Songs of the Week: June 2nd

By Spencer Lobdell

Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.

New songs of the week:

“Crime Pays” by Freddie Gibbs and Madlib

Crime Pays, a song by Freddie Gibbs, Madlib on Spotify

On the third single for their forthcoming collab album Bandana, Freddie Gibbs spits his classic cocaine bars over a soulful Madlib beat that tastefully samples “Free Spirits” a 1979 song by Walt Barr. It is impossible to listen to this track and not be catapulted back to 2014 when the duo released their fantastic album Piñata. With a number of smart callbacks by Gibbs, the song seems to exist in its own world that we are allowed to visit for just over three minutes. Freddie ending the song with an A$AP Rocky and Jeezy diss is really the cherry on top of an excellent song.

“Crime pays, nigga, crime pays
Choppin’ up this change with cocaine in my microwave
Diamonds in my chain, yeah, I slang but I’m still a slave
Twisted in the system, just a number listed on the page”

— Freddie Gibbs "Crime Pays"

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“ZUU” by Denzel Curry

ZUU, a song by Denzel Curry on Spotify

On his new project, ZUU, Denzel Curry starts things off right with a near perfect album intro. The title track “ZUU” is shocking, in-your-face, and absolutely addicting. The track shows us how this album will deviate from TA13OO in such a grand and dramatic fashion that it makes it near impossible to not run the whole tape upon hearing the menacing intro. Denzel only has one verse on this song but he uses his time well by bouncing from one flow to the next while always repping Southern Florida harder than anyone since a young Rick Ross. This song is a must listen.

“M’s all on my belt, I’m feelin’ like I’m Majin Buu
Pocket full of ivy and you know the faces blue
Shoe game sick as fuck, it’s like I’m walkin’ on the flu
Carol City, nigga, boy, I’m comin’ out the Zuu”

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“Under Enemy Arms” by Trippie Redd

Under Enemy Arms, a song by Trippie Redd on Spotify

This week Trippie Redd premiered his new single with its accompanying video. Before Trippie even comes in you will be whisked away into a world of fluttering synths and epic horns. Trippie defaults to his patented flow on this track and it works quite well, but Hammad Beats for sure steals the show with his layered instrumental. Different subsection in the instrumental keeps you deeply engaged in this song even where Trippie’s lyrics leave something to be desired.

“Foreign lil’ whip and I’m whippin’ this car
I might just park in the yard
Catch the opps lackin’, I rip ‘em apart
Fuck it, I got no heart”

— Trippie Redd "Under Enemy Arms"

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“Gasoline Dreams” by OutKast

Gasoline Dreams (with Khujo Goodie), a song by OutKast, Khujo Goodie on Spotify

The second track off of OutKast’s 2000 album Stankonia is as abbrassive as it gets. From Andre 3000’s distorted vocals on the hook screaming in your ear “Don’t everybody love the smell of gasoline” to Big Boi’s slightly off beat rapping that the group trademarked for the south, everything about this track is provocative, wrenching, and oh so good. Today is a great day to press play on any record in OutKast’s polished discography.

“All of my heroes did dope
Every nigga ‘round me playing married, or paying child support
I can’t cope, never made no sense to me one day I hope it will
And that’s that, sport, sport”

— Andre 3000 "Gasoline Dreams"

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Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:

Yg Tells a Story with His New Tribute Album “4REAL 4REAL”

By Miles Hagan

Some artists are in a lane of their own completely. They make music for a certain group of people and if you like it that's great, but if you don’t, thats cool because it wasn't for you anyways. This is the exact situation YG has been in since he stepped foot in the rap industry. He is as LA as it get and it comes through in his music. He honors the old G Funks sounds of California that have existed for years and reps his red flag unapologetically receiving love from many for it. He has proved that he can deliver hits for years and with the releases of My Krazy Life back in 2014 and Still Brazy in 2016 he showed that he could also make quality albums. Since then he has been trying to regain the momentum he had coming off those two projects, but it has proved to be difficult. 2018’s STAY DANGEROUS had anthems like “TOO COCKY” and “BIG BANK”, but the body of work as a whole was largely seen as a disappointment. YG will always have a loyal fan base and respect at least on the west coast, but 4REAL 4REAL is bigger than him. The album was released in memory of Nipsey Hussle whose untimely passing took a toll on many especially YG. The two had grown very close, and because of the YG made sure that his project touched on him and all that he did for the community he loved so much.

The most difficult part of the album for me as a listener was getting past the first song. “Hard Bottoms & White Socks” is one of the better tracks YG has put out in recent memory. There is sort of cut throat yet calm approach to the track that really allows YG’s storytelling ability to shine. The beat is very minimal and and the piano in the background sounds beautiful. These more thoughtful moments on the album prove to be the highlights of the project. As mentioned before this album was dedicated to Nipsey Hussle, so 4REAL 4REAL really give YG an opportunity to be more personal than he has ever been. Though he is still able to deliver incredible club bangers like “Bottle Service” and “I Was on the Block”, he lets know what going behind his braggadocios exterior. The aforementioned “I Was on the Block” shows YG teaming up with two of the more unique voices in the industry right now in Valee and Boogie. He takes this as an opportunity to get more adventurous with his flow and it works to benefit.

Something that should be noted about 4REAL 4REAL is that songs are rarely ever bad completely, but they do at times falter near the middle or just become boring at a certain point. An example of this would be the track “Go Loko”, which was released before the album came out. The Spanish guitar sounds incredible and YG and Tyga each deliver solid verses, but the track drags on for too long and the Jon Z verse isn't necessary. YG could have really taken this project as a chance to create a great concept album that not only paid tribute to the legacy of Nipsey Hussle, but also that was just an accurate depiction of what actually happens day to day in Los Angeles. A song like “Her Story” is a good example of what the whole album could have sounded like. The song shows Day Sulan discussing the struggles of a young girl living in the streets. The production is vintage with a modern twist and makes the listener feel like they are watching a movie unfold in front of them. Tracks like this are scattered throughout the album and are what give it a lot of character, but they are far from the norm. A song like “Do Not Disturb”, aside from Kamaiyah great contributions, sounds like a track YG might have done two years ago and his rapping seems almost uninspired. This is the same thing that track like “In the Dark” also suffers from. YG is still the same gangster he used to be, but now it just seems like he might have more to say and he is holding himself back.

4REAL 4REAL is an album with a lot of potential. YG is smarter than a lot of people give him credit for, and he should start showing his intelligence more in his music. When he takes the time to tell a story or paint a picture he is able to to do it vividly and with genuine emotion. There were times while listening when I really felt like I was getting a glimpse into what YG’s true inner thought and feeling were and it is what kept me interested. That is why when he deviates away from this he almost feels out of place on his own track. Whether it is the fact that he may have used a similar beat before or that he has talked about stripper hoes and money for so many years, the simple reason that these tracks won't connect like others do is that YG has matured. He hasn't lost his spark or energy, instead he is just now better when he is focused on more pressing topics. Nothing hits harder on 4REAL 4REAL than when YG talks about Nipsey. The pain, admiration, and love can all be felt at the same time and those moments are what leave me wanting more of that emotion on more songs from him. Though not his best work, the west coast legend came through with a few great songs that will echo down the streets of LA till the end of the summer and beyond.

Favorite Tracks:

Hard Bottoms & White Socks

Bottle Service

Do Yo Dance (Feat. Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, & Ty Dolla $ign)

Rating: 7

Listen to 4REAL 4REAL here:

4REAL 4REAL, an album by YG on Spotify

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New York Hip-Hop Takes a Victory Lap with Beast Coast’s “Escape from New York” Collaborative Album

By Spencer Lobdell

Beast Coast is a rap supergroup formed in 2012 which has long been the gold standard of New York hip-hop, only rivaled by A$AP Mob when it comes to critical acclaim and fan love on the East Coast. The group is made up of members from Pro Era, Flatbush Zombies, and the Underachievers, totaling in 17 talented rappers and producers, all from Brooklyn, New York. While the Flatbush Zombies have gained a large cult following since the release of their excellent mixtapes D.R.U.G in 2012, Beast Coast’s most successful solo artist is undoubtedly Joey Bada$$. Joey has released nothing but great music from his classic mixtape 1999 in 2012 to his latest release All-Amerikkkan Badass in 2017.

Beast Coast took to social media to roll out their first collaborative album with every member flooding the feeds of followers to build hype. “Left Hand” was the first single to be released from the album and was well received by die hard Beast Coast fans and strangers to the group alike. The group followed with two more singles, “Coast/Clear” and “Snow In The Stadium”, before concluding their roll out with a 25-minute parody news show called “LSD 25”, a series that Flatbush Zombies’ fans were already familiar with. Finally, on May 24th the album was released alongside a limited edition vinyl other album merch.

The album opens with “It Ain’t Easy, It Ain’t Easy” and we are instantly smacked in the face by Zombie Juice’s confrontational voice and unique flow. The song sounds like it belongs on a Flatbush Zombies project as all three Zombies make an appearance on the seven-verse song.

The track is followed by “Left Hand” the first single off Escape From New York and the most easily digestible track on the project due to Meechy Darko’s catchy hook and eight high-energy verses.

The forth track on the album “Problems” contains my favorite instrumental on the album made by Pro Era producer Powers Pleasant. The song opens with one of the funniest quotables on the album from Meechy Darko (“Pussy so good, I pay another nigga's child support”). Pro Era rapper Nyck Caution steals the show though with his second verse about a girl he is currently having sex with.

Following is “Snow In The Stadium” which careers a heavy reggae influence, something we’ve heard in Joey’s music before due to his Caribbean heritage. The song goes from reggae-influenced to full reggae as soon as Meechy Darko hits his fantastic sung second verse.

“Distance” is another standout track and contains what I think to be Joey Bada$$’s best moment on the album with his hot first verse and smooth hook. Issa Gold also steps up and absolutely snaps on the second verse making the song that much better.

The album concludes beautifully with “Last Choir” which is home to one of Erick the Architect’s silkiest instrumental to date. The song could’ve easily fit on All-Amerikkan Badass and showcases some of the best bars on this project.

Initially on release, this project overwhelmed me. Packing nine extremely talented emcees into a 46 minutes project seemed near impossible and the track list with at least five artists on almost every song seemed crowded and deterred me. Upon listening more the project grew on me because of the palpable chemistry shared by all the artists on this project that can only be formed from years of collaboration.

With this being said, many verses on this project were unnecessary and seemed to only make the final mix to show fans how deep Beast Coast truly is. Die hard New York hip-hop fans will grab onto this project and refuse to let go for months while the average listener may write off all but a couple songs after first listen due to the sheer size and unfamiliarity of these tracks. If you aren’t already fans of any of these artists this album might feel like a confusing roller coaster with little to grab on to.

All-in-all, Beast Coast delivers what is promised with Escape From New York, an album packed with exceedingly talented lyricists and a patented sound that the Brooklyn natives have been working on for years.

Favorite Tracks:

Left Hand

Snow In The Stadium

Distance

Rating: 7

Listen to Escape From New York here:

Escape From New York, an album by Beast Coast, Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies on Spotify

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Songs of the Week: May 26th

By Spencer Lobdell

Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.

New Songs of the Week:

“Ransom” by Lil Tecca

Ransom, a song by Lil Tecca on Spotify

Chicago rapper Lil Tecca is gaining momentum fast. With a video directed by Cole Bennett, “Ransom” might be the worlds introduction the young buzzing artist. The infectious cut, which is just over two minutes, hosts the young emcee letting the world know he’s next and flexing what he already has. The song is extremely fun and is undoubtably a summer 2019 anthem.

“I know I’m boutta blow-oh-whoa, I ain’t dumb
They try to take my flow, I take they ass for ransom”

— Lil Tecca "Ransom"

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“SPEEDBOAT” by Denzel Curry

SPEEDBOAT, a song by Denzel Curry on Spotify

Denzel Curry is one of the most talented artists rapping right now and he seems to only be getting better. The Florida emcee is following up his excellent 2018 album TA13OO this Friday (May 31st) with the release of his new album ZUU. “SPEEDBOAT” is the second single to be released from the album and has only added to the excitement already surrounding this new project. The hard-hitting hook will be stuck in your head after one listen and Denzel snaps with two wicked verses.

