Joey Bada$$- B4.DA.$$ ALBUM REVIEW

Joey Bada$$, a young Brooklyn MC who turned 20 on the release date of this album, has long been an underground favorite of mine. This kid raps with impressive technical ability, and he really excels when it comes to wordplay and lyrics. His debut mixtape, 1999, is one of my favorite projects, but it came out in 2012 and Joey has not made anything better since. Now, having gone all of 2014 without any music, Joey starts 2015 with his debut studio album, B4.DA.$$.

This album was a solid collection of tracks and a perfectly fine debut for Joey. He pretty much did what he does best here, which is taking you back to that 90's sound and giving a nostalgic vibe. Joey had enough variety on this album, though, to keep it interesting. Songs like Save the Children, Paper Trails, On & On, and Curry Chicken showed Joey's main forte the most. On these, the beats were relaxed, chill, and old-school. Joey rapped over these with ease and these songs all sounded very smooth. My favorite tracks B4.DA.$$, though, were the ones where Joey brings more energy. My favorite track by far here was Christ Conscious. Joey came off so hungry on this track, and the beat knocked with a lot of aggression. I want to hear Joey do tracks like this more often, because he sounds a lot better when he has this angry rasp to his voice. Another track I liked was Big Dusty, where Joey rapped extremely well. He had tons of punchlines, the hook sounded great, and this was the perfect beat for him made by Pro Era teammate Kirk Knight. I can't go without mentioning No. 99, another track that brought serious aggression and had some fun catchiness to it.

Even though I absolutely loved the energetic songs here, there were some tracks on B4.DA.$$ that I enjoyed for very different reasons. The main example: Escape 120. This song was very unlike anything I have ever heard Joey do, and it was pretty abstract for him. Oddly enough, this song had a very Outkast-y vibe going for it, which is a good thing. It was very chill, and had an interesting beat. Raury, the guest MC on the track, had a pretty weird, but entertaining verse that I liked a lot. I loved the song On & On as well. This song had it all: a fun beat, solid rapping from Joey, and very catchy, well done hook. There weren't any flaws with this song, and it sounded really good. Joey had a fantastic personal track too, with OCB. He touched on his past here, his upbringing, and how being an only child made him the way he is today. While I liked a majority of the tracks here, this album runs into the usual Joey Bada$$ problem: replay value. These songs are good, but there isn't really anything that compels me to play them over and over again, with the exception of Christ Conscious. B4.DA.$$ isn't an album I'll have in constant rotation, but I enjoyed it for what it was and it was a very solid debut for Joey's young career.

B4.DA.$$ WRAP UP
+Joey sounds great rapping, his technical skill is always there
+Classic, nostalgic instrumentals
+Very, very smooth
+Variety
-Some really boring tracks
-Not a lot of replay value

Best: Big Dusty, Christ Conscious, Escape 120

Worst: Hazeus View

Joey Bada$$- B4.DA.$$
7.6/10

2014 Quick Reviews

Hey everyone, today I'll be doing something a little different. I'm starting off 2015 by looking back at 2014. I'm gonna post some reviews of the albums I missed out on reviewing during my hiatus in the end of last year. There are also a couple albums here that may have dropped over the summer, but I didn't get around to listening to until later on. These won't be super, in-depth reviews, but they will still have a good amount of information and details. Let's get into it.

Killer Mike & El-P- Run the Jewels 2

Simply put, this album was killer, and everyone knew it was going to be. This is one of the best rap duos to come along in a while. What many people didn't expect, though, is why this album was so good. While the first RTJ made top ten lists thanks to its sheer energy and banging beats, this one was a little different. This album featured some deep lyrical content being brought to the table from Killer Mike and El-P. There was storytelling and politics in the lyrics  on tracks like Early and Crown. This was definitely a nice addition and showed the evolution of this duo. My favorite tracks on this, though, were the head-banging blows of energy, like Oh My Darling Don't Cry and Blockbuster Night Pt. 1.

Killer Mike was just ridiculous as usual, cementing his place as one of the most well-rounded, likable, and passionate rappers in all of hip hop. El-P was his usual crafty self, coming up with some crazy lines and flowing very well over his own production. Speaking of his production, it was pretty incredible. It really varied, and matched well to what they were rapping about. Example: Love Again, the lone dirty, sexual track on the album. The beat here is amazing, slowed-down and seductive. El-P is an absolute genius and every beat on RTJ2 is perfect.

Overall this was unsurprisingly one of the best projects of 2014. Killer Mike and El-P came at you from all angles, being funny, political, and just mean. This project excelled on all levels and you can only hope this duo keeps coming back together for more albums.

Best: Oh My Darling Don't Cry, Blockbuster Night Pt. 1, Close Your Eyes

Worst: All My Life

9.3/10 **#4 best album of 2014 **

Logic- Under Pressure

I was moderately excited for Logic's debut album, Under Pressure, but the final product disappointed me a bit. I have always known that this guy can spit, and he showed it on this project. Logic has some insane technical skill, rapping at all different speeds and with a multitude of different flows. He created some solid tracks on this album just off of his spitting ability, combined with his lyricism. This album is basically Logic telling his life story about growing up around tough circumstances and getting to where he is today. He showed tons of ambition on this album, but I don't think the final project came together all that well.

