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Album of the Year #10: JAY Z - 4:44 - HipHop

Album of the Year #10: JAY Z - 4:44 - HipHop

Album of the Year #10: JAY Z - 4:44

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 08:22 AM PST

Artist: JAY Z

Album: 4:44

Listen:

Apple Music

TIDAL

Background

Throughout all of Jay Z's past albums, we've come to understand and love this character known for his drug dealing, no-strings-attached sex, and excessive wealth (Jay built his Roc-A-Fella dynasty, became CEO of Def Jam Recordings, and achieved so much more due to his ability to hustle). This character being Jay Z, Hov, Jigga, but not Shawn Carter. Although there have certainly been instances of him being personal in the past (selling drugs to his mother, shooting his brother, feeling responsible for his nephews death, and so on), the large majority of his music has been braggadocio. Magna Carta Holy Grail, his previous album (from 2013), spent almost an hour telling us about his love for riches. Whether that be his collection of Basquiat paintings, designer clothes, or liquor preferences, by the end… well we got the point. Although it did touch on serious topics here and there, it was far from what a 40 year old father would sound fitting discussing. The party-friendly, trap-influenced, attempt at mainstream pandering was about as interesting as watching paint dry. And not even a Basquiat at that.

Now fast forward to 2017. In the time span between 2013 and now, Solange (his sister-in-law), was caught hitting him in an elevator. Then his once close friend, Kanye West, ranted against him. And finally, his wife, Beyonce, made an entire album about him supposedly cheating on her. With controversy at a high surrounding Jay's respectability, everyone was hungry to hear what he had to say. Curiosity began peaking when billboards and sign began appearing with nothing more that the the numbers "4:44". It wasn't much longer until more went up with a date (6.30.17) and a name, JAY Z. No one knew what to expect from a 2017 Jay album, but it's safe to say he surpassed any and all that prefaced him.

Review

10 seconds into the appropriately titled first track, "Kill Jay Z", we're faced with these lines:

Kill Jay Z, they'll never love you

You'll never be enough, let's just keep it real, Jay Z

Fuck Jay Z, I mean, you shot your own brother

First thing off the bat, Jay is dismembering his persona and taking a more self-aware approach. Eric Carter did survive the bullet, and Jay was only a child when this instance took place, but we can see his past mistakes still haunts him to this day. It appears as though he's still learning how to live with his regrets. What makes "Kill Jay Z" so transparent is that in the process of examining his mistakes and how needs to change, he attacks the ego that has helped him to achieve so much. It's only fitting he opens up so much on the opening track. Soon after these lines he goes onto discuss how he must change for his children, his tears, pain, regret, and how the mentality he once needed for hustling is no longer necessary. He touches on his relationship with longtime friend and collaborator, Kanye West, and ultimately we can see they're not in a good place. He ends the song on a few lines referencing how he 'almost went Eric Benét', Eric had continually cheated on Halle Berry, giving us a quick glimpse at a very prevalent regret Jay currently has that we will learn most about on the album's title track. Jay's reflective lyrics flow incredibly well over the soulful (yet modern) No ID production. No ID handles all the production on the album, and each beat is fantastic and perfect for Jay's crafting. His drums, sample flips, everything, No ID is a legend and absolutely kills it.

A smooth mix of piano and vocal sample (of the legendary Nina Simone) begin "The Story of O.J.", before Jay comes in discussing the labels that have been attributed to black people in various places of society. The simply worded hook has so much to offer. It shows that people want to separate themselves from molds, but that despite this, due to experiences related to skin colour, there continues to be a common thread and underlying sense of unity. Jay takes 2 perspectives in order to urge people not to abandon recognition of their race, as being aware will help to bring change moreso. This negative viewpoint of his can be seen in this line (most importantly his reaction, listen to how he says it):

O.J. like, "I'm not black, I'm O.J." …okay

The first verse has Jay speaking to what could represent his younger south and many black youth today. He encourages drug dealers to stop before it's too late and invest their earnings in wise and legitimate ways. The 2nd (and final) verse continues to further discuss how Jay has spent money wisely and also where he wishes he had. Ultimately, Jay wants to help those less-advantaged black youth to become successful like he has, and to live a full life. The goal is to paint himself as a healthy role model but also one that can admit his mistakes, to promote the best choices he can. And for such a race related song, the Simone sample is perfect. "The Story of O.J." is a great song to show Jay's growth in maturity, and the beat is especially fitting to this growth.

Jay's first lines on "Smile" are continuing from where "The Story of O.J." left off, further discussing his rags to riches and wealth. But it's right after these first few lines Jay discusses a more personal insight towards his life, with these lines:

Mama had four kids, but she's a lesbian

Had to pretend so long that she's a thespian

Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate

Society shame and the pain was too much to take

Cried tears of joy when you fell in love

Jay is going beyond talking about the challenges gays face and allowing us to see how they have impacted his mother. Society would've condemned her for being attracted to the same sex. So, she tried for many years to change and act as if she were straight. This moment serves as another great example of Jay's personal growth, as he used to use homophobic insults in songs such as "Takeover" and "N- What, N- Who (Originator 99)". Jay goes on to discuss being loyal, his wealth, overcoming obstacles, Funkmaster Flex, and uses his pen-free abilities to craft great wordplay that Hov is known for. He's showing happiness for his success, for his mom, and for life, which is only right for a song titled "Smile". ID did a great job with the catchy Stevie Wonder flip and the song ends with a beautiful poem from Gloria, Jay's mother. She spreads a positive message that encourages people to be happy with who they are, which is very appropriate based on all she had gone through. I believe it's the 2nd time she has appeared on a Jay album (first being on The Black Album), and is a great way to close a great song.

