Tuesday 27 September 2011

J Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story


2011 has been a year of frustrating, heavily delayed albums from hip hop's biggest stars. Game and Lil Wayne finally managed to release their respective projects over a year after the initial date was announced, while artists such as 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and, of course, Dr Dre continue to promise albums that never materialise. Into this group can be thrown North Carolina native J Cole. Since becoming the first artist to be signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation label in 2009, Cole has been steadily releasing critically acclaimed mixtapes, particularly his hugely successful Friday Night Lights project, pitching the hip hop world into a frenzy over his oft delayed debut album. Well, that album is finally here, subject to the obligatory early leak and ludicrously titled Cole World: The Sideline Story. Can he deal with the sky high expectations, or does hip hop's saviour buckle under the pressure?

The first notable feature of the album is the lack of guest appearances. In 19 tracks there are only space for 4 other artists; the prerequisite Jay Z and Drake verses, a Trey Songz hook and a welcome, if unexpected, return from Missy Elliot. Coupled with the fact that Cole produces all but 4 tracks, the project has a unique single focus not often found in big budget rap releases. This singularity of vision, however, is both a gift and a curse. The lack of variance in the production gives the LP a consistent feel, but at the same time many tracks are barely distinguishable from one another. Tracks such as 'Dollar and a Dream III', 'Sideline Story' and 'God's Gift' have both similar themes and laid back instrumentals as Cole discusses his troubles in reaching this stage of his career. This is not to say these songs are necessarily bad, they are simply not different enough to all be included on the album ('Sideline Story' is my personal favourite of the three).

That criticism aside, some songs on the album are truly outstanding, fully justifying the hype weighing the rapper down. 'Lost Ones' is a sensitive back and forth between a newly pregnant woman and the father trying to convince her to have an abortion. The track is infused with the thoughtful substance sorely lacking in mainstream hip hop. More introspection can be found on 'Breakdown', where Cole discusses his relationship with his absent father with searing honesty, admitting that he hates him and at the same time cannot live without him.
On a lighter note, tracks such as 'Mr Nice Watch' see the rapper hold his own against his mentor, Jay Z, over an electronic influenced beat. Neither contribution is likely to set the world alight, but the track provides a nice change of pace for the album. In a similar vein, 'Who Dat' is an under appreciated bonus cut, the single failing to make an impact on the charts when released over a year ago. There are also numerous contributions for the female fan base, the single 'Work Out' finding Cole spitting over a funky Kanye West sampled beat while 'In the Morning' is a dirty slow jam featuring the usual tepid contribution from Drake.

Track by Track:
1. Intro
2. Dollar & A Dream III (6/10)
3. Can't Get Enough f/ Trey Songz (7/10)
4. Lights Please (7/10)
5. Interlude
6. Sideline Story (7/10)
7. Mr. Nice Watch f/ Jay-Z (7/10)
8. Cole World (7/10)
9. In the Morning f/ Drake (7/10)
10. Lost Ones (9/10)
11. Nobody's Perfect f/ Missy Elliott (7/10)
12. Never Told (6/10)
13. Rise & Shine (6/10)
14. God's Gift (7/10)
15. Breakdown (9/10)
16. Work Out (7/10)
17. Nothing Lasts Forever (Bonus) (6/10)
18. Who Dat (Bonus) (8/10)
19. Daddy's Little Girl (Bonus) (7/10)

The Verdict:
Not the classic that many were anticipating, but J Cole copes well with the expectation thrust upon him. As with many long albums, the track list could do with some fat trimming, but if Cole can continue to produce music to the standard of 'Lost Ones' or 'Breakdown', hip hop could yet have a new saviour.

7/10

Tuesday 20 September 2011

White Noise

Since Eminem took over the world in the late 90's, there have been very few challengers to his crown of the premier white rapper in the game. After a lean spell of nearly a decade, the last few years have seen a surge of new talent. Here is my roundup of 5 of the new generation of white rappers.

5. Asher Roth

In early 2009, Roth had the world at his feet. He had a strong buzz following his DJ Drama and Don Cannon assisted mixtapes, the Philadelphia rapper taking a hold on the public with his refreshing take on hip hop. In addition, he was featured on that year's XXL Freshman List, along with noted artists B.O.B and Wale. His remix of 'A Milli' satirised the stale, tired conventions of mainstream rap, revealing a new witty, conscious voice. On April 20th his debut album Asleep in the Bread Aisle was released, fueled by the massive hit 'I Love College'. The project, however, was a disappointment from start to finish. Instead of providing the expected album filled with intelligent observation and laid back wordplay, Roth focused on rapping about weed with lazy punchlines, which was hardly an innovative concept. As a result, the album achieved respectable sales of over 150,000, but as it was on a major label the LP was considered a flop.
A slew of mixtapes followed, including a notable collaboration with Nottz on the Rawth EP. His second album has been plagued with delays and pushed back, undergoing a name change to Is This Too Orange? The release date is uncertain. Asher Roth is at a difficult stage in his career, desperately needing a hit single to revive his flagging mainstream status. A listen to his early material shows he has the potential for greatness, so it may not be time to write him off just yet.

