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Daily Discussion Thread 12/17/2018 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 12/17/2018 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 12/17/2018

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 06:00 AM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

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Album of the Year 2018 #15: Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 03:06 PM PST

Artist: Cardi B

Album: Invasion of Privacy

Release Date: April 5, 2018

Label: Atlantic

Background

Like most of popheads, my spirit animal is a suburban white twink, so I had no idea who Cardi B was pre-Bodak. [I originally wrote this for popheads but tbh it applies here too]. But if you were alive in 2018, you certainly know her now. One of Cardi's biggest strengths is that her music is an autobiography, a 100% authentic depiction of her. If you have listened to her music, you know her - but in case you haven't, I'll run through the basics real quick.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Cardi grew up with modest means. Eventually, she became a stripper to make ends meet when she was only 19. She grew a sizable social media following using her trademark outsized personality while sharing her stripper life. She became a reality star on Love & Hip Hop: New York, and used that as a platform for a music career by 2016. In 2017, she broke records with her mainstream debut "Bodak Yellow." In 2018, she only grew more successful with the release of her debut album, while her volatile relationship with Offset and her subsequent pregnancy garnered her even more media attention.

Review

"Look,"

Cardi begins, admonishing.

"They gave a bitch two options: stripping or lose."

The first ten seconds of Invasion of Privacy serves as a perfect reminder of the traits that led to Cardi's stardom - her blunt honesty, the unapologetic attitude, her humble beginnings, and her storytelling ability. Cardi says it best herself; she's a "real bitch, only thing fake is the boobs."

The first track of the album, "Get Up 10," sets the stage for Invasion of Privacy and properly introduces Cardi B. It is essentially a victory song for Cardi, summarizing both her life story as well as showcasing her penchant for catchy one-liners and aggressive flow. Even when the song isn't original, as evidenced by the credited Meek Mill influence as well as her many co-writers, Cardi makes it distinctly her own by being Cardi and selling her story, letting her personality and charisma shine through.

Backed by a haunting piano instrumental (interpolated from Meek Mills' "Dreams and Nightmares"), she starts by reminiscing about her early years and her struggle to make ends meet. She's neither ashamed nor afraid of her stripper past ("I ain't telling y'all to do it, I'm just telling my story"), effectively taking what has historically been a misogynistic insult and turning it into one of her greatest selling points. An airhorn plays while the beat drops, and all of a sudden Cardi is on the offensive. She spits out some of her signature one-liners, answers her doubters, and threatens her haters that she'll smack them "and the bitch that they act like" - all in seemingly the same breath. She even does a bit of foreshadowing ("Ima put a Louboutin where her neck at!"). She concludes by repeating the source of the song's title, an inspirational little mantra - "Knock me down 9 times but I get up 10."

"Get Up 10" is empowering, as is most of Invasion of Privacy. The most empowering song of the album is, of course, "Bodak Yellow." I won't spend too much time discussing this song because you've all heard it, and there are millions of thinkpieces online already that do a better job dissecting it better than I ever could. What I, and most people, admire about the song is Cardi's unabashed delivery, how she celebrates herself without any fear. There isn't a hint of hesitation as she raps, even when she discusses some of her biggest insecurities, such as her "fucked up teeth" or how she had to "dance" for money. You know she's on top of her game without her ever having to say it.

A common theme for the album is female empowerment. Cardi broke numerous records as a woman in a genre historically dominated by men, and Invasion of Privacy is a reflection of this and succeeds because of it. On "Bickenhead," Cardi plays around with the idea of a "chickenhead," which Wikipedia is telling me is a slang term for women who give blowjobs for money. Like "Get Up 10" and "Bodak Yellow," Cardi is taking a historically misogynistic term and turning it on its head, while also giving us endlessly hilarious and quotable one-liners like "Got it from my mama and you don't know where your daddy at."

"I Do" follows the same vein, giving us cleverly amusing lines like "Leave his texts on read, leave his balls on blue" that shift the power in the relationship to the woman. "If he can make you richer then he can make you cum," Cardi raps, with a noticeable smirk that you don't need to see to know it's there. Songs like "Money Bag" and "She Bad" equate men with money and other materialistic goods. Sure, Cardi loves them both, but she uses them so she can satisfy herself, first and foremost.

