New Music Saturday: December 26th, 2020 - HipHop |
- New Music Saturday: December 26th, 2020
- Recommended If You Like Thread - December 26, 2020
- After Playboi Carti takes to Twitter to request fan input on 'Whole Lotta Red' deluxe, all hell breaks loose
- [DISCUSSION] /r/hhh predicts 2021 in hip-hop
- Hip-Hop Producer Weldon Angelos was pardoned by Trump on Dec 22. Angelos was sentenced to 55 years without the possibility of parole in 2004 for selling cannabis to an officer three times, totaling $350. Obama commuted his sentence in 2016 after efforts by Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, and others
- Playboi Carti - Sky
- Logic ft. Childish Gambino - Driving Ms. Daisy
- Playboi Carti - Beno!
- Merch designer claims that Xavier Wulf is not paying him and is abusing his dog
- Album of the Year #6: Yung Lean - Starz
- [FRESH] A$AP Rocky Shares “GRIM Freestyle”
- [Discussion] HHH's 2020 hip-hop predictions
- Pharrell discusses Pusha T's beefs with Drake and Lil Wayne
- Daily Discussion Thread 12/26/2020
- ICEMAN by Father
- Dre Dog (Andre Nickatina) - Mind Full Of Hatred
- The Boy Boy West Coast - I Love Your Girl
- 2020 PostGenre Hall of Fame Induction: J Dilla’s ‘Donuts’
- 2Pac - Dear Mama (Live performance)
- Mobb Deep - Streets Raised Me
- Cormega - Dirty Game (prod. DJ Premier)
- DJ Quik - Fandango
- Mobb Deep - That Mobb Deep (Nas Diss) (PD Havoc) (Rare NO DJ Version)
- [FRESH VIDEO] Tinashe — O Holy Night
- Feeling nostalgic The Cool Kids - “I Rock”
| New Music Saturday: December 26th, 2020 Posted: 26 Dec 2020 12:12 PM PST AlbumsPlayboi Carti – Whole Lotta Red (featuring Kanye West, Kid Cudi & Future) Lil Durk - The Voice (featuring King Von, 6LACK, Young Thug, YNW Melly & Booka600) Lil Wayne — No Ceilings 3: Side B (featuring Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Rich the Kid, Euro & Lil Twist) jonatan leandoer96 - Blodhundar & Lullabies Navy Blue - Song of Sage: Post Panic! (featuring Maxo, billy woods, yasiin bey & Zeroh) Larry June - Numbers (featuring Jay Worthy, DeJ Loaf + more) Flee Lord - In the Name of Prodigy (featuring Havoc, Conway, Raekwon, Eto, Busta Rhymes + more) 38 Spesh – Interstate 38 (featuring Benny the Butcher, Ransom, Elcamino, Che Noir + more) KRS-One - Between Da Protests Xavier Wulf & Quintin Lamb - Rude Dog Jay Critch - Signed With Love Tory Lanez - Loner (featuring Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, 42 Dugg, Tyga, Rich the Kid + more) Chris Webby - 28 Wednesdays Later (featuring Pete Davidson, Grieves, Jarren Benton + more) Adé Hakim - The Walk Off CASHUS KNIGHT - So It Goes Tyga - Well Done Fever TOBi - ELEMENTS Vol. 1 (featuring Sango + more) ShaqIsDope - Dark Days Ahead Lil Darkie - Swamp Fat Jon - Tephlon Funk: The Dope Tape ShooterGang Kony - F12 (featuring DaBoii, Lil Bean & ShooterGang VJ) Ufo Fev & Big Ghost Ltd - The Ghost of Albizu Pop Hunna - Mud Baby (featuring Lil Uzi Vert & Petty Levels) Tuamie - Transitions in Writing RTB MB (Miles Bridges Hornets Forward) - Up the Score TWISTED INSANE - THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Chance the Rapper - Chi Town Christmas: A Virtual Concert Film Zaytoven - GrinchToven: Stole the Trap (featuring Quavo, G Herbo, NLE Choppa, Chief Keef, Jack Harlow, Boosie + more) Dat Boi Vic - The Almighty Pen (featuring Che Noir, Ransom + more) Vic Spencer - Rather Be a Real One (featuring Fly Anakin, Monday Night, Jah-Monte Ogban + more) Afroman - Colt 45 Chopmas (Colt 45 Christmas Chopped and Screwed) WateRR x DirtyDiggs - Wizard Of The Crystal 2 Tink - A Gift and A Curse Jay Sean - M3 (The Mistress. Pt. III) Abe Linx - The Devil Is Dead (featuring Che Noir + more) YL - Jesus Is My Homeboy (featuring Chuck Strangers, yungmorpheus, grimm doza, navy blue + more) DeluxeRoc Marciano - Reloaded EPsCookin Soul - XMAS THREE-PEAT Lil Wop - Enchanted Rubi Rose - For the Streets (featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR & Future) Cash Kidd - Christmas Baby Tony Shhnow - Kill Streak Corbin Stumon - Zeus Channel Tres - NYE 2021 (DJ Mix) [Apple Music Exclusive] Flatbush Zombies - Live (8/13/20 Los