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Charli XCX - Vroom Vroom EP REVIEW

Prior to the release of Vroom Vroom, Charli XCX mainly dwelled in the realm of mainstream pop with the likes of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Hits like “Boom Clap” and features on “Fancy” and “I Love It” dominated airwaves worldwide. Charli made a name for herself. However, it was only until the release of Vroom Vroom that she was able to let her true creativity shine.

Vroom Vroom is entirely produced by PC Music affiliate SOPHIE, an electronic chimera known for blurring the boundaries of electronic and pop through her dysfunctional synths and sound effects, all completely engineered by her. And though I am not quite sure how the two met, SOPHIE’s electrifying instrumentals pair perfectly with Charli’s unique pop-star voice she became known for after her past two albums. These two forces together blend to reach uncharted territory in experimental pop. It’s astounding to see what this duo can achieve, and their true prowess certainly shines through here.

The EP starts out on an insane note on the title track, “Vroom Vroom”. Charli’s verses pair perfectly with SOPHIE’s signature hi-hats, and the various wobbly synths and drums perfectly emulate the feeling of being in a high-speed chase. Quite frankly, I’ve never heard anything like it in my life. The EP as a whole takes the essence of female pop hits surrounding around automobiles that came before it (see Danity Kane’s “Show Stopper”). She expresses the glamour and luxury that comes with riding in an opulent car but in a way that feels like one is driving this vehicle in another dimension entirely. For instance, the use of car alarms on “Trophy” is astounding, as SOPHIE bends them to mimic a droning pop synthesizer.

Of course, this isn’t a SOPHIE album. Charli’s vocal contributions to the project carry their weight, proving to be just as impactful as SOPHIE’s production. Charli’s vocal inflections she uses on the project bring a degree of sheer charisma which adds to the album’s overall atmosphere. Charli’s vocals can make anyone listening feel like the most powerful being on planet earth for the four minutes or so each track runs for. “Bitches know they can’t catch me, cute, sexy, and my ride sporty” is an infectious chorus. Her vocal performance alone leads me to believe she deserves a spot up there with the greats of powerful female vocalists. “Trophy” showcases this perfectly, an anthem for girl power and a simple desire for victory. “B***h, I’m here to f**k you up,” Charli announces over an array of distorted bass and clanging hi-hats. Personally, I feel like I’m walking on a runway whenever I listen.

The album features a single guest vocalist– PC Music signee Hannah Diamond. Hannah and Charli work absolutely beautifully together on “Paradise”, a euphoric synth-oriented ballad. The production of the piece in its chorus sounds like bursts of vibrant color piercing the eardrums of the listener, despite the aesthetic of the album being a monochromatic black. I frequently associate colors with music, and in my opinion, this track possesses the qualities of a pastel rainbow and a dark void at the same time.

The whole album does a perfect job of spinning pop music on its head, signaling a new era of the genre. I am so happy Charli was the first one to spearhead this movement (with the help of SOPHIE, A. G. Cook and Hannah Diamond, of course), and thanks to this benchmark EP, experimental pop is taking strides into realms not conceivable prior to its 2016 release. I give this EP a 9 out of 10. If you are in need of a power-boost to get you through your day, I’d recommend no other project.

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Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs ALBUM REVIEW

Prior to the release of Some Rap Songs, Earl Sweatshirt was missing in action. His last release, I Dont’ Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside was a hauntingly beautiful–and also worrying–piece of lo-fi rap. In a period where Earl faced substance addiction and beefs with previous Odd Future members (like Tyler, The Creator), many people worried about if he was doing alright. In this stretch, he also lost his father, South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who he has shared information about on his previous albums, along with his uncle. While there was a massive degree of uncertainty surrounding Earl’s whereabouts and his well-being, Some Rap Songs showcases that while Earl faced quite a great amount of hardships in the past four years, he has still matured alongside his sound.

Some Rap Songs is astonishingly short, having a run-time of about 20 minutes with 15 total tracks. Every song is nearly a minute and a half long. And while I would certainly love to have heard more of him on this album, as he is incredibly talented, but he was able to pull the shorter track lengths off here. Each track is a bite-sized exploration of Earl’s mental state, and while they are all similar in structure, they blend together absolutely perfectly to deliver a serene and emotionally profound body of rap.

Each song features production in the form of simple sample loops. That’s really it, honestly. That’s the best way to describe them. Picture a more distorted, vintage version of those lo-fi hip hop radio stations on YouTube; that’s what the album sounds like. However, they work incredibly well with Earl’s impeccable lyricism, providing a strong foundation for Earl to place his vocals over. “Nowhere2Go” in particular follow this format, but in such a way that one is unable to be sure of its time signature due to the sheer amount of commotion in the loop, but sure enough, it follows a simple 4/4 time signature.

On top of this new production style, Earl also delivers the same degree of lyricism he’s become known for. “The Mint”, which features old Odd Future member Sage Elsesser under his Navy Blue alias, contains my favorite verse of his he has ever gave. Though I am by no means a lyrical purist when it comes to rap music, it’s always astounding when one is able to effortlessly flow across a beat like it is nothing. In my opinion, his ability to rhyme and glide across the beats he’s created is unmatched by any other rapper in today’s scene.

On virtually every track, he’s able to mix his lyrical prowess with his raw emotions. And when it comes to raw emotions, he has quite a lot to share. He talks about coping with his status as a public figure on “Veins”, an absolutely beautiful track. “It’s been a minute since I heard applause. Sittin’ on a star, thinkin’ that I’m not a star, I can’t call it, dog,” Earl divulges, giving a previously unexplored aspect of the artist a chance to come out on paper. However, the most touching moments come from the last three tracks, which he explores the grief faced surrounding his relationship with his family, including the death of his father and his uncle. “Playing Possum” features samples of speeches from his mother and father, a professor and a poet respectively. The sound bytes play over an almost angelic array of samples, However, the next track, “Peanut”, features a deconstructed, gloomy take on the speeches, with Earl’s vocal delivery falling much flatter than the previous tracks. Compared to the fast, charismatic bars he wrote on the previous songs, Peanut’s delivery is much more elongated, almost as if Earl is struggling to talk about this particularly subject matter. The beat itself features distorted samples of “Playing Possom”, sounding haunting when paired with Earl’s broken vocals. “Flushin' through the pain, depression, this is not a phase, picking out his grave, couldn't help but feel out of place,” Earl tells. It feels almost like a confession opposed to a verse. The song ends with the phrase “My Uncle Hugh,” as it immediately transitions to “Riot!”; a song that features a sample from a song with the same name by his late uncle, Masekela.

We’ve seen Earl be emotionally vulnerable in the past while detailing his experiences with depression and anxiety. Some Rap Songs, however, is an account of his ability to cope with these vices when faced with additional loss as well. It’s truly a beautiful thing. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.

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Lil Yachty - Teenage Emotions ALBUM REVIEW

Teenage Emotions is Yachty's first studio album, and 3rd project overall, following Lil Boat and Summer Songs 2. At 18 years old, Yachty blew up in early 2016 after his song “One Night” and his verse on D.R.A.M.'s song, “Broccoli”, started gaining traction online. His first tape, “Lil Boat”, was met with positive reception, and became one of rap's newest icons, with a unique hairstyle and music style. He describes his music style as "Bubblegum Trap", as many of his beats sample works like the Rugrats, Super Mario, and even the GameCube start up. Rolling Stone described his music as "catchy, intentionally dinky-sounding tunes packed with off-color boasts delivered in a proudly amateurish singsong.

