New Music Friday: January 15th, 2021 - HipHop |
- New Music Friday: January 15th, 2021
- 2020 /r/HipHopHeads Awards - Voting Thread
- Ice T via Twitter: Dr. Dre safe and at home, has returned from hospital due to brain aneurysm
- Album of the Year #24: Run The Jewels - RTJ4
- [FRESH] Lil Wayne - Green And Yellow - Green Bay Packers Theme Song
- Interviewing Slowthai this weekend - any questions?
- MF DOOM, Magician of Memory (New York Times)
- Hello, my name is Juhrel. I write and produce my own music. This is my song called Blessed. Im open for collaborations and discussions
- [FRESH VIDEO] UnoTheActivist - Taco Bell
- Man On The Moon III: The Chosen Album Review (Dead End Hip Hop)
- Wiz Khalifa - On My Level Ft. Too Short [Official Music Video]
- Tracklist revealed for Tha God Fahim X Your Old Droog - Tha Wolf On Wall St.
- Tupac's Prediction about the "Sound of Hip-hop" in the future. Thoughts?
- Jazmine Sullivan's "Heaux Tales" sells 40K First Week.
- Partyboy L x AR x Rucka - Bitches
- [FRESH ALBUM] Ashnikko - DEMIDEVIL
- Visionary Seattle producer Sango celebrates Black music of the world and his hometown
- [FRESH VIDEO] Drakeo the Ruler - Friday
- Eminem fans - care to read my article on MTBMB - Side B?
- Rico Nasty: OHFR? - Fallon live performance
- Chip - 10 Commandments (Stormzy Diss)
- [FRESH VIDEO] DaBaby - Masterpiece
- Tha God Fahim + Your Old Droog announce "Tha Wolf on Wall Street" Project featuring Mach-Hommy
- [FRESH] Fredo Bang - Top ft. Lil Durk (Official Music Video)
- Wiz Khalifa - “The Plan” ft. Juicy J
| New Music Friday: January 15th, 2021 Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:39 AM PST AlbumsNyck Caution - Anywhere But Here (featuring Joey Bada$$, Denzel Curry, Kota the Friend, CJ Fly, GASHI + more) NYUON - 4FROMNYUON UnoTheActivist - Unoverse Since99 - CARBON COPY (featuring Tony Shhnow & 10kdunkin) Marco Polo - MP On The MP: The Beat Tape Vol. 1 K.A.A.N - Long Time No See (featuring Dax & Bleverly Hills) 704Chop - Carolina Superstar 2nd Generation Wu - Hereditary (featuring Inspectah Deck + more) Healy - Tungsten Eladio Carrión - Monarca (featuring J Balvin + more) ZAYN - Nobody Is Listening (featuring Syd & Devlin) Ashnikko - DEMIDEVIL (featuring Kelis, Princess Nokia & Grimes) Project Youngin - Bigger Blessings (featuring Pooh Shiesty, Hotboii, Lil C & Trapboy Freddy) Boogotti Kasino - The Gamble (featuring OMB Bloodbath + more) G Fredo - Only the 3rd Chapter SpaceGhostPurrp - Kill Ever Soul I See Mister CR & Westcoast Kreations Presents: Project Blowed All-Stars (featuring Myka-9 + more) Antahlyzah - The Ceremonial Gifted Sleatford Mods - Spare Ribs Lukah - When The Black Hand Touches You not yet posted: wowflower - Abel's Planet EPsGabriel Garzón-Montano - Spotify Singles dvsn - Amusing Her Feeings (featuring Miguel) Cdot Huncho - H5 Deluxe Araabmuzik - TRAP SOUL Pollari & Tony Shhnow - Evil Twins WHITE JOHN - CASE STILL PENDING (featuring OMB Peezy, Rucci & Big Sad 1900) Chavis Chandler - Have a Little FUN, sometime. RAY FUEGO - HEMELSCHIP SinglesJuice WRLD & Young Thug - Bad Boy Lice (Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman) - Ask Anyone Ameer Vann - IDFIATOK Benny the Butcher - Bills Mafia Anthem Ariana Grande - 34+35 (feat. Megan Thee Stallion & Doja Cat) Flo Milli & Kenny Beats - Roaring 20s Family Bvsiness (Crooked I) - Skip This Ad (Produced by Eminem) M24 x Fivio Foreign - Fashion DaBaby - Masterpiece Night Lovell - A Lot (feat. Lindasson & Ftg. Reggie) DIVINE - Jungle Mantra (feat. Vince Staples & Pusha T) Travis Scott - Goosebumps (HYME Remix) Run the Jewels - Ooh La La (Remix) [feat. Mexican Institute Of Sound & Santa Fe Klan] Gallant - Comeback DJ Muggs The Black Goat - The Chosen One Pooh Shiesty - Guard Up YOUR LOSS - Chaos! Bilal & Nikki Jean - Black Coffee in Bed RiFF RAFF - TiPTOE 4 (fea. Yelawolf) Emotional Oranges - Bonafide (feat. Chiiild) Lous and The Yakuza - Amigo (with Joey Bada$$) Retch - Sun Up Larry June & Jay Worth - Dear Winter BabyTron - Dookie Season (feat. RMC Mike) Central Cee - Pinging (6 Figures) Fredo Bang - In The Name of Gee (Still the Most Hated) seeyousoon - Fever scarlxrd - LET THE WXRLD BURN. Ebhoni - Hit This Remble & Drakeo The Ruler - Ruth's Chris Freestyle Tom The Mail Man - Forever Video Dave (Mike