Popov World

J. Cole: Road to Homecoming - Buses, Vans, and Trains (Episode 4)

This episode covers essentially the managing of the 3rd leg of the tour and the new stage they got specially for it.

It's really interesting to see all the work that's been put backstage to make sure the show is a succes. When you go to a show as a fan, you don't take the time to realise that. If the performer give you a nice show, you gotta be thankful to not only him but to everyone from the stage assembling to the guys that are managing the lights and also the security. It's crazy to see how bigger is the 3rd leg if you compare it to the first one. The 3rd act was way bigger and also way harder to succesfully manage. It's also the 3rd act of this tour that makes you realised how big of a step J. Cole did between the last tour in 2013 and 2015.

Even if they are in the last act of the tour, the Dreamville crew still takes the time to enjoy it and records new tracks on the road.

"New York City, Madison Square Garden. This place is sold out!" -David Linaburg, Guitarist

J. Cole: Road to Homecoming – This Is What You Wanted (Episode 3)

In this episode J. Cole take a break between the 2nd and 3rd legs of the 2014 Forest Hills Drive Tour to do another small tour of two weeks, the Dollar and A Dream Tour.

What is the Dollar and A Dream Tour? Well, it's something that all started back in 2013. J. Cole announce the tour dates and the city that the tour stops, but he only announce the venue 24h before the show. How much does it cost to get in? 1$. So it's first-come, first-served. The whole idea is brillant and it worked perfectly the first year. But now that Cole is known to the mass, it got a lot more difficult to pull off as you can see in this episode. In 2014's Dollar and A Dream Tour, Cole performed every song of The Warm Up, his 2nd mixtape, because it was it's 5th birthday. In the 2015 edition, it was the 5th birthday of Friday Night Lights, so he did the samething, he performed it all. Cole also invited some rappers to his show who also had the breakout year around the same time as him just to perform their old tracks and re-experience the feeling they had back in the day. Imagine seeing J. Cole, Wale and Kendrick Lamar all in the same show performing their old stuff. All that for only one dollard! I never had the chance to see a Dollard and A Dream show simply because they never made a stop in Canada, but if they ever do it again in 2016, wich I doubt because Dreamville is big now and J. Cole did not put out any new mixtape since 2010, I'll definitely go on a roadtrip to experience that.

This episode is probably my favorite, with the episode 1, because it feels like we're back in Cole mixtape's days. We really have the chance to see and understand from his own mouth how Cole changed the rap game. When he started, it still was the old recipe to success for the grinding rapper. You get signed, then you have to produce radio hits to prove to your label that you can sell music and ONLY after that you could hope to see the day where your album make it out. Nowaday, thanks to J. Cole, the music industry understand that it's the fan that are buying the album and not the radio listener. It's because of him if groundbreaking rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Logic and Joey Bada$$ can put out their debut album with less pression from their label or no pression at all.

Fun fact: It's J. Cole that discovered Kendrick Lamar first and put him in touch with Dr. Dre.

I could quote a lot of people from this episode to conclude my review, but I'll limit myself to 5 quotes. Three from the Dreamville crew and special guess, plus two from J. Cole that come from his 2nd album.

"At the same time we gotta look at it like : that's really what got us here." -Ibrahim Hamad, manager

"When I met Cole, I realized the art of lyricism. This nigga can really rap. And I realized that with Friday Night Lights. I was like: Oh god! This guy is like for real." -Ron Gilmore, Keyboardist

"Amazing! It was very deep, for real. Honest, vulnerable, confident, it was all of that. It wasn't on no commercial shit at all. It was so good. I love seeing you like that. And seeing you so close to the people and seeing you in small venue like that. This shit is... This is the shit they're gonna remember forever." -Rihana

"Gucc told me play the game to change the game" -J. Cole, Let Nas Down

J. Cole: Road to Homecoming - Ain't Nothin' Like That (Episode 2)

This episode cover pretty much all the first two legs of his tour. From small venues in the U.S. to big ass venues in the U.K. like the Birmingham's Barclay Yard and the London's O2 arena.

It's really interesting to see how they plan a tour and how it evolves as they are doing it. They start with small venues first to test the vibe of the crowd and as the venues get bigger, they add lights and other stuff to adjust for the summer's show. Now that I know that, I really consider myself lucky to have seen him live at the last show of his tour in Montreal due to the initial date being reported. My favorite live show of this video is the one where they go back to St. John's University, the college that Cole attended. Fun fact: we learn why J. Cole never got his diploma.