Before I talk about the music, I’d like to appreciate the cover. The whole concept of diversity and finding a common ground is what I took from it, and I think it’s a dope piece of artwork. Anyways, onto the album. This definitely is a summer album, as Yachty comes through with multiple pop anthems and overall nice music for a beach picnic. It’s a really themed project, and listening to it is supposed to bring you back to your teenage years.

From what we have seen of Yachty in the past, he’s capable of making a fun pop-rap record. Tracks like “Minnesota”, “Wanna Be Us”, and “One Night” still are often played from me from his first mixtape. The simplicity yet neo-childish beats set him apart as a unique artist, yet it seems as he’s lost what made him himself on this new album. Most of the tracks seem to be Yachty trying to experiment with new styles, a few of which work, but the majority simply do not. For the example, he tries to create 80s ballads on tracks like “Lady In Yellow”, yet also features Atlanta trap. Not that I expected any Shakespearian dialogue from Yachty, but this album is not lyrically profound in the slightest. Not one line I heard made me really think or caught my attention, besides from the atrociously incorrect wordplay such as “she blow me like a cello”. Almost none of the tracks were even memorable, as well. After my first listen, I could only remember about 3 tracks out of 21. Speaking of the 21 tracks, this album is extremely long, and truth be told, Yachty doesn’t hold much variety. It seems like the same track’s been playing over and over again, just with different lyrics. A lot of the production isn't even the same style, which could be a good thing, but he tried to take a more acoustic approach which really doesn't support his voice at all. I’m a fan of Yachty’s work, but I really don’t think anyone wants to hear over an hour of auto-tuned crooning.

The one track I really enjoyed from this is “All Around Me”, which features YG and Kamaiyah. From the production to the features, this is just a fun, upbeat track which I adore. This gave the listener a glimpse of the Yachty we’ve seen in the past. It’s energetic, it’s dynamic, and it’s just a summer party anthem. In my opinion, Kamiayah’s verse really shines through, as does YG’s. This song is certainly going on my summer playlist this year. There’s not really much else I can say about it, it’s just a fun song, and that’s what Yachty is best at creating.

Honestly, I didn’t really like the remainder of the tracks on this album, but the song “Priorities” really stood out to me as a disaster of a track. “Priorities” is a “I’m a cheater and I ain’t shit” song in its prime, which can be a good thing in some circumstances. For example, “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy is still a classic, and it covered the same material. However, this just takes the concept, and runs it into a wall. Every single line on this song is just awful. Especially “'Cause she get wet and she suck me like a insect / She my step sister, so I guess that's incest / I could not stop lookin' at those big breasts”. I don’t really think I have to talk more about this song, as that simply says enough about this project as a whole.

You know, I really wanted to like this album. I really did. I’m a big fan of Yachty’s other works, and I thought with his big commercial debut, he’d cook something good up. But, this album just felt like a big disappointment to me. With atrocious struggle bars and straight up annoying production, I can assure you that if you haven’t listened to this project, you aren’t missing out on anything at all. I give this project a solid 2 out of 10. It’d be a solid 1 if I didn’t like “All Around Me” so much.

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SOPHIE - Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-insides ALBUM REVIEW

Everyone who has come into contact with me knows I have nothing but high praises to sing for UK producer SOPHIE. Ever since the release of her collection of singles in 2015, I’ve been hooked on the way she effortlessly manipulates sound the way she does, making her synthesizers adapt to any genre she sees fit. SOPHIE has excelled in her home court of pop music, collaborating with artists such as Lady Gaga, Charli XCX and Madonna, while simultaneously unafraid to branch out to other genres, emerging as a cutting-edge producer in the hip hop scene, with a clientele featuring the likes of Vince Staples and Kendrick Lamar. However, her style is nothing like anything else featured in mainstream pop culture at the moment. She is a true trailblazer, leaving her mark on every genre she touches.

Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-insides is her first cohesive album, following her Product compilation of singles she released from 2013 to 2015. Product delivered an a wall of sonic confusion, with songs imitating a pop formula but still staying out of the box in a particular way. With a massive list of production credits since Product’s release, in an array of different styles, no one was truly able to predict her next move. When the album finally released in full, she managed to shatter expectations and give listeners a taste of her signature avant-garde pop style, while cloaking it an array of beautiful sound.

“It’s Okay To Cry”, the debut single from the album, opens the album on an emotional note. The song features a new sense of vulnerability from the artist: her voice. Previously, SOPHIE’s identity was shrouded in anonymity. She was an enigma of sorts, no one knowing what she looked like, what she sounded like, and her identity as a whole. She has even dressed up pretending to be a bodyguard at one of her own performances, recruiting a mime to actually be on stage to display her work. However, this wall of mystery was shattered upon the release of the song alongside with its video, which features a head-on one-shot of the artist from start to finish. The song also clarified a new aspect of her identity as well. Throughout the rise of her career, SOPHIE was known to be male. However, the press release of the video referred to her using strictly female pronouns, an indirect coming out of sorts, establishing her identity as a transgender woman. The song itself is stripped down and highlights her vocals, opposed to focusing on her electronic production previously highlighted in her music. The song introduces the major motif of the album; an exploration of self from a previously ambiguous figure.

While “It’s Okay To Cry” was an establishment trust with the listener, “Ponyboy”, a more of a shameless dive into the sexual side of her psyche, follows. On “Ponyboy”, listeners get a taste of the abrasive, experimental sound she has spent years cultivating. It’s a hard-hitting wall of sounds, layered beneath distorted vocals with a highly questionable yet shameless subject matter. “Faceshopping”, a song of similar nature, comes directly after, exploring the topic of digital photo manipulation. This juxtaposition from the calm and nurturing “It’s Okay To Cry” to these distorted anthems proves that while SOPHIE is branching out from her comfort zone with her public image and her music, she still stands tall as the queen of current deconstructed club.

The album then takes a more chilling turn. Tracks like “Is It Cold in the Water?” and “Infatuation” provide the chilling atmosphere of a melting glacier underneath the northern lights. “Is It Cold in the Water?”’s trance-inspired soundscape of an instrumental feels more like an onslaught of sheer ambiance despite following a traditional song structure with vocals. “Infatuation”, one of the more accessible songs on the album, follows. “Who are you deep down?” an anonymous vocalist cries on top of a keyboard solo, reminiscent of early 2000s Daft Punk mixed with 1990s Mariah Carey. This song is one of the

As the first 5 tracks on the album rest on the border of traditional pop and sheer experimentality, the album descends into an abyss of sheer sound with “Not Okay”. Nothingness, occupied by unidentifying synthesizers, are used as brushes across this song’s pitch black canvas. Contextually, this point in the album seems to mirror a lower point in one’s life, a sonic representation of rock bottom. Of despair itself.

