Hopsin- Knock Madness ALBUM REVIEW

Today, I'm reviewing Hopsin's highly anticipated new album, Knock Madness. Hopsin is definitely one of the most polarizing artists in hip hop. He has many dedicated, obsessive fans, and also many people who just hate his guts. I feel like one of the only people in the middle. I think this guy is very creative, honest, and brings something different to hip hop. At the same time, Hopsin is corny, and I believe he has gotten lots of recognition just by dissing artists who are way better than him (Tyler, the Creator). Hopsin has been working on this album for years now, so will he put out a good finished product?

Straight from the get-go, the intro, Fiends are Knocking, was fantastic. This song had an epic, dominant vibe to it. The hook was very catchy, and got stuck in my head after multiple listens. Hopsin clearly put a lot of passion into this hook, and it sounded great. In the verses, Hopsin brought some honesty about his fanbase, talking about how long it took him to put this album out, among other things. Hopsin's lyricism was on point in this song, as usual. This song really had me believing this album would be amazing. Another song I really loved was the third one, Who's There, which featured labelmates Jarren Benton and Dizzy Wright. Jarren had the first verse, and wow. This guy renegaded the entire track with this verse. It was just a monster verse, filled with nasty lines and a rapid-fire, forceful delivery. Jarren really came through here. While Dizzy and Hopsin weren't as good, they still had nice verses. This was a pretty good song and I also liked the simple, dark production on it. Rip Your Heart Out was a really good song. What really caught me on this one was the beat. It was grimy, unique, and it definitely took influence from other genres. Hopsin was seriously spitting here, and Tech N9ne showed up for a good, entertaining verse. Oddly enough, Hop was on par with Tech during this song, making it a very impressive song, rapping-wise. Another good song was Hip Hop Sinister, which came at about the halfway point of the album. This song had some more dark production which was cool, but the real highlight was Hopsin's rapping. He is literally yelling on this song, and he sounds extremely angry. While this might sound like a gimmick, Hop pulls it off in a pretty authentic way. He had lots of memorable lines and you can definitely feel his passion on this song.

The second half of this album also brought some good songs. Good Guys Get Left Behind was actually a touching love song from Hopsin. He delivers the lyrics in a way where you can tell how emotional he is about the girl. The hook was also quite catchy here, and Hopsin's emotion was quite evident. This song also had an upbeat piano instrumental that just sounded really sentimental. Another very passionate song was Old Friend, which is better known as Ill Mind Of Hopsin 6. This was a story about Hopsin losing his best friend to crystal meth. Hop sounds extremely hurt on this song, even getting choked up during the verses as he reminisces memories with his friend. He just sounds so intense on this track, making it a very interesting listen. The hook here was great as well, as it sounded very chilling and was catchy. The beat brought the same vibes, and this whole track was just so strong and emotional. Things got more wild and fun on the song Jungle Bash, which featured SwizZz. This beat was extremely intriguing, as it seemed to combine so many different sounds to create something quite catchy and memorable. Hopsin was really good on this track, flowing effortlessly and bringing some great lines. SwizZz was just as good, using his unique voice to spit a solid verse. This hook was awesome as well. It was really catchy and set the tone for the whole song. This song was fun and a highlight, for sure. Hopsin came through with yet another passionate, emotional track on Dream Forever. This one was way more dark and simple in terms of production. Hopsin sings pretty well on the hook, and this might be my favorite hook on the whole album. It had so much emotion and sounded really smooth. This song sounded like Hopsin spent a while with it and put so much into it. The whole vibe of the song is very cold and somber, which I liked. This was just a great song overall. The closer, Caught In the Rain, was just a nice, fitting end to this album. Hopsin was very honest with his lyrics, and he really told his story with fame on this song. This song, once again, has a great hook. I liked this song overall.

