Riff Raff- Neon Icon ALBUM REVIEW

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

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

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

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

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

Worst: VIP Pass to my Heart

Riff Raff- Neon Icon
7.3/10

50 Cent- Animal Ambition ALBUM REVIEW

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

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

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

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

Best: Pilot, Irregular Heartbeat, Hustler

Worst: Winners Circle

50 Cent- Animal Ambition
7.4/10

Blu- Good To Be Home ALBUM REVIEW

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

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

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

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

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

Worst: Whip Creme

Blu- Good to be Home
7.8/10

Sean Leon- Narcissus, the Drowning of Ego MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today, I am reviewing Sean Leon's new mixtape, which is titled Narcissus, the Drowning of Ego. This guy hails from Toronto, and I have never really heard of him before. I am reviewing this because of the hype I was seeing from it on the internet. I was pretty curious why Sean is getting more popular from this project. So, I have no idea what to expect. Will Sean Leon deliver on this mixtape?

Let me begin the review by saying this: Narcissus, the Drowning of Ego features some of the most unique hip hop I have heard this year. This stuff sounds like nothing I've ever heard before, and it really is some weird and experimental music. Something must be made clear, though. Unique doesn't always mean good. Sean Leon takes wild risks on every song here, but they don't all work out. Take the first song on the project, Narcissus, as an example. The song is a whopping 10 and a half minutes long, and it doesn't really justify its insane length. As an MC, I don't see much in Sean Leon, but it is so hard to tell. He is very abstract, and his flow is choppy and unusual. Sean will do odd things while spitting, like randomly pausing or saying the same line over and over again. Lyrically, he will occasionally say something profound, but also bring out some pretty trashy verses. One thing Sean can do is put together a topical song, though. I like how a good amount of these tracks have topics on them. Sean does a great job explaining topics on the songs Vanity, Tania's Song, and especially Pretty Girls Put Boys In Cemeteries. The two-part song City is a highlight here, as Sean's lyrics and flow were on point, and the hook was catchy. Overall, this guy is an extremely weird rapper to listen to. It is hard to pinpoint where is skill level is, because he has moments of genius, then some pretty unforgivable moments. I did end up enjoying his rapping after a few listens, maybe just because of how entertaining in can be.

The real beast of this album is definitely is production. Every single instrumental on this project is amazing. Even though it is some of the most off-kilter, weird production I've heard this year, I am still blown away by it. The beats here have a consistently dark tone to them, and the album sounds very dreary and grim because of this. It is a vibe that I really enjoy, and it makes the mood very personal. The opening song Narcissus, starts with some trap style drums, haunting male vocal samples, and a very atmospheric feel. As the song goes on, the beat evolves, bringing in some awesome guitars. The song Vanity feels very twisted and crazy with its unorthodox synthesizers. I love the beat on the track Petty too, as it has some bouncy synths to give the track some groove. It sounds fantastic. The instrumental for Tania's Song is very quiet, relaxing, and happy, while matching the love theme perfectly. It is one of the only beats I've ever heard that sounds happy and dark at the same time. The closing track, Elephant Graveyard, the closer to this project, has some wild production. It starts off extremely sinister and dark, but becomes more relaxed and light as the beat goes on, mixing in some very cool vocal samples. Overall the production on this project is ambitious, experimental, and unpredictable. I absolutely loved it, and it set a distinct vibe for the whole mixtape.

NARCISSUS, THE DROWNING OF EGO WRAP UP
+Sean Leon is a risk-taking, unique, and interesting MC
+Great topical songs
+Excellent production
+Dark vibe throughout
+Incredibly unique and experimental
-A few risks don't work
-Sean Leon doesn't have much technical skill

Best: Pretty Girls Put Boys in Cemeteries, Vanity, Tania's Song

Worst: Liquid Courage

Sean Leon- Narcissus, the Drowning of Ego
8.4/10

Mac Miller- Faces MIXTAPE REVIEW

Mac Miller sure does keep himself busy. This guy has been releasing several projects per year for a while now. Today I am reviewing his new mixtape, Faces. My expectations are pretty high for this, mainly because I loved Mac's two releases from 2013. His studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, was solid, and his mixtape, Delusional Thomas, was one of my favorites of the year. Will Mac keep up the good work on this new project?

