AnonymousI like Shad quite a bit, although I prefer The Old Prince to TSOL (both are very good though.) I don’t know who you are anonymous, but your recommendation shows that you have good taste; don’t change that!
My review of Charlie’s first project can be found here. For those who don’t care to read a long review (in which case, why are you here again?) I will paraphrase by saying that I found Charlie to be an adept rapper who now must move past the well-worn, time-tested instrumentals of other artists’ and instead begin to use original production. My other curiosity was in how he would be able to handle actual songwriting, limiting verse’s and crafting hooks that help the song (on Before I Fade there were no hooks, as made evident by a Jay-Z sample sewn throughout.) On this mixtape those questions are answered. But has Charlie lost his core following and sound in the process? Has he dumbed down bars to appease the masses? What exactly is an AfterFade? Why am I being so dramatic about something everyone already likes? No idea.
1. Fortunate (Intro Skit)
I enjoy how the spoken portions transition into rapping seamlessly. By its very nature this won’t have much replay value (spoken word and a’cappella albums would be multi-platinum otherwise,) but it is definitely interesting enough to lure in new listeners whilst keeping old fans happy.
2. Step by Step (Produced by Third3arDrum)
And right off the bat we are presented with something so far removed from Before I Fade: a fully fleshed song with an intro, verse, chorus and outro. Third3arDrum’s instrumental has the perfect sample and a great percussive sound to it. In regards to our protagonist, switching up his flow serves him well (in an attempt to show his versatility,) although usually when he speeds up he sacrifices content (it is something I have noticed in earlier tracks where he goes faster as well; the bars become simpler or more obvious as a trade-off for the ability to rhyme quickly.) But this tends to be the pattern amongst any artist attempting a crossover track, and since this song was the first single (video here), you all probably have your opinions about it that I could not sway if I tried.
3. Godspeed, No Spaces (Produced by Just Blaze)
It is important to not transition too quickly, and Charlie is aware of this, doing a freestyle in the vein of his prior mixtape to show that he can still spit straight with no regard for “structure.” Most of the bars work, with me particularly enjoying what follows “Finally the phenom answers…” as it shows Charlie explaining the many different ways he could continue the bar like he’s patronisingly teaching his competition. The outro was a bit too heavy-handed for me though, as I believe the audience was intelligent enough to understand the last straw line without the added help.
4. Playing With Fire (Produced by Hal Linton)
Originally this and the later Still Playing With Fire tracks were both to be modeled over Exhibit A and Exhibit C by Jay Electronica, but instead this song (the other remains in that vein) possesses an original beat. Hal’s instrumental is a monster, and I love it. At times it threatens to swallow Charlie whole, but he spits well enough to remain on top of things, with “Quit Playing With Fire” acting like a break within verses to make them go down easier. Nice.
5. Awkward Shade of Yellow (Produced by M Phazes)
The problem with freestyles is that being bombarded with bars causes them to dull in effect. Thus listening to another could be dull in sequence, but when standing alone this works just as well as the other freestyles.
6. Falling Rain (Produced by Third3arDrum)
I have stated on multiple occasions that Third3arDrum should try to write a beat that is not percussive but instead contains melody. He probably will not take this advice as what he has been doing has gotten him placements, but it would be nice to say. This is my least favourite track thus far (although I enjoy the Walt Disney line,) because the topic of fame being brought up so early in Charlie’s career (can he really purport himself as famous yet?) comes off as untruthful at best and arrogant at worst. Still, one big complaint out of six thus far? They cannot all be winners.
7. Tropicana (Produced by J. Dilla)
I love J Dilla but think he overdid it with the vocal sampling here, as they tend to intrude too much on the freestyle. Otherwise I can say the same for this as I did for Awkward Shade of Yellow; good bars spit well.
8. My iPod’s Dying (Produced by MF Doom)
Some of the bars seem forced to fit a complex rhyme scheme (better than not attempting one I suppose,) but Charlie’s voice melds so well with Doom’s style of production that those complaints seem to fly out of the window. I don’t like the “kick flip” break as it seems to just act as filler, as if Charlie couldn’t come up with something to put there instead (We all know he could.) This is all nitpicking though.
9. Move the Sky Prelude
A nice story of what took place as a result of Before I Fade. Good to catch any fans up, but not particularly replay worthy; this is by design though, so listen in the same way you would listen past the halfway mark on Kanye’s Last Call, and then never return.
10. Move the Sky (Produced by Hal Linton)
If you heard the prelude I don’t need to explain that this chorus is interpolating a bar from Charlie’s first mixtape. But I did anyway. The same thing I said about Step by Step, where Charlie seems to dumb himself down on the “songs” applies, but between the beat and hook, I doubt anyone will even notice. Impressive, but more for Hal’s contribution than anything else.
11. Vomit Spit (Produced by MF Doom)
Another MF Doom beat? Good. The focus on bars revolving around Asians for the first thirty minutes or so is a bit odd but impressive in it’s cohesiveness. Also Charlie, if you plan on going to France, je parle français…
12. Oh My God (Produced by Just Blaze)
That beat can grow old fast, but Charlie adjusts well to it and spits at the level we expect of him. Any concerns that he would run out of punchlines should have long been thrown out the window at this point.
13. Beef Stew Freestyle (Produced by 9th Wonder)
Yet another set of punchlines, but this track possesses some of Charlie’s best yet (the Halo and Jill Scott ones stand out.) I am no fan of the beat, but 9th Wonder has always been hit-or-miss for me.
14. I’m A Killer (Produced by Infiniti)
The beat, courtesy of Charlie’s brother Infiniti, is pretty great. If you are going to strip an instrumental to showcase the vocalist alone though, the bars/lyrics need to be brilliant and the hero/villain thing is far too clichéd to deserve such a dramatic stylistic choice. The hook works, and the second verse stands out for having a theme rather than being punchlines (involving Charlie’s ambitions, some feasible and some absurd in an endearing manner.) Perhaps this Charles Manson persona that was introduced could be explored on further tracks? We’ll see. The outro is far too long, inexplicably as it does not change up, and should have been cut.
