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

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.      

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

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

Review: 'If You're Reading This, It's Too Late' is Not Worth the Money

Late Thursday night, Drake suddenly dropped a new... something on iTunes. For the last few months, there had been rumors that he would be dropping a new mixtape in January, which was confirmed by P.Reign. But, instead Drake released a for-retail project, which costs a whopping $13 for seventeen tracks. Nevertheless, by Tuesday, If You're Reading This, It's Too Late managed to sell 495,000 copies with literally no promotion.

IYRTITL may be a commercial project, but it fully feels like a mixtape. Most tracks are banger-esque, with bass-heavy, rattling production. There's very little connection between the tracks, and it basically feels like a collection of filler tracks, and throw-away singles. It's new Drake material, but it's nothing new at all. I can't stress enough how repetitive and monotonous. Not only do many tracks sound similar, but the entire album just sounds like a slightly more aggressive Nothing Was The Same. It's Drake complaining about women and wealth, then boasting about his wealth and women, It's a selfish album, but most of Drake's work is selfish. But what's most noticeable is the reused flows. Drake delivers every single bar like he has before, ranging from the laid-back, yet boastful flow, to the half rapping/half singing flow, to the nearly shouting flow. A lot of songs sound basically like a sequel to past Drake tracks. "You & The 6" has the same theme as "From Time", the beat on "No Tellin'" sounds similar to "0/100", and the flow on "6PM in New York" is literally the exact same as on "Tuscan Leather".

Production is handled by Boi-1-da, Noah "40", PARTYNEXTDOOR, and WundaGirl, who've all heavily been apart of Drake's production over the last few years. Drake's strength has always come from his producers, and while it would be hard for any of these producers to craft a bad track, I've heard better beats from them. They're pretty simple, and sound much more like mixtape beats then album beats. Still nice beats, but not great. PARTYNEXTDOOR and Travi$ Scott appear on IYRTITL, with PARTY getting a solo interlude, plus the previously released "Used To" with Lil Wayne appears on this tape. PARTY turns up the auto-tune a bit to high on "Preach", which can get somewhat annoying. And on "Company", Drake starts out with a slow, boring intro, but then Travi$ Scott takes over both the production and the vocals. He turns the song into a banger, and completely owns that song. And while I think the project is very unoriginal, it is extremely listenable. Drake's lyrics aren't clever, or insightful, and mostly selfish, but they are catchy as hell. I find myself chanting "RUNNING THROUGH THE SIX WITH MY WOES" from "Know Yourself". So while I don't respect the project, or Drake, very much, I still can't stop listening to it.

There is a rumor that this project is just so that Drake can leave Cash Money. Lil Wayne signed a four album contract with Cash Money, and it's speculated that Drake did as well. Releasing IYRTITL as a commercial album is smart from a business perspective, but rude from a musical one. Charging fans $13 for what is basically a throw-away mixtape isn't very respectable. And if this contract idea isn't true at all, then this mixtape is probably a precursor to Drake's next proper album Views From the 6.  If that's the case, then prepare for Views From the 6 to basically be a murkier version of Nothing Was The Same.

Lyrical Skill- 2.5

Technical Skill- 2

Production- 3.5

Listenability- 5

Features- 3

Consistency/Theme- 1

Notable Tracks- "Company", "Jungle", "Energy", "Know Yourself"

Overall Rating- 3

Review: B4.Da.$$ is Joey Bada$$'s Illmatic

On January 20th, Joey Bada$$ released his debut album B4.Da.$$ was dropped on the same day as heavy-weights Lupe Fiasco and Lil Wayne dropped projects. But, the Pro Era's album shone, and will probably be a contender for album of the year.

Bada$$ is well known for his classic, East Coast hip-hop sound. You'll find plenty of it on B4.Da.$$, as well as a variety of other complex sounds. The album is chock-full of boom-bap drum lines, and smooth jazz instrumentations but sounds takes the 90's sound much further. Bada$$ and his producers (which range from big names like DJ Premier, Hit-Boy and J Dilla to Pro Era affiliates Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, and Statik Selektah)  created a rich, gorgeous twist on Joey's classic sound, and even ventured into completely new beats for Bada$$. "Black Beetle" sounds somewhat like a G.O.O.D. Music beat, and there is a lot of fast paced of production, like on songs "Teach Me" and "Escape 120". Production-wise, this is without the strongest Bada$$ project.

