Pages

Album of the Year #22: Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B - HipHop

Album of the Year #22: Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B - HipHop

Album of the Year #22: Westside Gunn - Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 07:28 AM PST

Artist: Westside Gunn

Album: Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B

Listen:

Apple Music

Spotify

TIDAL

YouTube

Background by u/LthePerry02

Westside Gunn, born Alvin Lamar Worthy, is someone who's impact really speaks for itself. Along with his brother Conway The Machine and their cousin Benny The Butcher, the three are the fundamental artists of Griselda Records. Each boast their own unique style and influences, and along with their in-house producer Daringer, the three and their label have helped fund a revitalization of dirty and grimy street raps. Perhaps you've noticed one of your favourite rappers going harder on the pure spitting lately. Perhaps you've seen more rap veterans returning to the game as of late. The impact of Griselda is something that will likely continue to expand, and influence the sound of the rap game for years to come.

Westside Gunn has put out more projects than most over the past few years, but the Hitler Wears Hermes series are what arguably define him best. Aiming to combine grime and street life with luxury and class, the Hitler tapes have consistently remained just that. Soulful yet grimy. Beautiful yet violent. Keep in mind, Gunn has stated that he's never set out to be the best on the mic like Conway or Benny. Rather, he aims to curate, bringing in wide amounts of features both mainstream and underground, and sets out to create a new vibe with each project.

Let's bring it back to the burgeoning popularity of Westside Gunn and his label. Just this year, Gunn and Conway made a showing on Kanye's DONDA, with Gunn even making an appearance at the third and final of Ye's now iconic listening events. Gunn also linked up with Travis Scott for a heavily teased song, "LOST FOREVER", the release of which is very much in the air right now. Tyler The Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost was just nominated for a Grammy, and Tyler has gone on record to say that Gunn was a massive influence on the record, inspiring him to go back to his rapping roots. This past year, Gunn has made big moves within his own label, signing new artists such as Jay Worthy and Rome Streetz. He also made amends with Mach-Hommy after a few years of tense silence between the two, and executive produced Mach's Pray For Haiti, a stunning and triumphant body of work that acted as Mach's return to Griselda Records. With this continually growing popularity, the "Hitler" series was somewhat of an elephant in the room. As Gunn stated, he knew he couldn't continue with the much questioned title, and needed to finally bring the HWH series to an end.

Which brings us to Hitler Wears Hermes 8, alternatively titled Sincerely, Adolf. Having an immensely prolific year in 2020, Westside took an entire year off after his Shady Records debut, WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE, a project that was met with relatively lukewarm reviews, especially fan wise. It got people thinking, would West come through with a more fleshed out product as a result?

Indeed, Westside Gunn made the pretty unexpected announcement that HWH8 would be a double album, initially slated for an 8/20 release. The rollout was certainly a peculiar one. Gunn missed the 8/20 date on account of him wanting to record more songs, which rather upset many fans. Cue a week later, and rather than the full double LP, we are given what Gunn branded as "Side A", the first half of the entire project. The first half was met with positive reviews, though some were taken aback by the abundance of features and the small variety of producers. Later that week, Gunn would hop on Bars-I-95 and explain that the B-Side would not only be much longer, but way better than Side A.

Slated for 9/3, and then pushed to 9/10, Gunn revealed that a featured artist wanted in on Side B, and delayed it once again because of that. After yet another week, West took to socials to reveal the feature and producer lists, immediately indicating something much larger than Side A, boasting much bigger names all around. A week goes by, and Side B finally drops. Even compared to the first instalment, Side B was met with very heavy acclaim, generally agreed as being superior to Side A. It was a messy rollout without a doubt, but the payoff made things all the worthwhile.

Review by u/LthePerry02

It's important to remember that this is the second half of a whole 33 track long album, originally meant to drop in tandem with Side A and meant to be listed to as such. It was recorded at the same time, and as such, one wouldn't necessarily expect many differences between the two sides, but I feel there are several, intentional or not. Side B is definitely a more fleshed out collection of tracks, with a considerably larger variety in sounds and beats. Some of the most progressive production on any Gunn project can be found here, and the songs generally feel more "complete". This can of course, be attributed to the huge producer and feature lineup, including legends on the boards like Madlib, Alchemist, and DJ Green Lantern, as well as ones on the mic like AZ and 2 Chainz. I'm not exactly here to compare the two sides though, so that's not how I'll review this.

In a similar fashion to its A-Side, the record comes out of the gate with two intro tracks. The first, a brief instrumental introlude, named after the late Mr. Brodie Lee, who passed away in late 2020. It's dark and intense, even despite its short run, and acts as a sinister tone setter. Following this however, is the show stoppingly gorgeous "End How You Start"". This track boasts yet another sagely appearance from AA Rashid, but it's truly King JVYB who makes this one special, bringing some of the most beautiful and wistful production across the entire two sides. Listening to the double LP front to back, this is a moment that really establishes the "finale" of it all. It's triumphant, blissful, and assuring all at once, and Westside Gunn himself hasn't even had to speak a single word yet.

Given how dramatic of a prelude the records been given, it's only fitting that a true all-timer be the first real song, the monstrous "Hell On Earth 2". Assembling the classic trifecta of West, Benny, and Conway, the three go ballistic with no breaks in between, featuring some of the three's best verses in a while. Produced by up and comer Sovren, the beat is a very noticeable switch up in the Hitler 8 tracklist, featuring some of the most energetic and progressive production on any WSG song, laced with eerie vocal chants and neck breaking snares. As the title would give away, there is indeed a palpable Havoc influence on the beat. It's an immediate difference from the loop centric beats on Side A.