15. Paper Planes (Produced by T-Rifik)
Upbeat, saccharine, and inspirational. All-in-all nothing I enjoy in my music, but doesn’t mean you won’t. Objectively I see no problems here aside perhaps the aforementioned comment that on the “songs” the technical rapping seems to fade a bit.
16. Still Playing With Fire (Produced by Just Blaze)
One last giant freestyle, over Exhibit A (Transformations). It runs far too long to hold my attention, but the more bars the more quoteables; this plays out as if Charlie wanted to just empty his basket of “AfterFade” bars in one shot before working on his next project. I doubt any of you will complain about that.
Consensus: Overall Part 2 of Charlie’s saga works about as well as the first in it’s intentions. Before I Fade was about portraying Charlie as a man who can rap very well. AfterFade shows the next step, introducing songwriting elements and original instrumentals. Do all of the songs work perfectly? Not necessarily, but very few (Falling Rain and Paper Planes for me,) falter. But most of this is enjoyable, more so though when Charlie goes back to the well of bar spitting. Sadly this style cannot hold an entire project, so he will have to grow further before being able to justify an album for himself. To do this, part three will have to show that he is not just a rapper, but a persona. Every established musician can be summed up in a few words, and as of now all one can say about Charlie is that he can spit very well. There is nothing deeper than pure aesthetic talent (which is about as positive a negative critique can be) yet, although the songs here show that with the right elements he can thrive. Next is to build that around a purpose. Who does Charlie want to be? The Charles Manson hint shows a potential avenue. To find out if this question, the most important for an aspiring artist to answer, we will have to wait for his next project. For what it is, the AfterFade is an improvement on Before I Fade in many ways, but is Charlie ready for primetime? That remains tentative.
You can download the AfterFade here.
Best Tracks: Step by Step, Playing With Fire, and all of the freestyles work about as well as the other.
- Mike
Artist I-Money has made it a focal point to emphasise his love for East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. A Brooklyn artist who moved to the Poconos, he leads a collective called the Dream Team, and is, I assume, the Jordan of the group. The remaining members are producer (who also raps) Teck, fellow rappers AJ Suede, P Sportie, and Fate, and singer Ashley Johnson.
I decided to take on a different approach to my reviewing for this project, as people seemed to be fed up with the more humour-based nature (Meek Mill and Nicki Minaj are going to collaborate on a track now just to spite me,) of the track-by-track (since most rap albums, this included, begin with an “Intro”, the tone of every review tends to start negative.) Production, in order of most contributions to least, was handled by Teck, Tcustomz, Epic the Don, Third3arDrum, StraidNova, and Diamond Styles, with contributions from the aforementioned members of the DreamTeam, as well as U.F.O.’s Phonix and the nomad Anthony Fleamore.
The Rapper(s):
To craft an album of songs, rather than just compile multiple freestyles over time-tested instrumentals is ambitious for a project that comes so early in one’s career. With that being said, I-Money seems to be more in his element on tracks of an uplifting nature.
The first three songs on the project (“How Do I Breathe”, “Edge”, and “Dreams Chase You”,) come off as the most natural, with more of an emphasis on storytelling than anything else. “Edge” in particular possesses an apt R&B hook and outro, which shows potential for future crossover attempts. But this quality, which I would describe as wholesome (a word that applies to very few rappers,) turns against I-Money on darker tracks.
When he curses it seems superfluous rather than a genuine exhibit of anger, exaggeration, or as an added tone to the song’s overall sound. Also he fails to adjust his delivery, which sounds more from the throat than the diaphragm, to fit the mood at times. This is best explained in contrast with his guests.
On “PainKillers”, I-Money’s contribution is too energetic for the beat. When Phonix comes in, the distortion on his vocals mixed with lyrics that easily paint an image (including a variety of painkillers from sex, to drugs, to alcohol.) It speaks to the wholesome image that I-Money’s idea of a painkiller is Advil, as stated on the track, rather than anything that Phonix’s hedonist mind conjures up.
On “Pad Lock”, this same either inability or unwillingness to change his tone works against I-Money, while Teck spits with an intensity that suggests he would explode otherwise. Another rapper I find has I-Money’s problem (and seriously if this is the meanest comparison I can come up with you should be happy I-Money,) is Jay-Z. Regardless of the song’s subject matter he delivers his lyrics in the same exact way; Jay-Z could never record “One Mic”, which would require an ability to alter small nuances in one’s tone. So while I state this as a complaint, know it is one that applies to many.
The rhyme schemes are antiquated from both I-Money and many of his guests. Every single one sounds distinctive, which can be a problem for a collective (see D12, the members of Jurassic 5 not named Chali2na, etc.), so although they seem to have their personas down, they need to now all go and work on the genuine craft of rapping (P. Sportie seems to be the most comfortable with spitting in a more well-rhymed manner.) This involves multi-syllabic runs, double and triple patterns, work on metaphors, puns, etc. All involved should be thankful that they possess enough charisma to stand out, as that is not a quality that can be easily worked out, where rhyme schemes are something that can thankfully come with practice. Even some of the best technical rappers fail to attain that extra leap to success due to a lack of persona (Ras Kass, the rappers in Slaughterhouse).
The Production:
The sounds on the album fluctuate with the producer. Teck’s sound, which I really enjoyed most of the time, has a MIDI/Video game tone to it like a less intricate El-P. The first single, The Omega, whose video can be found here, sounds straight out of a Zelda video game (compliment all the way.) Similar praise can be lauded at Doing It Well (Bomberman) and Dead Rose (Silent Hill), which both carry an eerie, dystopian vibe. Top Floor sounds like the backbone to a Trent Reznor instrumental, and the switch-up that occurs on “Cab Service” when AJ Suede comes in was a risky yet effective move. The only real misstep would be “We Steam”, which is my least favourite track on the entire project. The beat is far too sparse and the loop is not catchy enough on first listen to be able to warrant more.