This album was released on Bada$$'s 20th birthday. The word-play and themes on B4.Da.$$ makes Bada$$ sound wise beyond his age. Every single track, usually very subtly, showcases Bada$$'s view on life, crime, society, money, self-esteem and the government. There are obvious parallels between B4.Da.$$ and Illmatic, but while on Illmatic each songs has a specific story, B4.Da.$$. weaves together Bada$$'s thoughts, experiences and stories throughout the whole album. This allows his listeners to just chill back and enjoy the music, or bump it at a party, or actually feel his messages.

There are a moderate amount of features, and they all work well. On "Like Me", BJ The Chicago Kid harmonizes perfectly with Bada$$. Chronixx adds a slick, yet dark verse to the gloomy production of "Belly of the Beast". Keisza, who made "Hideaway", is a great addition to the bouncy "Teach Me". The oddest feature is Raury. He lends an ending verse on "Escape 120", and while his verse is great, there isn't a ton of chemistry between the two artists, and it sounds like a surprise every time I hear the track.

I have very few negative things to say about the album. A bit more insight on Joey's life would be nice, and some of Joey's sing-songy flows don't work too well. My main complaint is that there isn't a ton of consistency throughout the album. The ending track, "Curry Chicken", doesn't do a great job wrapping up this album, but it is a nice ode to his family. There isn't a single song on this album that I don't like. It's a wonderful project, and I recommend it to anyone who likes old-school hip-hop, or hip-hop in general.

Lyrical Skill- 4

Technical Skill-4.5

Production-4

Listenability-5

Features-4

Consistency/Theme-3

Notable Tracks- "On & On", "Save the Children", "Christ Conscious", "Like Me", "Belly of the Beast"

Overall Rating- 4

Review: "No One is SaFe" is a Fun Follow-Up From Trinidad Jame$

Trinidad Jame$ has had a rough couple of years. After his multi-platinum single "All Gold Everything", he completely failed to capitalize on his success. Last year, Def Jam dropped him, due to his inability to release an album. I honestly enjoy Jame$'s music, his mixtape 10 PC Mild from 2013 was filled with straight bangers. Three days ago, Jame$ dropped another mixtape No One is Safe, and while it isn't there is very little lyrical finesse, the mixtape is still very enjoyable.

NOiS is the follow-up to 2012's Don't Be S.A.F.E. (Sensitive as F-ck Everywhere), which spawned "All Gold Everything". This sequel is heavily rooted in ATL rap music, with features from OG Maco to Scotty ATL to Peewee Longway. There are a variety of sounds on this mixtape, but there is a very strong EDM and synth influence in the productions. I do enjoy the features, but many of the songs sound like they are skewed to the featured artist instead of Jame$. For instance, "Only N Atlanta" with Peewee Longway and Offset has the hype, bass-heavy sound that both artists are known for, while "ALLAU" with OG Maco sounds stripped down and has a lot of screaming rap in it. That being said, I think Jame$ is starting to find his sound. On his solo tracks like "Talk That Sh-t Trinidad" and "Jerome N The House" showcase repetitive, slower verses from Jame$, and a combination of blaring instrumentation and tints of synth elements. They sound like Trinidad Jame$ signature bangers, which is great. Jame$ is not a lyrical rapper, and probably will be. His lyrics are stupid-fun, like from "T James Express" where he says "All aboard the p-ssy train, I choo choo in that thang".  I think he'll always need features and good production to keep his sound alive, but I do enjoy his sound. Hopefully 2015 will be better for Jame$.

Lyrical Skill- 2

Technical Skill- 2.5

Production- 3.5

Listenability- 3.5

Features- 3

Consistency- 3

Notable Tracks- "Only N Atlanta", "ALLAU", "Jerome N The House"

Overall Score- 3 

Review: "2014 Forest Hills Drive" is J. Cole's Strongest Effort To Date

"Do you wanna be happy?" This is the first line off of J. Cole's third album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. And nothing better encompasses this passionate, reflective album than that first line.

