Another Music Page

*originally posted on Instagram on 6/6/20* *sound on*

Which is Better: Playboi Carti or Die Lit?

Playboi Carti is one of the biggest rappers out right now. His last couple releases (Pain 1993, @MEH) have been underwhelming to a lot of people, including me. However, these recent efforts from Carti don’t take away from how good his first two albums are. Playboi Carti and Die Lit are part of what brought “mumble rap” to the forefront of the rap game. And Carti’s charisma, interesting vocal performances, and memorable ad-libs have helped rap evolve. So today, I wanted to figure out which project I think is the best.

Playboi Carti - Playboi Carti

I think Carti’s self-titled project does a lot of things really well. The overall flow of the album is really good. I’m not saying that the project has a concept or anything like that, but to me, this project is actually really cohesive for what it is. Also, the beats on Playboi Carti are fuckin incredible. Even on songs I’m not a huge fan of, like NO. 9, Half & Half, and Let It Go, I still really like the beats. And songs like Flex & Location make me feel like I’m ascending into heaven. I also think that Carti’s hooks on this project are memorable and amazing - Location, Magnolia, wokeuplikethis*, Yah Mean, the list goes on. My main problem with this album is that it can get repetitive, and that’s really just a problem with Carti himself, it’s not just on this project. Overall, this is a very, very solid debut.

FAVORITES: Flex, Location, Yah Mean, New Choppa, wokeuplikethis*

Playboi Carti - Die Lit

Die Lit is an interesting project for me to talk about, because I listened to Die Lit before Carti’s self-titled, and when I first tried to listen to it, I wasn’t really a fan of Carti. I hope that doesn’t affect the way I think about the project now, but it definitely might, so I need to acknowledge that. Die Lit has a lot of the same positives for me as the self-titled: great beats, charismatic vocals, and entertaining ad-libs and hooks. There are two main things that are a detriment to Die Lit as a whole: the length and Carti’s baby voice. I want to clarify: I like Carti’s baby voice. I think he uses it really well on songs like FlatBed Frestyle, Fell in Luv, Solange’s Almeda, Lil Yachty’s Get Dripped, etc. But the problem for me is that it doesn’t vary enough across Die Lit to stay entertaining for its whole hour-long runtime. Carti can get repetitive, and the length of this project doesn’t help with that. Overall though, still a very strong project.

FAVORITES: Shoota, FlatBed Freestyle, R.I.P. Fredo, Pull Up, Foreign

TOP 5 OVERALL: Flex, Location, Shoota, FlatBed Freestyle, Yah Mean

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/29/20*

This is the third installment of First Listen Album Reviews! This time, it’s Charli XCX, Yung Lean, and Kota the Friend.

Starz by Yung Lean

I wanted to like this album more than I did. I didn’t hate Starz or anything like that, but I wanted to like it because the first few tracks are actually pretty exciting, and because of them, I thought that this would be a better example of cloud rap for me to latch on to. But a lot of the ideas on Starz aren’t super interesting to begin with and then drag on a little too long for me. There are some definite highlights on here, like Yayo, Boylife in EU, and Iceheart (even though this one isn’t as cloudy as you’d expect), but mainly, the tracks kinda start to only be interesting for the first like 30 seconds or so and then they just get formless and blurry, and not in a great way. In a sentence, I’m still not really a fan of cloud rap, even though albums like this and Bladee’s EXETER project from earlier this year make it clear to me why people love this genre. Starz is, I think, a much better showing of cloud rap than EXETER, but the genre as a whole is still not very exciting to me.

FAVORITES: Yayo, Boylife in EU, Iceheart

how i’m feeling now by Charli XCX

Albums like these kind of destroy my whole first listen review format, because how i’m feeling now is a project that is almost impossible to fully formulate thoughts on after just one listen. One thing I absolutely know after the first listen though, is that Charli has come through with another amazing project that’s one of the best of the year so far. The sounds that she uses on this project differ so much from track to track, which keeps the project extremely interesting for its whole 37 minute runtime. “pink diamond”’s instrumental sounds like it would be at home on a clipping. album, the instrumental on “anthems” sounds like it’s taken from a rave, and the vocal melodies on “7 years” would make Imogen Heap proud. This album also takes on different meaning because the lyrical content is affected by the fact that we’re in quarantine - every night feeling the same, the trials of a long-distance relationship, etc. That’s why the project is called how i’m feeling NOW, it’s meant to capture a specific moment. My thoughts about this aren’t as refined as I’d like, but I’m almost sure this is gonna be a top 10 release for 2020, so I’ll talk about it more in depth later. Also, the run of the last 3 tracks is impeccable.