"Free Kutter" is a jazzy and inspirational ode dedicated to a close friend of West and Conway's who was locked up in late 2020. With Vine kid-turned-beatmaker Jay Versace on the boards, the beat is sunny and bouncy, definitely some of Versace's most impressive work thus far. A Jay of another moniker is on here as well, the elusive and occasionally controversial Jay Electronica. Holding a very strong argument for Elec's best guest verse of the year, he comes through with among the most memorable bars on the album, throwing in some witty in-house references to the Griselda team. It truly feels like a real and earnest collab between two rappers you never knew you needed to hear together.

One of the undeniable standouts has got to be "Celine Dion". Featuring an underground all-star lineup, it's exactly what I'd show someone as an example of Gunn's immaculate curation skills. The song opens with a luxurious and warm loop from Denny Laflare laced with cinematic strings and a very dirty bassline. It's the type of beat you'd imagine Tek and Steele murking back in '95. Heem of Benny's B$F label slides in with an effortlessly slick verse, featuring some very brutal depictions of street life and gang mentality. However, this smooth cypher-esque tune only turns out to be the first slice of what's to come in this song. Following an audio clip of a classic Jerry Lawler promo, a second beat crashes through, one of the most ghoulish beats I've heard in a while. Featuring twinkly keys, whistling chants and absolutely decimating bass, Gunn pops through again to provide a surprisingly catchy chorus bit while Flee Lord delivers an absolutely vile guest verse, probably my favourite on the entire album. If any beat was made for a specific rapper to murder, it's Flee Delgado on here. This entire song effortlessly shows off everything Westside Gunn does perfectly, and I think it's one of his most defining songs to date.

Things don't bother to slow down with the bombastic "Forest Lawn". With both hook and verse, Gunn delivers one of his most unhinged and wild performances ever here. Featuring hilarious bar after adlib after vocal inflection, he manages to slide in some of the sickest flows I've ever heard from him, riding the beat like a titan. Continuing the stretch of his Griselda collabs, 2 Chainz hops on with Gunn for the first time, outdoing his joints with Benny and Conway by a mile in my opinion. Griselda's first lady Armani Caesar goes third, with slick bars about high fashion and pimp talk that I've come to seriously dig her for.

"RIP Bergdorf" is an understated yet effortlessly suave moment on the album, with the unmissable duo of Mach-Hommy and Nicholas Craven showing up. Even with Craven's smooth and dusky vocal sample chops flowing over each other like butter, it's really West and Mach's chemistry here that steals the show, resulting in one of the most laser-focused tracks here. The two bounce back and forth, with countless references to designers and clothing. What's there to go wrong?

Nearing the closing of the record, things take a turn of direction, going into surprisingly introspective territory for Gunn. "Munch" is perhaps my favourite track here. Conductor Williams yet again blew my mind here, with an absolutely stunning and surreal soundscape featuring string and choir chops, while still throwing his signature warbled distortion into the mix. It sounds like a disjointed memory, like thinking back to Christmas when you were a kid. Gunn sounds honest and very humanized over it, bringing up locked up friends and the late MF DOOM. Tiona D delivers some beautiful vocal harmonies towards the backend, and Conductor's tag attempting to shout its way through his production gives me chills every single time. "99 Avirex" is an earnest spot as well, with Stove God Cooks making his seventh and final appearance across both sides on the chorus. It's possibly one of the best hooks of the year, being extremely enigmatic, yet honest and meaningful. AZ hasn't lost a step either, delivering a thoughtful verse with some very potent rhymes.

"Big AL" is a melancholic survivor's guilt tale, featuring understated boom-bap drums and a weepy piano loop from Denny Laflare. Rome Streetz discusses how far he's come with rapping, and the sacrifices he's made to achieve such heights. Gunn reflects upon family and friends that he's lost lately, wishing that no one listening has to endure the challenges he's experienced in life. It's a beautiful and somber close to the record, certainly different than what would usually close out a Gunn album. It's just one of many things that I think separates HWH8 Side B from his discography, truly making it a standout.

Now, I will address a few qualms I have, though they are very much scarce. Gunn and Tyler certainly show out on "The Fly Who Couldn't Fly Straight", but I think this track really disrupts the introspective momentum that begins with "Munch". It should've been placed elsewhere on the record. I was very excited to see Madlib here, but I honestly think it's one of his weakest showings in years, using an already well-known sample that's quite obscured by some poor mixing and annoying dialogue samples. "Survivor Series 95" has one of my favourite beats here, and Larry June has one of my favourite features, but I don't particularly think TF and Jay Worthy were that entertaining, especially Worthy in how long his verse was. I'll usually skip straight from Gunn's part to Larry's.

However, these are all minuscule issues I have with what I'd consider my favourite Westside Gunn project to date. I think more than any work before, this project blends grit and luxury the best, with more finessed rapping and even more cinematic production to enhance that. It's very evident in the rapping, the production, and the overall experience that Gunn took his time with this one to make it special and a fitting ending to the Hitler Wears Hermes series, well deserving of the "finale" title.

Favourite Bars by u/LthePerry02

>>Heard he got max in the supermax, word is I'm diesel like Luger, turned one to three and yelled "hallelujah!" - "Hell On Earth, Pt. 2"

>>"Fly fashion rebels fucking on your fiancé, living fast for the funds, did stickups with Andre" - Rome Streetz on "Eddie Kingston"

>>"Jay Elec-griselda done finally entered the chat, with that "skrrt, doot doot doot doot" all over the track" - Jay Electronica on "Free Kutter"

>>"Told my mama that I loved her, loading up my rifle" - Heem on "Celine Dion"

>>"Cloe was watching outside with the window agape, creaming, she made Thierry spray Angel on semen" - Mach-Hommy on "RIP Bergdorf"

>>"Imma buy guns for you suckers, imma buy more Johnny Dang, 200 rounds, watch that thing hang" - Forest Lawn

>>"They love my album like I died" - Stove God Cook$ on Ostertag

>>"Why God so precise with firearms? Now you lying dying in your baby mama arms" - Why I Do Em Like That

>>"I blew the tires out then hopped out like leapfrog" - Tyler, The Creator on "The Fly Who Couldn't Fly Straight"

Discussion Points

Where does Side B rank for you in the Hitler Wears Hermes series?

