Drake - Nothing Was The Same (R.I. Review)

Overview Drake is a rapper who after an acting career, and a long span of underground rapping, teamed up with Lil Wayne and began a highly well-received rap career. After a lot of music exploration, there was a moment where Drake found a niche half-rap/half-sung style that changed hip hop ever since. However, nothing has been the same. The biggest change is that the instrumentals are a lot heavier. Instead of serenading, most of the tracks are venting and bragging. There are some interesting subject matters, but it's a straight forward hip hop album. Drake's flow patterns and deliveries are entertaining, but the songs just don't have the same energy and lasting appeal OVO's known for. Defining Track Started from the Bottom was the first single off of the album. It's a trap instrumental with a more positive message. Drake's left Headline's pre-chorus's behind and started using chants. The Song is up-beat and arguably simple. However, each line states an idea and then explains it in the next line. Towards the end of the song he says, "We don't like to do too much explaining, stories stay the same through the money and the fame." Final Thoughts This album seems more like a contribution to his image than his discography. Drake's a talented rapper but he seemed to be in character on a lot of these songs. Sincerity is what gave Take Care its long term impact. Also, there was too much indifference through out. Nothing was the same.

Big Sean - Hall of Fame (R.I. Review)

Overview Big Sean is a hip hop artist from Detroit, Michigan who through a serious of Finally Famous mix-tapes and extensive help from Mr. West, finally became famous. Naturally, the title plays in the same progression Big Sean has made musically. The first, most prominent change is that the production is abstract and engaging enough to give straight forward messages a slightly more interesting angle. The flow pattern is mixed in with contemporary breakdowns and echoed lyrics. There's a colorful array of collaborations. "You don't know" even features a sample from Ellie Goulding. Defining Track "Fire" is the most prominent single and features a very full instrumental carried by heavy samples. Big Sean's lyrics are once again explaining the fact that he's a successful rapper. However, the energy of his lyricism complements the beat well enough to make up for it's simplicity. Final Thoughts Big Sean aims for relate-ability over depth. There is a liveliness to the entire album that completely drives it. Big Sean is somewhat limited artistically and needs to diversify his subject matter and lyricism. The album is carried by production value and personality.

Tyler, the Creator - Wolf (R.I. Review)

Overview Tyler, the Creator is a rapper from Ladera Heights who after a massive new-age horror-core discography began to gain unbelievable hype despite creating obscenely politically incorrect music. His previous Goblin album was released at a time when conscious rap was a considerably new innovation and the ground he covered in indie hip hop had been nearly uncharted territory. With that said, "Wolf" had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, due to legality issues and changes in trends, this album feels like a poor attempt at re-kindling former glory. Odd Future's previously disturbing image has been replaced by a hip hop version of "Jackass". This album has very little cohesive message. Tyler's had problems, Tyler's made money, Tyler's loosing fans... Wolf's saving attribute is a very natural, live instrumentation sound.  Other than that, it's more of the same with much less of the overall experience Odd Future was made famous for. Another interesting note about this album is that Tyler spends a large portion of it trying to abandon a lot of his previously established image for the sake of preserving his personal life and reputation. What happened to Golf Wang? Defining Track Even the single, "Domo 23" seems a little off. It's not that it's bad, it's just completely misleading to the rest of the album. There is very little appeal to this song besides the rhythmic flow pattern, and once again he tries to repair his image by explaining that he isn't homophobic. Other than that, the song has the staple Odd Future rebellion but it's sloppier than Tyler's previous releases and seems to be targeted to a very young demographic. Final Thoughts The album seems like a cry for help and an appeal to emotion from a fan-base that supported him merely because he aligned with trends in indie music. The lack of dependence on mindless disrespect is a step forward in someways, but the release feels hollow because so much of Tyler's image has been built around it. This is by no means a bad album, but it's the first attempt he's made to succeed based on artistry rather than shock value, and he's still got to work out the kinks. Tyler's fallen into the common trap of abandoning an image before creating a new one.