Logic definitely put together some good songs as he tells his story on Under Pressure. The song Gang Related was fantastic, combining a very eerie, almost scary instrumental with Logic's tales of growing up around gang violence. Growing Pains III was also pretty good, where Logic talked about how tough  his childhood was with his messed up family. These songs were great, but a majority of Under Pressure was kind of forgettable. Many of the songs were way too long and got pretty boring. Logic came off a bit corny on a few of these tracks and much of Under Pressure sounded a lot like he was reaching way too far for  a Kendrick Lamar kind of sound. Sure, Logic is a really good MC, a solid storyteller, and can make songs, but on this album he didn't show much of it.

Best: Gang Related, Growing Pains III, Bounce

Worst: Never Enough

6.7/10

Future- Monster

As a huge fan of this artist, it should come off as no surprise that I loved this mixtape. Future came through earlier this year with a solid studio album in Honest, where he experimented with some different beats and sounds. This paid off and the album was really good, but on Monster, he returned to classic Future. The beats on here were trap influenced, Future's voice was booming, and the album was fun all the way through. The only flaw here was that there were some really forgettable tracks on the mixtape, but the highs on Monster were really, really high.

The standout track, and one of my favorite songs of the whole year, was the title track, Monster. This is one of Future's best songs that he has made, and I see it as classic Future. The song Throw Away was split into two parts, and Future did a great job telling the story across the whole track. The song After That was a complete banger with a really catchy chorus and decent verse from Lil Wayne. I think Future showed a lot of emotion on this mixtape, and it showed the most on the 6 minute closer, Codeine Crazy. Future showed a lot of passion on this track, and the song seemed like a big reflection on his past decisions, making it a pretty mature and serious track to end the project. This mixtape was an awesome collection of bangers from Future, and it is great that he continues to give his fans what they want.

Best: Monster, After That, Codeine Crazy

Worst: Radical

8.0/10

Fabolous- The Young OG Project

Fabolous dropped a new studio album out of nowhere, and to make things even more weird, it came out right on Christmas Day. This was a bold move from Fab, someone who hasn't really been on my radar in at least a few years. But let me tell you, this, along with YG's My Krazy Life, may be one of my biggest surprise albums of 2014. This album was nothing more than a collection of songs with no theme to it, but these songs were just well executed, had great production, and were awesome. Fabolous showed himself as what he's always been, but what I didn't think he still was: a captivating MC with ridiculous wordplay, and solid rhyme schemes. He really killed it on these tracks, and he may have cemented himself as an all-time great with this album.

Right from the start of the album, Fabolous was making a statement. The first four tracks on Young OG are all fantastic songs. The opener, Lituation, had a great beat, and Fabolous put together a nice hook with good verses, Things only got better on We Good, which featured Rich Homie Quan. RHQ made a cool, melodic chorus for this track to go with more good verses from Fab. Then came another solid track with All Good, one that featured some Biggie samples for an old-school sound. The album hit its absolute climax with You Made Me. This outstanding track featured Fab working with singer Tish Hyman for a catchy hook, then he used some of his signature wordplay for the great verses. After a drop in quality in the next few songs, the album picked it up for the last two tracks. Cinnamon Apple featured Fabolous telling a story of a girl he loved in middle school, and he really sucks you into the story here, with the song also featuring a stellar beat. The album-closing title track was pretty epic, and a fitting ending to an awesome project from a veteran MC.

Best: We Good, You Made Me, Cinnamon Apple

Worst: She Wildin

8.4/10

Prhyme-Prhyme 

Prhyme. A collaboration between Detroit MC Royce da 5'9 and legendary producer DJ Premier. Yes, this project was every bit as awesome as it sounds. There isn't much to say about this project, honestly. It is only 9 songs long, and it is full of old-school rap that many can appreciate. However, this production was pretty surprising, with DJ Premier using some more unorthodox sounds rather than his usual New York boom-bap beats. This was no problem for Royce, though, who was an absolute beast on this. He was his usual cocky, hilarious self and he sounded great.

The real story of this project was definitely the features. I did not expect this to have such awesome features, with many of my favorite rappers coming up for verses on these songs. This starts with the song Dat Sound Good, which featured Ab-Soul and Mac Miller. The highlight was Soulo, who spit one of the best verses I've heard from him in a while. Common spit a great sounding verse on the song Wishin, which was also my favorite track thanks to its sudden beat changes. Killer Mike  and Schoolboy Q were their usual aggressive selves on Underground Kings, but one rapper came out on top of all these features on Phryme. It was Jay Electronica on the song To Me, To You. This verse was pretty relaxed, with Jay Elec dropping serious knowledge throughout. Phryme's project was a joy, as it was some classic sounding hip hop with amazing MC's spitting like crazy over awesome beats.

Best: Dat Sound Good, Wishin, To Me To You

Worst: Courtesy

8.7/10

Domo Genesis- Under the Influence 2

This was a mixtape that I was excited for all year, mostly because Domo Genesis slays every guest verse he has. He had awesome features on albums like Pinata, Lord Steppington, Doris and more.This Odd Future member has shown considerable improvement for a couple years now, but unfortunately I just didn't hear it on Under the Influence 2. This mixtape sounded a bit sloppy overall, and Domo just didn't seem to be taking it as seriously as he takes his guest verses, much to my disappointment. The tape featured numerous pointless skits and interludes, when all I wanted was for Domo to spit.

