Vince Staples- Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today I'm reviewing the new mixtape by Vince Staples, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. Vince Staples has definitely become more well-known over the past year in the underground rap scene, and a lot of this can be attributed to his work with Earl Sweatshirt. Vince's connection with Earl, someone with a huge fanbase, has definitely helped with his increase in notoriety. Another reason for Vince's breakout is just his raw rapping skill. The guy can spit, as evidenced by feature verses, freestyles, and his mixtape that he put out last year with Mac Miller, Stolen Youth. Vince has a classic, west coast sounding voice and can flow with the best of them. With a lot more eyes on this guy than before, how will Vince's new mixtape play out?

Starting with the beats, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 features some of my favorite production out of any project i have heard this year. The beats are varied, dense, and sound very smooth. Each and every one of them sounded like they really took the time to make it sound as good as possible. A lot of the production on this mixtape is done by famed hip hop producer No I.D., and he really killed it on this collection of beats. One instrumental that he did which really stood out was on the song Locked and Loaded. This one featured a great mix of some unorthodox drums and a repeating vocal sample. It was a serious head-bopper and was also very unique. The vocal samples were something that No I.D. utilized on a few of these beats, and he did it to perfection. On the song Turn, he chops up the sample in an awesome way and makes it blend with the bass and drums. It was a fantastic beat. My other two favorite beats on this album were made by Evidence, on the songs Progressive 3 and Trunk Rattle. Progressive 3 is probably the most subtle beat on this mixtape, as it just features a very clean singing vocal going throughout, with some soft drums complimenting it. I loved the beat because it had a clear vibe to it: chilling and raw. It is a simple beat, but it really sets the tone for the mixtape being the first track. Trunk Rattle, a much more traditional beat, was very memorable. The drums were very catchy and the high-pitched piano keys just added to the vibe. The beats on Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 were fantastic, and I wouldnt complain about any of them. No I.D. and Evidence did a great job here.

Now it's time to talk about Vince Staples. This guy has consistently wowed me with his feature verses, but I honestly felt he didn't sound nearly as good on Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. This is not to say Vince did a terrible job. He had a handful of highlights on this tape, from the catchy hooks on Locked and Loaded and Trunk Rattle, the personal lyrics on Nate, and the raw emotion he had in the song Earth Science, Vince had some good moments here. There is no denying this guy's ability to rap, as he can seriously flow and has a great voice for rapping. I think Vince's voice is his strongest asset as a rapper; it is such a classic West Coast sounding voice and it doesn't really sound like anyone else. As far as lyricism goes, Vince has a pretty good line here and there, but he didn't really say much here that stuck with me. My main problem with Vince, though, is how monotonous he becomes. He really doesn't change anything up throughout this entire mixtape, and while it was only 10 tracks, it still became a little boring. While sometimes this would be fine, Vince ruins it by having absolutely no features on this mixtape. I almost couldn't handle this guy on 10 solo tracks. It got a little too dull. This tape really could have benefited by features by guys like Earl, Domo Genesis, Mac Miller, or others whom Vince has worked with in the past. I thought the lack of features hurt this project a lot. Vince's delivery also didn't sound as fiery as it usually does, and I felt Vince was a little too laid-back on this tape at times. Don't get me wrong, Vince can really spit, but I was a little dissappointed by the way he did it on this tape.

SHYNE COLDCHAIN VOL. 2 WRAP UP
+Incredible production
+Beats sounded unique and fresh
+Vince has undeniable talent on the mic
-Really could have used some rapping features
-Vince's rapping became a little monotonous

Best: Progressive 3, Trunk Rattle, Turn

Worst: Shots

Vince Staples- Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2
7.6/10

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Piñata ALBUM REVIEW

Today, I  am reviewing the new collaboration by Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs and critically acclaimed producer Madlib, Piñata. It is a massive understatement to say I have been excited for this album. I literally could not wait for it. The reason for this is pretty obvious: Gibbs is an excellent MC, Madlib is an excellent producer. Both of these guys have made a positive impact on the rap game; Gibbs has released several great projects, and Madlib, well known for his 2004 collaboration album with MF DOOM, Madvilliany, has a reputation has a creative, forward-thinking producer. Now, this dream collaboration is finally happening. Will Piñata deliver after all the anticipation?

