Album of the Year #3: Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places - HipHop

Album of the Year #3: Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places
Daily Discussion Thread 01/03/2020
Rage Against the Machine - Killing In the Name
FINAL FIRST WEEK SALES NUMBERS FOR 2019: JACKBOYS' "JACKBOYS" sells 142K First Week (66K Pure). NLE Choppa's "Cottonwood" sells 12K First Week (Less than 1K Pure).
Behold: The 99¢ store version of Rick Ross's "The Devil Is A Lie", performed by some white dude dropping hard-R N bombs the whole time. My friends and I have been trying to find the story behind this for years now.
[FRESH] Antonio Brown - ‎Whole Lotta Money
TA13OO Album Breakdown: Act Two
Stormzy's Own It is the UK's first Number 1 single of 2020: "Words aren't enough, but thank you"
DMX - Where The Hood At?
Future - Wicked
Killer Mike - "Reagan" (Official Music Video)
Mos Def - Auditorium (ft. Slick Rick)
Dizzee Rascal - Sittin' Here
Gucci Mane - Confused ft. Future (World War 3 Lean)
[FRESH] 2 Chainz - Falcons Hawks Braves
[FRESH ALBUM] Salaam Remi - Do It FoR the CulTuRe, Vol. 2 (featuring Nas, Amy Winehouse, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, Boedga Bamz, etc.)
REASON - Flick It Up (Remix) ft. Bas, Junii & Jah The Great
[DISCUSSION] Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons (5 Years Later)
New Music Friday: January 3rd, 2020
Rage Against The Machine - How I Could Just Kill A Man (Cypress Hill cover)
El-P - Dear Sirs
Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U
Boldy James - Reform School feat. Earl Sweatshirt, Da$h & Domo Genesis (prod. by The Alchemist)

Album of the Year #3: Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Hiding Places

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:59 AM PST

Artist: Billy Woods & Kenny Segal

Album: Hiding Places

Listen:

Background by /u/ItsBigVanilla

Writing about Billy Woods's personal life feels like a betrayal, since he's taken extensive measures to maintain an aura of you-can't-even-see-my-face privacy within even the marginal underground bubble he exists in. That being said, the New York-based rapper was born in Washington, D.C. to a Jamaican mother who taught English literature and a Zimbabwean father described by the rapper's official biography as "a would-be Marxist revolutionary." The cultural hodgepodge deepened even further when the family moved to Africa and eventually Zimbabwe, where his father served as a government official before his death and Woods's return to America at the age of eight. These early years have greatly informed his music, and listeners can frequently find references to Zimbabwe and global political history throughout his vast catalogue.

And a vast catalogue it is. Woods began his solo career by releasing Camouflage in 2003 and The Chalice in 2004, after which he joined underground rap supergroup The Reavers, releasing various projects with them from 2005 to 2006. He then formed the always-underrated duo Super Chron Flight Brothers with fellow rapper Priviledge, and the group released a handful of projects that saw Woods coming into his own as an MC while honing the skills that would come to define his later career. SCFB capped their run with 2010's fantastic Cape Verde, the most fully realized moment of the Woods saga pre 2012.

2012 marked the beginning of a Woods renaissance (if obscure rappers that bounce between groups qualify for something as grand as a renaissance). It was this year that he released his first solo album in eight years, History Will Absolve Me to critical acclaim and a promotion from the rank of "nobody" to "nobody but with a masterpiece" (think Evan Dara, D. Keith Mano, etc.). He quickly followed the project with 2013's Blockhead-produced Dour Candy as well as Half Measures and Race Music, both collaborative projects with rapper ELUCID under the moniker Armand Hammer.

Woods and ELUCID had first worked together on History Will Absolve Me, and their chemistry as a duo propelled them into a collaborative relationship that has served as so much more than a footnote in their careers. Armand Hammer released an EP, Furtive Movements, in 2014, and Woods followed it up with his understated 2015 solo album Today, I Wrote Nothing. Woods released another Blockhead-produced album, Known Unknowns, in 2017: Armand Hammer released Rome later that year. Hammer drops Paraffin in 2018; Woods drops Hiding Places with Kenny Segal less than a year later. Fans still reeling from Hiding Places get hit with another solo project, Terror Management, within months. Armand Hammer's last project came out just a year ago, and yet it already feels like they've gone silent on us, lost in the maelstrom of Woods's output. If it isn't already clear, the man doesn't sleep, and in a miracle the likes of which hasn't been seen since the birth of the Christ child, none of these projects has been less than great.

You still with me? Follow all those links yet? Okay, take a deep breath.

Kenny Segal is, comfortably, one of the best producers alive. After growing up in Maryland, he moved to Los Angeles and studied audio recording at the University of Southern California. He began producing hip-hop for the L.A.-based rap collective Project Blowed, whose members include some of the best rappers working today, such as Busdriver, Open Mike Eagle, and Nocando. His fingerprints can be found throughout all of those artists' discographies, especially as one half of The Kleenrz, a collaborative project between Segal and rapper Self Jupiter. He's also produced for Milo and MC Paul Barman, among others.