Angeles, CA) SinglesSZA - Good Days Zack Fox - Marinate / IHY2LN Pop Smoke - Armed & Dangerous (Exposing Me) Rowdy Rebel & Bobby Shmurda - First Day Out Freestyle* Chika - Gold Medals Lord Apex & V Don - London Fog (Remix) [feat. Westside Gunn] Nyck Caution - December 24th (feat. Elbee Thrie of Phony Ppl) Killah Priest - Super Mind G Herbo - Nowadays (feat. Raekwon) Bakar - Having a Good Time, Sometimes Domani - Problem (feat. Olu of EARTHGANG) KREAYSHAWN - CYBER THUG OR WHUT? (feat. GUNGRAV3) Lil Tracey - No License Jasiah - Poles (Pt. 2) Mistah F.A.B., E-40 & IAMSU! - Somuthafuckinloud! J. Stone - Started Wit Nothin' (feat. Nipsey Hussle & T.I.) / Hella Toasted (feat. E-40) blackbear - cheers (feat. Wiz Khalifa) Rob Sonic - Hammer of Chaos Jarren Benton - As You Are Azizi Gibson - Baileys + Bullshit (feat. Shofu) Stalley - Motion (feat. Major Myjah) THE 7/777 PROJECT - Sabbataist Zionist Wahhabi Freemason Terrorists (feat. Chuck D & Professor Griff) RU$H, Neako, Jay NiCE & Estee Nack – Ace of Spades Boys Azealia Banks - Mamma Mia Es-K & The Jazz Jousters - Vibraphonics Tempa T - The Hotspot SIIMBA SELASSIIE - Chalk Faiiry Big Baby Scumbag - Twitter Fleet Bugseed - Merry Xxxmas Sneakbo - Shake Dat Azz KAMI - Unwell Damedot - Pop Smoke (feat. G.T.) NLE Choppa - Protect Stack Skrilla - Target Practice / Blue Fanta Alex Wiley & Xavier Omär - Weight off My Mind FeaturesCamp3 - Basement (feat. Rockie Fresh) Nawfside Sosa - Chances With Love (feat. OMB Peezy) Parkway Man - Neat Freak (feat. GenoDaWave & Babyface Ray) Lil Sodi - Caught Up (feat. Jeezy) Kafani - Bags of Millions (feat. Nef The Pharaoh & 50K) Avery Sennin, Splash Daddy & meltycannon - Dark Aloisi, Andrea Imberti, Avp, Barletta, Daddy Russell, Dj Frenz, Dj Natale, Dj Tilo, EMDIES, FRAMI, Giulia Rama, Guz Hardy & J Luke, HD Life Entertainment, Jean Marie, Joe Bertè, JP Sax, Kaleydo Entertainment, Matt Joe, Mirko Alimenti, Mr.Scarybox, Persico, Peter Torre, PUL.SAR, Remo Giugni, Robert Blues, Shadow X Light, Sweiz, T Guys - Future Kids (feat. Snoop Dogg, Lil Van & Luna Palumbo) K.B. - Keep Goin' (feat. Devin the Dude & Tony Mac) SAMMY LOUDPACKS - Sunshine (feat. AKTHESAVIOR) Last Days - Tradition (feat. Benny the Butcher) Reece Brunke - Why You Do Me Like That (feat. Supa Bwe) Jakesand & Glockboyz Teejaee - Anthem Jbadge - Pain Music (feat. Nef the Pharaoh & Steez) Los G4, KHEA & Mora - 100 (Remix) [feat. Chucky73, Fetti031, Jamby El Favo, Joyce Santana & Alex Rose] PTM Hud & Rylo Rodriguez - Dying to Live JGucci - Better Days (feat. Rylo Rodriguez) Mula - Numbers (feat. Icewear Vezzo) Lil Peedi - Figure It Out (feat. OMB Peezy) Unknown Mizery - Heir to the Throne (feat. Planet Asia) trouble p - The Reason (feat. Drakeo The Ruler) Myke Rob - Fishscale Dreams (feat. Est Gee) Cheque - ZOOM (Remix) [feat. Wale & Davido] G845 - Bruce Wayne (feat. Jadakiss) Klee Magor - Work (feat. Project Pat) T-Rell - Fly Away (feat. Jackboy) Smokeythakid & Waldo - Spend Some TIme Ihaterae - Good (feat. Domikic Fike) Cele0n & Prophett Maine - Everywhere (feat. Kurupt) Champagne Shotta - Fell In Love With a Scammer (feat. Jackboy) Ya Boi KT - Baecation (feat. Rockie Fresh) Calitreeboy - 20 Blunts (feat. Jadakiss & Aquaya) Dezzie & Headie One - Opp Diddy Bop LilJohnJohn - 30 for 30 (feat. 24kGoldn) Giuseppe Guap - burberry (feat. Q Da Fool) King ERA the 1st - The Work (feat. Rappin 4-Tay & Lil Bams) Wicked Righteou$ - Chain Reaction (feat. Planet Asia) * means not on streaming project features are listed mostly just if the artist is recognizable From /u/KHDTX13 (will be updated): Fresh SinglesFresh Albums & EPs[link] [comments]  |
