits of the same genre he does so well. According to Billboard, his goal is that the soundtrack introduces these songs to the new generation, but feels their place in history is solid enough to last on their own.

“I think there’s certain songs that live in the moment and then certain songs that kind of live forever,” he says. “I think the songs that I chose, regardless of this project, live forever. So this can just be another point in the long story of all the songs which are going to go way into the future of mankind.”

“Turn Up The Sunshine” is the lone original on the album, bringing disco to the modern era with deep bass from Tame Impala and Diana Ross’s iconic voice. The song broke onto Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, landing at No. 21 and making it Ross’s first hit on any Billboard chart since 2006. “Turn Up The Sunshine” is the exact song I would expect to come from the Minions soundtrack — interpret that however you like.

Brittany Howard’s “Shining Star” and BROCKHAMPTON’s “Hollywood Swinging” both handled the original versions with respect, balancing their own artistic styles with the original. Unfortunately, the track they sandwich, “Funky Town” by St. Vincent, is horrible. The autotune takes away from the vocals that make the original so iconic and instead hurts the ears, making this song the lone instant-skip on the soundtrack.

Kali Uchis beautifully remakes João Gilberto’s “Desafinado”, but the translation of the song to English makes it harder to find the resemblance. The 70s-eque remix of a bossa nova classic doesn’t translate too well in terms of instrumentals, but Uchis’s voice carries the song in a beautiful way.

Polachek’s cover of “Bang Bang” is hauntingly beautiful, using the western theme to her advantage and vocally bodying the track. Thundercat’s “Fly Like An Eagle” puts his skills as a bassist at the helm, using his trippy vocals to make it feel like a Thundercat original.

Phoebe Bridgers’s cover of “Goodbye To Love” and Weyes Blood’s “You’re No Good” show their power as vocalists. “Vehicle” nails the Despicable Me vibe, with Gary Clark Jr. doing an excellent job of holding his voice above the instrumentals without overpowering them, giving the whole song a balance that lacks throughout the album.

The second half of the album doesn’t stand out like the first half does. Tierra Whack’s “Black Woman Magic” was something I never thought I’d hear but have always unknowingly wanted, but the autotune felt strange over Santana’s guitar. “Cecilia” is a celebratory Minion song, making it quite annoying as the Minions are bad vocalists. However, the jazz solo is surprisingly enjoyable and I found myself tapping along throughout.

While the soundtrack can feel like it is trying too hard to do something it can’t, every single song is easily identifiable as a Minions-esque song, which is really all that a soundtrack is meant to have. The “Minions: The Rise of Gru” soundtrack will carry these songs into the new generation, for better or for worse. I can only hope they find the originals.

favorite tracks:

Bang Bang - Caroline Polacheck

You’re No Good - Weyes Blood

Vehicle - Gary Clark Jr.

Sydney Fluker is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

A Hip-Hop Landmark: How “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” Created the Next Generation of Rap

July 07, 2022 by Sydney Fluker in Classic Reviews, Read

by Sydney Fluker

It is an extremely cold take to say that The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time. From shattering previous records and making history with its release to the hold it has on hip-hop today, the release of Miseducation is a prominent black line on hip-hop’s historical timeline.

Released on August 25, 1998 by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records, Miseducation was an instant hit. With Lauryn Hill already having fame from her previous group Fugees, Miseducation was the breakout solo album her fans were waiting for. The record was an instant hit, selling almost 425,000 copies in its first week and reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“[I wanted to] write songs that lyrically move me and have the integrity of reggae and the knock of hip-hop and the instrumentation of classic soul," she said in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1999. "[My engineer and I worked on] a sound that's raw. I like the rawness of you being able to hear the scratch in the vocals. I don't ever want that taken away."

The rawness has been received well. Since its release, Miseducation has sold 20 million copies worldwide according to Sony Music, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. In 2021, it became a certified diamond record by the Recording Industry Association of America, earning Ms. Hill the Guinness World Record for being the first female rapper to reach diamond status.

Miseducation is a glorious combination of neo soul, R&B, hip-hop and reggae. While the story of its creation plays out like a movie (check out this Rolling Stone interview for the full story), it's clear that this record is a Ms. Hill original through and through. Creating her own team after being effectively blacklisted by Fugees partner Wyclef Jean, Ms. Hill blazed her own path in her early twenties, using unknown producers and being pregnant while creating an industry-changing record.

Her relationship with Rohan Marley, the father to her five children, led her to move to Jamaica for a part of the album’s production to find peace of mind. “Forgive Them Father” and “Lost Ones” were made at the Bob Marley Museum on 56 Hope Road, which Ms. Hill references on “Lost Ones.” Both feature singing in patois, the common dialect in Jamaica.

One of the largest influences apparent in Miseducation is the influence of Christianity in her own life. Much of the song “Tell Him” is based on 1 Corinthians 13, while “To Zion” discusses her decision to carry her unborn son based on prayer. Perhaps the most obvious is “Forgive Them Father,” where she invokes Luke 23:34 and confirms her biblical references are intentional.

“Gospel music is music inspired by the gospels,” Hill said in the book “Lauryn Hill: She’s Got That Thing.” “In a huge respect, a lot of this music turned out to be just that. During this album, I turned to the Bible and wrote songs that I drew comfort from.”

Even in “non-religious” tracks, the influence is felt. D’Angelo, whose feature on “Nothing Even Matters” was laid down in the course of an hour, noted the importance of that song in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

“Churches were substituting God in the lyrics [for “Nothing Even Matters”],” D’Angelo said. “Whenever they make a gospel version from a secular song, that’s significant.”

Ms. Hill and Miseducation made history at the 41st GRAMMY Awards, being nominated for 10 GRAMMYs heading into the ceremony and walking out with four. “Doo Wop (That Thing)” won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song, and Miseducation took home Album of The Year and Best R&B Album. She herself won Best New Artist, making her the first female artist to ever win five or more awards at the GRAMMYs in one night. Miseducation was the first hip-hop album to win Album of The Year, making the world respect the art of hip-hop a little bit more.

Ms. Hill has done more than inspire the next generation of music — she’s helped create it. The vulnerability presented on Miseducation opened the door for more emotional records. An unknown John Legend started his career by playing piano on “Everything is Everything” before eventually signing to Kanye West’s GOOD Music, another Ms. Hill inspiree.

“Lauryn is innovative,” Janelle Monáe told British magazine NME. “She was hip-hop and R&B, but nobody had used [the combination] in the way she did. She created something that we had never tasted before. There was already a Lauryn Hill, there was already an Erykah Badu – but there was not a Janelle Monáe. They inspired me to create my own lane.”

Miseducation is a sample haven for all sorts of genres, but has mainly been used across hip-hop. Kanye West has been open about how Ms. Hill inspired him in his music, using her samples on multiple albums throughout his career and shouting her out in his 2007 song “Champion.” Drake’s chopped-up use of “Ex-Factor” for the chorus on “Nice For What” is one of the most notable samples, but his 2014 “Draft Day” sampled “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” is an equally impressive manner. From PnB Rock to Cardi B, “Ex-Factor” has been sampled over and over since its initial 1998 release.

Fabolous’s “Summertime Shootout” featuring Jazzy samples “Lost Ones” and shouts out Ms. Hill’s time in Fugees with “Heard she in between dudes, just like Lauryn.” J. Cole’s “Can I Holla At Ya” uses Santana’s rift from “To Zion” to talk to his father figures, remixing a Ms. Hill original with an equally emotional track. Ms. Hill has even been shouted out by rappers from other countries, as up-and-coming Portuguese rapper Pete Mcee compares the power of his girl’s lips to the music of Lauryn Hill.

“You use music as your vehicle to reach people you feel need to hear your message,” Monáe said. “That album gave me the fuel I needed to bring out the things that made me unique.”

Sydney Fluker is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

How Outkast's "Aquemini" Fulfilled the Prophecy & Changed Hip-Hop Forever

July 04, 2022 by Spencer Lobdell in Read, Classic Reviews

by Spencer Lobdell

On August 3rd, 1995, hip-hop history was forever altered.

While many hip-hop purists like to refer to the second annual Source awards as the night that hip-hop died, they are overlooking the most important moment of the show that I believe to be the moment when the hip-hop we know and love today was born. While most remember the show for Suge Knight’s not-so-subliminal shots at Diddy during his “Soundtrack of the Year” award speech or Snoop Dogg’s infamous “Y’all don’t love us?!” rant, the most important moment of the night followed the announcement for best new artist. When a little-known hip-hop duo called Outkast was announced as the winner they were met with a chorus of boos as the New York audience lost their mind because hometown hero Method Man didn’t win the award. Amidst the boos, a young Andre 3000 grabbed the mic and silenced the crowd with one of the most iconic acceptance speeches TV has ever witnessed, an acceptance speech that was only six words long: The south has something to say.

