for the love of music
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Dreamville’s Head Honcho shares the cover art and release date for the follow-up to his 2018 album, “KOD”
Early today, J. Cole took to Instagram and Twitter to announce that his upcoming album “The Off-Season” will be released next week on May 14th. The announcement was prefaced by a playful tweet which read “Is this thing on?” which marked Cole’s first Twitter activity since January.
Fans have been expecting “The Off-Season” since the end of last December when Cole posted a picture laying out his career plan for “The Fall Off Era.” The map starts with his legendary feature run that took place in 2018 and then led into 2019’s “Revenge of the Dreamers III”. “The Off-Season” is the third project on his list followed by “It’s a Boy” and “The Fall Off”.
Last year, when Cole dropped “Lewis Street EP” he stated that “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” would be the first two songs on “The Fall Off” making their placement on “The Off-Season” unlikely but possible. Regardless of the status of those singles, everytime Cole drops there’s the chance it could be a massive cultural moment in music and the release of “The Off-Season” will be no different
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By Cori Carpenter
Music videos were at their peak in the late 80s and into the 90s as MTV had a tight grip on pop culture. But the millennial age has seen that wave come and go in the last decade as the height of music videos has declined. Although there are still very memorable music videos that have been produced in recent years, some millennials would even regard them as their favorites, it seems as though memorable music videos have become scarce. Certain artists like Beyoncé, Amine, Ariana Grande, and Childish Gambino have made big splashes with their music videos but many other artist’s projects have fallen flat in what many would regard as a lack of creativity.
The shift in the way music is consumed can be tied to the ways in which music videos have fallen off. The consumption of music has shifted from MTV and most recently, YouTube, into streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Popular shows like 106 & Park, which showcased all the new and exciting music videos have become nearly extinct.
Before today, music videos and the song itself were consumed simultaneously but now that is not the case and music videos often come following song releases. Unlike the 2010s and before, the visuals of a music video are not what will make a song more valuable because music is a lot more accessible than it used to be. After Beyoncé’s game-changing digital album release in 2013, streaming services became the new wave of music consumption and plenty of artists alike decided to hop on the same trend. In the years to follow, streaming services reached new heights in competition to lure in artists to release exclusively on their platforms which would intentionally lure in artists’ fanbases. In this era, music videos were put on a back burner and artists switched their focuses to album releases in order to maximize their streams, the new payout for artists aside from music sales. Now that the competition between streaming services has slowed from previous years, music videos are beginning to pick back up with more splashes of creativity.
Mainstream female artists have been carrying the music video industry these past few years, with their seductive cinematography and heavy sex appeal all while creating controversy while doing so. Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s single WAP had already created quite a commotion because of its explicit lyrics but the hot visual is what really sent us into a media frenzy. Childish Gambino’s “This is America” visual brought about the connection of the music industry and social issues in a new way that sent his video to viral status and left chills amongst those who watched. The attention and conversations being had on music videos again is exciting for those like myself who are ready for them to have the same impact they did on pop culture as in the 80s and 90s.
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By Luke Modugno
“Sorry, that’s another B.
Haters still ain’t recover from the other B.
Mm, that’s a double B.
Nah that’s a triple B, can’t forget ‘bout the other Bey. (Hey)”
JAY-Z and Nas hopped on DJ Khaled’s track “SORRY NOT SORRY,” off his latest record “KHALED KHALED.” The two rappers haven’t linked since their notorious beef in the early 00’s, so seeing two rap legends on a track is an undeniable blessing. The track also features James Fauntleroy, who provides a heavenly hook for the two rappers to boast about their success in the rap game.
Khaled really assembled the Avengers for these features. Which track is the best off “KHALED KHALED?”
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While it’s no secret that Baby Keem is the future, with the release of “Durag Activity” today, it’s seeming more and more like the future is now. On the track, Keem delivers punch after punch with his patented staccato spoken flow. At the two minute mark, Jacques Webster makes his presence known with an unmistakable ad-lib followed by the second great Travis Scott feature we’ve received in the past two weeks. Trav floats over the jarring BRICK! instrumental tapping into both his higher and lower register resulting in an energetic performance that might be the highlight of this excellent new release.