When Domo did rap on this tape, he sounded pretty solid. Not as good as I've heard him the past, but still solid. The first song that stuck out to me here was Most Subtle Flex Ever. Over a mellow, fun beat, Domo flowed really well and sounded extremely smooth. He made some crazy beat decisions here, rapping over Pusha T's Alone in Vegas and Drake's Wu-Tang Forever. He sounded alright over these, but I like hearing Domo over different kinds of instrumentals. The track 24 Hour Spitness was pretty good, and Hodgy Beats came through with a really good guest verse. The track with Mac Miller was also nice, but it was too short. Overall this tape was a disappointment for me, as it featured a rapidly improving MC who I feel can make an excellent project. Under the Influence 2 just didn't have enough firepower or consistency to be very good.

Best: Doms in Vegas, Most Subtle Flex Ever, 15 Bars

Worst: X

6.8/10

J. Cole- 2014 Forest Hills Drive

I've never been a huge J Cole fan, and I've honestly never seen all the hype about him. I thought his album Born Sinner was alright, and he has some good tracks, but I'm not sold on him. This is what I felt before I heard 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Now, my opinion has completely changed. This album is excellent. I really can't praise Cole enough for this album. I loved everything that he did here. No single, no features, and no mainstream sound. He hit the nail on the head. 2014 Forest Hills Drive revolves around a theme of J Cole's personal life. How he grew up, the area he is from, and how it made him into the man he is today.

J Cole showed himself as an incredible lyricist on this album. To help him tell the story of his adolescence, he told a series of short stories, starting with the track Wet Dreamz. This song was a detailed narrative of a love he had when he was a teenager. He lies to her, saying he is a virgin, only to find out when he gets in bed with her that she is also a virgin. On '03 Adolescence, he talks about friendships in high school, and wanting to be like that thug who sells drugs, when really its the drug dealer who wants to be like Cole. This album isn't all stories, though, as this album also features some genuine catchiness and banging beats, specifically on Tale of 2 Citiez. This track was a complete banger with a dark and menacing beat. The song GOMD was the most experimental, with some weird, chopped up vocal samples as the beat. Lastly, Cole shows so much variety here, from dissing Eminem and Macklemore on Fire Squad, singing a heartfelt ballad on St. Tropez, and stressing to love what you have on Love Yourz. J Cole blew me away on this album and made me a fan.

Best: Wet Dreamz, Tale of 2 Citiez, GOMD

Worst: Hello

9.0/10 *#7 Best Album of 2014*

Rick Ross- Hood Billionaire

I was actually a pretty huge fan of Rick Ross's album that dropped in March, Mastermind. The album featured great production and some really catchy and replayable songs from Ross. I really can't say the same about Hood Billionaire, his second album of 2014. Rick Ross returned to all the things I don't like about him on this album. The rhyme schemes were simple as can be, and the beats did not feature as much variety as what was on Mastermind. There just wasn't anything about this album that stood out. It was horribly generic.

When a track on Hood Billionaire really appealed to me, it would be because of the features or the instrumental, never because of Rick Ross. He really disappointed me on this album, as I heard some solid rapping from him on Mastermind. None of the solo tracks from Ross here were any good, but I enjoyed a few of the collaborations. Nickel Rock, a track with Boozie Badazz, was pretty enjoyable, as it used a fast tempo and energy-filled rapping from Boozie that I really enjoyed. On the other end of the spectrum, I loved the song Quintessential because of how relaxed it was. Snoop Dogg's hook on this song was probably the best part of the album. Overall, this album was subpar at best, and I think Rick Ross may have used up all his good bars on Mastermind.

Best: Nickel Rock, Quintessential, Brimstone

Worst: Neighborhood Drug Dealer

5.5/10

ASAP Ferg- Ferg Forever

My hype for this project was really really high, and for good reason: ASAP Ferg is absolutely awesome. His 2013 studio album Trap Lord was pretty impossible to dislike, and this guy makes energetic rap music that is undeniably fun and catchy, while also being very unique. This definitely does not change on Ferg Forever, a mixtape that shows Ferg sounding even crazier than ever. His weirder side comes out on many songs here, but it just wouldn't be Ferg without being absolutely bizarre.

This tape just features a multitude of higlights. The second song here, Jungle, showed off Ferg's skills perfectly, with a banging instrumental for him to rap on. Ferg's flow was great and his collaborator on the song, Marty Baller, had a fantastic verse as well. Other songs on Ferg Forever show off his amazing ability to craft a catchy hook. This Side, Dope Walk, and Real Thing all stayed in my head for weeks because of their catchiness. The song Bonaroo showed Ferg doing something a little different, telling a detailed story of a memorable live performance. He did this over a smooth beat done by Big KRIT, and this track ended up being one of my favorites. Lastly, I must shine a light on Let It Go Part 2, the craziest song on the tape. Here Ferg crafts a masterful sequel to the song off Trap Lord, with a little help from MIA. This track actually features a sample of Let it Go from the movie Frozen. Only Ferg. This tape was wild, and a whole lot of fun to listen to.

