Tyga - Careless World: Rise Of The Last King

Perhaps taking advantage of the dearth of big name hip hop releases thus far in 2012, Tyga delivers Careless World as the latest member of YMCMB to go it alone. The album had suffered numerous delays, before the popularity of single 'Rack City' undoubtedly pushed the release date forward. Does Tyga forge his own identity at the helm of a full length album, or does he conform to the increasingly low standards the YMCMB camp has become synonymous with?

The listener may be forgiven for expecting the rest of Careless World to feature the simple lyricism present on 'Rack City'. The track is certainly catchy, a perfect club anthem, but the misogynistic content delivered in a repetitive drone is obviously open to various criticisms. It is surprising, however, to note that Tyga has more in his arsenal. It becomes obvious as the album progresses that Lil Wayne hasn't unearthed the new Nas, but the young rapper proves he can hold his own against more accomplished rhymers such as J Cole, Wale and even Wayne himself.

After uneven opener 'Careless World', things pick up markedly with the Pharrell assisted 'Lil Homie'. The track is a laid back affair, with the Neptunes producer crooning his way through a highly listenable hook. The standard is maintained on 'Muthafucka Up', a dark and dirty beat accentuated by a scene stealing Nicki Minaj. Inevitably, this cannot last. 'Do It All' becomes the album's first misstep, a dull trawl through Tyga's teenage heartbreak. At over 5 minutes long, the track soon becomes stale, outstaying its welcome quickly.

'For The Fame' is an obvious choice for a second single. The song is a perfect example of the pitch perfect pop the Young Money group specialise in , complete with the sticky feeling one receives when they catch themselves enjoying a Chris Brown track. In a similar vein, 'Far Away' has the syrupy chorus required to be a hit, Chris Richardson doing all the legwork to allow Tyga to drawl through his bars. 'Faded' appropriately follows 'Rack City' in the listing as another infectious, sexy track. Unfortunately, Lil Wayne continues his recent trend of spectacularly ruining songs with more lazy, uninspired rhymes.
On a more positive note, 'King and Queens' and 'Let It Show' represent an increasingly grown up approach. The former is an opportunity for Tyga to test himself against MMG flavour of the month Wale and veteran rhymer Nas. Though it seems an odd teaming on paper, the track just about comes off. The latter addresses keeping composure in the face of increasing fame, J Cole providing an accomplished verse.

At 21 tracks, the project unsurprisingly has its fair share of filler. 'Black Crowns' has lavish production, yet never seems to get off the ground. 'Potty Mouth' does not come off as the sum of its parts, Busta Rhymes deploying his rapid fire party trick to subdued effect. A strange dubstep interlude breaks into the 7 minute 'Love Game'. While the experimentation is commendable, the effort really doesn't work in the context of the rest of the album. T Pain is featured in the irrelevant 'Celebration', YMCMB inexplicably keeping the singer in work despite his lamentable recent output.

Track By Track:

1. Careless World (5/10)
2. Lil Homie Feat. Pharrell (7/10)
3. Mutha*****Up Feat. Nicki Minaj (7/10)
4. Echoes Interlude
5. Do it All (5/10)
6. I'm Gone Feat Big Sean (6/10)
7. For The Fame Feat. Chris Brown and Wynter Gordon (7/10)
8. Birdman Interlude
9. Potty Mouth Feat Busta Rhymes (6/10)
10. Faded Feat. Lil' Wayne (7/10)
11. Rack City (7/10)
12. Black Crowns (4/10)
13. Celebrations Feat. T-Pain (5/10)
14. Far Away Feat. Chris Richardson (7/10)
15. Mystic AKA Modo Kara
16. This is like Feat Robin Thicke (6/10)
17. King & Queens Feat. Wale and Nas (7/10)
18. Let it Show Feat. J. Cole (7/10)
19. Love Game (6/10)
20. Lay You Down Feat. Lil' Wayne (6/10)
21. Light Dreams Feat. Marsha Ambrosias (5/10)

The Verdict:

It is fair to say that Careless World is part of the recent movement towards bland, pop oriented hip hop. It is not wholly terrible, however, with some unexpected quality running through selected tracks. Cutting the track list down would have been beneficial, making the album sharper and more cohesive. Tyga isn't going to make a lasting stamp on the hip hop world with this LP, but with YMCMB behind him, is sure to remain popular.


6/10

Young Jeezy - TM:103 - Hustlerz Ambition

After a ludicrous amount of album delays, rivalling that of even The R.E.D Album, Young Jeezy finally released TM:103 on December 20th. Anticipation went into overdrive with the multitude of leaks, official and unofficial, but is the finished project up to standard?

The album begins with 'Waiting'. Anyone familiar with the Atlanta rapper's previous work will find themselves in standard territory as Jeezy rhymes about his come up from the struggle while also finding time to brag about his success. The project really kicks into gear, however, with second track 'What I Do (Just Like That)'. Drumma Boy produces a bass rattling comfort zone in which the rapper is able to provide the type of club banger that he is known for. Similar in tone are the catchy 'Supafreak', featuring a charismatic 2 Chainz verse, and 'Lose My Mind', in which a surprisingly listenable Plies cameo blows Jeezy out of the water. The best beat on the album, however, is reserved for the speaker-destroying 'Ballin'. It is virtually impossible to listen to the track at low volume as Jeezy spazzes out over the dark, incessant instrumental. Unfortunately, some of the good work is ruined by a depressingly average appearance from Lil Wayne, who even pauses the beat before launching into one of the most forgettable verses of his career.