Tcustomz has a love affair with vocal samples, which serves him well on Dreams Chase You. I would not say any of his contributions stood out for me, but none affected me negatively either. His beats serve their purpose and do not intrude. Although there are no exemplary moments from him, there are also no poor ones.
Epic the Don’s three tracks bear no resemblance to one another, which makes him a great go-to beat maker. He may lack a quintessential sound, but he does well enough at a variety of them to be a very important asset. Out of his three tracks, I think PainKillers truly possesses the best beat, which perfectly invokes the feeling where your mind is altered on a late night, you find some girl, sleep with her, and then wake up the next morning to find out it was a tranny (yes, specifically that.) And also I love the hi-hat on the “Outro” (in case he reads this.)
Third3arDrum finds solace in samples, drums and brass, which leads to two songs of varying quality. Instead of using the LeAnn Rimes sample (from “How Do I Live,” a.k.a. the second most ubiquitous song of 1997 after the Titanic song I refuse the name,) in a manner that improves the overall work, he seems to rely too much on it. The way it was chopped does very little for me, but this may be my bias against a song that I have heard more times than my mother saying “I love you son” (scratch that, as that would involve only listening to the song once.) Also the song just ends abruptly; listen to it to hear what I mean. But thankfully there is Celebrate, which sounds like Thank You off of The Blueprint 3’s long lost cousin, and befits the name with a beat that is equal parts vintage and modern. The instrumental could have played over the new The Great Gatsby trailer and I would not have complained.
StraidNova only has one production credit on the earlier brought up track Pad Lock. From the eerie distortion that acts as a prelude, to the haunting keys, to the Malcolm X sample (props for having Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. co-exist on a project [perhaps King would be the Dream, while X is the reality?]) everything from a production standpoint works on this, for a lack of a better word, ambient track.
The Consensus: I-Money has gathered a talented group of people and now must find a way to work with them. The first step would be to focus on a cohesive sound or image; are you the wholesome, uplifting rapper I proclaim you to be or do you feel yourself more of the downtrodden type that could thrive on songs like “Pad Lock” and “Dead Rose”? The best way to improve would be to look at your technical skill and to also either fit your delivery to the song or find songs that fit your already pre-established delivery. You must not allow yourself to seem expendable, make songs that you feel no one else could make (any track that bares a cliché automatically runs the risk of being replaceable.) The sheer audacity it took to release a fully-fledged project is commendable, and I applaud it, but now that you have established your confidence, make sure to back it up. You have the tools you need.
Dreams to Reality can be found here: http://dreamstoreality.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-to-reality
- Mike
Each individual life is but a microcosm, the epitomised ego that deludes one into an illusion of grandeur. If life ceased to carry importance then there would be no reason for it. Thus throughout time a multitude of justifications arose to combat humanity’s ineptitude. Religion and art stand out as examples of immortality either through one’s self or through one’s productivity. But when the time comes to decompose into sustenance for the ground’s buzzards I will find peace of mind in being inactive. No thoughts, no worries, nothing. A blank easel cannot be critiqued in the same manner a broken one cannot, this is the beginning and end of our existence. Pleasure only exists in contrast to pain and yet hell swells to overtake me, dulling the colours in my vision and pulling me further along to a place where only I exist. A separation from the rest of the world, one that occasionally holds out its hand in recognition of me and yet remains distant. So when the time comes for my collapse my fall from grace will be exquisite like a meteor storm but after it ends all will resume living in the same manner they had before, giving the rare mention of it in passing. The moments are all that matter, and every single existing memory is scarred and skewed, distorted and stretched through the view of a wide lens. The worst nightmare contrasts pleasantly with the horrific habitual nature of life. Each breath wasted, each thought undeserved as there is not but a man who exists to please others, one who does not live unto himself and has not for years. One who lacks a true self, and thus is disposable by his very nature. But none shall know, nor care, nor mind because none shall even give this more than the slightest perusal. Prove me wrong.
- Mike
“Give me one reason why I should spare your life kid?” Vincent held the Double Action pistol in his dominant right hand whilst taking a drag of his cigarette with the other.
I was too nervous to shake but maintained composure, had not had a gun aimed at me since I was a child in Argentina. At that age one either spares you out of guilt or uses you as a bargaining chip with the adults; I was the latter. One never hopes such a story to be practice.
It was best to respond, silence insinuated planning and the second worst thing to do is try to plan a situation out that in its nature has no logic. The first worst thing was to act on impulse.
“I am not the one in control of the situation here Vincent, so there was no reason for you to even ask me the question. If you wanted to kill me you would have, but your hesitation shows doubt. Why?”
“Your answer determines whether or not I lodge this clip into you.”
“I think I am the one that deserves the cigarette.”
“You don’t smoke.”
He knew I was trying to get him off-guard, that approach would serve no purpose other than my execution. Maybe that’s what I wanted. Being a bit aroused by such a certain death may be perverse but this is something you can only experience once and I wished to be conscious when it happened.
“You’re right. Aside from this one, may I ask you a question?”
”Ask anything you feel comfortable asking Miguel.”
“Well, let us assume that you pull that trigger once, twice, thrice, however many times it takes, and, let us also assume that you don’t miss…”
“With a semi? At five feet? You’re not a quarter Mike.”
“It will take you a fraction of a second to take off the safety, which you, in your haphazard state, forgot to do. Another sign that you have no intentions of doing this.”
“Do you think it wise to insult the man who controls your life?”
“You said my answer controls it, as far as I am concerned we are equally as useless here Vince.”
He smirked, “Continue.”
I let out a deep sigh, enjoying each breath more now than ever. Being aware of the action gave it that much more meaning. I did as I was told.
