MIXTAPE ROUNDUP: Cakes Da Killa, Young Thug (Black Portland), 100s, & Vince Staples
New segment! New segment! I love Hip-Hop mixtapes, but I’ve found that many of them aren’t really able to sustain an entire review of their own. Sure, we get an “Acid Rap” or a Big K.R.I.T. tape every once in a while that NEEDS a fully fleshed review, but a lot of tapes only need a brief write-up, whether I recommend them, and some highlights. This segment will pop up every once in a while, because they’re a bit easier to write, and I can keep more up-to-date on mixtapes.This first segment will cover a couple of older tapes from earlier in the year, in addition to some newer tapes.
100s- IVRY
Fool’s Gold has a tendency to drop some great Hip-Hop mixtapes (Just look at their work with Danny Brown). This slickly produced tape from Berkley rapper 100s is yet another great project from the label. It has a silky and almost cloudy quality to it, but it still sounds entirely distinct. 100s rhymes with a heavy sense of distinction, with his cadence sounding like a sort of pitched-up 2 Chainz. Despite the fact that this is very nearly “Cloud Rap”, it never sounds entirely derivative or bland.
The songs here (somewhat assisted by the breezy 8 track run time) all boost the project up. Thru My Veins is a slippery and smooth track that introduces 100s as an interesting MC. His singing on songs like Fuckin’ Around sounds a bit like Kendrick Lamar’s odd singing, but it’s distinct and different enough to not sound derivative of it. Another welcome element of this fleshed out mixtape is the amazing Prince synth funk that permeates through some of the tracks (especially Different Type of Love). The production all over this tape is so refined and enjoyable that it almost doesn’t feel like a mixtape (a non-problem a lot of Fool’s Gold projects have). Different Type of Love almost sounds like it would have fit perfectly on Andre 3000’s The Love Below. In fact, 3000 is a clear inspiration throughout the entire tape. And that’s not a bad thing at all.
B+
Choice Cuts: Fuckin’ Around, Thru My Veins
Leftovers: Can a N**ga Hit It (The straight-Trap Rap feels a bit out of place)
Black Portland (Young Thug & Bloody Jay)- Black Portland
Love him or hate him, Young Thug is going to blow up pretty soon. Danny Glover and Stoner have both been some of the better Hip-Hop tracks of the past couple of months. Plus, Young Thug has been killing it on nearly every feature. That Low Pros EP was partially saved by those goofy Young Thug features.
Black Portland finds Thug working with Bloody Jay, a rapper who is considerably less interesting. This mixtape featuring the two of them is a bit uneven, mostly because Young Thug is clearly the more interesting rapper of the two. The opener Suck Me Up is a goofy and obnoxious and repetitive song that can’t decide if it wants to be awful or kind of fun. The songs that more clearly give Thug precedence (Like the almost drunk sounding Florida Water) work much better. Thug also incorporates some weird sing-song qualities into his rapping, which is certainly interesting.
Production wise, it’s all pretty typical trap rap. There are beats that stick out a bit more, like the twinkling piano on the bombastic Signs. Really, it’s a mixtape that requires turning off your brain to enjoy it. There are no features, so it’s just Thug and Jay being loud and obnoxious over big, booming, trap rap beats. I love No Fucks, but only because of how damn stupid some of the vocals can get on it. Young Thug clearly wins on this tape (His delivery on 4 Eva Bloody is some of the best original material here), especially considering that Danny Glover is included here. Some of the tape doesn’t work (Paranoia and No Love unfortunately just don’t last), but there’s enough stupid fun on here to make it worthwhile.
B-
Choice Cuts: Danny Glover, 4 Eva Bloody, No Fuck
Leftovers: Paranoia
Cakes Da Killa- Hunger Pangs
Cakes Da Killa’s previous projects have all been confrontational and straight up threatening (and this isn’t me being homophobic. I’m uncomfortable with anyone describing graphic sexual situations in a Hip-Hop song…especially when they’re practically yelling). However, this doesn’t stop Cakes from being one of the most impressive MCs around right now, and this tape is just more proof. On every track here (despite the uneven mixing), Cakes Da Killa sounds like he is assaulting the mic. The SXYLK produced Hunger Pangs track finds Cakes dropping tongue twister after tongue twister, right after the opener where he enters like a demon from a dungeon.
Sometimes the beats can overwhelm Cakes volume wise, but his fiery flow keeps him afloat on every track. The guy just doesn’t let up, and keeps up the unrelenting energy on every single track. Cakes just avoids any possible opportunities to dissect his sexuality- despite how clearly and bluntly open he is about it- by spitting hot fire on every single track. He also has an ear for beats that mostly let him shine (I adore the fat beat on Paid & Published, and the vocal samples on Rotation are wonderful). There are a couple of tracks that don’t really work (The mostly rap-free Get 2 Werk doesn’t really work), but for the most part Cakes puts it in full throttle.
