It took over 6 years for Saigon to release his official debut album since bursting onto the scene in the early ’00′s.  Last  year saw the release of the very overlooked “The Greatest Story Never Told”, an album which for Saigon supporters (full disclosure such as myself) had been waiting on for years making it feel like something of a anti-climax even though it is an amazing and cohesive work of art.  Now after a year and change we get a follow up, begging the question whether Saigon can build on the foundation he set with his first album.

It is hard to top an album that had Just Blaze producing more than half the album and the first thing I wondered when Chapter 2 was annouced was whether Just Blaze would again take the reins behind the boards.  Reading through the credits I can see that Just only has one track attributed to him.  So popping in the CD my expectations were already set lower after reading through the credits and seeing a  lot of names I did not recognize like Shuko and DJ Corbett.  It’s not that I need high profile producers in order to like an album, it is just that Just Blaze is on another level to me so not seeing his name more before actually hearing the album had me a little concerned.  However from the first track on, I have to say the producers held their own and the cohesive feel from the first album is maintained on this sophomore effort.

Saigon starts off on very strong footing with what will turn out to be one of my favorite songs on the album.  ”Plant The Seed (What U Paid For)” sounds like a war cry as Saigon comes out confidently showing off his flow, laying down the gauntlet all the while making some very  poignant observations as he states sarcistically;

“Everybody getting it/Everybody Trapping/who the hell is listening/If everybody rapping…”

The production credits go to a name that is not familiar to me, Shuko, who in my opinion has a bright future if he can knock out beats consistently on the level of the album opener.  Looks like he did have some help from Just Blaze as well, but the piano, horns and orchestra like background give the song an epic feel. What follows from there are a compilation of songs that have dark ominous beats(“Rap vs Real”), songs with R&B inspired hooks (“Game Changer,”When will you love me”) and a couple of songs with a bit more pop rock flavored backgrounds and hooks.  At first that sounds like an odd combination however Saigon makes it work because of the strength of his emceeing.  I think for some the inclusion of some of the sung choruses will be a negative for them however I think these songs are very poignant songs and Saigon does a great job of matching the beat with the tone of the message he wants to deliver at the time. For example on the Lecrae assisted “Best thing that I found”.  I could easily imagine this as a Nickelback song if it wasn’t for the heavy drums, as Saigon and Lecrae rap about their faith.  But the song works because it is well executed and doesn’t sound corny.  The other negative I am sure people will throw at the album is that it is message heavy.  I do not personally see this as a negative.  I think Saigon’s direct style allows him to get a message across without coming off as a jerk, in the way Lupe Fiasco is looked at, regardless though if you like your music with no look in the mirror statements then this album is not for you.  Saigon talks on a range of subjects from the fakeness of hip-hop, ghetto mentality to his own personal mistakes and faith.  I don’t find it preachy at all, especially when he admits to his own flaws.  Saigon has no problem with the box people put him in though, and revels in it.

“Y’all callin my music conscious, I’m callin it wide awake”

Overall there is very little for me to dislike about this album for me.  I could get picky and say maybe the production is not quite elite status but it also entertains me all the way through.  Many times emcees who are put into the “conscious” box cannot always package their music in an easily digestible way, in this case the production softens the blow of the hard truth that Saigon is spitting.  To me this is one of the best projects of the year.  The first album had some better individual songs like “Clap”, but as a complete project I actually think this album is much better.  I think Saigon has been able to build on the sounds he experimented with on the first and remained more focused from start to finish.

Saigon is one of those emcees that is the victim of timing, had he been able to come out in ’98/99 he may have had more of a chance to capture more of a fan base than he currently has now.   Saigon is New York emcee who stubbornly tries to stick to a principle of trying to have a message in his music.  In addition to the message he also tries to be a versatile emcee in terms of technical ability, working with different flows although his punchline and word play game has never been his strong point.  Complex metaphors are not Saigon’s forte but he has always been always been able to flip his flow while delivering strong social and sometimes political commentary.   Because of his lean towards messages, Saigon of course has been put into the box of being a “conscious” emcee.  This album doesn’t do anything to fight that stigma, in fact Saigon walks head first into it, taking the label and wearing it proudly while at the same time though delivering some very entertaining music.

Rating: Buy it,in fact buy 2.

After a long 6 years devoid of any Sean Price solo work, Price comes through with his 3rd official solo album.

It has been a while since Sean Price gave us a solo album, in between the last solo and now he has kept himself slightly busy with a few YouTube video songs, another criminally underrated Heltah Skeltah album “D.I.R.T”.  There was also the equally slept-on work with Black Milk and Guilty Simpson on Random Axe.   After threats of quitting and claims of not wanting to  release another album on twitter it seems as though he finally gave into the fans and he finally delivers the long anticipated “Mic Tyson”.

When I first heard this album I knew immediately that there is not a whole lot that I can actually say about it…….in a good way. It is best described by the title of one my favorite songs on the album “Bully Rap”.   There are a set of words I can use to describe this album and I am sure people will then say I am trying to put this album in a box.  In a sentence, this album is that New York, grimy, boom bap, hard body, pardon-my-language-but-after-rocking-this-album-all-I-want-to-do-is-get-gully shit.   I’ll say it right off the bat this album is definitely not made for everyone.  If you know anything about Sean Price then you will not be surprised by anything you hear and would know pretty much what to expect.  If you are completely new to Sean Price and are a fan of the more synth and 808 driven sounds of contemporary rap then you will be extremely disappointed.

