Top 5 Mixtapes of the Month (June)

Its summer time so we gonna expect a lot of music being pushed out during this period so as always here is my list of top 5 mixtapes that came out for the month of June, all are a guaranteed body of G.O.O.D music so as always have a listen and enjoy.  

1. Vince Staples – Stolen Youth:  Long Beach and Odd Future’s associated act Vince Staples releases his long awaited Stolen Youth with features from TDE’s Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q, Da$h, Joey Fatts and Mac Miller which solely handles all of the production under his alter ego Larry Fisherman. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/Vince-Staples-Larry-Fisherman-Stolen-Youth-LP-mixtape.501544.html

2. Tito Lopez – Y.O.U:  Tito Lopez drops a new mixtape which features Jon Connor, Big Sant and Trae the Truth with production by The Futuristiks, 1500 or Nothin, CheckBoy, Mr. Porter and Navie D.D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/Tito-Lopez-YOU-mixtape.500564.html

3. Rickie Jacobs – Beautiful America:  The latest project from rising Baltimore emcee Rickie Jacobs is the "Beautiful America" EP, featuring production from Cardiak, Artic, YOG$, Eu IV, Oab Jenkins and Mike White. Jacobs recommends you "turn your speakers up at ignorant levels and enjoy the ambient sound," and we second the motion.  D/L Link: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rickie-jacobs-beautiful-america-mixtape.86916.html

4. Da$h – V.I.C.E.S:  Rising New Jersey emcee Da$h's latest 15-track project is presented by Hz Global and includes guest appearances from A$AP Ferg, A$AP Nast, Action Bronson, Vince Staples, Ab-Soul and RetcH. Production was handled by V'Don, P on the Boards, Sean O'Connell, DJ Boogz, Skrewface, Harold O'Neal, Soufein3000, Thelonious Martin, NDT75, B Korn, LS_XXXX, Mordecai Beats, Larry Fisherman and RandomBlackDude. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/DaH-VICES-mixtape.504799.html

5. Machine Gun Kelly – Black Flag: MGK's releases a new mixtape! The all-original track mixtape finds features from Meek Mill, Pusha T, Dub O, Sean McGee and more.  D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/Machine-Gun-Kelly-Black-Flag-mixtape.503453.html

                         

REVIEW: J.Cole – Born Sinner

Now I’m not what you would consider a “Huge” J.Cole Fan but what I have always appreciated is his effort to have meaningful, heartfelt and relatable stories in his music, he definitely harnesses this gift to make hip hop music that the people (his fans) can relate to instead of taking the normal approach most rappers do with making the subject matter mainly about themselves, and with that said his Sophomore album Born Sinner is just another body of work that displays his innovative writing skills and also showcases the melodic soundtrack he produces. If you are a true admirer of the culture of hip hop then as a rapper progression and growth should be very important to you and I’m pretty sure the North Carolina MC is one of those rappers seeing that with this album Cole tries to reinvigorate himself mentally and creatively with each track but judging from the album title it seems a lot of the content came from a dark mindset, like he was writing himself out of a dark place he was in mentally which I guess explains the “it’s way darker this time” intro that enters Villuminati at the beginning of the album and takes you on this audio journey of hate, disappointment, neglect and lust to lead you unto the light of positive prosperity.

Now fair warning, if you are only accustomed to 808’s, up tempo and simple chords and percussion styled production then the instrumentals on Born Sinner may not persuade you because as I stated earlier Cole is a admirer of the culture of hip hop thus meaning he is following the platform built by Mc’s of the past which inspires him to become legendary in this game so he has to not only reinvigorate his creative writing but also improve his production skills to best compliment his tales and I must say with records like Land of the Snakes which samples Da Art of Storytelling (Part 1) a classic outkast record or one of my personal favorites Forbidden Fruit which samples the smooth groove funky Mystic Brew by Ronnie Foster  its clear that Cole taking the initiative to grow artistically in all aspects and listener’s with a wide range of  sub genres for hip hop will definitely appreciate the production on this album.

The stand out records on Born Sinner would definitely have to be Crooked Smile which has RnB sensation TLC assisting on the chorus and Let Nas Down with Co Production from legendary producer No I.D , the song content on these two records are probably the most attentive seeing how Cole embraces his flaws and encourages every human being to appreciate theirs in advance and then on the flip side gets therapeutic  on a moment of despair between him and one of his hip hop idols and I believe that these two records out of all the others previews the direction Cole is heading towards with his music, to be open as possible and make timeless records  that impact people’s lives. 

I may not be your biggest J. Cole fan but I appreciate substantial hip hop music and he does that extremely well and I look forward to see what Jermaine has to offer this Cole World in the future.  

