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Album of the Year #9: Tyler, the Creator - IGOR - HipHop

Album of the Year #9: Tyler, the Creator - IGOR - HipHop

Album of the Year #9: Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 08:00 AM PST

Artist: Tyler, the Creator

Album: IGOR

Listen:

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Appple Music

Background

Ladera Heights, California's Tyler, the Creator has been one of hip-hop's most colourful, singular characters for the past 10 years. The rapper, producer, songwriter, music video director and fashion designer started off as the leader of L.A. rap group Odd Future, while his solo career began with the dark, grotesque and surprisingly emotional mixtape Bastard, released at the tail end of 2009. The mixtape eventually became a viral hit, due to its strange but compelling blend of punk-rock ethos, distorted synthesizers, grooves lifted from the Neptunes, and most importantly, Tyler's unmistakable voice rapping about things like skateboarding, cannibalism, and a variety of strong feelings towards his deadbeat dad. Some loved it, others hated it, but nobody could ignore it for too long. Combined with a unique visual aesthetic and a larger-than-life personality, the only place Tyler and crew could go from here was up.

In February 2011, Kanye West suddenly tweeted Tyler's striking music video for the eventual classic "Yonkers," calling it the "best music video of 2011." This was not even two weeks after he basically rewrote his entire song "Sandwitches," featuring Hodgy Beats, so that he could perform it on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Tyler then signed a one-album deal with XL Recordings, and released his debut album, Goblin, which landed at an impressive #5 on the Billboard 200 in its first week, eventually going gold in the USA and Canada. If that wasn't enough, that same "Yonkers" video won him the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, beating Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean in the process. Throughout all of 2011, Odd Future were inescapable, and their ride-or-die supporters were just as vocal as their harsh detractors. Among other things, they did have a penchant for rapping about raping women, and called people homophobic slurs on a pretty regular basis. Thankfully, it was not much longer before Tyler began one of the most bizarre, convoluted and thrilling character development arcs in recent hip-hop history.

On his 2013 second album, Wolf, Tyler traded his rape and dismemberment bars for a storyline about two guys at summer camp, Wolf and Samuel, stopping just short of killing each other over a girl named Salem, intercut with personal narratives like "Answer" and pure bangers like "Tamale." The production was much cleaner, and expanded even more on the jazz influence that always pervaded in Tyler's music. After proving his respectability to a doubting public, of course he followed it up with maybe his most polarizing album yet, 2015's Cherry Bomb. It was a strange blend of even mellower and happier jazzy pieces in the vein of about half of Wolf, and blown-out, distorted rave-ups, that nobody knew what to make of, and a lot of people still don't. However, it was 2017's Flower Boy that truly solidified his legacy, and opened him up to a wider audience. Except for "I Ain't Got Time!" and the A$AP Rocky-assisted "Who Dat Boy," (his first song to hit the Billboard Hot 100) Tyler was now entirely committed to lush, neo soul-tinged jazz rap, with a decidedly more mature perspective. Widely acclaimed as Tyler's greatest work, and as one of the best albums of 2017, it almost hit number one on the Billboard 200, until Lana Del Rey sold only 1,000 more units that week with her album, Lust For Life. However, that coveted title of number-one album is something that, oddly enough, Tyler finally achieved in 2019 with his fifth (or sixth) album, the bewitching and barely classifiable IGOR.

Review

Aight so boom, IGOR is pretty far from your typical Tyler, the Creator album. But at the same time, it does feel like a natural evolution from his last two albums. Its primary foundation is the distorted, chipmunk-voiced mood swings of Cherry Bomb, but now informed by the jazzy, earnest sentimentality of Flower Boy. IGOR attempts to find a middle ground between these two sides of Tyler; the exuberant, unpredictable problem child, and the level-headed, intelligent craftsman. His tendency towards using alter egos to communicate different sides of his own mind, as he did prominently on his first three albums, also shows up here as well, except this time in a much more streamlined fashion. The final product is the most wildly creative and musically adventurous album of his career, and probably the most emotionally complex as well. The album is also bolstered by an engaging and relatable, if not simple and sometimes confusing, narrative behind it (which Tyler has said was influenced by "deep infatuation.") However, the way that the music helps to propel this narrative, and all the different and powerful emotions that it brings out of an otherwise basic storyline, is what makes this album the magnum opus that it is.

Our journey begins with the celebratory prelude "IGOR'S THEME," which is our generation's equivalent to "Gonna Fly Now" and nobody will convince me otherwise. This intro is built on classic hip-hop drums, a distorted bassline, and tons of synthesizers and pianos all having a massive orgy - which sets the tone for the sound of the album, if not necessarily its mood or themes. Lyrics are few and far between, containing little more than an infectious hook from Lil Uzi Vert - "ridin' round town, they gon' feel this one" - performed only a few times, and some short phrases that bob in and out of the electrifying instrumental. Because of the song's nature, it's easy to take its title as exactly what it says on the tin - the theme song for "Igor," presumably Tyler's newest alter ego. Except "Igor" is not actually mentioned in this album for quite some time away from now - at least not directly.

From here, the album wastes no time jumping right into one of its high points with "EARFQUAKE," which ended up being Tyler's first top 40 hit. While Tyler is mostly known as a rapper, the first song on IGOR to have lead vocals from Tyler does not feature any of his rapping - he sings the whole time. And here's the thing about that; he can kinda sing...sort of? Either way, his voice is digitally altered to a much higher pitch, as if to portray a different state of his own mind, and this vocal distortion is going to be a recurring theme throughout IGOR. Where his limited singing ability comes in handy here is how it emphasizes the vulnerability in his voice, and the song's lyrics. But then Charlie Wilson and Jessy Wilson's (no relation) powerful background vocals come in right underneath that frail falsetto, highlighting the strength of Tyler's weakness, as they plead, "don't leave, it's my fault!" Musically, it functions like a throwback soul ballad filtered through G-funk rhythms, with some high, chirping synthesizers to match - and then probably half a dozen more synthesizers, because that's how this album goes.

The whole song effectively goes back and forth between two choruses, until the end, where Tyler drops the vocal filter and sings the bridge in his natural voice, before going back to the second chorus once more. The difference between the cinematic melodrama of Tyler's digitally-altered, high-pitched vocals at the beginning, and the straight-forward, raw humanity of his natural voice at the end, while they're both singing mostly the same melodies, is IGOR's heart and soul, captured in one convenient location. Also, since I haven't mentioned Playboi Carti's guest verse by now, it occurs halfway through repeated choruses, over no drums or bassline - and indeed, little more than piano chords and Tyler's background harmonizing, which brings out a different side of Carti's bizarre, artfully simplistic flow than we're used to hearing on his own music. It seems like Carti was placed here with no regard to the album's (or song's) themes, but simply to lighten the mood for a little while, and that he certainly does.

This brilliant single is instantly followed by "I THINK," a funky, poppy song about falling in love, which also contains Tyler's first rap verses on the album, and this time he performs the whole thing in his natural voice. This is the beginning of the album's core narrative, but this does come right after a song where he was just begging his love interest not to leave him. Under the assumption that these songs are all about the same person, why would Tyler put that one song out of order at the beginning? (Or maybe he just put "EARFQUAKE" semi-first cause he knew it would be the big hit.) Either way, Tyler and Solange singing "I think I'm falling in love / this time I think it's for real / how can I tell you?" is a simple but sweet expression of love's early stages. However, before we even have time for a second chorus, he's already told the object of his affections, "I'm your puppet, you are Jim Henson." (This line will come up again later on.) From here, we can piece together that Tyler gets very attached, very fast, especially because the audience doesn't even know the relationship status of these two yet. This will be important to understand as the album continues.