B
Choice Cuts: Rotation, It’s Not Ovah
Leftovers: Get 2 Werk
Vince Staples- Shyne Coldchain 2
Vince Staples has made a massive name for himself over the past year through that fantastic feature on Earl’s Hive and through his Twitter account, which is easily one of the most entertaining out there. His nasally voice is distinctive, and he has a smooth way with words that made his verse on Hive such a ground-breaker. Shyne Coldchain 2 is his first project following Hive, and it’s one of the better mixtapes that have been released this year.
It nicely eschews several mixtape tropes to sound more like a cohesive album. Songs like Humble are actually fleshed out songs with clashy and dark production. The dark production throughout the tape does harken back to his days palling around with Odd Future, but it all sounds refined and clean. The thick beat on 45 has a drum machine that wouldn’t be out of place on an Odd future record, but it’s mixed in such a way that the inherent amateur nature of Odd Future’s production doesn’t show. Staples sounds great over these darker beats, and he drops lines that continue his gangster nature with flying colors. Some sound soulful, like Turn and Nate, but all the beats still manage to maintain an inherent darkness that works perfect with Staples’ aesthetic.
The album-like nature of the tape makes it work, and Staples decision to keep things relatively short and focused also makes the tape something to check out. Sure, there are some misfires (I still do not understand the way rappers use Jhene Aiko, because she is consistently used in bland or nonsensical ways), and I do wish that Staples would have used some actual rap features to flesh out the tape.
B
Choice Cuts: Progressive 3, Humble
Leftovers: Oh You Scared
EP REVIEW: Low Pros- EP 1
Low Pros is a concept that is deliriously stupefying. “Let’s throw A-Trak and Lex Luger on an EP together.” someone said. The testosterone involved in making such an EP hurts to even think about, and it shows in how deliriously loud and explosive this short EP is. The hottest rising names (OK, just Young Thug, Travi$ Scott, and A$AP Ferg) are brought in to rap over some of the banging beats this year. The beats bang, but is there anything particularly interesting about them? Depends.
Each beat seems like it’s crafted to be played loudly at a club, and all of them are made with massive drops or drops big enough to bring a crowd to their knees. The results? A bit mixed. The buildup on Intro is fine, but the actual explosion of sound doesn’t really do a whole lot, creating an ultimately underwhelming introduction. The track Ohmygosh features several other producers, and dissolves into an utterly obnoxious bro-step breakdown towards its center. The best part of the track is actually the more subtle and effects-driven outro to the track, which creates a cool and spooky mood that makes up for the bland breakdown from earlier in the song. The track Muscle has an alright beat, but its kind ruined by an utterly bland hook that anchors even more bland verses from Juvenile.
The best tracks here are the ones that draw out blissful ignorance to their utter limits. Young Thugs’ goofy and always-at-his-max-energy delivery on Jack Tripper is delightful, making the best of the ominous and bassy beat (Peewee Longways’ appearance on this track and Frankie Lymon does nothing to make me want to care about who Peewee Longway is). Young Thug also delivers a worthwhile verse on Frankie Lymon, out-rapping the other two on the track with an energetic verse that’s made him one to watch.
The real greatness here comes from the original and remix versions of 100 Bottles. Travi$ Scott’s drowning delivery of the hook on the original version is incredibly enjoyable, creating an intense track that grows and shrinks into a brilliant focusing of energy and fury. The remix brings a gleefully goofy A$AP Ferg verse about pussy, including a weird sing-song verse. It’s as wonderful as it sounds. The original version works a bit better (Ferg’s verse, while enjoyable, does feel like it was just tacked onto the song), but it’s still a great example of how this duo can work.
Summary: EP 1 has a few bright moments that show how Lex Luger and A-Trak can create something special together; but some weaker tracks and the fact many of the best tracks are driven by the rappers rather than producers causes some concern as to whether it’ll even be worth it to hear future EPs.
Choice Cuts: 100 Bottles, Jack Tripper, 100 Bottles (Remix)
Leftovers: Intro
B-
You can download the mixtape here.
ALBUM/MIXTAPE REVIEW: Death Grips- Government Plates
There’s a wide range of opinions on Death Grips, the Punk-Hop group from Sacramento. Some love their abrasive sound and “I Don’t Give a F*ck” attitude. Others loathe their childish antics and very unorthodox sound. I mean, music aside, I’ve found their behavior over the past few years to at least be somewhat entertaining (Though incredibly douchey). The way they present themselves is just as spontaneous and unnerving as the music they make. The release of their latest album/mixtape, Government Plates, follows this through. Almost out of nowhere, they dropped this with little to no warning for free on the internet, which made for quite an interesting Wednesday afternoon.