Eagle's DJ) - Grift Em Up (Donald Trump Diss) Saint Parrish - Blue Bills. (feat. Mick Jenkins) F L A C O - You Know What BigBabyGucci - Stuck in my System Funkmaster Flex & Fivio Foreign - Game Time Gullypabs X Skengdo & AM - #410 In Spain Ghetts - Skengman (feat. Stormzy & Ghetto) Las Cafeteras - If I Was President (Remix) [feat. Sa-Roc, QVLN, Mega Ran & Boog Brown] Malz Monday & WESTSIDE BOOGIE - Tripping Rich The Kid - Split Lord Jahmonte Ogbon - Eleven (Remix) Jae Stephens - What You Need (feat. THEY.) Masiwei (of Higher Brothers - Why (为什么) Mitchy Slick & Damu - Anything Kenny Tea & Planet Asia - Stepped On Alpaca Rio Da Yung OG & RMC Mike - PoundTown Knarley Jai - Success (feat. Duke Deuce) Khalygud - Modello Top5 - 2 Cases (via 6ixbuzz) Dessa - Rome Body Meat - Ultima Doe Boy - COVID-19 Bizzy Banks - Bless the Booth (Freestyle)* / Bandemic A-WAX & KING ISO - BLEMISH Mo Money - Deniable Philmore Greene & Skyzoo - Time Philthy Rich & Fenix Flexin - Separate Smokepurpp - PIGEONS! White John, Rucci & Big Sad 1900 - Thug Life Jhyph - Rip da Goons (feat. OMB Peezy) Spectacular Diagnostics - PETANQUE / PASS.OUT FRESCODBFLYG – MOB TIES Chey Dolla - Money Ain't Everything YeloHill & Steelz - Strip Russ Millions & Buni - Plugged In (Freestyle) Langston Bristol & redveil - Psa The Bad Seed - Daddy Dearest Substance810 – Fortified Senseigod - To The Sky (feat. Smoke DZA) YN Jay - Coochie In Class / Smoove Back (Austin Powers Remix) / Las Vegas Bronze Nazareth & Leaf Dog – Lisbon Dinners Yung Jinx - Kickback (feat. Ab-Soul) SebastiAn & Syd - Doorman (Vegyn Remix) Wacotron & Southside - Toothpaste KESHORE - Computer Science Icewear Vezzo - 6Print Yella Beezy - Is You Fuckin? Lil Eazzyy - Onna Come Up (Remix) [feat. G Herbo] RoadRunna White - HighClass (feat. G.T., Icewear Vezzo, Rio Da Yung OG, FGB Boomer) Amber Window & Swarvy - A Child Is Born Virgil Abloh & serpentwithfeet - Delicate Limbs (Special Request Remix) Bobby Sessions - Made A Way (Remix) [feat. Lecrae] Westside Tut - Cry Over (feat. Lil Durk) Rome Streetz & VH$ - Bolilo (feat. A.M. Early Morning) Haviah Mighty - Antisocial (feat. Old Man Saxon) K. Forest - Bad Neighbors Jamal Gasol- This Rap Shit Is Wrestling Pro Dillinger - Conan Substance810 – Fortified The Bad Seed - Daddy Dearest All Hail Y.T. & Yosonova - D Mack's Theme Too Short – All The Kids On The Block (feat. Rayven Justice) not yet posted: Adam Snow & youngxdre - No Time Cheat Codes & Bryce Vine - Stay (Blinkie Remix) Jelani Aryeh - Angels Joy Oladokun - wish you the best (feat. Jensen McRae) Tony Njoku - ZORO (feat. Zoro Jackson) Stack Skrilla - Need 2 FeaturesRacci - Pop Out (feat. Young Dro) Fable - Songs from the Gun (feat. Jeremiah Jae) D.Charmberz - Rap with a Legend (feat. Method Man) Whethan & Oliver Tree - Freefall (Tchami Remix) Mithril Oreder, Rappin' 4-Tay & DJ Pain 1 - Popular Demand Young Franco, Denzel Curry & Pell - Fallin' Apart (Close Counters Remix) / Fallin' Apart (Human Movement Remix) StarBoy - Show You the Money (feat. WizKid) Arichussettes & Eto - Spit Nothing But Street Faouzia & John Legend - Minefields (Hook N Sling Remix) JGreen - All On Me (Remix) [feat. Jackboy] 215doubleo - Right My Wrongs (feat. Teejay3k & E Mozzy) Swiggle Mandela - Needed (feat. WESTSIDE BOOGIE, Jasey Cordeta & Kenai) Hass Irv - All Day (Remix) [feat. G Herbo] GR$$D - THEY DON'T LIKE US (feat. Guapdad 4000 & Y2) The Yutes & Curren$y - High Grade Steib Boy Stretch - Floatin' Thru Da Trap (feat. Maxo Kream & Lil' Keke) Mike Knox - Backblock (Remix) [feat. Beanie Sigel, Young Chris, Foreign Boy Osama & Quilly] Baby Shae - Clout Shit (feat. Molly Brazy) Sxtturn - Ella Me Llamo a Las 3 Am (feat. Kid Cole & Clasm Casino) FROZEN4EVER - Lately 2 (feat. DC the Don) Young AP - Drill Tonight (feat. Shef G) LIL CBN - Devon Booker (feat. DC the Don) Dramatik! - Baraka (feat. AKTHESAVIOR) Taleban Dooda & T9ine - Chosen BagBoy Po & Sada Baby - Count Me Out Danny Foster - Don't Call (feat. Lando Chill) Richie Valentino - Tiddys (feat. Jim Jones & Blue Diamond) Frenglish - D'ussé (Remix) [feat. Slimelife Shawty] Big Los - Back To Back (feat. BabyTron) Lifeof9000 - No Where (feat. James Fauntleroy) AcquiredTaste - SNAKES IN the GRASS (feat. 03 Greedo) CxT GZUS - Votive Candles (feat. Joell Ortiz) MeloBallin - What