"Caught In Their Eyes" has a more happy beat backing Jay. He uses his first verse to describe his struggles growing up and paints a portrait of those who oppose him. All while using some great wordplay. For instance:

I seen eyes wide as they're about to shoot

You can be a hairpin off and you can trigger your roots

On the surface level he's describing the ways people lived and how they acted, and beyond that is another entendre about Questlove and the legendary Roots. Another line I really like is:

Y'all body language is all remedial

How could you see the difference between you and I?

The first meaning being the literal, that you can't fathom how many leagues Hov is above you. But also it sounds like the literal letters 'U' and 'I'. Then on top of that, the previous line ended on 'remedial', so you expect him to end the following line in the same scheme. This is no mistake, as 'me and you' could work easily in 'you and I''s place. His change of lyrics makes the words stand out more and is proper English, which could be a play on 'language' in 'body language'. The whole first verse also has a theme of the human body throughout it, body language, hair, his cheek, and at least 3 references to eyes. It's a short but very interesting and dense verse. Following it, Frank Ocean lends a small and curious hook, touching on the topic of Solipsism and determining what's real. He claims he's ready for Earth. Now I'm not certain of what the exact meaning of the hook is and I don't want to take too big of stretches, but it's possible it's too show that the speaker of the song is more real (in a sense of loyalty and principles) than everyone. So much so that he feels as though everything else is literally fiction. Jay uses the 2nd verse to discuss how Londell McMillan (whom he names specifically) screwed over both Jay and Prince's wished in regards to Prince's music on streaming services. Despite Prince giving TIDAL (and only TIDAL) permission to use his music, McMillan sued Jay after Prince died in order to gain full control of Prince's music. He describes the greed that exists in the record industry and ends the verse continuing on the theme of those who oppose him, referencing his ending friendship with Kanye. All of this sounds great over the groovy Nina Simone-sampled beat. I also really like the voice effects on Frank and Jay, it gives a really interesting texture to the song that makes the incredibly smooth beginning of the next track contrast beautifully.

"4:44", the title track to the album, is in my opinion the most important song to the album. Honestly, I hesitated doing a review on this album because doing this song justice is no easy task. It's grown to be one of my favourite Jay tracks and my song of the year. But nonetheless I will try!

Do I find it so hard

When I know in my heart

I'm letting you down every day

Letting you down every day

Why do I keep on running away?

No ID opens the song with an incredibly introspective piece of foreshadowing. From this 24 second intro, a red carpet is rolled out for Jay to give us opening lines that speak to us. And he does so with:

Look, I apologize, often womanize

Took for my child to be born, see through a woman's eyes

After years of tracks like Big Pimpin, Girls Girls Girls, Ain't No N-, On To The Next One, 2 Many Hoes… well you get the idea, he opens up this track with lines that directly oppose and regret such a mindset (and lifestyle). 2017 is the year we saw Jay Z the feminist (at least on this song), and I for one love the growth. Jay not only regrets womanizing, but regrets how he treated his wife Beyonce (asking her not to embarrass him, for instance). He mentions begs Beyonce to pick up the phone and the vocal effect on his voice almost reminds me of a phone call, not sure if that was an intentional connection or not (but it certainly enhances my enjoyment regardless). He goes on to describe Beyonce maturing faster than him, dealing with multiple stillborns (when Jay performed this song live on SNL he actually didn't say 'stillborn' because of the pain), treating her poorly in public, his terrible attempts at being a respectable husband ("I suck at love, I think I need a do-over"), and most notably, his unfaithfulness. As Jay and Beyonce grew apart and desolate from the stillborns, he went to find affection through cheating (I read this in a Genius annotation and haven't been able to verify the timeline so take with a grain of salt). This ripped them further apart, and in verse 3 he describes how a threesome resulted in him almost losing his family (also worth noting it lead to Beyonce's album Lemonade). He goes a step further in his regret to consider how his children will react to these things (seeing the falsehoods in his father as a hero), once they inevitably do through others via the internet or write-ups (hopefully not this one!). As the song climaxes to this realization, the sample hits harder than ever with the words "I'm never gonna treat you like I should". The roaring beat and verses make for a truly moving dynamic. Raw emotion is dripping in every aspect here. No I.D. brought out the most regretful and personal side of Shawn Carter. The soulful production, emotional vocals, and brutally honest lyrics makes this song not only one of Jay's best, but most wise. The moment it begins, it demands your attention. You don't have to worry about any fools skimming through this one, Jay.

