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Album of the Year #14: Hobo Johnson - The Revenge of Hobo Johnson - HipHop

Album of the Year #14: Hobo Johnson - The Revenge of Hobo Johnson - HipHop

Album of the Year #14: Hobo Johnson - The Revenge of Hobo Johnson

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 05:05 AM PST

ARTIST: Hobo Johnson

ALBUM: The Revenge of Hobo Johnson

LINKS:

Spotify

YouTube

Apple Music

BACKGROUND:

As he puts it in his breakout single, "Peach Scone", Hobo Johnson is a rapper, but not actually a rapper, he likes to say musician. His music is undeniably unique, there's no one else who quite sounds like him and his backing band, The Lovemakers, and even more polarizing. It's a cliche to say you either love or hate something, but you may be hard pressed to find any fence sitters on the topic of Hobo Johnson, whose fans and haters find themselves nearly equally devoted. His blend of slam poetry, rap, folk, emo, spoken word, rock, and even some jazz has helped him stand out to say the least, for better and for worse.

Now, if you know Hobo Johnson, there's at least a 30% chance you know him as "The Screaming Incel from the Tiny Desk Audition" which, while I might find it a little unfortunate that such a diverse artist gets their style summed up in such a negative way, I get it. A good portion of his material is about unrequited love, girls who left him, and other general stuff that makes Hobo Johnson a lot easier to enjoy as a depressed high school kid and his signature style might be second only to Marshall Mathers himself in terms of how easy it is to make fun of. So, it may come as a bit of a shock that "The Revenge of Hobo Johnson" isn't really about that. Sure, there's two, technically three, songs about a girl/love interest, but the album isn't about that, it's about losing your sense of self, wanting to go outside, whether it be to see the world or just to go to your friend's house, and existential depression due to capitalism. Stylistically, the album leans into a more folk, almost coffee house style, sound, with acoustic guitars aplenty, soft drums, and soft background vocals from the Lovemakers, as well as recurring interruptions from Hobo's dog, Fish, do to this being recorded at home during the pandemic. Now, without further ado, let us dive into the wonderful world of Covid-era depression.

REVIEW:

Track 1: Anton LaVey

The opening lyric of the album sets the stage pretty well: "I'm closing my eyes and I'm glad that I'm dead." The album opens with the folk rock homage to Satan, "Anton LaVey" named after the founder of Satanism. The song is one of those three love interest songs I mentioned from earlier and follows a simple narrative: Hobo is dead, in hell, and horny for Satan. The fallen angel welcomes him back to his apartment and they fuck. There's more to it, so let's dive in.

The song starts with some guitar strumming before jumping into the chorus, which in all it's four bar glory, contains some of the best lyrics of the whole album. There's the previously stated opener about being glad he's dead, but that's followed in quick succession by "This heaven is weird because my Jesus is red. I hope that he sees me, I yearn for his touch. Darling, I need you. Satan, my love." The chorus is highlighted by the Lovemakers joining in for the ending lyrics for every bar and they serve a similar purpose on the verses, though they're just responding to each lyric, as opposed to doing any repeating. Speaking of the verses, that's where the relationship between our leads is developed. It starts small with Hobo hoping that Satan sees him while he's out in the crowd before they lock eyes and head back to the chorus. During the second verse, Satan approaches Hobo and says "Hello" and in response, Hobo sticks his tongue down his throat. Soon after, the pair are back at Satan's house "for a while", at least long enough for the chorus to play once more. The next verse, called a bridge on Genius for some reason even though it's clearly a verse, is about the pair fucking, eating halal afterwards, and then making out until it irritates Hobo's extremely sensitive lips. We then go into the chorus once more before the outro, consisting of the first two lines of the chorus, delivered with noticeable doubt, as if Hobo regrets his actions from the song.

This song's great, in my opinion. It's funny, Hobo's sing-talk delivery perfectly fits the vibe of the track, and the ad-libs, if that's what you could call the Lovemakers' vocal additions, really add to my enjoyment of the track. There's also a few different ways to interpret the track, whether that be it as a straightforward story song about fucking Satan, Hobo himself being Satan in this scenario and all the self hatred that implies, and the music industry being Satan and not so subtly "fucking" Hobo. I personally listen with the second interpretation, but it'll change from person to person and there's likely other ways to interpret it that I didn't even include, so y'know, listen with that in mind, too.

Favorite Lyrics:

Closing my eyes, glad that I'm dead. This heaven is weird, my Jesus is red.