This moment is referred to as “Andre’s prophecy” as it came one year before Outkast started what very well might be the best three-album-run in the genre’s history. While ATLiens and Stankonia are classics in their own right, they represent Outkast on both ends of the experimental spectrum and when examining influence it’s important to start at the moment when everything changed. That moment for Outkast (and the entirety of hip-hop) was their 1998 release Aquemini.

The cultural importance of the album goes far beyond the quality of the writing and recording on the project. Aquemini is the most influential album in hip-hop history because it’s the project that liberated the genre and enabled rappers to break free from the restrictive constraints that had previously said what you could and couldn’t do in hip-hop. Aquemini is the moment when successful artists were allowed to transcend the title of “rapper” and step into their full potential as boundless creatives. Aquemini is the album that freed hip-hop.

Although it’s impossible to boil Aquemini’s impact down to one groundbreaking trait, the first that must be mentioned is the group’s willingness to blend a variety of genres without fear of alienating traditional hip-hop fans. While Aquemini is certainly a hip-hop project at its core, Big Boi and Andre effortlessly fuse funk, jazz, gospel, world music, and spoken word into the record introducing a level of genre-bending that had yet to be seen in hip-hop. The album’s second song “Rosa Park” establishes this theme early on by being anchored by a country hoe-down inspired instrumental that’s so southern it even houses a harmonica solo played by a real pastor. The deviations from hip-hop go much further on Aquemini though. From the iconic ska-inspired horns in “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” to Erykah Badu and CeeLo Green versing soulful spoken word over the jazzy “Liberation” instrumental, the duo managed to seamlessly mix sounds throughout the project, somehow making a record for both old-school players AND new-school fools.

It’s easy to see the tremendous impact that Outkast breaking genre rules had on modern hip-hop. This impact is palpable across Kanye West’s entire discography from soulful samples featured on The College Dropout and Late Registration to truly boundless hip-hop housed on 808s and Heartbreaks and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Moving into even more recent examples, without the bold experimentation Outkast employed on Aquemini we would’ve never been lucky enough to see XXXTENTACION push the limits of what a rap album could be on ?, his sophomore album. Finally, the artist where Aquemini’s influence is the most noticeable is none other than Kendrick Lamar who won a Pulitzer Prize for To Pimp a Butterfly, an album with a heavy psychedelic jazz influence that can be clearly traced back to the Southern duo.

One of the most obvious impacts that Outkast had on modern rap was welcoming artists from areas other than California and New York to the party. While there certainly were groups and artists making music outside of the two states, none had reached the mass appeal that Outkast did, a feat that signaled to the average consumer that good music could come from anywhere. Outkast broke the geography of hip-hop allowing new scenes to emerge and have lives of their own. The south became a hotbed for hip-hop after Aquemini resulting in generational talents like Lil Wayne, Killer Mike, and T.I. Years later, a similar renaissance was seen in Chicago with artists like Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Kanye West. While there were certainly great artists from regions outside California/New York before Outkast and the growth of different scenes across the country was inevitable, what the duo did for the south and all other developing regions after must be acknowledged.

Thus far we’ve looked at the impact of Outkast’s instrumentation and regional prowess, but we have yet to discuss potentially the most ground-breaking power the group yielded: The context of their writing. Outkast was the first hip-hop act to leverage their authentic duality as a strength rather than a weakness that needed to be covered up. In 1998, there were specific archetypes that rappers had to fit into to be successful. You could either be A Tribe Called Quest or NWA, De La Soul or Wu-Tang Clan, Talib Kweli or Jay-Z. Andre and Big Boi completely destroyed this idea of a single identity and Aquemini was the album where they truly became the player and poet. Outkast would be the first to tell you that hip-hop was so much more than drugs and guns but then turn around to tell you the importance that both had on the culture.

This duality and authenticity that Outkast pioneered is the reason that hip-hop was able to expand and become the biggest genre in the world. While we love gangsta rap and conscious rap alike, it’s hard for the average person to relate and identify with either sub-genre completely, and if the lines were never blurred both camps would’ve simply gone deeper into their respective niches. Not only was Outkast the first to walk this line, but they were undoubtedly the best at it.

Finally, this examination of influence would be incomplete without mentioning the way Andre’s flow taught the best rappers ever how to spit. Although Biggie had already shown the world how mesmerizing a flow could be by the time Aquemini was released, nobody pushed it further than three stacks. Andre broke every rule of rap resulting in some of the most mind-bending flows hip-hop has ever heard. He seemed to write against the beat instead of with it allowing him to fall into absurd pockets that would pave the way for emcees like MF DOOM, Earl Sweatshirt, and Boldy James.

When speaking about extremely influential works, it’s not rare for an album’s greatest strengths to be the projects that came from it. The most beautiful thing about Aquemini is that well it birthed some of the greatest records in hip-hop history, to this day its greatest strength is not what it became but rather what it is. The record is nearly 25 years old and somehow doesn’t sound dated at all. You can play Aquemini next to any of the great albums to come out in the past decade and it sounds right at home. Outkast is without question one of the most legendary hip-hop acts to ever grace a mic and Aquemini is the project that pushed them to this level. “Even though we got two albums,” Big Boi raps on that album’s “Y’all Scared,” “This one feel like the beginning.”

Spencer Lodbell is the co-founder of StereoVision.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

Considering Beth Gibbons & Eckhart Tolle’s Inclusion on "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers"

July 03, 2022 by Tyler Roland in Read

by Tyler Roland

Now that Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers has been out for over a month, that otherworldly level of hype surrounding its gestation and subsequent birth seems to have subsided enough to look at the record in a more objective fashion. In doing so, I find that there are two genius-level inclusions in its lengthy runtime that deserve more of a light shone upon them.

I am referring to the sporadic samplings of author Eckhart Tolle on certain songs and Beth Gibbons’ voice on what may be the best track of the record, “Mother | Sober.” Though Kodak Black’s contributions – not to mention the chaotic couple’s back-and-forth on “We Cry Together,” achieved with the help of Taylour Paige – received more attention, the aforementioned pair on Lamar’s latest was what stuck with me the most.

My love of trip-hop has led me to the belief that Dummy, Portishead’s 1994 debut album, is one of the greatest ever conceived. This is the group that Beth Gibbons, its vocalist, rose to fame in. The album is a dated listen, sure, but the ethereality of Gibbons’ voice gliding over the muffled, yet punchy instrumentals made for a big impression on me. Gibbons has kept a low public profile in recent years, and Portishead is a project that’s more or less on life support, a time capsule of the ‘90s.

Her inclusion on this record was not some half-assed afterthought. While nothing is with Lamar, her feature surprised me. I tend to enjoy Lamar’s more demanding artistic choices, not least the ten-plus minute journeys of “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst,” and, to a greater extent, “Mortal Man.” While a track of this magnitude was nowhere to be found on Steppers, it should be noted that “Mother | Sober” is the longest piece here at just under seven minutes. Trip-hop, Portishead, and Gibbons all have a bit of a ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ quality to them, so while this track does not reach the heights of “Mortal Man,” it has a similar, challenging feel to it that I crave.

The fact that Gibbons can be heard on this veritable magnum opus of Steppers, then, is telling. It seems to suggest that this track will be an iron-clad moment in time for years to come, much as Dummy is almost thirty years on. Is it the biggest banger of the album? No. In fact, I doubt it will be the one track that most people will remember off of it. So what? For those generous enough to turn a willing ear when it comes on, little else on these two discs will satisfy.

Eckhart Tolle - German Author and Spiritual Teacher.

I found DAMN. to be lacking a bit in pushing the envelope with eccentric ideas and feature selections, which made Tolle’s voice all the more enjoyable upon first listen. Not long ago, I read a book of his, A New Earth – which I finished in a day. Its effects on me were at once profound and fundamental. It’s a “self-help” book, but that’s too cheesy a descriptor – it lifted me up and challenged me to look at the deepest parts of myself. That Lamar laced Tolle’s voice into this body of work is no accident. I remember first hearing this album front to back and suddenly recognizing the sound of Tolle talking about the “pain body,” a topic that A New Earth covers frequently. I perked up in surprise, pleased that this album had a brain of such magnitude complementing its creator’s.

While Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is a fantastic album, part of me doubts that time will be as kind to it as it has been to, say, To Pimp a Butterfly. Sometimes, however, perfection and 100% ass-kicking misses the mark. To have two voices on this album that convey such a vulnerability means more to me, in many ways, than a track that breaks its back to knock me flat out on the pavement, like “King Kunta” for instance. Admitting one’s flaws (and one’s love for that most angelic of comedown siren calls) allows for a special kind of love for Lamar’s newest to blossom as the weeks following its release roll by.

