Berijogurt Blog

Announcement: We’ve now officially rebranded as Berijogurt Blog. 🎉 @berijogurt (pronounced beh-ree-yo-gut) still exists, but it’s now the new name of @jigijay’s music platform used to showcase music produced by him. More reviews incoming. More music incoming. And to the start of something new. 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc4Q54CoIV_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#EPReview: Kaytranada came back towards the close of last year with a three track EP titled ‘Intimidated’. Kaytranada is a producer and musician from Montreal, Canada well know for his edits, remixes and unique style of electronic production, heavily influenced by soul, funk and a bouncy upbeat vibe that I honestly can’t explain. However, when I hear it, I know exactly what it is… It is Kaytranada. His style is so unique and I honestly believe the year he released his first album ‘99.9%’, followed by his second release ‘Bubba’, that he had the one of the best music projects of those years in all genres. His production credits are also outstanding with a wide range and he’s a great DJ. He has played sets at festivals across the world and well know for his Boiler Room sessions. In summary, Kaytranada lives and breathes music. He is music. The definition of super-talented. This EP features H.E.R. on ‘Intimidated’, Thundercat on ‘Be Careful’ and Mach-Hommy on ‘$payforhaiti’, who also has roots in Haiti such as Kaytranada does. The Mach-Hommy track is named after the Cashapp account made for Haiti relief which I think is a wonderful cause and way to raise funds. I love all three tracks and they all have the Kaytra bounce, groove and feel to them. I found the feature list interesting as they are not artists I expect on his production (especially Mach-Hommy), but all the features were fantastic and performed amazingly well, showing their versatility. I love how Kaytranada shows his own versatility by having the ability to work with any artist and bring them into his world without making them someone else but bring the best out of themselves. That’s the beauty of his music in general and this EP. This was a great listen and I’m looking forward to what Kaytranada does in 2022. Expect much more collabs with different artists and production credits to keep you going. Another fingers crossed to a full length release in 2022 🤞🏿 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOKW-OINTA/?utm_medium=tumblr

Okay! let’s talk about @kanyewest, his next album ‘DONDA 2’, and Stem Players. Kanye’s highly anticipated album ‘DONDA 2’ will not make its debut on any streaming platforms. Instead, it will be released and available for listening on his Stem Player device which is the introduction for Kanye in to the tech world. The cost of the Stem Player is $200 and a purchase automatically gives the user access to ‘DONDA 2’, which can be listened to using the device. It is rumoured this device made $1.6 million in sales within 12 hours of the announcement. This also led to Apple pulling out of a multi-million deal plus sponsorship to host the album solely on Apple Music giving the platform exclusive rights. The Stem Player gives the user the ability to listen to music and control individual elements/stems of a song. For example, you can play the vocals or instrumentation only, loop a section of the song, change tempo, volume and pitch, scratch, reverse, etc. It gives fans a new and unique way to listen to music and enjoy their favourite tracks. Fans (and those who are not fans), criticise Ye for using his music to sell his new tech and making his album unavailable to the masses. I personally think this is a great business idea by Kanye. Artists need to find new ways to monetise their music. When you consider how much labels and streaming services eat a huge pot of the pie and are paying pennies to artists, it makes sense for someone in Kanye’s position to go down this route. This reminds me of Nipsey Hussle (RIP) and how he made 1,000 copies of his ‘Crenshaw’ mixtape selling for $100 each. When this succeeded, he followed up with ‘Mailbox Money’, producing 100 copies selling for $1000 each. Ryan Leslie took all his music off streaming platforms and decided to text music to his core fanbase, which led to him making more money independently than signing a deal with a major label. It shows the importance of building a fanbase and customer loyalty that will buy into you. Why cater to the masses when you can cater to your fans who will purchase your music at any cost? At a purchase point of $200, buyers get a product that can be used for years with other artists music. 