Listen to the Absurd Remix Album 'Meow The Jewels'

History has been made people. The first album created entirely out of cat noises is here. What started out as a joke that El-P and Killer Mike would remix their latest album Run The Jewels 2 for $40,000 quickly turned real when a Kickstarter campaign actually raised over $65,000. Last night, El-P announced that via Twitter that the album is complete, and available for free download on runthejewels.net. With production from Just Blaze, the Alchemist, Boots, and more, the album is just puuurrrfect (I'm sorry). The original lyrics from Run The Jewels 2 are still there, but all of the production has been stripped away and has been replaced by different cat noises. It's dumb, weird, fantastic, and one of the best things I've heard in my life. All of the proceeds are going to victims of police brutality, and you can purchase a vinyl of the album with faux cat paws on the website as well. Go download Meow the Jewels now and have a blessed Caturday.

Review: The Weeknd Solidifies His Pop Stardom on 'Beauty Behind the Madness'

I remember reading the Weeknd's very first interview in 2013.This was a few months before he was to release his major label debut Kiss Land, yet he was already a near household name, due to features with Drake and a trio of stellar mixtapes. In the interview, the Weeknd described his first mixtape House of Balloons as "the most important for me... before House of Balloons it was all freedom".

And that might be the issue with the Weeknd's latest album Beauty Behind The Madness. In a recent issue of Time, the Weeknd languishes over his mediocre Kiss Land album, and strove to create a much more popular album. And he did that. BBTM has been the number one album in the country for the last two weeks, and sold over 412,000 copies in his first week. This album serves as a turning point for the Weeknd, as he has drifted from being an R&B singer to a pop singer.

The Weeknd's voice is gorgeous, and his raw, sexual lyricism is unique for such a mainstream artist, but what truly has been his strength is the sound he has cultivated. Especially with his first three mixtapes, the Weeknd crafted a cloudy, sultry sound full of smooth synths and echoing drums. This was the glue that held together the Weeknd's artistry, and made him what he is today.

But on BBTM, he abandons most of this sound. Nearly all of the 14 tracks could easily be in rotation on radio stations. Most of the songs follow the same formula of a slow build-up, a catchy chorus, and a grand finale. Many of the tracks feature live instrumentation throughout, which isn't necessarily bad, yet it slows down the pace of many tracks, and kills the smooth, sexual vibe of early Weeknd songs.

The main theme of the album is how the glitzy, sexy lifestyle that the Weeknd croons about is dragging him down. Throughout the album, he sings about drugs and parties and women, but how destructive and saddening his lifestyle is, always ending with something along the lines of "but it's the life I've chosen". Which honestly, is pretty dumb. None of his sob stories truly seem that depressing when they are all about how many women he sleeps with. You can sense the numbness he has to it all, but that is nothing new in his music, and he never really backs up why he's complaining.

At this point, calling the Weeknd's music "alternative R&B" is a stretch. While he still plays with new sounds, he fits very well in the "pop" category. I do think he is a better R&B singer, but this switch shows that the Weeknd is now the best pop artist around.

Lyricism- 2.5
Technical Ability- 4.5
Production- 3.5
Listenability- 5
Features- 4
Overall Theme- 3
Noteable Tracks- "The Hills", "Shameless", "Losers", "Dark Times"
Overall Rating- 4

Peep The Tracklist and Artwork for Jay Rock's Upcoming Album '90059'

Late last night, TDE head honcho Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith released the iTunes preorder for Jay Rock's much anticipated follow-up to 2011's Follow Me Home, entitled 90059, after Rock's area code. The artwork for the 11-track album is above, and the tracklist is below.

1. Necessary

2.Easy Bake (ft. Kendrick Lamar and SZA)

3.Gumbo

4.Wanna Ride (ft. Isaiah Rashad)

5.The Ways (ft. Sir)

6.Telegram (Going Crazy) (ft. Lance Skiiiwalker)

7. 90059

8.Vice City (ft. Black Hippy)

9.Fly on the Wall (ft. Busta Rhymes)

10.Money Trees Deuce (ft. Lance Skiiiwalker)

11.The Message

Currently, the release date is set at May 20, 2016, but this isn't exactly correct. On Tiffth's Instagram, the CEO of TDE said that when the preorders hit certain goals, the release date will automatically move up. No word yet what said goals are, but at least one has already been met, as the initial release date was August 18, 2016. Make sure you preorder the album, so everyone can get more Jay Rock music soon. 

5 Reasons Why Meek Mill is Losing His Beef With Drake

Unless you've been sleeping under a rock for the last two weeks, you've probably heard about the beef between Meek Mill and Drake. Meek Mill aired out his displeasure with Drake for not tweeting about Meek's new album, and said that Drake used a ghost writer for his verse on "R.I.C.O.". Since then, the beef has blossomed into an array of diss tracks, shade, and memes. But while Meek Mill started this beef, he has already lost it. Here's why.

1. Meek should have released "Wanna Know" right after "Charged Up"

During the OVO Sound Radio on Apple Music, Drake released "Charged Up". It was billed as diss track, but it's another one of many songs that Drake has made addressing anonymous haters. Since the public took this as the first diss track leveled against Meek, he should have taken this opportunity to drop his own diss track "Wanna Know". This would have given him the upper hand in the beef, even though "Wanna Know" isn't that fantastic of a diss track.