I think what Sean Price gave us in this album is something tailored and aimed directly for his core fan base.  There is nothing remotely commercial sounding on this album, no hi hats and 808′s, no screwed and chopped hooks (you are lucky if you get a hook at all lol) and no R&B singers for miles.    The album plays out like Price sitting in on a Toca Tuesday session and Tony touch just switching up beats every two minutes or so.  Its 40 plus minutes of Sean Price going IN over what I can only describe as some of the dirtiest New York style beats you will hear in any album post 2010.   Other than Sean rapping there is very little structure to this album.  No concepts, no real stories or guiding theme are to be found on this album, what you have is what I think of as a lyrical exorcism with Sean Price letting loose on the mic.   Sometimes, especially as a hip-hop head who grew up through the so called “Golden Age” you just want to hear an emcee spit over some tough beats and this album does not disappoint in that department.   Sean Price’s usual mix of threatening hard nosed rhymes and witty dark humour produce many a quotable throughout the whole album.   As he describes it…

“Hardcore rap at its worst/Move from the morgue truck to the back of the hearse/ Move from the back of the hearse to back in the dirt/”

The album starts with the Alchemist produced plodding but menacing beat of  “Genesis of Omega”.  Alchemist shows up again on the song “Bar-barian” and brings that Rza like feel to the beat.   “Alan the chemist” shows up a total of 3 times on the album and his sound is the perfect background for Sean to give the proverbial suckers emcees that work.  A few other lesser known producers also show up such as the Amp produced Pyrex. Sean gets a bouncy but still menacing DJ Premier inspired beat and brings that wonderful mix of hard-body lyrics with a humorous sometimes self-deprecating twist.

“You a happy meal n***a,with a toy in the box/ I clap the steel, n***a, put your boy in a box/ P. /and the gun that’ll slap ya/ I’m lying,/ just like the rest of these dumb ass rappers”

As I said before the trend of heavy beats with Sean lyrically slapping everyone around continues throughout the album.  One of the highlights is “Straight Music” with 9th Wonder, a relatively smoother track that follows one of the hardest songs on the album “Title Track”  produced by a producer unknown to me called Eric G, all I know is that  it is HARD as hell and another definite standout for me.  As I already mentioned “Bully Rap” is also one of the highlights for me.  With Alchemist once again providing a trademark banger for Sean to get busy on.  Another banger in an album full of them is the last joint on the official retail version of the album “The Hardest N***a Out”.  The title of the song basically describes the song.  One of my pet peeves with artists sometimes is that the songs do not live up to their titles.  There are no such issues with this particular song though.  The Beat Bullies live up their name as well and deliver a drum heavy, head nod inducing slapper.

“I am Chow Yun Fat Rap/Gat to ya temple/stay in your lane lame/ plain and simple”

One of the small disappointments is the Khrysis produced “Hush”, but I don’t think it is because of the beat, it has more to do with Sean’s lazily harmonized hook.   There are a few other moments of laziness throughout the album.  I would say the biggest downside of this album is that the contempt that Sean has for the current state of hip-hop shows through in a tendency to not put his all into it at all times.   However I would say overall that as someone who enjoys what some would call 90′s New York style hip-hop this album delivers everything I want in a hardcore street oriented rap album.   If you have been a fan over the years, pick up this album, for those who are new to the scene or have need for more uplifting material, this may not be the album for you.

Rating:  This one is must buy for the hardcore headz

Flying the flag for Philly, Meek Mill continues the momentum for MMG and releases his first official major label album.  Having to follow a week after Kendricks well received major label debut and after a year of releases from his camp, Meek had a few things to prove with this album.

It has been a rocky journey for Meek Mill by all accounts.  His story is not really new but that does not mean it is none the less inspiring.  On the streets as a young man, coming up through the Philly battle scene and then finally being signed by MMG leaving behind a trail of court cases, jail time and family tradegy.  His philosophy towards life and some of the reasoning behind it are what encompass most of the content of this album and if you are looking for a whole lot of social commentary you are not going to find it here.  This is a man who is not long removed from the volatile environment he had to survive in and that hunger tempered by emotional detachment come through on this album.  If you just came off listening to Kendrick Lamar’s album you are also going to be disappointed, because even though the title of the album leads you to believe there is a bit of a concept to this album, Meek doesn’t really take advantage of that and in turn the album feels more like a collection of songs than something with a cohesive theme.  However ultimately Meek and Kendrick are telling the same story,  just from different points of view based on their own experience and using different methods to tell their story of rising out of the ghetto to make something of themselves.