Tyler Roland is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

How “Pieces of a Man” Became the Socially-Conscious Voice of a Generation

June 30, 2022 by Asher Ali in Classic Reviews, Read

by Asher Ali

When George Floyd was murdered, Americans dusted off their shoes and marched to fight for justice in a system that was ever-more glaringly built on discrimination and racism. Many different phrases and taglines were prominently featured at the forefront of 2020’s push for change, namely among them a particular truism first uttered from the mouth of poet and songwriter Gil Scott-Heron.

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is one of the most used and also distorted lines in times of tumult, and it originates from Scott-Heron’s prominent song of the same title. First used as part of his introduction to his inaugural album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, the song made greater waves on the Chicago native’s second project, Pieces of a Man in 1971.

The album became an underground success with its jazz poetry breaking down the perspective of a beleaguered man desperate to break free from the chains of oppression. In particular, “The Revolution will Not Be Televised” has been at the vanguard of fights for social justice from London in 1983 to Mumbai in 2009.

The album as a whole has also remained consistently relevant to this day through the instrumental impact it had in establishing the sound of hip-hop and jazz rap. Scott-Heron never agreed that he was the forefather of rap, calling his association with the genre “a mistake,” but the state of hip-hop today would be unfathomable because of who the poet and the famous Pieces of a Man inspired.

The groundwork of the album’s sound is laid out by jazz composer, keyboardist and producer Brian Jackson who was a decade-long collaborator with Scott-Heron. His wavy drums, flute and keyboard sounds served as simply a backdrop to Scott-Heron’s whimsical dictation, which was a more novel concept of the time as it gave the lyrics space to stand out on their own instead of forcing them to meld together.

The juxtaposition of gentle rhythm against fluid, yet hard-hitting lyrics inspired Ali Shaheed Muhammad of a Tribe Called Quest to seek out jazz samples to put up against the bars of his fellow group members. Muhammad got together with Jackson in 2021 for a collaborative jazz project, but as a fan of Jackson’s in the early 90s, Muhammad emulated the sonic ideas from Pieces of a Man in a range of Tribe tracks, from “Excursions” to “Keep it Rollin’”.

Free expression of difficult themes was also championed on the album by Scott-Heron and also became a distinguishing factor for A Tribe Called Quest as the group ascended. Even in their younger years, the young emcees of Q-Tip, Jarobi White and Phife Dawg were politically and socially outspoken, talking about xenophobia, veganism and religion in their rhymes. Scott-Heron’s grand influence on hip hop has helped some deem him as the progenitor of the genre; a hard nomination to argue against when you pay attention to how much he’s influenced perhaps the greatest zeitgeist in the genre’s history. Kanye West was maybe one of the most outspoken musicians in the early 2000s, both inside and outside the studio, as the mutual Chicagoan saw his genius as a reincarnation of what Scott-Heron had preached before him.

West has always been proficient at analogizing tropes in the commercial world to dig at something deeper within the human condition, something Scott-Heron was masterful at doing in his poetry as well. Kanye gave clear credit to this on Late Registration’s “My Way Home” which sampled “Home is Where the Hatred Is” from Pieces of a Man, but in a way that was unique for West’s production style at the time.

Instead of chopping it to pieces and reverbing the song to make it beautifully unrecognizable, West loops the hard-hitting piano chords from the song leaving it nearly untouched, while then featuring Scott-Heron’s powerful vocals at points to break through the bars that both West and fellow Scott-Heron studier Common are laying down.

West’s track concludes with 44 seconds of unbroken phrase from Scott-Heron’s classic, where his powerful voice echoes a sentiment about how returning home after suffering can cause more pain. The world knows Kanye West to be someone who rarely lets others tell his own story, yet here Ye was clearly proud to let someone of Scott-Heron’s pedigree describe how he felt.

On Late Registration’s very next song “Crack Music”, Kanye put down an introspective and socially conscious line right out of the Scott-Heron handbook where he said, “You hear that? What Gil Scott was Heron / When our heroes or heroines got hooked on heroin.” Conveying a period of time so vividly is incredibly emblematic of what Scott-Heron was known for, and not only Ye, but Kendrick Lamar out of Los Angeles was able to articulate deep personal narratives in rap, much like the spoken word of the renowned jazz poet.

Much like how Pieces of a Man tells the story of Scott-Heron and his father trying to escape cultural discrimination and injustice, good kid, m.A.A.d city was Kendrick’s tale of how he tried to overcome poverty and extreme dysfunction as a kid living in Compton. Kendrick’s prose would only become more poetic in To Pimp A Butterfly as he ornately paints a tableau of how this country tries to break Black Americans in hopes of conformity. It’s an expansion of the themes expressed in the interpersonal story of Pieces of a Man.

From “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” to “Peace”, the sounds, rhythms and themes of Pieces of a Man are the ideals that have underpinned hip-hop since DJ Kool Herc. And as recently as 2020 when the ugly head of racial inequality was front and center in this country, the message of Scott-Heron’s art resurfaced in full bloom. Perhaps nobody in modern rap has embodied how the duality of Scott-Heron’s message still resonates with the world today quite like Freddie Gibbs. The gangster poet first used the line, “The revolution is the genocide / my execution might be televised,” in Alfredo’s “Scottie Beam” and later on released his own rendition of the soulful and sorrowful “Winter in America” which Scott-Heron and Jackson wrote as they saw first-hand how democracy can fail this country.

The best art is that which transcends time with the message it brings, and Pieces of a Man has not just reached multiple generations but inspired them too socially and artistically.

Asher Ali is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

A Dynamic and Dynastic Duo: How Snoop’s “Doggystyle” Shaped West Coast Rap

June 26, 2022 by Giovanni Recinos in Classic Reviews, Read

by Giovanni Recinos

After The Chronic by Dr. Dre was released on December 15, 1992, Death Row Records took over hip-hop.

It introduced the world to a powerful crew of rappers and performers such as Daz Dillinger and Kurupt (otherwise known as Tha Dogg Pound), Nate Dogg and Lady of Rage. While The Chronic was technically Dr. Dre's project, many of its most memorable moments were attributed to Dre’s trust in his then new and most popular protégé, Snoop Doggy Dogg.

Snoop Dogg would become an instant icon for his refreshing rap style, consisting of smooth flows paired with often violent or rough street themes. After the release of the instant classic that was The Chronic, people highly anticipated the release of Snoop Dogg’s own debut album, Doggystyle.

We will be comparing these two projects often, as Doggystyle is in many ways just a different flavor and portrayal of the same goals as The Chronic. For example, both projects focused on one Death Row member, but both were still flooded with in-house and affiliate features. Both of the projects were overseen and finalized with Dr. Dre as the head producer and both also shared similar controversy for their misogynistic and often graphic crime related lyricism.

Due to the high demand of the project, Doggystyle would eventually be rushed by its distributors and would be released on November 23, 1993. Despite being “rushed” the album within itself is a high feat, including stand out verses from the entire Death Row posse, catchy club bangers and aggressive storytelling of gang lifestyle. In fact, it was such a high feat that for the time it was the fastest selling rap record. Not just for a debut rap record, but for any rap album up until its release.

While The Chronic introduced G-Funk, Snoop Dogg helped it grow and blossom beyond, into further experimentation. The sound of Dr. Dre’s debut was much harsher in production, with often creepier loops and more in-your-face instrumentation, which would pair well with Dr. Dre’s confrontational and straightforward delivery. While Doggystyle had its own spine-chilling moments including the tracks, “Serial Killa” or “Murda Was the Case,” a majority of the album would feel more rhythmic and bouncy to couple with Snoop’s seamless flow.

The influence of Doggystyle would bleed far within hip-hop, starting at Death Row Records. With Snoop Dogg playing a huge part on Tha Dogg Pound’s debut, Dogg Food, by not only making multiple appearances on it, but also through an obvious influence from Doggystyle. Much of this stemming from the fact that Tha Dogg Pound’s, Daz Dillinger played an extremely vital role in producing the backbone for some critical Doggystyle tracks, including the controversial club banger, “Ain’t No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None).”

2Pac’s classic record, All Eyez On Me, would also be affected by not only Doggystyle, but also by Death Row as a whole. Many of the album's tracks would be produced by Daz Dillinger as well, further pushing this G-Funk sound. The album would carry over much of the catchy Death Row songwriting, which was pioneered by Snoop Dogg especially. Themes on 2Pac’s album often involved sex, partying and a gangster lifestyle, in the same vain as Snoop’s classic. Though it should be mentioned that Snoop’s style would not be praised solely in the West Coast, as artists such as Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Notorious B.I.G. (even despite the beef) would praise their styles.