2. Meek isn't taking the beef seriously

One of the ending lines in "Wanna Know" is "you let Tip homie piss on you at a movie theater". If that's true, that's hilarious, but not exactly a very strong diss. Meek also announced he would be releasing "Wanna Know" on Sunday, July 26, but instead posted an Instagram video of him screaming. Every time Drake has fired back strongly at Meek, the Philadelphia rapper has responded via Twitter or Instagram. While the Internet age has certainly revolutionized feuds between rappers, joking captions on Instagram can't take the place of serious shots and hard-hitting songs.

3. Drake is having a more successful few weeks than Meek Mill

In the time since Meek Mill alleged that Drake uses ghost writers, Drake has released four singles, hosted the sixth annual OVO Fest, and was rumored to have donated a recording studio to Meek Mill's old high school. In the same time, Meek Mill has just been on tour with Nicki Minaj... and that's about it. In the midst of the beef, Drake is doing better than ever, which weakens Meek's claims

4. Meek Mill's timing is dreadful

As I said before, Meek Mill waited until Drake released not one, but two diss tracks before Meek released his own. The second track from Drake, "Back to Back" was filled with gut-punches, with lyrics like "trigger fingers turned to Twitter fingers, you're getting bodied by a singing n***a" and "is that a world tour or your girl's tour?". But beyond waiting, Meek also made the mistake of starting this beef just weeks before Drake had his own OVO Fest. It was a slaughterhouse for Meek, as Drake performed behind memes making fun of Meek and making a mockery of Meek the entire time. It was the final nail in the coffin. 

5. No one really cares if Drake uses ghost writers

What's been interesting about this beef is that the initial allegation that Drake used ghost writers in many of his hit records has been an after thought. Drake hasn't really addressed it, and both Funk Flex and Meek Mill have released reference tracks of "10 Bands" and "Know Yourself". So there is a very good chance that Meek is right, and Drake does use ghost writers, but no one really cares. Drake's lyrics have never been ground-breaking or thought-provoking, but he excels at making insanely catchy and listenable music. Drake's sound, not his lyrics, are why people love him, and not that many people care how real either are. If a renowned lyricist like Kendrick Lamar was found to be using ghost writers, that would be a different story, but the fact that Drake very well might be using ghost writers changes little. 

Listen to "No Feelings" from PARTYNEXTDOOR and Travi$ Scott

On the second installment of OVO Sound Radio on Apple Music, Drake let off three new songs, including a remix of D.R.A.M.'s "Cha Cha", and a Meek Mill diss track. These songs had the internet ablaze, but Drake also released a new cut from OVO member PARTYNEXTDOOR. "No Feelings" is a short but silky surprise release from the Canadian crooner. Over spacey piano chords, Party lays down vocals about women and drugs with an added verse from Travi$ Scott. The two are becoming a powerful duo, with each new track better than the last and the sound of the pairing is a great mix of each individuals' strengths. No word yet if this will be a part of Party's next project, but Scott stated that his debut album Rodeo will be released on September 4th.  

Why I Haven't Been Writing In Awhile

I want to preface this by saying that while this is mostly a music blog, and I write mostly to inform and entertain others about music, this is also my blog. This post is not about music, and is about something very personal to me.

I wrote a recap of Forecastle Festival on Monday. That was my first post in three months. I feel a bit embarrassed to take such a long break, as I would normally post multiple times a week. At first, I slowed down because I was busy. Spring break and school ending soon left very little time for me to research music and write. But I told myself that once summer started I would write again.

The start of my summer was June 6. That was the day I graduated from high school. My sister, step dad, and mom all came out to watch me graduate, and it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I noticed that my dad wasn't there. My parents had been divorced since I was three, and my dad was often late to events, so I assumed he either forgot to show up, or just sat in the wrong area and I couldn't find him. So I left with my sister to go to his apartment, so that we could at least have lunch together.

When I opened the door, I saw my dad slumped over in his bed, not breathing. I called the paramedics and attempted to do CPR on him, but it was no avail. My father died of a heart attack the night before my graduation.

It was sudden, horrific, and something I would never wish on my worst enemy. I've been dogged by the images in my mind of how I found him, and the fact that the sweetest, most loving man in my life is gone forever. The first two weeks were odd. I was still in shock, and couldn't really feel anything. But after that grief set in, and an awful mix of nostalgia, depression, pain, and loneliness have been washing over me a lot since then.

It's been about six weeks now. I'm no where near over grieving, and I still feel pain each and every day, and I will for many days to come. This has been the hardest, most exhausting time of my life, but I am making it through this. The march is dark and heavy, but each day the light gets brighter and the weight gets lighter. I will still feel waves of grief for many years after this, probably for the rest of my life, but I know I will get through this, and I will be a stronger man because of it.

Without the love and support from my friends and family, I would be in a much different, much worse scenario. The outpouring of loving has been astonishing, and I was dumbfounded by the amount of people who came to my father's funeral. I would like to thank all of those who have supported me, especially my mother and my friends Alex and JohnRoss, who have been my rocks. And I couldn't be more proud of or more loving of my sister, who was with me when we found our dad. She has been stronger than I have and has comforted me when she was the one who needed comfort.

