John Legend – Love in the Future (2013) – Review

Review: Love in the Future is John Legend’s fourth solo studio album, after taking five years between releases (in which he recorded Wake Up! with the Roots, and featuring on a ton of hip hop tracks).

With Love in the Future, John Legend wanted to make a modern R&B/soul album unlike anything heard in the genre. He also employed a wide mix of great producers to help shape the sound, often having multiple producers work on tracks independently. That said, Legend, Kanye West, and Dave Tozer serve as the album’s overall creative forces. The result of having many creative voices actually works out pretty well, as Love in the Future has a very different and interesting sound – while still clearly feeling both like a soul album and a John Legend album. It is a much better and more interesting release than Evolver, but it will likely disappoint Legend’s initial fans who loved Get Lifted and Once Again, as Legend has moved on musically.

While the album definitely feels new and different (but with a connection to the past), it does not adopt the extremely (probably overly so) popular trend of an EDM vibe/influence. This very much feels like a soul record. It is modern in a fresh way, without the synths and electronic beats. The music that accompanies Legend is lush, eerie (at times), and tempered to meet the parameters of modern soul. Musically, it is an album that plays well in the background, with only a few tracks that really stand out.

Lyrically, Legend sings about the joys of romance. The lyrics feel like they are mostly aimed at new couples who are still in the throes of just being around one and other with optimistic plans for the future. It is a pleasant tone that fits Legend’s demographic and talent.

Love in the Future does not revolutionize soul music, but it is a good album – and one with more crossover potential than most classically sounding soul records. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      The Beginning… – Produced by Hit-Boy

2)      Made to Love – Produced by Dave Tozer

3)      We Loved It – Produced by Kanye West and Jeff Bhasker, featuring Seal

Available on: Digital Download

A$AP Rocky – LoveLiveA$AP (2013) – Review

Review: LoveLiveA$AP is the first high profile and eagerly anticipated hip hop album of 2013, especially given the breakout success of A$AP Rocky’s first album/mixtape LiveLongA$AP and quality of the album’s singles (Goldie and Fuckin’ Problems).

The album is packed full of great featured artists (like ScHoolboy Q, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Danny Brown, Gunplay, among others) and hot producers (like Hit-Boy, T-Minus, Clams Casino, 40, Danger Mouse, Jim Jonsin, and Skrillex), but ultimately it is very top heavy. The singles are fantastic, and among the best hip hop records released in 2012. Plus, there are a few other great tracks: Long Live A$AP, PMW (All I Really Need), LVL, Jodye, and Ghetto Symphony. However, there rest of the album is underwhelming and disappointing – given the quality of LiveLongA$AP and expectations for this (his major label debut).

Musically, the album has the modern hip hop sound that has now seemingly become rather commonplace with the success (and maybe even overuse) of producers such as Hit-Boy, T-Minus, 40, and Clam Casino. That said, the beats do fit A$AP Rocky’s flow and style well and most of the best tracks come from those producers. I guess I was just hoping his album would be more sonically innovative, because that is what I expected.

A$AP Rocky does have a great flow, and lyrically he has a few interesting things to say – but there is nothing new or profound. Really, the album is at its best when the listener just zones out and lets it play in the background – which is not really a compliment, but at the same time I think that was its goal: to be something to just chill out with.

A$AP Rocky is one of the bright young talents in hip hop and there is some terrific stuff on LongLiveA$AP; it is just not on the same level as recent releases from other artists leading hip hop’s new sound as a complete album (LPs like Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, M.A.A.D. city, ScHoolboy Q’s Habits & Contradictions, or Danny Brown’s XXX, to name but a few). 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Goldie – Produced by Hit-Boy

2)      Fuckin’ Problems – Produced by 40, featuring Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar

3)      Long Live A$AP – Produced by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love

Available on: CD and Digital Download

Kendick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city (2012) – Review

Review: Compton MC Kendrick Lamar seems to be hip hop’s latest contender for the crown of best rapper alive, and with Kendrick it does not feel like such a stretch (in fact, he probably is). Technically, he is flawless. Lyrically, he is thoughtful and a wonderful storyteller. Artistically, he weaves hip hop’s present and past together magnificently. His aesthetic is one of the best in the genre. With his major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick has made 2012’s best hip hop album so far.

The anticipation for good kid, m.A.A.d city has been immense, both from fans that loved Section.80 (his first studio album, and one of the best of 2011) and those intrigued by his signing with Dr. Dre and his string of great singles released in 2012 (The Recipe, Swimming Pools [Drank] and Compton). A song potentially slated to be on the album leaked in early 2012 called Cartoons & Cereal setting the mood for what good kid, m.A.A.d city would be like – the song is brilliant, as is the finished album.

good kid, m.A.A.d city plays as an introspective story following Kendrick’s journey through adolescence growing up in Compton (with the dangers, influences and culture the city encompasses), detailing the choices he made. It is an enthralling story that draws the listener in. Kendrick is not just boasting or rapping about wealth and the things that come with it, he is telling his fans about something real, something important, something we can care about and not just frivolous. And yet, he is still able to touch on many of the typical genre topics. He talks about how he survived the streets, the allure and pitfalls of chasing women, making money (though, there seems to be a negative connotation to what the cost of ‘making it’ is). In many ways the album is a love letter to Compton and warning to the youth still struggling to get through the day in the city (maybe best stated in Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst).

Musically, the album is like nothing else in hip hop. It references the West Coast sound that Kendrick grew up on (including appearances by MC Eiht and Dr. Dre), while also having the raw energy and anger of one of his main influences Tupac. But, Kendrick combines this with a very modern sound. He is very cognizant of where the genre has been and where it is going, and his place in it. His TDE/Black Hippy crew makes their mark on the album too with great production from Terrace Martin, Sounwave, and THC and a bitter (but poignant) verse from Jay Rock. Kendrick also has strong production from notable producers Pharrell, Just Blaze, T-Minus and Hit-Boy, and a guest verse from Drake.

