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

Wale – The Gifted (2013) – Review

Review: Wale seems to reside just on the precipice of blowing up – he has the lyrical skill and flow; he just has never had a big hit. His first two albums Attention Deficit and Ambition are both good, but do not stand out either. With his third album, The Gifted, Wale seems to have both embraced his place in hip hop and desperately grasped for a breakthrough hit with a somewhat random assembling of guest features.

The Gifted is at its best when Wale is just riffing off the beats. He has such a nimble flow and he is a layered storyteller that his raps alone are enough to sustain the listener. His lyrics give a much more nuanced and realistic view of urban culture than most other artists who still speak for the streets. Wale’s verses have substance. Musically, the album is very vibrant and often the beats have more of a live band feel, which is a nice change from the constant flow of EDM influenced hip hop songs (and just every genre really). The live drums really pop.

But for all its positives, the album is just flooded with pointless features by artistes that do not fit Wale’s sound, who seemingly are only there to increases sales and draw new listeners – like: Yo Gotti, Nicki Minaj, Juicy J, Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Ne-Yo, and 2 Chainz. None of them bring anything to the album. Wale’s MMG mates Meek Mill and Rick Ross also show up, but again neither stand out and their styles somewhat clash with Wale’s – though, Meek Mill and Wale do have some chemistry. The Gifted would probably be a better album without all these features (as really only Cee-Lo Green and Tiara Thomas bring something worthwhile), especially when the genre’s best recent albums (good kid, m.A.A.d city, Born Sinner, and Yeezus) have all been built around a singular voice – all these random features dilute the album’s impact.

The Gifted is sure to please fans of Wale, as it is a good hip hop album. However, it is also slightly disappointing (as it is almost a great album, held back by all the features). 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Golden Salvation (Jesus Piece) – Produced by Lee Major

2)      Bad – Produced by Kelson Camp and Tiara Thomas, featuring Tiara Thomas

3)      88 – Produced by Just Blaze

Available on: Digital Download

Pusha T – Wrath of Caine Mixtape (2013) – Review

Review: Pusha T is ready to drop his first solo LP My Name Is My Name, but first he though we might all enjoy a mixtape. And, he was right, as Wrath of Caine is quite good. Building off the success of his Fear of God mixtape and Fear of God II: Let Us Pray EP from 2012, Pusha T has certainly put himself among the top MCs right now, and probably Kanye West’s best artist on his G.O.O.D. Music label. My Name Is My Name is one of the most anticipated hip hop releases of 2013.

Wrath of Caine finds Pusha T lyrically doing his normal thing, rapping about slinging cocaine with his great and easily recognizable ab-libs and religious imagery. Sure, maybe it is a little tired, but his word play, flow, and lyrical dexterity are fantastic making his raps delightful and engaging regardless. He also has a number of strong features, including Rick Ross, Wale, and his Re-Up Gang mate Ab-Liva.

Musically, Wrath of Caine is solid, with a street and reggae feel. It does not have that much flair, but it is only a mixtape and one would imagine that Pusha T is saving the best stuff for his album. That said, Southside, The Renegades, Young Chop, The Neptunes, Boogz N Tapez, Jake-One, and Bink! all provide good beats.

Even though this is just a prelude to his upcoming album, Wrath of Caine is better than most hip hop LPs and well worth checking out. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Blocka – Produced by Young Chop, featuring Popcaan and Travis Scott

2)      Millions – Produced by Southside, featuring Rick Ross

3)      Only You Can Tell It – Produced by Boogz N Tapez, featuring Wale

Available on: Digital Download

Rick Ross – God Forgives, I Don’t (2012) – Review

Review: Rick Ross is having a great 2012. His mixtape Rich Forever is solid. His Maybach Music posse album Self Made: Vol. 2 has some good stuff on it. And, his fifth solo album, God Forgives, I Don’t, is probably his best album to date. Like Teflon Don and Deeper Than Rap, this album is packed with guest appearances. Ross has his Maybach Music crewmates Wale, Stalley, Meek Mill, Omarion, as well as pop and hip hop’s biggest talents like Drake, Usher, Ne-Yo, Andre 3000, and Dr. Dre and Jay-Z on a good track entitled 3 Kings. Unlike Teflon Don however, Ross is not overshadowed by all the features. Here, Ross has some of his best rhymes and deliveries (building off the great work he did on Rich Forever). God Forgives, I Don’t also is excellently produced and really engaging musically. Ten Jesus Pieces has one of the best musical accompaniments of 2012. For Ross fans, this is an album very much worth picking up, and for commercial hip hop fans this also certainly worth checking out as it is one of the better releases this year. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Ten Jesus Pieces – Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, featuring Stalley