Hopsin suffers from one major problem on this album: he can be horribly corny. This is pretty much the reason why I don't like half of the songs here. The second song on the album and main single, Hop Is Back, just sounded like a gimmicky disaster. Hop throws out some pointless shots towards Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, and the hook was horrible. While he does have some nice lines once in a while, this just did not appeal to me at all. Tears to Snow was just boring and uninspired, and there were much better love songs to be found later in the album. Speaking of bad love songs, Still Got Love For You was the worst of the bunch. The beat was atrociously corny, and the lyrics were more of the same stuff. The hook was the deal breaker, as Hop comes with this horribly annoying voice that just sounds extremely unappealing. Another corny track was Lunchtime Cypher. Hopsin's talking in the beginning of the song was so pointless, and I just wanted to tell him to shut up. While the beat and verses were pretty nice on this song, it drags on way too long and the track never changes up. Also, neither of the features were as good as Hopsin, and I wish he just had someone like Jarren Benton or SwizZz on this track. The songs I didn't talk about were just the same story. Either they were very, very corny like Nollie Tre Flip or Gimmie that Money, or just boring like I Need Help or What's My Purpose.

KNOCK MADNESS WRAP UP
+Hopsin is a very passionate MC who puts everything into his music
+His emotion is evident on a lot of these songs
+A variety of pretty good instrumentals, for the most part
+Some of the hooks are extremely catchy and memorable...
-...But some of the hooks are awful and not executed well at all
-Suffers from being unbearably, horribly corny at times
-Some of the songs end up sounding very similar

Best: Fiends Are Knocking, Who's There, Rip Your Heart Out

Worst: Still Got Love For You

Hopsin- Knock Madness
7.3/10

Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire- Kismet MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today, I'm going to be reviewing the new mixtape by New York underground Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire, which is titled Kismet. This guy pretty much personifies what New York hip hop is all about. He is dirty, grimy, and very raunchy. I always love Exquire when he is featured on something, but have never listened to a full project from him. I know this tape came out a few months ago, but I have been meaning to review it and now I have finally listened to it. Will Exquire deliver with this new mixtape?

The first track is called The Cauldron, and this had an incredibly interesting beat. It was very dark and atmospheric, but was balanced out by these high pitched, electronic synth sounds. It was awesome and set a dark, chilling vibe for the tape. Exquire comes in with some pretty personal lyrics which were also introspective. He sounds emotional and his flow is very smooth as well. This track didn't even have a hook; it was just Exquire spitting one memorable line after another for the whole song. It was a strong intro and really set the tone. Noble Drew Ali was the next song, and this beat was just stellar. It was unique and mixed so many different sounds together to make something awesome. Exquire brings more personality here and some really entertaining lyrics. The lyricism was definitely the standout of this song, as I loved his lines here. This song really had no weaknesses. The next song is titled I Was Drunk When I Wrote This, and it comes in with a very catchy hook that definitely got stuck in my head. The beat was once again very atmospheric and airy, but had some strong drums in there. I didn't enjoy Exquire's rapping as much on this, as he didn't sound as focused. This was still a fun, catchy song though. After a short interlude, the song Cherry Raindrops comes in, and this was a personal track about a relationship. Exquire goes into the topic with lots of interesting and memorable lyrics. Exquire sounds really passionate on this song, and you know he put a lot into it. This song undergoes an epic beat change midway through, as the song becomes more dark and abrasive, and it seems like Exquire mindstate about the girl has totally changed on this half of the song. His lyricism was still there, and he flows nicely over the beat. This song was very, very good and definitely a standout.

The end of Cherry Raindrops transitions right into the next track, Vanilla Rainbows, which comes in with a funky, old school beat that sounded great. Exquire flows perfectly over the beat, which just develops as the track goes along. By the end of the song, this beat sounds incredibly smooth. This song ran a little short, but was still memorable for how unique the beat was. Things get a lot darker on the next track, Illest Ni**az Breathin. This hook was just so infectious. It was simple, but worked perfectly over this hard hitting trap instrumental. Goldie Glo's verse was very understated, but so much so that he sounded a little weak. I wasn't feeling his verse that much. Exquire comes in and steals the show, though. He delivers an awesome verse with some of my favorite lines of the whole mixtape. His flow was extremely on point as well. The next track, Chains, had an interesting idea, and its strongest asset is the lyricism. I wasn't feeling the beat that much, though. I definitely like Exquire more over dark beats rather then smooth, upbeat ones like this. Heron had the second verse here, and he had some good lines, but not much else. This song just didn't hit as hard as the others on this mixtape. The next song is called Hoes I Don't Remember. Exquire definitely delivers lyrics about the title of the song. He was extremely entertaining here, and the beat was great, as it was very relaxing but became more energetic during the hook. It was a perfect balance. I loved Exquire on this song, especially in the end when he just starting naming off, literally the hoes he doesn't remember. This song was just so memorable and Exquire was amazing on it.

