My list for my top 10 favorite songs of 2019 is currently on my Youtube channel!
Click the link and see what my brother, cousin, and I have to say in regards to 2019’s slew of songs. Top 10 Albums of 2019 coming soon to Youtube also! Subscribe to my channel for more content and don’t forget to like the video if you enjoyed it!
– Ant
Juice Wrld, unfortunately, passed away today from an apparent seizure and the world of hip-hop is in shock. The 21-year-old was a rising star for the past couple of years from Illinois who took the music industry by storm with his hit song “Lucid Dreams”. Juice Wrld was unfortunately plagued by loss in the past two years from friends and idols such as XXXTentacion and Lil Peep, both were emo-rappers like Juice Wrld. These losses made him release the now prophetic song “Legends” in which he detailed how the 21 club is now the new “27 Club” and sadly that became true for him on December 8, 2019. While we continue to mourn the loss of one of hip-hop’s most unique and rising rappers, I compiled my writings of him on this article so that I too may pay my respects to the artist and his work. Rest in peace Juice Wrld, may you be forever missed.
2017 saw the rise of rappers being emotional and down to Earth with their music. Rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, XXXTentacion, and Lil Peep are some of the few names that dominated the “emo-rap” genre of 2017. 2018 introduced us to another key player in the genre, that being Juice WRLD.
Juice WRLD is a 19-year-old rapper from Calumet Park, Illinois. His work can be compared to Lil Uzi Vert, XXXTentacion, and Lil Peep yet it still sounds unique and different from these artists even though they have a similar theme in their songs. Juice WRLD is perhaps the most human amongst these names, especially because of his age and his outlook on life. Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Peep were mostly about drugs, money, and losing the love of their lives. Meanwhile, XXXTentacion was more in line with releasing songs about life, death, and his feelings towards others. Juice Wrld can be described as the ultimate combination of these three artists who is then sprinkled with bits and pieces of other artists such as Trippie Redd, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Lil Yachty, and Lil Tracy to name a few. Juice Wrld is definitely someone I can see becoming one of the most notable acts of this year.
His music is what you’d expect from an emo rapper, however, his lyrics are what sets him apart from others in his genre. The way Juice WRLD raps on each dreamy and cloudy beat is perhaps his best feature. The delivery of his lyrics are sincere and full of sadness which results in an excellent display of character as each song follows this similar trend. Songs like “Lucid Dreams” are popular due to his unique take on the genre. “Lucid Dreams” is my favorite song by him due to his genuineness that he bleeds on the track. The message he maintains is deep and relatable on a personal level. Lyrics such as “Who knew evil girls had the prettiest face?” hit me in the feels to a great extent. I believe his honesty and straight-forwardness is what will propel him to further success this year.
His album Goodbye & Good Riddance is a very strong testament to his ability and versatility as a rapper. 15 tracks are barely enough to even scratch the surface of Juice WRLD’s persona. I don’t believe Juice WRLD to be a “character”; I consider him to be more lifelike than most of the current rappers. I feel that rappers such as Lil Xan and Yung Lean simply lack the humanity and realism that Juice WRLD extorts on this album. Nonetheless, this album is a song debut from the rising rapper and I can’t find many negative aspects of this release. Juice WRLD also made some solid skits for this album such as “Betrayal” and “Karma”. Skits haven’t been featured in modern music recently and if they are, they mostly just are called interludes. The skits on Goodbye & Good Riddance really set the tone and theme of the album as they feature a woman who laughs and betrays him at the start of the album, however, in the end, she gets her karma when he ignores her. These simple two skits really give the album an identity that can resonate with almost every listener.
With 13 songs and two skits, Juice WRLD released one of the best albums to come out this year. This year has already been a great year for music and if we get another release from him this year, I could see this year being better than 2016 when it comes to albums. I am glad to see Juice WRLD is blowing up and getting proper exposure and I hope he continues to put out quality work and works to further perfect his craft. I definitely must say that Juice WRLD is a name you need to look out for this year as I’m sure he will own a section of this year with his fantastic debut album.
10. ON GOD – Juice Wrld ft. Young Thug
Juice Wrld has been on a streak recently with releases and Death Race For Love is no exception. This 22 song album has some notable hits such as “Robbery” and “Hear Me Calling”, however, I believe the best song on this album is “ON GOD”. The song “ON GOD” features Young Thug and shows the insane chemistry that the two have together. With the two interweaving together they form a meticulous yet infectious song that ranks at 10 for this year’s list so far.
Religion is everywhere, whether from holidays to our weekly or daily devotions to higher powers, religion is everywhere. The way religion is interpreted is completely up to each individual, however, some praise their God to a different extent. Kanye West has been an interesting character throughout his career and 2019 spares no expenses in this stage of his life. However, while most would say this newfound love in God is unexpected and only an act for attention or money, one would be very wrong to assume that. Kanye’s faith in religion and God has been around since his first album The College Dropout in 2004 with “Jesus Walks”. The song “Jesus Walks” was a huge success in 2004 and Kanye continued to reference God in his music ever since, however, he never fully made an album revolving around his Lord and Savior. Some religious artists found some traction such as Skillet and Lecrae, but many failed to grasp a loyal and dedicated fanbase over the years. But was 2004-2019 the proper climate to discuss religious tones in music for Kanye West?
“They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, videotape
But if I talk about God my record won’t get played, huh?”
With “Jesus Walks” being a hit in the music industry, Kanye West proved that religious themed-songs could succeed in the modern industry of music. But a successful religious rap album was simply a dream for Kanye. Instead of making a whole album devoted to God, he instead decided to sprinkle religious themes and religion into his albums since 2004 as a way to praise his God while still being a commercial hit. While Kanye’s lyrics weren’t necessarily “holy”, they were put in place for a reason. Up to his release of Yeezus, Kanye particularly discussed his own sins and focused the narratives of each album on himself and how he lives. With Yeezus, Kanye suggested that he himself is a God with his song “I Am a God”; this very sinful act would become the catalyst for a brand new and rejuvenated Kanye West in 2019.
In “I Am a God”, Kanye single-handedly proclaimed that he is a being of higher power and should be treated as such. This statement comes from his second wind that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy created in 2010. After the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye was as motivated as ever to continue his streak of success and hits that MBDTF produced. In doing so, Kanye West became as sinful, influential, and experimental as ever. This new era of Kanye that gave us Yeezus, a new perspective of what it felt like to be an influential multi-millionaire living in the year 2013. Kanye was fueled by money and power at this time and it is reflected in his songs from Yeezus. This new side of Kanye would last for a few years until his next perspective change that would occur in 2016.
2016 would change Kanye West’s music, ideology, and life forever because it is the year that he would allegedly be $53 million in debt. This debt would lead Kanye to a figure that he hasn’t seen in a while, God. With his 2016 album, The Life Of Pablo Kanye starts off the album with a track titled “Ultralight Beam”. What might be one of the best Kanye West album introductions also reveals a tease of who Kanye has been talking to during his troubled times. Kanye reconnected with the one figure who was there with him from the start; and in doing so was able to solve his debt crisis, release a highly regarded and successful album, and continue his sumptuous clothing line. Kanye has high praise for this figure and talking to Him was able to put him in a great position until his stability issues in 2018 with Ye.
2018 was an interesting year for Mr. West. Two years after reaffirming his faith in Christianity he lost security within his own life. The album Ye features Kanye discussing his battle with mental health and relationships with loved ones and friends. This is a low point for Kanye that hasn’t been seen since 2008 with his complete emotional breakdown and the release of 808s & Heartbreak. But with his strong work ethic, friends, and family he was able to rise once more about a week later with the release of Kids See Ghosts. With the release of this collaboration with Kid Cudi, Kanye found himself again and was eventually reborn as a new and stronger man who was still searching for answers and a figure of power.
Fast-forward to October of 2018 and we have Kanye West attempting to find an idol in former businessman and current President Donald Trump. This led to a tirade and a slew of negative comments. Kanye thought that the President would make a good idol but was met with negative reactions from a fair amount of listeners. Where Kanye thought he could come back into touch with power, he was only met with hate and pessimism from his community. This brings us to January 1st of 2019 where we have Kanye West leaving Twitter after never releasing his scheduled album Yandhi in November and facing backlash for his political comments. With not releasing Yandhi and aligning himself with a political figure, Kanye West essentially left many fans upset, confused, and worried for Kanye and his future.
With Kanye West officially off of social media, waves of people wondered where he was heading following the 1st of January 2019. It was at this point where Kanye had to reinvent himself and his style like he’s done numerous times in the past. Kanye reached out to the one person who never left his side, God. In doing so he started the highly energetic and faithful Sunday Service’s that have played a huge role in his return to Christianity and God. Kanye went back to his roots and asked God for another favor; redemption. When Kanye left God behind in 2018 his life started to fall apart and his ideologies became questionable. But in 2019, Kanye Omari West fully pledged himself to Christianity and decided to spread the word of Jesus around the world with his newest album, Jesus Is King. This album marks the rebirth of Kanye and his first non-secular album release.
After 15 years, Kanye finally decided to release a religious album without fearing the repercussions and potential of being a commercial and critical failure. The album was received by the critics as average but was a chart-topping success for it’s the first opening week. The album fell off the top charts fairly quickly, but the impact it made remains to this day. Within 15 years we’ve seen Kanye West battle with love, loss, success, failure, and most importantly religion. Today, Kanye West is talked about and associated with religion, the single force that put him on the map. The path of Kanye West has been a long, tough, and often questionable but he is finally happy. Kanye West is finally free.
11/1/19
“Ballin'”
Mustard has been one of the most prolific producers of this decade, and he continued his streak with the release of his album titled Perfect Ten. This album showcases Mustard’s production by recruiting some of the most prominent and relevant names in hip-hop. Mustard has worked with many artists in the past ten years with names such as YG, Big Sean, and Ty Dolla $ign to name a few. During his career, Mustard has made many connections with musicians and Perfect Ten was a perfect time to show how relevant his production and connections are. Perfect Ten is Mustard’s third studio album and arguably his best yet. The album features Young Thug, Future, Nipsey Hussle, A$AP Rocky and many more. While he’s a newcomer to the scene, Roddy Ricch has what I think is one of the best songs on the album with “Ballin'”.
Roddy Ricch, a 21-year-old from Compton been on the rise recently with collaborations from Marshmello, Meek Mill, and Mustard. “Ballin'” is a song that is purely about success and how one’s hard work can lead to big opportunities, especially in music. Roddy Ricch, being a newcomer to hip-hop and recently finding success within the past year is the perfect candidate for this song. This song is an anthem for prosperity and triumph, however, it is also a song that gives off a positive aura and can easily motivate one to chase their dreams. With “Ballin'” being certified Gold and Perfect Ten debuting at #8 on the US Billboard 200, Mustard and Roddy Ricch are seemingly living the dream they presented in “Ballin'” and I hope their success never ends.
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In April of 2017, I started this site to help express my love and appreciation for music and film. Two years later I have finally reached my 100th post on here and decided to branch out from WordPress and take on another new venture with YouTube. I decided to launch my own YouTube channel to accompany my website and I will do my best to balance the two platforms. My channel will have music and film reviews, discussions, and opinions similar to those that I do now on this platform. I believe that by using a video format, I am able to produce better content that can be easily accessible and enjoyed. While managing two platforms will be difficult, I am looking forward to connecting with new people, growing my fan-base, and creating more exceptional content overall. I hope you take a minute to check out my channel and subscribe for more content coming soon! Thank you as always for your continued support throughout the years and I hope you enjoy what I have to offer next!
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With 2019 coming to an end soon, it is important to highlight some of the great songs to come out this year. With the first list of the year, we saw 2 Chainz, Kevin Abstract, and SAINt JHN take the top spots, however, since then we’ve seen a lot of great releases from artists as they continue to impress me over the year. Here is my list of favorite releases from 4/21 to 9/26! (As usual, there is a limit of one song per artist)
10. I Was On The Block – YG ft. Valee and Boogie
“I Was On The Block” is by far one of YG’s most intriguing songs in his catalog. This song begins my top ten list because of its use of one of my favorite flows to emerge in recent years. The “Valee Flow” is a flow used by many rappers such as Smokepurpp, Lil Pump, Nicki Minaj, and even Tyler, The Creator. While Valee isn’t a major name yet, his flow is easily influential and YG’s and Boogie’s use of the iconic style is one of my most favorite highlights of the year.
9. Proud Of Me – Lil Keed ft. Young Thug
Explaining the appeal of Lil Keed is fairly difficult as he doesn’t add much to modern music that hasn’t already been done already. But, what Lil Keed does do quite well is make attractive and infectious songs such as “Nameless” and “Proud Of Me”. Young Thug’s feature in this song is definitely the best part as his voice compliments the song in every way imaginable and even ends up becomes more likable than Lil Keed on this track. While Lil Keed has some things to work on, Young Thug once again proves that he’s one of the hardest and greatest working rappers in today’s scene.
8. Baguettes in the Face – Mustard ft. NAV, Playboi Carti, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
As I’ve said in the past, I love NAV but he is simply one of the non-ironically funniest artists in the industry. But, where NAV lacks in seriousness, he makes up for in catchy choruses and verses. Mustard is a genius when it comes to selecting features for his song because of this song and “ON GOD” which both came from his newest release, Perfect Ten. “Baguettes in the Face” combines the chorus power of NAV, the style of Playboi Carti, and the flow of A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. Together these four created one of the best hits that this year has to offer.
7. Jollof Rice – Bas ft. EARTHGANG
Ever since I heard Bas on “Night Job” back in 2015, I’ve been a fan of some of his songs. While he has some great songs, I tend to prefer his songs with J. Cole, however, Bas surprised me this year with the release of his song “Jollof Rice”. This song features WowGr8 from EARTHGANG whose presence brings the song to a new level. While it is unfortunate that Olu from EARTHGANG wasn’t on the song, I am thankful that at least WowGr8 provided some great verses to this highly addictive song. I really am impressed with Bas because of this song and I hope his EP, Spilled Milk 1 sees a sequel in the near future.
6. I THINK – Tyler, The Creator
IGOR is without a doubt one of the best albums of the year but picking just one song from it to represent the album is very tough. I decided to go with “I THINK” because of its masterful production and message. I honestly really enjoyed IGOR and I hope that it receives its much-deserved recognition at the end of the year from critics and listeners alike.
5. UP – EARTHGANG
EARTHGANG is perhaps the best duo of the 2010s and “UP” is the best piece of evidence I can give to this claim. “UP” combines Olu’s powerful vocals with WowGr8’s top-notch delivery to create a beautiful masterpiece. EARTHGANG has had a good amount of hits throughout the years but “UP” is by far their best one yet as it combines the best abilities of both rappers. I am really fascinated with their ability to produce terrific songs that never cease to become too repetitive.
4. Find Our Way – Being As An Ocean
Finally, Being As An Ocean released their newest album PROXY: An A.N.I.M.O. Story which contains some wonderful tracks to be heard. One of these songs is the single, “Find Our Way”. This song is definitely the best song to come from the band in years and is possibly their finest song ever made. I was thoroughly impressed with the post-hardcore band this year and cannot wait to see what’s next for the group.
3. On My Own – Jaden ft. Kid Cudi
Before I start, I just want to say that I love Jaden Smith, however, I love Kid Cudi more. Now, with that in mind, it is pertinent to say that “On My Own” is one of the strongest songs to ever come from Jaden and that is because Kid Cudi lends his amiable voice to the already appealing song. I adore these two for their own reasons, but, combined they made a memorable song that I will never forget. I really hope these two work together more often because their synergy is perfect together.
2. Dangerous – ScHoolboy Q ft. Kid Cudi
ScHoolboy Q’s latest album, CrasH Talk looked very promising based off the singles but wasn’t able to surpass previously released albums of his, especially the Blank Face LP. Regardless, CrasH Talk did supply us with some great songs such as “Numb Numb Juice”, “Drunk”, and my favorite “Dangerous”. While the song is only two and a half minutes long it makes each second count as ScHoolboy Q delivers a remarkable verse while Kid Cudi performs a grim chorus. This song by far has some of the most impactful and perilous lyrics I’ve ever heard from a rapper in this decade. ScHoolboy Q has serious potential to create fascinating and hypnotic songs and “Dangerous” is a glorious example of this.
1. NO HALO – BROCKHAMPTON
BROCKHAMPTON is an unstoppable collective that seemingly never loses steam nor fail to adapt to changing times. Five albums in and they are still going strong especially with the slew of singles from their fifth album, GINGER. One of these singles to the album is the song “NO HALO” which has every member contributing vocally. The song is a beautiful piece of art that excellently showcases the imperfections that humans inevitably have. Deb Never even lends her voice to the boyband to bring the song to it’s fullest potential. I think “NO HALO” is a great way to begin an album about that covers the past, the future, and every mistake made along the way.
Ever since his second album in 1999 Eminem has become a household name in America. With overwhelming success in the world comes fans that will appreciate and love content that one releases. While having fans is often a sign of accomplishment and could be viewed as a positive achievement in the world, it may not always be a good thing. Obsessive fans have always been a presence in the entertainment industry, however, most celebrities are portrayed as too nice and kind to address these toxic and often zealous individuals. Eminem being the open person that he is, decided to tackle these fans in 2000 with the release of his song “Stan.”
“Stan”, tells the tale of a crazed stalker-fan simply named Stan. With the help of singer Dido, Eminem created one of the most memorable and impactful songs of his career. The song depicts Stan continuously writing letters to Eminem in hopes to finally get a reply from him. The song is an interesting concept as the letters become the main storytelling aspect while Dido provides the chorus by using her song “Thank You.” to further set the tone of the song. Throughout the song, Stan becomes more and more aggressive and irritable with each letter and eventual cassette that he sends to Eminem. Stan, being the obsessive fan that he is, decides to take things to the extreme in the song. Stan decides to get an “Eminem” tattoo, slit his wrists, and eventually kill himself and his pregnant girlfriend all because of his devotion to the rapper.
The song comes to a close as Eminem finally has time to sit down and write back to Stan and offers him life advice and assures him that he appreciates him as a fan but is still creeped out by Stan’s obsessiveness. By the time Eminem has time to write back, he realizes that Stan is already dead along with his girlfriend and their unborn child. This unfortunate ending is tragic as Eminem shows how far someone could go for someone they’re obsessed with while not knowing that help was only a short while away.
With the release of the song, the term “Stan” has been coined by fans of Eminem and is used to describe obsessive fans who exhibit a mindset similar to Stan. Almost 20 years later, “Stan” is as impactful as ever as social media has taken over the world and fans have more access to their favorite celebrities in an easier fashion with an easier way to voice their obsessive thoughts towards these individuals. The song is considered by many to be one of the best if not the best Eminem song next to his very notable song, “Lose Yourself”. Regardless, of the era, Eminem’s timeless classic lives on through the headphones and speakers of many as a tragic tale of obsession that simply cannot be replicated.
9/20/19
“Up”
While Earthgang has been around for almost ten years now, they finally released their major-label debut studio album Mirrorland. The duo consists of Olu and WowGr8 and is reminiscent of the duo Outkast. Both of the Atlanta duos provide a taste of freedom, wildness, and self-expression while their lyrics represent the trials and tribulations of the American lifestyle. While the two can be endlessly compared, it is essential that Earthgang gets the recognition that they deserve as they have continuously been a welcomed and revitalizing sound to the oversaturated genre.
With Mirrorland comes a slew of new hits for fans to enjoy but as usual there is always one song that stands out above the rest. “Up” is perhaps one of the most refreshing tracks that this year has to offer. The song was previewed in 2018 during a COLORS video, however, one of Earthgang’s best abilities is making songs endlessly enjoyable no matter how many times one plays the song. With Olu and WowGr8 putting their all into the track with slick lyrics and impeccable singing it is easy to see why “Up” deserves all of the praise it has gotten since it’s release last year. The song is a rejuvenating hit that surely will be one of the best songs of 2019, but, with that said it is pertinent that Earthgang continues to give their all on each release as they obviously have the potential to do great things like they did with “Up.” Until their next release, expect Mirrorland to be a talking point for the duo until they eventually outdo themselves in the future with more hits.
6/28/19
“The Catalyst”
While Linkin Park is best known for their earlier albums such as Hybrid Theory, Meteora, and Minutes to Midnight one of their best songs comes from their fourth album, A Thousand Suns. Linkin Park is known for having an alternative rock sound that often includes Mike Shinoda rapping alongside Chester Bennington’s excellent vocals, it is easy to forget how versatile the band was during their run before Chester Bennington’s passing in 2017. The band has seen many stylistic changes over 21 years and that includes their constant attempts at experimenting with new sounds that they can take advantage of for interesting results. Linkin Park is what some may consider to be a perfect band because of their great discography and willingness to try out new things even if the fans don’t believe they could pull it off. “The Catalyst” was one of the songs that fans doubted at first as it was the lead single for their album, A Thousand Suns.