“Pretending”, the following track, is stunning in its own way. The song doesn’t feature a bass-line, a beat, a vocalist, or anything of that matter. It is pure ambient sound. Pretending truly feels like the first moments of a new transformation, and the feelings of doubt and precariousness that come along with it. However, This wall of uncertainty is shattered into millions of shiny, vibrant fragments with “Immaterial”, the following track. Spinning former collaborator Madonna’s 90s hit, SOPHIE is able to convey the feeling of being unapologetically true to one’s identity. This triumphant piece of pop music shows the feeling of pure joy, throwing the concept of identity out the window. It radiates positivity and invokes a feeling of hope in the listener.

“Whole New World/Pretend World”, the final track of the album, is a perfect culmination of all the sounds of the album. Its minimalistic, abrasive synthesizers scattered across an array of empty sounds rest beneath soul vocals and SOPHIE herself, her voice pitched down to the point of unrecognizability. However, as the track progresses and progresses, the line between song and sound becomes more and more blurred, eventually leaving the listener surrounded by this sheer blurred fantasy of soundwaves. Whirring noises dart from ear to ear, as the listener becomes enveloped in the song. The song’s ability to make the listener feel immersed and completely engulfed in its world it has created is simply stunning, to say the least. It leaves the listener to wonder, after SOPHIE’s entire period of self-discovery, is this how she felt at the tail end, right before her decision to reveal her identity to the public?

Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-insides displays SOPHIE’s capabilities as not only an artist, but a human. Not many artists are capable of perfectly replicating emotion, and SOPHIE has mastered the use of technology to explore and replicate the things that make us human through soundwaves. This album is flawless, and displays the true capacity of electronic music and pop music simultaneously. I give it a 10 out of 10.

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Gorillaz - Humanz ALBUM REVIEW

Gorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. The band consists of four animated members: 2-D (lead vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar and vocals), Noodle (guitar, keyboards) and Russel Hobbs (drums and percussion). Their fictional universe is explored through the band's website and music videos, as well as a number of other media, such as short cartoons. The star-studded Humanz is their fourth studio album, following Gorillaz, Demon Days, and Plastic Beach. It was released on April 28th, 2017.

Some of the features on this project were stellar. For example, Vince Staples, Pusha T and Danny Brown’s lyrical skills really made it pop much more. This enormous roster of features really proved to be quite the collaborative effort. The vocals on this project, not just from 2D/Albarn, were stunning. Mavis Staples, Kelela, Kali Uchis and D.R.A.M. were some real highlights from the bunch. Their vocal skill over Albarn’s production worked very well. Andromeda, for example, is such an amazingly smooth song, which wouldn’t be the same without D.R.A.M.’s silky voice over some of the bridges. I enjoyed the tracks which incorporated the more electronic sound that they achieved on this album. Songs like Strobelite really proved their abilities as songwriters to create a catchy tune with great production, and you cannot deny that the group is extremely skilled at creating hits. Humanz is a showcase of their ability to make a good pop record, straying away from their normal electro-alternative sound.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the mass feature mania featured on Humanz can be somewhat of a double edged sword. While listening, I often forgot I was listening to a Gorillaz project, simply because of the lack of 2D/Albarn’s vocals, which are beautiful enough on their own. For example, I believe tracks like “Ascension” would definitely flow more if there were added verses from 2D, to balance it out. Tracks such as “Submission” don't even feature 2D at all. Though I’m not saying they were bad tracks, to me it certainly feels like they are missing a chunk of what makes the Gorillaz… Gorillaz. I think that Danny Brown and 2D would be stellar on a track together, and it almost feels like the listener is missing out on what could have been. To me, the album is more of a compilation of sorts, rather than an album with a flow. Not to mention, only about half these tracks really catch my attention when I am listening. Out of the 26 tracks (of the deluxe edition, that is), a lot of them are sleepers. I feel like the album could have definitely been condensed a lot more, discarding tracks like “Sex Murder Party” and “Carnival”, and been much more consistent. It seems like they tried to change their sound, but couldn’t really decide on what to go for. Listening to tracks like “Hallelujah Money” and “Momentz” next to each other feels like they are on two separate planes of existence. Gorillaz are definitely capable of keeping a theme and sticking to it, and that’s what I believe made albums like Demon Days so great, as loosely conceptual as it is. Albarn mentioned this album having somewhat of a political theme, but it felt somewhat drowned out besides tracks such as “Hallelujah Money”.

My three favorite songs on this project are “Andromeda”, “Saturnz Barz”, and “Submission”. I don’t think there’s one aspect of “Andromeda” I dislike. Usually, Gorillaz songs feature soft verses and rhythmic raps over beats such as “Feel Good Inc.”, but Humanz takes a different approach entirely. D.R.A.M. and 2D/Albarn blend together very well together vocally, which certainly caught me off-guard upon first listen, as I’m used to the D.R.A.M. who sings over trap beats rather than the material Gorillaz puts out. The production for the track is very nice as well, and I really was surprised to hear D.R.A.M. do so well on this kind of music style. “Saturnz Barz” is an all around banger, in my opinion. Once again, hearing Popcaan on a Gorillaz track is quite a shock to me, but hearing the two together felt very natural. His heavily-accented raps did nothing but support the space-ageish electronic beat in the background of the track. Plus, 2D’s verse/bridge is stellar and extremely catchy. I get chills every time the "I'm in the staking bar..." section of the song comes on. “Submission” is an absolute blast to listen to as well, and Kelela’s vocal performance is extremely soulful, and Danny Brown’s verse is great as well. As previously mentioned, I would have preferred to hear 2D on the track, but the track itself is pretty solid.

I'm not very fond of “We Got The Power”, “Sex Murder Party”, and “Carnival”. In my opinion, there’s something about Jehnny Beth’s voice on “We Got The Power” that doesn’t blend with the rest of the track well. It’s somewhat abrasive and I don't think the lyrical content is not profound or catchy in the slightest. “Sex Murder Party” just feels like 4 minutes and 19 seconds of the same 5 second loop to me. I found it to be extremely repetitive and monotonous at times. However, despite the rest of the track, Zebra Katz is definitely the highlight. “Carnival” is the same to me as well, as I just don’t find it interesting as a standalone track.

Overall, I'm somewhat indifferent towards this project. Much like a lot of Gorillaz' others works, it's certainly a hit or miss. I really liked a lot of tracks on here individually, yet when it all comes together, it feels somewhat messy and all over the place. To me, it seems like Albarn wanted to make this a great collaborative effort (which he did), but couldn't decide on where he wanted to take it sonically. I feel like the tracklist could have been condensed a lot, and the project could have flowed a lot better with maybe 14 or so songs. I give this project a solid 5 out of 10.

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Kero Kero Bonito - Time ‘n’ Place ALBUM REVIEW

There have been few instances of artists completely re-inventing their sound and public image quite like Kero Kero Bonito. Emerging as an electronic/pop powerhouse with releases like the popular “Flamingo”, they went on to release two albums, Intro Bonito and Bonito Generation. These albums were light-hearted pieces of j-pop inspired pop music, featuring Sarah, the group’s vocalist, switching off between english and japanese over beats reminiscent of those founds in children’s TV shows. However, with the release of their short TOTEP project, the group did a complete 180. In TOTEP, Sarah, Gus, and Jamie returned to their roots, all playing their original instruments. This resulted in a bite-sized alternative-electronic hybrid project, with ear-shredding electric guitars and acoustic drum kits in place of the synthesizers and electronic drums found on their more lighthearted works. They took this new style and ran with it, releasing their third full album, Time ‘n’ Place, exploring this same style they dipped their toes into with the previous EP.