The music video enhances the experience further as director Eliel Ford gifts Keem yet another insane visual in which Keem finds himself engaged in plenty of “durag activity” set in what looks to be sometime pre-1980. Keem finds himself taken prisoner in a beautiful mansion with Travis Scott, forcing the two artists to escape, capture their captors, and explore the mansion.
Baby Keem has certainly been heating up lately and with the release of “Durag Activity” it’s starting to feel more and more like ‘The Melodic Blue’ (his upcoming project) might be right around the corner. Do you think it’ll live up to the lofty expectations?
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By Miles Hagan
Young Thug’s brother Unfoonk was locked up until Thug called him one day and said he had a top lawyer for him and he was going to be coming home. In 2017 they had their first conversation and Unfoonk was home 2 years later. Before this he was facing a life sentence and had already served 11 years.
“Racks just to spend, you can tell by the way I grin
And I been Chrome Heartin’ it, fuck is a bargin?”
This adds to the laundry list of amazing feats Thugger has accomplished with his platform. Another one of his brothers was deaf and he sent him to surgery so he could hear again. He put his mother through treatment to take care of her cancer. He has shown time and time again that he values putting his people on and taking care of his family more than individual success. At this point there is a family tighter than the one Young Thug has created at YSL.
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By Luke Modugno
“Still don’t think that I get the credit that I’m deserving
But last week, we was just hooping with Kyrie Irving”
The North Carolina rapper dropped a beautiful 4 pack EP last night titled “Just Until…,” featuring Q-Tip and Young Thug. Cordae has been relatively quiet this year, as this is his first drop of the year. The rap game has been hanging on the 23-year-olds every word since his stunning debut project “The Lost Boy.” Boasting inherently talented lyricism, rhyme schemes and patterns, he’s undoubtedly one of the leaders of the new school. It looks like we won’t have to wait long for a new Cordae project, as the EP artwork displays the message “See you soon, Album almost done - Cordae.”
Cordae’s newest EP exhibits the same versatility he displayed on “The Lost Boy.” Cordae flows over a tripped-up, psychedelic beat with an intriguing hook from Q-Tip on “More Life.” On “Dream in Color,” Cordae gets into his vocal bag and tries his hand in singing his own hook, making for a vibey, braggadocious track. Thug and Cordae trade bars on an unapologetic trap beat from 18YOMAN on “Wassup,” a clear standout from the EP. Finally, Cordae goes back to his soul rap roots on “Thornton Street.” Are any of the songs off “Just Until…” making your rotation?
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By Luke Modugno
“Nothing nice but lyrics
We can get explicit over digits
Bro say that he with it
Anyone can get it”
This track is one of two from his latest project Buy One Get One Free, Vol 2, a sequel to his 2020 EP. Chicago has been put on notice as of late by native rapper Femdot. Produced by goldxhaze, the track just continues to prove why he is one of the leading voices in the new wave of Chicago hip-hop. Bar for bar, Femdot has separated himself from the pack, showing off inventive, compelling lyricism early on in his career. Look out for more Femdot music later on this year.
Is “Album Mode” making your rotation or nah?
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By Luke Modugno
SLIME LANGUAGE HAS RETURNED. Young Thug and YSL have finally dropped the sequel to their 2018 tape, as they dropped “SLIME LANGUAGE 2” on Thursday night. The project features an absolutely stacked roster of guest performances from Drake, Travis Scott, Future, Kid Cudi, Lil Uzi Vert, Meek Mill, Gunna and Lil Baby.
Thug has been relatively quiet since dropping his hailed 2019 project “So Much Fun.” Since then, Thugger dropped a collaboration with Chris Brown titled “Slime & B.” At this point, we already know what to expect from Thug. Ear-catching, boundary-pushing, head-bopping trap music chalk full of exciting features that keep listeners coming back for more. “SLIME LANGUAGE 2” sees Thug teaming up with the top talent from his label YSL, as well as headliner names like Travis and Drake.
Thug has been teasing this project for a minute now, the album is sure to make some noise. Almost halfway through the year, is this your album of 2021 so far?