You Tryna Spend (feat. Payroll Giovanni) * means not on streaming project features are listed mostly just if the artist is recognizable the "Features" tab are songs that haven't been posted that I discovered through the feature. From /u/KHDTX13 (will be updated): SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS:Fresh SinglesFresh Albums & EPs[link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 /r/HipHopHeads Awards - Voting Thread Posted: 09 Jan 2021 09:09 AM PST Hey /r/hiphopheads! Welcome to the 2020 HHH Awards! How it worksBasically, you fill in the Google Form with your ranking from #1 to #3 or #5. Each rank has a set a value. A #1 vote gets 3 points, all the way to #3 which gets 1 point (except on project and song of the year). Most forms will have three text boxes for you to fill in, except for song of the year and album of the year which will have five. Please make sure you read the form carefully, follow all instructions, and don't make any spelling mistakes. Please be sure to not put the same album in multiple ranks! Google sign-in is required to vote. This is to cut down on vote manipulation and reduce my workload (that and I'm still mad at the fuck that voted Faneto in every spot over 500 times in every category in 2015). You can edit your response after voting. When Do I Need To Vote By?Take your time, think about it if you need to. The deadline to submit your rankings is Saturday, January 16th, 2020. Where Do I Vote?Categories: Best Project (Album/Mixtape/EP) of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Song of 2020Previous Winners:
MVP Artist of 2020Previous Winners:
Most Improved Artist of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Producer of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Beat of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Guest Verse of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Hook of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Posse Cut (4 or more artists on one track) of 2020Previous Winners:
Best West Coast Project of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Midwest Project of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Southern Project of 2020Previous Winners:
Best East Coast Project of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Project From Outside of the USA of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Debut Project of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Project by a Female Artist of 2020Previous Winners:
Best R&B Project of 2020Previous Winners:
Best EP (6 tracks or fewer or titled an EP by the artist) of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Overall Verse of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Music Video of 2020Previous Winners:
Best Album Cover of 2020Previous Winners:
Have fun! If you see any issues please let me know. I'll get everything fixed up asap. [link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ice T via Twitter: Dr. Dre safe and at home, has returned from hospital due to brain aneurysm Posted: 15 Jan 2021 01:37 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Album of the Year #24: Run The Jewels - RTJ4 Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:55 AM PST Artist: Run The Jewels Album: RTJ4 Date Released: June 3rd, 2020 Listen Artist Background The duo consisting of Atlanta rapper Killer Mike, and legendary underground producer/MC El-P, known together as Run The Jewels, originally came together as a result of Adult Swim executive Jason DeMarco who introduced the two in 2011. After his 2011 album PL3DGE peaked at #115 on the US charts, Killer Mike told Jason that he wanted to make his own AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Jason informed Mike, "If you want AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted modernized, the only producer I know who comes close to the Bomb Squad-level of production is El-P". The duo's chemistry was immediate, as El-P went on to produce all of Killer Mike's 2012 last solo album R.A.P. Music, and Mike featured on El-P's final solo album Cancer 4 Cure. Mike and El's respective albums released within a week of each other in May 2012, and the two embarked on a twenty-city US tour in the following months. After returning from tour, the pair had found a friendship growing between themselves, and made the decision to put other projects on hold and focus on the chemistry that had been sparked. Recording at an upstate NY studio beginning in April 2013, the duo re-appropriated the phrase "Run The Jewels" from the LL Cool J track "Cheesy Rat Blues", and released their self-titled collaborative album, for free via digital download, only a mere 2 months later in June 2013. 