However, Time ‘n’ Place isn’t solely an acoustic garageband rock album. The group still takes elements from their electronic upbringing, mixing in electronic distortion with the traditional guitar-drums-vocals format seen on songs like “Only Acting” and “Outside”. “Only Acting” in particular features bits and pieces of experimental noise, blending perfectly with the electric guitars and drums, and strangely, Sarah’s soft vocals. On the album version of the song, immediately after the key change in the last chorus, the upbeat rock song is interrupted by skipping typically seen on scratched, damaged CDs, and then by loud, nightmarish electronic madness. Sarah’s voice is utilized incredibly well, as there is no moment on the album where her vocals sing anything more loud or energetic than a hushed melody, but the album is absolutely bursting with energy nonetheless.

The album has various other highlights, such as “Dear Future Self”, a melancholy reflective piece, sung from the perspective of Sarah in the past, leaving a note in a time capsule for her to collect in the future. She goes to comment on the sentimental nature of us humans, utilizing the concept of a time capsule to illustrate how fast time can move. Other songs like “Make Believe” are pure, wholesome feel-good anthems, and “Time Today” puts the band’s new spin on their classic works. “If I’d Known” does something particularly special; it features one of the other group members, Jamie KKB’s vocals, providing a brief verse as the song’s outro.

And finally, the album ends with a chilling finale, “Rest Stop”. The song opens with a quaint anecdote about Sarah driving and encountering a rest stop on the side of the road, which is completely empty. This is interrupted buy an eardrum-piercing wall of distorted noise, mixed together with twinkling sound effects and flutes. This intermission in the song abruptly is interrupted by another transition; an eerie array of distortion over Sarah’s quaint melodic vocals. The album ends with four measures of acapella vocals; “So when we walk among the clouds, hold your neighbour close, as the trumpets echo round You don't wanna be a—” And the album ends there. Even just thinking about it, I get chills. Rest Stop is by far my favorite song on the album, and it is very rare that a song is able to invoke so much emotion from me where I am not even completely sure what it is about.

Time ‘n’ Place takes a great amount of risks, being a complete 180 from the rest of the band’s catalogue. And they pull them all off exquisitely. I give this album a 9, and it is certainly one of my favorite alternative pieces of music I can think of.

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Travis Scott - Rodeo ALBUM REVIEW

Prior to the release of his 2015 debut, Rodeo, Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott) mainly lurked in the shadows of the hip-hop scene. He signed a major label deal in 2013, and appeared as a producer on Kanye West’s 2013 Cruel Summer compilation albums. He released a few star-studded mixtapes, but never really took the main spotlight aside from online forums and tours alongside Young Thug. Rodeo was the first of his works to gather mass mainstream attention.

Rodeo is also his first work to cement his identity and his overall aesthetic. The album is the greatest interpretation of his Cactus Jack moniker; tour graphics and promotional art for the album comprised of a codeine-soaked take on the wild west. Cacti and desolate deserts serve as the backdrop to the project, juxtaposing the solemn city streets featured in the album’s subject material (see the video for “90210”). However, Scott is able to portray both environments in a similar manner; both maintain the same degree of solitude. “This the time of the year when I'm alone, this the time of the year we get it on, I can't lie when I ride on the west,” Travis sings on Impossible, a spacey, dark track encompassing the very idea of the cold of the night into sonic form. The album’s comparison of the west coast, particularly Hollywood, to the idealistic version of the desolate nothingness of the western deserts highlights the basic feelings of loneliness and emptiness felt by those with Scott’s status.

That’s the theme of the album at its core; the repercussions of a life of luxury, especially when it’s achieved after coming from a place of poverty, like Scott’s houston upbringing. “Oh My Dis Side” does a fantastic job of highlighting this, detailing the trouble he got into as a child and his nostalgia regarding the experiences which made him the man he is today. The production of the track is beautiful as well, switching from a rowdy, gritty beat to a much more minimalistic, relaxed one. Beat switches are truly a dime a dozen in the rap scene today, but the ones on Rodeo certainly feel the most refined. There are quite a few on the album (“3500”, “90210”, “Maria I’m Drunk” and “Ok Alright” in particular), all of which blend together perfectly.

While the album’s lows certainly do sound vulnerable and minimalistic, the album’s upbeat sections are phenomenal as well. Travis Scott’s takes on upbeat trap songs are nothing shorts but bona fide bangers. And I mean that in every sense of the word; they truly are some of the most high-energy trap songs I’ve heard in my life. The sheer energy he brings onto a track is insane, and paired with the album’s production, there’s a reason why he’s so fixed on the term “rager”. “3500”’s distorted, bass-shattering buildup and its speedy hi-hats, accompanied by a piercing electric guitar is unbelievably–for the lack of a better term–hype. “Antidote”, the album’s biggest single, is another hit in the same regard. Scott’s high-pitched vocal delivery shines through, and paired with his quick flow and the nature of the beat, it is guaranteed to be a perfect song for any party.

Additionally, every guest feature on the album is astounding as well. Kanye West, Chief Keef, Quavo, 2 Chainz, Future, Young Thug, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Toro y Moi, Juicy J, Swae Lee and ScHoolboy Q all put their soul into their recordings–even Bieber delivers a solid verse on “Maria I’m Drunk”. My personal favorite is Chief Keef’s verse on “Nightcrawler”–”Just ordered me some lunch, Korean spicy garlic” has to be one of my favorite bars on the album. The Weeknd showcases his gorgeous voice on “Pray 4 Love”, delivering a sung verse over just a classic piano. Kanye West brings his energy from Yeezus to “Piss On Your Grave”. Overall, every guest on the album brings something to the table, something rare of rap albums in the 21st century.

Rodeo serves as a turning point in the 2010s hip-hop scene, and was released fittingly in the middle of the 10-year stretch from 2010 to 2020. It takes the abrasive sounds developed by the greats such as M.I.A. on her MAYA album and Kanye West on Yeezus and takes it steps further, serving as a blueprint for the artists who came after Travis. It’s dark and gloomy at times, while bold and boisterous at others, putting a fresh spin on the classic style of the great Houston artists that came before him. I give this album a 10 out of 10, and to me, it is a strong contender for album of the decade. Very little do I agree with hype surrounding albums, but in this case, I believe Rodeo deserves all the praise it gets.

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Princess Nokia - 1992 Deluxe ALBUM REVIEW

In the mainstream rap scene, female rappers are constantly pitted against each other. The ongoing Nicki Minaj and Cardi B beef is at the forefront of headlines every time one has something to say about the other. Princess Nokia, on the other hand, throws up a middle finger to this culture centered around rivalry, while simultaneously not being afraid to express her femininity in her work. Her debut album, 1992 Deluxe, shows that she is not just one of the most cutting-edge female rappers out- she’s one of the most cutting-edge artists out period.