“The Catalyst” is a fusion of techno and rock as the band tries to paint the picture of an upcoming apocalypse for the human race. With the whole album adopting this theme, “The Catalyst” is a magnificent penultimate track for the group as they begin to close out their fourth album. The song is grim yet uplifting as Chester and Mike make it their goal to get their apocalyptic message across. The electronic vibe that is given off really makes the song memorable as it stands out from Linkin Park’s older work especially songs from Hybrid Theory in 2000. Since the tragic loss of Chester Bennington in 2017 the group has been on permanent hiatus until they decide what to do next, however, their impact and influence lives on through numerous projects and hits. “The Catalyst” serves as a reminder that experimentation is a necessity for bands to continue being successful as Linkin Park would go on to make three more unique and original albums before going on hiatus. Linkin Park surely is one of the greatest bands of all time and their originality and dedication to new sounds is what can be mainly attributed to this claim.
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2009 saw the rise of one of the most noteworthy artists going into the next decade. Scott Mescudi released his debut album Man On The Moon: The End Of Day on September 15, 2009, after working on it for two years. The album was received well and had decent sales, but to some this album was an answer to their calls for help. Kid Cudi is notably someone who speaks out about mental health in his music and with young teens and adults starting to be open with their problems in the 2000s, Kid Cudi was their savior. This record is relatable, fun, and deep as it features Cudi discussing his childhood, mental health, and overall wellbeing over a 58-minute album. Being under the wing of Kanye West, Scott Mescudi was given the tools to voice his message to the world. While MOTM: TEOD is certainly a staple of modern hip-hop but what makes it so acclaimed and respected 10 years later?
Cudi creates this first act titled The End of Day as an introductory dream sequence in which he can do, say, and think whatever he wishes knowing there will be no consequences for his actions. This section of the album features Cudi introducing himself to the world as a troubled man who has flaws just like everyone else in the world. While he wasn’t a huge celebrity at this point, he paints himself as just an average man who’s voice can make an impact on society. “Soundtrack 2 My Life” and “In My Dreams” show us that Cudi is full of emotions especially love, sadness, and hope. With these three emotions in tow, Cudi uses them to his advantage when detailing his life and how he copes with the issues that life throws at him. After these tracks, we are greeted to the transitional track, “Simple As…” which ends with Common ushering the listeners into the Rise of the Night Terrors section.
The Rise of the Night Terrors act has Cudi exploring his weaknesses and how his mistakes have shaped him into the man he is today. On “Solo Dolo”, Cudi questions why he can never win in the world even when he does everything properly in life. The song ends with Cudi realizing that he has never once taken his own advice and continues to create problems for himself without even realizing it. This prompts the next song, “Heart Of A Lion” to serve as the first internal fight that Cudi has with himself. While he claims to have the heart of a lion, he never fully embraces it because his mind is in a constant battle with itself. The repetitive “no’s” and “yeah’s” that make up the chorus serve as this battle that he is consistently struggling with internally. After this struggle is highlighted and shown, Cudi sets out to create his perfect plans for the future on “My World”. Cudi describes what he would do if he had full control of his dreams and actions where he inevitably hopes to own the world and run it in his image.
After Cudi’s plans are revealed, we are once again reminded that he may never actually achieve these goals due to his internal struggles pressing on each and every day. In order to deal with his mind, Cudi turns to drugs, notably marijuana so that he may ease his mind in order to enact his dreams in the real world. Act III is labeled Taking a Trip as that’s exactly what Cudi does in order to suppress his negative thoughts. “Day ‘N’ Nite” is perhaps the best example in this act where we get to see a calm and reasonably happy form of Scott Mescudi. Turning to drugs has given him the strength and courage to face the world confidently. “Sky Might Fall” is where we see this new incarnation of Cudi dealing with the end of the world with full confidence and no worries at all. Cudi has received a boost of determination when it comes to dealing with cataclysmic events in his life and mind. “Enter Galactic” once again reminds the listener that Kid Cudi has become reliant on drugs in order to solve his problems as we venture into the fourth act, Stuck.
Stuck shows Cudi at his peak upon drug use and how he has become fueled with energy to take over the world. “Alive” shows this surge of energy and confidence well as he compares himself to a werewolf when he’s on a high. This comparison makes sense as both Cudi and a werewolf are a raging monster at night. After a song full of strength and excitement, Cudi introduces us to “Cudi Zone”. “Cudi Zone” is an upbeat song where he continues to ride his wave of confidence and energy. This energy that Cudi exerts come to full fruition when he, Kanye West, and Common team up for “Make Her Say”. This song features Lady Gaga as the three men surf on the beat to showcase how much fun they have when they’re free to do what they want. But, after their fun and shenanigans, Cudi once again continues his search for peace and happiness on “Pursuit Of Happiness”. The song “Pursuit Of Happiness” sets out to accomplish exactly what its name implies. Cudi searches for happiness everywhere but ends up finding out the hard truth that not everything that shines is truly gold. Cudi understands the lowlight that plagues his career, life, and future. But, what he knows is that he will eventually find peace within himself and be able to appreciate his life and all that he has.
With this new revelation, the album enters its final Act titled A New Beginning. The first song after his new enlightenment is “Hyyerr”. With newfound knowledge and self-purpose Cudi tackles drug use with a better mentality. Instead of using drugs as a crutch, he decides to use them to better his creativity. Cudi closes out the album with “Up Up & Away” which serves as a conclusion to the Man On The Moon: The End Of Day story. Scott Mescudi has been through a lot since the album’s beginning and has fallen into many holes that he was forced to dig himself out of, however, in the end, he came out on top. Kid Cudi confronted his demons, found a new purpose, and discovered a new way to live life. In 15 songs Cudi managed to accomplish what many strive to do in their whole lifetime. However, this story is far from over as his demons and problems eventually return in the second part of the story, Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager. Scott Mescudi’s life is full of ups and downs but at the end of the day, he always strives to live a better tomorrow for his friends, family, and most importantly himself.
After releasing what some may consider a timeless classic, how does one attempt to make a comparable record one year later? While it’s not an easy task, Travis Scott made the attempt and surprisingly came close to achieving the level of perfection that Rodeo strived to be. Released in 2016, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight is the second studio album by Travis Scott and his second attempt at making another great album.
The album starts off with “the ends”, which is a solid reintroduction into the world of Travis Scott. On “the ends”, Travis discusses growing up in Atlanta as a child and how it shaped him into the man he is today. The song also features André 3000 as he too discusses where he came from and how the murder of children was becoming an all too familiar topic for him growing up. These murders and crimes made André 3000 give up on religion and rather focus on surviving during his childhood. The next song is “way back” and continues the narrative of Travis Scott and his life growing up in Atlanta. As one may recall, Travis decided to leave his mother’s porch in order to pursue fame, however, fame isn’t as easy it seems for him. At only two songs in, Travis is tired of the fake people and traitors in his life and decides it’s best for them to be removed. He also notes that he has lost his freedom to be public because he knowingly would end up in a scandal.
The next song, “coordinate” is simply a song about embracing the lavish life he worked hard for and how he has learned to always aim for more even when he has everything that he truly needs in life. In this song, money flies in and out of Travis’s pockets all while he makes sure to match his outfit each day. While this is more of a less serious song, “coordinate” gives an introspective into his life now that he’s a hip-hop icon. “through the late night” is a highlight for Travis because it features his idol, Kid Cudi. The two further embrace the rich and famous lifestyle as they continuously sleep and party each and every day. However, Travis decides to rap a verse from Kid Cudi’s hit song “Day ‘N’ Nite” from 2008. This is notable because while Kid Cudi was fighting his mental health in this song, Travis is fighting the lifestyle he wound up in. Both men experience different forms of stress and both seek peace, but they are from two very different worlds. The feature of Kid Cudi and the reuse of his verse by Travis show how these two worlds can turn into a nightmare. With Kid Cudi dealing with mental health issues and Travis dealing with the problems of being a celebrity, they unknowingly created a monster that only seeks to sleep and party constantly.
After “through the late night”, “beibs in the trap” is another monster that Travis has created since becoming a celebrity a year prior. This time, the topic of hard drug use is the main theme of “beibs in the trap”. With NAV appearing as an apparent influencer, Travis descends into temptation by considering cocaine use. With partying taking over his life in “through the late night”, Travis must now deal with the monster of hard drug use. This is further explored in the next track “sdp interlude” which has Travis seemingly encourage smoking, drinking, and abusing pills. After the interlude, Travis runs into another monster in his life. “sweet sweet” is about a woman who he wishes to love and be with but she has other priorities in life most notably, drugs. Travis tries to reason with the woman and win her love, but in the end, she would prefer drugs over him. After this failed attempt at love, Travis decides to reflect on those who he cares for the most and those he can always rely on. 21 Savage joins and he too is thankful for those friends in his life who have become his family. Both rappers seem satisfied with their ride or die’s in their lives and wish to continue to have this loyalty forever.
A little over halfway through the album, Travis brings Kendrick Lamar out to tell a story about being in love. Travis represents the feeling of love with the physical feeling of goosebumps. Upon sporting goosebumps, he also chokes whenever she comes around. Continuing the topic of love and bringing features, “first take” is another love song that features Bryson Tiller. Both of these rappers have found love in a non-mutual environment. While Travis teases and plays with other women, Bryson Tiller is being used for his wealth and fame. Similarly, in the next song, Travis and friends are once again denied love after their best attempt to be loyal to their women. “pick up the phone” has Young Thug, Quavo, and Travis trying to call their loves and end up being ignored in return. This monster of love has taken over many tracks on the album, but, Travis decides to begin his journey toward salvation.
Following “pick up the phone”, “lose” is about Travis realizing that he has priorities in life and can’t be held back by his monsters because he has a life that he would rather live than lose. Travis realizes that he has things at stake and decides to leave his monsters behind in order to be free of his problems. Leaving hard drugs and alcohol behind in order to live a better and cleaner life full of potential to make more money, art, and memories. But after Travis cleanses his soul, he still has to deal with his rocky relationships which he tries to do on “guidance”. Travis fools around with more women as he attempts to kick his habit but unfortunately is unable to. The final track on the album is “wonderful” which is about two friends having fun in the city together. Travis finally decides to live the life he wants to live on the 14th and final song of the album. While he fought some of his monsters over the course of the album, some still remained as Travis still smokes marijuana and still has relationship issues.
Now, what if those monsters weren’t entirely real for Jacques Webster? What if Travis Scott created these monsters, situations, and songs as an attempt to deflect himself away from them. Travis has been known to not be a user of hard drugs and has also been with Kylie Jenner since 2017 and has since had a daughter with her. Travis never had to deal with drugs and alcohol abuse because of his upbringing in Atlanta. As detailed early on in the album, growing up wasn’t easy for a child in Atlanta and Travis did everything he could to escape that lifestyle that he could’ve ended up in if it wasn’t smart and careful. Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight is an exploration of what could’ve happened to Travis if he didn’t play his cards right after Rodeo came out. Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight is simply just a worst case scenario for Travis, but, this scenario has gone platinum and debuted at number one upon release. While it is the second album in his catalog, it is not the narrative successor to Rodeo, as AstroWorld is considered to be. Regardless, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight serves as a reminder that bad decisions plague the world and that one bad move can result in a life of misery, corruption, and torture because of one’s wrong choice.
Figure It Out – French Montana ft. Kanye West & Nas
I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not a huge French Montana fan, however, “Figure It Out” is most likely his best song to date. The song is serious as it discusses topics of death, imprisonment, and honesty. While French Montana isn’t considered to be a deep and serious rapper, he really outdid himself with this song especially with the inclusion of Nas. Nas is another rapper I wasn’t a big fan of at first but after this song and NASIR, my opinion on the legendary rapper has changed. Add in Kanye West for bonus points and you get a solid sentimental track that invokes inner emotions.
Slayerr – Tm88 ft. Lil Uzi Vert
This song is my second time being exposed to Tm88’s work with the first being “Been Thru a Lot” back in 2016. “Slayerr”, however, is my newest favorite song from Tm88 as Lil Uzi Vert takes the song and makes it his own. The song is very reminiscent of Luv Is Rage 2 and brings the colorful yet dark-toned sound that we’ve come to love and expect from Uzi. I really like Tm88’s production on this song too and their teamwork definitely brings the track to a new height.
Cops Shot The Kid – Nas ft. Kanye West
As previously mentioned, I wasn’t a big fan of Nas for quite some time. I never understood the hype of Illmatic but I heavily enjoyed his songs “Hate Me Now” and “I Can”. I didn’t listen to NASIR when it came out last year but upon my first listen I fell in love with it. “Cops Shot The Kid” is my favorite song on the album and the Slick Rick sample completes the song in my opinion. I plan to listen to more of Nas’ discography down the road because if it’s anything like this song, I’m surely going to become a huge fan of Nas and his legendary status.
Panini – Lil Nas X
“Panini” is Lil Nas X’s second single from his newest EP titled 7. This song is so simple and fun that it prompts me to bob my head and bounce with joy. I hope this song blows up like “Old Town Road” did because it truly deserves recognition for its addicting sound. I cannot wait to hear what Lil Nas X has to offer after 7 and “Panini”.
Soul Glo – B.o.B
I am a huge B.o.B stan and that will never change. Bobby Ray is one of my favorite musicians and has been since his commercial debut in 2010. Flat-Earth theories aside, he is one of the most creative, consistent, and unique rappers in the industry. The music video for “Soul Glo” serves as a homage to the classic Eddie Murphy film, Coming to America. This song is surely going to make one smile with happiness because of its infectious rhythm and beat that is complemented by a catchy chorus. I am still currently listening to his newest release “Southmatic”, but I can highly recommend this song as a place to start.
Honey – 070 Shake
I have been a huge 070 Shake fan since her debut in 2016 and even got to see her in concert. Her voice is so unique that she can match pretty much every beat given to her and can switch from rapping to singing with ease. Her versatility is what makes Honey such a standout song from her discography. Honey is a great song to get you hype but can also be interpreted in a sad way if looked at from a different viewpoint. I think 070 Shake deserves way more credit than she’s gotten and I’m forever glad that Kanye West gave her a spot to shine in 2018.
Ransom – Lil Tecca
I just heard this song for the first time last week and haven’t stopped listening to it since. Lil Tecca’s rhymes are very smooth and the beat compliments his delivery very well. I’m glad this song blew up as much as it did because Lil Tecca honestly deserves credit because of this song. I hope we see more of him this year and maybe even a project release.
Zulu Screams – GoldLink ft. Maleek Berry & Bibi Bourelly
Being one of the more successful rappers from the DMV means that GoldLink has come a long way from his debut in 2014. With his debut album Diaspora being an album I really enjoyed this year, I must highlight one of the best songs from the album. “Zulu Screams” is a song you cannot help but dance to as GoldLink glides over the beat like he usually does. With the beat being more of a dance or house type it is refreshing to see him experiment with this particular sound because I think it works very well for him. I would love to see what else he can do with this sound in the future.
Dots & Lines – Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco has always been a special kind of rapper with his innovative way of telling stories through albums but it should be known that out of these stories come hidden gems. “Dots & Lines” has stellar production as it sounds like an old western tune mixed with classic rapping. Lupe Fiasco really killed it with this song and it makes me want to listen to all of his discography especially Tetsuo & Youth.
I remember you were afflicted
Misusing your influence
Sometimes I did the same
Abusing my power for only self-interest
Self-Interest that turned into a deep obsession
I found myself blissfully unaware in my matchstick mansion
I didn’t know I was about to combust
The evils of Lucy was all around me
So I ran from the answers
To chase the spark I hadn’t felt in so long
But that didn’t stop the turn of consequence
Going back and forth looking at the bridges I’ve burned
Or maybe who the author of this fire was
And while that home we had built was burning around me
I ignored all of them
Embracing a cycle of self-sabotage and greed
It made me want to run back into that burning home that I had built
Unable to see the fire was my own creation
Just because the next house you build doesn’t feel like that home
Doesn’t mean it can’t become your home
Hoping for warmth from the ashes doesn’t mean that warmth is denied to us
If I may welcome you, make yourself at home by the fire
But shit I don’t know
I’m no betting man
Maybe I’m just another neighbor.
Kids See Ghosts came out on June 8th, 2018 and my opinion on it has bothered me ever since. When this album was first played during the live stream I wasn’t a fan of the sound and style and immediately dismissed the album as something I wouldn’t enjoy. That night I stayed up for many hours with the album on repeat, especially the song “Reborn”. When I wrote my article I took the approach that the album was a project made by friends for the populous to enjoy as an experience rather than a traditional album. But, after numerous relistens, I came to the conclusion that I was wrong on three occasions.
My first fault was labeling the album as purely an experience when in reality, Kids See Ghosts stands as an album but also as an experience. Kid Cudi and Kanye West made this album to celebrate their years of friendship and wanted to share this musical masterpiece with us, the fans. By doing so, they invoked the true power of friendship in their work and created a way in which the album can be taken as an experience, an experience of true friendship. This album is full of emotions that the two men share throughout each song. Songs like “Freeee” detail being free of your demons while “Reborn“ showcases becoming someone new, free of demons and sins of the past. These two songs flow perfectly together as do all of the songs on this album. Emotions take full control when it comes to lyricism and it should be known that both Kanye West and Kid Cudi put their all into their words and delivery.
My next fault was saying that “Freeee (Ghost Town Pt.2)” should’ve been left off the album because of the “Ghost Town” name. After multiple listens, this song has become one of my favorite songs on the album and potentially of 2018. The whole idea of losing your demons and moving on is a strong message that I’m sure I and many others could relate to. I thoroughly enjoy this song and have learned to ignore the “Ghost Town” title because I still believe it’s better off without it.
My final mistake was on my 2018 Best Albums List when I gave Jay Rock’s Redemption the number one slot on my list. I gave Kids See Ghosts the number three spot while Dance Gavin Dance took second place. I firmly believe that after listening to these three albums many times, Kids See Ghosts is my album of the year. Jay Rock did a great job on Redemption but I just do not see myself listening to this album as often as I do Kids See Ghosts. If I were to amend the list, Kids See Ghosts is my number one spot with Dance Gavin Dance taking second still, and Jay Rock in third. I must give it to Kanye West and Kid Cudi for not only being my two favorite artists of all time but also making one of my favorite albums of all time and especially of 2018.
I intend to use my experience with Kids See Ghosts as an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. Never again will I write something off because I didn’t enjoy it at first but rather give it time and give it a fair retry. Kids See Ghosts has taught me a lot about feelings and humanity and I, in turn, wish to keep these lessons close as I move forward through life.
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Lil Nas X has had quite the start in the music industry with “Old Town Road” being an 8x-platinum record and has become an anthem for multiple generations throughout 2019. Lasting on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 11 weeks has surely given the young artist some inspiration to outdo himself for his first official EP release of 7. Each song on 7 is shorter than three minutes and all have their own unique identity. It’s time to examine each song on Lil Nas X’s debut to see if he’s really worthy of the hype.
Not much can be said about this song that hasn’t already been said. This is one of my favorite songs of 2019 and definitely should be recognized as a country song on all accounts.
“Panini” is surely going to be Lil Nas X’s second big hit as it seemingly begs to be played on the radio. Supposedly, Lil Nas X accidentally took notes from Nirvana when making this song by interpolating the song “In Bloom”. This song is melodic, fun, and has the name of a sandwich thus meaning that it cannot do wrong. I wouldn’t be surprised if this song blows up and takes over the charts in the near future. This is probably my second favorite song on 7.
This song is produced by Travis Barker and takes on a punkish vibe throughout it’s two minute and 43-second runtime which marks it as the longest song on the album. The song explores a family dynamic which has Lil Nas X explaining that he wants to find love and have a child with his lover. While he’s only 20 years old and one of the most known artists of the decade it is probably fair to assume that his love and child won’t be here anytime soon but in the end, he is allowed to dream after all. But besides his fantasies, this song has great production by Travis Barker and shows how flexible Lil Nas X is when it comes to experimenting in different genres.
“Kick It” is the most self-realized song on the whole EP. On this song, Lil Nas X discusses his fame and the notorious Billboard issues that came with “Old Town Road”. He also mentions his infamous teasing of different tracks over the past few months, some of which weren’t featured on this project. With some slick rhymes and flow and a great saxophone on the track, “Kick It” is one of the better songs to be on this EP.
“Rodeo” stands out as one of the more controversial tracks on the EP because of its inclusion of Cardi B. Personally, this song is great in regards to Lil Nas X’s verse and chorus but the problematic area is the second verse with Cardi B. Her inclusion doesn’t really add much except an annoying voice to a decent beat. Cardi B could’ve been swapped for anyone and it would result in a more entertaining song. While someone like Travis Scott would be a dream feature on a song called “Rodeo”, one can only wish it could’ve worked out that way. Regardless, half of this song is enjoyable and the other half is just underwhelming.