"Exactly what you run from, you end up chasing. Like, you can't avoid, but just chasing it and just like trying. Giving it everything that you can. There's always an obstacle."

This is the first of many spoken interludes throughout the album by comedian Jerrod Carmichael. On IGOR, Jerrod acts as a narrator, giving us a more clear and reliable interpretation of Tyler's mental state as the album progresses. The idea of running away from the same things you end up chasing - like, for example, your feelings for someone else - is a predominant one on the album.

The next song, "RUNNING OUT OF TIME," (notice the "running" theme here) is a low-key R&B ballad that sees the return of Tyler's distorted singing voice. By now, we can infer that his newfound love for this mystery guy (and yes, I'm pretty sure it's a guy) is already causing him some pain, as he sings about how he's "running out of time / to make you love me." The musical backdrop during Tyler's verses consists of little more than a soft electric piano, on top of a heavily distorted bassline, to accentuate the underlying frustration behind his own vulnerability. But of course, those damn synthesizers come back for both choruses, as his voice conveys a stronger sense of urgency. From here, two bite-sized rap verses, performed in his natural voice, are separated by a sudden explosion in drums and synthesizers, which settles back down to just that bass and piano in the blink of an eye. Tyler doubles down on the idea that this guy he loves is "living in pretend," insisting that "I know the real you." As we're still wondering why his outlook has taken such a negative turn, one of these passing lines reveals the reason for his anguish; "take your mask off, I need her out the picture." So now we know there's another girl involved, and from here it won't take much longer for Tyler to spiral into uncontrollable jealousy. In fact, it's actually in the next song on the tracklist.

"Sometimes you gotta close a door to open a window."

This is where things start to go out of control. Jerrod is already communicating to us that the only way to escape whatever is troubling you is to leave something behind and not look back. In Tyler's case, this might mean forgetting about this guy, but Jerrod's statement is poorly timed, as the album's greatest moment, "NEW MAGIC WAND," makes clear. On top of a filthy, growling bassline, and propulsive quasi-trap drums, Tyler's altered voice now makes him sound like a bona fide loony tune, especially given the content of the lyrics. He repeats an idea from the last song - "I need to get her out the picture / She's really fucking up my frame" - before a Dirty South-like chant comes in, proposing a solution to his problem; "Like magic, gone! / New magic wand!" Perhaps he's referring to the Photoshop tool that might literally "get her out the picture," but given the rest of the song's lyrics, he probably means a gun that he can use to fucking kill her. Or he's collecting a check from Hitachi. (It's also worth noting that he said "I been runnin' out of spells" in passing on "RUNNING OUT OF TIME," and this next song is entirely built on a magic-related metaphor.)

The deterioration of Tyler's mental state is obvious all over this song, especially during its climatic chorus. At first, he's just awkwardly singing "please don't leave me now" over and over, punctuated by another "don't leave" sound bite from Santigold, a clear call back to "EARFQUAKE." This is later joined in by the same chant from before, and then Santigold lets out a long "I can make her le-e-e-eave" to build even more tension, while his vocals remain stoic. This is until Tyler suddenly kicks into maximum overdrive, and as he yells out all of his frustrations with this guy, and his plan to kill the girl that's stopping him from being with the guy, the line "we can finally be together" brings it all to a screeching halt. Probably because Tyler's been habitually talking about them like they're already a couple, between "she's not developed like we are," and of course his repeated pleading for this guy to not leave him. The bridge offers some momentary calm as he continues to elaborate, before simulated sirens carry us into one final blast of aggression. Tyler rips through a rap verse with some of the most dexterous flows we've ever heard from him, as another mountain of synthesizers pile onto the already hectic beat, blowing off all of the steam that he hadn't managed to blow off already.

Speaking of gun metaphors, this manic burst of jealousy is immediately followed by what seems to be a more level-headed track, "A BOY IS A GUN," which is probably the album's major turning point. A soothing soul sample, and some comparatively subdued synthesizers, drives Tyler's rapping into a more normal frame of mind. His voice is still altered, but here it's just barely noticeable, so we can infer that he's only a little nuts this time. By now, he's become a bit more honest with himself about what this guy means to him; "how come you're the best to me? I know you're the worst for me." The lyrics see him going back and forth between finally growing tired of the bullshit and still holding onto his unshakeable attachment. At this point, he's realized that this guy is bringing out the worst in him, and some questionable behaviour on Tyler's part surfaces; he says "oh, you wanna go home? Cool, better call you a cab / I ain't takin' you home, yeah, I'm brushin' you off," and then you can count on one hand the seconds it takes before he suddenly says "don't leave, stay right here, yeah, I want you right near / You invited me to breakfast, why the fuck your ex here?" It's also interesting that he is already referring to the girl as this guy's ex; he might be telling the truth about that, but everything he's said up until now makes me think otherwise. Finally, he ends the song by repeatedly telling the guy to "stay the fuck away from me." So by now, Tyler's done with the games and the self-torment, and he's done thinking about this guy. Until he isn't.

The next song, "PUPPET," is the sound of Tyler taking all of the personal progress he barely made on "A BOY IS A GUN" and flushing it straight down the toilet. He's totally submissive, rapping in a slightly more altered tone, in frantic triplets as he lyrically details the severity of his obsession with this guy. The self-awareness follows soon after, as he ponders, "I am startin' to wonder / Is this my free will or yours?" before the rest of the song sees him dejectedly singing, "I'm your puppet, you control me / I'm your puppet, I don't know me." (This is where that line from "I THINK" comes up again, like I said it would.) This is all underscored by loosely rhythmic drums, mournful string arrangements and another distorted bassline, combined with the weakness apparent in his vocals, to paint a picture of his desperation. This song also features none other than Kanye West, and he manages to get in "you lost, son, and you've been tryna find your way to me" before it devolves into indecipherable, borderline nonsense, as if there is ultimately no hope for Tyler after all. (It also probably means there was no hope for Kanye to finish writing his verse.) From here, the music switches to eerie wordless vocals and a hellish harpsichord sample, and it seems like he's finally reached rock bottom.

"But at some point, you come to your senses."

This line from Jerrod arrives with much more convenient timing. "WHAT'S GOOD" is essentially just that: Tyler coming to his senses. The song sees him rapping the whole time, in his natural voice, but with plenty of overdrive on his vocals for good measure, over a beat with heavy funk and hard rock influences. (Well, we know how much he loves N.E.R.D.) As for lyrics, this song is not remotely about the guy that these past few songs have been about, and sees Tyler resorting to pure shit-talking and braggadocio. Also, remember when I was writing about "IGOR'S THEME" and I said "Igor" would not be named for a while? Well, here he is; "if the cops ask my name, bitch, I'm Igor!" It seems like this is Tyler's latest alter ego, representing his cocky, confident side. Halfway through, the beat abruptly switches to a different guitar riff than before, giving way to a hyper-distorted trap breakdown, where "Igor" drops a verse about a near-death experience. In addition to the nasty car crash Tyler got into last year, of course, this may also be a metaphor for his heartbreak almost killing his ability to be confident in himself, hence almost killing "Igor." In the background for this whole section has been English rapper slowthai repeatedly saying "I see the light," alternating between speaking, whispering and yelling, adapting his voice as the music changes. I point this out because not only does it make this song's themes and impact even stronger, but because his album this year, Nothing Great About Britain, is also excellent, and you should listen to that if you haven't already.