The thirteen tracks of this album traces J. Cole's life. Beginning in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole details his youth growing up, and then shows him taking off as a successful rapper. But the album comes full circle, with Cole realizing that the flashiness of Hollywood won't bring true happiness, but family, friends, and love that he found in Fayetteville will. 2014 Forest Hills Drive is actually the address of his childhood home, that he bought back a few months ago. Cole does everything on this album. There are no guest features and all the production is handled by Cole, but the album still sounds diverse and full nonetheless. Everything about this album shows Cole at his highest. He rhymes energetically and with cleverness, and balances passionate anecdotes with addictive hooks. His production is much more polished than on past albums. The sampling on 2014 Forest Hills Drive is less obvious than on Cole's previous works, and the use of chords, piano keys, and drums all blend together perfectly to create bouncy, varied sounds. On tracks like "Fire Squad" and "Tale of Two Citiez" Cole raps aggressively with production to match. And on tracks like "Love Yourz" and "St. Tropez" Cole spits positive lines over bouncy, joyful production. One of my favorite things about this album is that it hides a deeper narrative behind what appears to be a conventional rap album. While first listen of "Fire Squad" might sound like an attack on current hip hop, Cole slips in lines like "damn, my n-gga why you acting like a b-tch?/If you scared to take a chance how the f-ck we gon get rich?" as an introspective taunt to his younger self. Unlike Born Sinner, where it seemed like each song had a meaning behind it, 2014 Forest Hills Drive asks its listeners to find true happiness throughout the entirety of the album.

A few of the songs aren't t my favorite. "Wet Dreamz" is a story about Cole losing his virginity, but gets pretty detailed and illustrates Cole fiddling with condoms and getting boners in class, which I'd rather not imagine. "Hello" is an odd song, that features Cole saying "hello" repetitively  in an weird tone, and is probably the weakest track on the album. "Note To Self" is the outro track, and runs for over fourteen minutes. The last ten minutes is just Cole thanking everyone who helped on the album, his friends, family, and fans. While it probably won't get a lot of plays, it is very nice to hear Cole so ecstatic at how his album turned out

2014 Forest Hills Drive is about a week old at the time of this article, and has already sold over 375,000 copies. That's the biggest first week opening of any hip hop album this year, destroying Mastermind's first week sales of 179,000. And this was accomplished with no singles, barely any marketing, a single music video before the release, and even after it leaked a week before release. You can cop the album here.

Review: One Listen of "PRhyme" is Enough

Many hip-hop heads lost their mind when DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9'' announced that they would work together on an album, under the moniker PRhyme. Premier is the legendary producer who helped produce Illmatic, and 5'9" is one of the few MC's who can go toe-to-toe against Eminem. When the self titled album was released on December 9th, it was a pleasant listen for the first time, but became pretty boring after multiple listens.

PRhyme boasts some of the features of any project this year. Ab-Soul, Mac Miller, Dwele, Common, Jay Electronica, Schoolboy Q, Killer Mike, and Slaughterhouse all lend verses on the nine-track album. 5'9" aggressively raps over the gritty, sample and scratch heavy production from DJ Premier. Most of the album is just straight spitting, with very stripped down, basic hooks on a few songs. The project clocks in at about thirty five minutes, but doesn't really leave the audience hungry for more.

I wouldn't say this is a bad album, but there isn't a lot to it. While 5'9" raps with vigor, his flow sounds about the same throughout the album. DJ Premier is a gifted producer, but the issue with using a single producer for an entire album is that there is little diversity in sound, and after a few listens PRhyme gets boring. There's little direction or theme behind the album. One of the most disappointing tracks on the album is "To Me, To You" featuring Jay Electronica. The song is over five minutes long, and gets bogged down by the same gritty production from Premier and flow from 5'9" that's in the rest of the album. After three and a half minutes of 5'9" rapping, Jay Electronica steps in, but the engineering job for Electonica's verse is horrendous. It sounds as if he's rapping ten feet away from a $20 mike surrounded by mattresses. You can give PRhyme a listen here.

Review: The Neighbourhood's "#000000 & #ffffff" Is One of the Most Unique Projects of This Year

Indie rock band The Neighbourhood gained a lot of popularity last year following their smooth single "Sweater Weather". How would a band capitalize on this popularity? Definitely not by releasing a Don Cannon and DJ Drama hosted mixtape filled to the brim with rap features. But that is exactly what The Neighbourhood last week, by releasing the unique and unprecedented mixtape "#000000 & #ffffff".

#000000 & #ffffff (also called Black and White) sounds like the weirdest and possibly worst project ever made. A California rock band who's known for making breezy hits teams up with hip-hop producers DJ Drama and Don Cannon to make a mixtape featuring only rap artists, such as Danny Brown, French Montana, Casey Veggies, and even new comers Raury, OG Maco, and Dej Loaf. Despite the insanity of this project, its one of the best mixtapes released this year.

