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A Week's Worth Album Review: Killer Mike's "Michael"
By Daniel Paiz After a lengthy hiatus due to a magical NBA season here in Denver, A Week’s Worth Album Review is back in action. This edition focuses on Killer Mike’s first solo album in nearly a decade, simply entitled Michael. The veteran Atlanta rhymer flawlessly puts together a series of anecdotal moments of life. Sonically, a mixture of Gospel singers, smartly selected beats and the…
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#2023#A Week&039;s Worth#album review#Atlanta#Blxst#Hip Hop/Music#Killer Mike#Michael#Music#Ty Dolla $ign
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Album Review: AKA's ''Touch My Blood'' ticks all the boxes of a stellar body of work
If ''Touch My Blood'' is indeed South African Rapper, AKA's last album as he claims, then he is signing out with the biggest bang in his discography.
South African rap wears many faces, and one of its most prominent is AKA, the emcee who leads a new generation of purely English rappers that have surfaced on the SA scene in recent times.
Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, better known as AKA, released his highly anticipated third studio album on June 15, 2018, an album he claims may just be his last body of work.
'Touch My Blood', is AKA's first independent release and has already been certified Gold by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) barely a week after its release, even though the rapper is demanding for more from his fans.
But in this album, the talented artist who insists that he should not be restricted to the box of being just a rapper, finally weaves all the side to his music in one piece.
From the political, to the lover boy, his cocky side and pop flair, all the elements are well embedded to give us a taste of all he offers across the 16 tracks project.
'Touch My Blood' starts with the album titled track, where he comes off guns blazing, with his rap coming off as hungry as ever as he paints a picture of his progress in the game.
He is most expressive on the intro touching a variety of topics and he even affords to go political as he calls out the leader of South Africa's official opposition party, Democratic Alliance.
''Pre '94 I was laanie, Post '94, kwensakalani?, grand folks voted for the party, even threw us in the garbage, Mmusi Maimane, say that we are the next Zimbabwe.'', he raps.
The album also sees AKA go soulful on a number of tracks like 'Beyonce', 'Sweet Fire' and 'Daddy Issues'.
On 'Beyonce', he is all emotional as he vulnerably opens up on his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Bonang Matheba; which was a major news item in 2017 when the couple broke up.
''Wherever you are, I wonder if you doing well, remember in London when I took you to see Miguel?, remember when I kicked you out the hotel?, 50 minutes later I was blowing up on your cell?, we was crazy since the pool on some TMZ shit, even made the fucking news on the Mozambique trip.''
He addresses his break-ups on 'Sweet Fire', while he continues the conversation he started on his previous album with the song, 'Daddy Issues' by offering parental advice on 'Daddy Issues' II .
'Reset' sees the album first features in fellow South African rapper, JR and Okmalumkoolkat, where he asks his girl if she would still be there without all the money.
'Magriza' is one of the standout cuts on the project, the beat kicks in slowly and then his voice beautifully layers over it, as he raps smoothly with some Kanye West impressions in his flow.
''I done suffered for the cause, summer after summer I put numbers on the board, damn, am I the only rapper with the balls, to say I don’t really give a fuck about awards?'', he rhymes.
And just when you thought it could not get any doper, Kwesta's delivery makes this a really solid effort.
On 'Fela In Versace', which is produced by Nigerian beat-maker, Kiddominant, who also features on the joint, he attempts to tap into the Afrobeats vibe, while Kiddominant sings about driving through Lekki Epe Expressway.
The album changes mood on 'Star Signs' as AKA goes bar for bar with Stogie T, while JR makes a return on 'Mame' with their verses matching each other perfectly.
Sonically, this is AKA's most wholesome project yet; diverse in sound, wider in appeal, but well conceived in theme and execution, it feels like this time, he has nothing to hide and seeks to make his voice the loudest.
'Touch My Blood' is a heavy dose of rap, sprinkled with a fair amount of pop to fit into modern trends. There is music to make you dance and also enough to fill your book of quotables.