  

REVIEW: Mac Miller – WMWTSO

Mac Miller once formerly known as Easy Mac at the beginning of his rap endeavors came into the game as a wide-eyed 17 year old white boy from Pittsburgh with dreams of being a well acclaimed MC though at the beginning of his career his sound was congested with mostly party records there were moments you could hear that influence of a MC, you could hear the potential deep within his flow and know there was a lot of room for progression for him to grown not only as a rapper but also as an artist and I believe he’s shown that growth tremendously on his sophomore independent album Watching Moves With The Sound Off which was released on June 18, 2013 By Rostrum Records. This album showcases Mac’s effort to be more artistic with his lyrics and production skills which sets a stable vibe thorough the whole album giving off a somewhat audio high feedback from his listeners as they are in tuned into Miller’s mind conversations that he verbally paints on each record which varies from death, relationships, procrastination, the human race and so far and so forth. If you’re a fan of G.O.O.D sonic music you will be glued from track 1 all the way to track 19, it’s definitely one of those albums that requires little or no skipping of records. 

The kick start track of WMWTSO is The Star Room which was produced by Odd Future Member Earl Sweatshirt and from the beginning gives the initial sound that you’ll be hearing thorough the whole album as far as spooky, mystic and slightly unorthodox but nether less captivating, the production on this project really compliments Mac’s new direction of music that he’s trying to create and with the help of acts like The Alchemist, Chuck Inglish, Sap, Diplo, Clams Casino and others it provides that canvas for him to be as artistic with his song content as possible and give the listener’s something extremely melodic to be attentive to while decoding his verses bar for bar. Some of the most intriguing records on WMWTSO would probably be songs like I’m Not Real which features Earl Sweatshirt only this time as an assist on the hook instead of production; this record shows Miller’s range as it relates to his lyrical stability with lines like “eloquent irrelevant sentences show my penmanship indefinite boundaries show you the end of it” you see the growth in his word play and his effort to construct more meaningful verses. Another personal favorite of mine has to be Objects in the Mirror which is produced by the very talented and gifted Pharrell Williams; this record tells a tale of letting go, killing all burdens and moving on to better situations in life and I believe this record will also be a personal favorite for the fans. Even with the album being mainly focused around the Pittsburgh native new sound he still does his best to cater to his day one fan base and tries to be as diverse as possible and have records like Watching Movies, O.K, Gees and S.D.S to balance out the album and still show his fans the humorous, wild and odd fellow that we’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

With all that said I must once again commend Mac Miller’s progression because it’s vital to not only improve on your lyricism but improve your music in general and he is surely making that effort to becoming not just a better rapper but also a better artist and this is what determines longevity in this hip hop game, this is the platform that every upcoming MC should follow in order to achieve that status and gain that credibility of becoming legendary also Mac’s independent strive to build his own buzz without a major distribution label is a perfect example of breaking this stigma that you need a major label to be successful or become relevant in the hip hop community because in this day of age and technology your grind determines your success and u can be put on without a label deal, the revolution is here and WMWTSO is not just music for you to listen to but a soundtrack that allows you to envision detailed imagery.  

UnHyped Audio: June 26, 2013

Here again with some dope records that’s under the commercial radar. So as always have a listen and enjoy.  

Curren$y – Grizzly (Feat. Young Roddy):  New Orleans rapper Curren$y releases a new cut with fellow Jet Life member Young Roddy over a well laid back beat definitely a track to add to your car cruising playlist.

Dom Kennedy – Never: It’s been a minute but finally Dom drops a new record called “Never” produced by The Futuristiks which as always showcases his laid back flow and don persona rhymes.  

Vince Staples - Killing Yall (Feat. Ab-Soul):  A leak from Vince and producer Larry Fisherman (Mac Miller) Collaborative Mixtape “Stolen Youth” which features an attentive verse from TDE’s Ab-Soul, don’t sleep on this one it’s a problem.   

Joey Bada$$ - Amethyst Rock star (Feat. Kirk Knight): Joey releases another record from his upcoming mixtape Summer Knights coming up July 1^st with original production from MF Doom and a feature from fellow Pro Era member Kirk Knight just another look into the new wave of that captivating old-new New York hip hop.

SchoolBoy Q – Collard Greens (Feat. Kendrick Lamar): Q been consistent with the energy of the leaks off his upcoming Label Debut “Oxymoron” album and collard green is a banger, produced by THC and features an el Espanola intro from Kendrick Lamar on his verse, just another one of those turn up records Schoolboy has a gift in making.

Top 5 Mixtapes of the Month (May)

This was by far the hardest top five list I ever had to create since 2013 began, so many projects came out in the month of may with great potential so I had to categorize this top 5 by lyrical stability, song content, production and body of work and a true Hip Hop fan would appreciate this listing so as always have a listen and enjoy. 