Segal is the ear behind many of the best rap songs and albums of the 2010s, and yet he's anything but showy. His true talent lies in contorting his style to match the artist he's working with, and a quick perusal of his catalogue demonstrates just how much of a musical chameleon he can be, all the while retaining a strong sonic identity which he emphasizes on his Kenstrumentals series, which can be found on his Bandcamp. On his 2018 solo instrumental project, Happy Little Trees, he gives a glimpse of an unrestrained self, managing to be equally compelling without an MC at the mic as he is with one there. Like Woods, he is a prolific force in underground music: in addition to Hiding Places, he produced the entirety of Hemlock Ernst's full-length solo debut, Back at the House, in 2019. Compare the two releases without any foreknowledge of their credits and you'll be hard-pressed to conclude that the same producer crafted both of them; therein lies Segal's genius.

Segal and Woods have worked together in the past, but Hiding Places marks their first (and hopefully not last) project as a team. Every song is produced entirely by Segal except for "A Day in a Week in a Year", which features additional production from Marcella Elyse Winn. According to Woods, the album had a long gestation period due to both artists' busy schedules, and the time that went into crafting it is evident in the finished product. It should also be noted that both artists released great projects later in the year, as if this masterpiece wasn't enough; Woods went on to release a second album, Terror Management, and Segal collaborated with Future Islands singer Sam Herring for his debut album as rapper Hemlock Ernst, Back at the House. Now, enough preamble.

Review by /u/ItsBigVanilla

To Billy Woods, progression is inwardly focused. As the New York-based rapper continues to evolve and broaden his musical horizons, his projects have become increasingly claustrophobic, the mirror turning further towards his own blurred face. Woods hasn't yet reached the "living in a barn with cats" status reserved for enigmatic loner Aesop Rock, but he's just as self-aware. On Hiding Places, he takes aim at the usual societal ills that have plagued his work for years, but he does so in a way that feels much more individualistic than ever before.

As the album's title suggests, the omnipresent themes of its 41-minute runtime are the things we hide and the places we keep them. Woods treats this literally at times (Houthi's "Moms showed us where she kept our passports hidden") and figuratively at others, such as in "Steak Knives", where his poor communication with friend leads to hidden feelings, the hidden realities of two men. Every song contains at least one reference to something that's been secreted away, but the rapper's greatest trick is his ability to shroud his own humanity under lead sheets of irony and cynicism. For every confession, every emotional admission on the album, there are at least two punchlines set in place to soften the blow. On "Spider Hole", for instance, Woods bellows "I don't want to go see Nas with an orchestra at Carnegie Hall", referring to the legendary MC's actual 2012 charity performances. The line is funny, sure, but it implies so much more than meets the eye: an appropriation of rap, a white commodification of black art, a sense of disillusionment with heroes, a distaste for the genre in its current state. Are these interpretations all correct? Most likely not, but Woods hides them within seemingly innocuous lines at every turn.

Which isn't to downplay the album's brilliant gallows humor. Would it be a bold claim to say that Woods is the funniest rapper alive? His comedy isn't jokes for joking's sake, it's more of a reaction to a world so broken that there's no other choice but to grin. On "Checkpoints", the best song of 2019, he raps "Quit my job to kick raps instead / So family meeting, everybody gotta start bringin' in bread" right before producer Kenny Segal unleashes a sea of crashing cymbals that threaten to knock the track on its ass, startling the vocals into a desperate yell that works so well because words don't just come out of Billy Woods's mouth, they tumble out of it, they leap out of it. It's a moment simultaneously hilarious and horrifying, cathartic and stifled, climactic and inevitable; it's one of the best bits of production the genre has to offer. In less grandiose moments, such as "Bigfakelaugh", the rapper finds out that his insurance won't cover some unspecified treatment and tells his family to "I guess just forget it", letting out an ad-libbed laugh so smugly jarring that you can't help but see the whole thing as some sort of cosmic trick being played on us all. A simple bar like this conjures up images of America, of blackness, of self-deception – what's remarkable is that these themes that are only ever referenced implicitly, and yet they seep into the pores of Woods's work. Someone more concerned with unifying his review might say that they're hidden in plain sight.

And as the old saying goes, behind every great rapper is a great producer. Woods has proven to be a master of collaboration, and never has his chemistry with another artist been more apparent than it is here, with Kenny Segal. Segal owes much of his work on Hiding Places to rock music, his penchant for the power of live instrumentation apparent throughout the project. He deploys these elements sparingly, such as in "Spongebob", where a guitar steps onto the scene like a man with a gun, takes a bow, then reappears again in the midst of a battle between shimmering synths and lonely, distorted bass. The interplay here is crucial: there's a duality in the album's production between grit and glitter, between heaven and earth, and Segal continually creates something just as gorgeous as it is menacing. "Speak Gently" begins as a riff-heavy electric guitar piece, but morphs into something much more fascinating as Self Jupiter's verse crashes into the track, hitting out of nowhere like the edibles you forgot you took an hour ago. From here on out we catch glimpses of pianos, of records scratching, of strings just ominous enough to assert themselves in such a cacophony of sounds; Segal is an expert of balance, and each track is so densely arranged that there are entire lands to discover across his soundscapes on your umpteenth listen.