FAVORITES: anthems, claws, party 4 u

EVERYTHING by Kota the Friend

I like Kota the Friend’s music. And that, to me, is both a good thing and a bad thing. Here’s why it’s a good thing. Kota has a smooth voice that makes pretty much everything he sings or raps sound good. His production on EVERYTHING is really sweet: the guitars he uses for a lot of these beats are great, the drums are hard-hitting but not in your face, which I love, and I really like his use of horns on this album, specifically on songs like B.Q.E. He’s also able to write some pretty nice bars, some of which are kinda clever. Also, the interludes from Lupita Nyong’o and Lakeith Stanfeld are cool. Ok, now here’s why me liking Kota’s music is a bad thing. It’s bad because that’s it. I just like his music. I’ve listened to a pretty good amount of his music, and I haven’t heard a song from him that I fell in love with. His music, to me, is just nice to listen to and that’s all. There’s not a lot in his music that’s captivating enough to make me want to listen to a specific song again. Obviously, not all music has to have substance or a deeper meaning or amazing lyrics or anything like that. But this is the third Kota project that I’ve heard, and none of them really have these things. Overall though, this album sounds great, and it definitely would be amazing for a sunset summer drive, even though to me, that’s about it.

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/24/20*

I’d heard a lot of hype for it, but I hadn’t heard Black Thought’s verse on Crowns for Kings until a few days ago. And I’m so glad I listened to it. First off, even before hearing this verse, whether it’s his work with The Roots, his solo Streams of Thought projects, or that god-level Funk Flex freestyle, Black Thought has proven time and time again that he is one of the best lyricists and rappers of all time. This verse absolutely cements that. First, to show his lyrical mastery, I did a Check the Rhyme-style analysis of the whole verse on the next two slides:

*check Instagram post for Check the Rhyme slides*

By my count, across this 2-minute, 44 bar verse, he uses 26 separate rhyme schemes for a total of 120 actual rhymes, for an average of 1 rhyme a second and 2.7 rhymes per bar. This verse is a masterclass in internal rhyming, multi-syllable rhyming, basically every type of rhyming you can think of.

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/22/20*

This is my second post of first-listen reviews! Today, I have Future, Kehlani, and NAV.

High Off Life - Future

Before I listened to High Off Life, I saw a few people online talking about how this was AOTY, how there wasn’t a bad song, etc. And don’t get me wrong, this is a very good Future project. I do think it gets a little repetitive and it does feel kind of bloated, especially toward the middle of the project. A lot o the ideas presented from like One of My to All Bad are pretty similar, track to track. Future mostly gets away with it because the songs still sound good, but they start getting a little old until the All Bad instrumental breathes some new life into the album. This album definitely proves Future knows how to write a trap banger (even though we already know that). However, High Off Life is mid for Future. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s still a pretty enjoyable listen with some definite standouts, but it doesn’t measure up to Future’s true best works.

FAVORITES: Ridin Strikers, Tycoon, 100 Shooters, Hard to Choose One

It Was Good Until It Wasn’t - Kehlani

I’m gonna be honest, I’ve been sleeping on Kehlani. This album definitely isn’t perfect or the best R&B album I’ve ever heard or anything like that, but it’s still a super awesome listen. There’s no cryptic lyricism or dense production on here, it’s just straightforward, sweet R&B with smooth vocals all the way through from Kehlani and all of her guests. This includes James Blake, who I wasn’t sure would fit on this project, but who ended up being on one of my favorite songs on here. I think this album does a good job of showcasing what it seems like Kehlani does best: write catchy, captivating hooks. Pretty much every hook on here is tight and memorable. The skits on here are pretty cool too, specifically Real Hot Girl Skit. But also, the meaning behind Lexii’s Outro really tied together the whole album, including the title. All around, this is a great sophomore effort from Kehlani.

FAVORITES: Bad News, Grieving, Can You Blame Me, Water

Good Intentions - NAV

Here’s the best part about Good Intentions for me. From everything I’ve heard by NAV (which admittedly isn’t a lot), his sound really doesn’t change from project to project, so I don’t have to give my thoughts on any more of his albums. I can’t really say anything about NAV that hasn’t already been said. His beats are decent at best. His voice is kinda annoying. His flows and vocal ideas are short as hell and repetitive as hell. The highlights of his songs are the features every time. It is pretty funny to listen to him complain about people “stealing his sound” when he so clearly rips off a bunch of other rappers constantly: Uzi, Carti, Thug, Gunna, etc. but that’s kinda the only memorable part of this project. Good Intentions, and all of NAV’s music, it seems like, is the definition of filler.

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/17/20*

These are my reviews of 3 projects that were sent to me. Definitely check out The Commons by Inalab and Simmer Down by Broth. And check out Palace by Young Lil Egg Roll if you want something to laugh at, I guess.

The Commons by Inalab

This is a really interesting EP by Inalab. A lot of it is rock-influenced/based, but there are also more electronic aspects. The singer gives me early No Doubt and Evanescence vibes, definitely in a good way. The vocal melodies presented on this project are definitely some of the most interesting and well put together parts of the whole thing. One of the things that detracts from this EP though, for me, are the synths on nearly every track on here. For me, they’re very messy and pretty clumsy. They don’t ruin any songs, but they definitely bring them down. Overall though, I think the feel of this album is really nice even though it changes pretty drastically on the last track. All in all, this is an extremely solid EP with some pretty obvious flaws.