"I don't know what's harder, letting go or just being okay with it."

After "Igor" comes in and shows Tyler the light, the album transitions into "GONE, GONE / THANK YOU," following the great Tyler tradition of track 10 on every album being a two-parter. "GONE, GONE" starts off as a bright, summery, endearing pop song, and it's one of the sweetest things Tyler's ever released. Here, he seems to be playing with the double meaning of "my love's gone," referring to both the love he felt for this guy being gone, and the guy himself being gone from his life as well, but the almost suffocating joy apparent in the music behind it more strongly suggests the former interpretation. However, he does still manage to sneak a little bit of jealousy and spite into even as bright and sunny of a moment as this; "I just hope to God she got good taste / Could put you on some shit you never seen / Could play a couple songs that you could dance to / I hope you know she can't compete with me." Even with these moments, the joy that Tyler has found in his own personal growth, and emotional detachment from this guy at last, is clear as day. Whether or not he's truly let go, he seems to be okay with it.

Eventually, the instrumental switches from the sunny pop arrangements to the same drum track as before, but this time it's driven by a vocal sample of the Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo Green singing "my love is gone," gradually decreasing in pitch. Up until now, all of Tyler's own vocals have been pitched up to the highest they'll ever get on the album, but now his voice is absolutely raw to deliver a rap verse that serves as the album's truest moment of clarity. The narrative has been somewhat confusing and unreliable up to this point, but now all of the facades and hazy details are gone, and he tells us what really happened, driven by a brilliant construction metaphor. It seems like Tyler and this guy were friends at first, before Tyler fell in love with him, and for whatever reason, thought he might feel the same way too. It's still kind of up in the air to what degree these two were attached; maybe they just had a little fling, maybe they were official, maybe he was the side piece and just figured it out now. (Or maybe nothing ever happened and Tyler's just delusional.) But either way, whatever these two nice young fellas had, the other guy's "new tenant" (the girl) fucked it all up, and now Tyler has no choice but to move on and forget about him. To come to his senses. To close the door so he can open a window. To run from the feelings that he ended up chasing. To finally find peace.

"I hate wasted potential, that shit crushes your spirit. It really does, it crushes your soul."

The second (third?) part of this track, "THANK YOU," is built around a lo-fi, deconstructed instrumental, with somewhat somber arrangements, but oddly joyful melodies. Here, Tyler's vocals are both high-pitched and heavily distorted, and the lyrics are surprisingly bitter for someone who just made a whole song about moving on: "Thank you for the love, thank you for the joy / But I don't ever want to fall in love again." This simple chorus is repeated a couple of times before the song finally ends. It seems like this six-minute emotional rollercoaster is IGOR's moment of closure, but there's still two more songs left. Now that Tyler has embraced his reality, will he stay successfully adapted to it? Or will he regress to his former desperate self?

If the next song, "I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE," is any indicator... it's still difficult to tell. The song is a slow and somber ballad, starting off with a comparatively minimal arrangement, as well as vocals from Tyler that are muffled and distorted, but left in his natural pitch. Lyrically, it's exactly what it says on the tin; he's convincing himself he doesn't love this guy anymore. He actually keeps it up for the first verse: "I won't walk around with my head down like I got beat up / Um, you do you, I'll do me, I'll just chuck the peace up." This is also essentially IGOR's final rap verse. But then the chorus is mostly driven by a scratchy (and probably still altered) falsetto repeatedly stumbling out "I don't love you anymore!" in a way that reeks of desperation. So now even his ability to move on is anyone's guess. From here, the song transitions into a more happy-sounding bridge, even as Tyler admits "I don't love like I used to" and wonders "where did time go?" It doesn't take much longer for before he laments that he "put my feelings in the lost and found / Now I'm stuck, forever, and ever, and ever..." Given all of this, it's hard to be surprised when the backup singers ask "can I have my heart back?" right before the chorus comes back one last time.

"ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?" is the final song on IGOR, an attempt at a classic soul ballad, and another song where Tyler does not rap at all. Excluding "IGOR'S THEME," which was basically a prelude where he only had backing vocals, IGOR is book-ended with two songs ("EARFQUAKE" and this one) where Tyler sings the whole time. Except in contrast to the altered falsetto on "EARFQUAKE," his singing voice is free of any noticeable effects, which helps the song feel particularly raw on an album that's been so emotionally mysterious up until now. This rawness is also aided by the deliberately sloppy and repetitive nature of the song - for the first 3 minutes, most of the lyrics are just the titular question, "are we still friends?" The ramshackle instrumental, built on an Al Green sample, perfectly underscores Tyler's fractured state of mind. After the second chorus, the instrumental slowly fades into a cloud of soft chords, until a bluesy guitar solo (apparently from none other than Jack White) quietly rears its head from beneath the surface. This whole section is kept very low in the mix, which sounds like some kind of mistake, until the chorus comes back one more time, sounding more dramatic and powerful than ever, thanks to that mixing. Before long, Tyler is joined by Pharrell himself, and they sing one last verse, where they suggest that he really does just want to be friends, with no romantic expectations. However, if the obvious desperation in his raw singing wasn't enough of a dead giveaway, he closes the whole song by yelling "can't say goodbye" basically at the top of his lungs. So when all is said and done, IGOR might not exactly have a satisfying ending for Tyler, but that's just the way love is sometimes, isn't it?

Musically, IGOR incorporates a wide range of stylistic influences - jazz, funk, soul, hard rock, classic hip-hop, even a little trap, and no shortage of pop either. The production on the album is consistently fantastic, as the massive piles of synthesizers hammering out jazzy chord progressions, and unusual but infectious melodies never wear thin. Meanwhile, the beats also have so much distortion and dust all over them, and that creates a unique contrast, and also helps to put the album's themes into stronger perspective. As for Tyler himself, he can still rap his ass off when he needs to, and his often distorted vocals, combined with his admittedly questionable singing ability, actually do work to the album's benefit, by communicating his own instability in a way that his words might not always directly admit. This casting of himself as an unreliable narrator helps him write songs that connect to different listeners with different experiences, so long as the unifying theme of love driving people nuts is holding it all together. A long-running theme throughout Tyler's musical career has been maturity, both in his music itself and the discussion surrounding it, and this album makes masterful use of both its wisest and most juvenile moments, and juxtaposes them brilliantly. The album is both melodramatic and understated at the same time. It simultaneously sounds as ornately crafted as the Sistine Chapel, and as broken as most of our hearts have been at some point or another. Musically adventurous, lyrically open-ended but still relatable, and emotionally intricate and engaging, IGOR is one that they are definitely gon' feel for a very long time.

Favourite Lyrics

"I wanna be found, passenger in your car / You wanna give me mixed signals, don't park / She's gonna be dead, I just got a magic wand / We can finally be together" -Tyler, the Creator on "NEW MAGIC WAND"

"Look, they be bringin' us up, yeah, like now and again / Give a fuck what they talkin' 'bout, I see you as a 10 / I'ma leave it at that, I'ma leave us as friends / 'Cause the irony is I don't wanna see you again / Stay the fuck away from me" -Tyler, the Creator on "A BOY IS A GUN*"

"Bouncing off things and you don't know how you fall / Your power is drained, so you cannot go through walls / You're caught in this matrix, don't know where you play it / You hate it, it could be your favorite if you make it your friend" -Pharrell on "ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?"