Unlike previous albums, however, Jeezy does not restrict himself solely to his own brand of 'trap music'. On the silky 'Leave You Alone', the rapper links up with Neyo to rhyme about the pitfalls of a relationship with a hustler. 'F.A.M.E' with T.I is a welcome change of pace into deeper subject matter, as the two Atlanta natives describe the drawbacks of their fame: "Tell me, for running my big mouth/ That I can chill here in this big penthouse?/ All elevatored up, black hardwood floors/ Just to sit around and feel it aint yours...". The track heralds a more mature approach for an artist not noted for his deep introspection. Equally successful is the star studded 'I Do', in which Jeezy, Jay Z and Andre 3000 wax lyrical about their perfect women and how they imagine they would marry them. Jill Scott drops by unexpectedly for 'Trapped', providing a spoken word hook for Jeezy to to recount his grim childhood.

Unfortunately, not all of TM:103 is quite as compelling. 'Higher Learning' is dull weed rap that the world has heard a thousand times. Snoop Dogg continues his descent into mediocrity on the type of song in which he used to shine, while bringing Devin the Dude into the fray underlines his irrelevance. 'All We Do' is one of only 5 cuts in which Jeezy is unaided by another artist, but the rapper wastes his opportunity with a long, repetitive track about how he does nothing but smoke weed and fuck his girlfriend. It is just as interesting as it sounds. Having both Jadakiss and Fabolous on 'OJ' means Jeezy compares unfavourably in the lyricism department. The beat, however, is uninspiring, resulting in none of the artists finding the space to really shine.

Track by Track:

1. Waiting - 7/10

2. What I Do (Just Like That) - 8/10

3. OJ - 6/10

4. Nothing - 7/10

5. Way Too Gone - 6/10

6. SupaFreak - 8/10

7. All We Do - 4/10

8. Leave You Alone - 7/10

9. Everythang - 7/10

10. Trapped - 7/10

11. F.A.M.E. - 8/10

12. I Do - 8/10

13. Higher Learning - 5/10

14. This One's For You -  6/10 15. .38 - 7/10 16. Ballin' - 8/10 (one point off for the dreadful Lil Wayne verse) 17. Lose My Mind - 8/10 18. Never Be The Same - 7/10 The Verdict: Young Jeezy has put together a slick selection of thugged out trap music in the way only he can. Despite some low points, TM: 103 represents the highlight of the Jeezy catalogue, and is sure to satisfy the legion of fans who have waited so patiently for the release of the album 8/10.

Drake - Take Care

Drake has been dividing opinion since his mixtape So Far Gone took the hip hop world by storm in 2009. Some see him as a multi-talented messianic figure at the forefront of popular rap, while others regard him as a pretty boy making R&B that can barely be classed as hip hop. Whatever your opinion on the Canadian entertainer, this album is unlikely to change your mind either way. 


Album opener 'Over My Dead Body' takes over from where Thank Me Later left off, with mellow piano keys providing the backdrop for Drake to wax lyrical about his accomplishments while Chantal Kreviazuk provides a soulful hook. This sets the tone for the chilled out mood that pervades the album, up tempo tracks proving to be thin on the ground. 'Shot For Me' allows the rapper to test the limits of his actual singing voice, rather than the irritating half singing half rapping that contributed to the lukewarm reception for his last album.  The trend is followed through into 'Doing It Wrong' with great success, a welcome, more emotional side to the rapper shining through. There is a tendency in Drake's music towards moody bitterness, and this runs through both of the songs as he arrogantly dismisses the women of his past. Other examples include 'Look What You've Done' and 'Marvin's Room', Drake using the downbeat tracks to uncomfortably bare his soul. 


There are, however, more upbeat tracks on the album. 'Make Me Proud' features assistance from rumoured wife Nicki Minaj, the chemistry between the two artists becomes undeniable over a pulsing beat. Lead single 'Headlines' is a catchy, boastful toast to everything the rapper has achieved in his short career. 'HYFR', with mentor Lil Wayne, is an opportunity for Drake to showcase an improved, speedier flow, suggesting the MC has used the time since Thank Me Later wisely. Another highlight is the sensual 'Practice', Drake demonstrating why his female fan base is so widespread.

Guests on the album are largely expected, with two notable exceptions. Canadian newcomer The Weeknd shines on 'Crew Love', eclipsing his fellow countryman on his own track. More importantly, Drake is finally awarded his dream collaboration with Andre 3000. The ATLien drops by for 'The Real Her', the song also featuring Lil Wayne. Unfortunately, the track fails to match the sum of its parts, the ponderous beat hard to distinguish from the instrumentals that have proceeded it. As always, 3000 drops witty, playful rhymes, but the project does not stand up to repeat listening.


Track By Track


1. “Over My Dead Body” 7/10
2. “Shot for Me” 7/10
3. “Headlines” 8/10
4. “Crew Love” feat. The Weekend 7/10
5. “Take Care” feat. Rihanna 6/10
6. “Marvin’s Room” / “Buried Alive Interlude” 6/10
7. “Under Ground Kings” 6/10
8. “We’ll Be Fine” 6/10
9. “Make Me Proud” feat. Nicki Minaj 8/10
10. “Lord Knows” feat. Rick Ross 6/10
11. “Cameras” / “Good Ones Go Interlude” 7/10
12. “Doing It Wrong” 8/10
13. “The Real Her” feat. Lil Wayne & André 3000 6/10
14. “HYFR (Hell Ya Fu**in’ Right)” feat. Lil Wayne 7/10
15. “Look What You’ve Done” 6/10
16. “Practice” 8/10
17. “The Ride” 6/10


The Verdict:


Drake is unlikely to win any new fans with Take Care, his sophomore album following the pattern established by Thank Me Later. There is, however, evidence of artistic progression, making the album a definite improvement on his disappointing debut. Supporters of Drake will be delighted with this new collection, whereas his detractors will find plenty to support their opinions.


7/10