"Family Feud" begins with Beyonce, which is perfect for the next song on the album. No ID sampled her vocals throughout the beat and her singing with Jay shows us there is always hope (especially after the previous song). Showing hope for relationships is a vital theme to the song, which we'll see soon. Jay is back to a more confident approach in offering his wisdom. He spends his first verse talking about being successful, exploring religion, and sends a subliminal shot at Drake ("All this old talk left me confused / You'd rather be old rich me or new you?"). He also criticizes certain fans of old school hip hop for their judgements of new school hip hop fashion. Throughout the song wealth is discussed, but now strictly in braggadocio. He want's to support fellow black peoples in their endeavours, in order to help revolt against black people being less-advantaged as a result of skin colour. This can be shown with:

I'll be damned if I drink some Belvedere while Puff got CÎROC

And throughout the song he says:

Nobody wins when the family feuds

In this case, family is referring to fellow black people. He advises unity and support will help communities, and bring more equality to society. In his Rap Radar interview, he mentions how as you go up in the world of success, there are less and less blacks. He uses his wealth as a goal for others to reach and encourages they do so through helping one and other. The song is both critical of older and newer generations with lines like:

Al Sharpton in the mirror takin' selfies

How is him or Pill Cosby s'posed to help me?

Old n***** never accepted me

And

New n***** is the reason I stopped drinkin' Dos Equis

This attempts to display the different mentalities. He continually mentions that 2 billions is better than 1, representing new and old generations (and his marriage as well). The message is this: put aside your differences and work as a team, because nobody wins when the family feuds.

For the past 24 minutes and 1 seconds, we have seen "Kill Jay Z" in place, essentially abandoning the persona that lead to his success. But there is a change of pace during the duration of "Bam" that makes it so exciting. The first words from Jay (and a reference to "Public Service Announcement", from TBA) tell you exactly what I mean:

Fuck all this pretty Shawn Carter shit nigga, HOV

The aggressive nature of the line and Damian Marley's chorus set the song up for Jay to come through to set records straight, and that he does. Dehaven was a drug dealer Jay worked with back in his hustling pre-music days. On social media, Dehaven has routinely claimed Jay never really did much hustling and was a mere runner. Hov spends part of his first verse shooting this down, claiming if he was only a runner he wouldn't had've became the success he is now (as his music and clothing ventures cost a lot to begin). He goes onto explains that his nice side, Shawn, used to be in 'flight mode', as he was completely in the Jay Z mindset. This was the side of him that got him to be so wealthy (and continues to push him). Verse 2 is only 12 bars long, but is coated with references and entendres. He uses Rae Sremmurd, Bobby Shmurda, Nat Turner, Kanye, Black Sheep, and even the fact that he skips leg day, all to brag to us in the most clever ways. The mention of Rae and Bobby also could tie back to "Family Feud", as it's touching on the theme of newschool rappers. The hard hitting street reggae provide Jay with the perfect backdrop for him to use his ego for good and let people know he's not fabricated.

The title of "Moonlight" is a reference to the film by the same name. It famously was confused with La La Land at the most recent Academy Awards, which Jay references in the hook of "Moonlight". What makes the film Moonlight noteworthy is that it is the first film to win a Grammy for Best Picture that features an all black class, as well as the first LGBT movie to do the same. Moonlight is special because it excels without being like every other popular movie. The song "Moonlight" is asking rappers to apply this same principle to their artistry, as many popular rap acts aren't experimenting or pushing the boundaries creativity-wise. Jay isn't impressed:

Y'all got the same fuckin' flows

I don't know who is who

Jay pokes fun at the skrrt adlib (used by popular trap acts), how artists use the internet to snitch on themselves (for image), and how many of them not only make the same music, but share the same image. It particularly annoys Jay at the ego many of these artists share:

Stop walkin' around like y'all made Thriller, huh?

Jay also references how many rappers are signing to their first label offers, and specifically mentions how Lauryn Hill struggled with labels. This is a fitting choice of reference as the song samples Fu-Gee-La. Which gives the chorus's use of La La Land 3 meanings:reference to film, reference to sample, and reference to artists being ignorant about their quality of music. Jay's career proves you can make yourself successful without a label's early on help, whilst innovating and making non formulaic music. This song alone pushes boundaries, in topics for sure, but instrumentally the beat is constantly changing and adjusting (which can be said for 4:44's production as a whole, in fact). Even his flow is unique, in how he sways his words without ever sticking to one rhythm. He also lived the criminal life many artists use for their image. This gives his words on these topics more respect than otherwise. The song ends criticizing labels for their treatment of artists, mentioning specific CEO's, in hopes this will sway young artists. Chance, Nas, Lupe, and tons more in the rap industry alone have contributed to this argument all the same. Time will tell if their message and "Moonlight"'s will have an influence or not. Hopefully a healthy change will be made.

Marcy Me is a song made to reflect on his past by tracing out homages to his influences and heroes. Before I break down his lyrics, I gotta say Jay's flow is as good as it ever has been and the piano/drums/vocal-sample/etc work so well with it. This sample is so obscure on some Madlib type style too ("Todo o mundo e ninguém" By Quarteto 1111, from 1970, if anyone's curious). Onto the rest of the song! The title alone pays respect to the legendary Marvin Gaye and his track Mercy Me. Then the intro is a Biggie quotation that ends before bragging about sex, which is appropriate for the album and it's apologetic tones. From there, we see mentions of Jam Master Jay (of Run-DMC, RIP), Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, Tichina Arnold (an actress on Martin), Denzel Washington, Slick Rick, and Lisa Bonet. And that's just within the 1st verse. What's significant about the nostalgia-riddled details is that each of them helped give a young Shawn hope in Marcy, Brooklyn. He describes marcy with:

I'm from Marcy Houses, where the boys die by the thousand These role models let him keep his head up despite his environment, and because he had hope, he was able to be ambitious, ultimately leading to the development of the Jay Z character that this album has previously explored. We learned earlier that he created Hov as a means to succeed, and we now learn that Hov was able to exist in the first place largely due to the success of other black people. Inspiration was a key factor to his success. Verse 2 has Jay reflecting on his rags to riches story, touching on topics such as cocaine, murderers, areas of Marcy, and rappers that have passed ("rappers turned murals") or influenced him. Jay sounds confident and relaxed simultaneously. Verse 2 is the definition of 'cool, calm, and collected'. To end the song, The-Dream (who is way too underrated, just saying) sings a slower outro about remaining true to oneself. It's a beautiful way to end such a well-constructed strong.

