MID-YEAR TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2014

It is already the midpoint of 2014, and that means it's time to list the top ten albums of the year so far. This list, as with all the lists, is not at all based on the scores the albums got in reviews, but is more based on replay value and my overall enjoyment of the album.

10. Future- Honest

 

Future really hit the mark on Honest. The album is full of really catchy hooks, banging instrumentals, and endless energy. This is mainstream pop rap done right.

9. Rick Ross- Mastermind



Rick Ross came back with a great new album, Mastermind. This album excelled with its luxurious, rich production combined with Ross's gruff delivery. The features helped this album a lot too, bringing some variety to it.

8. Ab-Soul- These Days



While I will get more into this album in its upcoming review, I can say that Ab-Soul dropped a great project. Its variety is incredible and the album is extremely ambitious.

7. Sean Leon- Narcissus, the Drowning of Ego



A project that came out of nowhere for me, Sean Leon impressed me on many levels with this album. His very abstract rapping style was solid, and this production was just dark, sinister, and haunting. I loved the vibe of this album.

6. Step Brothers- Lord Steppington



The first album I reviewed all year, Lord Steppington was able to stay in the top 10. This album showed what hip-hop is all about, with grimy, hard production from The Alchemist and awesome rapping from Evidence, Alchemist, and all the features.

5. Isaiah Rashad- Cilvia Demo



Isaiah Rashad's TDE debut was absolutely fantastic, and this guy has such a bright future. I loved the contrast of this project, with Rashad spitting ferociously over some relaxing, chill beats. This album also featured great hooks, which made it really catchy.

4. Ugly Frank- Bobby Hill



Ugly Frank showed on this project why he is my favorite member of ILLFIGHTYOU. Incredible production from Khris P set the stage for Frank to do his thing, and he did it. This guy showed himself as a fun, crazy, and unpredictable MC.

3. Schoolboy Q- Oxymoron



The long awaited album from Schoolboy Q may have actually lived up to its massive expectations. Q killed it on all fronts with Oxymoron, as the album was energetic and wild, but also shed light on Schoolboy Q's tough personal problems with drugs.

2. YG- My Krazy Life



The surprise album of the year for me, YG came out of complete oblivion to drop one of the most memorable rap albums I have heard in recent years. YG told his story of gangbanging in Compton through the music. The beats went hard, the hooks were catchy, and the features were great on My Krazy Life.

1. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Piñata



The undisputed #1 for me, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib have held down this spot and it will be tough to knock them out. Freddie Gibbs sounded extremely focused, and Madlib's smooth, soulful beats were just amazing. I have no complaints with this album, these two were just a perfect match.

5 Most Anticipated Albums for 2014

Kendrick Lamar's New Album
Jay Rock's New Album
Lil Wayne- Tha Carter V
Joey Bada$$- B4.DA.$$
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire- The Marvelous Mind of Mr. Muthafuck

Riff Raff- Neon Icon ALBUM REVIEW

Riff Raff is a pretty wild dude. Just look at him. Look at that album cover. How could I not put up a review on this guy? To be honest, I love Riff Raff. He is hilarious, entertaining, and best of all, he doesn't take himself too seriously. I was anticipating this album a lot and how, finally, Riff Raff has blessed us with his debut studio project, Neon Icon. What will Riff Raff do with this new album?

The production on this album was pretty interesting, and it can only be described as a completely mixed bag. When I first saw the tracklist, some of the production credits caught my eye first. Diplo, Harry Fraud, Mac Miller, and DJ Mustard are doing beats on this album, along with others. There were influences was all different genres on this project. I heard old-school boom bap, atmospheric stuff, country, and rock on this album. Right from the get go, the first track, Introducing the Icon, had a very simple, but absolutely awesome beat. This sounded like some late 80s West Coast stuff, and it just went so hard. There were a good amount of spacey, atmospheric beats on this album too. The instrumental for Versace Python was really dreamy and beautiful. This beat sounded epic. The beat Harry Fraud put together on Lava Glaciers was really dense, layered, and complex. I enjoyed that one as well. Mac Miller's production came on the song Aquaberry Dolphin, which he was also featured rapping on. This beat was led by some eerie piano keys, and occasionally, a sound clip of a dolphin noise. It was weird, but it really worked. Finally, the song How to Be the Man had the classic DJ Mustard sound, which you can never complain about. There were some lamer, more corny instrumentals here, though. Wetter than Tsunami's beat was really corny, and I just got more sick and tired of it as it went on. The country beat for the song Time got pretty old, as did the rock-inspired sound Diplo had on Kokayne. For the most part, though, these beats were imaginative and interesting. I enjoyed their variety.