The album also takes a page out of Beyonce's Lemonade and uses vulnerability as a form of empowerment. "Ring" hints at Cardi's fear of infidelity, but "Thru Your Phone" and "Be Careful" are the songs where Cardi really pours her heart out. These songs highlight Cardi's tumultuous relationship with fellow rapper Offset, which has also led to her well-publicized pregnancy. [Just two days before this writeup, Cardi broke up with Offset.]

"Thru Your Phone" starts off hilarious enough: "I just wanna call your mama and let her know that she raised a bitch." However, Cardi wastes no time going on the offensive, threatening to expose the side chick's nudes on Instagram on the first verse before escalating to putting bleach in Offset's cereal in the second verse - and if that doesn't work, stabbing him in his sleep. Cardi doesn't portray herself in the most positive light on the song, but that only proves again her realness and honesty, as well as a sense of self-awareness. Haven't we been driven crazy by love? The instrumental and her delivery complement the complexity of her feelings: she sounds borderline incoherent as she's angrily contemplating murder, but quietly pensive in the chorus when she lets the hurt and the sadness sink in.

"Be Careful" expands on her relationship even more, divulging details that are far too personal to sift through and analyze. My favorite one, though, is how his cheating has started to affect her own self worth: "You got me trippin, you got me lookin in the mirror different, thinkin' I'm flawed because you inconsistent." Notably, this is the only song on the album where Cardi's signature aggressive flow is completely absent. The song also discusses relationship dynamics from a uniquely female perspective, which I won't discuss too much since I can't relate, but it's important to consider as a common theme in Invasion of Privacy.

Invasion of Privacy has one notable weakness, and it's the features. It's not that the features are bad. On the contrary, they sometimes upstage Cardi on her own song, but that's the problem. "Best Life," with its gospel influences, sounds more like a Chance song than a Cardi song, and even with Cardi's self-reflective lyrics, she was more convincing on "Get Up 10" and "Bodak Yellow." Likewise, Kehlani's pop hook practically runs away with "Ring," reducing Cardi to sounding like a feature on her own song. Invasion of Privacy's strongest allure is Cardi herself and her ability to sell her story, making it odd that the album contains as many features as it does.

I can't fault Cardi for exploring new genres, or using features as a way to experiment. Invasion of Privacy has its weaker tracks, but they never once feel like filler because of the album's diverse soundscape. Cardi successfully connects to her dominican roots in the Latin-infused trap track "I Like It," with the help of Bad Bunny and J. Balvin. Her foray into combining rap and balladry are particularly insightful. And, needless to say, Cardi knows her way around a trap beat. Even if her attempts at using gospel influences ("Best Life") or R&B pop ("Ring") aren't entirely convincing, they don't feel like failures either.

Invasion of Privacy is a great album in its own right, but it also serves as a vehicle for Cardi to solidify herself as the superstar that she is. Give it to another rapper, and this collection of songs would fall flat. It's not only Cardi's story that sells the album, but her humor and her confidence. She delivers lines like "They call me Cardi B, I run this shit like Cardi O" with undeniable energy, while still giving songs like "Be Careful" the emotional heft that they need. She's honest, hilarious, empowering, fierce, vulnerable, human, and above all, she is Cardi B.

A Star is Born

I see a lot of people here claiming that Cardi will be a fad, forgotten by the time 2020 rolls around. I have to laugh. The thing about Cardi B is that her brand is about being the underdog. She succeeds precisely because people thought she couldn't, because she had to claw her way up herself. People forget that she got to where she is today by first mastering the social media game, knowing how to cultivate a fanbase and getting people to listen. To become a pop star, the public needs to know who you are - not just your name and your songs, but your life and your ideals. They need someone to deify. Invasion of Privacy is so distinctly Cardi, allowing any listener that falls in love with the album to fall in love with her story, her sense of humor, her boldness and her insecurities (and vice versa). She has successfully woven herself into this generation's zeitgest, and that's something that won't go away.

I remember walking into work one day and seeing a group of my coworkers huddled in a circle, discussing Cardi's baby bump on SNL. I remember how I was driving in Ocean City, MD (a trashy little beach town) and hearing "Bartier Cardi" blaring from the car next to me. Curious, I looked over and saw some skinny tan white girl, the type to have been a horse girl in middle school and have a new car gifted to them on her 16th birthday. It was at that moment that I knew Cardi will stick around.

If there is one thing I learned in 2018, it's that Cardi B cannot be underestimated. So go on, hate and doubt. Say she's too loud, she's too "ratchet." That she uses too many writers, that she doesn't have enough talent. But don't be surprised when another one of her catchy one-liners becomes truth: "I like proving ni***s wrong, I do what they say I can't."