"Legacy" begins with a voice recording of his daughter asking what a will is. Jay uses this to explore how his wealth will benefit his kids and so on, and to explore how family history has impacted his life as well. The word 'legacy' refers to the wealth left in a will, as well as the aftermath of a predecessor (which can be from a will but not necessarily). The song explores both sides of the coin. The opening verse is more directed as an answer to his daughter's initial question, talking about how TIDAL, Roc Nation, Ace of Spades, D'USSE, and such business ventures will go onto support his kids and relatives extensively. This side of the song already feels like a personal discussion just between Jay and his kids about what will follow after he dies. He ends verse 1 on his goal of creating generational wealth and even talks about how blacks are discriminated against in the tech industry. Verse 2 goes into even more personal territory about how Jay's grandfather molested his aunt (of his father's side). He claims he may one day forgive him for these actions, but that this negative situation had a silver lining for Jay. His grandfather was a pastor, and due to this, Jay wrote off Christianity (by assuming his grand father's actions were reflective of the religion he promoted). As a result, he explored other religions. This allowed him a diverse understanding of various sets of beliefs, influencing him to be the critical thinking and understanding person he is today. "Legacy" shows how our actions can influence many generations, and through the most personal ways possible. For such heavy messages, Jay brings hope. Hope is communicated so well through the background horns and James Fauntleroy background singing too. It's a brilliant closer to the album (if you exclude the bonus tracks). Fun fun fact about Legacy: This song samples Donny Hathaway's 1971 song "Someday We'll All Be Free, which was recorded by Jimmy Douglas. Fast forward decades and Douglas mixed all of 4:44.

In order to see the reviews of the bonus tracks you must sign up with TIDAL

Just kidding! Who needs exclusivity?

"Adnis" is named after Adnis Reeves, Jay's father (who passed away in '03). Adnis abandoned Jay when he was just a child (around 11 or 12). Reeves had spent less and less time at home, in hopes of finding his brother's killer. Eventually he picked up drug addictions and left home entirely, never contacting Jay. They did meet up eventually, in 2002, and from that meeting he forgave Adnis for abandoning him. This allowed him to drop anger that he held onto for so many years and in place he was able to overcome love/trust issues. "Adnis" is 'an open letter to [Jay's] dad that [he] never wrote'. In a very slow flow over a very relaxed beat, Carter discusses how Reeves caused him lots of anger growing up. He mentions how he wrote about wanting to fight him, as a means of expressing that anger. He also recognized himself in stories of his father, and gave thought to how his grandfather's malicious (previously discussed in "Legacy") actions may have impacted Adnis. He mentions how before Adnis' brother died, he was a good person and that he taught Jay valuable lessons. Including loving his step siblings no different than non-step siblings. It's clear from the first verse that Adnis was a good father and a role model to Jay during some of his earliest formative years. Verse 2 mentions how despite being the youngest in his family, and despite his father's leave, he eventually became the leader of his family. He mentions how his father reacted poorly to his uncle's death, because according to their beliefs, his uncle was in a better place. Life was out of Adnis' hands, instead there were bottles and needles. Despite his father becoming a terrible role model, Jay takes pride in him being a caring parent and husband. It's a sweet note to end on after the previous more harder to swallow sorrows. Jay doesn't shy away from talking about emotional subjects, I have no doubt this song was hard to make for him. And then to release such an open and personal song, exposing your thoughts and feelings to the public, couldn't have been so easy. But I'm grateful he did, because "Adnis" is one of the best this year.

Blue's Freestyle / We Family opens up with Jay's daughter Blue spitting some straight bars about how she's never seen a ceiling, seeking those who are innocent, and most interestingly about how everything is shakalaka. I can't disagree with her there! It's a cute little opener to a more light hearted sounding song. The beat has some hawaiian influence and Jay never goes to in depth, as each verse is only about 6 lines long (although there are 4 of them). In the short amount of time he does however cover a lot of ground, referencing illuminati claims, his thankfulness for his wife, celebration of heritage, black unity, drug dealing, his worldwide fans, Donald Trump (and his concerns about him), and his excessive travelling. Quite possibly the most amount of topics covered in one song when compared to any other one on the album. And in between each verse is a small hook claiming he's part of a family. All of these topics, although seemingly unrelated, connect back to the construct of family. His illuminati controversy is because he has heritage (from family members) that roots back to the use of voodoo, he claims tauntingly. His wife is part of his family, and her heritage has played a role in shaping their kids and thus his family. Worldwide fans and black unity are alike in that they are united for a common goal that Jay is involved in, making them family. Drug dealing played a role in his success and as a result him meeting Beyonce, etc. Donald Trump concerns Jay because he cares for his fellow Americans, they're a form of family as well. What makes this song great is the spider web Jay creates, connecting so many topics so quickly into a light sounding coherent song. And the intro is really all to perfect as an opener for it. Now we just gotta wait on Blue's mixtape.