As for Riff Raff, he was really entertaining on this album, for good and bad reasons. This guy's flow isn't complex at all, and he really is just joking around when he steps in the booth. On a lot of songs here, though, I am quite impressed with Riff Raff's bars. The first song, Introducing the Icon, featured one verse that went on through the whole song, and it was awesome. He had so much energy on this song, and his lyrics were unforgettable. I don't know how this guy thinks of some of these lines, but they are amazing. Riff Raff also puts together some solid hooks on this album. His hook on Tip Toe Wing in my Jawdinz was awesome and catchy, and I actually found his country-style hook on Time. It sounded hilarious and was great to listen to. The best hook on Neon Icon, though, was How to Be the Man. I've had this stuck in my head since I first heard it, and I can legitimately imagine this taking over the radio. On the other hand, some of these tracks are just unforgivably terrible. Kokayne was a ridiculous, corny, rock rip off, and I had no idea what he was going for. Maybe You Love Me was a totally boring radio song that came from a guy who is anything but boring.The last track, VIP Pass to My Heart, was an awful disco sounding song. It was repetitive, boring, and just really bad overall.  The features on this album were pretty good, for the most part. I liked Childish Gambino's verse on Lava Glaciers, as it was nothing new for him: memorable punchlines and a great flow. Mac Miller sounded good on Aquaberry Dolphin, spitting over his own production and sounding very comfortable. There were two guest singers on this album for hooks, and one of them I loved, the other I absolutely hated. Amber Coleman provided a great hook on Cool It Down, and her singing sounded fantastic. Mike Posner on Maybe You Love Me, though, was another story. His hook sounded like any generic, lovey hook you can hear on the radio. I hated the way he was singing. Overall, Riff Raff was constant entertainment on Neon Icon, as he had hilarious lines all over the album and some great hooks. Even though some tracks were horrible, Riff Raff still succeeded on many fronts with this album.

NEON ICON WRAP UP
+Some seriously entertaining and memorable tracks
+Riff Raff was hilarious as a rapper
+A few of these hooks had me seriously bopping my head
+Solid production, a lot of variety
-Three absolutely awful, unforgivable songs
-Some of these song ideas made no sense

Best: Introducing the Icon, Aquaberry Dolphin, How to Be the Man

Worst: VIP Pass to my Heart

Riff Raff- Neon Icon
7.3/10

50 Cent- Animal Ambition ALBUM REVIEW

Today's review is on 50 Cent's new album, Animal Ambition. I have been pumped for this album all year, and for good reason. 50 Cent is one of my favorite rappers of all time. A few of his albums are classics to me, and some of his older songs have such fantastic replay value that they still sound great today. 50 has not released a studio album since 2009, so I was very excited to hear this. I wasn't excited because I thought it would be amazing, but more so because i just want some new music from 50 Cent. How will this new project sound?

After several listens to this new album, I can say I am pretty happy with it. As a comeback album, a lot of things about Animal Ambition just work. Some of the elements that made 50 so great years ago return on this project, including catchy hooks and tough lyricism. While 50 Cent is obviously not the musical genius he was a decade ago, he crafts some seriously good tracks on this album. As a technical rapper, 50 has great flow and his best attribute is delivery. This guy commands attention right when his verse starts. Lyrically, his punchlines are as strong as ever, and the toughness is there. While all that is nice, it is the hooks that 50 is amazing at. This album has a whole lot of infectious hooks. The best hooks on this album, to me, are Pilot, Every Time I Come Around, Irregular Heartbeat, and Hustler. These tracks have hard hitting, catchy hooks that I love. This album does have two songs that really do sound like old 50. Irregular Heartbeat was the first one, and this was easily the darkest song on the album. It has a quiet, sinister tone to it that I really like. Hustler is a much more upbeat song, with its fantastic hook and hard verses. These were definitely my two favorites on this project, and they were pretty nostalgic. This album was not without some bad moments, though. There are some moments where 50 just sounds a little old and uncomfortable. There were also two songs that were unbearable. Don't Worry Bout It was a cringe worthy track with 50 really not in his element at all. Winners Circle was a horrible track that was too corny for words.   As for features, Animal Ambition has a lot, but they don't ruin the album in any way. Trey Songz brought a lot to the song Smoke, adding a nice hook. He was what made me end up liking that song. Kidd Kidd appears on three songs here, and I was pleasantly surprised by him. He was solid on all his verses, especially on Irregular Heartbeat. The album closer, Chase the Paper, was an awesome posse cut with Prodigy, Styles P, and Kidd Kidd. Everyone killed it, and it was good to hear some of these guys spitting with 50. Overall, 50 has some great nostalgic moments on this album, as well as some fantastic hooks. Even with some bad moments, 50 did an admirable job with Animal Ambition.