The lack of substance is not a concern for me, I am much more about delivery than message and I also prioritize honesty.  Meek is an emcee that displays a lot of passion in his music however it is hard to feel any true emotion from him other than the hunger that comes through from what mostly sounds like yelling into the mic.  This is a common complaint for Meek, although it doesn’t bother me as much as others.  I find Meek is like a one man M.O.P.  Having grown up on M.O.P, Onyx and DMX,  Meek’s style is actually a bit of a refreshing throwback for me.   The thing that does bother me about this album however is the sequencing and especially the moments when Meek tries to be someone else.  Namely on the songs “Young and Gettin It” which sounds like a blatant Drake rip-off.  “Lay Up” sounds like something I would hear on a Chris Brown album and “Rich and The Famous” is just generic drivel that should have been put on a mixtape instead of what should be an artists primary showcase.  A major label debut is potentially the album that defines an artists career.   Meek has been successful regardless, with a bunch of mixtapes, work on 2 MMG compilation albums and many features in and outside of his camp, its just a pity to spoil what is overall a pretty good hardcore street oriented album with terrible cross over songs.  You could compare this album to “Get Rich or Die Trying” but the difference is that the crossover songs that 50 Cent wrote were much better in quality and creativeness.  “Dreams and Nightmares” does not have an “In Da Club” or “21 Questions” because instead of sticking to what he does best (“Im a Boss/”Tupac Back”) Meek softens it up in a couple of spots which disrupts the tone and flow of the overall album for me.

If I set aside Meek’s lazy moments though this album is actually pretty good.  I am going to annoy a lot of industry people now by playing “wanna -be executive producer” because I think if this album had been constructed a little bit better, Meek could have had a much stronger introduction to the world.  In re-sequencing, removing the songs I already mentioned and adding 1 prior song from his last mixtape this album plays more like a modern day “Ready To Die”.   I have found that my digital concoction makes the album flow much better and gives it a bit of a loose story line in 3 acts, beginning with the nightmare scenario that focuses on his paper chase.  In the middle we get more into his introspective and story telling side and then move into the end that culminates with him living the life.

My personal redux begins with the original intro song which is also the title track “Dreams and Nightmares”.   This is a great introduction to the album starting off with a smooth theatrical sounding piano background that Meek just glides over.  There is no yelling as Meek declares his committment to the game to escape the street life

“See my dreams unfold, nightmares come true It was time to marry the game and I said, “Yeah, I do”

In the middle though the song then turns into an 808 bass heavy “trap beat” as Meek turns up the agression in his voice as he warns off all haters, his last line captures his motivation as well as the life he came from.

“It was something ’bout that Rollie when it first touched my wrist/Had me feeling like that dope boy when he first touched that brick….”

Next up is one of my favorite songs on the album. Its placement on the retail non deluxe album is as the second to last song, on my redux it serves as the 2nd song and continues on the momentum from the first.  “Polo and Shell tops” even has the similar sounding piano from the start of the intro but you can tell the song is hard from the beginning, produced by Cardiak this is Meek at his best, or at least what I like to hear from him telling me about his street hustle.  That theme flows through into what is the third song on my redux but the last song on the official retail version “Real N**gas Come First”.  This is another hard dark beat with Meek spitting the grimey street content I am looking for in an artist like him.

In my version I continue with the aggressivness on the next 2 tracks “Believe It” and “In God We Trust”.  ”In God We Trust” is actually now my new drive to work anthem, that joint is Meek at the epitome of his screaming best.  There is a ton of energy on this joint, kinda reminds me of some of those Dipset joints at the height of their buzz.  This song sounds great in a car, in fact the whole album does and one thing I can’t really complain about is the production overall, even on the songs I say I would remove.   After the aggression of screaming the hook “For the love of the money…..” I slow it down a little as we move into the introspective part of the playlist with “Young Kings”, followed by the third person story telling track “Tony Story 2″.   The one real digression I have on my executive producer fantasy is bringing in the song “Use To Be” which was actually on the last mixtape “Dream Chasers 2″.   I think it would have given this album a real weighty emotional track that the official version is missing.   I follow that immediately with “Traumatized” which is one of the highlights of this album and probably the most personal record I have heard from Meek.   He speaks on the death around him from his friends dieing to feelings towards the yet unidentified killer of his father, who was shot when Meek was just a toddler.  I wish there was more of this on the album overall.   It’s the same feeling I have about the next 2 songs “Who Your Around” ft Mary J Blige and “Mayback Curtains” ft Nas, John Legend and Rick Ross.   The Mary J collaboration comes off very well in my opinion and again its nice to see Meek getting introspective while talking about how he has lost friends along the way on his journey to being successful. Its a song I think many people can relate to regardless of your own story.  “Mayback Curtains” though is the crown jewel of the album, as Meek, Nas and Ross glide over a beautiful laid back track as John Legend sings the hook  “…through these Maybach curtains we can that our life has changed..”.  I end it all with long released Drake assisted and controversial “Amen”, serving as the glorious end and representation of his success as he thanks God for the blessings (groupies and money) his career now offers him.

As you can see I think the bulk of the album is actually quite good and Meek has a good ear for beats as well as what seems to be an in house production crew that serves him well.  Yes I have some issues with the sequencing and wish there were a couple more songs that Meek used to reach into his soul however it is a decent album overall and with the wonder of modern technology I can personalize it and listen to it the way I want to.