“Put a red beam to your head like Arby’s
Either go to school, go to jail or the army
Keep a close eye on the things tryna harm me
Warn me if anybody try to swarm me”

— Denzel Curry "SPEEDBOAT"

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“Keisha Had A Baby” by YG (Feat. Rose Gold)

Keshia Had A Baby (feat. Rose Gold), a song by YG, Rose Gold on Spotify

LA rapper YG dropped his new album 4REAL 4REAL this past week and it is full of vivid stories and west coast bangers. “Keisha Had A Baby” is the seventh track on the album and features vocals from Rose Gold. The cut is slower than most of YG’s music and is built around beautiful piano chords setting the tone for the slow jam. YG has always been a great storyteller and “Keisha Had A Baby” is another perfect example as we’re introduced to Keisha and her relationship with two different men.

“Young Keshia, so fly, so diva
So wise, so eager, so hot, high fever”

— YG "Keisha Had A Baby"

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Throwback Song of the Week:

“Ghetto Symphony” by A$AP Rocky (Feat. Gunplay & A$AP Ferg)

Ghetto Symphony, a song by A$AP Rocky, Gunplay, A$AP Ferg on Spotify

“Ghetto Symphony” is a clear standout off of A$AP Rocky’s excellent debut album, LONG.LIVE.A$AP. Rocky is aided by Gunplay and A$AP Ferg on the iconic cut and kills his first verse. Rocky’s fashion raps shine throughout this entire album and are very tastefully scattered throughout his verse on “Ghetto Symphony”. Ferg brings up the rear and sounds absolutely insane on the third verse which fits the mood of the song and ties it up nicely.

“Yeah, my mouth is full of gold and I’m a city boy
And my outfit was in Vogue, I’m a pretty boy
Bounce, boy, Flacko tell ‘em holla at a nigga, G
Riding on my enemies, this my ghetto symphony”

— A$AP Rocky "Ghetto Symphony"

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Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:

The Idiosyncratic Genius of Flying Lotus: “Flamagra” Album Review

By Carter Fife

The first time I ever heard Flying Lotus I was in high school driving around downtown San Fransisco with a close friend of mine who had the privilege of selecting the soundtrack for the day. I can distinctly remember when “Coronus, The Terminator” came through the speakers, and I immediately turned to my friend and asked him: “What is this, and is there more of it?”. The song was so minimal in composition, while also demonstrating an emotional tone so passionate and meaningful that I had to hear more. Few artists have provoked such an instant interest within me, and since then I have delved deeply into every album, every project, and every track that he has been involved with thus far. Although Flying Lotus, also known as ‘FlyLo’, has not been exactly radio silent since his last album in 2014, the amount of excitement that a five year wait can instill into a fanbase as committed as his is almost unparalleled. 

Announced just a month ago, I spent the past few weeks ravenous for new information and music from the Los Angeles Native. Before listening to the album on release day, I combed through the liner notes. I felt joy seeing names I recognized, and researched the names I didn’t. I wanted to know what to expect, who would be playing what instrument on certain tracks, and who the writers, producers and engineers were as well. Gradually, the hype I felt shifted increasingly into a synthesis of excitement and anxiety as I read names like Solange, Thundercat, and even a personal hero of mine, Toro Y Moi as contributors to the album. This anxiety may seem uncommon, but after similar experiences with the Gorillaz’s 2017 return HUMANZ, and Travis Scott’s sophomore album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, I was worried that the 27 track, 67 minute album that many had waited so long for would be potentially too busy. While the previous albums weren’t necessarily disappointments, I was concerned that Flying Lotus’s sixth studio record may have been muddled with the ideas of others preventing the talent of FlyLo to shine through. 

I could not have been more wrong.

Flamagra sees Ellison at his peak, with almost every track being simultaneously quick and easy to digest, while also having the depth and richness of a legendary piece of classical music. This is not an understatement. Somehow each of the 27 tracks are just as resonant as the last, lending themselves to a cohesive whole, though some songs exist in  totally different musical genres. Every moment subverts your expectations, whether it is the melodies, arrangements, chord progression, percussion, or even the brief moments of lyricism on certain tracks. Back from a long hiatus, Ellison presents the listener with 27 tracks that are the aural equivalent of rich appetizers: easy to consume but almost impossible to completely understand. That is a good thing however, as I’ve listened to certain tracks dozens of times and am still picking out drums, effects, and vocals that were previously hidden.

The opening track “Heroes” is an eerie introduction to Flying Lotus’s return to form. The lush instrumentation and hazy feel gives the song an almost vaporware-flavor. Suddenly as the percussion picks up, samples from Dragonball Z come in as the musical tone shifts as well. The track turns over into a more jazz-oriented composition, with Thundercat simply massacring the track with a hectic but funky guitar riff. The guitar ends, “Heroes” turns over once more into a spacious and ambient track as if to say, “catch your breath, there’s no slowing down”, and the next track begins. 

“Post Requisite”, the second track, borrows many musical themes and ideas previously explored in Flylo’s genre-defining Cosmogramma and Los Angeles albums. Fans of favorites like “Auntie’s Harp” and “Do the Astral Plane” will be unable to resist this banger, as Post Requisite's funk-laden baselines and constantly changing drum patterns make it clear that Thundercat had a hand in this song’s creation. In addition to this, the jazzy low-fi elements of this track almost feels like Flying Lotus has returned home with a few new tricks up his sleeve. 

“Heroes in a Half Shell” is another track with the classic random humor of Ellison in the title, and although it is only half as long as the previous track, it still contains a busy and hectic piano arrangement with notes drifting in and out of earshot, as if one was floating down a river with multiple piano concerts happening just feet away. The song transitions nicely into “More” featuring a truly killer performance by Anderson .Paak, who delivers a mediation on love and self-reflection. He sings on the infectiously catchy hook, "Breakin' you down to size / There's gotta be more to life than myself / That's when I caught light of myself / Gotta be somethin' more that I can't tell”. Paak’s effortless confidence pairs well with the background vocals from Norelle, and clocking in at just over 4 minutes, this track is one of only three songs on the album to break the four minute mark.

The next track “Capillaries” is a slightly off-kilter and glitchy cut from the album, with delicate piano melodies that are vaguely reminiscent of entering a quiet bathroom during a busy party. The track also features very heavy percussion that conveys a hard-hitting marching feel when paired with the other instruments. This rhythm continues into “Burning Down the House”, where kicks and claps come together with a sometimes funky, sometimes ambient instrumentation. It is a nice detour before “Spontaneous” featuring the Swedish electronic-fusion band Little Dragon, an ethereal track with vocals so dreamlike that only Little Dragon could deliver. This track is all over the place, sometimes sounding like 80’s rock music, and other times like jazz or funk, but by the time the song ends, it feels just as consistent as it did in the opening seconds. 

“Takashi” is the longest track on the album by far, and at just under six-minutes, it is easily also one of the most infectiously fun and playful cuts off the album. Flylo’s use of the classic analog Rhodes synthesizer paired with the mechanical and calculated feeling of the drums makes this song truly unique and an invaluable part of Flamagra as a whole. The upbeat and electric feeling of the song fits almost every situation, whether it be a crowded house party, or a quiet morning at home. The song ends before you know it, slowly winding down while still maintaining its funky atmosphere before transitioning into “Pilgrim Side Eye”. One of the goofiest and most eclectic tracks on the album, this moment features writing credits from Herbie Hancock and features instruments that are played in reverse in instances akin to a modern Captain Beefheart. Right when you think you have the track figured out, the beat switches into spacious and dreamlike pads that transition nicely into track ten, “All Spies”. 

Featuring a much more conventional drum track, “All Spies” has a distinctly nostalgic 8-bit feel that was commonly invoked on Ellison’s 2014 album You’re Dead!. It is fun, experimental, and features a bit of a musical shift in the track list. “Yellow Belly” featuring Philadelphia native Tierra Whack is a very heavy throwback to FlyLo’s “Dead Man’s Tetris”, with playful rapping paired over stilted percussion and weighty low-pitch synth melodies. Whack raps humerously "In the sky, I'm so high, everyone looks up to me / You a virgin, you could not compete (I put my titties in his face)” before the song quickly changes into the comparably darker experimental rap-track “Black Balloons Reprise” featuring Denzel Curry. 

This track is everything one could hope for from a Flying Lotus and Denzel Curry collaboration, where themes from Curry’s 2018 TA13OO shine through when he raps "The night turns to day and my days don't seem the brightest / ... I wanna take a bite out of what life is / If the President fuck around and piss off ISIS / Bury me in blueberry bills, jewels, and ices”. With multiple layers of background vocal layers, the song carries with it a simultaneously funky, and choir-inspired classic rap track. Curry closes his verse by lamenting "I kick that funky shit until my casket closed”, and he is not wrong.

The next track “Fire is Coming” contains a horrifying spoken word piece by David Lynch about a family realizing that a fire is approaching their house. This is a theme that Flamagra is centered around, a concept that Ellison describes as “...a lingering concept about fire, an eternal flame sitting on a hill […] Some people love it, some people hate it”. The track, like the concept, contains a science-fiction adjacent composition with ambient and space-like pads and heavy bass, with the classic Thundercat and Flying Lotus funk that is so present on the record. Released as one of the singles leading up to the album’s release, “Fire is Coming” ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy about Lotus’s own upcoming album. 

“Inside Your Home” is a much more spacious and elegant track, with occasionally hectic and busy moments that one would come to expect from Flying Lotus. It acts as a short interlude before “Actually Virtual” featuring vocals from the legendary Seattle-based group, Shabazz Palaces. Delivering lines like "From east blew in a plush wind, with nomads that blow grass /To gold flow that's so passionate, styles dash, we so cash”, this track is incredibly engaging despite the sparse instrumentation that occupies the background of the song. The following track Andromeda is a very chill and relaxed track that almost sounds like it could be an indie-rock song at times. It is just as enjoyable as it is short, as just after a minute passes, it is over. 

The last third of the album begins with “Remind U”, a similarly chill and laid-back track that gradually unfolds and flourishes as the song becomes more and more upbeat. The drums pick up, the bass lines go faster, and right before they reach a climax they recoil back as a glittering piano track ends the song as quickly as it began. “Say Something” is a beautifully haunting track containing some of the most vaudevillian string melodies since Panic! At The Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out almost a decade ago. Although the song is also fairly short, the wonky piano melodies in the background make the track a nice but ominous detour before Debbie is Depressed. This track is a simultaneously funky and upbeat soulful track, though the vocals contain some of the most dejected lyricism on the album. The song is about the monotony of quotidian life, and how it is both a blessing and a curse. The track ends quickly with an angelic string arrangement that stands in strong opposition to the sadness laid out in the track. “Find Your Own Way Home” continues this string track into a track that softly blooms and wilts in under two minutes.

“The Climb” features vocals from Thundercat, and fans of his last album Drunk will be sure to love this song. The vocal harmonies are incredibly lush, and Thundercat’s falsetto singing sounds amazing over the jazzy and hip-hop influenced drums and the dense string sections. Created in perhaps an optimistic light after “Debbie is Depressed”, Thundercat sings "Most of the things we're going through make no sense / Even though you feel alone, it's not the end / And when you're feeling out of place and nowhere you can hide / Just close your eyes and take a breath and you'll be alright”. “The Climb” is definitely one of the high points on the album, as Thundercat and Flying Lotus are able to pair jazz, soul, disco, and hip-hop into one easily accessible track that will be in heavy rotation for many fans of the like this summer. After the song ends, the two take a breather with “Pygmy”, a fun and exotic-sounding track containing echoing nature samples and chill contemporary piano melodies. 