AKA stands in between both worlds of pop and hip-hop and in this body of work, he has found a way to create a right blend, the album which he says may be his last may well be the best that he ever recorded, and help him exit the scene at its highest level.
Rating: 4/5
Ratings
1-Dull 2-Boring 2.5-Average 3-Worth Checking Out 3.5-Hot 4-Smoking Hot 4.5-Amazing 5-Perfection
source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/album-review-akas-touch-my-blood-ticks.html
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Oddisee's "To What End"
By Daniel Paiz Another under-the-radar album is the topic of conversation as A Week’s Worth Album Review digs into Oddisee’s new project, To What End. Oddisee’s 12th studio album is one of reflection, and merges thoughtful rhymes and soulful sounds. Six years have passed since Oddisee’s last album, and it sounds like life between albums has made its impact on the D.C. emcee. Oddisee’s…
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Phife Dawg's "Forever"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Phife Dawg’s “Forever”
By Daniel Paiz Nostalgia is the name of the game as A Week’s Worth album review checks out Phife Dawg’s Forever. This posthumous project had been slowly getting worked on for years by the ATCQ emcee. However, after Phife’s passing it turned into a cathartic passion project of sorts for those involved in its creation. Ever entertaining as Phife Dawg is on the mic, there are hits and misses with…
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#A Tribe Called Quest#A Week&039;s Worth Review#Busta Rhymes#Dilla#DJ Rasta Root#Dwele#Forever#hip-hop#Little Brother#Maseo#Music#Phife Dawg#Q-Tip#Red Man
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Coast Contra's Apt. 505
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Coast Contra’s Apt. 505
By Daniel Paiz A Week’s Worth Album Review returns, this time going back more than a few weeks for Coast Contra’s Apt. 505. This quartet of artists released Apt. 505 back in March of 2022, but only over the past month or so have I stumbled upon it. There’s a nice range of topics and sounds smattered throughout. Add in that sweet spot of plenty of tracks under an hour of total listening time, and…
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A Week's Worth Album Review: illexotic's "illustrations"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: illexotic’s “illustrations”
By Daniel Paiz Another installation of A Week’s Worth album review is upon us, and this time things are taking a bit of a left turn. The last review was of a well-known emcee who has all the notoriety he could ever want already. This iteration is getting back to focusing on those acts who aren’t getting the same amount of attention. If you are unfamiliar with illexotic, they are a Bay Area,…
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#2021#A Week&039;s Worth Review#Bay Area#Corinita#Electro#electronic music#fresh#hip-hop#illexotic#illustrations#Josh#Music#pop#underground
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A Week’s Worth Album Review: J Cole’s “The Offseason”
A Week’s Worth Album Review: J Cole’s “The Offseason”
By Daniel Paiz 2021 has felt like a long year so far, without a lot of projects that have absolutely stolen my attention. For this iteration of A Week’s Worth album review, J Cole’s “The Offseason” does just that and more. While the run of albums with no features is over, every feature adds a little something extra. What’s one of the only complaints I can think of for this tape is that nobody…
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A Week's Worth Review: CZARFACE & MF DOOM's "Super What?"
A Week’s Worth Review: CZARFACE & MF DOOM’s “Super What?”
