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.

 

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.

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

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

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 

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.