Drake – Nothing Was the Same (2013) – Review

Review: Drake is back with his third major label release Nothing Was the Same, following up the very good album Take Care and the hit-and-miss Thank Me Later.

One thing that stands out about Nothing Was the Same immediately: Drake is not interested in sounding like every other MC out there right now. Instead, he is crafting and refining his own unique sound, and Nothing Was the Same benefits greatly as a result. Hip hop has become agonizingly sonically monotonous. A lot of it is just plain boring. Meanwhile, Aubrey Graham has developed a wonderful musical chemistry with producer and writer Noah “40” Shebib giving his albums fluidity, which is definitely the case here. The whole album feels like a cohesive project, rather than a random amalgamation of tracks. It also helps that this album primarily features Drake alone. The only other verse on the album comes from Jay-Z (and really, it was unneeded). Graham has the confidence to stand alone and not rely on a plethora of pointless/useless collaborations with other MCs.

Other producers also give Nothing Was the Same some strong musical moments as well. Mike Zombie, DJ Dahi, Nineteen85, Majid Jordan, Hudson Mohawke, Boi-1da (another frequent collaborator of Drake’s), and Key Wane (who produces the great bonus track All Me) all provide good beats, which Graham and Shebib form to fit the album’s musical aesthetic. The beats overall have a very minimalistic, muted sound.

Drake’s music succeeds, however, more so on his ability to let the listener in (something that he takes heat for as well – being too sensitive) than the album’s musicality (which is also good, but not groundbreaking or amazing). Graham is accessible with intimate and real lyrics about his relatable insecurities – in addition to the typical boasts of wealth, women, and skills. The listener, much like with Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar’s work, feels like they are being invited into Graham’s inner most thoughts, which is compelling when most hip hop is just fake.

Nothing Was the Same feels and sounds like a Drake album, which is a good thing, as he is a very talented artists who is unafraid to be himself. While it does not ascend to the same ambitious or artistic heights as Kanye West’s Yeezus, it is still one of 2013’s best hip hop releases and well worth checking out. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Started from the Bottom – Produced by Mike Zombie

2)      Hold On, We’re Going Home – Produced by Nineteen85 and Majid Jordan, featuring Majid Jordan

3)      Worst Behavior – Produced by DJ Dahi

Available on: Digital Download

Maybach Music Group – Self Made, Vol. 3 (2013) – Review

Review: Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group (MMG) has a large lineup to feature on his third posse album, including: Wale, Meek Mill, Gunplay, Rockie Fresh, Stalley, French Montana, and Omarion.

While Self Made Vol 1 and Vol 2 highlight both the talents of MMG’s artists and the sound that the label has cultivated (through the use of their frequently collaborating producers), Vol 3 just has a very bland sound musically – leading some to wonder if the label has peaked. It is a boring album to listen to (which has become a common trend in hip hop in general, and noticeably among MMG releases, particularly Meek Mill’s Dreams & Nightmares and to an even greater extent French Montana’s terrible Excuse My French).

The album is also overstuffed. MMG already has eight artists to showcase – and to this, only Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill, and Rockie Fresh really stand out. There are a ton of featured guests, which while a common feature of these Self Made albums it has gotten out of hand. It is easy to just get lost among all the scattered voices, many adding nothing of interest. Only J. Cole and Lupe Fiasco really bring anything to the album (Pusha T’s verse is good too, but way too short and on a bad song). It is too bad that the guests could not have been reduced greatly, leaving room for more from Gunplay and Stalley. Plus, zero French Montana and Omarion would have been better (but that is probably asking too much, since they are on the label).

Really the only positive this album provides, other than a few decent tracks (see Essential Tracks below), is that the album introduces Rockie Fresh, a new MMG signee. He has potential.

Overall, there is really no reason to pick up this album, unless you are a big fan of MMG and their sound. Rather, just cherry pick a couple tracks. 2/5

Essential Tracks:
1) Poor Decisions – Produced by Jake One, featuring Wale, Rick Ross, and Lupe Fiasco

2) God Is Great – Produced by Boi-1da, featuring Rockie Fresh

3) Black Grammys – Produced by Tone P, featuring Wale, Meek Mill, Rockie Fresh, and J. Cole

Available on: Digital Download

Childish Gambino – Royalty Mixtape (2012) – Review

Review: Following up Childish Gambino’s first commercial LP Camp (which is fantastic), Royalty seems to signify a change in style for Gambino. It sounds much more like a typical hip hop release than Camp, his 2011 EP or Culdesac musically and lyrically. Royalty has a ton of features, when past Gambino albums did not, including ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Bun B, Nipsey Hussle, RZA, Danny Brown, and Ghostface Killah. A more interesting and off-beat feature is Beck, who features and co-produces on Silk Pillow, while producing another track. The production is good with Gambino handling most of it himself (while production partner Ludwig Goransson, who co-produced all of Camp and EP, only co-produces two songs). SKYWLKR and Boi-1da each add two tracks as well. Lyrically, Donald Glover seems more interested in more clichéd hip hop topics like being rich, having money and wealth (which seems to be the main theme on this mixtape) than his usual self-reflexive and witty pop culture infused wordplay. There is still some of that too, but there is certainly a noticeable switch in lyrical focus. This seems to be a more self-assured MC, with the success of Camp, who now feels comfortable boasting not just about his skills on the mic but also about fame, money, girls, cars, cloths, and all the stuff that hip hop is oversaturated with. As with most mixtapes, there are probably six to eight tracks that are forgettable. However, there are eight or so tracks that are fantastic, making this mixtape well worth checking out for fans of Childish Gambino and newcomers alike. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Unnecessary – Featuring ScHoolboy Q & Ab-Soul, produced by Donald Glover

2)      Shoulda Known – Produced by Donald Glover

3)      We Ain't Them – Produced by Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson

Available on Digital Download

Game – The R.E.D. Album (2011) – Review

Game – The R.E.D. Album

Much like LAX, Game’s The R.E.D. Album has really good tracks (about eight) and a lot of filler. This album would be better if he just cut out the tracks that are not quite album quality (getting it down to about twelve songs). That said, iTunes allows us to uncheck songs, so I guess it does not really matter (and maybe the more music we get the merrier?). Game has really good flow and his lyrics fit his persona and style well. He has a lot of features on the album, mixing hip hop’s big stars like Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross with LA legends like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. I also like that he features LA’s upcoming great artists Tyler, The Creator (there is a lot of hype around their track Martians vs Goblins, but personally I prefer Tyler’s track with Pusha T: Trouble on My Mind) and Kendrick Lamar. Game works again with Cool & Dre who make beats that fit Game’s flow well, but he also branches out working with DJ Khalil (who is making really good stuff right now) and up-and-comers Hit-Boy and Boi-1da. This is not quite a classic West Coast album like his first two albums (The Documentary and Doctor’s Advocate); it has much more of a mainstream hip hop sound (in terms of what is popular right now and not specifically geared to a certain region or style). However, there is enough good music to keep Game in the conversation for the best artists in hip hop (though, with all the great newcomers lately competition is getting very strong). Game fans are going to like The R.E.D. Album; others should probably just cherry pick the best songs. 3/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      The City – Featuring Kendrick Lamar, produced by Cool & Dre

2)      Ricky – Produced by DJ Khalil

3)      Good Girls Gone Bad – Featuring Drake, produced by Cool & Dre

Available on CD and Digital Download