“I can plead for my life but I feel that will cause an inverse reaction. I could play indifferent, nihilistic, and then you would feel justified in giving me what I want. I could ponder hypotheticals about the consequences of your actions if you were to pull that trigger, but you have no qualms about going back to prison. Let’s assume you do though, in which case you can just save a round and unload it into your skull or, if you run out due to an over-exacebrated finger, whether out of adrenaline or out of response to my inevitable thrust in the minuscule interim between that safety being on and off, you can just reload.”
I had his attention, “Go on.”
“But that can lead to other problems. Suicide is punishable…”
“…by death, as you always joked,”
I chuckled, “I was always serious when I said that. I would mention hell but you’re not religious. So instead let’s assume the punishment is that you don’t succeed, that your neighbours hear the gunshots and call the cops, who arrive in time to save you. I will be blissfully dead whilst you live your life attached to a tube. You’ll be so pathetic you cannot even kill yourself anymore. You will lay staring into the light, counting every second, and each will feel like an eternity until the day you finally die. When that happens, if God were to exist he would punish you with nothingness, and if He were to not exist you would receive the same thing. You’ll be remembered as a headline for maybe a day, as a harbinger of hatred from my family for maybe a century at best, and then you will cease to exist.”
“Do you believe any of that?”
“No, but you do. If you want to use me as a reason to kill yourself then you should either do it, now, or you should just go ahead and kill yourself like a normal suicidal person. If you are looking for some lasting impact, then one death is abysmal, and two in the grand scheme of things is zero. You will fail.”
He cocked the gun back. My expression remained blank. This perturbed him.
“I am surprised that sound didn’t provoke a reaction.”
“It’s another stall tactic Vince. Another ploy, another cue that you are not taking this seriously, which is good for both of our sakes.”
“What do you mean?”
“This isn’t a movie Vince. You don’t have to cock that gun to shoot it, the trigger automatically does that for you now. I know you know that because you taught me it. But it having to do that extra duty causes the trigger to become heavy, and you don’t have the pull necessary to force it. The stronger you pull the heavier it will get, you’re not a murderer Vince; you lack the lack of character.”
His snicker grew until it hit its crescendo at a guffaw. He unloaded the clip and revealed it to be empty.
“For someone who hates life so much you sure know how to justify it kid.”
“If you killed me it wouldn’t be my burden to bear. If anything you were just saving me some vitriol. When I kill myself, my remaining family will divert the anger they hold towards me inward. They will begin blaming themselves, wondering what could have been done to prevent this, as if they ever had a say in the matter. You would have given me an easy way out.”
“So did you want me to kill you?”
“If I wanted to be killed, I would want someone who can actually do the job. Until you are willing to risk your own life you cannot take another’s.”
“Maybe that’ll come sooner than you think. I have no reason to live.”
“None of us do Vince, but that doesn’t mean you have a reason to die.”
- R.I.P. Vincent, May 20th 2011.
- Mike
After Wale’s complete re-imagining of his own image (from awesome Seinfeld quoting/down to earth rapper to hedonistic wanna-be Harlem rapper who picks feuds with anyone who calls him out on Twitter), Meek garnered an immense interest from the mainstream rap community. I understand that hating on Maybach Music would be like hating on the really vapid, yet hot girl who decides to flaunt her looks…it’s all she has, so why would you want her to pretend to be anything else? But if Meek wants to be in the big leagues he needs to be a big boy and take criticism.
Although about dreams, I did not expect this to be akin to say, CunninLynguists’ classic Oneirology, or as incomprehensible yet ambitious as James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. I tried to go in with an open mind, and I walked out with…
1. Intro (Produced by The Beat Bully)
I normally cannot stand intros, but I love that Tyson interview. The rapping? Sounds like what a 50 year old who was asked to write what he thinks a rap song is would come up with. At least Meek spits energetically? High praise.
2. Ready or Not (Produced by All Star)
I wonder how much money the girl who said “Maybach Music” makes on royalties. I love the vocal sample in this instrumental (a reinterpolation of The Fugee’s track of the same name), which lends the proper mood for a mixtape about dreams. The lyrics are interchangeable with any other up and coming story rap, but did you expect anything different? Also nice foreshadowing with the “church” bar (see the next track.)
3. Amen (Featuring Jeremiah and Drake) (Produced by KeY Wane)
Meek’s attempt at a Big Sean flow reminds me of the high school graduate who is chilling with 9th graders because they think he’s cool for having a beard and a licence. (Perhaps I know about this so well because it describes me…) You’re too good for that amateur delivery though Meek. The beat betrays the mood established on the last track, Drake is phoning it in like Lil Wayne on that Fall Out Boy track (where he literally did phone it in,) but still manages to take the song in his sleep, and Jeremiah needs to be told that his career was intended to be a one-hit wonder.
4. Burn (Featuring Big Sean) (Produced by Jahlil Beats)
I like the way Meek’s voice transitions to Big Sean’s in the first verse, but then Sean begins to spit (throwing in a 5 year old “vroom vroom” noise before saying that he is 24 hilariously,) and lowers G.O.O.D. Music’s I.P.O. before their album dropped worse than what happened to Netflix after they tried to raise prices. Meek refuses to be worsted (opposite of bested) on his own track, trying to out-corn the King of Ethanol with bars like “They want beef, well where the fuck is my burger at?” Ugh.
5. A1 Everything (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
This beat just sounds like random noises compiled into a cacophony catastrophe. Kendrick is beginning to worry me, as his verse here is dull as fuck (but still better than Meek’s.) Also am I the only one sick of rappers growling like Wolverine watching Cyclops steal his girl whenever they want to emphasise a bar (see Kendrick here, J. Cole on Can’t Get Enough, and countless other examples)? Oh, I am? Okay then.