That Woods and Segal play off of each other is no surprise, considering the quality of the duo's choice in guest collaborators on the project. The aforementioned Self Jupiter verse is the record's highlight in terms of features, not only for its song-altering magnetism but for the rapper's icy delivery; however, Armand Hammer's own ELUCID delivers a show-stopping intro on "Crawlspace" as well, matching the album's tone and themes in lines such as "I reside inside a nigga-rigged time machine / Powered by bones of those who choose to survive by violent means / Plain sight or hiding behind the scenes." The album's most unexpected stroke of genius comes in the form of MOTHERMARY's hook on "A Day In A Week In A Year". Woods has tried his hand at the classic female-singer-on-the-hook formula before in songs like "Blue Dream" and "Strawman", but despite some infectious results, it has never felt like a natural fit for him until now. MOTHERMARY's slight vocal performance combines with Segal's electronic-adjacent production to set a meditative tone that perfectly matches the song's heart. At that heart, I should add, is a tale of everyday poverty and longing in Brooklyn, one of the album's clearest and most powerful narratives.

And it would be disingenuous not to mention lyrical clarity in any discussion of Billy Woods. As longtime fans know, he revels in obscurity, framing each bar as its own story typically independent of each other. Finding thematic connections between lines and verses can be difficult, and it's safe to assume that you're probably missing a few references even after you get to know any one of his albums intimately. His Pynchonian knack for pop culture references that range from obvious to unheard of creates an atmosphere similar to a Gravity's Rainbow, or perhaps a William Gaddis/Joseph McEllroy novel, each project a tome of "did you catch that?" puzzlement that can be either hopelessly baffling or unbelievably satisfying, depending on where your musical priorities lie. Much like his L.A.-based contemporary, Busdriver, Woods asks his listeners to let his poetry wash over you, rather than to search for meaning in every nook and cranny. It's about the sense of exhaustion that pervades a song like "Checkpoints", or the melancholy of "A Day in a Week in a Year", rather than any specific "gotcha" moments a listener has when they understand a song as a whole. Those moments come often on Hiding Places, but only if you give the album the attention it asks of you.

As mentioned earlier, Woods keeps his heart hidden above all else. Towards the back end of the album, he raps, "Really want to keep a secret? Hide it from yourself"; this can be seen as the project's mission statement. For all the deception, all the lies we tell to protect ourselves and others, for all the secrecy required to live in this country, in this world, for all of our desperate attempts to cling to a past that never existed, there's nothing more damning than the barriers we erect within our own souls. Woods raps about institutional horrors – police brutality, cycles of poverty, histories of institutional racism, the fall of empires – but the question this album asks is: what do these horrors force us to tell ourselves? What do we convince ourselves of, what are we conditioned to hide, just to cope with the banal brutality of our own reality? And if we bury these things, where do we keep them?

The album closes with "Red Dust, the project's angriest and most heartbreaking moment. In this track, Woods fantasizes about the harm he wants to inflict on an unnamed subject, harm that borders on and intermingles with sexual desire. "I can't wait, dream about it like sex… I want us to be alone in your home / I want to suck the marrow out your bones / I want to show you what I learned from the worst people I ever known." The song is full of horrific imagery, but the sentiment never comes across as a threat, only a hopeless dream. The target of Woods's dead frustration is unknown, but this expression of hatred is the only verse where the rapper lays everything bare, expresses exactly how he's feeling. It's all here for us to see, hidden in a song.

Favorite Lyrics by /u/ItsBigVanilla

Too scared to write the book, took it put it in the hook

Of a song, no one listened to it, looks like I wasn't wrong

Hid it where they wouldn't look, lookin' like Zedong

Lookin' at Taiwan like "Look they shook, let's get it on"

• "Spongebob"

My goals is limited, just want to be the best

Just something to get from one day to the next

Best tour advice I ever got, "You're better off beatin' your dick"

Reading your Bible, sweat beading on your lip

FBI agents listening, Dr. King motel bed springs, this some freaky shit

• "Checkpoints"

I was in the ceiling when they swept the building

I kept my head down when the cops came for the children

I rode the train every day past that fucking prison

I broke bread with killers and rapists

I got money with niggas you should not leave with a child for two fucking seconds

• "Red Dust"

Muffle, cover the mouths of children when you hear the beast

Shuffle to another door, something scuttled across the floor

Belt buckle whip you raw, stood up all night, every plan had a flaw

Pried every board from the floor, pride before fall but he fell short

Both hands wrapped in gauze, stole fire from God, your lord

And I'm just wondering what she was thinking when she paused

• "Houthi"

Discussion Questions by /u/ItsBigVanilla

• 1) Which lines from Hiding Places have been nagging at you since release? By that I mean, which bars have you been unable to penetrate or begin to understand?

• 2) Months after Hiding Places was released, Woods dropped Terror Management. In interviews, he has stated that TM was much more spontaneous and less arduous to write and record. How do the two projects complement each other, and which one do you prefer?

• 3) Now that we've seen Woods work with the likes of Blockhead and Kenny Segal on full-length albums, who would you like to see him collaborate with next?