4. Kreayshawn

On May 16th 2011, Columbia records announced they had signed an unknown young white female rapper. The deal was rumoured to be worth a million dollars, propelled by the single 'Gucci Gucci', a youtube video that received nearly 3 million hits in 3 weeks. After being propelled into the mainstream, Kreayshawn was immediately embroiled in controversy. As part of three woman team The White Girl Mob, the rapper has been forced to defend accusations of racism. V-Nasty, another member of the group is brazen about her use of 'Nigga' in her music, causing a storm of criticism in rap circles. Fellow Bay Are MC Mistah F.A.B has come out in their defence, alleging that times have changed and the black community is perhaps being a little hypocritical. Another controversial incident occurred at the VMA awards, as the respective entourages of Kreayshawn and Rick Ross were involved in an altercation. The two rappers subsequently taunted one another through news outlets and radio interviews before calling an uneasy truce. In addition, nude photos were leaked after the female MC's twitter was hacked. Currently, Kreayshawn is more widely known for her various indiscretions than actual musical output. It remains to be seen whether she is worth the hype.

3. Yelawolf

In 2011, Yelawolf was one of the 11 new MC's featured on the XXL Freshman List. The achievement capped off a stratospheric year for the Alabama MC. After being released from Columbia in 2007, Yela was picked up by Eminem's Shady Records. His first major label release came in November 2010, the retail mixtape Trunk Musik. The project achieved minor success with the youtube hit 'Pop Tha Trunk', a sinister, violent crawl through the backwaters of Alabama. In March 2011, Yelawolf received his second XXL cover, featuring with Eminem and fellow Shady Records Signees Slaughterhouse. The artists collaborated on posse cut '2.0 Boys'. Other notable appearances include 'Worldwide Choppers' on Tech N9ne's All 6's and 7's and 'You Aint No DJ' from Big Boi's critically acclaimed Lucious Leftfoot. Both allowed the MC to demonstrate his signature high pitched quick flow. With an Eminem helmed debut album set to be released in late 2011, the future looks promising for the MC.

2. Macklemore

In  2004, Macklemore released his debut album The Language of My World. After that, he disappeared, a descent into alcoholism and drug abuse to blame. After beating his demons, the Seattle MC came back hard, using his past troubles as the motivation for his new music. 'Otherside' is an emotional discussion of his issues, using the tragic death of Pimp C to hammer home his anti drug message over the Red Hot Chilli Peppers instrumental of the same name. 'Inhale Deep' is in a similar vein, discussing how his addictions almost destroyed his career over a chilled out beat. Single 'Wings' shows how his rhymes are often akin to spoken word poetry, the rapper often alternating his flow. Macklemore has a strong following in his home city, performing at the home opener of the Seattle Mariners baseball team. He also sold out 3 shows at the Seattle Showbox, in addition to headlining his own national tour. The MC is a refreshing antidote to the heavy glamourisation of alcohol and drug use in mainstream hip hop, and with major labels watching closely, he could become a huge new voice of rap.

1. Mac Miller

Miller is from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, home to the rapidly growing hip hop scene including breakout star Wiz Khalifa, whom Miller considers a close friend. The two MC's shares a similar delivery and the influence of Wiz can be heard in the younger rappers choice of infectious beats. In August 2010, the rapper released his debut mixtape K.I.D.S, followed by his first official single 'Knock Knock' in November of the same year. The song is a mischievous irreverent take on hip hop, sampling Linda Scott's 'I've Told Every Little Star'. Miller has continued to work at a frenetic pace, with two mixtapes brought out this year along with his debut album Blue Slide Park projected to have a late 2011 release. In addition, the rapper was featured on 2011's XXL Freshman List, along with Yelawolf. The MC's biggest hit so far has been the catchy youtube sensation 'Donald Trump', amassing over 20 million hits and prompting even the man himself to comment that he was flattered on his twitter account. As it stands, Miller has a tremendous buzz, but it remains to be seen if his undoubted talent can amass the sales required to propel him into the mainstream.

Friday 16 September 2011

Ones to Watch: Jay Rock / Kendrick Lamar



Though not officially a rap duo, Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar are both associated with the group Black Hippy, alongside Ab-Soul and Schoolboy. Both rappers have been featured on XXL's Freshman lists, Lamar in 2011  while Jay Rock appeared a year earlier. Despite the time difference, both artists released their debut albums this year: Kendrick Lamar dropped digital release Section. 80 in early July while Jay Rock came with physical effort Follow Me Home a few weeks later. Both albums recorded poor sales, neither breaking the 10,000 mark in the first week, but received strong praise from critics. Section. 80 was especially admired, Soul Culture awarding the project 5 stars.
Though the two are part of the same crew, each has an entirely separate style and approach to making their music. Kendrick is noted for his complex double-time flow and strong socio-political content, while Jay Rock concentrates on compelling hood tales reminiscent of a young, hungrier Game. The vivid political outlook of Lamar can best be seen on his album standout 'Ronald Reagan Era', where the rapper discusses the bleak conditions during the 80's presidency over a brooding RZA instrumental. 'Rigamortus' showcases a complex approach to rhymes schemes while 'Keisha's Song' demonstrates a mature approach in documenting the problems facing young women in deprived concrete jungles. Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg have both co-signed the MC, with Kendrick reported to be working on Detox. The praise, however, is taken with a pinch of salt by the rapper, proclaiming that he would have to break the wrist of anyone trying to give him a handout. Lamar has impressive confidence for such a fledgling career.
Follow Me Home was released on Tech N9ne's Strange Music imprint after Jay Rock was dropped from  Warner Bros. When I first listened to the album, I was not expecting much. The buzz he had garnered in late 2008 had faded and I suspected he had been overrated by the Freshman selection team (OJ Da Juiceman? Donnis?) I was instantly forced to rethink when I heard the album opener 'Code Red'. The song is a gritty hood tale played out over a mournful piano laden beat, reminiscent of Dr Dre production. The theme continues on 'Elbows', a low-riding West Coast banger. 'Just Like Me' is a cautionary retort to those who attempt to glamorise the thug way of life. Rock hasn't quite made it to rap superstardom yet, but his debut album shows an encouraging depth of talent.