It would be hard to call this mixtape a rock mixtape. The production moves away from the previous breezy, Cali-influenced sound that The Neighbourhood is known for, and sounds much more hazy and atmospheric. Black and White sounds like it was created by the Weeknd instead of a rock band. But this new production style blends perfectly with the topics that The Neighbourhood sings about on this mixtape, which range from hate, lust, betrayal, and all other sorts of issues The Neighbourhood has had with women. Lead vocalist Jesse Rutherford says that the mixtape is "a diary of songs that are inspired by our thoughts while on the road. It exposes our anxiety, rejoices in our achievement and expresses our ability to create whatever the f*** we want." The mixtape is as diverse as it is unique. The song "When I Get Back" featuring G-Easy sounds like much of the previous songs that The Neighbourhood has released, while the song "H8M4CH1N3" featuring Danny Brown sounds like a creeping threat filled with oriental chords. And the song "Jealousy" featuring Casey Veggies and the 100s contains a wailing saxophone, a sample of Lil Wayne's "A Milli" and ends with an outro from the 100s that sounds like its being shouted down from an alien on an UFO.

Few artists can take their music in completely different directions and have it be a success. But that's exactly what The Neighbourhood did with this mixtape. Besides the obnoxious intros from Don Cannon and Dj Drama, this mixtape is refreshing and awesome. Download the mixtape from the link above.

Review: "Ferg Forever" Needs Some Polishing

Ever since A$AP Ferg released his debut album Trap Lord fans have been hungry for more. Ferg emerged from the cloud of A$AP Rocky and the rest of the A$AP Mob with his own unique sound and has been gaining a lot of popularity on his own. Ferg's been on a few songs in the last year, such as Ariana Grande's "Hands On Me", Big K.R.I.T.'s "Lac Lac", and A$AP Mob's "Hella Hoes", among others. So when Ferg announced that he'd be releasing a mixtape entitled Ferg Forever on Black Friday, fans were ecstatic. But sadly, this mixtape is pretty hit-or-miss.

Ferg Forever features verses from Big Sean, YG, MIA, SZA, A$AP Nast, among others. Production is handled by a variety of producers, notably Big K.R.I.T., Clams Casino, Mike Will Made It, Childish Major, and Stelios Phili. The 19 track mixtape is hosted by DJ Drama, who constantly (and obnoxiously) acts as a hype man on the mixtape, usually by introducing a song. Ferg experiments with a variety of flows, production styles, and themes. This experimentation is the downfall of Ferg Forever. 

Songs on the mixtape range from trap-heavy to 90's R&B influenced to personal to even a reggae song. This inconsistency just sounds awkward, as Ferg tries to also add in his darker, club banger sound that Ferg used heavily in previous projects. The majority of the production is airy and trap heavy, which when coupled with Ferg's flow, sound like cheap and cliche. Ferg's delivery is all over the place. On many of the trappy tracks, Ferg's flows get progressively more and more aggressive until it sounds like he's screaming, such as on "Dope Walk". And on slower songs with a message, Ferg abandons almost all technical skill and sounds like he's just rhythmically talking, like on "Talk It" and "Commitment Issues". 

There are still many good songs on Ferg Forever. "Fergsomnia" featuring Twista, features steller verses from both, and sounds like an anthem. "NV" with fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Nast sounds like a cool battle rap. "Real Thing" has a very nice, flowing beat and a great hook from SZA. Ferg Forever has a few shining stars, but overall the mixtape needs work.

A$AP Ferg's first album, Trap Lord, was one of the best projects released last year, with a great tone and balance. But Ferg Forever is all over the place, and sounds like a cheap mixtape. Many artists, such as Mac Miller, Big Sean, and Big K.R.I.T., go back to mixtapes to experiment musically, with tremendous results. Unfortunately Ferg Forever is a step back for Ferg. Hopefully, Ferg can firm up and polish his next release much more than this mixtape. 

Review: "Cadillactica" Shows Room For Improvement

Last Tuesday, rapper Big K.R.I.T. released his second commercial album Cadillactica. K.R.I.T. had teased his fans with a week of six new singles last spring and a mixtape about a month beforehand. While many were excited for K.R.I.T.'s first album in over two years, I think Cadillactica was a bit disappointing.

The album's intro, "Kreation", begins with K.R.I.T. laying in bed with a woman, talking about creating a new planet. The song shows K.R.I.T. as a god, creating a new planet that he calls "Cadillactica". The idea of rapping from the point of view of a god would be an amazing concept, and could be expanded to space-age rap, but most of the album fails to mention this creation except for on a few songs, which is a shame. The planet "Cadillactica" is an obvious metaphor for creating an album, but this subject could be expanded much further. A few songs later, K.R.I.T. raps about his love for his car, but the lyricism is very repetitive on the tracks. On "My Sub Pt. 3 (Big Bang)", K.R.I.T. gloats about his car's speaker system, but he raps over a beat so stripped down and bass-heavy that it sounds unfinished. On the title track, K.R.I.T. showcases a strong flow, but the chorus "Cadillac lac lac, Cadillac lac lac, fuck your whip ni--a" is repetitive and boring. But, the next two songs are probably the strongest on the album. "Soul Food" has a gorgeous hook from Rapheal Saadiq, and the first released single features a nice chorus from Rico Love. The second half of the album is more introspective, and focuses on love and life. The album ends with K.R.I.T. destroying the planet he created.

The album has its strengths and weaknesses. The production is superb, and has some of the best beats I've heard all year. Jazzy, bass-heavy sounds make the album sound very futuristic and spacey, which fits well with the theme of Cadillactica. The features are hit-or-miss. A$AP Ferg delivers a very smooth verse on "Lac Lac", and Rico Love, Rapheal Saadiq, and Mara Hruby all have superb vocals, but the features on "Mind Control" sound unnecessary, and Jamie N Commons verse on "Saturdays=Celebration" almost ruins the amazing drum line. But what lacks the most is K.R.I.T.'s lyricism. There are barely any clever lines, and K.R.I.T. relays entirely on extended metaphors and storytelling. But this leads to boring songs and stumbled flows. K.R.I.T.'s technical ability needs a lot of work.

On the album, K.R.I.T. declares himself the "King of the South". With so much southern rap moving towards the street, trap-heavy Atlanta sound, K.R.I.T. probably is the king of the South. But with OutKast, UGK, and 8 Ball & MGJ mostly out of the rap game, K.R.I.T. is one of the only few carrying the true southern sound. And he'll have to work harder to keep it alive.

Theophilus London Brings Good "Vibes" On His Latest LP

On November 5th, Theophilus London debuted his second commercial album: Vibes. London is a 27 year old singer/rapper/producer from New York. He has a style similar to Pharrell, but is certainly a unique artist. Vibes has many different sounds, but a similar theme: to make the listener feel good vibes. Synthesizer-heavy production and altered vocals combine to create songs that make you want to dance, party, or just chill. London sings over slow, simple instrumentals on songs like "Water Me", "Smoke", and "Neu Law", and he also raps and sings over bombastic, hype beats on "Tribe" and "Can't Stop". Many of the instrumentals sound like new-age 80's pop, and it works well with London's lyrics of women and his distinctive style. Vibes has features from Leon Ware, Devonte Hynes, and Kanye West, among others. West actually executive produced the album, and his influence is noticeable, West's ability to weave together lyrics and production to one, cohesive, flowing project is showcased in Vibes. London's new album is extremely listenable, and can be enjoyed by anyone at anytime. Cop the new album on iTunes here.  

Listen to Domo Genesis's "Under the Influence 2"

Domo Genesis is one of the lesser known members of the rap collective Odd Future. Since 2009, Genesis has worked with Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and Frank Ocean. But unlike most of OFWGKTA, Genesis's lyrics focused less on the violent, satirical content that the collective was known for, and more along the lines of weed-smoking and women. Often, Genesis sounded more similar to Smoke DZA and Curren$y than Odd Future. For the last five years, Genesis has been sharpening his skills, but has been quiet for the last year. But, last week, he dropped probably his strongest effort to date, Under the Influence 2. 

The mixtape begins slowly, but begins to pick up. The first five tracks are mostly filled with just talking, and when Domo raps, it mostly just sounds like a freestyle. But the mixtape picks up with the song "Go Outside" featuring IAMSU!, arguably the best song on the mixtape. The rest of the project is much more focused, and sounds more like a bonafide mixtape than just some people messing around over an instrumental. The mixtape features verses by Mac Miller and frequent-collaborator Hodgy Beats. Under the Influence 2 includes none of the "horrorcore" rap that Odd Future was once known for, which is a great step, and features a very personal track titled "Follow Me", with a nice hook from Tay Walker. Production is mostly handled by Left Brain and SAP, who have previously worked with Genesis.

