Lil Wayne: The Carter Catch 22

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Depending on your age you may or may not be familiar with the old (young) Lil Wayne. The Lil Wayne who couldn't curse. If you aren't familiar the Wayne of today and the Wayne of the mid to late 90s are two entirely different rappers.  As a youngster Wayne was more of a story teller. He stayed on topic and painted pictures with the words. Now he's basically a punchline rapper who just so happens to make hit singles from time to time. 

The Carter 3 is his best album to date and, to me, it still sucks. It has a few nice singles but aside from those it sounds like another Wayne mixtape except it has original beats. They could have left that "You Ain't Got Nuthin" in the past where it originally was. Songs like "Let The Beat Build" don't move me at all. It's like he's just looking for an excuse to rap about nothing. I want to hear Wayne spit more stuff from the heart. Lyrics with actual meaning like he did on this.

That is the Wayne I want to hear. I know he used the verse on the album but it's not the same. He just threw some shit together. 

We all love mixtape Wayne but when is enough, enough? Everything cannot be a random number of bars being spit with simple punchlines about nothing. I believe Wayne knows that but he continues to just rap because his fans are so pleased with it. The same fans that quote his most simple lines like they're golden. I don't get it. You can see other rappers like Kanye West following this trend. Wayne needs to find a balance between who he is currently and his old self. I think that would give us the best possible music out of him. 

I'm anticipating The Carter 4 but if 6 Foot 7 Foot is any indication of what's to come then I am not pleased. It's like they said "Hey, let's try to remake A Milli without actually recreating the same song." I honestly doubt it will make the album, though. I'm sure Birdman just wanted to put something out and get some money. It was also a good look for Wayne's newest artist, Cory Gunz. Can't judge too much since it's his first track since his release but I'm hoping it was just a warm up.

Eminem ft. Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, & Cashis - Syllables

This song is terrible. I don't even get it. Eminem is complaining about bad rapping and bragging then Jay-Z brags before Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Cashis rap horrible verses. The beat sounds like an NES video game soundtrack. It's just overall bad. Listen if you want but I wouldn't advise it.

Lupe Does 180 On 360 Deal. The Show Goes On

You may want to watch this video to help you better understand the situation.

Shit is real. Labels are losing money because artists aren't selling as much as they used to. Instead of trying to increase sales by putting out quality product they try to enslave artists into what are known as 360 deals. In 360 deals your label receives a percentage of EVERYTHING you do. If you land a movie role they're getting some of that money. They're getting some of your tour money. They basically own you. They don't even have to set something up to get a percentage. You could go land a movie role without help from anyone. When it comes time for you to get paid your record label will be getting a cut.

Lupe's last album The Cool went Gold. Apparently that is not enough for Atlantic so they told Lupe that his album would not release if he did not sign a 360 deal. He refused to sign the deal. He said that he would build a buzz for his album independently but Atlantic said they would sabotage any attempts to do so. He lashed out against Atlantic and once his fans caught wind of what was going on they started to take action. They first started an online petition that received over 28,000 signatures. Then the fans got together for a protest outside of the Atlantic Records office building on October 15th, 2010. After this the label had a meeting with Lupe and they came to the agreement of no 360 deal. They also announced a release date of March 8th, 2011 for his album Lasers. They have released a single produced by Kane Beatz entitled "The Show Goes On".

Lupe's fans may have saved his career from going into limbo but there are many other artists facing this same issue. Artists have to understand that they are the ones with the real power. Don't sign the first deal thrown on the table. Your best bet is ALWAYS to have multiple options. The more in demand you are as an artist the more leverage you have when negotiating your contract. Artists have to refuse 360 deals no matter what. It will never be worth it. If they don't refuse them the labels will just keep offering them and the industry will eventually self destruct. Artists and fans have to take the power back from the labels. DEATH TO 360 DEALS!

Drake: So Far On

Fast forward past the beginning and we have Drake arriving on the scene in 2009 with a hit single (Double Platinum) in "Best I Ever Had" which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Top 100. The song, which was originally featured on a free mixtape, became so popular that they decided to release the original songs from the mixtape as an EP. The So Far Gone EP went on to achieve Gold status with the RIAA, bringing in over 500,000 sales.

From there Drake began to pop up on hooks for everyone from Birdman to Jay-Z. He quickly made it known that he a commodity when it came to song writing. Along with Alicia Keys and his producer Noah "40" Shebib, Drake wrote what would become one of his biggest songs to date. Un-thinkable was a hit and stayed at #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart for 12 consecutive weeks. The song helped push Alicia's  The Element Of Freedom to Platinum status.

In March of 2010 Drake released the first single from his debut album. The song "Over" peaked at 14 on the Hot 100. It was a cool song but got old pretty fast. I haven't listened to it since April. The 2nd single was the Kanye West produced "Find Your Love". I never really felt the song. It sounded like a throwaway track from 808s & Heartbreak. It received higher recognition than "Over" and the Billboard charts prove it. It was actually his biggest song since "Best I Ever Had". The album Thank Me Later released on June 15th, 2010 and didn't take long to achieve Platinum status. They went on to release two more singles from the album with "Miss Me" and "Fancy".

A lot of people seem to hate Drake and his music. Some of them are early fans who say he sold out. Others say he isn't good enough as a rapper. I have seen countless people compare him to J. Cole which baffles me. Their music isn't close to being similar. J. Cole's singing isn't comparable to Drake's singing. I have never heard him sing a full song. J. Cole may have a little more depth with his lyrics and subject matter but his music is boring. Drake is entertaining and that's exactly what music is supposed to be. Drake isn't the greatest rapper but he touches on topics most people can relate to and he understands what a song is.