Beyond the nineties, the influence of Dre and Snoop would not come to an end. While mostly with Dr. Dre to thank in terms of their success, Snoop’s style would bleed into some of the next generation of Dre’s pupils. Artists affected would include Eminem, 50 Cent and The Game. Stylistically, some could argue that some of the most popular hooks in songs like 50 Cent’s, “In Da Club” or The Game’s, “Hate It or Love It,” originate from Snoop’s songwriting ability and ability to blend the sonics of “authenticity” with the ear for “radio friendly hits.”

50 Cent in particular is often credited for having a great amount of Southern influence in his music, which is also true. But Snoop had his own influence on the South. After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop Doggy Dogg would don the shorter and more common, “Snoop Dogg” with his switch to No Limit Records. At No Limit, Snoop would assist during some of the most critical and most popular years of the label. These years would be innovative for the South, with the label playing a huge era of growth for sub-genres that would eventually lead to sounds and genres such as trap. Many of these sub-genres would have great effects on the mainstream, today especially.

Long story short, whether directly or indirectly, Death Row, Snoop and Doggystyle in particular would have a great impact on the hip-hop music of all coasts and on both the mainstream and underground of today.

Giovanni Recinos is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date with everything hip-hop.

How Travis Scott Introduced the World to the Rap Rockstar with “Rodeo”

June 23, 2022 by Miles Hagan in Classic Reviews, Read

by Miles Hagan

Before the Nike collaborations, McDonald’s deals, and hit records, Jacques Bermon Webster II was a teenager making beats out of his mother’s home in Houston.

To fully understand Travis Scott’s greatest work to date we must first examine the foundation, the days before Rodeo. After dropping out of college without telling his parents, he would move to New York then LA sleeping on couches and paying for studio time and flights with money he was getting for books and food. His parents would eventually figure out his scheme and cut him off when they popped up at his UT San Antonio dorm that he abandoned months ago. Ambition, confidence, and at this point his back being against the wall is what allowed him to create songs that would eventually get him noticed by the likes of T.I. Soon after he found himself back on a flight to New York City to work on the Cruel Summer Sessions with none other than THE college dropout himself, Kanye West.

From here Travis would go on to release his first two projects, Owl Pharaoh and Days Before Rodeo. He was named a XXL Freshman in 2013 and was recognized by most as Ye’s prodigy. His early music has a dark and muddy southern influence with a wide range of features from Migos and Meek Mill to James Fauntleroy and Bon Iver. His talents as a producer is what originally got the music community interested in him, so production is at the forefront of all of his work. Songs like “Upper Echelon”, “Mamacita”, and “Sloppy Toppy” showcase his acumen for hit making and thumping production, all while being just lyrical enough to not get him crucified by the older hip-hop community. While these are all excellent, a track like “Bad Mood Shit on You” is what was truly an example of the greatness that Travis would deliver only a year later.

What Rodeo created was the rap rockstar. SoFaygo, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Don Toliver as well as many others have been able to add a whole different element to their rap persona because of La Flame. This was the first time in Travis Scott’s career that both the music and the crowds were large enough for his live performances to reach their full potential. It is very fair to say we may never see concerts like this again.

Rap and Hip-Hop culture has always been about being cool. Oftentimes this doesn't mean jumping in mosh pits and walking out of concerts with your clothes dirty, but that is exactly the energy Travis brought back to the genre. Today, almost every rapper is calling for the crowd to open up the pit at their shows. Not only that but this trend has caused artists to make songs that perform better in live settings.

For an artist as talented as Travis Scott was from an early point in his career, especially from a production standpoint, most of their improvement can be done in engineering and curation. That is exactly what this album was for Travis. The sound is still dark and dynamic, but during moments like “Antidote” that creativity and energy becomes anthemic. He is no longer the mysterious outsider but rather the rager we have become so familiar with. Travis had repeatable hooks on Rodeo, so it was much more feasible to play songs like “Nightcrawler” in clubs and parties as well as in the mosh pit. Upon the record's initial release and during its lead up, it felt as if Travis was becoming the voice of the youth. Which is exactly what he speaks about on the opening track. A key to him doing this was Kid Cudi.

As we know it in 2022 Travis has a signature hum on tracks that is almost more recognizable than the one he modeled his after. Back in 2015 was the first time we had heard someone successfully execute such harmonies since Cudi, and he was using a heavy auto tune. Fast Forward to modern day and the majority of young rappers rely on some sort of autotune to achieve a melodic feel to their tracks.

This is the norm. Going back and listening to Rodeo it is interesting how at that time they said Travis was relying more on his autotune than his rapping. In reality these are some of the most innovative and impressive flows and bars in his catalog. On an album filled with features there are no songs when it feels like he is the weak link, and on several occasions he has the superior performance to some household names. This versatility is what allows him to trade verses with The Weeknd on the criminally underrated “Pray 4 Love.”

Rodeo is representative of the peak of what Trap music has been. For years the likes of Future, Gucci Mane, Young Thug and others released projects that told stories of the streets of the South over aggressive base finding flow pockets that most rappers could only dream of, and then even still could never execute. This music dominated their region and every strip club, and is the reason Future claims he is bigger than Jay-Z in the streets. The problem is that that sound had not translated to major critical acclaim or chart topping success.

Days Before Rodeo is where Travis first really showed his ties to the Atlanta Trap scene with features from Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, and Migos. The only difference is this time he brought Justin Beiber to the trenches. On top of continuing with many of those same features on his debut, he also had ATL legend T.I. narrating the project.

What Travis Scott did with Rodeo was take the essence of the more traditional trap sound and couple that with more cinematic elements from Mike Dean and Kanye. The music then elevated to superstar levels when his performances of this era became the stuff of legend. While all Trap in 2022 doesn’t sound like Travis Scott, he showed both artists and listeners all that it could be with unlimited resources. What he did to legitimize the subgenre to critics and the causal consumer can not be overlooked.

Miles Hagan is the co-founder of StereoVision.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

Behind the Boards: Zara616 shares tips for up-and-coming producers

June 12, 2022 by Guest User in Specials, Read

by Patrick Mazara

My name is Patrick Mazara, professionally known as Zara616 and I am a producer from Grand Rapids known for my work with well-established artist such as Skilla Baby, Baby Smoove, Jdot Breezy, Baby Money, YN Jay and more. I’ve always been big on growth and I love to see people, especially producers, thriving so I wanted to take the time to drop some free game on how in a year I built my name and began solidifying my spot in the producer game with “The Grease Guide.”

the grease guide:

step 1: BRAND

Understand that you are your brand. Your producer tag is crucial, especially when starting because it can direct people towards more of your work. When it does, you should make sure your social media accounts reflect you as a producer to maintain their interest. I went about growing mine by providing my audience with authentic content of video edits to my beats that would keep their interest and later on I allowed people to put a face to the name by also posting myself. To continue to build your brand, my advice is to also invest in meeting artists in-person, advertise yourself and your beats and finally, stay consistent.

step 2: publishing and beat store

Get your publishing together by creating a BMI or an ASCAP so that when the bigger placements do come, you’re eligible to sign the paper work. If you make music you can still register your music so it works if you also rap/sing. Do keep in mind that publishing and royalties are not the same thing. If you produce for artist that are signed to a major label, make sure you should be getting an advance, net artist royalties and publishing. Do not sign a bad deal but do not be ungrateful especially if the terms you’ve signed and advance being given is something you do not have. That especially goes for loop-makers. Lastly, look into creating a beat store such as Airbit and Beatstars so that you’re audience can both listen to and purchase your beats.

step 3: networking

Networking is one of the most crucial steps! Your skill will only get you so far and if you have no way of having it heard, you won’t get any placements. So network with producers, work with the smaller artist in a camp and soon the bigger artist will want to work with you because they hear what you’ve provided for their mans.

step 4: be geniune

Stay genuine. When you’re so hungry for success, you tend to just jump the gun. But staying genuine and realizing people are still human is one of the best things you can do. I personally get tired of people trying to work before even forming a connection, I know engineers feel the same because people attempt to use them for placements, yet don’t even form any kind of bond first. Have a respectful approach, don’t blow them up, but show you genuinely admire their craft or love their artists’ sound and your time to work with them will come.

step 5: patience

Understand that your time will come. Do not be envious of another producer getting back-to-back placements because they worked just as hard if not harder to get to where they are. Take your time and develop your own sound. I recommend making a single drum kit with all of your favorite sounds and only using that one. In a few months you should be able to play your beats and tell that every beat has some type of similarity that people can recognize and say you produced it.

step 6: business

Do not take things personal. You have to understand these people do not know you. They aren’t obligated to respond back or rap to your beats. If you blow up and rappers you wanted to work with finally hit you back, do it! You’ll miss out on the opportunity if you decide to be petty because if they came to you, they’re more likely to take you serious.

step 7: consistency

Work hard and be consistent. If it was easy, everybody would do it. As long as you’re constantly sending beats out and working with producers, your chance of a placement will only keep increasing so stop just sitting on beats. Send the same ones out until they get placed, have some versatility so you aren’t confided in a box. Invest in going to studios or even running ads on your posts because you never know who could see it.

step 8: manifestation

Manifestation has gotten me a long way and can be a very in depth topic. My advice is to believe yourself and be grateful as if you’ve already accomplished what it is you want to accomplish down the line. We constantly tell ourselves negative things and that’s the reason why it happens but if we flip that around and speak positive affirmations, only speak good things would the good not come to be? I always tell my peers to be grateful, and that even if it isn’t something you have just yet, believe you have it. By having that energy of gratefulness you increase your frequencies and that allows your manifestation to find its way into your life and when it does you can truly be grateful.