Like all three of their projects before, Government Plates is a loud and abrasive affair. But, once again, they’ve tweaked their sound to bring something new to the table. After the dark and brooding nature of NO LOVE DEEP WEB, this album is a frantic and production driven work that once again sees the band pushing in a new and fresh direction. Even though my praise for NO LOVE DEEP WEB was, at best, rather lukewarm, I still felt that they could deliver something astounding if they put a little more time into it. Government Plates isn’t a landmark in experimental Hip-Hop, but it’s probably their most consistent and well executed projects yet.
The opening track, the obnoxiously titled* You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it’s your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat, is one of the most vicious and devastating tracks I’ve heard this year. The synthesizers sound absolutely hungry and empowered, while Zach Hill’s drumming absolutely shines. MC Ride’s delivery is loud and angry, but it’s not as overbearingly self-centered as it was on NO LOVE DEEP WEB. Death Grips have always done a great job with album openers, but this might be their strongest effort yet.
While NLDW seemed focused on MC Ride’s antics and anguish, Government Plates turns the tables and puts more emphasis on the production work, which yields fantastic results. Here, Ride’s vocals tend to meld into the music more like an instrument, becoming a piece of a whole rather than the “MC Ride & Death Grips” sound from NLDW. The strong production work has songs swirl around in intoxicating synth loops and brooding bass drops. The vocal modulation on songs like Anne Bonny comes across as less gimmicky and more purposeful, with Ride melting into the sound rather than standing in front of it. The punchy synths on This is Violence Now sound like explosive lasers, and there’s even some dance beats in there for good measure. Plus, there’s some really great drumming from Zach Hill all over this record, and he takes a lot more prominence than I’ve heard before. Death Grips have a lot of great ideas, and luckily these ideas never overstay their welcome.
Death Grips manage to make a lot more good moves than bad on this latest project, with shorter track lengths and more succinct songs. A lot of great songs here stay under 4 minutes, and that keeps everything fresh and moving along. It’s as if they took the brooding sounds from NLDW and put them into the shorter form that made The Money Store so great. The first half of this record (Much like the first half of The Money Store) speeds through like a bullet, and it’s some of the most engaging and enthralling stuff you’ll hear this year.
The later half finds the sound leaning more towards production than MC Ride, which manages to be at least interesting. While the beats on songs like Feels Like a Wheel and I’m Overflow are monsters, the usage of MC Ride on these tracks comes across as being slightly underwhelming. However, the sweet electronic dance and energy on these tracks make them at least good, even though they could use some more Ride. Big House is another track on the back half that puts production in the forefront. The beginning focuses on this vicious, almost electronic psychedelic, sound, but it falls into this loud bass driven sound halfway through that is absolutely mind boggling. Even though the second half isn’t as in-your-face as a lot of their past work, it’s some of the easiest to listen to (and pleasant) stuff that Death Grips have done to date.
Now, like every other Death Grips album, there are certain ideas that don’t entirely work. The ghastly guitar that plays during the verses of Birds is an absolute vibe killer and sounds more comedic than frightening. Some of the clashing on Feels Like a Wheel with the modulated vocals and the monotone synths don’t exactly work either. However, there are many more moments of brilliance on this record that more than make up for those less developed ideas.
The trance nature that comes in and out that contrasts with the loud bass drops (Most vividly illustrated with Whatever I Want (F*ck Who’s Watching)) is incredible. That track feels like vicious waves of the ocean during a hurricane, lashing against the beach and then pulling away. It’s a weirdly beautiful song, that manages to be simultaneously ethereal and abrasive. Unlike any of their past stuff, there are some subtle moments where you can get lost in the breathtaking nature of the song, or feel like your literally standing in front of a great wall of synthesizers. Even though their’ antics may be tired, clearly their ability to make interesting and provoking music is not. Despite the poor mixing throughout the tape, the music is engaging enough to make this problem easy to overlook. Death Grips are still abrasive and loud, but Government Plates takes their sound to places they’ve never been taken before. People may be mad that they canceled a lot of appearances earlier this year, but clearly those cancellations weren’t for nothing.
Summary: Government Plates is a return to form for Death Grips following the half-baked NO LOVE DEEP WEB, with succinct songs, fantastic production, and a new found confidence that proves these guys are not just flashes in the pan.
Choice Cuts: You Might Think He Loves You…, Whatever I Want (F*ck Who’s Watching), This Is Violence Now (Don’t Get Me Wrong)
Leftovers: Feels Like a Wheel
B+
You can stream the entire thing below.
*NOTE OF CORRECTION (11/15/13): Yes, the song’s title are Dylan lyrics. No, that doesn’t make the length of the track’s title any less obnoxious.
ALBUM REVIEW: Run the Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P)- Run the Jewels
2013 has ruled for music on nearly every front. Except for Hip-Hop. I mean, sure we had (Depending on who you ask) Yeezus and (Also depending on who you ask) Chance the Rapper and (If you ask me) Big K.R.I.T., but those are a few albums. In past years, we’ve gotten tons of really great albums and tapes by this point. However, June blew up with great Hip-Hop. One of the greatest? Killer Mike and El-P.