By Daniel Paiz Czarface (composed of 7L, Esoteric and Inspectah Deck) and MF DOOM wrap things up as collaborators on the first posthumous DOOM album, appropriately titled “Super What?” This final departure from MF DOOM also inspires the return of “A Week’s Worth” album review series. Every departure brings about a new arrival, and this kicks off the return of a series started last summer; expect…
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A Week's Worth Review: Madlib's "Sound Ancestors"
A Week’s Worth Review: Madlib’s “Sound Ancestors”
By Daniel Paiz After a healthy hiatus from this growing series, I’m back to giving A Week’s Worth of attention to one album. For this edition, it’s the exploratory Madlib album Sound Ancestors. Madlib has worked with some of Hip-Hop’s best and now he’s expanding his creations to collaborate with Four Tet. Largely an instrumental tape laced over 16 tracks, there’s a little bit of everything for…
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#2021#A Week&039;s Worth Review#atmosphere#Dance Music#exploration#Four Tet#Freddie Gibbs#hip-hop#Madlib#MF DOOM#snapshots#sonic#Sound Ancestors#The Grand Alliance
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Lupe Fiasco's "Drill Music in Zion"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Lupe Fiasco’s “Drill Music in Zion”
By Daniel Paiz A Week’s Worth Album Review returns with Lupe Fiasco’s Drill Music in Zion feeling like a merging of different eras. This album feels like an analysis of both life from the personal and societal viewpoints that Lupe is peering through. That contrasts with how Kendrick Lamar seems to further focus on the personal viewpoint via the anecdotal and experiential lenses. Artists from the…
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A Week's Worth Album Review: KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz's "Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz’s “Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse”
By Daniel Paiz KXNG Crooked and Joell Ortiz’s Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse gets the focus for the newest installment of A Week’s Worth Album Review. Half of the Slaughterhouse lineup (Royce Da 5’9 and Joe Budden are the other two) reminisce and commiserate the ups and downs of a group that was poised to alter the direction of Hip-Hop. That might seem like some hyperbole. But had the potential…
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#A Week&039;s Worth Review#fall#Joe Budden#Joell Ortiz#KXNG Crooked#rise#Royce Da 5&039;9#Slaughterhouse
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Big K.R.I.T's "Digital Roses Don't Die"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Big K.R.I.T’s “Digital Roses Don’t Die”
By Daniel Paiz The return isn’t going to take forever after all, as A Week’s Worth Album Review is back to check out Big K.R.I.T’s newest venture. Digital Roses Don’t Die is a February 2022 release from the Meridan, Mississippi emcee, and it might be the most sonically luscious project out right now. The jazziness, the funk, the sonic landscape before your earlobes is a crossroads between Silk…
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Cordae's "From a Birds Eye View"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Cordae’s “From a Birds Eye View”
By Daniel Paiz The perspective at times legitimately feels like that from an actual bird’s eye view, and that’s what brings back A Week’s Worth Album Review in 2022. Cordae’s long awaited album is a reflective and thoughtful project, albeit a bit shorter than this listener would’ve liked. There’s been a number of Cordae futures over the past few years, so the buzz has been growing since his 2019…
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A Week's Worth Review: Big Boi & Sleepy Brown's "Big Sleepover"
A Week’s Worth Review: Big Boi & Sleepy Brown’s “Big Sleepover”
By Daniel Paiz It’s time to wake up with A Week’s Worth Review of Big Boi and Sleepy Brown’s The Big Sleepover. Rap fans can finally stop anticipating this album! These two members of Atlanta’s Dungeon Family are frequent collaborators, as well as artists who tour together a lot. Due to that time together, allegedly this project materialized as a result. Get ready, because this body of work…
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#2021#A Week&039;s Worth Review#Big Boi#Big Rube#Big Sleepover#Hip Hop#KAYi#Killer Mike#Organized Noize#OutKast#Sleepy Brown
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Terrace Martin's "Drones"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Terrace Martin’s “Drones”
By Daniel Paiz It’s the return of A Week’s Worth Album Review, and this time the focus is on Terrace Martin’s Drones project that reached the world on November 5th. The 13 song project zooms by in the 40 minutes or so it clocks, but every single track has something ear-catching. Terrace Martin, if you aren’t familiar, has been a very busy musician. He’s been making his own music, producing for…
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#A Week&039;s Worth Review#Drones#Hit-Boy#Kamasi Washington#Kendrick Lamar#Robert Glasper#Snoop Dogg#Terrace Martin#Top Dawg Ent.
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A Week's Worth Album Review: Nas' "King's Disease 2"
A Week’s Worth Album Review: Nas’ “King’s Disease 2”
By Daniel Paiz Back after an unscheduled hiatus, A Week’s Worth Album Review returns tackling the highly anticipated King’s Disease 2 from Nas. Mr. Jones had been hinting at the follow-up to his Grammy-winning original King’s Disease for a little while now; the sequel was undersold, hard. Perhaps I didn’t give the first installation enough of a shot, or I just got distracted by the fact that it…
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