ATL Hip Hop: The Trap Needs To Go

I don’t even know how to begin this article but for the most part let me say that as a devoted fan of this genre, this culture we call hip hop I am really disappointed in the level of baboonery the city of Atlanta has emerged onto the Hip Hop scene and also disappointed in the radio stations that continue to feed this mockery to the masses which not only continues to paint a negative image on us as a race but further strengthens the stereotypes that were made against us for judgment and in order for this culture we call hip hop to survive a few more decades this gibberish nonsense needs to cease and be gone! It serves no purpose, has no message and is highly distorted to the ears of the sensitive. 

Like where has the lyricism and cohesive nature for quality music gone from the ATL? These new “rappers” is a disgrace to the foundation of The Goodie Mob and Outkast who may have also told tales of similar scenarios involving drugs and crime but never was it told in a positive light, you see these guys paved the way for not only ATL but the world to hear their stories and listen to the everyday trials and tribulations they faced coming up living in Atlanta, Georgia and its quite funny how they had difficulties delivering these stories to the listener because of their strong and not so understandable southern accent but in the year 2014 you have males mumbling gibberish over a 808 beat and you swear you know what he’s rapping about lol.

I mean I’m confused, over the past four years I’ve seen a different rapper from Atlanta get some exposure from a popular street record he did, he gets a major record deal, drops his debut album then few months later where is he?? I’ll tell you where he is! He in the one hit wonder section with the rest of the no talent morons that only making an effort to pursue music for the money, not passion or because he has a skill to rap NO! He tryna get paid like the rest of these “rappers” on TV lol. The only emcee I can count for that is straight from the ATL is G.O.O.D music’s very own Cyhi the Prynce, I truly appreciate his effort to keep the lyricism alive from the city and commend him on helping to push the culture forward.  

So acts like Future, Migos, Rich Homie Quan (exception for 2 Chainz because that’s my Dawg lol) and Young Thug are only some of the disappointments of the ATL, now you may find some of their records captivating, you may even say their music is “dope” but really ask yourself what is the message in their music?? What do they stand for? Do they do it for the culture or is it just a money scheme? And also ask yourself if u are not particularly interested in the song content but only just the repetition of the hook and the beat that got your attention for the song and if that is the case all I want most hip hop listeners to do always is have variation in hip hop music cause I can guarantee that only listening to the “I got money and hoes” braggadocious  style of rap will only make you ratchet-minded and definitely lower your IQ lol, so please if you consider yourself a person of intelligence let your music compliment your state of mind and resonate with who you are as a human being and help to eliminate this discriminating factor from the culture and elevate the conscious state of rap to its true supremacy.

REVIEW: Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron

Oxymoron: a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction , For Hoover Street ex resident  Quincy Hanley AKA Schoolboy Q this term represents all past criminal and gang member activities that occurred in his past in which he was apart of in order to help provide for his four year old daughter where at the beginning may have seen as if he was doing good to support his child but in all reality was just mere excuses and that is the life contradiction Quincy came to perspective with, that is his Oxymoron and it tells you the tales of these contradictions throughout the entire album with an eclectic soundtrack of grooves to keep you attentive to his life stories so you may also leave with a perspective of your own.

                         

West Coast Gangsta Rap has been prominent over the decades in Hip Hop from the likes Of NWA to Snoop Dogg to The Game and many others but for the past few years this very enticing and arrogant nature of LA Hip Hop has been on a back burner in the mainstream where the new generation of Gangster Rap has only been prospering underground but it seems Schoolboy Q has found The recipe and with Oxymoron listens will get a heavy dose of what this generation of Gangsta Rap sounds like as this was Q’s main objective throughout the entire project from the stories of his grandmother showing him his first gun to the well known “Yak Yak!” ab libs he so frequently uses to his whole demeanour on each record, he embodies the Gangsta imagery from his bouncy flow to the wordplay and gun lingo punch lines, you will most definitely be glued to every record on this album.

Oxymoron is very diverse as it relates to Q’s personality traits from him being the having fun party guy so you’ll find tracks like “Collard Greens”, “Hell Of a Night “, ” What They Want” and “Man Of the Year”  to be instant bangers if u like this particular content Schoolboy Q brings to the table and if your more into the insightful, street conscious Q then tracks like “Blind Threats” (Which is a personal favorite of mine)  will more than suit you, another stand out record was “Hoover Street” where Quincy gives you a audio visual of the day by day situations that occurs in his neighbourhood in which the double beat was composed by In house TDE producer sounwave  , also  the record “Prescription” was a very dark and somewhat depressing track in which Q’s reveals to us his life struggles and addiction to the same vices he sells to his cliental.

The features for this album was very different and at the same time very minimal from the likes of Tyler The Creator who produced The Purge, LA OG Kurupt, Sugar Free , TDE members SZA, Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock, 2 Chainz and others.  Now many have debated if this album would put Schoolboy Q as the Top Dawg in TDE and take Kendrick off the throne, now for me personally Oxymoron may not be as conceptually built and in depth as Kendrick’s Good KID Maad City But Both albums were constructed and produced in high quality what I can say is that with the preparation leading to this album Q has risen out the darkest as K dot’s long time Hype man and made his own name, built his own core fan base and now has his own legacy to fulfil as an artist so I hope to see what is in store for him and the rest of the TDE collective as the years go by but hey that’s just my outlook on the project.     