Rating:  Decent album, not consistent enough to be stellar.  Buy it in digital format and make your own version.

After setting the bar incredibly high with the superbly sublime “Section 80″ and being publicly handed the flame of West Coast King by Game, Dre and Snoop a lot of lofty expectations have been built up for Kendrick Lamar’s major label debut “Good Kid M.A.A.D City”.   On the internets superlatives like “Best album in 20 years” and “Instant Classic” were being used to describe the album when only a couple of singles were floating around, well it is finally here, lets see if it can live up to the hype….

Every few years hip-hop needs an event that helps it redefine itself usually in the form of an album.  Sometimes these albums end up becoming certified classics standing the test of time like xxxxx or they launch an artist into the consciousness of the mainstream like “Thank Me Later” did for Drake.  With “Good Kid M.A.A.D City” (GKMC), Kendrick Lamar and the Interscope engine has managed to create one of the events, if not the hip-hop event of 2012.

Coming into this album I, along with countless others who thought “Section 80″ was a brilliant piece of art, had pretty high expectations of this album.  I started to lower those expectations when I heard “The Recipe”.  Although I love the beat, the inclusion of Dre blatantly rhyming off Kendrick written lines was a stark reminder to me that Kendrick now had to put something together that would be acceptable to Interscope.  With the recent track record post “Get Rich or Die Trying” I have not liked much that came from Iovine’s kingdom and therefore I was sceptical of Dre having any hand in this album.  Then “Swimming Pools” came out and I felt a bit more relieved and could sense that Kendrick was perfecting the balance in the music he needs to satisfy both his core fan base and the mainstream audience that Interscope would be aiming for.

After spending a bit of time with the album since it was released last week GKMC is definitely a work of art which if nothing else shows that Kendrick really thought this album out.  People will naturally compare this album with other high profile and anticipated debuts, however there is an aspect of this debut that right away slightly separates it from other hip-hop albums in general….Kendrick decided to make his major debut a concept album as he did with his official independent debut.  So my comparisons will come more from the view of putting it up against what I think are some of the best concept albums I have personally heard and like. Albums like Prince Pauls “A Prince Amongst Thieves” really opened the door for rap to explore the extended story telling concept albums allow for.  I would probably consider “Only Built For Cuban Linx” my favorite concept album, although some could argue it might not quite fit in the category.  Another personal favorite is Masta Ace’s “Disposable Arts”/”A Long Hot Summer” duo of albums where the latter album serves as the prequel even though it comes second in release order.  Others would be Sticky Fingaz very underrated “Autobiography of Kirk Jones”, Saigon’s “Greatest Story Never Told” and Lupe’s half concept “The Cool”.

Although I think this is a great album, I can’t actually say I like it more than the aforementioned albums. Only time will tell whether it holds up and Raekwon and Masta Ace have the advantage of  nostalgia and life moments that the Kendrick album has not had a chance to define yet.   So far though it is making a good case for being one of marquee albums that will help define the new guard of hip-hop.  Much of the elite of the mainstream rap world are older than 30.  50 Cent, Jay-Z, Eminem, T.I, Nas, Lil Wayne and even Kanye West are no longer young pups.  Lupe Fiasco, J Cole and Blu couldn’t really catapult into superstar level and are also getting older and Drake’s singing and suburban sensibilities dont sit well with the backpackers and purists.  So along comes Kendrick who manages to balance the simple articulation of a message needed to catch a listeners ear along with the technical gymnastics and lyrical trickery you need to keep the purists happy.

By making this a concept it allows him to move around and take some risks on the album.  Because he is telling a story he can insert situations that then allow for a certain type of song and so you get serious songs like “Sing About Me/Im Dying of Thirst” to the other extreme of the juvenile but fun ”Back Seat Freestyle”.  The story itself also allows him to let us into his childhood and personal growth from the perspective of a summer in the life of a 16/17 year old Kendrick.  We get the spontaneous, peer-pressure recklessness of a youth but also get the anxiety and stuggle of a young man who is aware of the environment and demons that conspire to bring him and his kin down.  Eventually there is a realization that he has purpose and that moves him to get him to where he is today.

The first act, if you focuses on the object of his lust, a girl called Sherane. The first song starts things off on an ominous note.  Although dedicated to lustful intent it has dark production using faint church organs and plodding drums.  This definitely signals some foreshadowing in terms of how the relationship ends as do the last few bars of the song.   The smoothed out, catchy but moody “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”  is next.  This is an early contender for my favorite song so far.  Again although its a bit moody, it has a bouncy beat and the lyrics display both the anxiety and confidence Kendrick has in himself to make it.

