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Album of the Year 2016 #21: Blu & Fa†e - Open Your Optics to Optimism - HipHop

Album of the Year 2016 #21: Blu & Fa†e - Open Your Optics to Optimism - HipHop

Album of the Year 2016 #21: Blu & Fa†e - Open Your Optics to Optimism

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 10:56 AM PST

Artist: Blu & Fa†e

Album: Open Your Optics to Optimism

Listen

Youtube

iTunes

Spotify

Bandcamp

Background:

After previously collaborating on a song in 2013, Los Angeles rapper and producer, Blu, and San Diego producer, Fa†e, joined forces in 2016 to deliver their own album, an experimental, atmospheric record titled, Open Your Optics to Optimism. OYOTO makes for a smooth and thought provoking listen, tackling themes that deal with the depths of space, the history of human existence and most notably, the way we think about reality. Fa†e's roomy, ambient production allows Blu to explore familiar territory, contemplating different outtakes on the world and expressing his thoughts on the nature in which we exist.

OYOTO marks the latest addition to Blu's catalog in a year which he released four EPs. An underground veteran, he has quietly compiled a lengthy discography, which includes his memorable debut, Below the Heavens, the experimental, York (originally titled, NoYork!), and six installments of a mixtape series titled, Soul Amazing. While Blu has never garnered significant commercial success, his reputation as a crafty, thought provoking lyricist has made him one of the most notable talents on the West Coast underground scene in recent memory.

The other half of the duo, Fa†e, is a producer based out of the San Diego area. His track record is brief, but his unique production style grabbed the attention of Blu back in 2013, and the two would end up collaborating on a song titled, "The Last Stop", for Fa†e's debut album, The Night Bus Home. Prior to OYOTO, Fa†e released a project titled, Broken Bones, with vocalist Savannah Moreau, under the moniker O†ion, in which he first began to develop the spacey, ambient aesthetic that would later become the theme of the production on his next album.

In an interview with 2DOPEBOYZ, Blu and Fa†e dive further into their collaborative process, touching on their inspirations for the album and how the final product came to be. Fa†e developed a soundscape that was not only abnormal, but ethereal, and his production naturally inspired the creative energy behind the album. Blu explains how the beats that Fa†e was feeding him put him into a creative space that felt like being in "outer space" and "under water"; this would be the driving force in Blu's thought process when it came to his songwriting throughout the album.

The project was officially released in September of last year on Florida-based label EveryDejaVu; it was made available on multiple streaming platforms, including physical copies on cassette and vinyl on Bandcamp. The album sports features from Cehryl, Sene, Milo and Open Mike Eagle, among others.

Review:

Over the course of his career, Blu has always been fond of teaming up with one producer when working on his next project. He's released numerous EPs and full length albums with the likes of Bombay, Exile, Madlib, Mainframe, Nottz and now Fa†e. Some fans would argue that Blu's discography is awfully inconsistent, but this formula rather, is solid and dependable; OYOTO is short (26 minutes in length), concise and cohesive. Sonically, it blends into an enjoyable listen that feels like a slow, controlled ride through space and its different dimensions. The shifts in instrumentation throughout each song feel less like conventional rhythms and more like subtle turns along an audio asteroid belt headed for a new planet. The batch of beats that Fa†e leaves for Blu to work with suit the emcee well; they have a quiet energy, and where they lack substance, the rapper's cosmo-analytics become the main focus.

The album opens with "Think", a short cut that sees Blu rapping in riddles and weird one liners. His opening line, "Where does a thought come from, mind it one times one equals one," sets the tone for the main theme expressed throughout the project. The second track, "His Story", a four-minute epilogue recounting the most important moments in earth's history, from the forming of Pangea, to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, to Barack Obama's inauguration as President, gives some perspective to the thoughts Blu articulated on the previous song, and also sets a base for the rest of the record. This recollection of history and mankind is backed by a slow, euphoric, woozy beat; although it wasn't an actual song, I thought it was a great fit for the track and made the storyline feel dramatic.

On the next track, "Otionography", Blu continues his commentary on earth, at times diving further into its physical nature, referencing the study of the ocean and its depths. This is where I believe he really starts to get his overall message across, which is that there are infinite possibilities in life when you allow yourself to open up your mind. His songwriting is sort of unconventional, but it's through the references he makes that he establishes his premise. The line, "ninety nine percent living space, dive in deep into your mental state," compares the depths of the ocean floor to the way people think; he's not just implying that many of us are close-minded, but also proposing that we have a lot to gain by viewing things from different perspectives.

The theme switches from earth to space in the tracks, "Higher" and "UFO". Fa†e's production creates a spacey atmosphere by fusing together some cloud rap and rattling high hats. The last two songs on the album, "Oblivia" and "Thought", happen to have my favorite beats out of the entire project. The former, is a nice change of pace, with a fun, upbeat instrumental. Milo kicks the song off with an artsy verse before Open Mike Eagle drops in for a charismatic sixteen of his own. The latter, has another atmospheric beat, and a hook that echoes long after the song is done, simply saying, "What you think about?". In a way, it ends up being the OYOTO anthem.