 

Thursday 15 September 2011

2Pac - A Tainted Legacy?


15 years ago to the day (well yesterday, but let's not quibble), Tupac Shakur was the vicitm of a drive by shooting in Las Vegas. I almost chose not to write about the anniversary due to the abundance of tributes already made, and it seemed difficult to say anything new. After some thought I decided to discuss the posthumous work left by the legendary MC, rather than concentrate on his heavily documented eventful life.
Left paranoid by the infamous Quad Recording Studio shooting, Pac recorded 100's of songs in a few productive months on Death Row Records, motivated by the belief that he would soon be dead. This, of course, turned out to be grimly prophetic, as less than a year later he was gunned down. This meant that in addition to the 6 albums completed while he was alive (Don Killuminati was released posthumously, but was completed before the shooting), the label still had material for numerous releases. At the current standings, 8 full length albums have been released since his death, including one greatest hits. That leaves 7 releases, the majority of the rhymes being written in the aforementioned recording frenzy.
There are two problems with this. The first is that the tracks were recorded at a specific moment in time. A highly creative and fruitful few months undoubtedly, but the material suffers from a lack of variety. Artists naturally evolve over time, so the recordings become samey, stagnant and unoriginal as depths are plumbed. With The Notorious B.I.G we are faced with precisely the opposite problem: The rapper died after completing only 2 studio albums, with just enough leftover material to scrape together a third.
The second issue is the lack of quality control. It is natural that in recording over 100 songs there are going to be a certain number of poor quality raps that do not quite live up to the high standard expected. Again, this is a natural process of creating art: not everything a great author writes is fantastic prose and not everything a great songwriter puts down on the paper is genius. That is not to say that everything released after the death of 2Pac is terrible, 'Ghetto Gospel', 'Thugz Mansion' and 'Changes' are notable additions to the canon, but for every excellent track there is always going to be a 'Pac's Life'. On the subject of 'Pac's Life', there has also been a trend of pairing substandard acts with the rapper (I'm looking at YOU Chamillionaire and Lil Scrappy), which surely only serve to dilute the impact and legacy of the hip hop legend.
This is not a criticism of 2pac, simply recognition that not everything he recorded was an example of perfect, peerless rap.  The piece is instead intended as a response to those who idolise 2Pac, unquestioningly accepting everything he did as gospel. Hero worship does not tend to breed astute critics. I would suggest, then, that to gain a real insight into the work of the great man it is best to stick to the first 6 albums (All Eyez on Me being a personal favourite) and view the posthumous work as a frozen, heavily extended moment in time. 2Pac is not the best rapper ever, arguably not even in the top 5. He is, however, the most important. Pac provided the charisma and bad boy swagger associated with the 'golden era' rappers of the late 90's/early 2000's, but fused his rhymes with deep, introspective meaning. Given the time, it is hard to see a limit to what he could have achieved. XXL Magazine asked 60 rappers to say a few words about 2Pac in their 15 year anniversary tribute edition. The most succinct is from Tyga:

'Pac taught me to be a leader and that rappin' wasn't just music, it was poetry from the heart'.

My Favourite 2pac tracks:


'No More Pain' - All Eyez On Me
'Ambitionz Az A Ridah' - All Eyez On Me
'Part Time Motha' - 2Pacalypse Now
'Hail Mary' - Don Killuminati 
'Keep Ya Head Up' - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.


Tuesday 13 September 2011

Odd Future: Hip Hop's New Super Group?