| Recommended If You Like Thread - December 26, 2020 Posted: 26 Dec 2020 10:04 AM PST If you're looking for a recommendation give a description/music link/artist so that other people will know what you want. Example: I want to hear an artist that sounds like old Kanye (you can get more specific but that's enough imo). And then someone will respond with X, Y, and Z You can also recommend an artist/project/scene Example: You guys should check out DJ Mustard's mixtape Ketchup RIYL (recommended if you like) post-hyphy and minimalistic west coast beats. Remember, the point of this thread is to share music, try not to post stuff that's already really popular unless it answers someone's question. Also the more descriptive you guys are with your posts the easier it is to help you find what you want, just stating an artists name isn't that helpful since you might only like one specific aspect of that artist's music. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 10:35 PM PST Playboi Carti's 2nd studio album 'Whole Lotta Red' released on Christmas Day with both praise and extreme criticism from the community. With many favorite snippets not making the cut, today's tweet from Carti asking fans for input on what songs should be added into a deluxe version of the album has been met with tens of thousands of responses. Declaring war against a stream of TikTokers, /r/playboicarti and the wider community went to work to ensure Carti would add only unleaked songs and ignore requests by mainstream fans for leaked songs to be included on the upcoming deluxe. Highlights: /r/playboicarti mods instruct fans to spam likes on tweets and request unleaked song list "Yeah it's wraps we getting a Leak deluxe 😭😭🤦🏾♂️" Whole Lotta Red producer Richie Souf's Discord implodes, contacts Carti himself to clarify songs Leaked song names hit Twitter trending Lil Yachty associate instructs Yachty to contact Carti Carti label artist responds to Akademiks tweet /r/playboicarti reaches 10k active members /r/playboicarti users instruct each other to mass report Tweet replies that requested leaked songs edit: added clarity, grammar [link] [comments]  |
| [DISCUSSION] /r/hhh predicts 2021 in hip-hop Posted: 26 Dec 2020 01:31 PM PST Since a similar thread (made by my old account) is on the front page, I figured I might as well start up this year's version. What's going to happen next year? For example: [EASY MODE] As I said last year, Drake once again breaks streaming records with Certified Lover Boy. It's going to be a typical Drake album, although it'll be slightly better than his last three releases. The features will be somewhat weird. [HARD MODE] Travis Scott's Utopia breaks sales records, but is critically slammed. It is snubbed for the year's Grammys, continuing a long tradition of the Grammys pissing Travis off - this time, though, he's had enough. Travis goes full "fuck the mainstream" mode in 2022, ironically crafting his most beloved album. [NOSTRADAMUS] Kenny Mason blows up to DiCaprio 2-release JID/Taboo-era Denzel Curry levels of popularity with his second album thanks to an Off Deez-esque hit collaboration with a much larger artist, as well as a phenomenal outing on his second project in general. [WISHFUL THINKING] Kanye West drops DONDA in early February. Kanye's rapping is closer to his feature on Go2TheMoon than anything else he released in 2020, and the production and guest spots are, as expected, phenomenal. Kanye's career gets what is quite possibly his fourth wind at this point - before he squanders it by not being able to focus on one thing at a time. [GOD PLEASE] Once again, I ask that Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan finally reconcile and start working on Tha Tour Pt. 2. Also, Harry Fraud lands at least three beats on THE SCOTTS. Please. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 04:45 AM PST |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 03:37 PM PST |
| Logic ft. Childish Gambino - Driving Ms. Daisy Posted: 26 Dec 2020 10:46 AM PST |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 08:06 PM PST |
| Merch designer claims that Xavier Wulf is not paying him and is abusing his dog Posted: 26 Dec 2020 07:52 AM PST |
