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

Boldy James- My 1st Chemistry Set ALBUM REVIEW

It's time for a new album review, and yep, another Alchemist review. He is just such an awesome producer, I actually do have to check out pretty much everything he does. He was the only reason I listened to the Durag Dynasty album, and that is still in heavy rotation. I have never listened to Boldy James, but I am still excited for this because of Alchemist and the feature list alone. Will this album have the same impact of other Alchemist projects from this year?

The intro to the album, Bold, features the classic Alchemist sound: old school melody, but with a new twist put on it. This beat sounds pretty good. Boldy James flows nicely on it, but doesn't really say anything profound. I do like the hook on this song, though. This song was alright, but the best thing about it was the beat. The next song, Consideration, has a tough, grimy instrumental. Once again, Alchemist puts a modern twist on this one, and it sounds great. Boldy James is once again not that impressive, but he is definitely not terrible. His lyrics stood out a little more on this song, though. This song was a slight improvement over the intro. The third song, Moochie, sounds much better and more focused than the first two right from the start. This beat is just awesome, one of my favorite Alchemist beats this year, probably. Boldy also sounds way better here, stepping his flow up quite a bit. He also had way more quotables on this song. Everything about this song sounded great to me. Traction is the next song, and this one features Action Bronson. The production here sounds more upbeat, but still pretty good. Bronson and Boldy sound great here, and I love how they go back and forth with short verses. Neither of them sound way better than the others, and they both deliver some nice lines. Action Bronson sounds great as usual. The guy really never spits a weak verse. The hook here wasn't that good, but it didn't matter because I loved the rapping here.

The next song, You Know, has some cool, relaxing production, with some good sampling from The Alchemist. I really like this beat a lot. Boldy James still hasn't really changed up his flow on the album, and that continues on this song, but it doesn't sound bad. The hook here was just alright. Aside from the beat, this song didn't deliver much. The next song is Surprise Party, and this one has some awesome production. The darker beats on this album definitely sound great. Boldy also sounds a more aggressive here, and he really sounds good when he puts a little more toughness into his delivery. The hook here is also pretty good. King Chip delivers a pretty solid verse, as his flow was really on point. Freeway probably had the best verse here, from his delivery alone, which sounded perfect on this beat. This song was really, really good, and I loved it.  What's the Word was next, and this featured some piano-heavy production, which sounded lavish and professional. Boldy still hasn't changed anything up with his rapping, but I still can't say its bad just from the beat alone. I did like the hook here, though. Rappies, the next song, sounded good, but at this point, the production is getting a little repetitive. This is another upbeat instrumental that made me think the Alchemist was getting a little lazy here. From a rapping standpoint, Boldy sounds exactly the same. The guest verses weren't much better, as they didn't really do much to impress me. This song was just okay. Cobo Hall was a needed change of pace, as the beat was pretty tough and hard hitting. Boldy sounded more aggressive again, and I liked it a lot. The hook was also pretty nice. This song was pretty solid, and one of my favorite beats on the album.

The next song, Give Me a Reason, had another dark beat, and this one was just sick. The whole vibe of this instrumental was so dark and understated, it almost had a creepy vibe to it, which I loved. Boldy James delivers another nice verse here, with some nice lines and a better flow. While the hook was pretty good, the highlight of this song is Vince Staples. This guy is killing it this year with the verse on Doris and his mixtape with Mac Miller. He only continues that on this song, as he totally murders it on this song. His delivery is just flawless, and he flows with ease. I also loved his lines on this verse. His verse alone made this song fantastic. I have no complaints with this song, it was awesome. 400 Thousand, the next song, had the oddest instrumental by far, as there are so many things going on here. Alchemist makes it work, but it doesn't sound as good as others on this album. Boldy continues his solid rapping here, as he flows surprisingly well over the unorthodox beat. I wasn't feeling the hook that much, but this song was by no means bad. Reform School was the next song, and this was another sick beat. It was just an epic beat that could not have been anyone but the Alchemist. Boldy James flows nicely again here, but still hasn't changed his flow at all on the album. He sounded good, though. Domo Genesis delivers a pretty good hook that I enjoyed, Earl Sweatshirt totally raps everyone under the table here, with a sick verse. It was a classic Earl verse, with complex lyricism with a flow that just fits so well on a dark beat like this. Dash also has a pretty good verse to finish the song off. Everyone sounded great on this song, and Earl's verse makes this a standout. The last song, KY Jellybeans, comes in with the more dark sound that I like from Alchemist. The beat hits hard and sounds pretty good. Boldy also stepped up his lyricism on this song, which I liked. This song didn't really have anything else to make it stand out, though. It was kind of an anti-climactic closer because of how good the end of the album was.

