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

Drake – Take Care (2011) – Review

Drake – Take Care

For his sophomore effort, Drake made a much more atmospheric, musically cohesive album. Thank Me Later has better standalone singles. Take Care’s singles are strong too (Marvin’s Room, Headlines and Make Me Proud), but they serve the overall tone of the album. For the most part, this feels like a (drunken or ‘faded’) confession, as Drake explores his own sadness, hurt and loneness – both in growing up and in dealing with fame. There are hip hop boasts and hometown representing (par for the course), but the album is at its best when Drake digs deeper into his personal issues. There are also great moments when Drake references the music that influenced him (songs like Underground Kings and Practice). Drake has a very good flow and his sing-song style and singing works really well. It is clear that while Drake did not produce any of the tracks (though he is a co-producer on a few) he had a specific sound in mind when crafting Take Care. He works primarily with Toronto producer 40 (and a childhood friend) and T-Minus (also from Canada) – they produce on sixteen of the eighteen tracks. This gives Take Care a feel and sound that flows throughout (which is surprisingly rare in hip hop, even though most of the best albums have a distinctive and cohesive sound). Drake also has great guests and utilizes them well. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Birdman from his YMCMB crew make appearances (but are probably the least interesting of the features – though Nicki Minaj gives a decent verse). The other guests include Rick Ross (on a great Just Blaze track), Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar (who is wonderful on the Buried Alive Interlude), and Andre 3000 (who drops one of the best verses on the album on The Real Her) – the latter three being the standouts. A minor issue with the album is that there are probably five too many songs (aka five weaker songs) that could have been left off, but overall Take Care is a strong effort and better than Thank Me Later. Drake two albums in (three if you count his So Far Gone EP or Mixtape) is already atop the game with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z and (sadly) Lil Wayne (because he is not that great anymore, most of his verses are just random gibberish these days – let us be honest with ourselves, Tha Carter IV was terrible, like a 2/5 at best, terrible for someone of his stature in the industry, but seemingly everyone still bought it, so I guess we can expect more less than efforts from him in the future) – and this is the kind of album you expect from an artist of his quality and standing in the game. 4/5

Editor’s Essential Tracks:

1)      Underground Kings – Produced by T-Minus and 40

2)      Crew Love – Produced by 40, Illangelo and The Weeknd, featuring The Weeknd

3)      Lord Knows – Produced by Just Blaze, featuring Rick Ross

Available on CD and Digital Download

Wale – Ambition (2011) – Review

Wale – Ambition

After his critically acclaimed but commercial failure debut Attention Deficit (one of my favorite hip hop albums of 2009), Wale needed a change. It came in the form of teaming up with Rick Ross on his label Maybach Music Group, garnering singles such as 600 Benz (off their label album Self Made Vol. 1). Many fans thought that he was going to sellout and change his style to be more commercial. But the only thing that has changed from Attention Deficit is the beats Wale is rapping over. The lyrical style and content are the same. He has such energy and an infectious lyricism that it is hard to dispute Wale as one of the best right now. No one else sounds quite like him. And for a large portion, his sound has not really changed much either – songs like: Lotus Flower Bomb, Sabotage and Miami Nights could easily be off any of his former releases. If anything, I like that he is incorporating new beats into his style and trying to grow as an artist. I mean is it not the goal to reach as many listeners as possible while maintaining your lyrical integrity, because that is what Wale has done with Ambition. I think he has a great chemistry with producers Tone P and Mark Henry, who both have multiple tracks on the album. But, he also has completely different beats too like Diplo’s Slight Work and beats that fit the popular trend right now, specifically from T-Minus. While it is as good an album as Attention Deficit, it is one of the better hip hop albums of 2011 and I look forward to more form Wale. 4/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      Focused – Produced by Kore, featuring KiD CuDi

2)      Double M Genius – Produced by Mark Henry

3)      Ambition – Produced by T-Minus, featuring Meek Mill and Rick Ross

Available on CD and Digital Download