The next song is a monster posse cut titled Tomorrow's Gone. This song features Danny Brown, Nacho Picasso, and Flatbush Zombies. This beat was just fantastic. It was extremely sinister and dark, and perfectly tailored for Exquire. He came in and delivered a sick verse. He had so many quotables in this verse and his flow as perfect on it. Danny Brown then came in and killed it with his eccentric delivery and rapid-fire flow. He also had some hilarious lines in his verse. After Danny's fast verse, Nacho Picasso comes in with a very slow flow that works extremely well on the song. You get to hear all his awesome lines here. He also has a very cool voice, and he just sounded terrific. Flatbush Zombies killed it as well, as Meech, Erick, and Juice all bring their own flavor into the song with some hard-hitting, short verses. This song was awesome, and I have no complaints about it. It might be one of the best posse cuts I've ever heard. The next song Orbz, was much slower and relaxed. Exquire used a more eccentric, weird delivery here, and it sounded great. He is definitely a creative rapper, and you can tell just by the way he says the words on this song. Exquire flowed over a beautiful, airy instrumental. The next song was a one-minute song called Never Running Again. This track was fantastic, and I really wish it was long. This was one of the best beats on the album and he rapped with serious skills here. He sounded passionate and his lyrics hit so hard here. This song had no flaws besides its length. The final song on this mixtape is called Paper Hearts, and this came in as a huge change of pace from the rest of the tape. The production was soulful, happy, and upbeat. This beat was just created so perfectly, as the soul sample and booming drums were mixed flawlessly. It is seriously one of the best beats I've heard in a while. Exquire flows a lot faster over this, and he sounds amazing.  His flow was pretty much perfect and he also had some seriously personal lyrics. This song gets even better with the sick beat change in the middle. The hook here was also seriously catchy, and it had a positive message. This mixtape couldn't have closed out any better.

KISMET WRAP UP
+Exquire somehow combines grimy, street rap with intelligent, smart rap
+He is an amazing lyricist
+He is definitely one of the most creative rappers out right now
+Stellar production, very atmospheric and smooth
+Some terrific song ideas
+Great hooks and song structure

Best- Noble Drew Ali, Tomorrow's Gone, Paper Hearts

Worst- Chains

Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire- Kismet
9.6/10

Vic Mensa- Innanetape MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today, I'm reviewing the new mixtape by Vic Mensa, titled Innanetape. Vic Mensa is a young Chicago rapper and former member of Kids These Days. This is my first time listening to a full length project from Vic, but I did love his feature on Acid Rap by Chance the Rapper. Will Vic's new mixtape make him one of my favorite underground rappers?

The first song is titled Welcome to INNANET, and this song comes in with some very hard-hitting drums under a smooth, relaxing beat. Vic flows in many different ways here, as he goes from slow to fast and back to slow pretty fast. I can see he has tons of technical skill. As he combines this with some interesting lyrics, Vic becomes an awesome rapper to listen to on this song. This intro hit hard and was definitely a solid song to start this project off. This song transitions right into the second track, Orange Soda. This instrumental was definitely more laid-back and calm. The hook is catchy and Vic shows that  he can really sing. He goes into the verses with some aggression and he has plenty of great lines. This song was stuck in my head, and an impressive piece of work because of how unique it is. Things get more poppy on Lovely Day, as this song was happy and upbeat. Vic continues to constantly change up the way he raps. It makes him such distinct MC. The hook, while very generic, is very catchy and fun to listen to. This was another very impressive song to start off the mixtape. Fellow Chicago artist Chance the Rapper joins Vic on the next song, Tweakin. This was a pretty sick beat, as it was more of a traditional hip-hop beat. I loved the hook on this song, as well as Vic's very quotable verses. The highlight was definitely Chance, though. His verse was filled with personality and charisma. his lyrics were memorable and it was just a great verse. This song was terrific, and definitely a standout.