36" Chain vs. Pistol & Fist Run The Jewels discography currently exists in a distinct pairing. With Run The Jewels as their debut, this record set the group's tone as a light-hearted, braggadocious duo with as much confidence in their abilities as swag in their punchlines. Just over a year later, the sequel Run The Jewels 2 took the foundation set from their freshman effort and dialed the insanity up to 11. RTJ2 pushed the boundaries of their aggression and flows to new heights; with incredible energy in their verses, and absolutely impeccable beats, blending El-P's signature industrial sound with sharp synth arpeggios, chopped Zach De La Rocha vocals, and absolutely bonkers Travis Barker drums. It was then nearly 3 years before Jamie and Mike followed up their breakout RTJ2, with Run The Jewels 3 being released again ahead of its scheduled release date via free digital download, this time on Christmas Eve 2016. Instead of these two attempting to outdo the pure insanity and in-your-face attitude found in their predecessor, Mike and El decide to evolve themselves as a group. The duo had noticeably pulled back on the swag and dick jokes which made such a splash on RTJ2, instead choosing a more subdued, electronic approach to their beats, as well as a clearly stronger political approach in their lyrics. This change in sound and style is demonstrated in the album cover's artwork. The first two records featured the distinctive RTJ "Pistol and Fist", with the fist tightly gripping a chain. The chain, in my opinion, represents the swag and braggadocio that drove the aggressive nature of their first two albums. In RTJ3 the chain is removed, leaving only hands that have transformed from bleeding and bandaged, to a pristine gold. This brings us to early 2020. It's been nearly 4 years of living in a post-Trump America, and El-P announces that Run The Jewels fourth record has been completed. Mike and El live-stream the first single "yankee and the brave" on Instagram on March 22nd, 2020. Lyrically and sonically, RTJ4 exists as the successor to Run The Jewels 3, with Mike and El again taking the good from their previous effort and launching it into the creative stratosphere. El-P's beats are again leaning towards the synthetic, electronic side, this time with the intensity dialed all the way up to 11. From a lyrical perspective, RTJ takes the politically-charged lyrics from their predecessor, and again, up the ante, laying down some of the hardest hitting and politically poignant bars either of these two have ever spit. Album Review 2020 was a year that none of us will soon forget. An unprecedented global health crisis kept the majority of us inside for months at a time. RTJ4 was announced on May 12th, 2020, with a release date slated for June 5th, 2020. However, with 2020 as the gift that won't stop giving, the end of May was highlighted by the unjust killing of George Floyd. The phrase heard around the world, "I can't breathe" instantly became a rally-cry for the oppressed to finally take to the streets to demand systemic police reform, as Floyd's death was not the first time this phrase was uttered in an unjust police killing. In fact, a 2020 study by the New York Times showed that at least 70 people have died in police custody after using the same phrase over the past decade. As millions of American's began organizing protests and demonstrations in the wake of Floyd's death, Run The Jewels made the decision to release their latest chapter two days ahead of the scheduled release. El-P tweeted, just minutes ahead of the drop, "Fuck it, why wait. The world is infested with bullshit, so here's something raw to listen to while you deal with it all. We hope it brings you some joy. Stay safe and hopeful out there and thank you for giving 2 friends the chance to be heard and do what they love". In line