We kissed so much that it starts to irritate my lips. Turns out I got extremely sensitive lips. I'm an extremely sensitive man.

Track 2: I want to see the World

This is a weird song. Well, not a weird song, but there's a really weird lyric and we'll get to that. Basically, this song is about exactly what the title says, Hobo wants to see the world and in a Covid hellscape, it's an even more relatable desire than it would be otherwise. So, how does Hobo go about it?

Well, the first verse is the most normal of the bunch, he talks about going to France to take in their culture and enjoy their soda, going to Japan because he likes fish, and going to Germany again because the last time he was there, he just ate Indian food instead of enjoying the local cuisine. The second verse starts with Hobo stating his aspirations to go to Normandy and Belgium to pay his respects and to learn more about World War 2 before going off to Manhattan, specifically to observe Ground Zero and salute all who died on 9/11. Then he says he wants to go to Memphis because "that's where MLK got killed and it doesn't make sense to me still" which is a little weird, I mean his heart's obviously in the right place, but it's just kinda funny to be honest. The next two verses focuses on countries that are victims of colonization, invasion, occupation, blockades, and fascist regimes such as Samoa, Honduras, Guatemala, Rwanda, Vietnam, and Cuba, as well as wanting to visit Auschwitz in an attempt to understand how a loving God could allow something like that to happen and the continent of Africa to try and preserve the memory of the Scramble for Africa, a mad dash by European countries to colonize as much of the continent as they could following the 1884 Berlin Conference. Oh, by the way, remember when I said the song was about wanting to see the world? Well, I apologize for kinda, sorta, somewhat lying. It's about how the world is fucking awful and it sucks to learn that, but ultimately, it's important to learn about the worst of history because it lets us become better and to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Sorry for the afterschool special there. Anyway, it's an okay track, definitely not the best, but I still think there's some enjoyment to be found here. Is the enjoyment ironic? A little bit. Hobo, again, has his heart in the right place, but it's hard to properly translate it to a really good song.

Favorite Lyrics:

And fuck, boy, I really like their sodas.

But I want to see the world, the world, but I want the whole story and if it makes me cringe, and gasp, and gag then I guess that that's good for me.

That's where MLK got killed and it doesn't make sense to me still

Track 3: I want you Back

This song is the first of two songs on this project that I think are best described as more mature versions of the quintessential Hobo Johnson aka "songs about girls/relationships" and I think it's great and it leads to two of the best songs on the album.

This song is very simple on the surface, it's about Hobo wanting a girl back, but it's also very easy to interpret the "you" that he wants back as being his life before fame. This is best exemplified by the second verse where he states, "I made a million bucks and I had to spend it all on therapy." It's a powerful sentiment. Or maybe I'm just depressed. Fair play either way. The only real negative I have for this song is the "phone bad" bridge at the end, but even that is more about privacy issues and advertisements than just the usual thing you'd expect. The song finishes out with the "I think we're/I'm fucked" refrain that's been repeated throughout the song, signifying the fruitless efforts for Hobo to get his girl back and get his old life back as well as the fact that the human race as whole is likely not going to be doing great in the coming decades with climate change, growing unrest, superweapons, and the growing power of tech giants to track your personal data and provide it to people or governments, a veritable who's who of bad shit.

As I gave away earlier, this is a stand out track for me. Hobo's far from Whitney Houston as a singer, but the emotion in his voice, particularly on this track, really sells you on both the playful nature of the first verse and the hopelessness of the verses that follow. Overall, just a great track in my opinion.

Favorite Lyrics:

I want a slap, that would make me quite upset, but if my brain came out my ear then I guess that's what I'd get. I need a nap.

Spit on me again, that's impressive 'bout eight feet apart

I made a million bucks, but then I had to spend it all on therapy.

I think I'm fucked

I think we're fucked

Track 4: My therapist

The next song is essentially Hobo rambling about some ideas he's told his therapist. There's not a lot to say here.

Hobo starts by talking about how his therapist thinks his ideas are great, but Hobo's convinced it's only because he's paid to listen to them. These ideas are about equity and wealth (aka owning a pizza shop and selling it to the workers so that they're their own boss), hope and soap (aka selling soap at low prices and donating the profits to better the community), and voting and the future (aka talking about Chile's plan and design for in-home voting prior to the US staging a coup in 1973 and how we should implement the system.)