1. Logic – Welcome to Forever:  Maryland’s own Logic releases the third sequel to his Young Sinatra series with features from Jhene Aiko, Kid Ink, Dizzy Wright, Trinidad James and many more with production from VMG in house producers 6ix and C-Sick and also Arthur MacArthur, Swift D,  Don Cannon, Etc. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/Logic-Young-Sinatra-Welcome-To-Forever-mixtape.483644.html

2. Euroz – The Foundation 2: After many leaks and snippets the up and coming Las Vegas rapper Euroz finally releases the second edition to The Foundation mixtape series, truly a must download and is hosted by DJ Drama. D/L Link:  http://www.datpiff.com/Euroz-The-Foundation-2-mixtape.487205.html

3. J. Cole – Truly Yours 2: With the anticipation rising for his new album Born Sinner to drop on June 18 Cole decides to give his fans a part 2 of his Truly Yours EP to calm their excitement with features from Young Jeezy and 2 Chains and Co-Production from Canei Finch and Ron Gilmore. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/J-Cole-Truly-Yours-2-mixtape.483912.html

4. Bryan Dope & Hannibal King – New New York: Bryan Dope (Rapper) and Hannibal King (Producer) are both from Queens, New York and this is their collaborative project together a true example of that new-old New York sound that’s buzzing right now definitely worth a listen. D/L Link:   http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/bryant-dope-new-new-york-mixtape.83887.html

5. Bas – Quarter Water Raised Me Vol. 2: Dream Ville’s own Bas Released the second volume to Quarter Water Raised Me with features from the Dream Ville leader himself J.Cole, Hemdi, KQuick with production from Clams Casino, Ced, BBP and Cole himself. D/L Link:  http://www.datpiff.com/Bas-Quarter-Water-Raised-Me-Vol-II-mixtape.492678.html

Rap Censorship: Say What You Want But Watch How You Say It

Freedom of speech simply defines the right to express an opinion without censorship or restraint and this is a right that's been exercised extremely by all races of the united states over the years but this right is also the leverage that rappers in the hip hop community use to defend their musical expression whether it be poetic or vulgar this right gives them the freedom to be as open, honest and blunt as they possibly can be with their music and though this has a positive effect on their sound during certain circumstances this right can also have severe consequences  where something you may say on a particular record can bruise your career.  

Now since the foundation days the brand of hip hop has always been targeted by protesters and activists who always enter this battle of seeking justice for what imagery some rappers portray in their music  from female rights groups protesting against rappers who degrade women in their records or pastors/Senators voicing their strong disapproval of the violence/drug dealing lifestyle many MC's express in their tracks but that’s always been a gap of misguided assumptions which leads up to a bigger misconception but that explanation is for another article what I’m trying to say is that this battle of censorship has been going on since the beginning days and up to recent times still leaves a huge strain on the creative process in hip hop. 

Now i strongly do not believe in censorship in hip hop because as i stated earlier it leaves a strain on the music, Stifling the creative process by limiting a rapper's freedom to express and be fully vulnerable on a song thus killing the remainder of lyrical stability that is still present today but what i do believe is that during a certain situation where you have an responsibility to portray a particular image you as the rapper have to find that balance so you do not overstep the boundaries and by then end up suffering the consequences. I use two recent rappers as example; Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, Both of which have uttered controversial lines on songs and in the end cost them their endorsement deals (Mountain Dew and Reebok) now I’m not going to get into what they said and the outcome but overlooking the situation you see where two rappers were under heavy fire for a particular line said on a record but it appears they were blind to the damage it could have on their brand but by the time a light was shed to enlighten the fellow artistes the damage was already done, Too late to apologize and this could of well been influenced by both camp's advisors, causing them from making amends from early to avoid these repercussions and this is just a prime example of understanding the position you are currently in and finding that balance to prevent yourself from being burnt by the heat of justice from the society and media.

                                           

So with all that being said it's like this there is no need for an complete censorship on hip hop, we're not the only genre that has been attacked for controversial records but it seems it's always hip hop that gets bullied the most because of the negative imagery we've painted over the decades but i still see censorship doing more harm to the music than good so i suggest balance, with great power comes great responsibility so as a rapper you become more influential to your audience so i believe you should follow the concept to find that balance in your message of music to not overstep that boundary and keep you out the negative shade of the limelight but hey that's just my outlook on the situation.

UnHyped Audio: May 3rd 2013

With summer approaching you got a lot of songs being released to feed the urge of fans worldwide from most rappers that are prepping for their summer LP’s like Fabolous, J.Cole, Wale and many more but as always here are a few good records that are under the popularity radar. Enjoy.   

Ab Soul - The End Is Near (Feat. Mac Miller):  New cut from TDE’s Black Lip Bastard and as always he delivers a cold verse with clever punch lines and a chilling flow, accompanied by Mac Miller who also delivers a decent verse, in my opinion one of his best in a while.   

Tito Lopez - Unsung:  The latest record from his “Venting” Series, just another moment where Tito expresses his thoughts in rhyme and is definitely verbal proof why he is such a progressive rapper.  

Euroz - Chasing Ghost:  Latest leak from the Las Vegas native until his Foundation 2 Mixtape Drops, the confidence and determination for the prize is always present is Euroz records and that’s what makes his music so inspirational.   

Tory Lanez - Hate Me on the Low: It’s been a minute since we heard from Canada’s own Tory Lanez but he’s back with his first leak off his Conflicts of My Soul project.   

Travi$ Scott - Upper Echelon (Feat. T.I & 2 Chainz):  G.O.O.D Music Signee/Grand Hustle Affiliate drops his first single off his Owl Pharaoh project which features the Grand Hustle boss himself and 2 Chainz,  definitely a hit club record with a banging 808.