with all past Run The Jewels releases, the album was made available for free digital download, two days ahead of its scheduled release date, on June 3rd, 2020. THE RETURN (we don't mean no harm but we truly mean all the disrespect) RTJ4 opens with the first single, "yankee and the brave (ep. 4)". Using the team names from their respective hometown baseball teams, Mike and El use the opening track to prove that they're not just a hip-hop duo, they're brothers, for better or worse. El-P kicks this installment off with rapid-fire, machine-gun esque snares, matching Killer Mike's aggressive flow and tightly packed rhymes, before El jumps in to trade some dense rhymes as well. Mike and El depict themselves as outlaws, with Mike surrounded by cops with only one bullet remaining. He contemplates suicide instead of allowing the police to take him alive, until El-P jumps back in, offering Mike a way out, with a getaway car waiting outside. This tense situation is depicted lightheartedly in this song's music video, which was released via Adult Swim and features the duo animated. The trade-off between Mike and El's short verses are reminiscent of late-80's EPMD flows, while the production sounds like boom-bap that's been sent to us from the future. This distinctive blend of old-school rap roots and forward thinking production is what continues to separate Run The Jewels from absolutely all of their contemporaries. While so many artists are continually playing catch-up with the latest trends, RTJ are side-stepping the trendy and moving forward with the mind-bending. FLEXIN' (ayo one for mayhem, two for mischief) The second single "ooh la la" samples a Gang Star track "DWYCK (feat. Nice & Smooth)" as the basis for the chorus. I say "samples" as that's how it is credited in the album's liner notes, however it's truly an interpolation of Greg Nice's bar, slowed down slightly, and sung by El-P and Greg Nice himself. El-P is a true old-head at heart, and it's abundantly obvious in his work, even going as far as to recruit legendary producer DJ Premiere to handle the scratching on the back end of this banger. Out of key piano chords are looped to quickly create an unsettling aura surrounding the track, before El-P's voice cuts through the infectious piano like a whip. Pounding, up-tempo drums are introduced after the chorus' first iteration, creating what is possibly El-P's first danceable beat. Lyrically, Mike and El-P initially seem scattered on this track, however the music video quickly makes their point very obvious.
The video envisions a society celebrating the fact that the class system we currently exist within has finally imploded. Money is worthless, and we have rejected the desire to bind ourselves to the constraints of capitalism. All creeds and colors unite to burn the system that has so effectively controlled us for over a century. It's a party, and if there was a song to celebrate the end of the world as it is currently known, "ooh la la" is that song. Mike's last verse features a few metaphors and comparisons celebrating the destruction of capitalism, saving the most poignant for last:
Premo's expertly cut scratches lead us into the equally hard hitting sample flip of "Misdemeanor", by Foster Stevens as the basis for the beat to "out of sight". Lending yet another nod to the old-school greats that laid the foundation for RTJ, "out of sight" samples the same track as The D.O.C.'s "It's Funky Enough", only adding a bouncy, electronic synth atop the inverted chord hits, and uptempo, industrial drums, to create an absolutely infectious groove for Mike and El's dynamic chemistry to shine, rapidly jumping between each other's two line flows in the first verse. "out of sight" shows each MC providing insight into how each of them earned a living and achieved their current status. Mike and El's opening verse each details themselves robbing people in order to eat. El alludes to the fact that he crossed his accomplices in crime for the whole bag, while Mike details the fact his assailant tells him it's an "honor" to be robbed by his mother's only son. While El-P's production is the obvious stand out on first listen, Killer Mike comes through with one of the most sonically pleasing and technically proficient verses of 2020.