Thins begin to pick up again on “9 Carrots” featuring Toro Y Moi, where the track begins with powerfully delicate strings and angelic vocal harmonies before transitioning into a funky and vintage soul beat. Ellison and Bear trade lines while singing about the loss of love, detailing its emotional strain with lyrics like "There's a woman that I know / Who now wants me feeling happier when the day breaks / … / Don't you give it away, give it away”. Both Bear and Ellison’s signature styles of chill wave and experimental electronic funk find a new home on this track, and together they both sound utterly incredible. 

“Ff4” is one of the four closing tracks on the album, featuring a soft and elegant instrumental arrangement of piano flourishes and chords, as well as low-fi drum patterns that almost make this sound like a direct cut off of the youtube playlist ‘low-fi songs to chill/study to’. The track ends, an ominous and beautiful string arrangement fades in and out, and Solange begins to sing on “Land of Honey”. There is not much to say about this song that can accurately portray how well Flying Lotus and Solange pair together, as their combined talents offer themselves on a track that is the musical equivalent to slowly sauntering around a beautifully overgrown garden. Solange even nods to the concept directing Flamagra, singing "When you see smoke, there's fire”, and softly singing “Hallelujah” as the song quietly ends. 

“Thank You Malcolm” is very similar to “Remind U”, as both tracks start soft before increasing in intensity, and right before their peak, the song transitions into the next track. Both these tracks, while beautiful in their own rights, act as springboards into the following tracks, and in the case of “Thank You Malcolm”, the song launches the the listener into the final track, “Hot Oct.”.

Like the very first moments on Flamagra, “Hot Oct.” contains many elements of vaporware music that convey a sense of the fantastical and the surreal. Ambient pads and down-pitched vocals slowly lead the listener out of the album, as the song slowly and peacefully fades away. Like Denzel Curry said on Black Balloons Reprise, “We all die”, and just like that Flamagra is over.

It is no easy task to host as many musicians and collaborators as Flying Lotus has on Flamagra, while still maintaining the personal integrity and identity of the album as your own album. This balancing act is made effortless by Flying Lotus, as each collaborator, such as Thundercat and his camp, Anderson .Paak and his camp, Little Dragon, Toro Y Moi, Tierra Whack, Denzel Curry and Herbie Hancock, is in a position that makes sense within the narrative of the album. None of them overpower the work of Flying Lotus, as each one is able to play with and flourish under the canvas that Flying Lotus has laid out for them. While at first I was skeptical as to how Ellison could pull this off, he proved me wrong by creating Flamagra, an album that is so layered and complex that it seems much more appropriate to call it an elaborate dinner party that Flying Lotus is hosting for his friends. 

Very few other artists host the talents that Flying Lotus has, and even fewer artists could pull off such an exceptional feat such as this project. Every song is its own moment of diverse instrumentation and emotional tone, and I am happy to say that Flamagra was worth the wait. Few artists alive are as idiosyncratic and talented as Flying Lotus, so it logically follows that if any artist could pull this off after all, it would be him. Be sure to check him out at a live show sometime, his visuals and music will be sure to capitate even the most skeptical critics. In the meantime, I’ll be anxiously awaiting the release of his next project.

Favorite Tracks:

(too many to choose)

Post Requisite

The Climb (Feat. Thundercat)

9 Carrots (Feat. Toro Y Moi)

Rating 10

Listen to Flamagra here:

Flamagra, an album by Flying Lotus on Spotify

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Megan Thee Stallion is Nothing to Play With on "Fever"

By Kaila Cherry

Houston native Megan Thee Stallion for Billboard

2019 is the year of Megan Thee Stallion. Rapping for years while simultaneously working towards a degree in health administration at Texas Southern University, Megan Thee Stallion dropped her first EP, Make it Hot in 2017. The next year, she released her second EP Tina Snow in June, a collection which shot the rapper into up-and-coming stardom from being relatively unknown, sans for a video of her in a cypher that went viral in 2013. Tina Snow is not simply just a title, it is also a persona. This marks the beginning of Megan Thee Stallion adoption of characters and cross cultural references within her work. The cover art for Tina Snow is intended to mimic the look of a Playboy Magazine. As a persona, Tina Snow is a play on Tony Snow, a character embodied by her favorite rapper Pimp C. Megan Thee Stallion describes Tina Snow as “the pimp and the mack” and that she is intended to make listers feel “cool as hell” when they hear her.

On no song is the aspect of cool more present than on Tina Snow’s seminal track “Big Ole Freak.” Using a sample from the 1992 R&B track “Is it Love This Time?” by Immature, “Big Ole Freak” is a smooth and sexy track that encompasses not only Megan Thee Stallion’s sensuality, but embraces self confidence as well. The success of the Tina Snow EP and the track “Big Ole Freak” led the rapper to sign onto 300 Entertainment near the end of 2018, making her the first female rapper to sign onto the label.

With a record label behind her and a rapidly growing fanbase of “Hotties,” admirers and skeptics of the Houston sensation have been eagerly awaiting the release of her next project. Their wait was over last week when Megan Thee Stallion dropped the fourteen song collection entitled Fever last week. Although several publications have considered Fever to be her debut studio album, Megan Thee Stallion asserts on Twitter that the project is just another mixtape. Whether you consider Fever to be an EP, mixtape, or full length debut album, one thing is certain: The project is a banger.

The aesthetic of Fever makes a cross cultural reference to the film genre of blaxploitation. Popular in the 1970s, blaxploitation films were essentially crime/action/drama pieces that focused on pushers, pimps, and other gritty aspects of the inner city lives of black Americans at the time. One of the most prominent performers within the blaxploitation was Pam Grier. Pam Grier played several characters throughout the 70s with more or less the same archetype: A jaded independent woman with a desire for revenge and undeniable sex appeal. Megan Thee Stallion embraces Pam Grier's energy on the cover of Fever, designed to look just like a movie poster from the blaxploitation genre and era.

Cover art for Fever (2019) Movie poster for Coffy (1973) starring Pam Grier

On Fever, Megan Thee Stallion introduces a new persona she calls “Hot Girl Meg.” If Tina Snow is meant to be a pimp and a playa, Hot Girl Meg is meant to be wild child. Describing Hot Girl Meg as a “college party girl,” Megan Thee Stallion maintains her rep of rapping about sex, confidence, luxury, and hard work on Fever. Opening with the hard-hitting track “Realer,” Megan Thee Stallion lets everyone know that she is, in essence, nothing to fuck with. Accused of things like “not being about” the lifestyle she raps of and getting plastic surgery to attain her hourglass figure, Hot Girl Meg makes it clear that she does not care about what others think of her. She raps the song in a lower, huskier vocal register to accentuate her toughness. On the chorus she spits, “Fuck all the critics and fuck how they feel” then telling the same critics not to worry about her a few bars later because she “Ain't worried ‘bout you (Bitch!)”

On the next track “Hood Rat Shit,” Megan Thee Stallion delivery style changes. Her voice is higher, her flow is fast, the lyrics are repetitive, and her ad libs are more present. This style is the most indicative of her “Hot Girl Meg” persona. It’s pumped up, a little bratty, and little annoying, but in the best way possible. The subject matter of the track is just like the title suggests. It is a song dedicated to hanging out with friends, partying, drinking, and getting into all kinds of trouble, just like a college party girl does.

For rest of the project, Megan Thee Stallion shifts mainly between the vocal styles of the first two tracks and subject matter stays largely within the vein of cockiness, sexual appeal, friendship, and newly attained riches. Features on the album include up-and-coming rapper Da Baby on the track “Cash Shit” and Juicy J on the track “Simon Says.” Both are super fun and add another level of hypeness to Fever. Megan Thee Stallion has great chemistry with both rappers, creating two tracks that help to diversify an album that can err on the side of sounding identical at times.

Fever is a great project. Megan Thee Stallion is a strong rapper with a clear artistic vision and style that will only continue to attract fans and haters alike. Although it runs longer than it needs to, Fever has a good array of standout tracks perfect for those with plans to act up all summer 2019. This is only the beginning for the premire Houston hottie. Her talent extends outside the gamuet of “female rap” and should not be discounted as such. Megan Thee Stallion can hold her own in the rap game and as she continues to refine her skill, she will only get better and better.

Favorite Tracks:

Cash Shit (Featuring Da Baby)

Best You Ever Had

Simon Says (Featuring Juicy J)

Rating: 8

Listen to Fever here:

Fever, an album by Megan Thee Stallion on Spotify

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The King Dre Interview: Backwoods, Phase 2, and the Spokane Hip-Hop Scene

“When he [my brother] died I was so hurt but also felt like I had a lot to say. That’s when I knew I was gonna rap.”

By Spencer Lobdell

If you live anywhere but Spokane Washington, chances are you haven’t heard King Dre’s hot new single, “This Ain’t a Swisher”. But if you do so happen to live in the 509, it has been impossible to escape the infectious cut since the track’s music video dropped earlier this May. The local hit has blessed every joyride, smoke sesh, and game of basketball this month and is showing no signs of slowing down.

King Dre, or KD for short, was born in Sacramento California. At the age of three he was moved to Long Beach where he stayed for 12 years. Here he attended Long Beach Poly Tech High School which boasts impressive alumni such as Snoop Dogg and Cameron Diaz. In April of 2014, Dre moved up to Spokane where he went to Rogers High School for two months before starting Job Corps to finish his education and learn specific trade skills.

While KD has music on his SoundCloud dating back to over three years ago, he really began to drop music consistently eight months ago with his debut project, an EP titled Phase 1. Four months later on New Year's Day, Dre dropped his first mixtape ‘98’ on SoundCloud. Dre made his streaming services debut earlier this month when Phase 2 was released on Apple Music and Spotify. The mixtape’s drop also included a music video for the projects lead single “This Ain’t a Swisher”. The song features 02Hauncho and and is currently receiving lots of playtime in Eastern Washington in large part thanks to the entertaining video cooked up by TheGreatBambi42. The video showcases the two rappers flexing around Spokane as they go in on top of a hard hitting instrumental created by local producer PeeJay.

While KD has been on my radar for about a year, no project of his has grabbed me and refused to let go like Phase 2 has this month. Upon hearing “This Ain’t a Swisher” I instantly ran the rest of the mixtape and was blown away when the rest of the tape sounded just as good. The tape is solely produced and engineered by PeeJay adding to the cohesion of the project. Dre comes correct on every track as he constantly switches his flow and adds unique vocal inflections to keep every song interesting. After one listen through Phase 2 I knew the Spokane artist had something worth talking about so I immediately reached out. Last week I picked Dre up and we headed to a local park to light a backwood and discuss his early life, the creation of Phase 2, the Spokane hip-hop scene, and much more. My conversation with King Dre, lightly edited for content and clarity, follows below:

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Scuba, a song by King Dre KD on Spotify

Spencer: Thanks to Job Core, at 16 you were completely done with school. What did you spend all your time doing?

King Dre: Smoking and writing music. Back then I wasn’t even recording on anything yet I was just writing in a book.

Spencer: What was the first song you wrote and how did it come about?

King Dre: The first song I wrote was a song called Tarped. I recorded that on an Android phone, you can hear the TV in the back and everything. I had been writing hella shit in my book and then one day I picked my hardest verse and said fuck it, let’s record it. I figured out if I played a beat and turned it down halfway I could record directly into my SoundCloud and that was that.

Spencer: Was that first song you recorded the moment when you realized you wanted to do rap?

King Dre: Fuck no. I didn’t think about really rapping until 2017. That’s when my brother died. He was a super talented rapper living down in Sacramento he just got caught up in gangbanging. September 24th 2017 he got shot three times by some niggas from shootergang who were on some retaliation shit. When he died I was so hurt but also felt like I had a lot to say. That’s when I knew I was gonna rap.

Spencer: Who are you listening to right now?

King Dre: Me hahaha. I promise to God I know my friends get annoyed, I’m that guy that plays my own music in the whip but the truth is, I make what I like. It’s crazy though because since that’s all I’m listening to, that’s my motivation to make new music. When I get tired of whatever I got out, I know it’s time to get back to work so I can have something new to listen to. That’s why Phase 2 came out. I dropped ‘98’ on New Years Day and freestyled over half of that tape so I just got tired of it fast. I don’t see myself getting tired of Phase 2 anytime soon though.