2)      Pirates – Produced by Kenoe and Got Koke

3)      Diced Pineapples – Produced by Cardiak, featuring Wale and Drake

Available on CD and Digital Download

Essential Songs of 2012: Part 7 – Music Spotlight – August 2012

Artist: Dum Dum Girls Song: Lord Knows Producer(s):  N/A Featuring: N/A Album: End of Daze

Artist: Dusted Song: Cut Them Free Producer(s): Leon Taheny Featuring: N/A Album: Total Dust

Artist: Ellie Goulding Song: Anything Could Happen Producer(s): Ellie Goulding and Jim Elliot Featuring: N/A Album: Halcyon

Artist: J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T. and Kendrick Lamar Song: They Ready Producer(s): J. Cole Featuring: N/A Album: DJ Khaled’s Kiss the Ring

Artist: Kendrick Lamar Song: Swimming Pools (Drank) Producer(s): T-Minus Featuring: N/A Album: Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City

Artist: Nas Song: Loco-Motive Producer(s): No I.D. Featuring: Large Professor Album: Life is Good

Artist: Reks Song: The Jones’ Producer(s): Numonics Featuring: N/A Album: Rebelutionary

Artist: Rick Ross Song: Diced Pineapples Producer(s): Cardiak Featuring: Wale and Drake Album: God Forgives, I Don’t

Artist: Talib Kweli Song: Push Thru Producer(s): S1 Featuring: Kendrick Lamar and Curren$y Album: Prisoner of Conscious

Artist: The xx Song: Chained Producer(s): Jamie xx Featuring: N/A Album: Coexist

Maybach Music Group – Self Made Vol. 2 (2012) – Review

Review: MMG’s second group album is about as good as its first, if not a little better and more consistent. Though, it does not have any standout tracks like Tupac Back or 600 Benz. Black Magic is probably the standout cut from the album. While it has a fairly generic street-banger beat, Rick Ross’s hook and Meek Mill’s verses are great. Power Circle is the other memorable song. Coming in at just over eight minutes, it features a verse from the each member of the MMG posse (other than Omarion), and a great verse from Kendrick Lamar. As far as features go, Self Made Vol. 2 has a lot highlighted by Kendrick Lamar, NaS and Bun B. The MMG crew is a very complimentary group headed by Rick Ross, Wale and Meek Mill (who has some of the best stuff on the album). Gunplay and Stalley also have some good verses on the album (I wish Gunplay was on more of it), and definitely make their voices heard as the newer members of the group. Omarion, on the other hand, is the weak link, and French Montana continues to be forgettable. I called Self Made Vol. 1 a glorified mixtape, and I feel sort of the same way about this. The production is decent, but nothing special. Half of the tracks on this album would be filler on a Ross, Wale or Meek Mill solo album. That said, this is still well worth checking out for fans of MMG. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Black Magic – Meek Mill & Rick Ross, produced by Young Shun

2)      Power Circle – Gunplay, Stalley, Wale, Meek Mill & Rick Ross featuring Kendrick Lamar, produced by Lee Major

3)      This Thing of Ours – Wale, Omarion & Rick Ross, featuring NaS, produced by Don Cannon