MaNyafaCedGod (which I'm sure Jay titled like a cap sensitive password in order to aggravate bloggers, anyone else think of that Spongebob meme?) is possibly the most underrated track on the album. It's got a great beat change, soothing James Blake singing, and really dense honest lyrics. The first beat is real smooth with James on the keys. The first verse talks about Beyonce and Jay Z's tour together and how it served as a means of healing for them. Among forms of coping, such as drinking, smoking, vacay, and sex. He touches on themes mentioned earlier in the album, such as the 'what if' thoughts of losing his kids and wife over stupid decisions he made. During the tour together Jay mentions how after he performed "Song Cry", she'd perform "Resentment" and that this order of songs was a very real reflection of the emotions they were experiencing. Fauntleroy ends the 1st half of the song with a very poetic piece about changing out of the fear of loneliness, most likely to reflect Jay's mindset during the aftermath of his cheating. Then the 2nd half begins with a more menacing anxious beat and Jay gives us the final verse on the album (if you're counting bonus tracks, that is). He begins by mentioning how him and Bey would have to put on an act to look happy for media even though they were not, but that this served as an opportunity to force themselves to look for the good in life. From here, Jay continues in a more prideful and strong commentary in regards to his marriage. He says that they get each other, and will always have one and other through all. He compares their relationship to kintsukuroi, a Japanese method of fixing broken pottery by using gold as a bind, resulting in a more beautiful piece. In a similar sense, his marriage is better than ever despite the obstacles it faced. He believes that all these challenges have happened because of forces that are beyond his control, and that people must do their best to handle every situation. He gives us the advice his mother gave him, and that is to never go to bed mad at a loved one. Rather talk out the issues and get peace of mind, sound advice from a guy who's been through so much.

And that is the final song on the project. To conclude, 4:44 is a brilliant album that dives deep into Jay's most heart-wrenching thoughts and with them comes mature responses. No ID (with some help from James Fauntleroy and occasional sample recommendations from Hov) brings this out in Jay with soul sampling beats that come off nostalgic yet unique, like an updated version of The Blueprint. The verses,the beats, the vocals, the mixing, everything, is done in a way that translates into a feeling of being personal. It's personal, it's mature, it's revealing, it's emotional, it's soothing, it's therapeutic. It extensively covers so much ground in so little time. 4:44 is not only my favourite album of 2017, but one of Jay's best albums yet.

Favorite Lyrics

I'm surprised you ain't auction off the casket

Caught In Their Eyes

Y'all on the 'Gram holdin' money to your ear

There's a disconnect, we don't call that money over here

The Story of OJ

Mama had four kids, but she's a lesbian

Had to pretend so long that she's a thespian

Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate

Society shame and the pain was too much to take

Cried tears of joy when you fell in love

Don't matter to me if it's a him or her

Smile

I seen the innocence leave your eyes

I still mourn this death and

I apologize for all the stillborns cause I wasn't present

Your body wouldn't accept it

4:44

Talking Points

Do you think Jay made the right call ending the album at Legacy?

Do you think Jay made the right decision not to have any radio singles for the album?

Where does this album compare among the rest of his discography?

Where does he go from here?

How do you feel about the mixing on some of Jay's vocals?

Do you agree with Jay's social commentary on songs like Family Feud and Story of OJ?

Thoughts on Jay's flows? Marcy Me is very different from some other songs because the other ones doesn't showcase flow as much

And favourite lyrics/songs/moments etc

(Edit - James Blake not Fauntleroy correction made)

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HHH Secret Santa Mixtape Thread

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 11:38 AM PST

Hey y'all. Sorry this thread is so late, I've been busy gearing up for finals and shit.

RULES FOR THE MIXTAPE EXCHANGE

  1. Post a comment in this thread to be entered into the exchange.

  2. At some point before Christmas you'll be PM'd someone's username. You need to send that person an 8-10 song mixtape before December 24th (Spotify playlist, Youtube playlist, list of song titles, etc.)

  3. There will be a discussion thread after all the tapes are sent.

  4. Songs do NOT have to be from this year.

  5. Songs don't have to be obscure, just a representation of what you've been listening to this year. Avoid super mainstream artists like Drake, Kendrick, Lil Pump, etc.

  6. Dank hand crafted covers for the tape are highly encouraged

If you have any questions, feel free to message me. Shoutout to /u/Squid__ because none of this would be possible without them.

#FreeHannibal

EDIT: Not every song has to be hip hop, but the majority of your tape should be.

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New unreleased Vince Staples song in the new Spider-Man trailer.

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 08:56 AM PST

[FRESH] XXXTENTACION - A Ghetto Christmas Carol

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 10:36 PM PST

Migos new single cover art featuring Joe Budden

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 11:49 AM PST

Nardwuar vs Post Malone

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 07:17 PM PST

BIGQUINT | WITHOUT WARNING First Reaction

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 03:38 PM PST

Princess Nokia - 1992 Deluxe ALBUM REVIEW

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 01:51 PM PST

The 100+ Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan song leak, noticed all the links have expired to download the songs and such so here they are if anyone is interested :)

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 06:05 AM PST

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2xBiaBcfDUfUzhDb0FKanNrVXM?usp=sharing Just found this on my google drive, noticed that almost all the original download links are dead or removed so I'm posting this for anyone who missed out. Pretty sure this allowed since it's not a leak from any retail project and even the ones that do appear on Thug projects are earlier versions that sound different, anyway hope this is allowed. Enjoy guys.