On all 17 tracks here, Freddie Gibbs brings toughness, energy, and he just sounds like a thug. He has one of the most recognizable voices in rap because of how raspy and raw it is. He will immediately catch your ear when he starts rapping because of his awesome delivery. There is not one moment on Piñata where I feel like Freddie Gibbs is boring on the mic. This guy is an incredibly talented MC. He has many different flows that he uses, but he always manages to stay on beat, which is no easy feat considering how dense the Madlib beats are. Lyrically, Freddie Gibbs will consistently spit lines that stay in my head, and his lyrics are just so memorable. He has a lot of topical tracks on this album, with Knicks (basketball), High (weed song), Lakers (ode to Los Angeles), and Harold's (a chicken spot in his hometown). Gibbs will always have you listening hard to what he has to say. He even devotes one track, Real, to dissing Young Jeezy, in which he sounds aggressive as ever. On the song Shitsville, Gibbs goes ridiculously hard, riding the beat with ease, flowing quickly, and angrily delivering the hook. I love the way he raps on this song, and it is one of my favorites on the album.

One thing I was extremely anxious to hear on this album were the features. I can safely say that they came through on this album. Starting with Danny Brown, who is fittingly on the song High, he brings so much to the track, rapping in the upper register of his voice and flowing with insane speed. Ab-Soul fit the song Lakers perfectly, and he sounded good on that smooth production. Freddie Gibbs didn't just work with up-and-comers on Piñata, though, as hip-hop veterans Raekwon and Scarface kill it on Bomb and Broken, respectively. Gibbs has Odd Future representatives Domo Genesis and Earl Sweatshirt on the song Robes, and they both have solid verses, especially Earl, who brings his signature wordplay and laid-back flow. The most R&B influenced track here is Shame, where BJ the Chicago Kid beautifully sings the hook; this song is undeniably the smoothest on the album. Finally, a major highlight  was the monstrous posse cut, Piñata. First, I will give credit to Domo, G-Wiz, Casey Veggies, Sulaimon, and Mac Miller. These guys all had nice verses and made this a good posse track, but two verses here really stood out, and were miles better than all those: Gibbs himself and Meechy Darko. Gibbs had a crazy delivery here, and just sounded furious. It was awesome. Meech was my favorite verse on the song, just because it was Meech doing what he does best. He sounded eccentric, wild, and threw his voice everywhere. I can definitely say he had the best feature verse on Piñata. The features on this album were perfectly selected and I enjoyed each and every one of them.

Now, it is time to show love to the genius behind all these songs: Madlib. His production on this album was stellar. I thought every beat on this album was unique and forward-thinking. Plus, they all sounded clean, smooth, and polished, It really felt like Madlib worked hard on these beats and made sure they sounded perfect. Every single instrumental sounded different on this album, and each one went for a different vibe. Robes and Shame worked soulful samples into the beat to create something relaxing and delightful. On the other end of the spectrum, Scarface and Shitsville were both high-energy, commanding beats that matched Freddie Gibbs' aggression on the tracks. I appreciated some of the old-school beats here, because they were throwbacks, but with modern twists. Knicks, Broken, and Piñata were all examples of this. Madlib also incorporated some crazy synth sounds on this album. Songs like Deeper, Uno, and Bomb all had some wacky synthesizers that sounded like something I had never heard before, but they had this cool, chilling, vibe that I really loved. There were two beats in particular, though, that stood out above all the others because of how amazing they sounded. The first is Thuggin. This song had an incredible string riff that came in and out of the track and it just sounded pristine. It came together with some soft drums to make something very light and peaceful, but it also had energy to it. It was a fantastic beat. My favorite instrumental here is Harold's. This beat was beautiful. The high energy claps made the beat a major head banger, and the main synth was just amazing. This beat was so upbeat and happy, and I could listen to it all day.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Piñata
+Gibbs sounds focused, aggressive, and raw; all while having fun
+Some awesome storytelling tracks
+Features added a lot to to the album, and were perfectly selected
+Madlib's production was smooth and every beat sounded incredible
+Insane variety in the beats
+Gibbs and Madlib have undeniable chemistry; great pairing

Best: Harold's, Thuggin, Deeper

Worst: None

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Piñata
9.7/10

Rick Ross- Mastermind ALBUM REVIEW

Rick Ross is undoubtedly a boss in the rap game. The guy owns his own record label, has put out six studio albums, and is one of the most recognizable rappers in the world. Personally, I like Rick Ross. He can really put together a good verse, and some of his lyrics end up sticking with me. My one problem with him is albums. I have not really been interested in a lot of his projects. I feel Ross just can't put together a consistent full-length album. Will his new album, Mastermind, change that?