Last year, these two kind of ran the Hip-Hop world, at least from the underground. El-P produced Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, a fiery and furious political southern Hip-Hop album that yanked the South back away from Gucci Mane and Waka. Just a couple weeks after that, El-P dropped Cancer 4 Cure, a wild and dark Hip-Hop manifesto with some of the wildest production I’ve ever heard. These projects showed that El-P and Killer Mike are a weird combination that shouldn’t work, but it does. El-P’s hardcore New York sounds locks into Killer Mike’s southern growl like Legos. This album isn’t nearly as serious as their punches last year, but it’s just as good and 3x as fun.
The politics and dreary lyricism have been exchanged for wild shit talking and great lines that feel like the ceiling is falling above you. The beats are just as dark and hard-hitting, but this time they’re a bit more playful and taunting. The Nintendo beat on 36” Chain and the wild Bongos on the opener Run the Jewels all seem to say “Get at me” whilst flipping us off. It’s really awesome.
Even though the lyrics aren’t as conceptual as their albums, they don’t need to be. Despite the fact this album (You’re welcome, El-P) doesn’t consist of much outside of some wild flaunting, they still unleash some fantastic lyrics and some really memorable lines. Hell, even on the only weaker track (Sea Legs, because I hate the hook) these two spit some wild lines. They even through stabs at Watch the Throne (The lines alluding to them as corporate slaves on Get It is also nicely timed with Jay-Z’s “Samsung Galaxy: The Album”). I’d name individual lines that are fantastic, but there’s a fantastic line every couple of seconds on this album. These two are incredibly talented lyricists.
On top of that lyricism is some of the fiercest flows and deliveries I’ve ever heard from either of them. The title track has some absolutely wild flows that they throw back and forth with ease. They sound like they have as much chemistry as the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC had back in their primes. Keep in mind these two have only been recording together for two or three years. Individually, they always try to top each other, which keeps them on top of their games. El-P’s wild tongue twisting makes his verses feel like roller coasters on fire, while Killer Mike delivers with a thick gusto that can sometimes make Kanye’s barking on Yeezus sound like the rap equivalent of dairy-free ice cream. Oh, and I’ve never been as afraid of a rapper as I was of Killer Mike and his opening verse on Job Well Done.
Overall, there’s not much to say other than this Album is really fantastic. Even moments that are overshadowed (Like collaborations from Big Boi and a hilarious appearance from Prince Paul) are really great. Mike and El are an odd couple that were meant for each other. That’s about it. You need to download this.
Summary: Run the Jewels shows off just how perfect Killer Mike and El-P are for each other, with wild production and amazing verses. These two make quite the case for why they’re some of the best in Hip-Hop right now.
Choice Cuts: Run the Jewels, Get It, Banana Clipper, DDFH, A Christmas F**king Miracle
Leftovers: Sea Legs
5/5
You can pop in an email for a download here.
ALBUM REVIEW: Big K.R.I.T.- King Remembered In Time
Big K.R.I.T. has a lot of things going for him. He has 3 amazing mixtapes under his belt, a pretty stellar (albeit incredibly underrated) debut album, several great guest verses (Including the best verse on 1Train)…plus he’s easily one of the best producers around. He produces all of his own music, which is probably what makes all of his projects so aesthetically cohesive. While 2012 was a very busy year for K.R.I.T., he has already come back in 2013 to drop yet another mixtape. And, in my opinion, it’s his best project yet.
Big K.R.I.T. has really revitalized southern Hip-Hop as a creative area. Associated with Lil Wayne and bad ring tones, Southern rap suffered in the late 00’s, but K.R.I.T.’s first mixtape, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here dropped in 2010, and things seemed to change. While Waka and Gucci and 2 Chainz still control the South, K.R.I.T. shows that generalizing all Southern rap as mediocre is a bit misguided. K.R.I.T. has gotten bigger with every release, with bigger names on his tracks (Bun B, Ludacris), and King Remembered In Time feels like his most grandiose project yet.
After the relatively guest-free 4Eva N a Day and the more “Summary/Generalization” feeling of Live From the Underground, K.R.I.T. delivers bigger samples, more interesting instrumentals, and a different aesthetic. The projects from last year felt very dreamy and dark, inducing a feeling of nighttime (Even though 4 Eva N a Day is about the whole day). This album brings more wild production, making everything a bit more lively. Even tracks like the gorgeously introspective R.E.M. have a sense of energy to them. Plus, there are changes in the production (Those organs on King Without a Crown, the M83 sample on Multi Til the Sun Die) that integrate well, and don’t feel tacked on.