“Bring U Down” is the second punk/rock influenced song on 7 and a great song overall. Lil Nas X claimed that this song is about jealousy when it comes to others becoming successful in their respective industries. The lyrics support this claim because they’re simply doing exactly what Lil Nas X said, bringing people down by using evidence. This song is clever as it details something that happens often especially when it comes to celebrities. Lil Nas X has every right to be concerned about getting caught in a scandal in 2019 because it would inevitably ruin his career.
This is the last new song to be featured on 7, and perhaps one of the best songs on the EP. It’s a full-on mood and definitely one to be listened to on repeat. The chorus even reminds me of the WZRD song, “Teleport 2 Me, Jamie” which features Kid Cudi wishing his partner was back with him. While oppositely, this song has Lil Nas X packing up his bags and leaving for a better life. The sound of this song is rather nice and hopefully can be furthered explored in another future project.
Like the remix, this song has already been discussed in full by seemingly everyone. It’s catchy and fun just like every other song on this EP. While I wish there were more countryish songs on 7, I think it’s appropriate to be thankful for the remix we got of this song.
Overall, this EP is a great start for the young artist and I cannot wait to see where the success of 7 will take him moving forward. Lil Nas X has broken boundaries, released a solid EP, and an 8x-platinum song all within a year in an attempt to show that he’s much more than a one-hit wonder and that he plans on taking over the music industry with each release. I give this EP a high recommendation as it’s only 18 minutes long and each song is unique and filled with character by Lil Nas X.
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6/21/19
“Forgot About Dre”
Dr. Dre is without a doubt one of the most influential, successful, and known talents in all of hip-hop. Being a member of N.W.A surely gave Dr. Dre his notoriety but it wasn’t until his 1992 album The Chronic came out. This album is a classic in every way and still stands the test of time even today. This album also marked the introduction of legendary musician Snoop Dogg, however, today’s song comes from Dr. Dre’s sophomore album, 2001. “Forgot About Dre” served as the second single from the album following “Still D.R.E” in 1999. Eminem makes a guest appearance on the song and instantly gives this song a new sense of purpose and liveliness.
“Forgot About Dre” prompts a simple question to the listeners when Dr. Dre ponders if he can ever truly be forgotten. With two classic albums, a history with N.W.A, and being responsible for introducing Eminem and Snoop Dogg to the musical world can Dr. Dre ever be left out of the conversation? Dr. Dre hits hard on this track when he firmly answers this question by flaunting his wealth, lifestyle, and lyrical prowess throughout the song. Eminem comes through for Dr. Dre by detailing some of Dr. Dre’s accomplishments and reiterating that he should never be forgotten about. Additionally, Eminem adds his own twisted lyrics into the track and show that Eminem too should be known and respected. Fast-forward almost 20 years later and Dr. Dre is one of the most iconic rappers of all time especially with his well-known endeavor of “Beats by Dre”. Eminem too is regarded as a legend by many even if his newer work doesn’t stack up against his early albums. Dr. Dre not only reintroduced himself into the rap game with “Forgot About Dre” but he also reminded everyone that he will never be forgotten.
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6/14/19
“Wait For Me”
Big Sean is perhaps not one of the first artists that come to mind when you mention the word “underrated” but in my book, he is the definition of the word. After a slew of mixtapes, Big Sean released his debut album Finally Famous in 2011 and with it came “Wait For Me”. The song is rather upbeat while it discusses the trials and tribulations of relationships when becoming rich and famous. In this song, Big Sean details how he lost his girlfriend due to his work and ponders if it’s too late for him to get her back during the chorus. I personally love this song and album because of Big Sean’s dedication to his craft and the infusing of his personal feelings into his lyrics. However, this song also features Lupe Fiasco and we get to hear some fun wordplay and rhymes from him.
Lupe’s verse also discusses how his musical career has kept him running late and missing many opportunities in life. Instead of feeling regret, Lupe simply says to give up and be late for everything rather than on time. I really enjoy the chemistry that these two exhibit on the track as it’s my favorite song on the album by far. Big Sean is severely underrated in hip-hop but with songs such as this, he can be given credit for his great lyrics and delivery that gave him the opportunity to be where he is now.
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I DO EVERYTHING! – Masego
While I’m fairly new to Masego and his music, I have become a huge fan ever since a good friend of mine recommended him to me. His song “I DO EVERYTHING!” is a fun tune where we listen to Masego list off all of his talents and how much he can accomplish in the world of music. The song is playful and exciting as we hear all that he can do in order to create music in his world. The song fits well as the closer to his 2016 album, Loose Thoughts but can also be enjoyed as an entertaining song at any time.
Outside – The Weeknd
Feeling lonely and sad recently has brought me back to one of my most favorite artists of all time. The Weeknd never ceases to help my mind when times get tough, and “Outside” is no exception. Heartbreak is no joke and The Weeknd knows that thus giving us a relatable song that everyone can feel connected to. With such a great discography the choose from, I chose “Outside” because I feel like it is often forgotten about when it comes to The Weeknd’s amazing music history.
Bring the Pain – Method Man
The oldest song on this weeks 3×3 Monday is “Bring the Pain” by Method Man on his 1994 album, Tical. Method Man’s flow on this song brings pure joy and brings a special edge to listen to. I think this song is fairly hard to write about because it just works in every way imaginable. The song is sleek, Method Man is smooth, and the song itself it a complete work of art. I highly recommend this song to any fan of the Wu-Tang Clan or 90’s hip-hop.
Bottle Service – YG
“Bottle Service” is a brand new song from Compton rapper YG from his album “4REAL 4REAL”. I believe his newest album is outstanding and this track is another reason to present my case for this opinion. “Bottle Service” is very similar to his other 2019 song, “Stop Snitchin” whereas they’re both lively and amusing to listen to. I personally prefer “Bottle Service” over “Stop Snitchin” but both are great songs from YG this year. “Bottle Service” is a catchy song and definitely worth putting in your playlist for this Summer.
PUPPET – Tyler, The Creator
Much like YG’s newest album, IGOR from Tyler, The Creator is another wonderful album release from 2019. “PUPPET” is a sad song that disguises itself as a slow and melodic love song. With an unnamed feature by Kanye West, “PUPPET” stands out on the album IGOR for good reason. While I fully recommend IGOR to anyone and everyone, I think many will find this song to be one of it not the best song on the album hands down.
Nameless – Lil Keed
I only found out about this song three days ago and I absolutely love it. Lil Keed did a great job on this song and making it a memorable tune. I’ve had this song on repeat ever since I heard it a few days ago and I plan to keep it that way until I get tired of it. I haven’t heard his 2018 release, Keed Talk To ‘Em but I plan to when I have the time assuming the album is similar to this song. I actually would like to shoutout Rico Nasty for playing this song during one of her Instagram live streams because I doubt I would’ve heard it otherwise.
Like I Ain’t – Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne is a rapper with one of the greatest discographies in all of hip-hop and “Like I Ain’t” is a stroll down memory lane for Tech N9ne. In this song, Tech lists many of his accomplishments and collaborations with other rappers and musicians during his career. I really enjoy this song because it shows how prolific Tech N9ne has been for the past 20 years. Tech N9ne has been one of my favorite rappers for many years and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us in the future now that he’s reached his 20-year mark.
I’M DOPE – Tobe Nwigwe
Much like “Nameless” I recently discovered this song and have listened to it many times since my discovery. Tobe Nwigwe is a unique voice in hip-hop because of a majority of his songs barely even song like hip-hop in the first place. “I’M DOPE” is a smooth and laidback song that allows Tobe to explore his musical talent while referencing Dave Chappelle in the chorus. I really enjoy this song and have already dove into Tobe’s work and I really like what I’ve heard so far.
Come Closer – A Boogie Wit da Hoodie ft. Queen Naija
“Come Closer” feels like a blast from the past and I couldn’t possibly like it any more than I already do. Sampling Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” is a genius move on the producers part and Boogie rides that wave all the way throughout the fairly short song. Boogie’s flow and rhymes are on point the whole time and the feature by Queen Naija fits perfectly as if she was made for this song. I really like this song and I hope he dabbles in this sound again in the future.
With Avengers: Endgame coming out tonight I decided to bundle my four articles into one big collection for you to enjoy before seeing the movie! There are no spoilers in these articles only predictions!
Steve Rogers is a character who I was never a fan of in his comic, video game, or cartoon iterations. The star-spangled hero was never someone I could connect with until Disney and Marvel created Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. Steve Rogers was shown as a weak and scrawny kid who wanted to prove his worth and serve in the military during World War II. This unlikely hero soon became an icon amongst kids and adults as he became a main character of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Disney finding success in the franchise, Captain America would eventually become one of the most important characters in modern film.
Ever since his first portrayal in 2011, Chris Evans has embodied the role of Captain America completely. It would be hard to see anyone else play one of the greatest film heroes of all time. Captain America succeeds as a character because he is a hero before and after having the super-soldier serum. Steve Rogers is never one to back down from a fight and would do everything he could to save the lives of others which is seen in Captain America: The First Avenger with the alley fight and grenade test. Steve Rogers only furthers his righteousness when he gains his abilities through the serum. Captain America is a pure character hence why he is able to budge Thor’s hammer Mjölnir in Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Captain America isn’t the one to change his ideology as seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier where he actively goes against the government when he realizes how they plan to deal with possible threats. But above everything, Captain America officially stays true to himself when the Sokovia Accords are introduced in Captain America: Civil War.
When we see Captain America as a character we see someone who is the ideal moral compass for the MCU. He continuously represents equality, accountability, and honesty throughout the films while the settings and characters change around him. Captain America: First Avenger Captain America is the same hero we see in Avengers: Infinity War just with a different suit and beard. Throughout his run in the films we never once see him change mentally. That sole reason is why Captain America stands as a hero to myself and many others. Seeing a respectable role model on the big screen gives inspiration and hope to the audience. However, Captain America’s time as our hero is coming to an end on April 26th with the release of Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame marks the final contracted role of Chris Evans as Captain America in the MCU. If this remains the same, this could potentially be the last time we see him on the big screen. With this information on the table, it is imperative to see how Avengers: Endgame wraps up the story of Steve Rogers. With Thanos completing his task at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, we will see Captain America in a way we’ve never seen him before. This was the first loss for the team and it was the biggest tragedy of them all. Captain America and the Avengers failed as a team to stop Thanos because of the split that occurred in Captain America: Civil War.
At this point in the story, Captain America has no family, buried his love interest, and watched his best friend turn into dust. Captain America now fights to keep his ideology preserved so half of the world still has a moral compass out there to believe in. If this is the last appearance of Captain America, one thing is clear: Captain America will be Captain America until the very end. His loyalty to the world and remaining friends will surely be a key factor when attempting to fix the “snap”. While all of our questions will be answered when the movie comes out, it is crucial that Captain America completes one last task before being able to finally rest in Avengers: Endgame.
Thor is a character that never interested me; much like Captain America, however, where Captain America was able to grab my attention in the first film, I was never a fan of Thor. I found Thor and Thor: The Dark World to be my least favorite movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thor to me was a character who always seemed to be missing some sort of personality outside of Chris Hemsworth’s great portrayal of the God of Thunder. This missing trait would eventually be found in Thor: Ragnarok where Taika Waititi decided to take Thor in a new direction while still keeping his heroicness. Turning Thor into a comedic and charming God in Thor: Ragnarok was an absolutely wonderful choice, however, this would all change with Avengers: Infinity War.
While Thor’s comedic timing and overall silliness worked for Thor: Ragnarok, he would suffer the most at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. After using Surtur to kill Hela, Thor ultimately lost Asgard as a result of the destruction. With Asgard being “the people” and not “a place”, Thor leads his civilization to space in order to find a new home. It is at this point that Thor has taken the throne and title of Ruler of Asgard since he is all they have left to look up to. However, the tranquility and peacefulness are very shortlived moments because Thanos quickly arrived to collect the Tesseract. When Thanos arrives he beats the living Hulk out of Bruce Banner and holds Thor hostage. This is the weakest and most helpless version of Thor we’ve seen throughout the MCU. While normally Thor could break out of this situation with his powers, he is hopeless and fully at Thanos’ will. With the Power stone torturing him, Loki decides to surrender the Tesseract to Thanos in exchange for Thor’s life. Once Thor is set free, his life is about to change forever because of Loki’s actions.
Loki has always been a trickster, seeing as if he is the God of Mischief himself. While Loki has faked his death numerous times, it is here at the hands of Thanos where we see him take his final breath. Because Loki tried to stab Thanos, Thor would become a changed man moving forward having finally seen his brother actually die. With this tragedy, Thor must team up with a group of strangers to create a weapon strong enough of taking down Thanos. So far within the span of one movie and an opening scene of another, Thor has lost his father, Mjölnir, his sister, his home, and his brother. Within these two movies, Thor has suffered and lost more than any other character in the MCU and yet he still keeps a smile on his face when working with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
After having a hilarious conversation with Peter Quill, Thor decides that he has nothing left to lose, and therefore, has nothing to lose by facing Thanos. When Rocket hears this, they form a close friendship out of their shared hatred of Thanos. This is where we see Thor, Rocket, and Groot go on a trip to Nidavellir to craft the Stormbreaker. Thor crafting Stormbreaker is a tough challenge that includes him taking a dying star to the chest, but nonetheless, he accomplishes his goal because of his determination to kill Thanos. When Thor arrives in Wakanda he saves the Avengers and the Wakandan fighters by wiping out a good fraction of the Outriders. Thor’s arrival in Wakanda wasn’t expected and is absolutely the best part of Avengers: Infinity War.
After entering Wakanda, Thor meets up with Captain America as they take down the rest of the Outriders with the remaining members of the Avengers. Once Thanos arrives shortly after, each Avenger puts up a fight against the Mad Titan himself. With Thor being the last chance at defeating Thanos, he ruins it by not immediately killing him. Since Thor failed his only task, Thanos is allowed to use the “Snap” to eliminate half of all life. Thor failed his task because he was obsessed with revenge rather than the mission itself because behind Thor’s smile and newfound comedic energy lives a man who has nothing left to live for except revenge. Thor giving a speech to Thanos as he attempts to kill him is all he has left to do in life. With Thor failing his only job, it is up to him to put aside his feelings and do the right thing in Avengers: Endgame.
Bruce Banner is an interesting character in the MCU. With the rights remaining to Universal for a solo Hulk movie, Disney had to develop the character in their Avengers movies instead. In doing so they created a character who’s wise, intelligent, and strong. Bruce Banner has an interesting dilemma of sharing a body with the Hulk which results in a constant fight over control. In this fight we see different instances of Bruce and Hulk taking over, however, they refuse to work with each other. This has even led to a suicide attempt by Bruce which resulted in the Hulk stopping him. Overall, we haven’t seen Hulk in his full form until Thor: Ragnarok.
In Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk took over for multiple years and lived as Hulk on the planet of Sakaar. Being a champion gladiator on the planet earned him notoriety and rewards that incentivized him to stay. Since Hulk isn’t fully mentally developed his intelligence is rather low. This leads to an easily impressionable and manipulative character, however, in Thor: Ragnarok Hulk has developed more and can formulate more words than ever before. However, there is a catch to Hulk remaining as the one in control.
With the Hulk being in control for many years, Bruce Banner doesn’t think that he can turn into Hulk when he needs to if at all. With this option on the table, Banner must change as a character. Taking away the strength from one of if not the strongest Avenger means that the team will suffer from a lack of power. Instead, Banner must rely on his intelligence to bolster the team and give them a winning chance against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. With Banner being a Dr. in multiple fields of science, his brain combined with the mind of Tony Stark can produce endless ideas like they have in the past with Vision. While Banner has the brain and sometimes the brawn, it is pertinent that they rely on his brain for now.
By taking the strength of Hulk off the table, the Avengers must get creative in finding a way to take down Thanos. But, one last option remains for Banner when it comes to fighting Thanos again. If Banner can potentially turn into Hulk one more time before it is a permanent transformation he could attempt to merge with the inner-beast. In doing so would create Professor Hulk, who is a notable character in the comic books. In the comics, Professor Hulk is a combination of Hulk’s strength and size along with the brilliance of Bruce Banner. With Banner in control of the Hulk, they could form an unlikely alliance to help in the battle against Thanos.
Within Banner/Hulk’s five appearances in the MCU, we’ve grown to love and appreciate the awkward scientist and the monster that lives inside of him, however, it might be time that we see these two finally make peace for the greater good. With Avengers: Endgame drawing close, we will see how Banner lives with or without the Hulk in his life when the movie hits the big screen. Until then, the trials and tribulations of Banner and Hulk remain. With Hulk refusing to come out in Avengers: Infinity War, it is crucial that we see the beast come out of his cage for one last fight against the Mad Titan in Avengers: Endgame.
Iron Man has been a landmark character for Marvel and a hero for the masses for 11 years now, but unfortunately, his time is coming to an end. With Robert Downey Jr.’s contract currently ending with Avengers: Endgame, this could be the last we see of our last heir to the Stark name. That is unless Tony Stark can finally marry Pepper Potts or have a child of his own. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been setting this up for years now, but Tony Stark’s departure from the franchise is going to be a big event for the actor, character, and future. However, Iron Man hasn’t always been everyone’s favorite character in the MCU because of Captain America: Civil War‘s desire to pull our beloved team apart.
Captain America: Civil War was one of if not the most important “Avengers” film next to Avengers: Infinity War. In Captain America: Civil War, we see our cherished team separated in order to fight for what they really believe in. With Captain America ironically going against his country and wanting freedom, his motivations are clear and his ideology is pure. However, Iron Man has a different point of view on this situation. With Scarlet Witch’s accident in Sokovia claiming many lives, he is convinced that they need to be limited in their abilities in order to reduce collateral damage. Both sides provide fair, accurate, and respectable points, but, ultimately the movie ends with the Avenger’s separating into two sides. The split of Iron Man and Captain America is sad, and thus this allows for Thanos to win in Avengers: Infinity War.
In Avengers: Infinity War we see Iron Man play a crucial role in the fight against Thanos. Tony Stark has been haunted by Thanos since the fight in New York in the first Avengers movie. Ever since the fight, Tony Stark developed post-traumatic stress disorder and an inner desire to protect the world and the ones he loves in it. But while Iron Man fought Thanos he found himself outmatched and underpowered even when he was realistically at his strongest. Using nanotechnology has allowed Iron Man to have the most technically advanced suit so far and yet it wasn’t enough to stop Thanos. Although Iron Man was the only character to draw blood from Thanos, he still wasn’t able to deal with Thanos’ immense power using the Infinity Stones. Losing to Thanos cost Iron Man the closest thing he had to a son in the MCU; Iron Man lost Spider-Man.
Peter Parker has been the closest thing to a son for Tony Stark in the past few films, however, losing him due to the “snap” was a devastating blow to his character. The two heroes have wonderful chemistry and are the closest thing to a father and son duo in the MCU. With Spider-Man’s death, Iron Man must do what he does best and avenge him and all of the other snapped victims. Iron Man needs Captain America on his side to achieve success against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. These two leaders must work together to find a way to fix the world and bring back those who were lost. Tony Stark owes this to Spider-Man, Aunt May, Pepper Potts, and the world.
Losing his “son” not only devastated Iron Man, but it surely will have changed his motivations between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark is the last living Stark and his change from billionaire playboy to world-saving superhero is surely awe-inspiring but he needs to face the fact that he is getting old and needs to eventually settle down with Pepper Potts. In order to pass the torch to the new generation of heroes, Iron Man must retire or die trying to protect the world. Both of these options are very realistic for the character as we’ve seen the changes he’s gone through over his many film appearances of the years. Iron Man’s last mission is to defeat the Mad Titan who’s been haunting him for years even if it costs him his life in the end.
I hope you enjoyed reading this collection and look forward to more Avengers: Endgame content in the near future!
Iron Man has been a landmark character for Marvel and a hero for the masses for 11 years now, but unfortunately, his time is coming to an end. With Robert Downey Jr.’s contract currently ending with Avengers: Endgame, this could be the last we see of our last heir to the Stark name. That is unless Tony Stark can finally marry Pepper Potts or have a child of his own. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been setting this up for years now, but Tony Stark’s departure from the franchise is going to be a big event for the actor, character, and future. However, Iron Man hasn’t always been everyone’s favorite character in the MCU because of Captain America: Civil War‘s desire to pull our beloved team apart.
Captain America: Civil War was one of if not the most important “Avengers” film next to Avengers: Infinity War. In Captain America: Civil War, we see our cherished team separated in order to fight for what they really believe in. With Captain America ironically going against his country and wanting freedom, his motivations are clear and his ideology is pure. However, Iron Man has a different point of view on this situation. With Scarlet Witch’s accident in Sokovia claiming many lives, he is convinced that they need to be limited in their abilities in order to reduce collateral damage. Both sides provide fair, accurate, and respectable points, but, ultimately the movie ends with the Avenger’s separating into two sides. The split of Iron Man and Captain America is sad, and thus this allows for Thanos to win in Avengers: Infinity War.