6. Use To Be (Featuring Jordanne)
This beat returns to the more spaced out sound that should permeate every track (Rap steals every trick from the rock n’ roll book except the ability to craft a cohesive sound on a project.) Meek sounds okay (although his opening bars are pretty much identical to the one’s he spit on Ambition), sticking to what he does best with a pretty accurate of decadent Philly. But that fucking hook may be the worst I have heard in a long time, “I used to be a use to?” That is so annoying it’s annoying. Pisses me off like I’m pissed off. See? And those at least create a complete thought.
7. Flexing (Produced by Jahlil Beats)
The production on this project is sloppy by GarageBand standards. And this hook gets a close Silver to Use to Be’s Gold medal. Inconsequential track by all means, with not one bar that requires a re-listen and a beat that could be heard in a better form on any other Maybach Music-related project.
8. I Get It (featuring Travis Scott)
If I hear one more rapper spit a birthday/get cake bar after Rihanna made a whole fucking song about it I will snap someone’s neck so hard they’ll be able to twist it around like an owl. Well they would be able to if they weren’t dead. Also, Travis Scott sounds so awful that I actually found him amusing.
9. Everyday (Featuring Rick Ross)
Adding to the list of cliches, Meek sleeps with all of his hater’s girls. All of them, I wonder what he would do if he had a hater who was a homosexual. Rick Ross is too adorably abhorrent at times to hate, and at least he possesses some form of charisma, so I’ll give him a passing grade (which won’t help or hurt his GPA).
10. Racked Up Shawty (Featuring Fabolous and French Montana)
Fab is on a mission to remain relevant, unaware that his time in the limelight has long passed. And French Montana…I think with this someone should officially put this Old Yeller-project down.
11. Lean Wit It (Produced by Cardiak)
If I were Cardiak I would not have let my name show up on this track listing, as it may be enough to blacklist him from the game like an actor during the Red Scare. Corny line of the track: I burn bread, I ain’t talking toast nigga.
12. Big Dreams
As Tom Hardy’s character in Inception would say, you need to dream a little bigger Meek.
13. Take You Home (Featuring Wale and Big Sean)
Whenever Big Sean spits I just entre the chorus from A$$ in place of his bars. Meek speed raps, which at least gives the impression that this song is moving by fast. Wale…what happened?
14. The Ride
As much as I mock Drake, what I will say is that he has crafted a sound and sticks with it. It is a sound that I do not particularly enjoy, but at least he has a persona, with all the fans and detractors that brings. I respect that more than rappers who just mold into whatever trend is next; hence is the case here. This reminds me of when all those rappers began to spit over Kanye’s Last Call, as if they had stories anywhere near as interesting as Ye’s. Meek, you haven’t earned Drake status, and coming from me, that should cause an existential crisis.
15. Face Down (featuring Trey Songz, Wale, and Sam Sneaker)
Not a cover of that Red Jumpsuit Appratus track (which would have been hilarious,) but instead another club song. If this song ends up getting me laid at a club (without suffering from an STI afterwards,) then I will give it a pass. For now though, no.
16. Str8 Like That (featuring 2 Chains and Louis V)
As I listened to this I began a catatonic state, staring at my computer and contemplating my whole life leading up to this point. I blame determinism for this happening to me, as I refuse to take personal responsibility.
17. House Party Remix (featuring Wale, Fabolous, and Mac Miller)
Because this really needed to happen right? Mac Miller seems to be cool with De La Soul, but it will take more than that to sway me (ever since Jean Grae and Phonte did that track with Lil B, I doubt collaboration equates to co-sign) and I already commented on Fab and Wale earlier in this review. “I smell, I smell, I smell PUSSY” would have been funnier in an Elmer Fudd voice.
18. Real
Better than the last few tracks, like Meek sat down and actually wrote his verses (although another mention of toast? People in prison mention that shit less…) The beat doesn’t attempt to assault you either, which is nice.
19. On My Way
A harmless crossover attempt. I will never listen to it again, but I object to it in the same way I object to plain toast. (Meek would appreciate that guys.)
20. Outro
One of the few times I would have preferred a useless skit outro or 30-second instrumental outro to spitting.
Consensus: Meek is better than this. He has to be. This project shows so many reasons why Meek is not ready for primetime; he should maintain his place as a member MMG, as he is tolerable for 16 bars (at times) but cannot hold his own song. There is the lack of cohesion, which again, is more a problem with our genre than with him. But then there is a lack of charisma, as Meek sounds like multiple other generic rappers that have not (rightfully) made it in any way, shape, or form. The hooks are horrendous, the guests are phoning it in, and even the beats, which are the bread and butter (something that tastes more delicious than just toast,) of Rick Ross’s empire, are dull. Now people may say “But this is just a mixtape,” but then those same people will say “you shouldn’t judge someone on their albums because mix tapes are always better!” I don’t hold any vitriol towards Meek because he isn’t objectionable, but sometimes it is better to evoke hatred than to evoke indifference. Let the counter-attacks begin.
Best Tracks: Ready or Not, Real
- Mike
Prelude #1: I wrote a review for hiphopisntdead.blogspot.com, found here, on B.o.B.’s first album, so you may want to read that before preceding.
Prelude #2: I have a Twitter now, so if you wish to hear me in a much more condensed form, follow me at this link. Now let us begin.
B.o.B., a.k.a. Bobby Ray, may be one of the most frustrating artists in hip-hop today. His range of output fluctuates from brilliant (New York, New York stands out as particularly impressive,) to mediocre (the Play the Guitar track with Andre 3000, seemingly a match made in heaven, that didn’t end up making the cut of this album.) This is due to the man having a wide range to work with; he is no doubt versatile, being able to truly rap, truly sing, truly play an instrument, and truly produce (I emphasise truly as many rappers [cough Eminem,] sing as well, but do so awfully.) His debut was extremely divisive, but produced two huge hits: Nothin’ On You and Airplanes. The problem with those two tracks were that they worked due to the featured artists on each (Bruno Mars on the former, Hayley Williams on the latter,) rather than due to the host. Thus the sales for the album only reached Gold, and many pop fans had no idea who B.o.B. was while underground heads lost interest after his multiple crossover attempts (although he never shied away from the mainstream in his entire career.) Here comes his sophomore project Strange Clouds, is it any good? I have heard nothing aside from the aforementioned Play the Guitar track, and the one single So Good, so we shall see.)