Odd Future, or Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All to give them their full title, are a rap collective from Los Angeles. The group is headed by charismatic front man Tyler the Creator, who also handles the majority of production for the rest of the members. Other rappers associated with the group include Earl Sweatshirt, Hodgy Beats, Domo Genisis and R&B singer Frank Ocean. Their style of music has been likened to the horrorcore genre, but the members prefer to label their violent, offensive brand of  rap as 'indie rap'. The group rose to prominence with Tyler The Creator's Bastard, a free download available on their website. Other notable works include Earl Sweatshirt's Earl and Blackenedwhite, by subgroup MellowHype (Hodgy Beats and Left Brain). Blackenedwhite was recently reissued as a physical release, buoyed by the success of Tyler the Creator's second album, Goblin. The LP has to date sold over 100,000 copies, culminating in Tyler being nominated (and winning) best new artist at the VMAs. His video for single 'Yonkers' was also nominated for best video, but lost out to Katy Perry. Singer Frank Ocean is also making inroads to the mainstream, appearing twice on Watch The Throne.
The collective has been dogged by controversy, their dark imagery and themes include rape, self harm, suicide and casual violence. Tyler has been strongly criticised for his use of homophobic slurs, but has refuted the claim that his music is anti-gay: 'Well, I have gay fans and they don't really take it offensive, so I don't know. If it offends you, it offends you. If you call me a nigga, I really don't care, but that's just me, personally. Some people might take it the other way; I personally don't give a shit'.
The youngest of the group, Earl Sweatshirt, has mysteriously disappeared from the lineup, rumours stating that he has been moved to a correctional school in Samoa by his mother. He was 16 when he released Earl, the project embracing the same offensive content of the Odd Future canon. The rumours deepen the intrigue and intensify the hype surrounding their music, a 'Free Earl' campaign being launched at various performances. Famous for their live shows, Odd Future have been compared to punk rockers, smashing up stages, jumping into the crowd and injuring fans with skateboards. The group recently played T in the Park and the Reading Festival, being bottled off at the former while being somewhat better received at the second.
Listening to their music, the best comparison I can make is that it sounds like a young, deliberately provocative Eminem mixed with the darkest recesses of the Wu Tang's 36 Chambers. With a VMA under his belt, we surely haven't heard the last of Tyler or his controversial clique.

Further Listening:
Tyler the Creator - Yonkers

Earl Sweatshirt - Earl
MellowHype - F666 The Police

Monday 12 September 2011

5 Underrated Rappers

5. Royce Da 5'9



As one half of Bad Meets Evil, Royce is finally getting the exposure his talent deserves. This exposure, however, has not translated into solo album sales. Hell: The Sequel, the collaboration with Eminem, debuted with sales over 170,000, while Success is Certain, a solo album released a few weeks later, only managed to move 16,000.
In part, Royce only has himself to blame. Appearing on The Slim Shady LP, the rapper had a chance to ride on the wave of Eminem's stratospheric success. Instead, he chose to feud with Dr Dre and D12, causing Eminem to cut ties and the duo not to work together for nearly ten years. A descent into alcoholism followed, culminating in a year in prison for a DUI. Despite ghostwriting for many popular MC's and some strong critical acclaim for 2004's Death is Certain, Royce struggled to propel his undoubted talent into the mainstream. In 2008, Bar Exam 2 was named mixtape of the year by HiphopDX.com, featuring the MC  rhyming his way ferociously through popular instrumentals of that year. The buzz allowed him to join new group Slaughterhouse along with Joe Budden, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz. Though another poor commercial showing, the album was a critical success, attracting the attention of Shady Records. The idea of reuniting Bad Meets Evil was proposed, and the duo of Royce and Eminem released their first LP in June this year. The album looks set to deliver the rapper his first career gold plaque next week. The future looks bright for the Royce, but the new found success is pervaded with the sense this should have all happened a lot earlier for the Detroit born MC.

Further Listening:
Shake This
It's The New
Merry Go Round

4. The Clipse



After being introduced to Pharrell Williams, Virginia born brothers Pusha T and Malice released their first studio album Lord Willin'. Despite receiving lukewarm reviews, the project was a commercial success, and highlighted the gritty coke-rap the duo are famed for. Trouble was, however, brewing in the run up to their second album, Hell Hath No Fury. The LP was overlooked in a major merger between Jive and Sony, the label preferring to focus on more pop oriented acts. This forced the Clipse to request to be released from their contracts, eventually suing the label and culminating in a deal that let them release the album on their own label. The heavily delayed project was finally released in November 2006, over four years after their debut. Hell Hath No Fury received widespread critical acclaim, XXL Magazine awarding it the coveted 'XXL' rating, only the fifth album to receive the honour at that time. The group had perfected their own brand of thrilling drug dealing narratives. When paired with The Neptunes' experimental creative peak, the results were explosive. The pair were also featured on Justin Timberlake's hit single 'Like I Love You'. Things appeared to be looking up. Unfortunately, the album inexplicably suffered from low sales of 78,000 in its first week of release. Despite reaching the pinnacle of their careers, the bubble seemed to have burst for the duo. A series of mixtapes followed, ending with studio album Till The Casket Drops. This fared even worse in the sales chart, receiving average reviews. A revival, however, could be on the cards, with Pusha T featuring on Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, eventually signing onto his G.O.O.D Music label. A solo album is due to be released in the next couple of months. The Clipse are constantly underrated, a mixture of label politics and bad luck suppressing the recognition their talent deserves.

Further Listening:
Momma I'm So Sorry
What Happened to That Boy?
Grindin'

3. Tech N9ne


By far the strangest artist on the list, Tech N9ne has been steadily releasing albums since 1999. Though these projects have collectively sold over a million records, the average rap fan would find it difficult to name a single track by the rapper. Tech has a tongue twisting, technically complex rapping style, often delivered at high speed. The pace of his rhymes are often dramatically switched up to create a dynamic, disorientating effect. The genre of his songs cannot be defined neatly as 'hip hop', with many hardcore rock and metal elements in his music. Despite being relatively unknown to many hip hop heads, Tech N9ne has a small devoted following, mainly white, who pack out his relentlessly touring shows. They are known collectively as 'Technicians', and the rapper frequently pays tribute to them in his work. In addition, the rapper has his own label, Strange Music, with a roster featuring artists such as horrorcore pioneer Brotha Lynch Hung and West Coast rising star Jay Rock.
This year, Tech released his latest album All 6s and 7s. The LP is his most mainstream effort to date, blending Strange Music affiliates with superstars such as Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. The project sold over 50,000 units in the first week, an astonishing achievement for an independent release. Tech seems unconcerned about alienating his core fan base, suggesting in an interview with XXL that they will understand his evolution and rise to fame. With more and more people paying attention, coupled with a devoted following, it doesn't seem as if Tech N9ne will stay underrated for too much longer.