With hook he is honest about his fallibility as a human

|I am a sinner Who’s probably gonna sin again Lord forgive me Lord forgive me Things I don’t understand Sometimes I need to be alone|

At the beginning of the last verse he alludes to his artistic intentions

“I’m trying to keep it alive and not compromise the feeling we love /your’re trying to keep it deprived and only co-sign what radio does…/ … We live in a world, we live in a world on two different axles”

This album is like the culmination of hip-hop over the last 20 years to me.  It’s like a big mish mash of all the styles Kendrick has been influenced by.   For example on the song ”The Art of Peer Pressure”.  The song starts off with a jazzy interlude that sounds like something you would hear on a Roots album, but then it transforms into another ominous sounding beat more along the lines of something you would hear on Outkast’s “ATliens”.  Kendrick even slips into an Andre 3000-like flow as he laments over the power of peer pressure to make him do things he usually would not do. This is one of the many moments of him paying homage on the album you will find.  Kendrick is definitely a student of the game and he tips his hat to some of icons and influences that are applicable to him.  For instance you can feel the Bones Thugs N Harmony as well as the Outkast influence on the follow-up song “Money Trees” ft Jay Rock.   Jay Rock really shines as well on the track and really takes advantage of being the only Black Hippy feature on the regular retail version of the album by killing his verse.   Then there is the aggressive “M.A.A.D City”.   Starting off with an 808 heavy and Houston inspired production and ad-libs then flipping into a heavy west coast banger reminiscent of Ice Cube’s “Bird In The Hand”.  Not only does the beat borrow from that song, but Kendrick also borrows Ice Cube’s starting bars from that song.   To really complete the Compton influence MC Eight joins in the fray and adds a few ad libs and bars.

I think this is the overall strength of this album in that it combines a whole lot of different stuff that Kendrick has taken and put his own twist on it to make it his own.   Even though he does obviously borrow from the people he grew up listening to, he does also do things that are uniquely him.  “Sing About Me” is probably the lyrical gem on the album where Kendrick goes into third person mode, even speaking from the perspective of one of sisters of a character from “Section 80″.   It’s a very personal song even though most of it is third person, Kendrick uses it as a way to self critisize but also answer the critics all at the same time.  In addition he connects the dots to ”Section 80″, the album that he has been identified with thus far.  All this leads to him being able to satisfy a lot of different tastes on this album which I think will serve him well from both the critical acclaim and commercial standpoint.  What Kendrick has managed to do is put out a major label release with commercial intention but that allows him to maintain his artistic integrity.   Like I said earlier it has a little bit of everything, from the emotional to the ignorant.

The album is not without its flaws however.  The heavy dependence on skits to string the story together and the overuse of beat transitions in the song I think hurt the cohesiveness of the album a little for me.  I can also see how the voice changes that Kendrick uses to add variety to his delivery may annoy some people and be seen as a bit of a gimmick.  I also think the way the story itself is constructed is kinda rushed at the end.  There are essentially 6 songs dedicated to the start of the story, while the violent culmination is really encapsulated in 3 songs.   I think there could have been a bit more attention paid to what is the apex of the story and that portion explained a bit more.  If you don’t pay attention, the whole part about his friend dying might flight right by you.  It does work overall as a cohesive unit of work, but how do the songs stack up individually? Because he has beat changes not every song works by itself outside the context of the album like “Good Kid” or even the intro song.  He does have some singles potential with “Money Trees” and “Poetic Justice”, maybe even “….Dont kill my vibe” if you ignore some of the lyrics.

Overall I don’t see this album being better than the Masta Ace concept albums or Raekwon’s legendary debut.  Its not even my favorite album this year and I would put Nas’ and Ab-Soul’s albums ahead of it on my rotation.  That being said I would not argue with any one who did say it was their album of the year. I think Kendrick has had an impact on the game that no other album has had this year.  It got the mainstream attention and media dollars that Ab-Soul didn’t get and Nas can’t relate to the 25 and under crowd in the same way.  Sometimes it’s not just about the technical quality of the album, it’s also about the mystique and myth that surrounds an album.   I think with the critical acclaim and the projected commercial success of the album this album does truly have a chance to become a modern day classic.   With my own personal definition I refuse to call anything a classic unless it has been around for more than 5 years and it has a clear impact on the game, so I will have to wait 5 years to make that final judgement.  As of this time though I will say that he has put together the best major label debut of any of his immediate peers.  If I compare it to Drake’s, Wiz Khalifa, Tyga, J Cole, Wale MJK, Big K.R.I.T (“Live from the Underground” only), Meek Mill (leaked but officially out next Tuesday 30th) or any other rapper with a major label debut post 2007, GKMC is miles ahead.

Rating:  One of the best albums of 2012 and likely the most cohesive, a definite multiple buy….Xmas is just around the corner.

I first heard about Skyzoo in about 2006 through his work with 9th Wonder on the “Cloud 9″ EP.  It was well received and he went on to release a debut album and a series of mixtapes all to critical acclaim. I will admit that I personally did not pay much attention, now fast forward 6 years later he releases his second official album and he officially has my ear.  I had been convinced to check out the album through hearing “Jansport Strings” and “Range Rover Rhythm” and I can say that I was not disappointed with the rest of the album, in fact I was pleasantly surprised.

As to not dwell on them, I will start off with the negatives  I have about this album and get them out the way.  First of all I feel that as an emcee Skyzoo lacks a certain charisma and personality on the mic which takes away from his overall skill as an emcee.  His monotone cadence sometimes lulls me into a tuned out state.  The other negative for me was the inclusion of the “for the ladies” joint “Drew and Derwin”.  It just feels out of place on the album and messes up the flow of the album for me.  I think the album could have been sequenced a little differently to maintain the tempo.  Its a bit of a personal preference thing for me where I like the tempo of an album to go up and down rather than slow down during the course of the album which is how I find this lp.
In spite of those points this is a strong album and there are things on the album that make up for its shortcomings.  Skyzoo’s cadence is balanced by his choice to not just talk shit and by his choice of beats.  My tempo issue is balanced by the fact that the last third of the album is beautifully produced and although slower in tempo still includes songs like “The Rage of Romello” and “Realization” both produced by Khalil.  This whole album has been thought out and you can tell.  I will admit that I haven’t figured it all out in terms of all the content he is trying to get across but I like that he doesn’t make it too obvious and that every song seems to be there for a reason, regardless of whether I think it should be.  I get the sense from this album that this is someone who is very comfortable in his own skin, hasn’t had an easy road to where he is now but continues to strive on, knows his lane and doesn’t really stray too far from his comfort zone.
Other than Sky’s lyrical introspection and skill the other big plus of this album is the production.  Skyzoo has gone out and got some of the best of the indie scene.  Illmind provides 4 tracks, Jahlil Beats (Meek Mills dude) provides a joint, Khalil provides a couple, and both 9th Wonder and Black Milk contribute a track each as well.  A new name to me is Tall Black Guy who provides the last 2 joints along the lines of something you would hear from Justice league, smoothed out but with depth.  To me the production is the strongest part of the album, not taking anything away from Skyzoo as an emcee, but for me its what really makes it so strong.   Like I said earlier I find the sequencing off, but that is only because the album starts off so strong, the first 3 tracks are probably my favorites and the overall quality of the first 6 joints really set a fantastic tone for the album.  That has a lot to do with the fact that 4 of those joints are from Illmind mind, with 9th Wonder and Jahlil having the other 2.  That is one helluva of a production crew to start your album off with and Sky does not waste the beats as he flows effortlessly like butter over them. Starting off with the hypnotic yet head nod inducing “Dreams in a basement” prod by Illmind. Followed by my favorite beat from 9th Wonder in a long time on “Jansport Strings” and then going into my current favorite track, the banging “Pockets Full”.  Freeway makes the track for me with his gruff yet tight flow he spits…

“Out the city where them people will bang
Flamers and double back, clap and shoot your dame in the same
Evening, your city ain’t wild as ours, Philly raise heathens
Y’all city raise divas like Billy Ray Cyrus”

Through to “The Knowing” the album really does a good job of maintaining my attention, and then comes the skit and follow up song I already mentioned “Drew and Derwin”.  However ignoring that one blip the album, although the album gets a little less aggressive from that point, I think gets a little bit better in terms of lyrics. The highlight of that is “Make It Through Hysteria”, where he spits an inspiring spoke word poem at the end of the track but within the main part also gets very introspective even adding a reference from “The Wire”, very effective when you actually remember the scene as well..

“Powder spread ’round like they was dumping out their lottery
Freshened up the linen like embellishing an image
See it’s sorta like the scene where Dukie get out the car
And Prezbo is watching a dream die from afar
And testers are getting thrown over on Popular Grove”

The one other thing I realized I liked about this album, is that although it has that New York street feel, it was not overly abrasive. You don’t notice a lot of swearing and there’s no macho posturing, even though he has his moments of confident bragging.  This all leads to it being a very genuine sounding album.
Overall Skyzoo has put out a piece of work I think he can be very proud of.  I would not personally call it the best project this year for me, but I think it stands up to the best of what has been released so far this year and wouldn’t argue with people who put it on top.of their list.  Since Skyzoo is a big Jay-Z fan I’ll end this by by saying that Skyzoo did a great job and we should all “Clap for ‘em”.
Rating -  Buy 1 for sure and support indie hip hop, shout out to Duck Down still putting out quality.

R&b singer and OFWGKTA member, Frank Ocean, released a new single called “Blue Whale” on Monday night via his Tumblr page. His first album which was released this past summer, Channel ORANGE, gave him lot’s of attention–mostly positive–and I think this single will continue to add to that publicity. Although it’s different from his usual sound, it’s worth checking out. “Blue Whale” shows off Frank’s musical variability but also displays his typical smooth sound.

Check out “Blue Whale” here.

When looking at the current state of the commercial rap industry Def Jam stands out as the overall winner this year dropping most of the commercially successful albums in 2012 even in the dismal sales environment the mainstream industry finds itself in. To continue the trend they bring out the big guns in the form of Kanye West and his troupe signed to G.O.O.D Music management company.  Kanye has been dropping singles like “Mercy”, “Cold (Theraflu)” and “New God Flow” all summer in the build up to this showcase compilation album for his “Clique”.

Coming into this album I was not sure what to expect, even though it turns out nearly half the album has already been floating around for a few months. Along with the “already out there” tracks, there is also a choice to go with only 12 tracks which will probably upset a few people. I try to limit the number of singles I listen to before an album drops.  “Mercy”, “New God Flow” and “I Don’t Like” are probably the songs I had the most familiarity with. So for the most part the element of surprise was still there.