After listening to this record, it's pretty easy to make comparisons to Below the Heavens and some of Blu's other projects, in terms of the themes expressed in the music. Where I draw the difference, is that in the past Blu has taken the form of a prophet-like figure who passes down beliefs about our existence. However, on this album he's not necessarily declaring what is and what is not. His approach is more philosophical then religious. He still poses difficult questions, but instead, he is challenging listeners to open their minds, seek knowledge, and determine what they believe in for themselves. On the surface, this album may seem like a bunch of nonsense; it may come across as a lot of rapping about deep subjects, but lacking any real meaning. In my opinion, Blu's ambiguity attests to the fact that we [humans] know so little about time and space; the universe is colossal, and his point is that viewing life through a more optimistic lens creates endless possibilities.

Both artists' career trajectory, the album's complex subject matter and left field thought process indicate that this type of a project may not be a one-time deal for these guys. I have always been a big Blu fan, and personally, I really enjoyed the overall aesthetic of this project. Therefore, I would certainly welcome another collaboration from him and Fa†e with open ears and an open mind, as I'm sure many other fans would. I think this album is a smooth, although intriguing listening experience, and together, Blu and Fa†e were able to formulate a chemistry that in turn, produced a unique, spacey project that sticks out in both of their discographies.

Favorite Lyrics:

I was told think before you talk, I jogged alongside my train of thought

Think

Oil spill o-zone no zone, blue whale phone home, you almost made it to the land, grew two feet and two hands

Otionography

I'm on the planet with the shiny watch, watchin' it tock living life without a clock

Cosmophobia (Revisted)

Four hands in foreign lands, monolingual trying to talk to the people, I need a hand to put the laws on the evil

Cosmophobia (Revisted)

Hoarding in abundance of nothingness, sitting before a buffet of knuckles and fists, I guess I'm ruffled a bit, five fifths and I'm no one's property

Oblivia

High five the LA skyline, hardcore hot shit, like the center of the Third Rock is, we got this locked since the triceratops, tell a hippopotamus that hip hop is trioptic

Oblivia

Discussion Points:

  1. Taking on "deeper than life" subjects is familiar territory for Blu. What did you guys think about the themes he expressed on OYOTO? How do you feel about rappers trying to tackle deep topics, such as space, earth, the cosmos, etc.?
  2. At this point in Blu's career, some fans think he's sort of lost it and is settling for putting out mediocre music. Many fans think he's still one of the best talents in the game. I happen to fall in the second category. Where do you stand in terms of your opinion on Blu and his legacy as a rapper?
  3. I thought the beats on this project made for cohesive, consistent vibe throughout. How did you feel about Fa†e's production? Considering he is relatively unknown, would you be interested to see what he does next?
  4. This project could potentially be categorized as "cloud rap". Where do you think "cloud rap" stands in the landscape of current hip-hop? Who are some other artists that you would like to see do a "cloud rap" type project?
  5. I really feel that the main message of this project was to open your mind up to positivity in all that you do. Has there been particular artists/albums/types of hip-hop that you were previously close-minded to, but ended up gaining a new perspective on it that made you enjoy it? How come and what made you change?

Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts!

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Kanye, Drake, Bieber Skipping Grammys - Like Frank Ocean, they allegedly don’t find the awards “relevant or representative”

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 02:10 PM PST

Big Sean 'I Decided' Full Tracklist

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Gucci Mane announces he is changing the title of his upcoming project "Drop Top Wizop" to simply "Drop Top Wop.

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 06:03 PM PST

[NSFW] Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) force fed under standard Guantánamo Bay procedure

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 10:08 AM PST

I went to the world premiere of Big Sean's new album 'I Decided.' in Detroit last night. Here is my take on the project & recap of the evening:

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 07:02 PM PST

Denzel Curry re-releasing Nostalgic 64 and 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 04:07 PM PST

[Fresh] Le'veon Bell - Shrimp Bayless

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Complex goes Sneaker Shopping with Migos

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Lil Ugly Mane speaks out on his recent experience with the mental healthcare system

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 02:01 AM PST

From facebook:

"I keep getting emails from people.

I wrote this the day before Bedwetter was recorded.

All i could do, all i can do is write poems and basically a polemic yelp review into the notepad on my phone.

what else can i do.

im not gonna get into my own shit on some specific level because fuck you, i dont know you. pay attention to yourself.

but i feel like this is the best way i can explain shit.

polemic yelp review of american heath care system:

"After a lifetime of avoiding this shit. Ignoring this shit. FInding myself confused.

After a 3 months of a sleeplessly, anxiously glaring into the eyes of an old monster that suddenly grew a new head.

3 months of forgetting who i was. What i was doing.

I knew something had to happen. I'd known this for a while.

I had been reaching out

Calling.

Emailing.

After continuous unsuccessful attempts for months to contact psychiatrists and doctors, I reluctantly checked into the hospital today.

I thought maybe i could get a much needed psych evaluation and hopefully receive some sort of treatment, perhaps even simply a referral and/or an appointment to go see somebody else who could provide that.

I didn't know what else to do.

What else are you supposed to do.

For six hours I sat nervously twitching and in a freezing waiting room.