Spencer: I noticed that Phase 2 is the first project you’ve made that you put on the major streaming services. Does something about this tape that feels different from the rest of your music?

King Dre: That’s so crazy you ask that cause hell ya bro. That plus the fact that PeeJay produced the entire tape and my homie Bambi cooked up the video so we don’t have to worry about any kind of Copyright issues or nothing. That’s all out money.

Spencer: Everything about “This Ain’t a Swisher” sounds like a hit. How did that song come about?

King Dre: One day I was just rolling some weed and that first part of the hook came to me. I knew it was hard off top so I wrote it down and finished the hook the next day. The next day was 02Hauncho’s birthday who I met three and a half years ago just partying out here in Spokane. He lives right underneath me and was kicking it at my place and I wasn’t trying to leave him at my house so I brought him to the studio with me. When we showed up to the stu the first beat that PeeJay played for us was the one we ended up using. Hauncho wrote his verse there, I helped bring his swag out in the booth, and that was that.

Antics, a song by King Dre KD on Spotify

Spencer: Let’s talk about PeeJay because the production on Phase 2 is definitely one of its strengths. How did you two initially link up?

King Dre: Man I met PeeJay through my homie Chauncy (PoohBenji) who’s making dope music out here. We would rap together and one day he told me to come through to PeeJay’s. That day we made “Getting Old” and the way he mixed my vocals was so hard. My dude is certified in ProTools, he be making the beats, recording the vocals, and mixing the track all in-house. PeeJay is so dope the way he goes back into the beat after the vocals are recorded to make everything hit like crazy.

Spencer: The urban music scene in Spokane seems to be the hottest it’s ever been right now with you, Pooh, Icy Ike, and PeeJay all building fan bases. Do you feel any kind of pressure or responsibility to be the first rapper to make it out of Spokane?

King Dre: Honestly, I don’t feel a lot of pressure because I promise to God I’m not breaking a sweat. This is just me focusing and doing something I like. I get bored real fast and rap is the one thing that I haven’t gotten bored of. All I’m saying though is that when one of us makes it, we’re all gonna make it because people are gonna start tapping in to what’s going on out here.

Spencer: Talk to me about Lost Future. What is it right now and what do you see it becoming?

King Dre: Lost Future is the personal label. That’s me and everybody that’s working behind me. I got a bunch of clothes being made right now for me and my homies to rock at shows and sell on the side. It’s also a label that I can add artists to that want to rap. I’ve got an appointment to get that shit trademarked here in six days.

Spencer: I know Phase 2 just dropped but have you started working on anything new?

King Dre: Yeah, freestyle tape as well as a bunch of singles coming this next month

Spencer: Is there any other Spokane artists we didn’t mention today that I need to know about?

King Dre: RMG Rondoughh, RMG Jaih, Pooh Benji, and HomeTeam. Shoutout KapoDuhG too & CFN Treezy.

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Phase 2, an album by King Dre KD on Spotify

Duckwrth Showcases His Stylistic Diversity on "The Falling Man"

By Kaila Cherry

Duckwrth is nothing short of a stylistic chameleon when it comes to his sound. First gaining attention from alternative hip hop fans with the release of his debut studio album I’m Uugly in 2016, the California rapper subsequently became known for his dreamy, vibey, and laid back musical aesthetic. His flow was melodic and rhythmic and the production style of his songs was in a camp similar to that of Smino or Steve Lacy. His following mixtape An Extra Uugly Mixtape (2017) and the success of the pop inspired ode to San Francisco  “Bernal Heights” (2017) further cemented Duckworth's reputation as a very relaxed artist, good for those who like hip hop music, but want something less abrasive and “in-your-face” than what a lot of the genre today has to offer.

However, Duckwrth recently began to turn away from the mellow lofi sound that initially placed him on the radar for music fans towards a grimier, more aggressive style. In 2018, Duckwrth collaborated with rapper ShaboozeY on the amped up track “Riot!” for the soundtrack of the film Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (2018). On “Riot!” Duckwrth is not sing-rapping like his fans were so used to him doing. Insead, he is shouting, straining his voice, and rapping quickly with biting precision. This single proved to be the perfect setup to Duckwrth's most recent EP, The Falling Man. The project takes the energy from “Riot!” and fully embraces it, making The Falling Man Duckwrth's most ambitious and interesting release yet.

With only eight songs and a runtime of 21 minutes, Duckwrth fits several different artist features, several different moods, and several different thematic elements over the course of The Falling Man. The opening track “Bow” gives a haunting yet enticing introduction to the EP. Duckwrth’s singing is deep and gothic, lulling the listener into the track until the beat drops in the last third of the song. At that transition, Duckwrth begins to rap, his voice higher pitched and slightly nasally as he declares “That boy nothing but trouble!”

The next track “Fall Back” is similar to “Riot!” in that both tracks utilize a more aggressive lyrical, performance, and production style than much of his previous work. The next few tracks are slower and more stripped back, making heavy use of the piano as opposed to the guitar and the bass he tends to gravitate towards. The piano becomes especially important in mimicking the sound of church in the first leg of the song “Soprano.” Once the church segment ends, the song transforms into a rap banger much too risque for a place of worship but perfect for turning up and partying.

By far the two most refreshing tracks on The Falling Man are “A Wildfire” featuring artists Mr. Carmack and Allan Kingdom, and “Sallie Mae” featuring NoMBe. “A Wildfire” and “Sallie Mae” mesh rap and rock music in such a kitchsy yet fun way that the tracks could be discussed within the same vane as other classic genre mash ups of the kind and hold their own. “Sallie Mae” in particular is interesting in that within the three minute duration of the track, the song takes on several tone shifts, moving from rock to R&B and back again with ease.

Duckwrth continues to evolve his style and presence within the hip hop scene with The Falling Man. With the project, Duckwrth shows his audience that he is more diverse that he may seem and that he is going to keep on exploring and refining the depth of his creativity. Duckwrth has only gotten better with each collection of music he releases. If you were not paying attention to Duckwrth before, now is the time to start.

Favorite Tracks:

Bow

Soprano

A Wildfire (Featuring Mr. Carmack and Allan Kingdom)

Rating: 8

Listen to The Falling Man here:

THE FALLING MAN, an album by Duckwrth on Spotify

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Tyler, the Creator Allows the Music to Paint a Picture on His Newest Concept Album “IGOR”

By Miles Hagan

At this point everyone should be familiar with Tyler, the Creator. If you weren't one of the millions of middle schoolers running around with Odd Future gear or Supreme because of him, then you may have heard of him from his last album Flower Boy, which was his most mainstream body of work to date. We have all had the pleasure of watching him grow and mature as both a person and artist. Tyler announced IGOR much to the surprise of everyone, because he had not previously talked about seriously working on new music yet. That being said he has an established reputation as one of the most reliable and creative musicians in the game today, so the excitement for any new project was expected to be very high. Everyone was wondering what the next step in his career would be after he got so personal on his last effort. IGOR is our latest update on what is going on in the mind of Tyler.

The promotion for this album was very unexpected to say the least. Tyler could come out with snippets of him with blonde hair in a bowl cut, and he would be jumping around to some music that sounded like it was made in the 80’s synth era. “IGOR’S THEME”, the first track on the album, continued the tone set by the promotions. It is loud and engulfing from the start. The song is very similar at its start to a “Distorted Records” off A$AP Rocky’s Testing album. He keeps the lyrics very minimal and some of them are even barely audible. This was a theme that I didn't pick up on until later in the album. “IGOR’S THEME” takes us into what many will say is the standout track from this album.

IGOR takes off and doesn't look back once “EARFQUAKE” begins. This time the singing is clear and Tyler uses his pitched up vocals to sing about his love for someone.  He loves this person so much that they leave his entire world shaken up. Though Obviously not the most classically trained singer, it is clear he has so much emotion behind each word he croons. The beautifully arranged synths and chords in the background create a cascading back drop to Tyler’s lyrics of love. This is also one of the most obvious features on the entire album. Playboi Carti comes in for a lightning quick verse that doesn't add much lyrically, but his high energy and excellent flow make even the most hardened of listeners bob their head.

Love continues to be the focus of IGOR on the track “I THINK”, where Tyler is assisted by Solange in creating a song that makes the idea of falling in love actually feel like you're falling into an abyss. The music behind them is almost frantic and would sound perfect in a chase seen. The word “Fuck” is repeated at the beginning of the song almost to say that despite Tyler’s best efforts he could escape the feeling of love, and now there is nothing he can do about it.

Up until this point we haven't heard Tyler really rap a single time. Lyrics at this point seem to only be used to push the narrative created by the music forward. The first few songs on IGOR show the listener that this isn’t just the average Tyler rap effort. He is trying to do something different with this body of work, and this lack of emphasis on himself as a rapper may be met with a lot of criticism by more casual fans.

he middle portion of the album sees Tyler return to a more traditional sound. “NEW MAGIC WAND” would fit perfectly on Cherry Bomb and the chords nearer the middle of the track are a staple for Tyler and sound amazing as he begs the person he loves not to leave him.

The next cut “A BOY IS A GUN” is another stand out from the project as a whole. The repeated “Don’t shoot me down” tiers in perfectly with the title of the track to articulate how dangerous love can really be. This boy that Tyler has feelings for is like a weapon because at any point if he leaves or rejects Tyler it will be a fatal blow to his heart. He then completely submits to his lover control on “PUPPET”, where he has finally given into the love that he has been fighting and trying to understand for the entirety of IGOR. This love has full control of him and the song actually sound like it could be at the end of a film. It is also assisted by a quick quest verse from Mr. Kanye West himself. Tyler is able to articulate his love for this person so honestly and clearly.

IGOR closes on a more somber note with “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS”. The latter has a mesmerizing guitar solo near the middle coupled with some killer harmonies to finish it out. The last track features an excellent appearance from Pharrell who is one of Tyler’s biggest inspirations, and he helps Tyler deliver a closing track that lives up to the incredibly high standards set by the rest of IGOR.

What makes IGOR so great is what makes any Tyler project great. He is able to articulate raw human emotions better than almost anyone in the game today. The difference between this and much of his older work is that instead of doing it with his words he is doing it almost solely with his production. The verses on IGOR are far from subpar, but what makes it some of the best new music out now is just how eccentric and complex the sounds throughout the album are.

The first half of the album sounds like what it feels like to fall in love. There is so much beauty and happiness, but there is also fear and confusion because you are giving another person so much power over you by falling for them, despite the fact they could leave without warning. Throughout the album he keeps asking this person not to leave him, because he is afraid of what might happen  without them in his life. It almost sounds like there is a sense of desperation on the first half.

After “WHATS GOOD” the album switches focus to tell a story of love lost, but in the most mature way possible. The last words uttered before embarking on this second half of the album are “I dont know whats harder, letting go or being ok with it. Igor or Tyler fell in love gave in then that love faded which is an unfortunate fact of life. The album up until this point was spent worrying about what would happen if this person left, until he realized that maybe it might be best for both people if the relationship didn’t continue. But rather than end with anger or ill feeling toward this past love interest, Tyler ends by asking if they are still friends. The listener is able to follow a story from track one till track 12, and that is something that most albums today can't deliver.

At this point unique beats and clever rapping are expected from an artist of Tyler, the Creators stature, yet he continues to push the envelope and impress with each new album. On IGOR he pushes himself by limiting himself, which may be  difficult to understand. Without the use of lyrics it forces the beats to remain interesting enough to keep people attention on a song to song basis. Tracks like “EARFQUAKE” and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS” don't feel like typical hip hop songs because they are big and cinematic and create an atmosphere that the listener can be fully engulfed in rather than just nod their head to.