Princess Nokia, born Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, was born and raised in New York City, getting her start uploading original songs to Soundcloud under the moniker Wavy Spice. In the early stages of her music career, she’d often perform at gay clubs in her home city and across the nation, gaining popularity in the nightlife scene. Eventually, this led to her being able to release music of her own, with her debut mixtape, Metallic Butterfly. Since her career has been gaining traction, she’s also amassed attention from other parts of the internet–specifically a viral video in which she pours hot soup on a man on a New York subway after he calls a group of teenage boys a racial slur. This video truly summarizes Destiny’s personality which she portrays in her work; bold, unapologetic and unafraid get her hands dirty in the process.

1992 Deluxe is modern rap stripped down to its roots. Most songs on the album center around a specific theme or motif. For instance, on “Tomboy”, Nokia sings unapologetically about her unique body type, while on “Brujas”, she discusses her family’s history with witchcraft. On virtually every song with a few examples, she wastes no time with complex metaphors and figurative language; instead, she gets right to the point on every track. This isn’t a negative thing by any means, as this is an album that aims to encompass who Princess Nokia is as an artist. She paints a vivid picture of her life and the values she carries– whether it be about the struggles black and brown women face regarding their hair on “Mine”, her navigating her city’s public transport on “Green Line”, or how much she values her own self-confidence on “Kitana”.

Its production is mainly minimalistic for the most part, with its subtle Harlem influences shining through its rough beats, particularly on tracks like “ABCs of New York”. Occasionally, the album borrows from other rap genres as well, like the cloud rap-inspired opener, “Bart Simpson”. While many of the songs on the album borrow elements from classic trap beats, they feel a bit different stylistically, as they don’t follow the typical formats seen in most traditional rap.

The album is gritty from start to finish. The very first lyrics on the album are “Rotten apple to the core, damn, I been a fuck up.” Throughout the album, Princess Nokia builds her own personal narrative of being a teenager growing up in foster care in a violence-ridden city. As she discloses on “Goth Kid”, “I swear to God, you have no clue to how I live, to foster care, abused as kids”. She’s open about her past struggles, and how they’ve strengthened her and led to her becoming the larger-than-life figure she evidently is. The sheer amount of confidence Nokia showcases on this album is astounding, and it is evident that she would not be able to be the figure she is today without the adversity she describes.

1992 Deluxe is a look into the lives of countless youths like Princess Nokia who grew up in New York City, and shows how one is able to overcome such hardships while not forgetting their roots. I give this album an 8 out of 10, and I truly hope Princess Nokia is still working on new music to release in the future.

[beattalk]

Namasenda - Hot_Babe_93 EP REVIEW

Electronic music and pop music have crossed paths countless times, to the point where it nearly dominated the mainstream music scene. We’ve seen it with David Guetta, Cascada, Calvin Harris, and later artists like Charli XCX, but Swedish artist Namasenda tackles this crossroads like no other artist before. Her debut EP, Hot_Babe_93, is one of many perfect examples of how pop as an artform isn’t just confined to the limits of its frontrunners.

As a whole, the EP draws inspiration from pop/dance titans that came before her, but also shows hints of inspiration from other forms of electronic music. “Donuts” is reminiscent of a hit that would be playing at a nightclub in the mid-2000s, a la Cascada’s “Evacuate the Dancefloor”.  “14 Boy”, the album’s party-centered closer, sounds more like a j-happy hardcore track than anything. Its liquid drum ‘n’ bass line and hard-hitting unique synths sounded like something that could be found in a Dance Dance Revolution game 10 years ago. I couldn’t help but think of Kors K as I listened to it for the first time, as its hook showed a striking resemblance to his classic hit featured in Benami games, “smooooch・∀・”.

However, she’s not ripping off any of these artists by any means. All these electronic subgenres Namasenda ventures in on the EP intertwine together effortlessly rather than clashing to form some sort of compilation. Perhaps it’s the overall cyber-girl Y2K aesthetic of the album that ties it all together. The title itself, reminiscent of a screen name in the early ages of the web, brings this element to the table more than anything. While Namasenda signs about her love of clubbing and relationship issues, they seemed framed almost, in the pursuit of the portrayal of a virtual character of sorts. That’s not to say the album is satirical, however, like PC Music’s QT project. I just found it to be looking back on a specific era in worldwide culture with an attempt to replicate an aesthetic lost in the waves of rapidly-evolving trends.

On Hot_Babe_93, Namasenda is able to take all the inspiration it draws from various corners of the internet and the world and craft them into a cohesive, bite-sized project packed with potential. I truly hope she puts out more releases in the future. I give this project a 7 out of 10.

[beattalk]

Bladee - Red Light ALBUM REVIEW

Bladee’s style has evolved a great amount since his debut solo project, Gluee. He’s come a long way from his otherworldly take on cloud rap and distorted vocals. On Red Light, his most recent album, his overall sound is much clearer. It highlights his vocals with a distinct production style, while they are still doused in autotune.

The album sounds like a deeper exploration of the sound pioneered on Drain Gang’s 2017 collaborative album, D&G. Both albums were produced entirely by Whitearmor (while D&G did have some collaborations with other esteemed producers Ripsquad/7evaa and Yung Gud), and they use the same array of synthesizers and instruments, for the most part. However, the main difference is the overall aesthetic of the pieces; Red Light is a much darker piece, while many of D&G’s songs came across as much happier, working perfectly with its pink and white cover.

Red Light sounds like a warm, summer night. Songs like “1D” and “Hex” convey this feeling perfectly. Each swelling synthesizer contains the heat of the night, leaving the listener feeling like they are standing in the middle of a street at 2AM in 80 degree weather. The album cover accompanies this feeling perfectly, a dark portrait featuring swells of and light warm colors juxtaposed against each other. However, the warmth does not encompass all of the subject matter. On tracks like “Nike Just Do It” and “Puppet Master”, Bladee talks about death and depression and a struggle “to be real”. While they may seem a bit edgy in writing, they sound somewhat beautiful instead of grating to listen to.

While many of the tracks on the album admittedly sound similar, its highlights stand out for sure. “Obedient”, for instance, featuring fellow DG member Ecco2k, holds the energy of a high-speed chase, not abiding by any song structure at all. “College Boy” is a much more somber cut, featuring a guitar sample reminiscent of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, which Bladee glides over with ease.

Red Light is the perfect album to listen to on a late summer night drive. Whitearmor & Bladee are a combo that always deliver, and this project especially is the most refined piece of work in the style the duo is drifting towards. I give this album an 8/10.

[beattalk]

Bladee - Gluee ALBUM REVIEW

While figures like A$AP Rocky & Lil B (both utilizing the production of Clam Casino) are responsible for pioneering the cloud rap genre around 2010, it faced a rebirth of sorts a few years later. However, instead of being based in the streets of Berkeley and Harlem like its forerunners, it was sourced in Sweden. Sad Boys, a collective featuring Yung Lean alongside producers Yung Gud and Yung Sherman, blew up around 2013, following in the footsteps of close friends Gravity Boys (now Drain Gang), comprised of Bladee, Thaiboy Digital, ECCO2K, Yung Sherman (a member of both groups) and Whitearmor.