Whimpering old men being completely overtaken by their Alzheimer's.

Vomiting children.

Bleeding Fingers.

Ugly loud sagging losers who were obviously constantly there.

Begging for attention with some new ailment and concern.

Their broken humilated spouse at their side.

I was anxious and horrified by the idea of a potential forced or even voluntary intake to a psychiatric facility.

Surrending my freedom.

Surrender of my routines.

After six hours of constantly reassuring myself I was doing the right thing, I was finally seen.

Led down a hallway into a bare concrete cell with a small bed in the center. Dim lights. scratches on the drab walls.

Grates in the floor to catch whatever bodily fluids they have to hose out of there.

One of the walls was one of those steel doors that the corner store pulls down at the end of the night. Not sure what that was about.

Empty though.

A bed and a chair.

Somebody had carved "slipknot sucks" into the plastic bed that was bolted to the floor.

Seems fitting.

You're the same, you're basically just a stupid fucking sad teenager right now.

You're pathetic.

Good luck getting better idiot.

I was given a gown and my belongings were inventoried and confiscated.

I sat and waited in my gown.

Eventually, Two skittish nurses and some community college educated social worker baby-talked their questions to me as a lurching police officer glared at me disgustedly over their shoulders.

I'd chosen to go in at a time where I was feeling okay so i would be fully able to articulate and describe the symptoms I was experiencing so I could potentially receive the most accurate treatment. I thought that made the most sense.

I didn't want to wait until I was in the midst of some anxious episode and having to hyperventilate my troubles out thru a salty humiliated fog. I thought that made the most sense.

I sat and calmy described my symptoms.

I tried to convey how terrified i was.

I tried to tell them i couldnt do it anymore.

This was received with a couple bored nods and sparse notes being jotted down on a clipboard.

Eventually i was hurried along and any complexity of my disease was all quickly reduced to two simple questions:

"Are you suicidal? Do you wanna hurt anyone else?"

No.

No I don't. I can't think of anything I wanna do less than die, I can't think of anything that frightens me or gives me more anxiety than the uncertainty of what happens when you die.

No.

No I don't actively want to hurt anyone, to be honest, the fact that I voluntarily came in here could be seen as an indication that I'm absolutely exhausted and desperate to stop hurting myself and everyone else by not confronting this shit for so long. wrong answer.

I was discharged. handed back my clothes, given a xeroxed list of some websites about suicide prevention and a "feel better" or some other equally patronizing verbal pat on the back.

Back right where I started.

Nobody is gonna help me.

Our current mental healthcare system is absolute shit.

Absolute shit that absolutely incentivizes violence and self harm by categorizing it as the sole interpretation of "severity" worth treating.

By making the idea of treatment feel so utterly hopeless to people who already exist and drown in their hopelessness.

Fuck your resources. Fuck being understaffed. Fuck your stupid priorities. You're incompetent .

Here let me clear out some space for you. Free up some of your time. Empty some rooms.

On hurting yourself:

This is a complex issue, but to briefly put it, I believe a suicidal individual should not only be afforded that right, but after some legislatively decided period of time and therapy and education to ward off impulsiveness and melodrama, the same way they treat anybody undergoing assisted suicide. A process. they should be given a safe clean environment and chemicals to facilitate their decision, no matter the reasoning. grow up.

On hurting someone else: This is not a complex issue. As far as recidivist violent degenerate squealing psychopaths...rabid dogs just need a bullet to the head.

I've read old yeller.

They dont care. Neither do I.

boo hoo.

Conversely: lock them in a room and keep them safe.

Is this really that hard?

"Are you an immediate threat to yourself or others are you?"

How about instead of prioritizing that question we focus more on:

"Im so tired and exhausted of constantly hurting myself and everyone around me"

Be passing over someone like me, a person who, on their own volition, came to you for help. A person who desperately wants help. You are simply and plainly creating more and more and more people who will eventually be slobbering immediate threats to themselves and all of mankind.

It creates that understanding.

In an already fractured damaged mind it is an entirely reasonable assertion that you would potentially have to commit an act of violence against yourself or others just to receive treatment. even if you didn't want to.

even if that wasn't a real compulsion.

a last resort.

This system has a very real potential to turn people who voluntarily seek help, people who aren't yet completely overtaken by their illness, into violent suicidal monsters because you are dangling their own treatment on a string in front of them, scoffing at their pitiful attempt at recovery and demanding they need to do more.

"well shit, if you want help yr gonna have to try a lot harder than that buddy, haha, comeback after you snapped a random person's neck in a grocery store and cut off all the fingers on your left hand with some scissors, fucking poser".

I'll get better one day.

Not today.

Maybe I'll have fingers.

Maybe I won't."

thanks for the well wishes.

i'm fine.

i'm just angry.

i'm not the only person dealing with this and i've lived a full, somewhat interesting life.

i hate that you are dealing with this."