Further Listening:
Blackboy
Technicians
Am I A Psycho?

2. Bun B


When people asked to name who they think is the 'King of the South', a familiar list always crops up. Andre 3000, T.I and Ludacris are the most obvious candidates, with perhaps Scarface bringing up the rear. Very few people mention Bun B, though I would argue he has a credible claim.
It is a little known fact that Bun B has been a part of the rap game for almost 20 years. As part of duo UGK he released his first studio album in 1992. The group themselves can be regarded as heavily underrated, finally breaking through into the mainstream after being featured on Jay Z's 2000 hit 'Big Pimpin'. As famous as the song is, most casual fans are hard pressed when asked to name the other 2 rappers on the track. Bun released his first solo LP, Trill, in 2005. The album reached the Billboard top 10, recording modest sales and a fair reception. In 2008, his second solo album, Trill 2, became his highest chart success, reaching number 2 in the charts. The LP featured some much darker, introspective content, motivated by the death of his UGK partner in rhyme Pimp C. The best, however, was yet to come. Faded interest in the Houston hip hop scene meant there was little fanfare preceding the release of Trill OG. This all changed when The Source Magazine awarded the project '5 Mics', the first album in five years to achieve this rating. Despite the monumental praise, the album sold only 40,000 copies in the first week of release.
Bun B has maintained stunning consistency in all his work, with a long list of scene stealing guest verses with rappers based both in his native Houston and the wider hip hop world. In spite of this, his claim to be one of the strongest from the South is almost constantly overlooked. Anyone believing the stereotypes about Southern rap (clunky, mindless, lyrically inferior etc) will be made to see the error of their ways by listening to Bun B or indeed, UGK.

Further Listening:
If I Die II Night
Ridin' Slow
International Players Anthem (As half of UGK)

1. Talib Kweli


Jay Z said it best in his oft quoted line from 'Moment of Clarity': 'If skills sold/ Truth be told/ I'd probably be/ Lyrically/ Talib Kweli'. Kweli is undoubtedly one of the most gifted lyricists active in the hip hop scene today. Since his collaborative debut with Mos Def on 'Black Star', Talib has been persistently underrated, failing to garner the recognition his talent warrants. Frequently labelled as a 'conscious' rapper, his rhymes use sophisticated poetic techniques to convey deep political concepts. Despite often purposely keeping out of time with the beat, his rapping style is accessible and easy to get to grips with. Interestingly, the rapper rejects the 'conscious' tag, suggesting that hip hop is better understood as a whole culture without divisions.
In addition to solo albums, Talib has frequently released albums in conjunction with other artists. His two collaborative albums with producer Hi-Tek were met with strong critical acclaim, though relatively low sales, as was 'Black Star'. Kweli is equally adept on his own, releasing four solo projects. In my opinion, his strongest album so far is The Beautiful Struggle, marrying early Kanye West production with socio-political themes. Recent efforts have demonstrated admirable consistency, but sales have waned. Talib Kweli, then, remains something of a hidden treasure, known to those who yearn for substance heavy, 'conscious' rap, but sadly failing to make a strong impression on the mainstream.

Further Listening:
NY Weather Report
Around My Way
Memories Live

Friday 9 September 2011

Black and White: Wretch 32



To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this album. 'Traktor' is an accessible, bass heavy track that sent Wretch into the mainstream, peaking at number 5 on the singles chart. The next two singles did even better, 'Unorthodox' reaching number 2 while 'Don't Go' earned the Tottenham born rapper his first number 1. Despite the popularity of the tracks, I was underwhelmed by both. 'Unorthodox' should be applauded for the bold Stone Roses sample, but the experiment doesn't quite come off. 'Don't Go' is a dreary affair, the inexplicable popularity can only be attributed to Josh Kurma's emotional hook. Only liking one out of the three singles did not bode well, but listening to the whole album turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

'Black and White' is the first track, a passable introduction to the album. 'Never Be Me' kicks the project into gear, as Wretch looks back as his troubled days as a youth. Rhymes tinged with regret become a theme throughout the album, proving to be a refreshing, mature approach from the British rapper. 'Let Yourself Go' documents how the neighborhood youth looked up to the local drug dealer. The track becomes a cautionary tale, however: 'Man, I swear he had a legacy/ His street name straight legendary/ Now he sitting in jail telling this same story like I wonder if they remember me?'
'Forgiveness' is the standout song on the LP. Etta Bond uses her voice to heartbreaking effect on the chorus while Wretch lays bare his deepest regrets: 'Amazed I'm still breathing/ Every other shot I feel my insides bleeding/ Grandad turning in his grave/ Cos' I promised I would be there for my Gran when she grieving.'
On a less introspective note, fans of 'Traktor' will enjoy 'Sane's the New Mad'. The two tracks use similar thumping instrumentals to provide welcome breaks from the serious nature of the album. 'Long Way Home' is an interesting take on walking home sober on a night out as Wretch wryly observes the ridiculous drunken behaviour of his peers while 'Anniversary (Fall in Love)' is a sincere, heartfelt love letter to his girlfriend.