EDIT: Idk if it was known, but it was news to me when I went looking for the links. Apparently, Birdman didn't pay the studio and that's how these got leaked, by the studio.

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2 Chainz - No Lie ft. Drake

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 04:57 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Nardwuar vs. Post Malone

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 08:07 PM PST

[FRESH] XXXTENTACION - Hate Will Never Win

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 10:35 PM PST

Tyler, The Creator - Find Your Wings

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 07:30 AM PST

Logic - Dead Presidents III

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 12:40 PM PST

[FRESH EP] Roy Woods - UTU EP

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 02:28 PM PST

Kid Cudi and Asher Roth freestyle on Alistradio in 2008

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 09:40 PM PST

XXXTentacion dropping an EP today

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 05:14 PM PST

He just said that on insta

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[FRESH] Pouya - Suicidal Thoughts in the Back of the Cadillac, Pt. 2

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 09:00 PM PST

[FRESH] XXXTENTACION - Up Like an Insomniac (Freestyle)

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 10:36 PM PST

[GOAT] Lil Wayne - Lollipop remix ft. Kanye West

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 11:16 PM PST

[FRESH MIXTAPE] Styles P - Ghost Kill

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 02:41 PM PST

Sunday General Discussion - December 10, 2017

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 09:13 AM PST

Any good gift ideas?

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Bad Meets Evil - Vegas

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 12:25 PM PST

Roy Woods announces UTU mixtape coming 2018.

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 01:17 PM PST

Pitchfork - The 100 Best Songs of 2017

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Smokepurpp - Bless Yo Trap on The Untitled Action Bronson Show

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 11:12 AM PST
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Album Of The Year #9: billy woods - Known Unknowns - HipHop

Album Of The Year #9: billy woods - Known Unknowns - HipHop

Album Of The Year #9: billy woods - Known Unknowns

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 08:14 AM PST

Artist: billy woods

Album: Known Unknowns

Label: Backwoodz Studioz

Release Date: June 9, 2017

Listen:

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube

Background

billy woods is quite the enigmatic figure in hip hop, one who is shrouded in mystery, rarely exposing any part of his personal life or even appearance to a degree. billy was born in Washington DC, but resided in New York City for most of his life, also spending a good amount of his childhood in Africa and the West Indies, which sets billy up with many different exposures to different cultures and life experiences, which shows in his music. billy began his career over a decade ago and has been a part of 3 groups, The Reavers, Super Chron Flight Brothers, and most recently Armand Hammer with fellow New York underground MC, Elucid. Although billy has been rapping for over a decade, he didn't quite become a truly one of a kind rapper until he began releasing albums in 2012. Since then he has accumulated one of the strongest discographies of the 2010's with his most recent, and my AOTY, Known Unknowns being his best so far. On Known Unknowns, billy teams up with legendary underground producer blockhead for their second collaborative album.

Review

Prior to hearing this album, I had never listened to billy woods, he was a rapper that I had heard a few times on occasional features but never one that I remembered or took the time to listen to. However, this year when I saw the [FRESH] Known Unknowns thread, I was intrigued. People in the thread were talking about how Blockhead had some of his best work ever on this project and that billy was a lyrical monster, so naturally as a person digging into the underground I checked it out. First impressions were good, but confused.

billy's style and approach to lyrics is something that not everyone will enjoy, as it is abstract and on the surface it seems like he is talking about jibberish. The lyrics that kick off the album set the tone pretty well,

"Walked in scanning the room for human shields Victory formation, only time he ever kneels Reeducation camp greeter, name tag says "Bill" Is this your first time in the killing fields? We're not trying to reinvent the wheel"

, which just seems like a bunch of ridiculous statements strung together, but that is what makes me love billy. His lyrics are so esoteric, sporadic, completely unpredictable, and absolute genius. Where I truly believe billy's lyrics shine the most is in his dark comedic tone occasionally and his "one liners". The entirety of the song Police Came To My Show is very funny, he talks about having no merchandise sales, getting into weird conversations with fans, and an unexpected entry of cops into his show. Although he has this comedic side to him, he also has a dark depressed and paranoid side to him, each of these are exhibited best on the songs Everybody Knows and Keloid. So, billy isn't the only one rapping on this album, he pulls rap features from Aesop Rock, Homeboy Sandman, and fellow Armand Hammer member Elucid, oh and also kind of Googie but he gave half a verse. All of the first three absolutely make the most of their verses, Aesop having my favorite of the three. Aesop and Homeboy Sandman were perfect for Wonderful, which ended up being one of my favorite tracks with multiple rap features this year. Lyrics aren't the only thing that stand out about billy, his manic flow, varied vocal delivery and unique voice all combine for a rapper that is impossible to forget. Often times his delivery will come to a point where he seems like he's shouting, there is a lot of passion and sometimes conveys emotion very well. Yet again an example in Everybody Knows, when he delivers the hook, as it progresses and he continues to repeat the chorus his voice and delivery becomes more manic and paranoid. billy paints a picture of a loner living in the underbelly of New York City who is incredibly cynical about his surroundings.