| Album of the Year #6: Yung Lean - Starz Posted: 26 Dec 2020 10:43 AM PST Artist: Yung Lean Album: Starz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background "If someone's inspired by me, I want them to be inspired to, you know, look into themselves and make music. Make art, and find out about themselves." Jonatan Leandoer Håstad has always been surrounded by mystery. Starting the year he was born in 1996, when an astrologist had a premonition that Leandoer would become successful in music, his public life has been a mix of highs and lows so extreme that it reflects the internet-centric era that he grew up in. At 17, he and his longtime collaborators Yung Gud and Yung Sherman had already helped pioneer modern rap with the release of the Lavender EP in 2013. The music video for "Ginseng Strip 2002", one of three songs on the project, has amassed over 30 million views since its release in March of 2013, and tightly associated the image of Yung Lean with bright, vaporwave-esque aesthetics and Arizona Iced Tea. Titled "Sad Boys Entertainment (SBE)", Lean, Gud, and Sherm followed the Lavender EP with Lean's debut album Unknown Death 2002 and legendary single "Kyoto" that same year, with Unknown Memory coming in 2014. At this point, though Lean was consistently developing his current sound, many felt that a lack of growth had stagnated Lean's career. However, fast forward two years to 2015, where an extended visit to the US to work on music spiraled into a drug-fueled craze that highlighted the internal battle that an 18-year old Leandoer had been facing. "Lean found himself slipping into characters that were hard to shake. He started dressing like a nurse, in hospital scrubs. He began to carry a knife. Most nights the drugs kept him up, so he'd sit out on a balcony, writing a book in his iPhone called Heaven that retold childhood nightmares about people turning into rats — the animal sign of his Chinese Zodiac." The visit eventually resulted with Lean in the hospital after a mental breakdown led him to destroy the condo he had been staying in, and ended in the tragic death of close friend Barron Alexander Machat. This Miami trip served as the catalyst and developing grounds for his 2016 album Warlord, which replaced the bright instrumentation of previous albums with darker synths and almost punk-like vocal performances from Lean across the record. For more on the trip to the US, and the creation of Warlord in general, read this article published by the Fader in 2016. While long, it's one of the craziest stories I've ever read and the article itself is so well-written that no summary could do it justice. It was also around this time that Leandoer found even more room for experimentation in side projects. Under the title Död Mark, Leandoer released a ten track Swedish-Punk album in 2016 titled Drabbad av sjukdom. If Warlord was a middle ground between Lean's older style and a more distorted sound, Drabbad av sjukdom was a complete push in that direction, losing the drawn out rapped delivery that Lean was known for in exchange for abrasive punk vocals. In the time since his debut at the beginning of the 2010's, Yung Lean has had a profound musical evolution comparable to that of contemporaries Mac Miller or Tyler, the Creator. All three artists became popular for their exaggerated personas and often over-the-top lyrics, but transitioned into an oftentimes softer and more melodic style, while keeping intact the uniqueness that gave them a platform to start. Lean's 2017 album Stranger is a perfect example of this, focusing primarily on his time in a psych ward and the vivid hallucinations he experienced. The album polishes the cloud rap Lean has always made to its peak, with producers Gud and Sherman joined by Drain Gang member whitearmor crafting ethereal melodies as Lean reflects on his time in isolation using beautiful imagery that, while straying away from his lyrical style up to that point, fit his sound in a way that made Stranger one of the greatest listens of that year. Earlier in 2017, another side project from Leandoer emerged. Under the name jonatanleandoer96, Psychopath Ballads was released months before Stranger, and gave fans a chance to see how Lean could hold his own when he was only singing, rather than rapping or yelling, which would eventually manifest itself on Stranger. However, the production was heavily focused on live instruments such as piano or acoustic guitar accented by synths, an extreme departure from any of