Some Questions:

  1. What is your favorite song from the album?
  2. What do you want to see from Cardi B in the future?
  3. How do you feel about Cardi's brand of feminism, especially considering her background?
  4. Most quotable line from the album?
  5. Some people like to separate the artist from the music. With Cardi, I find it nearly impossible. Do you think the autobiographical nature of Cardi's music will help or hurt her in the future?
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I made a post a few months ago about Travis Scott saying he would design a high school’s senior class t-shirt. It seems Travis made good on that promise and designed a shirt for them.

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 01:37 PM PST

My original post linking his tweet

Direct link to Travis' tweet

Travis' Instagram story

I just think it's really cool that Travis stayed true to what he said months earlier and designed a unique shirt for this class. Travis is really for the kids.

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Tyler, The Creator and A$AP Rocky bullying each other for 6 minutes straight

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 02:56 PM PST

[FRESH] Denzel Curry - Behind Bars Freestyle (ZeZe Remix)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 03:15 PM PST

A$AP Rocky Deepest Interview: Being Homeless, Losing His Father & Overcoming times

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 05:26 AM PST

Travis Scott announces leg 2 of Astroworld tour

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 03:34 PM PST

link to tweet

ASTROWORLD TOUR LEG 2 ON SALE THIS THURSDAY 10AM LOCAL TIME AMEX PRESALE TOMORROW FAN/MERCH PRESALE WEDNESDAY

Dates:

1/25 - Vancouver, BC

1/27 - Portland, OR

1/29 - Tacoma, WA

2/4 - San Diego, CA

2/6 - Las Vegas, NV

2/8 - Los Angeles, CA

2/11 - Tulsa, OK

2/13 - Houston, TX

2/17 - Kansas City, KS

2/18 - St. Louis, MO

2/20 - Indianapolis, IN

2/21 - Chicago, IL

2/22 - Milwaukee, WI

2/24 - Columbus, OH

2/26 - State College, PA

2/28 - Buffalo, NY

3/2 - New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)

3/3 - Brooklyn, NY (Barclays Center)

3/5 - Montreal, QC

3/7 - Toronto, ON

3/9 - Hartford, CT

3/12 - Washington DC

3/14 - Jacksonville, FL

3/15 - Orlando, FL

3/17 - Tampa, FL

3/20 - Nashville, TN

3/22 - Atlanta, GA

3/24 - Charlotte, NC

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Kid Cudi joins Willow and Jada Smith at Red Table Talk to discuss his mental health problems and battle with addiction

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 10:54 AM PST

Kanye West/GOOD Music - Champions (ft. Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Quavo, Yo Gotti & Desiigner

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:42 AM PST

[FRESH] 'Friday Night Dance Party' Danny Brown new 23 track EP

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 12:22 PM PST

Injury Reserve post a picture on Instagram teasing the new self titled album

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 05:15 PM PST

The screenshot from their Insta.

Any of you guys excited? Any particular expectations for the album now that they got signed to a label?

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I have a hypothesis that Travis Scott’s Stargazing is a roller coaster. Literally. One of the producers of this song indirectly confirmed it to me. What do you think of this concept?

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 06:36 PM PST

To begin with, I want to note that Stargazing seems to be a special song for Travis. It pre-sounded at concerts before the official release of the album, in rapper's Instagram Stories and, more importantly, it sounds in Astroworld's trailer and located on the first place in the tracklist.

Astroworld - Official Trailer

I have every reason to believe that Travis Scott and his team of star producers conceived through this music to deftly convey to the listener feelings of visiting a roller coaster. First, watch this short video of the attraction «Ultra Twister» from the former Houston amusement park filmed in 1999 and let's roll!

Ultra Twister Roller Coaster POV Six Flags Astroworld 1999 Complete On-Ride Houston TX

Rise

In the first part of the track, the attraction mechanism slowly moves the trolley with a listener on the peak of the hill. While Trav is rapping about psychedelics, his daughter and Ellen DeGeneres, the beat on the background moves like a stumbling march with deep 808's, monotonous hi-hats and with a slight touch of distortion. And the music subconsciously suggests not to go along with it, but rather roll slowly, which is directly influenced by the first and periodically repeating line:

Rollin', rollin', rollin', got me stargazin'.

