Curren$y Vs. Wiz Khalifa: Friendly Competition

Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y, everyone's favorite rapping stoners. That is in the new era. We can't forget about Snoop, Red, and Meth. I'm not really talking about who's better in this, it's more of a comparison of their strengths and weaknesses and how they compliment each other on tracks.

Curren$y is more of a rapper than Wiz. He focuses on always having some nice lines and wordplay in his verses. He also has a more unpredictable flow, which is a good thing. He's sort of like Wayne how he can effortlessly switch up his flow mid verse and not lose you. He raps with a little more aggression than Wiz too. He attacks the beat. Curren$y has a lot of songs that are one verse and may or may not contain a hook but somehow they still feel like complete songs.

Wiz is more of an artist. He focuses on hooks and concepts but by no means is he weak as a rapper. He has a very versatile flow and can go from singing to laid back rapping to a more aggressive flow similar to Curren$y's. He usually raps with a more laid back approach, though.  The one area where Wiz and Curren$y are miles apart is hook writing. Curren$y isn't bad but he isn't nearly as consistent or as versatile as Wiz when it comes to hooks.

It seems that Wiz has the bigger fan base and he is now on a major label but listening to Curren$y you can tell he's right where he wants to be career-wise. I heard that Atlantic wouldn't allow Wiz to be on Pilot Talk 2 and I sincerely hope that's not true. It would be terrible if there could be no more Wiz x Curren$y collaborations. I really need How Fly 2 right about now. Hopefully Atlantic let Wiz put Curren$y on his album which is due out in March. Spitta has a few different projects in the works and Wiz needs to appear on at least one if not all of them.

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.