No one knew what to expect next from the mind of Tyler, the Creator, and yet IGOR seems like the perfect continuation on his musical journey after Flower Boy. Though we may not know what is coming next, it can not be denied that Tyler has delivered one of the best projects of his entire career.

Favorite Tracks:

EARFQUAKE

A BOY IS A GUN

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?

Rating: 9.5

Listen to IGOR HERE:

IGOR, an album by Tyler, The Creator on Spotify

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Injury Reserve's Exciting Self Titled Debut Album is Consistently Inconsistent

By Carter Fife

Arizona hip-hop trio Injury Reserve has had quite the year. After 2017’s mixtape Drive It Like It’s Stolen, their 2018 was spent headlining their first tour with JPEGMAFIA, signing their first record deal, and recording for their debut record Injury Reserve released last Friday. Although the group is relatively unknown, their singles ‘Oh Shit!!!’, ‘Campfire’ and ‘Jailbreak the Tesla’ (the latter two of which feature PDX native Aminé) have quickly helped them establish their place in the underground hip-hop scene. 

Injury Reserve's music combines many qualities from both modern and classic hip-hop, as well as pop, R&B, punk, and garage rock. Their sound is consistently inconsistent, but often times their music pairs slick hip-hop delivery and diverse production methods, with a dash of abrasive instrumentation. Their newest self-titled album is no exception, as Injury Reserve is full of excitement at every turn.

Injury Reserve’s Self Titled album contains heavy thematic elements surrounding the rise to fame, addressing the past, and the problems that can come from trying to balance the two. The opening track ‘Koruna and Lime’ is a disjointed but catchy introduction to the group and their talents. The beat’s plain melody paired with the abrasive and industrial effects create an aggressive emotional tone that carries over into many of the other tracks. The song features rappers Stepa Groggs and Ritchie With a T delivering hard-hitting yet smooth bars with an unparalleled confidence describing their status in terms of both street credit and their ability to make money. 

‘Koruna and Lime’ contains a formula that can be seen on many other tracks, such as ‘GTFU’ with JPEGMAFIA and Cakes da Killa, ‘Hello?!’, and ‘Best Spot in the House’, where the beat contains elements of an almost indulgent simplicity while also entertaining outlandish and unique pieces of glitchy instrumentation and samples. Even the song ‘QWERTY Interlude’ embraces this overly technical trend with chopped up vocals with an 808 heavy beat and a snare. Technology is the most dominant theme on this album both aurally and lyrically, but the technology isn’t explored too deeply in the album’s rapping except on the track ‘Jailbreak the Tesla’ featuring Aminé.

If there was any song on the album that would be Injury Reserve’s standout moment, ‘Jailbreak the Tesla’ stands alone. The beat subverts the audiences expectations of a simple but engaging arrangement, as the song contains multiple tracks of vocals, percussion, mbira-adjascent melodies, chaotic static, and even car noises. Ritchie’s verse contains two vocal tracks laid over one another, with them often being attuned off-pitch in instances that are equally interesting and eerie. Here he details his desire to, quite literally, Jailbreak a Tesla, exploring themes of money and the potentially unlawful manipulation of power via technological means. If that sounds like a reach, it’s because it probably is, but his verse is aggressive, and he flows well on a beat that would overpower many modern rappers. Aminé also pops in and shouts out Grimes, while delivering a fire performance as expected. 

There are other notable moments on the album, such as the hard and humorous ‘Rap Song Tutorial’, the wonky and topsy-turvy classic piano sound of ‘Gravy n’ Biscuits’, and the chill but also hard-hitting ‘Wax On’ featuring a performance from Freddie Gibbs. Injury Reserve certainly portrays the group’s talents and abilities, but there are also weaker moments that don’t seem to fit on the album or make sense within the sonic and lyrical narrative of the album. ‘Jawbreaker’ featuring Rico Nasty and Pro Teens is a boring cut from the album that was actually on of the singles to the project itself. Songs like ‘What a Year It’s Been’ sound boring when compared to the flashiness of the album’s other tracks, but every moment of boring lyricism or uninspired production is easy to forgive after the album’s closing track ’Three Man Weave’. A sunny and jazzy classic rap track that almost sounds like it could be a Tribe Called Quest track, this song acts as Injury Reserve’s Victory lap after a solid first album.

Injury Reserve is definitely a group that will be on many hip-hop fans watch lists. Few groups show this much potential this soon after their first record deal. After this album, it’s clear skies from here. 

Favorite Tracks

Jailbreak the Tesla (Feat. Aminé)

Wax On (Feat. Freddie Gibbs)

Three Man Weave

Rating: 7

Listen to Injury Reserve here:

Injury Reserve, an album by Injury Reserve on Spotify

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Koto the Friend’s Debut Album “FOTO” Is a Beautiful Self-Portrait of the Authentic New York Artist

The independent emcee is an open book welcoming us to come flip the pages and learn from his life experiences

By Spencer Lobdell

Kota the Friend is as pure as the alkaline water has continuously endorsed his entire career. He has the heart of a lion and the head of an elder. His modesty is only matched by his honesty and his positive demeanor is impossible to fabricate.

This past week the talented New York rapper dropped his debut album which was released independently. FOTO is 19 songs long and runs for just under an hour putting it at the longer end of the spectrum in today’s music climate.

At its core, FOTO is a concept album that takes listeners through Kota’s life, one memory at a time. In an interview with Donna-Claire Chesman of DJ Booth, Kota speaks about his love for photographs and how it led to the shaping of the album: “My mother will tell you that I could look at photo albums all day. I like pictures because it brings me back to that time. I like feeling things. I feel like people like to feel things. This album is like a photo book. It’s like flipping through the pages of my life. The stuff that makes you sad, and the stuff that makes you really happy. It’s my version of a photo album.”

The album opens with a monologue from an old head that has watched Kota grow up in the hood. The wise man, voiced by Richard Parker, advises Kota to enjoy his neighborhood and take some photos before it changes.

The second track “Church” might be my favorite track on the album in large part due to the mesmerizing flow that Kota locks into on the second half of verse one. Kota has a true gift for being able to keep the tempo of his music low to maintain a relaxed feeling while still making it sound bright and uplifting. “Church” is a perfect example of Kota masterfully mixing a slower tempo with major melodies to create a product that is easy and enjoyable to listen to. When Kota raps “Hands up in the air like we in church” I couldn’t help but be reminded of a rapper from Chicago, also independent, who has frequently alluded to church as a party.

“Hollywood” is another early standout where Kota addresses those from his hometown that didn’t support him on the come up but now feel entitled to his fame. The production on this track is excellent and feels different from most of the other instrumentals on this project which sound similar. One of my favorite moments on the album comes in the second verse of this song when Kota talks about ghosting fake homies when they hit his phone:

“I be hitting niggas with the dot, dot, dot
Can we kick it when you back home, dot, dot, dot
Can you put me on a track, bro, dot, dot, dot
Didn’t even know you rapped, bro, dot, dot, dot”

— Kota the Friend "Hollywood"

The seventh track “Chicago Diner” was released last year as a single and is a sweet love song that sounds like the soundtrack to a lazy morning.

“Bagels” was one of the few instances on FOTO where Kota’s positivity and vulnerability come off as slightly corny and while I don’t think it is Kota’s best writing, I think Lizzy Ashliegh’s layered vocals throughout the track are what makes it feel artificial for me. With this being said, the track is catchy and based on the rest of Kota’s music, I think it’s fair to say he rather be corny than misleading.

The twelfth track “Mommy” is the potentially the most thought-provoking track on the album as it showcases Kota rapping from three different perspectives. Verse one is from the perspective of Kota’s own mother and gives us insight into how he was raised. His mom was positive and uplifting (“You better than some Uptowns/You better than your bad decisions”) while always instilling knowledge into the brain of a young Kota. Based on the previous interlude and her mentioning in the first verse, I assume that in verse two Kota is rapping from the perspective of his aunt Marcell speaking to her son. His aunt had a very different style of parenting than her sister and seems far more worried with monetary wealth than the values she is responsible to teach to her son. Verse three is rapped from the perspective of a kid who grew up with no home, no family, and all the ambition in the world. While I’m not sure who this character is exactly, it seems likely to me that the narrator of verse three is a fictitious character whose purpose is to show that while Kota and his cousin may have grown up in difficult situations, someone somewhere has it worse. Kota’s profound perspective on life is one of his greatest strengths and it shines through on “Mommy”.

“Backyard” was the last single released before FOTO. It’s a light-hearted bop that will be gracing sunny days in the park all summer. While I am a big fan of the track, “Uncle Cal’s Interlude” which prefaces it seems out of place and easily adds the least to the album out of all the interludes.

When speaking about FOTO Kota made sure to let it be known that every good photo album captures every memory, not just the good ones. “Good To Be Home” is the picture in the album that brings back bad memories, but memories that are equally as important as the good ones nonetheless. This track contains the most melancholy instrumental on the album and Kota delivers the darkest stories to accompany it. From casual gangbangs to drug overdoses, Kota peels back any protective layers on “Good To Be Home” and is deeply authentic.

Kota concludes the album perfectly with the titled-track. “FOTO” is one of the sweetest yet most heartbreaking stories on the album. The song gives us a glimpse into a beautiful relationship Kota had with a girl. The story ends with the female passing away after the two seperate. This is the perfect outro because Kota uses this story to reemphasize the importance of photographs and appreciating those moments before that’s all they are.

On FOTO Kota accomplishes exactly what he set out to achieve. He paints a picture of his life so vivid that I felt like I was there when Kota’s mom and his aunt Marcell saw their father at the dance studio for the first time in years. Kota beautifully creates a photo album that he can go back to and reference while still keeping the quality of his music and its mainstream appeal at an all-time high. Thank you to Kota The Friend for a summer soundtrack that I predict will still be getting played in the late months of Autumn.

Favorite Tracks:

Church

Hollywood

KOALA

Rating: 8

Listen to FOTO here:

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Major Key Alert: Dj Khaled Drops 11th Studio Album, “Father of Asahd,” as a Tribute to His 2-year-old Son

By Katie Kocher

Fans have been long-awaiting the drop of Father of Asahd since the title of the album was announced in March 2019 along with the single “Top Off.” Fast forward to this March, he announced the exact release date while promoting the album throughout various social media platforms, along with a trailer for the album. As expected, it serves as a sort of dinner party for distinguished artists to show case their unique sound and talent as opposed to a complete body of work. Khaled likes to make unpredictable pairings as evidenced by songs like “Celebrate,” featuring Travis Scott and Post Malone, “No Brainer” with Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo, and “Higher” featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend. The music video for “Higher” was shot just before the rapper’s tragic death at the end of March. Khaled’s ability to connect various artists smoothly on a single track is unmatched, which serves as the foundation of his music industry success. 

Khaled is the son of Palestinian immigrants, and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started to learn how to Dj in his garage at the age of 13, meanwhile working in small record stores. He met Lil Wayne and Birdman in the beginning stages of their careers, and was able to network and promote himself, eventually getting a portion of a time slot on the local radio station Mixx 93. Finally he was brought on as a regular DJ and given his very own time slot and production credits. 

Some favorites on the album include “Just Us” featuring SZA, on which Khaled once again shows his love for sampling by grabbing Andre 3000’s hook from “Ms. Jackson” by Outkast. 

“Higher” gets quite a bit of attention because of it’s feature of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle and the melancholy that it is bound to evoke in its listeners. The late king of LA delivers two excellent verses in his first release since his passing. His first verse is uplifting and motivating as he raps about his grandparents and how he came to be in America. For the second verse, Khaled switches the beat to something less grand and more mischievous. Nipsey matches this instrumental perfectly and reflects on the harder parts of his life living in South Central. This verse is harder to listen to now that we know Nipsey’s tragic fate. Lines like, “Emptied out the clip, it was broad day/Fuck niggas always gotta learn the hard way” hit different when you’ve seen videos of the late rapper getting shot in the middle of the day. John Legend jumps in for the chorus, giving the track a sentimental touch. 