The next song, Magic, was quite average. It just did not resonate with me the way the first song did. I didn't love the instrumental and the hook was just okay, though he did sing well again. The mixtape went back to being great on the next song Time is Money. The airy, relaxing instrumental sounded great, as Vic flowed over it with perfection. His lyrics on this song were more personal, and they were compelling to listen to. I was extremely impressed with how lyrical Vic was on this song. The hook here was also great. It was simplistic, but it just worked and had a great message. On the third verse, Rockie Fresh comes in and kills it, as he provides a nice contrast to Vic. He delivered the verse with such confidence and delivery, and it sounded terrific. This song was really good and I have no complaints with it. YNSP was next, and I did not like this song nearly as much as others. The hook just sounded hastily thrown together, and I didn't like it too much. This song may have been a little too happy for me, and it was not executed as well as others. This song does get a pass for hte female vocalist, as she sounded fantastic, and was the best part of the song. This track goes right into the next one, Hollywood LA. Another happy song, this one was very relaxed, but I just didn't love it. The beat was nothing special, and Vic sounded a little more generic on these verses. His lyrics were pretty good, but not enough to save this song. The only great part of this song was the bridge before the hook, which sounded nice. Still, this song was average.

The next song, Holy Holy, came in with a soft, minimalistic beat that I liked a lot. Vic had some nice, introspective rhymes on this song, reminding me how good of a rapper he really is. The beat became really good on the hook, which sounded serene and beautiful. Ab-Soul has a verse on this song, which was a very personal one about his passed girlfriend. You could really feel the emotion in his voice, and it was a pretty good verse. This song was another standout, and it was a great listen. After this song, I  felt that the mixtape became lackluster and forgettable. The song Fear and Doubt just felt awkward, as I didn't like the beat or the verses by Vic and Joey Purp.  The hook was so poppy and I wasn't feeling it at all. There was nearly nothing I liked about this song, aside from Joey Purp's verse, which was actually better than Vic's. Yap Yap was just not interesting at all, featuring another lazy hook and verses I wasn't liking too much. This song was honestly just boring. Run was the next one, and it was probably the most experimental on the mixtape, but it just came off sounding weird and forced. I appreciate what they were trying to do with this song, but I didn't like it at all. The closer was called That Ni**a, and this one was way better than the three songs before it, but still not that great. I liked how personal Vic was with the lyrics, but that was about it. The beat was mediocre and the hook was lazy again. This was an uneventful closer to this mixtape.

INNANETAPE WRAP UP
+Vic is a very creative MC, with many different flows and styles
+Some very interesting, unique beats
+Unlike anything I've heard in a while
+He can definitely sing, and has some very well executed hooks
+Great features
-Some really bad songs
-On a lot of tracks, he doesn't say much lyrically
-Inconsistent

Best: Orange Soda, Lovely Day, Time Is Money

Worst: Fear and Doubt

Vic Mensa- Innanetape
7.6/10

ILLFIGHTYOU- ILLFIGHTYOU MIXTAPE REVIEW

It's amazing how important the internet is in hip-hop these days. The internet has helped me find underground artists that I would have never heard of otherwise, such as Joey Bada$$, ASAP Rocky, and Odd Future. Today I'm reviewing a project that someone called the best album of the year on a forum. After seeing that, I had to give it a listen. Will this album from Washington rap trio ILLFIGHTYOU live up to other great internet releases?