During this time of grief, one thing oddly stuck out to me: people kept asking about my blog. Family who I hadn't seen in 10 years and acquaintances I've only met a few times would ask me if i was still writing. And I told them no. I just couldn't handle all this writing while I was grieving so heavily.

But then I got a press pass to Forecastle. I applied for one many months ago, but had completely forgotten, and I honestly never thought I would actually get one. But I did, and had a great time. On the last night I sat in the back of the crowd and watched Widespread Panic play as the sun set. I realized that if things were different, I would have been sitting right next to my dad watching them play. It hit me then that I needed to start writing again. My dad loved this blog, and read every post even when he didn't understand any of them. So I've started writing again, for him and for me.


Dedicated to Nicholas Eastman  

Recap of Forecastle Fest 2015

On the weekend of July 17-19, tens of thousands of people from all over the country poured into Waterfront Park in Louisville, Kentucky to take part in the 2015 Forecastle Festival. For three days, fan gathered along the river to enjoy music, food, and good times. I arrived around 6 PM on Friday, to the sounds of St. Paul & The Broken Bones. I made my way over to the Ocean Stage to hear an electrifying performance from Kiesza. Evening in the brutal Kentucky heat, Kiesza danced and sang with passion, and it was a fantastic start to the weekend. I made my way over to the Mast Stage, where Cage the Elephant was performing, but kept my distance so I wouldn't be stuck in the crowd, so I could get good standings for Big K.R.I.T. The King Remembered in Time came out fifteen minutes early, but was still energetic and vibrant till the end of his set. His show was reminiscent of last year's OutKast performance. He even brought out Talib Kweli for a song, since Talib was performing at a late night show that evening. Afterwards was Sam Smith. This was his first show since a vocal chord surgery he had later in the year, and he sounded excellent. Unfortunately, his set was cut short as a huge storm came through and Forecastle had to be evacuated.

The next day started about two hours later than usual due to the storm the night before, but the day ran much smoother. I arrived in time to see Dr. Dundiff & Friends perform, which was basically a sampling of Louisville rap music from artists like Jack Harlow, Jalin Roze, and the 1200. The show came to a climax when all the artists came on stage for a freestyle accompanied by My Morning Jacket's lead singer Jim Jones. Next was ILoveMakonnen. I'm not a huge fan of Makonnen, and don't like the way he wavers his voice out of tune in his verses, but his show was incredible. He kept a more medium tone, and had the most explosive bass I have ever heard (or felt, rather). Every fiber of my being was vibrating during his performance, and I'm surprised my eardrums stayed intact. My night ended with the lively and vibrant performance of Cherub, as the duo laid down smooth track after smooth track.

The final day felt the hottest, and happened to be filled with the most electric music. First up was Lizzo, a female rapper I had never heard of before but turned me into a fan. Then came Robert DeLong, who was immensely talented. DeLong sang, played the keyboard, drums, and would make beats right on stage. Following Delong was RL Grime. While Grime didn't have the same stage presence as DeLong, he brought alone immense tracks that had the packed crowd bouncing around for the hour-long set. I was drenched in sweat and water, and was to exhausted to stay for Widespread Panic for very long.

Forecastle is a mostly indie-folk/rock band, and there was always enticing guitar chords and rustic vocals playing in the background. Big hip-hop names like last year's OutKast and Action Bronson were substituted for smaller, lesser known acts such as Fat Tony, Dr. Dundiff, Lizzo, and the People Under the Stairs. I barely knew any of the bands besides the big names, and was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had. My only complaint was that many of the bands I wanted to see were playing at the same time, such as Big KRIT and Houndmouth, Sturgill Simpson and Cherub, and The Tallest Man On Earth and RL Grime. I would recommend Forecastle to anyone, especially any Louisvillian since it doubles as a social scene. If you're a fan of any type of music and fun, then Forecastle Fest should be your destination in late July 2016.      

A$AP Rocky releases 'A.L.L.A.' Cover Art

Earlier this morning, A$AP Rocky released the cover art for his sophomore album A.L.LA. (At.Long.Last.A$AP). The cover is of Rocky grasping a mix of his and deceased A$AP Mob member A$AP Yams. The album will be released on June 2, not the May 12 release date initially announced. While there hasn't been any tracklist released yet, DangerMouse and Juicy J are rumored to be executive producing the album, and features from Bun B, Lykke Li, FKA Twigs, and Mos Def apparently will be on the album. So far, "Multiply", "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye II", "M's", and most recently "Everyday" featuring Miguel with a sample of Rod Stewart produced by Mark Ronson, are the only released tracks from the album. But if the rest of the album is like the singles already released, it may be one of the best albums of the year.