The attitude K.R.I.T. gives off in his delivery and lyrics is also a change. There seems to be some new self-awareness in the music, with K.R.I.T. worrying less about being the South’s underdog, and more about being the top dog. Of course, it doesn’t actually come across as egotistical, but the awareness shown, both in the production and lyrics, gives the tape a sense of credibility. In fact, I hate calling this (and his other mixtapes) mixtapes, because the execution of ideas, production, and delivery here is better than half of the Hip-Hop albums I hear every year.
His lyrics, as usual, range from intense, bragging bangers to introspective ballads. On both, he displays an equal talent of writing great lyrics. Plus, his hooks here are actually pretty nice, something that’s hard to find in a lot of Hip-Hop releases. K.R.I.T. never comes across as bored either, since he bring a passion to every song that feels unchallenged everywhere else in Hip-Hop.
Even the guests work here. Trinidad James gives a surprisingly solid verse on My Trunk, Wiz Khalifa also delivers a nice verse on Only One. The only guest here that I think takes away from any of the album is Future on that odd interlude that feels more like an unfinished song. Really, everything falls into place, regardless of how odd it sounds on paper. The M83-sampling finale is a weirdly powerful moment, one that feels like a massive mountain, which gives the album a huge (and pleasing) ending.
I’ve enjoyed all of Big K.R.I.T.’s tapes so far, and this is no different. In fact, this is probably my favorite project of his thus far. While it doesn’t have that concept-album feeling that he nailed on 4 Eva N a Day, it brings some stellar songs to the table, and there is basically no filler. A fantastic mixtape, and even a fantastic album.
Summary: Stellar production, great songs, and a fantastic MC- Big K.R.I.T. delivers again in one of his best projects to date.
Choice Cuts: R.E.M., Meditate, Shine On, Multi Til the Sun Die
Leftovers: Just Last Week
5/5
You can download the mixtape here.
MIXTAPE REVIEW: Yelawolf- Trunk Muzik Returns
Yelawolf is a rapper that I, until recently, wrote off. I used to lump him in the same group as MGK (Inadvertent Racial Stereotyping? Probably); I considered it testosterone-laden music made for college girls. Of course, being the idiot I am, I didn’t realize that Yelawolf is actually a talented MC with a lot of technical (and some lyrical) skills. Last year I finally checked out Radioactive, which while I didn’t find it nearly as bad as the rest of the world, I still thought it was fatally flawed. It felt like a neutered version of something much better. Turns out, it was! I then listened to his pre-Radioactive mixtapes, which were pretty good.
Then, this year, he dropped a fiery verse on A$AP Rocky’s 1 Train, which made me gain a whole new level of respect for Yelawolf. I mean, it’s pretty damn impressive to sound good on a track with A$AP, Kendrick, Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Big K.R.I.T. (Especially when you sound better than a few of the MCs you’re rapping with). So, I met the arrival of Trunk Muzik Returns with both enthusiasm and skepticism. Luckily, this project is pretty satisfying.
The first three tracks alone exert an energetic confidence that was missing on Radioactive. Each track has a drive to it that makes it feel far more natural than much of the big-label BS from Radioactive. Whether the tracks have intensely sparse percussion beats like on F.A.S.T. Ride or a more laid back and spacious beat on Fire Starter, Yelawolf’s delivery and flow injects a kind of stimulant into each track. Sometimes, he brings an intensity verging on insanity to a track like Catfish Billy that takes it to a new level (THAT SCREAM).
Trunk Muzik Returns also does a great job at showing precisely what was wrong with Radioactive, specifically by doing what that album did in a more concise, more enjoyable manner. The hooks, while still really stupid, are infectious and fun. Catfish Billy and F.A.S.T. Ride, have stupid hooks, but they’re still incredibly enjoyable (F.A.S.T. Ride’s hook especially). There also seems to be a more concerted effort to intelligently integrate guest verses. On Radioactive, many of the guests felt tacked on to make tracks more…”Accessible”? Here, guests are used in a way that actually makes sense with the tracks. And none of them take away from Yelawolf himself. The only one who feels somewhat out of place is Raekwon on Rhyme Boom, and that’s only because he is blown out of the water by Killer Mike’s fantastic verse (Seriously, this man can do no wrong). Plus, Tennessee Love takes the middle part of Radioactive and makes it tolerable.
The production here is nothing to get excited about. Other than Box Chevy Part 4, none of the beats are bad. But none of them really have a punch to match Yelawolf. Tracks like Catfish Billy sound great, but it’s mainly due to Yela’s delivery, not the production. Save Tennessee Love (Which has some really nice slide guitars), there isn’t a single beat that really sticks out, since they all feel somewhat generic. Except Box Chevy Part 4. And that one only sticks out because it’s awful.
Whether or not this mixtape will translate to his upcoming efforts (Which includes a collaborative album with Big K.R.I.T.) is yet to be seen. However, this mixtape does give a whole lot of evidence against writing Yelawolf off. It cements the fact that he’s a solid MC, and more proof that good Hip-Hop can indeed come out of the South.