Original FB post: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1429596597085116&id=185965628114892

Hope he gets some proper help soon, sad to see someone with a genuine condition fall through the cracks like this

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[FRESH VIDEO] BADBADNOTGOOD: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - [21:28]

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[FRESH] Royce 5'9" - Lets Take Them to War (Freestyle)

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C U L T U R E Pitchfork Review Best New Music

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Freddie Gibbs - 10 Times (feat. Gucci Mane & E-40)

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[FRESH] Desiigner premieres Outlet on Instagram Live (starts at 2:10)

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Lil Yachty x A$AP Ferg - Terminator

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Kid Cudi - Teleport 2 Me, Jamie (Happy Bday Cudder!)

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[FRESH VIDEO] Gallant: Tiny Desk Concert Featuring Saba

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[FRESH] Future - 25 Squares (ft. Big Bank Black)

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[FRESH] Juvenile & Young Thug - Red Sox

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[SEASON TWO] Marvel Hip-Hop Variants - February 2017

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 02:27 PM PST

Welcome to month five of the Marvel Hip-Hop Variants thread - Season Two

This month has five of the most diverse covers out there but honestly seems to be the most fitting selection of choices to date.

As always, before we begin I'd just like to thank each and everybody here who takes part in these threads. It's good to see everyone reacting so well and genuinely like the discussion that takes place.

That being said, If you enjoy them and would like to see these grown, I would appreciate it if you would consider upvoting this for visibility. Thank you.

But enough with the formalities, let's get onto why you're really here.

This month's releases include...

This week (1st February 2017) features...

Bullseye x Vic Mensa

Artist: Tim Bradstreet

Price: $4.99

Monster's Unleashed #2 x El-P

Note: Sorry, 2DBZ didn't have a comparison gif for this one.

Artist: Jeffrey Veregge

Price: $4.99

Next Week (8th February 2017) features...

Kingpin x Killer Mike

Artist: J. Totino Tedesco

Price: $3.99

15th February 2017 features...

Monster's Unleashed x Sean Price

Artist: David Williams

Price: $4.99

22nd February 2017 features...

Elektra x Jay-Z

Artist: Keron Grant

Price: $3.99

For a sneak preview of whats still to come, check out the comparison calendar available here.

Want to sample the performers who inspired these covers? Try this month's playlist on Spotify.

These will be available from this the dates listed above in comic book stores worldwide, however if you have difficulty looking for them you may be able to find them through many online stores, such as...

For US & Canadian readers:

http://www.midtowncomics.com/

Prices may be available at a further discount if purchased via Midtown Comics app. Available on iOS and Android.

(Credit to /u/chynkeyez)

http://mmcomics.com/ (Credit to /u/stoneasaurusrex)

http://blackmedicinecomics.com/ (Credit to /u/ThePriceIsRight1988)

http://www.dreamlandcomics.com/ (Credit to /u/chynkeyez)

For European readers:

https://forbiddenplanet.com/ (Credit to /u/chuluo)

For all markets:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/A-PLACE-IN-SPACE (Credit to /u/TheInfinityGauntlet)

See ya's in a month.

Happy Hunting

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Daily Discussion Thread 01/30/2017

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 07:31 AM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

  • If a question has been asked many times before, provide a link to a thread that contains the answer.

Other ways to interact

There are a number of other ways to interact with other members of HHH:

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[FRESH VIDEO] Kevin Abstract - Helmet Boy

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 08:00 PM PST

Is Lil Yachty Killing Hip-Hop? | AskDEHH w/ Sophie

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 04:06 PM PST
at

Album of the Year #20: Ty Dolla $ign - Campaign - HipHop

Album of the Year #20: Ty Dolla $ign - Campaign - HipHop

Album of the Year #20: Ty Dolla $ign - Campaign

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 05:50 AM PST

Ty Dolla $ign - Campaign

Listen:

Youtube

Spotify

Apple Music

Google Play

Artist and Album Background

2014 XXL Freshman Ty Dolla $ign is best known for his blend of hip-hop and contemporary RnB, while still staying distinct from the "OVO sound" that Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor, and Roy Woods have.

Tyrone William Griffin Jr. was born to a member of the band Lakeside, which invited him into the world of soul music. He grew up in south central LA and joined the Bloods, but his brother Big TC was a Crip. You can clearly hear both of these influences in his music.

Gaining fame after YG's 2011 hit single "Toot It and Boot It", Ty$ quickly gained fame with his new production team, D.R.U.G.S., featuring the likes of DJ Mustard, DJ Dahi, Fuego, Chordz 3D, the late G Casso, and Nate 3D. This brought him to a new deal with Atlantic Records, and helped bring about his first major mixtape, Beach House. Less than a year later, he would make vast improvements with the mixtape's sequel, Beach House 2, and would sign to Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records and tour with Wiz and A$AP Rocky. Ty$'s own singles brought him further into the limelight, with great hits such as "Or Nah" feat The Weeknd, DJ Mustard, and Wiz Khalifa and "Paranoid" feat B.o.B. Soon, he would release Beach House EP and Airplane Mode, two projects to lead up to his debut album, Free TC.

The debut shows a a change in direction from his usual work, with more focus on the RnB component of his style, leading to a strong hand in both the trap fan's library and the RnB lover's.

This leads us to his Campaign, his first project after his debut album.