SPOILER ALERT: After many years, J. Cole does finally get his diploma for his Bachelor's degree of Science.

I really liked the fact that they took the time to introduce to us some members of his crew that play major role in every tour such as the music direcor, the keyboardist, the production manager / audio engineer, the tour manager, the head of security, the manager and the stage manager.

We also get the chance to see the producer's side of J. Cole wich, suprisingly, he produces WAY more beats than he writes raps. We already knew that he produced some beats for other rappers like the instrumental for the song Watch Me Go by XV and for the song Hiii Power by Kendrick Lamar, but I never thought that he was producing THAT much.

"This is what we do it for, love for the kids, you know. Because they love music and we need more kids to love music and put down guns, for real."

J. Cole: Road to Homecoming – F**k Money, Spread Love (Episode 1)

This episode covers everything from the day J. Cole announced to his fan on facebook that he was dropping his 3rd LP in 3 weeks, with no single and no promotion, to the day the album drop.

The best parts are the last 24h of mastering and the little promotion that he hid wich, in facts, are more like private listening sessions with young adults and teenagers. The listening session where he invited teenagers in the house that he grew up brought tears to my eyes. J. Cole also explain the creation process he had for this album and he makes a beautiful analogy with the Disney movie The Lion King.

We can also see a part of the production of the videoclip for his single "Apparently"

2014 Forest Hills Drive is the best album that I've ever get the chance to hear and, even one year later, I'm still loving it more and more everyday.

"The type of artist J. Cole is, like... he makes it so easy to relate to him, you know. He just shares himself so well that it makes me feel like I was there"

-Just a random fan :)

Our Big Brother blessing us with some knowledge and wisdom.

Kid Cudi retourne à son école secondaire pour faire une conférence sur son chemin vers le succès.

"However, as soon as I turn back around, I knew I was on a mission, on this very specific quest. It was bigger than just wanting to be a musician or do movies. It was about finally showing the world what Scott can do."

"[...]But with music, it was like : nobody's gonna take that from me. You know what I'm sayin'? Because there was thing that I was dealing with as a youth, at this school, that I didn't talk to people about, that probably kept me from putting my best performance in my academics, you know. And the music it was a platform for me to express myself and also realize that I'm not that crazy! That there's just other kid out there that might be depressed or lonely, dealing with suicide, things like this."

Cet article fut initialement écrit en novembre 2013 et était destiné au journal étudiant le TATA Box, journal de l'Association des Étudiants en Biologie Médicale (AEBM) de l'UQTR.

Je me suis inspiré du temps des fêtes qui approche (approchait) à grands pas pour vous faire un top 5 du temps des fêtes. Ce top 5 se veut varié, vous y trouverez des chansons avec des paroles crues et hilarantes dans le style «christmas in the hood» et des chansons avec des paroles plus profondes.

5. Dirty Boyz - All I Want For Christmas Is to Get It Crunk

Le duo Dirty Boyz composé des cousins Big Pimp et Mr. G Stacka The Gangsta se mérite la 5e place de mon top 5 avec leur chanson «All I Want For Christmas Is to Get It Crunk». Le beat de cette chanson comprend des sons de cloche jouant sur un air connu du temps des fêtes ainsi que des paroles plutôt hilarantes. C’est pour ses raisons qu’elle s’est taillé une place dans mon top.

En voici deux extraits :

#1: “Dashin’ through the snow in a stolen Chevrolet

With my broken taillight ridin' dirty all the way (ha ha ha ha)

Sippin’ Hennessey thinkin’ bout my Christmas needs

Bendin’ corners while I'm smoking on them Christmas trees. ”

#2: “My Christmas list aint long so listen up Santa Claus

can I be Jay-Z for a day so I can get in Beyonce's draws

or just have Halle Berry call and I swear I'll do it all

I'll do it like Billy Bob Thornton did cause I’m working with a monster ball”

4. David Banner - The Christmas Song

Noël est la journée la plus attendue de l’année par les enfants puisqu’ils sont impatients de déballer la montagne de cadeaux qui se trouve en dessous du sapin. Malheureusement, ce n’est pas partout comme ça. Pour bien des familles, Noël est une journée triste qui ne fait que leur rappeler la pauvreté dans laquelle ils vivent alors qu’ils sont incapables de se procurer les présents que leurs enfants désirent. Le vétéran du Mississippi, David Banner, a profité du temps des fêtes pour dénoncer cette inégalité sociale à l’aide de sa chanson.