The production on Animal Ambition was by no means stellar or great, but much like 50 Cent himself, it just works. There weren't any beats on this album that blew me away, but almost all of them were just good. I wouldn't have asked for anything else. For example, the first track, Hold On. This beat didn't have much going on, with only some little guitar plinks and soft drums. It really works, though. I loved the way 50 rapped over it, and it gave the track a cool, relaxed vibe. Irregular Heartbeat had a totally different vibe, but the beat works in the same way. Very minimalistic, with not many sounds going on in the song. It was really just some eerie synths and percussion. It enhances the vibe of the song so much, though. I loved this beat, and it worked perfectly on the song. Some beats on Animal Ambition have a bit more going on in them, like Hustler. This Jake One beat sounded great, and it didn't even feature anything new or different in it. The drums sounded good, and the synths flowing all over the track gave it a cool vibe. I absolutely loved the instrumental for the song Pilot, too. This beat was very moody, and gave off an awesome vibe. It was a pure head-bopper. There are very few beats on this album that I feel don't work, and 50 Cent sounds totally comfortable over a lot of them. While some beats really pale in comparison to others, I didn't have much of a problem with the production on Animal Ambition. It was tailored well for 50 Cent.

ANIMAL AMBITION WRAP UP
+50 still sounds great, especially on hooks
+Some nostalgic moments
+Production works perfectly for 50 Cent's rapping
+Great features
-Two terrible songs
-Some of the beats are a bit boring and average

Best: Pilot, Irregular Heartbeat, Hustler

Worst: Winners Circle

50 Cent- Animal Ambition
7.4/10

Blu- Good To Be Home ALBUM REVIEW

Today, I am bringing you a review of Blu's new album, Good To Be Home. I am an avid fan of Blu, and I feel he is one of the most talented underground rappers currently in the West Coast. His 2007 album Below the Heavens is a modern day classic, and while he hasn't done much since then, I have never doubted this guy's rapping ability. How will this new double album turn out?

Starting with the production, all of it is handled by Bombay, and it is pretty good throughout the album's 20 tracks. A lot of the beats on this album can be classified as old school West Coast instrumentals. Soul samples, synthesizers, and female vocal cuts make up the production here. These beats mesh pretty well with Blu's rapping, and I think Bombay and Blu have good chemistry in the booth. My favorite instrumentals on this album are the ones that take a single vocal sample, and repeat it throughout the track. This style works best on the tracks Home, The LA, Well Fare, He Man, and Can't Stop Won't Stop. While I love those the most, some other beats on the album really impressed me too. The Return has an awesome beat, with some terrific high-pitched synths flowing all over the song. The instrumental for the track Summer Time was very relaxing, peaceful, and happy. it was just a beat that gave off a very positive vibe. I can't really complain about any of the beats themselves, but there is one thing I don't like on Good To Be Home. Sometimes, the low-fi sound of the album gets a bit annoying. There are times when I just wish the quality was a bit better. This is a small complaint, though, and I loved this album from a production standpoint. It is a nice, nostalgic, West Coast sounding album.

Now, its time to talk about Blu. I expected a lot from Blu coming into this album, and I got a lot. I really don't think anyone is arguing this guy's rapping ability, as he is just a pure spitter. Great flow, effortless delivery, and solid lyricism are all things that Blu has to offer as an MC. Blu does not have one bad verse on this entire album. He pretty much sounds comfortable on every beat, and he changes up his flow constantly. There are a good handful of great solo songs on this album. First and foremost, The Return. This was a fantastic track. Blu rips the beat with some great introspective verses, the hook is catchy, and when the soulful bridge is sung, the track becomes insane. This was one of my favorite songs of the year and easily the best on the album. He Man is a good love song that definitely has a distinct vibe to it. I also enjoyed West, The 50z, Dre Day, and Child Support. To be honest, I wish I had a few more solo songs like this from Blu. This album has too many features on it. I felt some of these songs would've been better off with just Blu  instead of random West Coast underground rappers. Songs like Summer Time, Red and Gold, The LA, and Brown Sugar probably would have sounded better to me if it was just Blu. There are some feature tracks, though, that I absolutely loved. Well Fare, which had Thurz and Casey Veggies on it, was solid, and I have never heard Casey Veggies rap that well on a song. The song Bobby Brown was fantastic, as I have listened to it a good amount of times and I still can't decide who has the best verse. It just sounds like a classic cypher style song where everyone killed it. The song Can't Stop Won't Stop was a monster, with eight verses in total. The song is worth listening to as a whole, and there wasn't one bad verse on it. The standouts to me were Evidence, Tristate, and Chace Infinite. Overall, Blu was extremely consistent and came through with some great solo tracks, but I wish the features were cut down a little bit, because there were just too many, and I got a little bored, especially on such a long album.

GOOD TO BE HOME WRAP UP
+Blu is a ridiculously talented MC, didn't have one bad verse on the whole album
+Some very good solo tracks
+Nice old school production from Bombay
+A few very good feature verses from West Coast MCs
-Low-fi sound ruins some songs
-Very long album with not much variety
-I wish some tracks had just Blu instead of features

Best: The Return, Bobby Brown, Can't Stop Won't Stop

Worst: Whip Creme

Blu- Good to be Home
7.8/10