In the last year, Odd Future has been fairly quiet. In fact, Under the Influence 2 has been the first release in over a year, following The Internet's Feel Good in September 2013. Last weekend, Odd Future held a carnival in Los Angles, featuring the collective along with Rick Ross, Pharrell, Action Bronson, Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, and others. The FADER sat down with Tyler, the Creator and interviewed him about the carnival. In the interview, Tyler revealed that while Odd Future is still a family, they have been drifting apart. This explains the recent quietness of the group. But, hopefully we'll hear new music from Frank Ocean, Tyler, Earl Sweatshirt, and even Domo Genesis's debut album.

Review: "Run the Jewels 2" is a Savage, Chaotic Masterpiece

Killer Mike and El-P first joint project was Mike's album R.A.P. Music, which was entirely produced by El-P. Last year, the duo released the free album Run The Jewels under the moniker of the same name. The album featured rapid flows, political and social issues, ferocious rhymes, and was met with immense praise. Well a few days ago, the duo released the sequel Run The Jewels 2 and it's amazing.

After signing to Mass Appeal Records earlier this year, Run The Jewels announced the release date of Run the Jewels 2 to be October 27, but they surprisingly released it on October 24 instead. The album can be purchased online and in CD format, but is also available for free download on their website, but the iTunes version contains the track "Blockbuster Night Pt. II".

Run The Jewels 2 blends elements of humor, anger, political commentary, and threats through an archaic delivery over bombastic beats courtesy of El-P. There is, and probably will be nothing like Run The Jewels. The sequel takes all of the great elements of Run The Jewels and elevates them. Killer Mike and El-P are open with how they would be more than happy to beat the living hell out every "fuck boy" in existence, with smiles on their faces. The album opens up with Killer Mike shouting that he "FINNA BANG THIS BITCH THE FUCK OUT". This album is chock-full of incredible lyrics, from "Jeopardy" where Mike spits "Fuck you fuckboys forever, I hope I said it politely/ and that's about the psyche of Jamie and Mickey" to "Oh My Darling, Don't Cry", where El-P tells his critics that they "can all run backwards through a field of dicks", or on "All Due Respect", where El-P tells you that your parent's separation is all your fault, and then Killer Mike jumps in to say that he's "gotta go bang out mom and auntie". What's so splendid about Run The Jewels 2 is that while the duo spit out insanely aggressive lyrics, they deliver them in a way that show that they are just having fun on this album.

The album isn't just savage lyricism. On the track "Love Again (Akinyele Back)", Killer Mike and El-P craft a sexually explicit song so raunchy it rivals "I Will" for the Nastiest Song Ever Made, with the help of former Three-Six-Mafia member Gangsta Boo. On "Early" (featuring Boots, the guy who produced almost all of Beyonce)  Killer Mike portrays a scenario where overzealous police officers arrest Mike over a little weed in front of his entire family, and all hell breaks loose. And on "Crown", Mike again details a story about how he used to sell crack to a pregnant woman. This poignant storytelling, in addition to the fierce rhymes, create an album that will make you want to destroy your annoying neighbor's car, and then volunteer at a soup kitchen for the rest of the day. Run The Jewels 2 is undoubtedly in the running for the best album of the year.  

Review: Logic's "Under Pressure" is Another Solid Release

On October 21, Logic released his debut album Under Pressure. This album was one of my most anticipated albums of the year. Logic has done a great job teasing the release, with slow trickles of information throughout the year, new singles, and a tour. And last week, the album was finally released to eager fans nationwide.