Summary: Feeling like an apology for Radioactive, Trunk Muzik Returns gives Yelawolf a chance to show off some absolutely explosive delivery, proving that we can’t write him off just yet.
Choice Cuts- F.A.S.T. Ride, Rhyme Boom, Tennessee Love
Leftovers- Box Chevy Part 4
3.5/5
You can download Trunk Muzik Returns right here.
MIXTAPE REVIEW: Kool A.D.- 19 and 63
Das Racist is broken up. No more Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. No more Girl. No more Rainbow in the Dark. No more Michael Jackson. Now more Who’s That? Broooooown. No more Das Racist.
Now, the three former members have to go out on their own and figure out what to do. Dapwell didn’t really do anything in the group to begin with, so I’m not sure what his plan is. Plus, Heems should be totally fine on his own. His last mixtape, Nehru Jackets, was pretty great. But then there’s Kool A.D.. He’s probably the better lyricist, but his mixtapes have been leaving me yearning for more. His Palm Wine Drinkard tape was a messy excuse for some kind of experimental music thing. And then 51 was forgotten about 5 minutes after I heard it. I want Kool A.D. to blow the world away with his masterful lyrics and weird musical style, but he’s yet to really prove that.
19 and 63 both don’t really help.
The first mixtape, 19, is probably one of the worst Das Racist affiliated projects out there. It’s not as bad as Palm Wine (Which was easily one of the most disappointing releases of 2012.), but it is still bad. The production is incredibly messy, the lyrics are unfunny and not innovating (Just repeating “Bieber” over 
and over again is neither funny nor a proper form of social commentary). In fact, a lot of this feels like some kind of Chief Keef/ Odd Future cross over, which is just gross. He might be trying to satirize this style (Which, for Kool A.D., wouldn’t be a shock), but it just comes across as…well…forced. The only part I enjoyed was Krispy Kreme (I believe it was Krispy Kreme) ranting over the Workaholics theme. And even that was stupid.
The second mixtape, 63, is nearly good, but it’s still kind of underwhelming when we compare it to Das Racist’s greatest works. While 19 is focused on wonky and ugly beats, 63 takes R&B and eccentric 70s styles and meshes them into a weird concoction of weird. It’s a lot of fun, and there are some tracks that truly are great. The posse cuts are great, and all of the unknowns here bring something to the table, which is kind of strange in this day and age. However, there aren’t any tracks that really stick out in memory. It’s all very pleasant, but it doesn’t stick. Basically, the only thing that made me like this album way more than 19 was the more traditional sampling.
I miss Das Racist quite a bit, and I’ll always wish they stayed together. Now, I’m just worried about Kool A.D. Heems can live in a post-Das Racist world. I’m not as confident with Kool A.D.
Summary: 19 and 63 vary in quality, but neither really cement Kool A.D. as the talented rapper and lyricist he was in Das Racist.
Choice Cuts: Sclera, Red Wine
19- 2/5
63- 3/5
You can download both mixtapes here.
MIXTAPE REVIEW/BLOODBATH: Kitty- D.A.I.S.Y. Rage
Note: My emotions got the best of me, so if the writing of this seems “Unprofessional”, I apologize. However, giving you a well educated and articulated review of this mixtape is A) Not worth my time B) Me lying to you. I’d also like you to know ahead of time that this review relates to the music she makes, not her personally. This is not a personal attack, just an attack on something that attacked my senses. Thus, here is my completely unedited review of Kitty (Formerly known as Kitty Pryde’s) new mixtape, D.A.I.S.Y. Rage.
I loathe Kitty Pryde.
Not personally. I loathe her as an act. At some point last year, she dropped her “Breakout” track, OK Cupid. While I think Lil B’s shtick is (Sometimes) hilarious, everything about Pryde’s music just angered me. She takes Lil B’s low quality rapping and cloud beats, lathers it in “Look how cute I am!” lyrics, obligatory cool references, and “Hipster-Pandering” (I mean seriously, the PBR drinking is pushing it a bit hard, is it not?). I hoped that this was a one track, one time thing. But then it wasn’t.
She dropped a mixtape, the horrendous Hahaha, I’m Sorry (The name of the mixtape along angers me). It was full of OK beats with Kitty “rapping” over them. OK, I should probably remove those quote marks. I don’t really have anything against her technical ability. She’s not exactly a bad rapper. I mean, sure, she’s sometimes drowned out by her production, but she can have some slightly interesting flows (They kind of came out on the final track).
But that’s it. The vocal infliction she gives to much of her rhymes comes across as weak and whiny. She’s trying to be cute and sexy, but she comes across as a winy 5 year old talking about sleeping medication and…well…that’s about it. I can’t hear what she’s saying half the time. The beats are the one redeeming quality to some of her music, and while drowning Pryde out might be a good thing, it really prevents what she’s saying from being said. Sure, this might be a new “style”, this quiet talky thing that Pryde’s made a name of. But I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.