Review by /u/EvilBosom

Released in the midst of the US election season in September 23, 2016. The mixtape is peppered with the views of Ty$ and his friends on the election campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, however it's not's the main theme of the project. Ty Dolla $ign continues with his usual subjects of women and sex, while surprising us at times with a heavy track about police injustice. The mixtape shines in its production, which is typically upbeat and dynamic. Ty$ and the producers can seamlessly pump you up in one song and mellow you out in the next. All the while, the main artist adds succulent, rich vocals that can be added to anything - it's versatile. And for the most part, the features all add to the experience rather than detract. Migos, Meek Mill, Trey Songz, Future, and more all add something to the mixtape without stealing the show (perhaps with the exception of Migos, very strong verses by them!). Let's look at it track by track

$Intro

The album starts off with two separate speakers, in what's almost a combination of spoken word poetry and a conversation. We get such lines as

Damn bullets don't got no name, we all getting slain. And if we fighting each other we all got stains. It's election season, we all got names, I lost a brother too, we all got pain. But if we ain't voting, we all got blame.

and

We standing strong, we moving forward, we ain't backing down. The time is now like no other. Tell my sisters, my brothers, love one another. Be there for each other. It's easy to quit, say no, to turn the other cheek.

We hear a little bit about the connections of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but really you can see from the intro that it's more about the fact that the fiery political season has inspired a lot of emotions and that's the crux of the work.

$

Jahaan Sweet comes in with smooth production that lets Ty$ make his entrance. He's braggadocious, and letting you know who you're listening to with an absolute punch.

Campaign

Title track, lead single, Future feature, and D.R.U.G.S. production all come together for Ty$'s first big hype track since Blase.

??? (Where)

One of my favorite tracks, we get Ty Dolla $ign's fast melody lacing a DJ Spinz beat (You may know him from Blase's beat or Fuck Up Some Commas). But we also get blessed with some Migos verses, with rich, fast, rhythmic rapping that is characteristic of their style.

3 Wayz

Hit-Boy produces this nice trap track that benefits from Ty$'s slower, gravelier singing with Travis Scott coming in for the higher notes. Although I think this would benefit from a change in beat to better suit Travis's vocals and to get a better atmosphere for the slower tempo, however all that said it fits nicely with the rest of the album and I won't knock it.

Juice

The vibes pick way back up for this track, and it just sounds fun. B-Ham produced an uptempo, guitar-filled track with some nice trap-style hi hats that give it the signature Ty$ flavor.

Zaddy

Like 3 Wayz, we return to a bit slower, bit gruffer track that explodes into some good-ass singing near the end of the verses. He comes in with energy at times as a nice contrast tot he otherwise held back singing. And I'll be honest the Jay 305 outro is forgettable, but I think it at least fits the theme.

Hello

Might be my favorite track, the singing on here is just top notch, over a very bouncy beat that you can't help but get stuck in your head. Props to Allen Ritter for this beat, it's perfect for Dolla $ign and is incredibly captivating.

R&B

If you're a fan of R&B, you're well aware that the genre tends to be seductive as fuck. This is an ode to R&B and the ladies that want to listen to it with you. In looking this up, I found that it was produced by Zaytoven, and you just would not guess that. He can be a very flexible producer.

Stealing

This is the first track that fully breaks away from the trap style of production employed before. We get a beat almost entirely composed of guitars, violins, and a bass. It's accompanied by his silky smooth singing and ends with some birds chirping. It's an incredibly beautiful song, even if not that deep.

Clean

We return with the hyper produced Ty$ on this track, with a bit of an altered voice on a nice beat punctuated with some great drums and smoothed out with some synth. It's a self produced track with some help from Ali P.

My Song

I kind of think of this as R&B 2.0, in reference to his other track. Whereas previously we see him attracted to the fact the girl loves a variety of artists that Ty$ has grown up on, here this is a song about having sex with someone to your own music. The beat is juicy AF, and is self produced with some help D'Mile and ISM.

Pu$$y

Admittedly, this song makes me a little bit uncomfortable, with lines like

Whose is it, huh? / Tell me whose is it, hey / Who else put it on you / Have you leaking like a lake? / I'm the one you call when them other niggas play / Cause at the end of the day / It's still my pussy, my pussy, my pussy / My pussy, my pussy, my pussy, my...

The subject matter is questionable, but really it's still a well done song, and Ty$ promotes the sexual ideals of reciprocity, so that's always great. Trey Songz comes through with his voice too, which is highly complementary. But Wiz just kind of kills the vibe, in my opinion. Bryson Tiller or The Weeknd would have been much better additions.

No Justice

I would call this Ty Dolla $ign's magnum opus. This song is so filled with pain and plea that shines beautifully through the voice, with production that doesn't detract nor distract. Big TC, his brother, comes in with an equally strong opening verse and sets the stage.

Watching

Charlie Heat makes one of my favorite beats of his on this last (almost) track. You're really reminded of what Ty$ is all about with this track, because he doesn't normally do the slower emotional tracks. Meek Mill also comes in with an amazing verse.