Expectations for good kid, m.A.A.d were incredibly high, and Kendrick has delivered a classic album. It is a must for fans of hip hop. 5/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Swimming Pools (Drank) Extended Version – Produced by T-Minus

2)      m.A.A.d city – Produced by Sounwave and THC, featuring MC Eiht

3)      Backseat Freestyle – Produced Hit-Boy

Available on CD and Digital Download

G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer (2012) – Review

 Review: Kanye West is one of the best know hip hop/pop stars right now – we all know that. He is also one of the great auteurs of modern music, setting the standard for hip hop and determining the next direction the genre will take. Thus, anything he puts out has high expectations (only to be even more hyper-inflated with the brilliance of his recent releases My Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch the Throne – or, really his whole discography). Posse albums are never that great. Recently, we have been treated to a forgettable YMCMB album and two decent MMG albums. Even so, we all expected that Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music posse album would be different and incredible. Sadly, it is not incredible, but it is still really good and miles ahead of any other posse album.

So what works? Cruel Summer is for the most part musically excellent. Kanye West’s production team: Hit-Boy, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, Hudson Mohawke, Travi$ Scott, Anthony Kilhoffer, Pop Wansel, and others deliver lush and beautifully produced music, that like much of West’s work has a unique and ambitious sound. It is the best part of the album (and Hit-Boy is probably the real breakout star of the album with great beats on the tracks Clique, Cold and Higher). West himself also has a hand in the production of almost every track (and re-remastered the iTunes release again delaying its arrival). Creatively, the album showcases West’s musical talent. The G.O.O.D. Music crew (Pusha T, Big Sean, Cyhi The Prynce, KiD CuDi, Common, D’banj, John Legend, Malik Yusef, and Teyana Taylor) all have their moments to shine and all provide good work. I would have liked to have seen Q-Tip and Yasiin Bey on there too though (and Mr. Hudson). Maybe they will show up on the next one. The guests are good too (highlighted by Jay-Z, The-Dream, Ghostface Killah, R. Kelly, Raekwon, and Ma$e – 2 Chainz is also on three songs, but I do not get the hype behind him).

So what does not work as well? Lyrically, the album is good but not great, and not on par with the fantastic music. Most of it is just sort of generic pop/hip hop language (money, cars, fashion, women, and opulence). Most of the best verses come from the guests (Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah and Ma$e – though West, Pusha T and Cyhi The Prynce drop some good stuff as well). This is really more of a minor complaint though. The two biggest issues are that the album has a lame ending (with its worst song closing the album) when it should have been something grander and (like with all posse albums) the album does not have a clear voice throughout. The first issue could have been fixed. Even if you just consider Don’t Like a bonus track, Bliss is not a great ending track either (though I do like it). Creepers and Bliss are both good middle of the album type tracks, but with them at the end, it gives the album sort of an underwhelming feeling as it closes (especially with Don’t Like which probably was better left off as just a G.O.O.D. Fridays release). The second is a lot harder to address, as the point of this album is for West to showcase the artists under his label, and thus it is going to have a lot of different competing voices.

Overall, I really like the album. Musically, it is just magnificent and wins me over with each listen. In addition to my ‘Essential Tracks’ I also highly regard To the World, Clique, The Morning, Sin City, and The One. Fans of My Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch the Throne are going to like this album. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      New God Glow – Kanye West & Pusha T, featuring Ghostface Killah, produced by Kanye West, Boogz & Tapez and Anthony Kilhoffer

2)      Cold – Kanye West, produced by Hit-Boy

3)      Higher – Pusha T, featuring The-Dream, Ma$e and Cocaine 80s, produced by Hit-Boy, Kanye West and Mike Dean

Available on iTunes (best version), CD and Amazon MP3

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

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne (2011) – Review

Jay-Z & Kanye Wes – Watch the Throne

Watch the Throne dropped with huge expectations – the best verses, the best beats, and the best album. Kanye West and Jay-Z are probably the most prolific artists in hip hop, so how can they reconcile their own creative aspirations and egos to work together? Well, it helps that they have worked together extensively in the past. The album sonically seems like the next step from West’s My Dark Twisted Fantasy, as it further redefines what hip hop is capable of further pushing the envelope musically. You have not heard anything like this before – some tracks blend genres with an expert artistic ear (No Church in the Wild or Who Gon Stop Me). There are still some more classic hip hop moments too (Otis, The Joy). Watch the Throne sounds like a West album (and he was involved in the production of twelve tracks), but Jay-Z is given the greater of the lyrical work (Why I Love You and Welcome to the Jungle are essential Jay-Z tracks). Almost without any misogynist lyrics, the album celebrates success while also addressing issues at the heart of both artists, both personal and external. Much like the great Otis video (directed by Spike Jonze), there is a joy that comes through the music as well, which is refreshing when mean-mugging seems to be the order of the day in a lot of hip hop. Of the sixteen tracks on the deluxe edition, I think fifteen are very good and ten are excellent. So does this have the best verses and best beats? Yes, many of these tracks are among the best of the year. Is this the best album? Yes, this is the best album of the year so far. It transcends its genre further changing the game, and while that is hard for classic hip hop fans it is wonderful for music fans. 5/5   

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      Murder to Excellence – Produced by Swizz Beatz and S1

2)      Niggas in Paris – Produced by Hit-Boy, Kanye West and Mike Dean

3)      Illest Motherfucker Alive – Produced by Southside, Kanye West and Mike Dean

Available on CD and Digital Download