This song's pacing sucks, like, there's a lot to dislike about it, but that's the part that just drives me mad and it feels like Hobo just never gets to the fucking point. The opening line regarding his distrust of his therapist is the best part and if the song was about that as opposed to his ideas, it'd probably be a lot better, but here we are. There's a comment on Genius that reads, "this song makes me want to become a capitalist" and I get it, I really do.

Favorite Lyrics:

My therapist thinks my ideas are great. I think it's because he gets paid.

This isn't a lyric, but shoutout to Genius user @fffffffffffff for the comment because it's probably my favorite part about the song.

Track 5: Jordans house

Oh fuck, it's the other song I don't like. Fuck it speed round.

Hobo wants to go Jordan's house. He thinks his own house is getting broken into, so he breaks traffic laws to get to Jordan's house. Jordan is shocked because they hadn't discussed this at all. Hobo tells him what's happened, but Jordan doesn't really care, so Hobo leaves.

This song is only ranked higher than "My therapist" because a song about wanting to go to your friend's house hits hard during Covid. Also, the last verse is pretty good. Otherwise, the pacing still sucks and I overall don't like it.

Favorite Lyrics:

I decide to just give him the gist and he looks kinda bored as I'm fucking nailing it and I start to think, maybe it's time to leave Jordan's house. I say, "Jordan, can't you see what all these implications mean? Jordan, God is dead but I'm alive" at Jordan's house

Yeah, I just put the whole third verse in favorite lyrics, what are you gonna do about it? You think I care about including another non-lyric in favorite lyrics? I'm one of 15 people who like this album, you think I care about what others think? Well, I do! But I'm gonna leave this in anyway.

Track 6: Prelude to Animal Farm

Hobo further proves that he's not the best leftist by holding up an Orwell novel as an example of the ideology. The song's pretty alright though. This song is what the title implies, a prelude to Animal Farm. What does that entail? Probably a pig or something, let's find out.

So, it starts with a pig being born (boom, nailed the prediction) and follows his life in the same capitalism/farm allegory from the novel. He learns about work, how life sucks, and before he can change anything, he dies. However, as he does, he hears a pig being born outside and is able to die, knowing his dream may live on.

Similar to the last two songs, this has a pacing issue, but I think the vibes and the overall catchiness, to me anyway, of the background singing adds to the enjoyment of the track. It was a song that I really wasn't feeling during my first listen of the album, but as the months have gone on, I've found myself enjoying this song more and more everytime I hear it.

Favorite Lyrics:

And as he got older, they taught him to never really worry about the problems and the deplorable phrase, "That's just life"

No life is perfect nor just, but something better out there is a must 'cause this shit's fucked.

Track 7: You want a baby

Hey, it's the other "Grown Up Quintessential Hobo Johnson Song" I talked about earlier, nice! This song is sad though, like actually, it makes me sad, but in a good way.

So, it starts with Hobo pondering the point of having kids in our current world and wondering if it's fair to bring a human person into this world just so he feels something and has a meaning, especially when Hobo's severe depression would likely pass down to his children. He knows his girlfriend wants kids, but he can't bring himself to do such a thing and he struggles with the thought of making his girlfriend cry because of that. He then does the same thing for marriage, a concept Hobo is very familiar with the negative aspects of given that his parents separated. This verse can tie back into the previous as a great deal of married couples separated, leaving the children without a structured homelife. He ends the song with the thought that marriage is just too hard for him to make work currently and possibly ever.

This is not only my favorite song on the album, but one of my favorites of the whole year by any artist. The song is just crushing, the subtext of self hatred for being unable to provide and be happy with what his girlfriend wants is great as well as Hobo knows this is incredibly selfish and could likely ruin the relationship, but he feels that being honest about his feelings is better than trying to add something to the relationship that he doesn't feel ready for at all and that could make him resent his partner. Furthermore, for longtime fans, this song will likely hit even harder as Hobo has a history of pining for marriage and kids in his older songs about love, but now that he himself is older, the wishful thinking of having his own kids feels scary, especially in a world that he isn't entirely sure of. It ties into the "I think we're fucked" motif of "I want you back" and it makes for one of the sadder songs all year. If you only listen to one track from this album, make it this one.

Favorite Lyrics:

My genes make me struggle, why would I pass that off to you?

I don't mean to make you cry, but I think that I might have to make you one day.

What's the point of getting married in a time like this? If we do, I think we're doomed!

As soon as it's a given and someone gives up and I'd rather not fix what's not fucked up and I like it here. I think I like it here.