Campaign Charlie Heat Remix

Same song over a different beat, you may like it more but I'm personally a fan of the original more. This track loses the highs found in the original, but it is "bouncier"

Favorite Lyrics by /u/EvilBosom

100s make it bounce / I pull it out / It's going down / But I'm just fucking 'round / One night in your town / Then I'm back on the road

  • Off the bouncy track "Hello," Ty$ ends this pre-hook on a strong crescendo. This is a singing based album for the most part, so exceptional lyricism is admittedly a bit few and far between

Like our sex when we play, "Bump N Grind" on replay / But I lose my mind in that thing, I lose my mind in that thing yeah / And I just made a playlist / Filled with all your favorites / Yeah, let's wake up all the neighbors / I wanna hear you loud, yeah

  • "R&B" is a song about the sensuality R&B can evoke and how much he likes that his girl loves it, this song does a good job of also being very sensual

Momma please don't judge me / Cause I'm a criminal / Mom I know you love me / Even though I'm a criminal

  • Again, based purely on singing, these opening lines on "Stealing" are very emotional and match the mood of the instrumental very well.

4AM in the morning, police banging real hard on my mama front door / Screaming open this shit right now / You got twenty more seconds before we tear this door down

  • Ty$ sets us up to a scene that happened presumably when he was much younger living in his parents' house, where his mother, grandmother, and sister were all harassed by the police without a warrant. It's also some of his most powerful singing in this song, "No Justice."

They say that, we all created equal but ain't nothing about us equal / You know that / There can never be no justice when killing us is legal

  • The single strongest line in the entire album, with equally powerful singing. Done as well as TC, who sings the same line in his verse, if not better. Also on "No Justice."

No pecans, just almonds, cashews, and peanuts / Nothing, never mind, yeah

  • I'm pretty sure this is just an outtake that they decided to keep in for whatever reason, and its randomness is not a bad reason to include it as a favorite lyric

Discussion Questions

  • Who was the best feature?

  • Which was your favorite song?

  • Do you prefer trap Dolla ("???," "Watching") or sensual Dolla ("Zaddy," "R&B")?

  • What are some weaknesses on this project?

  • What's your opinion on the name and short skits on this mixtape?

  • Favorite instrumental?

submitted by /u/EvilBosom
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Smooth Sunday. Post Your Smooth Tracks Here.

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 11:22 AM PST

Thanks Mods! I feel fancy with the sticky and official tag ;)

submitted by /u/downtothegwound
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Ethan from h3h3 productions making music with Post Malone

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 03:03 PM PST

Desiigner announces Outlet dropping tonight

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 02:24 PM PST

Madeintyo says he will no longer be using Uber.

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 01:25 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] RiFF RAFF - Aquaberry Aquarius

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 08:03 PM PST

When Wale made fun of his freak out on Complex by making a skit with Jerry Seinfeld.

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 07:18 AM PST

[ICONIC] Cam'ron freestyling while counting money

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 12:56 AM PST

James Blake feat. Chance The Rapper - Life Round Here

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 08:34 PM PST

SUNDAY GENERAL DISCUSSION THREAD - JANUARY 29TH, 2017

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 12:48 PM PST

If y'all eat a steak anything higher than medium rare you're wasting a good steak

Talk about how the pro bowl is infinitely better than the super bowl

What're the chances of impeachment before 2018?

submitted by /u/TheHHHRobot
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Migos - Get Right Witcha

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 06:10 PM PST

LOGIC IS BACK! Game House/Studio TOUR!!!!

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 03:46 PM PST

RIP James Laurence of Friendzone (producer for Yung Lean, A$AP Rocky, Main Attrakionz, Antwon...)

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 08:49 PM PST

Ugly God dropping a new song from the Booty Tape tonight or tomorrow

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 05:06 PM PST

Drake - Find Your Love

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 09:50 AM PST

Roc Nation intern reviewing your music on IG Live! Please submit

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 12:58 PM PST

If anyone is interested in having their music video, tracks, beats, etc reviewed please send up to 2 to floodIGfeedback@gmail.com

First live session will be tonight at 9PM EST - @2Floodz!

EDIT: I DO ABOUT 10 SUBMISSIONS PER SESSION, BASED ON THE TIME THEY'RE EMAILED TO ME. YOUR SUBMISSION WILL BE ANSWERED WITH AN EMAIL FROM ME STATING THE DATE/TIME OF THE SESSION WHERE I'LL BE REVIEWING YOUR TRACK. ALL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE REVIEWED EVENTUALLY! I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.

IN THE MEANTIME, FEEL FREE TO JOIN THE SESSION TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON ARTISTS WORK + ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. YOU MIGHT EVEN MEET SOMEONE YOU WANNA COLLAB WITH!

Sam

submitted by /u/2Floodz_
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24hrs Announces He Is Working On Cruel Winter & Has A Collaboration Project With Hit-Boy On The Way

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 01:34 PM PST

Link to interview on Noisey Radio

Interview begins at 41:10

  • Talks about levelling up into 24hrs
  • anonymity allowing fans to come naturally
  • A$AP Rocky co-sign
  • meeting his producer Apex in Houston at MadeinTYO's show
  • reveals that Apex made the beats for You Know and Love You Crazy from a capellas.