“Freak N You” combines the raw talent of a rap veteran Lil Wayne with Atlanta native Gunna, who made it big in 2016 from a feature on Young Thug’s track “Floyd Mayweather” and has since become a very sought after voice in the rap game. The track is infectious, catchy, and holds all the qualities of a hit.

“Top off” features the the holy trinity of Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Future and was one of the singles released last year as a prelude to the album. Although this record has gotten mixed reviews, it’s hard to deny that those three can deliver hard hitting lyrics and top notch vocals. 

Lastly, “Thank You” with Big Sean presents a classic mellow beat and smooth flow. It references Sean’s ex and one of the world’s leading artists, Ariana Grande, with the lyric “Plus I gotta thank my exes on some ‘thank u, next shit,’” stirring some questions about their relationship. 

Father of Asahd delivers a handful of radio hits (“No Brainer”), following in the footsteps of his previous albums, yet also throws in a few distinct  tracks that cut deep and are more personalized to certain audiences (“Higher”). As expected, it includes top artists across the hip-hop/rap genre, making it easy for listeners to enjoy at least one if not several tracks from this album. While the album lacks any kind of cohesion, unity, or themes, that should be expected with a DJ Khaled record and listeners should be able to take the collaborative album at face value and have fun with it.

Favorite Tracks:

Just Us (Feat. SZA)

Higher (Feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend)

Freak N You (Feat. Lil Wayne & Gunna)

Rating: 6

Listen to Father Of Asahd here:

Father Of Asahd, an album by DJ Khaled on Spotify

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Songs of the Week: May 19th

By Spencer Lobdell

Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.

New Songs of the Week:

“Zulu Screams” by GoldLink (Feat. Maleek Berry & Bibi Bourelly)

Zulu Screams (feat. Maleek Berry & Bibi Bourelly), a song by GoldLink, Maleek Berry, Bibi Bourelly on Spotify

Last Tuesday DMV rapper GoldLink blessed us with one of the most infectious cuts released this year. “Zulu Screams” is packed with energy and the pulsing P2J instrumental makes it impossible to not get up and move from the first four-count. While I’m unsure of the status of GoldLink’s next album, it seems safe to assume that “Zulu Screams” will make the cut meaning we will hopefully get the tape sooner rather than later. Maleek Berry gives the smooth joint a latino feel with a beautifully sung hook that gives us a break from GoldLinks unorthodox flow that is so captivating. Bibi Bourelly comes in on the bridge for an intense, dance-hall inspired deviation from the cut that really ties the song together and sets it apart as one of the most interesting releases this year.

“Feelin’ like a brand new me
And the entourage where the latest be
And the sun don’t shine where the gangstas be
And we Russian roulette to a game of three”

— GoldLink "Zulu Screams"

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“I THINK” by Tyler, The Creator (Feat. Solange)

I THINK, a song by Tyler, The Creator on Spotify

While many songs off of Tyler’s newest album IGOR could’ve been selected in this spot, “I THINK” was chosen because of Tyler’s extremely relatable writing, the awe-inspiring production that graces the entire album, and Solange’s beautiful vocal layering and background melodies on the hook. On “I THINK” Tyler wonders if he should continue to be vulnerable with a partner who has hurt him. While he knows it would be in his best interest to separate from this person, he is overly curious and hooked like many of us have been before. Two minutes into the track the songs dives into an instrumental bridge that is carried by one of Tyler’s favorite synth sounds as it dances across a scale and beautifully builds us up back into the hook. “I THINK” is one of my favorite moments off of IGOR.

“Mess with T on-off
Fuckin’ up my ambiance, pause
You drive me cuckoo and I cough
’Cause I want you like Leon Ware ”

— Tyler, The Creator "I THINK"

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“Higher” by DJ Khaled (Feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend)

Higher (feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend), a song by DJ Khaled, Nipsey Hussle, John Legend on Spotify

Where it was difficult to pick which Tyler track to feature this week, it was a no brainer (no pun intended) when it came to DJ Khaled’s new album Father of Asahd. The late king of LA and Crenshaw rapper Nipsey Hussle delivers two excellent verses in his first release since his passing. His first verse is uplifting and motivating as he raps about his grandparents and how he came to be in America. For the second verse, Khaled switches the beat to something less grand and more mischievous. Nipsey matches this instrumental perfectly and reflects on the harder parts of his life living in South Central. This verse is harder to listen to now that we know Nipsey’s tragic fate. Lines like, “Emptied out the clip, it was broad day/Fuck niggas always gotta learn the hard way” hit different when you’ve seen videos of the late rapper getting shot in the middle of the day. R.I.P to a true king, the marathon continues, long live Nipsey Hussle.

“South Central state of mind, high crime rate
Homicide, hate, gang banging’ll get you all day
And look at my fate”

— Nipsey Hussle "Higher"

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Throwback Song of the Week:

“65 Hunnid” by Vince Staples

65 Hunnid, a song by Vince Staples on Spotify

“65 Hunnid” is the second track off of Vince’s Staples’ Def Jam debut mixtape Hell Can Wait and one of the hardest songs in his discography. The greatness of this song begins with the eerie instrumental by Infamous. The horns at the beginning of this song are so fitting and beautifully segway us into the first hook. The drums used on this track are unusual but yet feel right at home under Vince’s Long Beach drawl. Lyrically, Vince is extremely sharp which should surprise no one. Throughout the song he continues to switch up his flow and use different rhyme patterns I’ve never heard before. “65 Hunnid” is an absolutely essential track from one of the most talented emcees making music right now.

“Feel the 4, when I’m feelin’ low, time to stretch a nigga
Ridin through ya section, shit, I hope you got protection with ya”

— Vince Staples "65 Hunnid"

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Rethinking Atlanta’s Trap Sound with Young Nudy and Pi’erre Bourne on “Sli’merre”

By Carter Fife

For the past three years, few upcoming rappers have generated as much hype as Young Nudy. While relatively unknown to the mainstream, Nudy’s 2016 mixtape Slimeball and its successors have steadily pushed him further into hip-hop’s spotlight, with Nudy collaborating with Juicy J, Metro Boomin, and even his cousin, 21 Savage. Despite all of these newfound contacts, Nudy still remains close with his longtime peer Pi’erre Bourne, who has stayed close to Nudy ever since before the release of his debut mixtape. Five years later, Young Nudy and Pi’erre Bourne have reunited once again to create Sli’merre.

The two singles released prior to the album’s drop date were well received by many. ‘Mister’ featuring 21 Savage contains the two Atlanta-based rappers rapping over the same airy-woodwinds that have dominated many modern trap beats. While some claimed that Nudy’s performance on the track emulated the likes of other rappers such as Gucci Mane too much, others still enjoyed the hi-hat and 808-laden track as the perfect summertime anthem. ‘Extendo’ featuring Lil Uzi Vert drew similar complaints, but yet even critics could not deny the catchiness of the track. In classic Pi’erre Bourne fashion, the beat itself is arranged with many interweaving instruments and pads creating a simultaneously ambient and engaging banger. After all, the latest Uzi drought has left fans so hungry for new music that nobody minded when he said ‘She on my wood like a pencil’. Despite the strength of these two singles, the album was unable to live up to the hype.

While there are many high points on the album, Sli’merre is largely dominated by songs that sound unfinished, rushed, and overly derivative of other artists. The album kicks off with ‘Long Ride’, a song that features the same Charlie-Brown reminiscent instrumentation and dissonant musical intervals that are mainstays on producer Pi’erre Bourne’s tool belt. Although the beat is enjoyable, the percussion does not resonate in the same way that many of Pi’erre’s other beats have in the past. Nudy’s writing on the song is frankly lazy and sounds much closer to a reference track than a finished project. This is a common trend on the album, as songs like ‘Hot Wings’, ‘Black Hippie, White Hipster’, and ‘Swisher Backwood’ come so close to being fun and exciting bangers, but end up feeling unfinished due to both the efforts of both Pi’erre and Nudy.

‘Dispatch’ features a painfully boring and unoriginal Dababy feature that sounds like he was asked to do his best Blocboy JB or Youngboy NBA impression, and definitely not in a good way. In terms of the other features, the album does a great job in making each of these features important and not too-dominating on each track. Megan Thee Stallion gives a great verse on ‘Shotta’, and her aggressive cadence pairs nicely with Nudy’s confident and melancholic rapping. ’Sunflower’, ‘Call Dat Bitch Homicide’ and ‘Gas Station’ are all high points on the album, where no matter how much Nudy tries, he can’t seem to take the spotlight from Pi’erre’s production. Each beat stands out as unique, sounding almost like they were influenced by Pi’erre’s work with Cardo earlier this year.

Although Sli’merre fails to live up to the expectations set out by its two leading singles, there are still definitely reasons to listen to, and even revisit this album this summer. Nudy’s Gucci Mane-esque tone is infectious, and his brief moments of singing are just as entertaining as they are brief. Though Sli’merre is not without its low points, such as DaBaby’s weak verse, Nudy’s rushed writing or the occasional unfinished beat, Sli’merre is certain to have something for everybody.

Favorite Tracks:

Mister (Feat. 21 Savage)

Extendo (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert)

Call That Bitch Homicide

Rating: 6

Listen to Sli’merre here:

Sli'merre, an album by Young Nudy, Pi'erre Bourne on Spotify

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The Tale of Lil Snupe: A Story of Talent, Hard Work, and Tragedy

Meek Mill’s protege who went from the most exciting new voice in rap to shot dead over a game of 2k in just two months

By Spencer Lobdell

In just 18 years of life, Lil Snupe has earned many monikers. From “The Freestyle King” to “Meek Mill’s Protege” to “2Pac Reincarnated” it is easy to gather that he was beyond well-respected. Snupe had peers twice his age looking up to him due to his absolutely lethal flow and southern drawl that allowed his punchlines to be piercing. For the two months following the release of his only mixtape R.n.i.c (Real Niggas In Charge), there was a unanimous belief in the rap game that the throne was Snupe’s for the taking. That is until tragedy struck changing the fate of rap forever.

Lil Snupe was born in Jonesboro, Louisiana in 1995. Born Addarren Ross, Snupe frequently got into trouble as a kid and alludes to spending time in juvenile detention in his music. It’s unknown when Snupe started rapping, but his career took off in 2012 when he approached Meek Mill’s tour bus. In 2013, Lil Snupe spoke about that day with MTV news. “He (Meek Mill) was in a van, they was finna pull off. And I went and knocked on the van, on the window. They let the window down and grabbed the mixtape.” 20 minutes later, before even finishing the mixtape, Meek Mill called Lil Snupe and asked him to be apart Dream Chasers, Meek’s record label. "He was spittin' so much pain, he's from the south with a flow like an east coast guy," Meek told MTV.

Meek quickly took Lil Snupe under his wing and began to show him how to be a successful rapper. The two spent a lot of time together that year and became close. There are many videos of Meek and Lil Snupe freestyling together and in almost all of them Snupe has to go ahead and body his mentor. There is a reason the 18-year-old MC was referred to as “The Freestyle King”, Snupe could rhyme for an hour straight without hesitation while always keeping his bars fresh and entertaining. The young emcee ability to spit was unparalleled and he is the best freestylers I’ve ever heard.

The mixtape that led to Snupe joining Dream Chasers (R.n.i.c) was rerecorded under Meek’s guidance and released in April of 2013. Upon release, the world was introduced to the gifted rapper and his instant impact on the rap game was palpable. The effect R.n.i.c had on the genre was felt strongly in the south but resonated throughout the entire country. Emcees everywhere started to feel a new pressure and it was widely excepted the Dream Chasers was soon to be the best rap collective in the game.

R.n.i.c is 14 songs long and is all killer no filler. The mixtape opens with the in-your-face “Take Over”. The track concludes with a minute of DJ Khaled co-signing Snupe and calling him the future. The third track features Meek Mill and, in hindsight, is easily his most tragic song. The cut contains grim foreshadowing as at the end of the first verse Snupe raps, “I gotta get it, ‘cause I’m tryna get full rich / And I refuse to let my mama lose me to some bullshit.”