Available on CD and Digital Download

Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2 Mixtape (2012) – Review

Review: The Philly MC Meek Mill, member of Rick Ross’s MMG, is one of MTV’s 2012 Ten Hottest MCs, along with other MMG members Ross and Wale. Though, personally, I am very surprised to see him there, especially with his latest mixtape Dreamchasers 2, the follow up to a fairly weak Dreamchasers Mixtape. Much of Dreamchasers 2 is mixtape quality street bangers. Musically, the album is not very interesting, as most of the beats are generic throwaways. Though, Jahlil Beats, Cardiak, KeY Wane, and Beat Billionaire provide some decent stuff – but again, mixtape quality. Normally, this would be fine, but many of today’s best new artists in hip hop put out mixtapes that are better than most other artists’ albums, and thus there is a high bar to strive for, and this tape is nowhere near as good. Not to mention, Meek Mill is often overshadowed by his many guests. Big Sean, Wale, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake all outshine him on the tape. It is not to say Meek Mill is bad, as that is not the case. Dreamchasers 2 is just disappointing because Meek Mill is supposedly one of the hottest MCs right now, and fans of his music know he can put out great tracks like Tupac Back. This mixtape is fine for fans of MMG and Meek Mill, but certainly not a must for fans of hip hop in general. 2/5

Editor’s Essential Tracks:

1)      Take U Home – Produced by Beat Billionaire, featuring Wale and Big Sean

2)      Flexing – Produced by Jahlil Beats

3)      Burn – Produced by Jahlil Beats, featuring Big Sean

Available on Digital Download

Rick Ross – Rich Forever Mixtape (2012) – Review

Rick Ross – Rich Forever

With his upcoming fifth studio album God Forgives, I Don’t delayed, Miami MC Rick Ross dropped a new mixtape – Rich Forever – as a preview of what we can expect. Essentially, it is a series of street bangers featuring Ross, his MMG cohorts and friends. And with a voice like Ross’s, why not make street bangers – but at the same time, I liked the more sonically soulful work he was doing in the past (stuff like Usual Suspects and Rich off Cocaine off Deeper Than Rap, or his verse on Kanye West’s Devil in a New Dress). Among the many guests, NaS by far shines, dropping an excellent verse. Wale, Meek Mill and Drake contribute good stuff too. The tape also has a few of hip hop’s most talked about up-and-comers: French Montana, 2 Chains, and Future. Lyrically, Ross sticks to his character’s usual topics: money, drugs, cars, fashion, girls, being rich, selling drugs, being wealthy, and so on and so forth. And yet, a credit to Ross, his character is so well crafted that it still has not become tired and shabby (at least not for me). Rich Forever is probably not going to win Ross new fans, but for those who like what he does it is a good holdover until God Forgive, I Don’t. 3/5

Editor’s Essential Tracks:

1)      Triple Beam Dreams – Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, featuring NaS

2)      Holy Ghost – Produced by Lil’ Lody, featuring Diddy

3)      Yella Diamonds – Produced by Beat Billionaire

Available on Digital Download

LeapBackBlog 2011 Music Awards – Part 1: Ten Essential Albums

Music in 2011 saw the further domination of hip hop and indie rock as the principal forms of ‘good’ music. Forms of electronic music have also taken up a much more mainstream appeal in recent years, and there is certainly evidence of this in what was great in music in 2011. Here are my ten favorite albums of the year.

Part 2: Ten Essential Songs (Singles)

Part 3: Ten More Essential Songs (Deep Cuts)

Albums:

Artist: Beyonce Album: 4 Essential Tracks: I Care, I Miss You, Party, Rather Die Young, and Countdown Why It Made the List: Beyonce has been on top of the pop R&B genre since she became a solo artist. 4 feels much more like a personal album, filled with meaningful tracks and not just poppy stuff for the top 40. While it may not have the singles to dominate the charts and radio, it is her most complete and enjoyable effort of her career to date. Plus, the video for Countdown very well might be my favorite of the year. Available: Here

Artist: Childish Gambino Album: Camp Essential Tracks: Outside, Bonfire, All the Shine, Heartbeat, and You See Me Why It Made the List: Childish Gambino announced himself to the world in 2011; both with his EP featuring Freaks and Geeks and his first commercial release Camp. I liked Donald Glover as a rapper coming into the album, but it completely blew me away – both with fantastic production and real lyrics, while still maintaining the humor. Camp is an album you can listen to all the way through and enjoy every track, no matter how many times you have listened to it, which is very rare these days. Available: Here