"We had two different blueprints, but understood her fluent / She opened up early on, I thought I had a permit / You started building a bridge and turned it into a fence / Then my building got tore down all because of your new tenant / I'll just buy up some new shit, never down with a lease / You never lived in your truth, I'm just happy I lived in it / But I finally found peace, so peace" -Tyler, the Creator on "GONE, GONE / THANK YOU"

"RIDIN' ROUND TOWN THEY GON' FEEL THIS ONE, RIDIN' ROUND TOWN THEY GON' FEEL THIS ONE AAAHHAAAAAAAHHHHAAHHHH" -Lil Uzi Vert on "IGOR'S THEME"

Talking Points

  • What did y'all think of IGOR? What were your first impressions? Did your feelings about it change over time? How do you feel about it now?

  • How does this compare to the rest of Tyler's discography? Not just in terms of quality, how different or similar to his other albums do you think IGOR is?

  • Are we looking at a future classic? Do you think IGOR is gonna end up having some kind of long-term impact or influence? If so, how do you think that will manifest itself?

  • Maturity has been a point of discussion within and surrounding Tyler's music for as long as he's been active. How mature or immature would you say IGOR is overall?

  • As far as artistic direction is concerned, where do you think Tyler will go from here? How do you think, or hope, he will evolve as an artist in the future?

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Daily Discussion Thread 01/10/2020

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:24 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, as stated in the guidelines.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

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

Weekly/Monthly Threads

Other ways to interact

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

New to /r/hiphopheads or hip-hop in general?

Check out these:

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The Fresh Prince proves he still got bars after being put on the spot by Sway

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:17 PM PST

KENNY BEATS & BOOGIE FREESTYLE | The Cave: Season 2 - Episode 6

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:03 PM PST

Metro Boomin - Overdue (with Travis Scott)

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:59 PM PST

Juice WRLD Freestyling to Codeine Crazy

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Yung Lean -- Emails

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:05 PM PST

Mick Jenkins - Padded Locks (Feat Ghostface Killah) [Prod by KAYTRANADA]

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 06:23 PM PST

[FRESH] Wiley - Eediyat Skengman 3 (Stormzy Send)

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:29 AM PST

Korn Star Announces A Show With Kanye West: “This Just Got More Interesting”

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:18 PM PST

Director X talks Future and Drake Life Is Good video: "“It was Drake’s concept."

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:02 AM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Rapsody - Afeni ft. PJ Morton

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:39 PM PST

[Fresh Video] Smoke DZA x Benny The Butcher - By Any Means

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:35 AM PST

Jorja Smith - Lost & Found

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 08:21 AM PST

Rap History: Big L in the Studio in 1995 & 1998 | Recording with Kid Capri, Big Pun, Charlie Hustle

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:47 PM PST

On Jan. 11, Rapper Noname Wants You To Register For A Library Card

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 08:24 PM PST

Last.fm 2019 year-end Listening Reports are here!

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:35 AM PST

https://www.last.fm/user/_/listening-report/year

Or, alternatively, just go to your profile and it should be at the middle-right of the page (desktop).

Feel free to share yours! [Here](https://www.last.fm/user/hvlk/listening-report/year) is mine.

Happy 2020 hhh :)

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[FRESH] Tyga, Takeoff, DJ Carnage & Shoreline Mafia - Hella Neck

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:26 PM PST

Lil Wayne admitted owning gold pistol on jet, records show. He said it was a Father’s Day gift

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:09 PM PST

Dilated peoples - you can't hide you can't run

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:34 PM PST

Bitch Please II - Eminem ft. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, and Nate Dogg

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 11:13 PM PST

Aquemini by Outkast- Song Breakdown

Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:56 PM PST

Intro- The title track to Outkast third album, Aquemini, is a small example of the themes displayed throughout the rest of the album. The track is built entirely on a theme of duality, and uses this format to convey its message. The song contains two verses from Andre and Big Boi, one verse for each section of the track, which is split into two parts. The subject matter of the verses is derived from the hook, which has two possible interpretations, each Outkast member discusses one of these interpretations in their verses. The first interpretation of the hook is handled by Big Boi, and discusses the unity found within Outkast, this is a reference to the album's title, which is a combination of the zodiac signs possessed by Andre and Big Boi. The hook's second interpretation focuses on how Andre, after achieving fame, was reborn in a way, and is now having trouble uniting the two sides of his personality. This is a reference to Andre's Gemini Zodiac sign, which is based around duality and opposites. Andre is only one of a long line of rappers who have used their Gemini sign to push a message in their music, whether it be how Tupac Shukur used his to show both his violent and compassionate sides, or how Kendrick Lamar used his to show his conflicting feelings of fame on his album To Pimp A Butterfly. Andre uses his verse to draw a parallel between his pre-fame self, who was raised in a ghetto environment, and his current self, who can see the issues within that environment for what they are.

Hook- As previously stated, the song's hook contains two meanings, the first of which revolves around the unity of Outkast. Andre essentially says that nothing is forever in this hook, referencing how even heroes must one day die. This line is an obvious reference to Outkast, since Big Boi compares them to the dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin within the verse that follows, and Outkast displayed themselves as superheroes on the cover of their second studio album "ATLiens". Andre then says, "Horoscopes often lie, and sometimes "y", nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain, nothing last forever". This line carries a double meaning, while Andre could be making reference to the lying nature of horoscopes, and the possibility of "y" being a vowel to show the uncertainty of Outkast's partnership, he also might be focusing this line on himself. Andre could be saying that horoscopes are often wrong, and even though Gemini's are supposed to have two separate sides, he believes he can unite them, as he will try to do later in the song. Andre's following line could also be heard as "And sometimes why", which is a shortened way of saying that sometimes he wonders why. Andre is showing with this line, that he is a curious person, and often wonders about things many do not, such as why the sun must go down or why heroes must die. Andre will constantly question his surroundings in his verses, and this line gives the listener a taste of what to expect. Andre ends the verse by saying "Until they close the curtain, it's him and I: Aquemini". This line is another obvious reference to Outkast, and Dre is saying that until they break up, he and Big Boi will always be a team. However Andre is also speaking about himself here, and the Him and I he references, could be a representation of his two sides.

Big Boi's Verse- In the song's first verse, Big Boi tells of his relationship with Andre, and how with him, he feels unstoppable, Big also spits some signature Outkast advice, informing the listener about how to save their money and become successful from nothing, just like Outkast did. Big Boi begins his verse telling listeners that now is the time to ride with Outkast because they are on the come up. He then references a time before the fame when he had to hustle and sell drugs to make ends meet, but now his music is the new drug, consumed by thousands of fans. Big Boi shows that without he and Andre's partnership they never would have seen all this fame, using a call and response line directly after this, where in, someone asks him how he plans to ride through a dangerous part of town without a gun, and he responds by saying that he is strapped and rolls with Andre like a superhero. Big Boi is playing with the idea of being strapped here, instead of having a gun, Big Boi has Andre, and together they are unstoppable. No one would dare try to cross a united Outkast. Andre carries a similar sentiment on the earlier track, "Return of the G", where he begins his verse saying that since others try to take his fame with their piece, he is forced to unload on them with his "piece", AKA a verbal assault on them from Outkast. Big Boi then says that he and Dre have fought through hard times together, even slipping into the gangster lifestyle when the situation demanded it. However, through saving their money, being wise, and working hard, they pulled themselves out of this lifestyle. This verse perfectly captures the strength in unity held by Outkast, and later in the song, Andre will use Big Boi's messages to find unity within himself.