People say he's going to have a short career but I'm going to have to disagree with that. He understands music. He understands how to structure songs and how to convey emotion. The only thing he doesn't understand is that you can't use the same flow on every song. He also needs to understand that he looks silly doing those little dances and hand waves. All in all I hope Drake is around for awhile. He does him and he doesn't rap about selling drugs, which is always a plus. He just has to continue to grow as an artist and he'll be alright.

On a completely unrelated note. I need to hear a collaboration between these two. IT MUST HAPPEN!

Jay Electronica: The Part-Time Rap Star

Like any other rapper some people were already on to Jay Electronica's music before he dropped Exhibit C in 2009. Although he was known by a nice amount of people Exhibit C is the record that blew his name up to the "masses". I put masses in quotation marks because no one outside those of us who spend countless hours on the internet every week knows who he is. He is the newest act on Roc Nation and he even has a Mountain Dew commercial. He seems to have a lot going for himself right now except music.

This character who once fronted on his own city and upbringing to be accepted in northern cities delivers 3 songs a year, MAXIMUM and they aren't even really songs because they rarely have hooks. Yes, he can rap but his raps are just backpack with a twist of religion. He's the one man version of Jedi Mind Tricks except he doesn't yell like Vinnie Paz LOL. I'm 100% sure if Just Blaze never gave him a beat no one else would have given a fuck. He's just another rapper that was hyped up by the internet. He has a, seemingly, terrible work ethic and has not released a full project (not even a mixtape) since he has started gaining notoriety.

It looks like Roc Nation is the new label for rappers who have no mainstream appeal. Jay Electronica raps for hood niggas who read a book or two on philosophy and think they're scholars. The lost Wu-Tang member if you will. What do you think?

Wale: The VERY Mad Rapper

Hear Wale's exchange with the radio station.

 We all know artists can get rather emotional at times and Wale is well known for it but I think it's warranted this time around. Kid CuDi basically opened the "Wale Slander Floodgates" when he said "We don't fuck with you musically." It seems like since then his name has been getting dragged through the mud. Onto the topic at hand.

Apparently there's been some ongoing stuff between Wale, radio station 92Q, and some local Baltimore rapper named Bossman. Wale called the station sounding VERY pissed off about the whole situation. It seems that the radio station has been playing ever diss song that Bossman made towards Wale. He says they're playing him, which I agree with. Radio people are good talkers, though, and they do a decent of convincing Wale that they aren't to blame. He goes from saying "y'all" (92Q and Bossman) to "he" (Bossman). I know Wale knows he's still right about the radio station but it's politics. Anyway I agree with him 100%. He probably could have handled it a little better but this is what happens when your name is being slandered 24/7 for no reason. I see people shitting on Wale all the time from Twitter to TV so I know the slander is real.

Im happy that he finally stood up for himself. It might have been on some kind of childish shit but I think he got his point across.

Top 5 Dead or Alive? Jada Please.

I'm sure you all know someone who lists this guy as their favorite rapper. Idiots. This slightly above average slick talker may very well be the most overrated rapper EVER. He has NO good albums and only a handful of SONGS that actually matter. He is a strong force as a member of The Lox because their styles (No pun intended.) even each other out but as a solo "artist" (I'm using the term VERY loosely.) he doesn't even deserve to be mentioned. Like most mixtape/punchline/street rappers from the east coast this guy can't make a decent hook to save his life and would rather give you a barrage of bars than an actual song. 

I wonder if he hates Def Jam yet. I'm sure he didn't want a song with OJ Da Juiceman on his last album but when you can't make a good song by yourself your label has to try and help you out any they can. It was a terrible idea but I'm 100% sure it helped him more than it hurt him. No one, outside of New Yorkers who love street rap (They don't buy albums.), is checking for this dude's albums. I'll keep this one short. I only posted it because I almost got murdered by everyone in the barber shop for saying Jadakiss is overrated. A few had the nerve to say top 5 dead or alive. I think they believed it too. I prayed for them when I got home. 

What do you think? Top 5 DOA or no way?

T.I. - No Mercy - Album Review & Download

Listen

Alternate Link

Welcome To The World Ft. Kanye West & Kid Cudi - This beat is dope as hell. I like the hook as well. Tip's rapping isn't bad but it isnt anything we've never heard before. His first verse is cool but I don't think this song is intro worthy at all. It's not bad but intros have to be epic. I wasn't expecting Kanye to have a verse. This is, afterall, the intro to T.I.'s album. I like his verse but Clifford should have rocked both verses himself. Again, this song isn't bad, just not intro worthy.

How Life Changed Ft. Mitchelle'L And Scarface - I like this beat but I wish it would've been used by someone else. T.I. has entirely too many songs with this same emo dope boy subject matter. You haven't sold dope in years nigga. We honestly don't care anymore. This is one of those tracks with a hook your label comes to you with when you're struggling to fill your album out. It's not bad but it's that same ol' shit. I probably won't listen to this one again.

Get Back Up Ft. Chris Brown - I think this is his single. This shit is beyond cheesy. Everything about this song sounds recycled. I'm going to skip this one riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight........ wait for it............... NOW!

I Can't Help It Ft. Rocko - This beat is cool. I like the drums. For some reason it feels like Tip has rapped on all of these melodies before. None of this sounds new. It's all so "soft" sounding I guess. I really don't know how to explain it but none of this is really catching my ear. Just like the others, the song isn't bad, but it isn't good either. I enjoyed Rocko's verse more than Tip's. 