The album features production mainly from Logic and his in-house producer 6ix, along with production from S1, Dj Dahi, No I.D., among others. The production contains fast,layered instrumentals, and many rapid vocal loops. This speedy producing approach matches well with the fast-paced lyricism that Logic is known for. And this lyricism is a staple on this album. Logic's wordplay and pace has been one of his strongest attributes, and arguably some of the best in the industry. Similarly to his previous mixtapes, Logic spends the majority of the album rapping about his come-up and what he's currently going through. Logic constantly said that the album would be much darker than his previous efforts, and somewhat similar to Nas's Illmatic. While it certainly is different, it's not too dark. Songs like "Gang Related" and "Growing Pains III" feature darker lyrics the portray his childhood in Section 8 housing in Maryland. Darker lyrics are woven throughout the album, but this album doesn't feel like a street album, and more like an album about a new artist enjoying and struggling with new success. There are many standout songs on this album. "Buried Alive", one of the singles off the album, is a radio friendly song with a nice, flowing production created entirely by Logic. "Nikki" is a fabulous concept song, where Logic speaks on his nicotine addiction by personifying the addiction as a woman Logic is in love with. The outro, "Till The End" is my favorite song on Under Pressure. The production is extremely catchy, and the song features some of the best wordplay on the album, with lyrics such as "Won't speak on my bank account/so many commas I'd have to pause/and I can't afford to just waste the bars". The deluxe version of the album features the songs "Driving Miss Daisy", "Now", and "Alright", which have all been released previously, and are all great songs. Under Pressure is definitely a contender for album of the year.

While this album is great, it still has its weaknesses. Some of the aesthetic elements seem unneeded, like a narrator named Thalia who gives information about the album. Logic tries to portray his childhood through the eyes of a character named "Bobby" in the album, but "Bobby" is used sparsely throughout the album, and there seems to be absolutely no difference between "Bobby" and Logic himself. Also, while the gritty, dark aspects of the album are a nice addition, they aren't extremely concentrated. I would love to hear vivid anecdotes about Logic finding out about his sister's rape, or seeing his father cooking crack, or his brother selling crack, or his mother's mistreatment of her children. Knowing Logic's amazing lyrical finesse, this storytelling would be a superb addition. Parts of the album seem a bit repetitive, with many lyrics repeated, many from his previous mixtapes. And while I really like the song "Under Pressure", it seems like a knock-off of Kendrick Lamar's "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst", even with an extremely similar drum hook. Nonetheless, this is an incredible debut album. My main constructive criticism I can give to Logic would have a more focused sound and direction on your next album.

Review: Daniel Caesar's "Praise Break" is Beautiful

The Toronto music scene has been buzzing recently. Spearheaded by Drake and his OVO crew, the Canadian city has birthed the "No New Friends" rapper, along with crooners PARTYNEXTDOOR and The Weeknd. As Drake said on the "Tuesday" remix, he's "put the world on a sound"; the sound of Toronto. But there's a new singer from the city who seems to have broken away from this mold of the Toronto sound. His name is Daniel Caesar, and his new EP is immaculate.

Daniel Caesar is relatively unknown, bolstering around 1,600 followers on SoundCloud and a little over 1,000 on Twitter. His EP, entitled Praise Break was released a few days ago fro free via SoundCloud. The 7-track EP showcases Caesar singing his heart out over slow instrumentals of pianos and electric guitars. Caesar croons about his first love and religion mostly on Praise Break, but don't let that discourage you. Caesar's new soul sound is absolutely gorgeous, and anyone can relate to it. The religion in the EP is not overbearing at all, and is most subtle, with samples from gospel songs and a gorgeous prayer in the middle of the song "Pseudo". Caesar sings with ease over the simple piano production on "Chevalier" to the haunting guitar riffs on the 6 minute epic of "We'll Always Have Paris". Praise Break is one of the most stunning projects I've heard all year, and I would recommend it to anyone.

On another note, I would like to dedicate this blog post to my grandmother, Ann Kirk. She had been battling Alzheimer's disease for the past five years, and passed early this morning. Similarly to Caesar, she was a devoted Christian, and I've related a lot of what he's been singing about back to her. When my grandmother was near the end, and her mind was nearly gone, she would still pray. She was a loving, kind, selfless woman who left behind a family that misses her dearly. This is a music blog, but I want to pay respect to the memory of a very special woman in my life. My grandmother is in a much better place now, but I still love and miss her profoundly.

Vince Staples is Bringing Back True Street Hip-Hop

For never having released an official album yet, Vince Staples has had a fairly large music career so far. Starting when he was only 16, Staples connected with Earl Sweatshirt on his infamous first mixtape, and stayed connected to Odd Future for a few years. He also formed a collective with Joey Fatts and Ashton Matthews, called Cutthroat Boyz. He's worked closely with TDE and Mac Miller, and has been featured by Jhene Aiko and Common. And today, he dropped his first ever for-sale project: Hell Can Wait.