Andre's Verse- As stated in the hook breakdown, Andre uses his verse to cover the split within himself, and the unity he is searching for. He begins his verse with the line, "Twice upon a time, there was a boy who died, Lived happily ever after, but that's another chapter". This line sets up exactly what Andre's verse will be. He tells the listener of what he discovered about his environment after his metaphorical death and rebirth. It seems that while Andre was able to gain fame due to the unity he and Big Boi shared, his fame also allowed him to fully understand the environment he grew up in, and all it's problems. This led to a rift within Dre, between the unenlightened version of himself, which contributed to many issues within his environment, and the enlightened Andre, who regrets the mistakes of his past-self. Andre outlines some of the regrettable situations he's found himself in by telling a story of his environment as a youth. He describes his home as one filled with hustlers and gangsters, who couldn't see the dangers of what they were doing. Many of these people were arrested for bragging about their gangster lifestyle, and a younger Andre did much of the same, counting himself lucky to have avoided a similar fate. He also makes reference to a series of grizzley child murders that occured in home city of Atlanta when he was young, where in black children were the main target. The message Andre is trying to convey here is that throughout his life, his careless behavior has led to near downfall, and he asks the listener to hear him out and attempt to be more cautious about their own lives. He finishes the verse by saying that while he's now attempting to spread a positive and wise message in his music, many don't take it seriously. This is due to some believing that Andre doesn't know what he's talking about, since a few critics believe he's just another mindless rapper, and some people living in the streets thinking Andre is just a downer and out of touch with reality. Andre closes the verse by saying not to judge a book by it's cover, ending with the line, "It's Outkast Aquemini, another black experience". This lyric simultaneously tells those who believe he's too gangster, to disregard his street image and accept him as an advocate for change, and ask those who believe he's out of touch, to consider him as they would any other rapper. It's apparent from this verse that Andre has been reborn as a man of change and wants to completely shed his past actions. However, like Big Boi was able to show in his verse, the life Outkast experienced before fame contains some of the most valuable lessons they have to offer.

Outkast's Verse- While the final two verses are definitely separate they flow together as one verse, and show the unity achieved by the song's end. Big Boi begins the song with a proud declaration of who he is, stating that even though he's achieved fame, he still shows love for the streets. This seems like a direct response to Andre's verse, and the rest of Big Boi's lyrics will similarly address the idea of Andre trying to deny his street past. He follows this line by saying that Outkast is using their fame and music to spread a positive message of empowerment , and through spreading this message are writing the wrongs of their past, almost like going to a church confessional. Big Boi also brings up the comparison between guns and Outkast's messages with the line, You bust rhyme, we bust back". "Busting" is often associated with shooting a gun, and Big Boi is saying that he and Andre have traded in their guns for lyrics. Big Boi ends his verse by warning those who attempt to criticize Outkast that they, "can't come near them''. Because the Aquarius and Gemini and running the game as the Aquemini. Big Boi explores many things in his verse, but focuses on how a life full of sin is acceptable, as long as one acknowledges their past mistakes and learns from them. So far, Andre has denied his past life, and he won't be complete until he comes to terms with it, Andre addresses this idea within his verse. He begins the verse by saying that his mind is a lion's den of sorts, it's a dangerous place where his two warring sides are competing for control. However, along with Big Boi's messages of unity, Andre finds a solution to this through his research of the world. He talks about progressive ideas such as how black people are the original men of earth, and how all people are the true controllers of their life. He says, "Sin all depends on what you believeing in", and this line shows how after Big Boi's comparison of Outkast's music to a church confessional, Andre has decided to accept both parts of himself, the good and the bad, and use the bad to warn others about the dangers of street life, and repent for his past sins. He is taking control of his life and faith, and becoming whole. He finishes the song by saying that he sees fake and dangerous people around him all the time, and if he is to protect himself from these temptations, he must be a united person. Andre closes the song by saying, "Andre, this is Andre, y'all are just gon' have to make amends". Finally, Andre unites both parts of his personality, to become the best version of himself he can be. Andre finds strength within his two halves, just like how Andre and Big Boi find strength within each other, Aquarius and Gemini coming together to form the Aquemini.

Ending- The song concludes with a final declaration of the hook, however this time it's in reference to how even though there are sure to always be uncertain things within Outkast, Big Boi and Dre will always have each others back. Such as how when Andre began to feel lost and wanted to put his street life behind, him Big Boi was there to tell him that it's an important part of his life, and without it he would have never been able to grow and succeed. "Aquemini" sees Andre growing as a person, and the eternal bond between Outkast's members becoming stronger than ever through trial and tribulation.

I'm currently working on a deeper breakdown of the full Outkast Aquemini album, but this is probably my favorite song and i feel like it had so much to say so I thought I would drop a deeper breakdown of it early before I release the full album dissection.

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at

Album of the Year #8: Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿ - HipHop

Album of the Year #8: Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿ - HipHop

Album of the Year #8: Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin¿

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 01:07 PM PST

Artist: Danny Brown

Album: uknowhatimsayin¿

Listen:

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Music

Tidal

Background by /u/nullplotexception

38 year-old rapper Danny Brown grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His mother and father were 17 and 16 years old at the time of his birth. At a very young age, Danny Brown knew he wanted to be a rapper. He says he got his start in kindergarten, when he was asked to bring something in for show-and-tell. He comments that he "had nothing to show or tell. So I [was] just like, forget it, and just rapped in front of the class — and then everybody went crazy."

Danny Brown's parents did their best to keep Danny Brown in the house and away from trouble in the Detroit streets. Eventually, however, he out-grew their parentage and explored Detroit on his own. Brown began selling weed at 18, which lead to an 8-month stint in jail drug possession just a year later. After his release, Brown was again caught with marijuana, a violation of his probation, which lead to him spending more time in jail. This time when he got out of jail, he decided he was going to put more energy into his music career. Brown notes that he always knew he wanted to be a rapper and that he only sold drugs because everyone else was doing it.

Brown began rapping with fellow Detroit rappers Chip$ and Dopehead in a trio named Rese'vor Dogs. Together, they released an independent album called Runispokets-N-Dumpemindariva. Brown then had a brief partnership with Travis Cummings of Roc-A-Fella Records. Brown began recording music in New York studios for Cummings, but this partnership eventually faltered and Danny returned to Detroit.

Brown released a few mixtapes throughout the late 00s, namely It's A Art, the Detroit State of Mind series, and Hot Soup. After Hot Soup, Brown released his first studio album, The Hybrid with independent label Rappers I Know on March 16th, 2010. Brown recorded the album in Black Milk's studio between 3AM and 6AM, as that was the only time the studio was not already in use. The hard work paid off for Danny, who got signed to Fool's Gold Records less than a year after The Hybrid. Brown began work on his next release XXX, which was released on August 15th, 2011.

XXX, perhaps the most experimental record of Danny Brown's, was met with widespread critical acclaim, earning a Metacritic score of 83/100, something Brown was very proud of. Danny truly pushes the envelope on this album, using his famous cartoon-like voice over 19 tracks produced mainly by other mid-west producers. The lone guest verses on this album were from Chip$ and Dopehead of Rese'vor Dogs. Brown starts the album rapping about drug use in songs like XXX and Die Like a Rockstar, then moves to talking more about his upbringing and life in Detroit from DNA onward, around the midpoint of the album. This style of splitting his albums into two halves was continued on his next full length project, Old.

Old enjoyed the most commercial success of all his albums, peaking at #18 on the billboard charts. It followed a similar style to XXX, but had a stronger list of guest features with A$AP Rocky, ScHoolboy Q, and Freddie Gibbs all delivering verses on the album. That said, the label did delay the release of the record for seemingly no-reason.

Danny's next project is Atrocity Exhibition. The album features Danny Brown rapping with a more bleak outlook on life than at probably any other point in his career. His first line in the music video for Ain't It Funny, a track off the album, is "I'm empty inside." It's an incredibly emotional tour through his life, which he describes as being in a Downward Spiral.

The album was met with great critical acclaim, but garnered very few sales. Brown later tweeted "Never spend 70k on samples for an album that no one buys cause you will be in debt." when asked what he learned from making the album.

For the next few years, he was fairly quiet. He resurfaced on twitch, streaming himself playing videogames and interacting with fans. On this platform, occasionally playing clips of some of the songs that would appear on his next album. He announced earlier this year that he would be releasing an album that featured production from Q-Tip and a few other big names. He released Dirty Laundry as the album's first single a few months later, then the song Best Life, and finally 3 Tearz. This all lead up to a October 4th release of uknowhatimsayin¿.

Review by /u/nullplotexception

uknowhatimsayin¿ starts off slower than some of Brown's previous albums with the Paul White produced Change Up. Brown over a subdued beat about everything from struggling to pay his rent, drinking away his problems, trying to maintain his legacy, avoiding people who want to leech off him, but not wanting to give up on himself despite all of this. The long list of topics Brown mentions in this rather short track unfortunately don't come together as well as I would like. Still, it gives good context and insight into Brown's life that help make later songs on the album easier to understand.

The album picks up a little more on the next song, Theme Song, which features more lively production than the previous track. Brown sarcastically calls the song the "Theme Song for bitch ass n****s", calling out Eddie Long and pop culture influencer.

But Danny really hits his stride on the next track, Dirty Laundry. Brown approaches the song like a stand up comedy routine. He raps about selling drugs to his father, selling crack that went through the laundry and now tastes like soap, and getting into a fight with a man for sleeping with his the mother of his child. Brown caps it off with a story about a stripper that he paid for sex with change. Danny's personality really shines through on this track; listening to this track makes listeners feel as though they are having a conversation with Danny, who's telling ridiculous stories from his life over a few beers. The stories on this track, as it turns out, are completely fictional and made to give the something to laugh at.

The first three tracks build on one another fairly well. Brown, who is known for rapping in his crazy high-pitched voice, starts off the album using a more conventional voice. By Dirty Laundry, his voice gets much closer to what it sounded like on some of the first few tracks of Atrocity Exhibition. It's not actually as off-the-wall as in past albums, but it's definitely noticeable.

Next up is 3 Tearz, which features Run the Jewels. Killer Mike and El-P provide guest verses on the track, which is produced by JPEGMAFIA. The production is not as crazy as one would expect from a JPEGMAFIA song though, and the guest verses take away from the atmosphere Danny created in the first few tracks of the album, as they don't provide as much perspective into Danny's life.

The following track, Belly of the Beast features Obongjayar. The verse on this song is recycled from a Tim Westwood freestyle Danny Brown did in 2013. Likewise, the track has a XXX drugged out feel to it: the song starts with the lyric "Maniac off Xanny bars, sack like Santa Claus and continues to tell a story about a "wack as hell" threesome. The track stands out for being having more vintage, crazy Danny Brown lyrics than the rest of the album, but not enough to completely break the flow of the album. Still, I don't find myself coming back to this song over other songs on the album because the beat seems to not have enough energy to match up with the lyrics. The original freestyle uses the beat from Pusha T's, Numbers on the Board which suits the first verse far better than the beat that made the album.

The second half of this album is where Brown truly hits his stride. Savage Nomad features the some of the more intricate flows by Danny on the project. Featuring a guitar sample from Czech artist Ota Petrina. Danny Brown calls himself a modern Savage Nomad gangster who steals scales from his school, drives an old Cadillac, and burns trash to stay warm. The topics on this song aren't out of this world, but it's Danny's clever wordplay that really brings his description of his oddball style to life. Danny brags that he's "Always on some different shit" and that other rappers are simply offer the same shit, different porta-potty". The song ends with a sampled drum breakdown from the intro of the song Sancocho De Medula by Ofrenda and Vytas Brenner. Though the two samples on this Playa Haze produced track come from two completely different places in the world, they sound beautiful on the same track and really work to compliment one another. The drums at the end give the song punch, pushing the tempo of the album higher as we get into the second half of the album.

Next up is Best Life, one of the singles released ahead of uknowhatimsayin¿. On Best Life, Danny brings the most hopeful, forward-thinking mind-set mindset to a track I've ever heard him bring. Unlike previous albums, where the second half of the album carries the heavier, more bleak songs that remind the listener how tortured Danny Brown's life has been and how he's left with little hope, Danny Brown announces on this track that he's committing to living a more healthy life. Danny decides to "let the past be the past" and focus on living his "best life". Sonically, Best Life has a more vintage, 90s feel to it than any Danny Brown beat I've heard since EWNESW, partly because it's produced by living legend Q-Tip.

Brown continues with titular track uknowhatimsayin¿. The line "know what I'm sayin'" is every other lyric in the verses of this song. The jovial feel of the track is good, but the repetition of the verses takes some of the meaning out of the track. Obongjayar comes in with a chorus at the end of the song, his second appearance on this album, reaffirming the more positive minded theme of the second half of the album with lyrics like "my guy, don't stop now, keep moving".

The next track, Negro Spiritual, starts off with an exciting Thundercat bass riff that continues through the rest of the track. The Flying Lotus production gives this song an eerie, outer space feel. Danny Brown's voice fits perfectly on the song. The line "Came a long way from ___" shows up in this song multiple times, again pushing the narrative that Danny Brown is not angry about where he is in life, but instead working to push himself forward while being happy with the progress he's made. Still there's lyrics contrasting his success with some continued drugs use, such as the line "Season tickets for the Pistons, cut crack on dishes".

The penultimate track, Shine, is produced by Standing on the Corner and Paul White. Danny talks about how dealing with incarceration could have derailed his career if he had not fought the odds to stay focused and avoid further legal trouble. It's a track where the 38-year old is reflecting on what he's learned throughout his life, not scolding himself for the mistakes he's made. Blood Orange jumps on the track to deliver a beautiful, layered hook. It all comes together very well and leads in perfectly to the last track.

The final track starts with a quick vocal sample from 1979 documentary 80 Blocks From Tiffany's then immediately jumps into looped cut of what sounds like some sort of brass wind instrument. The lyrics on this track speak for themselves and are very summative of the second half of the album without directly repeating what's already been said. The Q-Tip produced beat has a playful feel that reminds me of the Ain't it Funny beat from Atrocity Exhibition, but the lyrics are the opposite of what we heard on that album.

The album ends with perhaps the hardest hitting verse on the whole album:

Listen, all a nigga wanted was a Chevy on some Daytons Wasn't thinkin' 'bout no lawyer, nigga, fuck savin' Didn't know we'd see them horrors like Wes Craven Hook jumpin' out them vans, throw us on pavement Locked up with dirty white boys, all musty Prayin' for probation, hope I get lucky Court-appointed lawyers, gotta stay coppin' Put you in predicament, but that's your only option Sink or swim, look at him in the system Just another nigga, one-way ticket to a prison Tried to help, only hurt in the end How the fuck 'posed to take care your kids from the pen'? It's the life that we chose, friends become foes That nigga snitched on, everybody know Some don't know how to stick to the code Nobody to trust, that's the way life goes

The beat fades and rest of the sample from the beginning plays; an old man tells that he's seen every kind of homemade weapon in the NY street. Danny's tumultuous life has been a Combat Zone, and at 38 he's seen everything that a person can possibly while escaping the US justice system that doesn't seeks to destroy people like him. He's just trying to raise his daughter and live his Best Life, even if it's pushed him to trusting no-one.

Danny leaves us with his most mature project of the decade, a decade that saw him go from rapping about drugs, to calling out for help, to pushing himself to be the best rapper he can be. Ambition has always been part of Brown's lyrics: on the final song of XXX, he rapped "But I always tell myself that it's gonna get better / You know who you is? You the greatest rapper ever". But, for the first time in his career, he's rapping from the standpoint of someone who is revered in the genre: he's not fighting for a record deal anymore, he's collaborating with all time greats like Q-Tip. Furthermore, even though he's reached this level of respect of his peers, he hasn't gotten lazy and forgotten how to spit. He's still at the top of his game.

I would probably give this album a 7 or 8 out of 10. While it doesn't quite reach the highs of XXX, there are a ton of quality tracks on this album. While he likely can't and won't make an album like XXX again, Danny Brown has proved once again that he is one of the greatest rappers of this generation with his versatility, technical ability, lyrical depth, and ear for beats.

Favorite Lyrics by /u/username

Fuck a stripper for some change, actual change Dime, penny, nickels, actual change

Dirty Laundry

Every day same shit, different porta-potty

Savage Nomad

Came from the sewer where hot dogs got boiled Right up in the same pot unc' cooked the rock

Best Life

It's the microphone magician, make the rappers disappear (Yeah) If I ain't holler at you yet, then you had a good year (Yeah)

Negro Spiritual

Had my head above water, had to keep movin' on

Shine

Got more pills than the Olsen twins

Combat Zone

Talking Points

  • talking point

What's the best song on this album? There's a lot of good ones to choose from, especially on the second half of the album.

There isn't as much of a change in topics on the first and second half of this album as there has been on previous Danny Brown albums. Does that help or hurt the album?

Does Danny Brown's voice seem more "normal" on this album or are we just getting used to it?

What other 'grown' rap albums have similar themes as this one? (please don't say 4:44)

Outro + Schedule

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Daily Discussion Thread 01/09/2020

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 05:43 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, as stated in the guidelines.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

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

Weekly/Monthly Threads

Other ways to interact

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

New to /r/hiphopheads or hip-hop in general?

Check out these:

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[FRESH] MAC MILLER - GOOD NEWS

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 03:00 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Future Ft. Drake - Life Is Good

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy REDUX REVIEW

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 08:03 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] MICK JENKINS - THE CIRCUS

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 08:59 PM PST

Spotify | Apple | Google Play | YouTube | Tidal | Deezer

Tracklist

  1. Same Ol [prod. by Hit-Boy]
  2. Carefree [prod. by Black Milk]
  3. The Light (feat. EARTHGANG) [prod. by IAMNOBODI]
  4. Flaunt [prod. by Da-P]
  5. The Fit [prod. by Bizness Boi | Fortune | Coop The Truth]
  6. I'm Convinced [prod. by DJ Fu | Beat Butcha]
  7. Different Scales [prod. by MARTIN $KY]
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Chad Hugo Says The Neptunes Are Reuniting Full Time & Working With Jay-Z, Lil Uzi Vert, & Miley Cyrus

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:30 AM PST

https://genius.com/a/chad-hugo-says-the-neptunes-are-reuniting-full-time-working-with-jay-z-lil-uzi-vert-miley-cyrus

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo ruled the first decade of the new millennium as The Neptunes, minting dozens of radio hits and shifting the sound of popular music. In recent years, the two producers have primarily been working on solo material, but Hugo just revealed that they're back together again in 2020 on what seems to be a more permanent basis.

In a new interview with Clash, Hugo said that both he and Pharrell are zoned in on Neptunes collaborations with a wide array of popular artists.

"I'm focusing on The Neptunes stuff, getting back on The Neptunes grind," he said. "We're doing a couple of things. There's a videogame soundtrack that's in the works right now that I can't speak about, I'm not supposed to, but uh, it's in the works right now. We just did some work with Miley Cyrus, JAY-Z, ​​blink-182, Lil Uzi Vert, Brandy, Ray J, Snoh Aalegra, G-Eazy."

Pharrell has worked with many of these artists in the past. He contributed to Cyrus' Bangerz album, collaborated with Uzi on 2017's "Neon Guts," and has worked closely with JAY-Z (alongside Chad Hugo) throughout the Brooklyn rapper's career.

Hugo also cited Lil Nas X as a recent collaborator, and said they had linked up with DJ and producer KAYTRANADA:

He was in the studio, we vibed in the studio, we recorded a couple of things. I don't know if he used any of the sounds but I love his work and his DJ'ing. …and Dua Lipa? Yeah, yeah. She was here. Pharrell saw that she was using the same studio so we recorded of couple of tracks. We're still working on those.

UK breakout star Rex Orange County is another person The Neptunes have something in the works with. "I did a track for him and I actually just recently gave the track to Goldlink and Pusha T to see if they could play around with it," he said.

Although they've been less active in recent years, The Neptunes were never exactly broken up. Just last year, they worked together on a number of tracks from Justin Timberlake's Man of the Woods as well as Daniel Caesar's "FRONTAL LOBE MUZIK." 2017 saw them working together on N.E.R.D's NO_ONE EVER REALLY DIES, and they linked up in 2015 for Snoop Dogg's Bush, too.

The Neptunes are amongst the nominees for the 2020 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction, with the final inductees expected to be announced soon.

Read Chad Hugo's full Clash interview here

EDIT: From the complex article: Also mentioned in Chad Hugo's Clash chat are recent sessions he and Pharrell had with The Weeknd. "We were just in the studio with The Weeknd, and that sounds really futuristic," he said

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Future and Drake single “Life is Good” to drop tomorrow, January 10th

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 01:19 PM PST

Mac Miller "Circles" Official Album Tracklist

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 03:12 PM PST

[FRESH] Lil Baby - Sum 2 Prove (Single)

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:03 PM PST

[FRESH] 070 Shake - Guilty Conscience

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:10 PM PST

[FRESH] Selena Gomez (feat. Kid Cudi) - A Sweeter Place

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:03 PM PST

[FRESH] Carnage - HELLA NECK ft. Takeoff, OHGEESY, Tyga

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:01 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Moneybagg Yo - Time Served

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Who Ran Rap this Past Decade? Quantifying the Most Popular Rappers of the 2010's.

Posted: 09 Jan 2020 12:26 PM PST

I made a post about quantifying the XXL Freshman List a year ago and it was pretty well received, so I figured I'd make one in a similar vein. Here I use data to quantify who the biggest rappers in the game have been over this past decade.

I looked at five factors: Google Trends, Youtube views (top 5 tracks), RIAA certifications, highest first week sales, and Billboard Hot 100 hits (all over the past ten years). With Billboard I made up a simple formula calles BP. Essentially BP rewards those who have more charting and higher charting tracks. With RIAA I used a similar formula, awarding 3 points for a platinum certification and 1 point for a gold certification.

I would have liked to include more factors, such as spotify streams, social media following, pure sales, etc. But those things are very hard to track accurately going back to 2010. I even worry that the five factors I've included may skew too far towards recent years.

I measured these factors for a multitude of rappers including, but not limited to:

2 Chainz, 6ix9ine, 21 Savage, 50 Cent, A$AP Rocky, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ace Hood, A Tribe Called Quest, Ayo & Teo, Beastie Boys, Big Boi, Big K.R.I.T., Big Sean, The Black Eyed Peas, BlocBoy JB, Blueface, B.o.B., Bobby Shmurda, Boosie, BROCKHAMPTON, Ca$h Out, Calboy, Cardi B, Chance The Rapper, Chief Keef, Childish Gambino, City Girls, Common, DaBaby, Danny Brown, Death Grips, Desiigner, Diddy, DJ Khaled, Drake, D.R.A.M., Dr. Dre, Earl Sweatshirt, Eminem, Famous Dex, Fetty Wap, Flo Rida, French Montana, Future, The Game, G-Eazy, Ghostface Killah, Gucci Mane, Gunna, Iggy Azalea, iLoveMemphis, Jay-Z, J. Cole, Jeezy, Jidenna, Juice WRLD, Juicy J, Kanye West, K Camp, Kendrick Lamar, Kent Jones, Kevin Gates, Kid Cudi, Kid Ink, Kirko Bangz, Kodak Black, KYLE, Lil Baby, Lil Nas X, Lil Pump, Lil Skies, Lil Tecca, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Lizzo, Logic, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, Mac Miller, Machine Gun Kelly, Macklemore, MadeInTYO, Meek Mill, Migos, Nas, Nelly, NF, Nicki Minaj, Nipsey Hussle, O.T. Genasis, Pharrell Williams, Pitbull, Playboi Carti, PnB Rock, Polo G, Post Malone, Pusha T, Rae Sremmurd, Rich Homie Quan, Rich The Kid, Rick Ross, Rocko, Roddy Ricch, The Roots, Royce Da 5'9", Run The Jewels, Russ, Sage The Gemini, ScHoolboy Q, Shabazz Palaces, Sheck Wes, Silento, Snoop Dogg, Soulja Boy, T.I., Tory Lanez, T-Pain, Travis Scott, Trinidad James, Trippie Redd, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyga, Tyler The Creator, Waka Flocka Flame, Wale, Wiz Khalifa, XXXTENTACION, Yelawolf, YG, YNW Melly, Yo Gotti, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Young Thug

I only chose to consider rappers who have released albums in the past 10 years.

And yes, I know I was kind of loose with the definition of rapper

The results were as follows

Trends

  1. Eminem
  2. Drake
  3. Nicki Minaj
  4. Lil Wayne
  5. Kanye West
  6. JAY-Z
  7. Pitbull
  8. 50 Cent
  9. Wiz Khalifa
  10. Snoop Dogg
  11. XXXTENTACION
  12. The Black Eyed Peas
  13. Kendrick Lamar
  14. Iggy Azalea
  15. T.I.
  16. Cardi B
  17. Dr. Dre
  18. Tyga
  19. Rick Ross
  20. J. Cole
  21. Future
  22. Mac Miller
  23. Pharrell Williams
  24. Nelly
  25. Meek Mill

Youtube

  1. Wiz Khalifa (6.836B)
  2. Nicki Minaj (6.607B)
  3. Cardi B (6.573B)
  4. Ty Dolla $ign (5.464B)
  5. Eminem (5.331B)
  6. Drake (5.263B)
  7. Migos (5.034B)
  8. Pitbull (4.897B)
  9. Juicy J (4.631B)
  10. Post Malone (4.098B)
  11. Lil Wayne (3.958B)
  12. Rae Sremmurd (3.917B)
  13. Pharrell Williams (3.539B)
  14. Kendrick Lamar (3.477B)
  15. Iggy Azalea (3.295B)
  16. Young Thug (2.966B)
  17. Macklemore (2.959B)
  18. Tyga (2.939B)
  19. 6ix9ine (2.869B)
  20. DJ Khaled (2.857B)
  21. Ludacris (2.818B)
  22. XXXTENTACION (2.750B)
  23. Snoop Dogg (2.616B)
  24. Lil Pump (2.412B)
  25. Kid Ink (2.411B)

RIAA Certifications

  1. Drake (626)
  2. Nicki Minaj (320)
  3. Migos (245)
  4. Kendrick Lamar (233)
  5. Kanye West (226)
  6. Lil Wayne (208)
  7. Post Malone (201)
  8. Future (189)
  9. Eminem (180)
  10. Wiz Khalifa (180)
  11. Rae Sremmurd (177)
  12. Travis Scott (172)
  13. Cardi B (159)
  14. B.o.B. (151)
  15. Lil Uzi Vert (119)
  16. 21 Savage (117)
  17. Big Sean (112)
  18. JAY-Z (111)
  19. Ty Dolla $ign (111)
  20. A$AP Rocky (99)
  21. Flo Rida (99)
  22. XXXTENTACION (98)
  23. Pitbull (91)
  24. DJ Khaled (89)
  25. Gucci Mane (88)
  26. J. Cole (88)

Highest First Week Sales

  1. Drake (1.075M)
  2. Lil Wayne (964K)
  3. Eminem (793K)
  4. Kendrick Lamar (610K)
  5. Travis Scott (553K)
  6. JAY-Z (527K)
  7. J. Cole (511K)
  8. Kanye West (496K)
  9. Post Malone (489K)
  10. Nicki Minaj (375K)
  11. Future (375K)
  12. Dr. Dre (295K)
  13. Cardi B (264K)
  14. Logic (251K)
  15. Meek Mill (245K)
  16. Jeezy (233K)
  17. Rick Ross (218K)
  18. Lupe Fiasco (204K)
  19. Migos (200K)
  20. Wiz Khalifa (197K)
  21. T.I. (179K)
  22. Big Sean (173K)
  23. Royce Da 5'9" (171K)
  24. Kid Cudi (169K)
  25. Wale (164K)
  26. Juice WRLD (164K)

Billboard

  1. Drake (11,248)
  2. Nicki Minaj (5,811)
  3. Lil Wayne (4,945)
  4. Kanye West (4,063)
  5. Future (4,063)
  6. Migos (3,197)
  7. Post Malone (3,179)
  8. Travis Scott (2,823)
  9. Eminem (2,810)
  10. J. Cole (2,774)
  11. Kendrick Lamar (2,525)
  12. JAY-Z (2,341)
  13. Cardi B (2,180)
  14. Pitbull (1,819)
  15. Big Sean (1,759)
  16. DJ Khaled (1,601)
  17. Meek Mill (1,571)
  18. 2 Chainz (1,552)
  19. Young Thug (1,517)
  20. XXXTENTACION (1,500)
  21. Wiz Khalifa (1,487)
  22. Rick Ross (1,478)
  23. 21 Savage (1,427)
  24. Lil Baby (1,338)
  25. Lil Uzi Vert (1,261)

Top 25 Most Popular Rappers

  1. Drake
  2. Nicki Minaj
  3. Lil Wayne
  4. Eminem
  5. Kendrick Lamar
  6. Kanye West
  7. Cardi B
  8. Post Malone
  9. Wiz Khalifa
  10. Migos
  11. JAY-Z
  12. Future
  13. Travis Scott
  14. Pitbull
  15. J. Cole
  16. Ty Dolla $ign
  17. Rae Sremmurd (tied with XXXTENTACION)
  18. XXXTENTACION (tied with Rae Sremmurd)
  19. Big Sean
  20. Dr. Dre (tied with Iggy Azalea)
  21. Iggy Azalea (tied with Dr. Dre)
  22. Meek Mill
  23. Rick Ross
  24. Snoop Dogg
  25. 50 Cent (tied with DJ Khaled)
  26. DJ Khaled (tied with 50 Cent)
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