Review: “Featuring Ty Dolla $ign” Album by Ty Dolla $ign

Ty Dolla $ign is a generational talent. He’s among names such as Drake and Lil Wayne when it comes to being able to make any track better once your vocals touch it. He's been on so many albums it’s impossible to keep count. That’s why it was only fitting that his album was titled “Featuring Ty Dolla $ign”.

I am an avid listener of the Joe Budden Podcast. Joe, Mal, Rory and Parks have spent a lot of time over the past year excited for a new Ty project. Joe specifically has spoken about wanting to hear more music from Ty similar to his “Free TC” mixtape from 2015. For people who shared Joe’s sentiment, this album may not be what they were looking for. (Joe actually came on the podcast and said he hated this album.)

I personally enjoyed this album because I had no specific expectations coming in aside from dope music. The way I would describe it is it seems like Ty called in every industry favor he’d been owed over the last 5 years and used them for this album. The project features over 20 different artists ranging from lyricists such as Big Sean and Kanye, to wavy rappers like Roddy Rich, Quavo and Young Thug, to singers like 6LACK, Jhené Aiko and Kehlani.

With 25 tracks and tons of features, the album almost certainly has at least one or two tracks for everybody. You could throw this project on at a party/kickback, put it on shuffle and I don’t think anyone would be disappointed.

The reason I can understand someone not loving this project is because it feels more like a playlist/mixtape rather than an album. Albums typically are concise and focused on a particular theme and sound. Also, with albums, the main artist is typically the person you hear the majority of the time. This project essentially has every sound and every artist on it. It feels less like a Ty Dolla $ign album and more like one of DJ Khaled’s summer compilation projects like “Major Key” or “Father of Asahd”.

For what the project is, it’s really good. Ty makes good music and is great at deciding who would sound good on what track. There aren't many, if any, bad songs on the album. Even the more experimental, EDM type track “Ego Death” performs well in the right environment. If Ty’s goal on this project was to try and place himself in the conversation of most versatile artist out right now, I feel like he succeeded.

For me, my absolute favorite track on the album is “Track 6” which features Anderson .Paak, Kanye West and Thundercat. Maybe it’s because I’m such a .Paak stan, but I think that song is the main standout, Aside from that, I also enjoyed “By Yourself” featuring Jhene and Mustard as well as “Lift Me Up” featuring Future and Young Thug.

Ty displays his typical brand of smooth and wavy singing throughout the entire project while also reminding us of his ability to pick features, structure a project and choose dope production. Even if this wasn’t necessarily what you were expecting from the album, I feel it’s still incredibly enjoyable and replayable. Although I will say I’m interested to see if Ty ever does drop another album similar to “Free TC”.

Stream and Share “Featuring Ty Dolla $ign” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "New Beginnings" Album by Reason

TDE essentially never misses when it comes to signing artists. Aside from the main names on the roster such as Kendrick, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul, Top Dawg has signed dope newer artists such as SZA, Isaiah Rashad and now Reason.

I first heard about Reason when he was featured on the Black Panther Soundtrack on a record called “Seasons”. He also re-released a 2017 project of his is 2018 titled “There You Have It” which I was a huge fan of. When he announced he was dropping his first official album with TDE, “New Beginnings”, I was extremely excited.

Being a Reason fan, I had been listening to all the singles that he’d dropped leading up to the project. The tracks “Pop Sh*t, “Show Stop”, “Flick It Up” and “Sauce” had all been released before, yet sounded even better in the context of the album. I personally was excited to hear all the non-single tracks because those typically hold deeper content (and because I’d already listened to the singles about 100 times each).

Reason displays his typical brand of rapping throughout the project which includes lyricism, wordplay, similes, punchlines and storytelling; all elements of hip-hop that have become underappreciated in today’s musical climate.

There are two songs in particular that really stood out to me: “Gossip” and “Windows Cry”. “Gossip” reminded me of the track “Cut You Off (To Grow Closer)” by Kendrick Lamar. Reason speaks on how he has people in his own family who want to see him struggle and fail. Kendrick’s third verse on “Cut You Off” speaks on how he has family members who he wants to cut off because all they do is talk about other family members behind their backs.

The outro to Reason’s album, “Windows Cry” is a very deep and introspective track where Reason is very transparent about thoughts he’s had during his time being signed to TDE. He even goes as far as speaking on being nervous about being screwed over by a label as it has happened to many others in the industry. He talks about how Kendrick is the main focus on TDE and wonders what happens if he doesn’t reach K-Dot levels. He mentions that when joining a label he essentially is joining what’s supposed to be a family, but at the same time, they’re basically strangers to him. I really respect Reason for being this open and transparent about thoughts that crossed his mind about what most would perceive as “making it”.

Overall, I felt that this was a very solid debut album and one of the better hip-hop projects of 2020. There is a solid mix of replayable/catchy type records as well as introspective records. It’s full of lyricism and musicality as well as dope features. I’m proud of Reason and I feel he has a bright future ahead of him.

Stream and Share “New Beginnings” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3" Album by Jaden Smith

Being the son of Will Smith has got to be tough. Being the son of Will Smith and trying to have your own rap/music career has got to be even tougher. That being said, I believe that Jaden has carved his own path and found his own unique sound. He’s even removed the Smith from his artist name as he just goes by Jaden now. Jaden follows up his projects “SYRE” and “ERYS” with the third installment in his Cool Tapes Series.

Jaden’s debut album “SYRE” is what made me a fan of his. It had a myriad of sounds and styles. He showcased his rapping, singing and even spoken word abilities. Since then, it has been hard to predict what a Jaden project will sound like. When I heard “Cabin Fever” (the first single that dropped for the project), I got a sense of what direction the project was headed. The next single “Rainbow Bap” confirmed it.

For the longest time, I felt that there was no way Jaden would be able to make an album that I’d enjoy more than SYRE. Being completely honest, I believe he's done that with "CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3". Although there is minimal rapping on this project (much less than SYRE), I truly don't think there’s a single skippable track. I’ve played this album several times front to back with ease.

The first thing that I appreciated was the track “Falling For You” featuring Justin Bieber. For those who remember Bieber’s “Never Say Never”, this song was a nice reunion and reminder of just how much the two of them have grown. Not to mention, the track is insanely catchy.

For me, there’s only one real way to describe this album. It’s a vibe. This project can be played anywhere while doing anything. I had it playing in my friend’s car while we were on a drive and it was the perfect background music. It feels like one long journey. Half of the time I couldn’t tell when one song ended and another began.

Something else I appreciated about this project is how Jaden shows how he’s grown mentally and emotionally. Some of the content on this album lets the listener know that he has matured since his younger years.

The rapping on the project, although there isn’t much of it, is good and it shows me that he’s been working on the craft. I picked up on more advanced rhyme schemes and more lyricism than in his previous works.

Overall, I think "CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3" is in the running for Jaden’s best project. I gave SYRE around a 7.5 out of 10, but I’d give this project at least an 8. My standout tracks are “Falling for You”, “Young in Love” and “Deep End”, although all of them are great. A project like this helps to put him in the category of “artist” instead of trapping him in the box of “rapper”. All in all, Jaden just makes very good music. I’m excited to see what he does in the next 5-7 years.

Stream and Share "CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3" on: Apple Music | Spotify

Review: "Limbo" Album by Aminé

In March of 2016, Aminé made a big entrance into the music industry with his song “Caroline”. The song and video went viral and were on repeat for the rest of the year. In 2017, he dropped his debut project, “Good for You”, and he also made the 2017 XXL Freshman list. Needless to say, Aminé started off his career on fire.

One negative thing about having a song such as “Caroline” is feeling like you may never top it. There’s also the issue of feeling like you can’t make any songs that don’t sound exactly like that one. I felt like Aminé’s debut album was average. I don’t believe he experimented much sound wise and to me, it felt like he was trying to make more Carolines. Fast forward to 2020, and after releasing a couple singles, Aminé has now dropped his sophomore album, “Limbo”.

Off the bat, I will say that this project has put Aminé in a different light for me. With a song like “Caroline”, he was in instant danger of becoming sort of a one hit wonder. This project is well rounded, experimental and really just good.

“Limbo” has a lot of different elements to it. I appreciate that Aminé made it clear that he can truly rap as well as sing. There are several tracks where he raps over boom bap beats and it shows me that he takes rapping seriously and that he’s good at it. Songs such as “Burden” and “My Reality” prove this.

Aminé does a good job with feature selection on this project. Whereas on his last project, I felt like some of the features were more for the name and didn’t really fit. Artists such as JID, Young Thug and Summer Walker not only have the names to draw attention, but their sounds are perfect for the songs they were used on.

There are songs on this project that won’t just get a lot of replay, but are also quality records. The tracks “Compensating”, “Riri” and “Easy” are all songs that can and will get major play on the radio and even in clubs once the world opens back up. I believe each of these songs achieves the goal of outshining “Caroline”.

Aminé touches on several topics such as love, happiness vs. materialism and even how he feels about his mother. One specific person, however, is brought up throughout most of the project. That person is Kobe Bryant. Aminé makes it clear through both bars and skits that Kobe had a big impact on his youth and that his death affected him tremendously. RIP Kobe.

Overall, I really enjoyed this project. Aminé shows that he has grown as an artist since 2016/2017 and that he’s much more than a one hit wonder. I feel that there is at least one song on this album for every type of Hip-Hop fan. If I had to give it a number, It would be about an 8 out of 10. I’m proud of Aminé and I’m excited to see what this album does for his career.

Stream and Share “Limbo” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!" Album by KYLE

In May of 2018, KYLE released a project titled "Light of Mine". The album was narrated by Lil Yachty and it featured the most successful song of KYLE's career, "iSpy" (which also featured Lil Yachty). Two years later, KYLE has now dropped his new project "See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!".

Before listening to this project, I had been keeping up with KYLE's tweets. A few days before the release he stated that this project was his best work to date. Needless to say, I had high hopes going in. After listening to the album, I must say that I have mixed feelings about it.

KYLE dropped three singles for this project: "Bouncin", "YES!" and "What It Is". I loved "What It Is", thought "Bouncin" was ok and didn't really care for "YES!". These tracks left me very curious about how the full album would sound.

Now, it is very clear from the title and cover art, which both come from KYLE's high school yearbook, that this project was intended to be sort of a dive into the past. I believe that his goal was to sort of recreate the feel and sound that he had when he was a teenager hungry to make it big in the rap world. This is also made clear by the track 10 interlude and by track 11 where KYLE raps as K.i.D, his original rap name. He also mentions that he had a lot of his original team do work for the project, both musically and visually.

All that being said, as a fan of KYLE’s, I cannot agree with him that this is his best project. Truthfully I don’t think that it’s better than any of his previous ones. Tracks like, “Money Now” and “Forget” are cool but are really only likeable because of the bigger name features; Tyga and Trippie Redd. On the other hand, some songs are alright but seem to almost be ruined by the features. Examples of this are “YES!” featuring Rich The Kid & K CAMP and “GIRLS” featuring Rico Nasty.

The songs I truly enjoy and feel are up to par for KYLE are “Bouncin”, “Over It”, What It Is”, “The Sun” and “Mr Man & K.i.D”. Honestly, if it was an EP that consisted of just these songs, I would’ve enjoyed it more. The rest of the tracks either feel like filler or have features on them that feel unnecessary.

The reason I have mixed feelings about this project is because I believe that this was the music KYLE wanted to make. As an artist myself, I know what it feels like to make music that you personally love and to not have it be accepted as well as the catchy songs that you don’t really care about. I believe that making this project made KYLE happy, gave him a chance to reminisce and allowed him to feel the way he felt before he had all the pressure and stress of being a famous rapper. I also think it reminded him of his climb and just how far he has come from his humble beginning in high school.

If I had to rate this album off the music alone I would have to give it a 5 out of 10. To put that in perspective, I’d give “Light of Mine’ about a 7. I don’t believe that KYLE has fallen off or anything like that, I just think that this was a project he wanted/needed to make for himself. I can’t be mad at that.

Stream and Share “See You When I Am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!!" on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "No Pressure" Album by Logic

In 2014, Logic released his debut album titled “Under Pressure”. This project was extremely transparent as Logic detailed a lot of his tough home life and struggles growing up. He was relatively new to the rap game and was feeling both the pressure of escaping his troubled youth and the pressure to be a great rapper and artist.

Fast forward to 2020 and I think most would say that Logic has had a successful career. He has a huge, loyal fan base, several quality projects and mixtapes under his belt, several tours, a big radio hit (“1-800-273-8255”) and much more. This made it that much more surprising when about a week ago, Logic announced that he’d be releasing a new album titled “No Pressure” and that it would be his last.

Before even listening to the project, a lot was made clear by just the title and the cover art. Both are flips of “Under Pressure”. The title, mixed with the fact that Logic said this would be his last album, show that he’s now freeing himself from the pressure he’s been under since the beginning of his career. The cover art was essentially the same as the “Under Pressure” art but instead of Logic sitting at his computer he’s almost levitating as his computer monitor and speakers all float away.

From the very start of the album, it was clear to me that this was going to be one of the better Logic projects. His rapping made it very apparent that he was planning for this to be his last release. It almost felt like he was saying “Yo before I go, just remember I rap better than most of y’all”. It felt like he made a conscious effort to showcase his rapping ability instead of trying to make a catchy radio song.

Logic does a good job of mixing in bits of nostalgia for his fans throughout the album. It was just the right amount. He essentially remixed his track Soul Food (a fan favorite) on Soul Food II and occasionally mixed in some pieces of older verses. It was a good way to sort of recognize where he’s come from while also showing how his mindset has changed after several years in the industry. He now cares less about what others think about him and he realizes that some of the things he used to put a lot of weight in are no longer important to him.

Logic’s content matures in this album as he speaks on being a father. On “DadBod” he speaks on what his everyday life is like and how it really isn’t super exciting. He speaks on how fans criticize him for no longer making the music he used to make about his trials and tribulations. He sort of responds to this by saying it wouldn't be healthy for him mentally to always rap about his rough upbringing. Plus, who wants to hear 6 albums about the exact same thing.

The production on this album is excellent, which is to be expected since it was executive produced by the great No I.D. (who also produced Logic’s debut). The beats were perfect for Logic to do what he does best… rap.

I really like the production, sequencing, content and rapping on this project. I liked being able to hear the growth not only musically but emotionally/mentally from his debut up until now. After a few listens, I settled on rating this album an 8.2/10. To put that in perspective, I have “Under Pressure” at around an 8.5, “The Incredible True Story” at around an 8 and “Everybody” at about a 6.5.

Logic has signed an exclusive deal with Twitch as he plans to move into the next chapter of his life. The night before the album dropped, he got on Twitch and thanked everyone from his producers and fans to Kendrick and Drake. Something that really stuck out to me is he said every time he dropped a project he wanted to be loved. He would read the internet looking for that and would always be disappointed. He said that this time around he won’t be doing that because he finally loves himself.

This album was a solid final project for Logic and though I will miss his music, I’m excited to see what the next chapter of his life looks like.

Stream and Share “No Pressure” on: Apple Music | Spotify

Review: "TRIATHLON" Album by Anthone Ray

Anthone Ray is a Lynchburg, VA based rapper and producer whose music can be described as lyrical, energetic, wavy, smooth and diverse. He just dropped his new album titled “TRIATHLON”.

I’ll tell you, the first word that comes to mind after listening to this project is “diverse”. It seems like Anthone can do it all. He produced every beat, sung every hook and rapped just about every verse. When it comes to comparing him to mainstream artists, I would say that Anthone is a solid mix between Drake and Travis Scott. I’d say his rapping mirrors Drake’s at times, however Anthone is significantly more lyrical. Also, his hooks/singing is wavy, auto tuned and extremely full which reminds me of Scott. That being said, Anthone definitely has his own unique voice and sound along with these influences.

As a rapper myself, something I appreciate about Anthone’s project is the particular type of rapping he employs. In 2020, a new brand of rapping has taken over. This type of rap is less lyric focused and more about how things sound. Anthone is clearly a student of hip-hop as his raps are full of punchlines, similes and wordplay. There were several times I found my eyes widening as I caught a certain bar. That’s the type of rap I thoroughly enjoy.

The intro track, “RELAY” is the perfect way to begin the project as it showcases all of Anthone’s abilities. The production is excellent, there are PLENTY of bars, and there’s even a section of auto tune singing. This is a personal favorite of mine.

The third track, “OUT THE GATE” is in the running for the best song on the project in my opinion. While listening to it, I made sure to make a note that said “banger”. The song would be amazing to see performed live and it’s also a song that would do well in a party setting. Maybe even just jamming out in a full car.

I have to say, I was already impressed with the production. As I was listening I said to myself that it was unique and diverse. No two beats were the same and they were all creative and well-made. Once I found out the entire project, except for “BIG TALK”, was produced by Anthone (which was after I finished listening to it), I was even more impressed with his overall talent level.

A couple more songs that stuck out to me were “LATELY FREESTYLE”, because I love to just hear an artist simply rap, and the last track, “GOLD MEDAL DREAMS” which seems to sort of tie the entire project together.

Overall this project is extremely dope and unique. It made me an instant fan of Anthone Ray and gave me a bit more hope for the future of lyrical rap. I’m excited to see what he drops next.

Stream and Share “TRIATHLON” on Spotify

Review: "The Imperfect Storm" EP by Wale

Wale, often known for his happy, upbeat, and poetic raps has recently switched up his tone a bit. His 2019 project, “Wow… That’s Crazy” focused a lot on the plight of black people. Now that the world has started to shine even more light on this plight, Wale felt it was the perfect time to release a project that addressed the topic more head on and in a unique way.

I believe that most will find themselves confused while listening to this for the very first time. If you don’t listen closely to the words, you may think that this project is supposed to be happy and fun. Wale uses upbeat, bouncy beats that almost make you want to dance. This is a stark contrast from the cover art which showcases a dark, empty street that is on fire.

I believe that Wale had two reasons for doing this. The first is that it shows irony. The second is that it’s a creative way to get people to hear the real issues without listening to extremely melancholy music.

In this short 18 minute project, Wale touches on topics that range from Covid-19, police brutality, needing to protect black women and how America treats people of color.

In the intro, “MOVIN’ DIFFERENT”, Wale raps over an upbeat dance beat about how in 2020, he’s having to watch the way he’s moving in order to avoid being killed. He also uses a skit to touch on how protesters have been getting attacked.

On the song “BLUE YELLOW GREEN PINK WHITE”, Wale raps over a beat that’s almost impossible not to dance to. “Blue, yellow, green, pink, white. I ain’t bout to judge a muhf*****, livin life”, he raps. A very creative way to teach the simple lesson that racism is ridiculous.

“JUNE 5th / QueenZnGodZ” is probably the track with the most serious beat and vibe. Wale touches on two serious topics. The first half of the track speaks on how he feels as a black man in America in 2020. The second half of the track is meant to edify black women and show that they’re appreciated despite how poorly they’re treated.

Wale adds skits throughout the project that shine light on the current state of America. This adds even more depth to the already heavy project. I believe that Wale deserves praise not only for speaking out, but for doing it in a creative way. He mentioned in the project that he wants to try and cheer people up. The beats that play behind these deep topics will do just that.

Stream and Share “The Imperfect Storm” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "Jesus is King" Album by Kanye West

Last year, Kanye West announced that he was going to release an album titled “Yandhi”. The album, which was titled using a combination of Ye and Gandhi, was supposed to release in September of 2018. The album was delayed until November and then was ultimately canceled.

During 2019, Kanye started up something new called Sunday Service. Clips were posted on social media of Ye playing beats with a choir singing along with him. It appeared that he had found a new lane of music. He started doing Sunday Service regularly and it evolved as the choir started to do gospel flips of mainstream music.

In August, Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian, seemed to announce that the rapper would soon be dropping an album titled “Jesus Is King”. After a few more delays, on October 25th, “Jesus Is King” was released to the world. Here are my thoughts.

Like everyone else, I didn’t really know what to expect from this project. It’s not everyday that an established, seasoned, successful mainstream artist decides to switch their genre to strictly gospel. My best guess what that Kanye’s album would be similar to the current sound of CHH (Christian Hip-Hop). He’d still have excellent production and would still rap the same amount. The only thing I expected to truly change was the language and the overall content.

After my first listen to “Jesus is King”, I was definitely caught off guard. If I’m being honest, I would have to classify this project as purely gospel instead of Christian Hip-Hop or Christian Rap. There is less rapping than I expected as the majority of the album is singing; whether it be Ye himself, the Sunday Service choir or a featured artist.

I’ll start off by saying I personally love the content. I am a CHH artist so this was right up my alley. He raps explicitly about God and Jesus in this album. He quotes scripture, biblical references and makes sure that the listener knows exactly who it is he is speaking about. I like being able to listen to a Kanye album and agree with and relate to everything he’s rapping and singing about. As far as content goes, there’s nothing negative I can say about the album.

Now, let’s talk about the actual music. After listening to it a handful of times, I will say that overall I enjoyed the album; however, there are very few songs that I would play on a daily or even weekly basis.

The project starts off a bit slow from tracks 1-3. The mixing on “Selah” and “Follow God” isn’t the greatest to me. They almost sound as if they aren’t finished. Track 4, “Closed on Sunday”, is the first song I heard on the project that truly caught my ear. It has replay value in my opinion and is catchy. I even enjoy the cheesy little play on words with Chick-fil-a. “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A. You're my number one, with the lemonade.” The very next track “On God” is alright. The rapping is very simplistic and the beat is a little odd but overall it’s not an awful track.

For me, the album truly starts at track 6, “Everything We Need”. I love the album from this point until the end. Tracks 6 - 11 feel as if they were worked on much longer and harder than the songs before them. “Everything We Need” is probably my favorite track on the project. Ty Dolla $ign does his thing, the track is very catchy and bouncy, and it has a very smooth and polished sound.

The rest of the album is full of tracks with the same quality as Track 6. Kanye kills the production on these tracks especially the sampling on “Hands On” and the beat for “Use This Gospel”. Clipse reunites on “Use This Gospel” (which is amazing fyi) and Kanye closes us out with some singing on “Jesus Is Lord”.

Overall, while I love the content that Kanye comes with, I can see why fans of his claim that the quality of Ye’s music is starting to fall off. It feels as if this project was rushed, in my opinion (Which is crazy because he’s presumably had a year to work on it). I dislike this because it adds fuel to those who claim that Christian music and Christian rap don’t “bang” or match the quality of mainstream music.

I’m glad to see Kanye attempting to become a better man and it’s interesting to watch and listen to his musical transition, but I do think that if he wants to make gospel music or Christian rap his permanent lane, he needs to try to maintain the same quality of music that we are used to receiving from him.

Stream and Share “Jesus is King” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "Hennesis" Album by UptownBODEGA

UptownBODEGA is a Hip-Hop artist out of Central Islip, New York who makes music about himself and his family life. DEGA recently released his sophomore project titled “Hennesis”.

From the very beginning of the project, I knew that I was in for an enjoyable listen. On the track “Barcelona”, DEGA spits with a slow and intricate flow over a groovy, old school beat. It pulled me in from the start.

DEGA has a very captivating voice. He’s very clear and meticulous when he raps. He makes the type of music where you need to truly listen closely to pick up on every little thing he’s saying. He has a good mix of serious content as well as lines that will literally make you laugh out loud. The track “48 Crusades” is a good example of this. He’s clever, witty and versatile. DEGA told us that he’s been compared to Lil Pump and Lil Xan. I respectfully disagree with these comparisons. He reminds me more of Jim Jones or maybe Wale.

I have a very big love for boom-bap. I’m a huge fan of the old school sound. This album is full of that. At times I was scratching my head wondering if somehow DEGA got 9th Wonder to hook him up with a few beats. The production meshes well with DEGA’s style and allows him to spit with his unique flow. This album’s sound can be described as a hybrid mix of old school and new school.

Something that DEGA does that many artists fail to do is he puts his personality and sense of humor in his bars. Everything isn’t motone or too serious. He’s not afraid to play with words and rhyme schemes or use a joke or punch line here and there.

At the same time, DEGA still raps about serious content. On the track “Bad Habits” he speaks on selling his uncle drugs, smoking weed, alcoholism and being addicted to women.

My personal favorite track on the project is “Modelo”. This song features an artist that I’m a fan of, Conway The Machine. Both DEGA and Conway spit fire on this track. I liked it so much that I had to listen on repeat a few times.

Overall, the “Hennesis” album is a nice blast from the past mixed with a modern twist. DEGA is the true definition of unique and innovative. He has his own sound and he’s in his own lane. I really don't find many artists nowadays making similar sounding music to this.

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Review: "Regal Club" Album by St. Louis Rap Duo Regal Club

Regal Club is a Hip-Hop duo based out of St. Louis, including J. Cruz and Alvo. Regal Club specializes in making music that is lyrical and hard hitting. The duo recently released their debut album which is self titled.

I need to first start by saying that it’s dope to see that hip-hop groups/duos still exist. It seems to me that it’s much harder to find duos in rap nowadays.

Unique is the first word that comes to mind when I listen to this project. The duo has a unique sound both vocally and production-wise. Voice wise, both members have very unique and captivating voices. This makes for believable verses and catchy hooks (think of the Migos but more lyrical). As far as production goes, the album was executive produced by Alvo and he deserves props for making intricate, hard hitting and catchy beats.

I'm not sure how long these two have been working together, but it sounds as though they’ve built up chemistry over several years. It feels as if the two are brothers who have been making music together since they were kids.

Aside from their voices, the thing I enjoy the most about these two is their lyrical ability. Their verses stand out amongst the sea of mumble rappers that have taken over the game. It’s like a breath of fresh air. They enunciate well and they really sell what it is that they’re spitting.

One song that really caught my ear was “Money Showers”. The beat is simple but it hits extremely hard. The hook is repetitive but in a catchy way. The rapping is intricate as they utilize a myriad of cadences and flows.

The track with my favorite production is “Turn Over”. The beat is very spacey and ominous. It creates a very spooky yet calm vibe. It was perfect for the slow rapping that went over it.

My personal favorite track as a whole is “Underworld”. The beat loop is extremely catchy and the duo raps with loud, commanding voices. Once again, they really sell what it is that they are rapping. “All this money in my pocket, I’m just tryna see what’s poppin!”

Overall, this album’s unique production and lyricism makes it a great listen. Alvo and J. Cruz’ chemistry, unique voices and convincing rapping makes it all the more enjoyable.

Stream and Share “Regal Club” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "Do or Die" Album by Dio

Dio is a New Jersey based, Hip-Hop/RnB artist signed by OPV Records. He makes music that takes the listener through his emotional trips and life situations. Earlier this month, Dio dropped his sophomore album with the label titled “Do or Die”.

I typically like to compare indie artists to a couple of mainstream acts just to give a general idea of their sound. For Dio, he gives me both Drake and Quavo vibes. He has the ability to sing using autotune over trap beats like Quavo and can also switch from singing to rapping like Drake.

That being said, Dio definitely has his own voice and sound. He’s found a way to be influenced by some of today’s popular sound while also having his own unique style. One of the first songs that caught my ear was “Stacey”. Dio sings and spits with a myriad of flows over a beat loop that is dark and ominous. The hook is catchy as Dio names different women and tells them that he doesn’t miss them and doesn’t like drama.