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOHsNptxik/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: Yes Lawd! ‘An Evening with Silk Sonic’ was one of my most anticipated albums of 2021. And it did not disappoint. This is the debut studio album of Silk Sonic, composed of singers Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak, guest hosted by the legendary Bootsy Collins. The album opens with ‘Silk Sonic Intro’ which is a beautiful, short and sweet opener to the album featuring Bootsy Collins setting it up. The transition from this track to ‘Leave The Door Open’ is fantastic! I love this single a lot and the vocal performance by Bruno Mars is simply 10/10. It was great to hear Anderson up his vocal performance to match Bruno as we all know Bruno is a better vocalist. ‘Fly Like Me’ saw Bruno stepping into Anderson’s world and the percussions/drums on this is blessed with the power of funk. Anderson is well known for his drum work and he delivered on drums as much as he did with his vocals. This song saw Bruno and Anderson bragging about how fly they are and I like how they both rapped. It’s clear that Anderson is much better rapping than Bruno. Nonetheless, I loved both performances. ‘After Last Night’ is intoxicating. And that’s exactly what you expect from a track featuring Thundercat and Bootsy Collins. This is what you call “baby-making music”. ‘Smokin’ Out The Window’ is another fantastic track. I think from all the singles released, this is the best and my favourite song on the album. The video for this single is fantastic and hilarious in a way that works perfectly. The “this bitch…” line works and you can feel their frustration. I also liked ‘Put On A Smile’ and ‘Skate’. ‘777’ is good but I could have done without it. The album closes with ‘Blast Off’ which is my second favourite song on the album. It’s so dreamy and leaves me feeling nostalgic. The ending of this song from timestamp 3:16 is so beautiful as Bruno and Anderson takes it higher. This album met every expectation I had and it’s one of my favourite releases of 2021. Bruno and Anderson make an amazing pair, paying tribute to the 70s and 80s soul music. This project is also short and sweet, and it keeps the listener wanting more. Here’s hoping that we get a second release from the duo 🤞🏿 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CaOCmBzNvxe/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: ‘30’ is Adele’s fourth album after taking a 6 year hiatus from releasing music. She’s a singer hailing from Tottenham who doesn’t need an introduction. With multiple number one albums, singles, and mega smash hits, Adele is a superstar who will go down in history for her contribution to music. ‘21’ is the album a lot of people say is her best. Personally, I think it’s ‘25’. Can she top her previous outings with this latest project? ‘30’ opens up with ‘Strangers by Nature’ which is a beautiful ballad composed and produced by the talented Ludwig Göransson. I think it’s very key for the first song/intro of an album to be captivating, which this track is. It sounds very lush, larger than life and cinematic. It’s a great opener. Coming in next is the first single from the album ‘Easy On Me’. Though this song has large favourable reviews, I’ve heard a lot of chatter from people who are not big fans of this song. Personally, I think this a great ballad. It must be because the song lacks percussions or booming drums. Instead, we get an amazing Adele vocal performance over grand piano keys. The message from the song is one everyone can relate to. Adele sings about mistakes she’s made and how she didn’t make right decisions, but asks to go easy on her as she’s still learning to be better. ‘My Little Love’ which is an ode to her child is also a great song showing her flaws and issues she’s dealing with in her life. However, I could have done without the voice notes. I cannot help but cringe at them. Nonetheless, good song. ‘Cry Your Heart Out’ has reggae elements making it more upbeat, which I also enjoyed. Other faves are ‘All Night Parking’, ‘Woman Like Me’, ‘Hold On’, ‘To Be Loved’, and the final track ‘Love Is A Game’, which is my favourite song on the album. What a closing track! I’m very keen on a great ending too. I think this a good showcase by Adele. I did expect better going into this album and that’s because of high expectations I had. She still shows strong vocal prowess and ability to create great and thought provoking emotional music. Do I think this is better than ‘25’ or ‘21’? I don’t. But nonetheless, a good emotional album. 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CaN-0scNPa4/?utm_medium=tumblr