Closer to the middle of the track, our trolley brakes, as it has almost reached the highest point of the hill. We're looking down from this dizzy height, and we're intercepting the breath from the view that has opened to us, which convey ephemeral female singing and piano keys. Only the sounds of the mechanism that lifts the carriage and a looped squeak remind us of the reality. Distant children's screams anticipate a fast descent. The trolley reaches its climax at the moment of the micro-pause in the interval between 2:45 and 2:46 seconds of the track and then abruptly breaks down.

​

Descent

The second part of Stargazing noticeably accelerates us. We are rolling down the rails, the tempo of the composition increases, pumped by a vortex melody, and with it Travis Scott appears to wake up. Without any repeating lines, the rapper jumps on the melody with the sober words:

Ok, I been up for some days, I ain't got time to lay.

Right after that the artist invites us to his past, remembering his promise to return amusement park back to kids:

If I take you to my past you will be traumatized
Got a thousand kids outside that's tryna come alive
'99, took AstroWorld, it had to relocate
Told the dogs I'd bring it back, it was a seal of faith

Did Stargazing with the previous clip of roller coaster's complete on-ride fit into a single picture in your head? The structure of this song literally copies the route of this roller coaster. This hypothesis is supported by such evidence as different dynamics of the first lyrics and melodies of each of the parts, the sounds of an attraction mechanism and the exclamations of its visitors in the middle of the track and, finally, Travis's promise to return destroyed Astroworld back.

By the way, it can be exactly former attraction «Ultra Twister» from the video above. Imagine that you are a beatmaker from Houston who wants to dedicate an album to favorite amusement park. What will you do to immerse the listener in this nostalgic atmosphere? Most likely you'll look for field records as samples witch you may find if you'll search videos on Youtube by request "six flags astroworld". What do we get at the output? Several documentary videos with voice-over text and than – «Ultra Twister Roller Coaster POV Six Flags Astroworld 1999 Complete On-Ride Houston TX» that makes the viewer a witness of the taken away attraction. Perfect, isn't it? Consider the wrong year of closing the park in the lyrics (its 2005, not 1999) but coinciding with the title of exactly this video and a similar "field" sample in the middle of the track on slowed down and pitched two-second passage from 2:34 to 2:36 of attraction's on-ride.

​

https://i.redd.it/6nsqvbxj4y421.jpg

I don't know whether Stargazing was really designed like this or whether it's all just a coincidence and a game of imagination. Of course each listener can have their own interpretation, and this is mine. I have only the last question left. It's lit, isn't it?

PS. Initially, I published this hypothesis as part of my album review on the Russian-language site Kanobu.ru about pop culture, but it's audience is skeptical of rap music, so it passed by everyone. At the same time, in August, I was looking for confirmation of my guess from people who worked on the song. I DMed to Travis and all the producers of the track, but only one of them responded to my messages – Bkorn. By his response, I mean his 'like' under my message. Decide for yourself whether this can be considered a confirmation of my hypothesis, or it means nothing at all. At least he read my messages and did not call them stupid :)

https://i.redd.it/y6r28y8t6y421.jpg

PSS. I'm interested to read your opinion about it. Maybe someone already wrote something similar, and I don't even know about it, since about 4 months have passed. At first I published this text on the same subreddit, but my post immediately got into spam and none of the moderators answered me. I'll try to do it again. Just in case, I warn you that this is my first publication in English :)

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LIL PUMP Blasted for Mocking ASIANS, Rapping "Ching Chong" on a new song

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 11:07 AM PST

IC3PEAK, an experimental pop/hip-hop duo from Russia have had over 10 of their shows either cancelled or almost cancelled since November by Russian authorities, forced to play in secret locations and face threats and problems with police at every show. (Screenshots with more details inside)

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 11:55 PM PST

Kool A.D., Formerly of Das Racist, Accused of Sexual Assault by Four Women

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 10:02 AM PST

Rakim freestyling in the 80’s

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:47 AM PST

Reese’s Puffs Rappers - Peanut Butter Chocolate Flavor

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 12:46 PM PST

J.I.D and BJ the Chicago Kid perform "Skrawberries" live (Jimmy Fallon)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 02:08 PM PST

J.I.D – Westbrook (feat. A$AP Ferg)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 05:12 PM PST

A$AP ROCKY X TYLER THE CREATOR - POTATO SALAD

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 03:22 PM PST

[FRESH] Lil Jon featuring Kool-Aid Man - All I Really Want For Christmas (Official Music Video)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 07:50 AM PST