• 4) Has Billy Woods finally topped History Will Absolve Me? None of his projects since have quite matched that masterpiece until now. Is it time that we acknowledge a potential new career best?

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Daily Discussion Thread 01/03/2020

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 02:56 PM PST

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Rage Against the Machine - Killing In the Name

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 02:02 PM PST

submitted by /u/Nilbog666
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FINAL FIRST WEEK SALES NUMBERS FOR 2019: JACKBOYS' "JACKBOYS" sells 142K First Week (66K Pure). NLE Choppa's "Cottonwood" sells 12K First Week (Less than 1K Pure).

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 03:49 PM PST

Rank	Artist	Album	Label	Pure Sales	Sales + Streaming
1	Post Malone	Hollywood's Bleeding	Republic	200,000	489,000
2	Kanye West	JESUS IS KING	G.O.O.D/Def Jam	109,668	264,000
3	Khalid	Free Spirit	Right Hand Music/RCA	82,000	202,000
4	Ed Sheeran	No.6 Collaborations Project	Atlantic	70,000	173,000
5	Tyler, The Creator	IGOR	Columbia	77,716	172,377
6	Juice WRLD	Death Race For Love	Grade A/Interscope	42,648	164,076
7	DaBaby	KIRK	Interscope	7,833	146,512
8	JACKBOYS	JACKBOYS	Cactus Jack/Epic	65,688	141,740
9	Summer Walker	Over It	LoveRenaissance/Interscope	14,000	133,507
10	DJ Khaled	Father Of Asahd	We The Best/Epic	32,466	131,717
11	Young Thug	So Much Fun	Atlantic	5,142	131,000
12	NF	The Search	NF Real/Caroline	84,000	130,000
13	Future	Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD	Freebandz/Epic	11,829	125,251
14	Dreamville	Revenge Of The Dreamers III	Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope	23,000	115,000
15	YoungBoy Never Broke Again	AI YoungBoy 2	Never Broke Again/Atlantic	3,114	110,000
16	Drake	Care Package	OVO/Republic	16,933	109,891
17	Chris Brown	Indigo	RCA	28,000	108,000
18	Chance The Rapper	The Big Day	N/A	27,000	108,000
19	Trippie Redd	A Love Letter To You 4	TenThousand/Caroline	14,144	102,707
20	Roddy Ricch	Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial	Atlantic	2,487	100,902
21	Gunna	Drip or Drown 2	Young Stoner Life	8,806	89,955
22	Offset	FATHER OF 4	Quality Control/Motown/Capitol	6,622	88,311
23	Tory Lanez	Chixtape 5	Mad Love/Interscope	7,345	84,313
24	Nav	Bad Habits	XO/Republic	24,000	82,000
25	Logic	Confessions of a Dangerous Mind	Def Jam	24,638	81,417
26	ScHoolboy Q	CrasH Talk	TDE/Interscope	20,479	81,000
27	Rick Ross	Port of Miami 2	Epic	25,000	80,000
28	BROCKHAMPTON	GINGER	RCA	55,428	77,122
29	Lil Nas X	7	Columbia	4,215	77,000
30	Kevin Gates	I'm Him	Bread Winner's Association	14,970	76,000
31	Lionel Richie	Hello From Las Vegas	Capitol	67,256	67,355
32	2 Chainz	Rap Or Go To The League	Def Jam	14,912	64,960
33	XXXTENTACION	Bad Vibes Forever	Bad Vibes Forever/Empire	5,352	64,914
34	Quality Control	Quality Control: Control The Streets Volume 2	Quality Control/Motown/Capitol	2,000	63,000
35	Lil Tecca	We Love You Tecca	Galactic/Republic	4,048	60,777
36	Anderson .Paak	Ventura	12Tone/Interscope	39,000	55,000
37	Lil Skies	Shelby	Atlantic	6,413	54,270
38	Trippie Redd	!	TenThousand	6,662	51,110
39	Beyonce	The Lion King: The Gift	Parkwood/Colombia	12,135	50,976
40	Jeezy	TM104: The Legend of the Snowman	Def Jam	22,112	49,983
41	Lil Pump	Harverd Dropout	Warner Bros.	21,966	45,875
42	Lil Tjay	True 2 Myself	Columbia	648	45,636
43	Lil Durk	Love Songs 4 The Streets 2	Alamo/Interscope	4,000	44,000
44	Solange	When I Get Home	Columbia	12,549	43,808
45	Rich The Kid	The World Is Yours 2	Interscope	1,486	42,323
46	Future	SAVE ME	Freebandz/Epic	5,000	42,000
47	PnB Rock	TrapStar Turnt PopStar	Atlantic	1,750	41,983
48	Lizzo	Cuz I Love You	Atlantic	26,496	41,701
49	YNW Melly	Melly vs. Melvin	Atlantic	1,208	41,533