1. Bombs Away (featuring Morgan Freeman) (Produced by B.o.B.)
After an absurd (yet kind of awesome) voiceover from Morgan Freeman, the actual track begins. Where once the standard rap track involved posturing and pushing a criminal persona, now the typical hip-hop artist must be introspective. When the beat kicked in, I was hooked, and then the hook (wordplay!) lost me again. A far more experimental intro, instrumentally, then Don’t Let Me Fall off of his debut, but sadly the words are lost under the admittedly interesting beat. After multiple listens, I have to say not paying attention to the lyrics won’t affect you in the slightest. Mr. Freeman returns for another voiceover at the end, leaving this a cacophony that at least has no possible chance of boring you.
2. Ray Bands (Produced by B.o.B. and Lil C)
The hook’s melody is jacked from somewhere, which will annoy me for…well probably until the next song. The beat is more subdued, which allows the host to move closer to the spotlight. He sounds more rejuvenated here, although he still isn’t spitting anything that would cause you to rewind your…iTunes?
3. So Hard to Breathe (Produced by Alex da Kid and Bei Major)
Huh? Alex da Kid produced a beat that sounds different than the identical sounding Airplanes/I Need A Doctor/Love The Way You Lie instrumentals? I love the bassline here, and I know B.o.B. refers to this as his favourite track on the album. As far as inspirational hip-hop tracks go, this is decent lyrically, but as was the case on the past two songs, the instrumental intrigues me more (with it’s live instrumental sound).
4. Both of Us (Featuring Taylor Swift) (Produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut)
Yeah, you read that right. No one in hip-hop would ever dare go near Taylor Swift (except Kanye…), especially not for a collaboration. Although her name guarantees a hit, it still is a hugely risky proposition from our hero to work with her. And the result? A typical radio track; the song serves its purpose as a typical crossover track. The two seem to be singing two different songs though, as the hook does not match the verses in content. But consistency never mattered to the mainstream audience, so why would it start now? I will never listen to this again, but this was not made for me.
5. Strange Clouds (Featuring Lil Wayne) (Produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut)
Lil Wayne, who will forever be remembered as “the guy who wears a panda mask” to me now (his Tha Carter II days seem so long ago that I am starting to doubt they ever happened,) provides a better feature than he usually does (The last time I checked he gets 100,000 dollars for a 16, although that number is probably way more now…ridiculous). But Weezy not completely going through the motions doesn’t make this anywhere near good. Bobby seems to be over-emphasising every bar, as if he understands that this was his comeback single and if it didn’t sell his album would be dead on arrival.
6. So Good (Produced by Ryan Tedder)
As I said when I reviewed this on my Billboard Chart review, “Liar.” The best that could come out of this is one listener looking into Gershwin after that name drop.
7. Play for Keeps (Produced by B.o.B. and Valentino Khan)
That weird spoken word/rapped intro did not work for me in the slightest, as when matched with the instrumental it sounded like a rejected take of the Dracula musical from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I enjoy Bobby saying that there is no room for intermissions, hence the lack of intros and skits, but I cannot see anyone ever playing this more than once (if they can even get through it the first time.)
8. Arena (featuring Chris Brown and T.I.) (Produced by Dr. Luke, AD, Cirkut)
Hey, Chris Brown and T.I.? That’s a Takers reunion! Oh, the song? The rappers do well for themselves, but the hook does not fit in the slightest, with the beat switching up far too severely to accommodate it.
9. Out of My Mind (featuring Nicki Minaj) (Produced by iSHi)
A heavily dubstep influenced instrumental, combined with absurd vocal tricks, make this pseudo-experimental. Nicki switching up her flow a little is welcome, and I laughed at her claiming that she is the one known for her Bob. I enjoy that she seems to be attacking Bobby throughout, like a guest to a party who disrespects the host by pissing on their wife. This was surprisingly enjoyable for something so ridiculous.
10. Never Let You Go (featuring Ryan Tedder) (Produced by Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella)
The long awaited B.o.B./OneRepublic collaboration the world has been waiting for (that is a joke)! After the last tracks Alice In Wonderland psychosis, this seems so boring and basic (because it is.) There is nothing objectionable really, but I just listened to it twice and can really say nothing about it.
11. Chandelier (featuring Lauriana Mae) (Produced by Frequency and Super Water Sympathy)
This beat sounds more Duffy than Lauriana Mae in my opinion,but I do appreciate the switch up in percussive techniques (all of the drums were beginning to sound as if they were copied and pasted to the next track.) The chorus and beat are fine, but my problem is with our protagonist, who seems to be coasting (perhaps his vocals should have been raised higher, as he, not for the first time on this project, blends into the background too much.)
12. Circles (Produced by Mynority and B.o.B.)
Miss Mary Mac? That’s hilarious. After this and the Taylor Swift feature, I can never listen to B.o.B.’s verse on Am I A Psycho again. The balls this guy has are large enough to re-populate the Earth with one hump. I commend that, even if I cannot in any way recommend this track.
13. Just A Sign (Featuring Playboy Tre) (Produced by Kuttah)
I did not enjoy Playboy Tre’s work on B.o.B.’s debut, but he sounds way better here, more akin to introspection than shit-talking braggadocio. The MGMT-styled synth during the hook are an odd textural choice, but this was not bad at all in retrospect.
14. Castles (Featuring Trey Songz) (Produced by Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella)
Trey Songz has no appeal to me, he is a by-the-books R&B singer with no true persona and no outstanding vocal ability that pushes him above his contemporaries (hell, even Chris Brown has a persona as the man child who beats women…) I hated this.
