Category: Hip Hop

BROCKHAMPTON Make Late Night TV Debut and Announce New Album

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Following Ameer Vann’s departure from the group due to recent allegations of sexual misconduct, the future was unclear for “BROCKHAMPTON,” but now it is clear that the boys are back and ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. The group debuted a new track titled “Tonya” live on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and it will appear on their upcoming album The Best Years of Our Lives. No release date yet, but it’s most likely just around the corner. You can watch the live performance below:

Album Review: KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS

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Artist: KIDS SEE GHOSTS 

Album: KIDS SEE GHOSTS 

Genre: Hip Hop/Alternative Hip Hop

Rating: 8/10

 Considering the fact that both Kanye West and Kid Cudi changed the landscape of Hip Hop and set the foundation for Hip Hop in the 2010’s together, it’s surprising that the two are barely teaming up for a collab album now, but in a way, no other time seems more perfect for this to happen than right now. We’re near the end of this decade, and under the name “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” Kanye and Cudi have released an album that solidifies the impact the two have had in the music world. This is album number three in this recent string of Kanye produced albums, and following the mediocre disappointment that was Ye, this album puts Kanye right back on the cutting edge, and it sure is nice to hear Cudi’s return. With well crafted and imaginative production, the two sound more rejuvenated than ever. The beats are what Kanye strived to do on The Life of Pablo, but this time around they’re more unique and… you know…. finished, and with lyrical themes involving self-acceptance, self doubt, and overcoming mental illness, this album is the inspirational impact Ye should have been. I’m sure the two had their beloved fans in mind when creating this album, but it’s evident that the two absolutely had to make this album to exorcise their demons. Everything from the explosive Pusha-T featuring opener “Feel The Love” that erupts with Man’s Not Hot-esque “brrrraaa ka ka kas” to the emotional Kurt Cobain sampling closer “Cudi Montage,” this is a forward thinking album that incorporates new musical elements, but also features everything we love about Kanye and Cudi. One can only hope that the two continue to make incredible music like this under the “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” name.

Written By: Steven Sandoval 

Date: 06/10/18

Death Grips Announce Release Date for Upcoming Album “Year of the Snitch”

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The wait is finally over. We now have a release date for Death Grips’ upcoming album Year of the Snitch. It will be released on June 22nd, which is just around the corner. The band have also shared another new track off the album titled “Ha ha ha.” You can listen to the track below:

Album Review: Kanye West – Ye

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Artist: Kanye West

Album: Ye

Genre: Hip Hop

Rating: 4/10

 After Kanye’s ugly album rollout which took Kanye’s signature batshit behavior to another level, a level with downright offensive and irrational outbursts, it’s clear that Kanye is trying to compensate for his erratic behavior by claiming to be immensely bipolar on his new album Ye. The album cover even features a text that reads “I hate being bi-polar it’s awesome.” I guess Kanye is selling bumper stickers now. Anyway, this does not excuse the fact that he claimed “slavery was a choice,” and that he will not give any reasonable explanation as to why he supports Trump other than the simple fact that he’s just another outspoken rich celebrity he identifies with, but hey, I can separate the art from the artist, but Kanye’s erratic behavior floods this new album. Even in it’s short length of 24 minutes, this album is insufferable. Sure it’s not as scatterbrained or incohesive as his previous album The Life Of Pablo, but this album is without a doubt his most cringeworthy work. It’s littered with lyrical contradictions and Kanye even has the nerve to wear mental illness as a fashion statement. Yes it is a good message that we shouldn’t judge or shun anyone who who has a mental illness and that it shouldn’t come with such a stigma, but Kanye doesn’t care about your illness, he cares about his illness. He flaunts it in front of us and he truly believes that it’s just another attribute of his genius, genius he no longer has. He claims his bipolar disorder is his superpower on the track “Yikes,” but he’s doing absolutely nothing to help the cause, it’s just more egocentric self worship. The supposed “emotional centerpiece” “Wouldn’t Leave” is a song about his wife and her loyalty to him even after his public meltdowns. He even dedicates the song to all the women who have stuck with their men, but this is really a one-sided delivery that comes from the “boys will be boys” mindset, as if it’s a woman’s role to be dependent on and loyal to a man. Lyrically this album is atrocious, but what about the instrumentation? Well, to put it in the simplest terms, it’s nothing special. Kanye proved he is still a great producer on Pusha-T’s new album DAYTONA, but the production on Ye is quite forgettable, it’s not as ahead of the curve as his older material was. There’s really nothing else to say about this album. Should I mention the unnecessary features? The god awful Kid Cudi vocals on “Ghost Town?” None of that is worth noting. This is just a 7 track stench of narcissism from a artist who once was a talented visionary.