Lean's previous works. Songs such as "Never Again" and "Hotel in Minsk" show off his prowess in this style as well, and he adapted his accent and style of delivery for rapping perfectly into singing. Following these two releases, Yung Lean dropped a variety of singles showcasing a more trap-focused Lean, and collaborations with artists such as Drain Gang Legendary Member Thaiboy Digital and DMV rapper Lil Dude. This led to the Poison Ivy EP in late 2018. The project was reminiscent of Stranger, but whitearmor's production led to more experimental cuts such as "French Hotel", a dance-inspired track that has become one of my personal favorites in the time since it dropped. After this, the album Nectar was released under jonatanleandoer96, a 9-track expansion on the sound of Psychopath Ballads. Yung Lean continued dropping singles in 2019 (including a two-track EP Total Eclipse), featuring a production style similar to that of his friends in the Drain Gang collective. This change in sound was due to the two tracks on Total Eclipse being produced by whitearmor and RipSquad respectively, with Whitearmor being a member of Drain Gang and RipSquad working closely with Lean's close friend Bladee. Early in 2020, Lean rented out a studio in Portugal; joined by Sherman and whitearmor among other close affiliates. After recording about 40 songs there, Lean and whitearmor went back to Sweden and set up a studio on top of an old abandoned girls ballet school in order to record additional sounds. Lean described the experience in a magazine interview: "...me and whitearmor went on to the west of Sweden to record additional sounds. We set our studio on top of an abandoned old girls ballet school that was pretty much haunted. If we listen back to the recordings, we can hear certain sounds and voices that most definitely didn't come from us. It is amazing. This album will be my best work yet, I just know it." Lean's close work with whitearmor, his experimental side projects, the haunting background surrounding the creation of the album, and his legendary legacy as a founding father of a genre he hadn't found the mainstream commercial success in that his peers had all contributed to the sound and feeling of his 2020 project, Starz. Preceded by three singles and a wholly new aesthetic for Lean, Starz dropped on May 15, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review Starz is one of Lean's longest albums, only behind the deluxe edition of Warlord by a few tracks and clocking in at 16 tracks and 44 minutes. Combining Lean's drastic improvement in singing with distorted but dreamy production from whitearmor (the project's sole producer), Starz feels like the culmination of everything that Leandoer has set out to do in music. This includes his discography as Yung Lean, as well as his projects as jonatanleandoer96 and Dod Mark. The album opens with what I believe is easily Lean's most harrowing track, and starts with a 10 second clip of sound I can only assume to be taken from the haunted ballet academy where Lean and whitearmor recorded. "My Agenda" is perfectly named, with distorted melodies surrounding Lean as he delves into a stream of consciousness combining intense and horrifying imagery with real-life flexes about him and the company he keeps. As the drums drop out of the song, the bridge sees Lean transition from a rough vocal mix to a small bridge where his singing is on full display, eventually fading into background vocals to support Lean's rapping. The track is dynamic, highlighting whitearmor's status as one of the best producers in the game as he effortlessly weaves together sound after sound until the picture is fully realized: listeners have been introduced to the world of the album, and it's nothing like one fans have heard before. The follow-up track "Yayo" is a small bit of controversy on the album, with a verse from Playboi Carti not cleared by his label appearing only on physical copies of the album. Carti's unreleased verse isn't BAD (in comparison to his other features this year), but I'll talk about the version without him as that's the one