Listen to Audio Push's 'The Good Vibe Tribe'

To celebrate 4/20, Cali-duo Audio Push released their mixtape The Good Vibe Tribe. This is Audio Push's first full project since 2013's Come As You Are mixtape, which was pretty lackluster and was filled with tracks too laid back for the duo's energy. But since that frankly cheesy project, they have been dropping a lot of bangers, with production handled by HS87 leader Hit-Boy. The Good Vibe Tribe fits much better with Audio Push's sound. Filled with heat and energy, the mixtape is filled with great production mostly from Hit-Boy for Price and Oktane to flaunt over, and they do it perfectly. They sound like a more mature and lyrically-versed Rae Sremmurd with Hit-Boy acting as their Mike-Will. There are obvious weed-influences in the mixtape, like with the song "Mary Jane", but the mixtape is filled to the brim with high energy, explosive tracks instead of laid-back, cliche marijuana anthems. And with features from Vince Staples, Casey Veggies, OG Maco, Isaiah Rashad, and G-Easy, this tape is a must-listen. The Good Vibe Tribe should hold you over until Audio Push releases their debut album later this year.

I'll Be Recording the Chance the Rapper Concert This Thursday for OnlyHipHopFacts

This Thursday, April 16th, Chance the Rapper will be performing at the Louisville Palace with Louisville-native Jalin Roze as the opener. Tickets are still available here, but if you won't be able to make it, don't worry, I've got your back.

Today, I contacted OnlyHipHopFacts, an original, awesome hip-hop news/information outlet, about recording the Chance concert for them. OHHF has been steadily increasing it's fan-base and it's outlets, as it has grown from a Twitter account to an Instagram account, website, and Snapchat, all with their own unique twist. They have opened up their Snapchat to fans, and allow fans to record concerts in their hometown to be broadcast on OHHF's Snapchat Story. I've been lucky enough to record the Chance the Rapper concert this Thursday, and broadcast it on their Snapchat story. The deal is still in the works, and if for some reason I can't use their Snapchat, then I'll broadcast the show on my own Snapchat. Add onlyhiphopfacts before 8:00 PM EST to see the show!

Listen to Some New Heat From Vic Mensa, Freddie Gibbs, and A$AP Rocky

Following the surprise collab between Kanye West and Vic Mensa on West's "Wolves", Mensa released his own Kanye-assisted song today called "U Mad". Vic has been dropping a few heaters this past year, but "U Mad" is his biggest banger to date. The boisterous track will be his break-out track, without a doubt. It's a goddamned banger, no other way to explain it.

Kaytranada, a producer who's worked with Mensa a few times before, just dropped a new track with Freddie Gibbs called "My Dope House". It's a lo-fi song, but the bass hits hard and is addicting. Freddie Gibbs x Kaytranada might be as great of a duo as Freddie Gibbs x Madlib.

We're inching closer and closer to A$AP Rocky's second album A.L.L.A. A few days ago, Rocky dropped a third single on his Soundcloud called "M'$". This is the song that was featured at the end of the "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2" music video. "M'$" has a more complex beat, similar to those on Long.Live.A$AP, but I like the more low-key bangers that Rocky has been putting out like "Multiply" and "LPFJ2". But Flacko still stunts all over the songs, and crafted another banger.

Big News From Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean

What ever happened to Odd Future? The hip-hop super-group that busted into the scene in the early  2010's with violent lyrics, interesting production techniques, and probably the most character out of any hip-hop group ever. While much of their popularity stemmed from their bold and unique styles, Odd Future boasted some legitimate talent, such as Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator, Domo Genesis, and The Internet. Their heyday was in 2013, when Tyler released his best album to date, Earl dropped his debut album to critical acclaim, and just a few months prior, Frank released probably the best R&B album in years. All of a sudden, they fell off, with very little new music to be released, and reports of falling outs between members. But, as of just a few days ago, a few OF members released some huge news.

Out of all the members, Frank Ocean has certainly been the quietest. His only form of social media is his tumblr, and despite a very small handful of guest verses, he hasn't released any new music since his debut album Channel Orange. To the delight of his fans, Ocean posted on his tumblr the image above, and announced that his next album would be dropping in July, which would be called Boys Don't Cry. No other information has been released yet, but if Boys Don't Cry, but there is no doubt that the follow-up to Channel Orange will be amazing.

Tyler, the Creator has been a bit more open about his artistry. A few months ago he sat down with the Fader for a very in-depth interview outlining his soon to be released album and his relationship with Odd Future. Yesterday, Tyler announced two huge pieces of information. One, he has created an app called Golf Media, which will feature original content and music from him, along with a magazine. But more importantly, he announced that his next album, Cherry Bomb will be available on April 13. The album can be preordered, and two singles, "DEATHCAMP" and "F-CKING YOUNG/PERFECT"  along with a music video for the tracks. This will come right off the heels of Earl Sweatshirt's dark and reclusive sophomore album I Don't Like Sh-t, I Don't Go Outside (sorry for the lack of coverage), but judging from the first two tracks, Cherry Bomb will be much more upbeat.

Watch Kendrick Lamar's Music Video for "King Kunta"

Fresh off the release of his second major label album, Kendrick Lamar released the visuals for the track "King Kunta". After first projecting it on a billboard in the middle of Times Square, the official video was released on YouTube. It's a simple video, featuring Kendrick mobbing through the streets of Compton in a low-rider, dancing in and on top of buildings, and straight stunting in the middle of a parking lot. Watch the very hood video here.