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Vince Staples has a unique ability to inject the listener with energy from the moment he touches the mic. 2015’s Summertime ‘06 was his coming out party with standouts like “Norf Norf”. That being said “Jump off the roof” is the kind of energetic darkness that represents Vince. It’s darker message and undertones over a beat that smacks you in the face is the perfect combination. He’s so charismatic on this song he almost makes you want to join him. -Miles Hagan
Though Snoop Dogg’s 2015 record BUSH was far from critically acclaimed at the time of its release, the Pharrell-produced record was actually home to some of both Snoop and Pharrell’s biggest sleeper hits. “I’m Ya Dogg” features none other than Rick Ross and Kendrick Lamar - who I personally believe delivered his career-defining performance - over Pharrell’s signature taught and bouncy production with a dash of ambiance thrown in for good measure. Though it may be a while until the culture starts to appreciate “I’m Ya Dogg” for the banger that it is, you can catch me yelling “Head in the Maybach boomin’ / thank God for leg room!” every time it comes on shuffle. -Carter Fife
Although to simply say that AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP is Rocky’s best project to date is a freezing cold take, I like to spice things up by attribute the album’s potency to the energy Rocky opens the project with on the tape’s intro, “Holy Ghost.” The song opens with long dramatic guitar bends that instantly cue listeners that what they’re about to hear is no rap song, but rather a sermon of epic proportion featuring pastor Flako at the peak of his powers. Rocky raps two of the best verses of his career cementing this as one of his best songs and one of the most criminally underrated tracks of 2015. -Spencer Lobdell
There will never be enough R.I.P.s to fill the void Mac Miller left in the music community. GO:OD AM was Mac Miller seemingly coming out of a very dark place in his life. With an Ab-Soul feature that almost steals the show and a hook that makes anyone wanna sing, “Two Matches” is a standout from this project. Mac reminisces on the dreams he had as a kid and the realities that came along with realizing those dreams. -Miles Hagan
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By Luke Modugno
“Paid shooters, but for you, they’ll do it pro bono
Seen you talkin’ to the police, yeah, no bueno”
Bravo The Bagchaser has been making some noise around the LA rap scene. Last year, he dropped his first full-length project “Born 2 Win,” which turned heads with Bravo’s energetic delivery and chuckle-inducing one-liners. At just 19-years-old, Bravo is someone to watch going forward, kids got talent.
“Stay Dangerous” is the lead single off his new 16-track project “Bagchasin’,” which was released last month. The project features verses from Offset Jim, G Perico, Rucci, Kyle Banks, and more. Is “Stay Dangerous” a save or skip for you?
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By Luke Modugno
“I ain’t jokin’, do it sound like I’m kiddin’?
I been makin’ like two thousand a minute
So high up through the clouds, I was swimmin’”
It won't be long until Polo G is a household name. Last year, the 22-year-old made some mainstream noise with the release of his well-received project “THE G.O.A.T.” Ever since the release of their hit record “Pop Out,” with Lil Tjay, both rappers have seen plenty of success on the charts. According to Billboard, “RAPSTAR” is challenging the wildly controversial and popular “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” for the top spot in the U.K. on the OCC’s First Look chart. Produced by Einer Bankz and Synco, the ukulele based production gives Polo the perfect stage to rap about his recent run of successes as a young rapstar.
“RAPSTAR” is expected to be a part of Polo G’s upcoming project titled “HALL OF FAME,” which is slated to release at some point later this year. Is “RAPSTAR” making your rotation or nah?
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By Luke Modugno
“Boss shit, big MAC-11, back of the seven on some boss shit (Yeah)
I put that President on my wrist and I got frostbit (Brr)”
After dropping the masterpiece and Grammy nominated “Alfredo” with the Alchemist in 2020, Gibbs hasn’t skipped a beat since. He’s blessed us with a surprise deluxe edition of his 2014 classic collaborative project “Pinata,” a silky-smooth single with ScHoolboy Q titled “Gang Signs,” and an introspective deepcut titled “Winter in America,” off the compilation project “Black History Always / Music for the Movement Vol. 2.” At this point, Gibbs has to be somewhere in your top 10 right now, he is absolutely killing it.
In an interview with MixMag, the 38-year-old Gary, Indiana native revealed his newest project slated to drop later this year titled “SSS.” Gibbs recruited just about every stellar producer in the game for the project, saying production from Madlib, Pharrell Williams, Mike Will Made It, Hit-Boy, The Alchemist and Sevn Thomas will appear on the project. “It’s just another album of the year,” Gibbs said. “It’s going to be the best produced album that I ever made.” This album is going to be a game changer. If he drops another classic, is it fair to say he’s the best rapper out right now?
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