Do you think the project served as a worthy conclusion to such a long running series? Is a ninth instalment due?

Would you have preferred the entire 33 track project dropping altogether? Or do you think Westside Gunn made the right move in the end by splitting it up?

Which feature was your favourite? Did you think anyone underperformed?

Who would you like to see Westside Gunn executive produce for in the future?

submitted by /u/LthePerry02
[link] [comments]

Young Thug is currently on IG live in a dispute with the pilots and/or flight attendants of a private jet

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 12:07 PM PST

Here's what I can tell:

Young Thug, Gunna, and Toosie booked a private plane to NY for a show

A flight attendant claimed that one of them disrespected her

It is unclear what happened, Young Thug claims that none of the artists know who is at fault or what they did to disrespect her

The pilots made the decision to ground the plane

Young Thug may miss concert, claims to have booked a new flight.

Thug accused many of the airline staff of racism

Thug read out his phone number on IG live lmaooo

Can someone please tell me wtf the 🅿️ emoji means?

Drake in the chat telling Thug that they can take a new plane

Live is muted, probably because he leaked his own phone number

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

Eminem in 1992

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 08:16 AM PST

[FRESH] Anderson .Paak, Elmo, and Cookie Monster - What Is a Holiday

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 07:05 AM PST

Donda 2 confirmed via text exchange between Kanye and MoneyBaggYo

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 05:57 PM PST

Donda 2 confirmed. (Text exchange between @kanyewest and @MoneyBaggYo)

Source: https://twitter.com/TIDAL/status/1481347311762657280

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

[FRESH VIDEO] Gunna, Future, Young Thug - pushin P

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 12:23 PM PST

Kodak Black appears to be enjoying the Panthers/Canucks game

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 07:18 PM PST

[FRESH] - Cordae Spazzes Over Kodak Black's "Super Gremlin", Biggie's "Kick In The...

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 12:04 PM PST

Kid Cudi to star in upcoming A24 film, “X,” out March 22nd.

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 07:04 AM PST

Saba announces new single “Come My Way” featuring Krayzie Bone (from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) dropping tomorrow at 8 pm CST

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 05:17 PM PST

Coachella announces 2022 lineup with headliner Kanye West and including performances by Lil Baby, Big Sean, Baby Keem, Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Doja Cat, and more

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 07:23 PM PST

April 15-17, 2022
April 22-24, 2022
Coachella, CA, USA

Headliners: Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West)
Full lineup: IMGUR | Coachella Tweet

Friday performers include:
Lil Baby, Daniel Caesar, Big Sean, Baby Keem, Snoh Aalegra, City Girls, Pink Sweat$, Cordae, BadBadNotGood, slowthai, Princess Nokia

Saturday performers include:
Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Giveon, Brockhampton, Rich Brian, Isaiah Rashad, 100 gecs, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib (joint set), Masego

Sunday performers include:
Kanye West (headliner), Doja Cat, Run the Jewels, Ari Lennox, JID, Jessie Reyez, Denzel Curry, Vince Staples, Belly, Dave, Maxo Kream, Channel Tres, Griselda

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

Jay-Z Calls Out Feds for Holding Inmate Over Leftover Chicken

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 06:56 AM PST

Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin’ feat. Jill Scott

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 12:20 PM PST

Method Man & Redman - Da Rockwilder

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 04:59 PM PST

[FRESH] Duke Deuce - I Ain’t Worried Bout It

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 02:13 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] KayCyy - Stay Up (feat. Lancey Foux)

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 09:00 AM PST

The Weeknd - Dawn F.M ALBUM REVIEW

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 08:59 PM PST

Kanye West Planning Russia Trip to Meet Putin and Perform Sunday Service

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 09:37 AM PST

[FRESH] SpaceGhostPurrp - JACK HARLOW & PETE DAVIDSON PUSSY AS FUCK IMA ERASE BOTH OF DEM

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 03:01 PM PST

Youngboy Never Broke Again announces first solo project since his release from jail, “Colors” releasing this Friday

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 02:41 AM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 01/12/2022

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 06:33 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:

This Friday's Releases

  • NBA Youngboy - Magic [Trap, Baton Rogue, Never Broke Again / Atlantic]
  • FKA Twigs - CAPRISONGS (featuring The Weeknd, Pa Salieu, Shygirl, Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith, Unknown T + more) [Alt-R&B, Pop, UK, Young]
  • Cordae - From a Bird's Eye View (featuring Eminem, Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, Nas, Lil Durk, Roddy Ricch, Gunna, Freddie Gibbs & H.E.R.) [Pop Rap, Atlantic]
  • Paper Route EMPIRE - Long Live Dolph [Memphis Trap, Label Compilation, Paper Route / EMPIRE]
  • Bonobo - Fragments (featuring Jamila Woods, Joji, Kadja Bonet, Jordan Rakei, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson & O'Flynn) [Downtempo, Ninja Tune]
  • Earl Sweatshirt - Sick! (featuring Armand Hammer + more) [Lo-Fi Hip Hop, Tan Cressida / Warner]
  • Token - PINK IS BETTER (featuring Rico Nasty, Benny the Butcher, JID, Lil Skies, Digital Nas + more) [YouTube Rapper, Boston, Never Too Different / Atlantic]
  • ​mol$ - misoland [Rap, Los Angeles, Indie]
  • DigDat - Pain Built [UK Rap, Sony]
  • Snowgoons - Renaissance Kings (featuring Cappadonna, Bronze Nazareth, t. Napoleon da Legend, Reef the Lost Cauze, Nems, Sean Price, Ty Farris, Rasheed Chappell, Ransom + more) [Boom Bap, Producer Album, Goon MuSick]
  • Moha MMZ - EUPHORIA [French Hip Hop, Sprt Zoo]