50	Fabolous	Summertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever	Def Jam	5,424	40,572
51	Moneybagg Yo	43VA HEARTLESS	Interscope	5,000	40,000
52	Machine Gun Kelly	Hotel Diablo	Bad Boy/Interscope	16,000	39,000
53	Polo G	Die A Legend	Columbia	833	38,000
54	Wale	Wow... That's Crazy	Warner	5,683	38,000
55	Beyonce	HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM	Parkwood/Columbia	14,175	37,672
56	YG	4REAL 4REAL	Def Jam	4,041	36,634
57	Mustard	Perfect Ten	10 Summers/Interscope	1,412	36,000
58	J Balvin & Bad Bunny	OASIS	Universal Music Latino	5,517	36,000
59	Young Dolph & Key Glock	Dum and Dummer	Paper Route/Empire	1,997	35,337
60	Kehlani	While We Wait	Atlantic	6,836	33,056
61	Gucci Mane	Delusions of Grandeur	Atlantic	2,196	31,488
62	City Morgue	CITY MORGUE VOL 2: AS GOOD AS DEAD	Republic	29,501	31,183
63	Gucci Mane	Woptober II	Warner	2,584	30,322
64	Lil Peep	EVERYBODY'S EVERYTHING	Columbia	11,317	27,360
65	Megan Thee Stallion	Fever	Certified	3,790	27,040
66	YBN Cordae	The Lost Boy	Atlantic	2,679	25,554
67	French Montana	MONTANA	Bad Boy/Epic	5,510	24,523
68	Tyga	Legendary	Last Kings/Empire	3,501	24,280
69	Jaden	ERYS	MSFTS/Roc Nation	4,558	23,966
70	Nas	The Lost Tapes 2	Mass Appeal/Def Jam	12,489	23,617
71	Lil Mosey	Certified Hitmaker	Mogul Vision/Interscope	1,457	23,365
72	The Game	Born 2 Rap	EOne	4,848	22,979
73	Big K.R.I.T.	K.R.I.T. IZ HERE	BMG	8,914	22,870
74	Daniel Caesar	CASE STUDY 01	Golden Child	1,635	22,412
75	Dave East	Survival	Def Jam	5,669	22,319
76	Young M.A	Herstory in the Making	M.A. Music	5,454	22,219
77	James Blake	Assume Form	Polydor	9,398	21,215
78	DaBaby	Baby On Baby	Interscope	1,268	20,593
79	Tee Grizzley	Scriptures	Grizzley Gang	1,248	20,524
80	YNW Melly	We All Shine	P2019	497	18,948
81	Bazzi	Soul Searching	IAmCosmic/Atlantic	1,387	18,873
82	Ozuna	Nibiru	VP/Dimelo	2,619	18,769
83	Yelawolf	Trunk Muzik 3	Slumerican/Shady/Interscope	12,515	18,767
84	Kirk Franklin	LONG LIVE LOVE	Fo Yo Soul/RCA	14,550	18,582
85	Doja Cat	Hot Pink	Kemosabe/RCA	2,560	18,434
86	BLACKPINK	Kill This Love	YG/Interscope	8,197	18,410
87	Boogie	Everythings For Sale	Shady/Interscope	3,264	18,397
88	Missy Elliott	ICONOLOGY	Atlantic	10,982	17,486
89	Denzel Curry	ZUU	Loma Vista	1,999	17,286
90	Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y	2009	Atlantic	3,591	16,883
91	Kevin Gates	Only The Generals Gon Understand	Bread Winner's Association	3,956	16,795
92	Freddie Gibbs & Madlib	Bandana	RCA	6,535	16,604
93	G-Eazy	Scary Nights	RCA	5,551	16,593
94	Quando Rondo	From the Neighborhood to the Stage	NBA/Atlantic	391	16,346
95	Lil Keed	Long Live Mexico	Young Stoner Life	299	16,311
96	Beast Coast	Escape From New York	Columbia	7,301	16,093
97	G Herbo & Southside	Still Swervin	Machine	831	16,028
98	XXXTENTACION	XXXTENTACION Presents: Members Only, Vol. 4	Members Only/Empire	1,722	15,791
99	Calboy	Wildboy	Polo Grounds/RCA	287	15,775
100	Tech N9ne	N9NA	Strange Music	10,443	15,659
101	Jacquees	King Of R&B	Cash Money/Republic	1,899	14,950
102	Lil Tjay	F.N	Columbia	349	14,883
103	blackbear	ANONYMOUS	BearTrap/Alamo/Interscope	5,390	14,473
104	Ugly God	Bumps & Bruises	Asylum	2,939	13,752
105	JayDaYoungan	Misunderstood	Atlantic	239	13,592
106	Comethazine	BAWSKEE 3.5	Alamo	335	13,420
107	Blueface	Dirt Bag	Cash Money	387	13,209
108	Yung Gravy	Sensational	Republic	4,510	12,841
109	SAINt JHN	Ghetto Lenny's Love Songs	Godd Complexx/HitCo	3,613	12,540
110	NLE Choppa	Cottonwood	NLE Choppa/Warner/United Masters	226	12,426
111	A$AP Ferg	Floor Seats	Polo Grounds/RCA	1,148	12,161
112	EARTHGANG	Mirrorland	Dreamville/Interscope	2,090	11,856
113	Money Man	Paranoia	Black Circle	621	11,849
114	DJ Snake	Carte Blanche	Geffen	1,682	11,698
115	Stunna 4 Vegas	BIG 4x	Billion Dollar Baby/Interscope	400	11,648
116	YFN Lucci	650Luc: Gangsta Grillz	Think It's A Game/Warner	1,267	11,227
117	Rod Wave	Ghetto Gospel	Alamo/Interscope	508	11,157