Written By: Steven Sandoval 

Date: 06/02/18

The Internet Share Details Of Upcoming Album “Hive Mind”

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The Internet’s long awaited follow-up to their 2015 album Ego Death will be released on July 20th, and it is titled Hive Mind. The band have also unveiled the cover art, and have released a new track off the album titled “Come Over.” Check out the track and the album’s cover art below:

Hive Mind Cover Art:

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Come Over:

Album Review: Pusha-T – DAYTONA

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Artist: Pusha-T

Album: DAYTONA 

Genre: Hip Hop

Rating: 8/10

 Following a string of controversies involving Kanye West’s batshit antics, anyone associated with the guy unfortunately has to address where they stand on the whole Trump thing. You’d think people would realize that you can be friends or work with someone who doesn’t have the same political views as you, but hey, here we are. Pusha-T is the latest rapper to work with Kanye West, and by no means does he share the same views as Kanye. He just utilized Kanye’s immaculate production skills for his new album DAYTONA, and if My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was an indication that the two work very well together, then DAYTONA is a powerful reminder of that fact. This album has that gritty tough as nails Push we love. Yes the lyrical content mostly features his same ol’ drug dealer subject matter, but his delivery is so infectious that it makes us completely okay with the fact that he’s been talking about this subject for over a decade. Pusha’s straight to the point no bullshit style doesn’t require grandiose production, and it’s as if Kanye knew this while creating these beats. The production is minimal, but still features Kanye’s staple of sporadic soul samples and beat switches. Tracks like “The Games We Play” and “Hard Piano” feel like updated throwbacks to the glory days of “Boom Bap,” and Rick Ross is the cherry on top on “Hard Piano” where both him and Push speak on their experiences with drug dealing and where they are now. Mr. Poopity Scoop even has a verse on the track “What Would Meek Do?” and the chemistry between the two goes over quite well. The track that follows, “Infrared” is the closing track, and this one definitely has people talking. It’s no secret that he’s taking obvious shots at Drake and probably other modern rappers who don’t write their own lyrics, and yes Drake has responded, leading to this year’s most interesting beef so far. I’ve already forgotten about Joyner Lucas and Logic’s beef. Sure Pusha’s lyrical content isn’t exactly something that requires immense dissection to decipher any meaning, but that’s okay. Not all lyrics have to be dense. Pusha excels in lyrical simplicity, his blunt and cold delivery is what gives him his signature style, and with Kanye backing him up with perfectly crafted production, the two are a force to be reckoned with.

Written By: Steven Sandoval 

Date: 05/27/18

Album Review: A$AP Rocky – Testing

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Artist: A$AP Rocky 

Album: Testing 

Genre: Hip Hop/Experimental Hip Hop

Rating: 4/10

 Being the most standout member of the “A$AP Mob,” A$AP Rocky has quite the fanbase. A fanbase of people who hold him to the highest of standards, but the New York rapper’s new album Testing proves that he fearlessly creates music on his own terms, and that he has a strong urge to experiment. His last album At. Long. Last. A$AP found the MC stretching his talent and satisfying both bar lovers and lovers of trunk knocking beats, but tracks like “Fine Whine” and “L$D” showcased a side of Rocky that wanted to experiment with sounds that transcend the boundaries of “Hip Hop,” and these tracks were definitely precursors to Testing. The album title is fitting, seeing as how Rocky is testing the waters with odd production that you really won’t hear anywhere else in the mainstream, but honestly the result of his experimentation is a lackluster album that relies too heavily on sporadic beat switches and sounds, and odd noise whether it be abrasive distorted bass or chopped and screwed vocals, and the samples on these tracks are poorly mixed. Everything from the Moby sampling “A$AP Forever,” to the messy “Gunz N Butter,” this whole album is a cringeworthy disaster that lacks cohesion. Features like FKA Twigs or Frank Ocean provide underwhelming vocals, and the guest rappers on these tracks add nothing worth noting, and Rocky himself sounds barely there, delivering lazy verses. Putting more emphasis on the Experimental nature of the production and less on his rapping skills just eliminates any humanity on this record. You have to admire his aspirations to innovate, but he needs to realize that not all Experimental music is genius.

Written By: Steven Sandoval 

Date: 05/26/18

Jay Rock Unveils Release Date and Album Cover for Upcoming Album “Redemption”

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The wait is finally over. We now have a release date for Jay Rock’s highly anticipated follow-up to 90059, as well as the the album title and cover art. Jay Rock and “TDE” shared all the details yesterday. The album is titled Redemption, and it will be released on June 15th. This follows the release of his triumphant track “Win.” You can listen to the track below:

Jay Rock Releases New Track “Win”

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The “Top Dawg” camp have had quite the year so far. The Kendrick Lamar curated soundtrack to “Black Panther” was an instant success, nearly every “Top Dawg” signee have embarked on a tour together dubbed “The Championship Tour,” and Jay Rock is set to release his highly anticipated follow-up to his 2015 album 90059. The album title and release date have yet to be revealed, but Jay Rock has dropped a brand new track from the upcoming album appropriately titled “Win.” You can listen to the track below: