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Album of the Year #29: 6LACK - East Atlanta Love Letter - HipHop

Album of the Year #29: 6LACK - East Atlanta Love Letter - HipHop

Album of the Year #29: 6LACK - East Atlanta Love Letter

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 02:31 PM PST

Artist: 6LACK

Album: East Atlanta Love Letter

Listen:

YouTube

Apple Music

Spotify

Google Play Music

TIDAL

Amazon Music Unlimited

Deezer

(Sorry if I forgot any)

Background

Ricardo Valdez Valentine, known better by his stage name 6LACK (pronounced "black") was not born in Atlanta himself, but rather Baltimore, in 1992. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, shortly after his first encounter with music recording, at his father's studio at the age of 4, and has been attached to the music making life ever since. Around 10 years ago, he began uploading battle rap videos on YouTube, on the same account he uses to this day. His battle rap compatriots included names like J-MAKE, Chris, Fluent and…Young Thug (yes, that Young Thug). He wasn't long for the scene however, as he told complex "I was a battle rapper, so that's what I stuck to and then I saw where all of them ended up so I was like, 'I might have to do something a little bit different to have some kind of longevity", so in 2011 he turned to R&B instead.

This turn was not without its consequences. The next few years of his life were some of his lowest. He signed a deal with an "independent record label owned by a popular artist owned by a popular artist at the time" who later turned out to be Flo Rida. He says that he was never paid during the 3 to 4 years he was signed to them. As he told the Guardian in an interview in September this year, "My rock bottom was somewhere in South Florida. I hadn't eaten for a while, I was super hungry. I remember being by a trash can and seeing someone throw food away. I thought about going over there, opening it up and eating it. When I had that thought, I was like: 'This better be worth it bro.'"

After closing the chapter on that deal, he eventually signed to the Interscope subsidiary, LVRN, who also brought about the fellow Atlantean, Raury, and helped propel DRAM's popularity to new heights. Under them, Ricardo released his first hit, "PRBLMS", in April of 2016, a song that has a not insignificant 124 million views on YouTube. Ricardo says the album was the result of recording 200 songs in his kitchen, and towards the latter end, "PRBLMS" emerged. Following the success of the single, Ricardo would go on to release his debut album, FREE 6LACK, the title of which he says comes from being free of old relationships and old ways of thinking.

Since that released, he has released a steady stream of singles since then, including "Bless Me", "First F**k" (in collaboration with Jhene Aiko) and "Cutting Ties". Where things began to change in his life was around February 2017, where he announced the birth of his daughter, Syx Rose, which he commemorated by breaking his black-and-white-photos-only rule on his instagram, and she features prominently on the album cover, and affected his music in a big way. As he told the Guardian, "The extremes of my life have forced me to have conversations, having a kid forces me to talk; having a baby mother forces me to talk; having a fan base that is affected by my music forces me to have a message. I just want to know how everybody feels, so I can make sure I'm on the right path."

In July of 2018, he released what we now know to be the first single off of EALL, Switch. Where on FREE 6LACK he showed his relationship in quite a one way style, his aim with his newer music was to put into consideration those most affected by his actions. Before he began to record FREE 6LACK, he wrote the theme of the album on a whiteboard, summarised into one word. "Relatable". For East Atlanta Love Letter, that word is "Perspective". In August, Ricardo both announced the album and released the second single, "Nonchalant".

Review

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

Unfair: 7/10

The album starts off slow, and with a high pitched chorus, which for me brings the song down from a 8 to an 7, due to the vocal performance not suiting him as much, and the song explores unfairness from two aspects, having to choose between his craft and his partner, and feeling like there needs to be more effort on her behalf if they're going to keep going.

Loaded Gun: 8/10

This song explores the issues that come with the come up starting by talking about women, and implies how meaningless it all is to him, with the second verse becoming about how fame is bringing him expectations from listeners, but how he resolves to remain on his path, and despite the problems money brings him, he remains faithful to God and his daughter, and how she's the only thing that makes him push himself to be better.

East Atlanta Love Letter: 9.5/10

This song is an emotional rap ballad, with all the Atlanta sprinklings. Future joins Ricardo on this track, providing a smooth harmonisation over the chorus, and putting his own spin on his compatriot's verse. The two bounce off each other really well, and the song is really a Love Letter, East Atlanta style, involving everything from cutting cocaine, Patek references and Dracos, and still managing to be a slow sensual cut, with a nice smooth beat to match. Second best song off the album, easily. The main reason it's not my outright favourite is that it feels like it's lacking content. Repeating the verse and chorus with one of the two artists taking centre stage every time and then having one other verse is a nice effect, but it makes the song feel a bit sparse. Maybe one other unique verse each would've really rounded out the song, or just have 3/4 unique verses and cut the repetition if that makes the song too long.

Let Her Go: 6/10

This song is fairly let down by the beat in my opinion. There's some solid themes here lyrically, surrounding his doubt around his relationship, debating whether he's better off staying with her, or using his clout as a fairly large musician to surround himself with groupies, even if they're just in it for the fame. The chorus is wondering out loud if he'll regret letting her go to chase a more vapid lifestyle, or if he'll just forget they were a thing and move on. The beat is too fast, and upbeat for this kind of song and doesn't really suit the vibe the song is trying to portray. The Migos ("Notice Me" off of Culture 2) sample seems more and more odd the more you think about it, which is a shame since this is probably one of the strongest songs on the album thematically. Seemingly, by the end of the song, he's made his decision, and is going to let her go, as the song leads directly into "Sorry".

Sorry: 8/10

"Let Her Go" ends with a voicemail voiced by Tierra Whack, talking about why romance is not that important to her right now, and providing a female perspective on the message throughout the album, saying she thinks men are a distraction and that they'll always be there. The message isn't directly connected to either song, but helps to convey Ricardo's messages about Love across the album. The song itself is about accountability, and how writing helps him move past mistakes. He explores his relationship with his own mistakes saying they feel like fractures, and how difficult letting his ex go has been for him.

Pretty Little Fears: 10/10

100% the undisputed best song on the album for me. A slow, beautiful exploration of love from two angles. 6LACK raps about a relationship where the two of them are always on the same wavelength, staying loyal to each other despite all the attention being paid to them. J Cole's feature spans a large part of the song. They met through JID, a friend of Ricardo's. According to 6LACK, Cole would ask about him repeatedly, and after that, they ended up meeting, and from there they decided to make a song together. J Cole's verse is all about his wife, talking about how her history with love is rocky, and how brave she is for daring to open up again after that. He speaks about the need he has to protect her, and how she brings out the best in him. He invites her to share her negative feelings with him, so she can smile again, and that she's always forgiving of his past mistakes. Deepest cut on the album, and Cole absolutely steals the show with his feature.

Disconnect: 7/10

Even compared to the mostly slow tracks on this album, this one is even slower by comparison. The song is, as the title implies, about a disconnect between his girl and him, almost the complete opposite of the relationship he talks in Pretty Little Fears. They're out of step, and not seeing eye to eye, and like a call, they're having a disconnect due to things out of their control. He seems to, at least partially, blame her for this, saying: "you done made cupid aim away". The song ends with an outro talking about how people today want loyalty but will be the first people to fold when the chance arises.

Switch: 9/10

The first single for the album, and a bit of a different vibe compared to the rest of the album, more focussed on himself, rather than the people around him, like the rest of the album. According to Ricardo himself, this song is about making people more "mindful" of what he goes through, and was inspired by some of the rapid changes in his life. He challenges the idea that everything in his life is "automatic", and is effectively telling people to walk a mile in his shoes. The second verse starts from the perspective of his girl, where she's saying how much trust she's putting in him, and how she would take it if that were betrayed, and Bear is just putting that down to the fact that she's a "small town girl" and that everything he does is put on blast. He's told her since the beginning that this life would involve difficulties for them, and she still decided to have a change of heart. The outro claims the girl wasn't good at keeping up with the lifestyle he leads, and implies the change was for the better.

Thugger's Interlude: 8/10

Ironically this song includes no SEX, but does at least reference him. The interlude is just putting himself out there, and saying he can't listen to R&B since it puts him in a bad place, thinking about things he doesn't want to think about, so instead he listens to trap music, and Young Thug, and he feels like a hypocrite because of it.

Balenciaga Challenge: 5/10

This song is far more rap based than most of the album, and not as much R&B. It's probably the fastest song on the album lyrically, but 6LACK's verse is a bit vapid lyrically, and Offset's isn't much better. It's a good background listening song, minus the part where Offset's voice is louder than Bear's for some reason, but I don't really feel like I gained anything worthwhile listening to it.

Scripture: 8/10

Theme of this song is what struggles Ricardo went through on his way to the top, saying he knew he'd reach the top since he was six, questioning how he ended up with all these people asking for hand outs when none of them were there for the beginning. He speaks on near death experiences, such as car crashes and being held at gunpoint, and how they changed him and the way he thinks. He claims to be irreplaceable and that the people gunning for his spot are nowhere near as talented. The song starts with his struggles, and slowly becomes about how easily he passes his self set landmarks, and how he sees himself continuing upwards. As he claims, the song itself was actually recorded in a tiny hotel room due to a booking mishap.

Nonchalant: 9/10

This song is both mellow, and aggressive in its tone, telling others to watch their mouth, talking about haters, failing contemporaries, and how he's aiming to stay relevant when those around him die off after their second album. The calmness of the song comes from his self assuredness, and how he's trying to be the best him he can be as often as he can, and how he isn't letting the money get to his head. He claims to be doing what he's doing to keep the people he cares about out of jail and alive, and contemplating whether his audience truly understands his music, but loving them all regardless, feeling like he owes it to them.

Seasons: 8/10

This song is likening life to the seasons, where winter is being stuck out in the cold, and going through hardships, and Bear's sick of the cold, and is preparing for his "summer" of good times. Khalid's verse is about shedding all the baggage of the bad parts of life, and being prepared for brighter and better days, where they can relax instead of having to deal with negativity all the time. The third verse pertains specifically to love, and how he would lay his life on the line for this girl, and that she's a part of the summer referred to throughout the song, linking her to the better parts of his life. Another outro not specifically related to the song makes an appearance here, apparently due to the lack of actual female features within songs, but Ricardo still wanting to maintain a strong female presence on the album. This approach mostly pays off, with the album having what you could call a "feminine touch" to it, in its approach to conversations about relationships, and adding different perspectives, likely as 6LACK intended.

Stan: 9/10

The song has the strangest and least "formulaic" intro, leading into one of the most unique songs on the album, with Bear having the desire of his girl treating him like one of his biggest fans would, to the extent he wishes for them to die at the same die since he doesn't want to live without her, likening it to a "slant rhyme", later flipping the song to how he wants to love her like a Stan, saying he's both a lover and a friend. He says everyone thinks they understand love, until they're actually in it, and at that point they can finally learn to love and deal with everything around it.

Overall: 8.5

The album has some lows, but the highs more than make up for it and for me, this is my AOTY.

Favourite Lyrics:

East Atlanta Love Letter

I remix your love like cut cocaine, it's a re-rock

Switch

Ain't nobody gotta go through what I'm going through, no, but it seems like they all know what I'm supposed to do, so

Pretty Little Fears (J Cole)

Beautiful black child, come and share your black cloud, for your vibe and your smile I don't mind a lil rain, I'm your dog (dawg), ears perk up at the sound of your name

Talking Points:

Do you think is different enough from *FREE 6LACK to stand on its own?

*Where does 6LACK go from here to stay relevant?

*Is 6LACK's music a good fusion of R&B and Hip-Hop, or the worst of both?

*Should 6LACK branch out of his current niche of music, and try different styles?

*Should 6LACK explore themes outside of relationships?

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With all the Lil Pump drama, here's a massive guide on hip-hop in China

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:29 AM PST

With all of the Lil Pump drama thats been going on for a couple weeks, there's been a renewed interest in hip-hop in China, and as a Chinese person I can give an in-depth look into the various artists and style in China, for those that want to know a little bit more than just Higher Brothers.

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Credit to u/JamRed10 and u/itsobs for making the first two guides, but they were missing quite a bit when capturing China as a whole.

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Hip-hop in China is just now becoming a big deal with the second season of The Rap of China having just ended (and is accused of becoming maybe a little too mainstream), and can be divided into two categories :

  • "Western" style features trap beats and Western style (Higher Brothers, Tizzy T, etc.). If these people spoke English they wouldn't sound that different from their American/Western counterparts, and often gain some traction outside of China.
  • "Chinese" hip-hop, which is very under-appreciated outside of China, is a blast to the past far beyond the time of Tupac and Biggie. Talkin about two-thousand year blast to the past, with flutes and the classic Chinese up-and down style mixed with a hip-hop beat and flow that would make you think Confucius is coming back to life. Songs in this category often include many Chinese idioms and ancient references, which is a big part of why it is virtually unknown out of the country. They usually discuss not the stereotypical "drugs and bitches" but rather things discussed in poems from the times of Li Bai(who is often cited as inspiration for a lot of things in China) such as romantic heroes, homesick travellers, and how to compose oneself in society.

Some examples of the Chinese style :

Gai - Self-control and Discipline

GAI ft Kungfu-Pen and AfterJourney - Tiger Mountain

Key.L - The Vigilante of the Forest

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Chinese rap is also divided into cities, as is Chinese culture as a whole to be honest. As such, groups tend to form exclusive to cities, with Chengdu and Chongqing becoming the two biggest ones (due to the dialects there being far superior to mandarin when it comes to the rhymes and flow needed for hip-hop to sound good). When looking at Chinese hiphop you will see "CDC" and "CSC" a lot, this is just "ChengDu Cheng" and "ChangSha Cheng" which simply means Chengdu City and Changsha City.

From Chengdu :

  • The well known Higher Brothers group, including four people, MaSiWei, DZ Know, Melo, and Psy.P. They are the most well-known group outside of China. MaSiWei is an OG and has been around for quite a while before Higher Brothers, under the name OG Skippy.

Isabellae

Made in China

Aston Martin

OG MaSiWei - Learning Taoist Principles

  • Ty. - the most successful outside of China (although not the most well-known). Raps about hard stuff that you don't usually hear in China, and even featured in a track in Crazy Rich Asians.

Successful

Mainlanders Supreme - slightly controversial outside the mainland for light dissing Taiwanese, Japanese, Filipinos (the song literally goes under the premise "20 years ago you all laughed at the People's Republic now you are all forced to fear us, all who want to get rich come to China)

You Can't See Me

  • Fat Shady(Xie Di) - was somehow pretty popular with some decent stuff, however he got a lot of hate from making an over-the top xenophobic song discussing foreigners in China(literally called Fuck off Foreigners, which dropped his status quite a bit)

Shady Has it All

Fuck Foreigners....

  • The other various artists from Chengdu RapHouse (where the Higher Brothers are from)
  1. AnsrJ - had one of the best Lil Pump disses

Fuck Lil Pump

  1. Wang Yitai/3HO - may not be the best rapper but he happens to have an amazing voice

Don't Close Your Eyes

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The Chongqing rappers are the main rivals to the Chengdu artists :

  • The famous Gai, who co-won the first season of Rap of China and is somewhat credited with birthing the hip-hop revolution in China. He came straight from the streets from Chongqing and early in his career was known as "Gangsta God Gai". Keeps it real with a strong Chinese style and uses tons of Chinese references and idioms(Chengyu) to where his songs are often straight lyrical, like if Shakespeare came back from the dead as a Chinese person. On top of his rap skills, he has one of the BEST singing voices in China. The government dragged him off a very popular singing show because his voice was too good and they didn't want a former gangster breaking into real mainstream culture. Singlehandedly carries Chongqing hip-hop.

Empty Fort Strategy

A Western-Style Gangsta Rap Song - The Soul of Chongqing

Hotpot Soup

Singing Voice-

Love Goes Like the Tide

The Roar of the Ocean

  • Bridge, Gai's mate

Big Boss

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The Xinjiang rappers are quickly making the Islamic province the capital of Chinese Hip-hop, with two Uyghur artists stealing the show in the latest season of The Rap of China. Just like their African-American counterparts, their minority struggle with a hostile government has pushed them into embracing an unknown musical style to show their struggle.

  • AfterJourney - The big boi of Xinjiang beloved by all, he has beef with no-one and raps about the struggle of day-to-day life and his pride to be embracing a musical style rejected by his culture. He recently had a burst of international fame when he went to Britain and worked with grime-rap artist Cadell.

2 Much ft Cadell

Sorry

Yellow Skin Flow

  • Air - Won the Rap of China season 2, has a good singing voice and raps about pretty much anything he wants to. More of a mainstream sound.

I Fight for my Homies and Hip-hop

My Mother is the Giant in my Life

  • Nawukere/Lil-em, called the Eminem of China, due to him starting online doing Eminem covers. He easily raps with a speed that eclipses Eminem in Rap God and does so in three different languages, Mandarin, Uyghur, and English. Eminem is still considered far above him due to Eminem's lyrical meaning and writing ability, but Nawukere sure has the speed element of Em. He is also well known for his frequent use of Uyghur.

Don't Wanna live on the Streets (entirely in Uyghur)

Three Pass ft ICE (skip to 1:50 to hear him go fast)

A REAL MAN

  • Huang Xu, raps about his life of poverty and struggle as a Uyghur in Xinjiang

Yellow Green Indigo Blue and Purple

The Changsha rappers are not really trying to gain international recognition, but rather make music they enjoy. This leads to their style encompassing pretty much the entirety of the hip-hop spectrum, depending on what they feel like doing.

  • The group C-Block is by far the most well known out of Changsha, featuring Kung-fu Pen, DamnShine, and Key.L. They have done all sorts of musical styles based on nothing but what they happen to feel like making, from jumpy '90s style that's kind of like Run-DMC but at the same time not, underground sounding tracks talking about the police and vigilante life that takes influence from NWA, to just the ancient Chinese sounding classics.

My Life Goes Up and Down Like a Bungee so Just Jump

Power to the People

The Flow of Jianghu

Three-Man Wanderers

  • Kung-fu Pen, while not the best artist out there, is an absolute performance god. Whenever he is onstage, he is always is full of energy and can get a crowd maximum hype real quick. He has a pleasing deep voice and emits an aura that makes you want to like him.

Li Sao (an ancient Chinese poem)

  • Key-L is the singer of C-Block, but also raps incredibly well. He works by himself often unlike the other two, and strongly embraces the old Chinese style. He encompassed this in one of his lines "They all say Key.L, you rap like an ancient man long dead / Well are you really dumb enough to have to pick up a book to understand my lyrics?" He had from what I can tell a troubled past, and often raps with a very dark or angry tone because of it.

Soldier of the Inevitable

Dark Dreams ft SIO

  • Damnshine doesn't tend to work alone, and considers himself to not be up to the levels of his comrades. He is nevertheless quite good and gained fame through his Higher Brothers diss where he even took shots at Masiwei vs Beibei. He got to perform with and meet Snoop Dogg.

HIGHER BROTHERS DISS

  • Sio/Dirty Xio used to be a part of C-Block and was seen frequently with them, but has since split and is now doing his own thing. He has quite the troubled past and let the street life consume him. Now he has embraced his status as an outcast from society, and reflects that in his music. He often sounds "spooky", like he will haunt you to your grave, and is often compared with 21 Savage for using his very deep voice to simply talk over a beat. He lays out his whole life bare for all to see in his song :

Those Disgusting Memories

Rap from Nanjing is pretty much just one guy

  • Jony J - has been around for a long time and has never been super famous but always good, had quite a funny moment when he was eliminated from Rap of China for forgetting the lyrics to his own song.

Tao Lu

Xi'an

  • This comprises the infamous HongHuaHui group, who is well known for their more "defiant" lyrics. They've been heavily censored due to this. The two most famous in the group I would say are PG One and BeiBei(who famously demolished Masiwei in the 8-mile).

PG One - Zhong Er Bing

Bei Bei - So Fresh

  • Pact(Pa-ke-te) has only just recently gained fame, and always seems kind of bored, but this results in his style being really chill and easy to vibe to.

I Love Xi'an City

Taiwanese rap has been around far longer than it has on the mainland, and includes some really good stuff. The ancient Chinese style is sadly absent from the music there. Whether or not you consider Taiwan to be connected to mainland China, the rap game most certainly is, and artists across the strait will frequently collaborate.

  • MC Hotdog (and Chang Chen-yue) are an incredible duo with some great stuff. Hotdog's been in it for a looong time. I'm going to be honest, I thought they were black people speaking Chinese when I first saw them because they do look like it(lol).

MC is Coming

Your Average Guy

MC Hotdog and Chang Chen-yue ft Kungfu Pen and PACT - Goodbye Hiphop

There's quite a lot from Taiwan, enough to make another post like this, so I will just leave you with Hotdog, and if you're interested, find some more by looking into it.

Guangdong

  • Chillgun, pretty chill. Good music with some Cantonese thrown in.

You're Like That

  • Tizzy T, used to work with Chillgun but they had a falling out.

Ya Boi Tizzy T ft MC Hotdog

Tibetan Rap is quite young, and often talks about the Tibetan lifestyle in the wild terrain, far from the problems of the cities.

  • Uncle Buddhist, he was born in the pasture area but grew up in the city and thus he's confronted with sharp contact between the Tibetan tradition and modern life. He released the first ever Tibetan hiphop album, making him the OG of Tibetan rap. (even though it came out less than a year ago lol)

Dreaming of Tibet

Do Whatever You Want

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The Game - Wouldn't Get Far ft. Kanye West (Official Music Video)

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:22 PM PST

[LEAK] Playboi Carti x Juice Wrld - Want To

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:14 PM PST

South African rapper Stogie T’s freestyle on sway in the morning

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 08:58 PM PST

Kodak Black - No Flockin

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:58 PM PST

Drake X J.Cole !?

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:52 PM PST

Childish Gambino - Black Faces (feat. Nipsey Hussle)

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 06:21 AM PST

B.E.N.N.Y. The Butcher - Broken Bottles [Prod By The Alchemist]

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:54 PM PST

Lloyd Banks ft. Eminem - Where I'm At

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 10:32 PM PST

Shakewell's song "10 Homies"

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 08:44 PM PST

Playboi Carti - Don't Tell Nobody

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 12:25 PM PST

Flatbush Zombies & Trash Talk - 97.92

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:36 AM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 12/29/2018

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 09:01 AM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed, as stated in the guidelines.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

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

Weekly/Monthly Threads

Other ways to interact

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

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

Check out these:

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Jay Rock - Say Wassup ft , Ab-Soul , ScHoolBoy Q & Kendrick Lamar aka Black Hippy

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:32 PM PST

Earl Sweatshirt - Balance (feat. Knxwledge)

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:46 PM PST

[FRESH VIDEO] LNDN DRGS (Jay Worthy x Sean House) - TOMORROW ft. Freddie Gibbs

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:17 AM PST

Kelela - Blue Light

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:37 PM PST

Multi Platinum Producer Southside of 808 Mafia Plays Fire Beats on IG Live

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 04:15 PM PST

Kid Cudi - Cudderisback

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 12:58 AM PST

Eazy-E about N word - Interview

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 12:11 PM PST

Westside Gunn X Conway - Empire

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 02:13 PM PST

Danger Incorporated - Change Me

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:48 PM PST

King Iso's track "Remember Me" off his new album "D.M.T"

Posted: 29 Dec 2018 09:01 PM PST
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Album of the Year 2018 #28: Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer - HipHop

Album of the Year 2018 #28: Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer - HipHop

Album of the Year 2018 #28: Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 09:04 AM PST

Artist: Janelle Monáe

Album: Dirty Computer

Listen:

Youtube

Spotify

Apple Music

Google Play

Tidal

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Background

Janelle Monáe (born Janelle Monáe Robinson), is a multi-talented 33 year old singer, songwriter and actress from Kansas City, debuting musically in 2007 with her Metropolis EP. This EP started a series of projects, most notably 2010's critically-acclaimed The Archandroid, centred around her fictional android alter ego Cindi Mayweather and her life in futuristic Metropolis. After her 2013 release The Electric Lady, Monáe's work up to this year has mostly involved acting, particularly with her appearances in highly regarded films Moonlight and Hidden Figures. She also launched her record label Wondaland Records, and eventually announced Dirty Computer in February 2018 before releasing Make Me Feel and Django Jane together a week later as its lead singles.

While the Cindi persona had previously served as a representation of the real-life version of Monáe, she emphasised prior to its release that Dirty Computer would be more about Janelle herself. This aligns with her expanded public presence in recent years, openly discussing her pansexuality/bisexuality and expanding her political reach, including working with figures such as Michelle Obama in various initiatives. However, the Mayweather character would live on, as the album's release on April 27 would be accompanied by a 46-minute 'Emotion Picture' short film in which Janelle's character bore Mayweather's identification title of 57821. This film featured music videos for most of the album's songs with a dystopian narrative throughout to bring it all together (more on that later). Since this album's release, Monáe has continued to enjoy success, recently receiving the Trailblazer of the Year award at the 2018 Billboard Women in Music event, with this album enjoying critical and commercial success alike.

Review

The idea of the "dirty computer" concept has been explained at length by Monáe throughout the album rollout: She likens humans to computers and says that we all have 'bugs', being our imperfections, methods of deviating from the status quo or unique characteristics that differentiate us from the 'default setting', leading to conscious efforts to socially condition, or cleanse, us and eliminate these characteristics. As a black LGBT+ woman, she certainly knows about being stigmatised and oppressed, and her prideful and assertive response, as opposed to submitting to marginalisation, is the backbone of this album's subject matter, even when subtly, and is what makes its message so important. The accompanying "emotion picture" perfectly encapsulates and visualises this defiance, with a futuristic narrative based on Monáe struggling during the bug cleansing process, as she is stripped of her memories and identity, struggling to rebel and escape from the system - this emphasises the institutional nature of this 'cleansing' and the difficulty, but virtue, of resisting. This 46-minute film, reminiscent of a musical 1984, provides context and stunningly creative visuals for most of the album's songs and adds a whole new layer of beauty and impact to this album, making it essential viewing (I'd advise listening to the music alone first – I tried to keep the focus of the writeup on the music but I could go on for days about how great that film is). Scattered futuristic themes and narratives invite comparisons to Monáe's earlier work such as the highly-regarded The Archandroid, but unlike her other projects about the fictional Cindi Mayweather, this album is an unfiltered look into the thoughts and emotions of Janelle herself, including her desires, pride, love and fear. This allows for an unprecedented rawness of these emotions in her work, while also rendering her as an outlet, speaking on behalf of other voiceless people and groups in a similar way to how the Mayweather alter ego emulated her own persona. The excellence of this emotional expression lies in its subtlety, as this album is characterised by its tendency to turn substantial concerns and commentary on dreadful circumstances into gorgeous catchy tunes that could be enjoyed equally by a partygoer and a political scholar.

After opening with a warm, fairly stripped-back intro featuring a beautiful meshing of Monáe and Brian Wilson's vocals, the tracklist turns to Crazy, Classic Life, immediately displaying the range of the album with sounds and themes ranging from catchy pop covering a party lifestyle to grittier politically focused rap, all within the one track. The two topics co-exist as apparently relatively generic lyrics about partying, sex and general wildness conceal borderline begging for the liberty to "just let me live my life" and be able to be able to enjoy such things without oppression. The pre-choruses particularly stand out for their enjoyable melodies and empowering lyrics ("We don't need another ruler, all of my friends are kings"), while the concluding rapped verse is a pleasantly-flowing outspoken venting of frustrations. Moving on to Take a Byte, the idea of freedom persists, now explicitly in the form of freedom of sexuality and sexual expression, clearly influenced by Janelle's feminist views. One of the more formulaic songs on the album (not necessarily to its detriment), the verses and choruses respectively stick to single repeated melodic passages, making the song instantly memorable. This song cleverly incorporates the futuristic, technology-driven themes surrounding the album, with Janelle likening herself to a computer and using metaphors such as talking about her partner disobeying her code (or the song's pun title itself), accompanied by an attention-demanding instrumental to complete this powerfully sexual song.

Screwed is an instant highlight – You quickly find yourself humming the guitar riff to yourself even days after listening and it's perfectly complemented by a sprinkle of lovely high keys and a consistent upbeat bassline. Much like Take a Byte, it centres around a double entendre involving sex; the lyrics encourage "getting screwed" in a sexual context while simultaneously observing how "screwed" we are in a socio-political sense. There's a chaotic implication of partying to the sounds of sirens and bombs, and the suggestion of using sex as a retaliatory weapon again incorporates feminist ideas of sexuality as a means of liberation. All these components form a ridiculously replayable gem which quickly disintegrates into a haunting but smooth bridge of singing and monologue, before another concluding rapped verse discussing gender inequality and political corruption. "The devil met with Russia and they just made a deal" is the closest she gets to directly addressing Donald Trump - This vagueness helps allow the album's narrative to work in both a modern and semi-fictional dystopian sense.

A seamless transition from this outro leads into Django Jane, a hard-hitting, pure-rap banger that perfectly exhibits not only Janelle's versatility and ability, but her drive. The hookless song is empowering, triumphant and assertive. Detailing her own past and accomplishments while also rallying her fellow 'dirty computers' to be similarly prideful, this song represents a clear shift in content from "This is how we're oppressed" to "This is what the fuck we're going to do about it". Numerous flows, all executed brilliantly, are used, and the energy Monáe delivers is contagious – the heavily emphasised "Black girl magic" line particularly hits like an earthquake. The unique beat and strong lyricism alone would make this a SOTY candidate, but the passion and inspiration of the message, demanding respect for the disrespected, ensured that this topped my year-end most played chart.

The 4-song stretch from Screwed onwards is the best I've heard in a long time, and Pynk does a lot to make sure of it. The repeated groovy bassline is the first thing that hits you, and the song stays pretty stripped back for most of its runtime. The colour pink is used as a recurring theme, used for purposes like uniting all people ("deep inside, we're all just pink"), celebrating women/condemning patriarchal norms and exploring Monáe's own recently-revealed sexuality. Her vocals really steal the show with such a skeletal beat, going from sweet in the verses to wilder and more energetic in the hook, which sounds like it comes from a totally different song. This song has so much pop appeal, but is so much more than that. [Side note: The Emotion Picture version also contains a really romantic verse, one of the few musical differences between it and the album in audio form.]

Next is Make Me Feel, the album's biggest hit which is dripping with funk, sexual energy and Prince influence. With a similar structure to Pynk, it develops from sleek and low-key to a roaring bridge in which Monáe's singing delivers so much emotion and passion. From there, it hits the musical equivalent of a rollercoaster hitting its biggest drop – everything is stripped away and the incredibly catchy chorus grabs you alongside a simple but perfect-for-dancing guitar part. This song could make anyone dance and summon emotions you didn't know you had, thanks to its ability to somehow be groovy and intensely expressive at the same time; another clear highlight not just of Dirty Computer, but of music in 2018. If you don't want to take my word for it, just take a look at Barack Obama's list of favourite songs this year.

I Got the Juice is a simple, upbeat track with lots of bounce and flavour, and features a nice verse courtesy of Pharrell Williams. It's largely rap-inspired but incorporates elements of funk, and serves as one of the album's lighter cuts. Its expression of self-love complements the following I Like That, in which Janelle clearly maps out her flaws and insecurities before disregarding them as irrelevant when pitted against self-love. She (very accurately) describes herself as unorthodox and unusual, and the powerful delivery of the chorus instantly turns the song into a celebration, rather than condemnation, of these traits. Her harmonising here is as good as it's ever been, and the late anecdote about being embarrassed and rated a 6/10 in high school really adds a personal layer to the theme which has to hit home for more than a few of us. From personal experience, this song is as good as it gets when dealing with self-doubt or outside criticism, and I recommend maximum loudness for an optimal singing-along experience.

The album then hits a slower stretch, with Don't Judge Me and So Afraid being of slower tempos and dealing more with personal fragility than the prior tracks. The former has a serene instrumental, with the spaced-out strings and keys conveying the vulnerability driving the song. The idea of worrying about someone only loving a certain portrayal or version of yourself (aka a specific model of a computer) is haunting and can probably resonate with many listeners, and the song effectively portrays a sensitive love. The latter continues these thoughts, using imagery that would impress the strictest of English teachers. I'm conscious of repeating this too many times, but it also thrives off blissful melodies and a great vocal performance. These two songs tie back into the idea of bugs in dirty computers, showing that they can be observed and attacked by the computer (person) themselves along with others, adding another layer to the metaphor.

Finally, Americans ties the album together, enforcing the theme of outspoken resistance in the form of one of the more creative songs of this political era. It achieves a rare balance of musical quality and political commentary, managing to be entertaining while conveying a message. The lyrics interestingly and humorously satirise conservative attitudes of racism, homophobia etc. as Janelle takes on the perspective of people with these ideas to highlight their toxicity. Delivered in an anthemic, upbeat manner with catchy melodies throughout, it's hard to stop yourself from singing ridiculous phrases like "Jim Crow Jesus". With many songs on these topics falling short due to excessive preachiness, this one really stands out and serves as a fantastic closer that upholds many of the album's crucial themes.

I could write a book on what makes this album so special to me, but I'll contain it to two factors: Consistency and depth. Every song has been my favourite at some point, and the while the songs are optimally consumed in the album's context with its recurring themes, all work and effectively deliver messages independently. By 'depth', I'm referring to how many ways these songs can be enjoyed, whether it be enjoying their pop appeal in singing along or analysing them for musical subtleties and the subjects they cover. Its recent success with Grammy nominations and high placements in many year-end rankings has been deserved and thrilling to see, and I can only hope that such a reception inspires more musicians to make projects like this. If you only take one thing away from all this: listen to this album.

Discussion Topics

What do you think about the blurring of lines between hip-hop and pop? Is it a good/bad thing for the genre?

With hip-hop obviously being intertwined with politics, how responsible are these times for some of the music we're hearing like this album?

Would you like to see more accompanying pieces like the 'Emotion Picture'? How does it enhance your experience with the album?

This is the most personal Janelle album to date – how do you feel about this direction as opposed to the Cindi Mayweather saga?

submitted by /u/ManDown227
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2018 /r/HipHopHeads Awards - Voting Thread

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 11:38 AM PST

Hey /r/hiphopheads!

Welcome to the 2018 HHH Awards!

How it works

Basically, you fill in the Google Form with your ranking from #1 to #3 or #5. Each rank has a set a value. A #1 vote gets 3 points, all the way to #3 which gets 1 point (except on project and song of the year).

Most forms will have three text boxes for you to fill in, except for song of the year and album of the year which will have five.

Please make sure you read the form carefully, follow all instructions, and don't make any spelling mistakes.

Please be sure to not put the same album in multiple ranks!

Google sign in is required to vote. This is to cut down on vote manipulation and reduce my workload (that and I'm still mad at the fuck that voted Faneto in every spot over 500 times in every category in 2015).

You can edit your response after voting.

When Do I Need To Vote By?

Take your time, think about it if you need to. The deadline to submit your rankings is Friday January 4th, 2019.

Where Do I Vote?

Categories:

Best Project (Album/Mixtape/EP) of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
  • Kanye West - The Life of Pablo (2016)
  • Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. (2017)

Best Song of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Kendrick Lamar - Alright (2015)
  • Kanye West - Ultralight Beam (ft. Chance The Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price & Kirk Franklin) (2016)
  • Kendrick Lamar - DNA. (2017)

MVP Artist of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Kendrick Lamar (2015)
  • Chance The Rapper (2016)
  • Kendrick Lamar (2017)

Most Improved Artist of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Young Thug (2015)
  • Tyler, the Creator (2017)

Best Producer of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Metro Boomin (2017)

Best Beat of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Danny Brown - Ain't It Funny (Prod. Paul White) (2016)
  • Kendrick Lamar - DNA. (Prod. Mike WiLL Made-It) (2017)

Best Guest Verse of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Kendrick Lamar - Deep Water (Dr. Dre) (2015)
  • Chance The Rapper - Ultralight Beam (Kanye West) (2016)
  • Kendrick Lamar - Yeah Right (Vince Staples) (2017)

Best Hook of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Travis Scott - 3500 (ft. 2 Chainz & Future) (2015)
  • Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles (ft. Gucci Mane) (2016)
  • BROCKHAMPTON - GOLD (2018)

Best Posse Cut (4 or more artists on one track) of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Danny Brown - Really Doe (ft. Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt & Ab-Soul) (2016)
  • A$AP Mob - RAF (ft. A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Quavo, Lil Uzi Vert & Frank Ocean) (2017)

Best West Coast Project of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
  • YG - Still Brazy (2016)
  • Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. (2017)

Best Midwest Project of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Lupe Fiasco - Tetsuo & Youth (2015)
  • Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition (2016)
  • Smino - blkswn (2017)

Best Southern Project of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Travis Scott - Rodeo (2015)
  • Denzel Curry - Imperial (2016)
  • Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time (2017)

Best East Coast Project of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP. (2015)
  • A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (2016)
  • Jay-Z - 4:44 (2017)

Best Project From Outside of the USA of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Skepta - Konnichiwa (2016)
  • Wiley - Godfather (2017)

Best Debut Project of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Bryson Tiller - Trapsoul (2015)
  • Noname - Telefone (2016)
  • Lil Pump - Lil Pump (2017)

Best R&B Project of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Frank Ocean - Blonde (2016)
  • SZA - CTRL (2017)

Best EP of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • Earl Sweatshirt - Solace (2015)
  • Vince Staples - Prima Donna (2016)
  • Denzel Curry - 13 (2017)

Best Overall Verse of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • N/A

Best Music Video of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • N/A

Best Album Cover of 2018

Previous Winners:

  • N/A

NEW THIS YEAR:

  • Best Overall Verse category added
  • Best Music Video category added
  • Best Album Cover category added

Have fun!

If you see any issues please let me know. I'll get everything fixed up asap.

submitted by /u/Chriscftb97
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[FRESH ALBUM] Bladee - Icedancer

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:07 PM PST

J.I.D named rookie of the year by BET

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 10:48 AM PST

Playboi Carti - Flatbed Freestyle

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:12 PM PST

ASAP Rocky - OG Beeper

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:02 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] 21 Savage - i am > i was [One Week Later]

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:21 AM PST

Didn't see it posted last night, remove if you have to. We've had some time to sit on this album now, what do y'all think?

Edit: A word.

submitted by /u/mymusicaddiction
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Young Thug reads the lyrics to “Best Friend”

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:14 PM PST

Kid Cudi freestyle - Westwood

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 04:33 PM PST

Ski Mask The Slump God “Faucet Failure” Official Lyrics & Meaning Verified | Genius

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 09:03 AM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 12/28/2018

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 04:13 PM PST

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed, as stated in the guidelines.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

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

Weekly/Monthly Threads

Other ways to interact

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

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

Check out these:

submitted by /u/ModsLittleHelper
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Kemba announces 'Deadass' - January 10th 2019

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:28 PM PST

Joe Budden x Charlamagne Tha God | 2018 Wrap Up

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 04:22 PM PST

[DISCUSSION] MIKE - War in my Pen [One Week Later]

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 01:58 PM PST

It's been a week, what are your thoughts on this album? How does it compare to MIKE's previous projects?

submitted by /u/Hoide14
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Bizzy Bone Seemingly Threatens 21 Savage & Migos, Clutches Gun

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 03:21 PM PST

Playboicarti - Mercedez (prod. Father)

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 05:44 PM PST

Kardinal Offishall - Dangerous ft. Akon

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:05 PM PST

New Music Friday: December 28th, 2018

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:19 PM PST

Albums

Soulja Boy - Swag 2 (not on streaming)

Knxwledge - HX. 12.8 (not on streaming)

Curren$y - Weed & Instrumentals 3 (not on streaming)

Pi'erre & Cardo - Pi'erre and Cardo's Wild Adventure (not on streaming)

Waka Flocka Flame - I Can't Rap Vol. 2 (not on streaming)

Bad Bunny - X 100PRE

Roscoe Dash - 5thy5ive

Kamiyada - Live From Space Vol 2 (not on streaming)

Kane Grocerys - Trap Goth 2

CHICO (Formerly known as Le$) - Steak X Shrimp, Vol. 3

Working On Dying - Rapping Gifts

EPs

Cormega - Mega

DeJ Loaf - Go Dej Go Vol. 1

DJ Smokey - XMASWAYZ

24hrs - B4 Xmas

Songs

Post Malone - Wow

lil tracy - my bestie

Layzie Bone - Let Me Go Migo

LUCKI & CHASETHEMONEY - More Than Ever

Unotheactivist - Ronny J Please Turn Me Up

The Underachievers - Stone Cold

Domo Genesis - The Christmas Song

Hopsin - Hell's Carol

Bones - StayingAheadOfTheWeather

Ramriddlz - Ramraja

CHXPO - Nightmare Before Christmas

Michael Christmas - SIDEWAYS

Trippie Redd - What's My Name

D Savage - Issues (feat. Fredo Santana)

Lil Tracy - My Bestie

submitted by /u/TheRoyalGodfrey
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Jaden Smith - B L U E (All Parts)

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 11:22 PM PST

DJ Esco and Future - Married To The Game

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:50 PM PST

Mick Jenkins - U Turn (Prod. by THEMPeople & Ben Hixon)

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:05 PM PST

[Fresh Video] King Caexar - Perfect

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 02:01 PM PST

B.E.N.N.Y. The Butcher - '97 Hov

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 04:30 PM PST

Tierra Whack - Sore Loser

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:52 PM PST

Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie ft. JAY Z (Official Music Video)

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:08 PM PST

RAP REWIND 2018 | Everything That Happened In Hip Hop This Year

Posted: 28 Dec 2018 12:33 PM PST
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