Let me start off by saying these guys can RAP. From a technical rapping standpoint, each of these three guys have everything I look for. Their flow is constantly changing up, their delivery is very solid, and they just sound very comfortable over the beat. While at first, I had trouble figuring out who was who, I was able to tell them apart after more listens. Evergreenone might be my favorite of the group, as he has an awesome voice and he had lots of sick lines throughout the album. Khris P has an odd voice, but his delivery is great, as he has a lot of energy when rapping. You can tell he's having fun. Ugly Frank might have the best flow, as he always changes it up and can rap over pretty much any beat. Lyrically, these guys aren't amazing, as they just rap about the usual stuff. They do have plenty of good quotables, though, sometimes making some pretty obscure references. These guys sound best on a track with no hook, just straight rapping, kind of like a cypher. The song Brooklyn definitely has this, as all three of them kill it. The songs Bandaid and '92 follow a similar formula, and it is just so much fun to listen to. They can seriously spit. These guys also can put together a pretty good, catchy hook sometimes, like on the songs DDT and Gertrude.

While the rapping is very high-level on this album, I think this album really shines instrumentally. There is just so much variety here, as the beats just cross all territories. Most of them feature weird, unorthodox sounds, but they are mixed so well that it sounds catchy. One of my favorites is definitely the song Midnight. The beat is dark, but very upbeat at the same time. It is just so well made and sounds very smooth. Massacre has a ridiculously good beat as well. It is very catchy and my head was bopping throughout the song. The drums were really crisp and the vocal sample was looped flawlessly. Once the hook comes in, horns are brought into the beat and it sounds perfect. The first song, Ding, also had an awesome instrumental, with huge drum booms going through the song. It is an unorthodox beat, but it sounds fantastic. I really can't complain about a single beat on this album.

ILLFIGHTYOU WRAP UP
+All three of them are very skilled rappers
+They really know how to flow over a beat
+Very creative instrumentals
+Lots of variety with beats and the way they rap
+The chemistry is there, you can tell they're just having fun making music

Best: Brooklyn, '92, Massacre

Worst: Renegade

ILLFIGHTYOU- ILLFIGHTYOU
9.4/10

Eminem- Marshall Mathers LP 2 ALBUM REVIEW

It's time to finally review one of my most anticipated projects of this entire year, Eminem's new album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Eminem is one of my favorite rappers of all time for multiple reasons. He is one of the best lyricists ever, his technical rapping ability is unmatched, and the guy has never had a problem expressing his personality. I have liked almost all of his albums, but his worst was definitely 2010's Recovery. Since that album, Em literally hasn't done anything that impressed me. Nonetheless, I was still excited for this, partly because he is actually making this album a sequel to The Marshall Mathers LP, arguably his best and most celebrated album. Will this hip-hop legend come back with a dynamic sequel?

To be honest, there just weren't that many songs on this album I thought were really good. While there weren't many terrible songs, there were not many great ones either. On almost every song on MMLP2, there is just one thing that makes the song bad. Whether it be the beat, Em's rapping style, a hook, Eminem just couldn't put it all together on almost every song here. I say "almost" because there was one song where everything came together to make an incredible song. That song is the first track on this album, Bad Guy. This song was amazing. Starting with the beat, even though it wasn't very intricate or layered, it really worked great on this song. The hook on this track is also very impressive, as it gives off a very cool vibe that was a nice change of pace from Eminem's verses. Speaking of the verses, they are really the highlight of the song. Bad Guy is actually a sequel to the classic Eminem song "Stan". This time, the song is from the point of view of Stan's now grown up brother, Matthew. Eminem tells the story perfectly, showing he still has this skill. I love so many of the lines of the song. It is just a very interesting listen. Eminem really showed some of the stuff this song that makes him one of the best ever. This song was fantastic. No other songs on MMLP2 even touch this, but there are other songs that are very good. So Much Better was a pretty solid song with a nice hook and more nice lyricism from Em. Rap God was another song that I really enjoyed. Em goes so hard on this song, as his flow is just ridiculous, and he drops some insane quotables. Brainless actually had a pretty good beat, and Em delivered the hook on the song very well. The last one I really liked was actually the last song, Evil Twin. Eminem talks about the Slim Shady alter ego on this, and his lyricism was on point. This song also had a nice, grimy instrumental.