Now if you notice, I have yet to talk about the production, which is in my opinion the best thing about Known Unknowns. It's difficult to put into words how much I truly adore the production on this album. The beats sound so otherworldly and apocalyptic yet they're still rooted in hip hop. Each beat is so layered masterfully, that it will take you many listens to truly uncover these layers, and it's a joy to discover them. Blockhead's sampling all across this album is absolutely insane, the work he does with vocal samples is subtle yet so effective. Subtle yet effective is a good way of describing a lot of the appeal of the production, you don't even realize that over the course of the song the beat has added and dropped layers to essentially be a consistently subtle beat change on a bunch of songs. The bass on this album is incredible, it sounds like a live bass guitar that grooves along with the samples and guides the beats along, this is especially evident on the songs Strawman and Wonderful, which also sounds extremely sci-fi inspired. As do most of the beats on here, as I said earlier they sound otherworldly, the collection of beats on Known Unknowns transports me into a world of its own. There are truly hellish beats on here, on songs like Superpredator and Robespierre, which are probably my two favorite beats on the whole project. Another notable thing about the production is the use of scratching fairly frequently. I'm a sucker for this type of stuff, it gives this album yet another layer of complexity. Now not every single beat was done by blockhead alone, Aesop Rock helped co-produce Bush League and Cheap Shoes, which are some pretty great beats, but every beat on here is great to be fair. As you all can see, I was completely floored by this production. Even just the instrumental version of Known Unknowns is incredibly enjoyable. Blockhead thoroughly impressed me more than he ever had.

Overall, Known Unknowns is an experience of an album, one that deserves multiple listens to truly grasp the genius of. So, if you are like me, within months you'll be quoting billy woods one liners and gushing over the absolute display of fucking beat making mastery from blockhead. This is an album I don't expect everyone to love, honestly billy is not a rapper many will love, but if this style is your thing he's one of the best out right now.

Favorite Lyrics

Let off in the club mad loud, Don't errybody go get sad now, Used to listen to Bacdafucup Before they clapped Mac's truck up Kool G Rap to us, Fredrick Douglass With a Dutch Criminal Minded, dead men pose, 9 Milli go hard than the beat to Super Hoe, Lean out the car one eye closed and wash, Negroes off the block like a fire hose

"Superpredator"

Head on swivel, prosthetic hand on pistol Ham on griddle, ribbons of gristle Found me in the woods, fire low, roach little Eyes aglow, mouth full of riddles

"Snake Oil"

Wanted to know if they got they money worth, But both slipped out after my last verse, Zero merch sales later I'm at the bar Seltzer water omeprazole chaser, Original plan was pay the piper later But as it turns out he bout his paper

"Police Came To My Show"

Luckily cannabis his constant companion, Crisp as the skin on that Wu-Tang salmon, Grudgingly put his name in the fuckin' canon

"Fall Back"

Text written never pressed send, voices in my head is all yes men, consensus is yes Fucked up again, friends, how many of us have them, hard bargains, shotgun apartments Smirking sergeants, certain death the direction you march in

"Keloid"

Discussion Topics

  • If this was your introduction to billy woods, did it defy your expectations?

  • What is your favorite verse/lyric on this album? Beat?

  • Does this album cement blockhead's legacy as one of if not the greatest underground producer ever?

  • Do you think this is billy woods' best album yet?

  • With this and ROME both being phenomenal records, is billy woods the MVP of 2017?

Thanks for reading guys! And yes if you were wondering I switched from Rosebudd's Revenge to do my actual Album Of The Year Known Unknowns!

submitted by /u/ksweet98
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Ski Mask the Slump God confirms Book of Eli drops in "a couple days"

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 02:35 PM PST

Rick Ross’ manager and right hand Black Bo dies at 56

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 07:10 AM PST

21 Savage, Offset and Metro Boomin - Rap Saved Me Ft Quavo

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 04:04 PM PST

BLACK RAPPERS ARE GOING EXTINCT

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 10:36 AM PST

Lil Yachty just said on stream that Lil boat 2 with drop in january

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 03:09 PM PST

XXXTENTACION posts court date and location on Instagram in hopes that his fans will attend

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 04:48 PM PST

Ed Sheeran says he wrote Eminem's "River" back in March 2016

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 05:39 PM PST

N.E.R.D are back with a politically charged new album. 'It rains and they shoot black people'

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST

How to rap like Ski Mask the Slump God in under 5 minutes (from a very small channel)

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 09:17 PM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 12/09/2017

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 03:52 PM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

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

Thread Guidelines

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

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

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

Other ways to interact

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

submitted by /u/AutoModerator
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Yelawolf and Ed Sheeran made their collab project the same day they met and they haven't seen each other since, Yelawolf doesn't really what was going on.