FAVORITES: The Commons, Tilikum

Simmer Down by Broth

So when this band hit me up, it was actually the trumpet player that contacted me first, which immediately interested me because trumpet in R&B is highly underrated. And it didn’t disappoint: instrumentally, this album is watertight. The band is smooth and sweet, and the brass just adds that extra oomph to it. The thing that takes away from Simmer Down for me, and this really is just my opinion: I’m not a huge fan of the singer’s voice. I think I expected the vocals to be much smoother to match the instrumentals, and also the multiple vocal layers don’t fully line up the whole time, which isn’t a good thing. Again though, that is a preference thing. These songs are really well-structured and again, instrumentally, they’re really very good. This is a pretty great effort from Broth.

FAVORITES: 12 AM, The Eug

Palace by Young Lil Egg Roll

OK here’s the thing. I really tried to find good things about this project that I could talk about. I really did. I just couldn’t. I mean I guess some of the beats are decent. But wow, the flows on this album are terrible. Like just terrible. And so many of the lines don’t make sense. The project is split into two parts: it’s supposed to be a negative outlook on life on the first half and a positive one on the second half. So then why does one of the songs on the first half, the negative one, have a chorus that’s just someone saying “I put my dick in a lawnmower”? Like what? The beats are the only thing about this album that could maybe redeem it, and I doubt Young Lil Egg Roll produces himself. Also the mix on the vocals is really bad the whole time. In the nicest way possible, this sucked.

FAVORITES: Airlines? Angels? Idk bro

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/9/20*

7. Approach to the Innermost Cave - These Walls

This is when we’re starting to get closer to the center of the story. If we make a mistake, things are gonna get really nerve wracking, really quickly.

These Walls shows Kendrick lashing out at the person who killed Dave’s brother all the way back in Stage 4. Kendrick is supposed to be the role model for people in the streets of Compton, and yet he makes a mistake and undermines a member of his community - an imprisoned one, no less - in maybe the most egregious way he can - fucking his girl. And like the explanation of Stage 7 says, things get really nerve wracking, really quickly.

8. The Ordeal - u

This is our hero’s lowest point, their biggest challenge yet. There’s a huge loss, and the protagonist feels completely guilty.

Kendrick feels a huge sense of remorse after sleeping with his friend’s killer’s girl, but he also feels a more general sense of failure since he hasn’t reached the people of Compton like he wanted to, especially those closest to him. He relives the experience of watching Dave’s brother be killed but also the experience of another friend’s brother who he considered family getting shot. He gets drunk alone and screams at himself in a hotel room: “I fuckin’ tell you, you fuckin’ failure - you ain’t no leader!” Kendrick has hit rock bottom - he hates himself and he hates what he’s become.

9. The Reward - Alright

This is the victory over that major obstacle. Right now, it seems like the ultimate win and nothing could ever top it.

Kendrick’s at his lowest - so there’s nowhere to go but up. He wakes up the morning after his drunken rampage on himself with hope. He realizes the meaning of his Meeting with the Mentor - with God, his life is renewed. He realizes that he’s gon’ be alright - but in this realization, he also gets back on course as a Compton role model - and the chorus reflects that. Rather than just himself being OK, he proclaims “WE gon’ be alright,” speaking to all of Compton and all of the black community.

10. The Road Back - The Blacker the Berry

The hero returns to the ordinary world, but their trials aren’t over just yet. They are often pursued by a vengeful force that they must face.

Kendrick has now fully embraced his role model status, and to be a true role model, he has to call out his community (and himself) for their hypocrisy. In the last two lines of the song, he says, “So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street/When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me? Hypocrite!” He’s illustrating the double standard in himself and his community, saying that police brutality, while tragic, will be perpetuated as long as the black community doesn’t have respect for themselves.

11. The Resurrection - Real

This is the clear moment of realization where there’s been a huge change in our protagonist.

The last line of every verse in Real is “But what love got to do with it when you don’t love yourself?” This shows just how huge the change in Kendrick is. During ELEMENT., Kendrick was fully in his street mentality, which included self-confidence but not necessarily self-respect. Now, he realizes that he can’t advance in lie without having love for himself. And since he realizes that, he’s now able to return home and proclaim his new knowledge directly to his community.

12. Return with the Elixir - i (”live” from TPAB)

Our hero is returning to the normalcy of Stage 1, but with a new perspective on life.