The high standard dips on certain songs. 'Please Don't Let Me Go' is soppy and unnecessary, and 'Hush Little Baby' sounds a little too pop oriented to fit well with the rest of the collection. The aforementioned 'Don't Go' plods along, making for a sombre, downbeat album closer.

Track by Track:


  1. Black and White (6/10)
  2. Never Be Me Feat. Angel (7/10)
  3. Traktor Feat. L (8/10)
  4. Please Don't Let Me Go (5/10)
  5. Unorthodox Feat. Example (6/10)
  6. I'm Not The Man Feat. Angel & Chipmunk (7/10)
  7. Anniversary Feat. Alex Mills (7/10)
  8. Sane's The New Mad (8/10)
  9. Forgiveness Feat. Etta Bond (9/10)
  10. Long Way Home Feat. Daley (7/10)
  11. Let Yourself Go (8/10)
  12. Don't Be Afraid Feat. Delilah (7/10)
  13. Hush Little Baby Feat. Ed Sheeran (6/10)
  14. Don't Go Feat. Josh Kumra (5/10)

The Verdict:

I was very surprised at the general standard and quality of the album. The abundance of smart, introspective tracks shows that Wretch has bags of talent and potential that were not necessarily shown on his popular singles. A welcome addition to British rap royalty.

8/10 

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Tha Carter IV: World Domination for Weezy?




After a tumultuous couple of years, both personally and musically, Lil Wayne returns with the latest entry to 'Tha Carter' series. As his Young Money brand goes from strength to strength, the standard of his musical output has waned dramatically since Tha Carter III smashed the sales chart. Rebirth was an unsuccessful foray into a rock oriented sound, while I Am Not a Human Being was a lazy cash-in on discarded Carter IV tracks. Despite this, interest in new Wayne material remains at fever pitch. Both Rebirth and IANAHB easily reached gold selling status, and sales predictions for Tha Carter IV show it is expected to almost reach platinum in its first week. The question is, does the album live up to its hype?

The intro track is standard Young Money era Lil Wayne. Heinous 'hashtag' rap is abound over a fairly pedestrian beat. The best is recycled for two further interludes on the project. Strangely, Wayne does not appear on either of the two, employing Tech N9ne and Andre 3000 to handle the first and a plethora of stars such as Bun B, Nas and Busta Rhymes to appear on the second. These are two of the strongest tracks on the album, so it is puzzling Wayne decided not to appear. Another weird feature is that the beat for 'John' uses the same beat as 'I'm Not a Star' from Rick Ross' Teflon Don. Ross himself guests on the song, but it is hard to believe that two of the biggest stars in rap could not find a new beat or concept for a song together. Aside from that, it's actually a very good track.
'Blunt Blowin' picks things up a little, showcasing the scatter-gun flow that made Wayne so popular in the first place: 'I'm a bad motherfucker, cuz the good die young/ Everybody selling dreams, I'm too cheap to buy one/ Man when that cookie crumble, everybody want a crumb/ Shoot that hummingbird down, hummingbird don't hum'.  The hit single '6 Foot 7 Foot' is also a strong club banger, with a scene stealing verse from Corey Gunz. 'She Will' and 'How to Love' show a more sensitive side of the rapper, these songs are sure to be big hits among his female fan base. 'How to Love' especially proves to be a success, Wayne using auto tune effectively to craft an emotional piece. John Legend provides an excellent, soulful hook on 'So Special', while 'It's Good' finds Jadakiss on menacing form.

Unfortunately, there are also quite a few missteps on the album. 'Nightmares of the Bottom' is a ponderous attempt to show introspection, becoming instantly forgettable. 'How to Hate' is an interesting concept, T-Pain and Wayne discussing the girls who have done them wrong, but the execution is an auto tune induced car crash between two artists who have nowhere near the amount of chemistry that they think they do. 'Abortion' and 'President Carter' similarly bring nothing to the table.

Track by Track:


  1. Intro 6/10
  2. Blunt Blowin 7/10
  3. MegaMan 6/10
  4. 6 Foot 7 Foot (feat. Cory Gunz) 8/10
  5. Nightmares Of The Bottom 5/10
  6. She Will (feat. Drake) 7/10
  7. How To Hate (feat. T-Pain) 4/10
  8. Interlude (feat. Tech N9ne) 8/10
  9. John (feat. Rick Ross) 7/10 (Point knocked off for recycling an old song)
  10. Abortion 6/10
  11. So Special (feat. John Legend) 7/10
  12. How To Love 8/10
  13. President Carter 5/10
  14. Its Good (feat. Drake & Jadakiss) 7/10
  15. Outro (feat. Bun B, Nas, Shyne & Busta Rhymes) 7/10

The Verdict

This was never going to live up to the hype. Wayne provides us with a passable album, rarely straying far beyond his favourite topics of sex and money. Despite being the weakest entry into the Carter series, the LP, however, does have some notable highlights. Regardless of whether it is any good, it will still sell more units than the bible, so reviewing the project is almost fruitless.