Mr West kicks things off, enlisting R Kelly to sing the rousing and rebellious chant over the marching band like drums of “To The World” which reminds me a lot of “All Of The Lights” in a way, except without the same depth brought about by having 50 singers on the hook.  R Kelly does his thing though with a little help from the vocoder, swooning defiantly;

“Let me see you put your middle fingers up To the world, I made up in my mind I’m doin’ things my way, I’m burnin’ shit down tonight I’m doin’ things my way, it’s my way or the highway Let me say it one more time”

Kels then goes on to have a little verse as well, then we get the defiant Kanye, setting the tone for the rest of this album in terms of its overall message; which as I understand it is that Kanye is a rap God and his crew are living large.

“R. Kelly and the God of rap Shitting on you, holy crap!”

I might as well say it early since I know I am going to sound like a broken record.  There is not much else in terms of takeaways from this album content wise but I think people will be happy with the music overall.   After the rousing introduction song we go into the made-for-the-club banger “Clique” joined by Jay-Z for his guest obligatory appearance.  The lyrical level doesn’t really get raised on this song either, with its stripped down “Drop It Like Its Hot” type drums and musical garnishes added by Kanye this song is aimed pretty much for the clubs and the strip joints.  I must say I was pretty disappointed with Jay who basically mailed in the verse with a very generic “I have more money than anyone and you are not in my league” verse.  But again can’t really complain about the beat on this one, it knocks.  Same can be said about the next song, “Mercy”.  I could pretty much put the first 6 songs into the same bucket in terms of having nice beats but what I would consider below-par to average emceeing.  And yes that includes Ghostface, who has never failed me before, but for some reason his surprise appearance on this redux of “New God Flow” didn’t really amaze me. But I wont complain about getting a Ghost verse on this type of project.  However there is one shining diamond for those of us who not only like nice beats but also like premium lyrics on top of those beats. That diamond is the person who I think may end up benefiting most from this album; Cyhi the Prynce.

Cyhi for me is the saving grace of this entire album, coming from a person who grew up with Ghostface, Raekwon and Jay-Z.   His verses are the most coherent yet intricate lyrics on the tape to go along with a gravely distinctive voice and buttery effortless flow.  The standout track on the album for me is ”The Morning” ft amongst others, Raekwon and Common.  Raekwon is not bad, but doesn’t really do anything new.  Common starts strong but doesn’t get a lot of time before his verse is cut off by Pusha T and then 2 Chainz gets all of a few words in before Cyhi runs through and puts down a legitimate contender for verse of the year.  Its one of those verses where every line has something in it. He has a great introduction, he has an ill, what I call “transition” line and he ends the verse with a dope witty punchline. And he does it efficiently, its not like Ye gives anyone room to spit 100′s of bars.  As far as I am concerned its one of those “drop the mic” type moments.  I am not going to quote this one since I am expecting it will be written about quite a bit.

The album then slows down a little bit on “Higher” where we get Pusha talking like he has Jay-Z money and Mase bragging like his pre-born-again-preacher days.  Flow is dope as always, content is a little…….well…….corny.

“I bumped into Loon he like, “Well, as-salamu alaykum” You know I ain’t Muslim my nigga, I’m about my bacon The shot niggas takin’ you’d think I’m rollin’ ’round with Reagan“

The next joint has a beat that follows on with the slower tempo of the last song, but this time it’s a lot more broody and includes the second Cyhi highlight on “Sin City”.  Cyhi is on his philosphical gangsta ish and drops gems from line to line.

“Sex, drugs, and playin’ dices, /those are our favorite vices/But this life’ll  take a toll on ya/ Well I guess you gotta pay the prices/ I know who Christ  is /And he never hung with the Saints/ it makes no sense to save the righteous”

For full disclosure I have been a Cyhi cheerleader since hearing his verse on “So Appalled” downloading his mixtape and hearing the song “Whoopty Doo”.  His recent “Ivy League” mixtape has some dope material on it as well.  I am not saying he’s the best emcee ever, I just think he made the most of the limited opportunity he was given on this album and rose above all the others.  On a compilation like this sometimes someone’s stock rises.  I think Cyhi was the clear winner given his less accomplished position in the game.  I think overall I was most disappointed by Pusha, given he is supposed to be releasing an album soon.

After ”Sin City” Kanye rounds things out with another verse proclaiming his greatness, Kudi gets a solo, there’s another R&B track then we end things off with the remix to Chief Keef’s “I Dont Like”.   Overall the album is like a mix between Kanye’s last solo album and the MMG drop from this year.  The typical Kanye’isms are there in terms of the production, packaging and overall aesthetic.  However it is tamed down a little to help shine a light on the clique and not completely over-power everything.   While I am bringing MMG into this I will say this is probably the better of the compilation albums I have heard this year, comparing it to MMG and the DJ Khaled album.   If you are a fan of Kanye’s work over the last couple of years and want to bump some bass in the whip, I think you will enjoy this album.  However,  If you are looking for some dope lyricism, I would stick to the 2 songs with Cyhi and not waste my time with rest.

Rating: I would buy the 2 best songs on itunes, not the whole album.