In my version of the hero’s journey, Kendrick never really leaves Compton physically, but mentally, he’s in his own world. So when he steps back into reality in the “live” version of I, he gives Compton his newfound knowledge - that he loves himself, and that the people of Compton and of the entire black community should do the same. The reason, then, that I chose the “live” version is because of the skit in the middle and the acapella verse that closes the track. In the skit, a fight breaks out in the crowd when Kendrick is performing i, Kendrick stops the whole show, saying “Not on my time…this for the kids bro”. He then talks about how the community doesn’t have time to waste fighting among themselves. He ends his mid-show rant saying, “And I say this because I love you niggas man”. He is instilling a sense of love into his community. And before the song’s done, he’ll empower the community too: “N-E-G-U-S, description: black emperor, king ruler”. Kendrick flips the N-word, which can have racist connotations, with the Ethiopian word “Negus”, which means leader, ruler, emperor. So when he ends the song with “Kendrick Lamar, by far, realest Negus alive”, he’s empowering himself, Compton, and black people all over the country and the world.

COMPLETE ALBUM:

ELEMENT.

The Art of Peer Pressure

Hood Politics

I’m Dying of Thirst

Compton

FEEL.

These Walls

u

Alright

The Blacker the Berry

Real

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/8/20*

A YouTube channel named Alfo Media came out with a video making a “perfect” Kanye West album based on the hero’s journey, a classic film and literature technique. After watching it, I figured I could do the same thing with Kendrick Lamar. I’ll explain his hero’s journey, with some of Alfo’s explanations, through the next two posts. This is my “perfect” Kendrick Lamar album, based on the hero’s journey.

1. The Ordinary World - ELEMENT.

The hero is introduced in their ordinary world. This is plain old, boring life before the adventure begins.

This is Kendrick Lamar at his most brutal. I chose ELEMENT. as the intro track because, while this is one of Kendrick’s more recent songs, the mentality on this song is purely from the streets of Compton. Also, the refrain of “they won’t take me out my element” shows Kendrick’s mindset of being stuck in his ways, unwilling to change.

2. The Call to Adventure - The Art of Peer Pressure

This is the inciting incident, where the story begins to take place.

I think this segues really well from ELEMENT., and sees Kendrick with his friends on the streets of Compton robbing a house. This for me is the inciting incident of Kendrick’s hero journey because it’s not him, and he knows that - “I’ve never been violent/Until I’m with the homies”. He switches from being stuck in his ways to realizing that he wants to change, even if he doesn’t quite know how at this point.

3. The Refusal of the Call - Hood Politics

The hero hesitates to accept the call to adventure. A second ago, our protagonist was ready to take on the world, now… not so much.

Kendrick wants to break free of the Compton cycle, and at this point in TPAB, he’s starting to do that, but he settles back into old habits on this track. The first lines “I don’t give a fuck about no politics in rap, my nigga/My lil homie Stunna Deuce ain’t never comin’ back, my nigga” show this really well.

4. Meeting with the Mentor - I’m Dying of Thirst

The hero meets a wise, usually older, woman or man. They’re here to help. However, this relationship is not gonna last forever.

To be clear, I just mean the I’m Dying of Thirst section, not the Sing About Me section. The section at the end of this song finds Kendrick and his homies reeling after Dave’s brother is shot, and the mentor they meet is the old woman played by Maya Angelou, helping all of them find God, which Kendrick holds on to throughout his journey.

5. Crossing the First Threshold - Compton

This is our hero fully committing to their new world. The momentum is starting, we’re in the adventure, and there’s no going back from here.

This was the hardest song to place, but I think Compton fits really well. Kendrick has just found his faith, which he shows in the line “Now everybody serenade the new faith of Kendrick Lamar”. But Kendrick has also embraced his city, which at its core, is his whole journey - he wants to better himself not only just for himself, but also to be an example for kids in Compton who were just like him.

6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies - FEEL.

The hero explores the special world, faces trials, and makes friends and enemies along the way.

*originally posted on Instagram on 5/6/20*

This is my ranking of Drake’s intros, starting with So Far Gone and going through Dark Lane Demo Tapes. (album in parentheses)

10. Lust for Life (So Far Gone)

This song isn’t bad, it’s just that not much happens on it. I’m not a huge fan of Drake lyrically or vocally - his flow just seems lazy. The beat is also pretty lackluster, it’s atmospheric and spacey, but to me, that actually takes away from it rather than adding, like it does on something like Deep Pockets. This song is overall just meh, in every sense of the word.

9. Survival (Scorpion)

I don’t really have much to say about Survival. It’s also meh, just a little bit less meh than Lust for Life. Lyrically, I think Drake is a little stronger here, and this beat definitely does spacey much better. But overall, it’s nothing special.

8. Digital Dash (What a Time to Be Alive)

The thing that makes Digital Dash better than the previous tracks on this list is the production. I absolutely love this beat - there are so many little things Metro adds and takes away throughout the track that keep it super interesting for all four minutes. The thing that keeps Digital Dash from being toward the top of this list is that a pretty run-of-the-mill Future performance outshines Drake, so overall the performances balance out to being just OK.

7. Fireworks (Thank Me Later)

The standout aspect of Fireworks is the vocals. Drake’s flow during the verses is really smooth and effortless-sounding, his singing on the hook is pretty good, and that vocal melody is pretty great. The main things that take away from Fireworks are that I wish he use Alicia Keys more/better, and I wish the beat wasn’t so plain. All in all, pretty nice track, though.