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 06:41 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Quality Control - Control the Streets, Vol. 1 (First Impressions)

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 10:10 AM PST

It's been well over 24 hours since it dropped, what does everybody think?

submitted by /u/RainingBranden
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Nas - Got Yourself A Gun

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 11:19 AM PST

[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] Statik Selektah - 8

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 03:05 PM PST

Thoughts? Personally, this is one of my favourite projects of the year.

submitted by /u/Lachlantula
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[DISCUSSION] Ab-Soul - Do What Thou Wilt. (One Year Later)

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 07:25 AM PST

Thoughts on the project one year after its release? How has it aged? Any reveleations?

submitted by /u/kidhumbeats
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Boogie Is The Next Compton Rapper To Reach For The Throne (Interview)

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 12:40 PM PST

Mango Tart Recipe: Food Makes Me Happy w/ Lil B The Based God

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 04:09 PM PST

I'm finally gonna make the project I have always wanted to make for years!

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 08:03 PM PST

Hello Reddit, I have been a long time user on a separate account mostly lurking and occasionally commenting. One thing I have always loved about this community is how involved the users can be. I saw an OP make a post about bettering his life and he is going to check in a year from now to see where he is at. It inspired me to do something similar. See I'm twenty years old and live in a small town in Oregon. I have constantly moved around my whole life until this point. I have been living here for about six years now and it has been the longest and happiest move I have been a part of. That doesn't necessarily mean there has been no issues. I lived a traumatic childhood from the time I lived with my father. I've had to teach myself proper social cues and such since I was rarely around other people for a long time or couldn't maintain any connections due to constant moving. After years of therapy and self analysis I have been able to become the person I am today and find solace through making music. Even though I have somewhat resolved these issues I am still in a constant battle with depression.

Fast forward to now and there is still issues. Last year i lost my aunt to cancer, I never visited because I was just so terrified to see her and when I finally got the guts to go see her, I chose to head over in the morning. I saw my grandmother and her sister crying. I walked in with my usual happy attitude and asked where my aunt is. My grandma looked at me and asked "Wait, you don't know? She just passed away." I missed her by minutes and I have been tearing myself apart for this, even as I type this I'm crying again. It showed me to never put anything off though or else an opportunity I will never have again will be lost. And I learned this bit of fortune cookie advice through the worst and hardest way possible.

Later that year, this time in December, my cousin tried taking his own life. His parents were going through a nasty divorce and he couldn't take the change and the way his family seemed to break apart. I was suicidal at one point too and seeing my own flesh and blood try to do the same hurt. Knowing he felt how I felt hurt. I don't want anyone I love thinking they are better off dead. Just this year I had to watch my mother file for bankruptcy since my stepfather had to have his gal bladder removed and was simultaneously diagnosed with pneumonia for a time and diabetes. All of that could have been manageable since my mother makes pretty good money as a nurse. But the issue is that he is still an illegal immigrant from Mexico even though he has been here since he was only fourteen years old. So the bills are stupid high and my mom has been breaking her back and I had to help ease her financial issues and help pay for his pain pills and insulin.

To add to the blow a high school "friend" of mine passed away late January of this year. I say "friend" because we drifted apart after high school. Now I know people always use these adjectives and descriptions for late people, but I genuinely mean it when I say she was the happiest and bubbliest person I have ever known. Nobody enjoyed life better than she did. Nobody was able to make a room bright up with ease as she did. On top of that she was one of the most beautiful girls I have ever laid eyes on. And everybody knew and loved her. But that life was taken by a patch of black ice as she was driving back from her university on her way home. She enjoyed life so much and I have been so selfish. She found jokes from the dumbest things while I have been a cynical, depressed, and angry with life.

At this point I have been off Prozac for months and was failing my college classes and smoking around three grams of weed daily, I promised myself I would better myself. I promised to drop all of the bad habits that I have. I promised her I would see life though a more positive perspective. Her death got me to write a song for the first time in over six months. I have been writing ever since and I am ready to do what she once told me. To go for it and follow my dreams

So I am here to tell you all that I am ready to push forward harder than ever. I am taking a year off of college since I don't know what I want for my career. But I have been taking my time to work on an EP I've been putting off for years. The genre is rap and it allows me to vent and make something that i am genuinely passionate about.

I don't know which subreddit this would be most appropriate for. I don't know if it should be /r/hiphopheads or /r/GetMotivated. I am wanting to get your advice though. I am wanting to create a Youtube channel and other social media platforms but I'm not sure what video programs to use or how often I should make videos. Like if I should make vlogs or just steer clear of those due to the fact that there are so many vloggers. Reddit I am ready to take a step towards the life I have always dreamed of. And I am putting myself on blast here so I can have a community I can turn to and a community who I will have to live up to. I have a release date planned and a single ready to go. So where do I go from here?

Edit: tl;dr I have been making raps for a while. But I never did anything until recent events. My aunt passed, my mother filed for bankruptcy as my stepfather was close to death, my cousin tried committing suicide, and a friend from high school passed away. She was someone who was always positive and it showed me to enjoy life and pursue this dream I've had for a while. Now I have a release date and a single ready to go. How can I better market myself?

submitted by /u/Coblendz503
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[Fresh Video] SZA: The Weekend (Live) - SNL

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 10:20 PM PST

Logic - Beggin' ft. C Dot Castro

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 04:33 PM PST

Mac Miller on Larry King discussing GO:OD A.M., Depression and Donald Trump

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 04:56 AM PST

[FRESH] Bones - Resurrection

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 09:53 AM PST

New version of Love Galore by SZA on SNL

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 10:44 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Roy Woods - Say Less (One week later)

Posted: 09 Dec 2017 11:56 AM PST

How does it rank up with his earlier projects?

submitted by /u/spunkymnky
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