Le refrain reflète bien l’ensemble du morceau :

"It's wintertime and we still cannot find a job

We fill out applications but you treat us like we're slobs

So we rob and we steal

We're just trying to get a meal

'Cause it’s Christmas time and we're broke again"

3. J. Cole – Home for the Holidays

La vie d’un rappeur semble excitante et peut engendrer de la jalousie à cause de tout l’argent qu’ils font et de leur célébrité, mais il y a cependant deux côté à la médaille. Par cette chanson, il nous présente l’envers du décor de ce type de vie. À travers les nombreuses heures passées en studio dans différentes villes à composer de nouvelles chansons afin de rester au sommet et les tours qui peuvent le garder sur la route pour plus d’un mois, il est difficile d’entretenir de bonne relations avec ses proches puisque les occasions de les voir se font rares. Dans «Home for the Holidays», J.Cole nous fait comprendre que le temps des fêtes est devenu l’une des seules occasions qu’il a de retourner à sa ville natale qui a tant changée depuis qu’il l’a quittée pour aller vivre son rêve. Les premiers vers de la chanson et le refrain reflètent bien cette idée :

#1: “Hey, this is the story of a young’n dreamin'

Left his city to see if he could be what he dreamin’

Big city on his own shit

But every now and then a nigga get homesick”

#2: “Said I’ll be home for the holidays

So when you see me, better holla at me

I gotta get up out this city ‘fore it try to trap me

I gotta leave, I wish I could stay

But I’ll be home for the holidays

And to those that I used to know

From way before, keep your head up

Come lets get this bread up

Girl, I gotta go, wish I could stay

But I’m coming home for the holidays”

2. Eazy-E - Merry Muthafuckin' Christmas

Il aurait été inconcevable de faire un top 5 du rap des temps des fêtes sans ce classique du légendaire défunt Eazy-E. Comme vous devez vous en douter par son titre, cette chanson ne comporte pas de paroles profondes et pensées. En fait, c’est du gros gangsta rap sur un beat du temps des fêtes dont les paroles ont comme sujet le crime, la drogue et le sexe, et ce, du début à la fin; c’est vraiment de l’abus. Pour rendre la chanson encore plus drôle, elle est introduite comme étant un conte de Noël qu’une mère lit à sa fille et, une fois la chanson terminée, elle termine son histoire en disant : «And they all went to prison and lived fucked up lives ever after. The End.» En plus d’un beat approprié pour le temps des fêtes, certaines parties de la chanson sont chantées sur des airs connus comme «Jingle Bells» et «We wish you a merry Christmas». La chanson se termine par tous les chanteurs qui y ont participé chantant :

«Merry Muthafuckin' Chrismas, Merry Muthafuckin' Chrismas, Merry Muthafuckin' Chrismas, And have a fucked up new year».

Je me suis gardé la gêne de vous montrer les extraits les plus osés. J’invite donc les plus curieux à aller écouter la chanson en entier.

1. Kanye West - Christmas in Harlem feat. Cam'Ron, Jim Jones, Pusha T, Vado, Big Sean, CyHi Da Prynce and Teyana Taylor

La première place de mon top 5 revient à “Christmas in Harlem” simplement parce que, dans son ensemble, c’est la meilleure chanson rap du temps des fêtes. Elle comprend un beat festif produit par nul autre que Hit-Boy, un refrain chanté par Teyana Taylor qui possède une voix d’ange (comme celui qu’on met au sommet de notre sapin de Noël) et un rassemblement de rappeurs hors pair qui y laissent tous leur touche personnelle. Cette chanson est la dernière d’une série de 14 qui ont servi de promotion à l’album «My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy» de Kanye West. Cette série portait le nom de «G.O.O.D. Friday» et, comme son nom l’indique, une nouvelle chanson faite par les membres de G.O.O.D. Music et d’autres rappeurs invités sortait tous les vendredis et ce, jusqu’à la sortie de l’album. Jim Jones, Cam’Ron et son protégé Vado sont les artistes invités pour cette chanson. Chaque rappeur fait des références à Noël dans leurs couplets respectifs sans pour autant utiliser un vocabulaire explicite mis à part quelques exception comme cet extrait du couplet à Kanye West :

« Told her that “You the star at the top of my Christmas tree”

My only question is, “Where my presents?”