Top 10 First Weeks of 2019 Across All Genres

Rank	Artist	Album	Label	Pure Sales	Sales + Streaming
1	Taylor Swift	Lover	Republic	700,334	885,349
2	Post Malone	Hollywood's Bleeding	Republic	210,283	492,854
3	Harry Styles	Fine Line	Columbia	385,825	476,310
4	Jonas Brothers	Happiness Begins	Republic	351,495	405,460
5	Ariana Grande	thank u, next	Republic	111,912	354,954
6	Billie Eilish	WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?	Darkroom/Interscope	165,277	307,069
7	Tool	Fear Inoculum	Volcano/RCA	252,120	270,411
8	Kanye West	JESUS IS KING	G.O.O.D/Def Jam	109,668	264,000
9	Backstreet Boys	DNA	K-Bahn/RCA	229,107	236,196
10	BTS	MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA	BigHit/Columbia	195,676	229,775

FAQ:

Q: Source?

A: http://hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming

Q: How is this list sorted?

A: It's sorted by sales + streaming

Q: What are pure sales?

A: Pure sales are purchases of the album (itunes, amazon, physicals, etc)

Q: Where is X album?

A: Only albums that make the top 50 in sales+streaming for their debut week are counted

Q: Isn't that kind of low for XXXTENTACION and Beyonce?

A: Members Only, Vol. 4 and Homecoming dropped on a Wednesday meaning that they lost out on 5 days of sales.

Q: Why do some albums show exact sales numbers while others do not?

A: The albums that do not show exact numbers are the ones that have had sales corrections from Billboard

Q: Where can I find last year's list?

A: 2018 list, 2017 list, 2016 list

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Behold: The 99¢ store version of Rick Ross's "The Devil Is A Lie", performed by some white dude dropping hard-R N bombs the whole time. My friends and I have been trying to find the story behind this for years now.

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 03:58 PM PST

submitted by /u/FlySneedle
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[FRESH] Antonio Brown - ‎Whole Lotta Money

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 08:47 PM PST

submitted by /u/KHDTX13
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TA13OO Album Breakdown: Act Two

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 10:01 AM PST

Act Two

Video Adaptation

Part One

Intro- After his rise to notoriety in the first act, Denzel became plagued with issues he called his "Black Balloons". While he was able to push these issues away temporarily, they return with a vengeance on the grey side of the album, where Denzel's success shows him the darker sides of his friends, his country, and his fame. The album's second act shows Denzel's transformation from a life of excess, as seen in the character of Denny Cascade, into one of anger and pain, shown through the Black Metal Terrorist. This point is made clear within the name Denzel chose for his initial character. A cascade is a process where something is passed on, and the character of Denny Cascade shows Denzel passing into a state of darkness within himself. It also references how the happiness Denzel feels through the excess of Denny, will eventually pass, and he'll have to confront the issues he previously disregarded.

ZUPER ZA1YAN ZUPERMAN- Denzel begins act two still in the form of Denny Cascade, and continues to boast about his wealth and power, this leads to what is, by far, the most braggadocious track on the entire record, "ZUPER ZA1YAN ZUPERMAN". On the song, Denzel compares his rapping ability and success to having superhuman strength, but despite his outlandish boast, there are hints of truth laced throughout his verses. One lyric that shows the true nature of Denzel's position comes at the start of his first verse, where he declares that he doesn't mess with anyone that kills his vibe. This furthers the idea that Denzel, in his state of fame, chooses to ignore his issues and purposefully avoids those who confront him with the truth. Another hint as to Denzel's eventual fate comes from the comparisons he draws between himself and deities such as Buddah or Shiva. Concepts of self-deification and its repercussions are prevalent throughout Hip-Hop, for example, Kanye West proclaimed similar things on his 2013 album Yeezus. There, Kanye openly declared himself a god, and throughout the course of the work showed how despite feeling god-like power from success, he was still mortal. On Yeezus, Kanye chose to mask his true pain in alcohol and money after gaining success, this is similar to Denzel who ignores the underlying issues within his life in favor of a world filled with money and fun. Much like Kanye on Yeezus, soon after his declaration of being a god, Denzel will be humbled through confronting the harsh truths of his existence.