The production on this project is an example of trap NOT being lazy. I personally stray away from some trap music because the production is lazy, simple and lacks musicality. The beats on this project capture the trap sound while still utilizing actual musical elements. An example of this is the beat on track 4, “No Issue”.

I need to brag on Dio’s actual rapping ability for a second. I applaud those who still “rap rap” in 2019. In “Brogan Talk”, Dio proves that he can rap with speed, lyricism and intricate rhyme schemes.

A big surprise, on track 6, “Conmigo”, Dio shows that he can sing in Spanish. He does the entire song in fluent Spanish, which was rather impressive to me.

My personal favorite song on the project is “Tell You Things”. The beat is smooth, the hook is extremely wavy and the rapping is captivating. The song is bright and it puts the listener in a good mood. Every aspect of the track is well done and it’s definitely a standout track for me.

The final track “Luis Freestyle !” is another favorite of mine being that I'm a huge Hip-Hop head. I always gain a little more respect for artists when they showcase their ability to take it back to just rapping over a simple boom-bap beat.

Overall, I think this project is excellent. It is diverse, well put together and it shows how versatile Dio is. I know he is signed to OPV, but I could easily see him being signed to Quality Control. I can’t wait to see what the next few years brings him.

Stream and Share “Do or Die” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "Tree" EP by Virginia Beach Rap Artist Rep

Auri Jones, aka Rep, is a rap artist out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is a conscious artist who puts messages in his music and likes to paint pictures with his lyrics. Rep recently released a short EP titled “Tree” which focuses on our desire and need to grow in life, noting the obstacles that might get in the way.

Rep embodies what I feel hip-hop truly is by focusing on lyricism and imagery. He is actually saying something throughout the project and it is clear that he values wordplay, punchlines and metaphors. Rep certainly has a unique sound as I find it difficult to really compare his sound to anyone else's.

I personally appreciate the fact that this album isn’t explicit and references Christianity throughout. Christian Hip-hop, religious based rap, and clean music in general are hard to find nowadays. Sometimes it’s good to get a break from the music about women, money, cars, etc.

The first track that really caught my ear was “Leaves”. It speaks on some serious topics such as faith, miscarriages, failure and hanging on. It’s a well produced track with a positive message. Rep tries his hand at singing which I have to respect. My personal favorite track is track 6 “Redwoods”. It features a very dope beat loop and great verses from Rep, Crossfyre Smith, BRM and Werdplae.

Producers aymadethebeat, dirtybeatz , and beatsbyquefle all did an excellent job of creating an old-school sounding hip hop album. I was a fan of the production on this album for the most part and I respect producers that still make beats that sound like this instead of simplistic, trap beats.

The second half of the album is packed with features. For the most part, the features weren’t bad and they added a new sound/style to the second half of the project. That being said, some of the less quality features maybe could’ve been left off the project.

Overall, this project was a good effort and shows that Rep has a ton of potential. My main critiques have nothing to do with skill/ability, and more to do with mixing and mastering. Some of the tracks could’ve stood to be mixed a bit better, especially when it came to some of the guest verses. Outside of that, I enjoyed listening to the project and it was nice to hear a lyricist spitting clean and conveying a message.

Stream and Share “Tree” on Spotify

Review: "Percival" EP by Loudy Brown

Loudy Brown is an up and coming rap artist who has been grinding in 2019 and has recently released a three track EP titled “Percival”.

Being an artist myself, I know the difficulty that comes with trying to balance finding your own, unique sound while also getting people to accept you as an artist. That being said, I feel that Brown has found a way to do this. Autotune has become extremely popular in Hip-Hop over the last decade, and one could argue that it’s difficult to make a hit without using any at all. Brown utilizes autotune but he makes it his own with his deep voice, unique flows and meaningful lyrics. If I had to compare him to any mainstream artists, I would say he’s similar to Travis Scott and/or Jaden Smith.

I think that these three tracks are a good way to introduce yourself to Loudy Brown. It’s a short 8 minutes but it gives you a nice preview of his sound and style. Each track showcases a different flow and melody. There is a myriad of subjects touched throughout the three songs instead of just the basic topics of women and money.

I like the production selection for the project. The beats definitely stand out to me because they distinguish themselves from a lot of the simple trap beats that have become popular as of late.

My personal favorite track on the EP is “The Last Song”. The beat is extremely dope and Brown’s vocals are almost hypnotic throughout. Brown showcases diversity as he both sings and raps on the track.

Overall, I feel that “Percival” was short, sweet and effective. It is a perfect way to introduce Brown’s music to new listeners. I’d like to see how Brown improves and evolves over the next year or two.