available on streaming services. Lean shows his mastery of melodies over one of the beautiful instrumentals I've heard this year, with everything from his uplifting lyrics to his softer delivery making this feel like the start to a dream after the sonically nightmarish opening of "My Agenda". Being given some of the genre's greatest production and still taking the spotlight is nothing new to Lean, but the way he does this on "Yayo" creates one of my favorite songs on this record and still feels like a breath of fresh air on every subsequent listen. "Boylife in EU" was the first single for this album, and feels distinct from anything that Lean has done before. The song starts with Lean slowly singing over a single minimal synth, eventually adding light drums towards the second half of the verse as he calls to an unknown muse for affection and understanding. Suddenly, at the end of the verse, the entire song goes silent for a second. It feels like the top of a roller coaster ride, a moment in time before the drop throws you into one of the greatest musical moments Lean has ever pulled off. His singing on the hook is paired with an absolutely stunning wall of sound, and the song's juxtaposition between soft verses and a hectic chorus exemplifies a defining trait of this album: the contrast of noise and silence, of roughness and polish, of horror-inspired imagery and romanticized lyrics that fit as well in songs as they would in poems. Up next is "Violence", the second single for the album and a decidedly staggering change in sound that once again highlights the contrasting nature of Starz. Lean is at his most braggadocious on this fast-paced banger, with flexes ranging from material wealth to his influence on music. "Outta My Head" and "Dance in the Dark" are more lowkey cuts in comparison to the first four tracks, but don't lose the momentum they created. "Outta My Head" is a fun, catchy and upbeat glimpse into Lean's outlook on life in a relationship, while "Dance in the Dark" details his and his partner's binge while keeping with the writing style that he's perfected on this record. The next track, "Acid at 7/11" is seemingly named after an experience Lean had in which he witnessed a man split his head open at a 7/11 while on acid. While he described the experience as "traumatic" the song contrasts this, instead focusing on an enjoyable day out with his friends. Friends such as Ecco2k and the rest of Drain Gang (including whitearmor) are referenced, as well as Lean including a nod to his 2016 collaboration with A$AP Ferg, "Crystal City". Lean's use of acid, highlighted heavily in this track, is written as a recreational habit rather than a dependency or an addiction, contributing to the feel-good mood of the song. The album's title track "Starz" is one of the greatest, most fully realized songs in Lean's discography. It's everything that defines this album at the highest possible standard, the slow burning first half melting into a chorus sung first by Lean himself, then by hypnagogic pop legend Ariel Pink(making the only official feature on the album). While this may seem like a sparing use of such a prolific artist, it's executed gracefully and leads into a loud, glitchy outro that drives home the overarching motif of sonic contrast that makes the album so captivating. This track sharing its name with the album makes sense, it's the perfect summation of the sounds and styles that went into the project on all sides. "Hellraiser" sounds in many ways like it could have been on Stranger in a different dimension, with both the production and rapping on the track harkening back to that era of Lean's music. Cocky lyrics with seemingly little cohesion are backed by fluid vocal effects and a beat that Lean fits on perfectly to create a fun, albeit simple banger that works in the flow of the album to kick off the second half after the climax of "Starz". "Butterfly Paralyzed" is the next track, and features Lean sweetly reflecting on feeling love for the first time in his adolescence. Like many songs on the album, it features a simple hook over a distorted