ZWITCH 1T UP- While the cracks in Denzel's life have been apparent on the album so far, "ZWITCH 1T UP" marks the point where Denzel's world comes crashing down around him for the first time. On this track, Denzel details the untrustworthy nature of those around him, and his fears that he'll fall into obscurity . He establishes these themes on the hook, where he compares the switching tendencies found in the attitudes of those around him, to overnight switches of relevancy experienced by musicians. The track presents Denzel as someone who is unsure of much within his life, and is finally acknowledging the issues of his success. Denzel's blissful ignorance is gone and replaced by a scared and paranoid mindset. He details his fears in his verses, beginning with the question of "To be or not to be?". This is, of course, a reference to the classic line from Shakespear's Hamlet. In the context of the play, this line shows Hamlet trying to decide whether it is better to live or die. This fits into Denzel's story by showing that the is contimplating suicide in the wake of the realizations he's had about his life. The rest of Denzel's verses follow similar themes, showing how he feels lost and abandoned in his world of fake friends and paper chasing. One important theme that Denzel introduces here is that of his lost friend XXXTENTACION. The loss of X changed many things for Denzel, who saw him as one of his only trustworthy peers within the music industry. He makes reference to X's song "Moonlight" to show that one of the only friends Denzel could rely on, was taken from him, leaving him with no one. It's quite possible that the death of X was the very thing that sent Denzel down this path of darkness in the first place, and snapped him out of his trance-like mentality after achieving success, causing him to question those around him. While this is a good thing for Denzel, without someone there to center him, he's going down a dark and violent path, similar to the one that got X killed.

MAD 1 GOT 1T- "MAD I GOT IT" is a song heavily linked to the previous track, "ZWITCH 1T UP". On "ZWITCH 1T UP", Denel spoke about those around him being untrustworthy, but here he focuses on the money-hungry nature of these people, outlining how instead of being happy for him, those close to him only attempt to profit from his fame. This is made clear in the song's chorus, where Denzel talks about how those who desire his success are just jealous of his lifestyle. Denzel's braggadocious nature is presented throughout his first two verses, where he speaks on how his struggle to gain fame and success was a long and difficult one, and he now believes that he owes nothing to those who couldn't achieve what he did. However, Denzel shows the truth of his situation, saying that the only reason he's become such a greedy person, is because of all the pain he's gone through, which turned his heart cold. This cold heartedness is leading Denzel on a path to darkness, as seen at the end of his second verse where he claims to be ready to kill anyone who would attempt to take his money. Denzel said much of the same on "ZUMO", but it's only now seen as a serious threat, showing that this violent mentality has been present within Denzel for some time, but has only now come to the surface. Denzel also makes another important reference to the late rapper XXXTENTACION here, and his song "I'm Sippin Tea In Your Hood", Denzel says, "Still in the hood and I still sip tea". While on the surface this line seems like Denzel saying that he's still keeping X's memory alive, in actuality, it shows that Denzel is retaining the more negative and violent parts of X within himself. The songs third verse really puts the rest of the track into context, and sees Denzel rapping about a time when he acted in the same way as those who are now trying to take his money. Therefore, Denzel is coming to terms with the problems of those around him, but refusing to accept that those same issues are present within himself. This is the same type of denial that led to the creation of Denzel's many Black Balloons, and it's apparent that he's only adding onto them here.

Z1RENZ- After Denzel's repeated violent and defensive behavior, "Z1RENZ" gives some insight into why Denzel acts this way. He shows on this song that along with past traumas, his own country is responsible for the way he feels about others. Over the course of his life, America has turned its back on Denzel and his race countless times, and this has instilled a deep sense of distrust within him. "Z1RENZ" is a classic song of protest, and draws from Denzel's love of other protest focused bands such as Rage Against the Machine. Because of this, it's not surprising that when Denzel performed a cover of Rage Against the Machine's 1996 song "Bulls on Parade", he chose to incorporate bits of "Z1RENZ" into his verses. In an Interview with Triple J Denzel expanded on this connection saying, "Everything that I was saying in Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade" was basically everything I was saying on "Z1RENZ" and the reason why I chose that verse is because it fit, and it's just like it still goes on in America". Denzel used "Z1RENZ" as his very own protest anthem and waste no time proving this, beginning his song with an impactful call to action in the chorus. The chorus is written from the perspective of God, and shows him telling those he created not to let him down when they are forced to combat those who hold them back. On this chorus, Denzel is essentially telling those who are oppressed, that a day will come when they defeat their oppressors, but the battle won't be easy, so it's important for them to stand their ground no matter what. The chorus also gives an interesting meaning to the song's title, using sirens as both a reference to the police sirens associated with police brutality, that Denzel will explore throughout this track, and also the call of sirens, mythical sea monsters that would lure me to their deaths. Sirens serve a personification of the corrupt system that attempts to oppress Denzel, whether it be through outright injustice or sneakily luring him into suppression. Denzel uses his first verse to paint a detailed picture of the system he feels oppression from, beginning by saying that despite countless attempts at progress, he's never seen any real change within the government. He instead compares a girl turning gay because of date rape to how minorities turn to crime since the goverment has never shown them true love. It's clear from these first few lines that Denzel has seen no progress within the system he feels wronged by, and believes that since things have gotten so bad, there will soon be a day when the system collapses. However, Denzel doesn't sugar coat the reality that he too is part of the wider system's problems, since he's "never voted" he's allowed people to be elected that have oppressed his community, and through "Z1RENZ" Denzel means to write his wrongs by taking action. He ends his verse by dedicating the song to both Travon Martin and his brother Treon Johnson, two young African American victims of police brutality. Denzel cleary believes that police brutality is a product of the government's oppression and finishes his verse by vowing to take action against the unjust world that has stolen the lives of so many close to him. The second verse comes from Atlanta rapper JID, and sees him using an unhealthy relationship with a woman to represent his relationship with America. JID details the struggles of sometimes feeling like America is on his side, and at other points being left heartbroken over America's treatment of him. He eventually realizes that America doesn't care about him, and sings a twisted version of the Star-Spangled Banner, which outlines America's many issues, instead of the pride he feels for his country. Denzel's final verse further details the pain of his experiences, making reference to the crack epidemic, which many believe was created by the government to suppress black people. While Denzel has attempted to pull back the curtain on America's injustices throughout the song, the final verse leaves him in a darker place than ever before, as he seemingly realizes there is no escape from his oppression. Saying that no matter how hard he works in life, something as simple as gunshot could leave it all falling apart. He ends the track by saying that he sees the devil grinning at him, a reference to how in failing to stand his ground, like God wanted, he's fallen into the hands of the devil.