Full Calendar

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

[FRESH] 50 Cent - Power Power Respect (feat. Lil Durk & Jeremih) | Power Book IV: Force Theme Song

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 06:57 AM PST

Both of Young Dolphs killers in custody

Posted: 11 Jan 2022 04:10 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] Future - Astronaut Status (10 Years Later)

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 06:04 AM PST

Astronaut Status is the ninth mixtape by American rapper Future. It was released on January 12, 2012.[1] The album features guest appearances from rappers Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Ludacris and Rocko.[2] Future previously stated Streetz Calling would be his last mixtape, before his debut full-length album Pluto, but instead released Astronaut Status in 2012, making it his last official mixtape.[1][3] "Itchin'" peaked at #2 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Since the release of Astronaut Status, it has been downloaded over 250k times on DatPiff, certifying it platinum. Astronaut Status also charted at #50 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart.

Pitchfork's Jordan Sargent called Astronaut Status "Future's strongest, most listenable mixtape yet ... [though] in the murky waters of pop-rap hitmaking, it's hard to tell if anything on Astronaut Status stands up to the songs that helped Future ascend to this status in the first place."[4] Adam Fleischer of XXL wrote that "Future often relies on his materialistic musings to carry Astronaut Status", and his attempts to stray from that formula are inconsistent. Fleischer added: "It's apparent that Future knows the components of a catchy street chant, it's just a matter of whether or not he can deliver every time."[5] The mixtape ranked 13th on Stereogum's list of the top 40 rap albums of 2012. Tom Breihan said the mixtape contains "some of rap's catchiest mantras of the year."[6]

Pitchfork Review (7.1)

XXL Review

Tracklist:

  1. Abu Intro (Turn Up)
  2. Future Back
  3. Space Cadets
  4. Birds Take a Bath (featuring Young Jeezy and Young Scooter)
  5. Nunbout (featuring Cooley)
  6. Swap It Out
  7. Jordan Diddy (Interlude)
  8. Jordan Diddy (featuring Gucci Mane)
  9. Blow (featuring Ludacris and Rocko)
  10. Deeper Than the Ocean
  11. My Ho 2
  12. Best 2 Shine
  13. Never Seen These (Skit)
  14. Never Seen These
  15. Shopping Spree
  16. Transform
  17. Rider (featuring Tasha Catour)
  18. Spaz On Y'All
  19. Abu Outro (Astronaut Status)
  20. Itchin' (Bonus track)
  21. No Matter What" (Bonus track)

Some discussion questions:
- Where do you rank this in Future's discography?
- Do you think this properly showcased Future's uniqueness and versatility?
- Was this a good preparation for Pluto?
- Where would you rank it in the best projects of 2012 (if at all)?
- Favorite tracks and features?
- Favorite beat?

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

Future - Dirty Sprite

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 08:57 AM PST

LNDN DRGS, A$AP Yams, G Perico, & Earl Swavey - Uza Trikk [RIP EARL SWAVEY]

Posted: 12 Jan 2022 10:58 AM PST
at

The Weeknd announces Dawn FM is part of a trilogy. - HipHop

The Weeknd announces Dawn FM is part of a trilogy. - HipHop

The Weeknd announces Dawn FM is part of a trilogy.

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 11:29 AM PST

i wonder… did you know you're experiencing a new trilogy?

Source:

https://twitter.com/theweeknd/status/1480621201605083139?s=21

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

JID releasing single 'Surround Sound' featuring 21 Savage and Baby Tate friday, 1/14.

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:58 PM PST

Check his Instagram, just announced.

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

Cordae announces tracklist for “From A Bird’s Eye View”

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 12:20 PM PST

Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/cordae/p/CYj_KghFSgE/?utm_medium=copy_link

Tracks are the following:

  1. Shiloh's Intro
  2. Jean Michel
  3. Super
  4. Momma's Hood
  5. Want From Me
  6. Today Ft. Gunna
  7. Shiloh's Interlude
  8. Coach Carter
  9. Sinister Ft. Lil Wayne
  10. Chronicles Ft. Her and Lil Durk
  11. Champagne Glasses Ft. Freddie Gibbs, Nas, and Stevie Wonder (this song sounds crazy)
  12. Westlake High
  13. Parables (Remix) Ft. Eminem
  14. Gifted Ft. Roddy Rich (Bonus)
submitted by /u/MacabreMiasma
[link] [comments]

Kanye West Doc to Hit Theaters Nationwide Ahead of Netflix Release

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:10 AM PST

Mos Def classic freestyle

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 11:27 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Kanye West - Heaven and Hell

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:15 PM PST

New Joey Bada$$ music dropping 14/1, called "The Rev3nge"

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 01:46 AM PST

[FRESH] BabyTron - Prince Of The Mitten

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 06:33 AM PST

New PAPER ROUTE Young Dolph Tribute Album Announced, Out Next Week

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 10:55 AM PST

2Pac - Runnin From The Police (Original Version) Ft. The Notorious B.i.g, Outlawz, Strech & Buju Banton [Prod. Easy Mo Bee]

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 09:58 AM PST

R&B Artist Spotlight: Janelle Monáe

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 06:04 AM PST

Spotify
Apple Music
Instagram
Youtube Channel

Music Style: Genre Bending Art Pop and Progressive Soul incorporating Funk, Jazz, Psychedelic Soul, Neo Soul, Rock, and Hip-Hop with an Afrofuturistic blend.