Overall, there’s a lot that comes with being a producer and how far you make it honestly just reflects your determination. No matter what just keep it going. Especially when you don’t feel like it because that’s when the placements and opportunities appear. Stay genuine, be authentic, make sure you create what you want to and not what others want, prioritize your mental health, and just be appreciative of everything, even if it’s just a like on a beat you put on YouTube, appreciate it.

Zara616 is a hip-hop producer. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

Boldy James is strictly business on new album “Killing Nothing”

June 10, 2022 by Sydney Fluker in Reviews, Read

by Sydney Fluker

Boldy James does not waste time.

Six months after dropping “Super Tecmo Bo” with frequent producer The Alchemist, James is back with the full length project “Killing Nothing.” Produced entirely by Los Angeles clothing and production collective Real Bad Man, “Killing Nothing” shows that even after over a decade in the underground game, James is still continuing to rise.

While James’s most notable works come from The Alchemist, “Killing Nothing” is his second project with Real Bad Man after finishing out his four-project run in 2020 with “Real Bad Boldy.”

“Lyrically, a lot of rappers are so caught up in what everything thinks they’re supposed to be doing, that they don’t kill records anymore,” James said on his new record. “I feel like even though I don’t make the biggest energy records, or club records, for girls to shake their ass too, I feel like I got the most consistent flow in the game… There are others who try their hardest, but they ain’t killing nothing or letting nothing die.”

Everything he said can be felt through the record.

Echoing D.J. Premier’s production on “N.Y. State of Mind” on opening track “Water Under the Bridge,” James wastes no time setting up the album for what he’s known for — tight, almost punch-like bars about drug trade. Despite lacking the vocal range found in rappers like Childish Gambino and Drake, James’s monotonous vocals are still notable.

No time is wasted throughout the album — James keeps it short and sweet, ending songs early when the story is told and relying on lyrical flow to deliver his message. Staying true to himself, there are no overly flashy choruses or background beats, making his music feel personal to him and with each song taking the listener on a journey through various successful drug trade experiences.

While there are no outright earworms, some tracks are catchier than what one would expect from a previous James album. “All the Way Out,” one of the two singles from the project, feels more upbeat than a normal Boldy beat, but he holds it down with bars like “Airing shit out only way I know how to vent.” On “Ain’t No Bon Jovi,” James tackles it alone, spitting over the soulful Madlib-esque beat with a smooth flow that’s riddled with hip hop references.

“Medellin” features an unexpectedly catchy chorus and jazzy background instrumentals, with CRIMEAPPLE almost outshining James with his Spanglish feature. “We the Medellín, while these n***** just be medellin,’” will probably get stuck in your head for hours, but the subtle reference to the Medellín Cartel led by famous drug lord Pablo Escobar is a true Boldy move.

On “Cash Transactions,” the chorus is catchy but simple and just about sums up James’s entire discography — “I’ll probably never love this rap shit more than these cash transactions/I got a passion for sellin’ drugs.” James leaves no room for confusion about what he does, owning the good, bad and ugly that comes with drug trade.

The second half of the album brings it back to Boldy, where he goes solo for the final six tracks. Real Bad Man’s diverse production keeps it lively, providing steady beats for Boldy to body alone. Despite not having a ton of records out, Real Bad Man and Boldy James have apparent chemistry that will hopefully return in the future. The mysterious beat on “Sig Sauer” is the perfect background for James to deliver sharp bars about his version of success, with “Amiri denim with the clip hanging/See the strap pokin’ in my Chrome Heart.”

“Killing Nothing” shows the beauty of Boldy James — despite the rate at which he releases mixtapes and albums, nothing ever feels repetitive or reused. Throughout his discography, he holds his own against impressive features and notable producers, building a name for himself as an active rapper addicted to the game. Forever original, James will continue to surprise and thrive in the underground.

favorite tracks:

Medellin (feat. CRIMEAPPLE)

Cash Transactions (feat. Knowledge The Pirate)

Sig Sauer

Sydney Fluker is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

Interviewing Denzel Curry Fans at his Show in LA // StereoVision Concert Vlogs

June 07, 2022 by StereoVision Staff in Watch

Huge shoutout to Denzel's team for bringing us out to the 'Melt My Eyez See Your Future' tour at The Novo in LA, Zel brought the house down and we had a great time talking to fans and watching the show. The Florida artist played new hits like "Walkin" and "Troubles" while also throwing it back to older cuts like "Ultimate" and "ULT"

Thanks for watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to never miss a post:

Mr. Morale & The Slimes // TheStereoVision Podcast Ep. 41

May 20, 2022 by StereoVision Staff in Watch

Kendrick Lamar’s new album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” dropped this week and Miles and Spencer are finally ready to talk about it. The duo also discusses the heavy RICO charges that Young Thug and the rest of YSL are currently facing

Thanks for watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to never miss a post:

A Closer Look in the Mirror: “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” Reviewed

May 19, 2022 by Luke Modugno in Reviews, Read

by Luke Modugno

Kendrick Lamar is a natural born leader. When he speaks, people listen, and for good reason. Since the release of his 2015 magnum-opus To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar has positioned himself to be the quintessential voice of insightful social commentary in contemporary rap. Focusing on attacking systems of institutional racism in America and across the globe, Kdot seldom used his Pulitzer Prize-winning pen to explore the complexities of himself. That is, until the recent release of the Compton rappers fifth studio album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers.

After a grueling 1,855 day hiatus, Lamar has finally made his return with a 18 track collection of reflective ballads focusing on his childhood, identity formation, insecurities and the vastly broad spectrum of the human experience.

From the first seconds of the record's cinematic opener “United in Grief,” it’s clear that Lamar is ready to take yet another step off of the preacher's soap box and shift his musical focus to himself, a journey of inward meditation that began with DAMN. Lamar's dizzying flow accompanied by frantic drums allow Kdot to divulge about his struggles with mental health, the pitfalls of fame and his reliance on religion to get him through a turbulent five years of solidarity. “I went and got me a therapist I can debate all my theories and sharing it, consolidate all my comparisons, Humblin’ up because time is imperative, I’m starting to feel like there’s only one answer to everything,” Lamar raps on the track.

Over the course of his career, Lamar’s discography has been used as an educational reference point in the rap community. Whether he was analyzing African American life and culture on To Pimp a Butterfly, or allowing listeners a glimpse into life in Compton on records like good kid, m.A.A.d city, Lamar’s music sparked meaningful dialogue on topics other than himself. The mirror has been decidedly turned toward Lamar on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, allowing the record to be by far his most vulnerable, brave and well-written.

Instead of anointing himself as the leader of a generation as seen on To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar makes it clear that his flaws, blemishes and vices simply make him a representation of “all of us,” a message plastered across his recent standout single “The Heart Part V” and even his alias for this record: oklama. In the Native American dialect of the Choctaw, “Okla” means people, while the definition of “ma” in the language is utilized when addressing someone, such as “my lord,” leaving the combination of the two to mean “my people.” Tying this motif together is the cover art of the record, showing Lamar sporting an iced-out crown of thorns, a biblical reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In Christian dogma, Jesus was sent by God as a holy mediator between the heavens and humanity. Christ was both human and God, allowing him to relate to human experiences and identify with all of us. Kendrick is using his God-given ability as an artist to represent humans, their perspectives, insecurities, flaws, and relating to the human condition in a similar vein to Christ. It’s a level of writing, attention to detail and nuanced insight we’ve never seen from the emcee.

Across the rest of the record, Lamar dives deeper into what it means to be of flesh and blood. From his brilliant reframing of childhood trauma and “daddy issues” on tracks like “Father Time” and “Mother | Sober,” poignant and brutally honest representation of the duality love on “We Cry Together” and “Purple Hearts,” to his attack on virtue signaling and idolization of celebrities on “Savior,” Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is Lamar’s most universally relatable album to date.