In Avengers: Infinity War we see Iron Man play a crucial role in the fight against Thanos. Tony Stark has been haunted by Thanos since the fight in New York in the first Avengers movie. Ever since the fight, Tony Stark developed post-traumatic stress disorder and an inner desire to protect the world and the ones he loves in it. But while Iron Man fought Thanos he found himself outmatched and underpowered even when he was realistically at his strongest. Using nanotechnology has allowed Iron Man to have the most technically advanced suit so far and yet it wasn’t enough to stop Thanos. Although Iron Man was the only character to draw blood from Thanos, he still wasn’t able to deal with Thanos’ immense power using the Infinity Stones. Losing to Thanos cost Iron Man the closest thing he had to a son in the MCU; Iron Man lost Spider-Man.
Peter Parker has been the closest thing to a son for Tony Stark in the past few films, however, losing him due to the “snap” was a devastating blow to his character. The two heroes have wonderful chemistry and are the closest thing to a father and son duo in the MCU. With Spider-Man’s death, Iron Man must do what he does best and avenge him and all of the other snapped victims. Iron Man needs Captain America on his side to achieve success against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. These two leaders must work together to find a way to fix the world and bring back those who were lost. Tony Stark owes this to Spider-Man, Aunt May, Pepper Potts, and the world.
Losing his “son” not only devastated Iron Man, but it surely will have changed his motivations between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark is the last living Stark and his change from billionaire playboy to world-saving superhero is surely awe-inspiring but he needs to face the fact that he is getting old and needs to eventually settle down with Pepper Potts. In order to pass the torch to the new generation of heroes, Iron Man must retire or die trying to protect the world. Both of these options are very realistic for the character as we’ve seen the changes he’s gone through over his many film appearances of the years. Iron Man’s last mission is to defeat the Mad Titan who’s been haunting him for years even if it costs him his life in the end.
So far 2019 has been a fairly good year for music especially when you count many great album releases from artists such as Boogie, 2 Chainz, and Kevin Abstract so far. Here is a list of my ten favorite songs to come out so far in 2019!
10. ON GOD – Juice Wrld ft. Young Thug
Juice Wrld has been on a streak recently with releases and Death Race For Love is no exception. This 22 song album has some notable hits such as “Robbery” and “Hear Me Calling”, however, I believe the best song on this album is “ON GOD”. The song “ON GOD” features Young Thug and shows the insane chemistry that the two have together. With the two interweaving together they form a meticulous yet infectious song that ranks at 10 for this year’s list so far.
9. Rainy Days – Boogie ft. Eminem
Boogie’s album Everythings For Sale is one of my favorite album’s to come out this year and I cannot wait to see what else the Compton rapper has to offer. But, for now, we are gifted with “Rainy Days” featuring Eminem. “Rainy Days” is a smooth song that Boogie glides over until the Eminem verse starts. Eminem hijacks the track in order to provide us with some typical Eminem wordplay that we’ve all come to either love or hate, but, it ultimately compliments the song and Boogie’s performance. Boogie already has my attention in 2019 and I cannot wait to see what his next project will be.
8. Numb Numb Juice – ScHoolboy Q
In less than two minutes ScHoolboy Q made one of the hardest, catchiest, and energized songs of the year. With his album release right around the corner, I think “Numb Numb Juice” was the best choice to be this album’s lead single. If CrasH Talk is anything like this song, I believe we are in for an unparalleled treat from ScHoolboy Q.
7. Venom – Little Simz
I’ll admit that I’m new to Little Simz and British rap overall, aside from Skepta, however, I regret sleeping on her and this style of rap. “Venom” has one of the most intimidating beats of the year as the strings and drums intrude your ears. Little Simz holds nothing back when it comes to “Venom” and it shows. This song is full of aggressive lines that match the intrusive beat. I really enjoyed her 2019 album GREY Area and highly recommend it the same way it was recommended to me by one of my closest friends.
6. Sanguine Paradise – Lil Uzi Vert
Release issues aside, “Sanguine Paradise” is one of the most enjoyable songs so far this year. While we wait for the eventual release of Eternal Atake we have “Sanguine Paradise” to listen to in the meantime. The beat is so pleasurable and Lil Uzi Vert’s lyricism and delivery compliment it so well in every way. I love this song and would rank it higher if 2019 wasn’t already so stacked with hits. Until then, we wait for Eternal Atake and hope for its eventual release in 2019.
5. MIDDLE CHILD – J.Cole
J. Cole came out swinging in January with the release of his song, “MIDDLE CHILD”. J. Cole stops at nothing to say what is on his mind and how it the entertainment industry makes him feel. With the powerful horns and gratifying beat, J. Cole sets the standard for hip-hop hits in 2019. I really hope we see another album from him besides his anticipated Revenge of the Dreamers III album that will be coming out this year. Until then, we are gifted with “MIDDLE CHILD” to tide us over until his next release.
4. Old Town Road – Remix – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
Lil Nas X is perhaps the greatest rapper to emerge so far in 2019. The mixing of country with rap wasn’t easy as we’ve seen with other attempts in the past, however, he not only did this but got Billy Ray Cyrus to come on for a feature. Billy Ray Cyrus presumably joined the song to protest Billboard and their classification of “Old Town Road” as a non-country hit. No matter what it’s genre is considered by Billboard, “Old Town Road” is one of my favorite songs so far in 2019 and I cannot wait to see what else Lil Nas X has for us this year.
3. Trap – SAINt JHN ft. Lil Baby
SAINt JHN is one hell of a vocalist and his newest song “Trap” only reaffirms my point. “Trap” has what might just be favorite beat of the year so far and paired with SAINt JHN’s vocal range creates a beautiful sound that is only further perfected by the inclusion of Lil Baby. The feature by Lil Baby is brief and a nice little touch to add more character to the already wonderful song. I really hope his next album has songs that mimic this vocal range and beat so that I may fill my lists with more SAINt JHN songs.
2. Momma I Hit A Lick – 2 Chainz ft. Kendrick Lamar
To say that “Momma I Hit A Lick” is 2 Chainz’ s best song would be an understatement. “Momma I Hit A Lick” is the ultimate 2 Chainz song. This song features 2 Chainz giving some of his best lines but above all else, the Kendrick Lamar feature makes the song a classic. Kendrick Lamar hits hard with his voice changing abilities that compliment the beat so well one could assume that these two were made for each other. 2 Chainz really goes all out in terms of lyrics, vocals, features, and presentation to deliver my second favorite song of 2019.
1. Georgia – Kevin Abstract
Kevin Abstract is a musical genius whether it’s his involvement in Brockhampton or his solo work, he is a genius in all sense of the word. “Georgia” is a simple yet satisfactory song that can connect with anyone and everyone. Kevin Abstract brings back his iconic vocal modulation for “Georgia” in order to paint the landscape with vivid and familiar images that we can all relate to. I cannot wait to see what Brockhampton and Kevin Abstract have in store for 2019 but if this is any indication I think it will be an incredible year for music.
Bruce Banner is an interesting character in the MCU. With the rights remaining to Universal for a solo Hulk movie, Disney had to develop the character in their Avengers movies instead. In doing so they created a character who’s wise, intelligent, and strong. Bruce Banner has an interesting dilemma of sharing a body with the Hulk which results in a constant fight over control. In this fight we see different instances of Bruce and Hulk taking over, however, they refuse to work with each other. This has even led to a suicide attempt by Bruce which resulted in the Hulk stopping him. Overall, we haven’t seen Hulk in his full form until Thor: Ragnarok.
In Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk took over for multiple years and lived as Hulk on the planet of Sakaar. Being a champion gladiator on the planet earned him notoriety and rewards that incentivized him to stay. Since Hulk isn’t fully mentally developed his intelligence is rather low. This leads to an easily impressionable and manipulative character, however, in Thor: Ragnarok Hulk has developed more and can formulate more words than ever before. However, there is a catch to Hulk remaining as the one in control.
With the Hulk being in control for many years, Bruce Banner doesn’t think that he can turn into Hulk when he needs to if at all. With this option on the table, Banner must change as a character. Taking away the strength from one of if not the strongest Avenger means that the team will suffer from a lack of power. Instead, Banner must rely on his intelligence to bolster the team and give them a winning chance against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. With Banner being a Dr. in multiple fields of science, his brain combined with the mind of Tony Stark can produce endless ideas like they have in the past with Vision. While Banner has the brain and sometimes the brawn, it is pertinent that they rely on his brain for now.
By taking the strength of Hulk off the table, the Avengers must get creative in finding a way to take down Thanos. But, one last option remains for Banner when it comes to fighting Thanos again. If Banner can potentially turn into Hulk one more time before it is a permanent transformation he could attempt to merge with the inner-beast. In doing so would create Professor Hulk, who is a notable character in the comic books. In the comics, Professor Hulk is a combination of Hulk’s strength and size along with the brilliance of Bruce Banner. With Banner in control of the Hulk, they could form an unlikely alliance to help in the battle against Thanos.
Within Banner/Hulk’s five appearances in the MCU, we’ve grown to love and appreciate the awkward scientist and the monster that lives inside of him, however, it might be time that we see these two finally make peace for the greater good. With Avengers: Endgame drawing close, we will see how Banner lives with or without the Hulk in his life when the movie hits the big screen. Until then, the trials and tribulations of Banner and Hulk remain. With Hulk refusing to come out in Avengers: Infinity War, it is crucial that we see the beast come out of his cage for one last fight against the Mad Titan in Avengers: Endgame.
Thor is a character that never interested me; much like Captain America, however, where Captain America was able to grab my attention in the first film, I was never a fan of Thor. I found Thor and Thor: The Dark World to be my least favorite movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thor to me was a character who always seemed to be missing some sort of personality outside of Chris Hemsworth’s great portrayal of the God of Thunder. This missing trait would eventually be found in Thor: Ragnarok where Taika Waititi decided to take Thor in a new direction while still keeping his heroicness. Turning Thor into a comedic and charming God in Thor: Ragnarok was an absolutely wonderful choice, however, this would all change with Avengers: Infinity War.
While Thor’s comedic timing and overall silliness worked for Thor: Ragnarok, he would suffer the most at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. After using Surtur to kill Hela, Thor ultimately lost Asgard as a result of the destruction. With Asgard being “the people” and not “a place”, Thor leads his civilization to space in order to find a new home. It is at this point that Thor has taken the throne and title of Ruler of Asgard since he is all they have left to look up to. However, the tranquility and peacefulness are very shortlived moments because Thanos quickly arrived to collect the Tesseract. When Thanos arrives he beats the living Hulk out of Bruce Banner and holds Thor hostage. This is the weakest and most helpless version of Thor we’ve seen throughout the MCU. While normally Thor could break out of this situation with his powers, he is hopeless and fully at Thanos’ will. With the Power stone torturing him, Loki decides to surrender the Tesseract to Thanos in exchange for Thor’s life. Once Thor is set free, his life is about to change forever because of Loki’s actions.
Loki has always been a trickster, seeing as if he is the God of Mischief himself. While Loki has faked his death numerous times, it is here at the hands of Thanos where we see him take his final breath. Because Loki tried to stab Thanos, Thor would become a changed man moving forward having finally seen his brother actually die. With this tragedy, Thor must team up with a group of strangers to create a weapon strong enough of taking down Thanos. So far within the span of one movie and an opening scene of another, Thor has lost his father, Mjölnir, his sister, his home, and his brother. Within these two movies, Thor has suffered and lost more than any other character in the MCU and yet he still keeps a smile on his face when working with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
After having a hilarious conversation with Peter Quill, Thor decides that he has nothing left to lose, and therefore, has nothing to lose by facing Thanos. When Rocket hears this, they form a close friendship out of their shared hatred of Thanos. This is where we see Thor, Rocket, and Groot go on a trip to Nidavellir to craft the Stormbreaker. Thor crafting Stormbreaker is a tough challenge that includes him taking a dying star to the chest, but nonetheless, he accomplishes his goal because of his determination to kill Thanos. When Thor arrives in Wakanda he saves the Avengers and the Wakandan fighters by wiping out a good fraction of the Outriders. Thor’s arrival in Wakanda wasn’t expected and is absolutely the best part of Avengers: Infinity War.
After entering Wakanda, Thor meets up with Captain America as they take down the rest of the Outriders with the remaining members of the Avengers. Once Thanos arrives shortly after, each Avenger puts up a fight against the Mad Titan himself. With Thor being the last chance at defeating Thanos, he ruins it by not immediately killing him. Since Thor failed his only task, Thanos is allowed to use the “Snap” to eliminate half of all life. Thor failed his task because he was obsessed with revenge rather than the mission itself because behind Thor’s smile and newfound comedic energy lives a man who has nothing left to live for except revenge. Thor giving a speech to Thanos as he attempts to kill him is all he has left to do in life. With Thor failing his only job, it is up to him to put aside his feelings and do the right thing in Avengers: Endgame.
Welcome to my short series on the MCU in preparation for Avengers: Endgame! This series will cover some of the original members of the Avengers and where they’re at in terms of character development and overall existence in the cinematic universe. This series is filled with spoilers but I hope you enjoy this series and stick with it until Avengers: Endgame comes out in April!
Steve Rogers is a character who I was never a fan of in his comic, video game, or cartoon iterations. The star-spangled hero was never someone I could connect with until Disney and Marvel created Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011. Steve Rogers was shown as a weak and scrawny kid who wanted to prove his worth and serve in the military during World War II. This unlikely hero soon became an icon amongst kids and adults as he became a main character of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Disney finding success in the franchise, Captain America would eventually become one of the most important characters in modern film.
Ever since his first portrayal in 2011, Chris Evans has embodied the role of Captain America completely. It would be hard to see anyone else play one of the greatest film heroes of all time. Captain America succeeds as a character because he is a hero before and after having the super-soldier serum. Steve Rogers is never one to back down from a fight and would do everything he could to save the lives of others which is seen in Captain America: The First Avenger with the alley fight and grenade test. Steve Rogers only furthers his righteousness when he gains his abilities through the serum. Captain America is a pure character hence why he is able to budge Thor’s hammer Mjölnir in Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Captain America isn’t the one to change his ideology as seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier where he actively goes against the government when he realizes how they plan to deal with possible threats. But above everything, Captain America officially stays true to himself when the Sokovia Accords are introduced in Captain America: Civil War.
When we see Captain America as a character we see someone who is the ideal moral compass for the MCU. He continuously represents equality, accountability, and honesty throughout the films while the settings and characters change around him. Captain America: First Avenger Captain America is the same hero we see in Avengers: Infinity War just with a different suit and beard. Throughout his run in the films we never once see him change mentally. That sole reason is why Captain America stands as a hero to myself and many others. Seeing a respectable role model on the big screen gives inspiration and hope to the audience. However, Captain America’s time as our hero is coming to an end on April 26th with the release of Avengers: Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame marks the final contracted role of Chris Evans as Captain America in the MCU. If this remains the same, this could potentially be the last time we see him on the big screen. With this information on the table, it is imperative to see how Avengers: Endgame wraps up the story of Steve Rogers. With Thanos completing his task at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, we will see Captain America in a way we’ve never seen him before. This was the first loss for the team and it was the biggest tragedy of them all. Captain America and the Avengers failed as a team to stop Thanos because of the split that occurred in Captain America: Civil War.
At this point in the story, Captain America has no family, buried his love interest, and watched his best friend turn into dust. Captain America now fights to keep his ideology preserved so half of the world still has a moral compass out there to believe in. If this is the last appearance of Captain America, one thing is clear: Captain America will be Captain America until the very end. His loyalty to the world and remaining friends will surely be a key factor when attempting to fix the “snap”. While all of our questions will be answered when the movie comes out, it is crucial that Captain America completes one last task before being able to finally rest in Avengers: Endgame.
How simple is it to convey messages about hate, racism, proving oneself, and success? The answer here: is not simple at all, unless you’re a genius. Kanye West conveyed these messages, broke social barriers, and created a memorable beat all in one song. “Gorgeous” from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one of Kanye’s greatest songs to date.
At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of “Gorgeous” due to the distortion effect added onto Kanye West’s voice, however, after focusing on the lyrics, sample, and chorus I have come to appreciate this song as my third favorite Kanye West song of all time. The distortion effect gives a special layer of emotion to Kanye’s voice as it matches the sample from Enoch Lights and the Glittering Guitars song “You Showed Me” which samples the Turtles song of the same name. With the guitar sample and effect in full, Kanye is able to dig deep into this song, especially when he recruits Kid Cudi for the venomous chorus. Kanye starts his verse by highlighting the racial injustice and blatant discriminative actions that plague the country. Kanye understands these problems but he takes it upon himself to warn others of the corrupt system and how they’re all a part of it whether they want to or not.
In this section, Kanye points out the necessity of hip-hop for teens as they need role models to follow similar to a religious practice. Kanye West has often proclaimed himself to be a god throughout his career and this verse seemingly shows that he wouldn’t mind leading the new generation as their God, going so far as to compare himself to civil rights leader Malcolm X when he says “Malcolm West had the whole nation standing at attention.” However, Kanye goes on to claim that being a role model isn’t the full extent of his goals and that he wants to be the greatest rapper that there can be. Kanye will stop at nothing to be the best but there are always going to be forces against him every step of the way.
In his final verse of the song, Kanye decides to talk about how he is determined to be the successive icon that he truly wants to become even if it has its problems. He even shows this by stating how his problems won’t leave him, referencing a Beatles track in the line “I was looking at my resume feeling real fresh today, they rewrite history, I don’t believe in yesterday.” This is Kanye stating how no matter how far he comes, history can be rewritten and it can all be taken away from him. He continues this sentiment with the now iconic line “What’s a black Beatle anyway, a fucking roach? I guess that’s why they got me sitting in fucking Coach.” This is Kanye continuing his Beatle reference from the previous line, and showing how even as a musician who’s accomplished as many musical feats as the Beatles, he will never be shown the same amount of respect, and that’s why he’s seated in Coach, behind First-Class. Kanye knows he’s back on the rise at this time in 2010 and doesn’t plan on stopping soon. Kanye seeks a lot in “Gorgeous” and whether it’s fame, success, or worship he is always set on achieving his goals. Kanye ends this verse by reaffirming his tenacity of becoming the best rapper in the world.
The last verse in Gorgeous is a guest verse from legendary Staten Island rapper Raekwon. At face value, one might mistake Raekwon’s appearance on this politically charged track to be redundant to the themes in the first three verses, but as a whole, it actually adds value to and perspective to verse three, as well to the themes of the album as a whole. Kanye spends his time on Gorgeous addressing America’s twisted views on African Americans and how it’s affected him personally. Raekwon uses his verse to paint a different picture, a black man who has risen above the racial injustice and become an icon himself. Raekwon starts off with “I done copped Timbs, lived in lenses, kid, Armani suits, fresh fruits Bally boots and Benzes.” Right away we can tell that Raekwon is somebody who’s successful. He lives a life of designer clothing and luxury cars, he also references his time in the spotlight, being followed by paparazzi and the media with the “lived in lenses” line. He would then go on to rap about Louis bags, and red Jaguars, to truly show the extent to which he has succeeded in his life. The tone of this guest feature changes and circles back to the themes addressed before when Raekwon calls back to his own time at the bottom of the pyramid with the line “Throwing dice for decimals the older head, bolder head, would train a soldier head, make sure he in the right field, not a soldier dead.” grimey, right? This is Raekwon making callbacks to where he would shoot dice for small amounts of money, and how the elders in his neighborhood would “train” the youth to know the ins and outs of the streets because a mistake could get them killed. Raekwon closes out his feature with this: “Keep grinding, keep shining, to every young man, this is a plan, learn from others like your brothers, Rae and Kanye.” This is a beautiful message to send the listener off with, a message from two prolific cultural leaders that if they keep at their passions, they will rise above the injustice in America and be okay.
Kanye West attacks the idea of racism, racial profiling, and racial inequality while bringing in his own experiences into the light. With Kid Cudi giving a ghostly chorus about being afraid to lose and a feature from Raekwon, Kanye West once again brought a wonderful trio together for this masterpiece. The song itself is a great piece of social commentary and gives those who don’t have a voice a way to be heard. While Kanye West isn’t a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or a Malcolm X, he still knows where the problems are and isn’t afraid to point them out to the world on “Gorgeous”.
Very rarely does a song guide one through many emotions in less than 10 minutes. These songs do exist but they are often hard to discover and listen to endlessly. “Runaway” by Kanye West is an example of a master-class song that still stands tall to this day. Nine years ago this song was considered to be a beautiful masterpiece that highlighted the best things that Kanye West had to offer, and all of that remains true to this day and then some. Nine minutes and eight seconds is the amount of time that Kanye West has to take you on a spiritual adventure throughout verses and autotune to deliver his message. “Runaway” is Kanye West’s second best song in my opinion and that says a lot when you look at his portfolio spanning 15 years. “Runaway” truly is a perfect song and one that I believe all can enjoy whether you’re a fan or not.