Earlier this week J. Cole fans were excited to hear he dropped his latest joint, “I’m a Fool,” via Twitter, but one lucky fan really got the inside scoop.

When fan, whose twitter name is @SultanofSwatt, casually asked the rapper via Twitter if his new song had been released yet, J. Cole replies with “Naw. You want it?” and proceeded to e-mail @SultanofSwatt with his latest track. Talk about VIP treatment. Shortly after, J. Cole released the song to the public, but who knows, maybe this method of releasing new music will become a regular thing among other recording artists, giving their fans something to get excited about.

Check out his latest track with the beat sampling Cee-Lo’s “Fool For You.” Definitely worth listening to, J. Cole fan or not.

Click here to listen

This is one of those times that Nas’ “New York State of Mind” introduction comes into my head ….. “I don’t know how to start this man!”   I probably could have written this review about 2 days after the mixtape came out. But I held off because I have been debating with myself on exactly how I feel about this mixtape.   The problem is; I am not some kind of huge Big Sean fanatic who has followed him since he put his first record out.  He came onto my radar about 2 years back but to be totally honest and for full disclosure I was not really impressed.

So what can I say about this particular mixtape given that context?   In trying to be completely objective I actually think there is much to like about this mixtape.

The mixtape actually plays like an album, with Sean bringing in his own production crew (like Key Wane) as well as the new breed of sought after hit makers like the aptly named Hit Boy.   These are all original beats to my knowledge.    The mixtape has a pretty contemporary and cohesive sound to it all the way through and I would be lying if I said the production quality was not of a high standard especially considering that this is free product.  Sean also invites J Cole, Royce the 5’9” and Kendrick Lamar and Juicy J (amongst others) for some pretty good feature appearances.

It all kicks off with the Key Wane produced “Higher” with Sean going on a self glorification journey “I made myself a boss and promoted myself” or something like that he states.  The beat is nice and smooth but with some nice rolling drums to keep it interesting and it serves as a nice introduction to the album. Sean is essentially laying out the theme for most of the rest of the album, telling us that he had to hustle hard but now he’s made it and gets to stand next to Kanye and Jay.  We then roll into what I think is one of the standout tracks, “24 karats” ft J. Cole.  A nice sung hook which sounds like something that could have been on “Cole World”.  Sean continues with the rags to riches theme, slipping in a few bars of actual social commentary about the education system.  J. Cole doesn’t deviate and comes through and does what he does.  He doesn’t really steal the show but adds a nice compliment to the song.  The next set of songs continue to maintain the tempo and are consistent with what I think of most this mixtape; pretty entertaining but not mind-blowing in anyway.  Juicy J shows up on the bouncy “Experimental” and French Montana shows up on the following track ”Mula” which to me is the weakest joint on the mixtape.  Just sounds like a rip-0ff of a Rick Ross song along with 3X repeated hook and holy ghost reference.

Then we get into introspective Sean for a couple of songs, with Kendrick Lamar stealing the show on the first of those on “100″ which also features a subdued Royce The 5’9″.  The second song “Sellin Dreams” is one of the best joints on here I think.  Sean basically recounts a lovers quarrel with what seems to be his jump-off and it shows Sean opening up a little emotionally and he executes it well.  And from there the mixtape again stays consistently decent but not mind-blowing.  I will say that “I am Gonna Be” ft Jhene Aiko is hella catchy, this could easily be a successful radio single. The consistency is there all the way through into the bonus track at the end which i think has Wale and Wiz Khalifa on it as well.  Along with the consistency another of the highlights of the tape to me are the skits, where Sean brings in Common, Jeezy and Snoop to talk about the experiences they have had in the “D”, with short anecdotes about their time in Detroit. I thought that was a very original idea.  So the overall the mixtape is not bad right?…..well like I said to begin with I was and I still am conflicted as to how I feel about this mixtape.

If there is a negative about this tape it is Big Sean’s delivery and cadence.  This is not to say this is all Sean’s fault, in fact in this case this is about personal preference and perception.  The problem is the only thing I can think of when I am listening to this mixtape is that it sounds a whole lot like I am listening to a Drake album.   I know this is very unfair, many Big Sean fans (and he himself) would argue that in fact it is Drake who sounds like him and has copied his “style”.   Again I know the comparison is both unfair and easy to make but Big Sean many times goes into harmonies during his bars and I can not help but think of Drake.  His voice doesn’t help either and many times based on the pattern he is using, I could swear I am listening to a Drake joint.   The end all and be all of that thought is not that I think Sean is bad or a biter, its just that he conveys no charisma on the mic for me.  I really can’t “connect” with him and I find him very generic.  He is to me the definition of the “average” emcee in this new class along with J. Cole, Wale, Wiz Khalifa, B.O.B and Drake and himself.   The other issue I have is that the mixtape itself does little to scream out “Detroit” for me.   The darkness I would associate with Detroit was not there.  There was no Elzhi, no Phat Kat, not even Danny Brown who I would have loved to hear on “100″.

However the mixtape overall is definitely worth a download.  The fact that it is free means you are getting incredible value and if you are a fan of any of the emcees I just mentioned I think you will like it.

Rating: Its a free mixtape, Download it!