RIP Virgil Abloh 🙏🏿 https://www.instagram.com/p/CW1KF58tciR/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: Nas, legendary rapper from New York needs no introduction. With classic albums and regarded one of the greatest in Hip-Hop, he has released the follow-up to his first collab album with producer Hit-boy titled ‘King’s Disease II’. Hit-Boy is a producer-rapper who has worked with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Big Sean and more. Album opens ups with ‘The Pressure’ and I’m not a massive fan. It’s not bad but it’s definitely a track I can do without. Nas delivers his bars talking about different issues within the black community that we face and how he has learned from these issues to be better. The beat switch on this was good and I preferred it to the first half. I just didn’t like the instrumental for the first half of track one. ‘Death Row East’ follows up and it’s great! Hearing Nas speak about the potential of there being a Death Row East record label based in New York, relationship with Suge Knight, his beef and reconciliation with Tupac was great to listen to. Hit-boy crushed the beat on this. ‘EPMD 2’ featuring Eminem and EPMD was great. I enjoyed Eminem’s fast pace rapping and flow, which I haven’t for quite sometime. ‘Rare’ is a great Nas song and the bassline by Hit-boy is fantastic. The beat progression on this track was also fun. ‘Store Run’ is another highlight with a soul sample chopped by Hit-boy so perfectly for Nas to tell his story “… drinking premium liquor in between two Argentinian sisters”. ‘Nobody’ featuring Lauryn Hill was a nice surprise. It was great to hear Lauryn spitting and get introspection into what’s been happening in her life and her views on current affairs. Other highlights of the project are ‘Count Me In’, ‘Composure’ which features a verse from Hit-boy, and ‘Nas Is Good’ which closed the album. I also liked ‘YKTV’ and it was interesting to hear Nas collab with A Boogie and YG on a trap beat to make your subwoofers go off. Overall, this a good album. I also feel like part two of King’s Disease is better than the first. I do believe that some of the beats by Hit-boy on both projects could’ve been better. Maybe they just weren’t for me. Nas delivered rap wise and it’s good to see his longevity in the game 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZkSeuo9AV/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: Griselda label member Boldy James is back with another joint project with Alchemist titled ‘Bo Jackson’. Boldy James is a rapper from Detroit and has been making waves in the underground rap scene. His style is very laidback and his voice has a unique rasp to it making him stand out. Last year, he released two of some of my favourite rap projects; ‘The Price of Tea In China’ which is a collab with Alchemist and ‘The Versace Tape’, a collab with Jay Versace. Nowadays, I’m becoming a huge fan of the recent rapper-producer joint projects. They always seem more focussed and cohesive. Alchemist needs no intro. He’s one of the greatest producers in Hip-Hop with legendary beats in his catalogues for artists such as Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, Ghostface Killah and more. This project begins with ‘Double Hockey Sticks’ which is a sinister introduction into what you should expect through out the album. The beat switch on this goes hard and Boldy’s flow is on point. The follow-up from the grimy intro to the soulful second track ‘Turpentine’, which sounds like something old Kanye would produce is a nice change of pace. Alchemist again delivers chopping the beat perfectly. Boldy raps about difficult times he has had in his life and his words resonate. ‘Brickmile to Montana’ switches it back to griminess from the first track, featuring an appearance from Benny the Butcher which I enjoyed. Highlights of the album are ‘Photographic Memories’ featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Roc Marciano, ‘Diamond Dallas’ featuring Stove God Cooks, ‘Illegal Search & Seizure’ ‘3rd Person’, and ‘Fake Flowers’ featuring Curren$y and Freddie Gibbs. And what a verse from Freddie! Overall, this project is great with barely any skips. Alchemist doesn’t miss with the production switching from grimy hardcore rap to soulful introspection. Boldy matched Alchemist production with bars, different flows and styles. From top to bottom, this project has me excited for what else both Boldy and Alchemist deliver next 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZgAjDog8A/?utm_medium=tumblr