6. Deep Pockets (Dark Lane Demo Tapes)

I wasn’t a huge fan of this song at first, but after listening to it a couple times and hearing it in the context of the full project, I actually think it’s a really fitting intro. The beat, while kind of nondescript, has definitely grown on me, and I think Drake’s cadence on the verses is pretty awesome. Not a lot happens on the track, though, which is why it’s in the bottom half of the list.

5. Free Smoke (More Life)

The best part of this song is the beat. It’s definitely one of the best beats on More Life and one of the better beats on this list. Drake’s cadence is pretty interesting - if it was just straight triplets it would probably get boring, but he switches it up, which I like. The “free smoke, free smoke” refrain is hella catchy. But besides the beat, nothing on this track is standout, which is why it’s #5.

4. Legend (If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late)

This song sounds like victory. It’s not quite as triumphant as something like Tuscan Leather but it’s still Drake at the top of the rap game, screaming to everyone that he’s a “motherfucking legend”. He sing-brags about his money, his city, and how much better he is than his haters. There are better songs on IYRTITL, but Legend does a great job of introducing this braggy Drake, and overall, it’s just a good song to listen to.

3. Over My Dead Body (Take Care)

Just as Legend does an amazing job of introducing braggy Drake, Over My Dead Body does a great job of introducing sad Drake. This beat feels ethereal, and it has a pulse, but it’s not in your face. Lyrically, this is one of Drake’s strongest intros, and even though this song is pretty melancholy, there’s an air of confidence and hope in it that goes over really well. And the vocal melody of the hook is really just the icing on the cake.

2. Keep the Family Close (Views)

OK, here’s the thing. As an album, Views has some good songs but it’s mostly not great, yes. Keep the Family Close is pretty melodramatic, yes. But damn it, I love hearing this song. The slow buildup of this song will always be entertaining to listen to. The DUH DUH DUH DUN hits at the end of the verses make me happy every time. It’s so fun to scream along to this song in the car. Past all that, though, it’s genuinely a really well put-together song. The production is really well-handled, Drake’s vocal melodies throughout the track are amazing, and Drake gives an awesome performance. This song is definitely overdramatic, but it’s a well-written song that’s always fun to listen to.

1. Tuscan Leather (Nothing Was the Same)

*originally posted on Instagram on 4/30/20*

I wrote these reviews after listening to these albums once, so my thoughts are pretty fresh and could definitely change.

EXETER by Bladee

I have seen SO MUCH online about Drain Gang, specifically Bladee and Ecco2k. From everything I heard about them and about cloud rap in general, it didn’t seem like it would be my thing. And I was right about that, I’m still not into it. When I think of clouds, I think of floating, and this music doesn’t make me feel like I’m doing that, for the most part. Most of it just feels murky and formless, which seems like the point, but again, it’s just not for me. Now, I didn’t hate the album. There were genuinely some really cool moments, like MERRY-GO-ROUND and OPEN SYMBOLS. But overall, this just feels kinda emotionless and flat, so I wasn’t a huge fan.

FAVORITES: MERRY-GO-ROUND, OPEN SYMBOLS, IMAGINARY

BLAME IT ON BABY by DaBaby

Before this album, DaBaby got clowned a lot for dropping the same type of songs over and over. So the lead single for this album was FIND MY WAY, a definite departure from his norm, and it was honestly pretty good. The problem with BLAME IT ON BABY is that there are two types of songs on it: ones that are, again, the same type of songs he usually releases or more melodic tracks with clumsy vocals that kinda sound like discount Future songs. I’ve always seen DaBaby as a singles rapper more than an album rapper, and this album proves that for me. Songs like PICK UP, FIND MY WAY, and JUMP are definite highlights, but most of this is either filler or bad attempts at switching it up by singing.

FAVORITES: PICK UP, FIND MY WAY JUMP

Pray for Paris by Westside Gunn

I really gotta listen to more Griselda shit. The first thing I heard from Griselda was Benny the Butcher’s feature on Boldy James’ most recent album, so Pray for Paris is the first full-length project I’ve heard from one of them, and I’m glad I listened to it. It took me a couple tracks to get used to Westside Gunn’s voice, but once I did, I was really into this whole album. The gritty beats complement Westside really well, and I love the whole feel of the album. I do still think Benny is my favorite of the Griselda trio, but I’m definitely gonna be checking out more Westside Gunn project. And those “BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM” ad libs are fuckin great.