Interview resumes @ 45:40

  • Talks about how he makes music everywhere he goes
  • catching the vibe
  • watching What You Like blow up really quickly
  • working at GOOD Music on Cruel Winter !!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • working with Roy Woods
  • he's dropping 24hits with Hit-Boy

Interview resumes @ 51:04

  • finding inspiration for his name from neon signs in New York
  • accidentally speeding up his music to create the high pitched sound

And that's all

submitted by /u/SoTheFliesDontCome
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Rappers to Watch From Every State in 2017 #9 - NE, GA, UT, NV, VT

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 10:22 AM PST

Hey fellas and ladyfellas, sorry for the late post. The lady and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday and I wasn't able to get to my write-ups to post them.

Who: BOTH(sucks) (Scky Rei and INFNTLP)
SoundCloud
Age:
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Recent Projects: BOTHSUCKS EP (2015)

Songs to Check Out:

Hardbody. Gritty. Grimy. Not words you'd use to describe Omaha but definitely words you'd use to describe BOTH. These guys are dope and have some outrageous energy and talent propelling them forward. I've heard the head emcee, SCKY REI compared to people like R.A. The Rugged Man, Method Man, and A.F.R.O. With a deep voice over some hard hitting production ("New Wave" almost blew out the sub in my car), they're sure to leave an impression.

I don't have a ton to say about these guys, strictly because their sound speaks for itself. Give it a shot. Especially the live version of "Drug Abuse" and you'll get a good idea of what I mean. They deviate a bit from their sound, like in "Airwaves", but as a whole they produce consistent, high quality, hardbody music. Taking more of a nod from earlier eras of rap, with simplistic lyrics and focusing more on sound, their music isn't wildly complex. Shit just bangs. I'd really recommend listening to their stuff with something that has a good bass to get the full range out of their music.

BOTH have been making waves in their hometown, being named Omaha artists are the year and performing at pretty much any and all major music festivals around Nebraska. When they were students at UNO, they seemed to be pretty well received by their campus as well, and are now poised to make moves on a bigger scale. Funny enough, they are one of the only artists I've seen on this list where most of their Spotify listeners come from the same city they do, showing a real support from their hometown. These guys are special together, and I could see them working in well with a WestsideGunn type. Look for these guys to release a new project and start gaining some real traction in the new year.

Who: EarthGang (Johnny Venus, Doctur Dot)
SoundCloud
Age: Early to Mid 20s
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Recent Projects: Strays With Rabies (2015)

Songs to Check Out:

Disclaimer: This pick gonna piss some of y'all off cause y'all get mad at everything

Keeping the trend of great rap duos out of Atlanta going, in comes EarthGang. Appropriately labeling some of their music as triphop, the gang certain seems like it shares some of the same influences as Flatbush Zombies without being quite as edgy. Their sound is more upbeat or less aggressive or less Meechy Darko than the Zombies, which leads to a more accessible and casual listening experience. The first thing I thought when hearing them that listening to them at Midtown would be a blast, and I'm sure it won't be long before you see them get their chance there either.

The members of EarthGang are unique ones. Besides the fashion inspiration they provide via their music videos, they both provide their own spin on songs. I think as a whole you'll see Johnny as the head emcee of the group, strictly due to the time he spends on the mic. Doctur isn't a slacker though, they both hold their own, which is rare for a rap group. Their music is a mix the classic Atlanta sound, with only the most minor trap influences, and funk music, that has made roots in their music as well. This all combines to create a unique sound that is difficult to communicate, so I encourage you guys to check them out to get a better understanding.

EarthGang has already had a good bit of success as a group, touring with Ab-Soul and later Mac Miller, and just recorded a song with Royce Da 5'9. They also signed with Empire Distribution a while back, and have a crazy in-depth Wikipedia article, which is a true sign of either their success or the commitment of their fandom. This group is in a great position in a great city that loves to come behind their artists, I wouldn't be surprised to see them start popping up at venues like midtown in the near future and then start rising more and more in popularity in the next year or two as they start releasing music again after touring.

Who: James the Mormon
SoundCloud
Age: 30
Location: Provo, Utah
Recent Projects:
I'm Not a Rapper (2016)
PMG (2016)

Songs to Check out:

Yo if this isn't the most regrettable and easily expected name of any artist out of any state. Let me be clean on this write up out of respect for my mans.

James is coming out of one of the biggest LDS cities and states on Eath, so it's completely expected to see heavy Mormon influence coming out of Utah for this project. That being said, he's much like Lecrae where he does a great job of making relatively dope music that doesn't feel like you're being constantly preached to. Now I'm not going to say I expect this man to come out and put a hurt on that five fingers of death or nothing, but he holds his own pretty well.

If you check out the songs from this guy linked, you'll see he has a pretty wide range of ability. He works over a couple different styles, and does well over a good bit of them except, oddly, upbeat. At least in my opinion it seems like Treasure is the weakest song on that list. As a whole, the dude is a pretty typical YouTube style rapper. Nothing revolutionary and most importantly not Chris Webby despite your name thinking he might head that way. His album "I'm Not a Rapper" reached number 1 on iTunes a while back and I would expect him to continue growing throughout 2017.