That's All She Wrote Ft. Eminem - I like the melody of the hook but I don't care for the lyrics. This is another one of them soft ass beats that I was talking about. No knock to Dr. Luke I just feel like Tip shouldn't be on stuff like this. Honestly Eminem and Tip have no business doing songs together. Remember Touchdown? Exactly. Eminem's flow on this literally gave me a headache. He's trying ENTIRELY too hard for these lines. That "buy-polar" line? Let's be serious. Here's Tip's second verse and here's where I skip to the next track.

No Mercy Ft. The-Dream - This sounds like an Eminem beat. This hook is atrocious. Well, I do like the "let me go" part. Now that the verse came on it doesn't sound like an Eminem beat anymore. It sounds like "Dial M For Murda" (google it). This subject matter is tired especially coming from T.I. This nigga is not even trying.

Big Picture - This hook is TERRIBLE. WOW! I don't care for the beat either. DJ Toomp you are on with plenty of resources. Get those Fantom guitars out of here. Skip.

Strip Ft. Young Dro And Trey Songz - This is okay. So far it's what I would go with for the next single. It still sounds like a generic rehash of one of his old songs but whatever. You can tell that his mind was somewhere else when he was making this shit. Either that or he doesn't have it anymore. Young Dro you're going to have to change your flow one day. 

Salute - This is pretty wack too. The beat is cool but that hook and just the whole concept of the song are terrible. This nigga don't have left to talk about. 

Amazing Ft. Pharrell - WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! I know Tip said he was addicted to pills but I didn't think he was getting high enough to where shit like this would sound dope to him. This shit is terrible. It's like they tried to remake "Grindin" but ended up just making noise.

Everything On Me - The production on this album started off good but it's been falling fast since the first few tracks. This is terrible. I give up on this nigga and I honestly want to cut the album off now but I have to finish my review. I'll just skip this trash so I can get through it faster.

Poppin' Bottles Ft. Drake - You got a Drake feature and didn't get him on the hook? Tip you are failing right now. You aren't even close enough to pull your grade up to a D-. The beat is dope but that's about it. Drake's verse was cool. The song overall is VERY forgettable. Tip should have bought some hooks instead of doing them himself because they're terrible.

Lay Me Down Ft. Rico Love - I guess stupid sounding beats are cool now. I see where they were trying to go with it but I don't know how the clubs are going to react to this. This one has a 50/50 chance of doing well.

Castle Walls Ft. Christina Aguilera - This sounds like an Eminem song. It's not bad I just don't think it fits Tip. I like his subject matter on this but I won't be listening again.

Overall this album is some generic bullshit that Tip/Atlantic rushed to try and make some money real quick. If T.I. doesn't find some inspiration when he gets out his rap career is going to be over. Albums like this won't cut it AT ALL. This is WORSE than T.I. Vs. T.I.P and is easily his worst album. I hope he gets it together but I won't be holding my breath. 

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Conspiracy Theory

Okay this blog covers a few things. First, my theory of why the album is all over the place. Second, my theory of why everyone thinks this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. My third and final point will be revealed when I get to it so go ahead and continue reading.

I don't believe that this is the same album ass Good Ass Job. I think Kanye was focusing on his movie more than the album. I believe that he made a few songs (the ones in the movie) to go along with it. During this time I think Jay was in the studio a lot with him hearing the records for Good Ass Job. I think they secretly decided to take whatever songs he had ready GAJ and use them for the collaboration album Watch The Throne. So, the GAJ songs are gone and he's left with only the songs from the movie for his next album. Jay-Z and Kanye are no longer label mates so WTT would have probably been put on hold until Kanye released another album. He had one album left in his Def Jam deal before MBDTF so I'm thinking that he took the songs from the movie and made a few more to go with them in order to fulfill his contract.

Cue GOOD Fridays. Kanye "fans" worldwide rejoice after learning that their lord and savior will be dropping a new song every Friday until the album releases. He proceed to drop some of the most lackluster songs I had ever heard from him. The best thing about any of them we're the Jay-Z features sans "Don't Look Down". Most of them had nice beats but they were ruined by wack features. Why is Ryan Leslie rapping on ANYTHING? Then you have songs that just sound like pure bullshit ("See Me Now"). At this point I thought dude was losing his mind or something but looking back it was the beginning of him creating the rest of his album. By the way, "So Appalled" might be the biggest waste of a beat EVER.

Only the songs that were featured in the movie actually fit the concept. The album as a whole is all over the place. It features great production but the subject matter and consistency is almost nonexistent. The best song, in my opinion, is the intro ("Dark Fantasy"). I still have NO CLUE why "Don't Look Down" wasn't included on the album. It was EASILY the best GOOD Friday song and it actually fit the theme of the story VERY well.

Fast forward to the album leaking. The hype begins. People are rejoicing in unison on internet forums everywhere. You can't go anywhere without reading "This might be the best album I've ever heard!" or some other dumb shit like that. This isn't even Kanye's best album. Actually it's his worst. That brings me to my next point which is why the album is receiving so much hype.

Kanye fans are loving the fuck out of this album for one reason and one reason only. He's rapping. Most of the people who hated his last album 808s and Heartbreak seem to overly love this simple ass album. Like I said before he isn't really talking about anything on here. The rest of his albums actually have substance and subject matter. 808s was much more personal and had music you can feel. This is just a commercial rap album with no real direction.