In terms of rapping, Rick Ross just sticks with what works for him. Ross has his own style and will instantly catch your ear when he's on the mic. This, of course, is because of his unique, gruff delivery. He will always sound tough and commanding on a track. The first song where I was really feeling Ross's delivery was Drug Dealer's Dream. Ross sounds gritty as hell on this track, and I like his slower flow on this song. He really makes sure you hear every word. While Ross isn't a horrible lyricist and he will have a nice line every once in a while, it is all about delivery for him. There were only a handful of solo tracks on this album that I like, but luckily, Ross has a whole lot of features on Mastermind. His chemistry with other rappers is evident on these songs. Devil is a Lie, which features Jay-Z, is just a fantastic song. Ross spits hard on this one, and Jay's verse is better than anything on Magna Carta Holy Grail. Speaking of which, there were some other surprising guest verses here. Meek Mill on Walking on Air, Young Jeezy on War Ready, and Lil Wayne on Thug Cry were all shockingly excellent with their verses, especially Jeezy, who added a whole lot to what would have been an average song. One memorable one was Kanye West on Sanctified. While I was expecting a lyrical Ye verse, he came out with a lot of hype and energy. I felt he matched Ross in terms of delivery. I enjoyed his verse. The last guest I have to talk about is The Weeknd. I'm not the biggest fan of this guy, but he totally killed it on In Vein. He takes over most of the song, but I was fine with that. Overall, Ross was his usual self on this album. Luxurious lyrical content, and a gritty, tough delivery. What made the rapping on this album better, though, was the features.

In terms of production, I think Mastermind is a huge step up from Ross's other projects. While it wasn't anything really different or unique, it was just better. The fancy, elegant instrumentals were my favorites on this album. Fortunately, there were a whole lot of these. Rich as Gangsta, the first song on this album, had a fantastic beat. The clean drums and repeating vocal sample sounded awesome here. The Devil is a Lie was another great beat, and this one might have been the most luxurious on the album. It just sounded like royalty, and was perfect for Rick Ross and Jay-Z. The Scott Storch produced track, Supreme, had a simple beat, but one that was absolutely perfect for Ross. The fancy horns meshed perfectly with the snappy drums, and it sounded great. Sanctified, a track produced by Kanye West, had a soulful, old school Ye feel to it. The Betty Wright sample worked well, and Kanye made sure to incorporate some hard Chicago drums into the track. There were some beats, though, that were just not fit for Ross. I didn't think Mafia Music III was a bad song, but it didn't work for Rick Ross. BLK & WHT and What a Shame were the other lackluster tracks for me. Other than those, though, the beats on Mastermind were pretty good. As far as the instrumentals on this album go, I can't really complain about any of them. They just work.

MASTERMIND WRAP UP
+Ross does what he does best; tough raps about his rich lifestyle
+Ross sounded more focused overall
+Features are what made this album good, there were some surprisingly great ones
+Luxurious, elegant production that was perfect for Ross
-Some very skippable tracks
-Ross is just not a good lyricist at all

Best: Devil is a Lie, Supreme, In Vein

Worst: BLK & WHT

Rick Ross- Mastermind
8.4/10

Schoolboy Q- Oxymoron ALBUM REVIEW

Schoolboy Q is probably in my top 5 favorite underground rappers right now. He is so unique, and he really has a crazy, gangster, wild vibe to his rapping. I love the way he spits, and he has so much energy. His 2012 album, Habits and Contradictions, was definitely one of my favorites from this year, and we have been waiting for Oxymoron for 2 years now. It's finally out, and will it live up to all the anticipation?