Review: Action Bronson's Debut LP "Mr. Wonderful" is Pretty Disappointing

There are few rappers with more character than Action Bronson. The 300+ pound, chef-turned-rapper Flushing's native has been delivering eccentric bars about food, women, cars, and literally everything in between for years. He raps with the persona of a billionaire playboy drug kingpin. Bronson raps about nothing, and everything, with the most insane shout-outs and metaphors while still holding on to the classic East Coast hip-hop sound. On the surface, he may appear as a more refined Lonely Island, but with extremely clever bars, a host of great producers (Statik Selektah, Harry Fraud, the Alchemist) behind him, and a buttery flow, Action is a legitimate respectable rapper. So when he announced that he would be releasing his major label debut Mr. Wonderful I was beyond excited to hear what he had to offer. But I ended up being thoroughly disappointed. 

To promote the album, Bronson released four singles, "Easy Rider", "Actin Crazy", "Terry" and "Baby Blue" featuring Chance the Rapper. "Easy Rider" was one of my favorite songs of last year. "Actin Crazy" and "Terry" are two very smooth, yet very different tracks, with the former being produced by Noah "40", and the latter being produced by the Alchemist, but both tracks lets Bronson flow effortlessly all over the beat. "Baby Blue" is one of the few songs by Bronson that actually has a definite theme of reminiscing on and cursing an ex, but the track is pretty slow and the beat sounds like a pop song, rather than a hip-hop beat, probably since the cut was produced by Mark Ronson of all people. But with a pretty solid group of singles, I was assuming that  Mr. Wonderful  might be Bronson's best project to date.

But the rest of the album is pretty bad. The rest of the songs can either be divided into a weird blend of cheesy, 80's pop/rock production that would fit much better into a musical than a hip-hop album, or into blues/rock songs. I don't mind the blues aspect if it was done properly, but the execution is done horribly on the album. "City Boy Blue" is a dead-up blues song, but Bronson sings on the song instead of rapping, and he is terrible at singing. "A Light in the Addict" is one of my favorite songs on the album, but only Bronson is only on one minute of the song, and the whole song is six minutes long. One of my least favorite songs is "Only In America" featuring Party Supplies. Yet again, Bronson is absent for most of the song, and is replaced by horrific hooks by Party Supplies, that sounds like the already poor vocals are being sung underwater. And besides the odd and mostly poor production choices, the album has a ton of just filler. For being only 13 songs long, there are four songs that are less than three minutes long, another song is a live intro to "Easy Rider", which is almost entirely just guitars playing in the background, and a spoken/badly sung interlude. Bronson has done a lot of experimenting on his mixtapes, with odd flows and ridiculous beats, often with good results, and has proven time and time again that he can make great songs. But instead of focusing on making a cohesive, great album, which I know Bronson can do, he made a weird collection of mostly bad tracks.

Bronson's rapping style is basically the same as it's always been, with slick word-play, but with very little substance, which is perfectly fine. The features are alright, composed of Meyhem Lauren, Big Body Bes, Party Supplies, and Chance the Rapper. They don't really add much, but the don't detract too much either, besides from Party Supplies, who after this project I really think Bronson should divorce from them. Mr. Wonderful was one of my most anticipated albums of this year, but it certainly didn't follow through on the hype. Hopefully his next album will be more focused.  

Technical Skill- 4.5

Lyrical Skill- 2.5

Production- 2

Listenability- 2.5

Features- 3

Theme/Consistency- 1

Notable Tracks- "A Light In the Addict", "Easy Rider", "Terry"

Overall Rating- 2.5

Review: To Fully Appreciate 'To Pimp A Butterfly', Forget All Notions of Kendrick Lamar

Before you continue reading, or if you have yet to listen to Kendrick Lamar's newest album To Pimp A Butterfly, I want you to get rid of all your notions of Kendrick Lamar. I want you to forget about his astounding 2012 release good kid, m.A.A.d city. I want you to forget about his "Control" verse, and his "Nosetalgia" verse, and his "Never Catch Me" verse, or literally any bar you've ever heard him spit. I want you to forget every single thing you know about the best rapper alive. Done? Now we can move on. 

To Pimp A Butterfly is not what you would have expected. It's not what anyone expected. Even with the jazzy single "i" and his untitled Colbert Report performance, no one could have guessed what TPAB would sound like. It wasn't until a little less than two months ago when vague details began to emerge and the first official track "The Blacker the Berry" leaked that people were sure of what Lamar's new album would sound like. The aggressive single with a "I Used to Love H.E.R."-like twist followed by reports from TDE-producer Sounwave that Lamar was "mad" on the new album, and the cover art showing a mob of black men standing over a dead judge on the White House lawn, had everyone, myself included, believing that this new album would be full of aggression, and more of the dark, East Coast rap that Lamar was known for. Boy, was everyone wrong.

Lamar's newest album is as much a jazz, funk album as it is a rap album, and that's just barely scratching the surface. It's as experimental as it gets, with odd cadences, poetry woven throughout, spoken word segments, a faux live-performance track, and even an interview between Lamar and Tupac. "The Blacker the Berry" is not the mode track, it is an outlier. It's fantastic to see experimental hip-hop on such a grand scale, and yet again, Kendrick Lamar has pushed the envelope on hip-hop farther than anyone could have imagined.