Gluee is Bladee’s debut mixtape, following his GTBSG compilation tape alongside Gravity Boys/Drain Gang members Thaiboy Digital and ECCO2K. The album begins with “Deletee”, an intro which sets the stage for the rest of the project. “I stay out of sight, it's a satellite life. Got a shadow ice knife, Gucci lenses on my eyes,” sings Bladee on the opening lines on the album. These nonsensical phrasings paired with ther references luxurious goods show the essence of the album as a whole; the use of imagery through literary devices in order to contribute to the album’s ethereal ambiance.

However, the lyrical content of the album is somewhat insignificant when it comes to its appeal. The way the vocals are mixed is the main focus of the album, rather than what Bladee is actually saying. And while this may sound like a negative thing, it is more magnificent than anything–it’s rap turned on its head, shifted to focus on pure sound rather than bars. The vocals are doused in layers of autotune, the distortion making them sound 20 years in the past and in the future simultaneously. Of course, it wouldn’t be able to do this without the fantastic production of the piece.

The tape is primarily produced by Whitearmor, with the occasional contribution of Yung Sherman, like on songs like “Safehouse”. It’s produced in such a way that it’s hard to pinpoint Bladee and Whitearmor’s exact influences; it’s truly in a realm of its own. The use of synthesizers and echoed drum patterns don’t directly follow any trends. While the album certainly takes after its previous archetypes (like the work of Clams Casino), Whitearmor interprets the framework of cloud rap in such a way that allows the album to exist in a lane of its own. Every instrument used on the album is tuned to sound like a transmission from another reality.

The album also features contributions from fellow Gravity Boys members Thaiboy Digital and ECCO2K as well as Bones, another prominent figure in underground rap. All these artists blend into the album perfectly. Whether it be Thaiboy’s laid-back verse on “Everlasting Flames”, a track that sounds like a Chicago drill mp3 sent to an alien planet and then sent back to Earth, or Bones’ chilling serenity on the emotional “Shadowface”, or ECCO2K’s pure energy on “Ebay”, every single verse on the album contributes to what makes it stand out. Often times, guest verses are only put in for ad revenue, but that is not the case on this project in the slightest.

While Bladee certainly did not create the genre, Gluee is cloud rap at its most refined. It’s a fantastic start to his solo discography, and watching him grow and evolve past this already groundbreaking project has been very fascinating to watch. I give this project an 8 out of 10.

[beattalk]

IC3PEAK - Сказка ALBUM REVIEW

IC3PEAK, comprising of vocalist Nastya Kreslina and producer Nick Kostylev, are currently some of the most cutting-edge musicians in the world. Hailing from Russia, they are known for their hard-hitting experimental pop/rap and critiques of the Russian regime, sometimes simultaneously.

Recently, they have been receiving a great deal of attention after the video for their song, “Смерти больше нет (Death No More)” began to become popular on YouTube, recieving over 10 million views. As they embarked on a national tour, they were tracked down by the Russian government. They were constantly harassed, the government shutting down their shows and arresting them multiple times. However, they kept performing in spite of this censorship, and eventually came out unharmed.

These themes of rebellion against authority bleed into their music; particularly their latest album, Сказка (Fairytale). While not all of it is a huge middle finger to the Russian government, its sound carries the anger and sorrow of a thousand protesters. IC3PEAK has a reputation for carrying an abrasive sound, seen in their previous singles, particularly ones like “Грустная сука (Sad Bitch)” and “This World Is Sick”. The essence of the band itself shines brightest in the album’s title track, “Сказка (Fairytale)”, a rough array of shrill chants and light falsetto vocals over distorted hip-hop drum patterns. The track is captivating, particularly the build-up at the end of the track, as Nastya’s vocals progress from a hushed whisper to a boisterous shout.

However, while the album certainly has its abrasive moments the group is known for, seen in songs like “Привет (Hello)”, the majority of the album is more hauntingly quiet, while exhibiting a monumental presence simultaneously. For instance, the album’s opener, “Считалочка (Counting)” features exclusively falsetto vocals over a minimalistic assortment of instruments and ambient noise, a chilling preview into the rest of the record. Other songs like “Слёзы (Tears)” similarly feature (likely) the highest range of Nastya’s voice singing over sparse, electronic melodies, in a cold, melancholy manner. But, it’s not too somber of a song to where it’s unable to be played in regular circumstances; I found it to be one of the songs of the album I listen to most frequently.

On this record in particular, IC3PEAK is able to produce tracks ridden with gloom, but without bringing down the energy on the album. The overall creepiness of the album is by no means its focal point. While the band certainly does utilize the element of shock value at times (just watch the video for “Сказка”), it’s more so to add to the album’s overall atmosphere rather than for attention and views. “Таблетки (Pills)” does a fantastic job of this. “I'm dying in Russia, from euphoria,” Nastya repeatedly sings in a chillingly blissful tone, over an instrumental best described as a crossbreed of trap music and something one would hear at an underground rave at an abandoned nightclub.

“Смерти больше нет (Death No More)” is a perfect combination of the duo’s abrasive and gentle sides. Its chorus is delivered through a hushed mutter layered under a sharp shout, while its verses are uttered in a mischievous whisper. Its production is much less thunderous than other tracks of theirs, however. It’s much more relaxed, and while it certainly does utilize synthesizers and hip-hop drum patterns, it does so in a matter which places emphasis on the vocals. Nastya takes the center stage here, as she sings about the Russian government’s ignorance when it comes to the struggles of their people, as illustrated in its music video which gathered so much criticism. “I fill my eyes with kerosene. Let everything burn, let everything burn,” Nastya sings, pouring gasoline out front of a government building, as Nick lights a match.

Сказка does a fantastic job of painting a clear climate of the fantasy world they’ve crafted and the reality of Eastern Europe simultaneously. They’ve certainly came a long way as artists. Their image used to be comprised of their ability to distort a bassline, and they are now emerging as not only artists, but activists as well. I give this album an 8 out of 10.

[beattalk]

Drake - Scorpion ALBUM REVIEW

Drake is undoubtedly the king of the rap industry. Virtually everything he releases at this point is a smash success. He can do basically whatever he wants at this point, as everything he does will attract some sort of coverage. See last year’s feud with Pusha T; though Drake had no comeback from the news that he had a baby in secret, his latest album, Scorpion, still sold 732,000 album-equivalent units. Drake could walk outside and punch a child in the face (or kiss one, which he has done!) and still release an album that debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. He still dominates the airwaves and the top 40.

Scorpion is Drake’s fifth studio album, following last year’s More Life album/playlist/whatever that was. It follows a 2-disc format, with more rap-oriented songs on the first disc, and more melodic ones on the second. It’s 25 tracks long, with a total run time of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let that sink in: Drake made a 90 minute long album. Very few people are able to make an album that long and manage to not lose the focus of the listener; Drake is certainly not one of them.

Drake enlists plenty of help from other artists on the album. It contains features from Jay-Z, Ty Dolla $ign, as well as posthumous appearances from Michael Jackson and Static Major. It also features additional vocals from PartyNextDoor, Future, Lil Wayne, Nai Palm of Haitus Kaiyote, among many, many others. However, none of these colossal names are able to drag this album out of the pit of monotony it lies in throughout every single second (with a few exceptions) of each one of its tracks.