Yes, that was actually it for songs I really liked. Like I said, there were many songs that were just alright, but could've been great if not for one flaw. On the song Rhyme or Reason, the flaw is the terribly delivered hook. On Legacy, the song is too long and Eminem's lyrics just get boring as he doesn't change anything up. Asshole was a great track until Skylar Grey's awful hook, which made the song so much worse. Berzerk was catchy and Em was pretty lyrical, but the beat was terrible and the whole song just felt thrown together and jumbled. One song I have to spend some time talking about is Love Game featuring Kendrick Lamar. This was one of the oddest listening experiences I have been through in a pretty long time. I am completely torn on this song. One one side, this song was very unique, nothing sounds like it, it's an interesting topic, and Kendrick killed it. While these things are true, there is another argument. I am extremely disappointed that this song is what came out of a studio session with Em and Kendrick. These are two of the most lyrical and technically proficent MC's of this generation. The whole song just sounds nothing like anything these two should be making. Going back to the song itself, it is not bad. Kendrick sounds awesome on the hook, and he absoloutely murders his verse, rapping with three different voices and dropping some ridiculous lines. He destroyed Eminem on this song, as Em did not sound nearly as good. I am very confused by this song, but it does sound good nonetheless.

Now it's time to talk about the songs that were just terrible, and there were a few. Near the beginning of the album, Survival was just an atrocious song. The beat was awful, and it sounded like no effort was being put into it. The hook is so badly delivered, and the girl's voice sounds so out of place. Em's verses were just so boring, and had nothing to offer. On the song Stronger than I Was, Em feels compelled to sing for five and a half minutes. It sounds really, really bad. The song gets unbearable after about a minute. The Monster featuring Rihanna is just a radio hit, and it is horrible. The song has nothing to offer, as the Em's verses are boring and the beat is just so bad. Rihanna is just annoying on the hook, making the song a lot worse. This song was absolutely terrible, and I didn't like it at all. So Far was also pretty hard to listen to. This is probably the worst beat on the album, and Em just does not sound good on the verses. This also might be the worst hook on the album, as it is just delivered so horribly.

MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2 WRAP UP
+Eminem is still very lyrical and a great storyteller when he wants to be
+His technical rapping ability is still there on some songs
+He can put together a nice, catchy hook sometimes
-Horrible production, not one good beat to be honest
-Eminem sounds unfocused throughout the album
-Just some horribly executed songs that are hard to listen to

Best: Bad Guy, Brainless, Evil Twin

Worst: Stronger Than I Was

Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP 2
6.6/10

Mac Miller- Delusional Thomas MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today, I'm reviewing Mac Miller's new mixtape, Delusional Thomas. As I said in my review of Mac Miller's new album, this guy's music has undergone a very drastic change in the past couple years. He went from fun, party tracks on his debut, Blue Slide Park, to dark underground rap on his new album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off. He has also been working with a lot more lesser-known rappers and producers. Now, Mac Miller has just randomly released this new mixtape, Delusional Thomas, which he also fully produced. Will Mac Miller continue to win me over with his new style?

The first song, Larry, opens up with disturbing audio of gunshots and kid's screams, and then flows into a very dark and eerie beat. Mac Miller raps with his voice pitched higher up, creating an alter ego character. He raps with this voice for the rest of the mixtape. The subject matter is messed up and , adding to the vibe of the song. Mac's flow was great on this song as well. This song was very memorable because of how creepy it was and how crazy the lyrics are. This continues on the next song, Halo. This beat is minimalistic and quiet. Mac continues to throw out one insane line after another here. This alone is enough to make this song awesome. His flow is also very improved on these two songs. The next song, Vertigo, comes in with a heavy, aggressive, scary beat. Mac comes in with some sinister opening lines and the whole song comes off very dark, and it sounds sick. Unfortunately, it is only a minute long, but still great. The next song is titled Bill. It starts with a minimal beat composed of drums and an eerie piano. Mac raps pretty nicely from a technical standpoint, but his lyrics weren't as memorable as the first the three tracks. Luckily, this song is saved by Earl Sweatshirt. His verse on this song was fantastic. He sounded perfect on this beat and just flowed all over it, delivering the lyrics in such an awesome way. His lyrics were very memorable, with some absolutely killer lines. This verse is actually one of the best guest verses I have heard all year. This song keeps it going with Bill spitting the last verse. He brings some great lines as well, and I really liked his voice on the beat. Earl and Bill definitely were the highlights of this song, and it was just sick. Amazing song overall.

The next song, 72, had a pretty odd beat, but Mac Miller rapped really well over it, still spitting way better than I have ever heard him before. Something about this song just wasn't as memorable as others, but it is still a very good song. The Jesuits was the next song, and this one came with a great instrumental. It was just a terrific beat for someone to rap over, and it was perfectly dark and creepy. Mac had more great lines on this song, and his flow was pretty solid. Dash spits the second verse, and while I'm not a huge Dash fan, his verse was just nasty. He was on par with Mac in terms of lyricism and his delivery was really impressive. He made this song a whole lot better. This song was another standout on this mixtape. On the next song, Dr. Thomas, the beat was just not as good as others. It sounded a little lazy and rushed. Mac also didn't rap with as much presence or energy on this song. While this isn't a bad song, there was really nothing memorable about it. Labido, the next song, was much better. The beat was very unique and interesting, but it did sound very good, one of the best on this mixtape. The instrumental alone made this song good. Mac returned to the level of spitting from earlier, with more quotables and a nice flow. This song was very, very solid. The next song was titled Melvin, and it came in with a pretty good piano beat, once the drums came in, it just formed a very good sounding instrumental. Mac stepped his flow up quite a bit on this song, rapping a little faster here. I don't know where Mac is getting all these lines from, but they are just entertaining and fun to listen to. His rapping was top-notch on this song. I have no complaints with this song other than its very short length. The last song is called Grandpa Used to Carry a Flask. This beat was fantastic, as the happy piano fuses with the dark drum sounds beautifully. Mac raps pretty well on the first verse, with some more introspective lyrics than earlier. Mac interestingly raps in his regular voice for the second verse, and it sounds incredible. It is very cool how he goes back and forth with the two personalites on this song, rapping with both his regular voice and the high voice. This song was awesome, and a very fitting closer to this mixtape.

DELUSIONAL THOMAS WRAP UP
+Awesome concept, with Mac Miller bringing out his messed-up alter ego
+The high-pitched voice definitely works and makes the songs unforgettable
+Mac's lyrics were very, very memorable
+Dark, creepy instrumentals that fit perfectly with the idea of the mixtape
+Mac Miller stepped up his technical rapping ability a whole lot
+Flawless guest verses

Best: Larry, Bill, Grandpa Used to Carry a Flask

Worst: Dr. Thomas

Mac Miller- Delusional Thomas
9.3/10

Mellowhigh- Mellowhigh ALBUM REVIEW

It is safe to say Odd Future has been killing it this year. After falling off a little bit in 2012, the collective has been dropping quality material so far in 2013. From Tyler, the Creator's Wolf to Earl Sweatshirt's Doris to huge improvement by Domo Genesis, many of the group's members have been experiencing nice success. Now, O.F. is dropping their third studio album of the year with Mellowhigh. This is basically just Mellowhype (Hodgy Beats rapping and Left Brain making beats) but with Domo Genesis as well. Will Odd Future continue their huge year with a good release from this new group?