With Faces, Mac Miller keeps up the formula he used on Watching Movies with the Sound Off. Hazy and atmospheric beats, memorably goofy lyrics, and some deep emotions make up the majority of this tape. Starting with the rapping, Mac spits really well on this mixtape, maybe better then I've ever heard him. He raps with a lot of different voice inflections, as he may have a deep relaxed voice or a higher, more energetic delivery. I like them both though, and Mac has stepped up his technical skills a bit as well. On some of these tracks, Mac flows effortlessly over the beat and sounds like a natural MC. The most memorable part of Mac Miller's rapping is once again the lyricism. Mac has a huge variety when it comes to what he says. He can be hilarious, but also very serious. There are songs here where Mac will just spit a bunch of funny punchlines, then others where he tells an actual story. My favorite tracks here from a lyrical standpoint are Here We Go, Friends, What Do You Do, Happy Birthday, and Insomniak. Mac also improved his hooks a lot on this tape. There are some really infectious hooks here that I enjoyed a lot. Angel Dust had a very quirky and fun hook, Therapy had a high-energy, fast one, and Diablo had a simple one that became stuck in my head. I was pretty satisfied with the features on this project. There were some pretty surprising ones, like Rick Ross (Insomniak) and Mike Jones (Uber). Both of these guys fit well on their tracks, though, especially Mike Jones, who had a great storytelling verse on Uber. Mikey Rocks (What Do You Do) and Vince Staples (Rain) had solid contributions to their tracks, but the best guest verse came from Earl Sweatshirt on the song New Faces. Earl came out spitting with way more energy than I've ever heard him have, and it made me really excited for his future stuff. This mixtape has one glaring flaw, and its a big one. Faces is extremely bloated at 24 tracks. This is way too many, as there is filler everywhere. Songs like Malibu, Funeral, San Francisco, Colors and Shapes, and Apparition could have definitely been left off to make the tape better. Overall though, Mac's rapping was pretty good on Faces. The hooks and features were solid, and this mixtape had a lot of good moments. Its too bad this thing is far too long.

From an instrumental standpoint, Faces delivers. These beats aren't anything new for Mac Miller, but they definitely work nonetheless. The production here is atmospheric, relaxed, and pretty cloudy for the most part. These are my favorite beats for Mac Miller, as I feel his voice matches them perfectly. I like the beats the most on the songs Inside Outside, Angel Dust, What Do You Do, Diablo, and Rain. While most of the beats are in this atmospheric style, Mac wasn't afraid to try something new on Faces. The song Insomniak is a huge change for him, as this beat is a trap banger. Mac sounded good over it, and I was very surprised to hear him go over such a powerful beat. The song Grand Finale had an absolutely stellar beat. This one was led by some very nice electric guitars, and the whole thing sounded epic. This instrumental was perfect for the last song on the album. My favorite of them all, though, is Happy Birthday. The production on this track was awesome. It was so good, I was convinced it was an Alchemist beat when I heard of it. It features some fast paced drums, and some funky synthesizers come in around the middle. The beats on this mixtape were pretty good, but much like the rapping, it suffers from the problem of there being too many songs. Some of these beats don't stand out quite as much as others, but that doesn't mean they aren't good. Faces had very strong production overall.

FACES WRAP UP
+Great rapping from Mac, memorable punchlines and better flow
+Some really well-executed and catchy hooks
+Features brought a lot to their songs
+Fantastic production, with some ambitious new beats for Mac
-Way too long, lots of filler tracks

Best: Angel Dust, Happy Birthday, Diablo

Worst: Colors and Shapes

Mac Miller- Faces
7.8/10

Freeway & Girl Talk- Broken Ankles MIXTAPE REVIEW

Today's review will be on the new mixtape from Freeway and Girl Talk, Broken Ankles. Philadelphia MC Freeway is someone I've always thought was just OK. I love his energetic delivery, but his lyrics really aren't anything special. The thing that drove me to listen to this was Girl Talk. Girl Talk is a great producer who really makes some unique beats. The guy can chop up samples, mash them together with other samples, and make completely new sounds. How will this collaboration go on their new mixtape?

To put it very, very simply, this mixtape is absolutely awesome. I have barely any complaints about it. Even though it is only 5 songs long, this thing is a high-energy, head-bopping ride that is just fantastic. Starting with the first track, Tolerated, this might be one of the best hooks I've heard in 2014. It is really catchy and you just feel the sheer energy while listening to it. Freeway sounded more focused and lyrical than I've ever heard him as well. The best moment on this track, though, is Waka Flocka Flame's verse. While its not lyrical, you won't even pay attention to the lyrics because of how great Waka's delivery, voice, and flow is. Girl Talk's beat here is luxurious, big, and overall it just sounds monstrous. The song undergoes a sick beat change near the end as well. The second song, Tell Me Yeah, is not as energetic, but still very good. The instrumental on this just sounds so polished and amazing, with its choppy drums and female vocal samples. I also love the way the beat evolved as the song went on.  Freeway sounds great once again, and I liked Young Chris's flow on his verse. This was a pretty enjoyable song, overall. The next song, I Can Hear Sweat, might be my favorite on the album, though. The beat here was an absolute banger. It sounded incredible. The hook was awesome, and a real head-bopper. This track was another that won me over with its sheer energy. Jadakiss shows up for a guest verse, and he sounds as good as ever. I loved some of the lines he had on this verse. This song was great and it was just crafted beautifully.