Best: Jungle, Bonaroo, Let it Go Part 2

Worst: Jolly

8.4/10


Clipping- CLPPNG

This album from experimental West Coast group Clipping received a lot of hype upon its release in June, but I neglected to give it my attention until about a month ago. I was pretty satisfied with what I heard on CLPPNG. This tape was pretty experimental in its beat choices and sound, but I was glad to hear it keeping with the standard subject matter that I am used to hearing. This album ended up sounding a lot more accessible than I expected.

The rapper here, Daveed Diggs, is ridiculous. This guy flows better than any rapper I have heard in a while, which is really impressive considering the kind of beats he goes over. On the album intro, he introduces everyone to his skills by rapping incredibly fast and well over a pretty weird instrumental. The second song, Body and Blood, showed this group's ability to craft an entire song. The song had an interesting topic, a dirty, grimy industrial beat, and an awesome hook. I loved it. The good hooks were kept up on songs like Work Work, Summertime, and Dominoes. The song Story 2 showed Diggs' very solid storytelling ability as well. This guy showed himself as an incredible MC on this album, even if some of the beats like Get Up annoyed me with how odd and challenging they sounded. This album was pretty good overall and I look forward to what this group does next.

Best: Body and Blood, Summertime, Story 2

Worst: Get Up

7.6/10

Cozz- Cozz & Effect

This is a project that I had no idea even happened, found out about on the internet,  and ended up enjoying quite a bit. The only thing I knew about this guy was that he was signed to J. Cole's label, and I can really see why. Cozz showed himself on this album as an energetic, fun MC who can seriously hold his own on a song.

Right from the first track on this project, Dreams, Cozz was blowing me away. He came out on this song with serious aggressiveness, and I thought his punchlines were absolutely on point. The hard, punchy drums sounded awesome against Cozz's raw, loud delivery. The second track, I'm Tha Man brought this as well. There are multiple songs here where the highlight is the instrumental fused with Cozz's delivery, like Murda and Lsn. Finally, the last song, the Knock the Hustle remix with J. Cole, was absolutely fantastic, with a killer J. Cole verse.

Best: Dreams, Murda, Knock the Hustle Remix

Worst: Western Ave Slaves

8.0/10


Big K.R.I.T.- Cadillactica

I don't think it comes as any surprise that Cadillactica by Big KRIT is really, really good. This guy is as consistent as anyone in rap with his projects. All of the mixtapes and albums that he has dropped have been solid, and he continues his strong brand of Southern hip-hop on Cadillactica. There isn't much new to say about KRIT on this new album, as he just brings his usual variety, catchiness, lyricism, and great rapping ability.

KRIT sets the narrative of the album on the first track, Kreation, and the one that follows it, Life. These tracks just sound powerful and meaningful, but things get turnt up on the third song, My Sub Pt. 3. Easily my favorite song on this album, this track booms along with strong bass and a killer beat drop midway through the song. It is absolutely awesome and KRIT sounds great rapping on it. Big KRIT gets more lyrical on tracks here like King of the South and Third Eye, while brining to catchy pop tunes with songs like Soul Food, Pay Attention, and Do You Love Me. All these songs are good, and it is remarkable that one artist can bring so much variety on an album.

Best: My Sub Pt. 3, Soul Food, Do You Love Me

Worst: Mind Control

8.3/10

TOP 10 HIP HOP ALBUMS OF 2014

Yes, I know there have not been any reviews on this site in a while, but what better way to return than with the best albums of 2014? These are, in my opinion, the best albums to come out this past year. This list is not based solely on the scores the albums recieved, but more based on replay value and how much I enjoyed the album overall.

The Honorable Mentions

The Underachievers- Cellar Door

I was seriously waiting for this East Coast duo to impress me with a project, as I definitely heard the potential on some tracks. I'm glad it happened on their debut studio album. This thing is really nice, showcasing Issa Dash and AK trading bars over some booming, forward thinking production. AK in particular blew me away here. His constant onslaught of fast paced verses really kept me interested during this project. As a whole this was a really solid album from The Underachievers, its fulfilling to see them come through with something good.

Favorite Song: Luminesence


Mick Jenkins- The Water[s]

Mick Jenkins, previously unheard of, blew up this year with the success of The Water[s], and with good reason. This album pretty much has everything that solidifies someone in today's rap game. Mick came through with an original sound and interesting theme to his project. I loved the entire vibe of the mixtape and hearing some cool and relaxed sonic quality for the whole thing made me happy. I'm excited for what Mick does next, because this project proved the guy had got some really cool ideas going on, and he sure is skilled at making them sound fresh.

Favorite Song: The Waters

Future- Honest



After landing on my mid year list, Future's Honest stays on thanks to its sheer awesomeness and replay value. These songs really just bang, and I think the production on this album is what drove it. Future's singing and rapping were on point as well, and he shows that he is pretty versatile on this album.

Favorite Song: Move that Dope

Cormega- Mega Philosophy



If you are looking for an MC that takes lyricism very seriously, Cormega is for you. The 44 year old rapper spits nothing but hard truth on this new album of his. He spends the project speaking his mind on various things going on in hip hop, while also connecting it to his personal  life and childhood on some tracks. The vintage production from Large Professor helped make this album great as well.