Track 8: You need help

Following next is probably the most accessible track on the album. "You need help" is an upbeat track about depression and if feeling like you want to die is really any worse than taking antidepressants and feeling unlike yourself.

The first verse focuses on the common belief that pain leads to great art and Hobo wondering why his depression doesn't make his own art feel personally fulfilling. He then asks if he needs to take antidepressants, which stop him from wanting to die, but also make him lose his sense of self. The chorus is one of the highlights of the album, commenting on how both depression and the chemicals used to "cure" it feel like a life sentence. The second verse puts the listener in the position of a depressed person who can't enjoy a nice day by the lake without wanting to go home, can't work up the motivation to get out of bed, really desperately wants to cry, but can't and is now stuck with that feeling of sadness for the whole day and probably most infamously, is driving and suddenly feels the urge to veer off road and crash into a tree.

I love this song and as stated, it's probably the most popular and accessible song on the whole album with even ardent critics of the album generally enjoying it's upbeat, punk pop-esque instrumental and the legitimately funny lyrics. It's honestly a great time, especially if you're a fellow depressive because it's nice to have an upbeat song you can relate to. I know I recommended the last track, but if you don't want something sad, this is the one track you should definitely listen. It's pretty fun.

Favorite Lyrics:

If this depression doesn't kill me, can it at least make art feel fulfilling? Fuck.

Chemicals or depression? Both really feel like a life sentence.

Yeah, it's like driving your car down the street, you see some tree and some bark and in your mind, you think, "Man! What if?"

Track 9: Song 9 (The Government's Not Great)

This song essentially acts as an overture for the album, referencing other songs on the album like the opener "Anton LaVey", "I want to see the world", "I want you back", and my favorite songs "My therapist" and "Jordans House". It's a trainwreck, but I think in an enjoyable way.

This song mostly focuses on Hobo coming to grips with the fact that he can't solve the world's problems, and likely no one can, that billions and billions of people are probably in a hypothetical hell because of the decisions of their government to go to war, that people don't change their mind because of theoretical arguments, so why should he even try, and that he should rip out the eyes of Twenty One Pilots and 1975 because they're competitors in his market and that would give him an edge commercially.

This song is bad, probably really bad, but I kinda love it. Definitely not a favorite, but man, he's just in the studio having a mental breakdown and it's entertaining. Along with that, the production on this song is probably my favorite of the whole album and the lyrics are pretty enjoyable here. Is the screaming annoying? Yeah, it very much is, but fuck it, it kinda adds to the humor of the song, so I'm almost willing to give it a pass. Not entirely, but somewhat.

Favorite Lyrics:

Ey yo, give me an insurmountable problem and I'll show you real fast, baby, I can't solve them.

Is it wrong to see the world with my imperialist privilege and twinkle in my eye?

Hell is a never-ending pit of great despair? And if you kill, then you go there? What?! What about the wars? And the Crusades? Our government bombing another place? And all those pilots who made them die? Are they drowning in a burning lake of fire?

Find your competitors and rip out their eyes. Twenty One Pilots, 1975, can I open for you guys? And then I'm gonna rip out your eyes!

Every time I read the news, they surely twist the stories. At least they used to (And that's a fact)

Track 10: Outro

This is a musical shitpost and I love it. I appreciate that "Hobo Johnson Alienates His Fanbase" is a real thing, even if a full project being a shitpost is a bit much, I can appreciate the commitment to a bit. Everyone who hates this outro is 100% right in doing so, but man, it just makes me smile.

CONCLUSION:

So, that's "The Revenge of Hobo Johnson". Considered by many, including the internet's busiest music nerd, Anthony Fantano, to be one of the worst albums of the year and here I am, writing around 4000 or so words about why I think it's one of the best. Alright, so let me state that there were numerous times throughout writing this that I considered pulling out of the write ups because of how hated this album is and I kinda wanted to avoid the backlash of having my name, or at least my Reddit username, attached to calling such a hated album good, great even, but here I am, giving my concluding thoughts, so I obviously went through with it. Is this the best album of the year? No shot. "DISCO!" by MIKE, "Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" by Little Simz, "King's Disease 2" by Nas, and probably a lot of other projects kinda wash this one in terms of quality, but to be completely honest, I don't think I could write 4000 words about any of those albums. With the exception of maybe "Tempus" by Issa Gold of the Underachievers, no album this year has connected with me emotionally the way this one did. It felt like it embodied the spirit of how this pandemic felt, similar to how "Anime, Trauma, and Divorce" by Open Mike Eagle did for me last year. Are the vocals bad? Yeah. Is the production mostly kinda shitty? Most definitely. Are the politics extremely ham fisted into this album? You're damn right they are, but for some reason, this bad, awful, terrible album has four of my favorite songs of the year on it and while it may have some songs I dislike, the emotional feeling I get from those songs I love completely overshadows those songs I don't like. Since this album came out over the summer, there's not an album I've listened to more and I think we can all agree that replayability is a great value for any album to have. So, yeah, I'm probably the only person who thinks so, but all that and then some is why I considered "The Revenge of Hobo Johnson" to be one of the best albums of 2021.

QUESTIONS:

Will Hobo's career be able to recover from the negative backlash to this album?

If you're one of the seven people who also enjoyed this album, what was your favorite track and why?

A lot of people who enjoyed one, or both, of Hobo's previous albums generally disliked this one If you fall into that category, what do you think this album was missing?

What direction would you like to see Hobo take on his music moving forward?

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What have you been listening to this week? / Last.fm thread - December 29, 2021

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST

This is the weekly thread to share what you've been listening to recently and/or post 3x3 collages. Make sure to write some shit about what you listened to in order encourage discussion.

To make 3x3s:

Import from Last.fm:

Make yours manually:

Make sure to re-upload your picture on a site like Imgur, otherwise the 3x3 posts change.

submitted by /u/HHHRobot
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Off The Record: Fetty Wap: I Knew I was Falling Off the Day I Woke up and Didn't make $100k that Day

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 07:20 AM PST

LL Cool J Tests Positive For Covid; Cancels Performance On ‘Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest’

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 01:45 PM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 12/29/2021

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 09:56 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

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.

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 these out:

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50 Cent - Tryna Fuck Me Over (ft. Post Malone)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 03:40 PM PST

Blood Orange - Gold Teeth (feat. Project Pat, Gangsta Boo & Tinashe)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 09:32 AM PST

New Documentary On Brazilian Grime Scene To Be Released Next Year

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 10:35 PM PST

Benny the Butcher - War Paint Ft. Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine (Prod. by Hit-Boy)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 03:46 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead (15 Years Later)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 11:01 AM PST

Nas' eighth studio album continues the run of good albums of Stillmatic and God's Son.

Its sometimes ridiculed because of its title, often cited to make fun of old head mentality. Indeed, listening to the title track, nestled between Carry On Tradition, Where Are They Now and Who Killed It? it is clear that he critizises the status quo.

However, in the later acapella track Hope he says

Because if you asking: "Why is Hip Hop dead?"

It's a pretty good chance, you the reason it died, man

It's a pretty good, chance your lame ass, corny ass

Is the reason it died, man

which somehow puts an end to the discussion and is also a sign that everything that needed to be said about the topic has been said in the last 60 minutes. These didn't only contain lamenting rhetoric but also a few examples of how it could be done better.

The cold storytelling of Blunt Ashes and Hold Down The Block is prime Nas material. The album also provides some hard boom bap beats in Money Over Everything and the feud-ending Black Republican with Jay-Z.

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A$AP Rocky - "Wassup" (Official Video)

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 02:30 AM PST

[FRESH] Nas - Ugly

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 08:10 AM PST

Ransom x Rome Streetz Ft. The Game - Pray For The Weak (Lyric Video)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 10:12 PM PST

Raf-Saperra - G'lassy Riddim (OFFICIAL VIDEO) Punjabi Hip Hop

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 02:36 AM PST

Skepta - Numbers (feat. Pharrell Williams)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 08:47 AM PST

“It Was All About Being Fearless.” Clams Casino on 10 years of A$AP Rocky's LIVE.LOVE.A$AP

Posted: 28 Dec 2021 05:36 PM PST

A$AP Ferg ft A$AP Rocky, Young Thug, Tyler the Creator, Schoolboy Q, TM88 & Gunna Live at Woo Hah! 2016

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 05:04 AM PST

Grime, drill, funk y futebol: In-depth long-read on the Brazilian grime scene

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 11:26 PM PST

[FRESH] Conway The Machine ft. 2 Chainz - TRU Bethel

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 02:05 AM PST

[FRESH] Rikki Blu - Lost Onez

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 12:20 AM PST

Geto boys - Fuck a war

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 09:14 AM PST

Freddie Gibbs @ Power 106 (LA Leakers)

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 12:33 PM PST

PHAROAHE MONCH "DESIRE" (official video)