Tracklist and Pre-Order for “War in my Pen” by MIKE (December 21)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 10:23 AM PST

[FRESH] Earl Sweatshirt - Veins (OG Version)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 11:47 AM PST

[FRESH] The Black Eyed Peas ft. Nas - BACK 2 HIPHOP

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 07:31 PM PST

Rhythm Roulette: Joji | Mass Appeal

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 11:41 AM PST

Nipsey Hussle On Why 'Victory Lap' Is the Best Rap Album Of 2018: It's 'What Our Genre Sounds Like at Its Best'

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 08:48 AM PST

Eric Andre - Hot Chicken (Rough Child Remix)

Posted: 17 Dec 2018 02:35 PM PST
at

Sunday General Discussion - December 16th, 2018 - HipHop

Sunday General Discussion - December 16th, 2018 - HipHop

Sunday General Discussion - December 16th, 2018

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 08:45 AM PST

Fuck Patrick Boivin

How do you pronounce gyoza

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Album of the Year 2018 #13: Mozzy - Gangland Landlord

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 09:20 AM PST

Artist: Mozzy

Album: Gangland Landlord

Released: October 4, 2018

Label: EMPIRE, Mozzy Records

Listen

Spotify

Apple Music

Tidal

Google Play Music

YouTube (Official Playlist by Mozzy)

Pandora (I know at least ONE of you has it)

Background

Mozzy is a California rapper/artist based in Sacramento, California. While at face value, his music looks to be not much more than run-of-the-mill gang talk with cover art straight out of 2011, there is much more than meets the eye with the Oak Park MC. Mozzy has been rapping for 14 years, with under a quarter of those done under the "Mozzy" moniker. Part of his defining qualities is that Mozzy is able to create lots of music -- since 2015, he's released 5 or more projects yearly, some being EPs and some being collaborative efforts with other artists on the Mozzy Records label. Many of his full-length projects have immense underground acclaim from listeners, with Gangland Landlord being his biggest release to date with the most commercial promotion/production thus far.

Album Review

Gangland Landlord is the 20th solo project by Mozzy (and 3rd commercial studio album), released under the Empire label under the Mozzy Records imprint on October 4th, 2018. At 18 tracks in length, it's one of Mozzy's more lengthy ventures, but does a phenomenal job of keeping things fresh throughout the near-hour runtime by diversifying features, topic matter and production style. But in a day and age where most artists are capable of doing this, Mozzy sets himself apart with an x-factor not many other artists can emulate: during any given lyric on any given song, Mozzy is 1,000% believable in what he says. There's no doubt in anyone's mind he believes what he spits about, nor that he's lying about the experiences he details in his music. Through and through, Mozzy's content is a 1:1 representation of him, and having that trick up his sleeve is what consistently sets him apart from the competition.

As is the trend with any album, the immediate tone for the album is set by the intro: on this album, that's No Way, a short two-minute track with Mozzy speaking on the general rise to fame he's had in the past year, but not without showing the vulnerability he's always been capable of showing. That vulnerability bookended by bravado is a trademark: the ability to show off the fact that while Mozzy is surrounded by gang members, constantly posted up on Instagram Live in the heart of the projects, he isn't 100% macho man. He's capable of fear too; but he's also capable of confronting it. However, the vulnerability doesn't last long -- the next track is One of Mines, a near polar opposite of the intro track, and it's full of the braggadocio Mozzy has made a name for himself with. Just off the heels of peeling back the layers of a gangster is one of those tracks that highlights what the fans fell for in the first place: a June-produced bar-heavy track just going down the checklist of what sets Mozzy apart when he goes the easy route. Bass notes accentuating every bar, Mozzy uses two verses to show the audience why the Gangland Landlord is an indisputable title he holds.

"We them niggas, who can argue with that?

You takin' field trips with rats like you ain't smarter than that

Parked the load down the street and we just jogged to the trap

Damn near fainted, seen a hundred large fall in my lap"

I also wanna explain that One of Mines is produced by June, who also produced a track on 1 Up Top Ahk called Momma We Made It that uses the same bass track in the background. The difference here is that on 1 Up Top Ahk, it was a story of triumph that the beat gave a soundtrack to. On One of Mines, it manifests itself as much grittier and much more hard-hitting. While it's not necessarily something to review, it's a cool tidbit to know about.