She said, “Shhh,” she got a gift for me that ain’t for the kids to see

Well, I like the way you think, mami

Now pour some more eggnog in you drink, mami

You've been a bad girl, give Santa three kisses

Tout comme Star Wars, après une longue période d'inactivité sur mon blog, j'ai décidé de faire un retour en ajoutant un épisode à ma fameuse triologie. Sans plus tarder, je vous présente le "Hangover Rap Part. 4".

Just like Star Wars, after a long period of inactivity on my tumblr, I've decided to make a comeback by adding a new episode to my "famous" trilogy. So there it is : the "Hangover Rap Part. 4".

Funny fact #1 : Le part. 4 a été écris avant le part. 3, mais, comme c'est une collaboration, la co-artiste ne voulait pas que je la publie. Plusieurs années plustard, je crois bien en posséder tous les droits.

Funny fact #2 : Contrairement aux autres Hangover Rap, le part. 4 n'a pas été écrit un lendemain de brosse, mais le jour avant de virer une brosse le soir même. Et oui, il fut écrit dans la fameuse classe de Dora Skander.

Le text en bleu et gras = moi.

Le text en rose = la mystérieuse collaboratrice

Remember the girl from part. 1?

She's ready to turn her rap skills on.

So let's get it on and make a collab song

Come on, it's gonna be fun.

Yeah, you sure can make fun of me.

How can I compete against Popov the great rapper?

And you're just there staring and laughing at me.

Please, just don't put this part on your Tumblr.

I know I'm not making you proud.

I prefer writing when I'm alone.

I'll redeem myself, no doubt

I'll write you a song of my own. :)

Oh my god it's a miracle,

I wrote more than two lines!

Tonight we'll be drunk, it will be noticeable.

And then maybe together we could rap some rhymes. :)

You right, I feel like tonight's gon' be memorable

but that's only if we can remember it.

Don't drink too much if you wanna stay fashionable

and if you do, I'll take a pic of it.

Alright, alright don't worry about me,

I still look good even when I'm wasted.

So tonight we could do some "selfie"

and tomorrow laugh about our dick head!

Haha!

-Popov feat. ???

Part.1 : http://popov4eva.tumblr.com/post/79406509048/petit-rap-que-jai-ecris-pendant-mon-cours-aujourdhui

Part.2 : http://popov4eva.tumblr.com/post/80113164379/hangover-rap-part-2

Petit intro : Je sais que ça fait déjà un petit bout que j'ai fais le part.2. J'avais commencé à écrire le part.3, la semaine suivante le part.2, le landemain d'un 8 à 10h Labatt où la bière était gratuite et à volonté offerte par notre commanditaire, mais j'étais trop scrap pour me concentré à écrire un rap alors je ne l'avais pas terminé pendant le cours de la chère Dora Skander. C'est 4 mois plus tard, après une semaine d'initiation riche en alcool que j'ai décidé de terminer le part.3. 

To be in class today is a miracle

I got wasted and woke up with no vehicle

Thanks to the girl from part.1 for picking me up, that’s admirable

Awh man! I got the worst headache, it’s incurable

and Dora’s voice is unbearable

Last night was one hell of a night

Beer everywhere ‘till the end of sight

It was an all you can drink

and I drank like a sink

I called a friend to join in

but he only answered the next morning

He told me thanks, but I don’t have any cents

I was like well it doesn’t cost any cents

He was like what it doesn’t make any sense

I’m telling you man, no shit

Even Macklemore could afford it

He said damn, I can’t believe I missed it

So now that I’m done with the part.3

I finally completed the Hangover Rap Trilogy

Like Kid Cudi, my mentor

I’m a procrastinator

But hey, it’s better late than never

I was so hangover

That I finished it four months later.

-Popov

Part.1 : http://popov4eva.tumblr.com/post/79406509048/petit-rap-que-jai-ecris-pendant-mon-cours-aujourdhui

Saigon's third album cover artwork, release date and tracklist

Nous avons enfin une date de sortie pour le 3e album de Saigon, "Greatest Story Never Told 3: The Troubled Times of Brian Carenard". Il sortira le 30 septembre. Vous pouvez voir le cover artwork plus haut et voici le tracklist.

Audio Push - "REPPIN" (Official Video)