RIP Young Dolph 🙏🏿 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZSZFNtrVk/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: ‘Live. Love. A$AP’ is the debut mixtape of ASAP Rocky released back in 2011. For its 10 year anniversary, Rocky has put this mixtape available for listening on streaming platforms. I remember being 17 when this came out and I loved it. I used to listen to this everyday in the bus to College, head bopping and reciting the lyrics. It features Schoolboy Q, SpaceGhost Purrp, Fat Tony and members of the ASAP Mob. Listening to this project again 10 years later, it still sounds so good. It was interesting hearing a rapper from New York take so much inspiration from Houston and Southern Hip-Hop, and do it so well. It features chopped and screwed elements and can be very slow tempo wise. This project received well-deserved reviews from critics, as it showed charisma and the production aesthetic is amazing. Producers on the project were Clams Casino, Beautiful Lou, ASAP Ty and more. They really did an amazing job crafting the sound for this release. Every song is a highlight. ‘Palace’ is a perfect opener into the world of Rocky and what to expect when listening. He tells us about how Houston inspired his sound and also introducing us to his Harlem roots. ‘Peso’ is a great follow-up. The A,B,C, D…, word play is memorable and Rocky delivered a great verse. I enjoyed how Rocky and Schoolboy Q traded bars on ‘Brand New Guy’. ‘Houston Old Head’ and ‘Get Lit’ shows more Houston influence with chopped and screwed elements and more references to Houston. The jazzy soul sample on ‘Keep It G’ is also very infectious and beautiful with great sounding percussion. The hook is so catchy with the way the reverb and echo comes in when Rocky says, “hey young blood!”. The features Chance Infinite and SpaceGhostPurrp also delivered their lines and verses perfectly. ‘Acid Drip’ reminds me of something that would feature perfectly in Tyler, the Creator’s world during the ‘Bastard’ era and I love it. In my opinion, this is his best project to date (as of writing this). It’s an example of a project I can listen to from start to end without skipping. He shows how much of a great creative he is, and this mixtape is a classic. Thank you Rocky for this amazing release 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWHf31_oSfr/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: Baby Keem is an artist from California who gained recognition from his single ‘Orange Soda’. He is also Kendrick Lamar’s cousin and previously released mixtapes titled ‘The Sound of Bad Habit’ and ‘Die for My Bitch’ before his debut album release, ‘The Melodic Blue’ under Kendrick’s imprint, ‘pgLang’. ‘Trademark USA’ opens the album and it’s a good start but nothing special. ‘Pink Panties’ follows the opener and I love this song. The percussions, vocal tones and melodies are so infectious and catchy. The song is about Keem sleeping with a woman in a relationship and how her boyfriend dislikes him. The hook by Che Ecru is a massive highlight. ‘Scapegoat’ is short and feels like an interlude to the next track ‘Range Brothers’ featuring Kendrick Lamar. I do love how short and simple it is. The vocal sample used as the instrumental is infectious and I enjoyed Keem’s bars about success and how he uses women as his ‘scapegoat’ for his bad decision making. ‘Range Brothers’, is definitely my favourite song on this project. It is divided into three parts, thanks to the three beat changes with banging 808s and percussions. I even loved the high pitch weird singing Keem did on the first part, saying “…I need a girlfriend”. The transition from the first part to the second was amazing with the vocal sample. The way the 808s come in on the second part is just so good. I also love Kendrick’s verse, and how him and Keem trade bars about their struggles before fame, handling success, and critiquing people who are disloyal. Other highlights are ‘South Africa’, ‘Lost Souls’, ‘Family Ties’ featuring Kendrick Lamar (again), ‘Durag Activity’ and ‘Booman’. The extended version has a second ‘Lost Soul’ version featuring Brent Faiyaz, ‘Hooligan’ and ‘No Sense’, which are highs of the album. Overall, this is a great debut. I enjoyed the beat changes and progressions. Some vocal melodies and tones might come across strange but I enjoy