My final point is that it seems to be people who don't know music well that are hyping this album up beyond belief. If this is the best album you ever heard in your life you literally would've had to been born yesterday (the day it dropped). It seems that whenever I talk to someone who loves music as much as I do that they feel the same way about the album while all the casual listeners are in love. You can't possibly listen to any other genres of music if you proclaim this as great. It's just not possible. You kids need to listen to some metal, jazz, soul, or something.

This all just fits in with the way Hip-Hop is right now. Fans are forcing themselves to like everything their favorite artists make. I know rap sucks right now but damn. There are too many people dropping half assed material. I expect more from you Mr. West. I also thought you had smarter fans but I guess not.

Young Jeezy - Trappin' IS Dead Nigga

This post is about Young Jeezy and the death of trap music in the mainstream.

In 2003 T.I. released the album that created a lane for artists like Young Jeezy in mainstream rap. This sub-genre is known as "trap music". It involves rapping about trap (drug dealing) related activities and the rewards of being a trap star (prosperous drug dealer). The beats have very heavy bass and are, usually, very melodic using sounds such as horns, strings, and organs. 

While T.I. may have paved the way, Young Jeezy came on the scene in 2005 as a part of Boyz N Da Hood. They are a group signed to Diddy's Bad Boy South. They had a very street sound and from the very beginning Jeezy was the obvious stand out. For Jeezy, the group deal was just for one album as he was signed to Def Jam South as a solo artist. The group album was nothing more than an introduction to the man who would soon take over stereos everywhere.

Jeezy's debut album Lets Get It : Thug Motivation 101 was released just a little over a month after Boyz N Da Hood (self-titled). After his first week's sales were counted he came in at number 2 on the charts. The album went on to achieve platinum status. Featuring production from Shawty Redd, Jazze Pha, and Mannie Fresh it was a high energy album that was perfect for the car, parties, and the club. It was filled with street bangers that everyone from drug dealers to suburban high school kids felt compelled to blast as loud as their speakers would allow.

He quicky followed the album up with the release of the infamous Trap Or Die mixtape in November of 2005. The mixtape caught fire in the streets, not only giving Jeezy more exposure and blowing up the mixtape's host DJ Drama but also changing the way a lot of rap artists would promote their albums. 

After the release of this mixtape artists such as Yo Gotti and Gucci Mane started to gain popularity in the streets. Trap music had officially become a sub genre and started to grow with artists and producers at a very fast rate.

Young Jeezy release two more mixtape in 2006 with DJ Drama before releasing his sophomore album The Inspiration : The Motivation 102. Can't Ban The Snowman was released in February of 2006 and was followed by I Am The Street Dream! which was his the official mixtape before the album. Def Jam had a full promotional campaign behind it which included heavy plastering of posters and I AM THE STREET DREAM t-shirts. The Inspiration dropped in December of 2006 and hit the charts at the number one spot and went platinum. The album sales were driven by the two platinum singles I Luv It and Go Getta featuring R. Kelly.

After promotion on The Inspiration was done Jeezy began to work on building label and group, USDA. They released Cold Summer (The Authorized Mixtape) in May of 2007. With the help of their front man, Young Jeezy's fame and a pretty hot single in White Girl it came it at number four on the charts.

In the meantime, Gucci Mane (who was always seen as Jeezy's biggest competition) was building steam by releasing mixtapes non stop. He had his biggest single yet with Freaky Gurl which peaked at 62 on the Hot 100. He had released multiple albums but his mixtapes are what kept gaining him fans. It became the thing to do for trap rappers. Everyone was releasing mixtapes as frequently as they could. 

Between 2007 and 2008 we saw the emergence of a few more trap rappers including OJ Da Juiceman who had his own big single in Make The Trap Say Aye which features Gucci Mane. Shawty Lo also came on the scene with his hit Dey Know which had a remix that featured Young Jeezy as well as others.

Jeezy came back strong in May of 2008 with the single Put On which featured labelmate Kanye West. The Drumma Boy produced track quickly took off on the radio and peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100. It was also his highest debut for a single at 36. He gained his second number one album debut with The Recession and the album eventually went on to sell gold.

Shortly after the release of The Recession the sound of trap music started to change. The beats became a little more futuristic and the subject matter became a little more mianstream with artists like Gucci Mane toning down the drug talk. This led to him being featured on a few mainstream hits by Black Eyed Peas, Mario, and Mariah Carey. Instead of making a song about selling drugs Gucci Mane came with a hit single about using them called Wasted. It peaked at 36 on the charts and was followed by three more singles including Lemonade which also caught on with the masses and peaked at 52 on the charts.

While Gucci was blowing up Jeezy had released Trappin' Ain't Dead, a mixtape that was called garbage by most of his fans. He would continue to release tracks here and there for another year until he dropped Trap Or Die 2 in May of 2010. This mixtape had a split reception. Some of his fans loved it because it was the "old Jeezy" and the rest of them hated it for the very same reason. Even trap rappers have to progress. Trap Or Die 2 is where we heard the first single for Thug Motivation 103. The song is called Lose My Mind and features Plies. This should've been a a huge warning sign that Jeezy was falling off. When you have to go get an artist that is below you to feature on your single in hopes of a bigger buzz something is terribly wrong. 

I had been telling people since The Recession that Jeezy was done. His sound was too stale and it seemed as if he just kept recreating the same old songs. He was lost in the evolution of trap music. In my opinion Jeezy was never the most creative or anything. He just found a sound that worked and when that sound died he didn't move on simply because he wasn't talented enough to. Artists like Jeezy are meant to have short careers. If the initial impact is as good as it gets then there's really no point for them to be around.