“Runaway” begins with the famous piano intro featuring heavy use of the E key which then transitions into the grand beat of the song. This slow start is a great way to build up excitement and tension as each key is pressed. This intro quickly turns into a ballad as Kanye begins his first chorus of the song. In this chorus Kanye discussing a fictitious toast to all those who doubted him, those who gave up on him, and his inner-self. Kanye’s life had become shrouded in drama at this time and this chorus is his first attempt to redeem himself by revealing his true nature. After this catchy chorus, Kanye decides to spit some truth about his love life and how he consistently fails to find true love. Kanye takes this time to assert his arrogance and how he blames everyone for his mistakes because that’s all he ever does. After another chorus section, fellow collaborator Pusha T is recruited to perform the next verse of the song.
Pusha T enters the scene with a short but sweet verse about the lavish lifestyle and the trials and tribulations that come with it. Pusha T’s verse is quite particular when you consider he is referencing Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow to Rolex watches. However, Pusha T details his issues with being rich and famous by showing off an ignorance similar to Kanye’s first verse. This verse is great from Pusha T because not only does it paint a picture of the jerk that he views himself as but also the self-realization aspect that comes with it. Pusha T isn’t afraid to flex his wealth and will surely make sure you see his bling before he gives the song back to Kanye.
This second verse from Kanye is very short but is a great way to pick up where Pusha T left off. Kanye is afraid of losing his partner and simply doesn’t know how to live without her. Kanye knows he’s done wrong and he knows he’s hurt her but he truly loves her deep down inside past all the ignorance. Kanye wants the one thing he can never buy, Kanye West wants to love.
The outro of “Runaway” is honestly something that cannot be put into words. Using a vocoder, Kanye sings the chorus of the song in such a beautiful way that I cannot help but have a tear in my eye. This nonsensical section is perhaps the most powerful part of the whole song as we see Kanye ending the song in an absolutely different way than he started it. This beautiful outro is what makes the song for me and I think Kanye really outdid himself on this track especially in the film. The film features Kanye performing which a multitude of ballet dancers perform until just a few remain for the remainder of the outro. I am thankful that this song exists because it induces many thoughts and feelings for people to ponder as they listen to this piece of art unfold around them. This song is a must listen to as it is so poetic yet beautiful that describing it is nearly impossible to someone who’s never heard it before. “Runaway” is the perfect song and I am thankful that we have this song in the world and I hope you feel the same way after you listen to this masterpiece.
Every year the GRAMMY awards fail to give those who deserve an award an award. This year after some outrageous decisions, I decided to fix the nominations and winners for this year’s GRAMMY awards in the shape that I think it should be. I will only be making revisions to major categories in which I don’t agree with the winners. Also, I would like to say congratulations to Childish Gambino for all of his well-deserved wins.
Real Winner – From the Fires – Greta Van Fleet
My Winner: Artificial Selection – Dance Gavin Dance
Real Winner – Everything Is Love – The Carters
My Winner – The Kids Are Alright – Chloe x Halle
Real Winner – H.E.R. – H.E.R.
My Winner – Good Thing – Leon Bridges
Real Winner – “God’s Plan” – Drake
My Winner – “Lucky You” Eminem featuring Joyner Lucas
Real Winner- Invasion of Privacy – Cardi B
My Winners – Swimming – Mac Miller & Redemption – Jay Rock
Real Winner – Woman Worldwide – Justice
My Winner – Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides – SOPHIE
Real Winner – “Electricity” – Silk City & Dua Lipa
My Winner – “Crab Rave” – Noisestorm
Real Winner – “Shallow” – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
My Winner – “Audio” – LSD
Real Winner – Dua Lipa
My Winner – Chloe x Halle
Real Winner – Pharrell Williams
My Winner – Kanye West
Real Winner – Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
My Winner – KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS
In the 2000s and 2010s, there was consistent talk about an album called Detox. Detox would have been Dr. Dre’s third album following his prior two classic albums. The name Detox was throughout a plethora of songs and interviews since the 2000s. The album was supposed to be a huge event that would have featured many artists in an attempt to make one of the world’s most hyped albums. But alas, this album never came to be. However, the album has an interesting history spanning at least a decade since it’s announcement. Detox may have never been made, but we can ponder about what could have been and why it never came out.
Dr. Dre was at the top of his game in 1999 when he released his album 2001. This album was a followup to his 1992 classic The Chronic and stood as a testament to the skills and sounds that Dr. Dre could bring to the table as a solo artist. With both albums being a success, it was pertinent for Dr. Dre to campaign for his third album as being a big deal. In doing so rappers such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Dr. Dre himself would continuously promise that Detox was on its way. While this never happened, we did see some singles from the album. Songs such as I Need A Doctor and Kush were surefire indicators that the album was coming soon, however, those singles never amounted to anything other than being quality releases from Dr. Dre. Supposed work on Detox was also done during a busy time for Dr. Dre due to him producing for major artists and eventual Beats Headphones involvement years later. Seemingly, Dr. Dre wouldn’t have an ample amount of time to produce the album and thus each year the release date was pushed back another year until it was indefinitely delayed.
With the album’s release date nowhere in sight, fans wondered what Dr. ordered. With Detox being postponed, Dr. Dre continued to work in the background doing production and guest features here and there until 2015. After no word of Detox or any other albums, Dr. Dre surprised everyone when he announced Compton was coming out. Compton was released on August 7th, 2015 and serves as Dr. Dre’s true third album. The album was made in conjunction with the N.W.A film Straight Outta Compton. With both film and album being overwhelmingly received well by critics Dr. Dre seemingly proved that 16 years later he still had his touch. Compton is said to be a derivative of the original Detox album thus potentially ending the search for the lost album. With Detox never coming to fruition we were gifted with Compton instead.
16 years of waiting led up to a stellar album in Compton, however, it wasn’t Detox nor was it what Detox could be. Detox had the potential to be one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time with Dr. Dre’s production and his connections. While we never got Detox and probably never will, hip-hop has a legendary tale of the mythical album. I do hope one day we get a taste of what else Detox was supposed to contain but until then we must wait once more. While it may or may not ever come out, Detox will always serve as hip-hop’s greatest fabled album.
2/1/19
“Me and Your Mama”
Donald Glover, better known as Childish Gambino is a man of many talents. In 2016, Childish Gambino showed us a new side of his talent with the release of Awaken! My Love. This album is 11 songs long and is a mixture of R&B and Soul music. While there are some standout songs like “Redbone” on the album, there exists one song that I believe stands above the rest in terms of quality, emotion, and dedication. “Me and Your Mama” features Gambino at odds with himself and the woman he’s with as he battles it out throughout the powerful and loud track. Being the first song on the album, “Me and Your Mama” digs deep into one’s feelings immediately and sets the perfect tone for the album.
After the short intro, the song explodes into screams of anger, love, and hate as Gambino battles his inner thoughts regarding the situation he is in. With Gambino pleading for his woman to take him back while the world wants to tear them apart there is a powerful message to be heard. Gambino only wants to present his love to her above everything else even if it’s the wrong choice. I personally love this song because of the rock influence and screaming that Gambino includes but also the failing relationship aspect as it’s all too relatable for myself and many others. I really enjoy what Donald Glover for the album and hope to see more similar work on his next release.
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How would you feel if you lost everything you worked for in an instant? This was the case with The D.O.C. in 1989. Shortly after releasing his debut album, The D.O.C. was involved in a car accident which resulted in the loss of his voice. The D.O.C. is arguably one of the greatest rappers and wordsmiths alive, however, when he lost his voice that all changed. Only one album was made before the accident and in my opinion, it is hip-hop’s greatest debut album. No One Can Do It Better is a classic but above all else serves as a reminder of how well The D.O.C. could perform before the accident.
No One Can Do It Better was released on August 1, 1989, under the production of Eazy-E and Dr. Dre. Ironically, for an album produced by members of the N.W.A the only “moderately explicit” song on the album is the one that actually features N.W.A. The D.O.C. took a very clean approach when it came to making this album and decided to showcase his prowess in rapping rather than gloating about his life. The D.O.C. also notably wrote every song on the album himself which compared to today’s standards is extraordinary. Not only could he rap elegantly and quickly, but The D.O.C. was also great at his delivery skills. Every line spoken feels powerful as he glides across the beat and not only highlighting his skills but also the work of Dr. Dre. Songs such as “Portrait of a Masterpiece”, “The Formula”, and “Whirlwind Pyramid” are just a few of the many songs where the beat and lyrics match perfectly to create some of the most impeccable works of art. However, while No One Can Do It Better is one of my favorite albums it’s success could never be duplicated.
In 1996, The D.O.C. tried to return 7 years later with the release of Helter Skelter and then 14 years later with Deuce. Both albums are valiant efforts for someone with a damaged larynx, however, the vocal damage set The D.O.C. back in terms of ability. Recently, The D.O.C. has revealed that he’s working on another album and has regained more of his voice than he used to. If this album ever comes out it would mark approximately 30 years since his debut album in 1989. Given that The D.O.C. has the writing, lyricism, and production all taken care of, this album could be miraculous. But until then, The D.O.C. remains as hip-hop’s greatest tragedy. The man who lost his career and who had the smoothest and swiftest voice in hip-hop will one day rise again, however, this time it’ll be just a little different than it was in 1989.
Here is the list of my favorite albums of 2018! I apologize for the delay but nevertheless, I present to you my favorite 10 albums of the year 2018.
Honorable Mention: Backward Books 2 – Azizi Gibson
This year’s honorable mention is Backward Books 2 by Azizi Gibson. Azizi Gibson is a relatively new artist in the world who I can definitely see making an impact in the future. Azizi Gibson paints himself as a colorful character with his covers along with sampling dialogue that is based on anime. Azizi Gibson is another incredible example of mixing rapping, singing, and speaking into exquisitely crafted yet highly entertaining songs. In addition to being vocally talented, Azizi Gibson excels at generating tones for his songs. In songs such as “Rain” and “New Wavy” there is a playful side showing off what he can do, however, songs like “Night Crawler” and “Polidicks” give off an emo-rap vibe as a stark contrast to the rest of his work. With this year’s top lists being very difficult to come up with since 2018 was a great year for music, Azizi Gibson taking 2018’s honorable mention is a huge compliment in my opinion and I hope you give him a chance in 2019.
10. DiCaprio 2 – J.I.D
J.I.D is the newest artist on this list and his name deserves the utmost respect after the release of DiCaprio 2. This album channels J.I.D’s talents to create novel sounds, flows, and styles that can rival some of hip-hop’s current heavy hitters. J.I.D even goes as far as to recruit artists such as A$AP Ferg, Joey Bada$$, and his own mentor J. Cole. Songs like “Westbrook”, “Off Deez”, and “Just Da Other Day” are just a sample of the preponderance that J.I.D can create in the studio. In 50 minutes and 14 songs, J.I.D shows prowess in every way imaginable. J.I.D adapts to match each beat and will even match the level of energy that his guest features bring to the table. I think DiCaprio 2 is a great way to start off this year’s list as J.I.D sets the standard as the first entry. 2019 is the year that I believe J.I.D will become a relevant name in hip-hop and he unquestionably earns it.
9. Black Panther The Album- Kendrick Lamar
Black Panther was a movie that surprised a majority of critics and box-office projections alike. Disney put ten years into their Marvel cinematic universe dubbed the MCU and it shows with the release of Black Panther. However, setting the wonderful visuals and performances by Chadwick Boseman and Anthony B. Jordan aside, Disney gave Kendrick Lamar permission to create the soundtrack for the film. Realistically, Disney giving one of the most prolific hit-makers the chance to create a soundtrack for what would become one of the highest-grossest movies of all time sounds like a dream, yet it surely happened. And that’s without mentioning that the album is uncensored too. Kendrick Lamar recruited a plethora of artists to help cultivate this masterpiece while still giving it a well-balanced pace throughout its 14 song duration. Black Panther The Soundtrack also features a diverse collection of sounds with the song “X” being one of the most hype-inducing songs of the year while “King’s Dead” has resulted in becoming a meme adored by many. With Kendrick Lamar pushing SOB X RBE into the world with their song “Paramedic!” there is realistically no way this album isn’t a top ten release of 2018. I can only hope that Disney decides to give this concept another chance when Black Panther 2 inevitably comes out in the future.
Link to article
8. KOD – J. Cole
Conscious rap is an interesting sub-genre in hip-hop mostly because it’s so hard to abide by. It wouldn’t make sense for a conscious rapper to preach a message and then go against their very words. J. Cole has been one of the most interesting rappers recently as he’s become a complete 180 of what he used to be. J. Cole used to have great features and many noteworthy hits, however, since the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive he’s become a solo artist in almost every way. Doing a majority of producing and writing has allowed his lyrical expertise to be flaunted on each album since 2013’s album Born Sinner. J. Cole has never been a bad rapper and he’s never been a simple one either. Albums like KOD serve as a warning message to those who consider giving into their demons in exchange for fulfilling their wildest dreams. J. Cole wants to help others by showing that you can be your best version without selling your soul for drugs and money. However, he knows it’s not an easy temptation to resist but he provides a clear way to resist by using KOD as a message to all those who ponder. KOD is a conscious rap album disguised as a trap album in some parts, and these “hits” allow J. Cole to convey his message through deception. Regardless if J. Cole and I have the same views on his album, I think it deserves its spot on my list for being such a remarkably executed conscious rap album.
7. Kamikaze – Eminem
2017 saw the release of Eminem’s highly debatable album Revival which was met with fairly average reviews that even split a good amount of his fanbase. Unfortunately, for Eminem, he has a legacy to uphold and an average album at his age is something he won’t stand for. Refusing to be the Star Wars: The Last Jedi of hip-hop, Eminem decided to board his plane and crash it straight back into the rap game. After being the end of many jokes since the release of Revival, Eminem takes it all too personally and attempts to go after a majority of his critics. From music reviewers to “mumble rappers”, Eminem leaves no stone unturned in 2018. The name Kamikaze is fitting because if Eminem’s career is really on a decline and this album could potentially be one of his last, he of all people would rather go out with a bang instead of slowly fading away. It is also worth mentioning that this album is the reason the MGK vs Eminem feud came to be throughout the year. With Kamikaze and “Kill Shot” being wonderful releases from Eminem this year, I don’t think he has any plans to leave the game anytime soon and he fully intends to bring us with him throughout his journey.
Link to article
6. DAYTONA – Pusha T
DAYTONA didn’t capture my interest that much at first but this album grew on me after discussing it with some close friends. Pusha T was the first release in Kanye West’s 2018 “Wyoming Sessions”/”Cruel Summer” projects. DAYTONA features production from Kanye West and shows Pusha T at his best. “The Games We Play” and “What Would Meek Do?” are some of my favorite songs on the seven-track album because they give Pusha T’s lyricism time to shine. An album shrouded in controversy due to its cover and the eventual escalation of the feud with Drake would have to catch people’s attention and that’s exactly what it does. Pusha T saved some of his best ideas for this album and it shows. The Pusha T and Kanye West duo proved to be one of the best albums of 2018 as it gave both a chance to display what they truly excel at. I hope Pusha T can recreate the magic that went into crafting this album in the future.
5. Swimming Mac Miller
Swimming is the last album from Mac Miller, however, it is also one of his best pieces of work to date. If his single “Self Care” wasn’t enough to make you look into this album, I highly implore you to do so. Whenever an artist passes there tends to be a renaissance in their work. This resurgence provides fans with a chance to connect once again with the artists they adored, or even allow new fans to be created due to viva voce. While nobody expected Mac Miller’s passing, Mac Miller was always aware of his lifespan. Swimming is essentially Mac Miller’s goodbye project to the world. Mac Miller discusses his life and the problems he had growing up into the man he was, however, throughout the lyrics Mac Miller seemingly closes up loose ends and prepares himself for the short future he had left. This idea is very unsettling and depressing to most, but Mac Miller doesn’t view his end as such. Mac Miller constantly battled with substance abuse and he clearly knew he could never be free of its grasp on Swimming. Being in and out of sobriety would only perpetuate the problem he had and sadly the drugs took over on September 7th, 2018. While the world may have lost a lyrical genius, Swimming remains as his last testament to the world and deserves its rightful spot on my list.
4. Ye – Kanye West
While Ye isn’t Kanye West’s best album, it does bring a genuine sound that hasn’t been heard from Kanye West in quite some time. His first release since The Life of Pablo had some living up to do, and unfortunately, it doesn’t hit every note but that doesn’t mean this album is bad in any way. Ye is limited by its length which only gives Kanye West seven songs to show off his competence but he does make the best of those seven tracks. “I Thought About Killing You” is one of my favorite intros to an album and this fact is amplified if you watched his release party live stream. After Chris Rock gave a small speech about the brilliance of Kanye, the album started with the slow-starting yet explosive song. After the beat switches and the song comes to a close, Ye takes you on an emotional journey throughout Kanye West’s brain. His thoughts and ideas are the focus of the album as he discusses topics of mental health, relationships, and the future. Ye is also home to my favorite song of 2018, “Ghost Town” which is enough to land the album in a top five spot. “Ghost Town” is the amalgamation of love, life, and progress as 070 Shake, Kid Cudi, and PARTYNEXTDOOR team up to create this beautiful song. While Ye wasn’t Kanye West’s best work, it’s far from being his worst project in 2018.
Link to article
3. KIDS SEE GHOSTS – Kid Cudi & Kanye West
Kid Cudi and Kanye West really outdid themselves in 2018. Whether it’s their glorious team up on Kanye West’s song “Ghost Town” or their first collaborative album KIDS SEE GHOSTS, the duo had 2018 in the palms of their hands. KIDS SEE GHOSTS starts off with the explosive yet lovable “Feel The Love” and ends on the slow yet positive “Cudi Montage”. The album itself feels like a love letter to the genre that made them so successful but in the process took many things away from them. With both Kid Cudi and Kanye West having to battle depression and other mental health issues throughout the years, their comradery shows throughout the short but sweet seven-songs. “Reborn” is the absolute best part of the album as it gives not only Kanye West his usual space to vent and rap, but also gives Kid Cudi full power of the chorus and bridge that brings the song into a higher plane of excellence. If the rumors are true and KIDS SEE GHOSTS isn’t a standalone album, I will happily see what’s in store in the future.
Link to article
2. Artificial Selection – Dance Gavin Dance
Throughout the year there was a majority of non-hip-hop albums that caught my eye, however, one that stood above all is Artificial Selection by Dance Gavin Dance. This album was my #1 going into writing this list and after a much needed internal struggle, I was able to place this album in its rightful place as #2 on the list. Artificial Selection is one of the more refreshing and colorful albums to come out of 2018 in my opinion. Their singles were a huge driving force when it came to me listening to this album because of songs such as “Midnight Crusade” and “Care”. Dance Gavin Dance did an exceptional job at using their singles to draw potential listeners in even if I was already looking forward to this album. Hardly anything bad can be said about this album. This album is high on my list mostly due to personal connections and feelings that this album gives me with every listen. But please listen to this album if you haven’t already, I can guarantee that you can at least find one song on Artificial Selection that you’ll like.
Link to article
1. Redemption – Jay Rock
I cannot lie when I said that I slept on this album until a few months ago and therefore regret that decision every time I listen to any song off this album. Jay Rock used to be an artist I would listen to because he’d usually be featured or featured Kendrick Lamar on their albums. “Money Trees” from Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is one of my favorite songs and that’s mostly due in fact to Jay Rock’s incredible contribution to the song. On Redemption Jay Rock really makes a name for himself in my mind as he takes his wordplay and delivery to another level throughout the 14 song duration of the album. Jay Rock proves on this album that he is one of the few modern rappers that can perform well with or without guest features. Since the album has seven features ( “WIN” features Kendrick Lamar but he isn’t credited) on 14 of the songs, Jay Rock has to carry his weight by himself on half of the album which results in some great personal and endearing songs. However, the features that Jay Rock brings to this project are wonderful choices to compliment his refined style and rhythm. Redemption once again sees the meme-filled “King’s Dead” which drops the Kendrick Lamar feature from Black Panther The Soundtrack. “OSOM” is a song that I especially love as it gives J. Cole yet another song to shine on in 2018 outside of his KOD project. “Wow Freestyle” is also a major highlight for Jay Rock as it gives him and Kendrick Lamar about three minutes to rap some of their finest and catchiest bars in the freestyle style. I never expected myself to consider Redemption my favorite album of 2018 let alone a Jay Rock album at that but he gave Redemption his all and should be commended for doing so. Jay Rock truly surprised me with Redemption and I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for us.
Just like last year, the rules for this year’s list are simple. One song per artist/album. These are my favorite songs from the year 2018. This list was cut from about 50 songs so even the 18th place song is still a high recommendation. Only songs from January 1st – December 31st.
This is America – Childish Gambino
Following 2016’s R&B, funk, and soul album Awaken, My Love!, Donald Glover decided to take a stance politically and used his expertise and artistry to paint the current situation of America. Tackling the problems with guns, violence, and discrimination in the country proved the be quite the task but Donald Glover somehow pulled it off with the music video. Unfortunately, that is what makes this song an honorable mention. This song is easily a top five song, however, the music video is the reason why it works so well. The music video for “This is America” gives more insight into the song and the message it is trying to deliver. So while this is my honorable mention I must admit that it is one of the best songs of 2018.
18. Top Down On Da NAWF – Migos
When Culture II came out earlier this year I was thrilled by the number of great songs on the album. Unfortunately, these songs fell out of my rotation save “Top Down On Da NAWF” and “White Sand”. However, “Top Down On Da NAWF” was a song I really enjoyed listening to and would often play it every day before school. With the song taking a slower and more melodic tone than others, it highlights Quavo’s singing and gives Takeoff and Offset to shine with their short but sweet verses. I told myself when I first heard this song in January that I would have to include it on my list. So with Migos taking the 18th spot on my list, I can finally stay true to my promise.
17. Fullest – cupcakKe
It is very difficult to describe cupcakKe. She often is disregarded when it comes to rising stars, however, if cupcakKe creates more songs similar to “Fullest” I can see her earning her spot on the charts. “Fullest” has one of the greatest beats of 2018 and cupcakKe matches its exuberance with ease. While hip-hop generally only considers a handful of female rappers to be “good” and “memorable”, cupcakKe breaks this barrier completely. Just like Nicki Minaj’s verse on Kanye West’s “Monster”, cupcakKe brings a new and refreshing style to the genre. If “Fullest” is just a hint of the potential that she has moving forward I think cupcakKe will be a huge name moving forward into the next year.
16. Lovely – Billie Eilish ft. Khalid
Another rising star in the music industry is Billie Eilish who released the wonderful song “Lovely” this year. While Billie Eilish has a phenomenal voice on her own, she invites Khalid to create a unique blend of their two distinct voices. “Lovely” creates a sound that is grand and powerful thus allowing these two to show their chemistry and talent. This song reminds me of some of Lana Del Rey’s work, however, the youth that these two singers bring is incomparable to similar ballads. I hope these two work together in the future and perhaps we could see another album from Billie Eilish in 2019.
15. FABRIC – BROCKHAMPTON
It’s very difficult to talk about Brockhampton without mentioning the removal of Ameer Vann in May. Ameer Vann played a crucial part in the group and was by far my favorite member, however, their first album without him introduced us to a very different Brockhampton. While Ameer Vann was one of the most prominent members in previous work, his removal gave Brockhampton a chance to reinvent themselves. “FABRIC” is a great example of the evolution of the group. Bearface who usually did closing tracks on previous albums was given a chance to shine once more on this album. “FABRIC” is the closing track to their album iridescence and allows almost every main member to shine except for Matt Champion. With Brockhampton’s excellent producers, “FABRIC” completes the story of the first chapter in their new life perfectly. Brockhampton once again proves that they are the future and I cannot wait to see what that future holds.
14. Audio – LSD
2018 saw the creation of the electronic-pop group LSD which is comprised of Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo. These three artists are very well known on their own and their collaboration over the year was a great surprise to see. “Audio” is perhaps the year’s summer anthem as it features top-notch production from Diplo and the combined voices of Sia and Labrinth filling the song. While the lyrics aren’t all that special, the song really shines when it allows these artists to work as one solid unit. I cannot wait to see what the group has for 2019 as I firmly believe that they have what it takes to be a powerful group in the music industry.
13. Watch – Travis Scott ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Kanye West
With the promise of Astroworld on the horizon, the hype would only be matched by Travis Scott’s best song of the year. “Watch” has Travis Scott recruiting Lil Uzi Vert and Kanye West to give some fun verses on a very memorable beat. While this song unfortunately never made it to Astroworld, Travis Scott did not fail to release one of his best songs last year.
12. Champion – NAV ft. Travis Scott
Last year I said that NAV wasn’t the best rapper, nor should he be and that statement still stands today. NAV shines when he has another artist to work with and “Champion” proves that idea. “Champion” is yet another song where NAV discusses his fame and success, however, bringing along frequent collaborator Travis Scott results in a fun anthem for 2018.
11. Mona Lisa – Lil Wayne ft. Kendrick Lamar
When Lil Wayne released Tha Carter V, there was a fairly sizable amount of hype surrounding it. With Lil Wayne having released his last album in 2013, Tha Carter V had expectations to meet. With a majority of the album being forgettable but fun tracks, one song that stands out the most on the album is “Mona Lisa”. With Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar discussing deceptiveness and betrayal in their romantic-lives, “Mona Lisa” ends up becoming one of the most powerful and thoughtful songs of 2018. While it is not a banger or even a hit, “Mona Lisa” stands as a testament to the concept of storytelling in hip-hop. Storytelling was a huge part of the genre in the early decades, however, bringing it into 2018 with two of the greatest rappers of all time is a great way to revitalize the element that has been a huge factor in the genre’s success.
10. CLOUT COBAIN|CLOUT CO13A1N
Denzel Curry brings consciousness to hip-hop this year with his album TA13OO. The album covers a plethora of topics from suicide to love in an effort to present his perspectives to listeners. In doing so he released “CLOUT COBAIN” which ties fame, success, mental health, self-destruction, and Kurt Cobain together. Denzel Curry acknowledges the difficulties of achieving fame while still retaining his humanity and stability. Fame has led to many deaths in the world and Denzel Curry refuses to end up as another name on the list. Kurt Cobain notably is a member of the “27 Club” and as Denzel Curry is approaching his 27th birthday in a few years his worries are understandable. Denzel Curry doesn’t want to die nor does he want to travel down the wrong path, in “CLOUT COBAIN” Denzel Curry knows exactly how to stay on track in the coming years.
9. I Was Never There – The Weeknd
Times have been tough for The Weeknd recently. Failed relationships have taken an obvious toll on him and subsequently his music. However, out of the ashes out sadness and depression, The Weeknd released his latest EP titled My Dear Melancholy. On this EP we were treated to many tremendous new songs by the heartbroken artist and “I Was Never There” is one of them. In this song, The Weeknd teams up with Gesaffelstein to create one of the most pleasant sounding tracks this year had to offer. While The Weeknd birthed these songs out of pure sadness and pain, his work will not go without praise as he once again made one of this year’s best songs.
8. Paramedic! – SOB X RBE
The soundtrack for Black Panther undoubtedly surprised the world when it came out in 2018. Kendrick Lamar crafted such a powerful and catchy album that broke all expectations upon release. A major reason for this album’s success is the release of “Paramedic!” by SOB X RBE. This group is fairly new to the hip-hop world since they only started in 2016, however, within two years they had already caught the eye of one of the most prolific artist’s of all time. “Paramedic!” gives a strong introduction to the group as they swiftly glide across the beat with Kendrick Lamar providing the chorus. This song is definitely the best song to come off the album and has informed the world of SOB X RBE as they continue to put out solid music.
7. Lucky You – Eminem ft. Joyner Lucas
Eminem came into the year with his emotions prepped and his words ready as he took his complaints to the microphone on Kamikaze. Eminem teamed up with Joyner Lucas to wage the war on talentless and ungrateful rappers. This song was also the first time I actually liked Joyner Lucas and would like to see him perform like this more often. Eminem continues to work on his rapping speed and once again shows his prowess as a wordsmith. In his attempt to set the younger generation in their place, Eminem sets a new standard when it comes to making clapback tracks.
6. Sin – Young Thug ft. Jaden Smith
Young Thug is a prominent figure of the hip-hop industry. Whether it’s from his unique lyrics and overall style to his unusual flows, Young Thug always brings some level of excitement when he releases a new project. This year’s EP titled On The Rvn, put Young Thug’s typical hype level on a higher plane with the song “Sin” featuring Jaden Smith. With Jaden Smith and Young Thug being two of my favorite artists, their eventual collaboration would have to be great. However, saying that “Sin” is great would be an understatement. “Sin” gives Young Thug and Jaden Smith an opportunity to shine and play off of each other while being supported by a beat by London on da Track. If this is what Young Thug and Jaden Smith can do together, I cannot wait to see what they can do again in the future.
5. Self Care – Mac Miller
2018, unfortunately, was the year that Mac Miller would pass away at the age of 26. Before his untimely death, Mac Miller released his final album titled Swimming. On his final project, Mac Miller seemingly made peace with his demons while still acknowledging their haunting effects and eventual return. “Self Care” is a chance for Mac Miller to right his wrongs as he attempts to give life a new chance. However, Mac Miller would only have a little over a month left before passing away. “Self Care” was Mac Miller’s final plea for change and acceptance during the short time he had left. Mac Miller was an incredible artist and I’ve loved following him throughout the years, however, while his physical presence is gone his music shall live on forever.
4. Midnight Crusade – Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance surprised me more in 2018 than any other artist or band. “Midnight Crusade” was their first single from their latest album Artificial Selection. I have high regard for this album and that mostly stems from this song. “Midnight Crusade” is a beautiful masterpiece of a song that can be enjoyed for long-time fans of the band or even newer fans such as myself. Artificial Selection is the first album to come out since I’ve been a fan of the band due to hearing some songs from their 2016 album Mothership. Dance Gavin Dance really took 2018 by surprise with the release of “Midnight Crusade” and ultimately their eighth album.
3. Praise The Lord (Da Shine) – A$AP Rocky ft. Skepta
While A$AP Rocky’s album Testing was met with mixed reviews, it produced one of this year’s greatest songs. “Praise The Lord” is a spectacle in every way imaginable. A$AP Rocky is at his highest point on this song and it only gets better when English rapper Skepta joins the track. With a fun beat that’s made from panpipes, and the duo putting out their best talent, this song was destined for success. Along with the “A$AP Forever REMIX”, A$AP Rocky had a great year for hit songs and Testing is to thank for these hits.
2. Reborn – KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Deciding between “Reborn” and “Ghost Town” is almost impossible. Kanye West and Kid Cudi created the two best songs of 2018 and deciding which one was better than the other was an impossible task.”Reborn” is a very Kid Cudi centered song while “Ghost Town” is prominently Kanye West’s song (since it’s on his album). On the soulful and beautiful “Reborn”, Kanye West pours his heart into his verse on this song while Kid Cudi sings the rest of the song perfectly. I cannot recommend this song enough and it could potentially even be considered interchangeable with “Ghost Town” as the number one spot.
1. Ghost Town – Kanye West ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kid Cudi, & 070 Shake
My #1 pick for the best song of 2018 has to be “Ghost Town” by Kanye West on his 2018 album titled Ye. “Ghost Town” is a work of art that sees Kanye West enlisting long-time collaborator and best friend Kid Cudi along with 070 Shake who’s a newcomer that I absolutely adore. “Ghost Town” is the perfect song for the year as it is the personification of growth and maturity. With Kanye West realizing he’s getting older and his life won’t last forever, his “torch-passing” to artists such as 070 Shake is very admirable as he is preparing these young talented individuals for success. Whether or not that was the true meaning of “Ghost Town”, Kanye West once again shows how important he truly is in the music industry and that is why this is my favorite song of 2018.
Things change, people change, and feelings change too. Opinions are the result of one’s inner thoughts and feelings towards an entity or idea, however, these thoughts and feelings are always subject to change. The only thing that separates facts from opinions is the idea that facts are proven statements. While proving something isn’t always a simple task, these facts can sometimes have important implications for the way the world works. While my opinions aren’t anywhere near as serious as some can be, it is imperative for me to admit that I made a poor judgment call. Over the Summer I decided to voice my opinion on the XXL Freshman Class list of 2018. When doing this I took into account talent, popularity, and my own thoughts on the artists. I think I found solid replacements in order to create my dream list, however, I can’t help but feel as if I didn’t give one member an opportune chance. J.I.D deserves to be on the XXL Freshman list and he has what it takes to be the future of hip-hop.
After listening to J.I.D’s debut album The Never Story from 2017 in its entirety I quickly realized my mistake. A fair opinion about J.I.D is that he is essentially a combination of other well-known artists. J.I.D while being under the wing of J. Cole has continued to develop and grow as an artist by presumably taking notes from other artists. With a voice similar to Anderson .Paak and a flow akin to Kendrick Lamar, J.I.D is able to bring a new sound that was built on work from the past. While the styles of Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar are noticeable and welcomed, J.I.D also seems to draw from newer artists such as Smokepurpp. While he might be considered a “mumble rapper”, Smokepurpp does offer a unique delivery when it comes to his songs or features. J.I.D seemingly blends these three along with many other artists to create his own unique sound.
On albums such as The Never Story and DiCaprio 2, J.I.D demonstrates his ability to have a variety of sounds and flows to use. J.I.D interestingly enough doesn’t even continuously retain a consistent sound throughout an album. It is fairly common in modern hip-hop to see an artist mainly use their signature sound and flow. Lil Pump and Lil Yachty tend to follow this pattern whereas Eminem and Kendrick Lamar are constantly changing and adapting. Eminem and Kendrick Lamar showcase their talent by changing their tone, character, delivery, flow, and sound to match the lyrics, beat, and overall context of the song. Naming two legends of hip-hop in an article about J.I.D is an important aspect of what makes him stand out. J.I.D is showing and proving himself with his demonstration of knowledge. Understanding the ins and outs of any field or industry is always going to yield better results than someone who is unfamiliar with the subject. J.I.D came into hip-hop with a plan and has done an excellent job in executing it.
Knowledge is essential throughout life. One should regularly be seeking new things to learn and potentially finding a way to apply it in life. I lacked the proper knowledge earlier in the year which resulted in misjudging a hardworking, talented, and creative artist. When I gave J.I.D a real chance and listened to his two albums I realized my original expectations were askew. J.I.D has exhibited that he has what it takes to eventually be considered an important figure in hip-hop, however, he needs more exposure and material to further convince the population. Next time you are looking for a song or album to listen to, don’t pass up J.I.D because he will most definitely surpass your expectations.
808s & Heartbreak is the prelude to what hip-hop music would become in the late 2000s into the 2010s. Kanye West created the album out of sorrow and sadness of his failed relationships and the passing of his mother Donda West. These factors drove a young Kanye to branch out and break the norms he had previously set within his previous albums. 808s & Heartbreak is a pop album through and through, however, it is forged by one of the most prominent rappers of all time. By combining his multifarious knowledge of writing and producing along with an inner desire and passion to express himself, Kanye West changed the face of hip-hop forever with 808s & Heartbreak.
Before 808s & Heartbreak, there had been emotional albums and songs from the hip-hop genre, however, none of them could surmount the narrative that Kanye West culminated in 2008. Before 808s & Heartbreak, rappers such as 2Pac, Eminem, and Geto Boys were at the forefront when it came to emotional rap until the end of 2008. Kanye West set out to express himself and his feelings on the album and that is exactly what 808s & Heartbreak is. By switching his singing with auto-tune, Kanye set the guidelines for the future of hip-hop. Kanye West would even seek out T-Pain for advice on the program. Since Kanye West took this simple yet polished approach to auto-tune, his influence has remained fully intact over the years.
Kanye West decided that in addition to capitalizing on the capabilities of auto-tune, he would also prominently feature the Roland TR-808 drum machine that is referenced in the title of the album. By combining auto-tune and Roland TR-808 drum machine, Kanye West gave his fourth outing a chance to be one of the most sui generis albums in his entire career. Not only would this album be a talking point amongst fans and critics, but it also gave hip-hop a new sound to explore. There is a reason why so many artists in the musician industry have cited Kanye West as a major influence on their sound, style, and career since he first released The College Dropout in 2004. Kanye West isn’t afraid to take chances when it comes to his art and image. While he’s notoriously known for his interruption of Taylor Swift, sporadic rants, and odd views in regards to politics they never once have jeopardized his career in art, music, and fashion. Kanye West knows that his idiosyncratic choices in regards to his behavior and career will be rewarded with attention and profit. However, 808s and Heartbreaks wasn’t about the attention or the profit. 808s and Heartbreaks was about expression through his dark times leading up to its release.
While he was definitely a rising star at this point in his career, he wasn’t always jubilant. Shortly after Graduation was released in 2007, his mother and muse passed away from coronary artery disease following plastic surgery. Donda West was not only Kanye’s mother but also his biggest supporter. Kanye West appointed her as his first manager once he became serious about pursuing a career in the music industry. Donda West not only gave the world Kanye West, but she also gave Kanye the opportunity to achieve success. With Donda West playing such a crucial and supportive role in Kanye’s life, her passing was devastating. After this damaging and unfortunate loss, Kanye West would suffer again just five months later when his engagement was called off with Alexis Phifer. Losing the two most important women in his life at that time had a profound effect on Kanye West moving forward. After loss and heartbreak, Kanye had more than enough reason to create 808s & Heartbreaks.
As Kanye West was on track to be the mega-celebrity that he is today, he quickly realized that it wasn’t entirely what he thought it would be. In order to achieve his success, Kanye West would inevitably have to lose those that meant the most to him. As Kanye’s career was about to spike with the release of songs such as “Love Lockdown”, “Heartless”, and “Amazing” he had lost all that he cared for. From 2007 until the release of 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West’s life was seemingly ruined. Everything Kanye West knew and loved was wiped out from existence within four years of starting his music career. Kanye West did what any capable musician would do and channeled his loss to create an album that can resonate with everyone. Everyone in life will suffer loss until eventually suffering one’s own, however, it is what we do with this heartbreak that conveys humanity unlike anything else. Whether it’s changing one’s ways, honoring promises of those who were lost, or making a piece of art we all have a way to cope through the sorrow and sadness. Heartbreak is a guarantee in life, but for Kanye West, he used the loss of the two women he loved the most to escalate his career and become one of the biggest names in the world.
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Very rarely do we consider hip-hop albums after the 2000’s classics. While classics have come out throughout the years from artists such as Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and Kanye West there is still something missing from the list. All of the albums coming from these artists in the past decade are fairly similar in concept. The concept being used is storytelling, emotion, and consciousness in order to craft a classic album. In order to triumph artists have turned to using features to hook listeners in and give them a familiar voice to recognize. This formula has been working for some artists in the past eight years and still continues to create memorable and outstanding pieces of art. With the concepts and formula in mind, can someone still make a classic album without any features that also embodies the ideas of storytelling, emotion, and consciousness? J. Cole tested this idea in 2014 with his album 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
J. Cole released 2014 Forest Hills Drive at the end of 2014 which was not the most notable year for hip-hop outside of the short but explosive career of Iggy Azalea, the release of Days Before Rodeo by Travis Scott, and the release of Run the Jewels 2. J. Cole picked a great time to release his album as one of the last ones to come out in a year where not much happened. 2014 Forest Hills Drive encaptures every aspect of a memorable and classic album, however, it does so without any features. J. Cole essentially took the formula and removed one of the most important variables and yet he still created 13 incredible songs. Without features, J. Cole was allowed free rein to make the album that he wanted to make. By removing guest features, the workload for 2014 Forest Hills Drive significantly increased since he couldn’t add guests to fill the time like most artists would. The album is simply 64 minutes and 39 seconds of J. Cole doing whatever he wants to do and tell the stories that he wants to tell.
With no restraints, J. Cole is the sole narrator of 2014 Forest Hills Drive as he tackles the concepts of storytelling, emotion, and consciousness in 13 songs. Songs such as “Wet Dreamz”, “No Role Modelz”, and “Apparently” are just a few examples of how the concepts are used and applied to this album. Normally, songs such as “Apparently” or “No Role Modelz” would have a feature for the chorus, however, J. Cole shows that he can do his own chorus sections alone. J. Cole makes it clear that he can demonstrate his talent and ideas based purely on his own words. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is not only a bold move for J. Cole but also for modern hip-hop. Without having features, J. Cole’s only marketing tactic was himself and thus could’ve resulted in a commercially failing album. But, since 2014 Forest Hills Drive went double platinum and won two awards in 2015 this risk paid off immensely. This move has gone on to allow artists such as Bryson Tiller and Future to make platinum albums without features within a few years of the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
2014 Forest Hills Drive is a landmark album in regards to talent, marketing, and sound. J. Cole undoubtedly understands what it takes to make a classic album in this decade even with self-imposed restrictions. Not only does 2014 Forest Hills Drive show that it is possible to have a successful album without features, but it also reminds the hip-hop community that all it really takes is your voice and ideas. Recently, with J. Cole releasing two albums in the past two years with 4 Your Eyez Only and KOD he has certainly solidified himself as one of the greatest rappers of this decade and perhaps of all time. J. Cole knew exactly what to do when making 2014 Forest Hills Drive and it has and forever will be a stand-out part of the grand narrative of Jermaine Cole.
This is the fourth part of a multi-part release exclusively on this page. (link to the first part here, second here, and third here) My friend Dan Glennon (@ZiggyStarscream) on Twitter and Instagram has been working tirelessly for many weeks to write these entries for my readers. I hope you all enjoy, and I present to you Saint Kendrick: The Cinematic Nature of Kendrick Lamar Part IV. If you like and enjoy the content that I have to offer please consider liking, following, and/or commenting on my posts. It really means a lot. Thanks for your continued support!
Kendrick’s third album, ‘DAMN.’ is the most layered of his albums to date. There are actually multiple stories that this album tells as it is flushed with subtle details to the narrative of Saint Kendrick. From social and political commentary to cultural trends, Kendrick uses each song to make a point on a particular subject while interweaving a subtle narrative of the two paths that Kendrick had available to him after his first break into entertainment business success; the path of righteousness, atonement for moments of weakness, and growth into the Saint of Compton or to follow the material and gluttonous life that Lucy offers and succumb to the wickedness inside of him. Kendrick speaks of the human experience as well as the internal struggle inside him. ‘We’ put him on a pedestal and shoved him into the role of Saint Kendrick in the first place and now he speaks of his internal struggle and the consequences of his actions just as his ‘disciples’ deal with every day.
The best way to describe the mood that the album kicks off with is on “BLOOD” which is a dreamlike state. Kendrick speaks very slowly as if he had just woken from or fell into a deep sleep. The song is rather short as it serves as an intro/outro track to the two narratives. The fact that he is killed by a blind woman is symbolic in two regards. First is that a woman was the one that kills him; Lucy. But the additional fact of her being blind could symbolize ‘Lady Justice’ which is her most notable trait given the widely used figure of speech in American vernacular, “Justice is Blind.” This plays into the other key component in ‘BLOOD’; the outro featuring Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera and others quoting his lyrics to “Alright” from his previous album in a framing that makes him seem like another figurehead to place blame on for the rot of the inner city where in reality Kendrick is trying to rise above and be more than that figurehead that they portray him as. Saint Kendrick is trying to deliver his people out of the darkness and to the sunnier side of the American dream.
After the sample from Fox News, the song abruptly ends and leads into “DNA.” The blistering verbal assault from Kendrick is an affirmation of who he is and where he comes from as he proudly steps into the spotlight from the cocoon that had institutionalized him. He quickly fleshes out the world that he had come from and proclaims that he is, in fact, going to take what the world has given to him and use it. Kendrick acknowledges throughout the song the negative aspects of himself and his humanity and how he will not change for his circumstances because he is in those circumstances because of who he is in his DNA.
While largely about his upbringing and the effects of his environment on who he is as a person, Kendrick does not ignore the religious ties in the song:
“I was born like this, since one like this
Immaculate conception
I transform like this, perform like this
Was Yeshua’s new weapon”
-DNA
This little stretch is crucial to the character of Saint Kendrick. He is stating that he was chosen since birth to lead this movement which is a reference to Luke 1, in where an angel appeared to Mary and foretold of that she was chosen by God to bring his son into the world and his name shall be Jesus (paraphrasing here of course). One curious thing to me personally about the bible is that after the story of Jesus as a 12-year-old boy in the temple at the end of Luke 2, there is a nothing on the life of Jesus until the age of 30 with his baptism in the river Jordan. I have always thought about that 18-year gap of time. The Christian belief is that Jesus was all God and all Man. For all of his divinity, he was still but a young boy when he first showed that he was the Son of God. How would any normal human at that young an age could you imagine handling what Jesus had to? And he hadn’t even hit puberty! I personally believe that this gap of time could be Jesus struggling personally to accept the role that he has been given as the savior of man. Jesus was the Son of God but he still had to mature into adulthood just like any other man.
Kendrick was seen as the Son of Compton and just like Jesus in the temple at the end of Luke 2 with Kendrick’s first flash of talent and as well as establishing his voice in Section 80 he did not have the luxury to have a gap of 18 years because that was not the world we lived in. Kendrick’s ascension to his role as the Savior of Compton was gradual and chronicled through the social struggle in Good Kid mAAd City: A Short Film by Kendrick Lamar as well as the internal struggle in To Pimp A Butterfly. The world was a witness to Kendrick’s growth from childhood to a man willing to bear the weight of being the one to lead Compton and the culture forward to salvation. Kendrick ends the song with a prophecy of sorts:
“Tell me when destruction gonna be my fate
Gonna be your fate, gonna be our faith
Peace to the world, let it rotate
Sex, money, murder—our DNA”
-DNA
He speaks that he is doomed to the fate of destruction much as Jesus knew he
was to sacrifice himself to forgive the sins of man but also warns of the possible destruction of those around him if they surrender to their old ways that have institutionalized them inside the mad city.
The next song on the album, YAH, essentially shows the level of complete exhaustion that Kendrick has been dealing with. He speaks of how he is pressured for his thoughts and his actions are scrutinized to a level no one else can fathom. At the end of the song, he leaves one line “I know he walk the earth” which is an interesting line because it could be a reference to God himself as Kendrick has an encounter with him in How Much A Dollar Cost? Or it could be a reference to Lucifer but not in a personal sense as the character Lucy appears to be. Afterwards, he laboriously talks about falling back into the material world that he is climbing out of.
Kendrick unleashes his anger at the world and specifically the state of hip-hop in ELEMENT. Reveling in his state as the best rapper in the world he criticizes how other rappers’ potential is nothing close to Kendrick’s as he verbally beats down the game until he ends with “On my last LP I tried to lift the black artist / But there’s a difference between black artists and whack artists.” Biblically this connects to Jesus walking into the temple to find it turned into a market and not a place of worship. Both Kendrick and Jesus looked at the state of their pedestals to speak and preach from only to find it corrupted and distorted from its original purpose. At this point in Kendrick’s narrative as well as the New Testament both Kendrick and Jesus have now fully accepted their roles as leaders of something greater than themselves.
FEEL is the next song on the album and it is very reflective and presents Kendrick as the ‘wholly man’ with his own words instead of the extrapolation of text as is the case with Jesus (or lack thereof if it is assumed this struggle for Jesus’ coming to terms took place in the unrecorded 18 years). Kendrick is angry and struggling to understand how to control his anger. While he has assumed the role of Saint Kendrick already but the weight of influence can be a bitter burden. Focusing a lot of his material world anger out on the world that Compton and the black community by proxy are hampered by. The “school to prison pipeline”, government influence in the flooding of urban areas with drugs and even insignificant arguments such as who’s the best rapper are the objects of Kendrick’s judgment. He states that he knows he is the best and everyone knows he is the best in the world so that is why he is in the position he is in; the Savior of Compton. So why do people worry themselves with pointless endless arguments thinking about who is the best but not actually listen to what the artist is saying? Kendrick’s music is not only a perfect representation of this idea but on FEEL, he essentially screams it from the lyrics. A parallel to Tupac is stated by Kendrick when he is thinking about how Tupac was trying to tell the world his message but the world only heard his delivery. The path that Kendrick has chosen to follow both professionally, culturally and personally is one that has Tupac as the guiding post but he was killed at the age of 27 and now all Kendrick has to go on is what his image of “Tupac” would think and feel in the world they both came from.
After working with my brother for a few weeks, I was finally able to finish the article that he wanted to write. I figured it would be a good way for him to express himself and put himself out there. I hope you enjoy this, and if want to hear more from him let me know!
Its been a long time since I have been able to stick to one artist and enjoy the mass majority of their music until I heard Ski Mask the Slump God. I started listening to him around June of 2016 after being introduced by one of my friends. He had shown me the song “Wheres The Blow!” with Lil Pump and I would constantly blast it throughout my school day. As soon as the song starts you’re greeted by one of my favorite samples which is “Tokyo Drift” by Teriyaki Boyz. It’s such an unexpected use of a sample but the way it works is even more intriguing. My playlist slowly started to be filled with most of his third mixtape DROWN IN DESIGNER.
Ski Mask really caught my attention with his many collabs with XXXTentacion, and I would even be inclined to say that they’re one of the best duos of the Soundcloud era. After Ski Mask co-founded his collaborative rap group Members Only with XXXTentacion and releasing Members Only Vol.1 in 2015, they instantly rose to popularity together. Collaborating with Denzel Curry and Ronny J on songs such as “SPACEGHOSTP***Y” along with his feature on Members Only, Vol. 3 with “Bowser” which helped boost himself onto the rap scene. On June 13, 2017, Ski Mask dropped “Catch Me Outside” and he instantly blew up thanks to the Cole Bennet visuals. It’s hard to pinpoint where in the song he shined the most because he had so many different components that instantly made this song a hit. Using a sample of Missy Elliott’s “She’s a B***h” he delivered punchline after punchline which resulted in a nonstop flow and it was a great way to introduce him to the hip-hop scene.
Flash forward to June 2017 with his release of YouWillRegret, Ski Mask had done something that I’ve personally never seen. Ski Mask included samples from cartoons and movies such as his song “DURAGFLOWZ” by using the “Stadium Rave (Jellyfish Jam)” sample from Spongebob Squarepants. Growing up watching Spongebob, anybody can recognize the sample and start jamming to it. A few months later Ski dropped “Achoo!” with 88rising’s Keith Ape and appeared on the Higher Brother’s song titled “Flo Rida”.
Ski Mask has recently been divided about his music since the untimely passing of frequent collaborator and close friend XXXTentacion. Ski Mask has also been delaying the release of any new music since being on his U.S. tour, and his recent struggle to continue to keep rapping in general. Time can only tell if we will see any more of Ski Mask the Slump God in the future of the music industry.
The day is April 13, 2010, and B.o.B just released “Airplanes” featuring Hayley Williams to the world. This day is an important day for Bobby Ray as it marked his second hit single within a four-month period. After “Nothin’ on You” which featured Bruno Mars was released four months prior, it became the song that made B.o.B a sensation in the world. B.o.B. would go on to release many more singles over the years but with low numbers, he simply couldn’t recreate the success that he debuted with. Since B.o.B was no longer getting radio play, his career as a musician needed to be sustained. This is the period when B.o.B returned to his basics; the mixtape.
The “digital” mixtape era of the late 2000’s into early 2010’s is perhaps the closest thing modern hip-hop would have to a renaissance. Artists such as Meek Mill, Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, J. Cole and Chance the Rapper thrived in the digital mixtape era and all went on to be mainstays of modern hip-hop. Mixtapes in this period would often even be considered superior to the albums artists were releasing. With kids, teens, and adults being able to access these projects for free it became a breeding ground for upcoming rappers to be more creative and experimental. While mixtapes were thriving at this time, they’re often forgotten due to their limited access. Digital mixtapes from this era simply aren’t the most convenient thing to obtain. While music streaming services such as Spotify have mentioned acquiring these projects for their app, it has yet to be done.
Although many rappers would be launched into stardom with their mixtapes, not all were as fortunate. While rappers such as Meek Mill and Wiz Khalifa were able to produce albums that would be met with overwhelming commercial success, the same cannot be said about B.o.B. After releasing more mixtapes especially ones that many would consider being some of his best work, B.o.B went on to release his second album Strange Clouds in 2012. Strange Clouds was backed by four singles including “Strange Clouds” which featured Lil Wayne and the hit “So Good”. The album did very well selling over 295,000 copies in the United States by 2013. While the album performed not only commercially but also garnered positive reviews from critics, it would go on to be B.o.B’s last successful release.
One year after releasing Strange Clouds, B.o.B would put out his third album titled Underground Luxury. Unlike his previous work, Underground Luxury wasn’t as well received by critics and was a commercial failure. With album sales being under 100,000 by 2014, it would seem that B.o.B’s tenure as a star was coming to an end. However, while this marked the end of B.o.B’s success as a mainstream artist, it would not be the end of his career. Less than a year after Underground Luxury came out, B.o.B went back once more to his roots and released several mixtapes before making another attempt at an album. Mixtapes such as No Genre Pt.2, Psycadelik Thoughtz, and the Elements series would go on to become some of his most acclaimed projects. It would then be four years until his next album Ether would be released.
Unfortunately, once again B.o.B’s newest album Ether failed commercially but still managed to receive positive reviews. Shortly later, he would go on to release The Upside Down and then Naga which he has hinted that it will be his final album. While both of these projects failed to gain much traction, they still stand as a testament to B.o.B’s dedication to music. While the digital mixtape era may eventually be forgotten, the artists and their influence on hip-hop will not. B.o.B has released five albums and 21 mixtapes since 2006 and while Naga might be the end of his career as a rapper, it goes without saying that his impact and dedication to the music and mixtape industry will never be disregarded.
Very rarely in music do we see an artist actually grow and age before our very eyes. This concept has always been something that’s been observed in film and television, however, it is unusual to not only see this growth but also grow with them as well. Growth is one of the few guarantees in life. Nobody is exactly the same way they were in the past, often changing and becoming into the person they strive to be or unfortunately becoming the very thing they sought to stray away from. 2010 saw the introduction of an artist who would suffer from immense issues but continued to use music as an outlet for their thoughts. 2010 was the year that Mac Miller became known in the music industry.
Mac Miller’s journey started in 2007 with his first mixtape titled But My Mackin’ Ain’t Easy when he went by the name of Easy Mac. I, like most others, became familiar with Mac Miller in 2010 with his mixtape K.I.D.S, which I believe set him up on the path to success and fame. 2010 was a great year for artists who released mixtapes such as Wiz Khalifa, J. Cole, and Tyler, The Creator. However, K.I.D.S brought something new to the table that others were never truly able to capture, Mac Miller was only 18 at the time which allowed him to bring the idea of youth to fruition. This first incarnation of Mac Miller was the personification of youth, this concept would lead him to create many well-known and enjoyed songs at this stage of his career. As the next couple of years went on, Mac Miller would find great success in songs like “Donald Trump”, “Loud”, and “Party on Fifth Ave.” All of these songs were filled with the concept of what it means to be young and cool while still amassing wealth and fame in the background.
Blue Slide Park, is Mac Miller’s debut album and got released in 2011 and was met with mixed reviews. At this time Mac Miller was a frequent user of cocaine and promethazine and would begin to fight substance abuse for the next seven years. During this period, Mac Miller would evolve into an artist who explored different sounds, styles, and concepts. In Mac Miller’s music career, he was always open about addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Mac Miller’s dedication to transparency in his art is what set him apart from a majority of other rappers during this time. The transparency about his struggles and detrimental coping mechanisms allowed listeners to really connect with him on a personal level. While fighting substance abuse, Mac Miller continued to evolve musically which would result in his final two albums taking a new sound and style, unlike anything he’s ever released.
The Divine Feminine is very much an album of self-exploration and reflection. Mac Miller was currently dating Ariana Grande at this time which resulted in the album sounding more like a love letter instead of a hip-hop album. The Divine Feminine tackles the genre of jazz while infusing it with rap lyrics. Mac Miller’s talent shined through on this album as it impeccably shows how an artist can successfully change genres in order to explore different facets of sound. The album was met with positive reviews from critics and fans alike, thus reaffirming that this change of sound was prosperous. Two years later, Mac Miller would release an album titled Swimming. Mac Miller continues his jazz-rap sound on Swimming as he is finally able to confront his demons confidently. Mac Miller seemingly knew his self-destructive tendencies would always win. Mac Miller comes to terms with this reality on Swimming which ended up becoming his last album. Swimming is the heartbreaking end to Mac Miller’s career as he, unfortunately, passed away a month later due to overdosing.
With a career starting in 2007 and ending in 2018, Mac Miller’s growth over 11 years is perhaps the most unique and advantageous journey to ever occur in the hip-hop genre. The tale of Mac Miller which unfortunately ended in tragedy will undeniably live on forever in the hearts and headphones of many. Mac Miller not only put immense time and effort into learning how to make music, he also learned how to personify and perfect it. Albums such as GO:OD AM, The Divine Feminine, and Swimming are what I would consider classic albums from the 2010’s. His inner drive to express himself to the world will forever be an inspiration to those who listen to his work. Mac Miller’s influence on music will be known eternally due to his extensive experimentation and passion that each album was crafted with. Although Mac Miller lost the battle, he succeeded in giving others a chance to fight back and ultimately win the war against substance abuse.
Everyone wants to be remembered after they leave the Earth. Being remembered could range from memories made with family and friends to actual entities that they’ve created in their lifetime. One of these entities that a fair amount of people have created over the years is music. Music can be used in a multitude of ways to leave a mark on the world. If one wants to reach more people with their legacy they need to stand out and have a reason to be remembered in the first place. There are plenty of musicians from the 70’s and 80’s that have never managed to break out of a local scene or be able to produce a hit song. The year is now 2018 and it’s easier to make music now more than ever before. With technology constantly evolving, musicians easily come and go while collecting their paychecks and garnering their fame and fanbase.
One of the greatest and most successful rappers of all time is Eminem. Eminem has decades of experience, talent, and knowledge under his belt as he continues to release music here and there over the years. The rap god himself, however, fell from his throne last year with the release of Revival. Revival wasn’t the worst album in the world, but it certainly wasn’t the best. Although often considered his worst album, it still says a lot when considering Eminem’s discography is quite impressive and full of classic albums. While Revival didn’t exactly hit the marks, it did allow Eminem to create an album that he seemingly enjoyed making and wanted to see the public’s reaction to his thoughts on the world. The album, however, was not what people wanted to hear and left many feeling disappointed. Less than a year later, Eminem released Kamikaze. This album is Eminem’s response to the listeners and critics that ostensibly chastised Revival in the previous year.
Kamikaze, was the perfect opportunity for Eminem to get his anger and feelings out against those who loathed Revival. With Kamikaze being a sudden and surprising release, Eminem undoubtedly had the public’s attention again. The album itself is admittedly one of his better albums that further explores his opinions while showcasing his technical skill when it comes to rapping and writing. Kamikaze is a good album, however, with Eminem being one of the most controversial humans in existence it was bound to be met with negativity. This negativity commonly stems from comments aimed at his disses towards newer rappers, old friends, and even a questionable insult to Tyler, The Creator. With fans and critics once again blasting Eminem for being his usual controversial self, one must ponder about the impact this has on his legacy. Eminem is now constantly coming under fire whenever he releases an album thus making one wonder if he’s destroying or bettering his legacy with each release.
A legacy can vary depending on the nature of the person who’s leaving it. Someone who caused pain and torment to others in their lifetime will surely be remembered, but they will be remembered as an example of what not to do in life. On the other hand, leaving a positive legacy behind is not an easy task. Now more than ever are people being found guilty of past issues which subsequently leads to their name forever being associated with that act. Eminem is a special case in regards to the mark he will certainly leave on the world. Eminem is different because his influence is constantly changing throughout the years. In the early 2000’s, Eminem was one of the biggest celebrities that appealed to kids, teens, and adults while simultaneously receiving hate from Congress. Compare early 2000’s Eminem to modern day Eminem who now has a divided fan base due to his album releases and political stance, and it’s easy to see why his legacy is in a peculiar position.
While Eminem will obviously be remembered as one of the greatest and most controversial rappers of all time, it is imperative to take a step outside of the box and view Eminem as a whole. With an insanely successful career comes hardships and obstacles, both of which Eminem has surely detailed in his music. Eminem struggled for a long time until he got his chance to shine, and with that opportunity from Dr. Dre, he made the best of it. Eminem learned not to let anyone walk over him, use him, or even disrespect him in his career, which has led to some notable feuds. The story of Marshall Mathers is a culmination of one man attempting to make his opinion heard and fight for what he believes in. Revival may have been a fumble, but Kamikaze once again reaffirms that the rap god will fight to his death to defend what he believes in. Leaving a legacy behind as a man who doesn’t care about what other people think will inevitably be Eminem’s destiny.
I, unfortunately, haven’t had the right mentality nor motivation to write recently. After burning out I simply found it hard to put my thoughts into words thus making it practically impossible to produce content worth reading. With Collective Minds never really taking off and a slew of personal obstacles ranging from mental health to university enrollment I simply lost the passion to write. However, I recently started writing for CSUITEMUSIC.com which has been a supportive company in allowing me to introduce my content and thoughts to a brand new audience. I recently published my first article there today and I hope you can take a few minutes out of your day to give it a read. With school starting in less than a week, I will attempt to get back into the swing of things and have some more articles rolling out soon!
I do have an article in the works from my younger brother. He decided to write about one of his favorite rappers and I am allowing him to post on here to give him a platform for his ideas and voice. I hope to have the article out very soon and look forward to seeing what else he comes up with in the future.
Until then, here is the link to my new article on CSUITEMUSIC.
This is a guest post from fellow writer Musicwithmink. This is the first time I’ve featured someone since January when I featured Steveforthedeaf, so I hope you enjoy this content from yet another great writer!
I think it’s safe to say that when most people think of Odd Future in 2018, they probably remember the collective as Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt, and somewhere between five and 20 other dudes that fell off five years ago. While the group’s three stars have been consistently (and rightfully) a part of the alternative hip-hop/R&B conversation in recent years, with their artistic progression and maturity since the proudly-ignorant OF days well-documented and highly celebrated, it’s easy to assume that those who created less buzz stayed in that stagnant teenage mindset and faded away as a result.