The reason I ask for you to remove any notions you have of Kendrick Lamar is because you can't fully appreciate TPAB if you think of it as a rap album. It's not supposed to be one, and you'll be disappointed if that's what you think it is. It's closer to a rap/funk opera than anything else. This is not to say that it's not fantastic. The production is lusher than anything I've heard in a very long time, with complex, orchestral jazz and funk production that is as explosive as it is beautiful. But Kendrick Lamar is not strictly rapping on here. If you are looking for Lamar to make a conventional rap album where he spits vicious lines and paints masterpieces in bars, like he did with gkmc, you won't find it on TPAB. Lamar sacrifices convention and listenability to craft a masterful and new manner of story-telling. But there still are fantastic rap songs on here. "King Kunta", "The Blacker The Berry", "Alright", "Momma", and many more will satisfy your thirst for traditional rap while still pushing your horizons. 

Each song on TPAB tells an individual story, but the whole album has a full theme, juxtaposed by a poem that Lamar reads in pieces throughout the album and in full on the last song "Mortal Man". The first track "Wesley's Theory" opens up with Lamar as a material-obsessed new rapper, being tempted by record labels and the government. He continues this theme through the first half of the album, which is characterized by mostly upbeat funk production. But on the song "u", the album takes a sharp turn. Lamar is anguished by his unquenchable thirst for material wealth, and sees the consequences of his actions. While he was busy out in the world touring and rapping, his teenage sister gets pregnant and his good friend dies in Compton. He languishes in a hotel room contemplating suicide and proclaims himself a "f-cking failure". From them on, Lamar tries to put himself to good use and searches for how to help his community back home on the songs "Alright" through "Hood Politics". He then explains the vices that are holding back his community, such as money ("How Much A Dollar Cost"), race ("Complexion [A Zulu Love]") and violence ("The Blacker the Berry"). The final track "Mortal Man" finds Kendrick wrestling with if he can really be a leader, and ends with the full poem, an interview with Tupac, and an explanation of the album title. The overall theme is very similar to J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive , yet infinitely more in-depth and encompassing; and that was still a great album.

If gkmc was about Compton, then TPAB is about the entire nation. But at the same time, it's insanely personal. Beyond Lamar's unmatched lyrical skill, Kendrick also uses a variety of odd cadences in his voices to portray emotions and points of view. From screaming, to high-pitch raps, to laid-back bars, Lamar uses so many different flows and voices that it would sound like they are altered, but they are almost entirely all natural. For features, Lamar relies heavily on Anna Wise, James Fauntleroy, Bilal, and Thundercat for vocals. They don't stand out, but instead magnify Lamar's performance. As for rap features, Snoop Dogg has a minor part on the track "Institutionalized", but he doesn't exactly rap, and on "Complexion", Rapsody has a very insightful verse about race. This is being nit-picky, but it would be nice to have just one more rapper on Kendrick's own song.

Kendrick packs every single bar with a deeper meaning. This album will take weeks, months, maybe even years to fully digest. I've listen to this album everyday multiple times and there are still ideas that pop up that give me chills. There is no question this will be a classic. To Pimp A Butterfly is a must cop.

Lyrical Skill- 5

Technical Skill- 5

Production- 5

Listenability-3

Features- 4

Themes/Consistency- 5

Notable Tracks- every single song on TPAB is a masterpiece

Overall Score- 5

MusicBenLikes Picks for 2015 XXL Freshmen

Every year, hip-hop magazine XXL awards ten to twelve up-and-coming rappers, and last year singers, as XXL Freshmen. This is one of the biggest honors a new hip-hop artist can receive. Official voting for the 2015 Freshmen will begin on March 16, but before then I decided to create my own Freshman List

1. Mick Jenkins
If you haven't heard of Mick Jenkins yet, you will. The Chicago rapper is following the same path of last year's freshmen picks Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper, and is pushing past the drill sound of Chicago to the national spotlight. His latest project, The Water[s] is nothing short from fantastic, and I've been listening to it more than anything else from 2014. Jenkins spits every conscious verse with passion, has an array of original flows in his pocket, and a knack for lush and polished production. Don't sleep.

2. Vince Staples
I'm very surprised that Staples wasn't awarded last year. He's been steadily increasing his lyrical prowess, and is a force to be reckoned with. He's worked with everyone from Earl Sweatshirt to ScHoolboy Q to Common, and his West Coast sound deserves to be awarded

3. Raury
Raury only has one project under his belt, but that one project was great. He sounds like a more rock-oriented Andre 3000. XXL might not award him since his sound doesn't perfectly fit with hip-hop, but to me, that ability to push the boundaries of a genre is something fantastic.

4. GoldLink
Another musician with only one, unique project, GoldLink crafted a brand new sub-genre: future bounce. It's basically a mix of hip-hop, lounge music, and EDM. GoldLink doesn't have the greatest lyricism, but his flow and new sound are tremendous.

5. Young Thug
I mean, how can you not award Young Thug. The dude is everywhere. I don't need to explain who Young Thug is, you know who he is. The only way he would be awarded is if he's just too big.

6. Rome Fortune
Rome Fortune is another eccentric artist from ATL. But what makes Fortune stand out is that he can rap over basically any beat, and while some ATL rappers can just be too much, almost everything that Fortune drops sounds good. Just look at his Soundcloud, he releases a new project almost every month and each one is good.