This track leads into one of the album's singles, Not Impressive; another trademark bar-fest, this time prefaced by Mozzy telling the original fans that this is what they've been looking for. That throwback Mozzy, that Goonbody Embodiment. Yellow Tape Activities. Gangland Landscape. That "Dopefiend Tryna Get His Corsica Back" Mozzy. After multiple standout albums like Fake Famous & 1 Up Top Ahk that some felt alienated his core clientele, he dropped Not Impressive to assure the fans he never forgot his roots, and the proof is in the pack. No hook, just 2 minutes with no pause of him going on and on about that gang talk shit he's so good at. After this comes Thugz Mansion, a Tupac tribute to the song under the same name with a lot of striking similarities: namely the parallel of Ty Dolla $ign's new verse to the original by J. Phoenix and the ideology of a heaven for thugs shining through. Mozzy's strength that I referred to before is authenticity: the ability to convince the listener he's committed to his craft and what he speaks about. He's got another, though: and it's the ability to not exchange that authenticity for sound quality -- which shows on this track, because this track sounds fucking great. In all honesty, it's one of my favorite Mozzy tracks to show people because it's so easy to digest, and doesn't cut corners on any of the quintessential traits that Mozzy shows off.

Dead Homies (with E Mozzy) is the first sign of his usual roster making an appearance. On prior projects, they're flush with features that aren't necessarily popular rappers, but more-so more believable rappers who stay around Mozzy. This includes E Mozzy, Celly Ru, Lex Aura, Dcmbr, Rayven Justice, June and Kunta. Dead Homies is catchy, but doesn't stand up to some of the deeper cuts on this album. Which isn't to say it's a bad song, but more-so that it's just a good song on an album of great ones.

Bands on Me (with Blac Youngsta, a Boogie wit da Hoodie & TeeJay3k) hosts my favorite Blac Youngsta verse ever, as well as a standout hook from TeeJay3k and a literal two-bar feature outro by a Boogie wit da Hoodie. What I personally found odd about this song is that TeeJay3k does the hook, but he's easily mistakable for a Boogie wit da Hoodie, and they would have achieved the same thing doing the hook (and probably the same thing doing the outro, except for the fact a Boogie mentions his ruger by name, which is sort of his thing at this point).

There's quite the shift in tone to the next song, Keep Me Hustlin', featuring Rexx Life Raj. A west coast mainstay slowly growing in popularity, Rexx Life Raj nearly renegades Mozzy off of the track in the outro with a 45-second verse that subdues the beat and speaks on the conditions of being immersed in the streets to support your family -- a topic that Mozzy and his contemporaries highlight a lot on this album. If there's any deep cut on this album that you should focus on, it's this one. No producer tag, no beat trying to outshine the lyricism; it's just a tale of a man who figured it all out a different way for the betterment of his family.

My mama pray I keep the sin away

Can't say I believe in prayer, but she be prayin' anyway

Why the system set up to put my niggas away?

When every risk we take is just to put it on the dinner plate

And feed the fam, we're in a famine

--Rexx Life Raj on Keep Me Hustlin

Walk With a Limp (with YFN Lucci) is one of those songs that sounds like a long stretch of freeway overlooking a body of water, where the sun's down just enough that the streetlights shining onto your dashboard every 7 seconds actually show up to you. It's one of those songs that, no matter how good of a driver you are, will probably have you accelerate up to 5 above the speed limit and get caught up by some highway patrol officer with a radar gun. It's then that you realize you don't have the money Mozzy talks about having, and you're brought back down to reality. In other words, this song's a super easy song to get a ticket to, because it's super easy to listen to and simultaneously super easy to immerse yourself in. Don't read too deep into it. The money makes him walk with a limp, because there is a lot of it.

One of the only songs I can never be sure of the quality of, no matter how many listens I have (last.fm claims I had 28 listens within the first 5 days of the album releasing) is Run It Up, (with ScHoolboy Q and Caine) Not because it's a bad song, but it doesn't feel like it fits on the album because Mozzy usually commands the track and shows he's the center of attention on it. On this, he only has one verse, the hook plays 3 times, and ScHoolboy Q has a phoned-in feature.

My Brudda 2X (with Celly Ru and Trae tha Truth) is a track that, while it works great on Gangland Landlord, feels almost too gritty for the album just by virtue of the features: Celly Ru is a mainstay artist on Mozzy Records, and Trae tha Truth actually has a full collaboration album with Mozzy titled Tapped In that I implore you to listen to.