The fifth track on the mixtape, “In Tha Air Freestyle” is easily one of his most iconic tracks. The combination of the soulful, slower, sampled instrumental and Snupe’s brutally honest lyrics make this song hit different. Snupe instantly changes the mood as goes into one of the most braggadocious and cocky cuts on the mixtape “I’m That Nigga Now”. This track shows Snupe at his most playful which is so fun to listen to.

“X Bitch” is the ninth track on the mixtape and potentially my favorite. I believe it to be one of the best odes to an ex-girlfriend in rap history. Snupe’s youthful confidence shines brightly throughout this cut as he raps about his “ex-bitch” who is constantly concerned with his “next bitch”. While “X Bitch” has one of the catchiest hooks on the album, it isn’t quite as addicting as the hook on “Melo” Lil Snupe’s biggest hit to date. The eleventh song on the tape is upbeat, fun, and showcases the rappers unmatched pen game. “Melo” is frequently the first song I show rap fans who are unfamiliar with the work of Lil Snupe.

While R.n.i.c was very well received and quickly threw Lil Snupe into stardom, he only enjoyed the limelight for two months after its release until the night of his death. Addarren Ross was shot dead in Winnfield Lousiana by 36-year-old Tony Holden on June 20th, 2013. Ross and Holden supposedly had bet a large sum of money on a game of NBA 2k. The story goes that Lil Snupe beat Tony Holden on a buzzer beater leading him to shoot Snupe twice, leaving the 18-year-old boy dead. Holden turned himself in six days later to the authorities.

The story of Lil Snupe is one of tragedy, but at the same time, one of familiarity. As a nation, we have become used to the story of a young black man being gunned down before he could even scratch the surface of his potential.

“He would spit off the top like it was written. Rap real tight for hours and not mess up. That’s unheard of, I’ve never seen nobody like that”

— Meek Mill

Snupe’s death was devastating to the rap community, it was blatantly apparent to any fan or artist that Addarren Ross was something special. Six years after his death, Lil Snupe is still held in the highest of standards among rappers and is shouted out many times a year. If we can learn anything from the fatal story of Lil Snupe, it is that we need to understand the value of our own gifts and value them so highly that we are careful about who we choose to be around. Snupe had so much to offer the world, as do we all. Rest in Peace to The Freestyle King. Rest in peace Lil Snupe.

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Visual Album Review: The Case for "Endless"

A Retrospective of Frank Ocean’s Sleeper Masterpiece

By Carter Fife

It has been almost three years since hip-hop’s most elusive and mysterious artist Frank Ocean released two very highly anticipated albums after years of delays and silence. After releasing both the visual album Endless and the more traditional Blonde, commercial publications gave an enormous amount of attention to the latter, picking apart every detail, lyric and guest appearance, while the former went widely under the radar, despite all the controversy it created. Although the hype quickly settled for Endless, Blonde would continue to make headlines countless times over the following year due to Ocean omitting it for Grammy consideration, media outlets praising it as one of the (if not the) best albums of the year, or the myriad of comparisons other contemporary hip-hop, pop, and r&b albums received to Blonde. When comparing the magnitude of exposure both of Ocean’s 2016 works received, it is clear that Endless was vastly unappreciated.

Although intentionally released in an inaccessible format designed to make as little money as possible, Endless is both an auditory and visual masterpiece whose skillfully mastered and arranged tracks parallel its wildly more successful sister album Blonde. Despite Ocean re-releasing the studio-quality version of Endless in early 2018 via CD’s, Cassettes, DVD’s and vinyls, it still remains relatively difficult to consume. With around 20 or so individual tracks (the number varies depending who you ask) Endless is a 45 minute album accompanying visuals of Frank Ocean in a warehouse constructing a spiral staircase. The media has had so many questions about almost every aspect of the piece, and almost all of them have gone unanswered.

The album begins a fragment of the track Device Control, whose vocals (delivered by German Photographer Wolfgang Tillmans) slowly peer out from the static ambience to briefly dwell on the devices we use in our contemporary lives and the control they have over us, and the formation of a dualism existing with our perceived reality by ‘blurring the line between still and motion [picture]’ (though that line comes at the end of the album, when the song is played in its entirety). Then the album quickly transitions into an airy and soulful rendition of Aaliyah’s At Your Best (You Are Love), which itself is a cover of the Isley Brother’s hit of a similar name. Although a cover of this song was previously released on Ocean’s tumblr in 2015, the version that appears on Endless is much more fleshed out and features more string and vocal sections towards the end of the track. After Ocean gives you a brief moment of silence for you to wipe away your tears, he launches into Alabama, featuring the likes of both Sampha and Jazmine Sullivan. It is on this track that we are first exposed to a narrative device that is utilized many times on this album, overlapping vocal tracks mixed almost identically. Frank Ocean delivers on this track, tugging at the listener’s heartstrings with lyrics like ‘What can I do to love you, / more than I do now?’. The track transitions into a brief interlude entitled Mine where Ocean employs several vocal tracks to repeat the lines ‘How come the ecstasy depresses me so? Chemically I don’t have no more new places to go.’ to the point at which they are almost inaudible. All the while, Frank Ocean continues to saw away, constructing his staircase.

It is at this point that the album begins to take a turn stylistically. Five tracks in, U-N-I-T-Y is the first song to feature any sort of percussion. On this track Ocean laments on the loyalty and fame he experiences despite wanting to keep a low profile. Ambience 001: In A Certain Way is an eight second interlude featuring Crystal LaBeija speaking in the 1968 film The Queen, a film that remains a source of pride for people in the LGBT community, Ocean included. The next track, Comme des Garçons, is one where Ocean details the fleeting, temporary nature of life and love before transitioning into Ambience 002: Honeybaby, A song that features Ocean crying out softly (almost sweetly? Like a Honey-Baby? Genius) before singing a short four-bar intermission and delivering the line ‘like holidays I get off on you’. Truly an exemplary linguistic feat, one that is both lighthearted and casual, almost intended to let one’s guard down before Wither.

yo if you like Frank Ocean and talking to people who also like Frank Ocean, join this discord server. https://discord.me/futura . we talk about a lot of musi...

On Wither Ocean describes a love he shares with another, and hoping that his children get to see both the purity of love that he has, and the life that he lives (and will continue to live). He also simultaneously notes that people tend to romanticize things that happen in the past, their memories acting as catalysts to saturate emotions they may not have even felt, though Ocean assures the listener that he felt a legitimate love when he was young, and that it’s more common than one might expect. Ocean quickly transitions to Hublots, a short and simple track expressing Ocean’s preference for a low-key life rather than one of fame and glamour, before moving on to the next track In Here Somewhere. Containing a very sizable sample from Daft Punk’s Contact, the track purely just demonstrates the importance the loving the person you’re with.

Next is the track Slide On Me (mixed by SebastAn, no less), featuring once again two overlapping vocal tracks and a basic guitar and drum pattern to accompany it. In this song Ocean details how he is frequently there for another despite the fact that emotion may not be constantly reciprocated. There is also a version that was released last spring featuring the cultural icon Young Thug. The track perfectly transitions into Sideways, where Ocean describes the state of being sideways (between up and down) as a metaphor for a litany of things: mental state, social status, his sexuality, being alive, etc. It is this grey area that is described in many ways on multiple other songs on the album, all the while Frank Ocean paints and assembles his large spiral staircase.

Florida, which follows Sideways, is a very peaceful and cathartic arrangement of many different vocalists. After a minute and a half, the track changes to Deathwish (ASR), one of the most touching songs on the album, describing a relationship that is left to the mercy of the other while they both fall asleep angry. This song is also symbolic for being in an altered state and leaving oneself at the mercy of god as they doze to sleep, perhaps for the last time. ASR itself is a reference to the system that most automobiles have to reduce the amount of wheel slipping when uncontrollable sliding is detected. The next two tracks, Rushes and Rushes To are both tracks that have Ocean using rushes in a myriad of different metaphors while detailing a particularly difficult relationship. Higgs is a nicely self-reflective song, where we find Ocean in a moment of reflection thinking about his choices in love, in his professional life, and the ways in which he lives his life, singing ‘What is we decided to live by choice? / All this time I knew / That average was something to fall back on after genius ends’. The penultimate track Mitsubishi Sony  features a playful Ocean rapping over a trap-esque instrumental and analog synths while in the video, he slowly but surely finishes his staircase and makes his way before the final step..

And he’s back where he started. In the empty black and white warehouse surrounded by workbenches and construction equipment, with a set of speakers in the corner. The video resumes just the same as it had in the very beginning, as Device Control begins to play once more, but this time the song is much longer and the latter parts of it feature a very heavy percussion track, and the sounds accompanying it resembling a very old but somehow modern techno aesthetic, while Tillmans’ vocals croon on about livestreaming your life and the contradiction of the concept of an instant social media that simultaneously removes us from our surroundings. Then, as quickly as it started, Endless is over, and we are left confused and vaguely emotional.

Although it has been almost three years since its release, the importance of Endless within the larger narrative of modern music cannot be understated, especially in relation to 2016’s Blonde. Each theme that is approached in Blonde is fully fleshed out in Endless, with topics like substance abuse, unrequited love, fame, exposure, expectations, and our individual roles in society being analyzed through a lens of duality, understanding that each concept is much more beyond black and white. The visual album is full of things that everyone can enjoy, and Ocean stays true to his older self by hiding little easter eggs everywhere on the album, such as sampling a menu sound from Super Smash Bros Melee (reminiscent of the samples on 2011’s nostalgia, ULTRA). The visual aspect of this album is one that many would deem unnecessary, as its main use in Ocean’s creative direction was likely largely dictated by Ocean’s desire to make Def Jam as little money as possible.

Years later, this album is still just as awe-inspiring as it was when first shown to thousands of desperate eyes glued to a computer screen, anxiously awaiting the return of the R&B prodigy. If you haven’t checked it out by now, grab a few friends and watch/listen/experience this together, as it is truly a masterpiece worth enjoying.

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Songs of the Week: May 12th

By Spencer Lobdell

Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.

New Songs of the Week:

“RICKY” by Denzel Curry

RICKY, a song by Denzel Curry on Spotify

This week Denzel Curry began what looks to be the rollout for his new album when he released his hard-hitting single “RICKY”. The song, which is equal parts aggressive and catchy, was accompanied by a thrilling music video and is the Florida rapper’s first release since his excellent 2018 album TA13OO. The song is named after Denzel’s father and pays tribute to him by quoting the man as well as telling stories from Denzel’s childhood. The energetic cut is the perfect start to the rollout out of one of the most anticipated albums of 2019.

“That was back in Carol City, yeah, when I was just a jit
With the all-black faded Dickie with the Raider fit
That was it, we was lit, y’all wasn’t even shit yet
We was Three 6, Wu-Tang mixed with Dipset”

— Denzel Curry "RICKY"

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“Racks on Me” HoodRich Pablo Juan

Racks On Me, a song by HoodRich Pablo Juan on Spotify

HoodRich Pablo Juan is one of the most influential voices in the Atlanta trap scene regardless if it has translated into mainstream success. His newest album BLO: The Movie came out this week and is his first release of the year. The first track on the project “Racks on Me” instantly lured me into this project and has been on repeat since its drop. Spiffy Global crafts a perfect instrumental for Pablo’s auto-tuned vocals to melt in to for the songs short two minute duration giving the song a dreamy bounce that is the perfect soundtrack to the end of a late night. With his lyrics, HoodRich reminds us that not every song needs to have deep conceptual meaning or any specific narrative to still be an enjoyable listen. “Racks on Me” is one of the most addicting songs that has dropped this year and a perfect intro to an album that exceeded expectations.