15. Where Are You (B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray) (Produced by B.o.B.)
So many people compared this track to Stan...why the fuck would you purposely match this up with one of the timeless classics of the genre? That’s misleading as hell, so let me tell you that this is in no way Stan (to say it should be would be unfair). But as far as the multiple introspective tracks go, this is the best, much more intimate when you see that the man did the instrumental as well. This isn’t an amazing track, but it is good both on its own terms and as an outro to this very scattershot (in styles) project, bringing all of the left field choices back to close with a simple ballad.
I did not get the bonus tracks with my copy, and I understand that Nelly features on one, so I have no impetus to search them out.
Consensus: The question I, and many others, posed after B.o.B.’s debut was “who is he?” Bobby Ray himself seems unsure, as evidenced by the last track, but this by itself defines the man. He is an impulse, someone who can care less about building a singular persona and instead wants to take a stab at everything that catches even the slightest interest. This causes some tracks to work and some to crash back to the earth like Apollo 13. With far more pop-oriented guests on here than on his debut (Replacing Lupe, Eminem, and Janelle Monae with Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz) B.o.B. seems very aware that this second album must sell for him to remain able to do as he pleases on every track. As far as rap/pop albums go, this is surprisingly experimental; it does not appeal to my hip-hop sensibilities in the slightest, but I can see why people would like much of it (while I can also see why people would hate much of it.) Not great by any means, but works in the way the artist intends it, and that’s the most a reviewer can ask for sometimes.
Best Tracks: So Hard To Breathe, Out of My Mind, Where Are You (B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray)
- Mike
With that Coldplay post I emasculated myself worse than all of the characters on this season of Mad Men combined. I have to replant my testicles, and the first step in that process is to lay some manure, which comes in the form of Bostonian rapper Reks, who teams up with winner of Liquid Swords’ Producer of 2011 (due to the sheer quantity of output somehow being consistent,) Statik Selektah. I wanted to write this while taking a shot (with no chaser) for every track, but realised that I should save such methods for when I get sent another fucking Nicki Minaj post instead. Here we go:
1. “Autographs”
Who would have thought a sample of The Beastie Boy’s “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” and a sample of Biggie’s “Machine Gun Funk” could combine to make such a good celebratory intro (I know there is a third sample, but still)? Statik Selektah obviously, stop asking stupid questions. Not bad at all.
2. “Sit/Think/Drink”
My favourite part of listening to Statik is trying to identify his samples, as I know that half of these songs could not get cleared on a major label release. What is odd so far is that he is sampling other hip-hop tracks instead of other genre’s (in this case it is Common’s portion from De La Soul’s The Bizness [They just dropped a project too that is good, so cop it.]) An introspective track following a celebratory one? This is so far away from how Rek’s album began last year (Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme.) I have to applaud the change-up in such a short time.
3. “Power Lines” f/ Ea$y Money
Nat King Cole’s “Too Young”, Eon’s “Love” and OSTR’s “Kochana Polsko”? That is some impressive versatility Statik. This beat is less intricate than the past two, but works well with its minimalism. The drums knock and the faster pace is welcome. Ea$y Money (who should start a $$ tour with Ke$ha) does well for himself, although I would like it if the content, and hook, were more engaging.
4. “Riggs & Murtaugh” f/ Action Bronson
That title is hilarious, because it means Action Bronson:
is playing Mel Gibson’s role in Lethal Weapon (preferably still with the mullet):
The two have brilliant chemistry, attempting to one-up each other at any moment by switching flows (Reks) or making ridiculous (usually food-related) metaphors (Action). Also, keeping with the theme of this post, Statik mainly just interpolates Laura Lee’s “Every Little Bit Hurts” here. My only complaint is that it isn’t longer, this shit was entertaining as fuck (and I mean that in the most literal sense possible.)
5. “Such A Showoff” f/ Kali, JFK & Termanology
The only sample I recognise here is from the awful Lift Off from Ye and Jay’s Watch the Throne. The beat though is grimy perfection; this is what Slaughterhouse’s new single should have sounded like (their new single was awful, even more so than Hammer Dance, which sounds like yet another Big Sean track where he samples MC Hammer.) The bars are mainly braggadocio, but all four rappers are distinctive, with Termanology winning the crown at the end.
6. “Cancel That” f/ Wais P The Pimp
How else to make your track sound classic than to sample a classic song? Jay-Z’s Song Cry (which itself sampled Bobby Glenn’s Sounds Like a Love Song) serves as a nice template, for Reks to spit over. Wais P The Pimp didn’t do anything for me though. They can’t all be winners.
7. “Parenthood”
This beat sounds straight up jacked from Time Machine’s Cold Day In Hell (with a little of Kanye’s The Joy thrown in for good measure), which irks me because Reks and Statik pulled this same shit last year. In that case it was copping Ghostface Killah’s Purified Thoughts (off of Apollo Kids,) tweaking small portions of it (like the bass) and then selling it as a new product (This or That.) I don’t mind sampling other hip-hop tracks, but this is straight up jacking it. Thankfully Reks’ bars are nice as hell, so you probably won’t mind.
8. “Break Ups” f/ C Sharp!
This goes down smooth, sounding like Pete Rock’s best work. Conrad Benjamin’s “Saturn” is cut up so well that it took me a few listens to even realise Reks is there, and he isn’t by any means slouching.
9. “Chasin”
The calm major chords on the piano contrast a beat that sounds like it is hopped up on Adderall. A straight up lyrical display that would probably have served better without the hook, which hurts the momentum each verse builds.
10. “Sins” f/ Alias
The hook being made of various-pitched voices naming the seven sins intrigues me. Better than the typical half-sung choruses that plague most rap tracks nowadays though. This song does not match up to the best of the album, but is by no means bad in any way; it being short also helps.
11. “Straight, No Chaser” f/ Slaine
Another grimy instrumental with morose piano to back it. The shit-talking tracks are, surprisingly, rare on this album (at least compared to most East Coast/Boston releases,) so when one shows up I appreciate them that much more. Nice.