Black Hearted, Walk Up, Excuse Me (with Too Short, Yhung T.O and Dcmbr) and Famous (with Iamsu!, Yo Gotti and DeJ Loaf) make up a quartet of songs that wind down the album before the last four tracks. Black Hearted is an ode to the dead homies that gives everyone a feeling they can relate to: wanting to do anything to be able to bring someone back, knowing they won't answer the phone. Walk Up is a minimal take on the usual topic matter, and actually ended up being one of Jay-Z's 20 favorite tracks of 2018, probably because it's one of the best tracks on this album. Real talk over a beat that sounds like a smoked-out living room session. Excuse Me is a slow, R&B-infused jam that has an entire verse about Too Short getting a check by using his girlfriend to get money out of another guy, and Yhung T.O's first solo verse after announcing SOB x RBE's breakup. T.O actually proves he can probably sustain himself as a solo artist, and Dcmbr caps the track off with a great hook backed by some impressive synths over drums. Famous, the last of the four, actually falls flat as my least favorite track on the album, a definitive skip even with the great Mozzy verses. There's a lot of guest appearances on this album, this is one of the songs that overdoes it. Without the features, this song is awesome.

Who Want Problems is what circles us back to the solo Mozzy we saw on One of Mines and Not Impressive on the beginning of the album, and it's a breath of fresh air after all the new voices you hear on the prior two tracks (and rest of the album, to be honest). Shooters, shooters, shooters, real shottas. Hook by Mozzy, verses by Mozzy, beat by Jay P Bangz. A cornerstone of the album (and it has a great music video, too!)

Choke On Me follows the minimalist production path by Khaliel, and follows up on Who Want Problems with stories of the come-up and the need to adapt to fame now that his name's ringing bells. It's a great way to wind down into the next track, Run to the Mansion. Run to the Mansion is my personal favorite track on the album (in constant competition with One of Mines) because it's like the after-party. It's complex production that crashes down on itself, it's Mozzy talking his shit per usual: there's not much I can say about this track that it can't say itself and if you heard it, you'd likely agree, unless you're the police.

To cap things off, Mozzy & Rayven Justice team up for Tear Us Down, the deepest cut on the album so far, that wastes no time and gets straight to the message. There's no glory in the gang talk, there's no hyping up a headshot. It's the final track and it's the most vulnerable you see Mozzy on this entire record, a record packed cover to cover with bragging about the bodies and serving packs to zombies. To be honest, when writing this, I thought about just posting this entire track's lyrics as the Favorite Lyrics section right below, because while it isn't my favorite song, it's the best I've ever seen Mozzy with his lyricism. There's no complex double entendres, there's no Lupe Fiasco-level punchlines. It's all about the system against Mozzy, which is what the heart of the music he makes is at the end of the day.

Gangland Landlord finds itself long-winded at the end to some, and a lot of people tend to stray away from Mozzy's discography because to most, he feels one-note and unable to diversify. This album is nearly an hour long, but it attacks that criticism of being a one-trick-pony by intently attacking all the sounds he can in his lane without sacrificing quality, and that's why I firmly believe this is album of the year. Sure, the same detractors who think he can't go away from the gang talk flock in troves to attack this album for having filler, but you can't please everyone. He knows that.

Favorite Lyrics

Gangland Landlord is what I solemnly bleed

You need a body barbecued, then you should lock in with me

Drop him for cheap, my ahki got a jumper on fleek

You front on these beats, knowin' you ain't cut from these streets

-- One of Mines

Missin' Jabada, still in the clanker for sellin' strippers

Circumstantial evidence, they convicted the wrong nigga

Guess who fuckin' his wifey, his own nigga

Went from uncle to step-daddy, now that's a cold nigga

-- Not Impressive

Aye, we sincerely devoted if you ain't notice

Fifty ball shoved in the denim, them bitches bloated

You got respect for the struggle if you've been homeless

Now I'm in the foreign, it's factory clear-coated

Aye, where the mansion for thugs? I'm tryna slither

Gotta be a fella to enter, just real niggas

-- Thugz Mansion

Look around, things different, Ma, we peachy now

We eatin' now, this that shit I used to dream about

We on this baggage claim tour, you can keep the clout

When you rise above the madness, pull your people out

Too many claim to be the plug for it to be a drought

Family come before the fetti, ain't no keeping count

-- Keep Me Hustlin

They'd rather break us than build us up in this broken system

We ain't no different if we ridin' 'round smokin' niggas

-- Tear Me Down (Outro)

Talking Points

  • Do you feel as though Mozzy went too-industry-friendly for this album?