​

Janelle Monáe is someone who artistry cannot be put in a box. Her music encompasses a multitude of genres. She's used orchestral music (March of the Wolfmasters, Sincerely Jane), Funk (Lettin Go, Q.U.E.E.N., Make Me Feel), Disco (Locked Inside, Take a Byte), Art Pop (Cold War, Faster, Look into my Eyes, Violet Stars Happy Hunting), Baroque Pop (Say You'll Go, Sir Greenwood), Rock (Come Alive (War of the Roses), Mushroom & Roses, Givin' Em What they Want), Folk (57821, Oh Maker), and Jazz (BabopbyeYa, Tightrope). However, most of her songs blends various elements of all sorts of genres. Janelle has also shown that she can go full-on hip-hop like in Django Jane; full on pop like in Screwed, Americans, or Make the Bus; or full R&B like in Victory, Primetime, or I Got the Juice.

​

One of best parts of Janelle's artistry are her concept albums, her project's Metropolis Suite I "The Chase", The ArchAndroid, and The Electric Lady are all a part of her Metropolis series, which is based on Fritz Lang's 1927 sci-fi film, Metropolis. In the EP, Metropolis Suite I "The Chase", we are given an insight to what Metropolis is. Metropolis appears to be a futuristic city where androids a built to serve humans. The story takes place in the year 2719 and follows an android named Cindi Mayweather. Throughout Metropolis Suite I "The Chase" we learn a few things about this world and Cindi. We learn that it is illegal for an android to fall in love with a human being. Unfortunately, Cindi ends up falling in love with a human named Anthony Greenwood. As a result, she must be terminated. The rest of the project depicts Cindi running from the Metropolis police while detailing her final decisions in the world of Metropolis. The music video for Many Moons gives us a nice visualization of Cindi's thoughts throughout the EP.

​

The next iteration of Janelle's Metropolis series is her debut album, The ArchAndroid. The ArchAndroid take more of a focus on Cindi's and Anthony's relationship while still exploring the life of an android in the Metropolis city. In Dance or Die, the lyrics narrative the harsh life of androids and Cindi hoping that other will wake up and realize the reality that they live in. However, it also depicts her worries that Metropolis' citizen would be too brainwashed to see the truth. Cold War depicts a call-to-action while also showing how being made to feel inferior in society can be used a drive for change. It also states that one must be aware that what they're fighting for aligns with their own interests or they risk being a pawn in someone's game of chess. The lyrics in Tightrope also align with the empowerment theme present in Cold War. These lyrics also resonate with Janelle personally because society tries to put down black women to make them feel inferior or unworthy. In Come Alive (War of the Roses), we learn that Cindi has always been more aware about her position in society and has often tired to get others to see the big picture. However, many have dismissed her and her ideas for a revolution as crazy. The hard psychedelic rock n roll instrumentation highlights Cindi's frustrations towards others who are unaware or choose not to be aware of the truth in society. This is often common when people try to fight for change or speak the truth. People often dismiss them as crazy. Even though there are real crazies in this world, truth tends to be stranger than fiction. The more romantic songs on the album like Oh Maker, Neon Valley Street, and Say You'll Go show that Cindi's love for Anthony is her motivation to keep going. Just the idea of being able to freely stay with him, is a big enough drive for her to fight for change. Also, the song 57821 shows that Anthony might feel the same way as well.

​

Janelle Monáe's 2nd album, The Electric Lady is the 3rd iteration of her Metropolis series. At this point, Cindi is seen as face of the rebellion. Songs like Q.U.E.E.N. and Electric Lady follow the themes of self-empowerment present in The ArchAndroid. One thing the albums shows is what lead to Cindi becoming more aware of how society treats androids. In the ArchAndroid, it is hinted that Cindi was often more aware than the average android. In the song, Givin' Em What they Want, it shows that Cindi has always had this rebellious spirit to her. This rebellious spirit is shown again in Cindi's past. The songs, Primetime and We Were Rock & Roll both give us a glimpse into Cindi's past. The music video for Primetime tells the story of Cindi's first love when she worked as a 'cyber server'. Due to the constant disrespect, Cindi ended up quitting her job as a cyber server and met Joey Vice. After quitting her job, Joey took Cindi to this club where androids can dance freely and be themselves. This club and music shocked Cindi, seeing all these androids being free ignited something in her. It ignited her drive to be in a world where androids are free to be themselves. The Electric Lady has three interludes that all show the effect of Cindi's fight against droid control. The interlude that I want to highlight is Our Favorite Fugitive. The interlude has people call into a radio show to give their opinions about the android rebellion, however, only misinformed people called. This interlude also highlights the different forms of racism. The first caller represents both open racism and how many tend to "misunderstand" black empowerment. A good example of this how it's important for events like "Black Girls Rock" to exists and why there is no event like "White Girls Rock". The second caller shows a modern example of closet racism. The second caller states that he's an ally, however he comes off as the type of people that would use "aave" to sound cool to friendly to black people. He also mentions that he follows droid culture however, his understanding is limited to android stereotypes. He represents the type of people whose idea of black culture comes off as shallow and is limited to the black stereotypes shown by the mass media. The third caller represents homophobia when they mention how android love is not normal and it's impossible for android love to exist.

