Starting off the week with some seriously good jazz-sampled hip-hop composed by the legendary hip-hop producer Madlib. Anything this guy touches turn to gold, I can't say there is a project by him (that I have heard) that I do not like. Ambitious, but also highly knowledgeable on music and its technics. Madlib signed with Blue Note records for this album in particular. Since he is signed with the legendary jazz label, he has their full master recording catalogues at his disposal for his sampling pleasure. A wise and safe choice by Blue Note because there is no other man within hip-hop as deserving of the privilege other than Madlib. I'll be sure to post some of his other side-projects in due time to prove his genius. Track list: 1. Introduction 2. Slim's Return 3. Distant Land 4. Mystic Bounce 5. Stormy (feat. Morgan Adams Quartet Plus Two) 6. Blue Note Interlude 7. Please Set Me at Ease (feat. MED) 8. Funky Blue Note (feat. Morgan Adams Quartet Plus Two) 9. Alfred Lion Interlude 10. Stepping Into Tomorrow (feat. MF DOOM) 11. Andrew Hill Break 12. Montara 13. Song For My Father 14. Footprints 15. Peace/Dolphin Dance 16. Outro My destiny is found.
Oh Kanye West. The man needs no introduction. He returns with a short album, following the trend he started with Pusha T's latest record of keeping the project to 7 tracks. Despite the album cover and track list looking like some EP an emo band uploaded to Bandcamp, this is sonically a Kanye West album: vocal sampled filled beats, uplifting instrumentals with emotional lyrics, infectious hooks, a great Kid Cudi feature. However, there is a big emphasis on mental health awareness, especially on the opening track, which I think is pretty cool. It's definitely an improvement from that cluttered mess known as The Life of Pablo, which was an album I enjoyed for the tracks alone, but was messy in the format of an album. Like DAYTONA, there is nothing to complain about other than the length. At least we are getting three more Kanye-related albums this month. I enjoyed this project for what it is, but I must end this note with a phrase that has been chanted since Kanye came back to the Internet: I miss the old Kanye. Track list: 1. I Thought About Killing You 2. Yikes 3. All Mine 4. Wouldn't Leave 5. No Mistakes 6. Ghost Town 7. Violent Crimes
A gem of an album before East Coast hip-hop scene exploded in the 90s, Breaking Atoms is the energetic debut from rap group Main Source. For how old the record is, it has a nastier bite than a lot of rap albums today and its own decade. Also, this record has Nas's studio debut, a verse he samples for the intro of his classic debut. If you dig this record, purchase the vinyl record because it's the perfect format for this type of music. Track list:
1. Snake Eyes 2. Just Hangin' Out 3. Looking at the Front Door 4. Large Professor 5. Just a Friendly Game of Baseball 6. Scratch & Kut 7. Peace Is Not the Word to Play 8. Vamos Is a Rapiar 9. He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music) 10. Live At the Barbeque (feat. Nas) 11. Watch Roger Do His Thing 12. Just a Friendly Game of Baseball (Bonus Version) Street's disciples
Finally, the follow-up to the excellent King Push - Darkest Before the Dawn: Prelude from 2016. Originally, this was supposed to be titled King Push, but I guess Pusha and Ye scrapped that title (and also payed $85,000 for that photo of Whitney Houston's bathroom!!). Length-wise, this is more of an EP than studio album, but oddly that's what it's being sold as. Everything about this EP is great: Kanye did an excellent job on production, Pusha T is still an excellent rapper and a talented lyricist, the features do their part well. This album sounds like luxury rap, yet it also sounds like whatever was going on in Whitney Houston's bathroom when that photo was taken. My biggest issue with it is the length, undoubtedly. There isn't a bad song on here so I'm definitely left craving more. I don't know why Kanye is going in this direction for album lengths since he did mention that his new studio album (coming next week) will also be 7 songs long. Maybe it's to keep fans hungry. Who knows? Track list: 1. If You Know You Know 2. The Games We Play 3. Hard Piano (feat. Rick Ross) 4. Come Back Baby 5. Santeria 6. What Would Meek Do? (feat. Kanye West) 7. Infrared Now the tears dry and the pain takes over
MF DOOM's second best and second most iconic album (behind Madvillany, of course). As the title suggests, the songs on this album are filled with food-related wordplay and sampling. You would think that it would get somewhat pretentious after a few tracks, but MF DOOM amazingly keeps this record consistently entertaining from start to finish. And, as always, his buttery flow is pristine. If you are looking to get into underground hip-hop, first start with Madvillainy, but this would be an excellent second step. Track list: 1. Beef Rap 2. Hoe Cakes 3. Potholderz (feat. Count Bass D) 4. One Beer 5. Deep Fried Frenz 6. Poo-Putt Platter 7. Fillet-O-Rapper 8. Gumbo 9. Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate 10. Kon Karne 11. Guinnesses (feat. Angelika & 4ize) 12. Kon Queso 13. Rapp Snitch Knishes (feat. Mr. Fantastik) 14. Vomitspit 15. Kookies
Who saw this coming? Carti's debut studio album is filled with some of the best trap production I've heard this latter half of the decade. That isn't saying much since trap music is usually very skeletal and hit-or-miss. But I digress, the beats on here are so glossy and textured, it makes the album an addicting listen. I do credit my enjoyment of the album mostly to the producers. While Carti's ad-lib filled flow has a lot of personality and functions well for the album, I can't say it's what makes me return to this album. Bonus points for the album cover, though.
Track list: 1. Long Time - Intro 2. R.I.P. 3. Lean 4 Real (feat. Skepta) 4. Old Money 5. Love Hurts (feat. Travis Scott) 6. Shoota (feat. Lil Uzi Vert) 7. Right Now (feat. Pi'erre Bourne) 8. Poke It Out (feat. Nicki Minaj) 9. Home (KOD) 10. Fell In Luv (feat. Bryson Tiller) 11. Foreign 12. Pull Up 13. Mileage (feat. Chief Keef) 14. FlatBed Freestyle 15. No Time (feat. Gunna) 16. Middle of the Summer (feat. Red Coldhearted) 17. Choppa Won't Miss (feat. Young Thug) 18. R.I.P. Fredo (feat. Young Nudy) - Notice Me 19. Top (feat. Pi'erre Bourne) I'd rather die than come in last