MY 1ST CHEMISTRY SET WRAP UP
+Not one bad instrumental, Alchemist is still killing it in 2013
+Boldy has a classic, grimy, Detroit delivery and voice
+Really good feature verses (Vince Staples, Earl Sweatshirt were fantastic)
+Some dark beats that sound awesome
+Album starts and ends really nicely
-Beats get repetitive in the middle
-Boldy James doesn't really change his flow at all
-Some lazy hooks

Best: Reform School, Give Me a Reason, Moochie

Worst: Rappies

Boldy James- My 1st Chemistry Set
8.0/10

Pusha T- My Name is My Name ALBUM REVIEW

I think everyone can agree with me when I say Pusha T is just undeniably dope. This guy has universal respect from everyone in the rap game and for good reason. His older stuff with Clipse was just classic and he has put together a pretty solid solo career so far. Pusha T is also a sick lyricist and just raps in such a unique way. This was definitely one of my most anticipated albums for this year, as I have always been a fan of this guy. Did this disappoint me after such a long wait, or did Pusha deliver?

Starting this album off was the song King Push, and damn, this was a perfect way to start the album. The beat is epic, cinematic, and even includes some Yeezus samples, courtesy of Kanye. Pusha T sounds like a boss here, with clever lyrics and an angry persona. This song was awesome, and a great intro. The next song was the first single from the album, Numbers on the Boards. This song is such a sick banger I feel like I don't even have to talk about it. The ridiculous beat sets off this song, and Pusha brings more tough talking, hard bars. I love it. I have to say this is one of the best instrumentals I have heard this year as well. The third song is called Sweet Serenade, and I was fearing this one a little because of how much Chris Brown annoys me, but his hook was actually pretty catchy and understated. It sounded really good, surprisingly. Pusha had some really nice lines here, as well. I didn't love the beat, but Pusha more than made up for it. The next song was Hold On featuring Rick Ross, but the first thing you hear on this track is an auto-tuned vocal from Kanye West, which went on throughout the song and sounded really good. Pusha was very lyrical once again, and I liked his verse. Rick Ross actually delivered one of the best verses I've ever heard him spit, as I even think he outrapped Pusha here. Even though this song went on a little too long, it was still very good. The next song was called Suicide, and this one really had some quirky, unique production that reminded me of Pusha's Clipse days. He spit really nicely on this track, and he sounded really comfortable on the beat. The hook was also very nice and catchy. I also enjoyed Ab-Liva's verse on the song, as he had a pretty solid flow and some nice lines.

After those first five really good songs, My Name is My Name went a little downhill. 40 Acres featured a pretty cool, dark beat and a nice hook from The Dream, but it is all just too long too be intresting and nothing really stands out here, even Pusha's verses. No Regrets was another forgettable song, with a beat I wasn't really liking that much and a really bad hook. This song sounded rushed kind of thrown together. I didn't like it much at all. Pusha sounded average at best on this song, and I have never been much of a Jeezy fan. Let Me Love You was next, and this was actually even worse. Kelly Rowland gave a really average, generic hook, and this song probably had Pusha's worst rapping moments on the album, as he just sounded bored and uninterested here. I wasn't feeling this at all.

Luckily, the album really picked back up near the end. This started with Who I Am, which featured Big Sean and 2 Chainz. I really enjoyed this song. Pusha returned to a more aggressive style, sounding really good on the hook and his verse. 2 Chainz was hilarious as always, and I loved his contribution to the song. Big Sean wasn't horrible, but still pretty bad, which was expected. Even that didn't stop this song from being awesome, and I really liked it. Nosetalgia was the next song, and this track was spectacular. The beat was perfect for Pusha's tough-talking rapping style on the song. His lyrics were also on point, with some sick lines and an awesome verse overall. Kendrick Lamar goes next, and he sounded hungry as hell here, rapping aggressively and with lots of passion as he tells the story in his verse. This song was a banger and one of the best songs I've heard all year. Pain was the next song, and Future sounded pretty good on this hook, as he fit nicely over the beat. This beat was pretty generic and nothing special, but it was also perfect for Pusha T. He was usual Pusha here, and he sounded really good rapping here. This song was very solid and I have no complaints for it. S.N.I.T.C.H. was the last song on this album, and it closed out the album perfectly. Pharrell supplied a very catchy and dark hook here, and it was fantastic. Pusha sounded really nice spitting over a classic Pharrell beat, with memorable lines and a flawless flow. This song was epic and a fitting cloer for My Name is My Name.

MY NAME IS MY NAME WRAP UP
+Pusha T is a nearly flawless MC, with sick lyricism all the way through
+He has terrific flow and a voice made for rapping
+The album featured three of the best rap songs I have heard all year, no question
+Some really good beats
+Good features, for the most part
-There didn't have to be a feature on nearly every song, though
-Some awful songs in the middle of the album

Best: King Push, Numbers on the Boards, Nosetalgia

Worst: Let Me Love You

Pusha T- My Name is My Name
8.7/10