Artist: Drake Album: Take Care Essential Tracks: Headlines, Crew Love, Marvins Room, Under Ground Kings, and Lord Knows Why It Made the List: Drake has a very unique sound – a good thing in a genre that is filled with artists that sound the same. The album has a lot of features but they all work well with Drake and do not overshadow him. The production on the album by 40 and T-Minus is fantastic as well. Drake is not afraid to gets his emotions across in his music, and Take Care is moody and personal. It is his best release to date. Available: Here

Artist: Jay-Z & Kanye West Album: Watch the Throne Essential Tracks: Niggas in Paris, Otis, Gotta Have It, Murder to Excellence, and Illest Motherfucker Alive Why It Made the List: Coming in to 2011, this was the most anticipated album for a lot of people (me included). It did not disappoint. The production on the album, first off, is brilliant and probably the best of the year (though The Weeknd’s trilogy is right there too). Kanye and Jay-Z cover all their bases lyrically, touching on politics, personal issues, lifestyle, art, having fun, and pretty much everything else. This is the best hip hop album of the year. Plus, the music video of Otis is so much fun. Available: Here

Artist: J. Cole Album: Cole World: The Sideline Story Essential Tracks: Lights Please, In the Morning, Nobody’s Perfect, God’s Gift, and Work Out Why It Made the List: J. Cole has been called the future of hip hop by many fans and pundits. His first commercial release lived up to the hype. It is not as flashy an album as a lot coming out in the genre, but it is solid all the way through and has a great ‘true hip hop’ feel to it –not so much of the pop hip hop sound that we have come to expect from most artists like J. Cole. His production ability also shines on the album. Available: Here

Artist: Kendrick Lamar Album: Section.80 Essential Tracks: Fuck Your Ethnicity, A.D.H.D., Ronald Regan Era (His Evil), Rigamortis, and HiiiPoWer Why It Made the List: Part of the hip hop group Black Hippy (with Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul), Kendrick Lamar had a huge 2011 – killing verses on Tech N9ne, Drake and Game’s albums, making a name for his crew and dropping one of the best albums of the year in Section.80. His flow and lyrics make him very relatable and relevant to today’s youth, while his musical ability endears him to lovers of the genre. Plus, HiiiPoWer is the best hip hop track of 2011. Available: Here

Artist: Pusha T Album: Fear of God II: Let Us Pray Essential Tracks: Changing of the Guards, Amen, Trouble on My Mind, My God, and I Still Wanna Why It Made the List: Pusha T, as a part of the duo Clipse, is already a well-known entity to genre fans, but with his Fear of God Mixtape and Fear of God II: Let Us Pray EP he has put himself in the upper echelon of solo artists as well. Teaming up with Kanye West seems to be a perfect match. His likely solo album in 2012 is among my most anticipated. Plus, Trouble on My Mind with The Neptunes producing and featuring Tyler, The Creator is one of the best collaboration of the year and has a great video. Available: Here

Artist: St. Vincent Album: Strange Mercy Essential Tracks: Cruel, Cheerleader, Strange Mercy, Dilettante, and Year of the Tiger Why It Made the List: There was a lot of great indie rock in 2011, but St. Vincent’s Strange Mercy was a step above the rest. Annie Clark’s art rock has so much substance to it, both musically and lyrically. Her sound is also fantastic. She has found a great balance between experimentalism and accessibility making this her most approachable album for those new to the genre.   Available: Here

Artist: Wale Album: Ambition Essential Tracks: Double M Genius, Miami Nights, Chain Music, Focused, and Ambition Why It Made the List: Wale had somewhat of a comeback year in 2011 (commercially at least, musically he never left) with early releases like 600 Benz and Bad Girls Club. Many of his fans were nervous that he would compromise his sound when he signed to Rick Ross’s MMG, but with the release of Ambition it is clear that Wale still brings the same fire to the mic and has maintained his lyrical integrity, be to a somewhat different style of beat. This is a very fun album with a lot of energy, yet introspective and personal. Available: Here