Getting through the entire album was… hard, to say the least. Anyone who listens to 90 continuous minutes of Drake lamenting over beats similar to ones he’s used over the course of his entire career deserves a prize. Pretty much every song on the album lacked any originality whatsoever, sounding like B-sides of albums like Take Care and Nothing was the Same. It’s just an assortment of the same Drake songs we’ve heard for around 10 years now. The beats sound the same, vocals nearly indistinguishable, with very few exceptions. While none of it is particularly bad apart from a few flat one-liners (see “Yeah I’m light-skinned but I’m still a dark n***a” from “Nonstop”), it’s more painfully mediocre than anything.

I did enjoy some parts of the album, though. “8 out of 10” in particular was a stand-out, though it really does just sound like a track off Take Care. That’s the main appeal of the album. All the tracks people enjoy just sound like throwback tunes from past works. However, I did appreciate “Nice for What” and “I’m Upset”, the small shreds of originality kept in tact on the album. “Nice for What” is Drake making a song strongly influenced by the New Orleans Bounce scene, with a feature from Big Freedia, the queen of bounce herself. However, Drake didn’t come up with anything here. He simply just provided another emulation of a genre he doesn’t primarily dwell in, as we’ve seen on plenty of his previous works in the dancehall field. “I’m Upset”, on the other hand, only shines thanks to its production courtesy of Oogiemane of the Working on Dying collective. Every song on the album which stood out is just a recreation of another artist’s–or his own–past work.

The song “Ratchet Happy Birthday” deserves a section of the review of its own. I cannot believe Drake sat down in the recording booth, laid down the vocals, watched them get mixed and not once said “I don’t know guys, maybe this song isn’t that good after all”. Hearing Drake sing “It's your fuckin' birthday, It's a fuckin' celebration, tonight we celebrate. Seems like time's out of our control. It's a celebration, oh oh.” without an ounce of irony or sarcasm is truly harrowing. This is what Drake has evolved to, and this is the type of material that sells 700k copies.

Scorpion’s success is proof that no matter what Drake does, he’ll still remain at the top of the industry. All he has to do is take one of his old songs, create a near-identical copy and market it on a new body of work and it’ll sell at least 500k units guaranteed. 3 out of 10.

[beattalk]

Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TION ALBUM REVIEW

Most people know Carly Rae Jepsen from her 2012 smash hit “Call Me Maybe”. However, her recent works show she is much, much more than a chart-topping pop sweetheart. With “Call Me Maybe”, Jepsen showed her ability to make a fun and successful pop song in today’s industry. With E•MO•TION, on the other hand, she further advances her musical prowess, giving a perfect example of what it takes to make a magnificent pop album.

The album is captivating from the very first second of its opener, “Run Away With Me”. A triumphant saxophone line blares into the ear of the listener, a fitting introduction to such a vibrant piece of music. And it never loses that vibrance; even in its slower moments, it never loses the momentum it continuously builds. “Run Away With Me” is quite the fantastic opener, painting a picture of the joy experienced when one is infatuated with another. It’s quite the perfect representation of pure emotion.

And that’s what the bulk of the album does. It sonically recreates a variety of feelings and emotions. Whether it be the unconcerned bubbly “Boy Problems” representing how one feels when faced with, well, boy problems, “All That” depicting the longing for a serious relationship or commitment, Jepsen does a fantastic job of making the listener feel like they are taking a step into her life. They feel what she is feeling through the tracks of the album.

There are so many tracks on this album that stand out. It is one of the few albums–pop albums especially–that I feel like there is absolutely no need to skip any tracks when I revisit it. Every single track brings something to the table. The songs that weren’t smash hits are by no means boring. Songs like “Making the Most of the Night” (which contains co-writing credits from Sia and HAIM) are filled to the brim with energy, and while they draw a great deal of inspiration from the classic 80s pop sound, still manage to withhold an original style.

And, the album finishes with an astounding closer, “When I Needed You”. It’s the perfect way to wrap up the album, a powerful conclusion to the 80s-inspired narrative of self-acceptance after longing for romance for so long. “Sometimes I wish that I could change, but not for me, for you, so we could be together forever. But I know, I know that I won't change for you, 'cause where were you for me when I needed someone?” Carly proclaims, after spending a great portion of the album detailing her feelings of infatuation and desire to have an other half. The song signifies her being able to come to a conclusion of self-acceptance, which I think is a beautiful thing. But not only that, the song is quite pleasing to listen to.

It’s hard to master the pop genre without falling into the trap of unoriginality. But, with this album, Carly Rae Jepsen shows she is more than capable of doing so. E•MO•TION serves as an example for every pop album that comes after it, showing it’s possible to craft an accessible album without making an ultimately bland final product or copying another artist’s work. I give this album a 9.

[beattalk]

Adamn Killa - I Am Adamn ALBUM REVIEW

Adamn Killa has been an underground favorite for many years, collaborating with artists like Bladee, Yung Lean & long-time girlfriend Killavesi. With a vast discography of albums and a Lil Uzi Vert cosign under his belt, one can only assume he is bound to be the next big figure in the music scene. Personally, I find Adamn’s ability to rap over virtually any beat fascinating, His album I Am Adamn being a prime example.

At the start of his career, he frequently worked with enigmatic producer Blank Body, establishing a unique style, offering a corrupted, haunting twist to the South Side Chicago drill scene. However, he steps out of his comfort zone much more on I Am Adamn. Instead of purely rapping over the synthesizers and electronic melodies that littered his previous projects, he finds himself floating from genre to genre. For instance, the beat on “Separate” sounds like it could be found on a Natasha Bedingfield (another one of Adamn’s many connections) album, featuring acoustic instruments over a simple drum pattern. But, “Turtle Feet” on the other hand features Adamn rapping over drawn out trance-inspired synths. And, while these songs sound like polar opposites of each other, they work together exquisitely well on the album.

The lyrical content on the album is fairly average, but that is by no means the appeal of the project. The way he is able to utilize his voice in combination with his production makes up for any mediocrity in terms of the writing process. “Piss in the Sheets”, for instance, is my favorite song on the project by far, but if it sounded just the slightest bit different, I would have viewed it as a satirical song. Reading the lyrics “I wake up, I'm brushin' my teeth, you smell like piss in the sheets, plus, you got shit in your teeth” without listening to its source material could make it very hard to take the song, the album and Adamn seriously, but his cadence and delivery is so impeccable, it feels like nothing is out of the ordinary.

The album is packed to the brim with his classic catchphrases and adlibs; “Adamn”s, “I can’t save no thot”s and “I am Adamn”s are everywhere. The album’s one-liners are humorous, and add to its overall light-hearted atmosphere. I Am Adamn is a fun album at its core, and while it has its danceable moments (see “650 on my Toes”), other moments are truly beautiful, like the album’s closer “New Beginning”.

Adamn’s voice is just so versatile he’s able to make anything work. While his delivery is solid throughout the project, his ability to pair it with the variety of fantastic beats found on the album is truly what makes it stand out. I give this project a 7, and I believe it is without a doubt his best cohesive project he has released.