CLOUT CO13A1N- After being pushed into a worser place than ever before, Denzel finally makes the transition to full darkness in the song "CLOUT CO13A1N". Denzel is clearly suffering from serious mental health issues, such as depression, and "CLOUT CO13A1N" details how, even with his fame that draws the attention of many towards him, Denzel feels abandoned. He outlines his views with the track's title, referencing Nirvana front-man Kurt Cobain, who committed sucide due to the pressures of fame, and linking Kurt to the Clout chasing nature of current artist, who will do anything to achieve fame, even if it comes at the cost of their happiness. Denzel chose to block out serious issues within his life earlier in the album so he could embrace his excessive lifestyle, and because of this he's now in a place much like Kurt Cobain before his suicide. Denzel shows his reality within the track's pre-chorus where he discusses how the pressures of fame are driving him to suicide with the line, "I just wanna feel myself, you want me to kill myself". This line is directed at Denzel's fans who instead of wanting Denzel to seek help, would rather him continue to produce music for their enjoyment. One of the most telling lines of the song comes in the chorus, where Denzel says, "Suicidal Doors, Call it Kurt Cobain". This serves as a reference to the Suicide Doors of luxury cars, and Denzel is making the point that for many who achieve fame, the doors of a sports car, and thoughts of suicide come hand in hand. Denzel reinforces the themes of fame's dark side he's presented through the album in his verses, claiming that he can't trust any of his friends and drowns out his pain with money. Denzel also furthers his connections between his lifestyle and the call of the Devil with the line, " I gotta thank the Lord, I gotta go record." This lines shows that Denzel is being pulled between a life of righteousness and one built off the back of fame and money.

Grey Side Conclusions- After attempting to come to terms with the issues plaguing his life, Denzel only feel deeper into the rabbit hole of success. Now instead of remaining blissfully ignorant, Denzel is fully aware of his situation, but feels helpless to do anything about it. Whether it be from his friends, enemies, or even his own country, Denzel feels the forces of darkness closing in on him from all sides. With no-one in his corner, Denzel will be helpless to prevent his dark and violent transformation into the Black Metal Terrorist in the album's third act.

submitted by /u/Eli081504
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Stormzy's Own It is the UK's first Number 1 single of 2020: "Words aren't enough, but thank you"

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 12:17 PM PST

submitted by /u/TheJeck
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DMX - Where The Hood At?

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 03:07 PM PST

submitted by /u/itsrockysingh
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Future - Wicked

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 02:11 PM PST

submitted by /u/itsrockysingh
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Killer Mike - "Reagan" (Official Music Video)

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 04:33 PM PST

submitted by /u/janggun100
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Mos Def - Auditorium (ft. Slick Rick)

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 07:11 PM PST

submitted by /u/yunglando98
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Dizzee Rascal - Sittin' Here

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:52 AM PST

submitted by /u/Anderrrrr
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Gucci Mane - Confused ft. Future (World War 3 Lean)

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 05:11 PM PST

submitted by /u/ap5798
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[FRESH] 2 Chainz - Falcons Hawks Braves

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 02:07 PM PST

submitted by /u/ad287
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[FRESH ALBUM] Salaam Remi - Do It FoR the CulTuRe, Vol. 2 (featuring Nas, Amy Winehouse, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, Boedga Bamz, etc.)

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 09:05 AM PST

Apple Music

Spotify

submitted by /u/TheRoyalGodfrey
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REASON - Flick It Up (Remix) ft. Bas, Junii & Jah The Great

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 12:14 PM PST

submitted by /u/BiggieSmallz12345
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[DISCUSSION] Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons (5 Years Later)

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 11:24 AM PST

36 Seasons is the eleventh studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member, Ghostface Killah. It was released on December 9, 2014, by Tommy Boy Records.

In a December 2014, interview with HipHopDX, Ghostface Killah said it took about 11 days to record the album. Like Ghostface Killah's previous album, Twelve Reasons to Die, 36 Seasons is a concept album. The album follows the story of Tony Starks as he returns to Staten Island after nine years away seeking a quiet life but he finds this will be difficult to accomplish.

submitted by /u/TheRoyalGodfrey
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New Music Friday: January 3rd, 2020

Posted: 03 Jan 2020 08:56 AM PST