Artist: The Weeknd Album: House of Balloons Essential Tracks: High for This, House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls, Wicked Games, The Party & The After Party, and The Knowing Why It Made the List: The Weeknd with his 2011 Trilogy (including this album, Thursday and Echoes of Silence) is 2011’s best new artist (and probably the artist of the year). All three albums would have made this list; House of Balloons is just my favorite and the best album of the year. It has some of the best production creating the perfect sound to accompany Abel Tesfaye’s dark lyrics. It is tragic and beautiful. Plus, it is free. I cannot wait for his first commercial release slated for 2012. Available: Here

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

Wale – The Eleven One Elven Theory Mixtape (2011) – Review

Wale – The Eleven One Elven Theory

Earlier this year we got a taste of Wale as a part of his MMG team (Self Made, Vol. 1). With The Eleven One Eleven Theory we get to hear what to expect from his new solo album Ambition (due November 1, 2011), and it is really good – unlike Self Made (which featured mostly street bangers), this mixtape has a lot more sole and hip hop appeal. Wale’s first album (Attention Deficit) was fantastic, but it greatly undersold. Thus, Ambition is his shot at redemption and validation. Wale brings a lot of energy and lyrical skill to this mixtape, but the mixing and production quality is a bit lacking at times (which is the case with mixtapes in general) and two of the best tracks Chain Music and Bait are expected to be on his upcoming album – both of which hold it back. Tone P does however does provide decent tracks. What stands out the most though is Wale’s drive and rhyming, which is maybe the most important aspect in hip hop. I think this mixtape is solid and a good indication of what we can expect on Ambition (I just hope the production is a bit better – which it should be), an album I am highly anticipating. 3/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      The Podium – Featuring Black Cobain, Tre of UCB & Tone P, produced by Tone P

2)      Varsity Blues – Produced by Tone P

3)      Barry Sanders – Produced by DJ Toomp

Available on Digital Download

Maybach Music Group – Self Made, Vol. 1 (2011) – Review

Maybach Music Group – Self Made, Vol. 1

The group is made up of label head Rick Ross’s three newest high profile signings: Wale, Meek Mill and Pill. Each has had their successes and failures before Ross brought them in (for example Wale released his debut album in 2009 Attention Deficit, which was one of the best hip hop albums of the year, but did not sell very well). This album is essentially a glorified mixtape, a little more polished sonically, but lacking great production throughout (though there are a few fantastic beats on it). That being said, it does serve as a great introduction to these artists and their rhyming skills – each with their own unique sound (personally I am a big fan of Wale, but Meek Mill has caught my interest due to this album). During the first listen-through, the album just sounds like a series of street-bangers in the mold of Ross’s own Lux Luger produced hits B.M.F. and MC Hammer, and certainly Ross played a major role in shaping the sound of this album and lends his voice to most of the songs in some capacity (after all he is the biggest name in MMG). However having gone through the album many times now, it offers a few chill and laidback grooves as well (reminiscent of a number of the track off Ross’s own Deeper Than Rap) that give the album a nice break.  It does not feature too many well-known producers, but Just Blaze and Lux Leger (producing the un-Lex Luger sounding That Way) each laydown a track. It also features a good list of hip hop’s hot MCs like Curren$y, J. Cole and CyHi Da Prynce lending verses. Some complain that Ross is trying too hard to get his MCs to do songs that sound just like his, but this is an MMG album, not a Pill, Meek Mill or Wale solo album (we will have to wait for their solo releases scheduled for 2011/12 to see how much Ross has indeed influenced them sonically). However, lyrically all three MCs touch on the material they are known for. While the album lacks great songs (though an argument can be made for Tupac Back and 600 Benz), it is solid throughout with really no bad songs or moments. For fans of the MCs, it should hold them over until the solo releases drop. 3/5

Editor’s Song Picks:

1)      Tupac Back – Meek Mill featuring Rick Ross, produced by Mike Will of Eardrummers

2)      600 Benz – Wale featuring Rick Ross and Jadakiss, produced by Cardiak

3)      Rise – Pill & Wale featuring Teedra Moses, Cyhi Da Prynce & Curren$y, produced by Cardiak

Available on CD and Digital Download