​

Monáe's 3rd album, Dirty Computer, is her only project that isn't based around her Metropolis series so far. It is also accompanied by a 46-minute film project that I highly recommend that you see. What make Dirty Computer different from Janelle's other projects is that Dirty Computer is more about Janelle Monáe herself as opposed to Cindi Mayweather. The film has Janelle's character, Jane 57821, getting her memories forcibly deleted by a totalitarian society. The society deletes her memories because to them, Jane 57821 is a "dirty mind" that needs to be cleaned. This is where the title "Dirty Computer" comes from. The song of the same title shows that a Dirty Computer is someone who doesn't fit into typical societal norms regarding sexuality. Basically, it is someone who is LGBTQ+. Monáe, who identifies with both bisexuality and pansexuality, would be a Dirty Computer. In the film, we see that each of the songs on the album represent a memory being deleted or "cleansed" as the society puts it. In Crazy Classic Life, it shows Jane 57821 and a friend sneaking out some people to a secret party. This party is shown to a refuge for people to freely express their individuality without being pushed by the police. Unfortunately, by the end of the song, the police discover the party's location and arrest many of the party goers. A few major themes within Dirty Computer are individuality, womanhood, and sexual freedom. Songs like Make Me Feel, Take a Byte, and I Got the Juice speak about sexual freedom. Django Jane and Pynk are both about the power of womanhood. With Django Jane being about black female empowerment and Pynk celebrating female sexuality. The songs So Afraid and Don't Judge Me are the most vulnerable songs on the album. Both songs are about Janelle fears regarding being open about her sexuality. Being a public figure, Janelle being open about her sexuality helps normalize LGBTQ+ and aids in representation, but at the same time it also opens her to ridicule from our homophobic society. This sense of fear is present in those songs. In the film, we see each memory being erased and as each one is erased, Jane 57812's individuality is slowly being taken away. There is a character named Maryapple 53 whose job is to turn Jane, who now lost all her memories, into another clone of society or in their words "escort her from the darkness to the light". Throughout the film we see that Maryapple 53 was Zen, one of Jane's old friends. This revelation puzzles Maryapple 53, however someone else just dismisses Jane as crazy. Overall, the film shows Jane trying to prevent her memories/individuality from being erased.

​

Make Sure to check out her projects Metropolis Suite I "The Chase", The ArchAndroid, The Electric Lady, and Dirty Computer.

Some of my favorite Janelle Monáe songs: Lettin' Go, Many Moons, Sincerely Jane, Mr. President, Dance or Die, Faster, Locked Inside, Cold War, Tightrope, Oh Maker, Come Alive (The War of the Roses), Mushrooms & Roses, Neon Valley Street, 57821, BabopbyeYa, Givin' Em What They Love, Electric Lady, Primetime, Look into My Eyes, Victory, Sally Ride, Dorothy Dandridge Eyes, What an Experience, Crazy Classic Life, Screwed, Django Jane, Pynk, Make Me Feel, I Like That, Don't Judge Me, So Afraid, Americans

Here's a Spotify and Apple Music playlist for Janelle Monáe.

Here are some good performances: Tigtrope Live on David Letterman, 2018 BET Awards Performance, 2019 Grammy Awards Performance, Come Alive (Live at 2020 Oscars)

Next R&B Artist Spotlight: Bruno Major

If You use discord, make sure to check out the R&B Discord Server. If you want to be in a place to discuss R&B music. Here's a link if you're interested https://discord.gg/YvqWFVrs

submitted by /u/24KVoltage
[link] [comments]

knxwledge announces he is officially done with the Meek Mill remix series and that the videos will most likely be taken down

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 03:21 PM PST

The Game - Red Nation ft. Lil Wayne

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:21 PM PST

Before The Lights Went Out: An Interview With MAVI: discusses white audiences, metaphysics, school, Let The Sun Talk and the philosophies of life

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 12:36 PM PST

Hey everyone,

Two years ago I conducted an interview with rising Charlotte rapper MAVI before his show in Washington DC. It was an enlightening experience that I felt needed to be shared. However, the pandemic shelved the interview and it haunted me for months until I thought about restructuring the format and making it into a time capsule of a specific moment before the course of life changed forever. Today, with the help of my friend Mano Sundaresan and the permission of MAVI, that interview sees the light of day (as teased/leaked in this thread). Thanks again to the mods for letting me post this here and I'm glad it's come full circle.

https://nobells.blog/mavi-interview/

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

Common - Ghetto Dreams (ft. Nas)

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 05:36 PM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 01/10/2022

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 08:00 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:

This Friday's Releases

  • FKA Twigs - CAPRISONGS (featuring The Weeknd, Pa Salieu, Shygirl, Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith, Unknown T + more) [Alt-R&B, Pop, UK, Young]
  • Cordae - From a Bird's Eye View (featuring Lil Wayne, Roddy Ricch + more) [Pop Rap, Atlantic]
  • Bonobo - Fragments (featuring Jamila Woods, Joji, Kadja Bonet, Jordan Rakei, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson & O'Flynn) [Downtempo, Ninja Tune]
  • Earl Sweatshirt - Sick! (featuring Armand Hammer + more) [Lo-Fi Hip Hop, Tan Cressida / Warner]
  • Token - PINK IS BETTER (featuring Rico Nasty, Benny the Butcher, JID, Lil Skies, Digital Nas + more) [YouTube Rapper, Boston, Never Too Different / Atlantic]
  • ​mol$ - misoland [Rap, Los Angeles, Indie]
  • DigDat - Pain Built [UK Rap, Sony]
  • Snowgoons - Renaissance Kings (featuring Cappadonna, Bronze Nazareth, t. Napoleon da Legend, Reef the Lost Cauze, Nems, Sean Price, Ty Farris, Rasheed Chappell, Ransom + more) [Boom Bap, Producer Album, Goon MuSick]

Full Calendar

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

The Race to Save Hip-Hop’s Lost Eras

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 08:03 AM PST

Westside Gunn & Joey Bada$$ - 327 (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Billie Essco)

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 11:02 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] Gunna - livin wild

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:16 AM PST

James Mtume has passed away

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:15 AM PST

What verse makes you laugh no matter how many times you hear it?