how experimental Keem is. You can hear a lot of his influences in his music, and you can tell Keem is still trying to find his sound and place in Hip-Hop, which he will discover. I expect big things when his second studio album releases 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWHWdRBNuL0/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: Drake needs no introduction. ‘Certified Lover Boy’ is Drake’s sixth studio album featuring Lil Baby, Jay-Z, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Future and more. This album had been highly anticipated with delays through out 2020 (thanks to COVID). He did release ‘Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ and ‘Scary Hours 2’ before the album release. I had high expectations of this release when the first trailer released along with singles such as ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’. However, this began to change once he released the official album cover and I started to worry about what the sound of this album will be. CLB opens up with ‘Champagne Poetry’ which starts of with a wonderful, relaxing, sultry instrumental featuring background vocals from Masego’s ‘Navajo’. This was a great opener and I enjoyed Drake’s storytelling. The beat switches into a heavy soul sample giving me a Griselda vide. I can imagine Westside Gunn “ayoo” on the second half of this track and Drake delivered his bars great. It follows up with ‘Papi’s Home’ which contains samples from ‘Daddy’s Home’ by Montell Jordan. This song starts great but not a fan of the ending with Drake’s “daddy’s home” singing and Nicki Minaj’s outro. The song also felt too short. ‘Girls Want Girls’ is a good song and I enjoyed Lil Baby’s feature on this. However, I do find the line, “…say that you’re a lesbian, girl me too” very cringe. ‘Love All’ was great but I was expecting Drake to trade bars with Jay-Z similar to what they did on ‘Pound Cake’, which was my only gripe. ‘Fair Trade’ was great. I enjoyed the beat progression and Travis Scott’s performance. I also liked ‘Knife Talk’, ‘7AM on Bridle Path’, ‘You Only Live Twice’, and ‘Get Along Better’. The rest of the album in my opinion was very mid and forgettable. ‘Way 2 Sexy’ is a number one hit and I understand its appeal, but it’s not for me. It does sound good when you’re out in a club… I can attest to that! Overall, I have mixed feelings. This is definitely not Drake’s best work and I can’t help but feel like he’s too comfortable or past his peak. Perhaps my expectations of Drake are unrealistic and I should just listen to ‘Take Care’ and ‘Nothing Was the Same’ 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CWHQ_7RNITP/?utm_medium=tumblr

#AlbumReview: After three listening events, multiple delays, beef, multiple Yeezy drops, Kanye West has released his 10th studio album titled ‘Donda’. He needs no introduction so let’s get into it. It opens up with Donda Chant representing his mother’s last dying heartbeat. It is strange listening to. Queue in track two titled ‘Jail’ and my goodness… I love this song. The aggressive distorted guitar strum with some sort of echo/effect on Ye’s vocals which I can’t explain the sound of is amazing. The hook and verses on this were amazing and it has to be my favourite song from the album. I’ve heard mixed reviews of Jay-Z’s verse but I think it’s perfect. Yes, it is very awkward and choppy how it flows, so I understand not everyone will enjoy it, but it works. ‘God Breathed’ is cool but went on for too long. A shorter version of this song would have made me enjoy it a lot more. ‘Off the Grid’ is amazing. The beat switch from trap into drill works perfectly. Carti did his thing but Fivio stole the show rapping like his life depended on it… what a verse! Kanye was also good on this too. Comes in ‘Hurricane’ and I’m blown away again. The organ and drums work perfectly. The Weeknd sung the hook like an angel that fell from the sky. And in Lil Baby’s verse you could feel the struggle in his voice and bars. Kanye was also great. I also loved ‘Praise God’, ‘Jonah’, ‘Ok Ok’, and ‘Junya’. The features on these tracks were good and I enjoyed them. ‘Believe What I Say’ which samples ‘Doo Wop’ by Lauren Hill was a great flip. ‘24’, ‘Remote Control’, ‘Moon’, and ‘Jesus Lord’ were also great. Jay Electronica probably came through with verse of the year on ‘Jesus Lord’. The interlude on this track by Larry Hoover Jr was amazing. Not enough people say this but Kanye’s story telling is fantastic on this track. I was really impressed by Ye’s rapping on this project as recently it has been very poor. ‘Come to life’ is also a high and whoever played keys on that was amazing. Overall, I enjoyed this album a lot! My issues are it’s too long and could have done without some tracks. If only he cut out the fat from this album, he could have had a classic in his hands in my opinion 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTV-ZNtQ8R/?utm_medium=tumblr