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 03:03 AM PST

Raf-Saperra - Snake Charmer (prod. Sukshinder Shinda) (Official Video)

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 02:35 AM PST

Dr Dre Pays Nicole Young $100 Million in Divorce Settlement

Posted: 28 Dec 2021 03:11 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Panjabi MC - Barood Ft. Raf-Saperra

Posted: 30 Dec 2021 02:32 AM PST

[FRESH MIXTAPE] 26coop & Loe Shimmy - 26 TALIBAN

Posted: 29 Dec 2021 08:05 PM PST
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Album of the Year #12: Las Ninyas Del Corro - Onna Bugeisha - HipHop

Album of the Year #12: Las Ninyas Del Corro - Onna Bugeisha - HipHop

Album of the Year #12: Las Ninyas Del Corro - Onna Bugeisha

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 04:52 AM PST

Artist: Las Ninyas Del Corro

Album: Onna Bugeisha

Release Date: November 19

Listen

Apple

Youtube

Spotify

Deezer

Amazon Music

Tidal

Artist Background

Las Ninyas Del Corro (or Girls of the Ring in English) is a rap duo consisting of two Spanish women, Felina Vallejo amd Laura Bonsai. They both met in 2015 at rap battles that were held on the streets of Barcelona. During this time, the two found that they were often the only women participating in these street battles/cyphers and decided to form a duo. They bonded over their love of 90s hip hop and gravitated towards that style in making their own music. While at first rapping was a side hobby, it was not until the death of Madrid rapper Gata Cattana in 2017 who was one of their biggest influences, that the duo decided to get serious and pursue music as a career. On Gata Cattana;s influence, Laura said "Rap is a world of men, but she left a legacy to all of us so that we are not afraid and we can say why not?"

In an interview Felinna reflects on those times when they were rapping in the streets of Barcelona and said she hated when she would show up and other guys' assumptions would be that she was dating someone who was rapping or was trying to get with someone there, and getting the "Who'd you come here with?" line.

Their earliest work dates back to 2017, with the group releasing a song titled "Intro" on their youtube channel, following up with a handful of songs named after Sailor Moon characters. One thing I thought was pretty cool to note was that their song "Mercury" featured the instrumental to Necro's "Beautiful Music For You To Die To" with a slight variation.

Next up was their first single "Letra Llegada", and the group stayed quiet for another year before dropping their next single "Salsa2". This is actually the song that put me and a couple of other people on as it had randomly popped up in a YouTube recommended one day and a lot of the comments on that video reference being there from the recommended tab. Las Ninyas continued to drop singles and work with other artists from Spain, frequenting collaborating with the all women rap collective FREE SIS MAFIA. It was not until earlier this year when the group dropped their first project, an EP titled #Skit2020 that featured some of their earlier singles. Before Onna Bugeisha dropped, the duo got to take part in one of the most ambitious collaborations to come out of Spain when they were invited to take part in the posse cut Rap Sin Corte 50, hosted by Foyone and featuring 17 rappers and one singer, from various regions and styles. I posted both their verses below.

Quick Listening Note

Now when I listen to a group for the first time, I often have trouble with differentiating one artist from the other off the bat, and I know others might feel the same so I thought I'd through in a mini reference on here using their cypher verses so I can save you the guess work and you can tell which is which on the album

This is Laura Bonsai (Fun fact, Laura Bonsai was born on the same day Tupac was killed, which she references in this verse)

This is Felinna Vallejo

Thought it was important to make that distinction to help you guys familiarize yourselves with their voices and how each one compliments the other.

Review

(Note: I will do my best to translate some of the Spanish lyrics into English, though it won't be perfect, I will make sure I get the point across) The title not only serves as reflection of the Japanese aesthetic for the album, but also a reflection of Las Ninyas growing up and gravitating towards a male dominated world in hip hop, as they explain that they felt a connection to the idea of Onna Bugeisha, the woman warrior. One who fought alongside men instead of conforming to gender duties of being a housewife.

The album starts with an intro featuring Japanese dialogue before kicking off with a great opening verse from Felinna, who draws references to peace, death and the afterlife.

Hoy me siento Psique, Antonio Canova (Ah)

Reanimada por el neo-soul the Ocean (Frank)

Laura Bonsai follows it up with her verse that builds on the Japanese aesthetics and themes of the album, making references to Amatsu Tatara and Sasuke from Naruto losing his arm.

