ALBUM REVIEW: RiFF RAFF- NEON iCON
For the entirety of this review, I will not technically use the proper capitalization of RiFF RAFF or the song titles. Apologies in advanced.
Is Riff Raff a rapper to be taken seriously? The guy is covered in tattoos repping corporations, he vines about him eating nice food and goofing around with his Husky. NEON iCON is his big debut album, and the album is meant to establish who he is (to those who are unfortunate enough to not know already). Riff Raff has a particularly goofy sensibility, with constant braggadocio and materialistic anecdotes stuffed into every song. Much like Lil B, he’s a hard dude to take particularly seriously. However, unlike Lil B, the music itself isn’t necessarily a joke.
Even though the opening dialogue on Introducing the Icon is obnoxious, Riff comes in with some absolutely fiery verses. A lot of the stuff he says is pretty damn stupid, but that’s part of what makes Riff Raff so enjoyable. The spacious beat on Versace Python is pretty great on it’s own, and when Riff Raff comes in and starts singing about being Jody Highroller, it transcends into something strangely beautiful/amazing. Seriously, Riff Raff singing is one of my favorite things about this album, because it’s so deliriously weird. This flows right into Lava Glaciers, which gives us some nice work from Childish Gambino. The track’s production actually sounds like it could be a song from Because the Internet, and Riff sounds pretty good over it. The production on this song is one of the best beats on the record (and one of the better beats I’ve heard this year), and when Gambino comes in, it solidifies the track as the best on the album, and (this is so weird) one of the better Hip-Hop tracks this year. There are other moments that shine–Mac’s verse on Aquaberry Dolphin is oddly one of my favorite Mac verses ever, and the dolphin noises on that track are golden- but none of the songs quite reach the heights of the two I mentioned.
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.
Vantage Point Music 