After asking her fans not to stream or buy her music, Anita Baker has given the green light to stream and buy her music again meaning she has resolved her issues in regards to owning her masters. She has also announced a new compilation/ box set of her music will be coming from Rhino Records. Very happy for her 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTNBJTtBS8/?utm_medium=tumblr

Album review: ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’ is the second studio album by UK rapper Santan Dave. Dave is a rapper raised in Streatham with Nigerian roots, who has been in the UK rap scene for years with multiple mixtapes, EPs and freestyles on various popular British platforms. He has been hailed as the next best thing from the UK scene, and won the Mercury Prize in 2019 for his debut album ‘Psychodrama’, which is awarded annually to the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. The project opens up with ‘We’re All Alone’ which explains hardships his parents went through as Nigerian immigrants coming into the UK, and a moment in which a fan claims he saved their life. I really enjoyed this track. ‘Verdansk’ is a great follow-up from the intro track, which pays some homage to Call of Duty: Warzone. Dave is braggadocios on this track and I love it. ‘Clash’ featuring Stormzy follows up with the same tone as ‘Verdansk’. It also features a great beat progression which I absolutely love. ‘In The Fire’ featuring Fredo, Ghetts, Giggs & Meeks Manny all rapping passionately about their lives and telling their own stories which I loved a lot. I also liked the minor beat changes from all their verses. I enjoyed ‘System’ (featuring Wizkid) and ‘Lazarus’ (featuring BOJ), with both tracks giving an Afrobeat/Afroswing sound, similar to what he did on ‘Location’ featuring Burna Boy. ‘Heart Attack’ is a 9 minute long song and an apparent sequel to ‘Panic Attack’ from his EP titled ‘Six Paths EP’. Although the storytelling is great, I just couldn’t get into it because the instrumental/beat for such a long track was not exciting. Overall, I have mixed feelings. I love the highlights a lot but the low moments I really disliked. Dave is a fantastic lyricist and the album has great tracks. My main issue is instrumentation and beat selection. I feel this could be improved. It’s also the same issue I had with his debut album ‘Psychodrama’. I hope when Dave releases his third album, I can get to enjoy more of the production and instrumentation. I’ll be looking forward to see where Dave goes next with his music and sound 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTK9j9N8De/?utm_medium=tumblr

RIP Michael K. Williams 🙏🏿 https://www.instagram.com/p/CTf1ou4NzNa/?utm_medium=tumblr

Wow! I was definitely not expecting that. Kendrick Lamar has finally awoken from his slumber with an announcement across his social media platforms about dropping his final TDE album. This has led to fans and the Hip-Hop community with more questions than answers about the four years Kdot has had without dropping music. TDE losing Kendrick Lamar is definitely a big loss. I always felt something wasn’t right or the same at TDE with artists such as Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and SZA not dropping any albums as of recent. This has led fans of these artists (and TDE) to question why? Maybe there’s no tension within the camp and Kendrick has just decided to move on? There are rumours about SZA having issues with TDE in regards to her next album release and we know about Kendrick creating PgLang which we still don’t have an understanding of what it is. Perhaps it’s a new music label? Perhaps the reason for album delays in the TDE camp is due to COVID? These are some questions myself and fans are searching answers for. Maybe Kendrick will address the situation and past four years on the album? It seems like TDE have more of a focus on their new-gen acts such as Isaiah Rashad, Reason and SIR. At least, we can definitely expect a new Kendrick album sometime soon. Visit oklama.com to read Kendrick’s open letter 🍓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CS0R0LvI7_7/?utm_medium=tumblr