The fourth song, Suicide, came through with a beat that sounded  more dark and solemn than on the previous songs. I really enjoyed the beat, and I feel like it matched perfectly with Freeway's chilling lyricism. The hook on this song also hit hard and was really catchy. This was the first song on the album that didn't have a guest verse, but Freeway carried the track fine all by himself. The guy is such an entertaining, loud rapper. The last song on the album, Lived It, may have had my favorite beat on the whole album. The female vocals sounded amazing, and the beat had such a great vibe to it. Freeways performance here was once again awesome. He came in with some more personal lyrics and he sounded really good. This song was was a perfect closer to this tape. Overall, Broken Ankles was outstanding. Girl Talk's beats were dense, layered, and I loved the fact that the songs would randomly undergo beat changes midway through. Freeway was terrific all the way through, as he sounded hungry, gritty, and he just grabbed my attention every time he started spitting. The guest verses were awesome as well, and I felt they were well-selected. This album came out of nowhere, but I'm glad I checked it out. It's for sure one of the best albums I have heard all year.

BROKEN ANKLES WRAP UP
+Freeway and Girl Talk have undeniable chemistry, this collaboration was perfect
+The beats were insane; so polished and clean sounding, with great sampling and instrumentation
+Freeway added to the awesome energy of the songs
+Really catchy hook on every song
+Terrific features, Waka Flocka Flame was the main highlight

Best: Tolerated, I Can Hear Sweat, Lived It

Worst: None

Freeway & Girl Talk- Broken Ankles
9.3/10

Future- Honest ALBUM REVIEW

My review for today will be on the new album from Future, titled Honest. Future is a very polarizing rapper for me. There are times where I feel this guy is a creative and interesting artist; like the song Turn on the Lights. That is a great song because it is unique, catchy, and has a great concept. On the other hand, Future has had moments where I feel he is no different than your average mainstream rap artist. He can be very generic and boring, but songs like Turn on the Lights give me hope for this new Future album. Will Future come through with a solid release, or will this be a mediocre project?

The rapping on this album was a mixed bag for me. Sometimes, Future's rapping really surprised me. I came into this album with very low expectations; Future has never been an impressive artist in terms of technical rapping ability. While he doesn't do enough here to make me believe he is a talented rapper, he was pretty solid. His best rapping comes on the intro song, Look Ahead. Future was on beat, switching up his flow, and some of his lyrics stuck with me. Other then this, Future doesn't have many memorable rapping moments here. I don't have a problem with this though, because this guy's best talent continues to be his ability to make excellent hooks. His hooks here are great, and this album just has so many catchy moments. I liked the hooks on Move That Dope, Honest, I Won, and Blood Sweat Tears. These tracks had good replay value, sometimes for only the hook and nothing else. The other thing that saves this album is the features. Are the regular mainstream names are here, but they bring a lot to the album. Pusha T slaughtered his verse on Move That Dope, Drake was great on Never Satisfied, and while it wasn't one of his better verses, I Won would've been boring if not for Kanye West. No feature on this album though, comes close to Andre 3000. On the song Benz Friendz, Andre dominates it, delivering a fantastic hook and an outstanding verse. He single-handedly made this song great. Overall with Honest, Future was a little spotty when rapping, but this album thrived with terrific hooks and features.

If there was one word describing the production on this album, it would be predictable. I didn't go into this album expecting dense, layered beats and I didn't get that. Honest is filled with Southern trap beats that you could find on a lot of other albums. This doesn't mean the beats were bad, though; I really enjoyed a lot of these instrumentals. First, I must talk about the one beat here that is different then all the others, Look Ahead. The production on this song was incredible. The drums on this song hit very hard, and made this track really strong and gritty. They mixed in with these booming claps and female vocal samples. This was the one beat on this album that was really dense, layered, and impressive. I was blown away by this instrumental. Other than that though, these were some pretty generic beats. While generic, this production does work for the album, as I would not want Future to be on anything too different. Move that Dope, My Momma, Never Satisfied, and Benz Friendz were my favorite beats in this stye from this album. I enjoyed some of these beats a lot, but overall, they were a bit too predictable.

HONEST WRAP UP
+Awesome hooks all over the album
+Features were really good, brought so much to the album
+Some pretty good beats
-Future wasn't a very good MC, only was good on one song
-Samey production

Best: Look Ahead, Never Satisfied, Benz Friendz

Worst: Covered in Money

Future- Honest
8.2/10