7. OG Maco
OG Maco took probably the most basic production, and turned it into the monstrous banger that is "U Guessed It" (Rome Fortune is the guy with the blue beard in the video). But Maco has become more than just a one-hit-wonder. He's been steadily working and has, like Fortune, released many solid projects. One of the most notable is his "Breath EP", a small project about race and politics, that actually brings up a lot of very good points.

8. Fetty Wap
I'm gonna be honest, I have really listened to any song besides "Trap Queen", but oh my god that song is amazing. "Trap Queen" should win a damn Oscar.

9. Bas
Signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records, Bas has one of the most mature sounds of everyone on this list. His most recent album Last Winter sounded extremely polished. I don't think Bas is the most original artist in the game, but he raps extremely confidently.

10. Bishop Nehru
Bishop Nehru is signed to Nas's label, and had a collaborative album with MF Doom last year. If these two greats support him, you should too. He's only 18, but Nehru raps well past his age.

11. SZA
The TDE songstress broke through last year with her amazing EP Z. She's perfected the neo-soul sound. Be on the lookout for her next project A, which will be dropping very soon.

12. BJ The Chicago Kid
You may not recognize his name, but you have definitely heard him. From Kendrick Lamar to Joey Bada$$ to Big K.R.I.T. to Chance the Rapper, BJ The Chicago has worked with everybody. He's an expert at the classic r&b sound, and is moving to a more pop sound. This up-and-comer definitely deserves more recognition.

Kendrick Lamar's Next Album Will Be Released on March 23 (Updated)

Last year, every single member of the TDE roster was supposed to drop a project. Undoubtedly, the most anticipated was Kendrick Lamar's. But unfortunately, we still haven't heard the album, or heard any real details about the album, until now. Just a few minutes ago, Kendrick Lamar tweeted an iTunes link. It was a pre-order link to his new album, which will be released on March 23, the same day as Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful. There is very little information, with the current album title being Untitled, and black screen for the artwork, and no tracklist. But, there will be 17 songs, and the album will cost $14.99. I'll update on here if there is any more information released. Until then, enjoy the first two singles, "i" and "The Blacker the Berry" until the album drops on March 23.

UPDATE: 3/11/15

The official title and album cover have been released. Kendrick Lamar's next album will be entitled To Pimp A Butterfly, and the album cover is below. There has been no official news about the music itself, but Lamar will be the cover story of Rolling Stone, and an excerpt from the interview revealed that "i" will be on the album, and will serve as a juxtaposition for a track entitled "u", which has the exact opposite theme of "i", as Kendrick will portray a self-loathing character. I'll continue to update here for more info when it comes out.

 

UPDATE: 3/12/15

The supposed tracklist for To Pimp A Butterfly has been leaked. DJ Booth apparently got the tracklist from Universal Music Group and shared it today. There appears to be no features, but that could just mean that this they haven't been released yet, or are just unaccredited, like what Kanye did on Yeezus. But take this with a grain of salt. While most major music publications such as Complex has shared the tracklist, nearly every anticipated album has leaked tracklists, and 95% of the time, they are fake. This seems real, as it has the tracks "i", "u", and "King Kunta" all on it, but the placement of some tracks seems odd to me. The biggest issue is that the song "i" is originally 3:52 minutes long. The iTunes tracklist, which doesn't have any titles, has the third track at 3:54 minutes long, which is extremely close. But the leaked tracklist says that "King Kunta" is the third track, and that "i" is the fifteenth track, and is 5:36 minutes long. This could mean that the album version of "i" is longer, or that the tracklist is just wrong. But peep the list below, and we shall see on March 23 if it is real or not.

1. Wesley's Theory

2. For Free? (Interlude)

3. King Kunta

4. Institutionalized 

5. These Walls

6. U

7. Alright

8. For Sale? (Interlude)

9. Momma

10. Hood Politics

11. How Much A Dollar Cost

12. Complexion

13. The Blacker The Berry

14.You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)

15. i

16. Mortal Man

Listen to a New Jay Electronica Song "Road to Perdition"

There is probably not a single more lyrically gifted rapper than Jay Electronica. But there is also probably not a single rapper who is more secretive than Jay Electronica. He grabbed everyone's attention in 2007 with his mixtape Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) where Jay Elect spit over the soundtrack of Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind without any drums, and with two amazing singles in 2009. Since then, Jay Elect has signed to Roc Nation... and that's about it. The man hasn't released any official projects since then, has lent a few features here and there, but remains extremely secretive. His style is unique, to say the least. He raps over spoken word and Willie Wonka samples, often uses beats with no drum loops, and rhymes about gods and pharaohs. His one-of-a-kind style and immense lyricism has made fans crave for his debut album. And it appears it may be on the way.

An hour ago, Jay Electronica released via his Twitter a new song entitled "Road to Perdition". It's a booming, confident, frankly amazing new song. Over children cheering, sharp drums, and a Jay-Z sample, Elect goes in. He then tweeted (and shortly after deleted) "Can you smell what #TheRoc is cooking?" This could mean that his debut album, which supposedly is titled Act II: The Patients of Nobility (The Turn), since "Road to Perdition" is on a supposed tracklist (below) which Jay Electronica tweeted out, and then deleted. Almost exactly one year ago, Jay Electronica released the gorgeous track "better in tune with the infinite" and the remix to "We Made It", one of the best songs of last year. So maybe March is just the month that Jay Elect decides to release songs, but hopefully we will get Act II this year.