There is a reason I chose that picture. Jeezy needs to pray for a miracle if he doesn't want to fade away. His album has been officially shelved by Def Jam and his buzz is flat-lining. The only people I still see checking for him are from Atlanta so maybe he would be cool going independent. I don't know the details of his contract with Def Jam but he is still signed and would have to finish his contract or get released from it for that to happen so, for now, he is stuck in rapper limbo.

Currensy - Pilot Talk 2 (Album Review & Download)

Download and listen with me.

Airborne Aquarium - I like this from the moment it comes on. The beat is crazy and Currensy comes off with a lot of energy which is rare for him. It's the same old Currensy subject matter of marijuana, bitches, old school cars, kicks, and, of course, JETS fool but you already know that before you listen. He raps straight through with no hook on this. This is a dope intro.

Micheal Knight - This was the first single from the album. The beat has an old school feel to it but it's very smooth. Again Currensy comes off with a nice high energy flow. When I first heard this song I didn't care for the hook and I feel like Currensy's hooks are his main flaw but listening again I like this hook and it fits the song well. He kicks some player shit for a couple verses on this one and the beat rides out. Perfect fit for the perfect late night driving song. The video fits the vibe of the song perfectly.

Montreux - This beat is nasty (that's slang for "very good"). Once again the flow is on point. I am pleasantly surprised. This is a short track with no hook but it works. This album is sounding good so far.

Famous - This beat grabs you from the moment that it starts. The sample is super smooth (I'm thinking Sade). I guess I can say it now. Currensy has progressed a lot since Pilot Talk. He switches his flow up on this riding the beat effortlessly. This track has two verses and a very smooth hook (YES!).

Flight Briefing (Featuring Young Roddy & Trademark) - This track starts off real smooth. Currensy starts rapping to just the sample. When the drums dropped in it threw me off for a second but I caught back on quick. The "hook" is a "flight attendant" talkin about smoking on the plane and what not. I'm not feeling Young Roddy. Don't really have much else to say about him. He wasn't OJ status but his style isn't polished. Trademark is OK. He's better than Roddy but I still don't care for him. This track would've been better with different features or none at all. They kind of ruin it.

A Gee - I got halfway through this song before I remembered I was supposed to be reviewing it. This track is real hypnotic. I was visualizing the picture Currensy was painting on the first verse. The hook isn't the greatest but it doesn't ruin the song or anything. He goes in the second verse as well. I'm feeling this joint a lot. I don't have the production credits but whoever produced it did their thing on this. They bring some piano in right before the last hook and have it playing throughout the rest of the song.

Real Estates (Featuring Dom Kennedy) - Damn, the production on this album is top notch. It sounds very industry but the blend of old and new school makes it stand out a lot. Currensy goes in on this as well. The hook is on point. Very smooth. Next up is #NT's own Dom Kennedy. This is the perfect type of track for him. He goes in as well. I like this song a lot. This album is shaping up to be a sleeper.

Silence (Featuring McKenzie Eddy) - I wasn't expecting this at all. Its a smooth piano and bass track with a very smooth singing hook. It only has one verse but the singing at the beginning and end give it sort of an interlude feel. That's not a bad thing at all. It changes up the feel of the album for a bit.

Hold On (Featuring Young Roddy & Trademark) - I don't really care for this beat. It's not bad but that guitar gets annoying pretty fast. I like the hook and how the beat changes up on that part. And here's Young Roddy to remind me why I didn't mind the song having a bad beat. Because I'm never going to listen to it again. The only reason it's still playing is so I can be fair to Trademark. His verse is cool he just has a really simple flow and lyrics. In my opinion he keeps the same rhyme scheme for too long.

Fashionably Late - I don't care for this beat or hook either. It sounds like a poor attempt at copying The Neptunes. The entire beat isn't bad now that the verse comes on. It's the horns. Fuck this song. Skipped.

Highed Up - I like the beat on this even though it is kind of weird. Currensy falls off with the flow a few times on here but it's not that bad (RZA/Silkk LMFAO). This is a cool little track. I like the hook at the end.

O.G. (The Jam) (Featuring Fiend) - I don't really care for this beat. It sounds like some old No Limit shit that would've been given to Big Ed. This song sucks but I'm listening to hear how Fiend (of No Limit fame who I think produced the song) comes off. This nigga is still stuck in the 90s. His verse is terrible. Wow. I understand that him and Currensy are probably friends but damn.

Michael Knight (Remix) (Featuring Raekwon) - Currensy keeps his original verses from the song and adds Wu-Tang Legend Raekwon to the mix for a third verse. Why does Raekwon's verse sound like he recorded it on a cell phone? I don't really care for his verse at all. He went off on a tangent talking some gangster shit that had nothing to do with the song.

Overall the album is pretty solid especially since I wasn't expecting much. It starts off very strong and kind of falls off towards the end. It is definitely a good look for Currensy, in my opinion, as this is his best album to date. He just has to keep growing as an artist and he'll be fine. This album could've been much better with only a few slight changes. Young Roddy and Trademark should not be heard on here. Fiend's verse was VERY forgettable as was Raekwon's. Dom Kennedy did his thing as well as ol' girl McKenzie Eddy. I'll definitely be putting most of these tracks on my MP3 player. Check out the album and review. Comment and let me know what you think.

T.I. - Rise And Fall Of The King

In 2001 TI came on the scene with his debut single "I'm Serious" (which was also the name of his debut album). It featured Beenie Man on the hook and production by The Neptunes. We all remember the song but I honestly don't remember anyone liking it. I'm Serious was basically TI trying to find himself as an artist and create his own sound. If you compare it to his other albums the subject matter is basically the same except on I'm Serious he rapped about being a good rapper more often than he does now.

Let's fast forward two years to Trap Muzik. The new and improved TI came back with a HIT single produced by Jazze Pha called "24s". It was a high energy club/street BANGER that took over airwaves almost instantly. When the album dropped TI had officially solidified his spot at as heavyweight out of Atlanta. He had created a lane for himself and others for years to come.

We thought TI's career was going to come to a sudden stop in March of 2004 when he was sentenced to 3 years in County Jail. A month later, by what seems to be the grace of God, he was released from jail on a work release program. He quickly began working on his third album Urban Legend. The album, although not as good as Trap Muzik, went on to sell more units than its predecessor.

Between Urban Legend and King TI had began to beef with rapper Lil Flip from Houston. This was not a 50 Cent type of beef as the rappers eventually came to blows over the situation. In 2006 King released alongside TI's first movie ATL. They had a genius marketing plan in not releasing an official soundtrack for the movie. Instead they promoted King as the soundtrack. The lead single "What U Know" is still one TI's biggest hits to this day. He also received a Grammy for it.

While riding the wave of his recent success TI was involved in an altercation that would change his life and the way he looked at music forever. During one of his concerts in Cincinnati a fight broke out between 2 concert goers and TI's crew. The fight spilled outside the club and turned deadly for his longtime friend Philant Johnson after the crew's SUVs were followed and shot at. After this incident TI withdrew himself from music and the public eye for awhile.

In July of 2007 TI released TI Vs TIP which, in my opinion, was a horrible concept. This album is looked at as pretty bad by most of his fans but they don't blame him because of what he had been through before working on the album. He said himself that he didn't know if he wanted to create music anymore. Despite the bad reviews the album still achieved platinum status.

Four months after the release of TI Vs TIP the king was caught with some HEAVY firearms by the Federal Government. He was set up by his bodyguard who had recently been caught buying guns illegally. This arrest took place just four hours before he was to blaze the stage of the BET Hip Hop Awards in his home town. TI was on house arrest for a little over a year pending trial. He released Paper Trail in September of 2008 which received great commercial success spawning multiple multi platinum singles including his biggest hit "Live Ur Life" featuring Rihanna. The album itself went on to go double platinum after selling gold in it's first week.

On May 26th, 2009 TI began serving his, one year and a day, prison sentence. On December 22nd, 2009 he was moved to a halfway house in Atlanta where he would finish out the remainder of his sentence and be released on March 26th, 2010. He came back and released a couple luke warm songs then dropped a mixtape full of old throwaway songs that never made albums called "Fuck A Mixtape". While most of his fans say they loved it the mixtape felt like an insult to me. You've been gone for a year. Your fans aren't worth a few new songs? But hey, I guess he knew what he was doing because all of his new songs are just as bad as those.

I don't know if he's out of touch with music from being in prison or if he just doesn't care anymore. His newer songs lack emotion and creativity. They just come off as generic and he is showing no type of progression. In fact, it sounds like he has regressed. With song titles such as "Pledge Allegiance To The Swag" and "Mr. Kodak" you know he's lost. The fact that the whole trap sound is dying isn't really helping him either. Now he can't go back to his roots and he doesn't know how to move forward.

On top of that he's BACK in jail as of November 1st for a drug possession which is a direct violation of his probation. He was caught on September 1st after his Maybach was pulled over for making an illegal u-turn. The police smelled marijuana, searched the vehicle, and found other drugs.

Going to jail THAT many times can't be anything but detrimental to your career no matter who you are. TIP I hope you get your act together musically and legally. I'm still going to give No Mercy a fair chance but I honestly don't have any expectations for it at all. TI is going the Cam'Ron route except Cam didn't have to go to jail to fall off. It is sad but you have to know when to let go.

Lloyd Bank$ - Hunger For More 2 (Explicit)

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Why Nicki Minaj Is Going To Outsell Your Favorite Artists

This chick Nicki Minaj completely switches it up on her debut album Pink Friday. I gave the leak a listen last night and for those of you who think it's going to be another rap album, think again. She came left field wit some pop shit. In a good way. Her album is LACED with hits. I mean LACED. She has a joint with Will.I.Am that is basically the female version of Usher's OMG. I don't know if she writes her own singing stuff or not but it works. It's a different sound too. You know it's pop when you hear it but it doesn't sound generic at all. Females across the nation are going to eat this shit up! Nicki is going to take over your local KISS (pop) radio station for the entire winter. She might have enough for spring as well. If they market this right and release the right songs she could EASILY do Rihanna (Good Girl Gone Bad) numbers.

If I were them I'd let it rock and drop half of the singles planned. THEN, since Wayne isn't on the album, do a couple remixes with him, add couple new songs, and re release the album after 6 months or so.

Maybe I should consider marketing. LMFAO!

The Aftermath Umbrella and How They Ruined Hip-Hop.

Aftermath Entertainment was started in 1996 by Dr. Dre. He claims that it was started with a quality over quantity standard but I don't buy it. His first release was The Firm album in 1997. It sold enough units to go gold but it was never highly acclaimed by critics. The group disbanded shortly after. In 1998 Dr. Dre sold his soul to the devil in exchange for Eminem (I mean he had to do something, right?). This is where it all starts. Eminem brought in all of these kids who had never liked Hip-Hop before. He had a crazy impact. I won't front like I didn't buy his first two albums but i quickly outgrew his subject matter. Now, 12 years after his debut you have these same kids who didn't listen to Hip-Hop until Eminem giving their opinions on any and everything Hip-Hop like they deserve that respect. Eminem's music, outside of an album's worth of songs, is worthless. He's a really talented rapper who makes really stupid music. I don't see how these kids get all excited hearing him try to rap faster than the speed of light about how good of a rapper he is. If that's all they did it wouldn't be a problem but they claim Em is the GOAT and, since he's white, if you disagree they will call you a racist. It is amusing but at the same time very annoying and childish. 

In 2002 Eminem signed one of the most negative influences we have ever seen in the world of Hip-Hop. 50 Cent came on the scene with an even bigger buzz than Eminem (which is fucking absurd). Due to his 9 gunshot wounds and street background he became a huge hit with suburban america. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. His debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin' went 6 times platinum and he became a global icon basically overnight. 50 may be best known for his "beefs" with other artists (which were really just marketing ploys to sell his albums) which his career seemed to live (Ja Rule and others) and die (Rick Ross) by. In these "beefs" all 50 did was talk about how none of his adversaries sell records. In turn leading his simple minded fans to believe that selling records has anything to do with being talented or making good music. That mentality has stuck with Hip-Hop for awhile now. It basically voided lyrical ability in a battle. How is that good for Hip-Hop? Now there are millions of people out there who believe that if you don't sell records your music isn't good and if you do sell records you're great. That is retarded. 50 Cent's buzz has died off but he still doesn't want to let go. Now he's running back and doing songs with the artists he "beefed" with which is pathetic and shows that he never really had a real beef with anyone. It was all marketing.

This is the same guy who made "High All The Time" but claims not to drink or smoke. Hip-Hop has always been about authenticity and while I believe that you can stretch the truth a little every now and then lying about getting high is just corny. He said he would retire if Kanye West outsold his Curtis album with Graduation. Kanye did outsell him and the AntiRap is still around making music. What a fraud.

In 2005 he did the unspeakable. He added newly signed rapper The Game to his G-Unit line up. The Game is one of the most AVERAGE rappers ever. Fans of Aftermath artists seem like EVERY artist on the weak ass label because they all have that similar formula to their music. Dr Dre's beats have sounded exactly the same since around 2003. There is no evolution in the Aftermath umbrella. There is no honor. There is no love for music. Their whole existence is based on greed and the bastardization of the music we know and love.

Remember Detox? Yea, THAT Detox. Dre finally dropped a single for it. Guess what? Nobody cares! I think the run of their formula has run out or people finally wised up. Either way their buzz is dying (except Eminem's but we know why that it) and I can't wait until is completely gone and they are no longer around tainting the music that I USED to love so much.

There is a reason some of the most respected artists that have been signed to Aftermath left the label. They probably didn't want to sell the fuck out like some lames. Art is only art until you stop caring about it. Since 2003 the Aftermath umbrella has been manufacturing music for mass distribution. It is basically brainwashing music for idiotic people. The good news in all this is that it seems Hip-Hop fans are slowly but surely going back to listening to music because it's actually good. Thank God.

J. Cole : The Write Up (My Thoughts On His Career)

*DISCLAIMER*

This is just my review of J. Cole as an artist. It is very detailed thus it is not a short read.

The new General of the Internet Soldiers (as cosigned by Joe Budden) seems to have some of the most annoying fans in the world. Yes, J. Cole can rap. A lot of people can rap. This guy makes some of the most boring music I've ever heard. His topics range from rap to north carolina, to his weak ass struggles, to the hood, to college, and finally to the degree that we ALL know that he received from college (because he mentions it in EVERY song). 

He's been signed since 2007. He still has no buzz outside of the internet. He's basically the non emo, less lyrical version of Joe Budden. He's already getting the same treatment that Joe did except his album got to drop and it went gold. If you pay attention you would see that Jay mentions Drake more than he does his own artist. J. Cole is the perfect proof that rap ability is damn near meaningless when it comes to making good music. Even some of his fans say he needs a lot of work with making songs. A label is not going to be able to sell records based off of your lyrical ability. It just doesn't work like that. What? You thought it was still the 90s? 

Let's break down his sound. It's simple. J. Cole is a poor man's Kanye West (College Dropout era) with watered down subject matter/beats/hooks and VERY minimal songwriting ability. From the beats to the rhyme patterns it's all old 'Ye. I don't see how you can just look past the blatant style biting and from an unworthy artist nonetheless. The first thing you have to do Mr. Cole is stop doing those 24 and 32 bar verses on every song (they're fine in moderation). You're not that nice, sir (no one is). Next, you have to actually finish your beats. Third, you need to buy some hooks until you learn how to write them.

People like to compare him to Drake which is honestly a joke in my opinion. Drake was signed 2 years after J. Cole and already has a platinum debut album while Cole is wondering if his album will ever receive a release date. People will say "He's a better rapper." but is he really? Punchlines are not the only way to be lyrical. Drake may not be the most lyrical but he definitely gets his point across is a manner that isn't hazardous while operating heavy machinery. Cole seems as if he's trying so hard to impress the listener that he's actually not saying much at all. It's the exact same thing he said in his last verse and the one before it. Let's just say he is the better rapper. Who is making the better music? 

I'm all for lyricism but what happened to being complete? Jay-Z is a complete artist. Nas is/was a complete artist. Lupe is a complete artist. Even Joe (Budden), when he's not on those weak ass J Cardim beats, is a complete artist. They're all lyrical yet they know how to construct songs that don't serve as audible Ambien. At the end of the day music is music. A lot of music doesn't even have lyrics so you can't say something is good just because of "good" lyrics. If all you care about is lyrics you should hit up some local poetry readings. Leave music to the musicians. 

Don't worry, all hope is not lost. He just needs guidance but that innocent college boy rap isn't going to get him anywhere. He might want to get the fuck away from Jay too. Jay is that nigga musically but he isn't the best judge of talent (Bleek) or character (Beans). Besides I think if Cole were to go independent he could have a nice little career on some underground shit. Being on a major isn't doing anything but hindering him.

Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 4 (A Turn 4 The Worst) RETAIL

01. Pray For Them
02. Come Along
03. Remember The Titans (featuring Fabolous, Lloyd Banks & Royce Da 5′9″)
04. Short Summer (featuring Emanny)
05. Role Reversal
06. Mop Salad (Skit)
07. Black Cloud
08. Follow My Lead (featuring Joell Ortiz)
09. Weekend Warrior (Skit)
10. Sober Up (featuring Crooked I)
11. Hello Expectations
12. Something To Ride To
13. Stuck In The Moment

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This is NOT the same as the mixtape that leaked a few weeks ago. This is the full retail release featuring a few different tracks and does not contain songs that had uncleared samples. Get it now.

Full Kanye West Interview With Funkmaster Flex (No Commercials/Music Breaks)

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Breakdown of subject matter by time.

5:20 -Taylor Swift
8:12 -Award shows
14:00 -Nude pics
17:19 -Album artwork
28:00 -Kim Kardashian
29:21 -Selita Ebanks
30:48 -Amber Rose
40:00 -Jay Z

Kanye West live on Hot97 with FunkMaster Flex until 12am... (LIVE NOW!)

Click here for the live stream. I will update this tomorrow with download/stream links to just the interview parts.

New Music : Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer

Just came across this album on good ol' Twitter. I'm listening to it as I re upload it. Yes, I'm a blogger with integrity. I don't steal links, just music lmfao. This is sounding amaizing so far. I'm on "Bodies" and so far the album has a very old school feel. Some with a twist of MJ (upbeat and downtempo) and others with more of a 50s or 60s era feel. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Bruno Mars and crew (The Smeezingtons) handled the bulk of the production on this album. They have brought back the old school feel but they made it current somehow. It just works. Anyway check it out. I may revisit this post but I don't wanna type an essay lol.

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Alternate Download

1.	"Lady Killer Theme (Intro)"
2.	"Bright Lights Bigger City"
3.	"Fuck You"
4.	"Wildflower"
5.	"Bodies"
6.	"Please" (featuring Selah Sue)
7.	"Satisfied"
8.	"I Want You"
9.	"Cry Baby"
10.	"Fool for You" (featuring Philip Bailey)
11.	"It's OK"
12.	"Old Fashioned"
13.	"No One's Gonna Love You"
14.	"Lady Killer Theme (Outro)"

One last thing. "Fool For You" has to be a single.

Why Are You Rapping So Damn Fast?!

I want to know what the fuck is good with rappers feeling like they have to rap at the speed of light to impress somebody. That shit is not raw unless the beat calls for it so I'm not talking about the instances where it fits. Here's a recent example of what I mean...

1. How is that appealing to anyone's ears?
2. What exactly is he rapping about? Being a good rapper?
3. Why is he yelling? U mad?

Screaming random grimey shit at a fast pace does not make u dope. Niggas need to quit wit this shit. Sorry Royce. You too Eminem.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy...

First things first. I just want yall to know that I'm a huge Kanye fan (I even like 808s) but this nigga is losing his fucking mind. GOOD Friday songs were a GOOD idea until some of them showed up on the final tracklisting of the album. Aside from "Don't Look Down" and the 2 singles he released on those days they've all sucked for the most part. A handful of them had great potential but were ruined with SUPER WACK features. Why the FUCK does Ryan Leslie have a verse on ANY song?! Swizz?! RZA?! They gave nigga RZA like 4 bars... WTF was the point? Just stick to doing songs with people who know what the fuck they're doing OR u could do what we all want you to do and make some damn solo songs. Fuck these ridiculous collabs and all that.

Aight thats most of the anger aired out up there lmao. There's a bright side to all of this. The Runway video was kinda dope but ONLY because the music fit the subject matter and everything and vice versa. The music only makes sense with the video. I feel like "Don't Look Down" should be on the album and should have been the last song in The Runway video. It would have been that much better.

So yea basically I'm not anticipating this shit AT ALL (at least he took "See Me Now" off). Thank God this man signed Kid Cudi. 

Kanye West Feat. Pete Rock, Jay-z, Charlie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, and Kid Cudi - The Joy (Prod. Pete Rock)

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My Thoughts

I know what you're thinking... something like "Pete Rock x Kanye x Jay?! EEK WOW" but this track is so lackluster its stupid. The beat is boring as shit. I mean BORING like a J Cole song. Maybe there's a reason this sound isn't popular anymore. Honestly I'm not tryin to hear it. The verses were on point but the beat and hook part are so wack its pointless. Not to mention u have Pete Rock doin ad libs soundin like he in a coma. This is one of those tracks Kanye just made cuz he can. Yall gone love it cuz yall love whatever he does... Stans.