As I’ve said before, this is basically ripping a page out of Lil B’s book and making origami with it. The nice cloud beats and lazy rapping is there. But instead of having deadpan, humorous qualities, it replaces that with “Sexy and Indie!”. And it doesn’t work. She lacks any charisma (Or at least a charisma that works well with the music), and comes across as aggressively insecure. I mean, in all of her videos and concert clips, she just kind of stands around awkwardly. I mean, sure, I’d love if some good hip-hop came out that wasn’t pumped full of testosterone and braggadocio . The catch is that the emcee has to have something else interesting, either in what they say or how they say it. PRYDE HAS NEITHER OF THESE THINGS.
Kitty Pryde brings on guests like Antwon, who really illustrate her insufficiency on another level. I mean, Antwon comes onto the beat with a hard-hitting delivery and OK verse. Then Kitty comes on, and it sounds like we’re watching a boxing match between a young Mike Tyson and Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver (Just go with it). It’s pathetic. And when there aren’t any guests, we’re treated with the displeasure of Kitty Pryde rapping for the entirity of a track.
When I can hear the lyrics, she’s saying things that aren’t worth my time hearing. Normally, she’s talking about casual use of Benadryl and being awesome. And regardless of what she’s talking about, she’s using a whispery “cute” voice. It’s the most grating Hip-Hop delivery I’ve heard since Biz Markie tried to sing. Except that was at least endearing. There is nothing redeeming or enjoyable or sexy or remotely likable about Pryde’s music (Save the beats).
And to the comments I’ll inevitably receive relating to “You’re taking the music too seriously”, I say this:
I know I’ve mentioned Lil B too many times already, but the comparison really works to show how his music can (sometimes) be effective and Pryde’s is not. Both of them are similar in that their music is horrible. Neither are exactly skilled rappers (Lil B for sure, Kitty Pryde not yet), and both rely on non-musical elements to get by. I understand this. Lil B tries to be funny. Kitty Pryde tries to be cute. The difference? Lil B’s music is bad and it makes me laugh. Kitty Pryde’s music is bad and legitimately angers and offends me.
This EP is awful, Kitty Pryde’s music is awful, and the feeling I got when I had the displeasure of listening to this EP…was awful.
Sorry for hating.
I feel hurt.
Summary:
Choice Cuts: Unfollowed
.5/5
Stream Dead Island below (OK, just look at the title of the video. Even that makes my blood boil). If you feel like hating yourself, you can stream the tape here.
MIXTAPE REVIEW: Future (And others)- Future Presents F.B.G.: The Movie
Note: In case the closing moments of the review come across as “Unprofessional”, I apologize. If I were to reword it to sound calmer or more subjective, I’d be taking my emotions and opinions and diluting them. And I love you guys too much to do that. So enjoy.
Future is a rapper that confuses me to no end. His hooks and auto-tuned sing/rap styling sound like he’s drowning in the ocean…but for some reason it works. Everyone seemingly loved his debut album, Pluto, except for me. I see the appeal in Future as a T-Pain type artist, but not much else. I enjoy T-Pain on a ridiculous DJ Khaled track, not a horrendous album where half the material is filler. The same has to this point applied to Future.
Here, Pluto tries to go cinematic, even pointing this out in the title. Intro (Future) straight up says that the song acts as opening credits. Sadly, it feels like a bad omen of what’s to come. The cinematic production feels like we’re about to enter a battle in Lord of the Rings or Braveheart, except instead it has lazy percussion and some of the most annoyingly monotone rap/singing I’ve heard. Future just repeats numerous things that are “On Me”. This would have been a funny 1 minute opener, but then it lasts 4 1/2 minutes. It’s dreadful.
The single-bait track that follows, Fo Real, improves by actually having some form of strong structure. The production doesn’t do anything for me, but the delivery here is inspired, and Drake delivers a serviceable verse. But that’s a problem for the whole album. The best tracks are often nothing more than “Pretty good”. On Future’s tracks, his watery deliver turns from “Fun” to “Alright, we get it” very quickly, with the auto-tune affects becoming grating as soon as the 3rd track. Again, Future is the kind of guy who is suited for singles, not albums. Or mixtapes.
The production on this tape is absolutely uninteresting, full of the same boom-bass and cloud rap influenced beats that Hip-Hop has been inundated with since A$AP and Waka were getting big at the same time. Notice how those two rappers don’t really go together? That’s the production all over this tape, since it doesn’t know what it wants to be. Future tries to mix in “Cinematic” strings and orchestral thrills, but drowns them out with generic bass thumps and clicky percussion. Not a single beat comes across as memorable, and since Future doesn’t really do enough himself to keep things interesting, the tape falls on its face.