Review: Big Sean is on Another Level With 'Dark Sky Paradise'

I've always felt like a closeted Big Sean fan. I love the vast majority of his features, which is difficult to say for most artists. But on his solo projects, I disliked them as a whole. He seemed to rely more on singles and featured artists, and the albums didn't feel like they could be listened to in any setting past a club. I always hoped that Sean would make a great album, so my faith would be more concrete. And with Dark Sky Paradise, Sean stepped his game up more than I ever thought.

Dark Sky is Sean's first Number 1 album, with first week sales of 167,000. He had a lot in his personal life to build up this album. His last album, Hall of Fame was met with lackluster support, he called off his marriage with Naya Riveria, and his grandmother passed away. Sean uses this as fuel for his album. The first track, "Dark Sky (Skyscrapers)" serves as a basic intro to the album, but isn't extremely memorable. The next three tracks are some of the best. "Blessings" is a dark single with Drake, that sounds radio-friendly yet not poppy. The next song "All Your Fault", featuring Kanye West is just a fun bouncy song with great verses from both artists. And the fourth track is the now infamous "I Don't F*ck With You", the best break-up anthem of all time. The middle of the album is more sparse with the features, and showcases Sean getting more in touch with his past, especially with relationships. Two standout tracks are "Paradise" and "I Know". The former is one of the best songs on the whole album, with Sean just going in over a beat by Mike WiLL Made-It. The latter has Sean and Jhene Aiko speaking about a failing relationship, with production from DJ Mustard, that is mostly just sparse, deep bass. The ending tracks feature a touching ode to his passed grandma with aide from Kanye West and John Legend on the chorus entitled "One Man Can Change The World", and the "Outro" has probably the best production on the album, courtesy of DJ Dahi.

The list of features on Dark Sky is A+. Kanye West, E-40, Drake, John Legend, Ariana Grande, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Chris Brown, Jhene Aiko, and Ty Dolla $ign all lend vocals. And while this list is large, no song seems cluttered, and Big Sean holds his own, and usually shines above the other artists. The only artist on here that Sean can't match bar-for-bar is probably Kanye. Production isn't extremely diverse or fantastic on this LP. But the darker sounds serve more of a platform for Sean, and instead of being ear-catching, the production focuses on Sean's vocals. What Sean is rapping about isn't Earth-shattering, but they are more mature. Sean's raps are more personal, and sound more like an open diary then Sean rapping for his audience, which I think is a plus. But what really shines through is his technical skill. On each song, Sean uses about three to four flows, and each one sound great. Some of his past flows have sounded like he's gasping for air, but on Dark Sky, Sean is way more confident and refined. I would say this is a must-cop.

Lyrical Skill- 3

Technical Skill- 4.5

Production- 3

Listenability- 4

Features- 5

Consistency/Themes- 3.5

Notable Songs- "All Your Fault", "Blessings", "Paradise", "I Know", "Deserve It"

Overall Rating- 4

A Load of New Songs Were Released This Week

Remember that little performance in Britain? The official version was released today, and dear lord it's amazing. After revealing that his next LP is entitled So Help Me God, Kanye officially dropped his newest banger "All Day". It's just as epic and bombastic as the Brit performance. There's an extended ending with guitar provided by Paul McCartney and vocals by Theophilius London. My only complaint is that Allan Kingdom's hook somewhat sounds a bit like a dying animal. That's a bit too harsh but it does sound somewhat weird. But nonetheless, "All Day" is a song I've already been blasting all day long.

Later this month, the world will finally be blessed with Action Bronson's first commercial album. And today he released a new single, entitled "Baby Blue". The track is produced by Mark Ronson oddly enough, and features an ending from Chance the Rapper. The song is hilarious and filled with great quotables, and looks like Mr. Wonderful will definitely be a great album.

Last Saturday, Ab-Soul completed forty-seven stops on his These Days tour. In honor of it, he tweeted a link to a short new song entitled "47 Bars". Soul effortlessly flows over an Alchemist-produced beat. He tweeted the song and said "I might get dropped from the label for this one", which may be showing that there's some trouble brewing at Top Dawg, but you can enjoy the song anyways.

Fresh off the success of his first major label LP, Logic surprised his fans with a new, Big K.R.I.T-assisted song "Top Ten". Produced by in-house producer 6ix, the track is smooth, and reaffirms that both MC's are at the top of their game. Catch K.R.I.T. at Forecastle this summer, which I will be documenting, and catch Logic's sophomore album which should come out this year, or early next.

Chicago's hip-hop scene is popping, with artists like Mick Jenkins, BJ the Chicago Kid, Vic Mensa, and Chance the Rapper. But there are many smaller artists who have been steadily rising up, one of which is Towkio. Part of Mensa's SAVEMONEY crew, Towkio is working on a new project. The newest cut, "Free Your Mind" shows that this project will be great. With production from the Social Experiment, and with trumpets from Donnie Trumpet, the song is an upbeat, dance-able song that mixes jazz with EDM. The track is a great teaser for Towkio's next project.