To start this review with the album's production, the beats on Oxymoron were extremely varied. There were all types of sounds on this album, from relaxed to gritty to just weird. The first track, Gangsta, is one of the instrumental standouts. This one comes in with a commanding, hard piano tune mixed with some hard, west coast drums. It is odd, but it is a beat that works. It really helps in grabbing the listener and getting them ready for the album. The song Studio, one of the most mellow on the album, was just such a smooth and relaxing beat. I did enjoy the relaxing beats on this album. On the other hand, songs like Hoover Street, Oxymoron, and Fuck LA totally enhanced the tough, gangsta vibe of the album, All of these were gritty, making use of loud, high energy drums. The song Blind Threats had an awesome beat composed of some unique percussion sounds and string instruments flowing in and out of the track. It is a very polished, nice instrumental. The last beat I really loved was on the Alchemist-produced Break the Bank. It is a simple instrumental, but it hits hard and there are no problems with it. The drums sound crisp and the minimal, but very effective piano keys make the track very elegant and smooth. The song Los Awesome featured some of the weirdest, most oddball production I've heard in a while. Pharrell put together a beat that is almost too loud and obnoxious to work, but he makes it sound good. It ends up being a real head banger and it has a great groove to it. There were some beats here, though, that just didn't sound as good to me. The songs Studio, Man of the Year, and Hell of a Night sounded a little rushed to me. Not that these are bad, but they really pale in comparison to others on the album. The main disappointment, though, was The Purge, which was produced by Tyler, the Creator. The beat here just sounded a little lazy. Once again, it wasn't terrible, but just did not sound like it took long to make, especially for a great producer like Tyler. Overall though, the beats here impressed me. I loved the variety and emotions that some of these instrumentals brought.

On Oxymoron, Schoolboy Q definitely changed his rapping style up a little from Habits and Contradictions. On some tracks this works, but on others it doesn't. Q is a little inconsistent here. The highs on this album, though, are very high. On Gangsta, he rides the beat perfectly and delivers some gritty lyrics, all with a crazy, enthusiastic delivery. Q uses this crazy delivery on a lot of songs here. I love how he just throws his voice everywhere, going from high pitched to low in a second. He just sounds wild. Another area where Q excels on this album is the hooks. On almost every hook, Q delivers it with enough enthusiasm to make it catchy. Even though the hooks have a lot of different vibes, they all work. My favorite hooks, and the ones that stay stuck in my head, would be What they Want, Collard Greens, Hoover Street, Oxymoron, and of course, the insanely catchy Man of the Year. From a lyrical standpoint, Q really delivers on some songs here. Prescription/Oxymoron is a hard-hitting two parter about Q's drug problem. He even includes his daughter trying to wake him up while he is comatose. Oxymoron, the second part, features Q very happy that he has stopped selling drugs, adding to the "oxymoron" theme of the album. His and Her Friend, which features singer SZA, is probably the most weird, unorthodox track here. It utilizes some slow production and voice shifters to create something very calm. It is a great song, and reminds me of something ASAP Rocky would make. Speaking of other rappers, the features on Oxymoron were pretty good. Raekwon killed it on Blind Threats, 2 Chainz added a lot to the song What they Want, and Jay Rock had a good verse on Los Awesome. While I was disappointed Tyler didn't have a verse on The Purge, he did sound deliver an awesome hook. On the same song, Kurupt had probably my favorite guest verse on the album, as he brought the west coast styler with some humorous and awesome lyrics.

OXYMORON WRAP UP
+Schoolboy Q can really put songs together, you can tell he takes a lot of time on his craft
+Q raps with so much energy and fun, throws his voice around everywhere
+Catchy hooks all over the album
+Great production on most of the songs
+Awesome features
-Some production I didn't like

Best: Gangsta, Los Awesome, Break the Bank

Worst: Hell of a Night

Schoolboy Q- Oxymoron
9.0/10

Lil Herb- Welcome to Fazoland MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today, I'm reviewing the new, debut mixtape by Chicago rapper Lil Herb, Welcome to Fazoland. I only found out about this 17-year-old MC a few weeks ago, and upon hearing a few songs, I liked his style. The guy raps with a lot of aggression, and just comes off as a tough, hard-nosed rapper. Welcome to Fazoland is this guy's first legit, real body of work, and I was pretty excited to give it a listen. Did Lil Herb come through on this mixtape?

Like I said earlier, Lil Herb's best quality as an MC is his delivery. The guy is basically yelling his lyrics on most of the songs here, and he just has a very tough, mean sounding voice. Herb is really commanding the listener to hear what he is saying, and it works. Whenever his booming voice comes in on a song, I am immediately hooked in. Lil Herb's flow is pretty decent on these tracks. He has a lot of different flows, going slower on some songs, then slowing it down on others. None of his flows really sound that different or interesting, though. While Herb's lyrics are not his strong point at all, some of his lines just stick in my head. This is probably not as much about the lyrics themselves, but the way he delivers them. This guy seriously uses his gritty voice to carry tracks. The song 4 Minutes of Hell Part 3 is definitely the toughest here, and Herb just sounds awesome. He raps with a whole lot of passion and aggressiveness. Herb also does a good job here of making catchy songs, and a few songs on this tape have awesome hooks that got stuck in my head easily. This guy can really put together a banger, using nothing but energy to create some awesome tracks. Koolin, On the Corner, Mamma I'm Sorry, Another Day, and Still Fucked Up are my favorites here, and I love most of these for their aggression. The most surprising moment on this tape was Herb putting together a serious, lyrical song with Mamma I'm Sorry. The title is an obvious giveaway to the song's content, and even though it is a common rap topic, Herb sounded really emotional and angry on the track. I really do enjoy a lot of these tracks, as Lil Herb has one of the best deliveries I have heard in a while.

The beats on this mixtape are not really anything special, but they do their job: match the level of aggression that Lil Herb is rapping with. These are just some banging trap beats that are, bringing some serious energy to the table. Not one of these beats could be described as mellow. These instrumentals are dirty, loud, and mean, matching the rapping very nicely. I do have a few problems with the production, though. The beats end up really samey by the end, and there are only a few on the album that are unique or different from your regular trap beat. One of my favorites, though, is the song Koolin. This one mixes in some dramatic opera vocals with the high hats and makes an epic trap instrumental. Overall, though, if you took away the MC, these beats would be incredibly weak. Luckily, Lil Herb is there to make the beats sound a lot better. There were very few features on this mixtape, but they were decent for the most part. The best was easily King L on Another Day, who absolutely killed his verse and made the song great.

WELCOME TO FAZOLAND WRAP UP
+Herb spits with so much aggression, he is able to carry songs with his voice alone
+Some songs have very catchy, well done hooks
+His flow just works, he has lots of talent
+Beats match his aggression
-He doesn't have much in terms of lyricism
-Instrumentals are very, very generic

Best: Koolin, 4 Minutes of Hell Part 3, Another Day

Worst: Ain't For None

Lil Herb- Welcome to Fazoland
7.5/10

Isaiah Rashad- Cilvia Demo ALBUM REVIEW

Today I'm reviewing the very anticipated debut project from Isaiah Rashad, Cilvia. This guy became pretty popular in the underground after signing with the acclaimed label TDE, making an appearance on a BET cypher with the group, and releasing some pretty promising songs and music videos. I have really enjoyed his songs that he has dropped so far, and this album is one of my most anticpated for this year. Will Isaiah Rashad release the fantastic project that I am expecting him to?

The first thing that really hit me upon listening to this was Isaiah Rashad's very unique rapping style. The guy is so unconventional, with a choppy, aggressive delivery that really doesn't sound like anyone else. He really knows how to ride a beat though, as there weren't any moments where I felt his flow was off. Everything just sounded smooth. In terms of lyrics, Isaiah's verses are all over the place, but he always manages to a sneak some great lines into his songs. My favorite song on this album is Soliloquy, which is sadly the shortest song here. This track embodies Rashad's rapping style perfectly. As he just really packs a lot of nice bars into a short song. Every other line on this track just makes you think twice. It was sort of like a freestyle, but it was awesome. Isaiah's rapping is pretty attention grabbing on a lot of other songs here, such as Webbie Flow, Menthol, and Shot You Down. The main highlight of all these songs is definitely the rapping, as Isaiah Rashad is such an interesting MC. When he really gets aggressive on a song, he almost reminds me of Kendrick Lamar. In addition to his great rapping, Isaiah can put together a nice, catchy hook. On most of the songs here where Rashad does the hook himself, it ended up getting stuck in my head. R.I.P. Kevin Miller had an awesomely infectious and simple hook, as did Cilvia Demo and Brad Jordan. He even has a full singing track here, West Savannah, and it was just so relaxed, as the love story atmosphere of the song was done perfectly. I also loved the catchy hook on it. That was definitely one of my favorites on the album. Overall, Isaiah Rashad is one of the most fascinating MCs I have heard in a while, and it was just so cool hearing him do all these different things.

While I do feel that Isaiah Rashad is the main focus of this album, the instrumentals are effective in setting a nice backdrop for Isaiah to do his thing. A majority of these are very laid-back, smooth, and atmospheric. They do not stray away from the signature TDE sound at all. I really love how the laid-back beats create a contrast with Isaiah's tough delivery. One of the most simple, but best beats here was Webbie Flow. This one made use of some catchy drums and vocal samples mixed with some atmospheric synths just hanging around. The beat on the song Ronnie Drake was great too, with some very unique and relaxing percussion flowing in and out of the track. The song Tranquility, as the title might suggest, had a calm, minimal beat that set the stage for Rashad's storytelling on the track. As far as features go, they were really nice on Cilvia Demo. On Shot You Down, TDE label mates Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q kill their verses, especially Jay Rock, who came through with an absolutely nasty verse, as usual. Michael Da Vinci had a decent verse on Brad Jordan, despite some corny lines. Finally, SZA and Jean Deaux used their beautiful voices to make great hooks on Ronnie Drake and Menthol, respectively. Ronnie Drake in particular had a fantastic hook, one of the best I have heard in a while. While there is no credited singer on the song  Heavenly Father, that was another great, emotional hook.

CILVIA DEMO WRAP UP
+Isaiah Rashad is ridiculously unique, with a jittery flow that sounds smooth at the same time
+Some cool lyrical ideas, as well as great punchlines
+Isaiah has a whole lot of passion and aggressiveness when rapping
+Awesomely catchy hooks all over the album
+Laid-back, smooth, instrumentals
-Some of the more relaxed songs end up sounding samey

Best: R.I.P. Kevin Miller, West Savannah, Soliloquy

Worst: Brad Jordan

Isaiah Rashad- Cilvia Demo
8.7/10

Kid Ink- My Own Lane ALBUM REVIEW

To be honest, this is an album I was really not excited to listen to, and a review I was just not excited to write. Kid Ink is easily one of my least favorite rappers at the moment. He has an irritating voice, and he has never really had any lyrical ability in my opinion. There are definitely a lot more pop rappers who I enjoy more right now This California rapper also seems to be stuck between mainstream and underground right now, putting this album in a bit of an awkward spot. Will Kid Ink make me a fan with this new studio album?

As a rapper, Kid Ink's weaknesses eventually outnumber his strengths. Unfortunately, for all his catchy hooks and occasionally solid lyrics, he struggles mightily with delivery, flow, and just putting together good verses. This guy's verses are just so empty to me, as he isn't really saying anything aside from the nice punchline every once in a while. I got extremely bored during his verses all over this album. None of these songs have really distinct lyrical ideas, as all of them are either about the same old lame topics: women, haters, or his come-up. Even what Kid Ink labels as a "personal track" ends up sounding like the others and doesn't make me feel anything. My favorite songs on this album are the ones with catchy hooks, because at least these are listenable. The first two songs, Hello World and The Movement, were both upbeat, good songs with extremely catchy hooks. Rollin was a decent song that I enjoyed compared to the others on the album, but it really was not a very good song. Even some of the feature tracks that I was excited for were disappointing. Murda, which featured one of my favorite rappers, Pusha T, was a pretty corny track overall, with a lackluster Pusha verse. Iz U Down featuring Tyga was boring as well. One of the worst moments on the entire album came from Machine Gun Kelly's guest verse on No Miracles. Absolutely terrible. The worst song, though, that I'm saving for last, is the nauseating love song, Tattoo of My Name. This song topic was just stupid and the ballad type track that Kid Ink was going for turned out awful.

The beats on this album were definitely better than the rapping, but of course, that isn't saying much. The instrumentals, while catchy, were not anything new or interesting. My favorite beat here was probably the song The Movement. The fast, upbeat nature of this beat had my head bopping the whole time, and is just had a very cool and infectious sound. The song I Don't Care was a pretty good, atmospheric beat and Murda was the most experimental of the bunch, with a vocal sample throughout that created a dark vibe for the song. Besides these, a lot of these beats sounded similar, like regular radio commercial hip hop beats. Some of these really sounded rushed, thrown together, and generic. Hello World, Main Chick, Rollin, and No Miracles all had extremely lazy, common instrumentals that I feel like I have heard hundreds of times.

MY OWN LANE WRAP UP
+Really catchy hooks on some songs
+Some good instrumental moments
-Kid Ink is a weak MC; no flow and terribly uninteresting
-Generic, rushed instrumentals all over
-No variety in anything; lyrics, song topics, beats
-Features didn't bring anything, not even Pusha T

Best: Hello World, The Movement, Rollin

Worst: Tattoo of My Name

Kid Ink- My Own Lane
3.8/10