[beattalk]

Chief Keef - Thot Breaker ALBUM REVIEW

Chief Keef has established a reputation of being the godfather of the Chicago drill scene. Hits like “Love Sosa”, “I Don’t Like” and “Faneto” all serve to be a reflection of the ongoing violence in Chicago’s South Side, with subject matter mainly focusing on murder, robbery and general crime. However, that’s not to say he doesn’t have a soft side.

We’ve seen Chief Keef make softer tracks in the past (like his collaboration with Kanye West, “Nobody”), but Thot Breaker is his first full length project where he sings about his love life opposed to gang violence. It features a broader range of genres than typically is expected from Keef. The album has its classic drill moments Keef is known for, but it also explores the bop genre, while even adding in a hint of dancehall. Chief Keef has typically stuck to making songs to make the listener amped up, but Thot Breaker does nearly the opposite.

In fact, it invokes a feeling of happiness more than anger. For instance, it’s seemingly impossible to listen to “Can You Be My Friend” without cracking a smile or feeling the urge to dance, or at least move in time with its infectious steel drum beat. It’s perfect for parties, but ones centered around unity rather than mosh pits. Its bop songs, particularly “Whoa” and “Going Home”, serve as a pseudo-revival of the seemingly dead gene and make it feel like bop music hasn’t gone anywhere.

The album particularly stands out in his vast discography as it shows a new aspect of the hip-hop legend: his vulnerability. He isn’t afraid to detail his feelings of affection. “When I see you, I smile, my brothers like, ‘What's that?’ And I'm like, ‘When she leaves my mind she comes right back,’” Keef sings on the aforementioned “Whoa”. In the past, Chief Keef set quite the reputation of a ruthless killer who is unafraid to resort to violence, but he isn’t afraid to show his softer side. Songs like “Slow Dance” and “You My Number One” are wholesome in nature, as they detail pure feelings of desire and affection.

I am a big fan of the purity and positivity that this album brings to Keef’s discography, but much like the rest of his discography, its main vice is repetition. While the album does explore a couple of other genres besides drill, most of its songs with a few exceptions truly do sound like each other. But, I don’t think anyone listened to this project pursuing 13 completely unique and mind-blowing tracks. Anyone who is acquainted with Chief Keef knows that with the sheer amount of music he releases, it’s impossible for every song of his to be phenomenal.  It’s perfect for warm, summer days, but admittedly not much else.

But, Thot Breaker certainly has one of the highest concentrations of originality found overall in his catalogue. The album as a whole is quite different from anything else Keef has ever released, so its songs that sounded similar to others on the album bothered me much less than songs of the same nature on, say, Mansion Muzik. The album as a whole is a very welcomed addition in Chief Keef’s discography, and it probably is my favorite cohesive album that he’s released bar Finally Rich. I give it a 6.

[beattalk]

Lil Pump - Harverd Dropout ALBUM REVIEW

Lil Pump has become a rap icon since he blew up mid-2017. He started off as a true underdog; a 15 year old from South Florida who looked, acted and sounded like a man in his 20s. He dropped singles very sporadically alongside friend and collaborator Smokepurpp, and as the duo began to gain more and more traction, they became near unstoppable. Pump became a cultural icon, his single “Gucci Gang” amassing about 900 views on YouTube, inspiring a fleet of white teenage boys to don the luxury brand. He achieved global fame, but managed to lose his style in the process.

Harverd Dropout is Pump’s second album. Its name is derived from a joke pioneered by Twitter users (particularly @mineifiwileout) that Lil Pump dropped out of Harvard University to pursue his music career. Pump ran with the joke, and has since made it the focal point of most of his work since 2018. He’s made an image out of his stupidity.  All of Pump’s songs released since the album’s first single, Esketit, seem to rely on a particular gimmick. While some of his earlier songs songs like “D Rose” and “Boss” were somewhat similar conceptually in the sense that they were repetitive in nature, the newer ones like “Esketit” and “Drug Addicts” felt much more like they were being made to capitalize on the Lil Pump fever.

I believe this can partially be attributed to the changes in his target audience. When he first made a name for himself, he was relatively unknown. In early 2017, the whole South Florida music scene, which encompassed artists like Ski Mask The Slump God and the late XXXTentacion, hadn’t crossed over to the mainstream scene yet in the slightest. However, now that these artists have blown up the way they did, Pump had to at least attempt to adapt to his new audience. But, it is beyond me why he would think that this new style would be the thing to cement his place in rap culture.

In his previous works, mainly the dozens of loose singles uploaded to Pump’s soundcloud prior to his self-titled debut album, his production was much more abrasive, partially thanks to producers like Ronny J, Terrotuga and Diablo. They helped craft his minimalistic sound, which mainly relied on distorted 808s and near ear-splitting bass on top of Pump’s vocals, usually a repeated phrase or line. Harverd Dropout’s production, on the other hand, is much more bizarre. Most of the songs on this album contain a strange synthesizer loop, which I can only describe as sounding like the “twang” sound made when one shoots a rubber band (see: Be Like Me & Esketit).

Harverd Dropout feels like a Walmart recreation of this concept. It simply lacks the same charm that made Lil Pump the man he is today. The album contains so many songs that follow this rinse-and-repeat formula that we have seen before. But this time, mainly thanks to the nearly unbearable production, it feels like a chore to even get through the entire thing. While his earlier works weren’t particularly innovative, they felt unapologetic and raw. This album, on the other hand, feels like a corporate organization trying to recreate the same feeling Pump did effortlessly, but this time attempting to market it to a group of 14 year old girls.

This album contains a few features, most of which deliver the most generic guest verses imaginable. If you played me Offset’s verse on “Fasho Fasho” for me and asked me to identify which song is playing, I would be physically unable to tell it apart from the hundreds of other guests verses he has made. While I certainly do not approach acts like Lil Uzi Vert and 2 Chainz with the same disdain I feel towards this project, I am positive everyone involved on this album was perfectly capable, with just a little bit more effort, of recording a better verse.

While critiquing Lil Pump on his lyricism is nearly pointless, this album felt particularly awful in that aspect. Every line on this album feels like a Lil Pump parody made by individuals trying to point out the lack of artistry in “mumble (c)rap”. Nearly every line on this album is about either lean, money and women. While I normally do not see a big problem with that if it is a true form of self-expression, on Harverd Dropout, it is clear that he’s only rapping about this subject matter because he know that it sells.

In fact, that’s the reason this entire project exists. Pump (and most likely his label) realized that the Xanax and Codeine laced rockstar mentality he blew up on blew up for a reason. After looking at the success of his debut album, Pump had the inkling that no matter what he does, there will always be a crowd of 15 year old suburban white teenagers to consume his craft, given he continues to rap about jewelry and a life of luxury. The album’s only saving grace is “I Love It”, a song previously released as a single by Kanye West alongside Pump.

I give this project a 2. It is truly disappointing, as I personally truly loved Pump’s fun-loving persona he withheld until this “era”, so to speak. Songs like “OK” and “Elementary” sit atop the list of my most played songs in my iTunes library. I am sad to witness Pump devolve into a money machine of sorts when he once held so much promise.