REVIEW: RICK ROSS – Mastermind

So Rozay dropped Mastermind, his sixth studio album under May Bach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Rick Ross had a goal for his latest project to be a classic, a reminiscence of the chill vibe of the golden era of the 90’s but to be honest it’s a good body of work but its nothing compared to Deeper than Rap and Teflon Don. I would dare say GFID (God Forgives I Don’t) was actually more conceptual and insightful than Mastermind but do not get it twisted Mastermind is still a top quality album and you can see that Ross still has not lost his taste in beats. I can only imagine Diddy had a lot to do with how this album sounded as it was almost as if I heard Trilla, Port of Miami, a bit of Deeper than Rap and the new Rozay flow all complied on the album.

Fortunately I won’t be speaking on every track on the album as some are particularly underwhelming but the standouts for me are of course starting with Drug Dealer's Dream sounded like Teflon Don Ross on a beat with heavy bass that makes you unconsciously nod your head. The Subject nature throughout the album is that you would expect of Ross, visions of grandeur, the machinations of a master "crime lord", and the insight of a man who reflects on the negatives of the "game".

Indeed if Ross never sold a brick in his life you would never know from the content and the details he portrays, if it was not from personal experience it definitely comes from good sources.

Nobody is a top standout not because of Ross and not because of that addictive French Montana hook but because of that Diddy Speech. That Speech that was said to not be staged but was a real conversation with Diddy taking on an associate about the lack of vision and ambition.

That song is inspiring for that verse alone; if you manage to get through and not feel like you need to do more with life then there's no hope for you.

Mafia Music III is a great track but I think I would have rather it be named differently, I didn’t get that "Mafia Music" effect such as that was given off from I and II. Maybe it was because it wasn’t as Grandiose as the prequels in sound. The Jamaican infused beat was not lacking though and Sizzla was a great addition.

To close this insight without mentioning the "Hanker-ch-aaave" song would be an insult with that DJ Mustard and Kanye collab production it was bound to be magic. The Betty white recreation was a magical touch rather than to be a sample as the powerful nature of her voice really brought the track together. 

All in all it was a job well done but it still fell short of a classic in my eyes. Call me a hipster or one who dwells in the past too much but Ross needs to really revisit the Deeper than Rap days and combine it with Teflon Don Production to get his Classic. 

Top 5 Mixtapes of the Month (February)

With last month being extremely slow with worthy releases and all its been difficult to put together a list of intriguing mixtapes but February came to save the day with an entourage of projects dropping since valentine’s day so for the month of February I give you the only mixtapes you should be looking for . Take a listen and enjoy. 

                                                                     

1. Cyhi the Prynce - Hystori: Black History Project:  G.O.O.D music’s Cyhi is back with another very conceptual project that is executively produced by the Rap God Kanye West himself with features by Jon Conner, Zip K, King Louie and others with production by TEC BEATZ, M16, Grizzly and etc. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/CyHi-The-Prynce-Black-Hystori-Project-mixtape.584369.html

2. Pro Era - The Secc$ Tape 2: Hip Hop Collective Pro Era drops the second installment of The Secc$ Tape with records from Dessy Hinds, Kirk Knight, Dirty Sanchez, Joey Badass and others with production from Power Pleasant, Kirk Knight, Bruce Leekixx and many others. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/Pro-Era-The-Secc-Tape-Vol-2-mixtape.582589.html

3. Buddy - Idle Time:  It’s been a long delay but finally Pharrell’s Cosigned Buddy drops his debut project which features Robin thicke, Miley Cyrus, Kendrick Lamar, Asther Roth and many others with production from Polyester, Chuck inglish, Cardo, Boi-1da and Pharrell Himself. D/L Link:   http://www.datpiff.com/Buddy-Idle-Time-mixtape.584016.html

4. Rickie Jacobs – Remember to Smile: Another introspective project From Baltimore’s Rickie Jacobs with features SMOKE DZA, DUBB, Beya Likhari and others with production from EU IV, Rosewood, Young Billionaire and many others. D/L Link: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rickie-jacobs-remember-to-smile-new-mixtape.108827.html

5. Mark Battles – Black Einstein : New solo project from Mark Battles which features a gang of features like Dizzy Wright, Joe Budden, French Montana, Euroz, Wale and many others with production mainly from J Cuse. D/L Link: http://www.datpiff.com/Mark-Battles-Black-Einstein-mixtape.584037.html

UnHyped Audio: February 27, 2014

Before the month of February comes to an end here’s another list of under the radar records that will definitely capture your musical earing. Have a listen and enjoy 

Fly Union – Stay Alive:  Another freebie from the Trio called Fly Union with Jerreau and Jay Swifa on the verses over a club banger of an instrumental produced from Jay Swifa himself.   

Vince Staples – Nate: New leak from Long Beach Vince Staples which finds him detailing his childhood memories with his father over a captivating beat by Scoop Deville and bridge done by Cocaine 80’s James Fauntleroy, definitely a dope track.

Ludacris – Party Girls: Last we heard from Luda was his IDGAF mixtape last year and while we still waiting on the LP he drops a new single with singer Jeremiah and rapper Wiz Khalifa , one of those strip club records to listen to. 

Tory Lanez - Danny Glover (Freestyle):  Canada’s Own Tory bodies another instrumental for the swave session this time its Young Thug’s Danny Glover, definitely a track that will be on your playlist.    

REVIEW: Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo

Written By Andre Millwood

Isaiah Rashad released his debut project “Cilvia Demo” on the TDE; Top Dawg Entertainment Label on the 28th of January 2014. It featured label mates SZA, Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock as well as friends he carries with him such as Michael Da Vinci “Mikey D”. Production comes from the likes of Black Metaphor, Ross Vega, Farhot and Digi+Phonics Producer SounWave.

Cilvia Demo is not for the listener who is not prepared to get introspective; it does not have a “banger” in comparison to a Tyga’s Well Done or Fabolous’ Soul Tape 3. It makes up for this with intense lyricism and deep themes that repeat throughout the project. Isaiah Rashad was first introduced to me with the fan made “Welcome to the Game” Mixtape on DatPiff and indeed it was a breath of fresh air. The everyman-ness of Mr. Rashad allows one to see things from his point of view as instead of denoting on riches and even the ever so overdone topic of the pursuit of riches; he speaks on his personal demons such as the defective relationship with him and his paternal figure, rappers who “swaggerjack” the South, The typical ballads to the “loving ladies” who throw themselves on “hype” figures, Depression and Nostalgic references to his rap influences. 

This last point comes out strongly in tracks such as Webbie Flow and Brad Jordan in which the former dedicates the flow and mannerisms of the artist Webbie. It is good to note that Rashad’s hometown of Chatanooga, Tennesee is in the south and as such artists such as Outkast, Lil Wayne, Webbie and Scarface had a great impact on shaping his rap style as well as his more recent TDE label compatriots.

There is not much change in Rashad’s delivery since the tracks I heard previous to Cilvia Demo, but that is not necessarily negative as what most individuals got into was Rashad’s subject matter and delivery, it indeed reflects the music quality that TDE puts out but in his own way Rashad is unique. This may be the personalization in his music, him relating his difficulty to find a good job after a stint with the law, the new baby he has to take care of or just his continuous references to his father being missing in his life.

The instrumentals on Cilvia Demo for the most part reflect the introspective nature of Rashad’s lyrics but there are standouts such as Soliloquy produced by FarHot. The Beat is off-hinge, off-kilter which engages well with the track theme that being that of a soliloquy which is defined as  “an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, esp. by a character in a play.”

It is important to note the emotions put into Rashad’s delivery; the feeling of frustration, aggression and despair itself comes across all across the album. This is a man with a point to prove and a place to shape out in the industry all done without molding to the theory of making pop music but for individuals to take him as is and appreciate him for what he decides to do.

Even if Isaiah never changes or adds on to his range of topics there is a place for him that is unique as he is as “real” as it comes. The very fact that he named the project off his Honda Civic “Cilvia” his old beat up car shows this man is not here to impress you with lyrics on tangible products but on life experiences and personal convictions that you can either relate to or at least understand as there may be some small part of you that screams at racism, the system or just plain wants to just chill out and listen to something that doesn’t need you to “bang out” to it.

UnHyped Audio: February 23, 2014

Here goes another list of hot records that are under the commercial radar, if u got a good ear for quality music you’re going to hit download on every one of these tracks so as always listen and enjoy. 

Fly Union – This or That: Ohio’s own Fly Union been dropping a lot of records these past few weeks leading up to the release of their new album Small Victories on March 4^th and this is just one of the many dope releases. 

Bishop Nehru – You Stressing: Aspiring Brooklyn emcee Bishop as been making waves since last year with his Nehruvia Mixtapes and this is his first release of 2014 with production from rising sensation UK  production Duo Disclosure, surprisingly they manage to provide a grimy boom bap structured beat for the young sixteen to spit his 16’s as always.  

QuESt – Fuck You Mean: Miami’s QuESt has been on almost a two year hiatus since his last mixtape dropped in 2012, since then he’s signed with Logic’s Visionary Music Group (VMG) and is working on his debut album so this was a freebie he decided to hold off the fans until then. 

KR – Off the Record: Upcoming Los Angeles emcee KR drops his first release of 2014 which displays his appealing wordplay and rhythmic flow, definitely an artist to keep you ears tuned into. 

Cyhi the Prynce – Napoleon:  Arguably the most underrated and slept on emcee on Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music’s Label is back with a Bar-for-Bar, Excruciating, Punch line warfare of a record which will be on his upcoming project which is said to be executive produced by Kanye himself.