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Daily Discussion Thread 01/29/2020 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 01/29/2020 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 01/29/2020

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 08:52 AM 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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Album of the Year #22: Slauson Malone - A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:20 AM PST

Artist: Slauson Malone

Album: A Quiet Farwell, Twenty Sixteen to Twenty Eighteen

Label: Grand Closing

Release Date: April 18, 2019

LISTEN:

Bandcamp

Apple Music

Spotify

Tidal

Soundcloud

Background:

Even though Slauson would disagree, we must talk about the past that shaped this album to be what it is. Jasper Marsalis, otherwise known as Slauson Malone, is the son of renowned Grammy and Pulitzer prize winning musician Wynton Marsalis, of the famous Marsalis family. Due to his father's intense criticism of hip hop as an artform and his own creative pursuits, Slauson collaborated with fellow New York natives Gio Escobar, Caleb Giles, Lila Ramani of the indie rock band Crumb, and many others to form the group Standing on the Corner, whose genre presents itself as undefined. Slauson found the group to be freeing in the way he can experiment with different genres of music , so he and Gio were left disappointed by critics when their debut self-titled project was labeled as a hip-hop record. Due to personal and ideological reasons, Slauson left the group and began with the creation of a solo record when the production of his next collaborative effort with fellow New York artist Medhane slowed down. Thus, in collaboration with several rappers, singers, and instrumentalists who will be named when appropriate, A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 was released in April of 2019 in order to chronicle the experiences of the black diaspora in America through his personal lens; summarizing his thoughts between 2016 and 2018. While begrudgingly self labeled as hip-hop, the sounds on the project find itself rooted in the sound collage, blending hip-hop, jazz, and soul spaces occupied by black voices throughout the country. The content of this project can be cryptic on the initial experience but heavy and traumatic as one peels the layers of Slauson's fractured mindstate.

Disclaimer I am attempting to write this as a critical review of the album instead of an analysis like I did with my last write up. I will only touch on the themes briefly and will focus on if the way they are conveyed helps the album or takes away from it. If you would like to see an analysis of its themes let me know and I'll do one in a Daily Discussion or as a self post if that's allowed. I am also using the track titles as they appear on Bandcamp instead of their different versions that appear on streaming sites as the Bandcamp titles are purposeful to the content of the album despite how obnoxious they may seem.

Review

This is definitely an album that asks to be consumed as a whole rather than as individual pieces, but does that automatically make it a good project? Even when looking at the placement of songs, the lyrics, and transitions, A Quiet Farwell does not appear to be arranged in a coherent fashion. Sure, some transition seem purposeful, like the abrupt ending to the "180° Pole Shift Hypothesis" transitioning into "The Flying Africans board mothership Zong! To colonize the new nubian planet called X 'The World laughs as it turns another degree, hotter'". However, "02/26/12, Smile #2" (Feat. Maxo) is found before its predecessor on the tracklist, the same goes for the final two entries in the Smile series and the two THE MESSAGE tracks. "Fred Hampton's Door, Farewell Sassy- ...na" finds its lyrical themes in the previous track "I can make you feel freedom, Katri…" (feat. Pearl De Luna). Six tracks have dates attached to them, and not a single one is dated within the time frame the album was conceived in. All of these things have a purpose of course, but that is not made apparent to the listener and can hamper one's enjoyment of the project. Considering enjoyment, if you are someone who feels that other artists in the scene Slauson is in are not the most enjoyable, A Quiet Farwell will not do anything to change your mind. Sirens are abound; there is yelling everywhere; songs cut out unexpectedly; verses are distorted, muffled, cut short; vocal samples will break through a verse then retreat as suddenly as they appeared. There is even a jump scare. Even the most normal or traditional cuts off the album like "Smile 2", "Smile 1", and "Off Me! "The Wake" Pt. 1 & 2" (feat. Pink Siifu) have their own idiosyncrasies to them. And let's not forget the song titles: tracks 12 and 13 are full on sentences and what even is a "Ttrabul"? These elements are distracting to some listeners and like stated before, can hamper enjoyment of the project if the person believes that a project should not rely on external context to enjoy it. At its core, it's apparent that Slauson believes more in crafting a dense, cryptic novella on the black experience in America rather than creating a more palatable scape of those same issues ala To Pimp A Butterfly or Black on Both Sides. As Katherine Hoppe of Passion of the Weiss puts it, "The project, as a whole, is more concerned with thematic purpose rather than being easily digestible". But it is ALL of these things, and many more, that makes this album so intriguing and enjoyable to me. Yes, this album is not just a garbled mess of instruments and samples.

First, the sounds of the album. Live instrumentation is everywhere. Almost every bass, cello, piano is played courtesy of Slauson Malone, Nicky Wetherell, Maya Balkaran, and others who I have failed to mention. The use of such a tight knit group of musicians and lack of samples helps not only retain instrumental consistency, keeps the production sounding fresh and unique over the course of twenty tracks. While I cannot find any confirmation for this, the songs that do feature instrumental samples seem to employ a technique similar to what the Alchemist, Swarvy, and Liv.e did on Earl Sweatshirt's "MTOMB", where the original song is reconstructed into a cover, removing any trace of the original song. Unlike Swarvy reconstructing the beat by the Alchemist, Slauson seems to have reconstructed the original sample itself and incorporated those elements into the beat. "King Sisyphus of the Atlantic" (feat. Taphari) is one of the best samples I've heard in years, flipping "There's Nothing I Can Do About It" by Mike & the Censations. A song in three parts, the first third and the last share the same four second sample: the first third chopped, distorted, infused with sirens and horns here and there, and pitched high and low while only using about a second of the four total. The last third frees up the range of the sample by using all four seconds, and generally proceeds less abrasive than the first third. The beat on the last third adds breaks and delays before ending chopped and screwed. The middle third contains the most recognizable portion of the sample: a fading in, low pitched version of the song's chorus. Other sources of great production on the album include the cascading piano on "08/09/14, Smile #1" (feat. Caleb Giles), groovy bass on "WON'T BLEED ME: The Sequel", grandiose horns and progressive guitars and chanting tambourines on "Off Me! "The Wake" Pt. 1 & 2" (feat. Pink Siifu), and the instrument-like vocal modulation on "I can make you feel freedom, Katri…" (feat. Pearl De Luna).

For what is designated as a hip-hop album and not a beat tape, A Quiet Farwell is nearly barren of 16 bar traditional rap verses. Yet even though he is mainly a producer, Slauson's verses are some of the most powerful and emotionally poignant I heard last year. His bars are very short but each word is used to further deliver the projects message and themes. In fact one of this album's greatest strengths is that it he does not allow the vocal features to convey his points better than he does even though there are more features than he drops an actual verse. Going back to "King Sisyphus," the futility of the punished kings task is applied to his own life and the task of seeking recognition and fame for his craft:

Mama say, "go in"

Papa say, "boy stays"

No change, shit

All the same shit

No pay, like every day

Who to blame, who stay

Who not, or who got it

The brakes toward the end the production intend to place more emphasis on the lyrics that proceed them. In other tracks on this album, you can find other forms of interruptions that disrupt the flow of his verse, like the loud "FUCK" on "01/01/09, My feet's hurt "I was a fugitive but then I realized there was nowhere I could run to", or the "Waves" sample on the closer "Two Thousand Eighteen, Bye". While these additions can add to the feelings of anxiety and paranoia that the album exudes, they can be seen as negatives to the listener because it is not clearly explained why Slauson feels these emotions. It is like he adheres to the opposite end of the "Show, don't tell" doctrine, showing too much with the music rather than telling at least somewhat. The feature rap verses sometimes suffer a similar fate, as Medhane's verse is almost completely drowned under the repetition of the word "trouble." The intentionality shows though, as Slauson makes the most important parts of the verse creep through the music.

And I'm really tryna find a way,

There's nowhere for me to go and nowhere for me to run.

Yeah, debt tryna drown me.

These phrases all connect to the themes of future tracks on the album, the first to "I can make you feel freedom, Katri…", the second to "My feet's hurt," and the third to "King Sisyphus of the Atlantic." Slauson keeps thematic consistency in the feature verses, but it makes one wonder what the point of having an entire verse there when most of it is inaudible. Maxo's contributions on "Smile #2" and Standing on the Corner's saxophonist and solo artist Caleb Giles' verse on "08/09/14, Smile #1" are the most clear rap contributions to the project, not obscured and about as clear as you will get from a verse by one of these young New York cats. The line that starts out these verses "smile at the past when I see it" is a recurring motif in these two songs and the backbone of the entire album, so it is great that Slauson allowed these verses to shine. Then "Smile #4" says "Can't smile at the past when I see it", reaffirming his confliction and disdain for the past. Yet the sequencing of the album again damages its presentation, as the original phrase is said on "11/22/14 "I can't see", Smile #3", which is sequenced after "Smile #4", adding to the confusion in interpreting the themes. Pink Siifu's contribution on "Off Me!" parts 1 and 2 is an amalgamation of all of these things to bring about an overall positive, presenting one of the most unique meldings of lyrics and instrumental of the last decade. Seriously, just listen to the song, love it or not, you won't come away feeling disappointed.

Unlike the Medhane feature, none of the non-rap features come off as unpurposeful. On "I can make you feel freedom, Katri…", Pearl De Luna exhibits the freedom of death. On "180° Pole Shift Hypothesis", Billie Alexopoulus tells an apocalyptic story relating to the pervasive theme of the end of the world that is found all over this album and Standing on the Corner's "Red Burns." On "Uchromia", asks the listener to think as a black person and experience the contradictions we face from the perspectives of white America courtesy of his mother Victoria Rowell.

They mistake my silence as sadness

My mind is madness

My blackness is badness (My blackness is bad)

My smile is malice

Opinions invalid but exceptional talent

The world's a phallus

Cause I'm always gettin' pissed off

Lila Ramani of Crumb is all over this project, not overstaying her welcome and assisting Slauson for several of his singing performances. Overall, I do not have any complaints on that side.

No matter what your opinion is, you probably came away from A Quiet Farwell thinking at least it was one of the most interesting and intoxicating listens you have had. Whether its uniqueness damaged or highlighted your experience is up to you and how much you are willing to invest yourself in Slauson's perspective and ideas. Attempting to remove my bias from it and looking from an outside perspective, I would give the album a 7/10. From what I took away from the project, how I view its themes and production decisions, and the unlimited enjoyment I received, I give it a 9.5/10.

Favorite Songs

"Two Thousand Twelve, Outro"

"11/28/55, Ttrabul" (feat. Medhane)

"I can make you feel freedom, Katri…" (feat. Pearl De Luna)

"King Sisyphus of the Atlantic" (feat. Taphari)

"Treachery of Memories"

"01/01/09, My feet's hurt "I was a fugitive but then I realized there was nowhere I could run to"

"Off Me! "The Wake" Pt. 1 & 2" (feat. Pink Siifu)

"THE MESSAGE 2"

"Two Thousand Eighteen, Bye"

Favorite Lyrics (That I can actually understand)

Hopin' that the reaper don't get me

Bring me down like six feet

Thoughts of suicide, watch the time pass by

Life ain't been the same since acid died

-"Fred Hampton's Door, Farewell Sassy - ...na"

Mama says, "go in"

Papa says, "boy stays"

No change, shit

All the same shit

No pay, like every day

Who to blame, who stay

Who not, or who got it

Don't think about it cuz doubt it yeah I'm about

Ain't stoppin'

Still countin'

Live life while I'm drownin'

Take a bath in the fountain

Got my heart and I'm drownin'

Applause, noise, debt, loss, damn

This is what they mean

Applause, noise, debt, loss, damn

This is what they mean what it cost, damn

Hopin' that these fans cool me off, damn

Or this world

-"King Sisyphus of the Atlantic" (feat. Taphari)

I was on the roof fam

Contemplating truth and

Saw my self burnin'

And now I ain't runnin'

Whole life bad luck

They ain't trust us

Ain't the type to go and build trust

Stuck without us

Make a new dance about us

We drownin'

Make the pain go away, rain go away

Silly kind of sorrow

'Till I can't tell tomorrow

This time borrowed

This time borrowed

Imagine light without darkness

Or a mind without solace

This what mama promised

This what mama promised

-"01/01/09, My feet's hurt 'I was a fugitive but then I realized there was nowhere I could run to'"

Dead nigga in the street

Slave nigga industry

Mirror got me lookin' batshit

Mirror clear when I tap, lookin' back its a trap

Being with the kin, hit me back

Bring a wall up in my land

Are we front or goin' back?

Missin' where we goin'

Every bad tryna last, pain in my eyes

Payin' tax, getting back under fire

Stay alive when you're safe

Hit me back, when you're safe

Hit me back, I'll wait till you're there

-wait till you're there

-wait till you're there, called it way back

Blood like the water from the sky drip

-Pink Siifu, "Off Me! "The Wake" Pt. 1 & 2"

Throw you in the water

(Fallin,' slowly)

Turn your life to a martyr

(Standin')

Starin' at red and blue eyes

Blood purple skies

In the west, in the wake

Learn to swim, learn to sink

(Fallin')

Scream out

Reach out to be held

To be loved

When your cries turn to rain

-Slauson Malone, "Off Me! "The Wake" Pt. 1 & 2"

No matter how hard I try

Nothing seems to work

World still turns

But I tried, I tried

And nothing seems to work

World still burn

-"THE MESSAGE 2"

I feel tomorrow like I felt today

Cause all my days just been the same

Swear I ain't felt the sae

Swear I ain't the one to blame

I felt tomorrow like it's yesterday

Because the sun don't set it just go away

-"Two Thousand Eighteen, Bye"

Discussion Questions

-Favorite tracks? Least favorite?

-What were your first impressions? How do you feel now several months after release?

-What is your take away from this albums themes and what Slauson was trying to convey?

-Do you think Slauson was able to deliver the album's purpose well? How does the experimentation add or take away from its delivery?

-Most interesting parts of the album?

-If you've listened to them, how would you compare this project to Standing on the Corner's works?

-Where would you like to see Slauson go from here?

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Gorillaz reveal "Song Machine", an episodic series following the creation of brand new songs with new collaborators. This week's song "Momentary Bliss" will feature rapper slowthai and SLAVES. In direct opposition to the usual traditional release cycle, with spontaneous episodes throughout the year.

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 10:10 AM PST

[SHOTS FIRED] Pastor Troy goes off on a tangent about Lil Nas X, homosexuality, the Grammys, and Applebees. Lil Nas X responds.

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 01:25 PM PST

Pastor Troy: "Welp, Guess I won't be winning a GRAMMY...If this what I gotta wear. They love to push this shit on Our Kids!! The other day @applebees had some punks kissing and laughing eating mozzarella sticks. First Thing My 14 yr old Son said was, "F**** Applebee's" And It Brought Joy to My Heart!! He sees it...their agenda to take the masculinity from Men, Black Men Especially. Some may say, "He Making Money!!" Rupaul do too, but I ain't bumping his CD!!! Integrity is Priceless. Y'all Better open that 3rd Eye and let your Sons Know What Is Real...Or They Ass Gone Be Headed Down That Old Town Road Foreal!!~P.T. #TheyGoneRiiiiiiddddeeeTil theycantnomore #BlackOwnedandIndependent #NotMySons #ItAintWorthIt #Taketheroadlesstraveled #Youwillstillgetthere #DSGB #Wontbeonmypagelong

https://www.instagram.com/p/B759M19Ff0G/

Lil Nas X: damn i look good in that pic on god

https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1222571894483931136

Lil Nas X: thank u but the way i dress isn't for everyone. some people like it, some people don't. i have the upmost respect for myself. i wouldn't do anything i wasn't comfortable with.

https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1222584009374535682

Lil Nas X: pastor troy when he saw 2 n****s eating mozerella sticks

https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1222615376850235392

Pastor Troy: It worked. It worked perfectly! Because now all these f*****s on my page wanna fight me. See, that's that male aggression coming back out. See, you've just gotta let it hang out. Now you wanna fight. That's what I'm talking about. Be a man. Get the fuck off my page. I'm gonna take that shit down but I just had to let y'all know how I feel about it. If you wanna stop following me, good. But I ain't playing about mine and how I feel. You know about me, I was 20 years young and I don't be playing. There's a war going on, y'all better get to fightin. Amen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B76Iz-3lYuM/

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[FRESH REVIEW] Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial ALBUM REVIEW

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 07:12 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Maxo Kream - Drizzy Draco

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:22 AM PST

ASAP ROCKY - Pretty Flacko (Prod. by SPACEGHOSTPURRP)

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:14 PM PST

PARTYNEXTDOOR reveals the cover art for "PARTYMOBILE"

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 12:05 PM PST

Future - Real Sisters

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 01:49 PM PST

Freddie Gibbs - Automatic

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:22 AM PST

Digable Planets - It's Good to Be Here

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 08:54 PM PST

Mac Miller - The Star Room (OG Version)

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 07:35 PM PST

YoungBoy Never Broke Again announces "Still Flexin, Still Steppin", dropping February 21st

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 12:32 PM PST

[LEAK] Mac Miller - What Made Me This Way

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 04:54 AM PST

The Game & Skrillex - “El Chapo”

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 01:09 PM PST

[LEAK] SZA - Perculator

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 04:45 PM PST

Yung Lean - Yellowman

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:16 AM PST

[LEAK] Young Thug - Ashin the Blunt (feat. 6LACK)

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 08:28 PM PST

Earl Sweatshirt- Quest/Power

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:16 AM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Ecco2k - Peroxide

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 01:56 AM PST

Pigeons & Planes: 20 Artists to Watch in 2020: "2020 has the potential to be a great year for music. Here are some of the artists you should be looking out for, including Baby Keem, UMI, Kenny Mason, and more."

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:05 AM PST

[LEAK] Lil Yachty - Oprah's Bank Account (feat. DaBaby)

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 12:58 PM PST

How Has “Backpack Rap” Aged Two Decades Later?

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:23 AM PST

In late January 2013, a ghastly viral meme started to take form under the name of "Harlem Shake". Initially, the song had 3 amazing Azealia Banks verses, but Baauer released the instrumental version after all. Here's the original scrapped version.

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 02:18 AM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] CJ Fly - Show You (prod. Statik Selektah)

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:43 AM PST
at

Daily Discussion Thread 01/28/2020 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 01/28/2020 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 01/28/2020

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 01:48 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:

submitted by /u/ModsLittleHelper
[link] [comments]

Unreleased Kobe and Shaq Freestyle Shaq put out today.

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 10:54 AM PST

Juice WRLD Died with 2,000 Unreleased Songs, Team Considering Album

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 02:15 PM PST

Hopsin imitating Logic (thought it was pretty funny)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 07:43 PM PST

Tyler, the Creator at the Grammys (EARFQUAKE/NEW MAGIC WAND)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:24 PM PST

Freddie Gibbs - BFK

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 08:42 AM PST

Thundercat - Walk on By (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 10:36 AM PST

[FRESH] A$AP Ferg - Value

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST

City Morgue - Vol. 2: As Good as Dead ALBUM REVIEW (theneedledrop)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 03:57 PM PST

[LEAK] Juice WRLD - Purple Moncler

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:19 PM PST

Blackalicious' Gift of Gab Launches GoFundMe Campaign for His Kidney Transplant

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 02:27 PM PST

[FRESH] Trinidad James - Jame$ Woo Woo

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 11:42 AM PST

PhonyPpl announce "Fkn Around" featuring Megan Thee Stallion dropping this Friday

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:11 AM PST

[Leak] Lil Baby - Twysted (Sell My Soul) Ft. Lil Wayne

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 03:24 PM PST

Eminem - Music Music to Be Murdered By (DEHH Album Review)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 06:02 PM PST

Tech N9ne - Fragile (ft. Kendrick Lamar, ¡MAYDAY! & Kendall Morgan)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 01:25 PM PST

PND's new album is delayed until February; project titled "PARTYMOBILE"

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 11:01 PM PST

Every Sample From Danny Brown's uknowhatimsayin¿

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 01:43 PM PST

Bad Bunny - 6 Rings (Kobe tribute)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 04:48 AM PST

Flatbush Zombies - New World Order

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 05:06 PM PST

Lexii Alijai Cause of Death Revealed to Be a Fatal Mix of Fentanyl and Alcohol

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 12:29 PM PST

21 Savage - Mad High

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 10:07 PM PST

Cities Aviv - URL IRL

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 05:18 PM PST

IDK - HELLO FREESTYLE (PT.4) PRD. BY JPEGMAFIA (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 08:04 PM PST

Fredo Santana “Dope Game” ft. Chief Keef

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 10:13 AM PST

DANGERDOOM - Old School) (Ft. Talib Kweli)

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 02:35 AM PST
at

Daily Discussion Thread 01/27/2020 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 01/27/2020 - HipHop

Daily Discussion Thread 01/27/2020

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 10:07 AM 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:

submitted by /u/ModsLittleHelper
[link] [comments]

Album of the Year #21 - 7 EP (Lil Nas X)

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 10:51 AM PST

Streaming Links

Apple Music

Spotify

Tidal

Background

Montero Lamar Hill was born in 1999 in a small town just outside Atlanta. His parents divorced when he was 6, and he spent 3 years living with his mother and grandmother inside Atlanta before moving in with his father instead, north of the city. He later reflected back on the move, saying "There's so much shit going on in Atlanta—if I would have stayed there, I would have fallen in with the wrong crowd".

So instead of running in the wrong crowds, he turned to social media, reportedly running a fairly large Nicki Minaj fan account on twitter (@NasMaraj), eventually being banned from Twitter due to "violating spam policies". Montero later called the reports a "misunderstanding". He'd always wanted to something creative, so he spent his time on Twitter making memes and jokes in hopes of gaining a substantial following so he'd have a platform to promote himself someday.

His first major encounter with music was playing the trumpet in fourth grade, and even made junior chair by junior high, but gave it up due to not wanting to look "lame", a decision he says he regrets. Later on, during his time cultivating a following on social media, he decided to make a song on a whim, choosing the name Lil Nas X as a tribute to famous rapper Nas. "Shame" went up on SoundCloud, and as the song gained a small following over the summer, he decided to quit school to make music, and started to put out more songs, while crashed at his sister's house, living off of money he'd saved from various odd jobs.

His success was definitely not instant. He posted a few songs over the next few weeks, to not much fanfare. "I could post a funny tweet and it would get 2,000 retweets, then I'd post a song and it would hit, like, 10." Until one night nearing halloween, while browsing beats on YouTube, he discovered a beat from a producer in the Netherlands called YoungKio, built from a sample from a Nine Inch Nails song. He says he pictured a "loner cowboy runaway" listening to it, resonating with him personally, as it reminded him of his own situation.

He paid $30 to lease the beat, then spent all of November writing the lyrics, choosing the name "Old Town Road" due to it sounding like a real country place, and the goal of the song from the beginning was to go viral. He posted a snippet on Twitter in December, with the full song two weeks later, and also began retweeting memes from his friends and followers, building hype behind the song. By March, the song had charted off of social media clout alone, with Hill finally signing his first record deal with Columbia.

Review

So before I get into the song by song review, I'd like to explain my parameters. I'm using a X/10 format, but that's only within the limits of this album. What this means is that there will be at least one 10/10 as that will be the best song off of the album, and all other songs will be rated by that scale. So the 10/10 song(s) doesn't necessarily mean I think it's a perfect song, and a lower rating doesn't necessarily mean that the song is bad.

Old Town Road [Remix] (Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) - 9/10

The most famous song on the album by far. Infectious, catchy, melodic. The song will burrow its way into your head and stay there for weeks, with a memorable hook, great beat, and the endlessly quotable verses.

The song itself is a metaphor for Lil Nas X's life at the time of making the original, with taking his horse to the old town road, and riding till he can't no more being a metaphor for him not wanting to go back to working, and instead choosing to march on forward with his life. To quote his own explanation, "I'm at this point where I could keep going, and it's limitless at this point."

Billy Ray Cyrus' feature cemented the song's place in the country charts, after the original song was removed for being closer to hip hop. His verse is almost the inverse of Montero's, having reached all the stardom and fame, and wanting to go back home. "Old Town Road" actually has more meaning to Billy Ray than it may for Hill, because earlier in his career, when he would perform in Kentucky, in a town called Argellite, and just outside it, there was a bridge called "Old Town', the road leading up to which was called "Old Town Road", which was revealed in a tweet made after the song hit #1.

Panini - 10/10

Definitively my favourite song on the album. The beat is almost old school techno, which works amazingly with the flow of the verses, and complement's Lil Nas' voice really well. The desperation towards the end is characterised really well, and the song has definitely stuck with me most out of the album, which considering the album contains the longest running Billboard #1 of all time is quite a feat.

The song is a reference to a character from the cartoon Chowder. The song is about the fans that are possessive of you when you're small, but stop riding as hard for you when you make it big. The song is part anger, part "i-want-you-back", and he catches that feeling really well, especially in the third verse, where he claims he'd rather have " a big Benz, not another fan", then right after saying he still wants them as a fan, trying to reason with them and see why it is they don't love him anymore.

F9mily [You & Me] - 8/10

The best way to describe this song to someone without playing it to them is to tell them it sounds like the theme song for a mid-2000s kid's sitcom on Nickelodeon. The song, as titled, is about family, about two people needing to fix their relationship, drawing perhaps from his experience with having his parents divorce at a young age. The song has a rock vibe to it that works surprisingly to its favour, and gives it said mid-2000 Nick sitcom vibes.

The song likely gets its name due to Lil Nas X and Travis Barker (the producer) not being able to agree on the name, with Lil Nas X calling it "9" before release, and Travis calling it "FAMILY".

Kick It - 7/10

Kick It is told from the perspective of a leech/fake friend, where they see Lil Nas X's success, and try to be a part of his life, be it by selling him weed or just by hanging out with him. Later in the song, this turns into anger, and blaming Lil Nas X, telling him he's talentless, and is only going to end up being a one hit wonder, most likely out of jealousy. The beat has kind of a haunted/space-y vibe to it, and matches the shallowness of the person being portrayed quite well. Unfortunately, while the song is strong thematically, it's a little too short to really deliver the message it's trying to send across, but otherwise sounds great and continues the trend of blending hip-hop with other genres all across this EP.

Rodeo - 5/10

In the vein of OTR, Rodeo is a trap-country fusion, but featuring a fellow rapper rather than a country artist, in Cardi B. The song is about him trying to stay with his partner while also dealing with fame and its consequences. The song has all the right pieces, but fails to stick the landing for me.

The beat is great, but the lyrics are severely lacking. Bar Cardi's verse, the entire song repeats the same 4 lines from the first verse 3 times, on top of a repeated pre-chorus and chorus, and Cardi's verse isn't great, and yet still the best part of the song lyrically. If the song was stronger lyrically, it would definitely be sitting up there with Panini/OTR Remix for me, but alas.

Bring U Down - 7/10

Almost like a fusion of the themes of Kick it and the musical style of F9mily, this song is a rock/trap fusion, about another ill-wisher for Nas. This particular song is about people that want (as the name implies) to bring you down after seeing you on the rise. The song is from this person's perspective, and portrays them as plotting, vindictive and saying that they have nothing to lose.

Unfortunately, like Rodeo, this song comes up a little short lyrically, and would have gone really well with another verse.

C7osure (You Like) - 8/10

A song that can be looked at two ways, in one, about growing and progressing in both his career and his life, becoming the artist and person he knows he can be, and two, which is likely the more intended way of being looked at, as his coming out song. The song makes various references about being set free, and mentions "news I behold unfolding".

He later stated on Twitter "deadass thought I made it obvious" after a lot of people missed the subtle hints in the song and pride flag hidden in the album art.

Old Town Road - 8/10

It may seem strange having two versions of the same song book-end an EP, but I think it exists on the EP to serve as a reminder of where Lil Nas X started, and another statement of him just having started, and him still riding till he can't no more, almost as a look to the future. This version of the song is a lot more raw and unfinished than the Billy Ray Cyrus remix, and is almost poetic in how it finishes the album.

Final Verdict - 8/10

On the whole, almost all the songs on this EP would really benefit from another 30-60 seconds of run time, perhaps a byproduct of Lil Nas X being an artist to make his rise on social media and memes, where grabbing attention for too long becomes harder and harder. However, it cannot be denied that he has serious talent when it comes to writing, and fusing together genres so seemlessly, and bringing back sounds not in the mainstream anymore using trap, which is prevalent in its influence all across mainstream msuic nowadays.

Favourite Lyrics:

From Panini:

It's a dream, he
wished it on a genie
I got fans finally,
ain't you wanting them to see me?

From Old Town Road:

Ridin' on a horse, ha
You can whip your Porsche
I been in the valley
You ain't been up off that porch, now

From Rodeo:

If I took you everywhere, then
Well, you wouldn't know how to walk
If I spoke on your behalf, then
Well, you wouldn't know how to talk

Talking Points:

  • Does Lil Nas X have the staying power to become even more of a household name?

  • Will he ever make a hit as big as Old Town Road again?

  • Does the genre fusion all across this EP work for you?

  • Where does Lil Nas X go from here?

  • Is Lil Nas X the sign of the next evolution of the soundcloud rapper, making his rise through memes and twitter jokes rather than just gaining a huge following directly through his music?

submitted by /u/Aarondo99
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The Game - Ali Bomaye (feat. 2 Chainz & Rick Ross)

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 05:50 PM PST

Nas, DMX, The Lox and Gang Starr announce April 2020 'Gods of Rap II' UK tour

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 09:24 AM PST

2 Chainz announces "No Face, No Case" project with Skooly, Sleepy Rose, Worl, and HOTTLOCKEDN. Dropping February 7th.

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 06:58 PM PST

Osheaga 2020 Lineup Announced - including Kendrick Lamar headlining, Brockhampton, PartyNextDoor, Earthgang, Lil Tjay, slowthai & more

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 01:39 PM PST

[FRESH] Young Nudy - No Go

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST

Eminem behind the scenes of The Slim Shady LP 1999

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 11:34 AM PST

Isaiah Rashad - The Race Freestyle

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 07:50 AM PST

Rolling Loud Miami 2020 Lineup Announced, May 8-10

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 01:59 PM PST

Kobe Bryant - L.O.S.E.R (Shaq Diss)

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 08:53 AM PST

The Alchemist & Boldy James announce tracklist for "The Price Of Tea In China" LP

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 10:56 AM PST

Alchemist's Instagram post.

Tracklist:

  1. Carruth

  2. Giant Slide

  3. Surf & Turf (feat. Vince Staples)

  4. Run-Ins

  5. Scrape The Bowl (feat. Benny The Butcher)

  6. Pinto

  7. Slow Roll

  8. S.N.O.R.T. (feat. Freddie Gibbs)

  9. Grey October (feat. Evidence)

  10. Mustard

  11. Speed Demon Freestyle (already out, link to the YouTube video)

  12. Phone Bill

Out on the 7th of February.

Side note: this has been out for >3 days and nobody posted this?

submitted by /u/hulksreddit
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The Game NME Interview: “Me and 50 Cent should have died in that beef” – The Game claims that his latest album, ‘Born 2 Rap’, will be his last, but says the one thing that would bring him out of retirement, his verdict on Wiley Vs. Stormzy, SoundCloud rap and why he sympathises with 6ix9ine

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 08:19 AM PST

PLAYBOI CARTI - NO LIE

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 01:27 PM PST

Jedi Mind Tricks- I Against I

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 05:13 PM PST

Juicy J - Who Da Neighbors (Prod. Lex Luger)

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 08:45 AM PST

Nipsey Hustle ft. Puff Daddy - Young Nigga

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 05:31 PM PST

The Coup - "The Guillotine"

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 07:48 PM PST

Dreamville - Rembrandt..Run it back feat JID, J. Cole and Vince Staples

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 07:53 PM PST

50 Cent - U Not Like Me

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 03:13 PM PST

SJ (OFB) Sentenced to 21 years for Murder

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 10:45 AM PST

Da$H - "Parachute Escape / Counseling" (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 12:32 PM PST

Talib Kweli - Guerrilla Monsoon Rap (ft. Black Thought, Pharoah Monche & Kanye West)

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 04:11 PM PST
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