“Walk in, my diamonds is dancing
Too many racks, I can’t hold up my pants
Thick thighs and I like how she dancing
Fuck all that broke shit, bitch, we having bands”

— HoodRich Pablo Juan "Racks on Me"

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“She Live” by Maxo Kream (Feat. Megan Thee Stallion)

She Live (feat. Megan Thee Stallion), a song by Maxo Kream, Megan Thee Stallion on Spotify

Houston OG Maxo Kream is hot right now after a string of well received singles and it seems like we could get a new album for the emcee any week now. His latest single “She Live” is anchored by an excellent hook first sang by Maxo then Megan Thee Stallion. Both artists sound great over the spacious instrumental that is basically just a drum track with a kicking 808. This song has major mainstream appeal and I could see it being Maxo’s biggest hit thanks to the catchy hook and the team up with Megan Thee Stallion who is gaining more momentum everyday.

“Yellowbone Tina, dark skin Keisha, hood bitch, she gon’ set it off like Latifah
Bad bitch down in Miami like Trina, bougie bitch only ride Benz or Beamer”

— Maxo Kream "She Live"

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Throwback Song of the Week:

“EdEddnEddy” by JID

EdEddnEddy, a song by JID on Spotify

“EdEddnEddy” is the fourth song off JID’s 2017 release The Never Story. The short, one-verse, no-hook song showcases JID reminiscing about his childhood and loyalist of friends. The beat is simple and doesn’t take any attention away from JID’s witty word play and unique flow. The song is a slower bop that is an essential for laidback car rides with your day ones.

“We was celebrating life, tryna get to the fetti
But me and my two niggas, we like Ed, Edd ‘n’ Eddy”

— JID "EdEddnEddy"

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Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:

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

By Carter Fife

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Tracks:

Go To Mars (Feat. Tee Grizzley)

I Like Girls (ft. Lil Skies)

ABCD (Friend Zone)

Rating: 5

Listen to Trapstar Turnt Popstar here:

TrapStar Turnt PopStar, an album by PnB Rock on Spotify

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Rico Nasty Embraces Her Multiplicity on "Anger Management"

Rico Nasty is one of the most fascinating, dynamic, and badass artists to break into the rap scene in recent years. Her assent through the ranks of hip hop began in 2016 when she came into contact with artist Lil Yachty. Yachty saw potential in the up and coming rapper and lent himself to a remixed version of Rico Nasty’s song “Hey Arnold.” This remix is what brought to bring her into the consciousness of hip hop fans at large. After the “Hey Arnold” remix, Rico Nasty continued to find success and garner an audience with tracks such as “Key Lime OG,” “Poppin” (both from her 2017 mixtape Sugar Trap 2) and “Smack a Bitch,” released in 2018.

With these singles along with her previous mixtapes, Rico Nasty asserts herself as a tough and imposing character who does not take shit from anyone. She lives her life on her own terms. She acts how she wants, dresses how she wants, and does whatever she pleases. Her confidence is not one that comes from a place of ego or arrogance. Instead, it is the result of immense resilience from someone who has been through the pitfalls of love, death, grief, and motherhood all before the age of 21.

Cover Art for Rico Nasty’s breakout 2018 mixtape, Nasty (2018)

Rico Nasty saw her career gain immense momentum in the summer of 2018 with the release of her mixtape Nasty. For many, Nasty was their first introduction to the wonderfully chaotic world of Rico. Here is a rapper who is wholly  in your face for the nearly forty minute run of the project. Nasty in several respects serves as Rico Nasty’s manifesto to the rap scene. On the project, she is loud, her voice is strained and raspy, her flow is punchy, and her rhymes are straight to the point. With Nasty, Rico tells the audience that she is not like any other rapper currently in the game and she will not compromise herself one bit to fit into any kind of mold imposed upon her.

With her stake in the hip-hop scene firmly established, Rico Nasty has only built upon the spotlight she has found for herself within the last year. Since Nasty, she has released several singles and music videos, performed at festivals such as Coachella, starred in a documentary for FADER, and most recently, put out her highly anticipated new mixtape, Anger Management. Produced by her main collaborator Kenny Beats, Anger Management is a strong addition to Rico’s already strong discography. The title alone is a play on the assertion by some that Rico Nasty is “too angry” or aggressive in her musical style and cultural presence. Rico’s mixtape is not a mitigation of anger, but an embrace of it in the most energetic and hyped up way possible.

Anger Management begins with a computerized voice that asks “Aren't you tired of the same old thing? At every day, every minute, every second?” This is the first of several samples and interludes that serve as thematic threads throughout the length of the project. With the questions asked, the tone shifts quickly from contemplative to chaotic as Rico screams “KENNY,” the beat drops, and we are fully launched into the mixtape. In the first track, “Cold,” Rico Nasty spits rapid fire verses about the money she has earned, the designer clothes and jewelry she wears, the luxury cars she drives, and the never ending supply of weed she smokes, broken up with a chorus in which she states in no uncertain terms that “None of these bitches cold as me!”

Rico Nasty’s braggadocious energy does not let up in the first half of Anger Management. On the track “Cheat Code” featuring Baauer, Rico acknowledges the spectacle she has become and how some have tried to mimic her style in order to gain her level of success. This idea of “bitches trying to be like Rico” sees itself come back up in another track featuring Baauer, this time with the duo EarthGang, on “Big Titties.” Rico’s verse largely focuses on her disdain for biters and copiers, Rico spits “You hoes can't pull it off like me/ Talk like me, bet you wanna be the boss like me/ All these hoes wanna sauce like me/ Floss like me, walk up in the club with no ID” to the backdrop of a quirky yet turnt up beat courtesy of Kenny.

After the radio station bumper parody “Nasty World,” the tone of Anger Management takes a somber turn. In the second leg of the album, Rico is more introspective as she contemplates on the ways in which her life has changed since the advent of her fame. “Relative” shows Rico’s wavering trust in those around her. As she has gotten more and more success, she finds people coming out of the woodwork to befriend her out of nowhere. All of these people want to act like her “relatives” but in actuality, they are simply leeching off of her success. The track ends with a sample from the 1950s educational film, “Age of Turmoil.” The sample mentions a girl who daydreams, who replays “success and failures” over and over again.

This outro correlates well with the last two tracks on Anger Management, “Sell Out” and “Again.” Both tracks showcase a more relaxed, melodic flow from Rico. On “Sell Out,” Rico declares to always be herself for her own sake as well as for the sake of her fans who look up to her. The project ends with “Again,” a reflection on the struggles she has been through. With lyrics such as “Thought I fell in love but I found out that it was lust/ I felt like something was missing, it must have been trust” and “Sometimes I get distracted by madness/ Why do tragedies happen? What if I'm not adapting?” Rico opens up to the audience and allows us into the more raw parts of psyche. However, this song, as well as Rico Nasty’s life story, is not one to sob to. At the same time she details her strife, Rico raps, “But you know good and well I'm not the one to put your pity on” and “I just woke up to a check, you dig?/ Let me take a deep breath, I ain't going broke again.” With this assertion of her capability to make through whatever life throws at her, Rico Nasty ends Anger Management on an encouraging note, the final spoken statement being,“Well now, if there's anything you should need, just let me know/ I'd be very pleased to do it for you/You only have to say the word.”

With Anger Management, Rico Nasty reclaims her temper while also expressing vulnerability, demonstrating that the two can coexist without contention. The project is a symbol for the multiplicity of her identity as a black woman. Women are often told, whether through clear verbal cues or subdued societal sanctions, that they are not allowed to be loud, have complex emotions, or speak of themselves highly. To do so would be arrogant, and, in the case of black women, correlated with idea of being “ghetto” or “hostile.” Rico Nasty vehemently denies all stereotypes and notions about what it means to be loud as a black woman, showing with each track that she has the capacity for depth and introspection. In this way, Rico Nasty and Anger Management both are pieces of radical art that stand in resistance to societal norms and expectations. When we get down to the core of Anger Management, it is simply another example of Rico Nasty being unapologetically herself. And it is her commitment to herself, her personality, and her values that make Anger Management the great album that it is.

Favorite Tracks:

Hattin

Big Titties (Feat. Baauer & EarthGang)

Again

Rating: 8

Stream Anger Management here:

Anger Management, an album by Rico Nasty, Kenny Beats on Spotify

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Kevin Abstract Showcases His Musical Talent and Creative Depth on "ARIZONA BABY"

By Izzy Strobandt

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Kevin Abstract’s album after a series of teases were released. Abstract, Brockhampton’s founder and de-facto leader, started releasing elements of his new album ARIZONA BABY in weekly increments on the Brockhampton Youtube channel. On April 26th, Abstract dipped his toe into performance art by live streaming himself walking on a treadmill for 10 hours on Brockhampton street outside his childhood home in Corpus Christie, Texas.

ARIZONA BABY is Abstract’s first solo album since American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story. While less cohesive than his previous album, ARIZONA BABY parallels the projects that catapulted Brockhampton into the center of the rap game in 2017—showcasing his fearlessness and experimental energy conveyed by a unique blend of genres and rap style.

The majority of the eleven tracks are produced by both Romil Hemnani, Brockhampton’s resident producer, and Jack Antonoff, acclaimed songwriter and arranger of Bleacher’s fame whose influence can most commonly be seen through the considerable presence of instrumental sampling on many of the tracks.

On some tracks, Abstract is pushing the alternative hip-hop genre to the foreground, while on others he dips into a blend of rap, indie, and rock. Unexpected collaborations produce a unique blend of sounds and vibes, featuring artists like Ryan Beatty on “Baby Boy” (a resurgence of the indie alternative style on American Boyfriend), and Bearface, Joba, and Dominic Fike on “Peach” (a melancholic track reminiscent of late-90’s beach alt-rock).

The album opens strong with “Big Wheels,” featuring powerful rap verses laid over a lo-fi beat. The track spells out Abstract’s darkest inner struggles that stems from his hyper-awareness of the way people perceive him and his fame, and the resulting toll on his mental health. “Got a lot of guilt inside of me/ My n***as back home ain’t proud of me/ They think I’m a bitch, just queerbaitin.” One of the key signs of a well thought out album are the transitions between songs, which Abstract has mastered on this album. The horn leads at the end of “Big Wheels” blend seamlessly into the instrumentals at the start of “Joyride.”

The album is a sample of the artistic depth Abstract possesses. While the tracks that mirror his previous hip-hop successes are undoubtedly stronger, “American Problem,” (a rich and psychedelic blend of emotionally honest lyrics and silky instrumentals) showcases Abstract refining his skills and rejecting the confines of being considered solely a single genre artist. Abstract gives homage to Tyler, the Creator, saying “Ninth grade, Tyler was the illest shit I ever heard/ Going to his concerts, no mask, singing every word.” Many listeners have drawn comparisons between Brockhampton and Odd Future, and it is clear Abstract looks up to Tyler as a creative inspiration.

The theme of inner-conflict and isolation reappear throughout the album.

Some tracks on the album openly confront the Christian church’s hateful attitudes towards homosexuals. “Use Me,” opens with a sample of the New Jersey Mass Choir singing “The Harvest is Ripe” and a smooth beat before transitioning to Abstract rapping about feeling alienated. The vocal distortions on “Use Me” are reminiscent of an early Tyler, the Creator on his album Goblin.

On “Georgia,” Abstract interpolates Ray Charles’s “Georgia on My Mind,” and lays out some of the most personal lyricism of all of the tracks on the album. A pained confession his internal struggles, Abstract goes back to his childhood and his experience growing up still in the closet. “I often question/ I often wonder/ If I told this class I liked the n***a that sit in the back/ How bad would it make me suffer? Agh.”

“Mississippi,” is one of the weaker tracks on the album, leaning too heavily into auto-tune and echoing many of the issues listeners had with Brockhampton’s last album Iridescence. It’s not entirely that the track is a huge miss, but in comparison to the rest of the album—“Mississippi” feels like it would be better received if released as a single after more stylistic development.

Despite a few misses, Abstracts second album sets one thing clear to listeners—he’s got loads of talent and a future to look out for.

FAVORITE TRACKS: 

Georgia 

Joyride

Use me 

Rating: 8

Listen to ARIZONA BABY here:

ARIZONA BABY, an album by Kevin Abstract on Spotify

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