I'd be remiss to not mention House of Lewis on this list, a group actually composing of a solid amount/all of redditors and you might see them popping up around HHH. They seem to get a lot of love out of their city (also Provo) and are an area to look if you're not about the religious themes of James (one of their emcees' name was Atheist, now Rhyme Time), and they have a lot more of a "Golden Era" of rap to them. Some of their subjects and lyrics are mad corny but they are getting love from their city and were on America's Got Talent last season so definitely check them out.

Who: Dizzy Wright
SoundCloud
Age: 26
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Recent Projects:
Blaze With Us (2016)
The 702 EP (2016)
Wisdom And Good Vibes (2016)

Songs to Check Out:

This one is probably gonna get some people hot since Dizzy was already a 2013 XXL Freshman, but a good chunk of y'all probably didn't know that (he was the G Herbo of his class), so I'm rolling with it. To get an idea of who this man sounds like and associates with, understand that he was signed to Hopsin's label before everyone in homeboy's life was rendered incapable of dealing with him and the label dissolved this past year. Dizzy stuck with the same manager. Personally I'm seeing this as a good thing because it means he's able to reinvent his platform and image as an artist, and he started doing that with a tour.

Those of you guys who do remember Dizzy Wright's cypher in 2013 might also remember that he was in the cypher with Logic, and you might remember that if you weren't paying attention during the artist switch, you might have had some trouble recognizing that they actually switched. Wright is pretty similar to artists like Logic, Hopsin, SwizZz, even Ab-Soul on the lowest of keys in terms of sound. He is a lot less of a pretentious rapper and often switches between rapping about weed and his life, putting him in that Mac Miller box of topics. Honestly, you'll probably like this dude too if you like Mac. He's a pretty solid and accomplished artist, there isn't a ton I can comment on him to improve, there's a reason he was featured by double X. However, that being said, he is making a recent trip into the darker trap beats that you'd expect of someone like 2chainz and not Dizzy. It's not great. He does a lot better on the more mellow beats like "Killem With Kindness". I don't think his delivery matches the intensity of the beats and it ends up overpowering him on a lot of songs.

Dizzy may have peaked as it seems a few years ago, but he still has a solid fanbase and seems to be making moves in order to re-establish himself in the game. As a person who pretty much founded Vegas's rap scene, I would be remiss to exclude him from this list, and he has enough experience and acclaim to be able to crack the formula to make himself big again. I'd look for him to resurge in 2017 back up to his earlier levels.

Who: Write Brothers (Devon Ewalt and Dante Davinci)
SoundCloud
Age: ~35
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Recent Projects: Take Flight (2015)

Songs to Check Out:

These guys I'm a little wary about, but there isn't a ton of talent coming out of Vermont or a ton of people even interested in getting into the game to be honest, so I'm going with The Write Brothers. The reason I'm wary about these guys isn't due to a lack of talent but rather a lack of activity for the last 4 or 5 months or so. It looks like they haven't been active on social media or soundcloud in about that amount of time, so I'm hoping they still are working in order to make moves in the northeast in 2017. This is reasonable though for two brothers who live on opposite sides of the country.

These two brothers form the producer/emcee that makes up Write Brothers. Their production is definitely a strong point of the group, and for anyone who makes music, they put all of their instrumentals and acapellas on SoundCloud. It's pretty clear they care about the music itself a great deal and are willing to offer up their resources in order to allow other people to make dope music as well.

Their lyrics tend to me on the more intellectual side, less "holier than thou" and more words on classic pieces of art and books. While the delivery is, for lack of a better word, common white rapper delivery, the production is enough to push their music over the hump into a more enjoyable region.

They may not be producing a ton of music lately together, but you can catch the head emcee, Learic, performing with multiple groups around Vermont. Aztext, Lynguistic Civilians, and the Precepts all reach out to this guy and it makes it pretty clear that he's one of the most well known artists in the area. Whether or not the Write Brothers as a group will continue to grow in 2017 is still yet to be seen, but expect Learic to continue to make a name for himself in the northeast.

For real stop send y'alls mixtape I'm up to like 20 so far during the project.

Next week is the last week for this project for a while, gonna need to purge the trash rap I listened to while trying to find my people for each state from my memory. If you guys have any other ideas for write-ups on anything rap related that you'd like to see, let me know.

submitted by /u/Kaotus
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H3H3 Productions - So Flo Like Antonio (ft. Post Malone)

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 10:17 PM PST

BONES x Riff Raff - Last Time I Checked

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 10:15 AM PST

Rihanna and Azealia Banks Feud Over Refugees & Immigration on Instagram

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 12:15 PM PST

[ALSO ALSO ICONIC] Cam'ron & Anderson Cooper talk "snitching"

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 05:03 PM PST

$uicideboy$ - All That Glitters Is Not Gold, But It's Still Damn Beautiful

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 09:59 AM PST

Young Thug will join Drake's European Tour in the UK (only)! VIP Meet & Greet available now

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 06:20 PM PST

[Original] Future - F*ck Up Some Commas as a Dreampop Guitar Ballad (pzh)

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 03:13 PM PST

Chester Watson - pharaoh

Posted: 29 Jan 2017 09:19 PM PST
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