Favorite Song: Industry


Sean Leon- Narcissus, the Drowning of Ego



This project came out of nowhere for me, but I am so thrilled that I found it. This guy has a very abstract and weird style, but it works in his favor for this album. Sean Leon raps about a variety of topics here. The highlight here, though, was the production. This sinister, haunting, extremely dark production may be the best on any album this year.

Favorite Song: Vanity

The Top 10

10. Vince Staples- Hell Can Wait

Vince Staples had a huge year, finally making the leap from little known Odd Future affiliate to a respected West Coast street talker. This debut EP of his shows off all his strengths, such as lyricism and mic presence. Some of the beats on this project also blew me away.

9. Ugly Frank- Bobby Hill



Last year, the mixtape of Washington rap trio ILLFIGHTYOU landed on my best of the year list. In 2014, it is group member Ugly Frank who takes the spot. This debut mixtape was just awesome. Ugly Frank's wild, violent, unpredictable rapping style is a perfect fit over Khris P's production, which makes use of some really wacky sound effects.

Favorite Song: Frank Truise

8. Future- Monster

This Halloween release truly delivered what everyone always wants out of a Future project: bangers, bangers, and even more bangers. Future is quickly asserting himself as the first rapper to look for if thats what you're craving. The thing about Monster that makes it crack the top 10 is not only the consistently high energy, but also the quality of Future's more serious and emotional tracks. After not quite hitting the mark on those on Honest earlier in the year, he delivers some sadder songs that are a lot more well made on Monster. On Monster, Future did what he is best at but also flexed some of his new versatility. 

7. Schoolboy Q- Oxymoron



Schoolboy Q's much-anticipated debut album Oxymoron, did not disappoint for me. I felt Schoolboy showed tons of skill on this project. He was able to make radio hit songs, and then have songs where he throws it back to his childhood. He also wraps the whole album around a theme of him trying to get over his drug addiction while also being a good father. Add some stellar production, and I felt this was a great album.

Favorite Song: Break da Bank

6.  J. Cole- 2014 Forest Hills Drive



Sneaking into this list at the end of the year was J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive. J. Cole finally made me a fan with this album. I felt on this album that Cole improved on all fronts. The album is a personal narrative of his life journey to the amazing place he is at now. I loved the stories Cole told on this album, and he did it all with no features. This album honestly deserves all the success and acclaim it has had so far.

Favorite Song: G.O.M.D.

5. Travis Scott- Days Before Rodeo



If you were to just throw away lyrical content completely and rate albums on how well they bump and their production, Days Before Rodeo would easily be the album of the year. This album has fantastic, forward-thinking trap production and sounded incredible. These songs were unique and experimental but made my head bop every time. Travis Scott might not be the best rapper, but he flowed  pretty well at times, and I must give him props for matching the booming production.

Favorite Song: Skyfall

4. YG- My Krazy Life



As with many people, this was my surprise, breakout album of 2014. When I downloaded My Krazy Life, I did not expect anything more then mediocre rapping over some boring trap production. I was in complete shock when this album ended, as the 2nd best album of 2014 was actually made by YG. This album tells a complete story of teenage YG getting into trouble in Compton, robbing houses, going to jail, and eventually wrapping the whole story around his relationship with his mother. It is a fantastic narrative, and is only made better by some awesome, banging production from DJ Mustard. Oh, and features by some guys named Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar. I am thrilled that YG dropped such an amazing album, and we've officially got another West Coast artist to keep an eye on.

Favorite Song: BPT

3. Run the Jewels- RTJ2



Killer Mike and El-P returned in 2014 with a Run the Jewels sequel that only improved on everything the first one did well. While their first piece of music may have just been a collection of fun songs, the sequel was an actual, cohesive album. Some songs here were awesome, high energy bangers, and El-P's production sounded more high-energy and explosive. Killer Mike's aggressiveness is there as always, but the duo was also able to tell stories and make some political statements on this album. They really killed it with this sequel, and I understand this album being #1 on many lists.

Favorite Song: Blockbuster Night Part 1

2. Isaiah Rashad- Cilvia Demo



New TDE signee Isaiah Rashad should really be applauded for dropping an album in January and having it stay on the list for the whole year. This project could not have done a better job of introducing Isaiah to the world. This album's contrast is ultimately what makes it so good. The laid-back, relaxing, atmospheric beats mixed with Rashad's aggressive, choppy, unorthodox flow. He also shows that he is an extremely versatile artist on this project, as he is even seen spending entire tracks singing. This guy is poised to break out in upcoming years, and I am ready for more excellent projects like Cilvia Demo.

Favorite Song: Soliloquy


1. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Pinata



As cliche as it sounds, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib were truly a match made in heaven. Gibbs sounds better over Madlib's beats than on any other beat I have ever heard him on, and I was blown away by how focused and determined he sounded on Pinata. I always knew this guy could rap, but he placed himself right with the best MC's in hip hop right now with his performance on Pinata. He told stories of love and rejection, threw shots at Young Jeezy, and described his gangsta lifestyle all on one album. Madlib, meanwhile, came as no surprise. This legendary producer laid down some mind-blowing production for Gibbs to do his thing. The features were on point too, from Earl Sweatshirt to Ab-Soul to Raekwon. There is not one bad song on this whole album, and there is nothing I'd change. Pinata was a monument for Freddie Gibbs' career, and Madlib was a god behind the boards. That's why it is the album of the year.