Image Courtesy Pitchfork
Now, Future presents a variety of different rappers here, “Actors in the film” (Notice I keep putting these movie references in quotation marks, because I hate them). Aside from Drake, no one really delivers a guest verse worth time. Wale makes himself more detestable on Ceelo, and B*tches Love Me feels like I’m getting sucked into a giant whirlpool, with the watery sound of Lil Wayne and Future’s auto-tune overwhelming pretty much everything. Birdman (for whatever reason) gets a 30 second interlude where he basically does shout-outs and says nothing worth attention. There are some tracks that don’t even have any Future on them. The first of which, Mup*ucka, is TERRIBLE. The two no names, Mexico Rann and Young Scooter, lack charisma and their lyricism is on about the same level of guys like Waka or Chief Keef (And this mixtape is a prime example of why I somewhat resent their influence). Oh, and the beat is horrendous. These no-names (Who are being showcased as Future’s proteges and buddies) lack the skill and charisma required to make them stand out, which ruins basically every track that Future isn’t on.
There are points on the album where I can drop my reservations and kind of enjoy myself. I have a soft spot for incredibly ignorant Trap-Rap tracks that go hard, so needless to say I liked Marc Mcquire (WHO YOU THANK YOU IS!?!?! WHO YOU THANK YOU IS?!?!). But there lies another problem. But what I like in that song relies more on the testosterone and energy entailed in it, not so much the lyricism or production (It’s suitable, but nothing interesting). Plus, the whole “Film” concept is just dropped by track 6, and if it is still there, it’s drowned out by the obnoxious bass.
And even Future’s strong suit, hooks, fall flat here. The staccato drug talk on Karate Chop is too choppy to be remotely enjoyable, and too many tracks just kind of toss together repeated melodies and words just so they have some kind of hook. The worst offense here, however, is the length. I was fatigued at the 10th track. THE WHOLE THING IS 24 TRACKS LONG. THE THEME THAT HE USED TO UNITE THE THING WAS COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN BY TRACK 5. I mean, by the time we get to track 20, almost every track suffers the same exact problems. It just feels like it devolves into loud bass with Future moaning about syrup and women over it.
IT’S EXACTLY WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT HIP-HOP
ALSO, SISQO IS STILL RECORDING MUSIC?
Summary: Overlong, repetitive, monotonous, generically produced, confused, bloated, and severely lacking in the song department, this “Movie” by Future comes across as a Hip-Hop equivalent to a Michael Bay movie.
Choice Cuts: Fo Real, Mark Mcquire
1/5
You can download the tape here.
ALBUM/MIXTAPE REVIEW: The Rosebuds- Love Deluxe (The Rosebuds Perform Sade)
I actually have seen The Rosebuds live. In July 2011, they opened for Bon Iver on the opening night of the national tour. They were fine enough, they had some nice folk vibes and some catchy tunes. I enjoyed them enough, even if they didn’t exactly stick out. Then a few days ago, they released this free album, a cover of Sade’s Love Deluxe. A smooth soul album. Needless to say, I was a bit confused. And even after listening, I’m still rather confused.
They covered the entire album, front to back. Now, folk has earned a lot of R&b influence as of late (Thanks to Bon Iver). However, this seemingly pushes the trend to a ridiculous extreme. The opener, No Ordinary Love, doesn’t really change the instrumentation enough from the original to make it interesting (Save some slightly louder percussion). Lead singer Ivan Howard’s singing on this track (And pretty much every other one) comes across as a bit awkward and forced.
In fact, this whole tape comes across as a bit awkward and forced. The “Whoa-ohs” and “Uh-huhs” at the beginning of Feel No Pain nearly made me gag. This is less of a fully realized project and more of a drunken Karaoke night. Except the only songs you can singer are from Sade’s The Love Deluxe. And the only people singing is your awkward white friend from accounting.
Even a lot of the instrumentation here feels really out of place. The guitars on Feel No Pain are very odd for the group, as are all the synths thrown around throughout the album. Plus, there’s no emotion anywhere to be found on this tape. They’re just playing the notes. It’s as if Howard is just singing random words. Which isn’t how it should work, because Sade’s music is just jam packed with emotion. This rendition is jam packed with cheese.
Some of the tracks are alright. Couldn’t Love You More sounds pretty good (if not a bit repetitive). And the sax on Bullet Proof Soul sounds alright. But outside of that, this entirely nonsensical project just comes across as awkward and forced. A tribute gone wrong. Influences over-influencing. It’s just mediocre.
This tape might just be some kind of a throwaway, but that doesn’t matter to me. Regardless of whether it’s a real project or just a fun little side thing they did because they were bored, it’s still pretty awful. I’d rather just listen to Sade’s album. and just leave The Rosebuds to their usual (Not R&B) style.
Summary: The Rosebuds’ cover of The Love Deluxe is influenced a bit too much, and comes across as more awkward and forced than earnest and smooth
Choice Cuts- Couldn’t Love You More, Bullet Proof Soul
1/5
You can stream and download the entire tape below.
Vantage Point Music 