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Overview
Frank Ocean is an R&b artist from Long Beach California who gained notoriety in the wake of Odd Future's ascent to stardom. Although their style as a collective focuses heavily on attention grabbing content, Frank Ocean's Channel Orange is anything but attention seeking. That isn't to say that it's non-eventful. It is merely to say that the tracks on this release are meant to have a Jazz vibe instead of the rebellious heavy energy of some of the Odd Future releases. Channel Orange begins with a sample from a video game console and this sheds light on one of the nicest aspects of this album. It's free from influence. In addition to being self-released prior to record label involvement, Frank Ocean goes out of his way to reference anime, drugs, and several other highly venturous themes. This is by far one of the deepest sung releases to emerge in a long time.
Defining Track
"Thinkin Bout You" is the most noteworthy track and tells a lot of the story behind this album. He talks about his first romantic experience as he's showing off his room. Additionally, there is a nice transition from reminiscing the past to wondering about the future. This only solidifies the point of the song which is, the person he's talking to will hopefully be in his future as well as past. There are a few Prince reflective notes being hit during the chorus, but the majority of the song is done in his typically low octave.
Final Thoughts
It takes a song writer with a collective filled with internet celebrities to pull of releasing an album with this much freedom. Frank Ocean understands that his audience wants something innovative and that his current position allows him to provide it. Hopefully this album will open doors for record labels to be more experimental with their singing artists. Whether or not they do, this is still a phenomenal example of how expressive music should be.

Rap Independent
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
9/10

Earl Sweatshirt - Earl (R.I. Review)

Overview
Earl Sweatshirt is a rapper from Los Angeles California who is arguably the most lyrically innovative hip hop artist to ever be discovered by a mass audience. After joining the rap collective: Odd Future, lots of controversy arose regarding his disappearance to a Samoan reform school his mother had sent him to due to his erratic behavior. Earl Sweatshirt's Father was a poet so its only fitting that he should bring so many previously poetry-exclusive techniques into hip hop. The album is content-wise, the story of his initiation and role in Odd Future. There are standard horror-core style ideas thrown around with so much skill that every audience should be far more impressed than offended.
Defining Track
"Earl" is the definitive release of the LP. It's intricate, well-composed, and offers one of Earl's most prominent staples: tongue-twisters. His delivery is laid back yet his voice allows his vocals to effortlessly stand-out against the highly simplistic instrumental. There is a memorable quality to Earl's lyricism that's rarely seen at his level of complexity. Artistically, this song has very little competition in any era of hip-hop and it's success has had a lasting impact on the genre's exploration.
Final Thoughts
The album is short and not every song is as memorable as "Earl" but, at the age of 16, he was writing hip hop lines like, "its so happens that I'm so hap-hazardous.." Listening to this release a few times makes it challenging to transition back to the attempts of other artists to appear deep or intelligent. There was an overwhelming reception of Earl's career, but he is still under-valued due to his lack of widespread appeal. Earl has a musical integrity, creativity, and depth that makes him one of the best hip hop lyricists...period.

SpaceGhostPurrp - Mysterious Phonk (R.I. Review)

Overview SpaceGhostPurrp is a rapper from Miami Florida who after gaining underground attention through a series of mix-tapes; began to take the contemporary hip hop movement to another level. First off, SpaceGhost is by no lengths of the imagination a rapper. He is a producer and a contemporary artist. If you're listening to this for lyricism, you don't understand the intent behind it. There are a lot of highly dramatic ideas being thrown around but none of them are backed up by even the smallest amount of lyrical technique. The largest innovation SpaceGhostPurrp brings to the forefront is symbolic repetition. However, all of that is blindingly insignificant when compared to his production which is surprisingly high quality and consistent to be so unpredictable.
Defining Track
Been Fweago is the anthem of Mysterious Phonk and does a phenomenal job of introducing SpaceGhostPurrp's music. The song has his iconic, spaciously focused production and humour laced, abstract lyricism present in full force. It's not necessarily an impressive song or even a memorable song, but its very different and feels refreshingly abstract despite the diversity of current hip hop music trends.
Final Thoughts
Mysterious Phonk has a melodic strength that gives it a replay value far beyond the quality of SpaceGhost's lyrical content. Additionally, there is this bizarre activism tone to several of his ethically void messages. SpaceGhostPurrp is not a rapper that produces, he's a phenomenal producer that learned english.

The Underachievers - Indigoism (R.I. Review)

    

Overview
The Underachievers consists of two rappers: Issa Dash and AK from Flatbush Avenue, New York. Although they have been moving within the turbulence of other New York hip hop acts, there is a distinct relevance in their presentation that makes them a lot more than a mere extension of current music trends. Neither rappers are lyrical champions. Rather, they are rhythmically charged and weave in and out of their beats with veteran proficiency. The heart of this album is the hypnotic production which tells half of The Underachiever's story. Indigoism is the belief in attaining an independent from higher power, talent-based consciousness, and becoming essentially... superhuman. Content wise, Indigoism is merely an exploration through this idea and a declaration of every thing that led them to it. However, the Underachievers are simply so heavily obsessed with this concept that every song revolves around explaining it.
Defining Track
Herb Shuttles is the most prominent release and features an instrumental so immensely trance-like that if there were no vocals over it, it would be slightly unsettling. The concept of the song is being sent into outer-space through marijuana usage. The represented demographic is the highly intelligent yet influence misguided teenagers clawing for meaning in obscure theories about the universe. Although, Herb Shuttles is a solid track, it's hardly memorable and there is better high-simulating music and more lyrically coherent songs that delve into higher thought.
Final Thoughts
The Beast Coast movement between Pro Era, The Underachievers, Flatbush Zombies, and Asap Rocky is a bizarrely loose collective that is more symbolic then it is purposeful. Indigoism has the energy of a rising movement and the originality necessary to stand apart from previous artists of similar purposes but long term, explaining and re-explaining the same concepts will get old fast. Really fast. They're talented but a bit too one dimensional.

Hopsin - Haywire (R.I. Review)

Hopsin is a rapper from Los Angeles, California who has been considerably under-hyped due to his lack of willingness to follow industry trends or marketing rules. Although the premise of his music is insanity (comparable to Odd Future) his content is that of the poetic contrarian. It's not that he's negative or synical it's just that every single song he creates seems to explain his lack of satisfaction with everything. There seems to be an incredibly strong desire to change nearly everything. The release features Swizzz collaborations throughout and as far as flow, they're both highly straight-forward. Word play is at a minimum, punchlines are subtle, and Hopsin raps circles around Swizzz on every track. Production wise, the instrumentals are bass driven, synth laced, and equally as straight-forward as the lyricism. \The defining track of this release is "Leave Me Alone" and it articulates the same meaning within all of his songs; "I hate everything because its not what I want it to be." This song is driven by the instrumental and the passionate energy in the tone and lyricism. The psuedo-sung high pitched hook works well but his verses are simply to basic aesthetically to stand up to more simplistic rappers with more energy or with more complex lyricists that are more impressive. This song is merely created to be relatable and although it succeeds overall, no individual line reaches relevancy. Hopsin doesn't have enough variety in his content to make listening to him worth doing beyond a couple songs and Swizzz isn't talented enough to keep up with him. There is a large market of teenagers that discontentment will resonate with but there are simply too many artists that express discontentment to make that a legitimate reason to listen to Hopsin.

School Boy Q - Habits & Contradictions (R.I. Review)

Overview
School Boy Q is a rapper from South Central Los Angeles who has been met with comparatively lukewarm reception to his rivals; Asap Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, and Danny Brown. However, don't believe the lack of hype. School Boy Q is an excellent rapper with star power musically that doesn't translate visually, (hints the constant fisherman hat). Although he is an incredibly consistent rapper lyrically, he is not a conscious rapper and not a word play comedian either. There is a sincerity in the timing of his deviations from standard pitch, and calm delivery, a well-timed almost choreographically perfect performance. School Boy Q has also adopted a rhythmic triad flow pattern similar to Kendrick Lamar.
Defining Track
"There He Go" is the perfect song to play in School Boy Q. He doesn't get a lot of attention, but he's there and often underrated. Although the beat has a highly emotional piano composition and the beat is lively, it's School Boy Q's natural charisma that makes the song succeed. The song is almost delivered like a joke but its only the control exerted here that makes such an over the top delivery produce such a respectable song.
Final Thoughts
School Boy Q created a soundtrack for wining in the background. His style is paradoxical in the sense that he strives for humour almost as much as intimidation. Sometimes he achieves both at the same time.  One final note about the album is that Asap Rocky's verse on "Hands on the wheel" was one of the most impressive things he's had ever done at the time. School Boy Q has an inspirational energy about him that makes his music cathartically uplifting.

Childish Gambino - Camp (R.I. Review)

Overview Childish Gambino is a rapper from Los Angeles, California who achieved fame from stand-up comedy and not surprisingly, he never truly stopped. That's not to say that Childish shouldn't be taken seriously, because from a technical standpoint his flow is fantastic. However, he is so heavily concerned with mocking the logistics of hip hop that many do not consider what he does as truly representing the culture behind it. Childish Gambino's style is highly punk-music mentality driven however, humility on such an abrasive level is very hard to digest over hip hop instrumentals. On a positive note, despite not taking himself very seriously, he has a lot of charisma and is very hard to dislike on a personal basis, "Im not trying to come hard, I'm trying to come me."
Defining Track
The track Bonfire is a very full synopsis of the message of Camp. All of the dissociations from his music and standard hip-hop are stated so blatantly that it almost seems like, if anyone were to mistake him for an actual rapper he would be mildly offended.
Final Thoughts
The production is fantastic and as a whole, this release is far more artistic than most hip hop releases. Additionally, there is a personal quality to his presentation that works surprisingly well with its comedy because it is a preemptive disarming of those who would laugh at his emotions. However, Childish Gambino needs to take hip hop more seriously if he ever wants the hip hop game to take him seriously.

Trinidad James - Don't Be S.A.F.E. (R.I. Review)

Overview Trinidad James is rapper from Atlanta Georgia who has a style that is often received as a joke and in all fairness he is far more humour focused then most of his competition. However, there is a depth to his presentation that gets lost in the translation to his audience. He is extremely purposeful. While tailoring line after line to his female audience, leaning heavily towards abstract production, giving shout-outs to influential companies, and slipping in surprisingly insightful philosophical views, no one is laughing at him, they're laughing with him. The quality of the release is debatable because the same humour that makes it enjoyable is created by over-simplifying and avoiding conventional technique. You will either hate or love this mix-tape. Defining Track All gold everything is the premier release and plays in Trinidad James extraordinarily "in your face" persona. Essentially, the song is the audio equivalent of show boating. Interestingly enough, there seems to be a morale to the song. "This song for them f*** n***** who hatin on you this summer, talk s*** behind you back but won't say s*** in public." Likewise, the entire song is filled with serious thoughts delivered in the least serious way possible. Final Thoughts Trinidad James doesn't take himself very seriously but it's a shame because behind all of the satire and production there is a highly opinionated artist with a lot more skill than is being exerted on any of the songs on Don't Be S.A.F.E. However, Trinidad James' music has a positivity and pleasantness about it that extends far beyond the content or message.

Ab-Soul - Control System (R.I. Review)

Overview Ab-Soul is a conscious rapper from Carson California whose musical focus is the glamorization of drug usage. Although Ab-Soul is a talented lyricist, his presentation is highly subdued. Furthermore, despite the fantastic collaborations to be found on this album, none of them allow Ab-Soul to be the focal point.  His delivery consists of a considerably high yell similar to Meek Mill. However, its not fair to focus solely on musicality when Ab-Soul is so heavily focused on his message. There is an extremely high concentration of political and ethically charged lyricism in EVERY song. They're not necessarily the deepest messages or even the most coherent, but they all come off extremely sincere. Defining Track Terrorist Threats is a track that features Danny Brown. The instrumental is incredible, the chorus is incredible, Danny Brown's verse is incredible, but Ab-Soul's verse is good. The song explores political corruption and inconsistent opportunity distribution. Although this is the focus, it's filtered through an empathy campaign about their own lives introspectively. Final Thoughts Ab-Soul's most powerful attribute is being relatable. This is by far, one of the most humble albums with its level of attention. However, his weakness is the fact that he lacks any sort of presence. This album as a whole would be absolutely nothing without the collaborations but maybe it's the anti-glamorous presentation that makes him so well-respected as an underground artist.