Sonically, this record is a deeper exploration of the visceral trap aesthetic that dominated much of DAMN. It’s clear Lamar’s cousin, Baby Keem’s ascension and carved-out experimental trap niche has influenced Lamar’s artistic direction here, producing brilliant moments as well as derivative ones. The guest list on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers assists Kdot in his trap ventures effectively, as appearances from Kodak Black, Baby Keem, Sampha, Summer Walker, Blxst and Amanda Reifer enhance their respective songs. With production credits belonging to The Alchemist, Pharrell Williams, Keem and Sounwave, experimentalism is dabbled in but never fully produced behind the boards, leaving something to be desired.

Kendrick Lamar’s artistry has progressed past the point of a one week, 800 word review. Over the coming weeks, months and years is when we will truly be able to unpack the complex piece of art that is Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers for its deeper themes. For now, it’s safe to say that Lamar has delivered yet another distinguished body of rap music that will be cherished, studied and held in high regard.

favorite tracks:

United in Grief

Father Time (feat. Sampha)

Purple Hearts (feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah)

Luke Modugno is the editor-in-chief.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

Diving Into the Swamp of El “Cocodrillo Turbo” with Action Bronson

May 14, 2022 by Sydney Fluker in Read, Reviews

by Sydney Fluker

Crocodiles, squealing pigs, wrestlers and an out-of-this-world protagonist — what else should we expect from the creative mind of Mr. Baklava?

Action Bronson has established himself as one of the greatest creators of this time, tying together the worlds of food, fragrances, acting, writing and self-improvement. Hailing from Flushing, Queens, the city’s influence on Bronson rings clear through his music as he stays unafraid to take risks and live his truth. Cocodrillo Turbo is the result of Bronson being in a place where he can be himself creatively, bringing to life an action-filled album that still features his classic allusions to all sorts of athletes and New York sports teams.

Summoning a range of producers to execute the mission, Bronson’s experimental Cocodrillo Turbo plays out like a psychedelic cowboy film in audio form. While the background noises set the scene, Bronson’s absurd characters live the story with an unapologetic style that dares to be skipped.

“I love to get experimental,” Bronson said in an interview with Complex. “I feel like I’m known for that. One of my attributes is beat selection and off-kilter rhythms, and being able to flow and fucking finesse anything to make it sound crazy.”

Cocodrillo Turbo is proof that Bronson is a master of his craft, as he makes and then glides over gaudy beats that don’t seem much like beats at all.

Bronson welcomes more features onto this album than its predecessor Only for Dolphins, bringing back Mayhem Lauren and Hologram and welcoming Conway the Machine and Roc Marciano. Yung Mehico of Bronson’s live band “The Special Victims Unit” lends him another killer saxophone piece, helping Bronson sign off the album with “Storm Of The Century.”

The movie-like album starts with a bang as “Hound Dog” focuses on setting the scene for the psychedelic Indiana Jones character Bronson emulates. With more crocodile screams and high-pitched crashes than words, producer Daringer helps set the vibe for what’s to come: a roller coaster of action underscored by a mix of beats ranging from traditional country to Arabian instrumentals.

Cocodrillo Turbo weaves in and out of action, moving from gloriously chaotic “Tongpo” to the more reflective “Estaciones.” Bronson’s experimentalism screams through “Tongpo,” one of the two Bronson-produced tracks, as monstrous growls and a whining saxophone highlight Bronson and Conway’s laid back delivery. The two tracks also feature conversational riffs that give “Cocodrillo Turbo” a cinematic feel. Conway matches Bronson’s notorious wittiness in “Tongpo” when he delivers “I feel like Cuomo, I see titties, I'm like, "Let me grab it" (Come here)/Then I said I'm not a pervert, I'm just half Italian (Hahaha)/Aye, why y’all laughin?” before Bronson goes on to interrupt Hologram’s initial delivery in “Estaciones.”

As what feels like the mirror for “C12H16N2” of Cocodrillo Turbo, The Alchemist’s production on “Estaciones” gives a sense of maturity to the album while staying true to the absurdity of the theme. “Estaciones” is the reflective portion before the protagonist begins his true journey, as Bronson opens in third person with “and now coming down the aisle/Accompanied by no-motherfuckin'-body, it's young Bronny.”

El Cocodrillo’s adventure kicks off after “Estaciones”, dropping bars in “Jaws” and “Subzero” over Alchemist beats that feel like video game background music for country and aquatic themed mini-games, respectively. Despite the funkier background, Bronson’s lyrics are more reflective and progressive than previous albums, rapping on Jaws “All my family immigrants/Mixed with cinnamon and allspice” and on Subzero “Easily triggered by old trauma (true), motherfucker/And you know I voted for Obama.”

In “Zambezi,” Bronson and Roc Marciano glide over Stephen Gray’s “Bulldozer,” making use of its heavy percussion and Santana-like guitar to nudge the album to a close. Followed by the upbeat piano of Eddie Floyd’s “Lay Your Loving On Me,” “Ninety One” brings the fun adventures to a close before “Storm Of The Century” wraps up the album with a beautifully tied shiny gold bow. Produced by Daringer and Yung Mehico, El Cocodrillo’s journey comes to an end here, as Bronson delivers confessional-style bars accompanied by Yung Mehico’s incredible saxophone solo.

El Cocodrilo stays consistent throughout the album, maintaining flow and theme over a cacophony of sounds that sometimes shouldn’t work, but does. Cocodrillo Turbo is Bronson at his rawest self — ingenious and electric, holding nothing back in the name of ultimate artistic exploration.

favorite tracks:

Estaciones (feat. Hologram)

Zambezi (feat. Roc Marciano)

Storm Of The Century (feat. Yung Mehico)

Sydney Fluker is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop.

A Chemistry Unbound by Temporal Constraints: “No Fear of Time” Reviewed

May 09, 2022 by Giovanni Recinos in Reviews, Read

by Giovanni Recinos

After 24 years, the famous rap duo Black Star returns with their new project, No Fear of Time, which is exclusively on the Luminary Podcasts Platform. The duo consists of Brooklyn’s Yasiin Bey (previously known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli, but this time around they are joined by the legendary producer, Madlib. The two are recognized legends for their contributions as both a group and as solo artists. With Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides, being a great highlight that introduced a lot of experimentation into the hip-hop realm that would have an obvious influence on experimental artists such as JPEGMAFIA and Mach-Hommy. Both Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey have remained fairly relevant in the industry, venturing into other forms of entertainment over the years such as: podcasts, and acting. The project is a great example of reinvention over recreation, with the two venturing into much different territories of sound when compared to their self-titled last effort.

As always, the duo delivers quality in all realms, whether it be in their lyricism, in their complex flows or in their creativity. No Fear of Time is vastly different from their other effort, avoiding a lot of the issues that can be associated with trying to reach a new height with a sequel or follow-up project. The project as a whole feels lost in time, in ways that work in their favor and in others that don’t necessarily. At times, they make recognition of both their ancestry and the continuous movement of space and time, even beyond our livelihood. As the duo would say, the project delivers that, “time is relative and the truth is everlasting.” Playing on this, the album feels spacious, yet isolated, as if you're floating through time and space.

The two as usual cover topics with unique vocabulary and an obvious thirst to teach the truth with their often stream-of-conscious style of rapping on the project. This is represented in lines such as, “atrocities committed in the name of owning property, monopolies.” Though gems of this knowledge are spread throughout the entire album, they are delivered in a somewhat messy fashion, with most songs feeling like the two are just freestyling great verses without a set destination or vision in mind. This feels like underutilized potential considering the massive growth of the two artists since their debut project.

The duo contrasts well both sonically and topically, with Yasiin Bey being great at abstract performance and often switching from singing to rapping seamlessly. Talib Kweli on the other hand, provides a more traditional balance to this chemistry, as he’s still rapping to the same standards of other New York legends such as your Jay-Z’s, your Prodigy’s and your Nas’. This quality remains relatively consistent throughout the album, with “Yonders” being a particularly standout and chilling performance from the two with lines like “Scarface chainsaw Miami got drapes drawn. Halloween, egg yolk, mustard gassing their face off.” Though this chemistry remains true, the limits of the duo seemed to not be pushed and kept in a very safe spot. Especially when considering the amount of experimentation, we’ve heard from Yasiin Bey over the years.

The project also recognizes some of those vast changes in their artistry and in the industry over those twenty-four years. Similar to Madlib’s last collaborative effort, Bandana, the project often feels stylistically bare and simple in its production, with an often heavy and raw vocal delivery. To add onto this, Black Star’s sound this time around seems closer in relation to artists such as Mach-Hommy, Earl Sweatshirt, and Westside Gunn. This comparison is especially relevant when considering the track “My favorite band” is actually the same beat used for Westside Gunn’s “Ferragamo Funeral.” Though these are not bad comparisons, in many ways Black Star lacks a lot of its own self-identity when venturing into these new sounds.