On L.N.D.C., the apparent influence on 90s hip hop is apparent within the first few seconds as it opens with a sample from Big Daddy Kane's "I Ain't No Joke", and the callbacks to that era don't end there, as the instrumental briefly cuts to "Shook Ones Part II", and Felina continues, referencing U-God, Prodigy's song "Keep It Thoro", and Bigge. On top of that the duo interpolates "C.R.E.A.M". at the end of the song. This one is easily my favorite song on the album as both the production by Yeke Boy and Las Ninyas vocals sound like it came straight out of the 90s.

Thought they don't sing a lot on this album or in general, Las Ninyas Del Corro treats listeners to their singing on Santorini, both of them singing in English, with Felinna singing the intro and Laura the outro, with their verses sandwiched in between. Thought it was neat to structure it in that way, especially with the contrast in both flow and language in verse vs. intro/outro Following that is "Mediterraneo", which samples Prodigy's "Throw Me on a Havoc beat" line from Uncut Raw, which seems fitting since the beat sounds like Esse Delgado wanting to channel Havoc when he made this, and I think he did a pretty good job of doing that.

After an instrumental interlude, the album takes us to its title track, "Onna Bugiesha", which released as an animated music video. This song continues the theme of Onna Bugeisha by painting a portrait of the calm before a battle, while also Las Ninyas also it in the context of the streets of Spain through their choice of words.

Next up on "Perdon De Dios" is my favorite feature on the album, from Moneo, who also made an appearance on Rap Sin Corte 50, and was the lone singer featured on the posse cut, which is cool because his folk singing style makes for a unique blend on a hip hop song. "Tomeo Gozen" features more of a 90s west coast style beat, courtesy of producer Tensei One. This one features a chorus in which Laura and Felinna trade bars, which I wish they did more of on this album, because they pull it off so well here.

"La Fallite" has Las Ninyas Del Corro speak of topics regarding interpersonal relationships, I included a passage from the song in the favorite lyrics tabs so users can get a sense of what they're saying, but the song plays on themes of being vulnerability and communication the idea of whether each person is putting in the work for the right reasons, as the chorus tells the listeners, "For me or for you? Is it for you or for me? Tell me" "For My People" features an extended verse from Laura's Rap Sin Corte feature with features from Jon Manhattan and Cristo Romero of rap group Giada Longo. Next up is the song "Sassy", the best flows from the duo on the album over what sounds like a flipped sample of C-Bo's 357. Laura's verse is especially great

Lastly the album closes out with "Temple", which I thought was the perfect closing song. It's hard to put into words, but the multi-part beat combined with Laura's crescendo into aggressive delivery and Felinna's lax flow made for that feeling of closure. Duku from Free Sis Mafia also makes an appearance in the second verse and sings the chorus in unison with Laura and Felinna.

In short, this album is my favorite to come out this year for a number of reasons. This is one of the first groups that I got to see grow early on before their debut, and they delivered with this one. This album in particular brought me back to when I was just learning about 90s hip hop and listening to this gave me the same feelings of listening to duos like Black Sheep, Showbiz & AG, Capone-N-Noreaga and Ghostface and Raekwon for the first time. Las Ninyas Del Corro fit into the style with ease as if they grew up in it, and their love of classic hip hop that I've seen from them in interviews and social media reflects in their music.

Favorite Lyrics:

Sudor y lagrimas son enseñanzas

Mis geishas son kunoichi disfrazadas – Laura Bonsai on Dharma

Translation:

Sweat and tears are teachings, my geishas are ninjas in disguise

El exceso caprichoso supliendo faltas de gusto

En la puerta de las Casas Bajas rezaba un rosario

Pa' los que nacen sin futuro

La fe mantiene atento a los que viven esperando

Y yo, dеsde la plaza estudiando el campo dе juego – Felinna Vallejo on Onna Bugiesha

Translation:

Capricious in excess, supplying lack of pleasure

At the door of the bottom houses, prayed on a rosary

For those born without a future

Faith maintains focus for those that live waiting

And I studied the field of play from the square

El pibe tenĂ­a rasgos que eran como de otro country

Quiso enseñarme sus armas, joven Mitsurugi – Laura Bonsai on Perdon De Dios

Translation:

The kid had traits that seemed of another country

He wanted to show me his weapons, young Misturugi

Red wine and dirty dishes, skinny bitches issues

Te dije que hoy cambiarĂ­a la trama y still en crisis

Betta 'u don't fuck wiz me, yo!