The first song on this album , Goon'n, came in with a strong, hard hitting beat that also had a cloudy, atmospheric vibe to it. It was very interesting and is definitely one of my favorite Left Brain beats ever. Domo Genesis raps first, and he sounds hungry here, delivering a pretty great verse. Hodgy goes next, and while he was not as good as Domo, he still sounds good on this song. This track was very solid, and I think it was a good intro. The next song, Air, had a more upbeat instrumental, and I really wasn't feeling this beat that much. Domo also did not sound nearly as good as he did on Goon'n. He had some nice lines, though. The hook on this song was pretty bad as well, with Hodgy singing here. Hodgy's verse was actually okay, though. I liked his flow on this beat. I won't be going back to this song anytime soon, though. The third song, Yu, had a relaxed, subtle piano beat. Domo's hook here is infectious, catchy, and very well done. It honestly sounded fantastic. Domo also kills his verse on this song, and Hodgy followed up with a pretty good verse of his own. This song was awesome, and didn't really sound like anything O.F. has ever done. The next song, Extinguisher, had a decent instrumental that fit Domo and Hodgy's verses really well. This song was great and the hook at the end only made it better. I have no complaints with this song, it was just really good.

The next song is titled Nobody, and this one had a pretty funky beat, It sounded weird, but it was not terrible. Hodgy came in with an alright verse, but the hook was not that good here. The singing was just very monotonous and boring. Domo has another good verse, but not enough to make this song interesting to me. I didn't really like this song that much. Self-Titled is the next song, and I instantly loved this beat. It sounded so relaxed and cool, and once Hodgy started rapping, this song just became so smooth. Domo continues that with a great verse, one of the best I've head him spit in a while. He flowed so aggressively over this beat and it just sounded perfect. I also didn't mind the singing at the end of this song. This track was definitely a standout. Troublesome is the next one, and the beat here was fantastic. It was just so hazy, relaxed, and hard-hitting at the same time. I actually didn't mind Hodgy's singing once again, as it sounded nice and catchy. Domo's verse here was just sick. His flow was on point and he had some nice lines. Hodgy followed with a decent verse. This song was also very good, and I loved it. Next was Get'n Drunk, and I didn't like the beat that much on this song, as it just sounded lazy and rushed. Hodgy's verse was really solid on this song, one of his best on the album. The hook here was also pretty catchy, and I liked it a lot. Domo's verse was pretty good as well, so the only thing I didn't like was the beat. This song was definitely pretty good.

On the next song, Roofless, Hodgy Beats jumps in with a super-aggressive hook as he is just screaming. It doesn't sound terrible, though. The beat here wasn't too bad, and it fit the violent theme of the song. Domo's verse really stands out here, as he had some great quotables and his flow was once again very on point. There is not much else to say, as this song was just decent at best. Mellowhigh invites notorious weed smokers Currensy and Smoke DZA for the next track, High Life. Hodgy spits the first verse, and it was alright. It wasn't good, but wasn't terrible either. I actually liked the hook, as it had a cool, atmospheric vibe to it. Domo spits another nice verse on this song, and he definitely sounded comfortable on this beat. The beat itself was not great, but it fit the track. Smoke DZA and Currensy both had good verses, but I thought Smoke had the best verse on the whole song. He sounded awesome on this song. Currensy brought a fun, relaxed vibe, but he was just too slow for me. This song was pretty solid, and I enjoyed it. The next song, Cold World, featured a nice old school drum beat with a new twist on it. I really loved the beat here. Remy Banks flowed over it perfectly. I also liked his lyricism on this song. His guest verse was just very solid. The hook here was pretty nice. It was catchy and sounded great. After another good verse by Domo, Earl Sweatshirt comes in and spits a fantastic verse, which is no surprise to me. Earl has just been killing everything lately. He had the best verse on this song, without question. The last two songs on this album were pretty underwhelming, as Cigarillo was barely a song. It had no verses, just a hook, which wasn't even that good.  Remix was just the song Yu with an added Tyler, the Creator verse. While Tyler made the song better and his verse was awesome, I would have loved if the album ended with an actual new song.

MELLOWHIGH WRAP UP
+ Domo Genesis and Hodgy Beats spit really good verses, for the most part
+Lots of well done, catchy hooks
+Domo has improved so much, he is now such a solid rapper
+Lots of variety with the instrumentals
+Good guest spots
-Some bad singing by Hodgy Beats
-Some songs felt  rushed and thrown together

Best: Yu, Troublesome, Cold World

Worst: Air

MellowHigh
8.4/10