Though this project still has the high-quality production, sequencing, and use of samples, it lacks a lot of Black Stars’ own unique charm and complimentary with Madlib’s production. It almost feels like the beats were pre-made, and not made specifically with the Black Star brand and themes in mind. This separates the level of the project from that of other Madlib produced classics such as Madvillainy or Piñata. I would still say that this is still a very strong project for Black Star fans, Madlib stans, or those who may follow experimental artists such as Mach-Hommy.

Favorite Tracks:

Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd.

Yonders

No Fear of Time (feat. Yummy Bingham)

Giovanni Recinos is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything hip-hop:

A$AP ROCKY // D.M.B (DATS MY BITCH) REACTION x REVIEW

May 06, 2022 by StereoVision Staff in Watch

Lord Pretty Flacko Jordye is back and ready to address all the rumors that the media has been plaguing him with over the past couple of months! Today A$AP Rocky dropped his new single D.M.B (Dats My Bitch) and Miles and Spencer were definitely feeling it. Watch our new video here:

Thanks for watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to never miss a post:

BLXST // BEFORE YOU GO REACTION x REVIEW

April 22, 2022 by StereoVision Staff in Watch

If you've ever watched TheStereoVision Podcast you know how we feel about Blxst, so needless to say we were excited for his new offering, "Before You Go." Watch Miles and Spencer listen to the project for their first time and give their thought's on the LA native's follow-up to "No Love Lost" his excellent 2020 release.

Thanks for watching! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to never miss a post:

We Can't be Stopped: Geto Boys' Influence Permeates Through Modern Rap

April 20, 2022 by Giovanni Recinos in Read

by Giovanni Recinos

The Geto Boys is a Houston hip-hop group that is most commonly recognized for their smash hit “Mind Playin Tricks on Me,” released in 1991. However, their true impact on hip-hop culture is often overlooked.

Geto Boys' music laid a lot of groundwork for sub-genres and common topics in hip-hop today such as: horrorcore, mental health topics and mafioso raps. While these topics are much more normalized in today’s hip-hop scene, at the time, Geto Boys were threatened by censorship for their detailed and hardcore lyricism. Despite these challenges, the Geto Boys would be the first to propel Southern artists into hip-hop conversations.

While the group had received many changes to its lineup over the years, the most notable members are Scarface, Bushwick Bill and Willie D. While those names may not click right away, you most likely have encountered all three of these rappers. Scarface, first known as Akshen, is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Scarface has offered features to many classic records by rappers including Freddie Gibbs, Jay-Z and Gang Starr. His often direct and dirty mafioso raps worked hand in hand with the adoption of his new stage name “Scarface,” which was inspired by the 1983 film. Most recently, Scarface was featured on part 1 of the Jeen-Yuhs documentary, listening to Kanye West’s “Family Business.”

Bushwick Bill on the other hand was immediately a breakthrough for the industry. Standing at 3 feet and 8 inches tall, “Little Billy” was often the most aggressively twisted lyrically and was notable for his often off-beat delivery. Though, Bill’s most recognizable appearance in hip-hop would probably be his appearance on Dr. Dre’s, The Chronic track “Stranded On Death Row” where Bushwick provided vocals for the intro and outro.

Last is Willie D or the “Gangsta of Love,” who’s lyrics were often regarded as extremely misogynistic, but he should also be noted for calling out the music industry's racist double standards. His most notable reference in hip-hop is probably on Ice Cube’s famous N.W.A. diss track, “No Vaseline.” On the track, Ice Cube quotes Willie D’s lyrics saying, “Willie D told me to let a ho be a ho, so.”

No Radio, Talk show or Magazine: Geto Boys Uncensored.

Though the Geto Boys would originally debut in 1988 with their project, Making Trouble. This album would flop, leading to a change in line-up and of content for the group. With the newly added Scarface and Willie D, their lyrics would shift towards more aggressively detailed lyrics about sex, murder and violence on their second project Grip it! On That Other Level. Though at this point, this was nothing new for the hip-hop genre, as N.W.A. was already going through censorship issues for “Fuck The Police” and their supposed “glorified gangsterism.” 2 Live Crew also had members arrested in 1990 for playing their album which was deemed as “obscene” and therefore banned in certain parts of Florida.

The Geto Boys played their own role in the fight against censorship on their self-titled release, which contained both new and remixed tracks with the help of Rick Rubin. While the project was originally supposed to be distributed by Geffen Records, they refused to release the record stating, “I've never been frightened by a record before in my life, but for me the graphic details of the violence were really frightening. Finally we decided that we have a right as a private company to decide what kind of materials we want to be associated with, and this one, we decided, went too far.”

This project would later be released under WEA (now Warner Music) and would be the only WEA project to be released with an Explicit Content sticker along with this text, “Def American Recordings is opposed to censorship. Our manufacturer and distributor, however, do not condone or endorse the content of this recording, which they find violent, sexist, racist, and indecent.”

The Geto Boys would later call out the racism associated with these choices made by many of the music industry's distributors and manufacturers, as other albums with racist content towards minority groups were not given the same treatment. On their next project, We Can’t Be Stopped, they would call out the racism of the industry that they were being challenged by, arguing “It’s on the news every hour, why can’t I talk about it?” The choice to fight against the industry played a huge role in making music a place of free expression for many artists in the future such as: Tyler the Creator and Eminem.

mr. scarface is back.

Springboarding off of the gruesome organized crime motifs of the Scarface movie, along with the creation of the mafioso genre often, the Geto Boys played a huge role in setting the foundation of many elements of contemporary rap. Their debut album, Making Trouble, had already used samples from the Scarface film, but what really made the Geto Boys usage of the film stand out was their track “Scarface.” This track solely featured rapper Scarface, who at this point in his career was named Akshen. After the release of this track, Akshen would officially become Scarface and would later drop his debut album, Mr. Scarface is Back.

This project would really push the mafia aesthetic further in ways that were not really done before in hip-hop. The album cover has obvious inspiration from the film with its use of aesthetics and extreme imagery such as shotguns and cocaine.

While rappers from New York pushed the growth of the genre to what it is today, the Geto Boys and Scarface were some of the first artists to go into topics such as detailed murder and violence. These extremities in juxtaposition with the money received from these criminal activities, would become a huge factor in some of the most critical Mafioso projects such as Raekwon’s, Only Built 4 Linx… or Kool G Rap and DJ Polo’s Live and Let Die. The latter of which both Bushwick Bill and Scarface would feature on, emphasizing their influence on these artists. Without the Geto Boys, it is reasonable to question where the careers of rappers such as Freddie Gibbs, Griselda and Pusha T would have landed topically.

with birth comes death.

“Flashes, I get flashes of Jason. Gimme a knife, a million lives I’m wasting,” said Bushwick Bill in 1989. Since then, the horrorcore genre has grown immensely popular, touching artists such as Tyler, the Creator, Eminem and Three 6 Mafia. The group wasn’t just referencing horror movies, but also pairing it with eerie beats, psychotic mindsets and detailed violent content.

One of their most iconic horrorcore tracks is the track “Chuckie” which samples the 1988 film, Child’s Play. This track features Bushwick Bill solely, with him playing on his noticeably short height, stating, “I told you size wasn’t shit, so I murdered your nieces.” The graphic details related to murder and the abstract stream-of-consciousness on the track would affect the genre heavily, with obvious influence on the writing styles of Eminem’s Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP.

While this was the case, Scarface’s duality in the horrorcore genre should also be recognized. While Scarface was detailing violence and murder, Scarface was also detailing a more reflective side, often detailing his paranoia and depressions that brought these horrors to his mind. This is best showcased on “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” where Scarface introduced a lot of mental health related topics to hip-hop and how they have brought out certain grim actions to his life. The Geto Boys overall did a ton for hip-hop and should be recognized for their influence on the trajectory of the genre. Rest in Peace Bushwick Bill.

Giovanni Recinos is a staff writer.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to never miss a post:

An Ode to the Rebellious: Odd Future’s Impact a Decade Later

April 17, 2022 by Luke Modugno in Read

By Luke Modugno

Courtesy of The Independent
Odd Future members pictured: Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Syd, Jasper, Taco, Domo Genesis, Hodgy, Left Brain.

perhaps the most influential rap collective of all time, we examine odd future’s profound effect on the music industry

Every rap purist remembers the first time they heard the expression “Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.” Beside the fact that LA’s divergent hip hop collective Odd Future’s moto was blasphemous on its own, it could be argued that their unavoidable presence in the early 2010’s rap scene was just as abrasive. For some, the group and their work was akin to that of a petulant child. For others, Odd Future’s polarizing brilliance was simply a continuation of the long-celebrated musical trope of the industry outcast, which has only been further reinforced by their individual excellence in the past decade since their meteoric rise to stardom.