The Long Beach native didn't really gain a lot of popularity until last year, with his Mac Miller-produced mixtape Stolen Youth. Earlier this year, Staples released Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2, which was produced mostly by No I.D. This was one of the best projects so far, and Staples just one-upped himself on Hell Can Wait. This is one of the realest rap projects released so far. Staples grew up poor, surrounded by and taking part in gangs. Staples raps viciously and frantically about these issues, and tells them truthfully. You aren't gonna hear boasts of nice cars or shout-outs to expensive clothing brands. You hear about fiends knocking on Staples's door begging for a fix, and hearing gun shots from his door steps, and threats thrown at rival gangs. Staples paints a vivid picture of Long Beach, surrounded by violent gangs, violent fiends, and violent police. He isn't making an album filled with radio-friendly hooks and choruses, but focuses on graphic story-telling with addictive production.

There isn't a single bad song on the seven-track EP. Whether is be the slow, creeping "Screen Door", the melodic "Limos", or the anthem-like "Feeling the Love", each song contains a hooking narrative and a catchy beat. For instance, on the song "Hands Up", Staples responds to recent police brutality with a poignant tribute to slain victims. At the same time, he blends in brooding production that makes you want to chant with Staples that "LAPD, no they ain't got shit!".

The only criticism I can give on this EP is that at times, Staples's voice can be a bit monotone. But his hurried pace matches well with the subjects and production on the EP, especially on "Blue Suede". I would also love to hear Staples collaborate with more artists, since his work on Nobody's Smiling was phenomenal. Staples raw street storytelling feels similar to Kendrick Lamar and Nas. Make sure you cop Hell Can Wait.

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Review: Childish Gambino's New Project is...Interesting

Childish Gambino has had a big year so far. He dropped Because the Internet, and has been preforming at a multitude of festivals this summer. He's been teasing his fans that he'd be dropping a new project for the last few months, as long as saying he's working on an EP with Chance the Rapper (but that won't be out anytime soon).  Bino explained that his new project was split into two parts, the first is called STN MTN, and it's a Gangsta Grillz mixtape, while the second part is entitled Kauai, and it's an EP, and all the proceeds go to beautification projects in Kauai. Two days ago, Gambino released STN MTN completely out of the blue, and the next day dropped Kauai. And they're both pretty weird.

STN MTN can be found at the bottom of Childish Gambino's unique blog. The mixtape opens with Gambino talking about a dream he had, where he controlled a bunch of Atlanta specific things, like local record labels and radio stations. He then says he dreamed that he had a Gangsta Grillz mixtape. And then the rest of the mixtape is just that: an Atlanta-themed Gangsta Grillz mixtape. It's basically 11 songs of trap-heavy production from Grillz and other ATL producers, with Gambino rapping the entire time. And it doesn't blend very well. The beats would blend perfectly with Future or 2 Chainz,  but not at all with Bino. It just sounds really awkward to hear Bino's high voice rapping about the same stuff that Migos raps about. And having each song introduced by Grillz talking is horrendous. There are some okay songs, like "No Fucks Given" and "U Don't Have To Call", but there's also a two minute commercial of a promoter yelling about a Childish Gambino show in Atlanta. I think that Gambino was trying to be a more regional rapper on this mixtape, although I personally believe a rappers should move past regional rapping, but there are a lot of times that the songs just seem like a joke. With so much attention on the Atlanta rap scene now, I think Gambino was trying to remind everyone that he grew up there too. He summarizes the objective of this mixtape in "U Don't Have to Call": "I was never a thug and they used to respect me for it, but now the game's fucked up and I gotta Micheal Coreleone these niggas". Or, this whole mixtape could just be a joke to Gambino.

Kauai is a completely different story. The EP contains lovely, floating instrumentation with Gambino singing for most of the EP. It truly sounds like being on a beach. Some of the production sounds reminiscent of 80's pop music, but with a contemporary twist. Rapping is sparse in this EP; instead Bino sings in the majority of the songs. Kauai is not without it's odd elements either. One song contain Jaden Smith somewhat rapping. Yes, Jaden Smith. That guy with the horrendously "deep" tweets. Smith is supposedly portraying "the Boy", who was the main character in Bino's screenplay.

STN MTN feels like a bad continuation of R O Y A L T Y , while Kauai feels more similar to Because the Internet. While the mixtape and the EP sound completely different, they are supposed to go into each other, and they both feature some of the same subjects: women, success, insecurities. I appreciate that Gambino is trying something different, but as the saying goes: "Don't fix something that isn't broken".