*originally posted on Instagram on 4/22/20*

Self-explanatory. It’s my top 25 Frank Ocean songs. (album in parentheses)

25. Lost (channel ORANGE)

24. Novacane (nostalgia, ultra.)

23. Super Rich Kids (channel ORANGE)

22. Comme Des Garçons (Endless)

21. Provider (stand-alone)

20. Ivy (Blonde)

19. Higgs (Endless)

18. Skyline To (Blonde)

17. Rushes (Endless)

16. Nikes (Blonde)

15. Thinkin Bout You (channel ORANGE)

14. Pink + White (Blonde)

13. Wither (Endless)

12. Pink Matter (channel ORANGE)

11. Bad Religion (channel ORANGE)

10. Nights (Blonde)

9. Pyramids (channel ORANGE)

8. Chanel (stand-alone)

7. Self Control (Blonde)

6. At Your Best (You Are Love) (Endless)

5. Solo (Blonde)

4. U-N-I-T-Y (Endless)

3. Moon River (stand-alone)

2. White Ferrari (Blonde)

*originally posted on Instagram on 4/13/20*

These are my top 10 favorite albums from the 1st quarter, January-March, 10-1.

10. Everything is Beautiful & Everything Sucks - Princess Nokia

This double album was my first time listening to Princess Nokia, and I’m glad I checked it out. It shows so much of her personality, and the fact that the two sides of the album are two different attitudes adds to that personality as well. The production is pretty well done, but the highlight on here is Nokia’s witty, biting, sarcastic, and funny bars that are showcased throughout the project. There’s a lot of great music on this album and the variety shown in the 2 sides of it make it unforgettable to me.

9. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa

Future Nostalgia is another great example of 80s trends coming back into pop culture. The songs on this album are uptempo and infectious. Energy just radiates from every aspect of Future Nostalgia, from Dua Lipa’s vocals to the catchy-ass instrumentals. Every one of these songs is an earworm: the hooks are so well-written, simple but effective. And a lot of the songs on here have messages of female empowerment, which is always nice to see. All in all, this is a really nice project from Dua Lipa.

8. color theory - Soccer Mommy

I was drawn to Soccer Mommy’s album, Clean, because of its late night indie-rock feel that’s just perfect to me. The singles that came out before the release made it easy to tell that this album wouldn’t be Clean. However, the song structures used, the great, great guitar riffs, and the awesome vocal performances still are amazing. Overall, color theory is another great project from Soccer Mommy.

7. 3.15.20 - Childish Gambino

I’ve already shared some of my thoughts about this album. I think this album is a very logical step from “Awaken, My Love!” and because the internet, but there are also some definitely lows in the tracklist. At the end of the day though, this album showcases Donald’s immense talent, and the highs are fucking amazing, which is why it’s one of my top 10 albums of this quarter.

6. The Price of Tea in China - Boldy James & The Alchemist

In all honesty, the first time I tried to listen to this, I kinda thought it was just going to be a watered down version of MadGibbs. Once I gave it a chance though, I saw that the beats from The Alchemist are amazing, Boldy’s flows across the album are great, the features are used super well, specifically from Freddie Gibbs and Benny the Butcher, and the project as a whole is very cohesive and a really compelling listen. This was an amazing introduction for me to Boldy James.

5. Freckle Season - EP - Orla Gartland

This is technically an EP, but I’m putting it on my list because of how much it accomplishes in its super quick 16 minute runtime. The lyrics are chock-full of dry humor and wit, like on “oh GOD”, but also pack a surprising emotional punch on songs like “New Friends”. The instrumentals on this project are simplistic but effective, especially on songs like “oh GOD”, “Did It To Myself”, and “Figure It Out”. And the length of the project really lends itself well to the directness in the other aspects of the music. I really enjoy this project.

4. UNLOCKED - Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats

I already knew Denzel Curry could make bangers. I already knew Kenny Beats could make bangers. But goddamn, put them together and wow, it’s a match made in heaven. The chemistry between Zel and Kenny is unmistakable, and it shows through beautifully across this project. You can tell how much they influence each other during the making of the project because each beat works so well with the lyrics it’s paired with. Denzel is firing on all cylinders; he’s witty, quick, and compelling. And Kenny is at his best too, his beats go hard, the samples are expertly used, and the cohesiveness of the album is kept while still having tons of variety. I’m almost sure that this album will never get old.

FAVORITES: Take_it_Back_v2, Lay_Up.m4a, DIET_

3. Eternal Atake - Lil Uzi Vert

To be clear, I don’t mean the deluxe version. For whatever reason, LUV vs. the World 2 didn’t hit like Eternal Atake did for me. It took me exactly one listen to figure out that EA was full of hits. The first time I heard it, I only liked a few songs, then after a 2nd listen, there were only a few songs I didn’t like. I don’t know where it sits in Uzi’s discography (I might make a list about that in the future) but I’m pretty positive that the top songs in this are some of the best in Uzi’s catalog. The productions across this project is mostly very well done and Uzi’s rapping and singing are top-notch. This was pretty much worth the wait, although the deluxe has more fan service so I guess there’s that. Besides that, Eternal Atake is a dynamic, varying listen from one of my favorite artists right now.

FAVORITES: Prices, Silly Watch, Venetia

2. After Hours - The Weeknd

The main word I’d use to describe After Hours is “cinematic”. The atmospheres The Weeknd is able to create are amazing. This album is dark, brooding, and emotional with its lyrics but also its instrumentals and because they complement each other so well, each aspect is enhanced. Abel is kind of a cryptic person in real life, but on After Hours, he doesn’t mince words: “Where are you now that I need you most”, “Tryna be a better man but I’m heartless”, “Take me out of LA/This place will be the end of me”, “I don’t know if I can be alone again”. Abel is in emotional turmoil, and he does a great job of making that crystal clear. After Hours is one of the best albums of the year so far because of The Weeknd’s amazing vocal performance, the stellar instrumentals and the perfectly clear picture it gives us of Abel’s emotional state.

FAVORITES: Faith, Blinding Lights, After Hours

1. Circles (Deluxe) - Mac Miller

Circles, to me, is the emotional flip side to After Hours. While The Weeknd is singing about his emotional turmoil, Mac is singing about his contentment with life in general. It sounds like Mac is singing and performing directly to us at times, telling us not to be worried. I love this album so much because it just makes me happy. It calms me down. I can’t describe the feeling that Circles (the song) gives me right from that opening chord. So many songs on this album just make me feel good: Circles, Complicated, Blue World, Good News, Floating, Surf, etc. Besides the feeling this project gives me, Circles feels complete, which is amazing for any album, but especially for a posthumous release. The production is masterfully handled by Jon Brion, the songwriting is amazing, and Mac’s performances are as inspired as ever. I’m not counting out the possibility, but it’s going to be very hard to top this album for my favorite release in 2020.

*originally posted on Instagram on 4/1/20*

Some of My Favorite 4-Track Runs on Albums

Mac Miller - Circles

Circles - Complicated - Blue World - Good News

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

Institutionalized - These Walls - u - Alright

Hildur Guðnadóttir - Joker

Learning How to Act Normal - Confession - Escape from the Train - Call Me Joker

Courtney Barnett - sometimes i sit and think, and sometimes i just sit.

Small Poppies - Depreston - Aqua Profunda! - Dead Fox

Frank Ocean - Blonde

White Ferrari - Seigfried - Godspeed - Futura Free

Snail Mail - Lush

Pristine - Speaking Terms - Heat Wave - Stick

Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love!

Terrified - Baby Boy - The Night Me and Your Mama Met - Stand Tall

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap

Good Ass Intro - Pusha Man - Cocoa Butter Kisses - JUICE

Anderson .Paak - Malibu

Your Prime - Come Down - Silicon Valley - Celebrate

Kanye West - Yeezus

Black Skinhead - I Am A God - New Slaves - Hold My Liquor

Pusha T - DAYTONA

Come Back Baby - Santeria - What Would Meek Do? - Infrared

Common - Be

*originally posted on Instagram on 3/29/20*

3.15.20: An Album by Childish Gambino

In my opinion, Donald Glover is one of the most talented people in the world right now. Under the Childish Gambino name, he has a very extensive discography which includes the great album Because the Internet, and also one of my favorite all-time albums, Awaken, My Love! So when I heard that there was new music on the donaldgloverpresents.com website, I was beyond excited. And then he took it down before I got a chance to listen to the full project. So I was even more excited when a countdown for an official release appeared on that same website. And 3.15.20, for the most part, lived up to that excitement. For me, the instrumentals on this album are the strongest point. Even if I didn’t particularly like the lyrical content or vocal performance on a track (like on 12.38 or 47.48), the instrumental made it at least somewhat enjoyable.

This album does have some low points, though. 47.48 (The Violence) has a pretty nice instrumental, but the lyrics are a little too over-simple for me. (The end part is really cute, though.) 12.38 (Vibrate) is *ALMOST* a bad song, but the 21 Savage verse just barely saves it for me. And I just straight up don’t like 24.19 (Sweet Thing). HOWEVER, the high points are absolutely amazing. Every other song on this album is at least good, and 32.22, 19.10, and 53.49 are fuckin great. The beat on 32.22 (Warlords) goes crazy, the vocals on 19.10 (To Be Beautiful) are very Prince-like, which is a definite plus, and 53.49 (Under the Sun) is an amazing, high-energy way to end the project. Overall, 3.15.20 is a very satisfying and great addition to Donald’s already awesome discography.

TRACK RANKINGS

32.22 (Warlords) - 5/5

19.10 (To Be Beautiful) - 5/5

53.49 (Under the Sun) - 4.8/5

Algorhythm - 4.6/5

Time - 4.5/5

42.26 (Feels Like Summer) 4.1/5

39.28 (Why Go to the Party) - 3.9/5

35.31 (Little Foot) - 3.6/5

0.00 (We Are) - 3.4/5

47.48 (The Violence) - 3/5

12.38 (Vibrate) - 2.7/5

24.19 (Sweet Thing) - 2/5

*originally posted on Instagram on 3/28/20*

After Hours: An Album by The Weeknd

Before After Hours was released, The Weeknd had already established himself as one of the most talented R&B artists of this generation, having over half a dozen critically acclaimed projects to his name. The hype building behind this project was certainly justified, since it had been over 1200 days since his last full length release and over 700 since his last release at all. And After Hours absolutely lived up to the hype. Abel went back to his Trilogy roots on this album, with the dark, atmospheric aesthetic of the instrumentals perfectly complimenting the lyrics about past relationships and drug-induced loneliness.

Not only is the album cohesive as a whole, the moment-to-moment work is amazing as well. The beat drop on Alone Again, the “Cali was the mission” reference on Snowchild, the three-track run of Heartless-Faith-Blinding Lights, all of After Hours, the fucKIN OUTRO OF FAITH OH MY GOD: these are just some of the amazing moments on this album. While I didn’t care too much for songs like Save Your Tears, overall, the album is an absolutely amazing listen, top to bottom. It hasn’t gotten old after 5 listens and I don’t see it getting old anytime soon. You also can’t even really tell that there aren’t any features on the project, which is impressive. Bottom line, After Hours is an amazing album.

TRACK RANKINGS

Faith - 5/5

Blinding Lights - 5/5

After Hours - 5/5

Alone Again - 4.9/5

Until I Bleed Out - 4.8/5

Heartless - 4.7/5

Snowchild - 4.4/5

In Your Eyes - 4.3/5

Too Late - 4.1/5

Repeat After Me - 4/5

Escape From LA - 3.7/5

Scared To Live - 3.7/5

Hardest To Love - 3.5/5

Save Your Tears - 3.2/5

*originally posted on Instagram on 3/17/20*

Songs I’ve Been Listening to That Aren’t by Lil Uzi Vert

After 3 years of waiting, Lil Uzi Vert has blessed us with 32 new tracks. I’m sure a lot of us, myself included, have been listening to pretty much only him for the last couple weeks. So I wanted to highlight some songs that have come out in the last 3 months that I’ve also been listening to.

After Hours by The Weeknd - The three promotional singles that the Weeknd has released before his album, After Hours, have all been great, but the title track is probably my favorite. This song is 6 minutes long, but it doesn’t feel like it at all. I can’t wait for the album to come out this Friday (at least, if the corona doesn’t push the date back.)

Commercial by Lil Baby - OK OK OK so this song DOES have Uzi on it..........but my account my rules so fuck off. This song fuckin bangs, and I don’t really listen to Lil Baby like that, but because of this song, I think I’m going to start listening to him more.

oh GOD by Orla Gartland - The simplicity of the instrumental drew me in a lot. The lyrics about “Catholic guilt” are pretty funny. And when you have a 5/4 chorus after 6/8 verses that isn’t super jarring, that’s very impressive.

Raleigh by Beulahbelle - Beulahbelle is the band name of sisters Kaitlyn and Mady Dever. I’d seen Kaitlyn Dever in the movie Booksmart, and it’s always risky when actors turn to music. However, everything about this song is effortless, dreamy, and understated but beautiful. I love it a lot.

DIET_ by Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats - God this song slaps so fuckin hard. Zel and Kenneth snapped across the whole UNLOCKED project, but on this one specifically, Denzel’s flow is so effortless and infectious. And that DMX impression was just the icing on the cake.

Tantrum by Ashnikko - I first heard Ashnikko from the song STUPID (which got famous from TikTok), but this song Tantrum proves for me that she’s not a one-hit wonder. Her punk-like intensity shows through amazingly in this song, and the instrumental serves that intensity really well.

lucy by Soccer Mommy - I’ve liked Soccer Mommy since the first album of hers I heard, Clean. This album, color theory, is in a little different direction than that project, but it’s still a great body of work. The lead single of color theory, lucy, showcases Sophia’s grungy guitars, knack for writing infectious riffs, and honest lyrics perfectly.

*originally posted on Instagram on 3/14/20*

Eternal Atake, an album by Lil Uzi Vert.   Eternal Atake on Spotify.

Lil Uzi Vert made the 924 days between LIR2 and this well worth the wait. Eternal Atake has some of Uzi’s most dynamic and vibrant production, some of his most hard-hitting and funny bars, some of his most catchy hooks, and some of his most infectious flows. But honestly above all those things for me, this album is just so much fun to listen to. Uzi seems like he’s having a blast on this album; it seems like this is the album he wanted to put out, and that shows very clearly in how engaging pretty much every track is. I would argue that songs like Prices, Silly Watch, Venetia, and Futsal Shuffle 2020 are some of the best in his entire discography, and as a whole, Eternal Atake is one of Lil Uzi’s best projects and definitely one of the best projects (so far) of 2020.

TRACK RANKING: 

Prices

Silly Watch

Venetia

Futsal Shuffle 2020

Lo Mein

P2

Baby Pluto

POP

Homecoming

That Way

Bigger Than Life

I’m Sorry

Chrome Heart Tags

You Better Move

Bust Me

Celebration Station

Secure The Bag