7/10

Public Enemy: Live at the O2 ABC (Glasgow)



Flava took off his jacket, revealing a lucozade orange t-shirt. After the requisite call back and forth with the crowd he asked us his name.
'And my name is Flava?'
FLAAAAVVVVVVV!!!!
Pulling out a clock from under the t-shirt, the group launched into 'Welcome to the Terrordome', the famous 'wall of sound effect' continuing for a frenetic 2 hours of Fear of a Black Planet, their 1990 third studio album. Included in the setlist were some classic tracks from It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, such as 'Don't Believe the Hype' and 'Terminator X to the Edge of Panic'. This gave Terminator X replacement DJ Lord the chance to showcase his skills, driving the crowd into a frenzy with his complex disc spinning.
Chuck D also did his fair share of crowd interaction, revealing his disdain for Rupert Murdoch and doing his best to inflame cross-border relations: 'Scotland is NOT the same as the U.K. There's a difference!' It got the weegies onside, at any rate. It made a refreshing change from the usual tired back and forth:
'Does Glasgow have the REAL Hip Hop?' Well, clearly not.
For 'Don't Believe the Hype', we were introduced to Annie from Aberdeen, plucked from the audience so Chuck could ask her the all important question:
Chuck: 'Annie from Aberdeen, are we really that tight?'
Annie: 'Don't believe the hype'.
Less charming was Rita from Dundee, doing her utmost to inflame every single stereotype the nation has about the city. Flava did his best, even giving her a ride on his shoulders.
The set flowed seamlessly between the instruments of the band (Flava memorably treating us to his own drumming skills halfway through the performance) and the turntables of DJ Lord. This was used particularly effectively on 'Black is Back!', an AC/DC / Public Enemy mash-up.
Despite the promise of Fear of a Black Planet being performed in its entirety, there was still an opportunity for the crowd to hear newer music. 'Say it Like it Really Is' was made to celebrate Chuck's 50th birthday (That's right, 50th!), proving that the old timer still has some stuff left in the locker.
There was only one song that could be used to close out the performance. Just as 'Fight the Power' closes out FOABP, it was predictably used to end the show. Chuck's goodbye was refreshingly open: 'We didn't come here to show you no bling! Download, bootleg, I don't care. Just get our music any way you can!' I might take you up on that, Chuck. Flava took a rambling approach to his farewell. Fresh from running randomly through the delighted fans, he delivered an incoherent speech about hating racism or seperatism or something. It didn't really matter. After 2 hours of fantastic high energy performance, the crowd left on a high.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

The R.E.D Album: Worth the Wait?




West Coast rap is enjoying somewhat of a mini renaissance in recent months. Standout albums from Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar have yielded positive responses, but this has failed to match up in sales. West Coast juggernaut Game hopes to buck this trend with his last, much delayed album on Interscope: The R.E.D Album.
The first noticable thing about the LP is the staggering number of guest appearances. Established stars such as Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne join newcomers in the form of Tyler the Creator and Kendrick Lamar. Indeed, only 4 of the 21 tracks have no features at all. This, of course, is not necessarily a bad thing. Game is famed for his name dropping and has produced three well received albums using the same guest-heavy framework. In addition, Dre provides four skits narrating his former protege's life and career. This is a nice, if slightly unnecessary touch. It seems as if Game is taunting his detractors by showing them the newly repaired relationship with his mentor. Dre also pops up as a rapper on 'Drug Test', a decent banger, if a little on the short side. Snoop Dogg also features with a somewhat random 4 lines halfway through the song. It appears as if the track was rushed, relying on the big names to pull it through.

The album opener 'The City' is the strongest track on the LP. Game is on fire as he spits viscous, hungry lines, boldly proclaiming: 'The best the West has ever seen, no disrespect to Calvin'.
Another superb track is the Lil Wayne/ Tyler the Creator assisted 'Martians vs Goblins'. Game has always been adept at imitating other rappers flows, and this proves to be the case as he copies with Tyler's playful, violent delivery, taunting Rhianna and Erica Badu. Tyler reserves the best lines for himself, even mocking Game on his own song: 'Tyler: Wolfgang, we rock, crack rock and that shit was expected/ Like Jayceon whenever he name drop/ Game: Fuck you Tyler.'
Also noteworthy are the Blood celebrating 'Red Nation', wisely keeping Lil Wayne on the hook, and 'Ricky', based on the slain character from Boyz in the Hood.


Less impressive, however, are a few too many forgettable R 'n' B flavoured tracks, such as 'Hello' featuring Lloyd and 'Mama Knows' with Nelly Furtado. Better efforts are 'Good Girls Go Bad', assisted by Drake and the single 'Pot of Gold', which is carried by a strong hook from Chris Brown while Game reminisces about his life thus far. Rick Ross and Beanie Sigel are in impressive form on 'Heavy Artillery', as is Young Jeezy on 'Paramedics', whetting appetites for Thug Motivation 103. A DJ Premier collaboration on 'Born in the Trap' is one of the strongest offerings on the album, with Game rapping unassisted and uninterrupted over a classic beat: 'Just had a daughter almost named her Patrina/ If I raise her right then maybe she can take over FEMA/ Spike Lee in New Orleans shooting documentaries/ And Game still in Cali eating off the Documentary.'