break which serves to contrast from the softer, prettier verse sections. However, the instrumental sets itself apart with the inclusion of a guitar in the second verse, making the song reminiscent of Leandoer's work as jonatanleandoer96. The following track "Dogboy" is another sweeter cut, showcasing what might be Lean's weirdest vocal performance on the record. The pseudo-falsetto delivery that Lean uses on the hook paired with a bouncy synth melody makes it the most wholly upbeat song on the album. It's weird to see a song like this on the same album as tracks like "Violence" or "Hellraiser" in hindsight, but the album flows together so well that it's hard to tell while listening. The melody that introduces "Iceheart" almost sounds like a slowed down, darker version of "Dogboy"'s lighter instrumental lead, making it a smooth transition back into the relatively darker sonic space that Starz occupies. Lean uses flows pretty typical of a modern trap song, but they take a completely different shape when paired with the distorted adlibs and expansive beat characteristic of the album. Lean's take on the beat, including a beautiful sung bridge towards the middle of the song, remind me of some of the cuts off of Poison Ivy, but the beat shows an evolved whitearmor that distinguishes the song from any of Lean's previous work. Next up is "Pikachu", the third single released for Starz. The instant I heard this song for the first time in the music video for "Violence", I knew that it'd be one of my favorites off of the album. What I didn't know, however, was just how amazing the full song would end up being. "Pikachu" uses its runtime of just over two minutes to seamlessly blend together the best parts of Lean's older music (namely the beat, whose melody sounds reminiscent of songs like "Ginseng Strip 2002") with the iconic songwriting style that Lean has developed throughout his career. His monotone delivery on the track sounds like a pocket he would've used on this song if he had been given the beat in 2013, but this only highlights how much his voice has matured for the better since then. The instrumental is beautiful, the lyrics are heartwarming and nostalgic without sacrificing Lean's charm and humor, and the melodies on the track mesh with the beat perfectly. If "Pikachu" was the culmination of Lean's career up to this point, "Low" is the culmination of everything Starz was trying to be. This track contains some of his best songwriting, with the first verse talking about the challenges that Lean has faced. Addiction, not knowing who to trust, his influence going unspoken, and how much he's lost are all mentioned, which may at first seem like a confusing way to start a song with the bright production that "Low" has. However, as the second half of the verse begins, Lean balances the lows in his life with the optimism ever-present on Starz. He ends the verse by seemingly referencing the death of Barron Alexander Machat in 2015 as the instrumental drops into one of Lean's greatest hooks. The pairing of a repetitive "Low life, low life" and Lean's unique background vocalizing effortlessly combine catchy with emotionally impactful. The second verse is shorter than the first and includes more imagery, another staple of the songwriting on this album. Overall, the song feels like a trip into the hopeful side of the mind of someone who has been through enough struggle in his life to justifiably lose hope several times over, but who continues to dream about a brighter future. The penultimate track on Starz is a complete shift in tone, so far in the opposite direction of "Low" that it feels like two sides of the same coin and highlights the motif of contrast that carries throughout the project. On "Sunset Sunrise", Lean no longer finds repose in his optimism on this track, and his hushed delivery gives his dark lyrics even more meaning against the haunting synths that lead and accent the track. The lyrics sweetly yearning for his partner present earlier in the album are gone, and the void that it leaves is filled with regret and apathy towards life, love, and any