While that may be true for some, not every lesser-known member should be counted out – Syd Tha Kid’s group The Internet has been quietly releasing material throughout the 2010s and is coming out with a new album very soon, Mike G released a pretty solid mixtape on 4/20, and Domo Genesis has come out with a studio album and two mixtapes in just the past 3 years. Regrettably, it wasn’t until a month or so ago that I started delving into Domo’s solo material, but within just minutes of hitting play on his 2016 album Genesis, I knew I was being introduced to something special. Fully countering every expectation I had going into it, Genesis is an uplifting, mature, and beautiful hip-hop album with strong neo-soul influences, and it’s sure to sit firmly in my summer rotation.
Domo’s work in the early 2010s was marked by a sharp, cocky flow with braggadocious lyrical content to match, usually spat over the spacious, MIDI-centric instrumentals of Tyler the Creator and Left Brain. I can definitely get into that style, dated as it may be, so when I went into this album I expected to be moderately pleased by some more of that simplistic and hard-hitting content. What I got, however, was completely different. In a good way.
The production on this album is top-notch – nearly every beat is lush but tasteful, featuring a nice combination of real instruments and MIDI, a ton of buttery Fender Rhodes (the number one way for producers to win my heart), and beautifully sung vocal hooks. The entire musical landscape is very contemplative; this matches the lyrical content, which most often concerns Domo’s meditations on his place in the music world, as an artist stuck somewhere between obscurity and fame and forced to live in the shadow of his adolescent success.
The three-track run of “Wanderer”, “Questions”, and “My Own” exemplifies this perfectly, all of them carrying the message that though Domo may not be a nobody, he’s still hungry and still has a lot left to prove. Later tracks speak similarly, with the line ‘If you don’t like this song, they’re gonna turn my lights off’ from “All Night” is a particularly good summation of the precariousness of Domo’s career. In addition to the solid lyrics and instrumentals, I was struck by just how well the tracks flow into each other. Many are bookended by spacy transitional sections that lead into the next track seamlessly, making much of the album feels like a single, episodic work.
The track “Go (Gas)”, produced by Tyler the Creator and featuring Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J, unfortunately, sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of this lineup. It’s not a bad song, and it’s clearly meant to be a throwback to Domo’s older style of carefree, arrogant bars (complete with very “Goblin/Wolf” sounding production from Tyler), but it would have fared so much better as a single or bonus track than as the midpoint of an otherwise much-classier album.
Still, aside from the awkward placement of that particular track and the somewhat one-dimensional overall subject matter, Genesis is an album that, in my opinion, should be way more talked about than it has been. The contemplative, motivational lyrics and bittersweet instrumentals, along with Domo’s flow, which is as solid and laid back as ever, make a great album for those quiet summer evenings spent with music, the sunset, and maybe some cheap beer. If you’re a fan of artists like Oddisee, Rapsody, Anderson .Paak (who has a feature on “Dapper”), and TPAB/Untitled Unmastered-era Kendrick, definitely give this one a shot.
After careful and meaningful consideration I have decided to join forces with other writers to form a side project called Collective Minds. Collective Minds is made up of friend’s I’ve made through writing and our plan is to explore different aspects and facets of the world through writing. We will be stepping in and out of our comfort zone on the site to further widen our portfolio and try new things. I am only of four members that we currently have in the group. Together with MusiCommentator, Molasses, and Underdog Off The Bench we plan to provide our audience with unique and thought-provoking content that we normally wouldn’t always write on our main sites. This group is a chance to be more creative and experimental in our writing while still having our roots intact on our main sites. I would appreciate if you could give Collective Minds a follow so we can grow and have a wonderful combined audience to write for. I appreciate you reading this and I hope Collective Minds has your support!
Thanks,
Ant
June has been a big month for me in terms of productivity and writing. I’ve managed to write for almost 20 days straight (19 days due to a guest upload). I have a unique relationship with writing as a hobby, I often find it be more of a love-hate relationship more than anything. When I’m inspired, I write topics I’ve always wanted to discuss but never had an outlet to. When I’m not inspired, I write about relevant and trendy topics. This, however, has become very hard to manage. While I’m still on Summer Vacation, I’ve been putting so much effort into this site that I find myself often stressing out over it constantly. I have good ideas and ways to take on certain topics, yet I feel as if I’m losing my passion to write when I’m constantly writing one or more an articles a day. I think it is for the best that I write when I feel inspired to do so and not because I have to. I’ve noticed when I set a long period of time aside and sit down and write when I’m inspired my work tends to be exponentially greater than writing it one to two hours before posting it. With this change comes a few changes I need to address.
While I may not be publishing every day, I will still continue the Artist Spotlights, Favorite Song Friday’s, and the ongoing Saint Kendrick multi-part series. I will, unfortunately, be stopping the 3×3 Monday’s as they take an immense amount of time to produce, and it is my main stressor. This Summer will still feature some upcoming collaborations and projects that I will announce once I have further shareable details on. I also plan to write about more movies, including some of my favorite movies of all time.
I would like to thank everyone for reading this and not to think of it as me becoming lazy or unenthusiastic, as content will still be put out often with higher quality and will create more room for conversation and opinions. I will also now start taking suggestions on topics, as I want to be more involved with my followers and see what you really want me to cover. If you have a suggestion, please contact me and send me an email(contact button on the homepage). Until next time, here’s to a new goal and path for this site!
After keeping up with the XXL Freshman class for the past couple of years, ever since the insanely memorable 2016 list. The 2016 Freshman list was quite a unique list as it featured mostly mumble rappers along with some interesting characters. While I think XXL did a great job of highlighting the artists that deserve their fame and success, I believe 2018 missed a lot of important names. I propose five lineup changes to the XXL Freshman Class. With so much talent and creativity in modern music, I believe four of these rappers deserve to stay on the list. The rappers that stay are Ski Mask The Slump God, Smokepurpp, Trippie Redd, and Lil Pump. Now let’s examine who deserves to take the spots of YBN Nahmir, Stefflon Don, BlocBoy JB, Wifisfuneral, and J.I.D.
Honorary Mention:
Lil Peep
Since the current list is only nine people, I believe an honorary mention should be enacted. I think Lil Peep should be honored since he more than likely would be on this list had he still been alive during the voting process. Lil Peep’s unique sound, style, and delivery make him worthy of at least being mentioned as an XXL Freshman. I think this would be a great way to bring more attention to his music while also honoring the late rapper. Perhaps, XXL considered this, however, I would wish to see it actually done especially since the list is missing one person.
Now time for my choices for the 2018 XXL Freshman list:
Rich Brian
Rich Brian is hands down one of the most distinctive rappers currently working. Coming from Indonesia, Rich Brian has made quite the name for himself over the past two years. With songs like “Dat $tick” and his debut album Amen, Rich Brian has come far since his days as Rich Chigga. Rarely do we see we see an Asian rapper find success in America, which leads to me support Rich Brian even further for this list. I think had XXL listened to his album prior to choosing the slots, Rich Brian would absolutely be in consideration. Hopefully, they fix this for next year and give him the recognition he deserves.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again
YoungBoy NBA absolutely deserves a spot on the 2018 Freshman list, and I’m honestly surprised he didn’t get in. “Outside Today” is one of my favorite songs of this year and I am genuinely questioning why he isn’t on this list. He has connections, hits, and a huge following. It’s a shame that XXL didn’t realize his talent and put him on the list. I really hope he gets put on next year’s list as he deserves it more than almost anyone on the actual 2018 list. I hope XXL sees the mistake that made and could possibly put him on next years list.
Moneybagg Yo
Moneybagg Yo is more-or-less my guilty pleasure choice for this list. His album 2 Heartless is something I find myself listening to often and I seemingly can’t stop. I thoroughly enjoy this album and would put him on the list based on this release alone. I also think adding him would help compliment YoungBoy Never Broke Again since they’re known, collaborators and friends. Moneybagg Yo is my most ambitious pick out of all of these, but I simply can’t resist putting him on here for my own entertainment. I also believe he’s one of the few modern rappers who’d benefit from a cypher and freestyle so he can really show off his lyricism.
Cardi B
Cardi B is perhaps the best female rapper in the rap industry since Nicki Minaj first debuted in 2010. Cardi B is energetic, witty, and talented enough to make it onto this list. Since rap is primarily male-based, it would be great to see Cardi B on there since here song “Bodak Yellow” and album Invasion of Privacy, both of which have become extremely well known and received a great amount of praise. I think Cardi B should’ve been the first contender on this list simply based on her track record alone. I truly hope XXL makes her a Freshman at some point.
Jaden Smith
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I placed Jaden Smith’s album SYRE at number one on my list last year. Not only am I a major Jaden Smith fan, but I also think he has what it takes to make it to the Freshman list. With SYRE being such a great album in 2017, I don’t see why they wouldn’t place one of rap’s main music innovators on their list. With Jaden Smith being unpredictable when it comes to genre and expressing himself, seeing a cypher with him on it would be an interesting and exciting moment to see, especially if I would’ve gotten my dream list.
6/22/18
“Baby Blue”
Action Bronson is an unusual character in the hip-hop genre. This former chef turned rapper stands out more than others with his unique voice and his stout demeanor. While Action Bronson would go on to make four albums from 2011-2017, one song of his stands out more than the rest. “Baby Blue” is perhaps Action Bronson’s best song as it showcases all of his talent and creativity in roughly five minutes. Throughout the course of “Baby Blue” we see Action Bronson glide across each verse with ease and style, this then transitions to him delivering a chilling and appropriate chorus to reinforce the idea of the song. “Baby Blue” is simply Action Bronson rapping about the women in his life and how they only seem to want him for his money. Action Bronson does a great job on this song, however, things get even more interesting when he recruits Chance The Rapper for a guest feature.
Chance The Rapper’s verse is arguably one of his best verses of all time. This verse is simple but the wordplay is fantastic. By starting off every line with “I hope…”, Chance The Rapper is allowed to direct his aggression towards those who did him wrong in the past. Chance The Rapper focuses this verse towards an unknown ex-girlfriend who he sarcastically wishes the best for. The wordplay that Chance The Rapper exhibits on “Baby Blue” is perhaps one of the best moments of any song from 2015. With Mark Ronson composing this fantastic and jazzy beat, Action Bronson and Chance The Rapper make this a song worth mentioning for years to come. I hope to see Action Bronson and Chance The Rapper attempt to make another song in this style, as I feel it highlights both of their individual talents, but it also shows the teamwork they have to offer while working with each other.
If you like and enjoy the content that I have to offer please consider liking, following, and/or commenting on my posts. It really means a lot. Thanks for your continued support!
2004 was an incredible year for music, with albums from Eminem, D12, Kanye West, Green Day, Usher, The Killers to name a few, however, 2004 was also great for the film genre too. Movies such as Shrek 2, Spider-Man 2, and Kill Bill: Volume 2 were dominating the year, yet one movie, in particular, stuck with me more than the rest. That particular movie is The Incredibles by Disney/Pixar. The Incredibles arrived at the perfect time for the superhero movie genre as Spider-Man was taking off and finding resounding success. Disney decided to take their own shot at the genre, and surely it was an outstanding decision.
When The Incredibles premiered in November of 2004 I was about seven years old, yet seeing these original and bright characters on the screen amazed me. Seeing this family dynamic that worked so well together to defeat the Omnidroid in the film’s finale was something that would always stick with me. Never would I have thought that 14 years later we’d be graced with a sequel to one of the best superhero movies of all time. My only concern would be that 14 years would be too long and that Incredibles 2 wouldn’t be able to hold up in a world where Avengers: Infinity War exists.
Incredibles 2 is surprisingly worth the wait and almost as enjoyable if not more enjoyable than the first. The movie is filled with quality comedy and action that allows each character to shine and develop as they are in a world that is under threat by the Screenslaver. With almost all of the original cast returning, Incredibles 2 makes a 14-year wait feel like yesterday as the story picks off right where it ended in 2004. Along with some new additions to the cast such as Bob Odenkirk’s character Winston Deavor and Catherine Keener as Evelyn Deavor, you get yourself a superhero movie worthy of its praise in 2018.
Perhaps the best part about this movie is the look and style that has been improved since the first movie. The colors are vivid and the effects of the superpowers from characters such as Violet and Frozone look absolutely stunning. I also enjoyed seeing more Jack-Jack as we see him evolve and figure out his powers as an infant. Another favorite of mine is Edna Mode who we see contacted once again to design suits for the family. The main cast shines the most as we see Elastigirl take on a new role which puts Mr. Incredible in the backseat for most of the movie. Seeing Elastigirl become the main hero allows for a lot of “Dad humor” as Mr. Incredible tries to fill a role he’s never been in before.
I am glad this movie finally came out and honestly can’t wait to see what a third installment would hold. Being able to see the family grow up and have their own superpowered families would be an interesting premise for a third outing. I must commend Disney/Pixar for making my and many others dreams come true after over a decade of waiting. I am thoroughly pleased with Incredibles 2 and I hope to see my favorite character Frozone have an even bigger part in the next one. Until then, go out and see this movie if you haven’t already!
If you like and enjoy the content that I have to offer please consider liking, following, and/or commenting on my posts. It really means a lot. Thanks for your continued support!
The year is 2018, the United States is still confused from one of the most interesting and strangest elections of all time. Violence and hate are once again on the rise; anger flows through almost everyone. Yet, a small light swims through the darkness. The light you are seeing is something or someone who goes against the grain, one who doesn’t pick sides nor do they have a bias towards anyone or anything. But just as it appears, it’s gone and consumed by the darkness. That small beacon of hope is now one with the evergrowing darkness that consumes the world. It’s now unjust and wrong to have a different idea of the world and what goes on in it.
I used to grow up thinking that it was exemplary to voice your opinion and to peacefully find solutions with other opinionators. In 2018, it is hard to find someone who isn’t politically sided or morally sided to a certain cause or belief. This leads to an issue of separation between friends, family, and community. Often enough, those friends, family, and communities form their own opinion on the world and the people in it, and sometimes this opinion varies from others. Speaking your mind and standing out is often considered incorrect as it goes against the ideal worldviews we as humans have curated. This issue is further pressed when individuals are berated for thinking differently. We need to support individuals right to form their own opinions as it’s the only way to hear a different side to a story.
A perfect example of hearing different sides of a story is from the D12 song titled “How Come”. “How Come” is about the group laying out their issues with each other especially with Eminem who at the time was at the peak of his career and overshadowed most if not all of the main members of the group. Each verse features either Eminem, Kon Artis, or Proof spelling out the issues they commonly see with each other and how much their friendship matters more than the money and fame. This adult way of handling opinions and issues allows for all members and parties involved to understand the viewpoints that others witness. In the end, D12 is always there for each other and that’s what “How Come” reinforces. This example of valuing opinions and working together find solutions is exactly what the world needs.
In the world, opinions are an absolute must if humans want to overcome and adapt to solve different issues that are thrown at them as a society. This is necessary in order to make the world a better place, however, the individuals and groups who attempt to silence these voices are ruining the whole point of self-expression. Living in a world where inaccurate news, scandals, and lying are to be expected leads to a plethora of problems for everyone to experience. I for one think that we need to express ourselves without judgment, no matter how different the expressed views are. Allowing to hear multiple sides to a story allows for a common solution if we as a collective work together instead of against each other. I truly hope in time we can respect other’s views and opinions to create a safer and more unified Earth for the future generations.
XXXTentacion was murdered yesterday and I believe that he was a great and talented musician, controversy aside. I’ve done a few pieces on him in the past and decided to combine into this post as a tribute and farewell to the musician. I understand he may not have been the best person or even a “good” person but one cannot say he wasn’t an important musician and influence on modern music. Here is all of my previous work on XXXTentacion. I would like to thank individuals such as Andrew, Terrell, Brandy, Alex M., and Keiyana for getting me into and reminding me of the importance and influence that XXXTentacion had.
Music is an ever-changing art; always adapting to reflect the thoughts and feelings of the creator. More recently, we’ve seen musicians be more open with themselves and their true feelings on the record and off. Having a musician open up about their lives and hardships makes them more relatable and gives their fans a physical-being to resonate with instead of an abstract piece of art.
The means of expression through music is across every genre because it is needed to connect with those who listen to the art. Chester Bennington was one of the musicians who were always more open about his life than others, which lead to his music becoming more of a representation of feelings rather than pure thought. With his recent passing, it is plausible to see how his music could serve as his vessel for expression of feelings and possible cry for help. This unfortunate loss is another reminder that just because someone is rich and famous, it doesn’t equate to happiness.
More recently, rappers have come forward and have used their talent to express how they really feel about their private life and public life. XXXTentacion has become one of the newest artists to be expressive, sincere, and open with his fans through music. Even if these larger-than-life musicians may live far from ordinary lives, they still face common problems. These problems could range anywhere from depression, heartbreak or simply not knowing what their purpose in life is. These topics are just a few of the many that these musicians share with their fans and the rest of the world.
This month saw the release of XXXTentacion’s debut album 17, this 22-minute project is the pinnacle of expression for an artist of his stature. The album whilst short provides hours upon hours of content to dwell on after the first listen. This album directly aims for the heart and mind when it comes to lyricism; each song sets out to tell a story and seek a resolution within their two or three-minute duration. The biggest strength of this album is the telling of pure emotion and heartfelt pain that is evidently presented through this medium to help educate and inform his fans of not only his own pain but to show that it is acceptable to speak openly about personal issues.
Musicians with this talent to create art reflective of their thoughts is what makes the genre worth listening to. Artists like XXXTentacion are leading the way for a new generation of rapper’s, this new generation is paving for a new style by simply telling the cold-hearted truth about their problems. With every music release seeming more like a therapy appointment between the artist and listener, it is easy to see why this format works as much as it does. Anyone can write lines about their day and how they feel but it takes a certain degree of devotion to transform the bars to emotion-provoking songs.
The genre of rap has seen many bright and talented members over the years and continues to grow in size, impact, and talent every day; but this decade has seen the rise of some of the brightest and most promising individuals of all time. The key to their success is their dedication to the expression of their thoughts and feelings especially those thoughts that reflect the current state of social issues in the world. The expression of emotion is the most important factor when making music and needs to be exploited for the sake of creating beautiful works of art.
One of the more controversial figures of modern music has made his intentions clear with his newest album titled ?. XXXTentacion has had a rough start whether it be from Drake, legal issues, or even betrayal. Even with a bumpy origin and difficult career, XXXTentacion has been creating some of the most out-there music lately. His unique take on music has seen him ranging from aggressive to sad often, however, on ? his full potential is realized. XXXTentacion is arguably one of the most talented musicians in modern music, but why?
XXXTentacion originally got famous off of “Look At Me”, which is a very abrasive and aggressive track that many people celebrated especially during his time spent incarcerated. Following his release, he released 17 which became yet another large topic of discussion. People were confused when they heard this aggressive rapper making slow, sad, and thought-provoking music which stemmed from depression and obsession. 17 was a turning point in his career as it not only showed his versatility, it also showed his true feelings and thoughts. These thoughts are quite saddening and hint at an internal struggle of love and hate for those he cares about. The album introduced us to a new side of XXXTentacion one that would be fully explored on ?.
The album ? is a further indoctrination into the mind, heart, and soul of XXXTentacion. This album is far from rap, as it has a very slow and angsty sound. XXXTentacion steps out of his comfort zone and crosses the genre line especially on songs like “NUMB” and “Changes”. ? is XXXTentacion showing his true intent and feelings, while still keeping his signature style intact at times. The sound of ? is rare as it has hardly been seen coming from an artist who started their career in rap. Lil Peep and Trippie Redd are roughly the only comparative musicians that come to mind when discussing this sound. The alternative nature of ? what makes it work so well, the sound is refreshing yet powerful.
In 18 tracks, XXXTentacion accomplishes what many artists can’t. ? invokes emotion from the deepest depths of one’s psyche. ? shows the grim reality of life through deep lyrics and slow beats. XXXTentacion has departed from his rap roots on ? and I hope this transition continues to see the light of day. With each release, XXXTentacion is slowly dissipating music norms as he continues to put out another high-quality album that deviates from the standard trap sound that modern rap has fallen into.
XXXTentacion delivers his heart and soul on his second album, ?. This album is a great way to start off the year for XXXTentacion and continues to solidify his authenticity for being one of the more influential artists of this modern age. ? benefits from the range and versatility that XXXTentacion has to offer. Songs like “I Don’t Even Speak Spanish Lol” wouldn’t normally be seen in this context nor would it even be good, however, XXXTentacion has cracked this formula on ?. With 17 and ? under his belt, XXXTentacion has had an impressive run over the past two years and I doubt we will be seeing him slow down anytime soon.
The Appreciation Enthusiast 