Track by Track:



  1. Dr. Dre Intro
  2. The City ft. Kendrick Lamar 9/10
  3. Drug Test ft. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Sly 7/10
  4. Martians Vs Goblins ft. Lil Wayne and Tyler The Creator 8/10
  5. Red Nation ft. Lil Wayne 8/10
  6. Dr. Dre 1
  7. Good Girls Go Bad ft. Drake 7/10
  8. Ricky 7/10
  9. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly 7/10
  10. Heavy Artillery ft. Rick Ross and Beanie Sigel 7/10
  11. Paramedics ft. Young Jeezy 7/10
  12. Speakers On Blast ft. Big Boi and E-40 8/10
  13. Hello ft. Lloyd 5/10
  14. All The Way Gone ft. Mario and Wale 6/10
  15. Pot of Gold ft. Chris Brown 7/10
  16. Dr. Dre 2
  17. All I Know 6/10
  18. Born In The Trap 8/10
  19. Mama Knows ft. Nelly Furtado 6/10
  20. California Dream 6/10
  21. Dr Dre Outro     


The Verdict:

As usual with a Game album, there are too many tracks. A more stringent approach to trimming the fat would have pushed the LP into the outstanding bracket. As it is, the project is still definitely worth the wait, and is a worthy addition to his strong catalogue.

8/10

Watch the Throne: Hip Hop Royalty?


     
When I found out Kanye West and Jay Z were about to release a joint album, I was excited. Then I heard 'H.A.M'. Still, I let it go, because I know Kanye is at his creative peak and, according to popular opinion, Jay Z is the best rapper currently working in the industry. This received wisdom is clearly untrue. If we look back at the last three albums of his career, we experience nothing but disappointment. The Black Album was the last LP that could be considered truly great, and that was released in 2003! Kingdom Come was a disaster, American Gangster was a return to form of sorts, but ultimately forgettable, while Blueprint 3 redefined the concept of an average project.
Kanye, on the other hand, is fresh from releasing the best album of last year (not just my opinion, ask TIME magazine!), so I was hoping that he would help Jay raise his game. An album filled with songs similar to 'Monster' or 'So Appalled' would have gone down a treat. This, sadly, is not the case.

The album starts off well, with a sombre, haunting beat that is accentuated by newcomer Frank Ocean's soulful hook. Jay starts off with perhaps his strongest lines of the whole album:
'Tears on the mausoleum floor/ Blood stains on the coliseum doors/ Lies on the lips of a priest/ Thanksgiving disguised as a feast...'
This effectively sets the tone for a mature, focused album that sadly does not materialise. The very next track dispels this myth, another Beyonce/Jay collaboration that fails to hit the heights of their solo work (for every '03 Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Crazy in Love' there is a 'Hollywood' or 'Deja Vu'). It is a syrupy, half baked song that seems very out of place next to the preceding track.
The next few tracks are forgettable 'luxury rap' tracks, where Jay and Kanye remind us just how much money they have. The term 'luxury rap' is easily interchangeable with 'the same old shit'.
Even production from RZA can't lift 'New Day', an interesting concept in which Jay and Kanye offer advice to their unborn children, but the execution is dull and lifeless.
Things pick up on 'Welcome to the Jungle'. An uncharacteristically subdued Swizz Beatz produces an incessant, looping beat, while the two rappers intelligently discuss gun crime. On a similar theme is 'Murder to Excellence', where a reggae tinged instrumental provides a backdrop for Kanye's standout rhymes:
'In the past if you picture events like a black tie/ What the last thing you expect to see, black guys/ What's the life expectancy for black guys?/ The system's working effectively, that's why.'
The best track on the album is undoubtedly 'Sweet Baby Jesus'. Frank Ocean is once again called on to provide a sweet, melodious chorus, name checking heroes of black American history, while Jay and Kanye discuss their childhoods over the piano driven beat. Unfortunately, the next five songs cannot match this creative genius, the aforementioned 'H.A.M' proving to be a masterclass in throwaway rap.

Track by Track:


  1. No Church in The Wild (ft. Frank Ocean) 7/10
  2. Lift Off (ft. Beyoncé) 5/10
  3. Niggas in Paris 5/10
  4. Otis (ft. Otis Redding) 7/10
  5. Gotta Have It 5/10
  6. New Day 6/10
  7. Prime Time 5/10
  8. Who Gon Stop Me 7/10
  9. Murder to Excellence 7/10
  10. Welcome to The Jungle 7/10
  11. Sweet Baby Jesus (ft. Frank Ocean) 9/10
  12. Love You So (ft. Mr Hudson) 5/10
  13. Illest Motherfucker Alive 4/10
  14. H*A*M 4/10
  15. That's My Bitch 6/10
  16. The Joy (ft. Curtis Mayfield) 6/10




The Verdict: Ultimately a disappointment, 'Watch the Throne' cannot match up to the sum of its parts. Using a variety of producers dampens Kanye's creative input, while Jay is on underwhelming, Blueprint 3 form.

6/10