On the surface, Odd Future simply shouldn’t have worked. For some, the lyrical content of rap music is repugnant as is. For those people, head-huncho and founder of Odd Future Tyler, The Creator’s early material made the ears bleed and the eyes melt. From provocative cuts like “Tron Cat” to grotesquely seminal visuals of the “Yonkers” music video, Tyler and his crew weren’t exactly on good terms with mass music media. “Odd Future and the acts from which they’ve descended make us confront a kind of disgust that is mercifully absent from our everyday lives,” said GQ staff writer Zach Baron back in 2011. “Nobody wants to talk about this stuff, nobody feels comfortable talking about this stuff, because this stuff is awful.”

With slogans like “kill people burn shit fuck school” it was nothing short of hilarious to see bloggers and writers fall into the same trap set for them by predecessors of provacutering like Eminem. While OF was ruffling feathers in the industry and nationwide, the rap collective resonated deeply with younger listeners. There wasn’t a single day in my middle school experience in which I didn’t see the emblematic donut on a shirt, pair of Vans or “OFWGKTA” scribed via Sharpie onto a rancid bathroom wall.

For some reason, it makes perfect sense that Odd Future’s sound connected with middle schoolers. Beside catering directly to the mind-numbingly dull middle school brain through profane lyricism, OF’s art had a profound psychological effect on their target market: the youth. Researchers at the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Music and Health Network found that the music children identify with is profoundly influential in helping them develop a sense of identity. “Music can support and enrich the development of a positive self-identity as well as provide confidence, motivation and a sense of belonging,” reads the study. “Music can enhance creative, social and emotional skills. Music can be both a sense of self-preservation and fundamental wellbeing, providing a source of support when youth feel stressed, troubled or lonely.” Adolescence can be a confusing time. In many ways, Odd Future was making music as weird as their audience felt, allowing for a cult community of fans to bloom.

Enemies of the industry and of society at large have always held a special place in the hearts of music fans. Odd Future is simply a perpetuation of the trend. Seattle punk legends Nirvana had a knack for snatching the ears of the youth via their nihilistic lyricist and leader Kurt Cobain. Cobain’s life pushed him to say things like “I'm a product of a spoiled America,” messages that reverberated with socially awkward 90’s teens and their frustration with society. Although a near 15 year gap exists between their apex’s, the nihilistic messages of Nirvana and Odd Future display the universal appeal of a group fixated on catering to the societally uncatered. “Ultimately the function of art is to express something and move an idea from one person to another, and the tools of that can include revulsion and discomfort,” said Steve Albini, esteemed producer for Nirvana, Sonic Youth and more. It doesn’t stop there, a target market for those who feel disenfranchised by society at large has always existed within the music industry. From the anti-war and hippie teachings of music acts like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and The Smiths, music has been a historical haven for the societally shunned. While the agendas of these musical icons spanned a diverse blend of issues such as racial equity, capitalistic systems and pointless wars, the central motif of their sonic art was simple: challenging the status quo and questioning if what we consider “normal” really is normal. Although conveyed in a slightly more elegant, albeit less humorous manner, “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2” off Pink Floyd’s legendary 1979 project “The Wall” transmits many of the same sentiments found in Odd Future’s catalog. A fiercely anti-education ballot, Roger Walters and David Gilmour’s critiques of traditional societal expectations and uniformity are only temporally separated from Odd Future’s commentary.

While many wrote Odd Future’s early success off as a fluke, the transcendent individual talent of OF alumni Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler have validated the group’s unique talent for connecting with the human experience beyond being an awkward teen. From the painfully gnarled and distorted production down to the heart-crushingly honest bars, Earl’s 2018 album “Some Rap Songs” sounds what it feels like to be in a dismally depressive state. Earl’s raw and overwhelming poetry on “Some Rap Songs” produced a project that has been widely used by listeners as a musical outlet to their suffering and mental health struggles. “Some Rap Songs” doesn’t have a happy ending, there’s no pot of gold at the end of the black and gray rainbow representative of the albums brief 18-minute run time. It’s simply a 24-year-old going through hell, an anxious cacophony of solace-seeking tracks that are painfully real.

Love and heartbreak are two emotions that are ingrained in the human condition. The universally recognized sound of heartbreak is Frank Ocean’s 2016 magnum-opus “Blond.” What is there to say about this project that hasn’t already been said? Tracks like “Self Control,” “Ivy,” and “White Ferrari” speak for themselves, as Frank channels his heartache and despair over a love lost. You can palpably experience Frank’s splitting emotions, as his sheer disappointment and shame bleed through his angelic vocals.

Resonating with listeners in many of the same ways as “Blond,” Tyler’s 2019 project “IGOR” is a toxic relationship personified. Across 12 retro-futuristic synth-pop anthems, Tyler depicts his romantic relationship with a man who is dating another woman. The harmonious bridge powered by Solange and Charlie Wilson on “I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE,” the blood curdling scream near the climax of “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?,” and the desperate confusion that is expressed on “PUPPET.” All of these gorgeously vivid musical moments on “IGOR” proves Tyler’s ability to transmit human feeling through his pen and MPC.

Whether it’s the oddity of being a teen, dealing with feelings of rejection, heartbreak, depression or love, the solo work of Odd Future’s big three has only elevated their ability to detail our feelings as we navigate the gamut of life. The rebellious are always remembered. Such is the case for Odd Future and their predecessors. However, their staying power has been demonstrated time and time again by their acute understanding of what it means to be a human being. As long as there are musicians that push people's buttons, making the media feel uncomfortable and ultimately connecting with the human spirit, the essence of Odd Future will live forever.

Luke Modugno is the Editor-in-Chief. Follow him on Twitter: @lmodugno5

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Instagram to never miss a post.

AI’s Threat to Authenticity Within the Music Industry

April 05, 2022 by Guest User in Read

By Luke Modugno

Flying houses and cars, mailing services powered by rockets, and widespread telepathy. These “Jetson-esque'' innovations represent just a few of the hilariously inaccurate predictions made in the 70’s regarding life in the 2020’s. While most of the educated guesses our temporal brothers and sisters wagered about contemporary life were miles off, they weren’t wrong about one. In fact, their prediction not only came true, but has become one of the biggest threats to all forms of original art today: artificial intelligence.

No, the robots from “Ex Machina” haven’t started curating art collections just yet. However, the recent advent of both AI-generated artwork and music has sent ripples through both industries.

*“Galactic Archeology With Metal-Poor Stars” created by Wombo Dream AI*

Thanks to Tik-Tok, Wombo Dream (available on iOS, and Android) has emerged as one of the most accessible forms of AI artwork. Simply by typing in phrases or keywords, Wombo will generate art using AI that combines the word prompts with elaborate murals made from preexisting images. Within seconds, Wombo’s AI is able to piece together intricacies in art that would take human artists hours or even days, even with specifically vague prompts like “Galactic Archeology With Metal-Poor Stars”

With billions of images available in an instant to an advanced AI such as the one behind Wombo, the sophistication of AI-generated artwork is startling, but nowhere near as alarming as the music it can create.

AI music’s vast capabilities span a comprehensive set of musical processes, including composition, performance, digital sound processing, and even interactive composition. Plenty of websites out there can emulate something similar to what Wombo presents, offering an AI that can produce millions of songs based on the users’ specifications. But music AI is far more intuitive, as it possesses the competency to react in real-time to a live, human performer. Utilized in this way, AI can replace entire live bands and orchestras by producing the same quality of music in less time, with less confusion and more harmony.

While less-advanced AIs use internet databases to power their machine learning, music AI use neural networks to mimic how the brain works when creating music. Essentially, if you throw bits of music at these AIs, they will learn its patterns and frequencies by repeated exposure to them. Perhaps one of the most unsettling examples of this technology is its utilization by one of the most musically-deprived fanbases in rap music: Playboi Carti fans. A simple YouTube search yields plenty of AI-generated Carti tracks, created with the application of this technology. Fans even created an EP for Carti using AI, titled DIGITAL BUTTERFLIES. The project uses Carti’s real voice, famous ad-libs, and even frequent Carti collaborator Pierre Bourne’s sound kit to craft a bouncy, psychedelic, six-track trap project, one nearly as polished as something Carti himself would create early on in his career.

Besides being decidedly creepy and soulless, this clearly presents a plethora of pressing issues for the music industry. From further blurring the already murky lines regarding posthumous music to opening even more avenues for artist exploitation, the mere presence of AI music in its current state can and will be an obstacle.

One way or the other, original art is about to become more scarce, whether we like it or not. Much in the same way we consume social media, art will have to be viewed with the eye of a skeptic.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Insatgram to never miss a post: