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Throwback Write-Up #25: Charles Hamilton - The Pink Lavalamp - HipHop

Throwback Write-Up #25: Charles Hamilton - The Pink Lavalamp - HipHop

Throwback Write-Up #25: Charles Hamilton - The Pink Lavalamp

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 01:18 PM PST

Artist: Charles Hamilton

Album: The Pink Lavalamp

Label: N/A – Self-released through Demevolist Music Group (Interscope)

Date Released: December 8, 2008

Listen:

Youtube

Soundcloud

Datpiff

Littered throughout hip hop's history are a number of "What-Ifs" - Canibus, Memphis Bleek, Blu, Saigon, Pac Div, King Los, XV, and Charles Hamilton. The prototypical "internet rapper", Charles Hamilton's meteoric rise was arguably the first of its kind; the result of blog word-of-mouth and careful cultivation of his online fanbase, or "Starchasers" as they would likely prefer to be known.

Last year, I hit Charles Hamilton up on one of the few places I could find him still posting: Soundcloud. I didn't expect much - truthfully, I would've been happy even if I hadn't gotten a response. But as a long-time fan that just finished watching the painful story told by RedBull TV's 'Let it Play...Faultlines': The Charles Hamilton Story, I felt compelled to both tell him how much his music meant to me and ask him how he was doing. Unfortunately, all that now remains of his response is a singular message from a deleted user account:

"BLESS YOU, DUDE. This keeps me going. My life is silently turbulent. So I lay low. You keep pushing forward.

~#~"

Silently Turbulent. The perfect description for a man who has, for much of his life, struggled with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, drug problems, and sexual abuse.

"[He] started calling me his girlfriend. That was pretty humiliating. I used to have to like, hold hands with him walking down the street. My aunt told me it was my fault because I was "so beautiful". I thought girls were beautiful, I didn't think of myself as beautiful; I was just smiling all the time. But, you know, if I don't accept it was my fault, I don't accept I'm beautiful."

Silently Turbulent. The perfect description for the cursed life of a black entertainer. Yes, most public figures have to fight to maintain a veneer of happiness and satisfaction regardless of what they deal with within their personal lives, but as a black man, that stress is compounded by the need to coat ourselves in a fragile patina of confidence and masculinity to sell our next single/movie/comedy special. Our tears, if ever dared let drop, are met with little more than memes and spectacle.

In preparing this write-up, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to say. Not much is written about Charles today, so I struggled in coming up with something meaningful enough to do his harrowing story and this album justice. There's so much of his career and so much about this album that has seemingly been lost in the uncached ether of the internet.

Which is genuinely strange considering that this is an artist that was a 2009 XXL freshman with a million-dollar record deal and all the hype of the blog-era behind him. An artist that was arguably one of the best of Lupe Fiasco's All City Chess Club members. An artist that was rapping with Kendrick Lamar and Rone before they were famous. An artist that could hold his own in cyphers with Joe Budden and The Game and Kanye West.

So, what happened? How could Charles go from the height of the hip hop sphere to ending up with a debut album (This Perfect Life) that, as far as Interscope is concerned, doesn't exist, and being nearly impossible to track down on social media? From all that I can gather and remember, a number of controversies produced by his very public and self-destructive downward spiral, including a beef with labelmate Soulja Boy, a video of him being punched by his girlfriend, and bizarre claims that the late J Dilla had executively produced The Pink Lavalamp, among others.

And so, though all of that, we are left with a debut album turned independently released mixtape (due to Charles' reluctance to put Brooklyn girls on the album), that is more of a cult hit than the widely recognized classic it deserved to be.

"The Pink Lavalamp. My album. THE album. This album was recorded, mixed, written, produced…EVERYTHING during the worst period of my life. Ever. I was homeless, doped up, heartbroken, in love, poor, dirty, stinkin, angry, suicidal, happy, silly…but alive. And every song on there documents it all. Someone asked me to remix "Shinin," and I was like no. "Shinin" was my suicide letter. I wrote it, recorded it, and was gonna leave it on the computer and go kill myself later that day."

1."Music (Intro)" - 4:44

If you would rather sing than breathe; // If all you had left in your body was the ability to play your instrument, would you?

Is the question proposed to us by Hamilton on the opening of The Pink Lavalamp, one that he himself has seemingly answered through the trials and tribulations of his career. Through his stints of homelessness and imprisonment, Charles has fought to continue putting music out, no matter the cost. Over a chopped sample of Today by Graham Central Station (1974) and drums from Impeach the President by The Honey Drippers (1973), lays out his passion for music, using internal rhymes to help add extra rhythmic punches to several bars (which I really love):

If I like that shine on your necklace // I'ma bust shots, go Shyne on your necklace

---

When I was laying in the hospital bed, hooked to an IV // No one even cared if I'm dead, ain't want to find me

From Charles himself:

"I have always said that I am music. Granted that's a phrase that everyone uses, and they have a right to. Even Lil Wayne tattooed it above his eyes. But for me, music is more than just a means of making money. It's not even a means of art. It's my way of communicating. My way of thinking. My way of living. I would still be the outcast to ALL OF YOU (execs, fans, friends, family, EVERYONE) if it weren't for the musical ability I've been divinely blessed with by HER (points up to the sky, and glares with red eyes at everyone who's made fun of my theory on God's gender).

The first verse I wrote sober at my ex lover's church. Second verse I wrote at my mother's house, while high on weed. Third verse… hear it for yourself…"

2."Loser": - 4:46

Over a simple but super creative flip of One Night Affair by The Stylistics, Charles delivers 3 verses of some of the best rapping he has on record through playful puns and punchlines built into multiple flow-switches. Honestly, listening to this track is a hell of a throwback and a consistent reminder of the potential that was never fully realized. Aside from the opening bars, these lines from the 3rd verse are super smooth:

I'm a beast in booths, a nightmare in Nike Airs // A nice dream of ice creams the Nike fiend

3."She's So High" - 4:32

A softer cut that samples the bubbly Breathe by Telepopmusik, She's So High offers a pleasant reprieve from the intensity of the first two tracks. Lyrically, the track explores the ecstasy of an intoxicated encounter with a woman.

4."Voices" - 4:12

Voices uses an airy guitar passage from It's a Shame by The Spinners as a bed for Charles to describe the insanity and loneliness his attachment to music has saddled him with. This track sees CH getting into a more traditional rap-style with nearly every line punctuated with fairly pronounced doubled vocals - a small trick that really sells the schizophrenic theme of the track.

5."Boy Who Cried Wolf" - 4:39

Charles flips Joe Simon's You Don't Want To Believe It into a rumbling, head-nodding banger that acts as a middle finger to everyone that didn't support his come-up. The drums on this are crisp and front-and-center, and really accentuate the groove of the sample. Perhaps in reference to this song, Charles had this to say:

"No one ever wants to believe me about anything. No one wanted to believe me when I made Sonic the Hamilton. No one believed I could get a deal. No one believed I'd make it past 18. I myself didn't believe I could make it past 13, as many suicide attempts I got under my belt. And let's not forget about the almost overdose days. Yo HchO. Remember AM studios?"

6."Let Me Live" (featuring Bagdad) - 4:04

Easily one of my favorite tracks on the album, from the sampling to CH's flows, this is some of his best. Sampling Love Hangover by Diana Ross, this track offers a very fun and joyous diversion from the rest of the tracklist. The Dilla and Blaze influence is super strong on this one - I really love the chopping and the percussive elements are varied and well used. I'm not super in love with Bagdad's solo verse here, but Verse 3 features some great trading between him and Charles.

I done been through the games, I deal without poker

I done been through the rain, for real, I'm Al Roker

7."Brighter Days" - 4:42

I work hard for no glory like Louis Gossett // This life is the illest movie you can watch yet

Got to make sure all your moves are constant // Or lose your Franchise like the Houston Rockets

Friends and Strangers by Ronnie Laws serves as the musical bedrock for this track. Personally, I like the drums here much more than on Wale's The Friends N Strangers, as I feel like they build a much stronger groove. I also love the switch-up to those beautiful rhodes at the end.

8."The Cookout" - 4:33

The next cut, featuring a Mothership Connection (Star Child)- Parliament flip, is super smooth. I wouldn't have known Charles produced this if it didn't have his trademark cymbal transitions. Charles does his thing lyrically on here too.

Bring ether to my targets, KKK when I'm burning crosses

I hated the chorus back when I first listened, but it's honestly grown on me.

9."Sat(t)elite" - 4:07

You can leave if you want, but I ain't goin' no where

(I only wanna be with you)

Cause you know where your home is, so I don't care

(I only wanna be with you)

Just as long you know that I'm a stay right here

(I only wanna be with you)

So you can leave if you want, but you ain't goin' no where

You are my Satellite

Another one of my favorite tracks on this album. Sampling I Only Want To Be With You by Shelby Lynne, Charles creates a super sweet and tender love song. Drums are pretty typical for the mid-2000s, but I think this song has aged somewhat well. The background vocals perfectly compliment the instrumental, and the chorus is probably the best on the entire album.

10."Live Life to the Fullest" (featuring Yung Nate) - 3:38

Up next is a bumpy, chemistry-filled detour featuring Yung Nate and sampling This Place Hotel (a.k.a. Heartbreak Hotel) by The Jacksons. Nate and Charles kill their verses on here:

I'm a bad mamma jamma probably meet your mamma jamma // then you wonder why you pulling dirty condoms out your hamper

--

Duke tried to front for a chick, black head crack, put the 4-5 to his 6 pack

--

I'm so far ahead of my time I started selling moon rocks as a grind

--

Theses niggas can't breathe till they man in a casket

Tell the bitch to exhale like Angela Bassett, Bastard

11."Come Back to You" - 5:08

Charles showcases a lot of passion and vigour on this track, both in delivery and writing.

I'm not an angel; far from the devil // But my heart isn't metal; it's fragile

First kiss was as sweet as the last goodbye

Love the use of contrast here to really paint these lines for the listener. The chorus on here is a little cluttered, but it's got some great components. This track features a sped up flip of Voyage to Atlantis by The Isley Brothers.

12."Latte" - 4:41

"The night before I wrote this song, I shot the biggest dose of heroin. I was watching this episode of "Behind the Music" with Motley Crue, and I heard Nikki Syxx say that he quit the habit after he did that. So I tried it. And everything I saw in my dream, I woke up and wrote about it.

And it all started with having a latte with HchO."

Sampling Last Train to London by Electric Light Orchestra and Closer by Nine Inch Nails, Charles delves into the complications and stress his drug abuse places on his life and his relationship. Super somber track that's very painful to listen to knowing how things turned out after this.

13."Shinin'" - 4:24

"Someone asked me to remix "Shinin," and I was like no. "Shinin" was my suicide letter. I wrote it, recorded it, and was gonna leave it on the computer and go kill myself later that day."

This song is fucking great - the drums pair with those hauntingly beautiful background vocals to create this marching sense of eerieness and dread. There was unfortunately a controversy around this beat however, wherein Charles was accused of stealing it from another producer, Black Spade. That being said, I really do love this song. Sample is Golden Time of Day by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

14."I'll Be Around (Outro)" - 6:00

My prognosis is psychosis // I'm a dropout, a junkie, and a drunk

Honestly, is that the kind of company you want around your son? // That's why I run, that's why I'm numb, That's why I'm such a fucking punk

As sad as it is beautiful. Sampling The Spinners - I'll Be Around, this track is so harrowing in it's honesty and openness. You can hear Charles getting choked up through each verse and chorus, to the point of audibly crying towards the end. Like Latte, this song is pretty hard to listen to now.

15."Writing in the Sky" (Bonus Track)

I'm always made to feel inadequate, the man on stage

But I'm a nobody after it, the spotlight fades

But I'm still chasing after it, the jack of only one trade

Closing out the album is Writing in the Sky, a track that samples Betcha by Golly, Wow by The Stylistics to create a sweet little instrumental Charles uses to lament over his problems and insecurities. Triumphant yet sad, this song is a fitting send-off for the album.

Conclusion

Clocking at over 70 minutes of runtime, this album lays out Charles' potential in frustrating detail - the mixing for example, varies as wildly as the quality of Charles' vocal performances. But I think that's a part of the charm: losers aren't supposed to get things right.

Discussion Questions:

  • What would hip hop look like if Charles' career had taken off?
  • Do labels have a responsibility to care for their artist's mental health?
  • If you were familiar with Charles Hamilton, how does the information in this post and the documentary change your view of him?
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Daily Discussion Thread 11/12/2020

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 04:39 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 ALBUM] Future & Lil Uzi Vert – Pluto x Baby Pluto

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:00 PM PST

Spotify | Apple Music | Streaming Links

Tracklist:

  1. Stripes Like Burberry
  2. Marni on Me
  3. Sleeping on the Floor
  4. Real Baby Pluto
  5. Drankin N Smokin
  6. Million Dollar Play
  7. Plastic
  8. That's It
  9. Bought a Bad Bitch
  10. Rockstar Chainz [solo Future track]
  11. Lullaby [solo Lil Uzi Vert track]
  12. She Never Been To Pluto
  13. F-Off Dat
  14. I Don't Wanna Break Up
  15. Bankroll
  16. Moment of Clarity
submitted by /u/frogaranaman
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[FRESH ALBUM] 2 Chainz- So Help Me God

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:02 PM PST

The Weeknd announced as the 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 08:53 AM PST

[FRESH] Kanye West - Nah Nah Nah (feat. DaBaby & 2 Chainz) [Remix]

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:07 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Aesop Rock - Spirit World Field Guide

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 08:59 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Lil Nas X - HOLIDAY

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:03 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Father - Come Outside, We Not Gone Jump You.

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:00 PM PST

[FRESH] 2 Chainz - Feel A Way (feat. Kanye West & Brent Faiyaz)

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:00 PM PST

Future & Lil Uzi Vert reveal album cover for 'Pluto x Baby Pluto', dropping 11/13

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 12:49 PM PST

[FRESH] DJ Scheme - Soda (ft. Ski Mask The Slump God & Cordae) (prod. Take A Daytrip)

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:02 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin - FlySiifu's

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:06 PM PST

Octavian dropped by label over accusations of physical, verbal and psychological abuse by former partner

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 11:05 AM PST

[FRESH] Goodie Mob - No Cigar (feat. Andre 3000)

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:03 PM PST

[Fresh Video] Future & Lil Uzi - That's It

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:02 PM PST

[FRESH] Lil Tracy - Designer Talk 2

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 08:49 PM PST

Megan Thee Stallion announces new album 'Good News', dropping 11/20

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 01:08 PM PST

Megan via Instagram:

Hotties , I first want to say thank you for riding with me, growing with me, and staying down with me since my first mixtape Rich Ratchet ! Through this rough ass year we've all been having I felt like we could all use a lil bit of good news. So with that being said MY OFFICIAL ALBUM "GOOD NEWS" IS DROPPING NOVEMBER 20TH PRE ORDER WILL BE AVAILABLE TONIGHT #GOODNEWSMEGAN

Via Instagram

Via Twitter

submitted by /u/SigmarBergmann
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[FRESH VIDEO] JID - Virtual Concert (featuring unreleased tracks)

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 03:52 AM PST

Pluto x Baby Pluto official tracklist

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 02:30 PM PST

[FRESH] Run The Jewels – No Save Point – From "Cyberpunk 2077"

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 05:58 AM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Goodie Mob - Survival Kit

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:05 PM PST

[FRESH EP] Masego - Study Abroad

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:00 PM PST

[FRESH] Lucki & Working On Dying - Find Me

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:22 PM PST

[FRESH]Your Old Droog - Pravda feat Mach-Hommy, El-P, Tha God Fahim, Black Thought

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 06:08 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Sango - Shango

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 09:00 PM PST

Eminem and Andre 3000 meet in 2001

Posted: 12 Nov 2020 02:14 PM PST
at

Last.fm Thread: What Have You Been Listening To This Week? - November 11, 2020 - HipHop

Last.fm Thread: What Have You Been Listening To This Week? - November 11, 2020 - HipHop

Last.fm Thread: What Have You Been Listening To This Week? - November 11, 2020

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 10:04 AM PST

Make sure to write some shit about what you listened to encourage discussion.

HHH Last.fm group

To make 3x3s:

http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/

http://chrisawren.com/widgets/lastfm/

http://lastfmtopalbums.dinduks.com/

http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~paddez/projects/lastfm/

http://nsfcd.com/lastfm/

Make sure to post is with imgur, otherwise the 3X3 posts change

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Daily Discussion Thread 11/11/2020

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:44 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
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Octavian accused of domestic abuse

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:05 PM PST

Octavian's ex girlfriend has accused him of abuse before, but today she's posted on Instagram proof of a lot of what she's said. I really recommend you read some of this, really disgusting

Her Instagram Stories

Her Post on Instagram

I know there's a lot to read here but I really think it's important, this guy is fucked in the head

Edit: the post above has been taken down, she reposted the pictures here https://www.instagram.com/p/CHeBrA9hEXA/?igshid=qo953g58numo and the videos are on her story now as well

submitted by /u/Alpha_Jazz
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Pluto x Baby Pluto - Friday the 13th

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 04:23 PM PST

Lil Uzi Vert + Future drop collaborative music this Friday.

submitted by /u/liamfellows06
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Nav's Emergency Tsunami: NOT GOOD (theneedledrop)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:37 PM PST

MO3 shot in Dallas

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:45 AM PST

MO3 reportedly shot in ambush on a Dallas Highway

https://twitter.com/saycheesedgtl/status/1326602919249129474?s=21

Edit: MO3 has died at the age of 28 RIP

submitted by /u/HarrierGR9
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[LEAK] Logic - Perfect Remix (feat. Lil Wayne & A$AP Ferg)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:40 PM PST

DJ Spinbad, iconic NYC musician, dead at 46

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:17 AM PST

I purchased a cheap verse from Lil B (song also includs a brief clip of Anthony Fantano), and here is my story...

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 04:51 PM PST

THE BEAT

I got my close friend / producer to make a beat, but then his hard-drive crashed. The only piece we had was a 13 second instrumental, no stems or anything. He managed to salvage what he could, and somehow made this 13 second beat sound as un-looped as possible.

LIL B

I reached out to Lil B via Instagram. I listened to him in High School, and he was an influence to me and many others. He responded very quickly, and asked my budget. I don't want to share how much I said, but it wasn't a lot (life has been hard, I'm sure, for many of us).

He agreed, and asked for the beat. He said he loved it, and he had his verse over to me within 24 hrs. He also sent me his phone #, to hash things out if need be.

Lil B was an absolute GEM to work with. He was very pleasant, courteous, and very funny...though I'm not sure if it was intentional? He used lots of ALL CAPS and said "I LOVE YOU" a few times, but I don't think we're dating yet, lmao

When I got his stems, I realized they didn't appear to be dry (no effects), because there was an UN-HOLY amount of reverb on them. Like, SO much reverb. So, I emailed back asking if he had the dry vocals. He said that he did not, his "microphone came like that," which was interesting.

(I'd like to point out that this is not against Lil B. Again, he was so nice and an amazing human to work with. It was just a little unexpected)

Fantano

Not much to say here. I reached out to the Fantano subreddit, asking if they knew who to contact to see if I could use a clip from a Anthony Fantano vid. His manager directly reached out to me and said that it was totally fine, so there we go.

(Chino, the other guy on the song, is a buddy who works closely with a certain big YouTuber, and I love his vibe...so I invited him on, too)

The Song

Lil B's verse, mixed with Fantano's clip, goes WAY TOO HARD. Lil B's verse actually slaps, with his lighthearted and (seemingly) freestyled tone. I'm so happy I had the chance to reach out to him, and I hope thay you guys enjoy it:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3yZngAhxZAPBzmmPAY8QNc?si=ZBlAg6wgT1C7-SOv4rIKbA

Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/gmb1t/gmb1t-fingerguns

If you want to follow my music, you can find me on Insta @Gmb1t. Thanks for letting me share this, love you guys!

submitted by /u/Gmb1t
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[FRESH VIDEO] Loyle Carner - Yesterday (Prod. Madlib)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 10:16 AM PST

JPEGMAFIA - Does This Ski Mask Make Me Look Fat? [Rap]

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:09 AM PST

Russ announces EP 'CHOMP' coming soon (with features from Kxng Crooked, Ab-Soul, DJ Premier, Busta Rhymes, Benny The Butcher, and Black Thought)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 01:06 PM PST

tweet

  1. Stockholm Syndrome (feat. Kxng Crooked) [self prod.]

  2. Who Wants What (feat. Ab-Soul) [self prod.]

  3. Inside Job (feat. DJ Premier) [prod. DJ Premier]

  4. Line Em Up (feat. Busta Rhymes) [prod. The Alchemist]

  5. Momentum (feat. Benny The Butcher & Black Thought) [prod. 9th Wonder]

submitted by /u/Kitchen_Ur_Lies
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[FRESH EP] Femdot - Buy One, Get One Free Vol 1. (feat. Saba)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:16 PM PST

Ankhlejohn drops cover and tracklist for ‘As Above So Below’ album, produced by Navy Blue. Featuring Da$h, Al Divino, Fly Anakon, WiFi Gawd, Pink Siifu, Wiki and Navy Blue. Coming soon.

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 04:57 PM PST

2Chainz announces track list for “So Help Me God” featuring multiple hidden features

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 02:08 PM PST

[ORIGINAL] 2FLY KNG — ‘nas is like’ freestyle ⭐️

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 08:33 PM PST

Eminem - Rabbit Run

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 10:23 AM PST

Mustard - Baguettes in the Face (feat. NAV, Playboi Carti & A Boogie Wit da Hoodie)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:17 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] J. Cole - Friday Night Lights (10 year anniversary)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:00 PM PST

It's been 10 years since one of the best mixtapes of the blog era dropped. Some personal highlights for me are Too Deep for the Intro, Back to the Topic, 2Face, Premeditated Murder, Farewell, and Cost Me a Lot.

  • How do y'all feel this project has aged?

  • Is this Cole's greatest project?

submitted by /u/cs-shitposter
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[FRESH ALBUM] NAV & Wheezy - Emergency Tsunami (Bonus Version) [features "Stella McCartney" with Future and "Pickney"]

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:31 AM PST

[DISCUSSION] Gang Starr - One of the Best Yet (One Year Later)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:53 AM PST

One of the Best Yet is the seventh and final studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on November 1, 2019. The album features previously unreleased and posthumous vocals from Guru, who died nine years prior to the album's release. The album features guests appearances from J. Cole, Royce da 5'9", Talib Kweli, M.O.P., and Q-Tip, among others.

Background

Rapper Guru died of cancer in April 2010, having not released an album with DJ Premier as Gang Starr since 2003's The Ownerz, seven years earlier. A note from Guru provided by former collaborator Solar had said that he disowned his former producer and DJ was released around the time of his death, however, many looked on it with suspicion. While Guru and Premier had not spoken since 2004, Premier had wanted to release a final album, but had difficulty obtaining unreleased material from Guru, despite the rapper's prolific work ethic, because of a dispute with fellow producer Solar. In 2014, a court case gave Guru's family control of his own unreleased music, and in 2016, Solar decided to sell the remaining music. Despite the animosity between the two men, an agreement was reached (although Solar disputes this), and in early 2018, DJ Premier decided to put together a final album, creating new beats for the project over acappellas from Guru.

Critical reception

One of the Best Yet received generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 12 reviews. Writing for Exclaim!, Riley Wallace praised the album as "a fluid, impeccably produced final goodbye" to Guru, and "a last curtain to a legacy group on its own terms." Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone noted that "there are moments where it feels like one of the most beloved rap groups in history are picking up right where they left off", hailing "Family and Loyalty" as the highlight of the album. Will Lavin of NME called it "a special moment for hip-hop", however, he stated that "Sometimes, too, Guru's absence is a little too noticeable", noting that some tracks sound unfinished.

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[FRESH VIDEO] tobi lou - OKAY (ft. Dreezy)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:31 AM PST

Pharoahe Monch Forms New Group th1rt3en, Announces Debut Album, ‘A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism’

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:26 AM PST

Vic Mensa feat. Kanye West - U Mad

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:06 AM PST

[FRESH] AKTHESAVIOR - Be Back Soon (ft. Kenneth Cash)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:20 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 7 (One Year Later)

Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:48 AM PST

dont downvote this bc wsg didn't post hog

here's what Reed Jackson wrote abt this:

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently boasted that the Buffalo Bills are the only true-blue NY football team, as they're the only one that actually plays in-state. (Both the Giants and Jets play in a stadium in New Jersey). Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn has been trumpeting a similar claim in the realm of rap, dubbing himself the "New King of New York" despite being from a city upstate that's more known for its snowfall than hip-hop. But while MCs from the NYC boroughs have tried to shake the dust off their sound with trap hi-hats, Gunn and his Griselda Records cohorts have proudly embraced the loops and drum breaks of the city's "Golden Age" and revamped them. So much so that the richest rapper to ever make it out of Brooklyn recently gave them a management deal.

On Hitler Wears Hermes 7, the formula doesn't change, with Gunn rapping ruthlessly about life on the streets of Buffalo over glistening barely touched samples. With each edition of the series, the bars seem to get a little harder, the beats a little prettier, and Gunn's persona comes further into focus. The project opens with DJ Drama, whose Gangsta Grillz mixtapes once served as proclamations of stardom for artists like Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy, decreeing that the "Buffalo kids done did it." It's a sentiment Gunn circles back to often on Hermes 7 with crass lines like, "First nigga in my city with a Rolls/Fuck two bad bitches at the Lowe's," injecting a conventional rap boast with some of his hometown's blue-collar attitude.

Gunn's voice is a nasally high-pitched yap, somewhere between Brooklyn rappers AZ and Troy Ave, and is perfectly tuned for talking shit. "At the Roc Nation brunch with my tool on, don't disrespect us," he cooly warns on "GONDEK." Elsewhere, on "Connie's Son," he crows that he's "made half at least half a mil' ridin' Mega buses," a clever reference to the cheap bus service that's been exposed more than once as a tool used by traffickers to run drugs across state lines. Griselda crew members Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher show up to deliver equally gritty verses, as well as a surprisingly in-form Fat Joe, who harkens back to his DITC days on "Kelly's Korner" by lamenting how he once got his hand put in a meat grinder for stealing a mafia Don's car.

The production, handled by a who's who of boom-bap aficionados like Alchemist, Statik Selektah and Griselda in-house producer Daringer, is as lovely as the lyrics are ugly. The swirling keys on "Broadway Jones" sound more like something jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi laid down for A Charlie Brown Christmas than a backdrop to an ode to cooking crack. The soaring vocal sample on the frontend of "Undertaker vs. Goldberg," meanwhile, throws Gunn's violent "doot, doot, doot, doot" adlibs into a warm swirl. The only moments the beats come up short are when their simplicity veers into redundancy, like a few minutes into "Undertaker," which could have been bolstered by some drums.

This could be said for other aspects of Hermes 7 as well, a project that's endearingly straightforward but has a firm ceiling as a result. By its midpoint, you pretty much know how each song will unfold, a one-note dish that's tasty on first bite but starts to lose its flavor by the end. Make no mistake, this is who Westside Gunn is: He makes one kind of song and does it well. Putting out a niche product has ironically led him, along with the rest of Griselda Records, to a larger audience. But even recipes for success can be improved upon.

submitted by /u/HHHRobot
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