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 06:57 PM PST

What's the best Hip Hop/Rap Story song made after 2010?

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 07:38 AM PST

Story type as in: Common - I used to love her/ Testify Eminem - Stan Biggie - I got a Story to tell

submitted by /u/No_Housing_4819
[link] [comments]

[FRESH] Corrion - Woah Woah Woah

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 05:28 PM PST

[FRESH] Knucks - Alpha House/Bando | A COLORS SHOW

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 09:01 AM PST

[FRESH] Cochise - BREAKFAST

Posted: 10 Jan 2022 03:13 PM PST
at

[RATE ANNOUNCEMENT] The ‘Lost to Macklemore at the Grammys’ Rate: good kid, m.A.A.d city vs Magna Carta… Holy Grail vs Nothing Was The Same vs Yeezus - HipHop

[RATE ANNOUNCEMENT] The ‘Lost to Macklemore at the Grammys’ Rate: good kid, m.A.A.d city vs Magna Carta… Holy Grail vs Nothing Was The Same vs Yeezus - HipHop

[RATE ANNOUNCEMENT] The ‘Lost to Macklemore at the Grammys’ Rate: good kid, m.A.A.d city vs Magna Carta… Holy Grail vs Nothing Was The Same vs Yeezus

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 09:01 AM PST

Happy 2022 /r/hiphopheads! Hope you all enjoyed your holidays and are ready to get back into it with our third official rate.

We're kicking off the new year with a best of losers rate, to see which of the four albums we have here can reach the closest to the highs of The Heist. Whether you had wanted Kendrick to win the first HHH rate or maybe you just hate the Grammy's in general, I hope to see you all participate as we revisit some well-loved, critically acclaimed albums from 2012-2013 and Magna Carta.

If you're new to rates, welcome! A rate is essentially an event where we pit a few albums with a common theme against each other (try to guess this one's). Everyone listens to them, scores every song out of 10, and sends those numbers to myself. In about a month, I'll tally everyone's scores and host a reveal where we'll see how each song stacks against each other, from the lowest to the highest averaged scores. Rate reveals are a fun time all around, we joke, we roast, but we also talk pretty passionately about the music we're into. Check out the past two reveal threads for a feel. And if you have any more questions, the Rate 101 tab on this Google Doc is a great resource, although feel free to ask in the thread as well.

Now let's get into the albums we'll be rating over the next few weeks.

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

I live inside the belly of the rough, Compton, USA, made me an angel on angel dust

Spotify | Apple Music | Tidal | Youtube

For his second studio album and major label debut, Kendrick Lamar wanted to a sound that was different from his prior project, Section.80. So he looked back to roots of growing up in Compton. What led was an album that not only influenced by his hometown sonically, but also thematically. good kid, m.A.A.d city was billed as an autobiographical short film; just a glance at the album cover will tell you so, note the censorship of everyone's eyes except a young Kendrick. Lyrically it's a dense and at times a dark narrative, following the rapper through his adolescence in his city, as he deals with issues of lust, family, and gang violence. It's an album that manages to combine the intense, unfiltered storytelling in songs like "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" with the more atmospheric, catchier tracks like "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" into one cohesive, concept album. GKMC has been universally applauded since its release, it's been taught academically, and dubbed a classic; many fans, including myself, will call it their favorite Kendrick album still.

Jay-Z - Magna Carta... Holy Grail

You in the presence of a king, scratch that, you in the presence of a god

Spotify | Apple Music | Tidal | Youtube

With the longest time between his last solo project and the one being rated, Jay-Z had a lot of expectations to meet with his twelfth studio album. And did he meet them? Well commercially, Magna Carta... Holy Grail was a roaring success. A release deal with Samsung allowed their users to receive the album for free; it also smashed expected debut numbers and broke Spotify streaming records at the time. All fitting for an album full of Jay's braggadocious lyricism over Timbaland's luxurious production. But the album doesn't fill its runtime with just mentions of fame and fortune. There's quite a lot of mention of the significance of family, especially fatherhood since Jay's first daughter was born quite recently. More so than the other albums included in the rate, Magna Carta features an all-star list of guest spots— artists like Justin Timberlake and Frank Ocean shine on tracks "Holy Grail" and "Oceans" respectively. Despite all this, the album left a lot to be desired from both critics and fans, so we'll see if time has changed this perspective.

Drake - Nothing Was The Same

Who else making rap albums, doing numbers like it's pop?

Spotify | Apple Music | Tidal | Youtube

While Nothing Was The Same couldn't win a Grammy for Best Rap Album as its predecessor Take Care did, the third studio album by Drake did solidify his imperial status in not just the hip-hop sphere, but beyond. Met with critical praise and remarked by fans as one of his most consistent works, this album is classic confessional Drake and all his inner musings on heartache, family, and the complications of fame. But don't box this as just a rap album. The title is an allusion to his musical evolution, moving away from solely rapping to incorporating R&B and synthpop such as on songs like "From Time" and "Hold On, We're Going Home". The whole project feels sincere, nostalgic, and essential; there's definitely a NWTS track for every listener out there.