12. “Lost In Translation”
I was hoping this would sample the soundtrack from the movie of the same name (similar to how Jay did that Eternal Sunshine suite). Down-trotten and emotional, but ultimately my least favourite track on this album. I am sure you will disagree though.
13. “Regrets”
In some manners a fraternal twin to the previous track, and aside from the hook, this is pretty good. Marvin Gaye’s “Here, My Dear” is one of my favourite Motown songs though, so I may just be biased (and still pissed that Bill Murray did not show up on the last track).
14. “730”
Damn that opening rhyme scheme caught my ear right from the start, which does not happen too often. The beat complements this perfectly, ending the project on an extremely high note. Not being able to identify this sample will bother me though (please help me in the comments section…)
Consensus: After dropping his best album thus far last year, Reks manages to match, if not top that release with Straight, No Chaser. The album is by no means perfect, but is consistently working on such a high level that the low points would be decent cuts on a lesser album. Statik provides a wide array of styles, from straight boom map to R&B cuts, from grimy to celebratory, minimalist to intricate, for Reks to work over. And Reks sounds as refreshed as ever, seemingly ecstatic that he is able to rap for a living; the mood is infectious. Cop this.
Best Tracks: Sit/Think/Drink, Riggs & Murtaugh, Such A Showoff, Break Ups, 730
- Mike
I apologise to all of my imaginary readers for a lack of content; it must be tough living in a fictive limbo with nothing to read. Between finals and working on my novel, there has been little time for Tumblr, but I plan to make up for that with a new style of post starting in May. If you wish to have any particular musician, author, or filmmaker reviewed, send in recommendations now. But, to the topic at hand…
#1 Coldplay - Paradise
Coldplay has been divisive from the outset, with fans fawning over their every melancholic yet uplifting word, and enemies attacking them for being influenced (as if no band before has ever sounded like their influences,) by U2 and Radiohead. The latter makes no sense to me, as Coldplay has very little in common with Radiohead aside from being a band from England that plays their own instruments (which I suppose is as similar as one could get in today’s musical climate). The former though seems about right, as Coldplay has always had an affinity towards arena rock with their heavy use of pop structures in their music. This is not a slight against them, as I merely do not enjoy their music; it is possible to dislike a band for no technical reason, as most critics seem to forget.
When their horribly titled new album Mylo Xyloto was being promoted, Coldplay let out that Brian Eno would be (much to the chagrin of those who disliked the U2 comparisons and to the regular grin of those who lodged it as some form of detraction,) producing it. I was excited as Brian Eno is one of the few geniuses working in music today (Jon Brion is one other that comes to mind.) And yet the best song on the entire album, the second single Paradise, was the best while also being the only song on the album with no contribution from Eno.
It is easily the best song the band has done post-X&Y, when they became enamoured with the thought of maximalist songwriting (as compared to the stark yet emotional simplicity of their earlier works, from which The Scientist will always hold a special place in my heart).
The track is anthemic from the outset, with an orchestral introduction followed by a bassline that would make the Dirtiest Southern rapper blush. The piano sets up the backing melody, which branches off to include various textures from an oscillating electric guitar in the bridge to synths during the chorus. And the chorus itself is so expansive that it registers as a blatant aural peak in a listener’s ear. The lyrics are basic but not corny, which is meant to be taken as a compliment due to how well they complement the delivery of Chris Martin, whose falsetto may have grown on me more than I wish to admit. When the song ends it genuinely feels as if you are coming down from a trip, wondering where those four minutes had gone.
On an album with many poor tracks (Princess of China comes to mind, but there are others,) Coldplay deserve the success this song attained (the #1 rock song in the U.K. of 2011.) Now if only I enjoyed the rest of their work as much as I did this…
- Mike
After that Nicki Minaj review, I had the same doctors that fixed Adele’s vocal chords work on my eardrums (now my ears can sing)! To celebrate my return, I was excited to find out that The xx had released a new EP. Much to my chagrin, after downloading it and listening I found out it was an April Fools Day joke and the album within was actually the very Nicki Minaj album I was trying to repress! Here are five projects I listened to in an attempt to restore my sanity.
The xx - xx
What better to alleviate my pain over the lack of new xx material than The xx (if you say that Drake track that Jamie xx produced then fuck you)? This debut understands how minimalism can be just as effective as technical brilliance if done correctly. The tone of the project is consistently atmospheric and the melodies are simple, but sometimes that is the point.
Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn
In the constant battle over the best guitarist of all time (which ranges from classicists arguing for Hendrix to music theorists arguing for Vai,) Jason Becker is a long forgotten candidate. This is mainly due to his acquiring ALS at such a young age. But the work he released prior to his debilitating illness is virtuosic. “Air” in particular balances complexity with beauty in what may be the best showcase since John Williams’ (the guitarist, not the composer) early work.
Isis - Oceanic
In recent years the trend of hardcore music has leaned more towards melody and further away from the thrash roots of the 1980s. Isis and Pelican are two of the bands most responsible for this conversion, and this album contains an ambience that would make Brian Eno blush.
Portishead - Third
It is the rare artist or band that can release albums on its own timeline and still find success both commercially and critically. Sade stands out as one example, with Portishead being another. Their low-fi sound contrasts with the beauty of Beth Gibbons’ voice, which stands out as even stronger amongst the backing music. It is an odd marriage that works on all three of their albums, but for the sake of personal opinion, I chose their most recent album to represent them.
VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
During the height of the industrial movement of the mid-90s, VAST emerged and yet remained in the shadow of Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails (perhaps for good reason). And yet the group’s debut possesses an eeriness that is unmatched by most industrial artists. It may be in their use of Benedictine monks, or singer Jon Crosby’s hushed voice that fluctuates from a whisper to a whail within one measure.
Now hopefully this appeases someone out there, and I will promise to try (try being the key word) to post more regularly!
- Mike