other subject that Lean wanders to on the song. "Put Me in a Spell" is the final track on Starz, and may seem at first like a confusing way to end such an eclectic album. The instrumental harkens back to "Agony" the dismal second-to-last song on Stranger. The sparse lyrics on the song talk about Lean wanting to do better for his partner, and about how he feels undeserving of love due to his outbursts of cruelty. As he sings, the themes of the song come into full view. "Put Me in a Spell" is an acknowledgement that there is a long road of growth ahead for the rapper, but it also acts as a vow of dedication to work as hard as he can for the one who "puts him in a spell". Lean's leading vocal contributions disappear about halfway through the track, and whitearmor interjects with some of the most beautiful synth work to come from a producer already considered as one of the greatest of his generation. The song, and consequently the album, ends with the same piano that has persisted throughout the track, and Lean pleading for his partner to "put it on him". What he means by this is up to interpretation, but it is seemingly in reference to him wanting his partner to put pressure on him to change, which they are referenced earlier in the song as doing. The song fades out, and Starz ends on a more solemn, yet just as beautiful note as the rest of the album. Starz is a coming of age album with Lean as the main character, someone who was faced with international stardom just as most people his age were transitioning into normal adulthood. This stardom cut two ways, just as this album bounces between Lean's brightest songs and his darkest. The album overall, though, is upbeat, focusing on Lean looking back at his past mistakes and learning from them as he continues to grow into the person-and artist-that he has strived to be since he began making music over a decade ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Favorite Songs
Favorite Lyrics "Palm trees, Cadillacs, Ziploc bags She told me take the trash and come over here I said if I die here tonite (I die) I just want you to look over me"
"See, you're a product of your environment My environment's a product of me"
"Got your eyes and your smile, but I don't feel like you See the buildings, they fallin', it's all for her Pledge allegiance to myself, know what to do Pledge allegiance to what we started, it's all I do"
"Hell in me Never lose myself, I lost, lost many things Keep working yourself 'fore you do anything My dreams are in hell, and i won't sell you them Yeah, I lost a friend but we will meet again"
Questions
[link] [comments]  |
| [FRESH] A$AP Rocky Shares “GRIM Freestyle” Posted: 26 Dec 2020 11:04 AM PST |
| [Discussion] HHH's 2020 hip-hop predictions Posted: 26 Dec 2020 06:20 AM PST |
| Pharrell discusses Pusha T's beefs with Drake and Lil Wayne Posted: 26 Dec 2020 10:58 AM PST |
| Daily Discussion Thread 12/26/2020 Posted: 26 Dec 2020 09:39 AM PST Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread! This thread is for:
Thread Guidelines
Weekly/Monthly Threads Other ways to interact There are a number of other ways to interact with other members of HHH:
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| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 09:52 PM PST |
| Dre Dog (Andre Nickatina) - Mind Full Of Hatred Posted: 26 Dec 2020 12:24 PM PST |
| The Boy Boy West Coast - I Love Your Girl Posted: 26 Dec 2020 07:55 PM PST |
| 2020 PostGenre Hall of Fame Induction: J Dilla’s ‘Donuts’ Posted: 26 Dec 2020 08:51 AM PST |
| 2Pac - Dear Mama (Live performance) Posted: 26 Dec 2020 05:19 PM PST |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 01:31 PM PST |
| Cormega - Dirty Game (prod. DJ Premier) Posted: 26 Dec 2020 09:04 PM PST |
| Posted: 26 Dec 2020 11:25 PM PST |
| Mobb Deep - That Mobb Deep (Nas Diss) (PD Havoc) (Rare NO DJ Version) Posted: 26 Dec 2020 01:40 PM PST |
| [FRESH VIDEO] Tinashe — O Holy Night Posted: 26 Dec 2020 11:28 AM PST |
| Feeling nostalgic The Cool Kids - “I Rock” Posted: 27 Dec 2020 12:14 AM PST |
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