Kanye West - Yeezus

Yeezy season approachin', fuck whatever y'all been hearin'

Spotify | Apple Music | Tidal | Youtube

What do you create after you've released your magnum opus? If you're Kanye West, well then... Yeezus. West's sixth solo studio album was born under a vision of creating something more freeform and minimalist, no doubt a reaction to his grandiose attempts at perfection with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the creative restraints he was facing in his fashion endeavors. The result is a project that melds the aesthetics and sounds of his hometown of Chicago with his current lodging in Paris, touching on genres like drill, acid-house, and industrial music. It's abrasive yet sparse, but not too unfamiliar. With tracks like "Blood on the Leaves" or "On Sight", we see it's the same Kanye just dialed up, continuing his audacious sample work, but with unmatched levels of megalomania and lewd punchlines really only he can get away with. While Yeezus had near universal critical acclaim on release, between its unconventional release strategy and drastic departure from sound, it's still polarizing to the general public so it'll be interesting to see its performance here.

Rules

READ ALL OF THESE BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR SCORES

  1. Listen to every song from the standard versions of all four of these albums and assign a score to them between 1 and 10. If you're feeling specific, decimals are okay to one place. Do not use any more than that since they'll break the program used to generate results. So a 6.5 is okay, but a 8.25 is not.

  2. You have to listen and score each song on the ballot! If you miss a score, it'll again break the program and your ballot will not be counted, but I will most likely reach out to you if this is the case.

  3. Your scores are not a secret, feel free to discuss them wherever you feel like, whether that's in the thread or in Daily Discussions. I've seen people comment to try to rally people behind their 11s, which I should also explain…

  4. You may give ONE song an 11 and ONE song a 0. Note one 11 and/or 0 in TOTAL, not for each album. Please reserve these for your most favorite and least favorite tracks, excessive sabotage ruins rate results and generally makes things less fun.

  5. You can change you scores at any time— feel free to PM me at any point after submission and before the deadline and I'll update those for you.

  6. As mentioned, the program used to calculate results uses a specific format, so everything needs to written a specific way. Please use the submission link below to send your scores (there's also a pastebin copy if needed), it's already formatted for you. If you need to work on the ballot over multiple days, you can copy it and save it on a notepad app, but please just make sure to keep the formatting intact, it'll make it easy for both you and me.

  7. You are encouraged to leave comments on as as many songs as you like. If you would like to include comments with your scores, just make sure they are formatted the proper way.

This is correct:

I Am A God: 10 I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song

These are incorrect:

I Am A God: 10: I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song

I Am A God:10 I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song

I Am A God: I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song 10

I Am A God - 10 I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song

I Am A God - 10 - I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song

I Am A God: 10 (I can't wait for this to be the least controversial song)

You can also leave comments on complete albums by adding a colon after the album name and then your comment (without a score), like so:

Nothing Was The Same: and not in a good way

That's all from me! I can't wait to get your ballots, which you should

SUBMIT HERE

(Pastebin of Empty Ballot in case submission link is down)

Scores are due February 26. The reveal will be March 3-5.

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

Bizzy Banks Arrested for Drug, Weapons and Money Laundering Charges in SWAT Raid

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 10:24 AM PST

T.I. ft. Young Thug - About The Money

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 06:10 AM PST

Sunday General Discussion Thread - January 9th, 2022

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 10:51 AM PST

How was the first week of 2022?

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

What are the best songs that contradict anyone that says that rap is all about “drugs, sex, and gang violence”?

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 12:02 PM PST

What are the best songs that contradict anyone who says that rap is all about "drugs, sex, and gang violence"? I constantly heard this growing up. They also complained about the cursing in songs. But there's so many meaningful songs so I'm curious which songs would you play as a "rebuttal"?

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

Cavanaugh (Open Mike Eagle and Serengeti) - Typecast feat. P.O.S., Hemlock Ernst, and Busdriver

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 08:48 AM PST

[DISCUSSION] Rick Ross - Rich Forever (10 Years Later)

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 05:16 AM PST

Didn't see any anniversary threads for this one, so decided to make one.

10 years ago, Rick Ross released his second mixtape Rich Forever.

I personally think this is might be Rozay's best work (although Teflon Don comes pretty damn close) and also one of the best mixtapes I've heard. In fact, I think this could've easily been a commercially released album.

The feature list lacks no starpower and delivers some gems here - notable examples being still-hungry Drake dropping one of his better verses and Nas hijacking an entire track and taking us back to them Escobar days with an incredible storytelling guest verse.

And of course, the production of this tape fucking knocks, as expected from a Ross project. Nothing but back to back bangers.

Stay Schemin' feat. Drake & French Montana

MMG Untouchable

Holy Ghost feat. Diddy

High Definition

What are your favorite tracks? How does it hold up? How'd you rank it within Ross' discography? Is it a classic or not?

submitted by /u/housequake225
[link] [comments]

Lupe Fiasco - Double Burger With Cheese

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 04:30 AM PST

Logic - I Am The Greatest

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 10:33 AM PST

Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell (Child Rebel Soldier) - Don't Stop

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 12:36 PM PST

Wiz Khalifa - Still Wiz

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 06:08 AM PST

Lil Uzi Vert - YSL

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 06:23 AM PST

Bodega Bamz - Bring Em Out ft Flatbush Zombies

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 10:44 AM PST

Diamond D - Its Magic(ft. Alchemist, Evidence)

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 07:50 AM PST

Kelis ft Too $hort - Bossy (Oficial Video)

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 11:57 AM PST

[FRESH] Emcee Graffiti X Ab The Audicrat - Served Up EP

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 09:02 AM PST

Curren$y - Champagne Reign

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 12:07 PM PST

[FRESH] Baby Stone Gorillas – STL Caps & Jay Hats

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 06:49 AM PST
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)