  • What do you think is the next logical step (musically) for Mozzy?

  • Did you enjoy 1 Up Top Ahk or Gangland Landlord more? Why?

  • Does Mozzy use Chris Brown clones?

  • Is it beneficial or detrimental to Mozzy's sound if he utilizes more industry-heavy rappers (ScHoolboy Q, YG, Ty Dolla $ign) over his usual feature cast (Celly Ru, E Mozzy, Lex Aura)

Thanks for reading this, if you made it this far. I don't expect many people (or any at all) to read through this thing in its entirety. R.I.P. to /u/aacarbone, one of the people who put me onto Mozzy's entire discography.

submitted by /u/Sequel_P2P
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Ski Mask The Slump God performs NUKETOWN to an incredibly passionate crowd at XXXTENTACION's album release party

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 09:43 AM PST

Kendrick Lamar Brings Out J. Cole to Perform For DAMN Tour in Detroit, MI

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 01:16 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Soulja Boy Tell 'Em - iSouljaBoyTellem (10 Years Later)

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 10:29 AM PST

It's been 10 years since this was released.

What were your favorite tracks?

Do you think it still holds up today?

How does it compare to the rest of Soulja Boy's discography?

On a scale of 10 out of 10, how influential is this album to the current landscape of hip-hop?

Do you still remember the phone number from Kiss Me Thru The Phone?

Was Gucci Bandana the blueprint for Kendrick Lamar's HUMBLE?

Will Soulja Boy ever have the rap game in a chokehold again?

Have you pre-ordered your Soulja Boy game console yet?

submitted by /u/tunapizza
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Mac, remembered by manager, Christian Clancy

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 02:02 PM PST

Had a convo with XXXTENTACION's Producer, John Cunningham about SKINS

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 10:55 AM PST

According to him, it was finished except for 1 or 2 things before X passed, He said there was a strong possibility that X may have recorded more songs for it, had he not died. He said they did not piece together old recordings and the claims of it being a moneygrab are false including woah (mind in awe) which was completed, was actually one of X's favorites off the album. I hope this clears things up for this sub.

Screenshots of convo

submitted by /u/lilmeepkin
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Vince Staples insane verse on Hive.

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:07 PM PST

Travis Scott - Oh My Dis Side (feat. Quavo)

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:02 PM PST

PLAYBOI CARTI X UNOTHEACTIVIST - WHAT

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 10:20 AM PST

Every Sample from Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 01:07 PM PST

XXXTENTACION - ILOVEITWHENTHEYRUN ft. Yung Bans and Ski Mask the Slump God

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 11:57 AM PST

[ORIGINAL] Was spinning my Charlie Brown Christmas record and got inspired to flip a sample and add some instrumentation. My homie came through and laid down some vocals based on a quote from the movie, and this was the final product. Sorry its kinda sad, but hope you enjoy! VANGARD - XMAS ASHES

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 06:27 PM PST

Curren$y freestyle on the Eric Andre show

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 04:58 PM PST

Mura Masa - Love$ick ft. A$AP Rocky

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 09:00 PM PST

Fantasy Rap Album?

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:30 PM PST

Fantasy football season has me thinking - if you could draft you perfect rap album, what would it be? You get a base artist, 12 tracks, and up to 8 features. You can combine more then one feature on a track. What's your line up?

submitted by /u/FriendlyMugger
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Drake - Jodeci (Freestyle) ft. J Cole

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:32 PM PST

Starfire (Juice WRLD’s ex-girlfriend) opens up about their past relationship.

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 07:06 PM PST

Gucci Mane Says Eminem Cannot Be Greatest Rapper of All-Time .... "Who listens to him daily?"

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 05:53 PM PST

Trippie Redd- Bust Down

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 09:38 AM PST

Bas ft. J. Cole, KQuick - Lit

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 05:11 PM PST

G Herbo aka Lil Herb x Lil Bibby - Kill Shit | Shot By @KingRtb (Official Music Video)

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 10:28 AM PST

Big Sean - Go Legend (feat. Travis Scott) [Prod. By Metro Boomin]

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 05:20 PM PST

Del Tha Funky Homosapien and Dan The Automator performing at Capcom Cup right now

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 01:27 PM PST

J. Cole ft. Kendrick Lamar - Temptation

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 09:12 AM PST

Pi'erre Bourne - Marie Curie

Posted: 16 Dec 2018 04:53 PM PST
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