Felinna Vallejo a.k.a No Free Therapy – Felinna on Tomoe Gozen

No puedo entrar en ti si las paredes son opacas

Si pregunto y escapas

Lo peor de la depresiĂ³n es su resaca

Si una cosa funciona, déjala tranquila como estaba

¿Pa' quĂ© tocas si to' iba bien?

Intento estar arriba, pero no siempre se estĂ¡ al cien - Laura on La Fallite

Translation:

I can't enter you, if your walls are opaque

If I ask and you escape

The worst part of depression is the hangover

If something works, leave it how it is

Why touch it, it was going good

I Intend to be up, but not always at 100

Questions:

Favorite references/samples on this album?

With the group's adoption of 90's boom bap in mind, is there other examples of artists adopting the sound of both a different country and decade that is not their own?

Where do you see this group's ceiling, is there potential for crossover appeal? Will they gain prominence enough to be featured on such series as Tinydesk or Colors as other international artists like Santa Salut and Nicki Nicole have done?

submitted by /u/CaptainGordan
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Wiki - Grim (feat. Lil Ugly Mane & Denzel Curry)

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 02:00 PM PST

Brand Nubian legend Sadat X is now working a 9-5

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 05:50 AM PST

Per his IG, Sadat X is now living in North Carolina, working in the medical field.

https://instagram.com/sadatxwildcowboy

Nothing but respect for a working person and even more so for this Hip Hop legend for what he has contributed over the years, but I can't help but feel sad to see his posts about getting up early and clocking in for work. He commented that rap don't always pay the mortgage. Brand Nubian was one of the most influential groups of all time. They were international superstars. I wish someone would help Sadat out with a better gig.

submitted by /u/CPSux
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[FRESH] Pooh Shiesty - Federal Contraband (freestyle)

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:40 PM PST

Madonna Calls Out Tory Lanez for ‘Illegal Usage’ of ‘Into the Groove’

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 05:34 PM PST

Divine Council - P. Sherman (PS42WW$)

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 05:25 PM PST

The Alchemist - Rookies of the Future (feat. Riff-Raff & Action Bronson)

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 03:40 PM PST

Boston rapper Token is dropping "PINK IS BETTER" album on 1/14 – features Rico Nasty, Benny the Butcher, JID, Lil Skies, Digital Nas + more

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 09:04 AM PST

Westside Boogie Talks NEW Album, Mental Health, Relationship w/ Eminem ...

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 02:09 PM PST

Doja Cat says she wants to make a double-album with one side strictly hip-hop

Posted: 26 Dec 2021 08:18 PM PST

Aesop Rock - The Gates

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 10:08 AM PST

Nas - The Truth

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:21 PM PST

Yeat - Monëy so big

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 07:18 AM PST

Killer Mike's Barbershop Vandalized with Graffiti

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 11:19 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Pink Siifu - Gumbo'! 4 tha Folks, Hold On (feat. Big Rube, Liv.e, Nick Hakim, VCR) [prod. DJ Harrison]

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 07:09 AM PST

[DISCUSSION] Common – The Dreamer/The Believer (10 Years Later)

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST

When Common dropped the single Ghetto Dreams in July 2011, his fans were expecting another late-career classic by the Chicago MC. The later singles, Blue Sky, Sweet and Celebrate (for some reason no videos of this album are available on youtube, so these are dailymotion and vimeo links) didn't make much noise so expectations settled to a solid veteran album, which it ultimately was. Produced exclusively by No ID and featuring James Fauntleroy on 7/12 tracks, we get rich and opulent sounds for the most part.

Highlights being The Believer with a standout John Legend performance and tracks Gold and Windows which are very good songwriting.

Common did a whole commentary series on each track of the album which goes into more detail.

submitted by /u/flyestshit
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Juelz Santana - Shottas

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 07:09 PM PST

Chief Keef - Whatchamacallit

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 05:23 PM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 12/27/2021

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 08:46 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

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.

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 these out:

submitted by /u/HHHRobot
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Isaiah Rashad - Dirty Sanchez

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 08:12 PM PST

The Cool Kids - Connect Four

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 02:22 PM PST

Salt-N-Pepa - None Of Your Business

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 03:58 PM PST

Top 50 Chicago Projects of 2021

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 10:41 AM PST

38 Spesh & Benny the Butcher - Intro

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:20 PM PST

City Morgue - So What

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 12:34 PM PST

2000 MTV Clip of Memphis Bleek vs Nas

Posted: 27 Dec 2021 03:32 PM PST
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