Favorite Song: Thuggin

MF DOOM & Bishop Nehru- NehruvianDOOM ALBUM REVIEW

Today, I am bringing you the incredibly late review of the collaboration album from Bishop Nehru and MF DOOM, NehruvianDOOM. Bishop Nehru is a very young New York rapper that I have barely heard of before. I have heard a few songs, and I honestly think he's pretty forgettable as an MC. The whole reason I am reviewing this is because its a collaboration with MF DOOM. DOOM is a legend in my eyes, and he has created some extremely creative, interesting, and stellar albums over the years. He is one of the gods of underground hip hop, and one of my favorites of all time. How will the unproven Bishop Nehru fare rapping with DOOM?

All the production on this album is handled by DOOM, and you can tell this project was made not only to show Bishop Nehru's rapping ability, but DOOM's production ability. DOOM crafted some pretty classic sounding beats on this album, and NehruvianDOOM didn't differ away from this guy's usual style. The beats here were sometimes fun, sometimes dark, and for the most part, pretty abstract. The best instrumental, in my opinion, came on the track Om. This one sounded dark, ominous, and I enjoyed it overall. It had a classic DOOM sound. There were other dark instrumentals on this album, including Coming for You, Caskets, and Disastrous. The latter was a pretty interesting beat. It featured an odd sample of kids singing as the main beat, but DOOM mixed it with some dark drums to give the beat an off-kilter sound. It was a cool blend, and I liked the instrumental. Other beats on this project, though, had a happier, more fun sound. I liked the instrumental on the track Darkness, which ironically wasn't very dark at all. The song had some grand horns making up the most of the beat, and the song just sounded very positive and enlightening. It was a good sound for the subject matter of the track. Other beats on this album though, were just boring.They had the old-school DOOM sound, but they were not memorable at all, and I even felt some beats here sounded like others, which is something that shouldn't happen on an eight song album. I liked the production overall on NehruvianDOOM, and some of these beats were actually very good. Unfortunately, the album suffers from mediocrity, as these beats were not bad, just very forgettable.

I called the beats on this album forgettable and mediocre, but those are not even close to as mediocre as Bishop Nehru. This guy is the definition of average, in my opinion. He did nothing on this album to really open my eyes and make me realize that he is a great MC. At the same time, he didn't do anything to make me think he is trash, or a bad rapper. He was pretty normal throughout this project. He raps in a monotone voice, and his lyrics don't consist of anything mind-blowing. They also do not consist of anything cringe-worthy. My main problem with Nehru is how middle of the road he is. He's never great and never bad with his rapping. Just mediocre. While his bars were very average, Nehru's hooks were another story. These hooks were all over the place. He supplied a very fun and catchy hook on the song Mean the Most, which was one of my favorites on the album. He sang this, and he sang it well. It was melodic and I enjoyed it a lot. Other hooks on this album were bad, though, starting with So Alone. This singing was awful, and the hook had no passion behind it. Darkness was okay, but this hook was too simple and repetitive. He gets back on track with a solid hook on Coming for You, but ends the album badly with the lame hook on Great Things. The one hook that MF DOOM performed, Om, sounded great. This was a really good track overall, with the killer hook and decent verses from Nehru. Where this album really fails is its usage of MF DOOM. DOOM only spits actual verses on three songs. This was incredibly disappointing, especially when I listen to these tracks and realize how much better the album would have been if DOOM spit more. The best song on this whole project is Caskets, where DOOM kills it, spitting an awesome verse full of great lines. it may have rubbed off on Nehru, as his verse on this track was pretty good too. Overall with NehruvianDOOM, it was a real mixed bag, and an odd listen throughout. It was weird how Nehru was so monotone on the verses, but was  willing to actually sing on these hooks. It worked well on one track, but was pretty much a disaster on others. DOOM shined whenever he hopped on a track, but this just didn't happen enough. I wish MF DOOM had played a more prominent role with the rapping here, as it would've been so much better.

NEHRUVIANDOOM WRAP UP
+Classic DOOM sounding production
+A few very well executed tracks
+MF DOOM raps very well in his verses
+A few catchy hooks
-Bishop Nehru is very average, not memorable at all
-DOOM wasn't on enough songs
-Some actually cringe-worthy hooks

Best: Om, Mean the Most, Caskets

Worst- So Alone

MF DOOM & Bishop Nehru- NehruvianDOOM
6.9/10

Vince Staples- Hell Can Wait ALBUM REVIEW

Today, after a long, unfortunate hiatus, I am returning with a review of Vince Staples' debut EP, Hell Can Wait. I have been a fan of Vince for a while now, and I truly feel like this guy is one of the top young rappers in the entire game right now. Vince's projects have been very consistent, and he seems to kill every one of his guest verses. This is Vince's first major label release, at a time when he is getting more buzz than ever. Can Vince capitalize with a great new project?

The beats on Hell Can Wait were definitely one of its major highlights. Like on Vince's last project, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2, No I.D. handles much of the production here. That is pretty much a guarantee that the EP's beats will be good, and it's no different on Hell Can Wait. I was very impressed by the variety that this production had. The first song, Fire, was as dark and violent as it gets. This beat hit really hard, and will definitely bang in some good speakers. The next song, 65 Hunnid, is the opposite. This instrumental was relaxed, and melodic. It featured a soft piano pattern that gave the song a bit of playfulness. The next two songs, Screen Door and Hands Up, go for some more darkness, as these both feature hard drums and sound pretty nocturnal. The best instrumental on this EP is without a doubt Blue Suede. This beat is stellar in every possible way, with the huge, banging drums, large bass, and wailing synth in the background. It is absolutely fantastic. After that though, the last two songs on the EP were not that memorable. They were not bad, but they were very different from the rest of the album, sounding more bright and happy. I wasn't really feeling these last two instrumentals, but I appreciate the variety. Hell Can Wait brought a mixed bag of beats, but the bag featured a few gems that I will remember for a while.

Vince Staples is as brilliant as ever on Hell Can Wait, and I actually feel that he was at his best on this project. Vince raps with a certain attitude and confidence that makes him very fun to listen to. One problem that he has had in the past was that he raps in a monotone, boring delivery. I can happily say that there was none of that on this EP. Vince sounds hungry, and he delivers all of his lyrics this way. The intro, Fire, is a short song, but it is a perfect way to start the mixtape. Vince goes really hard here, even with his voice muffled a bit by the instrumental. I don't even mind this, as the song is still great and you can tell Vince's flow is still on point. Vince proves on 65 Hunnid that he can put together a killer hook, crafting one here that was stuck in my head for a while. Although the song Screen Door was a little long, making it one of my least favorites on the EP, Vince still raps very well and I liked many of his lines on this track. Vince comes back hard, though, with the track Hands Up. This song was fantastic, with Vince attacking the topic of police brutality. He sounds focused, and his flow was absolutely perfect over the beat. Blue Suede follows, and while the instrumental dominates the song, Vince flows nicely on the track and I liked this hook. Vince brings on singer Teyana Taylor, the only feature on the tape to sing the hook on Limos, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. This was a pretty good track. I do think, though, that Feelin the Love, the outro was the weakest song on Hell Can Wait. Vince didn't sound as good here, and it sounded lazy compared to the awesome tracks the EP already had. Overall, Hell Can Wait was Vince proving that he can carry a project all by himself. He crafted some excellent songs on this tape, and even the tracks I did not enjoy as much were stillvery listenable. Vince did a great job on this EP, and I think he's an artist to keep your eye on has his debut album approaches.

HELL CAN WAIT WRAP UP
+Vince carries this EP by himself, rapping consistently well
+Vince can be very lyrical
+He flows very well, showing he picked the perfect instrumentals for him
+Great variety with the production
-Some songs paled in comparison to the others

Best: Fire, Hands Up, Blue Suede

Worst: Feelin the Love

Vince Staples- Hell Can Wait
9.1/10

Mick Jenkins- The Water[s] MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today's review is on Mick Jenkins' new mixtape, The Water[s]. I have never heard of this Chicago MC before, but he has been getting a whole lot of hype from this new project of his. Any time an artist blows up off of one project, I feel like I have to check it out. Going into The Water[s] a complete newcomer, how did I like the album?

The production on this mixtape lived up to its name. This project had a very aquatic, watery vibe, and it seemed like the whole sound of the project was centered around this water theme. The beats here flowed together extremely well, and it was definitely a great listening experience. The production was layered and interesting,  with almost every beat having that watery sound. The first song, Shipwrecked, blew my mind with its production. This song starts out beautiful, with some very soft, minimalistic percussion making up most of the beat. The song eventually goes into a very relaxing bridge before it breaks into a much stronger, more energetic trap sounding beat to end the song. It was absolutely fantastic. This song, though, was one of the only tracks where the production really stood out. All these beats are great, but they all just sound like each other. There were only a few songs where I would say the instrumental was very different from the rest of the project. The song Martyrs had a cool female singing sample, and the song Jazz was probably the most unique and experimental beat here. The last song, Jerome, produced by Kirk Knight, had some more boom-bap, New York sounding production, so that definitely stood out.  Black Sheep, which was produced by Statik Selektah, was a bit disappointing for such a consistently good producer. Overall though, I loved the vibe of this project. Even if a lot of the beats sounded the same, they were all pretty good and there were enough standouts for me to enjoy The Water[s] instrumentally.

Mick Jenkins was undoubtedly the star of this project. The beats were excellent, but all they really did was serve as a background for Mick to do his thing. You can add this guy to the list of creative new hip hop artists from Chicago, along with Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa. First and foremost Mick Jenkins is a very charismatic MC. You can tell this guy has a whole lot of passion on the mic just from his voice. Mick is great from a technical standpoint as well, with a very solid flow and awesome delivery. I wasn't really bored by Mick Jenkins on this whole project. I liked how Mick had different lyrical ideas on a lot of the songs here. He is definitely big on content. The first standout track for me was the opener, Shipwrecked. This song showed how well Mick can ride beats, as he handled the sudden beat change on this song perfectly. Once the beat shifted into something more loud and dynamic, Mick was spitting faster and rapped with a lot more energy. The second song, THC, was very good too. It was really melodic, and the song had an infectious bounce going throughout its short duration. The song Comfortable showed Mick's pretty solid singing ability. He sang this hook effortlessly and it sounded great, not to mention he killed the verses on this track too. Noname Gypsy, the rap feature on that song, had a good verse too, and I enjoyed how she flowed over the beat. Honestly, there were standout songs all over this project. I really liked Jazz, Black Sheep, Canada Dry, Dehydration, and Martyrs. Martyrs was an especially great song for me. That track was fantastic, as Mick just had such a commanding flow throughout it. You had to listen to what he had to say. His deep voice just boomed through the beat had stood out. I loved it. My favorite song on this whole mixtape, though, was the last song, Jerome. This was a huge change from the rest of the album. This track had ridiculous amounts of energy and enthusiasm. Mick was literally yelling the hook here, but it sounded awesome. His verses were great as always, too. Joey Bada$$ came in for a guest verse and absolutely killed it with his raspy, nasty delivery. I loved this mixtape, simply because of how many standout tracks there were. Mick just knows how to craft awesomely infectious tracks. I think this guy has a great future, and he put together a pretty impressive project.

THE WATER[S] WRAP UP
+Mick blew me away as an MC, he has so much charisma
+He has a pretty creative rapping style
+Mick Jenkins proved to be versatile, even being a pretty good singer
+Unique water theme, even the beats had an aquatic vibe
-Samey production

Best: Shipwrecked, Martyrs, Jerome

Worst: Who Else

Mick Jenkins- The Water[s]
8.4/10

Lil Bibby- Free Crack 2 MIXTAPE REVIEW

 

 Today, I'm reviewing Free Crack 2, the new mixtape from Chicago rapper Lil Bibby. Lil Bibby is another MC who falls into the category of "drill music", a hot new style of hip hop from Chicago. This style has really been hit-or-miss for me. There are some drill artists that I really enjoy, like Chief Keef and Lil Herb, but also some that don't do it for me at all, like Lil Durk. Unfortunately, I'd say Lil Bibby falls into the latter category. The guy is just mediocre for me, and his 2013 project Free Crack didn't impress me that much. Will Bibby step up his game with this new mixtape, Free Crack 2?

With the beats on this mixtape, I was thoroughly impressed. This production was very different from other drill projects I've heard, including Bibby's previous mixtape. A lot of the beats here didn't go for the dark, grimy vibe, instead sounding classier and happier. This gave the mixtape a distinct vibe, one that was incredibly new for this type of music. On the first track, Can I Have Your Attention, I could tell that the tempo was definitely a lot slower and happier. This was also evident on Game Over, Can I Get, What You Live For, and Tomorrow. These beats were all great, with some even making use of some soul samples. Tomorrow, the last song, was just a perfect closer, as it featured a fantastic vocal sample going over the beat. The song was so relaxing, but Lil Bibby still gave it that street vibe. I think these beats, despite their calm nature, fit perfectly with Bibby.  There was still some production on this tape that had that dark feeling, such as For the Low pt. 2 and Boy. The song Dead or In Prison, though, just sounded violent, and it might be my favorite beat on the whole project. It was an absolute banger. Overall I really enjoyed the vibe this mixtape brought to the table, and I think it was a step up from past drill projects.

Lil Bibby didn't show himself to be a great MC on Free Crack, and I can't say he improved that much on this sequel. There are things I like about this guy, and he is still very young, but he just isn't a very complete MC. The worst part of this project is its lyricism. Bibby really just sticks with cliches and the normal street imagery you get from guys like Lil Durk and Chief Keef. He also lacks a bit in flow, as he tries to change it up, but he never sounds extremely comfortable on a beat. The area where this project is a huge improvement over Free Crack, though, is its energy and hooks. I felt Bibby improved his delivery a lot, and he sounds a lot more interested and energetic. The guy has a grimy, gravely voice, and I felt he used it well on this project, especially on hooks. For a big chunk of these tracks, the best part is the hook. The hook on Dead or In Prison was awesome, and he just sounds so passionate. I could definitely say the same about For the Low pt. 2, Boy, and What You Live For. All those hooks brought tons of energy and griminess. Even the hooks that didn't go for this vibe, though, worked well for Bibby. The rather monotone singing voice Bibby brings on Can I Get sounds great, and is very catchy. On We Are Strong, a female vocal sample makes the hook, and that was awesome as well. This project's strongest asset is its hooks, and they make up for Bibby's lackluster verses. Some of the guest verses on this project made up for those too, though. I was shocked by Wiz Khalifa on For the Low Pt. 2, as that verse was far better than anything on Blacc Hollywood and Wiz had an impressive flow. The other standout feature was Kevin Gates on We Are Strong. I haven't really heard much of this guy's music at all, but he had a monstrous flow and delivery on that track. He really killed his verse. Besides those two, though, the features here weren't all that great. Juicy J was mediocre on his two verses, and I was just disappointed by T.I. and Lil Herb, a couple of MC's who I thought could have put in a lot better verses on their tracks.

FREE CRACK 2 WRAP UP
+Awesome, catchy, energetic hooks
+Bibby has an awesome, grimy voice that matches well with the beats
+Solid production, different sound for drill music
-Lil Bibby just isn't a very good MC yet
-Was disappointed by some features

 Best: Dead Or in Prison, We Are Strong, Tomorrow

Worst: I Be On It

Lil Bibby- Free Crack 2
7.4/10