Stream “Percival” on Spotify

Review: “Revenge of the Dreamers 3” Album by Dreamville

J Cole’s Dreamville is beginning to solidify their spot as the top hip/hop label in the game right now. In January of this year, Cole announced that the label would be releasing their third collaboration project. This time, however, they would be doing things a bit differently. Dreamville would be inviting dozens of creatives to meet at a studio in Atlanta for 10 days to make music. 6 months later, we now have “Revenge of the Dreamers 3”.

When it comes to collaboration projects, there is a lot that can go wrong. When I first heard about all the invitations that Dreamville sent out, I thought that there potentially could be too many chefs in the kitchen. I was afraid that every song would have 10 artists on it who didn’t fit well together. I also thought the project would be like 3 hours long. All of these fears were put to rest after my first listen.

The 18 track, hour long album was much more condensed and organized than I was expecting. It appears that while there were dozens of people working for those ten days, only the best of the best made the actual album. (The way it should be). Of course the Dreamville core of Cole, Bas, Cozz, JID, Ari, and Earthgang made the project. The rest of the artists who made the cut were all deserving, regardless if they were mainstream or underground.

I like this album because it has a well rounded sound. There are bangers, more lyrical tracks, club records, slow RnB jams and more. The artists are paired off together well. An example is the song “Lambo Truck” featuring Cozz and Reason. They had such a great dynamic that I’d love to hear them make more music together. Also, the pairing of Ari Lennox and Ty Dolla $ign on “Got Me” is amazing. Even the song “Costa Rica” which features 9 artists is excellent. Although a lot of the artists on the song have different styles, it’s one of my favorites. Sometimes hearing different styles of rap on the same record makes it better.

The core Dreamville cast did their thing. Honestly, J Cole needs to watch out for JID. Cole was amazing but JID was definitely the stand out on the project. He killed every single verse that he spit on this album. He even has a track with T.I. called “Ladies, Ladies, Ladies”. Bas, Cozz, Ari and Earthgang all showed why they are a part of the label and helped the case for why Dreamville should be in the same breath as TDE. (Speaking of TDE, Kendrick made a surprise appearance on the very first song.)

“Revenge of the Dreamers 3” is an excellent example of a collaboration project. It’s always nice when creatives from all over can come together and just make dope music. I must say that 2019 is beginning to feel like J Cole’s year. I’m extremely excited for what the other Dreamville members do in the near future. I’ll definitely be playing this album all summer.

Stream and Share “Revenge of the Dreamers 3” on: Spotify | Apple Music

Review: "Hear Me Paint" Album by CASH

CASH is an up and coming hip-hop artist out of Atlanta, who released his 14 track album “Hear Me Paint” in an attempt to show his love for both art and music, and also to bridge the perceived gap between the two.

While listening to indie artists, I typically attempt to compare their sound to a mainstream act. In the case of CASH, it is extremely difficult, and that’s a good thing. The closest I could come to was a mixture of Pusha T and Kanye, but to be completely honest, CASH has a very unique sound and voice.

From the very beginning of the project I could tell that this was an artist I would enjoy. I personally love conscious/lyrical rap with a message. I like when music evokes emotion out of the listener. CASH’s entire project does this. He also shows that he can rap with a myriad of cadences and that he cares a lot about lyricism.

This project is very versatile which is excellent since CASH is attempting to show how art and music are one and the same. Art takes on all different forms. This project has rapity songs, singy songs, upbeat songs, slow jams and more. Each track creates its own unique mood. Typically artists try to make a lot of the songs on a project sound similar, but in this instance, making so many unique sounding songs adds to the overall concept.

I feel that gifted rappers are able to almost make their lyrics jump off of the page (or out of the headphones) to form vivid images and stories. CASH does this well as he shows that he’s an excellent story-teller. The song “Let Me Down” is a perfect example of this. I can personally visualize every word his spits.

I have to give props to whatever producers worked on this project. I’m not sure if CASH did all of his own production or if he had any help, but whatever the case, all of it is amazing. In today's rap culture where production is lazy and repetitive, hearing real instruments and dope old-school drums brings a smile to my face.

My personal favorite tracks are “Mahogany”, “I’ll Be Damned” and “Church”. “Mahogany” is a great song that edifies beautiful black queens and even names some of them. “I’ll Be Damned” has a catchy hook and vibe that caused the song to get stuck in my head. “Church” has nice organ/churchy production that I’m extremely fond of.

CASH is a dope, well-rounded artist who put together an amazing album with a great concept and message. The album just simply sounds good. I can’t wait to see what he cooks up in the coming years.

Stream and Share “Hear Me Paint” on: Soundcloud