The dense, intricate rhyme schemes smack you in the face, almost distracting you from Mike's delivery and blistering flow on the verse; flexing his legendary status while paying homage to his drug-dealing past. This absolutely stunning display of technical skill, story telling, and complex rhyming illustrates how RTJ seamlessly integrates the best of both old school and new school hip-hop. "out of sight" also features a guest verse from 2 Chainz, and he continues to lay the braggadocio on thick. Considering Tity Boi's dedication to trap stylings, his verse feels right at home on the flex track, despite it's late 80's tribute sample, a considerable departure from his usual sound palette. Up until this point, I haven't mentioned any of the El-P's lyrics specifically. El-P is a great rapper, but Killer Mike… Well, Killer Mike is an incredible rapper. He's the guy who draws you in. El-P is the one who lays the foundation for greatness and Mike is the show stopper, and that's generally the case for most RTJ tracks. But on "holy calamafuck", El-P seems determined to make people stop and ask, "Who the fuck is this?!". A sharp, yet nearly minimalistic drum kit backing a heavily distorted synthesizer melody lays beneath rhymically knocking cow-bells. This aggressively set stage allows Mike and El to flex as the dynamic duo they are, until the beat suddenly takes a turn for the chaotic. A gnarled, ultra-menacing synth overtakes everything while Mike screams into the abyss, until a distorted snare, enormous 808s, and skeletal hi-hats cut through and launch the beat switch into another dimension. The minimal, yet incredibly dark soundscape allows El-P to snap in a way I have never heard from him previously. His rhymes schemes are reminiscent of an old MF DOOM lyric notebook, while his topics flawlessly combine flexing, psychedelic use, and his well-cemented legacy in the hip-hop community. Cutting and pasting a few of his bars into this review could not convey a fraction of how stunning El-P's performance on "holy calamafuck" is. Slightly later in the track list, making liberal use of the Ether song "Gang of Four", "the ground below" samples and loops the sharp guitar riff and adds aggressive, pounding drums as the basis for the beat; this is finally reminiscent of the forward-thinking, stridulous production El-P has built his reputation on. Capitalising on the classic RTJ moment, Mike and El both flex in their own unique ways. Mike compares himself to Godzilla taking on Tokyo, and El-P demands respect for his name as the legend he is, threatening to smack dying children for mispronouncing his name with his middle finger to the world; his complete disregard for human life and confidence in his abilities are summed up at the end of his verse.
SO¢IAL JU$T-ICE (until my voice go from a shriek to whisper...) While the first few tracks aren't without their social and political themes, the back-end of RTJ4 is where Mike and El start to bust out the heavy topics. "goonies vs. E.T.". starts off light, with El-P pointing to the irony of how once he finally started to make it "big" in the industry, the world began to descend into chaos due to climate changes, increasingly obvious social injustice, and political madness. He culminates his frustration with our disregard for the Earth with a fantastic quotable.
Mike's verse takes the light-hearted frustration expressed by El-P, and turns the aggression to the next level. Aiming his sights against the ruling class and their society that's been designed to oppress people for profit, who have very meticulously painted themselves as celebrities and idols to the American public. Mike accepts that he will be villainized by these people for speaking against them, but he welcomes the nefarious role, knowing that the working class will eventually eat the rich, no matter how much they are stomped into the dirt. And this is just the warmup. If it's possible for a song to represent a moment in time that captures the absolute shit storm that has been 2020, "walking in the snow" is that song. It's release coincided perfectly with the protests for George Floyd which were sweeping the nation. Killer Mike's verse directly references the phrase "I can't breathe", the last words of Eric Garner, which also happened to be the last words of Floyd as well. The fact that this verse was reportedly written in November 2019 perpetually underscores the importance of the content and perfectly represents how persistent this problem is. "walking in the snow" is a true encapsulation of both a defining moment in time and an ever-persisting issue. But he doesn't just stop at the racial injustice. Mike goes on an absolute rant about the American education system; how it's not designed to teach people, but to discriminate against poor populations, limiting their legitimate opportunities, and therefore disproportionately leading them into a criminal lifestyle. He calls out the media as fear-mongers, and the apathy of the American public in the face of indecency. Fortunately for Mike, by the time we finally had the chance to hear this masterpiece, we were already on our feet, using this album as a war cry to mobilize against a tyrannical government that militarized against its own citizens simply for asking that we recognize systemic racism and demanding change. Killer Mike has the best verse of the year, no doubt in my mind. The only drawback is that Mike's verse is so fucking good that it completely overshadows El-P's, which is also amazing. A menacing guitar riff and haunting synths kick the track off into a bouncy groove, where El-P unleashes a flurry of internal rhymes that does not relent for about half his verse. Even adding layers of social commentary within the densely packed bars, El refuses to quit and continues on his political tirade; criticizing ICE's detainment center practices and the "pseudo-Christians" who support them, with a bar that now lives in my head:
The combination of two of the best verses spit by any rapper(s) this year and production help from El-P and long time RTJ collaborator Little Shalimar, create a bouncy, aggressive, deeply truthful banger. "walking in the snow" not only encapsulates the crux of 2020 with lyrics that will become more powerful as they age, but will also forever be associated with the Black Lives Matter movement and the determination to expose continuing racial and societal injustices. The sonic palette of RTJ4 holds an extremely unique place in El-P's discography. Jamie is the definition of a self-made 90's hip-hop legend. This is the dude who put New York underground hip-hop on the map with Company Flow, and he did it with his unique flavor of dark, noisy, dense, boom-bap. Whether he was doing it with the help of Rawkus, or completely independently during his Definitive Jux run, El-P has never made music with the intention of becoming famous. Funcrusher Plus, Fantastic Damage,I'll Sleep When You're Dead, and Cancer 4 Cure are all highly revered as industrial, technical, abrasive, and completely unsuitable for the radio or a party. The fact that three songs on RTJ4 could easily be heard on the radio, at a party, or in a TV series credits scene is frankly, astounding. In a 2002 interview/documentary on El-P's budding record label Def Jux, he stated that his friend bet him $500 that he could not make a beat that was "happy". At the time of the interview, El-P said that he had not won that bet yet. While I might not qualify the beats on RTJ4 as "happy", if you showed El-P the beat for "JU$T" in 2002, I believe he might have won that bet. Pharell opens "JU$T" with the pre-chorus, spitting varied examples of how we're all slaves to our current system throughout the track, over echoing snares and bouncy 808s before bright synth chords and up-tempo hi-hats burst in while Killer Mike delivers the chorus, pointing to the fact that the majority of the people featured on American currency owned slaves at one point in their lives. Mike's verse touches on the fact that he has committed crimes to get where they are today. Mike is publicly open about his past as a drug dealer. So why is he a criminal, but Benjamin Franklin isn't? These are the people who built our country, and they built it on the backs of slaves. He illustrates this theme with a more recent examples:
When corporations are able to sell cannabis legally, but the government continually incarcerates people who trap, our president is a notoriously fraudulent businessman, and the people who helped put him in power run a pedophile ring, yet none of them face consequences and are allowed to continue to profit and remain in power while people suffer; well, we might be closer to slaves than previously imagined. Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha also makes his mandatory feature appearance at the end of "JU$T". As the only artist to feature on three Run The Jewels albums, Zach is essentially an unofficial member of the group at this point. His fiery verse is spit with the same "Rage" energy that set him apart in the mid-90's, ending the track questioning his place in a capitalist society as a recipe for his inevitable demise, since his "breath", or art, as his weapon to express himself is still being exploited for other's profit. Continuing with RTJ4's heavily synthetic sonic palette, "never look back" features wavering synth leads resting above the slow-jams snappy snares and thumping bass, while a haunting voice echoes in the background. This unsettling aura provides additional gravity for Jamie and Mike to continue self-reflecting on defining moments in their childhood, and as well as how far they've come from those moments. Mike and El are both self-made men, and while they have a certain fondness for those gritty moments that defined them, moving forward in life is undoubtedly more important. Skeletal drums reminiscent of a slowly pounding heart opens "pulling the pin", before rhythmic hi-hats and textured, watery synths fluttering in the upper register resting above a bouncy synth lead, and punchy 808s, burst in. The track digs itself into a slower, marching groove and shows the duo figuratively doing exactly what the title implies. Painting a portrait of a society that has turned on itself, Mike and El are ready to pull the pin and start over. The duo both detail their despise for the ruling class, pointing out multiple examples of how the elite have designed our society to keep poor people in their class. Simultaneously recognizing their own hypocrisy for profiting in a system that inherently discriminates; Mike reflects on his own success, knowing that living the lifestyle he enjoys is one built on oppression, and expresses the guilt that has caused him. El-P opens with a brutal metaphor for police, implying that they're the root cause of the "wretched state of danger" our society exists within, and that the only effective corrective action is to numb yourself with drugs. Despite his advice, Jamie knows this is not a permanent solution, but one that causes more self-inflicted wounds. The final piece of the puzzle that is RTJ4, "a few words for the firing squad" begins to close the album with ever crescending strings, and loud, thunderous drums which never seem to resolve, continuing throughout their verses. While the drums that lead to nowhere can be sonically unpleasant, the unresolved melodies are intentionally representative of their current mindsets. Their verses are reflective and grim, but simultaneously optimistic and envisions a world where tragedy is a less common occurrence. El is grateful for what he has now but recognizes his entire life has been skewed by traumas, so out of place feels normal for him. He reflects on his current success, noting that the worst people tend to end up with the most, which makes becoming "rich" something not as desirable as it once was. Mike opens up about the death of his mother who died while he was on an airplane, admitting his struggles to not cope with his trauma with opioids. However, his wife provides him the most important reason to stay clean "but my queen/say she need a king/not another junkie rapper fiend" while a heartbreaking saxophone solo highlights the gravity of his lyrics. The track ends with what sounds the like wrap-up voiceover to a TV show, a conceptually satisfying ending, as the opening track "yankee and brave (ep.4)" began with El-P stating:
This voiceover paints the duo as brothers on the run from the law and crooked cops, and while this does close this "episode" out as intended, the critic in me is bothered by the slightly kitschy outro to such a spectacular album. The voices singing over and over, "Brave, brave, braaaaaave, Yankee and the Brave" would be, simply put, better left on the cutting room floor. The ending of this track alone is what knocks my score of this album down a few points. Despite its stellar lyrical content, with drums that never seem to reach that "holy shit!" moment, and the easily skippable outro, it's upsetting to me that an album this great ends on such a low note. Overview RTJ4 is by far my favorite album of the year. El-P's cutting edge approach to their sound, blended with lyrical content that continues to be more relevant by the day, the duo have come together with what is objectively their most accessible album to date. RTJ4 is the natural evolution of sound and subject matter for the duo; taking the foundation set by Run The Jewels 3 and evolving it into a more concise, more accessible, and more conceptual album. While I still personally prefer the "fuck the world" intensity and experimental nature of Run The Jewels 2, RTJ4 opens themselves up to a whole new world of exposure, and when you're as talented as these two, you know they're going to capitalize on it. RTJ is currently at their apex, and they've created an album that will make many new life-long fans going forward. 9.2/10 Discussion Points
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| [FRESH] Lil Wayne - Green And Yellow - Green Bay Packers Theme Song Posted: 15 Jan 2021 05:48 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interviewing Slowthai this weekend - any questions? Posted: 15 Jan 2021 11:14 AM PST Hey guys, I just got assigned to interview slowthai this upcoming weekend and I was wondering if there was any burning questions the /hhh community wanted to ask him! Pretty excited to get the chance to talk with him [link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MF DOOM, Magician of Memory (New York Times) Posted: 15 Jan 2021 07:20 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 15 Jan 2021 10:46 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [FRESH VIDEO] UnoTheActivist - Taco Bell Posted: 15 Jan 2021 03:41 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Man On The Moon III: The Chosen Album Review (Dead End Hip Hop) Posted: 15 Jan 2021 11:34 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wiz Khalifa - On My Level Ft. Too Short [Official Music Video] Posted: 15 Jan 2021 05:36 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracklist revealed for Tha God Fahim X Your Old Droog - Tha Wolf On Wall St. Posted: 15 Jan 2021 02:14 PM PST https://twitter.com/YourOldDroog/status/1350187726985949190
All tracks produced by Tha God Fahim [link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tupac's Prediction about the "Sound of Hip-hop" in the future. Thoughts? Posted: 15 Jan 2021 12:27 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jazmine Sullivan's "Heaux Tales" sells 40K First Week. Posted: 15 Jan 2021 03:30 PM PST
Top 10 First Weeks of 2021 Across All Genres
FAQ: Q: Source? A: http://hitsdailydouble.com/sales_plus_streaming Q: How is this list sorted? A: It's sorted by the total first week sales Q: What are pure sales? A: Pure sales are purchases of the album (itunes, amazon, physicals, etc) Q: What are track equivalent sales? A: Track equivalent sales (or TEA/Track Equivalent Albums) is a term used to describe the sale of music downloads or singles. A track equivalent album is equal to 10 tracks, or 10 songs Q: Where is X album? A: Only albums that make the top 50 in sales+streaming for their debut week are counted 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: 2020 list, 2019 list, 2018 list, 2017 list, 2016 list [link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partyboy L x AR x Rucka - Bitches Posted: 15 Jan 2021 02:38 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [FRESH ALBUM] Ashnikko - DEMIDEVIL Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:05 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Visionary Seattle producer Sango celebrates Black music of the world and his hometown Posted: 15 Jan 2021 09:49 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [FRESH VIDEO] Drakeo the Ruler - Friday Posted: 15 Jan 2021 12:15 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eminem fans - care to read my article on MTBMB - Side B? Posted: 15 Jan 2021 05:29 PM PST Let me know what you guys think! Curious to know your overall thoughts on my analysis :) https://writer.celebmagazine.com/eminems-critical-concepts-in-music-to-be-murdered-by-side-b/ [link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rico Nasty: OHFR? - Fallon live performance Posted: 15 Jan 2021 10:41 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chip - 10 Commandments (Stormzy Diss) Posted: 15 Jan 2021 07:12 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [FRESH VIDEO] DaBaby - Masterpiece Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:45 AM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tha God Fahim + Your Old Droog announce "Tha Wolf on Wall Street" Project featuring Mach-Hommy Posted: 15 Jan 2021 11:27 PM PST
Exclusively produced by Tha God Fahim. [link] [comments]  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [FRESH] Fredo Bang - Top ft. Lil Durk (Official Music Video) Posted: 15 Jan 2021 05:42 PM PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wiz Khalifa - “The Plan” ft. Juicy J Posted: 15 Jan 2021 03:31 PM PST |
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